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#I hope someone is going to read my rant and think huh this is inspiring
voodoo-writer · 8 months
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Found Family in Star Wars
What I really love about Star Wars is how much of the fandom is fully into the found family trope.
Like, lots of people may complain that Din and Grogu is the most generic trope that Disney could have gone for, but that’s how it always was. How a lot of the fandom truly sees Star Wars for.
Aliit ori'shya tal'din – «Family is more than blood».
The Vode. The biggest family you could have asked for. Thousands of overprotective for each other brothers, who are ready to make anything possible for each other. Waxer and Boil almost adopting Numa (yes please). The Bad Batch that are literally five older brothers taking care of one little sister.
True Mandalorians. Like Jaster Mereel, Kal Skirata, young Jango, Walon Wau, Mij Gilamar, Vhonte Tervho – all of them stay true to Resol'nare, be it an au with no Kamino or with it. You get 1 True Mandalorian within a radius of child in distress and now you have an angry buir ready to kill. It is literally in the marriage vows – We will raise warriors.
The Jedi Order. They have their flaws (who does not?) but they are one huge dysfunctional family. From Crèche masters, Knights, Masters, Guardians, Younglings and Padawans. They protect their own. You can say anything about «no attachment rule» but I feel like having an amazing lineage with lots of padawan-siblings, masters, uncle/aunt-masters, grandmasters that ground you must be an amazing feeling. We do know that the Jedi still fail their own in lots of ways, but like if there were no Sith and they were living not in the middle of the Republic imagine how more peaceful and truer to the code their lives would be?
The Corps. We don’t get a lot of information about them but I adore everyone who writes, shares headcanons, draws them. They are still Jedi, though they have different specializations. They give aged out younglings new purpose and they stay true to the Force. To be honest, since the Corps do not live on Coruscant I believe before 66 they were definitely even more attuned to the Force then the Order (cause again, one annoying Sheev)
The Ghost Crew. Do I even need to say anything? They are an amazing family that pulled through a lot of obstacles (and sadly losses). They all lost something even before getting together but staying together was their biggest strength.
The Opress brothers. Even though we did not get a lot of Feral in TCW we got enough of Maul and Savage. Even with all of the evilness and full sith-crazy mode they were brothers till the end. If it was not for Dooku and Sidious (and well mother Talzin and nightsisters) they would be still together and be strong.
The Original Skywalker/Solo family. Han’s and Luke’s brotherhood even before romance with Leia started. Leia and Luke bonding even before they knew they were blood family. Chewie protecting his family, even the Droids like C3PO and R2.
And the list goes on. I probably missed out on a lot of families so if you want to add some to the list – do reblog/comment!
 In the end I just want to say that even though a lot of people say that our fandom is one of the most toxic ones I still adore everyone who spends their time writing, drawing, doing cosplay – literally anything fandom related. Even if you don’t create and just read – supporting creators makes all of this worth it.
Please, continue creating more stories about any characters, any family, anything that you love in this fandom. There always will be people who will appreciate anything you do to help our fandom thrive.
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goodluckclove · 19 days
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I've been meaning to say something. (100 follower hot take)
Hey! Thanks for stopping by. I hope you've had a nice day. Why don't you rest with me for a while? I made some chocolate chip cookies - with shortening instead of butter, so they're very soft and very chocolatey. I made way too many and they aren't my wife's favorite, so I could use some help in eating them.
You're probably a writer, right? Or maybe you think about how you could be. Browse the tags here, or on other social media platforms. Maybe you used to write stories as a kid. I bet those were fun. Teachers might've thought they were impressive, or they dissected them line by line until the words didn't make sense in your head anymore. Either way, if you're here you're probably here for a reason.
(rant alert)
I dipped a toe in online writing communities on and off. My last attempt was forty-five minutes scrolling through the writing hashtag on Youtube Shorts (so TikTok, I guess? I don't know). I didn't like it. I really didn't. The thing that sticks out the strongest in my mind is one particular video where a woman claims that every story needs a second act plot twist.
Huh? Every story? All of them? Why? Since when? Who are you? What qualifications do you have to make a statement like that?
That's the common thread that makes a lot of writing spaces very uncomfortable for me. Successful writers are really only successful in their genre and for the given moment, so they don't have that much objective authority in the craft. And yet I see a lot of people deciding the things that you can't do in writing. Or the things you have to do, and how you have to do them. It was so much of Writeblr at first glance that I almost dipped out once again. I didn't, though, and I'm glad I didn't because now I get to watch some of the next great storytellers from across the world grow and examine and forge their way forward.
No one can teach you how to write. No, that's not true. Teachers teach literacy. Handwriting. Typing maybe - do schools still teach typing? Let me try saying it in a different way - no one, not one single person on this goddamned planet, has the right to tell you how to make a story.
I was supposed to get my MFA in creative writing before my first breakdown. My uncle stayed in the program I was meant to be in, and a few years after I dropped out he graduated. Recently I had the thought to look up his thesis novella, and as I searched I found myself regretting my decision to leave school. If I stayed and got to develop my writing in an actual class, with other writers and a knowledgeable professor, how much further along would I be than where I am right now?
It was bad. His novella was terrible. It was so bad I had a small existential crisis for, like, three days. He spent so much money on years and years of professional education and came out with a truly soulless story that read as if you prompted an AI to write the next Great American Novel. So if you think you need a writing degree to be a legitimate author, it could help connections-wise, but it ultimately won't be the thing that does the work for you.
Not all advice I see online on writing is bad. I find the people who are able to capture the "I" statements of therapy and phrase advice as things that have worked for them, or things that they personally enjoy, to be fine. Some writing advice can spark inspiration.
But if someone is the type of person to boil every story down to troupes and cliches, and then immediately say that every story that uses the trait they don't like is automatically bad for everyone? I'm dropping the kindness for a second - that's trash. That's a trash take and I see far too many writers use it as a reason to stop before they begin.
I don't like whump. I say my reasons in previous posts if you go back through my blog. But you will never hear me say that any story with whump in it is bad, because I don't know that. You might prove me wrong. I am an adult human being and I have the humility to admit that I can like something I didn't expect to. I genuinely enjoy the direction of The Human Centipede (only the first one) and if you cringed just now that probably means you haven't seen it.
There are so many types of books and movies and plays and comics out there. To enjoy a specific genre is fine, to ignore the existence of everything else is a really, really, really odd thing to do. Maybe someone will hate your story because they think everything should be Neil Gaiman, and therefore have no way to understand your epistolary high-Western. You are not the wrong end of that situation just for existing.
And at there is a definite threshold on how many writing tips you can gather before they stop being useful. If you find them interesting, that's one thing. That's fine. But if the culture of creativity online has made you feel like you need to educate yourself on every possible angle before you can write a story, you are actively harming yourself.
Imagine taking the level of structure you put on yourself in that way and putting it on children playing pretend in the backyard. Oh, Susie, don't you know that it's overdone for your Kitsune have dead parents? Xyler, shouldn't you ask someone else before you decide how Spiderman would react to this? It would make no sense and they do not need it. Kids will make a whole world out of nothing and it's the most fucked thing in my heart that at some point they get access to Reddit and dipshits start insisting that's wrong.
They aren't wrong and you aren't either. Your favorite creative influencer can't tell you your story, strangers on the internet can't tell you your story, your teachers and loved ones can't tell you your story. They can influence it, but they can't write it honestly the way you can.
You do that. That's the thing you do.
Man that makes me upset. I can't tell you how to make a story, either. If anyone sends me asks for writing advice the most I'll do is say what I've done before hopping into your DMs and starting a direct conversation. it's so personal to each individual artist, and I'd like to think that the people selling these classes and software and promoting these platforms haven't thought about that before. Otherwise it does feel manipulative. If you have a willingness to practice and imagine and really experiment with the possibilities, you are ready to write your story.
And if it doesn't work? Try again. That's what you do.
Stephen King has written roughly a thousand books and maybe five of them have decent endings. He is unimaginably successful.
I'm rambling now. I think I got that out of my system. I was really worried to say this out of fear of being too weird or somehow reverse-gatekeeping so hard that it circles back into also being a bad thing. I've just spoken to a lot of people who I still think of throughout my day, and I truly ache for them to get past the fear of creation. Because it's worth it. It's worth it and it's fun, even when it's messy and you're tired.
Let it Be just came on. Beatles. I haven't listened to The Beatles in a long time. Feels a little apropos.
I love you, reader. Reader, Writer, Colleague. Take care of yourself. Especially the little you, still sitting there in the backyard of your soul, bathing in the sun with their bare feet in the damp earth.
Consider joining them, maybe.
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thedaughterofkings · 7 months
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Get to know me
Game: tag someone you want to get to know better!
I was tagged by the lovely @shealwaysreads, thank you so much!
Three ships: All time probably Sterek (Teen Wolf), Merthur (Merlin) and number three ... Drarry/Spirk/Wincest? Lately I've been reading a ton of Steddie (Stranger Things) (don't ask me how I ended up in this rabbit hole, I've not even seen a single minute of Stranger Things), I've actually read quite a bit of Drarry (Harry Potter) again recently and I think literally all of Robb/Jaime (GOT/ASOIAF) (some twice already) (I fully and completely blame Astolat)
First ship: Drarry - literally the very first fic I ever read was an epic Harry Potter fic and after like 150k of gen fic, Draco came out of the Forbidden Forest and he and Harry hugged and kissed and I was like - huh? I guess that works? And then I dove head first into (slash) fic and fandom and never looked back (If that fic rings any bells, I'd love any help to find it again!!!)
Last song: I don't know how music is such a big part of my life but I still always blank on questions like this - I'll go with some Nightwish: End of all Hope - if you need to get your blood pumping for something, I highly recommend that!
Last movie: I saw Ocean's 8 again recently, I think that was the last one I saw on TV. I honestly don't remember the last time I went to the cinema... The last movie I saw that wasn't a rewatch was Midsommar I think (and that's not going to get a rewatch I'm afraid)
Currently reading: Steddie fic I'm way behind on my Rivers of London, so that's currently top of my to read pile! (One of the last things I've read was Babel and boy do I have things to rant about there)
Currently watching: Honestly, that Edwardian farmers documentary series Bella mentioned sounds great! I'm currently watching the German version of The Great British Bake Off and I'm seriously considering a Sherlock rewatch
Last thing I wrote: I do not remember the last time I wrote anything, the last one and a half years were literally hell and I wasn't writing much even before that...
Currently writing: HOWEVER, I've felt inspired again lately! Not yet to the point of actually putting words on a page admittedly, but there has been shower plotting, which is already so much better than nothing! Honestly, right now half of the struggle is deciding on one idea, which is such a luxury to have after years of nothing! (I have two Drarry plot bunnies, two Robb/Jamie ones and vague Starks are awesome gen fic bunnies, plus of course approximately a million Sterek fic plot bunnies (some already started) - currently the fake dating Robb/Jamie one is in the lead)
Tagging: @loverofcake, @jcbmcdrmtt (It won't let me tag you - rude), @sharlaidfrey, @genderqueer-deity, @fanfic-yes-please and you who has read the entirety of this post!
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jadespeedster17 · 2 years
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Ages Like Glass
Warnings: Blood, Hypnosis, and mild Violence. 
POV: Second (You/Your)
Notes: Send help, I’ve fallen for train twins hard and it’s turning into a hyper fixation.  In other news, I’ve been gaining followers like crazy, you all really like my fanfic content huh? *Flushes* And a few I follow and love their content of, which I’ll tag, have said they want to see Vampire stuff. Given I’ve mostly been doing Hivemind, let’s have some Vampire Twins as a treat.
@malaiselover @peachsodama @bellafragolina (Lol I keep tagging you guys in things as my ideas keep coming from your pages, I hope that alright. I don’t want to crowd your inbox.) ((Side note: If you all ever have a request, just let me know. I’m just happy to have inspiration :D))
Summary: you have always been able to see years above peoples heads. You know how old they area, and when they are going to die. The time they are born, and the time of their demise. But a day in a simple Unova Subway Station you meet two people who are over a hundreds years old! But... that’s impossible!
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People were willing to do anything to be told their fates, to be told what would happen in their life. You knew this all too well. Having been traveling around the world doing many number of ‘occult’ things. Really you just read tarot cards, bone readings, and spell jars. You found out that despite your gift, people really just wanted to have someone to rant too and give advice, and plot some revenge. 
You rarely had to use your gift on people, unless they were insistent. But you still met your fair share of skeptics, hence why you stay out of the media. Excuse you for not wanting to be associated with quacks and scammers.  Today was just another day, moving to your next location to set up a booth at a fair grounds. People watching as always, given your phone died. You saw the shadowy dates on their heads, their birth dates... and their death dates.
Some you tried not to cringe at, older people who were months away from theirs, some even younger then that. You often morbidly wondered how they would die so young. What would be the reason for them to just die at the age of 22? Why did that child’s date say a few weeks?  But you stayed quiet, most would think your crazy... or maybe file a lawsuit against you when their person did die. Yes that almost happened, it was a nightmare, the judge laughed the case out after the woman tried. You got lucky... but didn’t bother to warn people again. Unless they were customers, you didn’t care. Or at least you tired not to.
Somedays you’d look in the mirror, your numbers were always fuzzy, you saw your birthday... but never your death day. Not sure if that’s a good or bad thing. But, not one to look a gifted horse in the mouth, you didn’t bother to prob it. Frankly knowing when you’re going to die was just dreadful in your opinion. Many said they wanted to know, but they didn’t understand. It was like when you time yourself, stress becomes a factor. You’ve seen clients have that happen to them.
People were milling about excitedly, talking about some... maybe celebrities, you didn’t know, coming nearby. You lost count between the many champions of different regions and gym leaders. You were not envious at all of anyone who was a big named trainer.  And... you also didn’t bother with Pokémon because last time you got attached you had to watch the counter tik down for your partner. You have thought about getting a ghost type pokemon, as they didn’t seem to have any counter on their head... but weren’t sure if you were experience enough for that.
As your train was called for boarding, you got up with your head slump a bit. you really didn’t want to look any one else, having seen enough for now. And walked forward to quick board, the sooner you got out the city the better. Typical you fashion, the universe seemed to love causing problems, as you had to run into someone. You felt like an idiot, and embarrassed, how cliché was this to bump into someone lost in thought. 
You look up at the person you ran into, and felt even more annoyed at the world as your face was warm. Shit... he was also cute. He was wearing all white and had a conductors hat on, a bright smile on his face and white eyes to match. You almost wrinkled your nose at this, “Sorry.” you managed out in a grumble of a tone, trying not to come off as annoyed as you felt.
“I am Emmet, it’s not a problem!” Emmet, as you clearly just started, said. Odd, but you could see peoples death’s so... no room for you to judge.
Your eyes trail up to his face and you felt shock run through your body. You could see the shadowy outlines of his dates but... they were all wrong. It didn’t make sense, given the year you were in he would have to be...
September 25, 1563.
That... would make him over 400 years old!?
But that wasn’t the strangest part, it was his death day which was blurry, you couldn’t make out anything like your own. You mouth was open in shock as Emmet looked confused at your staring. “Something on my face?” he teased you as yo blinked out of your stupor and shook your head quickly.
“N-No... sorry again.” you said pushing past him and quickly leaving. You felt cold ice in your veins. That shouldn’t be possible, no one was over 400 years old! At least no one you’ve ever met before. You ran off to board your train, trying to put it out of your mind.
You did not just see a guy who was born in the 1500′s, it was your imagination.
-
Some would say curiosity shouldn’t be something you always give into. After all Curiosity Killed the Cat. But as you sat there after cleaning up your booth lost in thought. The dates still floating in your head, 1563... That man, Emmet, would have been born in the Renaissances Era. You asked some people about his name, and found out a bit on it. Supposedly he was a crazy strong pokemon trainer who, with his brother, ran Gear Station.
You frowned, he looked so young, if you couldn’t see dates, you’d have swore he was in his 20′s. You narrowed your eyes packing up your things, it was getting late... you really should find a hotel for the night... you really should be putting this out of your mind.
You really shouldn’t be thinking about going back and finding out who the fuck that man was really.
. . . And here you were, going off to possibly die like the stupid horror movie protag in a subway that was near dead at midnight. The workers legit looked like zombies walking around... graveyard shift people, you’ll forever fear and salute them.  So needless to say, it was laughably easy to sneak in to the Employee places only. Like you swore one of the girls saw you, but she was just too tired to give a shit. You walked down the service tunnels with really a loose plan in mind.
Find that Emmet guy and confront him about his age thing. Worst he could do is laugh at you... you hope... come to think of it would he kill you if you knew?
Admittedly the plan had more loose ends than a Whimsicott’s cotton balls, and maybe you should have more self preservation skills than this. But, your death date was unknown to you. So as far as you were concern, you were either immortal or death was scared of you. 50% chance says you wouldn’t die here, and your need to know outweighed your fear of the other 50%.
Even if you didn’t know where to start looking, you figured you’d find him eventually, as you did see him go into the tunnels briefly when you entered the station. Kind of hard not to see a man in all white, he stuck out like a sore thumb.
You little flashlight didn’t do much for light itself, but it was the best you had. Walking down the dark tunnel and trying not to stray from the path, you really didn’t want to get lost in here.  You paused though as you heard something in the distance, and slowly move your light up to see what it was. Given it was a few feet in front of you, your light barely illuminated it. 
But the colors of white were the first you saw then something black in the back area... oh and the blood. It was on the ground, a person, eyes glazed over in the low light of your flashlight. And two men biting the wrists.
Numb horror ran over your body at that as you could only stare. As two pairs of red eyes looked up at you and hissed, flashing fangs. 
This seemed to be enough to snap you out of your trance as you screamed out in terror and turned to flight. Running full speed down the tunnel walls, you felt your lungs burn as you tried to get away, you had to get out of here!  Monsters! Was the only think you mind could really supply in terms of what you just say. And the need to survive was strong as they had killed someone back there.
But you didn’t get far before something tackled you full speed, you grunted as the ground hit hard, knocking the wind from your lungs. You struggled, trying to get the arms off of you, being held down against your will. “Get off of me!” you cried out as you tried to push at the person.
“Shhh, shhhh.” they said trying to cover your mouth, but you trashed around inside. Someone else was there, gripping your head in place now with cold hands and a grip like steel. You were looking at the outlines of them, as your eyes met the one on top of you.
Red as blood, they seemed to glow in the darkness.
And you couldn’t look away.
“That’s it... breath slowly now.” their voice was firm, demanding your attention, you wanted to start struggling again but the fight left your body. The eyes seemed to pulse a little as you were held steady, “Just watch my eyes,” he told you, holding your arms down, “Let the fear fade away, breath in... breath out.”
You found yourself listening, breathing in and out slowly as he suggested, your body going limp in their grip. Those eyes were so pretty to look at. Swirling and pulsing, holding your attention with ease. “Good, very good... stay right here, you want to stay here, you have no reason to leave.” his voice was commanding, you wanted to listen to him. You nodded faintly to these words.
A sigh was heard above you as hands left your wrists and head, the person getting up from being on top of you. “This is bad.” you heard one say.
“What should we do with them? Too many witnesses unlike the other, but they’ve seen too much.”
“. . . We could take them back to our hideout, and get to see why they followed us down here.’
“This sounds like a verrrry bad idea.” 
The voices faded in and out, like you were underwater, you felt calm though, light weight and floaty. And soon everything else just faded with it.
-
“Come out now... follow my voice, and wake up.” You heard as your eyes opened slowly, you... knew that voice. That was the same one of the guy that had..
Your eyes snapped open as you saw a person in front of you. His eyes no longer red, but now pools of white. “Good, your awake, I was afraid I pushed you too far.” he told you you could only stare at him. “Okay, please don’t freak out, we just want to ask you some questions.”
Not like you could, your body still felt like it weighed 50 pounds. The man sat back in front of you, “My name is Ingo for starts, and my brother says he’s already met you.” he begins as you only glare at him, but that doesn’t deter him. “Given you’re still alive, could I ask why you thought to follow us don’t into the tunnels?”
Making a face you gazed up at his head at the numbers, the same as Emmet’s. September 25th 1563, and the death date was scrawled out. Then back down to Ingo’s face, at this point, what did you have to lose? Telling the truth might be your best option.
Gazing at Ingo for a long moment you finally spoke up, “You and your brother were born in 1563, September 25th... the time was around 7am.” you said to him calmly, and he can only stare at you. 
The silence held between you both, heavy and thick.
Finally you broke the silence, “I can see it, you date of birth.” you pointed to above his head, “It’s like floating numbers, it tells me when you were born...” you looked at him, “And when you die.”
Ingo seemed to blink with a soft, “Ah.” escaping his mouth, “So you saw Emmet’s date of birth and thought to ask why he’s over 400?” he asked you, with an eyebrow raise.
You looked sheepish, “Saying it like that sounds stupid, but yes.” you admits, your plan really was as stupid as it sounds.
“Because it was verrrry stupid!” Emmet’s voice said as he rounded the corner with a grin, “Middle of the night you just decide to follow me into a dark ally. What if I had been hunting you silly?” he teased you with a boop to your nose.
You looked indianite at that, face feeling warm again. Not like you had room to talk as asshole had a point. So instead you made a face like a pout, which only made Emmet coo at you. You smacked his hands away with a glare, you would not be cooed over by him, you were angry damn it!
“Regardless... you know now what we are...” Ingo said to you as Emmet did back off with a snicker. 
You gazed back at him, you had a pretty good idea after everything. “Vampires.” you told them, “You’re both vampires.”
Emmet decided next to you was a good seat as he nodded, “I am Emmet, but vampire is not just that. I’m not just some bloodsucker, oh no no. While I can drink blood, I also feed on energy too!” he said in a very proud tone of this.
“Huh?” You looked confused to him then to Ingo, who sighed at that.
“There are several kinds of vampires. Lesser born ones, as portrayed in media, are the Blood Sucker kinds.” he started to explain, “Most every vampire can feed on blood, but some can get it from other sources. My younger brother here-”
“only by 3 minuets!” Emmet said to him with a nose wrinkle.
Ingo’s eyes only glinted with mischief, “My younger brother,” he stressed again, seemingly liking how that pissed off Emmet, “is a Energy Vampire. Meaning he feeds on both Blood and Energy. This energy comes off in emotions, mainly positive ones.”
After glaring at Ingo, Emmet decided to turn to you and nodded with a smile, “Remember to Smile, as I always say! If people are at ease around me and trust me, I feed verrrrry good!” he told you. He then relaxed his smile, “Since so many people come into the station, I don’t have to worry about over feeding on them.”
Something told you that overfeeding on energy was bad, but you really didn’t want details. You looked back at Ingo, “And you are?” you asked.
“My brother is a Soul Vampire!” Emmet said proudly, “He can feed on the souls of other humans to sate his hunger, turning them into thralls of sorts.”
You could only gap at that  as Ingo sighed, “A bit blunt Emmet,” he told him as Emmet only shrugged passively. The older shook his head, “Yes, I’m a Soul Vampire, I don’t feed on them often enough as my brother does, but you had the unfortune luck of seeing my alst victim.”
“That guy in the tunnel.” You whispered in shock as Ingo’s white eyes stared at you, all the confirmation you needed.
Clearing his throat Ingo continued, “If it makes you feel better, he was not a kind man, won’t be missed either.” he explained, but it still made you ill that Ingo had pretty much sucked the soul out of a human and then they drained his body dry.
Cold fear ran through you, “Would you have done that to me?” you asked a bit hesitant, part of you wanting an answer, the other not.
Emmet leaned back on the couch, “Actually that’s why we brought you here, obviously we can’t let you leave to tell others... but we also don’t have reason to kill you.” he gazes at you with a head tilt and grin. “So we were going to ask if you would stay with us instead!”
Now you see more of what Ingo meant earlier by ‘blunt’. Emmet was clearly smart, but liked to hide his calculative nature by child like actions. But he was also blunt to a fault, in just the short interaction you had with him, you felt you knew alot and nothing at all. And you felt you knew even less about Ingo. So why were they offering you this?
Your eyes told this much as Ingo spoke up next, “It’s an offer is all, we don’t want our secret getting out.. but you gift intrigues us also. Able to see fake IDs easy, better than most in our coven could.” he explained to you, as you stared at him going on about the benefits they’d offer to you if you chose to stay.
Emmet was now talking, “The only requirement of you is that you allow us to feed on you when we need to, and keep it secret what we are. In return we give you protection from other creatures and covens, longer life span, and eventually a chance to join our coven.” he listened off by holding out fingers. “Oh and we’ll make sure your verrry healthy, junk food blood and energy tastes awful.” he made a disgusted face.
“Feeding?” you managed to ask them.
Ingo pointed to his own wrist, “We mostly bite our, in the know, employees on the wrist, we don’t take alot of blood, just enough incase we really need it. Which isn’t often. Our coven members are the same, as sires we will not allow any of them to harm you.” he promised to you.
They were really trying hard to get you to agree... and honestly it might be working. 
Your job was whatever you could find, always on the move, afraid of the day someone might hurt you for using your gift for them. Now to know that vampires, maybe even werewolves, demons, and other creatures existed... would they hunt you too? Ingo did say your gift was intriguing, meaning not many have it from the sound of it.  but to live a half life? And maybe become a vampire?
You didn’t have anyone, but humanity was something that allow you to die. A short lifespan to try and cram so much into, centuries seemed to vast. Yet the shadowy scrawl that should have been your death date taunted you, fate was a strange mistress, and a cruel one too.
Gazing up at the two again, you took a breath in, “When would I start?” you asked.
Emmet’s shoulders relaxed at that and his smile did too, Ingo nodded to you with a smile of his own. “Tomorrow night we’ll show you the ropes, then let the others teach you from there. You’ll need to know a few things about trains, but with time you’ll get it.” he said in a happy tone also.
His younger brother ruffled your hair, “I am Emmet, and we have more than enough time.” he agreed before looking at Ingo, “tomorrow we can also bond with you.” 
Bond? the world sounded odd but frankly you had a feeling you’d find out later. For now, Ingo helped you to your feet and offered to let you stay the night. Creatures like to hunt around this time, and until you were bonded, he didn’t want to risk losing you, neither did Emmet.
You agreed, if only because you were a bit uneasy about leaving now. And oddly, you felt you cold trust these two.
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headcanons again!
1. Emmet is very smart and knows as much as his brother, but he likes to act more childish and silly because it makes others smile. Just be afraid if you piss him off, if the small falls, run. He’s the more extroverted of the two twins and damn proud of it. But giggles when people say Ingo is so shy, because his brother just doesn’t like public.
2. Ingo is the more serious looking of the two, he talks loudly without meaning too even at a normal volume. He does most of the teasing out of the two brothers, mainly to Emmet. But alone, Ingo can be just as silly as his brother, who seems to bring it out in him. His quiet nature is only in public.
3. Emmet has tiks, ‘I am Emmet’ and ‘Verrrry’ are one of them, he also does flappy hands when excited, and bounces on his feet. When standing idle for too long he starts to bop his head to music he hears in his head. He’s also a pacer when thinking. had random bouts of giggles when he thinks of something funny, people give him weird looks when he does this.
4. Ingo is almost the same way, he flaps his fists though and has to hold himself back form making noises when he does so. Once or twice Emmet has had to stop him form almost hitting himself when he stims. He sometimes grits his teeth too much, which Emmet says he really shouldn’t do. And he rocks on his from one foot to the other, or does the penguin arm flaps, when idle. He’s a talker when deep in thought, doesn't care if your not listening.
5. Both twins are afraid they come off as too much to others, hence why they don’t like going in public as often. 
These headcanons are based upon my friend who has ADHD and Tiks himself. that or he’s Autistic, one of the two, getting looked at by a (good) therapist is hard in the bible belt. 
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btsmosphere · 3 years
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Lost in a Book | JHS
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~summary: you and Jung Hoseok don’t exactly see eye to eye. but when you (literally) fall headfirst into a whole other world, that becomes the least of your worries ~pairing: hoseok x reader ~word count: 8.5k ~enemies to lovers, college au, fantasy au ~rating: g ~warnings: naughty freudian slip, sexual tension, arguing, fire
~a/n: this is my gift for the wonderful @moccahobi‘s birthday! I am so lucky to be friends with someone as funny, hard working and gorgeous as you and I hope you have a great day!! and no, of course I didn’t choose the biggest bingo square only to forget and write this in a week.. (okay, I did, so pls go easy on any errors!) as always the lovely admins at @thebtswritersclub came up with a fun challenge to prompt this story, so I will be including my makeup palette bingo square at the end so you can see what prompts I used for this! enjoy x
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The moment you had seen Jung Hoseok coming through the door, your eyes rolled.
Almost entirely made of large windows, the front of the coffee shop you worked in allowed you to see all the passers-by. So when you spotted your classmate coming down the street, laughing loudly with a couple of friends, you had prayed that he would just pass by.
Of course, you could never get what you wished for.
“Yoongi-“ you tried in vain to capture your friend’s attention, but too late. Yoongi hadn’t even looked around from where he was scrubbing coffee cups when a familiar voice reached your ears, making you groan internally.
“Y/N! Hard day at work? You look frazzled.”
“To what do I owe the pleasure?” you drawled, resigning yourself to serving him.
He simply leaned on the counter, sagging with laughter.
“Always service with a smile with you, isn’t it?”
“I’m sure you’d be just as tired if you even tried to focus in class,” you fired back.
His grin didn’t even falter. But at last, he dropped his teasing. With a scoff he ordered a tea and turned around, scrolling on his phone with his back to you as you got to work.
It seemed you had grabbed Yoongi’s attention after all, judging by the poorly-hidden snort from the washing up area.
Scowling, you chucked together a cup of tea distractedly, only too relieved when you pushed it over the counter to be rid of Hoseok. So when he sipped it only to wince in disgust, your heart sank.
“Jesus, where’s the caffeine? This is so weak.”
Your desire to argue back lost its short-lived wrestle with your customer service training, and you were reluctantly offering to make a new one. This time, you forced yourself to pay more attention. You knew that way, you could actually get rid of the nuisance on the other side of the counter.
“You see Y/N, the bag goes in the water,” Hoseok remarked, leaning over to see what you were doing.
Shooting the most passionate glare you could muster had the undesirable effect of sending him into peals of laughter.
Eventually, after making a point to leave the teabag in for much longer – at least until you noticed his fingers begin to tap on the countertop – you passed over his second cup with a sarcastic smile. His mood didn’t seem to have dampened that much, but he left without a fuss.
“You have great chemistry.”
The dry remark from behind you had you whirling around to glare at Yoongi instead. He stood in front of his stack of clean washing, observing you with a smirk.
“I don’t think Jung Hoseok knows what chemistry is,” you grumbled.
But as you set to work, a little aggressively, on scrubbing the counter, you never would have guessed how right you were. Or that it would soon become your responsibility.
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“So when we sleep, what part of the brain transfers memory from white to grey matter?”
“…what’s grey matter again?”
“I think you could do with some more of it,” you muttered in lieu of an answer.
Hoseok lifted his head from his arms just enough to fix you with reproachful puppy eyes. Sighing, you tugged the textbook back across the table towards you, flipping a few pages back and jabbing your finger at the relevant passage.
Raising an eyebrow, he read it for the second time today with a growing frown.
“Long term…” he said at length.
“Long term memory!” you groaned, dropping your forehead against the heel of your hands.
Behind you, you knew Jungkook and Yoongi were watching this unfold with amusement. You weren’t sure you could take much more of this.
If you had envisaged this when you had signed up for your college’s mentor program, well, you may have changed your mind.
At last, the hour dragged by. Apparently Hoseok wanted to be there as little as you, collecting the books and leaving very quickly once you were done. Though your shift was over, you were sure you might explode if you didn’t get to rant about the guy right now.
Huffing, you marched over to the counter.
“He’s such a jerk!” you threw your hands out, “his ego’s so big, it’s like he thinks he’s too good to even try! And now it’s up to me to make sure he isn’t so behind, but there is so much to do!”
Your coworkers weren’t helping. Both had given up suppressing their laughter, openly enjoying your pain.
“You guys are no help,” you grumbled, folding your arms.
“Just be patient,” Jungkook offered, “it might get better in time.”
“Patience is not something Jung Hoseok inspires,” you retorted, “and I’m being good enough as it is! I even had the generosity to lend him my textbook!”
“You’re a saint,” Yoongi chuckled.
A withering glare later, you slung your bag over your shoulder and bid your friends a tired goodbye.
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Much as you hated to admit it, there may have been some truth in what Jungkook told you. Patience did seem to be the key after all. A lot of patience.
A few more meetings had passed, and Hoseok remembered a lot more now. You weren’t sure whether it was due to the quality of your teaching or just a desire to avoid your constant scolding, but it didn’t matter too much. The result was what counted.
You were to meet again today. As always, he came as your shift finished so that you could work in the café.
“You like him really.”
Jungkook’s voice tore your eyes away from the clock you had been watching.
“I’m sorry?”
“You like him,” he repeated, “I’ve never seen you so impatient to get off work.”
“What? I’m not,” you scoffed, “it’s just-“
The little jingling bell above the door interrupted you. Never finishing your thought, you left Jungkook to meet Hoseok at the counter.
“Tea?” you asked him.
“Not if you’re making it,” he quipped, eyes already skimming the menu on the wall behind you.
You scoffed with a roll of your eyes, but said no more. Hoseok’s teasing eyes returned to you as he said,
“Think you can manage a hot chocolate?”
“Of course I can make hot cock-“ your eyes widened at your momentary slip “-chocolate. I can make hot chocolate-“
But for all your correcting and muttering, there was no hiding your embarrassing moment from Hoseok, whose eyes lit up with surprise before laughter spilled out of him in reams.
“I didn’t mean to make you so flustered, Y/N!” he cackled.
Biting your tongue, you hid your burning face from him as he half-collapsed against the counter with the force of his laughter. You angrily set to work on the drink, milk sloshing in the jug as you thrust it under the machine.
“With whipped scream on top too, huh?”
Hoseok’s incessant mocking didn’t stop until you had handed him the drink. If anything could prove to Jungkook just how wrong he was, this should do it. Still, you didn’t dare to turn around and see what your friend made of the situation.
Mixing the powder into the hot milk forcefully, you glared down at the cup.
Damn Jung Hoseok! He couldn’t be any more infuriating if he tried. It wasn’t your fault he was so annoying it made it hard for you to think straight. No one else managed to rile you up so much as him.
You gave him the drink with a side of deathly glare. It only served to amuse him more.
Safe to say you were dreading the next hour.
Clocking off soon after, you hung up your apron regretfully and headed across to your usual table. Thankfully Hoseok was a bit more subdued now.
Unfortunately, you were about to find out why.
“So, Y/N,” he started as you were sitting down.
This brought your attention to him straight away. Your eyes narrowed as he toyed with his mug on the table, avoiding your eyes.
“So, uh, that textbook you lent me-“
You had a bad feeling already. Looking around, you didn’t notice it on the usual pile of books.
“Where is it?” you cut him off.
At last he raised his head to meet your eyes, and you didn’t like what you saw.
“It’s not like we need it that badly anyway,” he began, though you weren’t sure you had ever heard him sound so hesitant, “we finished most of the stuff in there anyway…”
“You lost it, didn’t you?”
“Well, yeah. And I think I also spilled some-“
Not waiting for him to finish, you exclaimed your frustration.
“I can’t believe you! Just because you don’t see a use for ever picking up a book, I need that! I don’t have that kind of money spare either…”
As you raked a hand through your hair, Hoseok decided now was the time to be helpful.
“Gosh, I was afraid you would do this. We have a library for a reason, you know?”
Stopping your train of thought abruptly, you lowered your hand to glower at him.
“And now you’re going to make me go in the library? Ugh, you really have it out for me.”
Incredulous laughter followed. Hoseok leaned back in his chair, observing you with raised eyebrows.
“You’re telling me you believe in those stupid rumours?”
Shifting uncomfortably, you shrugged.
“Well, you’ve got to admit the place is creepy, right? And my flatmate said she knew that girl Cindy-“
As you spoke, Hoseok’s laughing grew louder, steadily filling the café until you were forced to stop.
“What?” you hissed.
“We’ve all heard about “Cindy”,” he made quotation marks in the air, “but that’s just a story! The older students made it up to scare newbies – and it would seem it worked. But everyone knows the scariest thing in the library is just the course reading.”
Biting your tongue, you didn’t muster up a response. You would only face more ridicule if you argued about this.
“Don’t forget the librarian,” you joked half-heartedly.
Hoseok chuckled lightly, and you were glad he dropped the topic after that.
But still the issue of your sorely misused textbook remained.
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There was nothing to be done. You had to go to the library.
It may seem a ridiculous thing to be scared of, especially for someone who loved books, but, as Hoseok had kindly refreshed your memory of, there were… stories. The campus library at your college warranted a degree of wariness.
Most commonly told was the story of Cindy, supposedly a student at the university many years before. No matter how dramatic the story was made, the essentials were the same; she had gone into the library and never come out.
Logically, you knew that this was just one of those quirky urban legends that came to surround certain places.
Nonetheless, your nerves only worsened as you entered the grand building.
On your way in, you only passed one other student. Most people were leaving uni at around this time, but you needed to hang around anyway because your shift was soon. You had sent a quick text to Yoongi to let him know you would be there once you found the book, and somehow it comforted you a little that someone else knew you were here.
Moving through the first few rows of tall bookshelves, you had to pass by the main desk on your way to the section you were looking for.
Doing your utmost to tread with care, sandals making as little noise as you could manage on the wooden floor, you walked on.
As you drew near, the librarian looked up. Greeting them with a bright smile, you didn’t let it show that your heart was really thumping in your chest.
Hurrying along, you only slowed once you had entered the right section. Near the back of the library, it was dimmer as no light from the window reached all the way into the corner. Utter silence dampened the air. Not even the rustling of the librarian sorting papers could be heard from here.
Alone with the hushed sound of your own breath, your eyes flicked along the rows, searching for the right name.
Spotting it at last, you wasted no time in reaching for it. But as you tried to slide it from its spot, you were met with resistance. Perhaps it was very tightly packed in its place.
You tried again with both hands. It was still wedged in, but you felt it give a little so kept pulling. You managed to tug it out a little way, but this time, the book tugged back. Holding onto it as tightly as you were, you stumbled forwards, nearly slipping out of one of your sandals.
Gulping, your brow creased. More determined this time, you tried once more, but it seemed the book only retreated further among its companions on the shelf.
Breathing heavily, you stepped back. Books were not meant to do this. You swore it had moved by itself.
Maybe Hoseok would call you crazy if this was your reason for not getting the textbook. But, you thought, staring back down the empty row of shelves, a science textbook was less important than not getting involved with the strange happenings of the library.
Already you were questioning your sanity. Books didn’t move.
Looking back at it once more, it appeared perfectly unassuming. There was nothing unusual about the book. Maybe your mind was playing tricks, driven from the fear you felt about this place.
Breathing deeply, you reached your hand out for one last try. Picking up a book couldn’t be that hard. As long as you didn’t fear it-
Your fingers came into contact with the spine, and not a moment later, the book shrunk right back. But though it shot out of sight between its neighbours, your hand was stuck to it. Your intent to snatch it straight back at any sign of movement failed, and you were yanked forwards.
Flying clean off your foot now, your sandal clattered to the floor among the silent shelves behind you.
Your stomach jerked at the sudden movement. Now, as you plunged towards the shelves, you screwed your eyes shut, anticipating the imminent collision.
None came.
Instead, your insides seemed to be suspended. You had not crashed, but still your feet didn’t meet the floor; though your eyes were closed you were certain you were falling.
Rapidly upping its pace, your heart tried to punch through your ribs the longer you were in this state, fearing your landing. Panicked, you took great gulps of air, limbs flailing fruitlessly.
You landed.
It felt like you had been falling for a long time – too long – yet the force you hit the ground with was not painful. For a second, it expelled air from your lungs, but by the time you had rolled and tumbled enough to land on your back, you were sucking in a shaky breath.
Blinking, you turned to look around you. Your arms struggled to push you from the ground, but you heaved to sit up anyway.
This was like nowhere you had ever been.
No parquet was beneath you here. The ground was earth, sparse tufts of grass growing from it. But in places, the foliage was abundant, great swathes of vibrant grass surrounding a nearby rock which protruded from the ground.
These rocks were also plentiful, though not of regular size. They poked from the ground, rough surfaces being seized by moss of all colours.
Other plants stretched higher still, all in shades of purple, green and blue. Climbing slowly to your feet, your eyes traced up the stem of a slender tree whose leaves drooped downwards with their size.
The only thing you could hope to recognise were roses that grew in places, curved petals familiar atop their stems that wound around larger plants.
In the scattered canopy above you, there appeared to be vines as well. Climbers, perhaps; it appeared as if they were winding around ceiling beams above you, except that they were in open air, pale sky stretching above them.
Very deliberately, you blinked.
Nothing changed.
Jaw hanging open, you turned slowly around. This place continued the same everywhere you looked. You certainly weren’t in the library anymore.
Taking some effort to breathe evenly, you forced your feet to still.
Remembering your phone, you quickly reached for it. But as you repeatedly pressed the power button, the screen remained black. Either you had let it run down, or it wouldn’t work in this alien place.
You replaced it in your pocket with bitter disappointment and continued to stand still, observing this place.
Purposefully, you walked towards the nearest rock. Given the way you were transported here, you were a little wary of touching random objects, but you tentatively reached for the mossy surface. Briefly grazing it, you jumped backwards, expecting something to happen.
Nothing. Just the springy surface of moss, solid and very real.
Staring at the rock, your mind ran in uncomprehending circles. How had you got here? Why? How could you get out?
Cutting through your thoughts, a thump came from behind you.
Startled, you jumped around, eyes darting in panic around the world you had found yourself in. Nothing seemed to have moved…
A cough, followed by a groan, drifted from somewhere.
Frown deepening, you stepped forwards. A few paces brought you around the next rock, bigger than the last. Not only was it taller than you, it was bordered on one side by more of the tall plants, blocking your view of what was behind it.
This was definitely where the sounds were emanating from. As you cautiously rounded the boulder, rustling sounds reached your ears.
Reaching the trees, you peered between two dark blue trunks. Every muscle in your body was tense, ready to spring away at the first sign of danger.
Instead, you were greeted with the shape of a person. They wore a dark jacket, their hair also dark, but they were facing away from you where they sat.
For a moment you stood frozen. You were divided: should you announce yourself? Maybe they could help you? But for all you knew, they might not feel kindly towards you. What would another person be doing in this strange place?
Before you had the chance to decide, let alone move, the person slumped backwards to lie down, huffing a great sigh as they went.
Your eyes widened. Now you could see their face — and you certainly hadn’t expected this.
“Hoseok?”
Squeezing between the trees, you pushed your way into the small clearing he lay in. On hearing your voice, he twisted towards you with wide eyes.
“Y/N?” he jumped up, eyeing you suspiciously, “what is this place?”
“I have no idea,” you answered honestly. Then, “what are you doing here?”
Echoing your earlier words, he said, “I have no idea.”
After a moment, he seemed to remember something and looked around sharply.
“I found this,” he told you, pointing at the ground some feet away. There lay your sandal from earlier.
“Oh. Thank you.”
You flashed an awkward smile and went to pick it on, sliding it back onto the foot it had lost not long ago. Then your silence resumed.
Briefly, you did nothing but stare at each other. Then you stared again at the bizarre scenery around you.
Hoseok was first to move. Apparently becoming tired of your company so soon, he turned away with hands on his hips and began to pick through the undergrowth, which was thicker here than where you had first landed.
Even if this was all the company you were granted, you were eager to keep it, and so followed him.
A few minutes passed. Eerie silence was all around, save for the tentative brush of your footsteps against plants. He hadn’t complained about your presence, though, so you eventually decided it safe to speak.
“Did you… fall here?” you ventured.
His eyes snapped back to you. With a nod, he confirmed it.
“From the library?”
Slowing down, he allowed you to catch up and walk at his side.
“Yeah, why? You too?”
“That’s what happened to me,” you nodded, “but… what were you doing in the library?”
But Hoseok never heard those last words. A deafening, crunching crash resounded through your quiet conversation, drowning you out.
Both of you reacted quickly, spinning to the source of the monstrous sound in fear. Your hammering heart only sped up as you located a dark shape above the treetops.
“There!” you cried, grabbing onto Hoseok’s sleeve.
He spotted it as you pointed, for it was rapidly growing, soaring towards you.
“What is that?” he yelled, stumbling backwards.
You had nothing to offer in reply, instead watching with wide eyes as the creature flew closer still. Still grasping at Hoseok’s sleeve, you tugged at it, looking around for the nearest cover. He made no move. Struck dumb with awe, he seemed to be rooted to the spot.
Turning back to the sky, you were panicked to see the beast drawing closer. You could make out a long snout protruding from its head, spiny wings beating slowly and yet carrying it swiftly over the land.
The monster was enormous, blocking out a chunk of the open sky.
Not wanting to hesitate any longer, you pulled Hoseok forcefully with you as you retreated under the cover of a thick patch of foliage. He complied, still unable to tear his gaze from the flying creature.
You almost daren’t look, even now you were secluded among shadow. But curiosity overcame you.
It was near enough on top of you now. You held your breath, terror washing over you at the sight of it, close enough now that you could make out scales on the thing’s large belly. They glimmered a blazing red as it moved.
But its pace was fast, and it continued quickly, long tail etching a path through the sky behind it.
“Was that…” you breathed, after you felt enough time had passed to be safe. But your thought was too absurd for you to speak out loud.
However, Hoseok finished it for you.
“A dragon?”
Both of you slowly turned to face each other, matching expressions of perplexed shock painting your faces. You opened and closed your mouth, but no words presented themselves.
Your gaze was only severed by the return of the same cacophony to the air that had first heralded the dragon. Only now, it was louder.
Ducking by reflex, you whipped around. Above the treetops, the dragon was returning.
Still filling the air, the sound was that of treetops rupturing as the scaled beast flew low over them, snapping them like matchsticks. Once again, it seemed like the thing was coming straight towards you.
“Let’s move,” you shouted over the noise.
Hoseok didn’t need telling twice.
Side by side, you raced between trees, feet and clothes catching on leaves and vines that spanned the floor. Plunging on nonetheless, you kept your eyes set determinedly ahead.
By the time your lungs demanded you stop for breath, you were sure you must have gone a considerable distance from where you had first been hiding. But the deafening crashes from above had become no quieter.
Slowing down, you sagged against a tree as you gasped for air. Just in front of you, Hoseok looked around, finding you holding yourself up shakily against the trunk.
With a look to the sky and back at you, his face sank further, eyes wide and afraid.
“Y/N!” he cried.
Lifting your head, you met his eyes. Still panting, you turned to follow a finger he raised as he took trembling steps backwards.
Overhead, the leaves seemed to shake. A shadow was sliding along the forest floor as above it, twigs and branches rained down, bouncing from their lower counterparts until they disappeared into the shrubbery.
The dragon was following you.
“Come on!” Hoseok’s voice reached you somewhere among the din.
Spinning, you found him holding a hand out to you, gesturing maniacally for you to continue. You had barely caught your breath, but forced yourself to push away from the tree and run towards him once more.
What did surprise you was that he waited for you. When you came within reach, his outstretched hand was grabbing you, pulling you along at his side.
But there was no time to think of that. Chest heaving with exertion, you willed your feet to move faster underneath you in an attempt to flee the dragon.
All at once, the tall tree trunks you had been running between, almost dense enough to form a forest, stopped. Realising too late, the two of you shot from the cover at full speed, only to find yourselves utterly exposed.
Skidding to a stop, you looked to Hoseok in panic.
Before you could take another step, shadow fell over you again, but it was not cast by harmless trees. The roar of splintering branches grew to an overwhelming crescendo as the dragon caught sight of you and dived, uncaring for the insignificant wood pushed aside by its bulk.
Beside you, Hoseok screamed hoarsely. Together you fled backwards, knowing there was no hope of outrunning your pursuer.
In a few seconds, the beast had descended, giant nostrils flaring at your eye level. Curved fangs gnashed.
With horror, you saw a glow brighten the deep tunnels atop its snout.
In the corner of your eye, you spotted another rock, rough surface towering from the ground. You barely had time to think before you were shoving Hoseok to the side so you fell together behind the barrier. Not a moment later, blazing orange flared, obscuring all other sights as fire erupted from the monster’s jaws and nostrils.
You gave no thought to the position you had fallen in, your push having left you tumbling directly on top of Hoseok. His scream rang in your ears, only rivalled by the crackling heat in the air as his arms wrapped around you. You too were curling up, hands shielding your head in some attempt to shelter.
Thankfully, the rock you had chosen was one of the larger ones and took the brunt of the blast.
Not that it encouraged you much, considering the persistence the beast had shown so far. The dying away of the heat and fire only brought on dread, gnawing low and incessant in your stomach, of the next blast.
Barely daring to breathe, you stayed still, huddling against Hoseok, who did the same.
Any moment, you expected another massive roar to rip through the air. A swipe of the malicious claws or the sizzling heat of dragon flame. The longer you waited, the harder your heart rioted in your chest.
“Students.”
You jolted violently as a loud voice resonated through the air. But it was not the dragon.
Looking around showed you no one who the voice might belong to.
“It is gone,” the voice said.
Hoseok’s hold around you was loosening. Swallowing, you became aware of your proximity and carefully extracted yourself, not looking him in the eye as you moved to sit next to him instead.
It was true that no indicator of the dragon’s presence had made itself known, but you were not inclined to trust a faceless voice. You crawled to peer around the edge of the rock. Finding the space empty, you emerged further.
The clearing was totally deserted. The only evidence of the recent fearful moments was the debris of burnt leaves and broken branches scattered across the ground.
“Who are you?” Hoseok raised his voice, though it shook a little.
You returned to his side, the voice replying as you sunk down beside him.
“Students,” the voice repeated. It was level and calm, but awfully cold. The word was spoken with disdain. “I doubt you would recognise such a voice as mine. You young humans know not the value of words, of books. I am the librarian.”
You blinked in surprise. Next to you, Hoseok sat forward from the rock you leaned against.
“You are? Can you get us out of here?” he yelled, aiming his voice at the sky for lack of target for his pleas.
“Certainly not. I am the keeper of this land. You see, due to the neglect of your kind, my creatures are only kept alive through written word, and I cannot let them be endangered. Students are all the same. Careless. I do not appreciate those who vandalise or waste the knowledge granted them through books. And so, I cannot let you take another one.”
“It’s just a science textbook,” you muttered.
Meanwhile, Hoseok was growing more desperate.
“We won’t!” he called, “just let us out!”
Ringing silence was all he received in reply.
Eventually, he flopped back against the rock with a huff. Worrying your lip, you turned to him, though you had nothing to propose for what you should do next.
His hair was a dishevelled now, strands falling into his eyes which he now turned to you. To your surprise, his mouth curved back into a smile, breathy laughs bursting from him as he rested his head back on the rock.
He shook his head.
“This is crazy.”
You had to agree.
Turning your despairing eyes away and to the surrounding forest again, you were surprised to see movement among the trees. But this creature was not enormous or fire-breathing. A sandy-coloured tail waved, blurring in the air.
Bounding through the trees and coming to a stop at the forest edge, came a labrador.
Staring in bemusement, you found the dog looking right back at you. It was panting, mouth open in a smiley-looking shape. Its tail continued wagging enthusiastically behind it.
Just as you opened your mouth to tell Hoseok, the dog went rigid, body jerking as it barked across the space.
Sitting up straight, Hoseok spotted the dog as well, and together you watched it.
The dog watched back, standing still as if waiting for something. It reminded you of the way your flatmate’s dog used to wait for you to throw the ball when you played with her.
After another minute of stillness, it barked again, then turned and ran. You jumped to your feet as the yellow tail went wagging away through the shadows.
“What are you-“ Hoseok exclaimed as you started towards the trees, following the dog’s path.
Already tired, your legs lagged behind the dog’s pace and you nearly lost sight of the sandy fur. But you kept your eyes trained on it. This animal did not seem unfriendly, or angry. Something told you that you could trust it.
“Where are you going?”
You hadn’t noticed the pursuing footsteps until Hoseok was grabbing your arm, forcing you to stop. Looking around at him in annoyance, you shrugged him off and turned back around. But you had lost sight of the dog now, finding the forest empty.
Your shoulders slumped.
“I was trying to do something to get us out of here-“
“By getting more lost?”
Hoseok’s eyes blazed with anger and he threw his arms out to punctuate his yell with frustration. Opening your mouth, you returned his outrage.
“We’ve been lost since we got here! We don’t know anything about this place, but we can’t just do nothing!”
“What can we do? You heard what the librarian said.”
His volume had lowered and he took a step back.
Breathing out, you did the same, noticing only now how you had crowded each other’s space in your anger. Swallowing down your own frustration, you levelled your gaze at him. His words spoke of despair.
Sighing, you pushed a hand through your hair.
“There’s no use in fighting,” you muttered, “and I’m scared too. But we have to try.”
Lifting his eyes to you, Hoseok felt then as if he was seeing you for the first time.
You shared his fear, and had spoken that out loud, but still the steely glint never left your eyes. Rather than run or hide, you stood tall, resolved to find a way out, no matter how hopeless this crazy turn of events seemed.
“Hoseok?” you called, rendered hesitant by his silence.
Giving his head a quick shake, he averted his gaze from you.
“Hobi,” he spoke.
You frowned.
“I’m sorry?”
“Call me Hobi,” he repeated, “if we’re stuck here forever, I won’t be able to stand it if you call me Hoseok all the time.”
“Oh. Okay.”
Taking that to be some odd form of agreement, you turned around and started to pick your way again through the forest, no matter how blindly. The only vague thing guiding you was the notion that the dog had left this way, but that certainty grew weaker with time.
The only thing bolstering you were the steady steps of Hobi right beside you. A reminder you weren’t alone here.
“Sorry for losing your textbook.”
Smile quirking your lips, you turned to Hobi. He was steadfastly ignoring your gaze, kicking his feet through the low undergrowth while his hands were buried in his pockets.
“If you hadn’t done that, I wouldn’t be here now,” you hummed.
That caught his attention.
“Hey! At least I’m apologising!”
“Doesn’t fix the fact we’re lost in… well, wherever this is,” you chuckled, “though I’m sure it’s worked out well for you.”
“What do you mean?”
“If I hadn’t come here to replace my textbook, you would be here all alone.”
Hoseok simply tilted his head in vague answer.
After a few short moments of quiet, you resumed the conversation.
“So, what were you in the library for?”
He let silence stretch out for longer than you expected, and you slowed your steps to look at him. His eyes were wide, and when he spoke, it was with a nervous smile, as if he wasn’t sure he should be smiling.
But he was too quiet, and all you heard was something that sounded like ‘yuzbook’.
“Sorry?” you frowned.
With a long-suffering sigh, he finally spoke up.
“I was looking for your science book as well.”
Your eyebrows shot upwards.
“You were?”
“Yes.”
“I thought you had decided it was my responsibility? Even though you lost it.”
“Exactly, I had lost it. I felt bad.”
“Ha!” you exclaimed, jumping around to dance in front of him, “Jung Hoseok admits remorse! What is the world coming to?!”
“I told you to call me Hobi,” he grumbled.
A smile was still bursting at your lips, but you calmed down and returned smugly to his side.
“My bad. Hobi wanted to do something nice! For me, of all people! Maybe this really is a dream…”
“You dream about me?” he grinned, teasing right back.
“Eugh, of course not,” you scoffed.
His laughter filled the forest, and you were glad of it. At length, it faded and you walked on.
“But, turns out you were right to be scared of the library,” he admitted quietly.
Simply nodding, you kept going. By now you had lost all hope to have remained on course with the dog you had seen earlier, but there was little use dwelling on that.
Most of the way, you had been trekking through forest, but now the trees were thinning. Once again, they began to be clustered in patches near protruding rocks.
Coming between two waist-height boulders, you found a pond lying cradled by short grasses and more rose plants.
Agreeing on a break, you and Hobi slumped down at its bank, though you also agreed not to drink it. Hobi seemed much more distrustful of everything you came across in this curious land than you, but there was no harm in caution, you supposed. It was true that, on getting closer to the water, it appeared to glimmer silver.
What that meant, you didn’t know, but didn’t care to investigate.
Reclining on the ground, you breathed deeply. The pond was in a large clearing, similar to the first place you had crash landed in. You couldn’t escape some dread that all this time had brought you in a mere circle to the beginning, but there was no way to be certain.
Forest lined one side of the oasis, while the other stretched away, obscured behind that rocky landscape dotted with an array of foliage.
As you scanned the area idly, a familiar blur of motion had you sitting up with a yelp.
“There! Did you see that!” you cried, but began running without waiting for a reply.
Twisting to attention, Hobi clumsily took to his feet after you.
“You sure?” he called after you.
You kept running. You had seen it – it had been right here. You were certain it was trying to lead you somewhere, and you felt compelled to follow it.
Plunging between rocks, Hobi’s slower steps faded behind you. Uncaring, you continued, eyes alert for any sign of your goal.
And there it was: another brief glimmer from just beyond the next clump of plants. You were so close. This time, you were going to reach it. It would get you out of here.
Still running, you didn’t care that the way wound deeper through the terrain, nor that the world around you darkened as you went. No, your mind was set. You kept moving.
When you finally reached what seemed to be the midst of the darkness, it never occurred to you that this was never what you had been looking for. All you were filled with was delight; in the middle of the dark clearing stood a grove of roses. They were taller than the roses you had seen so far, growing thickly and close together.
In the blackness, the petals emitted a soft glow that shone through their delicate veins.
A smile curved your lips. But as you took a slow step towards the luminescence, something emerged from behind them. It became clear that the roses themselves were not glowing, but the creature. A unicorn.
White coat shimmering with its every move, it seemed to glide over the landscape. The slender horn protruding from its head appeared crafted by the finest silversmith, with hints of colours dancing along it even in darkness.
All breath was stolen from you. Your startled exhale left a cloud lingering in the air beside your lips which glittered as the majestic animal walked in front of you.
Either it didn’t see you, or didn’t mind your presence, because it proceeded perfectly calmly. Keeping your eyes fixed on it, your feet stumbled after the serene creature without you willing them to.
You barely blinked as you followed the graceful unicorn, desperate to keep your eyes on it. You couldn’t have torn them away if you wanted to. Just watching the animal had all your tension melting away: legs feeling heavy, mind fogging. All your worries dissipated as easily as smoke in the wind.
The world was silent. It was as if your ears were plugged as you reached out, somehow confident enough to touch the noble beast.
Another step closer.
Your fingers stretched out, ready to meet the sleek, glowing coat-
“Y/N!”
A blow knocked you sideways, a weight falling with you as the shout of your name rung loudly in your ears. For a split second, you winced, expecting to be crushed on the ground, but already a hand shielded your head. Instead, you landed on a body, held securely in the person’s arms.
Gasping, you found yourself breathless. Your gaze had been severed on being tackled, and now that you blinked, dark clouds seemed to lift from your vision.
Looking around wildly, you were slow to come to your senses, but the person was already shifting.
“We need to move.”
That voice was familiar. Looking around, you found Hoseok’s eyes trained on you as he struggled to stand with your weight against him.
Clumsily getting your feet underneath you, your mouth opened, but a shriek filled the air before you could speak.
Clapping your hands over your ears, you winced at the piercing wail splitting the air.
Hoseok, however, wasted no time. He grasped your wrist, pulling you stumbling across the clearing behind him as he sprinted away.
Wide-eyed and breathless, you twisted to look behind you. The unicorn was still there, but it wasn’t glowing, just plain white. But your eyes only caught it for a second, before a darker shape was swooping from the sky.
Feet pounding, you fled the shrieking beast as it descended in a rush of feathers.
Glinting talons flashed, inches in front of your face as the bird-like shriek reached its peak.
And then you were plunged into shadow, squeezed between leaves and petals.
Hoseok slowed, dropping your hand, but you were practically frozen. You staggered backwards, eyes trained on the spot those razor sharp claws had been.
Above you, the shrill cry was quieting, echoing around the land as your attacker circled higher once more.
“What… what was that?” you panted.
“That was close,” Hoseok responded, no humour in his voice. “I was calling to you! Why didn’t you move?”
“You were?” you frowned, “I-I didn’t hear. I don’t know what happened.”
Light frown creasing his brow, Hobi looked seriously down at you. Swallowing, he looked you over. Your heart still trembled, trying to take in what had just happened, and you looked up at him fearfully. Was he angry?
Fixing his eyes on your own, Hobi stepped forward, bending to draw your faces closer together. Holding your breath, you stiffened, heart rate rocketing as his breath fell warm over your cheeks.
Then he reached his hand out. You forced yourself to hold his gaze, not sure why your face was growing hotter under his scrutiny.
His fingers met your hair. They pulled gently at a strand.
“You had this in your hair.”
Blinking, you found him holding a rose petal up, the hint of a smirk playing on his lips.
“Right. Thank you,” you spoke awkwardly, snatching it from his hand.
“Let’s stay here for a bit,” he said then, turning around as if nothing had happened. However, you didn’t complain. You didn’t want him to see your burning cheeks.
Hobi had pulled you into the grove of roses you had seen earlier, which grew some way above your heads. The bushes were close together, providing the perfect cover. You heard no more of the shrieking monster as you walked after him through the plants.
Beautiful flower heads were nestled everywhere, the graceful bundles of petals peering at these strangers walking through their home.
Eventually, Hobi came to a halt. When you stopped at his side, he pushed aside some leaves to show you what lay beyond.
You had reached the other side of the grove and a new clearing lay before you. Unlike the other places you had been, there were no tall trees or wide rocks rising from the ground. At last it was flat.
But, most noticeably, in the middle of the clearing there was a building. Deep blue walls rose from a gold base, thin pillars winding upwards to support the corners of the many-sided roof. Small arched windows were set high up in the walls, through which you could see a silvery glow from inside.
Hobi looked around the space before emerging. No longer impatient, you wholly agreed with his caution and also peered out carefully.
As you remained mostly hidden by the roses, something came running around the house.
The dog.
Same as before, it stood looking at you, smiling mouth and wagging tail welcoming.
First, you looked to Hobi.
“What do you think?”
“You were right,” he replied, “the dog seems alright. We should give it a shot.”
Smiling, you felt assured now you were in agreement. Not stopping to think too much about the action, you placed your hand resolutely in Hobi’s and stepped forwards.
This time the dog did not begin running away, waiting for you by the blue house wall instead. As the two of you drew closer, you bent a little, holding your hand out to the creature.
“Hi!” you cooed, ignoring Hobi’s light scoff from beside you.
The dog poised as if it would bark back, but instead it looked towards the house. Following its gaze, you looked through the window and instantly fell silent.
Inside, a figure was sitting, though you could only see their head and shoulders – and a pair of wings. They fluttered lazily, glinting in the silvery light.
“The librarian,” Hobi murmured.
Nodding, you looked back to the dog.
“Will you help us?” you whispered.
Its tail wagged harder.
Smiling, you reached out to give it a gentle pat, ruffling the soft fur between its ears.
Satisfied, the sandy blond animal turned around, tail blurring all the while. It trotted away, leading you around the house. On passing the windows, you both ducked, fearing what the faerie would do if they discovered you here.
A short dash, looking over your shoulders, and you finally reached a thick row of trees. Squeezing behind the large trunks, you were surprised to see large wooden doors waiting for you.
If not for the lingering worry of the librarian somewhere nearby, you would have laughed out loud.
Hobi rushed forwards, grasping the dogs ears and ruffling them enthusiastically.
“You got us out!” he whispered happily.
You were amused to see the dog’s smiling mouth grow wider, tongue hanging out with his praise.
Jumping up with a brilliant grin, Hobi walked to the door. Waiting by the handle, he let you also say goodbye to your four-legged saviour.
“Thank you,” you told it with a loving pat. For a moment, you looked into the dog’s eyes, wishing you could somehow convey your gratitude.
Then a thought came over you. Tilting your head, you frowned slightly.
“Cindy?”
The dog’s tail whirred back into motion, hopping up and down a little at the name.
Breaking into a smile, you patted it affectionately.
“Good girl, Cindy,” you grinned, “thank you.”
Then you stood to join Hobi’s side. He lifted the great handle, which made a concerning thunk in the quiet.
Hurriedly slipping through, you fell against the other side of the wood as he followed and shut it firmly behind him. You were back at the entrance of the library, the glass doors at the front of the foyer showing the road beyond it, no different than ever as cars and pedestrians hurried along.
“Who let someone like that work in a school?” you laughed, incredulous.
Hobi laughed loudly at last, the sound bringing a bigger grin to your face.
You had made it out.
All of a sudden, a pinging sound rang from your pocket, soon over taken by at least five more.
Pulling out your phone, you found it alive again, the screen lit up and full of messages.
“Yoongi’s wondering where I am,” you muttered, “my shift…”
Hobi pushed away from the wooden door, starting to walk with you across the entrance hall. Stuffing his hands into his pockets, he nodded.
“Yeah, um, I should get going too, I guess.”
Opening the main doors, you stood outside on the steps, at a loss. A bus rumbled past.
“Okay,” you spoke at length, “yeah. Er, see you around.”
Smiling briefly, Hobi took a few hesitant steps back before he committed to walking away. One last wave and he was engulfed by the crowd on the street.
You sighed and set off in the opposite direction.
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The bell clinked, swinging wildly above the door as you hurried over to the counter.
“I’m so sorry I’m late,” you spoke as you set your stuff down.
Turning to lean against the counter, Yoongi shrugged.
“’s’alright. Where were you though?”
“Ah…”
What were you meant to say? Your head was still spinning from everything that had passed, but you knew no one would believe you if you told them the truth. Shifting a little, your teeth nipped at your lower lip while you tried to come up with a reasonable excuse.
Meanwhile, a knowing look was sliding onto Yoongi’s face.
“I see,” he grinned, and then, to your mortification, winked!
“No, you don’t- that’s not-“ you protested, but he was already snickering and turning back to the washing up.
Shaking your head, you concluded that whatever his belief was would make as good as excuse as any. At least he had made it up for you, saving the hassle.
You got to work.
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Over the next couple of days, everything ran like normal. Except for you, nothing was normal.
You still had no idea how such a small amount of time had passed while you and Hobi were busy running for your lives in fear of the librarian and their crazed world. You had barely been late for your shift afterwards; when it was time for bed you had collapsed straight in, feeling as if you had been awake for two days straight.
Of course, you had never gone back for that textbook.
In college the next day, you had taken a detour to class, stubbornly avoiding the building that had all but kidnapped you, wondering at the fact no one else seemed to realise.
At the café later on, you waited impatiently for any sign of Hobi outside. He was the one person you desperately wanted to see. Surely he must be feeling the same? He would understand.
But you waited and waited, serving countless other customers without much thought. He never came, and so you were left to question your own sanity by yourself.
Nothing about your impromptu adventure made sense.
If it had been real, why didn’t Hobi act like anything had changed? You certainly couldn’t pretend that nothing had been altered between you while you had been trapped in that strange world inside the library.
Perhaps it had been a dream. All of it seemed so implausible that even recollecting it sent you spiralling with more questions.
But there was one hope. Even if Hobi remembered nothing of what transpired, you were still supposed to tutor him. You would see him next week, and try to assess what he might remember.
So when your phone buzzed that night, screen lighting up with a message from him at last, you had expected to arrange this week’s session. But all it said was: come outside.
Though you frowned, you weren’t going to pass up this chance.
Sliding off your bed, you quickly stuffed your feet into your slippers and tried your best not to break into a run on the way to the door. Collecting yourself first with a deep breath, you pulled it open.
The first thing you took in was empty space outside your door. Blinking at it, you couldn’t prevent the disappointment from creeping in. But then your eyes flickered downwards.
There at your feet lay a rose.
Your lips parted in wonder as you stooped to pick it up. Taking it between your fingers, you rolled it gently there. It was the exact same as those delicate flowers that had filled the grove where you sheltered together in the library.
A smile tugged at your mouth. It only grew as you remembered the identical petal Hobi had pulled from your hair.
He remembered.
The relief that washed over you was dizzying. Clutching the flower to your chest, you smiled out of your doorway once more, silently thanking Hobi.
But you wouldn’t have to be silent for long. Your eyes landed on a figure leaning against a lamppost a few metres away, smiling right back at you.
As your eyes met, Hobi stood straighter. His mouth shifted to a radiant grin. He had come back to you.
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Thank you so much for reading!! And again, send lots of birthday love over to @moccahobi​!! As promised, here is the beautiful bingo card I used for this story:
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taglist: @aianloveseven​ @preciouschimine​ @un2-verse​ @ddaechwita​ @taegularities​ 
187 notes · View notes
shroudcore · 3 years
Text
Speak now, or forever hold your peace. (Finale)
Summary: The ghosts may have left, but the wedding they officiated is not something to be easily forgotten. Will unsaid feelings remain hidden? Idia thinks so, after seeing you with your admirers. 
Idia x GN!reader. Reader is MC, or takes the role of MC in this story.
(Part 1) (Part 2) (Part 3) (Part 4)
Warnings: none
After that 3-star difficulty sidequest, it was finally time for the ghosts to leave. They were filing out through a shimmering silver portal to the Land of the Dead, which you joked about jumping into “for the meme”. Idia was quick to discourage it. The joke would’ve been funny at any other time than right now. 
Each ghost made sure to give the newlyweds their congratulations. Each congratulation made Idia want to take off into the night, never to be seen again. It was beyond embarrassing. Unbearable. Way past his limit of social interaction capability. Things were getting way too much to handle for his now-empty Energy bar. 
While Idia longed for the comfort and isolation of his dorm room, you were the one who thanked the well-wishers and said the goodbyes—from a safe distance, of course. 
“When we return, I want you to meet our baby!” Eliza announced before she stepped into the portal. You and Idia shared a look. As if reading each other’s minds, you checked your schoolmates’ faces for their reactions—which did not disappoint. Different ways of saying “Don’t come back!” filled the hall, in varying degrees of anger and vulgarity. Before she disappeared for good, Eliza huffed and stuck her nose up in the air—an expression that tonight’s failed suitors knew all too well. 
At her departure, the portal shrunk into a mere speck until it completely disappeared. Then came the loudest cheers of the night serving as Victory fanfare. It was all over! But before he went, Idia hoped to say goodbye and take a look at you in your suit one last time. Or maybe even ask you to hang out tomorrow, depending on his current Courage level. 
While he silently rehearsed his thank-yous and good-byes, he wondered if you knew that you were still holding his hand. He decided not to mention it. 
Unfortunately, his brief moment of (weak) celebration was cut short when he noticed that the now-mobile Groom Rejects were approaching. They might as well have red bars floating over their heads to warn him of danger. He froze, contemplating whether to: 
> Bear it and stay with you just until he was prepared to say goodbye (+10 relationship points -20 comfort LV)
> Just run off on his own without saying anything, ignoring your calls. (-10 relationship points +10 comfort LV)
For now, he decided to stick with Option 1. Just a little bit longer. 
“That was amazing!” Deuce exclaimed, rushing over to give you a high-five. You laughed and  met other high-fives, low-fives, fist bumps, and head pats that came your way with that lovely smile of yours. 
Suddenly, Ace rips you away from him. Suddenly, you weren’t holding hands anymore. The loud first-year put his arm around you and Idia couldn’t help but notice how easy and natural it looked. Meanwhile, there he was: someone who needed to rehearse his goodbyes. 
Clearly, there was a huge level difference here and Idia was the one disadvantaged. 
“Our hero!” Ace yelled, inspiring more cheers. The distance between you and Idia grew as your wave of admirers and friends swept you farther and farther away. He was an outsider once again, stuck watching the fun from the sidelines. Their eyes sparkled. Their mouths smiled. Their loud voices laughed and praised you and laughed with you again. 
They loved you. And Idia was no different. 
Everyone’s Friend and the Weird Shut-in. Was there hope?
“Brother, I’m so glad you’re safe!” Ortho’s voice cut through his stream of thoughts. Immediately, he feels the weight on his shoulders lighten. 
He watched as his brother, his beacon of hope, made his way around your fan club until he eventually reached his spot. Ortho wouldn’t care if he looked like a loser, standing there awkwardly at the side all alone. Finally, he was saved. 
My savior! “Ortho! Thank you, thank you…” 
“No injuries… tense muscles… an increase in cortisol production,” Ortho muttered, frowning. “Are you okay?” 
“No…” 
Ortho nods. “We’ll return to the dorm, then. But before that, we should thank the Prefect.”
“Oh… right.” Idia looked over to you, still surrounded by your “fans” like the SSR character you were. You listened to Azul, who prattled on and on about something that was oh-so-interesting that you couldn’t take your eyes off him. And Vil judged your suit’s design, reaching out to fix something near your neck. You cracked up at something Floyd said. You posed and smiled beside Cater as he took a selfie with you. 
His mind raced as it continuously spotted the students on his list and everything they did. What was so interesting about Azul? What was so funny about Floyd? Did you like Vil’s hardworking, confident attitude? Did you think Cater had a way with words? 
He looked away. 
“Ortho, I’m going back to my room,” he said with a heavy heart, admitting Defeat. He was underleveled, had zero energy, and zero SP (social points). He’ll see you… some other time. After his cry-sesh, maybe. 
“Huh? Don’t you want to talk to the Prefect first?” 
“I’ll just… DM them later,” he lied. In truth, all he wanted was to drown himself in a video game while he gorged on candy and tried not to think about you. Ortho’s eyes narrowed, but followed him as he sneakily left the hall anyway. 
You’d understand, right?
Once he and Ortho were out, he looked back at the hall doors, hating himself for being too shy and cowardly to make a move. He imagined charging back into the room, wedging himself in between your friends, grabbing your arm, and pulling you away. Then he’ll kabedon you and—
Who was he kidding? He can’t do that, and you probably wouldn’t like that. 
“It was terrible, brother. Nobody wanted to help!” Ortho said, and Idia thinks he didn’t need to be reminded that nobody liked him. 
“When the Prefect and I reached Diasomnia, we expected them to reject us too…” he mused. “But Malleus Draconia agreed to help us! Can you believe it?”
“Wait… Malleus-shi?” 
Ortho nodded enthusiastically. “Yes… because the Prefect talked to him… and then he cast a charm on them to help us ward off those ghosts! It was really nice of him.”
“I see…” Idia knew that you and Malleus were friends. But to actually help you and him? Maybe your relationship with the Diasomnia dorm leader ran deeper than he thought. Why else would he go through that trouble? 
“The Prefect volunteered without needing to be asked, you know,” said Ortho, who he now noticed was observing him carefully. Idia tried to ignore the way his brother’s eyes lingered on him as they walked (floated in Ortho’s case). 
“...I’m so glad their plan worked!”
Wait, what?
“Volunteered? Their plan?” All this time, he thought you’d been forced to do this by the Headmaster! You did always rant about Crowley promising you different sorts of rewards if you did jobs here and there. But… you got yourself into this mess… all for him? 
Idia looked at the hand you held just moments ago and dared not hope again. Maybe you would have done this for anyone else in his place. Maybe you treated everyone the same, and it just so happened that he was the one kidnapped by a ghost bride. 
Still, he felt bad for not doing as Ortho said earlier. It was too late to turn back, however, as Idia and Ortho finally reached the Hall of Mirrors. 
“Finally… I’m so tired,” said Idia, meaning it in all ways. But as he put one leg forward to enter the door to Ignihyde, he heard someone’s voice, along with the scuffle of shoes against the floor coming closer and closer to where he and Ortho stood. 
“Idia, wait up!”
Oh no. It’s you. Enter now! Enter now!
But no matter what his head told him to do, he remained rooted to his spot. He stood still despite his pounding heart, that elevator-like feeling in his stomach, and the blaring alarms in his head. 
Object of affection at 5m…
Ortho was probably seeing his vitals going haywire and giving him that look again. He turned to look at his brother… only to not find him there. 
Help… oh no…
2m… 
“Hey,” you gasped out, catching your breath. “When I turned around, you were gone…”
Yeah, same. Just like Ortho… 
No one said a word for a while. The silence was only filled by your heavy breathing as it slowly evened. Inwardly facepalming at himself, he decided to take the chance to tell you everything he should’ve said before he left. 
But before he could open his mouth and apologize for leaving, (gods know he had too many things to apologize for after tonight), he was taken into a warm embrace. 
OHMYGODSOHMYGODSOHMYGODSOKAYLET’SCALMDOWN
“I thought I was too late.” you mumbled into his suit. 
At that moment, without anyone else around, nothing else mattered but the safety of your arms. And damn, how good it felt to be embraced. Did anyone else get these hugs from you? Idia didn’t think so. He hesitantly lifted his arms up and hugged back. 
Looking up at the domed castle ceiling, he wondered what he did to deserve something this good. 
It’s okay. I can have this. He allows himself to melt into your arms, head drooping down to rest against your neck. 
“G-good thing you weren’t,” he finally whispered back, freezing as he heard you sob against his chest. Oh no, oh no, what do you do when your love interest is crying? Quick, quick, pull up the archive of romantic scenes from your memory. 
“Hey, hey, I-I’m okay, you see?” he said, patting your back awkwardly. You let go after releasing another sob to wipe your eyes with your sleeve. 
“Sorry I got your suit wet,” you said softly, turning your face away. “I’m really, really sorry about what happened there too.”
“About what?”
“The whole wedding thing...” You took a quick look at him but immediately dropped your gaze to the ground. 
Idia blushed. “I-It’s okay! D-don’t worry about it… I-” 
Come on, say more! Ugh… I hate myself. 
You pulled at our vest and slipped something out of it—an envelope. “I… wanted to tell you everything through a letter.”
Tell me what?
“But… Eliza came and took you before I could give it to you.” You avoided his eyes as your fingers tightened around the white envelope. Idia’s breath hitched, expecting you to crumple it. But to his relief, your fingers relaxed. Then, as if it took all your courage, you handed it to him with a slightly shaky hand. 
“It's old-fashioned, I know but yeah... just read it!” 
In the hall’s silence, he could hear your breaths quicken once again. 
“Th-That’s all I came here for. Goodbye!” 
Before he knew it, you were running off. Your arm waved frantically from a distance as every step carried you farther, farther away. He lifted his arm to wave back but you never saw it. You were gone and all he had left was the letter. 
His curiosity made him impatient. With fast and purposeful steps, he sprinted on the way to his room. What did he feel? Excitement? Dread? An unpleasant mix of both? His room, feeling farther than usual, was the only safe place he could experience whatever it was.
After a lot of walking and almost slipping over someone’s spilled soda (he cursed the shoes those ghosts made him wear. His very own would never fail him like that), he found himself in front of the doors, which slid open, revealing Ortho already inside. 
“You left me there!” Idia huffed. 
“Couples need alone time, brother,” replied his brother, innocently blinking.
“Wh-wha… we’re not a couple!” 
“Hmm? I could’ve sworn the signs were all there...”
A blushing Idia threw off the silly coat those ghosts made him wear and threw it over his desk chair. He sat on the bed, fingers racing to open the envelope. Ortho watched with great interest as two sheets of paper covered in your handwriting slipped out.  
Unfolding the first page, Idia took a deep breath and began reading:
Hey Player 1!
Sorry I couldn’t make it tonight last night. Maybe you can show me your new manga tomorrow? I know how excited you are about it.  I’m writing this while Grim’s asleep. He’ll never let me hear the end of it otherwise. 
I figured that this would be the best way to communicate my thoughts and feelings. This way, you won’t feel pressured to respond immediately. You can open and read it whenever you’re ready, in the safety of your room. I know it’s old-fashioned. But to me, a handwritten letter feels more personal—like I’m giving you a piece of myself. So here’s that piece of myself. Please, handle it with care. 
Beware. I’m about to get sentimental and mushy and cheesy and everything you cringe at! I hope you read on, anyway. 
First of all, I want you to know how much I admire you. Right from before we were friends, I was impressed by your intelligence and knowledge with technology. I’ve seen nothing like it back home. I always wondered why you hide yourself and those talents away. My curiosity drove me to want to get to know you. I’m glad I did. 
You were closed off. To you, I was just another normie. Do you remember? Your dismissal annoyed me, so I challenged you to a 1v1 match. I thought I was good, but you crushed me. I guess that’s where it started: our friendship… and something else. Soon, I found more and more reasons to admire you. Honestly, I find more with each passing day. 
I should have known, right from when songs started to make me think of you, that I was falling. I started to see you as, well, more than a friend. Your quick mind, your expressive hair, your soothing voice, your precious grin… your voice when you talk about things you love, your love of cats, and your candy, and your cold hands… Okay, I think you get the point.  But if you have time, I could go on forever. 
There’s something different in your eyes when you truly care. You say you’re bad at being sentimental and feel-y, but that’s okay! We express love differently. I see your love pour out in the way you perfect every detail on Ortho’s modifications, anyway. I’m sure he knows how much you love him. 
I want you to know how special you are to me. You’re so amazing, Idia. I wish you knew that. I want you to know that. 
I know it’s hopeless. You’re the young master to a noble house. I’m just… me. A homeless, magicless foreigner with nothing to my name. Nothing to offer but my feelings (and my superb gaming skills of course). I’m not asking nor expecting to be your special someone. But hey, I can be a top-tier teammate. A worthwhile BG opponent. A movie buddy. And most importantly—a friend. 
Our time together has always been a highlight of my difficult stay in NRC. The times we hung out in your room were my refuge from the outside world’s demands. Somewhere I was untouchable and safe from harm. Safe from demeaning remarks. Even if you never get back to this letter and decide you never want to see me again, I will always treasure the matches we played, the movies we watched, the candy we shared, and the memes we laughed over.
That’s all of it, really. Please don’t sleep too late. Watch your sugar intake. Listen to Ortho. Take care of yourself. 
Oh, and enjoy your new manga. 
Your best raid teammate, 
Player 2
Wide amber yellow eyes glistened as they repeatedly flitted over the words. A shaky thumb caressed the smudged ink from where a fallen teardrop marked the paper. Burning different shades at once, fire-hair slowly released itself from the tie it was forced into. Now free, it swathed Idia’s back in warmth like it should.
“Th-This can’t be real!” he sputters as he waved your letter around like he was fanning a bonfire. In a way, he was. 
However, Idia knew his hair wasn’t the only thing that kept him warm. He stared at the letter and it stared back. But no matter how many times he blinked, the words remained the same. You felt the same. 
“What have I done to unlock this route?” Idia clutched the letter to his chest, but noticed he was wrinkling it. “Nooo!” He quickly smoothed it over again. 
“They… they like-like me!” Saying it out loud made it more real. It was a fact! It was true all this time! Thinking of everything you did tonight: rescuing him like a true hero, running after him because you couldn’t keep your feelings secret for much longer… he couldn’t stop himself from swooning. 
“Like-like… did you mean love?”
“L-love?” Idia exclaimed. He suddenly felt dizzy, so he fell back onto his bed and talked to the ceiling. “It’s too early for that word!” 
But he knew the effect which that word had on him didn’t go unnoticed by Ortho. Well, at least he knew now that Idia wasn’t suffering from an illness. Can love be considered an illness? Idia recalls a documentary that said it was. Back then, he ate that up. Love made people do crazy things, after all. 
But ‘illness’ wasn’t an apt word to describe this dizzying happiness surging through him, was it? It was way too wonderful for a word like that.
“I’m so glad the Prefect finally confessed!” Ortho bounced happily, reflecting his brother’s joy. “I knew they would do it soon!” 
Mouth hanging open, Idia looked at his brother. “Wait… you knew?”
“I’ve known for a while,” Ortho giggled. “Vitals can’t keep secrets!” 
***
Contrary to plan, Idia didn’t touch his video games, nor gorge on candy, nor cry himself to sleep. Instead, he replayed the night’s events in his head over and over like a song he couldn’t get enough of. It had been two hours and thirty-five minutes since he read your letter. Two hours and thirty-five minutes since his world was turned upside down. In his reflection on the dark screen of his off tablet, he almost looked different. He saw someone who was admired. Wanted. Loved. 
Was that what you saw whenever you looked at him?
Ortho told him what the next move was: asking you out. He was scared. You might have changed his view of himself a bit, but that didn’t mean he was suddenly ready to go the distance and conquer the world, or whatever those overenthusiastic extroverts say. The night was still too much, and maybe he still needed those three weeks of being a complete hermit. 
Okay. Maybe with your help, I'll get there little by little. 
Perhaps you could watch a movie in his room... Would you be okay with that? You always hung out with him in there. But what if you wanted to do something outside? Eh, maybe it all didn’t matter, as long as you were together. 
When he put on his headphones, he knew which song to choose right away. There was one forgotten song in his music library that he couldn’t bring himself to delete. A love song. It wasn’t a bad one, because Idia would never keep a bad song in his music library. It’s just that the lyrics  were too happy—its singer so blissfully in love that it amplified the loneliness that had always been there.
Now playing: “Immortal Flowers” — SERPINA
This time, it’ll be different. Tonight, he puts it on repeat. He listens to it with a head for once clear of uncertainties. Instead, he thinks of fluffy otome scenarios. 
That date idea would have to wait. For now, he’ll imagine and dream of you, with your warm smile and open arms—skin basking in the glow of blue fire light. 
THE END. 
~
(Part 1) (Part 2) (Part 3) (Part 4)
There you have it! Thank you for reading. I had fun writing this 4-part series. Would love to hear some feedback! 
Btw, the title of the song Idia listens to at the end comes from “Conversations with Persephone” by Nikita Gill. “What Hades gave me was a crown made for the immortal flowers in my bones.” 
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sagemusesoutloud · 3 years
Text
Anti-Romantic, Part 1
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(credit to the original owner of the image)
Character | Jaehyun x reader Genre | nonidol!au, Mutual Pining, Slowburn, Fluff WordCount | 3.6 K Author'sNote | lmaoooo the fact that I intended this to be a oneshot type of thing oops. Wellllll, I tried. Most likely to be a two part series, but we'll see.
This is part of a series I intend to call "If Songs were Fics" and this particular one was loosely inspired by TXT's Anti-Romantic bc I'm obsessed. I hope you enjoy reading as much I enjoyed writing it!
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4
I don't know who loves me
And I don't care, It's a waste anyways
A romantic feeling, Kinda scares me
“Any plans for you birthday next week?”
Jaehyun shakes his head at you, “no, not yet, don’t you have that date with that barista?”
“I’m not sure, he’s been acting weird over text lately. Might not be worth it,” you shrug your shoulders. “Besides, it’s your birthday! You only get one of those a year, we should plan something.”
You were on your way to the gym, a ritual you and Jaehyun had ever since you both found out you worked for the same company. You had been childhood friends, but ended up losing touch since you went to separate universities.
It was a nice surprise to see a friendly face on the first day of orientation and throughout the duration of your training for the next six weeks. Although you were both from different departments, you enjoyed taking your lunch breaks together and sharing small gossip about your old class-mates.
“ugh, don’t remind me,” he let’s out a long sigh, “every year, it seems like my family won’t stop pestering me about starting a family.”
“What’s so wrong about that?”
“Nothing, just not for me. Or at least not yet. I don’t think I’m the type to settle down,” he shrugs again as if it were no big deal.
You gasp, “how could you say that? I’ve seen your insta account. It’s got your cousin’s kids all over it!” You stop to take a good look at him as he holds the door of the gym open for you. “Back in school too, you used to tutor those elementary kids for volunteering hours. Even when you didn’t need them. You’ve always liked kids.”
“That’s different…”
“Right. Totally different things. Got it,” you roll your eyes. This wasn’t the first time he mentioned not wanting to settle down. At first, you had thought it was because he liked ‘keeping his options open’ like back in high-school. Or, not that you knew for sure, but if the rumors were true then it meant he slept his way around. Apparently, he never slept with someone twice and despite the cold shoulder the other party would get, all you had ever heard were praises. Not that you paid that much attention or anything.
You and Jaehyun had the same circle of friends, but despite that, he had never made any advances towards you. You’d be lying if that didn’t bother you at least once or twice. You just assumed that he didn’t want to make the friendship awkward or mess with the friend dynamics of your group. Which was why your crush on him in junior high ended as soon as you got to high-school.
You ended up going on dates with other people, but nothing that kept your interest. Nothing that compared to how you felt around him. Not that he seemed to think the same, so you tried your best to stay the good friend you always have been. You didn’t want to push something he clearly didn’t want; not that it didn’t hurt any less. Throughout the years it’s become bearable, at least. Almost like a painful habit.
You check in and head to the locker rooms to change. His nonchalance about the subject had always puzzled you. You’d seen first hand how all the female coworkers seemed to sway their hips as they walked by him, how some would pop a blouse button more than usual when around him, and you swore no one else was getting that much help throughout training more than him. He was handsome and a gentleman, that much was painfully obvious.
You meet him outside by the water fountain, “ready for warm-up?” he guides your way to the treadmills.
“When’s the last time you dated?”
You would have laughed if you weren’t so shocked to see him trip from the corner of your eye. “why the sudden curiosity?” He finally responds.
“Not sudden, I’d always wondered.” You defended. “You’re good looking and you’re very…I mean, you live on your own and have your own car. You have good relations with your family AND you’re good with kids. So, what is it?” You hadn’t realized how troubling you thought it all was. But now that you started digging you couldn’t stop.
“I just—” you pause, “it doesn’t make sense.”
You hear him chuckle, “you might wanna slow down before you pull something.” You look down and realize that your pace had gone from a relaxed jog to a borderline run during your rant. Maybe this wasn’t the best time to psychoanalyze your only friend in the city.
“Well, I just don’t know how to let people in. It’s just that.” He finally responds. “I love kids, but I don’t know or think I’d be a good partner.” He slows down before stopping, ending the conversation. He waves you off with an easy smile as you stay running.
Huh, maybe you pushed him too far. Your eyes can’t help but follow him around the gym.
Sweet and bitter chocolate, The taste at the end is always the same
Like the saddest movies, Only tears in my eyes
Your hands were sweaty the entire morning, anticipating your lunch time. It was his birthday today, and while you hadn’t made any concrete plans you ended up agreeing to go over to his place after work. Your gym bag was ready with snacks and comfy clothes to stay over. You remembered him saying he was excited to watch that new Marvel movie that had recently come out so you had bought it online to stream it at his place as a surprise. But what had you nervous was the small heart shaped box sitting in your purse. You didn’t know what possessed you to buy it but you had immediately thought of Jae when you passed by it at the mall. You remember vaguely mentioning that it was a special occasion to the sales lady (as in, his birthday), but she must have thought it was your significant other rather than friend because she changed the box to the red velvet shaped one while giving you a wink. In her defense, you could have protested but…why didn’t you?
You hear a knock on your door, “hey little miss sunshine.” Ah, Nakamoto, this couldn’t be good news. He was only sickly sweet to you when he needed a favor.
“What do you want?” you deadpan. He only laughs as he makes himself comfortable in your office. “Well, nothing in particular. Can’t stop by and see how you’re doing?” he feigns hurt.
“Right—the last time you ‘came by’ you left me working over-time through the weekend,” You sigh, “so what is it this time? Missed meeting? Late proposal?” To be fair, your supervisor WAS overworked sometimes. And since you were the only worker under him, it was normal for him to sometimes share some of the load with you.
He smiles at you, “nope. Just have a proposal for you. I know you’ve been working hard these past few months and I’ve been really impressed by your work ethic.” He stands and moves closer to your desk, “And I thought some sort of reward was in order, as well as celebration.” Ok, now you’re confused. You were ok with the reward part, it usually came in the form of a gift card to your favorite coffee shop, but celebration?
“Why would we celebrate? Did I miss something?”
“Not yet, but I did recommend you to the partner position with me. And I wanted to be the first to tell you that the boss approved it earlier today. So, what do ya say? Dinner on me?” he extends his hand out to you and wiggles his eyebrows playfully.
Oh.
Shit! You were hoping this would happen eventually, moving up from the entry-level position you had. But you had never thought it would be this fast. “Oh my gosh, are you serious?” You give him your hand and he shakes it in mock salute.
“Of course, some people will come by to move your computer to the office next to mine. You start Monday!” he winks, “So, wanna go to that new rooftop restaurant? This is a once in a life-time ticket, so you best say yes.”
But your dinner with Jae…He’ll understand, right? He has to. It’s not like he seemed that excited about it anyway. And you could always spend the day together tomorrow, too. It would be pretty rude to turn down Yuta after he pulled some strings for you…
You smile at him, “Thank you Mr. Nakamoto, I won’t let you down as a partner. Yeah, dinner sounds great. Wanna meet there?”
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You sit down on the small table, now nervous for other reasons.
Jae sits opposite of you, a small smile on his face. “Hey you,” he greets.
“hey…” you start, “I hate to change plans so suddenly, but…” crap, you feel really shitty. But you really were between a rock and a hard place.
“everything ok?”
“yeah, no. I actually just got promoted,” you start.
“You did? That’s awesome! So fast, too. Wow—but shouldn’t you be more enthusiastic about it?” he chuckles.
“I am, just—my old supervisor wanted to go to dinner to celebrate. And I don’t think I could say no after helping me out like that.”
“I mean, did you want to skip it or?” Now he’s confused.
“Well, he wanted to go out tonight since I start Monday and today’s Friday…I don’t think I can come over tonight,” you explain.
Realization crosses his features before he gives a small smile. “Don’t worry about it, you’re fine. And he’s treating you! You don’t know when the next time he offers might be,” he continues, “we can celebrate another day anyway.”
“Are you sure?” now you feel like shit.
“Of course I’m sure.”
For the rest of the lunch, a thick silence settles before he excuses himself back to work.
Jaehyun knew this was coming. Nothing ever went his way; it’s why he kept everyone at a distance from his heart. But he was weak when it came to you. This game of push and pull was bound to keep happening, and it only brought him that all familiar foul taste in his mouth.
I know, that sweet love song, Those words of promise
When you turn around, It's just an unfamiliar someone
It was why he decided to go else-where for university, instead of joining you and some of your friends to the one closest to home. He chose to go across the globe—far, far away from the curse of you.
It had started on a windy day, back when you were 4 and new to the town he grew up in. Jaehyun didn’t want to leave his mother’s arms, he didn’t like the thought of being with strangers until later in the day even if his mom promised that she would be back. A little girl with jean overalls like his came up to him and his mom, “why are you crying?”
“I am not!” he sniffed. He didn’t need to make new friends like his mom was trying to tell him. All he needed was to go back home. You took out something from your pocket and showed it to him, “look, my mom said I could give one to my first friend. She said it was sharing. Want one?”
In her little palm, were two kiss chocolates. “You’re not my friend,” he grumbled, “I don’t know your name.” At that, you giggled, “I’m Y/N!” you took his hand and placed a chocolate there, “there, now we’re officially friends.”
“See, Jae? You can spend some time with Y/N and have fun. Before you know it, I’ll be back,” she promised.
“Yeah, Jae! Come play blocks with me, and then we can try the coloring.” You held his hand as you led him deeper into the classroom. Just like that, Jae began to feel a little warmth in his chest. He didn’t mind that his favorite thing to do was play tag outside or that he wasn’t really good at coloring inside lines yet. But that didn’t matter to him. As long as he had this one friend around, he was content.
Sorry I'm an anti-romantic, I want to run far away
My heart that already chases after you, Blazes up as a small flame
Looking back at it now, it was a little funny. All it took to let you in back then was a simple chocolate kiss and your little sticky hand in his leading the way. You were always larger than life to him, sometimes he forgot that you were just as human as him.
As you two continued to grow, nothing seemed to change your friendship. But he knew that the depth of his feelings wasn’t mutual. It was in the way that you brought a lot different people together and decided to call it your family. Another of your friends, Jungwoo, liked to joke that you collected introverts for fun. To Jaehyun, it was more likely that you just didn’t see the fun in leaving people out. You were charming and passionate. Traits he wished he had. Your empathetic nature and gentle disposition were all that Jaehyun needed, even if he wasn’t the only recipient.
Once you guys started to hit puberty, things started to feel rocky. Jaehyun couldn’t help but physically distance himself from you, his ears were always red-hot. You had always been pretty to Jaehyun, but you were starting to become really beautiful. And if the boy’s locker rooms’ talk were anything to go by, then other people were definitely starting to realize “what a great catch” you were.
It really pissed him off. Who were they to say things as if all you were was a piece of meat? It disgusted him. But what disgusted him more was the fact that sometimes, he couldn’t help but also feel the way your body felt in his when you hugged in greeting. He hated the way his body reacted to everything you did.
He first messed around with a senior girl back when he was a sophomore, Sooyoung. She was leaving and he couldn’t take it anymore. Your boyfriend was a piece of trash and he was tired of hearing the way he would share what Jae considered to be intimate moments that had no business being public. But you seemed so happy… that next game, Jae stole the ball from him and scored on his own. Even if it cost him a three hour lecture from the coach, he would do it again. Fuck being a team, that guy was an asshole.
What he hadn’t planned on was liking messing around. He would never admit it, but the reason he couldn’t commit was because he couldn’t get rid of that small grain of hope that glowed in his chest every time you stared at him longer than would be deemed normal. It wasn’t often, but he knew he wasn’t seeing things. So, he succumbed to the cycle of push-and-pull that you guys had going on.
Jaehyun wasn’t blind, he knew that your work definitely spoke of your professionalism, but he’s also seen the way Nakamoto stared after you. Of the way his hand would often touch your waist when walking together. Even now, as he hears you apologize through the phone again as you get ready for your “date” with him he can’t help this heart feel heavy with anger. Anger at himself, for letting you slip away once more. He usually hopes for nothing but the best for you, but this time, he wishes you had an awful dinner.
Sorry I'm an anti-romantic, I don't believe in romance
I'm afraid that after burning my whole heart, It will only leave behind ashes
Throughout the entire dinner, you can’t seem to get Jae out of your mind. It keeps you from enjoying the delicious food, keeps you from keeping your usual banter with Nakamoto.
You’re about to call it a night and thank Nakamoto for inviting you out when he beats you to it, “damn, I was hoping this might be a good break from the usual overtime we do, but something tells me your mind has been elsewhere,” he offers good naturedly, “I know it’s valentine’s, so maybe this is why we feel so awkward, right?”.
You grimace a bit at that, “ah—I’m sorry. I really am grateful for the way you look after me in the company and I’m also thankful for this lovely dinner,” you stop a bit, afraid you might offend him, “I agreed to come out tonight, so no need to feel awkward.” You offer a smile.
“Alright then. I guess you already have your sights on someone?” he prods. Should you be honest? There was no rule against dating outside your department, and you were pretty sure your new boss’s wife also worked within the company. “…I do. But I’m pretty sure they don’t feel the same way. It’s been so long since we’ve known each other. Surely if something were to have happened, it would have by now.” You were loosening up, definitely the wine’s fault.
Nakamoto sighs at that, “damn, and here I thought I could woo you after this,” he winks jokingly but you laugh him off. You knew he didn’t care for you that way. “I really hope you’re talking about the guy you always eat lunch with. I swear everyone thought you guys were married when you were released from training.”
“What?! No, I—we’ve been friends since we were children—”
“Aha! So it was him then,” he smirks. “Good.”
You groan, “Please, no.”
“What, it’s not him? You sure about that?”
“I will neither confirm nor deny that statement,” you groan. Why were you discussing your love life? You push the wine away and take a sip of your water.
“Hmm. That’s too bad. Could have sworn that guy was after you.” He stands up. “But fine, I’ll stop prodding.”
You sigh in relief—“for now.” You groan. “What do you even mean by that? You don’t even know him. Or me, or at least personally at least.”
“Mmm, I don’t have to. Some things you just know. Like how he wishes I was six feet under every time we run across him at work,” he sobers up at that. “He seemed like a cool dude, but his glare isn’t too friendly. I don’t know how you fell for that.”
You scoff, “just because someone has a resting bitch face doesn’t mean they’re a bad person.”
You both make your way to the underground parking. “You’re right, it just makes them unapproachable. Is that why you won’t confess?” His genuine tone rubs you the wrong way, you don’t need be given false hope.
“Stop it, you said you would drop it,” you frown, “Anyways, thank you for the food boss—”
“—not your boss anymore. Just call me Yuta, we’re partners now.”
“Aren’t you two years older than me?”
“And?”
You shrug at that, “well, thanks Yuta. For the food, not for the interrogation.” He chuckles at that, nodding while pulling out his car keys. “see you Monday!” he waves you off.
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You sigh as you get home. It wasn’t as late as you thought it was, only a few minutes past nine. You really wanted to see him. Would he be busy?
You fish out your phone and dial his number before chickening out.
“Hello?”
“Jae! It’s me. Are you busy right now?” your heartbeat is pounding so loud, you’re scared he could hear it on the other end. “Right now?” you hear shuffling on the other end, “no, I was just reading that book Jungwoo sent me. Might have dozed off a bit into it but don’t tell him I said that,” he chuckles.
“Why, is everything ok? It’s still early, did you end dinner that fast?”
“Oh, Yuta and I called it a night pretty early. Too many couples were out and about and it got a bit awkward,” you explained.
“Yuta?”
“Ah, yes. Yuta Nakamoto, but now that we’re associates, he said it would be better to address him less formally.” You waive him off, “actually, I was wondering—if it’s not too late, can I still come over? If not, that’s cool. We can still hang out tomorrow, but your birthday is today and I thought—”
He laughs at your rambles, “of course you can come over, you know you don’t have to ask. How many times have I told you that?”
“Ok, ok. Just checking,” you still had your comfy change of clothes in your car, so you opt to save those for tomorrow and change into something causal for tonight.
“Do you want me to go get you? We can get ice cream on the way, hopefully they don’t close early.”
“Sounds like a plan then,” curse your heart for melting at everything he says.
“Alright, give me 15 and I’ll be there.” He hangs up.
You look at your bag, resting on your sofa and you sigh. The entire night, it’s almost as if you could feel the weight of his gift weighing it down. Yuta is known for being very observant, it’s why he was so good at his job. Closing deals and making contracts in advertisement. Would he be right about this? You know you desperately wish he was, but is it worth risking your best friend?
EndNote | Woooow, that was a longass ride. Let me know if you liked it or if there are other typos I missed! Or just to let me know what you thought, that would be much appreciated. I'm thinking of finishing it by Sunday 6/13, so hopefully the next part is up by then. Until then!
Here's Part 2!
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zirkkun · 3 years
Text
Maybe this is cheesy, but with all the praising on stream, I decided I wanted to just gush about my friends and people I look up to on here too. I’m gettin’ sappy and sobby at this hour and I just wanna go out on a high note.
(Started writing this at about the half hour mark before Unus Annus’s death, and now it’s like an hour later. Gosh I just don’t know when to shut up huh? lmao)
@zilthai37 - heya!♥ know you don’t follow Unus Annus stuff, so this will definitely be out of no where for you, but god. You’re too good of a person. I can go to you for literally anything and honestly I probably take it for granted. Something trivial, something serious, you’re always down to talk. I’ve never met another human being who’s so open with talking about things and so open to learn about other people and ideals. You’re honestly so great and so wonderful, man. I love talking to you and I just want you to know that you’re incredibly irreplaceable as a friend and a person.
@cheshiregrinnbuttoneyes - I think you’re the only friend of mine from high school that still talks to me consistently -- and that’s so wild, considering during high school we almost never had the chance to talk. God, you’re just so passionate about your works and you’re always working on your art, and your art is so cute and wonderful. You’re also one of the NICEST people in the world. I don’t know many people who would be willing to give away what they have to support someone else. I adore talking to you and I’m so glad I didn’t lose you, and I never want to, not prematurely.
@secretly-neurotic - heyo! i dunno if you’ve been watching Unus Annus at all, so this might be a little random, but I just really want to say that you’re such a great friend and such a great memelord to talk to. Your art is AMAZING and I’m so glad that you’ve had the chance to be able to spread it to more people recently. I should do a better job of reblogging it so even more people can see it, haha. I know you’ve been real busy with school stuff lately and honestly i just feel really proud seeing you work towards things that you’re really interested in doing, while memeing it along the way. Tell your dad good luck with his BOTW game, hope you get your Switch back eventually lmao
@thoughtfullytired - i think of all my irl friends on this list, i’ve know you the shortest amount of time, but that doesn’t mean you’re any less valuable to me than any of my other friends. You always work so hard to improve your art, and you’re always so amazing at being able to express your emotions into your artwork. I love talking to you about everything, whether it be our nerd stuffs or just regular stuffs. You’re also so incredibly kind to offer your help on Act to Flirt, completely unprompted, when I came to you just ranting about my inability to write music, haha. Hoping the best for you in school (and for your space ship!!) even though I haven’t seen you in a long while.♥
@sansismybitch - ah the name sticks out in this sappy list, but it’s still a very fitting name regardless lmao. you’re honestly a really great and really inspired person. your dedication and interest in supporting those whose works you like is honestly unparalleled. i love when i get asks and memey submissions from you, it brings a smile to my day! talking to you is just so wonderful, and i know a lot of people out there would agree. i just want you to know that you’re really a wonderful person, truly.
@alch3mic - we’ve not talked very long, and I know I definitely already wrote you an incredibly sappy message the other day lmao, but this write-off wouldn’t feel right without saying something to you, especially since the two of us have been watching this stream together (though separately!) You’re just so incredibly passionate with all your projects and I honestly really look up to you and what you do. I’m always so happy seeing when you post because everything you write or draw always brings a smile to my face. Keep doin’ what you do man♥
@teirrart - maybe we don’t really talk (unless it’s some intense thirsting over milo), but I still really adore the work that you do! i think you were one of the first couple of people i followed when joining the fandom and re-joining on Tumblr here, because I adored the buttons you had on your store and bought them IMMEDIATELY haha. It’s still kinda funny to me to realize I have a set of buttons with Ink and Lust made by you and you’ve got my charms of Ink and Lust too.. it’s like a trade in a way, but I’ve just never had it happen lol. Your work is so cute, your characters are wonderful, and your stories are so emotionally driven. I adore them and adore what you do.
@tatatale - god, I still think about the drawing you did with Lust, Insans, and Ace. It brings such a smile to my face and it makes me so happy. I never thought someone who’s artwork and comics I’ve been reading since they started and really admired would ever make something with the characters I’ve made. And you do collabs and fanarts of people’s others works a lot! It’s so incredible to see. This kind of fan interaction is honestly so precious and rare. I adore your comics, I adore your art style, and you’re just so kind.
@owl-bones - we’ve only talked a few times, usually passively talking about the development of our dating sims, haha, but honestly your artwork is amazing, and the work you put into what you do is amazing. sometimes I sit here, a bit jealous of just how good Bonely Hearts Club is, but it’s honestly some silly jealousy lol. You put in an incredible amount of heart and soul into every bit of that game, and it’s so clearly evident even in just the short demo we’ve had so far -- everyone can see that. You’re an incredibly talented person.
...and, well, although you two will probably never ever see this, I suppose I’ll take the chance and throw my voice to the wind anyhow lol:
@markiplier and @crankgameplays - jesus christ, I’ve been watching you two for so long now that i can’t even believe how long it’s been. i was literally barely in high school. it’s so funny to me how I literally had the thought of “Man, I wish Ethan and Mark did more collabs” when YouTube decided to recommend me the escape room video from Unus Annus, a channel that I had somehow MISSED entirely. (At that point, of course. I watched every video from then onward and the ones from the couple of weeks I’d missed). It’s just so wild to me to really think that... a lot of what you two have done have really shaped me today. People often talk down upon the idea of looking up to others because people can do things wrong in the future and then - oh no - now you’re suddenly regretting supporting them. But you two have never once given me that kind of vibe, and I don’t feel like I’ll ever get that from you two in the future. Your work ethics and dedication to what you do really inspires me. It’s gotten me to where I am. Unus Annus ironically made me want death less when I was at such a low point in my life, and made me realize the value of using the time I have been given. It just somehow clicked for me. So, if either of you ever do see this? Just - thanks.
Memento mori.
but also, memento vivire. Remember to live.
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serenityseventeen · 3 years
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Love & Letter: To The Thirteen Boys I've Loved Before
The Seventh Letter
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To: Jeon Wonwoo
From: Y/N
Hey, Wonwoo.
Now that I think back on us, we were a romance novel with a bittersweet ending. Every moment I spent with you felt like I was drinking a comforting cup of hot chocolate even if it didn't have any additional toppings. Warm. Sweet. Lovely. Temporary. I guess I finished the cup of hot chocolate now, huh?
Maybe one day I'd get a refill.
But for now, I'm satisfied.
I don't know how to exactly explain this. I'm just grateful. I'm also happy. I'm not happy with the breakup of course, because it's sad and I'm heartbroken too. I'm happy with the memories we made. I'm happy that a warm and sweet guy like you loved me. I'm happy that I got to love an understanding and intelligent guy like you.
I think deciding to become an avid reader may have been one of the best choices in my life, even if our love lasted only about a year. My unfortunate love life has taken a toll on this love as well. I know you'll say it wasn't any of our faults that we broke up. Knowing you, you'd probably say something along the lines of, “We couldn't hide our hearts that's why we dated. We can't change time that's why we have to separate. We didn't have a choice.”
You're always positive like this. I know that sometimes you're hurting and I was hoping that maybe one day you'd tell me about everything; everything that hurt, bothered, or annoyed you. You did tell me a few things that cut deep but I knew, each time that you opened up to me, that there was an even deeper cut in your heart that you didn't dare to tell yet.
Wonwoo, you were always a happy kid in my eyes. I think you wanted to show me only your good side even though you acted as if you could tell me everything. You were able to speak up for me when I couldn't and you even put my friends in their place. Thank you for that.
At that time, we weren't even dating, so I was always asking myself, “Why is he defending me?”
You were just this bookworm I met in the town's book club that I signed up for. You were just this guy who always happened to be reading in the local library. So, why were you defending me?
Well, we both know that answer now. It was because you liked me.
You began seeing me almost every day, at the local library, because I wanted to build a good habit of reading books. You looked like a cold nerd, always reading in that same, dark corner, barely lit by the lamp nearby. Sometimes I would just, while picking out a book to read, wonder what book it was that had you so invested.
Did you notice me staring? Or is it because I always took a long time looking for books? You never told me which of the ones were the reason you approached me. Well, I also never asked but by the time the question crossed my mind again, we had already fallen in love and broken up.
When you approached me with a book in your hand, I can still hear the words you said with your deep, calming, and dreamy voice. “Read this one if you're having a hard time. I already finished it.”
If you're reading this letter, you're probably cringing, right? Such a cheesy line for a first actual meeting. Well, I will admit now that it left quite an impression on me and lingered in my mind for a while. I never told you that though because I thought it was embarrassing.
You were really sweet even before we started dating. I was always wondering why you would leave me yogurt when I wasn't looking or become protective of me when I was alone. You always acted as if it wasn't a big deal but I know you were taking hours to head home because you insisted on seeing me off every time.
Wonwoo, when we began dating naturally, I wasn't convinced I was in love with you yet. I'm sorry if it sounds like I deceived you but the reason this letter is being written is because I loved you. Back then, even if you don't know my heart, I want to tell you that I'm sorry for dating you when I wasn't sure of my feelings. Whenever I dated or liked someone, it didn't end up that happily.
That day when I told you outside the library at night about how loving me felt like a curse, when you kissed me that night and reassured me that I wasn't cursed, that's when I truly fell for you. You were willing to accept me even when I talked so much that night about my past and failed relationships. Your lips... breath... It was all so warm that I didn't want to let go of you.
You didn't mind it when I talked about my ex-boyfriends and you understood me well. Even the next days that followed my breakdown, you treated me the same. You treated me like I was yours. When you wanted me to be close, you'd pull me close with my chair and ask if it was okay. When you wanted to hold hands, you wouldn't hesitate to do it in the most natural way possible.
You were also very romantic, I don't know if you think of yourself that way though, Wonwoo. I hope the things you did to me and my reaction also made your heart flutter; because every little thing you did to me made my heart race. It's memorable. I wanted to do the same things but I lacked the confidence. At least I gave you some good laughs though?
I remember, one time, I accidentally forgot my book at home during the book club and there were no extras. No one knew we were dating then and you suddenly took the seat beside me and slyly slid your arm around my waist and hand in mine before you started reading the chapter. You don't know just how much my heartbeat spiked because of that. I'll also be honest here, I didn't remember anything you read out loud and ended up reading the chapter again at home.
I think we got close because of our many conversations. Soon, I grew attached to you in many ways. You were the reliever of my stress, the lover of my nights, and an inspirational reader of my days. I had you to talk to when things were hard. I had you to talk to when I wanted to flirt and have fun. I had you to talk with about books.
What a boyfriend you were, handling so many jobs just for me. Now that we've broken up, I've realized that I was selfish. I used you for myself and though sometimes I did try to try and get rid of your hardships by listening, I found that you were independent. You thought you'd be able to handle it all so you always told me, “Just seeing you is enough.”
I honestly hope you don't think that way. I want you to be like me. Be a little selfish sometimes and allow yourself to use another person to rant. I want you to be able to let out all that stress you're having, whether it's from school, home, or your part-time job. I want you to be confident and continue being positive without having to hide your scars, but please, don't make the mistake of trusting the wrong person.
Remember the day when I called you crying, whining about how I failed an important test? It was probably almost midnight at that time and you were probably sleeping. I don't exactly remember the details but I remember this much.
You woke up, got out of bed, and ran to me. When you saw me crying on the bench beside a lamppost in the park, you immediately hugged me, not saying a word. Do you know how thankful I am for that?
It wasn't even that big of a deal. I was being a baby over something so trivial but you still ran to me. Your warm embrace filled with love... I could never forget that.
I still always think about that day when you came over to my house with the excuse that you wanted to read together. You ‘fell asleep’ on my couch.
I don't know how you knew I was staring at your handsome features but somehow, you knew. I still don't know how. I was just staring at you while thinking, ‘This guy cares for me... he's really nice... Why does he like me?’
It was like you could hear my thoughts. You turned your head to me and opened your eyes gently then pulled my head closer and kissed me. My heart fluttered so much and even thinking of it now gives me butterflies.
“Sorry, I didn't mean to do it without your consent.”
Seriously, which novel did you learn that line from?
I also know that sometimes when you ask me to hug you, it's because you're having a hard time, not because you missed me. Do you think I wouldn't know that? I can just remember how desperate your grasp was and how weak your breath was. I wished that you would tell me about your problems one day.
Even though you didn't end up telling me about your deepest fears and scars, I'm glad that you wanted hugs from me. That means I was at least some sort of comfort, right? I was also comforted when I hugged you, even though you were the one who asked for hugs.
I can't do anything but compliment you in this letter because our relationship did not have any flaws. Truly, we only have happy memories to reminisce. Like that day when you kissed me in the library, between bookshelves, or that day when you made a poem about me and read it out loud, or when you came over to my house and helped me water the plants but ended up getting both of us wet. When I was with you, I only had smiles and it felt like I could forget everything and just live as if there were only the two of us.
Because of you, I could forget about college for a while, I could stop stressing about schoolwork, I could be happy and live in the moment. I hope it was that way for you too. Your cold face when you're not smiling and your sharp eyes are enough to slice someone in half. You need to smile warmly with that beautiful smile of yours. You have a beautiful smile.
Wonwoo, I know you're a strong guy. Even without me, your ‘healer’, I know you'll be fine. Please don't make me the only one who remembers this love story. If I wanted to, I could write a romance novel about us. You, the male protagonist, and me, your love interest. We had so many lovely moments that I just want to keep it all in a book.
Well, it's a shame that we have to end our relationship like this. Maybe the timing is just never right for me. College is in a few months and long-distance relationships would never work for us, that's why I asked for us to break up. I know you and you usually rather act than talk. I'm sad about it but there's nothing I can do. I need to go to college.
I just have a few more things to say to you in this long letter.
Wonwoo, sometimes you would be straightforward but sometimes your words and actions would be implicit. Sometimes, even though you were my boyfriend, I would find myself failing to understand you. Everyone is complex but you may be the most mysterious man I fell in love with.
What was I to you?
Was I like a warm cup of hot cocoa?
Or a blanket to give you warmth throughout the nights?
To me, you were warmth, reassurance, love, and like the seasons.
You taught me life lessons while being my partner.
Even if sometimes you seem like a stranger, I don't regret it. I think you must've had a hard time but I'm sorry I couldn't do much to help you. Now that we're over, I'm just happy about what we had.
The fact that we loved each other is enough.
Yours truly,
Y/N
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© serenityseventeen
6/24/21 - 11:42 am
a/n: My baby brother and parents came back so I spent a lot of time with family and didn't get to finish this. + SVT appearing on so many western shows/channels makes me so happy... I'm just happier these days :)
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Pockets and Gifts
Thirteenth Doctor x reader
A late birthday fic for @kinglivv. Sorry it took so long but i hope you had the Best birthday, ily babe. it's short, and i never proofread, but hopefully it's sufficiently soft
(Also, i intended to start adding the 'read more's to my fics after actually learning how to do them, but my tumblr mobile is still being fecky. they'll be there from now on though)
Taglist: @psychobitchtess @dykecious @osterhagen @lostshadow12 @thejinxmaster @bitemealiienboy @im-tired-24-7 @sweetlittlesoufflegirl @truthbehindthemysteries @startrekkingaroundasgard @ettorah @theaussietimelord @captainlgordon @findingyouagain @fabulous-jj-style
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When travelling in time, there becomes a tendency to lose count of the real hour of the day, or indeed the day itself. This is why you were absolutely meticulous about it. No matter where the Doctor took you, far into the future or past, or onto a planet with an entirely different time rotation, you'd make a habit to know what time it would be on earth since last leaving.
It was pointless of course, the Doctor told you so many times, as she'd often take you all back home either at the same time as leaving or an accidental few hours late. But it grounded you. It grounded you back to a small sense of reality and a slight normality. And the Doctor wasn't one to deny you that luxury, even if she often stated that it wasn't technically a 'tuesday' or 'wednesday' like you insisted on mentioning back on earth.
She'd even told you that there was no point in celebrating your birthday on the technically correct time relevant to you. You'd go back home and have to do it all again either a few days or few hours later. And if it was a few hours later, she'd said, you'd have to eat a second lot of party food after already being full.
"Don't have to celebrate it, just like knowing that it technically will be my birthday."
She'd only hummed, launching into a rant about the effects of time travel on someone's internal body clock. You hadn't quite listened.
Besides, you hadn't even mentioned it on the day. You'd just thought about it silently to yourself. A year older. And any adventure from the TARDIS was like a giant sized birthday treat in itself. No one else had really mentioned it either, you'd all celebrate eachother's birthdays back on Earth. It was much more simple. Besides which, you preferred to have it as your own little uplifting secret.
Though, on the way into the console room, Graham had patted your shoulder with a muffled "Happy birthday, mate," mouth filled with a half eaten jaffa cake. That was more than enough for you, especially added to the unusual ease the TARDIS had given you in navigating her halls that morning.
The adventure had seemed fairly common place too. A misdirection by the TARDIS on where the Doctor had intended to go, which meant a fun, slightly dangerous and adrenaline inducing adventure. Run around a bit, run around a bit more, listen to an inspiring lecture on morality from the Doctor, and get back inside with smiles and cups of tea. No getting stuck in a jail cell with the latter after all devices useful to an escape had been taken away.
No getting stuck in a jail cell.
Huh.
"We'll be out in no time, don't you worry. Good in a tight spot, me, always 'ave been. Sonic's just a conveniance, a proper nice conveniance, but I can do without it."
She was pacing around the limited space, boots hitting against the dampness of the floor, hands absolutely flailing as her nose twitched in thought. You'd opted for sitting back against the wall instead, arms loosely leaning on your outstetched knees, looking up at her with an encouraging expression. At least you hoped it was an encouraging expression. You really had nothing else to offer. You'd even told her so when she'd asked for any ideas.
"Nonsense. Full of good ideas, you are. Catching Yaz up with points too," she said, before spinning on her heel to look upon the whole cell. You assumed she was remembering that the others were in seperate cells, her brows furrowing and lips pressing together in a manner that suggested this was simply inconveniant.
"Aren't you doing gold stars?"
She snapped out of it and swung back to you, face animated in rememberance. "I knew I'd gotten it mixed up. Gold stars, points, they're all the same. You can have one now! Gold star, for bein' a great listener."
"I've just sat here," you told her quite frankly, not too bothered one way or the other.
She seemed oddly offended by it however, walking straight towards you with her arms flailing. "You've done more than just sit there. Been handy to bounce my thoughts off, and you're calm! Calm in a prison cell, and on your sort of birthday no less."
You managed a barely audible laugh at that, smiling up at her with barely contained amusment. "Thanks, doc." Besides her praise at your supposedly helpful calmness, you were honestly a little surprised. She hadn't even said the word 'birthday' so far, nor had she alluded to it in any sense. It'd be a very odd thing to notice if it had been anyone else, but the Doctor always looked particularly awkward at any mention of it, and often started talking a mile a minute at how the widespread human tradition confused her.
She stopped then, arms falling to her side as she resigned to rather dramatically falling to your side.
"You alright?" You ask.
She only hums.
"You sure you don't have anything in your pockets. They only took your sonic didn't they?" She'd taken two barbie dolls out of one pocket before, much to everyone's confusion. It would've been sinister if it had been anyone else, but it convinced you that she hadn't been lying about her 'pocket innovation.'
The Doctor pursed her lips. "Nothing." Very unconvincing.
"You know when you told me I'm a bad liar- "
"Nothing I want to use," she clarified, recluding back into her standoffish mode that was so common place now. You tried to avoid it as much as possible, but she had a tendency to be dramatic.
"That's fine and everything, but the others..." you attempted softly.
She was silent and still for just a moment, before turning to face you. There was a slight panic that you'd done something wrong, but she seemed more gently saddened that anything else. "I'd have to take it apart." You were silent as she reached inside of her coat and pulled out a small, square, black shaped box. She held it in her hand for a moment longer. Then it was passed to you.
You furrowed your eyebrows. It was yet another two moments before she seemed to realise that she hadn't explained anything, but simply handed you a mysterious box with a saddened gaze. "Oh, right. A present. Your present."
"My present?"
"Honestly," she chastised, "that's what I just said."
You shouldn't have been mentally mocking her for taking so long with every action taken in the cell, because here you were staring, wide eyed and open mouthed. To be fair, it har been highly unexpected. First of all, she'd been very elusive and vague as to what was in her pockets, and second of all, this didn't seem like her at all.
You opened it nonetheless, as careful as possible and placed the lid down. A pocket watch. A deep blue and silver outlined pocket watch, with a rather intricate looking face. Since you made no move to touch anything other than picking it up, she leaned over to twist a button on top. The time changed, and the date above it shifted. "The time on Earth in relation to when you were last there. It'll change every time you go back home." She twisted the button again. "How old you are, the time in relation to how long you've been travelling in the TARDIS. She helped me with that bit."
You seemed to just keep staring at her. It was incomprehensibly thoughtful and infinitely more personal. An oddity for someone who often tried to keep her feelings hidden.
"I, uh, used the parts of an old watch of mine."
She seemed nervous now. You should assure her. You should assure her and stop staring at her, because that was strange. "Thanks." Shit, that sounded apathetic and ungrateful. "I mean, I didn't- it's amazing, Doctor. Didn't expect it."
"Only thing I have on me that can get us out." Oh. "The springs," she elaborated weakly. Oh.
You looked down at it, stroking the pattern on the back with your thumb. "If it's the only thing," you said, somehow even more weakly.
You were very close to eachother now. She'd leaned in to adjust the watch and apparently hadn't moved. The warmth was nice. It'd be nicer if she didn't look so much more upset than you.
"I can just keep asking you for the times anyway," you attempted to reassure her. "Probably much more interesting if I keep annoying you, especially for me."
The laugh was more of a puff of air akin to a scoff than anything else, but it was something. And then there was something more. "Don't think you're capable of annoyin' me, Y/n." Your throat dried, and your lips turned up. You vaguely remembered that she had once mentioned how her biology meant she could hear as much as a heartbeat increasing. You didn't quite believe it, but it made you a little nervous in than moment nonetheless.
"I'll continue to try then." You tentatively uncurled her hand and placed the watch on her palm. "Trips with you a- and the fam, are beyond gift enough, Doc."
The smile on her face was more than genuine, and you reckon that your rapidly beating heart had suddenly stopped. It certainly felt like it. But it seemed justified. A rare sight that you alone just got the pleasure of witnessing. Maybe the happiness that came along with that was selfish, but you couldn't say you minded all too much.
"Happy sort of birthday, Y/n."
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taelme · 4 years
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Enemies-to-lovers!Jisung
request:  - anon: Could you maybe write an enemies to lovers like the Chan one but with jisung?? It was so good 😔😔😭🥺💞💞💖💘💘💞💗💞💗💕💞 can it be fluffy and Angsty hehe 😖 maybe where they're both college students -  anon: Can you do a Enemies to Lovers AU with chan!!! Where they're going to college and their families happen to be friends so they get an apartment together to save money, but the first time they meet it doesn't go well. Then yk, slowly w time they fall in love ahhaha... I love your writings btw!! 💓💞💓💝💓💞💓💝 (I recently sent the ask about the enemies to lovers au w chan that involved going to college.. since you literally just wrote an enemies to lovers au for chan if you want you can do my request (if u do it ahahha) with jisung!!)  - anon: I really love how you write au’s/fanfictions. I just want to know if u can write something about han jisung?? maybe a cafe love story or another tattoo artist just like chan? or maybe a studio date night?
genre: enemies-to-lovers!au, college!au, roommate!au, tattoo apprentice!jisung lol (fluff, a bit of angst) 
pairing/s: Han Jisung / Reader ( ft skz Bang Chan and nct/wayv/superm (lmao)  Lucas )
word count: 18k 
tw: I talk about like kind of sad stuff when jisung has like an artist’s block in this I guess 
a/n: thank u anons for being so patient with this request!! I rly hope that I managed to do it well and that you guys are satisfied with the outcome n have fun reading it hehe, it was kind of inspired by the song sunshine!! by stray kids so I hope that it gives u the same good vibes I got from the song while writing this :( ok bye 
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If it were any other person standing in front of you, maybe you wouldn’t have regretted having an outburst in the café for the morning crowd to see.
The fight, or outburst (if you wanted to relieve him of any role in the exchange), had started rather simply. You were just having one of those days where it was raining outside, you were awake even before roosters were (in your opinion) and you had wanted nothing more than to just curl up in bed and sleep into the evening.
You had gone to grab your morning coffee, combating against the rain with your multi-coloured umbrella, as one does. Shoving the doors of the café open, you were met with shouts of names and storms of people squeezing to collect their orders. The whole ordeal would’ve made you pretty at ease if it weren’t for the coldness of your feet and the way your umbrella would cause someone to slip soon if you didn’t move.
Your shoes squelched against the shiny wood floors of the café, each step making you cringe as you waited anxiously to reach the front of the line, desperate to put an end to this experience. Thankfully enough, your order was pretty straightforward, so you’d collected it quickly, the small smiley face drawn on the cup by the staff serving to put you in a slightly less dreadful mood.
Stationing yourself at one of the empty tables you’d spotted by the exit, you set your still-dripping umbrella on the floor before you tried to get your tissues out to salvage whatever you could of your shoes. Shrugging off your coat, you’d draped it over the back of the seat.
Glancing at the time on your phone before you shoved your notes aside within your bag, you’d pushed your arm forward and opened your bag harshly, taking your box file out of your bag, almost nicking yourself against the broken corner of the file in your rush.
The next sequence of events happened quickly, and too ‘all-at-once’ for you to process. Upon taking out your box file, you’d heard a yelp behind you, followed by harsh footsteps and the splash of coffee on your box file.
Letting out a loud yelp of surprise as the person in question had stopped their fall with a loud thud of their hands against the pillar in front of you, they’d turned to you with wide-eyes, their eyebrows quickly furrowing into an expression that looked utterly ticked-off, their mouth already opening to speak.
You’d seemed to beat them to it, hurriedly grabbing your tissues to wipe down your file, checking for any brown-stains on your precious papers.
“What the hell,” you scoffed, casting a glance up at the boy. He had stood slightly taller than you, with rounded eyes and a defined nose, his lips pressed into a firm line.
He looked fairly young, from the way he dressed in brand-name basics to the way he was practically decked out in accessories. Call you biased, but if this was a senior or a child, you’d probably have let them off with it. But the way he was looking at you now was somehow successfully unnerving you, and you supposed admiring his annoyed features was about the last thing you should be doing at the moment.
“‘What the hell’?” He echoed your words, “who’s the one that chose to stand in the middle of nowhere to go through their damned bag?”
Your eyebrows raised in offence, your annoyance from before making itself known as you frowned, your grip on your bag tightening, “oh, and it’s my fault you have poor coordination?”
The boy had narrowed his eyes, mirroring your expression, his bracelets shifting on his wrist as he gestured at your umbrella on the floor.
“Your stupid umbrella was the reason I tripped in the first place,” he told you pointedly, strangely making you even more annoyed that he chose to attack not only you but your innocent umbrella too.
Your volume raised involuntarily with your frustration, “it’s so bright! It was basically screaming at you that it was there,” you defended, attracting a few customers attention with your outburst. You didn’t understand why you had to go through this so early in the morning when you were already irritable beyond belief.  
The boy seemed to have noticed this as well, discomfort washing over him at the feeling of the crowd’s stares. Ultimately deciding he would rather give up the fight with the crazy stranger from the café and leave before he was late for his job at the tattoo studio.
“Whatever,” he huffed, leaving the café, the bells at the doors jingling loudly as it swung back.
Something about the apology just wasn’t enough for you, (maybe you just expected more because he irked you) but you were already late enough for class. Rolling your eyes, you’d slung your bag around your shoulder with a thump, gripping your cup in your hands tightly and picking your umbrella (that now had an evident crease in one of its panels) up before running to class.
Your mom had called you halfway through the day while you were on your way to classes, the gesture enough to make you huff good-naturedly at her insistence.
“Hello?”
“Hey, honey, is this a good time?” her tone was practically dripping with motherly concern, making you let out a breathy laugh, nodding even though she couldn’t see you.
“Yeah, It’s fine,” you told her, “but anyway, I think my umbrella’s broken. Some idiot at the café this morning practically destroyed it with their stupid combat boots.”
Your mom didn’t seem to pay much attention to your rant, cutting straight to the point that she’d called you for.
“Have you met Jisung yet?”
You sighed as you entered the auditorium for your next lecture, lowering your head slightly as you found a seat around the middle of the hall.
“No, not yet. I’m only going over to the house after my classes end, remember? But I heard my stuff already got moved there,” you explained to her, holding your phone between your ear and your shoulder as you took your laptop from your bag, setting it on the table gently.
“Oh, do you want his phone number? To make things easier for the both of you,” she offered, earning a disinterested hum from you.

Your mom was more than excited about the fact that you would be 1. Not living in a residence within the school and 2. Living with the son of one of her friends from college. You figured your duty as her child now would be to appease her and at least try to live out her desires for you. Which in this case was sharing an apartment alone with some boy you didn’t even know. Maybe your mom was just a little more trusting than most.
You shrugged, “yeah, sure, just send it to me.”
Your mom let out a squeal, “I’m so excited for you to meet him, honey, he’s such a nice boy. You two are sure to get along. I’m so happy you agreed to this.”
Letting out a small sigh, you leant back in your seat as you held your phone with one hand, your other hand going to unlock your computer.
“I still feel like I’m imposing on them,” you hummed.
“Honey, it’s fine, Jisung’s parents insisted that you didn’t have to pay any rent.”
You hummed patronisingly, it wasn’t as if it was the first time she was telling you this, “yeah, uh-huh,” your attention was momentarily diverted by the tall boy that was standing next to you, gesturing to the empty seat with raised eyebrows.
“Sorry, is there anyone sitting here?”
Your lips parted, “okay, mom I gotta go I’ll call you once I’ve settled into the apartment.”
You did a once-over of the boy, who shook his head to get his bangs away from his eyes, giving you a wide smile. Gesturing for him to go ahead and sit down, he’d flopped down onto the seat with a sigh.
Letting go of his bag strap as he turned around, he gave you an appreciative nod as he opened his bag, pulling out a notebook and pen.
“First day, huh,” his voice was deeper than you’d remembered it to be from just seconds ago, his hand coming up to cover his growing smile as a little giggle escaped him, “I’m Lucas.”
“How’d you know?” You hummed, “and my name’s Y/N.” You swore you’d never seen a boy with such sparkly eyes before in your life.
Lucas shrugged, leaning his folded arms on the desk and turning his head slightly to observe you in your confusion, one hand shifting to play with his earring, “haven’t seen you around before.”
“You talk like you know everyone in the school,” you scoffed.  
Lucas didn’t seem to sense your sarcasm, simply giving you a shrug, “possibly. And also because it’s my second time taking this stupid class so I should know an unfamiliar face when I see one,” he told you, a hint of bitterness in his tone.
Your eyebrows raised, hearing the doors at the bottom of the auditorium open, a short stocky man walking through and making his way to the speaker’s desk.
“Second time? Why?” You hummed, keeping your gaze on the man in anticipation for what he was about to say.
Lucas cast a glare towards the professor, “I thought he was boring so I didn’t really go much for his lectures the last time, you know, because I thought they weren’t graded. But he decided to include them as passing criteria way too late.”
Lucas pointed at the professor, his sleeve riding up slightly to expose a tattoo at his wrist. You were starting to wonder if everyone at this place had tattoos, the sight seeming fairly common from just your few hours in the school.
You winced, nodding, already getting the sensing that this man was someone you needed to be on good terms with.
“Alright, class, enough talking. From now on, I’m the only one that should be talking so I expect nothing but your full attention from here onwards.”
This was going to be a long lecture.
===
Your mom had texted you the Jisung kid’s number, and you’d dropped him a text saying you were on your way to the apartment, getting a reply from him that he was on his way there as well. You figured he seemed pretty polite, from the way he texted you, so you guessed that helped in making you dread the whole arrangement less.
When you’d reached, you’d ended up at an apartment building that looked fairly plain, walking in to the lobby and scanning the sparsely decorated notice board for residents, the last thing put up being a picnic for families that was 3 months ago.
Stepping into the lift, you’d noticed that though it was relatively well-maintained, it seemed rather dull, from the prison-grey lights to how the mirrors were covered for maintenance. Thankfully, your apartment itself was relatively well-maintained (you remembered your mom telling you the apartment was previously being rented out by Jisung’s parents), aside from the space being a little not-so conducive. But well, they were letting you live here for free, so you couldn’t complain.
Setting your things down onto the sofa in the living room, you moved to examine the respective rooms, frowning when you realised that whoever Jisung was, he’d taken the room with the bigger bed, his clothes either already hung up on the clothing rack or stacked up on his bed.
Walking into what you assumed was your room now, you tried to envision how you could make this space more conducive. From moving the bed aside to switching the desk out to the living room for more light, you tried out different permutations in your head, your time as an amateur interior designer cut short when you heard the rustling of keys at the front door.
Smoothing your hair down to make sure it was neat, you’d dodged the boxes of stuff as you leant over the sofa, curious to see what this Jisung kid would look like.
Jisung had done the same outside the door, making sure his hair and clothes were somewhat presentable before pushing the door open. And immediately wanting to close it back.
“You’re Jisung?”
“You’re Y/N?”
The two of you spoke simultaneously, disbelief and shock written over your features as you pointed an accusatory finger at him.
Like you mentioned before, maybe if the boy at the café this morning wasn’t Jisung, you would’ve regretted your actions a lot less.
Jisung gave you a look of disbelief, stepping into the apartment and folding his arms across his chest, his bag still hanging from his shoulder. He couldn’t wrap his head around how unlucky he must have been to have had such a bad encounter with someone he was about to spend probably his entire college life living with.
He sighed deeply, “now I don’t feel like paying the rent on your behalf anymore.”
You rolled your eyes, “your parents are paying the rent, not you. You have no say in it.”
Jisung made a sound of protest, shaking his head vigorously, his eyes widening in his aggravation.
“No, they aren’t. I told them to let me take care of it because I felt bad for them. But I don’t feel bad for you, so you’re gonna have to split the rent with me.”
Your lips parted, fumbling for a response.
Jisung’s expression was expectant, provoking you almost, “what? Would you rather get an apartment on your own? ‘Cause I’d be more than happy to let my parents know.”
You wanted to cry. It was already the start of the school term so staying in the dorms was out of the question for you already, the deadline having closed long ago. And you knew that finding another apartment in the school district that was within your budget was going to be a pain in the ass. So as much as you hated to admit it, splitting the rent with Jisung was your best option. You needed to get a job asap.
You rolled your eyes, “well…well then why do you get the bigger room?” You huffed, mirroring his stance as you folded your arms across your chest.
Jisung gave you a mocking pout, “simple, ‘cause I got here first,” he brought his hand up, inspecting his nails.
“You should be glad I’m not charging you extra for inconveniencing me,” he added.
Not being able to help but let a small gasp leave you, you were quick to respond, “inconveniencing you? You were the one that got coffee all over my file.”
Jisung shrugged, “potato, potato. Doesn’t change the fact that you made me late for work.”
You clenched your jaw, watching with a glare as he strolled past you, gesturing to the space in the living room which you’d been planning on using as a work area, “I have dibs on this space.”
You frowned, mumbling, “I wanted to shift the desk in my room out here, though.”
“Oh, that’s too bad. Wanna consider moving out now?”
You inhaled deeply, brushing past him to grab your luggage that contained your clothes.
“You’re not getting rid of me that easily,” you huffed in annoyance as you walked into your room, his laughter echoing behind you.
===
“How can you say that? Jisung is a very nice boy,” your mother cried, making you roll your eyes, glaring at your phone from where you were hanging your clothes up.
“He’s the idiot that I fought with at the café, it’s not like I’m saying this without reason.”
You heard your mom sigh deeply, conversing with your dad about something in the background, “try to put your attitude aside for once, please, I’m begging you.”
You groaned, kicking your luggage aside before you made your way over to your bed, flopping down next to your phone with a loud sigh, wincing at the feeling of the springs in your mattress. You were so sure Jisung’s bed was more comfortable.
“It’s not me that has the attitude, it’s him,” you mumbled, sulkiness evident in your tone.
“Enough, Y/N," she said sternly, "If I hear anymore complaints you’re really gonna be in for it.”
You kicked at your blanket, “fine, goodnight. Love you.”
You hung up, staring at your desk as you contemplated on whether to move it into the living room now or tomorrow, distracted from your thoughts when you could hear the water running, not to mention the awfully loud sound of Jisung singing in the shower.
How thin were the walls? Your glare had shifted to your door now.
“Can you keep it down?” You shouted, hearing a silence on his end momentarily. Heaving a sigh of relief, you turned around in your bed only to hear him resume his singing, except this time, you swore it got louder.
Burying your head under your pillow, you kicked at your blanket, hoping this was the worst it could get. It wasn’t that bad, right? You could deal with simple shower concerts. Maybe living with him wasn’t going to be as hard as you thought.
===
Safely to say, you should’ve thought otherwise.  
The very first time you realised you'd underestimated Han Jisung, was when you'd gone to the fridge to fix yourself something for dinner, only to find post-its on every single one of the items that read : 'property of han jisung! not for y/n'
You'd moved to look for something else to eat that was unlabelled, only realising then that he'd even gone to the (very petty) extent of labelling the snacks in the cupboard.  
Huffing, you'd shrugged your coat on, grabbed your wallet and made a trip to the grocery store.
Cursing him in your head as you shoved your items into your basket, earning yourself looks of scandal from the elders who were for whatever reason still in the grocery store, though you couldn’t be bothered to look more amiable. You’d wanted nothing more than to throw out Jisung’s groceries, but of course, you were a nice person, so you wouldn’t do that. It seemed like you just couldn't get a break when your phone had begun to buzz in your pocket.
"Hey, mom," you hummed, trying not to sound too tired lest she started to drill you about resting. You brought your groceries over to the self-checkout aisle, heaving them onto the small platform with a grunt.
"Have you eaten dinner?"
You huffed, "we didn't have enough food, so I went to buy some groceries." Biting back your tongue, you rolled your eyes, scanning your items and bagging them angrily.
"How's finding a job been?"
You shrugged, Lucas had told you about various job openings nearby your house, (surprising you with how much he knew about the area) one of them you were looking into was a simple job at a café near your apartment. Thankfully, not the one that you'd had your little ‘encounter’ with Jisung at.
"Pretty alright, nothing too difficult,” you hummed, fumbling to pull out your card so you could make your payment, ignoring the stares you were getting from the people queueing up behind you.
"Alright, that's good to hear."
"Everything alright with you and dad at home?" you asked, shoving your card back into your wallet before slinging the bags onto your forearms, beginning to walk out of the supermarket.
"Yes, of course. Don't worry about us, we just miss you."
You sighed, something about the night air putting you in a drowsy mood, "me too. I never realised how much I liked living with you guys till now..."
"Don't tell me you're still having a hard time with Jisung," you heard her tone, your knew that this was her way of implying she didn't want to hear anything other than that you and Jisung's housemate experience was just peachy.
"Don't worry, mom, everything's... fine."
You'd tugged your coat closer to yourself, giving her whatever updates you figured she'd want to know before hanging up, enjoying the peaceful walk before you reached your apartment, figuring this was as much peace you were going to get before you returned to the apartment to be met with his stupid antics again.
And surely enough, the evening breeze accompanied with the sounds of faint conversation from the restaurants nearby had started to put you in a rather drowsy mood, making you start to contemplate if you were even still hungry, the lure of sleep starting to seem more tempting.
Reaching your apartment building, the lift lobby illuminated by a harshly bright lightbulb, you’d bumped into one of the ladies living on the same floor as you exited the lift on your floor, watching as her eyes widened in surprise, giving you a small smile as she enquired.
“Oh, are you the resident from apartment 19B?" you nodded.
If you were drowsy before, you sure weren't drowsy anymore.
You flinched slightly when her expression had changed in an instant, her once amiable expression now replaced with an annoyed glare.
"Can you please refrain from singing so loudly in the middle of the night? Some of us are trying to sleep."
Your eyebrows raised, shaking your head as you slot your keys into the keyhole, opening the door just a crack, "oh, sorry, that's not me that's my housemate—”
The middle-aged lady had narrowed her eyes at you, "you know, It's not ethical for someone as young as you to be living with a man when you're so young—”
"Okay, sorry, won't happen again!" you told her quickly in your attempt to appease her, shoving the door open and slamming it behind you, turning around only to see Jisung standing in the living room, dressed in loungewear with black gloves on his hands as he pointed at you in amusement, his shoulders shaking as he laughed.
"Aw, I'm not the only one that thinks it's not ethical for you to live here," he pouted.
You rolled your eyes, "I can't believe she thought I was the one singing," you huffed, going over to the kitchen to see yet more dishes in the sink.
Pointing at them with a look of disbelief on your face, "are you not gonna clean these either?"
Jisung turned around, looking at the sink with evident contempt, shrugging. He held his hands up to you, showing you that they were currently gloved.
"I'm a little busy, why don't you do me a favour this once? Consider it compensation," he grinned, making his way back to....your room?
"What are you doing in my room?" you asked, shoving the last of your groceries haphazardly into the fridge before you'd followed him into your room, shutting your mouth quickly when you saw that he’d practically set up a work station next to your desk, looking closer to find that he was using what looked like tattoo equipment.
“Practicing,” he shrugged.
You didn’t bother asking what his business using tattoo equipment was, simply huffing in exasperation, “and you had to do it in my room, of all places?”
Jisung nodded, pushing one of his sleeves up on his shoulder, revealing a rather big tattoo on his arm that was partially hidden by his sleeve.
“This is the only room with an accessible plug and a good enough space to work in.”
“Then why didn’t you just take this room as your bedroom?” You were dumbfounded at the way he was so nonchalant about his actions, the buzzing of the tattoo needle resuming as he practised on fake skin.
“I like to sleep in a comfortable bed,” he shrugged, leaning back to look at his tattoo.
“And you think I don’t?” You shot back, your hands going to your hips, his reply coming just as quick.
“Well, for $300 bucks above the rent maybe you can,” he smirked, using a tissue to rub at the fake skin, looking at you as he poked his tongue in his cheek, quirking his eyebrows before turning back to continue tattooing.
That night, you remembered asking Lucas if he knew who Jisung was, since he’d mentioned how he was pretty into tattoos, having a few of his own, his reply only making you wonder if the world was just small or you were just unlucky.
lucas wong
8:53pm - oh yeah I know him! he’s apprentice-ing at the tattoo shop I usually go to, he’s pretty good-
8:53pm - why? do u like him? I cld put in a good word for u-
You sighed deeply
8:53pm - no thanks im good-
Little did you know, the next time Lucas had visited the the tattoo studio, he’d spotted Jisung working on his designs at one corner of the room, going against your request and disturbing Jisung even despite how he looked like that was the last thing he wanted, too focused on the shadings of his chrysanthemum flower sketch on his tablet to have paid attention to Lucas' entrance.
“Hey, do you know anyone named Y/N?”
Jisung’s face scrunched up in distaste, looking up at Lucas and hoping desperately that he was joking, “don’t tell me… freshman Y/N?”
Lucas nodded, his eyes lighting up in excitement, “yeah! So you guys do know each other.”
Jisung made an uncertain sound, “I wouldn’t call it much of a relationship. Y/N’s my housemate.”
Jisung’s words had sparked a realisation in Lucas, the latter only piecing together your disdain towards Jisung with your stories about your ‘asshole housemate’
Lucas’ silence had caught Jisung off guard, making Jisung look up at Lucas expectantly, “sorry, you wanted to go get something to eat, right?”
Lucas nodded, masking his shock with a smile, recovering quickly.
“Wait, lemme go call Chan,” Jisung murmured, beckoning the boy who was currently snacking at the reception area.
“Where do you guys wanna go?” Lucas asked, earning a hum from Chan.
“I kinda wanted to get a smoothie,” Chan admitted sheepishly, though thankfully, Jisung and Lucas didn’t seem to have a problem with that.

“Why didn’t you wanna go to the other café? They’ve got better smoothies,” Lucas wondered out loud, making Jisung snort.
“We’re only going there because Chan has a fat crush on one of the baristas.” 

Which was what ended them up at the café you worked at.
The moment they had entered, you noticed your colleague tense beside you, bending down to pretend to take something from below the counter. 

“Shit, they’re here. Oh my god, help,”
You furrowed your eyebrows, “who?”
“That cute tattoo artist guy I was telling you about!” She whispered harshly, standing up and greeting the boys with a smile, her heart eyes directed particularly at one of them with curly hair.
Only then did you realise Lucas and Jisung were there, receiving an overwhelming feeling of wanting to bang your head into the cash register. You already saw him enough at home, and now you had to see him at work too?
“Hi, how may I help you?” You smiled at the curly haired boy, casting a glare in Jisung’s direction, the boy looking equally as dismayed to see you here.
“Hello, can I get the berry smoothie?” He asked, and you stepped aside, letting your colleague ring up his order while you prepared his drink, giving it to your colleague to serve since she’d spent so long talking to him.
Lucas had mouthed a ‘sorry’ to you when he’d gone to sit at one of the tables with Chan, Jisung lingering at the cashier as your colleague went to the backroom to squeal.
“What do you want?” you wore a bored expression.
Jisung looked almost too focused, his eyes glaring at the laminated menu between the both of you.
“I changed my mind, I want a drink too.”
You suppressed your urge to roll your eyes, your finger scratching at the corner of the cash register, “you couldn’t have ordered it like five seconds ago?”
Jisung shot you a look, “yeah, well I didn’t want it five seconds ago.”
Inhaling deeply, you’d gestured to the menu, and now not only was your expression bored-to-death, but your tone was too, "what do you want?”
“I want an iced americano,” he told you, pausing before he added, “and ask your friend to make it. I don’t trust you not to spit in my drink.”
You gave him a sarcastic smile, “good call.”
Ringing up his order, you’d called your friend, dismissing any thought of ever having a normal encounter with Jisung.
Upon returning to his table, Chan had given him a look, "Lucas told me you know the cashier."
"Not the one you think is cute, don't worry,” Jisung sighed, glancing in his drink just for good measure.  
Chan's eyebrows lifted in amusement, "so the one you think is cute?"
Almost instinctually, Jisung replied, "yeah," paying more attention to his drink than his words. Looking up when he heard Chan and Lucas struggle to stifle their giggles.
"What?"
Lucas clapped his hands together, his smile wide, "you just said Y/N was cute."
"No, I didn't, you did." Jisung shot back quickly. It was obvious that retaliation didn't always have to make sense for him.
Chan had a curious glint in his eyes now, the corner of his lips quirking up into a smirk, "I mean, you guys do live together right, and you've really never thought anything about her?"
“I did, I thought her nagging was annoying as hell,” Jisung shrugged.

Chan narrowed his eyes at Jisung, an amused smirk on his face, “you know that’s not what I meant.”
Jisung gave Chan a pointed look, "I'd appreciate if you wouldn't stir shit, especially not in front of him." Jisung pointed at Lucas.
"You didn't answer the question," Lucas sing-songed.
Jisung scoffed, casting a furtive glance towards your direction where you were smiling as your colleague showed you something on their phone.
Jisung shrugged, it wasn’t as if you looked bad or anything, with his pride, he’d probably have told Chan that you were pretty if he squinted.
“Guess if they smiled more they'd be...decent."

Lucas raised his eyebrows, enjoying the scene playing out in front of him very much, “decent, huh.”
Chan leant back in his seat, shaking his head at Jisung, "now I feel like I have to make you my apprentice for relationships too."
Jisung scoffed, regaining his usual confidence.
"If by that you mean you want me to stand at the counter giggling my ass off like how you did with that cashier then no thanks, I'm good on my own."
===
You'd tried your best to tolerate Jisung, especially after Lucas fed you some story about how he takes a while to warm up to people (which you totally bought).
This tolerance came in the form of things like waking up earlier to use the bathroom so the both of you wouldn't have to fight in the morning, or giving him reminders to do the laundry or clean the dishes but only doing them after he forgot the third reminder.
Jisung usually forgot to turn off the lights whenever he went to sleep (though sometimes he did it on purpose, not liking the eerie darkness of the house when the lights were off), so you would always end up waking from the glare of the lights that seeped into your room, stepping over the mess of clothes or socks (sometimes even shoes) in the walkways and turning them off for him instead of nagging him about the lights. See? Tolerance.
Call you a pushover or whatever, but you kind of prided yourself on how your well of patience seemed to run deep. Very deep. Deeper than the average human, you supposed, even.
However, days like the ones you were having now, just didn't seem to let you draw from that well of patience.
You'd started off your shitty morning when you'd slept through your alarm, needing your usual work clothes but realising that Jisung hadn't done the laundry, leaving you with no choice but to grab the nearest hoodie you could find on your bedroom floor and sprint to work.
If that wasn't enough, you'd landed cashier duty as punishment for being late, your social battery starting to empty not even halfway through the day. Your 'hi, how may I help you's slowly turning to 'what would you like's to eventually 'hi's and ending up with a small smile and gesture towards the menu.
It didn't help that Chan, the tattoo artist your colleague had an obvious thing for, had shown up halfway to try and strike a conversation with you about Jisung, much to no avail.
“Aren’t you wondering why Jisung isn’t here?” You remembered him asking, to which you’d shook your head.
“Not really,” you shrugged, earning a thoughtful hum from Chan.
“Really? You’re not even the slightest bit curious?”
You had shook your head at him then, remembering the way he looked so shocked to have made you even more curious about why he was asking you this in the first place.  
By the time you were done with your work, you'd wanted nothing more than to just go home, take the longest shower of your life and curl up in your horribly uncomfortable bed. Except you couldn't even do that, because you had unfinished readings for your class the next day.
You figured if you sat yourself at your desk with no distractions you could be done sooner and go to sleep sooner, but your one distraction had just come home from the tattoo studio and was somehow getting on your nerves even more today.
Not only had he been acting as if he was the opera community's 'next big thing', he'd proceeded to seat himself on the sofa behind you, watching whatever show he was into loudly, seeming to find whatever the protagonist was saying to be too hilarious to just enjoy the show silently.
You figured you could handle that much, you know, having to live up to your preachings on tolerance, deciding to breathe deeply and suppress your urge to tell him to shut up, and soon enough, he'd disappeared.
But your joy was short lived, once again, when Jisung came back out, singing as he made a snack for himself and proceeded to eat it right in front of you, the smell growing more and more distracting.
Now, he was now lounging on the sofa in the living room, headphones on and connected to his laptop that rest on his stomach, but still typing away with his phone not on silent, the keyboard sounds distracting you from your reading. You figured, maybe your well of patience was just closed today.
“Hey,” you called. No response. If anything, the silence of the apartment had made his typing sounds even louder.
“Hey, oh my god, can you like put your phone on silent or something?" You tried again. Still no response, now, he was humming in between his pauses before he would type another burst of words on his phone.
Deciding you had to take matters into your own hands, you stormed over to where he was, your book still in your hands as you stood in front of him, making him turn to you with wide-eyes.
Pulling his headphones off of his head, he frowned, "what?"
“This,” you gestured pointedly towards his phone, “put your phone on silent, it's distracting me."
Jisung would've complied, though a part of him couldn't help but be annoyed by your nagging, his instinct prompting him to act defensively, “why don’t you just listen to some music or something? Then my typing sounds wouldn’t be a problem,” he told you dismissively, making you groan in frustration.
“I can’t study with music, it’s already hard enough for me to focus as it is.”
Jisung was annoyed, “It’s just a typing sound, what are you getting so worked up for? You’re always getting on my back about everything when I’m just minding my own business."
You let out a groan, "look, it's been more than a month, and i'm up to here with your shit," you held a hand way above your head for emphasis, any of your tolerance long gone out of the window (which he had also left open, making the apartment chilly and noisy).
Jisung's eyebrows knit in a frown, your outburst coming as a shock to him, "fine, whatever. I'll put my phone on silent, chill."
You shook your head, your gaze firm and unwavering, "no, I wanna make rules."
Rules? Jisung wanted to scoff. What was this, a second-grade classroom?
Jisung stared at you in shock, nodding dumbly. "Rules....oka-alright, yeah. Let's make rules."
You nodded firmly, "first of all, if you're gonna make food at ungodly hours in the morning, eat it in your own room."
"And the dishes, clean up after yourself," you added, gripping your book tightly in your hand.
“Stop leaving your shit in the corridors,” you continued, “and pack up your shoes it’s such a mess at the door way I can barely walk into the house,” you huffed, feeling as though with every rule you made you were finally letting your feelings be heard.
Jisung wracked his brains for a rule of his own, finding ways to regain control over the situation, "well, I have a rule too! You gotta stop nagging me to do shit," he sat up, setting his headphones on the sofa cushion.
You let out a tiny gasp, "excuse me? I only ask you to ‘do shit’ that you should be doing."
Before you could get carried away, you continued, "and as for the laundry—”
Jisung perked up, “okay, how about this. I do the dishes and you do the laundry," he suggested with a forced smile, bringing a hand up to run it through his hair, which fell back against his forehead gently.
"You know for a fact that that’s not the same, so we'll switch," you told him, "you do laundry on one week when I do the dishes, and the next week i'll do the laundry and you do the dishes. Fair, right?"
Jisung huffed, rolling his eyes, "whatever."
At the mention of laundry, Jisung glanced over at what you were wearing, frowning at the familiarity of his hoodie.
"Good, now that we have an agree—”
"That's mine," he pointed at your stomach, making you look at him in disbelief.
"Huh?" Your stomach? Your hands found their way to cover your stomach.
"The hoodie. It's mine."
You looked down at the hoodie you were wearing, a frown evident on your face. You didn't know what he was talking about, you had this hoodie since you were in high-school, it couldn't be his.
"No, it's mine. I had this since I was in high-school," you frowned, unsure if this was some sort of joke he was trying to play.
Jisung couldn't hide his amusement, letting a laugh slip from his lips, "yeah, so did I... which is why I know that that's mine."
You scoffed, "it was on my bedroom floor," you mumbled, seeing him nod patronisingly.
"Because I left it there," he told you, enunciating his words slower, shocking you when he'd reached over and grabbed you by the sleeve, raising your hand up for you to see.
"Look, this stain. It's tattoo ink. I would know because you're wearing the wrong hoodie. New rule, don’t wear my clothes.”
You stood silent, huffing as you removed the hoodie, leaving you in your shirt and sweats, tossing the hoodie at him in annoyance, the smirk on his face making you even more annoyed.
"Fine, take your stupid hoodie, I don’t wanna wear your stupid clothes anyway,” you huffed, “and you’re on laundry duty this week."
You didn't finish your readings that night.
===
You would like to think your rule system was working pretty well, seeing as you didn't find yourself butting heads with Jisung as often as before.
Halfway into the semester, you had grown busier with your assignments, which had managed to take your attention away from Jisung.
Though you were certainly more tired than usual, from attending birthday parties of friends to working, to rushing your readings during any free time you got (not to mention squeezing in any bit of sleep whenever you could), to rushing through your assignments just to meet the packed deadlines. But you couldn’t complain, this was typical for any college student you knew.
But of course, that didn’t mean you weren’t itching for a break, eyeing the semester break on your calendar that was fast approaching, letting yourself get carried away during classes with Lucas as you both planned on your pieces of scrap paper all the things you’d wanted to do during the break.
Similarly, Jisung had grown busier at the tattoo studio, and Chan had recommended him to a music producer that was interested in hearing Jisung's compositions.
Jisung was more than thankful that Chan had given him that opportunity, of course, but what was bothering him was the pain-in-the-ass creative block he was beginning to struggle with.
Not only was he struggling to find inspiration for a song he'd wanted to make, but the process seemed almost painfully slow, with how he'd fumble around with ideas that he would start on but eventually scrap, deciding that he 'wasn't feeling it'.
He'd started receiving commissions for tattoo designs, and you'd noticed he wasn't at home as often as he was before because he'd made it a point to coop himself up in the studio to try to churn out these design requests.
Fortunately, his customers were always satisfied (and he thought that was great, you know, with all the good words from Chan he was getting), but he wasn't.
Chan had seemed to sense this too, making sure to check in on Jisung more than usual during this period.
"Hey, I'm heading home a little earlier today, you'll be fine alone?"
Jisung's head lifted when he heard Chan's voice, pulling one of his earbuds from his ear as he nodded.
Chan glanced at Jisung's papers scattered around him, of half-done or halfway-abandoned sketches, giving him a look of sympathy, "don't work too hard, alright?" he huffed, glancing out of the window.
"I heard it might rain tonight, so make sure you get home before the rain hits, alright?"
Jisung waved Chan off, not paying any care to the impending rain as he bid Chan goodbye, continuing to tap his pencil on the table in his search for good ideas.
Maybe he needed to consult a lifeline.
"Hello, Lucas?"
The said lifeline was more than happy to hear Jisung's voice, having heard from you that he wasn't home as much recently, a part of him concerned as well.
"Hey, man, what's up?"
Jisung hummed, "wanted to ask if you had any ideas on what tattoos you think would be cool."
Lucas snorted, "you're asking me? You could draw a turd and i'd want to get it tattooed. Dude, you're too good, just go with your gut."
Jisung let out a whine, "my gut's not being very useful right now."
Lucas hummed, letting out an urgent grunt of surprise, "I know! Why don't you take a look at your older designs, maybe they'd give you some vibes or something."
Jisung shrugged, figuring this was probably the best advice he was gonna get, thanking Lucas before hanging up.
Picking up his tablet, Jisung had scrolled through his various sketches until he'd reached the very first few designs, sighing at the sight of the sketches, looking at his first sketch of a peony flower, with leaves dangling along the stem wedged between the budding flowers.
Jisung figured he wouldn't let his dissatisfaction subside until he tried doing a better rendition of the sketch, to refine the shading or the flow of the shape from what he'd learnt from Chan overtime.
Putting back his earbuds in, he turned his music up, beginning to work on the sketch, riding on the motivation he was afraid would disappear at any given moment.
Jisung was surprised at how fast he was done, ( only to look at the clock and realise he wasn't that fast and that it was already a little past midnight ). Removing his earbuds and going back to the sound of the whirring air conditioner and the loud sound of rain thumping against the gravel outside, Jisung knew he was done for.
He hadn't brought an umbrella with him, and the rain frankly didn't look like it was going to stop anytime soon, Jisung contemplated his very limited options.
Was a binder enough to shield him from the rain? Probably not. But was it better than putting down his pride to text you to come and pick him up? He thought the binder was better, honestly.
Deciding to try his luck anyway, he'd sent you a text.
Little did Jisung know, you'd dozed off on your bed while reading, the vibration of your phone next to your face having woken you from your nap, the sound of the rain outside harshly thumping against the window.
han jisung 12:37am -hello, housemate. it is your housemate, han jisung. its raining rly badly. wld u be so kind as to come to the tattoo studio with an umbrella for me pls :D-
You frowned in annoyance, your eyes barely open as you replied him. There was no way you were going to send yourself out in the thunderstorm like that.
12:37am - no. just wait until it stops raining-
Thinking that had settled your worries, you'd shoved your phone underneath your pillow, deciding you'd let yourself sleep in since tomorrow was a Saturday after all.
You should've known better, that this was Jisung, the 'i'm tougher than a little bit of rain' Jisung, so you should've seen it coming when you'd woken up to the sound of his incessantly ringing phone.
Rolling out of your bed with a grunt, you'd pushed yourself off of the bed, ready to confront Jisung about not answering his phone.
Walking across the corridor and pushing his bedroom door open, you'd been met with an empty room, frowning as you walked over to the bed, picking the phone up and stopping the alarm.
You noticed that he'd received a few texts from Chan, not being able to help yourself from reading them.
chan 1:20am - dude! why didnt u just wait for the rain to stop?- 1:22am -  ure gna fall sick…-
Frowning, you made your way into the living room, spotting Jisung curled up on the sofa with his blanket at his feet, an instant feeling in your gut that something was wrong.
“Jisung?” You called, seeing his eyebrows furrow slightly.
In spite of yourself, you’d walked over to where he lay, your hand coming out to nudge at his shoulder with his phone.
“Hey, are you…alright?” You watched and waited as he opened his eyes slowly, blinking at you in a daze. There was perspiration beading at his temples despite the coolness of the apartment, giving you more reason to feel like there was something wrong.
As much as you didn’t like him, you couldn’t help but feel as though you were responsible for him, and it was kind of your fault that he’d walked back in the rain. You glanced at your brightly-coloured umbrella leaning against the wall, figuring there was something about this umbrella that always got you into trouble with Jisung.
You suppressed your hesitation, bringing a hand up to his forehead, Jisung not even daring to budge even an inch as you pushed his bangs back. The back of your hand pressing against his forehead gently, your breath hitching at the sheer heat of his body.
This was probably the most contact you’d ever had with him in your months of living together, and Jisung knew this too, not knowing how to feel about the concern you were showing him, feeling as though it was some kind of ridiculous fever dream.
“You walked home in the rain didn’t you?” You murmured, your feeling of guilt growing as you saw him nod at you.
You cursed inwardly, “do you have a thermometer?” 

Jisung shook his head, attempting to get up, “it’s fine, I can take care of myself, just give me my phone.”
You handed him his phone, ignoring his previous statement as you went into the kitchen in your search for any kind of medicine you could give him, cursing once again when you realised there was none. Trust the both of you to only care to buy groceries.
“We don’t have jack shit in this house,” you groaned, walking over to the bathroom, finding a cloth and a small pail to fill with cold water, bringing it over to the coffee table and setting it down next to the sofa.
“I’ve gotta go to work,” Jisung sighed, though he made no move to get up, a part of him just waiting for you to refute him so he could use you as an excuse to get off work.
You shot him a look, “no, you don’t. Shut up and lie down, I’ll go and buy your stupid medicine. If I come back and you’re not here I’ll kill you,” you warned, missing the way Jisung had complied happily, lying back down with his head on one of the sofa cushions.
Squeezing the water from the cloth, you may have slapped it a little harshly on his forehead, earning an annoyed glare from him.
Walking to grab your wallet, you cast one last look at his bored face, seeing him rush to close his eyes when he saw you glaring.
“I mean it, you better stay here.”
Jisung nodded, waving you off.
On your way to the pharmacy, you couldn’t help but wonder if it was a good thing that Jisung was sick.
In terms of your pros, if he was sick, he wouldn’t be able to annoy you, right? And him being sick meant that you’d basically had your desk and your bedroom to yourself, with him unable to practice tattooing in your room and use your desk as his sketching station.
In terms of your cons… well, you were planning on getting some rest today, and having to watch Jisung meant you would technically have to be near him, wouldn’t you? You were starting to wonder if that was even a con that he was basically giving you an excuse to laze around and watch tv.
“Hi, how may I help you?” The pharmacist asked.
You hummed, “uh…do you have those over-the-counter medicine and stuff for like someone with fever?”
The pharmacist nodded, pulling out the various boxes and pointing at each one, confusing you with the sheer amount of names she was listing, resulting in you just choosing the one you recognised your parents telling you to take whenever you were sick.
Making your payment, you swallowed whatever pride you had that was making you hesitate. You figured Jisung falling sick was karma for that text you sent him the night before, so you decided that you were going to see him recover for yourself.
Upon returning to the house, you’d shrugged your jacket off, making your way over to where he was, sitting on your heels next to where he was so you could gently peel the cloth from his head, replacing it with one that was soaked in colder water.
You’d drawn back slightly when you felt Jisung flinch as you laid the towel on his forehead, opening one eye to look at you, “that was fast.”
You rolled your eyes, shushing him as you took the medicine out, along with a glass of water you’d gotten from the kitchen, bringing it over to him with an expectant look.
Jisung took them from you wordlessly, swallowing them down as he averted his gaze from you, unsure why you were looking at him like some kicked puppy.
“I’m sorry,” you murmured, reaching over to grab the television remote in an attempt to calm your nerves, “this is kind of my fault. Since I didn’t go over to the tattoo studio yesterday.”
Jisung took a moment to process what you said, wincing as he let out a (fake) cough, only serving to make you feel even more guilty than you already were.
“Are you actually…apologising to me?” Jisung’s smile was poorly hidden behind his hand, making you roll your eyes, your guilt ever-present when you looked at him.
Jisung sighed, deciding to let you off this once, “seriously, it’s no big deal. I didn’t expect you to come, anyway. I was just trying my luck,” he told you, making you frown, your mouth forming a slight pout.
“I was just being petty, I’m…” you trailed off, shaking your head, “yeah, whatever, I’m just really sorry.”
Jisung looked at you with a hint of a smile on his face, taking his lower lip between his teeth as he nodded. He wasn’t sure if it was his fever, or the way your gestures were exuding warmth, but Jisung swore just for a moment. A second, almost, he kind of thought you looked cute.
Jisung nodded, “I’ll let you know by the end of the day.”
You frowned, turning away from the television to face him, your back resting on the sofa slightly, “let me know about what?”
Jisung kept his gaze fixed on the television, bringing his hand up to scratch at his collarbone, hints of his tattoos peeking out from his neckline.

Shrugging, Jisung’s gaze shifted to meet yours, “if your apology is accepted.”
You were sure that your mom would’ve just laughed in your face if you told her about your experience today, as you began to realise just how much you didn’t hate Jisung’s company when the both of you weren’t trying to fight each other.
In the few hours that had passed alone, you’d learnt much more about him than you had bothered to in your months living with him. You’d learnt that he was a music major, that wanted to pursue a career in music production, and that he’d gotten interested in tattoos when he’d met this kid named Changbin in his class, who introduced him to Chan for an apprenticeship.
As for Jisung? He was just learning that you weren’t as intolerable as he thought you were.
You’d ordered food for the both of you, Jisung having refused to eat porridge, and you were currently having an actual, comfortable conversation with him, the hallmark movie playing on the television long forgotten.
Jisung’s phone had started to ring, interrupting him mid-sentence as he told you about how the tattoo studio works, making you lean over to check who it was.
“It’s Chan.”
Jisung grimaced, “speak of the devil,” he scoffed. Shaking his head vigorously as you made to grab his phone, Jisung set his chopsticks down hurriedly to reach for his phone, only to grab air when you’d answered the call.
“Hello?” You heard Chan speak, an urgency to his tone.
“Hey, this is Y/N. Jisung is…not feeling so well right now.”
Jisung shot you a look, bringing his hands around his throat with his chopsticks held between his fingers, acting as if he was so sick he was about to pass out, making loud coughing noises in the background.
You couldn’t help but smile, scrunching your nose and waving him off in your attempt to get him to stop before he choked on his food.
Chan sighed, “Is he, now? Tell him I’m shifting today’s appointment to next Wednesday. Anyway, thanks, Y/N, bye,” he hung up promptly after.
You gave Jisung a grim look, setting the phone down slowly onto the coffee table, “Chan said he’s shifting your appointment to Wednesday.”
Jisung’s lips parted, almost forgetting his cheeks were full of food, tilting his head back to groan.
“Chan’s gonna kill me.”
“Why?”
Jisung shoved more food into his mouth, chewing slowly, “I totally forgot, I was supposed to do this girl’s tattoo today, but cause I’m, you know, sick,” he gave you a pointed look, “I can’t do it.”
“You do tattoos already? I thought you were still just…”
Jisung rolled his eyes, “what? Still just tattooing on fake skin?”
You nodded sheepishly, earning a sigh from him, though you didn’t miss the small smile on his face.
“I’ll have you know, I can tattoo people now. You know Lucas’ tattoo of the angel looking mermaid hybrid type thing?”
You hummed in thought, his description oddly specific yet successfully helping you visualise the tattoo, gesturing to your forearm, “the one he got here?”
Jisung nodded, “I did that for him.”
Your eyes widened, impressed at the scale of Jisung’s detail in his design, remembering how enamoured you were with it when Lucas had first showed it to you.
“Lucas’ been asking me to get a tattoo with him once the break starts,” you mentioned casually, earning a surprised hum from Jisung.
“Oh,” his eyes widened, as if he was still trying to process what you said, “really?”
You nodded, “still thinking about it, though. Haven’t really decided on what I wanted.”
Jisung scooped the last of his food into his mouth, giving you as nonchalant a shrug as he could muster.
“Well, uh, you know, if you want or something you could come one of the days during the break, I could show you some stuff I think you’d like.”
You nodded, the simple suggestion somehow exciting you.
That night, you’d gotten ready for bed, having made sure Jisung ate his medicine before he went to sleep.
Before you could move to switch the lights off, he’d stopped you/
“Wait, like…can you um… leave the lamp on?” You raised an eyebrow at him, but complied nonetheless, figuring this was your chance to repent while he was sick.
“Goodnight,” you murmured, stretching your arms above your head with a yawn.
“Yeah, night…” he murmured, inhaling deeply, “oh, and Y/N?”
You frowned, “uh-huh?” Looking at him expectantly, your breath hitched at the sight of the small smile that made its way on his face, the moonlight casting a calm glow in the room that mirrored his expression.
“Apology accepted.”
You smiled, nodding before you left. Hopefully this meant things were looking up for your relationship.
===
After that day, it was as if something in your dynamic had shifted, you found that Jisung was giving you lesser and lesser reasons to be annoyed at him.
Lucas had gotten a kick out of it when you’d told him about it.
“You guys finally realised it wouldn’t kill you to be nice to each other?” You remembered him telling you.
You would beg to differ, though, because with this shift in dynamic came a whole lot of awkwardness, especially when one of you had done something mildly nice for the other person.
Take this instance, for example.
You’d been sitting at your desk, trying to finish up on your essay that was due that week, not wanting to let your motivation subside without making full use of it (also because you knew if you didn’t do it now, you’d procrastinate and stress out when you realised you were behind time).
You’d been able to faintly smell Jisung’s noodles that he was cooking in the kitchen, making you sigh. You didn’t like eating things after you had your dinner, but you couldn’t lie and say that they didn’t smell great.
Expecting to hear his bedroom door shut and feel the smell of the noodles get fainter, he’d surprised you when he made his way over to you, setting a mug containing a hot drink on your desk.
Turning to him abruptly, he’d flinched back, looking at you with wide eyes as his hands flew up over his chest, making you laugh.
“I’m not gonna hit you, calm down.”
Jisung relaxed (albeit hesitantly), one of his hands coming up to grip the back of his neck, gesturing towards the mug with his other hand.
“Go ahead, I uh…didn’t poison it or anything,” a huff of awkward laughter left him.
You glanced from the mug to him, nodding slowly, “thanks.”
“Don’t, you know…sleep too late, and stuff,” he told you, earning a nod from you.
He nodded back at you, giving you a close-lipped smile before practically jogging back to his room, the door shutting a little louder than usual, a yelp of apology echoing after.
It wasn’t as if you didn’t try to to be nice to him either, but frankly, he wasn’t giving you many opportunities to do so.

Jisung was still keeping his worries to himself, with his creative block seeming to have spiralled him into heavy feelings of anxiousness and a lack of confidence in his abilities.
You figured that things had been weighing heavy on his mind when you realised he’d been intentionally keeping the light on more often when he slept, or how the typing sounds of his keyboard would get more frequent as it got later into the night.
You’d even had Chan pleading for you to check up on Jisung every now and then once you noticed that he’d been sleeping a lot more and eating at irregular intervals. Listening out for his humming every now and then, you noticed the melodies seemed to have taken a more slow-paced, almost melancholic turn.
One night, you’d decided that if Jisung wasn’t going to give you opportunities to be nice to him, you would just create them for yourself. Making a determined trip to the kitchen, you’d boiled his favourite type of instant ramen, having seen how he made it so many times you knew just what to add in.
Padding over to his room, you’d knocked on the door before pushing it open slightly, watching him straighten up where he sat on his bed, setting his iPad down beside him, his thigh blocking it from your view.
“Hey, I uh…here,” you cut to the chase, Jisung was quick to find something to put under the pot on his bed, opening it and looking at you wordlessly.
“Figured the both of us could use a break,” you shrugged, oblivious to the way your words had stirred something within Jisung.
“What were you working on?” You asked, scooping some noodles into a bowl for Jisung and handing it to him.
He’d taken the bowl from you absently, his eyes widening at the mention of the sketch, unconsciously pushing it further behind him.
“Nothing, I was just doodling.”
Jisung had no idea how to explain that he had been trying to design something for you, something that reminded him of you. Because frankly, that was the only thing that seemed to be pushing his creative block aside at the moment.
“Can I see?”
Usually, Jisung would’ve fought you ( to the death ) before he’d let you see his unfinished designs, but there was something about your demeanour that made him feel like it was okay to show you. That it was okay to tell you that it wasn’t perfect because something inside of him just told him that you would understand.
In spite of any rational fibre in his being, he’d picked up the tablet, giving it to you as he continued to eat the ramen, his gaze never leaving your expression, oblivious to your scrolling as he was too busy gauging your reaction.
“These are all really pretty,” you told him, scrolling until you’d reached the bottom, clicking on one of the drawings and flipping the screen around to show Jisung.
“I love this,” you told him, earning a surprised hum from him.
He saw that you’d clicked on the sketch of the peony that he’d tried to refine that day he got rained on, wondering what made you choose that out of all his designs, since he was probably the least satisfied with that one.
“Are you sure? What about this one?” He took the tablet from you, scrolling back to the design he was working on, making you hum thoughtfully, eventually shaking your head no.
“I like the other one better,” you told him, earning a confused hum from him.
“Why?”
You scoffed, frowning at him, “why are you so against it? You’re the one that drew it,” you took the tablet back from him, holding it against your shoulder before shaking your head, setting it back down onto your lap.
“Besides,” you murmured, zooming in to admire the shading on the flower, “I think it’s beautiful.”
Jisung’s expression was unreadable, unsure how you had such strong appreciation for something he thought was his worst work, something about the way you praised it making a strange feeling that he couldn’t place build within his chest.
It was like before, the feeling of comfort, that he didn’t have to worry about any kind of creative block that could be thrown his way because you gave him a different perspective on his abilities.
You know, the cliché, hard-hitting feeling that ‘everything is gonna be okay’.
“Do you have anything happening during the break?” You asked, earning a shrug from him.
“I’ve gotta submit my song to Chan’s music producer friend.”
You perked up at the mention of Jisung’s song, “have you thought of what you wanted to do for it yet?”
Jisung shook his head, letting out a deep sigh, “it’s been kind of stressing me out, to be honest,” he admitted.
“I like…I don’t wanna give him something that doesn’t show what I’m capable of, you know?”
You nodded, “I understand…I wish I could help you but I don’t really, you know, know how,” you fidgeted with your fingers, hearing him grunt in dismissal.
“It’s fine,” he mustered a confident smile, “nothing I can’t handle.”
And for a moment, you really would’ve believed that he’d gotten it handled. Leaving him to continue with his work as you got ready for bed.
You had almost anticipated to hear typing sounds as you did every night these days. But unlike the other nights, Jisung didn’t very well feel like being alone with his thoughts that night, not even wanting to type them down. He craved the feeling of being okay, of feeling like he still had time and didn’t have to be anxious or feel shitty about his mediocre work.
So it had come as a surprise to you when you’d heard the gentle knock at your door that night just as you were about to drift into a half-asleep state, hearing the door open and watching as Jisung made his way hesitantly over to where you were.
“Can I sleep here tonight?” You heard him let out a shaky breath, and you didn’t need to ask him further, giving him a small hum of approval as he’d pulled the small heated mat from under your bed and made himself comfortable next to your bed.
Jisung let his head hit the ground gently, a deep sigh leaving him as he closed his eyes.
“Do you want me to leave the lamp on?” You mumbled, hearing him hum.
“No, it’s fine,” he told you, strangely not feeling much of a need for it now that he had you near him.
The both of you knew better than to speak more, the silence seeming to have made you understand how he was feeling. And as he lay there, with your presence in the room, Jisung felt alright, and so did you.
That night, there were no typing sounds.  
===
Contrary to yesterday, you'd started today on a good note. Having bumped into Jisung the next morning after he'd gotten ready, meeting in the hallway when you were still dressed in your sleepwear, you couldn't help but smile.
"Morning," he murmured, a small smile on his face as he gave you a little wave, leaving promptly to meet Chan at the tattoo studio.
You didn't have work today, and you'd arranged a meeting with Lucas to hang out, the boy not seeming to want to waste anymore time when he'd finally arrived at the mall, practically bounding over to where you were waiting at the fountain in the atrium.
"So, have you thought about it yet?" he asked you, extending a hand to help you up.
Frowning, your lips parted in confusion, "thought about what?"
Lucas gave you an unamused look, as if you should've known what he was talking about. Pushing his sleeves up to his elbows, he'd raised his hands as he gestured, "you know, about what tattoo you wanted to get."
You made your way to a bubble tea outlet that Lucas wanted to check out, pestering you to go with him as part of the things he’d wanted to do during the semester break.
You couldn't help but laugh at the realisation, feeling awfully giddy at the thought of yesterday.
It was just a simple interaction, yeah, whatever, but no one said there were rules on what could make your heart flutter and what couldn't. All you knew was that whatever happened yesterday, did.
"Yeah, I did," you confessed, huffing with a smile on your face.
Lucas didn't know whether to feel afraid or happy that you were so quick to decide this time, looking at you in concern, "okay...so, what did you decide on?"
You pursed your lips, your smile disappearing, "I don't have a picture with me, it's on Jisung's ipad. But it's really pretty, it's like this drawing of a flower," you explained.
Lucas' eyes widened, his hand coming up to cover his mouth in a poor attempt to conceal his growing excitement.
"Oh, it's one of Jisung's stuff?"
You nodded, not seeming to understand why he was so happy about that, "what?"
"Nothing," he shrugged, "you and Jisung seem to be on pretty good terms recently, huh.”
You scoffed, shrugging because it wasn't as if what he said was a lie.
Lucas leaned closer to you, "have you been smiling at him more these days?"
You frowned at his question, shrugging at him nonetheless, turning your attention back to the menu board, "yeah, I guess."
Lucas' giggles escaped him like bubbles, nodding at you knowingly, “perfect. You should definitely keep doing that.”
You narrowed your eyes at him, “questionable advice, but I’ll take it. Anyway, when are you planning on getting it done?"
Lucas straightened up, lifting his phone slightly to check the date.
"I made an appointment for Chan to do mine next Tuesday," he told you, “have you asked your parents yet?”
You nodded, “they weren’t as supportive until they found out Jisung designed it, they just told me not to get anything I’ll regret.”
Lucas couldn’t miss his opportunity to tease you, “well, I’m sure if Jisung’s doing it, the last thing you’d do is regret it.”
Shoving him aside and ignoring the way he’d burst into a fit of giggles, you ordered your drink, and Lucas’ as well once he calmed down enough to point at what he wanted on the menu.
“Maybe you should text him and ask about when you can book him?” Lucas gestured to you with his drink, his leg bouncing absently as he looked around the small outlet, the group of high-school girls in their uniforms sitting next to your table giggling as he’d skimmed over their table.
“Do you think that’d be too much? Should I just ask Chan instead?” You glanced at him for a sign of approval, “but then if I ask Chan would it make Jisung think I don’t want him to do my tattoo?” You wondered out loud, your stream of thought proving to be fairly amusing to Lucas.
“Just text him, it’s not that deep,” Lucas sipped on his drink.
“Nah, you know what? I should just ask him later at home, I shouldn’t bother him when he’s at work,” you shrugged, earning a sound of dismissal from him.
“Texting him would be a lot faster, you know.”
You shot him a look, “why are you so insistent on me texting him?”
Lucas scoffed, “why are you so against it?” He shot back.
Giving him a look of feigned annoyance, you’d set your phone down onto the table, staring blankly as Lucas had turned it to face him, unlocking your phone and going to Jisung’s chat.
“How should I start? ‘hey baby’—”
Your eyes widened, about to snatch the phone back from him when he’d pulled it towards himself in time, shooting you a look of feigned confusion.
“What? Too mild?” He laughed.
Sighing as he calmed down from his laughter, he shook his head slowly as he typed out a message, “man, you’re so bad at this,” he murmured.
“What makes you say that?”
Lucas pressed something on your phone with finality, scrolling up as he showed you your previous texts with Jisung. Texts like:
1:09pm - dont eat my chips get ur own - or texts like

10:11pm - keep it down! Im trying to study -
Jisung 10:11pm -well so am I!-
“All you guys ever text each other for is to ask each other to do things, how can you expect him to like you if you’re always telling him to separate his lights and darks?”
You took the phone back from Lucas with a huff, “leave me alone. And who said anything about wanting him to like me?”
Lucas looked as though you’d just asked him an obvious question, looking almost scandalised at your denial, “really? You went from ‘oh, I don’t wanna bother Jisung at work’ and ‘oh, heehee me and Jisung ate ramen together yesterday night’ to ‘who said anything about my big fat crush on Jisung’?”
You huffed, “that’s inaccurate.”
Lucas chewed on his tapioca pearls harshly, making sure you heard the smacking sounds of his chewing to unnerve you, shaking his head at you matter-of-factly, “it’s pretty much-what’s the word, ah! Verbatim. That.”

You rolled your eyes at him, wondering how the high-school girls sitting next to you still managed to find Lucas an absolute dreamboat despite how intentionally ridiculously he was behaving.
The truth is, Jisung wouldn’t have cared if you’d ‘bothered him during work or not’. He probably would’ve jumped at the notification of your text.
After the night before, Jisung couldn’t stop thinking about the feeling of comfort that flooded him at the thought of you. Finally getting enough inspiration to work on his song when he’d gotten home, even despite the pounding in his head and the sheer fatigue from the day that had passed.
Call him whatever you wanted, but Jisung couldn’t shake the feeling of reassurance he got with you, and it was a feeling he never thought he’d be experiencing as deeply as he did now.
From how familiar it was to hear your voice (even if it was asking him to fold the laundry), to how the smell of your perfume would awaken him on certain days, just in time for him to start his routine for the day. In small things, like how whenever he was looking for a break from work, somehow he’d find it with you.
He’d been working on his song for hours now, though he’d kept letting his gaze wander to the door in anticipation, wondering what was taking you so long to get home. He couldn’t help but wonder if you were still with Lucas, his imagination running wild with all sorts of scenarios that could have taken place to warrant you coming home so late.
Jisung brushed the thought away quickly after he found himself going to your contact on his phone, setting it down quickly as if it burned him. It was fine, you were an adult (he figured), you didn’t need him to hound you about a curfew.
Deciding to work on his lyrics for the song, he’d typed away on his laptop his ideas, his mind seeming to always gravitate to thinking of you as he read what he’d typed down.
Satisfied with the amount of work he’d gotten done for that day, Jisung had let his head lean back against the armrest of the sofa, his legs bent as he lay on his side, letting his eyes rest from all that staring at his glaringly bright computer screen.
You’d gone for a late-night movie with Lucas to end off your day, having gone home later than usual, though you didn’t mind. It wasn’t as if you had a curfew anymore.
You managed to reach your apartment as stealthily as you could, since the walls were really that thin and you didn’t want the old lady from next door to get on your back for being noisy when she was trying to sleep or whatever again.
Shoving your keys into the keyhole, you frowned when you saw that the lights in the living room were still switched on, spotting Jisung lying on the sofa with his eyes closed, his head lolling to the side as he dozed off.
Going into your room (in stealth mode, again), you’d set your things down quietly, deciding to take a shower and get ready for bed before anything else. Suddenly everything seemed to be a thousand times louder than you were used to. You were sure Jisung hadn’t been getting much quality sleep recently, so seeing him dozing off on the sofa had only made you want to ensure that his sleep continued uninterrupted.
Once you were changed into your sleepwear, you’d gone into Jisung’s room, taking a soft blanket from his cupboard and bringing it over to where he was, draping it over him till it reached his shoulders. You couldn’t help but find how peaceful he looked to be rather endearing, wishing you could do more but knowing there wasn’t much else you could do.
Jisung considered himself a good actor, because on the inside he was far from peaceful. He’d awoken at the feeling of being covered by the blanket, the back of your fingers grazing against his arm slightly.
His heart had fluttered, extremely, at the gesture, though something in him was yelling at him not to open his eyes, wanting to savour the moment for himself. It felt warm, a comfortable kind of warmth, the kind you would want to bask in for hours after being in the cold for so long. Something like a ray of sunshine.
Jisung was convinced he was going mad.
Switching on the lamp at your desk so that the living room wouldn’t be in complete darkness, you’d switched off the lights in the living room, bidding a silent goodnight to Jisung in your head before you’d gone back to your room, leaving Jisung dumbfounded.
===
“What did you say the song was called, again?” Chan had asked Jisung on Tuesday morning, looking at him with an endeared smile.
Jisung felt shy for some reason, pressing his lips together firmly as he averted his gaze from Chan, preparing his equipment as he waited for you and Lucas to arrive.
“Sunshine,” Jisung told him.
Chan huffed, his smile growing bigger, “I like that,” he hummed.
“What’s it about?” Chan asked, pulling his phone out to check for a text, “also, Lucas says they’re nearby.”
Jisung shrugged, “what’s it about?” He echoed Chan’s question, as if not knowing for himself either, something about him seeming fairly preoccupied, “it’s kind of hard to explain.”
Chan nodded in understanding, glancing at the way Jisung fiddled with the practice sketch he’d done of Y/N’s tattoo, twirling it around in his hands and anxiously glancing towards the door.
“Nervous?”
Jisung’s head shot up to look at Chan with wide eyes, “huh?…” he nodded slowly, “yeah, kind of.”
A small smile played at Chan’s lips as the boy had finished up the stencil for Lucas’ tattoo. “Is it because it’s Y/N?”
Jisung let out a nervous laugh, “yeah, duh,” he mumbled, “I mean, yeah, I’m nervous because she’s the one getting the tattoo but more like…”
Jisung shrugged, “I still don’t understand why she chose this out of all the designs I had.”
Chan raised an eyebrow, the jingling of the bells at the door followed by a loud guffaw of laughter signalling to him that the both of you had arrived.
“You should take more pride in your work,” Chan pat Jisung on the back, almost sending the boy stumbling with the sheer force behind the hit. Though Jisung couldn’t very well pay attention to the pain in his shoulder once he saw you with Lucas.
Lucas was quick to shove you towards Jisung, going over to one of the beds with Chan as they discussed the placement of the tattoo.
Jisung was almost uncharacteristically tense, leading you over to the station across from Lucas and Chan, holding the stencil up for you to see, “you’re absolutely sure you want this?”
You rolled your eyes, nodding, “yes, I’m sure.”
Jisung nodded slowly, albeit hesitantly, at you, “have you figured out where you want it?”
Lucas had perked up at that, butting into the conversation despite being across the room, “we were thinking between two places.”
Jisung hummed as he’d gone over to take the tablet containing a form for you to fill out before he got started.
You shushed Lucas quickly, accepting the tablet from Jisung with a nod of thanks, “yeah, I was thinking between here,” you gestured under your collarbone, “or here,” you gestured to your shoulder, just above your shoulder-blade.
Jisung nodded, “which do you feel more comfortable with? I think both are alright.”
“I was thinking maybe here?” You held a hand over the space under your collarbone, earning a nod from him.
“Alright,” he murmured, taking the tablet from you once you were done and quietly gesturing for you to lie down.
In your haste to get it over with, you’d almost completely forgotten about the placement of your tattoo, Jisung quirking an eyebrow at you and letting a huff of nervousness escape him.
“Sorry uh, I hope you don’t mind,” he murmured, pulling the collar of your shirt down to expose the area you’d wanted tattooed, making Lucas (who was watching intently) snicker from where he sat.
You’d felt heat creeping up to your neck, making you stretch your neck to look elsewhere, deciding to focus on the black pipes lining the ceiling, your shyness reducing your voice to a mere mumble, “yeah, sorry.”
Your nerves had built up even more with how tense Jisung was, even as he had disinfected the area and transferred what looked like a blue-ish outline of his sketch to your skin, making you almost want to writhe in your place with how nervous you were growing.
However, once you’d heard the buzzing of the tattoo gun, it was as if you were transported into your room, the familiarity of the sound making you less nervous, simply anticipating the pain that you’d associated with the tattoo to occur.
It was a wonder you hadn’t even been able to think much about the pain of the tattoo, though, because you were too busy trying to ignore Jisung’s proximity to you.
He was a stark contrast from Chan, who was making conversation with Lucas throughout the process, whereas Jisung had simply loomed over you, a tense knit to his brow and his lips pressed tightly together. Just by your expressions alone, people would have thought he was the one getting the tattoo.
This was only so because Jisung was struggling, with the smell of your perfume making him feel more awake than ever, and not to mention the pressure to make sure the tattoo turned out well that weighed heavy on him. Everything about you was so familiar, yet everything about the experience was not, and it was driving Jisung crazy with the amount of tension it was making him feel.
“Are you okay?” He asked, gauging your face for any sign that you were in too much pain.
You wanted to laugh, “This is like the fifth time you’re asking me that,” you told him.
“Can’t help it,” he told you, and you swore you saw his cheeks start to tint pink, “just wanted to make sure you were okay, you know…since it’s your first tattoo, and all.”
You nodded reassuringly, “it’s fine, just keep going.”
Jisung nodded, “I’ll be done quicker than you know it, I swear.”
You continued to distract yourself with the sight of Lucas across the room, Chan having to bring the needle back whenever Lucas couldn’t hold back his laughter.
“I’m sorry, It tickles,” you heard him tell Chan, making you have to stifle your laughter.
“Can I ask you something?” You decided that maybe talking to Jisung would help time pass faster (and less awkwardly).
“Uh-huh,” he hummed, shifting his chair slightly to get into a more comfortable position.
“How many tattoos do you have?” You asked, earning a long, reflective hum from him.
“I got a few in the time after college started, I would say about 5 or 6 now?” He shrugged, “and if you’re gonna ask me what’s their meanings…I don’t really know how to explain it, I just like the feeling they give me when I look at them.”
“I get it, it’s expression after all.”
Jisung nodded, his focus returning and making him let the conversation still. You didn’t like that, the feeling of awkwardness that returned with his silence, making you wrack your brains to find any sort of other conversation topic you could think of.
“Are you seeing anyone?” You wanted to instantly hide your face once you heard the words leave your mouth, Lucas turning to you with a wide-eyed expression.
Jisung sputtered, pulling the tattoo gun away from your skin, shaking his head at you.
“Uh, no, I’m not.” He narrowed his eyes at you, trying to regain his confidence in the situation, “why’d you wanna know?”
Now it was your turn to flush, averting your gaze, “oh, you know, just…curious, is all.”
Jisung smirked, “well, don’t go getting any ideas. I already like someone,” he told you, feeling as though he was dangling a carrot right in front of you.
Your eyebrows lifted in surprise, “really? Who?”
Jisung shrugged, “it’s a secret.”
You frowned, wanting to get back at him but not quite knowing how, deciding to go with the first thing you could think of, “well, I like someone too, you’re not special.”
Jisung hadn’t expected you to retort with that, narrowing his eyes at you, “wait, really? Is it Lucas?”
“Oh my god, no way, never.”
“Then who is it?” He met your gaze, making you stick your tongue out at him, mustering your best impersonation of him.
“It’s a secret.”
You had almost thought you were imagining things, but you noticed Jisung’s mood take a turn from there, seeming awfully pensive as he did the rest of your tattoo, the both of you having maintained a silence after your failed attempt at a proper conversation with him. He’d already begun to do the shading for your tattoo, so you figured he was really going to be done quicker than you thought.
You tried to distract yourself by glancing towards Lucas and Chan’s direction. Jisung could see you staring in their direction from the corner of his eye, wondering why your gaze kept travelling there when he was right in front of you.
“Is it Chan?” He blurted out, making your eyes go wide in shock.
Your smile grew, shaking your head, “no, definitely not.”
Jisung frowned, “who could it even be, you don’t even know that many people,” he huffed.
You sighed, trust you to fall for someone as oblivious as him.
“Do you want a clue?” You asked, earning a grunt from him.
“They’re very oblivious.”
Jisung frowned, looking as though he were contemplating, his tissue going over your tattoo slower as he thought. His mouth formed an ‘o’ shape in realisation, a gasp leaving him.
“No way, it’s not that Felix kid from your department, is it?” He looked as though he was hoping you would say no.
You fought to suppress the urge to roll your eyes, yet not realising you were smiling at him, “no, it’s not him.”
Jisung sighed, “oh, good. I know I always say I’m the best looking but he’s a lot better looking than I am, don’t tell him I said that.”
“Good?” You questioned, wondering why he seemed so relieved that all his options had turned out to be false. Jisung had realised he may have made things a little too obvious, shaking his head vigorously.
“Nothing, you’re all done, forget I said anything.”
He pushed himself away from you, his chair swivelling far back as he tried to calm the racing of his heart as you sat up and stretched, your body tired from being in the same position for so long.
“What time is it?” You asked, earning a grunt from Jisung, not knowing either.
Chan had chimed in from the other side, having been done with Lucas’ tattoo way before yours.
“It’s 4:24,” he told you. Jisung had been busy putting an adhesive bandage over your tattoo to pay attention to your reaction.
You spent 4 hours lying there and you only got like what, two conversations with Jisung? This was a new low, even for you.

You were snapped out of your disappointment when Jisung had spoken.
“Uh… yeah keep this on for like three to four days?” He gestured to the bandage, your breath hitching as he hiked the collar of your shirt up so it wasn’t still dropping off your shoulder.
“You can still shower and everything so yeah…” he told you, reciting from memory after having been told this a thousand times by Chan.
You tried your best to pay attention, though you knew you’d probably forget by the time you were home, making him stand up mid-speech and walk over to the counter, pulling out a little brochure to hand you.
“Honestly, just read this, it has everything you need to know inside,” he told you, walking away briskly to compose himself at his station.
You’d made your payment to Chan at the counter, Jisung having pretended to be busy with cleaning up, making Chan flash you an amused smile.
“What?”
He shook his head, dimples appearing as he gave you your receipt, “You two are just too cute,” he huffed, earning a loud hum of approval from Lucas.
“Aren’t they?” The tall boy chimed in, making you scoff.
“Yeah, yeah, whatever, bye,” you waved, seeing Jisung turn around to give you a wide smile before turning back around, practically collapsing onto the bed once you and Lucas were gone.
“Those were the most excruciating 4 hours of my life.”
Chan’s laughter could be heard as he made his way over to Jisung, giving him a pat on the back, “I’m sure it wasn’t that bad, was it?”
Jisung let out a loud groan, “we were like this close!” Jisung brought his hand in front of his face for emphasis as he whined to Chan, “and I couldn’t focus at all I was so scared I was gonna screw up her tattoo because I kept zoning out,” he rambled, feeling as though his knees were about to buckle.
Chan shook his head with a feigned look of sympathy, looking at Jisung as though Jisung were his son, “I’m glad you’re feeling stressed.”
Jisung scoffed, shrugging Chan’s hand off of his shoulder and  glaring at his mentor with a look of disbelief, “you’re glad? Aren’t you supposed to be feeling some sympathy for me? That’s sick, I can’t believe you.”
Chan wasn’t surprised at Jisung’s dramatic reaction, simply laughing as he shrugged.
“I’m glad because if you’re stressed, you’re gonna be pushed to do something about it soon. And then I can stop hearing you stress about it and just see the both of you together, instead.”
Jisung shot Chan a dirty look, “you’re mean, old man.”
Chan scoffed, “at least I’m not stupid in love.”
===
Jisung had been keeping himself fairly busy since then, the both of you having been busy with your own plans since the semester break had started. However, the both of you had somehow managed to enjoy suppers together, bonding over a (rather unhealthy) meal of snacks or instant food whenever it was late in the night and the both of you didn’t want to go to sleep just yet.
And speaking of sleep, you’d also noticed how Jisung had started to look brighter these days, seeming to have been overcoming that period of lethargy he was previously in.
Now, the brightness was heard in the songs he hummed, in how he smiled and laughed more whenever you were together. Even in how he'd started growing more comfortable with sleeping in the dark. You weren’t sure what exactly sparked this change in him, but whatever it was, you were glad it happened, yourself seeming to be all the more enamoured with this version of Jisung that had grown on you.
You’d planned with Jisung to have a day of celebration (or a pity party) once he’d submitted his song to Chan’s music producer friend.
Since you had work that day, you’d wanted to get up early to prepare breakfast for him, but you didn’t realise how late you were until you woke up and found that he had already left.
Making your way over to the kitchen to find some food for yourself after you’d gotten ready for work, you yanked open the door for the fridge, expecting to be met with all of Jisung’s snacks and cans of drinks that still had their post-its on them.
However, as you were scanning the fridge to see if you had anything you could eat, you spotted a different coloured post-it on a bundle of juice packets, peeling the post-it off of the packaging to inspect it.
‘y/n, I heard these are great to start the morning with, try them for me?’
You couldn’t help but smile, a hand coming up to your face to attempt to slap away the heat you felt in your cheeks, pulling out a packet of juice anyway.
You were starting to think the juice did have some sort of magical properties in them, because when you got to work, you’d been on drink duty, which was your favourite to do. Well, technically, anything other than cashier duty was your favourite but who’s keeping track here?
You knew Jisung's meeting with the producer was around the afternoon, so when Chan had shown up at the café alone, you didn't question it.
Now you were really glad you weren't on cashier duty today, giving your colleague more time to talk to Chan while he ordered.
"One strawberry smoothie for Chan?" you called to get his attention, seeing him stroll over to the pick-up point with a smile on his face.
"Sorry, Jisung's not here," he teased, sighing wistfully.
You scoffed, "yeah, yeah. I know where he is.”
“How’s the tattoo healing?” He asked, making your hand go up to your shoulder unconsciously, “It’s alright, looks really pretty now that it’s all healed.”
Chan gave you a thumbs up, opening the lid of his drink as he took a sip, your curiosity getting the better of you.
“Is he meeting your friend now?"
Chan’s eyebrows raised in confusion, “who?..oh,” he nodded in realisation, “yeah, just went to meet him. Honestly, if you asked me, he didn’t seem as excited about the meeting as he was to meet you for dinner.”
You narrowed your eyes at him, “don’t put ideas into my head, old man.”
Chan simply gave you a shrug, “I’m not that old, you know,” he brought his drink up to his lips to take a sip, “and they’re only ideas if you’re in denial.”
You groaned, “go, begone, leave me alone.”
Chan giggled, nodding as his hand went up in surrender, “fine, I’m going. Have a good dinner later, Y/N,” he sing-songed.
Curse Chan for putting the thought into your head, now you couldn’t stop thinking about dinner.
Your shift only ended at 5:30, so that gave you just about enough time to go get groceries while Jisung prepared the things for your hotpot at home.
Deciding you would do what you were called to do, which in this case, meant to send Jisung a text wishing him the best of luck, you did as such.
2:31pm - hey, all the best for your meeting with the producer man!!-
Jisung’s reply had come quickly,
han jisung 2:32pm - thanks :( im waiting to see him now, I didn’t know there was gonna be a whole queue -
Setting your phone aside, you’d tried not to let yourself get too anxious while you waited for him to update you, busying yourself with washing dishes and even serving tables out of your sheer boredom due to the crowd starting to disperse at this time.
You waited, and you waited, you waited until the word ‘waiting’ itself felt weird to say in your head. You should’ve known better to have expected Jisung to update you over text, only receiving a text in the evening that read
han jisung 5:23pm - hey…i just finished meeting him…see u at the apartment?-
You’d texted him back, not knowing what to make of his text.
5:23pm - is that a good hey or a bad hey? -
Jisung hadn’t answered your question, his next text coming as more of a source of confusion for you.
han jisung 5:24pm - ill tell u in person -
“What happened? Is it Jisung?” Your colleague seemed to have sensed your inner turmoil, looking at you with concern etched in her features.
“Yeah, he told me he was done meeting the producer person…but he didn’t wanna tell me how it went,” you frowned, seeing your colleague hum in confusion.
“D’you think it didn’t go well?” She asked, mirroring your expression of uncertainty.
You typed out your reply to Jisung as you shrugged, “I don’t know, I’m hoping he’s just messing with me.”
5:26pm - my shift ends in like 4 minutes… I’ll go and get the groceries before I get back -
han jisung 5:26pm - okay, ill be waiting -
“All the best, then?” Your co-worker offered, giving you a look of sympathy.
“You too, enjoy the rest of your shift,” you returned her expression, sighing as you removed your apron, grabbing your bag from the back room before you left.
You’d tried your best to be quick in getting your groceries, making sure you’d gotten everything Jisung had told you to, your footsteps quick as you briskly walked to your apartment building.
Not knowing if it was because you hadn’t eaten in hours or if it was because you were just excited, you couldn’t help but feel a sense of excitement in you, not so much because you were excited to hear how Jisung’s meeting went but more of because you were excited that you were going to see Jisung soon.
Finally reaching your apartment, you’d pushed the door open to spot Jisung coming out from his room, a towel on his head as he rubbed at his freshly-washed hair.
“Hey,” you breathed, a hint of a smile on your face, scanning his face for an expression as he glanced at you, his glasses resting on the bridge of his nose cutely.
Jisung had a whole plan for how he was going to surprise you with the news, he wanted to wait until the food was ready and when the both of you were seated across each other in the living room, wait for you to ask him about how the meeting went so that he could pretend to be upset about it.
And just like he’d seen in the romantic movie Chan was playing in the studio the other day, he would wait till you showed concern to give you a smile and tell you the good news, already being able to imagine the smile you would give him in celebration.
But seeing how you looked, a little bit breathless from rushing, carrying groceries in your hands as you looked at him with a smile that spelled nothing but relief, Jisung couldn’t help himself.
“He offered me a job,” Jisung confessed, his grip tight on his towel as he let his hand fall limp to his side, any perfect, fool-proof plan of copying the romance movie now long gone.
Your eyes widened, setting the groceries on the counter as you cheered, “oh my god, that’s great! I’m really happy for you!” You cheered, practically running towards him before stopping yourself halfway, realising you were almost about to hug him.
Jisung noticed you stop too, tilting his head at you as his hands had already begun to raise to welcome you into a hug, hesitating once he’d seen you stop.
“Sorry,” you huffed, shoving your hands into your pockets, taking a step back to create some distance between the both of you.
Jisung smiled, shaking his head, “don’t be.” Shocking you with his confidence, he’d taken a step closer to you, his arms going around your shoulders as he pulled you towards him, his head leaning against yours gently as one of his hands went up to pet your head gently.
“You really helped me through it, believe it or not.”
Your eyes widened, trying not to get too carried away with the way his hold felt too comforting for you to pull away, thankful that he’d let go first, his hands coming up to grasp your shoulders.
“You hungry? The soup’s almost done.”
You nodded, “can I uh…take a shower first? I’ll be quick I promise.”
You didn’t wait for him to reply before you’d escaped to the bathroom, too focused on showering quickly that you’d almost forgotten about the hug. Keyword, almost.
Once you’d changed into a comfortable shirt and shorts, you’d practically jogged over to the kitchen, seeing that Jisung had already taken out the ingredients to thaw the meat and prepare the veggies.
“Wow, who are you and what have you done with Jisung?”
Jisung turned around at your voice, rolling his eyes at your statement, flicking the water from the veggies at you as you dodged, “figured I’d do something while waiting, you know, make myself useful.”
You huffed, a smile on your face as you gestured for him to continue, “well, don’t let me stop you.”
“So how did the interview go?” You asked, watching intently as he brought the platefuls of ingredients to the coffee table, stopping you when you’d moved to help him get the pot of soup.
“It’s okay, you go sit down, I’ll do it.”
You couldn’t help the impressed pout from your lips, not wanting to let on that the gesture had made your heart flutter.
Once all the food was on the table, Jisung had taken a seat next to you, the both of you starting to throw your ingredients into the soup, Jisung turning to you looking as though he’d wanted to say something.
“What was I saying before? Oh, right,” he nodded, “I didn’t expect him to be so intimidating, I nearly pissed myself when I walked into the room.”
You’d burst into laughter, Jisung laughing along with you, “I’m not even joking. Chan gave me a completely different description of what he would be like.”
You’d tried your best to calm down from your laughter quickly, seeing him take a piece of food from the pot and place it into your bowl wordlessly, choosing to ignore the gesture for the sake of your heart.
“But I’m assuming he’s not that bad? Since he offered you the job?”
Jisung let out a sigh, “yeah, thank god he did, I was a stuttering mess. Even Iwouldn’t have hired myself.”
You let out a chuckle, “you’re lucky he judged you based on the song, then,” you teased, earning a harmless glare from him.
You’d scooped some food into your mouth, looking up at him to see that he’d already had his cheeks full of food, nodding at you expectantly.
“So does this mean you’re gonna work on that producer guy’s team?” You asked, earning a nod from him as he swallowed his mouthful of food with a wince.
“Yeah, he said I could intern at his company in the holidays and if everything goes well he’ll give me a contract once I graduate.”
You let out a low whistle, “wow, imagine all the exposure you’d get there…all the different types of genres and artists you’d be exposed to,” you marvelled, Jisung finding it amusing how you seemed more excited about it than he was.
You perked up in realisation, “speaking of which…I realised you’d never let me listen to the song yet.”
Jisung flushed, shaking his head, “did I? I swear I did,” he lied, making you shove him, a smile showing on his face as you did, nodding in surrender as he grabbed his phone from the coffee table.
“What’s it called?” You asked, seeing him nudge his glasses up with his knuckle, shaking his head to flick his hair from his eyes.
“Sunshine,” he told you quickly, not wasting anymore time and playing the song.
As he started to play the song, you were surprised at the light sounding melody the song had started with, the sounds of the city that he’d put inside, the feeling that you were…at home?
“Don’t look at me when you’re listening to it, I’m shy,” he brought a hand up to cover your face, making you yelp, your hands coming up to grab his wrist, pulling it away slowly as you grew more focused on the song, recognising his voice as he sang.
It wasn’t a love song, thankfully, you realised. You realised that the song revolved around a certain feeling of calm, with themes of getting away from the busy nature of your life and taking time for yourself, something you realised you and him both kind of needed.
You listened until the song had ended, looking at him with a big smile on your face, a smile that made Jisung want to cover your face in fear that it would make his heart burst with how giddy he felt.
“I love this,” you told him, “can you send it to me?”
Jisung scoffed, “no way, how do I know you’re not gonna sell it before I can get it copyrighted?” he huffed, leaning forward and resting his elbow on the table to support his head on his palm.
“I’m really impressed, how’d you get the inspiration to do this?”
Jisung shrugged, “my own life I guess, and the people that helped me get through that weird period of creative block that I was in,” he murmured.
You nodded, “well, whoever they are, you should thank them for me.”
Jisung nodded, facing the television as he contemplated in his heart whether to do what he wanted to do, turning to you with a small smile on his face, he nodded slowly.
“Thank you,” he murmured.
Your eyes widened, not knowing what to make of his words. The song had started to repeat.
Jisung had shook his head, “I’m not just saying this because I like you or whatever—” he stopped himself with a small curse, “shit, that was not how I planned on telling you. Whatever, as I was saying…” he trailed off, his gaze landing on your tattoo, the neck of your shirt having started to slip off your shoulder slightly.
“Honestly, I really hated that drawing,” he told you, your gaze following his to look at your tattoo, looking back at him with raised eyebrows.
“This? Why? But it’s so pretty,” you insisted.
Jisung shook his head.
“It was my first design, and I wasn’t…you know, I just didn’t think it was that impressive, and all. Chan had told me to keep it in my portfolio but I was really close to just removing it.”
His gaze shifted to anywhere except your face, distracting himself by looking at the various things in the house, his gaze landing on the rainbow-coloured umbrella at the door.
Jisung sighed, shifting in his seat so he was leaning against the sofa now, his body angled towards you, making you unconsciously shift your body to face him as well, your breath hitching in anticipation for what he was about to say next.
“But then, you said you wanted it tattooed, and I honestly didn’t want you to get it but I had no choice, you know, blah blah customer’s preference first and all that bullshit,” he waved his hand for emphasis, “but then after I saw you with the tattoo more, I guess my perspective started to change? I mean, like, you kept insisting that it was so beautiful and all that..you know, seeing you with it kind of started to grow on me.”
Jisung paused, his gaze on a corner of the coffee table as he tried to find the right words to express how he was feeling, shrugging at you and just deciding to say whatever was at the top of his head and work from there.
“I guess it kind of made me love my work more, and like, trust myself, you know… because I realised how beautiful it could be.”
You looked at him wordlessly, your heart picking up speed at the tension in the room, something in you urging you to stand up, making you get up on your feet with no aim in mind.
So as not to look like a complete fool, your hands flew up to hug your arms, “oh, it’s a little um, chilly. Be right back,” you sprinted to your room, reaching in your cupboard for your hoodie and putting it on without a second thought, too preoccupied to notice how it stopped at your thighs and how the sleeves bunched up more.
Returning to the coffee table, you’d almost regretted your decision to put on the hoodie, feeling utterly warm from how flustered you were, especially with the way Jisung was looking at you with a hint of a smirk playing at his lips.
“Sorry,” you murmured, averting your gaze as you tilted your head down, not expecting Jisung to tilt his head down as well so he could search for your gaze, making you scrunch your eyes shut, wrinkling your nose as you let out a huff of laughter.
“You can reject me, you know. I remember you said you already liked someone,” he told you, and Jisung meant it, not wanting anything but to make sure you were okay, and happy.
You shook your head, “I don’t want to,” you murmured, finally daring yourself to meet his gaze, your heart skipping a beat when you saw the way Jisung had smiled.
“I can’t say I’m not happy to hear that,” he told you.
Jisung had brought his hand up, lazily removing his glasses and looking at you finally, since now the other things in the house weren’t as clear in his vision, all that was important being that you were right in front of him, and he could see you clearer than anything.
“Why’d you take your glasses off?” You murmured, seeing him shrug, giving you a lazy smile.
“What? You scared I didn’t wanna see your face?” He teased, the flush on your cheeks making him give in almost immediately, “I’m kidding. I just didn’t feel like being distracted anymore.”
Maybe it was the atmosphere of the living room, or the lingering feelings the song had left in you, maybe it was even the way you felt like you were finally getting what you were waiting for.
Whatever it was, there was an overwhelming feeling of giddiness in you, especially with the way Jisung’s gaze had flickered between your lips and your gaze, and yet he’d made no move to lean closer to you, as if he was expecting you to move first.
Leaning closer, you’d let yourself glance down, getting distracted by the stain of black ink on the sleeve of your hoodie, only realising then that it wasn’t your hoodie.
“Shit, sorry I’m wearing yours by mistake again, it must’ve gotten mixed up,” you murmured, knowing it wasn’t your week to do laundry duty.
Jisung stopped you before you could stand up, pulling your hand forward so the only thing stopping you from losing your balance was his grip on your arm.
“I never thought I’d be saying this but, you can wear it.”
You’d sworn if your heart were any weaker, you wouldn’t have been able to last this long, Jisung seeming almost teasing with the way he’d inched closer at a painfully slow pace, so his lips were barely touching yours.
Just before he could pull back, you’d groaned in frustration, bringing your free hand up to cup the side of his jaw, meeting your lips with his.
And there it was again, the feeling of relief that washed over, knowing that this was very much happening, and that you wouldn’t have wanted it any other way.
Jisung pulled away first, his pupils blown and his eyes giving away his surprise, huffing at you and folding his arms, increasing the distance between you.
“I’m only realising this now, what do you mean I’m oblivious?”
You rolled your eyes, “I’ll explain it again later, I swear.”
Jisung huffed, more dramatic this time, making sure you sensed his sulkiness (as feigned as it was), looking at you with a pout on his lips, “give me a kiss and I’ll forgive you.”
He puckered his lips, making you roll your eyes, though you didn’t hesitate to cup his face again, pressing your lips against his as your thumb brushed over his cheek gently, pulling away before he would’ve wanted. You couldn’t help yourself from laughing at the way he’d leaned forward, chasing your lips, frowning at you with a soft sigh when you’d straightened up.
“Can we eat now? The meat’s getting overcooked.”
===
lucas 11:30pm - dude I told u it would work if you smiled at him more cant believe u didnt believe me smh -
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lxveille · 3 years
Text
another love song
mk x reader
word count: ~ 2080 warnings: references to alcohol a/n: university!au; another ‘trying to get back into the feel of writing’ fic so... idk ?? tbh it’s more of a fic treatment but here’s what i’m posting anyway
Minkyun has gotten inspiration for his songs from you before. This one is different.
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You’re nearly always the first person to place money into Minkyun’s open guitar case when he’s busking. 
More often than not, he tries to return your money once he’s packed up for the afternoon - but you refuse, and tell him he earned it. Then he usually spends more on you than you gave by buying you bubble tea or coffee before the two of you trek back to campus.
You’re not sure what you’d do with your Saturday afternoons if not for him.
You’d met Minkyun in a literature class your first year of university. At first it had been easy to write him off as a high school class clown having some difficulty adjusting to university expectations. Except that sometimes, when your professor would really dig into the themes of a text, he’d have something to share that would stick with you. A thought - sometimes chaotically explained - that would rumble around in your brain for a week, even. Eventually, you decided a proper introduction was in order. A fatal mistake, if you’d hoped to keep up some aloof, studious front. He had a way of warming others up, it turned out. You discovered he was friends with a number of people with unfriendly faces who somehow transformed into lighthearted, open books in Minkyun’s presence.  
You feel a little lighter around him, too. 
And on the days you don’t, he invites you to unburden. 
It became a common tableau: you sprawled out, exasperated, on the beanbag chair in his dorm room, ranting about anything that bothered you while he lay on his bed, half-propped up against the wall and strumming occasional notes on his guitar. A last complaint and a final chord, and then Minkyun would be on his feet with an idea of what the two of you should do to shake it out of your system for once and for all. Those plans only sometimes included just enough beer that the both of you were giddy and ready to laugh at anything. 
If Minkyun had to name one good reason to get drunk with you, it was this: it was the only time you’d sing. The very first time you let yourself break into song in front of him had been at a bar. It had been difficult to make out your voice over the speakers, but Minkyun heard. Maybe more important, though, was the way you swayed your shoulders and rocked into each syllable. 
He would tease sometimes that you ought to join him when he busked. He might make more with you joining in. 
“Ah, but then you’d have to split it with me, too,” you’d reply. You assumed, at least, that he must be kidding. 
It was spring the first time Minkyun asked you to listen to something original he’d composed. There was something personal about it that had never occurred to you when listening to a song before. For all the times you had watched him play, it was like looking at him from a new angle. Just as his commentary used to linger on your mind, his songs began to do the same.
 And in the winter of your second year, he asked if it’d be okay to use some of your own rants as inspiration in songs. 
“What?” you asked. 
“Just - the way you talk about the guys you’re getting over, and stuff like that. It could make for good lyrics.” 
“You’re going to quote me?”
“Well,” he lingered on the syllable, then broke into a dimpled smile. “No. But I don’t wanna take inspiration without telling you!”
So it happened that when he performed songs of his own, you sometimes began to recognize bits of your own infatuations and fallings outs weaved into his lyrics. The way he framed it, it usually made it easier to get over whoever had been behind the heartbreak. 
Minkyun isn’t busking today. The drizzle is enough that it wouldn’t be worth it. All the same, he spent the better part of the morning sending you messages asking you to come over. 
When you finally cave, you put on a front of unhappiness at the door, shaking out your umbrella before passing it over to his extended hand.
“I brought some stuff for my class so I can try to get work done like I’d planned,” you told him. 
He pouted for dramatic flair. “So you’re really just gonna act like you’re at your room at mine?”
“That’s what we agreed to! I told you I wanna get this reading done so I can just be hungover tomorrow without having to worry about Monday’s lecture.” 
“Damn, and people try to frame university drinkers as irresponsible.” 
“What can I say? I’m flawless,” you comment dryly as you pass into his room. 
“So you’re still going out even if the rain keeps up?” Minkyun asks. He settles into his usual spot near the foot of his mattress. You rummage through your bag for a textbook and your printed copy of the syllabus before finding a spot somewhere closer to the pillow. 
“Mm,” you affirm, “I think I’m officially entirely over Seungcheol, so it’ll be good for me to go out.” 
“Ahhh.” There’s something guttural and mischievous in the way he makes the sound. It’d be fair to expect some ribbing comment on how transparent you could be with these things. No such remark comes. 
It’s some time later, when you’re nearly done with your assigned reading, that Minkyun announces that he finished a new song recently. 
“Like one of your own?” you ask. 
He nods, and adds how he’d been thinking of playing it out this weekend if it hadn’t been for the poor turn in weather. 
You exaggerate a gasp. “You were going to share a song with a crowd before sharing it just with me?” There’s no real offence. It’s only a pattern that you’d noticed. Sometimes he’d say it felt needed, if only because he based part of the lyrics’ premise on your own experiences instead of his own. 
“I know!” Minkyun laughs airly. “Mother nature said not to, I guess!” 
“Well, are you going to play it now then?” You should tell him to wait until you’ve finished this chapter. That way you won’t entirely lose track of things. But you’re not infallible; and if there’s one thing you’re horrible at resisting it’s the chance to hear Minkyun play. 
He hops up from the bed to fetch his guitar. And he plays. 
It’s a love song, which doesn’t come as a surprise. Minkyun told you from the beginning - or at least when he first asked if he could take inspiration from your own heart’s tribulations - that he liked to write about that feeling. The good, the bad, or at the very least what he imagined of it. 
This song doesn’t feel familiar. Usually you can tell when he’s written indirectly about your own affairs. So these endearing words, these syrupy lines of dedication, of patiently waiting for the other one to notice… They must be from his own experience. 
A corner of your heart goes sour at that thought, and retorts that it might be one of his other friends. Devoted and hoping it won’t go unnoticed would be right up Yuto’s alley, you tell yourself as your search for a likely suspect. You don’t let yourself think too much on why you don’t want it to be Minkyun’s own feelings. 
Except there’s something else that bothers you. The way he keeps his eyes on his strumming fingers, or closes them altogether. 
Normally Minkyun looks at you now and then, and smiles at your reactions to his music. Even with the unhappy songs. 
You squeeze the textbook in your lap. A corner digs into your palm. He’s somewhere in the second chorus and your mind is fogging over with an irritation. It’s not his fault. You’re not mad at him. 
You just wish you had realized you want to fall in love with Minkyun sooner.
The last chord hangs in the air before you can fully process this thought. He looks at you expectantly. 
“What do you think?” Minkyun asks. 
You force a smile. “It’s sweet.” 
He leaves space for you to elaborate. When you don’t, the corners of his lips drag down a bit. “Just sweet?” He repeats. “Is it lame?” 
“No! It’s just - it’s different from some of your other stuff. But it’s sweet. I like it. I think, um… I just was expecting it to be something based on my whole recent back and forth thing. Since you wanted to play it for me,” you try to cover for your lackluster response. 
Minkyun looks you over for a moment, then chuckles. “Not every song can be about your love life.” 
“I know! Of course! Geez, that’s not what I meant,” you rush to say, loudly, as if you needed to cover the sound of some kind of fracture in your heart. 
He leans forward to set his guitar carefully on the tiles, its neck leaning against the bed frame. “I guess that’s not totally accurate to say here though.” He shakes his head to get his hair out of his eyes as he looks your way again. 
“...What?”  
“Ah… You’re pretty clueless, huh?” Minkyun sounds content with himself, and he’s barely holding back a grin. 
“I’ve never gone on like that about someone.” 
“Yeah, I know.”  
You eye him over a few times quickly, trying to reach a conclusion that feels safe. All you can theorize for sure is that he’s practiced this all, and somehow it’s going to plan. Maybe. “What are you on about?” you ask, tone turning suspicious. 
He laughs more fully now, then shifts his position to face you directly from the other end of his duvet. “You.” 
You glance around him like this could be some hidden camera prank. “What?”
“You,” Minkyun repeats, “It’s about you.” 
In the most foolish move of the day, you suddenly felt your throat dry out the same way it does before you cry. It must have been too much at once: to realize a desire and think it ripped away only to have it suddenly offered up so easily, so soon. 
“You’re not serious.” 
“Is it bad if I am?” he asks, leaning to the right a bit as he watches your reaction. You press your palm to your clavicle, trying to get your heart and your mind in sync. “Am serious, I mean.”  
All you can manage is a shake of your head. 
Minkyun grins bright and leans forward to put a hand over the one still at your side. “You really didn’t notice?” He pulls off incredulous and teasing in one go. If you weren’t so off kilter, you might want to scold him for it somehow. 
“What was I supposed to know?” You ask instead.
He shakes his head. For a fleeting instant, you worry he’s about to brush the whole thing aside. That worry is killed pretty quickly when he leans closer instead and delicately presses an experimental kiss against your lips. 
Minkyun is back to his side of the bed in the next moment, nearly like it hadn’t happened at all.  
Your hand lifts from your clavicle to allow your fingers to brush over your own lips, still tingly with the affection. Or maybe just from his lip balm rubbing off on you. 
He gives you a second more before asking, “Still okay?” 
“Um, yeah.” 
His smile returns. “Still going out to find someone new tonight?” 
“Oh my god.” You cover your face with your hands and accuse, “You’re the worst.”
“So… is that a yes, you are?” 
He knows it isn’t. 
He’s spent all this time getting to know you. Now he gets to be the one on the receiving end of that look in your eyes. 
“Would you stop that?” You muster up as much of a snip in your voice as you can. Your gaze gives away that you’re not really annoyed. It would be difficult to be, given the way your head is still spinning from his confession.    
“Stop what?” 
The smile on his face suggests he already knows. Nevertheless, you don’t give Minkyun the satisfaction of admitting he’s teasing you. “Just kiss me again,” you swerve to a demand. Frankly, it’s the main thing you’d been thinking since the first. You’ll figure out the rest of your feelings later. 
For now, Minkyun is hardly going to deny you that.
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jungshookz · 4 years
Text
the one with the scrunchie
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➺ pairing; min yoongi x reader
➺ genre; universitystudent!yoongiverse!!!!! uni!yoongi is the broody skater boy that everyone has a crush on!! y/n will never see her scrunchies in the same way ever again and also in case it wasn’t already blatantly obvious by the gif above this drabble is 98% smut and the other 2% is also smut (dirty talk! thigh riding! yoongi has really nice thighs!!!) 
➺ wordcount: 4.4k i feel like this is shorter than usual i’m soRry 
➺ summary; yoongi believes that one scrunchie is just as capable as a pair of handcuffs - it’s time to put that theory to the test. 
➺ what to expect; “i wouldn’t mind being more intimate with you but i don’t know how and also i’m just not ready to take my clothes off yet.”
➺ optional reading: not necessary but feel free to read some other drabbles from the uni!yoongiverse! 
➺ note; we all knew this was going to happen as soon as yoongi formulated the scrunchie theory so buCKLE up and be prepared!! happy valentine’s day!!! mwah mwah!!! (i couldn’t locate the original creator of the gif but it was pulled off of this pinterest page!) if you can guess which specific part of the drabble was inspired by the gif then i’ll give u a gold star 
                                           »»————- ♡ ————-««
min yoongi does not beat around the bush
sure, he’s been known to be overly blunt and a little too honest at times (aka a little bit of an asshole) but that’s just part of who he is and that’s not going to change
he attacks problems head-on and with the confidence of a bull charging towards a waving red flag
and yet
here he is, with a problem
except this is the first time he’s ever had a problem with his problem
here’s the problem: ...he doesn’t know if you’re physically attracted to him or not 
whICH he understands is kind of silly because he knows you’re certainly not with him for his brains because his grades are mediocre at best
he’s riding the 70s-80s range which he’s completely fiNE with by the way
keep your judgements to yourself! 
what was he talking about again
oh righT
he feels like you don’T want him to touch you for some reason??
which is a teensy little problem because call him old fashioned but he thinks that people who are together should probably be okay with touching each other
obviously if you aren’t ready for anything more than kissing on the sofa and some light petting that is totally okay and he completely understands 
it’s just weird because you always seem very eager to touch him but when he gets his hands on you you get all bashful and blushy (which is cute for the most part but that’s not the point) 
whenever he wants to return the favour you always shake him off and tell him that he can help you out next time
and then when next time rolls around you tell him that he can do something next time
and then when next time rolls around you tell him that he can do something nExt time until it turns into an endless cycle of ‘it’s okay, you can return the favour next time!’ in which he’ll nEVer ever return the favour! 
and so on and so forth
also it’s weird because he doesn’t really know if he can even classify this as a problem?? 
for the millionth time in a row he’s totally 100% fine if you aren’t ready to do anything just yet but he wouldn’t be so riled up about it if it weren’t for the fact that your butt looks fantastic in those jeans  
he can’t help but wonder if it’s his time of the month because his hormones are raging and everything you do turns him on 
like the other day when you were eating your sandwich you licked some mayo off your finger and yoongi nearly [censored] 
is he just thinking with his head and not with his head???
now that he’s really thinking about it he realises that he’s never actually gotten you off before
wha-
he’s nEVER given you an orgasm????????
so yeah
that’s pretty much it
he’s boiled it down to you being completely rePULsed by him
it’s just been on his mind ever since the two of you officially got together and he doesn’t really know how to phrase this without sounding like a complete dick
he feels a little bad because he’s supposed to be paying attention to what you’re teaching him but his mind just won’t let him focus and he feels like if he doesn’t ask you this rigHt now he’s going to explode from the inside out
his arm shoots up in the air (you asked him to start raising his hand instead of just blurting out the answer even though he’s literally your only student)
“do you not like me touching you?” yoongi blurts out before pausing
…okay yeah there were probably a million better ways to have worded that question
you look up at yoongi with wide eyes as you stare at him across the table
ok
well
you don’t know what this has to do with chemistry but you’ll bite
“maybe i wasn’t clear enough-” you click the cap back onto the marker before setting it down “but when i asked you if you had any questions, i meant questions that were related to intermolecular forces or nuclear fusion.”  
…has he even been paying attention to anything you’ve been saying this whole time???
hm
you’re going to have to test him later with a surprise pOP quiz >:-)
“oh yeah well i have a toN of questions about whatever you were talking about but we’ll get to that after you answer my question.” yoongi drops his pen before leaning back against his chair “so, please - answer my question.”
“well, i… i have to be honest, i don’t really understand your question.” your brows knit together and you purse your lips in thought “of course i like you touching me! i mean, sure, i’m a little germaphobic but i hold your hand all the ti-“
“not like that, y/n. i mean the other kind of touching.” yoongi sighs and leans forward a little bit
you’re about to tell him you’re not sure what he means when it suddenly registers in your brain what exactly he’s referring to
oh
that kind of touching
well
you and yoongi have.,,. definitely.,. fooled around before but a lot of those interactions have been limited to heated makeout sessions anD that one time u gave him a blowie before class
and also that hand job in the back of the library
…and then another blowie back at your apartment
but other than that you guys haven’t done anything else
and it’s not that you don’t want to be intimate with yoongi
in fact you’d have to be craZy to not want to jump his bones buT the one thing that’s holding you back is that you’re just not ready to expose yourself to him like just yet
even the thought of flashing your bra strap to him is making you queasy
and it’s not because of anything he’s done!!
he’s always very considerate with you and he never pushes you to do anything that you don’t want to do
like that one time his hand was slowly sliding down to your butt (this was very early on when you two weren’t a thing yet but you had makeout sessions like a pair of hormonal teenagers) but you stopped it before it could reach its destination
and since then his hands have not wandered at all!
actually that’s a lie he did glide over your bum the other day but he’s allowed to do that now because he’s ur boyfriend so
and it’s not like you aren’t handsy yourself, miss let-me-slide-my-hands-underneath-yoongi’s-shirt
so if you think about you’re just doing a lot of giving and basically none of the receiving which you thought yoongi would be ecstatic about but apparently not
anyways
this is literally just a you thing
it’s a mixture of insecurity and anxiousness and overwhelmingness all rolled up into one big ball that’s just sitting in the pit of your stomach
you’re sure you’ll get over it one day
but today is not that day
“-because i’d love to go down on you if you’d let me.” yoongi finishes his rant and you feel your cheeks immediately redden
wha-  
what the heCk was he talking about when you blanked out
“no, i d- i do want to… do things with you but i… i don’t know, i would rather just keep my clothes on, that’s all.” you mumble sheepishly and scratch the back of your neck
yoongi’s eyes widen a little and he perks up “so you… don’t mind me touching you?”
“of course i don’t mind you touching me.” you snort before rolling your eyes “anyway, as i was say-“
“as long as we keep our clothes on?”
you have a feeling yoongi is no longer focusing on chemistry
in fact you doubt he was even paying attention from the very beginning 
“i… yeah! pretty much.” you shrug “i just, um, i don’t know if i want any hands down my pants yet. hands on the butt is welcome.”
you probably sound like an idiot right now
you can’t do things with yoongi while fully cloTHED
“okay, i think i get it…?” yoongi narrows his eyes a little
uh oh
you recognise that look
that’s the ‘i’m just going to pretend like i know what you’re talking about but i actually have no idea what the hell you’re talking about’ look
you’ve seen it many times before
that’s fair though because you’re basically telling him you wanna do stuff with him but also you don’t wanna do stuff with him so how can you wrap up your main points in one single sentence??
“i wouldn’t mind being more intimate with you but i don’t know how and also i’m just not ready to take my clothes off yet.” you blurt out and keep your eyes glued to yoongi’s face to see if he gets it now
“oh!” yoongi lets out a ‘huh’ before nodding to himself “okay, i get it now. yeah, i totally understand. also, i hope it doesn’t seem like i’m pressuring you into anything, it’s just that this is my first time being with someone who doesn’t have a lot of experie- noT that that’s a bad thing, i just- you know, you’re you and i’m me- okay, uh, i’m not explaining this very well-“
now you’re the one who’s barely paying attention to the other because you are getting wAY too into your head about this
was your explanation super lame??
oh god
why are you so nervous all of a sudden
maybe you should come up with another excuse to make yourself sound less lame
“also, this might sound a little silly,” you snort and shake your head “but if you had your head in between my legs i honestly wouldn’t know what to do with my hands, and that’s just one more thing i’d have to worry about! so if you think about it maybe this is just a blessing in disguise!”  
yoongi pauses before the corner of his mouth twitches in a tiny smirk
“i could cuff you to the bed.”
oh dear lord
you feel your cheeks get even reDDer and you clear your throat before whipping back around to face the whiteboard “so! let’s get back into it…”
in your haste to change the subject you fail to notice the ‘i have a very sneaky plan up my sleeve’ look on yoongi’s face
so from what he understands:
a) you DO want to be more intimate with him (yay!!) (but a respectful, non-selfish yay)
b) you DO want to keep your clothes on
c) you DON’T know what to do with your hands
okay
he can work with that
he can definitely work with that
yoongi presses his lips together to hide his smile when it hits him
he knows exactly what to do
fun fact: yoongi has actually never celebrated valentine’s day before
well
okay
he haS celebrated valentine’s day before but this is the first time he’s actually cared about valentine’s day
and usually he forgets that valentine’s day exists (he really doesn’t understand why it’s so special) so when his previous significant others would ask him what he got for them his go-to was aLways something related to the bedroom because it was kind of an easy way out and made both parties happy
and he’s never stuck around to celebrate more than one valentine’s day with the same person which is pretty nice because that way he can’t be accused of recycling gift ideas
anyways
what was he talking about again?
oh riGHt
valentine’s day presents
not only did he surprise you but he also surprised himSelf when he bought a dozen red roses for you AND a box of bougie chocolate covered strawberries
because he’s literally never done this before so he decided that if he was going to go all out it was going to be for someone he genuinely really liked
and that person is u :-)
and then he made a comment about how valentine’s day is really just part of the whole ‘gross commercialisation of a day that really has no meaning to it’ scheme before presenting you with a brand new scrunchie
and it wasn’t the gorgeous roses or the rich chocolate that got you excited
it was your brand new heart-patterned scrunchie
the base is white but it has little red hearts dotted all over it and it’s the cuTEST and you immediately put it on as soon as yoongi gave it to you
he ordered it off etsy!! anD he paid for express shipping
and if that doesn’t show you how much he cares about you he doesn’t know what will
and you know what
yoongi would buy you a hundred more scrunchies because you are all over him right now and he is very into that
also it might be due to the fact that the chocolate-covered strawberries were actually champagne infused chocolate-covered strawberries (he was wondering why they were so exPENSIVE) because he can usually hold himself back pretty well (aka after a particularly heated makeout session he’ll politely excuse himself to the washroom for ten minutes even though you always insist on helping him out but most of the time he declines because he wants to return the favour but he can’T) but tonight.,.,. 
tonight he’s putting in extrA effort to keep it together because you slid his hands down to your bum and he nearly lost his shIT
here’s a sum-up of the night:
yoongi took you out to a nice dinner even though you insisted you’d be fine with ordering takeout or something (also he wore a crisp white button up but he rolled the sleeves up and you sweAR he knows exactly what he’s doing)
you guys went to a little donut shop afterwards and you got powdered sugar all over yourself but c’est la vie
and now you two are at your apartment where you decided to binge-watch netflix for the rest of the night and enjoy the chocolate-covered strawberries
and well
only half the box of strawberries have been consumed because now the two of you are kind of focused on enjoying each other
your hands instinctively slide down to pop the button on yoongi’s jeans but before they get a chance to reach it yoongi grabs your wrist and brings your arms back up around his neck  
“you know how you said you wanted to be more intimate with me but you didn’t know how?”
you clear your throat before pursing your lips
if this is him talking dirty it’s not working  
“…are you talking about the conversation we had at the beginning of last week?” you wonder out loud before shaking your head gently “yoongi, listen, it really isn’t a big deal, you don’t have to do anything for me-“
“and do you remember what you said about not knowing what to do with your hands?” yoongi interrupts you and his eyes flicker up to the scrunchie peeking out from the back of your head
“well, yeah, but- is there a point to all of this?” you sigh before leaning forward to smush your cheek against yoongi’s shoulder
“do you trust me?” yoongi hums and pokes the tip of your nose
“of course i trust you.”
also
unrelated but you need a pick me up
another one of those strawberries will do
you’re going to ask yoongi to get these evEry valentine’s day because they are obscenely delicious
you pull away from yoongi and turn to reach for another strawberry and at the same time yoongi reaches over and tugs the scrunchie off from your head 
“wha- hey!” you whip around as your hair falls around your face before noticing that yoongi’s giving your scrunchie a bit of a stretch “what do you think you’re doing?”
yoongi can’t help but laugh lightly at your pouty face before he pats his lap “i want you here.”
yoongi’s speaking to you a little more assertively than usual anD he has that familiar gleam in his eyes 
hm
okay
you’ll play along 
the strawberries can wait
you tuck a strand of hair behind your ear as you settle on yoongi’s lap before resting your hands on his chest to keep yourself from toppling over
“good. now arms behind your back.”
your brows knit together slightly in confusion but you figure it’s best not to question yoongi because he seems pretty sure of himself
and you sure as hell have no idea what’s about to go down
this is weird
usually you’re the one in control
you feel like you want to fill the silence by talking about something and for some reason you can hear your heart drumming wildly in your chest even though you don’t have a reason to be nervous
...right? 
yoongi reaches behind you and pulls your hands through the scrunchie before moving them gently so that one wrist is crossed over the other and-
oh
oh
you can’t seem to wiggle out of the scrunchie
“not too tight?” yoongi murmurs
you shift your hands a little
yep 
definitely noT getting out of this any time soon 
“i can handle it.” you respond quietly and yoongi feels himself twitch in his pants
noPe
tonight is not about him
tonight is about you
you’ve never been restrained like this before but the idea of yoongi being completely in control is getting you far more riled up than you’d like to admit
“if at any point you feel uncomfortable,” yoongi murmurs against your skin as he moves his kisses up your chest, “the safe word is strawberry.”
“mhm, strawberry, got it.” you sigh impatiently, barely paying any attention to what yoongi’s saying because his mouth has travelled up onto your bare neck  
“good. on my thigh.” yoongi spreads his legs a little and you feel your heart hiccup in your chest
oh
you know exactly where this is going
you wobble slightly as your knees settle on the soft couch on either side of yoongi’s clothed thigh and yoongi smiles fondly
“comfy?”
“mhm.”
unsurprisingly, yoongi’s thigh is vEry firm  
it’s from all that skateboarding
you’re sure of it
you would be lying if you said you weren’t a little worked up from the ten minutes of copious kissing but now that you’re sitting on yoongi’s thigh you can definitely confirm that you are: worked up
yoongi places his hands on your waist and pulls you closer until your torso is pressed against his 
typically this would be the point where you drape your arms around yoongi’s shoulders but the fact that you can’t do that right now is torture and yoongi can see the frustration swimming in your eyes
you’re about to tell him to do something, anything, before he suddenly pushes your hips back and flexes his thigh at the same time
you let out a gasp when your body instinctively spasms a little bit out of surprise
that is definitely a new feeling
it’s a very good thing you decided to wear a skirt tonight
a pitiful whimper slips past your lips at the feeling of the rough fabric of yoongi’s jeans rubbing up against you through your panties
“like that?” yoongi pulls you towards him and then backwards again and he swallows thickly when he notices how blown out your pupils are
now that you know what yoongi’s plan is, your body seems to go into autopilot mode
you start moving on your own as your muscles begin to melt into him but yoongi’s hands stay glued on your hips as he guides you back and forth
the two of you share licking, burning kisses as you continue to ride yoongi’s leg and yoongi lets out a grunt when your knee digs into his crotch
“y/n, fuck-“ yoongi pulls away when you do it again
he can’t tell if you’re doing it on purpose or if it’s unintentional but he has to shift the focus bAck to you
yoongi takes his bottom lip in between his teeth as he watches you grind your hips back and forth with hooded lids
his hands slide down so that they rest on either side of your thighs
he lets out a low groan when he realises that this would be his exact view if you were actually riding him
“yoongi-“ you hiccup pathetically when you feel that particular spot within you flutter
your nails dig into the soft flesh of your palms when you suddenly feel the urge to get your hands on your boyfriend
yoongi’s mouth twitches in a smirk when he notices your shoulders straining
it looks like his makeshift handcuffs are working veRY well
he’s definitely going to use them again in the future
“something the matter?” yoongi mocks with a slight pout of his lips
“god, you- this was the worst idea ever and i hate you-“ you shudder as you continue grinding against his firm leg
you can’t even find the words to describe how incredible this feels and the only thing going through your mind is fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck because fuCK this feels good
“oh yeah? show me how much you hate me-“ yoongi’s hands find their way underneath your skirt and his fingers dig into your bum to bring you closer to him
he has to admit that he’s losing his grips on the reins a little bit because the more you grind against him the more turned on he gets
and he is currently very, very turned on
you’re riding his leg anD your boobs are like right at his eye-level so he’s kind of living the dream right now
but also in a way he’s torturing himself too because he usually loves it when you slide a hand down his chest or when you bury your fingers into his hair
“fuck, i can feel how wet you are-” yoongi groans just under your ear and you let out a choked moan in response 
you never thought something like this would be as hot as it is but also it’s the idea of you being bare on his leg that’s making the two of you go crazy
another wave of pleasure tremors through your body and your head dips back as yoongi kisses up your throat
“that’s it… you’re so pretty like this… so needy…” yoongi curses quietly when he notices the darkened patch on his jeans
he slips an arm around your waist to keep you balanced and he uses his other hand to take your chin in between his thumb and pointer finger so that you’ll look at him
“god, look at you… you’re doing so well…” yoongi knows that getting approval is something that’s verY important to you but he’s only seen you get excited over it when it comes to projects and assignments
and you obviously want to hear another remark of approval considering the way you start to roll your hips more smoothly
but it’s when you take his thumb into your mouth that yoongi ascends to a whole new level of turned on
he leans back against the couch and his hands start to forcefully guide your hips so that you’re rocking against him harder, faster
“yoongi, i think- nngh-“ you pant and your shoulders strain even more in a desperate attempt to wiggle out of the scrunchie “oh, god-“
he can tell by the way your breathing has become increasingly shallow and how your cheeks have gotten progressively pinker that you’re almost there and he’s definitely going to keep this image of you in his brain for a long time
“gonna cum for me?” yoongi growls as his hands grip at your ass to mould you to him
you head starts spinning from pleasure and you feel every nerve in your body begin to go into overdrive
all you can focus on is how good this feels and how hot it is that yoongi’s in complete control over you and how you are definitely going to want to do this again-
“you have no idea how badly i wanna fuck you right now.” yoongi groans and thAt pretty much does the the trick
“ah-!” you let out a sharp cry as your whole body tenses up as your orgasm rocks through you
your toes curl and your legs tighten around yoongi’s thigh and you sweAr you would’ve blacked out if it weren’t for yoongi keeping you anchored to him while pressing reassuring kisses along your shoulder
he has his arm wrapped around you while his other hand loosens its grip on the side of your thigh
you’re panting like you just ran a marathon and you lean forward to press your forehead against yoongi’s “hi.”
“hey.” yoongi’s out of breath too but he has no idea why lol
if anything, seeing you work through your orgasm has gotten him even harDer but he reminds himself for the millionth time that the purpose of this whole scrunchie thing was so that you’d be more comfortable being intimate with him
“how was that?”
“really nice.” you respond almost instantaneously and yoongi feels a sense of pride bloom within him
you’re not the only one who likes getting approval!!!
he reaches behind you and pulls the scrunchie off and placing it next to him
your wrists have gone a little pink considering how much tugging you did and yoongi brings them up to his mouth to sweep soft kisses over them
your cheeks flush for a different reason when yoongi leans up to give you an affectionate little kiss
when you finally drape your arms around his shoulder you can’t help but let out a happy sigh
now thIS feels a lot better
“you okay?” yoongi can’t help but notice that you’ve gone quiet
“…was the purpose of buying the scrunchie for me just so you could turn them into makeshift handcuffs?” your eyes narrow suspiciously and you glance down at the scrunchie
yoongi turns to look at it before looking back over at you
he clears his throat
“if i say yes does that make me a bad boyfriend?”
(later that night you tell yoongi you’d like to try grinding on him again - only this time, you’ve requested that he have his hands tied.) 
help me help you make your wishes come tru (aka send me a request)
requested drabbles masterlist
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jidai · 3 years
Text
jidai’s budget mutuals/friends appreciation
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Hi, all! I’m quite late with this but I decided to put a small friends and mutual appreciations post in hopes of brightening up the end of this year a little bit. ❤️ If you were tagged, please make sure to check below for a small little message from me. However, I want to make it very clear that I truly appreciate all of my mutuals. You guys brighten up my dash and always reblog or create so many funny and creative posts. I just wanted to give a few special shout outs to those that have taken out the time to reach out and interacted with me past my ask box or we just see each other often.
The messages are ordered by your URL, so you might have to scroll for awhile before you see your messages. I’m so sorry lmao. 
Happy New Years, everyone!
@25th​​, Nonnie, the Young Genius. bro, remind me how old you are 🧍‍♀️ Like my brain CANNOT fathom the thought that you’re so skilled at SO many things and you’re not even in your twenties??? PLEASE SPARE THE TALENT. i will even accept crumbs. But I’m writing to tell you that you are such a wonderful presence on my dash. I always look forward to your gfx. They’re so SO good and you’re improving from one post to another. Like WOW. Now, you’re even starting an art blog, too? You’re so dedicated to the arts. I respect that a lot. Your hard work and commitment will bring you very far in life, whatever you decide to do. 
I love interacting with you. You’re such a big sweetheart and full of positivity and energy. I look forward to seeing more of your art and gfx ❤️
@biscuitwalk​, Dann, the AK Wiz. Dann, I know you’re not as active on here so idk when or if you will ever read this but I want to say that I miss you and your creations so, so much. I will say it a hundred times over and OVER but you inspire me so goddamn much. You have no fucking idea. Your works are absolutely gorgeous and unique. I can look at it once and I can instantly recognize your style (and your cute lil’ pufferfish <3). The way you utilize colors and implement various techniques, shapes, textures into your work. Goddamn, you’re so good. I always look to your work if I ever need inspiration and they help me brainstorm. God, I wish I could put it into words how much I adore your works.
We didn’t really talk for long but you seemed like such a kind and fun person to be around. I wish you the best in your future endeavors, wherever you are. Stay safe <3
@elriccs, Mirai, the Short King. 🧍‍♀️ ok look I know, I know I’m TERRIBLE at replying to you and I’m so fucking sorry. I absolutely love to talk to you but my dumbass cannot seem to reply in a timely manner LASELKSAL. That’s on me and I gotta do better. Anyways!!! Thank you SO fucking much for always leaving such kind messages on my work. I swear to god you’re one of my biggest hype man and I ALWAYS look forward to reading your tags. They’re so funny and it makes me all tingly and happy inside. Bro, like, you just radiate big fun vibes, bro. I really hope that I can get to know you better so I can just insult you until it’s too late to walk away </3
And of course, let me also remind you that I love your works so much. They way that you utilize your textures and those muted colors... OOMPH *chefs kiss* I will always love--
@lockhvrts​​, Em the Soulsborne GOD. hi em 🥺 it’s been awhile since I’ve had a proper conversation with you and I hope you’re doing okay! I miss you and our conversations where we do nothing but geek out and complain about the game industry lmao. if you manage to read this, I just wanted to let you know I miss your presence here. It’s been kinda dull not seeing your beautiful soulsborne gifs and your game rants. Let’s catch up soon. <3 stay safe and well!
@nathanprescutt, Benn, the Man. BENNNNNNNN.  I love you a lot bro. I know we haven’t had long conversations for some time and I hope I can change that! You were my first friend on this blog and I will always appreciate it. I remember us just geeking out over your works and how I would always send you a gfx request like once a week LMAO. The one thing that I have always appreciated about you was the fact that you’re very opinionated (if not, very vocal on your stance on things) and you hold your ground. There were a few time where you encouraged me to speak on topics that I think I shouldn’t and that stuck with me for quite awhile. I’m still a nervous rambling mess when it comes to debates but just know that the one time you supported me to voice my opinion--I hold it very dear to my heart. 
While I don’t spend much time together, I will always remember our animal crossing session. It was  so much fun just trashing and chilling on your island. Especially the bar :( that bar was fucking AMAZING. Maybe once FFXVI comes out, we can geek out hehe
Also, thank you so much for sending in photos of all your doggos, omg. I miss seeing them so much I hope they’re doing well. Stay hot, my German bro lol. Ich bin sehr dankbar, so eine tolle Freundin zu haben. ❤️❤️❤️
@noxdivina​, Lin the Big Dick Daddy Kind. The church is open for business bitch and I’m here to preach the GOSPEL.
Okay, jokes aside, I’m really happy that we became mutuals. You’ve always give off this like, mysterious cosmic vibe (????? huh). And your selfies just further proves that you are wtf. But you’re always so kind to those that you interact with. You’re an absolutely sweetheart and like I just want to give you a giant hug every time we interact. You’re such a soft human being. It’s so nice being around you. It’s like being tossed in the oven and baked at 250 degrees F for 25 minutes. And to boot you’re really talented, hello? God really said let there be a perfect human being and yeeted you into the universe. Thank you for always leaving such kind messages and words in my DM/askbox/works. I cherish them so much. I hope I can get to know you better in the future bc you’re rad, bro <3
anyways, updated drawing of u and maya:
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i always assume you’re in a black fur parka 24/7 and maya is coatless neck down. also deck me with those jacked arms of yours thanks  🧍‍♀️
(edit: fuck i forgot to draw a PARTY HAT ON MAYA IM SORRY)
@rokuseis​, Sei, the Dumber.
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i have nothing to say to you go away you banana hater ASELKSAEKL
BITCH, you doo bee getting on my nerve 24/7/365 🧍‍♀️ you were an unexpected but a very welcomed addition to my life. I can’t believe we really went 1 fuckin’ year without speaking to each other and then suddenly our friendship blew up because over a stupid BANANA. Now you gotta deal with me and my stupid, random, crude ass messages daily. I cannot. Clown to clown communication. But thank you so much bitch for being there for me and telling all of these funny ass stories and life experiences.
I know I don’t say it a lot because when we talk it’s literally just dogs barking at each other but I want to make it clear now: I love your humor and vibe so much. You never fail to make me laugh anytime I talk to you and I appreciate it so much. I can’t tell you how many times I felt better after talking to you. Even though sometimes your fucking jab hits hard and I end up actually inSULTED BY IT. But thank you for becoming my friend and I look forward to all of our stupid moments together. Looking forward to shitting in your sink when I finally fly to your home <3
@wolfamongthem, Anna, the Grinch. Please don’t hurt me for that title. I'm just saying if someone needs a live casting, it’ll be u. Anyways, did you know that I was so fucking intimidated by you for a long ass time, even before we became mutuals aseljas LMAO. I always see your gifs around on explore and they’re so gorgeous and then I look at your text posts and it’s u roasting people like there’s no tomorrow- 🧍‍♀️ bitch I was SCARED OF U KSKS. Now that I’ve talked to you a few times, you’re really funny like where do you find those reaction memes????? Like bro you and your shitposts is my morning cup of coffee. 
Anyways, in 2021 I expect a full-fledge review of all AAA games from you-- no more shit talking in the tags let it all out BITCH. Thank you for being such a great mutual! I look forward to see what weird shit you will send me the next time we talk lmao
@zenien​​, Selm, the I’m-gay-for-Lady-Maria-or-anything-that-moves-in-BB-Bitch™. ok bitch if I’m being honest I wrote yours last so my brain is FRIED. so everything i say from here is raw from the HEARt cause that’s all I got left. But anyhow, we savin’ the best for last! honestly, i didn’t expect you to barge into my life like that. i really didn’t. i was just gonna keep admiring with my 7 feet (2.1336 meters) pole. I’m glad you made the first move because look where we are wtf 🧍‍♀️ friends??? I wouldn’t believe you if you told me that in 2014 when I first followed you lmao. 
You’re such a kind soul. I know you may disagree but I’m determined to convince you. I can’t tell you how much I want to thank you for taking the time to talk to me during my rough bits. It’s like sitting on a wooden bench in a park during sunset and you sit next to me, just enjoying the vast sky. You radiate such peaceful energy. It’s very calming. Or you know, 2 seconds later i’m suddenly suplexed by your 40 tons of insults like what-- 
Thank you for everything, so far. Truly. It’s been so fun listening to you talk about your Bloodborne journey and see your reactions live. It’s been so fun to see you post your graphics and it continues to blow me away. It’s been so fun hearing about your life and the stories of your adulthood. Every words that we have exchanged, I hold dearly to my heart--more than you ever know. Love u bitch.
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yuna-dan · 4 years
Note
1.-Soulmate au with Logince?
If you want a large Logince involving soulmates you can always read my fic Countin’ on you and one of my favorite Impossible Possible
Now that the selfless promo is over…
A long time ago I read a Marvel Fic where when Steve always had Natasha on his wrist and when he woke up from the ice, he had Antony and I was reading some prompts to get ideas and I saw something like that and decided to write it! This idea however it’s not mine, and if I find the fic where this was inspired, I’ll posted here.
I hope you enjoy this, I did enjoyed writing it but at some point I think the story got confusing?? I hope not
Taglist: @awkwardkindanerd @cas-is-a-hunter @theunoriginaldaisy @underthesea73 @mariita-2006 @prinxietyforever @peanut0303
If you wanna be add to the list please interact with this
---Warning: Off-screen bullying. Slight Transphobia. Slight Violence. Cursing.--
Logan was five years old when the tattoo appeared on his left wrist. The name Rosaline Prince was written with a blue and pink ink, with italics and a beautiful lettering for the young kid.
He remembered how when the bullies found him, he wasn’t scared because she will wait for me. When he arrived home and showed his mama his tattoo, his mama kissed his hair and said “She will always be there for you”
--
Logan used to have a treehouse, that he used to escape reality of his parents constant bickering and the bullies who never left him. He was fourteen, and he was too old to have one.
He was going to clean it for the last time, and he got boxes to put all his childhood things there, maybe one day I can show it to Rosaline he thought.
He didn’t see a step, and he fell.
He broke his arm.
The arm where Rosaline’s name was.
He didn’t think about it too much. The doctors have to put a cast on it, and he decided on a blue color (the same blue of his tattoo, that way he could think of Rosaline).
When the doctors removed the cast, the tattoo was heavily crossed out with a large, thick black line.
“What did you do?” He asked to the nurse, terrified.
The nurse was staring back at him, with the same shocked face, “I-That has never happened.”
No one had any explanation.
He cried to sleep that night.
--
The tattoo disappeared after three days.
Logan didn’t even move out of his bed.
-
He was in the school, when he felt a small itch on his right wrist. He didn’t want to pay any attention, because he was doing a test.
When he delivered the test and left the classroom, he noticed that he had a different tattoo, written in red and gold.
Roman Sanders
He felt something on his stomach, his chest tightened, and his vision blurred.
A student was passing by, and Logan didn’t think about he just knew, “Hey, I am going to passed out, call a teacher.”
“Dude, what the fuc-?”
He passed out.
-
When Logan woke up in the, the same student was next to him.
“Dude, you have to know that’s the weirdest way to meet someone.” He started ranting once he noticed Logan was awake, “What the actual fuck, man?” He hissed.
“Yes, I am okay, thanks for asking, stranger.” Logan replied, sitting down in the bed. The guy glared at him.
“I’m Virgil, by the way.”
“Salutations.” Virgil made a face, but Logan ignored him, “I am Logan.”
Virgil snorted, “You talk funny, Logan.” He cleared his throat, “So, uhm, are you okay? Do you want me to call someone?”
“No, I am fine… just…” Virgil stared at him, but Logan shook his head, “No, never mind, thanks for helping, Virgil.” He clutched his right arm close to his chest.
The tattoo was touching his heart.
--
Logan was seventeen when he came out as pansexual, and it turned okay.
Logan was eighteen, when he went started college with Virgil, his roommate and best friend ever since that day.
Logan was nineteen when he told Virgil about his two tattoos.
“... and honestly, I have been researching everywhere and I just cannot find any information about new soulmate bounds.”
“Maybe she died?” Virgil offered.
“Wow, Virge, thank I need that.” He glared, and his friend mumbled a quick sorry.
“I don’t what to say, Lo.”
“I want to hate Roman, and I know I should not feel like that. He’s supposed to be my soulmate, but I just need to know what happen to Rosaline.” He sighed.
Virgil genuinely didn’t know what to say, so he just hugged his friend.
Logan definitely didn’t cry.
--
Logan was on his last semester of college and he fell exhausted, with all the final exams, his parent obsessing over his graduation party, the freaking graduation party…
Yes, he fell exhausted.
He normally didn’t like to buy coffee, but when saw the new coffee shop near his apartment he decided to try it, firstly because Virgil was with his soulmate in their shared apartment.
He sighed and rubbed softly the name Roman on his right wrist. Ever since Virgil met Patton, he felt weirdly sad and also guilty for feeling sad. He should feel happy for his best friend, and yet, here he was running away from their house because he felt sad when he saw them together.
“Are you ordering, specs?” The cashier asked, interrupting Logan’s thoughts.
“Uh, yes, sorry.” He fumbled with his wallet, “A Black Earl with almond milk, please.” The man smiled and Logan felt himself blushing, for some reason. “Anything, else?”
“Uh, no, that’s fine.” Logan squinted, trying to read the tag, “Roman S.?”
Logan felt how the air of his lungs suddenly left, but the man continued to take his order, “What’s your name?”
“Huh?”
“For the tea…” Roman said, annoyed at the client. “We need your name.”
Logan spoke automatically, “You’re Rosie.” Roman’s face turned white, dropping the sharpie and cup he was holding.
“I don’t know who you are,” Roman Rosie said, “But you need to leave right now.”
“No, you…”
“No, my name is not Rosaline, my name is Roman Sanders and you need to leave, now!” He screamed, at the top of his lungs. Some clients were staring at them.
Logan didn’t want to leave, but the end he ran away.
-
When Remus entered the coffeeshop, he expected to see his twin and his boyfriend closing up. Ever since they left their dad’s house, Roman has been way happier. He started T a few months ago, and his mental health had been improving.
He was ready to pack everything off and go to home, maybe had some pizza.
He didn’t expect to see Damien and Roman sitting on a table, with a cup of tea, “I think Dad found us.” Was the first thing Roman said when he entered.
Damien was gripping his shoulder, “What do you mean?” Remus ears were ringing with anger, “Did he came here?”
Roman shook his head, and took a deep breath, “A man came. He called me… y’know, that.” He sighed, “I-I told him to leave and he, I don’t know.”
Damien interrupted, “I can take both of you to the police tomorrow.”
“No, mom will get worried.” Ro said, “I just want to forget about this.”
Remus bit his lip, “RoRo, I know but if you think Dad is back, we need to tell mom, and Damien is right, the police too.”
Roman shook his head, “No. I don’t want to.”
Remus was about to argue with his brother, because goddamit, he needed for Roman to understand that they were in danger, when the door opened violently and abruptly. Damien stood up, “We’re close, sir.”
Roman gasped, “It’s you!” He yelled, “I told you to leave me alone!” The man was getting closer and Remus hand was already on his phone, ready to call the police if necessary.
“No. Please let me…”
“If our dad sent you here…”
“No, please let me…”
Damien was standing between them, ready to fight if the moment asked for it Remus fucking love him, the man try to get closer, “Please, Roman, let me explain…”
Damien punched him, right in the eye. The guy was startled and looked back at Roman, who was holding back tears, “Roman, I’m your soulmate.”
The guy fainted.
---
Roman stared into Damien’s eyes, who was staring back at him. Remus wanted to laugh, really, but refrain himself from doing it, this was a serious moment and only a few minutes ago they all believed their lives were in danger, he shouldn’t really find this funny, not all...
Roman ran to check the guy’s pulse, and only then everyone realized the tattoo on his right wrist Roman Sanders.
“Oh my god Damien, you punched my soulmate!”
Remus laughed out loud.
--
When Logan woke up, he was in his apartment. He tried to sit up and winced when he felt pain on his back. He hissed in pain, “Yeah, sorry about that, Logan. No one knew you were going to faint and honesty, no one prevented you from hitting the floor.” Roman said.
“What?” Logan looked up and saw Roman his fucking soulmate in his living room.
“You really need to stop fainting when you meet important people, Logs.” Virgil was laughing between his sentence.
Logan groaned.
--
A few days later, when everything was explained I’m sorry I punched you, I thought my boyfriend’s asshole dad sent you and I’m sorry I called you by your deadname, but everything was confusing.
That was probably the weirdest way to find your soulmate, but they wouldn’t change it for the world.
--
They were in the coffee shop, Logan was waiting for Roman to close everything. They held hands when they walked to Logan’s apartment.
“Y’know…” Roman hummed in acknowledgment that he heard him, “It’s kinda funny.”
“What is?”
“I got your right name in the right wrist…” Logan laughed softly, “It’s almost as if the world knew about it and decided to play a pun.”
Roman laughed, “It is funny.”When they kissed that night, it felt fight, and it was fantastic.
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silvia7272 · 4 years
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8 ~ The Blog-Off
I thought it would be time to meet some of the secondary characters I haven’t introduced yet. Also, I think this might be the third to last one before Piper is introduced to the gang? Maybe, just soon, I hope. And I think it’ll feel like a massive info dump but oh well, I wanted more people than just the class.
Also, I want to give these characters some actual personality traits, hope you like them.
Since I’ve made it that Timetagger isn’t canon in my storyline then I’ll have to add that Alix’s watch is just a unique watch and not a Miraculous since she’s a part of the class salt. Hopefully, that makes sense. Also, the episode Feast hasn’t happened either.
Word Count: 5698
Tags: @queenmj10, @fangirl39, @animegirlweeb, @northernbluetongue, @maribat-is-lifeblood, @raisuke06, @indecisive-mess-named-me​ @luleck​, @themotherofhogwarts​, if you wish to be tagged all you have to do is say. Also, if you change your name please tell me, I don’t want to leave you out since you’ve asked to be tagged.
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Ok, so I just checked on the fanon website information for Miraculous Ladybug and it says Juleka and Alix are 15, how? And why couldn’t they just make it simple so they’re all 13 at the start? I really don’t get it, could someone explain it to me, it just seems so odd to only have 2 people at different ages, (Just saw that Kagami is 15 as well)? For now, they first became heroes at 13, Adrien 14 because his birthday was in the bubbler. Including those 3 cause it makes more sense, because if Juleka really is 15 it's said that Luka is 2 years older than her so that means he’s 17 and that makes me extremely iffy about him liking a 13-year-old Marinette. Yikes, I like Luka leave him alone damn it.
So, the second year of Miraculous Ladybug, they’re all 14-15.
***
It was a particularly sunny day at Collège Françoise Dupont. There hadn’t been any Akuma’s for a while. Leaving everyone a chance to relax.
Well, most could relax.
“Aurore I’m sure its fine, you don’t need to stress so much” Her friend Mireille tried to calm her friend down to no avail. She was still staring at her phone.
“Y-Yeah cheer up. It's only been a day. Maybe people just haven’t l-looked under that tag yet?” But that response only made the blonde glare.
“How could they not. Its an actual Akuma battle I was able to get hold of and nothing? Unbelievable!” The video itself was of the Akuma SleepSis, Aurore was able to get some footage, shaky, but she was able to upload that battle.
Unluckily for her, it seemed that no one was interested but a few people. She couldn’t understand, it had Ladybug and Chat Noir as well as that new hero everyone wanted to know. But because she was new no one paid any attention to it.
“Hey, it's only the first video. Maybe if you make more people will see you.” Mireille suggested, she didn’t want to see her friend upset, they had started to become closer after their rocky start and she didn’t want her to be Akumatized because of this.
“It's so not fair, my video is the latest Akuma fight and nothing has come of it, meanwhile little miss blogger gets all the attention and she hardly does any posts about Akuma’s anymore, it's all about this Lila girl, who by the way is completely fake. Nothing on Akuma’s, more about Ladybug’s love life, why should we give a damn about that-” And here we had a completely wild Aurore, she was ranting while her friends were trying to calm her down. Marc already knew Lila was lying when Marinette told him after… Certain events happened. And Mireille was a good friend, believing Marc and Aurore right away, they had come at separate times and besides, after hearing the girl, all Mireille could see was fakery everywhere.
“Excuse me? Can we sit here?” A voice spoke, breaking the three out of their conversation.
“Huh? Marinette! How are you?” Aurore stood to hug the bluenette who was overjoyed with the fact they saw each other again. Their class schedules were so spread out, this had been the first time, before Rosina joined in fact, that she could see them.
And boy did they change.
“Err Marinette I don’t want to tell you this but Chloé is behind you, extremely close behind you” She pointed to the blonde who didn’t seem amused at all.
“Geez blondie, don’t talk about someone who’s in-ear reach!”
“Well maybe if you weren’t so close to us you wouldn’t hear!” They glared at each other so hard you could see the literal spark in their eyes.
This was going to be a long day.
***
“Sooo you two are friends now?” Mireille concluded after hearing this whole story.
“I find that extremely hard to believe” Aurore spoke, her eyes still not breaking away from Chloé.
“Well, no one's forcing you!” She retaliated.
“Eheh… So where is this miracle worker?” Marc but in, he found it better that Chloé was trying to mend her old ways, and try to redeem herself. It seemed to be working at least, she wasn’t insulting everyone at the table, only Aurore.
“She said she was coming later, she wanted to go explore something” Marinette explained, oblivious of Chloé’s horrified expression.
“And you let her!? You know she needs to be kept in check, what if she’s halfway across Paris by no-” Arms appeared around the girl's shoulders.
“Mari! Chlo! Hiya” It said.
“Ahhh! Don’t scare me like that!” Chloé hit her head, she was too surprised to realise who it was, but she wasn’t sorry, no one should scare someone and expect nothing to happen to them.
“Hey, no fair, it was only as they say a jest” Marinette held an embarrassed smile. Taking Rosina’s arm as they sat down at the table.
“Anyway Rosina, these are the friends I was talking about. Aurore, Mireille and Marc” She pointed to them as Rosina excitedly waved.
“H-Hi-” Marc couldn’t finish that sentence.
“Wow, I love your pigtails they look so cool. Aww, you look so cute in that outfit, like a cute little panda. Wow, I love your t-shirt I so want one for myself.” They all seemed confused. Why was this girl flattering them?
“Don’t worry she does that to everyone,” Marinette clarified.
“Yep, I read if you want to make a good impression you must compliment to provide a friendship with them, now that we’re friends what should we do?” She smiled an enormously large smile, she looked cute and happy, like they could feel the positivity radiating of the girl.
“You’ll get used to this as well, she’s always this happy.”
It was silent after that. No one really seemed to talk, because there was still a big elephant in the room. And it was all pointing to a specific blonde.
“Ugh fine I get it. I’ll go and leave you all in peace” Chloé got up and started to walk away. But two hands pulled her back.
“Wait Chloé it's fine. You seem like you’re really trying so I’ll give you a second chance.” Mireille said.
“Mmhmm, yeah Chloé you’re getting so much better, she even got me a phone” She held it up, her charm still intact, she wanted to take good care of it.
“Wow really?” Marc was surprised, Chloé actually gave someone a present? Was she an imposter? No, it didn’t seem like an Akuma.
“Yeah wanna see?” The redhead excitedly showed off her first-ever phone to the boy. Even explaining things Marc knew but didn’t have the heart to tell her.
“Mhmm buying your way into friendship now?” Aurore so wasn’t convinced at all; sure, people could change but she wasn’t about to forgive Chloé after all the years of her bullying her.
“For your information, Rosina was in need of a phone because she’s never had one. So, it was a gift” She retorted, arms crossed as Marinette put her hand to her forehead. Her and Mireille had given up trying to hold them back, it was obvious they weren’t going to like each other, it might take more time for them to get along.
“As if I’ll fall for that trick. I’ll see you crack under the pressure real soon Chloé Bourgeois.” She huffed as her head turned, refusing to look at her anymore.
“Whatever Aurore Beauréal” The other four were paying attention to Rosina as she was showing all her new apps.
“Err, R-Rosina I can’t understand any of it, what language is it in?” It wasn’t in French that was for sure.
“See see, since I’m still getting used to the French, so I’ve put it in Arabic since it's easier, that way whenever I text my friends they won’t get confused if I get anything wrong.” She gleamed as she put it back in her bag.
“It's fine Rosy, we can help you just tell us ok?”
They continued to talk as they had 1 hour of a free period left. And a previous topic came back to relevance.
“So, you’re a blogger as well?” Rosina was told what a blogger was after Alya overheard her uncertainty. She was dragged off by the girl as she explained. She showed all of her videos to her. Rosina was amazed by the fact one could capture motion and replay it. She had heard about a blog before but had yet to see it. Chloé and Marinette were able to steal her away after causing a distraction.
“A beginner, I was kinda inspired by Alya’s, but it slowly derailed into fake news, so I wanted to make one myself, for Ladybug. She’s been amazing for us and she deserves to be respected. Not pry about her love life or identity” Marinette was beaming on the inside, finally, someone wanting facts and information, plus she knew Lila was bs anyway. She couldn’t be more relieved.
“But… No one seems to want to watch it” Her confidence wavered, Marinette felt dejected, how could she help her she wondered?
“Can we see it? I wanna see what it's about” Aurore beamed with joy, she happily showed her, watching for any change in the girl's faces.
But before the redhead could state her opinions, the blonde beat her to it.
“There's nothing special about it”
“What! H-” She held up her hand, she so wasn’t done.
“It looks like a video that Césaire girl could do, hell I could do that with my eyes closed. There isn’t anything special here” Aurore had enough, how dare she walk in here and disrespect her like this. The pigtailed girl was so close to being done.
“Chloé’s right”
“Rosina you can’t just say it like that!” Marinette was concerned, please don’t make her have to face off Stormy Weather again!
“No wait- I didn’t mean it like that. I’m sorry Aurore, I just think you can change it, that’s all” She frantically waved her hands around as Aurore blinked.
“Huh?”
“I just mean, Chloé is right that it does look like Alya’s, so maybe you can make different err- what's the word… Content yeah that. Make different content, like an analysis of Akuma, and their powers and weapons.” Marinette shot up, ideas filling her mind.
“Maybe you could interview the heroes about questions regarding Akuma’s? I know people would feel better having their queries answered.” Mireille then joined in.
“You could include tips on how to stay safe during an Akuma attack? That could be useful.”
“I-If you want a script to use, I could help with that?” Marc piped up.
“And since I’m feeling generous, I guess I could lend you some space to use for your videos. Anywhere else would be barbaric” Aurore would’ve glared at her, but she couldn’t make herself do that. They were all encouraging her to continue, to make it unique, to make it her own.
She smiled.
“Thanks, you guys. I’ll be sure to remember this. And you too Chloé” Said blonde smirked.
“What? Sorry I didn’t hear that” She became irritated.
“Chloé please stop teasing her, that’s not a very nice thing to do” Rosina grabbed onto her arm, trying to stop the inevitable argument.
“Ugh fine, it wasn’t any fun anyway” Now they felt shocked. Chloé willingly giving up her teasing? That was unheard of- maybe Rosina really was a good influence after all.
***
[This is great, love the special guests]
[Thanks so much for the advice!]
[Thank you, sweetie, I’m sharing this with everyone xxx]
Hundreds of comments like these appeared within minutes of her second video. Amazingly Ladybug had somehow heard of what Aurore wanted to do and brought Crisono along for the ride as well. Because it was a quiet night, they were able to gain so much information, and Aurore was able to stop fangirling and have a proper conversation with them. They got so many recordings done in a single night Aurore was able to go to sleep feeling peaceful.
Her second video consisted of self-defence demonstrated by Ladybug, it held a serious yet comedic approach as Ladybug demonstrated what would happen if someone, Akuma or not, attacked you using Crisono. Ladybug playing the hero while Crisono played the villain, and what a funny villain she was. It was a huge hit and the viewers wanted more, wanted to know more about Crisono.
Luckily her third video would consist of who exactly Crisono Tassa was? They knew she didn’t hold a Miraculous, so the mysteries surrounding her were endless.
She was so happy by the boost she couldn’t help her locking onto Rosina the minute she spotted her at school.
“Thank you thank you thank you! They love it, and Ladybug and Crisono came to help me. Rosina, you’re the best” Rosina could only pat the girl on her back as her limbs were constricted from moving.
“I didn’t do anything really. But I’m so glad you’re happy Aurore, I mean I know my acting wasn’t the best bu-”
“What?” Mireille asked, what acting was she talking about?
“In the v-” Marinette clamped a hand over the redhead's mouth.
“Well I think I heard the bell go, and you know how Mlle Bustier can be with tardiness so byeeee!” Once they were out of earshot of the three new friends Rosina had made Marinette gave a glare to Rosina.
“You can’t keep doing that?” Rosina tilted her head.
“Doing what?”
“Revealing your identity to people Rosina. It was fine with Marinette because she’s Ladybug, and there were circumstances with Chloé but you can’t do it with other people it can be really dangerous” Tikki came out lightly reprimand the girl, Tikki had long ago deemed Rosina safe to be around as well as hold a secret, and came to care for the girl just like Marinette, she only wanted to protect her.
“But it's fine, it doesn’t matter if people know it's me” She tried to reason. But the bluenette shook her head.
“Yes, it does Rosina. Your friends and family could get hurt if Hawkmoth ever finds out your identity. Please Rosy. Don’t reveal yourself to anyone else”
“But Mari, I only have you, Chloé, Kagami, Adrian, Chat, Aurore, Mireille and Marc as my friends” Marinette would’ve winced at the mention of the blonds but now wasn’t the time.
“Yes but-”
“Plus, I have no family, so he can’t use them to get to me”
.
.
.
“W-What?”
“I don’t have a family, I only have 8 people to protect, so that’s why I’ll strive to protect all of my friends.”
“B-But what about-”
Riiiiiiiiiiing
“Well class should be starting soon, c’mon Mari, we don’t want to be late ok” Before the bluenette could answer she was already being dragged off, she couldn’t stop her as the words went around in her head.
I don’t have a family
‘How can she say that so casually? And what about Franchezca, what about her?’
These questions whirled around the girl’s head so much she couldn’t pay that much attention to the lesson. Not like Bustier called on her. She was glad for that.
Maybe she could ask later?
***
“Rosina?”
“Yep,” A voice spoke, popping the ‘P’. They were walking around the city; they were meant to be meeting everyone as they had planned to all hang out later but Marinette was able to convince Rosina to go earlier. And Marinette felt it was a good enough time to ask Rosina what she meant beforehand.
“You said you don’t have any family to protect. But you also call Mlle Franchezca Aunt? So, if it’s not too much trouble, could you explain?” She stopped walking.
“I mean you only want- I mean, only if you want to. I don’t want to force you or anything” She really hoped she hadn’t offended her.
“Its fine Marinette, I just don’t know where to begin”
She placed her hand under her chin, looking to reminisce on something.
“Let’s see, how did Aunty say it again?”
~
In the middle of a desert, an older woman with a cane walked.
She was searching for that damn forth Trinklet and it was nowhere. But she needed to find it fast, if not then it would crack.
And she really didn’t want to spend any more time in this stupid desert than she had to.
But then she saw a glow.
‘Perfect’ She thought, making her way towards it, believing that would be the end of it.
But it was only the beginning.
As she came closer to the glow, she saw a bundle of blankets next to it. She was surprised about that discovery.
But that was nothing, because then she heard a cry.
“What the-?”
She rushed to the blanket, if it was what she thought it was then she had to move quickly.
And like she was able to predict… It was.
A baby.
“Who would leave a kid all the way out here?” Franchezca decided that she would try and find out who the baby belonged to. Of course, she wasn’t going to get attached to her.
No, of course not.
That would be absurd.
~
“She always blamed my smile was the reason she couldn’t give me up” Rosina had finished her story as Marinette stood there.
“So, you really don’t have any other family members?”
“Nope, I don’t know anyone related to me. And Aunty always told me to call her Aunty cause she didn’t want to be called Grandma.” She laughed as she remembered the embarrassed look she gave when the Silver-eyed girl said Grandma once.
“You were just… Left alone?”
“Yeah, she told me this poncho was the only thing I had on me. That’s why I wear it everywhere. But it's alright. Aunty took care of me for all that time, and then I got the chance to train to fight all the Trinklets in the world. It's great” She raised her arms in the air to exclaim she wasn’t even sad.
Swish.
“I didn’t know you wanted a hug, Mari?”
‘She doesn’t seem bothered at all; I want to feel sorry for her but… Should I?’
“You do have family”
“Mari I-” She was about to repeat herself but Marinette jumped to cut her off.
“You have me and Maman and Papa. We’re your family. All of our friends are family and your Aunt. That’s why you can’t reveal yourself to anyone” Rosina paused. She wasn’t expecting… That.
“Really?” It was barely audible but Marinette heard it. And it was so sincere.
“Yeah, so please promise me you’ll stop doing that”
“…Ok. But if I can’t transform in time you can’t blame me if anyone sees” She cheekily replied her usual self-returning.
“Fine, but that’s only if, ok?” She shot back; Rosina nodded before they continued on their walk. Apparently, there was someone she wanted Rosina to meet. All she knew was that he didn’t attend Collège Françoise Dupont.
***
“Rosina, this is Luka. Luka this is Rosina.” They had arrived at *Pont des Arts the meeting place Marinette had organised earlier, all of her friends arriving later gave Rosina enough time to get along with the newcomer, everyone else knew him, it was only fair if Rosina got some time too.
“Pleased to mee-”
“Wow, your hair looks so cool, were you born with it or did you dye it? Wait, are you by any chance related to Juleka? Wow you look so cool” She repeated as he stood back just a bit, he had predicted her melody to be calm and slightly childish, now it had just changed dramatically… He needed a moment to adjust.
“Sorry Luka, I should’ve warned you she was hyper.”
“Hey, don’t worry about it, it’s good to see you so happy, Rosina seems to have drowned out that melancholy you had” That caused Marinette to blush before she looked back at Rosina. They continued to have a small conversation, at least before everyone else arrived anyway, although it did surprise Marinette when Luka kept looking around and checking his watch, was he waiting for someone? Was he just biding time before leaving them? Was it going to be his girlfri-
“Hayo, Luka long time no see? It’s been like sooo long” A girl who looked like the same age as Luka approached the gang of 3. And she looked so pretty.
She had green hair that complimented her dark skin, her orange jacket looked of high quality and red trousers, was this who Luka was waiting for? Was this his gir-?
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“Noémie, it’s been a while, I should have asked before, but I was wondering if my friend could hang out with us?” Marinette was slightly put off, ever since the Lila situation she’s been ever so slightly apprehensive of new people, but she guessed since she’s a friend of Luka’s she would soon be a friend of hers.
“-Gasps- Luka is this the Marinette ya keep talking and gushing about? Oh, my life. She is the cutest little thing ever. Selfie child” Before Marinette could respond she’d already taken a selfie.
“You look even cuter on camera, oh stop ya gonna kill me smols” Noémie’s hand was then grabbed by someone else, it wasn’t forceful at all, but she did lookup.
“Hiya Miss, I just wanted to say that I love your green hairstyle, it looks super cool on you”
.
.
.
‘Is that a tear-’
“Oh my god these two smols are so like adorable, I’m officially adopting you two, my precious little babies.” Marinette would soon learn she would never be able to finish another thought around the green-haired girl. Ever again.
And adopting?
“Eheh no thanks, I have a Mother and one is more than enough” She tried to get out of the hold but couldn’t.
“What’s adopting?”
“I’ll… Tell you later” Mari sighed, this seemed to become a long day.
“I was going to tell you that she can be a bit extreme, but she beat me to it.” Luka sent an apologetic smile towards the two, more to the bluenette since Rosina seemed to be enjoying the affection. It wasn’t like Noémie was doing anything harmful, but he knew she could be a bit… Overbearing at times.
“Selfie time”
“But you just took one?”
“Like girl, ya can never have too many selfies with smols like ya. All these photos can stay online forever. All these memories we can have and keep and look back on is like sooooooo cool. Now say cheese!” her monologue was filled with so much passion for selfies Marinette was able to giggle.
Ok, she liked her, she seemed really quirky.
Whether it was luck or not the others arrived not too long after, unluckily Noémie tried to use that same trick on Chloé because she was apparently a fan of the Mayor’s Daughter…
Yeah, that didn’t turn out well.
But she got over it when they both started taking selfies.
To the extreme.
It was a selfie war at this point.
The 6 were put on edge, but they decided to stay with them, so it was their fault.
Although there was one thought a young blonde had since the day they met.
And it was starting to get to her. And considering they were at the mall anyway she could enact on her plan.
“Rosina let’s get you a new outfit. My treat” She had to try and slowly ease her into it. If not, it would sound mean, and she couldn’t possibly do that to the redhead.
But said redhead couldn’t reply before a new blonde nuisance had to but in.
“Why? What's the occasion Chloé, you wouldn’t happen to be buying more ‘gifts’ to keep your friends, would you? Or could it be that you simply don’t like Rosina’s fashion sense?” She wrapped her arms around the redhead, her new innocent friend who didn’t deserve to be tricked by anyone, even if she knew Chloé was trying to be better.
“Aurore” Mireille tried to ease the tension, but she knew it was to no avail.
“No, I just thought we could all go on a shopping spree. But of course, you wouldn’t know anything about fashion to begin with.” She shot back, two could play at that game and so far, she was winning.
“Chloé” Marinette was now trying to keep the piece as Luka squeezed her shoulder in support. He knew they were just teasing, and it was kinda fun to watch.
Marinette.exe has stopped working.
While everyone else was concerned over a passed out Marinette, Rosina started smiling. The two blondes grew confused before their hands were grabbed.
“Ok, let’s go shopping. I’ve never shopped for clothes before so let’s go” They were dragged off with a bouncing Noémie following as the others were preoccupied.
Chloé and Aurore both wanted to drag the girl off to separate stores but unfortunately, they found out if you start pulling on a person, it will eventually hurt. Marinette had to pry them off her before scolding the two, the others either laughing or taking photos, although I think you know who was taking photos, with the caption: new Mum of the group.
Rosina’s first pick from Chloé was a lovely white knee-length dress, black leggings and a light blue jacket. It seemed lovely before Aurore gave her own pick. A floral pattern navy blue dress with white leggings. Of course, the two bickered which one was better as Marinette gave her own pick. And she looked so cute.
A blue tank top with a matching skirt with a teal bodysuit underneath.
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“Wow, this is so stretchy, look look I can do the splits in these.” That earned her a clap as she excitedly bounced up and down. And Chloé couldn’t help the feeling of happiness in her gut. It never happened before with Sabrina or Adrien, was it because she wasn’t just bossing them around?
Yeah, that might be it.
“Hey, I could probably sew something onto it to make it stand out if you want?”
“Really? That would be so cool Mari, thank you bestie?” They hugged before Mireille and Marc chose a new outfit as well.
Did she deserve this? After everything she’s done? Did she really deserve this?
Did she-?
“Hey, your friends are trying to help you Chloé, you are included blondie, don’t screw it up” She nudged her shoulder gently.
Huh, she must’ve been able to tell what she was thinking?
But Chloé wasn’t about to admit that. Especially not to Aurore of all people.
“Whatever, I know I’m their best friend, something you could only dream of having” She gave a playful smirk back, they were starting to get along without even knowing it.
“Hayo guys, let’s take a selfie to mark the beginning of this beautiful like friendship with all of you smols. Hope we all hang out some more” Holding out a camera for the 8 people there, posing for the camera, Noémie planning to tag them all later.
“C’mon Chloé! I wanna buy you something too” they were all dragged off to continue their shopping spree. So many clothes were brought, including the ones that the blondes had chosen, Rosina really loved them as well.
They all ended up getting some really cool shades as well, as well as the fact Chloé was able to spot a jacket that had the words ice queen written on the back. She so had to get one for her and Marinette to wear at school for kicks.
Rosina got everyone a bracelet with some colourful charms on. She got one for 3 others, but they weren’t there. They all beamed with glee as the girl was tackled with a hug by them all.
Marinette felt as if she could finally relax around them. They didn’t just hang out with her to try and make a plan for how to get her together with Adrien, they didn’t just hang out with her to just talk about her crush on Adrien, they actually all just wanted to hang out and enjoy each other’s company. Something she never got the chance to do before Lila came in… Not like she thought she’d be able to do, no doubt the topic would soon go towards Adrien eventually.
But she was able to take in the calm atmosphere around the group of 7.
She knew deep down in her heart that they would all soon be the best of friends.
***
The weekend had ended, and boy was a lot packed into that.
A lot.
Not only did everyone have tons of bags pack with new clothes and various items, but they also decided to dine out in Chloé’s hotel. Friends discount was applied here.
And amazingly Kagami was there along with her Mother. Rosina and Tomoe surprisingly had a conversation about fencing, Kagami was still apprehensive considering her Mother’s opinion about friends but it seemed to dissipate once Tomoe heard her Daughter laugh for the first time in a long time.
Tomoe also heard how fond Kagami was of Rosina after hearing about their fencing match, she wished to challenge Rosina to a match of her own to which Rosina happily agreed, much to everyone's surprise.
But they knew the girl could handle herself, 3 more so than the others but it was fine.
Also, remarkably, Rosina was able to convince Kagami and Tomoe to attend more get-togethers with the rest of the group. It might have something to do with Rosina speaking to her in Japanese and found Rosina to be a good influence.
So that’s how the group of 8 became 9.
The next day Rosina had finally started her contract with the Agreste’s. Rosina would start to be Adrien’s “bodyguard” at school, at fencing lessons as well as at photoshoots. On Sundays, she would be a language tutor for him as Saturdays would most likely be a day off, unplanned photoshoot or more piano lessons.
Adrien was ecstatic once this was all sorted. Finally, he wouldn’t be alone anymore, yeah, he wouldn’t be able to talk to Plagg as often, but as long as Plagg had his cheese he was sure he’d be alright. Besides, since Rosina was actually Crisono, he didn’t have to give a reason for his disappearances.
It did give him more of a reason why secret identities shouldn’t be so secret, but he knew he couldn’t reveal himself for his Lady and Master Fū.
The girls, however,
They were less than impressed with Rosina’s decision considering they told her they weren’t friends with Adrien anymore, but, it was Rosina’s choice and they couldn’t tell her not too.
Besides, it was who Rosina was. If she thought of Adrien as a friend, they couldn’t stop her, they may not like it but if they forced her to deny any interactions with him, they would be as bad as Lila.
So they had to learn to accept it and slowly, it didn’t faze them, sure they couldn’t hang out as much, but when you have a girl full of energy you find that they can and will spend as much time as possible with them.
So, when they arrived at school, they weren’t surprised to see Adrien hug Rosina.
“Thanks for agreeing Rosina” The latter nodded as they headed inside. Even if the blonde still hadn’t accepted it fully, the bluenette was there to help.
But then they heard something that made them both smirk.
“Alya are you alright, that new blog just skyrocketed up, it's halfway to the number of followers you have” Mylène seemed devastated but to that Alya waved her hand around, not the least bit interested.
“Oh please, that blog isn’t half as good as mine, where’s the pizazz? Its soo boring to look at I got tired after that first video.” Rose and Juleka didn’t look convinced.
“But her other videos are so much better. They even have that new hero no one knows about on it.” That perked the girl's interest.
“WHAT! How in the world did she get an interview with Crisono?” She soon watched that video and was furious to find Ladybug there as well.
“She’s even provided tips and other stuff with Akuma’s” Juleka joined in as Alya furiously search through the contents of the Let’sBugOut page. It somehow featured Ladybug in most of them, whether it was by video call or in person.
“So, she doesn’t accept interviews from me but from some amateur! How could she?” Alya didn’t know what she had done to receive the cold shoulder from Ladybug but she supposed that maybe she didn’t want her to be in any danger, that maybe if they stopped talking, Akuma’s wouldn’t be so interested to pick her as a target.
At least… That’s how Lila put it when she had come to the girl for help.
“Very easily, don’t you think? At least Aurore doesn’t pry about unnecessary details about Ladybug’s life. And she actually provides facts, something the LadyBlog is really missing.” Chloé retorted, returning to the desk at the back, everyone glaring at her she had become accustomed to it.
“Chloé how could you say that about Alya? Is this just because you aren’t Queen Bee anymore? And you're taking out your frustration on Alya. If you want, I could always ask Ladybug for advice on how you could improve and be a better person?” The girls swarmed around Lila appeared to be shocked while the other two were annoyed, how dare she sully Ladybug’s name!
“Girl there's no need to help someone like her, I know you're extremely kind, but you don’t need to extend it to the likes of her” Alya replied, that girl had a heart of gold.
“Are you sure, I wouldn’t want Chloé to become too upset at being rejected by Ladybug, I couldn’t imagine the shame she must be feeling now.” The duo was able to see that obvious jab made towards the blonde. How no one else could was a definite mystery?
Marinette paused, how Chloé decided to answer may decide on her future prospects of being a hero, what would she say?
“I wasn’t rejected by Ladybug, and how dare you lie about being friends with someone way out of your league.” The girls were quick to retort but Chloé paid them no mind.
“And I am still Queen Bee, in or out of costume. I don’t need it to define me. I’m more of a hero than you’ll ever be” She smirked at the last line before grabbing Rosina from Adrien, who was talking about schedules by the way, and promptly sitting down with Marinette. The blue-haired girl impressed by the blue-eyed girl's words. She didn’t spill the fact that technically she was still Queen Bee, just changed.
Chloé was learning.
She just wished the others would as well.
***
*Pont des Arts = A Pedestrian Bridge In Paris.
I hope you enjoy my new OC I put out. I just thought I wanted Luka to have more friends so here we go.
After making that outfit for Rosina I couldn’t stand it and knew I needed to change it, so I thought why not throw some Chloé sugar in there as I’m at it. Also, I think it’s reasonable for not everyone to believe or accept Chloé’s redemption since not everyone is so ready to forgive, right?
And with that, Rosina has kinda met all of the Marinette Protection Squad members (Minus Felix, he’s gonna be a special case)
1 more chapter till Piper, I really can’t wait for it, the next one will contain some unexpected salt towards a certain bluenette. Hope you’ll all enjoy it as much as me, I just think it’ll be great and clarify stuff.
Also, could someone help me with Rosina’s backstory? Or be willing to read and see if it's alright? Since she was found in a desert I was going to put her birthplace as Egypt, but with Franchezca travelling around she doesn’t really know anything about it, but later she learnt Arabic after her Aunt told her the story of how and where she was found.
Is that alright. I’m not offending anyone with that am I? do I need to change anything with that?
Sorry if it sounds stupid, I just want to make sure it's not insulting anyone.
Also, maybe some help with accents? Her first language was Spanish, but her favourite is Arabic, so what sort of accent would she have?
Anyway, I hope you liked this part can’t wait for the next it will be shorter, maybe haven’t planned it all out yet, but I hope that’s alright.
Note: Updated the pictures. Also, I keep updating Noemié’s design because of the artist in me, haha. hope you like hers.
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