#she gets so excited when I complement something really specific that I can tell she worked hard on

[yogsbloodbag]

the gang with a latina s/o?

𝐈𝐍 𝐖𝐇𝐈𝐂𝐇,

𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐠𝐚𝐧𝐠 𝐡𝐚𝐬 𝐚 𝐇𝐢𝐬𝐩𝐚𝐧𝐢𝐜 𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐧𝐞𝐫.

A/N:

hey guys!! sorry for being so inactive for a bit, Exams were coming up and I had to focus on them for a while. I have tomorrow and half of the day Thursday (5/29) (5/30) are my only days left of school. I should be available then so hit me up w requests!

now I would like to state something specifically about this one. Latina is someone who derives off the the Latin culture, or Hispanic, normally originates to women who appear like a goddess or so. I’m someone who is a Hispanic and this is as if they were introduced into your culture.

Oh!! And also to state, a little Spanish lesson here, every word that has a feminine state to it, will always be like Niña, and for Masculine, it would be Niño. So think of it like that with Latina and Latino.

( side note: one of my friends said that she thinks johnny is Hispanic but, that’s what she thinks so I might add a little of that into this.

PROOF READ: yes.

Word count: 200+

Sodapop Curtis —

- Soda is the type of one to go around and talk about you non stop.

- In all seriousness, he thinks you’re a straight up goddess.

- He really doesn’t have experience with Hispanics, so when you were telling him about your Quinceañera, it really caught his eye about how you celebrated your culture.

- but I can sure tell you this boy was excited to learn more about it.

- he complements you every time you do your makeup! :)

Ponyboy Curtis —

- he has heard about Hispanics, really wasn’t too sure about the culture though

- but when you and Ponyboy got together, he was interested.

- When he heard about the traditions you do with your family, he wanted to participate in them.

- not saying all of them, just some of them so he could, you know, get a hold of what he’s getting his hands on.

- When you showed Ponyboy photos of your Quinceañera, he was shocked of what you told him you do at them. He personally has a favorite of the shoe tradition.

Darrel Curtis

- He could possibly care less about what your ethnicity is

- But it sometimes comes to his mind about your traditions, as so.

- He once asked you about some of the traditions you do, and he was pretty interested

- You let him meet your family and he kinda got scared of your mom… (chancla 😋)

- but overall he loves having you as his partner :)

Johnathan Cade —

- He knew what was what, so you really didn’t have to tell him much

- he participated in the traditions you did with your family.

- He once stated that he loved dancing with you, because it was something he never did before

- not to mention but everytime you two would mess up trying to get the perfect move on a dance, you two would just sit there and laugh about it

- 10/10 he loves you

Dallas Winston —

- Like Darrel, he could care less about what your ethnicity is

- But he’s scared of when you start threatening him in Spanish and said he wouldn’t do it anymore (he still did)

- he was absolutely flabbergasted with the beauty standards you fit.

- the eyelashes, the lips, something about it made him feel some type of way, and he loved it.

- you have to admit though, this boy would get on his knees for you. If you asked him to jump, he would ask how high. He really does love you.

A/N:

Guys I can’t think of anymore to write for Steve or Two-bit because it’s lowk the same as Darry and Dallas…. Pls forgive me and don’t kill me… 😔🙏

erm anyways enjoy this shit idk :)

[lucifer-is-a-bag-of-dicks]

I just went to dinner with family and was blindsided by several other guests that my mum failed to inform me were arriving so I just got slam dunked into a social situation I was not prepared for

but they were old family friends and thankfully one of them brought her kid along, I love this kid, he's adorable, he's maybe ten years old now and I've known him since he was a baby, I don't see him often but when I do I know it's gonna be a good night because now I don't have to stress about having normal adult conversations

I just gotta lend this kid a pen, watch him draw on some napkins for a bit, and then ask him what he's drawing

this kid will spend an entire evening giving me the complete rundown on some insanely creative magical creature that he made up all by himself

last time it was christmas lunch and he told me all about these evil hell dragons that all had different ways of torturing their victims' souls for all eternity, and the dragons had their own islands containing civilisations that also had complex political ties with each other that were all impacted by the dragons they had to deal with

tonight it was a fire based critter that started off really small but had several extremely creative evolved forms, some of which branched off depending on the creature's mental state when evolving, and should these creatures be lucky enough to reach their final forms, they can go from being ten times the size of the world's largest mountains, to becoming so large it destroys the planet its on, and then it becomes a new planet

why the fuck would I wanna talk with someone about them moving into their new house when I could talk about torture dragons and planet crushing fire beasts

[dddomenstarstwst]

The Hacketteers with a 6'4 gn!crush

���—————————

Headcanons about counselors with a crush that's taller than them (they also work as a counselor in the camp). I went with 6'4 to make it work for Dylan and Nick.

6'4 = 193.04 cm

——————————

Ryan Erzahler

∆ as predictable as it is, Ryan doesn't really react in any specific way to your height

∆ don't get me wrong, he thinks it's cool and kinda hot, but he just doesn't wanna make you feel insecure or uncomfortable

∆ you already hear many teasing comments from Jacob and Dylan, so he just pretends he doesn't care

∆ he does care tho

∆ a lot. So much that he imagines many occasions where you could use your height, like spooning him, hugging him from behind, all sorts of stuff

∆ sometimes those aren't innocent thought, but he pushes them away

∆ overall, he's chill with your height and doesn't make a big deal, he would complement you if he's sure you're confident and comfortable tho

Dylan Lenivy

∆ complete opposite of Ryan. He would make a big deal out of it

∆ he'd praise, tease, show off your height to anyone and everyone without any hesitation

∆ even tho you're like 2 inches taller than him, he'd still say those "what's the weather up there?" kind of jokes

∆ however if you express that you're uncomfortable with his snarky comments, he'll stop immediately and apologize

∆ he doesn't want to upset you, because he really likes you

∆ so he might start complementing you more, and might even call you and him "a giant couple". Not without blushing at the last word, of course

∆ in the end, he's really excited about your height because he thinks it makes you a complete badass. Plus you look kinda hot towering above him, not that he's ever gonna tell you that

Kaitlyn Ka

∆ you've seen Kaitlyn and Dylan's height difference, right? Yeah, imagine that but even bigger difference

∆ she plays it cool, even tho she thinks your height comes in handy for some camp chores

∆ she likes to tease you a little bit too, not as much as Dylan and Jacob, but still. However, sometimes she defends you from said boys

∆ and your little smile of appreciation is everything she ever wished for

∆ of course, Kaitlyn can't deny she thought of scenarios where you use your height on her, whether it's while hugging her from behind or pinning her against the wall is another story

∆ sometimes when you help her get something from high shelves, she blushes and thanks you shyly, unlikely to her character. That gives certain two guys so many opportunities to tease her

∆ in the end, she finds your height very practical and won't hesitate to hype you up, if you're feeling insecure. Don't forget to pay her back by bringing some of her fantasies to life

Emma Mountebank

∆ 100% hyped about your height, would praise you everyday

∆ she thinks it's really cool and that you have much more opportunities to pull off some cool clothes

∆ which she btw would recommend you some fashion tips, she might even force you into being her model or something

∆ she's absolutely obsessed with your long legs and how they move, she might get a little too much tho

∆ but she's just really excited. Absolutely loves height difference between you two, and might call you her tall and strong knight in shining armor regardless of your gender

∆ whenever she features you in her vlogs or takes selfies you're the one holding the camera or else you'll be cropped in half from a picture

∆ in general, she's really hyped and supportive, however can become a little over exaggerating and annoying at times, but not with a malicious intention

Jacob Custos

∆ behold a tease #2. Sometimes he can't read the room correctly so he might overstep the boundaries a little with his jokes

∆ don't hold it against him, he really likes your height and thinks it's amazing, but he just doesn't wanna come off as desperate about it

∆ you'll have to tell him directly if his teasing is overbearing or he'll never stop

∆ on the other hand, whenever you do something that requires even the minimum usage of your height, he'll melt and be all bubbly

∆ he'll literally stare at you with heart eyes and play with his fingers a little like 🥺👉👈. He'll die if you hug him from behind and put your head on his shoulder, so use that when he's being too much

∆ he will absolutely without any doubt put his head on your shoulder when you're sitting next to him, bc it makes him feel safe

∆ to sum thing up, he is soft for your height, bc he feels protected whenever you're around, all jokes put aside

Nicholas Furcillo

∆ he's fascinated by your height, even tho he's pretty tall too. He just thinks you wear it so much better than him

∆ might gush out about your height and how good you look to Dylan and Jacob, who of course make fun of Nick's little big crush

∆ finds you even more fascinating when you happen to help him in the kitchen. Absolutely adores when you hand him items from high shelves, even tho he can reach them himself

∆ feels ashamed of his bad posture and thinks you won't like him bc of that. If you help him by controlling his posture, he'd be so thankful and blushy

∆ he makes sure you know that your height is absolutely amazing and that you don't have to feel left out bc of it

∆ put your arm around him, hug him or simply hold his hand and he'll ascend to heaven no jokes

∆ he finds your height heavenly, but he might get insecure about his posture, so make sure to comfort him about it

Abigail Blyg

∆ she's ecstatic, you literally became her model. She sketches you every moment she has

∆ if you model for her purposefully, she'll blush the whole time, her hands will tremble

∆ she breaks her neck everytime you talk to her, she doesn't complain tho if it means she gets to talk to you

∆ one time you borrowed your jacket to her on a cold night when everyone gathered around a bonfire, she drowned in it and everyone thought she looked absolutely adorable

∆ you borrow your clothes to her more now, relishing her smell after she returns them

∆ another time you both fell asleep next to each other, her looking tiny compared to you. Emma, Dylan and even Kaitlyn have pictures of you both on their phones

∆ she thinks your height is adorable and just perfect for practicing poses and anatomy, so she asks you to model for her a lot

Laura Kearney

∆ thinks it's badass so you guys become 'a badass couple' cuz she said so

∆ absolutely loves stealing your clothes, making some stupid excuse every time. Some clothes you get back, some just disappear

∆ she kinda teases you sometimes, kinda jokes, but never oversteps the line in making you upset or uncomfortable

∆ she doesn't mind if you joke in return about her being short compared to you cuz she knows you don't mean it

∆ baits you into hugging her so that she can hide her face in your chest. "Oh I'm so cold, only if y/n would hug me and warm me up"

∆ she can be really defensive about your height, so if anybody makes fun of it, she'll go apeshit and will absolutely fight that person. Please stop her before she got in trouble

∆ overall, she's cool about your height, she has her soft moments and loves advantages your height gives you

Max Brinly

∆ another soft boy fascinated by your height. When he first met you, he literally stopped talking bc he was that amazed

∆ imagines what it's like to be so tall, but doesn't want to disrespect you in any way so he just stays silent mostly

∆ if anyone jokes about your height, he doesn't fight back or makes a snarky comment, he just leads you away from that person

∆ Max won't ever admit it, but he steals some of your t-shirts and secretly wears them to bed. He gets red everytime he wears them

∆ sit next to him and put his head on your shoulder (bc he'll never do it himself) and he'll cry

∆ never even dares to think about teasing you, he thinks you'll get upset and won't ever talk to him again he's too scared to lose you

∆ he's such a cutie and knows that you struggle with your height sometimes, so he makes sure to become your safe place and never judges you

[rabidredsalsa]

ahem,,, perhaps,,, nagito, angie and kokichi with an ultimate poet reader??

absolutely

KOMAEDA NAGITO ; OUMA KOKICHI ; YONAGA ANGIE X SHSL POET!READER

one thing's for sure - he absolutely adores you

he would either way, but he just feels so blessed that you're willing to share your poems and works in progress with him, calling it 'special privileges'

he'd always make comments like "this is simply amazing! not like my opinion is valuable, anyway..."

you wrote several poems directed to/about him, but when you told him that he literally refused to believe it

he was internally exploding though

will never admit it but sometimes when you're sleeping or you're away he skims through your notebooks and peeks at the poems you've been working on, literally jumping from the bed at any slight sound since it might have been you

he never really knows how to help you when you get writers block, so he tries telling you random and concerning stories from his childhood in hopes you'd come up with something

ANOTHER ONE WHO GOES THROUGH YOUR NOTEBOOKS

BUT HE'S A BITCH ABOUT IT INSTEAD

"ooohh~ i didn't know (n/n) was such a poetic romantic, nishishi~"

you have every right to slap him

he still really loves your poems!! always gets SUPER excited whenever you want him to read one of your works before you consider it finished

is the self proclaimed 'supreme poetry connoisseur'

makes up random stories and scenarios for you to get your inspiration from, and gets literally ecstatic whenever you write something explicitly for him

definitely brags about your amazing talent to his classmates and shows off your favorite poems to them (only if you let him tho!! he's a lil shit but he'll always respect your boundaries)

each and every one of your poems is atua approved

"what lovely lyrics! you have mine and atua's compliments!! artists like us are truly meant to be, no?"

absolutely loves when one of her paintings complements a specific poem of yours and vice versa

you can literally never run out of inspiration when you're with her, she simply is able to generate so many ideas for you through drawings it's hard to keep them all straight

really likes cuddling while you write down your ideas and ramble about them

to her, your writing evokes a certain imagery - so often she attempts to paint what she felt your poems look like

they're absolutely breathtaking every time!! it's not extremely noticeable, but you can tell how she put more effort into those kinds of paintings, how they're more detailed and flow so much nicer every time

to sum it up, you two are basically glued by hip

[fictionalsownme]

🌹 A Dress Dyed Crimson | Chapter Two

A fairytale/fantasy AU | Hawks x fem!Reader

A/N: It’s finally done!! Thank you for your patience to anyone who’s been waiting! 💞 I’m really happy with how this turned out! It’s definitely going more into fantasy territory than specifically fairytale, but I think you guys will like the stuff I have planned. I hope, anyway! I’m not sure when I’ll post the next part, but let me know if you’d like to be added to the tag list! I hope you like it! 💞💞

none of the pictures used are mine! If any of these pictures are yours and you’d like them removed, please let me know!

chapter one | AO3

summary: Now that you’ve decided to marry the avian prince, all that’s left is to actually tell him. It’s the night of your father’s ball, and not only is every noble family you know attending, but so are the king and queen. Everyone’s eyes will be on the two of you, and everyone is waiting with bated breath to hear your decision.

word count: 5.8k

warnings: reader is female, arranged marriage, hawks’ real name, fluff / very slight angst. reader is referred to as beautiful, wears dresses. reader has slight nerves / is shy in public, dancing in front of a crowd. physical displays of affection / romance. Let me know if I should add anything else! 💞

As soon as the dress slid over your form, your fears of the garment being ill-fitting or unflattering slipped away. It was silky soft against your skin, and shaped perfectly to compliment your body. The fabric was drenched in shades of ruby, constantly shifting in the setting sunlight that streamed in through the dressing room windows. You had never felt so beautiful, nor so bold. It was like it was made for you.

Your sisters stepped away once all the fastening and tucking and straightening of fabric was finished.

“Wow…” your older sister whispered. Giggling, you spun around, watching your skirt dance around you. It felt so… impressive!

When a knock sounded on one of the double doors, your sisters scrambled to hide you. They linked arms to form a wall with their bodies. When it was only your mother who slipped into the room, your sisters erupted in excitement.

Your mother was fit to walk in the ballroom at any moment. She wore a luxurious cream dress that was only further complemented by her shoes, face pigments, and beautiful jewelry.

“Mother! Mother! Look at this dress we found!” Your younger squealed as they ushered her towards you.

“Good heavens, girls. Be careful with my lace, now.” When she met your eyes, her expression melted into something sweet. “Oh my…”

You felt your face heat. “What do you think, mother?”

She seemed to understand the double meaning of the question. This wasn’t just a dress, it was a proposal. What did she think?

“I think that showy prince is going to be a very lucky, happy, man.”

One of your sisters added proudly, “I think so, too.”

You giggled again. You had done that so much today. “I can only hope so.”

“I think you will make each other happy.” Your mother pulled away a loose thread from the corset. “Now be careful with it, this dress isn’t as young as some of the other garments in here.”

“You know it?”

“I almost wore it the day I married your father. A field of poppies sprouted where we met. I had it made in honor of them. I had to import the fabric from outside the kingdom and everything.”

“Why didn’t you wear it?”

“The royal family attended, so your grandmother thought it best if I wore more… patriotic colors. Pastels and the like.”

You bristled. “The King won’t be offended if I wear it, will he?”

“No, I shouldn’t think so. In fact, I think he’ll agree it’s rather fitting.”

You fidgeted with your fingers.

“Wear it tonight,” she assured. “And keep it with you when you leave for your new home. Not only to remember your poor mother by, but as a reminder of today. You might need it when times get challenging-- and they will, make no mistake… Use it to remember this version of you, eager to make this union work. It may make all the difference.”

Your nose tickled and your eyes stung. And though you committed all her words to memory, there was one sentiment that struck your heart. “I could never forget you, mama... None of you.”

With a sniffle from your younger sister, you all embraced each other. You couldn’t help but wonder how long it would be before you felt supported like this in Keigo’s kingdom.

You stared at the ornate wooden door, trying to work up the courage to step through it. Regal, orchestral music seeped through the wood to reach your ears. You could hear the footsteps and idle chatter of hundreds of esteemed nobles on the other side. Your family’s estate had seen its fair share of parties, but nothing like this. The King had asked your father to invite every respectable family he knew, and then some. And at your sisters’ urging, you made sure you were one of the last guests to enter.

“A dramatic entrance”, they’d said. Now, knowing how many people were inside, all of whom would turn to witness your arrival, you really regretted agreeing to their plan. But even as these nerves tried to pull you back to the safety of the dressing room, the potential of Prince Keigo seeing you in such a beautiful dress nudged you forward with a gentle hand.

Finally, with a swallow, you nodded to one of the door attendants. A woman, who whispered a simple “good luck” as she pushed it open for you.

“Thank you,” you managed. You stepped through the door, and with one final check of your skirt hem and sleeves, stepped around the corner into the sights of the entire ballroom.

You were at the top of the grand staircase, leading down into the ballroom packed with guests. You tried to spot any friendly faces before the crowd noticed you. You found a few of your family members before your eyes snagged on the crimson wings you were really looking for. Keigo stood talking with the King and Queen, nursing a narrow wine glass. Before you could form any thoughts about this, a trumpet came to life beside you. You jumped.

It was the announcer, alerting the entire ballroom to your arrival. Normally such a thing would go unnoticed, but given the context…

“Announcing the arrival of noble lady-”

You turned away from their ear-piercing voice-- recovering from your slight scare-- and all at once, all attention was on you. Hundreds of pairs of eyes, all pouring into yours. Bristling, your attention jumped to Keigo again.

Your trembling hands twisted together as you took in his expression. Completely stunned. Wide eyes, high eyebrows, slightly parted lips. He slowly sat down his glass on a table behind him.

You tried to imagine how you looked to him now. You were someone he only ever saw in pale, sometimes even dull, fabrics. Now you were draped from your shoulders to the floor in the vibrant colors of a ruby. In the vibrant colors of his feathers. With a structured corset and a full skirt, you stared down at him from the top of the marble staircase. Despite the heavenly beauty before him, he knew it was still you, fidgeting with the threads of your gloves and struggling to keep his gaze.

You watched as he slowly made his way to the bottom of the stairs. When you realized everyone was still watching you, you blushed your way through a curtsy and started the (slightly precarious) journey down the steps. If you fell in front of all these people, you were certain you would never recover.

When you got low enough, you saw Keigo’s gloved hand come into view. Thankful for the extra balance, you slid your hand into his.

“Hello,” you whispered as your flats clacked onto the polished floor. Though, you were sure some of the closest guests could hear you either way. The room had gone completely silent. Even the music had stopped, you weren’t sure when or why.

His frozen expression dissolved away into a lopsided smile, his eyebrows cocked up in the softest look you’d ever seen. “Hey there, little dove.” His cheeks seemed more pink than usual, but it was hard to tell with the warm tones of his skin.

You resisted the urge to question him when he kept hold of your hand, walking you towards a clearing that was forming in the crowd. He stopped in the middle of the ballroom, giving you a slight spin until his other hand slid naturally to its place at your hip.

Oh. Of course. They expected you to dance. Together, with everyone’s complete, undivided attention. Of course they did. The first dance of the night. Normally such an honor would go to the highest-ranking nobles in attendance, in this case, the King and Queen. But this ball was about the Avian Kingdom, about Keigo. And everyone knew by now that you were meant to be wed. Of course the King would pass the honor onto the two of you.

You stiffened, one of your hands still in the air, hovering. “Keigo, I don’t think I can--”

He gave your hip a slight squeeze. “You can. Just follow my lead.”

You were unable to resist chewing your lip as you let your hand fall to Keigo’s shoulder. You tried to relax your body as best you could.

Now that you were both in position, with the crowd circling you, the music started up again. Softer this time. While the piano played, Keigo waited for the right moment to begin dancing.

He looked beautiful tonight. He clearly had tried to slick back his hair, though one unruly chunk had fallen free onto his face. He wore an obsidian suit with a red sash and gold epaulets. His black gloves looked stark against the white silk of yours. His crimson wings were as mesmerizing as ever. When you looked into his eyes, you realized he, too, had been looking you up and down. You watched his gaze finish traveling up your body until your eyes met. He raised his eyebrows comically at you and couldn’t stop a giggle from escaping.

And then it was time to dance. The two of you swayed for a bit as the music began soft and gentle. When the violins started, it was time to move. With a step back from Keigo, you were pulled into motion.

You did your best to follow his lead as he’d asked. Stepping forward where he stepped back, following through where his arm led you, spinning when he held your arm above your head. You two worked surprisingly well together, like you were the ones making music. Though, you suspected Keigo was pulling most of the weight. He was a prince, after all. It was no surprise the man could dance and lead as well as he apparently could.

You twirled and spun, while Keigo stood, leading you with subtle gestures of his hand. Like an anchor, he was always there to guide you back. It was almost like he was trying to make your skirt move as much as possible. Whether to show you off to the crowd or so he could watch the mesmerizing fabric dance, you weren’t sure.

When the music calmed once again, he pulled you close, pressing his hand to the small of your back. Your breath hitched when your chests touched. As he swayed your bodies to the music, he leaned forward, tucking his mouth against your ear.

“Your dress, dove… you look…-” A ragged sigh tickled the shell of your ear. “- incredible.” You stifled a sort of squeal at the feeling, even as his deepened voice so close to your ear made your heart stop. He must have picked up on this, because you felt his lips curl up into a smile.

You knew it was probably a bit indecent to be so close in front of all these people. A part of you thought, well, if they wanted us to get married so badly, we should be allowed to act like a real couple in front of them. You wondered if the Avian Kingdom had similar ideas about public affection. Did Keigo even realize he was being sort of… scandalous?

“... I thought you’d like it if I wore something like this. And… something like this.” You looked towards your interlocked hands, raising them a bit. He turned his head, his cheek grazing against yours. His eyes landed on your fingers, where you’d slipped the ring he’d gotten you over the fabric of your glove. Your engagement ring. The exact one he’d told you not to wear until you were ready.

He smiled and there was that look again. Soft and sickeningly sweet. Lovesick. He met your eyes. “Well, you were definitely right about that.”

You flushed, trying to return the look as best you could.

The spinning and twirling began again.

By the time the dance was nearly done, you had stepped on his shoes only twice, and almost lost your balance once. Sure, you could dance. You were a noble, and had attended your fair share of balls. But at Keigo’s pace, in front of all these people? It was a much greater challenge than you were used to.

With a dip that had you seeing the room upside down, the music wound to a close. Keigo pulled you up, steady and gentle. Despite being slightly dizzy and a little flushed, you managed to stabilize yourself and curtsy alongside Keigo’s bow, and polite applause sounded from all around you.

With a sort of whew sound, and turned towards the Prince. You knew your face was dotted with sweat and you could feel the start of a tremor in your calves. You two exchanged one more curtsy and bow, though you could see the teasing wiggle of Keigo’s eyebrows as he bent over. You gave an exasperated laugh as you straightened.

Before you could say another word to him, the music started loud and lively, and the ballroom burst back to life. You felt hands at your arms and shoulders, and soon your family had whisked you away to greet the royal family.

Talking to the King was as it always was: daunting and slightly awkward, but overall a perfectly fine experience. You did your best to pay all the proper respects as your body came down from the slight exercise you had just undergone.

“My apologies for not warning you about the dance, dear girl. You did wonderfully! It was quite the spectacle!”

The King towered above you, his burly image offset by the silver crown on his head, with all its triangles and sharp edges. The Queen was at his side, her hands clasped together over the skirt of her lavender dress. Their crowns were identical. She stood in silence.

It seemed the King’s sons hadn’t attended after all. Not that you minded, the fewer people to embarrass yourself in front of, the better.

“Not at all, your Majesty. It was an honor to be a part of such a welcoming gesture for our… new friends.” Putting on your ‘properly mannered lady’ voice was always precarious. You had to stomp down all your nervous fidgeting and stuttering until you were bursting at the seams. And producing such a formal tone of voice was a challenge in and of itself.

You knew to keep your arms idly at your sides for fear of the King realizing what a nervous wreck you really were around him. Instead, you pressed your fingers harshly against each other, pressing all your awkwardness into the silk over your fingertips. You had ruined more than one pair of gloves this way, wearing the fabric thin over the pads of your thumbs until the threads tore.

“Speaking of our new friends, you seem to be warming up nicely to the Avian Prince.” There was a sort of teasing in the King’s voice you didn’t hear very often.

You flushed all over again, conjuring up the image of Keigo whispering compliments in your ear in the middle of your dance. A gesture that everyone, including the King and Queen, had seen. “Er, yes, your Majesty. He is very… princely. A gentleman through and through.” You pressed your lips into a thin, flustered smile. You resisted the urge to scan the ballroom for him.

The King laughed then, loud and from the depths of his gut. “That’s quite the relief to hear, dear girl.”

Your father took this opportunity to address the King, placing a hand on your shoulder. “My apologies, old friend, but I believe my daughter has some other greetings to make before the night is done.”

“Ah! No matter, I release you,” he chided. Just as your father went to usher you forward, the King stopped you with a light hand against your bicep. “But, please child… if the Prince and yourself come to an agreement, don’t leave us in suspense. I beg you.”

You were going to agree to his sentiment without question, but there was something about the look in his eyes. Serious and sort of… grim.

“With the utmost respect, your Majesty, why is this alliance so important? Why does it seem there’s such a time constraint? I… I feel I should have the right to know.”

Your father stiffened at your side, but stayed silent while the King furrowed his brow in contemplation.

“I understand your curiosity, dear girl,” he began finally. “But all I can tell you at present is that it is wholly necessary. I can promise you, this is a cause worthy of your entire devotion. So please, let us know once you have reached a decision.”

Despite your obvious disappointment, you nodded. “Of course, your Majesty.”

And your father herded you along to the next noble to greet.

Each following greeting of guests became more cumbersome than the last. They all seemed to say the same thing, ‘what a beautiful ball’, ‘what a gentleman that prince is’, ‘that dress is quite the statement’. All of it was entirely condescending, and not at all what they really wanted to say. You knew they were bursting at the seams to ask about the alliance, about the avian kingdom, about why Keigo was even here. And you could tell some of them found your dress boisterous, entirely too loud, things like that. Nobles were never very good at lying, so you weren’t sure why they insisted on it all the time.

By the time you had finished your last greeting and were released by your father to enjoy the rest of the ball, you were tired at every level.

You spent a moment at the edge of the ballroom catching your breath. Once you had composed yourself— and had ensured all eyes had left you— you finally let yourself search for the Prince. He was slightly swarmed, surrounded by more than one noble family, more than likely poking and prodding at him with one invasive question after another. He put on an easy-going face as always, but you were sure he was starting to fray a bit.

You stared at his eyes, rocking on your feet and raising a hand at him as subtly as you could. It took a few attempts, but finally you caught his attention. Relief flooded you as golden eyes stared back at you. Your arm dropped and you sent him a smile. He beamed and his whole body followed along, his stiff shoulders relaxed and a ruffle set his feathers on edge.

His eyes jumped around the nobles for a few moments to be sure they hadn’t noticed his change of focus. He looked back to you once it was safe. You pointedly looked to the large windows leading to the garden, pointing to the door with a hand down by your waist. He smirked, his eyes flickering down to your hand then to the door. His chin twitched in a small, nearly invisible nod.

Confused, the noble nearest to him spun her head towards you. Squealing, you ducked behind a pillar so fast your shoes nearly slid out from under you. You caught a glimpse of Keigo laughing at you (loud and open, your favorite) before you slipped out the door into the crisp air, unable to suppress a giggle of your own.

You waited for him on an old stone bench, perfectly trimmed grass beneath your shoes. Your hands rested still on the soft silk of your skirt.

It was much more peaceful in the garden, quieter and darker. The moon and stars winked down at you past the sparse clouds above. Cicadas and grasshoppers made music of their own. There were flower bushes all around you to look at, and though the darkness made seeing their colors impossible, you knew they were equal parts white, pink, and blue.

This was hardly the first time you’d used your father’s garden as an escape from a crowded ball. Today, however, felt… different.

You could still see the light of the ballroom if you looked to your right, but it was far enough away that you knew no one would see you even if they did come outside. You were thankful no one else ever had the idea to sneak out here. You found yourself desperate for just one moment to spend alone with Keigo.

It hadn’t been more than a day since you’d last had such a moment, and you had just seen him inside but… you missed him.

Your chest fluttered in anticipation when you finally saw the door creak open. He stepped onto the grass, shutting the door carefully behind his wings.

He whispered your name in the darkness.

“Keigo!” You whispered back louder. His head whipped toward you and you waved him over, biting your lip at a sudden flowering of excitement in your chest. You knew he could sense your blatant eagerness to see him, but could you really care? You slid over to make room as he made his way closer.

He sat beside you, some of your dress fabric caught underneath his legs. He clasped his hands together and let them fall to his lap. With a sigh, his faux energy melted away into a calm smile, and he was that subdued man you knew once again. “Hey there.”

“Hi,” you smiled. “I’m sorry, I didn’t trouble you too much, did I? It can’t have been easy to slip away from all those guests.”

“No worries, little dove. It would’ve been way more troublesome to stay. They were pretty curious about my people,” he laughed.

“Oh god, I thought they might be. They weren’t too forward, were they?”

“Aside from the gentlemen who asked if my wings were fake? No, they were fine.”

You gasped, hands over your mouth. “He didn’t!”

Keigo laughed, head falling back. “He did! Even tried to touch them! Said they looked stuffed.”

You’d never wanted to collapse in on yourself more. “I’m so sorry, Keigo! That’s so… so rude!”

“It’s fine, it’s fine. I get it.”

“Are you sure?”

“Completely. It’s not every day you meet someone with a whole extra set of appendages from you! It’s not a big deal. Just glad to be with you now.”

His words put you at ease a bit. “Oh, am I one of the good ones?” You teased.

He furrowed his brows, smirking. “I’m not sure if there’s a correct response to that.”

You shared a laugh.

A quiet moment passed of pressing your lips together while you tried to gather the words you’d need next.

“Listen Keigo, um… I wore this dress for a reason, and not just cause it’s beautiful. I mean, it is--”

“Mm, yes, it is--”

“Isn’t it? Anyway, listen!” He raised his hands in surrender. “I saw it… and it wasn’t just a dress to me. When I look at it…” You fanned the fabric of your skirt out with your hands. It looked almost black in the moonlight. “All I can see is you. Your wings, your… character. So when I saw it-- and saw you-- I wanted it to be the way I told you.”

You glanced at him, he watched you intently, patiently. Though a slight shuffle of his wings gave away how restless he really was, even now. Puffing up your chest, you straightened, your skirt twisting around your legs as you turned to face him more.

“I’m ready. I want to be married to you.”

He blinked at you. “You’re sure? No doubts at all?”

“Um… I suppose I’m still sort of scared. Especially to leave home… and become the princess of a kingdom I’ve never seen. But even with all of that, yes. I’m sure.”

His blank expression melted away and suddenly he was groaning in relief. “Thank god!” He leaned back, dragging his gloved hand down his face. He started laughing, beaming, staring with sparkling eyes. “You really know how to wring me out, dove!”

You couldn’t help but smile when he laughed, but your eyebrows pushed together in confusion. “What?”

With a happy sigh, he took your hands in his and cradled them against his chest.

“Honestly, I was pretty sure that’s what you’d decided at first, with your dress and the ring and everything, but-- god! I heard you talking to the King and I wasn’t sure if any of that had changed your mind, you know?” Another relieved laugh left him.

Your laugh joined his, albeit a little hesitant. “You heard that?”

“Yes. And I could definitely tell you didn’t like his answer about the alliance. That didn’t change anything for you?”

You looked away, shrugging. “I knew this marriage was going to be trying even before I met you, and I still wore this dress tonight. I’m ready for more trials and tribulations than just that. But… before, you said the alliance was going to be good for your people. You know what all this is about… don’t you, Keigo? Can you tell me?”

His smile faded. “I’m not going to lie to you, dove. No one’s really told me directly, but yes. I’m pretty sure I know. As for telling you… I could. And I will if you really want me to. But my father won’t like it, and I have a funny feeling he’ll find out pretty quickly. If you’re willing to wait, once you come back with me… he’ll tell you himself. Me too, but I’m sure he knows I already figured it out.”

You pressed your lips together. “He sounds kind of…”

“Scary? He is, but he’ll warm up to you.” When you still seemed unsure, he brightened again, stroking the back of your hand. “Who could resist a baby bird like you?”

You couldn’t bite back your giggle and met his eyes with a raised brow. “A baby bird, huh?”

“Oh come on, now! That’s funny.” He let a moment pass before frowning. “So what do you think? Want me to tell you?”

You thought for a while. “I don’t want the first thing I do as your fiancée to be making your father upset. With you or with me… I can manage waiting. I trust that this alliance is as important as everyone says it is.”

He smiled. “Thank you, dove.”

“However! I have some conditions!” You pulled your hands from his to cross your arms.

“As you should, dove!” he teased, “Please, go ahead.”

“For one, I want to be able to visit my family whenever I like! No locking me away in your fancy castle, like some horrible folktale!”

“Ah, come on! How’d you find out about my secret plans, huh?”

You smiled. “I’m serious! And I want my family to come to the wedding! That is… if your kingdom does that sort of thing? They do, right?”

He cocked his head, the hair over his forehead swiping over his brow. He made the cutest pouting face, like a puppy hearing a strange sound. “What’s a wedding?”

You squinted at him.

“Kidding! Keep going, keep going!”

You laughed, rolling your eyes. “Okay, okay! Very funny. I want to learn everything about your kingdom, too. I mean, our kingdom. History, culture, everything! And I want to have dinner with you at least once a week! No matter how busy you get, alright? We’ve got a lot of ‘getting to know each other’ to catch up on!”

“That is a great idea. What else?”

“Thank you! Okay, finally, once I’m moved in, no more secrets, okay? I want to know what’s going on with this alliance, and why everyone cares so much. I’ve waited long enough.”

He had begun pantomiming taking notes on your requests, but let his hands fall to give you an understanding grin. “Yes, you have.” He cleared his throat. “No more secrets… I promise.”

“Thank you.”

“Of course, little dove. Is that everything?”

You could see the warm tones of his skin even in the blue moonlight. His hair looked soft, maybe not silky, but fluffy and unruly. His face was calm, patient through your silence. He pressed his lips together, and… and you found yourself imagining how his bottom lip would feel between your forefinger and thumb. And then imagining what those lips would feel like pressed against yours.

“Um, no… there’s one more.”

He tilted his head again, genuinely this time. He waited while you found your words.

“I… I want you to kiss me.”

His face changed to something unreadable, maybe a bit apprehensive. He pulled away, leaning back and dragging his palm over his mouth and under his chin.

You bristled. “I know it’s forward! Uh, I just… I don’t want our first kiss to be at the altar, in front of everyone.” You looked around at the shrouded garden, pulling your hands together into your lap. “I’d rather it be here… in a quiet, maybe slightly… romantic place, with just the two of us. It’s like we said, this isn’t just politics. I’m going to be your wife… Does that make any sense?”

You sighed shakily and looked down to find your fingers were fidgeting with themselves again. It was a few, unbearable moments before anyone moved.

His fingers intertwined with the ones in your lap, warm through the leather of his glove. The knuckle of his index finger ghosted the skin beneath your chin, just enough touch to turn your face towards his.

His eyebrows drew together. He looked focused, calm. Ready.

Your eyes fluttered as your cheeks grew somehow hotter. You felt your hand seize, squeezing his fingers.

Your first kiss was gentle… sweet. Keigo was completely still, your lips pressed together in a patient, but warm gesture. It seemed to both last hours and end within seconds. Air tickled your face when Keigo sighed through his nose, leaving your lips cold when he pulled away.

His hand moved from your chin to find your cheek. He kissed you once, twice more.

Your eyelids were heavy when you finally opened them. He was so close to you. You could see the color of his eyes and the shape of his markings so clearly, even with just the dim light of the moon.

After a still moment you said, “Thank you.”

His mouth spread into a smirk. “Was that your first kiss?”

You gasped and pulled away. “Please tell me it wasn’t really that obvious! Private tutors don’t teach young ladies how to kiss, you know!”

He laughed, pressing his hands into the bench, pulling some of your skirt between his fingers to play with absently. “No, nothing like that! You did perfect, dove. I just… figured as much.” He seemed genuine enough, but still wore that teasing smirk.

You knew you were smiling now too, but groaned anyway. “And I suppose you’ve had plenty of chances to practice!”

“No! Not plenty! … Just a few.”

You gasped. “Cassanova!”

“Hey, I wasn’t engaged then! And it was only a kiss here and there, nothing more.”

You laughed. Truly, you didn’t mind. Like he said, it was before you, and only a few kisses. You trusted him to be only yours now, and you knew you still had plenty of… firsts to share.

“We should probably go share the news, huh?”

You frowned. You didn’t want the moment to end yet. But, you knew he was right. Everyone was waiting. You sighed and rose to your feet.

“Yes, I suppose so.”

You extended him your hand. He smirked up at you. Keigo snatched up your fingers and pulled them to his lips before you could react. He pressed little smooches over the expanse of your knuckles, planting ten or so kisses before you squealed in delight and pulled away. You trotted away from him back towards the door and soon you could hear he was following behind you.

He had such a talent for making your heart jump, and he grew more bold with every successful tease. You bit your lip to dampen your smile as the light of the ballroom washed over you again.

It took you a moment to find your father once you re-entered from outside. He was near the musicians this time, your mother holding onto the crook of his elbow. They whispered and giggled to each other as they watched the other guests.

Your father started when he saw the two of you, raising his eyebrows expectantly. You smiled and took a moment to reach behind you for Keigo’s hand. He mirrored your look, giving your palm a squeeze.

When you looked back to your parents, your father was beaming. He looked ten years younger, full of relief and pride. Your mother just smiled. She had already known after all, but given your father’s reaction, she’d elected not to tell him your plans. Whether it was to preserve your trust in case you hadn’t been ready for him to know, or simply to mess with the poor man and watch him stress all night, you weren’t sure. Both options made you grin all the same.

You puffed up your chest and turned away from them, towards the other side of the room where the King was talking to some noblemen. You pulled Keigo behind you, weaving around some dancing guests as you cut across the ballroom.

The idle chatter started to grow quiet as you walked, and you knew everyone was watching you. Even though you’d expected it, you tried not to dwell on the idea. The Queen gave you an encouraging touch on your arm as you passed her. When you tried to address her properly, she hurriedly waved you along with her hands. You giggled as you kept walking.

As you approached the King, you realized he’d had quite a few drinks since you last saw him. This was normal practice for him, as he’d gotten slightly inebriated at nearly every event you’d seen him attend. Not enough to make a fool of himself (not that that was an easy thing for a king to do), but just enough to talk louder and laugh longer.

When you got close enough, you taped his bicep. “Your Majesty?” He raised his eyebrows and turned his head, before dipping his chin to find you.

“Oh! Hello again, dear girl!” You flinched a bit at his booming voice but grinned at his pleasant mood. His eyes flickered behind you to Keigo. “How can I serve you?” He saluted to you with his empty wine glass.

“I beg your pardon, your Majesty. You wanted me to let you know as soon as we made a decision.”

You looked to Keigo over your shoulder for one last confirmation and his face was sweet and loving. He gave your shoulder a squeeze. You turned back to the King and all uncertainty was gone. You grinned from ear to ear.

“We’re ready. We’re committing to the alliance.”

Thanks so much for reading, and thanks for all the love on chapter one! I know this took me a while so also thanks for being so patient! I hope you guys enjoyed it! I think starting with the next chapter, I’m going to draw all the aesthetic pictures myself, that way they can look exactly how I want and I know for a fact I’m not using anything I shouldn't 💞

side note: If you want to get an idea for what this dance might’ve looked like, queue up this cover of Merry Go Round of Life, and this scene from Cinderella at the time stamp 2:29. Click play on the cover, and then play the Cinderella video once the piano intro is done, (around 0:16)! They line up surprisingly well!

taglist: @angie-1306 @lawfulrhi @sailorstrawberi @oddball215 @addictofsupernatural @voidsunflower14

[kimvvantae]

saudade; 1 (m)

➜ no one is born to be alone and no one can be complete in oneself - that’s why, in this world, every person has a pair, someone that complements their soul in every aspect. you, however, are an exception to the rule, for the mark on your wrist indicates that your pair has passed away way before you were born.

pairing: taehyung x (f) reader

genre: angst, smut • soulmate au, supernatural au

warnings: death and mourning. mental health issues. blood. violence. very brief mentions of alcohol and drugs consumption. swearing. explicit sex in future parts. when i say angst i MEAN IT. when i say this is slow burn i MEAN IT.

rating: 18+

word count: 19k

A/N: i planned this out to be a one-shot but got too carried away writing it and BRO it got TOO LONG so i decided to split it. it’s a short series i swear! hope you guys enjoy reading it as much as i enjoyed writing it! PLEASE PLEASE don’t forget to send me your feedback :)

➜  Chapters: check out masterlist in bio!

“Saudade is a vague and constant desire for something that does not and probably cannot exist, for something other than the present.” – Aubrey Bell 

➳ 7

1925.02.21

Your grandmother passes her finger over the wrinkled skin of her wrist, the scratched out birthdate still very clear. Little you cross your legs on the couch next to her and look at her in expectation.

“I still remember my tenth birthday very well,” the old lady starts with a husky voice, a small smile on her lips. “My mother scolded me because I got more excited over my gifts than over the birthdate on my wrist,” she recalls, giggling softly.

“You didn’t care about the date?” You ask, tilting your head to the side in slight confusion. During your short life, you could already tell that the tenth birthday was important because of the appearance of the birthdate. How could she not care about it?

“Not really. I was only ten, after all. I just wanted to play with my new dolls,” she admits, giggling again. “But, of course, some years later I started to care about it. I asked myself: are they five years older than me? Isn’t it strange?”

“And how did you meet grandpa?” you ask, swinging your legs excitedly. You love to hear these stories, the same way you did the same question to your mother hundreds of times.

Grandma stares ahead. Her eyes do not focus on anything in particular, yet it is obvious that she sees sweet memories. “Back then, it wasn’t that easy to find your pair as it is today. We didn’t have the internet, you know,” she smiles. “The kids used to organize dates to find their pairs; at each date, a specific month was chosen. I went to a lot of these, but I never met him. I was starting to get desperate.”

“Desperate? Why?” You ask, eyes widened.

“Of course. I was afraid that I’d never find my pair. No one deserves to spend life on their own,” grandmother said, thoughtful. “I was losing hope. But in the end, I ended up meeting your grandfather in the silliest way.” You straighten your back, approaching her more, paying maximum attention to every word that leaves her mouth. “He worked as a waiter at an ice cream shop back then. The shop was crowded. I went there with my friends after class. As I tried to reach the restroom… boom! He spilled a cup of milkshake over me!”

“Ew!” You frowned as your grandmother laughed out loud.

“I know! He got my uniform dirty. I was so angry!” the old lady huffs and rolls her eyes, as if it had just happened. “But then, we looked at each other and… well, we realized.”

You knit your eyebrows, confused. “Realized what?”

Grandma closes her eyes for a moment, the smile on her lips widening. Even though you’re still too young, you notice how her features lit up in an instant as the vivid memories cross her mind.

“I… knew at that moment that he was my pair.”

“But how did you figure it out so fast? Did you see the birthdate on his wrist?”

Grandma smiles sweetly at you and shakes her head. “No. I just knew. When it happens to you, you’ll know what it feels like.” She then laughed, tilting her head back. “Your grandfather was lost… he was always clumsy. He stuttered, his forehead got sweaty… and he ended up spilling more milkshake on me when he tried to push his sleeve to show me his mark!”

Grandmother and you laugh together. You love to hear stories about your grandfather. Although he passed away when you were just a baby, when you listen to stories like this, it feels like you know him in person.

“My father didn’t like him at first. I remembered that he got furious when he found out that he worked at an ice cream shop. ‘How will you take care of my daughter with a job like this?!’” she says, imitating her father’s voice. “Ah! My father made him suffer a lot. But with time they started to get along and became friends.”

Again, your grandmother gazes at the horizon - however, there’s something different in her eyes. There is profound nostalgia and… something bittersweet.

You put your hand on her arm gently. “Do you miss him a lot?” 

She nods slowly. “Everyday, Y/N. But I don’t cry, because I lived an entire life full of happiness by his side.” The old lady smiles widely again and puts her arm over your shoulders, pulling you close. “Soon, it’ll be you, Y/N. Your tenth birthday is just around the corner!”

You smile too, a strange excitement bubbling in your stomach. “Yes! Do you think they like to ride bicycles too? Do you think we’ll meet soon?”

Grandma chuckles and caresses your hair. “I don’t know, Y/N. But I’m sure about one thing: you’ll meet someone that’ll make you very happy, and you’ll make this person happy, too. These marks,” she points at her wrist softly, “are a blessing from the heavens to us. No human is born to be alone. You were already born for a special person, and this person was born for you; that’s why, it doesn’t matter who it is or how long it takes, one day you will find them.”

You look at the birthdate on your grandmother’s wrist. You notice how, although your grandfather is gone, she looks happy for spending almost her whole life with him. You notice the screaming happiness in her chest as she talks about him, the glow on her eyes, the colorful memories she built during her life.

You smile.

You can’t wait to be ten years old.

➳ 8

“Chaeyoung! This year you’ll be ten years old!”

The brown-haired girl frowns. “Yeah. And?”

“And you’ll receive your mark!” you exclaim, rolling your eyes.

Chaeyoung widens her eyes for a moment, only now realizing what you meant. “Oh… I hadn’t thought about that.”

The two of you, sitting on the grass, watch the fireworks that slowly stop, lightning the night sky in a spectacle of colors and glow. It is freezing cold; small steam clouds appear in front of your faces at each breathing, your noses and cheeks reddish because of the cold. Both of you wear heavy coats and boots, scarfs, gloves and beanies. Despite that, all this cold doesn’t seem to bother you two, who have been running and playing during the entire New Year’s Eve.

You look at your friend with expectation; you’re so excited that it’s as if you’re about to turn ten years old. You’ve been dreaming of this moment for a long time - the moment you’d wake up with the birthdate of your specific person marked on your wrist.

Chaeyoung, on the other hand, doesn’t look so excited.

“What?” you ask, noticing her thoughtful expression.

Chaeyong looks at her own lap. Her dark locks sway softly with the breeze. The glow of the fireworks reflect on her face, as if painting it with multiple colors.

“I’m a little scared.” Chaeyoung says.

“Scared of what?!” You put your hands on your waist. “It’s the best thing ever, isn’t it?”

At least, that’s what your grandmother and your parents usually say.

“It’s just that…” Chaeyong hugs her own legs, resting her chin on her knees. Suddenly, the nine year old girl looks too thoughtful, too serious for her age. “What if it’s not who I think it is? What if we don’t get along well?”

“That’s impossible, Chae. Soulmates love each other! Of course you’ll get along.” You say as if it’s the most obvious thing in the world.

“But we can fight. My parents fight. Your parents fight sometimes, right? And they’re soulmates.”

You think for some moments. It’s true, sometimes you’ve seen your parents arguing, although they only did when they thought you weren’t paying attention.

“Look, you and me fight sometimes, right? But we’re still friends!” You put your hands over her shoulders. “That’s how things will be. You don’t need to be scared!”

You both laugh for a moment. The fireworks still color the first sky night of the year. Both too young to understand that life isn’t this simple. Having no idea of that was about to come.

None of that matters at the moment.

You suddenly push Chaeyoung and get up in a jump, laughing. “Catch me if you can!”

Chaeyoung screams and gets up too, running after you.

➳8

The dark rainy sky is a reflection of what happens on land.

For the first time in your life, you experience real pain. Your small heart aches, as if someone has grabbed it and squeezed it with all their strength. Your nose and eyes are puffy from crying too much. Your throat hurts. Your vision is blurry due to the unstoppable tears.

You can’t believe that your loved grandmother is being buried in this moment.

How is it possible? Last time you saw her, she looked fine - talkative and smiling as usual. Of course, you knew that she was in the hospital the past few weeks, but mommy said she was just a little sick and would recover soon, right?

How could that happen?

You don’t want to believe that you’ll never see your grandmother again, that you won't listen to her stories anymore, that you’ll never go to the supermarket with her, that you’ll never feel her hug or her sweet perfume. You don’t want to believe that your mother now lies inside that coffin and she won’t ever wake up again.

You hide your face on your mother’s sweater and cry harder.

Your mother hugs you tight, caressing your back. “It’s alright, Y/N.” she says with a choked voice. “She’s resting now.”

You don’t want her to rest.

Minutes pass by as you watch the coffin be completely buried. You’re still too young now to notice how many people came to her funeral and how this is important - your grandmother was loved by many; she lived her life to the fullest, she was happy until the very end.

But you don’t care about this now.

Now, you just want to cry in your mother’s arms.

However, you can’t let her go before making a promise.

When no one is paying attention, your relatives slowly making their way to the cemetery’s exit, you silently take a white flower between your small fingers and walk to her grave - the place where grandma will rest forever.

“Granny,” you whisper, pressing the flower against your chest. “I’m sad that you had to leave so soon. I-I wish you could tell me more stories!” you sob and wipe your face with the sleeve of the shirt. “I w-wish you had had time to meet my soulmate. I know that you would be so happy…” you approach the grave, crouch down and put the flower over the wet ground. “I promise that when I meet my pair, I will bring them to meet you, granny. I will talk about you every day. E-Even if you’re resting, this person will know you the same way you made me know grandpa, okay? I promise.” You gulp and manage to open a smile between the tears. “I love you, granny. I’ll miss you so much.”

You get up and run back to your parents, your heart aching, the secret promise kept in the bottom of your heart.

➳8

“I’m getting scared.”

You stare at Chaeyoung and roll your eyes. “Really? Again?”

Chaeyoung grunts and throws the pillow on you. “Stop it, Y/N! I asked you to sleepover so you can help me calm down, not to make me more nervous!”

Sure, you noticed how Chaeyoung seems to be getting more and more nervous as midnight approaches; how she can’t pay attention to the movie (Princess and the Frog, which you already watched a hundred times before). Chaeyoung is energetic, she can’t stay still for a second.

You can understand her nervousness. Next year, you suspect that you’ll be worse than her. But at the same time, you can’t understand why she’d get scared. The mark isn't a reason to be scared.

“Alright, sorry.” you admit, laying on the bed by her side. You both stare at the ceiling for some moments.

“Do you think I know them?” she asks in a low voice.

You shrug. “I dunno.”

“I hope they’re nice,” your older friend keeps talking as if she hadn’t heard you. “I will hate it if it’s someone boring.”

You open a mischievous grin and side eye her. “What if they don’t like Naruto?”

Chaeyoung crunches her nose. “If they don’t like Naruto, I swear I’ll find a way to switch soulmates!”

You both laugh.

“I don’t wanna think about this anymore. I’ll get more nervous. Let’s do something else.”

“Let’s play Uno?”

“Okay.”

1997.03.27

You two can’t stop yelling.

“They’re my age!” Chaeyoung screams, jumping on the bed. “My age!”

It’s simply unbelievable; when you went to sleep, way past midnight, there was nothing on Chaeyoung’s right wrist. When she woke up the next morning… there it is. A birthdate marked with something like ink on her skin.

The day her soulmate was born.

It’s magic.

“Girls, stop jumping on the bed!” Chaeyoung’s mother storms. Despite that, she has a big smile on her lips. She holds a camera.

Chaeyoung stops jumping and frowns. “Mom, I don’t want to take pictures anymore!”

“I don’t care! The tenth birthdate is a historical date, I will take as many pictures as I can!” She says, already putting the camera over her eye and clicking more pictures. “I already told everyone. They’re coming!”

“I’m kind of relieved that this person is your age,��� Chaeyoung’s father says as he leans on the door.

“What did you expect?”, her mom questions, making him shrug.

“You know that there are pairs with huge age gaps.” He looks at his daughter. “No searching for your pair yet, you hear me, Chaeyoung? It’s nice that you got your mark, but you’re still too young for this!”

You three start screaming, accusing the father of being unnecessarily jealous. The atmosphere in the entire house is happy. Chaeyoung now knows her pair’s birthdate. She will meet this person sometime in the future.

You are so happy for your friend.

You can’t wait to be ten years old.

➳9

At each month you get more anxious.

This is the main topic among your classmates: the tenth birthday, since most of them will turn ten soon. You see your classmates showing up with marks on their right wrists as the year goes by. Some had pairs of the same age. A boy found out that his pair was currently only six years old. Another girl’s pair was six years older than her, and now she liked to say that no one could “mess” with her because her “boyfriend” was a high schooler.

You count the days to your birthday, marking every day on the calendar.

➳9

It’s almost midnight.

You can’t control your feelings. You’ve already done everything to relax: you watched your favorite cartoon, ate pizza, drank soda (something your mother usually wouldn’t let you do at night). Still, you can’t calm down. You doubt you’ll be able to sleep well.

You feel as if something is about to explode inside of you.

Chaeyoung offered herself to sleepover, the same you did past year, but you refused. For some reason, you want to do this by yourself. This is something you’ve been wanting for your entire short life; it’s too special, intimate. You want it to be unique.

Your parents have already kissed you goodnight a long time ago. It’s raining outside. You can’t shut your mind: Are they older than me? Or younger? Are they shorter or taller than me? Do they like cartoons? What’s their favorite color? Their favorite food? Do they prefer summer or winter?  Can they paint well or are they good at some sport or-

Your mind is restless.

You sigh and turn around on the bed for the thousandth time. You stare at the ceiling, gulping.

It’s almost impossible to keep all the excitement inside of yourself.

“Granny,” you whisper. “Today I’ll get closer to my pair. The person that was made for me, remember?” you smile and close your eyes. “Wish me luck.”

And after much effort, you finally sleep.

➳10

Silence.

No one says anything inside the house. It seems that no one is even breathing. 

Your parent’s faces are covered with horror.

“There must be something wrong.” Your father breaks the infinite silence, holding your small wrist. “This must be wrong.”

You don’t say anything.

You woke up at seven in the morning. For a moment, you didn’t remember absolutely anything, but then it hit you that this is the morning of your tenth birthday. You jumped out of bed, throwing the covers away, a crazy smile on your lips, and looked at your right wrist.

You didn’t understand at first.

You stared at that date.

Counted the years quickly.

The smile on your face died slowly.

This… this doesn’t make any sense.

Slowly, almost instinctively, you walked to your parent’s room and knocked on the door without saying a word. They opened the door, wide smiles on their faces, anxious to see the mark.

You weren’t smiling and they immediately noticed something was wrong.

You showed them your wrist.

They’ve been silent ever since.

“This doesn’t make sense.” your father continues, shaking his head. It’s as if anger and outrage started to fill him.

“What are we going to do?” your mother asks in a weak voice.

He crosses his arms and thinks for a few seconds. He taps his foot on the floor suddenly. “Y/N, put on a coat.”

He walks out of the bedroom, your mother following him shortly. “What are you doing?”

“Let’s go to the hospital.”

“But how can they help us, darling?!”

“They have psychiatrists, right? Neurosurgeons, researchers, anything. They study this phenomenon. Maybe they can help.”

Instead of arguing, your mother just nods.

Your feet barely touch the ground.

You’re sitting in the colorful waiting room. You hadn’t said a word ever since you arrived in the hospital. Your parents are talking to the doctors inside the office. They probably took you out so you wouldn’t hear them, but they are talking so loud that it’s impossible not to hear.

You’re young, but you’re not stupid. You noticed the expression on the doctor’s face the moment he saw the mark on your wrist.

Complete shock.

He stood there for long seconds, not knowing what to do. Called another doctor. This second doctor called another doctor. This other doctor called a nurse.

None of them knew what to do.

They performed examinations on you that you understand nothing about. They spoke in some technical language you can’t comprehend. After a long time, they asked you to wait outside.

But you already realized that they don’t know what to do.

“There must be something, doctor! Some explanation!” you hear your father scream. He decided to direct all of his anger on the doctor because he doesn’t know what else to hate at the moment.

“Sir, we never saw anything like this before,” the doctor says, trying to keep his cool. “There are cases in which the pair is many years older than their partner, but this…”

“There’s got to be some… some mistake,” your mother’s weak voice echoes.

“The truth is that we don’t know how the mechanism works,” the doctor says. “Humanity has been studying this phenomenon since ancient times and we still can’t fully understand it. Anomalies can happen, ma’am.”

“And what do you expect us to do? What should we tell our daughter?!” the father screams again.

“We can only wait for now,” another doctor speaks up. “We’ll keep her under observation for the next few hours to see if something changes. We are already preparing a team to try to find a solution. For the time being, let’s try to keep calm. If you don’t calm down, you won’t be able to calm your daughter down.”

Useless.

No one will be able to calm you down.

You’re just a kid, but you’re not stupid. You understand the seriousness of the situation. You know that something’s terribly wrong. You know that no one can explain what just happened to you.

And you are also aware of the deep and painful hole that just opened inside of your chest - just as painful as in the day your grandmother died.

Because you’re just a kid, but you’re not stupid.

You can do the math.

You know that the birthdate on your wrist says that your pair was born almost two hundred years ago.

You know that no human being lives so long.

1815.12.30

➳10

You learned a lot in the last few days.

You spent more time in hospitals than ever before in your life - virtually every day of the week. You met more doctors than you could remember: neurosurgeons, geneticists, psychiatrists. You did dozens of tests - CT scans, blood and feces collection, psychiatric and psychomotor tests - and honestly you didn't know what they were for.

But you could still understand a few things.

Science has several theories about the pairing phenomenon. Some say it is a survival and propagation mechanism of the species: the genes with the highest level of compatibility are traced between two individuals, so that strong and healthy offspring are born - but this theory is not exactly correct, since same-sex pairs are common. There is also the theory that the pairs are the result of an empathic connection that can be established even before birth, based on the parents' genes. Another theory says that the pairs were actually established millennia ago, being part of common ancestors of the same family, and that even after so many years the twin genes can wake up.

None of these theories is proven, however. None of them explains why a person suddenly wakes up with a birthdate on their wrist. No one understands why their pair can be literally anyone, from any part of the world, regardless of culture, ethnicity, ancestors or gender. The pairing phenomenon (the technical name that doctors repeated all the time) is so intriguing that there is a branch of science especially focused on this. They go to college and everything, you found out.

No one knows why the phenomenon exists, but you have learned that it has some rules.

The first is the most obvious - the connection is established on the tenth anniversary. Doctors said this happens because at that age humans are beginning to walk into pre-adolescence, when the body undergoes various transformations, and the brain is developing rapidly. There has never been a recorded case of someone who received the mark before or after the age of ten.

The second rule is very intriguing to doctors who still cannot explain this for sure. The pairs are usually born close to each other, in the same country. Of course, cases where couples are born in very distant countries are not very rare, but in the end they always end up meeting at some point in life.

The third rule is your big problem.

Pairs are always from the same generation.

There are pairs with large age gaps - ten, twenty, even forty years apart. But in these age gaps, both are alive.

Not two hundred years apart.

Nobody lives for two hundred years.

This is exactly what most shocked doctors. Anomalies in the pairing phenomenon have already existed, but no anomaly has ever broken one of the three rules. It was as if someone could break a Law of Physics. For doctors, it’s as if you were simply floating around, ignoring Earth's gravity.

You are an anomaly.

“There are cases where people found out that their partner had already died as a child,” you heard Dr. Shin say one afternoon - the doctor who “led” the research team, “But the age gap between the two was acceptable. Now, this ... ”

Those reticences scared you.

"Do the test results indicate anything new, doctor?" your mother asked, distressed. She had looked distressed all the time since your birthday.

"No. CT scans did not reveal any brain abnormalities. Psychiatric and psychomotor tests also do not; she is a normal child in perfect health. But we will do more tests. I already requested a more detailed brain mapping… ”

You stopped paying attention there.

Really, you have learned a lot in the past ten days.

You didn't know that feeling so sad was possible.

➳10

It’s been more than a month since you last stepped foot at school.

Your parents explained the situation to the teachers (well, not exactly. They didn't tell the details explicitly. The teachers think you're one of those cases of an already dead pair, which isn't all that wrong). All you know is that, for now, you don’t really have to go to school if you don’t want to.

And you don’t want to. 

Because you know your classmates will make questions and more questions and you don’t want to face them. You don’t want them to see the mark on your wrist. You don’t want to hear them whispering among themselves that Y/N’s pair is dead, Y/N will be alone forever, Y/N will marry a corpse.

Kids can be really mean when they want to.

The teachers are sending you homework everyday. Your mom usually picks it up at school and brings it to you. You still have to study, dear, your mother says. You notice that she’s been trying her hardest to make you feel comfortable, to make your routine normal again, but you know - and she knows it, too - that it’s impossible to have a normal routine when you go to the hospital many days a week to take more and more exams.

Your mom might not have realized it yet, but you already got it that your life won’t ever be normal again.

“Y/N”, you hear her say as you lay on your bed. “Your homework is here.”

You growl softly and roll your eyes. You hate doing homework. You’d rather just lay down and sleep the whole day.

When you sit up and finally look at who’s standing by the door, you freeze.

It’s Chaeyoung.

She’s holding your homework folder. She waves timidly and smiles. Not her usual wide grin, no. Her smile is hesitant. Almost scared.

“Hi.” she says. “I brought your homework.”

You just stare at her in silence.

Your mother pats Chaeyoung’s shoulder, encouraging her. “I’ll bring you girls something to eat.”

You’re getting very perceptive for your age. You notice your mother’s pleading gaze towards Chaeyoung. It’s almost as if she’s saying please, do something, because I don’t know what else to do.

She leaves and then Chaeyoung is standing by herself.

You hadn’t said anything yet.

Chaeyoung walks slowly and sits by your side, resting the folder on her lap. “Today is math. I came because I know how you hate math. It’s difficult to understand math by yourself.”

You still hadn’t said anything.

She waves her legs nervously and opens the folder. “Jaehyun and Eunwoo went to detention today. They started fighting out of nowhere! It was crazy!”

Chaeyoung speaks in her usual lighthearted voice. Lord, she’s trying so hard.

“And… and Jihyo asked about you today. And yesterday. And Yuju, too. Everyone… everyone is worried about you, Y/N. But I said you were okay! There’s nothing to worry about. You’re just a little sick and you’ll go back to school, soon.”

You gulp.

Chaeyoung sighs. “But this folder is ugly, isn’t it?” She closes it again. “It’s too simple. We should decorate it, right? I brought glitter and stickers. Look, I have Hello Kitty and Rilakkuma stickers. I’ll let you choose any. Wait, except this one, because I want this one.”

You still hadn’t said anything yet.

Chaeyoung silently watches you.

She puts her arm around your shoulder and pulls you close.

It’s the first time you cry since your birthday.

You can’t see, but your mother is outside of your bedroom, leaning on the wall, crying silently the most painful cry she has ever experienced.

➳10

“What are you doing up this early?”

Your parents stare at you wide eyed.

“I’m going to school.” Isn’t it obvious? Why would you be wearing your uniform if not to go to school?

They look at each other worriedly.

“Y/N, sweetheart… you don’t need to go just yet…”

“Yes, I do. I can’t keep missing classes.” You say as you sit on the table. “I’m not sick.”

Your parents feel shivers as they hear this. They stare at you in deep silence.

They have just realized that you don’t look like the innocent daughter they were used to. There’s something very dark and dull in your gaze that shouldn’t be there. 

It scares them.

Your right wrist is covered with colorful bead bracelets you and Chaeyoung made yesterday. There's enough of them to hide the mark.

"If someone says anything," Chayeoung said as she helped you put the bracelets on, "we'll beat them up."

➳10

"Mom, why are we still doing this?"

Your mother stops. She has just parked in front of the hospital, ready to open the door - but she freezes in place. 

She turns around to look at you, sitting on the backseat.

She looks hesitant and scared. Your mother looks like this all the time since your birthday, six months ago. She doesn't smile as much as she used to, and when she does, it doesn't look natural. You know she's trying to calm you down, yet you can clearly see that she needs to calm down and be comforted more than you. 

You’re just ten years old, but you can clearly see that your parents are making you take all these exams weekly because they are desperate, not you.

“What do you mean, love?” she asks in a soft voice. It sounds very, very fragile. 

“This.” You point with your head towards the hospital. 

“We… we’re trying to find a solution, dear. For your… condition.”

“There’s no solution.”

She visibly flinches. “B-But Y/N, the doctors-”

“Nothing has changed. The doctors don’t know what to do.” You cross your arms. “I think we’re wasting time doing this. I’m not sick. Why do I have to keep coming to the hospital?”

“But your condition-”

“Stop saying condition. My pair is dead. That’s all. The doctors can’t resurrect dead people, can they?”

Your mother falls silent. Something icy cold called fear crawls over her skin as she watches you. 

Your blank expression as you said those words. Your tone. You didn’t sound like her ten year old daughter who cried when you let your popsicle fall. You don’t look like the little girl whose eyes would gleam when you’d see a toy you wanted really bad.

You don’t sound or look like a ten years old kid at all.

My pair is dead.

Your mother turns around and holds the steering wheel slowly.

You can’t see as she breathes heavily, trying to swallow the tears.

“Let’s… let’s miss the appointment today then, okay?” she has that voice again. That voice that tells you she’s trying to smile, almost choking on her sobs. “W-What if we have lunch at Mc Donald’s today, love?”

You nod. “Okay.”

“My daughter isn’t stepping inside that hospital ever again.” Your mother growls.

“Our daughter!” Dad storms. “Are you crazy?! We can’t give up, not now!”

“You know as well as me that these researches aren’t going anywhere. Nothing is changing!”

You sit at the beginning of the stairs, listening to your parents argue. They’ve been arguing a lot lately. Your house doesn’t feel like the warm, welcoming place you’ve always known. It feels very cold and lonely these days.

“They will find out a solution eventually! You saw how big the team working on Y/N’s case is. I’m sure they will-”

“That’s exactly what I mean!” Your mother interrupts him. “Do you know what Mr. Shin told me yesterday? That they’ve been contacting some fucking science magazine. He said that it’s to help, but they’re turning Y/N into a laboratory rat! I don’t want Y/N around these people anymore!”

Dad is silent for some moments. You hear your mother sobbing. Oh no… she’s crying again. You’re tired of hearing your mother cry. All this sadness that is constantly hovering above your house - you know it’s your fault. They’ve been fighting because of you. They’ve been crying because of you. 

Your fault.

When your mother speaks again, her voice is way lower. Fragile. On the verge of breaking.

“Y/N is sad. She’s suffering more than anyone. And what have we been doing all this time, huh? We’ve been shoving her inside hospitals as if she has the plague. We’re not helping her, darling. We’re doing this for ourselves, not for her.”

Your father is still silent for a long time - until you also hear a soft sniff, not coming from your mother. Your heart feels tight. Dad rarely ever cries. 

Your fault…

“I don’t want our baby to be alone.” he whispers.

“She’s not. She’ll never be. As long as we’re here.”

This makes you smile a little. 

They’re wrong, of course. They both know it and you know it better than anyone else.

At least, you don’t have to go to the hospital weekly anymore. You don’t free yourself from the psychologist, though.

➳11

The cafeteria looks like pure hell.

Kids push each other to get a better look at what’s going on. The yelling is deafening. You push your way through the crowd, worried because you heard a very familiar voice.

It’s Chaeyoung.

Her fingers are currently entangled in another girl’s hair.

Your first instinct is to run and grab Chaeyoung from behind, pulling her away from the other girl - and you struggle a lot to do so, considering how entangled Chaeyoung’s fingers are in her hair.

“What’s wrong with you, Chae?!” you yell as you finally separate them two. “Do you want to get detention?!”

“She was talking shit about you!”

You stop, wide eyed.

Chaeyoung’s hair is a mess and her cheeks are red. She has some scratches on both arms. Her eyes are teary.

“But I just said the truth!” the other girl yells. “Everyone is scared to say it, but I’m not! You don’t have a pair, isn’t it? That’s why you hide your mark, because they’re dead! You’ll be alone forever!”

You hear the crowd going ooooh around you. They think the same as her, of course. They don’t say in your face - your “condition” became some type of taboo in the school - and you know that the teachers were instructed to not talk about it, or at least teach the kids to have a little bit of decency.

No one knows that the mark on your wrist indicates that your pair was born two hundred years ago, though. They just know they’re dead.

Everyone knows, and everyone talks about it behind your back. They talk about it and they joke about it.

Well.

It’s a great opportunity to show them that they shouldn’t joke about you.

The crowd starts yelling again as you jump forward, slapping the girl’s face.

Chaeyoung and you are both waiting outside of the principal’s office. Now, you two have scratches and marks on your arms. 

It’s been silent for a while.

“I told you that if someone said anything about you, I’d beat them up.” Chaeyoung whispers.

You look at her. She looks at you.

You both start laughing.

This won’t make your situation any better, but you don't regret it. Not even a little.

➳13

Your psychologist, Dr. Jung, (just call me Dawon!, she reminds you every time) is such a nice person, but sometimes you genuinely hate her.

She’s so positive. 

Not that she’s being impolite or inconsiderate with you. Being a psychologist, she knows that demonstrating extreme happiness to someone that isn’t feeling all that happy isn’t the right thing to do. Honestly, you don’t hate her all the time, but these days it’s getting difficult not to.

Dr. Jung is a specialist in dealing with people that lost their pairs - in your case, someone that didn’t even meet their pair. She helps people get through the pain and all. You know that you’re a special case, though, considering that she’s used to deal with older people, and someone finding out that their pair is already dead doesn’t happen everyday. She’s always extra careful around you since you’re still way too young.

She’s always trying to work on your self-esteem. She says it’s really important in your case; “you have to understand that people have to be whole,” she says. “Having a pair or not doesn’t mean that you can be half someone. You must feel whole.”

You’re aware that she is right. No one can depend on other people for everything, even if they have their pair. Everyone must walk on their own feet.

Yet, it’s getting hard to follow her advice when your classmates start meeting their pairs.

You try your hardest to not be jealous. Every day, you try to push this memory away - the reminder that you don’t have a pair, that you have to be whole because there won’t ever be anyone to back you up when you need it the most.

Dr. Jung is also always saying that you should be aware of the people around you, the ones that truly care for you. She is also right. You don’t have that many friends - you ended up becoming the type of person that doesn’t befriend others easily, afraid that one of them might find out about your condition - but you’re grateful for the ones you have, especially Chaeyoung. She’s the only person other than your parents that knows about the absurd birthdate marked on your wrist. Ever since it happened, Chaeyoung never treated you differently. She has always been the same, and you love her for it.

You’re also grateful for your parents. They don’t argue as much anymore, but it’s still clear that it is a sensitive - almost forbidden - topic in your house. They avoid anything that might hurt you. Your mother even stopped watching her loved soap operas around you at some point.

Right now, you’re still too young to understand that they’re also always trying to compensate for your condition, as if they feel it’s their responsibility. They protect you way too much. They give you anything you ask - even the things you don’t ask for, even the things you don’t deserve. The best phones as soon as they are released. Whatever games you want to try. Your wardrobe looks packed with clothes; some of them you just bought because you thought they would look good, but you never wore them. New hobbies? They pay for it - guitar classes, dancing classes, they even paid for an expensive violin that you barely ever touched.

They don’t understand the type of person this is making you become. Not yet. Right now, they just want to make sure that their daughter is never sad. 

 You don’t let them realize that you are, in fact, sad all the time. 

The only difference is that now, you got used to it. Feeling sad doesn’t stop you from doing your everyday tasks; it doesn’t stop you from going out with Chaeyoung, from doing your favorite hobbies, from studying. But the sadness is always there. It’s never really gone, even when you’re laughing, having fun. It always somehow drags you down like some heavy backpack you must carry everywhere. 

It always gets stronger when you see the birthdate on your wrist.

You have already accepted that the sadness won’t ever go away, the same way you can’t erase or change the birthdate on your wrist. You can only hide it with as many bracelets as you can. 

➳14

“Do you want to be virgin forever?”

You stare at Chaeyoung, wide eyed.

“W-What?”

She looks at you in a playful way and runs to close her bedroom’s door. You don’t talk about this topic way too often, but you’re coming to that age when it’s impossible not to talk about it. 

Chaeyoung jumps on the bed and sits in front of you, crossing her legs.

“You know, the girls and I… we were talking about first times.” She starts. “Most of them said they want to wait until they find their pairs. But… this made me think about you.”

You frown. This is making you uncomfortable. “What about me?”

“Well, you don’t have to wait for anyone.” Chaeyoung wiggles her eyebrows.

“No one has to wait for anyone.” 

“You know what I mean. I’m sure these girls just said that so they don’t look like thirsty hoes. I mean, wait until they find their pairs?! What, are we in the XV century?” You both giggle. “So I was thinking - you don’t even need this excuse!”

You cross your arms and avoid her gaze. “I… I don’t wanna do it. Not yet.” you confess timidly. It’s not that you don’t think about it - again, it’s impossible not to think about it at this age - but you never seriously considered doing so up until now.

Chaeyoung quirks one eyebrow. “Really? ‘Cause if I were you, I’d be jumping on d-”

You slap her arm, feeling your cheeks get warm. “Chaeyoung!” 

She just falls back on the bed and laughs.

➳15

Just one year after that conversation you have your first kiss.

It’s a Halloween party Chaeyoung forced you to attend. You’re not really one to go to parties that often, but well, it’s Halloween, the only acceptable excuse you have to wear this Corpse Bride costume (you have a really dry sense of humor) - not to mention that it’s at Jennie’s house, basically one of the richest kids at school. 

Just one healthy and innocent Halloween party.

You didn’t tell your parents that there would be teenagers throwing up because they drank so much, of course.

Jennie’s pretty house looks like hell. There’s so many people that you have to squeeze yourself between bodies and more bodies as you walk by. Pretty much everyone is holding red cups. This isn’t what shocks you the most, though; what makes your eyes widen is the suspicious smoke, the suspicious smell and that kid whose nose kinda looks dirty with flour. 

You try to convince yourself really hard that it’s part of his costume.

Well, you don’t go to parties all that often - especially not parties thrown by one of the cool kids. But you don’t want to look too out of place. Which is hard to do, since Chaeyoung disappeared when you entered the house. She was the one who made you come, yet she left you alone as soon as you got in. What a great friend.

Since everyone is holding a cup, you decide you need one, too.

It’s hard to get in the large kitchen. It’s dimly lit with purplish lights, there’s beer bottles over the kitchen island, empty red cups and a bowl with some blue drink inside of it. You avoid the couples making out in the corners and grab yourself some of the unknown blue drink. It’s impossible not to frown as the drink touches your tastebuds; it’s sweet, but somehow tastes like iron. You can’t really explain.

“Is it your first time drinking?” you hear a male voice say over the loud music.

When you turn around, you feel your heart skip a beat.

You take some seconds to recognize the guy wearing the cheap pirate costume. It’s Soobin. You don’t know much about him other than that he’s a class representative and that he’s hot. Really hot. You thought he was kinda cute back then, but looking up close - wow.

He has a charming smirk on his lips as he leans on the kitchen island. 

“Is it that obvious?” you ask. He laughs and nods.

“Very obvious. I can always recognize this disgusted face. It gets better, I promise. Just take it easy for now. Don’t be like me! I vomited on myself the first time I drank.”

You both laugh again. Unconsciously, you feel yourself putting a strand of hair behind your ear. “Thanks for the advice, but this is so bad that I’m sure I won’t drink that much.”

“Everyone says that!” Soobin says, smiling. His smile is pretty. It looks very genuine. “Anyways, uhm… you’re from 1-B, right? I’m Soobin from 1-A.”

You smile. “I’m Y/N.”

And it goes on like that.

Maybe it’s the alcohol attacking your unaccustomed and weak system, clouding your judgement. But as you talk about many things, you slowly lean on each other’s directions more. His lips get closer to your ear to hear his words better. His gaze somehow darkens as you speak. It makes your stomach twirl in a funny way.

“I don’t think the pairing system is fair.”

You don’t know how the fuck the conversation lead this way, but you’re not complaining. Your brain is already far too intoxicated for you to think straight as you hear Soobin speak. “Why?”

“Why do we have to spend our lives with someone just because a birthdate appears on our wrists? Who chooses this type of thing anyway? If it’s God or genetics, I don’t care. I think I should choose who I want to be with.”

It’s not the first time you hear this. There are tons of anti-pairing forums online - you even participate in some of them. You know it’s kind of stupid to be anti something you can’t change or fight against, but you still agree with all of that. The idea of choosing someone sounds much better than simply being trapped with someone since you were born.

You’re not thinking about this now, though. You’re thinking that Soobin is looking at you in a way that makes your heart beat fast, and that his gaze has dropped to your lips, and that he’s coming closer and closer and that you want him to be closer.

His lips are warm.

They kinda taste like the weird blue drink in your cup.

You’re nervous because you don’t really know what to do. Gladly, Soobin takes the lead; as he starts to move his lips slowly, you do the same thing. His hand on your waist feels warm; you rest yours on his shoulders. 

It’s not that hard, you think. It’s wet and warm and weird, but still good.

But when you finally break apart, you feel something unsettling build inside of you.

It’s unsettling because it’s empty.

Maybe you’re being dramatic. Maybe it’s the alcohol in your brain. You shouldn’t expect to feel something amazing after kissing a guy you barely know. Yet, still… kissing him made you a bit nervous because you’ve never done that before, but it wasn’t exciting. It didn’t make you feel like the world around you had stopped, it didn’t make you lose your breath.

It was just a kiss. Nothing special.

It makes you realize that it will never be special for you. 

If you kiss people, if you have sex with people - it will always feel this empty. Pleasurable, but empty. None of them will ever be your pair; it won’t ever mean anything to both of you.

And Soobin… despite his stupid anti-pairing speech, he still has a mark on his wrist, and when he finds the person who were born that day, he will love them unconditionally whether he likes it or not (and he will like it), and when he kisses them, he won’t feel empty.

The invisible backpack gets heavier and heavier as if someone is putting bricks inside of it.

“Is everything okay?” Soobin asks, frowning. You step away from him and force a smile. You’re a specialist at pretending you’re okay at this point.

“Yeah, I’m alright.” you reassure him. “I… I just need to find a bathroom.”

You turn around before he can say anything, leaving a confused Soobin behind. 

Considering it's Halloween night, anyone would be scared if they saw a girl dressed as a bride standing alone in a cemetery.

You don't remember exactly how you got here.

You must have taken a bus. Yes, it must be it. Your brain barely registers your phone buzzing on your purse. You only know that it's really dark and cold. You drop the empty bottle of beer; it doesn't break as it lays on the grass with a muffled thud.

You sniff.

"Hi, Granny."

She doesn't reply, of course. 

You don't visit her that often. Coming here makes you remember that, when you die, your body decomposes until you're nothing but a bunch of dust. Life is miserable like that. It doesn't matter who you were and what you did - in the end, everyone will be just a bunch of dust.

It's hard to accept that your grandmother is just a bunch of dust by now. Being honest, you don't remember her very well - you were just a kid when she died after all - and you're sad that you remember more of her death, the pain it was, than the happy moments shared with her.

You also remember that promise you made.

"Do you remember that time you told me that everyone has a special person, Granny?" You ask, tears falling silently down your cheeks. "Well, I don't have one. The person that was made for me is just like you now. A bunch of dust." You chuckle. The backpack is so, so heavy right now. You can barely stand. 

Being sad like this is tiring. You don't think you can take it anymore.

"I'm sorry, Granny. I can't keep my promise."

➳15

"You're grounded."

It's the first thing you hear the next morning as you walk down the stairs, your head aching like hell. You've honestly never seen your mother looking so angry.

You roll your eyes. "Really, mom?"

"Really, Y/N? Do you remember who brought you home yesterday? The fucking police!" 

You try to walk past her towards the kitchen. "And? It's not like I committed a crime or anything. You're too dramatic. I-"

"Shut up!" she yells.

Your mother rarely talks like this.

This makes you stop.

"I'm tired, Y/N. Tired! Your grades are the worst. I know you've been missing classes when you say you go to school. What the hell is going on with you, Y/N?!"

You feel anger bubbling up inside of you. "Now you want to know what's going on with me, mom? Well, maybe if you cared about me you would have reali-”

She slaps your face.

You stand there, completely shocked. 

Your mother has never done that before. Never.

This makes you feel angry in a way you’ve never felt before. You lift your face slowly to look at her-

She has tears on her eyes.

“If I cared about you, Y/N? If I cared?!” Her voice echoes in the empty house. “Everything I do is for you. Everything. Me and your father- every day, we want to ensure you’ll always be happy, that you won’t feel lonely. And this is what you do in return? You get drunk and are dragged home by the police?! You simply lie to us, you miss classes, you’re rude to us all the time?” She gulps. “Your condition is no excuse for you to act like this!”

You’re speechless. 

She sniffs and wipes her hands on her face. She looks so hurt. Seeing your mother cry because of you isn’t news… but this is the first time you see her crying for something you did purposefully.

“Maybe it’s our fault that you became this way. But we can still change it.” Her eyes are as hard as stones now. “You’re grounded for three months.  I’ll be taking you to school every day from now on. Also, you’re old enough now. If you want to buy yourself anything, you better get a job.”

She walks past you towards her bedroom.

Your first instinct is to get angry. To yell back at her about how unfair she is. It’s not like she could ever understand what you go through every day.

But you don’t.

You just stand there, feeling your cheek ache.

➳15

“I’m grounded for three months. Three months!” You huff and cross your arms. “That’s so unfair!”

Chaeyoung doesn’t even lift her eyes to look at you. Her plate is still almost full; she hadn’t eaten much, just pushing the vegetables back and forth with the fork. It seems that she isn’t even bothered by the super noisy cafeteria.  “That’s not unfair. The police found you drunk at the cemetery and brought you home. What were you doing there anyway?”

“I… don’t remember very well.” You do remember, but it’s not like you’ll tell her that you went there to cry. 

“And I told you to not drink too much. You got me pretty worried. You didn’t even call me or text me back.”

You quirk one eyebrow. “Well, maybe this wouldn’t have happened if you hadn’t abandoned me as soon as we got in the house.”

Chaeyoung finally looks at you. Her hair is tied and she has bags under her eyes, what makes her annoyed gaze seem even more intimidating. “You’re not a fucking kid, Y/N. You thought you’d be smart enough to not drink that much on your first time.”

You gasp, feeling the anger bubble up inside of you. “Wow, what a great friend you are! First you abandon me, now you can’t even be on my side? Don’t act like you never got drunk in your life-”

“What a great friend I am? What about you, Y/N?” She crosses her arms and stares at you with a hardened gaze. “All you’ve been doing the whole day is complain about how you’re grounded, how your mom is so evil, how you have the worst parents ever. You just talk about you, you and you. Everything always must be about you, right?!”

“What do you mean-?”

“You know, everyone’s so sensitive around you. Everyone’s careful to not say anything that might hurt you. But you? You act like a bitch to everyone else. A spoiled, selfish bitch, that’s what you are!”

You’re angry. You want to argue. But when you see Chaeyoung’s teary eyes, you can’t.

“You know what I am going through right now, Y/N?! We’re about to be evicted because we can’t fucking pay the rent. I’m working my ass off at a shitty restaurant and it’s still not enough. But you don’t know about it because you were too fucking busy complaining about your evil parents that give you everything you ask for! For fuck’s sake, stop acting like a spoiled bitch once in your life!”

Chaeyoung doesn’t give you a chance to say anything as she takes her bag from the table and walks away angrily.

You just sit there, completely shocked. It’s not like you guys never fight, but this - this is something she must be thinking about for a long time.

You really didn’t know about Chaeyoung’s situation. You should’ve figured something was wrong judging by how unusually quiet she was today. 

Spoiled bitch…?

➳15

Chaeyoung’s words don’t leave your mind the next day, and the next day, and the next day. 

You should be angry at her, but you can’t. Dr. Jung always taught you that you should watch yourself, pay attention to your actions before getting angry at other people. You weren’t even a little considerate with her, nor with your parents.

Looking back, all you’ve been doing since your tenth birthday is complain and cry.  You complain that you don’t have a pair, you complain that no one else in the world would understand you, you complain that you’ll always be alone. But maybe… maybe Chaeyoung was right. Maybe you’ve been so focused on your own sadness that you didn’t pay attention to the people around you. Maybe you’re using your condition as some sort of… emotional crutch.

You’re tired of feeling sad all the time. 

And you can’t keep complaining about something you can’t change. 

You can change your actions, though.

“I’m sorry.”

Your parents stop eating their dinner and look at you.

“For what?” Your father asks.

“I’m sorry for coming home drunk the other day.” You start. You’ve been training these words the entire day. “And I’m sorry for acting like a spoiled kid.”

They look at each other in silence, then back at you. 

“And I got a job.”

This makes them widen their eyes. “What?” Your mother gasps.

“It’s in a small convenience store close to the school. The payment isn’t all that good, but I think it’s enough for me to buy my own stuff from now on.” You look at them seriously. “I’m actually sorry. Hope you guys believe in me.”

Your parents look at each other again.

“Well… as long as it doesn’t disturb your studies…” your father says.

“Yes. Your grades better not get worse.” your mother finishes.

“Alright.” You say, nodding.

They look at each other again. This time, though, I can see a happy sentiment between them two.

Good. You shove more mashed potatoes inside your mouth.

Now, it’s time to apologize to Chaeyoung - and you’ll annoy her until she forgives you.

➳16

“You know, Dr. Jung-”

“Dawon!”

“I’m sorry. Dawon.” you chuckle. “Next year I finish high school and all. I was thinking of what profession I want to follow.”

“Good! Did you come to a conclusion?”

“Yes. I admire you a lot, Dr. Jun- Dawon. You helped me go through a lot of things in my life. And…  guess I kinda understand how painful feelings work. So… I want to help people the way you do. I want to be a psychologist.”

Dr. Jung can’t hide the tears that well up on her eyes as she hears this.

She thinks you’re finally ready.

➳18

“Gosh, did you bring your entire house?!” Chaeyoung gasps, looking at the amount of boxes inside the tiny dorm. “I told you to not bring so many things!”

You smile awkwardly. “Guess I was a little excited?”

She rolls her eyes, but you know she isn’t angry. You’re lucky to get here already knowing a junior; you won’t be that lost around the campus and the dorms, and maybe she can introduce you to some new people. 

“Well, you’ll need to get rid of something if you want everything to fit here.” She kneels down and opens a box, checking what’s inside. “If you got into a shared dorm with all of this, your roommates would probably kick you out, but you’re lucky enough to get an individual dorm. You have to use all of this free space with useful things!”

“What? Are you telling me that my Naruto manga collection isn’t useful?”

“It isn’t! What, are you a thirteen year old?!”

You gasp dramatically. “Blasphemy!”

“I’m serious, Y/N! You gotta leave your mangas behind now that you’re in college. I’ll introduce you to my friends! Oh, I’ll take you to a really cool pub downtown, you’ll love it!”

You roll your eyes as Chaeyoung keeps babbling about pubs and getting drunk and sucking dicks or pussies. She looks much more excited than you.

It’s not like your insides aren’t also bubbling up with excitement, though. This is the beginning of a new life - a life in which you’re in better terms with yourself and with your condition.

You won’t allow yourself to be dragged down by sadness anymore.

➳19

“Tinder? Really?” you furrow your brows at Chaeyoung.

She lifts her eyes from her phone sheepishly. “Why are you so surprised?”

You shrug, your eyes coming back to the laptop in front of you. You type furiously the last paragraph of your assignment - because yes, you forgot to do it and had to write all of it at the last minute again. Anyone that might possibly look at you at the cafe will notice the miserable appearance of a regular college student - messy hair, purple circles around your eyes, a sweatshirt three times your size, the second cup of coffee over the table - and think, poor little thing. You’re sure that you lost weight over the past months, since pretty much everything you’ve been eating is instant ramen and you drink more coffee and energetic than you drink water. Is it good for your health? No, but you don’t have money - or time - to buy decent food every week. 

“I didn’t know you were interested in finding your pair so soon.”

It’s understandable. Chaeyoung turned out to be the type of person that enjoys college life a lot - she goes to a lot of parties and is hooking up with random people constantly. She said multiple times that, while she hadn’t found her pair, she’d “enjoy life” as hard as she could.

Again, Chaeyoung looks sheepish. “Yeah. But, you know…” she shakes her head and frowns. “Nevermind.”

You stop typing and look at her seriously.

“Chae, you don’t need to hesitate to talk about this with me.”

Chaeyoung looks down at her phone again. You know very well that she deliberately avoids talking about pairs around you. You kind of used to get offended whenever she talked about it when you were younger, but you don’t really care about it anymore. 

She still takes some moments to speak. “I’m feeling kinda lonely these days.”

You snort, pretending to be offended. “What, my presence is not enough to you?”

Chaeyoung chuckles and rolls her eyes. “It’s not like that, idiot. It's…” she gulps. It’s strange to see her like this. “I don’t know how to explain. It’s like… I’m missing someone I don’t even know.” She pronounces her last sentence in an almost whisper: “It hurts.”

You look at her for a few seconds and drop your gaze back to the laptop screen, your fingers running around the keys again.

Pairs must be together. If someone doesn’t find their pair, at some point in life it’ll start to hurt. It’s a different, stronger type of loneliness that can’t be filled by anyone else. Surveys say that at least 90% of the population feels like this at some point in life and it only stops when they find their pair. You did an assignment about this past semester - a short and strong period of depression.

You understand how she feels. You’ve been feeling like this for a while now, actually. It’s more than just the sadness of knowing you’ll never find your pair. Now, it started to actually hurt. It’s a hollowness that won’t go away, it doesn’t matter how good you’re feeling about yourself, or how satisfied you are about your grades, or when you’re surrounded by the people you care about.

But it’s alright, because you’ve been preparing yourself for this pain ever since you were ten. Dr. Jung trained you well. 

You don’t judge Chaeyoung for wanting to meet her pair soon.

“And did you find someone interesting?”

“Well… to be honest, I don’t know how this is supposed to work.” She admits, looking at her phone again. “Some people say that they realized who their pair was just by looking at pictures, but I’m not sure if this is real. I mean, there’s so many attractive people on this app that are making me feel some type of way. Are they all my pairs?”

You chuckle and roll your eyes. “There’s a big difference between finding your pair and feeling horny.”

Chaeyoung shrugs in an innocent manner. “I talked to some people, but none of them were that interesting. I don’t wanna go out with any of them yet.” She sighs again. “So many hot people were born in ‘97! Look at this guy!”

You smirk. “I’m gonna register on this app and see what type of hot skulls born in 1815 will want to go out with me.”

Chaeyoung widens her eyes and stares at you.

“I’ll feel bad if I laugh at this.”

“You know I don’t care.”

She bursts out laughing. “I am going to hell!”

➳20

Although the night is cold, the crowd around you makes it feel warm. An excited Chaeyoung drags you by the wrist, heading for the next food stand - as if she hadn’t already eaten enough food for one night. You can’t judge her, though; the delicious scent of food is everywhere, coming from the many stands only a festival can provide. Families, groups of friends, couples - the place is crowded, as expected. You see many familiar faces from the campus. It’s difficult to walk by as you hold the gigantic Toothless plushie you won back there playing a target shooting game.

“Ooh! There’s no waiting line! Come on!” Chaeyoung chirps excitedly, just like a little kid. 

“Don’t you think you already ate enough? You will get a stomach ache.” you quirk one eyebrow.

“I don’t care! If I don’t eat those churros I’m gonna pass out!”

So dramatic.

Even though you say this, you end up eating some as well. It honestly feels that your stomach will explode at this point. How can Chaeyoung eat so much in one go?

“Wait, what’s that line for?” She asks, peeking somewhere in the crowd.

“I swear to God, if you want to eat anything else-”

“No, it’s not food. Look!”

You turn your head to the direction she’s pointing at. Indeed, there’s a short line starting, made of only young people. At the start of the line, there’s a dark-haired woman sitting on a extravagantly decorated chair; she wears a purple scarf around her head, has many necklaces, as well as dark makeup. You watch as the unknown woman holds the hand of her clients one by one, telling them things you’re too far to hear. All of them leave with silly smiles on their lips.

“A fortune teller?” you make the guess.

Chaeyoung gasps. “I wanna go there!”

You sigh heavily. “Really, Chae? You believe in fortune tellers now?” It’s very common to see this type of people doing this, promising to guess who your pair is and when you’ll meet them. Of course, most of those “fortune tellers” are lying, just wanting to get some easy bucks.

“You’re too skeptical about everything, Y/N! Try to be a little open minded!”

And then she’s dragging you into the waiting line.

It doesn’t take too long until it’s her time. The fortune teller looks at you both with a small smile on her lips. Now that you’re closer, you notice that she’s actually beautiful. It’s hard to guess her age, though. 

There’s also something very unsettling at the way she looks at you, but you try to ignore this feeling.

“Do you want to know more about your pair, my darling?” she asks Chaeyoung in a theatrical manner. Chaeyoung nods excitedly.

“Yes, please. How much is it?”

“Oh, I’m a servant of the occult, darling. My works are free of charge. I just want to help you lovely girls find your pairs soon.” She says, smiling widely. “But you’re lucky, because even though you haven’t found your pair yet, standing by your side is someone that already matches your soul, isn’t it?”

You and Chaeyoung look at each other in silence.

It’s kind of strange how she knows you’re not each other’s pairs, to be honest. Most people asked if you were a couple up until now.

Oh well.

“I feel a strong bond between you two!” The fortune teller continues. “Friendship is a precious bond. Yours almost feel unbreakable. You’re lucky to have each other!”

Chaeyoung giggles excitedly while you just stand there, feeling a little bit uncomfortable. This isn’t something special. Anyone could say something as shallow and vague as this.

“So, my pretty lady, could you please give me your hand?” The fortune teller asks.

Chaeyoung stretches her hand out. Strangely, the fortune teller doesn’t turn her palm to read her hand or the birthdate; she simply holds her wrist for a few seconds and gasps, her body reacting as if she just felt an electric shock.

“Oh! It’s soon! Very, very soon!” The woman exclaims. Chaeyoung widens her eyes. 

“What? What’s soon?”

“A lot of fur!” She continues as if she didn’t hear your friend. “I hope you’re not allergic, darling. Oh! Oh! You make a lovely couple! She’s really similar to you!”

“She?” Chaeyoung gasps. “Is- is it a she?”

You just look from her to the unknown woman, feeling something between shock and embarrassment. Is this woman serious?!

The fortune teller finally drops Chaeyoung’s wrist. “You’re such a lucky lady. You’re surrounded by wonderful people, my dear. You won’t have to wait for too long.”

Your best friend stares at her in awe for some moments, then she smiles widely. Chaeyoung can be so naive sometimes. She got impressed by this little acting so easily. 

“Thank you so much!” She exclaims.

The fortune teller smiles sweetly.

Then, she looks at you - and for some reason, you feel a shiver.

“What about you, my darling?”

You shake your head. “Uh, no, thanks. I’m not interested.”

“Are you not interested or are you not impressed enough?”

Chaeyoung’s eyes jump from the woman to you quickly as she notices your irritation growing. “Hm, we’re already leaving. She doesn’t-”

“Yeah, I’m not even a little bit impressed, to be honest.” you say, crossing your arms. You don’t like the way this woman is looking at you, and you don’t like the way she fooled your naive friend. “I don’t think anyone could get this type of information so easily.”

“Oh, so you’re one to believe in science, isn’t it? I can see that you’re a studious one.” She has a small, mysterious smile on her lips. You don’t like that either. “While science is of course important and many times accurate, I believe that sometimes humans rely on it just to ignore the obvious truth.”

“And what would be this truth?” Why are you even asking? You want to leave.

“The truth that humans won’t always know the truth. That there’s some things in this universe that are not supposed to be understood by us, and they won’t be understood by putting samples in test tubes.” She leans closer to you. “I’m sure you already studied the pairing system. Be honest; do you really believe that the birthdate on your wrist is the result of genetics?”

You just look at her in silence.

It’s true that you’re skeptical - you parents, your father especially, taught you to be like this. When the mark appeared on your wrist, the only thing your parents didn’t consider doing was putting you under any type of religious or spiritual procedure, because - as most people nowadays - they believe in what they can see; they believe in solid things like samples in test tubes, not in fortune tellers.

But down there, you always had your doubts.

Having a mark on your wrist is something completely normal. Everyone has it and mankind always had it - and that’s why people don’t question it that often. Yet, if you think really hard about it… the marks don't make that much sense in a “scientific” perspective. 

You hate that you kind of agree with her. And she notices it, too.

“You can still leave if you want, of course. Some people prefer to let things happen naturally.” The fortune teller says.

It doesn’t make any sense. You’re not a normal person and you already gave up in finding a “solution” to your condition long ago - actually, you never considered finding a solution.

But science never gave you an answer as to why you’re like this.

Then maybe… maybe this crazy woman can help you. Or if she just mumbles stupid things about how pretty your pair is, at least you’ll show Chaeyoung how much of an imposter she is.

So, hesitantly, you stretch out your arm. Chaeyoung widens her eyes as you do. The woman smiles and touches your wrist.

The moment her skin touches yours, her smile immediately vanishes.

She gasps as if she suddenly can’t breathe; her beautiful face contorts in a frown as tears well up her eyes. Her fingers shake against your wrist.

“T-This is… this…” she stutters, all of the previous theatricality gone.

You frown. This is getting uncomfortable. “Alright, can you drop my wrist?”

“Oh, gods! This is…” you stare at her in utter shock as a single tear drops from her eye. “Broken. Broken, broken… so alone!”

Another shiver runs down your spine. You try to forcefully push your arm, but the woman is holding your wrist quite strongly; she shakes and stutters as if she’s in some type of trance.

“Let me go!” You complain once again, feeling a strong discomfort underneath your skin.

The woman finally looks up at you.

You see pain and sorrow and mourn in her eyes.

“He… he suffered so much. So, so much…”

You finally manage to free yourself from her grip.

When she isn’t touching you anymore, the woman blinks as if coming back to her senses.

“You’re crazy!” You say as Chaeyoung intertwines her arm on yours, dragging you away from the fortune teller.

“I’m so sorry, Y/N,” she says, walking at a fast pace. “I shouldn’t have gone there. I’m sorry-”

“It’s not your fault, stop apologizing.” You say as you massage the wrist she was holding. “She must be on drugs or something.”

You try your hardest to pretend you didn’t feel anything. But you can’t stop your heart that’s beating way too fast.

She’s crazy. You’re sure of it.

Yet, what she said puts a huge question mark on your mind.

He.

➳20

For the next few weeks, you try really hard to not think about what happened. Whenever the woman’s terrified eyes come to your mind, you feel shivers run down your skin. There was something so unsettling about the way she acted…

She was on drugs. Definitely.

Yet, you can’t take her words out of your mind.

He.

What she said wasn’t impressive. Anyone else could’ve simply said it was a “he”, the same way she told Chaeyoung her pair was a “she”. You were certainly just letting yourself get impressed by her words and her acting. Still… it doesn’t matter how hard you try, you can’t help but feel your stomach jump in a strange way every time the “he” comes to your mind.

The moment you saw the absurd birthdate on your wrist ten years ago, you already accepted that your pair was dead. It might’ve been very stoic of you to accept this at the age of ten when your own parents took years to accept it, but you simply knew it was the truth and you had to deal with it - it doesn’t matter how much it hurt. Since you knew your pair was already long gone, you never bothered to get to know who that person used to be. Sure, sometimes you wondered if it was a “he”, “she” or “they”, but you knew that knowing more about this person would only make you suffer even more. So… you simply avoided thinking about it too much.

Now you kind of hate yourself for letting that strange woman’s acting spark your curiosity again.

He.

What if it really was a he?

But what difference would it make to find out if it was a he or a she? They were long dead anyway. 

He suffered so much…

It doesn’t make any sense. 

Or maybe it does make sense, but you prefer to be skeptical right now, because being skeptical is easier.

One night, though, you’re forced to take things the hard way.

You’re walking back to your dorm as usual after buying today’s dinner at the convenience store nearby (more instant ramen), your heavy backpack hangs loosely from one shoulder. You’re almost crawling at this point. Today was very draining, not only because you particularly hate your Philosophy and Ethics teacher, but also because you particularly hate your boss and you hate the rude customers that come to the restaurant you work at (honestly, you kind of hate people in general today). Now, you want nothing more but to take a hot shower, put on comfy clothes, eat your spicy instant ramen and sleep. You’re tired of existing right now.

As your hand rests on the doorknob of your dorm, you feel your phone buzzing in your back pocket. 

Strange. 

It’s Chaeyoung.

When you put the phone on your ear, before you can even say hello, you hear Chaeyoung’s shaky voice:

“I found her.”

You frown, confused. “What? Found who?”

“I-I found her, Y/N. My pair.”

You freeze.

Chaeyoung sounds bewildered, even out of breath. 

You stand there for long seconds.

“What?! When? Where? Who?!” You scream as it finally hits you.

Chaeyoung found her pair!

“I-I went to the laundry to take my clothes, right? So- when I got there, there was someone taking my clothes out of the washing machine and I was like, hey, stop! That’s so rude, I was only one minute late! I mean, I just walked away for a moment to buy choco milk! Then she turned around and- and-”

“Chae, you’re talking too fast! Breathe!” You interrupt her.

“I found her, Y/N.” Chaeyoung repeats, sounding so amazed that you can’t help but smile. “She’s waiting for me out there. I locked myself in the bathroom because I needed to tell you. I found her!”

Her voice starts to crack as she speaks and you can tell she’s been crying for a while. The first person she thought of calling was you. She wanted to share her happiness with you. This itself makes pure joy grow inside of your chest.

As you tell her to hang out and go back to her pair - Chaeyoung hadn’t even asked her name yet! - you also feel something very tiny in your chest. Like a needle.

No.

You won’t let yourself feel sadness right now. It’s Chaeyoung’s moment. You won’t make it a bad memory.

So, you try your best to ignore the needle and sound as excited as you can.

➳20

When you meet Chaeyoung’s pair, just one day after, you immediately feel a shiver run down your spine as you see them walking towards you holding hands - the fortune teller’s voice ringing in your head.

She’s really similar to you!

The short-haired girl holding Chaeyoung’s hand is called Lisa. She studies in another University nearby. She is, indeed, gorgeous; the way she grins makes her look cute, but her eyes are intimidating at the same time. Although she wears baggy jeans and a sweatshirt twice her size, you can see that her body type is similar to Chaeyoung’s. They’re also exactly the same height. 

You soon learn that Lisa is a very warm person when she greets you with a hug. They’re both somehow glowing with happiness. It almost hurts to watch. 

“Nice to meet you, Y/N! Chaeyoung already told me so much about you, it feels that I already know you!” She says. It’s funny because they met literally one day ago.

You can already tell that Chaeyoung has somehow changed in this short period, though. Seeing her happy like this makes you feel warm. It shouldn’t make sense - she barely knows this girl, yet their body language indicates that they’re already intimate and the way they look at each other with overflowing adoration makes it obvious that they’re each other’s pairs.

You’re so happy for your best friend. She finally met someone that will accept her the way she is - and you’re sure that it won’t be hard for Lisa, because they give off the same vibe. They act like two excited puppies. 

Their styles might look different - Chaeyoung has always been very girly, while Lisa seems to be more on the streetwear side - but they somehow still look very similar in personalities, too.

Another shiver.

You desperately try to convince yourself that the crazy fortune teller just made a really, really accurate guess.

➳20

Chaeyoung doesn’t have that much time for you these days, of course. She’s spending every minute with Lisa. You can’t judge her. Finding your pair is something special that must be cherished. It’s not like you’re jealous or anything.

Right?

It’s also not like that needle in your heart seems to be bothering you more and more day after day. You try your hardest to ignore it; you’ve been focusing on your studies more than ever and you’ve been the most diligent on your job as you’ve ever been, even though you kind of hate working there. Your demonic boss even complimented you. You’ve been trying to busy your mind with literally anything productive. You won’t let sadness take the best of you.

You also won’t let the words of that woman sink even more. She’s crazy. Period.

But once again, it’s Chaeyoung herself who makes you think about the fortune teller for once and all.

You notice something’s wrong about her the moment she sits by your side inside the library - the way she fiddles with her fingers, the way she looks hesitant and her smile seems a little bit forced. She’s acting so out of place that you stare at her and quirk one eyebrow.

“Alright, what’s wrong?”

“What? What do you mean, what’s wrong?” She chuckles awkwardly.

“There’s something you want to tell me. Go on.” You lean your back on the chair and cross your arms.

Chaeyoung gulps and avoids your gaze, as if building up courage. “I went to Lisa’s apartment yesterday for the first time.”

Oh God. She’s not about to tell some weird kink Lisa has, right? “And?”

“And she has four cats.”

You stare at her for long, long seconds.

“And?”

“And this means a lot of fur!”

It finally hits you.

A lot of fur! I hope you’re not allergic, darling!

Something very cold sets in your stomach. Chaeyoung watches you in silence. 

“This must be a coincidence, Chae.” Your own voice sounds very uncertain. 

“Yeah, but this is way too specific!”

The cold goes up from your stomach to your limbs until you’re very, very cold. 

Chaeyoung is right. This is way too specific. It goes beyond vague speculation anyone could say; it’s too accurate.

God, you hate yourself for thinking this - but if that woman wasn’t crazy… if she was telling what she felt or saw, you don’t know, then…

He… he suffered so much. So, so much…

Chaeyoung puts her hand over yours gently. She looks worried - it’s impossible to not get worried just seeing your shocked, even scared expression. Yet, she doesn’t say anything. She waits as your brain works furiously. 

"I need to find that woman." You say in an almost whisper.

"Are you sure?" Chaeyoung asks softly. "You never wanted to know anything about it. Maybe it's better if you don't. I… I just don't want you to suffer more."

You look up at your friend and open a weak, sad smile.

"I've been suffering my entire life, Chae. Nothing could break me even more at this point."

Your words shatter Chaeyoung's heart, though.

➳20

You’re lucky that this is the festival’s last weekend - but you’re not lucky that literally no one seemed to know who the fortune teller is. 

You and Chaeyoung went to almost every food truck possible; some of them had no idea who you were talking about, some of them saw the mysterious woman a few times, but no one had any idea of who she was. No name, no telephone number, nothing.

It’s as if she never existed.

This makes you feel frustrated. More than just knowing more about your deceased pair - maybe that woman might know why you’re like this; maybe she has the answers you’ve been secretly seeking for your whole life. But she simply disappeared in thin air.

Maybe this is a sign that you should leave things the way they are. Knowing that it was a he won't change anything in your life. But you can’t keep acting like everything is fine when you feel lonelier day after day; you’re so used to feeling lonely that it isn't as overwhelming as it used to be, but you still feel like this. Maybe finding out more about this person will give you some relief - it will finish a chapter in your life, then you’ll be able to start a new one.

It’s scary.

“What are you going to do?” Chaeyoung asks, sitting on top of your bed when you come back from the festival. You’re beyond frustrated.

“I don’t know.” You confess; you never bothered to do any type of research, always trying to protect your already fragile heart. You didn’t even know where to start from. “How to get information from a person that lived two hundred years ago?”

“Maybe there’s some type of record somewhere.”

“Yeah, but I don’t even know what I’m searching for. He could be from literally anywhere on this planet.”

He. You feel a goosebump. This person - you always avoided picturing them in your mind, to make them as vague as possible, barely an unrecognizable shadow in the back of your mind. It’s the first time you refer yourself to them as a real person. Him.

It makes you feel a little bit warm inside, but at the same time, terribly cold.

Chaeyoung rests her cheek on her palm, eyebrows knitted together. You can almost hear her brain working furiously. Then, her expression lits up and she snaps her fingers, calling your attention.

“The National Archive!” She exclaims. “They keep records of every registered person by year! How didn’t we think about it?!”

You cross your arms. “Well, maybe because a random person like me can’t just walk inside and ask to know every record from every person born in 1815.” It sounds very stupid. Besides, maybe he wasn’t even from this country. Or maybe he was homeless and was never registered.

Chaeyoung opens a mischievous smirk.

“Yeah, you can’t… but maybe they’ll give you a pass if you’re with a History major.” She takes her phone from her pocket and dials a number before you can say anything. “Babe, can you do me a favor?”

➳20

Lisa is a nice girl, but you don’t feel exactly comfortable that you have to do this with her around. Of course, it’s thanks to her that you’ll be able to do your “research” (you came up with an excuse that you were making an assignment about society at the beginning of the XIX century or whatever; Lisa seemed pretty convinced, so she accepted to guide you around the National Archive. It seems that History majors kind of have a free pass around this place). Yet, you can’t help but feel nervous that she might find out the real motive behind your visit. You made sure to wear a long sleeved shirt that hides the birthdate on your wrist safely.

The National Archive is a mix between museum and library. The museum part is open to public visitation, obviously. The expositions about family names, clans, immigration, miscegenation etc might’ve looked interesting if you weren’t so nervous. But thanks to Lisa, you walk past the museum part and enter the place where the archives are in fact - meters and meters of shelves countaining records, every single one of them carefully organized by name and year. The oldest records are kept in separate rooms that only employees have access to, since the paper is way too old and can be easily damaged.

Lisa is very talkative. She doesn’t stop talking the entire walk. She looks, indeed, like an excited puppy. You can’t exactly say you like it, considering how nervous you are. She only interrupts her endless speech when she finds a middle aged woman standing in the labyrinth of shelves; Lisa simply calls her Mrs. Park and you decide to do the same. The woman has a severe look, but it seems that she has a soft spot for Lisa. You also have the feeling that she’s been working here for more than half of her life.

“Mrs. Park, this is Y/N, the friend I talked about. She needs some help,” Lisa says lightheartedly. Mrs. Park measures you up and down, which makes the nervousness get worse.

“Alright, Y/N. Let me see if I can help you. What exactly do you need?”

“I’m a Psychology major,” you start the speech you’ve been repeating on your head over and over. “I’m studying phenomena related to the pairing system. How society deals with it, etc. I need to get information from how people dealt with pairless depression back in the XIX century.”

“Well, I don’t understand why here would be of any help. It doesn’t seem that you need to get information from a specific person.”

Ouch.

“Actually, I do. I have to study a specific person or family. I’m not searching for anyone in particular, I just have the year. Maybe I can find an interesting case.”

Mrs. Park looks slightly annoyed. “This is getting difficult. If you had a specific name in mind I could help you, but just a year? There are thousands of records in one year. I can’t let you look all over the records.”

The nervousness makes your heart beat faster. This woman is way too smart. If you slip just once, she’ll see that you’re blatantly lying and she’ll probably not let you step foot inside this place ever again.

In this moment, though, you start to love Lisa.

She passes her arm around Mrs. Park's shoulders gently and opens a pretty smile, her pretty pleading eyes staring straight at the older woman’s soul. “Aw, come on, Mrs. Park… give her a chance! You know everything in these records, right? Maybe you know an interesting case that might help. Please!”

Mrs. Park looks at her seriously, but you can see that the woman has melted. She sighs and rolls her eyes. Life is so easy for pretty girls!

“Alright, but I’m not helping you out after this one!” The older woman exclaims. “Come on, lady. Tell me the year.”

Relief floods through you; you have to hold back a sigh. Trying to pretend you’re not excited and nervous to death, you say: “The year is 1815.”

Mrs. Park holds her chin and hums, thoughtful, knitting her eyebrows as if she’s trying hard to remember something. Then, she widens her eyes. “Oh! I actually know a case related to the pairing system. Come on, follow me.”

You’re almost hopping around her at this point.

Instead of what you first expected, the woman guides you two to a computer sitting just around the corner. She types a few things, opening the National Archive’s system. “This will definitely help you. Actually, I think it’s a big coincidence that you came up with this year and you don’t know about it. You didn’t even need to come here; could’ve just googled it.”

After a few more types and clicks, she steps aside and lets you see what’s in the monitor.

You freeze.

It looks like a simple register page with a few information.

TAEHYUNG DATE OF BIRTH: DECEMBER 30, 1815 DATE OF DEATH: MARCH 11, 1840

“Taehyung,” Lisa says, frowning. “No family name?”

“No. From what is known, he was a simple man from a small village. He didn’t belong to any clan.”

“He must’ve been very poor. Why was he registered, then? Poor people didn’t have this privilege.” Lisa wonders.

“It seems that he was registered just after his condition became well-known in the region.”

You just hear them speaking vaguely, your brain barely understanding anything around you.

Besides this little information, there’s a picture of the man.

Not exactly a picture - it’s a very realistic drawing, considering the time it was made and the technique used. A drawing of a young man. He sits stiff on a chair, his posture very straightened; he stares seriously ahead. It’s just a drawing, but the person behind it did a great job at interpreting his expression.

It’s just an old drawing. There’s not much information you can take from it.

But something about his gaze hurts you.

He looks empty.

Sad.

“What condition?” Lisa asks, confused. Mrs. Park huffs.

“You kids aren’t studying hard, are you? Especially you, Y/N, since you’re studying the pairing system, you should know about him. His case is widely known as the greatest anomaly in the pairing system to exist in registered history.”

It’s getting really, really hard to breathe. Your eyes can’t focus on anything else but the screen in front of you, the drawing in front of you, the man in front of you.

“Taehyung, the man that was born without a birthdate on his wrist.”

➳20

Lisa doesn't notice that you suddenly became very, very quiet as you leave the National Archive. She doesn't notice or doesn't seem to care that you just reply to anything she says with "hmm". 

Chaeyoung, though, sees that something's wrong with you the moment you meet her on the subway platform.

"So, did you get what you wanted?" Chaeyoung hesitantly asks, trying her best to not let Lisa realize what's going on (not that Lisa is the most perceptive person ever anyways).

You don't have the strength to say anything. Fortunately, Lisa still wants to talk.

"Oh, we found an interesting case!" She says, oblivious to everything happening right now. "Right, Y/N? I think it will help you a lot with your assignment!"

Chaeyoung looks at you in silence. Her worry increases by the minute. 

You nod weakly. "Yes. It will help me a lot." Your voice sounds strangled.

"A man that was born without a birthdate on his wrist," Lisa elaborates. Chaeyoung widens her eyes and looks frozen for a moment. "People back in the XIX century made some research about him, but there's still not much information available. Apparently, he was an orphan and indigent." Lisa crosses her arms and shakes her head slowly. "Poor man! Can you imagine being born without a pair? I don't think I'd take it."

Chaeyoung just stares at your blank expression in shock. You don't say anything.

You don't say anything during your way back home, you don't say anything as Chaeyoung gives Lisa an excuse to go to your dorm, you don't say anything as she closes the door when you two enter the tiny apartment.

Chaeyoung turns around, looking completely worried.

"Is it him, Y/N? Is it really him?" she asks in an almost whisper.

You just nod, staring at the mark on your wrist.

1815.12.30

Taehyung, the man that was born without a birthdate on his wrist.

He… he suffered so much. So, so much!

Can you imagine being born without a pair? I don't think I'd take it.

You don't say anything.

You just sob uncontrollably as tears stream down your cheeks and as Chaeyoung hugs you the tightest she has ever hugged you.

➳20

Obsession is unhealthy. You studied different types of obsession past semester. Some people are obsessed about things, some people are obsessed about other people, some people are obsessed about things that don't even exist.

Your current obsession is Taehyung.

Mrs. Park was right - you could've just googled his name and a bunch of articles showed up on the first page. "The biggest mystery in recorded pairing system history." "A man that was born without a birthdate." "Taehyung - genetic failure or divine punishment?" 

Most articles say the same thing - a poor man born in a small village. Little is known about his life besides the fact that he was born pairless. Some articles elaborate that the villagers treated him like he was leper. The rumors became so loud that a research team from the capital decided to investigate him. 

He died of tuberculosis at the age of 24. 

Never got married. Never had children. He lived a poor, lonely life for 24 years and died.

The way your chest hurts whenever you look at his picture - drawing -  is unexplainable. Yet, you can’t help but search for more and more articles about him, more and more books about him. There’s no other image of him other than that drawing. You printed it and glued it on the wall next to your bed.

You regret knowing who he was. It was easier to deal with loneliness when you thought you didn’t have a pair. Now you know who he was; you know his name. You know he existed - and you know he suffered the same pain you do. He lived alone and died alone. What hurts you the most is that Taehyung, for some reason, didn’t have a mark; he thought he was made for no one. You, at least, always knew that the person whose soul matched yours existed a long time ago; as painful as it is, it at least gave you some comfort.

Taehyung was never comforted.

He never had anyone.

The thought of your pair spending his life alone is so painful that it had you crying to your sleep for nights on end.

All of these years you’ve been taking care of your feelings so well. You were okay with your condition, you had accepted it. Pain made you hard and strong. Now, though, it feels that a scar that had healed a long time ago opened yet again and this time, it’s deeper than before, it’s bleeding much more. You don’t have enough strength to do your usual tasks, you don’t feel motivated to do anything. You can just lay on bed and stare at the drawing of the person that was supposed to be right here, right now, a drawing that doesn’t say anything about who he was.

This also makes you think back when you were a kid and your parents made you go through various exams. Now all of that makes sense - the research team, how the doctors tried hard to convince your parents to not stop the research. They must have obviously connected the dots; you had the exact birthdate on your wrist of the man that didn’t have a birthdate. They probably thought they were about to make the discovery of the century. You’re thankful that your parents listened to you back then, even though they hid this from you your entire life - because they definitely knew about Taehyung’s existence.

He’s everything you can think of.

Chaeyoung is visibly worried. She texts you every day, asking if you’re okay, if you need anything. You also know that isolating yourself is not the best thing to do, and lying about how you feel isn’t also right, yet you still say that you’re okay and that no, you don’t need anything right now. You’re grateful that you have such a great friend. Chaeyoung has always been there whenever you needed and right now it’s no different. But this time she won’t be able to help you; she won’t shut your rumbling mind, she can’t fill up the hollowness inside of you that just got deeper and deeper after you found out the truth.

Nothing can fill this hollowness. You know it’s pointless to do what you’re about to do, but you do it anyway. 

The trip is scheduled for tomorrow morning.

➳20

The sea breeze greets you as you step out of the bus; it's cold and refreshing, even though the bus terminal is still considerably far from the beach. The air here is different.

It's been a long time since you last stepped foot on a beach - and you never came to this beach in particular. It's not the type of place someone would want to spend their vacation on, despite the historical importance of the place. 

A fisherman's village that remained intact since the XIX century.

Now, it's a simple small city. There aren't tall buildings or heavy traffic. It's not an interesting place, you notice, as you watch it through the windows of the taxi. There are a few seafood restaurants, small stores, and many houses. Most people living here are already old, their children must’ve left to study and such. It seems like a calm place to grow old.

The taxi driver looks confused when you simply ask him to leave you by the beach. You didn’t book a hotel room and you don’t have a place to spend the night; you plan to go back today yet. Coming here doesn’t even make any sense.

But you need to.

The beach looks grey and cold. The sand is rough and full of rocks; seagulls cross the sky, crying in the distance. There are a few fishing boats close to a pier nearby. You see some heavily dressed men working on fishing nets. Most of them are too focused on their tasks, but a few look at you awkwardly. The whole scenery looks like a black and white picture.

You sigh heavily and shove your hands inside your pockets. The constant sound of waves is somehow relaxing.

This is where he lived his whole life.

Was he a fisherman, too? Were his hands calloused and scarred from taking fishing nets on his hands? Was he used to pushing heavy boats into the sea, to spend hours and hours inside those boats? Was his skin burned and peeling from the constant sun and salt?

What type of person he used to be?

What type of personality or hobbies a man from the early XIX century could have? You probably wouldn't have a lot in common anyway.

Not that this matters. He isn’t here. He’ll never be.

He was, though. Almost two hundred years ago.

It’s silly, but maybe coming here might give you some insight of what type of person he was. Knowing this is where he walked on, this is almost the exact same view he had - the grey sky, the quiet waves - is a little bit comforting. 

When you realize you’re about to cry again, you decide to take a walk.

The village streets are narrow, surrounded by houses on both sides. Almost all of the houses are old structures, newer layers were built above the older wood. The place is also very quiet. A soft drizzle makes you cover your head with the hood. 

Although the houses are old, they’re noticeably not two hundred years old. They’re probably from the 1950s. Of course, you weren’t expecting to find the exact house he lived in - both because this information is way too specific, nothing that an article could inform, and because the older houses were probably demolished long ago.

You keep walking up the street. Your steps echo quietly.

After a few more steps, you stop and frown.

There are no more houses at the top of the hill and the street ends there. Further ahead, there’s only a low fence and… nothing. Just an open field.

But something gets your attention. You stop in front of the fence and tip toe, trying to get a better view.

Far away, you can see the top of an old roof. 

What if the houses weren’t demolished?

“I wouldn’t get any closer if I were you.”

You turn around in a jump, scared to hear this new sudden voice. 

An old woman stands a few meters away from you. She has her hands inside the pockets of her sweater and looks at you with eyes so narrowed that you can’t tell if she’s judging you or if she’s just trying to see better.

“Hm, good morning.” You greet the elder politely. “Why not?”

“This is private property.” She says in a deep, husky voice. “And the owner isn’t friendly. He doesn’t like curious people. Unless you want to be chased by his rottweilers.”

“Oh. Alright. Thanks for the advice,” you say, smiling awkwardly, but this only makes your curiosity increase. “It’s just that I saw some historical houses down the hill. I thought it was a property of the government or something…”

The elder woman snorted. “The government wished! They’ve been trying to buy half of this property for years. You’re right, there are really old houses there. It’s supposed to be… cultural heritage, yes, that’s what they said. But the owner doesn’t accept to sell it.”

You come closer to the woman. She has all of your attention now.

“Who’s this man? Why doesn’t he sell it?” 

Either because this woman doesn’t have that many people to talk or because she just enjoys gossiping, she doesn’t mind your questions. “Who knows? It seems that this property’s been on his family for generations. That’s why the government can’t force him to leave.” She crosses her arms. “He’s filthy rich, that one. Built a mansion on the cliff’s edge, but the old houses are rotting. I’ve seen them up close once. He doesn’t take care of them! I don’t understand why he doesn’t sell that area already, since he doesn’t seem to care about the old houses.”

“So you saw the houses.”

The elder woman quirks one eyebrow.

“How do you think I know about the rottweilers?”

She winks and turns around, getting into her house again.

You stare back at the fence. 

There’s no one in sight - no one down the street, no one down the hill. It’s baffling that this fence is so low; if the owner wants people to stay away from the property, he should better the security. You can’t see a single camera around. Were people really that scared of a couple of dogs?

Making sure that no one is watching, you come close to the fence again and stand in front of it.

The old roof of a house is peeking down there.

There’s a strange pull inside of you. Nervousness. It makes adrenaline rush through your body and your heart beat faster. 

An urge.

Something tells you that you should get to that house. You don’t know what, you don’t know why, you know it doesn’t make any sense.

You jump over the fence. The tall grass is wet. 

A shiver runs down your spine. You start running down the hill as fast as you can, scared that someone - or some dog - might catch you. This is crazy. This is stupid. This is property invasion and you shouldn’t be doing it!, the smart part of your brain yells, but you decide to simply ignore it. The house is closer and closer. Your sight is focused on your target.

Adrenaline is blurring your senses right now - senses you shouldn’t have ignored. People usually can’t recognize something they’ve never felt. This chilling sensation underneath your skin, the way your heart is beating faster, the way your fingertips are somehow tingling - you don’t understand what’s going on with your body.

This sensation is what usually keeps everyone away from the fence, not the dogs. This primitive feeling like sirens in the heads of anyone that even considers crossing the fence.

Yet, you’re so desperate to feel anything that brings you closer to your pair, that you completely dismiss the sense of pure danger ringing inside of you.

You stand in front of the ancient house, panting.

It’s a small structure, there mustn’t be more than two rooms in it. The old wood and the architecture indicates how old this place must actually be. Indeed, it’s almost falling apart; it seems that no one took care of it for years. The house somehow makes you feel an emptiness inside of your chest. 

It feels like looking straight into the past.

The front door is unlocked.

You gulp and step inside.

The old wood cracks under your feet; the place is dark, smells like wet wood and mold. There are many cracks and holes on the floor, walls and ceiling. Honestly, the place looks like it’s about to fall over your head. Maybe getting inside wasn’t a good idea.

Still, you stand there in silence, in the middle of the room.

You were never a spiritual person, the type to believe in things you can’t see. But something inside of you is sure that Taehyung used to live here. You don’t know how or why you’re so sure and yes, it doesn’t make any sense - but something in your guts is so sure about it that it starts to ache.

This is the little connection you were hoping to find when you entered the bus. 

Years and years ago, he was standing in the exact same place you are right now.

Your heart tightens even more.

Slowly, you sit down on the floor, crossing your legs.

Silence. The wind and the soft drizzle hits against the wooden structure. It's so, so cold.

You sob.

No one deserves to spend their life on their own, your grandmother once told you. Why, then, you were doomed to be alone? Why did you have to be born two hundred years apart from each other? What wrong did you do to deserve this?

You're tired of crying, but you can't hold back the unstoppable tears anymore. Your cries are quiet, strangled; you grip your coat right where your heart is. It hurts. God, it hurts so much. It has been hurting for years now and the thought that this pain will never go away makes everything worse. You'll grow old and there will never be anyone to look at you in adoration the way Lisa looks at Chaeyoung and there won't ever be anyone that'll completely understand you and match you the way your parents do or literally no one else on this world, because the person that was born for you is long dead.

And he too went through this - but for him, it was worse, for he didn't have a mark on his wrist at all. He thought no one matched him and he died lonely and hurting. 

You have no idea of who this man was. The only image you have of him is an old drawing. But God - you miss him so much. Even though you don't know him and you'll never know him, you've been missing him your entire life, and this hollowness inside your chest can't be filled by anyone else but him.

"Taehyung", you whisper his name in the midst of tears. It's the first time you say his name out loud. Like everything else you've done today, it doesn't make sense. He won't hear your cry anyway - and this breaks you even more.

A sudden cold breeze hits your back.

Someone else, though, heard your soft cries.

"Oh, look what we have here!"

You turn around in a jump, completely startled. Oh, no. Just the sound of that voice makes you go back to your senses. You're committing property invasion. You're already planning an apologetic speech and a plead to not throw dogs at you-

But as you finally look up to who's standing in front of you, you stop.

It's a man.

Tall and lean, pale skin, black hair, deep bags under his eyes that should indicate someone that haven't been sleeping well lately. He wears simple black clothes.

It sure looks like a normal man.

But it's the way that your heart beats way too fast, the way your breath hitches, the way adrenaline rushes through your bloodstream and the way your fingertips feel frozen that tell you the truth.

That isn't a normal man.

He has a smirk on his lips as he measures you up and down. His eyes are way too dark. A shiver runs up and down your body.

"This is interesting. I didn't think anyone would be brave enough to cross the fence. Didn't you tell me the dummy humans always stay away?"

He said humans. As if he himself wasn't one.

You're barely processing the man when another figure enters the house - and this time, you feel a chocked scream die inside of your throat.

It looks like a very short person at first - the height of a toddler, perhaps. Then you notice how it moves in a strange way; every step is mechanical, almost like a robot, and every time it moves you hear a clank clanck clank sound of wood hitting wood in a frenetic way like some type of puppet. It, indeed, looks like a big puppet, except there aren't any strings in sight. It's moving on its own. The thing wears a red tunic and its face is drawn with a resting, unnerving smile.

"T-T-They usually d-do, b-but some humans-s-s-s can resist the c-charm." You hear a voice that isn't distinctly male or female ringing on your ears. It feels that it was produced directly inside of your head. "We mus-s-s-t take her out of the property's limit-s-s-s."

Your brain can't comprehend what's unfolding in front of you. 

"Oh. A human that can resist the charm… her blood must taste delicious." The man says, holding his chin.

Your breath hitches.

You try your hardest to move your limbs, but you can't; it feels like you were cemented on the floor. Suddenly you feel way too cold as if your inner temperature has dropped to below zero. You want to run away. You want to escape. Because you may not comprehend it, but your most primitive senses understand that he may look like a human, but he isn't.

He is the hunter and you're his prey.

That thing that looks like a puppet turns its head in the man's direction rather slowly, every move producing the clank clank sound. "W-W-What do you m-m-mean? Y-You must not harm humans-s-s in this area. M-M-Master V will be dis-s-s-spleased."

"Master V isn't here, is he? He won't find out if you keep your mouth shut."

He steps closer. Your fingers are shaking. Your legs have no strength to them.

"Y-You mus-s-st stop." The voice that seems to belong to the puppet pleads, but it sounds almost hopeless - as if it knows that it isn't strong enough to stop the man.

The man tsks dismissively and steps even closer. He crouches down in front of you and wipes one tear away with his thumb. "Poor little thing. I can see you've been suffering, haven't you? It's alright. I can ease your pain. You just have to stay quiet."

Move! Get up! Run!

You can't. No matter how hard you try.

"N-No," you say, this single word taking a lot of effort to be produced.

"I'll be gentle, pretty." The man says in somewhat of a reassuring way.

You stare, wide eyed, as his canine teeth grow out to look like fangs.

Without any warning - before you can even comprehend what's happening - his teeth are deep inside your neck.

The pain is excruciating; the strength of his jaw against your neck completely blocks the oxygen passage. You can't move as you feel something warm and wet trickle on your neck. It's- it's blood, it's your own blood and he's sucking it.

Sheer panic washes over you; with all of your strength, you manage to grip the front of his shirt somehow, but you're way too weak to push him away and he's way too strong. He's sucking your blood, you feel it in the way you get weaker by the minute and the way black dots start to appear in your vision. 

He's killing you. You cry even harder, unable to say a word, as you realize this. You're getting dizzy and your sight is completely blacking out. You can't grip his shirt anymore.

He's killing you.

You can't think of anything else as consciousness slowly starts to vanish-

A gust of wind so strong that it shakes the entire structure of the house.

"CERES!"

A voice so deep and so angry that you feel fear in your bones.

The man suddenly lets you go, your body hitting the floor as you fall weakly.

"What are you doing?!" The same male voice from before. You can't see who just came in. It makes the panic inside of you increase.

"Master V, I was getting rid of this human-" the man who was about to kill you tries, noticeable fear in his voice.

"You were getting rid?!" The other man storms once again. He's furious.

"Master V, please-"

You don't see what happens.

You just hear the sickly sound of skin, flesh and bone being slashed - and the muffled thud of a body falling against the wooden floor.

"Uzros! Conjure a witch! Now!"

"Y-Y-Yes, M-Master V!" the panicked little voice stutters.

Your vision is blacking out. You feel blood dripping out from the holes on your neck; you're not strong enough to move. 

You just lay there, your thoughts getting more and more incomprehensible.

The last thing you see before your mind goes completely blank is the image of a man hovering over you, taking you on his arms.

The face of a beautiful, totally desperate man.

A man that, somehow, looks like the drawing you glued o the wall, next to your bed.

[starshine583]

New Girl on the Block (18)

(Hey, everyone! I have an announcement to make! After posting this chapter, I am going to be taking a temporary leave due to family matters. They’re fun family matters, so don’t worry! but they will prevent me from writing any further chapters at this time. I plan to post the next chapter on June 27th. Sorry for the long wait! That’s just how things worked out, but I hope I’ll get to see you all then, and please enjoy this new update! Feel free to check out the mini series connected to this called Journal Entries!)

Ch. 1 / Ch. 17 / Ch. 19 (ao3)

Chapter 18: It’s the Little Moments

Felix grumbled to himself as he picked up his tie to pull it around his neck. Valentine’s Day parties were bad enough already with all of the love-sick couples that tended to crowd around him throughout the evening. Did he really have to further his torment by dressing up as well? His previous suit was perfectly fine for an event such as this. Fashionable, sleek, formal- there was no reason to change. Especially when it came to this ridiculous, unseemly-

“Oh, lighten up.” His mother told him, shooing his hands away so she could tie the tie herself. “It’s just a Valentine’s Day suit, and you’re wearing it for one night. There’s no need to scowl over it. I’m sure the other boys will be wearing some form of pink too.”

Felix scoffed. “Mother, don’t patronize me. You know I don’t care about the pink color. It’s the fact that you’re dressing me up to match the theme.”

Bridgette eyed him. “And?  You’re supposed to match the theme for parties. That’s why it’s called a theme.”

“But if I match the theme, other girls at the party will probably think I approve of the theme too.” Felix argued. “And then they’ll be asking me to dance or trying to talk with me in general. I’ll have to spend the entire evening trying to shoo them off.”

A laugh tumbled from his mother’s lips. “Aw~, it must be so exhausting having all of the girls fall in love with you.”

Felix shot her a flat look. “Would you want to spend an evening rejecting people?”

Bridgette tilted her head in a nod. “I’ll give you that one, but you know Allegra could always scare them off if they become too overbearing.”

Felix blew out a relenting sigh. He supposed that was true.

“Besides, even if the girls are chasing you, you still need to look nice Marinette, don’t you?”

Felix furrowed his eyebrows, confused. “No? Marinette’s not going to care what I look like, so long as I’m not a fashion disaster, that is.”

Which, in this suit, he might very well be, to be honest. Perhaps he should text her a warning.

“I thought you two were supposed to be going on a fake date tonight.” His mother replied, tugging lightly on Felix’s tie to straighten it.

Felix’s gaze snapped to her. “Where did you hear that?”

Bridgette chuckled, offering him a teasing glance as she said, “Oh, please. You know Allegra and I talk.”

Felix tisked and rolled his shoulders, making sure his suit wasn’t too tight. Of course Allegra would mention that ridiculous suggestion to his mother. Those two loved to gossip together, specifically about him.

“Well, we’re not.” He remarked, leveling out the annoyance in his tone. “That was just some frivolous idea that Claude came up with the other day.”

“Really? I thought the idea sounded rather exciting.”

Felix resisted the urge to scoff again. Her too? “Why on earth would it be exciting? You galivant around with someone, probably doing the exact same thing you would do with them on a normal basis, but you call it a ‘fake date’ for what? A good laugh when someone assumes you’re a real couple? I can’t wrap my brain around the reasoning.”

Another chuckle came from Bridgette. “No, I suppose you wouldn’t, but consider this: If you and Marinette pretend you’re dating for the evening, you might not have so many girls coming to ask you for a dance.”

Felix paused, his eyes widening slightly. That.. actually wasn’t such a bad idea. He might even consider it if the thought of asking Marinette didn’t sound so incredibly arrogant. ‘Would you mind being my fake date to help me escape the supposed hoards of girls who are going to chase after me tonight?’ You can’t convince him that that proposal didn’t sound anything less than tacky. She’d probably tease him about it the whole night.

“If it bothers you so much, though,” his mother spoke again, “why not ask Marinette out on a real date?”

Felix sputtered a bit at the comment, blurting out a bewildered, “Excuse me?”

Don’t get him wrong, Marinette was an extraordinary person and anyone who ended up with her would undoubtedly be lucky, but the very thought of him asking her out on a date felt.. strange. He couldn’t imagine asking her for anything more than what she was giving him right now, and he didn’t think there was anything she’d want from him when it came to a relationship anyway. Their dynamic was comfortable as it was. Why should they try to complicate things?

“Alright, alright, I was just asking.” his mother assured, almost seeming to laugh as she did. “You two are only friends. I understand.”

Something about the smile in her eyes told him that she didn’t understand, but he simply glanced to the side, electing to ignore it. Arguing wouldn’t change her mind either way, and in the end it was just a question. His friendship with Marinette wasn’t going to change over it, because neither of them harbored romantic feelings for each other. He was perfectly content to keep it that way. 

~~~~~~

Marinette stood in front of her vanity mirror, twisting her hair into a side ponytail for the fifth time that evening. She’d spent the last hour trying over and over again to perfect the hairstyle, but she could never seem to get it right. The ponytail was always too lopsided or too messy or the braid tied into it would begin to unwind. Now, the ponytail was tied tightly enough, but the braid was crooked, and there were too many stray hairs flying around for it to look neat. How can she still be struggling after practicing this for an hour?

“Ugh! I give up!” She huffed, throwing her hands down and staring ruefully at her nearly knotted locks. This is what she gets for taking the easy route and always putting her hair in pigtails. “I’m just going to stay home.”

“No, don’t do that!” Tikki quickly spoke up, flying to her holder’s side. “You’ve worked too hard on your dress to stay home! And your hair really doesn’t look all that bad. I’m sure no one will think twice about it.”

Marinette tisked, plopping into her rolling chair and crossing her arms. “But I’ll think about it, Tikki, and I’ll be more self-conscious than I was going to be before.”

Tonight wasn’t just a Valentine’s Day party for Marinette. That was mainly what it was, of course, but she also saw it as a sort of debut. With the amount of time she spent hanging around Allegra and Claude and the others, she hadn’t had time to truly meet her other classmates at Rosemary, but tonight, they would all be gathered together for her convenience and she would finally have a chance to introduce herself to the school as a whole. It was exhilarating.. and a tad frightening. She’d seen plenty of students in passing that appeared to be less than friendly. How were they going to react to her? Were they going to be as sweet as her current friends? Or did she happen to run into the best group in the school first? There was no telling.

“Try not to overthink it.” Her kwami said softly, though they both knew she would. “Why don’t you try a different hairstyle?”

“Because I don’t know any other hairstyles.” Marinette sighed. “Well.. I know a bun, I guess, but I really wanted this hairstyle for tonight. I feel like it would really bring the dress together, you know?”

“It would.” Tikki agreed. “And it does. But if you think you can’t figure it out-”

“Marinette! Felix is here to pick you up!”

Panic seized Marinette’s chest at the call, and she leapt out of her chair to look in the mirror again. Felix was there already? The party wasn’t for another thirty minutes! Why did he always have to be early? 

“Uh- j-just a second, Maman!” She called back, frantically trying to straighten her braid and smooth the wisps of hair around her ponytail. It didn’t work, unfortunately, so she threw a silver pin in her hair as a last ditch effort and made her way downstairs, trying not to whimper too much.

“Oh, Marinette, you look wonderful!” Her mother cooed as Marinette descended the stairs. “I need to go get Tom. Oh, and a camera!”

Marinette pulled a wince. They were going to have photo evidence of this failure of a hairstyle? 

“Maman, are you sure that’s necessary? I get dressed up like this all the time.” She tried to dissuade, but Sabine merely waved off her comment. 

“Of course it is! This is your first party at Rosemary. We must have pictures.”

“Best be prepared.” A voice cut in, catching Marinette’s attention immediately. “Claude will undoubtedly be thinking the same thing when we arrive.”

Marinette turned towards the front door with a smile, but a gasp escaped her when she saw Felix standing there. She knew it would be him, of course. She simply hadn’t expected him to be wearing a different outfit. 

“You..” She paused, briefly wondering if it would be rude to finish, then continued, “you changed your suit.”

Logically, she knew he had more than one suit. No one can wear the same suit forever, and Felix seemed to be too proper to do it even if he could. However, when he didn’t wear his usual suit, he continued to maintain the black and grey color scheme, so it never quite stuck with her that he’d changed. Tonight, though, his suit was entirely red, so deep a red that she might acquate it with blood, and he had a wonderfully pink tie on, along with a pink cloth folded in his front vest pocket to complement it. The sight nearly knocked her off her feet. He was even matching the party’s theme! She didn’t think he cared for things such as that.

A smirk ghosted Felix’s lips, and he nodded. “Yes, courtesy of my mother. I see you changed your hair as well.”

A blush crept across her cheeks, and Marinette reached up to feel how horrible the hairstyle was again. Here Felix was, doing his best and looking great as always, and she was just standing there looking like a mess. Typical.

“O-Oh, yeah, I mean.. I tried to change it. I don’t think it worked out too well..” She muttered, glancing down at the ground. Maybe she still had time to take it out before they left? 

Felix’s footsteps brought her gaze back upwards, and she watched him cross the room to her. His eyes were squinted ever-so-slightly, the way they always were when he was pondering something, and once he was close enough, he reached out, his hand lightly tracing over the side braid she’d attempted. 

Marinette stood still, allowing him to ‘examine’ her for a moment before saying, “It’s awful, isn’t it? I couldn’t get anything to stay where it was supposed to.”

Felix hummed absently, bringing his hand down to let the tip of her ponytail slide off of his fingertips. “No, not awful. If you practice a few more times, I’m sure it would be perfect.”

Marinette blew out a small sigh. That meant it wasn’t perfect now.

“Do you have the reference you used? If I see it, I might be able to straighten the braid out before we leave at least.” Felix inquired, causing Marinette’s eyes to widen. Oh?

“You know how to do hair?”

“Not quite,” he admitted, “but I learned some of the basics during a few sleepovers. For some reason, Claude and Allegra thought it important that I had a decent grasp on the subject.”

A smile came to Marinette’s lips. That sounded like something they would do. “And you think you can fix my hairstyle from your limited knowledge?”

“Possibly, if you have reference,” Felix smirked, “but it’s alright if you prefer to keep what you have.”

“Oh no, please.” Marinette said, quickly pulling her phone out of her heart shaped purse. “Anything’s probably better than what I have in now. Are you sure we have time, though?”

Felix nodded. “I always leave around ten or fifteen minutes ahead of schedule, so we should have plenty of time.”

Marinette nodded as well and opened the reference video she’d used for her hairstyle. Felix took the phone from her and watched it once or twice as she pulled out the pins in her hair. Then, when everything was down again, Felix handed the phone back to her and let it play in her hands for a third time while he set to work. His fingers brushed through her hair, carefully separating the different locks and tying them together. The feeling behind it was quite strange, mostly because she could hardly feel it at all. His hands were so gentle, so cautious that even when he had to tug on her hair to tighten the braid, it seemed as light as a cloud. Felix was always soft like that. He spoke harshly to others and liked to scowl often, but when it came to his actions, she couldn’t recall a single time he’d been rough. 

Recently, she’s been hearing that secret softness in his voice too, and it never failed to make her smile. 

“Aw, did her hair fall out?”

Sabine’s voice brought the two’s gaze to the living room doorway. She was standing there with Tom, a camera in her hands and a slight, disappointed frown on her lips.

“No, I took it out.” Marinette assured over her shoulder. “Felix offered to do the hairdo himself so it would look better.”

“Oh, how gentlemanly of him.” Tom chimed in with a satisfied smile. 

“Do you mind if I get a picture?” Sabine requested, prepping the camera in her hands.

“Uh..” Marinette looked to Felix as best she could. “Are you okay with that?”

“I don’t mind.” Felix shrugged. “Mother already bombarded me with pictures before I left. What’s a few more?”

Marinette chuckled. “You said she was the one who gave you the suit right?”

“No, she’s the one who made me wear it.” Felix corrected. “Something about having to match the theme.”

“Ah, I see.” Marinette said. She should have known Felix wouldn’t throw away his black and grey color scheme willingly. “She has great taste. You’ll have to let me meet her sometime so I can tell her ‘thank you’.”

A playful scoff passed his lips and brushed against her ear. “You know, I’m sure she would be delighted to do just that.”

*Click!*

The camera flash brought the two’s attention back to Sabine and Tom, who were both holding giddy smiles at this point.

“I think you both look fantastic.” Tom grinned. “Those boys will be falling over each other to get to Marinette tonight, I’m sure.”

Felix hummed as he twisted her hair to pin it into a side ponytail, muttering, “I quite agree.”

The comment was soft and absent, and it sent a blush exploding across Marinette’s face. That’s the second time he’s agreed to her being pretty and a supposed ‘boy magnet’. Does he ever think about what he’s saying or is it just some logical fact to him that shouldn’t mean anything? She’s not sure which one she prefers. 

“Done.” 

Felix’s hands fell back to his sides, and Marinette reached up to feel the hairstyle- gently, though, so as not to mess it up. The pull of the bobby pins was comfortable and tight, and her braid felt nice and straight as she grazed her fingers over it. Overall, it felt perfect, which was exactly what she’d wanted.

“Thanks, Felix.” She said, offering him a quick smile as she checked the reflection in her phone. “It looks great. You’re a life-saver.”

“And you two are going to be late if you don’t hurry up.” Her maman cut in. “Now gather together for a picture so we can send you off.”

Marinette rolled her eyes with a smile and tucked her phone back in her purse, then turned to stand next to Felix. He, in turn, straightened slightly next to her and clasped his hand behind his back for the picture.

“Alright, say cheese!” Sabine coaxed, holding up her camera.

The pair smiled. “Cheese!”

*Click!*

~~~~~~~

Claude’s grin stretched from ear to ear as he watched his fellow Rosemary students pile into the Mandarin Oriental. As usual, people of all shapes and sizes were here. The ‘cool’ kids, the music kids, the nerd kids, the geeks, the dancers- anyone and everyone who had a popular status at the school, along with a good group of others who counted as the stalking crowd. The younger, less-popular students who tended to follow the social hierarchies like loyal dogs. The ‘baby paparazzis’, if you will. They were all crowding inside with an urgency that only his- and Allegra and Allan and Marinette and Felix’s -parties could bring. Soon, Marinette and Felix will be there as well, and then the fun will really begin.

“Alright, Marinette just texted.” Allegra spoke up behind him. She was currently hovering around the buffet table to ensure the punch drinks were being dispersed properly. Claude, of course, was hovering around Allegra in case she needed his help with anything. 

“She said they’re parking now.” His ‘fake date’ continued, glancing over her phone screen as she re-read the text. “You remember what to do, right?”

Claude huffed out a playful scoff, reaching for the platter of shrimp as he replied, “Of course I do. Take her onto the dance floor to help her get comfortable in the ‘party atmosphere’, convince her to dance with Felix while you convince Felix to dance with her, and-”

Allegra slapped his hand, coaxing a yelp from the brunette.

“Don’t touch the shrimp until the other guests have some first.” She scolded.

Claude rubbed his hand with a pout. So touchy. Why should he have to wait for the guests to eat? If they wanted shrimp, they should come up and get some. Why can’t he have the food that he helped pay for? (Well, the food that his parents helped pay for.)

“And keep your voice down too.” Allegra added, flipping her hair over her shoulder when it fell in the way. Wearing it in a half-up-half-down style wasn’t nearly as convenient as her casual braid, but he had to admit, the free curls that fell around her shoulders were extremely nice. “Do you know the amount of people here who would love to get their grubby little hands on the fact that we’re trying to set stubborn, stuck-up, stone-faced Felix with the new, cotton-candy-sweet, bakery-girl Marinette? The gossip would reach both of them within seconds.”

“Yeah, it probably would.” He agreed. “But at least they’ll both know they like each other then. Saves us the trouble, right?”

Allegra shot him a flat look, meaning he probably said something wildly inaccurate again.

“Claude, the only gossip that would be spreading would be the fact that we’re trying to get them together. Not that they like each other. How do you think Felix is going to react when he realizes we’re playing matchmaker? What about Marinette? I think they’d probably be a little uncomfortable considering neither of them probably think that the other person likes them. Which is why we decided to be subtle about this in the first place.”

“Oh.”

“Yeah.”

“That makes sense.”

“Yes, it does.” Allegra said, crossing her arms. “So keep your voice down when talking about it from now on, please.”

Claude nodded, leaning back on the buffet table as he faced the crowd again. “Sure, sorry.”

This was going to be a tough evening, trying to get Marinette and Felix together while not blurting the scheme out to the world. He just felt like everything would be easier if they simply talked to each other about it openly. But Allegra was more perceptive than he was. She probably knew things he didn’t about the situation. So he’ll go along with her plan and hope it works out. 

Besides, this way he gets to mess with Felix as much as he wants. And he won’t get scolded, this time! 

And if everything does work out, Marinette and Felix will be all the happier for it.

Win-win-win-win.

“Hey, guys.” Allan spoke up, joining them at the table and swiping a shrimp. “Do you know if Felix and Marinette are here yet? I haven’t seen them.”

Allegra opened her mouth to scold him about the shrimp as she had Claude, but Allan popped it into his mouth before she could. Claude held back a snort, watching Allegra purse her lips in annoyance. If he couldn’t have a shrimp, at least Allan got one.

“They’re on their way up now.” The blonde replied with narrowed eyes, unbeknownst to Allan. “They just parked a few minutes ago.”

“Cool. We’re still having Claude do his thing, right?”

“Yep.” Claude said, a devilish grin spreading across his lips. “And I am so ready to cause mischief.”

Allegra snorted and lightly nudged him in the arm. “Not too much mischief. This is supposed to be romantic, remember?”

“Yeah, yeah.” Claude waved her off. “I’ll get them to be romantic. After I get to mess with them.”

“Claude-”

“Oh- there they are! Hey, guys!” 

Claude perked up at the interruption, the familiar voice drawing his gaze to the front of the Mandarin Oriental. It was the very voice they’d been waiting for, and the source wasn’t hard to find.

Marinette and Felix were making their way through the crowd towards them, Marinette clearly excited as she waved them down with a bright smile. The designer dress she was wearing looked fantastic, as Felix had predicted, and the hearts littering it matched the theme perfectly. She even had her hair all done up tonight! (Which really brought out the elegance of the dress, in his opinion.) An outfit like that was only going to make his job of setting up a romantic thought process between the two that much easier.

(Of course, with the way Felix was staring at Marinette right now, Claude had a feeling that that thought process might already be set up.)

“Hey!” he greeted, meeting the pair halfway to give Marinette a hug. Was it the flowers on the table or did this girl actually smell like roses tonight? Did she use a special perfume? Oh, Allegra was going to love this.

“You two look awesome! I was starting to think you’d never get here.” He teased, stepping back again to get a better view of her face. She decided to go with a pinker shade of lipstick tonight, along with a glittering, light pink eyeshadow, and it’s a wonder that Felix hasn’t collapsed from swooning at this point. (Though maybe Claude can catch that when the two dance later. The video footage would be priceless!)

Marinette let out a light laugh, touching the tip of her side ponytail with a sheepish smile. “Yeah, sorry about that. Felix was helping me with my hair.”

“Aw, Felix!” Allegra cooed, coming up behind Claude just then to join them. “You did Marinette’s hair? It looks lovely.”

“I knew those lessons would come in handy.” Claude smirked. 

“Yes, who would’ve guessed?” Felix muttered, briefly rolling his eyes, but Claude wasn’t fooled. He could hear the almost airy tone to Felix’s voice, see his eyes soften anytime he so much as glanced at Marinette. That guy had probably been ecstatic to do Marinette’s hair, and he just didn’t want to show it. 

He would, though.. Soon enough.

“Hey, guys.” Allan chimed in, finally joining them as well. “You both look great. I haven’t seen Felix wear that dark of red in a while.”

“Or red in general.” Allegra remarked with a smile. 

“Or pink.” Claude added, eyeing Felix’s shirt sleeves. “Actually, I haven’t seen you wear anything besides gray or black since Marinette had you wear that green, plaid shirt after the ‘flour incident’.”

“In other words.. Your mom made you wear that, didn’t she?” Allegra asked lightheartedly.

“Of course she did.” Felix said. “Why else would I wear it?”

“Well, I imagine you’d just want to look nice.” Claude joked, wrapping his arm around Felix’s shoulders and ignoring the blond’s scowl. “Either way, remind your mom how awesome she is for me when you get home.”

“I’m sure she already knows.” Felix replied curtly, shoving Claude’s arm off of him again.

A giggle brought Claude’s attention back to Marinette, who was now observing the party with sparkling interest.

“Everything looks incredible, you guys!” She nearly squealed. “The lights, the flowers, the food.. But I thought the party started at six. Did I get the times mixed up again?”

“No, it does- er, did.” Claude said. “People just get excited and like to get in as soon as they can.”

“Oh.” Marinette muttered, relief smoothing out her features. “So we’re not late?”

“Not at all. In fact..” Claude swept into a bow, offering his hand to her with a grin. “We were just about to start the dancing. Would you mind giving me the honors?”

A surprised laugh fell from Marinette’s lips. “Me? I thought Allegra was your ‘fake date’ for the evening.”

“She is, but I have to save the best for last, right?” Claude threw a wink at Allegra, who also let out a laugh and rolled her eyes. The slight blush on the her cheeks gave her away, though, and it caused his grin to widen.

Marinette gave an “Aw~.” and slipped her hand into his. “Well, in that case, I’d be delighted to dance with you.”

“Great!” Claude cheered, pulling her close. 

They glided onto the dance floor, quickly catching the attention of the room, and with that, the first part of the plan fell into place. Claude was dancing with Marinette. Now he needed to convince her to dance with Felix.

Out of the corner of his eye, Claude could already see Felix starting to flounder. He simply stood there, quietly watching them dance with that neutral expression of his and occasionally looking elsewhere. Without Marinette to anchor him in a room of people, the blond would no doubt resort to being a wallflower again and wander over to some corner. A nice, hidden corner where Allegra could easily- and discreetly -convince Felix to dance with Marinette. They all knew him too well.

“Are we the only ones dancing?” Marinette asked, bringing Claude’s attention back to her.

“For now,” he confirmed, “but someone has to start it, right? Look, they’re already joining in.”

“I guess that’s true..” Marinette said, glancing at the few couples that had indeed started to join them. “I don’t normally dance all that much, to be honest. So it’s a little weird for me to be the one starting it for once.”

Claude laughed and took a step back to spin her around. “Really? You’re a natural at it!”

“Oh, thanks. That’s a relief to hear.” Marinette smiled, hobbling into a spin.

“Course. But you know who else is a natural at it?”

Marinette hummed. “Let me guess.. Is it you?”

Claude snorted. “Well, duh, but I was actually talking about Felix.”

Marinette’s eyes widened. “Felix?”

“Yeah! He takes waltzing classes at the school and everything, but he never dances! Can you believe it?”

A chuckle passed Marinette’s lips. “Kind of. This is Felix we’re talking about. Maybe his mom wanted him to take dance lessons like she wanted him to wear that tuxedo.”

“Maybe.. But it’s still a shame to waste such carefully crafted skills. You should try to get him to dance tonight.”

Marinette snorted. “Oh? And who would I get him to dance with? He doesn’t like getting close to random people.” 

Claude hummed. “Now, that’s a question, isn’t it? Who should dance with Felix tonight..” 

He made a show of looking around the dance floor as he and Marinette waltzed in a circle, then looked back to her. “..Why don’t you dance with him?”

Marinette nearly tripped over her own two feet at the suggestion, and Claude had to hold back a smile. Was she getting flustered? That’s a good sign.

“You want me to.. Are you sure he’d be comfortable with that? I’m pretty sure he doesn’t even want to dance.”

“Come on, who else could get Felix to dance?” Claude insisted. “He’ll say yes if it’s you, and we can’t let him be a wallflower forever.”

Marinette let out a soft laugh, looking quite bashful as a blush curled onto her cheeks, and she glanced over at Felix. He was already standing next to the wall near the punch bowl, looking idle as he watched the dancing crowd. 

“I don’t know, Claude. I think he rather enjoys being a wallflower.”

Claude chuckled. “Just say you’ll try? At the very least, it’ll make Allegra happy to see Felix out and about.”

Marinette turned her attention back to him and smiled. “..Alright. I guess I’ll try, but no promises about actually getting him to dance.”

“Deal.” Claude grinned. Mission success!

“On an entirely different note, though, your dress is incredible. You made that yourself, right?”

Marinette brightened and nodded. “Yes, I did! I had lots of fun with it so I’m glad you guys like it.”

“Aw, I’m pretty sure I’d like anything you make. You always put a cool twist on things.” Claude smiled. “By the way, how’s my prince suit coming along? Have you started it yet?”

“I have! It’s actually pretty close to being done. I’m on the ‘details’ stage.”

A gasp of delight escaped him. He hadn’t realized how close she was to finishing it! 

“Oh, sweet! You’re gonna have to come over to my house when you finish it. We can even have a mini-fashion show for you!”

Marinette giggled. “That sounds like a blast.”

“Yes!” Claude briefly let go of Marinette’s waist to pump his fist. “Man, am I glad you came to Rosemary. I mean, not just because of the prince suit- even though that is pretty awesome -but also because you’re a fun person to be around, ya know? Everyone thinks so.”

“Really?” Marinette’s steps lagged slightly, clearly taken aback by the statement. “That’s.. Thank you. That means a lot to me.”

For a moment, she almost looked relieved.. Or even sad. But another blinding smile appeared before he could figure out why.

“I think you guys are fun to be around too.” She said warmly.

Claude smiled, feeling his uneasiness melt away. She didn’t sound sad or solemn at all. He was probably just imagining things, or seeing a trick of the light.

“Excuse me.”

Claude and Marinette slowed to a stop, turning to another boy who had come to interrupt them. 

“Mind switching off with me?” He asked, offering his hand to Marinette. Was that even allowed during an informal dance such as this?

Nevertheless, Claude caught Marinette’s eye. “What do you say, Mari? Wanna switch off?”

Marinette blinked. “Oh- uh -sure. If you’re okay with it.”

“Absolutely.” Claude smirked, jokingly spinning Marinette into the other boy’s arms. “Just don’t forget your promise to try!”

Marinette chuckled as she re-situated herself into the dance position. “Wouldn’t dream of it.”

Claude watched the two dance away, smiling proudly at the seed he’d sown for Marinette and Felix’s romantic evening. Allegra was surely going to be pleased with his work, and he was going to be pleased watching it unfold.

Now to get that shrimp.

~~~~~~~

Felix leaned against the wall, quietly observing the other party members dance, specifically Marinette. Her smile shined brightly as a boy twirled her, and her shoulders shook with giggles when the boy dipped her a second later. She appeared to be enjoying herself, and Felix was enjoying watching her. He had a feeling the other boys from Rosemary would be showering her with attention tonight- it was one of the rare times when she wasn’t being smothered by himself and the trio, after all -but he was admittedly surprised by the amount of stamina she possessed. It’d been at least an hour or two since the dancing started, yet she was still going as strong as ever, non-stop.

Well, he supposed it wasn’t non-stop. She had spun over to his little corner a few times to talk, which was how he ended up carrying two cups of punch instead of his one. Still, she should probably take a seat soon. Those heels she’d decided to wear were bound to be painful after a while. Perhaps he should grab her attention and find an empty table-

“U-um, excuse me, Felix?”

Felix glanced to his right, meeting the face of a girl that seemed vaguely familiar and a tad timid. She stood a certain distance away from him, her lips stretched into a nervous smile, and gave a little wave. Was that all she intended to do?  

“Can I help you?” He asked, raising a brow.

“Oh- well-” The girl faltered, as though she hadn’t expected to get this far, and rubbed her arm. “A-actually, I was wondering if maybe you’d like to.. Dance? With me. Of course.”

Ah, Felix thought, heaving a mental sigh. He should have known that that would be her intention. Now her visible anxiety made sense.

“Apologies, but I don’t dance.” He replied smoothly.

The girl’s shoulders sank. “Oh.. really? I thought you took waltzing classes at the school.”

Felix schooled a neutral expression, if only to avoid glaring. What, was she stalking him or something?

“I assure you they are for my Mother’s pleasure only, but I myself do not dance.” He said, a flatter note in his voice than before. Take the hint.

Thankfully, she did, but not in the way Felix was hoping.

“Ah, I see.. How about I keep you company then?” The girl suggested, getting entirely too comfortable next to him. “You’ve been over here by yourself for a while now.”

Felix’s grip on the cups tightened. So she was stalking him. 

“While I appreciate the gesture, it’s quite unnecessary. I’m simply waiting for my friend to get back.”

“Your friend?” The girl asked, glancing into the crowd curiously. “You mean the black-haired girl who gave you that drink, right?”

Felix held back another scowl, his eye twitching. Seriously, how long had this girl been watching him? Didn’t she have someone better to bother? There were plenty of other guys here that would be willing to dance or talk with her. Why did she have to choose to annoy him specifically?

“Her hair is raven, and yes, she’s the one that gave me this drink.” He responded curtly, taking a sip of his own punch.

The girl nodded thoughtfully, blissfully unaware of his thinning patience. “I guess her hair does have a blue shine to it. Do you want me to hold one of the drinks? I imagine they get heavy after a while.”

Felix pulled the drinks away from her grasp, finally fixing her with a look. 

I want you to mind your business, you little-

“Felix!”

Marinette’s punch was plucked from his hands, and an arm settled on his left shoulder. He whipped to the new interruption, thinking what now? and about ready to snap at someone, until he saw Allegra’s smiling face. She must have noticed him getting irritated and came over to investigate.

“You look like you’re having fun.” She said brightly, swirling Marinette’s punch in her hand. “Thanks for holding my drink for me.”

Felix winced, practically feeling the gears in the girl’s head turning. He’d just told her that the drink was Marinette’s, not Allegra’s. She was no doubt going to pick up on that. (Unless she was dimmer than he gave her credit for. That could always be a possibility.)

“Wait-” The girl said, her brows furrowing. Great. “Your drink? Felix just told me that that raven-haired girl gave him the drink.”

Felix gave Allegra a tired look. Try getting out of this one now.

At least she got Marinette’s hair color right that time.

Allegra ignored Felix’s look, instead throwing the girl a sharp smile. It was a rare sight to behold, but a welcome one. (So long as it wasn’t directed at him, of course.) It meant she was preparing herself to tear someone apart.

“Yes,” She replied shortly, “I gave the drink to Marinette, so she could give it to Felix. Is there a problem?”

The girl frowned. “But that doesn’t make any sense. I saw her-”

“You don’t believe me?” Allegra cut her off. “That’s rather rude to say to the hostess of the party, don’t you think? Go ask her yourself if you’re so skeptical. I wouldn’t recommend coming back to me afterwards, though.”

The girl huffed and crossed her arms, but turned around anyway, marching right off to a small group of girls that must have encouraged her to come talk with him in the first place. They swarmed her quickly, asking what happened and glaring at Allegra, but all Felix cared to do was take Marinette’s punch back from the blonde.

“I’m grateful, but I’m still going to need this back.” He said.

Allegra laughed and straightened to throw her hands in the air as a sign of surrender. “Fine with me. I didn’t realize you’d grown so attached to the beverage.”

Felix rolled his eyes. “I didn’t. You just might drink it by accident while we’re talking.”

Allegra tilted her head in a nod. “That’s a fair assumption. So what did that girl want from you?”

He sighed. “A dance. What else would people be asking me for at this ridiculous party?”

“Hey, it’s not ridiculous.” Allegra argued. “Marinette’s having a pretty good time.”

Felix’s gaze swept over the crowd again, finding Marinette easily as she switched off to a new dance partner. Her smile was contagious as always, and it spread onto Felix’s lips with little resistance.

“Yes, I suppose she is.” He agreed, taking another sip of his punch.

Allegra leaned against the wall next to him with a light chuckle. “You know, I bet if Marinette asked you to dance with her, you would.”

Felix scoffed at the implication her tone gave. Of course he would dance with Marinette if she asked, but only because it would make her happy, not because he wanted to dance with her. (Not that he particularly minded dancing with her either-)

“She wouldn’t ask me to dance,” he said before his thoughts could get out of hand, “because she knows I don’t fancy it.”

Allegra hummed. “Maybe you should ask her then.”

Felix shot her a look. This was going to be as tiresome as the other girl, wasn’t it?

“And why would I do that?”

“Because you need to not be a total wallflower this evening.” Allegra smiled. “And it would make Marinette happy. She’s already danced with Allan and Claude tonight, but with your professional lessons, I’m sure she’d have a blast.”

“I believe we just established that she is already having a blast.” Felix remarked, to which Allegra groaned.

“Just think about it, alright?”

“Unlikely.”

Why should he have to entertain an uncomfortable idea when Marinette was already enjoying herself? Granted, dancing with her didn’t sound awful, but the thought that it might encourage others to attempt dancing with him did. People were already asking him to dance while he was hiding near a wall. Imagine how many girls would come out of the woodwork once they actually saw him dancing.

Allegra rolled her eyes and waved him off. “Alright, whatever. I’m going back to the buffet table. Feel free to walk over if you start getting the urge to snap on someone again.”

Felix smirked. “In other words, I’ll see you in a few minutes?”

Allegra snorted as she walked away, and Felix settled back against the wall.. Just in time to see Marinette making her way towards him from the midst of the crowd. She appeared to be out of breath, though she offered him a tired smile when they locked eyes, and he moved forward to meet her halfway. That way she won’t have to trek all the way across the room for a drink.

“Are you finally taking another break?” He asked, handing her her punch when they joined at the edge of the crowd.

Marinette breathed out a laugh and took her drink with a “thanks”. It amazed him how well her outfit was staying together. The bow that held the dress together over her shoulders hadn’t loosened at all, and her hair seemed to be in place as well, save for a few stray strands. One would think that that amount of dancing would have her looking more disheveled.

“Yeah, just for a second.” She panted. “I’m starting to get dizzy from spinning so much.”

Felix chuckled. “Would you like to go find a table for a bit?”

“Uh..” Marinette glanced around the room for a moment, thinking it over. “You know what? Sure. I could sit for a bit.”

Felix smiled and gestured for her to lead the way, though he did point out an empty table that he had spotted earlier.

Marinette sat down first, with Felix pulling out her chair for her, and he sat down next to her. Their position faced the party rather than the wall, which allowed them- or at least Marinette -to continue enjoying the party atmosphere while they spoke.

“So are you having a decent time?” Marinette asked, taking a quick sip of her punch. “I know parties aren’t your thing, but you’re not too miserable, right?”

A bitter laugh escaped him, and he twirled his cup on the table as he said, “Miserable is certainly a good word to describe this evening.”

“Aw~, I’m sorry. Do you think going out to get some air would help?”

Felix offered her a smile. “That sounds delightful, but it’s as you said: Parties simply aren’t my preference. This party especially.”

Marinette’s eyebrows knitted together. “Because it’s a Valentine’s Day party or because there are so many people?”

“The Valentine’s Day theme.” Felix confirmed. “Not only are people more inclined to invade my personal space, but they also like to make the ‘Day of Love’ about romance exclusively. It diminishes the other definition to a ridiculous amount in my opinion.”

“Other definitions?” Marinette inquired. “What do you mean?”

Felix allowed a small, humorous smile to catch his lips. She’d just inadvertently proven his point right there. People were so focused on the romantic sense of love that they seemed to forget the several other types of love that exist. 

“There’s more than one type of love, such as platonic love or familial love. In fact, the Greeks had seven different words for love. I believe they’re all important, so to see them all be dwindled down to just romantic love is aggravating.”

“Huh..” Marinette muttered, absorbing his words. “I never knew about the Greeks using seven different words for love. What were they?”

Felix briefly glanced up in thought. “If I remember correctly, they were Philia, Ludus, Storge, Philautia, Pragma, Agape, and Eros.”

“Wow.” Marinette smiled. “They sound beautiful. What do they mean?”

Felix smirked as well. Marinette Dupain-Cheng. Always willing to listen and learn from my random facts.

“Well, the meanings are all decently complicated, but I supposed they can be summed up to this: Philia is the type of intimate love between friends. Ludus is the playful and ‘exciting’ type of love that one would get with a random crush. Storge is familial love, Philautia is the love of self, Pragma is the enduring type of love- which is the type of love needed for marriages or serious relationships -Agape is the unconditional love for humanity as a whole- which I clearly do not have-” He gained a snort from that “-and Eros is that of sexual love.”

The meaning of the last one felt a bit awkward on his tongue, but he pushed away the uneasiness. She had asked for the definitions, after all.

“I like those definitions.” Marinette said, a soft look coming to her features. “It’s cool that you know so much about them.”

“I have mentioned that I enjoy knowing things.”

Marinette giggled. “So you have. Just out of curiosity, though- and this may be a bit contradictory to the conversation -but have you ever had a crush on anyone? Or just, you know.. Been in a relationship in general? You don’t have to answer if you don’t want to.”

Felix’s eyes widened slightly. He honestly hadn’t expected her to ever ask him such a thing. It made sense, considering the topic of the conversation they were having, but it was still surprising coming from her.

Nevertheless, he answered. 

“No, neither. I’ve never been interested in anyone enough to pursue them, and anyone interested in me has always been too clingy. If I wanted someone to fawn over me constantly, I would simply invite Claude and Allegra to my house more often.”

For some reason, his answer didn’t feel quite right as he said it, and he found himself gauging Marinette’s reaction. Did he answer the question incorrectly? Was she going to be upset? Or possibly disappointed? Why would she be either? How could there possibly be an ‘incorrect’ answer to the question he’d just been asked?

Marinette snorted, clearly not upset at all, and it left him wondering why he’d bothered to worry.

“I figured you’d say that. You don’t seem like the type to get caught up in feelings like that.”

Felix nodded, though he silently questioned what she meant by the comment. Was she implying that he couldn’t get caught up in those types of feelings? Why did that seem so offensive to him?

“What about you?” he asked, brushing his thoughts to the side. He was just being ridiculous anyway. “Have you ever had romantic feelings towards another or been in a relationship?”

He already knew about her affections for Adrien Agreste, of course, but he’d yet to find out how far they went. And, on top of that, there was always the possibility of her having more than one lover. So it only made sense to ask the question, especially since she had asked him first.

A grimace overtook her features, clearly telling him that she had, in fact, had a romantic encounter before.

“Well.. I’ll admit I’ve had a lot of crushes, but there was this one that really got me. You, uh, you’ve actually met him already. Technically, anyway.”

Felix took a guess. “Adrien Agreste?”

She nodded, a bitter smile coming to her lips. “Cliché, right? The baker girl falling for the famous model..” She glanced down at her drink, absently tilting the cup to watch the liquid swirl. “I didn’t like him because he was a model, though. I liked him because he was sweet, and he was thoughtful, and.. I don’t know, I guess I thought.. that we could live a happy life together.”

Felix frowned at the cloud that seemed to pass over her, the pain that swelled in her eyes. He hadn’t realized how strong her attachment to Agreste was.

Marinette shook her head, breaking free of the thought process, and plastered on a smile. “I’m sorry, you didn’t ask about that.”

“No, it’s alright.” He assured her. “You can’t let things weigh on your mind unattended. If you feel you need to talk about it, then I’m willing to lend an ear.”

Marinette’s posture relaxed, relief making her smile a bit more genuine as she said, “Thank you. I appreciate it.. I don’t have any feelings for him now, but the pain is.. It still comes back, especially with how things ended. Sometimes I wish it had been different, sometimes I wish I had been different, and sometimes I wish I hadn’t fallen for him at all.. but mostly, I’m just glad it’s over.”

“What happened?”

“Well.. nothing happened, to be honest. And I think that was the hardest part.” Marinette drew in a deep breath, allowing herself to relax before continuing, “He came to my school a little over two years ago. Everyone was excited, but I didn’t even know who he was. When I did find out, though, we actually had a little bit of a misunderstanding. It’s funny when I think about it now, the way things turned out during that first day.”

“He apologized about it later, even though it wasn’t his fault, and I think that’s when I started to see him as something more than a friend. The more I got to know him, the more I started falling head over heels, and soon my friends found out about it. They thought we would be a great couple too, which kind of made me excited, and we all started planning these elaborate schemes to get him to notice me.”

She put her head in her hands and groaned. “It was so embarrassing, Felix, you should have seen them. One even involved me dressing up like a cat since he loved Chat Noir so much.” 

Felix grimaced, though he tried not to show it. Marinette dressing up like a cat for some random guy’s attention? He couldn’t even fathom it. Who came up with that suggestion?

“Did it.. work?” He almost hesitated to ask.

Marinette laid her head on the table then, shaking it with a whine. “Not even close. This group of dogs saw me on my way over, and I guess my costume was too convincing because they chased me all around Paris. I ended up muddy and scratched up when Adrien actually saw me, which didn’t help at all.”

Felix was careful not to react, but he almost felt the need to pat her on the shoulder. How had she not died from embarrassment yet? If someone put him through that, he’d never go outside again.

“You see? That’s how all of it was. All. of. It.” Marinette said, lifting her head again to lean her chin into her palm. “Two years I spent chasing after him, making all of these plans and trying to catch his eye just once, but no matter what I did, I was only ever his ‘good friend’. A-And I’m not saying I hated being his friend or anything, I just.. I was trying so hard to be more, wondering why I wasn’t enough, and my friends were constantly cheering me on to keep going. It was exhausting.”

Felix offered her a sympathetic look as she went on, though he couldn’t help feeling annoyed by the story. What kind of ‘friends’ did she use to have that they would willingly push her to make a fool of herself in front of her love? What kind of friends would encourage her to continue chasing after someone who clearly wasn’t interested in her? That wasn’t healthy at all, and he could only imagine how miserable it would have made her.

Wait..

“Is that why he’s coming to see you now?” Felix asked. (or more of blurted out.) “Because of your previous feelings for him?”

“Oh, no.” Marinette said, going so far as to let out a laugh. “No, I doubt he’s ever going to see me in that light, but it’s still frustrating that he’s trying to visit me. Moving to Rosemary was supposed to be an easy break, but he just has to follow me here too.. Again, it’s not that I mind being his friend or anything, it’s.. I need time. To get over him. I don’t like the person I became when I only lived to gain his affection, and it’s hard to get over that mindset, ya know?”

Felix nodded. He didn’t quite understand her experience since he’d never loved someone himself, but he knew that old habits were hard to break, and that love can be known as an intoxicating and addicting emotion. It wouldn’t be easy to get rid of.

“You’re strong for deciding that.” He said sincerely. “It takes an immense amount of will power to let go of something that you think will make you happy, but I believe you’re right in thinking you’ll be better for it.”

Marinette pulled a small smile, twisting the small tip of her ponytail. “Thanks. I hope I am.”

Felix smiled as well and turned his chair to face Marinette more fully. He wanted to ensure that she would hear the words he was about to say.

“Marinette, you are.. an incredible person. And I’m not just telling you this to lift your spirits, I am saying it because it’s true. You are talented, intelligent, kind, and capable all on your own. You don’t need anyone to validate how amazing you are, because it’s evident in everything you do, and I truly hope you don’t ever doubt yourself because of Adrien’s foolishness.”

A blush bloomed across Marinette’s cheeks, and she glanced down to fiddle with her hands. “O-Oh, uhm.. Thanks.. Again. I won’t.”

Felix smiled, satisfied with the reaction, and picked up his cup to extend it towards her.

“Here,” he said light-heartedly, “to finding someone new, someone who appreciates you, even if that someone is yourself.”

Marinette giggled and picked up her drink as well, clinking the glasses together. “To finding someone new.”

Felix took a sip of his cup to complete the toast, but to his surprise, Marinette set hers to the side, instead standing up and offering her hand to him.

“Let’s go dance.”

Felix choked on his drink.

“Pardon?”

“Come on, it’ll be fun!” Marinette insisted. “I mean, you only have to come if you want to, of course, but I haven’t danced with you yet, and Claude said that you took waltzing lessons at the school.”

Felix held back a scoff and glanced around the room, hoping to catch Claude’s eyes so he could glare at him. Why did that dolt keep telling people he took waltzing lessons? It only made it harder for Felix’s to reject people when asked to dance. 

However.

He looked back to Marinette, who held a fresh, bright smile, waiting for his response.

“I bet if Marinette asked you to dance, you would.”

Allegra’s words resurfaced in his mind, unwelcomed. Why did she always have to be right? It only made her more smug as a person.

Nevertheless, Felix took Marinette’s hand. “Alright, but only one dance. I don’t want anyone else thinking I’m open to the idea.”

Marinette chuckled and pulled Felix to his feet. “Of course not. We’ll dance near the darker spots of the room so your face won’t be seen.”

They moved to the dance floor, and Marinette put her hand on his shoulder, while Felix wrapped his arm around her waist. It was a bit awkward pulling each other close, since the only other person he’d been this close to was his mother and father, but once they actually started to dance, his years of practice easily took over. Felix slid into the role of leading, and Marinette followed him willingly as he spun her around the party room, smiling when she laughed during a dip.

Such a fool.. He thought, tugging her back up to him. How anyone could pass up Marinette’s affection was beyond him, but in a way, Felix was delighted that Adrien had. He might not have been able to meet her otherwise.

With the two being so enveloped in each other’s movements, they didn’t notice Allegra, Claude, and Allan watching them from across the room, nor did they catch the smiles and high-fives that the trio shared.

Tag List: @sasstrashforlike5fandoms  @artbyknigit @athena452 @nickristus-dreamer @throneoffirebreathingbitchqueen @arsaem @abrx2002 @neakco @pawsitivelymiraculous @too0bsessedformyowngood @nathleigh @lusicing @officiallydarkgeek @all-mights-asscheeks @tbehartoo @woe-is-me0 @raeuberprinzessin @lazuli-11 @miss-chaos27 @trippingovermyfeet @sadpotatoondrugs @ladybug-182 @jaggedheart11 @marinahrasauce @i-need-blog-ideas @thewheezingbubbledragon @crazylittlemunchkin @unabashedbookworm @moonystars14 @sunflowers-and-mooncakes @2confused-2doanything @magnificentcrapposts @moonnette @nickristus-dreamer @vixen-uchiha @casual-darkness @luxmorningstarr @jjmjjktth @kaithehero @itsme1598 @theymakeupfairies @xjaccyx @miraculous-ninja @miraculouspenta @swiftie-miraculer13 @justafanwarrior @all-mights-asscheeks @ira-sairain @lookatthestars1 @dahjokester @blissful-passing @solangelo252 @canivialemonsquints07  @derbygracie  @pleaseignorejustheretoread

[mrsmaybank]

My Little Sun - Spencer Reid x Reader

“Can you imagine it?” I started, “A little girl who looks just like you? I’d be in so much trouble.”                  

She giggled, “Absolutely whipped.”                       

PART ONE HERE

A/N: It came out fast!!! I had lowk already started it, so that’s why this update came so quickly. Please don’t expect them all to come this fast LMAO. I usually write slow as fuck. Anyway, I really hope you guys like this part so I can maybe just maybe turn this into a mini series. Please lmk if you guys like :) 

CONTENT WARNINGS: KIDNAPPING, PREGNANCY, LANGUAGE, MENTIONS OF SEX (lmk if i missed any please) 

I paced the bullpen as the team spoke to Penelope. The shock of her pregnancy was starting to wear off, and now I could think more clearly. How could she? What was she thinking? 

Recently, I’d found myself thinking about it more, a baby her and a mini-me. A family of my own, with the love of my life. It was exciting and like a lovesick fool it made my stomach fuzzy. But she wasn’t ready and I couldn’t do that to her. So how could she do it to herself? She hadn’t finished school, hadn’t started her career. She could barely take care of herself! I wasn’t mad, absolutely not. Just disappointed at her self-sabotage and the fact she’d made the decision completely without me. I couldn’t think about it for long though, because I was swiftly reminded by my surroundings that right now, there was a chance I’d lose her, our child and any children we wanted to have in the future. That was the priority. 

“Garcia, check her credit card records, we need to see where she last was.” Hotch said. 

“Uhm, okay,” Penelope took a deep breath while clicking away, “Let’s see. Her last purchase was last night, 6:49 at a CVS Pharmacy, oh--” 

“What Garcia?” Hotch asked. 

“She was um, picking up her monthly case of birth control.” 

JJ broke the silence, “Spence…” she started towards me. 

I breathed a sigh of relief, “Thank god.” 

“Thank god?” Morgan questioned. 

“She’s 23.” I wiped my face, “Whole life ahead of her.” The team understood what I was trying to say. Rossi’s hand fell on my shoulder, giving it a squeeze. 

“So why would she tell Brook she was?” Garcia asked. 

“I uh, I..I don’t know.” I spat out. I really had no idea.  

“Think Reid.” Rossi told me. “You guys ever talk about kids or pregnancy?”

“She might be trying to send us a message,” Emily added. 

I thought back to the last time we discussed starting a family. 

--FLASHBACK-- 

We were surrounded by timeless pieces of art and history, and yet the true masterpiece was still her. She was always beautiful to me, a perfect being, truly. But today, something about the way she looked today specifically, made her look like the kind of beauty you see in a painting. Had she been a painting, her creator must have been skilled. Each stroke of his brush creating every divine curve of her face and body to produce a work of magnificent art, one that I so proudly hung on the walls of my heart. 

I remember exactly what she wore, and how it felt to take it all off. The painter had an eye for color. Her denim skirt, the length or lack thereof making me embarrassingly wary, was blue like the Mediterranean Sea, complementing the pigment of the skin of her legs. A white button down made of silk, not worn properly, of course. Too many buttons were left open at the top, as to draw attention to the gold adorned on her chest, but in the spell of temptation she procured to cast upon me, my eyes wandered to admire territories of her body they shouldn’t have. Not in public, at least. The buttons at the bottom were left untouched as well, revealing the soft skin of her stomach. She looked like an angel, but of course, went out of her way to instead be my temptress.

My affinity for her beauty aside, the wide eyes in delight at the museum artifacts and careful attention to my commentary were what made our excursion wonderful. The feeling of her smaller hand in mine, and the giggles and the teasing “You’re way too nerdy to be so stupid hot Dr. Reid.” made it absolutely perfect. 

In exchange for her listening so attentively to my historical facts and stories, I took her for ice cream. She insisted we ate it on the greens of Lincoln Park. Who was I to deny her that? What came next--I expected. She’d devoured it. Made a mess of strawberry ice cream on her white shirt. 

“It was the wind!” She insisted as the first of many drips of ice cream fell down her chin. 

“No it was not!” I argued back while wiping it, “You just never learned how to eat ice cream properly.” I gently removed the cone from her hands and into mine, taking an overzealous bite. “This, lovey, is how you eat ice cream.” 

“Give it back, you...you dickass!” She snorted. We laughed like two lovesick teenagers. 

“Dickass?” I asked, eyes watery from laughter. 

“Yeah dickass, give me back my damn ice cream.” I took another bite, “Stop! You’re eating it all!” She pouted. Pouts were unfortunately my weakness and I handed it back to her. However, in her rush, the pink scoop had fallen directly on her blouse. 

“Way to prove my point,” I started to take off my cardigan, “You want dickass’s sweater?” 

She wanted to be mad but couldn’t contain the wince of a smile. “Please.” 

We carefully removed her shirt from under while simultaneously putting the cardigan in its place. 

“Spence don’t let me flash! There’s kids and judgmental old ladies here!” 

I laughed and shushed her, “I know, I know.” I moved all the fabrics quickly and it was done. Her sticky pink shirt was replaced with my soft sweater. “There.” 

“My hero,” She kissed me, “Truly.”

She leaned back on our picnic blanket on her shoulders as we observed our fellow park goers. “So many kids.”  

I nodded my head in agreement. “Yeah…” 

“We should bring our kids here one day.” she said, instantly breaking my haze from the crowd so I could only see her. 

I smiled again at the thought, “Yeah, and tell them how their mom is the world's clumsiest ice cream eater.”

She looked at me with disdain before shoving her shoulder into mine. “Shut up.” 

“Can you imagine it?” I started, “A little girl who looks just like you? I’d be in so much trouble.” 

She giggled, “Absolutely whipped.” 

I toppled her so we were laying down, facing each other. She kissed me hard, and my hands went to the sides of her face, only pulling back to say “I can’t wait for it, you know. My two little girls.” 

She smiled, “But I’ll always be your favorite right?” she asked sarcastically. 

I laughed, “Oh of course. Always.” 

“I’ll have a big ol’ belly, you know.” I nodded, “You’d still be perfect.” 

“We’d have to go to the mall, buy me a shitload of new clothes. Do ya know how dirty malls are Spence?” I winced at the thought of thousands of strangers bacteria on every surface and she laughed, “Got ya.” I shook my head, “Nope! I uh, I’ll just bring hand sanitizers and uh, to the Maternity section we’ll go.” 

“Non-stop Panda express eating.” I nodded again, “I’ll be non-stop Panda Express buying, then.” She smiled so hard her nose scrunched. 

“I love you Spencer.” 

“I love you too. I am so in love with you.” 

--FLASHBACK ENDS--

“Yeah but it was trivial.” I said. 

“Maybe not,” Hotch argued, “Was anything mentioned specifically?” 

“A name she liked?” Prentiss added, “Maybe a craving she thought she might have? Anything at all?” 

I nodded, “Not a food, but a fast food place. Panda Express.” I doubted that would be helpful. 

“It’s a stretch but, Garcia, check for any dilapidated buildings within 10 miles of a Panda Express.” 

“Yes sir,” She typed away and then said, “No, guys. I’m sorry. All of our Panda Express’s are in pristine malls or new developments.” 

“Mall!” I shouted, “She said we’d have to go to the mall! She knows I hate the mall.” 

Morgan pointed at us, “The tiles in that room look like they could be from some 80’s Bloomingdales.” 

“Garcia-” I said. 

“Already on it.” 

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The pregnancy ruse was either going to get me killed, or save my life. It was a moment of panic and I just wanted to throw her off. I know it did, but in what direction? 

She was still crying, her demeanor with me was still laced with bitter animosity, but she was calmer now. 

“How long have you known?” Brook asked, the contents of her flask now empty and her words slurred. 

“I found out yesterday.” I lied through my teeth. 

She shrugged her shoulders, “Had you guys talked about it?” 

“Vaguely.” I admitted. 

“What’d Spencer want? Boy or girl?” I debated on whether or not to say, and she caught on. “Don’t fucking lie.” She stated harshly. 

“Girl.” I breathed out. “He wants a girl.” 

“What do you want?” she asked. 

“I don’t care.” I said. That was true. 

“How come?” 

“I just want to start a family with him. Don’t really care about the gender…” That was true as well. 

“Oh.” she nodded her head, “Why’d he want a girl?” It was strange, her  genuine curiosity. It freaked me out, but my alternative was being stabbed. I chose to just answer her questions, regardless of how much I really did not want to.  

“He liked the idea of a little girl who looked like me.” 

She winced, eyes tearing up further. “Right.” I was beginning to realize her feelings were very real. 

“You really like him, don’t you?” I asked. I knew I shouldn’t have but I couldn’t help it. My head was still looking for an answer as to how she could be driven to do something like this. 

She clasped her hands together, her anger returning.  “Don’t fucking start. You know nothing of what I feel for Spencer.” She came up closer and tugged at my hair, “Fucking nothing.” 

“Okay,” I grimaced at the pain from the force at which she pulled my hair, “I-I’m sorry.” 

She let go, “You should be. You really, really fucking should be.” She sat back down, pensive for a while. I wish I knew what she was thinking about. 

My heart had not stopped it’s fast pace ridden with anxiety since I gained full awareness of my situation, but now, it felt like it was going to burst through my chest. Was she planning on just killing me now? 

My anticipation ceased when she got up and brought back the camera with her again. “Hello BAU. There has been a change in plans. Your beloved,” The words reeked of sarcasm, “Y/N here, will be returned eventually. . She’s gonna be fine. However, it is now in everybody best interest if this video feed was cut out. Sorry.” She said before mouthing, “No I’m not.” She shut the camera off. 

She turned to me, “I hate you. Fucking despise you.” Figures. 

“But I would never hurt Spencer. Or his child. Even if it is being carried by a whore like you.” 

She began to pace once more, “You’re obviously a mistake on his part. You clearly tricked him with sex and...no just sex I think. You're not really smart enough to be capable of anything else. Regardless, he’s probably already thinking about abortions or adoption. There’s no way in hell a man like him could ever want to start a family with a girl like you.” She shook her head, “Absolutely not.” 

I could only nod my head at her delusions. This woman was so far up her ass. 

She pinched my cheeks together with her cold hands, “You tried to trap him. How’d that go for you?” 

I was silent.

“I asked you a fucking question!” She held my face impossibly tighter. 

“Poorly.” I got out, “Poorly.” 

“In 9 months, I’ll help you deliver your baby. And then, you can go.” Brook backed away and let go of her tight grip on my face. “I’m keeping the kid. Raising it.” She smiled, “I’ll be the mother Spencer’s child will deserve. And then-” A giggle creepily reminiscent of a schoolgirl’s left her throat, “He’ll love me!” 

Brooks intention had twisted from wanting to murder and torture me as revenge for “taking” Spencer, to a now twisted maternal desire for his (hypothetical) child. But if Spencer and his team couldn’t find me before the time I was supposed to be showing, I was fucked. Utterly fucked. 

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Taglist: @britishspidey

(Let me know to be added)

[littlesniggy]

Princess Part One

@pure-kirarin​: Hii! I loved your works, especially the smoker & Akainu ones. I was wondering if I could get smth for my Eustass boy where reader is a princess that is a fan of pirates since she was a child. She loves reading about Kid pirates in the newspapers and somehow is very intrigued. One day she hears that Kid pirates came to her island so she escapes undercover to meet Kid but she is shocked by how different he is from what she thought however, despite how "brute" that world seems she can't help but feel thrilled and excited to know more about him and she is even willing to give him her first time (P2) c: thanks a lot if you decide to write this ! <3 If you don't feel comfortable with it it's totally fine, kissies <3

Thank you so much! Well, I think I had too many ideas so I split it in two parts if that’s okay. This one is more like an introduction (?) and the dirty stuff will come in part two. It’s kinda long and I don't know if it got boring but anyways, have fun with Part one :)

Warning: verbal abuse

Word count: 3.5k

Part two is here

Her eyes skimmed through the newspaper articles looking for a specific one involving a certain pirate; Eustass Kid, the notorious pirate captain and part of the Worst Generation had been seen on an island not too far away from hers. Her heart started beating excitedly when she finally found the desired article.

Kid Pirates cause chaos – when will the bloodshed finally stop?

Eagerly, she started reading the article, absorbing every word like a hungry man almost starved to death. To her dismay, the article was shorter than she would’ve liked but nevertheless did she take out a pair of scissors from her desk, cutting the article out. On the next page was a wanted poster of Kid but sadly it was the same one she already had. She looked at his picture for a moment, tracing his face with his thumb before folding the newspaper and throwing it away. The article was stored safely in one of her desk drawers, away from any curious eyes.

“Y/n-sama…..Y/n-sama!” she heard one of the maids call her, waking her from her sleep. Tired, she sat up, rubbing her eyes before answering. “Come in.” her voice was still horse from her sleep and she had to clear her throat. The door opened and one of the maids entered, bowed down a little and went straight to the thick curtains, opening them in one swift motion. Dark clouds covered the sky and it looked like it was about to rain any moment; thunder could be heard from afar.

“Why are you still in bed? Today is a great day for you, Y/n-sama. If I were you I wouldn’t be able to sleep at all.” She giggled. The princess followed the maid with tired eyes as she made her way over to the dressing room. “Your father has told me to take out the navy-blue dress he got you the other week. Remember? The one that looks like stars have been woven into it?” The maid came back with said dress, holding it up and looking at it in awe. “It’s truly beautiful.” She said reverently.

The princess looked from the maid to the dress, then back to the maid and back to the dress once more. “Don’t you think it’s a little bit too….much?” she asked concerned. It was pretty, no questions asked but it looked like she was going to a ball to impress someone and not to meet her future husband. “Nonsense, Y/n-sama! It’s perfect! The prince will be just as impressed as the rest. You will look stunning. Plus, if I dare to say, he will fall head over heels for your Majesty.” The maid’s big eyes shined at the princess. The maid seemed happier about this day than the princess herself.

“If you say so. I just don’t want to look overdressed.” She stated concerned. She slid to the side of the bed, put her feet on the floor and stood up, her long nightgown following her body. The soft silk felt nice against her body even though she had to get used to it in the beginning; it was just so slippery.

The princess made her way over to the big bathroom to follow her daily routine while listening to the maid telling her about the daily schedule. After a while she tuned out and simply looked out of the window while brushing her teeth. The vast ocean could be seen from her room and the bathroom; sometimes she caught herself imagining what life would be if she had been born in a different country, to a different family and live a different life. Her life was great, she wouldn’t complain but something was missing but she didn’t know what.

Her father, the king, was standing by a huge window, a frown on his face when Y/n entered the big hall. When he heard her come closer, he hid a document behind his back, turned around and smiled at his daughter with a big smile. “You look beautiful, Y/n.” he praised and looked her up and down in appreciation. “Thank you, father.” She replied and spun around, the dress complementing her like it was made just for her. “The prince will be very pleased.” He said. Servants were rushing through the huge hall, carrying trays, food, and other things to give the festive hall the last touch.

“They will arrive shortly so let us walk over to the schedule once more.” He said while holding his arm out for her to take and guiding her over to the thrones standing at the end of the hall. She walked next to her father, reciting what the maid had told her and what she could remember.

“No, first comes the dance, then the dinner. We don’t want your dress to look unflattering during this important moment by showing a food belly.” He jokingly said and she looked at him sourly but didn’t say anything to it; instead, she kept going through the schedule.

Her eyes caught the paper he had put in the back of his dress pants. “What’s this?” she wondered but he brushed her off. “Oh, it’s nothing. It doesn’t concern you. You should simply focus on the event ahead and forget about anything else.” This was odd. Why was he hiding something from her? But she knew he wouldn’t tell her, especially if she pressed him.

The day went as planned, the king and the prince arrived, together with a huge entourage following them. She made huge eyes when the prince gave her this incredibly beautiful necklace with a dark-blue sapphire. The prince himself was….okay-ish. He wasn’t the most handsome nor the most ugly but he was definitely not her type. Credit to him, he was a gentleman and tried to make her feel comfortable. He was attentive, charming, and a polite. But she couldn’t see herself marrying him. Yet. She knew she had to so she tried to be as interested in him as possible. But it was difficult.

During a moment he was talking to his father and her father she could finally breathe and be to herself. This whole event was exhausting and she was looking forward for it to end. She saw a servant scurry away, a familiar paper in his hand. She followed him to the kitchen, a few servants bowed down when they saw her approaching. “Princess-sama, please, you know you’re not supposed to be here.” A maid said and tried to get her to go back to her guests.

“I’ll leave in just a moment but I need to know what this piece of paper says.” She pointed at the piece the servant was holding and he hid it behind her back. “Miss, the King ordered me to throw it away and to not show it to anyone. I must obey him.”

“And I order you to show it to me.” She countered, crossing her arms in front of her chest. “Please, Princess-sama. It’s an order from your father.” He pleaded, conflicted on what to do. “He will never know. Show it to me and then you can burn it.” She said firmly and the servant sighed, handing the paper over to her. The maid tried to sneak a look at it and made big eyes.

“Oh no…” she whispered, backing away a few steps. “This is bad news. Why are they here?” fear was plastered all over her face, her hands clutched her arms like she was a small child.

“Please…give it back to me. I really need to get rid of it, Princess-sama.” The servant asked nervously, his eyes roaming the surroundings for any sight of the king. She gave it back to him, her face expressionless. “Thank you.” She simply said before turning around.

When she was out of sight, she couldn’t hold back a small squeak of excitement; the paper was a notice from one of the guards. He was patrolling the southern side of the island where there used to be a small town which had burned down a couple of years ago. Now, it was frequently used by bandits, pirates, and other criminals.

Her heart was racing, her face was burning, and she felt like she could burst out of sheer happiness. Pirates were anchoring near the burned down town. She needed to get there. She needed to meet them. She needed to see them. She needed to see him. She needed to see Eustass Kid.

It felt like an eternity when she was finally back at her chamber. It was already dark outside and she could hear the servants cleaning the garden in front of the castle downstairs. She was high up above the ground, her eyes trying to see the ship even though she knew it was useless; the window was on the north side, the Kid pirates on the south side so it was simply impossible. During the gathering she had to focus hard to not indulge too much in her thoughts about a certain captain. But the more she tried to suppress the excitement the more nervous she got.

And now, when it was finally over, she was hesitant. The desire to leave was strong but the guilt for sneaking out at night and maybe disappointing her father was not any weaker. But she knew that they would leave soon, probably sooner if her father sent his guards to the south side. Right now, he wouldn’t do anything since he didn’t want to cause any harm to his subjects. But as soon as they started to cause trouble, he would fight them. The princess was conflicted. What, if she got caught? She would get in huge trouble and if word got out the marriage between her and the prince would be called off. Nobody wants to associate themselves with a princess who sympathizes with pirates.

Time passed and she was still standing in front of the huge window, but by now she was looking at the wanted poster she was keeping in her drawer. With every passing minute her internal desire grew. She took a deep breath, closed her eyes and came to a conclusion; she put the wanted poster back to its original spot, grabbed a coat, pulled it over, and opened the door to her chamber. The hallway was empty and she sneaked out. The servants and maids were still cleaning up and no one was paying attention to her.

It was easier than expected to exit the castle and its perimeter. How she was supposed to get back in was a problem of future princess. Right now, she was making her way over to the south side of the island. The ground was wet and muddy and cold from the rain but she was glad it had stopped an hour or so ago. In her hurried departure did she forget to put on shoes. How stupid can you be?, she thought to herself but tried to ignore the uncomfortable feeling. Hopefully, she wouldn’t catch a cold.

She saw a dim light in the distance and she slowed down a little. Doubt starting washing over her the closer she got. Did she make a mistake? How could she be so gullible and come here? Alone. At night. With nothing to protect herself. If she had only taken her horse she would be able to escape if things went wrong.

The wind carried voices over to where she stood; laughter and singing. She could hear the sound of glass on glass, probably bottles of sake. She sneaked closer to the small town, one building which was not as burnt down as the other buildings was being occupied by a group of men. She hid behind a wall next to a broken window. She didn’t dare look through it, too scared of being caught.

She heard heavy footsteps coming closer from around the corner and she barely managed to round the other corner to hide herself. The princess took a quick lock to see who it was; a tall man with a blue and white mask and maybe blonde hair if she could see it correctly. This must be Killer! The excited feeling inside her stomach came back; seeing him meant that Kid wasn’t too far away, maybe even waiting around the corner Killer just came from.

The tall man took a piss against the wall and she turned her face away, blushing deeply for taking a peek at his dick. She was glad he hadn’t noticed her. When he was done he walked back to his crew, leaving her alone again. The voices inside the building welcomed the man back with loud roaring before continuing their conversations.

The princess waited like this for a long time, unsure of what to do. Should she just get up and walk in? No, this would be stupid. Should she try and make them aware of her presence by making some small noise? Probably a bad idea as well. So, how should she meet Kid? She knew it was a bad idea but she’s already come this far so she just needed to! She was so deep in thought that she didn’t hear footsteps coming closer and rounding the corner to the wall she was sitting against.

“What do we have here?” a voice snapped her back to reality and like a deer in headlight she looked up at the two tall men standing next to her. “You were right, there really was someone here.” The read head stated amused at her small form sitting on the ground, clothes dirty and feet barefoot. Killer stood slightly behind his captain; arms crossed.

“And who might you be?” Kid crouched down next to her, a curious look on his face. She was frozen in place, unable to more or to talk. Kid’s aura was intimidating and she could almost feel his bloodlust. Would he kill her, too?

“What’s wrong? Too scared?” he chuckled before rising again. “I think I’ve seen her face before…” Killer’s words made her stomach drop. If he knew she was screwed! They would take her as leverage to get her father to pay them! They would torture her to get information about the kingdom’s treasure! “You have? Where?” Kid asked, nonchalantly as if he was talking about the weather. “I think in the newspaper. If I’m not mistaken then she is this kingdom’s princess.” Oh God, they knew! Kid tilted his head to the side, a pensive look on his face. “Now, that you mention it…” he said. A huge grin appeared on his face before he crouched down again. “Say, are you a princess?” he asked her, his eyes piercing through hers right into her head as if he didn’t want to wait for her answer and look for it himself inside her head.

“What would daddy pay for your save return?” he mused. She finally snapped out of this helpless state and slapped him across his face. The shock of her action hit her almost right after and she clutched her hand with her other, looking at him in fear. His grin had disappeared and was replaced by a frown. It didn’t hurt but how dare she slap him just like that? Kid reached for her arm and pulled her up with him; the grip was hard and unforgiving. It hurt and she whimpered, trying to pray his hand away which was useless.

Kid dragged her with him to where the rest of his crew was still drinking. All conversation stopped when they saw their captain dragging someone with him, followed by Killer. Kid pushed her to the ground in front of him, right in the middle of everyone. She looked around, sceptic pairs of eyes looking at her.

“Now, little princess, tell us. Why are you here?” he asked again. She looked at him with wide eyes before swallowing hard. “I….” but she stopped. What should she tell them? That she wanted to meet them? That she wanted to get to know them? That she was keeping every article of them, Kid especially, in her drawer? They would laugh at her!

“You?” Kid pressed, obviously enjoying he was making her uncomfortable, even scared. “I…” she started again. “I heard that…pirates had landed on this island and I….” she didn’t finish but somehow Kid got the gist. “And little princess thought it’d be a good idea to sneak out of her safe castle to meet the pirates.” His crew started laughing and her cheeks became red from embarrassment.

Kid got down to her level once more, grabbing her chin with his rough fingers, making her look at him. She looked straight into his red eyes, a warm and fuzzy feeling spreading inside her stomach. “Listen, princess.” His voice was so close to her, she could feel his breath against her skin; his rough but warm hand felt good on her skin and in left a slight tingling where he touched her. The grin on his face, exposing white teeth, was sadistic and dangerous; she knew he had the means to kill her but would he actually do it?

“I don’t know if you’re aware of who we are but it wasn’t your best idea to come and look for us. ‘Cause now you can get us in deep trouble, y’know?” His thumb stroked her bottom lip for a moment. Unconsciously, she opened her mouth slightly, wishing for him to continue. Instead, he started laughing and pushed his thumb past her lips inside her mouth. Shocked, she tried to move away but he wouldn’t let her. His thumb pressed down her tongue, the taste slightly salty.

“You like that?” she shook her head but he didn’t believe her. “Should’ve said you came looking for a good time, princess.” “Het ho…!” she tried saying but it was difficult with his thumb still on her tongue. Still, he obliged and removed it from her mouth. “I…I came here to see you!” she admitted, looking at him. “Huh?” Kid sounded intrigued. “Is that so? To do what? Get your little royal pussy fucked by me?” His crew chuckled, some whistled.

“What? N-no!” she said shocked but couldn’t deny the feeling his suggestion left inside of her. Kid hummed as he let his hand move from her chin, down her throat and to her breasts where he shamelessly touched her. Flabbergasted, she jerked away from his touch, her face now beet red. “Who….who do you think you are, pirate?” she asked.

Kid’s grin dropped at her remark. His hand grabbed her throat and pulled her closer to his face; too close right now. Fear struck her and she looked at him wide eyed.

“Do you think you’re better than us?” his low voice rumbled through the air, a shudder ran down her spine. “I don’t care who you are, princess, but don’t think you are above any of us. When I become the pirate king you will bow down to me.” A sinister glint flickered in his eyes which were looking right at her. He didn’t press down on her throat but it still felt like he was choking her.

“Let me join you!” she pressed out. A confused look came on his face and he let go of her. She moved away, holding her throat and looking at him scared. “Let you join us?” he repeated. The princess nodded, not sure what made her say that. The thing she knew for sure was that she wanted to know more about the pirate in front of her; the one who almost choked her, the one who made her feel excited, the one whose picture was hidden inside her drawer.

Kid shook his head in disbelief before getting up again, turning around to return to his original place among his crew.

“I…I want to know more about you.” She admitted. Kid looked at her with a disinterested face, chugging his bottle of sake.

“Go home, princess. You have nothing to offer. You wouldn’t even be beneficial to us if we took you hostage. We can just get the treasure from this island if we want.” It felt like a punch to her guts but she kept her tears at bay.

“Go back to your father and marry this prince. Today was the big day you met him, right?” he chuckled. “I remember reading it in the newspaper. Pretty big event. So, don’t go around chasing pirates like in one of those stupid love stories you chicks keep reading about. Life is nothing like that. Pirates ain’t nothing like the men in those booky. Sorry to burst your bubble, princess.” Everyone was laughing at her; her ignorance regarding pirates, her ignorance regarding life – she was a laughing joke to them.

She couldn’t hold back her tears any longer and they quietly rolled down her cheeks and dropped from her chin to the floor.

“Leave.” She heard him say before she got up, tuned around and ran away, tears blurring her vision. Had she been so wrong about them? About him? But then again, what did she expect? It still felt like a dream had been shattered and it hurt.

[conniespringerblkwife]

Drummer Boy

(Connie Springer x Female Reader | NSFW)

A/N: So i was using the bathroom and then BOOM Connie fic idea. In conclusion, using the bathroom=best ideas.

Also I wrote this awhile back and since it’s Connie’s bday today, I thought it was the perfect opportunity to post it.

Warnings: Connie with eyeliner, Smut: Fingering, rough sex, and Connie grabbing the headboard

Summary: Y/N and her childhood best friend, Connie grew apart when once they began college. Three years later, Connie sees Y/N practicing and his feelings return for her.

*2,785 words*

Songs I listened to while writing:

Bubblegum Bitch by Marina and the Diamonds

Bad Romance (Lady Gaga) by Halestorm [Cover]

You and Connie used to be close friends since you were three all the way up to college.

Even though you two were best friends, you were polar opposites. He was an extrovert and you enjoyed quiet time by yourself. You had straight As, and Connie on the other hand, struggled in school. A D was an A to him. And although Connie was more popular than you, there was always one thing that brought you two together. Music.

Music has always been something you two can bond over. You played the violin and he played the drums. Even though you two enjoyed different genres of music, you understood each other's passion. Connie always wanted to play in a band and you always wanted to travel with a big orchestra and be first chair. You two understood each other's motives and worked hard everyday.

When you two started to grow up, you guys made a promise to never forget about each other when you two become famous. But that promise was broken, when you went to college. You and Connie both attended the same university, but became distant as you two joined different groups. You guys didn't realize the relationship died, it just gradually happened.

You both were caught up in different careers and lost time for each other.

You two met again, while you were practicing your solo, for an upcoming concert. You didn't realize anyone walked in until you heard the sound of clapping and a voice. "Wow!"

Your eyes adjusted to the figure below and you realized it was Connie. "That was amazing Y/n, you really have grown." He flashed a smile and you gave him a small one in return.

"Thanks Connie." You started to place your instrument in the case.

"How you've been?" He asked softly.

"Fine. And you?" You turned around to make eye contact with him.

"Good." You two stood in awkward silence. It's been so long since you two interacted with each other. You didn't know what to say. You guys haven't talked since freshman year of college, you're a senior now.

"Well, I'll go now." You gave him another small smile and proceeded. As you were heading out, you heard him call out your name.

"Wait Y/N!" You turned around and saw him jogging towards you. "Come to my gig tomorrow night."

"I don't know, I think I have practice tomorrow."

"Well if you don't." He pulled out a folded piece of paper out his pocket and handed it to you. "You're always welcomed." You studied the flyer and saw at the top, "10 pm: Riot of the Red Heart will be performing, 'There's a Hole in My Stomach.'"

"I'll see." You smiled and left the building.

*

You plopped on the bed and studied the flyer. "Riot of the Red Heart," you said to yourself. You decided to look them up and was amazed how popular they were on campus. You noticed they had an Instagram and clicked on their page. There were three members: Connie, a girl and a guy. The guy hair was pretty long and he had a beard, and also played guitar. The girl, you assumed was the main singer, had light brown hair and in her right hand was a potato.

As you continued to scroll through their page, you took note how happy Connie looked. Something in your heart twisted as memories came back, but you suppressed them and told yourself that you were happy that he was happy.

Unlike Connie, you didn't make any close friends during your four years of college. You had one friend named Mikasa and that was because she was your stand partner in orchestra, but outside of practice, you two never talked and if you did, it was only about what time practice was.

You put your phone on the charger and placed the flyer on the nightstand next to you, heading off to bed.

*

The next day you found out you didn't have practice and a part of you was happy that you could have a break. You decided to head back to your dorm and take a nap. It was rare for you to go a day without practicing, but you deserved it. You've practiced so much that your shoulders hurt more than usual. You would always forget to do stretches before and after practicing and would have to suffer the consequences because of that. As you drifted off to sleep you thought about Connie and wondered what he was doing right now.

*

"You guys excited for the night?!" Connie said wrapping his arms around Jean and Sasha's shoulders.

"Yep!" Sasha exclaimed, "Also after our performance can we go out to eat? I was thinking about that steak house down the street."

"Do you wanna go there because you've been crushing on that waiter?" Jean teased.

"What's his name?" Connie scratched his head and then smirked, "Niccolo?"

Sasha elbowed Connie in the side and walked off, " That's not true, I just liked the food there." Sasha crossed her arms while staring at the pavement trying to hide her embarrassment. "

"Mhmm, whatever you say." Jean remarked.

"Oh guys I invited someone." Connie spoke up.

"OOO who??" Sasha said.

"Her name's Y/n, she's a childhood friend." Connie rubbed the top of his head. "I want you guys to meet her."

"Oh she must be really special," Jean teased Connie.

"Yeah she is actually."

"Well I cant wait to meet her." Sasha said while throwing her arm around Connie's shoulders. Ever since Connie saw you yesterday, he couldn't get you out of his head. Connie used to have crush on you from middle school all the way to high school, but it left as you two grew apart. But those feeling returned when he saw you playing.

He didn't say anything that day when he entered the building and saw you practicing. He just stared in awe as you engrossed yourself in the music. Although you music was placed in front of you, your eyes were closed. It made him think how hard you have been working that you didn't even need to look at the music. He hoped you come tonight because he really missed you, and wanted to start over with you and possible relationship.

*

When you woke up , you saw that it was 9:00 pm. Your eyes then traveled to the flyer next to your clock. Connie's performance started in an hour. "I guess I could go." You said to yourself as you got ready.

You threw on a sweatshirt and jeans and fixed your hair before grabbing your purse.

Connie's band was performing at a small place called, The Corps Club.

When you entered the club, there were a lot of people, but it was pretty calm. Everyone was genuinely having a good time and you cursed yourself for not bringing Mikasa with you. You felt awkward as you sat at the bar fiddling with your purse, hoping to see Connie.

"Can I get you something?" A bartender said while cleaning a cup.

"Just a lemonade please, thank you." You were so focused on watching the bartender pour your drink you didn't even notice the presence beside you.

"Y/N Hey!" It was Connie. You took in his appearance and noticed he had on black eyeliner and wore a gray shirt that no sleeves along, a sliver necklace around his neck, and a chain that hooked to his pants. "I wasn't expecting you to come." He leaned on the table, "Hey Levi I'll pay for it."

"Oh no Connie that's okay." You protested but the man already took the money. "Thank you." You said softly while taking a sip of your drink.

"Thanks for coming y/n, I really appreciate it."

"Of course."

Connie then grabbed your arm and pulled you through the crowds of people. "I want you to meet my friends." He shouted and lead you through a door. "Guys I want you to meet y/n."

You seen them before, but it was different seeing them in person. "Y/N this is Sasha and Jean."

"It's so nice to meet you!" Sasha said and then pulled you into a hug. "Any special friend of Connie's is ours too. You want some chips?"

"No thanks," You said, your face heating up slightly at the thought of Connie talking about you to his friends.

"I'm Jean." He said as he held out his hand. You didn't imagine him to be so tall you thought as you shook his hand. "Connie you didn't tell us your friend was hot." Your eyes widened at his words.

"Jean please shut up you're making her uncomfortable." Connie said while hitting the back of his head.

"Anyways y/n, we're performing a song called There's a Hole in My Stomach. It's about a guy and girl who are twin flames, but the girl gets shot in her stomach and the boy basically loses another piece of himself." Your mouth opens slightly at the sad, but oddly specific, story behind the song. "I know right depressing, but it was Connie's idea." Sasha continued.

"We have five minutes 'till we perform...Y/N I'll show you a good spot to watch us." Connie said while grabbing your arm. He led you to the front row, "This seems like a good spot." He then pulled you into a hug and you felt your heart beat quicken. "Thank you y/n," he whispered into your ear. He pulled away and ran off, leaving you stunned.

You were blown away how good Connie's band was. Although the topic of their song was depressing, they played as if it wasn't. The three complemented each other so well. Sasha's voice was also beautiful and powerful. Jean played the guitar with a smirk plastered on his face as he rocked his head back and forth (let me stop before i turn this into a jean fic).

You then looked over to Connie and saw how intense he was as he hit the drums. It was like he was different person. You seen him play the drums before in high school, but that was nothing compared to now. His muscles flexed as he drummed. You thought he looked sexy, especially with the sweat gliding down his face and his eye liner starting to smudge. As if he heard your thoughts, Connie made eye contact with you and winked and quickly looked away.

After the performance you met up with the three and congratulated them. "You guys did amazing and Sasha your voice is so beautiful."

"Thank you." She said while wiping the sweat off her forehead. They all were sweating and you saw how Connie's eyeliner was now smeared across his eyes. "Are you coming with us to eat?"

"Oh no, it's late, I need to get back to my dorm."

'Are you sure Y/N?" Connie said while patting his neck with a towel.

"Yeah..Thank you."

"Well let me walk you back since it's late." He said while throwing his towel on the couch.

"Bye y/n!" Jean and Sasha said as you and Connie headed out.

The walk back to your dorm was silent until Connie said, "Thank you for coming. I'm so happy to see you again."

You smiled, "Of course Connie."

"It's been a long time since we seen each other." You hummed in agreement. "I missed you so much y/n" Connie stopped walking and stared into your eyes.

"I missed you too." There was tension between you two and you didn't know why, but you continued walking anyway.

You two were now in front of your dorm's door. "Thank you for inviting me Connie. Good night." As you were going to open your door Connie then said, "Y/n wait." You turned around in confusion.

"I want to start over."

"What?"

"I really missed you. Like a lot." You nodded your head, confused to where he was going with this. "Fuck it." He then pulled you by your waist and pressed his lips against yours. Your eyes widened at his sudden actions. You knew you should've pulled away but you couldn't.

You two were now in your dorm and you made out with each other as you straddled his waist at the edge of your bed. His tongue explored your mouth as he rubbed and squeezed your thighs.

Wanting more friction, you decided to rock against him and he groaned in your mouth. "Keep doing that." He said against your lips as he slid his hands under your sweatshirt to unstrap your bra. You were still in shock that you were making out with your old best friend, but that thought left when you felt his big hands cup your breasts and his thumbs circle your nipples.

He pinched and twisted your nipples as his mouth traveled from your cheek to your neck to suck on the skin.

You ran your hands through his hair and noticed that it was longer than last time you remembered. You giggled as a memory of you calling Connie a bald penguin popped up in your mind.

He then took your sweatshirt off and stared at your breast and then he squeezed your hips, urging you to keep grinding on him. "Stop staring."You whispered in embarrassment. He then attached his mouth to your nipple and you gasped at the wet feeling. His hands traveled your body up and down, his hands rubbing your curves and then cupping your ass as you continued rocking against him.

Your panties were wet and you wanted nothing more than for him to touch you where you most needed it. He didn't notice you unbuttoned your pants until you grabbed his hand and slid it down to cupped you down there. He felt how warm and wet you were and began caressing you gently through your underwear.

He then pulled your panties to the side and rubbed a finger up and down your folds before placing his middle finger inside of you. You hid your face in his neck as you rocked against him while he placed another finger inside of you. He rubbed his other hand up and down your back to ease you. "You're so beautiful," he said softly before placing a third finger inside of you.

"Connie" You moaned his name and that's when he lost it. He pulled his fingers out of you and laid you on your back. He shoved your pants and underwear down while he peppered kisses on your neck. You kicked the remaining clothing off your legs and pulled his shirt off while you wrapped your legs around his waist.

You two were now fully naked as Connie teased your folds with his penis. You bit your lip in anticipation. "Connie pl-" before you could finish he pushed himself inside of you and you clawed at his back as he stretched you out. He moved slowly first and you watched as his chain dangled in front of your face. You took that opportunity to grabbed him by his chain and pull him into a kiss.

He started to pick up his pace and you had to hold onto his shoulders for support. "So fucking tight." He said as he watched how you took him so well. When he felt you loosen up, he took the opportunity to lift your legs over his shoulder and pound into you. This new angle had you gasping for air as his hips snap against the back of your thighs.

His hand was gripping the headboard to go faster and his other hand also had a death hold grip on your waist, you knew there will be a bruise there tomorrow but you didn't mind. The more you said his name, the faster he would go.

He slowed down a bit when he felt your walls clench around him. You were close and he had to control himself because he wanted to make you cum first before him.

Your eyes rolled to the back of your head as you came intensely and then a few moments later, Connie also came.

Connie then pulled out and collapsed on top of your body, then proceeded to give you small kisses between your breast. You both were breathing hard and you felt a small smile slowly form on your face. "I know this wasn't the proper way to build our relationship back up." He said against your skin. "Let me make it up to you and take you out tomorrow." He looked up at you through his long eyelashes.

You smiled and brought his head up to kiss him again, "I would love that."

*

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Follow me on Instagram @//jungjaehoe127

[slytherinbae88]

bad blood|| T.H

pairing: Tom Holland x reader

summary: humans start out at birth with milk-white blood the more crimes you commit the darker your blood becomes. One day you meet your soulmate. Skip a few years, your both fine until your soulmate trips over...

word count: 927 words

warnings: fluff, slight angst

masterlist

___

It was your birthday, you are turning eighteen and attend school in Kingston, London. You wake up that morning and don’t feel too good you know that you have never committed any crimes but the fright of being a legal adult scared you. 

You go downstairs to find your parents sat on the couch, a medium sized bag in hand. ‘’mum, what’s this? i said i don't want anything this year’’ you were specific to your mum and dad that you didn’t want anything for your birthday this year but you were still sceptical what was in this bag.

‘‘We just thought since it’s your eighteenth we might as well get you a little something.’’ you mum retorted to when she couldn’t think of a reasonable excuse as to why she bought you a present. The real reason was your best friend Tom, saw it in shop nearby and your mum gave him the money to buy it for you. 

‘‘Okay, fine I’ll open it, but only because I’m curious as to what it is’‘ you said slightly excited and went and sat on the couch in between your parents. 

you reached into the bag ad pulled out some coloured tissue paper and saw a velvet box at the bottom. You pulled it out gently and admired it in its purple state. You opened it only to find the most beautiful necklace you have ever seen in your lifetime was a small gold chain with a little white cloud charm in the middle.

“Mum, dad, it’s beautiful where on earth did you find it?” You asked eager to know where the Hewlett was found so that you could go and see if they had anymore amazing things like this.

“Well, technically we didn’t find it” you mum said sounding a little scared that you might not want it now... “Tom did” when she said those words your heart felt like it was on fire. You have liked Tom for quite a while now, well if a while means since his eighteenth last year then a while was the right word.

“Oh... that was nice of him... I’m going to go and...uh thank him for it upstairs in my room” you said nervously, knowing that your crush Tom Holland got you a breath taking necklace for your birthday.

You hurriedly grabbed your phone and texted him:

You: hi, uh just wanted to say thank you for the necklace x

Tom: it’s okay darling, saw it and it reminded me of you so I got it xxx

Tom: happy birthday btw I will be round in a bit just doing something atm 💋 xxx

Your hearts skipped a beat when you saw how many kisses and what emoji he used were. You rushed to tell your mum that Tom was coming over but she said she already knew.

Later in that night you were all playing board games in your living room when you said “I’m getting a bit sleepy, I’m going to head up to bed I’ll see you in the morning” and with that you went to bed.

That’s when you realised who your soulmate was...

Now four years later you admitted your feelings to Tom turns out he felt the same way and your going strong. You have committed one crime in your life which means your blood is now one shade darker than milky white.

You had stolen a lipstick from your local drugstore and nobody had noticed so you kept it. Yes you felt guilty, but the colour really complemented your skin tone.

It was late one evening you and Tom were sat in your shared bed watching Titanic when one of you finally speaks up.

“Hey, y/n/n, I’m going to go downstairs and make a cup of tea do you want one darling?” Tom said endearingly you nodded your head and he went off to make the tea.

You immediately paused the film when you heard a large bang followed by a loud “FUCK” coming from the hallway.

You went out there to check if he was okay and you stopped in your tracks...

Tom had bashed his head not too seriously on the bannister, but that wasn’t the thing you were surprised about...

Toms blood was black. Like pitch black. What had he done, he must’ve committed many many crimes... but why?

You rushed over to him “ Tom can you hear me? Are you okay? Talk to me?” You tried to catch his attention but he suddenly got up and rushed to the bathroom.

“Tom!! Hey,come out here right now and tell me what’s going on!!!” You shouted through the locked bathroom door. “I saw your blood Tom!!” And that’s when he opened the door...

“I’m so sorry sweetheart, I got caught up in a lot of messed up shit when I was about twenty one and now I just can’t leave the past behind me” he started sobbing in your arms.

“Hey, Tom look at me it’s ok but why didn’t you tell me?” You said eager to find out why he didn’t tell you about his fucked up past.

“I d-didn’t want you to l-leave m-me” he cried and you just hugged him.

“It’s ok I get it, baby” you cooed “how about we go and finish that movie huh?”

“Yeah that would be nice” he brightened up a bit at your comment. And with that you and Tom went and snuggled into bed next to one another and fell asleep in each other’s living arms.

[tiny-smallest]

day one - pride

Rating: G Characters: Henry and Bendy Warnings: none Description: Henry reflects on the definition of labels and belonging in certain spaces.

Also on AO3!

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WHO'S READY FOR THE INK DEMONTH 2021 I SURE ONCE AGAIN TOTALLY WAS YEP DEFINITELY NO LAST MINUTE ANYTHING HERE LET'S GO

Doing writing prompts again because this year has been A Lifetime and I just don't possess the ability to draw this time so let's go let's get stupid get weird enjoy the misadventures of a specific au of of Bendy and the Ink Machine where the toons are their own people in a world they still don't entirely understand and the people who love them who try to help them navigate it.

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Henry was used to a surprising amount of things to interrupt his day first thing in the morning. Easily numbered in the hundreds. His children were toons; there was no end to the amount of crazy nonsense that they could get into when he was asleep, and that was disregarding the fact that Bendy usually slept until noon.

Sure, he was the Troublemaker In Chief. That did not mean the other two were paragons of holiness, no matter how much Alice tried glowing her halo at him while she and her brother gave him the saddest, biggest, shiniest puppy eyes. And that didn't even take into account how much trouble they could find, no mischief intended.

He'd seen smoldering breakfasts, pancakes on the ceiling, saran wrap around the kitchen archway, demonic rubber chicken noises from a saxophone that had a part replaced with the noisemaker from the novelty prank toy...

(He still didn't regret letting Boris chase Bendy for that one without intervening.)

With all that, being immediately accosted by three toons hanging off his legs the second he came down the stairs and all trying to talk to him at the same time did not magically get any easier to withstand.

"Whatever it is, it's a no until I get my coffee," he drawled as he attempted to walk with them hanging off him, the three of them dragged along with him. It was with quite some difficulty that he got to the kitchen counter.

"But Henry!" Bendy whined, "we only got a few hours to get ready if ya say yes! We need every second!"

"For what?" he yawned, pouring a cup from the machine.

"You don't know what day it is?" Alice was surprised enough to actually let go, and she dusted herself off like the lady she was before standing up.

Instantly something cold grabbed Henry's heart and squeezed. "Uh- no I...?"

Had he forgotten someone's birthday? No, it was summertime; Bendy was a winter 'birth' and Boris and Alice were spring and fall. An anniversary of some kind? Quick think what are you forgetting you useless-

"How!?" Bendy gaped at him from down below. "It's been all over the news fer weeks!"

Well okay now he was just thoroughly confused. "I um-"

"The parade, Henry!" Boris's tail was thumping gently against the floor; he was not trying one tiny ounce to hide his eagerness. "The parade that's today!"

"Parade-?" It took just one more nanosecond of thought before it clicked.

"Oh you mean the-!" And they wanted to go to it.

Well, he shouldn't be surprised. This would be the first parade they'd get to see, wouldn't it? And it was nice weather out. And it would be bursting with color, which the toons were darn near obsessed with.

He took a contemplative sip. They weren't human; god even knew if they had any sort of sexuality at all. Could they even feel that stuff? The urge to- do anything like that? Wouldn't that technically make them asexual? That was the word, right?

Well, human or not, that would solidly mean they belonged there. Queer was queer, regardless of species, right? Hell, even if they'd just started asking themselves those questions, or wanted to support the fans of theirs who fell under that giant umbrella, they were valid for being there.

"Sure, I can take you."

Both boys cheered, lifting their arms to do so and releasing his legs. He quickly took a step away from them, but their joy had them leaping to their feet anyway and he watched as they bounced around the kitchen, slowly draining his coffee and trying to curb his smile when he was actively drinking.

It was a hard task.

Their excited chatter melted pleasantly into the background as he took the time to drink and try to shake his brain awake the rest of the way awake like shaking out an old blanket to coax out the wrinkles. Their enthusiasm always made for the perfect background noise.

"What colors do you want?"

"I dunno! There's so many! I don' even know what label I fit in-"

"I saw you checkin' out that guy the other day don't think I didn't!" The wink and nudge from Bendy sent Boris blushing so hard the poor wolf's face turned nearly as black as his fur.

"I was hopin' you hadn't-"

They were all quick to consume breakfast, and Henry retreated upstairs after telling the toons to come get him when they wanted to leave.

He settled comfortably in the limitless, timeless space of art before reality came knocking with Bendy's distinctive tapping at the door, pulling Henry from the space inbetween something and nothing as he set his pen aside. "Come in, kiddo."

When Bendy stepped in with what was unmistakably a rainbow flag on his cheek and extra face paint he knew he was in for a time.

"Oh uh- what's that for-"

"For you!" Bendy said with a giant grin. "Who'd ya think?"

He rubbed the back of his neck. "Ah well- I uh-"

Bendy didn't slow down. "Anyway the others are about ready to go but they sent me up here to get your flag on while they finish up- now why they trusted me with the paint I got about as much an idea as you but hey I'm not gonna complain-"

"Aw that's- that's sweet kiddo but I sorta figured I'd just be-" How to say this. "Dropping you off...?"

Immediate confusion. "What? Why?"

"Uh well- I mean-" He fiddled with the pen- when had that ended up back in his hands? "You guys- you have a space there, you know? I'm not sure if I-"

There was now a puckered frown on the little devil's face. "Not sure if you what?"

"Well I mean- I don't exactly- belong, now do I?"

The frown multiplied its intensity by about five. "What's that supposed to mean?"

Aw jeez. He really did not want to discuss this with his kid, as much of an adult as Bendy was. For many reasons. "Uh well- you know-" He gestured, as if hoping that would somehow pluck the answer from the air and implant it in Bendy's brain without having to give voice to it, setting the pen down in the process so he’d stop playing with it. "I'm not exactly- I mean-"

"You like guys." Bendy's voice was so sure that Henry knew making any sort of denial was futile. And also kind of stupid. Why would he deny that to his own son? No of course he wouldn't.

"Well I mean- I married a woman, didn't I?" he finally blurted out.

Unimpressed blinking as he drew closer to stand beside the desk. "Yeah they got a word for that. Several actually. Most popular ones are bi and pan, so which colors is it gonna be?"

"No no I mean-" God he was probably blushing. His face definitely felt way too hot. "I uh- I mean I- I like guys, yes-" great brain thanks a ton totally needed that heart rate spiking why are you acting like that's scary this is our kid- "but I- I married a woman- I like women- more often?"

The blinking was now confused.

"Uh-" How to phrase this. "If- if we split it into a pie chart- it's probably like... thirty-seventy in favor of women?" He ran his fingers through his hair and down the back of his neck again. "I'm- not that I'm any great catch but like, if I was in any way qualified to be in the dating pool again, I'd be way more likely to end up with a lady."

The unimpressed look was back. "And?"

It was Henry's look to be surprised. "And- and that means that, you know- I'm not really-"

"You like guys."

"I- yeah?"

"And you're a guy."

"Kind of a given at this point."

"So you're a guy, and you like guys, and just also happen to like girls too. We got names for that." He gave Henry's shirt an appraising look. "Gotta say the bi colors would complement your clothes best. If you want pan colors I'm gonna have to ask you to change. As your official fashion consultant."

Henry snorted. "My what?"

"Listen Dad I love you but I ain't about to let you walk into that parade wearing like, a pineapple hawaiian shirt or nothin'."

Henry banged a fist lightly on the table and pointed at him. "Liar! You wore the exact same thing just the other day!"

"Yeah but that was to the beach, not a parade."

"Literally when have you ever cared about not being a fashion disaster."

"This time, when Alice'll actually kill me otherwise."

"... Okay you got me there."

Bendy grinned. "So, bi colors or pan colors! Or somethin' else? I think there's other ones too."

He opened his mouth, closed it again and then opened it. What the hell. "... Bi colors, I guess."

"Yesssssss I was hopin' you'd say that." He hopped over onto the table like he'd suddenly become a bunny.

"Oh you were, huh?"

"Listen, the pan folks got pretty colors, but I'm always a sucker for a sunset," he said as he pulled out the pallet he needed. Henry sighed and shook his head, the smile ruining his effort to look exasperated.

"Well. Sunset me then, I guess."

"You got it boss!" Bendy said in maybe the worst mafia minion accent known to mankind.

It was barely five minutes of Bendy painting lines carefully on his cheek before he whipped out a mirror.

"Tah-dah!"

Henry blinked at himself in the mirror. He tilted his head, something shifting inside his heart that he had no name for, no way to voice.

The once proud look on Bendy's face was swiftly dropping. "... I didn't mess it up, did I...?"

"No- no, no." Henry tilted his head. "I uh..."

Bendy's worried browlines screamed anxiety to him.

"... I guess I just look good in a sunset," he said quietly, seeing the little corner of his reflection's mouth turn up as if in some sort of hazy dream.

Better than I thought.

[honeygingergemini]

Tell Me What You Want

pairing: steve rogers x fem!reader 

word count: 3.1k

warnings: smut (well, my first attempt at it), tipsy maybe possibly drunk reader, male POV i’m a girl so idk if i did a good job with that bc who knows. what goes on in the male brain also poor EXTREMELY poor descriptions sorry :) 

notes: um i’ve been wanting to write for a while but i was too nervous but then this scene kept playing at my head at work so I wrote it. I had steve in mind but i honestly haven’t watched a marvel movie since 2015 which is 5years ago and not 2 years like my brain remembers it as so my memory of the characteristics steve has are very fuzzy.... also english is not my first language so there will be typos and grammar mistakes sorry in advance. also please tell me if it sucks lol I really really really love criticism because it helps me gage were i’m at and how I can improve thank you :) 

                                                          .....

“bah” the sound of my girlfriend’s raspy voice pulls me from my light drift. I look over to see her cradling her foot in her hands. Unable to keep her balance she stumbles a little bit but quickly regains her footing stretching her hands out in front of her. “What the fuck?” she whispers to herself. 

I watch her as she makes her way around our shared chambers. I take in her once perfect appearance, now seeing someone completely different. Before leaving her hair was in perfectly uniformed spirals. The peach mini dress hugged her dips and curves beautifully, complementing the soft makeup on her face, and Her thin heels guarded her pink pedicure. Now, she is completely disheveled. The once tight curls are now matted waves, the lipstick smudged against her chin coincides with the thick eyeliner rings around both eyes. Her dress has completely shifted giving me the perfect peekaboo of areola. The shoes that were once on her feet are now in her hands. As if she feels me staring, she turns and locks eyes with me. 

“I’m sorry.” she sings out in a low whisper. holding out the syllables of the word. “Did i wake up?” 

“No.” I lie. 

“Oh good, ‘cause i wanted to…” she hiccups, a dead giveaway of her current state. “... i wanted to hang out with you” she’s talking but every word sounds like a moan.  

“Hang out with me?... Are you drunk?” I smile at her. I’ve always loved seeing her drunk simply because I can’t get drunk. 

“Mmmmm… kinda” she decides. 

“Kinda? either you are or you aren’t, which one is it?” 

“Well…i’m drunk enough to not feel embarrassed by doing this” she makes quick movements of dropping her heels from her hand before straddling my lap “but sober enough that i can still do this.” she slowly begins to grind on my thighs. Though her positioning is off, by a lot, I don’t care. I can still feel blood rushing to intimate areas of my body. my usually timid girl has transformed into a confident tease. I chuckle at the performance.

“Why are you laughing when you should be fucking me?” She pouts. 

“Oh really? tell me what you want me to do then.” Suddenly her face goes blank at my request. Usually, I am in control, I tell her when and where to move at all times, but I don’t want the game to end with her submission. I want to push her to try something new tonight.

 “I....” she hiccups again, harder this time causing a physical rise and fall of her chest emphasizing the twin orbs on her chest. “... I want to feel you.”  My growing hard on is touching the side of her thigh. 

“You are feeling me.” I smile at her. 

“Uh uh, closer?” She wiggles her body, but is still grinding slow. I shift my hips up ever so slightly so she can get a taste of what she wants. 

“Mmm” she lets out the tiniest moan if you’re not paying attention you’d miss it. Of course I don’t miss it. I never miss it. She leans into me with her right arm wrapped around my neck and her left hand touching my cheek softly. Her silk lips connect with mine and it takes all the strength I possess to not kiss her back. I want to see how far her liquid courage will take her. Once she notices I'm not kissing her back she whines. 

“Baaaaaaabeeee… Why aren’t you moving?”

“You didn’t tell me to move.” I say matter of factly. she huffs. “I told you,” I brush some of the disturbed curls from her face. “Tell me what you want me to do and i’ll do it.” I shrug. 

“But…” another hiccup peaks through her slurred words. “You know… I… get embarrassed.” her glossy brown eyes gaze into mine. 

“I know baby, but let’s try something new tonight.” I try to convince her giving her small peppering kisses to her face. “Just try it and if you wanna stop we’ll stop, okay?” She leers unwavering, weighing out her options. 

“Okay.” she sighs looking away from me as if trying to release all her nerves. “... What do I… you know… what do I say?” she fumbles with my fingers as a cashmere cat grin spreads across my face. 

“You say whatever you want…” I rub my thickset hands over her hips for added comfort. “Say anything you want me to do to you.” I kiss the corner or her mouth. Quick and soft. Not giving her too much, but just enough to hopefully spark some encouragement for her to begin speaking. She lets out another nerve breath before looking me in the face. It’s almost like she’s studying my face trying to see how serious I am. 

“Kiss me.” With that command I quickly lock our lips with firm pressure. 

“Slowly.” she murmurs through her lips. I slow my approach, taking my time with her lips. I create light suction around her bottom lip causing her to shift on me. I want to touch her so badly, but she only instructed me to kiss her. Nothing more, nothing less. She pulls away from me with her chest rising and falling quickly. 

“Add tongue?” it comes out less like a command and more like a question, but I give her a little leeway since it’s her first time. With my burly hands fisted at my sides I lift my body slightly. Once aligned perfectly, I kiss her again softly. I ran my tongue over her lips still puckered and pushed my body up before allowing my tongue to invade her mouth slowly. Another soft moan is released from her and I feel my nails digging into my palm. 

Let me touch you. 

She begins moving her hips again, her chest pushes into me with every deep breath she takes. 

“Kiss me from my lips to my spot.” 

“You have to be more specific than that.” I grunt with our lips still attached. She lets out a frustrating groan. 

“I want you to kiss me on my neck.” Her tone has changed. It’s a mix between exasperated and needy. I change direction and add my wet lips to her neck but not where I know she wants me. 

“Baby… lower” 

“Here?” I string out the teasing. 

“No. Here.” she moves my head to the space directly above her collarbone decorated by a tattoo. Before I could kiss the spot another command came through. 

“Suck no kiss.” Her facade crumbles and her native accent makes an appearance causing me to get more frustrated. She still hasn’t told me to touch her. Still complying to her demands, I suck her most sensitive spot. Hard. Her hands are now all over my midriff feeling me through my shirt. 

“Arms up.” She wheezes. I immediately lift my arms up allowing her to remove my shirt. My arms fall back to where they were by my sides. My favorite girl increases the pressure at which she’s moving her hips. The roles reverse and now she’s kissing all over me. Her lips sloppily move from my jaw to my shoulder to my pierced nipple. My jaw locks and my fists tighten. As a result of a lost bet I had to get the piercing and wear it for a year. There were times I hated that thing. This was not one of those times.

“Touch me.” she swirls her tongue around my jeweled nipple. Excitement ripples through my veins. 

“Where?” It comes out breathy but she didn’t mind. She smiles at me clearly feeling more comfortable. 

“Anywhere you like baby.” and with that I flipped her over trying to touch all parts of her body at once. My hands introduce themselves to her breast with a firm squeeze. My left hand goes down to now introduce itself to her warm center. I run her hand over the clothes spot a couple of times as if asking her to let me in. My thick skinned digits slide their way past the barely there material cupping her cunt. I can feel her lips burning an imprint to my hand. She feels warm. The smoothness of her body always takes me by surprise, even though I've felt her body just like this a million times before. 

“I’ve been waiting for you to tell me to touch you since we’ve started.” 

“You should’ve asked…” my hands dip into the warm honey pool between her legs toying with her arousal causing her to pause. “... so i could give you my permission.” she smiles up at me. It’s shocking. She actually likes the control that she has. She brings my head back to her mouth and our lip match begins again. In making sure to take my time I circle her clit slowly. Agonizingly Slow. My fingers dance around her heated velvet opening just barely connecting with her special nub, but she moans as if i’m fucking her and I feel triumphant. It’s almost impossible to get her to make noise. She’s a quiet lover. My quiet lover. 

                                                        •••

She turns to look at me as if I have two heads. 

“Why would you ask me that?” She turns her face in embarrassment. “I…. I do like everything we do… in bed” She mumbles her last syllables quietly as if anyone else but me is listening. 

“So then my question stands, why don’t you ever make any noise?” my hands run along her thighs that are straddling mine. She starts playing with my fingers so I know she’s uncomfortable. 

“Well,..... it’s that…” she huffs. “I don’t like to be too loud… what if i don’t sound… nice….or what if the neighbors hear me?” 

“Then they’ll know you’re getting fucked by good dick.” 

“Stop, i’m serious.” she smiles lightly smacking me. “What if they hear me and see me the next day it’ll be so…” she immediately stops as I thrust upwards towards her heated core. 

“It gives me motivation when i hear that i’m pleasing you….” While continuously grinding into her sensitive spot I bring my lips to her neck. “I need tangible evidence of what I do to you. I need to hear…” she inhaled slowly as I bit down. “... you moaning.” I take a seat back looking directly into her warm eyes. 

“I need to hear that i’m pleasing you, okay? Can you do that for me?” she quickly nods in response. “Use you words baby.” 

“Uh-uh Yes, yes i can do that for you.” 

“ Good, now make some noise for me.” 

                                                           •••

The flashed memory paired with the withering body audibly moaning underneath me was enough to set me off. I want to be inside her now. But I haven’t been given permission. 

“Speed up just a little bit babe, you’re doing great” her words slip through her pants and I oblige. It was all too much, electric shocks found their way to my southern head making it twitch with agony. I wanted to feel her around me. 

“Stop.” she moans. Confused, I simply look up at her while continuing my assault. 

“Baby… stop.” she asks again. I really wanted to continue, the pressure in the base of my stomach was not helping my case either, but this was my idea to begin with so again I followed directions. My hands leave her damp frame and await further instructions. Her eyes flutter open glazed with desire. A fire ignites within me starting at the abdomen and quickly spreading to the other parts of my anatomy. 

“Undress for me please.” she licks her lips slowly staring directly into my eyes. Her eyes. One of my favorite things about her. She doesn’t understand why I love them so much. She calls them her boring browns but they’re so much more to me. Those boring browns are so intense the first time she looked at me I couldn’t look away. They pulled me and never let me go. I remove my shorts under her magnetic gaze. Her intense gaze sinks to the member between my legs. 

“Sit down.” her eyes unwavering from my dick as I take a seat on the divan sofa parallel to the bed. 

“Touch yourself for me.” The request makes me smile. I shift bringing my hips forward, widening my legs. I take my time taunting her by doing what she says but not quite. My hands run along my thighs feeling my skin under my rough palms and she laughs. 

“I know exactly what you’re doing baby…” she starts shifting on the bed removing her panties but leaving her dress in disarray across her body. “And that’s fine. The longer you play around is the longer you have to wait to touch me.” she gives a sinister closed lip smile before gently tracing her fingers around her clit. Her eye contact with me remains strong as she adds more pressure to satisfy her needs. She sits up slightly creating a sight to see. Her legs are spread wide enough to perfectly accommodate my bulky frame, almost as if set in place by muscle memory. Her left hand is fondling her sweet bits while her right arm is outstretched behind her slightly bent attempting to hold her body up. Her face. I want that face ingrained so deeply into my mind that it will be the last thing I remember before I die. With her head lifted to the ceiling her sweet melodies flow bouncing off the walls of the room.

“Come on, I need you baby.” She brings her head down to look back at me. My jaw clenches watching her dip two fingers into her warm opening. “My fingers don’t feel like yours.” Her left hand is toying with her right nipple while her right is finding a steady rhythm. 

“No matter what I do my hands will never feel as good as you do.” She lets out a breathless moan and I can feel my self control dwindling. “No one can make me feel as good as you do… Not even myself.” 

“Mmm... Steve please” the sound of my name leaving her lips stilled me. “Please play with your dick... Please baby.” That is enough to send me into overdrive. I’ve never heard her speak like this. It’s rare to get a serious moan from her when fucking so to have her say this to me, to have her talk dirty like this... it’s different. I think i enjoy it. I reach my base and wince from the contact. I lift my extended piece to my stomach then back down to my thighs a couple times as if to wave hello.

“Fuck.” I whisper under my breath, moreso to myself. “Fuck, baby, this is what you like?” my fingers enclose my head in a tight grip to mimic the suction of my girlfriend. She nods her head frantically, still assaulting her pussy. 

“yeah? You gonna let me fuck you?” I grunt through passionate strokes. “You gonna let me make you feel good?” I look up at my love and she looks as if she is in a trance. My eyes follow hers to my dick and a shutter moves through me. I watch my hands as if they are not my own. My fingers cup around the head and create small semi circles, “uuhh-huh  f-fuck.” 

“Don’t cum.” she glares at me with dark eyes sitting up and crawling towards me. “I want you to cum inside.” Before I could move to her, she’s on top of me. Straddling me running her fingers through my hair. “You’ve been such a nice boy for me.” The praise makes my dick jump and she feels it. 

“Oh.”she breathes out. “Do you like it when I compliment you baby? I thought you said you didn’t need that?” I did say that. When we first started dating she was very vocal about all the things she loved about me making sure I knew. I would do the same for her because I know she needs that but words of affirmation became a little too much for me. Or so I thought. 

“I…” The words become lost on my tongue as a cross between a moan and a grunt leaves my lips as I feel her rub her pussy across my dick.

“How does it feel?” Her voice is husky, it holds a certainty i’ve never witnessed before tonight. A sharp pain shoots from my pec to the base of my cock. She twisted the jeweled nipple. “I asked you a question, be a good boy and answer me.”

“I-I-It feels-s s-so good.” My hands are on her hips now, following her rhythm. “So fucking good.” I didn’t have time to be embarrassed by my stutter because she aligns me with her sweet opening. She stills for a beat before slowly slipping me into her paradise. Groans from the pits of our stomach arise and she begins to move. It's slow at first, her small whimpers slipping through my labored breath, but something changes. She picks up the speed as she rotates her hips in a way that is sinful. I can sense that she’s getting tired but she holds out for me and my heart swells. 

“You’re doing so good, angel.”  My praise causes her to look me in the eyes. She’s getting to the end of her rope and whenever she ready to hand it back over to me, I’ll happily oblige. I roll my hips up to meet her and a soft sob leaves her lips. 

“Okay,” she sighs out “I’ve had my fun, use me please.” 

I plant my feet firmly beneath us and begin to raise my hips in sharp deliberate strokes. A string of curse words leaves her lips in a hushed whisper. My sweet girl doesn’t want me to hear. My sweet girl. 

“You feel so fucking good.” It’s crazy. No matter how many times I fuck her, it always feels brand new with her. Her body jerks over mine and I know she’s close. I’m right behind her. I lean back and allow my digits to caress her clit. She lets out a moan I’ve never heard as her body spasms around me, her walls grip my dick as if to say please don’t leave. And I don’t. I push myself deeper into her pussy and she lets out another pornographic moan which prompts me to cum. She trembles, gripping my arms and bringing our bodys close. We still, the only movement being the rapid rise and fall of our chests. 

“Oh my god.” She whispers. I pull at her hair lifting her head from my shoulder and scan her face. Her makeup is chaotically misplaced, hair is glued to her forehead, a dazed look is in her eyes. She looks beautiful. I suppose I said those words out loud because a loopy grin adorns her face. That one dimple in her right cheek that I love so much makes an appearance before a thank you slips past her lips to reach my ears. 

“You’re welcome baby.” I kiss her forehead before pulling her close to me again.

[darkhymns-fic]

Rescue Mission in a Shadowy Wood

Lloyd and Colette leave for Gaoracchia Forest together to rescue a lost dog, but the creepy place seems to be even creepier when it's just themselves...

Fandom: Tales of Symphonia Characters/Pairing: Lloyd Irving/Colette Brunel Rating: G Mirror Link: AO3 Notes: Written for Colloyd Week, Day 2: Sidequest! This isn't referencing any specific sidequest in-game, but just making one myself because I've actually had this silly idea in my head for a while. Fair warning that a certain point of this fic might have a claustrophobia trigger? It's mainly emphasizing an action that happens in battle actually and is mostly brief, but just to be safe. (I'm sorry, Lloyd) :'D

--

It all started with a lost doggy.

“Tiggy!” Colette called out, walking in-between the thick roots that snaked across the forest floor, completely unmindful to the chill that whistled through the boughs overhead. “Where are you?” Her shout reverberated against the trees, echoed back at her like a wandering ghost in search of something precious.

Such a sound would usually send a shiver down one’s spine, but Colette happened to enjoy the acoustics, calling out another “Hellooo Tiggyyyy!” When she heard her own voice come back to her, warbly and almost breathless, she giggled against her hand. “It sounds so silly! Don’t you think so, Lloyd? …Lloyd?”

The usual red she was used to seeing was nowhere near her, and so she had to look farther down the path that led out to Mizuho. Only a little bit away, but right there, in the middle of the path, Lloyd was standing, rubbing an arm as he gazed up at the curled trees that lined the road.

“…Huh? Uh, y-yeah, yeah! Definitely…um…”

Though just a few steps back, he was looking wistfully from the path they came through. The sunlight was just out of reach, gliding along the ground before being abruptly stopped by the shadows of Gaoracchia Forest’s trees.

From where he stood, he looked towards Colette as if he were a lost doggy himself, making her heart flutter in her chest.

“Oh! Are you scared, Lloyd?”

“No way!” Lloyd answered instantly – with maybe a little squeak to this voice. “I mean… nah. I go through these kinds of woods all the time!” He then flinched when he heard a particularly weird-sounding bird call from above them, complemented by the rustling of leaves. “Just…not usually at night…”

“It’s okay to be scared!” Colette walked back to him, taking a hand of his gently. “You’re still thinking about Zelos’ stories?”

A grumble as he instinctively tightened his fingers around hers. “…Maybe…”

It was natural for their group to go off on strange little tangents on their journey all the time, and Tethe’alla provided a whole new place for them to explore. From the sprawling roadways of Meltokio, to the steep cliffs that had made up Mt. Fooji, and now here, in a forest that could have been like Iselia’s woods if the trees didn’t continually block out the sun, or that the pathways didn’t keep being blocked by vines that refused to budge.

“It was really creepy, wasn’t it?” Colette said, gently tugging Lloyd along as they walked deeper into a place that few people dared to tread through. “But also very sad too. All those poor ghosts…”

“Geez, Colette, if you thought it was scary, you sure don’t act like it!” Lloyd’s foot stumbled against one such root – which he was sure hadn’t been right there before! – and had to rely on Colette’s grip to keep himself balanced. “You just clapped when he finished telling!”

“Hm, but he told it very well! Don’t you think?”

Going by how both he and Genis had run away in fear after hearing it, he sighed. “Guess so…”

“But I’m happy you wanted to come here with me, Lloyd. It’d be hard to search through this forest for Tiggy by myself.”

“Well, I couldn’t let you go alone.” And also, Colette had already been rushing for the forest once she heard about the Mizuho shopkeeper’s little dog that had wandered in here, so Lloyd didn’t exactly have much time to wait behind. “But we probably should have told the others we’d be gone, too.”

“I’m sorry,” Colette voiced, and in her tone was complete sincerity. Still, she directed her gaze forward, through the darkness. “But I don’t want to leave a poor doggy out here all alone.”

“I know.” For a moment, Lloyd’s fear of the forest was forgotten. He held back Colette’s hand tightly, giving her a wide grin and a thumbs up once he caught her attention. “Well, four eyes are better than two! So don’t worry. We’ll definitely find Tiggy no matter what!” Lloyd felt proud then, and brave! He stood up tall, keeping Colette’s hands in his. “That’s just math!”

Her smile back was full of hope at the idea. “Thank you, Lloyd. I’m sorry to always be so much trouble.”

“You’re not! Besides, we’ve gone through this forest so we can do it again-”

Lloyd expected a lot of things, especially in this forest. He expected another creepy noise just at his ear, like a whisper which he swore he had heard a few times now, or the cold wind suddenly blowing and biting at his neck, or even maybe just some scary-looking rabbit to jump out at him – which would at least be familiar to him and something he could fight against.

He didn’t expect the horrific, high-pitched screaming that seemed to echo all around them, from every tree on the path, until it felt like they were surrounded by the sound completely.

Lloyd immediately jumped, tripped over another root, then brought Colette in a protective, but very much shaking hug, looking all around them. “W-w-what was that?!”

Colette blinked, her hair just brushing underneath Lloyd’s chin. She could feel the rapid beating of his heart through his jacket, the warmth of his arms around her back. She almost didn’t want to answer to break this nice moment…

“Hm, was it Tiggy?” At that, she got excited. “Maybe he heard us!”

“That…was not Tiggy! No way was that Tiggy! It sounded like… like a person!” Lloyd slowly panned his head around them, at the trees overhead that seemed to somehow shift in closer, their boughs reaching out like broken arms. “The thief from the story…?” Lloyd shook his head. “No way. That story was fake! …Wasn’t it…?”

“Hm, if it’s not Tiggy, then maybe whoever screamed is with him.” Colette reluctantly pressed her hands against Lloyd’s chest. She didn’t really want to leave this place of warmth in Lloyd’s arms, the safe way he made her feel just then, but when a doggy was in trouble… she couldn’t sit back! “They’re probably both lost. We need to hurry and find them!”

Even though Lloyd’s face looked very pale, and that he couldn’t seem to stop shivering (maybe he was also cold?), he nodded, then took a deep breath. “You’re right… Okay! Let’s go! I even got the Sorcerer’s Ring to help out if any weird plants get in the way!” Such a ring was over his finger, having changed it to give light instead of fire. “It’s a good thing I never gave this back, huh.”

She was always so happy to have Lloyd’s full support. With more confidence than before, Colette headed once again down the path, deeper into the forest. “It sounded like it came from this way!”

“Yeah! Right.. right behind you!”

The blood-curdling scream hadn’t happened again (to Lloyd’s immense relief) but the forest sounds grew louder the more they went in. The creaking of the branches in the wind, the snap of the leaves as they stepped over them on the path, and loud calls from birds that Lloyd couldn’t exactly place… The problem was, it was easy to get lost inside, and soon enough, both found themselves passing by the same fallen tree log to their right for the fifth time in a row.

“I could try to fly up and look around?” Colette suggested, knowing their predicament was not exactly in the best light. “The branches are a little thick but maybe…”

“Wait, don’t leave!” Lloyd instantly squeaked before clearing his throat and smiling like nothing was wrong at all. “I- I mean, with the way this forest is, it’s probably harder to see from up there. Also, we should stick together!” If Lloyd at least had his Rheaird, he could have flown up with her, but he had left it in the wingpack with the others…

“Ah, you’re right! Then maybe we can-” At that, Colette stopped, tilted her head, then turned to her left, looking down past a thick underbrush that deviated off the road.

“Colette? What’s wrong?” Lloyd asked, hands on the hilts of his swords, momentarily forgetting he was scared out of his mind.

“I hear a doggy whine...” She turned to Lloyd with wide eyes, fists clenched near her chest. “I hear Tiggy! He’s frightened, Lloyd!”

Before he could even get a word out, Colette had rushed off, straight into the darkness and in-between two closely-knitted trees.

“Wait! Colette!” He dashed after her in the same direction, trying his very best to ignore Zelos’ stories so that he could stop shaking and run faster! But catching up to Colette proved to be a bit more difficult than he anticipated…

The thing was, when it came to doggies, no matter how big or small, whether nameless or not, Colette could hardly focus on anything else. He watched as she expertly dodged any forest debris on the ground, her clumsiness suddenly vanishing. “Tiggy!” she called out, using her hands to throw out her voice more. “Tiggy! Please come home!”

“T-Tiggy!” Lloyd called out too, a little tired with how much he had to run just to be on Colette’s same pace. Shadows kept dancing at the corner of his eyes, and never was he able to catch their shape as he turned his head. But, surely it was nothing? They’ve already fought weird monsters in this place before… He had no reason to be scared!

And then, at a certain point, Colette no longer wanted to just run. It must have been by instinct, for she summoned her wings with barely a flinch, using them to flutter behind her and float over the dips in the forest floor, over any roots that were too high up.

Colette kept flying faster and faster, until Lloyd nearly lost his breath. Which was odd because he was quite used to running around! But Colette moved so fast! Her dedication to dogs was truly admirable “Hold on! I can’t…fly…”

“Ah, sorry!” Even in her pursuit, she slowed down just a bit, looking back to Lloyd. “But, I think I’m getting closer to him now!”

“Would a dog really run this far out?” he asked, unsure of the answer to his question. Even Noishe wouldn’t wander this far in… But then again, Noishe wouldn’t get close to such a forest in the first place.

“Ah, I see him!” And it was times like these that Lloyd wondered if Colette also had angelic sight along with her hearing! “Tiggy!”

All he could last see was the flutter of her pink wings, quickly swallowed up by the dark as she turned a corner. At the last second, creeping vines and brush covered up the way she had just vanished through.

“No! Colette!” Lloyd’s first instinct was to whack at the vines with his swords, yet the steel bounced off the brush as if it were made of stone. It only took him a moment to remember what he should do instead. With shaking hands and trying to hold one of his swords underneath his arm, Lloyd activated his Sorcerer’s Ring to point the sunlight at the thick leaves. “Come on, hurry up!”

Of course, it didn’t exactly work right away. (It never did!!) First, he held the ring at the wrong angle somehow, and then the ring just wouldn’t turn on, and then the ring had run out of the necessary sunlight, so Lloyd had to go back a-ways to a meager spot where the sunlight beamed through and absorb it through the ring like he was a flower reaching for the sun.

“This thing is so stupid!” he grumbled, then marched back to the vines that were in his way. This time, he directed the ring at the exact right spot, and the leaves retreated into the shadows, giving him room to move through. “That took forever…”

But he had no time to keep complaining! Running as fast as he could, swords unsheathed, he stumbled right into the dark, seeing only the outlines of overhanging trees, the breaks of blue sky overhead… and then pink light.

“Lloyd! Hi!” she waved at him cheerfully from a distance. “Look, I found Tiggy!”

And there she was, with the missing dog cradled in her arms. Paws were hanging upward as she held him facing up, a tongue lolling out of his mouth with happy panting. The two-colored fur coat, of white and gentle brown, let Lloyd know that this was the right dog!

That, and they were both surrounded by a group of monsters that looked quite ready to charge at them.

Even from their distance in the darkness, Lloyd could still see her smile apologetically. “It’s a bit hard to fight them while carrying Tiggy though…”

Lloyd only had a quick second to see what monsters they were dealing with; a couple of those weird looking pumpkin trees, a ghost that looked a bit lonely ( and he was sure it wasn’t the thief’s ghost from Zelos’ story so he could deal with it!) one of the horned animal-skull spellcasters that always spoke so loud, and what Professor Sage had termed a Coffin Master, and with the way they hunched over in their dark shroud where only pinpricks of red light could be seen, they looked as if they would be squashed by the quite literal coffin they were lugging around.

This one was closer to Colette, and was slowly lumbering towards her.

“Watch out!” With a well-timed Demon Fang, he got the Coffin Master to stagger, getting its attention. Lloyd felt his fear leave him. Sure, these things were still really creepy, but if he could fight them, then it wasn’t an issue!

Colette took the opportunity to fly just to the side, closer to Lloyd, then depositing Tiggy back on the ground behind them. “Now just stay right there!” she told it happily as she got out her chakrams. Already the monsters were surrounding them. They’d have to fight their way through to escape!

“I got your back, okay, Colette?” Lloyd said, moving close to her as he held out his swords. “Let’s get rid of these guys and get Tiggy out of here!”

“Okay!” Colette smiled as she was already throwing out a chakram at the spellcaster’s head before he could finish his chant. Lloyd rushed straight at the pumpkin trees that were waddling towards them. It would be harder without the others, but they had this now!

“I wish we didn’t have to hurt them still,” Colette softly spoke, all as she threw a Pow Hammer right at the ghost and making it dizzy from the contact. “Those pumpkins are really cute.”

“Colette, I don’t get how you find these cute! They keep making those weird faces at us!” And Lloyd had carved plenty of pumpkins for the holidays back at Iselia… and even he had never been able to make as scary of faces in his pumpkins as these ones did. He parried one that lobbed one of the massive gourds at him.

“It’s the way they walked! Didn’t you notice?” A flash of Angel Feathers, and the lonely ghost vanished from the angelic magic to be lonely no more.

“It’s kinda hard to…” Another thrust, and finally the last pumpkin tree fell over. But that was when he noticed the lumbering Coffin Master again, heading once more towards Tiggy who had wandered to the left just a bit, sniffing at an errant clump of grass.

“Tiggy, no!” Lloyd rushed over to stand in-between both monster and unaware dog, preparing a strong attack to keep it protected!

He only noticed too late how the Coffin Master turned around – but not to run off.

“Hunting Bea-!” Lloyd’s voice was quickly cut off once a weird tail-like appendage burst out from the coffin that had opened so suddenly, wrapping around his torso. “Ack!”

“Lloyd?” Colette could barely have time to turn, busy trying to ward off the last spellcaster who kept trying to pull off at least one successful magic arte.

Lloyd couldn’t even shout, the air already leaving his body once the tail lifted him off the ground, then dragged him closer and closer to a dark void that was…“Wait wait wait Colette help let me go LET ME GO-”

“Huh?”

“COLETTE!” Lloyd’s voice vanished once he was pulled into the coffin, the lid locking tight with a loud click!

Finally able to defeat the spellcaster who fell to the ground with a loud, “NooOOooo..!” Colette turned around, only to find Lloyd was gone, a few remaining pumpkin trees, and maybe a zombie, in his place. “Lloyd? Where are you? Are you okay?” Maybe he had gotten so scared that he ran away…

That is, until she heard the muffled screaming. It sounded familiar! And it wasn’t too far away!

She turned her head to see the coffin on one monster’s back shake. “Are you in there?”

Another scream, followed by desperate knocking against the lid so much that it shook from its hinges.

“Oh good! I thought you’d gotten lost too!” That was a big relief to her. With a nod, she readied herself for one last thing she’d been preparing for. “Don’t worry! I’ll get you out!”

The coffin kept shaking and screaming. Maybe he couldn’t hear her…

Meanwhile, the dog was still sniffing around and scratching at an occasional itch, but luckily the monsters were no longer paying attention to it. Colette quickly whispered the ritual prayer that she had repeated many times before, her wings lifting her and lighting up the dark forest, all as the remaining monsters headed for her. “Cast thy purifying light upon these corrupt souls… Judgment!”

A dazzling brilliance of magic illuminated the area, making the shadow-soaked plants curl up, and making the dog’s eyes blink a little in surprise. Beams of light rained from above to strike at the mob of monsters, including the one with the coffin on his back.

Once all fell, the coffin fell too – and with the force of its impact to the ground, busted the lid open.

“-OUT LET ME OUT!” Lloyd fell to the grass in mid-shout, panting heavily, still clutching his swords with shaking hands. He looked like he was trying to get something off of him until he realized he was free and no longer confined. His face was entirely pale as he looked around in barely concealed shock. “Wh-wha…I … man…” He dropped his swords, blinked once more, then dropped backwards in a heap.

“Lloyd!” Colette rushed up to him, and so did Tiggy, who caught up to him first and was now curiously sniffing his cheek. “Are you okay? Are you hurt?”

“Not… not physically…” Lloyd heaved out, still trying to catch his breath. “I’m… probably gonna have nightmares for weeks and… not want to be in small spaces for a while… but…that’s okay…”

Colette looked at him with guilt, reaching for one of his hands and clutching it tight. “I’m sorry. I made you come with me…”

“Colette… don’t think that.” He looked to her and to Tiggy who was now pawing at his shoulder like he was holding a secret treat from him. “We found Tiggy. That’s what’s important. I’ll.. be okay!” With his free hand, he held up a shaking thumbs up. “See? No….no problem…”

Still, she worried. His face was as white as Genis’ hair, so much so that she felt compelled to brush her hand against his cheek. At least he still felt warm. “Lloyd, you were so brave for protecting Tiggy.” The mentioned dog was now sniffing her hand along with his face, the feel of his wet nose making her giggle. “I think he knows it too.”

Lloyd’s grin was a little shaky, but it was real. “We can’t let any dog get hurt, can we?” She felt his face press into her hand, though maybe that was just because he was tired. “That’s what I learned from you… and what I admire about you so much, Colette.”

The words sent a flutter through her chest. Even in this dark forest where creepy denizens of the world lived in, she had never felt as warm and as bright as right now. If only she could keep staying in this moment, with both Lloyd and doggy by her side…

A strange cawing echoed above them, and she felt Lloyd flinch. “Er, think we can leave this place actually?” He sat up, though kept close to her as much as he could.

“Oh, of course!” And as she helped him up, making sure to carry Tiggy in her arms so he wouldn’t get lost again, both made their way out of the area and stepped around fallen monsters. “Sheena gave me directions around here earlier, so we shouldn’t get lost!”

“That’s good…” Lloyd still breathed a little heavily, but he held her hand, slightly leaning against her as they walked. “Also, I… think I know where that scream from earlier came from,” he said with a shudder. “We should probably walk a little faster..”

“Yep!” And though Lloyd didn’t expand much further about the scream (maybe when they were with their friends again, she could gently ask him about it) they made their way through the darkness until the break in the forest trees showed them open skies and fresh air.

She was happy that Lloyd would follow her, even into the darkest woods imaginable - but next time, she’d make sure they’d go somewhere with a little more sunlight.

[princessjungeun]

One Last Chance: Mina x Reader

Request: Hi! your stories are awesome! Is it okay I can request Mina x female reader college life, where Mina is the most popular rich girl, and her friends place a bet that Mina has to go out with you and make you fell in love with her but turns out the time you guys were together Mina eventually fells in love and tries to call off the bet, and you heard the whole thing, heartbroken you avoided her and Mina did anything that she could to bring you back, fluffy ending (: pleas and thank you!

Hi my loves. This is the long Mina scenario I was asking about earlier. This is really REALLY long but you all promised you wouldn’t mind so here it is 🙃

You transferred to Sungkyunkwan University at the beginning of this semester. Originally you attended MIT for Software Engineering, hacking is your specialty. When a professor recommended you for a study abroad, you couldn’t pass it up. You knew Korean well due to growing up in a heavily Korean influenced neighborhood as a child.

Coming to Korea wasn’t that bad because you were able to meet a few other people over social media before you arrived. You met your roommate months before you flew in so you already had one best friend.

Upon your arrival you already drew up quite a bit of attention. Somehow people found out you were from MIT which they couldn’t believe. Your roommate made sure to make you aware of who to avoid and who was friendly. Pretty much everyone was nice but she told you to watch for one group of girls.

Which is why when you were approached by none other than Mina Myoui aka the richest bitch in the whole school you were beyond confused. The raven haired girl asked “Hey. You’re Y/N right?” You had never seen Mina up close, she was ten times more beautiful than you thought.

“Wait do you speak Korean? I’m sorry. Are you Y/N?” She switched to English when you didn’t respond right away. You quickly tried to answer without sounding stupid “I-Uh um yes I am Y/N and I speak Korean yeah sorry I...I uh. I’m sorry...yeah.” You mentally face palmed yourself for not being able to say one simple sentence to her.

She sat down and said “you’re new and from what I know your only friend is Kahei. So meet me at the cafe down the street at 6, I’ll be waiting.” Before you could respond she got up and walked back to her group of friends who seemed to be laughing. You noticed two of the girls from her group. Im Nayeon was in one of your engineering classes while Minatozaki Sana was in a psych class you took to fill an empty slot.

When you got back to your dorm Kahei was on her bed reading a book. She asked “where’d you go?” You responded “the quad to start a project. But something really weird happened.” Kahei sat up on her bed and patted the spot next to her, “come on talk to me I wanna know.”

“That really rich and pretty girl....Mila? She’s friends with Im Nayeon and Minatozaki Sana...she came up to me and told me to meet her at the cafe down the street at 6.” Kahei’s eyes widened and she loudly said “MINA MYOUI ASKED YOU ON A DATE?” You shrugged then nodded. Kahei made you resite every thing that happened leading up to her asking you out for coffee. In the end she said “hmmmm...I don’t trust it. It sounds fake.” You responded “I do admit it’s a little suspicious that the most rich and popular girl in school asked me, the poor foreigner to a date...”

Kahei told you “well even if it is fake you’re gonna go to find out.” You looked at your sweatpants and t shirt you were currently wearing. You hair was in a messy bun and your thick glasses sat lopsided on your face. “Do rich people like girls who look like me?” You asked uncertainly. Kahei responded “only one way to find out!”

When you went to the cafe Kahei decided to tag along but sit at a different table with her girlfriend Haseul.

Mina arrived shortly after you, “oh i honestly didn’t think you’d show up.” She was surprised to see you actually came. You looked at you hands in your lap “I mean I think it’s rude to blow someone off...” Mina sat down across from you “you look really pretty.” You could tell that it was a genuine complement by the way she smiled softly when she said it. I guess rich people do like girls like me you thought to yourself.

For the next hour she asked you about everything there was she should know about you. Kahei told you to make sure not to disclose every detail about yourself because she still didn’t trust Mina. However by the end of the night you were convinced she was genuine.

•

•

•

Weeks passed and you continued to meet up with Mina, you knew Kahei and Haseul warned you about catching feelings too quickly but you couldn’t help it. Mina seemed so sweet and genuine despite her rich bitch demeanor.

You sat in the library working on a project with your classmate Yuqi. “I know we just met like this week but I don’t trust her either, I’m with Kahei on this one.” You don’t know why you decided to spill all of your business to Yuqi but something about her seemed trustworthy. You rolled your eyes “You all are delusional.”

Deep down you believed Kahei and Haseul and now Yuqi but you didn’t want to admit it. Mostly because you caught feelings for Mina. Badly. Yuqi didn’t pull her eyes away from her laptop “I-I’m just saying something here isn’t adding up. This isn’t right.”

“I’m just gonna- give me a minute.” Yuqi furiously typed away on her laptop, occasionally smiling and laughing to herself. After about two minutes passed she flipped her screen around in front of you was a KakaoTalk page. Mina Myoui’s to be specific.

“Yuqi! WHAT DID YOU DO?!” You whisper yelled to the younger girl who sat with a smile on her face. She simply answered “I hacked into her account. See?” You responded “I’m not reading her messages. That’s an invasion of privacy.” Yuqi responded “Ok well if you won’t I will, she has no relevance to me so it can’t hurt the nonexistent relationship between us.”

She scrolled and scrolled her facial expressions changing from surprised to one you couldn’t quite read. “Y-Y/N....um...I don’t know if you should read this yourself or not.” You felt a pit in your stomach form knowing whatever she had in front of her wasnt good news.

Yuqi slid her laptop to you and you read the messages shared between Mina and her friend group:

Sana: you have three days left in this bet Myoui

Chaeyoung: Sana’s right, you need to figure out how to get Y/N to confess to you

Nayeon: yeah if you don’t you can kiss that Maldives trip bye bye and we can say hello to that shopping spree :)

Mina: I dont want this anymore guys

Sana: are you chickening out?

Chaeyoung: shes chickening out

Mina: it’s not that

Nayeon: so what is it

Mina: nevermind

Jeongyeon: i might be in this friend group but this is wrong on every level

Tzuyu: I’m with Jeongyeon unnie

Dahyun: Me too

Momo: what bet? who is Y/N? I WANT A SHOPPING SPREE!

Jihyo: No you dont

Momo: no i do not

Jihyo: but I’m with Jeongyeon and the kids.

You couldn’t believe what you were reading. There was no way in hell Mina could have done this to you. Absolutely no way. Wanting to find some sort of happy ending you scrolled to a different chat with only this Jeongyeon girl. These newer messages brought on a new wave of emotions.

Jeongyeon: why are you trying to call it off now. You were all excited about it and now you want nothing to do with it.

Mina: I don’t know, It just feels wrong now

Jeongyeon: I know you Mina there’s something else

Mina: Theres nothing else

Jeongyeon: dont you dare lie to me

Mina: fine.

Mina: i like her. A lot. And i want to be with her.

Jeongyeon: then make your move

Mina: but if she finds out it was started with a bet....

Jeongyeon: well then come clean and apologize and pray she stays around. But honestly if i was her i wouldnt give you a second chance

Mina: thats not very reassuring

Jeongyeon: i’m disappointed in you, that’s the best you’re getting for now

Mina: ok, thank you unnie

Mina: i’m doing it tomorrow i’ll tell you how it goes

Jeongyeon: mhm

You looked to see when that last message was sent and it read yesterday’s date. So she was planning to confess or come clean today. Immediately you stood up and put your belongings in your bag before leaving Yuqi alone in the library.

You walked across campus to the dance studio where you found Mina dancing with another girl. “Myoui.” You pushed your glasses up to prevent them from sliding down. Mina turned and saw you “Y/N hey I thought we were going to meet la-”

You cut her off “I love you Mina Myoui, with all my heart I do! Is that what yo want to hear? Can you go to the Maldives now? You won. Congratulations bitch.” Mina looked at the other girl who stood in the room, she looked really confused and got uncomfortable and sprinted out, almost falling on her own feet.

“What are you talking about? I won? Maldives?” Mina questioned you. You snapped back “I didn’t stutter did I?” She replied “how did you- Who told you?” You responded “It’s not who told me or how I found out. You placed a stupid bet on me and toyed with my heart as if you were interested and I fell for your bullshit. Stay the fuck away from me. And if I catch you even thinking about talking to Kahei...you’ll wish you didn’t.” You turned around and walked out not giving Mina a chance to talk.

•

•

•

Weeks passed and the semester was coming to a close in 6 weeks. You hadn’t heard a thing from Mina or any of her friends. Sana and Nayeon stayed away from you when they had class with you. Kahei, Haseul, and Yuqi introduced you to their friends instead to make up for the relationship you once had.

Out of all of the girls you met through Kahei and Yuqi, Jinsoul and Miyeon were closest with you. Miyeon walked into your room “Hey. We’re going to a party and you’re coming. All you’ve done is moped around, worked on projects, or went to the boxing gym. It’s been too long you need to go out.” You groaned “don’t you have work today?” Miyeon responded “ok we meant you and Jinsoul but she’s finishing an assignment so she sent me to tell you.” You rolled over on your face knowing there was no getting out of this.  “Ugh fine.” You giving into your friends wishes.

Miyeon left and outfit for you before leaving your dorm to head to work. You looked over your reflection in the mirror. Miyeon definitely tried something with this outfit because you never wore these types of clothes.

You were finishing up your hair when Jinsoul unlocked your door, ready to go. “Woah...You look so good!” She jumped up and down and clapped her hands excitedly. You quickly but in your shoes and grabbed your phone before she yanked you out of the door.

This house party was definitely run by someone rich because this house was really nice. You linked arms with Jinsoul and held her hand so you wouldn’t lose her in the crowd of people. The two of you found your friend groups and stayed together with them for most of the night.

You noticed some of Mina’s friends were there as well but you didn’t see Mina. Jinsoul danced against you as you held her close laughing at her antics. Throughout the night you noticed she was watching one girl in particular, Kim Jungeun. She was in your guys’ friend group but because there’s a total of 19 girls in the group, the two of you weren’t exactly close with everyone. You know she went by Kim Lip, only allowing a few people to call her Jungeun.

“Ooo I see Lip is alone, now’s your chance go go!” You pushed Jinsoul towards the girl. Your best friend responded “no what about you I see Mina’s friends here, what if she arrives?” You pushed her further “i’ll be fine I can handle myself, just keep your phone on!” She nodded and let her hand slip out of yours, running towards Kim Lip.

You danced on a few girls and a few random dudes before getting tired of the environment. Knowing you couldn’t leave Jinsoul, you decided to walk upstairs to see if there was anything to explore. You accidentally walked in on a couple before you realized you should knock on doors before opening them.

You found a door that was open so you walked in, ready to punch of someone came at you unexpectedly. The room was large, like really large, pictures hanging on the walls, stuffed animals lining whoever’s bed it was.

However the most eye catching thing was the gigantic window that overlooked the city. You slid it open and saw there was enough room on the roof for you to safely sit. Taking in deep breaths of cool air you hugged your knees to your chest.

A knock on the shingles is what snapped you out of your trance. You expected Jinsoul but instead you saw Mina. The Japanese girl softly asked “Do you mind?” You responded coldly “no.” She smiled and walked out sitting next to you, “Id hope not, you are sitting on my roof.” You asked “so this is your place? This isn’t the same one I visited those times though.” Mina responded “rich people unnecessarily buy multiple houses.” An awkward silence fell over the two of you.

She looked at you but you stared straight ahead waiting for her to talk. Eventually you grew impatient, “I’m pretty sure you didn’t come out here to look at me, so whatever you have to say just go ahead.” She sighed then said “I’m sorry. I truly am. My friends were being stupid one day and betted me to go ask you out. Originally my intentions weren’t true and I only wanted to win. But after getting to know you...I kind of fell for you and I didn’t know what to do. I’m sorry.”

You could tell she was being genuine by the tone in her voice. You hesitated then said “I loved you Mina.” She quickly responded “I love you too.” You were quick to ruin the moment “I said loveD. Past tense. I-I don’t know if i can trust you anymore.

Mina reached for your hand and you allowed her to hold it. “Please Y/N. Give me one last chance and if I mess it up you’ll never have to even think about me. I’ll make sure my friends don’t think about doing anything. Please just one more chance. Please.” Something about seeing her like this made your heart melt and butterflies erupted in your stomach.

You gave in “Fine. One last chance. That’s it.” She smiled and finally you looked at her. Her adorable gummy smile that you once loved so much was back. She placed a hand behind your neck, with her eyes she asked you for permission. You nodded and she kissed you softly. In that moment you remembered every reason why you loved Mina before.



[ambitionsource]

hi can we get some zaley friendship headcanons whenever you're free? ☺️

im not the best at headcanons just bc of the way my brain functions but im gonna do my best for you, sunny my friend. let’s go zay and riley let’s go!

thrift shop buddies!! one of the most common ways that they hang out is definitely going thrifting. considering they arguably have the two most eclectic wardrobes on the show, this makes sense. esp i fully believe they’re the perfect people to thrift shop with where they encourage each other to try on everything, even if it seems outlandish (and sometimes even more in those moments). that’s the only way to really get some good finds! and i feel like, beyond S1, when they wear items for performances in the show that are clearly unique / seem thrifted, it’s more than 50% likely the other helped them pick it out at some point

on this note, i think that they both have really good senses of what looks good on the other bc they spend this time together, probably better than anyone else (yes, including their significant others. not that that’s hard, since both of their significant others have notoriously bland fashion). like even when theyre not out together i can totally imagine them seeing something and being like “oh this is so riley / zay” and getting it for each other. they know each other’s sizes and have like an ongoing swap credit system gfJSKHJDLFH

riley and zay usually run performance by the other person before they perform them for the class / at an audition. like they find a specific time (usually during breakout sessions during class) to get in front of the other person and run them through their concept + do a run-through for them. they just really appreciate the other’s perspective, especially since they tend to complement each other -- zay is able to identify places where riley could heighten things or add some flair or just like... assert her talent more lmao, whereas riley helps zay pull back on some of his more overwhelming instincts when necessary or find the moments to truly lean in emotionally rather than blowing us out of the water the whole time

if we could actually Watch the show, i guarantee 9/10 times when riley or zay is performing, we would cut to the other enjoying the performance. like theyre always bobbing their head along and truly feelin the other’s performances. excellent vibes luv!

i also think they harmonize well with each other, which is why its kind of a shame they dont do more performances together within the context of assignments (as for why, couldn’t tell you... it might just be a weird psychological thing of like i have These people i perform with when it matters and these who are just for fun... like maybe zay and riley tend to see each other as easygoing comfortable duet partners and thats why they try not to overdo putting pressure on it). but yeah they absolutely have days where they just hang out in one of the rehearsal studios and play around on the piano and try to find ways to harmonize on their favorite songs. this is some of the best singing riley ever does, bc its so low stakes and fun

i also think that honestly, zay really helps strengthen riley’s vocals over the time they’re friends -- especially early on. riley is someone with good raw talent but she’s never thought about honing it seriously prior to joining aaa, whereas zay has been on a career mindset since he was little. so he is good at teaching her like small technique things or helping her expand her range and she really values that esp bc hes so selfless about giving it, but it doesnt come off naggy or unnecessary like maya’s advice often does

sometimes it can be hard for them to find songs they both wanna sing though bc their music taste is so different. i think they have like three small categories where their favorites overlap -- select big names (sza, chloe x halle), jazz / old-time crooners (frank sinatra, nina simone, and the like), and select musical theater. but i think this is mainly on zay, bc he’s much more picky about music than riley who will give anything a listen without much nudging. as we know zay likes to pick on his friends’ music taste (like charlie and harry styles / 1d) and i don’t think riley would escape this affectionate teasing. they exchange song recs and riley gives him like her usual piano ballad-y sara bareilles tswift rachael yamagata energy and shes like oh yes, another piano ballad and hes like STOP!!! JUST LISTEEEENNNN GFSJKLHJFDSKLHKDLFH

that said though, they’re definitely go-to friends when it comes to like checking out a new local artist or coffeeshop open mic nights. this is probably a typical zay / riley / yindra outing

zay doesn’t spend a ton of time watching tv bc “he has better things to do with his time,” but riley and zay are definitely the type to watch a show together. like not always Together, but they’ll try to keep up with each other so that they can talk about it (and riley has to try really hard not to keep binging and get way ahead of zay). theyre good at this bc they can have really intense and opinionated conversations about it but in a way where its like safe and neither of them feel like theyre actually being judged / are stupid if they disagree (something thats not common for riley, and zay usually is trying to discuss media with super strong personalities who aren’t great at Debating).

in general, though, they tend to agree on favorite characters / relationships. for example, they both hate rachel berry -- which always gets maya and farkle extremely heated if they’re around. i can only imagine why...

they’re also definitely safe-space vent people for each other. they don’t use the privilege all that often bc i think both of them try to like keep their cool and not get hung up about things, but if they really just have to pop off about something they know they can go to the other person and they’ll actually Listen and keep it under wraps rather than either spilling it to everyone else and/or immediately trying to problem solve rather than just listening to the Emotions. and it’s helpful bc for the most part, their friends don’t actually really overlap that much, so they don’t really like harbor the emotions the other person unloads on them or let it affect their dynamics with other people? like riley can talk about dasher and zay can talk about yingel without it having any ripple consequences bc theyre different circles.

for example, i can totally see riley talking to zay about how she feels like -- at first -- asher doesn’t really like her and won’t really let her in and like he doesn’t want her to join the friend group (even tho that isn’t really true). like she can’t talk to dylan about it bc she’s not going to put him in that position and she’s not foolish enough to think that’s a good idea, she can’t talk to lucas about it bc he like doesn’t get stuff like that gFJKHGLFJSDLH and also he has such a set impression of asher it would be hard for him to understand it from her perspective. zay has none of that, so hes a good person to listen to her nerves about it.

the only times this gets kind of complicated / janky is in the midst of zay x charlie stuff where riley is kind of unintentionally (or, sometimes, intentionally) in the middle. like, zay trusts her not to go telling charlie what he says about him, but he knows they’re good friends too, and its an awkward position to put her in. but still, i think when zay is really hurt or frustrated he’ll snap sometimes and just vent out all his anger about charlie to riley in one foul swoop, and she’ll just absorb it like a sponge without judgment and then not bring it up again. but you can also see little ways where this puts pressure on their friendship, like how when he was drunk in 304 zay expressed resentment towards the fact that riley also talks to charlie and sometimes he feels like she puts him first, even though that isn’t true. it’s just..... a very very complicated (and interesting, if emotional) situation with that trio.

that being said, when things are Good, i think that zay feels comfortable talking about his significant others (including charlie) with riley. he doesn’t really get too Detailed about anything personal or anything, but they definitely discussed charlie in s2 in the small window of time where riley knew and zc wasn’t actively imploding LMAO. on the flip side, riley doesn’t really talk to zay about her relationships, but only bc her relationship is lucas GJFSKLJHLKDJHFLDSH. like anyone else she’d be like okay sure this is fine but she knows zay finds lucas annoying 65% of the time and talking about him in a romantic context grosses him out so she respects that LMAOOOO. hysterical

in general, if they’re gonna hang out, they usually go to either a local coffee shop they like (like svorskis) or each other’s houses. its kind of a relief to have a person they can just take anywhere and have around their parents with no trouble at all, considering both of them are used to having a boyfriend who cant be seen in their house (for different reasons). and theyre comfortable enough that like i think when they hang out at their houses, they just spread out in the living area of both bc theyre not hiding anything, its like very lowkey and comfortable

that being said, riley doesnt spend much time in zay’s usual studio at school. most people don’t, its a place zay now likes to be alone (and it feels weird with someone else being there who isnt charlie)

as for how they come off to their families, the babineauxs love riley. jada has met her a couple of times and thinks she’s super sweet + zay could afford to learn a thing or two from her like how to chill the fuck out (cue zay going shut the fuck up). donna is excited that zay has another friend who isn’t batshit intense about stuff like maya / farkle, she figures yindra has the diva best friend role covered and zay needs more friends like nigel and riley to ground him. she’s right about this.

cory likes zay, but he also does have some prejudices from the teaching perspective about how zay doesn’t pay attention in class half the time and blows off his assignments -- but this isn’t partially because cory isn’t a great teacher and his assignments suck. so the feeling is mutual, tho zay gets along better with cory in a neutral, polite sense than say, asher and dylan, where it’s like guerilla psychological warfare. topanga has no opinion about zay bc riley doesn’t introduce her friends to her (wisely).

they’re still very common lunch buddies. essentially when riley isn’t eating with the techies (which is only when lucas is there usually) or bothering lucas in the booth once a week, she’s with zay (which usually also means nigel, yindra, and farkle, though not always)

ultimately, i think that when someone asks riley who her best friend is, her mind will always jump to zay first. not even because theyre necessarily the closest at any given time, but because he really was her first life raft at aaa and he extended that kindness to her in a moment where she was so used to being brushed aside, talked over, ridiculed -- and you don’t forget that. it stays with you. so when she thinks about her Best Friend, speed round answer, he will always come to mind first. i think she greatly admires his skillful balance of confidence and compassion, his sarcastic sense of humor, the way he gets so passionate about dance and music and how these elements come together, and his inarguable kindness that is at his core and so fundamental to everything he does (even when his more known reputation is a bit more barbed and witty).

on the flip side, i think riley came into zay’s life at the exact moment he needed it. we know he felt isolated in s1, and even though i think he thinks of nigel and yindra as his first-to-mind best friends, riley was a breath of fresh air who allowed him to be himself with someone who wasnt going to judge him on past decisions or impressions. just like he gave her the chance to define herself in his eyes with his extension of company on that first day, she does the same for him by not making assumptions about him and learning who he is on their terms. i think she’s also just a really great, measured system of support -- she’s not busting his balls or keeping him in check like yindra and nigel do (except when its really needed, like 304), but she isn’t as in awe / romanticized with him like charlie. i think he appreciates that he can go to her for an honest perspective, but she’ll take the care to deliver that honesty in a gentle way. it’s like, he’s tough enough to take a hit, but sometimes its nice to know you have someone who will be kind with you even then.

that’s what is at the core of their friendship overall. kindness.

-- Maggie