#they'll probably just be square

[oveliagirlhaditright]

Anyone else hear this rumor about a Final Fantasy X Remake? I guess it's for FFX's 25th anniversary.

I don't quite know how to feel about that for a few reasons (if it is true, we'll have an FFVII Remake, probably an FFIX one, and an FFX one)?

[queenerdloser]

lollll the church apt i applied to finally sent me a copy of the lease to look over EXCEPT they didn't put in anything about my cats, so i had to email them to remind them i'd be moving in with pets. and then the leasing lady emailed me back saying she updated it and included a pet addendum... except there was nothing attached to the email. so i had to email her AGAIN and say sorry but can you actually send me these docs for real this time. and i haven't heard back from her yet (this was maybe. 2hrs ago?) so i'm like. my 48 signing deadline better not start until i get this updated lease lmao.

[arikad0]

tbh I think Aerith will probably die in part 3 of the FF7R trilogy instead of Rebirth. obviously she might still die in Rebirth but that seems a little too early to me y'know?

[astuteology]

ִֶָ𓏲࣪𖹭ASTROLOGY NOTESִֶָ𓏲࣪𖹭

● Scorpio venus- gets sexualized alot. Many people would fantasize about these people but will not let them know. MANYYYY have crushes on them.👀

● Capricorn + Scorpio placements- are either very naive and easily influenced/manipulated or the manipulator themselves. BUT the way their mind worksss.. ufff... they get shit done, they have solutions to e.v.e.r.y.t.h.i.n.g. Can become a lawyer cuz mann you can't win against them. Everrrr.

● Capricorn/ aquarius or earth sign placements/degrees- you would rarely see them support astrology. They'll show interest if you're telling them everything good about their sign, as soon as you get to the negative part.... out the door🚶🏻‍♀️(although it's not always the case)

● In synastry if you have- venus square north node/ venus square saturn, venus square neptune, venus square uranus.... its not going to be a long lasting relationship. Cuz venus, the planet of love, is literally denied its main role. Degrees matter too, more than 5, can work. Less than 5, probably not.

● sagittarius placements- go from being fun and adventurous to being serious and mature. As the grow older, they start understanding life on a deeper level. Also, sagittarius placements are quite lucky (see where it is placed or where jupiter is placed.)

●Neptune/pluto/lilith/mars- on the ascendant, doesn't matter the aspect, GAIN ATTENTION WHEREVER THEY GO. People be turning their heads to look at you. You're random people's crush. And those who feel threatened by your presence, tries to spread false rumors about you or tell you that you're 'too bossy' 'too much' too this and that. They're just jealous cuz you got the IT factor in you and you not only gain everyone's attention but also their crushes 😌.

● Taurus placements- they have a very soothing voice. Their voice gain everyone's attention around them. Even if its noisy, as soon as a Taurus start saying something, everything gets quite. Its just the way they talk, they can have a deep or soft voice, but the way they speak is very beautiful.

● Libra placements- are superrrr nice. They're always there for you. They feel nice and happy when the people close to them are happy. Since libra is the sign of balance, they know when to be nice and when to be a bitch... so don't ever walk over them, You won't like it.

● I think aries and Capricorn placements- are the only placements that fear failure ALOT. Like ALOT. Even if they don't have a way, they'll make one. They have to do something, they can't just sit and relax, their soul won't let them.

● 12th house placements will know things beforehand due to overthinking. They would know if this friend of them is going to betray them. They start feeling uneasy somewhere in their body. With the 8th house placements, once they trust, they give their trust to you 100% and they usually gets backstabbed. Then they stop trusting people completely.

● Underdeveloped Scorpio placements- if your crush is a scorpio or has prominent scorpio placements, please stay away. They are usually involved with someone but keep it hidden. You won't know it until and unless they tell you, which they never. So its better to keep your heart safe than knowing at the end that they were involved with someone all this time.

● (in synastry) Underdeveloped scorpio venus and pisces venus- toxic, manipulative and narcissistic together. They talk shit about their close friends with each other. They turn against their friends. They develop, a kind of, superiority complex.

⋆⋅☆⋅⋆Dark side of underdeveloped placements:

▪︎ Capricorns- rude af. Very mean for no reason. They think they are the main character. No honey you're just a bitch.

▪︎ scorpios- fucking cheaters. One person is not enough for them. Very toxic. Will body/slut shame you behind your back. Oh and secrets??? What are those? Now everyone knows them.

▪︎ Aries- can yall stop playing victim card and become more mature and responsible please? What's with yall crying and throwing a tantrum to get your point proven right? Ridiculous. Also stop guilt tripping people.

▪︎ taurus- why do you feel good when someone has less than you?? Why do you judge people when you yourself are negative.

▪︎ Gemini- yall try so fucking hard to get attention. Yall really dont get a hint that your crush doesn't wanna talk to you huh? You irritate alot of people around you. Very pick me energy with this. And no youre not know it all.

▪︎ Cancer- these bitches ruin 'THE CANCER' reputation. They go around lying about everything. Share someone else's secrets'. Puts blame on the other person.

▪︎ leo- yall need to be humbled very bad. Everything depends on your mood and self esteem huh? Yall throw people's past on their face in front of everyone when yall get pissed. Istg you feel better and satisfied when someone is put down in front of you.

▪︎ aquarius- please shut up with the false conclusions. Yall never accept your fault. You fuck up someone's mind then tell everyone they're crazy for acting like that.

▪︎ pisces- no not everyone is in love with you. Get out of your head please. Stop messing with people's feelings' and mind. Stop being avoidant. Stop being a bitch.

▪︎ virgo- DONT force your thoughts on someone else. Dont criticize them for having their own thoughts. Anyone can have different thoughts. And stop trying to subconsciously control people. You make people walk on egg shells.

▪︎libra- stop being 2 faced. Youre not everything a person desires.

▪︎ sagittarius- you make people fall for you then use them and throw away. Say it with me bitch...... people 🔪 are🔪 not🔪 for🔪 fun🔪. Also even if you have everything, yall still act like you got nothing. You dont help people. You only care about yourself.

—–- ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ––—

Thank you 🩷

[hollenka99]

I am falling through a Layton rabbithole again and damn it, I might write a fic with crimeboys if I find the time and motivation to write a whole game's worth. God forbid I'm dumb enough to plot out the entire original trilogy. I don't have much but

Hershel Layton - Wilbur

Luke Triton - Tommy

Flora Reinhold - Niki

Inspector Chelmey - Schlatt

Dmitri Allen - Charlie

Claire Foley - Sally

Don Paolo - Possibly Fundy but not 100% decided

[snapnov4]

marry me | gojo satoru

synopsis: a bad idea disguised as a practical joke turns into something way deeper than you intended it to be.

wc: 1.1k

cw: just good ol fluff!

a/n: happy late birthday to my baby daddy and man of my dreams gojo satoru. i have to marry this man. i have to i have to i have to. anyways. enjoy reading this cute little fic i wrote, meaning i thought abt gojo proposing as a joke and vomited this out. enjoy!

it starts, like all things involving gojo satoru, with a bad idea disguised as a practical joke.

you're sitting across from him, in a restaurant that’s not too fancy, more of a family-type deal. he's forgone his blindfold in favor of his square-framed glasses, but his uniform is still on. he insisted on treating you to dinner after you exorcized an unregistered special grade on your own. however, with gojo, things can't always be so easy; he always adds his patented gojo twist to things, and this time the twist is this terrible joke.

“come on, it'll be funny!” he whines, from across the table.

“you want to propose to me in this restaurant for free food? when you make well over six figures a year? and have full access to thousands of years of old clan money?” you ask, incredulously, reaching to take a sip of your drink, suddenly wishing you had gone with a stronger option.

“yes, exactly. what's not clicking?”

“uhmmm, all of it?”

“look it'll be funny. you could even say no, then you can run out and i get free food as pity points,” he smiles at you, and you find it hard to keep saying no. “i mean, they'll probably all call you heartless and tell me i deserve better but that's fine.”

“okay and if i say yes, what about a ring? or the fact that we're not even together? how is anyone going to believe you?” you ask, thinking you've backed him into a corner, until he just sighs softly, keeping an easy smile, and reaches into his pocket. he pulls out a black velvet box, and shakes it a bit by his head.

“you think i hadn't planned for that?” he asks, smirking in your direction, trying to hold back laughter at your aghast expression, you drag a palm over your face, finally conceding.

“okay. fine! fine! just…try not to embarrass me. please?”

“no promises! also the waitress is coming this way, so get ready. tears are optional but preferred.”

you roll your eyes at his statement, your gaze following him closely when he stands up and walks over to your side of the table. you look around desperately hoping that no one will actually have their attention drawn to you but the thing about gojo is wherever he goes he commands attention. consequently, when he stands at a whopping 6’7 everyone’s already looking, and when he drops down on one knee in front of you, holding that little velvet box in front of you, you catch people’s smartphones shooting up immediately, great. and you're sure the vision of jujutsu’s strongest sorcerer, taking off his sunglasses and holding up a ring box to you would haunt you forever. you think right under reverse cursed technique in his list of talents, they should add acting, because the look in his eyes almost feels real.

the way your name falls so delicately from his lips, before he clears his throat, feigning nervousness. the way he struggles at first to look you in the eyes, the ring sparkling in the dim lighting. he starts:

“you are truly the most beautiful woman i've ever met, inside and out. to know you and love you is a pleasure too great for words, and i want to continue living in it every day. will you marry me?” you roll your eyes, but the smile across your face is genuine, maybe he was right, maybe this is funny. so you have no issue, saying yes, throwing your arms around his neck as he spins you around, delicately sliding the ring onto your finger. the two of you giggle all the way back to jujutsu tech, containers of your free leftovers in hand.

and so it becomes a tradition.

satoru continues to propose to you every time the two of you get the chance to have dinner together, and despite all your better judgment, you laugh and say yes every time.

and what started as a joke, turned tradition, starts to morph into something else.

satoru notices it on a summer day. you're out with the students, supervising them as they spar. the sun’s been beating down for days, he's standing beside you his eyes trained on your hands. your left ring finger has a tan line, it's from that ring. you're not wearing it, you returned it to him last night, forgetting to give it back after dinner and then desperately trying to get your schedules to align for at least five minutes, but he'd been out of town for a week and when he finally got back late last night to find you working on paperwork in your office, he didn't know why it felt like his heart sank when you slid the ring off and put it in his hand.

now, the box feels heavy in his pocket (when did he start carrying it all the time?) and he looks at you with so much adoration that had his blindfold not been on, he'd look like a love-struck puppy to any passerby. you'd been wearing the ring so much it's left a mark on you, it's obvious you'd been wearing it, the tan line a stark reminder that it was there; and something about it makes satoru wish he could make the next proposal permanent. you turn your head to him, smiling softly.

“the first years are something else this year, gojo, did you see yuuji and maki spar? they're going places,”

and he's not sure why but before he can stop himself he's blurting out:

“let me take you on a date.”

you sputter and falter, turning fully to look at him, “are you being serious?”

he nods, that goofy smile of his making you weak to his every whim, it's the same one he gave you that night at that dinner table; the same one that made you start this tradition.

so he takes you out, and then that becomes a tradition. still every day, he thinks of the way that ring looked on you whenever he slid it on your finger, and how he felt rejected every time you gave it back. he'd clear his schedule if he knew he could have dinner with you, just to see the smile you couldn't stop whenever he got down on one knee.

satoru doesn't propose anymore. he figures the next time he does it, he should be serious about it since you're his girl now. on a tuesday night, you're sitting with him on the couch, your legs are thrown over his lap and he looks at you, focused so intently on a book you've been dying to finish, the bookmark always staying near the end as you get called into emergency exorcisms, and he knows. he fishes that ring out of his pocket, the same one he gave you in that restaurant almost two years ago, and there's no fanfare, no cameras, no theatrics. he just opens the box, looks at you, and says,

“hey baby, let's get married.”

and just like the first time, you smile and say yes.

[mcytblraufest]

As the dust settles on Aufest 2024, we start to look forward to what's happening next year. Because three years of aufest just sounds like a great precursor to four years of aufest: barring disaster, we'll be back next year.

But in what FORM will we be back next year?

One thing has been consistent so far with our event. We've done a new thing every year. So the decision is, do we go back to something we've done before, or do we try something new? And that's where you come in. Yes this is a post about a poll.

The Options

Option 1 - Fandom Exchange: We do what we did Aufest 2022 and we do a Fandom Exchange. Similar to the Holiday Exchange that runs in the winter, everyone will sign up and be paired with another person, and they'll have a month to make that person a gift. People will have a chance to opt into art, fic, web weaves, playlists, podfic, or other, and the basic expectation will be 1k or a clean finished art piece in a month, all on the theme of aus. This would be a one-month event.

Option 2 - Big Bang: We do what we did Aufest 2023, and we do a Big Bang. Writers sign up with an au that's halfway done, and they get matched with artists who draw art based on their fic while they finish their au. The basic expectation is 5k in two months for writers, or a clean finished art piece in one month for artists. This would be a two-month event.

Option 3 - Reverse Big Bang: We do what we did this year, and we do a Reverse Big Bang. Artists sign up with completed au art, and then writers write a fic based on the art. The basic expectation is a clean finished art piece in one month for artists, or 5k in two months for writers. This would be a three-month event.

Option 4 - Battleship. (Though we'll probably call it Dungeon Crawl.) This is the new option, if you want to try something new. This is a competitive fic and art game, heavily based on the multifandom exchange Battleship. Participants are divided into teams, and each team is assigned a board, a 10*10 grid. Each square on the grid is assigned with two tags, things like "space au" or "divorce" or "tooth-rotting fluff" or "cannibalism", and a number between 10 and 20. Participants write a fic or draw an art that can be tagged with the one of the tags on a square, gifting it to a request made by someone in the event, and once a square is "hit" the number of times indicated on it, it clears that square, and the mods will tell you if you hit a trap or a treasure. Teams race to disarm all the traps on their board before moving on to the next stage. The basic expectations for this one would be a clean sketch on unlined paper or a 300 word fic, literally as fast as you can turn it out, but most participants in battleship write multiple fics/draw multiple arts before all boards are cleared. Battleship runs until all boards are cleared, but generally people expect to see a 3-week event.

Which of these do you want to see next year?

[hwaslayer]

love you in slow motion (psh) | five.

♡ spotify playlist | series masterlist ♡

—summary: seonghwa will go through hell and back for you, as long as he can continue to see that smile on your face. because to him, that smile feels like a rainbow after the rain, thewarmth of the sun on a winter day. because to him, you’re more than just his bestfriend—you’re love. even though everyone seems to see that except you.

—pairing: park seonghwa x f!reader

—genre: (18+ - minors dni) bestfriends to lovers | fluff, angst, smut

—word count: 9k

—chapter warning: cussing/mature language, implied sexual content, lots of overthinking, crying, mentions of death and death anniversary, friends & family being like ?? 😭, flashbacks, mentions of alcohol consumption, unprotected sex — sorry if i missed anything & if it’s all over the place! i tried to edit as much as i can while im away!! but enjoy & ty for being patient with me 🫶🏼 if you need something different, here is part one of yeosang’s fic!

Seonghwa doesn't remember when exactly he fell in love with you.

It might've been when you watched all of his football games growing up.

It might've been when you beat up that one kid because he wouldn't stop bothering Hwa for the answers to the homework and called him out of his name unnecessarily.

It might've been when you'd come to his house and sneak through the back door just so you could lie down on his bedroom floor and listen to new music together until you fell asleep.

It might've been when you first got your license and drove him to the hospital and stayed by his side when his fever didn't go down.

It might've been the trip to Hanoi with his family.

Or, it might've been when you sat with him during his first day in 3rd grade at your school, even though he was a child and didn't really know what love meant. He was surrounded by it, and so he was familiar with it. You gave him the same vibes. It must've been, right?

Of course, he had been in relationships. Those relationships did make him feel like maybe, those feelings for you were a fleeting moment; something that would pass, especially since things hadn't changed between you two. He wasn't gonna force it. He might've believed at some point that it was probably all a lie, that he wasn't meant to be with you in the end.

An idea that was way too good to be true.

But, then those relationships would end and he'd be back to square one. And he'd sit there and reflect on everything, revisiting the idea if he was saved for someone else [you]. Truth be told, he did love his exes. They'll always have a special place in his heart. But along their journey, he always felt like this wasn't his end goal— that this instead was the fleeting moment, that particular something that would pass.

In the end, it was always gonna be you.

"So, what happened with Makayla?" Wooyoung asks as he cleans his table and starts unpacking some new supplies that had just been delivered.

"Nothing." Seonghwa shrugs. "Y/N came that morning, ran off, then Makayla kinda knew. I feel so fucked up about it cause she's so nice and understanding."

♡ FLASHBACK

Seonghwa smiles when Makayla steps into his car, her sweet perfume immediately filling the air. Earlier in the week, he had asked Makayla if she wanted to go to a casual dinner and she instantly replied saying she'd love to. It put a smile on Seonghwa's face, which felt nice after the gloomy and upsetting days he'd been having.

He takes her to a casual ramen restaurant in town; it's small, cozy and intimate. They sit at the bar next to each other, taking the time to get to know each other over some hot, comforting bowls of ramen. He finds that Makayla enjoys a lot of similar things; she's outgoing, likes to go on adventures and explore new places, try new foods, would always be down to try something thrilling like skydiving or zip-lining in a tropical place.

Shit like that.

Seonghwa isn't as adventurous but he'd be down, and he likes that about her. On top of that, she's really sweet and laid back. Seonghwa doesn't feel like he has to try and paint this certain image to impress her. He doesn't; he can be himself for the most part, despite the fact that he's still having to try and keep it cool since it's the first time they're hanging out. Even when they finish their ramen, they sit there for another 30 minutes or so just chatting it up— learning more about likes and dislikes, past relationships, you, even.

"Yeah, so there's me, San, Wooyoung, Hongjoong and Y/N. I met San, Wooyoung and Hongjoong in college, and Y/N—" He pauses a bit as he twirls the straw in his cup. "She's been my bestfriend since the third grade."

"That's sweet. So, you guys are all close and everything? Y/N probably knows you the best, hm?" Makayla chuckles.

"Yeah, she does. I guess. We've been through a lot together." Seonghwa looks at her and nods. Makayla isn't one to press more, but she can tell there's a little more to you and what you mean to Seonghwa. Of course, he's not gonna divulge now. Makayla doesn't expect him to. But there's a pause, a silence that falls between them that says there's more to it than he's letting up.

She'll let it be, though. She can tell you are special to Seonghwa.

"That's nice, though. To have someone by your side after all these years. You two are still going strong. I feel like a lot of friendships crumble, or people just get distant because we grow and become different people over time."

"Mmyeah. I think we are. We're just.." Seonghwa shakes her head. "Yeah, nevermind. We're just in our fighting phase but it's not anything we haven't experienced before." He lies to skip out on details. He's torn between telling Makayla the messy ass truth or keeping it on the low— cause honestly, this was a harmless dinner. Seonghwa didn't expect anything out of this.

Maybe he should've just been honest from the beginning but his head is fucking everywhere right now, and he doesn't wanna think about it.

"I see. I hope things get better."

"Yeah, same." Seonghwa lets out a pathetic chuckle before sipping the last bit of his water and standing. "Anyway, ready to get out of here?"

"Sure. Thanks for dinner." He smiles and takes her hand to lead her out of the restaurant.

"Course. Thanks for joining me." It's a bit of a chilly night tonight, Seonghwa and Makayla can see their breath in the air as they walk back to the car together. Seonghwa truthfully is having a good time with her and he doesn't necessarily wanna part ways so soon. He might take this as a distraction, he might use this as a way to get even closer and have something to build off of— he couldn't really tell you what exactly goes through his head at this next moment. He can't lie that it is a good distraction from the bullshit he's been dealing with, and although he doesn't mean to compare Makayla to you, he can't help but say she's been making him feel way better about himself than you lately.

He hates that it even has to come down to this because at the end of the day, life clearly still revolves around you.

Seonghwa tugs the passenger door open and lets her get settled before he hops into the driver's seat. He tugs on his jacket a bit before starting the car and turning up the heat, pulling out his phone to quickly see if there's any notifications he needs to tend to from the boys [you].

"Any plans for the rest of the night?" She shakes her head.

"Nope, none at all. What about you?"

"None. Should we find something else to do then?"

"I'm down!"

"Anything specific come to mind or.. we can hang out at my spot, if you want? No pressure. I can take you home, too. It's whatever you wanna do." Seonghwa looks at her from the driver's seat.

"No, we can go to your place. I'm fine with that."

"You sure?"

"Mhm." She smiles, giving Seonghwa the green light to start up the car and drive back to his apartment.

When they get back to his place, he grabs a bottle of wine and little snacks before popping on a thriller movie she suggests. He plans to keep it chill for the evening. He doesn't plan for anything specific to happen, he doesn't plan for the night to go a certain way. He lets it be; even when Makayla scoots next to him and cuddles up under his arm. Even when his fingers seem to be tracing circles on her arm, even when he suddenly feels the urge to kiss her.

To feel something.

And so one kiss eventually turns into another, and another deep kiss. Then, it eventually turns into Seonghwa tearing off her clothes and vice versa as they rush to his room and get in his sheets. He quickly rolls on a condom and gets her laid out underneath him. He enjoys this, yes— he's not gonna lie. He's a man and he's got needs, that's why he's indulging in every second of this. He fucks her good, deep into the mattress. Makayla's moaning his name and digging her nails deep into his shoulders, whining right into his ear and begging for more of him.

It's an ego boost, and it's making him feel ten times better about himself.

He makes her cum twice that night, from missionary and from behind. He hopes his neighbors don't complain about the noise— headboard lowkey banging into the wall with his name being called out like a mantra.

He has a good fucking time, though. He doesn't kick her out. He lets her stay the night, handing her a shirt to sleep in to feel more comfortable. He holds her and falls asleep quickly, the morning coming not too long after they had fallen asleep together.

Seonghwa planned to sleep in a 'lil bit that morning since he wasn't needed at work until 10am. In his head, he had planned to wake up at his own liking, prep a small breakfast for him and Makayla before offering to take her home on the way to work.

But, his plan is completely ruined when he hears a loud knock on the front door that also startles Makayla awake.

"Are you expecting someone?" Seonghwa's brow turns up as he ponders for a bit. He isn't expecting any packages and he doesn't remember putting in any maintenance requests. So.. no?

"No." He gets up, but Makayla does too and he feels a bit bad her sleep was ruined. "You don't have to get up, you can stay in bed if you'd like."

"No, it's okay. I should probably get up and get ready." He gives her a small smile before walking out, throwing on a white tank top to cover his indecency and tidying up a bit for whoever the hell is on the other side of the door. Who he expected, he wasn't sure. But he sure as hell wasn't expecting it to be you on the other side this early in the morning.

He swings the door open and he's not sure what to say or do, and it doesn't help that Makayla is brushing past behind him in his shirt to gather some of her things.

"Oh." Is all you say, and Seonghwa feels his heart break to a million pieces when he sees the look on your face. You're trying your hardest not to show how much it hurts you, but he knows you. He knows you well, that's for damn sure.

"Y/N—"

"It's good, I didn't meant to interrupt, I'm sorry— I'll catch you later."

♡ END

"I mean, it's not like you were expecting Y/N to come on that morning. Plus, you didn't necessarily lie or do anything behind anyone's back. You tried." Wooyoung feels a little silly knowing he knew about your plan, but he definitely didn't know Makayla spent the night until now. He took a 'harmless dinner' for what it really was; not Seonghwa taking her back home for good times and good vibes in the sheets. Or else, he probably would've prevented you from going on that morning and lied about Hwa's shift time to keep everything as smooth as possible. But, it doesn't make any sense when Wooyoung really thinks about it. Because even if he did tell you Hwa had an early shift and that it'd be better to see him later, would that help fix anything? Which exactly is the lesser evil?

For Wooyoung, he thinks it just had to unfold the way it did, unfortunately.

"Mm. Yeah." Is all Seonghwa says before finishing up wrapping some KT tape on his client. "Makayla was cool, though."

"Took her out and took her home, ey." His client chimes in, making Seonghwa shake his head.

"Thought I'd move on." Seonghwa shrugs.

"Clearly not." Wooyoung snorts, tossing in some fun to brighten the mood. "No, but, honestly. I think it had to happen this way? Instead of it getting too deep with Makayla and Y/N comes back around? Less mess."

"Less mess is always nice." His client chimes in again. "So, what are you gonna do? Does Tyson know about the whole thing with his cousin?"

"I don't know. I don't think so. He hasn't mentioned anything. If he asked, I'd be honest about it." Seonghwa shrugs. He wasn't entirely hiding anything and he likes to think he tried to go about this as normally as possible. It wasn't like he was out to intentionally hurt Makayla. He could never. He just didn't expect things to play out the way that it did, and he could never lie either.

"Well. What're you gonna do now?"

"Somehow talk to Y/N."

"You haven't heard from her since then, huh? Well, I guess since the club." Wooyoung corrects himself.

"Nope. I have not." Seonghwa's bottom lip pokes out into a pout before patting his client on the shoulder to signal that he was finished with the KT tape.

"Damn, Hwa." Is all his client says before walking out of the room, making both Seonghwa and Wooyoung chuckle.

"I really wanted her to take the lead on this one."

"Technically, she did. It just happened to be at the wrong time." Wooyoung shrugs. "Give her a little bit of time before you reach out again. She probably feels really defeated after that. And don't get me wrong, I love you both and the situation is unfair for both ends. But I think right now you two just need the space."

"Yeah. I'm not gonna force anything right now. I just hope she's able to talk to me before jumping to more conclusions."

"Mhm."

"Have you been able to talk to her recently?" Seonghwa fully turns to Wooyoung.

"Yeah, but she's not really saying anything about it. I think Sannie—"

"Sannie.. what?"

"She called Sannie after the whole thing and cried to him about it."

"Oh." His heart breaks hearing that you've cried over him yet again. Maybe Wooyoung was right— maybe you both needed this space after all.

♡ FLASHBACK

"San? Sannie?" You repeatedly call his name over the phone and San is confused. He has just woken up, but he's immediately alert when he hears you crying, your voice trembling on the other line.

"Hey Y/N?" He says in a questioning tone as he sits up in bed and rubs at his eyes. "What's going on? Is everything okay?"

"I'm so fucking stupid." You quickly start your car and reverse out of the spot to drive off.

"Don't say that, what's going on? Talk to me."

"I just tried to talk to Seonghwa about everything. I was gonna tell him everything, I was gonna be honest. Sannie, I was gonna be honest—"

"Slow down, where are you?"

"I'm going home." You cry and San starts to get up and get ready.

"I'll meet you there and we can talk more, okay? Just please get home safely and I'll be there." You nod even though San can't see you, trying as best as possible to race home in a safe manner. All you wanna do is crawl into bed and cry everything out so you can put on a brave face for work later.

When you get home, you immediately toss your pajamas back on and curl up on the couch. You put on a random movie for background noise, picking up your phone to see the missed calls and texts from Seonghwa.

[seonghwa]: y/n where are you?

[seonghwa]: can we talk, please?

[seonghwa]: just text me back or call me.

[seonghwa]: y/n please talk to me.

You let out a sigh and set the phone aside, not knowing how to respond to him right now. Your thoughts are all over the place, and you're regretting everything that's happened between you and Seonghwa recently. You were too late and this was the price of your actions, reactions, everything.

This is exactly what you were afraid of— losing Seonghwa, even as your bestfriend, for good. Because now, things seem irreparable. Your relationship won't feel the same and it's truly awful.

"It's me, San." You suddenly hear at the door before he lightly jiggles the doorknob. "I'm coming in, okay?" You don't say anything and he proceeds, eyes instantly landing on your form on the couch. "What happened?" San positions himself on the middle of the couch, looking down at you with sympathy. He really does hate seeing you cry— he's hated it since he's known you and grown close to you.

"It's too late. I'm too late. I'm so stupid." You cry, explaining to San about how you finally gained the courage to talk to Seonghwa. You tell San you woke up early and tried to put yourself in a good mindset in order to work through things properly. You tell him about how you got yourself there, ran up the steps and knocked on his door without turning back. You explain the look on Hwa's face, you explain how surprised he was to see you.

You explain how you ran off when you saw her in his shirt.

You explain how your heart dropped, you explain how awful the feeling was hearing him call after you, seeing his texts and missed calls.

"But, he was calling after you. He wants to talk to you Y/N."

"No. I ruined it. He's probably just gonna explain how he needed to move on and tell me shit that's gonna hurt like hell."

"Why don't you hear him out, hm? It could be entirely different, and he might wanna work this out with you."

"We kissed at the club. So after all of this— the kiss, the argument after the fight with Mingi, today—I don't think Seonghwa and I will ever be the same again. I fucked it up." You ramble on and San's slightly having a hard time keeping up cause he's stuck on the fact that you just told him you and Hwa kissed. It's not like he's entirely surprised, it just makes sense as to why things feel too fucking complicated.

He sees why now. But truthfully, as both your friend and Seonghwa's, it's not his place to say anything. The best advice he has is to just let it play out how it should. You'll get your time to talk to Seonghwa. Whatever unfolds from there is what will unfold.

"Hey, don't say that. Please don't." San says softly. "I know everything feels messed up and all over the place right now, but I know Seonghwa wants to fix things just as badly as you do. You're his bestfriend before anything, he'll never let that happen."

"I don't know what to do."

"Why don't you give yourself more time and space? Talk to Seonghwa when you've had a chance to clear your head and gather your thoughts properly." He gently rubs at your back. "This is the best thing you can do for yourself right now. For you and him, maybe." You dig your head into the pillow and release a sigh, almost finding the need to scream at how frustrating everything is.

But, he's right.

Time.

♡ END

"Heard you two kissed at the club." Wooyoung teases Seonghwa, causing him to toss a roll of gauze at his head.

"Shut up."

"Ow, what? It's cute!" Seonghwa glares at him before letting out a sigh.

"It just seems like everything's against us right now." Seonghwa laughs a bit, but deep down, he isn't sure how he feels. He's sad. He's heartbroken. He's not sure if he wanted the kiss to happen purely because of what you two are now. Because even though he knows it's not the only problem, it is probably the biggest.

"Give it time, yeah? You two will talk it out when things settle and it'll get better no matter what that looks like. I know you mean a lot to Y/N, and she wouldn't just drop 16 years of friendship over a silly little squabble."

"Mm." Seonghwa hums.

"Have you talked to Makayla since then?"

"Yeah, and she still wants to be friends. There weren't any expectations so.." Seonghwa shrugs. "At least she doesn't fucking hate me even though I deserve it"

"Dude, again. You weren't intentionally trying to hurt her. It's just a complicated situation."

"Yeah. Anyway. You're coming to my dad's thing right?"

"Of course, the fuck?" Wooyoung laughs. "This weekend, right?"

"Yup."

"Yeah, I'll be there."

"I wonder if Y/N is still coming."

"She will." Wooyoung gives him a small smile. "I know she will."

The weekend comes quick and Seonghwa is hauling ass from the wee early morning hours to get ready for his dad's retirement party. He's helping fix up the house and the backyard before running to the store to grab more things his mom needs. Though he's not trippin' about being tasked with errands alone, he'd usually have you tag along for company and extra hands. He feels it a lot today, and it's killing him how he can't even do this with you.

He doesn't even know if you're coming, or if you remembered, even if Wooyoung reassured him.

"You're done?" Seonghwa's mom asks, peering over his shoulders as he hauls in grocery bags and a cake.

"Yeup. Why? Don't tell me you need more, ma. I told you—" She playfully pinches him on the arm and furrows his brows while he lets out a low 'ow.'

"Told me what, hm? That's all! I'm not adding to the list! Where's Y/N?"

"What do you even mean?" She crosses her arms.

"You normally do these things with her. Where is she? Is she okay?" He shrugs.

"Sorry, she's busy." She eyes him, taking note of the way he shrinks and avoids eye contact. "Where do you want me to put the groceries and cake? Fridge for now?"

"Mhm. Thank you."

"Where's dad?"

"Showering and getting ready for his special day."

"I probably should do that, too.”

"Y/N is coming, right?"

"Mom, yes." He says in a slightly exasperated tone because he doesn't know the real truth. He honestly just wants to stop talking about you for a second. Just one second. "I'm gonna get ready." He walks off to get ready, sorting through his duffle bag of clothes that he brought over.

His mom likes to tease him, even though deep down, she gets sad when you two fight. It's not even just the fact that you welcomed him so warmly when he was the new kid in town, it was the fact that she has never seen Seonghwa connect with someone so well. You've always pulled the best out of him, and you were always there to make him laugh, to make him happy. Despite all the troubles you've endured, you've always treated them with respect and you've always shown love even if your own life felt like it was lacking of such. This didn't feel like any other fight she's witnessed between you two— call it mother's instinct, but she knew there was way more to it than Seonghwa wants to let on. She just hopes that whatever it is, you two can pull through. She knows you both are stronger than that.

When Seonghwa gets showered and throws on some better clothes fit for the occasion, he helps his mom and dad get the house clean and tidy for the party. His dad had officially retired, and Seonghwa was happy he could finally rest. Enjoy the things he loved doing. Spend more time with his mom. He helps put up the decorations around the house, fixing up the backyard and getting the grill ready for the food. Wooyoung, Hongjoong and San are one of the first to arrive, along with his relatives. They immediately start drinking and enjoying themselves, playing music and grilling meat to start kicking things off as more people trickle in.

Wooyoung briefly offers to take over the grill while Seonghwa heads into the kitchen to pull out more of the fruits and non-alcoholic drinks for his cousins and relatives that don't drink. He's busy setting things aside when his mom's loud scream startles him, his eyes immediately diverting to the source near the front door.

"Y/N's here with Yaya, Soyeon and Charli!" Seonghwa's mom lets out an excited yell when she sees her favorites walk through the door, throwing her arms around you for a big hug. Seonghwa turns from the kitchen, watching as you greet his family members that immediately swarm you at the entry. You happily greet his dad near the living room, giving him a big hug and congratulations for his retirement. It's the first time he'd be speaking to you after everything, let alone seeing you. He tenses up a bit, but he doesn't ignore the excitement he feels seeing your face, your smile. You're in a white denim maxi skirt and a black off-the-shoulder top, and Seonghwa can't help but stare.

"Hey!" Soyeon playfully punches him on the bicep and pulls him out of his thoughts, with Chacha screaming at the top of her lungs right next to her mom. "Chacha, jeez." Yaya laughs when she hugs him first.

"She sure loves her Uncle Hwa."

"Uncle Hwa!" She continues to scream, making Seonghwa laugh and swoop her into his arms. He gives Soyeon a one-armed hug before placing a kiss on Charli's temple.

"Chacha!" He matches her excitement. "Missed you, pea." He turns to Soyeon. "Junseo's at the restaurant?" She nods.

"Yep! Holding it down like always." She laughs. "He wanted to be here, though." She turns to Charli. "Baby, let's go eat first? You can play with Uncle Hwa after." Charli whines but doesn't fight it, making Hwa promise time after time that he'll play with her after she finishes her food. He does, anyway. He'll do anything to keep that smile on her face.

At this time, you finally make your way to the kitchen and Seonghwa isn't sure how to act. You give him a tiny, toothless smile before throwing one arm around him, clearly avoiding eye contact as much as possible.

"Hey." Seonghwa says, hugging you back. "You drove with Soyeon and Yaya?"

"Mhm."

"Should've told me so I could've picked you guys up."

"It's okay, Hwa." You give him another reassuring smile before grabbing a cup to fill up with some of the fruit juice his mom made. "Is everyone else here?"

"Yeah. Outside in the backyard. Food is out there, too."

"Thanks." You say, sipping your cup before walking out to the backyard. Seonghwa lowly groans to himself when he realizes he's being dumb, maybe slightly afraid, to talk about everything that's been happening.

Maybe it isn't the right time, either. But, he hates being this way with you. It feels terrible, and he wants nothing more than to just be okay with you.

"Are you and Y/N okay?"

"Ma, we're fine. I promise."

"Park Seonghwa if I find out that you've done something to her—"

"I didn't do anything!" He almost squeaks when he responds. "What about me, mom? How about 'are you okay, Seonghwa?'"

"I ask you all the time and you always give me the same answer!" She responds in a higher tone, but Seonghwa knows she's teasing just to push his buttons. "You never want me in your business anyway!"

"Whatever." He sighs and shakes his head, walking out to the backyard to hang out with everyone. Everyone old enough to drink [and isn't driving] raises their cups high for a big toast before knocking some soju back. Seonghwa catches up by taking the shot Wooyoung hands him to the neck, making a face at the bitter brand of soju they've decided on.

You've parked yourself in between Hongjoong and San, with Yaya, Soyeon and Charli sitting nearby as they eat their food. You have a plate in hand while you laugh along with San, Hongjoong and Wooyoung poking fun and making faces at Charli nearby. Seonghwa plops onto the empty bench space next to San, sipping on his drink while watching his cousins play in front of everyone. San sees you shift in your position a bit, now paying more attention to Charli, Wooyoung and Hongjoong, while Seonghwa continues to quietly sip on his drink. San isn't gonna lie— he feels a bit awkward since the tension is coming from both ways. But, he brushes it off anyway; trying to keep everything as normal as possible to keep the party running on a smooth note.

"Uncle Hwa." Charli comes in front of him with a huge smile on her face.

"Yes?" He gives her the same smirk, setting his cup down onto the table. "Finished eating?"

"Ya. But, mommy says I can't play yet."

"30 minutes!" Soyeon yells from her seat.

"She's right. You need to let your food settle." He pokes at her tummy and pulls her onto his lap. "Here." He hands her his phone to play on.

"Uncle Hwa." She calls for him again as she watches him pull up her favorite game.

"Mhm?" She puts up her tiny hands near his ear to whisper something so incredibly confidential:

"Are you and Titi Y/N fighting?" He chuckles.

"A bit, but we'll be okay."

"Why?" She pouts at him.

"Just grown up things, Chacha. We'll be okay." He repeats.

"You promise?" She's still whispering and Seonghwa's heart melts when she puts up her pinky for a pinky-promise. "Titi Y/N loves you. Don't be mad."

"I'm not mad." He wraps his pinky around hers. "Promise, okay? Here." He passes her his phone once the game loads.

"Uncle Hwa, I wanna play with your legos." She plays Mario Kart Tour furiously on his phone.

"Which one do you wanna play with?"

"Any." Seonghwa laughs and nods, carrying her as he stands to grab his legos from his stash in his old room.

"Let's go find one, hm?" You watch as Seonghwa carries Charli with ease into the house, remembering the night you two spent with Charli a few weeks ago. Feels pretty distant, and it hits you how sad your situation with Seonghwa is right now. You quickly shake off your thoughts and stand from your seat to throw your trash away and grab another drink, grabbing more trash from the group when they see you making your way inside. You toss the paper plates away, engaging in small talk with Seonghwa's cousins as they pass in and out of the house. You pour yourself another cup, getting slightly startled by Charli zooming out of the house screaming in pure happiness while holding one of Hwa's small lego sets.

"That girl talks in screams." You mutter to yourself. "Oh shit." You look at the small spill to the side of your cup, letting out a sigh when you reach over for a napkin—

"Here." Seonghwa cocks a brow up when he hands you a napkin. "Can always count on you to make a mess, I guess." You roll your eyes at his sarcasm and snatch the napkin out of his hand to wipe up the spill.

"Thanks." Seonghwa continues to stand there, awkwardly watching you clean up the spill. You turn to him once more, furrowing your brows in confusion. "What?"

"We're just not gonna talk about it?"

"We're not doing this right now." You look at him. "Not at your dad's retirement party."

"Then when, Y/N? You're just gonna leave everything like this?"

"I don't know, Seonghwa! I guess so, cause I'm definitely not doing this now." He lets out a hefty sigh before slowly nodding his head.

"Wow, so you're fine with—"

"Stop." Seonghwa licks his lips and purses them together before breaking eye contact first. It's the easiest comeback he has, and he's not sure why he feels so angry, so triggered, right now. It's probably because he wishes you had just talked to him before the party. It's probably because it's been too long and he's not even sure where this leaves you two anymore. It's probably because he misses you and wishes he could just hug you. Call you. Text you. Do everything that he used to. Regardless of the kiss.

"Alright." Seonghwa says, surrendering and waving the white flag. You catch the way his jaw slightly clenches when he tears his eyes away from you and breaks eye contact. It does break your heart, and you hate that this is what you two have become. But, you weren't gonna do this on his dad's special day. Not at his dad's party.

"Excuse me." You grab your cup and Seonghwa steps aside to let you walk out first. He follows suit, shutting the sliding door behind him. Your friends and Soyeon don't fail to catch how bothered you two look even though you try to keep it under wraps, continuing to keep distance even as the afternoon goes on.

While Charli continues to play with the lego set in between playing with Seonghwa's baby cousins, you, your friends, and Seonghwa's relatives engage in more drinking and karaoke. Seonghwa and his mom take a moment to say little speeches over the cake, congratulating his dad for his retirement and for reaching a milestone in his life. You go about the party as normal as possible, keeping the energy and the good vibes alive even though it truly feels the worst not being able to genuinely be happy around the people you love the most.

You knew it was time to talk to Seonghwa soon, and that he was waiting for you to do it. He had been waiting for you, and god knows how disappointed he must have been in you.

Everything just feels so fucked up, and you feel so torn about everything. You wish you could just run away and hide from it all, even though you equally wanted to fix this and figure out where you two lie in all of this.

What about Makayla?

Was he still seeing her like that?

That's probably the one thing you were most afraid of. Seonghwa was your bestfriend. Despite all of this, you should be happy with whatever he chooses. He deserves it. He didn't deserve what you gave him at the club or how you failed to be honest about your feelings. This was all because of you.

As the evening arrives, you and Soyeon plan to leave in the next half hour due to Charli getting restless. As you pack some food to go for the both of you, Seonghwa's mom rushes over to you and puts her hand on your back. She looks at you lovingly like she always has, a soft smile on her face.

"Come here really quickly.” Her hand laces with yours as she shows you to their room. "I was cleaning up the garage the other day and found these photos and videos." She hands you some old photos of you, your dad, and Seonghwa and his dad while out. You flip through them, feeling the tears welling up in your bottom lids.

You missed your dad so, so much.

There were even photos of you and Seonghwa on the playground, photos of you and Seonghwa laughing while on a family trip, photos of you and Seonghwa hanging out in each other's backyards. Photos of you, your dad, Seonghwa and Seonghwa's dad together.

"This, too." His mom slips an old VHS tape into the VCR and you giggle a bit at how long it's been since you've watched something on tape. A huge wave of nostalgia immediately rushes over you as you gently place the photos down and watch the video of you and your dad during the fourth grade trip to the local zoo.

"He truly adored you more than anything. You will always be his little girl." She says and you start crying. Seonghwa's mom leans her head on your shoulder, and you lean onto her; silently enjoying the footage together. All of this was perfect timing, and you knew Seonghwa's mom did it for a reason. Your dad's death anniversary would be coming later in the week and it was everything you needed to find some comfort.

"I miss him."

"I know he misses you, too."

"Thank you." You look at her and give her a toothless smile. "Can I take these pictures?"

"Of course! Want the tapes, too?"

"Is it okay if I keep it here? I don't have a VCR." She laughs a bit and nods.

"Yes, absolutely." She rubs your arm before pulling you into another hug. "I'm glad you came out today."

"Why wouldn't I?"

"You and Seonghwa seem to be fighting." She makes a face that makes you laugh. "What happened? What did he do?"

"Nothing. It was me. We just got.. into a disagreement, I guess. It's my fault though, and I just haven't been able to talk to him to apologize."

"You two will be fine."

"I know." You give her another tiny, toothless smile. "I hope." The two of you sit together for a little longer, taking in the rest of the photos before you wrap it up and head back out to the party.

At this point, your friends are taking their leave, with Charli laying on Soyeon as her mom holds her. She hands you the bags of all the food you packed for yourself, Yaya and Soyeon, saying your goodbyes to everyone still around. You save Seonghwa for last, giving him a tiny smile as he pulls you into a full-armed hug. You embrace the hug, pressing your cheek against his chest before he pulls away and looks at you.

"Wait." He says, holding you by the shoulders. "Have you been crying?" He looks deeply into your eyes and takes note of your wet eyelashes. You brush it off and look away, shaking your head as a response.

"No, I haven't." You brush past him to finish saying bye to his parents before rushing out the door to your own family. Seonghwa furrows his brows and looks at his mom, realizing she also has wet lashes and just looked like she finished crying.

"Were you and Y/N crying together?"

"I showed her some photos and videos with her dad that I found in the garage." She shows him the date on her phone and it’s enough for Seonghwa to understand what it means.

"Oh. I see." Is all he says. "Was she okay?"

"I think so. She can always say she's okay even though deep down, she's not." She puts her hand on Seonghwa's arm. "I don't know if it'll ever get easier for her."

"Goodmorning Hwa! Have you heard from Y/N yet? I wanted to ask her something but she hadn't texted me back and her phone is off. I think I might know why, though." Seonghwa lets out a breath and licks his lips before responding.

"I see. I'll check." He says. "I got you."

"Thanks. If you do see her, tell her to call me later when she's up for it."

"I will." And with that, Seonghwa cuts the call. He looks at his watch before devouring the rest of his breakfast, grabbing his bag and heading out the door much earlier than expected. It's a crisp, cold day. Somewhat of a drastic change compared to the days they've been having. Seonghwa can see his breath in the air, and he's regretting the light windbreaker jacket he grabbed as he rushed out the door— hoping it'd get warmer.

But, it doesn't.

He has to be at work in a bit, and he's probably even gonna be late. He's just concerned about you, and even though things still feel weird, awkward— he knows he needs to be here for you. Especially during this time.

And Seonghwa's timing couldn't be any more perfect. Because although today isn't the exact day of your dad's death anniversary, it's in two days and you never know how to prepare. Lately, you've found yourself avoiding the exact day, visiting your dad’s grave a few days earlier to say some words, say your peace. Cry and reminisce. When the day comes, you try to keep yourself busy. You work and you work, and you spend time with Yaya, or Soyeon, or even Seonghwa's family because it's the love you need to surround yourself with. As much as you love them all dearly, they aren't your dad and it never gets easier. It's an unbearable pain you can't even describe. It doesn't go away. It just sits there, leaning onto your already-broken heart and weighing heavily on the surface.

You've been quietly sitting at your dad'd grave, fingers tracing over his picture. You smile whenever you see his bright smile, his eyes holding all the irreplaceable love in the world. You're not even sure how long it's been since you got here, maybe an hour or two. It's cold, but you don't want to leave. You want to spend as much time as you can being here even though it is hard.

You continue to cry and slowly fix the flowers around his grave and other offerings. You set one of the framed pictures of you, Seonghwa, and your dads onto his grave before crying, and crying some more. Suddenly, you feel someone drape a jacket over your shoulders, and with the circumstances, you would've been spooked if it were any other day. But, you feel at ease. You feel comforted. You feel completely fine because everything feels familiar. Your feelings are confirmed when Seonghwa wraps his arm around you and pulls you close.

"It's cold, how long have you been out here for?"

"Awhile."

"You should've called me." Is all he says before there's a brief silence that falls between you two.

"I always think it'll get easier." You mumble as you wipe away at your tears. "When a new year comes, I always feel like it'll be the year I'll finally be able to process this and say my peace to it." You start breaking down again and Seonghwa sits still, silently listening to you cry. "But, it never turns out that way. It just gets harder."

"It's an unbearable pain that doesn't go away. I'm sorry it had to be you, and I wish it didn't turn out this way. I wish it wasn't like this for you." Seonghwa says lowly as he continues to hug you and keep you close. "Your dad is always here, watching over you. And I know he'd be so proud of you for being so strong and overcoming all the adversity that came your way."

"I just miss him, Hwa. I really wish I could hug him again. I'll never forgive myself for taking advantage of all those chances and for being too comfortable."

"Y/N, this is the sort of tragedy that you can't control. It's awful, but you would have never known. There was nothing you could have done to prevent it. You did your best as his daughter, and I know he appreciated every moment until the end. I know he felt your love through everything." You cry onto his shoulder, letting everything that you still have left in you out. Seonghwa continues to hold you close, hand rubbing up and down your arm as his cheek rests on the top of your head.

"You really didn't have to come, pichu."

"And let you do this alone? I don't think so." You shift in your position to look at him. He gently takes a thumb underneath your eyes, wiping away at your tears.

"Can we talk? At my place?"

"Yeah. I'll come as soon as I'm done with work, okay?" You nod and Seonghwa gives you a tiny smile. The two of you sit in silence for a little longer before you're saying your goodbyes and heading your separate ways.

"By the way, Soyeon wanted to ask you something." He dips his head. "Call her when you get home." You nod again. "Drive safely for me." He taps your door frame before shutting it close and heading to his own car. You watch in your mirror, waiting for Seonghwa to step into his car before you drive off and head home.

Getting home, you immediately wash up, get into comfier clothes and call Soyeon to check in with her when you see her texts. You agree to picking up a few extra shifts throughout the week to cover for Jini finally taking some time off for personal reasons. You hang out on the couch, putting on a reality TV show you had already finished— you figured it'd be good for background noise. Filling up the emptiness of your space. You end up taking a long nap, waking up close to dinner by Yaya calling you into the house to share some food with her. It felt nice catching up on sleep, since you weren’t able to get much the night before. You spend most of your early evening with Yaya, helping her clean up around the kitchen before you retreat back to your place and pick up your phone when a text goes off.

[seonghwa]: need anything for dinner?

[you]: no i ate already, ty. just get yourself something!

[seonghwa]: okay. i'll be over in a few mins

You tidy up even more as if it's the first time Seonghwa is coming over. But, you feel nervous all over again. You feel like every inch of your apartment has to be clean in order to prep; overall, it feels like nothing can really prep you for whatever will go down tonight between you and Seonghwa and this is only helping distract you from that thought. You just hope it ends on a good note.

"Sorry it took me a little longer, had hella shit to do for the trainees today." You shrug as you look at him from the couch, wrapped up in your blanket.

"It's okay."

"What'd you do when you got home?"

"Hm, clean. Nap. Eat dinner with Yaya. How was work?" He shrugs.

"Tiring." He plops next to you on the couch. You notice he's drinking a protein shake, with nothing else in hand.

"You didn't get anything to eat?" He shakes his head.

"I'm not really hungry."

"Hm, okay." You hum. "Thanks for still coming over even though you had a long day." He looks at you and gives you a toothless smile.

"Course." You scoot a little closer and he continues to watch you. He watches the cute little frown on your face build— staring at him all doe-eyed and it makes his heart flutter.

"I'm sorry for everything, pichu. I didn't mean to get mad at you that night the fight broke out. I just didn't wanna see you hurt and I'm stupid for not pushing Mingi away. For finding excuses. You shouldn't have to save me every single time and I'm sorry it has been that way over the years." You tilt your head. "I really am sorry, and I didn't mean to make things more complicated especially with the kiss. I probably ruined things with Makayla—"

"We're just friends." He chimes in. "We're just friends and you didn't ruin anything."

"She was at your place? In your clothes?" He nods and chuckles a bit.

"Yeah, cause things escalated for one night. I'm not gonna lie. But, that's really it. She knew.." Seonghwa looks at you and shakes his head. "Nevermind."

"No, tell me. She knew, what?" You place your hand on his and gentle shake it.

"She knew the way I felt about you, especially after that morning."

"Oh."

"I guess she could just tell."

"I'm sorry, Hwa." He clicks his teeth and caresses your cheek.

"Stop saying sorry. Nothing was ruined. Everything's good between us and we're still friends."

"Where does that leave us?"

"You know what I want. What do you want?" You look at him for a moment, really look at him, and he's patiently waiting for your response. His big, brown eyes are holding hope, holding love, holding every bit of affection he has for you— even though he's trying his best to keep it at bay. At this moment, you couldn't even question how Seonghwa felt for you because it's overflowing from his look alone. He really wanted you. He really wanted to give you the world, if you'd let him.

"I'm just scared, Hwa." You say, close to a whisper— bottom lip trembling. He lifts your chin as he scoots closer, keeping you close and warm while his big, brown eyes peer into yours with pure adoration. There's a mix of worry, concern, but he knows better than this. He knows you two are better than this.

"I am too, I have been for a long time. But, please trust me when I tell you that I'm here and that I'll never leave your side no matter what. I'm here, Y/N. I want this, I want you. I have always wanted this."

"Don't lie."

"You know I hate liars." He chuckles a bit.

"I feel the same, Hwa. I do.”

"Yeah? You're with me? Genuinely?" You nod. "I need you to be sure of us, Y/N."

"I'm sure. I'm sorry I ever doubted you or questioned it, but I'm sure." You shed a few more tears while Seonghwa chuckles a bit. "Hey." You whine. "I'm serious!"

"I am, too." He smiles. "Stop crying, you look ugly when you cry." He teases and you smack his arm. "Just come here." He says, pulling you closer and lifting your chin up. "I got you, okay? I got us.”

"Okay."

"Is it okay if I kiss you?" Seonghwa asks, close to a whisper. You quietly nod, watching as he dips forward and closes in for a kiss. It's soft, it's sweet, it's light. It makes your lips tingle, it makes you feel all sorts of butterflies. Before Seonghwa can pull back, you immediately chase after his lips— asking for another, just deeper, more intense. It quickly builds without having to do or say much; Seonghwa's large hand cupping your cheeks right before you straddle his lap, careful not to break the kiss. Your tongues are fighting for dominance, background noise now also being filled with the sound of wet kisses. Small whines and whimpers. Seonghwa's hands fall to your ass, giving it a good squeeze when he feels you slowly rock against his already-hard cock.

"Fuck." He hisses just as you suck onto his bottom lip and tug back on it. "Hold onto me." He demands as he swiftly carries you, letting you wrap your arms around his neck, legs around his waist. He drops you onto the bed and continues to kiss you, making his way down to your jaw. Neck.

"Gonna ask again.” He places a kiss on your jaw. “Sure about this? Us? If you want me to stop, I'll stop." You shake your head as Seonghwa continues to plant kisses wherever he can, thumb fiddling with the hem of your shorts.

"Keep going." You reassure him through a quick cheek caress when he stops and stares. "Please. I’m sure."

"Okay." He whispers before dipping in for a final kiss on the lips. The both of you continue to shed off your clothes, tossing them at different points in your studio. "You're still on birth control, right? I'm clean."

"Mhm." You barely respond before you let out a small gasp when Seonghwa's thumb run down your folds, feeling for how wet you are already. He presses at your sensitive nub, biting onto his bottom lip when he sees how you easily respond.

"So wet already." Your mouth waters when Seonghwa finally sheds off his boxers and pumps himself a few times. When Seonghwa tugs the covers up and slightly hovers over your body, he teases you for a few minutes by running his tip up and down your folds. He lets out a small moan before slowly breaching your entrance, sliding in with ease because of how wet you are.

This whole thing feels so raw, feels so new, feels so.. meant to be.

So perfect.

Like fitting in the last piece of a 1000-piece puzzle.

Seonghwa slowly works himself into you to adjust to the feeling, his mouth slacked open against yours at how good, how perfect, you feel. He finds a steady rhythm, your legs cocked open for him as he dives deeper, and deeper— hitting you in all the right spots. Seonghwa thinks the feeling is indescribable. It's the fact that the person he genuinely loves is underneath him, the person he genuinely loves has admitted in feeling the same about him, about this. It's the fact that everything feels so, so right.

It makes everything about this exciting, more pleasurable.

"God, you feel so good—" He groans. "Baby, fuck." The pet name sends shivers down your spine, eliciting a loud moan to slip from your lips. He picks up the pace, fucking into you rougher, faster.

"Seonghwa—" You whine. He sits up, hands splayed out on your thighs to keep them spread open while thrusting into you. He watches as you shut your eyes, back arching in pleasure, teeth biting onto your bottom lip to prevent yourself from moaning too loud. "Mm'close." You mewl as Seonghwa's hips become a little sloppier, his movements rough and hard. You start to move your hips to match his movements, tipping closer and closer over the edge with every move, every moan, every kiss. Suddenly, you still as you let out a loud moan of Seonghwa's name— a huge wave of pleasure, ecstasy, washing over your body. Seonghwa takes the opportunity to chase his high, hips stuttering just as he releases his seed into you shortly afterwards. A strangled, deep moan leaves his lips as he presses wet kisses against your neck, jaw, lips.

"Y/N." He looks at you, brushing the hair away from your face.

"Hm?"

"I love you."

♡ taglist: @hwasbabygirl @fairyofhueningkai @chngbnwf @tinyteezer @everyonewooeverywhere @pearbunny @mxnsxngie @starhwahwa @woosmaid @yeosangsbbg @jycas @lyracarvahall @huachengsbestie01 @laurenwidjaja @taz-97 @asjkdk @woojirang @svintsandghosts @cheolliehugs

[personasintro]

Mutual Help | #31

↳ 𝐬𝐲𝐧𝐨𝐩𝐬𝐢𝐬; in order for you to pretend to be his girlfriend, he helps you with your sexual desires ⏤ he calls it mutual help

⇢ 𝐩𝐚𝐢𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠: jungkook x reader

⇢ 𝐠𝐞𝐧𝐫𝐞: fake dating au, fluff, angst, smut, slow burn

⇢ 𝐰𝐚𝐫𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬: explicit language

⇢ 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐝 𝐜𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐭: 7.4k+

⇠ 𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐯. | 𝐢𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐱 | 𝐧𝐞𝐱𝐭 ⇢ 

The October cold air hits Jungkook's cheeks like a slap to his face, nor does he need it judging by the beating heart that hammers harshly in his chest. He can't remember the last time he was this nervous, probably on their first date as he wanted everything to go perfect and smoothly. And it went, beyond his expectations actually. However, he's not sure about this time because he has no idea how today will end.

And he's just minutes from finding it.

With each step he takes inside the restaurant, he feels like he could throw up onto the luxurious polished floor. For now, he tries to swallow down the lump that sits uncomfortably in his throat as a waitress welcomes him. The words about his reservation leave his mouth automatically, he barely puts any mind in what he's saying other than mentioning his name and the fact he made a reservation for tonight. The waitress smiles at him, completely oblivious to his racing heart and mind as she guides him through the restaurant. She says something to him but he doesn't pay any attention to her, he can't because his eyes are focused elsewhere until they stop on her.

The waitress shows him his seat, informing them something about her coming back in a few minutes when they'll decide on their order. But Jungkook barely acknowledges her, slowly sitting down as if the seat should burn him while his eyes don't leave Kiko.

He can't believe his own eyes. Not just because she's gorgeous like she's always been, or that her hair is shorter than he has ever seen on her. But her sitting in front of him, on the other side of the circled square table after two months of trying to meet up with her is certainly something different. It seems like her visiting her family in Japan has benefited her. The other times he's seen her, like at Seokjin's wedding or the camping trip, there was something in her eyes that he knew was wrong. And he got that answer.

It was guilt all along.

However, she smiles brightly at the waitress and thanks her with a bow, her whole face beaming from the natural glow that she's holding. At first, for someone not knowing her so well, someone would've thought that she doesn't feel as nervous or guilty anymore. Jungkook knows better though. Thus, her eyes flickering to him from the opposite side of the table and the sudden change in them tells him otherwise. She tucks a piece of hair behind her ear, giving him a weak and somehow shaky smile in return.

She's nervous.

Just like Jungkook that feels like his hands are already so sweaty that he ends up wiping them against the black slacks he's wearing.

"You're early," Jungkook starts, voice surprisingly confident but soft at the same time.

He wanted to make sure he's earlier than Kiko, just to have enough time to prepare himself for something he's been thinking and preparing for months. And maybe chug a glass of wine before she arrives to ease up his nerves and the possible outcome of tonight's night, because he doesn't know what to expect. But nothing could prepare him for tonight.

Attentive as always, he picked out one of the best restaurants — the one they used to come for dinner dates because the food is delicious. Jungkook thought that maybe picking up a familiar place would bring at least some kind of comfort. Although, he's not sure about that because none of that is on his mind right now.

"Yes," Kiko chuckles, the soft sound coming out shakily as she's looking at Jungkook.

He can tell she spent more time on her makeup than usual, the eyeliner making her eyes bigger and if he leaned closer, he'd see the soft peach eyeshadow coating her lids. There's no point of denying that she's beautiful, whether she wears makeup or not.

"I was nervous, actually I still am," she admits, and Jungkook mentally agrees with her because yes, he feels the same and can relate to that. "You came early too."

"I'm nervous too," he admits, lips lifting up in a slight grin as she smiles at him, letting out a faint giggle. "But I think you can already tell."

Of course, she can. Jungkook is not the only one who knows her, she knows him too. They weren't dating just for fun.

"This reminds me of our first date," she says, briefly laughing at the memory that seems so long ago but still very clear to both of them.

Jungkook joins her, remembering that time he finally had the guts to ask her out only for him to be a nervous wreck. They were holding hands for ten seconds before their hands got too sweaty, their anxiety acting up. But it wasn't awkward or embarrassing at all, they laughed it off and it was quite cute. The whole evening ended up much better than Jungkook thought.

He treated her to a nice dinner and then they went to a park, walked around while they were surrounded by nature and the moon glistening in the sky. He even got to kiss her when he drove her home. Well, it wasn't their first kiss but it still counts because by the end of the night, they both agreed on going on another date. This time as a boyfriend and a girlfriend.

"I don't think I've ever been that nervous on a date." she laughs, shaking her head.

"We were more anxious than we should've been." Jungkook agrees, taking into account how their date ended after all. There was no reason to be that nervous.

"Sorry," Kiko suddenly blurts out, shoulders sulking as if she just remembered something. She glances up from her lap and stares at him with that guilty look.

Jungkook's brows pinch together, growing worried and mostly confused by the sudden apology.

"Why am I bringing up our first date? That's so stupid," she scolds herself, huffing out an angered breath. "You're dating Y/N."

At the mention of your name, Jungkook's eyes widen and he realizes that Kiko doesn't know. The only people who know are Jimin and Taehyung, they are not exactly the type to blurt our other people's business, especially if it's you and him. They're curious, too curious for their own good and invested in your lives (which intensified when they found out the two of you 'are dating') but they wouldn't go around and speak about your lives to random people.

"About that... we're not dating anymore," Jungkook clarifies, tasting a weird taste in his mouth at the lie. Fuck, he hates lying but now it's not the time to come clear.

He wouldn't go on dinner with his ex-girlfriend if he was dating someone else. He's not that kind of an asshole. If he had a girlfriend, he wouldn't care to win Kiko back or try to save whatever their relationship is right now. Even if he maybe needed some kind of closure, he wouldn't meet up with his ex-girlfriend while he has a girlfriend waiting for him.

"We broke up."

Kiko's eyebrows shoot up at the information before they twist in somewhere between pity and guilt. But she doesn't say 'I'm sorry' or anything close to it because she knows how stupid that would sound. As much as Jungkook is a gentleman, she's not such a bitch to steal someone else's guy.

Sure, she didn't know that the two of you 'broke up' but knowing what the real purpose of this meetup is, she probably knew there is something else behind this. Jungkook wouldn't just ask her out for dinner, something that almost seems more intimate and romantic than lunch (at such a nice restaurant) or anything else. Yet, she still seems surprised to hear it.

She did confess that she still loves him. Jungkook is the one who has to think about other things too, and deal with them. She's looking for answers too.

"Why?" Is the word that leaves her mouth, instead of apology because both of them know how stupid that would sound.

But she still would feel sorry if the reason behind your break up is her. She never meant to come between your relationship. Jungkook was the one who kept insisting and pushing Kiko to answer his questions on the camping trip.

"We agreed that we're better as best friends." Jungkook answers, saying the same thing he said to the guys back in the club.

It seems like the most reasonable reason to say, especially when you and Jungkook are still best friends and completely fine. They'd question it if you said something else.

Kiko is not stupid. She may not be the full reason for your breakup, but she surely knows Jungkook isn't over her yet when he wanted to meet up and find the answer to the question; What now?

Their conversation is interrupted by the waitress, politely asking them about their orders but they haven't  even checked the menu since they've sat down. Jungkook orders a steak, the first thing that comes to his mind and the only rational choice since he knows they have it on their regular menu. Kiko orders the same, knowing grins spreading on their lips. Jungkook orders wine, asking Kiko about her preference even though he knows she prefers white wine. Just like he predicted, the same answer rolls off her tongue before the waitress nods and leaves to get their order ready.

Kiko opens her mouth, ready to say something, ready to question the biggest question mark of tonight and Jungkook sees that, noticing her nervously rubbing her hands in her lap even from the opposite side.

"Let's eat first, okay? Then we can talk about... more serious stuff." Jungkook offers, not prepared to talk about that right now.

At least he wants to enjoy the food, he tries to tell himself. He just really wants to talk to her casually, acting as if nothing's wrong even if it's just for a moment.

"Yeah, sure." she smiles, trying to mask the way she sighs in relief but Jungkook notices, the corner of his mouth twitching up.

"You visited your family in Japan, right? How was it?"

He starts the conversation, feeling himself relax a little bit.

"Great, I needed that. It helped me a lot, I went there to think..." She starts nervously biting her bottom lip as Jungkook notices what she's aiming at, but he ignores it. "I was there for about... two months I think? I took a few weeks off and then worked from home. I'm incredibly lucky that my job allows me that, although my boss wasn't very happy about it. But I missed Korea. Japan is my home but I've built so much more here."

Jungkook nods in understatement. He feels the same way with Busan. This is one of the reasons why he fell in love with her. She's an easy person to talk to and they're both similar, understanding each other.

"How are your parents?" he asks with interest, remembering the lovely people that treated him so nicely when he went to Japan with Kiko.

Unfortunately, he didn't get to see them as often as Kiko got Jungkook's parents but it's only understandable, considering the distance. Busan is always closer than Japan. But it doesn't mean Kiko's parents aren't lovely either. If he ever thought about the future, he knew they would be amazing in-laws.

"Great," she smiles at the thought of her parents, almost wanting to say something but she closes her mouth and gives him a weak chuckle. "They're great. What," she hesitates, "What about your parents? How are they?"

She's careful about the topic of Jungkook's parents, knowing they've always loved her but who knows what they think about her right now.

"I went to visit them in August," Jungkook answers, mentally making a note to visit them as soon as possible.

Looking at it now, the nearest possible visit to his hometown will be on Christmas. Which is in two months, so it's not that far away but still, he'd be glad to visit them before that too. Unfortunately, this season is busy for him as he has scheduled weddings and photoshoots.

"They're doing great too. Mom's sad she doesn't get to see me more often but, yeah, that's nothing new." he breathes out a chuckle and Kiko joins, knowing how much Jungkook's mom loves her children.

She hesitates again, the question muffled and Jungkook has to lean slightly towards her to hear her better. "Did they, did they ask about me?"

Jungkook notices her face flushing with embarrassment and she avoids Jungkook's eyes for a moment, before she gets the courage to look at him again. He sucks in breath, tongue glazing over his dry bottom lip before he opens his mouth.

"Yeah, they did," he answers carefully, "They didn't know we broke up, so I had to tell them."

"They didn't know? Why?" she asks, growing bolder as curiosity is slowly replacing embarrassment.

He coughs, shifting on his spot. "I, uh, I didn't want them to know because I had a hard time admitting that it's over. I guess I was trying to persuade myself that it's not over yet. If I told them the truth at the very beginning, my mom would ask just too many questions and I didn't exactly feel like explaining to her why we broke up, since I didn't even know."

When it first happened, the first weeks after Kiko broke up with him all of a sudden, Jungkook's mom used to call him to check up on him. She's not calling him every day, knowing very well that he's got his own personal life now but when Jungkook failed to call her or even text her for two whole weeks, she grew worried and called him until he picked up. He remembers that his excuse was saying that he's sick, when his mom could tell something's wrong by listening to his weak and heartbroken voice.

"So... they don't know about..." she stops, biting onto her lip harshly.

The guilt and embarrassment is clear on her face, something that Jungkook notices right away. He's not the only one who's having a hard time talking about this, it's just a reminder of what she had done. And Jungkook knows what she's trying to ask, it's not that hard to guess.

"No," he answers, "You know they could never hate you, not even if I told them the truth. But I don't want them to know, I don't want them to look at you differently."

It's an incredibly huge and brave thing to do, but that only shows Jungkook's kindness because yet again, he thinks about others first before himself. Kiko broke up with him, she wasn't the one insisting on getting back together because from her point of view, she doesn't deserve him. But judging from what Jungkook heard from her or could see, she still loves him. If they both love each other, there's a chance they can get past this.

"Thank you," she whispers, her eyes suddenly growing big as she tries to blink away the tears that threaten to spill.

Jungkook almost reaches for her, wanting to comfort her but she chuckles at herself and shakes her head. "See? I don't deserve you. You're too good, Kookie."

He smiles at the nickname, "How about we enjoy that dinner, hm? No more serious talking until we're full." he offers, giving her another smile which almost makes her burst in tears as she slowly nods.

The waitress from before is already walking towards their table, a bottle of wine in her hands as they both allow themselves to relax a little bit.

They bring the food shortly after, reminding Jungkook one of the perks of eating in this restaurant – fast service. Him and Kiko chitchat through the food, the conversation surprisingly flowing naturally and comfortably as they sip on the white wine.

The rest of the dinner goes over Jungkook's expectations, shockingly there's not an ounce of nervousness inside him. Maybe a little uncertainty of what tonight can bring to him but there's one thing he's certain about. His wild mind and thoughts completely shut off as he and Kiko talked so freely, like nothing had changed between them. He had found himself being comfortable, even joked a few times and earned a couple of giggles from the woman on the opposite side of the table. The sound had brought him back to the time when everything was perfect for both of them, as a couple.

Once their dessert is already eaten, the empty plates being taken away from the waitress, they know it's the right time to get to the root of tonight's purpose. And just like that, there's uncertainty and maybe even discomfort lingering in the air as he sees Kiko shifting in her spot. He doesn't like that.

"I don't want to sugarcoat anything," he starts, putting down the glass of sparkling water he ordered since he drove here with a car and doesn't want to risk drinking more than he is allowed.  He has never done that and doesn't plan on doing.

He watches her giving him a brief nod of understatement, anxiously looking at her nude nails which Jungkook recognizes as another sign of her being nervous. He knows that if they weren't in a restaurant, she would pick on her nails too.

"You know why I asked you to meet up," he sighs, trying to speak carefully as she listens to him. "I wanted to see how this night would go, if anything is worth saving..." Their relationship.

"And I guess, I wanted to see how I feel about you even after... you told me," he says, flickering his eyes to meet hers as she looks like she's ten seconds from crying. "We didn't have that much time and space to talk."

She stays quiet, slowly nodding along his words not interrupting what he has to say. She knows he has to get it off his chest and it's only fair for her to listen to him.

"Do you love me, Kik?" he asks suddenly, surprising her as her eyes widen and she straightens up slightly.

"Yes," She doesn't miss a beat to answer. "I know I screwed up, I hurt you so much and I'll never forgive myself. And I thought you'd never want to see me again, I thought you'd hate me."

"I told you I could never hate you," he says quietly, "No matter how much you've hurt me."

"But you should," she says, her voice hardening as she frowns. "You should hate me. Just tell me one thing. You didn't break up with Y/N because of me, right?"

It surprises how guilty she sounds, even his eyebrows shoot up a bit at the question as he nibbles on his bottom lip. Technically, you "broke up" because of her but realistically, you've never dated in the first place. Things got messy ever since he figured out that she didn't break up with him because she wanted space. The whole thing was supposed to be easy – he wanted to know if she still loves him and if she saw you with him, that would be his answer. But the whole thing blew up into something completely different and big, something that hurt him ten times worse than the actual breakup.

"I told you," he mutters, "We're better as best friends. There are no hard feelings."

"That's hard to believe," she chuckles, looking down at her lap shyly. "You both seemed happy together."

Jungkook almost chokes on his spit, wanting her to assure her that it wasn't like that. Yes, you both enjoyed time spent together but it wasn't like that. It's not what she's implying. He keeps his mouth sealed, not wanting to expose the real reason behind the two of you 'being happy together'. It's not the right time anyway. He'll tell her eventually, plus, he's not the one who cheated.

"I was happy with you too."

She widens her eyes, letting out a cough. "I know," she admits, "I never planned on telling you. I wanted to spare you the pain but you kept insisting..."

"So it's my fault?" he shoots, cursing at himself when he sees the shock on her face mixed with hurt and guilt.

"No, of course not," she shakes her head, looking like she's in pain. "It's all my fault, I know that."

"That's not what I meant," He's the one who shakes his head. "Look, I'm not gonna lie. This dinner made me realize that things aren't that bad between us, we can still talk and it feels like nothing changed. You're still the woman I fell in love with, I guess it's obvious I still love you. I wouldn't have gone through all of this if I didn't."

She can't help but smile at the mention of him still loving her. She doesn't deserve him, she knows but her heart is screaming at her for fighting for him.

"I love you too." she whispers as Jungkook's heart jumps at that. It hits differently when she says it so openly, instead of answering his question with a simple 'yes'.

"But I can't forget what you've done," His voice shivers, "But I can forgive slowly."

"What do you mean?" she asks cautiously, her breath catching in her throat as she sees him taking a breath, staring right back into her eyes.

"I want you back," he confesses, her mouth opening as her eyes water with tears. "And I believe we can get through this."

"I'll do anything you need me to." she says, wanting nothing else than to reach towards him. She holds herself, watching his doe eyes flickering between her eyes and the table.

"Time," he breathes out, "I need time."

The muted music carries itself around the closed club, much softer than it'll be playing in twenty minutes before a bunch of people with a purpose to get drunk and have fun will be allowed to come in. You can't help but feel a little uneasy feeling in the pit of your stomach because you don't know what to expect.

"I don't like this."

Your best friend's voice resounds, not really helping with your inner battle with an uneasy feeling.

"I know," you roll your eyes, "You told me like hundreds of times by now." you mutter, raising a brow at him as he stares at you from the other side of the bar, sitting on one of the stools while watching you.

Realizing that he's not really helping, he sighs and slouches his shoulders. "No, I mean... Do you think this is really a good idea?"

"What other option do I have, Jungkook?" you ask, almost annoyingly even though you know he is only worried and cares about you.

It happened only recently that you've made your decision to work a part-time job in a club in Itaewon. If somebody told you you'll spend some of your weekends working behind a bar in a club, you'd most likely laugh in their face and tell them that's not going to happen. Well, it did. Inconveniently, your car started to show the consequences of its old age. Not only had it started taking tools on you financially, the engine stopped working and you'd spend a few minutes in front of the company's building trying to start it. Then you had to buy new brakes because the old ones have not worked properly and there are still a bunch of things that need to be replaced. The middle aged mechanic who's been in charge of your car in the car service you've entrusted your precious old car into has told you, it's probably best to look for a better car because this one will just cost you money.

"I could always lend you some money." he tries, ignoring the glare you're giving him.

You know Jungkook has some saved up money but you can't let him do that. What if his new car breaks down all of a sudden? What would he do then? Jungkook doesn't really think about possible consequences and scenarios that can happen. He's so determined to lend you his money that he doesn't think about himself, and you can't let that happen.

"It's just for a few months, anyway," you wave your hand at him, ignoring his attempt of changing your mind even though he knows you've decided.

You're standing behind a bar, aren't you? It's already done, but you could still back out.

The funniest thing is how you got into this job and the person who helped you to get this job is the least person you ever thought would help you. It's actually pretty random too.

It was one of those days when your car wouldn't work, so you just sat inside your car with a completely annoyed and pissed expression. All you wanted was to get home, get out of your work clothes and take a nice shower. The last person you expected to be knocking on your window is none other than Min Yoongi himself, grinning at you or maybe even laughing at your desperate expression.

"What do you want?" you grumble annoyingly once the car's window is rolled down.

He has the audacity to lean his arms against your rolled down window, almost sticking his head into your car as you want to sneer at the close proximity. 

"You in trouble, grumpy?" He even has the audacity to laugh, cackling at your sore expression.

Of course he knows about your trouble with your car. He has spent a good week grinning whenever he walked up to his car, seeing you struggling to start the engine while passing by yours. It's only now he stopped by.

"Why are you asking such a dumb question? Of course, I'm in trouble. My car is not working and you know that, so please spare me the--"

"Jesus, okay, calm down you maniac," he stops you, straightening himself and giving you some space to breathe. "Get that fat ass out of your car, I'm gonna help you start the engine."

"How are you gonna do that?" you speak, narrowing your eyes as he looks at you dumbfoundedly. 

"Using jumper cables, of course." he deadpans, and fuck, you hate the look he gives you. Like you're dumb, you hate when people do that. Or naturally looking down on you because you're a woman.

"I know what that is, thanks." you snap, opening the door so you can step out of your car.

"Really? Why haven't you used it then?" he raises a brow at you. 

"Because I don't have those cables?" you react by raising your voice. He's getting on your nerves again.

Still, everyone is already home. You and Yoongi had to stay behind and work overtime again. 

"Then you should've asked someone for help." he snaps, annoyed by your attitude. It's the same thing with you two. Both too stubborn and annoyed at each other to stand back and keep your mouth shut. 

"Someone? Who? You?" you laugh bitterly, knowing he had a fair share of fun while watching you struggle with your car. 

"I'm helping you, aren't I?" he shoots back, walking to the white Toyota that's parked just a few parking places from yours. 

You watch him unlock the car, sitting into it as he drives and parks it in front of your car. He walks out, pulling out the jumper cables out of the truck. It looks weird, seeing him in his shirt and blazer while holding those cables.

"Do you even know how to do this?" you ask, hugging yourself with your jacket as the end of September's breeze runs chills. Yoongi's pink cheeks are proof that you're not the only one getting cold. 

You watch him opening his car hood as he does the same to yours before he raises a brow at you. Well, he certainly knows what to do with those cables but you still had to ask. You've never seen him doing such a thing (of course you didn't, you don't actually spend time with him outside of work) and even in work, he's known as being lazy. Still gets the job done though, but you never tell him that.

"I'm not completely useless," he grumbles at you.

The irritated part of you wants to snap back, not giving him that satisfaction of you being quiet but that's exactly what you must do. He's the only help you've got right now. It's already late and dark outside for you to be sitting in a car in an almost empty parking lot.

"Now shut up and turn on your flashlight, I can't see shit in this darkness." he grumbles as usual, shooting you a glare as you fume at his words.

Patience, Y/N. He's the only one who can help you.

So, keeping your mouth shut, you pull out your phone and turn on the flashlight while he starts ordering you around. You're sure he's doing that to piss you off even more but you ignore it, changing the angle of the flashlight every five seconds with clenched teeth as he keeps nagging you. 

Your car started after that, but the same thing happened a few more times leaving you completely helpless and you can't believe it, but you complained to Yoongi during the lunch break. He seemed completely unimpressed with your issue, sipping on his iced Americano like you were talking about the weather instead of your actual problem.

And you were sure he didn't even listen to your single word, praying when you'll finally shut up until he opened his mouth and surprisingly, nothing bitter came out of it.

"My brother owns a club and he's looking for someone to work behind a bar."

You stare at him with an open mouth, ready to cuss him out for interrupting you in the middle of your sentence but you pause yourself. He has a brother? And he owns a club? Why does it feel like everyone owns something? Jungkook's friend Seokjin, owns a restaurant and Jungkook's brother owns a coffee shop. 

"Behind a bar?" It's funny how your voice is quiet and timid, assuring that you've heard your co-worker right. 

"Yeah, I mean... it's not exactly a dream job but he pays well. I could ask him, you know... if you're interested." he mumbles the last part, almost looking regretful that he even started in the first place. 

You're intrigued. You're not going to lie, you started looking for a part-time job but most of them weren't going well with your working schedule. You need something where you'll be able to work during weekends only. 

"I've never mixed a drink. I don't know how to do any of that stuff." you admit, hating that you sound stupid in front of him but it's true. Apart from the failed drinks you were trying to mix for your friends which unfortunately, ended up unsuccessfully. You remember Jimin's cringed expression and Taehyung looking like he's just seconds from throwing up very clearly. 

"He'll teach you everything you need to know. He needs a little help behind the bar," he shrugs, "And I'm sure he'll be able to adjust to your working schedule too."

You stare at your co-worker, recognizing the way he's avoiding eye contact as he keeps sipping on his Americano while staring at the busy streets of Seoul. Your lips curl into a grin, your hand draping over his shoulder as he tenses and gives you a glare, silently asking why the hell are you touching him. 

"Min Yoongi, are you helping me?" you ask, not able to hide the grin and amusement in your voice as he doesn't waste a second, scoffing at you.

"No," he disagrees, but what could you expect from him, right? "I'm just tired of listening to you complaining, I'm sure my ears are bleeding at this point." 

You clench your teeth, rolling your eyes at him. "I don't know, working at a club seems dangerous." 

"That's why there's security there." he deadpans, causing you to scowl.

"And I'm a woman. Working in a club where there are a bunch of drunk idiots all the time seems kinda dangerous." you point out, voice harsh but you try to control yourself since you're not alone in the breakroom. 

"Don't flatter yourself," he says, looking you up and down as you scoff. "My brother cares about the safety of his customers and employees. It's not that bad as it sounds." he decides to say, almost as if he has the need to have his brother's back even though you've never specifically said something about him or his working ethic.

You purse your lips for a moment, staring at the view with Yoongi by your side. He is an annoying co-worker and sometimes, you're sure he hates your guts and loves making your days at work miserable with his snarky remarks. But you're sure he wouldn't be offering you a job at his brother's club, someone who's close to him. And it's very rare to see him speaking to you about something so freely and casually, and that's how you know he's honest. 

"Okay, can you give me his number?"

And here you are. After coming here for a couple of days, trying to learn how to mix a proper drink (just the simple ones since the difficult drinks are Mark's responsibility). A guy who's close to your age with a nice and friendly smile.

You don't know what you expected when you were about to meet Yoongi's brother for the first time, but you definitely didn't expect someone so friendly and well-mannered. The opposite of his younger brother who happens to be your co-worker too. Deep down, you know he's not that bad of a type guy and it's just his personality that's shitty. Some part of you thought his brother would secretly hate you. That's what siblings do, right? Having each other's back by hating the same person.

Yejun is in his mid thirties, very polite and professional and there's only a little resemblance between him and his annoying younger brother. He's been nothing but polite and very flexible when it comes to your working schedule. So far, you won't be working every weekend and the pay is really good, Yoongi was right about that one.

Actually, he was right about most of the stuff. The place is secure and Yejun made sure to tell you that if someone is being persistent and rude, just tell one of the security guys and they'll have that person kicked out. That definitely settled your nerves.

"What if something happens to you?" Jungkook asks, the doe eyes staring at you with a sudden alarm at the thought of you being hurt by one of the drunken males.

He's not stupid, he knows what working in a bar involves and he definitely knows how drunk men often think about women way out of their league. Men can be real pigs. It doesn't matter that your working attire consists of light blue jeans and a simple tight white shirt with a tiny club's logo on the right side.

"There are security men in every corner, I'm safe here. Plus, I'll be behind a bar all the time with Mark," you say, pointing towards the mentioned man who's talking with one of the bouncers.

Jungkook follows your vision, frown settled on his face as he doesn't look to be too convinced.

"And the break room is just right next to the bar where one of the security guys will be standing all night."

It seems like you're trying to convince him, but the truth is you're trying to convince yourself too. You're nervous after all, not knowing what to expect.

"What if someone follows you outside?" he exclaims, trying to prove a point as you roll your eyes at him. Again.

"Jesus, Jeon," you groan, "You're not helping."

He looks guilty, shrugging before he mumbles; "I'm just trying to prove a point."

Yeah, well there was a reason why you haven't told him about this before it was hundred percent sure and you signed a contract.

"Our cars are parked behind the club, no one has access to that parking lot, just the staff."

He frowns, you see the wheels turning inside his head and how much he tries to keep his mouth shut. He wants to say something else but knows he's no help, especially when tonight is your first day and you're already nervous as it is.

"But how was the dinner?" you ask, trying to change the topic and well, you're curious how that ended.

Ever since Jungkook came into the club to check on you, he never uttered a single word about it and started to voice out his worry about your new part-time job instead. Maybe it was his way of distracting himself or distancing this conversation, although there is no reason to. He'd tell you eventually.

Even when you called him this morning, he sounded so freaking nervous and as much as he tried to hide it by trying to act and sound cool, you know him better than that. He's been preparing for that dinner for weeks, checking his phone in fear Kiko would cancel it. Even though you had usually hung out during weekends, since the two of you work during the week, you could easily see him trying to distract himself by thinking about her or the dinner.

"It was... good. Better than I thought it would be." he answers honestly, shifting on his spot.

Well, he definitely made sure to look good on that dinner. He came here straight from it, wearing button-up and black slacks, replacing his all black and loose outfits with much more elegant appearance. His hair is styled nicely, parted in the middle while he's hiding the undercut beneath it. It's a change from the constant man bun or a bucket hat he's been wearing often these days.

"What does that mean?" you ask, flickering your eyes to his while there's a little knowing feeling inside of you.

First of all, he doesn't look miserable. If the dinner went wrong, he wouldn't be sitting here so casually. And then as soon as he registers your question, a sheepish grin settles on his lips while there's a slight shimmer in his eyes and then you know.

"That I got what I wanted?" he asks unsurely, dodging answering your question directly as you raise a brow at him.

You're sure you look dumbfounded, the look you're giving him dares him to say it directly and he looks almost alarmed. Still, you're controlling yourself because you know how much this means to him. Although, there is a pinch of hope inside you hoping he'll tell you otherwise.

"Which is?" you murmur, already knowing what his answer is but how can you glare at him for listening to his heart? Especially when he smiles, genuinely smiling with happiness that you haven't seen in him for a while.

He sighs, raising his brow as if it's not obvious but then he takes a deep breath and beams; "Kiko."

Unfortunately, you can't quite share the happiness with him, even though he's your best friend and you support him. Is that wrong of you? You can't help it, you just can't support a relationship and a woman that cheated on him when he gave her everything. He was ready to ask her to move in for fucks sake. He had been so serious about their relationship, wanting to take another step and she crushed his heart just like that. And that's not even the worst part. She cheated. She freaking cheated on one of the best men walking on this planet.

And even the stiff smile you give him, murmuring 'congratulations' doesn't go unnoticed by him and his shoulder slouch a little, letting out a defeated sigh.

"Please, don't look at me like that." he pleads, hand rubbing his forehead with a tiny distress.

"Like what?" you ask innocently, feeling bad for having that kind of reaction. But you can't control it! It's not your fault you'd jump at her and slap her face for hurting your best friend. It's all on her.

"Like you're disappointed in me."

That one hurt. Your eyes flash with guilt and sadness before you let out a sigh, leaning yourself against the bar and closer to him.

"It's your life, Kook," you remind him, "Whatever makes you happy." you smile, but Jungkook's brows furrow in a slight frown when he recognizes your smile as forced.

"I don't want you to hate her, she regrets it, you know. And we're taking it slow." he tells you softly, pleadingly staring at you while you let out a snort.

"I don't hate her." Yes, you do. But you can't tell him that, that would break him.

"I don't want to be put into a position to choose between you two."

"You don't have to. I'm your best friend and she's your girlfriend," Fuck, even that word tastes bitter in your mouth. "You didn't have to choose in the first place. It's been her all along."

"But I still want my best friend. You're important to me, Y/N," he says, sounding serious and genuine. "I just... I don't want you to hate her because one day, you'll probably see her again and I don't want you guys to have some... I don't know, tension between you two." he tries to explain.

It makes sense. You feel bad for reacting the way you do but again, you can't control it. You can't fake your emotions and opinion about their relationship or Kiko, Jungkook knows very well what you think about this. You're not about to say you hate her and don't want him to be with her, because she'll ruin him. And if it's not going to be her, it's going to be the fact she cheated on him. You still control yourself as best as you can, thinking about Jungkook's feelings knowing what he's trying to say with his.

He doesn't want you to hate each other because like he said, eventually your paths will cross whether you like it or not. She's a part of Jungkook's life and you're too.

"Look, I'm not gonna pretend I like her because I know she hurt you. And maybe you're over it, or trying to be... but I'm not. But it's also not my relationship or any of my business. I just hope she won't hurt you again. I really wish you to be happy." you tell him honestly, seeing him giving you a soft and appreciative smile.

"You're the best," he says with a smile, "Thank you. It means a lot to me."

You smile back at him, this one a tiny bit more honest when you see the happiness dancing in his eyes. This is what he wanted after all, you both got what you wanted from your deal. And you should be happy...

Somehow, you still don't feel content because so much has happened. Things you both haven't expected like her hurting him for the second time, breaking his heart again and you have to remind yourself that this is what he wants. No matter how many times you find it wrong in so many ways (getting back to an ex who cheated), it's Jungkook's decision. You're just looking out for him, the same way he does for you right now. Sitting on the bar stool with sparkling water in front of him because he had driven here, making sure he's here to support you on your first day.

You just hope he'll be there for you on other days too. You just got him back, you're not quite ready for him to focus on Kiko all over again. Maybe it's a selfish or just natural reaction of a best friend that missed him.

And when Mark calls out to you, informing you the club is opening in five minutes, Jungkook is there to assure you that you'll do great and he's right there.

And maybe, just maybe, this time it'll be different. And just like Jungkook hoped to win Kiko back, you hope nothing will change and you won't lose him again.

[splatsvilles-fashionista]

Speaking of nothing, we've recently got some anecdotal evidence that we might be getting third kits after all.

This is pretty speculative so take it with it a grain of salt, but the TL;DR is that Diamcreeper23, a Splatoon 3 dataminer and modder, had one of their mods DMCA'd by Nintendo and taken down from GameBanana. It's the only mod out of dozens to have been hit, and wouldn't you know it, it was a Sheldon's Picks mod that added new kits.

Now, this could very well just be a coincidence, or maybe they didn't want modders to be offering more content than they are, but it's actually extremely rare for Nintendo to go after Splatoon mods. The exceptions seem to be when they're adding things Nintendo are planning to do themselves, like how they took down fan-made Metroid 2 remakes before revealing Samus Returns, or for a Splatoon-specific example, how they DMCA'd Project Gamblitz, a big Splatoon 2 mod that added the ability to revisit Inkopolis Plaza, not long before revealing that to be a part of the Splatoon 3 Expansion Pass.

So there is precedent here, which by no means makes it a guarantee, just seem a whole lot more likely. Dataminers have already found dialogue that indicates that Big Run reruns are going to be a thing, and there are also currently unused Splatoween and FrostyFest versions of Inkopolis Square in the files too.

And with this in mind new weapons don't actually seem entirely improbable to me? They're probably some of the easiest "new content" they could add to the game, especially for how much it adds. The real question would be why they haven't confirmed it yet, but it could be that they want it to be a post-Grand Festival surprise. Maybe they'll be matched to the team that wins the Splatfest?

All that said, this is just speculation, and please treat it as such. Manage your expectations and all that. We'll know for sure when we know for sure.

[askagamedev]

About Unity these past few days

A lot of people have asked me about Unity and their strange new per-install charges policy that they rolled out on September 12th, 2023. I wanted to give them at least 24 hours before I posted my take on it - let the dust settle a bit so I could get a chance to read the new policy properly and all that. First, however, I think we need to take a step back and get a wider perspective. Unity Software Inc. is in some serious financial trouble. Here are their operating numbers from 2019 to 2023.

The blue line here is how much money they take in and the red line is the amount of money they are spending each year. You may notice that they are spending significantly more money year over year than they earn. In fact, over the past 12 months alone (August 2022 to August 2023), Unity Software Inc. has lost almost $1 billion.

In 2022, Unity spent four times as much money as they did in 2019. If they had managed to keep costs at double their spending in 2019, they still would have earned $243 million in profit. Instead, they lost $882 million in 2022.

Where does all of this cost come from? In any software company like Unity, the vast vast majority of costs comes from employee salaries. And we can directly see it in Unity's number of employees:

Unity Software Inc. more than tripled its headcount from 2019 to 2022, and it did all of this hiring during the pandemic while competing with many many other developers all trying to hire from the same pool. I don't work for Unity, but I was in the market and I had lots of recruiters trying to recruit me during that time.

In short, Unity is suffering from the same miscalculation that Embracer Group did, that EA did, that Activision-Blizzard did, that Square-Enix did, and just about everybody else in the tech industry - they misjudged the good times at the beginning of the pandemic, overspent hiring people thinking the good times would last, and are now scrambling to figure out how to survive. The difference is that Unity was getting all of their operating money from Venture Capitalists (VCs) hoping that they would eventually become profitable, but VC money has all but dried up because it's become much more expensive to borrow money over the past two years.

As a result, the Unity executives are likely grasping at straws in hopes of saving a sinking ship. This wild and decidedly senseless pricing plan is their (seemingly-desperate) attempt to juice their revenues. It really makes very little sense from the developer perspective, which is what makes the whole thing reek of desperation. That isn't greed talking, it's survival. My guess is that Unity is currently desperately looking for a buyer to save them and doing whatever they can to buy themselves some more runway. They already announced layoffs back in May, but I suspect they'll probably have to announce some really big layoffs (e.g. 40-50%) soon. Unity Software Inc. is living on borrowed time and they know it.

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[spyroforlife]

I've had further Emberlynn Pinkle thoughts

I think the best possible life for her in Hell. is for her to become a goddamn Overlord

Because wouldn't that just be so fitting. That the person who writes over the top fanfics, who probably makes her characters utter Mary Sues (affectionate) who are amazing and powerful and beloved, actually HERSELF becomes a person of power and status in her afterlife

I like to envision her becoming the Overlord of Smut

She gets herself a real nice headquarters, something like a combined library and apartment building, where those who sold their souls to her can live and be taken care of. They've got Internet, they've got food, and you've got the whole big library and lounge area down on the first floor!!

BUT. If she owns your soul. You're gonna work too. Helping out with the Hell-exclusive version of AO3 she created, of course! Responding to support tickets. Tag wrangling. Doing other admin work. Tech support. You get to have your own account too of course and you get extra features, so you can make your own fics even better~ It's very much encouraged for her employees to be fic writers

And she just makes money from demons donating to her entirely because they love her site full of filthy stories, and they want to be able to continue reading and posting their own fics. Non-employees get more basic accounts but there's still plenty they can do.

This isn't even treading on Valentino's toes. It's just written stuff. It's not using real people, there's nothing being filmed. So in Val's eyes, it's two different industries. He does the live action stuff. Hers is meant to be read. So he doesn't really care, and in fact peruses the site himself for inspiration.

I could see him having a deal with her where if he likes a fic idea, she'll get him in touch with whoever wrote it and help negotiate the person allowing Val to use the idea, in return for some of the profits. Emberlynn and the writer of course split their share, and this is all laid out in the site's TOS. As you can imagine, this does attract demons intentionally trying to get Val's approval with their writing, and those guys are seen as squares, but like. Can't really stop them.

Everyone just generally posts what they like and ignores shit that annoys them. And yeah, massively popular website, ran by Emberlynn and her followers, and their headquarters is often visited by others who just wanna hang out and talk about their own writing.

They sell snacks and stuff to guests, and hey, if you like this and want to be part of their exclusive club.. go talk to the boss lady Emberlynn and she'll get you alll set up.

yea idk. Overlord Emberlynn y'all

oh yeah and of course her powers get stronger as she gains souls, idk what all she'll be able to do exactly but I know for sure she can fly, and I can also see her being an emotion reader who specializes in sensing people's turn-ons, which she can use to direct them to the writers she thinks they'll like the most :D she might also be able to mildly hypnotize people using pheromones or something idk. just throwing ideas around haha Emberlynn is fun and I hope she lives her best monsterfucker life in Hell

[flowerbloom-arts]

BROKEBACK MOUNTAIN???????

High quality versions with and without subtitles!

+ the reference image and original square doodle.

---

Okay okay so I have a conspiracy going on.

The show keeps doing cowboy stuff with them, like there has to be something important about that. These are all literally different unrelated episodes.

My hope is that there will be a Chalmers and Skinner episode where they go to a rodeo or some other cowboy-themed event, the episode doesn't need to be just about them, but they'll eventually have some relationship development (i.e. Road to Cincinnati) that involves cowboys in some form. I know it's a high hope that probably won't happen for years but I'd like to think of it as a possibility.

[miraculan-draws]

So in the BOOK, Lestat ran away to Paris with Nicki as a very young man, I think 20-ish? They lived like romantic penniless artists, busked for their meals, and Lestat performed under a non de plume. Tensions were rising politically but had not yet come to a head. News of the revolution and the death of his family does not come until a few years later, long after he's a vampire and after leaving France.

In the SHOW, of course Sam is one of the beautiful men I've ever seen, but he can't pass as 20. They'll have to age him up. Originally, I assumed they'd do this by setting his date of birth BACK further, but after a few rewatches I think they'll do what they've done flawlessly this far: they'll just push the current year ahead a bit.

So, after reading TVL I can point out that most everything said by Armand in 2x3 is a blatant lie made of putting the true story in a blender, but that's not what I wanna focus on—I wanna talk about the clothing. Especially in the crowd.

Only MOST of the men are wearing wigs. A lot of 18th century big styles on women are still very present, BUT are lacking the tell-tale gray wash of pomade/powder combo. Some of the younger women are wearing their hair dark and much closer to the scalp.

The older women are wearing the typical square-necked quarter-sleeved ball gowns we associate with the 18th century, but if you look closely, a lot of the younger women are wearing empire waist dresses more commonly associated with the "regency" era.

THE REAL TATTLE TALE!! is the NECKLACES.

A TON OF THE WOMEN are wearing red beads/red chokers. These were trendy amongst cheeky if not grim-humored debutante women AFTER the revolution, as a nod to all the beheadings.

SO! it seems that instead of immediately pre-revolution Paris, we will probably get to see immediately-post, if not smack dab in the middle of the French Revolution. It wouldn't shock me if they make THAT the reason Lestat uses a false surname as an actor. Honestly I could see them making the revolution the reason he had to leave Auvergne in the first place.

[eldritchscribblings]

Homewrecker

Lucius Malfoy x F!Reader

890 words

Warnings:

post cheating established relationship

reader is a homewrecker

implied age gap, none explicitly stated

Notes: This is the first x reader fic I've written, so please be kind. It's short because I used it as a warm up for other things and I didn't like the way it felt. I will probably write another Lucius x Reader in the future to make up for it, but as for now, my blog is christened.

Everyone knew Lucius and Narcissa had a rocky relationship. Even if they presented a united front when out together, the fractures in their family were all too apparent in the quiet moments when they thought no one was watching. No one expected them to separate, of course. They were a power couple, even if that power came in the form of a glass canon, so it was rather surprising when the Daily Prophet put out an article complete with pictures about the 'young pretty miss' that Lucius had been caught out and about with on multiple occasions. Surprising to everyone but you, of course.

You'd met Lucius while interning for him in a temporary position while waiting for something more permanent. He was powerful and tall and had a presence you found alluring and attractive. He was married, which deterred you at first and kept your conversations and interactions strictly professional, but as the weeks wore on and time wore you both down things got less professional and eventually led to where you were now; sitting pretty in a plush chair looking out of one of the east windows of Malfoy Manor in your bathrobe with a hot cup of tea. Narcissa had left him, of course, but that was hardly your problem. She had enough money to be comfortable, and you had more money and her man. Your man now.

"Happy with yourself?" Lucius asked as he walked over to you with a copy of the Daily Prophet in hand. The article on the front was a picture of you and Lucius leaving the Ministry together, arm in arm. He smirked as he unfolded it and began to read the article aloud to you. "'Lucius Malfoy and his young homewrecker have been seen gallivanting proudly through England.' They're calling you a homewrecker, darling."

"Are they? Next I'll be the Whore of Babylon or whatever the muggle folk talk about in their mythology." You smile up at him and set your tea on the side table as he tosses the newspaper to the side, landing it square on the sofa across from you as he walks over to you. He's still in his daywear for outings, having just come home from a business meeting, except he's shed his overcoat and unbuttoned the top two buttons of his dress shirt.

"I can't bring myself to care, really. They'll find a new torch to burn once the divorce is finalized and we will be left in peace, my dear," Lucius loomed over you, his smoky cologne hitting your nostrils like the scent of home as he placed one of his large hands on the arm of your chair and tilted your head up with the other. His sharp grey eyes met yours as a strand of his blonde hair fell in his face, and his smirk shifted slightly into an almost sweet smile. "You get prettier every time I see you."

"Oh please." You grasp the collar of his shirt and pull him down to plant a firm kiss on his lips. Sweetness was momentary and easily shattered within the confines of your relationship with Lucius. He looked out for you, true, but it was more out of some sort of masculine possessiveness that had a haunting chance to turn into controlling paranoia. He wasn't a good person, but then again, neither were you. And who cares about moral bankruptcy when you have enough money to buy out anyone that matters?

He bit your lower lip, pulling you out of your thoughts and back to the present moment of the soul devouring kiss you found yourself in. He kissed you like he wanted to consume you, not with the reverence he would use for a delicacy, but rather like a starving man. His hand moved from your chin to your hair and pulled you closer to him by gripping the back of your head. You could hear your own heartbeat pounding in your head from the adrenaline as he released you and pulled away, breathing deeply before pulling off his suit jacket and tossing over the arm of the sofa. His eyes stared out the window you had previously been gazing through, except you could tell his intense stare was more of a side affect of his tangled thoughts than any scene that he could see from that view. When he finally opened his mouth to speak, you spoke first, which cause him to swivel towards you in surprise.

"Let's not talk about serious topics this evening." You rose from you chair and placed a comforting hand on Lucius's arm, knowing far too well that any conversation borne from that stare of his and the thoughts that lay behind would only lead to a reminder of the less pretty side of your now easy life. Money could buy anything but time, and it was far more pleasant to spend your limited amount of time enjoying life rather than dwelling on the dark and macabre. "You've got the rest of the evening off and we don't have anywhere to go this weekend."

"And what is my pretty dove implying?" Lucius asked with a feigned suspicion as your hands slid down to take his. You giggled at him in a mischievously childish manner before you responded.

"Just a little bit of harmless homewrecking."

[malachiteclouds]

🌟natal astrology observations part 1 🌟

✫ so many gemini moons I've known have a terrible habit of lying completely unprovoked, especially if their mercury is also in an air sign. however, I think it just comes from a place of playfulness and excitement rather than deeper deception or manipulation.

✫ people w chiron conjunct/square/opposite jupiter are unbelievably dogmatic if they don't make a conscious effort not to be. they have this air about them that screams "you will never fully understand a concept unless I am the one to specifically explain it to you".

✫ (tw: dv) every person w chiron conjunct mars that I've met grew up in a HIGH crime neighborhood or had a lot of DV in the home. especially if it is in the 3rd, 4th, or 7th house.

✫ the 12th house represents your experience in the womb. ex: jupiter in 12H probably had a very lovely time in the womb, mom probably ate all the right things, sang to you, and lots of love and warmth. mercury in 12H might've had a mom who was overthinking or maybe very stressed during pregnancy (if you are more interested in this idea, read The Development of the Personality vol 1. by Howard Sasportas).

✫ men with lilith conjunct/square neptune tend to have SUCH a skewed image of women/femininity. they tend to have crazy "post-nut clarity", they'll see women as completely flawless until they get off then they hate them with their whole hearts.

✫ you will 100% know if a person w pluto conjunct venus is in love with you or not. they will go to the ends of the earth to prove their unconditional love. for them, love has to cost something for it to count- there needs to be some type of sacrifice.

✫ sun/ascendant conjunct pluto are polarizing as all hell. you either love them or you hate them, and honestly, that is determined by where the overlay is for your chart- people project on them a lot.

✫ saturn in the 8th or 12th house are the types of people to spend their whole time inebriated/under the influence trying to convince other people they aren't faded. there's this weird need to prove that they have everything under control and can handle their shit. IMO, psychedelics would be pretty rough for them (or at least extremely transformative).

✫ venus opposite saturn feels immense dissatisfaction with indulgence if it has not been worked for. the type to play hooky and regret it the moment they call out.

✫ sagittarius moons are almost always louder about stuff they have no clue about than their area of expertise. always assumes you want their unsolicited advice and get upset when you don't 💀