#this idea came out of nowhere

[karnpuffs]

shiny. bright. white. clean.

[huskiiv2]

Simon Petrikov meeting Nurse Mood

I had a vision

[anakahaia]

Inktober 2022

Day 10: Crabby

[xxfaylinnxx]

Why is it always the irredeemable monster I fall in love with

[bitterie-sweetie]

Fake it til you make it

Pairing: Jeonghan x reader Genre: fluff, fake dating WC: 6.5k Warnings: alcohol A/N: yes it's about vday buuut it's actually for @syuperseventeen's bdayyy!!! surprise surprise! happy birthday nat, i hope this year is even better and filled with many things to look forward to <3

Your Valentine’s date with Jeonghan is coming up and yet the only thing on your mind is how to break up with him. Of course breaking up with someone is difficult, but you’d argue that what’s more difficult is breaking up with someone you never even dated.

Jeonghan is a prankster. 

Growing up, you’d often be on the receiving end of his pranks at school. Third grade “initiation” had you drenched in water after he told you to pin a cup against the wall with a straw, and in ninth grade you had tears streaming down your face after eating an entire scoop of wasabi—not the matcha ice cream he said it was. Then there was the time he did something to make your first crush hate you, which, in hindsight, was a good thing because the guy turned out to be a total asshole. 

It wasn’t Jeonghan’s fault entirely when you were too willing to fall for his pranks because being the target of a prank meant having his attention, and that’s something that you wanted. Jeonghan had a way of making everyone feel special, and his attention was a limelight that you never wanted to step out of. 

Honestly, you might’ve kept up with it if he kept going. But then that fateful day came and it was like you were suddenly on his side, working with him instead of being the victim to his antics, and you’d say that that’s what has kept the two of you together after all these years. 

Well, at least until now.

“Hey,” you greet in a rush, looking around the table at everyone and seeing that you’re truly the last one to arrive. Usually, you’d give that place to Lee Chan; he’s the most popular of your friend group and almost always has a prior appointment to your meetups. “Sorry I’m late. My train was delayed and—oh, did you already order for me?” 

Jeonghan slides a sealed bubble tea across the table and sets it in front of your seat—the one empty chair right beside him, no less. When you glance at him questioningly he shrugs and tilts his head towards the crowd at the front. “The line was too long so I ordered yours with mine. Hope you’re feeling like your usual today.” 

Indeed, the sticker on the cup shows that it’s your go-to order. “Aw, that’s so sweet of you. Thanks, babe.” 

Today’s meet up with your friend group is the first of the year and it’s also the first time you’re seeing everyone since Chan’s wedding… including Jeonghan. You would’ve spent Christmas and New Year’s with him had he not cancelled on you, and now that bit of distance has manifested into a larger uncertainty for you over the past while. Even now, the ‘babe’ seemed to come out awkwardly, sticking to your throat.

“Wow, you guys are actually disgusting. I hope you know that.” Seungkwan makes a face at you, and beside him, Soonyoung nods a few times in agreement. 

You plaster on a smile. “It’s okay to just say you’re jealous.” 

The only response you get is an eye-roll from Soonyoung, and then everyone moves on, thankfully. Mingyu asks you what you’ve been up to so you talk about your recent promotion at work and some new habits you’ve started in the new year, and when you sense that the conversation is starting to approach the territory of your future with Jeonghan, you gently steer it towards Chan. After all, he’s the one that got married just a few months ago, and you know he would never miss the chance to talk about his amazing honeymoon and how great this new chapter of his life is going.

There is truly nothing like adult friendships and its quarterly updates. 

Once there’s a bit of a lull in the conversation, Jeonghan turns to you. “What are you doing this week?” 

“Oh, this week?” Your heart speeds up tenfold at the uncertainty of what might come next. “Hmm well, it’s Valentine’s Day.” 

“Yeah, exactly.” He nods and much to your relief, there’s a hint of a smile at the corner of his lips. “So I’ll see you for our date then?” 

“Of course, babe.” 

“Can’t you guys do this somewhere else?” Soonyoung says as he stares daggers in your direction. You totally understand and sympathize with that though; today you’re turning up the sweetness more than usual to compensate for the distance you actually feel, unfortunately at the expense of your friends.

Jeonghan completely ignores Soonyoung’s complaint and doesn’t even look his way. “That’s good,” he says, leaning back in his seat and almost looking relieved at your answer. “I was afraid my darling might not have time for me anymore.”

“What? No way. Did you have anything in mind for our date?” 

“Hmm, yes but it’s a surprise. I’ll text you the details later.” 

“Well, uh, I have to run,” Chan says, slowly getting up from his seat. The rest of you hardly bat an eye, having gotten too used to his busy schedule. “It was nice seeing everyone. You guys should come over for my housewarming once everything is set up.” 

Mingyu stands up too. “Oh, I actually have to go too; got a dinner with Wonwoo later.” 

…On second thought, perhaps you overcompensated a bit too much with the cringe. Soonyoung and Seungkwan leave soon after getting a call from their roommate, Seokmin, and then it’s just you and Jeonghan at the table. Still seated side by side, your arm occasionally brushing against his. 

“How have you really been?” he asks in a low voice. 

“Decent, I guess, despite the winter blues and all. It’s pretty much what I said earlier.” You shrug when he remains silent. “Why do you ask? Do I look depressed or something?”   

“No,” he shakes his head with a laugh, “not depressed, exactly, but I wanted to see if you’re as sad as I am about not seeing each other in so long.” Then he leans in a bit closer, as if to whisper a secret. “I missed you, darling.”

It’s times like this when you feel like he’s toeing the line. There’s a small smile lingering on his lips and a softer look in his eyes, not at all like the overdone sweetness to the point of sarcasm from before, but you can never tell if he really means what he says or if this is just part of the act. 

Regardless, it makes your face feel hot and it makes you unable to look directly at him. 

“Oh… yeah,” you say, trying to make a quick recovery. “It’s too bad we missed out on the holidays but at least we get Valentine’s Day.” 

“Yup, that’s exactly why I have something special in mind for that day. I want to make it up to you, darling.” 

You give him a smile and then go to take a sip of your drink, and that’s pretty much the end of the conversation. Despite saying he misses you, it’s interesting how he doesn’t explain why he bailed on the holidays in the first place, and you don’t know whether you should ask about it at this point.

Or if you should even be curious about such a thing. 

Jeonghan pulls you out of your thoughts with a brush of his hand on yours. “It’s getting dark. Let’s head out?” 

You agree and then let him hold your hand, lace his fingers with yours, and then lead you out of the shop. He doesn’t let go until you cross the parking lot and get to his car. It’s strange, you think. You can’t seem to recall the last time the two of you held hands so naturally like this especially when there’s no one else around. 

In fact, when the two of you are alone, the sickening sweetness is always toned down but not completely dropped. Now, Jeonghan’s smiles are softer around the edges like they’re less exaggerated, less of a performance, and when he calls you darling, his voice is quieter and isn’t at all coated in the sticky honey you’re used to. When he hugs you goodbye at your door, it’s a loose hug and almost has a degree of uncertainty. 

Jeonghan steps back but lingers just for a second. “I’ll see you in a few days for our date, darling.”

“Of course,” you put on a smile, “I can’t wait, babe.” 

He waits until you get into your building before giving a little wave and then heading on his way. 

After you close the door behind you and collapse onto your bed, you heave a sigh and finally let the smile slip from your lips. So there would be a Valentine’s date this year after all; the anticipation makes your heart speed up the slightest but at the same time makes you all the more anxious. You thought that he really would end things today, and if not, that you should be the one to do so. But seeing him after so long, feeling the way the warmth of his touch lingers on your skin, basking in the brightness of his smiles, you simply couldn’t utter those words. 

Perhaps Valentine’s Day wouldn’t be the right time to do it either, or maybe your date won’t end up happening for whatever reason. You know that this is something you have to do, but the question is how exactly would you go about doing it? Because there is one major problem. 

You’re not dating Jeonghan at all. 

One moment in high school is what started this whole thing.

It was eleventh grade drama class—which Jeonghan thought would be fun to take as an elective—that resulted in the two of you being cast in the school play. Although neither of you landed a role that was remotely close to important, Jeonghan decided to have fun with it and improvise during your one minute of screen time and that somehow turned your insignificant cameos into a beautiful romance that had the audience rooting for you. 

And that very moment somehow managed to embed itself so deeply in your relationship with Jeonghan that it became a long running joke to this day. 

Today you’re sitting across from Soonyoung and Seungkwan again, with Mingyu beside you this time. Almost an exact replica of last week’s meetup, but Chan already has plans and Jeonghan is very obviously missing—something Soonyoung points out immediately.

“Wow, no Jeonghan today?” he says loudly even before the hostess is out of earshot. The people at the two tables nearby glance in your direction and you start to regret coming here at all. “We really won this one. Y/N, we should do this more often.” 

You definitely should not. “Um, yeah. Totally.” 

Last week’s meeting with your friends is what gave you the idea to consult with them about your situation. You first suggested the idea to Mingyu, and then used the prospect of free food to get Soonyoung and Seungkwan to come out, and naturally, Chan is busy so it ends up being the four of you at brunch. Which is better on your wallet, you think. You get the feeling that this quarterly meetup can totally happen more often if you were to make this offer every time. 

As for what you’re about to ask… well, truthfully, you still don’t know if you should even do it. You’ve gone so many years without saying a word that it’d simply be odd to ask now, plus you would run the risk of making everything weird. But if you don’t do it, you would only end up making it weird anyway because how much longer can you go on pretending?

Besides, it’s not only you and Jeonghan who are prolonging this inside joke for way longer than it should’ve lasted. All of your friends should be in on it if they treat the two of you like a couple too. 

The waiter comes by to take your orders, and you try not to wince at the entire list that comes out of Soonyoung and Seungkwan’s mouths. Mingyu gets the least, seemingly knowing that something is up if the worried glances he throws your way is anything to go by. 

Once the waiter leaves, that’s when the small talk stops and all eyes turn to you.

“So what did you want to talk about?” Soonyoung asks with a goofy grin. “Since Jeonghan’s not here, does that mean you need help with Valentine’s Day plans or something?” 

Beside him, Seungkwan has the complete opposite expression as he eyes you warily between sips of his americano.

You take a huge swig of water like it’s liquid courage, and then go for it. “This is going to sound weird…” you start, trying not to notice the way Seungkwan tenses up as if bracing for your words, “but I wanted to ask you guys what my relationship with Jeonghan is.” 

Silence. Complete, dead silence. 

Soonyoung freezes like he’s in a photograph while Seungkwan’s hand holding his americano hangs in mid air as a drop of the drink dribbles down the side of his lip. 

“Sorry, what?” It’s Soonyoung who recovers first. “I think I heard that wrong.” 

You shake your head. “Just tell me.” 

“You’re asking us what your relationship with your own boyfriend is?” 

“Boyfriend—exactly!” You have to hold back all the thoughts you have on the topic. “Yeah, that’s what I mean. So you think he’s my boyfriend? That we’re dating?” 

Soonyoung frowns but it’s Seungkwan who answers, exasperated. “Y/N, what are you trying to say here? Are you trying to say you guys broke up? Or do you think we don’t know you well enough and this is a test? Can you say whatever it is directly—” 

“Jeonghan and I aren’t together.”

There, you said it. Your biggest secret is out.

It should make you relieved to finally let out the secret you’ve been harbouring for years or it should at least alleviate some of the weight on your chest, but it doesn’t. The silence in the wake of your confession only closes in on you and makes it all the more suffocating.

“Any—anymore?”

“No. We were never together.”

The bit of silence from earlier repeats itself. Maybe you should become a speaker or presenter with your ability to draw such reactions from a crowd.

Seungkwan noisily sets down his drink and then leans forward with a frown. He’s still in denial, that much is obvious, and he narrows his eyes as he asks, “Is this a joke? A hidden camera? Are you trying to prank us like Jeonghan—”

“No, I’m completely serious. It’s really not what it seems, and this is why I’m asking you guys what you see us as because at this point I don’t even know the answer myself.” 

With a deep breath, you tell them the truth about this entire thing.

You tell them about the high school play and your impromptu acting, and how that led for the two of you to become the famous couple at school afterwards. Sure, it might’ve been a good thing because that meant your acting was believable. But to two people who were interested in just about anything except love at that age, it was annoying and gross. 

After the show when the shippers wouldn’t stop, the two of you decided to do what you do best—pull a prank. You spent that Valentine’s Day together as a joke and acted extra disgusting to mock couples while making fun of how stupid people were to believe whatever you showed them. In twelfth grade, the two of you did the same for Valentine’s Day and then even went to prom together as a joke. 

In recent years, however, the annual joke of a Valentine’s Day date has turned into his Christmas and your Lunar New Year, his cousin’s graduation, your coworker’s housewarming, and Lee Chan’s wedding. It’s made you on a texting basis with his sister and it’s made him familiar with all your favourite food spots and go-to orders. It’s turned him into someone who’s simultaneously as distant as an acquaintance yet closer than a best friend. 

And so, here you are, living an entire lie because you and Jeonghan had the whole world fooled.

“That’s insane,” Soonyoung says when you finally finish the story, unable to look your way and instead, stares into his drink with how mind blown he is.

Seungkwan, on the other hand, remains a bit skeptical. “Okay, but then what was with all that PDA?All the kissing? Is this some sort of situationship?” 

“Oh, um.” Immediately you can feel your cheeks heating up. You didn’t think this far at all but now it seems like the entire truth will have to come out. “All of it was fake. We’ve… never actually kissed.” 

That drama class has taught you more than you needed to know about manipulating angles and the audience’s perception, and Jeonghan is very good at it. Your fake kisses were often just a trick of the angle or occasionally using the thumb trick, and having seen the evidence captured in photos over the years, you know how convincing it can look.

Now, it’s embarrassing to admit for reasons you never would’ve imagined. Admitting to pulling a childish prank like this is one thing, but the realization that you and Jeonghan have faked it for so long without ever once making it real has you feeling almost dejected.

“I always knew Jeonghan was crazy but I didn’t know he’d be *this* crazy.” Soonyoung now has his head in his hands and is staring off into space. “This is the most insane story I’ve ever heard. I’m not sure if I should be happy for you or sad.” 

You give a wry smile. “Yeah, well, I get why you would think we were together though. You met us in college and wouldn’t have known about what happened in the past so I guess there would never be a reason to question it.” 

Beside you, Mingyu clears his throat and you turn to look at him. He’s been so quiet throughout your story that you were too busy focusing on the reactions of the other two, but looking at him now, his reaction is entirely different. Mingyu isn’t as surprised as he is concerned. “Actually, Y/N, a few years ago…” he says hesitantly, “there was a time when I asked him if you were actually dating.” 

“You did? What did he say?”

“He didn’t deny it.”

“Well, we all know how he loves to be ambiguous and leave things a mystery.”

Mingyu shakes his head. “No—see, that’s what I thought too, but it was different that time. At first he didn’t deny it, but when I pushed a bit more, he said that you’re dating. In actual words and with the most serious look I’ve ever seen on his face.” 

This is news to you. You always assumed that they were all in on the joke and would’ve never guessed that anyone actually asked Jeonghan, but the fact that he answered that way is all the more baffling. 

“I don’t get it. Why would he tell you that?” 

“Yeah, so,” Soonyoung says, “from then on we all thought that was fully confirmed, and he never said or implied otherwise.” 

“Right…”

Mingyu nudges you gently. “Y/N, are you telling us about this now because you’re planning on stopping the act? Has it been bothering you? Or did something happen?” 

“Is that why you wanted to tell us today?” Soonyoung lets out a dramatic gasp and leans all the back in his chair, hands over his mouth. “Don’t tell me—are you going to stop the act because you have a crush on someone?”

“What? No, definitely not. It’s not that, it’s—” 

Here’s the next part of your big secret being revealed, something you weren’t entirely ready for but you tell yourself that this needs to happen. 

It’s because of your feelings for Jeonghan. Your very real, very genuine feelings that have nothing to do with this prank.

Truthfully, you can’t pinpoint when you started feeling this way, much like you’re not sure how this joke was able to stick around for so long. It could be the most recent development—when your friend tried to convince you to hop on a dating app, all you could think about was how wrong it felt because you already had Jeonghan. Or maybe it was the Valentine’s Day just before college graduation when he leaned in so closely you thought he was going to kiss you, for real this time, and then only realizing much later that you were disappointed that it wasn’t real. 

Or perhaps it started way back, to the time he asked you to prom—he said he didn’t have a date only for you to later find out he’d already rejected two promposals from other people. All for your fake relationship, supposedly.

And now, for you, what has started as a harmless prank has turned into something much more than that over the years. 

Everyone looks like they're at a loss for words after that part, and even Soonyoung has lost his enthusiasm after hearing it. “Shit, that’s…” he starts. “Okay, yeah, I’m definitely sad for you.” 

Seungkwan and Mingyu have similar sentiments but you wave them off, eager to lighten the mood again after such heavy topics. The food on the table has been long finished and you’re beginning to feel like you’re overstaying your welcome when there’s a crowd waiting at the front of the restaurant. “It’s fine, it’s whatever. I just wanted to get this off my chest today so that I can figure things out before I see him in a few days.” 

A while later, you finish paying and then all head out together. 

The conversation continues to replay itself in your head, and you realize there is one thing you’re curious about. You turn to Mingyu. “By the way—Mingyu, why *did* you ask Jeonghan if we were actually dating?”

Mingyu stops mid-stride and freezes like a deer in headlights, clearly not expecting your question at all. “I—um, I was asking for a friend.” 

“A friend?”

“Yeah, Chan.” He nods a few times in a row. “I thought Chan had a crush on you and I was trying to help him out.”

Strange, seeing as you’ve probably interacted with Chan the least among your friend group. He’s simply too booked and busy to hang out with you, and has been all throughout your college years together. 

Oh, and he’s married.

“Like, before he met his wife?” you ask.

Soonyoung starts to cough furiously from where he is a few steps ahead while Mingyu’s cheeks redden the slightest bit. 

You vaguely remember the first time the two of you did this, and how it wasn’t anything like how it’s going now. 

Tonight is the night you’re supposed to go on your date with Jeonghan, and you’ve been buzzing with nerves since the night before. You have no idea what to expect for tonight since all he told you about it was to show up at his apartment, and that in itself was slightly concerning as you’ve never been to his home before nor has he been so secretive about any plans. Usually the two of you would be going to a casual place or would have the schedule shared ahead of time if it was a more formal event that needed preparation. 

Jeonghan buzzes you in when you arrive and before you can say you’ll wait for him in the lobby, he tells you to go up to his unit. Again, a bit strange. You do as he asks though, and then even go to knock on the door when there’s no sign of him coming out.

When he opens the door and steps aside, that’s when everything clicks—you’re not here so that he can get his car and take you to your date location. This *is* the date location.

Beyond the doorway, you can see that his apartment is completely decorated. Rose petals line the sides of the hall and lead to the dining table, covered in a deep red tablecloth and perfectly set for your meal. Beside it, a large bouquet of roses rests at the center of the sideboard surrounded by a row of flickering candles which light up the space.

Even without knowing what his home normally looks like, it’s obvious that all this would’ve taken a lot of effort to set up.

“Jeonghan, why did you prepare all this?”

He gives you a dazzling smile. “Because my darling deserves the best, of course. I told you I was going to make it up to you for cancelling Christmas.” 

“Babe, that’s too sweet of you. You really didn��t have to.” You try to return his smile but it doesn’t come easy when this whole situation is overwhelming. Then you let him take your coat and then guide you to the dining table where everything is set up. 

Only when you’re seated do you realize that his response doesn’t answer your question at all. 

The scent of the roses fill the room and looking at them gives you a pang in your heart. This is what the two of you used to make fun of—these big, romantic gestures, and the couples that willingly eat them up. Now it’s as if the tables have turned and you don’t know what to think. 

If this were in public, in front of your friends or other people, you would’ve said that it was another funny gesture that Jeonghan put up for the sake of making them cringe. Because the two of you were the perfect joking, prankster couple, right? 

Now that it’s just you and him here, it confuses you as to why he’s going to such lengths for a joke when it’s something that no one else would see, when there’s no audience to watch his performance. 

You watch as Jeonghan busies himself in the kitchen, serving the food that he’s prepared and pouring the wine into glasses while glancing your way every once in a while. He looks pleased, you note, and he should be if he got his space to look this beautiful. But you can sense that there’s something else too, almost like a nervousness that sits on his shoulder every time he breezes past you and makes eye contact for the briefest second.

After everything is ready, he finally takes a seat across from you and the dinner begins.

Making small talk is easy at first; you comment on your surprise at this type of date, talk about how cold it’s been lately and how it sucks that your company is forcing you to go back into the office. You ask him how his holiday went and how his family has been, and mention how cute his sister’s new puppy is after seeing a post about it on her social media. 

You know you’re just delaying the inevitable. Somehow you get the feeling he knows it too, judging by the way his answers are shorter than usual and how your conversation feels so superficial. So this time after there’s a lull in the conversation, you decide to go for it.

"Jeonghan, um…"

"Hmm?" He looks at you and waits for you to continue, but you don't. Or rather, you can't. "Ah, you're going to comment on how good this is, right?" he says instead, as if supplying you with a way out.

You're all too eager to grab onto it. "Wow, you read my mind." An enthusiastic nod, a slight look of surprise. "It's amazing. Did you make all this yourself?"

Jeonghan shakes his head and then follows up with a sheepish smile. "Partly. The rest is store bought."

Another nod, and then it just ends there again. Seated in this spot with the soft lighting of flickering candles cast against the wall and the heat of Jeonghan's gaze on you, the feeling of discomfort only grows. It's hard to remember what the two of you were like before, during the days when everything seemed so silly–when each move was a clearly defined act between two actors and the world was your stage. And most importantly, when each smile he showed you didn't send your stomach into somersaults or your mind into a loop of second guessing. 

The air is so heavy and stifling that you grab your glass and down a large gulp of the wine. At least when you're drinking, you wouldn’t have to speak, whether that might be responding to him in a way that gives away all of your thoughts, or completely spilling them out yourself. Maybe the alcohol will also drown out some of your anxieties and–

"Hey, slow down." Jeonghan glances at you with worry. "We have all night."

You set the glass down, albeit a bit reluctantly. "Right, sorry. This wine is just so good."

Yet another lie, but what's one more at this point? The wine is much too sour and leaves a bitter taste in your mouth. You would've much preferred a soda or bubble tea, and drinking something fancy like this during such a fancy occasion makes you feel like you're pretending to be someone you're not.

Which is exactly what you're doing, isn't it? You've been living a lie this entire time.

You briefly wonder if Jeonghan feels the same way—the two of you have never properly spent time alone in complete privacy, and to have your first time be in such a formal atmosphere must feel strange. But if he's uncomfortable, he makes no sign of showing it. Or maybe he's always been the better actor of the two of you.

“You know, since you mentioned seasonal depression, I was thinking that for Christmas this year we should go somewhere. Somewhere warm and sunny to get away from the cold.”

“Oh, this year?” you repeat stupidly when you can’t quite believe what you’re hearing. Jeonghan wants to continue this thing? And here you were, thinking that he was about to end it at any moment for the past few months. “Um, yeah. That would be nice.” 

“Or it could be a fall trip. Your parents have been wanting to go see the leaves change colour, right?” 

There’s no hint of sarcasm on his face and no playful twinkle in his eye, and even though no one can read him very well, you know enough to tell that he’s being serious. You also know that what he’s saying makes no sense at all.

“Right, yeah. They’ve been wanting to do that.” 

“Y/N, are you okay?”

“Yeah,” you reply automatically, and then reach for another long gulp of your drink. “Yup, all good.”

Jeonghan frowns, a tiny crease appearing between his brows. “Are you sure? If you want to talk about it, I’m here to listen.” 

It’s strange, the way he looks at you. Jeonghan, who dances around questions and deflects easily with humour and only shows people what he wants them to see, now has worry filling his eyes as he waits for you to continue. As if he *knows*.

You doubt Soonyoung and Seungkwan would have spilled your secret so easily, but there’s a great possibility that the two of them would be unable to act normal around him after what they learned, and unintentionally hint at the truth. Then there’s the other possibility that Jeonghan knew way before any of this. Because maybe he—

No, you don’t want to think about that.

“It’s just that,” you say, having to force yourself to pause and slow down your thoughts before something terrible comes spewing out. A slow inhale, a shaky exhale. “Why are we here, Jeonghan?”

His frown deepens, but now it’s turned into confusion. “What do you mean?”

“What are we doing? This date has been nice, but I’m just very confused over why you put so much effort into this when there’s no one else around to see it. Weren’t we doing all of this as a joke? As a prank? Pretending to be a couple so that we can fool the world since that’s exactly what they wanted to see, but joke’s on them because we’re not?” 

Jeonghan watches you silently with an unreadable look on his face. “Is that how you feel?”

“’Well, yes, because isn’t that the truth? And now, we’ve been doing so much together that it doesn’t feel like a joke anymore. How can it be when your mom is offering to give me homemade side dishes? Or—or when Chan’s wife was there, smiling at us on her wedding day like she wished we’d be just as happy as they are?” You pause to look at him and then proceed to look away. “How long are we going to continue lying to the world? Because I can’t stand the guilt.”

The last part of that may be true, but it’s not the full truth. 

“Yeah, you’re right. We don’t have to keep doing this.”

“W—what?” You stare at him, dumbfounded. 

Jeonghan sighs deeply and then meets your eyes, but then quickly looks away. “Yeah, we should’ve left this in high school. The joke has kind of gotten old, hasn’t it?” 

You have no idea what he means by any of that, but it feels like you’re better off not knowing. The tension in the air is thick, and even when you imagined your fake breakup hundreds of times in your head, this is not something you could have predicted. It’s as you’re on a precipice, and one wrong move will delete all those years, all that time you spent with him. 

And the worst part is that you don’t even want to break up.

“Jeonghan, look. I know all of this is supposed to be a joke, but why is it that it feels like you really do care?” One last deep breath before you make the jump. “And why is it that I *want* you to care?” 

That has him stunned for a second, so much that the expression is obvious on his face in a way that almost never happens. 

“Wait, what? I do care. No, I get that we started all this for fun back then, but that’s not how I feel about it now. Everything we’ve done is real—trust me, I wouldn’t have brought you to my family if that wasn’t the case. And I never thought I was lying to them. It’s exaggerated, yes, and much too dramatic, but I’m not a good enough actor where all that can be based on a complete lie.” 

You braced yourself for the final blow, only to be completely confused over his words. “What are you saying?” 

“Y/N, it’s always been real to me. All of it.” 

“But—but I thought you wanted to stop all this when you cancelled our plans for Christmas. Why did you do that?”

Jeonghan opens his mouth a little but then closes it again. “Do you remember last year at Chan’s wedding when you caught the bouquet?” 

You nod but don’t hide your confusion about where this is going.

“After you caught it, everyone was looking at you… and then at me. It was like they all expected us to be next, because well,” he shrugs, “everyone thought we were together. And that’s when I realized that this is more than simply feeling like it’s real. We were turning it into something real.”

“So you called off Christmas because you wanted to stop doing this? Because you hated how it was becoming real?” 

“No,” Jeonghan shakes his head. “The opposite. I was afraid of how much I liked that it felt real. That day at the wedding, I—I wanted to kiss you for real, Y/N. Not have to fake it.” 

“Oh…”

“If we did meet up for Christmas, I don’t know what might’ve happened. I thought it was safer to stay away for a bit and gather my thoughts.” He hesitates slightly and you can see the pained smile he has on. “But one day into the holidays and I was already regretting my decision.” 

You don’t know what to say to that. Your mind is hardly listening anymore when it keeps on repeating Jeonghan’s words like a broken record, screaming to you that it’s real, that all of it is real. That you’re not the only one who’s been feeling this way, and that you won’t need to stage a fake breakup for your fake relationship. 

“Are you okay?” he asks, breaking you out of your thoughts.

“I’m just—are you sure all this is real? Jeonghan, are you being serious?”

He breaks into a tender smile. “Don’t you remember? I already answered you back then, Y/N.”

“What do you mean?” 

“You asked me if I’d be your darling, even if thousands of miles may separate us, even if—” 

“—if the paths we walk may crumble,” you finish off. “Or something like that. I actually have no idea what we said back then.”

Those were the lines in the play that you did back in high school, the very lines that the two of you conjured out of thin air one day and the very moment that started this whole thing. 

“Yeah, that,” he says softly.

“Hmm, so, babe,” you put on your usual mockingly sweet tone, repeating the line that you said on stage many years ago, “are you going to kiss me?” 

Jeonghan holds back a smile like he can’t contain his happiness, and follows with his line without missing a beat. “If that’s what my darling wants.”

The smile only widens when he gets up from his seat and you go to meet him halfway, and it’s the last thing you see when he leans in closer and closer. Jeonghan gently slides his thumb between his lips and yours as he closes the distance, like how it was done the very first time, but this time you can feel it as he slowly moves it away. 

Then you’re kissing him, actually kissing him for real for the first time. His lips are soft and warm, and the bit of hesitance between you seems to completely melt away as you wrap your arms around him and he pulls you closer. You let yourself drown in his scent, the warmth of his touch, and the loud pounding of your heart now that you no longer have to be paying attention to the reactions of the people around you. Nothing else matters anymore, all that matters is what you have now.

You spend the rest of the night catching up, whether that’d be stories over the years of shared memories, or creating new memories to make up for the lost time. He tells you he loves you and that the trip suggestions were very much real, and the two of you laugh over how you’ve become the exact couple you once mocked. It’s easy to understand them now though, you think as Jeonghan gives you a sleepy smile as you’re cuddled up on the couch.

“Oh yeah, I wanted to ask something,” you say, and he looks at you in alarm at your abruptness. “Why did you tell Mingyu that we were together?”

Jeonghan stays silent for a bit, narrowing his eyes as if having difficulty recalling what you’re talking about. Then he finally answers. “Oh that?” He chuckles. “That was because I didn’t want him to think he had a chance with you.”

[sanjithesimp]

♡ mine ft. yoongi♡

a/n: i’m so sorry i have been a little mia, but work is k^lling me and i have a writer’s block of sorts.

warnings: minors dni. (nsfw). unprotected sex. penetration. possesive! reader (kinda!).

summary: yoongi will learn his lesson.

you locked the door from his office. you could see he was nervous.

“someone could see us…or hear us?” yoongi said nervously.

“i couldn’t care less…i need you, now” you said, walking towards his desk and sitting on it, in front of him. and then you opened your legs.

he pulled the collar of his shirt. he was definitely not ready for what he was seeing.

“fuck…you’re not wearing anything..” yoongi was breathless.

“yes and?” you replied and then leaned in closer. “are you going to do something about it?” you whispered in his ear.

he didn’t hold himself back. he had you bouncing up and down his cock like there was no tomorrow.

your moans and whimpers were loud, but you couldn’t care less. you had waited for a whole week after punishing your boyfriend for being a little too flirty with his secretary.

“you’re mine, and only mine” you said, clawing your nails on his back, marking your territory on his milky skin.

you could hear him groaning as you tightened around his cock.

“fuck, baby…of course” he said, the last part coming out as a whine as you nipped his neck. his hands cupping your ass, squeezing tighter as he got closer to his orgasm.

you milked his cock until there was no drop left of cum. as you tried reaching your own high.

“i love you so much, baby” yoongi said, as his hand fondled your breasts, occasionally pinching your sensitive nipples.

you moaned his name, making him thrust deeper inside you, pushing his cum back into you until you felt the coil on your belly tightening and your vision blurry.

“fuckkk..yoon- so good” you said, resting your forehead on his, as you both recovered from your high.

[valeriianz]

yeah, okay. how about a Parent Trap dreamling AU?

------------------

“I was hoping I’d find you out here.”

Hob only speaks once he’s mere feet from Dream, at the end of the pier. Dream surely had heard him approach, the damp, squeaky wood of the dock giving him away. But Dream hadn’t looked back. 

He looks at Hob now, twisting his head just enough to watch as Hob carefully sits next to him with a grunt, unfolding his legs to let them drape over the edge and his shoes inches away from the surface of the water.

They say nothing for a while, staring straight ahead, out past the lake, the murky waters gentle and reflecting the clouds above, moving just enough in the soft breeze to reveal rays of the setting sun here and there.

This whole trip had been… interesting, to say the least. A weekend vacation at a resort gone completely haywire. Hob certainly hadn’t expected to see his ex-husband getting necked in the elevator by some well-dressed blond wearing sunglasses. Indoors.

The look on Dream’s face, as he and Hob made eye contact across the lobby, just before the elevator doors closed, had been hilarious though.

“Our sons.” Dream finally says with a hint of astonishment, his low voice barely disturbing the quiet.

Hob huffs out a laugh, closing his eyes and leaning back on his hands.

“Can’t believe they did this.”

Hob can sense Dream looking at him, and cracks an eye open to catch his gaze. 

“No?”

Hob laughs again, shaking his head. Clearing it. From the deep blue of Dream’s eyes. Still as striking as ever, even weathered from age. Twelve years.

“He gets it from you, I hope you are aware.” Dream continues, affection in his tone.

Hob chuckles. “Perhaps the idea was Robyn. But the logistics?” Hob peeks over, side-eyeing Dream. “That’s all from you. That’s Orpheus”

A tiny smirk tugs on Dream’s lips and Hob finds his gaze fixed to the sight. It had been a long time since he’d seen Dream smile. 

“You,” Hob starts again. “And your particularities.”

“You used to find them charming, I remember.” Dream looks down into the water, kicking his legs slightly. “Not as off-putting as my personality.”

“You were very prickly, back then.” Hob agrees with a laugh, feeling bold and bumping their shoulders. “Nothing I couldn’t handle.”

Dream goes quiet, as does Hob. Sitting in silence. Listening to the sounds of nature around them. The rustle of leaves, the sounds of birds singing, the lapping of the waves. 

“They’re watching us, you know.” Dream speaks again.

Hob smiles. “I wouldn’t doubt it.”

Dream gives a long sigh, leaning forward and lacing his fingers together. Hob watches him, openly. Takes in the long form of Dream, the rolled up sleeves of his black button down, revealing creamy white forearms against equally black jeans, cuffed around the ankles. His shoes and socks are tucked next to him, and Hob wonders how often Dream lets his guard down like this now.

And Dream’s aged infuriatingly well, in his physical appearance. A little more filled out, still thin though. Like Hob could still wrap his entire body around him, embrace Dream and fit him against his chest, where he would fit best. He’s got maybe some lines on his forehead but otherwise…

“You look good, Dream.”

Dream looks sideways up at Hob before sitting up properly.

After an agonising silence, Dream sighs, his eyes moving, studying Hob.

“As do you.”

Hob licks his lips and tears his gaze away just as his eyes settle on Dream’s mouth. He clears his throat and speaks forward, forcing his thoughts out of the past.

“Robyn misses you.”

Dream laughs sadly. “He doesn’t even know me.”

He could know you, Hob thinks. “He talks about you though. He wonders… what you’re like.”

Dream sighs again, rolling his eyes upward.

“He’s been a handful this past week, pretending to be Orpheus. A menace.”

Hob laughs, pulling a hand through his hair.

“Sorry about that. 

“He doesn’t like Cori.”

Hob feels a nerve twitch. Neither do I.

“Ah, Cori. That the bloke you were mackin’ on in the lift?”

Dream shoots him a pointed look and Hob smirks and winks. “Nice looking fellow– I’m assuming. Couldn’t see his face with those sunglasses.”

“He’s just a fling.”

“Ah.”

The silence between them is heavy now, turning awkward. Hob takes a sharp breath through his teeth, changing his tone to be playful.

“At your age?”

“Shut up.” Dream shoves Hob and his smile is blinding. 

Hob laughs and it catches Dream, who is giggling now behind his hand and something in Hob’s chest lurches. Lodges in his throat. He looks at Dream, just them, alone and his heart is suddenly screaming with regret.

There’s an ache to touch. To feel Dream’s hands on him again, to hear his laugh, to earn his hard-won smiles. Hob wonders how much Dream had changed, if he still likes the same things. If he still takes his tea with far too much cream and sugar. If he’s still enamoured by thunderstorms, dragging Hob outside to feel the rain on his skin, laughing hysterically as a bolt of lightning would crackle and shake the earth and getting pulled back inside by Hob, who would kiss him stupid afterwards, wet and smiling.

They had both been so young when they’d married. The fights had been small but constant. Little things that bubbled up into nonsense. And they hadn’t been ready for kids. But it felt like the natural next step. Their surrogate having twins was a shock for both of them.

But they had loved Orpheus and Robyn. Unfortunately it wasn’t enough to keep them together.

Funny how, now that the boys had found each other, they were the ones pushing them back together.

[part two!]

[salmonpiffy]

Assassination gone wrong

(Parody from Makima's iconic page in Chainsaw man chapter 26)

[andradrawsstuff]

First encounters 🦦

After a week and a half, it’s finally done 🙏

Here’s the full animatic :)

[shiiro-arts]

Nasha Dragneel - Heartfilia

Screw it *lesbianizes your character*

My little headcanon that Nasha is actually a lesbian and Natsu is delighted because that means they are even more alike

Wanting to draw her has been random af not gonna lie

[chaoswarfare]

dp x dc prompt #26

Danny and Ember end up having a dance competition/battle, all in good fun, which gets spotted by the Justice League studying the new species on earth.

The League, with almost all of its primary intelligence gathering members out on missions, makes the leap in logic that this species may communicate by dance, like bees…

Unfortunately, Danny has started a dance battle fad and now the Justice League is getting responses when they randomly break into dance around ghosts. or the ghosts just laugh at them and leave. Danny just has to keep the confusion from getting worse until the rest of the league gets back planet side. How bad could it be?

Or- the epic saga of misinformation and guesswork on culture that can only go hilariously.

[idonthaveabmxbike]

this one is for all the laloward truthers out there

[vanitas-vanitatum-mortis]

Show making jokes about Viravos and their "canon" child, Aaravos literally trolling Viren when he is about to die yet again-

Things happening around Sir Sparklepuff were probably the funniest part of the season, I SWEAR HIM DANCING TO THE JAZZ MUSIC SCENE? ICONIC.

Or when he first screeched BLOOD OF CHILD out of random? (Which wasn't that random in the end)

Me and my friend with whom I watched entire 5th season yesternight were literally crying out of laughter when Aaravos came and went like "You know what Viren? It's communism time, it's our child now"

LIKE VIREN'S FACE WAS HILARIOUS.

[ludoka]

Jackson watched Mr. Grimm sit down in his desk chair.

"So," he began doubtfully, "are you telling me I can do whatever I want while I'm stuck here? "Won't they force me to follow a story I don't know and I can take whatever classes I want?"

"Not exactly the ones you want," Grimm said. "Classes that are similar to the ones you have at your school. So that you don't fall too far behind or miss anything. With a little luck, perhaps, you have the same study topics. Outside of that, yes. You can do whatever you want. As long as no Utterson, Lanyon or Enfield enter the school gates, you will be completely free from my brother's pressure."

Jackson sighed in relief. I had no idea who the people he named were and had no intention of finding out. Just seeing the expressions on the faces of the Grim brothers and Baba Yaga was more than enough to know that he did not want to know what that book contained. If the few days he had been in Ever After taught him anything, it was that the stories told at home were very different from the ones told here. And he had no intention of knowing how different his great-grandparents' history was.

"Thank you for letting me know, Mister."

"It doesn't matter. You can now leave. I'm sure you'll enjoy chatting with your new classmates about what possible classes you'll have." He said with a smile.

"Thank you, have a nice day." The boy turned around and headed for the door. As he was about to leave he heard the vice principal's voice again.

"Before you go, young Jekyll." The professor had gotten up from his desk and was now looking at him standing with his arms crossed behind his back. "If I were you, I wouldn't trust my particular situation. There may not be a book you have to sign to seal your fate. But there is still a destiny. After all, destiny is just another name for our future. Ever After has shown that it can drag us to fulfill our destinies in an unexpected way. And if I have learned anything from my students, it is that in those moments it is important to have your heart in the right place." With that, Giles Grimm gave him a small smile and then lost himself in the shelves full of books.

Jackson had no idea what he was talking about and hoped he could leave before he knew it.

[korkorali]

Oooooohhhh are we talking about Bradford telling Della about the Spear of Selene? I think we're talking about Bradford telling Della about the Spear of Selene!

Okay okay this is something I have Ideas™️about- specifically why he told her, and why she believed him.

The answer (as I have so humbly decided is obviously the abject truth) is the same for both: Because he'd been manipulating her for years.

He was trying to be the Emperor Palpatine to her Anakin Skywalker.

Why? Simple: The Papyrus of Truth.

Think about it- it doesn't make sense to immediately go 'oh, only Scrooge McDuck's heir can find the Papyrus? Welp, time to steal some of his DNA and make a kid!' That's supervillain territory, and Bradford isn't a supervillain! (He's just a bit of a scumbag, but that's not a supervillain so it's obviously fine.)

So picture this: he finds out about the wish Scrooge made on the Papyrus, that only his heir could find it, and his thought patterns line up with Scrooge's:

He thinks "Alright, then it has to be one of those rugrats."

The question is, which one? Della, or Donald?

And honestly, when they're both kids- it's not really that much of a question, is it?

Is it Donald, the angry coward who loves to hole up in his room and write songs about eating the rich and basically doing everything that Scrooge hates?

Or is it Della, the adventurous and energetic ball of high-octane excitement and adrenaline, unable to sit still for a single moment, who acts like Scrooge McDuck, who likes all the same things as Scrooge McDuck, who is pretty much every single thing that Bradford Buzzard hates about Scrooge McDuck, all rolled up into a bratty child?

(Nevermind the fact that she isn't actually like that, not entirely. Nevermind the fact that she's doing all that because she feels she has to be useful, to be likeable, and that means mirroring Scrooge McDuck because if he likes himself so much then he must like seeing himself in her.)

Obviously it's Della. It has to be.

Which means, in order for him to get the Papyrus, he needed to get his claws into Della.

Which shouldn't have been hard- you can't tell me that Scrooge wouldn't do the same thing with Donald and Della that he did with Louie. He'd take them to the Money Bin (after all, it's like a second home for him), then head into his office and tell them not to disturb him.

And that'd leave Della in the perfect position for Bradford to begin to wheedle his ways past her defenses.

(Of course, multiple problems arise, not the least of which is she's a child and Bradford undoubtedly hates children. But moreso it's that she's genre-savvy, and also (and we love her for it, but) kind of dumb. It's a very frustrating mix that leads to her very nearly calling him out on what he's doing a lot.

But also, despite all that- she's still a kid.

And despite how much she thinks she knows, he's still better.)

It'd take a while, and I don't think he ever really manages it, but he still gets her to trust him.

Eventually, of course, he learns that Della isn't the 'heir of Scrooge McDuck.'

(Not sure how this happens, but it obviously does- I'm sure that lots of the Adventure Trio's adventures in the earlier days were spent searching for that missing Papyrus, but for some reason they stopped. The whole thing threatened to tear Donald and Della apart, or something.)

And that makes all the work he spent on her useless. All the time spent manipulating her, and trying (and -mostly- failing) to get her to be something he wanted, to push her to break up her family, all for naught.

Or- maybe not.

Because Scrooge keeps a secret. He makes her a spaceship. An untested, unreliable, terrible spaceship that literally runs on money.

It's horrible.

It's a waste.

It's perfect.

All the work doesn't have to be for naught. All Bradford has to do is let Della come to him one day, when she's at the Money Bin (probably because she and Donald and Scrooge were going shopping for baby toys, and she kept trying to get these really dangerous and deadly-looking ones, and ultimately got sent to the Money Bin as a bit of a 'time out'), let her rant and burn herself out to him about how frustrating Donald and Scrooge are being, how unfair they are (how scared she is, how much she just wishes they'd let her actually handle some stuff, how bad they make her feel for still wanting to adventure at a time like this, how much it feels like all either of them care about anymore are the kids and not her), how much it blows to be stuck like this.

And all Bradford has to do is offer up some half-hearted consolement, assure her that (while Donald is definitely being too overprotective) that of course Scrooge still cares about her, is still thinking about her, is still thinking about her, after all he's making her the-

And then cut himself off, like he said too much. That's aaaaallll that's needed to peak Della's interest, after all. And as soon as that's peaked- it's over.

All he has to do is hem and haw back and forth, say 'oh but he made me promise never to say anything' and 'I could get in trouble' and so on and so forth. Make it seem like he didn't want to say anything. Make Della feel like she earned the information, that he didn't plan this from the start.

And when she finally gets the information about the Spear out of him, and her eyes light up like stars and she darts off to go see if he was telling the truth, he can be confident that she'll never remember that he was the one who told her about it. All she'd be able to think about is 'I figured it out.' Because she had, after all. She'd figured it out, all her, he definitely hadn't pointed her in that direction at all.

He got to get rid of a liability and break the family, all in one fell swoop.

[darubyprincx]

A 33-year-old woman walks into the forest near midnight during autumn. She is clutching a lantern and covered basket tightly and her poise is tense, but she walks steadily and with clear purpose.

Squinting ahead into a clearing lit by a half-moon, she steps over a log, walks into the deathly quiet clearing, kneels and carefully sets down her lantern outside of a ring of perfectly preserved stumps, and uncovers her basket. From within, she takes out a small slip of paper and a child's toy and places it in the center. On the second finger of her right hand is a ring of some sort of silvery metal which appears unremarkable in the moonlight, but the way in which she takes a deep breath and hesitates before taking it off her finger and adding it to the objects within the ring of stumps indicates that it has clear value to her. She bows her head. She waits.

A gust of wind buffets her short-cropped hair and her cloak. From in front of her, or perhaps behind her, she can hear the rustle of fabric, but she does not look up.

"You come on the night when the souls of the dead are closest to the world of the living," says a husky and raspy voice, deep but still androgynous in a markedly nonhuman way. It is not a question. It is a statement.

The woman nods, still not taking her eyes from the grass crushed underneath her folded legs. "Yes."

"I cannot bring the dead back from their graves, no matter what offerings you give up as payment," says the voice. "And I cannot bring their souls back either for any period of time, mortal."

"I know," says the woman in a low undertone.

"Then why are you here?"

The woman opens her mouth as if to speak, then closes it and glances slightly up. A white cloak, not stirred by the wind blowing around it, meets her. Beside her, her lantern has gone out. Hearing no rebuke, she looks up.

The entity's face is obscured by a deep shadow cast by their hood, which she is glad of. She thinks she can make out the glint of eyes, but she's not sure, and she knows well enough to not pry. She opens her mouth to try again. "Because there is a life that I would like to put to death," she says.

The entity does not move, but it tone shifts to being maybe confused, maybe condescending. "I am not a mercenary. I do not preside over the dead. Your own kind is best for this sort of work. If you are... mourning," it forms the word slowly, as if it's unnatural to its mouth, if it even has a mouth, "then I cannot help you. Our kind do not know death, nor do we touch Her realm."

"Not someone else's life," the woman says, somewhat hastily. "My own." She pauses. "Not wholly, but- you are in the business of acquiring names, yes?"

The entity is silent a moment before responding. "It is not our specialty. We have... cousins who are more closely aligned to that line of work, but it may be done for a price."

"Then I humbly ask a favour of you," says the woman. "My payment is in the circle. Is it enough to have my name replaced?"

The entity turns and kneels, one long, bony arm reaching out to take and inspect the items placed. The hood turns towards her. "Yes, although it is a bit strange."

The woman nods. "Strange, yes, but all very dear to me. The toy belonged to me when I was young. The paper is my proof of birth, and has my given name inscribed on it. The ring..." She chokes up a little, but continues. "The ring is proof of my marriage to my wife of many years."

The entity hums. "Does she know that you are here?"

"She does not."

The entity stands, and beckons the woman to stand as well. She leaves her lantern and the basket on the ground.

"Those who come to replace their names, mortal, and it is very few who end up here on purpose, are often running from their pasts. Has your wife been disloyal to you? Have you been disloyal to her?"

"She has been nothing but loving and faithful my entire life," the woman says, ducking her head to wipe a tear from her eye. "Our child- he is currently asleep in his bed. I do not wish any harm to come to them. But I have been lying to them for years and I cannot face them anymore. My love thought that she married a man. My son knows me only as his father. If I disappear now, they will be hurt and betrayed, but less than if they knew."

The entity considers this for a moment. "What is your given name?"

"Joseph."

"And what do you wish your new name to be?"

"Esmeralda."

"You have clearly put much thought into this, mortal," says the entity. "But know this. When your family means to speak your old name, your new one will drop from their mouth instead, and this will go for everyone who has ever known you. They will know, but they will not know what happened. Are you sure?"

The woman hesitates, then nods. "I love them enough to do this," she says. "I do not want to hurt them."

"You say you love them," says the entity thoughtfully, "and you say they are faithful to you, and yet you are sure that when you receive your new name they will shun you."

"It just is not done," says the woman, slightly desperately. "I'm not sure they'll understand."

The entity tilts its head at her. "If your son came up to you tomorrow and told you that he wanted to change his name as well, would you love him still?"

"Yes," says the woman immediately. "I promised when he was born to love and protect him no matter what, as did my wife. If he were to turn into a mindless monster, I would harbor him still."

The entity nods sagely and bends to take all three items in its hands. It hands the woman's wedding ring back to her. "Then have faith," it says. "Are you sure?"

Joseph nods, tears streaming down her face. "I am terrified. But yes."

The entity looks down at the paper and snaps its fingers over it. The children's toy turns to dust, and the woman chokes back a sob. For a moment, everything is utterly, inexorably still, and then the world breathes again.

"It has been done," says the entity, holding the paper out.

"Thank you," whispers Esmeralda. She takes the paper, notes almost detachedly that her name on it has been changed, almost appearing seared into the paper, and folds it and puts it into her pocket.

"My business is done," says the entity. "Go back to your home."

"What will I tell my wife?" asks the woman.

"I do not know," says the entity. "I cannot predict the future. But you are braver than most. I believe that whatever you say will be right."

The woman nods and bows. When she stands up again, the entity is gone, her lantern is lit again, and there is no indication that any foot has ever touched the grass within the circle. Outside the ring, the imprints where she knelt still lingers.

-<|>-

The next morning, the woman's wife wakes to find herself alone in the bed. She walks into the kitchen, where her wife sits alone at the table, staring into the grain, hands folded as if she is deep in thought.

"You're up early, Esmeralda," she says, then pauses. Esmeralda looks up, face stricken, and the wife sighs and walks over to take her lover's hands. "I am not angry," she says gently. "I would just like to know why, and how."

"I went to the woods last night," says Esmeralda in a low, almost shattered voice. "I made a deal with some... thing to change my name. I gave my birth paper, my wedding ring, my favorite childhood toy, and my old name as payment. It was changed, and I came back here. Alia, I am sorry."

"How long ago did you make up your mind?" asks Alia in a gentle voice.

Esmeralda looks down. "Years ago. I've been lying to you and David this whole time. I- I have been an unfaithful partner." She takes off her ring and places it on the table between her and her wife. "If you want me to leave-"

"No," says Alia gently but firmly, gently sliding the wedding ring back onto Esmeralda's hand. "I promised you when we married that I would love you no matter what you were, and if what you are is a woman, then I will love you like that also."

"How will we tell David?" asks Esmeralda in a low, worried tone.

"I will tell him," says Alia. "You go back to bed. You've been up late, and you look like the rear end of a fireworks cart."

Esmeralda hesitates but smiles, looking up with hope in her eyes. Alia returns the smile and kisses her gently, helping her up. "I'm not kidding. Go."

"Before I go," says Esmeralda, hesitating.

"Do I have to poke you into bed?" asks Alia with an exasperated sigh.

"No, no," says Esmeralda quickly. "I just wanted to tell you that I love you."

Alia smiles and leans over to give her wife a peck on the mouth. "I love you too. Now go before I beat you into there with a broom."