#tea bag storage

[handmadegiftpl]

Wooden Tea Box with 12 Compartments Gustav Klimt Inspired

Wooden Tea Box with 12 Compartments Gustav Klimt Inspired, Japonism & Art Nouveau Style, Handcrafted in Europe Gift for women

[ceesimz]

Kissing a Fool

This is a classic sick fic - a quick trip to the out of hours doctors but nothing extreme.

If there was one thing that Alexia was, it was determined. That was what had gotten her to the place she was today, with countless trophies and awards in her possession, stadiums filled by fans adorning jerseys with her name and number, an endless amount of brands desperate to work with her, and millions around the world idolising her.

However, nobody was perfect.

Sometimes, Alexia's determination can, and will, bleed into pure stubbornnes. And that's when things can start to go a little downhill.

It all started one morning when she woke up beside you with a certain scratchiness in her throat and a dull ache behind her eyes. She ignored it, obviously.

Ignored it throughout your shared morning routine, paying you no mind when you asked if she was okay due to the disgruntled furrow in her brow and how she squinted uncomfortably with every slight increase of light. She also ignored it as she kept her sunglasses on whilst moving from her car to the main building for training, again acting none the wiser to the face you pulled at her as she walked around the facilities with the glasses still firmly planted and seemingly going nowhere anytime soon.

"Ale, you know you can't wear them for training?" You wonder amusedly as she holds the door to the locker room open for you. Shockingly, she doesn't reply, she just answers with a noise that can only be described as a huff. "If your head is hurting, take some pills before we start. Don't be stubborn."

"No. Todo está bien." She offers a tight-lipped smile as a consolation to her bare-faced lie, and the only thing you can do is sigh, nod, and leave her be until she finally gives in.

Though, in her world, giving in wasn't even a concept, nevermind an option. As expected, she woke up the next day feeling so much worse, to the point where she had no appetite and even if she wanted to eat, her throat was in way too much agony to simply just entertain that thought.

That was something you didn't realise though, because she normally had breakfast whilst you showered in the morning, meaning you didn't spot she had skipped that step. You also overlooked the fact she'd been completely non-verbal that day as she dared not to speak through fear of her voice failing her. It was only when you were rushing around, last minute of course, to pack your training bag when you needed her help.

"Ale, where are my new boots?" You called out from the bedroom, knowing she was at least somewhere in the flat. When you didn't get a response, you groaned frustratedly and marched out into the kitchen.

"Did you hear me?" You ask where she was seated at the kitchen island, slowly drinking a mug of honey and lemon tea whilst scrolling through her phone.

"I can't find my boots. Ale!"

Looking across at her from your place in the hallway by the front door, rooting through the storage cupboard beside it, Alexia shrugs half-heartedly.

"Okay, amazing, thanks for all your help. Don't blow up at me if we're late." You scoff at her, turning back to the cupboard.

Amidst your frantic search, you miss the way Alexia leans her body weight on the island counter in front of her as she stands, and the pained groan that goes with that. She walks over to the coffee table and pulls out the Nike box you were looking for from the bottom half of the unit, clearing her throat with a grimace before presenting it to you.

"Oh, thank god. Thanks, I'll be ready in literally just a minute, I swear." With a quick kiss to her cheek, you sprint back off to the bedroom to continue packing for the day.

Meanwhile, in the kitchen, Alexia fixes herself another honey and lemon tea that she purposely adds an ice cube to just so she can drink it before you come back in. It doesn't help at all though, and the realistic part of her mind immediately notices that is a huge red flag, but of course her workaholic mindset overrides it and shoves that thought to the side.

So when you come rushing back in, packed bag in hand, she offers a smile and leads you out of the apartment with a caring hand on your lower back.

Her untimely crash arrived later that day. The combination of a high fever and the symptoms that came with that and her illness, as well as the lack of food and the Barcelona sun, all colluded together to tear her down until all that was left was a lethargic and downtrodden shell of her.

You waited for what felt like forever as she showered, to the point where you were the only one left in the locker room. At some point she finally did walk out, her hair unbrushed and her face bright red and clammy despite the fact she had just showered, and her actions the past two days along with this appearance of hers caused alarm bells to ring in your head.

"Be honest, Alexia, how do you feel?" You question her pointedly, watching with a careful eye as she avoided your eyeline and cleared her throat for possibly the hundredth time that day.

"Fine." It was then that you realised that was the first time you'd actually heard her talk that day, and the sound of her voice sounded as comfortable as nails on a chalk board.

"Please, Ale, just be honest. You look awful." You tell her, to which she lets out a sharp breath, otherwise known as her attempt at a suppressed laugh. "What do you get out of lying about it? Nothing. If you're sick and feeling like shit, just admit it so we can figure out how to make you better."

The fact you said 'we' when talking about her being ill made the prospect of just dropping her act and accepting she's sick exceptionally more appealing, but she just couldn't do it. Tomorrow was an important Champion's League game, and there was no way she was going to miss it. Not a chance in hell.

"I am okay, I am coping. Let's go home." She managed to get out, swallowing harshly after speaking to choke down a gag due to the agonising burn of her throat.

"Will you at least take some medicine at home? There's no use feeling like this when there's things you can have to at least take the edge off." You try to compromise, knowing at the very least you will force some pills down her throat one way or the other.

She nods, finally admitting defeat to one little thing, and your stern persona softens a little. Under the light of the changing room, her face is pale apart from her rosy cheeks and there's a sheen to her forehead that indicates just how terrible she's feeling. And there was no point sugar-coating it, she really did look awful.

"Hey. Come here."

Offering your arms out for a hug, Alexia mumbles something you can't quite make out before stepping into your embrace and deflating with a deep sigh.

"It's all well and good hiding how you feel around the team, but not me. Please don't do it around me. A blind person could see you feel atrocious so please admit that and accept my help." You whisper, rubbing a hand up and down her back comfortingly.

"Don't want you to get sick." She mutters at the quietest volume she can, giving you a hint at just how much discomfort she was in.

"That doesn't matter to me. Let me take care of you. Please?" Hesitantly, she nods after a moment, so you pull back to get a good look at her face. What you're met with breaks your heart. "Oh, Ale. Let's get you home."

You do exactly that, demanding that she go get in bed the second you're through the door to your apartment. Now, in the comfort of her own home, you hope that she'll fully drop her guard down, but it seems a little trickier than you thought. She rejects the bed and settles for the sofa, though she grabs her laptop from the coffee table and opens it to start doing some work admin.

"What are you doing?" You ask when you come over with a glass of ice water and a pack of tablets.

"Work." She answers with a shrug. This was part of her routine, but you had guessed, incorrectly, that she would drop this part of the day considering how she was feeling.

"No, you should be resting." You tell her, sitting beside her and offering her the box of pills.

"I am not running on a football field anymore. I am on the couch like you asked. This is routine." Alexia answers. Her voice is barely there anymore, it was merely just a rasp, and the pain she hid was evident in each word.

"Alexia." You sigh disapprovingly, popping two tablets out of the packet for her. "If you're going to be like this, at least for the love of god take these pills."

She does as you say, swallowing them both with a grimace before turning her attention straight back to her laptop screen. You had tried your best to help her, but pressuring her further would only make the situation worse, so you relent and stifle a sigh. There was a little bit of guilt you felt at getting annoyed at her, but this was just who Alexia was. You didn't like this process, you despised it, but there would eventually be a time where she would come crawling back to you when her stubborn tendencies had taken it too far, you just hoped she was sensible about it.

It was undeniably difficult watching her as the afternoon bled into the evening, knowing at some point her meds had worn off and she was putting herself through torture for nothing. Still, she was adamant as ever that she was okay, so there was little you could do about it without causing an argument. The only positive was that she somewhat relaxed after eating less than a third of her dinner, cuddling up to you as the pair of you watched a film on the sofa.

Her blinks got slower and her eyelids drooped a little over halfway through though, so you decided it was time to usher her to bed. And if she refused, that would be your last straw before you blew up at her.

Thankfully, and quite surprisingly, she agreed and stood up before walking, very sluggishly, to your shared bedroom.

At her request, you make her a cup of the tea she'd had before and bring it to where she lay on her side once she'd done her routine, a hand covering her eyes to block any light. Placing the mug down on the table, you draw the curtains and sit beside her, one hand falling to her head to gently massage her scalp.

"Rest. Early night. Big game tomorrow." Alexia insists weakly, barely able to string a sentence together as she pats the space beside her for you to lay down.

"You've not taken any tablets, or drank your tea. I'm not resting until you do." You state, not-so-discreetly laying the back of your palm on her forehead to gauge her temperature. Her skin is burning, and you curse the pair of you for somehow not owning a thermometer in your flat. "Ale, you're really unwell."

"It's not too bad." She argues feebly, leaning up on shaky arms to sit up against the head board. You hand her the tea and tablets, watching as she winces even more than earlier whilst struggling to swallow the pills.

"Ale." You warn her. "I doubt you should even play tomorrow."

"No!" She croaks out, coughing afterwards. "I am playing. No other option."

Speechless at her defiance, you just shake your head and go about your own night routine. As you brush your teeth, you watch her through the crack in the door and see how she is when no one is around. Her face scrunches up every time she swallows, and her hand clutches at her throat too. Not only that, but you hear her let out strangled groans every so often whenever she moves, her body aching and her head pounding. This all indicates the exact kind of state she's in, and it's not one fit for a 90+ minute long, possibly intense, football game.

"Alexia, listen to me." You demand tenderly, sitting beside her again and taking her hand. "You are not well. Stop resisting that because you will only get worse. This game tomorrow, the rest of the team have it. I believe that absolutely, and I know you do too but you won't admit that aloud. I know what's going on in that head of yours; you're scared of letting people down and disappointing yourself, your family, me, and the fans. Well, I'll tell you. You won't let anyone down by not playing. People, and that includes me, just want you to be healthy. You can gaslight yourself into thinking you've not got a minor injury, but you can't do that in this situation. You need to slow down and rest before you end up in the back of an ambulance."

"It won't end like that." Alexia shakes her head.

"That was just an exaggeration, Ale. I have no doubt that you will be sensible and not let it get to that point. Please, for your own sake, prove me right." You sigh once more, flicking off the lamp to delve the room into darkness so you can settle for the night. "Get some sleep at least. I love you and I only want the best for you."

"Love you too."

The way she tucks herself up beside you for the night, her face buried in the gap between your neck and shoulder, tells you all you need to know. It's a subliminal sign of how much she needs you, a subconscious message that conveys how much she wants to give in to whatever illness she's got and let you take care of her. The thing is, she's not quite at that stage yet mentally.

So when you line up in the stadium tunnel the next day, a few people in between you both, you're staring daggers into the back of her head that she can surely sense.

Your attempts throughout the day to get her to skip just one match, where Barcelona were already winning 2-0 on aggregate, were completely futile because - shock horror! - she just would not listen. You gave her a piece of your mind multiple times, as did Irene and Marta and Mapi and other members of the Barcelona staff. What frustrated you most though, aside from Alexia's stubbornness, was Jona's willingness to put her on the pitch. He didn't think twice when Alexia confirmed with an apprehensive nod that she was well enough for the match today, and that's how you were in this situation now.

Throughout the whole first half, where Salma scored to make it 3-0 on aggregate, your eyes were on her any chance they could. By the 30th minute, her movements were sluggish and slightly lacklustre, you were adamant it was clear for everyone to see that playing today was not the right choice. Did that mean the referee or the match officials or Jona and his staff did anything about it? Absolutely not.

At a lull in the game, where the opposing goalkeeper was getting the ball for a goalkick, you jogged over to her and tugged on her jersey.

"You need to get off this pitch, Alexia. You are not fit to play." You warned her through gritted teeth before walking off without a response.

That didn't seem to deter her from continuing though, because she carried on playing like you hadn't spoken a word to her. Your fury only grew, and it took everything in you for it not to show through your actions in the game. You managed to suppress it until halftime, where you sprinted off the pitch to give Jona a lecture about the circumstances.

You were almost certain that, when Alexia walked back onto the pitch for the second half, there was steam coming out of your ears like a comedy sketch. If you thought your girlfriend looked awful the previous day, she looked even worse now.

"She snuck off to the toilets at halftime to... you know, throw up." Esmee reveals as you go to join the team huddle. That revelation just added fuel to the fire.

After the huddle, you carefully grasped her arm to give her another warning.

"Alexia, I know you were sick at the break. You need to get off the pitch, you are worrying me now." You choose a softer approach, hoping it'll get through to her.

"No. Leave it." She grunted, jogging away towards her starting position.

Turns out, as you had told her for the past 72 hours, that statement could not be more wrong. By the 60th minute, her movements were lethargic and lacked any strength or power, and each kick of the ball stole more energy from her already severely depleted endurance. Every step, every little movement felt like she was fighting a losing battle, and it was obvious to everybody at this point. Any longer and she would have had to been taken off on a stretcher.

But finally, finally, it seemed concerns were raised about her because she was substituted off. Alexia decided now was the time to give in, because truthfully she had never felt worse in her life.

The words from the staff and her teammates around her simply weren't registering in her head as she grabbed a puffer coat, zipped it up to her chin with the hood up, and staggered down the tunnel. She was freezing cold, yet to the touch of anyone else she was sure they'd be burnt at how hot her skin was. Stumbling through the door of the physio room, she just about made it to one of the beds before she collapsed down onto it.

By the time one of the team doctors caught up to her, she was shivering at an extreme level, also unable to stop the pathetic whimpers and whines that left her. The next period of time was a blur as the medics worked around her, urging her to take off the jacket as a cold cloth was draped across her neck and a bottle of water with electrolytes in it was handed to her. She sipped at it periodically, eyes tightly shut as the effect of her defiance ripped through her. With not much else to do right now but bask in self-pity, she was filled with regret and shame for letting it get to this point, where she couldn't even finish a game. If you were to ask her now, not that she could really talk, she would confess that she absolutely should not have played today.

To put it simply, she had exerted herself far too much and pushed way beyond the limits that her health could handle. Her actions were dangerous, to no one other than herself, and that paired with the worry people no doubt felt for her, eventually led to tears seeping from her eyes. She would never admit that they were mostly a result of how unwell she was feeling, no, she wasn't at that point yet.

The only saving grace in this whole thing was when you rushed into the room once the match was over. When you approached her, her eyes were still closed and she appeared to be stuck in some kind of trance. Your hand on her waist didn't alert her, neither did the hand that brushed her hair out of her face where it stuck to her forehead.

"Ale?" You whispered, jumping a little when her eyes flew open.

There was no other reaction from her though, she just looked at you with wide, frantic, fearful eyes that seemed to plead for help. It was then that you realised the trance she was in was a state of shock, and it instilled fear in you too.

"We think it's best we take her to the out of hours doctors. She has symptoms of tonsillitis, I doubt it is anything more severe than that, and it's just been made worse by playing today and not resting." One of the members of the medical team advised, to which you nodded instantly.

"Yeah, absolutely. Can someone drive us there please?" You asked, glancing back down at your girlfriend to see her eyes had shut again as more tears streamed from them. You took one of her hands and cupped her cheek, your thumb gently stroking over the burning skin of her face.

"Of course. We'll have it outside in a few minutes."

It was a struggle trying to get her to the car, but eventually you were in the backseat with her leaning heavily against you, her head on your shoulder. You clutched at her hand for the whole drive, filled with intense concern for the woman beside you. She could barely keep her eyes open, nevermind talk or move. To sum it up, she was ruined. And though, rationally, you knew it was all her own doing, you couldn't help but feel somewhat at fault for it getting this bad. Ultimately, there were lessons to be learnt for the both of you, and you'd be damned if you weren't going to do better next time. You never wanted to go through this again, nor did you ever want to even imagine Alexia this sick again.

The team doctor that accompanied you explained the situation to the receptionist at the sign-in desk, and fortunately there was a doctor available immediately for Alexia to see. That was a huge weight off your shoulders, literally, because the nurses helped to guide Alexia to the consultation room and assisted her in laying down on the bed.

It was quickly decided that giving Alexia an IV was the best way to start as it would provide her with fluids that she had lacked recently, before the doctor assessed how bad her tonsillitis was. He then prescribed her a round of strong antibiotics for her to take for the next ten days, something that would be a struggle due to the condition her throat was in but she'd get it done.

Now in proper care receiving treatment, Alexia was feeling slightly better and a lot less spaced out. The staff member from Barca had left a while ago once Alexia had been seen to, and for the moment the doctor had stepped out of the room to get her tablets. That left the pair of you alone now, for the first time since before the game earlier.

You were stood beside her bed, still grasping tightly to one hand as the other repeatedly ran over her hair to comfort her. Though, out of nowhere, Alexia rolled over and it worried your for a moment, thinking she might be sick, but she only dropped your hand and pulled you closer by the waist so that she could hide her face in your jersey covered stomach. With a soft smile, you let her rest there, glad she was doing well now.

No words needed to be uttered, it was a moment of silent intimacy that allowed both of you to process the events that had occurred and begin to decompress from the stress of it all. There was no doubt in your mind that your girlfriend was still feeling rougher than ever, but there was comfort found in the fact that she wasn't hiding her true feelings now. What she needed was you, that's all she wanted all along, and in this moment now she started to think she was borderline crazy for denying herself from that.

You could pin-point the exact moment she had that thought, because despite her weakness, she managed to pull you tighter to herself. Additionally, you felt her body deflate as she sighed into your shirt.

"Sorry."

Through her limited words that you had quickly grown accustomed to over the past few days, you know there are about a hundred other things she wants to say in this moment, but her voice and her vocabulary fail her. You couldn't blame her or fault her though, you never could, because that one word placed a plaster over an anxious crack that had formed with everything that had occurred.

"It's alright, Ale. I'm just glad you're on the mend now." She leans back a little and looks up at you with anxious, bloodshot eyes, and you understand the message she's trying to communicate. Your heart plunged at the broken sight of her, but you quickly reminded yourself this wasn't the time for that. You needed to relax almost as much as she did. "Don't worry about it, my love. Just relax for now, that's all I ask of you."

That seems to do the trick, because she settles back down afterwards and the last bout of stress leaves her body. Despite her weakened movements, her grip on your waist never faltered. The simple fact of it all was that you both needed the proximity right now. Love languages always came across as a bit of a farce to you both, but it was hard to deny that right now one of them was being portrayed at its utmost strength.

There was one last thing, however, that you had to do to settle those last niggling anxieties.

You move out of Alexia's space momentarily, smiling slightly at the disapproving mewl she lets out, and she watches with one eye as you pull up a chair beside her so that you're at a more equal level. She's still lay on her side facing you, one side of her face smushed against the bed which makes you let out a quiet giggle that pulls a confused look out of Alexia.

"You look a bit cute right now." You tell her, grinning when she huffed and closed her eyes. From your new position, you raise a hand and slowly start tracing your index finger up over her nose and down the right side of her face, repeating the movement over and over again. "I love you."

Her eyes opened once more at the statement you uttered, a hint of a genuine smile blooming on her face for what might be the first time that day.

"Same." Was all she could mumble, making you laugh and the sound of it caused her smile to grow.

"I feel bad for laughing but I can't help it." You somewhat apologise, and Alexia rolls her eyes jokingly.

When she gazes at you again, you're completely overcome with love and admiration for her, knowing there's not a soul on earth you could adore in the same way you do for her. At that, you lean forward to press your lips against hers, but upon first contact, she jolts away with wide eyes.

"No, amor." She grumbled despite the pain it caused her.

"Why not?" You wondered, feeling a little butt hurt at the rejection.

"You will get sick." The midfielder states like it's an obvious fact. Well, she was wrong.

"No I won't." You claim with a sly grin. When she frowned in confusion, you giggled. "I had my tonsils removed when I was younger."

A look of understanding and relief crosses her face, before she smiles and pouts up at you dramatically. To deny her now would be sinful. Her lips are a little chapped, but in the grand scheme of things, that minor fact is like a drop in the ocean, because your girlfriend is here, and she's safe, and she's going to get better, and most importantly of all, she's in love with you. In sickness and in health, right?

"You really are as white as a piece of paper, Ale."

"Stop being mean."

[wasteddmoondust]

an old diary || remus lupin

pairing: remus lupin x reader 812 words, fluff, remus finds your old diary from this request! a/n: i twisted the request just a teeny bit away from what you might have been expecting. but i hope you enjoy it nonetheless! this was so fun to write and the scenario is just too cute hehe

"Hey, Remus?" He hears your voice call from the library . "When you're free, do you think you can help me organise the storage room? There's a load of books from years ago that I need sorted."

Remus doesn't even hesitate on his answer, he knows he'll do anything for you. The both of you have stuck close since your school days, and took care of each other through the war. He feels forever indebted to you especially for that.

And that's how he finds himself in said storage room, the musty smell of yellowing paper wafting around him.

He scans the stacks of books. There's not many, compared to the rest of the library at least. This should just take the afternoon.

He starts to sort each stack, slowly making a system in his brain on how to tackle this task. But as he's on this third pile. a glimmer catches his eye, and he turns towards the direction of it. Underneath a pile, something familiar is sticking out, but he just can't put his finger on it.

He decides to abandon whatever task he was supposed to do and reaches for the book. Carefully, he slides it out of the stack.

The name on the book knocks his breath.

Y/N L/N, 1977.

That's what is was, your old diary from seventh year.

Remus finds himself frozen. That year was wild, to say the least. The bittersweetness of his final year, relishing of how much youth him and his had left. But mostly, it was the prelude to most of the pain he would experience in his life. This book is holding whatever you were feeling in those days.

He knows he shouldn't peek.

He flips the book open to a random page.

15 September, 1977 Today we went out to the lake, and I realised no words can describe the amount of love I have for my friends. To my dearest girls, Lily, Marlene, Mary, and Alice. I hope we are never too far apart. We shall grow old together gossip even as we do now.

Remus' heart swells at the sentiment, knowing each of the mentioned girls' fates. He flips to other pages, which mostly are written about the daily life of a Hogwarts student. However, a glimpse of his own name gets his attention. He stops to read the page.

25 January, 1978 Remus Lupin. Oh the man that you are. You and your stupid jumpers and stupid books and stupid tea you take with milk and two sugars. What I find the most stupid is the way you treat me. It makes me question who I am to you. Your friend? Maybe more? I can only dream. I don't think you'll ever see me that way. I'm perfectly happy where we are as friends. But somehow if I get even the slightest chance I will be taking it. Even if it comes ten years from now.

He's stunned, to say the least. He never knew you harboured these feelings back then, and wonders if you still had them now.

It's funnier especially when after all this time he never found a way to say he has those feelings too.

He knows what he should do. There's a newfound feeling of courage and bravery in him, and quickly finishes his tasks before you leave the library for the day.

"Oh, done already?" you ask, packing your work bag before leaving. "That was quick. Did you have much trouble?"

"No, not at all. Found some pretty good things in there," he says, trying to act casual. He hides the diary behind his back.

"Really? Do tell."

He pulls out the book from behind. You gasp.

"No way!" You grab it from his hold. "That was in there the entire time?"

"Mhm, I took a peak, if you don't mind," He says.

You furrow your brows. "You did?"

He nods slowly.

"And what did you read...?" you ask. He knows that you know what was written in that diary.

He shrugs. "Let's just say..." he looks around avoiding eye contact. "You said ten years, and it's been fifteen. So would you still?"

You frown, but you know exactly what he's talking about. "Still what?"

"Take the chance?"

You groan and cover your face, feeling your cheeks heat up. You hear Remus chuckle. "So is that a yes?"

Your hands leave your face, showing a pout. "I can't believe you read that!" you swat him playfully. "But yes... I would..."

"Brilliant," he says, smoothing your hair down and smiling at you.

"Now what?" you ask. You mentally kick yourself for asking such a question.

Remus grins, the same grin you've grown to love over the years. "I'd like to kiss you now, if it's alright with you."

The both of you lean in. In the library after fifteen years, he's finally yours.

[sofasoap]

When the rain stops

Pairing: Simon "Ghost"Riley x F!reader Rating: T-M rating. slightly open ending. no angst ( for once!)

Summary: You were stuck at the shop with your groceries, and your intimidating ( but nice ) masked neighbour waited the rain out with you.

Thank you @glitterypirateduck for organising the writing challenge! you are totally awesome :) Go here to check out other wonderful writer and artist's work for this challenge.

Prompt used : No.83 Stuck/Caught in the rain note: I have to thank @a-small-writer-in-a-big-world her roommate series simon will always be my inspo for any neighbour/roommate related ideas. *taking deep bow*

Part of the Memory in a Fragrance series Master list

Holding one bag of grocery in one hand, and a bag of rice in another arm, sighing as the sky opened up, regretting not listening to yourself earlier on.

Should have brought my brolly, or should have driven here instead of walking. Thinking to yourself. So much for wanting to get some exercise and steps into my daily routine. 

Oh well, What else can you do but wait? 

“You gotta be kidding me.” 

Suddenly a large shadow with a deep rumbling voice loomed over you, cursing away.

Looking up, stands Simon, your large yet mysterious neighbour, with a small bag of grocery, seemingly in the same predicament. 

“You too?”

Awkward silence. He slowly turns his head down towards you. You can almost sense his discomfort from the tense body language and the way he is staring down at you. 

“There’s extra storage space on the ground floor. Rubbish collection day is every Monday, remember to take it out. Oh good morning Simon.” your landlord greeted a tall masked man, with a big camo bag who was about to head out the door. He nodded his head towards the two of you, before turning away abruptly.

That was your first meeting with Simon.

After that, he only appears every few weeks, always carrying his Camo bag. Sometimes in his uniform, sometimes already changed into Civilian uniform.  The two of you never spoke a word to each other, nor acknowledged each other. 

“Um. I am your neighbour two doors down?” You shifted uncomfortably, thinking he doesn’t remember you. 

“I know.” 

Another awkwards silence. 

“I don’t think the rain is going to stop for a while.”

“…….” 

Pointing to the cafe next door to the grocery store,“Would you, would you like to um, have a cup of coffee while we wait?” WE? You don’t know why you offered.

“Tea.” 

“Pardon?”

“I drink tea.”  He repeated.

“Oh.” Well, you assume that is a yes. “Let’s.. Let’s go?”

You look out the window, at the rain that is currently bucketing down heavily, showing no signs of stopping. The drumming sound drowning out the chatting voices of the cafe patrons. 

“Not to your taste?”

Simon’s voice snapped you out of the reverie. 

“Sorry?” you blinked, confused at his question. 

He pointed at your coffee. “Not to your taste? Should I get another one for you?”

He has insisted on getting the drinks.

“I am very particular with tea.” He insisted as he gently set the groceries down beside the table. He raised a hand to stop you before you speak. “A cup of coffee isn’t going to break my bank. What would you like?”

You shook your head and quickly took a sip. “Oh nono, I was zoning out…looking at the rain. Listening to the sound.It’s very… calming.” 

He looked out the window, humming. Back to the silence between the two of you.

You took another sip of your coffee, and stole a glance at the brooding man in front of you. 

This is probably the first time you have seen him without any face covering on. 

Not a face of a model, but a pleasing looking face. Long eye lashes, framing those deep brown eyes,  full of sorrow, weariness and… loneliness? 

“What if the rain doesn’t stop?” You break the silence again after a while. 

“Then we wait a bit longer.” 

“Until the cafe closes?” You chuckled.

“Then I’ll walk back to get the car and pick you and the grocery up.” 

You cocked your eyebrow. Although the two of you are neighbours, technically the two of you don't know each other before this. He could have just left you there to your own demise..

“But I don’t think I need to do that. Seems like the rain started to die down. Come on.” Simon drained the last of his tea, donning his mask back on and stood up and picked up his bag of grocery and your bag of rice.

“OH, I can..” 

Before you finish your sentence, he hauls it over his shoulder like a bag of feathers and stares at you. Somehow you know it’s pointless to argue with him so you just pick up your bag of groceries and follow him out of the cafe.

Two of you walked home in silence. 

You couldn’t resist taking a peek at his strong muscles… you mean him. With the first glance he sends people scrambling with his deathly stare. But from his actions today.. You know he’s a man of action.  From the little things he does. Insisting on paying for the coffee. Carrying the heavy bag of rice.

Oh he smells so nice. You also couldn’t help but take a deep breath in as he gently nudged you to the inner side of the walking path and shielded you from all the puddle splashes when the car drove past. 

Smell of fresh pine. Citrus. Freshly cut grass.

Just like after the rain. Your favourite smell since childhood. 

It gives you comfort. And joy. Memories of going for a walk and running around on the field with your family and falling over onto the grass, big patches of mud on your butt while your siblings laugh at you, and your mother shook her head.

“You got the front gate key?” He grumbled, adjusting the bag of rice on his shoulder.

“Ah? Oh. yes. Sorry..” you quickly dug through your bag for the keys and opened it up to let the two of you into the building. 

“Well, Ah, Thank you for your help today.” You said as he put the bags down in front of your door. “ Would you like to come in for a cup of tea… OH.” What the hell are you saying, the two of you just sat in the cafe for more than an hour drinking afternoon tea.

He chuckled. Oh, he sounds nice when he laughs.  “I think we have enough tea and coffee for the afternoon.” 

You nodded your head, embarrassed and somehow disappointed at the rejection. You opened the door and half kicked your groceries in.  

“But maybe next time.” you snapped your head around, he was already walking towards his own door. “If you need people to go grocery with you. I will be happy to if I am home.” 

You blinked your eyes, is..that his way of asking you to go on a .. date but not a date? Or is he just being friendly??

You stood there for a long time mouth gaping, long after he returned to his apartment. 

Simon look down at the little container of home baked biscuits left on his front door step the next morning, and smiled. 

“Just a little thank you for the impromptu afternoon tea and carrying my groceries yesterday. This is my number just in case you want to ask me to go again…”

tag:

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@siilvan

@gamergirlbones

@a-small-writer-in-a-big-world

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[fatkish]

Hey hey I was wondering if you could do a aizawa with his teen daughter who just found out she was pregnant and how he and her deal with everything

[Since Anon didn’t specify whether the daughter was impregnated by choice, I’m going to go a darker route and say that the reader was r~~~d by their ex (they were together at the time, but they broke up after the reader found out their boyfriend assaulted them in their sleep) and although they are upset about the situation, they can’t bring themselves to terminate the baby.]

Aizawa x Teen Daughter Reader: Teenage Pregnancy

You and your boyfriend had a really good relationship going. You both had agreed to save sex for when you were out of Highschool and both had stable jobs

At least, that’s what you thought

You were 17 years old when you got ‘sick’. Constantly throwing up in the mornings and certain smells made you puke.

Aizawa had noticed this and hoped it was just the flu but decided to be safe and went to buy Pregnancy tests and left them on your bed with a note saying:

“I picked these up for you, I promise I won’t be angry or upset with you if you’re pregnant. You’re old enough to know that every action has consequences. Just know that I’m here to help in any way I can.

Love, Dad”

When you missed your period you decided to take the tests. Needless to say they were positive.

When Aizawa heard you crying through the bathroom door, his heart slightly broke, so he tried to talk to you

“Sweetheart, are you going to be able to come out and talk to me? I know that you’re upset but please know that I’m not going to be mad at you or scold you. You knew that this was going to be something that could happen when you had sex”

Cue the reader crying even harder. That’s when Aizawa knew, he f~~~ed up.

Oh, oh this is much worse then he could have possibly imagined. His heart broke in two and he felt a simmering of rage start to boil in his gut

“Sweetie, I’m so sorry, forget what I said, you didn’t choose this but I promise I’m going to be here and help you no matter what you choose to do.”

Eri was awake and heard the commotion and asked about what was going on. When Aizawa tried to explain what was happening that’s when you exited the bathroom with a positive test

You knelt down and did your best to explain to Eri what was happening and what it meant. When you saw the look of wonder and excitement on her sweet little face, that was when you decided to keep the baby

Aizawa had called Mic and let him know what was happening as well as Midnight. They both drove over and stayed with you (Midnight didn’t die in this story) whilst Aizawa left to go deal with your Ex

First Trimester:

Aizawa, Mic and Nemuri are there for everything. Aizawa is there at every checkup and has a picture of the ultrasound in his wallet

He started getting things early and stocking up on necessities like diapers, bottles, wipes, etc.

Started to baby-proof the house, helped get a crib set up as well as the nursery

Second Trimester:

He started preparing for you to be homeschooled during maternity leave and made sure you would still be on track to graduate

He and Mic start to buy gender neutral baby clothes, books, toys, etc.

He takes you to every appointment

Third Trimester:

Oh boy, he nervous

His students hear about it and hold a baby shower for you. Each member of class 1A gets you of the baby something. Some of their gifts include: an All Might and Eraserhead onesies, cute baby clothes, some books, a baby food processor and recipe book with storage containers, maternity friendly tea, stuffed toys, etc.

As you start to show more, Nemuri takes you shopping for clothes

Aizawa and Mic surprised you with a painted nursery as well as a car seat

Birth:

Aizawa never had so many mixed emotions all at once

When he got the call at school that you went into labor, he dropped his things and immediately headed to the hospital

Grabs the to go bag as an after thought

Eri calls the baby her little brother and promises to be the best big sister ever

Every milestone, Aizawa is taking pictures of

Of course, uncle Mic helps out with the baby and everything

[dreamescapeswriting]

BTS Reaction || They Find Out You Kept Your Old Apartment

⤜Copyright: © DreamEscapesWriting - July 2023

⤜MASTERLIST

a/n: i tried to get these as different from each other as possible

SEOKJIN:

Jin wasn't the type of boyfriend that would snoop on you intentionally, nor was he the type to open your mail unless it was an accident, just like this morning. He hadn't meant to open your letter but as soon as he did he was almost glad he had, it was from your landlord letting you know that he was raising the rent on your apartment. Only, it wasn't the address you were currently living at with Jin it was your old address, something Jin thought you would have sold long before now.

"Jin, I picked up all your favourites while I was out. I was hoping we could have a picnic in the living room," You called out as you walked into the house, shaking off your umbrella after being caught in the rain. Jin didn't even move from the living room though, he'd been sitting there ever since he opened the letter about three hours ago. He was overthinking every little detail wondering how long you were going to keep this from him. Were you planning on going back to it? Was it some sort of backup plan for you to rush off back to if things went wrong between you and him?

"Jin? Cat got your tongue?" You laughed weakly when you walked into the room to see him sitting there and just waiting for to you come back, 

"You kept your apartment," He said to you, slowly turning to look at you with tears in his eyes. He told himself that he wasn't going to cry but it turned out that he was going to.

"Jin..." You said slowly as you put down the bags you were holding. You knew you should have told him about your apartment but you'd kept it a secret because you knew he was going to react this way toward it,

"Did you keep it in case you were going to just leave me?" He snapped a little bitterly and you smiled weakly, he had every right to react this way and you weren't going to argue back and forth with him.

"I kept it to keep my stuff in," You let out a small sigh, it was something you were a little ashamed about since you tried to act like you had a "minimalist" lifestyle but it couldn't be further from the truth.

"What?" He wiped his eyes a little and stared at you before you whined and shook your head, looking down at your hands as you finally admitted to it.

"I have a lot...I mean, A LOT of stuff Jin. Not everything was going to fit inside of our place, so I kept my apartment as storage." A small chuckle left your boyfriend's lips,

"So you hide it all away?"

"I didn't want you to know about all the junk I had," You grumbled as he slowly wrapped his arms around you, pressing his lips to your cheek as he shook his head at you.

"We can look for a storage unit, it'll be better for you than keeping an apartment," He laughed softly.   

YOONGI:

Yoongi frowned when he saw you walking down the street in the direction of your old apartment, it was above the coffee shop where the two of you had first met and he smiled to himself and decided to follow after you. The two of you would always come back to the coffee shop together to get some coffee and reminisce on the old times you had together. Only this time it didn't seem you were going to get coffee, Yoongi watched as you pulled your keys free from your bag and took the stairs outside up to the apartment.

"What the fuck?" He grumbled, following after you as he made his way up the stairs trying to be as quiet as the creaky metal would allow him to be. As soon as he got to the top he looked through the small window and his heart sank at the sight of you, just sitting there with a cup of tea and relaxing. Sighing to himself he pushed the door open, watching as you squealed out in surprise,

"Yoongi?!" You sat up straight and stared at him, your stomach dropping as you saw him standing there.

"What are you doing?" He looked over at all of the boxes that were inside of the room and his mind was instantly going to the work possible place. Were you leaving him? Slowly moving back into your old place without telling him? 

"Yoongi, it's not what you're thinking." You stood up slowly but he shook his head at you,

"You're moving back into your apartment...T-That you kept, without telling me?" He pointed at all of the boxes and you shook your head at him, none of that was true. The boxes were full of things you needed to take to Yoongi's place but had no room for, the place you were living together in was only small and you had lots of things.

"No...Not even close,"

"Then what is it?" He questioned, tears building up in his eyes as he let out a small whine.

"I don't have space at yours," You quickly rambled out. The two of you had never really spoken about what the spare room in your place was going to be used for and before you could ask about it, Yoongi had turned it into a studio at home.

"You have lots of space." He grumbled but you shook your head at him,

"I don't have enough space to put my stuff Yoongi," You didn't know how to approach the subject before but there was no avoiding it now.

"Your spare room, I-I kind of need to put some stuff in the wardrobe...a-and maybe get some more shelves for the living room," You swallowed the lump in your throat and he smiled stepping closer to you.

"I'll make more room or we can move, I-I'm just glad you're not leaving me."

"Never, you're with me for life," You smirked, kissing him deeply.

HOSEOK:

Hoseok had a weird feeling for weeks and he hadn't been able to place what it was about until now. Now there was no avoiding the weird feeling that was there for a reason as he stared down at the "missed delivery" notice - something that wasn't usually a problem but the issue with this one was that it had your old address written on it and the date was yesterday. Instantly Hoseok's mind was thinking of all the reasons you would have kept your old place, it was a backup plan for you to go back to if things went wrong. It was somewhere you'd run off to if you had a fight, every possibility was running wild in his mind.

"I picked up your laptop for you," You told Hosoek as you walked into the living room, your heart sinking when you saw him holding the bright red slip.

"You have a missed delivery." He turned the slip to face you and you swallowed the nervous lump in your throat,

"Hobi.." You trailed off slowly and made your way to stand in front of him, 

"For your old place, which is strange because you told me you sold it."

"No, I didn't. I told you I took care of it." You mumbled, it was neither the time nor the place to argue about details from before.

"Which in my mind means you sold it." He grumbled, his eyes staring into yours as you bit down on your lip a little. There was nothing bad about you keeping the old place, it was just something you did because you needed to.

"Hobi, it's nothing...Trust me," You reached for his hand but he didn't even acknowledge that you were holding it out for him.

"It doesn't feel like nothing, this feels like a pretty big deal to me." You shook your head and pulled him to stand up, you were going to show him the truth as to why you kept your old place.

[X]

"Yn...This is insane," He said as he stared around at everything inside the small apartment, your heart was running wild by now. The thing was, the reason you'd kept your old place was to keep most of your kpop merch in and it took up a lot of space.

"I have a problem with buying it." You mumbled as he turned to look at you,

"You have kpop stuff at our place too." He reminded you as you nodded shyly,

"I have all-time favourites at yours," You admitted, sinking down onto the sofa as you whined a little. You had a slight problem with overbuying and this was where it had led you, needing an apartment to hide the things from your boyfriend. A small chuckle left Hoseok and he sat down beside you,

"At least I know you're not planning on leaving me." He teases, trying his best to cheer you up just a little.

NAMJOON:

"It was an accident!" Jimin cried out as you glared at him, both of you rushing in the direction of your "old" apartment as you tried to see if that was where Namjoon had run off to. 

"You accidentally told my boyfriend I kept my old apartment? How?" You grumbled harshly, you knew you were directing your anger in the wrong place. You should have been directing it at yourself but you couldn't help it, you'd gone 6 months without Namjoon finding out that you kept your old place only for it to come out through someone else. He must have been crushed, you couldn't imagine what he was thinking right now.

"If he's not here, I'll let you off." You told him as you turned the key to your apartment door and sighed when you saw Namjoon standing in the living room.

"You're dead." You mumbled to Jimin before making your way into the room and staring at Namjoon, waiting for him to say something - anything - but he was just silent.

"I kept it as wardrobe space. Every time I needed something new at yours, I'd bring older things here and replace them back home." You told him plainly, it was the truth. You and Namjoon had a lot of clothes and moving in together meant losing a lot of space and this was the best solution that you could come up with.

"So you're paying two rent payments, here and at ours?" Namjoon stared at you, relieved that you weren't keeping this space as a backup plan in case things went wrong for you and him.

"Y-Yeah, but I found a storage locker I'm going to get instead...I-I figured that could be better-" You were cut off as Namjoon suddenly held you from behind, snuggling his head into your neck.

"You're not leaving me," He breathed out, relaxing as he held you close to him.

"I would never leave you Joonie." You whispered, kissing his cheek softly as he looked around your apartment again, both of you laughing a little at how much you had.

JIMIN: "I'm telling you, I have no space. That's why I kept my old apartment, but I'm thinking of selling it so if you know anyone in need of a place, give them my number?" You suggested to Danielle - the two of you had grown close with one another since she joined HYBE and you were talking a lot to one another.

"Sure, does Jimin know about this though? I bet it was weird telling him you kept your old apartment," She giggled a little but you bit down on your lip and shook your head. Jimin had no idea you'd kept your place, you'd told him that you'd sold it months about but the truth was, you couldn't. You barely had any space at your place with Jimin and you needed somewhere to keep your things or to at least downsize a lot more than you already had.

"You kept your place?" Danielle's face dropped and so did yours as you whined, he must have only heard Danielle's question and not that you were getting ready to sell,

"That's my queue to leave, good luck." Danielle gave you a quick side hug and rushed out of the room as you turned to face your boyfriend.

"Jimin, before you overthink it-"

"Too late, why did you tell me you sold it?" His voice cracked as he did his best to hold back the tears that were building inside of him.

"Because I was going too b-but then I realised the space we lived in wasn't big enough and so I kept it as a way of having more space."

"Oh." He looked at you and bit down on his lip, clearly, his mind had gone in the wrong direction when he heard you'd kept your apartment, he'd instantly thought of the worst possible thing.

"And I finally got rid of a bunch of my stuff and I think if I can get a small locker somewhere I can finally sell my apartment and it won't be there anymore."

"So you're not keeping it so you can run away from me?" He sniffled a little and your eyes shot to him, why would he even think that?

"Runaway? Why would I ever do that?" You laughed weakly through your question and he let a few tears run down his cheeks.

"I-In case you fall out of love with me,"

"Is that what you thought when you heard us talking?" As soon as he nodded you threw your arms around him and cuddled him closer to you, your hands slowly rubbing the back of his head.

"I love you Jimin...Always." You whispered as he cuddled into you, holding you as tight as he could manage.

TAEHYUNG: HYBE had been getting all kinds of letters about you recently and it was starting to become a problem, it seemed that a Sasaeng fan had taken it upon themselves to let them know you were holding another apartment in your name.

"This doesn't look good. What if news about this got out? People would assume the two of you are having issues." Sejin said as he paced around the room, your eyes looking down at the table. It had just been announced to everyone inside the room that you'd been keeping a secret apartment,

"No one was supposed to find out."

"Why do you even have it?" Taehyung's voice cracked as he let out a few tears. The two of you were doing well in your relationship, hell, you were even engaged to one another so he didn't understand why you were keeping an apartment.

"I-"

"Are you planning on leaving him? Cheating on him?" Sejin asked as he slammed his hands onto the table, you flinched and shook your head.

"No! Nothing like that!" You yelled out, staring at Taehyung who was simply refusing to meet your gaze,

"I would never! I kept it because I needed it!" You yelled out as you tried your best to defend your actions. It was stupid of you but you needed the place. The apartment that you and Taehyung were staying in was only really big enough for one person and neither of you had talked about finding another place.

"For what?" Sejin questioned, Taehyung slowly turned his attention back to you and you slowly took in a deep breath,

"There's not enough space at our place...I have my winter clothes at my apartment, then I also have all of my things I couldn't take to Taehyung's apartment." You looked down at the table again, there were things like holiday decorations, and presents you'd been given, not to mention all of the other things you had in your life.

"Why didn't you just say something?" Sejin sighed rubbing the bridge of his nose and sinking into his chair, if it was that easy a fix you should have said something months ago.

"Because Taehyung likes his place."

"I like having your things with mine more," Taehyung laughed taking your hand into his.

"We'll start looking for a new place tomorrow, okay?" You nodded at him and he kissed your cheek softly as Sejin prepared to get ready for a media statement about it all.

JUNGKOOK:

It was starting to become a big problem now, you'd kept your apartment hidden from Jungkook but it was becoming increasingly aware you weren't going to be able to keep it a secret for much longer.

"What are we doing here?" He laughed as you stood outside your old place and you handed him some boxes.

"I have stuff inside," You mumbled, taking him toward the door as he opened it. His eyes landed on all the clothing racks you had that were filled with clothes. He hadn't expected there to be so much.

"What the- Wait...You told me you sold this place," He stared at you and you knew he was instantly going to think badly and you kissed his cheek.

"I kept it as a precaution, I needed somewhere to hide all my clothes... A-And stuff I was ashamed of you seeing." The place you lived at with Jungkook was tiny but now that you were moving into a larger house it was time for you to take your things to go and move in properly with him.

"So, this whole time you've been living here too?"

"N-No. I just use this like a really...really big wardrobe and junk drawer." You smiled trying to lighten the mood and he let out a small and weak laugh, looking at everything. It was going to be a long day of packing for you both even though you'd just finished packing up the old place yesterday.

"You're lucky I love you enough to help," He winks, kissing your cheek as you both set out to work.

Tagline: @chiisaiblog​ @tinyoonsblog​ @sw33tnight​ @taestannie​ @cherrybubblesandvodka​ @acciocriativity​ @mitzwinchester​ @heyjiminnie​ @halesandy​ @jin-from-the-block​ @aerastus​ @namjooningelsewhere​ @psychosupernatural​ @lyoongx​ @royallyjjk​ @critssq​ @lenfilms​ @btsiguess-kpop​ @meowmeowisdaname​ @imafivestarkpopstan​ @laylasbunbunny​ @ratherbfangirling​ @backintomykpopphaseagain​

[leonw4nter]

Boy So Pretty, You’re All I See

Boyfriend!RE2R!Leon x F!Reader

“It feels so good to be back home for the break,” you softly sigh as you drive your rental car to your parents’ house. There’s about 5 minutes left for the drive, the both of you tired from various flights but still excited to see your parents again.

“Yeah. I was starting to miss Mr. and Mrs. L/N,” Leon sheepishly admits. “Mrs. L/N’s chicken curry tastes heavenly.”

His words tug a little giggle out of you; if anything, your parents might be missing Leon more than they do with you– they’ve basically taken him in as their own son. Your parents spoil him each time they get to see him: packing him food that he loves whenever it’s time for you two to go back home, giving him stress-relieving teas, making sure he always takes his vitamins and whatnot. You’re thankful that you’ve got parents who treat Leon so warmly, especially since he’s been an orphan for most of his life and have probably only felt this kind of parental love now.

“My parents will be hugging you first before they rush over to me. They’ll probably make sure you sit down before I do but I know you love the attention.” You tease, which tugs the corners of Leon’s boyish, pink lips skyward.

“Maybe.”

After the final turn to a street, you finally spot your parents’ house. Leon sits up, adjusting his round glasses and pushing it up at his nose bridge; his eyes shimmer with anticipation, probably charging up with a cuddly bear hug for both your parents as soon as he’s done helping you lug your bags inside.

You pull up into the driveway and do the backing, parking the car neatly before pulling the key off of the ignition and opening the door to get out. Before you could even pull the handle, Leon zips up from his seat and briskly runs over to your side, almost tripping over himself in the process just to be the one to open your door. He finally gets to your side, slightly out of breath. Along with the chillier weather, his cheeks and the tips of his ears are flushed pink and his glasses have slid down his nose again, the lenses foggy.

“Whatever happened to ‘ladies first’?” You ask with a playful smirk, stepping out of the driver’s seat.

“I can always close your door and walk back inside so you can get out first–,” he playfully proposed as he started to close the door at a snail-like pace.

“On second thought.” You interrupt as you push the door open and finally step outside, flashing Leon a toothy grin.

You two walk to the back of the car, lifting the trunk to take out the luggages and bags you two had brought along. Of course, Leon opted to take the heavier ones so you’d get the lighter ones instead (ever the gentleman that he is).

“Normally, I’d say ‘take a picture, it’ll last longer’ but you’ve already got so much pictures of my arms on your phone and I worry for your storage,” he quips as he notices your shameless ogling at his arms and hands. Despite his attention being turned to taking suitcases out, he still managed to catch a glimpse of you from the corner of his eyes.

“Shut up!” You protested. “I do not have a photo album of your arms, you’re just vain.” You do, in fact, have a photo album full of pictures of his arms. It’s not your fault when they look absolutely munchable especially now that the sleeves of his navy blue bomber jacket are rolled to his elbows, showcasing the pale blue of veins beneath his skin.

Shortly after, all the suitcases were out and the trunk is now empty. With a click to the doorbell, you two wait on the front steps with thrilled smiles. Before you know it, your dad opens up the door and in the blink of an eye his face lights up. He hugs you tight, patting your back as he goes on about how long he’s missed you and your boyfriend.

“Honey, what’s all that fuss about? Close the door!” You hear your mom call out from somewhere in the house.

“Hi, Mrs. L/N!” Leon happily booms. Even if you two don’t even see her yet, he’s already got his arms above his head and are waving them. Your mom dashes for the door at a comical speed, her own face lighting up like your dad’s when she sees Leon.

“Leon!” she gushes as she jogs over to Leon and gives him a warm welcome hug. “How’ve you been?”

“Never felt better, ma’am.”

“That’s good to hear, you’re looking better than when I last saw you! How’s law school?”

He shyly laughs, placing his hands on the pockets of his acid-washed jeans. “Aw, psh. You don’t look so bad yourself, ma’am. You’re radiant! Law school’s alright, it gets a little complicated at times but that’s nothing I can’t deal with, right?”

Your mom blushes at the compliment, unadulterated glee radiating off of her and rubbing off on everyone else. You and your dad finally finish catching up on life for the past few months, your mom ushering everyone inside for some snacks.

─────────────────────────────────────────────────────

“That sounds amazing, honey! I’m very proud of you.” Your mom happily remarks, setting down a bowl of hard pretzels. You just finished going over all the events in your life, not missing a single detail. You proudly shared to her about how your grades have risen, along with being the semester's Dean's lister.

“Feel free to have some, kids. I’m sure the plane food wasn’t too fulfilling.”

“Thanks, ma’am.” Leon says as he reaches to take a pretzel. You decide not to have any since you felt quite full but knowing your boyfriend’s black hole stomach, he doesn’t have it in him to resist a treat or two. He takes a bite and shuts his eyes, humming in delight as he chews the snack.

“God, these taste amazing!” Leon marveled. “What brand is this? The saltiness, the crunch– it’s all perfect!”

Your mom giggles, sitting even closer to your dad as a pleased smile graces her features, the smile lines in her eyes deepening.

“I made these, actually. I’m glad you can’t get enough of them!” she responds.

Leon’s mouth nearly drops open, the tips of his ears turning warm with an accompanying flush.

“Oh! Wow… they’re just so… these are divine! No wonder they’re wonderful, your cooking always hits!” He beams as he throws two thumbs up.

“Gosh, Leon, leave some for my dad! He loves mom’s pretzels too!” You giggled as you watch Leon slowly empty the bowl, one spiece at a time.

“Oh!” He stops and chews up the pretzels in his mouth. His entire face turns red, the room suddenly feeling a lot warmer than it was. “I’m sorry, sir!”

Your dad roars with laughter instead, taking his mug of hot cocoa and bringing it near his face. “Don’t fret, son. I’ve already had some earlier, just help yourself.”

He brings the mug up to his lips, taking a nice sip before setting it back down and asking you questions of all sorts from school to your part-time job then friends, and the weather back at the state you’re studying in. You answer them happily, Leon occasionally chiming in with answers of his own.

─────────────────────────────────────────────────────

After tugging your bags up the stairs and into your room, you and Leon climb into bed and cuddle. He is splayed on your belly, arms wrapped around your lower back as you idly stroke his soft hair whilst talking about random nonsense and giggling. You had Leon’s glasses on, talking about how his lenses makes everything look trippy.

“Damn, you can’t see without these. What a loser,” you jokingly mumble as you crane your head here and there, getting a full glimpse of everything.

Leon lifts his head up from your stomach, pouting and narrowing his eyes whilst his bangs partially covered his sight but that doesn’t mean anything if what he’s looking at is the greatest view possible: you.

“Then that makes me your loser,” he groggily mumbles as he gently takes your and presses a delicate kiss to your knuckle, letting his lips stay pressed and warm up that region of your hand for a little longer before he pulls them away and looks up at you, flashing you soft puppy eyes– eyes that embodied a raindrop on a blue Lobelia. You two just stared at each other for a moment, warm silence settling between you two until your mom knocked at the door and came in.

“Hey, kids. I hope I wasn’t interrupting anything,” she says as she scans you and Leon. He sits up, gently plucking his glasses from your face as he puts them on and turns his attention to your mom, running his slender fingers through his hair as he tries to fix it. You two respond that she wasn’t barging into anything, much to her relief.

“So… I’ve recently gotten into knitting and I figured that since you two are here and the weather is cold and I’ve got a knitting pattern for sweaters, I decided to get knit these up for you guys,” she excitedly says as she takes her hands from behind her back and walks over to you both, setting down knitted sweaters on your laps.

The sweaters are chunky but cute: perfect for looking good on a cold day. They’re both in a piggy pink shade, red heart patterns all over the clothing. Both the sweaters look oversized but the one that looks significantly bigger could be Leon’s; your mom placed it on his lap after all.

“I know you like your shirts and sweaters oversized so I sized yours up by a little bit,” your mom explains. “You don’t have to take Leon’s anymore. The poor boy gets cold too, ya know.”

Leon smirks and your face burns in slight embarrassment, hiding it behind the soft yarn of your new article of clothing while she laughs good-naturedly.

“Valentine’s Day is coming up in two days too. You two will finally have something matching to wear when you’ll go on a date. That’s enough from little old me, I’ll leave you two to go canoodle or something.”

Your mom turns on her heel to leave your bedroom but you bolt up from your bed and give her a nice hug from the back, which she returns.

“Thanks, mom. You’re the best. Thank you for this and for everything else– thanks for treating Leon nicely,” you softly admit. She stays there for a bit, leaning a little into your touch.

“You're welcome, honey.” She responds. “I can tell he loves you very much and you do too so I’m making sure you two have the best time ever while under my roof, okay?”

You nod, pressing a quick kiss to her cheek before unwrapping your arms around her and watching her close the door on her way out.

“You’re lucky to have a mom like that. She’s really nice. She’s an amazing woman, she raised you well,” Leon softly whispers.

“Yeah. I owe everything to her, so I’m doing my best to live in a way that doesn’t worry her or anything.”

He smiles and opens up his arms, gesturing for you to come closer. You come closer and you two hug, breathing in the comforting scent that is solely his. You stay like this for a few more moments before you pull away, excitement all over your face.

“So… how about we try on these sweaters? Don’t they look cute?”

“Sure.”

Leon decides to try the sweater on before you do, shedding his jacket and shirt, which you help him with. Taking his shirt off was a lot more giggly than you thought, Leon being ticklish whenever you do so (and you weren’t exactly careful as you took it off, wanting to make him giggle hard). He finally tries it on and he looks absolutely handsome. He looks so geeky and nerdy you can’t help but pinch his cheeks, causing the spot where you pinched to look a little more pink.

“Oops,” you apologize.

You try your own sweater soon and you do finish up, also looking adorable. You hear your dad from downstairs announcing dinner so you two quickly change out of the sweaters in order to not get it stained, ready to go have some food before a snuggly movie night.

─────────────────────────────────────────────────────

Two days later.

The sun is out, only a few cotton-like clouds dotting an otherwise clear sky. The weather is still cold, people in the streets out with their puffer coats, jackets, and scarves. You and Leon wore the matching sweaters from days ago, proudly showing off the work of your mom.

“God, I promised myself that I wouldn’t be doing cringey couple-y things like these when I get a boyfriend,” you mutter to yourself as you roam the streets with Leon.

“Look at you now, younger you would be disappointed,” he quips as he clicks his tongue and gently shakes his head.

“She just didn’t know what an absolute eyecandy of a boyfriend she would end up with.”

“Don’t call me ‘eyecandy’ before my ego inflates to three times its size.”

You roll your eyes and link your arm with his but not before readjusting his red scarf and taking pictures of him in every lighting angle possible; he’s just too cute to not be taking pictures of! You already made a trip to the flower shop earlier, getting Leon a pretty bouquet arrangement of baby’s breath, white and baby pink tulips, and baby pink lilies of the valley. Leon also got you a bouquet and when he realized that you got him one too, he insisted on bringing it along to whatever date you planned. You did tell him to bring bread but that’s all he knows. After a leisurely walk, you two were now alongside a pond with a scenic picnic spot but you two weren’t here for a picnic. Hand on his wrist, you tugged him to you and urged him to run with an ecstatic beam on your radiant face. After a little bit, you got behind him and tip-toed to be able to reach his eyes and cover them.

“Hold on, Leon. The surprise is yet to come,” you pant since you were still out of breath from the running.

“I thought the surprise was the sudden jogging session we had,” he breathily jokes.

“Can you take your hands off now?” Despite him asking, he doesn’t make any effort to move your hands away from his sight.

“Hold on, baby. I need to get this right,” you respond. You wait for a few more moments and then they finally come out. Slowly, you take out your hands from his eyes and point to the group of them. “Vóila! Surprise, baby!”

He looks a bit confused but his face instantly lights up with the brightness of a million happy suns clustered on his soft, rosy features. He finally sees a raft of ducks on the water, along with yellow ducklings. The stars align on the blue sky that are his eyes, dazzling amidst a canvas of blue as his grin grows even broader at the sight of the birds on the water with their feathery little tails wagging. He nearly drops the bouquet you got him out of pure excitement at seeing the ducks, tears probably forming at his waterline.

“Baby– There’s– Babe– Ducks!” is all he can muster at this moment. He hands you his bouquet while he takes his phone out and furiously heads over to the Camera app, clicking several pictures of this core memory forming right this very moment.

You remembered seeing Leon watch videos of people feeding ducks at ponds and sat through many of his talks about how much he wanted to see a duck in real-life and give it bread, no matter how silly he sounds or will probably look (since almost everyone has seen a duck at least once or twice in their life while he hasn't). You didn’t make fun of him at that moment: seeing Leon fuss over images of cute ducks he found on the Internet seemed to heal his inner child, letting himself revel in something so innocent and simple as a cute animal. Since there wasn’t a pond with ducks nearby your college and dorm, you two had to make do with cute duck videos which seemed to be enough for Leon. Remembering that there’s a pond near home, you decided to seize this opportunity to take him on a duck feeding date, hence the bread you asked him to bring along.

You took your own pictures of Leon taking his pictures of the ducks. You felt proud at seeing sunshine and rainbows radiate from Leon, the world falling into a peaceful silence and tranquility– it felt as if it’s just you, him, and nature. He pockets his phone, taking the bread and ripping off tiny pieces to feed to the ducks.

“Having fun sweetheart?” you sweetly ask.

“Tons! Loads!” he simply replies.

He hands you a half of his bread and you tear off tiny pieces and begin tossing it to the small duck family waddling in the water. You two do this in total silence– a comfortable one. You take out the digital camera from your pocket, powering it on and focusing it on the trees, grass, and ducks.

“Leon! Say ‘hi’ for the camera!”

For you, ‘forever’ isn’t exactly a word fitting for people since all our times will end; rather, ‘forever’ is a word fitting for treasures like these. Treasures like Leon and all the happiness you can attribute to him.

“Hi!” He waves, shooting the camera a charming smile. “Hi kids, this is your dad! I’m very happy to be feeding this ducks. Sometime in the future, I hope I can take you here!”

You blush a little bit, red creeping up your cheeks and filling the apples in with color. It flustered you to think that Leon would want to start a family with you, to see little version of yourselves running around in your future home. “Y/N, don’t these ducks look cute! See? Look at that one! The little bro looks so cute! The way their little tails wag– oh my God I’m going to pass out, they’re too adorable for me! Sweetheart, how does owning a duck sound like? What if I take a duck home with me? Baby!”

NOTE - 1 fic down, six or seven more to go!!! My Leon photocards finally came home and they look SOOOO good!!! My friend gave me the package in class and it looked like we were passing zaza (which is illegal, where I'm from). One of my teachers literally eyed the package in my desk and I literally had to repeat that this is just an unopened package 😭 Also we made peanut butter and jelly sandwiches in philosophy class, which was fun. What was NOT fun was Banana Fish, like that damn anime broke me-- I literally just read the wiki and I already fell apart so this is my cue to swear to never watch that anime (my bff made me watch the final ep in class and I bawled, like I fucking sounded like a lawn mower). Also please listen to "the way you say hello" by tiffy and City Girl, I listened to that while writing this and on GOD I was turning with green with envy bc y/n and Leon r 2 sweet. That's it and I hope you enjoyed this fic!!! Happy Valentine's Day!!!!!! <333333

The dividers are made by @cafekitsune , the images are made by me (sourced from Pinterest).

[sk-lumen]

How to declutter for a fresh New Year 🫧

The very first time I got into the spirit of minimalism and decluttering physically, mentally and emotionally, it was challenging as I still had a lot of resistance and attachment to things.

I started this during winter many years back, and it's becoming easier and easier. Not just as a great practice before the new year, but also as a habit throughout the year or whenever I feel like it.

When I started seeing how the mental load, the brain fog and distraction and worry... shifted into peace, relief, joy and mental clarity every time I let go of things, I understood why it's important to not be a hoarder. Physically or otherwise. (Of course this has nuance to it and it can be a privilege to be able to do it, but that's for a different topic.)

Here are ways you can start the new year fresh (or just clear the energy any time you need):

Online / social media

delete old files or photos you don't need from your devices or cloud

unfollow accounts on social media that don't inspire/uplift you

delete old messages

archive or delete conversations you no longer want to see

block or delete numbers that are affecting your mental health

Home

throw away things that are broken or falling apart (clothes, items, lingerie, etc)

donate or sell clothes you no longer use or want

sell items you don't use anymore but which are perfectly functional (hair straightener, lamp, etc)

throw away or repurpose gift bags, bags, cards

put away items you still need but are not using in this particular season - ie. put away into storage any winter clothing during summer, it's just cluttering your hangers

reorganize your home, your room, your bathroom, move furniture around or replace decor to give it a fresh exciting new feel and remove any stale energies

Physically

salt bath with essential oils to release any tension or toxins

lemon water, ginger and turmeric shots for cleansing

drink plenty of water or green tea or mint tea for improved digestion

Mentally

dedicate a journal to write down tasks, lists, to vent any negativity, or just thought-dump at the end of the day in order to feel lighter and clear-headed

have a calendar or agenda to note any important things, to lighten the mental load

say things that keep bothering you for days/weeks, do things you've been antsy to get done for days/weeks

Emotionally

journaling is an amazing way to offload emotionally

going to therapy

talking to a friend or family

cultivating healthy boundaries and communicating your needs

Spiritually

do a guided meditation to clear your head

spend time in nature, in the forest, by the sea, away from noise and crowds to clear your energy

you can also use crystals like crystal quartz to cleanse your aura

[weaper-reaper]

More König fluff and smut

I do apologize that I’ve been away for literally 5ever… sorry for all the fics I’ve abandoned there is a slight chance they still will be released. Until then, thank you always for the support. Here’s a treat for staying loyal and still RBlogging eventuality <3

CW: Fluff, Smut, Fingering, Creamies, KINDA SAFE SEX (literally unheard of), uhh this is KönigxYou btw, apparently ive been tagging my stuff wrong by writing xreader so forgive me ig, I’ve been craving intimacy and fluff irl so here you go, not proofed

Bzzzt… Bzzzt… Bzzzt

Your phone rattled the nightstand, clattering together the jewelry and pens that were haphazardly littered atop the smooth wood. With an annoyed grunt you twisted over to yank it from the cord it was plugged into. The bright screen made your eyes squint in through the darkness, text blurred- you answered it before knowing who was on the other side.

“Hey, uh.. hi.”

“König?” You asked out, the scratchy voice haunting and all too familiar.

There was an awkward staticky laugh through the speaker, and you sat up as your consciousness came rushing back.

“Yeah. Sorry it’s so late.” He apologized, and you pulled the phone from your ear to glance at the time. Just past midnight. “I just got back.”

His demeanor seemed to brighten as you put the cool glass back to your cheek. “Welcome back.”

“Listen.. I'm outside.”

Your heart stuttered, and you glanced to the window of your little studio, the moon sent streaks over the lonely little place you called home and a light rap sounded from the front door.

“Sorry I didn’t text,” He continued, voice stretched thin from exhaustion or travel. “I have something fo- actually, can you come to the door?”

You whipped your head around the room and your eyes landed on your bathrobe cast out lazily across the back of your chair. You snatched it up before responding.

“Yeah, yeah uhm.. hold on.”

“Okay.” He breathed, a hint of a smile on the end of his voice.

Throwing on the robe you rounded the corner from your bedroom, bare feet slapping against the tile on the floor. Without even bothering to peek through the looking hole, you unchained and unlocked the door, swinging it open wide.

König stood taller then you remembered, cast in shadows from the light in the hall. The dark seemed to loom just around him, hovering but an inch above his clothes. You met his cool gaze first, his eyes crinkled and he smiled under his hoodie.

He let the phone at the side of his face fall, and you pulled yours away then too.

“Hello.” He greeted. Smiley and with much more energy than you could’ve mustered this late at night.

“Hi.” You breathed back.

It had only been a few weeks since you last talked, but with him here at your door now- a strange look in his eye- it made it feel like months. The way he had left things made a bitter feeling resonate through your chest and your eyes quickly cast to anything but him. You cleared your throat and stepped to the side, inviting him in.

He had his bags with him, one sandy duffle bag and another giant backpack. You eyed them curiously as he dropped them, quickly answering before you could find the words to ask.

“Mission went a lot smoother than we thought, and my stuff is still in storage.. so.” He shrugged his outer jacket off and drops of water rolled down the nylon.

“It’s raining?” You asked, turning for the kitchen eyes cast over to the window again. Sure enough droplets you hadn’t noticed before stuck thick to the glass pane. “Some tea?” You offered, already putting the kettle on.

“Thank you.” He nodded, finding a spot against the cold counter to lean on.

He cleared his throat as you turned back to him, hands ruffling around in his pockets. He pulled a thin orange envelope from one of his cargo pockets and handed it flat out. You took it gingerly, suddenly too aware of the lack of clothing you sported. You tightened the robe before peeling open the packaging and pulling out the contents.

They were photos, mostly black and white, and definitely weathered. Some water spots bled around the corners making the ink smear and stick. You flipped through them excitedly.

“Oh!” You cooed, they were mostly photos of tall cliff sides, overgrown fields, the occasional tree or strange looking rock formation. You peeled apart one of them, it was a selfie- or an attempt at one. König stood infront of a lake, a few naked men stood behind him, one bent over and mooned the photo.

You laughed and glanced back over at König, a sweet smile was plastered over his face. You caught his eyes and a moment passed discreetly between you.

You had been so caught up in your own head since he left, the lack of communication drawing your feelings further and further from your own chest and you had worried he’d thought your relationship too difficult to handle while he was away. It’s not like he hadn’t been away before, but something made him seem even more distant now. He hadn't said goodbye to you this last time, just vanished. After a week you accepted the possibility of him ghosting you. But now, as his dark figure stuck out against the bright decor of your tiny kitchen, those feelings came flooding back.

The kettle squealed before you could finish your thoughts. Clearing your throat you gently set the pack of photos down onto the counter and poured out the dark liquid into two deep mugs. You handed him his, and his fingers brushed yours as he took it.

You could feel your chest heat up under the thick robe.

“Let me go change.” You whispered, breaking the silence. He set his mug down in response, and followed you to your room.

You glanced back over your shoulder at him as you passed through your doorway and blew a laugh down your nose, “Miss me that much, huh?” You joked that hidden hope, reaching for an old overnight shirt.

His arm stretched over yours suddenly grabbing the fabric with his chest at your back. He had moved so quickly you didn’t even have the chance to hear him take a step.

“I did.” He whispered softly, breath warm as it fanned over the cold shell of your ear.

You could swear your heart stopped, but then his lips were on yours in a flurry. He spun you and your robe had come undone with the movement, back now flush against the closet door. It’s hinges rattled as he all but threw you against it.

His lips were soft, and your heart raced.

It was the wetness then at your cheeks that stilled him. Slowly he peeled off of you and a hand rose to cup your jaw.

“Wh-why are you crying?”

You hadn’t noticed you were until he said something, but as your eyes met again a sob pulled from your lungs. He wasted no time in wrapping you up into his arms, pulling the two of you back onto the still warmth of your bed. You curled into him as your breathing slowed.

“Sorry,” you mumbled, raising the back of your palm to the corner of your eyes. “I just..” you started, quickly realizing it took so much energy to straighten out your thoughts.

“You left so suddenly, without saying anything.”

His brows grew tight, and his eyes cast downward heavily. “I know, I’m sorry.” Even he seemed choked back a bit.

“We weren’t allowed to tell anyone.” He continued, pulling you closer until you were practically laying on his chest. “I should’ve-“

“No it’s okay,” you interrupted, finding your voice again and apologizing, planting a palm on his chest. “It’s on me, I should’ve assumed I know your job is stressful I just..”

You drew your eyes up to his and let them cast over every feature of his face.

“I just missed you.”

“I missed you too.”

Significantly more gently this time, he craned his neck down to meet your lips. The kiss was sweeter, softer and something unspoken drew under the both of you, sweeping the two of you up into your own perfect world. Slowly he twisted, and let a hand drag down your neck through the center of your chest before settling on your hip. The rough calluses on his fingertips drew shapes over your soft skin and you couldn’t help but fall victim to the shiver that raked through your body.

There was a tug at the corner of his lips as he smirked, pleased with your reactions. He whispered lowly again, voice thick and laid with his heavy accent. “Can I touch you?”

You nodded, afraid of the noises you’d make if you opened your mouth.

With a grace a giant like him should never possess, he dipped his hand under the part in your robe and cupped at your core. A thick finger slid down your part, and then back up blossoming you open with ease. The pad of his middle finger brushed against the hood of your clit and he swallowed the gasp that pulled its way out of your lungs.

You pulled from his lips as he prodded your opening with two fingers, the tips circled your entrance and involuntarily your hips buckled upwards.

“There you go,” He sighed, slipping further and further until his knuckles were pressed up as far as they would go. You felt yourself clench around as he pulled out, willing them to stay.

He slid them in again, and curled them deliciously to drag down your walls with each tug. Your voice betrayed you and a groan escaped, he mimicked your noises, his own breath growing ragged and heavy. His hand worked away at your cunt, and his quickly growing hardness became evident at your side. He was rutting against you in time with his fingers.

You mewled into his lips and slid the arm draped around his neck down his front until your palm coaxed up the forceful protrusion against his zipper. His pace stuttered and your confidence grew with each breathy moan he released.

Delicately, he pulled his fingers from your heat and quickly tugged away at the fastening of his pants, a dark spot crowned his bulge when you looked down. With a new heat at his cheeks and ears, he replaced your hand for you atop his boxers and you immediately squeezed. A moan choked up in his throat and he buried his face into you neck and chest, littering the crevice with sloppy kisses.

Perhaps a little prematurely, you slipped that hand into his pants and against the heat of his skin, pulling his member out and taught between you. He hesitated a moment before returning a thumb to your clit.

He rose again after a moment to smother you into another heavy make out session before rolling over above you. His thick cock weaped against your hip, and an insane amount of pre pooled over the creases of your skin. The air seemed hot and unbearable as you shifted out of your robe completely. Pulling away for a moment, König also shimmied out of his clothes and returned to you in a flash, sticky bodies melting back into eachother.

Be it because of the well prepped lubrication, or simply because the stars were all in alignment, when he returned slotted perfectly against you, the tip of his cock nudged directly into the ring of your pussy.

You both stilled and he let out a pained sounding grunt.

“Fuck..” you paused. “Uhm, are you okay?” You blabbered out lamely.

“Yeah.” He responded almost instantly, a hesitant kind of shame hung over him. “It’s just, It’s been a long time. I don’t know if..”

“It’s okay,” you took over quickly, pulling your knees up and opening your legs enough to where he slid in just that much more.

“Schhhheisse..” he drawled out, “you’re too warm.”

You huffed a short laugh and reached down to circle at your own clit, letting your body adjust to the stretch of him. Tingles rushed through your body and your mind quickly became fuzzy. With a deep breath he let his fingers replace yours and he pulled away to push back in deeper than before.

Letting your head fall back, you let him work himself into you. Pulling his hips away before using his weight to shove it all back into you again, König built up a steady rhythm and your mind and body grew hot.

His arms slipped under your back, and he pulled you closer to him, each wet smack echoing through the empty room. The walls of your insides burned, and that familiar tightness below your belly made itself known.

“Ahh, ah.. fuck.” You whined, completely caged beneath him. “I can’t.. I think I’m close.” You stumbled out, clawing at the backs of his massive arms.

“I know.” He grunted, “Got-damn you’re getting so tight.”

Part of you wanted to apologize for his struggle, but a bigger part of you wanted to clench up your core tighter. The latter won and soon König thrusts grew shorter and sloppier. His moans equalling his unsteadiness. You pushed your hips up to meet him, grinding down your front to his pelvis, begging for more friction.

The head of him slammed suddenly against your cervix as he pulled your legs up, latching purchase behind your knees to effectively bend you in half. You shouted in surprise at the new angle, everything quickly becoming too much.

“Where can I-?” He began and you answered before he finished.

“Inside!” You shouted, then cried as his thrusts became rougher- more demanding. “Inside, I.. IUD. It’s safe.”

You couldn’t help but grind your hips up into him, a desperate attempt to hurry your aching clit along. His lips found yours again in a frenzied haze, and you came undone almost instantly. Your core pulsed and you cried out from under him as the waves shook through every inch of your body.

König followed with two more strong thrusts, his hips stuttering and locked within your tightness. You could feel the warmth flow up deep inside of you, and he practically collapsed above you, completely spent.

You both laid a moment together, and his sweet cadence finally broke the silence after your pussy stopped its throbbing. He attempted to pull out, but your cunt gripped him completely.

“Relax.” He almost chuckled. Embarrassment flushed your face as he dragged a soothing hand down your sides, pulling away with a hiss.

“Sorry..” you mumbled.

He cast his eyes back up to you in a flash, and smirked. “Don’t be.”

“Just give me ten, okay?”

You rolled away to cover your face, giggling.

[existennialmemes]

My Brain: Please Reboot System

Me: ... We're relaxing on the couch and drinking ice tea through a sippy straw. How much more of a reboot do you need??

My Brain: That is not a System Reboot. We did a lot of things today, and now I need you to take me out and plop me into a satin lined storage bag for like, at least twenty four hours.

Me: That's not really an option—

My Brain: [dial up modem shrieking]

[arduouslove]

Loving You isn't Hard to Learn 06

genres: hybrid, romance, found family, slow burn(ish) series rating: mature (mentions of/references to death and abuse. eventual smut) chapter warnings (may contain spoilers): mentions of death. accusations of drugging/roofie-ing. descriptions of injury to the face. the reader character cooks meat; if you don't eat meat, please think of it as them just cooking it for other people. relationship(s): ot7 x female reader

In the middle of what many would call nowhere, a sign glows bright yellow. Old, unmaintained, and on its last legs, the letter e flickers for a few seconds before going dark. H aven’s Door Motel, it now reads.

prev | chapter six (12.0k) | next

The floor is cold when you wake up on it, though not as cold as it could be, so you must've been sleeping on the floor for at least a couple hours. As you sit up, you try to get on your knees, but find your legs tangled up in half of a throw blanket. You grumble, touching one hand to the side of your head, where you had to have laid directly on the floor rather than the throw pillow you can see pushed under the coffee table. Okay, you're definitely not telling Hoseok your head kind of hurts. He's already enough of a worrywart. Speaking of...

Looking up at the couch, you see Hoseok's sleeping face smushed against the cushion, his hair ruffled all over and his mouth slightly open. Upon closer inspection, a small wet spot of drool has grown on the couch cushion directly under his mouth. You grimace at that but quickly shake the split second of disgust away. It's just saliva; it'll wash out just fine.

You untangle yourself from the blanket, and when you stand up, you drape it over Hoseok's sleeping form as quietly as you can. Yawning, you head to the kitchen, first filling your kettle and turning it on, then moving to the other side of the counter and unplugging your phone from the wall. As the screen flicks on, you see a missed call from Lee Minhyuk from only a few minutes ago, and a text from him that followed soon after.

It seems I forgot to leave one last thing to you. I found it in our storage this morning. I'll be in my office all day if you'd like to come and pick it up. Otherwise, please let me know by phone call.

As professional as always, this guy. Glancing over at the microwave, you take note that it's only 8:56AM, which isn't that early for someone like him, but still. Lee Minhyuk is punctual, you'll give him that. Well, you suppose if you head out soon, you could get back before ten, depending on what it is Minhyuk forgot to give you. Some paperwork, maybe. He did say before that Mr. Jung had liquidated everything he owned other than the motel... You wonder what it could be.

Not wanting to wake your two house guests up, you stop the kettle before it can beep to signal that it's boiled and pour the hot water over a tea bag in a to-go mug to let it steep while you get changed. You sneak on tip-toes back to your room, and you move your hand as deftly as possible on your bedroom doorknob, focusing on your feet as you step in and close the door behind you. Bee-lining to your dresser, you tug off your pyjamas and pull on some fresh clothes as quietly as you can.

But when you turn around, Jimin is sitting up in your bed and looking at you with a frown.

"Oh my gosh!" You jump and pat a hand over your heart, taking a sharp breath in at the sudden sight of him. He barely reacts, just raising one of his eyebrows at you, his bottom half still snug under the comforter. "How long were you just sitting there?"

Eyes still half closed, Jimin says, "Long enough."

"Oh. Well..." Embarrassment trickles along your veins knowing he watched you trying to quietly sneak in. He looks too tired and uninterested to care about the fact that you changed right in front of him, though. There goes your confidence in your own sex appeal. "...Did you sleep okay?"

"It was fine." His words come out short and curt, and you can't quite pinpoint why, but you get a weird feeling as you try not to narrow your eyes. He flips the covers off himself and swings his legs over the edge of the bed, using his hands at his sides to push himself off and stand. His eyes dart around your room. "Where are my clothes?"

You blink. "Oh. They're in a hamper in the bathroom. I was planning on putting them through the wash and then making something to eat." Of course, stopping by Lee Minhyuk's office threw a tiny wrench in those plans, but still, you weren't expecting this from Jimin as soon as he woke up. Whatever this is.

Just as he tries to exit your bedroom, you move to stand between him and the door, your hand held up. Jimin stops himself before either of you touch, and he frowns slightly when you go, "Whoa, hold on. What's the hurry?"

"I have to go back."

"Go back?" you echo, confusion tinged in your voice, but Jimin doesn't bother. He gently puts a hand on your wrist and moves you out of the way, which you let him do all too easily in your stupor. Go back? To the streets? Blinking and shaking yourself out of it, you turn to follow him into the bathroom, where you watch him find his dirty clothes at the top of the pile in the hamper. "What do you mean?"

Jimin doesn't look at you as he focuses on unbuttoning his pyjama top. "She's looking for me."

Sputtering, you completely miss the fact that Jimin is taking off his clothes right in front of you. "Rayoung?"

Even though he doesn't answer you, the determined look in his eyes tells you you're right. He slips on his old clothes and pushes past you again.

"She is?" You struggle to follow both him and his words, stepping into the main living space after him. "How do you know--"

Jimin whips around, and you almost bump into him, but your feet screech to a halt directly in front of him. He glares at you with those piercing brown eyes. "She loves me," he says.

Your mouth opens and closes like those dogs in kids movies they'd feed peanut butter to so it'd look like they were talking. You can't say what you think, no, that would be too harsh. You can't just say outright that someone who loves him wouldn't leave him to live miserably like he did. But, what can you say? You don't want him to go back to where he was, even if what he thinks of Rayoung is true... not when you have something within likeness of a solution so close to falling in your grasp. You were planning on going to the motel this evening with Hoseok -- and, ideally, Jimin -- to scope out the building better and finally figure out what the hell you're doing.

"Jimin..." You hold yourself back from reaching out to him, knowing that your touch might be the last thing he wants. "At least eat something..."

"I'm not hungry," he tells you, and with the conviction he puts behind the words, you almost believe him.

"C'mon, at least a bite--"

"No!"

Jimin's sudden volume startles you, and your eyes go wide as he pushes both hands against you, causing you both to stumble back a step. You stare at your feet for half a second before looking back up at him, a breath of a laugh tainted with disbelief puffing past your lips. "What--"

"Don't come any closer!" He wraps his arms around his chest and scrunches his eyes shut. "I don't know what was in that fucking tea, but you can't keep me here." His back turns to you. "Rayoung was right. I can't trust anyone."

Completely thrown off, you straighten up slowly, his words settling in your brain. "...Excuse me?"

Jimin says no more, simply standing there in the foyer with his back turned, shielding himself from... you.

Roused from his deep slumber, Hoseok appears next to you. His hair is tousled and pressed flat against the side of his head that he slept on, but the sight isn't as endearing as it would be if you weren't so baffled by what Jimin just said. Taking one step in front of you, Hoseok puts a hand on your arm before you've even realized you went to get closer to Jimin, one hand up and pointed at him.

"You--" Hoseok's firm grip on your arm stops you from getting far, and as he pulls you partway behind him and your shoulder bumps into his back, you lower your voice to a whisper. "You think I drugged you?"

With his head down low, Jimin still refuses to respond. His entire body trembles, fear coursing through him like rapids under his skin. Even you can see it.

But something fogs over your rationality.

"Are you serious right now? I didn't-- I would never--" You try to take a deep breath, but it gets stuck in your throat and only serves to fuel this ugly feeling inside your chest. "You're delusional."

Hoseok hushes out your name, a warning of sorts, or maybe something closer to a plea. You don't hear it past the ringing in your ears.

"And it's not because of anything in my fucking tea," you continue. "No, you know why you're delusional?"

Hesitantly, Jimin turns around half-way, his frowning profile causing that awful roiling in you to flare up.

"Because even though you've been living on the streets for months, starved enough to root through restaurant trash bins, abandoned by the very person who supposedly loves you--" Something flashes across Jimin's eyes, but you have no grasp of what it is. "--you still think she's coming back for you."

No one says anything for a second -- too long, and Hoseok's hand slides down your arm and gently wraps around your wrist. You tug it out of his grasp with a sharp inhale. "So let's just go," you say, walking to where you keep your car keys. The jingle-jangle as you pick up your keys is the only sound in the apartment aside from your footsteps. "I'll take you right now. Near Antonio's, right? She left you around there and that's where you think she'll go looking for you?"

Hoseok softly calls your name again, but you don't hear him. Jimin only follows you with angry eyes.

"I was on my way out anyway," you continue. With your hand already on the doorknob, you slip on your shoes. "So yeah, I have no problem with dropping you off on your own with nowhere to go." You pull the door towards you and step out, eyes still on your feet. "Where you have no sure way of getting food."

Jimin doesn't look at you as he puts on his shoes.

"Where Hybrid Services already know your face--"

Your words choke to a stop when you look down the hall towards the elevators. That damned fluorescent yellow armband you had no business caring about a couple days ago -- two of them -- appear in your sight just a few metres away, directly in front of the apartment-next-door's open entrance, where your neighbour to the right, Anne-Marie, is talking to the two officers.

Without uttering another sound, you push Jimin back inside your apartment as quickly and overtly as you can. Unfortunately, this means you achieve that by shoving your hand in Jimin's face, but your head isn't exactly in the right place to think about hiding-someone-away etiquette.

"Wha--?! Stop--!"

"Shh!" You make frantic eye contact with Hoseok while Jimin glares daggers at you. At this point, you know you can't just go back inside yourself; both the officers and your neighbour have probably seen you already. You keep your voice as quiet as you can, hoping the boys can still hear you with their weird hybrid powers. "Both of you, not a peep. Got it?"

You don't wait for either of them to answer before you grab the doorknob and swing the door shut in their faces. As soon as you look back down the hall, both officers, a man and a woman, and Anne-Marie are looking at you.

"Good morning," you greet with a slight bow, completely unsure of what to do or say next.

Would asking some sort of question be suspicious? Or would trying to walk by and ignoring them be even worse?

Either way, you have to get to the elevator...

Before you have to decide, (or maybe after you already should've, considering the awkward silence,) Anne-Marie waves you over with a slight frown. "Leaving so early today?"

"Ah..." You nod at her with a strained smile as you walk up to her and the officers, making sure to smile and nod at them too in that weird, you're not really part of this conversation but you're standing here so I'll try to include you sort of way. "Yes, I have some errands to run this morning."

Anne-Marie doesn't question you, thank goodness, and just gestures towards the officers. "Well you should hear them out before you go," she says. "Apparently there's a feral hybrid on the loose."

"Feral hybrid?"

You don't have to fake the initial look of concern that appears on your face, but the way you deepen your frown at the flyer one of the officers hands you is definitely for show.

"Yes," he confirms, face stiff and almost bored from repeating the words so many times to all the residents in the building already. "He ran away from a hybrid clinic in the city and was last spotted in this neighbourhood."

Anne-Marie nods along as he speaks and shakes her head when he points out the area the hybrid was spotted last night on a small map included in the flyer. "So close to home..." she mutters, which he ignores.

Continuing after him, the female officer speaks up. "We're doing rounds to make sure everyone living in the area is aware of the risks of a feral hybrid, as well as inform everyone of the proper procedure."

"Which is...?"

"Do not approach," the man tells you as your eyes finally focus in on the two pictures of the feral hybrid, one from the front and another of his profile. In both photos, he's smiling, eyes bright. "It's dangerous for regular citizens to attempt to capture feral hybrids. Leave it to the professionals and call Hybrid Services upon encounter."

He doesn't look so dangerous.

His smile is wide and almost boyish, like someone told him he was posing for a photo op rather than the strange hybrid-version of a mug shot it actually is. He holds up his name placard like it's an award he's proud of. "V," it reads, then a bunch of numbers underneath. His animal ears are perked straight up, and you can't tell what kind of ears they are in the grainy black-and-white pictures, not to mention how small they look compared to Hoseok's. Still, the deepness of his smile, the happiness in his eyes and the scrunch of his nose -- you're not scared at all.

You don't say any of that, though.

"I'll keep an eye out, thank you," you say with a polite smile. "What kind of hybrid is he?"

The two share a look, the female officer grimacing before she turns back to you. "That's unfortunately classified information."

"What? Why? Wouldn't it help us be safer and more prepared if we know what he looks like?" You turn to make eye contact with Anne-Marie, who drinks in your words and nods with a slight frown towards the officers, a finger propped concernedly on her chin.

The man sighs. "As much as I agree with you, these pictures are the only images any of us have to go off of. Even Hybrid Services hasn't been informed of his sub-species. It's private information belonging to the clinic, and legally, we don't need to have it to apprehend the hybrid."

"I see..."

After thanking them again and giving your due goodbyes, you do your best not to turn around and watch the officers as you wait for the elevator. You step into the elevator, and as your finger finds the button for the ground floor, you peak down the hall and let out a breath of relief. The officers seem to have skipped your door because you already spoke to them.

It would probably be suspicious to re-enter your apartment so soon while they're still patrolling your floor, you think. The last thing you need right now is Hybrid Services finding a reason to look into you.

And, maybe, you need a minute to yourself. Just to breathe.

You hadn't meant to snap at Jimin like that, it just... So much doesn't make sense to you. You've barely had Hoseok around for a few days, but you feel as though your friendship is something already. Maybe not something to be proud of, exactly, but it's something.

Jimin... you've known him for even less time, if you could even call that "knowing" him at all. And yet, you felt this strange surge of protectiveness over him.

You really hope that isn't part of the saviour thing Hoseok spoke of before...

Sighing into the empty elevator, you try not to think about the fact that it probably is, and instead focus on what is right in front of you. Your car keys are still in your hand, the shape imprinted into your palm from how hard your nerves had made you grip them between your fingers while you talked to the officers.

You take the coward's route and run away.

Lee Minhyuk's office building isn't that far in terms of distance, but the traffic around it is pure hell. It gives you much too much time alone with only your thoughts. You try to drown them out with whatever is on the radio, but even that can't seem to calm the disquiet within you. The more you think about the things you said, the more regret builds in your gut. What right did you have to say those things to Jimin? Sure, you think it's a fool's dream to believe this Rayoung girl is out there searching for him, but to purposefully shut him down like that? To crush that dream just because you got offended by emotions he was completely valid in feeling? Just because he's been scarred by humans before and you happen to be one? It's not his fault that he thought you might've drugged him, it's a product of--

"Ah, you're here."

Blinking, you realize that your body went on autopilot and walked you up to Lee Minhyuk's office without you knowing, and you watch his back as he goes to sit at his desk.

"Yeah I... got your text," you say dazedly, unsure of anything else you could possibly say in the moment.

"Well, it's good that you came. I wouldn't want you to go without this." Minhyuk holds his hand out, and you step closer to his desk to let him drop whatever the thing he forgot is in your awaiting palm.

A single key stares up at you, attached by a small ring to a simple metal tag.

Silver Meadows Columbarium, it reads.

"Oh."

Moving the key to your fingers, you flip over the tag and read lot C 258 on the back. You'd never heard of Silver Meadows Columbarium before. Never needed to...

"I believe Mr Jung set up his..." Minhyuk pauses as he mulls over his word choice. "...accommodations before he passed."

You can't help but ask, "Just him? No family, or...?"

Your words trail off, both of you knowing that Mr Jung left you as his sole beneficiary. If he had family, he didn't leave them anything. Not even the location of his remains.

Minhyuk shakes his head, and you frown.

"He prepared for his own death all by himself?"

Your concern is met with a small, understanding smile on Minhyuk's face. "Well, he may have done the paperwork himself, but he wasn't alone. He had you."

"But I--" You hardly knew Mr Jung.

"He brought you up more than once," Minhyuk says, making you close your mouth and blink stupidly at him. At your silence, he continues. "He came to my office a few times to sign the papers and whatnot, and he mentioned you every time. Always said you're the only one who laughs at his jokes."

"They're funny!"

Your own response jars you a bit. The last time you said that, you thought Mr Jung was alive.

Minhyuk only smiles again, softly. "He was happy you thought so."

"Did he say that?"

"Not in so many words, but I it wasn't hard to tell. Don't get too caught up in the fact that Jung didn't have blood relatives he wanted to include in his will. Evidently--" He gestures to you. "--he had a family of sorts."

Except that you weren't it. You couldn't be, right?

A seedling plants itself in the forefront of your mind.

A seedling named Hoseok.

That's must be it -- Mr Jung wanted to leave his estate to Hoseok, but couldn't figure out how to, legally. Hybrids probably can't even have bank accounts, much less accept inheritance, which is why Mr Jung defaulted to you. He trusted you to help Hoseok start up Heaven's Door as the legal owner of the land it's built on.

In his letter, he'd said it's that it's you, whatever that means.

You look down at the key in your hand, taking a deep breath in. It might not be the key to Heaven's Door Motel, but you clutch it in your fingers, and as you step out of Lee Minhyuk's office, you make a silent promise to Mr Jung.

You'll get Heaven's Door up and running.

And you'll do a damn good job of it too.

=

When you return to your apartment, you have a brown paper bag of fresh pastries in your hand and a heavy something in your chest. You tried to figure out what you want to say to the two hybrids in your place on your way home, but it's hard. You feel like all you keep doing is messing up. Now, you even ran off without a word after seeing the Hybrid Services officers, which had to have freaked Hoseok out.

You grimace as you twist the doorknob. Less than an hour ago, you'd resolved yourself to running Heaven's Door with everything you've got, but are you really the right person for the job?

When you enter, you go to call out for Hoseok, but you freeze with your mouth partially open. The guys stand ramrod straight in front of you, Hoseok with a slight smile and Jimin with a hesitant clench of his jaw, arms crossed. You gape at them for a couple seconds until Hoseok frowns at Jimin and jabs his elbow into his side.

"Ow! What the--"

"Don't you have something to say?" Hoseok prompts through his teeth, a harsh grit to the question.

Jimin huffs, his arms shifting in front of his chest, hands holding his own arms a little tighter. He meets your eyes. "I'm--"

"Wait." You hold up a hand to stop him, not missing the confusion that flashes across Hoseok's face. Something like panic reflects in Jimin's eyes when he sneaks a glance at Hoseok, but you don't acknowledge it. "Let's talk." With the hand still holding the paper bag, you gesture towards the couch. "Have a seat. Both of you."

Jimin doesn't move until Hoseok does, following silently while Hoseok watches you out of the corner of his eye as he sits down.

You set the pastries on the kitchen table before making your way to them, stopping in front of the couch and chewing over your thoughts. Jimin regards you with a half-frown, brows knitted in apparent distrust. You can't really blame him.

If your ears were better, you might've heard the slight gasp Hoseok let out when you dropped to your knees, bent down, and pressed your forehead to your hands, which are now flat on the floor. You bow in front of them, let out a breath, and raise your head once you gather your thoughts, putting your hands respectfully on your lap. "I'm sorry," you say. "I fucked up."

Hoseok's ears twitch, dipping, and he scoots forward on the cushion, about to say something, but you don't let him.

"Jimin, I want to apologize for this morning. I had no right to react the way I did." You look at Jimin, but you can't read his face. "It's not your fault if humans have hurt you enough to make you think we're all the same. People can be... horrible. I wish things were different, but... I want you to know that I will never intentionally hurt you--" Your eyes meet Hoseok's. "--either of you. I'm not going to punish you. I'm not going to force or coerce you into anything you don't want to do. I don't want to be the kind of human you're afraid of."

Hoseok shakes his head. "I'm not afraid--"

"I can't promise I won't fuck up again," you say, wincing as you realize you've spoken over him, but when he doesn't speak up again, you continue. "I honestly feel like a walking disaster with how many times I've fucked up, and it's only been a couple days. Sometimes I speak before I think, and I really need to work on that. I'm sorry."

You don't know when you started staring into your lap, but you let out a long breath, and only after that do you slowly look up at the two hybrids. They both wear blank expressions, and it makes you want to shrink back in on yourself. "I just--"

"I lied," Jimin blurts out, and you face him, eyes slightly widening.

"...Lied? About what?"

Sighing, Jimin casts a glance at Hoseok, who nods determinedly. He fidgets with his hands, looking at them rather than meeting your eyes. "I guess, technically, Rayoung isn't looking for me right now," he mumbles. "But she will. As soon as she breaks up with her stupid tool boyfriend."

"Oh." You blink at Jimin. "Well, um... You're welcome to stay with us. Until then, I mean."

Jimin's lips form into a contemplative pout, but he says nothing.

You scratch the back of your neck. Is there a good way to approach this? "We could, um... let her know somehow? That you're with us."

You eye Hoseok, who's hopefully in the same boat for you to be saying we. He wasn't exactly Jimin's biggest fan last night, weird possessiveness over pyjama sets aside. Now, though, you see that even he can tell this Rayoung girl is bad news. Still, Jimin's ties to her seem to run deep, and you know it's nowhere near simple to tell someone a person they love isn't as great as they thought.

Jimin takes a deep breath in, his shoulders scrunching up as his body tenses and relaxes. "Can I... think about it?"

"Of course!" You perk up at the idea of him even considering your offer after the way you snapped this morning, and you point at the brown paper bag on the table. "Do you want to have breakfast while you think?"

While Jimin marks a straight line to the kitchen, Hoseok holds his hand out for you before you even move to get up. You take it, and he uses his other hand to gently grasp your elbow and lift you onto your feet. He doesn't let go right away, instead holding both your hands and whispering, "You shouldn't have gone out alone." He rubs his thumbs over your knuckles. "You're still concussed."

The proximity combined with his concern for you causes heat to stir in your chest. It's uncomfortable and foreign, so you try to force it down, smiling and letting out a chuckle that screams casual. You hope. "I can hold my own. Besides, I think I'm all better; right as rain up here." You pull one of your hands out of his tender hold and curl it into a fist, knocking on your cranium like a door. Except, the impact makes your brain swish around in your skull like gargled fluoride. "Whoa-- shit."

You sway, tipping the direction you knocked your own head into. Hoseok keeps you standing, but he doesn't like it. "You just proved my point."

"Listen--"

"From now on, no going off on your own," he says, and from his tone, there's no point in a rebuttal.

You roll your eyes, and, whoa, does the room always spin when you do that? Still, even wooziness can't stopper your sarcasm. "Protective much?"

"Kind of my job description."

"I thought I was your bodyguard," you tease, and he chuckles, his seriousness evaporating with the sound.

"As if--"

"You're dumb."

You and Hoseok both turn towards the kitchen, where Jimin stands next to the table with a half eaten pastry in his mouth. Ignoring the glare he's under from Hoseok, which you don't notice, he speaks around the pastry. "Only a dumb person would go out on their own in your condition."

Even though you're pretty sure he should be on the same side as Jimin on this, Hoseok sneers at him, the slightest of growls rumbling in his throat.

Jimin holds up a hand, mockingly. "Easy, pup."

"I'm older than you, punk!"

You can't help it; you laugh. Jimin is all over the place, accusing you of atrocities one second and talking to you and Hoseok like you're long-time friends the next. The two hybrids cease their bickering at the sound of your laughter.

"Okay, okay." You take a breath to stop the giggles threatening to break past your lips. "New temporary house rule: no one should go off on their own unless they have to."

Jimin raises a brow. "No one?"

"Ideally." You nod. "Which brings me to the next thing I wanted to talk about. When the Hybrid Services officers were here before, they were telling everyone there's a feral hybrid in the area. The entire neighbourhood is going to be on alert-- I don't know how kindly they'll take to finding any unregistered or, uh, stray hybrids if they run into either of you alone."

Nodding along, Hoseok rubs his chin with his thumb. "Makes sense."

"They know what the hybrid looks like, but we don't know how much they actually care about the picture. Who knows if they'd just nab any male hybrid off the street," you say. "It's probably best to play it safe; at least while we're still in the neighbourhood."

"What do you mean, 'still in the neighbourhood'?" Jimin asks, curious.

You smack your own forehead and ignore the way Hoseok immediately brings his hands up like you're going to knock yourself over any second now. "Right, uh... We're kind of..." Bringing up a hand, you gesture between yourself and Hoseok. "...prospective business owners? Is that--? No, we're, uh...starting up a motel? But, like, for hybrids?"

Hoseok is decidedly unhelpful with explaining what Heaven's Door is meant to be, staying silent and just making a face as you botch it.

"Anyway, it might be safer if we head out there sooner rather than later if the neighbourhood is getting paranoid over stray hybrids. It's outside of the city, and Hybrid Services doesn't do patrols out there. I was thinking to move once I'd figured more shit out, but I didn't think the whole 'feral hybrid' thing would happen today, and I definitely didn't foresee meeting you." Not that anything that's happened to you in the last few days could've been foreseen, either. You smile at Jimin. "But hey, at least you were a pleasant surprise."

"Didn't I threaten to kill you?."

You shrug. "I'm still here, aren't I?"

"And your guard dog attacked me."

"After you attacked her!" Hoseok argues.

Clicking his tongue, Jimin gives his head a nod. "Point taken."

"Anyhow," you continue on. "While you think about what you wanna do, I'd like you to come with us. Of course, you're free to refuse. I still have two-ish weeks of rent paid for this place, so you could stay here, but..." You share a look with Hoseok, then return your eyes to Jimin.

"...I'd be alone?" he finishes for you.

"I guess I'd just feel better if you're with us."

Jimin seems to absorb your words, but he stays silent for a few seconds. He tosses the last bite of the pastry into his mouth, chewing quietly and brushing his hands together to get rid of the leftover crumbs. He takes a breath. "I guess I sort of owe you for the food and the bed I slept in last night... The least I can do is make you feel better."

Your cheeks make way for a beaming smile.

"Just while I think about it."

You school yourself. "Right! Right," you say, clearing your throat of any enthusiasm that might've gotten clogged in there. "Just while you're thinking about it. Nothing's set in stone."

=

Either Hoseok calls shotgun outside of your hearing range, or Jimin silently sits in the backseat of your car out of some unfounded sense of regularity. He doesn't speak a word as you drive, just watches the world pass by through the side window. You can't really see him in the rear view mirror, and most of your focus is on the road, but there are a few moments where you catch his fingers scratching at his arms before he flexes his hands and stops. You're reminded of the red, bumpy skin you saw on his arms. Now, it's covered by his shirt and jacket, both of which you convinced him to let you wash before you all left your apartment.

"I don't think this is the right way..." Hoseok says, squinting at the street signs as you drive out of the inner city.

"Yeah, uh." You'd looked up the address to Silver Meadows before you left, and it's practically on the other side of the city as Heaven's Door. "There's somewhere I wanted to go first. You know how I left this morning?"

Hoseok nods.

"Well, it wasn't just to throw a tantrum, if that's what you were thinking."

"I thought maybe you were trying to get those Hybrid Services officers to think you were going somewhere, so they'd think no one was in your apartment," Hoseok says, making your eyebrows rise on your forehead.

"Wow, you're pretty intuitive, aren't you?" Your eyes dart to the backseat, but you can't see Jimin's face since he's sitting right behind you. "Were you guys able to hear that whole conversation in the hallway?"

Jimin scoffs, something sarcastic in the simple sound, while Hoseok nods again. "It's weird how even they don't know the species of the feral hybrid," he says. "Without that information, they'd go after any stray hybrid they encounter -- not that they weren't doing that already."

"But they might treat any stray like they're feral and dangerous," you finish the thought process for him, and when you meet his eyes, he sports a grim expression. You roll your shoulders back, sighing. "It's a good enough reason to stay on our toes, but hopefully we won't run into any trouble outside of my neighbourhood..."

And, hopefully, the feral hybrid doesn't get found by anyone less than civil. The cheerful face of that hybrid flashes across your mind, and you wonder about his circumstances. What makes a hybrid go feral, anyway? What made him run away from the hybrid clinic? How much of the information the officers gave you is a stretching of the truth?

"So where did you go?" Hoseok asks when you make another unfamiliar turn.

"Lee Minhyuk texted me -- he was Mr Jung's estate lawyer." You add that in to give Jimin some context, but you're not sure if he's even listening. "He forgot to give me the key for Mr Jung's niche."

Hoseok's brows furrow as he echoes you. "Niche?"

"It's what they call the individual sections in a columbarium," you explain, not too informed yourself, but you know enough. You take Hoseok's silence as him not filling the gaps quite yet. "Mr Jung's urn is being kept in one. Lot C, niche 258, at Silver Meadows Columbarium."

"Oh." Hoseok doesn't exactly slump in his seat, but you see the way his shoulders sag just the slightest. "He was cremated?"

You nod, eyes still on the road. "Yeah... I hadn't thought about it much. I'd assumed his family was dealing with all the..." Breathing out a long exhale through your nose, you try to think of the right words. (And come up with nothing.) "...well, that kind of stuff. But apparently I'm the only one with the key."

"Mr Jung never talked about any family..." Hoseok mumbles.

A road sign ahead reads Silver Meadows, and you slow down to turn into the lot.

"You're not bringing flowers?"

You turn your head at Jimin's sudden question, surprised since he was quiet the whole drive. He meets your eyes.

"You're visiting a grave, and you didn't bring flowers?" he asks, arms crossed.

"Oh." You look downward. "I hadn't thought about that..."

Jimin doesn't say anything, and you've run out of words yourself. Does it make sense to go back to buy some? You think about Mr Jung, and far above wanting to go get flowers for him now, you wish you could've brought him one back then. When he could see it.

You find a parking spot and switch off the engine.

"It's okay," Hoseok says before any of you exit the car. He's not looking at you, though. "We can bring flowers next time."

You watch him step out of the car, and as he does, he pulls his collar out of his pocket and fastens it around his neck, clasping the metal ends together before he shuts the car door behind him. Before you'd left the apartment, you told him to bring it, but you forgot about it during the drive.

"Oh, right. Jimin." You twist in your seat and reach into your bag, finding the red velvet choker you'd stuffed in there earlier. You've never really worn it since someone gave it to you however long ago, and you just hastily grabbed it from your room before you all left the apartment. You hold it out for him. "Wear this for now. It's not technically a collar, but... no one will be looking too closely. I hope."

Jimin frowns, but he takes the choker. "Can't I just stay in the car?"

You don't want to pressure him, but you can't help the grimace that crosses your face. "I feel safer together..."

"Fine," he huffs, bringing his hands up to fasten the choker. "You're lucky this is cute."

By the time you both catch up to Hoseok, he's already found the directions to lot C. He walks silently, and when he finds niche 258, you and Jimin hang a bit back, giving him a moment.

This section of the columbarium is indoors, and the walls and niches seem to be white marble, or made to look like white marble. Whichever it is, it feels a bit... cold.

Mr Jung's niche is empty, save for the black urn inside. Jimin was probably right -- some flowers would at least bring some life to the space.

Hoseok stands in front of the niche, which is embedded in the wall at around the height of his chest. His arms hang limp at his sides. You step up beside him, and you take his hand, gently, bringing it up so you can push the key into his palm.

"I think he meant to give this to you." And everything else, you want to say, but you hold your tongue. That's a lot to put on someone all at once.

You would know.

Hoseok holds his hand in front of him, staring at the key. He looks up at you and meets your eyes with his watery ones. "You think so?"

"Of course I do." You put a hand on Hoseok's shoulder, your thumb rubbing back and forth over his coat. "You said Mr Jung never talked about any family, right? That's because you were his family."

Sniffling, Hoseok bites his bottom lip to stop it from trembling as he breaks eye contact and returns to looking at Mr Jung's niche. "I... I wish he wasn't this far away. He made it so much harder to visit."

"Hey..." Gently, you use your hand on his shoulder to turn Hoseok toward you, then put both your hands on his arms and give him a reassuring squeeze. A tear threatens to roll down his cheek, but you reach up at thumb it away. "I know you probably knew Mr Jung better than I did, but... something in me thinks he'd want to say..." You turn your head to look at the niche, smile, and shake your head. "He's not in there." Bringing a hand up, you softly poke the pad of your pointer finger between Hoseok's eyebrows. "He's in here." You move to his chest and poke at where his heart should be. "And here." Finally, you take both his hands, a bit awkward with the one still holding the key, and hold them between you. "And that's what matters, right?"

Hoseok nods, but his face crumples up, and he tucks it into your neck. You wrap your arms around him just as his embrace you tight. Over his shoulder, you glance at Jimin, who quickly looks away, but you know he was watching. He stuffs his hands in his pockets, suddenly very interested in his worn out shoes.

"But we can still visit, right?" Hoseok mumbles into your skin, bringing your attention back to him.

"Of course. And next time, we'll bring flowers."

=

As you slide into one of the parking spots in front of Heaven's Door, it occurs to you that this is the first time you're seeing it in the daylight. All of its mediocre glory. The outer walls are a faded yellow, with supporting pillars and railings on the second floor landing which were once white. The doors to the individual rooms are a nice dark green that matches the roofing, but you have to admit they've seen better days. Still, you can feel the potential the old building blooms in your chest.

"Not too bad, hey?" you say to Jimin, who's leaning forward between the driver and passenger seats to peer out the windshield at the place.

He sniffs. "It's no Plaza Hotel."

"You've been?"

"No, I've seen Home Alone 2."

Chuckling, you pull your car key out of the ignition and exit the car. You put your hands on your hips, inhaling a big, exaggerated breath as you take in the motel. Hoseok walks over and stands next to you, arms crossed.

"Well," you say. "It might be a bit of a fixer-upper, but that's nothing a couple of fixer-uppers like us can't handle, right?" You bump your shoulder into Hoseok, who smiles at you and bumps back with his hip. You stumble a bit, but Jimin's hand on your back stops you from swaying too hard. When you take your eyes off your feet, he meets your eyes with a plain expression.

"You guys are disgustingly optimistic."

A hand on his shoulder, you grin. "You just named one of my best traits!"

=

The move into Heaven's Door is by no means smooth, but you can't say it's not something you expected.

The first thing you notice is the broken window in the convenience store under the motel lobby, which you'd missed that first night in the dark. Hoseok sheepishly admits that he'd had to break in to eat the snack food inside. You don't push it -- that void of time between losing Mr Jung and meeting you isn't a topic you think is worth diving into if it's going to bring Hoseok back to that time. The window won't be cheap, but if you don't put a custom decal on it like the shattered one on the ground, it might not be as expensive.

Secondly, Hoseok leads you and Jimin to the master room you remember Mr Jung mentioning in his letter, and you realize you'd only seen the motel from one side. Behind the lobby, which has a lot of that same forest green as the doors outside, Hoseok shows you the half of the building you had no idea about before. An entire branch extends behind the lobby, about the same length as the front, but instead of the entrances to each room facing outside like the ones you saw before, there are doors mirroring each other on both sides of a hallway. Immediately to the right is the master room, but at the end of the hallway seems to be a common area with couches and coffee tables, and two walls lined with a counter and cabinets. Hoseok tells you it's the same downstairs, except the end of the hall is a kitchen and dining area. It reminds you of a college dorm.

If anyone stayed in the rooms you saw out front, you don't think they'd even notice this half of the building.

The master room is smaller than your apartment, but it has its own half-kitchen and en suite bathroom with a pretty nice shower. Hoseok explains to you that most of Mr Jung's time and focus went into building and upgrading the interior of Heaven's Door, which is why it has its less than shiny exterior.

You can tell Hoseok was staying in the master room up until you... kidnapped(?) him.

"This is probably the nicest room in the motel, huh?" Jimin posits, walking inside with his hands in his pants pockets. He's wearing the clothes he met you in, now washed but no less worn down.

You nod. "Probably. We're a bit far from the city, so it would make sense for the owner to just live here."

"Dibs." Jimin flops down face first into the bed.

Hoseok crosses his arms. "Yah."

As you fail to hide your laughter behind your hand, Jimin squirms in the bed, twisting himself so he lies on his back. He stretches his arms and legs out like a sea star. "Smells too much like dog here, though."

While Hoseok sneers, you say, "Probably because this is Hoseok's room. You and I can take the rooms next door and across the hall."

"Why would I wanna be next door to you?" Jimin closes his eyes and interlocks is fingers behind his head, fully relaxing into the bed.

You let out an affronted scoff. Your hand goes up to your chest, right over your heart even though Jimin can't see it. "Um, my amazing company and charming personality?"

"Pass."

As you and Jimin go through this back-and-forth, you miss the way Hoseok's face fell when you said you'd be in a different room. His disheartened expression goes unnoticed, and when you stand up, proclaiming there's a lot of work to be done, he smiles at you with all the sunshine he can muster.

You're none the wiser.

=

Aside from the horrors (the mere idea of business management, the building maintenance, the absolute atrocity that is dealing with plumbing, the phone calls, etc, etc,) at least it's fun to print keys. Hoseok apparently never figured the system out because Mr Jung took care of getting it installed, but half an hour on the computer, and you manage to print a key for both yourself and Jimin. He chooses the room across from the master, while you're right next to it.

Hoseok insists on him and Jimin carrying all the food you'd brought inside, but to appease your need to take part, he lets you carry one item for each trip from your car to the common kitchen area. (You find this a little patronizing, but it is admittedly nice to be doted on by them both, even if Jimin's still pretending he doesn't care.)

((He takes a bag you were reaching for, despite already having both his hands full.))

Much of your things are still back at your apartment, but you have time to bring them over. The first day is mostly about getting Hoseok and Jimin out of dodge -- you can worry about your own problems later. You spend the afternoon sitting in the lobby, poring over the paperwork left there and googling motel business 4 dummies like your life depends on it. Hoseok, who'd been cleaning up his room and taking care of the broken glass outside (and inside, unfortunately) the convenience store, forces you to take a break in the form of helping him make dinner.

During dinner, unprompted, Jimin tells you he's still thinking.

It hasn't slipped by you, of course, that Jimin's stay with you is conditional and, lest you hope otherwise, temporary.

But when he says that, staring into his food rather than looking at you, a tiny smile makes it's way onto your face,

"Take all the time you need."

=

On the third night, you wake up to soft knocks on your door. You have no expectations because your brain is in the process of trying to dissect the dream you'd just been ripped out of, but seeing Hoseok on the other side of your door still isn't something you were prepared for. He's wearing the new, new pyjamas you'd bought for him in a sparse shopping trip you'd all gone on the second day, despite him saying he didn't care that much about Jimin wearing the other ones.

You go to say his name, but he just brings a finger up to his lips in a silent shush, and with his other hand, he gently takes your hand and leads you down the hall into the master room.

Nothing in your body wants to fight it, so you let him bring you right up to the bed. He practically pushes you onto it, but the way he pulls the warm comforter over you defies any ill intent. When he settles in on the other side of the bed, his breath puffs against your cheek. He hasn't really scented you since the day you met Jimin; you've been near each other almost constantly since, so there was really no reason to.

You remember him telling you it's about separation, but also not. He never did tell you more about it.

In your sleep-ridden haze, you shift to your side. Hoseok is on his side too, rather close, and his eyes are closed, but you know he can't have fallen asleep so fast. Gently, you bring a hand to the back of his head, careful, as always, not to touch his dingo ears. You pull him closer ever so slowly. If he resists at all, you'll let go.

Hoseok lets out a shaking breath. He wraps both arms around you and tugs you closer, his face pressing itself against your neck. Eyes still closed, he squeezes you close. It's warm.

That's right, you think.

He’s a strong little pup, but he hates being alone.

How did you manage to forget that?

=

If Jimin has anything to say about the fact that you've started to retire to the master room at the end of the day, he doesn't vocalize it. Hoseok never brings it up, either. He's hardly touchy during the daytime, keeping his hands to himself, especially in front of Jimin. Yet, when night comes, he pulls you to bed like he's done it his entire life and keeps his arms around you until you fall asleep and wake up to find him all tangled up in the sheets.

Jimin either hasn't noticed, or, as you suspect, he doesn't care.

He'll often say he's "still thinking about it". You're not quite sure how to respond to it every time, so now you just smile and nod, sometimes reminding him that the choice is still his.

One night, you find him in the common area, sitting on a couch and watching a muted cartoon on the tv you'd connected to your Netflix account the day before. The subtitles aren't even on, and when he turns at the sound of your footsteps, you see the red of his eyes, and the shining tracks on his cheeks.

There's still a lot you don't know about Jimin.

Rayoung. Her boyfriend. His red contacts and why he wore them.

"It's freezing in here," is all he says as he wipes his cheeks with his sleeve. "You should get the heating system checked."

You sit down next to him, neither of you looking at each other. "Feels normal to me."

The cartoon isn't one you recognize, but it looks like it could be fun if you knew what anyone was saying.

For a while, you and Jimin say nothing. He sits next to you, and you next to him. At some point, he shifts just the slightest bit closer so your shoulders brush against each other. That's as far as he goes for your body heat.

"Do you get cold easily?" you eventually whisper.

"Mhmm."

"Is that a snake thing?"

Jimin shakes his head, slowly, the late hour finally getting to him. "Some reptile hybrids are like that, some aren't. There aren't many of us, so people don't really know why. At least... that's what he told me."

He. You decide not to dig into that. Jimin will tell you if he wants to.

"Your scales... the skin around them seemed irritated."

"...Itchy..." Jimin's head falls to your shoulder. He doesn't snuggle in, but he rests there. "I had a cream for it..."

"We should buy some," you say.

"It's expensive... You shouldn't buy it if I'm going to leave soon..."

Though his words cause a muted ache in your heart, you don't stew on it. That was always the case.

"You can take it with you."

Jimin doesn't respond, asleep on your shoulder.

You're not sure how much time passes, but later, you hear light, shuffling footsteps behind you, and you turn your head towards the sound, careful not to jostle the slumbering Jimin on your shoulder. Hoseok stands there, eyes half closed but on you nonetheless.

"You left," he mumbles, swaying slightly like he's struggling to stay both awake and upright.

You give him a small smile, lit only by the tv that's still playing that cartoon you don't know the name of. "I didn't go very far."

"Come back to bed?"

Gently, you lift a hand and gesture at Jimin. "Can we bring him back to his, first?"

=

When you're sent the invoice for the window repair, you realize (not for the first time) this won't be easy.

You didn't think it'd be a walk in the park, of course not, but you've never really had to worry about the cost of running a business before. Now, you look at the numbers, and you just can't wrap your head around how it'll all work. Mr Jung left you a considerable amount, yes, but... will it be enough? You can't imagine the motel is in any high level of traffic area for travellers. There are quite a few campsites around in the surrounding forest, but that's about it. How many customers would it take monthly to support the motel? How much has to or even can be sacrificed before any income is made?

You've already spent so much on keeping you, Hoseok, and Jimin alive and warm for the past week. It's normal, you suppose, but you've never supported two dependants before, and the fact that you're currently unemployed doesn't settle the heavy feeling in your chest at all. You're draining your savings while not making any money in the meantime.

A safe haven for hybrids...

...who can't pay rent.

Maybe Mr Jung was older and more senile than you thought.

You shake your head and rub your hands over your face, resting your elbows on the desk in front of you. First, you gotta apologize to Mr Jung for disrespecting the dead. You might be cynical, but he had a dream. A really good and nice dream. Secondly, you scold yourself for thinking what you did about hybrids. Of course they can't pay rent. They were born into a system that actively discourages their financial (and pretty much every other kind of) autonomy. They can't pay for anything because of humans.

Still, you don't know how long you can keep running Heaven's Door on your inheritance alone. You haven't even opened yet -- how much will it cost to run for a month? Three? A year?

"Do the numbers change if you sigh hard enough?"

You turn in your swivel chair to glare at Jimin, who's sitting in the chair next to you with one leg folded up to his chest, foot propped up on the seat. He doesn't return your gaze, enraptured by the match-three game he's playing on your phone, which he's been going at rather consistently for the past two days. You don't really have a job for him right now, and aside from the tv, he doesn't have much to take up his time. You'd offered to grab the contents of your bookshelf back at home for him, but he'd casually refused, telling you he'd take a look next time you make the trip, but not to go out of your way.

"Maybe they will," you taunt back, which goes just as ignored as your glare. "I better sigh harder to test it out."

You tilt your head, looking at your phone in his hand. "Should I get you guys phones...?" you ask, mostly to yourself.

Jimin's eyes glance up, and he finally acknowledges you. He doesn't need to say it. He does anyway.

"I'm still thinking."

Curling your lips in, you nod, turning back to the computer and hovering your hands over the mouse and keyboard even though you have no plans on what to do with them. "Right. Right..."

Thankfully, Hoseok chooses that awkward moment to walk into the lobby. "You should take a break," he says. "How is your head feeling?"

"It's fine, doc." You roll your eyes, smiling. "Just as fine as I said it was yesterday."

"Have you been taking your meds?"

You shake your head. "The doctor said they're for headaches. They're just painkillers -- the few times my head has hurt, the pain went away by the time I remembered I could take them."

Jimin lowers your phone and gives you a look you can't quite decipher. It's not positive; you know that at least. "You're still getting headaches?"

"Only itty-bitty ones," you try to placate them.

"How long has it been since you fell?"

You almost forgot you lied to Jimin about how you got your concussion. By the looks of Hoseok's guilty expression, though, you're not sure if you regret it. You don't want him to feel responsible, but talking about it -- whether or not Jimin knows -- still seems to remind him of what he did. Where you put the blame doesn't matter to him. He still thinks it's his fault.

"Uhh... a little over a week?" you answer, keeping a careful eye on Hoseok. "Maybe eight or nine days."

Jimin frowns. "That can't be good, right?"

"The doctor said to go back to the hospital if the symptoms last over two weeks." Concern laced in his features, Hoseok crosses his arms.

You nod along. "I'll put the date on my calendar, okay? I'm sure I'll be fine by then."

"You better not play it down when the time comes," Hoseok warns.

"Yes sir," you joke.

Hoseok takes in a sharp breath, shoulders scrunching up for half a second before he forces them to relax. A small huff of a laugh escapes Jimin's nose, and you look at him in confusion, but his eyes are on Hoseok, something playful and teasing in them. Jimin mouths something to Hoseok, which you can't read.

Hoseok grumbles and tightens the arms crossed in front of him. "Shut up."

"No fair," you whine. "You guys already have inside jokes?"

Jimin just laughs harder while Hoseok gives him a death glare and says, "It doesn't count as an inside joke if I don't find it funny."

"Don't worry," Jimin teases through a smirk. "I find it funny enough for the both of us!"

You can't help but smile at the ever-growing amity between the two hybrids, which is admittedly playful in the biting way, but it still makes you happy that they're somewhat getting along.

=

"We should celebrate," you tell the boys one day.

"Celebrate what?" Jimin questions, hands stuffed in his coat pocket and shoulders scrunched up to his ears.

You'd gone around the back of the motel and found a paved, patio-like area, complete with five wooden picnic tables, propane patio heaters, and an old-looking but (probably) functional barbecue, but Jimin isn't exactly a fan of the cool breeze flowing through the air.

You lift the lid of the barbecue, examining the charred grates of the grill. "Well, I dunno, but it'd be a shame not to use this before it gets too cold out."

"Too late," Jimin mumbles. His lips are hidden behind the front of his coat, which he's ducked half his face into.

Hoseok ignores Jimin, nodding at your idea. "A barbecue night would be nice."

"How are you on the grill?" you ask him.

"I'm better at prepping."

You chuckle. "So basically, not good?"

"Not good," he echoes with a smile.

After sharing some giggles, you look at the barbecue again. "I'm sure I could figure this out."

"I'm going back inside," Jimin tells you both, already walking away.

"C'mon!" you call after him. "It'll be fun!"

=

Although you're in a different store now, near the edge of the city closer to the motel, the pet/hybrid aisle hosts a pretty similar collection to the store near your apartment. You pull another plain, black collar off the hook on the shelf, which matches the one currently sitting around Hoseok's neck.

He's not paying attention at all, as far as you know, instead hunched over the pushbar of the shopping cart he insisted on pushing for you, poring over the grocery list you'd written on a memo pad for tonight's "celebration".

In your mind, you've started calling it your "new friends party :D", emoticon included, but you haven't worded that out loud to either of the boys. Hoseok would surely laugh at the childishness of the name, even if he'd politely try to stifle it, and you know Jimin would only remind you that his relationship to you and Hoseok is temporary.

Mood killer, you think to Jimin, although it's the hypothetical version of him.

The real Jimin is looking at the array of collars on the shelf like you asked him to, and you step up next to him.

"What do you think?"

Jimin frowns, deep in thought. "They're all ugly."

Okay, maybe not that deep.

"Ouch," you chuckle, fingers toying with the black silk in your hand. "You don't have to wear one all the time -- just while we're in public spaces like this."

Grumbling, Jimin stuffs both his hands in his coat pockets. "In public... that's when I wanna look good."

"Okay, okay." You pat a hand on his shoulder. "Maybe we can find one you like online, or something."

"Doesn't this one work?" Jimin points at his neck, fingers ghosting over the soft velvet of your red choker.

You tilt your head. "I guess... Probably."

The tags for collars have to be bought and customized separately anyway. There's no reason why you wouldn't be able to put Jimin's on your choker, though attaching the tag might not be as simple as the store-bought collars. Manageable, though, you're sure.

"If you're done being picky, we should get going. The frozen meat will be rotten by the time we get to the car," Hoseok says, making Jimin roll his eyes and stick his tongue out at him.

You clap your hands together. "Ooh! We should get ice cream!"

When you bring all the groceries to the counter, you notice that Jimin keeps his head down, avoiding the eyes of the person ringing everything up. This isn't new -- Jimin seems to not like making eye contact with anyone but you or Hoseok.

He'd tossed the red contacts after one of them had an intimate meet and greet with your bedroom floor, but you can tell he doesn't like being without them. It's awful, you think, how long he wore those fake red eyes just because his owner... what, enjoyed the idea of owning a deadly hybrid?

The... exoticism?

You shiver.

On the cusp of winter time, with Jimin in a couple layers, you wouldn't even know he's a hybrid if you weren't paying attention. As far as you know, his only hybrid-defining trait is his scales, and the only ones you can see right now are on his neck. They'd easily go unnoticed to the everyday passerby.

"Your total is--"

The cashier's voice startles you, and all you can do is shake your head when they ask if you have their points reward card.

Before heading back to the motel, you make a quick stop at your apartment, telling the boys that you're just grabbing some more of your clothes and that they can wait in the car. You do grab some clothes, but you also pick up a few of your favourite books. Hopefully the boys will be able to find some entertainment in them. Recently, you discovered a recreation room in the motel, complete with a couple of exercise machines and a pool table. With how preoccupied you are with all this motel business stuff, though, you haven't had the time to play a round of pool or even think about exercising. Maybe the boys have been in there, but it seems like Hoseok is almost always somewhere around you, still weary of your condition.

It's sort of fair, you think. Dizzy spells still hit you sometimes.

Jimin, too, often sticks around somewhere nearby. Maybe it's because he likes scrolling through your phone and doesn't want to just take it and leave whatever room you're in.

Which brings you to the real reason you stopped by your apartment. You walk up to the mailboxes and pull out your key, smiling when you open your locker and find the packages you were expecting.

It's a bit of a pricey expense -- at least, for how you used to budget your life before it flipped on its head -- but you think it's worth the money. A simple phone for each of the boys, a new family plan to save on the phone bills, and a specialty reptilian hybrid eczema cream. You hope it's the right one for Jimin. You haven't seen his irritated skin since that shower due to the chilly weather, but you still catch him scratching his arms over his clothes from time to time.

You're sure if you told Jimin you wanted to buy the cream for him, he would've refused. The phone, too.

"Took you long enough," Jimin says when you dip back into the driver's seat of your car.

You chuckle. "I missed you too, Mochi."

He huffs at the nickname and crosses his arms, then turns his head to stare out the window. You don't see his faint smile.

=

"It's freezing," Jimin complains through chattering teeth, hands stuffed in his coat pockets and shoulders scrunched up practically to his ears.

You can't hold back a little laugh. "I told you, you could either help me out here with the grill, help Hoseok with prepping everything inside, or run the raw food from the kitchen to out here." Raising an eyebrow at him, you gesture towards your gloved hands and the food you're flipping on the grill with metal tongs. It is chilly out, especially since the sun set, but you're wrapped up in your own jacket, and the fire from the grill is keeping your cheeks warm. It probably feels colder to Jimin, though. "You wanna trade with me?"

He gives you a flat look. "You're kidding."

"Thought so. You wanna trade with Hoseok?"

Cringing, Jimin shakes his head. "I hate touching raw meat."

"Well, there's our answer then," you say. "Was that the last of it?"

He nods, another shiver rippling through him. It's almost endearing how red his cheeks are turning, but you know he really can't stand the cold.

"Okay, go inside and warm up. I should be done cooking everything in ten or fifteen minutes. Bring this plate in--" You point at a foil-wrapped plate of the food you've already cooked. "I can bring the rest inside once I'm finished."

Jimin's eyes widen slightly. "I thought you wanted to eat out here?" He looks at one of the picnic tables.

"Nah." You shrug. "It's way too cold for me, and the food will cool down too fast."

Elated by this news, Jimin smiles and bounces on his feet when he grabs the plate and runs it inside.

"And help Hoseok clean up the kitchen!" you yell out right before the door shuts behind him.

Truthfully, you did want to eat outside for the celebration, but it's more important to you that Jimin is comfortable and happy. After all, he's one of your new friends, and that's the whole point of tonight. You smile at the thought, excited to gift the boys their new cell phones after dinner.

Flipping some of the last pieces of meat on the grill, you hum to yourself. Out of the corner of your eye, you see a hand reach for the plate you have set to the side for the cooked food. It tentatively grabs one of the slices of meat and pulls it off the plate, which you let out a chuckle at.

"What, you couldn't wait a couple more minute--"

You choke to a stop, though, when you look up and see neither Hoseok nor Jimin.

Dark eyes meet yours for less than a moment before swiftly turning downward. The man stumbles back a step, but he freezes in almost the same way you do. Except, instead of his jaw dropping open like yours does, he pauses mid-chew, the frisked meat still in between his teeth.

That's not what makes your breath hitch, though.

Even under the blackened sky, you can see the bruises.

A dark, deep purple sits boldly under is left eye, the surrounding skin a sickening blend of yellow and green that winds up all the way to his brow. His chin sports another bruise in a similar state, like the blows had been a couple days ago and the skin has gone through only the first stages of healing. Although his face is grimy with sweat and dirt, you can see crusted blood just at his hairline before his black hair hides anything else. You can tell his lip was completely busted at some point, marred with dark, dried blood that's been split over and over again and given no chance to heal.

Even his stance looks like he's in pain. Like he's trying to make himself look smaller.

You swallow the shock down, the words not coming out. "I..."

He snaps out of it at the sound of your voice. Both of his hands shoot up, palms flat and facing you. "Sorry-- I'm sorry," he mumbles and winces, like it hurts to speak. His voice is scratchy and rasping.

He backs up further while you try to find something to say, something to do, but before you can do anything, he runs off the patio and disappears into the treeline, a clear limp in his movement.

"Wait!" you call out, but he's gone.

Maybe it was the injuries that made you want to go after him. Maybe it was the way he held himself, like he didn't want to be in his own body. Maybe it was the way his voice trembled, or the fact that he definitely wasn't wearing enough for the temperature outside.

Maybe it was all that combined, but most of all, it was the pointed black ears you saw on top of his head.

prev | chapter six (12.0k) | next

[sangoqueenkoko]

WRIOTHESLEY

have a safe trip!

Fluff

CRYO MASTERLIST | DRABBLE MASTERLIST

.

Summary: You have a planned trip of going to the surface coming up, but Wriothesley, in the Fortress, can’t help but worry.

Warnings? Nope!

Contains Sigewinne and Wriothesley, of course!

621 words.

“Yes, I know, Wriothesley”, you sighed lightly as you put things in a simple hand back along with your main suitcase-like bag. Like books, bathroom essentials, etc. “I will be fine, Okay?”

“Sorry (Y/N), I can’t help but worry for your well-being when you leave the Fortress,” he said, shrugging lightly. And it was true; he couldn’t. You could take care of matters yourself, but it pained him to know he wouldn’t be near you to help in time. He worries a lot about you, even if he doesn’t theoretically need to. “You never know what could happen up there.”

You turned to him with a soft smile, away from your bags that sat on the bed of your shared quarters, “It’s true, I never know what could happen on the surface, but you know I can handle it by myself. And if anything were to happen, I have the best equipment and supplies from you and Sigewinne.”

Speaking of Sigewinne, she walked into the room where only certain people were allowed in, with a nice compact bag full of the stuff you would need if you hurt yourself—bandages, plasters, and inflammatory creams, to name a few.

"Ah, head nurse" Wriothesley turned to the much shorter woman as she walked by, "Is everything ready? Like the tip-top stuff?"

And she, much like you, sighed because this wasn't the first time he would ask this today, "Yes, Your Grace. Now, would please try to relax about (Y/N)'s trip? What about having some tea to relax?" she suggested.

But that only started something else within Wriothesley.

"Oh!" he eventually said, as the figurative lightbulb went off in his head once he realised what else he had to do. He made his way to a smaller room attached to your room that was like a mini-storage room, a walk-in wardrobe. "That reminds me."

At this point, you weren't even surprised. He was stalling. You knew that. Sigewinne knew that. And he knew that. Given the chance, the whole of the fortress would know that. Every other time you had a trip arranged to go to the surface or even another nation, he would do the same thing—stall. because he didn't know what could happen in his absence and wanted to prevent it as much as possible.

Moments later, after waiting and hearing some quiet incoherent words coming from the small room, the now soft-eyed Duke came over with something behind his back. He smiled as he walked over to you, as were now alone in the room. Sigewinne had to go back to the infirmary to check up on some patients, but she would come to see you off with Wriothesley later on.

"What are you hiding?" you asked with crossed arms after just closing your bags, ready to go. You didn't really want to open them again to put something else in.

"I got something for your travels," he said before showing you what he had hidden and gotten you.

"Some tea?"

"A special blend chosen and made by yours truly."

"Thank you, you shouldn't have," you said before you took the bag and kissed his cheek.

"Anything for you."

Later that day, it was time for you to go. You, Wriothesley, and Sigewinne went to the aqua bus station by the Opera Epiclese, where you would take the aqua bus to the Court of Fontaine.

Wriothesley carried your bags for you as you and Sigewinne walked slightly ahead.

The other two would not leave at the station until you were out of sight. But just as the small boat was leaving the Opera Epiclese aqua bus station...

they would both, thanks to Sigewinne, yell out with maximum enthusiasm,

"have a safe trip!"

totally didn’t forget i wrote this in one night

sorry this sucks ass

[sleepyomi]

gift giving with the hq!! boys

a/n: y’all we’ve reached the last first part of the love language series (giving)!!! I’m so excited to be able to start on part two of acts of service, physical touch, and quality time after this. the boys we have today are what I loving refer to as the gentle giants featuring short king daichi because they scream chivalry which makes me scream haha.

ushijima —

it had started during the winter of his third year when ushijima realized just how much the cold affected you. his own schedule and conditioning was focused around him gaining strength and maintaining his health but yours wasn’t. upon realizing this, he had taken it upon himself to make sure you were well taken care of. obviously you could take care of yourself but what kind of boyfriend would he be if he didn’t make you you’re favorite tea when you were congested? or pack you a bento the mornings you had important assignments since he knew there was a chance you’d forget, and carry your preferred lotion and chapstick in his bag since he knew the cold dried out your hands and lips? a shitty one that was what. and if he occasionally kept his favorite hoodie that he knew you loved in his bag along with treats he didn’t eat no one would be able to prove it.

daichi —

with daichi you occupy a good portion of his mind, which means he can’t help but grab your favorite snacks when he swings by the convenience store on his way to picking up his younger siblings. it always puts a smile on your face anyway so why not? if he just happens to do it more often then he previously did, that’s no ones business but his own. if it happens to coincide when you have a bad day too? no one could prove it. on top of that though, when the summer comes to an end, he begins packing an extra jacket in his bag for the even slightest chance your cold, happily giving it you even knowing there is slim to no chance of him getting it back.

aone —

with aone being at the height of his high school volleyball career, it had started when he just wanted to let you know he was thinking of you. a small keychain with your favorite animal on your desk when you’d both had a busy week and couldn’t meet up. a small drawing of a turtle giving you a thumbs up on a post it note the morning you had a speech due. your favorite hoodie of his in your locker the day after you walked home together and had needed to use his. he loved being able to do small things that would make you smile and know he loved you when he wasn’t able to say it himself. the way you always texted him a selfie with the item didn’t help to deter further attempts though it did cause him to quickly lose storage in his phone.

asahi —

hand made gifts all the time. he enjoys making things for you to enjoy that he made himself so it’s like you have a token of his love with you at all times and also because it makes it obvious who made it. he always tries super hard on his gifts whether it’s something material or not. making you a lunch with his is something that he enjoys so much it has become habit and he cherishes making you scarfs, hats, and other articles of clothing as the awed smile on your face when you ask, “did you make this?” with wonder in your voice gets to him everytime. you don’t need to know that he started it back when you were both keeping your relationship a secret and he wanted to see you in his clothes, it ended up working out in the end.

do not edit, claim, or repost my works as per @sleepyomi

[tiniedemon]

— ♡

reasons kenny mccormick has been banned from us fast food chains

mcdonald’s

came behind the counter to make his own ice cream cone

smoked in the dumpster corral

hid in the bathrooms and walked out after close, scared the shit out of the employees

wendy’s

ordered 12 baconators and then left before he paid

took a broom from the storage closet and started sweeping a random spot in the floor

danced on top of the counter

taco bell

bought 14 soft tacos, took a bite out of each, and asked for a refund because he decided he wasn’t in the mood

bought a large drink, then refilled it with baja blast enough times to fill 5 gallon sized ziplock bags

stole an entire bin of mild sauce

panda express

tp’d the bathroom

bought a large cup, then used it to get enough ice and sweet tea to fill a large cooler

walked behind the counter and started doing the dishes in the back

burger king

i’m convinced you can’t get banned from a burger king

but probably accidentally drove his car through one of the windows

whataburger

ate an entire sandwich except for one bite and got a refund, multiple times

planked on top of the counter

sat behind a bush in the drive thru and jump scared customers

[kunimix]

—NEON GUTS

Ep. 8; HE FOUND OUT?! GASP

prev ep | masterlist | next ep

CW; Written chapter, timestamps don’t matter unless said otherwise, Accidental confession (?), Profanity’s

You were setting everything up for your sleepover grabbing pillows, blankets, snacks etc. Once you finished setting up you decided to wait but that didn’t last long because right as you sat down there was a knock at the door more of a bang than a knock though.

You went downstairs opened the door and Hu Tao’s fist hit you in the face so she was the one banging on the door

“Hu Tao I hate you” You said rubbing your nose

“I’m sorry!!” She said hugging you trying to apologize

“Gay” Syd said walking into the house past you two sitting down on your couch

“Also where’s your mom?”

“Your not going to hit on my mom again Syd”

“Hey you said it not me”

You just ignored the comment and let Lumine and Hu Tao in.

“So can we watch all of the halloween movies or what?” Hu Tao asked taking her shoes off and putting them into the rack.

“Hell yeah!” You and Lumine said in unison.

Your mom came downstairs and saw you four.

“Oh hello girls. Also [Name] can you guys go upstairs I have a client today and tell your siblings to stay in their rooms too” she said walking into the little storage closet.

“Oh yeah okay” you nodded to her

You ran straight to the stairs and ran up them. They all followed you running right behind you while Syd was climbing them like a dog.

“Get up you furry!” You yelled at her

“Shut up bitch!” She snapped back

Once you guys got to your room Hu Tao almost jumped into the pile of snacks. Syd was already on your bed like it was hers and Lumine was looking inside her bag for something.

“I’m bored” Hu Tao said groaning

“Congratulations?” You said shrugging

“Let’s call people”

“But why?”

“Because I made this game that whoever is calling can’t hear and the rest have to tell them what to say but the person doesn’t get to choose who to call we have to spin a wheel”

“Great idea let’s do it. It could get me some tea” Lumine said

You were the first one up and you had to call your crush aka Scaramouche. Once you called him he answered almost immediately.

“Hello?”

“Hi” You were reading off Hu Tao’s notes app

“Did you need something?”

“No but I have something to tell you”

“What is it”

You muted the call and looked at the three.

“Bro if you make me say what I think your going to say stop”

“[Name]? Are you there?”

You unmuted and the looked back at Hu Tao’s notes app

“Yeah”

“What did you have to tell me?”

“I” you shook your head at them

“I… have a crush on you”

He was silent for a while like dead silent

“Scaramouche?”

“Yeah I’m here. I’m gonna facetime you okay?”

“Okay”

He pressed the FaceTime button and once you accepted it he saw the other three.

“Was this a prank?” He asked he sounded a little disappointed.

“Yep!” Hu Tao said looking happy

“Okay”

You hung up the call and yelled at them.

“You fucking idiots what if he actually believed that he would’ve thought I was weird!”

They laughed because they thought you getting embarrassed was funny.

“I can’t believe you almost made me confessed you shitheads”

“Uh I’m still here?” His voice chimed through your phone speaker

“Fuck”

prev ep I masterlist I next ep

Summary; Scaramouche is "forced" to tutor you the "dumbass" of the class

A/n; we’re moving pretty fast and yes i know it’s late and yes I know this is a little cliche but Idgaf

Taglist; @featuredtofu @chemiru @veekoko @kamiboo @mercy-not-merci @sl-vega

[twistedwonderlandshenanigans]

Petty Shit Viz Has Done to the TWST Cast

She's not normally petty, and it takes her a while to feel comfortable enough to 'play around' this way

Rearranged the tea cupboard in Heartslaybul and Riddle couldn't decide whether he should be mad or not bc there are very loose rules regarding the storage of tea but. she colour coded it so now he gets to have a dilemma over it (bc he got after her for a rule she thought was ridiculous)

swapped salt with sugar because she asked Trey if he tastes his baking as he goes and he said basically 'everything's muscle memory at this point, I know what I'm doing, I leave taste testing to people who happen to pop into the kitchen'

made ice cubes from boiled hot dog water so when Cater came over he put it in his iced latte (he likely took something of hers without asking, probably something innocent enough it didn't really warrant that reaction but she's gotta be a shit sometimes)

Deuce would have no petty crimes committed against him. He is Baby.

She took a seam ripper to Ace's dorm uniform so at the next Unbirthday party he'd get in trouble (this is just retribution at this point)(yes she will fix it for him)

Leona is her favourite person to get petty with tbh bc shes willing to go to lengths with him she won't do with anyone else. (and he puts up with her more than anyone else, lowkey, in my brain it's like. you know when adult lions pretend to be hurt by lion cubs "attacking" them to gain confidence in their hunting skills? He's doing the same thing but in letting her explore Fun and what safe boundaries look like). ANYWAYS he told her she couldn't ever pull something on him he didn't see coming so she made him play sniper chess without explaining the rules first.

I honestly think Ruggie is safe??

If Jack ever stays over and desheds his tail in the bathroom without cleaning up properly, she won't let him back into ramshackle unless he puts a plastic bag over his tail

When she's mildly upset with Azul, (who she works for), she and Floyd only speak pig latin to each other. Jade understands but refuses to speak it. Azul doesn't get it whatsoever and it drives him nuts. When he finally gets it, the two end up switching to "egg".

She doesn't do petty shit with the tweels. It's either they're on great terms or they're not, there's no in between. She has a generally playful relationship with Floyd, and she and Jade are gossips + both enjoy mycology

Kalim is exempt simply because they don't interact enough to really warrant a petty reaction, though she does get snippy during chapter 4

Her and Jamil on the other hand, their entire relationship is petty personified, but it's mostly through words not action. (Exes, but they've never dated.)

She took all the cutlery from Pomefiore when Epel told her Vil was serving bite sized meals anyways so she figured they could all just eat with their hands

She has a lot of Impulsive Thoughts regarding Rook, but she wouldn't act on most of them. (they don't interact much)

Idk what caused it, what made her do it, I just know she took all of Epel's lightbulbs at one point. Didn't even leave him one to which kind he needed to replace them. (Vil knew she was gonna pull this shit and thought it was funny)

She won't mess with the Shrouds, Idia and her don't interact until like chapter 6 and uh. shits awkward between them. and Ortho is baby.

She isn't close enough with anyone in Diasomnia to feel it's appropriate to be petty, though she might get there eventually