#so yeah maybe i'll be doing this in the next months

[laufeysgoddess]

DON'T CUT THE BAT CHALLENGE, GO ✷ b. wayne

summary. you shave your boyfriend's beard. contents. close physical proximity, sexual tension (not explicit), kissing, fluff, banter, ooc (? hopefully not). age gap but not mentioned, reader is implied to be hyper-feminine. speak now. First fic eeeeeek!! This was supposed to be out last month but finals were killing me. Not proofread! Nor am I sure if it's in character. But @spcherryygirl and @yeoniverseee read it(my girls fr). Layout is also by vivi! English isn't my first language so there's probably some typos and some grammatical mistakes

"Stop moving," you demaned furrowed brows drawn back as you lift the razor up to his jawline once more. "Seriously. if iI screw this up, you'll be a half-mowed lawn."

"I'm not going anywhere," he says, stupidly smooth and low, voice hoarse. "You're the one who's trembling."

"I am not," you whisper, and you are. just a little. maybe. “Jeez, let me concentrate."

It goes silent after that, and it's worse somehow. his hands are on your thighs, and it is not helping you concentrate. you pick up the razor once again, and trace its edge under his chin like you've seen in the movies( a.k.a your source ). Shaving cream is everywhere. On your wrist, on his neck, on the stupid robe hem.

"Damian would really kill me if I cut your throat," you mutter. "He already glares at me like I'm trying to replace his mom." (Well, chill.)

Bruce exhales a gentle laugh, head cocking slightly so you can brush the corner of his jaw. "He's just protective.”

"you don't say," you replied, not wanting to smile because he's still staring at you and it's only not fair the way his eyes get crinkly soft when he's being gentle. It's unfair. Is he even aware of how beautiful he is? "He almost stabbed my thigh with a batarang the first time I brought cupcakes."

"you brought pink cupcakes," bruce says, and now he's real smiling, like, actually smiling, which is about once every five years. "with edible glitter."

"excuse me for trying to bond," you laugh, drawing back a little to brush some cream from his chin with your sleeve. "at least now he tolerates me feeding him without pretending that I'm poisoning his food."

Bruce hums, and the hum is so low it vibrates in your chest. "he's attached to you. in his own way."

"Says the man who taught him to fight blindfolded underwater."

You draw the blade lightly down the final patch of stubble on his jaw, your lower lip caught between your teeth.

And finally,when you're finished, you sit back and inspect your handiwork.

"Huh," you remark. "not terrible for a first-time beard serial killer."

He laughs, then tilts his head just a little, close enough that you can smell the light cologne he always wears.

You don't even hesitate to think about it. You lean in and kiss him. A quick one, hardly even two seconds, before you pull back with a blegh.

"Ugh. gross. Why does that shaving stuff taste like battery acid?"

His eyes linger on you, amused. "You kissed me."

“And you've tasted battery acid?” He added.

"Yeah. and i regret it," You answered, running your lips across your sleeve. "What's in that stuff? motor oil?"

He doesn't say anything. Anyway, he leans in closer — impossibly closer, like he always seems to do — and presses two fingers against your chin and nips at you.

This time it's slower. Softer. And gets your entire body quiet. And still as a statue.

When he stops, your eyes are half-lidded and your lips are still buzzing and perhaps your head is short-circuiting a bit.

"Better?" he whispers.

you blink. "Yeah. Okay. That— yeah. That was better."

He smiles. The one you reserve for each other kind of smile.

"Good," he says, his thumb stroking your jaw. "Next time, I'll show you how to do the aftershave."

"Bold of you to think I'm putting hands on that weird alcohol liquid," you tell him, but your arms are already wrapped around his neck and you're already leaning forward again.

Actually, you're totally down to do it again.

small chitchat !

© all works belong to laufeysgoddess !

[winterzsurprise]

Change My Mind [9]

Pairing: BTS x reader

SUMMARY: As a make-up artist, you were expected to glamorize your clients with brushes and products that cost a week-worth of food, not to befriend them outside of work, let alone have them save you from dates yet here you are five years later as one of their closest confidants.

Being a stylist of the world's biggest boyband is no easy feat, someone is doing flips, someone can't stay still and one's asleep but its fine, you can work around their chaos but then one day, you find out they're all your soulmates, a whole different can of chaos you don't think you can handle.

Tags: Soulmates AU, Friends to Lovers, Eventual Smut, Not Beta Read, Slow Build, Polyamory, Attempts at Humor

Words: 8.4k

HAPPY BORA MONTH EVERYONE OUR BOYS ARE COMING HOMEEEEEE

to keep the updates somewhat stable, I'll be only posting on wednesdays KST (pretend that its still wednesday, I got caught up playing grow a garden lmao)

Sorry for the late update, our capstone mobile project got scrapped mid production and we now have one month to finish it (damn u prof), with the addition of creating an e-commerce app for a diff subject. So yeah fun :D! (im about to curse them down to their grandchildren)

n e ways, here's the update. I hope you enjoy it! Thank you all for your patience and support!

Maybe it was a mistake cracking your eyes open and making space in your already minimal cubicle room but could anyone blame you for doing so when you’ve got a pouting Jimin and the ringing absence of his body heat against your skin had overcome your better judgment?

“Noona, can I bunk with you?”

It was a simple request, you could’ve said no and Jimin would’ve returned to his seat to sleep alone. But seeing him, with his hair mused from the tossing and churning he must’ve done earlier in his bed, matched with his pouty lips and barely open eyes, you couldn’t dare say no to his face.

Moving aside and inviting him without hesitation was something you never thought you'd ever do in your life—at least while sober. 

Scared of crossing boundaries with your best friends, you had stopped yourself from entertaining anything past what you deemed is platonic and acceptable. 

Sure there were times you’d let the maknaes snuggle up next to you but other than the few times you had let them do so after they had grown past their teenage years, cuddling had become rare once they were adults. 

Maybe it was because you had spent weeks sleeping next to Jimin during the times you had to stabilize the bond but it felt odd not sensing someone else’s body heat next to you, or having the mattress dip from someone’s weight—Jimin’s weight specifically. 

Somewhere, sometime during the nights you had Jimin next to you, he had become a beacon of protection and safety. In the short time you were alone in your cubicle, you had found yourself missing his presence and the soft glowing pulse of your soulmark near you. His absence rang and resonated loudly in the quietness of the flight. 

You had comforted yourself earlier, reassuring your own longing heart that you’ll get to sleep next to Jimin again once you’re both off the airplane yet.

But the heart is fickle and not easily convinced once it begins to want and yearn.

To be able to welcome Jimin into your bed without going through multiple pages of pros and cons to letting your friends momentarily cross the line, the old you would’ve had an aneurysm and you excuse it as one of your (probably) sleepy mistakes.

“Close the blinds so the stewardess won’t see us and scold us for… bunking together.”

“Just say sleeping together, noona.” He giggled. “It means the same thing, right?”

You said nothing, only moving to make space for him.

Slipping inside the already small space, he closed the slides behind him and laid next to you. Automatically, his hand seeked yours in the dark and pulled it close to his nose, making goosebumps prick your skin as his hot exhales breathed warmth and lit up the golden swirls of your soulmark into your body. 

It bloomed elegantly from your palms to your knuckles before eventually fading somewhere mid-forearm. They glowed a soft golden light, a stark brightness in the darkness of your cubicle but you couldn’t find it in yourself to feel bothered by its llight. In fact, it had begun to instill a degree of comfort whenever it gleamed behind your closed lids.

Your heartbeat then began to drum in your chest, the loud thuds resonating through every bone in your limb, rendering you weak under the cold relieving effects of your soulmark.

“Didn’t mean to bother your sleep,” Jimin had murmured softly. “I just… It felt weird not being able to sleep next to you.”

Maybe it was the sleepiness from travelling at midnight that made you put your guard down. After a socially exhausting day of having to lie to a thousand people and dealing with worried friends, you dare to let yourself enjoy the presence of your soulmate without the ugliness of insecurity.

“Me too,” you whispered.  “I missed you, Jimin.”

It felt so odd letting such a sentiment slip past your lips yet it felt so right uttering his name next to it.

He giggled and it sounded like the chimes of the sweetest of bells as a large, embarrassed smile cracks through his sleepy expression. Shy, he hid his face into the back of your hand.

“Did you really?” He asked through his giddiness. “You missed me?

“I missed you, Jiminie.” You repeated.

His giggles multiplied and with it, the radiating comfort from where you’re both connected growing warmer and brighter.

“How am I supposed to sleep after hearing that? Noona, I think my heart might explode from how fast it's going.” 

Jimin then brought your hand to his chest and pressed it against his rib. Feeling his heart race under your palm, you wondered how he hasn’t exploded from how concerningly quick it’s going. 

“The other guys are going to be so jealous. I’m so excited to brag about it.”

“You’re going to tell them?” You asked, curious.

“Rarely do I get anything to brag about. I also wouldn’t miss the chance to hold it over Jin and Jungkook’s head.” 

How is it that something you usually regard as a red flag could pale when it comes to your best friends? Telling other people of your business should’ve made you frown yet you found yourself uncaring of the fact. They’re all your soulmates anyways, you mentally shrugged.

Closing your eyes, you prepare yourself to welcome the serenity of sleep, thinking Jimin had fallen asleep already in the short time you were reflecting on your reaction to hearing they share tales with each other about you.

To your surprise, Jimin spoke again.

“Noona, can I ask you something?”

“What is it?”

“You can say no and not tell me but,” He took a tentative pause. “I just… kept wondering why you feel so undeserving of us.” 

After you had fallen asleep after Hoseok’s celebratory dinner, Jimin had sneaked away to tell the others of what you think of the soulmate bond. He had briefly and very vaguely told you what they had talked about the next morning, saying it was just a simple discussion on how they'll proceed with you and left it at that. 

And as much as it was frustrating being left in the dark, you knew deep inside to not pry for more information knowing it might become fuel for the bald headed demon of insecurity.

“Don't you already know?”

“I might but I'd like to hear it from you personally.”

You debated on telling him, scared to hear your own faults be spoken out loud in the small space of your cubicle. For a moment, you thought to ignore his question and to talk about the interviews they had lined up on days they were to rest in between shows but don’t they deserve to hear it straight from you?

“I feel bad because not only did I reject some of you, I also talked about my other relationships and my search for a husband with you all. I ignored your feelings for a semblance of normalcy, especially Jin’s, although he'd argue that I didn't know. I still think I should be crucified for that. All I wanted was the closeness we all had before feelings got involved but it only got more twisted.” 

Hearing you say it out loud made your sins sound more evil than it should be. It echoed in the silence left by your reply. Your words bounced off the walls, seeming to gain more volume the more it reverberated, sounding more taunting and mocking as it went.

Then all of a sudden, the cold relief that flowed under the swirls on your arms grew hotter as if lava had replaced them. It stinged like dislike and burned like disgust. Panicking, you pulled your hand away but Jimin was faster, tightening his hold around your wrist.

“Noona—”

“I swear I'll try and make it all up to you somehow. It's gonna take a little bit of time but—”

“Listen to me, noo—”

“Please, I don’t 

Jimin pressed a finger to your lips and shushed you.

“You don't owe us anything, noona. Don't force yourself to reciprocate our feelings or our efforts preparing for our dates will end up being useless.” He laughed. “But seriously, let yourself feel whatever you want to feel because at the end of the day, we're all connected anyways.”

Your frown deepens and your stomach hollows itself up. It is not how it should be. Soulmate or not, they should make you work for their forgiveness, especially with Jin and Jungkook but instead the two of them had easily waved off your mistakes as if they never existed in the first place.

Normally, you’d have your partner atone after they hurt you, right?

“Why are you guys so accepting? Don't you think that I should redeem myself first? Don’t you at least resent me a little for what I did?”

Being one of their closest friends in and outside work for five years, you were introduced early on to them in their lowest, their ugliest, and them in their happiest. They could forgive betrayals and bullying but they would never forget the names and the faces of those who discredited and snubbed them. 

So for those same men to easily shrug off your sins as easily as breathing, you couldn’t help but feel unworthy of their kindness.

“It's such a cliche answer and I know you’ll kill me for saying it but it's because we like you.” You opened your mouth to refute but he shook his head and continued. “I know. I can't believe that I'm saying this too. You know how we roll but ever since the marks manifested, I just… everything doesn't matter anymore now that I'm tethered to you. Because the moment Healing Touch manifested, a new chapter has started.”

Hearing the confusion and reluctance in your silence, Jimin opened his arms for a hug and you surprised yourself with how fast you had leaned in.

“Noona, you know what I realized while we were adjusting to the bond? Love is as powerful as the movies portrayed it to be and it's scary how it can change a person.” He paused, as if he’s mulling over an idea at the tip of his tongue. “Sure, if you really want to and if it makes you feel better, you can ‘make up’ for us but don’t tear yourself down in doing so. Healing Touch could fix anything but I doubt it's powerful enough to revive an exhausted mind.”

Between the effects of the soulmark growing stronger with you both cuddling up to each other and being engulfed in the soft scent of his peach cologne and the subtle fruity scent of his conditioner, drowsiness easily finds its way to you.

Experiencing the same drowsiness brought by the calmness from the soulmark, Jimin yawns.

“Does that answer your question, noona?”

“Yes,” You say, the exhaustion of today finally overcoming your own will to stay awake. “Thank you Jimin.”

“Good night noona, I hope you dream of the sweetest dreams.”

“I hope you do too.”

_______

“Okay so, how about this one?” Taehyung enthusiastically began, showing his screen to you. “Do you and hyung share any existing scars?”

“I don't think so? If we had, the scar on my knee would be reflected on him but there's none.”

His excitement mellows down as he scrolls through the catalog of body-altering soulmate marks. 

After waking up in time for brunch, Taehyung hadn't stopped his search for the right soulmark for you and Hobi. His experimentations ranged from observing your shadow by having you hold your arm above the table to see if your shadow could reflect Hoseok's movements back home, to making you meditate and imagine switching bodies with Hoseok, and lastly, pinching yourself to see if their hyung could feel the sting from wherever you currently guys are.

Despite having their own seats to occupy on either side of you, the two men had naturally gravitated to your space and squeezed themselves into the footrest in front of your reclined chair before Taehyung eventually decided he wasn’t close enough and squeezed himself in the small space next to you while Jimin continued to occupy the footrest, taking your legs to rest on top of his thighs to idly pressed his thumbs on your calves.

You and Jimin luckily woke up before the attendants had made their rounds for breakfast. 

He was sulking when he left your cubicle with his sleep-mussed hair and jutted out bottom lip while carrying the pillow he brought. Seeing him trudge towards his seat—which is directly to your right as you’ve been placed in the middle—reminded you of a sad, wet pup whose day has been ruined by the sudden downpour of rain.

Breakfast came ten minutes and once the plates were collected, Taehyung had practically bounced from his cubicle to yours with Jimin following soon after, acting casually as if you both weren't cuddling each other barely an hour ago.

It was always odd cuddling up to Jimin with the context of being soulmates. It was awkward and embarrassing whenever you woke up to his arms wrapped tight around your waist and his breath on your skin. The irrational, overly-conscious part of you yelled at you to wake him up and tell him to return to his cubicle yet the more deprived within you demanded you stay silent.

And for the first time with a sober mind, you decided to stay silent.

What can you do against a heart that began to yearn for someone's warmth?

“How long before we land?” Taehyung asked, breaking you out of your trance.

“Three hours or less, why?” Jimin responded.

Tae pursed his lips. “I'm just thinking about something…”

You raised an eyebrow. “And what does that ‘something’ entails?”

“It'll ruin the surprise if I tell you.” 

The cheeky grin brightening Taehyung's face was enough to let you know that he's planning something devious and you shared a worried look with Jimin. 

Not noticing the shared look, the younger boy continued. “Management agreed to let us drive on our own right? I'd like to take a detour to Walmart before we arrive at our hotel.”

Jimin made a face.

“How about no?”

“Guys, I promise on my necktie collection, I think I've finally figured out what soulmark noona and Hoba got.”

Before you could push him for more information, your mother’s message popped up on your screen and you turned your attention to it.

[Today, 10:23]            [10:23] Mom: Have you guys arrived in the states yet?            [10:23] You: not yet            [10:23] Mom: Always be careful when walking around with those two boys, people can get a little bit crazy even if they know you as their make up artist            [10:23] You: dont worry too much, im strong enough to handle them💪💪            [10:23] Mom: Strong my foot, you can barely book a doctor's appointment without me            [10:23] Mom: Anyways, the reason why I messaged you was because I had a talk with Guwon’s aunt and found out you used to go to the same high school as him             [10:24] Mom: Our town really small is for the two of you to be in the same school before             [10:24] You: really? I dont think I remember seeing him at all. Did she tell you which batch he was from?            [10:24] You: also im shocked she didn't ignore you after guwon and I ended things on a bad note            [10:24] Mom: She said she's not fond of the boy, saying he gives her goosebumps.            [10:24] Mom: I honestly don't get why, that boy seems nice            [10:24] Mom: But that glistening peach face of his became a squid to me when he said all those things to you            [10:25] Mom: However, I won’t deny how kind he was to us before. Did I tell you that he had climbed our trees to pick us fruits after I introduced him to you?            [10:25] Mom: Also she didn't tell me what section he was from, only that you used to go to the same school            [10:25] You: maybe I'll take a look at the yearbook when I visit            [10:25] Mom: Alright. Don't forget to buy me those biscuits you bought me last time, okay? Me and your dad loved those            [10:26] Mom: Say hello to the twins for me and your dad😄            [10:26] Mom: Stay safe, alright?            [10:26] You: always, I love youu😘            [10:26] Mom: Stay safe and come visit soon with your nexus alright?

Double tapping on her message and sending a quick reply to her, you then notice the obvious interest the boy beside you has over your conversation.

“You used to be schoolmates with Guwon?” Taehyung asks, his eyes shamelessly connecting with yours as if he wasn’t reading your messages not a second ago. “Was your town really that small?”

“Yeah but the thing is, I couldn't remember him. If his stories were anything to go by, he was his batch’s president from start to finish. I was the vice representative of my class so I would've attended council meetings with every class rep from every junior and senior high section. ”

“Wait, how are you schoolmates with Guwon when he's five years older than you?” Jimin chimed in, confused.

“Our town was so small they put elementary, middle school and high school in one place.”

It was to cut costs, the municipal mayor had reasoned. Having all the grade levels in one place not only saved space but also meant the small number of teachers from your town could cycle through the classes from different grade levels in one place, cutting off the time allotted to walking from one school building from one part of the town to another.

Jimin furrowed his eyebrows as he processed the words and grimaced but before he could say his piece, Tae spoke.

“I don't want to hear anything about a shit stain like Guwon anymore. Past is past so let's focus on the future, are we all in agreement? Yes or yes?”

With no one going against his wishes, he smiles and shows you his screen once more.

“Now that's done, I found another one! Hear me out on this, noona—”

_______

Despite Jimin’s best attempts to take the car key from Taehyung, who had practically tackled the guy handing it off to them, the fate of your hair is unfortunately now in the hands of the boxy-smiled boy who swore his plans would never hurt you; not even a sting, he had promised and crossed his heart too.

Never had you thought that approaching a vehicle could feel so daunting now with Taehyung as the driver. You expected this for Namjoon and maybe Jungkook and Hobi but never the rest.

“Stop looking like you guys are walking towards your inevitable death, I swear that what I have in mind is far from harmful.” Taehyung reassures as he tugged along your luggage with his before stopping in front of the trunk to open and load your baggage in. “Besides, I've checked with Joo hyung and he said that he's been planning to bleach Hobi’s hair at some point anyways.”

You broke the speed of light with how fast you spun around.

“We’re going to bleach my hair?!”

Taehyung nodded enthusiastically. “Yup! I’ve been asking our hair stylists’ for permission these past few weeks and they finally gave me the green light earlier!”

“Hobi and the others must be on their way to the airport right now, should we really risk bleaching noona’s hair and in turn, change his hair in public?” Jimin asks, trying to deter the boxy-smiled boy.

Taehyung hummed thoughtfully as he finally lodged the final bag into the truck.

“I know it'll be bad but it'll be so funny.” He huffed out a laugh. “I mean imagine, they'll be leaving early in the morning, Hobi would still be sleepy and as he heads into immigration wanting nothing but to board the plane and finally sleep, his hair color changes and he's suddenly being pulled to the side for questioning which forces him to stay awake a little longer.”

Jimin blankly stares at him for a while, as if his mind is recreating the scene in his head before a small giggle escapes him.

“...Ok, I won’t lie. It’s kinda funny.”

“Right? So, is my dear Jiminie going to help me with my plan?”

“We’ll be sentenced to months long dish washing and house sweeping chores.”

“I know but don’t you want to get back at Hoba for putting us through hellish dance routines?” Taehyung knew what words to use. Years of being friends with Jimin had given him the PhD to understand what stokes his twin’s interests. 

You see the shift in Jimin’s opinions as soon as Taehyung said that. You saw it in the way a mischievous light found its way into his eyes and the subtle quirk in the corner of his mouth.

Despite knowing the consequences of their actions, Bangtan's maknaes will always be maknaes. They wouldn't miss the chance of getting back at their Hobi hyung who had made them dance till the soles of their feet melted away from the friction. 

Soon enough, you find yourself standing behind the twins under the broken overhead light in the haircare aisle at Walmart after a quick drive-thru—which Jimin had begrudgingly ordered your food despite Taehyung being the driver. 

It was a wonder how nobody had figured who they were when they're giggling loudly like devious kids at the hair care section. You had been nervously looking over your shoulders to make sure no one who could recognize them was near as they whispered mischievously to each other. 

There’s a woman at the far end of the aisle who’s busy comparing two conditioners and a busy mother with two fussy children trailing behind her going down the aisle. Focusing on the former, you swept over her sling bag for any keyrings and badges that might indicate her being an AMRY and when you found none, you turned your attention back to your soulmates.

Being in public with worldwide superstars is going to turn your hair white.

Should you start mastering SFX makeup to change their appearances?

TUG!

You looked down at the string on your pinky to see it half tangible with a soft glow of red. Wrapping your fingers around it, Yoongi's concern bleeds into you.

‘Okay?’

‘Nervous.’

It was odd how you could feel his eyebrow raise from so far in the temporary absence of his reply.

‘Why?’

‘Twins. Mischief.’

The string thrummed a low tune as if to replicate the sigh he must've let out from hearing it.

‘Good luck.’

Turning your attention to the twins, you find them now debating on what brand is best with Jimin reading reviews out from his phone and Taehyung insisting he had seen people use the dye in his hand more therefore is much better.

‘How are you?’

‘Preparing. Jungkook just woke up. Seokjin screaming. Hoseok stressed. Namjoon lost’

You smiled as the image of Seokjin, possessed by the spirit of an airport dad, ordering and rushing their youngest whose face is contorted into a frown with eyes barely open to gather his essentials while Hoseok sits in the living room with his arms crossed next to Yoongi who’s sitting next to him and both scrolling on their phone. 

Namjoon is probably running around for anything he must've forgotten to pack or put into his bag, a hunt Hoseok had purposely put him on to distract him from stressing over his bandmates.

Mind wandering to Namjoon, you closed your eyes to try and focus on his heartbeat. It has faded into the background hours in the flight earlier but it had always been there, although required high concentration to hear.

“Should we try a bold hair color too? I wanna know how he'd look in blue.” Jimin asks his friend in a low voice, unaware he's speaking rather loudly for you to hear. He holds up a box dye and you narrow your eyes at the item in suspicion. “Oh, toxic green sounds good, no?”

Tae tilts his head. “Will noona even let you?”

You didn't have to imagine yourself with the vibrant shade of green for you to interfere.

“Noona will not let you, actually.” You said, letting go of the string as you took the dyes off of his hand and returned it to the shelves. “Bright colors would not look good on me.”

“Then let's stick with bleach but having fully bleached hair is a bit standard, a bit on the boring side so—how about we just bleach your ends for a change?” Jimin suggested, eyes looking up at you and it felt like he’s shooting you puppy eyes even when he’s not trying to.

“If we’re going to only dye the tips, then wouldn’t having a fire-like effect look good?” Taehyung chimed in, holding up an orange and a red dye in both hands while his eyes continued to scan the shelves. “Oh wait! If you really want something that isn’t too eye-catching, how about ash grey tips?”

“As much as I appreciate your confidence in me pulling a red orange ombre, I really don’t think it will, in all honesty.” You say and Taehyung practically wilts, his hands falling to his side yet his eyes continue to scan the shelf for another color to suggest with the eyes akin to a kicked puppy. “I’ll consider the ash grey, though.”

Immediately, Taehyung brightened up.

“I think you underestimate yourself noona, you’re very pretty.” Jimin says with a sheepish smile.

Suddenly feeling shy, you averted your gaze and cleared your throat.

“Thank you, Jimin.”

You don’t even know how a compliment from Jimin, something you get from him weekly, could elicit such a reaction from you. It took everything in you to not widen your eyes in realization when you noticed how bashful you had become.

One night of deep talk and you’re already flushing. You don’t even want to imagine how you’ll react once the relationship deepens.

“What the fuck.” 

Taehyung’s eyes bounced from you and Jimin, incredulous with a hint of betrayal.

“Did you guys do it on the plane?!”

“What?” you and Jimin squawked.

“No cause you guys didn’t act this way before! What did you guys do while I was getting my beauty rest?! ‘Cause that would be so disgusting I was literally a few inches away from you!” Taehyung exclaimed and you have never been so grateful he wasn’t screaming in English.

What a scandal it would’ve been. BTS Member Kim Taehyung revealed his co-member Park Jimin had FREAKY SEX in the PLANE with his MAKE UP ARTIST?!?! 

“Whatever you might be thinking, we didn’t do it!” Jimin exclaimed, scandalized.

“Then explain what I just witnessed there!”

“You’re hallucinating!” 

“That's just the jetlag!”

_______

Due to Taehyung’s excitement, he had made the trip to the hotel a quick affair; moreso the trip to your room when he practically vibrated in front of the desk and snatched the key from the hostess and crossed the distance between where he stood to the elevator with five steps.

The hotel bathroom is too small to fit three people, you think. While not physically a tight fit, your heart seems to beat twice with every tick and expand to fill your entire chest and spread the jittery nerves of anxiousness throughout your entire body.

With Jimin taking out the hair dryer from the cabinet and Taehyung eagerly mixing the solution together in the black bowl they bought next to him, you find yourself sitting on the edge of the bathtub silently relishing the feeling of foreboding doom as you watch the twins flutter around preparing to dye your hair.

“Are you sure you know how to do this?” you asked, fingers fiddling with the hem of the shirt Jimin had randomly picked out to wear while having your hair bleached.

Hair dying has always been the hair stylists job while the idols sit idly in front of them, moving only when the dye is going to be washed off or while waiting for the colors or bleach to set in. 

And you’re putting your full trust on these idols who haven't bleached their hair themselves.

Where’s Jin when you needed him?

Taehyung grinned. In a different setting, you’d think his square-shaped smile endearing and cute but with the tint brush and comb tool, and the plastic bowl full of bleaching solution in both hands, he never looked more menacing than he does right now.

“How hard can it be? We’re just going to dye the tips.”

“Remember, if you mess up my hair, you might also mess up Hoba’s hair and an angry dance instructor and second leader is not something you’d want,” you reminded as Taehyung approached you.

Jimin, ever the supportive soulmate, placed his hands on your shoulder and led you to the chair he dragged in from outside. “We know, don’t worry, noona. We had someone teach us how to dye it earlier.”

“Who?”

“I forgot his name but we saw him on YouTube and he’s got a pretty big following so that must count for something, right?”

Hearing that, you began to pray to every divinity out there who could hear your pleas for a successful hair bleaching.

“Alright, I’m gonna start now, noona.”

You watched cautiously as Jimin allocated a bunch of hair into the aluminum foil and Taehyung started his work on dyeing the tips of your hair. 

The twins stayed silent throughout the process, as if they’re also holding their breath like you are doing.

It wasn’t the act of having your hair dyed by the twins that had your leg restlessly jumping—you could have the ends cut off if you ever decided it didn’t look good on you—but rather the prospect of facing Namjoon’s disappointment when the sudden change in Hoseok’s hair is noticed by the TSA and delay them. 

Yoongi and Jungkook would laugh, Seokjin would feign disappointment and try to lecture you until people turned their backs and he’d shower the twins with praise. But Namjoon, the man is far too stressed from the multiple roles he has to take in as they enter foreign soil, to have their first day in America to start off with one of the members being held off at customs would add unnecessary weight onto his shoulders.

You don’t want to add more to the weight pressuring him down. Not to mention, you also haven’t atoned for your mistakes yet but what can you do against the unstoppable force that is Jimin and Taehyung?

With the final piece of hair being covered in the bleaching agent and foil, the two then stepped back to admire their work.

“See? Nothing to worry,” Jimin says, almost as relieved as you are while picking up one of the foil-wrapped strands and securing them.

Taehyung rotates around you, searching for a strand he had possibly missed.

“Alright, we just need to wait for a couple of minutes before we wash it off.”

But even after those words had fallen out of his lips, he continued to flutter around you as if his hands, who had just learned how to bleach and felt the rush of chemicals from doing great at it, itched to add the alarming amount of leftovers onto your hair. Taehyung pursing his lips solidifying your guess. 

Jimin who had finally turned back around after searching the sink for his phone, saw this and placed a hand on Taehyung's shoulder.

“I know that look, don't do it.” Jimin said as he reached for the black bowl.

“I'm not even doing anything, why are you looking at me like that?”

“Cause I know you.”

Taehyung laughed incredulously and waved his hand at the man. “Of course you do, silly. We've been together for six years now.”

“Don't do it.”

“I'm not doing anything!” The younger man pouts. “Matter of fact, I'm not even thinking about doing anything!”

Letting the boys chatter in the background, you open your phone to see messages from Jungkook flooding your notifications.

[Today 15:12]            [15:12] Ggukie: NOONAAAA            [15:12] Ggukie: namjoon hyung told me to inform you first as courtesy            [15:12] Ggukie: but I'll be your first and only handsome date for the weekend :D            [15:12] Ggukie: dont tell jin hyung but i definitely cheated to go first            [15:12] Ggukie: he just didn't notice HA!            [15:13] Ggukie: for our magnificent date, wear something comfortable but also a little elegant☺️            [15:13] Ggukie: just a smallll bit 🤏            [15:13] Ggukie: not that you even need to style urself much tbh            [15:14] Ggukie:  you'd look cute even if you're wearing garbage bags and those stupid colorful feather accessories😁            [15:14] You: what time are we gonna leave?            [15:14] You: what do you have in mind for our date? o.0            [15:16] Ggukie: telling you would ruin the surprise            [15:16] Ggukie: so no😁            [15:16] Ggukie: but we'll go after lunch            [15:16] Ggukie: is that good for you?            [15:17] You: of course            [15:17] You: how elegant do you want me to be?            [15:17] You: like fancy candlelight date kind of elegant? Or an attending an important social event kind of elegant?            [15:17] Ggukie: haha            [15:17] Ggukie: nice try noona            [15:17] Ggukie: i was raised by seokjin and namjoon, you can't fool me that easily             [15:17] Ggukie: just wear something comfortable with a hint of elegance😁

The conversation ended after Jungkook's last reply and you finally turned your attention back to the oddly peaceful twins now discussing what food to order with Jimin looking over Taehyung's shoulder and navigating the man's phone.

Soon enough, it was time to wash your hair and you find yourself bent over the bathtub as Taehyung rinses the bleach out.

Since the moment the bleach had started to take effect and begun to lighten the tips of your hair, the twins had been giggling to themselves nonstop as they unwrapped the foil, murmuring scenarios of how the rest of the nexus must be reacting seeing the tips of Hoseok’s hair changing a different color. 

(“We’re not even sure if this is our soulmark, we could just be dyeing my hair for no reason at all.” You chime and Taehyung shrugged.

“Even if nothing were to happen, at least you got yourself a good hairstyle out of this, no?”)

Once the dye was washed off, Taehyung fit a towel over your shoulders and gently placed them behind you before leading you to the chair in front of the vanity sink where Jimin is plugging the hair dryer in before switching it on to try the strength of the air on his hair.

“Is it good, Mr. Park?” Taehyung asks in a formal accented tone as he sets you down on the stool.

“All good here, Mr. Kim. It’s working fine and well! Just set down our pretty client so we can start drying off her hair.”

Before you could offer to do it yourself, Taehyung draped the heavy towel over your head, patting and mushing your face instead of your hair. With a slap on his forearm, he laughed and tugged the towel back to properly dry your hair.

It didn't take long before the three of your phones on the far end of the sink began to vibrate, screens flashing as message after message floods in from individual chats of the members and the group chat. Jimin looks over to see who's getting the most notification before giggling to himself as he picks up his phone.

“Congratulations noona.” He says, making Taehyung stop drying your hair to jog towards Jimin and look over his shoulder.

Taehyung began to gloat about how he ‘knew it’ but it all faded into the background as Jimin turns his phone towards you to show a flustered Hoseok, smiling shyly with the ends of his hair bleached as a hand that seems like Jungkook’s buried into his sleep-mused hair as he looked away.

“I knew it! I told you all it was twin mirror in the first place and nobody believed me!”

“You were telling them to cut their hair or get injured, of course no one would listen.” Jimin deadpanned.

“If you had only trusted my intuition!” Taehyung chided.

Jimin continued to scroll on his phone and you reached for your own phone to face the chaos happening in the group chat when Namjoon's voice echoed in the small space of the bathroom.

“You three better prepare an explanation later when we get there and I better hear something good from you all.”

_______

Namjoon really doesn't know what to do with you.

It has been weeks since Jungkook's birthday and the soulmarks’ manifestation yet he seems to always find himself either awkwardly hovering behind you or staring at you for an inappropriate amount of time as he pondered over the words he wanted to say.

(Not that they mattered anyways, he always ended up tongue tied in front of you.)

They could demand him to convince a businessman to stop running his factories that's effectively harming the environment or to convert an iPhone enthusiast into a Samsung user, yet all of those would be miles easier than knowing how he should treat you.

Should he follow the footsteps of the men in romance novels and movies with the bouquet of flowers, lingering touches and constant reminders of their love for their woman or should he be normal?

But what is the definition of normal in the context of relationships and how you treat your soulmate anyways? 

What even is considered as normal in something that sounded so impossible to be real like a fated spiritual connection between people?

Suddenly, he was reminded of the night the mark manifested. 

The chaos and the raised voices as his brothers clamoured over each other's opinions on how to proceed with the newfound connections. Namjoon could almost feel the rattling headache he had back then, could even remember the sobering realization as he watched as the rest of the original four soulmates—not including him, he was busy massaging his forehead as a bad headache formed at the front of his skull—actively debated against one another.

He recalled thinking how no man would fight so valiantly for a woman this passionately if they weren't interested in them romantically. 

He saw this behavior from the men surrounding him growing up from his friends, his teachers, his classmates to even his cousins and uncles. Namjoon has read of the bloody wars waged for rare beauties and love before then. To be greedy and wanting to capture and have something shiny is human nature, it's ingrained into man’s programming.

Even then, seeing it happen before him surprised him.

Seeing his brother clamor over each other—while more respectful than you'd expect from four guys being tethered to one girl— he remembered thinking: Am I the only guy who never thought of you as a romantic partner?

Namjoon had always thought of you as one of his dearest and closest friends. If he was to put you in a tier, you'd sit next to his family, and the group. You've always been someone he could trust with his worries about fame and the pressure from leading six men and their company to the top. You might be one of his friends but you were special to him, just a little like his brothers, if not more…

Special? Would that be the correct term to describe how he thinks of you?

Sure he had found himself subjected to your warm hugs and a couple forehead kisses—and maybe cheeks too—but all of them were platonic.

At least, that's what he thinks.

Women hugged and gave each other cheek or forehead kisses, it was to show their appreciation through actions. Surely it can also apply to male and female relationships without the romantic context like they do too?

(Namjoon would think back to this day later on and scream profanities into his pillow, embarrassed by his stupidity)

Having to see you sit on the floor next to Taehyung and Jimin had distracted him more than he wanted to. Even when he had scolded the twins from your trips before, he never had to sit you down to reprimand you for encouraging or letting them do all the mischief their heart could ever want. 

He’s seen how his dad treated his mother, and he sure as hell hasn't seen his father ever scold his mother.

So when one of their bodyguards, Beomseok, came and said you needed to pick your and Jin’s dinner, he was relieved. He didn’t want to show any favoritism towards you just because of your spiritual connection with him—not that anyone would be upset by this but he’d like to make it fair for everyone in the nexus.

Namjoon waited until you were out of the room before turning back to the troublesome twins who just raised their hands above their heads once again.

“Hyung.” Tae began.

“I don't want to hear your excuses, Tae.” Namjoon sighed, massaging the space between his eyebrows. “While I appreciate you all for helping Hobi to figure out what soulmark he has with noona, would it hurt for you three to do it while we're all in the hotel?”

This soulmate thing atop of his duty as the group's leader might be enough to make him volunteer for a cryogenic sleep pod experimentation. He could use a decade or century long sleep to heal from the heavy mental toll from leading six men and a company to where they are now.

Be a leader, they said.

Being a leader would be mentally stimulating enough, sure! he had replied, stupidly.

“We learned something from noona earlier.” Tae said, effectively catching his attention. When Namjoon said nothing, he continued. “Apparently, she and her ex used to go to the same school together but the weird thing is, they never saw each other despite being in the council at the same time.”

“What are you getting at, Tae?” Namjoon asks.

“Doesn't it feel like a drama-esque cliche where he followed her through adulthood then struck when the opportunity came?”

“I think you've watched too many dramas and read too many comics, Tae.” Jimin giggled lightheartedly. “Your imagination is getting a little creative.”

“No but seriously, I have a bad feeling about this.” Tae insisted and Namjoon almost believed the determined sheen of his eyes if it wasn't for the steadily slow descent of his raised arms. “I’ve always said that he's got the facial structure of a manipulator, even got those hollow and tilted eyes of a creep!”

As much as he likes to entertain every absurd and out-of-the-box idea of Taehyung, there still exists a line where his imagination reaches the point of impossible and frankly, nonsensical. Coincidences exist, and are unpredictable and sudden, there's nothing he can do much about it.

Jimin rolled his eyes. “You're still hung up on that?”

“Let's not speculate, it's most likely a coincidence.” Namjoon interrupts before the twins can begin their banter.

“Of course I am! There's definitely something off about that guy!” Taehyung insisted.

Namjoon sighed, already noticing the boxy-smiled boy’s hand slowly fall to his sides. “Tae, don't think for one second that I'm not noticing you slowly letting your arms down.”

“Can I put my arms down, hyung? I was the one who suggested bleaching the tips of noona's hair instead.” Jimin asks with his bottom lip jutted out and his eyes rounded and glossy as it stared back at him. “Could you imagine if I had let them—”

“No, keep those arms up and repent.”

_______

Staring at the burly man walking in front of you, you began to wonder if his excuse has any credibility behind it.

Beomseok, although a new hire, has quickly become one of your close work friends when he had saved you from an insistent visitor in the BigHit building back in August. It was easy to feel endeared towards a man who looks all intimidating with the tattoos, muscles bulging out of his shirts, and a buzz cut but in actuality has a heart softer than a well-oiled machine and carries the scent of coconuts with him. There is no doubting how safe you feel with him but Seokjin would never ask to save you from Namjoon’s scolding, if anything, he'd be scolding Namjoon for even including you.

“Did Seokjin really call for me?” You asked Beomseok.

The man shook his head. “Someone did call you, but it's not Seokjin. Yoongi had asked me to retrieve and walk you to your room. Said it was better to have Namjoon face a stranger than his band members so he'd let you go without question.”

“Guess I'll be thanking him then?”

“Not a thanks for me?” He asked with a playful lilt in his voice.

Stopping next to him, you then bowed low at the man with hands folded over your abdomen, surprising the man who had jumped at the sudden action.

“Thank you o’ benevolent god Beomseok for saving a poor soul like I from the impending doom that is Namjoon's scolding.” 

“Stop that! Oh my god!” Beomseok says as he wildly motions his hands for you to raise your head.

When you looked back up again, the man had a flush of pink dusting his cheeks as he looked away and scratched his nape. Seeing Beomseok, with his muscles proudly bulging out of the black uniform shirt he's wearing and skin designed with loud and bold tattoos, acting shy and faint-hearted, you laughed.

It was unreal how a man almost thrice your size could easily remind you of a shy kid.

“Are you seriously getting shy over that? What's so embarrassing about me expressing my gratitude?”

“I-I don't even know myself.”

“How else can I express my gratitude towards you then?”

He stops and you finally realise that the both of you had finally arrived at the door of your room.

“Buy me lunch tomorrow? I heard they're serving pizzas and carbonara tomorrow.” He offered, voice weak as he shyly scratched his cheeks.

“Deal!”

_______

Your night had continued on with no more excitement for as long as you and Jimin could last without being in the presence of each other. So for a long while after today, the energy winds down to a calm and you find yourself scrolling through your naver feed to catch up on news and celebrity gossip you had missed earlier while you were getting your hair dyed.

It wasn’t until the last minute before the effects of soulbond strain kicked in did Jimin stroll into your room with a pillow in tow and dressed in a hoodie dwarfing his figure matched with a Red Bulls basketball shorts. 

Closing the door behind him, a soft smile grows on his face. “Hi noona.”

“Hello Jiminie.”

“I need my noona time before Jungkook follows, I think he wants to start his day a little too early.” He says before throwing himself to the empty spot next to you and pulling up his phone to scroll through his own feed like old time.

It takes him a minute before he's linking his arm with yours, another to have him throw his leg on top of yours before he eventually molds into your side. Healing touch thrummed happily under your skin from the proximity and you find yourself melting in his arms not a second later.

This was the position Jungkook and Hoseok found you both in when they eventually entered the room. Without hesitation, they joined you both with Jungkook taking your other side while Hoseok had snuggled up behind Jimin. 

“Look at how cute you and Hobi are with the matching hair!” Jungkook points out, twirling a strand of your hair with his finger before he reaches for the hand holding your phone where the music note tattoo is engraved to the side of your finger. “Can I borrow your hand for a little while, noona? I miss feeling connected to you.”

Switching your phone over to the other, you took his hand in yours and entangled your fingers with him. Cold shivers racked through your body as two soulmarks resonated within you, catching the attention of your soulmates.

The Bangtan pile only grew when the rest of the boys poured into the room with Seokjin tugging Namjoon inside.

Seokjin occupied the spot behind Jungkook, but not without the maknae teasing him when the bed had creaked while Yoongi pulled the chair by the large window pane to sit next to the overflowing bed before opening his laptop and putting his headphones on. 

Namjoon followed the older rapper's actions when he had occupied the floor next to the bed, and Taehyung threw himself in the space between Seokjin and Jungkook, to the dismay of the two men.

There's not a single word in the English nor any language’s dictionary that could ever describe the comfort and security you felt being surrounded by your soulmates. No matter how much the ugly head of insecurity whispers about how you don't deserve any of them, it was futile to deny the bond you shared with the boys. 

You had begun to get used to the electric sensation Taehyung and Jimin's touch evokes, the constant feeling of Yoongi's presence lingering in the background through the red string, and the faint pulse of Namjoon's heartbeat yet you couldn't even imagine how you had lived for so long without the pulls and the sensations having soulmates has given you.

To be parted from your soulmarks would be like tearing an organ out of you. 

It might be overwhelming with all the information your mind and body is receiving from having seven soulmarks but you couldn't trade for the word. 

Come the day you lose the calmness from their touch and the constant reminders of their presence in the background, you might find yourself a husk of a human with no more purpose to live in the world.

With Namjoon's calm heartbeat in your ears, the thrum of Jimin and Jungkook's soulmark, and the one-sided activation of your and Yoongi's red string of fate, you let the newfound drowsiness take over you. The sound of your friends’ hushed chatters fade into the background as your eyes fall to a close, the romance comic on your phone blurring.

Someone took the phone from your hand and you vaguely felt a pair of plush lips pressed into your temples before you last heard a sweet whisper in your ear.

“Sleep well noona.”

TAGLIST: @wildestdreamsblog @canarystwin @prettywheenicry @jmnscutie @sassy-snassy @misuguru @11thenightwemet11 @yoongibaybee @rinkud @bri602 @igetcarriedawaywithyou @marvel-potter-1d-korea @comingupwithacoolnameishard @sooha-neul @juju-227592 @coffeewanderer @x-uno @diamonddia-mond @eggsysstuff @dearmyfavoritepeople-bts @sld88 @katsukis1wife @bjoriis @btsgangleader @butterfly-lover

[bellesdreamyprofile]

My Little Love - Austin Butler

summary: Austin's partner died during childbirth, leaving him heartbroken with a baby as the only reminder of the person he had loved with all his heart. Another person quietly finds his heart — will Austin let her in?

The grief was a constant emotion in his life. His mom, his childhood dog, his friend and the beloved mother of his child. Margaret was a woman he had loved with his whole heart, a woman he considered his soulmate. They had met at the Oscars when he was nominated for his role as the King of Rock and Roll, and ever since they had been inseparable.

Giddy smiles were shared whenever they were on set together and cheeky winks when they walked past each other. They moved in together after mere months of knowing each other, too excited to share their lives together. Austin cooking his signature dishes and Margaret cleaning the messy kitchen — the dream team. There was nothing the two didn't do together, they were each other's halves. 

Now Austin was missing a piece of himself.

When the doctors told him that Margaret couldn't be saved, his whole world crumbled. His cries were stiffened by his shaky hands, elbows to the knees and shoulders rolling with each sob. Then there was a tap on the shoulder. Blue, teary eyes looked up to find a nurse with a hopeful, minuscule smile on her face.

Maybe they could save her after all, he thought.

Austin stood up, following her to another room. His mind was filled up with hopefulness, but there was something unprecedented that settled on his chest — like his body already knew.

"Mr Butler, you have a son."

The blonde looked at the nurse and then at the infant. He survived. His baby survived. Tears of grief, relief and sorrow started rolling down his cheeks. Then his eyes found his son, a gorgeous little boy. The only piece of Margaret he had left.

A year went by and Austin Butler, the actor was now Austin, the dad. Fortunately he had read all the books about fatherhood, motherhood and babies in the past nine months. He did okay, or at least as well as one would do as a single, first-time-father. During his son's first year of life, he promised to be there every step of the way — feedings, diapers, wobbly steps and first bites. Austin was very reluctant of leaving his little boy and stepping back on set — his agent suggested it.

"There's some good opportunities out there, man. You're headhunted.", James brushed little Oliver's cheek, earning a giggle from the boy. His eyes looked up at Austin, who was warming up his son's next meal.

"I don't know... I'm reluctant about leaving Oliver.", he mumbled, stirring the pureed food. He looked over his shoulder and smiled faintly at the sight of his boy in his friend's arms.

James bounced Oliver on his knee. "Just take him to set with you. All these directors would let you do anything as long as you sign a contract with them.", Austin spooned the food in a small bowl, blowing gently so it would be cooler for Oliver.

"You think they'd let me take him to set?", he arched an eyebrow, making his way to them.

His manager nodded with a snort. "Hell yeah, they'd let you do anything. I brought you some scripts if you wanna look at them.", he nodded to the stack on the coffee table. Austin pushed the highchair to the sofa and took Oliver in his arms, settling him.

"I'll take a look.", he said in an easy tone, but his gaze was now focused on his son. The only one that mattered in the moment. His blue eyes were full of life as he babbled energetically, his hands pressing into fists and letting go. His blonde hair was curling on top of his head, little ringlets dropped to his little ears.

Would he have the stomach to leave all this behind?

Hours later, after his friend James left and Oliver was sleeping in his crib, Austin skimmed through the scripts. One in particular caught his attention. A story about a woman whose husband had left her alone with their baby. Months pass and she finds a man who decides to slowly morph into the baby's father figure. He felt heaviness on his chest as his eyes followed each word, each sentence, each paragraph. It was beautifully written.

ESTE

Will, please, we can work through this! (Her eyes drift to the baby in her arms and move back to her husband)

WILL

(Sighs, avoiding eye-contact) You're making it way harder than it has to be, Este.

HIS HANDS fall onto his hips, a pensive look on his face, but his mind was made up. There was nothing tying him to Este or their baby. His heart belonged to someone else.

That baby... I can't do this. (His voice was quiet, eyes looked up at her, then shifting onto the baby)

I told you to get rid of it when you could— (Will gets cut off by Este)

ESTE

(Yelling, crying) He's my only son! The only good thing that's happened to me!

HER CRIES make the walls shake, the baby in her arms stirs in discomfort. His own cries soon mold with the ones of his mother. The father, Will, remains unfazed by the situation as his mind was already made up. That family didn't belong to him anymore.

His heart clenched at the dialogue. Austin skimmed the pages until he found the character he was meant to play, Theo. The young man who grew close to Este and her son, and at some point takes up the role as his father. The heaviness on his chest became impossibly real — he couldn’t ignore the strange parallel the script had with his own current situation. It wasn´t all too similar, per se, but it still made him shift uncomfortably.

He closed the pages, pushing the script off to the very far end of the table. His fingers pinched the bridge of his nose, a headache slowly draining him of energy as he forced his eyes shut. He’d think about it.

Weeks later, Austin found himself in the place he considered a second home. A place he casually stumbled upon at a very young age, a place where he was free from everything.

“Ah, Mr Cooper.”, Austin spotted the director, taking quick steps to approach him. The older man smiled, extending his hand out to him.

“Call me Michael.”, they shook hands and conversation immediately started flowing. Austin told him all about his wobbly-walking son, Oliver, his schedules and needs. Michael Cooper agreed, smiling at the young father´s priorities and straight-up requests.

The director patted his shoulder. “Like I told your agent, you’re welcome on set as is your son.”

Austin smiled gratefully. “Thank you. It means a lot to me.”

More topics followed, until the director stopped him, jerking his thumb towards his left. “Would you like to meet your co-star? She came in today for a fitting.”

The blonde didn’t think anything of it and he nodded, already walking side by side with Micheal. 

His ears caught up on a sound. Something genuinely joyous — angel-like. A laugh. Then his heartbeat picked up and his hands started getting clammier. Austin released a breath, coming up with yet another random topic with the director — and then there.

Her.

Michael smiled and left Austin’s side for a moment to approach the lady. “There she is! The woman of the hour!”, she turned around at the familiar voice and let out an excited squeal.

“Michael!”, she hugged him, his presence feeling father-like. His arms engulfed her warmly as he patted her back. He pulled back and motioned to Austin behind him.

“I figured you two could finally meet.”, his hands were set on his hips as he motioned to Austin with his hand. “Austin meet Y/N, a.k.a. Este, and Y/N meet Austin, our Theo.”, Michael smiled and mentioned something about a coffee, leaving the two of them alone.

Her smile was truly something else, her energy was addicting and her eyes were telling him stories he didn’t know he needed. He was mesmerized.

“I´m Y/N.”, she smiled at him, her hand out for him to take. He blinked, taking her hand.

“I´m Austin.”, he suddenly remembered his clammy hands and secretly hoped she hadn’t noticed. But she went on and gave him the most breathtaking smile one could muster. Then his blue eyes locked with hers. The glint in her eyes made him pause in the present moment — pure happiness.

Austin wondered if people saw that in his eyes too. The joy of being on set, the relief of getting the lines right, the satisfaction of mastering a scene. He couldn’t wait to find his spark again.

A/N: I´m back with the single dad series, hope you enjoyed! 🤍 I was thinking of writing a part 2 to this - possibly making this into a mini series 🌺 let me know! (comment if you wanna be tagged)

next on the series is: our pilot buck ✈️🤍

p.s. the pictures of Austin in the header 😫 he´s so baby cute I love him so much 🤍💋

MASTERLIST austin masterlist

[bookloover35]

Je T'aime, Steve- Steve Harrington x fem reader.

Steve Harrington was never one to shy away from trying new things. After all, he had spent most of his high school years trying on different personas. But there was something about the idea of learning French that excited him more than he cared to admit. Maybe it was because it was a language of romance, something he could use to impress someone he cared about. Or maybe, just maybe, it was because you were the one offering to teach him.

You had known Steve for a while now. He wasn't the same arrogant jock he had once been. Over the past few months, he had shown a side of himself that was surprisingly earnest and kind. You'd become fast friends, sharing late-night conversations, junk food, and countless moments where he'd make you laugh just when you needed it most.

One evening, as you both sat on the couch in your living room, Steve turned to you with an earnest look in his eyes.

"Hey, (Y/N)," he began, scratching the back of his neck in that way he did when he was nervous. "I was thinking... maybe you could teach me French?"

You raised an eyebrow. "French? As in, the language?"

Steve nodded, his eyes sparkling with determination. "Yeah, I mean, why not? You know I've always wanted to learn. And you're, like, fluent or whatever."

You laughed. "I wouldn't say fluent, but I do know a few things. I can definitely teach you."

"Great!" Steve grinned. "I'll be the next Jean-Claude Van Damme in no time."

You couldn't help but laugh at his enthusiasm. "We'll start slow. How about we begin with the basics?"

Over the next few weeks, you met up with Steve after school. You'd go over vocabulary, pronunciation, and grammar rules, but Steve's favorite lesson by far was when you taught him a phrase that had him grinning like a fool.

One late afternoon, you sat together on the porch, the sun casting a warm glow over the town. You had been practicing basic phrases for hours, but you noticed Steve getting a little distracted, his thoughts clearly elsewhere.

"Okay, let's try this one," you said, writing it down in your notebook. "Je t'aime. It means 'I love you.'"

Steve stared at the phrase on the page, then looked up at you, his brown eyes softening. "So, it's like, 'I love you'... but in French?"

"Exactly," you smiled, leaning over to point at the words. "Say it with me: Je t'aime."

Steve's lips curled into a smile as he repeated after you, trying to perfect the pronunciation. "Je t'aime."

You chuckled, nodding. "That's pretty good. But I think you're missing a little something."

"Oh yeah? What's that?" Steve asked, leaning closer, his eyes locking with yours.

You grinned and said, "You have to say it like you mean it."

He raised an eyebrow, clearly intrigued. "Like... like I'm confessing my undying love or something?"

You nodded. "Exactly. You're not just saying the words; you're feeling them."

For a moment, neither of you said anything. The air felt thick with anticipation, and you could feel the space between you two shrinking. Then, without warning, Steve turned to face you, his expression serious, and he softly spoke the words you'd just taught him:

"Je t'aime."

Your heart skipped a beat. He hadn't just said it; he had said it like he meant it. And the way he looked at you, with that vulnerability in his eyes, made your breath catch in your throat.

You blinked, trying to gather your thoughts. "Steve..." you whispered, your voice catching.

He smiled, his usual playful smirk replaced with something much softer. "What? Too much? Too soon?"

"No," you said, shaking your head. "It's just... I didn't think you'd actually say it like that."

He leaned a little closer, his eyes never leaving yours. "Well, when you teach me something as beautiful as that... I think it deserves to be said with feeling."

You felt a warmth spread through your chest. Maybe Steve Harrington had always been this kind-hearted, you thought. Maybe you had just been too focused on his former image to see it before.

You swallowed, your heart pounding. "Je t'aime too," you whispered back.

Steve's grin returned, this time with a little more confidence, as if he had just won a small victory. "Guess I really am a natural at this whole French thing, huh?"

You laughed softly, shaking your head. "You might be getting the hang of it."

And there, under the fading light of the sunset, you realized that learning French with Steve Harrington wasn't just about language—it was about understanding the subtle emotions that had always been there, waiting to be shared.

As he leaned back in his chair, still smiling that goofy, endearing grin, you knew one thing for sure: you were going to cherish these lessons for a lot longer than you'd ever imagined.

End

[tempo-takoyaki]

ur comics are very fun :3

I saw that almost tgcf is gonna get a second season/part

Is that outdated or will we get more almost tgcf comics?

Also good luck with the shop!

Thank you so much!! :D About season 2: the plan was to have it ready for... for this month (April), but I recently realized that I might have to delay it (again) because I've been informed that working at a library, taking care of a shop, and working on a webcomic with an editor are actually three separate jobs and not just me fucking around /srs. So, I've actually done all the sketches for season 2, but I'm still currently into the inking stage and going at it very slowly.

But since it's been 2 years sinc season 1, I think you guys deserve a treat, so here's a little snippet of it:

[pompompurin1028]

Send me a character and letter(s) and I might write you a minific!

🌺 "You’ll always be beautiful to me"

🌻 "Thank you for understanding" / Desire to Deeply understand

🍂 “I’ll never forget you”

💔 “My heart aches for you”

☀️ “The sun always shines when I am with you”

❤️‍🩹 “Your presence soothes me”

💝 “I still love you”

☁️ "I dreamed of thee"

🌈 The return of happiness

🥀 A flower that never blooms

🪮 Running fingers through their hair

🧡 A warm touch

❄️ Unfulfilled longing

⭐ Lost in reverie

🕯️ A candlelight

☄️ Elusiveness

🛏️ Soft blankets

🦴 Skeletons in the closet

🌙 A moonlit lake

🖼️ Self portrait / a portrait

💬 [A quote / a poem of your choice]

[byanyan]

spent most of my day just completely zoned out negl

[avvocarlo]

work pissing me the fuck offfff bro

[accipitae]

Suddenly stressing out so so so much because farrier school starts march 31st and i still need to find an apartment near the school and also buy all my tools and also buy new work boots and also more jeans because i only have like 2 pairs left (???) and also need to get a trailer hitch installed on my car so i can even drive my stuff up to Minnesota in the first place and also-

[pochapal]

self assessment improvement charts are the nastiest pox god has ever inflicted on planet earth

[mildmayfoxe]

i'm torn bc ideally i should bang out a print for this month today so i can have all of next week to post about it for patreon but i hate doing it all in one day and i don't like being rushed. i could just do something easy or do a reprint of one of my pre-patreon prints (there ARE a few but the downside is a lot of my print people have purchased those!!) but the print i wanted to do is a companion to the one i did last month. and also it would be nice not to spend all day working since i had to go to my JOB yesterday! i'll probably just do it next weekend but that's not ideal for promo purposes. but nobody pays attention to those anyway so whatev i guess

[buttercupshands]

haha guess who read the spoilers?

[airenyah]

i'm probably the only one on here who's extremely excited about summer night lmao

[silverchronicler]

Prime Report for October 2023

Hey there, I know it's not October yet but after the Devstream yesterday I felt the need to look at how the primes are shaking. So let's cover some things!

Prime Access

Wisp is currently on Prime Access! She is accompanied by the Fulmin Prime and Gunsen Prime.

During the Devstream yesterday they announced that the next prime, Grendel Prime, will be coming with the Abyss of Dagath update on Oct 18th. Coming with him are the Zylok Prime and Masseter Prime. So, if you want Wisp Prime Access, there's 2 1/2 weeks left to get her!

When Grendel Prime Access launches, that will also mark Harrow Prime going into the vault. Harrow Prime is next in line for vaulting along with his weapons, Knell Prime and Scourge Prime. Relics with them will be rotated out from the drop tables on the 18th when the Grendel relics are added.

The next warframes up to be vaulted after Harrow are first Garuda Prime (with Nagantaka Prime and Corvas Prime), then Khora Prime (with Hystrix Prime and Dual Keres Prime), and then Revenant Prime (with Phantasma Prime and Tatsu Prime). If you're still planning to get Garuda (like I am), now's the time to make a plan to obtain her and her weapons!

Future primes after Grendel Prime are currently unannounced, but by the release dates the next one should be Gauss Prime by all accounts, followed by Protea Prime and Xaku Prime in some order. That rotation will be strange, since Xaku is of course nonbinary, but it means there's no way to fit them into the order without breaking the male-male-female-female cycle they follow with primes. Likely Xaku will be paired with Protea because they're right next to each other in release order, and the next female warframe is Yareli, who was put out significantly after them. But Xaku is comprised of several different warframes of likely different genders, so arguably they would fit in any spot they were put. Fun to think about!

Also, I can't wait for Ballas to go 'wtf' in Xaku's prime trailer. Or maybe we'll get a different presenter! I'd love for Grandmother to introduce Xaku Prime as if it's the most natural thing in the world and throw shade at Ballas.

Prime Resurgence

Right now Equinox Prime and Wukong Prime are gracing Varzia's stall, with their weapons Stradavar Prime and Tipedo Prime, and Zhuge Prime and Ninkondi Prime respectively.

But the stall says that they are due to rotate out on Oct 5, and will be replaced by Chroma Prime (with Gram Prime and Rubico Prime) and Zephyr Prime (with Tiberon Prime and Kronen Prime).

In addition, there are some special guests at Varzia's stall! Mag Prime (with Boar Prime and Dakra Prime) and Frost Prime (with Latron Prime and Reaper Prime) are also available to buy and in relic form at Varzia's, and have been since their Heirloom Collection was announced at Tennocon. The timer at the stall says that they will be available until Dec 30th, according to my math. So, you have until the end of the year to get them if you'd like!

Notes

This is still prime news (technically) so I thought I would mention it.

At the very end of the Devstream yesterday, the team mentioned that the Gotva Prime that was given out at Tennocon would eventually become part of Baro Ki Teer's stock, like other Tennocon and event weapons. No date or anything, but expect to see it there in the future if you missed it or want another.

Anything else you can think of? Anything I missed? Want to be excited about primes? Feel free to let me know!

[sinking-into-mist]

Happy Halloween to everyone who celebrates! 🎃

And good luck with NaNoWriMo to everyone who's going to participate! 🖋

Anyone doing NaNo feel free to message me! I might need an emotional support group to get through November, because it hasn't even started yet and I already kinda want to quit 🙈😂

[raksh-writes]

I have Finally finished the first chapter of my Master's thesis! 🥳🥳 Im like at least half a year late and have around 2-2,5 weeks to write the whole ass next chapter so Im COOKED still but oh well :') Im gonna take the rest of the day off to let myself marinate in this small win and then from sunday on it's gonna be a grind of reading material and trying to write at least the first version of the next chapter so hopefully my (truly wonderful :')))) supervisor (who sprung the '2 chapters minimum to pass' ultimatum on us Last Night) hopefully lets me pass and then I can work on all the bells and whistles of making it a proper chapter 🙈 But yeah, first a break for the mental health and hopefully teaching my brain its fun and nice and totally worth it reaching a goal 👌