#this took sm longer than expected but I’m satisfied with the result

[rinas4ki]

My top 10 favorite music projects of 2023 ૢ✧∘* ✧･ﾟ

Welcome to this list that 2 people were mildly anticipating tops, a list where I ramble about note sequences that give me a sense of enjoyment, which is essentially what this blog of mine is dedicated to. I’ve been on this site for more than a year now, I had the pleasure of interacting and chatting with my lovely mutuals who share my silly little interests, both here and on @akaneverse. At the end of last year, I simply uploaded a topster of my favorite albums and EPs, and this December, I’m taking my time to review said projects, and show them appreciation with words and expressions slightly bigger than “the production is so insane” and “BANGER”. This year has been good to me as a music enjoyer, with new releases from my longer-time faves and incredible new discoveries, some possibly becoming all-time faves, which will be mentioned in the post. Pitchfork, your bankruptcy is nearing. And yes, the GIF is a spoiler.

⑩ Ichijikikoku (EP) - Atarashii Gakko!

I can say I somewhat got into Japanese music this year and this anti-idol group with a school leader concept looking camp right in the eye were some of the first artists that caught my attention. Having accidentally come across them through snooping around a beloved mutual’s Spotify profile, the quality of their songs such as Pineapple Kryptonite, Nainainai and Freaks caught me off guard in a great way. Their discography offers various genres such as robotic chant-filled hyperpop, groovy city pop, alternative rock, hip-hop and their latest EP truly showcases their diversity and range. From Otona Blue, the funky pop song that was the push start for the girls to get their rightful recognition, to a revisit to their older rock sound, to their first club banger and more city pop hits, this EP presents what their music has to offer in a nutshell. 2023 treated the school leaders well as they both got their deserved success and delivered a well-rounded project along with other listen-worthy singles.

Favorite tracks: Otome no Bigaku and Giri Giri.

⑨ 3 of Us (EP) - FLO

After taking the Internet’s ‘00s R&B revivalists and girl group appreciators by storm with their first EP Cardboard Box in 2022, this iconic trio went on an ongoing streak to constantly deliver the best and improve their music and skills. 3 of Us serves as lunchables before the upcoming full-course meal which is their debut album, and not so surprisingly considering the consistent high quality of the group’s releases, the snack surely is fulfilling. Two of the tunes were anticipated then-unreleased songs but the title track and the later added-on Suite Life were loved by us FLOlifers as well. The four songs showcase both the group’s incredible vocals and their empowering no-nonsense attitude. The title track is an anthem that shows the world the girls have each other’s backs, through a smooth execution of a humorous scenario of a guy simultaneously trying to toy with the 3 of them. FLO are real it girls, and this mini alone is definitely convincing of that enough.

Favorite tracks: what if I said all of them?

⑧ MY World (EP) - aespa

aespa have long-ago established their cybergirl fighter Kwangya concept and a solid spot in the K-pop industry as a group with one of the strongest group identities, top-notch discographies and powerful vocals. I slowly fell in love with them in 2021 and they have been one of the very few anchors to my interest in K-pop lately. Through mismanagement and complete bs coming from their crappy record label, standing ten toes down with these girls and experiencing the comeback of the summer was 100% worth it. Though the label needs to pull themselves together a little for the creative direction of all of their groups, MY World offered aespa’s two different takes on the summer which somehow felt fresh and unique, still suiting the group and proving aespacore’s wide range. The music, however, gave the signature aespa sound we had missed because of the music drought. Reol and Slayyyter’s souls truly split into two each, possessing the four members and giving us the gritty, in-your-face EDM banger that is the lead single Spicy. Welcome to MY World, the mini’s pre-release single, on the other hand, is an orchestral, alluring alternative pop track, which is a genre I never knew I needed aespa to dip their toes into. Salty and Sweet is a package delivery for the MYs who are especially seated for aespa’s metallic hyperpop releases, while Thirsty is contemporary R&B with a bubbly aespacore twist to it and I’m Unhappy is a splendid hyperballad. No offense but had they left the basic and frankly flow-disrupting ballad ‘Til We Meet Again in the vault, the ranking of the EP would be higher on here, and this is my only criticism of the project music-wise. As I always say on aespa comeback release days: the girls did it again.

Favorite tracks: answer changes every 5 business days but right now I’m gonna go with Welcome to MY World and Spicy.

⑦ Crying in the Carwash (EP) - Lolo Zouaï

I’ve been keeping up with Lolo Zouaï on the low (pun intended, see Encore) since the release day of her sophomore album PLAYGIRL but I might have to pay closer attention to her because of her elevated excellence showcased on this mini. Besides giving her more freedom over her work and artistic direction, returning to her independent artist days allowed her to wiggle more with her own feelings and experiences directly, as opposed to the personas she conveyed the story of PLAYGIRL through. Before the unveiling of the EP, the roll-out fully hooked me in with both the singles and mesmerizing visuals. Encore was the perfect earworm-y invitation to the era, and Crying in the Carwash showed us the rainy panorama none other than Lolo’s mind with soft, melancholic jungle drums as the track’s stand-out point. The rest of the three songs, sitting prettily in the middle, give us soulful R&B blessed with the artist’s gentle vocal runs and UK garage reminiscent of e-motions by Mura Masa and Erika de Casier. All in all, I can’t be the only one who can’t wait to see what Zouaï will have to offer with her future work.

Favorite track: Crying in the Carwash.

⑥ ESFERA DE AMOR - Simona

Esfera de Amor? In “my top 10 favorite projects of the year”? More like “top 10 most slept on albums of the year”. I’m not saying this just because of my personal opinion or just by looking at the streaming numbers either. This project is worth checking out for everyone looking for ethereal, light, bubbly pop à la 4th gen K-pop girl group music. Simona took recent pop micro-trends such as the incorporation of house, UK garage, hyperpop, neo-reggaeton and baile funk, and shaped them up into her very own world of love. The record, while being a relatively easy listen and having the ability to appeal to a wider audience, keeps you attentive and never bored, with an intro that leaves the sense of time and reality behind to make room for dancing and a classy vintage-style interlude. At one stop you unwind, at the second you dance at midnight in your bedroom, and at another you’re an otherworldly romantic. Feel free to do whatever you please, because after all, you’re in a sphere of love where everything’s fine.

Favorite tracks: Adentro de Mí, Polidrama, Plush, Meloni and Llaga Verdadera.

⑤ BB/ANG3L - Tinashe

Tinashe has been an impactful figure in modern R&B for nearly a decade now, with her resumé ranging from choreography material groovy bops to heartfelt, calmer, vocal-heavy songs. BB/ANG3L, in the musician’s own words, combines her past and her present, her darker debut day sound with her faster-paced, catchier, dreamy tunes. The songwriting keeps it real and personal: we go from a dramatic reflection on a toxic relationship, to wanting to be pampered and treated with respect and class, to more reflections and slowly letting go. In the music video for Talk To Me Nice, Tinashe peels away her former self and gets purified with the dripping water, getting down to her essence. (I will further elaborate on my newly found love for water concepts/metaphors in some next entries.) Thanks to producer Machinedrum, garage and dnb rhythms (can you tell those are my weaknesses yet?) are beautifully incorporated in two of the tracks, and the production is atmospheric and tastefully bleak throughout the entire tracklist. Keeping up with Tinashe’s releases for a good while, a couple of years in my case, remains a pleasure with this project of hers.

Favorite track: answer changes often once again and this time I’m picking Tightrope.

④ Raven - Kelela

If there were courses on how to take breaks of long years after releasing a top-tier album and make an even more world-shaking, majestic comeback, Raven would be the diligently studied textbook. Though I personally can’t relate to the 6-year wait as I discovered Kelela at the beginning of this year, my commentary is unnecessary for one to know she is a legend whose impact on alternative R&B, dance music and neo-soul is not up for any questioning. While Raven has even more of a slower and sultrier side than before, the intimacy and maturity stays consistent whether we’re talking jungle, aurora-like synths or soothing orchestration. It’s a true, well-constructed and developed body of fruitful work, with seamless thought-out sequencing, an art that’s being kept alive by artists that rightfully value it. Motifs reappearing in her previous albums such as “all the way down”, “on the run”, “far away” make their returns, but in no way does anything feel repetitive or any less unique. The album cover art and the music videos for Washed Away and Enough for Love present us more water imagery that couldn’t have been any more suitable for the sultriness and haziness of the record. Raven is the deep melancholic ocean that you trust to wrap your body around, where you witness musical scenery that’s so breath-taking that you can barely tell if it’s real.

Favorite track: On the Run.

Let’s get some honorable mentions out of the way before the top 3: Heaven knows by PinkPantheress (literally 11th place, Feelings was on repeat for like a week straight), My 21st Century Blues by Raye (robbed by the Scammys), Unlock My World by fromis_9 (if I make a best ‘23 K-pop b-side list Prom Night has a high spot secured), seOul collection by OnlyOneOf (I ignore the old tracks included in the album and candy bOmb is the K-pop b-side of the year) and Bébe Yana’s singles this year bc even though they’re not a body of work they’re too good not to get a shout-out. 

③ Code Ge4ss - 4s4ki

As I was getting into Japanese music in March, I suddenly wondered whether there was a full-fledged hyperpop or experimental electronic music scene in Japan. After a quick Google search, an interesting artist popped up, with the metallic cybercore aesthetic I’ve been craving more of on the cover art of her latest album called Killer in Neverland. Interesting album name, intriguing song titles too, and as soon as I heard Log Out she took it in my eyes, there and then. Listening to Killer in Neverland as a whole took my shock to another level. Who was this and why did her music satisfy my cravings to this extent? As I went through her discography in a day or two, I fell deeper and deeper in love with her enchanting production (she���s her very own producer, mind you), crunchy autotuned vocals that somehow sound magical, her risk-taking unique concepts, something in between camp and outright beautiful visuals, precisely crafted songwriting and artistry. She manages to be the perfect amount of fun, the perfect amount of edgy, the perfect amount of bright, the perfect amount of sharp, the perfect amount of real, the perfect amount of satirical, the perfect amount of joyful, the perfect amount of sad on each and every project of hers. What didn’t hit me like a truck at first, however, is her tremendous improvement as a musician in pretty much every aspect: production, songwriting, album cohesion, creative direction, visuals. Not until her latest album Code Ge4ss finally got released in late June.

I was confused at first at the Code Geass anime collab thing, I wasn’t exactly sure of the release date and whether 4s4ki was actually releasing yet another scrumptious FULL album not too long after I got into her. The album dropped, I was tuned in right at midnight and my already high expectations were surpassed. Banging (kicking if you will) Jersey club beats, birds chirping accompanying glitchy trap instrumentals, screams followed by almost Machine Girl-level noisy circuit board sorcery, samples of characters’ speeches over electro guitar riffs, a piano interlude paired with opera runs taken from the show, pacifying ballads which are a mix of acoustic guitar and hard-hitting pots-pans and 8-bit synths, all closed by surreal orchestration with the classic electronica touches of 4s4ki and collaborator producer Kotonohouse. I’m sure I’d appreciate the Code Geass-themed lyricism on an even deeper level if I hadn’t paused watching the anime after 5 episodes like the terrible TV consumer I am. What I can be certain about is that everything about this project feels genuine and from within because it IS genuine and from within. 4s4ki couldn’t have been a more suitable choice for this collaboration, she’s been a fan of the franchise since elementary school and very few emit the weird cyber-glitchcore internet baby aesthetics the way she does. The cover art is stunning and references the series once again, and the Shirley MV leaves us with calming visuals that may remind you of Welcome to MY World by aespa, which spoke to the aespa x 4s4ki truther in me.

As I was saying, this album is what really rubbed her major progress as an artist and musician in my face. We’ve gone such a long way from the calmer EDM-pop antics of Your Dreamland, for example, not even to mention the synth-pop balladry in her debut Gender. Every era of hers sonically gets increasingly complex and intense and ethereal, and in every body of work she leaves in a bigger, more intimate piece of her. There’s just so much personality in everything she puts out and presents. She built her sonic and artistic identity from the bottom to the top and even as a fan for less than a year, continuing to witness this makes me feel pure admiration. Words aren’t enough to properly express how I feel about her art but that won’t stop me from typing up paragraphs to try to get someone to understand me on this. People have various opinions on 4s4ki’s experimentation and self-expression, however what absolutely nobody can ever deny is that she’s a true artist, visionary and one of the most skilled producers of this generation. 2023 brought her both achievements and unfortunately some hardships, and I sincerely hope 2024 is kinder and even more generous to her. (She’s not done with taking over the year yet! Stream her new single Continue and stay tuned for winter again coming Dec 15.)

Favorite track: Eleven.

② Fountain Baby - Amaarae

I touched upon my adoration for water imagery on my entries for BB/ANG3L and Raven but as you can see from the title, Fountain Baby took the theme to an entirely different level. The analogy potential of water is infinite as the fluidity, cadence, calmness, riptides, uncertainty, contradictions of water can very well be converted into the multi-faceted human emotion. The same water that you’re dependent on in order to live can poison you at an overload, the same water that rinses your body and soul can drown and choke you up when contacted with the wrong places. Fountain Baby expresses various moods and states of mind not only through concept visuals, but more importantly by sprinkling water euphemisms throughout the entire record: “fountain baby, wash her, make it wet”, “water on my neck, come make it warm”, “water from wine”, “water, it mix with the substance” being prominent examples. Amaarae chats love, sensuality, materialism and lastly, meeting your maker in a way other than passing away. She defines a “fountain baby” as “a person with endless charisma, someone that is abundant in their blessings and ultimately a blessed child of God.” The universe Fountain Baby resides in is essentially rich, delicate, cloudy and raw.

While water is a consistent element of the album, it was far from being Amaarae’s only source of inspiration. She draws on ‘00s pop staples Timbaland and Britney Spears, The Neptunes, Clipse (sampled in Counterfeit), Janet Jackson, Missy Elliott and diverse genres such as Afro-beats, classic and contemporary hip-hop, Americana punk rock and dance. The melting pot of live orchestra, harps, baile funk, tire whirring, R&B-infused shiny Afro-futurism, Japanese folk song samples, Chinese bow violins, Arabic scales, gunshot and cash register clicking sounds, mid-song switches that make you feel like the main character of a coming of age movie, glitter and sax and guitars creates a record that refuses to be boxed into one genre or label. A “clever alchemist” and “a chemist who fuses world music” are titles that are deservingly given to the artist for these reasons. The record has plenty of variety yet the sequence all comes together akin to a satisfying crossword. It’s lucrative and shimmery but has its child-like, playful side that’s a natural result of Amaarae getting in touch with her inner 8 year-old during the cultivation process. The music videos are all different but inseparable approaches to the Fountain Baby-verse. The MV for the first pre-release Reckless and Sweet is based on editorials and has a silky luxurious look, with direct hints at the album’s concept. Co-Star, the second pre-release, casts zodiac signs as racer-models and fast cars come running around in a competition, keeping the high fashion coded color grading and filming style. The music video for the lead single Wasted Eyes is heavily inspired by the film Rush Hour and pays homage to Japanese culture about as much as the song does (it’s worth to mention the song is co-written by the iconic Crystal Kay whose speech you can hear in it). The intricacy and planning of every aspect of this era is pop music at its peak. With Fountain Baby, Amaarae finds the epitome of pop perfection without special dedication to seeking it.

Favorite track: Wasted Eyes.

① Ambrosia (EP) - Namasenda

Some projects make your jaw drop from the get-go, some others grow on you with some time. Ambrosia crept up on me the longer I kept it on repeat, all the way to being my favorite project of this year. I already enjoyed Namasenda’s previous songs such as Black Ops 2, Demonic and the pre-release single maserati. As I later found more about the background of the project, how its concept came together and read the translation of the lyrics to rosa, my love for the it multiplied. Right now if I were to describe the EP in two simple words, they would be “ethereal”, “gorgeous” and “atmospheric”. These words are used with way more power than you may realize this time.

Sonically, the already unique artist stays true to herself but the execution of her vision is somehow… better than her previous work. north star and deathrow bby are unorthodox but celestial perspectives on baile funk, the former being a siren-like intro-lude that lures you in and the latter having a slightly haunting catchy Europop inspired jingle feel, serving as closer out of the 4 songs. maserati is a fresh take on polished but cutting pop, while rosa is a divine ballad that takes you to a dream realm. “Unconditionally here / I mean what I promise / When the sky is completely pink”, she sings in her home language Swedish, over the Casey MQ co-produced blissful synths. Maybe it’s executive producer Simon on the Moon’s musical genius (he’s also to be thanked for his involvement in Natural Brown Prom Queen by Sudan Archives), maybe it’s Namasenda unveiling a more authentic side of herself and therefore causing the music to be the most authentic version of itself. This authenticity drips through the production, the visuals and the lyrics. The stark contrast between Ambrosia and the jeweled, metallic, extreme meta-pop in her previous work, specifically Unlimited Ammo, opens up a conversation on the future of hyperpop.

Besides the heavy, detail-embroidered production, the focus of hyperpop was pretty much always exaggerating the artificial aspects of pop music, such as vocal manipulation, heavy bass, deafening drums, unforgettable melodies and shallow lyrics. How long could one use these funnily unrealistic musical personas before wanting to face themselves and do a deeper, more pure dive on pop? This I-D article on PC Music (the record label pioneering the hyperpop scene) shutting down concludes with “Perhaps it’s time to get off the computer and rediscover the personal.” Indeed, we can’t exactly reach a verdict on whether “hyperpop” will become just another fad or not, but moving on from simply exaggerating pop to expanding, beautifying and authenticating its sound isn’t an inaccurate prediction. 4s4ki and Namasenda (who, by the way, parted ways with PCMus before Ambrosia) are two of the artists that embody the beautiful, complex hyperpop-transcendent sound and experimental electronic pop music is in good hands thanks to artists like them.

To finish off this entry, Ambrosia manages to pinpoint exactly what I like to hear, both characteristics that I mentioned and things you can’t really put into sentences, only listen to and let them sink in. The production is some of the most stunning I’ve ever heard in my life, the EP is cohesive despite the short 9-minute run time, the visuals are simple but creative and the craft is passionate and genuine. Next time somebody asks me about the music I like, I’m sending them this EP with no further elaboration as it summarizes my tastes like no other body of work ever has.

Favorite track: rosa, it also grew on me the most drastically.

Now to end this post, every year gives me brand new outlooks on how I consume music and the details I notice, the things I pay attention to. 2023 was filled to the brim with musicians offering their own outlooks on how they create. I’m keeping my eye on the masterpieces that will come out of 2024 and I wonder how my interests will transform with me next year.

Hey @nayeonline (special thankies for indirectly fueling my writing process) and @timetravellingkitty, I wiggled my keyboard a bit 😗

[genshin-latte]

For the Holiday Prompts, may I request #13 with Albedo? --🌸

ALBEDOOOO this prompt fits him sm 🥺 I’m honestly not sure how well I executed it but I hope you enjoy~ No beta read we die like me for the past 8 months

Christmas prompts can be found here though I’m a bit busy bc of uni so I might not get to your request, go ahead and take your chances

Prompt #13 : “Why is my picture on top of a tree?”

Pairing : Albedo x gn! Reader

Word count : 941 words

Warnings : none

You hung the silver globe on the side of the tree, slowly humming to the light sounds of the children’s carol. Your eyes gazed at the christmas lights reflected on the round glass. Smiling in delight, you takes three steps back admiring results of the work you’ve put yourself into all evening. The pine tree standing tall in the middle of the room, colorful ornaments decorated it from head to toe, along with colorful lights contrasting to its’ natural green.

You would be a lot less enthusiastic for christmas is it wasn’t for your lover who’d promised to spend Christmas in Monstadt, instead of in his usual lab in dragonspine. Since he had ‘an urgent mission’ from Grandmaster Jean, you were left alone with the preparations for christmas eve. Not that you dislike it, since this way you’d be able to give him a small surprise.

You smiled at the thought, eyeing the house you’ve decorated since morning. Everything looks in place, except— Your eyes landed on the highest point of the pine pine tree, it’s empty, it seemed lonely without the star that’s supposed to adorn it.

“Where did I put it…?” You mumbled, going through boxes of christmas ornaments. How could you forget the most important thing? The christmas tree is never complete without the star on top. Running back to your room, you carefully retraced your steps. You searched under the bed, under the couch, inside the closet. Might you have brought it to the bathroom by accident?

After 30 minutes of looking to no avail, you sighed, throwing yourself on the couch in defeat. Lazily eyeing the table by your couch, you hastily opened its’ drawer, expecting to find yet another empty one. That was when your eyes landed on the piece of picture. The smile on his features made him seem almost eternal, surrounded by the ice and snow of dragonspine. Teal eyes looking back at you, as the canvas that stood there then peeked from the corner of the frame. Mesmerized by the picture, sudden idea hit you.

You carefully climbed down the chair you were standing on, satisfied with the results of your sudden brainstorm, and just in time too. You heard a click at your door just as your feet hit the floor.

“I’m back.” It was followed by a familiar voice. You quickly set aside the chair and greeted him.

“Well, you’re home early.” You meant to sound sarcastic but a smile made it to your face nonetheless.

“It took longer than expected. I should apologize but it seems like you had your fun while I was away.” He let out a small chuckle as he hangs his coat, eyeing the house that seemed like it was decorated for no less than a big Christmas party.

“Well, you shouldn’t be the one complaining.” Your initial shrug turned into a giggle as he leans in to plant a chaste kiss on your forehead.

Before he could pull back, you managed to brush your lips against his and you feel them turn into a smile. “Missed.” You mumbled, trying to hold yourself from grinning.

“Well, you sound excited.” He said, a light smile still gracing his features. He rarely smiles so much, and due to that some of his colleagues would even find him difficult to approach. But with you, even he notices the way his lips curl, you always amuse him.

“Well, Mr. Chief Alchemist, it’s a little difficult not to be when someone’s spending their time with you.” You attempted to tease him, playfully going along with his banter.

“Is that why my picture is on top of a tree?” You could feel the pang of embarrassment as he folded his arms, patiently waiting for your answer.

“I lost the star.” You replied.

“And I was supposed to replace your star? Interesting, is this something people do nowadays?” He stares up at the sole picture on the tree top, seemingly studying it.

“Uh, yeah? I mean technically you are one?” You almost bit your tongue upon realizing how the words that left your lips sounded like.

“So you put pictures of your lover on the tree because you find them to be the equivalent of stars?” His brows slightly raised, implying that he understood. Well, he didn’t, at least you thought he didn’t but some things are better left unsaid.

“Let’s leave it at that…” You mumbled, following his steps so you were beside him.

You heard a sudden chuckle as he pulls you in, lightly kissing your temple. Your eyes landed on the star shaped mark on his neck and you couldn’t surpass the urge to touch it, slowly tracing your finger over it. You heard his breath hitch as he feels your skin against his. He says it’s a symbol of his imperfection but it’s oddly one of your favorite parts of him.

“Maybe I should put you on the tree instead.” You joked almost mindlessly.

“Do you think the force of the tree will be able to stand mine? Taking into account the size of the tree and gravity it seems to be almost impossible.” He said, seeming to actually take the idea into account “and I suppose I’d rather be elsewhere.” He took your hand, making your heart flutter.

“Well, Merry Christmas to you.” You said, trying to mask your bashfulness. He smiles, amused by your reaction, as the soft words left his lips. “Merry Christmas to you too, love.”

You might or might not see your pictures on a Christmas tree next year but nonetheless you wouldn’t refuse another chance to spend christmas with Albedo.

[neshabeingchildish]

Poly Wanna?

A/N: So, I had some different ideas rushing through my head of who and how I wanted these characters to be. They may start in a place that you would not expect or can’t imagine, but just keep in mind that I try to write things a little differently each incarnation of a fic and hopefully nobody checks out within the first few paragraphs. Gimme a chance. It’s delicate content, and I promise I’m trying to do their relationship justice, not just write some trash that throws them all together. I will say that this may be the most adult content of all the content that I bring into this fandom, but STILL no sm*t, okay? Will definitely mention some things that take and have taken place. Enjoy, and let me know how you feel, unless you hate it. Then, Chile stop reading and go. I don’t wanna waste neither of our time with that situation.

And just to tag the folk who initially expressed interest the first time, and lemme tell y’all… This tagging was a little difficult for me, so I shalln’t be doing it again, I don’t believe. You ain’t gotta read it, either. I just wanted to extend the invite for anybody who might have been interested: @adorkable-blackgirl  @chenoahchantel @cactus-con @up-the-tube @riebellion  @itsyaapollochild @oof–musicals @lesbian-so-what @woahjusttakeiteasy-man @meadowstryingtobepretty @imma-sensitive-btch @okaygal21 @midernacht @divinereign4ever @xoxoemille @starry-nightschool

Plot: Pansexual Playboy Henry Hart finally decides to settle down, with his two best friends, Jasper & Charlotte. Each have a history with him and a present with each other, and he simply can’t let either of them go… Not this time around.

01. Reality Bites

Charlotte had just moved the last of her things into Jasper’s apartment and was not even the least bit interested in trying to unpack, yet. She had packed two all encompassing luggage bags with all of her necessities to live out of for a moment, just in case it didn’t work out wonderfully and she had to abort this mission. In the meantime, the beginning of their little life together was at least cute. Jasper had cozy surroundings. His parents didn’t like for him to have things growing up, so he was one of those people who was satisfied with less. But… Charlotte was used to high quality and high maintenance, so she would definitely be turning this place around, if they lasted.

She was having some trouble getting on her feet. It wasn’t that she wasn’t qualified to do things. She definitely was. She went to school. She got degrees. She applied for jobs. She worked them. The thing was that she had this bad habit of putting in less effort than the company wanted. A lot of productivity rules were just busy work and programming. She only wanted to do what was necessary to get her work done. Bosses hated her for that. She was constantly getting fired and had gotten to the point where her parents were sick of it and forced her to get out of their place. “You could always go back to the Man Cave,” Jasper had suggested. Yeah, right. Where Henry was? 

He was part of the problem. She had put so much into him, into them and he simply moved on as soon as it got a little bit difficult, as was his romance method of operation. After that, she wondered why even try to hard when you could simply to whatever you had to and get good results. To be fair and honest, had she thought more about it, she might have realized that what she was actually experiencing was heartbreak and depression. But, she thought that she was just tired of people taking advantage of her.

Jasper, on the other hand had been doing fine. He wasn’t doing great, but he was at least working regularly and was able to afford to take care of himself. Then again, he didn’t eat healthy, keep groceries stocked, or have the best products in the place. In fact, at the moment, he had wine on the kitchen counter, half a bag of tortilla chips in the pantry, and one shelf of condiments on the door of the fridge, with beer on the top rack. So… He didn’t have himself together, but he did have working water, electricity, a vehicle, a home… stuff that she was lacking on because she couldn’t be happy in any career path she had tried, thus far.

But, they found each other again, after some time apart and some distance. Their friendship faltered slightly when he admitted to her some years ago (some months after she and Henry were over) that he and Henry were together. WTF? She didn’t know what part of bro-code,girl code… (friendship? code) was being violated by that relationship, but she felt in her bones that it was betrayal and so, she was good on him. She was good on him a couple of years later when he apologized and told her that karma had caught up to him, because Henry had broken things off. She was good on him up until she came into this bar to meet up with a friend for a promotion celebration and he was serving drinks and let her drink for free. 

It became her thing. She certainly wasn’t able to buy her own drinks, not regularly, anyway, and she’d forgotten how good of a listener Jasper was. She could complain about her problems and drink them away, and she had a good listener available who wasn’t going to take advantage of her if she got too drunk. After a while, it started being hanging out socially, then talking on the phone, texting, social media and finally, she began spending nights. 

They didn’t put any label on things. Labels made Charlotte nervous and Jasper was simply in a headspace where he just wanted to try to enjoy life, with or without someone in it, but it was wonderful to have somebody in it that he had known for so long. It was also good to know her in this new way.

By the time that she was moving in and looking for another job, they had been seeing each other for five months. That was also around the time that Henry called about his opportunity to be on a reality tv show. He called Jasper, not Charlotte, but upon learning that they were together, invited her along, as well. The last thing that she wanted to do was see Henry, but she also didn’t trust him around her Jasper, so she went along just to feel him out. 

Whenever they got to the place, Junk N Stuff was gone, as were several of the neighbors to it and now there was this brownstone and Charlotte was confused, but Jasper went right inside, like he’d been here before. There was a doorman there that looked familiar to Charlotte, but she didn’t know why. “Hey, Gooch. What’s up?”

“Gooch?” She repeated and took a look at the guy. He did look like the Gooch she remembered, but he was much younger. “Wait, did Schwoz find some kind of way to reverse aging or something?”

Jasper laughed and said, “It’s Gooba’s son. Finding out about him was one of the reasons he left. Anyway, we can talk about that later.” Gooch’s son was staring at Charlotte. He looked a little bit younger than them, but not so much that he wouldn’t have been a full kid whenever they initially worked with Gooch. Anyway, she smiled politely and kept following Jasper. 

“How long has this been here?” She wondered.

“Couple years.”

“It’s conspicuous. What does Henry even do that people would reasonably believe that he could have this built and live here?” She wondered.

“You… really have chosen to fully avoid him, huh?” Jasper asked.

“He’s the worst. I don’t need that kind of energy. Mine already sucks.” Whenever they entered the place that she guessed was Henry’s she quickly had that confirmed by the huge, wall sized painting of himself, nude, but covered gingerly with flowers, in a flower crown with flowers what, falling from the sky? She sighed at the painting, rolled her eyes and they followed his voice. 

“Well, I don’t have the time for that type of contract, Levi! I’m about to be in talks for my new show…” He noticed them and smiled, waving them inside, “And I have guests arriving now. No, not clients. I told you, I don’t have appointments today. Look, just fix it. I’ll talk to you later.” He hung up and turned around, “Char!” He said, excitedly and rushed to hug her and pick her up from the ground. “You look gorgeous. I see your teeth are still perfect and you’ve let your hair and skin join the perfection club, as well.”

“They always were, but thanks for noticing.” She blushed and looked at the ground as Henry went to hug Jasper, too. 

“And you! Buddy… You gonna cut the beers, or nah?”

“Char’s fine with the beer belly.”

“It’s not a beer belly,” she cut in. “He’s always been a little bit gooey.”

“He wasn’t with me,” Henry said and gave Jasper a smile that said that he was thinking of those days, or nights, or… whatever. 

Charlotte stepped in between them and reminded him, “Well, he isn’t with you.”

“Right! The two of you, now. So… That’s interesting. Unless both of you have changed drastically, I never would have pegged you two to be sexually compatible.”

“What, are you a professional sexual compatibility… person?” Charlotte asked.

Henry smiled and corrected her, “Liscensed sex therapist, with special focus on sex positive therapy.” She sighed. Of COURSE, he’d get a degree on sex. “Don’t look like that. My work is very important! I help save marriages. I help people not hate themselves for being normal. What kind of fancy schmancy science is keeping Charlotte Page’s attention these days.”

“The kind where I bring drinks to tables until I get back into another lab.”

“Her bad attitude gets her fired a lot,” Jasper said.

“Not my bad attitude. Corporations’ insistence on overworking people who know better than to allow themselves to be used,” she corrected.

“Having a money issue?” Henry wondered.

“I haven’t found the right lab yet, that is it,” she insisted.

“Okay. Well, if, while you’re looking, you don’t mind having a camera or two pointed in your face, I want to invite you two to be a part of the cast for my new reality show adventure.”

“How the heck are you gonna have a reality show whenever half of your life is a secret?” Charlotte wondered. “Wait… Are you no longer Swellview’s hero? Because, I will definitely work in the Man Cave if you’re not gonna be there.”

“I am the new hero man of Swellview. Captain Man is still working, because he is indestructible and not super old yet. But, yes, we are partners.”

“Are you Man Danger?” Charlotte asked.

“He’s Dr. FeelGood,” Jasper said. 

“MISTER FeelGood. Dr. Feel Good is copywritten.”

“Both are corny,” Charlotte said.

“You’re a waitress who has like seven degrees,” Henry said.

“Ouch,” she replied. 

“To answer the question you asked before the cascade of shade that you threw me, I’m gonna do the show with production that knows that I’m Mister FeelGood, so they will never record or release anything that has me working in that way, because they work for me.” Charlotte raised her hand. “Yes?”

“So… Was Man Danger unavailable in the superhero names database, Danger just too vague? Captain Danger too much like Captain Man? Like… what possessed you to go to Mister FeelGood?” 

Henry smiled and rolled his eyes then pointed to Jasper, “You in?”

“In? Like… What is the show even about? Just following you around and recording all of your life when you aren’t fighting crime?”

“It… Is about me coming out of the shadow of all of my Swellview celebrity friends and trying to become a Swellview celebrity, in my own rite.”

“Swellview has celebrities?” Charlotte wondered.

“Whenever I go places, people still say things to me like, “Hey - you used to be friends with that science girl, Charlotte. Whatever happened to her? Or, hey - do you ever still talk to Jasper Dunlop? It was so cool that he was a real hero, much like Kid Danger. I thought WAS Kid Danger, at some point! Or, what’s happened to the guy who used to own that junk shop? He doesn’t get voted for as the most handsome man in Swellview anymore. Did he die?” Charlotte and Jasper were both laughing and leaning on each other. Henry said, “I have my own private practice. I help people in my daily life and I’m a superhero. I would like to be seen as something other than the guy who’s dated TWO girls from Kids in the Woods.”

“OH MY GOD!” Charlotte said and cackled.

“I totally forgot about that! And I just had spa day with them last month!” Jasper said.

“With Bianca and Chloe?” Henry wondered.

“Yep. They started taking me with them after you and I broke up. There’s a Henry Hartbreak Plan, so you’re definitely not riding on just our forgotten celebrity alone.”

“A Henry Hartbreak Plan?” Charlotte repeated.

“It’s a boost of vitamins and painkillers, a punching bag workout set to music, a shower. massage, detox, and a long snuggly nap. The spa owner has some history with Hen, too.”

Henry sighed and pointed at finger at Jasper, “That was mostly in her head!”

“That spa day sounds valuable. You didn’t tell me about all that. You just said Girls Day with the Hartbroken Club.”

“Come next time,” Jasper said. 

Henry watched the two of them talking. They were both still extremely attractive and each had that lovers’ glow with each other. It made him miss them, both. He missed their friendships and he missed being with them. Of course, those were two separate relationships, but he missed those relationships. He had never had anyone like either of them before. He thought that he would never get over Jasper and still wasn’t, but the surprise of seeing Char again, and her being even more perfect than he’d remembered… He was unsure of how he had ever gotten over her. Looking at them both right now, he realized that he hadn’t. He just thought that he had. “It’s only a thousand dollars per episode for this first season, if it even goes beyond that, but…”

“I’m in,” Charlotte said.

“I could use an extra couple of thousand, as well,” Jasper said.

“Cool… Why don’t you let Bianca and Chloe know. Of course, everyone will have to speak with my production team on camera to see what they think, but… I believe that they’d like to have all of the components of my celebrity associations for this thing.”

“So, does that mean that Piper is involved?” Charlotte wondered.

“We can’t really pay Piper to be involved, but she did tell me that if the show makes waves, then we’ll talk…” He was barely done with his comment and Charlotte was laughing at him. “She told me that you two still talk, though. She didn’t give me your number.”

“I girl coded her not to years ago, when I changed it,” Charlotte said. 

“My assistant Levi will need it, to let you know about appointments and stuff.”

“It’s cut off. Just call Jasper. We live together,” she said with a shrug.

“You live together? It’s… that serious?” he wondered, a little bit heartbroken, though he wasn’t sure from which one, but leaning towards both.

“I mean… It’s going great,” Jasper said and wrapped an arm around Charlotte.

Henry nodded, and blinked away the sadness that he felt might show in his eyes. “Well, congrats on that. You two deserve to be happy, more than anybody else that I know.” He reached forward to pull both of them into a hug. Jasper returned it, but Charlotte froze up, and he noticed that she’d done so earlier too. He pulled back and looked at the two of them. They clung to each other as they both fought to tear their eyes away from Henry’s face, so neither of them had seen their reactions to him, but he had seen both. “Later,” they said. Henry smiled and saw them out. So, they were in for the show at least. He hoped that the cameras wouldn’t catch too much of all of that emotion that was floating through the room.

[x-useobwa-x]

༄ Fix me | Part 15 - don't let me fall asleep in silence

College! Yoongi x Reader sm/au

➺ Word count: 3,5k

< Previous | Next >

Genre: Crack humor, heavy angst, romance, fluff, !TRIGGER WARNING!

College finally starts for you and your best friends and you are excited, very excited. You were going to make your college years the most memorable of your life, but then you met your roommate, and your life started to take turns you’d never had imagined…

Start reading!

⇣ ⇣ ⇣ ⇣ ⇣ ⇣

• Yoongis point of view •

 Scanning the living room with his eyes, he’s satisfied with himself.He’s cleaned up the whole mess he caused overnight. The fact that you had to see him like this still lingers deep within him. You looked scared, shocked, to say the least, and he feels so incredibly sorry for that. He’s happy that you left at his wish, he really is, yet he secretly wished you would have stayed, have shown him that there is someone out there that cares for him despite what he has done, that there is someone, that he is not alone. With a sigh he abandons these thoughts again, pushing himself off of the kitchen counter he’s been leaning against, hissing at some stinging pain shooting through his hand.

Right, his hand was wounded. He almost forgot about that while being distracted by cleaning up, but now he’s reminded all the more as he gazes over his knuckles. Scoffing, he lets his arm fall back to his side, going to the bathroom. Opening a drawer, he’s looking for band-aids, happy to find them rather quickly. Lazily he patches his wound up and closes the drawer again, roughly. His eyes fall on his own reflection, looking at himself through the mirror. He looks tired, exhausted. His eyes are decorated with heavy eyelids and dark circles, his hair in complete disarray, the aftermath of the previous night still evident in his visual. However, the worst is, that he feels so incredibly lonely right now. He wants someone to be close to, after years of shutting everyone out, years of being alone, he can barely take it anymore, no, he can’t take it anymore. Sadness begins filling up his heart, a giant wave of loneliness washing over him as he craves closeness.  Right now, he wishes for nothing more than for you to come back to your room, he wouldn’t even want to talk to you, he just wants to know that someone is near. Especially you. 

The second he opened the door for you a day ago as you arrived, he can’t stop thinking about it. The smell of your perfume that was the same as hers, your hair that reminded him of hers, the smile that you gave him when you first saw him radiating the same warmth he hasn’t felt in years. He can’t help but smile at the fact of how pathetic he feels over what he’s about to do now, but he’s heading for your door, opening and closing it behind him as he enters your room. He’s walking around, looking at how you organized your room, paying attention to every oh-so-small detail. His observing comes to an end as he stands in front of your bed. You left without getting it done. Without thinking, the next thing that happens is Yoongi finding himself lying down, curling up into your blanket. He closes his eyes and the smell of the same perfume mixed with a hint of alcohol due to your night out starts filling his senses as he’s taking it in. Thoughtless, he’s losing himself in the comfort of your smell; a slight feeling of contentment spreading inside of him. He’s letting his guard down, allowing the exhaustion to wash over him, not a single care in the world right now. Your blanket in his tight embrace, he’s drifting away, falling asleep while your smell gives him the feeling of not being alone, as if he could feel your presence through it. 

• Your point of view •

You’re on your way home as your phone beeps. Taking it out of your pocket, your eyes widen an unreal amount, brows lifting just as much while you stare at the screen. Min Yoongi? Following you? That you’re completely confused by now would be the understatement of the century. First, he tries to piss you off as much as possible, then he suddenly apologizes, then he has a complete mental breakdown while you’re sound asleep, asking you softly to please leave him when you find him, and now he follows you. You’re really trying to understanding what’s going on in that head of his but you just can’t figure it out. Deciding that you want to ask him about it and maybe have him open up to you a little, your pace increases. As you reach the building, you rush upstairs and come to stop in front of your door, taking a deep breath. Fishing your keys out of your pocket, you already brace yourself for the worst again. The more you are surprised that, when you push the door open, you find the apartment all cleaned up. The shards are gone, no shades of red to be found on the wooden floor. Softly, a smile is tugging at your lips, pleased that you didn’t have to tell him, or worse, do it yourself.

You get rid of your jacket and take off your shoes, and then decide to head over to Yoongis room to thank him. Knocking two times, slowly and carefully you open his door the tiniest bit to peek inside, only to figure out the reason to why no one is answering you- his room is empty. Somehow, that leaves you with a slight feeling of panic, considering the condition he was in when you last saw him. Silently praying that nothing is up and you’re just overreacting, you leave his room again and head for your own one.

Opening the door, your jaw drops. On your bed you find him, sleeping peacefully as if he had never felt any worry in his life. You move over to your bed, carefully taking a seat next to his sleeping silhouette. Glancing over his frame, you notice that he’s changed clothes, too. Suddenly reminded of his wounds, you allow yourself to softly pull one of his arms, loosening up the tight embrace in which your blanket happens to be. He shifts slightly, and you pause to avoid waking him up. As soon as he’s settled again you continue and bring his arm over to you, checking if he took care of his hand. As you gaze over his hand, you can’t help but let out a breathy laughter- his hand is a mess. He did patch it up, yes, but the way he did it has you shaking your head with a wide smile. He used band-aids that barely fit, not even covering his wounds, which results in them sticking out every here and there. He didn’t even bother to clean up the dried blood that is surrounding them. 'At least he tried' you tell yourself while placing his hand back to where it was before.  You’re sitting there, wondering about if you should let him sleep and go spend the night on the sofa or if you’re going to wake him up and tell him to leave since you’re pretty beat after the chaotic day you’ve had. Sneaking a glance at how serene he’s looking, you immediately accept your defeat. There’s no way you could bring it over your heart to wake him after what he must have been through last night, finally finding some peace- although you’re not sure why he seems to find said peace in your room, or rather, your bed. Taking advantage of the fact that he can’t catch you while he’s sleeping, you rest your eyes on him for a little longer, finally able to take a closer look at him. You find small moles on his nose and cheek, notice his eyelashes, and for the first time see, that the young man that’s laying in front of you, is very skinny. As if you’d have developed some sort of motherly instincts, you’re wondering if he’s eating well. Exhaling deep, you’re getting up to get your well-deserved sleep on the sofa. You’re almost at the door as your actions get interrupted by his voice. “Y/n...“ he calls out quietly, almost inaudible. You turn around to face him, wondering if he’s been awake all the time. “Yoongi... I thought you were sleeping.“ “I was...“ “Oh, did I wake you? I’m sorry. I just wanted to go to the sofa to get some sleep myself.“ you explain. For a bit, there’s no response or reaction from his side, leaving the both of you in an awkward silence which you immediately want to avoid. “Yoong-“ „Y/n... would you..“ he’s getting interrupted by his own yawning, which he’s trying to suppress. “Would you maybe... allow me to stay here tonight... With you?“ His words are barely anything more than a whisper, making him seem oh-so insecure. His request is hitting you completely unexpected- so unexpected that you’re not even sure if you heard that right. “Are you sure?“ you ask him to confirm for yourself that you aren’t tripping right now. He’s humming a silent ‘mhm’ to clarify that he indeed is sure. You know that he had a rough night, to say the least, but that was certainly not something you’d have expected, even though you figure, that he probably just needs someone by his side after what happened. After taking a short moment to think, you decide that you’d not leave him alone tonight, especially after he asked for it. Heading back to your bed, you sit down again. His position still hasn’t changed since you first walked in a bit ago. Making use of the opportunity that’s been given to you, you choose to talk to him. “What was that going to be?“ you say while pointing to his hand. Yoongis eyes meet his hand, but he doesn’t say anything. “You know, if you don’t clean up your wounds, Yoongi, they could get infected...“ Silence, again. You’re huffing and take a short break from speaking before you’re saying your next sentence. “Would you allow me to properly patch up your wounds? Please?“ you finally manage to ask without beating around the bush. At first, there wasn’t any reaction from Yoongi, but now he’s giving you a small nod. You don’t understand what’s going on or why he’s so soft right now, but you would be lying if you would say that you aren’t happy with his 180-degree change. Getting up, you go and grab the first-aid kit you brought with you, and head for the bathroom to get some water and a towel to clean up Yoongis hand.

Walking back into your room, you place the things on the bed and sit next to Yoongi, who still doesn’t seem like he would move in the next 2 hours. “Yoongi, I would now need your hand,“ you say softly. After what seemed like a short moment of hesitation, he lifts his arm slightly, signalizing you to take his hand while burying his face in your blanket. He clearly seems uncomfortable feeling vulnerable around you. Smiling at the shy gesture, you gently take his hand into yours and start to carefully remove the band-aids he has placed all over his hand. You notice him flinching at the pain as you peel off the glued item from his wounds and you let out a soft ‘shhh’ to comfort him. After that, you can feel his hand relaxing into yours, leaving you smiling. Who would have known that such a soft guy was hidden behind all these walls and tough acts? As you finally have removed the last band-aid you continue by dipping the towel into the water and letting him know what comes next. “I will now clean your hand, okay?“ He’s nodding quickly as an answer. Running the towel over his open wounds, you wipe away any remnants of dried blood that were still to be found on his hand. Now that his hand isn’t tinted in red shades anymore, you have a better sight on where the wounds really are and what to do next. You place his hand on your knee for a bit as you grab a bottle of disinfectant and a tissue. Pouring some of the liquid onto the tissue, you take back his hand into yours and start tapping his wounds carefully. Yoongi is hissing under your actions, making you giggle a bit. “You brought this over yourself, young man,“ you say, while your thumb caresses the side of his hand in an attempt to console him. Discarding the tissue, you place a band-aid big enough to fit over his knuckles onto his hand and then bandage his wounds. “See? All done. It wasn’t as bad, was it?“ you ask with a grin. Yoongi doesn’t give you any reaction for a while, leaving you wondering if he might have fallen asleep again. Sitting in silence, you are thinking of what to do next. Should you just lay down next to him? Just going to sleep? Or should you do anything else? You really don’t know. The situation confuses you, never have you ever had someone that was basically a stranger to you asking you to spend the night with them in an innocent way. You’re happy, though. After what happened yesterday and then this morning, you’re happy to finally share a moment with your roommate that’s less trouble and more peaceful. Maybe he really isn’t as bad, maybe he just needs time. Suddenly, you realize that you kept holding his hand the whole time, even though you finished cleaning up his wounds a bit ago. Hastily you let go of his hand, laughing nervously. “I, uhm, I’ll clean this up real quick,“ you say as you start to quickly gather all the items that are spread over your bed. As you have collected them all, you toss them onto the floor next to the bed and turn back to face Yoongis direction again, noticing the way he’s curling up more into your blanket. “I’ll lay down too, okay?“ you say as you do so. All of a sudden you remember that you promised Namjoon and Jungkook to message them as soon as you got home. Slight panic creeps up your stomach, hoping that they didn’t spam you already again with that over-protectiveness of theirs.   Much to your surprise, you find your phone to be free from any notifications. To keep it that way, you quickly type a message to each, telling them that you safely got back to your room and that you just forgot to let them know. Locking your phone, you discard it onto the nightstand.

“Yoongi, by the way, I saw that you followed me on Twitter.,“ you say, thinking that this might be a good moment to get to that topic. Yoongi, however, seems to have other plans. Again, he doesn’t answer you, meeting you with silence, at this point you aren’t even surprised anymore, though.„Can I.. follow you back?“ you ask him carefully, afraid to ruin the moment- even though you don’t even expect an answer, to be honest. The more you are surprised when you notice Yoongi giving you an approving nod. Your eyes widen slightly, a subtle smile dancing along your lips. “Thank you,“ you say with a hint of excitement in your voice. After that, both of you just lay there in silence. You really didn’t expect this evening to turn out this way, but really, it could be much worse, you are definitely not complaining. If anything, you’re relieved that your first impression of Yoongi seems to be not true after all. Suddenly, you can feel Yoongi shifting next to you, leaning in to be a bit closer to you, but as soon as he realizes what he’s doing, he rapidly flinches away again, back into his former position. ’He really does seem to need someone after what happened last night’ you’re telling yourself, not reading much more into his actions. You’re turning off the light on your nightstand, preparing yourself to go to sleep. “Y/n...“ Your eyebrows shoot up at the sudden sound of Yoongis voice, even though he’s speaking soft and quiet. You turn your head around to look at him, his face, though, still remains hidden in your covers. He must have felt it though, judging from the fact that he continues to speak. “Could you please talk to me? Tell me about yourself, your day, or anything... please just don’t let me fall asleep in silence...“ he manages to say, his words quiet and muffled into your blanket. At this point, you don’t even think that anything could still surprise you. Yoongi’s showing you such a different side of himself, and you appreciate every single bit of it. You feel honored that you get to see him this vulnerable, and now you wish more than ever that you would know what happened last night, what hurt the poor boy so much that it pushed him to that point of despair. “Of course,“ you respond while thinking about what you could tell him. In the end, you decide that you’ll just say whatever comes to your mind. “Tomorrow’s our first day of class, which is exciting. I’m majoring in photography and, not that it would be a surprise, really like to take photos of beautiful things- plants, scenery, people, moments, it doesn’t really matter. I just want the things I capture to be real. I came to this college with my two best friends, we know each other since we’re little kids. Last night after we clashed and I left, my friends and I decided to go clubbing, and I made a new friend there. Apparently, I fell asleep that night while still being outside, and he organized someone to bring me back here, which is very fun because I have no memory of that anymore and I really would like to know who did that. I don’t even remember telling him my room number so he would know what he should tell that person where to bring me. Anyways, having him as a new friend leads to today. Today my best friend and my new friend, his name is Jungkook, met up and he introduced me to his friends too. That was wild though because I knew two of them from the day I came here, they were on the same train as me. This day was really-“ You get interrupted by the noise of soft snoring that’s reaching your ears. Breathing out a peal of small laughter, you stop talking- you’ve reached your goal. You’re reaching for Yoongis arms and pull them apart gently, breaking up his embrace around your blanket. Pulling the blanket away from him, you get to see his face again. His eyelashes rest atop his cheeks and his lips are slightly parted, slowly breathing in and out. You shuffle the tiniest bit closer to Yoongi and cover both of you with the blanket. There’s no way you’d let either of you sleep without a blanket in cold November, no matter if he wants to share a blanket with you or not. Snuggling into your blanket you close your eyes to fall asleep when you suddenly feel a hand grabbing yours. Your head immediately shoots over to Yoongi, but he’s fast asleep. His grip around your hand, however, tightens and it does things with you that you can’t identify, neither do you find yourself pulling away. This is confusing, very much so, but what has not been confusing today, so you just go with it, not giving it any more thought, so you can finally drift away into the land of dreams- and so you do.

a/n: Hello hello babies!!! I’m finally back with the new Fix Me update!!! This took me so long and I’m really, really, so sorry. I hope, though, that the chapter is good enough to make up for that. I love you all so much, thank you for reading!!! ♥

Taglist: @hxseok-honee @foreverconfused-foreverlost @xosetsuna @depressed-philosophers-daughter @thatswheremydemonshide @spiicyari @torrentmgc @sociallyawkwardforever @xxqueenwxtchxx @moonsaiyan @stray-kids-in-your-area

[sootemptation]

IMAGINE DOING A PHOTO SHOOT WITH BYUN BAEKHYUN.

(Gif not mine. Credits to the owner)

You could barely hold your excitement as the moment you had been waiting for the whole week was about to come. Your nerves were going to kill you with the anticipation. When your manager told you that one of the cutest vocalists of EXO, Byun Baekhyun, had been chosen as your partner for the couple photo shoot you were going to do you tried your best to keep it cool, but you failed miserably, making him laugh at your hyped reaction. Byun Baekhyun. The one and only Byun Baekhyun. That boy had been the center of your life, honestly, ever since EXO debuted, and having the chance to be close enough to him to hear his voice or watch his beautiful smile was driving you crazy.

When they called your name to enter the room you wasted no time, and as soon as you got in your eyes scanned the place looking for him. The world stopped moving as you spotted him in the back of the room, next to a large window. The light coming through it made his hair and skin shine bright, and when his gaze met yours and he smiled at you, his features became even brighter, if that was possible.

Yes, Byun Baekhyun was looking at you. Not just that, he was smiling at you. The guy who had invaded every single one of your thoughts since you could remember was right now in front of you, looking at you with such a charming and mesmerizing smile that you found yourself unable to look away.

“Did you hear what I say?” asked your manager next to you, snapping his fingers in front of your face.

“Y-yes,” you answered still in trance.

Baekhyun, who was witnessing the whole scene, lowered his head and giggled. It was such a beautiful sound… It made you think about that quote Every time a baby laughs, a fairy is born, but you were sure that instead of that, the real statement should be something like Every time Byun Baekhyun laughs, a fairy is born or even better Every time Byun Baekhyun laughs, an EXO-L is born.

“Ok, I’ll leave now. See you tomorrow.” He waved before turning around.

Wait. What? See you tomorrow? I’ll leave now? WHAT? Once you finally assimilated his words you sprinted after him.

“Where are you going?” you whispered placing yourself in front of him.

“Really? Do you ever listen to me when I talk to you?” he scolded.

“Yes, I do! Of course I do! I was just kidding!” You smiled taking one step back trying your best to pretend that you knew what was happening.

“Oh really? Repeat what I said.”

“Mmmmm… you said you’ll leave now and we’ll see each other tomorrow.” You smiled innocently.

“Before that!”

He was bitch-facing you so hard that you couldn’t suppress a giggle, “I’m sorry, you’re right, I was not paying attention.”

He whined, done with you, and repeated what he had told you before, “I said that I have to go back to the agency and I won’t be able to come here and pick you up once you’re done, so you will have to go back by taxi.”

“Ok, I’ll do that. See you tomorrow, manager-nim,” you sang praising him so he wouldn’t stay mad at you.

“Yeah yeah, whatever,” he mumbled waving his hand in the air and walking past you. “Send me a text message to know you got home safe!” he shouted while leaving.

You nodded, but he didn’t see you. When you turned around Baekhyun was right behind you, leaning slightly in your direction with a huge smile on his face.

“Hi!”

You took a deep breath and tried to sound cool while repeating to yourself Don’t act like a crazy fangirl.

“Hi,” you answered with a shy smile, looking down. It was really hard to keep looking at him when he looked at you with such a sweet smile. Those pink lips…. What you would do to those lips…

“Guys,” called the photographer, “we are ready. Whenever you want…”

“We’re ready too,” he shouted taking your hand in his and leading the way to the small set they had prepared for the pictures. When his skin touched yours, a jolt of electricity ran up and down your spine. His hands seemed to be huge holding yours. You stared at them, realizing that every single post you had seen in Tumblr related to his hands would never describe how perfect they were. You suddenly felt kind of ashamed. All about him was perfect.

“Well. The concept today is couple clothes so we are going to make it simple. You just have to act like a couple. Talk about any random thing, joke with each other, hold each other's hands… That kind of things. The point is that it feels natural, like a picture taken on any given day. You got it?”

“Yeah! Totally!” He smiled. You just nodded, since you weren’t so sure if you could act natural when he was around.

He walked to the yellow couch and laid there. Then lifted his face and poked the spot under his head, indicating you to have a sit.

You did as he told you and he rested his head on your lap.

“Is this OK?” he asked looking at the photographer.

Unconsciously, you ran your hand through his hair, unable to look at anything other than him.

“That’s perfect!” smiled the woman, raising her camera and capturing the moment. “If you could look at her and just talk... that would be great,”

His eyes met yours and you smiled trying to hide your blush. He smiled too.

“So… do you live far from here?”

What is that question?

“No, not really. It takes ten minutes. Thirty if you walk. Why?” you asked.

“I might have overheard your conversation with your manager and I thought that I could take you home so you don’t have to hire a taxi service.”

How could he be such a gentleman? Did he use to act like that with everyone? Because if that was his daily self you couldn’t understand how every member of sm staff could work with him without falling in love.

“I-I appreciate it, but I think I’ll just walk. I feel like walking today,” you stuttered.

He sat abruptly.

“Why?” You didn’t understand.

“Why are you rejecting me?”

“I’m not rejecting you, I just don’t wanna be a bother.”

“You’re not! Pleaaaaase, let me take you home,” he pouted, “Do I disgust you so much that you don’t want me to help you?”

“What? No! It’s not that!”

So this was what the other members of EXO meant when they said that he was a drama queen? Or that he used to overreact over little things?

“Then why don’t you accept my offer? OH MY GOD…” he suddenly moved to the other end of the couch. “You don’t like EXO.”

He looked so terrified with the idea, and it was such a stupid idea, that you bursted into laughter. How could he be that cute?

“I do like EXO…” you managed to say.

“Then let me take you home. I’ll behave, I promise!”

As if he could sense that you were about to give in he pouted, but his eyes were smiling.

“Ok. If that’s what you want…”

“Yes!” he exclaimed standing up and taking your hand expecting you to do the same. “Let’s dance to celebrate.”

What?

He pulled you close to his body holding you by your waist. Your head was spinning as he jumped around the sofa with you in his arms, but you didn’t know if it was because of his twists or just because of him.

“This is gold!” exclaimed the photographer giggling at the scene in front of her.

When your photo shoot was over and everyone seemed satisfied with the results, you changed your clothes to your black sport leggings, your oversized hoodie, and sneakers. Had you known your platonic love would be driving you home you would have dressed like a proper human being. 

After checking once again that you didn’t forget any of your belongings you headed to the parking lot, where Baekhyun was already waiting for you. You were thankful that, despite your clothes, at least your face looked nice with the makeup they had put on you for the photo session.

“You ready?” he asked. You didn’t fail to notice how he looked at you from head to toe.

“I am,” you answered lowering your gaze, feeling ashamed again.

“Let’s go then!” He opened the door for you to climb inside of his car and did the same after you.

You gave him your address and he tapped it in his navigator before driving you there. The first five minutes or so he was quiet so you curled up in the car seat, as you used to do to feel comfortable, and focused on keeping still the fangirl inside of you.

“Soooo… you like EXO.” He smiled without taking his eyes off the road.

His smile was contagious, “I do.”

“Oooook… aaand…” it was like he wanted to ask you something but he didn’t dare.

“Come on! Spit it.”

He wasn’t expecting that kind of answer, but it gave him the courage he was looking for.

“Who’s your favorite member?”

Your eyes widened. You couldn’t answer that.

“I won’t tell you.”

“Why?” He frowned.

“Because I won’t feel comfortable. Ask me any other question if you want, but I won’t answer that.”

He looked at you briefly, “Will you answer any other question?”

“Try me.”

You were teasing him now. He knew it, and you knew he knew it, but it was too funny to stop.

“Ok, I have a lot of other questions, ready?

“Shoot!”

“Who is the most handsome member?”

“Suho.”

The fact that you didn’t hesitate cheered him up and he kept going.

“Who’s the cutest?”

“Kyungsoo.”

“The sexiest?”

“Sehun.”

“The most seductive?”

“Kai.”

He quietened for a second before starting again,

“Who’s the sweetest?”

“Chanyeol.”

“The funniest?”

“Chen.”

“The most adorable?”

“Lay.”

Another pause.

“Ok, if you don’t wanna tell me who is your bias... at least tell me who is your bias wrecker...”

You smiled.

“Xiumin.”

And then he lost it,

“Really? REALLY? And what about me?”

His pout was too cute for you, and you would’ve done anything to keep watching it a little longer, but you were also disappointing him and that made you feel bad, so you tried to fix it,

“You have really nice hands,”

He stopped the car and looked into your eyes. Sadness still in his gaze,

“Just nice hands?”

“Not just nice hands… REALLY nice hands! Oh! And you’re super cute when you pout.”

His features softened a bit, but it didn’t feel like it was enough,

“Well, we’re here. It was nice meeting you.”

It was just then when you realized that he had stopped the car because you were actually in front of the building where you lived.

“Oh! Well, thanks for the ride. I hope we meet again soon.”

He nodded softly before you took your bag and left.

As you entered the hall you felt sorry for messing with him so much, he was your favorite after all… Why were you like that?

When the elevator reached the 17th floor you looked for your keys in your bag and walked down the corridor until you reached your door.

As soon as you entered your apartment you dropped your keys and, recalling what your manager had asked you, you reached for your phone to tell him you were at home safe and sound, but you didn’t find it.

No way. Where was your phone? You checked again the front pocket of your hoodie, being sure that you had put it there, but it was empty. Just in case you were wrong, you searched in your bag, but it wasn’t there either. 

It hit you then. Everything used to fall from the pocket of your hoodie when you curled up, so there was just one place where it could possibly be, and it was Baekhyun’s car.

You ran towards the elevator, but it would take it too much time, so you used the stairs instead. Maybe if you really hurried up… he was still there.

You were out of breath when you reached the hall and ran across it to get to the door. Then, someone shouted your name, making you stop right away. The receptionist walked in front of you and handed you something. Your phone.

“A guy gave me this saying that you had left it behind. He wanted to give it to you himself but he didn’t know your apartment and… you know I can’t provide anyone that kind of information… I hope it’s ok…”

“Yeah, sure,” you answered.

You knew it was his job, but you wouldn’t mind if Byun Baekhyun had paid you a visit. Taking the phone from his hands you said goodbye and went straight to the elevator.

You were still trying to catch your breath when you almost choke on it.

NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NOOOOOOOO

YOUR LOCKSCREEN. IT WASN’T POSSIBLE. HAD HE SEEN YOUR LOCK SCREEN? HAD YOU JUST RUINED EVERYTHING BECAUSE OF YOUR STUPID LOCK SCREEN?

You pressed the power button and when the screen lighted up you saw your damn lock screen once again.

Suddenly, the notification of a new message showed up, but you didn’t recognize the number:

You should have a better screen lock than just the swipe thing. Hope you don’t mind the changes, I just followed the lock screen instructions.

Kind regards,

Your bias.

Aaaand... he knew. You smiled thinking about him calling himself your bias or using your phone to call his so he could get your number. He was such an idiot... You adored him.

But what did he mean when he wrote Hope you don’t mind the changes?

When you tapped the home button you finally understood. Despite you looked crazy laughing out loud alone in the elevator you just had to. He had changed your wallpaper. And you loved it.

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