#yes i did bail on my game half way through act 3

[uselessgaywhovian]

shadowheart? i'm not that into her, she's fine or whatever, i mean—*trips* *dozens of save files before every shadowheart conversation spill from pockets* fuck, those aren't mine i swear, i'm holding them for a friend, i—*slips on pile of save files* *dozens more save files from the new game i started as a selûne cleric for Extra Drama™ fall out as i fall to my knees, desperately trying to pick them up* i can explain, hang on LISTEN

[ah-ga-seven]

Till’ The End of Summer - Chapter 1

>> series masterlist <<

Pairing: Choi Yeonjun x Reader

In a Nutshell: College!AU, Rich Kids, Friends to Lovers, Fuckboy athlete Yeonjun, Overprotective Best friend Soobin, contains all of TXT and other Idol cameos, Omnipresent perspective.

Synopsis: You and Yeonjun are caught up in a cat and mouse game because of unspoken feelings and endless pining for each others’ attention. With the summer break approaching and lots of college parties, will you finally get a chance to explore your feelings for each other even though the world and Yeonjun’s reputation makes things complicated? 

Word count: 3.2K

Genre: Angst, Fluff, 

Warnings: Mentions of sex, alcohol, overall pretty tame. 

A/N: English isn’t my first language, pls don’t come for me ;) Also the first chapter sucks and is more of an introduction so pls give ch 2 a chance lmaoo, it’s juicy, i promise.

You were exhausted.  

Your second year of college had passed like a whirlwind and you didn’t even have the time to realise.

Deadline after deadline after deadline had passed and you finally handed in your last paper of the year.  

You sigh in relief. The pent up tension leaves ur body and the stress seems to fade more and more as the seconds pass. You stare blankly at your laptop screen. Still not quite realising how you managed to write ten thousand words of scientific research just 3 days before the deadline.

You feel two firm hands on your shoulders, massaging you as a way to show comfort “Hey, are you okay? You look like you’re about to cry.”  

The voice and sudden skinship startled you a little but as soon as you realise who it is, you relax in his touch.

You remove your Airpods and look up at your best friend, Soobin, who sat down next to you at your favourite secluded table in the school’s cafeteria. It’s where your friends could always find you if you had work to do.  

“I just might” you sigh throwing your head back. And suddenly a huge grin crept up your face. Which worked contagiously as Soobin instantly started to smile back at you. 

“I did it. I finished all of the work.” You say putting your hand on your forehead dramatically.  

Soobin chuckled nudging your shoulder. “I told you, you’d be fine. You always manage to pull through even though you procrastinate so much.” He says as he high-fives you.

You pout at his statement. Yes. It’s a serious problem. “I just-”

You stop your sentence midway as that god walks into the cafeteria. His confident stride to the soda machine dressed in simple athletic wear made your jaw drop slightly. He was sweaty, probably from basketball practice. His chestnut hair damp, cascading his forehead and prickling his eyes. He blinked a few times before blowing the hair out of his face with his pouty lips.  

You swallow harshly at the sight and Soobin follows your gaze. You hear him chuckle, right before he flicks your forehead.

“Maybe if you stopped drooling over my roommate, you would’ve been able to focus.”  

You send him a glare, kicking his knee under the table, making him yelp out in pain, which caught someone’s attention.

Yeonjun takes out his soda from the machine as his head snaps in your direction. He smiles and approaches your table. Your heart decided to do martial arts in your chest with every step he took towards your table.

You look away from his gaze quickly pretending to be busy with your laptop.

“Hey, what’s up?” Yeonjun said ‘bro-fiving’ Soobin.  

“Nothing much, just the usual abuse from miss thing here,” Soobin says sending you a look as he rubs his knee. 

“Abuse? I didn’t know you were into that.” Yeonjun says giving you a coy smile, and you nearly choked at his words, looking at him wide-eyed.

You try your best to keep your cool, but Yeonjun was leaning against your chair, inching dangerously close, looking over your shoulder.

“Watchu working on?” he asks cutting the tension.

Oh Yeonjun, always so friendly and interested. If only he knew the effect he had on you. Or the effect he had on at least half of the female and male population of your elite college.  

“N-nothing. I mean I just finished it. It’s the paper for Mr. Davis’s class. The last one, so summer can finally start.” You ramble, not sure why you’re telling him all of these details. It’s not like he cares. 

You take a mental note to shut up, stealing a quick glance from Soobin who was awkwardly shifting in his seat.

Yeonjun let out a chuckle, patting your back. “Good job, I knew you could do it. This paper will give you an advantage next year right?”  

You look up in confusion. “How’d you know?”

“Soobinnie here told me that this paper was the reason you bailed on the party two days ago. Such a shame, would’ve been nice to have you there you know…” Yeonjun says a little lost in thought absentmindedly moving a strand of your hair behind your ear.  

Was he? Flirting?  

“I have all the time in the world now, so if you want to see me so badly, just give me a call.” You say confidently crossing your arms. You were testing him, and he seemed amused by your sudden confidence.  

Soobin rolled his eyes at the two of you. Yeonjun is a notorious fuckboy. A star player of the basketball team, rich, handsome, charming but also his best friend and teammate. You were also his best friend that he had known since childhood, which means that the two of you were a recipe for disaster in his books.  

The two of you planned to go to the same college since your parents pushed you to do so, but also because you two are joined at the hip since birth. Oh and did you mention that Soobin was the one with the full basketball scholarship, while you had to rely on your actual brain to get one?

Ever since you started college and were introduced to Choi Yeonjun, you had a meaningless crush on him. But since time passed and you got close to Soobin’s friends and vice versa, your feelings towards him seemed to escalate and you could tell that Yeonjun was into you too. You just didn’t know in what way.

Soobin always tried his best to keep you two apart because he didn’t want you to get hurt. Soobin knew Yeonjun was just going to be in it for the sex and is not ready for a relationship in any way or form.  

But Soobin also knows that if you have set your mind to something, there’s absolutely no way that he can talk you out of it. You have always had a fascination for bad boys, wanting to fix them and then crying to Soobin about it when it didn’t work out. It might be the quality he hates about you the most.

But this time it was different. This time it was between two people that Soobin genuinely cared for. So he was against the two of you having any type of relationship other than friendship.

Soobin cleared his throat, diverting the attention back to him. “That sounds nice and all, but I think y/n will be going back home for summer. Right?”

You’re confused by Soobin’s sudden cock blocking and raise your eyebrow at him.

“No, actually. I’m not. Not this year. My parents are traveling through Europe so there’s nothing for me to go home to.” You say. Soobin knows about this. So why would he mention you going back home?

“Well. That’s great. Then we can finally hang out with the whole squad without any of us bailing because of school work.” Yeonjun says smiling.

“Anyways, I’ve got to go. I guess I’ll…see you around?” Yeonjun asks staring at you intently. You just nod in response giving him a smile, which he returned to you immediately. It was more of a smirk than a smile though and you could swear his eyes wandered to your chest, but you didn’t want to jump to any conclusions.

“See you back home bro” Yeonjun said patting the younger one on his shoulder before walking off.

As Yeonjun was out of sight, your head snaps back to Soobin, who was glaring at you.

“What was that about,” you say crossing your arms, fire spitting from your pupils.

“That’s so NOT happening” Soobin states taking a sip out of his water bottle while keeping eye contact.

“Excuse you?” you say lost for words.

Soobin just shrugs, he’s visibly annoyed and you know not to push his buttons right now but you decide to do so anyway.

“Listen, I know you’re practically my brother and all. But you’re not. So I don’t see why you need to act like you are, I like him Soobin. Let me explore my feelings for him a little.” You say in a hushed tone trying not to sound too bitchy, but Soobin just scoffs in response, rolling his eyes at you.

“It’s your feelings that I’m worried about y/n, cause he certainly doesn’t care. He just wants to fuck. If he actually liked you, he wouldn’t look at you like you’re a meal. He’d look at you with affection.”  

You’re taken aback by his statement and you’re not so sure if you should bite back at him. Instead, you let him explain some more as you wave your hand at him as a sign for him to continue.

“I care about both of you. I just don’t want this y/n, because when worse comes to worst I will have to choose, and then I will choose you and everything will go to shit. I am his captain, we have the same group of friends, we share multiple classes, hell, we share a whole apartment” Soobin sighs massaging his temples.

“Ok…Ok…Jesus” you give in.

“I promise; I won’t engage” you pout.  

“Good,” Soobin says. “Please for once just…listen to me. Trust me, he’s not the type of guy to want a relationship right now.”

“Ok.” You sigh. “But this means you and your girlfriend will be stuck with me all summer then.”

Soobin looks up, confused at how easy it was to talk you out of it. He smiles at you sweetly and his eyes disappear into crescent moons as he does so. “I can’t wait to get mani-pedi’s.” He laughs sarcastically clapping his massive hands together cutely while visibly relaxing in his seat.

Suddenly your heart gets all soft at the sight of the giant baby in front of you.  In a way he is right. He’s telling you all the things that you already knew. And the last thing you wanted was to hurt Soobin for some dumb crush you had on a college boy.  

“Soobin is just the captain cause he’s the tallest” Yeonjun argues.

You giggle at his childish statement. You were at the park off-campus with some of your friends. Soobin had his arm draped around his girlfriend Mia’s shoulder while she leaned into him. They were disgustingly adorable. And every time they displayed a little too much PDA all of your friends would throw snacks at them.

Beomgyu, Taehyun, and Hueningkai had also joined you on the picnic. You were sitting with your legs draped over Beomgyu’s so there would be enough space for everyone on the blanket you brought.  

All of you munched on different types of snacks. And you tried your hardest to keep your distance from Yeonjun without making it obvious.

“Soobin hyung is the captain because he’s not as full of himself as you are” Taehyun said, making everyone but Yeonjun laugh.

He gave Taehyun the glare of death and pouted afterward to show playfulness. “I get no respect in this household” Yeonjun sighs as he throws an M&M at Tae’s head, which he dodged just in time.

Your heart did a jump at the sight of his pout and as if he could sense it, Yeonjun made eye contact with you.

He smirked, looking away when you did.  

Mia looked at you, narrowing her eyes as she saw the way you two were stealing glances from each other like high school kids.  

Mia was one of your closest friends whom you had introduced to Soobin in the first year. They started dating not long after they met. And from time to time you still remind them of the fact that if it weren’t for you, they’d be sad and lonely.

Mia knew you like the back of her hand, just like Soobin did. So keeping a secret from either of them was basically impossible. The two of them tend to gang up on you a lot. Even though you know It’s out of love and concern, it’s still really fucking annoying sometimes. Especially when it comes to your love life.

“I’m gonna go to the bathroom,” you say getting up. Beomgyu reluctantly removed his arm from your leg and uses it as a supporting rod for you to get up.  

You smile and thank him, which made Yeonjun narrow his eyes at the two of you, which Mia also noticed.  

Soobin however was lost in deep conversation with Hueningkai about some Math problems he had.  

Huening was a freshman, just like Tae, but since they were on the basketball team as well, they were all pretty close. And they helped each other out whenever they could.

You admired their friendship and were happy to call them your friends as well.

“I’ll come with you,” Mia says untangling her man's arms from her waist as she tries to get up, earning a sad pout from Soobin in return. “Come back soon,” he said sighing.

“Don’t be disgusting” Yeonjun and you say at the exact same time. Earning chuckles from everyone.

You look at each other surprised and laugh like the two of you were in your own world.

This time, Soobin noticed, and you try your best to avoid his gaze.

“You two are just bitter cause you’re single” Taehyun stated throwing his head back in evil laughter.

“Well so are you, so are all of you except for them so what’s your point exactly” Yeonjun bites back giving Taehyun a beaming smile while stuffing his face with a handful of the chocolates.

“Ehm, shall we?” Mia nudged you and you nodded as the boys’ bickering became background noise while you walked off together.

“Why do chicks always go to the bathroom together” Hueningkai questioned with genuine curiosity.  

“So they can talk shit in private,” Beomgyu said wiggling his eyebrows.

As Mia and you walked further and further from your spot, Mia looks over her shoulder to determine if it’s a safe enough distance to start gossiping.

“Dude” she nudges you while speaking in a hushed tone.

“Why were you and Yeonjun literally eye-fucking each other in front of everyone.”  

Your eyes grow wide and you turn around facing her. “Eye-fucking” you repeat her, suppressing a chuckle while trying to be as nonchalant as possible.  

“I think you’re seeing things.” You say shrugging.

“Am I y/n?” she looks at you with a stern expression, and this time you’ve had about enough.

You sigh in frustration as you open the door to the public bathroom entrance.

“Look, Soobin already gave me the ‘Yeonjun is a fuckboy so stay away’ lecture, I really don’t need to hear it again.”  

“Soobin lectured you about not engaging with Yeonjun?” Mia says surprised.

You raise your eyebrows. “You didn’t know? I thought he told you everything.”  

Mia sighs. “If you like him, who’s Soobin to tell you what to do with those feelings?”  

Your jaw drops, in awe of the fact that she’s siding with you on this one. “But if he hurts you, I’ll break his ankles.” She says determined, with her psycho protective smile.  Ah, there it is.  

“Well. Soobin really gave me an ultimatum. He basically says that if things end badly, he would have to choose between us and that it’d ruin not only his friendship but the team’s teamwork and everything. I don’t want to have that on my conscience just because I’m lusting over Yeonjun.”

Mia nearly busted a lung laughing and you cocked your eyebrow at her in surprise. “What are you laughing about” you try to suppress a smile, amused by her sudden outburst.

“He. Is. So. Dramatic” she says still recovering from her laughing fit.

“He is?” you ask genuinely interested in her point of view.

“Yes, he is. Look I don’t want to be the one to push you into toxicity or anything but we know Yeonjun. He is sweet? And nice. And he has never given me an off vibe. I can tell he has eyes for you, the only problem is that a lot of girls have eyes for him too and that can become a problem. The issue is if YOU can handle that.” Mia fixes your hair while she speaks and you sigh.

She’s right. “But Soobin”

“Oh fuck Soobin, I’ll keep my mouth shut. Just live a little. What’s the worst that could happen.”  

“Did you pee out the whole lake? That took forever.” Soobin states yanking Mia back into his lap.

“I missed you,” he says nuzzling his face in her neck.

“Ok, gross.” Beomgyu rolled his eyes.  

“There was a line” you lie walking over to Yeonjun’s side, sitting down between him and Hueningkai this time. This action earned a look from Soobin, who was basically cursing at you with his eyes, all while Mia smiled at you knowingly. It also earned a look from Yeonjun, he looked at you surprised but content, and he gave you a sweet smile, his facial expression softened immediately when you nudged him playfully as you sat down next to him.

The whole afternoon was spent laughing and bickering. Listening to the boys’ none sense and Taehyun making snacks disappear and appear with his never-ending magic tricks. All while the six of you were busting your brains trying to solve Hueningkai’s mathematical equations for his engineering class.  

Yeonjun inched closer to you from time to time. The both of you were in charge of the music that was blasting from your portable speaker. You compared your Spotify playlists and noticed how much you have in common with him music-wise. It was fun seeing Yeonjun becoming all passionate about his favourite artists, it certainly didn’t help the fact that you were trying to keep a distance from him. Cause his cute little mannerisms and the way he gets so engrossed in his storytelling made you fall for him even more. Face first to be exact.  

From time to time you would feel Yeonjun’s gaze linger on you. He’d ‘accidentally’ brush his arm against yours or he would touch your thigh, asking you to pass him another can of soda.

It was a lot, but you couldn’t say you hated it.

“It’s getting late” Taehyun says getting up. “We need to prepare for the party tonight”  

his statement earned hums, moans, and groans from everyone.  

“Whose party?” you asked.

“Johnny. That senior from the photography major” Yeonjun answered, looking at you with a hopeful expression. “You’re coming right?”  

You smiled at him, nodding your head. “Wouldn’t miss it.”

“Dude this is a disaster,” you say rummaging through your clothes while you were on Facetime with Mia. “I don’t have anything to wear”  

Mia rolled her eyes at you. “You trying to impress someone?” she said stuffing her face with seaweed chips.

You stare at her through the screen “Listen, you little shit. Just because you’re in a happy marriage doesn’t mean you get to be all sarcastic and judgy”  

She snorted “Marriage!? Oh please. You’re just trying to impress Yeonjun and that’s fine. Just wear something that covers the least amount of skin, he’ll like it.”  

“You’re a menace to society” you state, Mia shrugs at your choice of words and laughs. “But you’re right.” You give in grabbing a strappy lilac mini dress. “Then I guess this is contestant number one”

“Ooh, yes! Love that, wear that.” Mia enthusiastically exclaims giving you a thumbs up.

“Okay, that was a lot easier than I thought this was going to be, I’m gonna finish getting ready. You and Soobin are picking me up, right?” 

“Yes, we are. Be ready at 11.”  

“Alright, see you, bye”

“Bye.”

You throw your phone on your bed and hold the dress in front of your figure, looking at yourself in the mirror. You sigh, getting a rush of anxiety and butterflies in your stomach as you think of seeing Yeonjun again tonight. 

Let’s see where this goes. 

Chapter 2

[sapphiewritesandstuff]

Long Awaited

Pairing: Hanako x F!Reader, slight Nene x F!Reader Warnings: Slight spice (nothing NSFW tho) Word Count: 2,170 I wrote this 2-3 months (?) ago, but never finished. I revamped it and finished it to keep you guys entertained while I work on the Teru + Kou x Reader content <3

The sound of the bell signaling the end of your last class sounded, prompting everyone to rush out of the class as quickly as humanly possible, all the while creating a solid wall of human that is virtually impossible to pass through.

“What’s gotten into them?” You muttered, raising an eyebrow at your classmates' antics. The blonde boy besides you paused in his rambling, brows furrowing as he too noticed the flood of human bodies between them and the door.

“Oh no,” Kou groaned, slapping a hand to his face in a gesture that suggests helpless frustration. “What’s wrong?” You asked, amused at Kou’s dramatic display.

“We were late yesterday and Hanako threatened to—” he wiggled his fingers with a menacing face that looked nothing like the amber-eyed apparition, “do things to Yashiro.”

You sweatdropped, giggling at Kou’s panic. “Don’t worry, we can exorcise him together if he tries anything.” Your tone dropped at the end of your sentence, eyes darkening a tad. It was Kou’s turn to sweatdrop.

Seeing that the people by the door had lessened a considerable amount, he grabbed your arm, pulling you out the door at a brisk pace. “Come on, (Name)-san!”

---

The two of you stopped, panting as you reached the entrance of the girl’s bathroom. 

“Hanako-kun!” You declared, kicking open the door. “If you touch one hair on Nene-senpai—” The sight that greeted you left you speechless. 

Your radish friend knelt with her back towards the mirrors, a hand held to her head with a confused expression on her face. Hanako, on the other hand, sat collapsed across from her, hands clutching at his face.

“Nene-senpai?!” You exclaimed, rushing over to Nene’s side, cupping her cheeks gently. Her amber eyes widened with surprise, a slight flush visible on the apples of her cheeks. 

Kou rushed to Hanako’s side, hauling him up by his collar. “Oi, Hanako! What did you do to Senpai?!” Hanako let out an uncharacterized squeak of surprise, ruby eyes widening.

“Wha-What?” Hanako asked, eyes darting around the room. “Hanako-kun? What do you mean, I—” Before she could finish, Nene interrupted quickly, pulling you to her chest in one smooth motion.

“Hanako-kun! Are you okay? When that apparition came, I was so scared…” She sobbed, but ‘Hanako’ caught a smug glint in ‘Nene’s’ eyes. 

He sighed internally. Why did I even get myself into this?

A few minutes prior…

“Hey, Yashiro.” Nene looked up from her work to give Hanako a look of distrust. “I know that voice, Hanako-kun. Whatever you’re trying to rope me into, it’s not going to happen.” 

Hanako pouted, giving Nene his best look of utter devastation. “You haven’t even heard what I was going to say yet~”

Nene eyed him warily, taking a step back for good measures. Hanako floated a pace closer, amber eyes practically sparkling. “Pleeaase~? Just hear me out.”

The ombre haired girl sighed, lifting a hand to her face. No, Nene. Don’t fall for his tricks— “Fine. I suppose I could listen.” What are you doing? Refuse before he could go on!

“Well…” Hanako trailed off, scratching his cheek sheepishly. “You know about my, uh, fondness for (Name), right?” Nene paused for a second, mind swirling with thoughts. 

This is perfect blackmail material! Hanako-kun, you’re going to regret all those times you teased me about my legs.

She hummed smugly, giving the ghost a knowing smirk. “Oh, it was obvious. Except (Name)-chan seems to always reject you~”

Ouch, she hits hard. Hanako winced, chuckling awkwardly. “About that—” Before he could finish, a thud could be heard by the window. A moment after, the window snapped open, and smoke poured into the room. 

Hanako’s head snapped up, thoughts of you momentarily put off as he drew his knife and summoned Hakujoudai. “Who’s there?!”

No one replied, but the smoke kept creeping towards them. “Yashiro! Don’t breathe in the smoke,” he started, but trailed off when Nene’s unconscious form slumped onto the floor behind him. He cursed under his breath, kneeling down besides her. 

“Yashiro!”

---

Yes. The smoke had caused the two to switch bodies. Which, in turn, translated to the current events to unfold as the real Hanako and fake Nene hugged you closer to her. She even managed to shed a few real tears, hoping you would comfort her the way you usually comforted the real Nene.

“It’s okay,” you murmured, tugging ‘Nene’ forward to give her a hug, to which she responded with another sob. ‘Hanako’ shot a glare at ‘Nene’, which prompted Kou to ask, “Er, Hanako, are you okay?” ‘Hanako’ sighed, annoyed at having to act like the annoying, and on top of that, perverted spirit. 

“I’m fine,” he replied flatly. He scowled, debating whether he should bail out on the apparition, until a sudden idea popped up in his mind. It was now ‘Hanako’s’ turn to smirk. 

“Hey, Yashiro,” ‘Hanako’ started, strolling towards the two still embracing on the floor. “You’ve been clinging to (Name) for quite a while now~” he made sure to add the little sing-song tone Hanako often used when teasing them. 

‘Nene’ gave him a glare to which he responded with a smug smirk. Have a taste of your own medicine, Hanako-kun!

You stood up, ignoring ‘Hanako’s’ comment and giving your friend an encouraging smile. “Just ignore him, Nene-senpai.” 

‘Nene’ nodded, still half-glaring at her real body. 

Gotta step up your game, Hanako-kun. The real Nene thought, sticking out her tongue at ‘Nene’. 

‘Nene’ gave ‘Hanako’ a forced smile and casually pinned you against the wall, effectively trapping (and confusing) you. She twirled a strand of her long, cream colored hair around a finger while her other hands kept yours against the wall.

“Ne, (Name)-chan,” she started, giving you a look that can only be described as sultry. “Don’t you think my lips are a little dry today~?”

You gave her a look of confusion, eyeing the hand trapping your wrists above you. “Um, I guess? They do look a little chapped.”

The amber-eyed girl leaned closer to you, lips dangerously close to your own. “Why don’t you help me moisturize them a bit?” She purred. 

‘Hanako’ sidled up beside you, slipping a finger under your chin and bringing it towards him, ruby eyes gazing into yours under half-lidded eyes. “Now, now, Yashiro,” he purred, “Don’t be such a dirty radish~”

Internally, the real Nene cringed at her own words. I can’t believe I just said that about myself. But her determination to outdo Hanako in this contest of… whatever this was overwhelmed her sense of shame and embarrassment. 

In the real Hanako’s mind, he was currently cursing Nene, glaring at her the best he could while still maintaining the mood.

Meanwhile, Kou stared at the trio from his position by the door. He stared, not exactly sure what he was looking at. He decided to speak out, seeing the evident confusion and discomfort on your face. 

“Uh, Hanako, Senpai. I think (Name)-san needs her space.” Nene, remembering that she was currently supposed to be Hanako, spoke up, waving a hand dismissively and trying her best to make Hanako look bad when they returned to their real bodies. “Butt out, kid. Can’t you see I’m trying to tease my dear little (Name)-chan here?” 

‘Nene’ pulled you away from ‘Hanako’, wrapping her arms smugly around your form and resting her chin on your shoulder. “Stay away from (Name)-chan, you pervert!”

The real Nene irked, eye twitching at how hypocritical this was. You’re the real pervert here!

Instead, he pouted, grabbing one of your hands and placing a soft kiss on the back of it. “I’m the pervert? Says the naughty radish with the wandering h-a-n-d-s~”

Sure enough, one of ‘Nene’s’ hands had wandered up right below your chest. Blushing bright red, you struggled out of the amber-eyed girl’s arms, spinning around to face them.

“What is wrong with you today, Senpai?” You asked, arms held protectively over your chest area. ‘Nene’ shrugged, sliding her hands into her skirt pockets. “Whatever do you mean, (Name)-chan?”

You squinted at her cautiously. It was still Nene’s sweet voice and her small frame, yet somehow, she managed to pin you to a wall with seemingly no effort. Processing the information, your heart jumped and your flaming scarlet cheeks darkened a tone. 

Arms surrounded you gently and you were pulled into yet another embrace, although this time it was more warm and friendly than flirtatious. Hanako’s voice whispered by your left ear, “I’ll protect you, (Name)-chan.”

As much as Nene had wanted it to sound like she was Hanako, she also genuinely wanted to protect you from getting hurt, so her words had no qualities of playfulness to them.

You gazed back at her as she said those words, eyes glistening and lips slightly agape. “Hanako-kun…”

‘Nene’ gritted her teeth. She wanted to shout at the real Nene, to remind her, you’re supposed to be helping me. But with the starstruck look you had in your eyes, the real Hanako felt a sinking sensation in his stomach. He wanted you to look at him like that, not Yashiro in his body!

‘Nene’ slowly relaxed her jaws, letting her pursed lips melt into a dark smirk. 

“If you’re so determined to brand me as the villain…” She started towards the two, honey toned eyes darkening, “Then, I’ll play the role of the bad boy~”

Shoving you onto the bathroom floor, she smirked at your widened eyes and once again pinned your wrists to the floor, successfully straddling you. 

“Ne-Nene-senpai—” Holding her finger to your lips, she shushed you. Despite that, you continued to speak, panic evident in your dilated pupils, “What are you doing?!”

‘Nene’ narrowed her eyes, reaching out to swipe her thumb across your bottom lip.

“Shhhh, (Name)-chan,” she murmured, leaning down closer to you, long hair brushing your cheeks. “If you can’t learn to be quiet, then maybe I’ll have to seal your lips for you~”

Closing the distance between the two of you, her lips brushed against yours.

Right before Kou hauled her up by the collar of her uniform. “S-Senpai. I don't know what's wrong with you today, but that’s enough.”

Having been discovered, Hanako tried to play it cool. “Kou-kun?” He used Nene’s large, watery ruby eyes to his advantage, watching as the blonde exorcist’s face turned red as he released the apparition.

Sitting up from the floor, you groaned, wiping a hand over your face. “Wow, Hanako-kun. I knew you were a pervert but I never thought you’d actually take it that far.” 

Kou’s eyes widened. “That’s Hanako?” He asked, jabbing a finger at Nene’s form. You nodded, dusting off your skirt as you stood up to stand beside the real Nene, who was currently residing in Hanako’s body. 

The blue-eyed boy once again plucked ‘Nene’ up from her position on the floor. “Wait. You’re Hanako?!” ‘Nene’ stuck out her tongue at him, rolling her amber eyes at him mockingly. “You’re stupid to not have noticed earlier, kid.” 

Kou froze, looking over at ‘Hanako’ who gave him a sheepish wave. “So… That’s really Senpai?” You once again gave a nod of confirmation, slightly sullen. The real Nene gave you a comforting pat on the back. 

“That means… you blackmailed Senpai into helping you harass (Name)-chan!”

Just as the blonde exorcist finished his declaration, a puff of smoke surrounded the two, and moments later, Kou held not Nene, but Hanako by the scruff of his black gakuran. 

Before anyone could say anything, Nene clutched at her cheeks with a sudden gasp, eyes shining with panic. “Ah, Hanako-kun!” She cried, sending a deadly glare towards the amber-eyed ghost. “You almost stole my first kiss!”

At her accusation, Kou released Hanako, who dropped to the floor with a wince, also giving the toilet ghost a disapproving glare. “Explain yourself, Hanako.”

Hanako shrugged lightly, floating up to face the three of you. “Weeelllll,” he drawled, edging closer to you.

You shot him an unimpressed look, but didn’t move away as Hanako latched on to your shoulders, hiding behind you like a nervous child. “It’s fine Kou, I don’t really mind what he did.”

Hanako froze, eyes widening. You didn’t mind his obvious attempt to kiss you? Does that mean- Could that mean-? Your stern voice brought him back to his senses. “But you do have to apologize to Nene-senpai for dragging her into this.”

Sulleningly, the black-haired ghost crept out from behind you, pouting a little. “Sorry, Yashiro~” The cream-haired girl sighed, but acknowledged the apology with a nod.

The four of you were quiet for a few seconds after that, content with the comfortable silence. 

Until Hanako’s arm curled around you, pulling you closer to him while simultaneously pulling off his hat in front of your face to prevent Kou and Nene from seeing anything.

And finally, his cold, but soft lips caressed yours, in a kiss that had been long awaited by the both of you.

[leverage-ot3]

notable moments from The Tap Out Job

leverage 2.02

Jack: Somebody drugged his water. It's an old boxing trick. He couldn't defend himself, and... He's still in the hospital.

that’s fucked

- - - - -

Eliot: It's not a cockfight. All right? Let me show you something, Hardison. Come here. Can I borrow you? (puts a gentle hand on Parker’s hip, guiding her to the open space behind the couch) All right. Square up. Remember what I showed you?

(Hardison and Parker square up)

Hardison: Are you...

Eliot: There's three phases to an MMA--to an MMA fight, okay? One, striking. (Parker punches Hardison in the face) Nice. Next is grappling, the takedown. (Parker grabs Hardison and throws him on the floor) Exactly. All right. The third one is jujitsu. Okay, try to isolate a joint. (Parker gets Hardison in a hold) That's good. That's a textbook armbar, Parker. Put some pressure on there.

Parker: Like this?

Eliot: There you go. Or you can go for a choke hold.

Hardison: She got to be choking me. (tries to get away)

Eliot: Remember that thing that I showed you?

Parker: Oh, yeah. The choke.

Eliot: Lock that in. All right. You don't have to hold the arm. See, that's a triangle choke. That's nasty. Puts pressure on his carotid artery, and the guy will submit by tap out.

Hardison (tapping the ground): Eliot, I'm tapping! I'm tapping!

Eliot: These fights are won by inches, I'm telling you.

Hardison: I can't breathe!

Eliot: All about leverage.

Sophie: Yeah, it looks really painful.

Hardison: It is painful!

Nate: No TV deal, you said, huh? Hardison, what are this guy's other interests, this Rucker guy?

Hardison: Seriously, you ask me a question right now...

Sophie: I'll take that. Yeah, rotary club, golf membership.

Nate: Golf, huh?

Hardison: Help me!

Sophie: Yeah. I mean, this guy's like a 1950s sitcom character. He plays a weekly game with the local businessmen. In fact, last year, he won the club championship.

Nate: Did he? Hmm.

Hardison: Let me go!

Nate: I guess it's...

Hardison: She's killing me!

Nate: …it's time to hit the links.

Hardison: I'm cool. Just let me go real quick.

eliot canonically teaches parker how to fight in his spare time and I LOVE THAT

fucking CHAOTIC OT3 + parker is having a great time while hardison is dying

ALSO can we just for a minute appreciate how when she puts him in a chokehold she was wrapping her legs around his neck, which basically had his head in her crotch area and !!! it wasn’t sexualized at al !!! literally A N Y other show would have sexualized it even just a little bit but not leverage. never leverage.

- - - - -

I love it when they fuck with peoples gear (like with the baseballs or hockey pucks or in this instance the golf balls)

- - - - -

parker playing with the golf club covers

- - - - -

literally EVERY con has nate being an asshole (this one was one of the more annoying ones tho)

- - - - -

hi I am but a simple bi and eliot in that grey hoodie was VERY attractive

- - - - -

Room Service: Room service. Can I help you?

Sophie: Yeah, no, I can't eat this. I'm sorry?

Everything on my plate is yellow.

Room Service: It's chicken-fried steak.

Sophie: It's what? Chicken-fried steak?

Room Service: Yes.

Sophie: No, let me just tell you, all right. Meat should never be used as an adjective.

~ a little while late ~

Sophie: I'm starving.

Parker: I found these in the minibar. (throws her a bag)

Sophie: "Pork Rinds"? How do you peel a pig? (throws it back)

- - - - -

Hardison: Got it. See, Online video websites, they track viewer hits by IP Address, so the trick is to just spoof a bunch of IPs, then write a script that lets you browse the video page via the proxy list and...

- - - - -

Sophie: Well, this guy, he just--he give me the creeps.

Eliot: We've gone up against rougher dudes than this before.

Sophie: I know. But it's this whole treating people as commodities. This whole barbaric sport.

Eliot: Hey, don't lump these guys in with Rucker. All right, he's not what the sport's about.

Sophie: Eliot, this "sport" is about two guys beating the crap out of each other.

Eliot: MMA fighters act with more respect than any other athlete I've seen.

Sophie: Yeah, they're "Braveheart," I get it.

Eliot: No, you don't. These guys don't fight because they like hurting other people, all right. They fight to gain some sort of control over their opponents, over their environment, over their lives. Have you seen this town? Huh? The farms are drying up. The only stores are bail bondsmen and pawn shops, and there's nothing they can do about it. So, yeah, they get in the ring and try not to let it all suffocate them. (a beat, he smiles) And it's about two guys beating the crap out of each other. (she smiles back)

- - - - -

eliot is wearing a green flannel in this one and it looks very nice and comfy

- - - - -

Rucker: Well, bottom line is, you need good product. What event are you here to produce?

[Interior Van]

Hardison: On it. There's a tractor pull in grand island, a livestock show in council bluffs, white people doing other white things…

pls keep calling out white people pls we deserve it lmfao

- - - - -

Director (in car looking at his phone): Come on! Come on! Give me something! Come on! Is this gonna take long?

Nate (through window): No. Two shakes. Are you in a hurry?

Director: Even half a bar... what? Yes. Hurry. Does anyone in this backwater hellhole know what that means?

Nate: You're a director, right? What was your name again?

Director: What? It's Laurence. Todd Laurence.

Nate: Todd, well, listen, Mr. Laurence. See, I wrote a script...

Director: Huh?

Nate: Yeah. It's about a limo driver who solves mysteries till his wife leaves him for --

Director: For the love of god!

Nate: ...the best part: The feed store manager. Right? His wife…

Director: Yeah...?

Nate: Tramp...

Director: Hey, hee-haw, move the car! Okay

- - - - -

parker in leather pants, a bright yellow ‘I heart Nebraska’ tshirt and weird hat, eating a corn dog? ,,,a look I guess

- - - - -

Hardison (showing passes): So, I'm Todd Laurence? (girls flock to Hardison) Ladies, please, look. For the last time, I am not the tailback for the cornhuskers. Go! I don't even know what a cornhusker is.

- - - - -

Rucker: And all you need is a product?

Sophie: Well, that's what they are: Products. You get the girls with Trianna, you get the boys with MMA. And there's always another fresh-faced princess ready to go through the singing/dancing mill in Florida. Occasionally, we let one be a lesbian, keeps the press on their toes

- - - - -

Hardison: What? What? W-what was I supposed to do? It was cousin Jimmy.

Sophie: He's right. We couldn't have planned for that.

Hardison: Look, you know what I can do? I can re-task a satellite, I can get a level 3 NSA clearance, but I can't hack a hick

- - - - -

Eliot: All right, it doesn't matter. What do we do now?

Parker: We can move the Howorth.

Eliot: We're not moving the Howorths. All right? This is their home. That means something to people here.

Sophie: Yeah, we can't babysit them forever.

Nate: We've taken out bigger players than this. You know, there's got to be some way, something we can...

Eliot: No, no! I take the dive.

Sophie: You sure?

Hardison: Give me some time, okay? I've found some funny business in Rucker's accounts. I can move some things.

Eliot: Forget the fact that we just got beat by Barney Fife, all right? This is the right move. Tactically it's the right move. You all know that. (walks away)

none of them want to see eliot hurt more than he needs to or see him go down like that and I cry

alec ‘give me five minutes I will do literally anything for eliot’ hardison

- - - - -

Sophie: Hey. Listen, you-you don't have to do this, you know. Nate's gonna come up with something.

Eliot: I'm losing a fight, Sophie. I'm not diving on a grenade. I'll be all right.

Sophie: Yeah, I know. I'm not talking physically.

Eliot: I think my ego can handle it.

Sophie: Look, you told me that it's about control, about knowing that you're never gonna be the victim. And that's what keeps you going, right?

Eliot: You think I'm upset 'cause I got to let this guy kick my ass? I learned a long time ago, you can't control the violence. I can take the punishment. That's what I do. What I need to control is not out there. (touches his chest) It's here. Always.

(Sophie smiles and walks away)

- - - - -

hardison holds eliots face before he fights I never noticed that before

+ eliot’s hair is curly when it’s wet/when he’s sweaty. this means he blowdries his hair on a regular basis. eliot, as a part of taking control of himself and his life after moreau took interest in self care and taking care of his hair in this essay I will-

- - - - -

one thing I love about this is that eliot doesn’t have a six pack (see this commentary I made with a few lovely additions by my mutuals)

- - - - -

Jack: Where's Rucker?

Hardison: Oh, the Iowa State Police just got a tip that a fugitive is headed into their jurisdiction. And I'm pretty sure crossing state lines with a bag full of cash won't look too good.

Parker: Especially when they find the little surprise in his trunk.

[Flashback, Pawn Shop]

Parker: I need guns. (dumping money on counter) $6,000 worth. And one of those.

LMFAO THERE WAS A TUBA TOO

- - - - -

Doctor (examining Eliot): You took a hell of a pounding. We should get you a CT scan. You could have internal bleeding.

Jack: You let yourself get hammered like that on purpose? That's a hell of a lot of punishment to take.

Sophie: That's what he does.

- - - - -

eliot held the rope up for parker to step under when they were getting out of the ring

- - - - -

Sophie (to Parker): Pork rind? They're actually pretty good. (parker shakes her head and rubs her stomach) You sure?

sophie nO

[lokisgame]

A Generous Donation [9]

[part 1] [part 2] [part 3] [part 4] [part 5] [part 6] [part 7] [part 8]

Scully knocked on the office door and went in. Walter Skinner was a tall, respectful man, bald and bespectacled, with an air of a ranking officer, which he was actually, an army doctor who served three tours in Vietnam. People who came to his door found confidence and brusque reassurance. They probably wouldn't try to cry on his shoulder, but they would definitely be in good hands. "Tell me." She said, seeing her old friend look up from his coffee and the file in his hand. He took off his glasses and smiled at her. "I don't want to know whom you bribed, begged or fucked, but it worked." 

"What?" "We should have looked at the father from the beginning." "Will doesn’t have a father," she said sitting in a chair opposite him and Skinner raised one eyebrow, "I mean he does, obviously, somewhere. But I told you, I used donor sperm for the IVF." "You don't have to lie to me, Dana," he said, starting to look as confused as she felt, "I don't care." "What are you talking about, I didn't even think about looking for the guy." "You didn't? Because this last sample you brought," he glanced at the papers again, "Mulder, Fox W., is a match, so close that it could only be from a member of immediate family." Her heart started sucking all the blood back into her chest, in double time. "That’s impossible." "See for yourself," Skinner said and handed her two sheets of film. She took the slides to the light box, and pinned them side by side. The similarities were striking, even for her rusty genetics. "Oh my God.” “Nothing short of a miracle,” he said, standing behind her. “Can we use it?” “We need to do more thorough exams of the donor, of course, but if he checks out, he’s your best chance. It's best to act quickly, while Will still has strength to go through the chemo. We'll contact the guy, and if he agrees, schedule the appointments. If everything goes well, we can have him donate by Thursday. We'll start Will on preparations as soon as we have the results." She didn't hear half of what he said, staring at the blinding white light behind thick and thin bands of hard evidence.

Scully didn't know if she should laugh or cry or sing or curl up in a corner and wait for the second coming, but somehow she found her way back to her office. She took messages from the nurse at the nurses station and fumbled with them, looking for the key, when she heard her name called near by. Looking up, she saw a pair of smiling blue eyes. "Hi sis, I just dropped off some books for Will." "Charlie," she sighed and finally snapped out of it. "Something's wrong?" He asked, slowing down, "you look like you've seen a ghost." She barked out a laugh that had nothing to do with humour. "You have a moment? I need to talk to someone." "Sure," he said, radiating concern. He followed her inside and took off his coat, and sitting on the couch watched her bustle around the coffee maker. "Shit," she said finally, when the machine began to gurgle and sputter, "there's no easy way to say it, so I'm just gonna say it." "Okay." "Remember that guy I told you about?" "The Harvard guy?" Charlie said, ready to roll up his sleeves and go kick some ass. "He's William's dad." His jaw dropped to the floor. "What?" "He's his biological father, the semen I used for the IVF," "Fuck, I know what it means, but how?" "He must have sold his sperm to the bank, guys do that." "Did you tell him?" "Not yet. I just found out." "Will you tell him?" Silence. She paced the office worrying her cuticles, while the coffee maker spat and bubbled and Charlie leaned over the coffee table, catching her hands on the next pass and pulling her onto the couch beside him. "Stop that, you'll hurt yourself," he said, keeping her hands in his. She held on, finally looking up, her eyes wide, terrified. "What do I do?" "Whatever it takes to keep Will safe." He said, squeezing her hands, "will he donate?" "First he needs to talk to Walter, his DNA matches, his blood work is clean, but history matters too." "Will Walter tell him about the father part?" "No, the DNA match is what's important, 7 in 10 recipients don't find donors inside their family, and there is a chance, however slim, that it's a coincidence." "How slim?" "One in five billion?" She said, not believing it one bit. "Okay, so he is Will's dad. Will he freak?" "I don't know," she sighed, getting up again, "he likes Will, and he volunteered for the test. But I was practically crying into his shoulder when he did, so he could've been trying to make me feel better." "I need to meet this guy, looks like I might have a new brother-in-law." "Don't mock, I had a rough month." "And you opened up to someone you barely know." "He's a psychologist, he had training." "Then I'll send him a bottle of scotch." She was coming back with the mugs, when she suddenly stopped. "Oh God." Panic in her voice made him drop the tease. "What?" "What if he says no?" "What if he says yes?" He said, leaning over to take the coffee from her, before she fed it to the carpet. "What if he says yes." She repeated, even more panicked. "How will I repay him?" "I don't think it's the kind of debt that you pay back." "He gave me a son, I can't ask for more." "You have no choice. Will, you're doing it for Will." "Charlie," she said, her voice smaller, "I like this guy. What if he freaks and runs?" "He won't." "But what if?" "Will you stop? You're starting to spiral." "I can't, how will I look him in the eye?" She kept going, her voice flat, "now that I know, how can I not tell him." Her face was going paler and paler and he couldn't stand it anymore, he puled her into a hug and held tight. "Calm down," he said softly, rubbing her back, "it will all work out." "It's too good to be true." "Look at it this way, you can finally tell mom she was wrong." "Oh no, mom!" She moaned and hid in his arms deeper, "you can't tell her. You know how she was, about this whole IVF deal." "Yeah, and look, turns out the guy really was great all along." "One in five billion."

Though they parted very amicably not more than a few hours ago, a voice inside him kept screaming 'go to her!' And life taught him to listen to these hunches. It wasn't nearly lunchtime yet, but Mulder figured, he might as well drop off the food early. What's the point of bringing lunch, if it's past lunch hour? He breezed by the nurses station and was walking down the hall, when doors to one of the offices opened and a young man came out, with Scully right behind him, her shoulders slumped in distress. The guy turned and pulled her into his arms, dropping a kiss on top of her head as she hugged him back. Mulder watched the scene unfold and his blood ran cold, his steps growing slow. Young, tall and handsome, curly red hair and horn-rimmed glasses, and definitely used to sharing her space. He paused ten feet from them and the guy looked up, catching his gaze, breaking the moment. Scully felt him shift and looked around as well, her eyes fell on him and she blushed. "Mulder," she said, trying to smile and hide some new fear in her eyes as she turned to the man. "Charlie, this is Fox Mulder, my," She hesitated, and Mulder wasn't sure what hurt him more, the pause or the two seconds it took her to let go of the other man. "Hi," the guy smiled warmly, stepping back from her and reaching out to shake Mulders' hand, "Charlie Scully, Dana's brother." "Fox Mulder," Mulder smiled back, shaking and trying to shake off the foolish feeling, while trying to figure out what bothered Scully, all at the same time. "Is everything okay?" "Let's hope so," he said cryptically and turned back to his sister, leaning to kiss her forehead, "I'll leave you two to talk, call me later, 'kay?" Scully nodded and let go of his coat sleeve, and Charlie tuned to leave, but then paused again. "Oh, by the way, mom called, Missy's in town for Thanksgiving, roll call at dinner on Thursday." "We'll see," Scully sighed and he nodded at them both one last time before leaving. Mulder watched him go for a second then turned to Scully, forgetting lunch for a second. She didn't look up so he stepped closer, taking her brother's place and brushed her arm with the back of his hand. "Hey, what is it?" She managed a glance at him, but it didn't last, her eyes were wet again. "Can't talk about it?" She shook her head, and her shoulders shuddered when she took a deep breath.   "Come by, when you’re finished," he said quietly, rubbing her arm gently, "I’ll make dinner and…" That seemed to cheer her up a bit. "You?" She smiled, a little more real this time, sparing a glance at the paper bag in his hand. "Yeah, you’ve fed me for two days, I'm still one day behind," he said, "we'll eat and talk and see if we can make it alright, whatever it is."   And as he spoke, he watched her transform, puling up walls around her fragile self and putting her game face on. "You'll get a call from the transplantation institute," she said quietly, "they'll want to talk to you." "Is this what this is about?" Scully nodded, dropping her gaze, and it all fell into place. "Hey, c'mere," he said, relieved, and puled her into his arms, hugging her tight and feeling her arms sneak under his coat. "I won't bail on your son." He whispered and she hugged him tighter, "he'll get through this." "You think so?" "I know so," he said, just for her. "If he has even a fraction of your strength, he'll be okay."

[diyunho]

The Joker x Reader - “The Work Wife” Part 3

You’ve been working for The Joker for the past 10 years: you speak and act for him and no matter the circumstances, Y/N is always there to take care of everything he needs.  The King of Gotham might not be married, yet he has a perfect partner: his work wife.

Part 1      Part 2     (Part 3 as voted HERE)    Part 4     Part 5

5 months later

“Are you just gonna sit there the whole time?” The Joker splashes the water in the Jacuzzi while you look outside, not even hearing his words. “Hey, I’m talking to you!”

“Oh, I’m watching everything to make sure it’s safe,” you finally pay attention and analyze the surrounding buildings from behind the smoky windows belonging to the second floor of “Serenity Day SPA”; it’s one of the businesses J owns, primarily operated for money laundering.  The rooms upstairs are never used by anybody else except him: he seldom visits and actually uses the amenities since the place is very luxurious.  

“We have 15 men with us, I think we’re OK. Come on, lose the suit and relax,” The King of Gotham requests your presence in the hot tub because you seem absent minded today.

“I’m good,” you mumble and continue to search for any signs of suspicious activity out there even if so far nothing seems out of the ordinary.

“You know how much I hate to extend my invitations twice,” he watches you take a deep breath and gaze his way.

“I don’t have anything to wear,” you come up with the easy excuse and J gestures towards the variety of dressers containing bathing suits, swimming shorts, towels and fuzzy robes.

“Use theirs!”

“Ughh,” the exasperation reaches his ears and it’s not approved.

“Maybe one of these days you could just, you know, drop the attitude?! Only a mere suggestion; don’t lemme stop you from annoying me!” The Joker growls as you choose a random attire and start changing behind the panel as fast as you can, hoping he will shut up.

“Don’t lemme stop you from annoying me” speech is usually between 10--15 minutes long and you are certainly lacking any eagerness to put up with it.

“Why do I have to get in there?” you protest his orders and emerge into a floral bikini bottom with the matching bra.

“Because,” J huffs and completely lowers himself in the bubbly water for a few seconds, then gazes your way. “I must say Y/N, you look decent for a fossil.”

“I’m not a fossil!”

“You turned 36 last month. Basically ancient for my scaling system,” J taunts and smooths his wet hair, thinking that the usual extra feistiness is not present within his work wife today. You step in the Jacuzzi, half afloat until you reach his side.

“Your scaling system sucks, that’s why you don’t have a steady girlfriend,” you lift one of your eyebrows in order to underline the accurate reality.

“I only need company that takes care of my needs for the night; you take care of the rest so I’m fine,” he pauses and waits for the sour remarks to continue but they don’t.

You’re awfully quiet, definitely preoccupied by more important matters than the usual dispute he’s searching for.

“What’s the matter?” J elbows a distracted Y/N.

“Today…” and your voice cracks,” today is Kai’s birthday.”

That’s why she’s like this, he thinks and moves closer to you.

“Wow, the first snowflakes,” you sadly smile and change the subject because you feel you’re suffocating.

“Yeah, I like winter,” he adds on the topic in his usual way of dealing with things. “Much easier to get rid of dead bodies.”

“So charming,” you candidly reprimand. “That’s why women are flocking from all sides; one better than the other.”

“Precisely,” the insolent Joker is glad you’re getting absorbed into his little game; it kind of feels a major part of his daily life is missing if you two don’t clash and he’s aware he has to put in extra work today in order to obtain the desired outcome.

“Please enlighten me so I can prove a point:  when is the last time you went on a date?” you turn towards him, interested in what he has to say.

“Ummm… three nights ago,” J immediately replies.

“One night stand is not a date! As usually, I had to get rid of her in the morning and I’m getting tired of taking out the trash,” you scoff, irritated. “You should have kept the girlfriend you had two years ago; she wasn’t bad.”

“I got bored,” he dismisses your suggestion and stretches his legs under water while you have more to include on top of the earlier statement:

“It’s exciting to see you’re satisfied with bimbos that think you have a stamp collection to show them at the penthouse or drunken ones that you marry on a whim at the sham drive-thru chapels around town.”

“Yes, it is exciting indeed,” The Joker winks and Y/N is done with his crap.

“You know what J ?!!”

Oh boy, here she goes! J grins because he’s getting what he wanted:

“You know what J ”speech is usually between 8--14 minutes long and by far his favorite; you usually blur out a list of judgments about his behavior that you don’t agree with and it falls on deaf ears, yet it’s worth it.

“Mister J,” Frost suddenly knocks at the opened door. “Sorry to interrupt but the weather forecast is showing an imminent snow storm about to hit Gotham in less than 3 hours. Traffic will be hectic since everyone would want to finish what they have to do before roads are closed. Would you like to leave now in order to avoid that?”

The Clown Prince of Crime smacks his lips, debating:

“I suppose so,” then addresses you: “Hold that thought, Y/N! You know how much I love to hear your opinions,” the sarcastic smirk makes you shake your head in annoyance. “I guess is better if we bail than having to deal with the craziness on the streets. Tell the crew we’re out of here in 10!”

“Yes sir!”  Frost complies and you discern the shouted instructions on his way downstairs.

“Right when I was getting comfortable,” J sighs and sinks under the fizzy water one last time while you’re already getting out of the Jacuzzi.

“You can continue at the Penthouse,” you remind the King of Gotham he actually has the same hot tub at home.

“I guess I can,” the grouchy voice mumbles.

The Joker watches as you dry yourself with a towel, his eyes lingering on the only tattoo you have: the Japanese kanji rows inked on your back containing the phrase you’ve been using for years as an inside joke.

He stalls leaving the steamy ambience for a few more seconds before finally abandoning his temporary oasis.

You switch back to your black suit behind the bamboo panel and come out to help him finish up. The white, furry winter coat is placed on his shoulders while J elects to modify the plan:

“Y/N, I want to spend some time at my cabin instead of returning to the Penthouse.”

“Are you sure?” you start walking beside him, surprised at his choice. “With the snow storm you’ll be trapped there for days.”

“It’s fine; I’ll have you to keep me company,” J brushes off any projects you might have like he always does.

“I rather stay at my apartment.”

“No, you’re coming.”

“Seriously J, I don’t want to be dragged in the middle of nowhere. I like that place in the summer and that’s pretty much it,” you try to make him forsake his ideas and pay attention to the stairs you’re both descending.

“I’ll let you know when I give a damn,” The Joker scoffs, signaling some of the men waiting along for his passing to follow.

The door leading towards the secluded parking lot on the north side of the building is already opened and you walk outside, mad he doesn’t care you’re not in the mood to visit that accursed cottage during the crazy weather that will soon hit the area.

Two henchmen are already waiting by their cars and you slowly blink for a few seconds, feeling the snowflakes melting on your face. The faint sound of the bullet shrieks by your ear and you instinctively turn towards J, his eyes already looking down at the fresh wound that’s beginning to stain the white coat.

“What the..?!” he touches the blood in disbelief, suddenly out of breath. You are quick to push him against the nearest SUV, screaming at the others:

“Sniper!!! Get down!”

The goons already outside scatter behind the cars in the parking lot and you help The Joker sit on the ground and press on the oozing injury, the red spot exponentially growing each time he forcefully inhales.

“Shit…” he moans and you gesture at the men that didn’t make it out of the building, including Frost.

“Stay inside! There’s a sniper!!”

“What do we do?” Jonny yells and you shout back:

“Everybody regroup inside!! Stay low and sneak out through the other side of the property! Go in groups of 3 and sweep the surrounding places, maybe we can catch whoever did this! Take the rest of the team and call for reinforcements!”

“You need help?” Frost peeks from behind the curtains, ready to aid if required.

“I’m OK, I don’t need an escort!”

You open the car door and help The Joker crawl in the back seat; he’s wheezing louder and louder due to the painful lesion.

“Keep pressure on it!” you gather his coat around the wound as much as you can, this way it soaks up the blood. “I’ll take you to the doctor; just hang in there, alright?” an apparent composed Y/N creeps on the driver’s side, twisting the keys in the contact.

“It fucking hurts,” J groans and his acknowledgment makes your heart beat faster:

The Joker has a high tolerance for pain so if he says that it hurts, it means the discomfort is beyond what a normal person would be able to tolerate.  

“Hang tight!” you begin to drive, keeping close to the concrete wall enclosing the parking lot, watching him through the rear view mirror. “I’ll take the back streets,” you mumble and immediately accelerate, taking a sharp turn once the protection of the wall is over. The tires screech under the abrupt impact and you speed towards Madison Avenue, having to distance yourselves from the shooting range as soon as possible.

“How are you doing?” you gaze at him and the only answer is a growl.

The Joker’s teeth are clenched together; he couldn’t say a word even if he’d wanted to.      

You nervously squeeze the steering wheel, paying attention to the road again.  

“I think I can make it there under 40 minutes,” the affirmation makes him shiver: the pain is becoming so unbearable he feels he’s going to pass out.

Another turn on Coldwell Boulevard and the last thing J hears prior to losing consciousness is Y/N’s warning:

“Hey, don’t fall asleep!”

**************

The Joker gradually opens his eyes, trying to adjust to reality. You’re sleeping in the recliner close to his bed and the venue seems familiar: it’s the same private clinic you were taken after the unfortunate events that left such a deep scar on your cheek. He’s groggy and a bit confused, a typical secondary side effect of all the medications present in his body.

“Nurse…” J whispers and has to gather his strength to say it louder since you didn’t hear him. “Nurse! Wake up!”

This time the exhausted Y/N promptly snaps out of her troubled dreams, gasping when she realizes The King of Gotham is glaring her way.

“You’re awake,” you jump out of the recliner and move close to him, so happy to see he’s out of danger you actually smile.

A rare occurrence these days.

“Why are you wearing scrubs?” J licks his lips and you reach for the cup of iced water on the cupboard, offering some to the patient.

“We’ve been here for 2 days: it’s easier to blend in, just in case,” you explain while waiting for him to finish drinking.

“What’s the verdict?” he taps his fingers on the pillow, seeking your company for the requested briefing. You lie down next to him and relay the main points to the weakened Joker:

“By the time we arrived, you’ve already lost a lot of blood. You had a clean wound: the bullet went right through; almost pierced your kidney, only half an inch away from disaster. They couldn’t stop the bleeding and I was scared you’re not going to make it,” you gulp and touch his face, upset it was such a close call.

“Why? Were you afraid you’ll be unemployed?”

“Basically. You pay well.”

“True,” J utters. “Do we know who did it?”

You remove your hand, the immediate change in attitude making him aware you’re displeased.

“So we do know,” he figures, wondering why you look at him like that.

“Yes.”

Perfect silence; you are flustered, that’s for sure.

“Well?” J yawns, tired and drained.

“Do you remember your last flame? The one I got rid of 5 days ago?”  

No answer. Because he can kind of tell where this is heading.

“Apparently, she didn’t like that you threw her away the next morning so she did something about it. Thank God she can’t aim that well, I’m sure she tried for the head.”

J is speechless since he was expecting a different outcome.

“The Great Joker, taking down by one of his one night stands. How stupid is that?!” you hiss and try to calm down the urge to strangle him.

“That is quite stupid, my reputation would be ruined,” he tries to joke since he knows he’s going to hear about it forever. “Is it fair to assume she’s not around anymore?”

“I made sure,” you frown, scooting closer to him again. “If you were planning to sleep with her again, she’s not available.”

He grabs your waist, loving the bitter expression written all over your being.

“Any other news?” he changes the subject, delighted you’re so worked up.

You cut him some slack for the moment, sharing your observations:

“I think one of the nurses likes you. She keeps on lifting your hospital gown, checking out the area.”

“Probably to see if I need my bandages changed,” J grins, satisfied with the little confession.

“Or maybe checking out your components,” you honestly reply.

“Components!” he chuckles and regrets it the next second: the sore wound is definitely there.

The door opens and you grumble in a low voice:

“That’s her, that’s the nurse.”

“Quickly, fix my hair,” The Joker demands and you comb the green locks with the tip of your fingers. “How do I look?”

“Like crap,” you sigh, unable to repair too much due to the present misfortune.

“Dammit,” he completely covers the both of you with the sheet, shielding the intimacy of the discussion from any prying ears.

“Miss Y/N, it’s not safe to be this close to a recovering patient with a raw injury. There’s the risk of infection. Could you please go back to your recliner?” the woman requests out of concern for the medical staff’s own safety: she knows that if something happens to The Clown Prince of Crime while under their care, they will pay for the consequences.

“Make me!” you sneer from under the covers, irritated with her plea.

“Yeah, make her!” J growls also and it’s a red flag for the nurse to leave before one of you snaps. The care giver leaves some medications on the cabinet, planning to return later.

“Try not to contaminate me,” he pouts and you roll your eyes. “I already sacrificed a lady’s interest in me by siding with the competition.”

“You’re so full of it,” you kick his knee, careful not to touch the stitched laceration.

He has no clue how much it terrified you that he almost died on Kai’s birthday; it would have been unbearable to think each year at the same date about two men you care about no longer around.

*************

After 3 weeks

The Joker was released from the clinic yesterday and went straight to the cabin in the Willow Woods, hauling a vexed work wife with him against her will. You sure detest the place in the winter time; there are days it snows so much you can’t even walk to the shed to restart the generator. But he said the fresh air will make his recovery a piece of cake and for once you didn’t argue with the bullshit reason.

You are so worn out after taking care of J 24/7 that the tempest going on outside doesn’t bother you. Y/N dozed off one hour ago and the strong wind sweeping the wilderness slams branches, snow and frozen leaves against the windows.

A strand of your hair is being tugged by the crabby King of Gotham; he has insomnia and of course he sneaked into your bedroom after drinking 2 cups of chamomile tea that did absolutely nothing.

“Y/N, are you awake?”

You barely make eye contact, the brain fuzzy from all the restlessness you dealt with in the past weeks.

“My back is stiff,” The Joker indirectly implies a massage would be more than welcomed.“Did you hear me?” he pokes your shoulder when you nap again.

“Why won’t you let me rest?” you finally blur out, wishing you were at your apartment and not in the boonies at the cottage you can’t stand.

“I can’t work out for a while and my bones are cracking every move I make. Plus, I can’t sleep because your dumb tea didn’t work. Are you gonna do anything about it or not?!” he loses patience describing his hardships to the woman that should know all about them.

“Don’t nag me!” the unexpected response containing what J usually throws at you makes him search his mind for a sour admonishment.

In the meantime, you get on your knees and slap his side so he can turn face down, beginning to rub his back along the dragon tattoo since he won’t quit bugging you.

“That feels awesome,” he grunts when your hands work around the tight muscles keeping him up at this hour of the night.

“Jesus, one knot after the other!” you blur out frustrated, trying to relax the stubborn tissue under his skin.

“Told you I‘m stiff; I wasn’t lying. Keep going,” he motivates the grumpy Y/N. “Aren’t you happy that you still have a boss to take care of?”

He senses your fingers stopping, then restarting and something that sounds like sniffling.

“Are you crying?” the muffled question arises from under the pillows.

You wipe your eyes with the sleeve of your fleece pajamas, watching the flames in the fireplace crackling in the darkness. The Joker reaches his left hand backwards and grabs yours, pulling you next to him again. There’s no resistance from your part and his face moves on top of the cushions again.

“What’s wrong?”

“Nothing…” you bite your cheek and refuse to say more on the topic.

You don’t really have to though; The Clown Prince of Crime is neither stupid or blind.

“I’m still here old girl,” he emphasizes due to his twisted desire to get you out of your misery while still being a jerk.

“I’m not old,” you defend your 36 years of existence like you always do.

“According to my standards you are,” the silver teeth maliciously glisten 2 inches away from Y/N’s lips.

“Your standards are pure crap,” you sulk and he wraps your arms around his neck, compromising at last:

“Probably…” and your sudden kiss takes him by surprise and in the same time it doesn’t.

That’s new, The Joker thinks and enjoys the opportunity of making out with the feisty Y/N that clings to him so tight he cannot move.

“I think I’m still out of commission,” he purrs in between kisses and you couldn’t care less.

“That’s fine,” you smile and give him a second to catch his breath.

“Wait…Wait…” J carefully debates. “Ummm…On the brighter side, I believe we might be in luck but you’ll have to do the hard work giving my present situation.”

“That’s fine too,” you accept his proposal and lean over to whisper:

“Don’t worry, I’ll be nice.”

**************  

7 months later

“Did you get what I asked for?” The Joker barks at the smuggler that’s taking too long searching the metal crates from the last shipment received yesterday.

“Yes, Mister Joker, just one moment. I know it’s in here, I saw it myself.”

“I don’t have a moment!” the impatient King of Gotham retaliates and the dealer picks up the pace, relieved to finally discover the item buried inside the box.

“Here you go Mister Joker,” something resembling a booklet is being handed to J.

The opulent wedding ring beaded with purple and green diamonds stands out on The Joker’s finger and the smuggler’s eyes get big.

“Oh, you got married Mister Joker?!”

“Yeah, two days ago,” he gets ready to bail since he’s late for his own honeymoon trip to Las Vegas.

“Congratulations!” the guy has nothing better to do than offer his best wishes.

“Why??” J’s mood switches for the worse. “You think I got a good bargain out of it?! I didn’t !! She’s been nagging me for 11 years; I just made it official !”

“I’m sorry Mister Joker,” another wrong reply escapes the dealer’s lips.

“Why are you sorry, hm?” the pissed Prince of Crime raises his voice. “You think I can’t handle my own wife?!”

You are waiting for J next to your car, playing with the bottom of your short summer dress. There was certainly a commotion going on until a few moments ago when the noises stopped; you’re about to check on it but J is coming out of the building, brushing pieces of glass off his clothes.

“What happened?” you inquire.

“I got you a present,” he avoids replying and gives you the booklet.

“What is this?” you open it, confused. Nothing but a bunch of stamps neatly organized inside.

“A stamp collection, Y/N! You always complained that when I brought girls at the Penthouse I said I have a stamp collection to show them when in the matter of fact I didn’t. So I fixed the issue: these are actual stamps I can show them; very valuable: I paid one hundred thousand dollars!” he boasts in front of an annoyed Mrs. Joker.

“No girls, no stamps!” you flip the expensive collection straight into the trash can near you.

“Wha’… What are you doing?!”

“No girls, no stamps!” you repeat, urging him to get in the vehicle.

“How dare you?!“ he has an outburst that you don’t pay attention to. “You’re fired!”

“No I’m not,” you calmly go around the car since you’re the designated driver for the vacation. “Come on, get in,” you reach from the driver’s side to open the other door for him. ”Traffic will be horrible across the Bridge of Angels. We have to leave,” you pat the passenger’s seat and J is hesitating. “You really don’t need that stamp collection; you have me.”

“Pfft,” he huffs and enters the car, not wanting to admit to himself that his work wife is right.

Actually work wife and wife.

No matter what anyone says, now there’s finally no difference.

Also read: MASTERLIST

AO3 account - same blog name: DiYunho

[canaryatlaw]

okay, I’m tired AF and should be asleep already but today was pretty good. I woke up to like 4 alarms going off at 9 am because the built in alarm on my phone has been not going off randomly so I downloaded a bunch of alarm apps and set them all, and it took me a solid like 3 minutes to figure out how to turn all of them off lol. I convinced myself to get out of bed, had some breakfast, and then started work, which I did from 9:30 to 5:30 to get my 8 hours in and officially make my hour count for the week 40.1 hours, which at least means I’ll get a nice paycheck for the week. I started writing the brief, going through the procedural history and most of the statement of facts. it’s one of those annoying cases where there’s no real summary of the medical history, so I just end up scrolling through endless medical records and trying to pull out what was important. But I managed alright. When it was 5:30 I stopped and started getting ready for soccer. I was fairly hesitant going into this game for several reasons. the first would be that this is the first round of “playoffs” (everyone is guaranteed one game) and I guess in an effort to make sure the best teams get to the final, instead of having the top two ranked teams play each other, they had the top ranked team play the last ranked team, which, you guessed it, is my team. Now, that in itself wouldn’t be that bad, we’ve lost plenty of games before and idgaf about that really. Where it starts getting bad is a lot of people from our team were unable to make the game, so we were down to 7 people when the game is supposed to be 8 v 8 so not only would we be down a player on the field, but we wouldn’t have any subs and everyone would have to play the whole game. Since the league is co-ed they have a rule where you have to have at least 3 girls on the field at one time, and we were initially down to only 2 girls coming, but one of the guys was bringing his girlfriend who plays, so we’d at least have 3. But yeah, all of this was making me super hesitant because I have not played a full game in like....15 years maybe?? certainly not since my lungs started acting up when I was like 12 or so. The game is only 40 minutes total thankfully, but that’s still a lot of time to be on the field straight with only a 2 minute halftime break. But I didn’t want to bail on the last week because that would be a shitty thing to do, so I got all my stuff and walked down to the bus stop, took it over to the stop nearest the fields and walked the rest of the way from there. I was initially the first person from my team there, but the other girl from the team showed up soon after, and the guys started showing up pretty soon. The guy who was bringing his girlfriend with him showed up in a Northwestern Law shirt and was like “yeah I took the bar yesterday” and I knew he went to NW but didn’t know he was in law school, so I talked to him a little about it but not too much because recovering from the bar is a lot and getting peppered with questions about it is not helpful. Our real streak of luck here happened when there were these two guys playing on the field and they asked if they could join our game. At that point our last player hadn’t showed yet so we were looking at only 6 people on the field, so we said yes and managed to get them into fairly similar shirts to us. They appeared to be of hispanic descent with somewhat of accents, which I only mention because by and large it seems like people not from the US are soooooooo much better at playing soccer than we are, and boy oh boy was that true here. Our last guy did show up so we ended up having one sub, but since it was a guy all the girls had to play the full game anyway, but it was still good to have. So we started playing and like, these guys are really damn good. Like I’m just watching their footwork and their control of the ball and it was insane, I was so jealous lol. I didn’t have a great first half, kind of fumbled with the ball a bit, which I think was mostly due to nerves as I was concerned about my breathing being okay. I also apparently lost the ability to touch the ball and remain standing afterwards, as it seemed like I was on the ground after every time I kicked it, and even sometimes when I didn’t. At half time though we were only down two goals which we were all pretty pleased with because we thought it was going to be much worse. I had a significantly better second half performance wise, which I was very happy about, but my breathing ended up getting much more labored from doing more running, and there was one period where my lungs started making concerning noises, and about 10 seconds where I started feeling dizzy and was like oh fuck I’m going to pass out, but thankfully it passed and I was able to get my breathing under control. I had some pretty good interceptions which I was pleased with, managed to at least disrupt their path with the ball. There was one time where the guy playing center defense (I was doing left defense) kicked the ball laterally towards me without looking to see if I was actually there and I wasn’t because I had been covering the girl on the other team and we were both just like !!! fuck lol. but yeah, we played really well and I was happy about it. The other team, on the other hand, were playing like real assholes. They were definitely pissed they weren’t winning by more, and the number of fouls they got called on them for playing dirty, like tripping, grabbing people’s shirts, and just generally being really aggressive/violent to the point where two of their players ended up getting yellow carded, and for some perspective out of the seven weeks of games we’ve had this is the first time I’ve seen someone get carded. The one guy almost got thrown out of the game for cursing at the ref (like wtf??? who does that??) even though there was like 30 seconds left in the game at that point. So especially given how they were playing I was pleased with how we did. The final score ended up being 3-0, which is really quite good when you consider some games we’ve had this season were like, 6-1 with us losing lol. So we felt good about it. Once I got off the field I looked down and saw what looks like it’s going to be a massive bruise with a really big scratch mark going across it. I hadn’t noticed it at all so I have no idea when it even happened lol. could’ve been worse though, at least there was no blood. We all talked to each other about signing up for other seasons and keeping a team together, because the thing with pretty much all the other teams is that they’ve been playing together for years now, and the only way we’re gonna get to that point is if we continue to play together, so I definitely intend on doing that. The one guy had signed up for a Monday night fall league that’s 11 v 11, which sounds nice because playing 8 v 8 on a tiny ass field gets pretty annoying when you only ever have a split second with the ball before someone’s on top of you. So I may end up doing that. The two guys who joined us (who we were SO thankful to) wanted to keep playing with us too (they said they just came to Chicago and were looking for opportunities to play) so I traded phone numbers with one of them and we’ll keep in contact. So yeah, overall a lot better than I expected. We all said our goodbyes (for now anyway) and I walked down to the bus stop, and took that home. The bus was being rerouted a bit due to construction on the main road so I had to get off a stop early before they went several blocks south before proceeding further west. Walked home from there, roommate was home and doing the dishes (which I was super happy about because they were starting to smell really bad and like, dishes are my least favorite thing to do and most of it was hers so I was really hoping she’d do them) since she’s going to be out of town this weekend too. I’m only gonna be gone for like 24 hours, so I’ll just leave kitty out some extra food and I’m sure she’ll be fine, she normally doesn’t even eat all the food in her bowl every day so she’ll be good. I chilled out for a bit and then got in the shower because I was still soaked through with sweat, then pretty much started getting ready for bed from there because I was pretty damn tired, and now I’m here. Probably not going to make that 9 am wake up again tomorrow, but tomorrow starts the new pay period so if I don’t hit 8 hours in one day it’ll be okay, especially given I can work on the plane rides this weekend, so I’m not concerned. And yeah, that’s about it, sleep is definitely calling my name so I am going to go to bed now. Goodnight my friends. Happy Friday.

[artandteaandstuff-blog]

Strange Places - Part 7

Summary: Emma Swan is only just getting to grips with the whole fairy-tale thing, let alone the villains. She’s already defeated the Evil Queen. But the Evil Queen’s mother is a new story entirely. Not to mention Captain Hook. She will do whatever she has to do to take him out. Until one day she wakes up in an entirely different bed, only to find out she’s married to him. | Captain Swan.

Author’s Notes: THANK YOU @irishswanff FOR YOUR BETA-ING.

Tagging a few people who are/ were reading! If you want to be taken off this list or added to it, please let me know! Also I’ve lost track of who asked to me tagged so if I missed you, shout at me!!

@pottlock @killian_whump @silmarilswan @katromine @like-waves-on-the-beach@the-selfish-heart @galadriel26 @elaine-spades@blackwidownat2814@spartanguard @lifeismadeup-ofmoments@superchocovian @linda8084@georgianablythe16  @revanmeetra87 @swanslieutenant @swanandapirate @dreadpirateemma @ofshipsandswans @killiancygnus

FF.NET

Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6

Too Much, Too Far

Hook cornered Emma in the kitchen after he dropped Lizzie off at school.

She was only just out the shower, hair loose and freshly dried, clothes soft against her skin. Other-Emma had a different fashion sense than her. She was more into soft jumpers and dresses, whereas Emma prefered a good pair of jeans and a tank top. She managed to get a good night’s sleep the night before, so she had woken early and bright-eyed.

Hook, on the other hand, didn’t look like he was faring so well. His face was pale with sleepless nights, his eyes bloodshot and tender. If Emma didn’t know him any better, she’d say he was heartbroken. That was the feeling she got from him every time he fixed her with those wounded puppy-dog eyes she was so unused to seeing.

“I have something to tell you, love,” he said.

She turned, in the midst of drying a plate, and raised her eyebrows in response.

“Now, bear with me…”

She didn’t like the sound of that. She turned to face him, folding her arms, battle stance at the ready. Was he going to tell her to stop with the questions? He hadn’t objected to them last night, but she could tell he was at breaking point, especially when she started quizzing him on their sex-life... and his villainy. They were touchy subjects. She made note to use them as button pushers later, when the occasion arose.

“What?” she asked. When she realised how hostile her voice sounded, she added, softer, “What’s up?”

“We’ve been invited out to dinner,” he said, grimly, watching her with those bright blue eyes. She looked away from his gaze, finding that it burned into her too much.

“Okay?”

“With your mother and father.”

“That’s it?” She almost laughed.

She noted the relief on his face. She thought it would be much worse, especially with the way he was acting. But her parents, she could handle. In fact, she could probably use them to her advantage. She smiled, unable to stop herself, and he caught it before she dropped her expression into something more neutral. He must have mistook it, for his own face broke out into a smile, and for a moment it was so blinding she couldn’t look away. She had never seen him smile like that, not once, not even when he flirted so shamelessly with her.

“I need to go and sort out the laundry,” he said, still smiling. He made his way to the door but turned just shy of it. “And Emma?”

“Yeah?”

“Glad to see a bit of the old you.”

The twist of guilt in her gut surprised her.

So, it was settled. Lizzie, Neal and Archie were to stay with Belle, who took on her babysitting duties with enthusiasm. She turned up at the door a, little earlier than expected, to pick Lizzie up. Emma couldn’t notice how much happier she seemed. Nothing like the shy, closed-off Belle she had known back in the other Storybrooke.

“You’re alright having three of them sleep over?” Emma heard Killian ask.

“It will be my pleasure.”

Emma had yet to come down the stairs. She was perched at the top of the landing, listening to their conversation, and glimpsing Belle from around the corner. She hadn’t worked up the courage to go down the stairs yet, and she wasn’t quite finished getting ready but she wanted to hear what tales Hook spun when she wasn’t around. Was it just her he was fooling, or was it the whole town?

“Brilliant. Thanks again, love.”

“No problem,” she said, holding her hand out for Lizzie to take. “Have you said goodbye to mummy?” she asked her.

Lizzie nodded. “Yeah, I went upstairs to say goodbye. She’s getting ready.”

“I’ll give her your love,” Killian said to Belle.

“Please do.”

He gave his daughter one last wave before she disappeared down the path with Belle. When Emma heard the door close, she scrambled back into the bedroom, heart pounding in her chest.

She needed to finish getting ready. It wouldn’t do to be distracted. She caught sight of the jewelry she laid out on the bed for herself, and crossed the room to pick it up. Usually she wasn’t the jewelry type, but today she wanted to make an impression on Killian. It was all part of her game plan.

She laid out a glimmering necklace, a few bracelets, and earrings. They were all silver, sparkling in the light when she picked them up. She fastened her earrings first, pushing back her freshly curled hair. She’d been wearing her hair less curly recently, because she hardly had time to shower with all the monsters running about, let alone spend hours in front of the mirror. But she found she missed it, as she pinched a curl between her fingertips. It was reminiscent of a bail bonds Emma; someone who did whatever she had to to get answers.

That was who she needed to be tonight.

Perhaps that was why she’d decided on a tight black dress she found in the back of the wardrobe. This body was older than her normal one, but she still managed to pull it off. If she and Hook were really married, he wouldn’t be able to take his eyes off her, and that would make everything run much more smoothly. She paired it with black kitten heels.

She was just about to go downstairs when a breeze wafted from the open window, straight to her bare legs. She felt the goosebumps rise and the cold run through her. Stockings would help that. Now, where would they be?

She started with the drawers, pulling them open, and peering inside. She thoroughly looked through panties, socks and bras, but she wasn’t able to find the stockings. She decided to try her luck on the lingerie drawer she’d found one of the first few nights she’d been here. She felt around, and found not stockings, but the red lacy panties and bra she’d come across before. As she pulled them out of the drawer, another thought struck her.

It would be bad…

But if it worked, it would be oh so useful…

Her lips curled into a slow smile. Yes, those would come very useful later tonight, but not until after the meal. He’d have a few drinks, and so would she, to get her confidence up.

Captain Hook really didn’t know what he was in for.

“Wow, Emma,” Hook said as she walked down the stairs, smiling at him in greeting. “You look beautiful, but we’re just going to Granny’s.”

She stepped off the bottom step. “Is it bad that I wanted to dress up?”

“You won’t find me complaining.” She noticed Captain Hook flashed in Killian Jones’ eyes.

When she held her hand out for him he looked at it, surprised, but she nodded. He took it. His hand felt strange in hers, and the feeling of his touch made her want to snatch it out of his immediately, but she pushed the thought away and smiled at him. She was going to have to be on her best behaviour if her plan was going to work.

For now.

 By the time they got to Granny’s, Mary Margaret and David were already there, sat in a booth. They smiled at them as they made their way in. David stood up immediately and took Emma’s coat, murmuring a, “You look beautiful.”

“Thanks Dav- uh, dad.” She cringed at herself.

She sat next to Mary Margaret, who she deemed safe territory. Mary Margaret smiled at her with glowing eyes, and handed her a menu.

“How are you feeling?” she asked, with a smile.

“A lot better, thanks mom.”

“Killian told us you were making more of an effort. I’m really glad to hear that, Emma. You’ll be back to your old self in no time.”

“I think you might be right.”

They order drinks. Hook decided on rum, no surprises there, and Emma ordered a big glass of red wine. She gulped down half of it as soon as the waitress set it on the table in front of her. She ignored everyone’s worried eyes on her, as she set it back on the table with a louder clink than necessary.

“Right, what are we ordering?”

Everyone ordered burgers. When the waitress came, Hook ordered onion rings for Emma instead of fries, and fixed her with a smile. She had to force herself to smile back, alarm bells ringing in her head. He knew her too well. They’d been married for years.

He knew her too well.

They were in the middle of waiting for the food when Emma decided to bring up the questions.

“Hook and I have found a way to beat the amnesia,” she said, gulping more wine. With everyone’s eyes on her, attentive and listening, she continued. “We’re playing 20 questions. Aren’t we?”

“That we are,” he said, taking a steady sip of his rum. His eyes were guarded as he watched her.

“So I might ask Hook some questions during dinner- and I might ask you some too, is that okay?”

“Of course Emma,” Mary Margaret said, reaching across to take her hand. She squeezed warmly. “We are willing to do anything to help you. Please ask us anything you think might help.”

“I will,” she said, suppressing her smile.

She decided to bide her time. She listened to Mary Margaret talk about Neal, and how he refused to do his homework, because -according to him- he was a prince and princes didn’t have to do homework. David rolled his eyes as he listened to his wife tell the story, interrupting to add that algebra is much less work than sword fighting or horse training, or all the other things a prince has to do to rule the Kingdom. Mary Margaret mentioned that she had to get through three thick volumes a week when she was learning how to be a princess. It taught her discipline and helped her realise the true sacrifices princesses have to make.

Emma tried not to seem bored by the conversation when, truthfully, it was a little out of her depth. She couldn’t imagine Mary Margaret as a princess, or David as a prince, and she didn’t want to. It all seemed so far away from her, and though she knew it was true, she couldn’t connect herself to the reality of it.

“I’m sure Neal will grow out of it,” said Hook. “He’s a smart lad. If it’s a sword fighting lesson he wants, perhaps I could teach him a few tricks.”

“Yeah, like how to play dirty, pirate,” David said, but the tone was playful. She was surprised to see the men exchange wide smiles, and it put her on edge. Who’d have thought they’d end up becoming such good friends? It sent a shudder right through her.

Only when the food arrived, did Emma put her plan into action. She waited until everyone had cut into their burgers before she got out, “So, what do you guys think of our marriage?”

David swallowed a mouthful. “What do you mean?”

“Do you think it’s happy?”

Mary Margaret and David exchanged looks, before she too swallowed her own mouthful. “Haven’t you asked Kill-”

“Yes, but I’m asking you. I don’t think Ho- Killian would lie.” She directed a forced smile at Hook, who had become very still. “But I want your side of it. Please understand, I’m trying to piece all of this together. I can’t do that if you won’t help me.”

“Of course you’re happy, Emma,” Mary Margaret said. “I’ve never known a couple so in love, or so trusting as you two.”

Emma somehow found that hard to believe, but she nodded along nevertheless, and took a bite out of her burger. Despite how ever many years seemed to have passed, it still tasted exactly the same as she remembered. Same recipe or… magic?

She decided to ask simpler questions, rather than reel out the big one she planned to ask. She asked them how often they come around to the house.

“Every week, of course!” said David. “Though, not in the mornings anymore. Not since we walked in on you making -uh - pancakes.”

According to David, Neal slept over at her house a lot. According to Mary Margaret, he loved his Auntie Emma, who managed to make him smile more than anyone else. Emma found that hard to believe too. She couldn’t even keep hold of her own kid, how would she be able to charm others?

She wanted to know how she suddenly came to trust them so much, and when she started to call them ‘mom and dad’, but she didn’t want to offend them, so she kept her mouth shut about that. It was only when they were halfway through dessert - strawberry and lemon cheesecakes - that Emma decided to bring out the harder questions.

“So dad,” she said, with a butter-wouldn’t-melt smile, “How come you let me marry Captain Hook?”

His smile faltered, but only for a second. “What do you mean?”

“Were you happy with that?”

His eyes flickered over to Hook and back to Emma, his smile growing wider. “Of course I was. I love Killian. I couldn’t have picked a better match for you myself- of course, not that we pick matches here, not since the Enchanted Forest.”

Her smile remained plastered to her face. That was not the answer she was hoping for. She didn’t want to have to do it, but she was going to have to up her game. They had forced her hand.

“So you really don’t mind?”

“Don’t mind what?”

“That I married a pirate?”

Hook gave a small cough. She looked over to him. His eyes were unreadable. “I think we all know I’m not that man any more.”

“Do we?” The stare she fixed him with was unblinking. She turned back to her parents. “I mean, do you really believe he just woke up one day and changed? You’re heroes. And he is- was- a villain.”

“What sort of heroes would we be if we didn’t believe people could change?” Mary Margaret asked, gently. “Your father and I, we’ve done things we’re not proud of-”

“But I doubt you’ve killed countless innocent people,” she said. She finished off her glass of wine. She needed her courage for her next words. “Come on, dad. How do you really feel that that hand- the hand that so gently brushes hair off my face-”

“Emma, don’t do this,” Killian said. She didn’t even look at him.

“-Or that hand, that have so softly touched-”

“Emma!”

“-have also ran a sword through innocents, hell, for the fun of it. How does it make you feel that your little girl married a man who ripped wives from husbands?”

“Emma, please,” Hook’s voice was pained, but she wasn’t falling for it.

“-who ripped fathers from their children?”

“Emma!” Mary Margaret shouted.

She finally looked into her parents’ faces. They were red, but that wasn’t what got her. They were looking into her face like they didn’t know her at all. They shook their heads, but she didn’t let it get to her. She couldn’t.

She threw down her napkin and rose from her seat. Without uttering another word, she turned and left Granny’s, out into the cold. No-one called after her, even though she half expected them to. She gulped down cold air, sighing as a breeze hit her warm skin. She needed the air to think, to clear her head.

She wondered if they were talking about her, shaking their heads, muttering how she's not the Emma that they know and love. Good, she thought savagely. Maybe then they’d realise that she’s not the real Emma, and send her back to the real Storybrooke, instead of keeping her at this God awful hell of a place.

She heard footsteps behind her. And of course when she turned, Hook was right there, closing the distance between them in a matter of strides. His eyes were dark, and his expression was still unreadable. She turned away from him, and out into the street, folding her arms. He came to stand beside her. He didn’t speak for a while. The only sound was the crickets’ soft chirping, and the faint sound of music coming from the diner. Finally, he spoke.

“What do you want me to do, Emma?”

She turned away from him, away from his gaze which was so uncharacteristically patient, and kept her own gaze fixed on the street. He sighed.

“Come on,” he said. “Let’s go home.”

 The journey was silent. Emma didn’t utter a word to him, and he didn’t utter a word to her. She wondered why he didn’t try and make conversation with her, or ask her what that was all about, and then she would tell him that the only way she would stop would be if he promised to help her get back to the real Storybrooke. But he didn’t speak.

They went their separate ways when they returned to the house. Killian went straight into the kitchen, and she heard the sound of a bottle hitting the side, and liquid being poured in a glass before she continued on up the stairs.

She had intended to kick off her heels, to get into her pajamas and go to sleep, but the red garments on the bed caught her eye and she remembered the next part of her plan. She smiled as she picked up the lacy red bra.

Let’s see what kind of man you really are, Captain.

 It took all of her courage. Three times she made it out into the hall, and ran back into the bedroom. She sat on the bed, talking herself into it. She needed to do this tonight, if she was going to do it at all. Lizzie wasn’t here, which made it the perfect opportunity.

She stood back up. She’d swapped her black heels for some red ones, to match the lacy undergarments she wore. She caught sight of herself in the mirror. The red stood out against her creamy skin, and it did wonders for the golden tones in her hair. She placed her hands on her hips and smiled at her reflection.

She was Emma Swan. She wasn’t scared of anything. And she definitely wasn’t scared of Captain Hook.

She made her way down the stairs, slowly, in her heels. He was no longer in the kitchen, but in the living room. He was sat on the sofa, his back to her as he looked into the fire, like something out of a storybook. His hand was clasped around a glass of rum. She watched as he brought it up and took a long, slow sip.

She leaned against the door frame, placing one hand on her hip, the other against the door.

“Well, hello there Captain.”

He jumped out of his seat and turned around. His eyes almost bulged out of his head as he took her in. “Bloody hell, Emma?”

“What do you think?”

She watched as he stood up, glass left forgotten as he approached her, eyes still wide.

“What do I think?”

She almost rolled her eyes. Almost. But instead, she sauntered forward, swaying her hips, borrowing some of that confidence she seemed to possess during one night stands. The idea was to seduce, not be vulnerable.

“What are you doing?” he asked.

“What do you think I’m doing?”

She came to a stop in front of him and touched the collar of his shirt. He didn’t move away from her, but he didn’t take her in his arms like she thought he would. He stared at her, expression torn, eyebrows knit together. She dragged her hand from the collar down his chest, skimming over the buttons.

“Emma…” he warned.

But she continued her path, right down to the bottom of his shirt. It was a move that always worked, especially when she slowed the trail of her hand.

“Don’t you want this?” she asked, blinking innocently up at him.

He caught her hand. “Emma,” he warned again, though there was something in his voice. It was deeper. There was an edge to it. She smiled.

“C’mon.” She leaned in and whispered, “What do you say?”  

The pause was long. She didn’t like being so close to him- it put her on edge. His face was so close to hers, she could see each individual tiny hair on his chin. She could smell the sweetness of the rum coming off his tongue, and something else, perhaps a sea salt shower gel. She hadn’t been nearly this close to him since they were on the beanstalk and he’d bandaged her hand.

“No,” he finally said.

“No?” Her tone was laced with surprise. “What do you mean “no”?”

“I won’t take advantage of you, not when you’re like this.” He moved a hand up to stroke hair from her face, but she flinched away from his touch. “You won’t even let me touch you like this, Emma. How am I supposed to make love to you?”

No, that’s not the answer she wanted. She hadn’t intended to sleep with him, but get him to try it on with her, so she could prove what she’d already known; he was a villain, and always would be. There was a quick jolt of shame, but she pushed it away and inched forward to him.

“Oh c’mon.”

She leaned in for a kiss, but he caught her by her shoulders. His jaw was set, his eyes stern. “No.”

She caught him by his collar and pulled him towards her with all the force she could muster, crashing her lips to his. They both stumbled before regaining their balance. His lips were soft- softer than she had imagined- but when she tried to move her mouth with his, there was no response. He gently but firmly pushed her away, and though she resisted, he was too strong for her.

“Emma, please don’t do this.” The look he gave her was earnest. “I know you do not want to do this.”

“Look, you’re an attractive man. A girl has needs.”

She moved to kiss him again but he placed a finger on her lips. She looked up at him and for a second he seemed to be amused, his eyebrow quirking up.

“I knew you’d come around eventually love,” he said, and his tone was teasing. “But I really don’t think this is the best idea.”

“Why not?” she demanded.

“I’ve told you why not. I- can’t. That’s not who I am. Not any more.”

She scoffed. “Yeah right.”

Then all at once his face moved from gentle, kind and patient to dark in a matter of seconds. It wasn’t anger exactly, but pain, and it cast a shadow over every one of his features. He took a step back from her.

“That’s why you’re doing this,” he said, with quiet realisation. “You’re trying to see what kind of man I am. I thought that perhaps- perhaps you were remembering, perhaps a part of you missed-” He shook his head. “But you’re playing me. That’s what the questions are about, aren’t they? You’ve not been forthright with me. You’re not trying to remember. You’re manipulating me.”

He looked at her, waiting for her to deny it, but she couldn’t. For some reason, she couldn’t lie to him.

“What do you expect me to do?” she finally asked. “Huh? You won’t help me. What am I supposed to do?”

“I expect you to come to me.”

“I did come to you. And, in case you’ve forgotten, you refused to help me.”

His face changed from stony back to gentle. He took a step towards her, voice soft as he said, “Emma, I am trying to help you. I promise. We all are. I just want you to rememb-”

“I haven’t forgotten anything!” she shouted. She hadn’t intended to lose her temper, but she knew if he said the words ‘remember’ one more time, she was going to lose it. And suddenly, it was like she couldn’t stop, and words were pouring out of her. “All you care about is getting the “old Emma” back, like I have amnesia. Well guess what? I don’t. And you won’t even entertain the possibility that what I’m saying might be true. You’ve convinced yourself that I’m wrong without even listening to my side of the story. You- and the rest of my family- are all hearing what you want to hear.”

“Emma-”

“How would you feel if one day you were arresting Captain Hook for shooting someone, another living human being who has done nothing wrong. He looked me in the eyes and he told me that he didn’t care who he hurt, as long as he got his revenge. Then suddenly, later that day, I’m married to him? The villain, Captain Hook?”

He clenched his jaw. “I told you, I’m not that man anymore.”

“Then I don’t know who you are, because you clearly don’t care enough about me to help me. And I feel sorry for this Emma who you claim is your wife.”

“How do you think I feel?” he shouted.

She scoffed and folded her arms.

“My wife woke up one day and suddenly she’s not my wife anymore. She refuses to look at me because she finds me repulsive. She is frightened of me.” He takes a step towards her. “I cannot hold her. I cannot even talk to her, because she is under the impression that I am a villain.”

“You shot Belle!”

“I am not that man any more,” he bellows in her face. “I know who I was. I know what I did. Do not think for one second that I’ve forgotten.”

“I don’t understand.”

“What’s so hard to comprehend, Emma?” He stalks towards her now, and she steps backwards with him. “Yes, I was a villain, but I confronted my past, and I learned from it. I changed for the better, and that was all because of you.” He takes a breath, and she thinks he’s done but then he says, “You changed too.”

Changed? She flinched.

“I didn’t- don’t need to change.”

“Well that’s where you’re wrong,” he said, softly now. “You were closed off. You put yourself before others. Your walls were so high, you couldn’t even see over them yourself, let alone break them down.” He paused, studying her face. “Perhaps you are right. Perhaps you are not my Emma. My Emma is open. She’s caring, selfless, but most importantly, she is open to love.”

Emma wraps her arms around herself, suddenly cold, suddenly very aware that she is hardly wearing a thing. Goosebumps rise on her arms.

“Well there’s one thing I don’t buy,” she says, without looking at him.

“What’s that?”

“I could never and would never love you.”

The tension in the air was thicker than it had ever been. She expected him to shout at her, to tell her to get out, to revert to his usual ways, but when she looked up at him, he was not even looking at her. His hand clenched into a fist at his side.

“Fine,” he said, so quietly, she wasn’t sure she heard him right.

“What?”

“I said fine. I’ll help you. Starting tomorrow, we will work out a plan, and we’ll get you back to wherever you bloody came from.”

He strode past her and out into the hallway. She heard his footsteps thunder up the stairs. The guest bedroom door slammed shut. Emma stood there for some time, arms wrapped around herself.

She had gotten what she wanted. So why was it that she felt like she hadn’t won at all?

[some-far-far-away-land]

Chesca's Current Status

I wish that every weekend could be as inspiring and motivating as the ones I have when I go to Toronto.

this weekend started off pretty serious and sad. Friday afternoon I had to talk to my parents about everything that happened with me after Reading Week. That meant explaining to them a bit of what happened between Thavi and i and the people who I thought would have helped me get through the break up, but ended up making the whole situation worse. I had to tell them how low my self esteem and motivation to do anything was. How I thought that I deserved to be feeling these things and the anxiety that I developed because of thavi and his actions. It wasn’t a pretty conversation and of course it had to happen at McDonalds.

After they left I met up with Jack and Jose for this party their friends were throwing. It was pretty fun and I got pretty drunk. During the party this guy I I’ve frequently been seeing messaged me if I wanted to go to Phil’s that night. Of course I said yes, even though I wasn’t expecting to go out. They got to Waterloo around midnight (they're from Toronto) and we got into the club around 12:40ish, so enough time to have fun. At this point I was already pretty tipsy and borderline drunk. We got drinks right when we got in and started dancing. I wanted to dance with him, him being Jacob. He brought one of his friends down and we coincidentally met his friends cousin at Phil’s. At one point they were all talking and I was dancing behind Jacob and drunk chesca wasn’t having the lack of attention, so I went and had fun myself and danced on the poles. I had so much fun by myself! I danced with some girls and kept an eye on Jacob but didn’t care so much, since he was with his friend and found girls to dance with. Couldn’t be salty or be like possessive since we are just like fwb anyway. Later on in the night I had to use the washroom, I was pretty wasted, the night is pretty blurry at this point. Someone stopped me on the way to the washroom and said “hey chesca” I couldn’t recognize who it was at first and then I realized it was thavi. I was like oh hi… thavi?! And then kept walking lol by the time it got to like 2AM I was pretty gone and my phone was gonna die. I started looking for my coat check ticket and I couldn’t find it. Also at this point I couldn’t find Jacob or his friend and I was like totally wasted. So I called a cab to take me home, Jacob joined me after and he was pretty drunk. We had our fun that night and he left with his friend in the morning.

I was supposed to go with them but I was pretty hung over and feeling drunk still when he woke up at 9am. So I actually got a ride to Toronto from Jack and his friend. Felt pretty queasy on the drive there. I hadn’t eaten all day and by the time I did eat it was like 5pm. I was supposed to meet with Sylvia earlier in the afternoon but she made plans with other friends prior too, so I met up with King and we went to dim sum, like we did when we went on our first date. We were supposed to go to the harbour front but the place we planned was busy since a jays game had just ended. It was nice to see him and catch up. After I met with sylvia and we commuted back to her house, which took almost 2 hrs from downtown. We had really good talks, she told me what happened with her and josh and her break up and the crazy drama behind it. We ended up talking till like 3AM that day. It felt like the old times and I missed having sylvia around to talk with and have quality conversations with.

We ended up getting up at 11:30am and eating lunch at her house. After we got ready we headed to PMALL! It was like a 30 min walk from her house. We got bbt, ate some good “street food” and we bought new phone cases! I got this nice sparkly one! I haven’t gotten a new case in awhile and I enjoy how new it makes my phone feel! I ended up leaving her at 5 because this guy who I had befriended from the Alex and Will concert wanted to meet up. It was supposed to be a group of us but everyone bailed but him. He said he was downtown and wanted to grab dinner. Our plans was to meet up after 7. That time comes around and I don’t hear from him so I decided to just walk around Chinatown and grab cheap buns at one of those Asian bakeries and read my book. I still don’t know what happened to him. I got back to my friends place around 9:30 and just stayed there, making my Spotify playlists and listening to music. Went to bed pretty late too.

I didn’t wake up till like 1PM. I’m pretty sure I experienced my first sleep paralysis situation that night because I had a very vivid dream where I couldn’t move anything but I was conscious. It was a really weird and scary experience. When I finally had control off my body I just forced myself to go back to sleep. I had the weirdest sensation while I was like frozen. It felt like a really strong presence was like hugging me like I’m on my side and they’re hugging me from the back, but it was like a squeezing feeling. I dont know it was weird.

Anyways woke up, and got ready to go get food with Celene. We ate in Chinatown and walked to the eaton centre and spent time at sephora and walking downtown. Commenting on cute guys that passed us and having quality girl time. I’ve never really spent summers in Toronto and after this weekend, I look forward to the adventures I’ll be having there in the next few months. I found a carpool for 9PM so I was just kind of chilling until then. Out of the blue this guy I had matched on tindr like 2.5 years ago (the same time I matched with Billy) 

 ---side story--- 

So this guy, his name is Patrick (lol so many Filipino's names patrick) I remember him specifically because the summer of 2015, when I went on a whole bunch of tindr dates, I matched up with him and Billy at the same time. I was leaving toronto and it was supposed to be my last tindr adventure and then when school started I was just gonna focus on school, work, and all the extracurriculars I was a part of. I ended up going with billy because our talks on the phone the week leading up to our first meet up were really good. Obviously we started dating and then patrick just ended up being another guy that I became friends with on social media. 

Anyways he messaged me, we hadn’t talked in awhile. We were supposed to meet up that weekend I went for the Alex and Will concert but man went too hard at the gym and had to cancel. I like how he asked me to dinner too. He was just like “have dinner with me!” Not even asking just stating it. I liked his confidence. I wasn’t expecting for this to pan out to be honest since the last two times we were supposed to hangout he flopped, for good reasons though, but I just felt like I wasn’t supposed to meet this guy for some reason. We met up around where my carpool was supposed to pick me up and we went to this really nice izakaya place. I honestly felt like a bum, like I was wearing a shirt dress and a hat because I was heading home and my hair was starting to get greasy.

So since my break up with thavi, I haven’t really felt romantically attracted to any guys. I’ve honestly just been using them to fulfill needs and have fun. I think I am also subconsciously not letting myself get emotionally attached because my heart is still healing and I don't think I can take another disappointment. That and no one really peaked my interest in like a relationship way, since my standards went up pretty high after all the drama that happened with thavi. The night before too I was thinking about deleting tindr and just letting God bring me a man when He thought I was ready. After meeting this guy though and hanging out with him I found myself getting nervous, a bit self conscious, and like I felt little flutters in my stomach. He actually had me feeling something, and in turn it got me acting different from myself. I felt like I really wanted to give him a good first impression, and not like just be half there. I even put my phone away and didn’t rely on it. I honestly haven’t genuinely laughed that much in awhile, my cheeks actually hurt. I didn’t feel like I had to force myself to like this guy, he made it easy. He was such a gentleman and our conversation didn’t lack, I didn’t have to push for it to continue and he had so much energy and things to talk about. It was refreshing. He ended up staying with me until my carpool. I was actually genuinely sad that the date had ended and it felt like the time went by super fast. Two hours felt like 30 mins.

Even though we didn’t meeting up till now, we’ve followed each other on social media and seeing his updates and posts about his life and personally hearing the successes he achieved in the span of 2.5 years really motivated me to get my life around and focus on those life goals and bucket list things I set aside in the 2.5 years I’ve been dating and absorbed in the guys I was in relationships with. unlike all the dates I’ve gone on the past 2 months this one I feel like it may go somewhere, but I’m trying not expecting anything. Just gonna see how it goes the next few weeks, while focusing on the things I told my parents I would be doing. He just kind of restored my faith in guys, that there are still good ones out there. He has hit a lot of my main criteria points so far too! 1. He’s older (25) 2. He can carry a conversation 3. His energy is pretty equal to mine 4. He is very career driven 5. He was funny and interesting to hang with 6. He’s Filipino so that’s a plus 7. He dresses well and looked like he tried to look nice for our meet up. 8. He also encouraged me to continue to strive for my goals and even offered advice!

After I just had this feeling that I know there was a reason why the other times didn’t work out with meeting up with him. Gods timing is perfect and he’ll bring people and take people out of our lives at the right time. I think this was the right time to have met him to be honest.

So yea after our meet up or date whatever you call it, I carpooled home, and got back around 10:30pm. I dont know why I wanted to document this weekend. I guess it was one of first weekends where I didn’t feel like escaping, I just wanted to go to have fun. My main reason was to be with sylvia as she helped me out a lot with my break up so I wanted to show her the same support. She’s doing a lot better then I was 2 weeks into the break up that’s for sure. Anyways imma end it here, I have work at 8am and it’s 3:30am 😅