#the grocery store kismet of it all....

[mxtantrights]

the ballerina, the freak, and the king (modern!au)

this is a re-work of the original tbtftk series which you can read here. you don't have to read that to read this since what's below is more a standalone, but there will be things that nod back to the original work, so if you do that's up to you! thanks for reading, hope you enjoy <33

Steve hates his job. He hates the smile he puts on to sell cars to rich men and families of four and college students. He hates how he knows exactly how 77 degrees feels like on his skin. He hates how good he is at selling cars because it reminds him that he wanted to be more than this. He was never sure what that entailed but he knew it wasn't selling cars.

Steve hates his job except when you walk pass the windows. Every Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday you breeze by with your chin up and a duffle bag strapped to your shoulder. Your hair is always done perfectly, a tight bun and two coils to frame your face.

He's thought about going into the studio once or twice. He could come up with an excuse. He was recommended lessons for his back. His mom suggested he try something new. He's helping Lucas with basketball and wants to teach him some fundamentals from ballet.

But none of those excuses were wise enough for him to even think of stepping foot in the studio. No he would keep his distance. Out of sheer embarrassment and something else.

He had talked to you once before. Really it was more of a small greeting. It was in passing and because of Robin. She had directed you to the store because you were looking to buy a car. Something small and bit on the cheap side, but enough to get you to and from places. She showed you around the used car lot.

It hadn't worked out though. Steve never found out the reason why but he also holds onto hope because of it. Maybe when you did need a car again he would be on the clock. A perfectly reasonable excuse to talk to you.

The front door opens and in comes the new hire. He refers to himself as "001" for some odd reason.

Steve hates his job.

-

Eddie loves his job. Yes it did come with the occasional weird looks. He was the only rock fan working in a record store in Indiana. He was bound to get looks. But he doesn't really care about the eyes that linger on his tattoos and his rings.

How could he when one pair of those eyes belongs to you? You with your upright posture and your tutu. He barely sees you since the studio is in the middle of the main block and the record store is on the corner.

He was enthralled by you once you walked into Vecna Vinyl, dressed in head to toe ballerina equipment, and demanded an Eagles record for the class you teach. It was like some sort of cosmic event- Dustin would use that other word, Kismet.

Eddie isn't sure you remember him from high school. Not that the two of you hung out at all. Neither were you in the same circles. You weren't rubbing elbows with the cheerleaders and jocks but they respected you and your craft. Him? Not so much.

But there was this one time. When Eddie was done picking up groceries for him and Wayne. He walked out the store and saw you eyeing his van. Part of him was in panic mode- did you want to slash his tires or something? Prank the freak?

When you caught him looking at you you bolted out of sight. He never got to ask you why you were interested in his van in the first place. And too much time has passed now for him to ask you.

But you could just as easily walk into his store and ask him for another Eagles record.

Eddie loves his job.

-

You think if you you have to spin around one more time today something will come out of you. Whether it be bodily fluids or a high pitched scream.

You like your job, in theory. You get paid to be the assistant to the instructor of the baby ballerinas. Which means you basically take care of the said baby ballerinas while the instructor teaches to children who would rather be digging up worms or throwing slime onto the ceiling.

But it could be worse, you think to yourself. You could be working at the mall and wearing one of those godawful outfits with the hat to match. So this is fine. This is doable.

All of a sudden your ears pick up on the sound of someone about to upchuck. It's a gross and dry sound that you hate to hear. Because it usually means that you'll have to get the mop, you know, as the assistant to the instructor that keeps class flowing.

One of the children is standing with her hands on her head. Breathing a bit shallow.

"Annabelle?" you ask her

She looks over your way. And the face she makes doesn't mean anything good coming either of yours way. Her chubby little hand slaps over her mouth.

"Bathroom! Bathroom right now! Bathroom!" you shout.

She starts running. You start running after her. The class stops at the volume of your voice. But you don't care. You can't handle mopping up vomit today. It would break you.

Annabelle, bless her heart, runs as fast as she can. Her tiny feet travel quickly and to the bathroom. You rush in after her as she dives for a toilet and sticks her head in.

You hear the vile sounds and reach to keep her head from going too far into the toilet. Pinching your nose you keep your position until she finally backs away from the bowl.

She looks at you.

Before you can even think about talking to her you reach for the toilet handle and push down. Then you bring her over to the sink where the paper towels are. And water. Water would help her right now. You'll have to call her guardian after this.

She grabs the paper towels first. Then she hands one to you. You turn the sink on, cold water, and run the towel under the water for a few seconds. Then you pass the towel back to her.

"I hate ballet." she says sadly.

You watch as she lays the towel over her forehead.

"sometimes I hate ballet too. But I think what you mean is different." you speak.

She nods her head. You nod along with her. Not every child wants to do ballet. But the parents and the adults hear how it can help with posture and other things and they sign their kids up faster than lightening. Not even giving time to think what their kids might actually want to try and enjoy.

Annabelle is one of those kids.

"Do I have to go back out there?" she asks.

Then an idea comes to your mind. Like a serious light bulb moment from a cartoon you used to watch as a kid.

You turn the sink off.

"I think not. Stick with me and follow my lead." you answer.

She follows you as you walk back out of the bathroom and into class, which has started up again. When your instructor sees you and Annabelle returning she stops the class again.

"Everything okay?" she asks.

"Yeah we're just going to take a walk. Fresh air might help." you say.

She nods her head at your request. You walk past her with Annabelle and head over to the coat rack. You pass Annabelle her's first. It goes right over her ballet gear, tutu included, and then you put yours on. Thankfully you don't have to wear a tutu to assist.

The two of you are out the door without a second thought. Annabelle grabs your hand as you walk down Main Street. You're headed to the only place where you get some semblance of relief these days.

it's short walk but the walk wasn't the idea. Getting Annabelle out a place that stresses her out to the point where she feels like she has to over perform and ignore her body is the idea.

Reefer's Records. The place wasn't the best to bring a child to after dark but theres plenty of sunlight out which means no weed is being sold in the store.

You push open the door and lead her inside. That's when you see Annabelle's eyes widen in wonder. Of course the place was highly decorated by someone who partakes in recreational use of a hallucinogen.

"Woah!" she shouts.

And then she's running off. Touching things and looking up at the wall which is painted all different colors.

The sound of beads clinging together is what you hear first, then you see him. Eddie Munson. I mean you would be remise to not think he was cute. The big brown eyes? The hair? You've only spoken to him once and you were sure it wasn't memorable to him.

Maybe you could change that?

You smile his way as he approaches.

"Hi I was wondering if you have rubberband man by the spinners?" you ask.

At first he doesn't say anything. The silence throws you off kilter for a second. But then he smiles and you can't help to smile and feel like things are not off kilter.

"Yeah yeah yeah, I got a couple of copies in the back-" he answers.

"I mean I want to listen to it." you cut him off.

He spares you a look.

"I'll buy the record but I, well I want you to play it in here." you explain.

Eddie looks past you and a curt laugh comes out of him. You turn to get a look at what he's laughing at. It's Annabelle. She's standing right in the middle of the store with her head craned up to the ceiling.

"Is she with you?" Eddie asks.

You nod your head. Then you turn back to him.

"She's having a hard time in class and I just want to show her that dancing can be fun." you answer.

"I can play it for you. Free of charge." he says.

"I don't want you to get in trouble or anything." you offer up.

"It's okay ballerina, I kinda run this place on weekdays." he gloats.

You laugh, "So you're the big boss around here on school days?"

"Yeah well when you put it like that it sounds egregious. Should I rescind my offer?" he jokes.

You know he's joking. But part of you feels bad and part of you is a bit hazy from being this close and talking to him for this long. You play it up and your hands land on his shoulders.

"I'll be forever in your debt if you do." you plead playfully.

His eyes are wider than before. You think you might have misstepped and crossed a line or a boundary. You don't know him well enough to be touching on him! You retract your hands like they were never there.

Eddie schools his face into a more normal expression. He points behind him with his thumb. You feel like an idiot.

"I'm gonna-spin the record for you. So your student can dance. I'm gonna do that now. Right now." he speaks.

"Thank you." you smile.

He then walks backwards the way he came. And in doing so almost knocks over a pile of records and a stack of papers on the counter. You don't think of him as ungraceful though, you think of him as cute.

When he's out of sight you walk over to Annabelle. She finally fixes her head down from the ceiling.

"I like it here." she comments.

"I knew you would. There's a song I think you'll like too." you say.

The speakers currently playing a rock song that you recognize as Metallica stops playing. There's a scratch and then the beat to rubberband man starts up.

You watch as Annabelle moves her shoulders to the bass line. The smile on her face starts slow but it's there. And it means that you made the right decision to bring her here and take her mind off class for a while.

"Can we dance?" she asks.

"Of course, but theres on rule:" you start and reach your hand out to her, "no ballet!"

"Yes!" she exclaims.

She takes your hand. The two of you being dancing wildly to the song. There is no right to dance to the spinners. As long as you move your feet and your heart is pounding to the tune of the beat. Nothing compares to being in sync with a great song.

That's how the two of you dance to the whole song. Back and forth, shuffling your feet, moving your arms and not caring that you didn't extend your leg or your fingers. No toes pointed. No plies. No turns.

Somehow at the end of the song you two end up doing the chicken dance. Her tutu making her play the role effortlessly. You stop yourself to watch her enjoy.

You don't hear the front door open. How could you? The song was still playing loudly in the store. Until it wasn't. Both of you and Annabelle out of breath and trying to catch oxygen in between fits of laughter.

"Hey ballerinas, how was-" Eddie shouts from the front of the store then stops.

You two look at him first. Then you two look to where he is looking, which was not at you, and at the front door. A group of people are standing there. Mostly teens but there are two older ones, around your age. You knew them instantly.

In an instant you recognize two of the younger girls in the group. how could you not? Max Mayfield is the only girl in town with hair as red as fire and Jane has an unforgettable face.

"Max? Jane?" you say out loud.

Like no time has passed at all, they come barreling over to you. They engulf both sides of you with a hug. You reciprocate and wrap your arms around both of them.

Max and Jane were two of about five girls you first taught as the unofficial assistant to the instructor. It was an unpaid role seeing as you were still in school and only clocking in two hours every other day. But it was fun, partly because of these two girls hugging you right now.

"I missed you guys! How have you been?" you ask them.

Jane looks up at you, "Good. We're doing skateboarding now."

"Ballet helped my form a lot. I can land a 180 now." Max says.

You smile at the admission. While you wished to still see the girls more you knew they were happy not doing ballet anymore. You're glad they found each other in class and never let go of that friendship.

"You know red?" a voice asks.

You look over at Eddie. He has a smile on his face. Max unwraps herself from you and casually walks over to him. You didn't know they knew each other. But then again Max has great music taste so it makes sense that they would get along.

"Yeah I used to teach her and Jane when I was a senior." you answer.

Jane unwraps her arms from around you. Then he walks over to one of the boys she came in with. The one with jet black hair. He looks over at you for a second, then turns his full attention to her.

"That's cool." another voice sounds.

You look back at the door. The other younger kids have dispersed around the music store. You finally can place the two older kids who are now walking over to you. Steve and Robin.

Robin was in the band during high school. You remember her specifically because you went to one basketball game and noticed how much her face screamed 'I don't want to be here' amongst the green and white uniforms. She was also the one to direct you when you wanted to buy a car, though it didn't end up working out.

Then there was Steve. Of course everyone knows Steve. But you remember Steve as being the first boy you kissed. It had been after someone's birthday party, Tina maybe, and you two had walked the same way home. Not that you two were located near each other but you had no one to walk with and he offered. All you can remember from that night is Steve, and how blue your tongues were from the slushy-drinks at the party.

You saw him at the dealership too since he and Robin work together. But you didn't talk to him that much when you went in there.

You realize it was Robin that made the comment.

"I use the term teaching loosely. But I do teach this one, sometimes." you say and reach your hand out for Annabelle.

She comes running to you, tiny hand grabbing yours. She smiles at you and then pushes her tutu down with both of her hands.

"Are there any classes for adults? I know I could use it for my back." Steve says.

You begin to wonder what happened to his back. But that was surely personal and not meant to be talked about in a music store. You hope he's okay.

"There are but I work with kiddies. I can ask if there are any slots open if you'd like." you offer.

Steve shakes his head, "Nah I'll probably ask one of the kids to walk over my back."

"I mean Argyle probably has something for that." Eddie sounds.

He joins the four of you. There's a look about him now. He's smirking at Steve and Steve is smirking back at him. Robin is also smiling but you and Annabelle are in the dark as to why.

"Car man!" Annabelle says randomly.

You look at her confused.

Steve laughs, "Yeah I work at the car place. Would you be interested in a Volvo?"

Annabelle giggles.

"I can't drive yet silly." she says.

"You sure? I think you're smart enough." Steve jokes.

Annabelle begins to laugh uncontrollably at this. Steve smiles and his teeth are all out on display and his eyes are hidden behind lines and lines of skin. You like the sight of it, of him.

"What're two ballerina's doing rocking out in the music store?" Robin asks.

You look down at Annabelle who's already looking at you. You shrug your shoulders and she does the same. Both of you look at the group.

"We wanted to do something fun." you answer.

Annabelle gasps and runs over to Eddie. As if the two had been friends before. The action surprises him and he almost buckles at the momentum of the tiny girl. But he laughs anyways.

He bends down and Annabelle is whispering something in his ear. He smiles and nods.

"I've got a request from the tiny dancer." he says.

Then he is walking with Annabelle, hand in hand, to the front of the store. You watch as the two of them sift through some records.

"Are you two-um..." you ask but you know it what it comes off as. You feel a little bit embarrassed at your forwardness.

All of a sudden both their faces morph into disgust. Robin starts talking at a hundred miles per hour. Something about 'not going to happen' and 'bathroom confession' and 'he's a good one but not her type'. Steve is more like a gaping fish.

Robin pats him on the shoulder and walks off. Which leaves just you and Steve. You decide to be brave and take a step forward. You're surprised when he does the same.

"I think we kissed once at a party." he says.

You can't help the chuckle that rolls out from your belly. You're glad he remembered because it would honestly hurt your ego a bit if he didn't.

"Yeah I remember that. I think I had red slushy tongue." you answer.

He nods, "I had blue. Good times."

You hum approvingly. Now you're hitting yourself over the head for not going back into the car place. While you didn't have enough money to buy anything with an engine you could've pretended to look, and possibly talked with Steve.

You want to say more. But out of no where music starts playing. You recognize the song instantly. That one song by the talking heads-the name is on the tip of your tongue!

"Naive Melody!" Steve says.

Annabelle comes running over to you two. And she comes and steals Steve away. You can't even be mad about it because it's so cute. She holds her out for him and he takes it. Annabelle was a very enchanting child, it's why she's your current favorite.

Steve and Annabelle start dancing together. You can't help how your heart warms. Maybe it's the light that reflects off the chipped disco ball and onto Steve's arm. Or how his hair bounces with every movement he makes.

You don't notice how Eddie strolls up and holds out his hand. When you do you have to pull your mind to focus. He's taken off his jacket and now his arms with tattoos are on display.

"Care to dance ballerina?" he asks.

You take his hand as an answer. The two of you start off slow, somehow Eddie starts doing the robot. You don't think he's danced in front of people before. He doesn't have that blanket of shame or guilt most people do when they have.

He's just free.

You join him. There is laughter all around the store. Sure enough you feel it. Like this must be the place where you can be happy. Not the physical space of Vecna Vinyl, but around people like Steve and Eddie.

Steve and Eddie.

Oh.

[charliesinfern0]

☔

WIP Ask Game

☔Is there a fic concept you have that you'd like to just explain and share because you're not sure you'll ever write it? If so, what is it?

literally all my fics it’s out of my hands if I ever get one done or not lol

seriously though uhhh I do have a fic idea it’s an aichi cafe au fic where ai owns a cafe and she’s literally the only worker there lol shes finally moved out of her dad’s house and is trying to make it on her own. She makes it work tho bc she’s a robot and she can do a lot at once. One day when business is slow there’s a cat sitting outside and meowing and ai goes to it and is like “aw kitty :) are you hungry? let me get u something to eat” and she goes back in to get smthn for the cat to eat and when she comes back out ichi is there and this is like their first time meeting in this au. Ai is like “oh, is this your cat?” and ichi is just staring at her looking mortified and then he just SPRINTS away and ai is just left standing there like “uh… ok then” and she places the bowl of food down for the cat.

the cat keeps on coming back, and sometimes more cats come over too, so she leaves out a bowl of food and a bowl of water for them whenever they come back. the cats catch the attention of customers, so more people come to her cafe. ai is grateful for the business, but it’s starting to overwhelm her a little and also she has just been feeling really lonely ever since she moved to Akatsuka, so she posts up some help wanted ads around the town.

cut to ichimatsu sitting in his living room staring at the help wanted poster he had gotten from when he went to the grocery store with osomatsu the other day. he doesn’t know why he grabbed it, but he did, and he hid it from osomatsu in his hoodie pocket as he walked out of the store, and he kept it hidden until he finally worked up the courage to stare at it for like an hour, his thoughts racing like “why did I even take this home with me, it’s not like I even have a chance of being able to get a job, let alone have the chance of being able to work with a cute girl you dont even know… this is her phone number on here right? a cute girls phone number…” and then he’s like “IDIOT THATS PROBABLY JUST THE PHONE NUMBER FOR THE WORK PHONE THERE!! AND ITS NOT LIKE SHE HANDED IT TO YOU PERSONALLY, YOU GOT IT FROM A FUCKING HELP WANTED FLYER” and as he’s like banging his head against the floor one of the stray cats he takes care of hops in through the window and like is being all cute and ichi is like “awesome yes a distraction I’m never going to think about this ever again because I have no chance of ever being able to exist in society” and then the cat just takes the flyer and runs away and ichi is instantly booking it down the street trying to chase after it.

back at the cafe, ai is just doin her thing, and she thinks about the guy that ran away from her a while ago. Her mind has been wandering back towards him lately, wondering what was up with him and why he ran away. Just then, she hears the cat meowing outside, and is like “omg it’s that same cat!” And she goes out and right when she does ichi runs up and then he freezes when their eyes meet and ai looks down and sees the help wanted poster in its mouth and then she looks at ichimatsu and asks “do you want to work here?” because 1) this is quite literally kismet via cat 2) he must be the one that attracted the cats to come here and 3) she really needs the help. and ichimatsu is just staring at her like 😦

hard cut to ichi standing behind the counter with an apron just over his hoodie wondering how he even ended up in this situation lol

it’s basically just a cute slice of life fic where ai and ichi work at a cafe together and get closer to one another ^_^ ai also ends up meeting his brothers and many other characters, and she starts to feel more at home in Akatsuka, and with ichi <3

the whole fic was inspired by Music For Animal Cafes by Nobonoko. I have all of the chapter names written down and almost all of them are based off of some of the songs from that album, is some of their other EPs and singles (some of these i might change and I might add more if I actually get to writing this lololol):

We’re Open! (We’re Opening! from Music For Animal Cafes)

Cat in a Sea of Soap (Cat in a Sea of Soap EP)

A Little Background Mewsic (B-Meowsic I and II from Music For Animal Cafes)

Raining Cats and Dogs (Storm from Music For Animal Cafes)

Chat au Chocolat (Chat au Chocolat from Music For Animal Cafes)

To the Moon and Back

10:30 In the Morning (10:30 am Single)

Strawberry Cake (Strawberry+ Album)

Change the Channel (TV2 EP)

Coffee, Hearts, Machines (COFFEE MACHINE from Music For Animal Cafes, and My Heart is a Machine Single)

Six Cats Ate Six Plates (Three Tigers Ate Three Plates from Music For Animal Cafes)

Hope To See You Again Soon! (Thank You! from Music For Animal Cafes)

[kismetharborapps]

ooc information

name: Nessa

preferred pronouns: she/her

age: 25

timezone: EST

activity level: I'm starting a new job soon, but I plan to be around during the evening hours. And maybe some mornings if time allows.

triggers: OCD, cancer

anything else?: N/A

character information

name: Sarocha Naiyana

faceclaim: Davika Hoorne

gender & pronouns: Cis-woman & she/her

age: 32

birthday: April 19, 1992 (4/19/1992)

place of birth: Bangkok, Thailand

occupation: pediatric nurse @ Kismet Harbor Hospital

neighborhood: Downtown (sunset ridge townhomes)

time since arriving in kismet harbor: Since 2008

filling a wanted connection?: N/A

biography: 

On April 19th, 1992, a wonderful and warm afternoon in Bangkok, Thailand, the ray of sunshine that is Sarocha Naiyana was born. A picture from that day still hangs on the wall in the entryway of Jonathan and Eleanore's tiny craftsman house - Sarocha's mom, in the hospital bed, holding her, two older brothers and one older sister, all dangling from her father's arms or trying to squish onto the bed to get into the frame. For the first six years of her life, she was the youngest child; when her parents announced that not only was she gonna be a big sister, she was gonna be a big sister two twins, little Sarocha honestly didn't know what to make of it. She'd been on her own for six years by then and the idea of having to share her parents' love with more siblings didn't initially sit too well with her - when Gabriel and Loena were born though, those big sister instincts kicked in almost instantly and she's loved them ever since.

Because there were more children than parents living under their roof, it seemed as if each Naiyana kid would go on to make their voice heard in a unique way, some working towards being the 'golden child' of the Naiyana clan - which in all honesty was probably one of the easiest to achieve methods - and others taking a darker path into making their mark on this world.

Thankfully for her, out of all of the Naiyana children, Sarocha was the unpredictable one. She was loud and demanded the attention. She was one that was often getting lost at the grocery store, talking to strangers or drawing on the walls. She was the type of kid that demanded everyone watch her impromptu theater shows in the living room where she was almost always a vampire hunter, a ballerina or even a pirate for a short period of time. Her mother, a stay-at-home mom, struggled to keep her out of things she shouldn't be in or from creating messes, from tracking mud onto precious rugs bought from past vacations or climbing on shelves and shattering beautiful family heirlooms. Even though she was a mischievous girl, she had one of the most charming smiles and she always seemed to know how to weasel her way out of the trouble she got herself into.

Her parents taught her how to be independent and how to take care of herself pretty early on and, in turn, she started helping taking care of her younger siblings (and her parents as well, easily picking up on when they needed a break from the twins and whatever else they had going on in her life). Saorcha's always been a caring person and has always enjoyed taking care of people, which really made her eventual choice of a career very fitting.

However, things were thrown slightly off balance for her when her father was relocated for his job to Kismet Harbor, Oregon. She ended up having to adjust to high school in a whole new environment with a whole new group of people. It wasn't easy, but she managed. Kismet Harbor was quaint and homey, something she sort of craved. Despite being raised in a large, touristy city, she always felt out of place there. The small town was everything she had been looking for. Being settled had a positive impact on Sarocha, her average grades soon increased to high B's and low A's and she became involved with the school orchestra and art club. Her grades in science, particularly biology, were always the highest on her report card. When career day came around, the advisor suggested a career in medicine. However, when she mentioned the seven or so years it would take to become a doctor, Sarocha zoned out.

Even though she didn't want to become a doctor, she decided to follow in her father's footsteps by going into the medical field, but as a nurse. In the summer break before senior year, Sarocha researched courses and colleges for weeks before she finally decided to go to New York University. She applied for colleges in Oregon, but she refused to commute from Kismet Harbor and craved independent living. After graduating, she packed her life into a few cardboard boxes and headed out in her well-loved Jeep to New York City.

Going to college was the best thing that had ever happened to Saorcha. She built a pretty great life for herself while in the city. She earned her degree, and became a registered nurse in four years. So, by the time she was twenty-two, she had a pretty good idea what it was that she wanted to do with her life, and rather than take a break, she continued to work in New York City while also going to school for her MSN (Master's of Science in Nursing), which she did in a little over two years. At that point, she decided that it was time to move back home. After getting a job at the local hospital, she packed up and moved back to Kismet Harbor. Not only was she pursuing her career dreams, she was also moving back to her hometown and getting to reconnect with her group of friends that had seen some variety of turnover across the years. She responded to an ad for a roommate, quickly befriending them and moving in with them, and, soon after, she adopted a golden retriever that she named Winnie and a cat named Serena. She's been back in town for a little under eight years now. More recently, she's received a promotion at work and she now works as a pediatric nurse, which is something that she absolutely loves.

other: https://jackscnallen.tumblr.com & some muse posts that have a good sense of her personality: X, X, X, X

pets: Serena, 4 years old X & Winnie, 8 years old X

town activities: dear beloved, read between the wines, mindful madness, LGBTQIA+, open mic, trivia nights, vino spell

draw of luck: yes!

-

character information

name: Theo Benjamin Woods

faceclaim: Oliver Stark

gender & pronouns: Cis-man & he/him

age: 32

birthday: October 21, 1991 (10/21/1991)

place of birth: Scottsdale, Arizona

occupation: mechanic @ lucy's auto center

neighborhood: driftwood haven (horizon park)

time since arriving in kismet harbor: since 1996

filling a wanted connection?: N/A

biography: 

Theo Woods was born on the road. His parents, two young Florida natives, had both picked up and ran as soon as they turned eighteen. His father worked as a roadie, touring the world with several different bands. His mother, who had left uber religious parents behind, was a so called "free spirit" who changed her name to 'sapphire' when she left home and claimed to be a psychic medium and roamed the country on the carnival circuit. They met in a dive bar somewhere in Texas - and thus began their strange and tumultuous relationship that resulted in the existence of Theo.

His parents did not have their shit together, in the slightest. His mother was barely twenty when she met his father, who was twenty-eight at the time. Their relationship was passionate, and the pair were obsessed with each other. For several months, they were hot and heavy - Geri (his mother's real name) even left the carnival circuit for awhile so they could be together - for six months before the novelty of the relationship wore off and they went their separate ways. Only for Geri to find out she was pregnant several weeks after. Theo Benjamin Woods came screaming into the world seven months later in a random hospital in Arizona, and Geri and Oliver made several more attempts at making their relationship before finally calling it quits for good when Theo was two.

Theo spent the first few years of his childhood on the road with his mom. Sometimes on the carnival circuit, sometimes wherever the wind would blow them - as his mother put it. She usually supported them by setting up shop in the living room or kitchen of wherever they were staying and reading fortunes, tarot cards and delivering messages from people's dearly departed loved ones. To this day Theo has remained mostly neutral on his opinion of his mother's "gifts" (there have been too many freaky incidents for him to deny completely that his mother doesn't have some sort of connection with something other worldly) but completely recognizes that most of what she does to make money is very fake - and also to get attention. He still cringes whenever he thinks about the parent/teacher meeting he had with her in the 9th grade - when she threw her chair backwards and started gagging violent, claiming that a spirit passed too close to her. It was a horrifying moment for Theo, and his English teacher.

When Theo was five years old, he came to Kismet Harbor to live with his paternal grandparents. Geri had come to realize the nomad life wasn't so easy when you were dragging a small child along with you, and she wasn't prepared to settle down. Neither was his father. After a lot of debate, Geri finally conceded that it might be best for Abigail and Harry to take him in - so long as she got full access to him whenever she wanted. It was the best agreement for everyone involved, really. Theo got a stable, loving home to grow up in and his parents wander in and out of his life whenever they wanted. They were a weird family, when it came down to it, but it worked for them. Theo was happier with his Abigail and Harry than he would have been on the road, and his parents still got to drop in and mortify him when they felt like it - Theo still has nightmares about his tenth birthday, when his mom and her current boyfriend dropped by the party and "Uncle Bob" proceeded to horrify all the children with his behavior and make everyone terrifying balloon animals, which ended with Theo being saddled with the nickname "balloon boy" for most of his childhood.

Life in Kismet Harbor was pretty good for Theo. He flourished with his grandparents, who were much more equipped to raise him. Theo was a tinkerer growing up. He questioned everything about how things worked, and both Abigail and Harry were always incredibly patient with all his 'but why' questions. He spent hours with Abigail (or meemaw, affectionately nicknamed mimi), watching as she taught him how to take apart an engine and put it back together, or how to rewire the den for a ceiling fan, showing him how everything worked. Naturally, this inspired a lifelong interest in fixing things. Theo has always been a hands on guy - especially when it came to school, Theo always performed best in shop classes, therefore took all of them - and his grandmother's tutelage put him ahead of the game. Ultimately after leaving school, Theo got his certification and began working as a mechanic at Lucy's Auto Center. He'd considered continuing on in school for awhile, taking a mechanical engineer program or something similar, but decided school wasn't really for him. If he's being completely honest, he hasn't regretted any of his choices and is quite content with the way his life is going for him.

other: https://jackscnallen.tumblr.com/ & X, X, X, X

pets: please add links to high quality images of your character’s pets with their name and age if you want it added to the pet page

town activities: dungeons & dragons, game on, knit happens, LGBTQIA+, ready set clean, shop class, watchful eyes

draw of luck: yes!

[casually-angsty]

Midnight Philosophies: The Pink Tulips

Today in AP Lang we wrote an argumentative essay about the relationship of wisdom and grief. I reasoned that the relationship was based on experience: the more you endure, the more knowledge you gain. Later, in Ed Rising, I watched a TED Talk about a man who forgave his son’s murderer, and together, they used their voices to fight for change in youth violence.

The correlation here comes with the one thing I have been finding myself slowly falling out of love with, something I have offered my unwavering dedication and integrity for a few years now. I have noticed, though, that my devotion has been met by a cruel assumption that my ambitions are mere pieces of paper adorned with years of trivial writing.

The first time I recognized this occurrence was six months ago–give or take. I had been wronged by authority and was in turn contemplating a subsequent path of defeat. I had stopped by the grocery store and bought a bouquet of pink tulips with a somber analogy that it was time for my journey to be laid to rest. However, as I made my way to my car, I was stopped by a middle school girl who I had never seen before. She exclaimed my name in excitement, and, for some odd reason, I was motivated to fight for my convictions.

I found myself in the same position this evening: moping around Kroger, again eyeing a section of pink tulips. I picked a bouquet as I began listing reasons why the blame of the implicit affliction should be on myself rather than my adversary.

I turned around and noticed a familiar figure in the corner of my eye; in front of me was the same woman who my Lang teacher had deemed the key to the end of this debacle. My heart did this weird fluttery thing and the room grew hotter as I was reminded of the machiavellian decision that was in my hands. I could either continue my pining or fight for the opportunity that would benefit those suffering from the impending doom of the subject’s reputation.

And that’s where my mind has been for the past few hours. These days of mine have been consumed by the labyrinth of grief, so much so that I forget to look at what is in front of me. Seldomly do the challenges we face work themselves out as we crumble under the immense pressure. But as we rise from the metaphorical ashes, we are empowered by the impact–whether it be on ourselves or something greater.

Currently I am staring at these godforsaken pink tulips. Maybe its kismet or maybe it is all some wicked coincidence, but they now have become a bright symbol in my life reminding me that I shouldn’t be afraid to take risks. Everything I lose on the way is another step I take…or something cool like that.

[mikeshanlon]

the last time i sent a message so long that i had to SUBMIT it, the year was 2013.. anyway.. i have yet to come to you and tell you how much i love ribs but since you delivered today after working so hard for so long, i figured i’d send you this and finally tell you.. oh my fucking god i love ribs. my friend and i have a book club and by “club” i mean the two of us read a book and then cry over it together and you should know we wholeheartedly treat ribs like one of those great books. in fact, we cry more over ribs than any other ones. we found it the day you posted the november chapter and have been waiting (not so patiently) for december. i mean every single day we texted each other and were like haha.. so, ribs? and anytime you even so much as referenced it in your tags, we sent the post to one another and had breakdowns. and we re read it SO many times that i swear to god when i was watching You on netflix today and one of the characters said “por que no los dos”.. i lost my fucking mind. had to pause and calm down. october chapter stans rise, ig. i wish i took screenshots back when we first read it because it was an absolutely wild time in our lives but i got a few from today when you posted and here are some highlights i think you should see.

by the way how magical was it that i was GROCERY SHOPPING at that moment… just like in that clown movie fanfiction…

we proceeded to listen to that song on repeat to torture ourselves. but like it really does fit perfectly to the end of december, was that your inspiration or did the song get made specifically for the ribs soundtrack? because oh my god. another song which every time we listen to it we cry thinking about ribs.. it fits so perfectly.. is Yours by greyson chance. his whole album is fantastic but if you ever feel like having a good cry, you should give that one a listen. very ribs reddie.

which reminds me she also said if richie and eddie end up not going to college together that she’d kill herself which.. i’m not sure where you’re going with it but if you DO choose to go in that direction… you SHOULD split them up to spite her!

and there are so many quotes in this chapter that i could send that made me have to scream but the way you pieced together the Eddie plummeted over the edge of the precipice, and now he’s unraveling. bro what the fuck, it’s been hours and i still can’t get over this. and that fucking song richie was playing in the car that i KNOW is the one he hums and thats why eddie knows it.. please be quiet i am breaking down.

(and thank you for writing ribs. your writing never fails to amaze us. it makes us feel it all.)

---

(hello this is emma aka mikeshanlon i didnt want to trust tumblr’s tags working so i am adding my response onto your submission).

oh my god im likeeltnelrknlgnklergnlrgn i actually cried reading this and had to go make myself some tea to calm down and Process this bc wow. insane????? i can’t believe y’all enjoy my writing enough to talk about it together and get so excited for updates, and reread.. i’m sorry y’all had to wait forever LRRNGLRNGK. also that you enjoy ribs enough send me this lovely message. like THANK you so so much for sending me these omg. i loved reading your reactions so much y’all are hella funny and reading you screaming abt shit like eddie wanting to kiss him sent me LNLKRGRGr.

also wow those songs.... y’alls minds. i hadn’t heard either but adding those to the playlist... especially waking up slow now Y’ALL got me torturing myself RLGNRG. like hold awn... it’s not supposed to come back and hurt me too LRGKNNGR jk.

speaking of songs, i totally blanked and forgot to mention in the notes of ao3 (so i’ll fix that in a second), but the song richie sang in the car was lover’s spit by broken social scene! so.............. do with that what you will if you listen to ribs by lorde...... like..... you’re right,,,, LKNGRKLRGRG. 

seriously im so overwhelmed and full with love and so many feelings from this message, thank you so much for reading and you’re kind words and support, it’s so AHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! (me writing thousands of words but not being able to articulate my emotions scream). when i read that last line of u quoting back bill’s thing to me please i screeched at my phone........please feel free to send any of your other reactions or songs or whatever bc i am so curious and grateful for this omg.... ah okay thank you so much i hope you have a great rest of your week. <3 <3 <3

[wnderkoo]

some say fate manifests itself in odd ways, could yours be the ‘help needed’ poster in a bookstore window?

summary: in your desperation to find a job, you accept work at the local bookstore, owned by a grumpy man who wants to make your life miserable. you can't seem to figure out why he's so cold towards you yet charming and sweet to everyone else. when his act starts to slip, you realise there's more to him than he lets on pairing: bookstore owner! jungkook x reader genre: fluff, angst, smut, strangers to friends to lovers, i guess you could say enemies to lovers word count: 15.3k warnings: jungkook is mean at first :( swearing, they’re really dorky, alcohol consumption, dad!namjoon bc that itself needs a warning, explicit smut - dirty talk, oral (f receiving), lots of making out, fingering, big d jungkook, soft sex but at the same time its rough?? idk jungkook is just really caring, missionary, riding, multiple orgasms, praise kink, brief handjob, breast play, creampie, after-care

kismet. noun, destiny; fate.⠀

It truly was a miracle how your landlord hadn't kicked you and your roommate out of your apartment yet. Perhaps he felt sympathy for the two of you, fresh out of college and living off of takeaway food while figuring out what to do with your lives. Whatever it was, you were grateful for the extra week he had given the both of you to hand in your rent.

Your last job had let you go due to budgeting reasons, but you were almost certain it was because you had filed a complaint against a co-worker who had made numerous un-wanted advances. You had been job hunting for the past few days, but it seemed no one was hiring or willing to hire a twenty-two year old woman. And you certainly weren't going to give the balding manager at the super-market across town a blowjob just to secure a position bagging groceries.

⠀

You had standards, after all.

⠀

You were walking home after yet another un-successful day of finding a job with your tail between your legs, about to cross the road when you swear you heard your name being called, quiet like a whisper against the wind. You looked around, finding no one.

But something caught your eye, a poster in the front window of what you realised was a bookstore. HELP NEEDED ASAP, it read in an oddly distinctive yet somewhat neat handwriting.

You made a bee-line for the door, almost tripping in your haste over your own two feet. The bell above the door dings, making your presence known as you entered and the man at the counter looked up at your entry. The bookstore was dimly lit, but light from the windows illuminated enough for you to see the warm interior. It wasn't a large bookstore like the ones in the city, probably just around ten shelves spaced out through the whole store, yet there was enough room for couches and reading nooks here and there without it looking cramped.

There were a few customers still in there, despite it being almost seven in the evening.

You realised you might have been admiring for too long when a cough brings your attention back to the man behind the counter. "Oh right, hi! Um, I saw the poster in the window and-" You're interrupted when the man speaks up.

⠀

"We're not hiring."

⠀

You stared dumb-founded at him. He didn't look that much older than you, perhaps one or two years, his face young and smooth yet stern as he looked at you with indifference.

⠀

"But there's a sign outside that says you are.."

⠀

"We're not."

⠀

You blinked incredulously at him. You couldn't have been that exhausted to have imagined the poster in the window, could you? No. You were sure, you saw it. You could have walked outside right then and checked if you needed to.

You took a deep inhale through your nose to settle your nerves before you spoke again. ⠀

"The sign outside says you need help asap, and I kinda need the money asap too." ⠀

Your lame attempt at humour, but the man's face remains un-moving. You sighed.

"I have a week to get this money or else I'm gonna get kicked out of my apartment, and every place I've been to has turned me down- Some dickhead told me I had to suck him off if I wanted the job-I just want to go home and sleep and be done with this, so please just give me a chance. I promise I won't disappoint you."

You weren't quite sure wether he had listened to a word you said, his face stayed still, his gaze calculating. You sighed dejectedly, turning around to leave- perhaps one day you could live down the shame of begging for a job like you had just done. But then he finally spoke. ⠀

"Fine." ⠀

You spun around, almost knocking a plant on the counter over as you faced him again, you were aware that you probably looked like you've just won the lottery, but you couldn't possibly care less. ⠀

"You can start on Monday. Don't be late." ⠀

You watched as he wrote down a few details on a slip of paper before handing it to you. You managed to thank Jungkook, whose name he finally told you, about four times before you finally left. You skipped down the stairs, silently screaming in celebration on the sidewalk and jumping up and down. You didn't care if people on the street looked at you like you were crazy, you finally had a job.

That night, you and Mina celebrated. Being broke meant your celebrations were limited to getting pizza and drinking cheap beer from the convenient store down the road, but it felt just as good as going to a club. Your roommate had still to find a job herself, but you knew she'd have no trouble. Mina was smart, charming, and not to mention pretty. It was really only a matter of time.

After tucking a tipsy and emotional Mina into bed, you cleaned up after your mini two person party, and showered. As you massaged your shampoo lathered hair, you couldn't help but think back to the bookstore, to Jungkook. That grumpy man at the counter had not smiled at you once, you gave him the benefit of the doubt that perhaps today was just a bad day.

You hoped that when you come in for work on Monday that he's a bit more friendly.

⠀

⠀

"You're late."

⠀

You cringed as Jungkook stared you down with disdain. You had spent half an hour that morning looking for your keys, only to find them still hanging out the door from when you had come home the night before with pizza and beer, resulting in you being three minutes late. No one was even in the store yet, but Jungkook seemed to take it to heart.

"There are books on the trolley that need to be shelved, when you finish that, Iseul will teach you how to man the register. If you need me, I'll be in the back office." You barely managed to utter out a thank you before Jungkook turned his back to you and walked away. The girl at the front counter, Iseul, gave you a warm smile which you returned before making your way to the trolley.

Your task was easy enough, the trolley took you around the whole store, letting you familiarise yourself with the location of different genres as you shelved the new books. Business was relatively quiet in the morning, only a few people coming in, before it got busier after lunch.

Just as promised, Iseul had taught you how to use the register; how to return books, check stock, and order any books customers want to order.

⠀

"He's actually really nice, you know."

⠀

You looked at Iseul with a look of confusion. She glanced over at the back door, where Jungkook sat in his office doing who knows what. "Oh, he's a pleasure." You replied. Sarcasm. Iseul's lips tugged up at the corners. "You'll realise sooner or later," She shrugged.

⠀

"There's more to him than he he lets show."

You thought about that for the rest of your shift.

"What's taking so long?"

⠀

Everything had been running smoothly up until a customer had asked for something you hadn't been trained for. He wanted to return a book he had lost the receipt for, and Iseul hadn't taught you that before she left for her lunch break. The impatient man seemed to completely disregard that it was your first day, telling you multiple times that he didn't have all day for you to "sit on your ass".

You were close to tears before you heard the back door open and the sound of confident, almost arrogant footsteps were coming towards you.

⠀

"I'd appreciate it if you didn't treat my employees with such blatant disrespect."

⠀

Jungkook's tone was calm, and his face relaxed, but his eyes glazed over with what looked like cold anger. The man levelled Jungkook with a look of displeasure, yet Jungkook's face remained calm and collected.

"Let's go sort this out in my office, shall we?" Jungkook asked with a smile you could tell was fake, picking up the book from the counter without looking at you once. Their footsteps disappear into the back room but you don't have time to dwell on it as a teenage girl comes up to the counter, a stack of books in her arms. You gave her a small smile and rang up her books.

Ten minutes went by and you heard the back door open and the man was rushing to leave. His eyes met yours before he reached the door, and you saw what looked like guilt on his face.

⠀

"Come and get me if someone bothers you again."

⠀

You twisted your head to see Jungkook standing beside you.

⠀

"I will. Thank you."

⠀

He only nodded once before turning to leave. You couldn't help but smile at his retreating figure. That was your first somewhat civil conversation with Jungkook.

Once Iseul came back from her lunch break, you left for yours. Jungkook had told you that you had an hour to yourself to go wherever you wanted, just be back before your break ends, he had said. You don't go far though, the cafe down the street was the perfect place for you.

You ordered a coffee and sandwich wrap and sat outside, enjoying the fresh air, you were aware you probably already smelled like books.

You thought your first day had gone relatively well, considering Jungkook hadn't completely torn you apart yet. He seemed to stay in his office all day, which was no problem for you if it meant he stayed out of your hair, and you his.

When you returned from your break, Iseul was sitting at the counter serving a customer. You weren't exactly sure what you should do, so you decided to go around asking if anyone needed any help. You even managed to recommend a few books to people, something you took great pride in.

⠀

"What are you doing?"

⠀

You almost jumped out of your skin when you heard Jungkook's voice above you.

You had asked Iseul for some paper and a pen, and then you were sitting in one of the aisles writing book recommendations. "They're shelf talkers," You smiled up at him. "I was thinking we could use them.." You trailed off, standing up and using tape to stick one under Emily Henry's Beach Read.

You weren't sure wether Jungkook approved or not, simply walking away to the front counter without a word.

You finished a few more shelf talkers around the store, before you realising your shift had ended five minutes ago. You made your way to the front of the store but stopped short upon hearing the faint sound of laughter. You lowered your head, peeking between the shelves to see Jungkook leaning against the counter, talking and laughing with Iseul. He looked casual and care-free, not like how he ever seemed with you, high-strung and uptight.

He had the nicest smile, and something close to jealousy swirled in your gut at never having been graced with it before.

"I'm out for the day," You said to no one in particular, walking past them and ducking your head as you reached for your cardigan by the door. You heard Jungkook scowl as if someone had kicked his leg before you felt his presence behind you.

"Good work today," He said, in that usual calm voice, yet there was something there- almost friendly.

"Thanks," You replied, opening the front door. Jungkook held it open as you walked down the stairs, and you didn't know why, but you turned around, looking up at him.

"Try to not be late tomorrow," He said, lips curving up in the tiniest of smiles.

You gave him a small wave in return before turning to head home. You heard the door shut from behind you when you reached the end of the street, and you spent the rest of the walk home wondering why he had waited that long.

When you opened your front door, Mina was in the living room grinning from ear to ear and it took you a second before you realised why.

"You got a job!" You exclaimed, throwing your arms around her.

"I got a job!" She screamed, shaking you.

Once again, the two of you ran down to the convenient store at the end of the street, buying pizza and beer, earning a concerned look from the same cashier worker who had served you yesterday. 

⠀

⠀

The next day, you walked into work with a smile, although it was quickly shot to the ground when you found one of your shelf talkers missing. You suspected Jungkook immediately, obviously.

⠀

"Did you take down my shelf talker?"

⠀

You had found him in one of the aisles, walking right up to him to nag him. You didn't care if he didn't like them, he could have at least told you so before you spent an hour making them yesterday.

Jungkook jumps slightly at your voice.

"It was wrong," He shrugged, finally turning to look at you.

"What?" You gaped at him. How could a shelf talker be wrong.

"I read your book, and then I wrote a better one." You couldn't believe him. You followed him to the front counter where he handed you a piece of paper with his own review and recommendation of You and Me on Vacation. He watched quietly as you read over it, and you couldn't even be mad, his review would have definitely sold the book better than your own rave of emotions that you had written down.

"So you're just gonna re-do all of my recommendations?" You asked, crossing your arms. "No, most of them are at least better than that one."

You rolled your eyes, then stilled.

⠀

He read all of your shelf talkers?

⠀

"Where's Iseul?" You asked, subtly changing the subject.

Jungkook eyed you- perhaps not so subtly.

"She only comes in every other day, she works less days but more hours," He replied, leaning casually against the counter.

"Before you joined, the days she wasn't here, I'd tend to the store by myself, but she convinced me to find some extra help."

You nodded. Iseul seemed to have some influence on him, and you wondered why that was which had you blurting out,

"Are you two dating?"

Jungkook raised an eyebrow at you and you heard what could have almost been a laugh from him. Your eyes widened. "Iseul is my cousin," He said smoothly and your eyes widened even more in horror and embarrassment.

"Don't worry about it," he waved a hand in the air to dismiss the apology already rising in your throat.

"I can work longer if you need me to," You had suddenly said when he made a move to walk off. He paused and turned around, blinking at you.

"If it's a busy day, I can stay and help. I don't mind." You realised then that he had only given you half day shifts, either in the morning or in the afternoon, never a full day. "If you really want to," He shrugged.

"I thought you'd be glad to only have to deal with me for 5 hours a day."

He said it almost sadly. Jungkook watched as you walked towards him, peering down at you when you stop in front of him but still a reasonable distance away. You looked at him with a small smile. ⠀ ⠀ ⠀

"You're not that bad, Jungkook." ⠀ ⠀

⠀

You keep to yourself for the rest of the afternoon, talking with and helping any customers who wanted it, and reading on one of the couches when there was no one around.

You pretended like you didn't notice Jungkook actively avoiding you, pretending it didn't hurt either. 

⠀

⠀

Three months have passed since you first started working in the store and on days when it's just you and Jungkook, the two of you would take turns at the counter. Jungkook was there currently, talking up a storm with a customer about the book he had bought, smiling like he never does with you.

You add more shelf talkers around the aisles, smiling to yourself when you see a few made by Jungkook himself- some of the books he reads are incredibly geeky, and you snort after reading some of his recommendations.

"The World according to Star Wars, really?" You grin, as you make your way to the counter. "It's a good book!" Jungkook defends, proceeding to list the many lessons in Star Wars that could be implemented into real life. What a dork.

"And you're one to talk, The Hating Game, really?" He says in the same teasing tone you had used. You roll your eyes, turning to leave when a customer approaches the counter, missing the look of sadness on Jungkook's face.

The rest of the afternoon is relatively boring, besides talking to customers about books- you loved that.

Jungkook finds you on one of the couches, reading a random romance novel you had found on a shelf. "It's not that busy, so you can go home." He says, already turning to leave before you can even process his words.

"You know most people say hello when greeting someone," You roll your eyes, standing up to follow him. He throws you a look over his shoulder, probably hearing the eye-roll in your tone. When he faces forward again you give him a vulgar gesture, grabbing your jacket from beside the door.

"See you tomorrow," He says from behind the counter.

You send him a smile, "There you go! We're getting there." He rolls his eyes at you, but you see the corner of his lips twitch as he tries to keep them from turning up.

One day, one day you'll get him to smile at you.

Over the three months you've worked here, there have been a few times when Jungkook was genuinely friendly, sometimes the two of you would even sit together and write shelf talkers or talk about a book you had both read. But his mood swings gave you whiplash. Just when you think you're finally getting along, he'd erupt. One moment you'd be having a normal conversation, and the next you'd be at each other's throats because Jungkook was a mean sadistic freak who picked on you, and only you.

You were well aware how friendly and charming he was to any customer who walked into the store, or when his friends would drop by and visit. Yet with you, he seemed to have a personal vendetta.

There were days where you'd angrily shelve books after an argument- you had to be careful not to damage them in your anger because as much as you couldn't stand when Jungkook was a bitch, you'd never take it out on the poor books.

You only hoped that one day, Jungkook would treat you like he did everyone else.

⠀

"See you tomorrow, Jeon."

⠀

⠀

"What are these?" You ask, eyeing the box sitting on the front counter when you come in for work on a Monday morning. "Halloween decorations," Iseul grins and your eyes light up. You started working at the bookstore at the start of June, and the four months since then seem to have breezed past.

You make a mental note to ask Jungkook if you could put up a Halloween book display in the front area of the store before spending the rest of the morning hanging up decorations around the store with Iseul. You stick little ghosts and cobwebs on the shelves and put up posters around the walls-there were even halloween cushions in the box that you could put in the reading nooks and on the couches.

At the back of the store is a corner of bookshelves against the wall that run from floor to ceiling, accompanied with its very own running ladder. You weren't that high up, but certainly high enough that it would have you landing on your ass if you were to fall. Carefully, you hang a string of ghost lights on one end of the shelf. With your luck, as you move to the other end, the ladder gets caught in something, knocking you off balance and making you fall. Great.

You squeeze your eyes shut and get ready for the ass bruising.

Which never comes..

"You can open your eyes now," Jungkook says way too close to your ear. You open them in horror, and realise he had caught you with an arm around your waist. Your feet were on the floor, but you'd have fallen on your ass if it weren't for Jungkook.

"Be careful." He says, scolding you like an eight year old making you roll your eyes.

You don't ask what he was doing in the back corner, and he doesn't tell you either. You don't even realise his arm still held your waist gently but firmly until Jungkook lets you go and takes the end of the string from your hand and climbs the ladder himself, hanging it on the other end of the bookshelf with ease.

You scoff and mutter a thanks, to which he laughs.

"I was wondering if I could put up a display at the front," You say, grabbing the empty cardboard box from the floor. "Yeah sure, go for it." Jungkook comes down from the ladder, tucking it in the corner before following you out.

You smile to yourself, Jungkook had been a lot more friendly lately, you wern't sure why- but you made sure to enjoy every minute of it.

When you come back from your lunch break, you find new books on the trolley in need of shelving. Iseul was at the counter, and Jungkook was probably in his office.

You're on your last pile of books when you feel a tug on the hem of your cardigan. You peer down and see a dimpled doe-eyed child blinking up at you. "Hey there," you smile at him, crouching down to his height. "Can you play with me?" he asks shyly. "Of course!" You exclaim, opening your arms for him to walk into. You pick him up, and take him to one of the reading nooks with a toy box. You set him down on the carpet and plop down onto a beanbag, the child follows your actions jumping cutely onto one himself.

"What's your name?" You ask, taking the small train he hands you. "Jihyo," He smiles, those dimples on his cheeks making you swoon and awe.

As you play trains with the little brown haired boy, you debate how shocked on a scale of 1 to Sarah Paulson Mina would be if you came home with a whole child. But kidnapping is wrong, you scold yourself. But then again, you had been playing with this kid for almost an hour, and his parent was nowhere to be found.

Jihyo had brought you a book and asked you to read it to him as he perched himself in your lap, falling asleep in your arms halfway through Little Blue Truck. ⠀

And that was how Jungkook found you, passed out on a bean bag with his god-child clinging to you.

"You found him yet, Kook?" Jungkook immediately silences his approaching friend, gesturing down at the two of you. You stir awake, realising you had fallen asleep only to find Jungkook and an absolute giant of a man staring down at you. "Is this your child?" You ask in a whisper towards the man who nods in reply. With the dimples that show as he smiles at you, there was absolutely no doubt the child in your arms was his.

You're almost too busy admiring the man beside him to realise Jungkook was smiling down at you.

Holy shit.

Jungkook was smiling at you. You pretend not to notice, but in your head you're noting down the who, what, when, where, and why.

Jihyo wakes up a few minutes later, and you lead him, with a hand holding his, to where his dad and Jungkook were at the front counter, talking about whatever it was they talked about. "Have a good sleep, bud?" Jungkook asks with a wide smile as Jihyo runs towards them. "Yeah!" He exclaims before his dad swiftly picks him up.

"Thanks for that, I'm Namjoon by the way," The man turns towards you, extending a hand.

"____," You reply, shaking it with a smile.

"See you later Kook," Namjoon calls as he makes his way to the door. "Bye Kookie!" Jihyo exclaims, waving over his dad's shoulder. You wave back along with Jungkook until they're gone, the door clicking shut behind them.

"Kookie?" You snort, turning to Jungkook.

"Shut up," He rolls his eyes.

"You know, I was tempted to take him home,"

You don't know why you're admitting this, to Jungkook of all people, but you do. He chuckles, shaking his head. "He has that effect on people," Jungkook replies just as his phone rings. He fishes it out of his pocket, excusing himself before opening the door and disappearing outside.

You decide that you'll ask for his help on the Halloween display when he comes back in. You wait, realising he's been out there for a good while, you start to get worried. But then the door finally opens.

⠀

"Hey-"

⠀

You stop short when Jungkook storms past you, visibly frustrated. "Hey what's going on?" You ask, reaching your hand out to grab his arm. You don't realise you've done it until Jungkook looks at the hand on his arm with matched shock in his eyes before he snaps his arm away.

"Nothing, don't worry about it." He mutters coldly, walking off to his office.

"Seriously, Jungkook? I thought we were past this!" You sigh, exasperated, following behind him. That seems to stop Jungkook in his tracks, as he turns around and levels you with a look you can't quite decipher. "Past what?" He asks.

⠀

"Past whatever it is you have against me,"

⠀

You scoff when you see Jungkook's eyes flash with guilt.

"Don't act like you don't know what you're doing. You've had something against me ever since I stepped inside this store- you smile and laugh with everyone else, yet can't even spare me a second glance. You look at me like i'm sort of mess. And trust me, Jungkook, I know I'm not perfect, but tell me who is! You treat me like absolute shit and for no reason- at least not one I can think of. I thought we were starting to become friends."

"Friends?" Jungkook asks, or scoffs, in disbelief.

"Yes, Jungkook. Friends. Is it so hard to believe that I thought we could've been friends- that I wanted to be your friend?" I still do.

Jungkook stares down at the floorboards beneath your feet, fists clenched at his sides. "We're not friends," He mumbles quietly. And even if your heart might've cracked a little, you certainly refuse to show it. Putting on the coldest face you can muster, you will your voice not to shake.

⠀

"Clearly we're not."

⠀

You hear the door open, meaning Iseul was back from her lunch break which meant your shift had ended and you could get the hell out of here. You turn, not sparing Jungkook another glance as you make your way to the front.

"Hey you heading out?" Iseul asks from behind the counter, sentence trailing off at the end when she notices your pissed off expression. With the sound of a door slamming, she winces.

"He didn't mean it," She says, reaching for your arm before you can leave. "Whatever he said, he didn't mean it."

⠀

"How do you know?"

⠀

"You just have to trust me," She sighs. "And trust that eventually he'll figure out whatever shit he's going through and face you like a man. Just give him time," You don't know what to say, so you nod. "That doesn't mean you should let him treat you like that though, I'd give anything to see you punch him in the face," She grins. You laugh and shake your head. "I can't do that, he'd fire me,"

⠀

"Trust me, he won't."

⠀

⠀

The next time you come into work, you're greeted with Iseul's warm smile. You return it with a greeting before excusing yourself to shelve the new books you see on the trolley. You didn't really feel like coming in today, but you didn't want to stay home and sulk either. You had spent the past two days doing just that.

Mina had bought home ice-cream after you'd texted her about what happened, and she'd given you a long speech (and demonstration) on how she would absolutely fuck Jungkook up. Although it had hurt, when Jungkook said that the two of you weren't friends, you got over it pretty quickly. You thought about what Iseul had said before you left, deciding you would give Jungkook the space and time to figure out whatever it was he needed to figure out.

Shelving your last book, you hear a cough from behind that captures your attention.

You turn, coming face to face with Jungkook. His face was washed over with guilt as he stood awkwardly, looking at you. You'd always seen him stand so confidently, but now.. he seemed nervous. You quirk an eyebrow at him, waiting as he clears his throat before finally speaking.

⠀

"I want to apologise, for the other day."

⠀

You blink at him, not knowing what to say. You weren't exactly expecting him to approach you so quickly.

⠀

"I shouldn't have said those things to you. I do think we're friends, we are friends."

⠀

"I don't deserve your friendship, after what I've done and the things said done. I'm sorry for how I've been treating you. You didn't deserve that. Any of it."

⠀

Jungkook seemed genuinely sorry, almost too much guilt swirled in his eyes, and that made you feel a tinge of sadness. He was avoiding eye contact, bowing his head and staring at the floor instead of looking you in the eye, something he usually had no trouble doing. There was no sign of the cool and confident Jungkook you saw everyday.

You shake your head, deciding this whole thing was just stupid and throwing your arms around him, bringing Jungkook into a hug. The two of you were adults, after all. If you couldn't have a conversation and talk things out, what hope did you have of making it through life?

"I forgive you, Jungkook" you murmur, cheek against his shoulder. There was absolutely no excuse for how he treated you, but if Jungkook was willing to do better, who were you to not let him try? His arms hesitantly come up to wrap around your waist as he hugs you back.

This is nice, you think to yourself. You stay like that for a while, Jungkook's arms around you feeling like the epitome of warmth and comfort. He smells faintly like books, but mostly citrus and some other manly smell.

"Alright, we gotta go work dude." You'd probably have stayed like that all day if you hadn't pulled away first, although you wouldn't have complained. You tap his arm to let you go, and he pulls away with a gentle smile. Your heart clenches, these smiles would be the death of you.

Jungkook follows you to the counter, where Iseul's face brightens, seeing the two of you not trying to tear each other's faces off. 

⠀

⠀

"You really are such a geek," You sigh, pinching the bridge of your nose as Jungkook adds a shelf talker to How to Die- An Ancient Guide to the End of Life. After actually taking the time to get to know you, Jungkook realises that the two of you have a lot in common. You both have a love-hate relationship with the Twilight series, (Iseul had found the two of you reciting scenes from the movies between the bookshelves more times than she'd like) and you were both massive dorks. He was only a year older, but the two of you had a plethora of knowledge about the Harry Potter universe between you.

Jungkook merely grins at your jab, rolling his eyes and shoving your shoulder playfully. "So that wasn't your shelf talker under How to Date Men When You Hate Men?" He remarks.

You smile, looking away. You really liked this Jungkook. He wasn't a new Jungkook, just Jungkook. You still didn't know what you had done to make Jungkook act so cruel to you all those weeks ago, but you had forgiven him, and you enjoyed the Jungkook you had with you now. Even if he was a massive dork.

"Do you guys dress up for Halloween?" You find yourself asking.

"Not usually, do you think we should?"

You reply back with a sassy obviously which earns you a flick to the forehead. "You should dress up as Hermione then, little miss know it all."

You laugh, you had just been talking about how many important details the movies had failed to include from the books, so of course Hermione would be Jungkook's first thought.

"Then you should be Draco, you goddam ferret."

The two of you burst out laughing, something you realise seems to happen quite frequently now. You realise you also no longer feel that pang of jealousy when you Jungkook smile and laugh with others, doing it with you now too.

Sometimes you get the odd feeling of a deeper connection with him, feeling like you've known Jungkook for a life-time. But you always shook it off, you probably just liked hanging out with him.

Jungkook asks what you'd like for lunch as the two of you make your way to the front of the store, ordering it as well as his own food and Iseul's. The three of you eat lunch together, something you've never done before, but with the way Jungkook smiles at you, offering some of his burger, you realise that perhaps there'd be a lot more new things happening.

⠀

⠀

"You look hot," Mina says, making a drooling face from where she lay on your bed. You roll your eyes at the vulgar gesture she makes next, turning to look yourself over in the mirror.

Last week, Jungkook had joked that you should dress up as Hermione, and seeing as you still had the Gryffindor robes from a party in college, you decided you might as well.

Mina's comment referred to the fact that you had slightly outgrown your white button up. Your bust in college was significantly smaller than it was now. And as cliche as it seemed, you had inevitably dressed as a borderline slutty Hermione.

When you walk into the store that morning, you see Iseul at the counter. 

Her long black hair had been put into braids and she wore a long black dress with a white collar. It took you one look at her to tell who she was. "It is getting dark in this little heart of mine," She quotes, imitating Wednesday Addams, making you grin.

"Oh! I love it!"

The two of you squeal like teenagers, Iseul complimenting your costume before she smirks. "Was this planned?" She asks, quirking a brow.

⠀

"Was what-"

⠀

Your sentence trails off when the back door opens, emerging from it, Jungkook, in his matching Slytherin robes, dressed exactly like Draco Malfoy. What stuns you even more is the new change in his appearance.

"You bleached your hair?!" You exclaim as he saunters down the aisle of bookshelves towards the front of the store. His once dark brown hair, now a slicked back platinum blond.

"Been wanting to for a while now," He shrugs, reaching you.

⠀

"This costume gave me the perfect excuse."

⠀

"You look nice," He compliments, eyes raking up and down your figure, respectfully. "You too," You grin. Jungkook chuckles as you stare, mesmerised, at his hair, and when you finally look away, you swear you could see the faintest blush on his cheeks.

Throughout the day, people came in as usual, some of them were even dressed up. Jungkook had bought out a bowl of candy for kids who came by, pretending not to notice when you and Iseul would steal some for yourselves.

"You should come tonight!" Iseul chimes.

It was currently your break and you were leaning against the counter, talking with Iseul, when she invited you to come clubbing with her, Jungkook, and a few of their friends, after work.

"I don't know.." You trail off, eyes settling on Jungkook across the store, talking to a customer.

His eyes meet yours, and he gives you a warm smile that hits you like a truck. He seems to smile at you a lot lately, and it still shocked you every time.

You look back at Iseul, realising she had been talking before she stops and looks from you to Jungkook, then back to you, and smirks. "Cute," She teases, and you roll your eyes. "It's not like that," you remark. "If it's not like that, then come with us tonight," You shake your head at her attempt at baiting you, telling her you'd think about it.

"You should bring Mina, I'd love to meet this roommate I've heard so much about," Iseul grins. You had talked about Mina quite a lot with her, mainly telling Iseul crazy stories of her in high-school and college. You think they'd get along well, probably one of the reasons why you seemed to click so well with Iseul was because she was a lot like Mina. ⠀

With your break over, you decide to go around and pick up rubbish left from kids eating candy. You were crouching on the floor between the bookshelves, picking up wrappers when you feel something nudge you in the leg.

"What are you doing?" Jungkook asks, an eyebrow raised as he stares down at you. "Picking up rubbish," You say in a what do you think i'm doing? tone. He rolls his eyes.

You take the hand he offers you and stand up.

⠀

"We can do that later, it's a holiday, ____. You can relax,"

⠀

You smile, before realising you were still holding Jungkook's hand.

Neither of you make a move to let go.

"Iseul says you guys are going clubbing tonight?" You ask, looking up at Jungkook. "Yeah, one of my friends owns a club a few blocks from here. We go every year after work." He explains. "Are you gonna come?" His eyes twinkle with hope as he asks the question.

You can't find it in you to turn him down, so you reply with a yeah. He smiles, thumb absentmindedly caressing the back of your palm.

"I'm still not over your hair," You say in awe. Your free hand comes up to run through it, and Jungkook simply stares at you, smiling.

He thinks you're the most beautiful woman in the world, but he could never tell you that. He was still trying to forgive himself for how he had hurt you.

Jungkook had spent the rest of the afternoon on that cursed day in his office, which was still a bit of a mess- papers all over the floor from when he'd swiped at them in frustration.

He hated himself for letting you forgive him so easily, he didn't deserve it. Didn't deserve you.

"Kook?" He comes back to his senses when your soft voice fills his ears. "You zoned out on me," You grin, and Jungkook swears his heart squeezes at the sight. You're still holding his hand, the other now on his cheek.

You're close. Almost too close. If he just leaned in- ⠀

"What the hell are you two doing?"

⠀

It's almost comical how fast you and Jungkook pull apart, like two teenagers caught. You can't hold beck the laugh that comes out of you when Jungkook knocks into the bookshelf behind him, but he merely grins at you as he rubs the back of his head.

"You have a store to run, you know.." Iseul says. Jungkook rolls his eyes, giving you a small smile before walking towards the front of the store. You laugh when he goes to flick Iseul's forehead and she whacks his arm.

"So when I ask you to come with us it's 'I'll think about it' but when Jungkook asks it's an immediate yes?" Iseul exclaims, both mocking you and whining.

"How long were you standing there?!" You ask, and Iseul smirks.

"Why? What else did you two do?" She teases. You roll your eyes, turning to walk away before she can tease you even more.

You shake your head and from behind you, Iseul cackles like a maniac.

"Hurry up!" Iseul chastises from the bottom of the stairs where she stood beside you. Jungkook throws a vulgar gesture over his shoulder that makes you laugh, locking the store's front door before jogging down the stairs.

He rushes ahead before turning around. Now walking backwards, Jungkook mocks his cousin, "Hurry up!" he whines in a girly voice. Iseul hooks an arm around yours before dragging you forward to catch up, throwing some rude remarks at the laughing boy.

It's a ten minute walk from the store to the club, spent talking with Iseul about the new episode of a Kdrama you two watched, and then talking with Jungkook when he complains about feeling left out.

When you reach the club, you can't help but gape at the exterior, it definitely looked better than any of the cheap ones you'd go to with Mina. Speaking of, you see her by the entrance, sitting on a ledge of polished stone.

She was dressed up as Cher from Clueless, her matching plaid yellow skirt and cropped blazer standing out amongst the other people outside and making her look like a goddess.

Her eyes meet yours and her face lights up.You wave her over, and she's in front of you within five seconds.

"Guys this is my best friend, Mina." You introduce her as she reaches the three of you, Mina does a little curtsy that earns a grin from Iseul you've never seen before. "Mina, this is Iseul, and Jungkook." They exchange smiles and a second later Iseul grabs your hand along with Mina's and drags you inside. You instinctively grab Jungkook's, and he grips it tightly as you all try and move through the sea of bodies inside.

Knowing the owner of the club seemed to have its perks, namely, you were able to skip the line, and you got a flashy booth on the second level, on the terrace, right up against the balcony, where you could see all the people dancing on the level below.

⠀

"Jimin!"

⠀

Jungkook lets go of your hand to hug the man, Jimin, you assume, who had appeared at your table. You don't have enough time to register that you miss his touch as the blond greets your group, clicking his fingers before trays of drinks are all brought to the table by waiters.

You guess he's the owner then.

"Where is everyone else?" You ask Jungkook, who had sat down beside you, sandwiching you between himself and the balcony. "They're still coming," He replies, reaching for a shot. "What drinks do you like?" He asks, closer to your ear so you could hear him over the music blaring down below. "I'll take any," You say loudly and Jungkook laughs, the sound tickling against your ear.

He hands you a shot, clinking his glass with yours before you tip your heads back and down it. The alcohol burns your throat, and some manages to dribble down the side of your mouth. You were always a little messy when it came to drinking. Jungkook wipes it away with his thumb, chuckling when you hiccup. "Let's go dance," He grins, sliding out of the booth and reaching his hand out towards you.

You take it vehemently, and Jungkook leads you down the stairs to where you see Iseul and Mina already in the middle of the dance-floor. He doesn't let your hand go the entire time, holding it as the two of you dance, letting the music of the club course through you. You inch closer and closer until eventually you're flush against each other amongst all the other bodies around you.

It's intoxicating, how close you are to Jungkook as you dance the night away. Hips swaying and bodies moving in sync- the whole world seems to fade away when your eyes meet his. In this moment, it's just you and Jungkook. Just his hands, a gentle grip on your hips as you move together. Just your hands, linked around his neck, keeping him close. Just your hearts beating as one and just his eyes staring dangerously into yours.

Dangerous, because when those brown eyes flicker lower, to your lips, every ounce of self-control you still had in you dissipates. Your eyes flutter closed as the two of you slowly inch closer until you're closer than ever before. His lips are a whisper against yours, just the faintest brush before the illusion is broken and the world comes crashing back in when a stranger knocks into you when dancing, sending you flying to the side, Jungkook's grip on your hips the only thing stopping you from falling to the floor and getting trampled.

"You okay?" He asks, fixing you upright. You nod with a nervous laugh, before coming to your senses and you realise what had just happened. You hate how fast you jump away from Jungkook, as if his touch alone set your skin alight. You had almost kissed him.

The realisation has you gaping wide eyed at him, a hand coming up to touch the lips his had almost been on. Jungkook can barely get a word out before you're blundering out an excuse about needing to use the bathroom, leaving him standing in the middle of the dance-floor.

You look yourself over in the bathroom for the millionth time, still feeling Jungkook on every inch of your body.

You could still feel the ghost of his lips against yours and you shudder. It was stupid, this little game you were playing. Pretending like you still teenagers in a rom-com.

It was dangerous to mix up attraction with affection, and you didn't know what the hell you were feeling for Jungkook. Every touch, every gaze set your skin on fire, your insides becoming a wildfire of desire.

As you make your way back up to the terrace where your friends were, you decide to stay away from the alcohol- fearing that the next time you were pressed up against Jungkook, you wouldn't have the self-restraint to hold back.

But as you reach the table, one look at Jungkook on the other side of the booth from where you originally sat, eyes swirling with that same desire that still pooled within you, and you're downing the whole line of shots laid out on the table.

Iseul introduces you to the new friends that had arrived while you were dancing. Jimin and Namjoon, you already knew, and then there was Taehyung, Jin, Hoseok, and Yoongi.

You learnt their names, only to forget them twenty minutes later when you were doing body shots with Hoseok on the table.

The rest of the night is a blur, drinking and dancing until your legs gave out and Taehyung had to carry you back to the booth. You're an absolute mess, giggling and slurring your words in mindless babbles, before you realise Jungkook was still sitting opposite you in the booth.

In fact, he'd been sitting there sulking ever since you'd left him on the dance floor. He was completely sober apart from the one shot he'd had with you and no amount of cajoling from his friends could get him to go back out. Jungkook always got hammered on Halloween, one year he'd ended up passed out in a fountain outside, it was practically part of the tradition.

Though the pestering stopped eventually when his friends realised exactly why he was sulking. On another day, they would have absolutely teased him to bits for being so hung up on a girl, but tonight they'd let him sit and sulk.

"What are you still doing here? You should go down and have some fun!" You hiccup twice in that sentence alone and Jungkook doesn't bother hiding his smile.

"Your foot okay?" Jungkook asks, knowing from when Tae had told him, whether he was listening or not, that you'd twisted it when you'd fallen.

"I'm fine. See watch!"

Before Jungkook can even stop you, you're sliding out the booth, legs slightly wobbling before you attempt a pirouette. Within a second he's up and standing, ready to catch you if you fall, which you inevitably do, into his waiting arms.

"Silly girl," He murmurs, easing you back into the booth as you giggle. When you refuse to let go of his arm, Jungkook decides to just sit down beside you. He tenses when you lay your head on his shoulder, but quickly relaxes again.

"I don't usually drink this much, you know." You say quietly, to who you don't exactly know. Jungkook stays silent, focusing on your hand that had somehow ended up in his. He caresses the back of your palm, and you sigh softly.

He could take a fair guess as to why you had drowned a whole tray of shots, and then some. Even if it broke some part of him to see you trying to forget tonight, he didn't care. He only realises you had fallen asleep on his shoulder when your hands stop playing with the rings on his own, now still in his palm.

He kisses the top of your head, it was the only thing he'd let himself do.

"Thanks for this, Jungkook."

⠀

Mina eyes the way he looks at you, almost longingly, from the doorway of your bedroom. Jungkook had just helped her take you home after almost two hours of sleeping on him in the club. Some time during it you had shifted to his chest, and Jungkook held you lightly as you slept.

When he'd lowered you onto your bed, you'd grabbed his wrist, mumbling words Jungkook couldn't quite understand. Something about a dog and a watermelon. He laughs softly, smoothing a hand over your messy hair.

⠀

"Stay with me, Kook.."

⠀

Jungkook freezes when you mumble out the sentence, and he would've thought about it more if you hadn't gone on to rant about high gas prices immediately after. He chuckles lightly to himself as he stares down at you with a certain kind of fondness.

He tucks you under the covers and asks Mina for some aspirin and a glass of water, leaving it on your bedside table before leaving your room with a kiss on your forehead.

"She talks very highly of you," Mina says gently, as the two of them stood in the living room. She was sitting on an arm of the couch while Jungkook stood, eyes downcast.

But they shifted up at her words.

"She just- she needs assurance, Jungkook. She'll start to overthink everything if you give her mixed signals."

Jungkook had only known her for a few hours, but he knew immediately that despite her kindness and friendly charm, Mina would do anything for the people she loved.

She didn't know what had happened, but Mina had felt the shift in your mood when you returned to the table, knowing something had set you off to make you start chugging down any drinks you could find.

Her first thought wasn't that Jungkook had done something bad- the opposite really. Even if she didn't know him, she knew he wasn't the type to do something to make a girl comfortable. She'd seen it in the way he held your hips gently when she'd glanced over at the two of you.

She suspected that things were going good, and maybe they became too good, too fast, and that had spooked you. She told Jungkook exactly what she thought, telling him not to beat himself up about it.

Jungkook can't help but wonder whether you've talked to her about him. He thanks Mina with a tired smile, before mentioning he should probably head home. Mina gives him a re-assuring smile, saying something along the lines of it'll work out, Jungkook before walking him out.

⠀

⠀

⠀

⠀

After getting dropped to his front door by Namjoon, Jungkook groggily got ready for bed. He laid awake in the dark until the early hours of the morning.

You'd been so close tonight, and it had ended in you being ever further than before.

Jungkook couldn't forget the look on your face after he'd almost kissed you. His mind was a battlefield, too loud and destructive for him to fall asleep. You were there every time he closed his eyes, and he could hear your laughter ringing in his ears. He could remember the way your heart felt against his chest, beating in time with his.

And when he finally whisked away to sleep, you were still dancing in his mind.

⠀⠀

⠀

You're glad for the day Jungkook gave everyone off after Halloween, perhaps after years of doing it, he was familiar with the pounding hangover that seemed to plague your body.

You almost scowl at Mina, actually you do scowl at Mina when you walk into the living room, wrapped in your blankets like a burrito. She seemed too normal watching TV and eating chips. "That's because I didn't drink half the alcohol supply," She remarks, moving over to let you flop onto the couch.

You'd taken the aspirin, which you assumed Mina had left for you, on the bedside table as soon as you woke up all of five minutes ago. But it did little to help the throbbing pain in your head, as if someone was playing Whack-A-Mole.

"Jungkook dropped some food for you," Mina says, as if she had only just remembered. You lift your head from the back of the couch long enough to look at her with confusion. "How does Jungkook know where we live?" You ask, before covering your mouth. You felt like you were going to explode.

"Well he was the one who tucked you into bed," She says, trying and failing to hide her smile when your eyes widen to the size of saucers. You blink down at your body in horror, you were in your matching set of pink night clothes.

"Oh don't worry, I changed you." She clarifies, and you relax, but only barely. "Why did you let him put me to bed?" You groan, crashing back against the couch- which was a bad idea, since your head now pounded even more.

"He wanted to take care of you," she shrugs.

⠀

"He felt bad."

⠀

You stare at her confused again. "Why did he feel bad?" You ask skeptically. "Don't know," she says, but you can tell she's lying- the way her eyes dance around the room giving her away instantly.

You eventually do eat the food Jungkook had left, contemplating why he felt bad as you sipped the delicious soup.

You don't remember much of last night, and you don't know which parts of your recalling are real or imagined. Dancing on the table with Iseul? Real. Twisting your ankle while dancing? The pain in your foot says real. Bumping into Adele at the bar and having a shot together? You assume imagined, but you never know.

After eating, you head back to bed, closing your curtains and shutting yourself out from the rest of the world as you try and recover.

You never drank this much, even in college. Wondering what could have happened to make you do so last night follows you into sleep.

⠀

⠀

Ever since you were a child, you always liked the colder months more than the warm. You loved snow, had grown up with it your whole life, yet sometimes you still couldn't help but stare in awe outside the window whenever it snowed. You loved watching as it fell, having snowball fights with your friends, and dancing around in it at midnight.

You walk into the bookstore one morning, a tray of hot chocolates in hand from the cafe down the street. Iseul was on a ladder, about to put up the star before she heard the bell of the door as you entered.

The Halloween decorations had come down and within a week, the Christmas ones were up. Spiders and ghosts had been replaced with little snowmen and elves. Just the day before, you'd helped Iseul decorate the Christmas tree, completely over-doing it with the baubles and tinsel.

Jungkook emerges from his office, dressed in a comfy and warm looking sweater. You hand him his hot chocolate when he reaches you andhe thanks you and takes a sip as the two of you stare up at Iseul.

She fixes the star onto the tree and climbs down, clapping her hands in excitement when she looks at the finished product. "It looks.. nice." Jungkook comments, and you elbow him in the side. The laugh that he emits threatens to make your insides melt.

You stopped dismissing your feelings for Jungkook a few weeks after Halloween, when you realised you were already in far too deep to pretend they wern't there and just hope they would go away.

Sure, there were times when he'd look at you in a more than friend's kind of way, but you assumed it was just a trick of the mind.

You never acted on those feelings though. The friendship you had with Jungkook was one you valued too much to risk ruining, so you kept your feelings to yourself.

That didn't stop you from pining over him in secret though. Everyday, you'd talk Mina's ear off about how much you enjoyed being in Jungkook's company.

⠀

"Jungkook this, Jungkook that. When's the last time you Jung-cooked some food?!" She had exclaimed one cranky morning.

⠀

It never really bothered her though, Mina was definitely the number one supporter of you and Jungkook- equally tied with Iseul.. and Jimin.

The blond had seen right through you on Halloween and when he had dragged you out onto the dance floor-definitely more than tipsy- he had voiced exactly how perfect he thought the two of you would be.

"You're smart and loveable, and he's scrappy and lovable- together you're just lovable and lovable!"

You're still not sure what exactly he meant by that, but it was a cute sentiment.

⠀

"____?"

⠀

You tilt your head to look at Jungkook, meeting his cutely confused face as he stares down at you.

"You okay?" He asks.

You nod slowly, wondering to yourself why he was even asking.

"You're blushing.."

Your eyes slightly widen in horror as you touch your fingers to your cheeks, feeling the warmth of a blush against your skin.

"Who're you thinking about that's got you so flustered?" Jungkook grins, nudging your hip with his own.

You nervously laugh, looking anywhere but him.

⠀

If only he knew..

⠀

⠀

You clutch the collection of various sized presents to your chest as you shoulder open the front door. It was a particularly snowy morning so you'd taken an Uber to work and tipped the driver generously for his patience while you hauled all of the presents into your arms by yourself, despite his asking if you needed help.

Iseul laughs when she sees you enter sprinkled in snow. Jungkook follows her gaze from where he stood leaning on the counter, turning his head and seeing you by the doorway. He's quick to appear at your side, taking some of the presents from your arms and setting them down under the Christmas tree, where the rest of the presents were placed by Jungkook himself and Iseul.

You have to stop Jungkook when he tries to peek around for which presents were his. He grins when you swat his hands away.

Jungkook straightens after placing the last present beneath the tree, taking in your form and laughing softly. He strides forward and brushes snow off your shoulders and coat. His thumb comes up to swipe a snowflake off your nose, and you blush under his gentle gaze.

"Is Mina coming tonight?" Iseul asks from behind the counter. You turn your attention to her, grinning at how eager she was to know. She'd asked you earlier if Mina could come to the Christmas party that they held every year for their friends, just like Halloween, and you'd told her you'd said you would have to ask. Iseul had taken a liking to Mina, and Mina to her- and you would've been jealous at how easily they clicked if you wern't certain they were falling in love.  

"She said she has her own party at work, but she'll be free tonight to come to ours too."

Iseul smiles, and maybe even blushes. Knowing Mina, she'd do anything to be here probably even leave halfway through hers if they had overlapped. With free food and presents promised, who wouldn't?

By the time the party rolls around, all of Jungkook's friends- who you liked to think you knew well enough to call your friends too- had all arrived, dropping their presents beneath the tree and heading straight for the food you'd help setup on the tables.

You meet Yuna, Namjoon's wife- who thanks you for looking after her son whenever he came in. You blush under her words, telling her it was no problem at all.

Namjoon would often come into the store, sometimes bringing Jihyo with him and it soon became your job to play with him while he was here. You never thought of it as a job though, you enjoyed playing with whatever was in the toy box with him. Jihyo still brought you books, asking you to read them to him so he could fall asleep in your arms.

⠀

"Merry Christmas, ____!"

⠀

You turn on your heels, coming face to face with Jihyo in his dad's arms. "Hi Jihyo!" You exclaim, so happy to see him.

⠀

"Merry Christmas bud!"

⠀

You laugh when he swats at Namjoon's arms to put him down, he's lowered to the ground and soon Jihyo is hugging your legs.

You'd bought a present (or three) for him tonight, probably the biggest ones in the pile. You'd gotten gifts for everyone else too- gift giving was one of your favourite things to do during Christmas.

When Mina finally arrives, clutching presents in her arms and covered in snow, the party officially starts. Iseul's face lights up seeing Mina, rushing over to help her put the gifts under the tree before dragging her towards the food.

You stand by the counter, smiling to yourself watching all your friends. Mina and Iseul dancing by the stereo playing Christmas music, Jimin and Tae trying to stuff marshmallows into their mouthd to make Jihyo laugh.

You think about how grateful you are to know such great people. You'd gone from being on the brink of getting kicked out of your apartment, to this.

⠀

You were so happy.

⠀

"Merry Christmas, _____."

⠀

You turn your head to see Jungkook, a warm smile on his face as he leans back on the counter beside you. He was dressed in a grey turtleneck, looking finer than you were expecting. You smile up at him.

⠀

"Merry Christmas, Jungkook."

⠀

The two of you stand in silence, watching your friends, until you feel Jungkook's fingers against yours, touch careful, as if he was nervous.

You blink up at him, and when you don't pull your hand away, he takes it in his- holding them together. He doesn't say anything, merely going back to watching Jin and Hoseok at the TV doing karaoke.

You glance down at your intertwined hands and smile.

You stay with Jungkook for a while, just basking in each other's presence, with a million unsaid words hanging above you.

You've wanted to tell him so many times now, but one look at the friends you already consider family, and you remember why you can't.

⠀

"____?"

⠀

Jungkook's thumb caressing the back of your palm brings your attention to the man next to you. You hum in reply, glancing up at him through your lashes.

⠀

"I-"

⠀

Whatever Jungkook was about to say is interrupted when Jimin calls everyone to open presents- a little too eager as he drags Yoongi from where he sat on an armchair.

You turn back to Jungkook, laughing.

⠀

"What were you gonna say?"

⠀

He looks down at you for a moment before he shakes his head. "It's nothing, come on, let's open presents." He smiles and tugs on your hand to usher you forward. You say nothing as you follow behind him, a little sad that you were interrupted.

Jimin takes it upon himself to go first, handing out presents to everyone and sitting back with an excited grin as you all open them.

You go in a circle, giving out gifts to each other, and you get all things from a little octopus plushy from Jihyo, to beautiful peridot earrings from Taehyung.

When it's your turn to give out your presents, you grab them from beneath the tree and hand them around.

Jihyo squeals seeing the massive present you set down in front of him, tearing the wrapping paper to shreds and revealing a large blue toy truck. You laugh as he jumps into your arms, thanking you over and over again. You kiss his cheek before lowering him back down to let him play with his new present.

⠀

"Oh. My. God."

⠀

Jimin almost screams when he unwraps the canvas painting of a Twilight parody where he's Jacob, you're Bella, and Jungkook is Edward. He had brought it up when he saw you watching Twilight with Jungkook that the three of you were parallels of the characters. Jimin jumps over the couch, barely missing Hoseok's head as he tackles you into a hug.

You smile watching as Namjoon gasps at the spray bottle you'd gotten him, with a custom design and his name written in small gold lettering. He thanks you with a hug, telling you his bonsais would be forever grateful.

You turn from where you're standing to see Jungkook smiling down at his present. You'd decided to get him an Iron-Man figurine to put on his desk in his office after the two of you had had a Marvel movie binge. "To fuel your geekiness," You grin just as Jungkook brings you into a bone-crushing hug.

You smile into his shoulder as he says thank you. When he pulls away he presses a chaste kiss against your cheek, that has you feeling warm inside.

Iseul goes on to give her presents, gifting you a necklace she'd see you eye in the store once. Then Jin, and finally Jungkook.

You watch as he goes around handing out his gifts, smiling as his friends tackle him in hugs.

"This is for you," He says, reaching you last. You take the small box from his hands, peeling away the paper to reveal a jewellery box. You gasp in realisation, eyes snapping up to Jungkook. His grin confirms your guess and you open up the box to reveal a moonstone necklace wrapped in a simple design with thin rope. It was a replica of a necklace from a book you'd told him about months ago, you didn't know he'd thought to remember.

"I love it!" You exclaim, throwing your arms around his neck and hughing him tight. You feel his smile against your head before he kisses your forehead softly.

You pull away and realise everyone's gone on to watch as Mina and Iseul sing karaoke- all looking like a family. You smile, and before you realise it you're leaning against Jungkook's chest.

"I have another present for you," He says quietly, only for you to hear. You lift your head enough to see him looking down at you fondly.

⠀

"Come on,"

⠀

He takes your hand and leads you through the aisle of bookshelves to his office. Inside, he opens the top drawer of his desk and pulls out a present, this one wrapped in fancier navy blue paper.

You un-wrap it carefully, wondering to yourself what Jungkook got you that could be so special he needed to give it to you in private.

You gasp when you uncover a special edition of Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice. You drag your fingers over the hardcover material, and the odd feeling of crying hits you.

"Open it," Jungkook encourages you.

You do, opening the cover to see Jungkook's handwriting on the inside.

⠀

⠀

In vain have I struggled. It will not do. My feelings will not be repressed. You must allow me to tell you how ardently I admire and love you.

-

Words cannot describe how much you mean to me. Enjoy the book, love.

Yours, Jungkook

⠀

⠀

You turn to Jungkook, his face calm as he waited for your reaction, but you merely smile and tug him to you.

"Thank you," You say against his chest. You could feel the tears brimming in your eyes from receiving such a thoughtful gift, but you didn't care if you cried. Not now.

"Anything for you," Jungkook whispers against your hair, arms coming up to slide around your waist. And then you do start crying, feeling your emotions finally get the better of you.

You wanted him so fucking bad.

"What are we doing, Jungkook?" You ask, voice breaking.  In the low light of his office, with the only light coming from the lamp on his desk, Jungkook could see the tears streaming down your cheeks.

"We're not teenagers, so why does it feel like we're in some stupid rom-com? The stolen glances, the touching, the unspoken promises- what are we doing?"

"I can't keep it to myself anymore. I want you, Jungkook. Not in some teenage way, looking for fun and easy.. I want the good, the bad. I want it if it's with you."

Jungkook had gone still as you spoke, and his face was un-readable as he looked down at you.

He's silent for a beat too many, and you realise you'd done exactly what you didn't want to do.

"Nevermind- forget it," You sigh, shrugging out of Jungkook's hold and rushing out of the office, leaving his book and your heart on the desk.

You barely register Jungkook calling your name as you rush through the aisle before you feel his hand on your arm. "Don't!" You cry, snatching it out of his grip. If he touched you right now, you'd completely shatter. It hurt enough that you'd poured your heart out in that office only to realise you'd interpreted everything wrong.

"____," Jungkook pleads.

"What? What is it, Jungkook?" You ask, looking him in the eye. You scoff at that fake guilt you've seen in his eyes before.

"I can handle it if you tell me you don't feel the same way. I'm not some little school girl, Jungkook. So just talk to me like an-"

You don't register Jungkook's lips are on yours until his hands come up to cup your cheeks. Every emotion swirling in you seems to disappear and the only thing that matters anymore is Jungkook.

⠀

⠀⠀Jungkook.

⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀Jungkook.

⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀Jungkook. ⠀

His lips are soft and heaven against yours and you realise that every kiss you've ever had before now will always come second. It's a simple kiss, but every nerve in your body erupts into flames.

Eventually you pull away, Jungkook's forehead resting against yours.

⠀

"I'm sorry. For all of it."

⠀

You close your eyes, still breathless from the kiss, before Jungkook speaks again.

"I knew you before you knew me," He says and you open your eyes, confused. He's staring at you with such intensity that you keep your mouth shut and wait for him to go on.

⠀

"We went to the same college, though I was a year ahead of you. I'd seen you around campus and at a few parties, but I never went up to you. You were the type of girl I knew I'd never see again, and I hated myself for never approaching you. I thought about you for months after I graduated, so when you walked into my store that day, my brain fucking melted. It was like the universe gave me a second chance and i passed it up, again. It terrified me- what was so special about me that I should get a second chance when I didn't deserve it, or you. So I pushed you away, masking what I felt for you with rude remarks and a scowl. But then you gave me a chance, forgave me. And I knew then that I needed to wake up and realise that there was no one else for me. You were my third chance, and I'm not passing this one up. I've wanted to tell you for so long how much I've wanted you, but I never had the balls to. I still get overwhelmed at the fact you exist."

⠀

You're full on crying by the time Junkook is done. You hang onto every word he says and repeat it twice in your head.

"Of course you deserve it," You say, cupping his face in your hands. "You deserve to be happy, Jungkook."

Your words set him off, and soon Jungkook's tears are running down his cheeks and wetting your hands, but you don't care.

"Kiss me again," He whispers pleadingly and you smile.

You would never deny this man.

You pull him forward and his lips meet yours again in a passionate kiss. The kiss turns deep when Jungkook nibbles on your bottom lip to ask for permission. You part your lips and soon your tongues are dancing together. A hand leaves your cheek to run through Jungkook's hair, tugging softly that has him groaning into your mouth and stirring a wet pool of desire in you.

⠀

⠀

"Fucking finally,"

⠀

You pull away to see Jimin standing at the end of the aisle, a cocky grin on his face. You shake your head and Jungkook tells him to piss off with a laugh. Jimin leaves with a wink, and a few vulgar gestures that has the two of you rolling your eyes.

"We should probably go back out," You say, even though you fold yourself deeper into Jungkook's chest. "Yeah," He replies, arms around your waist. You stare at each other fondly until Jimin's yelling interrupts you once again.

⠀

⠀

"Stop smooching and get out here! It's Christmas!"

⠀

⠀

It's a chaotic day in the store today, and not in a business sense, business itself was fine.

Jungkook, however, was not fine.

You were laying in bed after Jimin's New Years Eve party, where you'd kissed Jungkook as the clock struck 12 and partied all night, when he had mentioned that his birthday was in September, laughing as he told you how he only had a beer by himself to celebrate.

You had ignored him all day, despite his pleas telling you that you still hated him back then so he didn't think you would have cared.

Iseul watches Jungkook follow after you like a puppy the entire morning, laughing to herself behind the counter.

"I would've given you a present!" You scowl, putting a book on the shelf.

"You can do it this year!" He exclaims, wrapping his arms around you. You mutter a few things into his chest that has Jungkook laughing.

He leans down to whisper in your ear in a sultry voice.

⠀

"I have a few ideas of the presents you can give me,"

⠀

Jungkook grins at the way your cheeks flush.

"Only kidding, unless you want to~"

You haven't had sex with Jungkook yet, despite how much you wanted to at Halloween, and pretty much every day after that.

After Christmas, he'd taken you out on a date. You'd gone to all his favourite places around town and then had dinner at a diner. You weren’t one for fancy restaurants and Jungkook didn't seem to mind eating fish and chips, he'd do anything you asked him to.

And you didn't want to push him for sex either, you were contempt making out till your lungs screamed for you to breathe- when it came to it, you knew the wait would be worth it.

"Jungkook we're at work!" You scold, swatting his arm.

"It's my store, there are literally no rules," Jungkook grins.

You shake your head with a smile, this man. 

⠀

⠀

"Do you only ask to sleep over so you can steal my shirts?" Jungkook asks from the bed, where he lay shirtless in his grey sweats.

You roll your eyes, making an effort to flaunt the tee you were wearing, which you might have stolen from Jungkook's closet. The fabric swamps your smaller frame and covers the shorts you wore underneath.

In the low light of his bedroom, you couldn't deny that Jungkook looked un-necessarily enticing right now. Doing nothing but simply staring at you, you wanted to devour him.

"You look like you want to eat me," Jungkook laughs, noticing the hunger swirling in your eyes. "C'mere," He cooes, patting the bed beside him.

You climb into his lap instead, and Jungkook's hands are quick to come around your middle as you lay between his legs. You glance up at him with a chesire cat like smile, hoping he'd catch on to what you wanted.

Jungkook, of course, could tell from the moment you came into the room after getting ready for bed.

He captures your lips in a sweet kiss, before his hand on your nape deepens it. Your legs had hiked up until you were straddling Jungkook's lap, and the groan that comes out of him when you give a teasing roll of your hips has desire pooling in your core.

"Don't tease, pretty girl," Jungkook groans against your mouth, and the husky voice along with the pet name has you feeling dizzy.

You squeal when Jungkook grabs your thighs, flipping the two of you over, your back hitting the pillows somewhat gracefully. Jungkook hovers above you for a second before he's leaning down to take your lips in his again. He kisses along your jaw, down your neck, over your clothed breasts and stomach, down to your thighs.

"Really?" Jungkook snorts, fingers tugging at the hem of your shorts which he realises are a pair of his boxers.

"They're comfortable!" You exclaim, and Jungkook shakes his head.

⠀

"What am I going to do with you, little thief?"

⠀

You could flip me over and fuck me till I'm-

Your thoughts disappear when you feel Jungkook's fingers in the waistband of your shorts and you immediately lift your hips to let him tug them down.

They land somewhere across the room with a distant thud, but you're too focused on the way Jungkook stares between your thighs with hunger blazing in his eyes to even care.

His gaze alone makes you even more wet, and if Jungkook weren’t already kneeling between your thighs looking like he was about to devour you, you would have rubbed your thighs together in search of friction.

Jungkook places a gentle kiss on the inside of your thigh before he dives right in, parting your lips with two fingers and licking a stripe from your hole to your clit. He groans against your pussy, the sound nothing short of absolutely lewd.

"You taste fucking divine," He sighs, kissing you all over. He gives kitten licks up and down your cunt and sucks gently on your clit and you could have come right then and there, but then he slips two fingers into you with ease that has you mewling.

Jungkook feasts on you like a man starved, dragging his fingers in and out of you and playing you like a song. Your moans only urge him to work harder to bring you to your high.

That fuzzy feeling blooms within you, and the coil in your stomach starts winding tighter and tighter until Jungkook hooks his fingers in you, finding that spot, and gently bites down on your clit that has your release slamming into you.

Your eyes roll to the back of your head, and Jungkook has to keep your thighs pinned to the bed with his arms as he helps you ride out your high.

Your chest heaves and your whole body tingles before Jungkook emerges from between your thighs, it's almost pornographic how he stares at you, chin messy with your release and arousal.

Nonetheless, you grab him gently around the neck, pulling him up to smash your lips on his in a kiss nothing short of erotic.

You taste yourself on him, and it only turns you on even more.

You dip your hand into his pants, smirking at the way you find nothing underneath. You grab his cock, gasping at how hard and heavy he is in your palm. Oh he’s big. Jungkook would have laughed if it hadn't knocked the breath right out of him when you took him in your hand.

You slide your palm up and down the length of him, pumping him almost lazily. You swirl your thumb at the tip, spreading his pre-cum all over. Jungkook watches your face as you do, eyes so hooded and blown out with lust you just can't wait to have him in you.

"Need you," You croak, adding the slightest bit of pressure to your strokes. Jungkook groans once more before he taps your wrist. You pull your hand out of his pants and Jungkook is quick to discard them, flinging them across the room to meet your shorts.

He takes your hands and lifts you to sit up, the gentle action completely opposite to how he tears his shirt off of you before he's lowering you back down against the mattress and kissing you roughly.

"Are you still on the pill?" He pulls away to ask, tentatively, smoothing your hair from your face. You nod before cupping the back of his head and bringing him back down to your mouth.

Jungkook reaches down between your bodies to grab his cock, rubbing it along your folds, the both of you groaning at the feel of it. He stops kissing you for a moment just to moan out,

⠀

"So wet, fuck-"

⠀

He collects the last bit of arousal with the head of his cock before stopping at your entrance. You pull away from his lips confused and Jungkook looks at you gently.

"Still want this?" He asks in a whisper.

Your heart clenches in your chest at the fact that Jungkook would take it this far, have you fall apart on his tongue and fingers, and still ask before you went all the way.

"Yes, fuck yes, Jungkook," You sigh, cupping his face in your hands.

He kisses you gently and pushes the first few inches in, making you groan into his mouth. He pushes in, inch by glorious inch until he bottoms out and your head is spinning, drunk on the feel of him.

You feel so full with Jungkook inside you. You want to stay like this forever.

You realise Jungkook is waiting for you to adjust when you see his eyes closed shut as if he was stopping himself from moving too soon. You give him a teasing clench that earns a guttural groan from him.

"You can move," You smile when he opens his eyes to look at you. Jungkook doesn't need to be told twice, grabbing your hips and pulling out until just the tip of him is left, and slamming back in.

You moan so loud Jungkook could come right then and there, but he soldiers on, determined to bring you pleasure.

He's waited too long for tonight.

You thought sex with Jungkook would blow your mind, you didn't think it would absolutely melt your brain until you were a mess of incoherent babbles and moans. The sound of skin slapping against skin fills the room along with Jungkook's groans and affirming words, ⠀

⠀

    ⠀you feel so good,

⠀

     ⠀      ⠀    taking me so well

      ⠀⠀⠀never wanna leave

⠀

With each drag of his cock inside you bringing you closer to release, you have to fist the covers beneath you to stop yourself from squirming.

"Love seeing you like this," Jungkook breathes out, caressing your cheek with his thumb, pace going slower but deeper as he rolls his hips into you.

"Wanna ride you Koo," You mewl, rolling your hips in time with his. Jungkook groans above you.

He flips the two of you over until you're sitting on his cock, this angle much deeper and you feel Jungkook in your stomach.

He closes his eyes with a sigh, still getting used to how amazing you feel around him. When you lift your hips and slam down with a moan, Jungkook chokes on air.

⠀

"Fuck, go on pretty girl, ride me,"

⠀

His words only spur you on and you grab his hands from where they've found purchase on your hips and move them up to your breasts. You moan when he weighs them in his palms, twirling his thumbs around your hardened nipples as you lift and drop yourself on his cock, riding him like promised.

You curse your thighs for getting tired, the burn mixing pain with pleasure as you bounce on his cock. Jungkook, ever so observant, notices and grabs your hips to slow you. He plants his feet flat on the bed and fucks up into you so hard you're knocked forward on his chest.

"Tired. 'm sorry," You sigh, but Jungkook kisses your nose softly.

"Did so good," He coos, a hand on your back rubbing soothing circles before he's moving again.

He holds you to his chest and drills into you so fast you're almost screaming.

His stamina really was something else.

You groan and mewl, biting Jungkook's neck to stop from screaming too loud. Release finds you shortly before his does, and you shake with pleasure as Jungkook's thrusts slow down as he helps you ride it out. A few more thrusts and he's spilling himself in you, thick ropes of cum painting your insides white.

The room is silent for a few beats, the sound of your heavy breathing the only sound. Sweaty skin against sweaty skin, Jungkook's heartbeat against your chest beats in time with yours, and you lift your head to look at him.

His eyes are closed, and the hand on your hip, rubbing soothingly, tells you he's drinking it all in. You kiss his lips softly, just a peck, and soon Jungkook is opening his eyes and smiling at you.

"That was amazing," You sigh, burying your head in the crook of his neck. "You're amazing," Jungkook says, kissing the side of your head.

He flips the two of you around carefully, laying you back against the pillows and pulling out of you. You both whine and moan at the feeling, missing how full you felt with him inside you. Jungkook kneels between your thighs, watching his seed spill out of you with glossy eyes.

"Jungkook!" You exclaim when he takes a finger and stuffs it back into you. He gets off the bed, his laughter disappearing with him into the bathroom. 

You shut your eyes, basking in the afterglow of the most mind-blowing sex you've had in your entire life. 

You're close to falling asleep when you feel something wet and warm on your skin.

You open them to see Jungkook back in between your thighs, with a washcloth. You almost cry at how gentle he is as he cleans you up.

He discards the cloth before climbing up to lay beside you. You immediately cuddle into his chest and Jungkook snakes an arm around your waist. His other hand smooths your hair away from your face, and you realise you'll never get used to this feeling.

Not that you'd want to.

Soon the two of you fall asleep, a tangled mess of arms and legs beneath the comforter with two heartbeats beating as one.

⠀

⠀

It's now the end of February, two months of this amazing, loving, chaotic, relationship with Jungkook, and you've never been happier.

Two months of two absolute geeks geeking together, two months of stealing kisses between bookshelves only to have Iseul blow a whistle, a literal whistle, at the two of you like a lifeguard calling out kids who run by the pool.

When you broke the news to your friends, Jimin and Iseul immediately went head to head on who saw it coming first. But the real winner was Mina, who'd known since college.

"I saw him watching you a few times, he caught me once but he looked almost scared, and he seemed innocent enough so I never said anything,"

You looked from your best friend to your boyfriend, who wore a timid smile on his face.

"So at Halloween, you recognised each other?"

They both nodded, and your mouth opened in shock.

Two months of being with your best friend, and getting to love every part of him, every day.

Two months of cute dates and mind-blowing sex that you'll never get tired of.

You were so un-believably happy.

"What are you thinking about?" Jungkook asks tentatively, reaching his head down to place a soft kiss against your temple. You were laying in bed, enjoying the last day of snow together.

"I read this book," you say, fingers tracing shapes on the soft skin of his chest. Jungkook makes a sound of acknowledgment as he plays with your hair, beckoning you to continue.

⠀

"It said that fate can show itself in different ways, and i'd like to think that fate was that poster in the window- that it brought me to that exact street that day knowing that i was looking for more than just a job. It brought me to you."

⠀

With anyone else, you'd think they'd think you crazy. But jungkook understood you like no other. He lets you go on and on about anything and everything, and you him.

⠀

He truly was your person.

⠀

"You think it's destiny?" you ask quietly.

The snow outside seems to fall in slow motion, flakes of white brushing against the window of the apartment. And as you lay with your lover, a tangle of arms and legs beneath the blanket, you truly couldn't be happier. You smile and close your eyes as jungkook kisses your lips once.

⠀

"I know it is."

⠀

ᴛʜᴀɴᴋs ғᴏʀ ʀᴇᴀᴅɪɴɢ!

ohmygosh we finished it! i really hope you guys liked it, let me know thoughts, feelings, anything at all! i hope it didn't seem too rushed :3 okay anyway, tysm for reading & have a great day <3

@mwitsmejk @marcoazz2 @libra04

[userkhael]

First and foremost, I rarely write these days and couldn’t even focus at one task in my goddamn life (at this point I’m convinced I have ADHD lmao). But I will try my best to write and add more to my masterlist as the time pass. I mostly write about RPF but will post Henry characters now and then. Any feedback or comments, even reblogs, I greatly appreciate ♥

smut -  🔥 fluff - 💖

ADORE  💖

You cried over a book and Henry consoles you.

LATE NIGHT RUN  💖

Your late night grocery run turns into something a lot more interesting.

JUST IN TIME  💖

You met your boyfriend at the grocery store of all places and everything is going good but it’s been months and you haven’t slept with him yet.

GAME NIGHT  💖 🔥

You’re ready to hang out with friends but are you ready to see your ex?

JUST BEING NEIGHBORLY  🔥

You’re eye fucking the neighbor and he catches you red-handed.

UNEXPECTED  💖

You and Henry are new parents. But when his family walked in through the door with millions of questions, you feel out of place and overwhelmed.

DUNGEON DISTRACTIONS  🔥

Henry has been playing games all day but one thing seemed to distract him.

RUN BABY RUN  💖

Henry’s doing the Durrell Challenge again and someone wants to be an audience!

THEN THERE WAS THREE  💖

Coming home from weeks at work with a surprise seem to shake Henry to the core.

UNSTEADY  💖

Henry is angry about something but you have no idea what it is.

RAINBOW  💖

Henry and you always wanted to have kids right away but it’s been two years into the marriage and no babies. Until…

LAZY MORNING  🔥

It’s 5 am and you’re horny but your big bear of a man is still asleep, so you take the matter in your own hands.

BEACH BUM  🔥

Makeup sex is a thing for you and your husband.

PRANK ME NOT  💖

You’re pranking your husband coaxing his reaction when you tell him why your boobs are apparently small.

CARDIO  💖 🔥

For Henry and you, cardio doesn’t mean running and you like that. VERY MUCH.

KISMET  💖

Your date stood you up but a stranger is to the rescue

CLING  💖

Henry getting into a fight before your wedding day but he makes up for it

UNDERCOVER   💖 🔥

You’re partnered with August Walker for an undercover mission as a newly married couple but you hate his guts more than ever. If only that one night stand didn’t happen.

IN MY BLOOD  💖

August didn’t want to have children until 9 months later your baby boy is born.

SOFTLY, SLOWLY  💖 🔥

You and your husband is having problems in the bedroom and you consult a doctor about it. Will there be a cure?

HOOKED  🔥

Teasing August usually results in delayed gratification but you still do it anyways.

NO TURNING BACK  🔥

August, your arch nemesis is injured, asking you for help because he has nowhere else to go.

SOMETHING MORE  💖

Yen, Geralt and Ciri finds refuge in Kaer Morhen and heal. Will it ever be the same again between Yen and Grealt?

FOUND  💖

You and Geralt are bound to each other. A prophecy fulfilled but as great love stories go, nothing is ever simple.

BETROTHED  💖 🔥

The First Duke of Suffolk is a rake through and through so when he was betrothed to you, you felt anger. But when his lips are on yours, somehow that rage goes away.

[theheaterishotjournals]

10/25/2020

Took me awhile to realize it but yep. I am. Depressed. Feeling numb. Don’t feel joy, don’t feel sad, hobbies aren’t doing it for me, no motivation to do them, awful sleep patterns. No motivation to work out or right or. 

Damn was it not just last week I wrote about how working out felt great? And now I’m like, “Ehhhhhhhhhhhhh.” 

SIGHHHHHH.

23rd - Daniel and I ate fast food. Watched baseball. I was depressed. Our bed broke so Daniel and I have been sleeping in the office, which is a dream come true. I love sleeping on a futon. It was rough for us to get used to ‘cause... It made me realize what a big butt I have. Like. Lying on my back, my butt is like, “Let me fuck up your spine.” I definitely need a mattress as much as I enjoy a futon on the floor. Sob. Stupid thick body of mine. Why can’t I be those Asian goddesses who are perfect in every way?! 

24th - More depression. Avoid talking to friends. Don’t even want to play video games. Just drown myself in puzzles. Reading manga ain’t doing it for me. Puzzles weren’t doing it for me. Even though I talked to Alex about how crosswords made me happy. I talked to Alex a lot that day, actually! I was trying not to but I was having fun so we just kept talking. Fuck. She was talking about weighing herself and losing weight and it made me feel like a fat fuck. Even though I’m happy for her and it made me motivated! I was also like, christ I’m fat. But sometimes I’m fine with my weight ‘cause minorities dig the thickness? And I’m mostly healthy?? So why do I wanna lose weight? To fit the Asian ideal even though I’m not interested in wooing an Asian?? To show my family up? It just makes me seem like I don’t have a good reason to lose weight.

Honestly. I like working out just ‘cause I feel good but definitely, in the back of my mind, I wanna lose weight. And none of them are for good reasons. It’s weird. I’m also very, “Fuck my family.” But at the same time there’s a lot that’s like, I want to impress them. It’s very. Contradictory. If I try to see what I want though... My self. It’s to tell them to fuck off. I don’t want their approval and I don’t need it. 

So what is this part that wants their approval? Hm. 

25th - Daniel and I fell asleep so I doubt I’ll go to bed in time and I will fuck myself for work this week with the lack of sleep and thus get more depressed. At least it’s cooling down. Daniel made a tasty dinner. WE went to the grocery store and it was HELL. I’m never doing errands on a weekend ever again! We were supposed to go to Ikea to fix the bed but took a nap instead. I love naps. 

A part of me is like. Wow. Wish I could stay up forever and do project.s THen another part is like, dude. Sleeping is so fun. As Bomb the music industry says, do i have to wait til I die before I get a good night’s sleep? 

Daniel made steak and garlic mashed potatoes and I was depressed. 

But! I realized I was depressed (finally) and decided to journal ‘cause I know it helps and... I wish I could be more consistent. With the journaling and the meditation and working out every day. BUt I gotta change that perspective. Instead of being mad about the days I missed, I gotta be proud of the days I managed to do it. So I did it! Just the journaling so far today but that’s more than not doing anything! Yeah yeah! 

On another note, feeling more and more disconnected from the youth of today. In a good way. I should think about having kids soon but I’m still like... ehhhhhhhh. BUt I’m at that age where any older and I will fuck myself over. 

Ehhhhhhhhhh.

Oh yeah. I did try to draw today. But instead it just didn’t come out well ‘cause I wasn’t feeling it and I stopped and I just. 

Dude. Depression SUCKS. BOY HOWDY DOES IT SUCK. 

SELF LOVE TIME BABY

I am mindful of the ways my body causes me shame, embarrassment, or unhappiness. How often do I focus on what I hate about my body? How can I show my body more compassion? Today I will write a letter of love and gratitude to my body. 

Um. Wow. Ok. I don’t read the prompts ahead of time so can I just way? Wow? Kismet?? Could this be any more fated? Damn. 

Ok, ok. 

Dear Body, 

Honestly. You’ve been a prince among men. I know I fucked you over in college when I didn’t eat for 3 days causing a sudden weight gain when you were like, “Wow, we really gotta store fat ‘cause where are you living??” So you’re just trying to watch out for me. And y’know, it has worked. There are some days I’m just too depressed to eat and the fat stores kept me alive. 

You go along with me when I work out and you’ve been building muscles. Sorry I don’t take better care of you. But after reading so much Cells at Work, I worry about all the infections and shit. I hope you keep doing well. I’ve been very healthy and happy so far. I can’t run a marathon, but I can run around. I can hike. Thanks to you. Especially during the pandemic. 

Sorry I fucked up our teeth too but they’re doing pretty well, all things considered. Also, we’re lucky about the lack of acne problems, eh? That alwys seemed like such a pain in the ass. Also, brain, you’re sorta fucked up but ain’t your fault. 

I’ll try to take care of us better. 

-Vi

[katieamazeballs]

Kashad

Y’all.....OMG Y’ALL! This man! I am so in love 😍

So.....we showed up at 5 for the 6pm book signing because the last book signing we went to there , Bobby Bowden, was insane. Needless to say, we were the first ones there. We saw there were seats set up so I gave Abs our “ticket” and went to the restroom. I come back to find this

(Nerd Alert)

We sat and chatted with others for the next hour until he showed up right on time. (Prompt is such a turn on 😍). The news station had set up and Abs was standing chatting with the news guy about her burning desire to become a celeb so she can dance with Alan (I think the guys eyes glazed over) and the two of them saw RASHAD walking in. Abs ran up and gave him a huge hug (footage at 10...I’m dvring) and the camera guy ate it up. My future husband then sat down to do a Question and Answer session. FYI....he will be opening a dance studio near his home in VA, he is writing a second book on how ballroom dancing is very much the same as a relationship, the Jags were his favorite team because this is where it began, he loved being a guest judge (Abs Question), he talks to Emma every day (another Abs Question), his mirrorball will be in his future home.....on the mantel with lights to catch the shiny, surrounded by his costumes(all of which he kept), with a soundtrack of all their music.....not only did he keep his costumes but he wore The Beast to the grocery store the other day 😂.

(Get your heart eyes off mamas man)

Next up, he signed books. We were second in line and he talked to us (mostly his new step daughter) for quite a bit.

(Her face 😂)

She talked more to him about dance

(That frame tho)

And her burning need to become a celebrity in order to dance with Alan

(He’ll hook her up)

And then they parted ways after he assured her he’d tell her bff Emma hi.....FYI the camera guy took more video and stills

(Get your paws off Mamas man.....)

Then it was MY TURN

(Kashad)

It’s pretty much a done deal. We’re getting married. Wedding invites coming soon. He asked via high five

(He is so effin hot)

I accepted

(Can’t you just feel the heart eyes)

The End. It’s fate. Kismet. Destiny. TRUE LOVE 😍

[recentanimenews]

Karakai Jouzu no Takagi-san 3 – 11 – Merry Dried Sardine Day

Last week might’ve been the last “standard” episode of Takagi-san,  because this week is anything but normal. It’s suddenly Valentine’s Day, and for much as Takagi and Nishikata interact, there’s hardly any teasing. It’s pretty clear why from the moment Nishikata opens his locker and finds three boxes of chocolates from three different kouhai. For as predictable as Nishikata is, we’ve known Takagi long enough to know what’s up.

Major Kudos to both the animation team and Takahashi Rie for making it plain that Takagi is just a little “off” this week. She came to school early so she could put chocolates in Nishikata’s shoe locker, only to find three girls had beaten her to the punch. That Nishikata tries to hide the fact he got chocolates only makes things more awkward, even though he tries to find the right opportunity to tell her.

Meanwhile, Houjou interrupts Hamaguchi talking with the boys to nonchalantly hand him a bar of store-bought chocolate before sauntering off. Hamaguchi assumes the worst, since he spotted her at the grocery store buying ingredients for homemade chocolate. If he gets a Meiji bar, that means she doesn’t love him! Of course, even here, I knew Houjou must’ve just screwed up the homemade chocolate.

Oftentimes predictability can make a show boring or unengaging, but the opposite was true here. As we watch Nishikata struggle to tell Takagi about the other girls’ chocolate, even trying to intentionally lose a contest to cheer her up, it is wonderfully, heartwarmingly plain that winning and losing those little games doesn’t matter to him nearly as much as wanting to turn Takagi’s frown upside-down. And hey, he does—albeit accidentally when the teacher catches him goofing off.

Fortune favors Nishikata, as Takagi just happens to be walking down the hall when she sees him respectfully return the chocolate to the three girls who gave it to him. Takagi knows why. It doesn’t matter whether the girls made a mistake and meant to put it in another boy’s locker (the one who played the dog at the culture fest). Nishikata takes this entirely in stride, because he’s not interested in those three girls. He never was.

Their innocent mistake may have screwed up Takagi and Nishikata’s February 14th, but after school the universe rights that wrong by once again having the two cross paths by chance. Their timing is so precise, the moment Takagi finally decides on a text to send him, she hears the alert on his phone as he’s already arrived. It’s kismet!

What follows is one of the most serious, dramatic, honest, and beautifulest exchanges between these two in all these three seasons. Takagi admits she was bummed out all day because when she saw those three boxes of chocolates, she was worried Nishikata would mention them, and that she’d respond by “acting mean” again.

Takagi doesn’t like the part of her that’s mean when she’s jealous. I adore the empathy they express for each other in this scene; how awful even the thought of hurting each other makes them feel. That said, all’s well that ends well, and Takagi manages to give Nishikata a box of chocolates. Only the first box she gives him is actually full of dried sardines.

She just happened to prepare that little prank before he mentioned it being “National Dried Sardine Day” (because of how the numbers “214” resemble the Japanese word for dried sardines). That their two adorkable minds thought alike—and are thinking alike more and more—delights Takagi to no end.

The next day, Nishikata sees Hamaguchi sitting in the hall looking super-cool. Since the store-bought/homemade chocolate mixup was all cleared up, he’s resolved to confess his love to Houjou on White Day. Not only that, he tells Nishikata that’d he’d better confess to Takagi on that day too.

And I fuly agree with Hamaguchi…he sure as shit better! Or, if it’s Takagi who confesses to him, he’d better accept his damn destiny. I don’t want any cliffhangers for a fourth season…let’s get this done!

By: sesameacrylic

[brendamariesmith]

My Heart-Warming Thanksgiving Story of the Flubbed-Up Pie

I want to tell you about the flubbed-up Thanksgiving pie I just made. First you should know that “flubbed-up” is a euphemism. It’s a substitute for my grandchildren’s sake of another term that means messed-up and also starts with an F.

My son, JD, is a stellar son most all the time. He is a stalwart eco-warrior who is a mechanic that provides biodegradable motor oil and other green automotive stuff to his customers. He keeps the family cars running for only the price of parts. He is sweet and generous and I love him like the dickens, whatever exactly that means – I’m using it to mean what a good guy JD is.

JD is a vegan, and not just your ordinary vegan, but a vegan who will spend his last dime to eat only organic food that has not been contaminated by pesticides, herbicides, or even by suicides or matricides or fratricides committed by a person in the extended families or ancestry of anyone who ever touched or thought about touching his food, or anyone who has been associated in the history of each of his food’s components with any kind of “-cide” whatsoever.  If this food even sat across, and at the opposite end of a long aisle from a side of beef in the grocery store, JD will not eat it, and if he catches you starting to eat it, he will do his best to convince you not to. If I’m in a bad mood, as I sometimes am, trying to cook something for JD that he will eat is enough to make me want to commit some kind of “-cide” against this son of mine whom I love so much.

We have Thanksgiving every year in November, right? And JD has been into his organic, anti-GMO, locally-grown vegan thing for a number of those recent years. One would think that by now I would have figured out that I need to start planning Thanksgiving with JD in July, maybe even March. But, true to form, this particular year, I waited until a couple of weeks before JD’s big turkey-less, Tofurkey Day to start discussing with JD what I should cook that he might possibly consider eating if I tweak my nose in the right direction while I am cooking it.

I am getting old. I have very little patience left for complicated Thanksgiving family dinners that involve special dishes for each particular person in this ever-expanding group of people. I mean, I love these people more than my own life, but I have reached my limit. I need to make Thanksgiving infinitely less complicated than it’s always been for us. Between our various food intolerances, adamant ideals, outright dislikes, and other peccadillos, there is very little food on this earth that I and my trooper of a husband, Doug – who is also getting old by the way, but who seems to be handling it much better than I am – can cook for this passel of people to share.

My idea for this year is to make as much of the food be organic as possible and for everyone to share it, so that I don’t have to make a regular option, a vegetarian option (for my other son Aaron), and a vegan option of every dish. Sounds reasonable enough. I mean this idea of mine is great if you have an infinite supply of time to figure it all out and scads of money to pay through the nose for organic food – or I should say for organic components of all our family’s traditional Thanksgiving dishes.

I’m about to tell you about the flubbed-up pie. I promise.

So this year JD and I go painstakingly through what he will need to scrounge up for me from the mysterious places he buys his supplies of organic wonder food.  He has no earthly idea of the sizes that are available for any of these components or the prices for anything at all, especially for each unit. So first I have to give him a list of things to look for and to price for me, to get me sizes for – the number of fluid ounces, the net weight, how many cherries per can of organic pie filling, how many organic whole-wheat rolls per pan and what is the square footage of each pan – you know, the stuff I need to know so JD can buy what I need to cook for an army of people on Thanksgiving Day, to send everyone home with leftovers, to eat leftovers and nothing else at home for a week, and to throw out some leftovers at the end of said week while being sure to have some good stuff to share with the compost pile.

I decide that there are certain things I will be cooking knowing full well that JD will not eat them – turkey, for instance, celery (because JD is a vegan who hates celery. I have nothing to add to this. It speaks for itself).  Since I have JD so occupied in buying organic food for everyone, I assign bringing the vegan entrée to Aaron, because he is a vegetarian anyway and he can damned well be a vegan for one day so that he and his brother can share a Thanksgiving entrée.

We will have dressing with chicken stock in it and vegan dressing, that kind of thing. Then, for the sake of at least some simplicity, we will have a few totally vegan organic dishes for everyone – sweet potatoes, cranberry sauce, green bean casserole (yes, this can be vegan if you’re rich enough), rolls.

And then there will be pies. Pies are my holiday thing. When I was younger, I made two or three kinds of pie with several pies per type for both Thanksgiving AND Christmas. Now I’m more of a one type of pie per holiday person. I want these pies to be cherry for this year’s Thanksgiving, because cherry pies are easy to make and everyone loves them. The grandkids are crazy for cherry pie and they are who I am most interested in pleasing with pie.

I should add in here somewhere that this year my hubby Doug has to work on Thanksgiving so it will be my first time to cook Thanksgiving without him in twenty three years. Not to worry. I have enlisted Doug’s son, my stepson Matt, to help me lift things and stir things and toast things and juggle the moving of things from one oven rack to another over and over all day long. We’ve got this, me and Matt. And Doug teaches Matt how to prep the turkey the night before the big day and it’s ready and in the fridge so that Matt and I just have to stick it into the warm oven on TG morning and leave it there for hours and hours while we cook all the other stuff.

Back to the pies. JD has informed me that of all foods that exist in the universe, the worst foods to eat if they are NOT organic are cherries and berries, because all the pesticides and herbicides and other kinds of “-cides” concentrate in the cherries and berries in an attempt to murder us – just kill us outright dead.

So even though JD has always lapped up cherry pies in the past, even after he went vegan-organic, this year he will not eat them unless the cherries are organic. Not only that, he wants organic vegan crusts as well. All right. I can do this.

But JD cannot find organic cherries at all in his favorite haunts. So we agree that I will make a couple of organic peach pies for him (and for some of us too), with regular cherry for the rest of us – because we are addicted to pesticide-riddled food and we don’t give a flip anymore. I do feel a little guilty about this on account of grandchildren though. I mean, I don’t want to feed poison cherries to children. They can eat peach pie, although I know they love cherry pie the most.

As Thanksgiving draws nearer, I make a list out of the scraps of information JD has obtained for me, telling him how many cans, and pans, and cases, and barrels of each food I need. I tell him I simply cannot afford all this organic sh—“stuff” (I’m just going to call this “shtuff”) and JD kindly offers to pay the difference in the extra price of organic items over the price of “normal” more poisonous All-American food. I tell JD that this grocery store he plans to buy the food from is growing faster than they can keep up with, and chances are extremely good that the store will run out of TG food components many days before the big event.  

Undaunted, JD waits until the last possible minute to buy the food and only then after I insist that he get his vegan behind to the store and buy it, like NOW, or I won’t be cooking one single damned organic or vegan anything for him or anyone else. I mean we have to get the other groceries for TG when we’re not working, and this is the last day we have time for that. I have no idea what to buy in terms of other groceries until I see what JD has managed to procure at the health food store after it’s been cleared out by more forward-thinking customers. I may not have mentioned that JD is not a planning type of organic-vegan.

I won’t say, “I told you so,” but I will mention, because I am passive-aggressive sometimes, that JD’s favorite grocery store has no organic fruit pie filling of any sort whatsoever. All he has managed to buy in terms of pie filling is two cans of organic peaches, which is only barely related to peach pie filling at all. JD does have two sets of organic pie crusts. Okay, fine, I say. We’ll have one peach pie then, and we’ll use the other organic pie crusts for non-organic cherry pie.

Meanwhile, the hubby goes to the regular grocery store for regular cherry pie filling amongst many other things, and doesn’t realize until he returns home that he’s bought only two cans of regular cherry pie filling and three cans of organic cherry pie filling. So the regular grocery store had the filing that JD could not find at his organic vegan store, and Doug has accidentally purchased it. Man, the kismet of this, the ass-backwards synchronicity of it, is simply stunning.

Trying to rally, I say, “Great. I’ll use these other organic pie shells – the ones I won’t be using for organic peach pie – to make an organic cherry pie too.” It seems like all our pie problems are solved. Except on the night I start making pies in advance of TG Day like I always do, I just run out of time to make cherry pies while also boiling down canned peaches for hours on end to try to turn them into pie filling.

So when JD comes home later (Oh, did I mention that he lives with us “temporarily”? Do not get me started about the gnat problem he has started with organic food rotting in his bedroom). When JD comes home, I tell him I need for him to please boil down the peaches for me to make his peach pie with. I’ll be around doing other important shtuff, and I can advise him on how to boil down the peaches. He doesn’t have time, he says. He has tons of work to do this week, he says, because in his mind I don’t have anything at all to do this week except make his freaking pie.

Suggesting that JD cook the peaches, like now, while he’s hanging out grazing on food he has spread all over the living room and while he’s watching TV (and murderous TV, not any kind of flower-childy organic vegan TV) has no effect on JD in any sort of way. I might as well not exist.

All right, either I’ll make the danged peach pie or I won’t. I’ve got an organic cherry pie made already. It’s even got a criss-crossed top pie crust so it can be easily distinguished from the more deadly cherry pies. Whatever.

So now it’s the Wednesday evening before TG day. Doug has to get up on TG morning at 3:30-ish, long before oh-dark-thirty, so that Doug can work while the rest of America watches football and TG parades on TV. Doug will be going to bed at 8:00 p.m. this evening or as soon thereafter as he can possibly get there. I ask Doug to please open JD’s canned peaches for me, because the can-opener and I have “issues”, and JD is nowhere to be found, no doubt staying out as late as possible to avoid helping me make his blankety-blank peach pie.

Doug opens the two peach cans, and there are like eight or nine tiny peach slices in each can. They are basically cans of peach juice with a few scraps of peach thrown in. I seriously doubt there are the components of even two small peaches between both cans, and this peach pie I’m trying to make is going to be scanty on the peach side. But I am making this organic peach pie come hell or high water, so I drain off all the juice except a little dab, I save the juice for JD because I’m such a good mother of a busy forty-year-old organic-vegan with important shtuff to do elsewhere tonight, and I plop the pot containing a few teaspoons full of peaches onto a low fire on the stovetop.

It takes almost no time for the little juice I’ve left in the pot to boil off. I’ve got a half-ton of peach juice here, so I add just a little more peach juice to the pot – we’re talking a quarter cup at the most. I look away from the pot for a minute or two, and the next thing I know the pot is overloaded with peach juice – like way too overloaded because apparently these few scraps of peaches, scrawny as they are, have about a gallon of peach juice in each of them and this juice is cooking out of those peaches at an alarming rate. Oh man. All right I’ll just have to boil these peaches for a very long time. Maybe they’ll be ready by next Thanksgiving.

But then the peach juice is not cooking away and this pot seems to be full of peach cider with some peach slices in it for a garnish. If I was a smart woman, which I am not at this moment, I would drain some peach juice off right this instant. But do I do this? What do you think? Instead I decide, with Doug’s help, that perhaps I should just add some of this organic sugar JD has so kindly provided, in the hope this organic sugar will contribute to the thickening and cooking down of this mass quantity of boiling peach juice.

The peach pot is boiling. Doug is making us grilled cheese sandwiches because who’s got time for making dinner, much less eating it, when it’s the night before Thanksgiving? And I am in Doug’s way trying to watch over this peach pot, so I hover around just outside the kitchen so that I can dash in from time to time and check the peach syrup mess in the peach pot. We eat sandwiches. Doug goes to bed, but just before he goes we decide there may be hope for these peaches after all as the organic-sugary peach juice appears to be slightly thicker.

I keep watching the peach pot. I do other shtuff and come back and watch it some more. My office is in our converted garage just off the kitchen and I need to do some shtuff out there, so I adjust the fire lower on the peach pot and I go to garage office for about ten minutes – it can’t be one second more than twelve minutes. Suddenly I think, uh-oh, the peaches! I go running into the kitchen to greet a foamy pot of peach goo that is partially burnt. But do I handle this sensibly? Of course I don’t. Before I have thought a single thought, I have stirred this pot of peach goop a little bit, just enough to spread at least some of the burnt shtuff throughout the pot. I have contaminated this alleged peach pie filling in other words. I wonder how toxic this burned shtuff is but I simply do not care anymore.

There has got to be something salvageable here, because I want this to be true and I am proceeding as though it is so. So while the peach goop cools into some sort of peach fudge or taffy or peach peanut brittle without peanuts, I patiently poke holes in an organic pie shell and set it to pre-bake while I make a crumble pie topping out of the other organic pie shell by adding more of JD’s organic sugar and his organic cinnamon too. I am determined for this shtuff to be good, damned good.

I go away for like five minutes, and come back to find that the pre-baking pie shell is a convex mound of inflated pie crust inside the oven. There’s a Super Dome all up inside my oven. Evidently the holes I have poked in this pie shell are not sufficiently doing their jobs. So I reach into the dangerously hot oven with a fork in hand, and I poke bigger holes in the shell until it starts to deflate. I tamp down the pie shell edges inside the pie pan with the fork until the pie shell again resembles an actual pie shell instead of a flying saucer.

By now the peach goop in the pot looks pitifully small and brown. It looks kind of stretchy even, definitely gloppy. Oh well, it’s made of lovely organic peach slices – however few of them are left at this point – plus organic sugar. How bad could it be? It will be a super-organic peach candy pie that’s only a tiny bit burnt.

I slap the peach goop into the pie shell. It doesn’t even cover the whole bottom of the pie shell at its lowest and narrowest level. I scrape out every drop of syrupy goop from the pot to the pie shell, any goop that’s not too shtuck to the pot to require a hammer and chisel to get it out of this bleeping pot.

Even though the peach pie innards are only about an inch thick and sparse – extremely sparse – I throw on the crumble pie topping, and spread it to cover the peach filling –which is easy-peasy since there’s so little peach filling to cover. I stick this whole concoction into the oven, set the timer and disappear back to my office, stage left.

I am playing a computer game, tweeting, and other shtuff out in the office when I suddenly realize that a beeping noise in the background I’ve been managing to subconsciously ignore must be coming from the kitchen timer. I rush into the kitchen, throw open the oven door, grab some pot holders and pull out an overly baked peach pie that is too brown. But it is not burnt. It is NOT freaking burnt!

This is fine. This is totally and completely fine. I will serve flubbed-up (don’t forget that flubbed-up stands for something else) organic, much too brown, overly sweet, nearly peachless, candified peach pie for Thanksgiving dinner and nobody, I mean nobody, especially JD, better say a mother-flubbing word about it.

I leave this thing I have created to cool in the kitchen and return to my noodling in the garage office. JD at last comes home. He has his normal grazing palate of munchie-type organic vegan food spread across the coffee table before him in front of the television in the living room when I finally come back inside. I sit down and tell JD the whole story of the flubbed up pie, and I am not saying flubbed, I promise you that. JD and I start laughing, and we keep laughing, and we’re trying to be quiet because Doug is upstairs right above us trying to sleep – I mean the poor man has to get up at 3:30 on flubbing Thanksgiving morning to go to flubbing work.

But trying hard to keep from laughing too loudly just makes JD and I laugh more and harder. Come on. This is hilarious. We have concocted delirious stories of what the insides of that so-called pie might actually look like now that it’s cooled – how far will it stretch, will it be fudgy or so hard that we break a few teeth trying to chew it, that kind of thing. We are doubled-over crying and laughing and shushing each other to laugh quieter.

Finally we run out of steam, and I head back out to my office. I am an extreme night-owl. I make no apologies for it because such apologies would be pointless and would not stop me from being an extreme night-owl anyway.  JD has inherited this annoying trait from me, and I am a little bit sorry for him about that.

Before I leave JD, with his organic vegan food and other shtuff spread before him in the living room so he can keep binging on food and this murderous TV show he’s watching, I ask him to please cover the pie with decidedly un-organic tin foil and stick it in the fridge before he goes to bed. I’ve got a heartwarming Thanksgiving story to write and I have no more time for taking care of this so-called pie.

I am out here writing for way too long because, as everyone who knows me at all understands, I am wordy. Suddenly I realize it’s 3:00 a.m., which is a little too late even for me. I mean, Doug will be getting up any second. I have to get inside and pretend to be sleeping before he stumbles past me to get his coffee so he can get ready for flubbing work. I abandon this unfinished story and make haste to pretend to sleep.

But Doug, naturally, because this is already a flubbed up Thanksgiving, has forgotten to make his coffee and set the timer so the coffee will be ready to drink when he stumbles over to get it. So Doug is banging around in the kitchen half-asleep making coffee and I just give up on this pretending to sleep idea and start talking to Doug, giving him lots of sympathy for his coffee-less predicament, and he just laps this sympathy up.

Doug schlepps off to work, I sleep for a little while, and then I get up to finish this never-ending Thanksgiving story. Now it’s a little past time to start the turkey baking, Matt has just pulled up to help me, and I’m still in my pj’s having completely forgotten to even drink my coffee. This is already a flubbed-up flubbing Thanksgiving. I have more flubbing shtuff to bake and burn and destroy. I’ve got to get moving.

Have a happy Thanksgiving, one and all. If we live through today, I will let you know. Organic peach vegan flubbed-up pie or whatever the flub it turns out to be, can just be flubbing damned. Happy Holiday!

P.S. I love JD so flubbing much and I have said all this shtuff I’ve said about him with infinite quantities of mother-flubbing love.

P.S.S.  Doug just came home at noon, hours earlier than expected. We are saved! Maybe Thanksgiving won’t be completely flubbed up after all.

[northshoregadgets]

Mutt Lynch Winery Develops Dog-Inspired Wines — And Gives Back

When Brenda and Chris Lynch branched out from their corporate marketing careers in the wine industry and put their years of experience into their own winery in 1995, they couldn’t deny that they were confronted by “dogness” at every turn. At that time, they were devoted dog rescuers and had five dogs they adored. Just as they were opening their winery, there was a fire in a small outbuilding of the Healdsburg Center of the Sonoma Humane Society. “It was really more kismet that anything else,” Brenda said. “They were really good people at the humane society, and we saw an opportunity to give back in a real way besides just rescuing dogs.”

The Story Behind Mutt Lynch Winery’s Dog-Inspired Wines

Canine cuties from the Sonoma Humane Society at a winery event. Photography courtesy Mutt Lynch Winery.

Brenda and Chris called their first wine Humane DeBone and donated all of the profits to help the humane society. The wine sold out almost immediately. “We realized we had stumbled onto something,” Brenda said. “And helping the shelter became a big factor for us in where to go commercially.” Since then, Mutt Lynch Winery has developed its dog-based labels and slogans as well as its reputation for excellent wines. The winery has won numerous awards for its wines, primarily made by Brenda, who discovered her knack for winemaking only after starting the business. (Chris still works in marketing for larger winemakers.)

The wines’ creative labels, nearly all of which are a play on dog themes, have also won them a great deal of notoriety. Their labels are catchy — or should I say fetchy — with clever names like Canis Major Syrah or Merlot Over and Play Dead, along with evocative images of dogs on the labels. “We wanted people to be attracted by dogs so they go, ‘Ahhhh, that’s cute,” but the best is when they taste the wine and go, “Ohhhh!” Brenda said.

The winery’s limited mbf Zinfandel, with a picture of an open-faced black Labrador on the label, and the Primativo and Petite Sirah are regular medal winners. Their more creative and colorful labels are offered under the heading of “dog series.” The label images, such as a dog dancing with abandon on the Unleashed Chardonnay, are more whimsical. Designed by Rae Huestis Designs, the Mutt Lynch Winery’s labels have won numerous awards, including winning repeated honors at the San Franciso Chronicle Wine Competition, perhaps the most prestigious competitions on the west coast.

How Mutt Lynch Winery Gives Back to Dogs in Need

Brenda Lynch and her beloved dog, Patches. Photography courtesy Mutt Lynch Winery.

But no matter how many awards Mutt Lynch Winery wins, there is vital connection between the wines’ dog themes and images, and the Lynches’ work on behalf of dogs. A portion of all their sales goes to dog-oriented nonprofits, and the Lynches regularly donate or discount cases of wine to events that raise money for dogs. They also hold fundraising events in their tasting room. The events, of course, are aptly named: Bark Mitzvah, Howl-O-Ween and Yappy Hour, to name a few. The winery partners with Adopt a Pet, a pet adoption website in North America, and helps support dozens of nonprofits throughout California and around the country.

For Brenda, the ability to help dogs has been the fulfillment of a lifelong dream. She says when she was growing up there weren’t many rescue groups. “And I was that kid that came home with every cardboard box of whatever was in front of the grocery store. Our ability to give back is just a really good fit for who we are as human beings.”

Looking Toward the Future

One of Mutt Lynch Winery’s dog-inspired wines. Photography courtesy Mutt Lynch Winery.

Brenda said she’s not entirely sure where the winery will be in 10 years, but she hopes it will be able to continue as it has been. Brenda and Chris’ twin passions for making quality wines and helping dogs has been very rewarding for them.

“Our commitment to dogs is very real and a part of who we are,” Brenda said. “I think people sense that.”

Read more related articles on Dogster.com:

Can Dogs Drink Beer or Other Types of Alcohol?

5 Dog-Friendly Breweries to Check Out This Summer (Plus, Tips for Bringing Your Dog to a Brewery!)

3 Wineries Not to Miss If You Love Dogs

John Geluardi has worked as a journalist for 15 years, mostly as a political reporter. He has written feature-length stories on culture, crime and presidential campaigns and has won numerous first-place awards for his stories. He published his book Cannabiz: The Explosive Rise of the Medical Marijuana Industry in 2010. John is a longtime dog owner and dedicated student of the language of dogs. Each day, he looks forward to long walks with his dog, Corso.

Editor’s note: This article appeared in Dogster magazine. Have you seen the new Dogster print magazine in stores? Or in the waiting room of your vet’s office? Subscribe now to get Dogster magazine delivered straight to you! 

The post Mutt Lynch Winery Develops Dog-Inspired Wines — And Gives Back appeared first on Dogster.

from Dogster http://ift.tt/2vVF5GL via http://www.dogster.com

[buynewsoul]

Mutt Lynch Winery Develops Dog-Inspired Wines — And Gives Back

When Brenda and Chris Lynch branched out from their corporate marketing careers in the wine industry and put their years of experience into their own winery in 1995, they couldn’t deny that they were confronted by “dogness” at every turn. At that time, they were devoted dog rescuers and had five dogs they adored. Just as they were opening their winery, there was a fire in a small outbuilding of the Healdsburg Center of the Sonoma Humane Society. “It was really more kismet that anything else,” Brenda said. “They were really good people at the humane society, and we saw an opportunity to give back in a real way besides just rescuing dogs.”

The Story Behind Mutt Lynch Winery’s Dog-Inspired Wines

Canine cuties from the Sonoma Humane Society at a winery event. Photography courtesy Mutt Lynch Winery.

Brenda and Chris called their first wine Humane DeBone and donated all of the profits to help the humane society. The wine sold out almost immediately. “We realized we had stumbled onto something,” Brenda said. “And helping the shelter became a big factor for us in where to go commercially.” Since then, Mutt Lynch Winery has developed its dog-based labels and slogans as well as its reputation for excellent wines. The winery has won numerous awards for its wines, primarily made by Brenda, who discovered her knack for winemaking only after starting the business. (Chris still works in marketing for larger winemakers.)

The wines’ creative labels, nearly all of which are a play on dog themes, have also won them a great deal of notoriety. Their labels are catchy — or should I say fetchy — with clever names like Canis Major Syrah or Merlot Over and Play Dead, along with evocative images of dogs on the labels. “We wanted people to be attracted by dogs so they go, ‘Ahhhh, that’s cute,” but the best is when they taste the wine and go, “Ohhhh!” Brenda said.

The winery’s limited mbf Zinfandel, with a picture of an open-faced black Labrador on the label, and the Primativo and Petite Sirah are regular medal winners. Their more creative and colorful labels are offered under the heading of “dog series.” The label images, such as a dog dancing with abandon on the Unleashed Chardonnay, are more whimsical. Designed by Rae Huestis Designs, the Mutt Lynch Winery’s labels have won numerous awards, including winning repeated honors at the San Franciso Chronicle Wine Competition, perhaps the most prestigious competitions on the west coast.

How Mutt Lynch Winery Gives Back to Dogs in Need

Brenda Lynch and her beloved dog, Patches. Photography courtesy Mutt Lynch Winery.

But no matter how many awards Mutt Lynch Winery wins, there is vital connection between the wines’ dog themes and images, and the Lynches’ work on behalf of dogs. A portion of all their sales goes to dog-oriented nonprofits, and the Lynches regularly donate or discount cases of wine to events that raise money for dogs. They also hold fundraising events in their tasting room. The events, of course, are aptly named: Bark Mitzvah, Howl-O-Ween and Yappy Hour, to name a few. The winery partners with Adopt a Pet, a pet adoption website in North America, and helps support dozens of nonprofits throughout California and around the country.

For Brenda, the ability to help dogs has been the fulfillment of a lifelong dream. She says when she was growing up there weren’t many rescue groups. “And I was that kid that came home with every cardboard box of whatever was in front of the grocery store. Our ability to give back is just a really good fit for who we are as human beings.”

Looking Toward the Future

One of Mutt Lynch Winery’s dog-inspired wines. Photography courtesy Mutt Lynch Winery.

Brenda said she’s not entirely sure where the winery will be in 10 years, but she hopes it will be able to continue as it has been. Brenda and Chris’ twin passions for making quality wines and helping dogs has been very rewarding for them.

“Our commitment to dogs is very real and a part of who we are,” Brenda said. “I think people sense that.”

John Geluardi has worked as a journalist for 15 years, mostly as a political reporter. He has written feature-length stories on culture, crime and presidential campaigns and has won numerous first-place awards for his stories. He published his book Cannabiz: The Explosive Rise of the Medical Marijuana Industry in 2010. John is a longtime dog owner and dedicated student of the language of dogs. Each day, he looks forward to long walks with his dog, Corso.

The post Mutt Lynch Winery Develops Dog-Inspired Wines — And Gives Back appeared first on Dogster.

[stiles-wtf]

Mutt Lynch Winery Develops Dog-Inspired Wines — And Gives Back

When Brenda and Chris Lynch branched out from their corporate marketing careers in the wine industry and put their years of experience into their own winery in 1995, they couldn’t deny that they were confronted by “dogness” at every turn. At that time, they were devoted dog rescuers and had five dogs they adored. Just as they were opening their winery, there was a fire in a small outbuilding of the Healdsburg Center of the Sonoma Humane Society. “It was really more kismet that anything else,” Brenda said. “They were really good people at the humane society, and we saw an opportunity to give back in a real way besides just rescuing dogs.”

The Story Behind Mutt Lynch Winery’s Dog-Inspired Wines

Canine cuties from the Sonoma Humane Society at a winery event. Photography courtesy Mutt Lynch Winery.

Brenda and Chris called their first wine Humane DeBone and donated all of the profits to help the humane society. The wine sold out almost immediately. “We realized we had stumbled onto something,” Brenda said. “And helping the shelter became a big factor for us in where to go commercially.” Since then, Mutt Lynch Winery has developed its dog-based labels and slogans as well as its reputation for excellent wines. The winery has won numerous awards for its wines, primarily made by Brenda, who discovered her knack for winemaking only after starting the business. (Chris still works in marketing for larger winemakers.)

The wines’ creative labels, nearly all of which are a play on dog themes, have also won them a great deal of notoriety. Their labels are catchy — or should I say fetchy — with clever names like Canis Major Syrah or Merlot Over and Play Dead, along with evocative images of dogs on the labels. “We wanted people to be attracted by dogs so they go, ‘Ahhhh, that’s cute,” but the best is when they taste the wine and go, “Ohhhh!” Brenda said.

The winery’s limited mbf Zinfandel, with a picture of an open-faced black Labrador on the label, and the Primativo and Petite Sirah are regular medal winners. Their more creative and colorful labels are offered under the heading of “dog series.” The label images, such as a dog dancing with abandon on the Unleashed Chardonnay, are more whimsical. Designed by Rae Huestis Designs, the Mutt Lynch Winery’s labels have won numerous awards, including winning repeated honors at the San Franciso Chronicle Wine Competition, perhaps the most prestigious competitions on the west coast.

How Mutt Lynch Winery Gives Back to Dogs in Need

Brenda Lynch and her beloved dog, Patches. Photography courtesy Mutt Lynch Winery.

But no matter how many awards Mutt Lynch Winery wins, there is vital connection between the wines’ dog themes and images, and the Lynches’ work on behalf of dogs. A portion of all their sales goes to dog-oriented nonprofits, and the Lynches regularly donate or discount cases of wine to events that raise money for dogs. They also hold fundraising events in their tasting room. The events, of course, are aptly named: Bark Mitzvah, Howl-O-Ween and Yappy Hour, to name a few. The winery partners with Adopt a Pet, a pet adoption website in North America, and helps support dozens of nonprofits throughout California and around the country.

For Brenda, the ability to help dogs has been the fulfillment of a lifelong dream. She says when she was growing up there weren’t many rescue groups. “And I was that kid that came home with every cardboard box of whatever was in front of the grocery store. Our ability to give back is just a really good fit for who we are as human beings.”

Looking Toward the Future

One of Mutt Lynch Winery’s dog-inspired wines. Photography courtesy Mutt Lynch Winery.

Brenda said she’s not entirely sure where the winery will be in 10 years, but she hopes it will be able to continue as it has been. Brenda and Chris’ twin passions for making quality wines and helping dogs has been very rewarding for them.

“Our commitment to dogs is very real and a part of who we are,” Brenda said. “I think people sense that.”

John Geluardi has worked as a journalist for 15 years, mostly as a political reporter. He has written feature-length stories on culture, crime and presidential campaigns and has won numerous first-place awards for his stories. He published his book Cannabiz: The Explosive Rise of the Medical Marijuana Industry in 2010. John is a longtime dog owner and dedicated student of the language of dogs. Each day, he looks forward to long walks with his dog, Corso.

The post Mutt Lynch Winery Develops Dog-Inspired Wines — And Gives Back appeared first on Dogster.

[daddyslittlejuliet]

Mutt Lynch Winery Develops Dog-Inspired Wines — And Gives Back

When Brenda and Chris Lynch branched out from their corporate marketing careers in the wine industry and put their years of experience into their own winery in 1995, they couldn’t deny that they were confronted by “dogness” at every turn. At that time, they were devoted dog rescuers and had five dogs they adored. Just as they were opening their winery, there was a fire in a small outbuilding of the Healdsburg Center of the Sonoma Humane Society. “It was really more kismet that anything else,” Brenda said. “They were really good people at the humane society, and we saw an opportunity to give back in a real way besides just rescuing dogs.”

The Story Behind Mutt Lynch Winery’s Dog-Inspired Wines

Canine cuties from the Sonoma Humane Society at a winery event. Photography courtesy Mutt Lynch Winery.

Brenda and Chris called their first wine Humane DeBone and donated all of the profits to help the humane society. The wine sold out almost immediately. “We realized we had stumbled onto something,” Brenda said. “And helping the shelter became a big factor for us in where to go commercially.” Since then, Mutt Lynch Winery has developed its dog-based labels and slogans as well as its reputation for excellent wines. The winery has won numerous awards for its wines, primarily made by Brenda, who discovered her knack for winemaking only after starting the business. (Chris still works in marketing for larger winemakers.)

The wines’ creative labels, nearly all of which are a play on dog themes, have also won them a great deal of notoriety. Their labels are catchy — or should I say fetchy — with clever names like Canis Major Syrah or Merlot Over and Play Dead, along with evocative images of dogs on the labels. “We wanted people to be attracted by dogs so they go, ‘Ahhhh, that’s cute,” but the best is when they taste the wine and go, “Ohhhh!” Brenda said.

The winery’s limited mbf Zinfandel, with a picture of an open-faced black Labrador on the label, and the Primativo and Petite Sirah are regular medal winners. Their more creative and colorful labels are offered under the heading of “dog series.” The label images, such as a dog dancing with abandon on the Unleashed Chardonnay, are more whimsical. Designed by Rae Huestis Designs, the Mutt Lynch Winery’s labels have won numerous awards, including winning repeated honors at the San Franciso Chronicle Wine Competition, perhaps the most prestigious competitions on the west coast.

How Mutt Lynch Winery Gives Back to Dogs in Need

Brenda Lynch and her beloved dog, Patches. Photography courtesy Mutt Lynch Winery.

But no matter how many awards Mutt Lynch Winery wins, there is vital connection between the wines’ dog themes and images, and the Lynches’ work on behalf of dogs. A portion of all their sales goes to dog-oriented nonprofits, and the Lynches regularly donate or discount cases of wine to events that raise money for dogs. They also hold fundraising events in their tasting room. The events, of course, are aptly named: Bark Mitzvah, Howl-O-Ween and Yappy Hour, to name a few. The winery partners with Adopt a Pet, a pet adoption website in North America, and helps support dozens of nonprofits throughout California and around the country.

For Brenda, the ability to help dogs has been the fulfillment of a lifelong dream. She says when she was growing up there weren’t many rescue groups. “And I was that kid that came home with every cardboard box of whatever was in front of the grocery store. Our ability to give back is just a really good fit for who we are as human beings.”

Looking Toward the Future

One of Mutt Lynch Winery’s dog-inspired wines. Photography courtesy Mutt Lynch Winery.

Brenda said she’s not entirely sure where the winery will be in 10 years, but she hopes it will be able to continue as it has been. Brenda and Chris’ twin passions for making quality wines and helping dogs has been very rewarding for them.

“Our commitment to dogs is very real and a part of who we are,” Brenda said. “I think people sense that.”

John Geluardi has worked as a journalist for 15 years, mostly as a political reporter. He has written feature-length stories on culture, crime and presidential campaigns and has won numerous first-place awards for his stories. He published his book Cannabiz: The Explosive Rise of the Medical Marijuana Industry in 2010. John is a longtime dog owner and dedicated student of the language of dogs. Each day, he looks forward to long walks with his dog, Corso.

The post Mutt Lynch Winery Develops Dog-Inspired Wines — And Gives Back appeared first on Dogster.

[jeffreyrwelch]

Mutt Lynch Winery Develops Dog-Inspired Wines — And Gives Back

When Brenda and Chris Lynch branched out from their corporate marketing careers in the wine industry and put their years of experience into their own winery in 1995, they couldn’t deny that they were confronted by “dogness” at every turn. At that time, they were devoted dog rescuers and had five dogs they adored. Just as they were opening their winery, there was a fire in a small outbuilding of the Healdsburg Center of the Sonoma Humane Society. “It was really more kismet that anything else,” Brenda said. “They were really good people at the humane society, and we saw an opportunity to give back in a real way besides just rescuing dogs.”

The Story Behind Mutt Lynch Winery’s Dog-Inspired Wines

Canine cuties from the Sonoma Humane Society at a winery event. Photography courtesy Mutt Lynch Winery.

Brenda and Chris called their first wine Humane DeBone and donated all of the profits to help the humane society. The wine sold out almost immediately. “We realized we had stumbled onto something,” Brenda said. “And helping the shelter became a big factor for us in where to go commercially.” Since then, Mutt Lynch Winery has developed its dog-based labels and slogans as well as its reputation for excellent wines. The winery has won numerous awards for its wines, primarily made by Brenda, who discovered her knack for winemaking only after starting the business. (Chris still works in marketing for larger winemakers.)

The wines’ creative labels, nearly all of which are a play on dog themes, have also won them a great deal of notoriety. Their labels are catchy — or should I say fetchy — with clever names like Canis Major Syrah or Merlot Over and Play Dead, along with evocative images of dogs on the labels. “We wanted people to be attracted by dogs so they go, ‘Ahhhh, that’s cute,” but the best is when they taste the wine and go, “Ohhhh!” Brenda said.

The winery’s limited mbf Zinfandel, with a picture of an open-faced black Labrador on the label, and the Primativo and Petite Sirah are regular medal winners. Their more creative and colorful labels are offered under the heading of “dog series.” The label images, such as a dog dancing with abandon on the Unleashed Chardonnay, are more whimsical. Designed by Rae Huestis Designs, the Mutt Lynch Winery’s labels have won numerous awards, including winning repeated honors at the San Franciso Chronicle Wine Competition, perhaps the most prestigious competitions on the west coast.

How Mutt Lynch Winery Gives Back to Dogs in Need

Brenda Lynch and her beloved dog, Patches. Photography courtesy Mutt Lynch Winery.

But no matter how many awards Mutt Lynch Winery wins, there is vital connection between the wines’ dog themes and images, and the Lynches’ work on behalf of dogs. A portion of all their sales goes to dog-oriented nonprofits, and the Lynches regularly donate or discount cases of wine to events that raise money for dogs. They also hold fundraising events in their tasting room. The events, of course, are aptly named: Bark Mitzvah, Howl-O-Ween and Yappy Hour, to name a few. The winery partners with Adopt a Pet, a pet adoption website in North America, and helps support dozens of nonprofits throughout California and around the country.

For Brenda, the ability to help dogs has been the fulfillment of a lifelong dream. She says when she was growing up there weren’t many rescue groups. “And I was that kid that came home with every cardboard box of whatever was in front of the grocery store. Our ability to give back is just a really good fit for who we are as human beings.”

Looking Toward the Future

One of Mutt Lynch Winery’s dog-inspired wines. Photography courtesy Mutt Lynch Winery.

Brenda said she’s not entirely sure where the winery will be in 10 years, but she hopes it will be able to continue as it has been. Brenda and Chris’ twin passions for making quality wines and helping dogs has been very rewarding for them.

“Our commitment to dogs is very real and a part of who we are,” Brenda said. “I think people sense that.”

John Geluardi has worked as a journalist for 15 years, mostly as a political reporter. He has written feature-length stories on culture, crime and presidential campaigns and has won numerous first-place awards for his stories. He published his book Cannabiz: The Explosive Rise of the Medical Marijuana Industry in 2010. John is a longtime dog owner and dedicated student of the language of dogs. Each day, he looks forward to long walks with his dog, Corso.

The post Mutt Lynch Winery Develops Dog-Inspired Wines — And Gives Back appeared first on Dogster.