#yeah you BET i'm tagging this as that ship 😎

[the-boy-meets-evil]

😎 rules: post 3 snippets from published work, and 3 from your wips

@theharrowing i'm pretending that you tagged me because i'm bored and this seems fun lol (putting them all under the cut because they'll prob be long)

tagging: anyone that would like to do it, please feel free to say i tagged you 💕

3 published:

can't run away

“No, I have no intention to collect some reward for you, if one even exists,” you confirm.  “But why?” he asks. He’s fidgeting in his seat like he can’t sit still. It’s interesting to see when he was resting so peacefully without moving. “Because,” Chirron interjects, clearly intent to take away any fun, “she prefers not to deal in things as meaningless as currency or credits.”  “How do you live?” he asks, genuine curiosity coloring his face.  “I’ve got enough credits to keep us going for years,” you answer vaguely. “What else is there to work for?” the stranger wonders.  You turn your seat fully so it’s facing him and lean forward, dropping your voice a little. “So many things, sweetheart. Favors, information, gossip…secrets.”  His eyes go wide, like it’s something he’s never considered before. And he probably hasn’t. If he’s a Level 1, and you’d bet your ship that he is at this point, then this is so wildly out of normality for him. The Level 1s are pristine, like the celebrities of the galaxy living in luxury with someone to help keep them functioning at the highest levels. They’ll never see the types of jobs that Level 3s see, those jobs that nobody else wants to do. They’ll never work the way that Level 2s do, or have to work for humans in that way. Which isn’t to say their lives are perfect. It’s just not the kind of life where they see the dirty types of jobs that you and Chirron are used to.  “Why don’t you give me a name, sweetheart? Unless you prefer the pet name, which is fine by me,” you say. He hesitates, before saying, “Vernon.”

some habits are hard to break

So, yeah, things with him are good, great even. But… And that’s the thing, isn’t it? As soon as there’s a but, it’s like you can’t see all of the good. It’s all just a placeholder before what may be the worst three-letter word in the English language. You wonder if it means there’s just something fundamentally wrong with you. Who looks for the “buts” of every situation? Why can’t you just appreciate all the truly wonderful things in your relationship? Because you’ve had the one thing you’re missing. You know it exists and it’s hard to forget. Your boyfriend is great, perfect, even, in almost every way that matters. It’s just, you’re not exactly…satisfied. And you know that you could guide him to be better for you in that way. He just seems a bit sensitive about it at times and you don’t want to make him feel less than since he never does that to you. This is exactly why you’re staring at your phone. Paralyzed because you both want to send the text and know you really can’t. Your body remembers his, remembers the way the slightest touch sent your heart racing. You try to also remember every word he’s ever uttered to you, too, because he’s always been very clear about who he is. It’s fucked up that you’re even considering it, beyond wrong that you typed those 5 words out in an empty conversation thread. (Even though you usually keep every conversation, you deleted this one after you got serious about your boyfriend. You say it’s to keep the temptation away, but really, how well is that working now?)

tell me how it got this way

Hoseok: hey, it’s been a while … Hoseok: I hope you haven’t deleted my number Hoseok: I’ve been doing a lot of thinking lately, and I was hoping we could meet up, you know, two old friends. At that moment, your brain jolts your body back into action, and you’re mad, maybe unreasonably mad, but you’re seething. How dare he? After all this time? After everything that was said? How fucking dare he act like the reason you hadn’t spoken all these years had been something mutual rather than something that was entirely on him. No, you hated Jung Hoseok. Hate him more than anyone you’d ever known. Hate him more than the ex that cheated on you with some fucking yoga instructor. Hate him more than your ex, who had decided you weren’t “marriage” material, whatever the fuck that meant. This is different. It had struck you so deeply and changed the entire way you saw everything, the way you interacted with everyone. When you and Namjoon started working together, he had commented that it felt like you were an entirely different person than whoever had written the pages in front of him. That person was vibrant and funny, and open. You seemed closed off, even cynical, despite being so young. You had shrugged it off, and he hadn’t pressed, likely because he appreciated the talent in the work he was reading. This was the reason, though. Jung Hoseok. It’s been 5 years of carefully putting it in a box and tucking it away. And they’re good boxes you used, very sturdy. It’s been such a long time since he crossed your mind that you thought you were over it all, all the pain, hurt, and betrayal. You have to fight the urge to throw your phone across the room, knowing that the lecture you’d get when you tell Namjoon you need a new one isn’t worth it. You want to scream, but it’s nearly midnight, and you have neighbors that would likely hear. Not that you care, exactly, but the last thing you want to do is explain to them that someone you’d known years ago randomly popped back into your life like it was nothing and you can’t cope with it. So you keep running down the list of options for how to react to this and wish you knew how to handle something like a normal, well-adjusted adult. You can’t stop your brain from running down yet another list, about a mile a minute, of every possible reason why he’s reaching out now. Why is he thinking of you? What does he want? That’s the reality, after all this time, it isn’t just to catch up. He must want something and think he’ll be able to get it from you. 

3 WIPs

unnamed sequel to: some habits are hard to break

“This seat still taken?”  You look up to find the man that Jungkook asked about moments earlier and that’s when it clicks. Yes, you do know him and you finally remember from where. The world certainly works in mysterious ways. “No,” you answer with a smile.  “Do you mind?” he asks. “Go ahead,” you offer and take in his features, for real this time. Without the haze of alcohol or fights or Jungkook clouding your vision. “I’m not sure if you remember me, but…” he begins. “We met at a bar and you took me home and just let me sleep it off, yeah it’s hazy but I remember,” you finish. “I, uh, well I tried to text you when I realized you were gone,” he says, an embarrassed smile gracing his beautiful features. “I guess you must’ve given me the wrong number.” “Oh, wow, I guess I don’t remember much,” you say. “Can I see your phone? Did you keep the number I gave anyway?” “Yeah, here,” he says and hands over his phone. You realize your mistake right away. “Well this is embarrassing.” “Didn’t wanna run into me again?” he asks. “No, no, that’s not it at all. At the very least I owe you a thanks for being a decent guy,” you say. “No, I tried to give you my real number, I just mixed up these last two numbers.” “I’m glad I ran into you then,” he says as you fix the entry. “Yeah, me too,” you say and find you mean it.

i dare you

“Why are you avoiding her anyway?” Seungcheol asks. He moves his fingers through the pieces looking for one and lets out a sigh when he finds what he’s looking for. “I’m not,” Jeonghan answers shortly. Seungcheol looks up for real at that, has that look on his face like he’s just so fucking done with everything. It’s a familiar look and Jeonghan hates it. “Be serious, Han. You’re ignoring her, which is fine, but only if you admit it’s because you’ve finally realized you’re in love with her.” Jeonghan goes silent, feels like the air is sucked out of the room. His heart feels tight. Because this is something he’s been debating with himself for the last few days. (Last couple weeks, if he’s being honest. Okay, last couple months, but really, who’s counting?) And really, how stupid would that be? You’re friends, best friends, and he can’t mess that up. You’ve said yourself that he’s your favorite person, that’s all it is. When Jeonghan doesn’t say anything, Seungcheol sighs, marks his page, and shuts the instruction book. Moves it to the side for good measure. “Look, Han, if…we don’t have to talk about it if you’re not ready.” Not if it wasn’t true, Jeonghan notes. There’s no mention of Seungcheol being wrong because he doesn’t think he is. Not that Jeonghan thinks he is either. “I don’t know, I guess it might be good to talk about?”

first impressions & second chances

“Did you hear that? Your friend says I’m pretty,” you gloat.  “He doesn’t need to hear it, he clearly already knows. He’s got eyes,” Minghao says with a shrug, like this is barely of any consequence. “I will never let him live this down,” you declare, earning several laughs. “Surely he must have told you that you’re beautiful before,” Seokmin wonders. “I assumed that’s really why he wasn’t bringing you around, because he doesn’t want to share.” That makes you laugh, hard. Thankfully you have a friend next to you in Soonyoung, whose eyes are crinkling along with the laughter. “I don’t think he’s ever told her that she’s pretty in the entire time I’ve known them.” “Well that’s just wrong,” Seokmin says. “Is that so, Seok?” Joshua asks. You glare over at Joshua, not liking the way this has turned. Seokmin, at least out of the corner of your eye, looks like he’s fumbling a little. Seems like he might be a little unsure of what to say. “Oh, I see what you’re doing,” Soonyoung cuts in. “You’re trying to make us forget you let her call you Joshie because our best friend is gorgeous.” “Our best friend?” Joshua asks. Just like that, the attention is off of Seokmin, and honestly off of you as well, as they all bicker back and forth about who is best friends with whom. It’s honestly kind of fun and chaotic to be with the whole group like this. You even think that maybe you ought to do it a little more.