#yes this is me plugging game again LOOK ITS A REALLY FUCKING GOOD SONG

[sanstropfremir]

the opposite of a good idol bad artist example i mentioned with eunbi and chungha is one of my favorite new-ish girl group members is mia of everglow. i observe shes remarkable consistent in the quality of her performances, and for a 6 member girl group she has half the line distribution of entire songs and title tracks. much more than she SHOULD have but she does really well with the workload. she has dance breaks despite not being a main dancer, raps despite not being a rapper and is never winded or appears fatigued on stage. she even has impressive high note consistency despite hard choreography and singing half the lines of a six membered girl group song. yet a lot of people think of her as robotic or boring. shes a good idol but theres not any artistry there, just because shes good at execution doesnt mean shes creative or engaging in a way that makes people think about her as a performer. do you have any favorites that arent necessarily engaging or unique in a way that builds identity or is that the main thing you look for when wanting to follow someone

hmmm. that's a good question. i wouldn't say that i'm like, hardline looking for people who are unique and that's the only metric i use to gauge whether i like someone, bc that's a lot of pressure to put on yourself as a viewer and i don't think you need to do that all the time, especially with kpop. however, because i have tastes (visually and musically) that tend towards the more unusual side, i tend to filter out the things that i find unengaging fairly quickly and move on. i skimmed through my compiled playlist of this year's releases and to be honest there are not that many on there that fit the 'not engaging' category (imo, obvs). i think the big difference for me is that i maintain a pretty distinct separation between 'stuff that i watch to enjoy the performance' and 'stuff i listen to bc i think it sounds good'. so there's very few 'unengaging' people that i would recommend for people to watch, but that doesn't stop me from having a lot of songs saved from groups and people that i never watch performances for. literally one of my most listened songs this year is drippin's game and i couldn't name you a single member or even recognize them on sight. everyone looks for different things when they follow artists, and it's not always uniform across the board, even for the same person.

[wheezyseeker99]

Guilty as Sin

Warnings: pining, alcohol consumption (just a little), swearing, smut in many forms aka masturbation (female), oral (female receiving), penetration (fm), and multiple orgasm

18+, MDNI

Summary: based on my interpretation of the song. Also if you can’t tell, I’m obsessed with the way he was as a whole on April 11, 2024.

Anyway, good luck soldiers if you read.

I moved in with my best friend Cam a few months ago. Reason being I wanted to work on the east coast, and he isn’t usually home often. So I take care of the house while he’s on the road, and I get to spend time with him when he is home. It’s a win-win for the both of us.

The longest stretch for when he’s home is when hockey is in its off season, which is supposed to start soon here in Philly. With this losing streak, they are definitely not making playoffs. It’s sad because they really did have a good season up until now.

Tonight Cam has an away game. I decided to stay home since I had to work so now I have the place alone once again. Earlier he sent me a song that reminded him of me, and that made my day so much better. Work has torn me to pieces lately, but today was rougher than others. I’m debating whether I should take a personal day tomorrow just to recuperate.

I’m sitting here putting the finishing touches on graded assignments before the game starts. I’m feeling tense. Sometimes I can’t figure out why I put myself through the torture of teaching children for a living. It’s so hard to do, but in the end, it’s so rewarding. I close my laptop and shove it with the graded assignments into my bag and grab a bottle of wine from the kitchen. It’s a normal occurrence at this point to watch the games with a drink in hand.

Right when I make it back into the living room, I glance up at the tv to see that TK passed the puck to Cam and he scored. I gape at the tv for a second.

My best friend just scored.

I jump up off the couch and shout in excitement. I pull out my phone and pose next to the moment on the screen, sending it to Cam for him to see later. In the heat of the excitement, I sit back down and continue watching the game.

When the first period is over, the score is tied. I think it’s almost safe to say the losing streak is over but I don’t want to jinx it. I finally decide it’s time to eat so I go to the kitchen and make a sandwich. Though, when I walk back I see Cam on the screen doing an intermission interview. I paused my eating mid-bite.

Holy shit. He looks hot as fuck right now.

I stare at him for the rest of the interview, spiraling. This isn’t the first time I thought of Cam in that way. Honestly, it’s always been in the back of my brain, but I don’t have the balls to act on it. Cam has always been the one that’s there for me. He cares about me and he actually listens to me. That’s a rarity for a man. He’s so precious, and I’m not screwing up our friendship because I’m touch starved.

For the rest of the game, I kept thinking of the things that I shoved deep inside my mind. And they all had to do with my best friend. The wine didn’t help with that either. I turned off the game and went to brush my teeth.

Cam probably won’t be home until the middle of the night so I leave a light on for him and trail into my bedroom, closing the door behind me. I lay down and the thoughts are back immediately.

Maybe I should get it all out while he’s not here.

My inner voice usually doesn’t say yes to things so easily, but here I am, thinking about throwing my thoughts to the wolves. This is far too unhinged. Is it bad to think about him in this way? I rack my brain until my phone lights up with a message from Cam.

‘That’s my girl’ with a picture of him cheesing at the camera. My eyes trail over the picture, looking everywhere from his bare shoulders to his lips. It’s safe to say that I metaphorically want to jump his bones immediately. Feral as hell.

I plug in my phone and lay it on my bedside table, hoping that he doesn’t notice that I didn’t reply.

It’s helpless to be this way. I slide my shorts off, leaving me in a big tshirt, and lay down again. When I close my eyes, I see Cam. I let out a deep sigh. What if, just this once, I give in to it? No harm in rubbing one out while thinking about my best friend right?

I close my eyes again and trail my hand up my thigh. My fingers aren’t my own, they’re his. His lips messily attacking my own. I’m breathing hard, swirling my fingers around my clit.

Cam. Cam. Cam.

My mind is running wild with all of the things we’ve never did. The way he’d manhandle me sticks to my mind like glue. He’d mark my body as his. I tilt my head back and gasp when I press two fingers into myself, applying pressure to my clit with my thumb. Cam’s calloused fingers would feel so much better than my own. He would curl them in a certain way that would make me melt into the palm of his hand. I feel my body shaking and soon I’m chanting his name while I’m crashing through an orgasm.

When I open my eyes, I notice how labored my breathing is. I take a few minutes to regain my ability to breathe and fell asleep.

…

My dream is starting to feel so real. It’s like Cam is haunting me. He’s laying behind me in bed, sliding his hands against my bare thighs. I feel his lips against the back of my neck. But it’s not real. It can’t be. I keep my eyes closed while I whimper out his name. It really feels like I can feel his breath against the shell of my ear and hear him softly hum.

There are kisses being pressed down my neck onto my shoulder. The scratchiness of his beard scrapes the sensitive skin. I lean into the fantasy, reaching my hand behind me to grab onto his hair, moaning at the way his mouth feels against my skin. It feels soft against my hand. If only this was real.

I roll over and open my eyes, and the world stops. Blue eyes hold my gaze.

“This isn’t real.”

“It is.” He places a kiss on my jaw and then pulls away to look at me. “You called me and I assumed it was a mistake. I kept my airpods in just in case you just wanted company while you slept.” His hand goes back to stroking my thigh. “But then I heard you moaning and calling out my name. Care to comment on that?”

My skin is on fire when he touches me and his eyes are burning into me. I bite my lip, but he lifts his thumb up to set my bottom lip free from my teeth. I let out a deep sigh, trying to control myself. I have to be honest now. I lay onto my back and stare at the ceiling.

“I thought I only plugged in my phone to charge. I didn’t mean to call you. I’m sorry. I just-”

“You’re sorry for what exactly?”

“I don’t know. I didn’t think you’d ever find out.” I cover my face with my hands. “I really embarrassed myself and I’m sorry if it’s going to be weird between us now because of what I did.”

He pulls my hands away from my face and holds them. “I’m glad you did it. I’ve been holding back from this for a long time.”

I stared at him, more shocked than I’ve ever been before. “You’re not mad at me?”

“Think about it. Use that pretty brain.” He taps a finger to my forehead. “Was I not just kissing your skin baby?”

Oh wow.

I’m at a loss for words so I nod my head. He nods back at me, smiling broadly. “Exactly. I love you just as much as you love me. So tell me, may I kiss you some more?”

I nod again and press my lips to his. The world fades around us. Cam’s hands come to my hips and lifts me onto him. I’m straddling his lap and I gasp for air when our kiss breaks. I didn’t realize he’s only wearing underwear until now. My hands settle onto his bare shoulders, feeling his hot skin under my touch. This feels like a fantasy. He licks his lips, silently begging for more. There’s a spark in his eyes when he looks at me. He smoothes down my bed head, and tucks a stray hair behind my ear.

“This is what I wanted for so long.” His voice is low and it sends a shiver down my spine. “I’m sick of sharing you. You’re mine now.”

I gulp and mindlessly nod my head. I’m physically and mentally melting into him. His hands trail up and down my back, like he’s mapping out his territory, until they settle on my ass.

“Come on now baby. Cat got your tongue?” He smirks. “Tell me you’re mine.”

“I’m yours Cam.”

“Mine.” He says through gritted teeth while he smacks my ass. He brings his mouth back to mine. The kisses are growing more urgent and heated, and I grind down onto his lap, needing more friction between my legs. He lets out a strangled groan into my mouth, smacking my ass again.

Cam removes his mouth from mine and moves it to nip at my neck. His beard grazes my skin, making my head tilt back. I moan out his name when he bites down on my pulse point. He reaches a hand between us, feeling my wetness over my underwear while I continue to grind into him.

“Who did this to you baby?”

“You.” I gasp. His fingers pull aside my underwear and press into my clit. I scream out and lay my head on his shoulder.

“Fuck. So pretty.” Two of his fingers circle against my clit until he presses them into me. I rock greedily onto them. “Look at you taking me so good.”

His praise has me clutching onto him for dear life. I have no other coherent thoughts besides him. I’m chanting out his name again for the second time tonight when I slam into the most mind blowing orgasm I’ve ever had. He brings his fingers up to his lips and sucks them, moaning at the taste of me. My hands drop to the waistband of his boxers. I start tugging them down while I give attention to his chest, lips meeting any piece of his skin I can reach.

Once I freed him from his boxers, he flips me over onto my back and takes off my panties and tshirt, leaving us both stripped down to nothing but skin.

Cam’s gaze shows an expression I’ve never seen him have before. It looks like a look of untamed desire. Kind of animalistic. I want him so bad. He’s back on me in an instant.

Our chests pressed together, mouth attacking mine. His hand lifts my thigh over his hip, sinking into me further. His hips move in long strokes. I moan into his mouth as he thrusts into me at a slow and steady pace. He’s taking his time.

We lose ourselves in each other and forget everything else. The feeling of him on top of me, in me, has me at an intoxicating level of ecstasy. Reality feels so far away, but we’re in it. I try to commit this all to memory until Cam moans into my mouth, biting down on my bottom lip as he lets my lips go. He starts going faster. He takes my hands and holds them above my head while he tucks his face into the crook of my neck. I scream out in bliss. The snapping of his hips blurs my vision and my body is aching to release.

“Please.” I stutter out. I’m too overwhelmed to say anything else. It’s too much.

“Let go baby. I’m-“ his voice breaks and he lets out a guttural moan. His desperate thrusts are starting to stagger when I tip over the edge. His mouth crashes down on mine, muting the whine that’s coming out of his throat. A wave of pure pleasure washes over us as we ride out our climax.

“Fuck I’m so in love with you.” He whispers against my lips. His chest is still heaving while he slides out of me. I’m lying here breathless and mind-numbingly blissed out. He looks down at me like I’m the greatest thing to ever happen to him. He bites his lip when he looks down at the mess we made and quirks a brow at me. “Think I need to clean you up now.”

Cam shuffles down the bed until he’s face to face with my soaked pussy. He swirls a finger around, mixing his cum with mine.

Oh my god.

I throw my head back and moan at how sensitive it feels. I try to squeeze my thighs together but he pries them open and lowers his mouth to taste me. My legs start shaking immediately. I grab onto his hair as he shoves his face further into me, licking every place he can before sucking my clit into his mouth which elicits another breathless scream from me. He chuckles against me but continues his assault. I’m writhing in pleasure until I come apart again, breathing hard as he licks me through my orgasm. My hands fall to the bed and he stands to leave. I whimper but he shushes me, saying he’d be back. Cam comes back with a wash cloth and gently wipes me clean.

After he takes the wash cloth back to the bathroom, he comes back and lays down with me. He pulls me into him, both of us still very naked. I lay my head on his chest and snuggling close. I love this feeling. I lift my chin to rest on his chest and look at his face. He has an arm tucked behind his head and the other plays with my hair.

Cam looks so content. He removes his hand from behind his head and lifts my thigh over him. He traces patterns on my upper thigh. It kind of feels like he’s tracing out the word ‘mine’ on it. I kiss his chest and smile to myself as I lay my head back down. I listen to his heart beat for a moment.

“We’re not just best friends anymore, huh?”

“No baby, we’re not. We’re so much more.”

[zigsexual]

Hey! I see you have good story telling recs for like video games and stuff and I just got a ps4, is there anything you recommend? I have wolf among us and Detroit become human on my list THATS all I have so far

omg girl u have come to the RIGHT place ! story-based games are my shit ok... im gonna start by doing a lil self-plug which is that i’m streaming one i really love called firewatch tonight (at 7pm PST hehe) on my twitch so we can start with that one. its such a pretty game and has a really touching story. but that aside, non-exhaustive list below:

the last of us — i havent played the second one yet, but both 1&2 are playstation exclusive i believe and the first one is probably one of the greatest games ever made. better than most movies i’ve watched story-wise; i fell in love with the characters and i doubt anyone could play this without shedding a few tears.

the walking dead by telltale — same studio that made the wolf among us (which i fucking love also), and all four seasons of this game are a masterpiece. clementine is probably my all time favorite video game character, and there were some side characters who i really sobbed over during the course of the game. plus all the characters you play as are characters of color so there’s a specific attention to diverse viewpoints there!

life is strange — i would hope you’d have played this already if you like story games, but if not, go play the original game ASAP (LiS2 is alright, but the first one is what really shines) and you can also play the prequel before the storm. beautiful atmosphere, attention to detail, gameplay mechanics, etc. good good shit

dragon age — HELLO my fave shit omg, again not to self-plug but i’m gonna be doing a stream series of this and starting with an intro to the lore for beginners because there is serious worldbuilding for these games and the storylines are immaculate. there’s three so far and including the various DLC you will be entertained for weeks if not months.

mass effect — made by the same studio as dragon age, essentially it’s dragon age in space. same great characters, worldbuilding, plotlines, etc. just... ignore andromeda and only play the main three ME games.

uncharted — i will fucking die for naughty dog games omg so they also made the last of us plus all 4 uncharted games and these ones are SO much fun. much less emotional turmoil, think indiana jones in the present day with an extra serving of wisecracking banter and there you go. really excellent fully fleshed out female characters as well. nathan drake is a treasure.

until dawn — more of a horror game but has weirdly excellent actors (hello rami malek???) and a super cool/creepy story with not so much focus on combat (more QTE based) which helps when you’re just there to be entertained. i love this game, i’m not a huge horror person myself but it’s just so good and your choices really impact the outcome.

oxenfree — deeply underrated game with some of my favorite voice acting ever, such a gorgeous art style, and an incredible and resonant story. so much lore to unpack here too, this game was really made with so much love (like there is deadass a morse code message hidden in the beat of the main song that leads to an irl mystery... google that shit its so cool) and it has major replay value. lots of choices to make and they all impact the ending in a ton of ways.

pillars of eternity — i actually liked the second one more than the first one and i enjoyed them both a lot so that’s saying something! you can play on easy mode and ignore the fighting and there’s tons of quests and choices to make and an interesting story/mystery to uncover. plus in the second one you get a pirate ship.

divinity original sin 2 — played this recently and it’s definitely more of a combat game, but as with POE you can just play on the easiest setting lol and then explore the game for its world and storyline. similar to POE in that it’s quest-based as well, the characters are super well done, and it’s all voice-acted which is nice.

star wars knights of the old republic (aka KOTOR) — listen this game is old as hell and looks like ass but its so good. idk what else to say i mean its literally like 20 years old and people are still playing it. there’s a ton of mods you can download to make it look better, but the storyline and the plot twist hold up as one of the all time greats. i’ve replayed it and the sequel multiple times. even if you don’t like star wars, worth it.

stardew valley — HELLO THIS GAME IS SO CUTE its essentially just harvest moon and yes it’s pixel graphics but it’s so charming and the characters are very enchanting. there’s not a ton of story but it’s still worth a play as it’s just very soothing and earnest. i’ve logged like 200+ hours in this game lmao

hopefully you haven’t heard of all of these already!! i love all of these games and i love sharing story-based recs because there aren’t a lot of them out there. if anyone knows of any other good ones please drop ur thoughts in the replies!

[nodesiretogrowup]

alright y’all, time for a Melissa play-by-play. I have a theory about this episode but it will get it’s own post:

And we dive right into spy time

That statue in the fountain was very upsetting :’)

GODDAMN U LAUNCHPAD, U SEXY BEAST

I like that LP says spiffy because I use the word spiffy

DEW-ble O Duck

“What I Dewey best” God I love Dewey and his love of puns

SONG TIME!!!

Ben is a really good singer

I like how the song was foreshadowing things to come

How is she wearing earrings?

A ham on cheese sandwich sounds really good rn

“I can’t remember when I’m hungry” A man after my own heart

YOU DIED

Ok, that game is WAAAAAY too advanced. It has the whole building mapped out and those glasses are WAAAY to small and lightweight to handle all that. Is it all through wi-fi? Am I overthinking the logic of a video game in a cartoon? Probably

“I had a sassy quip and everything.” He has the makings of a superhero in him

“It’s a little too real.” FORESHADOWING! Or the game was already REALLY immersive. OR BOTH

OH GOD LAUNCHPAD IS ALREADY FEELING BAD ABOUT HIMSELF!

“Haven’t you ever wanted to plug into a high-stakes, thrilling adventure?” He’s already done the spy-thing. Though it would have been cool to see Scrooge in a sexy suit

UNCLE MCDEE! I LOVE IT

Then an Uncle Scrooge from Webby. TOO CUTE!

There is A LOT of winking in this episode ;)

“We’re a team” DEWEY IS SO ADORABLE AND WHOLESOME!

Aw, Launchpad

I didn’t notice it the first time, but I love that Steelbeak is using one of those plastic swords to pick his teeth. It’s the little things

Is the theme song gonna be the short version for every episode this season?

I really dig Jason Mantzoukas’ take on Steelbeak. He’s just so cocky yet insecure at the same time. I like his voice cracking when he gets embarrassed or excited 

And I ADORE how UTTERLY STUPID he is. I think he’s dumber than Launchpad because Launchpad is aware that he’s not exactly the smartest guy but Steelbeak GENUINELY thinks he’s smart. Plus he feels the joke. That’s just dumb and unfunny (in-universe at least. out of universe it’s great)

“The Sat-a-Lighthouse. Classic villain lair.” Well we know that’s gonna show up

Bradford’s neck bothers me. It makes my neck hurt looking at it

Intelli-ray. You guys are a bit on the beak nose when it comes to naming things

GADGET!

“Rat’s are dumb, right?” YOU STUPID BEAUTIFUL MAN

THE OTHER RANGERS! And Monterey already has his mustache

Ok how did her hair grow so fast? And did she shave her fur? How did she get a more human-esque figure? I NEED THIS INFORMATION

They Secret of Nimh’ed her!

Heron acts like an annoyed/done mom with Steelbeak and he acts like a snotty kid. It’s great

EVIL LAUGH

“Did that rat make that jumpsuit on a regular sewing machine, or did it build its own tiny sewing machine?” STEELBEAK ASKING THE REAL QUESTIONS HERE

I legit thought she was about to pull off his beak

“I’ll go. Not because you told me.” He’s such a punk-ass kid, I LOVE IT

CHOMP CHOMP

DON’T EXPLAIN THE JOKE, BRO

“I pay for the privilege of doing someone else’s yard-work?” THAT’S WHAT I THOUGHT YOU’D SAY, YOU RICH, PRIVILEGED MAN. Whack-a-Mole is actually about expressing all the rage and fury inside you

Video graphic adventures

SKEE BALL! I FUCKING LOVE SKEE BALL

That kid didn’t even take his tickets

Ticket-rich. I love it

LET’S STRETCH BITCHES

“Can’t let Dewey down. Gotta be smart, gotta win the game.” OH LAUNCHPAD, SWEETHEART

“Calm down, LP. It’s only a game.” Dewey is SUCH a GOOD friend!

“But don’t overthink it.” That’s just good life advice in general

I love how tiny Dewey is when compared to LP. It’s ADORABLE

“THEN WE GET PIZZA.” “Yes, pizza.” I don’t know why, but the way Ben delivers that line is hilarious to me

“Pad. Launchpad. McQuack. My name is Launchpad McQuack.” I love you so much

Ok, was there an actual dude there? How could’ve Steelbeak thrown a digital person?

“Yes, I do as well.” YOU DUMB HOE, I LOVE YOU

That card game was great. Truly a battle of wits. And Dewey just being like...what. Beautiful

“Well played.” “It was?”

“Look’s like you’ve been out-smart guyed.” The dialogue in this episode is top notch 

I too do not understand smanzy card games

“But how about a game of 52 pickup...YOUR TEETH!”

“THE PAIN FEELS SO LIFELIKE!”

The sound Steelbeak makes when Dewey pulls on his...hair(?) is great

One day you’ll get to quip Dewey, one day

The cuts between the game reality and actual reality are so great

Is that the Phantom Blot or the normal Funzo? Is there even a normal Funzo?

The neck cracking also made my neck hurt

All the kids gathering around Scrooge is too cute

“Not now lass, I’m on a roll.” SKEE BALL IS A GATEWAY DRUG TO GAMBLING

“I think they just have nachos.” They have pizza too

Steelbeak pecking at Launchpad...brilliant

The little pug/bulldog kid is so cute

The scream when he’s hit with the pizza is gold

That ballpit is terrifying

Yet again Launchpad falls on someone

HE FUCKING PUNCHED A KID! WTF BRO?!

“WE MADE IT TO THE NEXT LEVEL!”

Those jumpsuits are pretty nice, ngl

“Nerp”

Launchpad had the right idea, he just fumbled on the execution

Rubix cubes-shorthand for intelligence levels

She is so done with him it’s great

“We can make Scrooge SO HUNGRY, he’ll EAT all the toys!” Solid logic

“Duh, that ain’t smart.” OO, BURN

Whenever anyone/anything grabs Steelbeak’s beak I feel like it’s gonna come off

THE THEME SONG PLAYS! I LOVE IT! IT’S GREAT

How did the others get smart? Where did THEIR clothes come from?! I NEED ANSWERS FRANK!!

Launchpad is always ready to lend a helping hand

HOW DID THE GLOVE FLOAT?! I HAVE SO MANY UNANSWERED QUESTIONS!!!

“The answer was to build a tiny plane and teach a mouse to fly it?” “Yes, I figured that out.”

Is Gadget a rat or a mouse? She looked more mouse-like before she got smartified but Heron called her a rat. EVEN MORE UNANSWERED QUESTIONS! She’s probably a mouse though because that’s what she was in the original show

I don’t know why but I love when people call Launchpad LP. Maybe it’s because he has nicknames for everyone else so him having a nickname is cute

So Steelbeak was in prison in St. Canard. Perhaps he had a run in with a certain terror that flaps in the night? That would be hilarious if the two had met before but now Steelbeak is more focused on Launchpad. That would be a blow to DW’s ego

I kind of feel bad for Steelbeak. Sure he’s dumb but that was uncalled for. No wonder he snapped

“You bird-brained...” Aren’t you ALL bird-brains though? You are birds and you have brains therefore you have bird-brains. That almost feels like it could be a racist comment in this world

“I’M THE RICHEST DUCK IN THE ARCADE!” You were the richest duck in the arcade the moment you walked in

I love when Scrooge gets obsessed with something and loses his goddamn mind

WEBBY YOU CREATED A MONSTER!

“Ticket bin?” “YES!”

322 DAYS WITHOUT AN ACCIDENT. Good for them

Launchpad just LEEROY JENKENS’ed his way in

His hand is as big as Dewey’s HEAD

LP and Steelbeak have great fight dialogue. It reminds me of Megamind and Metro Man

LAUNCHPAD PUSHES DEWEY TO SAFETY! At that point he didn’t even KNOW what the ray did! But he heroically saved his best friend, not matter what would happen to him! WE STAN! 

 This episode cemented my headcanon that Chris Evans would be the perfect human LP

“I SHALL AVENGE YOU, MY FRIEND” 

This scene, the climax, and the end of the episode gave me a theory, but it will have its own post

British accent=smart?

First thing he does is slick back the hair. Classy

“That cad, Steelbeak” We should call more people cads

How did LP fit into that much smaller man’s uniform? Are they extra stretchy? Because I can totally see that being something FOWL would do. It’s practical

“I don’t know what any of those words mean.” Same

“Heavens, you don’t want them to think you don’t know what you’re doing!” My constant struggle

The supersious guy is adorable

“Well, it’s certainly proving to be bad luck FOR YOU!”

KARATE CHOP ACTION

He still calls him Mr McDee. I just think that’s cute

Dear Dewford. Aww

“I won’t let him down again.” AAAAWWWWWWW

“Can’t go out there looking like this.” You can’t fight crime if you ain’t cute (or sexy in LP’s case)

LAUNCHPAD, YOU SEXY MOTHERFUCKER

That is an old-ass phone you got there, LP

Scrooge is 2 for 2 in missing important calls. Probably should turn his ringtone on

Webby is just so done

“Ah yes, you’d like that wouldn’t you, sonny.” God, Scrooge can get downright FERAL

Blink-and-you’ll-miss-it DW cameo. It looks like Drake’s DW. Does he have merch now? Does he get a cute of the sales? Who makes the merch?

WEBBY WILL FUCKING END YOU

Dewey is SO precious this episode. His cute little bounces

“I’m actually afraid and a little dehydrated, this game is AWESOME” GET THAT BOY SOME JUICE STAT

I love when shows realistically portray sound

“No time for a...crash course” YEEEEEAAAAAAAH

How’d he get a grappling hook?

“THAT’S MY PARTNER!” DEWEY LOVES LP SO MUCH!!

“How is he doing this?” The power of sexy? I don’t know either, bro

“There goes your pal LURCH-POUND! HA! You know, because he just got lurched into that POND OVER THERE?!” “That’s technically a bay.” “I’M NOT STUPID!”

“Classic villain lair!” I can appreciate a man who knows what he’s about

Why do villains alway jump INSTANTLY to the world? You gotta take baby steps. Start with a city, then a state, then the tri-state area a country, THEN the world. Gotta pace yourself

“And Uncle Scrooge only gives us like a nickel each week.” Do they do chores to earn that allowance? I mean, probably. Do Donald and Della have to do chores as well? Give them at least a dime, Scrooge!

MORE SEXY LAUNCHPAD! DAMN YOU, YOU BEAUTIFUL MAN!

“Waaaaiiiit a minute, is that my suit?!” “It suits me better.” DAMN STRAIGHT IT DOES! LP fills the jacket out

I like Steelbeak adding on his fingers

“Your fancy speak won’t work on me, Dummy-O-Duck. Ha-ha, classic.”

“That was totally my plan the whole time” Sweetie, just...no

“I guess you’re not as smart as *voice crack* ME.” “Not as smart as I.” NOW IS NOT THE TIME FOR CORRECTING GRAMMAR!

THEY’RE BACK! AND THE THEME SONG! SO BEAUTIFUL!

Again, I thought Steelbeak’s beak was coming off

I like that Steelbeak went into pray position while being shocked

I’m gonna pretend the Rangers were off on their own adventure the whole time’

“Thanks for the...rescue.” AND GADGET SALUTES BACK AND WINKS! BEAUTIFUL!

“No person could survive being that stupid”

Launchpad, always willing to take one for the team

“There’s so much more I could accomplish! Stop the evil conspiracy out to get us! Solve world hunger! Land a plane!” No matter how smart he is, Launchpad still can’t stick the landing

“Launchpad, why are you overthinking this?” “Because I want to be good enough for you!” SOB

“Of course you’re good enough for me. You’re my best friend.” SOOOOOOOOOOB

“For Dewey, and Duckburg.” He put Dewey first, daaaaawwwww

HIM CATCHING DEWEY AND HOLDING HIM TIGHT TO HIS CHEST?! SO WHOLESOME!!

First thing LP does after things go back to normal? Fix his hair. Hair is very important to your state of mind, I guess

“Was it all a game?” Life is just a game

“Wait until I tell Huey I...YOU beat the game.” AAAAWWWWWW

“I’m not playing with anyone but you.” MY HEART!!!!

Scrooge is so broken. And the ticket to prize ratio, too true

“How much money did you spend to get those tickets?” Don’t play skee ball, kids. It will ruin your life

“I don’t think we should bring you here anymore.” Donald should probably be the one picking you up because Della would TOTALLY get hooked on a game/get too aggressive and I could see Beakley falling into the same trap

The comb just sticks there

The subtitles call him Suave-Pad, I LOVE IT!

“I like purple. A lot. Ha! Man, I’m glad I got that off my chest.” A DW reference or a CODEWORD?

“WARM THEM, YOU OLD FOOL! WAAAAARN THEEEEEM! Oh, dash it all, I’m going for a soak.”

“Restoring your ‘intelligence’ as it were.” BURN

She’s on a first-name basis with him...interesting

“OR ANY KINDS OF RAYS!” No mad sciencing here

“Who’s stupid now?” Gloating is very unbecoming

There are...certain people I wish I could force to shut up like that

His muffled screaming is great

Again, Rubix cube solving proves intelligence

How did he not notice it was wet when he picked it up?

I NEED THE SONG IN FULL SOMEWHERE TO DOWNLOAD

This one was super fun and emotional. I was not expecting this to be the episode that the Rescue Rangers would make their debut in but I’m glad they were here. Dewey and Launchpad’s friendship is so pure and adorable. I almost wish there hadn’t been a b-plot but it was fun. I know other people are upset over Steelbeak/the Rescue Rangers being different but I like them. This show is different from those shows. Steelbeak was repurposed into being Launchpad’s nemesis so he needed to match him. Plus we already have a bunch of smarties in FOWL. And this Steelbeak seems younger and less experienced so it would make sense that he’s not as clever. The Rangers didn’t really change that much from their show, just got a new origin that helps them fit into the world that has already been set up. I think this episode is going in the top 5.

[realfuurikuuri]

Chapters: 14/? Fandom: Mao Mao: Heroes of Pure Heart (Cartoon) Relationships: Mao Mao/Tanya Keys, Mao mao/badgerclops Characters: Mao Mao, Badgerclops, King Snugglemane, Adorabat, Orangusnake, Basically everyone from the show, Fanchild - Character, Tanya Keys, Shin Mao

Summary: MissingArm!AU: When escaping the cave, it wasn't his tail that got crushed. In exchange for his innocence, he gained a sordid past. The Pure Heart Valley seemed like a good place to escape. To start a new life with a new family to forge a new identity. However, when the past rears its ugly head Mao Mao's forced to step up or be put down.

Direct AO3 Link: XXXX

Chapter Below Cut: 

AN:  Fun fact: this chapter was actually finished and ready to post Wednesday, but I forgot to post it, so now it's coming to you Friday. I was also busy playing SUPERHOT and it's sequel MIND CONTROL DELETE. It's a great game and I don't even like FPS that much. Still haven't finished Devil Survivor, but I'm getting at Belial's fight so I'm making progress. As always thanks Spookylovesboba and enjoy the chapter. This chapter's song rec: The Mystic by Adam Jensen (A strange creator with a strange sound, but I like it I guess)

Was he dead? There was darkness all around him. It was terribly cold. He was wet, too. Had he finally crossed the River Sanzu? Or maybe he was still crossing it? Strange, he thought he’d be hung up about dying, but Mao Mao couldn’t actually say he was. There were a few things he still wanted to do. Make up with his son. Make up with Tanya. Enjoy being free from the Mao-clan. Oh well, there’s nothing a dead-man could do about that.

Fortunately, he wasn’t dead. It took some time, but his eyes adjusted to the darkness revealing a rocky ceiling, rocky walls, rocky floors, and a rocky everything else. He was underground, but this certainly wasn’t a grave. He must have fallen down the sinkhole, he rationalized to himself, although the stalagmites hanging from the ceiling, the shallow river running underneath him, and the vast empty darkness made him think this was more than a sinkhole.

“Who woulda thunk that there’s an entire cave system underneath the town,” he told no one in particular, which was why he was so surprised when he got an answer.

It wasn’t words, instead, it was a nasal grunt of pain. Mao Mao sifted through the rocks to find the source. He suspected a sweetipie was the source of the noise, but when he saw Orangusnake’s head poking through the rubble he grabbed him by the throat and yanked.

His heart skipped a beat when he pulled the head, the neck, and the rest of the body. Mao Mao staggered back and began to wretch. What just happened? What did he do? He just killed a man! Normally, that wouldn’t bother him, but he just yanked out a man’s head like this was some sort of video-game. Mao Mao took a step back to gather himself. He breathed in and breathed out. The panic drained out of him only for more to settle back in.

“What are you doing,” Orangusnake’s head asked.

“Nothing I’m just-” Mao Mao did a double-take. Orangusnake was fine, or more aptly put, the snake was fine.

“You! You! How- why- what are you!” he screamed at the snake, snatching by the throat again.

Instead of answering back, he let out strangled gasps. Mao Mao groaned and dropped the snake to the ground. He tried to slither away, but Mao Mao stepped onto the end of his tail.

“Alright, alright,” the snake said,” my name is Coby.”

“I thought it was Orangusnake.”

“No, our name is Orangusnake.”

“What do you mean by our name ?”

“Me and Tanner.”

“Who the fuck is Tanner?”

“The orangutan!”

“What Orangutan?”

“You know the arms, the legs, the face on my stomach.”

“Wait… the face isn’t some weird decoration?”

“No!”

“That’s a person?”

“Yes!”

“... is this some weird sex thing?”

Mao Mao never got his answer. The snake wiggled from his grasp and began to slither away. Mao Mao snatched at the ground only to catch pieces of gravel. He turned to the snake who had wrapped himself on a stalagmite out of his reach.

“Get down here,” he ordered.

“No,” Orangusnake spat back.

“I’m not going to chase you around this cave all damn day.”

“Then I'll stay up here.”

Mao Mao put his face in his hand and sighed,” look. Orangusnake, right?”

“Yeah.”

“So, where is the other one? Tanner?”

The snake’s head perked up.

“See my point? Now get off your ass. We certainly won’t find an exit like that.”

“What about finding Tanner?”

Mao Mao looked to the pile of rocks and debris that now plugged the hle they fell through. He’s either dead underneath all of that, or,” he added before the snake could object,” he’s on the other side of the mess, which hopefully connects back over here.”

The snake dashed from the stalagmite, wrapping himself around Mao Mao’s torso and tugged to drag him forward. “Then what are you waiting for? Let’s go!”

Mao rolled his eyes and sighed, taking solace in the fact that half-of-Orangusnake, Coby he called himself, was finally moving.

* * *

Mao Mao explored the winding caverns. For once, having a glowstick came in handy. He held up Geraldine to get the only light they had. More than once they came to a dead-end and had to double back. Coby complained the entire time like he was the one actually doing all the walking. He whined and whined with that annoying nasally voice of his. The only saving grace was that it all became an Indistinguishable mess to his ears. Thankfully, if Shin taught him anything its how to fake paying attention.

“Do you understand what I’m saying,” Coby asked.

“Yeah, sure.”

“So, what should I do,” Coby asked.

“I can see that.”

“Are you even listening?”

“Not now,” Mao Mao said too late to catch himself.

“Of course, you weren’t listening,” the snake said,” you don’t even care!”

“At least you know that.”

“This is why your son doesn’t like you.”

Coby immediately recoiled back, regretting his words. For good reason. Mao Mao’s first instinct was to choke the life out of him. What did this snake know about Jǐngtì? Then came the sobering thought that the snake probably did know a lot. More than Mao Mao did, at least. Everything he knew about Jǐngtì was 5 years out of date. He was no longer the same toddler he carried on his shoulders. He was different from how he remembered. Maybe he never remembered correctly in the first place. He was different from how he remembered. Maybe he never remembered correctly in the first place.

“Alright, fine. I’m sorry for not listening. What were you saying?”

Coby seemed taken aback by the heel-face turn. He eyed Mao Mao suspiciously. “Why the sudden change?”

“It will pass the time while we look for an exit,” Mao Mao said.

“You mean look for Tanner,” Coby said.

“Yeah, sorry, look for Tanner is what I should’ve said.”

Orangusnake pulled back and narrowed his eyes. “What has gotten into you?”

“Nothing. Noting at all,” Mao Mao lied.

He wasn’t going to tell Orangusnake the truth. He wasn’t going to tell him that when Jǐngtì was born Mao Mao constantly told himself he’d be different from Shin. He wasn’t going to tell him that he quite literally regurgitating the same meaningless lines Shin used. Mao Mao would’ve laughed at the irony if self-hatred wasn’t boiling in his stomach.

“I was talking about my crew.”

“What does the rest of the Sky Pirates have to do with anything?”

“Everything! They’re why we’re stuck down here.”

“They are?”

“Yes. Weren’t you listening?”

“Sorry?”

Oragusnake rolled his eyes and gagged. “And stop being so apologetic. It’s weird.”

“Sorry,” slipped out of Mao Mao’s lips before he even realized it. Orangusnake sighed and brushed it aside. “As I was saying, this is all the fault of my crew.”

“How?”

“Because they weren’t listening!”

“What do you mean?”

“They just don’t listen! I say to do this, they do that. I tell them to do one thing and they do something else.”

Maybe you should try being more clear with your directions?”

“It’s not that they don’t understand. It's that they just don’t follow directions. It’s like they just want to spite me.”

“Then I don’t know what to tell you? If they don’t want to listen then they don’t. I can’t really help you with that.”

“What about your team? Why do they listen to you?”

That question made Mao Mao stumble, figuratively, and literally. Mao Mao managed to break his fall before he smashed his head against the rocks, although it was a second before he got back up. He was distracted by the hundreds of thoughts that flashed through his head in an instant. The first answer that came to mind was that they listened to him because he was reliable. However, even he knew that wasn’t the answer. If anything he’s the one relying on them. To take care of Adorabat, to take him to the hospital, to fix the house, to even watch his son. The next reason why they might listen to him is because of his experience, but the only thing he has experience with is failing everybody around him. Why did they listen to him?

“I don’t know,” Mao Mao answered in a voice barely above a whisper.

“What’d you say,” Coby asked.

“Nothing, just a grunt of pain,” he lied, making his stomach boil all over again. “Actually, I said I don’t know.”

“You don’t know what?”

“I don’t know why they listen to me.”

“Oh… well, don’t ask me. I don't know why they follow you either- urk!”

Mao Mao pinched Coby’s mouth close with his hand after having stabbed a glowing Geraldine into the ground. He closed his eyes, listening to something. Underneath the sound of their conversation, underneath the ambient sound of the stream by their feet was something else. A quiet chatter; like someone absently muttering to themselves, or the grind of teeth. Soon, Mao Mao’s eyes could make out a vague shape in the darkness.  It was not something Mao Mao released his hand from the snake’s mouth, resting it comfortably on Geraldine’s hilt.

When the creature finally got close enough he pulled out Geraldine and swung at the figure, however, he stopped just short of slicing off an Orangutan’s head.

Mao Mao jumped in surprise when Coby freed himself from his waist, traveled up his sword, and wrapped himself around the Orangutan. Mao Mao watched the two, he heard them say things, but the words were lost somewhere in the confusion of watching a snake and Orangutan kiss. It was then that Mao Mao realized something Orangusnake: Orangutan - Snake. He assumed the name had some meaning but didn’t expect its meaning to be so literal.

“So, you just let him guide you? You let him fight for you and do basically everything at his whim?”

“Yeah,” Coby, err Orangusnake said unironically.

“So you’re willing to let him risk your life because you trust him?”

“Yeah.”

Mao Mao squinted his eyes and had his mouth hanging open like a fish. He didn’t move until he cocked his head to the side as he felt some sort of answer starting to form. The relationship Tanner had with Coby was similar to one of his own. The reason why Coby let Tanner control his movements and why Badgerclops and Adorabat followed his lead was the same, and it was the lack of that reason that made Jǐngtì so rebellions. But, what was the reason?

Mao Mao racked his brain, forcing the gears in his head to turn. He could feel an answer coming. It was right in front of him, yet it was like the steam from a teapot. Something you could briefly feel if you reached out, but would always disappear leaving a vague notion of what it was. He’d probably be able to grasp the answer if it wasn’t for that chattering!

Mao Mao’s eyes shot open. Mao Mao took his sword out of the ground to rest it on his shoulder. Orangusnake noticed this and was about to say something before Mao Mao glared at him, scaring him to silence real quick. The chatter hadn’t disappeared. The noise surrounded them like a barely audible whisper. He assumed it was Tanner making that chattering noise, but he was wrong. They weren’t alone in these caves.

Something approached and Mao Mao thrust his sword forward, stumbling when it glanced off the ant’s exoskeleton. It was large and red, like a fire ant, but its eyes glowed a furious yellow. Coby screamed and to Tanner’s credit he quickly moved as the ants began to swarm. No point in fighting a losing battle. Mao Mao joined them, running blind in the darkness.

The ants came out in droves, following them with their mandibles chattering and chomping at the air. Mao Mao cursed his hubris. There wasn’t a cave system underneath the valley, but an entire ant colony. Certainly, a problem that should be dealt with, but that would come later. Right now, he followed Orangusnake up a rocky slope. The slope grew steeper and steeper until they were scaling a vertical wall.

“We’re almost there,” Orangusnake shouted,” just keep moving.

Easy for him to say. He wasn’t the one climbing with one arm. Mao Mao held Geraldine with his tail, doing his best to climb the wall, but claws don’t work on stone. He reached the top, grabbing onto the rocky ledge only to have it crumble under his fingers. The air was beginning to whistle past his ears when Orangusnake snatched him by the wrist. He pulled him over the ledge.

The two, perhaps three depending on how you count, stopped to catch their breath.

“Let’s never do that again,” Orangusnake insisted.

“Don’t have to tell me twice,” Mao Mao huffed,” and Orangusnnake…”

“What?”

“Thanks for saving me.”

Orangusnake stared at him for a solid second before pretending to retch,” that was so sweet I feel like I’m going to die of diabetes.”

“Well, I know what to do the next time you try to take the Ruby Pure Heart,” Mao Mao said.

Orangusnake mimicked vomiting before turning his attention to the path ahead. Mao Mao did the same when he noticed the echo of a gentle melody. Strange, but worth investigating. He and Orangusnake headed down the path as the music grew louder. Mao Mao had the feeling he heard the song before. He wanted to say at the thumb wrestling festival, but that couldn’t be it. Why would festival music be playing in the depths of a cave? Actually, a better question would be why is any music playing in the depths of a cave?

They came upon a massive ornate door. Gilded doorknobs and felt coverings and the works. If Mao Mao was an idiot, and he was in just a good enough mood to be one, he might have fantasized about whatever big phat reward waited for him. He looked to Orangusnake who gave him a nod and threw the door open.

Snugglemagne let out quite the undignified shriek. “Sheriff? What are you doing here,” he asked.

“What am I- what are you doing here?”

“Practicing Harpsichord.”

“20 feet underground in a sealed chamber?”

“I’m very shy.”

“What about the monsters?”

“Overgrown pest, I’m afraid. I’ve laid out traps, but they don’t seem to be working.”

“That’s because they’ve made a nest underneath the town!”

“Oh. Better get an exterminator then.”

Mao Mao pinched the bridge of his nose. “Where’s the exit to this hellhole?”

“You can’t miss it. About 60 yards back, up the steps, and through the secret passage.”

* * *

The passage opened to the front of the castle. The sky was dark, only lit by stars and lightning bugs. Mao Mao was surprised to see the critters were still out; summer’s end was only a month or two away. Orangusnake took a deep breath of fresh air and stretched. It looked rather weird without the armor.

“Well that was a trail,” Orangusnake said,” I’ll be back for the Ruby Pure Heart some other time.”

“You can try. Kill you later?”

Orangusnake paused before repeating,” kill you later,” in confirmation as the two went their separate ways.

* * *

Mao Mao walked up the large hill back to HQ. His stomach growled and he hoped Badgerclops made actual food instead of a toast-tower again. It was just his luck that the one time Badgerclops doesn’t forget the Aerocycle is the only time Mao Mao would need it to get back. He went for the doorknob to find it locked. He went for his keys only to find them gone. With no other choice, he knocked on the door.

He could hear voices on the other side and it was another second before the door actually opened. Mao Mao couldn’t tell who was more surprised to see the other person: him or Jǐngtì.

[mingi-bubu]

Watch “Love O2O” with Me!

Episode 17

hhh we’re back!!  im so excited to see how this fukcign goes aldkjsflaskd

i have my half eaten ramen and my half drunken mogu mogu and my phone is still plugged in

as one of my three sunshine kpop support boys mark lee would say, lezgeddit

we open with the

i got some water

we open with the last minute of action from e16

do they not recognize the area ??

that theyve eaten at multiple times???

smh

OH MY GOD

KODAK IS EATING WITH HIM I

MAN REALLY IS LIKE

boy you really dont realize

smh

chef boy is in love but like is not good at going about it

green super power

the watch did we see the watch???

im

kodak had too many drinks

kodak is a silly drunk

its so sad that he doesnt have someone he knows better with him

all im seeing on the screen is

laksdjflksdjflkajsdklfjewoihoaiwrehoawihiasjgklasjfhasdhfpweoh

over and over

he did find kodak’s addy tho

hmmm

im getting less and less liking of this guy

hmmmm

oh kodak...baobeiiii

i

you deserve someone better than this guy

akdsjfalskdkalsd

oh my god

kodak nooo baby

this isnt

:[

he

hhhhh

kodak i want to protect you so much

k.o.

his iteral name is k.o

damn nai really said fuck you

oh my god

i deadass thought they were going to use a different song aldkfjalskj

is

is nai sleeping?

oh no nevermind

he just waiting

AAAHHAHAHHAHAHA I LOVE NAI SO MUCH

i am so *eyes emoji* about this

why do they hold their phones like that

im so interested at the outcoem

broke RECORDS

haha 69

nice

OH SHIT

A NEW RECRUIT

lmaoooooo im so wild over this whole plot

CAN YOU SPEAK IN HUMAN ALKDFJA;KLSDF

what is kodak doing

howeklajke

who ordered delivery

nai is so hot when hes confident i

SUPER FAMOUS HACKER

WHAT THE FUCK

DAMN

WHAT HAPPENED IN 2011 I WANT TO KNOW

nai really is putting kodak in charge of him

wow

kodak

babe

why did you change my wallpaper

im sick

SHE’S UGLY AFDLKASJDF;LAKSJDF

he really do be thinking about himself

god nai and september look so good

aklsdjfaskl september is such a dork

sept:  :)

nai:  :|

so dramatic smh

this old man is dope

theyre in game now

well

one owner at least

aww theyre both :)

they

they just made the tigers get married

im

alright then

nai really :]

i like seeing nai in casual clothes

but i wonder how the #Squade are doing

wait is hp short for hewlett packer

hold on i have to google someting

packard but still

you learn new things every day!

oh is that nai’s bedroom in the background

inch resting

what is wei2 going to do

shes...dancign??

yes

oh thats what that button does

ok then

ooohhh i love weiwei’s outfit

sehr suess

shes getting the same phone as nai

in the same color

um

wont that get confusing

how did she pay for it

like i know she was tutoring and stuff but like

is the phone already charged???

why hasnt she told her parents she has a new phone

shes going to get blocked by him

shes really gonna send her card number over the phone

WHAT IF HE BLOCKS YOU

smh

oh my god she reallly be daydreaming about hat

IM SO WEAK

HE ACTUALLY SENT HER MONEY

GET ME A GUY LIKE THIS PLEASE

sit in your little alcove

cowaerd

HAHAHAHAHAH

SHE REALLY TRIED THO

HOW DOES A BANK ACCOUNT LOOK FAMILARI

WHAT THE FUCK

THATS TERRIFYING

byadfawjeowe

buy a plane ticket

jesus its been like what???  a few weeks

oh nevermind the cactus is blooming its probably been a month or so

shut the fuck up

oh she really is packing

where is she gonna stay

xiaoling is letting her stay with her

?

to improve her literary education?

mmm sure okay

stopp im going to cry i dont want to leave my home again hhhh

that literally looked like l.a aldkjfalksd

oh thats a cute top

maybe tell him you have arrived???  maybe that would be a good idea???

exactly why you call a head of time

did she really just drag her A;LKSDJFALS;KDJF OH MY GOD

SHE REALLY DO BE INTERRUPTING THINGS AT WORK HUH

yikes

yIKES

eloping?

september is like fucking christ okay

eloping?

september is now having a lot of fun

he really do have their backs tho akdjfl;ks

blue nai blue nai blue nai blieiaorajwfajw

he is definitely shocked

weiwei clam down dont wrrory

hes definitely thrilled to OH MY GOD

jjesusus this is uncomfortable to watch

she looks like a dead fish

girl

if nai yang yang was kissing me i would definitely be ore into it

jesus

OH MY GOD

HES SO ROMANTIC AND SHES A DEAD FISH

fuck him adjusting his watch should not have been so hot

girl the window blinds are ummm

open

no why

why are you leaving that doesnt make any sense

she really do not have confidence huh

she has to go find more money ajd;flkasjd

she doesnt want to be

oh my god just figure it out jfc

septmeterb ;alkdfja;sldk

hes :( now

damn

thats why you check first before you kiss someone

she has a paper hat on

ajdsflaksjdf

girl he can just find it online too

yes she is being shy

he :]

HAHAHAHAH HE LOOKS SO CUTE IN HIS HAT

HE REALLY :D

AWWW

cute cute cute

that honestly was the first time ive seen them have that much chemistry irl

he also :)

ok ok ok

thats it for this episode

i cannot wait for like more interactions with the #Squad again

and maybe now that she has a phone we can find out whats going on with erxi at zhenyi tech

i mainly just want to find out mroe about the whole thing with k.o and kodak

bc i obviously have my suspicions

but like

thats not the end all be all

anyways

thank you for reading!!!

stay safe and stay healthy <333

[oh-theatre]

Sycamore High: Going Steady (Chapter 26)

A/N: Hey hey look I didn't forget about the others! :) Also I know that thats not how adoption works but... here we are. I know i just posted one but I had to post it!!

summary: Emma and Paul have some news :)

words: 3,000 (I did this on purpose, I was so proud :)

warnings: Swearing, kissing, adoption (idk man)

Ao3 Link

“Ok favorite…” Paul pondered for a moment examining the room, Emma's room was bleak but held some items of importance. There were pictures of her and her family scattered on every wall. It was a pretty basic setup, she had a desk by the window, a bed in the middle and a closet. She did, however, have an awesome TV set with many games included. At this point, the pair had exhausted most things and were just searching for anything. He fiddled with his chopsticks, twirling some noodles around them. “Oh! Favorite takeout food!” He exclaimed Emma tilted her head, scrunching her eyebrows before deciding to answer.

“Well…” Now it was her turn to look around. It was a big question, she liked Chinese, obviously. She twirled her own noodles, eating them up before thinking some more. She liked tacos that she and her mom would get on Tuesday. She loved Italian. “Italian,” She said pointing her chopsticks at Paul, he nodded approvingly.

“I would go for sushi, but nice option” He complimented, she laughed nudging him. They sat comfortably atop her bed eating as the TV continued playing the background. Paul, with his mouth full, gestured towards the TV “What mind of ames oo you ave?” He mumbled, Emma raised her eyebrows. He swallowed before trying again. “What kind of games do you have?” She perked up setting down her food. She walked over to a smaller closet under the tv, she opened it to reveal two shelves all lined with games. “Oh absolutely” Paul muttered amazed, he joined her as they perused the games. I like this one.

“What about some classics?” Emma teased holding up her copy of Wii sports. Paul laughed reminiscing about the times he, Ted and Bill would play it. “Oo! Or maybe some ‘Call of Duty’? I mean we probably shouldn't, seeing as video games cause violence”

“She says as she adopts three cats in the sims” Paul commented, she stifled a laugh continuing her game search. Paul does the same his eyes glazed over with excitement at each new game he finds. “Oh yes, South Park? Nice” Paul says dryly “Its Ted's favorite”

“Of course it is” She sighs rolling her eyes “It was either that or he was a ‘My Little Pet Shop’ lover” Emma joked, Paul falls back laughing, he sits up wiping his eyes,

“Don't diss the pet shop Em” He says putting two games back, he pulls another one “No way! Is this is the new ‘Man of Medan’ game?” Paul rushes holding up the game. Emma nods enthused. “Can we play it?” He asks softly, almost pouting.

“Yeah! I haven't played it yet but it looks fun!” She informs. Paul stops, he stares at her.

“Fun? Fun? no … no, Emma, this game is…” He ponders “I actually have no idea it just looks fun” They erupt into laughter, both smiling widely. They plug in the game preparing to play. The game is interesting enough and keeps them both on their feet and alert, probably wasn't the best game to play at night but neither of them cared. They were mostly there for the witty comments Emma made, the absolute confusion Paul displayed and the overall excitement of hanging out together after a long week. The game hit a slow with both of them gaining quite exhausted of the strenuous gameplay and pausing for a break and more food.

“You're not bad Matthews” Emma comments as they clean up their takeout

“Don't flatter me, they are just quick-time events, anyone can do them” Paul remarks as he helps out making their way to the kitchen.

“Falsehood, not everyone can do them, I personally think that QTEs are quite hard but go off” Emma mumbles, Paul chuckles as she ushers him away trying to clean. “Hey, my parents aren't home wanna practice for the musical?” She asks casually. Paul thinks for a moment before shrugging. He had no qualms about this, seemingly beneficial and well… fun.

“Yeah sure, let me go grab my music,” Paul says, Emma nods finishing up the cleaning. She opens her laptop setting up the karaoke as Paul returns briskly holding his binders. She smiles to herself as he seats himself next to her, they begin the track waiting. The song went on smoothly, each person getting into their characters and having too much fun with it. Approaching the last verse Paul had to look at his music having not been great at the final notes.

“And I love you know that I love...you know that I love…” They sang in unison sounding quite nice together Paul looked up to find Emma staring at him. She looked nice, a quiet fury of passion behind her eyes, her hair falling messily on her back. The track continued awaiting Pauls line but he couldn't really speak. Emma tilted her head watching him sweetly, and now he wasn't thinking, He wasn't thinking when he grabbed her face gently pressing their lips together, Emma melted into it kissing back almost instantly. She cupped his own hands that were still placed on her face. She giggled as they pulled away, something Paul could get used to. They stared for a moment both trying to figure out what to say.

“...me too” Paul breathes finishing the song maybe too late. Emma watches as a blush creeps on his face. She laughs lovingly, closing her laptop she turns back to Paul.

“Not bad Matthews, although I don't think we were supposed to kiss” She shrugs, Paul rolls his eyes affectionately “But hey, I could get used to that…” Paul bites his lip as she gets up to put away her computer. He follows her standing quickly, he takes her hand stopping her. “Paul?” She asks cautiously. He puts on his best smolder.

“Emma Perkins” Did his voice get higher? “Would you consider…” Emma would be lying if she said her heart hadn’t skipped a beat as she listened expectantly “Going steady with me?” he asked barely keeping it together. Emma laughed pushing him slightly.

“God you're such a dweeb” She comments lovingly, he nods agreeing. She pauses making herself more formal. “But of course! I'd love to” She says putting on her best accent. He laughs moving closer, he wraps his arms around her hips looking down at her, she follows his lead wrapping her arms around his neck.

“You're short,” He notices, she frowns sighing, throwing her head back. He laughs placing a hand on her chin pulling her close kissing her softly once more. They pull away, he frowns “Nope, still short” She rolls her eyes groaning pushing away from him.

“I take it back,” She mutters already walking away from him, he jumps following her.

“No, take backs!” He shouts as he grabs her carefully smothering with tickles. She can't help but giggle. She slaps his arms away softly turning back to him, smiling.

“The first rule of…” She gestures between then “this, no tickling. Got it?” He nods frantically. She smiles, I like this.

~~~

Sherlock, John, and Lestrade

Paul: Hey Ted! Guess what! No more making fun of me just cause you and Tommy are all smushy

Ted: First of all, please never use the word smushy ever again, second what the fuck are you talking about?

Bill: Hello, I am present

Paul: Hey Bill. And Ted for your information, Emma and I are ...going steady

Ted:...

Ted: Can I block him? Bill, can I block him?

Bill: No you may not, and congratulations Paul.

Paul: Thank you, Bill, at least someone here is not self-centered

Ted: Hey! It's called self-love...not that I have any of that

Bill: Ditto

Paul: Oh? Mood

Bill: Anyway, how did it happen?

And so Paul told them, sparing only a few details hed like to keep to himself. It was exciting and fun to recall to his friends.

Ted: That's cute, and very cliche

Paul: Yes it is, and I have no regrets

Paul: Don't you dare

Ted: No ragrets

Bill: YOLO

Paul: I hate you both so much.

Ted: :)

Bill: :)

Paul: Anyway what's going on in your lives?

Ted: Nothing much

Bill: Besides homework and rehearsal for the play I have no interesting topics for discussion.

Paul: In other words…

Ted: Nothing much. :)

Bill: Yes

Ted: Oh you know what! There is something…

Paul: Oo! What? Is Tommy secretly a furry

Ted: …

Ted: Please for the love of all that is holy Bill let me blOCK HIM

Bill: -bill is offline-

Ted: oH power move

Ted: -ted is offline-

Paul: I am so lonely...I have nobody...all on my own!

Paul: wait Ted wat was your thing

~~~

“WELL HELLO TRAITORS!” Paul shouted as he walked up to his friends by the locker. Both Bill and Ted groaned covering their ears. Paul pushed past them both opening his locker, he shoved some things inside continuing his conversation. “Hey, what's dat” He asks gesturing towards the hot drink in Ted's hand.

“Hot chocolate” he smiles “I'm meeting Tommy, we both have free periods so we’re gonna hang out in the library and study” Paul and Bill smile at the happy look on Teds. They go to continue but Emma interrupts walking up to the group followed by Charlotte.

“Is it good today or bad?” Paul asks leaning in, Emma rolls her eyes nudging him. She eyes the group which has now fallen silent and are now staring at the pair. “Ok, that's not happening, it didn't happen with Tommy and Ted, and it's not happening with me and Emma”

“Emma and I” Bill corrected stuffing his face in his book. Ted stifled a laugh as Paul glared at them

“What didn't happen with Ted and I?” Tommy asked curiously walking up to the group, subtly interlacing his hands with Teds. Ted smiled at him greeting him.

“Thank you” Bill mumbled once more at the correct grammar, Ted giggled.

“Nothing” Paul muttered, Emma sighed watching him “Well the whole gangs here…”

“Astute observation Paul! You really are a genius” Emma commented, her tone bright and fake. Paul pouted much to the group's amusement.

“Hey, we’re dating now you can't make fun of me” He frowned, Emma, smiled coyly, taking his hands.

‘Can and will” She said “Alright we have history so we out,” Emma said dragging away her boyfriend from the group, Paul following with no qualms, the group laugh waving them off.

“They're cute” Tommy commented sweetly. Charlotte nodded agreeing she checked her own watch perking up.

“Gotta go!” She said rushing away after mumbling goodbyes. And then there were three. Bill still had his face in a book only half-paying attention to what was going on. Ted sighed pushing his book down, laying it flat Bill looked up slightly irritated.  

“Can I help you?” He asked curtly, Ted knew it wasn't directed at him.

“Bill, you gotta go to class” Ted reminded, Bill, checked his watch nodding. He, just as the others had done, waved the two goodbye and disappeared into the buzzing hallways.

“And then there were two!” Tommy giggled, Ted smiled squeezing his hand “To the library?” Ted nodded and let Tommy lead him through the halls, into the library, into a secluded corner, with books, beanbags, and a small table. They set their things down and got comfortable.

“For you,” Ted said handing him the hot drink, Tommy smiled taking it enthused.

“Thank you!” Ted nodded grabbing his things from his bag, he wouldn't meet Tommy's eyes “Whatcha workin on?” Tommy asked setting his cup down, grabbing his own things. “I've got some chem to do and then-”

“They want to adopt me” Ted blurted, quietly but urgent. Oh, Tommy thought, and here I was going on about chemistry,

~~~

“Chad” Greg greeted nodding curtly to the man, he turned his voice becoming softer “Henry” Chad sighed stroking his chin, Henry didn't acknowledge the man as he continued grading papers. Chad leaned in whispering just enough for Greg to hear.

“Was it Jreg? I can't remember” He teases, Henry laughs, a full laugh clearly something he's been holding in for days. Greg groaned plopping his things down next to them. “Did we invite him? I don't remember inviting him” Chad comments poking his salad. Henry shook his head thinking.

“I don't either, odd” He turned to face Greg finally “I don't remember inviting you hmm..” Greg watched the two, why was he so adamant about tearing them down?

“Children, actual children” He muttered opening his lunch.

“He says as if he didn't kiss my husband” Chad mumbled, Henry’s eyes went wide, almost bulging trying not to laugh once more. “It's like that show… what's it called? Based on the Archie comics?” Chad snapped trying to remember, Henry, shrugged he only really watched crime tv or medical shows.

“Riverdale?” Greg added helpfully, Chad snickered.

“Of course you would know what its called” Henry muttered, going through another test. Chad nodded approvingly. A beep went off and Henry and Chad checked their phones. “Love” Henry tapped his watch with the end of his pencil

“Ah yes,” Chad said packing his things “I must go” he stood making his way to the door, not before Henry planted a kiss on his cheek. He turned towards Greg “Try not to kiss my husband while you're at it” He added mockingly before promptly leaving, giving Greg no chance at a rebuttal.

“We’ll see about that” Greg muttered a little too loud. Henry eyed him and packed up his things, leaving his own classroom without a word.

~~~

“It's so boring Em” paul groaned as he sat down at their lunch table, Emma chuckled stroking his hair lovingly. ‘History is boring” Ted and Tommy soon joined, eyeing the pair.

“What's up with him?” Ted asked Tommy, nodded agreeing. Charlotte, Bill and an unexpected guest of Sam sat down as well. Emma ignored Sam, turning back to Ted.

“You heard the man, History was boring” She shrugged, Paul sighed sadly leaning on Emma, resting on her shoulder. She patted him “There there” The group laughed collectively moving on. “Hey is everyone called for rehearsal today?” She asked as Paul sat up both opening their lunches. Charlotte quickly grabbed her journal flipping the pages.

“Yes! Everyone is called, we are doing a full run-through of the songs and then we are blocking the opeening” She informed excited, Emma smiled at her. She then finally glared at Sam, returning her soft gaze at Charlotte. Very hot and cold.

“Thanks, Lottie” She popped a chip in her mouth. The group continued on with the polite conversation, everyone doing their own thing. Bill sat on the left side of the table reading his book occasionally looking up and eating or participating. Ted sat to his left, actively engaging in conversation making jokes, and loving insults at people. Tommy sat to his left working on his music, marking it, eating sometimes and chiming in to reel Ted in or to watch the group. Emma and Paul sat at the head of the table, Emma closest to Bill, Paul closest to Charlotte on the right side. Emma led the conversation constantly throwing out ideas and topics, practically eating and talking at the same time. Paul did much of the same but much more quiet. Charlotte rebutted the conversation, always excited to share and talk to the group, eating neatly. Then there was Sam, he didn't fit in. He constantly tried to gain momentum in their conversation but they had all built him up in their heads as this egotistical, annoying human. And he did nothing to prove them wrong, making backhanded compliments, shutting down ideas, insulting them. Ted, Emma, and Paul could handle it they were instigators, but then he would move on to Tommy, Bill or Charlotte and they just didn't understand. Emma wasted no time telling Charlotte as soon as Sam left for the bathroom.

“He's being so mean! Lottie, you know I love you and I said I would...support whatever this is” She tried to hide her disturbed feelings, Charlotte listened. “But he's insulting you, and that's not a relationship!” Charlotte felt her heart pull, Emma was right, but she was always right and for once Charlotte wanted to be right. She loved Emma but this was her thing, she brought Sam into their lives and…

“What do you know about relationships?” Charlotte rebutted, no no! That's not what I wanted, She thought. “You date a guy for one day and suddenly you're the guru? Newsflash Emma-

“I'm sorry” Emma cut in calmly, the boys watched the two feeling themselves grow hot with nerves. “You're right, but I just want you to be ok” She admitted, she shrugged standing up. Paul went to follow but she shook her head. “I'll see you guys later” Charlotte sunk, Sam returned but she didn't stay. She ran after Emma.

~~~

Gucci Gang

Ted: Hey...Emma, Charlotte...is everything… Gucci now?

Paul: Can I block him? Bill, can I block him?

Bill: No you may not, and to put it in...simpler terms is everything alright?

Charlotte: yes, we have some stuff we need to talk about…

Emma: But we’re ok

Tommy: Oh yay!

Ted: you're so cute

Ted:...

Ted; The one...was supposed to stay in here.

Charlotte: Hehe, I will see you guys at rehearsal!

Emma: Ditto, gotta go grab some snacks. Anyone want anything?

Ted: Ill take some bleach

Bill: Ted, no

Tommy: No Ted

Ted: And once again, I am out

Paul: Yeah I gotta talk to my sister, see y'all later

Emma: I'M DATING A COWBOY, MOM I DID IT. Anyway, I'll just grab everyone something

Tommy: Bye!

Bill: It seems it is just us now

Tommy: Well I've got nothing to do till rehearsal, wanna go to the library and play a game of chess?

Bill: That is a satisfactory past time, I would love to.

Ted: You guys are so adorably nerdy

[agustdomain]

Now You’re One Of Us {FINAL}

Synopsis: When tensions are high and problems unsolved, friendships are on the line. When those issues are brought to the surface, are connections severed beyond repair? Or is it possible to find it in yourself to stay behind, fix what’s been broken, and find the light on the other side? Now you’re one of us, a blessing and a burden.  

Word Count: 18.8k words 

Genre: Angst, sliceoflifeau!, broken friendships, hidden relationship

Warnings: Language, Fighting (verbal, not physical)

Member(s): Hoseok, ft. maknae line, Ryujin & Chaeyeon. Mentions of other characters.

Author’s Note: This is the final part, folks. Thank you to those who have shared their thoughts and love for the work. It really means the world to me that you decided on reading it. Means more than I can convey. Reminder: if you’re looking for the romance to be the main focus, this work isn’t for you. If you don’t care, then enjoy the ride. Thank you again, everyone. Can’t express the love I have for what I do and for my writing.

Inspirations: There were many songs that inspired me while writing. If I had to pick two, it’s We Are Young, Fun ft. Janelle Monae and Dreams Tonite, Alvvays.

Here’s PART ONE if you haven’t read it. Without further ado...

One by one, everyone trickled back in the living room. Y/N’s heart sighed when she caught sight of Hoseok walk back in, Taehyung in tow. Her love’s face was serious, maybe a little tired, but his eyes were determined as he gave her a slight nod. As always, he knew what to say to comfort someone. Magic.

No, not magic. It was strictly him. Magic minimized the strength and power of Hoseok’s influence.

Taehyung was quiet when he rejoined the group. If he had cried, it couldn’t be seen by the eye. Y/N recalled once in the past when he had gotten upset, he had said he didn’t like crying in front of his loved ones. He said it hurt him to hurt the people he loved. 

Ryujin was just as stormy, but little by little she was beginning to talk again. Jungkook would make snide comments here and there but after Jimin gave him a slug in the arm, he mostly stopped. 

What was magic was how the situation seemed to diffuse itself on its own. With the slight time that had passed, the vibe was transformed into a semblance of normalcy. And it did a good job at fooling Y/N into security.

When Chaeyeon suggested playing a game, there wasn’t any refusal this time around- only some reluctant agreements. After a slight discussion, they all settled on charades. Y/N beamed when Taehyung leaned over to her and muttered, “Never fails. We’re geniuses. It’s the closest game to Hedbanz.” With those words, she knew he was returning to his earlier state.

The game started smoothly. It was a lot of uncontrolled laughter from Jimin, Jungkook 

acing every round. Ryujin would rage because most of the time, her guesses were off. Hoseok looked lost and it was the first time Chaeyeon had smiled that big in a long time. Y/N felt content seeing all of her friends enjoying themselves.

“Uh… let’s see… Oh! You’re sweeping!”

Hoseok’s eyes got wide but he shook his head rapidly. He held up a finger to signal Ryujin to wait before he redid his action. Twisting his body to face one direction he dramatically feigned crying. Then he proceeded to face the opposite way and smiled widely, feigning laughter. He ended it off with aggressive motioning toward his face.

“Okay, I don’t know what this one is but that was one creepy ass smile,” Jungkook commented. Jimin broke out into laughter, of course. 

“Uh, actor?” Taehyung guessed and Hoseok pointed at him excitedly, jumping once before motioning him to guess more. 

“Robert Downey Jr.! Uh, Iron Man! Crocodile!” Ryujin hollered.

“Bruh, she’s so dumb,” Jungkook rolled his eyes. It seemed he still wasn’t happy with her from earlier. 

Taehyung silenced him, saying, “Cool it, Guk.”

Y/N’s attention was drawn to Hoseok, her heart warming and her smile growing fond at the sight of his animated movements. Currently, he was trying to get Ryujin and Chaeyeon to stem their answers from Tae’s previous guess. It only further confused them, now thinking the answer had something to do with him.

“Best friend?” Ryujin asked.

Hoseok’s face fell, shaking his head.

“Model!” Chaeyeon called, and Taehyung pretended not to hear. But if his shifting eyes were anything to go by, he was flustered by her words. 

Hoseok sighed, pretending to look at his imaginary wristwatch. Y/N couldn’t help but laugh at the sight. As if he somehow sensed her watching, his eyes flickered to hers. They brightened upon meeting her gaze, his expression showcasing his fondness. He held back a smile as much as he could, only one side of his mouth pulling up and making her heart stir with attraction. She wished she could kiss him right then and there. 

Looking at her dead in the eye, he did the motion of putting a mask on his face. It must’ve been their connection, because otherwise she didn’t think it would’ve clicked.  

“Comedy and Tragedy masks!”

“Yes!” Hoseok cheered, Y/N jumping up to her feet in surprise. Without much thought, he clambered over to her and wrapped her up in his arms, tugging her close. As if they both realized at the same time, they quickly let go of each other, a strained smile appearing on his lips. It seemed no one thought of the exchange as odd, Ryujin muttering her confusion about the game while Jungkook complained to Taehyung that he had no clue what Hoseok had been acting out. 

Just then, Y/N’s attention was drawn to Jimin’s phone. It was buzzing rapidly on the living room chest, and from her stance she could see the caller ID. Miyeon. 

Her eyes snapped upward to where Jimin sat in front of the table, all traces of laughter and amusement gone from his face. His gaze was trapped on the phone screen, and she didn’t know if she was imagining how his tiredness was more prominent than ever in the crevices of his face. 

No one else noticed, everyone wrapped up in their banter and Ryujin preparing for the next topic. But Y/N did. And she was frozen at the sight of her unhappy best friend. 

She watched as he stumbled to his feet, his stature unsteady. After straightening himself out, he reached down for his phone and turned to walk off toward his room, likely dialing her back. Something told her to stay close by, so she moved to follow him. 

“Hey. You good?” Hoseok’s hand found her shoulder, gently turning her to face him.

She nodded, distracted. “It’s…” She lowered her voice. “It’s Jimin. I’m going to check on him.”

Hoseok placed both of his hands on her shoulders, his eyes searching hers. After having found what he must’ve been looking for, he nodded. “Okay.”

It could’ve been an hour, the length it took to get to his room. As soon as she walked in, time slowed down, trapping them in the confines of his empty bedroom. 

“No, you listen to me! For fuck’s sake!” His voice was dripping with frustration, his hair sticking up in random directions from what she assumed was his tugging. She stayed back, hovering just outside of the doorway. There was a small lamp plugged in the corner of his room on the floor, a bare mattress the only other item occupying the room. Everything else must’ve been with the woman he was currently arguing with on the phone.

He was facing away from Y/N, his head bowed and his body rigid. She had never seen him like this. 

“Oh, so you can swear at me but once I show any signs of stress, I’m the bad boyfriend? Spare me, Miyeon.” He twisted on his feet, beginning to pace. Regardless of his slight movements, all of his stress was defining everything else on him. His reddened face and hard eyes, his clenched fist that only unravelled to pull at his hair. It seemed he was doing everything he could to stop himself from exploding.

“No-” His eyes fluttered closed. She likely had interrupted him. “You know what? No. I’m so sick of you trying to control what I do or what I say. Have you ever even looked at yourself? Ever thought that oh, maybe I’m to blame? Look at how you’re talking to me. And you always do!”

His face filled with disbelief, scoffing at whatever she said. Y/N suddenly felt really bad that she was listening in on something so personal, but all night he had been worrying her. This only furthered her worries, for she had never seen Jimin this upset at someone. Instead of pretending she wasn’t there, she stepped into view. His eyes snapped to her, his mouth pursing as he turned away. 

“Okay, well, have fun hating me. I gotta go,” He snapped, likely cutting off her rambles on the other end. Listening for her response, his voice came out final. If Y/N had been on the receiving end of his biting tone, it would have stung. “Excuse me while I spend time with the people who actually give a damn.”

He didn’t look at her after hanging up. She watched as he hung up before slipping it in his pocket and keeping his eyes trained anywhere but her. Y/N really looked at him and how different he seemed. Perhaps he had been like this all along, she just never dove deeper. Blinking rapidly, she cleared the tears that had risen. 

It was the second time she had seen her friend look so small, the first time being after his breakup with Soojin. It stifled her breathing, seeing him hurting. 

“Hey,” her voice was testing the waters as she stepped a bit closer. He didn’t acknowledge her, all of his attention probably on the conversation he just had. She still wasn’t accustomed to the closed off version of him. She couldn’t bear the thought of him reverting back to his old ways. If this were a few months ago, he might have told her what was on his mind. 

Too much time had passed, it seemed.

Just as her hand found a place on his shoulder, he jerked back and caused her to jump with surprise. He looked at her as if he didn’t recognize her, disbelief written in his eyes. “What are you doing?”

“Jimin, I- Are you okay?”

“What kind of a stupid question is that?” He scoffed, before moving past her. “It’s none of your business, anyways.” Before he could reach the door, she grabbed onto his arm. And before she could speak, he spun on her. “No, Y/N! I don’t want to hear your fake ass pity! Since when do you care what I’m going through?”

Looking closer, she noticed how unfocused his eyes really were. They were wild with emotion, yes, but they mixed with inebriation. It was a recipe for something bad. 

“I’ve always cared and I always will. You’re not alone. Let’s just talk, okay? Tell me what’s on your mind.” That usually worked, but not tonight.

He shook his head, wrenching his arm out of her grip. “You don’t get it, and you never will. Not when you’re living a picture perfect life with nothing but joy and no hardships.”

“Excuse me?”

He was looking through her, not at her. “You heard me. Have you ever stopped for one second to consider how I feel? You do nothing but belittle me, try to control me,” It registered for her suddenly, that he wasn’t talking to her anymore. He was talking to someone else. “I do everything for you. Hell, I wanted to live with my best friends but you insisted on me being with you! And all you do is make me feel inconsistent.”

“Jimin…” Y/N’s heart smashed at the sight of his face crumbling, trying so hard to not cry. Instead of staring, she wrapped her arms around him and pulled him close. Hesitantly, he rested his face on her shoulder. It felt like hours but it was mere seconds until he wrapped his own arms around her and held her tight, the slightest quivers escaping from his body. “I’m here. It’s going to be okay.”

He whispered something, too muffled for her to understand. She asked him softly to repeat himself. 

“I… I miss Soojin.”

Pulling away, he looked at her with puffy eyes and flushed cheeks. She didn’t know whether to feel relief at him opening up, or sorrow at the evident pain he was going through and had been experiencing this entire time.

“Is everything okay?” The two of them turned, the slight light from Jimin’s room spilling out and onto Chaeyeon’s presence. She looked concerned but didn’t move from where she was standing.

“I’m fine,” Jimin managed, pulling away from Y/N’s embrace. As he sniffled he ran his fingers through his hair before maneuvering around Y/N and turning away. “I’ll meet you guys in a second.”

Y/N so badly wanted to stay, to comfort him and be there for him. Just like earlier, he had graced her with a moment of opening up. It was all she was going to get for now. With one last look, she followed Chaeyeon out of the room.

Everything was much more complex than she ever would have known. And she wouldn’t have if she had chosen not to come.

“This isn’t good,” Chaeyeon said, her voice wavering.

“I know. Jimin is… not good.”

Chaeyeon shook her head, the two of them stopping in the dark hallway feet away from the living room. She lowered her voice. “Not only him. The others… it’s heating up. I don’t know how to stop it.”

“That’s the thing. Can we even stop it? Or is it destined to happen?” Chaeyeon looked at her then, and Y/N wished she had something better to say. The two of them never felt so helpless. 

Just then, they heard Jungkook’s voice thunder, “Screw you!”

The two of them rushed into the living room, noticing the duo from earlier back at each other’s throats. Ryujin was reared on him, her stance aggressive and her face taut with anger. Jungkook was stood on the opposite side of the living room, his back straight and eyes narrowed. They were in the midst of a showdown.

“Guys, let’s calm down,” Hoseok said, standing between them as if they were going to go at it at any moment. The words only seemed to anger Ryujin even further.

“Stay out of it, asshole!” The words boiled Y/N’s blood as she came to a stop near the edge of the living room. “I’m so sick of Jungkook acting so high and mighty all the damn time. Get off your high horse. No one buys your whole tough facade.”

“What fairytale are you spinning now? This isn’t about me, this is about you! And how you treat everyone like shit. We’re your friends and you can’t even go one minute without insulting or belittling us! I can’t imagine what it’s like to even hear something supportive come out of your big ass mouth.”

“Guys,” Taehyung looked exhausted, his eyes dipped in disappointment as he peered up at them from his spot on the sofa. Y/N wished there was something she could say to diffuse the situation. There was nothing any of them could do, because Ryujin wouldn’t back down and she had effectively gotten Jungkook riled up. “Just please stop.”

“Tell his bitch ass to stop whining! No one is bothered but him!”

“There’s no need to insult anyone, Ryu,” Hoseok said, looking frustrated himself. Still, he tried to be the mediator. Usually he was successful, but not with someone like Ryujin. She directed her anger at him next.

“Would you look at that? Dad is trying to break up the fight! Why don’t you just shut the hell up too, Hoseok. I don’t want to hear your dumb ass rambles about peace and friendship.”

She didn’t know if her gunning for Hoseok had been the last straw or Ryujin’s blatant ignorance, but without much thought Y/N snapped, “That’s enough already. Jungkook’s right.”

Everyone’s heads swivelled to her. There was a range of shock and anger, the latter mostly from Ryujin, on their faces. Before she could even consider what she had just launched herself into, Jimin’s voice sounded from behind her.

“Why don’t all of you shut up?”

Ryujin began to slow clap, nodding her head with feigned enthusiasm. “The stone cold asshole has finally decided to join the party.”

Y/N’s heart dropped, already knowing Jimin wasn’t in a good place to be provoked. She looked back at him with worry, her blood ice cold at the sight of his steeled gaze.

“What did you say to me?”

“Come on. You can’t be an asshole and stupid too. Well, I guess you are considering you’re moving in with your biggest mistake.”

“You’re pathetic,” Jungkook’s voice cut in, everyone turning toward him. “You know what’s sad? The reason why you’re attacking all of us is because you’re so insecure about yourself. The reality is, Chae and Y/N are way better than you. At least we actually like having them around. Tae doesn’t need you, not after finding friends that treat him better than you have your entire friendship. We don’t need you. No one needs you.”

Y/N looked at Ryujin then, watched her facade crack as he struck a nerve. How did the night grow poisoned? How had they really brushed off all of the signs?

The real and painful question was, Why hadn’t her predictions proved her wrong?

Ryujin cleared her throat, looking at everyone in the room before striding to the kitchen and snatching her bag. Pausing on the way to the front door, she looked dead in Jungkook’s eye and said, “Fuck you,” before throwing it open and slamming it behind her. 

It left the room suffocated, too quiet. Everyone besides Taehyung was standing, poised and ready for whatever was coming. Jungkook was the first to move, sinking into the nearest loveseat and lying his head back. He didn’t look like he was going to talk anytime soon. 

“Anyone want another beer?” Jimin rasped.

“Haven’t you drank enough, man?” Taehyung asked, his voice lacking strength. 

“Relax, man, I know what I’m doing.” Jimin said calmly before dragging his feet to the kitchen.

Chaeyeon sat down beside Taehyung, her head in her hands as she inhaled loudly. “We can’t go one night. One night without everything going to shit.”

“It takes a group effort. Not just one,” Hoseok said, his voice distracted as he sat on the arm of the remaining loveseat. Y/N was drawn to him, aching for his comfort but unable to receive it with their friends around. So she sat by him with his leg pressed slightly into her shoulder. He must’ve sensed her distress as his hand curled at the arch of her neck. He massaged it slightly before keeping his hand there. 

“Ryujin is-”

“A judgmental asshole. I don’t want anything to do with her anymore,” Jungkook snapped, before returning to his previous position. Taehyung watched him, his lips pursed, bothered by his words. Chaeyeon looked conflicted, before nodding her head in acknowledgment and changing the topic.

“Okay well, Jimin,” Lowering her voice, she glanced over her shoulder before continuing, “Isn’t doing well.”

“Yeah, you don’t think we know that?” Jungkook deadpanned.

“Guk, stop already! That’s enough. You’ve done enough,” Taehyung said, his voice shaky. His words were effective, Jungkook falling back and rigidly turning his head away from everyone. 

Chaeyeon pretended as if she didn’t hear the exchange. “It has to do with… his girlfriend, right? Why else would he be drawing away from us? That’s the only thing that’s changed in his life. And he’s moving in with her now.”

“It’s not the only thing,” Y/N offered up, all of them looking at her with questioning eyes. “Guys… It hasn’t been that long since…”

“Since Soojin,” Taehyung said, nodding in understanding. He and Jungkook exchanged glances, having a silent conversation. Everyone soaked it in, thinking about how Jimin really hadn’t been himself since Soojin broke his heart. There was a time where he was coping and moving forward, but when he started dating Miyeon he took one hundred steps backward. 

“Miyeon does nothing but keeps tabs on him and controls him. Not to mention how possessive and crazy she is every single second of the day. She’s toxic,” Jungkook said, his face permanently set in a glare. 

“And now they’ll be living together,” Chaeyeon said, sounding at a loss.

“You don’t think we tried to convince him otherwise?” Taehyung shook his head. “His mind is set.”

“There’s nothing we can do then, besides be there for him,” Hoseok said with finality.

“Are you guys having fun butting your noses into my business?”

Everyone froze. They were caught in the act.

Y/N’s stomach dropped, suddenly very afraid of what was coming. One look was all it took to envision the road they were about to travel.

One by one, everyone’s gaze trailed to Jimin. He stood at the edge of the living room, swaying on his feet and his expression the face of barely suppressed rage. Jungkook was the first to react, quickly standing and fixating his face into something more gentle. “It’s not like that, J. Come on-”

“And now you’re going to lie to my face?” Jimin’s voice raised, his emotions locked away. Like moments before with Ryujin, round two was unravelling like a badly rolled carpet. 

“We’re just worried about you,” Chaeyeon tried, her voice wavering.

“Back off. All of you. I’m fine.” Jimin was short, dismissive. He wasn’t going to budge. 

Hoseok’s grip loosened before moving to Y/N’s shoulder. He was letting her know once more he’s there. Breathing in deeply, she turned her attention to Jimin. Like he knew it was coming, his eyes met hers. 

She kept her voice collected as she could, given she was staring into the eyes of a man who was seeing through red vision. “You’re lying to us too. We know you’re not fine. And it’s okay to not be. You don’t have to pretend.”

“I’m not pretending!” He outburst, causing Chaeyeon and Tae to flinch. “This is who I am, and if you guys have a problem with it then there’s the door!” He ended by pointing a shaky finger at the front door. 

Jungkook shook his head, conceding by sitting back down. Something told Y/N to keep going, because when was the last time any of them had seen this much emotion from him? Standing up slowly, she approached him.

His eyebrow twitched with aggravation, his stance anything but approachable. She knew him, though, knew he was trying to defend himself and lock away his emotions. She was sorry for not being there for him all these months. She vowed to do better. 

When she stood in front of him, she looked him dead in the eye. Softly, she uttered, “Jimin. It’s okay. You don’t have to tell us what you’re going through. But you don’t have to hide yourself. We’re here for you.”

His facade broke down a little as his eyes shifted to the side, considering her words. Shuffling in place, his hands roughed up his hair again. He wasn’t alone. 

She tried again. “We love you and only want you to know that whatever you’re going through, we got your back. We always will. It’s okay…to feel. You don’t have to pretend.”

At first, it looked like she had broken through. His facial expression opened up for a moment, his eyes sad and his shoulders loosening. It was but a moment, because suddenly he straightened back up as his face twisted back into stone. 

“Me? Pretending? What about you and Hoseok?”

It was a split second reaction. Y/N’s mouth managed a quick response, “Huh?” as her body clamped up. The hair at her neck bristled, like a cat on guard. Eyes were on her, or maybe they weren’t. She didn’t want to turn around to check. All she could do was stare at Jimin, in horror or shock she didn’t know. 

Jimin wasn’t very coherent, that much could be seen. His eyes were glazed, his face scrunched up in irritation. His stance wasn’t very stable. If it weren’t for his words, she would’ve been concerned about him and his appearance. All that rang in her ears, and likely in everyone’s, was his words.

“What does he mean by that?” Chae called from behind her. 

Y/N couldn’t move, couldn’t process what was occurring right before her eyes. Her mind was racing, looking for an escape or any semblance of words that would diffuse the words that hung in the air.

Nothing was coming to her. 

A familiar warmth appeared beside her, a familiar touch. She didn’t want to look at him because he would see her panic, feel it and channel it. It was second nature, however, how her eyes snapped to Hoseok’s. His eyebrows were pulled taut in a frown, his mouth pursed. She could see he was trying to give her courage, but it was hard when the pair of them were thrust into this situation. 

“Jimin, I think that’s enough,” Hoseok decided. 

Wrong choice.

“Oh, so you guys can put my relationship on blast but I can’t put yours?”

“Okay, I’m sorry. What’s going on here?” Chaeyeon asked, her voice growing high and confused. Y/N slowly and torturously looked over her shoulder to her friends behind her. Taehyung looked worried. Chaeyeon was staring at her with almost an incredulous look, her face frustrated. Jungkook’s eyes were trained on the floor.

“I-”

“Why don’t you guys fess up? No, seriously,” Jimin feigned a loud laugh, “This is utterly priceless. Why is it that my own friends can judge me and my own relationship when they can’t even be honest themselves? You’re fakes. To your own damn friends.”

Y/N whirled on him, feeling her own frustration bubble over. Her voice raised, loud and unsuspected. “Stop, Jimin! Why are you doing this?”

“No! Why do I have to stop? None of you have given a shit about me this entire time, this whole group is falling apart, and suddenly you’re worried about me being sad? Please.”

“We are worried about you! Look at you!” Y/N yelled back.

“I’m fine. You guys are the ones who feel the need to hide yourselves from your so-called friends.”

“Look at this shit! This is the exact reason why we didn’t tell you guys in the first place!”

“Oh, yeah, that’s why. How about the lack of trust? You know what?” Jimin moved toward Y/N in his anger, Hoseok’s instincts taking over as he stepped in front of her. Hurt flashed in Jimin’s eyes, shaking his head as he retreated. “All of you are just as sad as I am. Here’s a thought, instead of faking you’re happy and that you actually like your friends, why don’t any of you own up to your shit? Like Hoseok and Y/N. Or you, Chae. You hid your relationship too. What about Jungkook-”

From Y/N’s other side, Jungkook appeared, his face stern. 

“Jimin, cut it out. You’re acting like an idiot.”

“Surprise, surprise! Any chance of you confessing how you feel, you’re quick to shut anyone up!”

“I’m not avoiding anything, you’re just being a real dick right now. Before you say anything else you’ll regret in the morning, I really think you should go lie down.” Maybe it was Jungkook’s intimidating stature, everyone on guard or Jimin’s own desire to escape the situation, but with one last scoff Jimin stalked off to his room. The slam of his door caused Y/N to jump, her feet glued to the floor and facing away from her friends. 

Her gaze slowly found Hoseok’s, his eyes closed as if the reality was too gory to look at in the face. His grip tightened on her shoulder and  her body drew slightly closer to his chest. 

“Can someone explain what his little tantrum was about?” Chaeyeon said, her voice the definition of stress. The couple twisted to see her roughly rubbing at her forehead with the palm of her hand. 

“I think it’s pretty obvious, Chae. You’re a smart girl,” Jungkook snapped.

“You guys… are together?” Taehyung asked, the mic dropping as silence ensued. His eyes were shrouded in confusion, disbelief and something akin to hurt. 

Hoseok inhaled a deep breath, the movement of his chest giving Y/N the courage he possessed. There was a pause, a defining moment suspended in time that was before everything changed. With a slight nod, the moment shattered.

“We didn’t want you to find out from anyone else, but… yes. We’re together. We planned to tell everyone at the same time.” 

“So…. why does Jimin know before us?”

Hoseok looked at Y/N then but she only shook her head. Turning back to Taehyung he responded, “We don’t know.”

“I don’t understand. Did you guys think we’d be mad? Frankly…” Taehyung looked so sad that it pained Y/N to even look at him. “I feel like shit. This whole time, I thought that all of these friendships… they meant something. They do mean something, to me. I even had hoped that everything would get better, that all of our issues weren’t the end of us. I was foolish.”

Y/N stepped toward him then, but he quickly rose to his feet and held up a hand, warranting her from coming closer. He couldn’t look anyone in the eye.

His voice grew quiet, defeated. “I just wanted this night to be special. This is probably our last time together in this apartment, but the way things are going it feels like the last time together in general. None of you care. All this time, I either got excuses or refusals to come over or go out. How can I hold onto something that doesn’t even hold back? First Ryujin. Then Jimin. And now you guys?”

“It’s not like that,” Y/N pleaded, ignoring his hand as she reached out to grab his upper arm. “Tae, we care about you. We cared about tonight. We kept it to ourselves because we didn’t want the group to become even more tense.”

Taehyung shook his head. “Don’t lie to me. This group has been on a path of destruction for a long time.”

“She’s telling the truth, Tae,” Hoseok stepped into the conversation, “Admittedly, we did like the intimacy of it being just us. We knew that once we told everyone, it would be a lot more attention. And… we know how everyone feels about friends dating friends.”

“We’re not mad,” Chaeyeon said, ��Well, I’m not. I understand. There’s a reason I haven’t brought up Yves until tonight. Sometimes it’s best to keep those kinds of things private. I just wish you would feel more comfortable with us.”

“We do. We understand we should’ve told you sooner. We’re sorry about that.” Hoseok said with sincerity. 

Taehyung sighed, letting his shoulders relax. Rubbing at his face, he fell back into his seat on the sofa. “Somehow, we broke our record for the worst night.”

“It’s not so bad,” Chaeyeon shrugged, “Only one stormout and one wasted. I’d say the rest of us are levelling the score.”

“What a positive outlook on this train wreck of a night,” Taehyung countered, his whole demeanor down. 

If Y/N had a time machine, she would go back and make the most of the night. Everyone, especially herself, had let him down. 

“Are you okay?” The question was surprisingly directed at Jungkook, who had been quiet the entire time. His eyes widened with surprise at Chaeyeon’s question, before he tilted his head in thought.

“I’m good. I… already knew about them too.” 

“What?” 

“How?”

Y/N and Chaeyeon said at the exact same time.

He looked at the couple with mild amusement. “You guys aren’t the greatest at pretending. I had my suspicions for a long time. Just didn’t have any proof.”

“Wow. I must be the most dense person,” Chaeyeon said to herself.

“You’re not, Chae. It shouldn’t have been a secret. I’m sorry,” Y/N said.

“I’m sorry too,” Hoseok agreed. “And I’m sorry about Jimin. He did the only thing that would take the attention off of him, and that was to turn the spotlight on everyone else.”

“He really isn’t in a good place,” Chaeyeon sighed.

“He’s not in any position to feel better tonight,” Taehyung pointed out. “He just needs to sleep off the alcohol. It’s probably a good idea to call it a night before anything else sours the night even further.”

“Don’t jinx it, man,” Jungkook said, looking at everyone before saying, “Maybe the friendship really is beyond repair.”

“After tonight, is it a bad thing?” Taehyung sighed.

Y/N’s heart cracked, remembering how happy and hopeful Taehyung was at the start of the night. “Tae…”

A firm knock at the front door garnered all of their attention. Everyone was still, their gaze trained on the wood. There was silence for a moment before another round of loud knocking sounded.

“What now?” Taehyung groaned.

Jungkook stood, uttering, “Told you not to jinx it,” before reaching the door and slowly opening it.

Until it was shoved open before he could barely move out the way, Miyeon waltzing in, in the process.

“What do you think you’re-”

“Where’s Jimin?”

Y/N observed her, the young woman who barged into the room. The mood shifted, uncomfortable with someone who they barely even met prior to this moment. Her hair was styled to perfection, not a stray hair in sight. Her head was high, looking down at anyone and everyone in her path. Everything about her screamed arrogance, and it didn’t sit well with the people before her.

“Did I invite you in?” Jungkook said through slightly clenched teeth.

Miyeon scanned the room, ignoring him. “Is he in his room?”

“He’s asleep, Miyeon,” Taehyung said, sounding tired.

She gave him a look before making her way toward the hall, no room for arguing. Jungkook rolled his eyes, remaining poised near the front door. “Real fucking classy.”

“This won’t be good.” The two roommates conversed, seeming familiar with the setup. 

Y/N gazed in the direction of Jimin’s bedroom, worried for what might transpire. 

“Uh, guys,” Everyone looked at Chaeyeon, “Look who’s calling me.” They all collectively stiffened at the sight of Soojin’s name on her caller ID.

“Don’t answer,” Jungkook insisted. 

“What if it’s important?”

“Do you see what we’re going through right now? That can’t be good if she’s calling you. Don’t answer.”

“But-”

“Listen to me!” Jungkook snapped.

Chaeyeon held his gaze for a moment before letting the phone silence. 

The night, if possible, was souring even further. 

And the sound of Jimin yelling launched everyone into the second half. 

“Get out!” 

“No, Jimin! Just talk to me!”

Taehyung and Jungkook moved into action, everyone else in tow. They didn’t have to get far, Jimin rushing out with Miyeon trailing after him. His face was filled with his previous rage, unseeing of his friends around him. Spinning on Miyeon, he shakily pointed a finger at her.

“I’m done with you.”

In contrast to the composed girl from earlier, Miyeon was a mess now. Tears were streaming down her face as she tried grasping at his hand. He wrenched it away, moving away whenever she moved near. 

“Jimin, don’t do this.”

“Why should I listen to you when you don’t even trust me? This is pointless, we’re pointless. I should’ve never even thought of being with you. You’re a waste of my time.”

Miyeon’s face crumpled, and everyone turned away, silent and wishing they were invisible. None of them knew what their fight was about, but it wasn’t their place to even wonder. 

For whatever reason, Y/N felt sad at Miyeon’s tone.

“You don’t trust me either, you know. Because you think I’m like her. The sad thing is, you think I’m her in the worst ways. Not in the one way I should resemble her, in owning your heart. And I don’t trust you… because you still love her.”

“For fuck’s sake, I don’t!”

“You know what?” It was like everyone held their breath, sensing the finality in Miyeon’s voice. “Why do I even try?”

Y/N watched from the corner of her eye as Miyeon shoved past Jimin and raced to the front door. She only had a moment to look at Jimin, how furious he looked. Before she could observe him further, Y/N watched Miyeon pullnthe front door wide open- to reveal none other than Soojin on the other side.

“You’ve got to be kidding me,” Jungkook uttered. 

Jimin turned just as Miyeon looked back with what could only be described as heart-wrenching betrayal. She rushed past the woman in the doorway, Soojin’s eyes following her with confusion.

“Soojin? What are you doing here?” Jimin asked, shocked. He looked at his friends with question before the reality of how it looked dawned on him. “Oh no… Miyeon…” And just like that, he booked it, not giving Soojin a second glance.

“I’m going to go after him. He’s not in any state to be out and about,” Taehyung rushed, racing after him. 

Hoseok looked at Y/N then, his face exhausted. “We should leave. This night isn’t… isn’t what it should’ve been.”

“What are you doing here?” Jungkook addressed the unwelcomed guest, his voice laced with distaste.

“I called Chae and Y/N but none of you picked up.”

“Yeah, no shit. None of us want to talk to you.”

“Jungkook,” Hoseok warned tiredly. 

Jungkook inhaled loudly in acknowledgement before he turned to Soojin once more. “Again, why are you here? You sure do have amazing timing. I guess that’s always been your specialty.”

Soojin remained stoic, still standing outside the door. Likely, she had no intentions of coming inside in the first place. She looked just as they all remembered, for the most part. She was adorned in her pajamas after all, considering she lived down the hall, but this was the same old Soojin from before.

The Soojin they once all called their friend.

“Ryu is passed out on my couch. She ranted about how mad she was at me, then at you guys. And then asked if she could crash because she didn’t think it was smart to drive. I just thought you should know.”

“Shit,” Y/N said, feeling bad at the way things went down with Ryujin. 

How had the night really turned this bad?

“And you couldn’t just shoot any of us a text? No, you just had to show up and make a scene.”

“What the hell are you talking about, Jeon? You always have a stick up your ass.”

Jungkook spluttered, pointing at himself. “Oh, I do? Step down from your throne, princess. You’re really not in any position to be judging anyone after breaking Jimin’s heart.”

Soojin’s face tightened, clearly uncomfortable. Clasping her hands together, she said, “Well, I just wanted to let you guys know. I didn’t want anyone to worry.”

“What a saint,” Jungkook hissed.

“Hey Soo. You good?” An unfamiliar face appeared at Soojin’s side, a tall man who had worry shadowing his eyes. It clicked then, Y/N understanding that this was Hyunwoo, Soojin’s ex- well, her boyfriend. The cause of Jimin’s heartache was right before their eyes.

“Yeah, I’m fine. I was just finishing up,” Soojin nodded at everyone before saying, “Night, then.”

Jungkook took no time in closing the door, spitting out, “Unbelievable,” before turning to face the others.

“Are we apart of a movie or something?” Y/N questioned, not understanding how any of that just happened.

“A really shitty one, if that’s the case.” Chaeyeon answered her.

 “We should call it a night,” Hoseok said once more, hovering near Y/N. She silently agreed. 

Jungkook nodded, looking distracted. He stayed by the door, as if prompting them to pull themselves together. As Hoseok, Y/N and Chaeyeon gathered their belongings together, the latter voiced, “I can’t decide whether we should’ve just called it a night earlier to prevent everything from happening or if it was inevitable.”

“Knowing this group, it was destined to happen. Whether it was now or days from now, we all haven’t been on good terms for a long time,” Y/N was disheartened. Maybe they all were. 

Without wasting any time, the three headed for the door, Jungkook holding it open for them. 

Chaeyeon was first, hugging him lightly. “We’ll talk soon, okay? If you need anything, let me know.”

He nodded in response. Hoseok was next, the two hugging before they shook each other’s hand. Using his other hand, Hoseok grasped his shoulder as he said, “I’m sorry this is how our last night went in the apartment. We should’ve done better.”

“It’s a group effort. Don’t stress too much.”

Hoseok added, “If you need help moving your things, hit me up.”

Lastly, it was Y/N. She paused for a moment, wondering if he would be okay with a hug. Before she could even decide, he stepped closer and hugged her tightly. While holding her, he uttered, “I know I’ve been difficult. I just… hope it’s not too late to fix it.”

Pulling away, she gave him a reassuring smile. “I would love that.”

They shared a moment, an understanding hanging between them. For that moment alone, Y/N’s hopes weren’t completely diminished. 

Outside the apartment complex, Jimin, Taehyung and Miyeon were nowhere to be found. It worried Y/N to no end and the same worry was etched in her companions.

“Be safe getting home, Chae,” Hoseok said sternly, hugging her. 

“Yeah, text me when you’re home,” Y/N added, getting her own hug in.

Chaeyeon forced a smile as she unlocked her car door. Just as Hoseok and Y/N moved toward his car, she called after them.

“Guys?”

They turned and looked at her. Y/N’s face fell as she picked up on her facial expression. She was trying to hold it together, grip tight on her keys as she looked off to the side. Before she could open her mouth, Chaeyeon straightened her back. She patted down her hair, clearing her throat as she pushed some of it behind her ear. 

“We can come back from this, right?”

For once, Y/N didn’t have the words. Usually, she carried some faith in situations like tonight. Though she was always worried and fearful of the potential downsides, there was always a piece of her that felt in her heart they’d make it out. 

That’s what it meant to be one of them.

No matter the fight, hardship, tension… to be one of them meant to be there for one another.

What did it mean when one night sent all of that crumbling down?

“It will be. It’s a matter of who’s willing to put in the time,” Hoseok said simply.

Even though his face was firm, his tone determined, Y/N could tell it did little to comfort Chaeyeon. She merely nodded, forcing one last smile before pulling open her car door and disappearing inside. 

Y/N remained standing off to the side, watching her pull out of the parking space, then the lot. She watched her friend leave, feeling more defeated than she ever had in any friendship. 

Why had she been right?

Why couldn’t she have been wrong about where the night would lead?

Because she would’ve given anything to be wrong if it meant not feeling Taehyung’s disappointment, Jimin’s pain, Ryujin’s rage. 

She would’ve given anything to repair the damage that had been dealt.

“Come on, love,” Hoseok softly said, holding out a hand. 

He walked her to the passenger side, not forcing anything out of her. Y/N knew that he wouldn’t pry it out of her because that’s how he was. They would talk when they were ready. Before getting in, she turned to face him, her eyes haunted. The sight looked like it hurt him, not saying a word as he pulled her into his chest. Pressing his lips to her temple, he whispered, “We’ll figure it out.”

“Will we?”

“We will.”

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

Just like that, it was the morning. Blank pages, scribbled notes and frustrated grumbles were the companions of Y/N’s thoughts that continued revisiting the night prior. She couldn’t help it, not really, not when Jimin’s tear stained cheeks shined in her mind. Or how Taehyung’s disappointment poked at the edges of his lips, aching to be let out. How could she focus on her homework when Ryujin’s shoulders quivered with rage or the sight of Soojin’s drained eyes left a sharp ache in her chest? It’s nearly impossible to be focused when a night like the one she just had hung over her head like a storm cloud. 

Breathing in deeply, she slammed down her pen a little too hard on the glass table, alerting Hoseok from the couch. She didn’t bother to look at him. Instead, she rubbed her hands together as her eyes grew tired from watching the page marker appearing and reappearing with no words in front of it. It was exhausting being this uninspired.

She sensed them before his hands even touched her. She knew he was behind her before his hands slid across her shoulders. Her eyes fluttered closed at the sensation, his slender fingers gently massaging wherever they touched. 

Y/N heard his voice but not his words, only an indiscernible hum quieter than the music flowing from her headphones. Reaching up, she pulled them off her ears and looked up at him over her shoulder, the music the quiet hum now as he gained her undivided attention.

“What did you say?”

“Maybe you need a break from staring at a blank page.”

Her gaze pulled back to the blank page, a heavy sigh resting on her chest at the sad sight. The page morphed in her mind, the memory of Jimin’s face paling at Miyeon’s departure filling her vision.

Y/N uttered, “Maybe that’s a good idea.” And so Hoseok took her hand and led her to the couch where he had previously been resting. A quiet murmur of a 2000’s romance played from the television ahead of them. Neither of them weren’t really focused on it, at least Y/N wasn’t, as she settled into Hoseok’s side. His body wrapped her in a comforting warmth, more so than the blanket resting atop their bodies. His presence was more comforting than the softness of the sofa beneath them.

Studying his side profile, her eyes took in his attentive gaze. There were those eyes, their attention focused solely on the quiet movie in front of him. That’s how they always were no matter their focus. Wherever and whoever he looked at was his only interest in the world until he looked away. 

When he was serious it was an entirely different Hoseok. She mostly knew him as the smiley and playful guy even before they dated. It was a rare occasion for him to reveal any of his negative feelings. When he did, it weighed heavy in his limbs and face. The frown would pull his face rough, his body slouching with the weight. At least to her eyes, it was easy to spot when he was upset. It came with the honor of owning one of the keys to his heart.

That’s why it was quite easy to spot something was on his mind other than the movie. 

Subconsciously, he shifted in his seat before glancing at her. Running his fingers along her arm, he squeezed gently before resting them in her hair. “What’s up?”

Poking his cheek, she asked, “Did you want to snuggle for me or for you?”

Without looking at her, he simply said, “Both.”

“I see.” She turned her attention to the television- not really- and looked at what was happening. In this scene of the movie, two teammates of a football team were fighting over a secret between the two. Picking up on their fight, one was yelling at the other about being distant. Ironic. Without looking back at him, she said, “I can’t stop thinking about last night.”

“Me either. Couldn’t sleep much last night.”

“Ditto.”

They both watched one of the football players storm off, the other brooding and watching him go. Delivering a cryptic line, the movie cut to commercial. Y/N took that as her cue to duck her head into his neck. Breathing in the citrus- because of his body wash- she utilized it to reign in her stress. Medicinal, how life was when tucked into his side. 

“Before last night, I would’ve thought it was impossible for things to turn that terrible.”

Y/N nodded her head in agreement. He continued, his voice low and soothing. “In a way, I think the path of the group was headed that way regardless. You sensed it, it crossed my mind. I’m sure everyone did. Unfortunately, people like Taehyung block it out and don’t see it coming until it hits them straight in the face. I don’t blame him, though, I actually admire him for it. Maybe it would’ve made the night more bearable.”

“Not necessarily. If anything, Tae probably took it the hardest. And I hate to imagine.”

Hoseok looked at her then, his eyes reflective of her own. A mix of disappointment, melancholy, confusion. She watched his internal battle live as it played across his face. It was a sight hard to watch, for a magical man like Jung Hoseok who was born to smile to do anything but. 

He ended his internal battle by resting his head on top of hers and away from her keen eyes. She let him, of course. 

“I just wish… that I could be there with them. With Jimin and Tae, I mean. I’m worried about them.”

The words hung in the air for a few beats, Hoseok’s fingers pausing in their movements across her skin. The warmth hovered over her skin as her cloud of security. The stress was low when he was near. 

Shifting away from her, she looked over at him with question. He looked back at her as his hand cupped her chin. The determination in them seemingly came out of nowhere but without even knowing what he’d say, it woke her up.

“Then why don’t we?”

“Why don’t we what?”

“Why don’t we be there with them?”

Her lips stretched into a smile, as if he somehow discovered the solution to it all. Who knew? Maybe he did. They wouldn’t know unless they tried. 

And so, Y/N joined him in standing up and following his lead.

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

It’s odd how the little things will stick out in memories. 

As Y/N stepped out of Hoseok’s car, the same sounds filled her ears from the night before. The leaves overhead caressed each other while they intimately danced. The leaves on the gravel beneath her boots chased after each other and played tag, the light scratch subtle over the wind picking up. 

It was a chilly late morning, the sky was overcast and gray.  

She didn’t like gloomy days and found sunny days more favorable. Maybe it had to do with her warm lover, but there was something comfortingly familiar about those kinds of days after loving him. 

Staring at the apartment complex ahead of her, it was an alternate reality of last night. It was day time now, a warning overhead. Was it an alternate ending or a second chance, a slight light in the darkness that hung over them. Just like the night before, Hoseok walked around to stand beside her. His body shielded her from the wind, watching her closely as she took her time sorting her thoughts. 

Looking over at him, a look washed over his face- something akin to shock. Or was it realization? His eyes found the gravel beneath their feet, a hidden smile on his lips. She asked him what he was thinking, but he merely shook his head as he stepped backward toward the apartment. 

Holding out his hand, she took it as he intertwined them quickly and led the way. Pestering him, he wouldn’t tell her what the secret smile was and why it was so secret. 

It wasn’t crossing her mind then, but it would later. How it really did seem like an alternate reality, a better one. 

Here they were, in broad daylight. They were in a familiar place as they stayed close, their love wrapping around their intertwined fingers. They weren’t worried about their friends seeing their affection or being mad at them. There wasn’t any secret of their own weighing on their lips scratching to be let out. 

There wasn’t any distance or darkness. 

There was only devotion on display. 

And she didn’t even notice.

“It’s not the time,” he finally spoke, a laugh mingling with his words.

She clicked her tongue. “Why not? You chose to smile at this time and you can’t even tell me why?”

“I’ll tell you when we’re alone.”

“We are alone!”

“Not technically.”

“Hoseok-” Her mouth cut itself off before her eyes truly registered what she was witnessing up ahead. Before them was Jimin, shoving a box into the trunk of his car. That part wasn’t particularly confusing, pretty sensible actually. 

The part that threw her, and Hoseok most likely, was Soojin hovering behind him. 

She was still adorned in the pajamas from last night, her hair thrown in a haphazard bun on her head. Lion themed slippers Chaeyeon bought her for her birthday last year were on her feet. 

Y/N pursed her lips. 

As they drew closer, they heard Jimin’s low murmur.

“Yeah, it’s a bit of a hassle but I think I’ll manage.”

“That’s really good. I’m happy for you, J.”

The sound of the nickname she designated for him stirred an uncomfortable feeling in Y/N’s stomach. 

Alternate reality it was, then. Or time travel back in the past, when these two were still together. 

Just then, Jimin’s eyes found the approaching pair. Y/N faltered in her steps a bit but Hoseok smoothly swept in by pressing his palm into her lower back, her tether. She couldn’t decipher the look swimming in Jimin’s gaze. However, it didn’t prevent her from staring back. 

“Hoseok. Y/N,” was what he managed, his voice a little stifled. As his eyes jumped away, Y/N determined what his previous look was: shame. 

“It’s good to see you steady on your feet. How are you feeling?” Hoseok’s questions were far from malicious, the opposite actually. They were injected with good nature. 

Jimin ruffled his hair before rubbing at the back of his neck. “Ah, well… I’ve felt better. Regarding a lot of things.” His eyes snapped to the pair then before quickly looking away. 

Y/N remained quiet as she watched Hoseok throw him a line, a comforting smile playing on his lips. “We all have our off nights. I don’t hold it against you.”

Gratitude washed over Jimin’s stature as his shoulders loosened. Instead of acknowledging him, he turned to Soojin. “I’ve got to get this finished…”

Soojin waved her hand dismissively. “Totally get it. Good luck with the moving out. And… with everything. I wish you nothing but happiness.”

It was the first time Jimin looked at peace in the last few months, his eyes light as his lips slightly quirked. “I wish you the same.”

That was that, Soojin nodding at Hoseok and Y/N before heading back into the building. Hoseok turned to Y/N then, studying her face. She sensed what he was looking for, wondering what her angle would be with Jimin. Tilting her head at her friend, she straightened before nodding at him once. Just like that, he understood. 

Hoseok shifted to look at Jimin. “Are Tae and Jungkook in the apartment?”

Jimin nodded. “Yeah, Taehyung has quite a few things left to pack. Jungkook is whining and waiting for him.” Just then, he closed his trunk. “I’m just about finished here.”

Hoseok stepped up to him, clasping his shoulder. They shared a look, a morose expression all across Jimin’s features being met with Hoseok’s own reassuring one. Y/N turned away from them, letting them have their moment. 

Ignoring their quiet chatter, she allowed herself a moment to process her thoughts. 

She wasn’t quite sure how to go forward with her concerns. The reality of the situation was, when Chaeyeon encouraged her to come to the hangout the night before, the pair of them were in way over their heads. Maybe all of them were. It’s not up to any individual or two to magically repair what’s been severed. Even Hoseok, the most magical of them all.

Y/N, Chaeyeon, Hoseok, Taehyung. None of them could hold onto every single person’s hands to make sure they all stay the same. It’s apart of life, every single individual growing and changing with their experience and wisdom. Sometimes certain bonds outlive others and sometimes friends continue on for a long time. 

One can’t force a friendship. If the group is meant to divide or to simply- cease to live on, it was going to happen regardless of who tried to keep the sand from slipping. That was just it. 

Their friendships were fragile, intimate and personal. Everyone had a hand in it and everyone had their own responsibility they played. But one person couldn’t carry all the weight. Two people couldn’t. All of them couldn’t. 

Some friendships hold the test of time. Some sand turns to diamond. But some sand does what everyone knows it to do… slip through. 

Everyone’s story is different.

As Y/N turned to look into Jimin’s eyes, she wondered how their own chapter would unfold.

She took one step and his gaze danced away, using the moment and taking in his appearance. His cheeks looked flushed, his hairline damp with sweat. As usual, he was sporting a darker look. On numerous occasions, she would constantly tell him to at least wear something lighter during the day. It never swayed him, opting for black or darker colors that might as well be considered black. She was sure he regretted it now as the heat beat down on him.

“I,uh,” he cleared his throat as he shuffled on his feet, “I just finished packing up all of my things.”

Y/N was in front of him now, giving him the comfort of looking away from his face to his car beside them. She nodded along with her words. “Crazy. It’s officially time for you to say goodbye to the apartment.”

“Yeah… never really thought about this day coming. It’s weird now that it’s here.”

“I bet.” 

The silence poured in, the background soundtrack the occasional leaf dances taking place in the parking lot. She watched him through the corner of her eye and how he fiddled with his long sleeves. To keep his hands busy, perhaps. Or maybe it was his way to stay calm, imagining it was hard to talk to her. 

“Do you maybe want to sit in the car? I can blast the AC and we can just… chill for a moment?” His eyes were wide like that of a child, expectant and innocent. It tugged on every single string of Y/N’s heart, to be able to catch wisps of the Jimin she knew hidden away in the new Jimin who had been moved out long before this day. 

“Sure.”

She didn’t move to the passenger door, opting to watch him frantically move to his side of the car. He didn’t notice her observing, a silent guardian watching over him. Before pulling open his door, he stayed still for a moment. Maybe he was preparing himself for their conversation, maybe he was coaxing himself into calmness. Chances were, she would never know what was crossing his mind at the moment. She didn’t know if that bothered her more than she would’ve liked. All she knew was, now more than ever she wanted to walk away from this conversation knowing more than she has these last few months. 

Y/N wanted a chance. She wanted to turn the page to find blank lines, to fill them alongside each other. There had to be another chapter in their friendship. 

If she had anything to say about it, she wouldn’t let their friendship end with a drunken outburst and his pain. 

Sliding into the car hit her with a sense of nostalgia. A sped up version of first year students, new to each other but old with their souls, getting cozy in the front seats and with each other. A younger Jimin, a more hopeful one with one hand on the wheel and the other resting on the window. His dark hair would dance wildly with the wind, his face accepting its kisses. Back then, he looked weightless in those moments. He looked happy. 

When they would drive in his car at the beginning of their blooming friendship, that’s when she got to know him. In those moments of vulnerability, when it was easy to read him and easy to grow intimate with his silence. He struggled with it, and that was okay. With the speed of his car, the wind as their friend and the promise of a future friendship, there were unspoken words and that was okay. 

Blinking it away, Y/N got comfortable in the leather seat. Reaching forward, she adjusted the air vents on her side. It wasn’t their past selves anymore, it wasn’t a youthful Y/N and Jimin looking at the world with starry eyes. They were burdened now with crashing meteors and spoken words echoing in their memories.

“Is it too cold?”

She shook her head.

“It’s just like old times. You know how much I like the cold,” He added.

Y/N tried a smile. She felt his gaze and his effort. Her mouth pulled downward uncontrollably.

Jimin suddenly and rapidly twisted his body to face her. From the corner of her eye she watched his mouth open to speak. As quick as his franticness came, his lips found each other again as he settled back in his seat. 

She figured it would have to be her, given the circumstances. Rubbing at her thighs, she heaved a deep breath in preparation. As she began, he held up a hand to silence her. His voice came out gentle but strong. 

“No, I need to do this. I-” He sighed heavily, tugging at his hair gently before burrowing his hands in his sleeves. “What do you say when words aren’t enough? Y/N, I had no right to put you and Hoseok on blast like that. Even if you had confided in me, which I understand why you didn’t, I still wouldn’t have had a right.”

“Jimin-”

“No, I get it,” His voice was shaky, his eyebrows pulled together as he stared down at his lap. It looked as if he was trying to hold all of his pain together with a flimsy ribbon. “I never planned on doing that, you know. Actually, I saw you guys outside the apartment last night when you arrived. I saw you two… and I figured you’d tell us in your own time. I mean, I’m a mess. Have been for a while now. It’s not like I could blame any of you anyways. Any time you guys tried to get me to open up, I would just shut it down. That’s all on me… There’s no excuse.”

Y/N reached over and rested her hand on his forearm. His eyes widened at her, as if it had been a long time since he felt a comforting touch. How long had it been since he talked to someone like this? 

“Jimin…”

His eyes flickered up to hers as he gave her a sad smile. “I really screwed up, didn’t I?”

She tightened her grip on him. “We all make mistakes. And… I’ve done wrong by you too.” Confusion filled his features, but she continued with her words. “It’s taken me way too long to realize that you need someone with you right now. You need a friend, and you’ve needed a friend for a while now, and all of us failed at that. I failed. Regardless of everything, I should’ve tried harder. Maybe you didn’t want to confide in me or any of us, but that’s fine. That’s not an excuse to pretend that everything is fine. I should have done better.”

He stared at her, open-mouthed and speechless. His expression from before was nowhere to be found, replaced by an unidentifiable emotion. Her heart rate sped up as she witnessed his eyes flood with tears. Reaching over with her other hand, he waved her off gently as he blinked rapidly, a laughter bubbling out of his mouth.

“No, no, I’m fine, I just…” Looking ahead, a genuine smile found his lips and it eased Y/N’s heart a little- albeit, she was confused. “You are a wonder, Y/N, you know that?”

“Huh?”

She could identify the look on his features now; he was touched. The Jimin she looked at now, well, it was the Jimin she had known all along. “I’ve known you for a while now. And sometimes, you still manage to find a way to surprise me.”

“Jimin, what are you going on about?” Even her own tone had lightened up, an uncontrollable smile on her lips.

“You and I both know that I’m in the wrong for what I did. Even if I’m sad or heartbroken, it’s wrong of me to tell your business like that. No excuses. And you still manage to take some of my blame. You’re… a great friend like that. Never letting any of us be alone in anything.”

Y/N shook her head, heaving a deep breath. She opened her mouth to respond, but his words kept her from talking. She had never really looked at herself like that and it had her re-thinking her response. Before she could get a word out, he continued. He squeezed her hand once more before facing her with a soft smile and a gentle tug on her shirt.

“You’ve always been… how do I put this… you’ve been my circus mirror. I know that sounds confusing. What I mean is,” He paused as he had to look away, his finger moving to point up in the air, “I look at you, and I see a better version of myself. It fools me, makes me feel better about myself. I look at you and it reminds me that it’ll be alright.”

The feeling she was feeling at his words was nearly indescribable. It was her heart cracking open and her affection for him pouring out. It was a present of care and love wrapped in a bow of melancholy. His words were sadness injected with sweetness.

Y/N shook her head as she tried to force her emotions down. “If only you could see how I see you. If anything, I would love to be your… projector. I would project how I view you, how incredible you are.”

The smallest smile tugged at the corner of his lip. “Thanks, Y/N.”

“I’m serious. I’m not a trick mirror. As your friend, I officially declare myself your projector. The title is a working progress because it could definitely be better.”

For the first time since she could remember, Jimin let out a genuine laugh. His eyes shined like the sun hitting a window. Warm. 

They soaked in the silence surrounding them, a comfortable and familiar one. It was a silence she had become friends with once upon a time, a time where a younger her wanted to get close to a younger Jimin and in order to do that, she had to get well acquainted with it. 

She understood what their chapter was and she was mistaken. 

It wasn’t ending and it never would be. Past Jimin wasn’t bad. It was apart of him and always would be. Just because he reverted back to the way he knew how to cope, it wasn’t the end of the chapter they had been writing together. 

It was just her responsibility to get reacquainted with the silence.

Similar to the title of her responsibility to Jimin, their chapter was a work-in-progress.

Soaking in the silence, she didn’t mind. For Park Jimin, she didn’t mind at all. 

“We should head inside. I’ll tell those knuckleheads goodbye and you’ll… well, you’ll be everyone’s projector.”

“You give me too much credit,” She joked as she got out of the car.

“And you’re too modest,” He shot back smoothly as he locked the car and followed her to the apartment. 

The air between them was lighter, a new sensation she was sure the both of them were soaking in. There was still much to talk about and to catch up on- mostly, it was time to start writing in their pages again. She looked forward to writing about his smiles the most. She missed his smile. 

As he reached to open the front door, her hand on his shoulder made him pause. Twisting to face her, he gave her a perplexed look. 

“I just… wanted to ask if you’re okay?”

Jimin’s eyes flickered with amusement. “I am. Actually, I haven’t been this okay in a long time. Last night was a wake up call I needed.”

“I know I haven’t been the best at proving it, but I’m here for you. To talk about anything and everything.”

“I know, Y/N. Thank you.” 

The smile he gave her was a familiar one. 

They looked at one another one last time before he opened the door and led her inside. 

“Y/N!” Taehyung’s excited greeting made her heart smile. Rushing to hug her, she chose to ignore Jungkook’s huff of frustration and complaint about his procrastinating on packing. Instead, she wrapped her arms around him and ignored the urge to cry. Pulling away, his excited gaze softened into understanding. Rubbing her arm gently, he said, “I’m so happy you guys came.”

“Wouldn’t want to be anywhere else.”

Taehyung grinned then, a big and sincere smile that brightened his whole face. Pushing away her sadness she attempted to mirror it. Suddenly, he wrapped his hand around her wrist and began tugging her toward the hall.

Childishly, he stuck his tongue out at the remaining guys standing in the living room. 

“Y/N won’t scold me about packing. She’s my new packing partner!”

Jungkook rolled his eyes and called out to them, “Have fun packing for a year then, you ass!”

Hoseok playfully shouted to her, “I’ll only save you once it gets dark out.”

Y/N shook her head as they reached his room. Although there was more progress since yesterday, there wasn’t much packed.

“Tae-” She said with disbelief.

“I know what it looks like, but I didn’t mean to postpone so much! Look how perfect my room looks! Why would I want to destroy that? It’s fate, I mean-”

Her tone hardened as she pointed to the corner where boxes resided. “Grab a box and stop messing around.”

Taehyung whined loudly, “Damn it! I got another wack ass packing partner.”

It took a lot more effort than Y/N expected to not crack her tough exterior upon hearing the guys from the living room burst into laughter.

“You guys shut up!”

“Pack before I kick your ass!” Jungkook shot back. 

Taehyung shook his head, even his own frown dancing with a smile. 

Some time passed in silence. If Y/N tried to guess, she wouldn’t know how much time. If it were an hour or ten minutes, she didn’t know. It was nice, though, and if the peaceful look on Taehyung’s face was anything to go by, he didn’t mind the company. 

For a guy like Taehyung, she knew it was hard for him to let go of things. Whether it be a person, an idea, a notion, or a place.

That’s why he had grand theories like his love life one. It was why he waited so last minute to pack up his room. Yeah, maybe he liked the way the room looked when it was untouched. Maybe he lost track of time. The true reason was, he just wanted a little more time with something he loved.

“I’m going to miss this place,” His voice was soft, almost unheard over the sound of him taping up a box. However, Y/N had been listening for whenever his voice would fill the room. “Of course, I’m going to miss living with Jimin and Jungkook. I’m going to miss our nights trying to do homework in the same room and drastically failing. I’m going to miss craving Mickey D’s at 2 am and bugging Jimin to drive us. One time, Jungkook spilled his smoothie on Jimin’s bedsheets and I have never seen Jimin’s face get so red.”

Taehyung burst into laughter at the memory, his eyes unseeing. As quick as the laughter came, it faded as his face dampened. He bent over the box in front of him and slowly placed some of his belongings into them. Glancing at Y/N, a soft and forced laugh fell from his lips. “I remember when Jungkook had nightmares the first couple of weeks when we moved in. He missed his family so much that he would wake up crying. The first week or so, Jimin and I just gave him privacy. We realized how ridiculous that was and started sleeping on the floor by his bed. He stopped having them after that.”

Taehyung swallowed thickly, his eyes a little glossy. Y/N pretended not to see the tears that managed to fight their way through, opting to look away. It was painful but she was going to be there for him through it all. If what Jimin said was true, she would take on some of his sadness for him. 

She knew it was only natural, what he was feeling. It hurt regardless, especially when such a hopeful soul was getting caught on his sadness.

He continued on reminiscing. “When I would get sick, Jimin would make me soup. Sometimes I was a nuisance and was picky, but he never complained. And he would always come home with medicine, orange juice, sprite and gatorade,” He scoffed with amusement, “Not that he would let me touch them. He’d practically drown me with water all day.”

He sniffed loudly, standing to his feet and walking to his closet. From where she was perched, she couldn’t see his face. She didn’t try to either, because all that mattered was that she was here for him. Without turning around, his voice became quiet and thick with emotion.

“I don’t know if I’m ready for everything to change. I mean, what if our chemistry with Namjoon and Jin is off? What if I get sick and no one gets me orange juice? I mean, only Jimin knows what brand I like. What if Jungkook starts having nightmares and I’m not enough to make them go away. What if-”

“Taehyung,” Y/N’s hand found his quivering back. Straightening himself, she listened as he inhaled a deep breath before turning to face her. He looked at her with raw realization, his cheeks shiny with tears. After a moment, he looked past her shoulder at something she couldn’t see. Placing her hands on his shoulders, she inhaled a deep breath of her own. “It’s natural to feel this way. In fact, if you didn’t it would be surprising. Even though change can be terrifying and stressful, you want to know who you are?”

He nodded at her, silently asking her who he was.

“You’re Kim Taehyung, the guy who looks at the world with fresh set eyes and a hopeful smile. You always give everyone and everything a chance, never deny something unless you’ve given it your all. I bet you were worried about how living with Jimin and Guk would be and look how that turned out. Jimin knows where you live, and knowing him he won’t hesitate to drive over arms full with OJ. Jungkook, well, he not only has you as a spectacular best friend but now he has two more roommates that can ease his heart. 

“You look at life, you look at an opportunity, you look at hardship and you shake its hand. Because that’s you. Knowing you, you’re going to go into this with hope and love on your shoulders and fall in love. That’s who you are. And I think that’s beautiful.”

She imagined the look he was giving her mirrored the look she had given Jimin when he called her a great friend. He looked at her with awe, with a new perspective. 

He surprised her with a quick embrace, so tight he slightly picked her up off of the floor. When he pulled away, the look in his eyes was brand new. Ah, the Taehyung he always was and always will be. 

The Taehyung in love with the world. 

“Thank you, Y/N.”

“No need to thank me. Only reminded you of what was already there.”

Clapping once, he huffed out a breath. “Guess that means we need to finish this job.”

“Yup. And I think the way to do it is to have the help of people who are standing around doing nothing,” She grinned at him as his eyes danced with pleasure, “Boys! Get your asses in here and help!”

If possible, they both smiled even wider at the sounds of groans and complaints. Her heart settled at the sound of Hoseok’s encouragement from the other room. Even in different rooms, he had a hold on her heart.

Seeing the three boys enter with carefree smiles and peaceful faces, well, it was all Y/N needed. 

Maybe it was what they all needed. 

Their chapters weren’t the end of the book after all. 

It was only leading to a much bigger, profound and understanding storyline.

She honestly couldn’t picture better people to embark on the journey.

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

When she entered the quaint little restaurant, indecipherable conversations happening all at once filled her ears while the delicious aroma of mixed scents filled her nostrils. Before her brain could decidedly focus on one, her attention redirected. Next, was the sound of clinking silverware and the distant sounds of chefs chattering. She came to a stop as her body involuntarily shivered from the sudden warmth inside. Heaving in a deep breath, her eyes began searching for familiar faces, rising to her tiptoes to scan the back of the restaurant.

“Miss. If you’re looking for someone in particular, you can give me a name and I can check the reservation list.” Her attention was drawn to the host at the podium to her right a few feet away. She hoped he missed the look of embarrassment that washed over her face as she walked over to the podium.

“Hi, sorry, I’m just not sure what name is under the reservation.” She spoke quietly, shyly, hoping to not be a bother.

“Y/N.” She felt a hand on her shoulder and recognizing the feeling of his hand, allowed his soft touch to soothe her. In the dim, golden lighting, the warmth of the small establishment fell away as the warmth of the person beside her overtook her instead. Her initial embarrassment dissipated as something more significant filled its place. Comfort. Safety. Love.

She looked toward his face, a gracious smile pulling at her lips as her nose picked up on his body wash. She didn’t really pay attention to how he apologized to the host and thanked him, gently grabbing her forearm to lead her away. Looking him over, she could only smile as she took in his facial expression. Once they were far enough away from the host, he looked over at her. Offering her a smile she knew was only meant for her, she felt her own widen.

“Hi, my love,” Hoseok said, leaning over and pressing a kiss to her temple before leading the way to what she assumed was their table.

“Hey. How was your day?” She asked, finally catching sight of her friends tucked into a corner she couldn’t see from when she entered.

“Alright. Better, now that you’re here,” He said quietly, and it made her heart stutter. All of this time and even the smallest things he did made the world around her still. Even in settings like this, with people around and noise consistent, her ears were attuned to him and the gentle way he conducted himself with her. Except it wasn’t just her ears. It was her entire being. 

“The late girl finally shows up,” Taehyung is the first to greet her, farthest from her side of the table. Hoseok pulled out her seat right next to his own.

Mouthing her thanks to him, her smile fell away as she acknowledged Taehyung’s words. “No one’s slacking except you, Tae. When’s the last time you showed up on time for anything?”

He held up a finger and opened his mouth to respond but quickly opted to shrug it off. “Fair point.”

Y/N looked around the table, at her group of friends that she was happy to see. She looked at everyone’s faces, aside from Hoseok, and felt her heart settle into contentment. Over the course of a couple months, there was a lot of time and effort that went into repairing what was severed. Unfortunately, some bonds were too worn to be fixed. Either way, Y/N looked around and knew after all this time, she was surrounded by the people who belonged. It felt peaceful, having come a long way from all those months ago when they felt hopelessness. They could finally settle in comfort.

Since she met all of them, there had been other friends that had come and gone, issues that some of them, all of them, or one of them had to face. Throughout the years, they worked on everything together. The people who were worth it were sitting right in front of her. 

There was Taehyung directly across from her at the round table. Quickly, he returned to a story she had missed the first half of, his hands moving fluidly. Kim Taehyung was the equivalent of sentimentality. He felt everything deeply and profoundly, looked at the world with wide eyes that dimmed a little every time he got a taste of reality. Regardless of those moments, he never lost that spark.

Taehyung was a romantic. He loved wondering about the world, finding the beauty in everything. Often, he didn’t like to face the harsh reality, choosing to avoid it or ignore it altogether. He liked the idea of love, but never really applied himself to the commitment. He liked old-fashioned love. The love that he felt for the world was confusing at times, because he always had something hopeful to say even when the world was falling down around them. 

The group realized why he was like that over time. When things went wrong, it hit him hard. All of his friends had to face that with him but after knowing him and loving him it became their fight too. If he was going to go through hard times, they were going to go through it with him. 

The bright eyed and boisterous man before them had gone through hardship just like anyone else. And he managed to always pay tribute to that romantic side of him. It was a beauty to see him laughing. 

“...And I think that’s why she ended up standing me up.” Taehyung finished, his eyebrows furrowed as if the reality of the story he told was only now hitting him. 

“Harsh,” Jimin commented, in that concise and unproblematic way he does when he’s amused. 

Park Jimin. He was a bit of a contradiction to himself. The more a person gets to know him, the less clear it becomes as to what kind of person he is. All Y/N knew was that he had a heart of passion beneath the cold facade he claimed. 

She knew him longer than she ever really realized. That was the magic of knowing him; with him, time didn’t exist.

When she met him, he had come off as a sweet and polite guy, which he truly was, and she remembered being a little flustered whenever he had looked her in the eyes. But the novelty of his handsomeness quickly wore off when she realized how difficult it is to get close. 

It was a blessing he chose her as a confidant and as someone he cherished just as much she with him.

Jimin was the type that pretended to be a free soul. He liked the idea of having little worries, of putting up this front that nothing ever scared him. He liked to quirk those little side smiles in the face of people that didn’t know him but wanted to judge him. He was a steel-eyed crossed-arm type of guy… on the surface. 

In reality, he put his whole heart into everything. He intensely focused on one thing, etching his soul into it. He was precise, his hands purposeful and his gaze meaningful. He drank the world in and paid the price. 

Jimin once told Y/N that the reason he tried to be so distant from everyone and everything was because he couldn’t handle it when he was devoted and it failed. But the key word is that he tried to be distant, tried to hide his genuine heart. With a heart like his, it’s hard to hide forever. He could try all he wanted but the ones who were worth it knew.

Just then, a waiter appeared to bring them their drinks. He passed around everyone’s drinks, saying them aloud as he went. When he got to Y/N, he set down her usual in front of her. Mildly surprised, she looked at her love and immediately knew why. 

He raised one shoulder casually before saying, “What can I say? I’m great.”

“Indeed you are.” Sharing a look of fondness for a moment, they looked away when the waiter asked if everyone was ready to order.

Y/N was suddenly thankful she had looked up the menu prior to coming. 

After ordering, the table broke off into smaller conversations. Jimin was on the other side of Y/N, so the two started talking about classes and how life has been going. He mentioned how he had been working on his portfolio for one of his harder classes and it was stressful, but he was managing.

“What about work? How’s that been going for you?” Y/N sipped at her beverage as her eyes didn’t stray from his face. Tilting his head in thought, he exhaled slowly in thought.

“Ah, I like it. I really do. My coworkers can be a bit… difficult. I’m trying to stay optimistic though, because this is the first job I’ve had in my life that I enjoy having. I mean, I’m surrounded by what I love.”

Y/N smiled. “You do love your writing. Regardless of your sucky coworkers, don’t forget that! You’re working at a publishing company before you’ve even graduated. If you keep focused, who knows where it’ll lead you.”

His head ducked shyly.

Because of the topic at hand, Y/N remembered something about another person at the table and called another inhabitant of the table.

“Speaking of jobs, Chae,” At the sound of her name, the girl mentioned looked away from her date beside her, “How’s your new job?”

She offered up a small smile. Tilting her head in thought, she said, “It’s okay. I like my coworkers. My boss is a bit… high-maintenance. But it’s nice, for the most part.”

“Oh come on, I heard the place was a shit hole,” Taehyung threw out there. 

“How are you just going to call her work a shit hole?” Jimin asked with mild amusement.

“I didn’t mean it’s a shitty place. I heard that the boss there treats the workers badly. People quit so much there, you’d think everyone’s winning the lottery.”

Chaeyeon pondered it before saying, “I can see why some people would think that. I don’t necessarily disagree. But it has potential. After all, people love the place for a reason. Great sandwiches!”

Everyone looked at her with a mixture of different facial expressions. There was a range of emotions, from Taehyung looking disturbed while Y/N’s held sympathy. She sounded like she was trying to promote a place that had a reputation of unreliability and dissatisfaction. After all, it was a place on their university campus known for infamously having a rotation of new workers. 

Although everyone was giving her relatively disconcerting looks, Chaeyeon was unfazed. That was just the type of person she happened to be. 

Jung Chaeyeon was a quiet and powerful force. Y/N and Chaeyeon had grown close in the early days of knowing each other, speaking of their dreams of the future. They resonated with each other, because despite the two of them being apart of a tight-knit friend group, they liked their time to themselves. The two of them were independent souls and it was a foundation for a deep understanding of one another. 

Chaeyeon, or Chae as they all liked to call her, was a very ambitious young woman. She strived for the utmost success, and then after achieving that she went the extra mile. The sandwich shop job they were discussing is the second job she was taking on, her first one being at a small bar a block away from her current apartment. On top of her two jobs, she liked to do podcasts in her free time. 

She was the type of girl that liked to do things on her own. Chaeyeon enjoyed her independence, thrived in it. There was nothing quite like seeing how focused and purposeful she was in everything: academics, her jobs and her hobbies. 

With her dedicated nature, sometimes it was hard for her to touch into her emotions. Over time, she grew better at processing her feelings though and working through them instead of discarding them. She was the type of friend one had to be patient with, because she would come around over time. Her reaction to things was simply different, more of a logical outlook than emotional. 

Because of that, it was a special and beautiful sight to see her so enamored by her girlfriend, Yves. It had been only a couple months since the two made it official, but ever since Chaeyeon brought her around it was like seeing another side of her none of them knew existed. She laughed a lot more, joked and teased. Her demeanor completely morphed into something relaxed but excited, blooming like a flower. It was obvious it was all because of Yves.

Even now, right before Y/N had called out to her. Chaeyeon’s attention had been completely wrapped up in Yves’ words as she was engaged in another one of Taehyung’s stories. Y/N wouldn’t tease Chaeyeon for her more-than-obvious focus on her girlfriend’s laugh. It still made Y/N smile, to see her friend happy and in love.

“I have a friend that works there. He hates it.” It was the first thing that Jungkook had said since Y/N had arrived and it steered everyone’s attention to him.

“Who is it?” Chaeyeon asked.

“You know Yugyeom?”

A look of understanding dawned on her face, nodding slightly. “Yeah, I know him. He’s not exactly… approachable.”

“You’re being too nice,” Taehyung directed at her before turning to Jungkook and emphasizing, “We all know that the guy loves talking shit about everyone and everything.”

“Everyone doesn’t mean only you, Tae,” Jimin casually threw in, and laughter trickled out at the sight of Taehyung’s betrayal written on his face.

“Okay, well, I didn’t ask to be disliked by someone who doesn’t know anything about me,” He argued.

Jungkook merely shook his head, agreeing with Taehyung about the topic at hand. “No, Tae’s right. Yugyeom has a tendency to be stubborn about things. It’s pretty frustrating. To this day, he won’t tell me his beef with Tae.”

“Yeah, let’s just say it’s not exactly great when we’re working the same schedule,” Chaeyeon added, taking a sip from her drink.

Y/N looked over at Jungkook then and as if he sensed her gaze, his eyes found hers. She blinked then, wondering if he was going to look away with discomfort. He simply stared back, his dark eyes shaded with secret. After all, that’s how his eyes have always been.

A lot had happened in the past year. She was well into her second year of university, and so much has changed since she first befriended most of the people sitting before her. With that, her friendship with Jungkook had molded and changed plenty of times. As of right now, it wasn’t really anything. It had become stagnant, and it saddened her.

So when he silently slid over a piece of bread on a napkin, she offered him a confused look. The first thing she noticed when she had sat at the table was the emptiness of the baskets in the middle, the appetizer gone quickly even though she was less than five minutes late. She had expected everyone was just really hungry. 

Jungkook, always thoughtful, had saved her a piece. 

“Thanks…” Her voice trailed off as she noticed his attention had already been directed somewhere else. She couldn’t expect anything less. 

As she picked at it, the sound of her lover’s voice filled her ear, his presence awakening her senses. Her nose took in his subtle cologne and his loud body wash. The warmth of his arm residing on the back of her chair was seeping into her back. His low voice made her heart rate pick up.

“We all played rock, paper, scissors for the last piece. Tae obviously wanted it for himself. Some of us wanted it for you. It seems Jungkook and I had the same idea.” She leaned back to look at Hoseok’s face, looking for any signs of distress or irritation with Jungkook. There was nothing but love. 

It was rare when it was obvious to the eye that something was bothering him. Well, to anyone else’s eye. Y/N knew him like she knew her favorite novel. Even so, she could tell it didn’t bother him that Jungkook saved the bread for her. He probably thought it was thoughtful, despite the state of their friendship.

She forced a smile as she picked at the bread, eating it slowly. He leaned over one last time, his words entering her mind like a song. Her favorite tune filled her ears.

“It’s okay, love. I know he’s taking a while. Just gotta be patient,” He leaned back in his seat but he was always near her. His hand remained on the back of her seat, never really away from her. It seemed like he tuned into whatever story Taehyung was telling now, but his words were low and directed at Y/N. She stared at the man she loved, waiting. 

“He’ll come around. He always does.”

She knew that about Jungkook. Except, a big part of her worried this time would be the exception, the one time he wouldn’t come around. She had hoped a few months ago, the night of the move out when he had shown sides of getting comfortable with her again. She had hoped he would open up again. Since then, it was only small talk here and there. It concerned her, fear at the thought of stagnancy. She believed Hoseok’s words. Only time would tell. 

It’s complicated to try and describe Jeon Jungkook with only a few words. He was complex, looking at coding without any prior knowledge of the skill. He was as colorful and confusing as a kaleidoscope. When she met him, she was impressed by how much he was composed of complexity.

He was quiet with his love. He was loud with his joy. 

Silence was his way of coping with anything that intimidated him. He and Jimin had that in common. If it was heartbreak, sadness, confusion, fear, stress, he would face it with silence. It used to be an issue among the friend group, how he would close himself off. It still was, but he was better. 

Jungkook wanted to constantly be moving and working. No one could ever catch him slacking. Even in relaxation, he was persistent. 

It was an inspiring sight to see someone so powerful on their own path. 

He was a mystery, a lot of the times, never quite knowing where he was or what was on his mind. The reason he fit so easily into the group was because when someone gets a peek inside of him, it’s impossible to not crave more.

Taehyung drew people in with his charisma and loud personality. Jungkook wasn’t quite like that but was just as pivotal. He drew people in with his mystery and kept them when they discovered clues.

It was a shame Y/N wasn’t as close to him as they used to be, but she knew better than anyone that sometimes things come and go in life for a reason. If they were meant to be distant friends, she was okay.

A few more topics flitted around the table before the food arrived.

For a couple minutes, the table was silent as everyone dug in, either the sound of silverware clinking against itself or hums of approval in the air. Conversations started up again here and there about trivial matters and instances of humor. One by one, everyone started to finish up their meals. It was light-hearted and nostalgic, nothing too serious. It was Taehyung that inevitably changed the mood.

Wiping his mouth with his napkin, he leaned back in his chair as his face took on a more thoughtful look. As if considering his next words, he paused briefly before filling the silence.

“I have to say, it’s really nice to have everyone here. We’ve… come a long way. And I’m proud to look around this table and see who’s meant to be by my side.”

Mostly everyone nodded in unison, some trained with their gaze on Taehyung while the rest looked away sadly. In reality,  it was how life unraveled. Maybe it was just what time did to relationships. The first year of their epic friendship, the group was nearly inseparable and larger in size. They did anything and everything together, and if it wasn’t altogether it was at least with one. 

But life happens. People get busy, spend their time differently, meet new people. Falling outs, fights, and heartbreak drive people apart. 

What used to be eight turned to seven, then six, back to seven. Over time, the weight of failed friendships loses its heaviness until it can’t be felt at all. Soojin, the woman who stole Jimin’s heart and ran with it. After she left, the whispers of her presence hung in the air. It dealt a harsh hand on Jimin and his next relationship. After a long-needed conversation with the heartbreaker, and Jimin’s decision to not move in with Miyeon, he found his way back to a path that allowed him to grow. 

After he moved out, Jimin discovered an old friend from high school who was searching for a new roommate. He decided that was the best choice for him instead, seeing if he and Miyeon could work on their bond without adding the stress of living together. 

Because of that decision, he found more happiness with himself. With that came the eventual realization that he and Miyeon weren’t meant to be. She respected his honesty and they went their separate ways.

After the night everything unravelled all those months ago, Ryujin didn’t find her way back to her friends. At first, it was slight, like opting out of dinner or bailing out on plans last second. A bond between she and Soojin restored the night the latter took the angry, drunk girl in, because as Ryujin drifted away from them, she pulled in closer to Soojin. 

There was no hostility, only acceptance. Though it’s harder on Taehyung, he learned that it wasn’t the end of the world if he and his childhood best friend didn’t always share that title.

In the most unlikely of places, other bonds sprout and create a beautiful garden. Take Yves, for instance. In the beginning, Chaeyeon had been extremely nervous to introduce her to the group. She was afraid they wouldn’t like her or disapprove. The actuality of the meeting was, well, her friends fell in love with Yves just like she did. After a night of getting to know her, everyone understood why Chaeyeon loved her so much. 

Just like that, Yves slid right into the beautiful mystery of the group’s friendship.

Eight. Seven. Six. Seven.

Numbers don’t really matter. Numbers don’t do justice to the impact of every single soul that accentuated Y/N’s life. If she continued on meeting beautiful people, well, she wouldn’t mind if the number became infinite.

All she knew was that she wouldn’t want to be surrounded by anyone else.

“I got to admit, I kind of don’t want the night to end,” Jimin confessed, not really looking into anyone’s eyes.

“Yeah, I don’t either,” Chaeyeon agreed, doing the opposite as she purposefully looked at everyone’s face.

“So let’s not let it end,” Taehyung suddenly spoke with passion, leaning forward and surprising everyone out of their silence. “Let’s go somewhere else. It doesn’t have to be anywhere special. We can go back to our place. Joon and Jin won’t mind. Jimin, you haven’t seen what we did with Guk’s room! It’s half hot mess, half gaming studio. And a mini comic book store. Oh! And a cool little mini bar-”

“Dude, shut up,” Jungkook groaned, looking up at the ceiling in embarrassment.

Jimin grew flustered at Taehyung’s attention, rubbing at the back of his neck. “Sorry about that. I’ve been trying to find time to come through and visit. With the new job and everything...” No one acknowledged what he was implying, but everyone knew exactly what he was saying. And no one minded. Jimin was better, happier. None of them would even think to give him shit for it.

Taehyung cleared his throat. “No worries, man. I get it. But guys,” The fire came back, “When will we get a chance to hang out like this again? I know all of us tend to get… busy. So what do you say?”

Chaeyeon’s face grew bashful, “I don’t know… I have work early tomorrow and I just-”

Yves said, “Come on, Chae. It’s just for one night.”

“I don’t know. I have a pretty big exam in a couple of days that I should probably study for...” Jimin threw out there as he twisted his glass in his hands.

Y/N watched Taehyung closely, watching as little by little the hope in his eyes faded away. It made her heart ache, seeing how much it meant to him to extend the night. He was right, the group hadn’t spent time together in a while. It was for many reasons, not just because of being busy. There was a lot of history, both good and bad, that made the group what it was now. If it didn’t happen now, it might not happen ever again.

They were in a better place now, much better than before the night everything internally combusted. She had a feeling that Taehyung was worried the group would revert back to that. It was different now. It was… revived.

She looked over at Hoseok. His face was neutral, listening as Yves went back and forth with Chaeyeon and Jimin tried his best to be hidden. Feeling her gaze, Hoseok turned to her and offered her a comforting smile. It eased her heart, because from that one look she knew they were in the same mindset.

He spoke up, drawing everyone’s attention. “I think it’s an amazing idea. It’s not often we all get to see each other like this, and who knows when the next opportunity arises. It would be a shame if we all called it an early night before we could even reminisce about how far we’ve all come. Look at Tae and Jungkook. They didn’t think they’d make it out alive with their new roommates. Now, they live in harmony and are thriving.

“Or Jimin. You’re working at a place you absolutely love and we haven’t even heard all about it. Chae, you forget that we all know how you and Yves are considering moving into together. If that’s the case, we gotta start planning ikea trips.” With Hoseok’s magic, everyone’s stress fell away. Chaeyeon’s laugh graced their ears at Hoseok’s thoughtfulness, Taehyung’s hope returned. Even Jimin and Jungkook were blessing everyone with small smiles.

Taehyung looked grateful, relief spreading through his face. The fire from before returned in his voice, turning to Jimin and saying, “Not to guilt trip you, man, but you ace every single exam you take. Remember freshman year with that stats exam? We both didn’t study and I got a 37 and you got a 95! In fact, you don’t even have to stay out long. You just gotta check out his gaming chair I assembled. Jungkook nearly killed me when he got home but it was worth it.  One night isn’t going to hurt anybody.”

He opened his mouth to respond, probably to reject the proposition, but Y/N felt the need to support Taehyung’s idea. 

“Jimin, it won’t be the same if you’re the only one that doesn’t come”

He stared at Y/N then, looking conflicted. As he continued to think, Chaeyeon decidedly agreed she and Yves would go. Jimin was all who was left. 

Everyone watched him, sympathy or determination underlying their facial expressions. After a beat of silence, he sighed.

“Alright. One night won’t hurt.”

Tae thrust a fist in the air, cheering a little too loudly.

“Guess I don’t have a choice, since I live with the guy,” Jungkook uttered grumpily.

Y/N stifled a laugh, grabbing his attention. His stormy gaze lifted a little at the sight, but she found herself pausing when he was quick to look away.

“Let’s get out of here before Tae gets us kicked out,” Chaeyeon said pointedly, everyone collectively agreeing. 

From one beat to the next, the brisk cold scooped them into an unexpected embrace. Y/N was tempted to turn on her heel and head back inside the restaurant. Unfortunately for her, the general agreement was the night would continue at Taehyung and Jungkook’s place. 

Y/N smiled as Hoseok sidled up beside her, feeling comfort in the natural way he slid his hand into hers. 

“This is going to be an interesting night. I can feel it,” he said quietly as they headed toward the parking lot. 

“It really is,” Y/N responded, thinking back on some of the tension that had definitely been present in the night. There was genuinely too much history, too many different experiences and memories that could either bring laughs or awkwardness. She felt herself stiffen at the possibility of arguments brewing, recalling the many times there were issues in the group. That sensation disappeared as it came. It was different now. It had been since that night long ago.

She could recall the nerves she had felt that day, how Hoseok and Y/N restrained themselves for displaying any of their love. It was one of the many reasons her heart had ached that night. 

They had walked out of the night with everything up in the air.

Five months later and they were surrounded by friends who mattered, fingers intertwined and nothing but love in their chests.

Before they could reach their respective cars, they heard Taehyung’s call from behind them. Turning, they watched as he jogged toward them. He looked almost like an excited child, his breath fanning out in a white cloud. His eyes were bright, hopeful. It was really good to see him like this again. 

“Thank you, guys, for having my back in there. I know it doesn’t seem like a big deal, but it is, at least to me.” He attempted to seem nonchalant, shrugging one shoulder. Y/N could tell how important it actually was, though. “I know that what happened a while back was… uncalled for. Or, maybe it wasn’t. It was destined, really. Somehow, we all made it through and came out stronger. I just… worry that if we go too long without seeing one another, it’ll happen again. I don’t know, maybe I sound ridiculous.”

“You don’t,” Y/N said softly. 

He gave her yet another grateful smile. Clapping once, he announced, “Well, I’ll see you guys there then.”

They turned to leave, but his voice stopped them once more.

“Oh, and Hoseok?”

Y/N turned too, as if her name was called. It was natural that way, like her love and her own name were the same. She didn’t know whether to be embarrassed or proud. If she would tell him that, he wouldn’t hesitate to choose the latter.

“Yeah?”

“You always know just what to say to get everyone to listen. It’s magic.”

Hoseok simply smiled. “Not magic, Tae. It was what everyone needed to hear.”

Taehyung tilted his head at his words before nodding slowly.

“Catch you at the apartment,” Hoseok called over his shoulder, pulling Y/N to her car. 

As they walked, she let her thoughts fill the air. “You know, I think I agree with him.”

“With what part?”

“That you’re magic.”

He paused, looking at her and squinting with amusement. “Thanks, love, but I’m being serious. We could all tell that something in us didn’t want the night to end just yet. Jimin was really conflicted. And Chae didn’t outright say no. They just needed a little encouragement.”

Y/N leaned to peck his cheek. “Enter my superhero love to save the day.”

Shaking his head, he took her keys and opened her car door for her. She got in and turned it on, Hoseok closing the door.  Rolling down the window for him, Hoseok leaned down on the sill to look at her.

“Be safe. I’ll see you there.”

“You too,” She smiled at him before beginning to pull out. Before she completely pulled out of the parking spot, she called, “Am I driving to a night of a miracle or chaos?”

“Something tells me it’s a miracle. I suppose only time will tell.”  As she began the drive, she truly wondered what the night had in store. Unlike a night that was losing its prominence in her memory, there was no unease or nerves that filled her stomach as she drove. 

Mere tranquility. 

Taehyung’s abundant love, Jimin’s precise spirit, Jungkook’s fiery devotion, Chaeyeon’s subtle affection, Hoseok’s wondrous wisdom. 

Each of them carried characteristics etched into their hearts, sometimes forgotten or lost or hard to get back. With the right people, the right kind of love and support and perhaps a little bit of a miracle, they always find their way back to that part of themselves.

Always. 

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

When a person enters a world as big and unpredictable as this one, they will never be certain about what awaits them in the future. Stepping out of the house, there are infinite paths a person can take that will alter their future, both literally and figuratively. Every person you’ve met has affected you, every place you’ve been has left its mark. Maybe it isn’t clear or as prominent as others, but everywhere you go your presence is imprinted. 

The world shapes you, and you shape the world. People mold you, and you mold people. It’s a give and take existence we’re all living. There is something beautiful and haunting about this kind of existence, because at times one is more victorious than the other. When the world is giving, we’re on cloud nine. We feel so high, like nothing can tear us down. It feels magical and magnificent. When the world is taking, we fall so far down that it’s hard to remember what it was like being in the clouds. It’s cold and all-consuming. It’s hard to recall what it’s like to be surrounded by warmth.

But in those taking moments, there are pieces of life that are placed there for a reason. Whether it’s a person, a memory, a place, it is strategically staring you in the face for you to reach out and hold as you fight the storm that is overtaking your life. Sometimes it’s not obvious for a long time, the feeling of being alone way stronger than the realization that somewhere there is someone or something to grab onto in your hard times. And sometimes, it just flickers on like a light. This realization, this epiphany that knocks the breath out of your lungs when you look at someone and think, I want this person in my life for a long time. 

When those moments happen, when those pieces fall into your lap, it’s life giving you your own give and take. It’s a battle of, do I let life give me this hand, this little light of faith in my dark times? Or do I take it and hand it back?

For every person, the choice is different. 

The world is your own. And with hardships, comes trials. With trials, comes flickering lights that lead the way. 

With those lights, comes a time when life gives you the people you never knew you needed.

fin.

[fvkisla]

hi. I’m v sick at the moment so this should be interesting xD enjoy the sassy sarcasm that is my existence!

PREFERRED NAME — Lo. I really dislike my full name so I shorten that shite.

PRONOUNS — she/her

AGE — as old as time itself if time started 24 years ago.

PINTEREST — okay, I’m a bad rper and female in general and I don’t understand pintrest. like I open it and my face looks like this

DISCORD — it’s historicallo something but again, I’m never on because I suck. 

TUMBLR (PERSONAL/MUSE/RPH) — historicallo.tumblr.com !! I’m never on it but its like an archive of baby Lo

OTHER SOCIAL MEDIA YOU’D LIKE TO SHARE — *shamelessly plugs my art instagram* follow loartx !!

MYER-BRIGGS — ENFP-T

HP HOUSE — Ravenpuff all the way

ZODIAC — gemini

DO YOU BELIEVE IN ASTROLOGY? — YES. I am a gemini through and through (if you think gemini’s are the worst then you are reading trash zodiac shite xD) and I have found my friends and family have lined up quite accurately with that. 

HOW OLD WERE YOU WHEN YOU STARTED RPING ON TUMBLR — 16! (thought I did roleplay on neopets when I was 12 because I’m fucking cool)

WHAT YEAR WAS IT? — 2012????

NAME A RANDOM ROLEPLAY THAT STICKS OUT IN YOUR MEMORY — notanotherhighschool rp because I feel like that’s when I really fell into my character development. 

WHAT WEIRD ANIMAL WOULD YOU HAVE AS A PET IF IT WAS REALISTIC — FENNEC. FOX. I love them??? I got to hold one once and I cried. I went to see them at the zoo after a hard falling out of a friendship and I cried. they own my heart. his name would be reginald and we would be glorious.

NAME THE FIRST SONG ON YOUR DISCOVER WEEKLY ON SPOTIFY OR THE FIRST SONG THAT COMES ON APPLE MUSIC / ITUNES SHUFFLE — Painkiller by Beach Bunny 🤘🏻

NAME A BOOK THAT YOU READ IN SCHOOL THAT YOU SURPRISINGLY LIKED — *screams* IT’S A PLAY BUT I LOVE SHE KILLS MONSTERS AND IT’S SO WONDERFUL

NAME A BOOK YOU HATED THAT MOST PEOPLE LIKED — lord of the motherfucking flies. kill it.

WHAT TV SHOW DID YOU RECENTLY BINGE? — black mirror. ugh, I love it.

FAVOURITE QUOTE — “though she be but little, she is fierce”

LINK TO A VINE THAT EXUDES YOUR ‘ENERGY’ — honest x

DO YOU WRITE OUTSIDE OF RP? WHAT DO YOU WRITE? — I got my degree in Creative Writing :3333 I specialize in historical fiction and realistic drama. my medium I specialized in is script/screenwriting yeeet

THREE YOUTUBERS YOU STILL TRUST — farfromsubtle (all of those bastards), superraedizzle, booksandlala, safyia nygaard, shane dawson

A CELEBRITY CRUSH THAT JUST WON’T QUIT — and IIIIiIiIiIiIIII -HOLY SHIT- will always LoooVvVVe Y O U

EVER MEET A CELEBRITY? SHARE YOUR STORY — no BUT the beach my family has a house at, adrian brody also has a house there so ????

WHAT’S YOUR PICTURE-PERFECT NIGHT? — literally watching bootleg theatre shows with friends while drinking and talking about different theatre things until 3 am.

A CONSPIRACY THEORY YOU KINDA BELIEVE IN — none actually. Idek why that is.

ARE ALIENS REAL? — FUCK YES!! we can’t be alone in this universe ok we simply CANT !!

PLAY ANY PHONE GAMES? WHICH ONES? — BITLIFE OWNS MY SOUL

WHAT’S A FILM YOU LOVED WHEN YOU WERE YOUNG AND RECENTLY WATCHED, ONLY TO FIND OUT YOU DON’T ANYMORE — LITTLE FUCKING MERMAID. DON’T GET ME STARTED. I HAVE A THING ABOUT THE LITTLE MERMAID. linday ellis actually did a really good video about the problems with it.

DO YOU COLLECT ANYTHING? — alice in wonderland copies and memorabilia, books, student debt, and fennec fox stuffed animals

WHAT’S SOMETHING YOU WANT TO LEARN MORE ABOUT BUT YOU’RE TOO LAZY? — except for languages or instruments because I don’t have the dedication, I’m a very much a person who loves to learn. I sometimes research for fun........#nerd

THREE LANGUAGES YOU DON’T SPEAK, BUT WISH YOU COULD — french ( I speak some), sign language (same), japanese (literally know like three words)

MOVIE YOU’VE WATCHED MORE THAN 5 TIMES — coraline. I actually saw it 3 times in theaters and a billion times on dvd.

NAME A FICTIONAL CHARACTER FROM TV/FILM/MOVIE/GAME/BOOK THAT YOU FIND YOURSELF PROJECTING ON / YOU RELATE TO — Beatrice from Much Ado about Nothing and Jo from Little Women

DO YOU FOLLOW ANY SPORTS? WHO DO YOU ROOT FOR? — Only college hockey and SUNY OSWEGO BABBBY

HOBBIES BESIDES WASTING AWAY HERE? — video games, reading about and participating in theatre, reading, art, writing, procrastinating on writing, makeup and improv comedy.

PLUG A TV SHOW / MOVIE / BOOK / VIDEO GAME / ETC… YOU WISH MORE PEOPLE WOULD CHECK OUT — BIOSHOCK, BIOSHOCK 2, AND BIOSHOCK INFINITE. THEY MAY BE OLDER BUT UGH. THEY GOOD. also check out farfromsubtle youtube pls and thank. they so goood.

WHOSE BRAIN WOULD YOU LIKE TO PICK, ALIVE OR DEAD? — anne boleyn or henry the viii 

TEAM EDWARD OR JACOB? — team fucking anything else. TEAM SATAN

LAST MOVIE SEEN IN THEATRE — the new lion king movie. it was meh.

DO YOU STILL READ? — MY ROOM IS OVERTAKEN BY BOOKSHELVES AND I GO TO BARNES AND NOBLE EVERY MONTH. NOT ONLY DO I STILL READ, I HAVE A PROBLEM

IF SO, WHAT ARE YOU CURRENTLY READING? —  Salem 1692 which is a day by day account of the witch trials. it’s a big boi. I’ve been reading it on and off since june.

ON A SCALE OF 1-10, HOW MUCH DID YOU HATE FILLING THIS OUT? – a solid 4?

[make-it-mavis]

fun idea that i’d like to draw in theory but probably won’t because i know me

my original turbo in 2013 owned an electric guitar but only pretended he knew how to play it. i cut that out of the new narrative because like...... why would a racing game come equipped with a guitar, right? i mean, he could have acquired one from elsewhere like mavis did with her acoustic, but i was like, y’know what, as much as i love the idea, i already made him hotter than he oughtta be, giving him a cool guitar would be pushing it LOL

but thanks to a certain hacking handyman friend (you know who you are) i recently found out that the turbo-time theme song (one of them) is basically just 80′s metal. a fact that brings me more joy than i can accurately portray. thank you for validating my portrayal of the boy in a very real way.

BUT in that lies my fun idea. since the theme song is metal, that means metal’s in the code of turbo’s game in one way or another, right? if that’s the case, what if he had a natural inclination for it that he wasn’t even aware of?

i’d already decided a while ago that mavis attempts to teach him to play acoustic with little success, but likes watching him try anyways. mostly to be a dick about it, which only motivates turbo even further, to really stick it to her for laughing at him. but he just can’t get it right. he understands the instructions, but the instrument itself doesn’t agree with him. he can’t get it to sound the way it’s supposed to. often leading to him claiming its broken. a weak claim, given that mavis plays it as easy as speaking.

she likes to gloat about it to piss him off, saying stuff like “don’t feel bad, i was a master at this only five months after touching a guitar for the first time. not everyone’s that gifted”

then one day a game with lots of instruments is plugged in, yknow, something like guitar hero but...... 80s. and they go scope it out. turbo does the major eyes emoji at an electric guitar and starts fiddling with it, and mav’s like “ohhh yes yes yes i gotta see this shit its gonna be hilarious,” but then he just       plays a short riff perfectly

they’re equally confused. mav’s like ok this must be a sort of auto-playing thing and takes it, but when she tries to play, it sounds like complete garbage because electric is quite different from acoustic. she just looks at him like “no fucking way” and he takes it back like “YES fucking way you smug little asshole,” cranks the volume to 11, and just    

fuckin shreds

til mav’s just flattened to the floor, smoking and sizzling like a cartoon character after an explosion

IT AIN’T FUCKIN FAIR HOW CAN HE DO THAT IN LIKE 5 SECONDS IT TOOK HER 5 MONTHS ITS SOME BULLSHIT TRICK HE MADE UP TO SAVE HIS EGO AND APPEAR MORE ATTRACTIVE

but give it time and they’re jamming together and it’s all good

so maybe i’ll give him a guitar again. maybe. lol

[ficsideblogbecauseanxiety]

Starlings (Finished Vers.)

A few months ago I posted a WIP drabble that, at the time, I couldn’t be bothered to finish. Well, tonight I had a writing date with my girlfriend, so I did! To repeat, this is vaguely based off of a personal experience with the song Starlings by Elbow (sudden volume shift warning if you decide to search it; which I recommend as it’s a great song, and also this fic won’t really make sense without it).

Pairing: LawLu Rating: T, for cursing Setting: Modern AU Wordcount: 2023 words

The streetlights passed overhead one by one, each in an orange blur, as Law drove closer and closer to home. He knew they'd cross the outer limits of his hometown any minute now, and once they did it would only be a little while after that before they made it to his parents' house. He glanced over at Luffy in the passenger seat; he wasn't one for long car journeys with few stops, so he'd settled in for a nap a couple of hours ago. Law knew he'd have to wake him up soon. He grinned mischievously. 

As he braked at the next stoplight, he grabbed his phone from the dashboard, plugged it into the front console and selected a track before replacing back in its windshield stand. The song began quietly and calmly with soft, music box-esque tones, and it slowly grew to include muted percussion, dulcet vocals, and a gentle piano, until...

BARAAG!!

"Daah!! What the fuck!!!" Luffy shot awake at the sudden noise of an enthusiastic horn section blasting from the car speakers, his arms flailing about him and kicking his legs out in front of him. He grabbed his chair and sat up, eyes wide and breathing heavy with shock. He turned an angry glare on Law, who was desperately holding back laughter next to him.

Law swallowed his laughter and pressed a switch on his steering wheel to pause the song before it got to the second loud trumpeting. He breathed a satisfied sigh, turned his head briefly to look at Luffy and said, "Oh, Luffy, you're awake. Good, we're almost there."

"You son of a bitch." Luffy sat up properly in his chair again. He could hear Law snickering and give him a sideways glare. "I'm gonna tell your mom you did that."

"Please," Law scoffed, "She's my mother. She both birthed and raised me. She knows I'm an asshole." Stopping at another light, he leant forward and flicked back to his travel playlist. "Not that she would say as much, mind, but trust me. She knows."

Luffy's eyes were still narrowed at him from across the car. "Even if she didn't know, it wouldn't come as much of a surprise." With this Luffy crossed his arms and flung himself back against the seat, huffing. 

Law rolled his eyes and pulled away as the lights changed.

The rest of the drive to Law's childhood home was largely uneventful and deathly silent, save for the sound of the car engine. Damn if Luffy didn't hold a grudge when he was in a mood. Law felt maybe they were too alike on that front, but that's love for you. You can't just pick and choose. Not really.

They drove past retail parks and through many long suburban streets before pulling in front of what Luffy could only ever describe as a "big fucking house". It truly was a big fucking house; not quite what one would call a mansion, but still quite a sight to behold. Bigger than anywhere Luffy had ever lived, at least.

"Coming?" Law prompted, opening his car door, "Or are you just going to sulk in the car all weekend?"

Luffy withdrew eye contact with a huff and got out, making exaggerated movements as he stood up and slammed the door. He carried his own bag, thank you very much, and went ahead of Law to wait on the doorstep, pointedly facing the door. He leant away from Law's attempt to peck him on the head. Damn, he was being stubborn about this.

Law rang the bell and, predictably, as his mother came to answer it Luffy lit up again. Most people would say that Luffy was a terrible liar, and for the most part, they were right, but they were the people who had no clue about his mental health. Law knew better. Luffy was a shitty liar when it came to getting caught out for things he had done, sure, but he was an expert at covering up his low moods with a big, cheesy fake smile. He'd had a lifetime of practice with it, after all.

After exchanging the usual pleasantries with Law's parents they made their way upstairs to set their bags in his old room. The second he was over the threshold Luffy's smile dropped into a frown again; like an actor finishing a scene. He flung his bag down he lay back on the navy bedsheets and glared up at the ceiling.

Law watched him from the doorway and sighed. Sometimes he could just be so difficult. He started humming absentmindedly as he set down his own bag and closed the door behind him. He set to work getting the room ready for a proper stay - fixing the curtains and fishing the tv remote out of one of the multitudes of drawers in his admittedly inconvenient dresser - and as he did so he began to sing softly to himself. Perhaps subconsciously trying to lighten the mood.

"How dare the premier ignore my invitations-" He finally found the remote in the tenth drawer he checked - his dad liked to hide it between visits. "He'll have to go."

"Don't."

Law turned around at the sudden harsh utterance. "Hm?"

"It's that song from before. Don't."

Was it? Oh, yes, of course, it was. He hadn't realised. Law briefly considered cutting it out so as not to anger the beast further, but then he remembered that sometimes you've just got to turn into the spin.

"But you like my singing voice, usually." He smirked, turning back to the dresser to dig through the drawers for the remote for the DVD player.

"If you were singing anything else, it'd be okay. Just not that." Luffy's voice was still thick with stubborn annoyance.

"But it's a nice song, and I want to sing it." Playing 'poke the bear' with Luffy was a dangerous game, but Law would be lying if he said he didn't have a secret love for high stakes gambling.

He heard Luffy huff and turn over on the bed behind him. The gamble had paid off. For now. Law took this as a signal to continue with the song.

"So, too, the bunchy luncheons with its second on my list of things to do." His accent didn't fit especially well to the original Mancunian pronunciations, but he hoped the weird way it sounded would help lift Luffy's mood.

He made his way across the room to his bag, unzipping it and rooting around inside for his pyjamas.

"At the top is stopping by your place of work and acting like I haven't dreamed of you and I, and marriage in an orange grove."

He found them and made his way back across the room to set them down on the pillow on his side of the bed. He looked up at Luffy's figure, lying with his back to him, arms still crossed in front of him. He was all tensed up and rigid. Law smiled.

"You are the only thing in any room you're ever in." He sat himself down on the bed, too, facing towards the covered windows and away from Luffy for dramatic effect. "I'm stubborn, selfish, and too old."

"It's not gonna work."

Another utterance Law wasn't expecting. Luffy usually stuck to his guns more when it came to giving the silent treatment. Which meant that, actually, it must be working.

"I sat you down and told you how the truest love that's ever found-" He looked back at him out of the corner of his eye. "Is for oneself."

Luffy tightened the curl he was working himself into, and in his glance Law could see him clenching his shirt sleeves. He was pissing him off for sure, but it wouldn't be much longer now until it came full circle. He faced his eyes forward again for the next line.

"You pulled apart my theory with a weary and disinterested sigh."

At this point in the song when he had sung it to Luffy prior, he would sigh dramatically before chuckling to himself and revelling in his genius comedic timing. It never failed to make Law smile. Sometimes he would even laugh. Luffy was so, so good at making him laugh when he otherwise didn't feel like it.

Law thought he heard a sigh behind him, but if he did it was definitely not the usual jokey one. More of a real one, heavied with real irritation. Law let out a sigh himself and soldiered on. Not long now.

"So, yes, I guess I'm asking you to back a horse that's good for glue-" He stood up, stretching his back and turning around. "And nothing else."

Luffy's mass on the bed was curled up even more, now, but did seem to be softening a bit. Law folded his arms across his chest.

"But find a man that's truer than, find a man that needs you more than I."

Memories shone in his head of the expressions he had seen of Luffy's when he had previously sung this song. Soft eyes, soft smiles. His whole face radiating warmth and love. Law had sung feeling into these lines more than most songs he would croon around the apartment. It's one of the few songs he would serenade him with. Law was much pickier with those sorts of songs than Luffy was.

Law began making his way around the bed, fingers dragging lightly across the sheets.

"Sit with me a while and let me listen to you talk about-" He perched on Luffy's side of the bed, lightly tickling the soles of his feet, which he quickly retracted out of Law's reach with an annoyed grunt. "-Your dreams and your obsessions, I'll be quiet and confessional." 

He was projecting louder as the original song did, leaning over Luffy's huddled up form that was becoming ever more tightly coiled so as to avoid his touch. 

"The violets explode inside me when I meet your eyes-" He reached out towards Luffy's hair-cloaked face, nearly shouting the words at this point. "-Then I'm spinning and I'm diving like a cloud of starlings."

He gently moved the hair from across Luffy's eyes and as the music dissipated in his head he saw Luffy's averted gaze and deep blush spreading from his cheeks across his nose, as it always did when Law did cheesy stuff like this, though it was usually accompanied by a smile. The picture before him was too perfect as it was, though. He felt his heart quicken in his chest and a smile uncontrollably tugged at his lips.

"Darling is this love?"

The words fell, soft and low and sweet from his mouth. Luffy finally looked at him and pouted. He really was so irresistibly sweet when he was angry and flustered at the same ti-

"BWAAAAAARN!!"

Law toppled backwards, falling off the bed and nearly cracking his head of the big wooden bed knob. He sat there on the floor for several seconds in a state of mild shock as Luffy erupted with laughter on the bed above him. He shook it off and smiled up at him.

"You son of a bitch," Law chuckled, pulling himself off the floor, "That scared me half to death!"

"Well, you deserve it!" Luffy had tears in his eyes from laughing so hard. He had thrown himself right back onto the bed and was gripping his sides as he choked out his words through the throes of laughter. "Now we're even!!"

They both continued to laugh it off as Law pulled himself up onto the bed. He crawled his way over to his now incandescent boyfriend and as the mirth began to peter out they both lay beholding each other, breathing heavily and smiling wide. 

Law breathed an "I love you" and Luffy beamed in response before returning it.

Luffy was happy again, and all was right with the world.

But Law would be damned if he wasn't ever going to do it again. The reaction is always just too priceless, and Law was never one for learning lessons the easy way.

[leelee10898]

For you: Chapter 9 - What I never knew I always wanted.

Chapter Inspiration: What I never knew I always wanted - Carrie Underwood. @blackwidow2721 Thanks for the song, I am legit obsessed. Rating: Fluff, Angst and a little bit of NSFW mixed in Summary: Will Leo patch things up with Aria’s dad? Its the moment we have been waiting for, we find out what the twins are. 

Catch up here Master list, if you would like be added to the tag list, let me know.

***********

Aria woke early the next morning to the smell of bacon in the air. “Mom’s cooking breakfast.” She salivated, licking her lips. She looked over a Leo peacefully sleeping next to her. She didn’t want to disturb him so she slid carefully out of bed. She tip toed across the room grabbing a pair of maternity jeans and a top throwing them on, and slinking out of the room quietly. 

“Need any help?” She asked her mom walking into the room. Her mom smiled at her, “your dad would love some of your french toast. I’m about done with the bacon and eggs.” Aria cracked several eggs into a bowl, adding milk, cinnamon and a splash of vanilla whisking them all together. She buttered the skillet and dipped the bread into the mixture, throwing it onto the hot skillet. “It smells delicious in here.” Leo came into the kitchen “you snuck out to sneak bacon didn’t you Love?” He kissed her lips. “You two are so cute.” Linda gushed. “Have you ever had Arias french toast? You know she makes the best around.” “ I have Mrs Hale.. er Linda.” Leo corrected himself. “ And you are right about that, best I have ever had.”  “Good now, you take this and sit on down.” She handed Leo a plate and ushered him to the dining room with John. John gave Leo a stern look. “Good morning Mr Hale.” Leo sat down. “Yeah, good morning.” John muttered as Linda placed a plate of food in front of him. They ate in silence before John got up and went out to his work shed. Aria and Linda joined Leo eating and talked about the gender reveal party that night. They cleaned up breakfast. A short time later Ellie arrived, and the women got ready to leave. “Do you need my help? I could come with you guys.” Leo offered. “No, you can stay here, maybe help John out in the shed. Hes been tinkering with that thing and he can’t seem to get it to start. ” Linda grabbed her purse. Leo gave Aria a pleading look. “It’ll be ok, this will give you time to smooth things over with my dad. Remember, don’t grovel, maybe put all those years of king lessons to work.” She giggled placing a kiss on his lips. “If I am dead when you get back, remember I love you.” 

Leo walked outside to the shed, he noticed John tinkering angrily at a dirt bike. “Need some help with that?” Leo asked walking into the shed. John looked up “oh it’s you. No offense kid but you don’t look to know your way around a motor if it bit you in the ass.” Leo chuckled “I may know a thing or two. That a YAMAHA YZ250? 2007 by the looks of it. Great bike.” John started at Leo in disbelief. “What’s going on with it?” “Um the damn thing won’t kick over, I have tried everything and it wont start.” John grunted. “May I?” Leo motioned to the bike. John nodded his head “be my guest, but i’m telling you I have tried everything.” Leo grabbed some tools and started tinkering around before pulling out a spark plug and examining it. “Yep, see that? Its wet.” He showed John. “ Do you have any extra spark plugs?” He asked. “Yeah top drawer on the bench.” John motioned over to a wooden bench. Leo rifled through the drawer pulling out a new plug. He put it in and pulled the bike down kicking it to life. “Well I’ll be damned.” John shook his head. “You surprised me. Maybe I miss judged you a bit. But it still doesn’t change what you did to my daughter in the past.” 

Leo shut the bike off. “Listen Mr Hale, I know I screwed up. I hate myself everyday for what I did.” Leo started, John sat there, arms crossed allowing Leo to speak. “I was the crown prince of Cordonia, I was the heir to the thrown. My father forced me home, forcing me to leave her behind. I never want to leave her.” He paused, trying to regroup himself, his emotions getting the best of me. “ I wanted a better life for her, then court. Turns out she was destined for it anyway. I had planned on asking her to marry me.” His eyes never leaving Johns. Johns mouth flew open. “My father found me, in Paris, told me that she would be a target, a commoner wouldn’t stand a chance. He scared me into leaving her, to protect her. I was a fool and listened.”

“Your father sounds like an ass.” John grunted. Leo chuckled “yeah, he was. Somewhere along the way he changed.”  “I never expected to find love. I was destined for an arranged married of sorts, and then Aria came into my life life and set my world on fire. I thought of her every single day. Fate brought us back together, I will spend the rest of my life protecting her, loving her, and treating her like the princess she is.” John nodded. “John it means so much to Aria for us to get along. And I want that as well. I came here not only for the party but to ask two things of you. One, to ask you for your forgiveness, and two to ask for her hand in marriage.” Johns mouth flew open again. He did not expect that. 

“That took a lot of guts, to admit your mistakes. And you proved to me today that you’re more then just a spoiled royal brat.” He chuckled. “So Leo, I forgive you. And I will grant you my blessing to Marry my daughter.” Leo reached out his hand to shake John’s. “Thank you sir.” “No boy, we hug in this family.” He pulled Leo in for a hug patting him on the back. “Now Tell me how you know about fixing bikes.” 

A while later Aria, Linda and Ellie returned. Leo and John came walking into the house laughing with each other. Aria’s eyes filled with tears of joy. “Hello Love.” Leo pulled her in kissing her. “Why are you crying?” He pulls her chin up with his finger. “You were laughing with my dad?” She sniffled. “Yes love, we worked it out. Everything is fine.” She threw her hands around Leo kissing him fiercely. “Ok, ok. I just got him to like me, and now you’re trying to get me killed.” He chuckled. They spent the whole afternoon preparing for the party. Ellie and her mom really outdid their selves. The whole house was decked out in blues and pinks. Enough food and deserts to feed an army. Aria and Leo ran upstairs to change before the guest arrived. Aria sat on the bed in her underwear and bra. “Are you ok Love?” Leo knelt down in front of her, kissing her stomach. “Yes, just a little on edge I guess. I need to find a way to relax, calm my nerves.” She sighed as she ran her fingers through his dark blonde locks. A sly grin forms on his face as he slowly kisses up her thigh. “ I know a way to calm your nerves.” he breathed into her leg.

“What are you doing Rhys? I thought you said you wouldn’t have sex with me in my parents house.” She whispered. “I did, but I never said I wouldn’t lick your pussy.” The electricity coursed through her body at his words as he slid her panties down her legs. His fingers spread her folds as his soft lips found her sensitive bundle kissing it lightly. She let out a breath she didn’t know she was holding. “ I swore I would take care of you, no matter what. ” he breathed into her center. As he lightly kissed her clit. “I say relieving some tension is just what you need, wouldn’t you agree love?” He continued to kiss her center. “Mmhmm” she softly moaned as she squirmed her ass closer to him. His tongue flicked her throbbing clit, her hands grasping his hair as she pulled his mouth closer to her center. “Fuck Leo, mmmmm.” She whispered, trying hard not to scream out like she desperately wanted. “His tongue continued to swirl her clit as he pumped two fingers into her wanting center. Her legs shook as she came undone, giving into her climax. "Fuck, Leo, oooooh.” She squeaked as she fell back onto to bed, chest heaving. Leo stood wiping his face. A smile plastered on his face “Feel better?” She stood up pulling her panties up, leaning up kissing him. “Much. Now let’s go find out what were having!”

Most of the guest had arrived by the time they got down stairs. Ellie had a few games rigged up for the guest to play. As Aria walked around her parents living room she found the chart and betting table. “Ellie.” She called her over. “Are you taking bets like our babies are horses?” She questioned her best friend. “No, Ari. See its a pool. Once we find out the sex of the goldfish, everyone will place their bets. The winner will get a gift card for dinner and a movie, and the rest of the money goes to the babies. It’s a present sweetie.” Ellie explained. “Can I get in on that too?” Leo chuckled. Aria shot him a point look as she slapped his chest. “See, even their father likes it. And you know these people around here are gamblers. Why not get something for the kids out of it.” She chuckled. “Ellie.” They heard Linda call from across the room as she pointed to her wrist “oh right.”  She cleared her voice “If I can have everyone’s attention.” She stood up on a chair. “We are going to head outside now to do the reveal. You were given a paper with either an A or a B on it when you got here. All those who got an A follow Linda and grab a confetti cannon from her basket. Those who got a B, follow me and get a cannon from Maxwell.” She shouted “Maxy honey, raise your hand.” Maxwell raised his hand. The groups separated and Ellie and Linda set them all up outside by A’s and B’s. 

Aria and Leo head outside. They stood in front of the group anxiously awaiting the reveal. “Ok on the count of 3 group a will pull their cannons DO NOT pull your cannon early people. Group B will follow suit. Everyone ready?” The guest all shouted Yeah. Aria gripped Leo’s hand. Her aunt, who is a photographer, stood off to the side taking pictures. Ellie started counting down. “One…. two…. three.” Pops sounding revealing pink confetti into the sky, Baby A is a girl. A secondary wave of pops revealing blue confetti Baby B was a Boy. Leo dipped Aria back placing a long, sweet kiss on her lips. “I knew it Love. a boy and a girl.” He beamed as he lifted her up. “You were Superman. Now, they need names.” 

After receiving congratulations from their guest, most people made their way home. Aria and Leo sat out back with Liam, Drake, Maxwell and Ellie talking and joking. A blonde woman approached the group. She resembled Aria slightly, she wore a lot of make up and dressed much more provocative. She was a little taller then Aria, you could tell they were polar opposites just by looking at her. “Well well well, the princess comes home and of course they throw a party. Jeeze Aria you got fat.” The woman’s words like venom. Maxwell gasped, “did she just call little blossom fat?” He said to Ellie. “Don’t mind her maxy, shes a two bit tramp.” Ellie rolled her eyes. 

“Well, this is our Gender reveal, for the twins. Your niece and nephew, remember?” Aria gritted her teeth. “Oh, right. You went and got yourself knocked up again.” She chuckled. “Anastasia!” Aria whipped her head towards her sister. “You little bitch.” Ellie jumped up. Maxwell grabbed her hand and led her away. “Hale, you alright?” Drake asked, sensing the tension between the two. “Yeah Drake, i’m good.” Her eyes never leaving Anastasia. “Drake huh, you look rugged and manly, such strong hands.” She eyed him up and down. Drake rubbed the back of his neck nervously, silently thanking god Olivia wasn’t here, so she didn’t kill this woman.

 Her eyes shifted to Leo and Liam. “Well, you two must be brothers. You look an awful lot alike.” She walked closer. “Yes, I think us three could have a lot of fun together. ” Liam about spit his drink out. She turned to Leo placing her hand on his chest “I wonder how loud you could make me scream stud.” Aria yanked her hand off of Leo’s chest. “If you touch my man one more time, pregnant or not I will break your fucking cheap manicured fingers, do you understand me?” She was inches from her face. Anastasia stepped back “whatever, i’m out of here.” and turned to walk away. Leo grabbed her waist pulling her close to him. “Ok killer, how about we clam it down.”  “Who was that Aria?” Liam asked, still shocked by the scene that just unfolded. “That was my sister, Anastasia. We are not close.” 

The rest of guest cleared out, Liam and Drake had to pack and head to the airport. Liam had a few meetings in Italy ahead of the Italian fundraiser gala and would be heading out first thing in the morning. Olivia had matters to attend to in Lythikos, therefore could not make the reveal. She was on her way to Italy now and Drake would be meeting her so they could spend a few days alone together. Ellie and Maxwell went back to their hotel, they would be flying out with Leo and Aria in two days. 

Once settled into the room for the night Leo could sense Aria was still on edge. He pulled her down onto the bed, pulling her between his legs. His hands started working the knots in her back “you are to good for me, you know that superman?” Aria sighed. “No Love, it is you that is to good for me. But I am a selfish man, and I will never let you go.” he chuckled as she gave him a playful slap. “So, should we talk names? Got any ideas?” She asked. Leo paused for a moment,  “Noah ” he grinned. “ I love it.” she chirped.  “hmmm Noah Leo..” she said “and for a girl?” “Do you have any thoughts Love?” He wondered. “Yes actually, I like Natalie Faith.” Leo pulled his body around, placing his hands on her stomach, placing a gentile kiss.  “Then it’s settled, Noah Leo and Natalie Faith. We can’t wait to meet you. Daddy loves you.” 

Tag list:  @gardeningourmet  @bobasheebaby @scarlettedragon @annekebbphotography@speedyoperarascalparty @greyeyedsmile14 @stopforamoment @mind-reader1 @xxrainbowprincessxx @hopefulmoonobject @alicars @katurrade @indiacater @bella-ca @blznbaby @blackwidow2721 @liamxs-world @simsvetements @furiousherringoperatortoad @choicesfannatalie @crookedslimecreatorpasta @coldcollectornight08 @laniquelovely @museofbooks @syltti78 @ao719 @3pawandme @blubutterflyy @itsstillnotwhatyouthink @liam-rhys-deactivated20180927 @riseandshinelittleblossom@wannabemc2 @gibbles82 @cocomaxley

[frangipanidownunder]

The Workout: fic

This is for @poeticsandaliens who sent a prompt to write a birth story similar to Seth Meyers’ second child’s dramatic apartment entrance. It’s a little long for your dashes, so it’s partly under a cut. Tagging @today-in-fic

 It wasn’t really pain, more like a kind of rolling disconnection. It wasn’t quite physical either, more insubstantial, ethereal almost. It was disconcerting that control over her own body was slipping from her grasp. Mulder slept on, untroubled by the silvery light filtering through the crack in the drapes, untroubled by another life growing in his body.

Last night, her abdomen bowed and flexed, a foot stamped on her bladder, an elbow jabbed her ribs. Mulder was fascinated by the whole thing, having missed out on her pregnancy with William. He loved to watch Bean play under her skin; he prodded and poked to get a reaction as only Mulder could.

She watered the peace lily that stood on the windowsill in the kitchen. She listened to a podcast as she ran through a gentle yoga session. She sat, cross-legged on her mat, running her hands over the bump. She whispered to their unborn, the familiar lyrics that had become a regular lullaby, Jeremiah was a Bullfrog.

She hadn’t thought about the song in years, but since the pier, since they walked away from the Bureau, since she confided in Mulder that William wasn’t dead, she’d had more visions, more messages. And this song… just stuck.

 Mulder made her raspberry leaf tea because he insisted it would bring on labour.  He had a litany of other methods lined up too.

              “There’s spicy food, castor oil, Evening Primrose oil,” he said.

She pushed the laptop off his knees and replaced it with her feet. “And then there’s the one where the father-to-be massages the mother-to-be’s feet and stops coming up with ways to induce a birth that involve vomit-inducing tastes.”

“How about acupuncture?”

“How about not.”

“Nipple stimulation?”

She dug her heels into his groin and he yelped. “And now sex is out of the question. Mulder, the baby will come when it’s ready. If not, I’ll be induced. You never did have any patience.”

He rolled her foot in his hand and she let her eyes close. The strange sensation started again, as if the baby were mimicking the movements of Mulder’s hands on her feet. Her insides felt like they were rolling and rocking.

“How did you know William was coming?”

“Aside from the excruciating pains ripping through my body every few minutes?” she said, opening one eye. His pained expression softened her mood a little. “I may also have yelled at Monica to stop doing whale song impressions.”

He chuffed. “That is so Reyes. She would have been a good doula. I could do whale song, Scully. If it would help?”

“Mulder, I gave birth to our son in a rundown house with no water in a dusty, dead town in the middle of nowhere. I was surrounded by strangers, aliens or supersoldiers or whatever they were. I had no pain relief. I was terrified for my life, for our baby’s life. I…” she took a deep breath. “This time I just want the birth to be in a modern, clean facility surrounded by professionals. I want to be mentally ready, I want to feel safe.” She pushed herself up and his hands traced the mound of her belly. She kissed him. “But most of all, I want you to be there.”

She couldn’t face lunch. The overwhelming need to move had taken over, despite her size, the nagging pain in her lower back and her swollen ankles. She pulled her maternity yoga pants out of the closet and found one of Mulder’s old tees. She pinned back her hair, grabbed her gym bag and filled her water bottle.

              “Where are you going, Scully?” He’d been in the yard, digging and there was mud caked to his jeans and boots.

              “Out.”

              “I’ll come with you.”

              “I’m fine, Mulder. I’ve got my phone. I’ll be in town. At the gym. I just need to do something by myself.”

              He pouted. “Give me five. I could do with a workout.”

              “Mulder, you’ve been working out in the yard. You’re filthy. I’ll be back before you know. I don’t need you to be my shadow. I’m a doctor, remember? I’m fine. I’m not going to have the baby on the rowing machine, if that’s what you’re worried about.”

There was more lean muscle on show than the butchery. She felt instantly self-conscious in her baggy top and last year’s sneakers. She started on the walking machine and turned up the volume on her iPod. Florence + the Machine’s Rabbit Heart started and she picked up her pace. Her back spasmed and she felt a twinge of cramp in her lower abdomen. She backed off and slowed her breathing. She walked on, gripping the handles every time the hot pain flashed across her back and down the front of her thighs. Feeling a little braver, she picked up the pace again, striding out. It felt good. She felt strong. Until a hot dribble of fluid made its way down her leg. She looked down in horror as it left a trail on the black vinyl base of the machine. There was a woman on the machine to her right, oblivious, but the bulky man to her left had noticed and he took out his earphones.

              “Are you okay?”

              “I’m…fine,” she said, but she clutched her stomach and doubled over. “I’m…fine.”

              There was a small commotion during which she found herself sitting on the end of the walking machine, feet planted on the floor, head bent over and a flurry of people jamming their cellphones to their ears calling the paramedics.

              “I’m a doctor,” she said, when the pain subsided. “I’ll be fine. I just need to call my partner.”

              “Scullllllaaaaaay!”

              She looked up to see Mulder tearing through the foyer. “Forget that,” she said. “My partner’s about to make a dramatic entrance.” She doubled over again and panted through the pain.

              “Scully, are you okay? I’m on the phone to the paramedics. How many minutes apart? What do I do? Can you walk to the car? Here, let me help…”

              She batted his hand away. “Leave me alone, Mulder. I’m fine. I can’t concentrate when you talk too much. I just need some time.”

              “Your water broke.” He was squatting before her, touching the damp material of her yoga pants. “Her water broke,” he said into his phone.

              “No shit, Sherlock. All over this machine. I’m so embarrassed, oh…Mulder. I think the baby’s coming.”

              “No shit, Sherlock,” he said back, and grabbed her elbow. “Here, stand up. If you can walk between contractions I can help you to the car. The paramedics are on the way. We can meet them halfway.”

              “No, Mulder. I mean it’s coming. Right now.” She looked down as he helped her up. The bulge between her legs was comedically obscene. Her pants stretched and her legs bowed out. She supported it with a cupped hand. Mulder was staring, on the precipice between laughter and tears. She felt the flutter of a giggle stick in her throat. What a fucking nightmare, but what a ridiculous fucking nightmare.

              “Holy fuck, Scully. You can’t have it here. She can’t have it here,” he said.

              “I wanted clean and modern,” she said, wincing. Someone brought a pile of towels and laid them on the floor. She let herself slip down onto all fours. “Besides, I don’t have a choice. You’re going to have to take my pants off.”

              As he eased them down, his voice cracked. “I can see the head. There’s the head.” He yelled out like he was watching a baseball game.

The pain grew and she groaned from the pit of her stomach. Looking up, she saw the other gym goers had formed a line around her, looking away, but effectively providing a small private area. They might not be health professionals but they were being as sensitive as they could, given the awkward circumstances.

Mulder rubbed her back and told her to push. She could hear the tinny voice of the paramedic on the line and she clenched her teeth, bracing for the next contraction. It came on rapidly and she pushed again. In a gush of heat, she felt the baby slip out.

Mulder yelled out. “That’s a catch!” and a roar erupted from the gym goers.

She slumped back onto her heels, took a few deep breaths, before turning carefully over, knees akimbo, naked butt on the towels. Mulder was cradling their baby in his arms, shock and awe written over his face. His eyes watered as he handed the baby to her.

“Skin to skin, Scully. She needs skin to skin contact for body heat.”

“There’s no sleeping bags, Mulder,” she said and looked into the face of her infant daughter, wise eyes open, nose scrunched up, hands fisted on her chin. She fell in love.

Mulder wrapped her up in a heat blanket. He shook hands with the gym goers and chatted but never took his eyes off her, off his family. When the paramedics arrived, she was already crooning Joy to the World and William had blown his baby sister a kiss.

“Must have been the raspberry leaf, Scully.” Mulder sat on the floor next to her, peeking into the swaddling.

The paramedics set up the gurney.

“Must have been the right time, Mulder.”

He kissed her cheek. “What are we going to call her? There are some cultures where babies are named for the place of their birth or local environment.”

“We are not calling her Treadmill, Mulder.”

He chuckled. “I was thinking more about the name of the gym.”

Her mind was a blank. She’d never given it much thought, despite being a member for a number of years. She allowed herself to be lifted onto the stretcher and the baby let out a sleepy cry.

“This is the Rose Hill 24 hour gym, Scully. Rose. She looks like a rose.”

The sting of tears and the plug in her throat prevented her from talking for a few moments. “Rose is beautiful, Mulder.”

“Yes. You both are. I can’t believe you gave birth in a gym, Scully. What a champion.”

“It was a pretty good workout,” she said. “I just want to know how you got here so quickly. Did you follow me?”

A flash of guilt passed across his face. “I’m sorry, Scully. I felt a little odd. Like my mind was disconnected from my body for a bit. And when I went inside the house, the radio was playing Joy to the World and I just had the most compelling feeling to get into the car.”

The baby opened her eyes and stared up at her parents. And Scully could swear she saw a glimmer of a smile on her tiny mouth.

[thefangirlslair]

PERPETUAL WINTER (A Sasusaku Fanfiction) Part I

Note: It’s finally here!! Originally, I want this to be a one-shot but thought of making this a two-shot instead. What do you think? Or maybe I should leave this be?? Hmmm.. tell me what you think of this please coz I still want to include angst and Death Cab for Cutie. Hahaha! I have an idea for the continuation of this, should I decide to write it. Please please please, leave comments and suggestions. Thank you for reading!

PS. The third and final part for More Than Words and Never Again No will be out soon. Stay tuned and thank you for the ones who read those two. I appreciate y’all. Thanks a lot! Xoxo

PPS. This is up on ffnet as well! Click here. Thanks!

--

Excerpt: He could barely breathe. He knew he wanted the spring, the colors and the hope it brings to anyone who experience it. He wanted some full living color in this monochromatic life of his and now that he got this, her of all things, he couldn’t even swallow his own spit.

The green man came on, and the current of people pushed him forward to her, and her to him. And as they move to meet one another in a city where they both fell in and out of love with each other, he was taken back to the time where winter was just a mere season, Bon Iver was playing on their shared earphones, and Sakura was his.

-

Sasusaku Pairing (5,558 words)

A Poor Attempt at Writing Fics

SasuSaku Edition V

Perpetual Winter Part 1

  Winter has never been his favorite season.

It’s not that he feels the intensity of the cold because that’s not the case. Their whole clan has this inexplicable tolerance to extreme weather such as this. It’s like they have this built-in furnace inside that keeps them warm all the time.

His bestfriend, Naruto, has the same weird ass characteristic. But instead of a furnace burning with fire inside his body, it seems like there’s a demon living inside him, making him unbelievably winter-proof that he doesn’t even need winter coats to fight the cold.

As for him, he only need at least two layers of clothing to feel the right amount of warm in this chilly weather. He looked up at the sky, currently crying with snowflakes, and cursed it silently.

He continued walking towards his favorite café after purchasing poetry books down the bookstore across his apartment. His eyes are downcast and watch his sneakers leave footprints on the sidewalk as he moves with purpose. He wanted to get out of this snow and just read a goddamn book in peace with his coffee.

He really hates winter.

He stopped at the side of the road, noticing that the red man is still on. He buried his face under the thick white scarf around his neck, and his hands inside the pocket of his black trench coat. He exhaled and watched his breath evaporates as he wished that it was spring instead of this fucking winter.

Spring has always been his favorite season.

He has always been a minimalist. A black-and-white person, literally and figuratively. But contrary to popular belief that he only likes neutral colors, he actually loves vivid ones. That’s why he loathes winter so much because it’s just drained of hues. He likes it vibrant and alive. His eyes swept his surroundings.

The red of the stoplight at the other side of the road. The yellow of the boots worn by the little boy walking with his mother. The lime green of the phone case used by this tall man in front of the group of people waiting for the green to turn on at the other side. The pink hair of the petite girl behind him. The blue of t-

Wait.

Pink.

Pink hair.

 His eyes went back to the source of that rose color that halted his breathing and his heartbeat. His eyes has always been his best asset, because it never misses.

Especially her. He still believes that even in a sea of people, he would always see her. Even without that ridiculous pink mane of hers, she will always stand out among the ordinary people of this earth.

 It was like slow motion — the movement of her lips as she sings along to a song playing through her plugged earphones in which he’s pretty sure is a Bon Iver song (“It’s emo and perfect for winter! And besides, Bon Iver is literally ‘good winter’ in English. They’re supposed to be played during cold weather so you could mope and cry!”); a tendril of her pink hair caught in that mouth when the wind blew, her gloved fingers trying to brush it off; the arch of her scarf-covered neck as she looked up at the sky and offered a tiny glare; and the flutter of her eyelids as she faced the road and the spark of recognition in those emerald eyes of hers as their gazes met.

He could almost hear her right then and there, 15 meters between them with a throng of pedestrians just waiting to get to the other side just like the two of them, as she opens her mouth in a gasp of surprise.

Sasuke-kun, she’ll say.

But to his dismay and relief, she didn’t. Instead, she gave him a radiant smile. A smile that made this snow covered world a bit brighter and better and warmer.

He could barely breathe. He knew he wanted the spring, the colors and the hope it brings to anyone who experience it. He wanted some full living color in this monochromatic life of his and now that he got this, her of all things, he couldn’t even swallow his own spit.

The green man came on, and the current of people pushed him forward to her, and her to him. And as they move to meet one another in a city where they both fell in and out of love with each other, he was taken back to the time where winter was just a mere season, Bon Iver was playing on their shared earphones, and Sakura was his.

 —

 8 years ago

“What’s your favorite song?”

They’re cuddled together in bed, naked, her head on his shoulder with his arm around her and hers tracing his abs, his other arm folded under his head. It’s freezing cold because of the early winter but their naked bodies offer enough heat to each other.

He opened his sleepy eyes and turned to his girlfriend, and saw her looking up at him with those green doe eyes, “Hn?”

“I just realized, Sasuke-kun,” she continued, still looking up at him. “We’ve been dating for like almost a year now and I still don’t know your favorite song. I rarely see you listen to music. You’re always with your books and poetry.”

“No, I’m not,” he retorted. Is it bad that he likes to read?

“Uhm, yes you are,” she said back. “Either those or your coffee or any school related shit. I don’t even see you with other people aside from Naruto, of course, and your family.”

“And Colonel Mustard,” he answered.

“He’s a cat,” she answered deadpan.

He sighed. He moved the arm under his head and used its hand to hold her cheek, “You forgot yourself.” His arm around her tightened to pull her even closer. He whispered to her, “I’m always with you.”

Sasuke saw her blush and felt her hand on his abs slap his skin. He winced a little. Seriously, her hand could either make him gasp in pleasure or in pain.

“I know that already so stop distracting me!”, she scolded him. “I wanna know your favorite song. I know your favorite movie, favorite author, favorite dish, favorite ice cream flavor even though you always say you hate ice cream, favorite jeans to wear just to make me think about grabbing your beautiful ass every time I see you in it. I even know your favorite sex position even if you haven’t told me, for God’s sake!”

He almost choked on that last one. She had always have no filter with her mouth and that may be her biggest flaw, but that’s also her strength and charm. She’s so vulgar and frank and just straight-up business when it’s about to go down. And right now, it is going down with her.

“If you don’t say it right now I’m not gonna give you head for two weeks,” she warned. He would’ve been worried that he wouldn’t get a blowjob for two long weeks if he can’t get a different kind of pleasure just by seeing her come and unravel before his eyes whenever they make love.

‘As if that’s the only satisfaction I get from you’, he thought with a small smirk.

He ran his hand on her side back and forth, squeezing her hip when it landed there, “I don’t have any favorite song.”

“Bullshit. Everyone has their favorite song. Why won’t you tell me?”, she whines. In retaliation, she also uses her hand to caress his chest and abdomen. He shivers.

“Because I don’t have one,” he calmly answered, his hand still running over her. They’re both using the power of their touch to distract and to persuade. He likes this game, he decided.

“Yes, you do. You just don’t want to say it to me.”

“No.”

“Why won’t you?”

“There’s nothing to tell.”

“Is it embarassing?”

“What?”

 They didn’t notice that they moved now. She’s now on top of him, her pink hair cascading down on him like a curtain that hides them from the world, her arms caging his head as she looks down on him with determination. His hands are now both on her thighs while she straddles him, going back and forth as he feels himself get hard and heat up.

“Is it by some artist with problematic tendencies?”

He rolled his eyes, “No. I just don’t have one.”

“Is it a cheesy romantic ballad?”

“Sakura..”

“Is it by Skrillex? I swear to God I’ll strangle you.”

“Sakura..”

“Or is it from broadway? Don’t worry, I know you like theater and plays and I do, too! I love Mu-“

Out of slight irritation for too much talking and the sight of her naked breast on his face, he pulled her down and kissed the hell out of her. He heard her whimper for a second, followed by her moans as soon as his tongue found its way in her mouth. He groaned in response, she goes crazy when she hears it.

Unfortunately, it’s not enough to shut her up.

She broke the kiss and with a slight pant, “C’mon Sasuke-kun.”

He flopped his arms wide open on the mattress, and looked heavenwards before turning on her. “I could say the same to you. I don’t know your favorite song too.”

That made her halt in her movements, which is crawling backwards to sit on his crotch. She sat on his abdomen instead, “Really?”

 It’s a given that she will question him regarding this since she tells him absolutely almost everything. From her latest discovered band to a recent discovery in medicine by a genius dude whose name he doesn’t even remember, she shares it with him. Favorite anime character, favorite memory with him, favorite pair of underwear — he knows it all because she’s that open to him about things she love.

But his sharp memory tells him that she forgot to include her favorite song. It’s hard for Sasuke to remember things that doesn’t have any business with him, especially things he doesn’t care about. But since Sakura is his only business and definitely the woman he most care about next to his mother, anything that tumbles out of her mouth will automatically find its way to the storage in his brain and his heart and it’ll be there for him to remember forever, no matter how mundane it is such as a favorite scented candle or favorite episode of How I Met Your Mother.

He sighed while staring at her fondly, “Really.” She just stared back, her head tilting slightly like a puppy as she process this new information. She looked absolutely adorable in his eyes and he felt his lips turn into a soft smile.

‘Too cute’, he thought. If she’s not naked on top of him right now, he might’ve told her outloud.

Before he could even reach out to caress her stomach, she got up from her position on his abdomen and hopped out of bed. He leans on his elbow to watch her rummage through her bag, as nonchalant as a new born baby can be in just her skin and nothing else, and he continued to watch in awe and fascination.

“Yosh!”, she exclaimed after a few moments. She turned around and flopped down on the bed on her stomach, with her hands holding her ipod. She plugged in her earphones on the device and looked at him dead in the eye, “I love this dude named Justin Vernon.”

He was still leaning on his elbows when he suddenly sat up straight, “What the fu- who the fuck is h- I swear to God Sak-“ and continued to sputter shit.

“Shut your hole and let me speak you dumb baby,” she covered his mouth shut. “Do you think I’m capable of loving someone other than you?”

Sasuke immediately didn’t know what to say at that and even felt his stomach flutter a bit. He blinked once, twice, while looking at her. He was gonna lean closer to her when she added, “Though this dude could be a close second.”

His reins are up again and this time, Sakura just laughed at him. ‘The audacity!’ he thought internally.

She removed her hand on his mouth and continued, “He’s a dude that once holed up in his father’s hunting cabin in the mountains after a break-up and wrote the best album of all time.”

 After that, he found himself sitting with his back against the headboard of his bed, watching and listening to the love of his life talk about her love for this sad and broken man who made her favorite album. And for the first time, he didn’t feel jealous that she’s talking about some other guy and how she loves him so. He actually felt sorry for him, and yes, a bit impressed too. Making a classic album after a break-up? That’s neat.

He doesn’t know the pain to be dealt with when you’ve broken up with someone because Sakura was his first girlfriend. And honestly, he doesn’t, couldn’t, even think about being apart from her. Just the thought of them breaking up already makes him panic a little. He always thought to himself, ‘I will never let that happen.’

His position against the head of the bed gives him perfect view of her lying on her stomach, still animatedly talking about the girl, popularly known as Emma, who broke this Justin’s heart and inspired him to write a whole record.

Then she played a whole album for him, from start to finish. A roller coaster of emotions passed through him. He never knew music could transport you into another realm like this. At one time they stopped using the earphone splitter as they both listen to the whole album in separate earphones. They shared one pair of earphones and she finally played her favorite song which was also the last track on the record, “This is my favorite song of all time. It’s called Re:Stacks.”

Strums of guitar started to pour through and then he heard the song she loves very much. He heard a song of a broken man. His words penetrates through Sasuke and he found himself closing his eyes to absorb it all — the pain, the longing, and the acceptance in the end.

 He didn’t notice that the song already ended until he felt Sakura gently straddle his lap which made him open his eyes. He saw her looking at him, with a soft smile grazing her pink lips. “Hi,” she whispered sweetly.

He continued staring at her while removing the earbud from his ear. He sighed deeply and murmured back, “Hi.”

“What do you think? You seemed to like it,” she whispered again, still smiling at him, her hand reaching out to push his bangs back away from his face.

He nods, “It’s beautiful.” The intimacy of the moment made them want to whisper to each other, as if there’s an audience watching and listening. He caressed her thighs straddling his hips, “He seemed to be in so much pain and disbelief, but there’s a feeling of acceptance and letting go in the end. Sad but beautiful.”

She smiled brightly at him, making him tighten his hands on her thighs. She’s beautiful and she makes his heart ache so goddamn good. “I’m glad you liked it,” Sakura said. Her eyes suddenly trained downcast and her fingers fumble with the chain on his neck.

He frowned for a moment, not knowing what caused the sudden change on her demeanor. She’s such an open book and add that with the years of being friends and lovers, he could instantly tell what she’s feeling with just one glance.

He lifted her face by using his hand, the other tugging her closer so he could prop his knees up, “What is it?”

Sakura looked at him quietly, her green eyes slowly sweeping the features on his face. She traced it with her fingers and when she reached his mouth, Sasuke gently puckered his lips to kiss them. It made her smile.

“I know it’s a sad song,” she started. “Hell, the whole album is a sad one. Justin wrote it about ‘Emma’ and he was heartbroken and in despair for so long. Emma broke his heart — shattered it even.”

She licked her lips and subtly shakes her head. Then she continued talking, now looking at his lips, “And I know we’re happy and I’m hopelessly in love with you and I know you love me too, but..”

Green eyes met his black ones, “I want you to know that you’re my Emma. You always will be.”

 Sasuke’s heart skipped a beat. She said it so achingly vulnerable and soft and heartfelt that he felt it in his bones, rattling everything he believes in. She could tell him the world is square and he will believe her if she talks and looks at him like that.

She continued to babble, words tumbling out of her mouth trying to convey her feelings. He listens.

“And if I could write songs — damn if I could write a whole album — it would be about you. About us. About you and your stoic perfect face that makes me frustrated and flustered at once. The way you push your hair back, your eyes, your hands — everything about you. I will get holed up in a cave or in my own room and pour my heart in every song like Justin did and make you an album, but I couldn’t do that and I could only say these things to your face like this and I hope it’s enough. I hope it’s enough for you to never leave me, I hope that I’m good enough for you. And just like Emma, you will always have a piece of my heart when and if, God forbid, we ever broke up. I wi-“

He couldn’t take it anymore. His heart was about to burst out from his chest and her words are starting to get ridiculous because who would dare leave her? How could he ever leave her, let alone think about leaving her? If it ever comes to worst, which he will fight so hard not to happen, he won’t be the one to leave. Sakura might just realize how much he lacks and how unworthy he is, and that’s when she leaves. But right now, she’s here. And she’s kissing him. And she loves him.

And so he did what he does best.

He grabbed her face and slammed his mouth against hers. Sasuke heard her whimper and he kissed her harder. ‘Mine. Mine. Mine,’ he selfishly said in his head.

Her arms wound around his neck as he cradles her face closer to his, pouring his feelings through their passionate kiss. He felt something wet on his face and realized that Sakura was crying.

She has always been emotional and Sasuke knows she feels intense emotions at the moment that’s why she’s shedding tears. It made him break their liplock and kissed away her tears on her cheeks to her eyes. He felt her smile against his face and he kissed her again, softly this time. When he broke the kiss for the second time, he stared intently at her, “I love you.”

Sasuke shook her head a little to let her know he’s serious, “Sakura, I love you. You are the best thing that’s ever happened to me. You’re mine just as I am yours, and I love you so much.”

Sasuke will always be reserved when it comes to his emotions and hearing these words of love, affection and reassurance made Sakura cry a little harder. She hugged him, her arms tightening around his shoulders and her face buried against his neck. He kissed her hair, his own arms caging her to him.

They continued being like that — with the pursuit of knowing Sasuke’s favorite song forgotten, with Sasuke’s words earlier still reverberating around the room, and his unsaid ones echoing inside his heart, body and soul.

‘You’re my Emma too, Sakura.’

—

They met at the center of the road. From up above, you’ll see two opposite colors at the middle of the lane with a stream of people continuously going back and forth around them like a stream — her pink strands and his black mane. There they stood, onyx orbs meeting jade ones.

Sasuke looks at her — just that. Words have left him once his eyes reached her figure from across the road. It’s all he can do right now; just look at her and contemplate whether this is fate or a mere coincidence, a blessing or a curse. Maybe God heard his prayers and now spitting on him.

He opened his mouth to taste her name from his lips, unmentioned for the past 6 years. His friends have been very careful around him after their breakup. No one mentioned her name. During spring, the term cherry blossom is always used instead.

He wants to know now if the familiar sweep of his tongue when he calls her still gives him a sense of belongingness and home, because only God knows how much he’s never been home all these years. He will do just that when she removed her earbuds and beat him to it.

“Sasuke.”

 He might’ve shivered a little. Not from the cold, not even from the cadence of her voice or the familiarity of her eyes. It’s from the little ache in his heart, because it has been such a long time.

He also noticed how she called him without that suffix. Sasuke felt it sting a bit. He swallowed hard before greeting her back by saying, “Sakura.”

She smiled, “Hi.”

Her smile still brought a tiny smirk from him, earning him another smile from her. She always knew how to push his right buttons. “Hi,” he murmured back.

She looked around then, her eyes darting throughout their surroundings, “As much as I want to stand here and try to look like we’re shooting a music video in the middle of the road, we can’t.”

She laughed at that and surprising him, grabbed his arm and led him towards the direction he was going. She pulled him so that they could walk side by side and asked him, “You’re going to buy coffee and read, right?”

Surprise must’ve been written all over his face for she laughed a little and nodded her head towards the paper bag of books he’s holding. He looked down on it as she continued to say teasingly, “You always need coffee when you read. You still haven’t changed, Sasuke! Let me guess.. Bukowski?”

He’s never been so glad to have his scarf around his neck until now because he knows that his nape just turned red, as is his ears which Sakura noticed. She laughed again and he couldn’t help but blurt out, “Shut up.”

They continued to walk until they reached his favorite café. He opened the door for her and she halts in her steps and looked at him with an amazed expression, “Whoa there. You’ve never opened the door for me before. This is new. Thanks.” She proceeded to enter and left him there, still holding the door open, thinking about what she said.

‘Really?’ he thought to himself.

Sasuke followed her inside where he’s sure she will pick a spot near the glass windows so she could see the people outside. She always liked to observe people when they’re mostly in their most unpretentious, which is simply walking down the street.

But she surprised him again by choosing seats against the wall opposite the glass windows. Above their seats on the wall is a black and white picture of a couple sitting on a bench with shared earplugs and holding hands.

‘How apt,’ he commented on his head. Then he heard it from Sakura herself, “Hey, don’t they remind you of us before? Ah, nostalgic.”

She removed her white trench coat and now sitting, sporting a military green turtleneck sweater and denim jeans with black knee high boots. He admits she looked good, extremely good, and he pushes his thoughts away. He berates himself inwardly, ‘Now is not the time moron.’

He nodded his head in answer as he removed his coat and scarf, leaving him with a dark blue sweater. He placed his paper bag of books under the table and said, “I’ll order now.”

Sasuke knows her usual — coffee with one pack of sugar and three packs of cream — so he didn’t bother asking her. That’s why when he was gonna go to the counter, Sakura interrupted him with, “I quit coffee a long time ago, Sasuke.”

That made him stop on his tracks and face her again. She smiled a little, “I’ll have black tea. Oh, and a strawberry muffin. Thanks.”

He blinked for a while, then nodded his head in understanding. He went to the counter and ordered for them. As he waited, he watched her from the corner of his eye. His eyes took her in for the nth time since laying his eyes on her again after six goddamn years.

 Many things about her took him by suprise — her preference for a spot inside the café and her liking to black tea, her pink hair now in a messy bun at the top of her head revealing her forehead (she’s insecure about her forehead before that’s why she always wear her hair down with bangs covering it), and her being a bit more reserved, unlike before where she’s always on her feet most of the time because she’s full of energy and enthusiasm. She looks sophisticated now, with her dark red lipstick on her lips. She was never the dark color type of girl, but now she looks fierce and classy even with just a lipstick on and nothing else on her face.

But there are still things that didn’t change. She’s still short; a bit taller than she was back then but still way shorter than him. She reaches his chin before but now, she’s able to barely reach his nose. But then, he became taller since then so maybe she never grew at all. She still loves taking pictures of everything whether it’s a cute dog that passes by her, a pretty graffiti she spots when they’re in the car, or her shoes for the day. Right now, it’s the neon signs of the café, with her fingers posing to make a finger heart for her to capture. Fucking adorable, he thought.

Above all, she’s still bubbly. After all the shit that happened, he’s extremely glad she never lost her bubbly personality. He remembered the last time they saw each other, how broken she looked that day when they broke up, how much self-control it took for him not to reach out and take back all that he said. He was afraid he took out the best parts of her. But seeing her now made him release a thorn on his pierced heart, relieving him some of the ache that still lingers.

A tap on his shoulder woke him from his thoughts. He turned around and saw their literature professor in college, Kakashi Hatake.

“Mr. Uchiha, what a pleasant surprise,” the gray haired man exclaimed, his ever present mask still covering half of his face. They never knew what he looked like.

“Sir,” Sasuke replied. This earned a chuckle from Kakashi. He heard him say, “Still stiff as a board, I see.”

He snorted, “Still nosy.”

Kakashi laughed, “Been a while since I saw you here. I heard you moved out of Japan for good? Since what? 5 years ago?”

“Six, actually. I got back last year. Gotta take care of family business since..” Sasuke trailed off.

Kakashi’s eyes seemed to soften at that, and undeniably filled with pity. He nodded somberly, “Yeah.. Your brother would have been proud of you.”

His throat constricted at that statement. A pair of black eyes as dark as his looking at him — fondly, teasingly, lovingly — made its way to his mind.

Itachi.

 Everyone in Tokyo, probably in all of Japan, knew the death of Itachi Uchiha 7 years ago. Just a simple visit at the grocery, a luxury he didn’t have in his leisure since he’s the heir of the biggest manufacturing company in Asia, and all of a sudden found dead inside because he chose to protect the mother and child from being shot by a robber.

Everyone tells Sasuke he’s a noble man; people he didn’t even know showed up on his wake and said their condolences, and he said choked-up thanks, and he held onto Sakura’s hand tightly because nothing seemed to anchor him to reality anymore. Sasuke watched as his mother cried until she passed out, his father stare into space as he held his wife, and his own self drown in anger and misery.

How dare Itachi leave him alone? How dare Itachi sacrifice himself and die? How dare Itachi pass his responsibilities onto his shoulders, uncontrollably shaking so hard because of the wrecking sobs he let out once in the comfort of his dead brother’s room?

Sasuke averted his eyes for he knows Kakashi is as sharp as any investigator and he might see through him. He just nodded in response.

The other man noticed the change in Sasuke so he changed the topic, “So are you still with my favorite student?”

That made Sasuke look back at Kakashi and stammered a little, “I- I- uhh..”

Kakashi’s sharp eyes roamed around the café and obviously lit up when it landed on pink. He looked back at Sasuke slyly, “I see.”

Sasuke opened his mouth to tell him that he’s wrong but unfortunately, his order was already called. Kakashi just patted his shoulder again and saluted at him, taking lazy strides as he walked out of the café, his iconic copy of the first volume of Icha-Icha peaking through the pocket of his sling bag. Sasuke shook his head.

Lifting his and Sakura’s orders back to their table, Sasuke composed himself as he makes his way to her. They might not be the same as before, but he knows Sakura can see immediately through him if there are thoughts running through his head.

 He saw Sakura leaning against the table; her left arm folded across her chest on the table and her right folded at the elbow as she grips her phone. She finally took off her gloves, the said item tossed in her bag. When he placed down the tray, she took her eyes off the phone and gave him a small smile. As he sat down he heard, “Thanks.” He just nodded as a reply. What can he say anyway?

“Was that Kakashi sensei back there earlier?”, she asked. “I think I saw his anti-gravity hair but didn’t see his mask coz you were blocking it.” She laughed a bit as she sips her tea.

Anti-gravity hair, he chuckled inwardly. He fought a laugh as well, “Aa. He just annoyed me.”

She giggled, “That old man, still nosy as hell huh? For a guy, he’s so nosy that it’s borderline intrusive! But why didn’t he come over and talk to me? We haven’t seen each other for so long! Wow, so much for being his favorite pupil.”

He sipped his hot coffee as he looked at her, “He likes his porn better than you.”

She almost choked with her muffin. “True, but at least I know what he looks like underneath,” she smugly commented while smothering a chuckle.

Sasuke’s eyes widened, silently asking her to confirm if what he heard was right. She laughed a bit and teasingly said, “Don’t worry. You’re still much better looking. Though he’s a really close second, I’m telling you.” Then she laughed again, making him smile genuinely.

Sasuke’s heart squeezed a little. It was just like old times when they were teens, with their gazes lingering a bit too long to consider as a friendly look. They did this a lot when they were in high school having study breaks in the coffee shop near their school. Their undying affectionate banter filling up their space. Even when surrounded by friends, they always seem to have their own little world where only the two of them exist.

They were each other’s first love. And right at this moment, 6 years past the best and worst times of his life, Sasuke’s heart lit up with unexplicable spark. One more smile from her and he will lit up like forest fire.

A shrill of a phone ringing caught his attention.

A radiant grin from her caught his breath..

and a glimmer of something shiny on her left hand stopped it altogether.

It all happened in slow motion — the way her eyes shift from him to the black device on the table, the way her teeth was slowly revealed as she smiled brightly after seeing the name of the caller, the way her left hand’s ring finger containing the offending platinum band with a diamond hurt his eyes as she accepts the call.

 Then he heard her sweetly say, “Neji-kun.”

And the forest fire of hope inside him dissipates with the heavy rain of his despair falling down on him.

-fin-

(A/N: Special chapter is up here on tumblr and ffnet. See you soon!)

special chapter | part 2

[trixiesmountainbikingfuturewitch]

IN MY WILDEST DREAMS (Trixie&Fan Fanfiction *explicit*)

I never thought that going to a drag show would change my life in such a drastic way.

It was the week of finals my junior year of college. A friend and I drove three hours to see our favorite drag queen, Trixie Mattel, live in concert. We arrived and waited anxiously in the queue. We had spent an inordinate amount of time preparing for the show, each spending hours replicating Trixie’s makeup and our favorite looks. Many people wanted to take pictures with us and we happily obliged. Once inside the venue, my friend and I ordered a drink or two (a move I would later question as a driver behind my actions). We sat on the floor near the stage. I had paid through the nose for our tickets and we had never been so excited. I was secretly nervous, a fact I declined to share with my friend. I had a serious crush on Tracy Martel and Brian subsequently since he appeared on season 7 of RPDR. Having recently won the all stars season, my obsession and love for the queen had reached an all new high.

Also unbeknownst to my friend, I had a RealDo tucked away between my legs with the bulbed end pushed up inside my pussy. The dildo portion was tucked up and duck taped between my legs and I could feel the plug inside my every time I took a step. I was dripping before we even got to the venue. By the time the show got underway with the opener, I was ridiculously horny. Somewhere in the back of my delusional mind I wondered if Trixie would notice me and think I was hot; completely absurd coming from a curvy, somewhat-straight white girl. Brian prided himself on being gold star gay and there was no reason for me to expect any kind of attention from him.

After the opener finished his set he announced Trixie and she marched out on stage in all of her pink and blonde statuesque glory. I nearly fainted I was cheering so loud. I couldn’t believe it, my idol was in the flesh right in front of me. She sang her opening song and started her comedic set. I sat in my seat slack jawed, completely dazed with my legs tightly crossed through the beginnings of her set. I couldn’t get over how beautiful she looked. She was so tall and slender in her pink jumpsuit I couldn't take my eyes off of her. When she came back on stage in a giant pink coat and pink all-that-jazz dress I literally lost my mind. It occurred to me that I shouldn’t be so attracted to her since I considered myself straight. But I couldn’t stop staring at her voluptuous, full hips and breasts as she swayed across the stage crooning the lyrics to my favorite song. I was so close to her that I could see Brian’s beautiful deep chocolate eyes behind all of Trixie’s makeup.

Toward the middle of the show, Trixie took her guitar off and asked for the lights to go up so she could see the audience. My heart leapt at the mere thought of Trixie seeing me. Everyone in the audience jumped to their feet trying to catch the attention of the beautiful queen. Luckily, I was quite tall compared to everyone else around me, especially in my killer heels so I was easily seen above the crowd. She began picking people at random, asking them questions and making jokes. Then she called for a volunteer. A tiny part of my mind cried out “this is your chance.” So I raised my hand and waved. I stared at her and willed her to look in my direction, to choose me. By some stroke of luck, she twirled around and looked directly at my and pointed at me without hesitation. I walked toward the stage in a complete daze as Trixie said “a round of applause for this amazing queen, she dressed up and none of the rest of you did. You can all leave now, she showed all of you up.” The crowd chuckled and applauded as I climbed the side stairs up to the stage. My heart was in my stomach as a walked up to the blonde bombshell. She was even taller than I imagined, towering over me. Even being near her made my poor cunt throb and contract around the plug. She put her arm around me and asked me for my name and where I was from. I responded and she told me not to be so nervous. “You did a really great job we look just alike. But mine is all fake, tell me did you pad or is this lovely figure all yours?” she asked, her eyes smiling. “Its all me,” I replied becoming shy at being ogled but secretly pleased by the attention. I knew that I was good looking, with my thin waist and wide hips but I never expected Trixie to notice. She made a mock shocked face that made the audience roar. She turned to me and began to feel around my waist “so Skinny,” she said into the mic. I could feel her strong hands and guitar calluses through my catsuit as she touched me. “Not as skinny as the skinny legend tho,” I responded smiling, to which the crowd roared with laughter. After addressing the crowd again, she turned back to me and tilted her head down slightly to meet my eyes. I looked back deeply into her dark eyes and saw a flash of uncertainty there in the depths. She continued to stare at my for another heartbeat or so before looking away and cracking a joke. “Ok, now then,” she said looking at me, “were going to play a quick game of truth or dare and we have to do what the cards say.” She produced cards with dares written on them and handed me half of the stack. She went first, “truth or dare,” she asked. “Truth” I replied. Trixie drew a card from her stack. “Have you ever had a crush on a drag queen?” she asked laughing and saying “who the fuck wrote these questions, a teenage boy?” The crowd laughed. I personally was panicking because I did indeed have a crush on a drag queen that just so happened to be standing right in front of me on stage in front of hundreds of people. “Yes,” I said, being too shy to give any further details. “Oh come on, who?” she prodded. I looked at the crowd then looked back at her nervously. Summoning my courage I replied, “you.” The crowd gave a loud, collective “awwwww”. “That’s very sweet,” she replied giving me a lingering side hug. As she squeezed me, the hand wrapped around my side traveled slowly down to a questionable level just above my ass. I responded by moving my hand further down to which she quickly moved away. “Ok my turn” I stated, “truth or dare?” “Dare,” said Trixie. I drew a card from my stack and read the contents, “I dare you to continue with your set for five minutes with my hand taped to your crotch and yours taped to mine.” I doubled over laughing at the horrified expression on her face while the crowd lost their god damn minds. Trixie looked hesitant but agreed. It was at this point that I panicked. Would she feel the dildo through my leotard even with it tucked between my legs? Would I be able to feel Brian’s cock through his many layers of padding? A crew member then stepped on stage with a roll of duck tape and proceeded to tape my hand to Trixie’s crotch and then his hand to mine. I kept my hand relaxed not wanting to make him uncomfortable but I felt him moving his hand around on my crotch trying to put some space between my body and his hand. I cautiously curled my hand inward and pressed slightly, feeling for his allegedly huge cock. He mirrored my movements curiously and I could tell that he felt the dildo because he froze and his eyes grew wide. He played it off well, cracking a joke and making an uncomfortable face, joking about never touching pussy before. While he stoked I could feel his dick twitch slightly, making my face red with embarrassment and arousal.

We somehow managed to make it through the five minutes without further embarrassment. We were untapped from each other and I expected to be shown back to my seat. As I waved to the crowd and turned to go, Trixie grabbed my arm and whispered, “wait for me in my dressing room after the show.” I looked into his eyes and slowly nodded, the implications running through my brain which I quickly quieted. I waved again and climbed down the stairs. A staff member met me at the bottom and directed me through a side door and into the backstage area. They then led me to a door off of the main area, which was opened and I was instructed to stay and wait for Trixie. They asked if I wanted/needed anything and I said no. They then left me alone in his dressing room. I was in such a state of shock at the events that just transpired that I stood in the middle of the room for a good five minutes before I was prompted to move and explore the space. The room was tiny and littered with makeup products and quickly disregarded costume changes. I wandered over to the mirror where Trixie’s phone and other personal things sat. I looked up at the mirror and imagined him doing his makeup and getting ready. There were photos attached to the mirror. Photos of him with friends, some of whom I recognized were hastily stuck into the frame. I don't know how long I sat before the mirror lost in thought before I heard a rousing cheer from the crowd and knew that Trixie must have completed her show. Moments later the door opened and in stepped the skinny legend herself. I rose out of the chair and moved to the side of the room as she entered with her crew that helped her get un-miced and then left us alone. I was so shy I couldn't even look at her. It was slightly awkward as I stood to the side looking at the ground while he stared at me. “Well,” he said pausing I looked up at him and he had removed his wig and was beginning to shrug out of the dress he was wearing.

I had always been attacked to the duality of Trixie and Brian, the quiet strength and confidence of Brian mixed with the over-the-top persona of Trixie. As he stood there and looked at me half out of drag, I had never been so turned on in my life. I tried to inconspicuously cross my legs but his eyes darted toward the movement and they flickered back up to mine and his face changed into a knowing smile. He continued taking off his dress, watching me the whole time. When it hit the floor, I was able to see the thick padding and corsetry that he wore. The silence of the last few moments was broken by “so are you a woman or trans or what because I know what I felt?” He continued undressing, clearly not bothered by my presence. He stripped the many pairs of tights off and I could see the heavy bulge of his cock through his underwear. “I’m a woman” I replied, looking him dead in the eyes. “Well I could have sworn I felt a dick down there,” he said unbuckling his corset. He eyed me up and down, lingering on my crotch. I suddenly felt less nervous and self-conscious so I walked closer to him and he looked up with interest. I purposefully cupped his hand around my crotch and ground forward into his palm all the while looking into his eyes. His irises expanded and he took a shaky breath in, cautiously moving his other hand around to cup my ass and squeeze. With him accepting my advances, I quit holding back and wrapped both of my hands around his luscious ass and pulled, grinding our pelvises together. A huge breath punched out of him and he stepped back, shaken. “I don't understand this, I’ve never been turned on by a woman before,” he stated clearly distressed. I didn’t verbally respond but I reached up and began to remove my catsuit, pulling it down over my chest and shimming out of it. I straightened back up with my breasts exposed and his eyes were glued to my crotch where the clearly visible dildo was peaking out from between my legs. His legs seemed to carry him forward of their own accord as he continued to stare at me. He got closer to me and then stopped, hesitantly pulling his underwear off and tossing them in the corner.

He was even more gorgeous out of drag with his shining eyes and wide shoulders tapering to a thin waist but I couldn’t look away from his cock. It was truly huge and about half hard hanging slightly away from his body. A few variations of what could happen next flashed through my mind, me fucking him; him fucking me. I reached down and removed the tape holding the dildo between my legs. His eyes zeroed in on my crotch and got even larger. His eyes traveling up the rest of my curvy form, he stepped closer to me and put his hands around my waist. I couldn't believe it when he turned his head slightly and hesitantly closed the distance between our faces, our lips meeting.

I breathed out and slipped my tongue into his mouth, dominating the kiss and pulling him closer by his ass. We made out for a good couple of minutes before I was so turned on I couldn't see straight and I grabbed him by the arms and slammed him face first into a nearby wall. I plastered myself across his back and rubbed the dildo up and down the crack of his ass. I he moaned appreciatively. I let my hand wonder around to touch his cock and found him fully hard and dripping pre-cum. “What do you want?” I snarled into his ear, continuing to grind against his ass. “I want you to fuck me,” he responded, shoving back with great strength. I agreed and asked him for lube which he quickly produced from his bag. I slicked up the dildo, trying to keep my breasts from brushing against his back for fear of putting him off. He didn’t seem to mind tho because he kept reaching back and pulling me closer to his back. I reached around and slowly began to stroke his huge cock while I pushed a single finger into his ass. He sighed and relaxed back against me. I was quickly working three fingers in his slutty ass and determined he was ready. “Is your ass ready for my cock baby?” I whispered into his ear, teasing his hole with the head of the dildo. “Yes please, fuck me, I’m so ready.” I continued to tease him as he grew more desperate, whining under his breath and doing his best to impale his ass on the dildo. “Please put it in, I can’t cum without something in my ass, please,” he begged. I finally acquiesced, shoving the whole length of the dildo up his ass in one smooth slide. “Fuck god yes!” he moaned shoving his ass back. I proceeded to pound his ass against the wall, feeling the bulb of the dildo shift inside me with every thrust. “Harder, god fuck me harder” he pleaded using the hand not propping himself up on the wall to stroke his leaking cock. I wrapped my arms around his torso and shifted my thrust to try and hit his prostate while slamming forward as hard as I could, our bodies slapping together. With a yell, he came, painting the wall in front of him with cum. Hearing his pleasured moans and feeling his ass contract around the dildo, I quickly reached down and stroked my clit once, twice, three times and came shuttering through the best orgasm of my life still buried in Trixie Mattel’s ass. We stood there just breathing slumped against the wall for a few minutes before I regained the strength to pull out. I pulled the bulb of the RealDo out of my cunt, shuttering with oversensitivity and set it on the vanity. I turned back to Brian who had turned around, but was still leaning against the wall. We both looked a mess, both of our makeup smeared to hell from our make out. “That was incredible, you've ruined me for all men now, thanks!” he said smiling, breaking the silence. I giggled as I began pulling my clothes back on. Trixie went and sat down in front of the mirror and proceeded to remove what remained of her makeup. She then faced me and I was met with sweet, simple Brian in the flesh. The gravity of the situation hit me and I couldn't believe that we had just fucked; not only fucked but that I fucked HIM. “Do you want to stay the night with me?” he asked, looking hopeful but also uncertain. I thought for a moment, “I would like that,” I responded. He quickly pulled on an oversized black hoodie and tight black jeans before stepping out of the room to talk to his crew. I took the opportunity to remove the over-the-top Trixie makeup and fix my wild hair. I texted my friend who had been blowing up my phone wondering where I was. I didn’t give her any specifics and told her I was going to stay in town for the night and that she should take the car and head back home. She begrudgingly agreed, demanding an explanation upon my return. It was then that Brian walked back into the room. He smiled sheepishly at me like I hadn't just fucked the shit out of his ass and offered me a hand, leading me out of the room. The crew was around taking down the massive Trixie letters and generally gathering things as we walked by. I could feel their stares as we walked through backstage and out the side door into the night. I followed closely behind him as we walked toward a car parked a little down the street at the curb. He paused and held the door open for me while I slid inside. He walked around and got in on the other side and the car started toward the hotel. It was slightly awkward for a few minutes before I began asking him questions about the show and the cities he had been to. He seemed to genuinely appreciate my interest and we talked the rest of the way to his hotel. We got out and walked straight to the elevator and up to his room. He said goodnight to his crew member that had ridden in the passenger seat and she looked at me with a questioning face and bid me good night. He opened the door and walked into the typical hotel room throwing his suitcase on the couch and walking toward the bathroom. “I’m going to shower, I feel really gross,” he said stripping out of his shirt. “Get whatever you like out of the fridge or order whatever you'd like. I’ll be out in just a minute,” he said smiling at me kindly. I nodded and went to sit on the bed while I heard the shower kick on from the other room. I took a minute to think about all that had transpired that day and the crazy fact that my wildest dream and hope had come true. I continued to sit there lost in thought, replaying the day over and over. Then I began to think about fucking him and the way he looked and how he sounded. I felt myself getting wet again just thinking about his ass and how well he took my cock. I proceeded to strip out of my clothes and lay back on the bed, gingerly putting a hand between my legs. I used to fingers to begin to gently pump in and out of my pussy while imagining Brian fucking me, his huge cock filling me up and making me cum. I was getting dangerously close to orgasm when I heard the shower cut off and Brian stepped into the room wrapped only in a towel. I looked at him lazily for a minute, wondering how he would react as a gay man to seeing a woman masturbating on his bed. “You’re gorgeous you know,” he said walking further into the room and letting the towel fall from his slim hips. He sat gingerly on the edge of the bed, mindful of his still tender ass. He continued to watch me while I slowly thrust my fingers with one hand and circled my clit with the other. “I want to see how you touch yourself,” he stated, leaning back on one hand and surveying the scene. I turned my body on the bed slightly toward him so he could see better and continued with my ministrations, mindful of his eyes on me. I closed my eyes and flickered back to images of us fucking earlier and picked up the pace with my fingers fucking in and out of my pussy. I was getting close when he gentle said, “turn over.” I opened my eyes and looked into his lust blown eyes. One hand was clasped loosely around his half hard cock. I hesitantly rolled over onto my stomach and spread my legs slightly to still be able to access my cunt. I felt him shift on the bed behind me and my stomach dropped, imagining the possibilities. “You may be a girl but there is something I could do thats familiar to me,” he said. I could hear the smirk in his voice. Before I realized what was happening I felt something wet skate across my ass. My first instinct was to shy away but Brian grabbed my hips to hold me in place. To this day I don’t know how I didn’t cum on the spot. He continued to lick and bite at my cheeks before moving his tongue to move up and down my crack, just missing my aching hole. My breathing sped up and I let rhythmic little sighs escape. He finally focused his attention on my asshole and pushed forward with his tongue to slip just the tip inside. He lapped at my hole, every few passes pushing it further inside my body. Eventually his tongue was as far as it could go up my ass and I was seconds away from coming my brains out. I felt him move up my body and he asked “can I fuck your ass?” “Yes god please anything, anything you want,” I responded desperate for whatever he would give me. He got off the bed and return with lube which he liberally applied to his cock. He slicked up his fingers and slid one in my hole. I stopped touching myself to better support myself with my legs spread wide on the bed as he fingered my ass, getting it ready for his huge cock. He was gentle and mumbled phrases likes “you take it so well” and “I cant wait to be inside you.” Eventually he was easily pumping three fingers in my ass and I was pushing back to meet his thrusts. He removed his fingers and I missed the sensation of being filled immediately. I didn’t have to wait long for the press of his cock that felt like it would never fit. He pushed forward at a glacial pace, forcing my ass to take his cock. The feeling of my hole opening wider and wider was both indescribably hot and painful. Soon enough, he was all the way seated and paused for me to adjust to his massive girth. I nodded my head, indicating I was ready and he pulled out slowly and thrust back in with slightly more power. He then picked up the pace and before I knew it I was being well and truly fucked through the mattress. “Your slutty ass takes my cock so well, like you were born for it,” he said between thrusts. We were both drenched with sweat and breathing hard. He pushed my down flat onto the bed, plastering himself across my back and grinding his dick hard into my ass. He put his hands on my hips and shoved them all the way to the bed as he bit the back of my neck. I bucked back against him, needing a little more to push me over the edge. It was then that his hand wandered down to my pussy and clumsily fingered my clit. “Cum baby,” he said into my ear. I moaned loudly as I squirted all over the sheets, bucking back violently with my orgasm. The contractions of my ass sent him over the edge, moaning brokenly into my neck as he ground his dick inside me until finally coming to a halt, collapsing onto the bed. We both rested for a few minutes before rapping around each other. He kissed me sweetly on the head and began telling me about other sexual conquests he had had and how he would never get over how the best fuck he ever had was a woman. I was content to gaze lovingly into his beautiful face until he told me goodnight and fell asleep tangled together, meant to be.

[ohstardust]

Riptide

REQUEST: from myiaisthebest Can you PLEASE do an imagine about TOM GLYNN CARNEY🗣🗣🤗🤗. Can the imagine take place like you and your friends go out for the night and y'all hit house parties and clubs and then you guys where like walking the street dancing and you ended up bashing into Tom's shoulder and when u went to apologize he was with the cast of Dunkirk for a night out on the town too. And like long story short you and him end up back at his place having fun😏. Or you can make then ending however you want. Thx😘😘\

A/N: Thanks for the prompt honey! I’m trying a slightly different method, changing ‘You’ to ‘Her’ whilst retaining the ‘Y/N’ method and trying to be more descriptive so its reads more like a story than an imagine snippet. Please let me know what everyone thinks about this or if you think I should revert back.

The week had been a mess, start to finish. There were no two ways about it. The moment things were falling into place and playing out rightfully, half a dozen things would shit right all over the positivity. In the space of 5 mere days Y/N had had to dismiss 2 members of staff, spend three days without hot water in her apartment, dropped a contact lens down the toilet, stood on a very fucking offensive plug and one friend had landed herself in hospital. And that was only the half of it.

She was just about ready to lie on the floor, bang her fists and wail in frustration, something she hadn’t done since she was 3 years old. Fatigue was slipping into her bones after multiple weeks feeling like an endless cycle and she longed for something, anything, to lift her spirits even momentarily, to assure her that no, the world is not out to get you, it’s just testing you a little.

"C’mon Y/N, I think you really need to let your hair down a little, drink away the negativity, kiss a stranger. Anything. Just let loose.” Her friend pleaded with her from the other end of her telephone, adamant she was going to raise Y/N from her slump and have her enjoy herself for the evening.

Had this conversation not happened a week earlier, she’d be very inclined to refuse, snuggle into her pyjamas on the sofa, and fall asleep to a sickening romance film. Alas, this had taken place the previous week and Y/N was not one to back out of arrangements so she sighed, took a sip of wine and trudged her way to the shower in hopes the warm water would liven her up a little to actually make the effort.

Scanning the room with a drink in hand, Y/N spied the host of the party engaged in some ridiculous drinking game that had her on the verge of puking just by watching it unfold, “Tell me again how know this guy?”

“A friend of a friend... of a friend?”

“Oh, well that sure eases my mind, thanks for that,” She replied, rolling her eyes at her grinning best friend. As her eyes trailed the room she saw the remainder of her friends engaged in conversations with multiple guys and smiled at the enjoyment.

“Stop being a grump and drink up.”

“Trust me, I’m gonna have to if I’m staying here.” She threw back the rest of her drink before heading to the kitchen to refill. She definitely wasn’t drunk enough for this.

“Did you put a double measure in this? Fucking Jesus Christ.” Her throat burned with the intense taste of vodka and it erupted a short coughing spate from the oldest girl. She’d naively allowed her friends to mix her drinks for the last 2 house parties and she was quick to realise that they’d all colluded to get her as intoxicated as they figured she could handle. At least they had a limit. A limit she had definitely not hit yet.

“Course I did babe, keep drinking.” One of the girls called out, dancing wildly with a group of guys she’d been conversing with for the past half hour.

Y/N started to join in with the group, dancing to Major Lazer, one hand running through her hair and the other raised in the air clutching a cup. Maybe her friends were right, she did need to let her hair down.

“Are we heading to a club anytime soon? I’m ready for a drink that isn’t smart price or value vodka.” Laughter bubbled in her throat as she recalled all the drinks she sailed through with really terrible spirits that probably have the same effect on her insides as a bottle of turpentine would.

“Just wait for this one to stop with the public indecency act and we should be good to go.” Y/B/F/N thumbed in the direction of the rest of the group when one of the girls were grinding on the host.

“Can’t take her anywhere,” She grumbled, “I’ll be outside babe, I need some air.” She stumbled her way through the moving throng of party occupants until she reached the front door, pushing past couples in various states of sobriety.

The air was cool on the young woman’s skin, the breeze toning down the temperature on her flustered cheeks and allowed her to breathe easier than she had been able to inside. The drink in her hand had started to warm up but she didn’t hesitate to continue sipping it until the cup was empty. A moment or two later, one of other girls joined her on the front wall, handing her a small mix of amaretto and coke before taking a seat next to her.

“One for the road,” the girl giggled, resting her head on Y/N’s shoulder, causing the latter to snort into her drink.

“Why is everything so funny when you’re drunk?” Y/N began laughing uncontrollably, following her friends gaze at the sky and stared at the stars until she calmed herself down.

“Because this godawful shit makes you happier, heaven knows why but it does.”

The drink was cleared before the other’s girls filed out of the house singing Vance Joy’s ‘Riptide’ and she couldn’t help the grin as the group danced their way out of front garden into the street.

Oh, and they come unstuck

The five girls all crooned their way up the road, thankful that the last house party they had attended was virtually in the town leaving very little walking to be had.

I just wanna, I just wanna know If you’re gonna, if you’re gonna stay

“I knew she’d get on board with this song,” one of the girls muttered to the others, laughing at the two girls dancing and singing just ahead of them, “YES Y/N, keep going girl!”

I just gotta, I just gotta know I can’t have it, I can’t have it any other way I swear she’s destined for the screen Closest thing to Michelle Pfeiffer that you’ve ever seen, oh

Y/N grabbed the girls hand, pulled her close before she spun her outwards and the came close together again. As the other girl reversed the move on Y/N, she spun back and collided with another body.

“Bloody hell, I’m so so sor-“ The older girl turned herself around and straightened up, her sentence cut short as she caught sight of the group of men stood before her, ‘-rry.” The girls behind her, despite being just as stunned, snickered at the behaviour of their friend.

“Oh no, don’t worry about it, it looks like you were having fun.” The younger blonde boy answered, a grin playing on his lips.

“I should have been more careful though.”

“Honestly, it’s fine. I’m Tom by the way, these are my mates Fionn, Jack, Harry & Aneurin.” He gestured to the group just behind him, their hands raising in acknowledgement.

“Oh hi,” Y/N blushed at the sight, she vaguely knew their faces from the latest film she’d caught at the cinema, the only recreational thing she’d done in the past month, “I’m Y/N and these are my friends.” She began to name the girls before she boldly asked the guys if they were free, inviting them to join their evening.

“We’d love to, lead the way ladies.” Harry smirked after he’s glanced at his friends for agreement, his hand gestured in the direction they had been walking and the ten of them set off.

“Stop looking at me like that, Thomas.” His arm was propped on the bar, chin rested on his hand whilst he looked at the woman with a drunken grin, eyes solely focused on her. She playfully smacked his shoulder, laughing in embarrassment as she took a sip of her drink through her straw. He couldn’t help but swallow hard at the sight, feeling like a teenage boy all over again, he was absolutely enticed by her.

The pair had already spent the past hour and three quarters dancing with their friends, feeling ridiculous but hot under the intense gaze of each other, the attraction had sparked the attention of a few others, mostly Harry & Jack who couldn’t help but throw their two pence worth in and danced so close to Y/N & Tom that they were all but forced to stand virtually in the other’s skin.

The heat was becoming almost unbearable and Y/N had told Tom that she was going to freshen up in the bathroom before heading over to the bar. Upon her return, her face lit up at the sight of the man stood at the bar with fresh drinks for them both. He handed over the cash and took a seat in a more secluded area.

“You’re just lovely, I can’t help it. So pretty.” Tom’s right hand lightly traced the side of her jaw and he curiously watched her reaction to his touch, her eyes fluttered shut, a male touch long forgotten to her. She craved the feeling of another body. And right now, she wanted Tom more than anything she’d wanted for a long time.

“I’ve been having the worst week, actually it’s been a pretty shitty month. I can’t help but think that it may have been worth it to have one enjoyable night like tonight though. To meet you, and spend time with you.” She clarified. She had been acutely aware how vulnerable she had allowed herself to be, not just through alcohol, but through being honest.

Y/N leant forward so her voice would be audible to him without shouting over the music, “Please tell me I can kiss you?” she warily asked, her liquid confidence started to wane under the scrutiny of this beautiful man before her.

“I thought you’d never ask.” She lightly pulled back, looked between his eyes and his lips before leaning forward once again and pressed her lips to his, so softly to begin with. As soon as they connected, she suddenly remembered the incredible feeling of a lover, someone to hold, kiss, touch, something she’d craved for the past 3 years since her previous relationship had terminated.

Their passion started to intensify in their kiss, the unusually shy pair became increasingly more bold, hands cradled each others heads as they lost themselves in the other. They were a collision of caressing tongues, lip bites and hot breath undetectable to the thumping sounds in the club. Tom detached himself for a moment, chest heaving with a lazy smile as he watched the strobe lighting bouncing off the features of the woman before him.

His thumb lightly ran over her bottom lip before pressing a light kiss there, “I’m sorry if this is incredibly forward but can I take you home?”

Understanding the full extent of his words, her eyes swept the dancefloor for her friends, all tangled up in various bodies, some of which were definitely Tom’s friends. Her gaze came back to rest on Tom’s face. She gave a light nod and rested her hands on his hips, stroking the skin just below his t-shirt with her thumbs.

“Please,” She mouthed, “take me home.”