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sandwichrin · 3 years

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A Little into You (Junkyu x Reader) (Ch. 30)

Chapter 30 - Roses

Word count: 6.5k words

Genre: Fanfiction, PG13, Comedy, Romance.

A/N: Hello!! Omg it’s been so long! T^T I am literally crying aaaa I am so sorry for making you all wait this long! But-- I have made this chapter extra long so I hope it makes up for me being away for a while ;-; <3 also-- idk y’all, this chapter was supposed to be fun but while i was proofreading i actually shed a tear because--- well, okay i’ll just leave it to y’all to read and find out T^T anyways, this was long wow but i love you all and please take care always <3

The guy brought our Treasure friends to his house that was only a 10-minute walking distance from the market—but also less noisy in their opinion.

“Here you go, make yourselves at home,” the guy said with his smile. He pushed open the front door for the boys to enter.

Hyunsuk was reluctant to enter but then Junkyu was already stepping his foot into the guy’s living room so in the end the rest of them just followed suit.

“Have a seat, I’m gonna go out and wait for my friend outside,” the guy said.

“W-wait, you’re leaving us here? On our own?” Hyunsuk asks, suspicious of the guy leaving them simply after inviting them to tag along with him before this.

“Yup. It’s gonna be for a while, really,” the guy replied. “Here, I’ll leave the front door open for you guys,” he said as he pushed the door open. He then left through the door. “See you guys in a bit!” he waved goodbye at them before going.

Jihoon and Hyunsuk immediately huddled up close to each other. “Yah, don’t you think this guy is kinda suspicious??” Jihoon whispered towards his hyung.

“You feel it too?? Dang, I thought I was the only one that feels that everything around here is fishy.” Hyunsuk answered back.

“Yeah! And he kept mentioning about meeting his friend too. I mean, he could’ve brought us to meet his friend, no?? Why keep us waiting here??”

Hyunsuk lets out a gasp. “What if he’s scheming on kidnapping us?”

“Aigoo, that’s nonsense hyung! If he wanted to kidnap us why would he leave the front door open anyways,” Jaehyuk chuckled at his hyungs’ paranoid behaviour.

“He could be bringing a thug back here, you know,” Jihoon said with a serious expression on his face.

All four of them fell silent for a couple seconds.

Junkyu and Jaehyuk made eye contact with each other before bursting into laughter.

“What thug, hyung? This town’s people seemed so nice,” Junkyu said in between his laughs.

“I know right? Look at them hyungs, they’re being overly paranoid over nothing!” Jaehyuk joined in laughing at the two older members.

“Besides, if you feel like that guy is up to no good, why’d you even agree in coming back here with him, huh?” Junkyu points out towards Hyunsuk.

Hyunsuk folds his arms against his chest. “Hey, it’s not my fault. You all could’ve stopped me from saying ‘yes’ to him too. But you guys didn’t. So we’re all in fault if anything bad happens to us here,”

Haenam (still the same morning)

It was close to 11am when you were finally done with helping out your teacher at her small vegetable farm a mile away from her house.

You helped her carry the basket filled with harvested cabbages whilst you let her carry the lighter vegetables in her basket. Your teacher, whom you have been accustomed to call as Aunt Nari ever since she took you into her care after your sister passed on couple years back, walked in front of you. She held onto the smaller basket containing the carrot and beansprouts in her hands.

Your gaze softened as you watched her back facing you. She was the closest person you had as a mother figure after your sister. You felt emotional just thinking about how nice of a person your teacher was for taking care of you—even when you weren’t that much worthy looking after, you thought to yourself.

You were about to start reminiscing on the times your teacher had looked out on you and your sister but then your emotions hit pause as soon as you saw the guy standing nearby your Aunt Nari’s house.

You stopped in your tracks.

You narrowed your eyes at the guy, your grip on your basket tightening.

“Oh! Aunt Nari! Good morning~” The guy greeted your teacher as she passed by him to head towards her house.

Your teacher realised that you weren’t following closely behind her anymore, making her turn around.

“Y/n, what are you doing standing there? Get inside and get changed into something warm! Then we can sort out the vegetables,” she called out to you.

“Ah, uhh, you can head on inside first, aunty. I’ll join in later,”

Your teacher eyed both you and the guy standing in front of the house beside hers. She shook her head and said, “Alright but don’t take too long the both of you.” With that, she heads inside her house, not caring about what you and her neighbour’s son were up to doing—since she’s fairly familiar of what always happen when the both of you meet each other.

As soon as your teacher closed the front door of her house, your hand instantly grabbed onto a piece of the round cabbage from the basket you were holding.

“How’s my loving friend doing to—AGH,” the guy screamed halfway through greeting you as he tried to avoid the cabbage you threw at him.

“Yah! Kim Dongyun! Just what are you thinking, huh?! The nerve you have of just popping up here!” you called out to him as you marched towards him, the heavy basket still in your hands.

“Don’t! I said, don’t!” Dongyun backs off from where he was standing. He hurries to grab the cabbage that you had thrown earlier from the ground and raises it in his hands—making you stop marching towards him. Although to be honest, you were already standing right outside the fence of his house.

“Aha! That’s right, just stay there!” He instructed you. You scowled at him.

“What’s with that look, huh? If you move an inch, I’ll throw this cabbage far away. And then Aunt Nari will be sad because you lost her harvest,” he threatened you.

“Kim Dongyun…” you said his name in a menacing tone.

“Now, now. Listen—I’m sorry, okay? I overslept—AHHH!” he screamed again as he managed to evade another cabbage from hitting him. The cabbage passed by him and rolled into his house through the front door.

“You overslept?? Yah! Did you have any idea how tiring it was to harvest these cabbages and carry them back here all alone?! Aunt Nari kept backing you up, saying that you probably have errands to run today and that we shouldn’t be bothering you—but WOW you overslept!” You nagged. “I had to get up early and do all the harvesting alone when you agreed to help me just yesterday!” you added.

“Oh come on, Y/n. Don’t be like this. Don’t get mad.” He said to you gently. He walks up close to you and hands over the cabbage he held earlier to you. “If you get angry at me like this every time we meet…you’ll get wrinkles easier,” he whispered now that he was close enough.

Your jaw fell when you heard him say this. You dropped the basket in your hand and snatched the cabbage from his hands. “Oh ho you are so dead Kim Dongyun…”

Dongyun’s House (Living Room / Still the same morning)

“Should we make a run for it while we can?” Hyunsuk asks, still worried if they were being kidnapped or conned at this point.

“He’s been out for a while, hasn’t he?” Jihoon asks back.

“Precisely 15 minutes. Not that long to be honest,” Jaehyuk answered as he checked the time on his phone.

“Which is why we should run while we can. The longer we wait, the sooner he comes back.” Hyunsuk reasoned.

“Okay but tell that to the sleeping beauty here,” Jihoon points at Junkyu that had already passed out on the floor beside him.

“What?? He was awake a minute ago! When did he even fall asleep??”

Jaehyuk snickered at the sight of his hyung sleeping on the floor.

Hyunsuk groaned just thinking about how it’d be impossible to escape now that Junkyu’s asleep. He shook his head. He shouldn’t give up so easily, he thought. He’s the leader. He’s responsible for everyone’s safety here.

“Yah, Junkyu-aa, wake upppp,” Hyunsuk called out to the sleeping koala boy.

“Aigoo hyung, just leave him be. I’m sure we’ll be just fine. Besides, you were the one who instantly agreed when the random guy invited us to tag along with him. So why should you be worried now?” Jaehyuk said, trying to calm his hyung down. Honestly, he doesn’t feel like he’s in danger.

“Sshh, shh,” Jihoon suddenly said. “Do you guys hear that?”

“What?” Hyunsuk asks.

“I hear voices outside,”

And just in time, a cabbage flew in through the front door that was left open earlier.

“Wah! I-is that, a cabbage??” Hyunsuk shouted in shock.

“I think people are fighting outside,” Jihoon said as he rose to his feet.

“Hurry, wake Junkyu up! We need to get out of here before we get involved in any way!” Hyunsuk said, hurrying towards Junkyu to wake him up.

Haenam (Outside Dongyun’s house)

“I said give it back!” You ordered Dongyun since he managed to snatch the cabbage from your hands again this time. Though you were glad you had managed to hit him with it twice earlier.

“No. Stop. Aunt Nari will be pissed to see her cabbage being beaten down like this. Look at it! It’s no longer round in shape!”

You stopped reaching for the cabbage that he had been raising out of your reach since he was obviously taller than you. “Fine. Just give it back then. Then I’ll keep it back into the basket.” You point at the basket not far behind you.

Dongyun was reluctant to give it back to you. He knows how good you were at tricking him back when you both were kids so he knew what was up your sleeve most of the time.

You rolled your eyes at him. As if reading his mind, you said—“Come on. We’re not kids anymore. Just give it back, okay? I need to send it back to Aunt Nari’s house.”

Dongyun lets out a sigh and hands over the cabbage into your hands.

“Thank you,” you said to him. You turned around to head towards the basket.

But just as you were right in front of the basket, you swiftly turned around and shout at your friend “ Hah! Jokes on you! I’m not done being mad at you!” you then threw the cabbage in his direction.

Dongyun had been keeping an eye on your movements as you were walking towards the basket earlier so he had expected this from you—which made him duck as quick as lightning, evading the hit from the cabbage you threw.

Now.

Even though the cabbage missed Dongyun, your throw was kind of hard, which made it flew further towards another group of people that were stepping out of Dongyun’s house.

Lucky for Hyunsuk who had been cautious since he first entered the house—he had been looking out carefully as he stepped out of the front doors which made him notice the flying cabbage heading towards them.

“CABBAGE! DUCK!” he shouted.

Hyunsuk, Jaehyuk and Jihoon immediately moved to the sides—except for Junkyu who was still groggy from waking up from his nap.

“What? Ducks?” he said, with his eyes halfway open, him still being half asleep.

It all happened so fast.

One second Junkyu heard his hyungs waking him up from his nice nap.

And then he was being dragged towards the front door.

Next, he thought he heard his Hyunsuk-hyung screaming something about ducks.

And then he felt something hitting him in the face. Something round. Was it a ball?

After that he couldn’t remember what happened. Everything went black.

Aunt Nari’s House (Bedroom 1)

“I told you both not to fight anymore. You both are no longer kids. See what happened now?? You got someone hurt.” Your Aunt Nari nagged at both you and Dongyun as she was standing at the door of the room.

“You’re lucky you knew these people too, Y/n. Imagine getting sued for hurting such handsome boys,” she added.

You shuddered from the word sue. You were mostly terrified of that. Lucky for you your Aunt Nari hadn’t realise that the boy you had accidentally hit with a cabbage was one of the famous Kpop groups’ vocalist. If she knows this you would have probably been thrown to live in the streets, you thought.

“I’m sorry…” you mumbled. You do feel bad though. It’s not like you had meant to threw it at him anyways.

You scowled at Dongyun who was sitting on the floor beside you.

“I can see you scowling at Dongyun from behind here,” Aunt Nari said, making you turn your head back to look at Junkyu who was lying down on the mattress in front of you.

“Okay then. You all watch out for the boy til he wakes up, okay? I’ll be making lunch for us all.” All of you nod at this. “Oh and make sure these two don’t fight again. God knows what would happen next if they do,” she said as she shook her head. You knew she was referring to you and Dongyun.

After Aunt Nari left you kept quiet. Well, actually, the whole room was quiet. Suddenly it felt awkward to be in the room, you thought. Even though everyone here are your friends, you couldn’t help but feel weird being in here with them.

“Y/n?” Hyunsuk suddenly voiced out, making you raise your head to look at him.

Hyunsuk, Jihoon and Jaehyuk were seated opposite you and Dongyun, with Junkyu laying in the middle of everyone.

“Y-yes?” You answered him.

“Don’t feel bad. You didn’t mean to do it.” He said softly.

You nod your head slowly at this. Your eyes went back to stare at Junkyu.

“Yeah, he’s probably drifted back to sleep anyways after you knocked him out,” Jihoon chimed in.

You pursed your lips, trying not to laugh at what Jihoon has said. Jihoon saw your lips curve upwards slightly, making him smile his warm smile at you.

“Okay.” You managed to say as you controlled your smile.

“So…these are the friends that you’ve been telling me about?” Dongyun asks, now that he’s confident you weren’t going to scold him or anything on what had happened.

You nod your head at him.

“And this is the guy that you lik—” his words got cut off as your hand immediately covered his mouth, making the rest of his sentence sound muffled.

“Ahahaha shut up Dongyun-aa.” You laughed awkwardly. “He’s always spouting nonsense. Don’t mind him,” you said to your Treasure friends.

The rest of them simply nod their heads as they watched you nagged at Dongyun about not spewing nonsense in front of your friends and that he should respect them because they are your guests now.

“Don’t you dare point a finger at Junkyu again,” you huffed, ending your nag at your friend.

Dongyun rolled his eyes at you. “Sure. Protect him at all costs, no?” he said sarcastically, earning a scowl from you again.

Hyunsuk watched the whole time you were talking with Dongyun. He couldn’t help but feel…jealous. You seemed so close with this Dongyun guy, and judging by the way you both banter with each other, it seems like the both of you are super close and comfortable with each other. Almost like you both were meant to be with each other.

He shook his head slightly and decided to just focus on watching over Junkyu.

Aunt Nari’s House (Lunchtime)

Your teacher had cooked up a whole spread of foods since she was excited to see many guests at her home this time.

And not to mention, handsome guests at that too.

Seeing that she only has two sons—one being married and has migrated overseas and another one living in the city (who is also your boss), having this many boys at home made her feel like she was back in her early motherhood days.

You were the closest she had to have as a daughter, in which was why she was always meddling in your love life and asking why you weren’t dating anyone.

“Don’t be shy! Help yourselves!” Aunt Nari exclaimed excitedly as she invites the boys (and you) to eat the food that she had generously cooked that afternoon.

All of you were sitting on the floor, surrounding the table that Aunt Nari had pulled out from her storeroom, one she had kept for family gatherings since it was as big as a four-seater dining table—only shorter since it was meant for dining on the floor.

The Treasure boys were quite shy at first, only taking small bites of the foods until a couple minutes passed and they were pretty sure that your teacher was just another warm-hearted aunt that they all had somehow came across with in their own lives.

“Aigoo, I’ve never thought Y/n to have such handsome friends in the city. I’ve always thought that the only guy friend she had was Dongyun,” Aunt Nari said as you were all eating.

“Aish aunty, don’t say that. Y/n is such a pleasant person, it’s only logical for her to have many friends in the city,” Jaehyuk answered, smiling.

“I doubt that,” Aunt Nari teased. “If you boys have any friends who are interested in dating, why don’t you try to introduce Y/n to them? It’s nothing big, but I worry that Y/n would never settle down and would end up dying alone,”

You choked on your rice, earning a pat on your back from Dongyun whom was sitting beside you.

“Aunt Nari! What nonsense are you saying??” You asked as soon as you were done coughing.

“Oh? I’m only looking out for you, Y/n. Joonyoung told me that he had tried matching you with couple of his friends in the city but that didn’t seem to work out,”

You sighed. “Well, to be honest—it is awkward to date your boss’ friends. Besides, they all…don’t match me either.”

The rest of the boys listened to your conversation with your teacher, feeling like as if they’re listening to a mother trying to convince their daughter to get married soon. They felt like they weren’t even there with the both of you.

“Aigoo, you’re too picky! That’s why you’ll end up alone,” she nagged.

“I won’t end up alone.” You scooped up some rice into your mouth. “I’ll just get myself a pet,” you said, whilst munching on your food.

“Hmm. That won’t do. I might as well just marry you off to Dongyun since his mother is my close friend,” she said nonchalantly.

This made EVERYONE around the table cough and choke on their foods—including you of course.

Aunt Nari stopped eating and looked around the room at all of you. “Oh my god is the food too spicy?? Why is everyone suddenly coughing??”

You rubbed your left eye that had teared up from the choking, “Aunt Nari! What nonsense are you saying?? In front of my friends too!”

“Aish. I’m just saying. You’re too picky. Since you both are close, might as well just get you both matched up,”

You shook your head. “Nu uh. Nope. We had this talk, remember? I’m not getting matched up with anyone,”

“Aigoo Aunt Nari, what are you saying? Y/n and I are just friends,” Dongyun chimed in.

“Hmm. You’re both stubborn.” Aunt Nari complained. She set her bowl on the table, indicating that she was done with her meal.

Jaehyuk sensed the tension going on in the dining area you are all in so he decided that maybe he should try to ease everyone. He places his bowl onto the table as well.

“Thank you for the wonderful meal, aunty,” he smiles his usual charming charm. “Since you helped cook everything, I’ll help with the cleaning, okay?”

Aunt Nari was taken back by the sudden generosity from him since usually her own sons would argue on who would do the cleaning up but having a man who graciously volunteered to do seemed so new in her household that she was simply amazed by the words that came out of Jaehyuk’s mouth.

“Ah. Aigoo, aigoo! You really don’t have to!” She waved her hand at him.

“It’s nothing, really! I always help around in the dorms and when I’m home I help my mum in the kitchen too,”

Now you see, saying these kinds of words to Aunt Nari wasn’t really a good thing at the moment because she was in that obsessive mode of finding a suitor for you. So of course, you can imagine what she said next:

“My my. Who knew such a fine man would have such fine manners?” Aunt Nari leaned forward towards Jaehyuk’s direction. “Then it’s set. I’ll have you in line as my son-in-law,”

You laughed at this. “Ahuh, as if Joonyoung-ssi would be happy with you matchmaking him as well,”

She shot you a look.

“What? I have nothing against Joonyoung-ssi dating men but don’t you think matching him with a man he doesn’t know would make him less happy?”

This earned you a bonk in the head from your teacher.

“Ow!”

“You’re the only person I’m looking a son-in-law for,” she hissed at you.

“Huh??” both you and Jaehyuk asked at the same time, confused.

“Jaehyuk-ssi, right? I’m looking forward to getting to know you better.” Aunt Nari smiled as she got up to her feet to leave for the kitchen. “Y/n, once you’re done why don’t you bring your friends around town?” she was no longer in the room when she said this.

“Alright,” you called back to her.

You continued chewing on your food but then you felt uncomfortable somehow so you raised your head to see all of your friends staring at you.

“What? Why? What’s wrong?”

“Why…is your Aunt Nari…so obsessed with finding you a husband…?” Junkyu asked.

“I guess I was the closest she had as a daughter so she probably just wants to make sure I do get married before she dies or something.” You shrug. “Don’t worry, she doesn’t mean what she says,”

“Pfft. As if. Remember when she forced you to be my date for my sister’s wedding? She kept pushing and convincing my mum about it too. Our teacher isn’t one to kid around. She's been keeping an eye on me since i was a kid and when she found out about y/n being my close friend she wouldn't stop shipping me with her,” Dongyun scoffed at you. “And then I had to turn down Yerim’s offer to dance with me at the wedding because I had to only dance with you,” he sighs loudly.

You rolled your eyes at him. “Oh don’t be so dramatic about it. We were 9 years old at that time for goodness’ sake!”

Your Treasure friends laughed at this discovery.

“So what I’m saying is--,” Dongyun continues, ignoring everyone’s laughter. “I’m just glad I’m off the hook for that son-in-law list of hers. But your friend here, good luck getting out,” he smirks at Jaehyuk.

Instantly everyone’s laugh died down upon hearing this.

“O-okay calm down y’all. I promise, none of you will be forced to marry anyone here. Including me.” You assured them as you grab the glass of water in front of you.

“I wouldn’t mind though. What can I say? Aunts and mums love me~” Jaehyuk said in a sing-song tune.

You giggled at this, finding his carefree demeanour adorable.

The rest of the boys at the table doesn’t find it funny though. Jaehyuk doesn’t realise this but his friends were staring daggers at him for saying something like that.

After lunch, all of you had taken a walk around the small town area, you and Dongyun being the tour guides for your guests of course.

The both of you introduced the local elementary school that you and Dongyun went to, the bakery that you had always brought goods from when you lived with your sister, the market area (even though they’ve all been there earlier this morning), the small café that serves the best iced peach tea and then some other places that you were fairly familiar with.

Though the tour had to be kept short because Dongyun had to head back home and help his dad at their farm a little far away from town; and also because the locals couldn’t stop gawking at your friends everywhere you go. Not that you could blame them though, your Treasure friends are indeed good-looking plus they are all new faces in this town so surely it got the local people curious about their identity.

And so, after the tour ended and after Dongyun had left, you had sorted your friends into several rooms in your Aunt Nari’s house to sleep in for the night but that evening they all had fallen asleep in the living room instead.

Aunt Nari’s House (Evening)

You too also took a nap as soon as you saw your friends huddled up in the living room sleeping. It wasn’t that long though, your nap. You woke up after half an hour.

You got out of your room and headed downstairs to check on your friends.

“Ah, they’re all still asleep.” You muttered to yourself as soon as you saw them.

You yawned quietly and head towards the kitchen. There was a door leading to the backyard of the house from there.

Before heading outside, you checked the clock hanging on the kitchen wall. 4.35pm. Now’s a good time to check on the plants outside, you thought.

As soon as you stepped outside, you felt the cool breeze blowing against your exposed hands and face. It was cold, yet the Sun was warming enough at this time.

You took a deep breath and head towards the medium-sized potted plant not far from the door.

The pot consisted of a variation of Japanese roses. Orange, pink, yellow, purple—all growing in tangly stems in the pot.

You smiled to yourself. When you first brought the stem cutting of the plants last year, your aunt Nari was surprised because you were never the type to be interested in farming or taking care of plants. But then during your holiday last year, you had brought home the stem cuttings and planted the roses on your own, tending to it everyday too.

It was only when you had to leave for the city again that you told Aunt Nari that you decided to gift the roses to her in hopes that she would take good care of it while you were away.

You squatted in front of the pot, eye-levelling with the row of colourful tiny roses. “Hello my beautiful friends. You’re all looking wonderful as always,” you whispered towards the plant.

Your finger traced the delicate petals, feeling the soft texture against your skin. You hummed happily to yourself. Maybe a break from the city is what you needed after all. As tiring as it was to do the farming work and market runs here, you’ve felt at more peace compared to when you were in the city. Maybe…what your boss did was right after all.

Okay but minus the part where he took your phone away from you. That wasn’t necessary at all, you thought.

“They’re pretty,” a voice whispered from behind you, startling you.

You swiftly turn around to see Hyunsuk standing behind you.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to surprise you,” he blurted as soon as he sees your expression.

You let out a breath of relief. It was only Hyunsuk.

You shook your head and pat the ground beside you. “It’s fine. Come, sit.”

Hyunsuk sat down beside you whom was no longer squatting by now.

“Yours?” He points at the pot of Japanese roses.

You nod back at his question.

“They’re really pretty.”

“Yup,” you nodded again. “Aunt Nari took care of them really well,”

Hyunsuk hummed back in response. “Aunt Nari seems really nice,”

“She is. Even though we’re not blood-related, she’s treated me so well,” you said, your fingers tracing the flower petals again.

“Oh. She’s…not your…”

“She was my high school teacher.” You answered even though Hyunsuk hadn’t finished his question.

“She…took me in when my sister passed away during my senior year,” you added.

“Oh. Y/n, I’m so sorry…”

“Don’t be.” You turned to him and smiled. “It happened.”

You look at your hands now. “It happened so quickly too…I didn’t have time to process what was really going on.”

Hyunsuk reaches out his hand and places them on yours, his fingers intertwining with yours. “If you don’t mind me asking…how did it all went down…”

Hyunsuk didn’t want to come across as insensitive when he asked this but he genuinely wanted to know you better. You were opening up about your past—one thing him and the boys never really heard you talk about. He wanted to know everything about you. Your past, your present.

You felt his hands grip yours tightly, not in a forceful way though. It was as though he was giving you strength to look back on the past that you had so much wanted to shut off your life.

Your eyes still looking down, you started talking, “When my parents separated back then…they sent us to our grandmother here—in this very town. I was 7 at the time, and my sister was 12. To be honest, it wasn’t a bad experience at all. Our grandmother was perfect. She took care of us really well. She was…” you took a deep breath before continuing, “…the perfect parent we ever had. Our parents could never treat us that well,” you chuckled.

“We had a great childhood here. We made friends, we had plenty of people taking care of one another here. I spent my school days with my sister. When I was in my senior year, my sister had already started working at the time.”

Hyunsuk heard the strain in your voice. Ah, it’s the painful part now, he thought.

“It was the day of my college entrance exams. I was already in the school grounds when I got the call. My sister got caught in an accident at the highway roads when she was on her way to work.”

You could feel the tears streaming down your cheeks. You couldn’t help it. You could never keep your tears in whenever you talk about her.

Hyunsuk started stroking your head, trying to calm you down.

“She had a brain injury,” you continued. “I watched over her for two weeks while she was in a coma, and suddenly one day—” your breath hitched as the images flowed in your head this time. How it all happened. The day you felt your whole world fell apart. It wasn’t the time your parents left you, it wasn’t when your grandmother passed on—those matters, as painful as it was, you were still able to keep on living. Because you had your sister by your side. But when she left…

“I had just gotten back from the washroom when I noticed her fingers moving. I thought she was waking up from her coma…she started shaking, and then it was only minutes in when I realised she was having a seizure. I pressed on the emergency button and ran to look for the nurses outside the room.” You stopped. You wiped your tears with the back of your unoccupied hand. “The doctor and nurses wouldn’t let me watch as they tried to handle my sister’s situation so I just sat outside the room. And when the doctor came out,” you paused again to swallow the lump in your throat. “…she was already gone,”

“Y/n…” Hyunsuk said softly. He could feel the sadness seeping through his skin as he held your hand in his.

You blinked the remaining tears, feeling it wet your cheeks. You sniffled and turned to look at the boy beside you. “I’m sorry. You only asked about how it happened and yet I literally gave you backstories,” you chuckled lightly.

“Shh, it’s okay. I wanted to listen.”

You smiled gratefully at him. You wipe away the tears off your face again.

“And then your teacher took you in and then you live here? And then…you moved to the city when you started working…?” Hyunsuk tried to continue your story for you, making you giggle at his curiosity.

You nod back at him.

“Ahh so that’s why there was no tea farm in front of your house,”

“Hm?”

“Ohh, uhh, Soomin-ssi told us that your house was located in front of a tea farm.”

“Oh, that. That’s true. My grandmother’s house was near a tea farm. She must’ve have remembered about it from our conversation about me being a tea expert since I grew up near a tea farm,” you bragged.

Hyunsuk chuckles at this and ruffles your hair.

This made you instantly pull your hand from his hold to fix your hair.

“Hey, hey, keep it easy with the hair,” you whined.

Hyunsuk leaned forward towards you and stared at you for a while. “You can have unkempt hair all you want and yet I’ll still think you’re the most beautiful person in this world,” he grinned.

You blushed at his cheesy compliment. You looked away from his gaze as you braid your hair.

Hyunsuk smiled to himself as he watches you braid your hair. He really meant what he said. He knew that this was purely wrong because he had told Junkyu to confess to you—and yet here he was letting himself fall in love with you all over again.

He was…falling in love with you.

This isn’t just a crush anymore.

He was falling.

Hyunsuk’s thoughts were interrupted when he heard you talking to him.

“…what do you think?”

“Hm?” he asked, since he had missed out on the first part of your question.

“I was asking if you had any ideas for dinner later on. Aunt Nari put me up on sous chef duty for tonight. We have some fish in the freezer so maybe I’ll fry it up and then make some soup and side dishes? What do you think?”

“I’m okay with anything, really.”

“Okay.”

“Oh, right. You didn’t mention what happened to your grandmother’s house,”

“Wow, we’re really going back to that topic huh?” you chuckled.

“I mean, only if you’re comfortable with talking about it.”

You fixed your sittingg position and made it so you were sitting and facing him directly now.

“My grandmother had granted the house to my sister before she passed on so the day my sister passed away our distant relatives instantly claimed the house since there was no true owner for it after she left. Then they made it into a homestay now.”

“Your parents didn’t buy it off them?”

“Beats me. After they left us back then, we’ve never heard any news from them.” You shrugged.

“I’m sorry, again,”

“Aish, no need to be sorry. You were just asking,” you assured him. “Besides, I plan on buying the house back one day,”

“Oh? You’re planning to move back in Haenam?”

“Yup. I mean, they bought off the house but they made it into a homestay?? No one visits here. The house seemed so abandoned for so long. I had my childhood there, there’s no way I’m letting that house rot away like that,” you huffed.

“So you intend to buy it for your retirement one day?”

You shook your head. “Nope. I’m gonna raise my kids there,”

Hyunsuk was surprised to hear this. He wasn’t expecting for this answer from you. He had expected you to want to live in the city permanently after all the painful memories you had here.

“Ah, but I love the city too…I want my future kids to have their childhood here but then I want them to have the rightful amount of exposure to the city too,” you sighed.

“Well, there must be a way to make sure they have both.” Hyunsuk said.

You tilt your head at this. “How?”

“There’s always a way for everything to work out, no? Maybe…have them attend school here, and then make trips to the city on weekends?” he suggested.

“Huh, that sounds like a good idea. And since the city is a 4 to 5-hour drive from here, it could make them feel like they’re having a roadtrip too!” you were starting to feel excited now.

“Yes!! And then during school holidays we can bring the kids to Lotte World or maybe bring them for a staycation at some hotel!” Hyunsuk joined in, him being just as excited as you are.

“Wahhh oh my god Choi Hyunsuk you are one good family planner!” you showed him a thumbs up as you giggled.

“What can I say?” he said proudly. “Oh! And get this! On their weekend trips, we should pack up some food so we can have weekend picnics at the Han River Park!”

You smiled and giggled at his excited behaviour.

“Oh and for Christmas we need to make sure our kids see the Christmas festival in the city! We could bring flasks of hot choc--,” he stopped suddenly.

“Hot…chocolate?” you continued for him.

“Ah, yes, that,” he smiled apologetically at you. Hyunsuk cursed himself for going on with the conversation this much. It seemed like you didn’t notice it though.

“Your ideas all sound so cute,” you giggled.

Hyunsuk simply smiled and nodded at you. He bit his lower lip. He was glad you didn’t realise it though.

He had gotten so excited with his ideas of family planning that he had literally pictured it to be your kids with him that he was planning a life for.

He was picturing his future with you.

This is bad, he thought. He was digging himself deeper into this hole.

“There you guys are. What are you both doing out here?” a voice appeared not too far behind the both of you.

Both you and Hyunsuk turned around to see Junkyu leaning against the doorframe of the house. He stood there rubbing his eyes. It seemed that he had just woken up from his nap.

“Junkyu! You’re awake!” you smiled happily upon seeing him.

Junkyu nods his head. “Isn’t it cold out there, you both?” he asked.

“Just a little bit. You wanna come join us?” You asked him back.

Junkyu shook his head at the idea of leaving the warm house. “It’s okay. I’ll just sit in the kitchen. Don’t stay too long in the cold,” he advised the both of you before he heads back inside.

You smiled and stood up from the ground you had been sitting on since just now. You held out your hand towards Hyunsuk, offering to help him stand up as well.

As soon as Hyunsuk got to his feet, he felt you wrap your arms around him, hugging him.

“Thank you for listening, Hyunsuk. And thank you for cheering me up with your cute ideas,”

You let go of him, a smile on your face. Hyunsuk smiled back at you, seeing you happy makes him happy too.

“Now, let’s head inside! I’m gonna make something warm for everyone,” you said cheerfully as you skipped towards the house now.

Hyunsuk followed behind you, his steps slow. His smile faded slowly. He felt uneasy. Was it just him that noticed how much happier you were the moment you saw Junkyu?

Is y/n that much in love with Junkyu? Do I not stand a chance at all? —he thought to himself.

To be continued…

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washymylifeaway · 4 years

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SunaOsa fanfic recs: valentines edition~~

SunaOsa is one of my all time favorite ships and this past month, there has been/was an exchange going on between writers (here is the link) and artists (separately) and because I don’t have a life (or maybe it’s just that SunaOsa is my life LOL), I’m here to tell you some of my favorite fics from the pile :D However, as much as I love a ship, sometimes fluff is too asajndajnd so mind you there will probably be a lot of good fics missing just cause I couldn’t get myself to read more fluff (or angst) LOL (IM SORRY but sometimes I also just can’t motivate myself to read a fic no matter how good it looks OOPS).

As always, please check warning and tags before reading any of these fics, and take care of yourselves!!!!

In no particular order (jk the order is last updated haha) tho my favorites will have *** next to them :)

***glass stained black by unrequitedangst (E) 31k // Mafia AU’s are some of my favorite kinds of fics, and this one did not disappoint! The character development of Osamu is really legit and despite being mafia, it’s not that heavy or angst of a fic (but you should still definitely read tags and warnings first). It’s an Osamu heavy fic, and if you’re into reading him being stupid, go right ahead LOL.

redux by catalysis (T) 2.3k // ngl I hate break-up fics with a passion truely (when you can’t handle fluff or angst what to do) but I liked the concept for this one hehe (so I made myself suffer LOL). It was short, but cute !!! and the unspoken words really hit me in the FEELS (so what I’m dramatic fight me LOL).

Impropriety by DeathBelle (T) 5.7k // royalty~ I love the banter between them in this fic and we DO stan respectful Osamu yes we do <33333 The relationships between not only SunaOsa but SunaAtsu (because even though it isn’t really SunaAtsu best friend agenda, I can delude myself into think it is okay :/) are done so well and so nice he’s mean Osamu is best Osamu.

***what are you waiting for? by Slumber (T) 3.7k // MIGHT BE MY FAV FIC FROM THIS EXCHANGE!!! It made me cackle and I love how they learn new things about each other!!!! Like the development is so good and Suna is really doing the MOST!! Also, I love recursive endings AHHHHHH!

agape by sketchedsmiles (T) 11.7k // soulmates, then they were SOULMATES! (ik that’s not how it goes but pls just humor me LOL) This fic really depicted Osamu’s insecurities/internal turmoil/overthinking really well and the realization he has vs Suna’s AHJAFKASFJ. I love confident Suna.

fireside by tartaglia (starkartifices) (T) 3.6k // we do love the subtle flirt flirt don’t we hehe ;) It’s short, it’s fluff, and it’s funny - what more could you ask for? Also whats a vigilante fic if there isn’t at least one pun about being a vigilante LOL.

Over and Over Again by tookumade (G) 6.4k // I would like to order one reassuring, reliable Miya Osamu for myself please and thank you :((( The way the relationship is so GOOD like both Suna and Osamu pick each other up and they know the other has their back ajfhkajdfl. I would purchase all the onigiri with the deal Suna was proposing ;) Onigirintarou.

from here to eternity by TheGlovedArtist (T) 6.6k // I for one am a big fan of mythology and stuff (heroes of olympus but like IDR any of the plot LOL) so of course I read this fic. The snark appearances of Sakusa and Komori gave me LIFE and the difference in descriptions from Astumu and Kita cracked me up. This is another respectful Osamu fic (yes I love these) and in this one it was a ‘I save you as much as you save me’ type beat LOL. Gotta love rings.

***Subtle Inarizaki Dating by sifuhotman (T) 15.2k // THIS ONE. Even if you don’t read the whole thing, I beg of you, please, I AM ON MY KNEES, read the SID for Astumu. It is worth the loss of all your brain calls I guarantee it. It made me giggle so freakin much. Suna might be an A-Hole but he’s OUR A-Hole <3

Forever Begins with 8 Seconds by subtlehues (T) 3.9k // FLUFF hehe, I love their dynamic in this one it’s very good and cute and everything great! Also, I am all for the head cannon that Suna cannot cook, yes pls. Also SUPERPOWERS whooooooooh.

***try again, and again, and again by rosegoldwriting (T) 2.6k // SOULMATES! If you ever wanted a specific soulmate AU! for SunaOsa look no further, it probably comes out LOL. I love this concept of them just being like ‘WTF’ everyday, it gives me life. Also, count how many soulmate AU’s you recognized because I just thought about it and I think it’d be fun LOL. (I went back and I think 11 but I’m not sure LOL)

let us burn by SilverMoonT (G) 13.5k // I am always up for a nice vampire Osamu and witch Suna (which believe it or not, is my second one because I read the other one by this writer LOL) This one is more Suna POV and it really goes into his fears and desires, and I like the way Osamu pushes him to live more freely.

***reasons to microwave an elixir by spiritscript (T) 8.2k // THIS ONE. UGH I love, and it’s funny and cute and it EVEN HAS CRIME (kinda not really but yes)! I love the quiet moments they have and the PET AHHHHHHH! We love medic Osamu :DDDDD But also the betrayal and the sparring (and the irony at the end LOL) AJSKJNFK.

we fall between by stringendos (T) 14.7k // honestly the entire time I was just screaming at my computer, begging for them to hurry up and realize, but alas this is a ~slow burn~ for a reason and the tag ‘exes who act like theyre married’ really is the reason I read it and I do not regret LOL. Also bless Matsuda and stan her.

All the Time in the World by minie_ai (M) 8.8k // we love immortality! Denial! And Suna mentally filing away blackmail against people (namely Astumu) LOL. Running away from your problems is always the answer (I am saying this is a not sarcastic manner because I too, run away from my problems LOL) but ramen is ALWAYS a good answer. We love ourselves some emotional constipation LOL.

***none but you by broikawa (T) 7.2k // everything is a competition always LOL, not that I’m complainin but still LOL EVERYTHING. I really love this one because I love the progression and cock-block SakuAtsu hehe. I love them being synchronized idiots <3

it all comes back to you, (my home) by iritaescents (T) 4.5k // FOREVER, WE STAN FOREVER. Anyway, LOL this was is very very cute and fluff and not slow burn, it fast burn LOL. It’s a cute fic to read and it even has our favorite, now say it with me SOULMATES LOL.

Can't help falling in bed with you by tirralirra (T) 6.7k // here we see a 5 + 1 with points for the title (I think it’s very funny LOL my humor is bad ;)) Not that it really needs extra points because it’s a great fic in itself LOL but I really liked the title so I felt the need to share this with you all (OOPS). This was so cute, and the + 1 is HILARIOUS.

It’s no longer up :(((((( -> love's consequences by xginpuff (T) 6.5k // WARNINGS AND TAGS been a while since we had an angsty fic in this list (LOL the way I just tried to avoid all of them hehe). I read the tags but ngl I was still surprised later LOL maybe I’m just dumb, but anyway IK it starts out a bit confusing, but after you read more, you’ll get into it!

***sunagashi by bastigod (T) 9.8k // if there’s anything I like more than mythology, it’s folklore LOL. I love this fic and the plot is written so artfully AHDSAJN. Also the scene with the Ume-chan and her comment (so snarky I love). Also they way I went through so much trouble trying to figure out the kanji LOL (SPOILER it’s miyarin hehe)

catch me (while i'm still runnin') by lunarins (T) 4.3k // first and foremost, may we have a moment of silence for Komori and his eyebrows..... Continuing, this fic was so good because I love a good heist hehe. Their slight of hand abilities really doing the most LOL, and the ending OMG. I love the way the writer added in how they appeared to others during the heist, it really made it so good! Ugh to have a painting class and almost die LOL.

***if we get this right by Slumber (G) 5k // OLD FRIEND plsplspls I love this fic and I love how Osamu slowly relearns who he knew Suna as AHHH. The ending, again UGH, I really loved it and their banter with one another.

The Study of Suna Rintarou by DeathBelle (T) 6.1k // PLEASE the way Osamu kept getting offended omg. But also the effort Suna puts into getting to know Osamu, I was in ~love~. Read to me Osamu, READ TO ME. But also the Osamu is an oblivious MF agenda is alive and well within this fic hehe.

Take a Hint by pancake_surprise (G) 2.3k // ok so I had just read a tumbr post about the one bed thing and then I saw this fic. It was like the stars aligned okay? I was like, ig I HAVE to read it now hehe. But seriously read it, it’s cute and like everything else, of course there’s a challenge to be made LOL.

Heatwave by pancake_surprise (G) 2.1k // the way they were dating without knowing they were dating man. The tag ‘Didn't Know They Were Dating‘ more accurate than the ‘first dates’ one LOL jk but actually tho am I kidding? It’s the first official one IG. LOL anyway, we do love the doin of the defining of relationships. Yup.

If you made it all the way down here, CONGRATS LOL. Like I said, I didn’t read all of them (sadly) and these were the ones i did read LOL. I might add more depending on whether I can motivate myself into reading fics I know will be good LOL so we’ll see heh. Honestly, I thought I was gonna get word counted, but YAY we finished (for now hehe). Also sorry for any possible typos (is this no beta we die like men?) I’m running on 90 min of sleep so my engrish be strugglin LOL. Be safe and wear masks :)

68 notes · View notes

caught-in-a-seesaw-stigma · 3 years

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Map of the Soul Drabble #3

Drabble #3 - One Potato, Two Potato

Pairing: Seokjin x reader (platonic)

Genre: Angst, Fluff

Word Count: 6.5K+

Warning: Death of a family member (cancer), cursing, bad jokes/puns, funerals, family drama

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

Even though the sky was clear and sunny, your body felt cold and cloudy. Warm rays of sunlight streamed through stained glass across the collection of potted plants and floral arrangements in the room, all of it surrounding the varnished black walnut casket which sat center stage at the front. After a long 7 years of fighting against an invisible enemy, your grandmother finally succumbed to cancer, taking part of your heart to the heavens with her. You gathered together with your family to say your final goodbyes, and not a soul in the funeral home could get your tears to stop falling.

“I’m worried about her,” you heard your father whisper behind you. “She hasn’t stopped crying since last night.”

“I know, honey,” your mother responded. “But you know how close they were. You can’t just expect her to be okay overnight. It will take some time for her to heal.”

“If only Seokjin would get here sooner,” your father grumbled. “He always knows how to cheer her up.”

There was truth behind your father’s grumbles. Your favorite cousin, Seokjin, never failed to bring a smile to your face with his clever quips and his never-ending assault of cheesy jokes. In the midst of your current despair, however, you doubted whether he would be able to pull you out of the pit of misery in which you were currently drowning.

You pulled yet another tissue from the box in your hands and swiped at the ceaseless drops spilling past your eyelashes. You frowned slightly at the darkened wet spots dappled across the fabric of your pink floral romper.

Ugh, I knew I shouldn’t have worn mascara.

“Oh, look, honey,” your mother whispered while tapping your shoulder. “I think the Kims just arrived.”

You sniffled and wiped at your nose before turning toward the entrance, and sure enough, the entire Kim clan was filtering into the funeral home. Your aunt waved in your direction, and your mother sent back an equally enthusiastic wave in response. In mere moments, the two of them were embracing and chattering away in hushed voices about incoming relatives, friends, and the big dinner taking place after the funeral. Your father patted your shoulder, encouraging you to keep out of their gossipy affairs.

You sighed heavily and scanned the room, looking for Seokjin’s broad shoulders and tousled chestnut locks, but he was nowhere to be seen. Discouraged, you turned back to gaze at the myriad floral arrangements landscaping the front of the room. As luck would have it, everyone knew your grandmother remarkably well. Every bouquet was in a shade of pink and the delightful rosy hues transformed the dreary box into a chest containing a precious treasure. It was soothing to look upon the roses, carnations, lilies, and other flowers all lending their delicate fragrance and beauty to the somber scene before you.

A side door creaked open to reveal two funeral home workers carrying in two more large floral arrangements. One was decked out in the signature pink motif, but the other was a ghastly collection of yellow and purple blooms with a hideous printed bow and gold foil wrapping around the bottom of the pot.

“Where did that monstrosity come from?” uttered a voice from your left. “It’s an eyesore.”

You turned just in time to raise your eyebrows as a newly bleached blonde Seokjin slid into the seat next to you with a scowl on his face. His rosy button up shirt was accented with a fuchsia pocket square and tie combo, and you smiled at his strict adherence to your grandmother’s signature color. Pink just accentuated Seokjin’s personality perfectly; it was light, comforting, and full of life. The horrid yellow and purple creation invading the flower arrangements was an affront to Seokjin’s very nature, and you could tell he was not having it.

“Help me hide that hideous thing in the back,” Seokjin requested with a pat to your knee. “Before anyone sees it.”

The urgency in his voice drew a small smile on your lips and you readily followed him to the front of the room. You both made a big show of rearranging the flowers and potted plants, and through a little misdirection, you hid the sore thumb behind a mountain of pink roses and lilies. With the funeral faux pas handled, you and Seokjin meandered back to your seats and sighed with relief.

“Glad that’s done,” Seokjin smirked. “High five for teamwork!”

With his large hand lifted just above your head, you grinned and gladly granted him the high five. Seokjin’s comforting presence seemed to have cleared some of the gloomy rain clouds which refused to dissipate in the wake of your grandmother’s death. More people began filing into the funeral home and Seokjin placed his arm around you and drew you close.

“I still can’t believe she’s gone,” he whispered. “It doesn’t feel real.”

“My heartbreak feels real,” you countered. “I was just talking to her the other day, Jinnie.”

“I know,” he pouted. “I called her a few days ago too. I was still missing a few of her recipes for the family cookbook. We’re going to have to dig through her stuff at the house to figure out the rest on our own.”

“Whatever you need, Jinnie,” you promised. “I’m just glad she was able to share some of those things with us. Don’t worry. We will find the rest. I don’t know what I would do if we could never taste those things again.”

“It’ll take some practice to get them just right,” Seokjin sighed. “But we really need to find the rest. Between you and me, I think we can handle it. Right, goguma?”

“Awwww, goguma,” you sniffled. “Grandma won’t ever be able to call me a sweet potato again.”

“I know,” Seokjin said comfortingly. “But I’m still here, and I will continue to call you goguma from now on.”

“Thank you, Jinnie,” you smiled. “Does that mean I get to call you gamja?”

“But of course,” Seokjin chuckled. “What good is a sweet potato without her savory counterpart? Together, we can find those last remaining secret recipes.”

“Typical Grandma,” you mused. “Never wanting to give away the best recipes. Not even the secret things she would do aside from the written recipe!”

“I know,” Seokjin huffed. “Remember what she would tell us instead?”

Seokjin rearranged his face to take on the look of an old lady with a smirk.

“And that’s all,” Seokjin creaked out in a faux granny voice. “Unless you want to get a little fancy.”

“And of course, she always got fancy,” you seethed. “Sneaky old lady.”

“The sneakiest,” Seokjin agreed. “I guess I have to take over that position now.”

“I’ll fight you for it,” you challenged with a smile and you both put up your dukes.

Your quiet giggles were interrupted by a grim faced man in a gray suit tapping the podium microphone. A cacophony of feedback and groans from the guests erupted across the room, culminating in a clearing of the throat and a somber “Pardon me.”

“Pardon me,” the somber man repeated. “Will everyone please take their seats? We will begin the service in a few minutes.”

Everyone crowded into the long pews, and soon, only standing room was available. The beloved matriarch of your family certainly touched an abundance of lives in her time on Earth, and that sentiment carried you forth as the service began. Family members and friends took turns reading words of comfort and praise, and you and Seokjin even contributed a reading of your grandmother’s favorite poem. When all was said and done, the service continued on to the cemetery where your grandmother was finally laid to rest beside your already departed grandfather.

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

“Kim Seokjin, I’m warning you!” you growled. “If you fuck up my hair, I will literally murder you.”

Seokjin’s barely contained guffaws spilled out as squeaks and squawks as he continued to apply pink dye to the bleached sections of your hair before folding them up with foil.

“Relax,” Seokjin chuckled as he continued working. “This isn’t my first time doing someone’s hair. You’re in good hands.”

You grumbled slightly as Seokjin continued to foil wrap more blonde sections of hair around your face, but you relaxed when you realized how focused Seokjin was. After questioning his new blonde look, he explained his clever scheme to pay tribute to your grandmother by dying his treasured brown tresses to a brilliant pink color. After expressing your desire to do the same, you were now sitting in her bathroom with foil sheets, bowls of bleach and dye on the counter and one of your grandmother’s favorite dressing gowns covering your clothes.

“That should do it,” Seokjin announced as he stepped back to admire his handiwork. “Now, we just wait for the dye to set.”

“How many foils did you use?” you questioned while lifting a few covered sections. “I look like an aluminum pinecone over here.”

“Not that many,” he admitted while adjusting the plastic shower cap on his head. “I think I bleached about 13 different sections. Maybe a bit more? You should’ve just done your whole head like me.”

“I don’t want to be twinsies, Seokjinnie,” you replied. “I just want a little pop of pink.”

“Hey,” Seokjin smirked. “What do you call a country with only pink cars?”

You perked up and grinned at your smug cousin, noting that he was desperately trying to hold the punchline in.

“What,” you relented.

“A Pink Car-nation!” Seokjin sputtered.

You both gave in to the absurdity of the cheesy joke and you wandered into your grandmother’s room to sit on her small pink loveseat.

“I always loved this little nook in her room,” you sighed wistfully. “Remember when we’d watch cooking shows with her in here?”

“Yup, every Thursday night,” Seokjin beamed. “I purposely avoided school activities that met on Thursdays so that I never missed an evening with her.”

“She loved those shows,” you reminisced. “Remember when we found all those old Iron Chef episodes on YouTube? She loved it!”

“Not as much as she loved watching Iron Chef America,” Seokjin reminded you. “She had a crush on both Alton Brown and the Chairman.”

“No way,” you argued. “She wanted Morimoto and Michael Symon! She always loved their dishes the best.”

“I think we can agree that she just loved food,” Seokjin chuckled. “The woman had a passion for feeding us delicious things.”

You both sighed and nodded your head, your thoughts replaying touching memories of your grandmother in an attempt to summon her spirit into the room.

“What are we gonna do without her, gamja?” you sniffled. “Things are never going to be the same around here.”

“I don’t know,” Jin huffed. “I’m sure we’ll think of something, goguma.”

A gentle knock pulled you both out of your reverie and your aunt appeared at the doorway with a pink plastic tote in her hands. Her eyebrows rose comically when she peeped the hair accessories you were both rocking, but she shook her head and decided that silence was best in this situation.

“I figured you two would be in here,” she smiled softly. “This was always your place with her.”

“Yeah, we just feel closer to her in here,” you replied.

“What’s that, eomma?” Seokjin gestured at the tote in his mother’s hands. “More of Grandma’s stuff for the closet?”

“Actually, it was on one of the chairs in the dining room,” she explained. “We saw it when we were clearing places for dinner. There’s a note inside. It’s addressed to the two of you...from her.”

Both you and Seokjin bolted off the couch, arms ready to receive this newfound treasure. The glossy opaque exterior did nothing to offer any explanation as to the contents of the container. Noting the intimate nature of this discovery, your aunt stepped forward and gingerly placed the container on the coffee table. After giving your hand a gentle squeeze and offering a kiss to Seokjin’s cheek, she offered a small smile and left without another word.

You and Seokjin sank back into the couch cushions and stared at the pink plastic taunting you from the coffee table. After a moment, you glanced at Seokjin and realized that he was too dumbstruck to do anything.

“I’m going to open it, Jinnie,” you announced. “Is that ok?”

Seokjin could only nod with furrowed brows and his breath caught as you lifted the lid to reveal a pile of multicolored pieces of paper stacked inside topped with a folded sheet of pink lined paper. The box released the scent of coriander, bergamot, lavender, and peppercorns and your eyes watered at the nostalgic scent of your grandmother. You took the folded note into your hand and began to unfold it as Seokjin sat forward to hear you read what was inside. Tears sprang to your eyes as you quickly scanned the page and began to read.

My Dearest Gamja & Sweetest Goguma,

I know that I will not be able to help you finish the cookbook that you’ve been working so hard on, and I apologize for that. I know that whatever you two “cook up” will be amazing, with or without my help. You two will always be my favorites, but don’t ever tell anyone that, not even your parents. They’ll just be jealous, or “jelly” as you kids like to say. I know this isn’t much of a gift, but it’s my most precious possession in the world besides my family. Inside this box, you’ll find the last of my secret recipes. (Yes, the ones you’ve been bugging me about for months now. I also threw in a few extra things just for you two.) Please take this knowledge and put it to good use. Remember that whenever you get stuck in a recipe that it’s ok to improvise. Always trust your instincts and believe in your skills (because I taught you most of them), and if all else fails, just know that I will be proud of you no matter what you do. I love you both more than you will ever know. Please take care of each other and don’t forget that it’s always a good idea to get a little fancy in the kitchen.

Always your little kitchen fairy,

Grandma

P.S. Don’t you dare get rid of my aprons! I worked very hard on those. They belong in the kitchen.

You sniffled as you took in the elegant swirls of her handwriting and the esoteric scribbles in the margins. You were about to comment about one particular doodle to Seokjin, but then you looked up and noticed his reddened ears, his tear streaked cheeks, and his trembling lips.

“Oh, gamja,” you cried out. “What’s wrong?”

“I just-,” Seokjin tried to speak, but failed. “I just miss her so much, goguma. She just got us, you know? No one else really gets us. She always did, and now, she’s gone.”

His last word died on his lips and he could no longer hold back the choking sob clawing at his throat. You quickly placed the letter back on the table and threw your arms around your cousin’s quaking shoulders. The two of you held onto each other, sobbing in your shared grief and comforting each other as best you could.

“We knew this was going to happen at some point, Jinnie,” you muttered into his shoulder. “She couldn’t keep fighting forever. At least we know that she’s not in pain anymore.”

“I know,” he pouted petulantly. “Doesn’t mean I wanted her to leave us.”

“She didn’t completely leave us,” you assured him. “She left us this. Now, we can finish putting together this cookbook. It will be her family legacy.”

That thought seemed to sit well with Seokjin because he released a shaky exhale and straightened up. He leaned over to pull a few tissues out of the crocheted tissue box on the coffee table and he handed you one while he dabbed at the wetness on his flushed cheeks. After you’d both composed yourselves, you began digging through the items in the pink container.

“Oh my God!” Seokjin exclaimed while lifting several pieces of paper. “She finally gave up those last few gems that we kept asking her about.”

“You got her cookie recipe?!” you gasped. “And what about that soup she always makes when we’re sick?”

“It’s all here!” Seokjin confirmed. “The cookies, the soup, and even that chicken dish she only made for special occasions. She even gave us some cooking tips. You know, the stuff she would always do that wasn’t in the recipes? She wrote it all down here in the margins. This is fantastic! You just need to help me put it together.”

You continued perusing the contents of the container and noticed some irregularities in the organization. Your grandmother was a culinary genius, but keeping things neat and in order was not one of her strong suits.

“I think we’re missing a page, Jinnie,” you pouted. “I can’t find the second half of this cookie recipe. I wanted to make some for dessert tonight. Help me find it.”

You both began digging through the dozens of pages of notes in the container, and it was proving to be quite the task. Seokjin frantically filtered through several sheets of paper seeking the page in question. With the copious collection of Post-it notes, sticky flags, and impromptu bookmarks, the coffee table was an absolute disaster area within minutes.

“I swear I just saw that page,” Seokjin grumbled. “It had a blue tab on it and it had a little whale scribbled in the corner of the page.”

“Is the one that you’re holding in your hand?” you quipped with a smile.

Seokjin examined the paper in his hand and his head fell back in defeat. You could barely control the giggle that was threatening to escape from your lips.

“Seriously?” Seokjin groaned. “We’ve been looking for this for like five minutes already.”

“It’s fine, gamja,” you assured him. “You know what they say, if you’re searching for something, take an apple with you.”

You gestured at yourself and Seokjin smiled.

“And why is that?” Seokjin mused.

“So that your search will be fruitful,” you grinned.

You both chuckled at your lame pun, and you could see Seokjin gearing up for one of his infamous cheesy jokes.

“We should’ve called you sagwa instead of goguma, y’know?” Seokjin suggested. “But grandma always said you were too soft and sweet to be an apple, even if your middle name is Eris.”

“I yam what I yam,” you gloated. “There’s no arguing with her logic.”

“Hey,” Seokjin chuckled. “Why do sweet potatoes make good detectives?”

“Why?” you smiled.

“Because they keep their eyes peeled,” Seokjin responded before exploding into a fit of squeaky laughter.

The two of you collected yourselves after the giggles calmed down and stacked the handwritten notes back into the pink container for safekeeping. Once you got the chance, you were going to begin typing everything up and creating a digital template for the cookbook. Your best friend/soulmate, Taehyung, was creating some dazzling layouts and original artwork that would be used to decorate the cookbook and commemorate your grandmother.

After rinsing the pink dye out of each other’s hair in the shower with your grandmother’s removable shower head, you and Seokjin dried your hair and styled it the best you could with your grandmother’s limited styling products. You wove your hair into a pair of French braid pigtails and the brilliant hues of pink peeking through your dark hair filled you with glee.

Perfect.

You turned to see Seokjin arranging his rosy bangs so that his forehead was still exposed when you had a brilliant idea.

“Want to help me make some of Grandma’s cookies, gamja?” you chirped. “We should make a double batch for everyone that’s coming.”

“I’m down,” Seokjin replied with a grin. “As long as we have this recipe, what could go wrong?”

30 MINUTES LATER

“This doesn’t look right, gamja,” you huffed while scanning the recipe ingredients on the page again. “The dough feels too wet. I think we did something wrong.”

Seokjin walked over and looked at the sticky mess coating your hands and then glanced back at the page you were still decoding.

“You’re right,” Seokjin agreed. “Something isn’t right.”

You wiped as much of the greasy dough back into the bowl as you could before walking over to the sink to wash your hands of the sticky substance. Whatever it was, it was definitely not cookies. You dried your hands on the flamingo print towel hanging from your pink ruffled apron and groaned at the unchanging list of ingredients on the page. You didn’t even notice when your cousin Sana wandered in and peeked over your shoulder.

“What is this?” she asked abruptly, nearly giving you a heart attack.

“Holy shit, Sana,” you gasped while clutching your chest. “Where the hell did you come from, you little ninja?”

“Your mom sent me inside to get tablecloths,” she griped. “Where are they, anyway?”

Seokjin opened a cabinet and pulled out a pile of folded pink patterned tablecloths and handed them to Sana. She gazed at his hair for a second too long and Seokjin took that as an invitation to strike a pose.

“You like it?” Seokjin prompted. “Looks good, huh?”

Sana’s sharp gaze cut across to your braids and she raised a judgmental eyebrow at the pink threaded in your dark hair.

“We did it for Grandma,” you explained. “Something to pay tribute to her memory.”

Sana’s countenance relaxed and she nodded with a smirk.

“Well, that’s ok then,” Sana murmured. “If you’re going to look ridiculous, at least it’s for a good cause.”

Both you and Seokjin gaped at her snarky remark and your eyes followed her as she made her way to the hallway. She paused for a moment and turned back with a huff.

“By the way,” Sana grumbled. “One of your friends is here.”

“Oh, is it Tae?” you hoped. “He’s supposed to be getting here today. His parents couldn’t drive him yesterday so he missed the funeral.”

“Ugh, no,” Sana snapped. “It’s not your idiot best friend. It’s some girl.”

“Soulmate, Sana, not idiot best friend,” you admonished playfully. “They may mean the same thing, but Tae is big on labels.”

“Whatever,” Sana rolled her eyes. “It’s not him. Just come outside and get your friend. I don’t know who she is, but she’s kinda annoying.”

“I’ll go out in a minute,” you replied while studying the recipe once again. “Jin-Jin and I are working on the cookies right now. We need to figure out what’s wrong with the recipe.”

Sana leaned in and looked at the dough in the mixing bowl and scowled.

“That dough looks like shit,” she growled. “What did you do to it?”

“Sana!” you exclaimed with a start. “Rude much?”

“What?” Sana argued. “It does! My dog’s shit looks like that if she eats too much fried food.”

“You know, she’s got a point, goguma,” Seokjin commented lightly. “Maybe we missed something in the recipe?”

“Just dry it out,” Sana suggested. “It looks too wet to be cookie dough.”

“Huh?” you recoiled. “How would you know that?”

“Trust me,” Sana smirked. “I’ve stolen a lot of cookie dough out of Grandma’s freezer. I know what it should look like.”

With the mischievous smirk still pulling her lips into a sneer, Sana turned and left the kitchen with a little hitch in her step.

“That little hellion,” Seokjin mused. “Should we tell her that Grandma knew about her thievery all along?”

“And ruin the illusion that she’s a sneaky little thief?” you giggled. “Nah, maybe later. I’m just surprised she paid so much attention to the texture of the dough. She’s one smart cookie after all.”

“I guess she’s a cookie dough expert,” Seokjin chuckled. “Do you know what they call a smart cookie?”

“What?” you smirked with anticipation.

“Academia nut,” Seokjin replied, then immediately fell into squeaky giggles.

You both enjoyed the lame pun and joke combo for a moment before looking back into the mixing bowl with frustration. You grabbed the ingredients page again and tried to puzzle out the mystery of the cookie recipe once again.

“Are you sure this is the right page to the cookie recipe, Jinnie?” you queried. “Maybe it was a different page.”

“Maybe?” Seokjin hummed. “Can you check the pink container again? Maybe we missed something.”

You took off your apron and placed it on a hook before walking back into the hall. You raced back to your grandmother’s room past the living room and shuffled through the box looking for the long lost cookie ingredient list. After flipping through a few pages, a loose piece of heavy cardstock fluttered to the ground. Upon further inspection, you immediately realized the problem with the recipe and you groaned loudly.

Grandma, you sneaky old lady!

You quickly headed back to the kitchen, but unfortunately, you didn’t get very far.

When you got back into the living room, a high pitched squeal assaulted your ears.

“HEY!” the voice bellowed. “THERE YOU ARE!”

Before you could trace the origin of the voice, a pair of arms enveloped you in a bear hug. You look past the wisps of caramel hair flapping in your eyes at your confused younger cousin Sana.

“She said she was here to see you,” Sana scowled. “I told her you were busy in the kitchen, but she wouldn’t listen. Friend of yours?”

“Well, of course she’s my friend,” the strange voice insisted. “We’ve been in the same class since second grade, haven’t we?”

As she pulled away to reveal her face, you nearly growled at the pair of pleading eyes belonging to the one and only Aeri. The same Aeri who once poured glitter glue into your pencil case, who was the sweetheart of your school, and who was infamous for going after all the popular, rich boys in town just to reap the benefits.

“I’m so sorry to hear about your grandmother,” Aeri squealed sadly. “I just wanted to come over and make sure you were doing ok.”

“I’m fine,” you said, suspicion etching little wrinkles around your eyes. “How did you know I was here?”

“Just a lucky guess,” she shrugged. “Your aunt said I could stay and help set up for the party as a sign of my condolences to your family. Isn’t that great?”

“Yeah, sure,” you commented, still unsure of her intentions. “Thank you.”

“Oh, you dyed your hair?” Aeri noted. “That’s an interesting color choice.”

“Grandma loved pink,” Sana explained. “Her and Seokjin decided to play salon together. It’s a tribute.”

You glared at the air quotes Sana was making when she said “tribute,” but you also noticed that Aeri’s eyes lit up with Sana said Seokjin’s name.

“Oh well, that’s wonderful,” Aeri cooed. “It looks great. I bet your cousin’s hair looks just as good. That’s so sweet that you guys did that for your grandmother.”

The air in the living room shifted uncomfortably with Aeri’s words and you cleared your throat before the moment got any more awkward.

“Well, I’d love to stay and chat,” you muttered. “But I’m a little busy right now getting the dessert ready for tonight. Have fun setting up.”

You turned towards the kitchen, but not before hearing the beginning of Aeri and Sana’s conversation.

“Oh, I wonder if I should go help her in the kitchen,” Aeri proclaimed sweetly. “I’m sure she wouldn’t mind.”

“No, she’s fine.” Sana grumbled. “She’s got Jin in there. We need your help outside setting up tables. Come on, I’ll show you.”

Aeri’s protests faded out the door and you scowled as you heard the screen door fall shut.

What is this bitch up to?

You didn’t have time to play detective, so you shelved those thoughts until after dessert was finished.

Seokjin was pulling out more ingredients from the cupboard as you entered and you noticed that the spices were piling up on the counter.

“What are you doing, gamja?” you asked. “What with the spices?”

“Just thinking of getting a little fancy,” he quipped playfully. “Grandma liked to play mad scientist in here. Why shouldn’t I?”

“If this is for the cookies, hold that thought,” you said while handing him the cardstock. “We need to fix the recipe before you do that.”

Seokjin took the card from your hand and tilted his head in confusion. After flipping the card over and then back, he looked at you with questions in his eyes.

“What am I supposed to be looking at, gamja?” Seokjin asked

“That is a label for a box of butter sticks,” you explained. “Actually, it’s for a box of half sticks.”

“Ok, but why am I looking at it?” Seokjin persisted. “What does this mean?”

“This is Grandma’s butter package,” you continued. “This is the only butter she buys. But they sell it in half sticks...they only sell it in half-sticks.”

Seokjin pondered that statement and then the light bulb flickered mockingly above his head.

“She only used half-sticks!” Seokjin exclaimed loudly. “We have to go in and adjust all her recipes now.”

“Yup,” you sighed. “Leave it to Grandma to write her recipes in code.”

“So, we just need to double all the ingredients and we should be good,” Seokjin concluded. “That’s why the dough feels so weird.”

“You grab the wet ingredients,” you commanded. “I’ll gather the dry and meet you at the mixer.”

You both high-fived and pounced into action. With a little teamwork, you managed to pull together a decent cookie dough out of the mess you’d made. Seokjin even took a little time to mix some freshly ground ginger to the mix for a little fresh and spicy kick.

“It will be like gingerbread,” Seokjin promised. “But without the dark flavor of the molasses.”

Once the cookies were done, you both filled a few platters and carried them out to the table that was set up in the backyard patio. People were just starting to arrive, and the two of you mingled around and welcomed everyone to the memorial dinner. Once or twice, you caught sight of Aeri mixed into the group talking to Seokjin, but you couldn’t get away to confront her. The way she was batting her eyelashes at him and touching his arm was making you bristle.

I don’t know what she’s playing at, but whatever it is, it can’t be good.

Once the dinner was over, the clean up crew was hustling and bustling inside to get your grandmother’s house cleaned before everyone left for the night.

You were just putting the vacuum back into the closet when a loud argument erupted from inside the kitchen. You and Seokjin rushed into the kitchen to see what all the fuss was about.

“That glassware set is mine and I’m taking it,” cried your aunt. “Mom always said that I was going to be the one to inherit it after she passed.”

“You can’t just start taking things out of the house,” cried your other aunt. “We should give everyone a chance to claim something of their own. You weren’t the only one who was promised something, you know. Give the kids a chance to get something as well. Don’t be so selfish.”

The word “selfish” triggered another round of yelling and you and Seokjin decided to step in before things got out of hand. In the end, a running tab of claimed items was created and everyone settled down once the matter was put into writing. The emotional aunts wandered back into the living room, while you, Seokjin, and your mother stayed behind to finalize the list.

“Did you two already pick out something?” your mother asked. “I know a lot has already been claimed, but I’m sure there must be something you would want.”

“Not really, mom,” you sighed. “Seokjin and I already have the best part of Grandma: her recipes. I don’t think there is anything else that would rival that.”

Your mother nodded and then abruptly perked up. She walked over to one of the drawers and began digging through the silverware inside, seemingly searching for something specific. She pulled out a spoon and a fork and smiled widely when she held them in her hands. You and Seokjin were puzzled over her actions and your confusion increased when she placed the utensils on the countertop between you.

“This design was from Grandma and Grandpa’s wedding set,” she explained. “They received a full place setting, but these are the only two items left from the original set. The others were either damaged or lost along the way. I think you two should have them. That way you can always be connected to your grandparents and to each other. You two were the roses of your grandmother’s garden. She always held a special affection for you two that was different from your other cousins.”

With tears brimming in your eyes, you looked up at Seokjin and saw he wasn’t faring much better. Your mom sensed that this needed to be a private moment, so she placed her hand on both your cheeks for a moment and then gracefully exited the kitchen, leaving the two of you staring at the elaborate spoon and fork on the counter.

“So how do we decide who gets what?” you probed with a sniffle. “I don’t want to fight like our crazy aunts did. We’re way more civilized than that.”

“There’s only one answer to that question,” Seokjin said while wiping a tear from his eye. “Why did the sweet potato cross the road?”

“I don’t know, Jinnie,” you hiccuped. “Why?”

Seokjin slid the fork over to you and placed his hand on your shoulder. This was a bittersweet moment for the two of you and you knew that his joke was the only thing keeping the two of you from breaking down into yet another round of tears.

“She saw a fork up ahead,” Seokjin croaked. “That’s why you should get the fork, goguma. I’ll take the spoon, yeah?”

“Makes sense, gamja,” you agreed. “You are always the one to scoop me up when I’m down. You’re always such a sweetheart, and I love you for that.”

“I love you too,” Seokjin mumbled while pulling you into a crushing hug. “Hey, speaking of sweetness, if you put sugar in tea, what do you put in sugar?”

“I don’t know,” you sighed into his shoulder. “What?”

“A spoon,” he chuckled while grabbing his spoon from the counter. “See, my jokes always make sense of everything.”

“I promise to keep this with me always,” you swore while holding your fork. “This random utensil will forever be my connection to you, gamja.”

“And this spoon is never leaving my sight, goguma,” Seokjin promised. “It will be a constant reminder that I have you and you have me.”

You embraced once again and a sharp throat clearing interrupted your heartfelt moment. You both turned to see your younger cousin Sana just inside the kitchen doorway, wearing her signature scowl and a bright blue Transformers T-shirt.

“Hey, Sana,” you called out while wiping away your tears yet again. “What’s up?”

“Nothing,” Sana sighed. “We just finished cleaning up. Your friend Aeri just left. It took a while to get rid of her.”

“Oh, is she your friend, goguma?” Seokjin probed. “She mentioned something like that earlier.”

“No, not really,” you scowled. “She’s just a girl from school.”

“I think she liked me,” Seokjin bragged. “She said my hair reminded her of her favorite bubblegum.”

“It looks more like Pepto Bismol, if you ask me,” Sana interjected.

You released a loud cackle as Seokjin’s ego deflated slightly at Sana’s words, but he shook it off quickly and smiled.

“So how did you like the cookies after all, Sana?” Seokjin asked. “As good as Grandma’s?”

“They were pretty good,” Sana admitted. “A little different, but still good.”

“It’s too bad we didn’t have any left,” you sighed. “I wanted to take some home, but they were gone before I could.”

“So no cookie dough left either?” Sana hoped. “Maybe in the freezer?”

“No, you rascal,” Seokjin chuckled while rumpling her hair. “Nothing left for you to steal this time.”

"What makes you think I don't already have cookie dough at home?" Sana challenged.

"What cookie dough?" you asked. “What are you talking about?”

"Grandma's last bag,” Sana stated with a grin of Cheshire proportions. “I found it in the freezer the other day and took it."

"Sana!” you reprimanded. “You should share that with the family."

"Nope,” Sana boasted. “Mine now. But I might be willing to share if you can do me a favor."

“What kind of favor?” Seokjin wondered aloud. “Whatever it is, we’ll do it. We need an original sample to make sure we get the next batch of dough right.”

Sana shuffled forward and glanced between you and Seokjin. She was one of your stranger cousins, always dabbling in odd hobbies and adopting a style that was all her own. Both you and Seokjin felt protective of her unconventional personality, and despite her surly demeanor, Sana gravitated to the two of you more than any of your other relatives.

“I was wondering,” Sana began softly. “If maybe you could teach me how to cook. I want to learn how to make cookies.”

“I think you mean bake,” Seokjin corrected her gently. “And we’d love to teach you how to make cookies. We have grandma’s cookie recipe now. Want to help us make some?”

“No,” Sana replied. “I want those peanut butter cookies that you guys made for Halloween. Those are my favorite.”

“We can do that,” you beamed. “Let’s get our aprons on and then we can show you how to make those cookies.”

Once you all had on aprons, with Sana opting for a plain white apron while you and Seokjin donned frilly pink ones, you all started pulling out ingredients for the cookies. As you waited for the butter to soften, you started regaling Sana with recipes from your grandmother’s cookbook.

“So there’s also candy recipes?” Sana asked. “Are you going to share those with everybody?”

“Absolutely,” you replied. “It’s a family cookbook. It wouldn’t be fair if we kept it all to ourselves.”

“I didn’t know you were so interested in cooking, Sana,” Seokjin commented while showing her how to mix the dry ingredients. “It’s a valuable skill to have, you know?”

“Yeah, I know,” Sana smirked. “I’m sure I can put those recipes to good use.”

The three of you continued to work on the cookies while you and Seokjin gave Sana instructions on each step of the recipe. A comforting air settled in the kitchen and you couldn’t help but wonder if your grandmother’s spirit was sitting in the corner on her stool, fondly watching as her kitchen was brought to life once again.

Author's Note: I finally got around to finishing this drabble. Work is really putting me through the ringer. I hope you all enjoy this little slice of family time with the one and only Kim Seokjin. These potato heads are so lovable and it did make sad to put them through such an angsty memory, but it all worked out in the end. Thank you to my Beta @xxxille-girlxxx for being an amazing soulmate and reading my drafts. Your suggestions brought this whole drabble to a whole other level. I'm going to be working on my collab fic that is due next month, so I will return to these drabbles and my other fic Peripheral after I finish that. Stay safe, everyone!

MAP OF THE SOUL MASTERLIST

@caught-in-a-seesaw-stigma's MASTERLIST

#kim seokjin #map of the soul bts #bts fanfic #bts au fanfic #bts drabble #bts fluff #bangtan sonyeondan #goguma #gamja #pink hair seokjin

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prettyboy-parker · 4 years

Photo

i’ll be waiting for you in san junipero (but only if you want me to)

if you haven’t seen the black mirror episode, read on AO3 for a short introduction. if you have, continue!

words: 6.5k

warnings: nff, drinking, smoking, terminal illness, past stony, character death (not detailed), and semi-public sex

spotify playlist

1987

Pink and purple light floods over the hot mass of bodies in the center of the club, shouts of laughter filling the stuffy air. Bananarama’s one-hit-wonder “Venus” blares from the speakers, the bass giving the club its own heartbeat. The flashing Tucker’s sign makes Peter flinch as he slips inside. Someone blows cigarette smoke into the open, which makes him cough and wave the smoke away.

“S’cuse me,” He squeaks, pushing past a preppy-dressed man talking lowly to a bubble gum popping woman. They both look up at him in annoyance before turning back to their conversation. Peter grimaces and wipes his sweaty hands on his jeans. He weaves his way around the people mulling about and slips over to the bar.

The bartender doesn’t see him at first, too busy fixing a drink for another patron. But the blonde eventually notices him, and Peter gives him a shy smile.

“What can I get for you?” The man asks, his smile tight. There’s a tired lilt to his voice, and Peter nearly feels bad for him.

“Um, just a Coke, please,” He squeaks, nervously resting his hands on the bar counter. He yanks them away right after, settling on hanging them by his sides.

“Just a Coke? Not like, a rum and Coke?” The bartender asks; his face twisted sourly.

“Just a Coke,” Peter repeats with a nod. The man grimaces and pulls out a chilled glass of Coca Cola.

“Thanks,” Peter says, but the bartender is already out of earshot.

“Fuck off, dude! I sucked you off last week!”

Peter’s heart jumps and he spins around, pressing his back against the wood of the bar.

A man is heading towards him, and he’s moving very quickly.

He has a disgruntled look on his face, and his big brown eyes are narrowed in annoyance. Peter feels the moisture leaves his mouth when he sees the man’s sharp collarbones peeking out from the collar of his printed shirt. The man stops short next to Peter and slings his arm around the shorter’s shoulders.

“Pretend like you know me,” The man murmurs into Peter’s ear, sending shivers down the boy’s spine.

“Tony! What are we, kindergarteners? Talk to me!”

Another man, a little younger (yet taller) than Tony, emerges from the crowd of people.

“Leave me alone, Stephen. I don’t do seconds.” Tony grumbles, rolling his eyes. His arm is heavy on Peter’s shoulders, and the brunette is woozy at the feeling of Tony’s side pressed against his.

“You don’t do seconds?” Stephen scoffs, stopping in front of the two. “I think Maya would beg to differ.”

Peter can feel Tony tense up against him.

“Go away, Stephen. I’m trying to have a conversation,” The man spits, tucking his free hand in the back pocket of his jeans. Stephen looks at Peter warily.

“Oh, really? Or are you just looking for another fuck?”

Peter can feel heat creep onto his cheeks. Tony throws his head back and laughs.

“Fuck off. He’s an old friend from college,” Tony tells Stephen, giving Peter a pat on the bicep. Stephen looks like he doesn’t believe a word that came out of Tony’s mouth, but he still walks away with a huff.

“Jesus, a guy can never get a break around here,” Tony mutters angrily, slipping his arm off of Peter’s shoulders.

“I’m sorry he was being an ass,” Peter says softly, anxiously rocking on his heels. Tony shrugs.

“I can’t blame him. Who wouldn’t want piece of this?” Tony jokes, a goofy smile on his face as he gestures to himself. Peter chuckles and shakes his head.

“Anyways, I’m Tony,” The other man says, sticking out his hand. Peter takes it and gives it a loose shake. “And you are?”

“Peter,” The brunette replies before dropping Tony’s hand.

“ Peter ,” He repeats, and Peter melts at the sound of his name coming from those plump lips. Tony’s eyes flick down to his glass.

“Rum and Coke?” He asks, cocking an eyebrow.

“Just a Coke,” Peter says bashfully. Tony gives him a funny look, but still smiles.

“You’re cute,” He purrs, voice quiet under the music of the club. Peter’s stomach churns and he lets out a breathy laugh. The smaller man puts his drink on the counter. “Let’s dance. You wanna dance?”

“Oh, I don’t-“

Tony grabs his hand before he can finish and pulls him into the throng of dancing people. Peter yelps in surprise, but allows the man to whisk him away. Tony’s hand is warm and a little bit sweaty, yet Peter doesn’t mind.

“I love this song!” Tony shouts when “She Blinded Me With Science” by Thomas Dolby plays from the speakers. The crowd cheers and Tony grabs Peter’s other hand.

It's poetry in motion

She turned her tender eyes to me

As deep as any ocean

As sweet as any harmony

Tony sways his hips back and forth in time with the music. Peter laughs softly, standing stiffly.

“Come on, loosen up!” Tony tells him, grinning wildly. Peter tries to sway his body like Tony, but he just feels stupid. The other man doesn’t seem to notice, because he moves closer to Peter.

Mm, but she blinded me with science

She blinded me with science

And failed me in biology, yeh yeh

“There you go! Don’t ever say you can’t dance,” Tony yells over the music, running his tongue over his bottom lip. A giggle bubbles from Peter’s throat.

Now uh, huh huh

When I'm dancing close to her

Blinding me with science, science

Science

“I think we should go get some air,” Peter calls out, swinging him and Tony’s hands side to side. “It’s really hot!”

Tony finds that funny and laughs. As the song comes to an end, the two weave their way back through the crowd. Tony steers him past the arcade machines and to the peeling back door.

“Fuck, it’s like an oven in there,” Tony groans once they get outside, the door shutting behind him with a heavy thud. Peter watches him slip a cigarette and a lighter out of his back pocket.

“Yeah, I didn’t expect it to be so hot in there,” Peter says, leaning against the brick wall of the club. Tony places the end of the cigarette in his mouth.

“Expect?” Tony asks, giving him a funny look. “Is this your first time here?”

Peter avoids Tony’s gaze and looks at his Vans.

“Yup,” He murmurs, awkwardly fiddling with his belt. Tony reaches out and encases Peter’s wrist with his fingers. The brunette holds his breath as Tony runs his thumb over his wrist.

“How about we head to mine?”

Peter’s heart stops in his chest.

And then, he yanks his hand away.

“No!” He exclaims, but immediately regrets it when he sees the look on Tony’s face. “I mean, I would, but-“

“Hey, don’t sweat it.” Tony says coolly. He flicks the lighter and brings the flame to his lips. “It’s almost midnight, anyways.”

***

One Week Later- 1987

Dark hair. Dark eyes. Bright smile. Honey-smooth voice.

Peter scans the crowd for Tony, eyes flicking over the sweaty bodies. He doesn’t see him right away, and he can’t help but feel a little disappointed. Tony has been on Peter’s mind all week since their first meeting. Over much thinking (and internal bickering), he’s decided to find Tony again.

He hasn’t fucked anyone since his 20’s, okay?

San Junipero is advertised as a getaway, a place where you can do whatever you want-without repercussion. He would have waited to get to know Tony more before even kissing him, but Peter quickly learned that’s not how they roll here.

Snapping out of his thoughts, he shuffles around the edge of the dance floor. Half of him wants to run and find somewhere on the beach to sit and mull, but the other half yearns to find Tony.

And there he is.

Peter stops in his tracks, right next to the cluster of arcade games. He spots Tony nestled on one of the pink vinyl seats, looking bored as a girl with big hair talks to him. He looks good, his hair slicked back and a cherry red letterman jacket wrapped around his broad frame.

Tony looks up.

Peter’s breath catches in his throat when their eyes meet. Tony’s doe eyes go wide, and Peter gives him a shy wave. The older man says something to the girl next to him before getting up and weaving his way around the crowd.

There’s a small smirk on Tony’s face when he approaches Peter.

“I’ve changed my mind,” The smaller man says. “I-I want you.”

Tony grins like the cat that got the cream.

“I knew it,” He murmurs, stepping closer to Peter. He reaches out and gently brushes Peter’s bicep with his hand. “Everyone gets the first day jitters.”

Peter laughs, but his heart pounds against his rib cage. Are there the second day jitters, too? Tony shuffles a little closer and wraps one arm around his waist.

“I’ve got a little place next to the ocean. You ready to go?”

Poor old Johnny Ray

Sounded sad upon the radio

But he moved a million hearts in mono

Our mothers cried, sang along, who'd blame them

Peter smiles as the wind tousles his curls, glancing over to Tony. The older man winks and revs the engine of his Mustang. ( “1983 Ford Mustang Convertible, baby. The best out there,” Tony had said, but Peter was too lost in his eyes.)

“Almost there, sugar!” Tony shouts over the wind, taking a particularly sharp left. Peter shrieks as they lean to the side.

You're grown (so grown up)

So grown (so grown up)

Now I must say more than ever

(Come on, Eileen)

Too ra loo ra too ra loo rye aye

And we can sing just like our fathers

“Holy shit, be careful!” Peter yells, but there’s no fear in his voice. Tony laughs, loud and bright and warm . He reaches to the side and tucks his hand over Peter’s thigh.

Come on, Eileen, oh I swear (what he means)

At this moment, you mean everything

You in that dress, my thoughts I confess

Verge on dirty

Ah, come on, Eileen

Tony eventually slows his speed when they reach the beach, passing the clumps of twirling sea grass and sand dunes.

His house is very cute.

It reminds him of the old beach house they would rent on the shores of Long Island, a desperate attempt at a picture perfect vacation while his mother was dying. The house is a watered down blue color, weathered from the sun and the sand. There’s no decorations, no plastic flamingoes, no welcome mat. But it’s cute.

“Home sweet home,” Tony sings once he shuts off the car. Peter laughs softly before unbuckling his seatbelt.

“Oh, you might want to take your shoes off now. The sand can be a bitch.”

“True,” Peter replies, undoing the laces of his sneakers with shaky hands. Tony does the same, then swings open the car door. Peter tucks his socks into his shoes and climbs out the car. The sand feels nice between his toes; soft and smooth.

Peter follows Tony into his house, glancing over his shoulder when they clamber up the porch steps. The city glows behind them, tiny lights dotting the landscape.

“Slow poke!” Tony laughs, snapping Peter out of his thoughts. He wraps his hands around the younger’s waist and pulls him inside. Tony kicks the door closed and Peter drops his shoes on the ground. With a flash of bravery, he rests his hands on Tony’s chest. The older man lets out a breath, and their lips are so close that the air hits Peter’s.

“I wanna kiss you,” Peter blurts, leaning closer into Tony’s touch. The corner of the man‘s mouth twitches.

“Then kiss me.”

Peter presses his lips to Tony’s. He does it a little too forcefully, too enthusiastically, because Tony stumbles backwards. He regains his footing though, and kisses back happily. Peter squeaks when Tony squeezes his ass.

“ Tony ,” Peter breathes as Tony moves his wet lips down his cheek and to his jaw.

“I’ve been thinking about getting my hands on you,” Tony grumbles against his warm skin. The feeling of his teeth makes Peter shudder. “When I saw you at the bar, I needed to get you in my bed.”

Peter lets out a shaky moan at Tony’s words, hips stuttering when he sucks a bruise onto his neck. Peter can feel the hard outline of Tony’s dick against his thigh.

“S-Speaking of that bed,” The smaller man stutters, tangling his fingers in Tony’s hair.

“Right over there,” He replies, gently grabbing Peter’s hands and removing them from his hair. The brunette giggles as Tony guides him to the bed, the bed that’s, for some reason, pushed against the living room windows. When Tony sees the look on his face, he smirks.

“I like everything in one room, baby. Except the toilet.” He explains while he gets Peter onto the bed. Peter laughs and kisses Tony again, letting the older man push him so he’s lying down. The pressure of his crotch against Peter’s makes the younger man moan against Tony’s lips. He tries to grind upwards, searching for relief against his aching cock.

“Get this fuckin-this shirt off,” Tony growls, yanking at the hem of Peter’s shirt and pulling it over his head. Tony sits upwards, shucks off his jacket, and takes off his own shirt, throwing it onto the ground. Peter’s mouth goes dry as he eyes the trail of dark hair that leads to Tony’s... yeah . Peter reaches out and touches his navel.

“Ngh, fuck,” Tony groans, hurriedly unbuckling his belt and pulling it from the loops. Peter’s chest heaves as he undoes his belt. Tony rolls to the side, unfortunately off of Peter, and starts to take off his shoes. Peter shimmies out of his jeans awkwardly, whimpering when his hand brushes over his rock hard cock.

“Pete,” Tony breathes after he takes off his jeans.

Peter pulls Tony into a kiss by his neck. The older man groans and cups both of Peter’s cheeks. The brunette reaches down and gently squeezes Tony’s dick through his cotton boxers.

“Shit!” He hisses, and in a sudden move he pulls Peter’s boxers down his pale thighs. Peter sighs when his cock is finally freed, bobbing in the cool air. It’s still the same smaller-than-average size as real life, unfortunately. But Tony’s cock is big, thick and veined and leaking precum.

“Look at you,” Tony coos, wrapping his tan fingers around Peter’s length. He lets out a high pitched whine at the friction and slick sound. “All this for me?”

“ Y-yes ,” Peter pants, tangling his fingers in the sheets. Tony shuffles closer so his own cock is lined up against Peter’s. The sight is absolutely filthy.

“I hate to admit it, but I’m really close,” Tony groans, beginning to stroke both himself and Peter at the same time. Peter’s hips jerk upwards, making his cock rub against Tony’s

“ Tony ,” Peter cries, falling forward and mouthing at the older man’s neck. For the next couple of moments, the sounds of grunts and moans fill the room. The up and down motion of Tony’s hand makes Peter’s gut curl, and before he knows it-

“Fuck!” Peter shouts as his balls tighten and he spills his release over Tony’s hand. Tony breathing picks up as he nears his climax, using Peter’s cum to slick his own cock. With a loud moan, Tony reaches his orgasm.

“Baby,” Tony mumbles once he catches his breath. Peter lets out a breathy laugh as Tony flops down on the bed. The younger man does the same, lying so close that their noses almost touch. Tony smiles, and the way his gorgeous eyes crinkle make Peter feel all warm and fuzzy.

“That was- s’really good,” He slurs, reaching out and barely grazing Tony’s cheek with his fingertips. His skin is warm, flushed a sweet pink.

“Damn right it was,” Tony laughs, wrapping his clean arm around Peter’s waist. “Do y’know what time it is? I cant remember when we left the bar.”

“It’s almost-“

Peter jolts upwards, the gentle beep of the monitor filling his ears.

“Midnight.”

*** Another Week Later- 1990

Strike a pose

(Vogue, vogue, vogue)

Peter awkwardly tucks his hands into the pockets of his overalls, breathing heavy from his trek around the club. He’s looked everywhere and he just can’t find Tony. He knows he’s being clingy and weird, but Tony has been constantly on his mind.

Look around, everywhere you turn is heartache

It's everywhere that you go (look around)

You try everything you can to escape

The pain of life that you know (life that you know)

Peter spots the man from a few weeks ago standing by the bar. What was him name again? Stefan? Steven?

Stephen!

Peter, although a little too enthusiastically, rushes down the small set of steps to the tall man. He doesn’t look up right away, of course, but he does when Peter calls out his name.

“Do I know you?” Stephen grunts, narrowing his ice blue eyes. Peter smiles warily.

“Have you seen Tony?” He asks, chewing on his bottom lip.

“No,” Stephen replies, a sour look on his face. He takes a sip of his beer. “You too, huh?”

Peter feels his stomach lurch.

“I-I don’t know. I guess I’ll go now,” He mutters. Stephen raises his hand.

“Try looking somewhere else. ‘02. Mid 70’s. Good luck.”

Come on, vogue

Let your body move to the music (move to the music)

Hey, hey, hey

Come on, vogue

Let your body go with the flow (go with the flow)

You know you can do it

***

One Week Later- 1978

“Holy smokes, you are so good at this!”

Peter smiles and jiggles the joystick of the Space Invaders machine. The girl, Betty, is leaning over his shoulder, watching the screen intently. He’s nearly at 2000 points, but with one rogue alien his last life is taken. He throws his head back and groans. Betty shrieks and grabs Peter’s shoulders.

“Come on Pete, let’s go dance! ABBA is my absolute favorite,” She giggles, spinning Peter around. The brunette opens his mouth to respond, but he spots who’s standing at the Asteroids machine.

“Um, I actually-I’m sorry Betty. There’s someone I need to talk to. I’ll see you around?” Peter stutters, and the blonde’s face falls flat.

“Okay. Maybe 2005?”

Peter smiles and Betty rushes off.

“Tony. I know you know I’m here,” Peter says once it’s just him and Tony in the arcade corner. The game makes a sad beep as he slams on the machine. Peter flinches. “Talk to me. Why are you avoiding me?”

Tony turns around, arms crossed.

“Calm down.” He grunts, avoiding Peter’s gaze.

“Tony! Why?” Peter pleads, taking a step closer to the other man. Tony awkwardly shifts on his feet.

“I need change,” He explains; his face stony.

“Change my ass!” Peter nearly shouts. He doesn’t want to draw attention to himself, but it’s hard not to. “You’re hiding from me.”

“I don’t owe you shit , Peter.” Tony growls, finally snapping. Peter flinches in surprise. His tone makes the younger’s throat tighten.

“Now leave me alone,” Tony grumbles, running off into the crowd. Peter’s stomach drops to his toes, but he rushes after Tony. He keeps the man’s dark hair in view as he pushes past patron after patron, tears pricking the corners of his eyes as he reaches the front door.

“Tony!” Peter cries once both of them are outside. He runs forward and grabs Tony’s thin wrist.

“Peter, stop it,” Tony says softly, resting his hand on Peter’s bicep. “I’m not here to fall in love.”

“Then what are you here for?” Peter asks, placing his free hand on Tony’s chest. “Why are you trying to fuckin’ fight this?”

“Because I’m not staying here,” Tony explains. “Once I’m gone, I’m gone. Screw this place. I like you, Peter. I really do. But this place-“ He looks around at the buildings on the street. “It’s not fair. Morgan-my daughter, my babygirl-she didn’t get this. It was cancer. She was 30. And my husband didn’t want this either. He was the light of my life, you know. A big blonde oaf. It wasn’t fair to take something Morgan didn’t have. So why should I?”

Peter’s breath catches in his throat.

“Oh Tony,” He mutters, and without thinking, he presses his lips to the other’s. Tony kisses back immediately, slipping his hand onto Peter’s cheek. The smaller man leans into Tony’s touch. Suddenly, a soft beep emerges from between them.

“Fuck,” Tony utters once they pull apart, lips slick and shiny with spit. “There’s 3 minutes until midnight.”

Peter doesn’t respond.

“Okay, um, next week. Meet me at the Quagmire,” Tony says hurriedly. Peter looks at him, confused. “It’s a club. Well, sort of. Just ask around and you’ll find it. How about 1987?”

“Yeah,” Peter whispers, “See you then.”

***

Next Week- 1987

In the middle of nowhere sits the broken down building of the Quagmire. The rows of motorcycles and smoke billowing out of the club tell him all he needs to know about the place. He quickly changes his outfit (one of the technological perks of San Junipero) to a more fitting look: a loose red t-shirt, black skinny jeans, and good old-fashioned Doc Martens. He feels awkward; he’s dressed like the guys he used to jack off to.

His boots crunch on the gravel as he walks up to the front doors, which are swung wide open. He can hear the faint thump of the music from above, as the only thing on the first floor is a staircase and a man slumped in the corner. Peter grimaces, and without touching the handrail, he walks up the stairs. The music gets louder and the smell of weed gets more potent. There’s a few people mulling around in the hallway leading to the main room. A guy with black-rimmed eyes blows smoke up into the air and a girl with a fucking snake around her shoulders winks at him. He gives her a weak smile and steps into the crowd.

There’s cages hanging from the ceiling with pierced girls in them and everyone’s in leather. It feels like the place Harry would always try to get him to go to back when they were in college.

He never went.

Instead of dancing, the people around him are grinding and kissing each other. It’s awkward and Peter’s too caught up in the mess of people to focus on where’s he going; he runs into a very hard body.

“Woah there, sugar,” The man purrs as Peter stumbles backward. He opens his mouth to respond, but no sound comes out. The man is gorgeous, with a perfect smile, sharp jaw, scruffy beard, and loose strands of long brown hair that frame his pretty face.

“I’m so sorry,” Peter stammers, feeling trapped in the low light of the club. The man laughs and claps him on the shoulder.

“Don’t sweat it, kid,” He grumbles, taking a swig of his beer.

“Pete!”

Peter jumps and whips his head around, catching an eyeful of a grinning Tony. His steps are wobbly as he walks over to Peter, slinging his arm around the younger’s shoulders. Peter can smell alcohol on Tony’s breath, hinting that he’s turned his pain meter down, leaving him vulnerable to the effects of liquor.

“Is this your new boy toy, Stark?” The man opposite them drawls. His comment makes Peter flush.

“Shut the hell up, Barnes,” Tony laughs, pulling Peter closer to his side. “I take it you met my friend ?”

Peter won’t lie, the word stings. But no one seems to notice, because Barnes just scoffs and rolls his eyes.

“I did not, mind you,” He says before turning to Peter. “I’m Bucky. What’s your name, doll?”

Peter preens at the pet name.

“Peter,” He replies, his hand gently brushing against Tony’s jeans. He feels good like this, he feels like they look good together . “It’s my first time here-fifth time in San Junipero.”

Bucky nods with a soft ‘ah.’

“I see you’ve already gotten caught up with Anthony. Can’t blame you, honestly. He’s a real catch,” He drawls, tucking his free hand into his back pocket. “Well, I’ll leave you alone. My husband’s lookin’ for me.”

Bucky disappears into he crowd.

“Finally, some alone time,” Tony groans, nudging Peter’s chestnut curls with his nose.

“Alone? You think this is alone?” Peter scoffs, pressing his cheek to Tony’s leather jacket. “We’re packed between people right now.”

Tony laughs loud enough that Peter can hear him clearly over the pounding rock music.

“Let’s dance, baby!” He shouts, ignoring the question. Peter giggles and lets Tony shove people out of the way to get on the dance floor. He wraps his arms around Peter’s torso and tucks his face in the crook of the younger’s neck. Peter’s breath hitches as Tony nips at the skin of his neck.

“You’re a good dancer,” He slurs, jerking his hips against Peter’s ass. The brunette’s face is on fire as Tony sways him back and forth to the beat of the music. Peter can feel himself start to chub up in his jeans, much to his embarrassment.

“ Tony ,” He groans, but he doesn’t think he can be heard over the music. Tony continues to rock his crotch against his backside, muttering sweet nothings into his ear. Peter can feel how hard the older man is, and his blood boils at the fact that he did this to him. They stay there for a while, swaying and grinding on each other. The rest of the room becomes a blur as they stand there, intertwined.

“Come to the bathroom with me,” Tony mutters in Peter’s ear; his fingers grazing over the heated skin of the younger’s stomach. “I want your mouth on me.”

A pathetic whine escapes Peter’s lips, and he nods. Tony swerves him around the metalhead party-goers and into a poorly-lit hallway. A couple is making out against the peeling wall, and Peter keeps his eyes down as Tony leads him into the men’s bathroom.

“Holy shit, I’m so fuckin’ hard,” Tony grunts, fumbling with the handle of one of the stalls. The door swings open with a clang, and Tony ushers him into the stall. Without being prompted, Peter falls to his knees and squeezes Tony’s bulge through his jeans. The older man’s eyes flutter shut and he sighs softly. With nimble fingers, Peter undoes the metal of his belt and tucks his cock out of his jeans. It’s rock hard already, flushed red and leaking. Tentatively, Peter flicks his tongue over the head of his cock. Tony groans, tangling his fingers through Peter’s curls. The younger boy slips his lips around the head, using his tongue to massage under it. A litany of curses falls from Tony’s lips as Peter takes more of his member into his mouth. The stretch makes Peter’s dick jump in his jeans. A spurt of precum leaks onto his tongue, the salty taste making his stomach churn. Peter reaches up and cups Tony’s heavy balls in the palm of his hand. He shouts and yanks Peter’s hair, giving the boy more encouragement to keep sucking. He can’t go too deep, he hasn’t done this much before, but he makes up his lack of experience with enthusiasm. As he lavishes Tony’s cock, the sound of the bathroom door opening makes him freeze.

Tony bites his fist as he cums in Peter’s mouth.

Peter swallows all his release as quietly as he can, tucking the man’s cock back into his boxers and pulling up his jeans. Tony’s chest heaves as he comes down from the high of his climax. Peter’s still unbelievably hard, and he stands up on shaky legs. Tony pulls the boy into his arms and slips his thigh between his legs. Peter moans into Tony’s shirt at the pressure against his crotch.

“Hump my thigh,” Tony growls into Peter’s ear as the other patron flushes the toilet. Peter whines and curls the older man’s shirt in his hands. He does as he’s told, desperately grinding down onto Tony. With his soft words of encouragement, Peter cums in his pants.

“ Tony ,” The brunette cries once the other man leaves the restroom, resting his head against Tony’s chest.

He strokes Peter’s curls and presses a kiss to his cheek.

“I’m so fuckin’ stupid,” Tony grumbles. “You’re gorgeous. And right here in front of me.”

Peter looks up at Tony, confused.

“You’re babbling, handsome,” He mutters, reaching upwards and tracing Tony’s lips with his finger.

“Let me see you,” Tony grumbles, resting his hands on Peter’s hips. “Let me see you in person.”

Peter’s heart skips a beat.

“You could live across the country,” He says softly, running his thumb over the bit of stubble that graces Tony’s cheek.

“But I don’t. You’re Peter Parker and you live in Arcata. I’m in San Fransisco. It’s only a four hour drive.”

“That should be creepy but it’s kind of hot,” Peter mumbles, grazing his lips against Tony’s. “But why?”

“Just let me see you,” Tony pleads, resting his forehead against Peter’s. “Everything-it’s tearing me up inside.”

Peter smiles and bumps his nose against Tony’s.

***

Next Monday -Present Day- 2045

Peter’s room is submerged in darkness, like usual. His legs still ache, but the sharp pain in his ribs has shown up again. He should tell Miss Williams once she comes for his three o’clock checkup. But he’ll have to wait throughout visitation hours, because he needs all the rest he can get. Recently, he’s been way more tired and worn down than usual.

“Peter? Are you awake?”

The man sits up in his bed slowly, rubbing his eyes with his palms. The door to his room is cracked open, and Miss Williams has her head poked inside.

“Yeah,” Peter croaks. “M’awake.”

The lights to his room turn on and Miss Williams opens the door all the way.

“You have a visitor.”

Miss Williams enters his room, a pretty red-head following her and helping a frail old man into the room.

“ Tony? ” Peter whispers as Miss Williams closes the door. Tony smiles, the wrinkles on his face deepening. Peter’s mouth stays parted in awe as the redhead helps Tony over to the chair next to his bed.

“Hi, pumpkin,” The old man says softly, taking Peter’s left hand in his own. His hands are warm and soft and thin, with callouses on every fingertip. “You’re so beautiful.”

Peter looks down at their intertwined hands bashfully. Tony raises Peter’s hand to his lips, and presses a kiss to his pale skin.

“I can stomach your face,” Peter quips; Tony rolls his eyes and chuckles. “Just kidding. You’re a stud.”

They both erupt in a fit of giggles. Peter’s sides hurt, in a good way, for the first time in months.

“Hospice?” Tony asks once they catch their breath, his tone serious. “Why didn’t you tell me?”

Miss Williams and the redhead’s conversation awkwardly falls flat. Peter traces one of the small scars on Tony’s left hand with the tip of his finger.

“I didn’t think it mattered,” Peter mumbles, continuing to avoid Tony’s heavy gaze. “It’s not like we’re going to be seeing each other for much longer.”

Tony flinches at the blow his words deliver. Ever so slightly, he squeezes Peter’s hand.

“I’m sorry,” Tony utters, his voice so quiet it’s barely audible. “I’m so, so sorry.”

“Apologizing isn’t going to do much,” Peter chimes, a single tear threatening to slip from his eye. “Not unless you stay.”

“Oh you, there’s no use in crying,” Miss Williams cuts in, grabbing a box of tissues from the small cluster of cabinets in the corner of the room. Peter takes them, taking one tissue out and batting his eyes. “I think you two need to seriously talk. Miss Potts and I will leave you alone.”

Peter gives the two nurses a weak smile as they leave his room.

“I went through all the letters he’s ever written me. Steve-my husband- he really hated the technology,” Tony explains. “I just feel so terrible. I love you Peter, I do, but it’s a disservice to him.”

Peter sucks in a deep breath.

“You love me?” He asks, voice hoarse.

“I’d be crazy if I didn’t,” Tony laughs, stroking the knobby bone of Peter’s wrist. “I’d be so fucking bonkers.”

Peter rolls his big doe eyes, the tips of his eyelashes tickling his eyelids.

“I think you’re already crazy. I think that’s what makes you so charming.”

Tony shakes his head as Peter gives him a kiss on the cheek.

“I think that’s why I’m so in love with you.

***

That Saturday-1992

The glass back door of Tony’s house slides open with a soft ‘woosh’. The wind blowing from the ocean makes goosebumps appear on Peter’s arms, and he pulls his flannel closer to his body. In the distance, the flames of the campfire lick up at the night sky.

Oh, and Tony’s waving his arms like an idiot.

“Peter!” He shouts as loud as he can. “Over here!”

Peter laughs and shakes his head before taking off over the sand, letting the wind rush past him. It’s oddly exhilarating, but he comes to a stop once he reaches Tony and his little camp area.

“My baby,” Tony purrs, wrapping his arms around Peter’s torso and spinning him around. Peter shrieks happily and grips onto Tony’s neck for support. The older man puts him down and immediately presses his lips to Peter’s. Like the roaring fire, Tony’s touch warms him to the core.

“What’s all this?” Peter asks quietly, eyeing the plaid blanket lain on the sand, the wicker basket that holds a bottle of wine, and the bouquet of roses.

“Since we’ve never had a proper date,” Tony explains, brushing a stray curl out of Peter’s eyes. “I thought I’d treat you tonight.”

Tony pulls Peter to the blanket, and the brunette sits down happily. He pushes his bare toes into the sand as Tony sits down next to him. He hands Peter a wine glass and takes one for himself, pouring the red liquid in both.

“And before you ask,” Tony says as he raises his glass to his lips. “My pain meter’s all the way up.”

Peter scoffs and takes a sip of his wine. He’s never been a huge fan of wine, but this-it’s good. His eyes wander to Tony’s face, and he takes a second studying the curves of the man. The point of his nose, the line of his jaw, the pout of his lips.

“Tony?” Peter asks, breaking the silence. The man responds with a soft ‘hm?’

“I died last night.”

Tony doesn’t respond; he just looks up at the stars. Then he turns his head to Peter, and smiles.

“I’m just glad you’re not in pain anymore.”

The tension, that Peter didn’t even realize was there, leaves his body. He rests his head on the older man’s shoulder, his cheek pressed to the softness of Tony’s sweatshirt.

“I’ve been looking for a nice place to live,” Peter rambles, his glass of wine forgotten. “They really have everything here.”

Peter slips two fingers in one of the rips on Tony’s jeans.

“Stay here,” Tony says softly. “This is practically your home now.”

The crashing of the waves echoes in his ears.

“It’s not home without you. It’ll never be home without you here with me.”

Under the moonlight, Tony smiles sadly.

***

Three Months Later-1987

It’s Wednesday when he finds him.

Peter’s browsing the shelves of Paige’s Bookstore, sipping on the rest of his leftover iced tea from lunch. The small shop has been one of Peter’s favorite places since he’s passed over. It’s in a quieter, smaller part of town, and it overlooks the sea perfectly.

Peter’s fingers stop on the spine of a copy of The Picture of Dorian Grey when the bell to the front door chimes softly. The brunette doesn’t pay any attention, and keeps browsing, until he hears the voice of the new customer.

“Good afternoon! Do you sell books here?”

Peter’s heart drops to his toes. He peers around one of the shelves to peek at the front door and-

It’s Tony.

“Tony!” Peter exclaims, failing to contain his excitement. Tony’s egotistical facade drops, and he stands there in awe. Peter, as carefully he can, rushes across the small room, and leaps into Tony’s arms. It feels so good to be back in his arms, encased by warmth and love. Tony presses kiss after kiss onto Peter’s cheeks.

Edith, the owner of the shop, coos at the two of them.

Peter may have spilt his guts to the woman the first time he met her.

“You came,” The younger cries, bubbling with glee. “You actually took the tech.”

Tony laughs and cups both of Peter’s cheeks in his hands.

“I would’ve been a fool if I didn’t,” He mutters, kissing Peter once more.

“Okay lovebirds, if you’re not going to buy anything, get out of my shop.”

Edith has never been the nicest lady.

Peter giggles, though, and bids the woman goodbye as Tony pulls him out of the shop and into the sun. He takes his sunglasses out of his pocket and slips them onto the bridge of his nose.

“I love you,” Peter sings, leaning forward to kiss Tony, but landing on his cheek. “I love you, Tony Stark.”

Ooh, baby, do you know what that's worth?

Ooh, heaven is a place on earth

They say in heaven, love comes first

We'll make heaven a place on earth

Ooh, heaven is a place on earth

Wind in his hair, salt on his lips, and a smile on his face . Tony presses down on the gas, shouting as they fly down one of the backroads of the city. Peter throws his head back and laughs; his sunglasses almost escaping his grasp.

When the night falls down

I wait for you and you come around

And the world's alive with the sound

Of kids on the street outside

“I love you, Peter Parker!” Tony shouts over the wind, honking the horn twice.

When you walk into the room

You pull me close and we start to move

And we're spinning with the stars above

And you lift me up in a wave of love

Tony slows when he reaches a dead end, leaving them atop a small hill. He shuts the car off and sighs, reaching over to squeeze Peter’s thigh.

Ooh, baby, do you know what that's worth?

Ooh, heaven is a place on earth

They say in heaven love comes first

We'll make heaven a place on earth

Ooh, heaven is a place on earth

Leaving over the dashboard, Tony hungrily kisses Peter on the lips. As the sit there making out, under the sun, with the breeze from the ocean, Peter can only think:

They’re going to be just fine.

The End.

#starker #ironspider #young!tony #san junipero au #my shit #nff #tw: terminal illness #past stony

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