#the other party didn't realize I had returned and I just listened to them basically badmouth me and call me stupid for several minutes

[beauty-grace-outer-space]

People sure do be testing my patience today. 

[klmp11s]

Fic Idea: MC!Reader who wants to sleep with Rook for the first time. Not as an innuendo but genuinely sleep with him in his bed and get ready for bed together. They're so nervous but also enthusiastic. There's something much more intimate to this than a slumber party.

Lmao I had to re-read the information about Rook and look for what his room looks like 🧍(English is not my first language, sorry for any mistakes)

Summary: the reader spends the night (literally, like just a sleep with him in his bed or sleepover) with Rook Character: Rook Hunt Warning: MC gn!reader, 2,2k words, ooc (And I don’t listen to anyone covers ears with hands/j), fic, hints at feelings (Platonic or romantic, at your discretion), one (1) mention of other students (and Grim), one (1) phrase in French, I'm not sure if it's correct, but I hope so

Rook Hunt

You might have expected your somewhat humorous proposal to be rejected, but surprisingly Rook wasn’t at all opposed to spending the night with you. This idea came to your mind quite by accident when you were once again convinced that your dorm was not the best place to sleep. But, for sure, you have friends from other dorms! At first your freshman friends came to your mind, but you understand that with them you are unlikely to be able to relax normally, at that moment, one particular hunter boy came to your mind. Basically, why don't you take a chance?

You were really glad that he didn't refuse you. Still, this is also a chance to get to know him better, why not? Also, your cat companion said that he would rather go to sleep with the first-years than with you at Rook’s. You decide not to force him; on the one hand, you can understand him. You had also heard a couple of rumors from other students about Rook, but you never gave them much thought. Yes, he's a little weird, but is that such a bad thing? It's much harder to find a student who is NOT weird at this college, so you don't see any problem with that.

Not much time has passed since you found yourself in this world. So you don’t have a lot of things that you might need for the night, quite convenient? You agreed with Rook that he would meet you at the mirror in his dorm, closer to night.

Grim had long been taken away by two first-years of Heartslabyul and you calmly waited for the time of the meeting. For the first time in a long time you are in silence, with all the happenings in this college, you even forgot how nice it is to spend time alone. And it’s true: there was always someone next to you, be it Grim, other first-years or older students. You were almost never alone with your thoughts. While you sit in silence, you realize that you don’t know at all what to talk about with the hunter. You saw each other quite often, but your conversations were almost always “about nothing”. Maybe you can ask him about his family? Friends? Or the times before your appearance in this world? In return, you could tell what you remember from your world. Equivalent exchange.

Your gaze drops to the clock. There are ten minutes left until the appointed time, well, it's time for you to go. You take your bag and throw it over your shoulder, yes, it is too light. If you remember, you used to really want to have sleepovers with your friends, but you didn't expect that one of them would be in another world, did you?

Already in the mirror room you see a familiar silhouette in a hat, waving to you. Both arrived on time, good. You hear the manner of speaking that is already familiar to you and approach your friend. – Oh, mon Trickster! You arrived just in time, so shall we go? – you are greeted by his burning green eyes and his hand extended to you. Well, there's no turning back, right? You take his hand and from that moment on your “first French overnight stay in another world” begins.

On your way to his dorm, you take another look at the building. Yes, sheer perfection. You would also like your dorm to look like this. Majestic and sophisticated - this is how the Pomefiore dorm was. Walking into the dorm itself, you still take in the interior while your companion leads you in the direction of his bedroom. And really, maybe your dorm could someday look even remotely similar to this?

Rook lets you into his room first and comes in behind him. His room looked almost exactly as you had imagined. You turn your head to your interlocutor and see how he silently looks back at you. Staring game? He bows his head and begins to tell you about how his day went. His hand carefully removes the strap of your bag from your shoulder and he places it on the chair. You hear about how he met Leona today, but he was not very eager to maintain a dialogue. His hat rests on the table and he sits cross-legged across the bed from you.

– So what did you want to do, mon Trickster? – His eyes look at you and it seems to you that he is ready to burn a hole in you straight to your soul. You feel a certain nervousness under this gaze and your interlocutor notices this. You look him up and down and answer calmly. It’s already dark outside, it’s time to sleep soon. I think you know what people usually do at sleepovers, Rook. - you look out the window. The sun has already gone down and the sky is starting to darken after the picturesque sunset that happened some time ago. – enlighten me? Of course I know, but many people have different ideas about this, don't they? Tell me yours. – you look into his eyes and sigh. You need to think about, well, sleepovers - conversations, some kind of movie, obviously sleep and? Your idea of sleepovers is not very different from the standard perception of other people. Maybe there are differences in another world?

– any differences? I think we could just go about our nightly routine and talk. Even though we sometimes talk on campus, I barely know anything about you. But I'm not sure, maybe there's something that in your world you usually do at sleepovers with friends? I wouldn't mind hearing from you too. Will this answer satisfy you? – you see how Rook breaks into a smile. His gaze sweeps across the room and back to you.

– I think yes. This answer is in your spirit, Trickster. So, you want to know more about me, right? It would be fair if I also satisfy my curiosity about you, – You see your interlocutor stand up. – night routine? If that's what you want, then let's go. - he waits until you reach him and heads, as you understand, to the bathroom.

Okay, you should have expected this. You haven't seen so many skincare products for a long time. You are more than sure that his dorm leader worked hard for this. You sit on the side of the bathtub and watch as your friend takes out skincare products. You look up at his face and are scared for a second. Does he have to look at you when he is literally standing sideways to you? Do you think it's time for you to get used to this - but the heart still sometimes forgets to beat next to this person. Even such small things on his part may surprise you.

When you finally take your eyes off his eyes, you notice that Rook is without gloves for the first time. Wow? This is actually the first time you've seen his hands without accessories. You watch as he rolls up his sleeves and you swear you feel your face start to burn. Okay, you don’t deny that your friend is attractive in appearance, but this is the first time in your memory that you have seen so much of his skin. You hear people quietly giggling above you and look away. The sound of water fills the room and you close your eyes. A couple of seconds pass and you feel something cold on your skin. You open your eyes and watch as your friend applies one of his products to you. Wants to do all the work for you? Okay, you raise your head a little higher and Rook continues to massage your facial skin. Does the smell sound familiar to you, did Vil recommend it to you? You close your eyes and feel the touch of skin on skin. However, it's not so bad. After a couple of minutes you feel something cool, face cream? The hands finally release your face and you look back at your companion. Jokingly you tell him: – My turn? - your hand pats the empty space next to you and you see Rook smiling at you.

– how nice of you, mon Trickster. How can I refuse you? – now you are in his place. He calmly explains the sequence of application of certain products and looks up at you expectantly. Okay, since you signed up for this, why not?

You touch his face for the first time, as expected of a Pomefiorе member - no matter how much he climbs trees and other places, his skin is really soft. The entire time you were busy with his face, he was looking at you. You don’t even know if you’re just used to it or if you just don’t care anymore. When you're done, you help him clean everything up and the two of you go to his room.

The sun has long gone below the horizon, and his dorm is certainly quiet, but not like yours. You feel the difference - a calming silence after a hard day or a lonely and oppressive silence. You would really like to have magic if only to get accepted into any other dorm.

While you and he were walking back, you decided to find out about Vil and Epel. You didn't see them in or around the dorm. Rook begins to talk about how Vil spent almost the entire day with Epel in etiquette lessons and that Epel, although not happy, is making progress. At that moment, a memory comes to your mind of how Epel once ran into your dorm just to hide from his dorm leader, you tried to hold back a laugh when you remember his hairstyle that day and his angry exclamations about the fact that he was ready to be transferred to your dorm so as not to endure this anymore. Honestly, you'd be glad. The more people, the better, especially if it's one of your friends. Maybe your dorm would be more fun then.

You don’t notice how you are already sitting on Rook’s bed and looking at the clock. It’s approaching twelve o’clock in the evening, you’re really glad that you offered Rook a sleepover for Friday evening, otherwise you’re sure that even in your dreams you wouldn’t be able to get up as usual. You hear the door to the room open and your friend comes in, already changed into pajamas. Oh, you completely forgot about that.

You grab your bag and follow Rook's example, exit and head back to the bathroom. Sometimes you are not even sure that you understand your own thoughts and actions. After all, you really chose a hunter out of all your friends and didn’t doubt it for a second. Yes, he could refuse, but for some reason you were sure that he would agree. You spent several hours with him, but for some reason you didn’t speak for almost the entire time. This silence did not press, on the contrary, you did not even feel the need to talk about something. You would be happy to listen to Rook's stories, but you feel that you will not be upset if you spend this evening in silence. The usually very talkative Rook sat calmly on the bed waiting for your return. He's also not sure why he's talking to you less than usual today. What are you doing with him? You really are interesting. A person from another world, you do not have claws or great physical strength like other students of the same Savanaklo, but other students also respect you and listen to you. How did you manage to become an important variable in this college in so much time?

Directing his gaze to your newly entered silhouette, Rook finally begins to speak. – you don’t mind sleeping in bed with me, do you, mon Trickster? – you glance at his figure. As expected, his purple clothes suited him. Just sleep together for one night, you don’t see this as a problem and agree with your interlocutor. He begins to tell you about how the nights passed in the place where he was born and grew up. Rook really knows the art of oratory, you heard him for a while and even asked him questions. Maybe you can also tell him something about where you are from. You are starting to test the waters. Starting your story first in general terms, until your friend gestures for you to lie down with him. You fall silent for a moment as he lies down on his stomach and rests his chin on his hand. He gestures for you to continue talking, and having made yourself comfortable, you continue talking.

You shared with him some moments before and during your stay in this world and he never interrupted you.

Finally, you begin to feel your thoughts getting confused and drowsiness begins to overcome you. You close your eyes and feel someone else’s hand carefully pulling you towards him and stroking your head. Maybe you'd really like to do it again. Already drifting off to sleep, you wrap your arm around the body next to you and pull him closer to you. Above you you hear a gentle whisper.

– Bonne nuit, mon Trickster.

Maybe you really would like to spend some time alone with him again. Or even invite him to your dorm? Maybe he really can brighten up your stay in this world, but now you really want to think about something else. And maybe he won’t mind brightening up your stay here.

The characters do not belong to me, they belong to their rightful owners, please do not edit, translate, repost my works on other platforms, also without my permission and @

[ironstrange1991]

More Than Just A Song

Fluffy / Comfort

Yes, I will use any image of Stephen/Ben without his goatee/beard as Supreme Strange

Pairing: Supreme!Strange x Fem!Reader (Same pair from Don't Let Me Go)

Warnings: None, this is just fluffy

Word Count: 0,840k

A/N: I had this song in my head for weeks and it always made me think of Stephen, I don't know why, but I had this scenario in my head for days and I needed to write it. It's cute and all, but if you know the ending of this pair and assimilate it to the lyrics of the song it's incredibly heartbreaking, so I strongly recommend that you read Dont Let Me Go after or before reading this ;)

Stephen always had difficulty recognizing his flaws, but certainly not accepting his limitations and being annoyed by not knowing or not understanding a subject was one of them.

It was probably the silliest thing in the world, which made him even angrier, but ever since you returned from your trip to Iceland which you went to attend a science fair sponsored by Stark Industries, you haven't stopped singing a song.

You hummed that song at work all day, you sang it in the shower or when you were cooking, to the point of humming that song one night after you had sex. You were lying on your back on the bed, his head was on your shoulder and you were drawing circles on his shoulder totally oblivious to anything and when he realized you were humming it.

Usually he loved to hear you sing. Not that you were any good at it, you were totally out of tune, but he loved to hear you humming around the house. He also liked how eclectic you were in your tastes that ranged from Beethoven to ACDC, but the problem was that you listened to music in languages ​​he didn't know and that was exactly the case.

Stephen knew the basics, he was good at French, he understood Spanish reasonably well, but that was all. You on the other hand were fluent in at least eight languages, the most recent being Icelandic and you kept singing that Icelandic song that wasn't exactly bad but irritated him by leaving him out, because it was something he didn't know, that he didn't understand and he didn't like not knowing and understanding things.

When he got over his pride and finally asked you what that song was about you just smiled at him saying it was just song that played nonstop on radio when you were in Iceland and it got stuck in your head, but it didn't feel like just any song, not when you had it in your head all day and for weeks on end .

Sometimes he caught you distracted looking at him and humming it, you had this habit of looking at him distracted when he was working or even when he was at the Sanctum doing something, you stopped doing what you were doing and kept looking at him. Usually he was flattered, but he became intrigued by understanding that there seemed to be a connection between the song and him for you, but what connection would that be and would it be a good thing after all?

He's reached the edge of ridiculousness by questioning Sue Storm at a dinner party about the song. You and Sue were friends and she laughed when he asked and told him the name of the song and the name of the singer and that night, you were sleeping next to him, he took his notebook and put on headphones finally finding a video of the song with English subtitles and that's when he understood.

Stephen wasn't necessarily romantic, you didn't have a song or even used to celebrate dates, but the realization of what that song meant, what all those moments meant made him soft.

He heard it a couple of times before putting the notebook on top of the nightstand and looked at you sleeping and without holding back he lay down next to you pulling you by the waist to settle closer to you and kissed your cheek, your eyelids, your nose until you wake up.

You smiled at him with your eyes still closed "Why aren't you sleeping?"

He sighed touching your face "Because I was busy investigating something that had been driving me crazy for weeks"

You frowned, running your hand over your face, not understanding "From work? Why didn't you tell me?"

He denied smiling "Not from work. About you and that damn song."

You didn't seem to understand and he pulled you to his lips and then whispered in your ear "Nothing can pull me away from you now. I hold on tight to you. No one can love me like you do."

You smiled ear to ear, immediately recognizing the snippet of the song.

"Next time you want to confess your love to me try a song in a language I know."

You chuckled putting your arms around his neck and rolled over him putting your legs around his waist "Do you know what that means? That I was on the other side of the world when I first heard this song and all I could think about was you. There’s only you."

He smirked, his hands tight on your waist "And that means..."

You kissed his lips softly and then purposely bit his bottom lip

"That I love you Stephen Strange and nothing in the world will separate me from you."

"They wouldn’t even dare to try, Miss Stark." He brought a hand to the back of your neck, pulling you into a passionate kiss.

You can listen to the song on Spotify HERE or on Youtube HERE And you can read the english translation HERE ;)

You will find it on my Spotify playlist too.

Leave a comment if you liked it. Interact! I will love to read all of your comments and opinions. It inspires me to keep writing ;)

MASTERLIST

Taglist: @graveyzxbabe @dontmindme262 @bloodyflowerrr @insanelyobsessedwithdilfs @sassenach-on-the-rocks @iobsessoverfictionalmen @sherlocksgirl91 @dragonqueen89 @newtsniffles @strangelockd @evelynrosestuff @cute-angi @whiskeyho @prix1994 @sherlux @xourownsidee @rbymoon @kakashibabe02 @hobimysolecito @geeky-politics-46 @lykaonimagines @d0ct0rstrangewife @classickook

[caffeine-and-computers]

The Turing test.

Waverly was mad at the world.

Why? 'Cause she was going to end up alone. It was the only outcome that she could actually see happening.

'Cause she faked every interaction she had outside of her immediate family. She went to classes and ran into people she knew, and waved, 'cause that's what you're supposed to do, and if they started a conversation, she smiled and her voice rose a couple' notes and she answered the pre-recorded, correct answers, provided information when they asked for it, smiled and nodded and pretended to listen when they talked when really she wasn't even there. She fell into the part without even realizing it, just started acting. Acting and dissociating. Sometimes, she played it a little more "real", a little closer to the truth, but really she was just playing a slightly different part, the part of the shy, awkward girl. Because people find shy, awkward girls cute, then leave them alone. She went on Tinder and swiped on people based on looks and a few basic criteria and occasionally remarked on how her mother would think this was shallow. It's OK, depth will come later, right? She waited for them to message her first. She Googled "what to respond to [their message]", or copied and pasted it into ChatGPT. She agreed to meet them for coffee and fell into the part once more. The fake smile. The slightly higher voice. She'd noticed her head tilts slightly to the left when she fakes a laugh. You're so funny. Oh, that's so interesting. It was nice meeting you. We should totally do this again.

They do it again. She fakes it again. She pretends that she likes spending time with him, maybe even convinces herself that she does. It takes about a month, maybe two, before she realizes that she thinks of his name and no feeling comes to mind. She wears his hoodie to the homecoming street party because that's what she's supposed to do. It looks so big on her, isn't that adorable? She holds his hand, they share a drink, she plays the part.

Tell me, what do you feel when I let you kiss me? When I let you touch me? If I gently run my fingertips along your skin and breathe your name while your lips graze my neck, will you believe that I am into this too? Is this what I'm supposed to do?

Sometimes she tried to romanticize it, pretend that she was some kind of badass Femme Fatale and this was all part of her ingenious plan, but she wasn't sexy or seductive, and the best she could get them to believe was that she was normal.

In movies on TV and in books, people have so many feelings. The more Waverly read, the more she came to believe that she had three. She could feel angry, she could feel down, and she could feel energized. She supposed stressed, too, if that counted as an emotion. If she was lucky, she might feel two at the same time. But all those colourful little subtleties, she seemed to be missing. Affection was something she'd heard of, but couldn't remember the last time she'd felt. Grief made sense on paper, but she couldn't give you one personal example. And horror, revulsion, heartbreak, anguish, passion, enchantment, love -- she didn't know if she even had the capacity to understand the concepts. She felt as though she saw the world in greyscale, while everyone around her spoke of a near-infinite spectrum of bright jewel tones and deep, mixed and layered and contrasting hues.

The issue, the more she thought about it, wasn't actually that she couldn't feel emotions. No, that didn't sound right. Upon further consideration, she came to the conclusion that she just couldn't feel them for other people. No one could make her care. She would end up alone because no relationship she built ever had the potential to be real. If she tried very, very hard, she could make you like her, and you would project your humanity onto her and convince yourself that your feelings were returned.

As she sipped her tea in the living room of the apartment she shared with roommates she barely spoke to, she pondered her recent discovery that AI detectors would often flag her writing as AI generated. She tested it once on a section of a report she wrote for school because she was curious. Wasn't that interesting? Apparently, she was indistinguishable from a robot.

She wondered if she would pass the Turing test.

[bryan-damage]

Okay, so, in 1992 I discovered Ween because they were on Beavis & Butt-head and my friend Charlie Inferno was weirdly fixated on them, so I bought Pure Guava, likely in 92 or maybe early 93.

This was one of those albums that sort of grew on me. It was weird but some of the songs on it really resonated, like "Don't Get 2 Close 2 My Fantasy" was my favorite. In 1993 I was listening to a lot of the new Alternative Rock sound that was popular at the time, wearing a Nirvana t-shirt and a flannel, long hair, all that.

At the end of 1993, for various reasons (undiagnosed mental health problems and manipulative parents, some other shit), I dropped out of college and returned to my home town and spent the first half of 1994 delivering pizza and living with my parents. I did move out for about two months to live in a party house that Spring, but it didn't really work out.

Charlie and I had started taking the occasional road trip to Sioux Falls early that year, before the snow was done. Sioux Falls was a smallish city two hours away but they had a Best Buy and a Musicland and maybe one or two other places to buy music, and I always kept a list of bands with me to look for whenever I went shopping for CDs.

So on one trip out, I found a copy of God Ween Satan: The Oneness, which we usually just called The Oneness.

For us, it was a major discovery. We had no clue at all that Ween had more than just the one album, so finding it was like "Holy shit, look at this!" Of course I bought it, and we listened to it with my portable CD player with the cassette tape adapter, as was the style at the time.

I recall one night when I was still living in the aforementioned party house, Charlie and I and this other guy named Scumbag Jimmy got our hands on some kind bud, took it to my basement bedroom at the party house, got super high and put The Oneness on and holy fuck, what a trip. I especially remember the song "Black Jack" fucking my shit right up.

I don't know how long it was after that, but in a subsequent trip to Sioux Falls I found a copy of The Pod and once again, there was a whole "Holy fucking shit, there's ANOTHER Ween album?!" moment for us. Once again, we drove home and listened to this weird-ass album.

We were both pretty hooked on these albums, although part of my music tastes in 1994 included a pretty dramatic shift into punk music, starting with Dead Kennedys. I don't think The Pod hit either of us as hard as The Oneness had, but it grew on me quickly regardless.

In May of 1994 I went to visit some other friends at a lakeside cabin and spent a few days out there, and during the trip a few of us had basically dumped out of CD collections so we could look through each others' stuff. Someone had that Leonard Cohen album, you know the one.

It was a pretty funny revelation for me, since I did not realize that the cover to The Pod was just, you know, this Best of Leonard Cohen album with Mean Ween's face superimposed. I don't think I'd ever examined the image very closely, lol. A few of us pretty amused by this revelation, though.

(For context, none of us were of a generation who knew who Leonard Cohen was until a movie called Pump Up the Volume appeared in 1990 and featured two of his songs. That's why the person who owned this album had it, because the soundtrack of the movie was just that good. We all loved that movie.)

Anyway, that was the first half of 1994. Then Ween released their fourth album later that year.

[hyperfixations-org]

Security Breach Headcannons

I currently have a hyperfixation for Security Breach so here are some dumb headcannons I have.

(I might regret this in the morning. Nope, I WILL cringe at this in the morning. But that's a problem for future me)

SECURITY BREACH SPOILERS ⚠️

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Gregory actually takes a place in the internship program at Fazbear Ent. That they mentioned briefly in game. They train him to work in Fazbear Ent. in return they give Gregory some necessities, like food. (Mostly to get him to shut up about everything that happened in the Pizzaplex. But hey, free food is free food.)

Despite Gregory having a history of being homeless and living in a box, he actually really likes boxes! He doesn't really mind cramped spaces and if he sees an open box, he will instinctively climb into it and make it into his own little fort.

The other animatronics would 100% join Gregory in his box fort, before a guard whisks the rest of the animatronics away.

Roxy and Monty are still salty about Gregory decommissioning them, so they don't warm up to him immediately. Monty comes around due to him and Gregory being chaotic as hell, he enjoys watching Gregory cause havoc around the Pizza plex. Roxy takes the longest to warm up to him because she hates the fact that he not only stole his eyes, but she can really comprehend the idea of a nine year-old beating her to the punch.

Roxy is secretly proud of the fact that Gregory knows how to drive, (shes feels like her racetrack had something to do with his skills), but she will never admit that shes proud upfront. She does race with him when she gets the chance though.

Chica after hearing Gregory used to live on the streets now proceeds to stuff Gregory with anything she can find in the kitchen or anything she can make herself. At certain point Freddy or a guard will have to get Chica to stop because she is either giving Gregory WAYY too much food or is completely destroying the kitchen in the process of cooking.

Gregory took a while to warm up to the animatronics and when Freddy tried to introduce Gregory to them when they weren't murderous and malfunctioning. During their visit, Gregory still has his faz-glock. Basically Monty ends up accidently spooking Gregory and he shoots Monty in the face. He's still wearing his sunglasses so this doesn't work on him, prompting Gregory to run away at full speed towards Freddy and hiding in his hatch. Roxy and Chica laughed as Monty stood their, disappointed.

In an AU where vanny isn't Vanessa, Vanessa STILL doesn't pass Gregory's vibe check even though he knows that she's good and takes the longest for him to warm to. Vanessa attempts many times to talk to Gregory but fails miserably, mostly annoying her in the process.

I.E

V: " what do you wanna want to be when you grow up?"

G: "Fuck off"

V: " Ok listen here you little shi-"

(the idea that Vanessa is good but Gregory is still like "Fuck you" is so funny to me ok?)

Gregory had tried to murder a map bot before Freddy stopped him.

Monty and Roxy both teach Gregory tp insult people, mostly just to piss off Freddy

Sundrop used to have tea parties with the caution sign and security bots when no one was in the daycare. But now he gets to have tea parties with the animatronics AND the service bots.

Moondrop didn't like Gregory until he played fazer-blast with him. Both of them bonding over the fact they are both scarily competitive.

Gregory has on multiple occasions attempted to eat Sundrop's glitter glue and failed after sundrop took it away.

When the animatronics come across rude customers, Freddy, Chica and Sundrop would genuinely try to calm down the customer. Monty and Moondrop would just menacing stare at them. Roxy would roast the customer, then if the customer said anything rude back she'd just cry.

Freddy would come to Gregory's Parent-Teacher Conference in a not-so-great disguise, confusing the hell out of the teacher, and instead of realizing Freddy is a robot. They think he's a drug dealer.

In the "drive off into the sunset ending" multiple people driving on the road have questioned their sanity after seeing a child driving a car with a 7ft robot in the passenger seat.

Gregory has fallen asleep in Freddy's birthday cake hatch before.

Gregory has hidden in Freddy's hatch when the pizzaplex was open and when he hopped put of the hatch another child saw what happened and also has definitely been traumatized after witnessing that.

Gregory on multiple occasions has asked Freddy if he could use him as a mech suit. Freddy is always taken aback by the question, forgetting that he got a child that always chose violence.

Freddy slowly starts to come back to Bonnie bowl over time and tells stories to Gregory about his old friend.

Bonnie has multiple times used himself as a bowling ball and rolled down the lane, and continued to do so even if he got injured because he found it funny.

[theswaggyrat]

Haikyuu Boys Reacting to y/n Crying During a Fight

Volleyball Boys x Reader // y/n Crying During a Fight // Dating!!Haikyuu cw ~ angst//fluff//foul language ft. bokuto, akaashi, kuroo, kenma, lev, sugawara, kageyama, hinata, tsuki plot - the boys accidentally make y/n cry without realizing Most likely Part 1

Bokuto

bokuto was in the midst of scrolling blankly through his phone, having just finished cleaning up your bedroom like you had asked

you rushed out of the bedroom, asking him questions about what he'd thrown away, and that's when it began

you were fighting about how bokuto had accidentally thrown away something special to you

bokuto kept insisting it was an accident and you shouldn't be so upset at him

but of course, it was something special to you, something your mother had given to you before you lost her

soon enough, bokuto slipped up out of annoyance and mumbled "you're being such a baby about basically nothing" which stung like crazy

you would turn away, in a huff, at least that's what bokuto thought at first

he waited for you to respond, at least giving you the respect to do so

he immediately realized when you didn't respond back that you must've been hurting, the way you brought both hands to your face and left them there

this man must've felt so guilty once he saw the tears

he would intertwine your fingers together, squeezing your hands to reassure you that he didn't mean it

he apologized as he kissed your knuckles softly, promising to ask before getting rid of things that weren't his

later there'd be big cuddles in bed

"I love you, darling. I'm sorry for being a big dummy, please forgive me."

Akaashi

akaashi would have just come home from his part time job

instead of getting a kiss on the cheek per usual, he had to walk into his room to find you sitting on the bed, arms crossed and eyebrows scrunched up

when the fight began, akaashi put little to no effort into listening to what you had to say

so childish, he thought, for you to start an argument over the fact that it took him an hour or two to text back

he stayed calm while you rambled and rambled on, not listening to a single word that came from your mouth

fighting with akaashi always made you frustrated and sad, but some things just get pushed to the edge

in the spur of the moment, he turned towards you and said "you're only mad because I'm the only one you can talk to"

he left you speechless, and with a sigh, turned back to what he'd been doing

you, on the other hand, brought a finger to your lip as it began to quiver. you bit it, fighting the urge to cry, but eventually allowed the tears to slip down silently

it didn't hurt that he said that, specifically more the fact that he ignored your feelings and everything you'd said

akaashi asked if you wanted ramen, and you tried to reply as calmly as you could, but your voice cracked

because of the voice crack, you had stopped talking and akaashi began to realize why

he turned around and pulled you into his arms, rubbing small circles into your back

he told you to tell him your problem with him again, that he'd listen this time and wouldn't ignore you

offered to make ramen as a sign of apology

"it's alright, hun. I'll turn my notifications on and make us some ramen."

Kuroo

you had just returned home from a party, but you felt as if you wanted to throw up

my mans left you alone with a couple of his friends, going to talk to some more of his friends - who had a few female friends, each taking a small liking to kuroo

this wasn't the first time it happened

he looked open for anyone to take too, looked as single as could be

so when you returned home, you were fed up with him

he noticed the look on your face and asked you what was wrong, or if you needed some water

when you responded back with the fact that he'd left you alone again and went off to talk to some girls, kuroo just laughed at you

questioned your jealousy in a joking manner

you went on, leaving yourself vulnerable to him as you tried to explain your feelings

of course, it was kuroo, so he didn't understand

he waved it off, accidentally saying something around the lines of "stop worrying, they're just friendly girls who want to talk. no big deal, now leave me alone about it"

which was literally the worst possible thing to say, only causing the feeling of jealousy and worry to grow

so you whispered "fine" and left the room, going into the bathroom to take your makeup

when kuroo came in to flirt with you, he noticed your reddened eyes immediately (he loved to look into your eyes, they were pretty)

he wanted to hug you and comfort you, but you pushed any physical affection away. you just wanted him to listen to you

so he sat down on the counter in front of you, showing you that he would listen

"next party we go to, I'll have you 'round my arm the whole time. nobody in the whole world could replace you, babe."

Kenma

you'd be sitting alone in the living room, hearing kenma yell at his game once more

you felt distant, lonely, and a little annoyed. kenma was, once again, in the middle of his game instead of giving you just the smallest bit of attention

so you got up to talk to him about it

he had just finished a round when you came in, taking a quick glance at you before returning to his game

when you came up to him, he muted his game and cocked his head in question

you asked to hang out, and he replied with he was playing a game

but he was always playing a game, never hanging out with you

he would roll his eyes at this, and throw insults all around the room, insults that would bounce of walls and strike you as hard as they could. so you did the same back, even though it might not hurt him

he didn't even look at you when he argued, just at his game

when he was tired of talking to you and ready to go back to his game, he slipped the headphones back on and finished with "you knew dating me would be like this. it's on you for thinking any different"

when you left the house, he thought nothing of it, and honestly didn't care much

but when you didn't return that night for bed, he began to worry

he called you, and after a couple of tries, you finally picked up

when you began to tell him that you were at your friends for the night, he noticed the soft sniffle that you tried to hide

he asked for you to come home, saying he needed to show you something, so you did

he asked you if you were free to hang with him the next day, and you were astonished - and when you smiled slightly under the warm tears, he would pull you onto the bed with him and attack your face with soft kisses

"yeah, yeah. I'll take a break from gaming more often for you."

Lev

you noticed lev placing his items in the same places you specifically asked him not to do the last time you tried to have a serious talk with him

you kept tripping over his things, which he had a bad habit of scattering all over the place

he said he would, but you knew he never really took you seriously

you were so small compared to him, and he was a humorous guy, so he didn't ever take anything you said as serious as you might've meant it

when Lev came home from practice one day to find you moving his things around, he was a little offended and looked at you with his nose scrunched up

you glared at him, annoyed by his reaction to your actions

you told him about how you tripped again, and he simply said sorry but told you not to move his things

it got pretty heated after that, and Lev laughed at multiple things you'd said to him

"just look where you're going. it's not a big deal so stop overreacting"

when you responded to him with a harsh "nothing ever is" and then left to your room, almost tripping over more of his stuff along the way, he immediately felt bad

he picked up his things and moved them before going into the room you shared

you'd ignore him, hiding under the sheets of your bed, scrolling through your social feeds

he would take a quick shower, so you took this as a moment to let all your feelings out by crying

when he finished, you thought you were in the clear. but when he climbed on top of the bed and into the sheets with you, you realized you were still crying even though you hadn't felt any tears

he would take you in his arms, spooning you. he apologized for not taking you seriously and that he was a bad boyfriend for that

you reassured him that it was alright, happy that he finally got the message

"I cleaned up my things by the way, love. tell me if you need me to do anything else, okay?"

Sugawara

you had been looking around for suga, feeling a little negative about yourself and you wanted a bit of comfort from your boyfriend

but of course, he was nowhere to be seen. you last saw him in the morning before he left to go to Daichi's house

he'd be back in a few hours, like everyday. he was never around

so you panicked, hiding in your bed and allowing the negative thoughts to spread and pollute your mind, unable to stop them on your own

when suga arrived, you had moved on and were now reading a book, so how would he know what you went through without his help? it had ended only half an hour before he arrived

when you called for him, he came in curiously, ready to help his lover with anything

but then you began to question him going out everyday

he shrugged it off at first, saying he could do what he wanted and it should be fine

you argued back with him about it, causing him to get angry with you

"listen, if you don't like me just spending some time with my friends during the day then you don't have to stay. you can just leave our relationship"

the thought of leaving suga and him being the one who told you to do it pained you, and suddenly you felt sick

you began to cry, unable to control the soft whimpers that made their way to his ears

he came to your side and wrapped his arms around you, caressing your cheek with his hand

when you finally opened up to him about what had happened a few times before when he was gone, boy he felt so bad and would not stop apologizing

"daichi can wait, you always come first."

Kageyama

you were waiting for a response from kageyama, having asked if they could go on a date anytime soon - or just hang out

when he replied, it was a no, saying he was hanging out with Hinata for the most part on those days

he had promised to spend time with you this week, just like the week before, but ended up spending time with Hinata instead

when Kageyama returned that night, he found you laying in bed, fiddling with the sheets anxiously

he asked what was wrong, only to receive a small huff in response

you're being stubborn, but that's alright, he's being a jerk

he pushed a little more so you finally gave in, telling him how you felt about never being able to do anything together because he was always out with hinata

this made him explode, yelling his head off about how he could do what he wanted and how hinata was his best friend, ect.

"hinata makes me happier than you ever could"

once the words left his mouth, he had left himself speechless

you got up with a nod, mumbling a quiet apology before leaving

he wasn't the type to chase after someone, but he did just this once

he was scared that another person he loved would leave because of something he did again, so he went after you

when he did get to you, he hugged you with so much force that you almost fell back. he closed his eyes tightly, feeling your tears soak his shirt

he apologized repeatedly, promising to never make you cry again

"even though hinata's my best friend, he can't ever make me as happy as you do."

Hinata

you looked around for hinata, but no signs of him appeared. you were supposed to go out and get lunch together

not knowing what to do, you called him

he answered quickly, saying he was in the midst of his volleyball practice

you frowned, reminding him of your date

he sighed, pointing out the fact that he had volleyball practice

you began to argue, pointing out the fact that you had planned a date but you always have practice during the date

this caused you to start asking questions about if he really even wanted to date you, if he even wanted to make time for you if he couldn't even just go on a date once, if he could maybe stick to his plans and give you a heads up when he couldn't go

hinata started to rush his words as he was being called back to practice, so he accidentally allowed a mean sentence to slip

"if you don't want to support me going to practice, then I'm not going to support us"

it wasn't so much of a break up sentence, more of an insult and a warning

you knew he didn't mean much by it, but you hung up and sat down, squishing yourself into the corner of the couch

not too long after, the front door opened, causing you to jump in fear of someone seeing you in tears

you tried to dry them as fast as you could, but you couldn't dry them fast enough

the orange haired boy ran inside, jumping onto the couch where you were sitting, and attacking you with cuddles

he would repeat things like "I didn't mean it" "I love you" and more

although he was sweaty, he was more focused on wiping your tears away

"I'm sorry, y/n! really, really sorry. I didn't mean it so please forgive me! we can go out to lunch now, I'll pay!"

Tsuki

when tsuki had moments like these, where he never left the bathroom, it always made you worry

he never talked to you, never let you in, and it would be like this for a whole day at most

today though, you've had enough and you wanted to see him happy and full of confidence again

so when you knocked on the door and entered, it left tsuki surprised and a bit annoyed. last time you entered during these days, tsuki had grumpily told you to go away

so when he said that today, you shook your head and stood your place, asking him what was up and if he needed a hug

he groaned and waved you off, telling you that he didn't need your help or pity

you tried to convince him otherwise, letting him know that you were only trying to make him feel alright

you never intended to start an argument, but the conversation eventually slipped into that category

once tsuki shouted, "I fucking hate you! you're an ass of a lover and can't even let me be when I want to be alone!" you knew you had overstepped your boundaries

even though it was selfish, you couldn't stop the tears that had welled up and pushed past your wall in hopes to stop them

tsuki's face softened slightly and he looked away, still waiting for you to leave

with quiet sobs, you did, and you hid in the closet to let out as much as you could so you could at least be there for tsuki

so you could be a good lover like he wanted

to your surprise, tsuki walked in a few minutes later. you stared at each other for a moment. tsuki was never the best at comforting others, or at using his words

so he sat down next to you, snaking an arm around, and pulling you closer. that was how he'd apologize, complimenting small things about you like "you smell nice", "your hair is really soft today", and "your outfit looks good on you".

you understood, leaning into his touch just the slightest bit more

"wanna go get some ice cream later? we can talk about things then, if you still want to."

[floresmarique]

THREAD: THE COBRA KAI BOYS AS BOYFRIENDS (SPICY STUFF INCLUDED)

Johnny;

You met him in a bar and he offered you a drink

Ended up having sex on the same night because the sexual tension was too much

He asked for your number the next day

"Would you like to do that again?"

You ended up dating

A G E G A P

When you found out he was teaching in a dojo, you wanted to join in but he snapped

"You are gonna be a distraction for me, babe"

Showed up anyway the next day at the dojo just for the sake of making him mad

He kept your relationship as a secret to his students

A N G R Y S E X I N H I S O F F I C E A T N I G H T

He likes to snuggle you before sleeping because he wants to feel you next to him

He's a soft bby when he's sleepy

He likes to see you wear his clothes

He made you wear his large black gi and laughed his ass off

He ✨railed you✨ right after that

Your arguments are mostly about him wanting to beat up someone and you trying to make him think about that

Sometimes you both have the same ideas and an apocalypse happens

He is ✨possessive✨

Likes to call you with pet names such as; babygirl, babe and, when's he's being really soft, also angel

Secretly dreams about your wedding and family

"I'd like our son to have your eyes, my hair colour and my physiognomy. He's gonna be a fucking badass."

When he's feeling good, he wakes you up in the morning with a breakfast he made himself

Most of the times the pancakes are burned but you still eat them to make him happy

He likes rough sex or to passionately make love to you

Has a kink for choking-

Likes when you get dominant

Sometimes he needs reassurance in the most inappropriate moments

"Babe, do you still love me?"

"Yes Johnny, i love you but we are at a funeral-"

He snores a lot and you have to slap his face in the middle of the night to make him stop

You have a kink for him with a beard

"Don't shave it- fuck me in that before"

He likes it when you call him "Sensei"

Your relationship is basically a comedy but you love each other to the core

Daniel;

You met him at the end of the 80s at the University

He spilled coffee on you by mistake and started to stutter

You chuckled and saw that he was an hottie so you didn't get mad

He tried to wipe the coffe away from you shirt with his jacket but made the situation worse

Accidentally touched your boobies and died inside

You both crushed on each other and started to hang out together

NEVER SEPARATED AFTER

He asked you to marry him after 3 years of relationship-

You obviously said yes

His mother showed you embarassing pics of him when he was younger

Daniel watched everything from afar with a 'i really want to sink into the floor and enter another dimension' glance

Your first time was sweet and intense

You then discovered that he was ✨KiNkY✨

You were sHoCkEd when you realized he had a daddy and choking kink

He likes lingerie on you

You know shit is about to go down when he returns home from work and stays silent till he gets close to you

"You were on my mind all day, love"

HE LIKES TO CALL YOU DIRTY NAMES TOO-

You like to spy on him while he is practicing his Karate skills

You literally begged for him to train you

He eventually tried to train you but you always ended up kissing and ✨fucking✨

Your arguments are about you getting mad at him because he forgets important things and him getting mad at you because you don't forgive him quickly

You give him the silent treatment when you're mad

He teases you till you start laughing and showers you with material gifts

"I'm sorry honey, can you please forgive me now?"

He doesn't snore when he sleeps but moves so much to the point of accidentally pushing you out of the bed

When you fall asleep while cuddling, he will stay in that position all night

Likes to see you with his button up shirts

He's the most romantic bby in the world

Your relationship is so good that is envied by many people-

Miguel;

You met him in a grocery store

While waiting in the line, he 'accidentally' bumped into you

"I like those cereals too!"

You started talking so much that when it was your turn, the cashier had to call you three times YELLING

He asked for your number out of the grocery store and immediately texted you when you turned your back to him to walk away

He made silly jokes just to make you laugh

When he saw you at school, you waved at him but he runned away while his two friends stood there confused

"Sorry, i wasn't mentally prepared to see you there, like that, it's a lot of pressure-"

You thought that it was pretty cute that he felt embarassed so you brushed it off

After two months he finally asked you to go on a date with him at the Arcade

Your first kiss was goofy and you bursted out laughing in his face

He then cupped your cheeks and gave you a vEry intense kiss

You were officially together after that

When you first visited his house, his grandma offered you a joint that you refused but it made you support her to the maximum-

Carmen treated you as you were already his wife-

When you first mentioned the word 'sex' to him, he started to sweat

You then realized he was an horny boy because whenever you touched him even just to caress him, he had an erection-

You both were unexperienced virgins

When you first gave him a blowjob he literally screamed

Your first time was slow and romantic

"Is this okay? Does it hurt?" Every five seconds

He felt a man after losing his v-card

He ALWAYS holds hands with you, even at school

After seeing you at the tournament to support him, he sent you a wink that made you squeal-

He celebreated the victory of the tournament with a party in your panties- (if u know what i mean)

He likes to send you sweet texts while you're sleeping so that you can read them the next morning and wake up with a smile

Arguments???? What are those????

He never wants to fight with you because he's too scared to lose you

He will let you know if something is bothering him anyway

He is a softie, what do you expect?

Tells you that he loves you at least 3 times a day

Relationship goals

Hawk;

He had a crush on you before becoming Hawk

Was literally too scared of rejection to ask you out but found the courage after he completely changed his whole vibe

You said yes, obviously

You went went out to eat and then had a walk while he rested his arm around your shoulder

Your first kiss was a full make out session-

He also grabbed your ass and you didn't mind-

When you told him that you liked him even before, he didn't believe you

He liked to act like a badass infront of the others but was completely vulnerable with you

He once cried while talking to you about his past and fell asleep in your arms right after

You liked to help him style his hair and you were also the one that dyed them everytime

Your first time with him happened during a make out session

He didn't use protection and you got mad at him for that

"Babeeee c'mon, i pulled out! the worst that can happen is a little Hawk, nothing bad about it"

He dies of jealousy everytime someones looks at you but acts like he doesn't care

You know he cares and you tease him about it-

Which leads to a very intense fuck-

His mother loves you SO MUCH

Literally so much that sometimes he jokes about it

"I think you love her more than you love me???"

You had just one serious argument and it was about you getting mad at him for how he treated his old friend acting like a bully

He told you to ✨fuck off✨

At 3:00 am he was knocking at your door crying desperately

"I'm sorry, please, i'm sorry"

You tried to act tough but when you saw him you started to cry too

He understood what you meant and listened to you

Your relationship has up and downs but your love is strong so you overcome every difficulty together

Demetri;

You met him in the Science Lab

"You know, i think that what you're doing is wrong and i know how to make it right"

Little did you know that he would have used the same mechanism with your heart too-

He wasn't the type that crushed over girls but when he saw you, not even his smart mind knew what was happening to him

He narrowed his eyes at you when you wanted to sit next to him at lunch

"Well if you want to get bullied then, you can sit here i guess"

He was too awkward to ask you out so he sent Miguel to talk to you-

The situation made you laugh so you accepted

Your first date was at your house because he told you he didn't like crowded places

You watched 'Tron:Legacy' and you loved to see how excited he got during the movie

You made the first move and kissed him

"Why did you do that?"

He stood up right after and headed to the bathroom

You heard him talk alone while you regretted your life decisions

After 20 minutes he returned in your room and kissed you before you could speak

People couldn't believe he was dating someone at first

He liked to show you off because he thought you were the prettiest girl he ever met

He still had troubles telling you everything

He got a ✨boner✨ everytime you hugged him

You never had the sex talk, it just happened

"Why are you on your knees- oh"

Having sexual experiences boosted his confidence

It really made him less of a smartass but also very paranoid

"What if you're pregnant now?"

"I swallowed, i can't get pregnant like this! I thought you were smarter than that."

Your first time was kinda awkward and short but you weren't surprised about it

As time went by, he started to get more comfortable with his sexuality and became a very gentle and passionate lover

He had his whole future with you all planned out

He loves to call you "Honey"

Your arguments are mostly about movies or books you both like

He takes them seriously tho and you kinda like to see him full of rage

"Just accept it, i'm right and you are wrong. I still love you anyway, honey"

It took him some time before he started to feel comfortable with cuddles

He doesn't like P.D.A because he prefers to have you all to himself without anyone watching

He likes to hold hands with you anyway

Your relationship is strong and everyone thinks you were both made for each other

Robby;

You first saw him at the tournament

You were in the Cobra Kai dojo-

You both shared som glances and at the end of the tournament you congratulated with him even tho he lost

He acted a little bit cold and just nodded

The day after he called his father just to ask about you-

Johnny knew what was up and helped him, combining the both of you

You are the main reason why Johnny and Robby got closer

When you found out your Sensei was his father, you understood why Robby was so hot-

Your first date was pretty chill and it was at the cinema

You both knew each other better, whispering in the middle of the movie

He was a flirt ALL THE TIME

But also a sweet bby

Your first kiss happened at the end of the night infront of your house

He went from "angel baby boy" to "your daughter calls me daddy too" very quickly

Johnny acted like it wasn't a big deal but asked about you two at least 2 times a week after training

Robby couldn't keep his hands to himself whenever you were around

You snogged EVERYWHERE when you had the opportunity

He invited you multiple times at his house since his mother was never around

You let him vent about his relationship with his parents and listen to him

Your first time happened on his couch

It started with you simply cuddling while watching a movie and then an heated make out session happened

It was slow and passionate with him whispering to you how much he loved you

When he told you he was a virgin before you and always lied, you didn't believe him

He is a sucker for P.D.A

You are both two jealous bastards and your arguments are mostly about jealousy

You were jealous of Sam and a big argument started because of that

He reassured you, telling you that he only had eyes for you

He secretly is a bottom most of the time-

But when he takes control, he will ✨rail you✨

He's proud of you and loves to show you off

He LOVES cuddles so much and can't sleep if he doesn't feel your fingertips in his hair-

Your meeting with his mother was awkward since she was with another man-

He is ✨protective✨ and will never let you get hurt

Loves to see you blush while he tells you sweet things

Got mad when you told him that you thought Johnny was hot

"He is my father!"

"Yeah and you both have the same DNA, so both hot-"

Gave you the silent treatment after but lost it when he found you with only one of his shirts on the bed-

He always has new ideas whenever you two hang out together

"We should go climbing-"

He is so romantic, like DAMN-

"I'm a gentleman in the streets and a beast in the sheets"

Calls you "babygirl" everytime

Your relationship is long lasting and never boring

Aaaaa this is my second thread lmao, hope you liked it- ♡

[17caratssi]

Wonwoo! Will you stay

Jeon Wonwoo! A short series pt one | two | three | four

Lub-dub lub-dub lub-dub! It was so close AHHH! That was a bold move! I can't believe he didn't throw me off!!

You're over the moon for the rest of the day. You have been under the weather for some days, and your parents are worried about it. Seeing you like this, they feel at ease.

You begin to anticipate tomorrow. Will your relationship with Wonwoo turn for the better? This is what makes school exciting!

However, Wonwoo feigns ignorance whenever you try to have a conversation with him. It goes on for another two days, and he still has nothing to say to you.

Not to mention, Somi and Umji also avoid talking about him during the break. They never answer your questions regarding Wonwoo, and it put you into a dispiriting mood again.

In the aftermath, you lose concentration during the computer class. In fact, your head is full of him. Your two best friends give you hints about Wonwoo's matter, but they're just superficial.

My mind is a mess.

After the class, you block Wonwoo's seatmate's path and begin questioning- more like interrogating.

"Tell me, is there any problem Wonwoo is having these days?"

Kihyun averts from your scrutiny. He refuses to talk.

"Come on, tell me," you persuade him into confessing. As a seatmate, he must know a tiny bit about Wonwoo. "I won't tell him that it's you who said to me. Sounds good?"

"He's not stupid,"

That's very true. Hmm...

"I will bear the responsibility. Just spill it," you convince him. This time, you're sure you'll get to the matter.

Kihyun sighs.

"A few third-year students have been picking up fights with him. I think Wonwoo was triggered by something they said. By the way, I remind you of a thing,"

"You shouldn't be near to him. You know that he's a scholarship boy, right? There's an unspoken rule here in Sejong High..."

That's your wake-up call. No wonder Wonwoo calls you 'stuck-up rich kid', and now you realize that you might've looked down on him, unintentionally.

He was right. I'm a stuck-up rich kid with no shame.

Although Kihyun tells you all that, you're still on the surface. What has possibly put him off at that time? You want to know more.

As you walk to the cafeteria, Somi and Umji are busy talking about the former's boyfriend.

"My boyfriend's birthday is coming but I don't know what to give him," Somi sounds helpless as she snakes her arms around yours and Umji's.

You don't put your focus on her, so you don't reply.

Umji thinks for a while before sharing her idea. "Your boyfriend is rich enough to buy everything so what if you bake him something? That'd be rather special- at least for me,"

They never stop afterwards. It amuses you that the two has yet to have their topics exhausted. They keep going on!

After getting the snack, the three of you is about to return to class but is stopped by the crowd. They run toward the field.

"The new kid is fighting with a senior!"

"Damn, he's got gut!"

Somi and Umji simultaneously peek at your expression. "Wonwoo? Hey Y/N! Oh my god, don't tell me-"

"Wait for us, Y/N!"

Half of the first-year students watch the fray. Some are cheering for the guy senior, and you panic.

Your imagination runs wild. As much as you hate seeing a fight erupts, you hope Wonwoo isn't the one receiving the senior's blow!

Your small frame slips easily through the throng, and the situation shocks you.

Umji manages to catch you while Somi's being pulled away by her boyfriend. "We better go now!" she gives you a quick pull but you're not moving an inch. She frantically observes the situation and heaves a sigh at the sight of the security.

"WHAT ALL OF YOU DOING HERE?" The security runs faster to the crowd and breaks off the fight. Wonwoo huffs and puffs; showing his dissatisfaction toward the guy he had punched.

The senior has a gang; they help him up. Wonwoo is the one left unattended since he's alone. You watch him from the side and is on the horns of a dilemma.

You know it's no good if you go help Wonwoo now with all the attention directed to him.

Out of the blue, one of the seniors speaks up. "Apologize to Juwon and we'll act nothing happened just now," It's obvious he's intended to embarrass Wonwoo in front of many students.

He smirks when his words hit the target. Mutterings are loud in the air as the audiences express their opinions.

"Wonwoo, don't apologize!" you yell. Your voice was loud enough for the circle to pay heed to you. You cower as a response and Umji slaps your arm.

The senior snickers and voices out again."Boy, you better give in to him. His father is a person you couldn't afford to offend,"

Juwon slouches against his friend and finally says something at his friends. "If he doesn't want to admit defeat, we can take this matter to the teachers. Let's see if this parasite can win against me," he sneers.

The involved parties are eventually called to the office. You insist to accompany Wonwoo and he has nothing to say about it.

"I'm on your side, Wonwoo! Don't be scared of them. If anything happens, I'll protect you!" your fingers clench and you look up to Wonwoo who's quiet since the row had ended. Little did you know, he takes a quick glance right after you turn your head.

'Just what this meek creature can do...'

-

The time in the office feels tedious. Wonwoo hates the rich kids that are only good at blabbering and settle everything with their parent's standings.

"I won't call my parents just for this trivial matter but I have one condition,"

The teachers think the senior makes a great deal with Wonwoo, and since they don't want to be visited by the superior parents they push him to seize the offer.

You and Wonwoo leave the place as soon as they agreed with the deal. Wonwoo remains silent.

"They're so childish! That's more like punishment," you huff with your arms crossed. You can't believe the senior wants Wonwoo to be the ball boy for the basketball club.

"Why do you like to intervene?"

"Huh?" you stutter. This is the first time you get to hear his voice today.

"To be honest, I don't know,' you shrug. Your body and mind seem to be unallied when it comes to him. Even the latter warns you to not get entangled with other's business, the former just ignores and go with it.

"By the way, don't you think the senior is more stuck-up than me?" You ask excitedly as you lean to him and wait for his response. You want to change the impression he has about you.

Wonwoo takes in the view in front of him as he faces your question. Surprisingly, he feels less irritated by it.

He slows down his walking pace as he takes notice of yours. Wonwoo holds his hands at his back and fakes a thought.

After enjoying the hopefulness in your eyes, he gives the answer. "It seems like it," he says.

Due to the revelation from Wonwoo himself, you cover your mouth in excitement. Wonwoo watches as you turn tomato from his word and walks ahead.

In a hurry, you ask. "So you'll naturally sign up with the basketball club?" He raises his shoulder slightly and then nods.

Your heart soars louder and unintentionally, it echoes across the hallway. "Got it! I'm coming too!"

Since then, your life has revolved around Wonwoo. Occasionally, he would ask for personal spaces, and even though his changes are almost negligible, you don't mind.

Being around him the whole day is fun. You get to know his habits, his favourite food and drink, or basically all about him. Not, you do seem like an ordinary girl chasing after a guy.

Wonwoo, on the other hand, feels like he has a friend. He ghosts you daily, but your presence fills a spot next to him.

The two of you get accepted into the basketball club. Every Tuesday, Wonwoo will stay at school for two hours to be the ball boy. Not that everyone tries to be silent about it, but there's this girl who keeps waiting for the guy.

She's pretty, and her hair compliments her exquisite, doll-like features.

She never pays attention to other guys as if her eyes are glued to the ball boy. The green-eyed seniors want to embarrass Wonwoo even more because of that.

"Hey ball boy, the bottles are empty. Refill them!" the senior who took Wonwo's punches shouts. You quickly get up and help Wonwoo. "Let me help!"

Wonwoo lets you take 2 bottles as he carries the other 6. "Go home after we go back,"

"Why? I want to stay with you,"

Wonwoo has no idea whether you intended to flirt with him or casually announced that, but surely, he is flustered.

He regains composure and gives a response.

"What a dimwit," the seniors are gawking at you, and you overlook that?

He wishes he could deliver that very sentence, but he may sound jealous. Well, I'm not.

"I'm here to protect you, didn't I say that before? So, stop pushing me away cuz I won't leave you."

You don't realize that your attendance by Wonwoo's side just creates another problem for him. His workload increases by tenfold due to the green-eyed seniors.

Once the game is over, Wonwoo fulfils his duty and cleans the court. In the meantime, you listen to songs on the bench.

Wonwoo has done a lot of work and this is one nothing to him. He finishes just when everyone exits the place. He thinks that you might have returned home. You aren't there when he checks out the place you've been sitting at.

Only when he walks out the hall that he accidentally eavesdrops on the conversation between you and the seniors.

He could guess the topic and he looks at the corner. If he steps just a bit forward, they will see him. And he does that.

Shoving his hands into his pockets, he then presents himself.

"Just say no if you don't want to be his girlfriend. Don't waste your time,"

Enlightened, you turn the senior down and run to Wonwoo. You complain at how bad his proposal was and Wonwoo chuckles.

"What do you do at the weekend?" as you wait for your chauffeur, you build a conversation with him.

Wonwoo isn't a person to be so friendly with someone. He thinks for a while as he contemplates to answer the question.

"Study in the library,"

Wonwoo is a smart student, and his answer doesn't come off as a surprise to you. "I've never been to a library before. I meant in this area but which one do you frequent?"

There are only two libraries in the area, and Wonwoo has only been to the small one since it's closer.

"Ooh, OK then." swiftly, you take a note of it. Just right after that, you see your family car drifts into the parking lot. "Oh! My car's here. I have to go now." you wave at him in a distance and shout. "Don't stay too long under the sunlight! Bye-bye!" then you disappear into the car.

When you arrive at the library on Saturday, you quickly scan the area for him. Lucky you the place is just up to your energy to find him.

You stride from one isle to another. It's probably the physics section when you find a familiar back.

"Hey," you whisper from the back. Wonwoo is so immersed in his reading and you bet he wouldn't have noticed you if you hadn't appeared before him after that call.

With a cheeky smile, you say. "Let's go out,"

He examines the surroundings and realizes that you come alone. "What are you doing here?" his volume is practically below scolding to avoid making a fuss in the quiet place.

"You ask too much! Come on," You jog to his side and help him pack his stuff.

"I only ask once, and I did not agree to you,"

Not bringing too many necessities, you wind up less than a minute. "Shh... Just come with me, will you?"

♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡

If you like this story, you might as well check out the others here !

[crazy-loca-blog]

The Newlyweds Game: Friends Edition

A/N: It's Zoom time! This week, the whole gang has decided to have a Zoom party to unveil the darkest secrets of Edenbrook's hottest couple. Bree tried to choose three candidates but it was impossible, everybody wanted to participate; however, as Tobias is the newest member of this group, many of these questions don't apply to him, so he'll be acting as the moderator of this session to make sure that everybody speaks.

As usual, thanks to the lovely @jamespotterthefirst for sending this weekly challenge. Girl, you have no idea how much you've helped me to have some distraction from work this week! It's been insane! I really needed it!

Tobias: Well, are we all here?

Ethan: Why do I suddenly feel like we're under a microscope?

Casey: Because we are... well kind of.

Kyra: This is going to be so much fun, we've been reading your answers for weeks already!

Casey and Ethan: *in unison* You have?!?!

Elijah: *smirks* Yeah, we even read the spicy ones.

Jackie: *smirks* Especially the spicy ones.

*Casey and Ethan blush furiously*

~~*~~*~~

Questions for the friends:

Tobias: How did you first find out about their relationship? Were you surprised?

Jackie: Duh, the kiss at the gala...

*Everybody laughs*

Jackie: *not understanding anything at all* What? We all saw them kissing that day! That's how we found it out! We teased this poor girl for days after it!

Kyra: I second Jackie, but I think that was more of a confirmation... so it wasn't a surprise because we all kind of knew it way before that...

Bryce: Jackie, I can't believe you didn't see it before! I confirmed something was going on before the softball game... I remember Ethan didn't want to play with us, but he changed his mind as soon as Casey asked him to do it...

Rafael: During one of our conversations after the attack, I remember Casey telling me that Ethan had been there with her that night after I went into a coma. It made sense with the fact that Ethan had confessed right before the attack that he wasn't single. That's when I knew it.

Sienna: No, no, no, it was way before that...

*While Elijah tries not to laugh, Casey and Ethan look at Sienna... are they scared?*

Sienna: If you were observant, you could really see the looks between them during Casey's trial... you just knew that something was going on there, that's when I found it out.

*Casey and Ethan breathe a sigh of relief*

Harper: *surprised* Really?!?! I mean, I know I told Ethan that he was biased, but I thought you had waited until Casey made it to the team to close the deal!

Casey: *smiling* What do you think, babe? Maybe it's time that we finally tell them the truth... they've been incredibly loyal to us...

Ethan: *smiling* Do you think they'll forgive us?

Casey: Yeah, they will... Naveen is definitely the one who found it out first, and he was right about us... would you do us the honor?

Naveen: Of course, my dear Casey... I'm sure that if you weren't surprised before, you'll be surprised now... I found it out after they returned from Miami, when they attended that conference during Casey's intern year...

*Everybody is in shock, and for like 5 seconds no one says a word. Naveen, Casey and Ethan just chuckle*

Aurora: Wow, you did manage to fool us after all! Have you been in a relationship since Miami?

Casey: Not really... Miami is when we knew we had feelings for each other. About a year after that we decided to give it a shot, just to see where things were going, and then we became official about a year and a half later.

Tobias: *surprised* I think none of us saw this coming. Okay, next question.

Tobias: How was the rumor mill at Edenbrook once they went public? Did you have to defend their honor?

Naveen: Maybe I'm the one to blame here because rumors started even before they had an actual relationship. Many people thought that Ethan had given Casey the spot in the team, when it was actually me. And that led to people saying things that weren't true.

Jackie: Interns and residents can be tough, I've had to deal with a couple of them in the past. They know better now.

Bryce: People will always talk, no matter what, even if they don't know you, I know from experience.

Aurora: I know what you mean, Bryce. Of course I think people are entitled to have their opinion and to believe what they want to believe, but they have no right to make up things just for fun. That hurts.

Kyra: Life in the administration can be very boring, so talking about other people's lives is like an everyday thing. But they wouldn't dare saying a negative thing about them in front of me, they knew we are friends.

Sienna: The nurses asked me a lot about them. There were mixed opinions, especially when they began dating in public, and they still say a lot of things about them, but they make sure I'm not listening to them because I may have had to stand up to some of them in the past.

Ethan: One of the reasons why it took us so long to have an actual relationship was because of that. I don't care about people talking about me, but I couldn't stand the idea of people talking about her, especially when she was an intern and she was proving to be an incredible doctor.

Casey: I honestly don't think you ever got my point when we talked about that and maybe the girls can help me here. You kept saying things were complicated, but especially when you're a woman, the chances that people say awful things about you are pretty high, no matter if they're true or not. It's sad, and unfair, and plain stupid, but it's like it comes with the package.

*All the girls nod in agreement*

Ethan: I will never understand that...

Harper: That's because you're a man and you don't gossip about anyone...

Kyra: Exactly, it's said that women are usually the worst enemy of another woman for a reason... I'm so glad that any of the people in this room follow that motto.

Tobias: What was your first impression of Ethan? Did he fit into the friend group right away?

Aurora: It was weird! My aunt's ex was dating one of my best friends, I had to process it for a while.

Harper: *laughing* But we had already broken up a long time ago!

Elijah: I think it was particularly strange for us, the roomies, basically because it was our boss dating one of us, so we didn't know how to act at first. But then we all learned to relax and you could tell it wasn't too long before he was one of us.

Kyra: He was the one who introduced me to Casey and then I worked with him when I was part of the administration, so it wasn't a big deal, we were used to have these informal interactions. He looked happier though.

Rafael: Same as Kyra. Ethan, Bryce and I go together to the gym, so it wasn't a change at all... it was an added bonus to the relationship we already had.

Tobias: We can't talk about Ethan, but I think me, Harper and Naveen could talk about Casey and we all would agree on our opinion. If someone had told us 10 years ago that Ethan would meet a person who would make him question all his morals and principles, that he would fall in love with that person and that he would end up marrying that person, we all three would have thought it was a terrible joke. She definitely turned his world upside down.

*Harper and Naveen nod in agreement*

Tobias: What’s the most adorable thing they do as a couple?

Sienna: They way they look at each other... it melts my heart.

Jackie: They're annoyingly cute... I can't believe I just said that, I need a drink now...

Rafael: They are very affectionate, maybe not with words, but with actions. Like they're always hugging, holding hands...

Harper: You could tell they are each other's best friend without even knowing they're married.

Naveen: They know how to communicate. They don't even need to talk to each other and they know exactly what the other wants to say. And it's been like that since they were friends.

Bryce: They are definitely couple goals. I think they have the type of relationship we all would like to have in our lives.

Kyra: Especially because of the big house and the money.

*Laughs*

Tobias: Which of their dates would you have liked to crash?

Bryce and Jackie: *in unison* All of them!!

*Laughs*

Naveen: I missed my oppotunity to crash their dates at Derry Raosters. I saw them so many times when they weren't officially together. They were so focused on each other that they never saw me and I'm sure they would have made up any excuse to try to convince me they weren't on a date. *chuckles*

Ethan: We used to go to Derry Roasters to work, those weren't dates.

Tobias: Wrong answer, Ethan! After all this time, I highly doubt that any person in this room believes that.

*Everybody nods in agreement, including Casey*

Ethan: *looking at Casey, surprised* You too?!?!

Casey: Yeah... I mean... it took me a while to realize it, but they actually looked a lot like dates, especially when we went there for no reason, just to escape from the hospital for a moment.

Elijah: I would crash their getaways... they go to the greatest places! I wouldn't mind going to a beach with them to get some vitamin D for a weekend.

Rafael: Or when they go skiing on winter... that resort looks so warm and cozy...

Sienna: Or those restaurants! The food and the drinks look so good! They definitely know how to pamper themselves!

Tobias: Did you ever witness a walk of shame (or anything else of the sort)?

*Elijah and Sienna can't hide it anymore... they cackle*

Tobias: Oooh... you did see them...

Elijah: Sorry Casey, but we've been keeping this secret for too long already... Sienna and I saw Casey sneaking Ethan out of the apartment not too long before the end of our intern year...

Casey: *furiously blushing* You traitor!

Jackie: *surprised* Wait, where was I?

Sienna: Sleeping

Jackie: Damn, Landrat was right when he said we wouldn't hear other people having sex when we moved into that place... anyway, I remember seeing Casey coming home early morning a few times, but I never asked... I assumed she had stayed at the hospital with some patient...

Aurora: You're so naïve that it hurts... anyway, I think we all have seen them leaving offices and the on-call room more times than we can count, so...

*Everybody nods in agreement*

Ethan: *visibly uncomfortable* Well, there is always paperwork that we don't have time to do during our shifts...

Harper: Well, as soon as the team office remains immaculate...

*Casey and Ethan look at each other in silence and smile*

Tobias: Oh, come on, guys! That's more than I wanted to know! I'll never look at that desk... or the couch... or those chairs... the same way now! I'm definitely asking the board to sanitize the office after this.

*Laughs*

Tobias: What was your reaction when you found out Casey was moving out to move in with Ethan?

Jackie, Aurora, Sienna and Elijah: *in unison* FINALLY!!

Casey: *surprised* Were you seriously expecting me to leave?

Aurora: No, we didn't want you to leave, don't get us wrong. In fact, we still miss having you around.

Jackie: The thing is, after you and Ethan became official, you did a pretty decent job trying to balance your time with him and your time with us at home.

Elijah: Sure, we could tell you spent less time with us, but you never failed when we planned a roomies night or for a videogames or a John Carpenter movie marathon.

Sienna: But we also knew that you and Ethan were taking your relationship very seriously and we wanted the best for both of you because you had gone through a lot... so we were kind of excited when you told us the news, because we knew how much it meant for you both.

Casey: *pouting* you're going to make me cry, guys!

Who won the prediction pool about when Ethan would pop the question?

Casey: *surprised* You guys had a pool?!?!

Ethan: *pinching the bridge of his nose* Unbelievable.

Jackie: Of course we did!

Tobias: And I won.

Bryce: And Sienna and I were a close second.

Harper: Tobias had an unfair advantage though, he has known Ethan the longest.

Tobias: But remember they both said they weren't going to get marry.

Elijah: They were avoiding the questions on the topic like the plague!

Naveen: And you believed them? Casey unconsciously made Ethan break every single one of his rules, so it was obvious to me that they would get marry someday.

Tobias: Were you in the wedding party? What was your favorite part about the wedding?

Ethan: we kept it really small, so we didn't have a wedding party. Casey's maid of honor was Sienna and my best man was Naveen, that was it.

Casey: Yeah, we didn't have a lot of guests, so we felt we didn't need to have an "official" party, but believe it or not, you all helped us somehow, especially when we were about to give up on the idea of getting married because it was being too much for us to handle.

Ethan: I don't think we ever thanked you properly for that. We were exhausted and you were there to help us when we needed you the most. We are very grateful for that.

Jackie: *smirks* Well, we were the ones who were going to enjoy the party, it was the least we could do for you.

Sienna: You would have done the same for any of us.

Bryce: I don't know if you guys agree with me, but I'd say my favorite part were their vows. I think we all cried with them.

Everybody: *in unison* YES!!

Harper: The thing is that we all know your relationship, but at the same time we know that you both try to keep things as private as possible, so when you exchanged your vows it was like for the first time you were truly opening up your relationship and letting us in. It was beautiful.

Kyra: And then your first dance was the perfect complement to those vows... it was really touching.

Casey: Kyra, you're so right! I never made that connection until now!

Elijah: Honorable mention goes to the food and the booze... everything was delicious!

Aurora: Don't remind me... worst hangover ever... but Raf giving us free samba lessons was awesome! We have to do that more often!

Rafael: Anytime!

Sienna: The idea of smores and blankets station you set up with a bonefire to hang out was so clever and cute! It was perfect!

~~*~~*~~

For everyone, including Ethan x Casey:

Tobias: Okay, this will be easy and fun. Basically, let's all play Fuck/Marry/Kill the people in this room. And before you can say anything, Ethan and Casey, you're not allowed to choose each other.

Casey: Not fair!

Tobias: I'm the moderator, I make the rules... go ahead, who wants to go first?

Jackie: Easy... I'd fuck Casey, marry Aurora and kill the meathead

Aurora: I think I'd fuck Rafael, marry Elijah, and kill aunt Harper... sorry!

Sienna: Let's see... I think I'd fuck Elijah, marry Raf and kill Naveen... but only because I have to kill someone, I wouldn't dare killing anyone in this room!

Elijah: I'd fuck Jackie, marry Aurora and kill Sienna, only because I know she'll forgive me

Bryce: I'd fuck Kyra and Harper, marry Casey and kill Jackie, of course

Rafael: I'd fuck Ethan, marry Sienna and kill Harper

Harper: *laughs* I literally saved your life, you traitor!

Rafael: *chuckles* Sorry!

Tobias: I'd fuck Aurora, marry Harper and kill Ethan or Casey, just because I want their jobs

Naveen: I think I'm too old to play these things...

Ethan: No way Naveen, if I'm in this mess, then you are too... go ahead...

Naveen: So... I would fuck Sienna, marry Harper, and kill Tobias for wanting to kill Casey or Ethan

Harper: I'd fuck Tobias, marry Naveen and kill Ethan... that was fast!

Kyra: Piece of cake... I'd fuck Jackie, marry Ethan and kill Casey, because she needs to be dead so that I can marry Ethan.

*Laughs*

Casey: Still thinking on who to fuck... but I'd marry Sienna or Aurora and I'd kill Elijah for being a traitor today... oh! I think I'd fuck Bryce...

Bryce: So many opportunities wasted when you were single, Casey...

Ethan: *very serious* Lahela...

*Laughs*

Ethan: This is so childish... are you sure I can't pick my wife?

Everybody: *in unison* NO!

Ethan: Okay... then... let's see... I'd fuck Tobias, marry Sienna or Rafael and kill Lahela, because of that very inappropriate comment he just made.

*Laughs*

Tobias: And that's a wrap, people! Now we only have to set a date for Elijah and Aurora and Rafael and Sienna's wedding and we're done... Thanks for having us, Bree!

~~*~~*~~

Tagging: @adiehardfan @izzyourresidentlawyer

[acciocriativity]

All Too Well||Harry Potter

Pairing: Harry Potter x Reader/Sirius' Daughter

Summary: The Second Wizard War was over more than a month ago and everybody had scars that might never be fully healed. This is not a new concept for you, you lost everything you once had.

Warnings: The whole thing is really angst

Word Count: 2,2k

A/N: I absolutely loved to write this fic, it is my first request so I'm a bit nervous haha. I hope you all enjoy!

I was used to the pain, both physical and emotional. After a week of Tonks and Lupin's funeral, everything was empty and the pain was numb, I had no hope that this would end anytime soon.

Largo Grimmauld's house had stayed for me, but after everything that happened, I couldn't even think of putting my feet there. To be fair, anywhere I could possibly go would have memories that are too painful to bear, so I rented a room in the Leaky Cauldron until I had an idea of ​​what to do with my life. I just didn't imagine it would take so long for that to happen.

Almost a month after the War was over, I had the willpower to go to the bank, as I was the last Black alive, everything that was in the coffers of those horrible people was now mine and they needed my consent to make the transfer.

To be honest I wish I had set fire to everything but unfortunately I needed money, my savings were almost over but I swore, even as a new millionaire, that I would not use anything more than necessary and that as soon as I had a job, I would return every penny, the minimum to make my father proud.

The next step took a few more days, visiting the abandoned house at Largo Grimmauld. For a few seconds I waited to see Kreacher there, which is really ironic, his bad mood would be the most comforting thing for me at the moment.

The pictures continued to scream, the mess was still in place, nothing new. There was no way I could live there at all, the few months I spent there were only possible because my father was there, Harry was there and obviously Mrs. Weasley's food helped a lot.

I haven't seen her since the Battle of Hogwarts, I knew that no Weasley would be against my visit, after all we were allies and even friends but I couldn't make it. They are dealing with their own losses and I know that He is there too.

He, it’s been a long time since I didn’t think about him or at least I wanted to fool myself thinking so. In the past year nothing has been able to take the eminent worry out of my heart, not for me but for him.

As I looked around the dusty room, I realized the stupid idea I had, here was the climax of my relationship with Harry.

- They would be very proud, you know - I said quietly looking at the brunette in the corner of my eye, he was looking at that picture again - not only because you are fighting as you can but because you are still you, you are still Harry, only Harry.

We were silent for a few seconds until I could see his green eyes staring at me in the pitch of the cold night, with only one lamp on and then he smiled, for how long I didn’t see his eyes shine so brightly?

- I guess only you think so but that's okay, I like just being Harry with you - he took one of my hands and we stayed like that, in silence, a moment of peace and quiet.

I felt an overwhelming urge to cry but I didn't allow myself to. Not after all this time that I was fixing the broken pieces of me. I took a deep breath and looked around, even though I knew there would be no one there, I went upstairs to my room.

Big mistake again, I already knew what would be waiting for me up there.

- Harry, what are you doing here ?? My dad will kill you if he finds out you are in my room! - I was in shock with the little love he had for his own life, since Sirius' room was right next to mine.

- And who said he needs to find out? In fact, we are not doing anything inappropriate, I just… - he didn't want to admit it, but it was always obvious, the dark circles under his eyes gave away his sleepless nights.

The only thing I did was make room on the bed, which was enough to make him smile and lie down with me. We didn't sleep, we just kept talking until the tiredness won us over but even without sleep, I felt that I was helping in some way.

I walked calmly through the room, it was the same way I had left it, the bed untied and the light blue paint already peeling, I opened the closet and started to take some clothes off the hangers.

I was sure that I would return there, that everything would work out, that I could somehow form a home at some point and how wrong I was...

The third step towards my full recovery was one of the most difficult decisions I had to make. Admitting that there was no more space for me in London, that I was alone and I could do nothing about it, that I needed to leave everything behind and start over once and for all.

In the meantime, I often visited that house. I was not ready to let go, even the things I hated the most there, which is basically everything.

The last step was to say goodbye, so I visited Tonks and Lupin’s grave, I also visited Andromeda for the first time and finally met Teddy Lupin. He was adorable as I had imagined, with his mother's colored hair.

I said that I needed to be away for a while and she replied the only thing I didn't expect to hear.

- I understand dear, but know that you can always have a home here with us - her voice gave me a comfort that I didn't know I needed until then.

- I will remember it fondly and I will really come back, I want to be in the life of this little one here, if you let me - and then, her response came with a motherly hug, I couldn't contain myself anymore.

I couldn't take the weight of the pain alone and she didn't say one word until I calmed down. If I wasn’t as broken as I knew I was, I wouldn't have left her house anytime soon.

Apparating in front of the Burrow wasn't the most difficult part, even though I didn't completely master the apparition. I changed my mind at least 10 times before I reached the door and another 5 times before I knocked.

The sky was completely black, but the storm clouds covered the view of the moon and stars, no sound from inside the house was made and so I tried again and waited patiently.

- Y/N… my dear, what are you doing here in the middle of the night? Come in, you must be cold - the red-haired woman was wearing a purple robe and the only change I noticed was her tired eyes and lacking the natural glow inside them.

- I'm sorry for suddenly appearing here Molly, I wanted to say goodbye - I spoke as soon as I entered the room, almost as cold as outside.

- Are you moving dear? You should have warned me before, I could have made you a farewell party - she guided me to the kitchen and I was sure I wouldn't leave without a cup of tea.

I tried to stay as calm as possible, but I couldn't convince my heart to do the same. The sofa, the dining table and even the stairs...

- RONALD WEASLEY COME HERE NOW - the irritated voice of the matriarch echoed across the walls of the house, giving goosebumps to those who were unused, that is, Harry and me.

- It's always like that? - I asked slightly intimidated to the boy with glasses next to me.

- You haven't seen anything yet - said Ron as he passed us on the stairs and went down to face his mother's anger over some mess he had made.

We were 12 years old and I couldn't say that we were close friends, who would be friends with the daughter of a murderous traitor? Why did they invite me? I didn't even remember.

- And where do you want to go? I've heard of several good places to live in the countryside - the smell of tea brought me to reality and then I noticed his gaze under me.

- Well, I'm going to spend some time in the United States - I replied with the confidence that still remained in my body, if it had been in another situation I would have found the expression of surprise on her face really amusing.

We stayed for a few seconds in silence drinking tea until she answered me a little more calmly.

- If you're sure, I can only tell you to take care and keep in touch. I understand that this adaptation period has not been easy for any of us. If that's what you need to heal yourself ... - her face fell a bit and I noticed right away.

- Do you want to hear about the place where I'm staying? - I asked with a small smile and little by little she got excited again.

As I did not want to bother her beyond the point I already was, after the tea we said goodbye with a hug still in the kitchen, when we arrived in the living room we hugged again and I had the same feeling as when I hugged Andromeda earlier. I never had a mother and after so long, it seems that I got two maternal figures who really cared about me.

- Don't forget to send me a lot of pictures, okay? - before I could answer, we both turned around as soon as we heard a noise on the stairs.

There was no one there and even if there was, it would be difficult to distinguish a silhouette in the middle of the darkness formed in that area, but for a few seconds I managed to see an unowned foot before it disappeared.

- I really need to go Molly, can you tell the others that I'll be in touch soon, please? - she confirmed with a smile and I left without giving a second look at that staircase.

Why was he spying and listening to the conversation? My life has been around the actions of Harry Potter for a long time, but it has been years since the direct contact was over, until now. Why now? Why do I have to remember him again? Why do I have to walk around being a shadow of what I once was?

- Can you sit down and talk to me? - His voice sounded irritated for no plausible reason.

- Oh sure, do you want me to sit and listen to all the reasons why you don’t love me anymore? Do you want to put more salt on the wound or what? - my usual sarcasm was multiplied by 1000, even though I knew that Harry hated that.

I didn't wait for an answer and immediately left his empty dormitory towards the Gryffindor common room, which by luck or a lot of planning on his part, was also empty.

- You know that I have strong feelings for you, but not as befor- can you grow a little at least once? - his steps came behind me and I felt his gaze piercing my back, until I couldn't take it anymore and I turned to look at him.

- You already made your point clear yesterday Harry, if you want to break up alright, but I will not be silent hearing about how you fell in love with another girl- and for the first time he did not answer me back - Yeah, do you really think that I wouldn't notice? I was the first to see it, believe it or not. My mistake was to close my eyes and pretend that everything was fine between us.

He found no words to answer me and I was too tired to hear anything else.

- I will return your things and you can feel free to do whatever you want to, our conversation is over.

Some women passed behind me in the bathroom, I knew what was going on in their heads, "what's wrong with her?" or "why is she crying?" but I didn't mind and kept looking straight into that foggy airport mirror.

As soon as the door slammed and I knew I was alone for a few minutes, I closed my eyes and then made a promise to myself.

- I'll be back and I won't even remember why I had to forget you in the first place.

Harry Potter Masterlist

[y00ngiverse]

THE ONE I'VE BEEN LOOKING FOR

Pairing: Kim Taehyung x female reader

Genre: angst, fluff, friends to lovers AU

Warnings: Toxic relationship in some way I guess? Totally SFW.

Word count: 3.4K

Summary: After a messy breakup, you realised that the one you've been looking for has been in front of you for so long.

A/N: Hi guys, so this is my first time trying to write something. There might be dialogues or references from TV shows/movies. Please show some support!!

You have been in a relationship with Hyunwoo for the past 5 years. You always thought Hyunwoo was the one, but you were wrong.

You met Hyunwoo in college, he was in the same class as you. It started with being project partners and then you found yourself staring at him occasionally. He was sweet, calm and understanding, basically everything that a girl could look for in a guy. It took you 2 years to realize and finally confess that you liked him. Luckily, he liked you too. Since then you went on small dates, it could be a fancy restaurant or a trip to an ice cream shop or even a movie date in a blanket fort, but you enjoyed every moment you spent with him, he was everything you ever wanted.This was until he was met with the addicting taste of alcohol. For quite a while, he could handle it well, but his traumatic childhood caused him to drink booze everyday. His mother used to beat him, compare him to his friends and say that he was the worst son a mother could get. You felt bad for him, you really did, you also tried everything in your power to relieve him of his trauma, but it didn't work, none of it worked. After that he became a different person. He would go to parties every night and return at around 4AM, that pissed you off. You both hardly spent time together. But you ignored it, because the next morning, he would come to you and apologize with that face of his, that face which made you fall in love with him.

You have been best friends with Taehyung since the 4th grade. He was there for you every single time that you needed him. You both got into the same college, but he took a different major. You would sometimes wonder what you did in your past life to deserve a friend like him. There were times when you had arguments, but there were no bad intentions behind them. Like the time you both had an argument because you think that mint chocolate flavoured anything tastes amazing, and Taehyung strongly disagrees with that statement even till today. There were also times when you guys would argue and not talk for a day or two. But it hasn't been once that you stayed away from each other for more than 2 days. One such argument has happened once, when you pulled a prank on Taehyung. Well lets just say, he was really upset but all it took to resolve this argument was a bucket of ice cream and an avengers movie :)

You have spent a lot of time together, but since you guys have careers now, it is hard to meet very often. But you both still talk, because none of you can even think of living without the other. You owned a clothing app. It has less customers , but you're hoping to make it bigger. Taehyung is a fashion photographer. You both have become a bit busy these days, but Taehyung isn't gonna leave your side so easily and neither will you.

He never liked Hyunwoo. The first time they met, all that Taehyung did was roll his eyes, discreetly of course, But you noticed. You loved Hyunwoo and you decided that you would convince Taehyung that Hyunwoo loved you too and that he's a great guy. Taehyung didn't think that he was a bad guy, he was just a bad guy in his life, because he had feelings for you.

And it hurt, it hurt everytime you would come and tell Taehyung how Hyunwoo caused butterflies in your stomach for the millionth time. But he couldn't do anything because he didn't want to take away your happiness.

FLASHBACK

"Hey Y/N, would you like to go out with me again?" Hyunwoo asked, emphasizing on the word 'again', since you had a study date last weekend. "I would love to! Say, Saturday?" You replied with the widest smile of yours. "Sure! See ya!" He said and you walked away while waving at him, all the while internally screaming.

As you went out, you saw Taehyung sitting on a bench just outside your university. You ran to him, grinning like a maniac. Nothing could take away your happiness at this moment. You felt like the happiest person.

"Oh! hey Y/N" he said with his boxy smile. "Hi!" You said. "I needed to tell you something." Taehyung said, his smile glued to his face. "Oh my god wait, listen to me first, do you know what happend!?" You almost said screaming, almost. Taehyung smiled, "No I don't, but thanks to you, I will now." He chuckled.

"So! Hyunwoo asked me out again!! He's so sweet, I think I like him, a lot." You said with dreamy eyes. Taehyung's heart dropped to his stomach. He was gonna tell you that after all these years, he had started liking you. When you first told him about the study date you and Hyunwoo had, he never thought it would turn into something serious. But a second date….

His smile faded, but the corners of his lips turned upwards again, as if on reflex, because if you were happy, he was too. Of course it was more of a sad smile. "I'm so happy for you! Go get him Y/N!" He said as you chuckled. "Anyways what did you wanna tell me?"

That I like you. "Oh nothing! I just found this new ice cream shop! We should go there!" He said, all the while thinking, if only you knew Y/N.

"Yeah sure! We can go on Sunday maybe!" You replied and he nodded. He knew. He knew that

It was too late…

END OF FLASHBACK

When you started telling him about the fact that Hyunwoo probably had an alcohol addiction, He knew something was wrong. He could feel it, he tried warning you, but you always replied with "No, Hyunwoo's a great guy, he wouldn't do anything wrong."

Right?

You loved Hyunwoo, but that didn't mean you were going to trust him over Taehyung.

So when Taehyung said that you should be careful, you were cautious, looking out for any red flags.

Present

1:42AM

The clock read. This was normal for you now, you were used to waiting for Hyunwoo. The keys jingled, you were surprised. It's too early for Hyunwoo to be here. That's odd. Hyunwoo entered and closed the door behind him, you could smell the strong scent of the alcohol. He faced you now. "I love you Y/N." You furrowed your brows once you saw his teary eyes, his messy hair, his messed up clothes. But the thing you saw next was the biggest shock of your life, your eyes widened once you saw the purple marks on his neck. Hickeys. "No.." Your eyes started tearing up. It has to be a misunderstanding, you thought. " I really love you Y/N, I'm sorry I'm so sorry!" He sobbed. You just couldn't believe it. He cheated on you.

"Hyunwoo, I-"

"Listen to me babe, I'm sorry I didn't mean to, the girl, I thought it was you, she was wearing the same dress as you." He said and you noticed his eyes looking groggy. Just as he finished his sentence, he fainted, due to the alcohol, but you held him just in time and put him on the couch.You were still shocked, you couldn't move, your feet glued to the ground. Your heart was thumping at a rapid rate in your chest, you could hear the blood rushing through your veins. You decided to talk to him about this the next morning. You ran to your room, shut the door, and fell on the ground. This has to be a nightmare, it has to be...

You thought. You couldn't control all the pain anymore, so you let it all out. You cried and you cried, louder and louder, not caring about Hyunwoo waking up, but he didn't, he was passed out, completely drunk.

Millions of thoughts crossed your mind. All the memories you both spent together flashing in front of your eyes. You thought if you should forgive him or not. He was drunk, it's just a mistake. Right? A part of you thought. But the greater part of you knew, that you couldn't forgive him. You couldn't live like this, him partying all night while you're at home making plans with him which will never take place. You really wanted to help him with this problem, you really did, but nothing was working. He was addicted and you couldn't do anything anymore. You both rarely were together now. It was sickening. The thought of breaking off this relationship, that lasted for 5 years, it was sickening. It made you cry all over again. You couldn't sleep that night, you couldn't sleep knowing what you'd have to face the next morning. So you packed your bags, ready to leave.

The next morning

You woke up, not realising that you had fallen asleep. You still couldn't believe it, you were hoping that all of last night was just a bad dream, but looking at the bags that you had packed told you otherwise. You didn't want to do this. You loved Hyunwoo, you really did, but what he did couldn't be forgiven. You went to take a bath and went out after getting dressed up. You saw Hyunwoo sitting on the couch, rubbing his temples. You couldn't bear the sight of him after his disgusting actions, so you started tearing up again. No, you can't cry in front of him. You thought. As he saw you coming, he got up. "Y/N, I'm so sorry i-" you cut him off and raised your palm signalling him to stop. "I know Hyunwoo, you didn't mean to, you thought the girl was me, but what's done is done. You cheated on me Hyunwoo."

You said, eyes glassy with tears. His eyes softened, realising what he had done to you. He broke you. He could see it in your eyes. He really loved you, but he knew that what he did was wrong. As he saw your suitcases, his eyebrows furrowed. "You- you're leaving?" He asked, his voice breaking. "Do you expect me to stay, after all this you expect me to stay?" You answered, anger visible in your eyes. He looked down to his feet, he couldn't expect you to stay, he had no right, but it's not wrong to have hope."I loved you Hyunwoo, I still do, but apparently that wasn't enough to make you stay." You said, tears now falling. "I'm sorry.." he said, after all he couldn't say anything else. You started walking away. Just as you reached the door, "Can I kiss you, for the last time?" He asked, his voice heavy with tears. You wanted to, you wanted to kiss him one last time. "No Hyunwoo, I can't, not after knowing that those lips have kissed someone else." You said, voice breaking. "I-i understand." He said. "Goodbye Hyunwoo." "Goodbye Y/N, I'm so sorry." You nodded, him being able to see just the back of your head. And you left, you walked out of his life just because of his one mistake. You left.

Since you had nowhere to go, you went to Taehyung, he was your only support, your last light of hope right now. You knocked on the door. He opened the door, his eyes widening. "Y/N?" He could see the bags under your eyes, your stained cheeks. He knew something was wrong. "Why did you bring your suitcases?" He asked. You didn't answer. You walked up to the couch and sat there, saying nothing. He bought your bags inside, closed the door and came to sit beside you. At the moment, you felt numb. You were speechless, it was too much to take in. You hugged him tight and you cried as loud as you could in his arms. Then the realisation hit him. "What did he do?" He said through gritted teeth. He couldn't see you like this, he couldn't see you broken like this. You didn't say anything, you were still crying. He caressed your hair, letting you cry as much as you wanted to. "It hurts Taehyung, it hurts, plea- please make it stop, it hurts!" You cried out. He felt tears rolling down his cheeks, you shouldn't be going through this, he wished it would've been him instead. After what felt like an eternity, you stopped crying, and he gave you a glass of water. You couldn't even gulp it down, everything made you nauseous. You told him everything. After listening to you, All he could think of was to ruin the pretty face of that jerk. "It's gonna be okay, I'm here for you, everything will be alright." He took you in his warm embrace again.

Few months later

All these days, Taehyung has taken care of you, handling you like a delicate doll which could break anytime. For a while, everything made you think of Hyunwoo. It hurt so much. He hurt you deeply. You had gotten over Hyunwoo, but just a little. You couldn't get over him so quickly, after all you lived with him for 5 years. It was sickening. Taehyung did everything he could to make you feel better. He even called your other friends; Jimin, Jungkook, Jin, Namjoon, Hoseok and Yoongi. They stayed over for many nights. You had sleepovers with pizza, ice cream and classic movies. Getting over Hyunwoo was going to be tough, everyone knew that, they loved you and hence, they did whatever they could. It was better now. Your friends were by your side every moment, and it made you feel better. You had these amazing people as part of your life and it made you happier. You had almost gotten over Hyunwoo, almost.

2 years later

After these years, your clothing app has become much more famous. Taehyung's career has grown much more too. He has been getting offers to photograph for the biggest brands. You both still live in the same apartment. You have gotten over Hyunwoo. It has been long, and you don't even think about him anymore. But since these past few days, you've been feeling different around Taehyung. It's a feeling similar to the one you felt around Hyunwoo. Everytime you see him, you feel butterflies in your stomach, and your cheeks get heated up. Is it possible that you like him? No, stupid Y/N, you're probably just sick, hahaha. Before going to sleep, he's the only thing on your mind. You go to sleep with a smile on your face just because of the thought of him. That definitely means you like him, maybe even love him. You're screwed.

And as for Taehyung, he still likes you and he thinks it's safe to say that he loves you now.

Present

"Hey Y/N, should we go to the beach tonight? We can watch the stars, we haven't done that in so long!" Taehyung asked, excited just by the thought of spending more time with you. "Yeah sure, but before that can we have dinner in that cafe nearby!?" You asked, more excited than him. "YES!" he replied a bit too enthusiastically. You both chuckled.

Before Taehyung came back from his shoot for the day, you started getting ready. You were making a mess of your closet and your bed right now. "I have nothing to wear!" You whined and lay down on the bed. Ooh, I could wear the dress Taehyung gifted me! You thought and you rushed to remove the burgundy coloured fit and flare dress that he gifted you and paired it up with white sneakers. You also wore the matching bracelets you both had and you left your hair open. You put on a simple make up look, not trying to look extra and you put on your favourite perfume. "I haven't looked this good in a while, muah!" You said to yourself in the mirror and giggled. You have decided, you will tell Taehyung that you have feelings for him today. You can do it.

You heard the door of the apartment opening, Taehyung came back from the shoot. "Y/N! I'm home!" He said.

You replied from your bedroom "Yeah okay! You can freshen up and get ready!".

"Sure thing!" He rushed to his bedroom and removed his best outfit. He decided to wear his black and white hoodie along with his jeans and a pair of sneakers. He never removed your guys' friendship bracelet, so he was also wearing that.

Taehyung got ready and called you down. "I'm coming!" You came down the stairs and he stood with his mouth agape. "Wow, you look- beautiful Y/N!" he said. For the first time in a while, you looked and felt alive, you looked happy. You both got into his car and drove to the cafe. After having dinner, you are now laying on a blanket that you placed onto the cold sand, the cold being felt through the blanket. For some reason, he looks more attractive than usual today and it isn't going too good for you. All that was being heard were the waves crashing onto the land and the sound of the birds. After a while you've finally decided to speak up. You got up and sat, Taehyung's eyes following your movements. "I-i need to say something." You said while fiddling with your fingers. Taehyung sat up, facing you. "Mhm, go ahead." He said. He was wondering what was making you so nervous. "So. Taehyung, we've been friends for decades. You've been there for me when no one else was. You've always supported me, you've helped me stand up for myself and it's because of you that I could pursue my passion today. You were the one who convinced my parents for letting me do the things that I love. Even after my breakup, you've taken care of me for a long time and I truly appreciate that. After all these years, I've realized that the one who I have been looking for has been in front of me for so long and I just couldn't see it. I'm sure of this because whenever I see you I feel butterflies in my stomach and I feel safe with you, I feel secured in your arms and I feel happy whenever I'm with you. Kim Taehyung, I love you." You finished with a sigh and you looked up seeing a shocked Taehyung. His mouth is wide open and he is very surprised. Did you screw this up? "Tae, will you say something?" You asked, moving your hands in front of his face. He coughed, coming back to his senses. "You don't know how long I've been waiting to hear this from you Y/N. I can't believe it, you love me? I've been in love with you since 7 years. I've been waiting for you Y/N, because I love you too much to let you go. I love every single thing about you. To me, you are perfect. Y/L/N Y/N, I love you too."

"Why didn't you tell me sooner!?" You asked, you were really happy at this moment. "Because that guy asked you out on a second date on the day I was gonna confess." He said, referring to Hyunwoo, with his signature boxy smile. You squealed and hugged him tightly. It felt so safe, so good to be in his warm embrace. "I wish we could be like this forever." You said. "I promise you, we will." He replied. You could feel his heartbeat. You pulled away from the hug and looked up at him. You saw his eyes flickering from your eyes and down to your lips. You pecked him on the lips and quickly pulled away, giggling, feeling the heat rushing to your cheeks. He pulled you back into the kiss, you could feel him smiling into the kiss. You had been waiting for this, and you immediately melted into the kiss. It was a passionate yet sweet and gentle kiss. You pulled back,

"I love you Tae, and I will, forever." You said.

"I love you too Y/N, and I will never let you go" He said and he pulled you back into his warm once embrace again.

You were sure of it. He is the one you've been looking for.

A/N: Hey guys, this was my first and last oneshot and I hope y'all liked it. Feel free to give your honest opinions in the comments. Give me your suggestions and I will truly appreciate that.

[cocastyle]

The In-Between - Prologue

Stranger Things x It Crossover

with some Bill Denbrough x reader

Word Count - 3,967

Warning - cursing? (if people don’t like that kind of stuff), some Stranger Things Season 3 spoilers? (don’t know if they would still be spoilers or not)

A/N - this is officially the beginning of my The In-Between series! I’m so excited to get this thing started and wanted to have a prologue so you could see how Y/N meets the Losers’ Club and what her relationship with The Party is like.

reminder that this series will take place in 1987 where the kids are all 17. however, in this prologue, the year is 1985 which means they are all 15 and the events of Stranger Things season 3 just occurred (I switched some things up like I’m not having Hopper die that way Eleven and Will stay in Hawkins).

since the year is 1985, that means the events of It are going to have taken place the year before in 1984. to have Beverly in the group, I basically had her move back with her aunt in the earlier half of 1985 and her and Bill have decided to stay friends (this allows the Bill Denbrough x reader part of the series). anyways, I hope you all enjoy!

also, since Mike Hanlon is homeschooled, he will not be in this prologue. Y/N meets the Losers’ Club at school which is why he will not be mentioned at first. he will be in upcoming chapters though!

if you would like to be added to the tag list, let me know!

T H E I N - B E T W E E N

Intro The Losers’ Club The Party Prologue 1 2

3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 Epilogue

August 1985

Hawkins, Indiana, the one place Y/N thought she would stay forever. Having been born and raised in the town, it was hard to imagine a life where she didn't live there. But then the events that had taken place during the summer of 1985 had occurred and the unimaginable suddenly became reality.

Fright was the main reason they were moving. Not that Y/N was scared or anything. It was her parents who were scared, scared that the unusual events that occurred in Hawkins would harm their family and ruin their lives.

After all, their daughter had barely been able to escape the forces of the Upside Down the previous couple of times, so when she came home with blood stained clothes and news of the death of Billy Hargrove, her parents were convinced that the only thing they could do was move away.

Y/N did not agree with her parents' decision in any way, shape, or form. Her life was in Hawkins. Her friends were in Hawkins.

Her family was in Hawkins.

However, her parents' minds were already made up and within two weeks their house was already sold and they were packing up their final things as they prepared for the journey to their new home in Derry, Maine.

The sky was filled with grey clouds on the day Y/N was supposed to leave Hawkins, a gloomy atmosphere falling over the town as if it could sense the girl was leaving and was genuinely upset about it. Y/N hardly noticed the weather seeing as her own gloominess was worse than that outside.

She almost didn't want to put the last of her things into the giant cardboard box that sat on the floor in front of her. Everything was already out of her room, leaving it so barren that she felt as if she were in a completely different place.

The only thing left had been her pictures that had decorated the walls with her memories throughout the years. It physically pained her when she had to take down the last picture—one of her with all of her friends where they were all laughing and looking at each other instead of the camera.

Now she held fast onto that picture, her hands shaking as she looked down at it with an almost longing expression on her face. Knowing it would only hurt more the longer she took, Y/N quickly looked away and set the picture in the box before closing it up. She only let out a shaky breath when the deed was done.

Y/N then picked up the box that held the last pieces of her life and began to make her way to her bedroom door. It was when she was about to grab onto the door handle that the door suddenly slammed shut, causing her to jump back in surprise. She hesitated for a second before going to open the door. However, it quickly slammed shut again before it was even half way opened.

This continued for a few more tries before Y/N let out a small sigh and turned to look behind her where her friends were all sitting on the floor looking upset. Her eyes flickered over the group that liked to call themselves 'The Party' and she stopped on Jane Hopper, otherwise known as Eleven, who had blood trickling from her nose.

The young girl wiped the blood away and stared at Y/N with wide eyes as she tried to act innocent. Y/N gave the girl a sad smile before looking around at her other friends who were all visibly upset. "I have to go," Y/N announced, the words earning a few head drops and shakes of heads.

Y/N kept her eyes on Eleven as she went to open the door again. "I have to go," she repeated as she began to pull the door open. However, Eleven wasn't having it and quickly shook her head and slammed the door shut again with her abilities.

Y/N let out a small sigh and dropped her head slightly. This was just as hard on her as it was on them. "El-" she began in a whisper, but before she could even get the words out, Eleven had jumped onto her feet and was throwing her arms around her.

The cardboard box fell from her grip and onto the floor and Y/N silently thanked herself for having only put pictures and posters in there. Her arms were quick to wrap around her friend while she dug her face into Eleven's shoulder, tears filling her eyes as she realized this was pretty much going to be their goodbye.

"Don't go," Eleven whimpered. "Please, don't go."

Y/N squeezed her eyes shut and tears rolled down her face as she hugged Eleven harder. Her body began to shake as she started to cry, but she hardly noticed it because Eleven had begun to cry as well. Arms began to wrap around the two and Y/N looked up slightly to see that her other friends—Mike Wheeler, Dustin Henderson, Lucas Sinclair, Will Byers, and Max Mayfield— had all joined in on the hug.

Y/N closed her eyes again and leaned into her friends' embraces, trying to enjoy this moment where she was with them. She didn't know when she was going to be able to see them next, but she knew she would never lose them. They had been through too much to allow that to happen.

It took a minute, but Y/N eventually got them all to let go so that she could look at them. They didn't mean to, but they had ended up forming a small circle and Y/N looked around at each of her friends before letting out a shaky laugh.

"I love you all, you know that, right?" she whispered. The Party was quick to nod their heads and Y/N smiled softly. "Good. Never forget it."

There was a silence before Y/N said, "You all stick together and take care of each other, okay? And if you all are ever in any sort of trouble, you get Dustin on his radio and have him contact me, okay? Cause you can bet your ass I'll be back here in a heartbeat."

"We don't doubt it for a minute," Max replied, the others all nodding their heads in agreement.

"I know you're going to Maine, but if anything happens and you need us, just know the same thing applies. We've got your back," the young Wheeler boy said.

"Got it, Wheeler," Y/N said with a small smile as she sniffled and wiped away her tears.

"Y/N! It's time to go!"

A look of dread washed on each of the kids' faces and Y/N reached down to pick up the box she had dropped before saying, "That's my cue."

The group was silent, but when Y/N opened the door that time, no one stopped her. Together, the Party all walked out of the girl's bedroom and made their way outside where Y/N's parents were waiting by their car.

Y/N furrowed her eyebrows in confusion when she saw someone talking to them, but her eyes instantly lit up once she recognized the person to be Steve Harrington. His parents and Y/N's parents had been close in college, so Steve and Y/N had practically grown up together despite the five year age gap between the two. He was like the older brother she never had and it was only in that moment that she realized saying goodbye to him was probably going to be the hardest goodbye she would have to face.

Trying not to dwell on the fact, Y/N smiled and called out, "Harrington, is that you?"

Steve instantly perked up at the sound of her voice and muttered something to her parents before looking over at the girl, taking his sunglasses off in the process. "Yeah, it's me. Don't cream your pants," Steve jokingly told her.

Y/N chuckled and walked over to where he stood by the car before quickly putting the box she was carrying in the back seat. She glanced over at her parents and gave them a sad smile before asking, "Can I have a moment to say goodbye?" Her parents nodded and began to get in the car, but not before her father nodded at Steve and her mother patted him on the shoulder.

Once the car doors had closed, Y/N hesitated for a moment before turning her head to look at Steve. He was already looking at her with an unreadable expression while his hands were placed on his hips. He stood there in silence before saying, "The day is finally here."

Y/N's smile disappeared and she looked down at her feet as she nodded. Steve titled his head slightly and watched her for a second before reaching out and placing a hand on her shoulder. "Listen, squirt. You're going to do great things, okay? Hawkins. . .all it's doing is holding you back," he told her.

"I'm moving to Maine," Y/N pointed out as she gave Steve a look that told him all he needed to know.

"You never know, maybe Maine is going to have just what you're looking for," Steve said as he gave her shoulder a light shake.

Y/N looked over her shoulder and at her friends who were all standing at the bottom of the staircase watching her with sad eyes. They gave her shaky smiles which she returned before looking back at Steve. She studied him in silence for a moment before lightly shaking her head as she stared at him fondly. "I don't think so," she told him, knowing that Maine would never be able to replace the people she loved so dearly.

Steve flinched slightly at her words and his face contorted in pain for a second as he looked as if he were about to cry. However, it quickly disappeared and he inhaled sharply as he tried to put on a brave face for the girl in front of him.

"Okay, L/N, serious talk right now, okay? I know this whole move is tough on you. Trust me when I say it's going to be tough on all of us. But you got to make the most of it, you hear? You go to Maine and you show those shit heads just who the hell moved to their town," Steve told her. He then reached out and poked her shoulder as he pointed at her. "Cause they have no idea how lucky they are to have you."

The tears that she had been trying to suppress since she walked outside began to fill her eyes and she couldn't stop herself from launching herself into Steve's arms as she started to cry. Her grip was tight and she balled her hand into fists around his shirt as she tucked her face into his neck.

Steve stumbled back slightly, but didn't hesitate to hug her back as he felt tears began to fill his eyes. He was going to miss her a hell of a lot more than he thought he would. She was practically his sister and one of his best friends. Age had never mattered to them, only the friendship they created had.

So the fact that he was going to have to go through a good chunk of his life without her? Yeah, it was going to be hell.

Y/N tucked Steve's shoulder under her chin as she hugged him and let her eyes flicker over to her friends who were all watching the two with tears in their eyes.

Max was leaning against Lucas who had an arm around her as both struggled to keep it together. Then there was Eleven who was holding hands with Wheeler as she hugged his arm with tears streaming down her face, Wheeler looking pretty much in the same state. Finally there was Dustin who had a hand on Will's shoulder as the two looked to each other for support seeing as the couples were busy comforting each other.

Steve eventually pulled away from the young girl, knowing that it would only be harder on both of them if they didn't end the hug now. He used his shirt to wipe his tears away before he gave Y/N a shaky smile and reached out to swiftly wipe her tears away with his thumbs.

"You'll be okay," Steve assured her. "You're going to be just fine."

Y/N gave the boy a smile, her lips quivering slightly as she forced herself to hold back a sob. "I love you, Harrington," she whispered as she stared at the boy in admiration.

Steve softened slightly at those words and leaned forward to kiss the top of her head. "I love you too, squirt," he told her.

Then, before either of them could start crying, Y/N went over to the car door and opened it up. She hesitated and turned to look back at all of her friends, her eyes scanning over each of them. It was in that moment that she realized just how much she was going to miss them.

She was going to miss Lucas who had been her first friend back in elementary school and the one who had introduced her to the other members of the Party. She would miss Wheeler and the times they would spend in the record shop looking for the right music to play at the karaoke nights they hosted for the group.

She would miss Dustin and being able to talk science with him as they worked on creating their high-range radio from scratch. She would miss Will and playing D&D together when no one else would play.

She would miss Eleven and how the two would have sleepovers and stay up all night giggling before making Eggo waffles in the morning. She would miss Max and the girls days they would have at the mall as they tried every flavor possible at Scoops Ahoy.

And she would miss Steve and the moments she knew would never get to happen. She would miss the times when they would have contests to see who could eat the most ice cream without puking and when they would team up and pull pranks on the others.

She would miss the arcade trips, the late night adventures they would have, and the times they spent together. She would miss each of them. She would miss their friendships. She would miss her family.

Y/N knew they were all thinking the same thing just from the tears that were in their eyes. Steve was the first to raise a hand and wave goodbye, everyone else quickly following suit. She let out a breathy laugh before waving back.

Then, with a heavy heart, Y/N stepped into the car and closed the door. She had just buckled up when the car began to pull away and she was quick to look out the back window at her house and her friends who were all walking out into the middle of the road to watch her go.

Her father glanced back at her in the rear view mirror, but she didn't notice, her attention on her friends who were getting further and further away. As for her mother, she grabbed ahold of her father's hand and kissed it lovingly before saying in an almost excited and slightly saddened voice, "Goodbye Hawkins, Indiana. Hello Derry, Maine."

Y/N didn't look away until her friends' figures had disappeared in the distance.

- - -

"I'm bored," Richie Tozier announced for what had to be the tenth time in the last five minutes. He looked between his friends who were all obviously ignoring him as they ate their lunch and tried to talk about other things. He momentarily saw Beverly Marsh glance his way, but she looked away and turned her attention back to Ben.

Richie had been surprised when Beverly moved back to Derry with her aunt only a year after moving away. But what had surprised him even more was that Bill and Beverly had decided they were better off as friends and Beverly had since grown closer to Ben of all people.

Richie shook away his thoughts and let out a loud sigh before he turned to Eddie Kaspbrak who was sitting beside him. "Eds," Richie whispered. When Eddie didn't respond, the boy poked him not so lightly in the arm. "Pssst. Eds, I'm bored," Richie whispered.

Eddie clenched his jaw and gave the boy a sharp look. "I know. I've heard you the other twenty times you've said it. And don't call me Eds," he said.

"Fine, Eddie Spaghetti," Richie told him with a small smirk. "But it's not my fault I'm bored. It's this shitty town! There is literally nothing to do around here!"

"Weren't you just complaining the other day about how you felt like you never had time to just do nothing?" Stanley Uris asked with a raised eyebrow as he looked at his friend.

"That was the other day, this is now!" Richie exclaimed. "And right now, I'm bored."

"S-s-shut up, Richie," Bill Denbrough muttered in annoyance as he stared blankly at the ham sandwich in his hands.

Richie rolled his eyes and let out a groan as he smacked his head against the table. "But I'm so-"

Before Richie could get that sentence out, the noise in the cafeteria virtually disappeared causing the boy to stop mid sentence. He furrowed his eyebrows and sat up before following everyone's gaze to where the cafeteria doors had just opened up. His mouth dropped open a little and the others all looked to their friend confused as to why he had actually shut up for once.

Seeing his shocked state, the group followed his gaze and their eyes landed on a girl around their age who had just walked into the cafeteria. Her eyes were wide due to the sudden attention and Bill could see the small blush creeping onto her cheeks as she nervously brushed a strand of h/c hair behind her ear.

Bill blinked in surprise as he stared at her, instantly stunned by her beauty just like all the other kids were. He could practically sense the jealously radiating off of all the girls except for Beverly and the boys were practically drooling at the sight of her.

The girl then began to walk forward and her shoes clicking against the ground seemed to echo throughout the whole cafeteria. It was only when she had taken a few steps that everyone seemed to snap out of their spell and go back to whatever they were doing. Well, everyone except for the Losers’ Club.

"Who is that?" Ben Hanscom asked, none of the boys taking their eyes off of the girl while Beverly just shook her head and laughed quietly to herself.

"She must be that new girl I heard Jane Greenwood talking about in math class," Eddie suggested.

"You knew there was a new girl and didn't tell me?" Richie asked as he looked at his friend in shock. "Come on, man. I could've been working my Richie charm on her already."

"Yeah, you won't be doing that," Beverly Marsh told him as she rolled her eyes at the boy. "Let the poor girl have a chance to breathe before you annoy her to death."

Richie made a face at Beverly which Bill barely noticed for he was too busy watching Y/N who was trying to find a seat. He watched as she attempted to sit down at a few tables, but each one either had girls that were too jealous of her to let her sit there or guys that were too stuck up to allow a girl to sit with them. It was only when he saw her passing their table without even trying that Bill called out to her.

"You can s-s-sit with us."

The Losers’ Club all froze and glanced over at Bill in surprise while the young girl paused in her tracks and turned to look at who had talked to her. Her eyes locked with Bill's and she gave him a breathtaking smile that had him blushing a little under her gaze.

"Thanks," she said as she walked over to the only empty seat that happened to be in between Bill and Richie. "Seriously, thank you. I was afraid I would have to sit by the trash cans. It's kind of hard trying to find a seat when you're new and know literally no one."

She was rambling a little, but Bill couldn't help but smile as she talked. "N-n-no problem. I-I-I'm Bill. B-B-Bill Denbrough," he introduced himself, stuttering a little more than usual due to the fact that a pretty girl was sitting next to him. He then gave the rest of the group looks that told them to introduce themselves as well.

"Beverly Marsh."

"Ben Hanscom."

"Eddie Kaspbrak."

"Stanley Uris, but people call me Stan."

"Richie Tozier, but you can call me the man of your dreams."

"Don't call him that," Beverly instantly said as she sent a small glare towards Richie. However, the girl had turned her gaze on Richie and was staring at him with wide eyes.

"Look guys. I'm so handsome she can't even speak," Richie smirked, but it disappeared when the girl poked his cheek and moved his face so she could look at him better.

"Incredible," she whispered. "You look exactly like one of my friends back home! You two could be twins!"

Richie frowned at that and muttered, "There is no one like me, but me!"

The girl just shook her head in amazement and stared at Richie for a moment longer before looking away with a blink of her eyes and looking to the rest of the group. "Sorry. I'm Y/N L/N," she introduced herself.

"Where did you move from?" Ben asked while Richie sat muttering something about he was unique and there was no one someone looked like him.

Y/N's smile made Bill's heart flutter a little and he mentally cursed himself for being affected by her smile when he had just met her. "Hawkins, Indiana," she replied.

"Hawkins?" Stan questioned as he scrunched up his nose. He then shrugged and looked down at his food before saying, "Never heard of it."

"Most people haven't," Y/N chuckled. "Which is probably a good thing now that I think about it."

"Why's t-t-that?" Bill asked, genuinely curious.

Y/N let out a nervous laugh as she almost seemed to be recalling some memory, "It can be a pretty weird place."

"Well you obviously haven't been in Derry long," Eddie muttered.

"Trust me. Nothing can be weirder than Hawkins," Y/N assured them. "It's like a shit show on steroids."

Richie rolled his eyes. "Trust me. Derry can and is," Richie argued.

Y/N raised an eyebrow as the corner of her lips turned up in a small smirk. "Want to bet?" she asked as if she knew something they didn't.

Richie glanced at his friends and Bill chuckled softly to himself knowing that nothing could beat what they had been through. It wouldn't be until after Y/N explained her whole story that he would realize he was wrong.

"You sure you want to do this, L/N?" Richie asked. "We wouldn't want to scare you away."

Y/N smirked and set her backpack on the ground and her lunchbox on the table.

"Try me, Tozier."

* * *

Tag List-

@witch-of-all-things-soft

@nightbu-g

[mochilici0us]

One New Message | jjk (4)

➳ 𝗴𝗲𝗻𝗿𝗲: angst, thriller, stalker au

➳ 𝘀𝘆𝗻𝗼𝗽𝘀𝗶𝘀: Skye realizes she has to deal with a ruthless stalker when the messages she’s constantly receiving are getting more and more threatening. A stalker that makes her recall memories of the past she swore she would never rake up again

➳ 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗱 𝗰𝗼𝘂𝗻𝘁: 2,5k

prologue, part one, part two, part three, part four

April 2013

''Skye can you pass me the milk please?'' my father kindly requests while we enjoy our breakfast. They enjoy to be exact. I can hardly take part in their conversation, my mind is away.

My eyes can't stop following her skinnier, exhausted figure moving from the kitchen to the dining haul and serving breakfast.

Something's up these days, she avoids eye contact with me at all costs, we haven't even talked properly. She's acting cold towards me just muttering a few weak goodmornings and goodnights. Yeah, those are the only words I've exchanged with my ''best friend'', not even a little talk to catch up with each other's news.

''Ruby can you fetch me some honey?'' my mother yells so that Ruby listens from the kitchen. A few seconds after she appears holding a jar of honey. Even her walk is stiff, I'm genuinely concerned about her health.

''Here you are'' I'm sure she can feel my burning gaze as she leaves the honey on the table and finally after a week our eyes meet.

Shit, she looks so pale, dark circles under her red eyes, chipped lips, I can even practically see her facial bones. To my surprise she doesn't look annoyed or angry. She just glances at me tiredly, as if she had quit living.

My piercing gaze on the other hand is anything but calm and sympathetic. She's clearly sick, something's eating her alive and instead of sharing her concerns with me she stays away?

Our eye contact lasts only for a few seconds but it's strong enough to show my restrained rage.

She realizes it immediately, averts her gaze and leaves like the coward she is.

''This weekend I'm leaving on an unexpected business trip'' my father announces and takes a sip of his coffee right after

''Again? You were on a business trip last week'' my mother fires back

''Do you think it's up to me? For your information I'd rather stay home and relax with my family''

''I don't mean it's your fault I just...''

''You make me feel terrible every time I have to tell you about a businesstrip. I can't talk to my family without restrictions anymore Christen''

''Ok I'm sorry don't get mad'' my mother lowers her eyes and apologises quickly before my father gets more angry.

Sometimes I admire my dad. He's so manipulative but not in a bossy way, he always prevails upon my mother with sensible arguments, voice laced with sweetness.

He's so diplomatic, no doubt he has built such a great career

''Darling why are you not eating?'' my mother remarks as I fiddle with the spoon. The bowl of granola cereals is untouched.

''I have no appetite. I have to go to school anyway, I'm late'' I pretendto study my watch and stand up

''Do you want me to come with you?'' my father suggests

''Nο it's ok I can walk''

''Skye are you sure everything's ok?'' I hear my mother's voice as I head towards the living room to grab my backpack.

''I'm fine mum I just didn't sleep well. See you later''

As I'm about to exit alone Ruby appears out of nowhere. Her body posture screams nervousness.

''You didn't eat your breakfast'' she speaks quietly biting her already chopped lips

She's been avoiding me for a week and now she pretends to be a thoughtful friend. She made me feel depressed, cry myself to sleep thinking what the hell I did wrong and now she plays dumb?

I just stay still without answering, my intense eyes glued to her wandering ones. She doesn't even dare to look at my eyes.

She clears her throat ''Here''she takes a fresh hand-made sandwich out of her pocket and extends her hand. I eye her hand without moving an inch.

''You can eat it instead. You look like a sceleton'' I spit my venom and walk out of my house without sparing her a glance.

It was too late when I realized what I had said.

''I love spaghetti but my mother never cooks. My dad says she cooks terrible but that's a secret'' Grace's friend Lisa whispers and pretends to seal her lips. She's so cute.

''Don't worry your secret is safe''

She nods and digs into her food again. Under other circumstances I wouldn't have cooked but today Susan picked up both Grace and Lisa so I couldn't disoblige her. Her puppy eyes gave me enough courage to get up and cook even though I'm still in a cast.

The three of us are sitting in the dining table and enjoying my home-made bolognese spaghetti. I was never good at cooking, I couldn't cook to save my life to be exact but I had to learn how for Grace. So I practiced and practiced till I reached my goal, I didn't want to become the new master chef, just learn how to cook some basic things so that Grace eats home-made food. In the beginning I would constantly fail but practice makes perfect.

''Eat your veggies as well girls'' I gesture at the bowl of salad.

They both nod like good girls and do as I say. They're so freaking adorable. Lisa has short black hair with bangs and chocolate brown eyes. She's small but taller than Grace. She comes by often, most of the times I pick her up from school as well since Grace and her are classmates.

Her favorite foods are spaghetti, steak with baby potatoes and vegetable fried rice. Let's not forget my signature fruit smoothie which I always serve with vanilla frosting cupcakes.

We always sit and eat together, exchanging news, telling jokes. I really enjoy their interactions, they look like two tiny dumplings.

"What did you do in school today?" I ask intertwining my fingers

"We drew our dream gardens, mine has a huge swimming pool" Lisa hurries to answer

"Mine has a plenty of colorful flowers and a big telescope on the center to admire the stars. And the Sky. Sky as we say Skye" Grace jokes shyly, puffing her flushed cheeks. Lisa bursts into a laughter once she gets the joke.

"Good one Grace" I wink at my little sister who resembles a puppy waiting for a praise.

After a while we're finally done with the food. I really missed cooking and eating my own food, Susan cooks pretty decently as well but I was craving so bad for some of my spaghetti.

''Did you enjoy your meal girls?'' I eye the empty plates

''Yeah!''they both cheer

''Go to play now while I prepare your fruits''

The two small kitties obey and walk towards the room wiggling their small butts. I can't help but chuckle at them.

My eyes land on the dirty dining table as I sigh disappointed, washing the dishes is definitely the worst part of cooking and eating. No matter how much I enjoy preparing food and trying new recipes, the process of cleaning after is terrible. I'm going to wash the dishes later I think and slowly proceed to my big kitchen to cut fruits for the girls, my hands holding the crutches tight.

Being on my feet isn't the best idea whatsoever but tomorrow I'm having my cast removed so my ankle is pretty much healed.

I go for strawberries, bananas and pears and also pick two colorful bowls.

As I already mentioned tomorrow I'm having my cast removed. My stomach twitches in anticipation. Will he be there? Two weeks have passed but I still find myself thinking of him before sleeping even though the picture of him is blurry and distant. Just a memory, a distant picture of him is enough to keep me up at night...

I brush away these thoughts and throw the fruits into the bowls, adding some honey on top and voila! A quick and healthy sweet fruit salad.

"Girls come on" I yell and wait for the two little ones to arrive, trying to distract my mind from unwanted thoughts.

What I know for sure is that tomorrow is a big day....

"You're finally able to walk again, I'm so happy'' Susan cheers and hugs me tight as we exit the hospital. Unfortunately I didn't have my cast removed by the pretty doctor, he didn't even appear to be exact.

Disappointed but not suprised

The young cute nurse was there though, she recognized me and even greeted me, I was THIS close to ask about him but my pride didn't allow me.

''How are you feeling?'' Her hand strokes my back

''Weird'' I respond eyeing my healed ankle ''I was used to walking on crutches''

Indeed last 2 weeks I would only walk using my crutches, they had become a part of my routine. I certainly feel better now though, well-rested,healthy, ready to return to reality.

''Let's go, I'm treating you to brunch.. There are so many things we have to catch up on after''

''W-what do you mean?'' I stutter scared because I have a feeling that I already know her answer

''Shopping therapy of course''

Oh no...

''Susan are you kidding I just removed my cast''

''Sweetheart you know I wouldn't drag you along unless I had a reason. Next Tuesday is Yoongi's birthday party, we have to get our outfits''

''Yoongi's birthday...'' I scratch my sculpt looking at her sheepishly''I totally forgot, I'm sorry''

''It's ok, you're coming anyway''

''What about-''

''Taehyung's gonna take care of your sister don't worry'' she cuts me off as if she had read my thoughts

I nod, it's rude to deny the invitation

''Yoongi's friends are really handsome and some of them are single so don't think you're getting off. We have to find a cute outfit for you as well... now let's eat'' I roll my eyes but agree rubbing my stomach that hasn't stopped rumbling and finally get in her car .

''It's stunning'' I examine the purple midi dress Susan's holding. The material is silk, it appears glamorous, expensive and the embellished straps detail completes the look.

''Should I try it on?'' she hesitates

''Of course, purple looks amazing on you'' That's true, the contrast between her ginger hair, green eyes and the purple colour is definitely unique. Purple flatters every single of her characteristics.

''Let's find something for you'' her eyes wander around the store

''I gained weight these days so I should go for something baggy''

''No Skye, you should go for something sexy yet sick that emphasizes your cleavage. Your boobs got bigger, thankfully'' she whispers the last word and rolls her eyes

''Susan'' I whisper yell covering my breasts with my hands ''Did they?'' I rethink my friend's comment. Indeed I've noticed a slight development. This whole weight gaining story had a positive result at least.

Once I realise where my hands are and how the rest of the customers look at me probably thinking I'm a horny pervert I instantly lower them and grab the first dress I lay my eyes on.

''This one is perfect yes'' Susan practically runs towards me ''It's very elegant and the lace detail makes it sensual. You're definitely trying it on''

I take a closer look at the dress I picked out on random. It's certainly cute, off shoulder, midi, black with lace but tight as hell

''Isn't it way too tight? I think it's gonna accentuate every single bloated part of my body''

''Try it out you have nothing to lose. Besides the party is in 5 days, you have plenty of time to search for a dress''

''There's no way I'm going through this again. It's either today or I'm coming wearing my Pjs'' I announce and make my way to the fitting rooms determined. I can hear Susan mumbling a few curses, probably blaming me for being grumpy and stubborn.

''Excuse me'' an assistant approaches us

''There's only one fitting room available. I'm afraid you have to wait for a while''

''No problem, Susan you go first''

''Are you sure?''

I nod and sit in the comfortable blue chair that matches the rest of the decoration and furnishings of the store.

This showroom is excellently designed, the minimal yet eccentric blue décor casts an air of originality as the majority of stores follow a consistent pattern. No wonder it's Susan's favorite showroom, modern decor, excellent service and the clothing here is feminine, figure-friendly just like the dress I'm holding.

I'm so absorbed in gaping at the interior decoration that I don't notice my friend standing in front of me.

''Hey, earth to Skye'' she wiggles her fingers in front of my face

''Sorry'' I take my time studying her figure. ''I really like it. It's ideal for your body type and the colour is gorgeous''

The violet silk dress looks perfect on her, the semi tight fit shows up her toned silhouette, the swarovski embellished spaghetti straps together with the V neck flaunt her beautiful collarbones.

''I think it looks lovely too'' the cheerful, helpful assistant comments

''Yeah I like it'' she stares at the mirror

''You can use that fitting room'' the girl gestures at an empty room smiling. How are they always so kind and happy?''It's free now''

''Thank you'' I smile back and give a long sigh standing up from the soft chair.

Reluctantly I undress myself and wear the cute midi dress. It's tight but not as much as I expected. Well it's not that bad after all, I still need Susan's opinion though and a closer look in the big mirror. A few seconds later I'm out and heading for the mirror.

''Wow'' Susan talks ''It looks... stunning''

The dress hugs my body flawlessly, emphazising my curves. The off-shoulder design is very cute but sexy at the same time because my cleavage is shown off perfectly and I'm not even wearing a push up bra. I never thought I'd look that attractive in a dress.

''It fits you like a dream. You're definitely buying it'' Susan insistsand the assistant agrees

It's elegant yet sexy. Sexy in a non provocative way since it shows off only the right places.

''I think I'm getting this one'' I finally decide and Susan winks excitedly

''Hurry up we have to go for heels as well''

''Heels? Ha''  A humorless laugh leaves my lips

''You're laughing? What are you planning to wear with this dress then?'' she crosses her arms.

Her question catches me off guard but I act cool ''Flats? I don't care, anything but heels''

She laughs sarcastic lifting a shaped eyebrow ''Flats? If you plan to wear flat shoes on my husband's party I inform you that you're not invited''

I simply pout, my eyes pleading for mercy

''Come on Skye it's a party, a bussines kinda party you don't have to walk or dance. You can deal with heels under these circumstances I'm sure''

''Okay'' I sigh defeated meeting her gaze. There's no point in agruing, she's right I need heels with the apparel I chose.

''Hurry up then'' she scolds and enters the fitting room.

Have I mentioned how much I hate shopping with my best friend?

[jd-loves-everyone]

Chapter 2: Kim Seungmin

I don't remember exactly when it happened, but I know that it was during his mom's (my mom's best friend) birthday, that I met Kim Seungmin.

The moment I stepped into the house, I could tell that, despite being a single mother, Ms. Kim was doing very well for herself. I can't really recall what her job was exactly, but I think it had something to do with tourism.

And as I stepped into the wide living room, I could guess that the party would probably get boring pretty quickly, if not downright annoying. This because of the too high number of kids (much younger than me) that I could see walking (some crawling) around, along with who I assumed were their mothers sat on the sofa, sipping champagne and laughing (obnoxiously) loudly.

"Oh my, is this your little girl? She does look just like you, I have to agree." I turned my attention back to the host, an adult woman (on the younger side) dressed to the nines with expensive and incredibly shiny jewelry. Ms. Kim. I greeted her politely, while standing next to my proudly grinning mother.

"She truly is a beauty. I bet the boys go crazy over you. Oh, you must be around my son's age, I'm sure he'd LOVE to meet you! Seungmin, darling! Come over here, meet Hana, Mrs. Park's daughter. She's just a year older than you, I believe."

A hazelnut brown haired boy walked over from the living room sofa, where he had been sitting, surrounded by children.

Despite being younger, Seungmin was quite a bit taller than me, with broad, but shyly hunched shoulders covered by a simple but expensive-looking pale pink sweater, paired with blue jeans and black sneakers (all seemingly of the same, high, level of quality). His hair was wavy and looked incredibly soft, covering his forehead and only showing a small sliver of the middle of it. He had a long angled face, ending at a square chin, with a mole next to his mouth and a straight nose. For some reason he reminded me of a puppy, a beagle to be exact. No idea why.

He smiled tightly and politely, the type of smile most would show in a situation like the current one. I could bet he would look much cuter with a genuine smile.

"Well, why don't you two go and get to know each other? Me and Mrs. Park over here, have a lot of catching up to do." Ms. Kim said jokingly, laying a hand on mine and Seungmin's shoulders and gently directing us back to the living room, as both ladies walked to the balcony. Ms. Kim took out a cigarette as they did. I could have guessed she smoked, no amount of expensive perfume (even if it was a lot of it) could fully cover that distinct smell of smoke.

I sat next to Seungmin on the couch, opposite of where the other older women were sitting, chatting loudly, still. In clear contrast to them, were us, sitting in absolute and tense silence.

Every time I thought of starting a conversation, I talked myself out of it, thinking that he'd do it instead. But he never did. He seemed pretty content with just sitting in relative (but definitely awkward) silence.

I quickly grew annoyed at having to listen to the women screech about everything that didn't matter in the slightest to me, like the latest trends and who was dating who at the moment. So, I turned toward Seungmin to try to figure out what he was thinking of the situation.

Unlike what I imagined, I turned to find him fidgeting and squirming in his seat while his eyes darted around the crowded room. Seeing as he showed outwardly what I was feeling inside, I decided to finally try to evade the situation.

"Look, I don't wanna be here. And clearly, neither do you. So, you know any place we could go to where it isn't so loud?" I asked somewhat impatiently making my accidental companion flinch from the suddenness of my question, scrambling for an answer.

"Well, my room has a balcony. It's pretty quiet there, I think."

"Then, what are we waiting for? Let's get out of here before I lose any more brain cells from listening to whatever uselessness those ladies are talking about over there." I said exasperated, already getting up from my seat as Seungmin quickly did the same. That seemed to make his lips twitch slightly. It was gone the next second, as if it had never been there to begin with, which piqued my curiosity: 'what would his real smile look like?', I wondered.

We headed to his room (thankfully unnoticed as I didn't want to even try and explain the situation we were in). It was big, but seemed smaller than it actually was due to all the clutter littered around. Despite this it still seemed to be very aesthetically pleasing, as the warm brown walls paired with the yellow string lights hanging around the room (which I only noticed after he flicked the light switch) and the soft and fluffy caramel carpet created a soothing and cozy atmosphere. A detail that caught my attention almost immediately after the lights were on (besides the string lights) were the various printed photos hanging from ropes on more than one of the room’s walls. It just helped with making the room feel as if it had been taken straight out of an interior design catalog.

Upon closer inspection, as Seungmin busied himself with trying to open the sliding door to the balcony, the pictures didn’t look anywhere near what I’d expected. They certainly didn’t look like the work of an amateur, the angles were creative and eye catching and the light and framing always seemed to be just right in each and every one. I was caught off guard by the quality of all of them for a moment, before my eye caught onto something atop a shelf to my right. A VERY expensive-looking white camera.

I realized it made sense as I thought back to the car ride from my suburban house to the apartment complex where he lived, in the fancier part of town.

Seungmin groaned in frustration as he struggled to open the balcony door.

“Is it jammed? Do you need my help?” I ask as I watched him wrestle with it for a moment longer before taking a deep breath and turning toward me.

“No, it’s not and no, I don’t. This door just needs a little… finessing, is all. So don't worry about it.” He tried reassuring before going back to trying to tug the door open, although with how skinny his arms looked (even under his fashionably bulky sweater), I had my doubts that he would be able to get the door open.

But I was proven wrong as, only a moment later, (by means of finesse indeed) he was finally able to open the hellish glass door.

“It’s old and I use it a lot, so it needs to be fixed, which we were supposed to do a while ago but whatever. Doesn’t matter. Come on.” He said absentmindedly, finally stepping outside. I quickly followed suit.

Once I stepped foot onto the white-tiled floor, I was hit with a gust of wind which brought with it an air much colder than the atmosphere inside the house had been like. And I mean MUCH colder, to the point where it didn't even help cool down my steaming cheeks, (which I only realized were so at that moment) only serving to basically freeze them instead. But I have to say, the view was worth it.

Living in the suburbs had a lot of perks in comparison to this part of town, such as the peace and quiet, and how everyone seemed to know each other. But I realized in that moment that none of it could compare to the view of the city skyline at night from Seungmin's balcony.

The lights of the buildings in the distance seemed to shine like stars and the shape of the tall and skinny buildings of the city were such a stark contrast to what I was used to that I just couldn't tear my eyes away. Of course I could hear the sounds of traffic from my house, but the night seemed much quieter than I had expected. The whole atmosphere was so different that it seemed so captivating to me just because of my curiosity.

It seemed like my curiosity wasn't wholly to blame for my astonishment at the scene, as Seungmin quickly disappeared back into his room to fetch something, as I leaned onto the metal railing, eyes still locked onto those bright lights that reflected off of the shiny windows of the fancier buildings. The city really never slept, I realized.

The boy returned not a moment later, camera in hand as he stood beside me, pointing it at where I was looking, then fiddling with some buttons before the sound of a photo being taken sounded over the now calmer wind, all as I observed him keenly.

As he continued to take his photos, seemingly unbothered by my staring, I turned back to the view, laying my cheek against my palm as I gazed at the sky. It made me think about how (unfortunately), because of all the artificial lights, I couldn't see the stars. But it made sense to me, in a very weirdly poetic way. If you can see all these "stars" on earth, why would you even look for stars in the sky? Plus, with the life people led these days, I guess it didn't really matter much.

I was brought out of my reverie by movement at the corner of my eye. Seungmin had raised his pristine white camera, aiming it at the side of my face, seemingly framing the shot, before pulling his face away from the viewfinder to look at my face himself but keeping his hands in the exact same place.

"Um... I know this is weird but, can I take a picture of you?" He asked nervously, but seemingly eager.

"Sure, why not?" I answered nonchalantly, trying my best to keep down the blush that threatened to spread across my cheeks, despite the cold. To even think that someone like him, who seemed close to a professional's level at such a young age, would consider including me in one of his photographs was flattering enough, much less making me the center of it.

I tried my best to relax and focus on the soft clicks the device emitted every time a photo was taken.

The boy finally parts from his machine, overlooking his work and nodding to himself, seemingly satisfied. He leaned the camera toward me so I could look at it myself and my breath is immediately taken from me.

I would never consider my appearance to be anything extraordinary (and I still wouldn't do it now) but perhaps it was Seungmin’s magic that made a picture of me look like so much more. The way the golden lights lit up my face by settling into the smooth planes of skin made it resemble liquid gold, dripping from the sky and thinly covering my exposed features. My eyes reflected the same lights, shining like stars in an endless and dark sky.

“Wow… Seungmin, you really have a talent.” I chucked, still astonished.

“I do have to say, this might be my best one yet. Can I…?”

“Keep it, it might be my face, but it’s your vision so it belongs to you in my eyes.” I shrugged, dismissively. He nodded gratefully, raising the camera once again towards the view beyond the balcony as I sat against the wall next to the door.

After a few minutes, Seungmin sat beside me with a satisfied smile on his lips and hair tousled from the wind that had picked up.

I felt an involuntary shiver crawl up my back as the cold air grazed my thinly covered arms. I subconsciously leaned closer to the brown haired boy, seeking for some warmth, as I remembered that I had left my jacket in the coat hanger by the front door, downstairs.

I sighed defeatedly, about to go get it, but it seemed as if my shiver had not gone unnoticed, as I had hoped. Seungmin got up before I could, walking back inside his room without a word. I looked at the door that he had gone through curiously.

Not even a second later, he stepped back out onto the balcony, with a tan, soft and warm looking coat in his hand. He held it out to me wordlessly, motioning for me to take it. I did so with a grateful smile and a small 'thanks'. It was still too small for my liking, though.

I wanted to know if his gums would show or if his eyes would disappear behind his cheeks.

“I think we should go inside now.” I suggested after the temperature had gone down too much for us to stay comfortably on the balcony any longer. Seungmin nodded, not finding the lights interesting enough to endure the cold air any longer.

We moved back inside and as Seungmin closed the sliding door behind us I took another look around the room. As I scanned the coffee-colored walls again, I noticed something that I seemed to have missed the first time I had examined the space, possibly due to the awkwardness I had felt as I stepped into the room of a boy I had only just met for the first time. I was a bit disappointed and confused as to how I could have missed it.

The wall opposite the one I had been inspecting as I waited for Seungmin to finally open the door, was covered (almost floor-to-ceiling) in photographs. Some were bigger than others, some seemed older than others, but they all had the same sort of… style to them. From how the light hit the subject in focus, to the angles, it all had the same artistic flare that would commonly be found in the most prestigious art galleries in the world. Maybe that was a bit of an overstatement, but it perfectly encapsulated what I felt as I looked at what I saw as indisputable masterpieces.

I let out a sound akin to a sigh, feeling as if the air had been knocked out of me. Sure, the picture Seungmin had taken of me on the balcony was unbelievably stunning, but that could be excused as luck. I never thought he’d be able to capture a moment so beautifully one other time, let alone enough times to cover almost an entire wall with.

“Wow… These are amazing, Seungmin.” I turned towards him as he stopped beside me, blushing at my praise.

“Oh, they’re nothing…” He said, looking down sheepishly.

“No! They really are! I may know next to nothing of photography, but it doesn't take an expert to see that you have an incredible talent or just remarkable skill.” I said earnestly, seeking out his eyes that had become hidden as his head lowered in shyness to prove my honesty, making him even more flustered as he tried his best to avoid my awe-stricken gaze.

“Well… I do spend a lot of time on it.” He relented, finally accepting my compliments, albeit rather bashfully.

“It shows.” I said firmly, turning back to the wall of moments.

From the corner of my eyes I caught a small, but more significantly sized, real smile, brought on probably by the ease in tension.

We spent the rest of the night in his room, getting to know each other. His smile (the real one) never left his lips as we talked about his love for photography. In fact, it only seemed to broaden the more we talked and the more relaxed we became. Its brightness never dimmed, even as we moved on to other topics, such as his other friends and what school he frequented. I found out that he didn’t have many friends, but he didn't seem to mind, he actually seemed to prefer it that way which made me feel like an exception. And, although I wouldn’t admit it, it made a warm feeling bloom in my chest.

As the night came to an end, we were called downstairs, back to the living room, where mine and Seungmin’s mom waited, alone as no one else remained in the space.

We bid each other goodbye, Ms. Kim making a comment about how I should visit more often, making my mother laugh as Seungmin returned to his shy demeanor.

I later found out that he had chosen my high school to frequent through Jeongin, the 1st year student that I mentored in English, who was apparently also Seugmin’s best friend. Once I met with the boy again and asked why he hadn’t told me, he explained that he wanted to but every time we talked we’d get carried away in our stories and he’d always forget.

Moving schools midyear couldn’t have been easy for him, but he seemed to quickly become very popular amongst not only the students but the teachers as well. He was polite, friendly, helpful and the top of his class in grades. And despite it being only his first year of high school, everyone from his teachers, to his mother and even my own, could tell with clear certainty that he had a bright future ahead of him. I myself knew that, encouraging him as he started thinking about studying abroad, even as I briefly acknowledged the ache that formed in my chest at the thought of him doing so. I didn’t know exactly what that ache was due to, but I didn’t think I was ready to find out yet, so I continued to brush it off. Until a very special evening that is.

In light of Seungmin joining the photography club, his keen eye was quickly noticed by not only his classmates, but most importantly by his teacher, who decided to talk to him about the possibility of participating in our district’s photography contest. Something he had immediately said ‘yes’ to.

The 10 best were invited to a lavish event where the winner would be revealed. And it came as no surprise to me that Seungmin was invited. What did come as a surprise, was him asking me to attend the event with him. He said it was fitting, since one of the entries he submitted was the first photo he took of me, the one on the balcony. After getting over the initial surprise, I agreed without hesitation.

But now, staring at the museum’s grand staircase in my knee-lenght, flowy, peach colored dress, I felt my stomach twist itself into more knots than I had in my hair when I woke up that morning. And as the cold, spring night air brushed my bare legs I simultaneously wanted to stay where I was, rooted to the ground and holding tightly onto Seungmin’s arm, while also wanting to go in and just getting it over with so that I could escape the cold.

A reassuring squeeze on my hand put a pause on my anxious thoughts as I turned towards the puppy eyed boy I was here for.

As I looked him over once more I felt my mood brighten a bit, I almost wanted to giggle. He was sharply dressed in a simple black tuxedo with a yellow tie, that he said he had chosen to try to match my dress. But it wasn’t the brightly colored tie that almost made me laugh despite the mood I was in.

It was simply the image of Seungmin, who basically only wore jeans and loose-fitting shirts and hoodies despite his mother’s insistence in telling him that he had to look his best at all times, wearing such formal clothing that caused such a reaction.

His cheeks were colored pink as he, seemingly, chose to focus on the spot above my left eyebrow instead of looking me in the eye, which reminded me of what had transpired just minutes before.

As I arrived at his house before the event, so we could arrive together, I was immediately warmly greeted by Ms. Kim, who told me that Seungmin would be ready in just a moment. We made small talk about school as we waited, and soon I heard the sound of footsteps approaching the entrance.

As Ms. Kim stepped aside to look at her son, my eyes immediately locked onto the vibrant tie he had previously told me he would wear, before moving up to his face, which was a sight in and of itself.

His lips were parted in awe and his cheeks were flushed a light pink, which darkened as he locked eyes with me, prompting both of us to look away shyly.

“You look— Ahem. You look lovely.” He said, voice cracking midway.

“Thank you! You look pretty… Snazzy!” I don’t think I’ve ever regretted saying something as much as in that moment.

As people continued to enter the building, we still stood outside, trying to calm each other’s nerves more than our own. Seungmin tried his best to look me in the eyes and give me a reassuring smile, but it ended up being none of that. A for effort nonetheless.

“Let’s just get this over with.” I finally said, trying to appear nonchalant and unbothered as I quaked in my low black heels.

As we stepped into the building, Seungmin’s mother left the both of us alone to go socialize and we were left to our own devices. We decided to pass the time by looking around at the other participants.

We walked among the crowd of mostly adults who looked at us as if we were supposed to be somewhere else, it was unnerving to say the least. To quell our nerves we poked fun at things such as the models’ poses and the weird props used in some pictures. We were both well aware that what we were doing was probably disrespectful (if the artists were to overhear us) and that others were probably doing the same to our photos, but we couldn’t help it, they just looked too pretentious to not make fun of. What did they expect from two highschool kids?

I genuinely hoped that Seungmin was chosen as the winner, and not because he was my friend (at least not entirely). But because all the entries we had passed by didn’t seem to have any genuine emotion put behind them, or any creativity. They seemed like those art pieces that appear to portray a deep message but would seem like nonsense to anyone that had even a semblance of common sense and wasn’t content in just going along with whatever some high and mighty creator threw them. Not to mention the fact that most seemed to be relying only on their expensive cameras to win them the prize instead of actually putting any real thought or effort into their photos.

I knew I was nowhere near an “art-connoisseur”, I wasn’t even a contestant, but after spending so much time with Seungmin and his heartfelt pieces, I had formed my own opinion on art.

Just as we started to run out of “humorous critiques”, unknowingly almost wandering into a closed off section, a nearby speaker declared that the winners would soon be announced and for all the guests to gather in the main room.

Many eyes locked onto us as we entered the large (but slightly cramped) room. (Or was that just my nerves?) Just as I thought, we seemed to be the youngest people in the room as far as I could see (which wasn’t very far as everyone was so tall, and my heels barely helped), except for some kids who were very clearly some contestant’s children. It made me feel proud for Seungmin and intimidated, at the same time.

I unconsciously began to curl into myself, clenching my fists at my sides and chewing on my bottom lip as anxiety began to wash over me, slowly but surely. I began wondering if Seungmin even had a chance to win, how heartbroken I thought he’d be if he lost and what the other contestants found so interesting in us to keep staring as I knew they were as we approached the front of the room where a small platform was raised, behind it were the paintings competing. The lady next to us gave us an odd look, as if she thought we might be lost, but didn’t say a word.

As if noticing my distress, or perhaps to ground himself, Seungmin’s hand snuck between my hand and my side, the tip of his fingers tentatively hovering over my palm as if wanting to hold my hand but unsure if he could. With an uncharacteristic burst of confidence, brought on by the need to hold onto something, I interlocked our fingers tightly, squeezing once for comfort.

A man stepped on stage, asking the crowd to quiet down, and it was as if my brain had listened to his command and suddenly everything became quiet. Looking at the boy beside me, his expression seemed to reflect the same emotions, but as he noticed my stare he managed to conjure up a vaguely reassuring smile.

I felt more than a little silly for being so stressed out over something that Seungmin probably would just brush off, but the idea of how elated he would become if he won was just too perfect to be taken away from me. I just wanted to see him happy. No matter what.

And as my mind zeroed into that thought, the realization of a fact that had actually always been there hit me. It was so obvious that the meaning never fully registered.

I wanted to see Seungmin happy, no matter what, and the implications that were previously lost on me now came to light. It was more than friendly, that was for sure.

As the man on stage went one with his speech, my mind lingered on precious images I had saved in my brain, like Seungmin’s smile. His genuine smile and not the stiff and fake version he first presented to me. I felt how much joy and comfort it brought me.

All his pictures, and how many emotions they brought me.

How he always called ME first when he wanted to take a specific picture because I was apparently his favorite model.

How my heart would skip a few beats when Jeongin mentioned that he’d said something about me, always wondering what exactly it had been but never asking.

How warm and soft his hand felt in mine, and how much comfort the simple action of holding his hand brought me.

It all made me realize that there was something there, something strong and important.

And once my mind shifted back to the situation at hand, the third place had already been announced and the second on its way to the stage. This meant one of two things, either Seungmin would be first place, or he hadn’t even reached the podium. I prayed for the first option, but expected the second.

So I looked back to the young boy’s piece, and all the memories and emotions it held.

It was a photo taken in Seungmin’s balcony, of me leaning against the metal railing. My face was dark as I faced away from the unfocused colored lights behind me and towards the camera. My hair was wet from the rain, droplets running down my face and neck towards my floor-length dress, which from what I remember was way too thin as I started sneezing almost immediately after the long time it took to get that picture to be perfect. I couldn’t see or recall what my expression was since all that could be seen of my front were the minuscule bits of light some droplets reflected.

I remembered the moment Seungmin saw the dress on me, he seemed to have an epiphany, immediately demanding that we needed to have a photoshoot with it. It was nothing special in my eyes, but he seemed to see something in it.

He was immediately taken with the picture as he saw it first in his mind and then on his screen, much like he had been with the one he took on the night we met (which he, at first, wanted to use as his submission to the last stage of the competition, until I managed to make him understand that it just wasn't enough). It was colorful, bright, full of youth and life, in my eyes.

“And the winner is…” The announcer said, making my grip on Seungmin’s hand become impossibly tighter. And as the name of the winner was spoken and I registered that it wasn’t my friend’s (or maybe more) name, my shoulders dropped and my hand went lax in the boy’s hold. I looked at the winner's piece, in search for some answers or closure, for a turmoil that wasn’t really mine to feel.

The older man’s piece was a picture of a meteor shower, rare and undoubtedly beautiful. The stars shone in the sky just like the rain had on my skin, yet to me, they seemed so different.

I searched my brain for answers to why this was so much better than our piece, fundamentally ours had more layers, even more colors. And it had a story, of all the times we spent alone on that balcony sharing dreams and visions, and as far as the judges knew the story could be much different, much deeper and…

Then I realized what went wrong. The judges couldn’t score a piece simply for what it could be, but for what it was. The meteor shower was a beauty of nature, unquestionable and clearly on display to all, while the beauty of Seungmin’s photo seemed to be wholly personal, something that perhaps not all could see or feel the full weight of. I felt silly for letting my emotions cloud my vision for so long and so intensely but with my new found feelings for the boy, it wasn’t all that surprising. It still didn’t take away the feeling of my heart being shattered into many tiny pieces as Seungmin was announced as being in fourth place. Fourth place! So painfully close. But what really hurt, was the tight and insincere smile he presented to me after giving what he probably hoped was a reassuring squeeze of my hand, but actually only served to stomp on the tiny pieces left of my heart, shattered through pure disappointment and sadness.

All the other adults were quick to begin mingling as soon as all the names were announced. I released a sigh.

“Fourth place, for the first time, isn’t terrible. I think.” Seungmin said, positively, and what I managed to grant him as a response was a low hum of sad and resigned agreement.

Figuring that the night was technically over for us, as we had nothing else to do in that space since we weren’t about to begin socializing with a bunch of adults who still looked at us as if we didn’t belong there, we walked to the entrance room, Seungmin sending his mother a text to come to us.

“Excuse me! Are you Kim Seungmin, perhaps?” Said a middle-aged man as he approached us with a smile.

“Yeah- I mean, yes. That would be me. Did you need something?” The boy asked nervously, clearing his throat.

“Yes! I need to talk to you! I think it’s impressive that you even managed to get this far with your age, and to be fourth place as the youngest competitor just shows how much potential you have! I commend you for your work and passion!” The man said excitedly.

I once again tuned their conversation out, only coming back to the present to send the occasional polite smile and to walk to the car once Seungmin’s mother arrived (and was done speaking to the lively man).

A certain possibility which caused me both joy and sadness loomed over me as we got back to the Kim family apartment, me and my friend walking up the stairs towards his balcony to sit in as we waited for my mother to come pick me up, as she had insisted on doing.

My beautiful dress did me no favors against the cold wind of the balcony, leaving me curled up in front of the glass sliding door facing the bright city lights while shivering slightly, but not thinking for a moment to go get a jacket and I did all that on autopilot.

Just as the cold was starting to sober me up and break me out of my trance, a jacket (too large to be mine) was laid across my shoulders, before Seungmin sat beside me. That tan, warm and soft jacket from what seemed like so long ago.

“Why do you look so down? If it’s for me, then there's no need. Fourth place really isn't that bad, plus, and you probably weren't paying attention but the man me and my mother talked to offered me a chance to get a scholarship! In the states no less! I mean, first I have to apply and a spot isn't exactly one-hundred percent guaranteed, but I got a pretty good chance!” He very much reminded me of a puppy in that moment, ecstatic and jumpy, full of smiles and talking so fast that he became slightly breathless.

I battled with myself. He clearly seemed excited over the prospect of studying abroad and although it felt like my life’s mission at that moment was making him as happy as possible, I really, really, didn’t want him to go. To be so far away from me.

“And I know it makes very little sense, but… I want you to come with me. Don’t think about it too much, or you’ll stress yourself out but I feel like you made this opportunity possible, so I’d love to have you by my side. What do you say? I mean, you don’t have to say it now, we still have time. But, maybe you could give me a pointer?” He looked at me with those big puppy eyes full of hopes and dreams, begging to not be shattered.

He was right, the whole thing didn’t make a lot of (if any) sense, and it seemed like he was just riding the good mood he was in, but the answer still seemed to matter a lot to him.

Truth be told, I had absolutely no intention or interest in studying abroad and even though it was a priceless opportunity for Seungmin, I didn’t want him to go either. I didn’t want things to change so drastically. I wanted to keep him warm smiles and comforting touches near (and possibly all to myself).

But he was right, it wouldn’t happen for at least a couple of years, so truly there was no need for a definitive answer.

“I’ll think about it.” I said to which he nodded, seemingly pleased, before turning his gaze to the mesmerizing lights of the city.

Even though I said what I said, I knew my real answer already. I truly didn’t want to go.

But as I looked at his side profile, the faintest (but cutest) ghost of a self-satisfied smile on his lips, I knew that I would do anything for even that smile, which was so small and probably careless, even if it meant taking Seungmin halfway across the world, and away from me.

[funtimebunnyblog]

Diamante d’Italia: Chapter 2

(Chapter 2: Strangers like me, part 1)

Abbacchio wasn't quite sure why he let this kid, this almost complete stranger, tag along with him to Lunch.

Hell, he wasn't quite sure why he didn't even snap at him too harshly for prodding him about Gangs and other shit you were supposed to keep your lips closed about.

He thought back to all the times the dark haired man had prevented him from (rightfully) throttling one of the others (he should just outright say 'Narancia' at this point) and encouraging him to take a "gentler" approach and to "put his anger to something positive".

'Maybe all that time around Bruno is making me soft...' he thought to himself as a deep frown pulled on his face.

The man was indeed the very definition of a pushover who just happened to be wearing expensive Mafioso clothing after all.

Every few minutes, he found himself glancing back over his shoulder to ensure Josuke was still with him.

The Highschooler seemed distracted with every single sight there was to see around him which caused him to lag behind for the briefest of seconds to stare in awe at things Abbacchio didn't seem to find too special.

Josuke stopped completely at one point to watch a street performer squeezing away at his accordion, rich music tugging at the teenagers ears and luring him to stay for a while like a siren in open Seas.

Abbacchio was so very tempted to tell him to get his ass in gear but stopped himself upon seeing that bright starry gleam again in the others eyes as he watched the musician in awe.

Eventually however, they arrived.

Maybe he shouldn't be in such a hurry...

He simply settled for grumbling to himself and standing to watch alongside the punk until he'd had his fill of the performance.

"Libbeccio" was not only a place their  Gang frequented, it was an inviting Italian ristorante and Bucciarati's most favorite establishment in the entirety of Naples.

"This is it." He said, looking to Josuke.

"Do they have French Vanilla Coffee?" He asked, giving Abbacchio a very doe-like look.

The teenager was looking the building up and down. One thing he found he liked around here already was the overall architecture of Italy, even on simple buildings like this.

Everything just looked so cozy and yet so fancy at the same time somehow. This little building looked more inviting than anything he'd been to back home in Morioh.

The older man started up the steps and opened the door, heavenly food smells of all kinds wafted out into the street and teased at Josukes nose, even from where he stood out on the sidewalk.

The white-haired man let out a noise that was sounded like the briefest half-chuckle he'd ever heard.

"They got every flavor of Coffee and Tea you've ever heard of."

He just hoped Abbacchio couldn't hear the roar of his stomach over the feint chatter of people.

Gripping his leather bag tighter, he jogged to keep up with his companion once he realized he was standing outside and drooling like a hungry stray dog, following him inside.

The walls were painted a warm yellow that felt like sunshine.

Artwork that looked more expensive than this trip itself along with various plants (he was even more delighted to find they were real, not just cheep plastic) hung in every corner and on every wall.

The floors were dark wood, so very polished and pristine Josuke wondered if they could get away with serving food on the floor if they ran out of plates.

Good grief, how on earth did he manage to pick up another Narancia? And off the streets no less.

"This is so nice, Abbacchio!" He beamed, forcing himself to keep his voice down as he suddenly remembered he was in a restaurant after all.

He broke off into an excited babble, "Are all places here this nice? Where should we sit? You mentioned they have cake earlier. Do we order here?"

He almost facepalmed at the very thought of it.

He supposed however that maybe he'd be excited too if traveling to a foreign country, but that didn't stop him from rolling his eyes through the others excitable narrative.

Abbacchio held up a hand, "Don't worry about it." He said simply. Anything he ordered here the bill was immediately footed to Bucciarati as the man arranged with the business long before-hand.

Josuke dug into his coat, opening his wallet and sifting around inside, already doing some head math as he flipped through his money.

"What are you going to get? I can pay for you--"

To the teens surprise, Abbacchio didn't even wait to be seen to by a waiter. He stood there, blinking stupidly as the man just walked through the restaurant, past tables of people talking and dining, all the way to the back to what seemed like a secluded spot for private parties.

Things like food and drink cost nothing but chump change anyways in the eyes of a Mafioso.

Besides, this kid couldn't possibly eat half as much as Narancia and Mista knawed through during the Gangs mealtimes.

Josuke fidgeted awkwardly, feeling much like he had back in that ally when Abbacchio first made motion to leave, before looking around quickly and trailing behind.

The staff members never questioned those who were close to Bucciarati (he was more like Family to the restaurant rather than just a regular) and they knew Leone quite well at this point, as he had come alone with the man on several occasions apart from their group outings.

So the place just let the gang seat themselves in the "reserved" area whenever they saw fit to come in.

By the time he reached the more private room, out of the view of other patrons, his companion was already seated at a large round table.

"Uhh... am I... allowed back here?" He questioned, peering over his shoulder as if a member of the restaurant staff would grab him like an offending drunk and toss him out the door any second now. "I mean, I understand if you are but... I'm just a tourist..."

"Sooo..." he began, surveying his surroundings. "You said you come here often?"

A smirk pulled at the older mans coloured lips as he leaned back in his chair casually, "You're with me, aren't you?"

A nod, in which he returned in motion to another chair somewhat across from him, a gesture for him to sit down. Josuke complied, ensuring he set his suitcase down where he could see it on the chair directly next to him.

Leone nodded. It was much nicer coming here however when it was just him and another person (that most often Bruno), that way he wouldn't have to blare music in his headphones to block out the screaming war happening between Fugo and Narancia, along with Mistas constant whining.

By now Josuke was observing his new companion on a deeper level. It was weird to admit, but he felt a little drawn to the man. There was just something there that he hadn't noticed before (apart from the implications he was in the Mafia of course).

"Yeah, practically every day. We do.... business here."

It was always pleasant to discuss matters back here anyways, the atmosphere was lovely, the chatter of voices not so very loud and always away from prying eyes.

It was... familiar? Something at least resembling familiarity in his opinion. It was strange but it sort of reminded him of his relationship with his best friend Okuyasu back home in Japan...

"Business, huh?" He gave the Goth a small teasing smile, still testing the waters with him. "You're a real mysterious guy, Abbacchio..."

"Trust me, you don't know the half of it..." he replied, his tone holding just a pinch of the playfulness Josuke had questioned him with.

He huffed at that, another smirk appearing on his face. If only this punk knew just how deep those words could run...

Granted, Abbacchio knew he wasn't exactly considered a "powerful" stand user, but Moody Blues did have its usefulness.

At long last, a waiter appeared and approached Abbacchio as easily as someone would an aquaintence, he didn't even offer the man a menu.

Josukes head spun as Leone switched over to Italian when speaking to him, watching blankly as Abbacchio pointed between them as he spoke.

Now he knew how all those tourists in Japan felt.

He listened to him, absolutely clueless but interested all the same.

The strange words seemed to just roll easily off the others tongue and he found himself mouthing out certain words that stuck out to him, struggling to even get the feel of it right.

'Molto bene, signore Koichi!' He remembered the man praising, making Koichis face absolutely light up.

He had once listened to Tonio and Koichi talking back and forth in the language back home. Koichi was taking a language course of choice that term and decided to try his hand at it, once he learned a few basics, with the only Italian in town.

Tonio was very patient with his friend and only corrected him if he asked, his smile so warm it practically radiated off the mans face at the shorter boys efforts.

He nodded, "Yeah, strawberry's fine." He replied, tilting his head curiously. "What'd you get?"

"I hope strawberry's ok with you." Abbacchios gruff voice pulled him out of his thoughts and he realized the waiter had left.

He should probably learn a proper 'thank you' sometime soon if he was going to be frequently eating in restaurants like this. His Mom made sure he was raised with manners so he may as well put them to use...

Abbacchio would never admit this aloud to him, but he was starting to feel more at ease around Josuke. Despite being near strangers, he felt like he had known him for a long time.

"Tea for me. I ordered that coffee you wanted too." He hummed, leaning back in his chair again.

It was a little late for lunch now, he supposed this would be an early snack for them both as they talked and then he'd order them some proper dinner later on. "There's cake for the both of us, that's the strawberry part."

It was like how he felt about Bruno after just meeting him on that rainy night on the streetcorner some time ago.

This however was only convincing him more that there was more to this kid than met the eye. He was practically convinced he was a stand-user, or maybe one that had yet to be awakened, but he had no idea how to act on it.

How does one casually ask another if they have the ability to manifest their soul into a spirit at will to do anything from kick the shit out of someone to anything else under the sun?

"Ah, awesome!" The highschooler beamed enthusiastically, trying to keep the conversation rolling as he felt Abbacchio staring into him again. "Is the cake good?"

That familiarity was there once more and it was only getting stronger. It was like another prescence entirely...

'Could he be like me?' A voice questioned from the furthest corner of his mind.

And this meant Josuke was about to take a BIG risk.

If Okuyasu had taught him one important thing in the time he'd known him (not to mention all the dumb shit they'd done together), it was to never be afraid to take a risk.

You couldn't win the lottery without buying a ticket after all...

The hairs on Josukes neck stood up as he felt Crazy Diamond materialize itself behind him. He waited with baited breath, keeping his expression as cool and composed as possible.

He kept his eyes on Abbacchio, whose gaze had trailed down to his nails, watching the man purse his violet lips as he tried to pinch off a stubborn hangnail as he spoke.

He was way overdue for a manicure. Maybe he could go get one with Bruno sometime when they both got the chance. Maybe he could even be persuaded to let Bruno pick the colours to go on his nails...

He had to be calm in order for this to work.

'If he can see Crazy Diamond reeling their fist, he'll no doubt react and try to catch it.' He thought, feeling a phantom pull in his right arm as his brightly coloured strand cocked its fist. 'If he doesn't react, I'll just play it cool.'

"It's the best damn cake in town." Abbacchio answered, flicking away the offending hangnail at last, his eyes turning back to the teenager across from him. "At least that's what--"

He froze suddenly, the words dying on his tongue, as his duel-coloured eyes widened in surprise then narrowed quickly.

So he was right. This brat was a stand-user.

Just what did he think he was doing anyways? Was he trying to pull a fast one on him? In a restaurant of all places?

Crazy Diamond released its fist and Abbacchio jumped up from his seat, towering over Josuke.

"Moody Blues!" He said sharply, now fully radiating with a bright green aura.

Josuke could only stare in stunned silence as there came the prolonged beep of a disconnected telephone, a tall mauve androgynous figure appearing by Abbacchios side in an instant.

And for one second, Josuke was afraid he wouldn't be around to try that cake after all...

[To be continued...》