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#They did the same with my boy Lee but he also just had less screen time to go with
a-wholelotta-love · 1 year
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Totnt 1938! Episode 5 thoughts!
Spoiler Alert!
Hey! So I am back again with my thoughts coz as mentioned this is a routine thingy now for clearing my head. Also, whoever is reading them knows that it's mostly my boi Rang centred thoughts and a few rare other ones 😂. So yes, let's talk about how we felt about the episode:-
Okay, so first things first, I was a lil sad coz I felt my boy Rangie had less screen time today. I know, I knoww, some of it was because he was disguised as a baby. Oh God 😂 but yeah. This season has spoiled me a bit and I want to see him in every other scene coz last season, I used to have to search for his scenes like looking for needles in a haystack. Can't go through that again Mr writers. 🥺 Okay, done crying.
Finally, Rang and his fox eyes 😍.Him being disguised as the baby and the baby showing a middle finger to the cop 😂 my boy's voice in the background all pissed coz he is feeling all suffocated in that tiny body 😂 I love him. When they took a shot at the baby, that animated baby jump and roll was so hilarious and then Rangie finally there with a babyy hanky on his neck. Gonna cherish that scene.
I loved baby Lee Mi ho and I am sad that we had to say goodbye to her 🥺. Yeon and Shin-ju giving full goodbye speeches while Rang refuses to say anything. Gosh, his fear of attachment kills me. We all know he adores her, he knows he adores her but hell shall freeze over before he accepts that. Lee Mi ho being more open and stating that she prefers the Bandit. Gosh, how happy Rang was about it and his "you are not too bad yourself 🥺". This boy will kill me.
I also like Ryu hong joo, the more I get to know her.. She did irk me at a point of time with how she is incapable of taking a no. But if I don't look at it, I like her character. She is strong, smart and protects her people with a ferocity that's admirable. I am looking forward to seeing her.
I have said this before, saying it again, I want to know what's Cheon Moo-young's story. Yeon was almost as happy to see him alive as he was to see Rang but at the same time, he is also suspicious of him. I really think I am gonna get hurt for him though.
The last 10 mins of the show gave me life. They were my favourite moments. Everyone can guess why 😂 Rang is slowly starting to like Yeo-hee and it's pretty clear. I find them really cute. I loved how a jealous Yeo-hee pretty much destroyed the room and Yang found it cool. 😂 Boy was impressed with how strong she is. And Yeon and shin-ju spying on their dates and deciding how good of a match those two are. 😂 Ah, please don't ruin this for us later. I won't survive.
Now, one thing, one small conversation that I can't help but discuss is when Shin ju asks Yeon if he can actually leave Rang and go. And he mentions that he can not, that Rang would again think he is being abandoned. This topic is something that I have too many strong thoughts about and I won't get into all of them but I just wanna say, what else is Yeon expecting. I love this future Yeon and how much he cares about Rang but I don't get his plan of action. What are you planning to tell Rang and when, this Rang is someone whose last thought of you would be being stabbed by you and then being left for dead. Now, you are here being all nice and if you don't give him any context and up and leave him in a month, what else will he think. He will probably have to seek therapy to try and make sense of what just happened. For all the progress that this season has made, can we please have Yeon and Rang have a heart to heart conversation. Like please. Coz, right now even I don't understand your reasoning Yeon for a whole lot of things. I will make a separate post to rant about that sometime 😅 but hoping that we do get a heart to heart chat.
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Look at this sassy motherf**ker. How am i supposed to not simp.
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juneviews · 2 years
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Hi Axelle,
Hope you are having a great time in Thailand, and that you are safe and healthy and attending many amazing fan-service events.
***
I've always been intrigued as to why didn't GMMTV give Arm (Weerayut Chansook) a proper pairing, unlike Mike-TopTap, Tay-New, or Off-Gun.
Joss and Luke have been a part of Thai Lakorns, so it's understandable as to why they don't have a permanent male CP. They've paired Mek Jirakit in a BL series now,...Lee Thanat just like Mond Tanutchai are exactly like Joss and Luke. But why is Arm always given BS character roles?
Everytime I see Arm on-screen, I wish to see more of him but his screen time quite often is very less in comparison to other established actors from GMMTV camp. Why? Because the same thing GMMTV has been doing with Gunsmile Changun.
Ohm is versatile just like Singto,...so that's the reason his pairing with Nanon was hugely successful. Krist is paired with Mike which is weird and equally intriguing. And wrt to Bright and Win,...we know how successful they are like Mew and Gulf.
Now my question to you are as follows: [The questions asked below stems from what I've mentioned above, although it talks about many other BL actors too from different camps.]
Why hasn't GMMTV given Arm and Gunsmile a proper role in a BL series as a main lead despite the fact that their screen presence has always been powerful and impressive to say the least?
How was Joss Wayar roped by GMMTV when originally he was a part of Domundi?
Now that I've mentioned about Domundi,...do you have any idea why Mark Sorntast isn't given any main role in a BL series so far?
GMMTV has roped in Perth Thanapon as one of their artist, just like Joong Archen, what kind of roles do you think he will be offered because there's no mention of his in any of the 2022 GMMTV project?
Luke being half-Japanese, and half-American,...how did he land an opportunity to work in the Thai entertainment industry?
I find Lee Thanat and Tay Tawan very sexy together. But Lee has always been a part of non-BL series. Do you think GMMTV has purposely kept him away from BL, or was it his own choice?
And finally,...who from GMMTV decides as to what kind of role should a certain actor play? Does lobbying and influence play a huge role in this regard?
Thanks!
xoxo
Arjuna
hi, thank you it's been great!
so regarding arm & gunsmile, I think there are two different reasons. for arm's case, I don't think he particularly strives to get leading roles, or at least he's alway been given side characters bc he does so much more than just be an actor at gmmtv, he has his variety show arm share, school rangers also, he does stylist works, he dances, he has his own shop awc studio... the man is busy. so I think he's actually happy with the small roles he has, especially since he still managed to become popular without a big breakout role, but more for his talent & proximity to other big actors. as for gunsmile, I think that sadly he doesn't quite have the "look" for a main lead, which is also why he keeps getting put in bad guy & mafia guy roles despite him being really fucking talented. I think that for him to get a main role, it would need a very specific role that can't be played by the gmmtv "pretty boys", which is pretty rare to come across. but I agree that both arm & gunsmile deserve better, especially gunsmile whom I'm fairly sure would love a main role.
joss actually applied to gmmtv! it was before the other domundi boys got scouted for why r u & now work with mandee regularly, so he applied on his own. it's interesting to think that if he's waited 6 months to a year to join gmmtv, he might have been in why r u & cutie pie lol.
literally had to google that mark guy bc I don't know him at all, so I have no answer for this one.
I was surprised that perth wasn’t announced to be the lead of the recently announced mid-year series find yourself that gmmtv is producing, so he'll likely have to wait until the gmmtv 2023 event to have a show announced. as for the kind of show he'll make his gmmtv entrance with, idk why I feel like it won't be a bl but something a bit challenging in terms of acting, or he could get roped into a new bl ship by gmmtv execs, idk... one of the two, but I feel like perth wants to step away from bl so the first option would make more sense.
I don't remember all the details, but basically he met kay (kayavine) in the states when they were studying there, and kay went back to thailand and started his channel, then entered gmmtv, so I feel like luke wanted to come live in thailand. he learned thai very quickly & was very easily accepted into gmmtv.
yeah the leetay ship was so cute, so sad we don't see them together as much as we used to now. I fully feel like it's lee's decision tbh, I'm sure he's been offered bl roles, even baker boys was... very queer to say the least, but lee has remained in straight male lead roles only. and honestly I get him bc he's one of the rare thai actors who has only played in straight romances & has still managed to get himself a decently sized fanbase & pretty well known from bl fans, without having to deal with the toxicity & everything else. also I've said it before, but bl actors are generally regarded as less skilled (for the most part, this has started changing with ITSAY) than straight romance actors, so it's also better for your reputation to be in those kind of shows according to certain people.
so there's not one person who decides who's gonna get the role, but for me the directors have a lot of power, and basically if a director likes you, you're kinda garanteed to always get work with them (for example the 46 days director loving off & putting him in astrophile too, or p'jojo and josstay in 3 will be free and the player, or drake in literally almost every work by p’aof.) there are also a lot of gmmtv execs who push the actors they want in certain roles (for example they pushed mond for gram in not me.) so these two things show that obviously a more famous actor who's already worked with many people & been friendly with them will get more roles, but I also think gmmtv execs are there to regulate things as well, and that's why new actors actually get many roles, though they are smaller. if you are lucky to get noticed on your first role like love or film for example, then you can quickly go up to main lead in a series, but once again it's all about luck & opportunity. and certain actors do audition for certain roles (for example first auditioned for his role as yok in not me), but I think by that time most roles have already been decided by the director & gmmtv execs, who are definitely biased & will push for their favorites over smaller but sometimes better for the role actors.
xxx
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hiems-incaelo · 3 years
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Welp I made this to prove a point BUT-
FIGHTS SASUKE HAS NOT WON BY DIRECTLY KILLING HIS OPPONENT:
1. Sas vs. Kakashi. Ya know how that ended, bitch got buried alive lmao
2. Sas vs. Haku. Dude almost fucken died but at least we got the sns screentime
3. Sas vs. Lee. Bitch got done dirty
4. Sas vs. Orochimaru. Well yall know how that ended. One vampire bite and a whole lot of uncovered trauma later and he still didnt beat a bitch. Hella cool fight tho
5 . Sas vs. That One Dude In The Preliminaries. so ye he did technically beat the dude but he didn't kill him and also he went into a coma like right after so it doesn't count
6. Sas vs. Gaara p.1. ok. MAYBE he was winning, but rll we'll never know
7. Sas vs. Gaara p.2. This man got beat up so much u won't even believe it.
8. Sas vs. Itachi. Not even gonna elaborate on this one
9. Sas vs. Naruto p.1. The holes in da tanks explain for themselves
10. Sas vs. Sound Four. U know he would blame it on his bare feet and pajamas. U know it rll just was his existential crisis and underestimation issues.
11. Sas vs. Naruto pt.2. He spent dat whole fight talkin bout how he was gonna kill nart, and he HAD HIM UNCONSCIOUS and the only thing he did was stare at his forehead. Gay little shit
12. Sas vs. Team Kakashi. OK maybe if it wasn't for orochimaru he would have actually killed em but we don't know that do we
13. Sas vs. Orochimaru pt.2. Yes he did kill him but not rll cuz he was still alive in the curse mark wasn't he. Also oro was hella weak and sick so rll it was a bitch move
14. Sas vs. Deidara. Deidara blew himself up. YES I KNOW that Sas lowkey forced dei to do it BUT he didn't hand the killing blow himself SO it does not count
15. Sas vs. Itachi. We all know itachi let him win. If anything, the wall killed him.
16. Sas vs. Killer B. Bitch got done dirty part two
17. Sas vs. Five Kage. Ok I'll say it was impressive that he stayed alive the whole time while fighting the five Kage BUT rll who actually expected him to kill anyone lmao
18. Sas vs. Danzo. Danzo ALSO did a hella weird seal thing. I'll be nice on this one tho and say that Sas is Def the one who defeated him. Killing him tho? Another story.
19. Sas vs sakura. OK we all know sakura would've been dead if it wasn't for Kakashi or Naruto but she's still alive isn't she??
20. Sas vs. Kakashi. I rll wanted to see more if this figth ngl
21. Sas vs Naruto pt.3. Well I won't blame him cuz he DID just fight like the five Kage and Danzo and Kakashi and he's also like halfblind so
22. Sas vs. Kabuto. First of all Kabuto isn't ded second of all rll itachi did all the work and u know it
23. Sas vs. Madara. Bitch fucken died himself lmao
24. Sas vs. Kaguya. She got sealed away, and even if she was killed Sas didn't do it by himself
25. Sas vs. Naruto p.4. Ngl I DID cry when I watched this ep. Hella emotional. also WHAT HAPPENED TO 'FUCK THE GOVERNMENT' WOKE SASUKE I'll never forgive kishimoto for fucking with his character like that
26. Sas vs. Weird girl from his special series. Don't remember her name. Chiro? Shiro? Chinso? Idk well she's still alive and that's what matters
27. Sas vs. Kinshiki. 10/10 amazing fight. Did not kill him tho
28. Sas vs. Momoshiki. Welp 1) it was Sas AND nart and 2) Momoshiki got this karma in boruto or whatever
29. Sas vs. Jigen. Bitch got done dirty part three
Conclusion: Sasuke is amazing and the goat and stuff but he didn't rll kill anyone did he
(might be cuz he literally saw hundreds of corpses when he was seven and so he was obv deeply traumatized and prob disagreed with killing other ppl. This comes back in the Manga too, but the anime unnecessarily makes him kill random characters to make him look colder. Idk)
welp I still love him either way. Hate what boruto did to him tho, he's a bootlicker now smh
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wh6res · 3 years
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chase — renhyuck
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“needy kitty. i can’t wait for purge night.”
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tw bullying, violence, swearing, yandere themes, possessive themes, blood, weapons (a gun, a grenade), implied noncon, implied kidnapping, mentions of stalking
disc i dont condone this behavior
wc 5k
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29 hours before the annual purge
“hold her down—i said hold her down, idiot!”
putting everything into account, they saw you more like a glorified chew toy than an actual person. 
they ruined your life simultaneously and it's ironic, that despite being sworn rivals, it seems you were their neutral ground—after one has had their own fun, you’re passed on to the other person so they can deliver that final, shattering blow that weakens your resolve. 
it was meant to be that way because it had always been that way. you’re the unlucky loser that ignited the worse sides of both lee haechan and huang renjun. 
they’re like oil and water; they don’t mix but with you, they found a compromise. stealing your lunch money, trashing your homework, quickies in between lectures. all of these should’ve been enough to give them a good power trip. but they’ve developed a hunger so severe that these past instances are but mere crumbs that hardly satisfy their cravings. 
it was beyond exhausting, being caught in between two headstrong people that were unwilling to back down at any cost. their aggression and anger towards each other directly being channeled onto you as they shove and swing you around like some ragdoll. 
you weren’t a bunch of kids, you knew that. you don’t cry and sob and say that it’s unfair, you hold your chin high and walk up to the guidance counselor’s office to report them for bullying. but you never should’ve underestimated the power of money and their respective families’ broad network of connections. 
without a doubt, the empty promises for justice is what broke your heart the most. it breaks with every bruise, every tight grip, and every nasty name the people willingly turned a blind eye to. 
it’s sad but it was a reality you taught yourself to get used to—the meek mouse learning how to evade the cats hot on her trail. 
but you weren’t as lucky today. 
“i am holding her down.”
a pair of lips comes in contact with your neck. its feathery and light at first until its biting down to mark you with his teeth. not too strong to draw blood, but enough to dent the surface of the skin. 
haechan has an oral fixation. biting his lips. his nails. whenever you see him, he always has a lollipop on his mouth and if he doesn’t, he’s painting hickeys across your skin. you hated his oral fixation, especially when makeup and clothes proved useless to hide the marks he gives you. 
“why run?” renjun asks you, slipping his fingers underneath your skirt as he kneels. “you know you have nowhere to hide in the campus.”
haechan snorts. “or anywhere else.”
it’s always the same thing. you go to school. you sit in your first period for thirty minutes until one of them shows up. then the other boy probably felt a gut instinct that he’s missing out on the fun. last time, it was an empty classroom in the abandoned left wing. 
they like taking you there all the time, it was always dark, the blinds pulled and shut tight. not to mention it was incredibly dusty. but both male knew you’re afraid of the dark, exactly why it’s their favorite spot. but empty classrooms and supply closets are close seconds, too. 
“you’re so pathetic. useless—only know how to whine like a fucking pornstar,” he quickly comments, feeling you arch against him when renjun’s tongue comes in contact with the pearl between your legs. “my cumdump.”
you feel a sharp exhale against your lower lips. you shudder. renjun clicks his tongue in annoyance. “can you shut up? you’re making my dick soft with all that talking.”
but haechan had ignored him completely, blissfully ignorant of the petite boy’s frustrations as he angles your head up to crash his lips onto yours. when he slightly pulls away, still playfully nibbling your bottom lip, what he said next made your blood run cold. 
“needy kitty. i can’t wait for purge night.”‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎
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6 hours before the annual purge
the price to pay for protection started rising again this year and you, much like your neighbors, are in a sense of turmoil. jamming the doors with cabinets and nailing your windows with wood is hardly enough to satisfy the gnawing feeling in your stomach. much less when you didn’t even have a weapon to wield other than a wooden bat and a cheap taser you bought on sale. 
“its not like anyone will be coming for you, right?” the little girl says, touching the randomest stuff in your apartment. her name was naeun and she never really liked pink and sparkles like most girls her age, maybe that’s why she took a liking to you. 
her mom works a 9 to 5 and her grandma stays with her on occasion. but the old lady loved to sleep, naeun said, so she gets the chance to slip out and come knocking on your door. you tried shooing her out of your apartment countless times but she’s stubborn. 
she reminds you of yourself. 
“well, i hope no one does.” you joked, putting on a turtleneck. 
naeun’s mom doesn't like you as much as it is, but if you yourself let naeun see the bruises on your skin? you’d hate yourself forever. “now, come on little missy, go back to your grandma. i need to head over to the bank to settle my protection fees.”
“but you just said no one is going to come for you anyway,” she whines stomping towards the door. “mom already settled ours yesterday becase grammy forced her to. mommy said it was just a waste of money because who’d bother to rob us anyway?”
a memory flashes in your head. two boys who’ve sandwiched you between them in the dark of a fucking supply closet at uni. wandering hands, labored whispers, curt giggles, one pair of lips trailing up your neck while the other up your inner thigh.
“needy kitty. i can’t wait for purge night.”
you needed that protection. that was no slip up because haechan never makes mistakes. if he wanted to make you feel like some animal on the run after catching a whiff of trouble then he sure is doing a good job. 
“hey! i think you just went someplace else there,” naeun says, nudging your side irritably to get your attention again. 
you try forcing out a chuckle but it doesn't work, still deeply peeved by a memory from last week replaying vividly in your mind. if they ever mean what they meant (which you know they do) then this is now more than just trying to get through the night—you have to survive, prepare, and pray neither of them finds you. 
“i think your grandma’s right in doing what she did, naeun. with humans, you’ll never know.”
and just like that naeun went silent, bid you goodbye, and disappeared behind the apartment door.
the bank was a quick walk from your apartment. you hardly broke much sweat and you even managed to stop by the grocery store to make some last-minute runs. the store’s nearly empty, deserted of any human being as the seconds slowly but surely ticked away. it was only when you walked past aisle seven did you pause, the hairs on your back standing as a slow chill crawled up your spine. 
you look over your shoulder. 
no one’s there. 
you swallow, quickly looking down your watch to check the time as you made your way to counter. 3 hours before the annual purge. you needed to get your ass moving. you just need to grab one more thing and you’ll best be on your way. 
you practically ran towards the dairy section and just as you spin around, strawberry ice cream pint in your hands, you jump as he appears before you in thin air and you drop whatever you’re holding. 
“such a skittish little kitten,” renjun clicks his tongue, bending down to retrieve the ice cream on the floor. “here you go.”
you couldn’t even stare at him in the eye. your hands shook but it wasn’t because of the cold desert. now you get it. it’s his eyes you felt on you earlier, ever intrusive and piercing as he watched you from afar. was he stalking you?
“i didn’t quite catch a thank you, kitty.”
how foolish of you to think he’ll let you duck away without at least speaking to him, hm?
“thank… thank you?”
renjun grins, satisfied with your stuttering as he raises a hand to ruffle your hair—he ignores how you flinched away from him—before walking away with one hand in his coat pocket, whistling an eerie tune that can haunt your nightmares way after purge night. 
“see you later, kitten.”
if it wasn’t the whistling that set you on edge or that clear promise of your doom—it’s the pack of zip ties and duct tape in his hands.‏‏‎ ‎
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you were watching a rerun of your favorite morning reality tv when it cuts to the dreaded blue screen showing the flag of korea. 
this is not a test.
this is your emergency broadcast system announcing the commencement of the annual purge sanctioned by the south korean government. 
weapons of class 4 and lower have been authorized for use during the purge. all other weapons are restricted. 
commencing at the siren, any and all crime, including murder, will be legal for 12 continuous hours. 
police, fire, and emergency medical services will be unavailable until tomorrow morning until 7 am when the purge concludes. 
may god be with you all.
you’ll never get used to the blaring siren that echoes through the empty streets. you can feel the floor vibrating and it travels throughout your whole body as the dread starts sinking deep into your skin. 
you’ve already double checked all your windows and the front door. activated the security system provided by the bank. and you’ve also already charged your taser and have hammered down nails into your wooden bat. fine. if they wanted to scare and bully you into a panicked frenzy, it did its job but fuck no will you go down without a fight. 
you shut all the lights, the apartment basking in the moonlight glow brought by the translucent curtains as you make your way to your bedroom, nearest the emergency exit just in case they barge through your front door by force. 
at first, nothing happened. it was peaceful. tranquil. you can hear a pin drop with how quiet it was. both inside and outside. you were almost tempted to cover your mouth in case you were breathing too loud. 
it’s silent. until it wasn’t.
your phone rings. it’s there, vibrating on your desk and you make long strides until you’re face to face with a set of numbers on your screen. an unregistered contact. there’s a debate inside your head whether to answer it or not, fingers hovering between the red and green button… until it eventually lands on the green. 
you put it up to your ear, hands sweating as you wait with bated breath for the person on the other end to speak. 
“kitten?”
it’s renjun. you don’t answer. 
“i can hear you breathing, you know. i can’t wait to see you. we’ll have so much fun together. it’s sad that i have to share with that imbecile but better half of you than nothing of you, right?” he laughs and you feel a rush of anger surge through you. yet, you don’t bother to give him the satisfaction of a reply. 
“i can see you’re angry, little kitty. while it’s cute and hot… don’t be. turn that frown upside down for me, wouldn’t you?”
but the blinds are drawn he couldn’t have seen you—
“you’re never going to get me, you fucking bastard. i’m not scared of you,” you sure do hope he can’t hear the tremble in your voice. “whatever you plan on doing to me, you’ll fail.”
you walk back slowly, eyes darting everywhere to look for a camera they could’ve installed in your room. they have connections and the money to do it so you won’t put it past them. 
“oh, my stupid kitty. how can we fail when we already got a head start?” 
the floorboard behind you creaks and before you could turn around, someone slams your head against the desk. you hear a crack, whether it’s the screen of your laptop or your nose, you couldn’t tell. the person is agile and silent as he maneuvers you to the ground and seals your lips with duct tape. 
“after all,” haechan giggles. “you can’t lock out what’s already inside, kitten.”
your phone lands somewhere near your head. renjun has already dropped the call and the line goes silent. 
squirming, you glared at the person on top of you. is this how you’re gonna go? you can’t deny, even you yourself find this pathetic. the security alarms you bought, the nail-studded bat, your taser, everything was all for naught? just because you didn’t check under your bed to make sure no one was there?
how long was haechan waiting? when naeun was still here? when you went out to buy groceries? 
you thought it would be fear you’ll be feeling as you get caught but the emotion isn’t present at all. instead, it’s white hot anger that overrides your system and forces you to act without thinking—and it just fucking saved your life. 
haechan always saw you as a vulnerable, sad little human being who couldn’t do shit on her own. it’s easy to underestimate you and that’s his first mistake. 
the second is rather foolish—not tying your legs up first. it’s all too easy to slam your forehead against his before jerking your leg up to knee him in the balls. 
you can see the anger in his eyes clear as day as you made a run for it to the kitchen, having come up with another escape plan—because surely if you went down the emergency exit, haechan would’ve caught up easily with those long legs after he’s recovered from your assault. 
your nose was probably bleeding and your head is in the early stages of a full blown migraine, at least you were able to function enough to wobble your way towards the trash chute situated near the stove. you had cursed that chute the first day you moved in here (who would put a trash chute next to a fucking stove) but the day has come for you to thank the gods that you have that in your house. 
going for a swim in all your neighbors’ trash is disgusting and unplanned (plus, falling down maybe six floors to your doom) but you’ll choose that over lee haechan and huang renjun any day. 
“don’t you dare fucking think about it!”
you flashed him the middle finger to tick him off. a petty retaliation for all the bullshit he and renjun put you through but it felt good nonetheless. 
“catch me if you fuckers can.”
and you were falling down the trash chute.‏‏‎ ‎
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okay, yeah—maybe you should’ve thought it through before hurling yourself six floors down only for some half-filled dumpster to catch you but at least you’re still alive, right? alive and free, mind you. but you don’t have time to celebrate. 
it smelled awful and you swear your knees and elbows are bruised but you scramble to climb out and run away as fast as you can. 
it was only haechan inside your apartment. no sign of renjun but he did see you somehow and you have no doubt it was a camera inside that room. you didn’t have much time to ponder for how long they were installed in your room. it’s the least of your worries at the moment.
you’re outside. 
during purge night.
even if you did manage to escape it felt more like a win than a lose, forced out of your own apartment in nothing but shorts and a shirt—heck, you don’t even have shoes on!—it felt like they won. again. 
if you’re not going to die in the hands of some other wacko, you’ll die of hypothermia. how nice. 
you didn’t know where you were running to, the only thing you knew was you need to get the hell out of this neighborhood as fast as you can. you didn’t want to run in alleyways and risk getting stabbed for fun. maybe the sewer system… oh, right. you don’t have your phone on you and it’ll probably be pitch black down there. 
you really, truly, genuinely didn’t want to run so out in the open but it was the best you can impulsively come up with. 
when you feel like you’ve put a reasonable distance between you and the apartment, you stop, hands resting flat on your knees as you crouch to catch a breath. just as quick the adrenaline appeared as fast as it had disappeared. you feel the weight and tension crushing your legs, not to mention you’re really starting to feel that headache settle after headbutting haechan. 
you almost collapse against the brick wall. 
the last person you ever thought you’ll see jumps out from the corner of the alleyway and you almost broke their nose. 
until you saw who it was. 
“NAEUN?”
their apartment got raided, some buffy sickos who they had the misfortune of breaking into their house to purge. luckily they got away, but after getting attacked on the streets, naeun got separated after she ran for her life just like you did. you can’t help but feel sorry for the little girl, who experienced the full effect of this godforsaken holiday. 
this is bad. you can’t leave her but it’s tough enough to have to fend for yourself. you’re not so sure whether you can protect another human being but you’ll have to try. 
“did your mom or grandma tell you anything? anything at all?” you ask, crouching to her eye level. “you said your mom knew the way… where? what do you mean?”
“mom said they’re providing refuge on the other side of town but it’s a 30-minute drive. walking would take longer.”
shit. you didn’t want to risk it. you don’t have a car and you’d rather die right here right now than walk another step out in the streets—
“who’s ‘they’?”
“i don’t… i don’t know. she didn’t say.”
you licked your chapped lips. you can’t trust what she’s saying, not when you didn’t even know these people. it’s too risky, not to mention you’re already running from not one, but two people.
naeun sits next to you against the bricked wall of the alley, looking down at her lap. “i’m scared,” she admits. you hear a tremble in her voice. “are mom and grammy de—”
“no,” you cut her off, pulling her tiny body against yours. when you feel her fists clutching your jacket, you swear to protect this girl with your life. “no, they’re not. i’m sure they’re heading there now to the refuge center just like we are.”
her head pokes out, looking up towards you. “we’re going? i thought you didn’t want to.”
you shake your head, wiping her tears. “well, it’s the one way for you to meet your mom and grammy, right?”‏‏‎ ‎
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walking down the streets during purge night—man, this has got to be the most ballsy thing you’ve ever done after that one time you spat at renjun in the eye. you managed to find a litter of bodies way into thirty minutes of walking and you nearly sent naeun flying onto the asphalt with how hard you pushed her back. she couldn’t see this mess, you’d be damned to allow a nine-year-old walk right into psychological trauma. 
you pocket a gun—you didn’t have enough courage to fight with a knife. you wiped the blood off using your shirt before shoving them down onto the garter of your shorts. you didn’t bother to take their shoes, none of them would’ve fit you anyway and it’ll just slow you down. 
“hey, are you alright? is that blood—”
“it’s not mine, naeun. come on, let’s get moving.”
for two hours you walked towards this mysterious refuge center on the other side of town and both you and naeun managed to evade death three times. 
the first attack: a group of high schoolers with their uniforms on. there were three of them, about your height, and while you weren’t responsible for the blood on your shirt, you’re not so sure about their lot. they looked crazy, excited even, but sloppy in the way they flung their knives and bats around. their first purge, you assumed, so it was fairly easy to take them down. a bullet to the head worked like a charm. naeun didn’t say anything when you urged her out of her hiding place to flee the scene. three bullets left. 
the second attack: it was a surprise, one that got you stabbed in the shin of your right leg. it was a drunkard with a knife, you could smell him as you walked past by his slumped form in the sidewalk. he wasn’t moving, so you thought he was dead and it was poor judgement on your part. it’s pathetic getting injured this way, you thought, but at least it was you who faced the consequences and not naeun. two bullets left.
the third attack: two men but deadlier than the girls and the drunk. you didn’t get to reason out with either of them, not when they drove their cadillac at 140 miles per hour and nearly ran you over. a chill crept up your spine when you saw the bloody, naked women strapped down onto the hood. victims. you didn’t engage in any form of combat, it’s impossible, so you took naeun in your arms and ran straight to the back alleys. number of bullets remain the same.
three lucky strikes. 
three times you’ve cheated death. 
but time is up and your luck has run out. 
“beating up a girl? what a coward, if you ask me,” you say, spitting out a tooth after someone kneed you in the face. you were in no position to say such things when they’ve got you busted up and bloody, left eye swollen after one hard punch. 
naeun is nowhere to be seen. 
good. 
who knows what these assholes could’ve done to her. you told her to run so she better fucking run and make sure she lives through this nightmare. 
another kick flies to your ribs and you lie sprawled on the dirty pavement of an alleyway—what an uncool way to die but at least you’ll die with a clear conscience. 
you passed by city hall a few minutes ago. surely, the refuge center is not too far from there. naeun will make it safe. she’ll make it. 
“what’s that look on her face? is she dead?”
another one scoffs. “well… if they’re after her then she’s as good as dead.”
you blacked out. ‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎
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you hate the scent of disinfectant. it crawls up your nose and you hate how the stench is so strong you can taste it on your tongue. this isn’t heaven, not when you know you’re better off burning in hellfire.
unless you weren’t dead—your eyes shoot open, sitting up in haste as you clutch the thin blanket. 
rows upon rows of the same cot you were lying on greets you. people injured, some standing, some sitting. there were people treating them, too, but they were in normal clothes so this can’t be a hospital. in fact, it looked like you’re in some warehouse, stacks of metal crates sealing off all entrances. 
“it’s the refuge,” you whisper. 
“you’re awake!” before you could even turn around, a body launches itself onto you and nearly makes the cot collapse. judging by the small frame and the pitchy voice—
“naeun, be careful!” her mother hisses but the girl in between your arms couldn’t care less. if she’d been an adult, she’d be squeezing the life out of you. when she pulls you closer, your healing ribs made a strike of pain surge through you. 
you groan, bowing in the pain. distantly, you can hear the mother and daughter fighting and it was a banter you’ve never experienced with your own mom. it nearly made you tear up from the overwhelming wave of emotions you were feeling but all else disappears when a person tenderly grips your shoulder. 
“thank you for taking care of my granddaughter.” the old lady was smiling appreciatively as she stared at you. 
that was it. it could’ve been the happy ending to a gruesome and bloody storyline—it should’ve been, family of three reunites again and that was all thanks to you, right?
but even heroes have their own bad endings. 
you heard the ticking of the grenade only seconds before it detonates. the other refugees didn’t even have the time to take cover as some closest to the sealed doors were sent flying so far back they crashed into the row of crates behind you. 
you were severely injured, limping, ribs broken, and you only had one good eye to rely on—yet the first thing you thought of was protecting naeun. maybe the midget had a way of worming herself into your heart. but before you even push yourself off the cot, a figure emerges from the smoke. 
petite and harmless, pretty as the tips of his hair grazed porcelain cheekbones. renjun’s eyes are as cold and calculating as can be and it’s the only thing that terrifies you to no end. when he opens his mouth, anger is hidden well underneath that calm tone. 
“i’ll give you one minute to come here willingly.”
there’s no room for bargain, he needn’t when he knows you have absolutely nothing to offer him but yourself. he doesn’t finish his sentence but he trusts you’re smart enough to figure out the silent threat—come, or he’ll turn this place into a fucking bloodbath. 
cornered and weak, defenseless. weird how they have a fixation for calling you ‘kitty’ when they’re the cats in this chase. 
“naeun,” you whisper, trying to crane your neck to look for her in the filth of rocks and debris. please don’t be hurt.
you freeze when you feel a barrel pointing at your head. it was only there for seconds, haechan probably doesn’t have the guts to hurt you in any way permanently (unless it’s inflicted with his own hands and not through some other medium). 
“ah, look. now we have matching black eyes,” he giggles like a madman, craning your neck up and the leather in his globes brings discomfort to your skin. 
you see the way the other refugees looked at you—scum, dirt on their feet that brought about trouble in their lives. they were already badly hurt as it is and now, this happened? you don’t blame them. 
not one man tried to stand up for you as haechan hauls you up and throws you down on renjun’s feet. your ribs were screaming and you’re cold and so, so afraid. with shaky fingers, you gestured towards the crowd. “just... please, don’t hurt them. they don’t have anything to do with this.”
renjun coos. such a cruel smirk for a pretty face. “aw, such an angel my darling is. always thinking of others instead of her own safety. funny because i don’t think you’ve ever done such a thing for me and haechan, though. i wonder why...”
the latter digs his heel in your injured legs and you scream as black starts to surround the corners of your vision. you tried to crane your neck back, pleading eyes wanting to look at the assaulter but renjun’s calloused hand is gripping your chin too tight.
“should we make a bargain, kitten?”
you stare deep into renjun’s eyes. he knows you don’t have anything left, he can see it in your glassy eyes, too wide and vulnerable. he’s doing this all for show, trying to make you even more desperate and self-aware of your eventual demise.
and you thought haechan was the only cunning one.
“what… what bargain?"
renjun practically gleams in pride. “i’ll let everyone walk free—even your precious little naeun—that’s her name, right? the little girl you’ve been protecting the whole night?—we’ll let her and everyone in this building walk away unharmed. that’s my bargain. you know how those work, right? now, you need to give me something i want.”
forcing you to offer yourself up to them.
what a brutal way to crush your pride.
choice wasn’t an option. if you don’t oblige and choose to run away on your own, they’ll kill them and still hunt you down. you gotta say, it was a tempting bargain that appealed to the sense of heroics in your heart. naturally, you have to choose where there is less blood shed. and as renjun lets go of your chin and lets you look over your shoulder to meet little naeun’s eyes, how she sobbed against her mother’s arms and shook her head and screamed…
“hurry, kitten. i don’t like to be kept waiting.”
you know what needs to be done.
“me. i’ll give you… me.”‏‏‎‏‏‎ ‎
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they stood playing a game of pool in the dead of night. it’s peaceful inside the estate while the city beyond rampaged and burned. they achieved their goal, had finally seen an end to a plan that had been set in motion for years. they’ve succeeded and the broken woman lying on the bed meters from the pool table is proof of their victory. 
“don’t you just love it when an elaborate plan works like clockwork, injun?” he asks, voice like trickling honey as he hits number 9 with the cue ball. 
the other, more petite male, rolls his eyes but doesn’t disagree. “oh, please, people like us always triumph, donghyuck. it’s nothing new. although i am surprised that little girl and her so-called “family” played along so well. almost had me fooled.”
“i agree. it's such a shame they had to go.”
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kireimarkeu · 3 years
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+another repost! i did not make any changes to this work.
summary; mark as your secret boyfriend.. but the both of you aren’t very discreet..
i was inspired by this drabble… so cute
5.1k words..
i swear i tried not to make it too long but it was so hard… also the ending is kinda funny lmfao!!!! im so funny
anw i hope you guys enjoyed this…? bc this was so so so fun to make although it’s lowkey kinda empty bc i didn’t want to make it too long!!! but yes hopefully you like it!! okkk bye!! njoy hehehehehe <3
+Day 18 3:32PM
You were holding Mark’s hands tightly, talking happily about anything and everything. 
That was why you loved Mark; he made you feel so comfortable, you could talk to him for hours and never get tired. He’s someone who you would need in a friend group to make everything less awkward. 
“And so, Yeri fell and we all laughed!” you told him, laughing at the old memory. 
You used to work as a choreographer for Red Velvet, but after a while, you decided to stop since it was affecting your studies a lot. While working with SM, you met the boys, and that was how you met the rest of NCT. 
When you didn’t get a response from Mark, you turned to look at Mark, only to find him frozen, staring ahead. 
“Mark?” you call, turning to see what he was staring at. Your eyes widened when you saw Jaehyun and Doyoung crossing the traffic light. “Oh, fuck.”
“Shit,” your boyfriend cursed, “we need to go,” he tells you, tightening his grip on your hand. 
The both of you speed walk to the opposite direction, hoping his members wouldn’t walk the same path as the both of you. Mark let out another string of curses when he saw his members walking behind them. 
Mark suddenly pulled you into a random store, trying to lose his friends. He pulled you deeper in the store, hiding the both of you from the main entrance. 
Your boyfriend was standing so close to you, the proximity making you nervous. You could feel your heart beating quickly as your cheeks flush red. Your hands going up to press them against Mark’s chest, pushing him back slightly. 
Mark didn’t notice, too distracted on finding his friends. When he noticed that he has lost his friends, he pulled away from a breathless you. His hands smoothly pull yours away from his chest. 
“I think they’re gone— wait, why are you so red?”
+Day 24 11:22PM
You were laying on the couch, playing with your phone while your boyfriend worked on some music that he has been writing for the past few days. 
“Mark~” you whine, your eyes were still stuck on your phone. You just wanted to disturb him for fun. 
Suddenly the door of the studio opened, Taeyong stumbling in as he stared at you and Mark in shock. 
“What are you doing here?” Taeyong asks you. 
“Uh…” you drag out, turning to look at your boyfriend for help. He looked at you then he quickly looked back at Taeyong. 
“I was making a new song for our Japan stage and had y/n help me with the choreography and all,” Mark explained, letting out an embarrassed chuckle. 
That was a lie. Well, not really. Mark did need help with the choreography, but at the same time he wanted you to be there to accompany him. Your presence calms him.
Taeyong remained silent as his eyes went back and forth between you and Mark.
“Should I leave?” you ask awkwardly, looking at your boyfriend then back at Taeyong. When you didn’t get a response, you stood up ready to grab your things.
The older man shook his head, “no, no, stay,” he tells you, walking further in, “I just didn’t know the both of you were so close,” he says while taking a seat next to your boyfriend. 
You let out a chuckle, “we’re close, you guys just didn’t know,”
+Day 33 9:02PM
After Taeyong found out how close Mark was with you, he wouldn’t stop inviting you to the dorm to hang out with the rest of the boys. 
“So, what movie are we watching today?” asks Taeyong as he took a seat next to Doyoung. 
You and Mark were seating next to each other. Mark was sitting at the very end while Jaehyun was sitting on the other side of you. Mark and you was sharing a blanket, your hands placed on your lap. 
“Parasite?” suggests Taeil. 
Loud whines filled the room, “we’ve all watched it, Taeil-ah,” whined Johnny. 
“Y/n, have you watched it?” asks Taeyong, turning to look at you. 
You shook your head. You were told it was pretty graphic and scary and you hated anything that has got to do with blood. 
And Mark knew that, so he would always avoid watching scary movies with you. 
“Should we watch it again? Since y/n hasn’t watched it?” suggests Taeyong, looking at the members for confirmation. The rest of the boys nod their head in agreement.
“Hyung,” your boyfriend voices out, “I don’t think—”
“No,” you quickly deny with a smile, “let’s watch it,”
Taeyong shrugs and plays the movie. 
Mark bit his lip.
A few minutes later, you felt your phone vibrate, you noticed it was Mark who has texted you. You turn to look at Jaehyun, making sure he wasn’t looking. You lowered the brightness of your phone before opening Mark’s text message. 
Markie Pooh: will you be okay?
You turn to look at Mark, but he was staring at the TV screen with a straight face. 
You bit back a smile as you typed a reply. 
You: yes, don’t worry abt me :) 
Mark quickly looked down at his phone to see your reply before keeping his phone away again. Your boyfriend let out a cough before shifting nearer to you until your shoulders were touching. 
You tried to hide your smile by looking down before looking back up, trying to keep a straight face. 
Mark had already watched the movie with the boys when it first came out. He knew when there was going to be a bloody scene. 
So, before the scene started, he had secretly reached for your hand under the blanket. 
You felt his fingers slowly reaching for yours, letting his fingers lace with yours. You tightly grip his hands, not wanting to let go. When you saw the bloody scene, your grip on your boyfriend’s hands tightened as he soothingly strokes the back of your hand with his thumb, hoping it would calm you. 
His fingers on yours distracted you from the graphic show that was playing. You were smiling like a crazy woman as Mark continued to stroke your hand with his thumb. 
“Are you… smiling?” asks Jaehyun as he turned to look at you weirdly. His question made everyone in the room to stare at you. 
Your eyes widen, shaking your head profusely. “No, I wasn’t,”
Johnny nodded, “you did, I saw you,”
At this point, Mark had already pulled his hand away from yours as he stares at you with amusement.
“I wasn’t smiling! It was a scary scene, why would I be smiling?” you ask them, crossing your arms defensively. 
Donghyuck lets out a sigh, “I think we all know y/n just loves horror,”
Taeil nodded, “yeah, she feeds of dead people,”
“Excuse me?!” you screech, throwing a pillow at Taeil, “what does that— no I don’t!”
The boys let out a roar of laughter, amused at how defensive you were acting.
Markie Pooh: you like that, huh? ;)
You looked down at your phone, letting out a soft scowl before reaching under the blanket to pinch Mark’s thigh. 
Mark let out a quiet squeal as he pushed your hand away. 
+Day 49 10:01PM
You were listening to Mark talk about his day. You couldn’t help but smile at how adorable he was; his pouty lips and chubby cheeks which you so desperately want to pinch. 
“Babe, are you listening?” Mark asks with a frown, noticing how you haven’t moved for the past few minutes. 
You nodded, “yes I am, baby,” you replied. 
Mark grins, “okay,” and he went back to talking about his best friend, Donghyuck. 
After hanging out with the boys for a couple of time, you and Donghyuck became close as well. Maybe because he was your boyfriend’s best friend, but you and him just got along so well that the both of you even started texting almost every day.
“So, what did you do today, babe?” asks Mark, snapping you out of your thoughts. 
“Huh? Oh, well I didn’t do anything today,” you tell him, “I cleaned my house a little bit then I took a nap,”
He puffs his cheeks out, “it’s a good thing you didn’t go out today, the air quality is really bad.”
He was always taking care of you; it always made your heart flutter. Mark was always looking out for you despite him being busy himself. Sometimes he would forget to take care of himself which always resulted in you lecturing him. 
Mark was in the middle of saying something when someone barged in his room, screaming. 
“MARK LEE!” you recognised it was Taeil’s voice. 
Mark quickly hid his phone, resting it on his chest. 
“Ah, Hyung, what are you doing here? What do you want?” you heard him ask.
You decided to mute your mic, just to be safe. 
“Why? Can’t I come in and talk to you?” asks Taeil. 
You suddenly heard a loud huff from Mark, as his phone fell off his chest and onto his white sheets. You assumed Taeil was laying on him. 
“Ah~ get out,” whined Mark, pushing the elder off him. 
You heard Taeil click his tongue. “who are you talking to? Your girlfriend?” he asks, “MARK HAS A GIRLFRIEND!” yell Taeil as you laugh out loud. 
Luckily your mic was on mute.
“I don’t have a girlfriend!” groans Mark as he stood up to push his member out of his room. He quickly locked the door before jumping back to bed, grabbing his phone. 
You unmute your mic. 
“Hi,” you giggle. 
He let out a huff, but letting out a shy smile, “Hi, so, where were we?”
+Day 57 7:57PM
Mark entered your house after taking off his shoes. He quietly took a seat at the very end couch. 
It was hard for the both of you to visit each other especially with the boys around, so you decided to have dates at your place instead. It was a good idea since no one could come over and interrupt the both of you. 
“Are you okay?” you ask Mark, noticing how he was so stiff. 
He nodded hesitantly, “it’s just…”
You waited for him to finish his sentence. 
“-awkward,” he finishes, looking up at you. 
You laugh at his words, “why?”
He shrugs, “I don’t know! I’ve never been to your place.”
Amused, you scoot closer to your boyfriend, wrapping your arms around his, leaning up to whisper in his ear. 
“There’s no one else here, Mark.”
You liked teasing him. You enjoyed how he would freeze up at your words. Or when his cheeks would turn a bright red colour. Or how his palms would turn a little sweaty. 
Pulling away from you, he quickly stood up, shaking his head. “No, no, that’s not what we’re going to do.” He tells you, stepping further away from you as you looked up at him in enjoyment. 
“We’re here to watch a movie,” he says, “that’s all.”
He was convincing himself. 
+Day 69 4:13PM
Marker: babe ):
You: what
Marker: I miss you ):
Marker: )))))):
You chuckled at his texts. 
Marker: what are you doingggggg
You: I’m watching a drama
You: what are you doing?
Marker: practice ):
Marker: so bored wo u here
Marker: miss your pretty face ):
You: stop it with the sad emojis!! >:(
Marker: ):
Marker: ):
Marker: ):
Marker: ))):
You: bye
You: I’m going to put my phone on dnd
Marker: nooo don’t leave me baby
Marker: okokokokok I’ll behave
You: good
Annoying boy: hehe
Annoying boy: wht are u up to babyyyy
Annoying boy: wait I already asked that
You: yes u did, u loser
Annoying boy: can I come over later?
You: y 
Annoying boy: causeee I miss u 
You: fine but not too long
You: I don’t want the boys to be all suspicious
Annoying boy: ok bb!!! I won’t hehehe ok
Annoying boy: I have to go now!!
Annoying boy: ily!! Bye bye 
You: see you later
+Day 74 2:36AM
You had one of your leg bent on Mark’s thigh, your hand resting on his chest. He has one arm around your neck for comfort. 
“Mark,” you sigh. 
Mark’s eyes were glued on his phone but let out a hum at the mention of his name. His fingers stroke your shoulder as a sign to assure you that he was listening. 
“We haven’t gone on a date in so long,” you say sadly, drawing hearts on his chest with your finger.
Mark put his phone down, “you wanna go on a date?”
You look up at him and nodded. 
When he made eye contact with you, he couldn’t help but press his lips on your forehead, “okay, but we can’t get caught,”
You nodded, wrapping your arms around your boyfriend’s neck, pulling yourself up so you could press kisses all over his face. Mark’s face scrunch at the ticklish feeling of your lips.
“tickles,” he giggles, pulling his face away from you. 
You pout when he pulls away from you. Your eyes slowly trail off his face to his hair; your fingers automatically going up to play with the black strands. 
Fuck, Mark literally just fell in love with you. 
He enjoyed the position that the both of you were in. You- laying on top of him while he had both hands resting on your waist, staring up at you lovingly. 
“I love your black hair, Mark,” you mumble, eyes stuck on the boy’s hair. 
“Yeah?”
“Mhm,” you nod, “never dye it any other colour,” you look down at him, “or I’ll get mad,” you joke. 
He laughs, “Anything for my girl,”
Your boyfriend’s hands that was resting on your waist, went up to stroke your back softly. He put a little pressure on your back, pushing you down to capture your lips in his. 
+Day 80 11:22PM
It was another movie night with the boys.
This time it was Donghyuck who had invited you over since promotions are over. 
You walked over to sit next to Mark, but you heard Donghyuck whine your name. 
“Sit with me~”
You let out a smile, sitting next to Haechan. The boy immediately grabs your arm, wrapping it around his shoulders before cuddling against you. 
Your met Mark’s gaze from across the room. You could tell he was pissed from the way he was nibbling on his lip and clenching his fist. He looked away, typing into his phone. 
You felt your phone vibrate, knowing it was from Mark. You didn’t bother checking the message because it was too risky, especially with Haechan cuddled to your side. 
✯¸.•´*¨`*•✿ ✿•*`¨*`•.¸✯
A few hours and lots of movies of later, the boys finally grew tired and decided to call it a night.
Since it was too late for you to head back home, the boys offered you to sleep over. You told them you would take the couch. They were a little hesitant to let a girl sleep on the couch, but you managed to convince them. 
It wasn’t like you would be sleeping on the couch anyway. 
Once you were sure that everyone was in their respective rooms, you quietly sneaked into your boyfriend’s bedroom. 
“Mark?” you whisper, opening the door quietly. 
When you saw the mop of black hair laying on the pillow, you smile, closing the door quietly, your feet padding towards the bed. 
You pull the blanket down so you could lay next to your lover. You rest your arm on his waist as you snuggle closer to him. 
“Hi handsome,” you whisper, letting out a giggle as you stare at his pretty face. A frown replaced your smile when he didn’t reply to you. “Are you okay, baby?”
Mark could only pout. You pout along with him, the hand resting on his waist going up to push away the stray hair from his face. 
“Why are you pouting?” you ask quietly, pressing a kiss to his pouty lips. 
He pouts even more, “why did you sit with Haechan just now? Why didn’t you sit with me?”
You bit back a grin that was forming, “why? Were you jealous?”
He frowns and shook his head, “no! why would I be jealous of Haechan?”
“Really?” you ask, “if you’re not jealous then I’ll sit with Haechan from now on,” you tease, your fingers now caressing his exposed chest. 
He shrugs, “fine by me,”
You suddenly stood up, letting his arm fall on your lap, “actually, I’ll even go sleep with him,” you continued to pester Mark, enjoying the way it was bothering him. 
“Hey!” he whisper-shout, his hands wrapped on your wrist, stopping you from getting out of bed, “You can’t do that!”
You chuckle, laying back down with your boyfriend, “I won’t, dummy,” you flick his forehead.
He lets out a satisfied sigh, pulling you closer until his cheeks were resting on the top of your head. 
“You’re mine. Mine only.”
+Day 89 12:35AM
The both of you were on facetime again. 
Despite being only 30 minutes apart, the both of you couldn’t meet; not wanting anyone to catch the both of you. Furthermore, you felt bad, since Mark had just finished practice, it would be tiring for him to come over your place. 
There was a sudden knock on Mark’s door. Your boyfriend hastily hid his phone and you naturally mute your mic. 
“You busy?” you heard someone ask, from the voice, you assumed it was Taeyong. 
“No,” Mark reply. 
“Were you talking to someone? Is it y/n?” asks Taeyong. 
Mark pretend to grimace at your name, “why would I be calling y/n?”
Taeyong shrugs, “we all kinda assumed you had a crush on y/n,”
“Ew,” Mark shook his head, “I’ll never like y/n,” he says, “she’s not even my type.”
You knew he was just saying that to stop the suspicions of the both of you dating but what he said actually hurts. 
“Really?” Taeyong questions, “we were so sure you would like y/n,”
“I swear, Hyung. Y/N isn’t even my type, her personality isn’t even my type,” Mark tries to persuade the older boy. 
Now that actually really hurts. 
You weren’t sure if he was just lying or saying the truth. 
You couldn’t bare to listen another second of their conversation, so you immediately hung up. 
Markie: baby
Markie: whyd u end the call haha
Markie: Taeyong’s gone call me back hehe
2 missed calls
Markie: why are you not picking up??
1 missed call
Markie: call me baaackkkk babe
Markie: did u fall asleep?? Haha
Markie: but it’s so early tho :(
Markie: I guess you’re asleep~
Markie: ok goodnight baby sleep tight dream of me :3
Markie: I love youuuuuuuu
+Day 90 12:46PM
Markie: good morning my love
Markie: can we call??
Markie: I kinda miss you haha 
1 missed call
Markie: heeyyyyy
Markie: are you ignoring me?
Markie: I didn’t want to think you were ignoring me, but I feel like you r
Markie: did I do something wrong? :/
Markie: can you tell me what it is at least?
Markie: at least we can talk it out or at least I can apologize?
Markie: babe
You: why did you say that
Markie: say what?
You: yesterday
You: what you said about me
You: tht I wasn’t your type nd all 
Markie: call me
Few seconds later, you received a call from your boyfriend. You answered the call, placing your phone on your ear. 
“I didn’t mean what I said,” he quickly says, “I just wanted to convince him that we weren’t dating,”
You were quiet for a while; you could hear Mark’s heavy breathing. You knew he was stressed with work and all, and you being sulky definitely wasn’t helping him. 
You let out a sigh, “I know.”
“Was it too much?” he asks you. 
“No,” you answer, “I just, I was just overthinking it and—”
“I get it,” he cuts you off, “don’t worry about it,”
“I’m sorry,” you blurted out, “I know you’re really busy and stressed over work and I’m just making you feel worse by overthinking and all—”
“Hey,” he cuts you off again, “Don’t worry, I shouldn’t have said that.”
You couldn’t help but feel sorry.
“Sorry,” you apologised again. 
“Apologize one more time and I’ll end the call,” he jokes. 
+Day 100 8:35PM
Mark hid his hands behind his back, holding the small box in his hand tightly as he faced you with a cheeky smile. 
“What do you have behind your back, Mark Lee?” you ask, squinting your eyes at him suspiciously. 
It was your 100th day together, and since the both of you couldn’t go out to celebrate, the both of you agreed to celebrate at your place instead. 
Since Mark couldn’t make it special for you, he decided to get you a present, just to make-up for all the secret dates. 
“It’s a present,” he answers cheekily. “I got you something to make up for all the secret dates,”
You pout at his words, “I’m okay with all the sneaking around, Mark,”
Your hands going up to his jaw, your thumb caressing his cheek softly. Mark loves your touches; he couldn’t help but lean into your touch. 
Tilting his head a little, he pressed a small kiss against your palm, one of his hands reaching to grab your hands in his. 
“I bought it because I think you’ll look good in it,” he tells you, pulling out the box from behind. 
You gasp when you saw the Tiffany & Co. box. 
“Mark,” you exclaim, looking up at him, “that’s expensive!”
“You haven’t even seen it yet!” he laughs. 
He slowly opens the box, showing off the elegant 18k diamond necklace. 
Your hands went up to your mouth, gasping. 
“Mark Lee,” you shook your head, “you’re fucking crazy,”
He smiles, satisfied with your reaction, “do you like it?”
“Are you crazy? It’s beautiful!” you tell him. “But all I bought for you were $15 chocolates but here you are— gifting me an 18k diamond necklace!”
Mark giggles, pulling out the necklace from it’s box. 
“Turn around,” he murmurs. You automatically turn around, pulling your hair to one side so he could easily put the necklace on you. 
He swiftly place the pretty necklace around your neck, pinning it. You turn around to face him. 
“Pretty?” you ask him, tilting your head a little. 
“Gorgeous,” he responds, a smirk playing on his lips.
Just as you were about to reply, you heard a knock on your door. Your eyebrows scrunch in confusion, who would come over at this timing?
Mark frowns, “did you invite someone?”
You shook your head, “No, stay here, I’ll go see who it is.”
You stood up, walking to your door, checking the peephole, finding out who is on the other side of the door. You let out a soft gasp when you saw Donghyuck standing behind the door. 
You quickly kick Mark’s shoes under the cabinet at the front door then running over to your boyfriend. 
“Who—”
You grabbed Mark’s arms, pulling him up. “Fuck, it’s Haechan,”
He let you pull him into your bedroom with furrowed eyebrows, “why is he here?”
You shake your head, pushing Mark into your walk-in wardrobe, “I have no idea. Stay here, I’ll try to distract him, okay?”
You didn’t even let him answer, already rushing out, making sure to close your bedroom door. 
When you opened the door, Haechan immediately walked in, whining on how you were taking forever to answer the door. 
It has been 15 minutes and Haechan still hasn’t left and Mark was growing tired and sweaty in your wardrobe.
Baby Mark: is he still there
You: yeah
Baby Mark: fuuuck
Baby Mark: tell him to leave
Baby Mark: it’s so hot in here :(
You: I’m trying!! He just won’t leave
You: are you okay in there
Baby Mark: no
You: fine just get out of the wardrobe and stay in my room
You: sorry
You: make sure u lock the door and don’t make too much noise
Baby Mark: okay
+Day 101 2:34AM
You let out a heavy sigh when Donghyuck finally left. Closing your eyes tightly, you let out another heavy breath. You could finally sit down and rest. 
Oh shit— Mark!
You ambled towards your bedroom, twisting it open, realising it wasn’t locked. 
This little shit. 
When you walked in your bedroom, you were met with your boyfriend laying on your bed, hugging one of your pillows, asleep. Your heart warmed at the sight, you felt bad making him wait for hours when it was your 100th day as a couple. 
Walking closer, you climbed in next to him. Your hands caressed his hair and his pretty face. 
“I’m sorry for making you wait for so long,” you whisper. 
You didn’t know what made you so emotional, but you couldn’t help but tear up. 
You really didn’t know why. Maybe because he had gone out of his way just to see you. And maybe because he had to wait for hours just for you and in the end both of you couldn’t celebrate the special day. 
“You’re the best boyfriend I could ever ask for—” you choked a sob, a hand going up to cover your mouth. 
Taking a deep breath, you continue, “You do so much for me and I’m always messing up.”
For once, you were thankful that your boyfriend was a heavy sleeper. 
“I love you, Mark,” you mumble, your eyes scanning his face, appreciating everything about him. “Remember that.”
After wiping your dried tears, you slide next to him, removing the pillow that was between you two. Snuggling right into his arms, your head resting on his chest while his cheek was pressed on the crown of your head. 
“I love you,” you whisper one last time before falling into a deep slumber. 
+Day 124 7:28PM
The dome was filled with loud voices, everyone was holding their green NCT lightsticks. You felt out of place, especially when you didn’t have any kind of lightstick or poster on you. 
You nervously took a seat on your assigned seat, waiting for your boyfriend to come out. 
NCT was holding a concert after a while and Taeyong had given you free tickets to support them. 
Mark had actually gotten hold of an extra ticket for you and was about to surprise you but found out that his members had already invited you. He was a little bummed out about it but shrugged it off. 
The light dimmed and the crowd started cheering. The girls around you started squealing in excitement. 
Soon, the boys started performing. When your boyfriend’s face was on the screen, you couldn’t help but grin at his cute face. 
The fans next to you would squeal and gush at how adorable your boyfriend is. You were proud that he was your boyfriend, sadly you couldn’t show him off. 
At the end of the concert, the boys lined up in the middle of the huge stage. They started thanking the fans for coming and supporting them. 
“But I think Mark is really happy today,” Jaehyun suddenly blurted out, turning to face Mark. 
The camera started zooming in to your boyfriend’s face. 
Mark’s eyes widen , confused, “what, why? Why?”
“Because his girlfriend is here!” Jaehyun screams into the mic as the boys let out a string of weird noises. 
Mark froze on the spot as everyone went crazy over the statement. 
“Wha—”
“Okay, we will end this concert here! Thank you everyone for coming!”
Before everyone was even ready to leave, you had already run to meet your boyfriend back stage. 
Fuck, did Jaehyun actually say that?
You’re met with the sweaty boys laughing in the dressing room. 
“What the fuck was that?” you ask breathlessly as you scan each of the boys facial expression. 
“Uh oh, his girlfriend is here,” joked Johnny, staring at you with amusement. 
Mark turned to stare at the boys, “you guys knew?!”
“You guys weren’t very discreet.”
You were already standing next to your boyfriend, “how did you guys know?”
“You really think we won’t see the both of you holding hands in a public place?” scoffs Doyoung. 
Taeyong shrugs, “Mark never brings girls to the recording room.”
Your face turned red at Taeyong’s comment as Mark groans at his words. 
“And you think I wouldn’t see you guys holding hands under the blanket? Jesus,” sighs Jaehyun, rolling his eyes. 
“Fuck you,” Mark replies while Jaehyun flashes the middle finger to his friend. 
“Also, you talk way too loud y/n,” Taeil says, Taeyong immediately agreeing with him. 
“Or maybe the walls are too thin?” Taeyong questions. 
“Oh my god,” you whisper, embarrassed. “So, you guys heard everything?”
“Wish we didn’t,” shrugs Johnny. 
Mark had quietly reached for your hand, a habit he had whenever he’s nervous. 
“Also, I knew Mark was at your place, that’s why I came over,” laughs Haechan. 
You had let go of Mark’s hands to stomp over to the boy, hitting his back. “Lee Donhyuck! Did you know how long he had to wait in my wardrobe?!”
Haechan rolls his eyes, “oh please, you let him out because he was sweating.”
You let out a loud gasp, “you knew that too?!”
“Which idiot would put their password as 0000?”
“You went through my phone?!” you raised your voice, hitting the boy on the back once more. 
With furrowed eyebrows you frown and let out a sigh, “now what? Everyone knows Mark has a girlfriend,”
“I checked Twitter,” Jungwoo says, “some weren’t very happy but there are many who are supportive,”
Your frown deepens. You knew this would happen. It would affect Mark’s career badly; that was the main reason the both of you kept your relationship a secret. 
You turn to look at your boyfriend who was looking incredibly stressed right now. 
“Don’t worry y/n,” assures Johnny, you turn to look at him. “Mark is one of the most experienced and hardworking people in SM, I’m sure they’ll let you both off,”
You had your arms crossed defensively, “are you okay with this, Mark?”
You were worried for your boyfriend. 
You knew how much being on stage meant to him. He would do anything to continue performing. 
“I…I think so?” he says after a minute of pure silence. 
You pout slightly at his words. 
“I just wanna rest right now, I’m tired.”
The boys quickly agree with the younger. Everyone started standing up, grabbing their bags, leaving the room. 
You stayed with your boyfriend, accompanying him.
“Are you sure you’re okay?” you ask him again. 
He kept letting out sad sighs and it was concerning you. 
“Honestly,” he started, “I don’t know,” he turns to look at you. 
The palm of your hands automatically going up to stroke his back, attempting to comfort him. 
“I just… I just wanna be with you right now,”
You lean closer to him. “Okay.”
“Whatever it is,” he says, “we will go through it together.”
935 notes · View notes
wishingyouback · 3 years
Text
everything he didn’t couldn’t say.
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pairing: han jisung x reader // lee minho x reader
genre: fluff, angst & one sided love (?)
summary: you can never choose who you fall for, but sometimes minho wished that he could just to stop the aching pain he had growing in his chest every time he caught the sight of you in the arms of another that weren’t his. 
The group of boys were hanging out in their living room, their dorm being their only safe haven from the chaos of their college life. not even the cafe by campus could help satisfy their cravings or provide them the same sort of comfort that their home did.
Jisung was sat on the edge of the armrest of the sofa as he watched his friends fight over the playstation controllers that were limited to three instead of four since Hyunjin had forgotten to plug in it’s charger, resulting in one less player for their game of Tekken. As the hazel haired boy watched in amusement, he couldn’t help but jump to his feet at the sound of their doorbell ringing, indicating that the guest he invited and so badly waited for, had arrived.
The young boy screamed out a “I got it!” as he jogged up to the door, ignoring the teasing remarks his best friends let out behind him in the living room. Clearing his throat and brushing down his favourite sweater he knew you liked on him to rid of any crumpled state, he pulled open the door with a wide smile plastered on his face until he locked eye contact with a face he was all too familiar with, and frowned — visibly and noticeably.
“gee don’t look too excited,” Minho scowled as he carried a bag of snacks in his hand.
Jisung could only roll his eyes and open the door wider to let his best friend into his dorm, not bothering to look over his shoulder as he turned on his heel and went to grumble by himself. It wasn’t until before he could take his third step that he heard a angelic voice call out for him from behind Minho that he was quick to run back to the door with another grin on his face.
Minho helped you with the snacks the both of you decided to get for the boys then held back a curse word he was ready to let out when he saw Jisung. Though they were best friends, he could definitely sense the bias between him and you. To Jisung, Minho was still his best friend but you were his girlfriend, and he had a soft spot for you — like he should, Minho thought. As he moved out of the way, Minho glanced back to see you greeting Jisung with a warm hug and silently wished he were the one receiving it.
Jealousy was a curse — Minho thought. But still, he moved reluctantly when you gave him a smile that said you were more than fine. He knew it was selfish to pine over your best friend’s girl, but he was a little too stubborn and a little greedy to realise it. Minho would never let his emotions get the best of him, but seeing you with Jisung somehow made it hard. He knew you longer and he believed he knew you best. He loved Jisung like a brother, but jealousy was an ugly trait he never realised he had deep inside of him until he saw Jisung kiss you under the tree at the park.
Where Minho first met you six years ago.
Before he realised it, Minho saw that It went from him and you to him, Jisung and you to just Jisung and you and occasionally, him.
The older boy tried endless amount of times to fight the feeling. Heck he even considered applying to see the college counsellor to snap himself out of it, but every time he thought he was over you, his feelings only continued to grow and he was getting tired of it. It was tiring to keep thinking of you — thinking about what you would be doing today, knowing more than he should that you would be with Jisung. Minho was exhausted, but like any friend would do, he tolerated it and ignored his own feelings no matter how badly he was yearning for you.
While Minho was busy battling his inner conflicts, Jisung was busy wrapping his arms around your waist and pulling you closer to him as you sat in the comfort of his arms in the corner of the sofa the three boys left unoccupied. Jisung conversed casually with Hyunjin while Chan and Felix were busy trying to set up the console they brought over. Minho, however, was still caught up in his thoughts in the kitchen that he didn’t realise the big fuss happening in the living room until you decided to get up and get a drink, not expecting to see Minho standing by the kitchen counter with his head in his hands.
“Hey,” you gently tapped Minho’s shoulder. The raven haired boy slowly pulled himself out of his thundering thoughts and turned to look at you with a grin.
The older boy, who you spent most of your years spilling all your secrets to, who has also seen the worst side and prettiest side of you and still decided to stay, stared at you as if you held the world in your eyes and the only way you could describe his gaze on you now was — warm. his eyes looked as if he held the stars and like a secret, he was slowly letting you in on what he had been so scared to show you in a long time.
Which was why after that, you stayed quiet and smiled sweetly in return, liking the way the both of you never felt awkward or stuffy in an environment most people could describe as tension. After a moment, with you getting a cup of water and a chocolate bar for Jisung who you knew would be craving for one soon, you stood across from Minho and mirrored his actions.
“What’s wrong? The boys bother you again or did Hyunjin eat your favourite snack?” You asked with a teasing smile.
To Minho, he could answer that truthfully and say he was just thinking about you, but he knew better than to try and flirt with a girl who was taken.
He only shrugged and poked your nose, “if he did he wouldn’t be here right now.” He grinned widely, trying to hide the way he felt. “Why’re you so nosy?” He joked.
You could only laugh, rolling your eyes as you did so which made Minho’s usual steady heart, skip a beat at two at the sudden action. When he cleared his throat and covered it with a throaty laugh, you took it as a sign to pull him into the living room where the four boys were now laughing at something Chan did as they played their game.
Minho, deciding it was best to divert his attention away from the couple, sat beside Chan and was more than grateful when he offered him a game — it helped him forget about the situation he was in and definitely occupied his mind away from you. As he accepted the consoler from Chan’s hand, you took your spot next to Jisung and easily slipped your arm through his to link your arms together and cling closer to him.
Jisung’s eyes were focused on the game at hand, but the sudden affection from you did not go unnoticed and naturally, he slipped his fingers through yours to lace them together; making your heart flutter and your face heat up annoyingly quick. Hyunjin saw this and jokingly gagged, while Felix gushed over the two of you. Jisung paid no attention to that and only ran his thumb over the back of your hand.
Minho, who was busy choosing his character, stole a glance and noticed the way both of your hands fit so perfectly together. It was like your hands were a constant reminder from the Gods above that you chose Jisung instead of him. Except, you didn’t have to choose and you weren’t aware of Minho’s affection towards you. Minho concluded that the Universe had something against him and was waiting for him to crack any single moment now — he could not catch a break.
Subconsciously, Minho’s hands clenched the consoler tight; making the veins on his hands become more evident.
Shit, was what Chan thought and moved to divert everyone’s attention to the characters on Jisung’s screen — pointing out the tiniest details that usually would not mean much, but this time meant a lot. 
Chan was aware of the feelings Minho acquired for you, in fact, he was the first person Minho told. It was in the spur of the moment and Minho was drunk, but still Minho informed his older friend that he didn’t regret telling him and only continued to ask for advice which Chan gave without a second thought. Chan loved all three of you so the best he could do was try to keep the situation as calm as possible. Minho was patient, responsible and rational — he would never act out of impulse, but still Chan would look out for him and Minho was more than thankful to have a friend like him.
When you laughed at something Felix said, Minho visibly calmed down and continued the conversation easily, acting as if he wasn’t annoyed or bothered by how the two of you were acting.
“You good?” Was what Chan asked subtly behind the cup of water he was about to drink out of. Minho cleared his throat, looked at Chan and nodded.
Taking it as a good sign, Chan continued choosing his character and Minho went back to playfully bickering with the others present in the room; you included.
Jisung smiled at his group of his friends, enjoying the way everything just felt so right with you right beside him. 
What more could he ask for than this? His best friends and you, his favourite person next to him laughing and just having fun. But as he glanced at his best friend from across the room, he couldn’t help but feel a sense of worry wash over his body.  
Call it a gut feeling or Jisung’s wild imagination, but there was a small voice in the back of his head that was constantly reminding him that there was something hiding in the mind of his older friend. The blonde wanted strongly to believe that it was only him being paranoid and that the both of them would go back to the way they were before, but a small gut feeling convinced Jisung otherwise and he wasn’t sure if he was ready to face what Minho was hiding from him; something deeper.
A lot, deeper.
a/n: one of my first ever works of skz that i’ve put out into the world (?), instead of letting it sit in my drafts so i hope you like & enjoy it! <3 don’t forget to vote, & support them on kingdom! xx
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luvdsc · 4 years
Text
too hot! hot damn!
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what do you get when you mix red and blue together?
pairing :: lee taeyong x reader genre :: fluff / boyfriend au word count :: 2,121 words warnings :: a tiny paragraph about making out playlist :: cherry kisses (chungha) ⋆ daft pretty boys (bad suns) ⋆ hands on me (taeyeon) ⋆ crash my car (coin) ⋆ shy (hunny) author’s note :: to the insanely talented goddess who wrote the first nct fic i ever read nearly 3 years ago and still love to this day!!! i didn’t think i’d ever get to be friends with one of my favoritest writers on here, but here we are :’) ily els @taeyongtime​ ♡ 
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“It’s hot.”
You’re draped across the old, yet still very plush couch, the kitschy pattern spread across it now fondly regarded as one of the things that transforms this dingy little place from a shoebox apartment into home. The thin spaghetti strap of your faded tie-dyed tank top from your old sorority days hangs limply off of your shoulder, threatening to fall even more when you slump over to the left. The simple drawstring shorts you have on barely cover your legs, but you contemplate tossing them off still because it’s just. So. Damn. Hot.
“It’s hot!” you whine even louder, throwing your arms up in the air before letting them flop down onto the cushions dramatically. The nearby open window only blows in a measly little breeze that does nothing except dry the sweat on your skin for a few glorious seconds before it reappears like a stubborn stain. Your boyfriend only raises an eyebrow at you from his spot on the floor, sprawled out in front of said window and using one of his Nylon magazines as a makeshift fan.
Taeyong agrees, flapping the glossy pages in front of his face desperately. “It’s too hot.”
Two days consisting of barely surviving the power outage creeps into a third, the prospect of having AC again anytime soon becoming extremely bleak. The transformer had completely blown out, and the electric company finally sent out a crew to fix it earlier this morning. The estimated restoration was initially set to noon, but it was pushed back until 3 p.m., then 6 p.m., then 10 p.m., then 5 a.m., and now the big black bolded letters spelling out “undetermined” mocks you from the screen of your phone that's already set to the lowest brightness setting to conserve battery.
To make it worse, your city was suffering a heat wave, temperatures spiking to 105 degrees Fahrenheit every single day and simmering down to 80 during the night before climbing the thermostat again. The raging thunderstorm that plagued last night only resulted in unexpected humidity, making your clothes stick to you like a second skin.
“Make it less hot,” you moan, blowing air upwards towards your forehead in an attempt to cool down in the slightest way possible.
“I can’t control the weather, babe, but I can get you a popsicle?” Taeyong sluggishly pushes himself into a sitting position to face you. The shiny magazine in his hand still flounders around until he gives up on it and tosses it aside.
You turn your head, cheek pressing into the couch cushion, as you squint at him. “We don’t have any left. We took all our food from the fridge to Doyoung’s place. I can’t believe that bastard has a gigantic generator and is flourishing in his stupid air conditioned apartment and making frozen sangrias, while his best friends are about to die from heatstroke.”
You had sent back a rather crass Snapchat back to Doyoung after he sent one earlier of his perfect, Instagram story worthy, iced alcoholic beverage. It’s honestly a miracle that he didn’t toss your beloved brown sugar boba ice cream bars out onto his pristine balcony with picture perfect potted plants to perish. That man can still hold onto a grudge even after he’s on his deathbed and descending into the fiery pits.
Taeyong stands up and slowly ambles towards the refrigerator. “I saved two popsicles in the freezer. I figured it’d stay cold enough and not melt if we ate them soon.”
“Oh my god, that’s the sexiest thing you’ve ever said to me.” You struggle to push yourself up into a sitting position before finally being able to, watching your boyfriend open the freezer and pull out the last two saving graces.
“Do you want blue raspberry or cherry?”
He holds out the two icy sweets in front of you, one in each hand. You already know that he secretly wants the red one; it’s been his favorite ever since he was five and tried his very first one from the ice cream truck that still comes around his parents’ neighborhood. But you also know that he always lets you choose first and wouldn’t complain if you take that one.
You reach out and pluck the blue one from his grasp, and he smiles happily, eyes crinkling in the corners as he eagerly unwraps the cherry flavored one and shoves it in his mouth, tossing the wrapper into the nearby wicker trash basket.
He drops down onto the empty space next to you, reclining back and slouching in his seat. The two of you sit there peacefully, side by side and enjoying the cold snacks, until he wordlessly slides over, pressing the side of his arm and leg against yours.
“Move back,” you complain, shoving him over to his original position. “It’s hot, and you’re making it worse.”
“So are you calling me hot?” Taeyong wriggles his eyebrows at you before taking a bite of his popsicle, much to your horror. He moves closer to you again for the sole sake of annoying you.
“First off, I’m calling you sweaty. Secondly, did you just bite your ice cream?” You throw him a dirty look before moving over and turning to sit with your back against the arm rest, throwing your legs over his lap.
Taeyong slightly pouts at you, munching on yet another chunk of his popsicle and ignoring the way you wrinkle your nose in disdain. “What’s wrong with that? It’s melting, and I don’t want it to drip and get my hand all sticky.”
You can’t believe that you just discovered your boyfriend is a psychopath. He’s going to the same circle of hell as people who pour milk in before cereal and those who hate mint chocolate chip ice cream once he leaves this earth (He can even say hi to Doyoung as he descends to eternal damnation).
“Why didn’t you say anything about this before we started dating?” You are absolutely appalled. Horrified. Disgusted. This is the biggest relationship deal breaker you have ever come across.
“Next, you’re gonna say you hate me because I don’t like pineapple on pizza,” he says as his free hand settles on the top of your thigh, gently tapping rhythmically against it absentmindedly.
“Oh my god, you absolute heathen.” You really thought Taeyong was the perfect man of your dreams, but you unfortunately realize belatedly that even he has flaws. Some inexcusable ones, in fact. 
In the midst of your lamenting, you fail to notice melting sugar slowly trickling down until it leaves a sticky mess all over your hand. Desperately, you toss the empty popsicle stick into the nearby waste basket before licking off the remnants of your icy blue treat from your fingers.
“See? It melted all over you. I told you so,” Taeyong childishly sticks out his tongue as he waves his clean hand and empty popsicle stick around as if to emphasize his point.
“Your tongue’s red,” you say, chuckling slightly, and his eyes widen at this newfound revelation.
“Wait, stick out your tongue,” he demands as he throws away the wooden stick, and you comply with his request. He grins, delighted. “Yours is blue!”
He sticks out his tongue again, almost going cross eyed as he tries to catch a glimpse of his own. At that, your eyes zero in on his cherry stained lips, and an ingenious idea pops up in your mind as the sudden urge to kiss your boyfriend silly makes itself very known.
“Hey, wanna play a game, Yongie?” you ask slyly, and his attention immediately turns to you at the word “game,” interest piqued and eyes fixated on you.
“What kind of game?” he inquires cautiously, taking note of the mischievous glimmer in your eyes. You look like you’re up to no good, and your boyfriend wouldn’t be surprised if you have something up your metaphorical sleeve (Because nobody sane enough would be wearing something with sleeves in this weather from hell. In fact, you’re 66.6% percent certain that those fiery pits are probably cooler compared to here).
“Too hot.”
“Yes, it is,” he acknowledges, shaking his head in agreement, and you laugh, fanning yourself with your hands. “No, silly, I meant the game.” 
“It’s called ‘too hot’?” He raises an eyebrow at you, and you confirm, nodding your head. The expression of skepticism on his face says it all, so you throw in your bargaining chip.
“I hid a chocolate bar in the freezer’s ice chest. The winner can have it.”
His doe eyes immediately light up at the mention of his favorite sweet, and he grabs your hand, squeezing it tightly. “Okay, how do I play?”
“We kiss,” you start, and he’s already pulling you towards him enthusiastically, causing soft laughter to bubble up from your throat, before you swat his hands away. “Hey, hey, hey, I wasn’t done explaining it yet! There’s no touching allowed.”
“That’s no fun,” Taeyong whines, lips jutting out into a tiny pout that you want to kiss away already. “You said this is a game. Games are supposed to be fun.”
“But you’re getting kisses, and it’s already hot so it’s better this way,” you coax, and he relents with a drawn out sigh, and you quietly cheer. “Okay, ready?”
Taeyong gives you a tiny nod, and you grin before leaning in, eyes fluttering close. You gently place your lips against his, and he holds still. But then, a few seconds later, you feel his fingers barely grazing your cheek, and you immediately pull away with a frown.
“Baby, I told you that you can’t touch!”
“That rule is dumb,” he complains, crossing his arms over his chest like a petulant child. You frown at him, pouting until he gives in again because it’s you and he’d cross oceans and climb mountains for you.
“Okay, let’s try again,” he grumbles, glowering as he absentmindedly cards his hand through his hair, and you positively beam at him, and the sulking expression on his face softens almost instantly.
“What if we do baby steps first?” You pull your legs up onto the couch, sitting up on your knees and facing him. He fully turns to look at you, head cocked to one side.
“What do you mean?”
You lean forward and peck his cheek before moving back to your original position. “Like that. Now your turn.”
A lightbulb goes off in his head, and Taeyong leans forward and gingerly places a kiss on your forehead with an endearing smile. You inch forward and kiss his other cheek. He plants a tiny kiss to the tip of your nose, and you lean in to delicately leave a kiss on the corner of his mouth. He presses a kiss to the corner of your lips, and you do the same to the opposite side, much to his utter frustration.
This time, Taeyong chases after you when you pull away. You let out a noise of surprise as he gently tugs you forward, crashing his lips against yours and muffling your laughter, and you find yourself straddling your boyfriend. Your hands wind up tangled in his hair, while his arms lock around your waist and hold you close, game be damned.
You can taste a faint trace of cherry, causing the corners of your mouth to curl into the minutest hint of a smile before you press your mouth against his more firmly as he kisses you back eagerly until you both run out of air, pulling away breathlessly with identical smiles.
“You lost,” you tease, poking his cheek with your finger as your other hand curls around his shirt. He makes a face at you, his hands still resting on your waist, and you find that you don’t mind the warmth of them against your skin even in this ruthlessly blazing weather.
“But you’ll share the chocolate, right?” he mumbles, face still flushed and lips redder than before. He traces soft patterns against your hip as you tilt your head to the side, faking your hesitation.
“Hmm, I don’t know, should I? I won fair and square.”
He sticks his tongue out at you. “Meanie.” 
You laugh, sliding off his lap and onto the empty seat next to him (albeit a little unwillingly, but it’s still hot as hell unfortunately, and conserving body heat together isn’t helping at all). Your boyfriend frowns, mostly because you’re no longer sitting in his lap, but partly because he doesn’t understand why you’re laughing.
“What’s so funny?”
Your grin widens, eyes sparkling like you know something he doesn’t (because you do). “Baby, your tongue’s purple.”
Taeyong turns a shade brighter than his favorite popsicle flavor.
1K notes · View notes
agustdakasuga · 4 years
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A Place Called Home | Chapter 9
Genre: Hybrid!AU, Poly!AU?, Soulmate AU, romance, fluff, humour
Pairing: OT7 x Reader
Characters: vet!reader, Arcticfox!Seokjin, Panther!Yoongi, Goldenretriever!Hoseok, Wolf!Namjoon, Calicocat!Jimin, Tiger!Taehyung, Rabbit!Jungkook
Summary: Having saved your own injured hybrid, you were determined to try and help any other hybrid that crossed your path who needed saving. But being a vet in a small hospital wasn’t enough for you. You wanted to do more, you wanted to make a difference. You wanted to give them a home.
You’re glad to hear that Jimin has been making improvements and you make sure to receive daily updates about his condition. Even if he isn’t ready to go home, certain situations arise which may need you to start rehabilitating him at your home instead. 
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‘Echo, we have some bad news. - Charlie’
‘I’m listening... - Echo’
‘We know you checked the pet of the recent fighting ring’s leader into an institute but we have insider news that the leader’s men that managed to get away are looking for him. - Bravo’
‘They have good security at the institute. - Echo’
‘No, there’s a tip that they have a mole in there already. Waiting to get to the calico cat hybrid and get him out. Their leader is still in holding so we’re not sure what they want to do with him when they break him out. Either give him to the next appointed leader or sell him for his rarity. - Alpha’
‘I’ll get him out. Thanks for the tip. - Echo’
After 5 seconds, the chat times out and deleted itself, leaving you to stare at the blank screen of your computer. This was not good news, Jimin may be in trouble. If something happens to him, you’ll never forgive yourself. 
“Jinnie, Namjoon.” You called them. The nursery was closed today so it was only the 2 of them with you at home. 
“Jimin may be in danger, we have to go get him out. Right now. I’m not wasting a second and risking his safety. I’ll explain more on the way there but get changed. We’re leaving.” You said quickly and they nodded, heading back to their rooms to change. You called Dr. Lee to let her know you will be heading over as it was an emergency. 
“So, what’s going on? Jimin is not ready to be discharged yet.” Namjoon asked as you drove. 
“I got word from my organisation. That Jimin’s previous owner’s men are looking for him. There’s a possibility that they have a mole in the facility he is at.” You explained. 
“But didn’t you say he was arrested?” Jin pointed out. 
“He is... But I guess he still has men on the outside. They’re either reclaiming their’s boss’ pet or going to sell him. You know how rare male calico cats are, even though he is a hybrid, I guess the same logic applies too.” You sighed, finally arriving at the institute. 
“I got your text.” Dr. Lee rushed out to you when you entered the lobby. Casting all the other workers a glance, you pushed her to her office, Namjoon and Jin trailing behind you. 
“I need to check Jimin out.” You started. 
“He’s not ready to be. I know I told you he’s improving but he can’t leave.” She shook her head. You began to explain to her the situation. 
“Ah! Why didn’t you start with that?!” She slapped your shoulder. 
“I’ll let you take him home but he has to be on these medications. He’s still not as stable yet.” Going to her patient cabinet, she handed you a few bottle of pills with Jimin’s name on them. Jin took them, placing them in his bag to hold them for you. 
“Let’s go get your hybrid.” She took her keys. The 3 of you followed her to Jimin’s ward. Jin and Namjoon decided to stand outside to guard you while you went in. You were greeted by Jimin’s back. 
“Jiminie?” You called. Hearing your tinkling voice, Jimin’s ears twitched as he turned around slowly. 
“(y/n)...?” He gasped in disbelief. 
“Hey, sweetie. I’m here to take you home.” You whispered. He ran to you and hugged you tightly, burying his head against your chest. 
“You let them take me... You abandoned me. I thought you hated me and didn’t want me anymore. You didn’t even say goodbye to me. You just let them take me and left with the others.” He whimpered. You rubbed his back soothingly to comfort him. Of course, hearing this broke your heart. You never meant to make him feel like you abandoned him. 
“I would never abandon you or hate you, Jiminie. I knew you would be safe here, I did it so you would get better. It was never to hurt you. I’m sorry.” You kissed his forehead. 
“We’ll talk more at home, alright? We have to go now.” You held his hand. He nodded his head. Dr. Lee handed you his file. 
“Take care, Jimin.” She smiled and he bowed his head slightly. You led him out, your two other hybrids joining you as you headed to the car. Namjoon drove with Jin in the passenger seat.
“You’ve gained some weight, you look better.” You stroked Jimin’s head. He purred under your touch.
“How are you feeling?” You asked. 
“Okay.” He nodded his head. You did see that Jimin had gotten better. Besides putting on some needed weight, he wasn’t as anxious, jumpy or scared as before. He seemed a lot calmer and less afraid when he saw Namjoon and Jin. Also, he didn’t try to be possessive of you like before. 
“We’re here.” Namjoon broke the silence and you nodded, getting out. Jimin actually let Jin bring him to his allocated room. You gave him some of Yoongi’s old clothes to wear. 
“(y/n), as much as I don’t think Jimin is in the right condition to be here... I think it was a good call getting him out.” Namjoon spoke. 
“Thank you for saying that. I hope Yoongi understands that too. He’s just edgy around Jimin because I got scratched the last time.” You sighed, not wanting to imagine the panther’s temper. 
“Yoongi hyung always had a bad temper. But he’ll never get angry with you. You did it for Jimin’s safety. Even if the situation isn’t ideal, I’m sure Yoongi hyung isn’t the kind to want to risk any other hybrids’ safety either.” Namjoon shrugged and you nodded in agreement. 
“You always know what to say, Joon.” You patted his head. 
“I just want you to be okay, alright?” He smiled, his dimple popping out as he leaned in to rub his cheek against yours. 
“I’m so glad to have you, Namjoon.” You hummed as you leaned in, melting under his touch. He pulled away and pressed a kiss to your temple before leaving you. You went up to Jimin’s new room and knocked on the door. 
“Come in.” Jimin said softly. 
“Hey, Jiminie.” You called and he went to you, wrapping his arms around your waist. You sat on his bed and Jimin laid his head in your lap. 
“Please don’t leave me again.” He said softly. 
“Oh, sweetie. I never left you. I would never. I’ve always been receiving updates about how you’re doing, making sure you’re sleeping well and eating enough. But I just couldn’t see you or else you wouldn’t have gotten better. I’m so proud of you and how much you have improved, Jiminie.” You ran your fingers through his hair. 
“I promise to keep improving.” Jimin said, sleepily. 
“I’m happy to hear that. We’ll take it slow and work on it together.” You chuckled. As you softly massaged his scalp, Jimin’s eyes started closing and soon, he was asleep. 
You had fallen asleep as well, leaning against the headboard with Jimin’s head still planted in your lap. Yoongi had come home with Taehyung. The others didn’t need to tell him, he could smell it the moment he entered the house. 
“Who’s here?” Yoongi asked. 
“Jimin.” Taehyung pointed out. Namjoon and Jin grabbed the two, bringing them to the kitchen. They gathered around the kitchen island and the two began telling the panther and tiger what happened today. 
“The situation isn’t ideal but please, all she’s worried about now is Jimin’s safety and whether you will be angry with her when she finds out. I know we’re all concerned about her safety but we have to give her some credit and trust her decisions.” Namjoon said. 
“She makes it sound like all I do is get angry with her.” Yoongi scoffed. 
“I think if we all help her with rehabilitating Jimin, it’ll benefit us all. If we all just keep fighting him, he won’t get better. He may get worse and (y/n) will be at the receiving end of it.” Taehyung pointed out. 
“That’s a good idea, Tae. We’ll try to help with what we can.” Jin patted the tiger on his head. 
“You two go wash up. I’ll get started on dinner with Namjoon. Don’t wake them up yet.” Jin said. Yoongi and Taehyung nodded, going to their rooms. Taehyung finished and sat in front of Jimin’s door, looking up at it. He was waiting for you to wake up so he could give you a hug, like he always does when he’s comes home from work. 
“What are you doing?” Yoongi raised an eyebrow at the tiger. 
“Waiting for (y/n) to wake up. I want my hug.” Taehyung pouted, not taking his eyes off the wooden door. 
“It’s starting to get cold, come help me bring the heating lamps out.” Yoongi called the younger. Taehyung nodded, looking back at the door before going to help Yoongi. They brought out the heating lamps from the storage. 
“Cold already?” Jin teased. 
“Shut up.” Yoongi mumbled, laying out the futon with blankets and pillows in the corner of the living room. Taehyung spread the heating lamps around and turned them on. Jin and Namjoon were not affected by the cold, Jin being an arctic fox and Namjoon being a wolf. 
“Boys?” Hearing your voice, Taehyung dropped everything and ran off. 
“You were sleeping for so long! I had to wait for my hug.” He huffed and you laughed, patting his back. 
“Umm...” Jimin stood there, playing with the hem of his sweater as he watched Taehyung hug you. Taehyung lifted his head, blinking at the smaller boy. Suddenly, he pulled Jimin into a hug, making him stiffen.
“Tae, you shouldn’t-”
“Welcome to the house, friend.” Taehyung said. Hearing that, Jimin visibly relaxed a little, awkwardly wrapped his arms around the taller boy. Taehyung grabbed your hand and Jimin’s bringing the two of you to the kitchen. You were surprised by Taehyung’s attitude towards Jimin but glad to see him accepting the calico cat nonetheless. 
You guessed that Jin and Namjoon has told Taehyung and Yoongi about the new tenant that would be staying in the house with you. 
“Good evening.” You greeted everyone. 
“You’re beautiful even with your bed hair.” Yoongi teased, running his fingers through your hair to even it out. 
“Stop.” You blushed, shoving him gently. 
“Everyone, this is Jimin. He will be staying with us for now. Jiminie, this is Jin, Yoongi, Namjoon and Taehyung.” You held Jimin’s hand. The 4 gave him acknowledging nods. 
“Well, I hope you like chicken, Jimin.” Jin said, placing the pan of spicy stir fried chicken in the middle of the island. You and Yoongi helped to plate the side dishes while Taehyung took the plates and cutlery out. Jimin stood there awkwardly, not knowing how he could help. 
“Come.” You waved him over to sit. Jimin sat between you and Taehyung. Yoongi still kept his place on your left. 
“What’s your schedule tomorrow?” Jin asked you as everyone ate. 
“It’s a long day. 20 hour shift. Head nurse Park told me the OR is fully booked. My first one is at 8 am.” You groaned, already knowing how tired you’re going to be after such a long shift. 
“You’ll be gone for 20 hours?” Jimin’s eyes widened.
“Yeah. It’s normal, especially since the hospital is short staffed now.” You sighed, placing a piece of chicken in Jimin’s bowl. Jimin nodded but looked down. It finally dawned on you that you didn’t think about who would be with Jimin while you were at work. Taking days off were difficult and all your other hybrids were working. 
After dinner, you paced by the window, biting your nail as you tried to come up with a solution. Bringing Jimin to the hospital with you would not be any better since you can’t stay by his side. He would just have to stay in your office alone. 
“Snowflake~” Jin called from behind you. You stopped gazing out the window and turned around. 
“You’re gonna get wrinkles from all your frowning before you even hit 30.” He chuckled, gently kissing your forehead. 
“I didn’t even think about Jimin being alone tomorrow.” You sighed. 
“Don’t worry about it, snowflake. Your hybrids got it covered, we already came up with a plan. Our jobs are flexible enough to allow us to take certain days off so we’ll take turns staying at home with Jimin. Tomorrow, it’ll be my turn so you don’t have to worry.” Jin informed and you didn’t even know how to react to that news.
“Really? You guys... are okay with that?” Your voice trembled. 
“Of course. Any way that we can help you, we will. And if it helps Jimin settle in too, all the better.” He smiled. You wiped your tears. 
“Don’t cry, jagi.” He hugged you. 
“I don’t know what I would do without any of you.” You whispered. Your phone rang and you saw that it was your mother. That made you frown because your mother never calls you. Your mother was one of the most, if not, the most well known attorney in the country. She has never lost a case before. 
“Hello?” 
“I have news from a friend in the president’s office that you’re not going to like... It’s not announced yet but I thought I should tell you firsthand.” 
Jin watched as your expression grew grim as you listened to your mother. You were giving off negative emotions. 
“I see... Thanks for letting me know then.” You told her and hung up. 
“Call the boys, we’re having a meeting.” You told Jin and he nodded, going upstairs. As you waited for him to round up the boys, you sat on the couch and took your phone out to start searching for shops.
“What’s wrong?” Namjoon asked.
“My mother just called. She delivered some... not so good news. As you know, with her connections everywhere, she heard about an announcement that the president is going to make tomorrow. She decided to tell me early instead of wait for it to be announced.” You started. The boys looked at each other uneasily, not liking where this was going. 
“A big feral shelter was broken into and a lot of hybrids are now out on the streets. As law enforcements try to round the escapees up, there will be some rules in place.” You sighed. 
“Like what?” Taehyung tilted his head. 
“You’ll all need to start wearing identification collars. And you cannot leave the house during certain timings. A curfew of sorts.” You said. 
“What...?”
“I’m sorry, guys. I know I talked about how you have your freedom when you’re with me but it can’t be helped. I’d rather do this than any one of you get taken to the shelter because they think you’re a stray.” You told them. 
“It’s not your fault, don’t apologise. We just hate that this is the government’s solution to the problem.” Yoongi rolled his eyes. The others nodded in agreement. You were also unhappy with the news. Hybrids being on collars and leashes was something you always fought against. 
“I know it’s uncomfortable, which is why I wanted to tell you guys the moment I heard the news.” You looked over at Jimin. He seemed the most stiff when he heard that he would be in a collar again. 
“I’ll get them for you tomorrow. Goodnight everyone.” You said and the group broke up. 
“(y/n)?” Jimin called you. You turned around.
“Can I sleep with you tonight, please?” He asked. You shook your head, making him let out a small whine. 
“Jimin, you know you’re not supposed to be sleeping next to me. That’s why you have your own room. Also, I have to wake up early so I don’t even let the others sleep with me. But tell you what, I’ll tuck you in.” You stroked his head. He pouted but nodded. Walking him to his room, the first thing you did was given him his medications. 
“Good job.” You complimented and tucked him under the covers. 
“Goodnight, (y/n).” Jimin smiled sleepily. You leaned down to give him a kiss on the forehead. Taking his pill bottles, you left the room. 
After stopping by all the other rooms to wish your other boys goodnight, you finally went to you room to sleep. 
“Your alarm rang at 6 am and you got out of bed to get ready for work. 
“Namjoon?” You were shocked to see the wolf sitting on the ground, in front of the giant glass window, watching the ran fall. His tail and ears perked up at your presence as he turned around to give you a small smile. You put your bag on the counter and shuffled over to him. 
“Are you alright? What are you doing up so early?” You checked his temperature. 
“I’m fine. I couldn’t sleep so I thought I would guard the house. Also, I could see you off.” Namjoon smiled. 
“You don’t have to...” You smiled, stroking his hair. 
“It’s the alpha in me.” Namjoon had recently told you that his wolf ranking was an Alpha too. He had stronger alpha instincts that Jin. Jin had alpha instincts because he was the oldest in the house but he wasn’t an alpha by nature. 
“Well, alpha, make sure you get enough rest, alright? I don’t want you getting sick.” You giggled. 
Hearing you call him ‘alpha’ sparked something in Namjoon. A low growl rumbled in his chest but seeing your shocked look, he turned away as his cheeks turned red. He let out a cough and shook his head to get all the inappropriate thoughts out of his head. It was the alpha in him that wanted you to be his mate. 
“Namjoon?” 
“S-Sorry! You should go, wouldn’t want to be late.” He forced a smile, standing up. As you grabbed your things, Namjoon fixed an iced coffee for you in your to-go tumbler. 
“Thank you. I’ll see you all tonight. If anything happens, just phone me.” You said as you grabbed the drink from him. 
“Don’t worry. Drive safe in the rain.” He hugged you. You wrapped your free hand around him and Namjoon planted a kiss against your cheek, nuzzling his cheek against yours. He pulled away and walked you to the door. 
As you entered your car, Namjoon watched from the window. His eyes followed your car pull out of the driveway and down the road. He sat back down at his previous spot. Seeing you was able to calm whatever nerves he was having. He had been having recurring nightmares of the fighting ring but he wasn’t going to bother you with them. 
His thoughts went back to the day you stood up for him to that lady in the grocery store. You didn’t even care that you got hit by her. But from then on, he had such a strong urge to protect you just like you did for him. 
“You, Taehyung, Yoongi, Jin and all the hybrids out there are worth fighting for. If I get hurt doing it, so be it.”
He still remembered your words to him. If it weren’t for you, he would probably be dead now. He definitely wouldn’t have survived those fatal injuries that the ring people gave him. 
1K notes · View notes
rouiyan · 3 years
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𝘖𝘍𝘍 𝘐𝘊𝘌 [ 𝘭.𝘫𝘯 ]
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⧏ jeno's installment of the keep your cool collective ⧐
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synopsis: he likes to think it's romantic how he always finishes your sentences for you. you think it's annoying that he keeps interrupting you.
✧ ice hockey player!lee jeno x (fem.) tutor!reader ✧ college au
✧ genres : fluff, angst, slightly suggestive ✧ word count : 4.4k ✧ disclaimers : mentions of sexual activities, swearing
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✧ author’s note — same universe as my puck in your goal which does not need to be read first but can be. also, hi @crownily i did it :)
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let's just say jeno sucks at school and that the one thing he doesn't suck at is hockey, ice hockey. and let's just say that you're his tutor, strictly for tutoring purposes. yet, here you find yourself at his doorstep at 3:47 in the morning, or so your phone says.
he opens up to see you clad dressed down, different from the neat tee and skirt he's so used to. to be completely honest, jeno has never felt anything towards you and even he himself finds that hard to believe since you're everything he could ever ask for in a girl. pretty and cute, snappy but sweet, the most perfect curve of lips and above all, you're an intellectual. he finds it attractive but he isn't attracted to you, per se.
jeno wished he would though, especially now that he's suffering from what he called you here for in the first place: an extreme case of breakup.
one hand leaning your weight on the doorframe, the right of your shit rides up. jeno bites down on his lip, retracting his eyes to your face. "let me get this straight, you called me here, at this time of night, to get me to help you with what exactly?" so what if he thought fucking you would be a good way to keep his mind off things? too bad he didn't think any further than that. the words come to his as he speaks, "i just thought that- that...you- you would be awake at this time! because you know- you like to study…did i interrupt anything?"
donning a dreary expression, you nod in clarification, "yeah, you interrupted my studying."
"right, okay, i'll let you get back to that," he turns in haste as if to close the door behind him but you catch it with your heel, a scowl making its way across your face at what you were about to say, "forget it, jen, i'm already here. what do you need help with?" you stare into his back, his widening eyes unbeknownst to you. he turns again, now deliberate in motion, just to give him as much time to get his bearings together. lifting one shoulder in suggestion, and truthfully confusion, his voice is a pitch higher when he responds, "...studying?"
and that's how he finds himself staring into the crack between the wall and the far end of his desk, your figure hovering above him but not in the way he'd planned for, planned poorly for. jeno is on edge and frankly, he feels incredibly bad because he doesn't understand anything that comes from your mouth and the words you jot down on his paper before him all seem to collide and blur into each other. that's when he realizes he's started crying.
and that's when you're rendered speechless as the boy sits there, the little tracks running down his face wetting the paper you were teaching off of. "jeno, oh my god. fuck, you good?" you don't want to come off as prying so you avoid the whole 'why' notion but you're not that socially inept to miss that he didn't call you here at such an ungodly hour of morning just to get some unpaid tutor hours in and he certainly isn't crying because he doesn't understand shit. 
a hand of his is sifting through his hair while another rubs harshly down the side of his face. "i don't think you should- i'm just gonna go get you some tissues, i'll- i'll go get that." you turn on your heel and navigate your way from his room to the kitchen you'd passed on the way in. it's dark and you know he has roommates, you were less than willing to make your presence known. to your dismay, the kitchen was currently being occupied by a man whom you've yet to identify, being only two steps in when you stop in your tracks. 
he identifies you first, "y/n, what are you doing here?" and you pick up from the voice that it's donghyuck. your foot hits a cabinet before your eyes get a chance to adjust to the lighting, "fuck, yeah i'm here with jeno, well i'm not- not like that, we're just studying."
"just studying?" there's no way to see it but you swear the cock of his brows is apparent as it would be at day. you hum in response, fingers trying to make out the paper towel dispenser you were sure you caught a glimpse of on the way in. "so you're saying," he pulls out his phone and the light that emits from the screen is enough to guide you in the right direction before he shoves is back in his pocket. "that you booked a tutoring session with him at 4:19 a.m.?"
tearing one, then two, from the dispenser, you distractedly let a disbelieving, "yup," past your lips. hyuck scrutinizes you in the dark and his next words nearly shock you out of your skin, "is he fucking you because he just got dumped? is that why?"
you swivel at lightning speed, "he what?" hand over his mouth, donghyuck seems genuinely apologetic, though you wouldn't put it past him if he was not, "shit, you didn't know?" folding the paper towels two times over in your hands, you gingerly across the room to where the boy is seated, "i mean, i know that he didn't call me here just to study but that's legitimately what we ended up doing." he doesn't answer for awhile so you follow up with a question, "you think he wants to fuck me?"
hyuck looks you straight in the eye, "yeah, yeah i do." it hangs unsaid in the air between the two of you, but it's within both of your knowledge that jeno only wanted you here for sexual relief from his frustrations, that whatever else could be denoted by the deed was simply inapplicable for this situation. you shake your head of the thoughts, "so, what are you doing up this early?" you know that there is a weary and weeping jeno you have to get back to but you also know that your presence is somewhat unwelcome there, uncomfortable even, while he wades in his fit of tears.
hyuck replies with a heavy tone, "he gave me some things to think about too."
and you jump to conclusions all too quickly, "he wants to fuck you too?"
"god, y/n, no."
a weak laugh lining your demeanor after the last of the interaction, you reenter jeno's room to find him sprawled wide, his back to the bed. "hey," you preface as you round upon his bed, setting the paper towels on his nightstand. it seemed his tears had run their race and his eyes were now staring lethargically into the ceiling. perching yourself on the edge, you reach to place a hand atop one of his, giving two reassuring squeezes. "need anything?"
only now does jeno seem to take note of your arrival, his eyes hooded eyes flit to you for half a second before resolutely tugging you by the hand you had clasped within his. "what-" your breath is stolen from you as your back hits his chest. jeno drapes his arms across you front, "jeno, what-"
"i need a pillow, that's what i need."
you blink, trying to make sense of your thoughts, "did you ask me here to fuck you numb?" his body goes rigid underneath yours and you're right to assume that you've pinpointed the answer. "i'm right, huh?" eyeing downwards, his fingers are fiddling for you to see. after a few moments laid in bated breath, he lets weakly, "sorry about that, it's not gonna happen."
"yeah no shit," is said dulcetly despite the denotation. you feel his chuckles reverberate beneath you. "i'm really sorry, i swear i don't think of you that way." a smile upon your own face, you turn in his arms to place an expression to his voice. propping your head up on your folded arms, your arms atop his chest, you peer into his eyes sincerely. there is much that needs to be said, the reasonings behind his unexpected breakdown and the closeness you suddenly feel with still have to be addressed. but at this hour in the morning, you can't bring yourself to. 
instead you query, "should i stay the night?" he peers into your eyes with equal sincerity when he responds, "it's already early morning, you'd probably be off better sleeping here." giving a soft nod and a few moments to rearrange your thoughts, you perk up again just as he's about to fall asleep. he isn't annoyed in the slightest, rather he smiles at that, your voice, "do you have practice tomorrow?"
it's his turn to give a nod in response. "wanna come watch?" your arms move around his chest, encasing him like how he's encased you. hiding your smile in the front of his sweatshirt, your voice comes out muffled, "i'd love to but i'm a bit busy, jen. next time, maybe."
at your response, it's the first time that jeno feels, acknowledges, that his heart drops, even though it's in the slightest. there's an image of you in the stands, your textbooks in your lap and glasses sliding down the bridge of your nose. the image moves as he moves cross the rink and you look up when he passes by, eyes bright and a small smile and thumbs up in encouragement. from then on, it's that image that's plastered in his mind every time he thinks of you, that one self-conjured image. 
jeno feels his heart drop even more when he awakes to an empty bed. he finds that the text that you've sent in departure isn't nearly enough to repair his spirits, he wishes you were there instead.
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practice sucks ass the next day and the day after that, he doesn't pay it any mind, knowing more than well enough how renjun whispers of the news of his breakup among the members. he doesn't hold it against him though, after all, his ex is his teammate's best friend. jeno thinks it hurts the most when his ex shows up at the next game, the one he'd invited you to when you'd crossed paths on campus a few days ago. he finds himself in a weird predicament between trying to forget about a girl and chasing after another one. he can't tell if he really likes you or if he just needs a rebound.
today, jeno decides it's the latter because he's fuming the entire game at how hyuck would send winks in her direction, how he would skate up to the edge of the rink to converse with her during their breaks. jeno hates how she's moved on all too easily and he feels and urge to prove that he can do the same. he wants to prove to himself.
he's let almost every goal in by the time the buzzer signals the end of the final round. the coach reprimands him because at this point, he might as well be from the opposing team. the helmet is off in a split second, he showers for the briefest of moments, only allowing the water to slosh across his body one time before he's patting himself dry. jeno slips the towel from his shoulder throws on a hoodie in its stead. he's out the locker room in bare minutes where he comes face to face with you. you, with the little sheepish, apologetic smile on your face. you, who'd just arrived from your shift at the local cat adoption center, late for the game but in just time for him. you, the only person he's been aching to see the whole day. but even now, he's unsure of exactly why. 
"y/n, hey," he's by your side in an instant, hesitant in his actions but words tumbling out nonetheless, "you came. late, but...you came."
you meet him in the middle, hands coming up to your aid and waving nonsensically as you speak, "i'm so sorry, my shift was extended and i forgot to tell my boss beforehan-"
"it's fine, i'm just glad you're here." he readjusts the bag onto his shoulders in a nervous fit. he barely manages to make eye contact with you and he wonders when he started to feel this way about you or, again, the desire for a rebound, his need for a taste of vengeance is willing him to act this way. jeno shrugs off the thought and fills the silence with an offer, "so do you wanna go...do something together?" 
jeno should know by now. the little sparkle that glints in your eyes and the way his stomach upturns itself in response. he should know by now how much you like him too. hyuck exits the locker rooms in that instant, he greets you in passing as he joins a girl up ahead. you turn back to jeno, momentarily distracted, only to find his gaze hardened and fixed on the girl. a sickening feeling erupts within you as you begin to piece one and one to make two. 
he turns back to you and you avoid his gaze. the shift in your countenance jolts him as much as his had jolted you. you lick your lips before looking back up at him, your own eyes guarded. he wishes he knew why. "jeno, i'm gonna have to rain check. i just- i thought of something- something came up. i have to go."
you're stalking away from him before he can even process it. he's lucky that his strides are long because he catches your wrist right before you get to the exit, "y/n," he tugs gently so that you turn to him but he's caught off guard even more when he sees the tears that have begun to form in your eyes. "why are you like this all of a sudden? what happened?"
you shake your head at him, hurriedly swallowing the sobs before you can embarrass yourself even further, "nothing, jeno. i just realized something." you stare down at his wrist expectantly but he only clutches it tighter, "then, what did you realize?"
he lets go of your wrist now and you feel like your heart couldn't get any heavier as you answer, "i realized that i'm just a fill-in until you get over her." jeno sucks in a breath as he watched the words leave your mouth, as he watches you turn and leave, and he hears more tears bubble from your frame, the sounds receding the farther you walk from him. for some reason, it's only when you tell him so that he understands that he feels the exact opposite.
it's only when you shove it in his face, your own face scrunched up in tears, that he's only going after you as a rebound, when he sees his feelings for what they really are. honest, jeno finds it hard to believe that he's never felt anything towards you since you're everything he could ever ask for in a girl. pretty and cute, snappy but sweet, the most perfect curve of lips and above all, you're an intellectual. he finds it attractive, he finds you attractive. fuck it, he likes you.
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fortunately for him and unfortunately for you, your next tutoring session was scheduled for just a few days after, just enough time for him to get his act together and enough for you to cool your head enough sift through the thirty or so voice mails he'd left you. most of them seem to contain the same rueful, repentant tone, though a few seem to be displaying his slow spiral into self-deprecation. you're pretty sure the last is a mistake, a butt dial maybe.
jeno's not proficient with the knife, definitely not with how he's cutting the pears right now. he thinks he would've been better off bringing bananas but that would've seemed too insincere, wouldn't it? his thoughts are jumbling and sludging against one another when a finger of his slips and the fine edge of the knife is pressed on a knuckle. "fuck," he swears, his other hand already reaching over to the sink to run the cut under cold water. the sting is piercing and he looks away from the cut to the clock overhead. "double fuck," he mutters this time. the last thing he needs right now is you thinking that he stood you up. 
with steadfast athleticism, he finishes off the last of the pears with one hand. he's sure you'd laugh at the whole debacle if you were there though he's thankful you're not. jeno faces the fear that he sucks at everything except ice hockey, and he's barely getting by these days. he only ever feels confident on the rink with his stick in hand, crouched low so his eyes were level with the ice. he's never felt that much control over anything else, much less confessing to a girl and trying, somehow, to show that she was of much more worth than what he'd made it seem like. 
the library is a ten minute walk from his house, a three minute sprint. yes, he had sprinted. 
he knows for a fact that pears were the right way to go when you let the tiniest of smiles adorn your face at the sight of him setting the tupperware in front of you. you check your expression back into taut impassivity before he can indulge in his victory any longer. he knows you're not half as mad as you present yourself to be but that doesn't mean he'd take his mistakes lightly and go about this sleazily. jeno needs your trust. 
you resist the urge to reach over and flip over the hair that stood upright on the wrong side of his head. reverting your eyes onto the computer screen before you, "let's get started." not a half hour into your session, you're spaced out, eyes zoned onto the way jeno spins his pen between his fingers. maybe it's the lack of sleep that's getting to you.
"y/n? you good?"
you swallow thickly, removing your gaze from his hands, from him, from his paper, from anything that has to do with him. you notice how your chair has inched closer to his, or his to yours, you notice the finger-wide distance between you and him. shivers are sent down your spine. "let's take a break, is that fine?" jeno, from beside you, yawns and for a brief second you think he's about to pull the stretch and hand around shoulder trick. you blush unknowingly. 
jeno speaks before you can ask to resume the session, "can i say something?"
"is it work related?" you give your best efforts at keeping your voice level and head turned somewhat in his direction. in your peripheries, he cocks his head to the right, "...no, but we're on break." almost letting a huff escape your complexion, you relent, "fine then, shoot," figuring he would say it anyways.
"i want you to come to our next game."
you're lucky you had the whole scenario thought through, at least something can be harvested from your late nights spent tossing and turning, "i don't think i can-"
"y/n, i haven't even told you when."
"okay fine," you wrinkle your nose in distaste and hand out the truth for him to see, or hear, "i just don't want to." jeno is doing his best, he really is, but he knows that you've heard all that he has to say, if not once, then twenty-nine times over. the last one was a mistake. "did you get my voicemails?"
sighing, you chance a glance at him to see that he isn't the slightest bit annoyed, face drawn into a frown of sorts. you'll never admit that even just the sight could soften your set mindset. consideration replays in your irises when you answer the yes or no question with a decisive nod.
"then i'm sure you understand why i want you to come."
jeno lets you drive him home that day, he'd be the last to complain. the ride is silent from start to finish until right when he's about to close the passenger door, the car parked in front of his shared house. an, "i'll think about it," is what he's left to brew over for the next week or so as he stares that the text, read and unreplied, that he'd sent to remind you of the day and time of the game. he's anxious but it's only to that extent.
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it's becoming more and more evident that jeno is loosing his touch on ice. he hates that the only thing he can attribute it to is his dwindling love life. he finds that the enforcer is atypically rough today but he's glad that his role at the goal requires the least interaction and footwork. he'd promised his coach that he would be more wary of his surroundings but he can't help the occasional glance at the rink entrance every once in awhile. what he doesn't understand is that his definition of 'once in awhile' marks at around every thirty seconds.
the last round is the most painful, undoubtedly, because it's as if his defeat is being dragged on and on, as if the giant timer above the rink is ticking to the heartbeat of a dead man. 
jeno can is aware that he's breathing. he's aware but he has to double check when the entrance doors open for the last time that game and you've arrived. you're standing by the doorway, apprehensive, but jeno can't get it past his head that you've arrived, that you're here. he'd have gotten decked in the face had you not motioned your head in the direction of the fast approaching puck and the burly man behind it.
he blocks the shot and every shot after. there's no need to wonder why.
the buzzer rings in his head so quick that he thinks time runs on his emotions rather than the clock. his helmet is often in seconds and he's making his way at supersonic speeds to the part of the rail where you're stood. the glass fogs with his breath as he tries to get his words across. 'i'll be quick,' he mouths. 
you count two minutes until he's off ice. jeno hasn't bothered to shower, he lacks the patience for it. he sits you down on the lowest of the bleachers, closest to the rink. standing over you, he finds that he has so much to say, so many things he wants to let you know, all the feelings he's ever bottled up for the girl so obviously made for him.
he's never had much of a way with words but he thinks that the romance movies hyuck's made him watch over the years give a pretty good overview of what to say in situations like these, "i'd cross the world for you." you snort back at him, nose crinkling in distaste at his choice of words and poking fun at him with your own, "rink, jeno. you mean you'd cross the rink for me."
"y/n, i'm tryna do something here," he whines, the pout on display mimicking his displeased but light-hearted implications. you're equally as amused, "oh yeah? what are you tryna do?"
"i'm tryna," he takes your two arms in his and wraps them around his middle. you instinctively fist the fabric of his blue jersey at the back, "jeno, what are you-" you stop when a hand of his own comes to trace the lines of your face softly. maybe he can't find the words but surely he could show you. if he could just…"you keep interrupting me, jeno."
drawn from his resolution, he's snappy when he retorts, "i think as your boyfriend i ought to have that privilege."
"boyfriend? since when did you-"
"i just did," he revels in the idea that you think him to be smooth with words when in reality the 'boyfriend' was a slip up, a mirror of his daydreams. he's over the moon that it worked out in his favor. while he fixates on just how much he feels for you, you're playfully annoyed at a whole other, "stop fucking interrupting me, jen-"
"i love you."
you blink up at him. well shit. a lot of things are happening and you lack the brain cells to process them. there's only one thing you can think to do, only one think that you're thinking about, have been thinking about, will still be thinking about. 
he may be the one to steal words right from your mouth but beyond that he's oblivious, you think. the smile still plays on his lips when he follows up, "is it okay to interrupt you if i say something like tha-"
you press a smile of your own onto his lips, cutting his words effectively. a hand of yours moves up to the curve of his neck to bring him down further, the angle at which he is kissing giving him all the advantage he needs to deepen it. when you part, you aren't surprised to see how half your body is leaning on the row of seats behind you and that jeno's entire body is sprawled on yours, supported by a knee on one side of you. 
you like your lips as you feel his breath hot on yours. "how's it feel now?"
shaking his head, jeno presses his temple to yours so that the only thing you can see is him, just him. "interrupt me any day, will you?"
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copyright © 2020 rouiyan all rights reserved.
✧ end note — wrote this up in approx. three hours. lee jeno is so rude for interrupting all my other wips (that are also mostly for him). i hope you enjoyed because i did, i freaking love writing for him <3
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timextoxhajima · 3 years
Text
Love Me A Little Less: Chapter 6 - Misogynist
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LOVE ME A LITTLE LESS CHAPTER MASTERLIST
Member: (3rd person pov) arranged marriage au with Lee Juyeon
Genre: angsty wangsty
Taglist: @hyunjaethereal @sunwoowuvbot​
“Don’t offend me.”
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“No, I think the best course of action for HERA & ARTEMIS is that we not only branch out to collaborate with other companies, but also to make um… say, connections with non-profit organisations. Orphanages, charities, you name it. The publicity HERA & ARTEMIS will get after being recognised as a community-caring brand, a brand that cares no less than it’s maximum ability to about children, the elderly and the disabled.” 
“Charitable. I like it,” The Resources CEO of The Board nods with a wine of champagne in his glass. even at her own wedding, all the bride can think of is work. All she cares about is how to make sure HERA & ARTEMIS is heard in the crowd of attendees to her wedding. “Anyway, a gorgeous wedding, I must say. What made you have it at home? I’d expect that your father and brother would have wanted it somewhere more… ravish, y’know, more extravagant.” 
It takes some effort to hide her disgust at the thought that her father had a say over where she wanted to have her wedding. 
“Of course not,” The service smile almost feels surgically implanted into her face, even Jang Won herself is put off. “Juyeon and I have already planned this right off the bat, have it at Hera’s Manor.” 
“Why not at the Lee House? I thought the Lee’s would’ve preferred it there, you know, husband and all.” 
Jang Won could’ve slapped the glass of champagne out of his grasp if she wanted to, then probably break the bowl off the stem and send it into his eye. 
Misogynist. 
“We—” 
“The Lee House doesn’t have the facility and resources to hold a wedding now,” Juyeon comes round with a cup of whiskey, cheeks slightly pink from the alcohol as he rounds his arm around Jang Won, pulling her into his torso and even bothering to press a kiss into her temple. “It isn’t as presentable as you’d expect it to be. Hera’s Manor is well-kept and it looks like it’s prepped for a party every other day.” 
Juyeon smiles politely, eyes drifting from the Resources CEO to Jang Won, and for a split second, Jang Won might just feel somewhat impressed he stood up for her. “You know what they say, if you need something done, a lady will do it fast and efficient.”
The Resources CEO provides the newly wedded couple an awkward smile, not really able to spit out a proper response to Juyeon’s rebuttal. 
“Anyway, love, your brother’s asking for you in your office. Some administrative issues that cropped up,” Juyeon pulls away and turns his body, feet already pointing away from the Resources CEO. “If you’ll excuse us, Mr Teuk.” 
Juyeon lowers his head as a sign of respect, though he probably doesn’t mean it. He gently tugs on Jang Won and leads her out of the courtyard. 
“Please tell me there aren’t any actual administrative manners Younghoon wants to talk to me about,” Jang Won seethes as she walks up the yard stairs and into the main hall. 
“‘Course not,” Juyeon subtly shakes his head. “He’s having the time of his life actually, getting acquainted with the other members of The Board. Have you always been the one helping him with Artemis?” 
“In his defence, I don’t let him handle anything. It’s a subsidiary of HERA & ARTEMIS so I might as well take things into my own hands and worry about it on my own.” 
“Well, maybe you should let him figure his hand out at things. He doesn’t legally own Artemis for nothing.” 
Jang Won turns to shoot a look of distaste at Juyeon. 
“What?” He frowns, forehead creasing. “I’m literally telling you to split your workload.”
“I don’t need to split my workload. I’m doing fine on my own and frankly, I’d rather he sit back and let me do most of it so that at least I know what the Hell’s going on with my companies without worrying about any secrets.” 
Juyeon rubs the back of his neck and shoves his hands into his pockets. “In other words, you don’t trust your brother.” 
“Please,” She walks off first, heading for her office where she usually seeks refuge amongst her bottles of whiskey and bourbon and documents. “Just because I love him for being my brother doesn’t mean I should trust him with my finances.” 
“You’re literally born into a family of fortune. Even if he does mess up, you’d be able to recover from it. The consequences would mean absolutely nothing to you.” 
Jang Won pushes the heavy doors of her office open, admiring the late-morning sun that’s spilling all over her chair and her desk. 
“See, that’s where you’re wrong, pretty boy. I choose not to rely on whatever I have at birth because I always felt like whatever my dad had was just handed to him,” She reaches for the ice bucket and picks up a ball of ice, dropping it into the whiskey glass, then coats most of its surface with bourbon. “But God forsake my hard work, huh? I guess if hard work really did pay off then I wouldn’t be standing here, in a wedding-lunch dress, talking to my husband.” 
Juyeon raises both brows and throws himself into one of the sofa seats, the clinking of the whiskey decanter echoing ever so slightly throughout the office. “Ever heard of a holiday? You should go on one.”
She scoffs with exaggeration, the gentle swishing of the alcohol meeting the ice and the glass gleaming like liquid honey under the sunlight. “Yes, because I’m just like you, the one who would run away from the responsibilities he was born into whenever he doesn’t want them.”
“I’m sorry,” Juyeon grimaces, standing up and allowing the silvers of his suit glimmer as he walks into where the sunlight kisses the floor. “Which toe did I step on? I just pulled you out of a situation you would’ve otherwise not wanted to be in.” 
“Unfortunately for you, I didn’t need pulling out. I could’ve handled myself right there and then. It’s been like that for as long as I can remember - I don’t need myself a nanny to save me,” Cocking one of her brows, she gives a wry laugh before downing the shot of whiskey.
Juyeon is in disbelief in her ability to perceive gratitude - or rather, a lack thereof. 
“Maybe your father came back to save HERA & ARTEMIS from your terrible people’s skills, ever thought of that?”
“Wrong again, pretty boy!” She peels the glass off her lips and stares at the lipstick mark. “I’m perfect with the people I wanna be perfect with to get what I want, and when they are of no use to me, I’m well aware I treat them less than average.”
“There it is,” He sneers, stopping right before her as she finishes the last bit of her whiskey. “So, you’re a hypocrite.”
A smirk draws across her lips. Jang Won almost slams the glass back down in the tray of other glasses and the whiskey decanter. “And I’m proud of it. There’s nothing you can do about it, Lee Juyeon. You agreed to play this game my way and now that we’re wearing matching rings. I’m afraid you’ll have to deal with it.”
Jang Won squares up and jabs a finger into his shoulder. But Juyeon catches her wrist and holds it in place, causing her to grunt and attempt to writhe her way out, but to no avail. 
“Kim Jang Won, you listen to me and you listen well. Just because I agreed to play this game by your rules, doesn’t mean I’m your puppet. We both know who will be the more powerful one in May, so my advice?” By now, Juyeon’s nose is almost in her eye. He’s not even bothering to look at her. 
“Don’t offend me.”
Jang Won finally snatches her wrist out of his hold when she feels his grip loosen. Huffing, she stomps past him, shoulder bumping into his arm for good measure as she leaves the office.
Younghoon just about catches his sister rolling her eyes so hard, she was this close to hurling a string of vulgarities at the wooden of her office door. “Hey, what were you doing in your office? People are looking for you!”
Without a word, her eyes are locked with his in frustration. 
“What?” He frowns. 
She thinks for a moment. 
She can ruin him and destroy him by asking him to take Artemis for himself before the deal is due in June. Ask him why he was so useless and had his little sister do everything for him, never once really fighting to take ownership of a company legally his. 
“Nothing,” The brush-off is sharp and distinct as she waves him off, turning to walk into the main hall. “Go get yourself more sponsors before June, will you? I’m not sure the same people would want to keep in touch with HERA & ARTEMIS after the separation and collaboration is made official.”
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Juyeon returns home later that evening, still wearing the fourth outfit of the day. It was a blue suit with a black collar and details and all he wants to do is soak himself in his bath. Maybe he could go to sleep safe and sound, and he’d wake up single and free to do whatever he actually wants to do. 
He walks down the entrance corridor, sick of all the staged portraits of him and his family hung on the walls. The main hall comes into sight, past the stairs on his right, where the television was still broadcasting bits and pieces of his wedding earlier. In the million-dollar couch sat his father, eyes and ears attentive to the screen. 
“Was it so entertaining that you have to watch it again? I know you were there this afternoon.”
His father turns his head subtly. Juyeon pulls off his blazer and removes his watch, laying the heavy clothing over his forearm as he scans the broadcast.
“The Lee-Kim wedding saw nothing short of nothing but a perfect list of investors, sponsors, fellow colleagues and leaders of several enterprises...”
He turns to look at his father, obviously still somewhat hurt that he hadn’t been officially invited by his son - Mr Ro had sent out mandatory invites to family members.
“It was a gorgeous wedding.”
“Yeah, well...” Juyeon shrugs lifelessly, already turning around to head for the stairs. “I had no say in it. It was her wedding and I don’t care, so.”
“The Board is expecting you to go on a Honeymoon, you have that in place, right?”
Juyeon gives a dry chuckle, already on the first step of the stairs. “Yeah, we’re going to Guatemala.”
“Guatemala?” His father shifts his attention from the television and looks at Juyeon, halfway up the stairs. “You’re just finding a chance to go diving in Belize, aren’t you?”
His son doesn’t falter, only continuing taking each step towards the second level, in hopes that he wouldn’t have to listen to his father criticise the only thing Jang Won let him do. At least it was some kind of freedom. 
“Juyeon-”
“Mom better not be in my room.”
The second floor corridor greets him with even more portraits of his family, most of the pictures of him when he was younger. He halts right outside his door when he notices light seeping out from beneath. 
Sighing with exasperation, he lays his hand on the door handle, readying himself to listen to his mother ramble. But his attention drifts from the cream-painted mahogany to the low cabinet next to him, the blue shade of the stingray shining under the hallway lights.
There was a ceramic statue of a standing coral frame with the stingray within the arc, and on it engraved ‘Hawaii 2018′. He smiles, remembering only fond memories of seeing a huge stingray while diving. Sunwoo had been dragged out by him - one of those times when he fought with his parents and couldn’t stand being in the same house as them. He covered travel cost and hospitality fees, ensuring Sunwoo’s parents (whose family was also on the smaller arm of The Board’s administration) that he’d take care of them. 
Juyeon got an earful from his parents when he came back. Young Jin Seol had been the one to tell his parents his whereabouts, solely because he had arranged for her to make sure it seemed like he was still doing his job at the office. So, of course, when his parents walked into office and she was doing his work for him, they had threatened to fire her. 
But Juyeon knew he was indebted, and told his parents, “No Jin Seol, then you can forget about me taking over Apple-Korea.”
Sucking a deep breath, Juyeon shakes himself out of his mental trance, and pushes the door open. 
The back of his mother seems so fragile on first sight, and he’s well aware she’s getting on in her years. For a split second, he feels emotional, possibly feeling some tinge of remorse at how horrible of a son he’s been.
Then he remembers that she’s had an abundance of spa treatments, country-club lunches with her fellow rich moms after a game of gold or tennis, and a bunch of other things she definitely didn’t need. He wish he could tell himself otherwise, that she had been born into this life and thus living anything else dissimilar to this would be tiring on her.
But he can’t.
“I’m surprised you bothered to come home,” She says without looking at him. Juyeon rests his blazer on the back of the single sofa seat that’s angled to face the one she’s sitting in. “I was wondering if I should send some pajamas over to Hera’s Manor.”
Juyeon sits in the crystal encrusted sofa seat, crossing his legs and eyeing his mother fiddle with the wedding band on her finger. It reminds him of his own. 
“You realise you’re the one who bound me to the Kim family, don’t you? You’re the one who said okay to marrying Kim Jang Won, not me.”
“It was for your own good.”
“For mine or for our family?” Juyeon leans back in his seat and interlocks his fingers, placing them in his lap. “What else do you really need from the Lee family that you simply cannot take your eyes off? Their money? HERA & ARTEMIS? What?”
Only now does Juyeon notice the cup of tea on the small coffee table infront of them. 
“A child,” She says, like it was the most casual thought one could have, before taking a sip of tea. Her son shuts his eyes then opens them with his eyebrows as far up his forehead as he can. 
Providing a dry, tortured chuckle, Juyeon blinks multiple times, wishing that it was a condition with his hearing and not just something his mother had just spat out.
“A what?” Juyeon pulls apart his hands and leans forward, fists now clenched and pressed into the cushion he was sitting in.
“You heard me,” She places the tea cup down and refuses to look at him. “A child would mean inheritance. The Lee family will inherit the wealth of the Kims and it could possibly start a new system. It could rewrite The Board. We could become The Board.”
“What the-” He finally stands, barely choking out some kind of laughter filled with confusion and utter disbelief. “You want a child just to bond our families together and take over The fucking Board? My God, why are you so obsessed with The Board?”
“Because The Board is everything! No board, no us, no wealth and comfort like the kind we raised you in-”
“Does it look like I wanted it?!” Juyeon runs his hands through his hair, pulling his hair back and stretching his hairline. 
“You ingrate-”
“So I am an ingrate. But I had no choice, I have no life of my own because guess who’s making my decisions for me? You! If I don’t even have the ability to make my own choices then how do I even qualify as an ingrate?!”
She’s silent, and very much staring at the words spewing out of her son’s mouth now. She huffs through her flared nostrils, picking up the saucer and the tea cup and standing. “I don’t know what kind of ideas Kim Jang Won has planted in your head but you are still part of the Lee family and-”
“For Gods’ sake, Jang Won has nothing to do with any of this! In fact, she can’t care less about what I’m doing, so long as it doesn’t change the course of this entire situation. If anything, she’s playing it safe; she’s playing it against her father, and not us,” The veins on Juyeon’s hands are about to rip through his skin when he cannot close his fist any more. “Her father literally climbed out the grave... and you took this chance to capitalise on that in order to make our family richer the moment you heard of The Board’s announcement regarding HERA & ARTEMIS’s ownership complications...”
Juyeon shakes his head subtly, realising that he was panting from the sheer force of anger and disgust rushing through him. 
“And she’s younger than me. Lost her mother, lost her father, who only comes back to take what she built? You know, for a woman under The Board, I’d think you’d understand what she’s gone through. I thought... I thought you would’ve known how hard it is to be the successful one in the family but cannot pass down the family name... but everytime I think the world of you, and I think you’d act a little more like the woman I thought you are... you prove me wrong.”
Juyeon glares down at her, hands holding the teacup in the saucer with some kind of disapproving, disappointed look of fury in her eyes. Then he sighs heavily, hands rushing to pick up his blazer and storms out the room before she can.
“Leave Kim Jang Won alone, or else I’ll refuse Apple-Korea. By then, you can forget about all your stupid green bills and diamond rings.”
And with that, he slams the door shut. 
Juyeon appears along the second floor hallway, visible from the first floor’s living hall, where his father was still watching the news of his wedding earlier on in the day. Of course, the door slamming would’ve caught his attention, so when his son rushes down the stairs while putting his blazer back on, the elder man removes himself off the couch.
“Juyeon! Where are you going?!”
“Don’t call me, and don’t even think of calling Hera’s Manor,” He opens the heavy front door with such determination, then slams it harder than he intends to. By the foot of the stairs leading down to the pick up point by the entrance, his two bodyguards are taken aback and flustered when Juyeon appears again.
“Uh, can I get Mr Bong around-”
The instruction through the guard’s earpiece is cut short and interrupted abruptly as Juyeon unplugs the earpiece from the transmitter. 
“Mr Lee-” 
Juyeon doesn’t hesitate to do the same with the other guard. By now, his father has gotten the front door open and yelling at him with disapproving scolds. 
Rushing around the hood of the Porsche, Juyeon steps into the drivers’ seat - an unlikely sight, since he’s been chauffeured around most of the time.
“What in the world are you two doing? Stop him from leaving!” 
The vehicle revs to life, and Juyeon fumbles under the passenger seat’s compartment box and every crook and cranny in the front of the car.
“Juyeon!”
He winds up the window on the driver’s side and locks the entire vehicle just as his father reaches the window. He tugs on the handle angrily, almost able to shake the entire car with his aggression. 
“Juyeon, don’t you dare!”
Then, he finds it. A tracking device attached to all the cars his family owns.
Ripping it off the surface it was stuck into, he rolls down the window on the passenger’s side and hurls it out, straight into the arms of one of the bodyguards.
“Juyeon!”
He starts up the car and pulls it into drive, forcing his father to back off as he moves off.
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wing-ed-thing · 3 years
Text
Bread Boy (Rock Lee x Reader, College AU)
Synopsis: You knew that his name was Rock Lee and that he lived on the third floor. Sure he seemed a bit odd, but you didn’t understand what the fuss was about. 
Word Count: 2,040
Warnings: Mild bullying
Notes: I looked up Bread Boy and it wasn’t something dirty so I have my fingers crossed that it remains being nothing bad. @beethebunny​ requested a modern au reader insert for Rock Lee in a post three years ago so here it is! If anyone knows how to get in touch with them that would be great. I tried their Reddit but nothing’s coming up for me. 
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You had been sitting at the common room table for about an hour now. A video played on your screen and the lecture in your earbuds. You fidgeted with the touch pad of your laptop and rewound, trying to focus for the third time. You drummed your pen against the textbook that sat open next to you. Okay, so we have a population. When we take a sample from that population we get-
“He looks ridiculous.” You glanced up from your screen. “How does he not know how stupid he looks right now?”
You tried your best to ignore the small group that began to form around the common room windows. They laughed to themselves, eyes following a figure below around the quad. You turned back to your work. A little noise could be expected from studying in a shared space. You could handle that, right? So, if p̂ is a ratio-
“Now he’s on his hands.” You slammed your pen down on the table. A few heads turned towards the noise and you sheepishly looked away, placing a hand over your mouth. You paused the lecture recording and ripped your earbuds from your ears. Standing for the first time in a while, you stretched your legs. You gave in, approaching the windows to see what all the fuss was about.
Rock Lee lived in your hall, but you didn’t know much about him besides that his name was Rock Lee and that he lived on the third floor. Down below, he walked on his hands in what you could only assume were laps around the quad. You glanced back at the group that found more amusement in the sight than you did.
“Look at what he’s wearing, like, does he think he’s impressing anyone?”
“Maybe he’s exercising to exercise.” You mused. You looked from Rock Lee down below to find that eyes were on you. You gave a curt shrug. “He doesn’t have to impress anyone.” The girl from before scoffed.
“Well he certainly isn’t.” She earned a laugh from behind her. You sat back down at your seat. Not your problem.
***
A few hours had passed when you finally slammed down the lid of your computer. Stuffing your belongings into your bag, you decided that your brain had been officially fried for the day. Your stomach grumbled. A trip to the dining hall sounded promising.
You slung your bag onto your shoulder and pushed the button to the elevator. You took in the various groups that settled in the small public space. A few guys watched Rick and Morty loudly on the Roku TV. Most of the floor chatted with each other, tilting their chairs backwards as they did so. A handful of your neighbors discussed conspiracy theories on the academic whiteboard. The elevator doors opened.
You noticed when you got outside that the sun had set. Perhaps you had studied for longer than you thought. The journey to the dining hall was made quickly and hungrily. You made short work of swiping in and made a beeline to the french fries. Plate full, you searched for a table when you were waved over to one. Sakura signaled to you. Her pink hair stood out in the crowd of diners.
“Hey Sakura,” You greeted her as you walked over. “What’s up?” The blond from across from her cackled over his two full plates.
“Her tuesdays fuckin’ suck, that’s what’s up!” You came to stand before the pair, already snacking.
“Naruto!” Sakura rolled her eyes before turning to face you, “Come sit, you don’t have to stand, you know.” You placed your food down on the table next to the pinkette and pulled up a chair. She faced you again.
“What’s on your schedule that sucks so much?”
“I got a four hour lab with Orochimaru at 6:10.” Sakura melted into the table, motioning to the lab pack that hung on her chair. She groaned, a hand over her face.
“Yikes,” You recoiled, sharing her pained expression.
“I know, right? That’s pre-med for you” Sakura checked her phone. “I have seven minutes to get to Uchiha Hall. I swear, I never get a break.” She sighed.
You glanced at Naruto as he inhaled his mountain of food. It looked as if he hit every station in the dining hall. You could see chicken tenders, two burgers, and noodles of one sort or another. Cups of various finger food were stacked in two mounds on the two plates and Naruto tackled them like a man on a mission.
“You’re still in ROTC, right? Are they working you hard too?” You questioned. Naruto looked up in surprise at the burgers he currently double fisted.
“Nah’ fe’ lon’!” He laughed, mouth full. “Rot’sy suks ash!” You blinked. Sakura laughed and playfully slapped your shoulder.
“That’s ‘Naruto’ for ‘I don’t like Might Guy’.” Sakura gave another exasperated look at the blond. The two of you giggled together as Naruto let out a defensive cry. He picked up the last chicken tender from one of his plates.
“Hey, now that’s not true! Just because I could go without the excessive workouts doesn’t mean-” Sakura’s phone rang and she hastily snoozed her alarm.
“I gotta go! Take care of my plate, would you Naruto?” As soon as she scooped up her lab equipment, she bolted from the table. You took the plate and stacked it on top of the one Naruto cleared.
You didn’t know Naruto well. He was more Sakura’s friend than yours and the conversation died down from the time she left. You remained in your seats peacefully and silently scrolling through your phones. Both of you plucked fries from your plate. You glanced up at him. One on one time with Naruto turned out to be surprisingly peaceful. Or it was.
A blur of green entered your peripheral and in a blink, Rock Lee stood in front of you holding the biggest sandwich you had ever seen.
“Hello! I have seen you around before! My name is Rock Lee!” You took a second to process. He did not talk fast or unclearly by any means, but to your burnt out brain he may as well have been speaking another language. It didn’t help that you were still focused on the sandwich. You gawked at it. The sheer shape and size of it easily could have come out of a Scooby-Doo episode. Every meat and vegetable available seemed to be between those two slices of bread and they were all squished down as best as they could. Lee set his plate down while you paused. Still standing over the chair, he turned to Naruto who sat to his right. “And you know my friend Naruto!”
Naruto chuckled nervously before grabbing his three plates.
“That’s my cue to leave!” He whispered, leaving you alone as Lee took Naruto’s place across from you. He ignored the words and disappearance of the blond. You gave him your name slowly and albeit more softly. He stared at you, stars in his eyes.
“They cut me off from the sandwich station.” You wondered if you had zoned out somewhere between Naruto leaving and your greeting.
You glanced to your left, then your right, then back at him. “They… cut you off from the sandwich station.” You asked as much as you stated. Lee picked up the comically sized sandwich with two hands, digging right into it.
“Apparently there is a limit to how much turkey one can put on a sandwich before they cut you off.” He squished it down. “So I asked for the same amount of ham and they told me I could not come back today.”
“Oh.” You didn’t quite know what to say. “Sorry about that.” You opted, sticking a fry into your mouth.
“Do not be! I am cut off every day and this is my fifth sandwich!” You choked.
“Fifth?” You asked in disbelief. “Why so many?”
“One must consume lots of protein to enhance muscle growth.” Lee stated between bites, practically inhaling his giant meal. You leaned on the table, studying him closely.
“Yeah, I see you a lot around campus. You seem like you workout a lot.”
“All the time!” You let out a light laugh.
“I wish I had that kind of work ethic. I’m definitely less active than I want to be.”
“You should join me some time!” Lee chewed happily, “Or perhaps I could design a workout routine that best suits you.”
Rock Lee was definitely an odd one, but he was also… sweet. That’s about when you really took him in. Ignoring the green tracksuit proved to be a feat of its own, but you found yourself mentally brushing your fingers through his messy hair. You could read his excitement and passion for life in his wide eyes. You smiled at the way he ate. Nothing in front of you could possibly be anything that someone could dislike.
“That…” You paused, thinking back to the group gathered around the windows in the common room, but those thoughts were quickly shaken. “That sounds nice, Lee.”
Lee’s eyes lit up once again. A certain warmth came to you each time you saw him become excited. He rattled off his schedule and you exchanged yours. You didn’t have any classes together in the current semester, but as the conversation progressed, you found yourself excited at the prospect of spending time with him.
The both of you got up  every once in a while to grab more snacks but ultimately settled back into your same seats. And like that, a five minute conversation turned into a two hour conversation. The time was around eight when you decided that you should go. Leaving your dishes with the washers at the very end of the dining hall hours wouldn’t be very courteous, so the two of you headed back to the dorms together.
Rain poured from the sky and you flipped up the hood of your hoodie and braced for the wetness from above. It never hit you. Instead came a light pitter patter. Lee held the umbrella for the two of you.
“Thank you, Lee.” You smiled as you walked. Puddles splashed under your boots but the weather remained light. Lee’s face shone under the lamplight. “So, is your real name ‘Rock’? Or is that just a nickname?” A bashful smile overtook his lips.
“It is my real name. You see, every member of my family is named after music. Just as an example, my father’s name is Blues and I am Rock.”
“I like that,” You told him softly, “That’s unique. It must be nice to have that kind of connection with your family.”
“It is.” You were too busy staring at Lee to realize that you both had reached the dorm. He swiped his ID and held the door open for you. You pushed the button to the elevator as he wrapped up his umbrella.
“Lee,'' You pursed your lips. As you pushed the buttons to your respective floors. You looked into his innocent, expecting eyes. You hesitated and the elevator opened to the third floor. You held it open with your foot. “I just thought that you should know that people tend to, well… I thought you should know that some people from our building have been poking fun at you.”
“Oh yes! We do live in the same building!” He gave out a loud, jolly laugh. Red tinted his cheeks. “How did I not notice this? What a funny coincidence!”
“Did you hear what I said?” Lee paused. His features softened.
“I appreciate you telling me, but I do not care.” The serious look didn’t stay for long. His usual positivity and determination quickly enveloped him again.
“You don’t?”
“Why would I care about what people think of me bettering myself?” You inwardly kicked yourself, suddenly feeling very small. Embarrassment burned within you.
“Wow, I never thought of it like that before.” You met his eyes, but you quickly looked away. “You really are something, Lee.”
“The best person you can be is yourself.” Lee smiled, fully stepping off the elevator. You matched his grin and withdrew your hand, letting the door close.
“Goodnight!”
“Goodnight, Lee.”
Notes: Out of all my fics this one is most based on real life. But, in this scenario I was the Rock Lee in the top section. I make it a point to maintain muscle and take care of myself. I wouldn’t say I’m Rock Lee levels of fit, but I used to get made fun of for going on runs in the quad all the time. The conversation Lee has with Reader by the elevator is near the same conversation I had with someone on my floor. 
The second section Rock Lee in the dining room was loosely based on a friend of mine who has since transferred. He actually did offer to make me a workout routine when I first started getting into fitness and would get those huge sandwiches multiple times a day. It was to the point where the sandwich makers would recognize him and know his order. 
I hope you enjoyed!
194 notes · View notes
girlmeetsliv3 · 4 years
Text
Lilies of the Valley I
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A/B/O!BTS x Reader
Flowers can have different meanings depending on the flower’s shape, color, and method in which they are presented. Lilies are my favorite for such a simple flower can have so many distinct meanings.
Chapter One: Hatred & Pride
“Lilies are considered a beautiful, popular flower but the orange variations actually symbolize hatred, pride, and disdain.”
Release Date: 05/18/20 @ 7 pm
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 YN stumbled haphazardly into her apartment, as she tried to kick off heels and steer her way into her apartment's small bathroom. In her hand lay a crumpled up business card that scorched her skin, yet she couldn't let go of it. As she reached the bathroom, she flickered the yellow lighting on and stared at herself in the dirty mirror. Mascara and eyeliner were smudged making her resemble a panda, a frown etched between her brows, and colored lips turned downward. It was not her wretched appearance that had her sorrowful, but rather the bite that was visible right where her neck met her shoulder. It looked fresh, harsh red marks that displayed to the world that she was taken. "What a fucking lie."
She took off her makeup and jumped into the shower scrubbing off every trace she could of the alpha. Not wanting his scent permeating on her body any longer, then it would truly prove people's perception of her to be true. A small ding as she was exiting the shower alerted her towards her phone.
           Mark Lee: Sorry about how I acted. I just don't understand, but I don't think we should see each other anymore.
"Great," YN grumbled. There went another one that she'd managed to drive away. It would be a lot easier if she could simply date someone like her - not that it would ever be allowed. Still, there would be less judgment and she wouldn't have to feel like a let down to society or her family every time a holiday passed and she failed to present with a mate. "Fuck society." Though truly it was more like fuck Jeon Jungkook. None of this would've happened if it weren't for the alpha and his hormones. Truly none of this would've happened if his mates kept a tighter grip on the newly presenting alpha, but she couldn't blame the others for his mistake.
           On second thought, fuck them all. Why the fuck are sub-genders a thing anyway? This wasn't the first time said thoughts had filled her head. Presenting as an Omega in a family full of beta's had been difficult, not to mention the events that followed afterward. YN dragged her feet into her bed, thankful for once that she lived in such a small apartment that things were never so far apart. Though her current apartment was about the size of the kitchen in her parent's home, she couldn't complain. Few people rented unmated omegas. She was lucky that her landladies were two female betas with small children. YN doesn’t have anything against alphas but she’s aware enough to know how they perceive her: a means to an end rather than a human being. Or half of one at the very least.
           Her cell phone screen lit up again, but YN was far too tired to check it. Until it stayed on as a plethora of messages appeared. Rolling her eyes, YN grabbed her phone and unlocked it planning to send to hell whoever sent so many messages this late at night.
           Unknown: Please consider it.
           Unknown: I know you blame me for a lot of things and it is my fault, but I’d like to fix things.
           Unknown: or help at the very least.
           Unknown: Please just answer me.
           Unknown: I’m very sorry. You know I am. It was a mistake, I was presenting and couldn’t control myself. Please YN.
           Unknown: You’re my mate.
YN slammed her phone down on her bed with tears in her eyes. She regretted ever going on the date tonight, regretted ever meeting Jungkook, regretted presenting as an Omega. YN regretted being alive. She knew others felt the same way, she'd seen the look in her father's eyes when he had gone to the police station. None of this would've ever happened if she were a beta. YN would be able to get a good education, a good job, a decent place to live. She wouldn't be treated like a third-class citizen because of her sub-gender - she would just be YN. The way she'd been in school before all this happened. The way she spent seventeen years of her life living. Sobs racked throughout her body and she bit into her arm to keep the sound from reaching her neighbors. She didn't want to get into any more trouble tonight.  
           Exhaustion eventually won over and YN slipped into a restless sleep, plagued by the events of her past and the ones that occurred a few hours earlier.
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          “So there was nothing you did in high school? No clubs or anything like that?”
YN shook her head, shrugging slightly. "I helped some teachers, dabbled in a couple of things but wasn't like the head cheerleader or class president." Tentatively she reached for her drink, making sure Mark didn't notice her smelling it for anything. It wasn't that he wasn't nice, but one could never be too careful. Mark laughed, "Alright you got me there, but I'll let you know the only reason I became class president is that I promised I'd get us a pool."
           “How did that work out?”
           “Terrible. The school was convinced our stupid asses would drown or something. Can’t say it wasn’t true.”
           YN giggled, taking another bite of her food. Mark was cute and he seemed aware of things, enough to not try too hard. He hadn’t asked to pick her up or asked about exes, he’d agreed to meet at the restaurant and even arrived early. Then again it might also be because they have a friend in between and it was Rosé who’d set them up together. “So YN what school did you go to?” Mark leaned forward resting his face in his hands. The warm lighting in the restaurant cast a nice glow on his features, it made him look more attractive. Or perhaps the alcohol had finally set in.
           “I went to Yeong-gwang Academy.” As soon as YN uttered the name Mark’s eyes widened exponentially. “No way, I’ve heard about that school. Isn’t it like a rich kid central or something? Wait didn’t you go to school with the Kims?!” It was an involuntary reaction the way she shivered whenever she heard that name, but her date must not have noticed. He stood waiting for her confirmation and all it took was a curt nod, for the man to begin rambling about all the rumors he’d heard over the years. It was difficult to keep up with them all, but she did manage to correct a few.
           “Haven’t you guys been ranked number one school in Korea for like thirty years or something?”
           “I think it’s only twenty.”
           “I heard all your sports teams are national champions.”
           “We only really had like five or so.”
           “Don’t you have the largest private collection of flowers in Asia?!”
           “Um, it’s Lilies and I think that’s an exaggeration.”
On and on it went, YN was now beginning to regret opening her mouth. She'd heard of Academy fans before, but it was mainly people who wanted to go there and couldn't or alumni. The way Mark spoke about it made her seem like she was an olympiad or a part of history. The date was drawing to an end, YN couldn't help but feel disappointed but it could have gone worse. Mark could have seen her mark and it would've caused conflict, hearing the boy ramble about her school was the lesser of the two evils.  
           It was when YN lifted her drink to her lips that she sensed it. A hint of musk and the smell of fresh linen, she couldn’t explain how she knew it was him. It was almost instinctual the fear that spread throughout her. As discreetly as she could, YN cast a glance around the room trying to find him almost exhaling with relief when she didn’t. It’s probably a mistake.
           “Hey isn’t that Kim Jungkook right there?”
It was said a little too loudly, just enough that YN knew he'd heard it. It didn't take long for her to feel eyes peering at her, goosebumps rose through her arms. Her bite began to throb and YN could feel her heart skip a beat. Mark's eyes focused on him and eventually crawled up, letting her know the alpha was approaching. Now the scent hit her entirely, shaking her to her core. YN gripped the table to steady herself but found that near impossible when the alpha kept sending his pheromones at her.  
"Does there seem to be a problem here?" His voice had deepened over the years, no longer the voice of a teenager but that of a man.
"Oh sorry, I didn't mean to call your name so loudly. Um, I'm Mark Lee. A pleasure to meet you." Mark turned his attention towards YN expecting her to acknowledge Jungkook or greet him as a classmate. YN couldn't. She couldn't look at him. It didn't help that there was a tense atmosphere between the two, the tension was palpable and it seemed Mark had enough.
           “Aren’t you going to greet him, YN?”
           Greet the man responsible for everything wrong in my life, sure. Yn’s eyes trailed upwards from the table to Jungkook’s face until her warm eyes met his golden ones. As YN parted her lips to speak, she felt it: the heat spreading throughout her body. An uncontrollable feeling that raked throughout her body. The fucker was trying to trigger a pseudo-heat. Instantly YN’s grip tightened on the table, her fingertips becoming white as she fought with nature to keep control over herself.
           “Do you two know each other?” It seems Mark was catching on and truly she couldn’t blame him if he misunderstood. She would too if the roles were reversed. Suddenly Jungkook turned to face Mark, holding his hand out to greet him.
           “I’m Kim Jungkook, her mate.”
"What?! No, he isn't. Don't listen to him, Mark." Her outcry had caused quite a few patrons to turn her way, now all paying close attention to what was happening.
"Uh -" Jungkook quickly interceded whatever Mark was going to say. "Did you not notice her mark? Or do you make a habit of seeking mated people?" At this a few people gasped, Mark looked between the two of them confused. YN snapped, "It's a partial bond. It was never completed so it doesn't mean anything." Her words only confused Mark even more. Whispers from surrounding tables began to reach her ears and it only fueled YN's rage more. This was all a big misunderstanding, but Jungkook was thriving off it. Mark and YN's eyes met as she silently pleaded with him to listen to her.
"Hey beta," Jungkook snapped his fingers together, "look at me." YN should've known she'd lost then and there. As a beta, it was impossible to resist the order of alpha, not to mention one that exuded the stench that Jungkook did.
           “You know who I am right?” Mark nodded, eyes wide as if aiming to please. “Then you know don’t you? You know…” When Mark looked back at her, there was sympathy in his eyes. “I’m sorry YN.” was all the beta said before standing up and walking away. YN had so many things to say, so many more explanations, but they all died in her tongue.
           Jungkook tsked, “What an asshole. Could’ve at least paid for the meal.” That was the final strand for YN, she gathered her stuff and threw all the money she had down on the table. Walking fast out of the restaurant trying to avoid the judgemental stares directed towards her, she swore some people hissed at her under their breaths. Once outside YN leaned against the side entrance of the restaurant trying to steady her breath and stop the incoming tears.
"YN. Hey!" Jungkook raced out the front, staring around panicked until his gaze landed on her. YN tried to walk away, but his long legs gave him an advantage and he reached her in a few steps. "Please YN. I'm sorry, I just- I couldn't control myself." YN rolled her eyes, trying to push the alpha aside.  
           “No please YN look.” His hands gripped her forearms and tugged her close to him. “I’ve been trying to find you, we’ve been trying to find you. But you disappeared off the map.”
           “That’s because of you. I left because of you.” YN tried to get him to release her arms, but his hold was too tight. “Wasn’t it enough for you? Isn’t it enough for you? You ruined my life and my reputation Jungkook. The least you could do is leave me alone.” She was begging at this point, trying to make him see reason.
           “I can’t leave you alone, YN. You’re my mate.”
           “You already have mates Jungkook. Fucking six of them! How could you want more?!”
           “It isn’t like that and you know it. You’re all our mates. You're the pack omega, you just don’t see it yet.”
           This wasn’t the first time Jungkook had tried to excuse his behavior by using the pack bond. Yes, it was true all seven of them shared it but that didn’t mean she did too. “Omega’s don’t have the pack bond, Jungkook. Stop trying to lie.” YN couldn’t see what he gained from this.
           “I’m not lying. It’s rare but it happens, please if you just speak to Namjoon you’ll see-”
           “Leave me alone Jungkook.” YN mustered all her strength and managed to finally push him off. The alpha looked shocked at her display of aggression, YN strongly desired to hit him but knew it wouldn’t end well if she triggered his instincts. “I’d rather die alone than be mated to you.” YN could see the spear driven through the boy’s heart because she felt something similar go through hers. YN let out a shaky breath, she leaned over resting on her knees for fear of falling over.
"I get it. I'm sorry, I ruined your date. I embarrassed you in front of all those people and that wasn't right. I'm sorry YN, I truly am. For everything, I've ever done to you. But it doesn't change the truth. You know this isn't something I can lie about: you are my mate. Our mate."
YN groaned and went to walk away, knowing that there wouldn't be an end to Jungkook's madness. As she walked past the shaken alpha, he grasped her hand placing something in it. "If you ever need anything, don't hesitate, please." YN didn't even spare him a look as she walked away. It wasn't until she could no longer smell him that YN broke down, her body shaking as she tried to hold it all in. She was still in a public place and a vulnerable omega might draw unwanted attention. YN took a deep breath and steadied herself. Heading straight to her apartment and refusing to look back.
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           A loud abrupt ringing awoke YN from her sleep, she jumped so high she practically touched the ceiling. Grabbing the phone, she saw Rosé’s contact picture pop-up on the screen. It was rare for her to call, especially since it was nearly six a.m.
           “Hey.”
           “YN? Oh my god.” Rosé’s tone was panicked and YN could hear the way she panted. “Someone broke into my apartment while I was sleeping.”
           “What?! Are you alright?!” YN jumped out of bed and raced to put on pants and hoodie, before grabbing her keys and wallet. “Where are you?”
           “I’m at the police station. I couldn’t see very clearly, but they’re looking at security cam footage from around the area to figure out who it is.”
           “I’m on my way. Did you call Lucas?” Lucas was Rosé’s foster sibling, his husband worked in the police and was certain to make the whole process smoother.
           Rosé hesitated, “He isn't answering. Please come, I’m here alone and I-”
           “It’s alright I’ll be there soon I promise.” YN had managed to wave down a cab and told him to drive as quickly as he could.
The sight of her best friend in tears triggered something innate in YN. She pulled Rosé into a hug and refused to let her go, terrified at the thought of what could have happened to her friend. "It's alright, I'm here." Rosé dug her head into YN's neck using her scent to calm her nerves and trying to muffle her cries. Already she could feel the sympathetic stares of some of the officers. Out of the corner of her eye, YN saw someone approaching his bloodshot eyes, and the tall way in which he stood made it seem like he owned the place.
"I told you to call your mate, not your girlfriend." He remarked voice dull yet mocking. Rosé stepped away from YN turning towards him, "I don't have a mate and my brother isn't answering." Her tone was meek and eyes were downcast, YN knew she wasn't a confrontational person and this event likely further caused her to become more introverted. The cop rolled his eyes, "Where is your mate then?" He turned his attention towards YN, now she could see the name inscribed on his uniform: Officer Hwang. "I don't have one." Her tone was too blunt, YN knew she could see the way his eyebrows raised at it.
           “Don’t lie to me, I can see your mark.”
           “I don’t have a mate.”
Annoyance was now visible in Hwang's tone before his eyes widened. "Ah, now I get it." The officer turned back towards one of his colleagues and called out, "Bo, it seems we have a cat house on our hands." Rosé's eyes widened and YN spoke quickly, words tumbling out of her mouth. "No. You're misunderstanding." Bo had already stood up from his desk and was making his way towards them.  
           “Ladies if you could please follow me.”
The two of them were talking over each other trying to explain the situation, but the officers had made up their minds about what was occurring. YN cast a glance around the room trying to find anyone who could help them, but everyone kept their eyes downward. They'd been titled as prostitutes and it would be difficult to change people's minds. Officer Bo guided them, pushed would've been a better term, towards the basement where the holding cells were.
           “Please sir, you’ve misunderstood.”
           Officer Hwang shrugged, a cruel smirk on his face. “Call your alpha then and everything will be solved.” YN resigned herself as they were dragged downstairs and locked up.
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Rosé and YN were separated in different cells while a guard stood watching. Tears streamed endlessly down her best friend's face, whilst YN told herself that hers were tears of frustration rather than humiliation at everything that had occurred tonight. Eventually, as they hit the two-hour mark the guard spoke up, "I'd call your mates if I were you. The boarding house bus swing's by at nine." Both omegas stilled in fear at his words. YN turned towards Rosé, "Ro can't you try your brother?" She was pleading with her friend, but Rosé shook her head. "He won't come." There was something she wasn't telling her, but YN figured now was not the moment to press it.
           “Don’t you know someone who can help YN? What about Mark?”
Mark would be no help, considering everything that went down at the date it would be a further embarrassment to ask him to come to pick her up at the station. If he even answered that is. Unless? No, there was no way. Her pride wouldn’t be able to take it.
            "Thirty minutes, girls."
It seemed as if fate was pushing her into a corner. YN had heard about what kind of things occurred to Omega's who were taken to the boarding house, it was not a nice place. It certainly didn't provide the comfort or protection that was promised to unmated troubled omegas. Hesitantly YN cleared her throat, "Can I please make a call?"
~ Please lmk if you would like to be added to the tag list. Thank you
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holycatsandrabbits · 3 years
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Tollense, an original serial romance by Dannye Chase, Chapter 1
A history professor falls in love with his best friend, a 3000-year-old vampire.
READ FROM THE BEGINNING: You are here!
NEXT
Chapter 1
1993
Professor Liam Beyer was born a decade after the deaths of the last soldiers to fight in the US Civil War. Thus, he was not expecting to meet a Union Army veteran in his 4 o’clock symposium on the Battle of Antietam.
Liam noticed the man as soon as he walked in, and not just because it was odd for a member of the public to show up for a faculty lecture at the university. No, the man caught Liam’s attention because he was distractingly handsome. Literally, Liam was distracted enough to drop his pen onto the overhead projector, causing a giant shadow to loom over the map of Maryland on the screen behind him, as if a third army had materialized there in a dense offensive line.
The man was of average height, with a slender build. He had dark hair in a short, modern cut and wore a pair of jeans and a white t-shirt with a faded label. He looked like he might be thirty, which was about the age Liam was, and so Liam did not immediately assume that the man had seen action in the Civil War. But there was something faintly strange about him, just in the way that he walked, light on his feet like a dancer, but stepping firmly, without a dancer’s well-practiced grace.
“General Lee,” Liam continued, in a slightly strangled voice, “of the Confederate Army, was, of course, outnumbered, but the battle was Union General McClellan’s to lose. Had he understood how superior his force was, had he taken more risks, he might have been able to deal a decisive blow to Lee’s army as it retreated. In fact, McClellan’s performance at Antietam was part of the reason that President Lincoln later removed him from duty.”
Liam put up a transparency of a white church with peeling paint, standing alone on a grassy rise. “On September 17, 1862, 7,650 soldiers died at Antietam, making it the bloodiest day for Americans in history. Two days later, a man named Alexander Gardner took some of the first widely-seen battlefield photographs of dead soldiers. Some were awaiting burial, and some were still lying where they fell. It was very difficult at the time to take photographs of battles themselves, as the technology involved careful treatment of glass negatives, and that was nearly impossible under battlefield conditions. But the dead do not move, and these photographs were so clear that when displayed in New York, family members recognized their fallen sons.”
Liam put up a transparency of one of Gardner’s photographs, young men lying on the ground in an oddly perfect line. The unknown man looked away.
oOo
Liam had grading to do after his symposium, but he walked to the campus union to grab a sandwich first. He was definitely not expecting Handsome Unknown Lecture Man to appear out of the crowd and drop into the seat opposite him. Liam was very proud that he did not choke on his bite of ham and swiss.
“I hope you don’t mind,” said the man. “I enjoyed your lecture. My name is Kurt.”
Liam put his hand out to shake. Kurt’s touch was faintly cold. “Liam,” he said.
Kurt cocked his head slightly to the side, as if assessing him. “I know. Liam Beyer, 27, assistant professor of history, specializing in battles. Is Antietam your favorite?”
“Um— one of them. I did my dissertation on it. On McClellan, specifically.” Liam felt slightly odd about the fact that this stranger knew who he was, but of course, it was all publicly accessible information. “Are you a Civil War buff?”
“Somewhat.” Kurt leaned back in his chair. “Antietam, god. I remember Bloody Lane— that’s what they called it after. The road was sunken in because so many wagons had gone by over the years. It was like trying to fight your way out of your own grave trench.” Kurt spoke with a faint accent that Liam could not place, something that seemed to shift from one place to another.
“You talk like you were there,” Liam said, smiling. “Are you a reenactor?”
Kurt gave a sharp laugh. “No. You?”
“I’ve been a technical advisor. It’s nice to meet other people who share my strange obsession.”
“Those pictures you showed,” Kurt said. “Photography is such a bewitching art. Those boys are long gone, but remain ever present in death.”
“You know, the war helped make Spiritualism popular,” Liam said. “It was so hard on the families back home to lose contact with their soldiers, not knowing what happened to them, or when, or where. They couldn’t bear it, and turned to mediums.”
Kurt smiled, and it made his bright green eyes sparkle with amusement. “Have you ever been to a seance?” he asked. Liam shook his head. “Most I’ve been to were quite boring,” Kurt said. “But every once in awhile—”
“That sounds like a good story.”
“I’ll tell you sometime.” Liam’s brain was already far too occupied with how attractive he found this poor man, and that was probably why the sentence sounded more like a salacious promise than it really was.
“So what do you do?” Liam asked faintly, crumpling his empty sandwich wrapper. “Are you a student?”
“Not at the moment. Just a fan of history. Of battles, actually.” Kurt leaned forward a little. “Liam, would you mind if I came to your office tomorrow to talk more? I have some questions and I think you might be the one to help me answer them.”
“I— of course.” Liam told himself that he agreed solely because he liked to talk about history with people, and that it didn’t matter whether or not said people were ridiculously attractive.
Kurt smiled at him again. “Until tomorrow then.”
On his way out of the dining hall, Liam was stopped by a student with a question about an assignment on Gettysburg. “I didn’t want to interrupt your dinner,” she said.
“Oh, it would have been fine,” Liam told her. “We were talking about the Civil War ourselves.”
The student gave him a confused look. “Dr. Beyer— weren’t you eating alone?”
oOo
In the end, Liam decided that as he’d never dreamed up a handsome man in quite so much detail before, that the student had been mistaken and simply had not noticed Kurt’s presence at Liam’s table.
And yet. There really was something very strange about the man. Liam couldn’t quite pin it down, just that there was a disconnect between what Liam was seeing and what he was feeling about him. For example, Kurt appeared to be thirty, but Liam would swear he was older. Kurt had looked perfectly natural at dinner, but it had also seemed like he didn’t quite fit in with his surroundings. Like if you’d taken a photograph of him at the table, he would have been slightly too bright, out of focus, or without a shadow.
Kurt’s knock on Liam’s office door finally came around eleven, and Liam was, he realized, far too happy to see him again. At first, nothing about the visit seemed terribly odd. They discussed Antietam again, then traveled forward to the Somme, and then much farther back, Megiddo and Kadesh. Kurt seemed to know less about those battles, Liam noted, but he was quite familiar with things taking place after Thermopylae in the 5th century BC.
It was easy to talk to Kurt, especially about interests they had in common, and as the conversation went on, Kurt seemed to relax a bit, which made Liam do the same. The day before, Liam had thought Kurt moved without grace, but that wasn’t exactly right. Kurt had a different kind of grace, a fluidity of small movements instead of large ones, an artistry shown in the fluttering of fingers while the rest of the man kept entirely still. The emphasis on such small motions seemed to draw Liam in, narrowing his focus away from his surroundings and onto his visitor. But at the same time, Kurt had such an air of other about him, that it was almost like Liam was looking at him through beveled glass, never quite getting the whole image at once.
However, Liam’s sense of ease around Kurt vanished entirely when another student knocked on Liam’s door with a question about an assignment. That in itself was perfectly normal, but during the whole time that the student was in Liam’s office, she didn’t speak to Kurt or apologize for interrupting their conversation. She didn’t give a single look to the chair that Kurt occupied beside Liam’s desk.
When the student had left, Liam leaned back in his chair, trying to fake the calmness that he no longer felt. “All right,” he said, watching his visitor carefully. “You want to tell me why I’m the only person who can see you?”
********
READ FROM THE BEGINNING: You are here!
NEXT
Updates Fridays on Ao3 and DannyeChase.com (rated E), and Tumblr (rated T)
Want to create fic, art, or other works based on this series? Please do! Just dm or tag me.
My previous serials are for Good Omens: Mr. Fell's Bookshop and Love's Endless Light
My Carrd
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vicecityhq · 3 years
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██████████████]99% loading…suspect into the apd database…
WITNESS(ES) SAY HE REMINDS THEM OF: glasses, academia, coffee shops . with a slight resemblance to JEON JUNGKOOK of/the BTS.
CLICK BELOW TO VIEW ENTIRE FILE.
FULL FILE:
last name, first name: lee, david alias: electro realm of birth(if earth, nationality): earth age: 23 date of birth: september 1, 1997 gender: cis-gender male preferred pronouns: he/him, they/them species: cyborg level 1, civilian sexual orientation: questioning
VISUAL FILE:
skin color: light tanned eye color: dark brown, blue tint when using eye enhancemets scars: none reported piercings: both ears tattoos: a simple black star on left wrist hair color: black, dyed a variety of colors at times abnormalities: none reported horns/ wings/ etc: none transformed form: none
PERSONAL FILE:
powers & abilities: enhanced vision, lens screen, vital monitor and data collection, temperature scanning, night vision, light adjustment vision, app synchronization (photo, video recording, downloading) traits: determined, aloof
BACKGROUND CHECK:
date of birth: september 1, 1997
date of death: -
crime record: a clean record
BACKGROUND/BIOGRAPHY:
david was the 2nd born in his family, to a career solider and a
struggling
opera singer. his sister was 1st and her words upon seeing him as a baby was “i’m cuter.”at times he felt neglected given that his sister was getting more attention that him, she was the golden child while he was …david, quiet most of the time but had moments of intense energy. his parents enrolled him a variety of sports which kept him in check. he excelled in martial arts (taekwondo and kumdo) and basketball which was used as leverage to keep in ballet. that was something his mother wanted for both of her children, though he never got a reason why. near the end of elementary school his parent’s divorced and his mother remarried a “rich man”. though he was kind he was very distant to him. his sister however took a liling to increases social status she had.
it was during middle school did david and his sister start to grow apart. sneaking out, skipping class, among other things became his sister’s focus. he had an idea of some things but didn’t speak on them since it would lead to an argument. “boring and straight laced” was what she called him, he and to edge to him. the young boy’s concern was to make in on a national team, it didn’t matter the sport. david used his studies as a shield against the chaos around him, not just at home and school, but the city in general. sometimes it felt like a comic with how crime was almost normalized be it in the background or directly involving you. he kept his circle small and hid most information about himself, his image had to be pure for the scouts and his future career.
given the reputation of his father, david knew military enlistment was the next step college or not. now being in the army was a double edge sword. there wasn’t this pressure to perform like say the marines but he was held to a higher standard. sometimes he was afforded privildges like extra time but also more severe punishments for making the same mistake as others. just going for 2 years wasn’t enough, he was expected to stay for 3. not for his own goals or wants but that of his father. it was during this time did david see that he had lived a rather comfortable life compared to others in his unit, but that didn’t mean he didn’t have any issues. the constant question on his mind was “where do i belong?”.  well the military wasn’t the answer, his discharge date couldn’t come soon enough and when it came, he was already in another system. college.
a bit older and wiser, david could fully focus on his studies (again) something he was happy about and rebuild some parts of his past that he couldn’t while serving. while he is aware his parents expect to major in something like medicine or law, he has no interest in either. his duties to his family and country are complete. it’s for david to live for himself. during his 1st year of college his sister got married much to the joy of his parents. his brother-in-law was “well put together” despite being a little off in his manners. it wasn’t until a few months later did his sister reveal she married a vampire along with hints of her planning to become one. their step-dad was willing to overlook all of his since it met more access to money and power however their mom had reservations. knowing her relationship was rocky with her daughter, she asked david to look after her.
this was 1 of the few times in his life he went against his parents wishes. david had a real chance to be a top athlete and having a gang affiliation wouldn’t help. even if he did have access to money and in some ways protection it was too big of a risk. his sister made her choice to get and stay involved, if she did need help he would but only from her directly. not going through with it put distance between the young man and his mom. maybe it was pressure of college, stress, or still trying to answer the question but david had a chance to “be better” and secretly got an enhancement on his eyes. this afforded him the ability to study in any lighting and pick up on details he would other wise miss. his grade improved greatly but the bigger reward was that his physical fitness was fine tuned to the point he could stay at his peak. with his enhancement he could monitor his calorie intake and vitals, adjust his work out plan so his whole body performing at it’s maximum. this offered him some stability as he had something to thrive for and could take his mind off of the less appealing parts of his life.
INTERVIEW QUESTION (PARA SAMPLE): “JUST RUN US THROUGH WHAT HAPPENED THAT NIGHT”. - OFFICER
he was nervous looking at the “window” of the home unsure if there was others on the other side. running his hand through his hair was a ploy to cover his eye and scan for temperature, a rather unused feature of his eyes. he sighed out of relief not “seeing” anyone though he knew to not let his guard down. again the officer repeated their statement. this time he looked at them directly hands under the table quietly toying with the zipper of his jacket, “i was going home from the library but stopped at the store for a drink.” that was true, it was all true. though now he wished he just went straight home. “but you didn’t see the fight?” the officer raised a brow not totally convinced. “no, i wasn’t focused on that. i heard people yelling but didn’t look that’s how you get jumped. it wasn’t my business so i kept going,” he answered. “uh…david, you’re in school right? what do you want to be?” this sad attempt to relate to him. “that’s really irrelevant to why i’m here, shouldn’t you be talking to them or the store owner? i don’t know why i’m here, when i didn’t do anything.” his words had a hint of annoyance, he wasn’t a child. “you are a witness, maybe not a good one but still one regardless. even if your details are…missing. it’s enough with common sense to help confirm the series of events.” the officer replied, “you may go.” he was didn’t need to be told twice with his bag already on his shoulder and made his way out of the station.
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tarteausuga · 3 years
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Home for Christmas
CW: just pure fluff, really. As fluffy and as soft as snow but not as cold. Idol! Mark Lee x reader. Johnny's there too but just as support.
WC: 3.3K
Summary: in which you're alone for Christmas and Mark tries to give you a gift to make you feel less sad.
A/N: Merry Christmas, everyone. Happy holidays if you don't celebrate Christmas. I hope you're all happy, healthy and safe. I'll also be taking a break from TBTC next week and posting something for New year's ✌️
Long distance relationships were hard but they had their good sides as well as bad. One good thing is that you had a lot of time for yourself but on the bad side, you often felt lonely whenever you're out and see people with their significant others. You never really had to spend money on dates but conversely, you never had a chance to go out and show off your boyfriend in public. The time difference often made it hard for you to talk but neither of you ever missed out on your calls.
Mark would call you first thing in the morning when you woke up. It would be midnight to him but luckily, he was a night owl and didn't mind keeping you company while you got ready for your day. Then, you would go about your day before calling him at 5pm, 9am his time, to do the same for him. He often spent his mornings at home before heading to the studio for practice or to write so it was ample time to catch up and just talk about random things. He liked to watch you cook and he often would watch something in Netflix with you. Sometimes you were lucky enough to have him talk you to sleep, or sing you a song he's been working on to send you off into your dream world.
It sounds perfect in a way. You're both able to focus on your lives during the day because the other is safely asleep but you craved the physical aspects. You wanted to be held, you wanted to hold his hand, hell you just wanted to eat a meal with him sitting across from you at the table instead of on a little screen.
The past year and a half has been spent like this. You were childhood friends, growing up together before he moved overseas. You often spent recess running around together and sharing snacks. He wasn't necessarily your best friend, but he was one of the few friends you had growing up and even to this day. It's not that you weren't social but you just preferred being by yourself a lot. You kept in touch with the few friends you did have and that was all you really needed.
It was a surprise to run into him given the circumstances on both ends. He was an incredibly talented and relatively famous Idol in another country; and you moved across the country for school but ended up staying there after landing a good job. You were aware that he would be performing with his group but it wasn't your scene. And you couldn't get tickets anyway since they sold out almost instantly.
Out on your lunch break, you were grabbing a midday iced coffee. But you were trying to juggle setting up meetings and calls with a few important people so you weren't really paying attention when you went to grab the coffee, thinking it was yours.
"Oh I'm sorry." Both you and the owner of that drink said.
Finally, you looked up from your phone at the man and for some reason, you had a feeling of familiarity with him. After squinting your eyes and trying to go through your roledex of people you've encountered in your life, your brain finally figured it out. "Mark?" You say with bewilderment.
"Oh my god! It is you!" He pulled you into an extremely tight hug. "I saw you but I couldn't really tell and I didn't want to go up to a random stranger." He laughed and you couldn't help but do the same. Mark always had that effect on people, he would laugh or smile and no matter who he was with, they would do the same.
"What are you doing here?" You ask, somehow completely forgetting that he was due to perform the next day, which he reminded you of. "Oh! That's really exciting." If you were honest, you were distracted by how he's grown up. He used to be this cute boy that you would trade your fruit snacks for cookies with. But now he was incredibly handsome but still had those captivating eyes that could make you melt.
"This is amazing, I can't believe we ran into each other like this." He pulled you into another hug that brought a blush across your face. You were in a daze as he introduced you to the 2 other guys with him but you didn't really catch their names. You just noticed that they were also incredibly handsome. "But hey, if you're free tonight, we should catch up!" You agreed, thankfully.
And you could say the rest was history but beyond that one fateful day/night, you haven't seen Mark. A full year and a half later, you were entering your second Christmas without him but unfortunately, you weren't able to go home to your family to distract yourself from the boy you wanted to be with during the holidays. Not usually the type to be into overly romantic gestures, you uncharacteristically were craving the experiences that couples usually had in the movies. Your sisters told you countless times to stop watching Hallmark Christmas movies but you really couldn't help it when there was nothing else to watch on TV.
December 23rd. You were staring at your miniature Christmas tree that you had bought for your small apartment. The rest of your apartment was fully decorated in an effort to fill the emptiness you felt but it didn't seem to help much beyond wishing that Mark were there to experience it with you.
It was a perfect Christmas, the snow was falling outside and you reminisced about that rare snow day you had in your West coast town. That day was incredible. It was Christmas Eve and the whole city shut down due to the influx of white that they rarely had to deal with. Mark had banged on your door and begged your parents to let you go out and play despite it being Christmas Eve. That day was spent building snowmen, having snowball fights and everything before everyone went home and passed out to wake up to a white Christmas.
Mark had expressed to you that he missed that the most. Those snow days where everything shut down and you could just go out and be free to run around and have fun. You wished to be able to send some snow to him. But instead, you called him.
"Hi baby, how are you?" He said in a gravely voice as he had just woken up.
"I'm okay, just miss you a lot." You pouted and he copied your expression. "But look!" You showed him the view outside your window, including the snow capped trees and pillows of white on any surface it could cling on.
"Oh my god, that's beautiful." He sighed. "I wish I could be there to see it with you. I hate that you're alone this year for Christmas."
"It's okay." You flash a weak smile. "My coworker is going to drop off some food for me from her parents. I'll just have a Harry Potter marathon."
"Okay. I'll join you for that." He smiles. "My present for you should be showing up soon. I hope it gets there before the 25th."
"Hard to say. Doesn't matter if it does or not, I'm just happy to get something from you." You ease him of his worries. He often got worked up over the smallest things and you found it cute the way he would furrow his eyebrows in frustration only to breathe a sigh of relief when you told him to do so. You were his comfort and he was yours. Even if you were thousands of miles apart.
"I have to get going, love. I'll talk to you later okay?" He says and you are confused as he usually never has nice to do before noon. But you shrugged it off and assumed he just had some year end things to work on.
"Yeah I'll talk to you later. I love you." You blew him a kiss and he did the same before hanging up.
To be honest with yourself, you were starting to hate saying goodbye. Your heart would feel so heavy whenever a call ended and recently, that feeling got worse and worse with every call. Things were starting to feel like they were all for nothing. You trusted Mark and knew him well enough to know you were the only one that would be on his mind but that physical aspect was something you were craving. The simplest things like just being in the same room while you were both quietly working on your own things, exchanging loving glances every so often.
You dozed off watching The Nightmare Before Christmas and was woken up on Christmas Eve by the blinding white of the snow capped exteriors. Confused, you searched for your phone to check the time: 9:27. Mark has never failed to call you at 8AM every single day. It was your routine. It was your ritual. You send him a message but his phone doesn't even receive it. Is his phone off? You ask yourself. He did sound a bit off yesterday… Or was he just tired and groggy? Maybe he's having a late night in the studio. He said he didn't have anything scheduled for a few days though. In an effort to mitigate your panic, you throw your phone to the other side of your bed.
Forcing yourself to roll out of bed and make some coffee to try to dull some of the panic you were feeling. He wouldn't just ice me out on Christmas Eve. He's probably just tired and fell asleep before he could call, you convinced yourself.
It was nearing lunch time and you still didn't hear from your boyfriend. You had spent the morning curled up on the couch watching Disney Channel Original Christmas Movies, trying to distract yourself but every time something romantic happened, you sighed and wished for Mark. His phone still wasn't receiving your messages. Had his phone died?
In desperation, you text the only other person you knew who was close with him: Johnny. You had met Johnny that day that you ran into Mark but never processed it until you began watching their performances on YouTube. Mark had given you Johnny's number so you could apologize for ignoring him but you would occasionally ask him for favours. Usually asking him to get something for Mark from you. He often said, "I only do this because I love Mark and you love Mark."
You [11:34AM]: Hey Johnny? Are you awake?
You [11:34AM]: Merry Christmas, by the way!
It was almost 4AM so you would be surprised if he was still awake but he often stayed up late with Haechan so you figured it was worth a shot.
Johnny [11:39AM]: what's up?
Johnny [11:38AM]: Merry Christmas to you too :)
You [11:40AM]: is Mark okay? I haven't heard from him since last night. I'm getting worried.
You watched as Johnny's message bubble appeared and disappeared a few times. He was hesitating…
Johnny [11:42AM]: he's fine. You'll probably hear from him soon ;)
You [11:42AM]: ?? What's that supposed to mean?
Johnny simply replied with a shrug emoji and you wished you could send a punch through a text message. But you sighed and continued sipping on your hot apple cider as you pressed play on another movie. Johnny doesn't lie so I'll believe him for now.
You had somehow fallen asleep and you only realized when you felt your phone buzzing next to you. Without even checking the caller ID, you press the green answer button and put it on speaker as you tried to pull yourself out of the afternoon nap haze.
"Hello?" You say, barely above a whisper.
"Hey baby, sorry I've missed your messages. Johnny said you were worried about me?" Mark's voice shook you awake. You scrambled to sit up before picking up your phone and taking it off speaker to hear him more clearly.
"Mark? Are you okay?"
He simply laughed, "I'm okay babe. I'm sorry for worrying you." He apologized again.
"No, it's okay. I was just worrying over nothing. What were you doing?"
"I was at the airport." He said and you could tell there was something up by the tone of his voice. Mark could never lie to you even if he tried.
"And?"
"And I need you to come pick me up." He teased and you became even more confused which made you a bit upset as you didn't like being led on.
"Mark I can't, you're in another country." You roll your eyes even though he can't see.
"Baby, I'm not. I'm here." And it finally clicked in your head.
"Wait! You're here? Like here? Like in the same city?" You try not to scream.
"Yes, exactly. I wanted to surprise you better but the snow delayed things…"
"It's okay I'll come now!" You practically yell into the phone.
"Drive carefully!" He warned you before hanging up.
Like a tornado, you tried to clean up your apartment so your boyfriend didn't think you were a complete slob. At the same time, you were trying to pick out a cute outfit and do your hair in an effort to make yourself look somewhat presentable.
With your best effort, you shrugged when you checked yourself in the mirror before pulling on your parka and heading out the door. As your car warmed up, you reminded yourself that Mark had seen you at your literal worst. From the late night mental breakdowns to a hungover morning from having a few too many drinks with your coworkers, Mark had seen it all and always assured you that you looked amazing. Maybe he was lying a few times during those moments but he never made you feel like you were anything less than perfect for him.
You did your best to drive calmly to the airport. There wasn't much of a choice as the other cars on the road were also trying to get to their destinations safely so traffic was moving at a slower pace. After what seemed like the longest car ride you've ever taken, you pulled into a parking stall at the airport and checked your phone to see that Mark had sent you the gate he was at, waiting for his luggage. You practically sprinted across the parking lot and road, having a few close calls with other pedestrians and a few cars. But you couldn't help yourself. You were finally getting to see him.
Arriving at his gate, you tried to catch your breath as you scanned the crowd around the baggage carousel looking for Mark. When the two of you finally made eye contact, you burst through the crowd and jumped into his arms. You thought you would tackle him down but he was surprisingly strong and not only caught you but picked you up, allowing your legs to wrap around him like a koala baby. People aw'd and some even clapped while others pulled out their phones to candidly capture your reunion.
"You're here." You choked back tears, breathing in his scent and making sure you locked it up in your memory for future use.
"I'm here." He breathed into your ear which triggered the tears to start falling. He placed you back on your feet but steadied you in the warmth and safety of his arms. He chuckled while he wiped your tears away, "why are you crying?"
"I don't know, I just missed you so much." You sniffled while looking up at him with wet eyes. It's been so long that you had forgotten that he was taller than you by more than a few centimeters. So when he leaned down to kiss you, you were surprised but also extremely comforted as a wave of warmth filled up the emptiness in your heart.
"My little crybaby." He placed another kiss on your forehead.
You clung on to each other until his suitcase dropped down from the chute. Hand-in-hand, you led him to your car. Amazingly, you navigated the whole way there while beaming up at Mark the whole time. He reciprocated but occasionally pulled you to the side to avoid running into someone else.
The car ride back to your apartment was just full of you two talking about anything and everything. From when he planned all of this and how he managed to get out of his activities to Johnny almost ruining the surprise when he struggled to say something that would both ease your worries but not let you in on the secret. The whole time, Mark's hand was on your thigh as you needed both hands to properly manoeuvre your car through the snow. You sometimes caught Mark looking outside with pure wonder and amazement as he took in the image of the city blanketed by the snow. The smile on your face never left as you tried to process every moment with him to keep in your memories.
"So how long are you staying?" You say as you take the elevator up to your apartment. His arm was wrapped around your shoulders and you had a feeling that your boyfriend who was usually uncomfortable with physical attraction, wouldn't keep a hand off of you the whole time he was there.
"I have to leave the day after Christmas." He says quietly.
Trying not to be upset by the short time together, you reminded yourself that it was better than nothing. "We'll make it work." You say simply to him while learning up to plant a kiss on his cheek.
Mark felt overwhelmed by your apartment. The moment he stepped in, he was greeted by the sweet scent of vanilla and oranges. He tried to take as many mental notes as he could while walking around and taking in every single detail of your place. This was your home and he felt like every little knick-knack strategically placed by you was a piece of you.
"Here." You handed him a cup of apple cider to warm up.
"Thank you." He added a kiss to your temple. Suddenly remembering something, he let out a little gasp before placing his cup down on the coffee table and going to his backpack. He pulled out a box wrapped in red paper and a golden bow that was slightly flattened from its journey to the other side of the world to you.
"What's this?" You ask when he places it in your hands, taking a seat next to you.
"Just open it." He smiles. The excitement was practically bursting from him as he anticipated you opening the box.
"Your gift is probably on the doorstep of your mom's place right now." You sighed.
"It's okay baby, I can't wait to open it but just open yours now." He said.
The lid lifted to reveal a necklace with a delicate golden chain and a little purple gem dangling from it. "Mark…" you coo, your eyes welling up with tears again.
"Are you going to cry again?" He laughs and you playfully poke his side. "I know purple is your favourite colour… It's not much but I thought you'd like it." He said softly while he fixed it around your neck. You smiled up at him before you situated yourself in his lap, straddling his thighs.
"It's perfect." You kiss him, "what else did you get me?" You pull back when he tries to deepen the kiss.
"What do you mean?" He stared blankly at you.
"You said it's not much so where's the rest of my present?" You say mischievously.
"You said it's perfect but you want more?" He cocks an eyebrow up.
"Well… I haven't seen you in a year and a half, there has to be more." You tease.
"I'm your present aren't I?" He smirks, grabbing the bow from the box and sticking it onto his head.
"I guess…" you laugh while leaning in to kiss him again. "You're lucky you're cute." You say as he stands up, making sure to wrap your legs around him before turning towards your bedroom.
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twobitmulder · 3 years
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When did Storm Shadow Become a Villain?
There is a scene in GI Joe Resolute where Snake Eyes and Storm Shadow are having their obligatory Ninja Battle and (Spoilers I Guess) Storm Shadow reveals that he orchestrated his uncle, The Hard Master’s, death and that he fully meant to kill Snake Eyes as well, out of jealousy and because his uncle would not teach him the final secret to killing a man in seven steps, fearing that young Storm Shadow was too volatile and violent. Towards the end of the battle Storm Shadows wrist bands come off, revealing his Arashikage tattoo on one arm and a Cobra Sigil on the other.
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This version of Storm Shadow (Voiced by “every Beagle Boy on Ducktales” Eric Bauza) stands out amongst his post-2000 incarnations as an unrepentant psychopath, but still falls in line with the prominent view of Storm Shadow as a villain--one of the main villains with a special hatred for his GI Joe counterpart.
This is the version I grew up with. GI Joe vs Cobra through Sigma 6 were the prominent Joe adaptations when I was the target demographic and all throughout Storm Shadow was a bad guy to varying degrees. 
I knew in the classic Hama stuff he eventually defected, but I was not prepared for just how much he’s a heroic character from the start. There’s no big sword dual with Snake Eyes, no Anakin and Obi Wan style “friend turned bitter enemy” dynamic. It’s made clear from jump that Tommy is undercover in Cobra and remains an honorable man in search of justice. He leaves Cobra quickly and is branded as a Joe in all his figures until 2000--when they started packing their characters in two-packs with one Joe and one Cobra. In all appearances, Storm Shadow is more a Joe than a Cobra. So what led to the the modern view of Storm Shadow as a bad guy, who, even when he gets his redemption, still has a mean streak and a cruel manner? How did a character in a toy driven franchise who had more toys as a hero than a villain end up as one of the franchise’s most consistent villains?
*(For simplicity’s sake, this is only going to cover film and television portrayals of the character).
*Spoilers for pretty much every GI Joe adaptation to follow.
The first portrayal of Storm Shadow as Cobra Commander’s loyal and competent hatchet man (one of the few) is not too much older than Hama’s original Marvel version. The Sunbow version of Storm Shadow (voiced by “guy you’ve heard in everything” Keone Young) remained a loyal cobra agent--with none of the Hama version’s depth. 
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He had what you might call “standard cartoon Ninja honor” where he clearly had some kind of code of ethics, but was primarily an arrogant killer (as much as he could be in a cartoon) who fought primarily with Spirit and Quick Kick (voiced by wonderfully talented “guy you’ve seen in everything” Francois Chau) as Snake Eyes was largely shunted to the side in the cartoon. The echoes of Sunbow Storm Shadow can be seen in pretty much every non-comic adaptation that followed.
Skipping right over the Dic continuation of the Sunbow cartoon because Storm Shadow actually is a Joe in that, as he was in the comics and figures of the time (and because I haven’t seen it) we come to the 2000′s era.
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The Spy Troops and Valor vs. Venom DTV movies had a Storm Shadow (voiced by “guy who got his blood ripped out by Magneto in X2: X-Men United” Ty Olsson) who was essentially his Sunbow self with one major change. He actually had a history with Snake Eyes, and a bitter rivalry. The details are not gone into in either film (you get a little more in the figure file cards and mini-comics of the era) but Storm Shadow accuses Snake Eyes of betraying the Arashikage. The implication being that either Storm Shadow blames Snake Eyes for some crime or another or that there was a schism in clan. 
The File cards of the time movie go from acknowledging Storm Shadow’s time as a Joe, and claiming he’s working with Cobra again for unknown reasons, to establishing their own canon that Snake Eyes and Storm Shadow were once best friends and “Sword Brothers” before Storm Shadow fell to the dark side and joined Cobra. Though Storm Shadow’s file card does end with the ominous implication that he’s got his own agenda in working with Cobra (just like his Hama incarnation) the DTV films imply that he’s a Cobra loyalist in addition to his feud with Snake Eyes.
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Spy Troops and Valor vs. Venom lead in a semi-canonical way to GI Joe Sigma 6 where Storm Shadow (voiced by “guy whose only other role I recognize is pulling double duty as Zeke Stane and Living Laser in the Iron Man 3 videogame” Tom Wayland) more or less continues the previous two iterations’ version of Storm Shadow. He once again accuses Snake Eyes of some great betrayal that broke their friendship. The GI Joe website at the time includes the detail that Storm Shadow was infiltrating Cobra when he was brainwashed into becoming a loyal Cobra agent. It’s another concession, like his 2001 file card, to Hama’s heroic double agent, while still portraying him in line with Sunbow’s villainous henchman. 
GI Joe Resolute comes next, where we see a departure from any pretense of Storm Shadow being a good guy. Resolute, in many ways, comes off as a gritty direct continuation of the Sunbow series, and it takes Sunbow’s villainous Storm Shadow and strips him of even the token bits of honor and humanity he had. It also, as near as I can tell, begins the trend of Storm Shadow outright resenting Snake Eyes, rather than being his one time friend.
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As an irrelevant aside, I have my problems with Resolute but I do love everyone’s character designs and Eric Bauza does a fantastic job as one fourth of the cast. His Sean Connery impression for Destro is particularly inspired.
This brings us to the big ones. GI Joe: RIse of Cobra and GI Joe: Retaliation where Storm Shadow is brought to the big screen by Lee Byung-Hun (who I don’t have a snarky/informative aside for because shamefully despite how prolific he is I’ve only seen him in these movies and The Magnificent 7 remake) and as a child by Brandon Soo Hoo (he’s also been in a lot of stuff, but I particularly liked his turn as Beast Boy in the animated New 52 DC movies).
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Lee’s Storm Shadow in the first film falls in line with his portrayals up to this point, probably skewing most closely towards Sunbow. He has a code of ethics (he doesn’t kill women apparently) but he’s still a bad guy and he seems to quite like it. Lee brings a charm to the character that had not really existed up until that point. He also spends a lot of time maskless (and it’s hard to blame the production team for that one, he’s a very handsome dude) which was a shock for anyone who grew up with the 2001 era storm shadow where the thought of him without a mask was so insane that it was relegated to a mail in figure (As a kid I seriously thought he had some Mandalorian style code of not removing it)
His origin in this version takes bits of Hama and bits of Resolute (or Resolute took from this, Resolute came out first but this might have been in development). It is, as far as I can tell, the first version to have Storm Shadow and Snake Eyes train together as children and it portrays Storm Shadow, even as a child, as an arrogant and jealous person.
Now, at least in my opinion, it’s fairly obvious that the first movie fully intended Storm Shadow to be a baddie, full stop. There’s a little wiggle room given that we never see him stab The Hard Master in the flashback (the Hard Master in this version is Storm Shadow’s father rather than his uncle) but the way he taunts Snake Eyes about it during their final confrontation makes a pretty compelling case for his having committed patricide.
The sequel would bring back elements of the Hama backstory. Zartan killed The Hard Master and Storm Shadow had to infiltrate Cobra to discover that. Given Cobra Commander and Storm Shadow are of roughly the same age (Storm Shadow being a bit older I think) and this event occurred when they were both children it’s unclear on who’s orders Zartan did this but we do know it was done to turn the already volatile young man into the perfect angry ninja assassin (given this canon is pretty much over we’ll probably never know for sure, but my guess based on the IDW movie universe comics is that Zartan either did it at the behest of the Red Ninja Clan or just to have a tiny assassin of his own, probably the former since they seem to regard each other as unpleasant colleagues who sometimes work together).
What I particularly like about this version is that, because the first movie portrayed him as this charmingly sadistic Bond Villain henchman, even after he switches sides in the sequel he’s still kind of a belligerent dick. It’s a fun piece of characterization that even once he’s cleared his name, avenged his father, and made his peace with his family, it doesn’t change the fundamental fact that he’s not a very nice person.
This is something that would persist into the next (and for the moment last, but more on that later) onscreen version of Storm Shadow.
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GI Joe Renegades (the best GI Joe Cartoon, fight me) saw Storm Shadow (voiced by “holy crap this guy originated the role of Saw Gerrera in Clone Wars” Andrew Kishino) as the leader of the Arashikage Clan (explicitly a crime syndicate, harkening back to implications in Hama’s version) who operates independent of Cobra except very briefly and only to fulfill his own ends (again bringing him closer to Hama’s version than any of his predecessors). Falling in line with the implications of the movie and Resolute, he and Snake Eyes were uneasy classmates more than friends and trained together as teenagers. An attempt to kill Snake Eyes went awry and resulted in the death of the Hard Master (who again, seemed to favor Snake Eyes over his own nephew). Storm Shadow believes Snake Eyes to have killed The Hard Master(somehow failing to connect the dots given his own murder plan failed the same night Snake Eyes allegedly murdered his uncle--or hell he’s probably just in denial until the truth slaps him in the face). 
Also, irrelevant aside number 2, in contrast with Resolute I really don’t like this character design. Renegades had pretty good character design all around, neatly bringing together various versions in a way that felt coherent but I don’t like the little tufts of hair sticking out of the mask or the way it kinda hangs in front of his mouth. Is he hiding his face or not? It seems like he’s not so much wearing a mask as a bandana and an oversized turtleneck.
This version neatly ties together the “Snake Eyes betrayed us” of the early 2000′s, the “arrogant unfavorite” of the mid 2000s and the “out for justice assassin” of Hama’s run. He is, again, an arrogant prick from the start, but his genuine shame and resolve to abandon his quest for vengeance and his extremely short partnership with Cobra make his eventual redemption (or the start of what you assume would have been a longer redemption arc had the series continued) more believable than the live action movies--if a mite less fun.
And that’s where it ends, at least until the much delayed Snake Eyes live action movie is finally released, where Storm Shadow is set to be played by “guy from the best episode of American Gods Season 2″ Andrew Koji. I quite like the look of the cast of this movie, and I’m excited to see what Koji brings to the role. Will Storm Shadow be arrogant, murderous, honorable, charming, brooding, misunderstood, cruel, vengeful...some impossible combination of all of the above? We’ll have to wait and see.
*Including the various alternate comic book versions probably would have painted a more complete picture, but I’ve only read Hama’s run and the IDW reboot (where Storm Shadow is kind of a non-entity), besides this was more about tracing Storm Shadow through the adaptations I watched as a kid.
*None of the adaptations seem to go with Hama’s original detail that Storm Shadow and Jinx were from Northern California. On the one hand I see why you transplant them to Japan with the rest of their family (it’s a globetrotting element and makes the cast more cosmopolitan) but I always liked the idea of that they were children of immigrants.
*Adaptations have been touch and go about casting Japanese actors in the role but I was impressed to find out that Sunbow cast Japanese Americans as both Storm Shadow and Jinx, making them probably the most faithful casting in relation to their original backstories.
*Apologies for my complete inability to get screenshots of roughly the same size or resolution.
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