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#a business should be managed ethically because

itstheghostofmypast · 2 months

Text

♡14.00♡

Corporateworker Choi San x (F)Reader

Summary: He was glad he took her to Japan on a business trip, one of the best decisions of his life.

Genre: Fluff (suggestive at the end)

Warnings: None

Word Count: 2k

Est.Read Time: 10 min

Networks: @cromernet @k-labels

Ratings: nc-17

Banner: @cafekitsune

Linked with: Must Be Love

"What year is it?" she hissed, curling into the blanket even more, humming as the cool material soothed her burning, aching body, while ducking into it because for some reason her lover had declared 'And let there be light.'

"It's almost 2 pm", his knee dipping into the mattress, hands gripping the soft covers that she was cocooned in, trying to pull them off her head, but she groaned in refusal, "Go away, I am in pain because of you."

Quirking an eyebrow at her muffled accusation, he shook his head, his glasses at the tip of his nose as he tried to think of what she meant by the statement. Choi San was supposed to attend a conference in Japan for a business deal, and since he now had the perks, he had asked her if she would like to accompany him on the three-day trip, he would be busy during the first two days but he had promised to show her the city and spend time with her like actual tourists on the last day before they were to leave. She had instantly agreed, like she would ever say no to him - well, he couldn't say no to her either, so perhaps this was a two-way act of 'simping '. He was also glad that her business was doing well and that she was able to hire a good assistant manager to help out Jongho when she wasn’t around- Yunho was a great guy.

The two had arrived at a decent time yesterday, checked into the hotel, tested out the springs of the mattress, as she’d like to call it, and had a nice meal at a local restaurant nearby, when he had told her about the gym at the hotel, one of the many facilities his job gave him access too, for some reason she had been very eager to ‘hit the gym’ with him, not that he had any issues, he loved working out with people, so who better than her?

He had a meeting early in the morning, once he had come out of the shower, he had thought of waking her up so she could go for breakfast, but the sight of her blissful slumber had him reject his own proposal, opting to tuck her in tighter and kissing her goodbye, much like their usual routine. The meetings went well since Yeosang and the lot had provided him with sufficient material, and for once, Mingi had decided to send the right papers. His meeting had ended early, and lunch meant he had some time on his hands, which is why he had dropped by to check up on her, to make sure she was enjoying herself. Was she…perhaps upset with him? Should he have checked up on her sooner? Maybe she wanted to spend more time with him- he had been very busy for the past few months, and this trip was probably the most time the two had spent together without him being called to work or her being called to the café because Wooyoung and Jongho disagreed on to add resins to the cookies or not. Maybe she thought the two would spend more time together here- well, technically he did say they would, but not on the first day and it wasn’t like her to be irrational, she had always respected his work ethic, only interfering when it became too hectic for him- one of the many things he loved about her. Then it must have been something else. Was she mad because she couldn’t go to the breakfast buffet? If that was the case, then he had the answer to spend some quality time with her and for her to eat.

"I know you must be hungry, that’s why, I got Mrs.Choi breakfast, let’s eat together before I have another meeting,” his words soft, noticing how her grip loosened, peaking up from behind the covers, pouting at him, “Say that again.” She whispered, slowly pulling up, her back resting against the pillows as she looked up at him, reaching for the strings of his hoodie, “Say that again, please.”

All too soon her lover's soft expressions morphed to a cheeky Chesire-like grin, eyes twinkling with curiosity, his whole being oozing with confidence, “Say what again?” his expressions laced with faux innoncence, pouting at her, cupping her face staring at her intently when she mumbled, “What you said earlier.”

“What? let’s eat together before I have another meeting?” lowering himself, he watched her sigh, grateful for how soft the pillows were, but she gently shook her head, “Before that.”

“Ohhh- you mean, ‘I know you must be hungry’,” he paused smiling down at her when her eyes snapped open, her expressions laced with annoyance, he knew what she meant, but why give it to her so easily when he could have some fun-

“OW!” pulling back he placed a hand on his chest, rubbing his pec through the cotton material, trying to sooth the pain and burning sensation, “Did you just pinch my-

“That’s what you get for acting all cocky, Mr.Choi.”

“Well, Mrs.Choi, are you going to come eat or not? I have another meeting at four.” He said with a huff, still rubbing the area, as he stood up, it was then that she noticed his change of attire- did he not wear a suit for the meeting?

“I can’t move and did you go to the meeting dressed like this?” she asked only to shiver at the cold air hitting her form when he pulled the covers off her, frowning, “What do you mean you can’t move? I showered after coming back- Are you hurt? Did you pull something at the gym last night? Why didn’t you tell me?” His questions were thrown around as he started to manoeuvre her body, ignoring her yelp when he grabbed her ankles and pulled her down so she was lying on her back, “Is it your ankle? Did you sprain it while on the treadmill?” He asked before flipping her over onto her stomach, “Or your back? Is it a throbbing pain or a shooting up your spine kind of pain?”

“It’s the ‘I went to the gym to stare at my husband workout but he didn’t get the hint and thought I wanted to become Mr. Muscle like him’ so we worked out for two hours kind of pain.” Her words were muffled by the mattress, only for her to squeak when he flipped her around, glaring down at her, though she only smiled at him, admiring the way the onyx tuft of hair had grown back- he never did approve of that couple’s magazine anymore- poking out from under his grey hood.

“I’m married to a perv.”

“I wasn’t the one who flashed my neighbour- SAN WAIT!” heaving her up bridal style he clicked his tongue, shaking his head as he walked towards the coffee table as she gripped onto him for her dear life, “First of all I didn’t flash you, I was fully clothed and secondly, I told you I’m on the clock and would like to enjoy a pleasant meal with my perverted wife.” Setting her down easy on the couch he smiled at her, no hint of annoyance on those sweet features of his, leaning closer to peck her cheek before lifting the lid of her personal, traditional Japanese breakfast, consisting of the usual; steamed rice, miso souple, pickles, grilled fish, tamagoyaki and even some tofu. Admiring the presentation of the food she smiled, picking up the utensils as he brought a chair and sat next to her, she was plating it for him, grabbing a piece of the rolled omelette and raising it to his lips, “Sannie, did you pay for this separately? I don’t think they serve breakfast at 2 pm.”

Smiling at her he gratefully took the bite, admiring how she still made sure to feed him well, even if it were pointless considering he’d always be in the mood to have a meal with her. Not answering her question he nodded towards the food, “It tastes better warm, Mrs.Choi.”

She was eating quietly, while he was busy typing on his phone, this was often how it would go for the two, the comfortable silence enveloping them into their own little bubble, where the two would be too engrossed in their own activities, yet, be hyper-aware of each other’s presence. The only words exchanged would be nonchalant, casual chatter, which to the outsider would seem immensely pointless, but it wasn’t for them. He’d love the way she’d chide in with the ‘try this, Sannie’ and feed him even if he was too busy reading a report. She loved how even if he was busy typing away, he would be attentive enough to notice her little needs, like when he’d stop typing to reach for the bottle of water, unscrew the cap and pour it in a glass for her, then casually going back to work, or how he’d hand a napkin before she would ask.

“We should get little Kang, something too.” She stated, putting the dishes away in a neat manner so she could cover them with the lid, “Though he still isn’t sure if it’s a boy or a girl.”

“I don’t think either would make a difference though,” he mumbled chewing on his lower lip, thumb scrolling on the screen as he stared at it, “I’m sure he’d be thrilled either way.”

“That’s true,” she sighed, thinking of how happy Yeosang was when he told the two that he was going to become a father, he even asked San to become the child’s godfather, which had the broad-shouldered man sobbing like a little boy, nodding as he hugged the dad-to-be to death. That is until the others pulled him away, once they noticed Yeosang turning blue, only for her husband to whine and hug her instead, mumbling onto her shoulder, declaring how happy he was for his friend.

“Do you…have a preference, Sannie?” she asked, leaning closer to him, placing her chin on his shoulder, though he didn’t look away from his phone, it must be something important then, but she really did want to know, did he have a preference? She knew her parents didn’t, especially how they raised her like a little princess, but maybe San did- truly a conversation you have before your marriage but maybe his ‘I don’t mind’ changed to something more specific.

“I…” he paused to stare up at the ceiling as if waiting for a revelation of some kind, “Don’t have a preference, I told you, boy or girl. I would love our child endlessly.” His words had her heart doing backflips, swooning over him even more if that were possible, but his next statement had her figuratively bawling in pure bliss, “Though I get to name her if she’s a girl, princess treatment from day one.” With that, he went back to typing, as if he had not just said something extremely important, something extremely intimate.

“Then, I can’t wait for when we’re ready,” she whispered, leaning closer to peck his cheek before she got up, only for him to grab her arm and throw her over his shoulder as he stood up, ignoring the way she screamed, “WHAT ARE YOU DOING??”

“Fulfilling the desires of my wife.” He stated all too simply, as he marched towards the bed, and tossed her on the bed, watching her whole-body bounce at the soft impact, “What? WHAT? Don’t you have work- NOW? LIKE NOW-NOW?” she crawled backwards, till her back pressed against the headboard, watching him take off his glasses then throw the phone on the couch.

“Meeting got delayed, it’s at five, I have enough time for,” With a slight groan he pulled off his hoodie, a small smirk gracing his lips when he noticed her visibly gulp, gripping onto the sheets with anticipation and excitement, watching him get on the bed, crawling towards her as his hand found its destination, cupping her warm, blushing cheek, face a breath away from her, “a practice round or two.”

“Oh.”

Taglist: @edenesth @yessa-vie @marsvillee

@mlysalt @spooo00oky @the-kpop-simp

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bigfatbimbo · 1 month

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I am haunted by visions of Vox with a capable assistant who doms him after hours. The role reversal of guy thinking he can fuck his secretary but she turns the tables and fucks him has me sweating

I got inspired by a turn of phrase that would might have been popular a little bit before Vox’s time “his girl, Friday”

Basically a “girl Friday” was a term used for a woman in the office who acted as a jack of all trades and was good at doing a bunch of different jobs. This person was usually very capable and the office’s go-to-girl for anything and everything

So I keep imagining Vox with this hyper-competent assistant. He hires her and after becoming familiar with the company, she manages to handle things before he even asks her to do them. He decides to try and rattle her a bit with impossible tasks to knock her down a peg, but she takes that as a challenge and somehow completes them with a smarmy “will that be all,sir”

Game on. He keeps challenging her and asking for crazier shit just to prove that she can be shaken. She doesn’t even flinch, it’s a little intimidating and bruises his ego

Eventually he’s working late (which means she’s working late because somehow their work ethics are equally insane) and he starts being all snide and pissy and she just puts him in his place, insulting his behavior and his temper and physically backs him into his desk before telling him that he needs to be taught proper manners

And from then on, by day she’s Vox’s right hand who never leaves his side. But by night she bends her boss over his desk or presses him into his office chair, making him whimper and moan as she teaches him a lesson and berates him

So yeah, boss tries to dominate assistant but she effortlessly reverses their roles and makes him cry “Yes, ma’am!”

People think he’s tapping his assistant but whenever comments are made they share a look and Vox just thinks “they can’t ever know that I call you Mommy”

So the other day, I posted about wanting to do a human Vox au but lacking ideas, and one of the comments was involving an assistant x boss type deal. I don’t know if this ask is unrelated or directly caused by that post, but it gives me lots of ideas for a more specific au involving human Vox.

Anyways, since it wasn’t specified, i’ll keep the alive or dead details pretty vague. When I tell you this idea has been rotting in my brain all day, I fucking mean it.

Like this is genuinely about to get me out of writers block oh my fucking god. “His girl, friday” is a term i’ve never heard before but it’s so fitting with this. I love the go-getter incredibly efficient reader so much.

And god, it would bother Vox to an ungodly point. Because being in close quarters a lot, you being his assistant, of course he picks up on your efficiency. It makes him a little insecure because you honestly get things done quicker than he could.

So after throwing everything he can at you to knock you overboard your parade of orderliness, and you doing it all absolutely flawlessly, he can’t help but throw one of his tantrums.

Coming to him at the the end of the day, explaining you did everything he’d asked, and went beyond, closed multiple business deals for him, and got the inside information on upcoming possible marketing events. He should be happy, this objectively helps his business. But instead, he sits at his desk, watching you from across the room, before absolutely exploding.

I mean, you do his jobs better than he does. And he goes on a huge rant about how he doesn’t believe this, and how you must have absolutely no life, and basically degrading and insulting you for doing your job correctly.

And then yes, you yell at him, practically daring him to fire you. He won’t, you’re too much of an asset. You’re basically untouchable. So with that, you yell back, but unlike Vox who erupted with rage, you keep yourself as level headed as possible while talking sternly. Make even talking to him condescending as of talking to a child, explaining how it’s absolutely unbelievable he’s throwing a fit over good work ethic, and how he’d have to be out of his mind to pout about something so beneficial for Voxtech.

Going on and on about how his competitive, aggressive, targeting work behavior is unacceptable and pathetic… and now you have him back up against his desk, his sneer turning into a look of astonishment.

And then his eyes dart down, heat rising to his cheeks, and you notice the bulge in his pants. At first, you go silent, but then tease him with “You want me to take care of that too? Or will you yell at me for being too good at my job.”

Well, then he’s mad again. Probably definitely a struggle for power the first time you fuck. Yes, he tries to dom you, and fails because jesus, he really was pathetic. But you have him lied back in his chair, pinning his wrists down to either side of him, while you ride his dick into overstimulation. But he’s trying to keep quiet so no one else is the office hears his whimpers and whines.

But when he gets too loud, simply remind him that you’ll have to stop and he responds with a watery, whimper of “Y-yes ma’am.”

Now, fridays are dedicated to his girl, friday. Coincidentally, you’re both working late on those days, and even more coincidentally, you have business in his office.

That business being bending Vox over his desk until he has to cover his pathetic sobs with his hand so a janitor doesn’t hear him crying for his mommy.

Anyways, I’m almost done. I think this specifically appeals to me in a human Vox au sense because i’m hell, a work place of hell wouldn’t be particularly normalized, but it’s hell so it’s absolutely not frowned upon. He’d probably get teased about it at best, and literally a high five for tapping that. But in a human au, the stakes are much higher because there’s an actual sense of ethics and morals in business.

Also in the fifties, do you even know how taboo it would be for a boss to not only be sleeping with his assistant, but getting dominated by her every night???? I dunno.

Oh and the toxic masculinity of it all because it’s the 1950s and without being exposed to the normalization of kinks in hell, it would be so hard to break this brat down. Obviously not impossible, it’s Vox. But so much more irritating.

However, i’m hesitant to actually do a human au literally because of the silly picture I always put at the beginning. Because like I have such a specific image of what he looks like in my head (the @//notherpuppet human design) but… I don’t want to have to DM an artist and be like “Hey! love the art, can I use it for my dom reader power dynamic assistant x boss Vox x reader human au fic 😁😁😁🙏🙏” LIKE GANG I CANNOT.

Anyways, this wasn’t proofread, rant over, bimbo out.

#hazbin hotel x reader #hazbin hotel x you #hazbin hotel smut #dom reader #vox x reader #inbox open #sub vox

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fallingskiesandrisingseas · 1 year

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The Pevensie kids are otherwordly in more ways than the naked eye reveals.

For starters, with all the years they have spent around great cats, they are absolutely silent when they walk. They can stalk and prowl like no one's business, and once, when a girl pissed off Lucy, she showed her her teeth.

When a shrink asks her why she is scared of cats, so many years later , she remembers the white flash in the schoolyard, the sudden certainty of death.

Second of all, they don't seem to leave footprints in snow. In the winters of Narnia, magic was all around Cair Paravel, benign spirits showing them how to leave no traces, go unseen in the great white. Some swear they move without touching the earth. No one is sure enough to rebutt them.

The Pevensies are unbeatable in snowball fights. Especially Susan can throw like a honkball pitcher, able to single out and pick off targets that should be out of reach.

When the boys drink alcohol for the first time, at ages 17 and 15, they turn out to have great tolerance, something no one their age should have. Yet Peter and Edmund can beat anyone in a drinking game. Narnian spirits were strong (pun intented), so they do not find this feat particularly challenging. And no one understands how Susan puts away bottles and bottles of wine without ever slurring her words or losing her razor sharp mind.

The boys that keep pouring her more wine, hoping to take her home drunk, leave disappointed every night. Susan knows what's up. She's been forced to sit through boring diplomatic dinners with alcohol as her only interesting companion, is used to men trying to take advantage when she drinks. She will not be tricked by school boys.

They have a tolerance for other substances, too.

When someone gets the bright idea to roofie Lucy at age 16, he ends up with a nail through his foot, hanging from the highest tree in London.

Lucy shows up the next day with dirt under her nails and a hammer in her backpack. The teachers take one look at Peter, who stares back with a glare that could refreeze Narnia, and decide not to say a word.

They're all insanely strong swimmers. Susan won prizes before, but now she's breaking records. Edmund saves a man twice his weight from drowing, dragging him along across a cold lake for half a mile.

No one understands how the scrawny, 5"9 kid pulled that off. Or how he manages to hold his breath for so long.

And then there is the question of their minds.

Suddenly, Edmund can beat even the most experienced men in chess. He goes on to become champion of the region and then of the whole of England.

Peter, once a mediocre student, is now a stunningly good writer. When his professor reads his essay for Ethics, he weeps, something that has never happened before. Many see a future in academia for him.

Susan becomes known as the best problem solver in school. She's able to resolve many conflicts, not in the least because she's so attractive men stop thinking about fighting the second she steps into a room. But underneath the beauty resides a smooth operator. Her professors don't doubt for a second she'll be a brilliant politician.

Lucy no longer has the child like innocence from before the war. Her sense of wonder never left her, though. The centaurs have taught her astronomy, and looking at the stars reminds her of Narnia, one of the few things that are the same. The boarding school telescope goes missing an awful lot, as does she. Often, her brothers and sister come along, especially on bright nights. They never get caught.

They've changed. And they hold onto these pieces of Narnia, because it is all they have left.

#narnia #character analysis #narnia meta #the lion the witch and the wardrobe #c.s. lewis #they're fae #peter pevensie #susan pevensie #edmund pevensie #lucy pevensie

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1d1195 · 2 months

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Toothpaste II

Here's the rest: Toothpaste

Here on 1d1195.tumblr.com we throw ethics and patient-doctor boundaries out the window. Proceed with caution.

~2.1k words

Warnings: Some smutty thoughts and innuendos present. We're getting there... 🤭

Now she was situated in the chair once more; looking prettier than she did last week. Perhaps because she was no longer in pain. Harry felt a bloom of pride swell within him. Grateful he could take the tears and pain away from her. She was too pretty to be sad.

Harry was insistent that she come back in for him to check on her teeth and the cavity he filled. He wanted to make sure that everything was correct and that she wasn’t in pain. He was analyzing her X-rays and consulted his colleagues to see if there was something he was missing when it came to her susceptible teeth. The thought of her in pain—especially after making her cry for several moments during her appointment—made him utterly distraught.

It took every spare ounce of decorum and professionalism in him to not give her his personal phone number. When he read her new patient form that she submitted online, he thought he was just being kind. He didn’t have anything to do that particular Wednesday she needed to be seen, so to him it was no big deal. He thought she was exaggerating—not that he thought patients exaggerated in general, but the idea of her pulling her own tooth out in the hardware store...

There was a reason one of the secretaries had Harry look it over while she laughed at the hyperbolic words on screen. But when Harry saw her, something shifted inside him. He didn’t know she was going to be pretty. So pretty it was hard to believe her teeth were stuffed with so many fillings. He read her dental history for the better part of the hour waiting for her to arrive. It felt like he knew her. The little quips that she expressed in previous appointments: “I’m in pain. Again. I always thought it was a joke that dentists were sadistic. But I think you like seeing me here.”

But the physical beauty was more than he ever could have anticipated. She was dressed for her job, and she was stunning. It made him wonder how anyone managed to work at all. It was hard for him to focus on his job while he was looking into her mouth. He never wanted to kick himself more than making her answer her boss’s phone call. He could see the resignation in her eyes. If Harry hadn’t intervened, she would have gone back to work. Completely in pain and he wouldn’t have gotten to fix her up. Wouldn’t have convinced her to come back in a week to make sure everything was alright.

“Good morning, love,” he smiled kindly. She grinned back.

“Good morning!” Her voice was cheerful.

Harry busied himself with putting on gloves, checking the computer, and making sure that everything was in place for his examination. “Y’seem t’be in better spirits,” he shouldn’t have felt so prideful. It was his job to fix teeth. But something about her made him feel that way. It wasn’t just that he made her feel better. It was the fact that she looked happier and more relaxed.

“I think you should refill all my current fillings. I wasn’t in any pain. Not even from the Novocain or anything,” she sounded proud herself. It was adorable. Harry was thinking the least professional things about that sweet face of hers and how badly he wanted to kiss her. It didn’t help that he would spend the better part of his examination staring at her mouth. It was a bad profession to fall in love with someone. A sweet gentle smile like hers? He was royally screwed—she didn’t even need to talk.

He chuckled at her assessment. “Thank you for the vote of confidence, love. S’kind,” he pulled the mask over his mouth and sat on the little stool and grabbed the little mirror and dental probe to press to start examining. She opened her mouth instinctively without him having to say a word. Of course it wasn’t otherworldly, but he thought she was. So, it meant something to Harry. It was silly and insane, but he couldn’t help it. She was adorable. It made him nauseous to think she’d be in pain and continue working. Moreover, working for that sorry excuse for a man that screamed at her loud enough Harry could hear through the phone pressed to her ear. “Feeling better?” He asked quietly.

“Uh-huh,” she mumbled around the tools in her mouth. “Muh bett-ah”

He smiled; grateful it was covered by the mask on his face. He was sure he was smiling at her the way he wasn’t supposed to. He was glad he had the glasses and light to hide the adoration that was surely in his eyes as he watched her. “Good,” he nodded firmly.

“I got laid off,” she said. “I didn’t even realize how much I hated it,” she shook her head with distaste coloring her features. “I loved my work, but I hated my job. Does that make sense? Probably not,” she shrugged with a giggle that made Harry almost gleeful with the sound. “But I went right to a temp agency, and I’ve already had two job interviews. My boss didn’t write me a letter of recommendation, but the HR woman was happy to do so for me. Apparently, she was really sad I was let go,” she frowned. “I guess I caused the least amount of drama in the entire building, and it was right of me to stick up for myself. That’s what sick time was for,” she bit her lip. “So, thank you.”

“Me?” Harry couldn’t contain the surprise on his face or in his voice. He pulled the mask from his mouth, removed the goggles and light. Confusion lined his face as he tilted his head at her. “I jus’ fixed y’cavity love. S’my job.”

“But you made me stay so you could do that. If you didn’t tell my boss off, I probably would have gone right back to the office before you had a chance to help,” she explained.

He was glad his assumption was right, but it made him sad. Frowning, he tutted disapprovingly at her. “Love, s’not good.”

She shrugged. “It’s irrelevant now. I’m happy for the first time in like two years. Money is a little stressful, but I got a severance to keep me afloat. They have to give me insurance through the end of the year or until I get a new job so...” she shrugged. “I have good references. Plus, I always have dental school,” her smile was so cute. Like a secret for just the two of them. It nearly made him blush.

He chuckled. “Well...m’glad y’happy. If y’have trouble finding a job let me know. I know people...and I was serious. I’d hire y’in a heartbeat.”

“I’d be useless, Dr. Styles. I know next to nothing about dentistry other than my own history—”

“Harry,” he said quietly. A reminder that he told her to call him that last week.

She bit her lip. “Harry,” she repeated just as soft. Like she wasn’t supposed to say it. “Anyway, thank you,” she repeated, gratefully. “But I think I need a little break. I took that job because I was fresh out of college and wanted my foot in the door. I can wait a minute before taking a new job. I can research and make sure I don’t just like my work but my job too.”

God, he wanted to kiss her. “Well, m’offer stands,” he started to remove his glove from his hand.

“Actually,” she said and pointed to one of her molars in the back of her mouth. Harry left the glove in place. “One of my old fillings has a rough edge, could you look at it? I was so stressed-out last time I didn’t even get to ask.”

“Who was this dentist, love?” He frowned. She giggled sweetly leaning back in the chair. Harry grabbed the little mirror off the tray of tools. He didn’t replace his goggles or his mask. He just reached gently for her lower jaw and held the mirror in front of her lips. “Open.”

“Not even dinner first?” She asked quietly, with a smile. It was a reflex. Flirty and inappropriate beyond his wildest imagination. This time he did actually blush. His own lips parted, and his eyes flicked to hers unsurely and he almost released her jaw. “Oops,” she giggled, feigning innocence. Harry was so startled he didn’t know what to say to her. The words were lost. She flirted with him. It made the pit of his stomach flutter with butterflies and his heart skipped a beat. How was she so casual about it? She was so cute and so pretty he couldn’t believe it. “Sorry,” she whispered more seriously. “It just slipped out,” she promised. “I’ll be professional,” she assured him, straightening her posture and her eyes seemed to lack the light and playfulness that he witnessed only seconds before.

But he didn’t want her to be professional. He wanted to make another joke. Or lock the exam room door and take her up on the offer. But he needed to relax before his scrubs left little to the imagination for her innuendo and how it affected him below the waist. He cleared his throat and peered in her mouth trying to focus on the task when all he could focus on was how pretty her mouth was open and waiting for him.

He shook his head. “Fuck, love,” he mumbled.

“S-tha bah?” She asked around the tools in his mouth. Her eyes widening with fear again like they did last week.

“No,” he shook his head. “S’nothing. I’ll fix y’up in a minute,” he mumbled removing his hands and turned back to the computer to occupy his mind and hands before he did something stupid.

“A dentist has never cursed at my teeth,” she continued.

“Mm,” he was trying to play it cool. He didn’t want to think about what she said. Even though it was adorable and funny. Even if it was on the inappropriate side.

But Harry didn’t care if it was inappropriate.

“I have. God,I have,” she shook her head. “Sometimes I think I should just get dentures. But I need better insurance for that.” He didn’t even crack a smile, staring at his computer, trying to keep his composure. “Me and this mouth,” she mumbled. “Between what I say and my teeth I just always ruin something here.”

“Y’didn’t,” he sighed. “Y’didn’t ruin anything,” he murmured.

“You won’t even look at me. I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have said that. It was inappropriate and honestly rude. You’re a professional. You’re taking care of my teeth doing my job. I’ve dealt with enough sexual harassment seminars in the workplace to know that was out of line and I shouldn’t—”

“I liked it,” he turned to her and caught her gaze, cutting her sentence off. Her lips were partially open, not helping any of the inappropriate fantasies that were plaguing his mind at all. She was speechless. Harry thought it was the first time in their two meetings that he had seen her speechless. “M’not supposed to.”

“Right,” she whispered quietly. “I’m sorry,” her cheeks flushed with the same pink color as the bubblegum toothpaste that the little ones requested in the office. “I...I won’t do it again,” she promised looking at her lap shyly.

“S’not what I meant. It was funny and cute,” he smiled at her. The first sign he was breaking when he really shouldn’t have. But she was a consenting adult. There weren’t any explicit laws in thinking she was cute and adorable. He wanted to get to know her more. It just wasn’t his best idea. Sighing, he rubbed his jaw. Caution to the wind. “Can I take you to dinner?”

She smiled, and despite so many cavities when he could clearly see her gums and teeth were otherwise so well taken care of, she had the best smile. A perfect smile. All that dental work must have stressed her beyond belief. There was a mischievous glint in her eye, and he should have known the second he suggested they get dinner what she would say. But he was so enamored already he wasn’t thinking clearly, obviously. In just two short appointments it was easy to see she made his mind all jumbled. But he should have known already what she would say, all the same.

“Just so I’ll open wide?”

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haet-sal · 1 year

Text

Tatsächlich Liebe (Love, Actually)//jun x fem!reader (smut included)

Tags: cute single dad!boss!jun with a crush, mini-wen involved, office romance, shower sex, public sex, sort of cheating bc you have a sort-of-boyfriend, pining i suppose?, jun with a crush, went a little ANGSTY, Bestie!minghao

You’re the wide-eyed, clueless-but-on-top secretary to Wen Junhui, and it all starts, with one new year’s kiss… well, new year’s fuck.

Mr. Wen likes you. It should have been obvious, whenever he seemed to forgive your inadequate work ethics and frequent unfailing mishaps, and how much he trusted you, no matter how many mistakes you made, how much he hated hearing about your life with your boyfriend… and what kind of boss goes shopping for their employee, privately, anyway?

Warnings: y/n is incredibly seductive and more dominant and a bit of a fuckgirl, anxious Jun, cheating, Guanhang from nct is here as your very mean and distant bf

W.c.: 11k

~~~~~

You might not be very good at your job. And you realize this when you spill Jun’s coffee for the fifth time since you started working (6 months now). That was 0.8 coffees per month.

Times 2, and 3: You forgot to cap the coffee all the way right, after opening it because you FORGOT to ask for the sugar and you had to open it, put a packetful in, stir and cap it again, and Jun spills it on his shirt on his first attempt to drink it. Your penalty: Jun offers a tight lipped smile and caps it himself. “That’ll be all, thanks, Y/n.”

Time 1: you didn’t lay the cup right on his desk. It only spilled maybe 4 drops. Yay. That’s a win, in the book of Y/n. Penalty: nothing.

Time 4, the worst of them all: YOU SPILLED IT ON THE DOCUMENTS HE HAD ON HIS DESK. You don’t even know how, but the full fucking cup spilled. Penalty: “I got it, thanks,” Jun said (thanks for what? He lost documents and three quarters of his coffee) “could you print these again?”

Time 5: this time the coffee didn’t even make it onto his desk, you trip and spill it on yourself. To be fair, you were carrying the lunch orders of the others in your office, so it was a precarious situation.

“I’ll go get a new one!” you called out, since Jun was watching from behind the foggy, half translucent glass door of his office, where he could definitely see you from the way he was angled, but you only saw a part of his dark oakwood table.

There would be a line at the cafe, it was lunch time. But you were determined to make yourself important and cut in line, no matter what it took. “I WORK FOR THE BOSS” would be one thing you could say.

As you head back for the elevator, Jun’s head peeks out of the aforementioned glass door. “y/n,” he called—you like that he never called you like he was demanding your presence, like a rude guest you were waiting on, but rather… softly. Jun just had a softness to him. “Hey, actually, forget the coffee, if it’s not here—can you go get one of those donuts with sprinkles on it?”

“Pink,” came a very boyish little voice from behind the door.

“Pink, with sprinkles, like Homer Simpson eats.”

You walk back to the office, and open it wider, so the little boy could finally appear to you. “Hey, mini-Mr. Wen. Would you like to walk there with me, so you can pick what you’d like?” Jun was very paranoid, but also a very at-ease parent. Meaning: he did let his son go places without him, with other guardians, but also had a terrible anxiety that left him imagining all the worst scenarios until the boy was back in front of his eyes. And yet, you still asked, because you knew Jun was busy. He couldn’t be watching the kid right now.

Hao—that was his name, ‘inspired’ by his father’s love for his best friend, although Jun would say he lost a bet and that’s all it was—nodded, but he wasn’t walking on his feet: he immediately extended both arms out for you to carry him. “Alright, buddy! Let’s go!”

Jun managed a half-absentminded, half-grateful smile at you, mouthing his thanks. And then the door closed.

“Donuts,” Hao says quietly.

“Yes, donuts! We’re getting donuts, getting donuts…” you sang as you walked towards the elevator.

Today Jun’s aforementioned best friend and trades partner was in the office with him, because he wanted to come see his little namesake. As Minghao talked business and life with Jun, he saw how relaxed Jun usually was, rather than be the ball of anxiety he turned into whenever his son was somewhere in public not holding onto his own hand.

“You actually trust that intern,” Minghao drew his conclusions.

“She’s permanently employed!” Jun says with a smile. “Do you want me to text her and tell her to bring you a coffee?”

“Where’s yours?”

“She…” There was no way to sugarcoat this in a way that Minghao would feel sympathetic towards you. “Kinda spilled it.”

“... You permanently employed a secretary who couldn’t even bring you coffee.” Seeing Jun’s shocked eyes (how dare you bring that up, Minghao! He was probably thinking), Minghao continued: “didn’t she cause that delay with that shipping company because of her other-and-frequent mishaps, and you had to ask them to deliver the papers all over again? Why would you keep her after that?”

“I don’t know,” Jun says, pondering on his systems himself, “I’ve been through a lot of short-term interns, but I just employed her permanently because, I don’t know, it’s actually became a chore sifting through new secretaries, and she just feels right.”

Minghao cocked an eyebrow. Pushed his glasses up to his forehead. “Feels… right…” Jun did not return any ripostes to the accusations Minghao’s raised eyebrows were throwing. “But I’ve never seen you trust anybody with little Hao this much.”

“Y/n’s a natural around Hao,” Jun’s praise of you came lightly, and he broke into a smile. “Hao loves her.”

“Jun… just because she’s good with your kid doesn’t mean she’s good at her job.”

“Give her a chance!” Jun says with a nudge of his elbows. “She gets my order just right—I swear, no one gets the sugar-to-coffee ratio as right as she does.”

“Maybe because she’s the one delivering it. You know drinks taste sweeter when you like the person serving them.”

Jun groaned. “Hao…” Suddenly red in the cheeks, Jun brought his hands to cover his face, feigning that he was yawning or scratching his cheek or something. But Minghao saw through everything.

“All I’m saying is, I wonder if she really is good at her job—”

The door opened, and you and the Mini-Wen peeked through, with the little boy holding two cups of coffee. “I got your orders!” you say. “Well, Hao got them! I’ll keep watching him, if you want?”

“But I wanna sit on papa’s chair–!”

You grabbed the little boy gently. “Papa’s in a serious talk with uncle Hao, do you think we can hang out at my desk? I have games!”

Minghao shot a look at Jun, as the two of you walked back out of the office. He reached for the cup of coffee with ‘Xu’ written on its side, handing Jun the other. “Anyway,” he says, “back to our ‘serious discussion—” He took a sip of his drink, and suddenly looked completely apprehensive, like he wanted to spit it out.

But under the light of Jun’s alarmed gaze, Minghao slowly swallowed it, and then placed it back on the desk. “This is… this is not my order.”

“She just can’t tell between everybody’s orders,” Jun offered. “She’s still learning!”

Minghao took another sip. “I think this is oatmilk… I can sort of get behind it.”

Today was Christmas, which was why Hao was at the office: he was going to be picked up by his mom to go to her parents’ house, where he would spend the holidays. Jun and the mom never really interacted, or so says everyone at the office–you had never met her. Jun preferred that the handing away of the kid be done through third parties, from babysitters who would text as soon as she had come to take him away, through secretaries, or even through the office receptionist. Whatever it took to not see her.

You’re not good at your job. You’re clumsy, distracted, inadequate, and most of the time you gossiped away, or at least listened to all the gossip instead of concentrating on your job. What you’ve heard about the matrimony of Jun and his ex was: there wasn’t even a wedding. They got pregnant, they became engaged, apparently the wife got cold feet before the wedding and just decided she didn’t want to be a mother and a wife forever. She asked that one of her flings take her away to somewhere exclusive before the ceremony—someone says it was to the swiss alps, someone says they holed up at an air bnb just out of town—and never even showed up for the wedding planning and the ceremony had to be canceled.

As the story goes… her family had been glad, thinking Jun wasn’t the right person to get settled with. Back then he was handling the up-and-coming company, but they didn’t have faith in his line of work—they did, however, want their little grandson, and the custody battle turned ugly, which added to why Jun didn’t want to see his ex or hear anything about them. Ultimately he got full custody, as the mother didn’t even really want Hao.

Whenever you saw the almost-Mrs. Wen, she was incredibly cool, hiding behind oversized sunglasses. You’d have an actual sense of respect for her, if only her mere presence didn’t make her own son’s face fall like someone had taken his sweets from him.

But today she had her hair in bunches, and she impatiently took the little boy into her arms, and thanked you. “Tell your boss pick-up time’s 5 p.m. on the thirty-first,” she told you. “Or sooner, that’s fine too.”

As she walked away, you were in awe of how much she seemed like Jun’s type: sexy, but cute, and cool. She knew how to dress, for sure. You wrote down the pick-up time: 6 p.m., did she say? And tried to go back to work. You should clear his schedule on New Year’s Eve, but in the office it was still a work day, although the general consensus had decided to have a party in the office, going til midnight. You didn’t know if Jun wanted to stay, since usually he spent holidays with his son.

You see someone in flashy colors sashaying towards your desk, and erect your head, expectant.

“Heyyyyy!” It’s Arin, from the reception. “Guess what?” she says, bringing out the box she was hiding behind her back. “Look! You have a good boss.”

As you took the present and the card—where it was simply written ‘Merry Christmas, Y/n’ and nothing more, thank God because if you knew just how many drafts Jun went through—you leaned over the desk and into Jun’s office, where you saw a blur of his silhouette.

You unwrapped it messily, with as much expertise as you always have on the job, and out comes three bottles of perfume. You press the communications button to Junhui’s office. “I got the presents!”

“That’s great, you’re welcome.”

“Thank you, Jun!”

Minghao, in Jun’s office, watched as Jun got flustered, blinking the shock away. “You… you never call me that,” is what you hear over the speaker.

“Damn. When did he shop for these?” You press the button again. “When did you shop for these, Mr. Wen?! I’m meant to be doing your shopping!”

“Uh, just back in November!” The red light of the device wasn’t alight anymore, which meant the conversation was over. (Jun turned to Minghao in the office. “I may have done this in September, and also had a whole personal-shopper ensemble help me.”)

“So,” Arin says, sitting on your desk now, “you got your boss giving you gifts! What about that boyfriend of yours?”

“Guanhang?” Your expression turned a little sour. “He’s got a big family, so we went shopping for like, the six of them back in November, but he never got one for me? I figured he didn’t want to buy anything for me in front of me, but—oh, bye, Mr. Xu—” Jun and Minghao had come out of the office, as Jun parted from his best friend— “but I never woke up to presents. I mean, it’s only Christmas. I guess I can wait until he remembers?”

Arin grimaced. “Uh-uh. Today’s the deadline.”

“On Valentine’s day he just ate me out each night for the entire month and said that was his present,” you say quietly.

Arin laughed. She made a joke about cunnilingus or something or the other, which brings you to howl with laughter.

“I mean, it is a good gift, if only he didn’t pick the shortest month of the year to do it!” You’re about to go on about more of Guanhang’s antics when—

Jun’s shadow loomed over Arin’s figure, and sensing his presence, she moved over.

“Get back to work, please,” he told her. “Especially you, Y/n, your… work…” he fumbled over his words, before settling with: “is inadequate. And careless. And messy. I… expect better.”

You pouted up at him. Jun looked away before it could affect him more than he liked. “Back to work, please,” he repeated, “And Arin, your job is at the desk, which is like, thirty feet away.” The glass door to his office half-slams, particularly loudly that it sounded like it would shatter.

“Must be in a bad mood,” Arin adjudged. With a sigh, she just left the remaining files and letters designated towards you and Jun at your desk. “Text me about the boyfriend things, alright?”

Feeling sort of shamed (you sucked at your job and you didn’t like being reminded of it), you silently go through the files, not even unpacking Jun’s perfumes out of their boxes. When Jun asks of Hao later, you just tell him he’ll be home on New Year’s Eve, omitting the part where he has to be picked up.

“Mei.” Jun pretended to multitask, going over his documents while on the phone, but in truth he was getting nothing done. What a shitty day to come into work. “Mei, please. Don’t do this to me. Please bring him back home, at least.”

“Jun, I’m not going to drive to your apartment, there’s traffic and I have an appointment with someone! I literally told your assistant the pick-up time—Pick. Up. I never said I’d bring him. Didn’t she tell you?” Jun felt like kicking himself, he looked out the blinds into the street, and yes, absolutely there is traffic. They’re closing up roads for the city’s new year’s party, fireworks inclusive. “How useless is that secretary?”

“Of course she told me!" He snaps defensively. "I’m just busy all of a sudden. Can’t your parents drive him?”

“Papa just had cornea surgery, Jun. Mama has to be with him at all times.”

Jun hits himself. “Fine, fine, can you leave Hao with your parents, then? Just go to your party—we’ll pick him up at home.”

“It’s not a party, it’s an appointment.” But Jun heard heels clinking, sighs, yelling to her parents, a car door opening. “Fine. I’ll hear from you on Easter or something, then.”

Jun immediately pressed the button to call your desk in, before the call even ended. Soon enough, you’re walking in, taller than he remembers you, but he distracts himself from looking at you (it wasn’t healthy for him to look at you, he gets heartburn). “Could you pick my son up?” he asked. “Take my car. After that I swear you can take the day off, just come back to bring my keys b—”

His eyes finally land on you, and there’s silver sequins peeking out from under the blazer. He leans over the table, trying to look at your footwear: heels that made you taller than Mingyu from sales. “Um… is that for the party?”

“I’m going clubbing!” you answered. “With my boyfriend.”

Jun looked away from you. The sequinned dress was low-necked, distractingly so. “Alright, well… Hao’s usual sitter will be home, so you can just ring the bell.”

“I know the code to your door, anyway,” you say. “See ya, Mr. Wen!”

The New Year’s party was starting, with the attending employees taking advantage of every resource in the office: speakers blaring music, the main lights dimmed and LED lights strewn across the walls so carelessly it looked like they were there by accident; everything was a total mess. There wasn’t a reason to stay there anymore if he wasn’t celebrating, but Jun couldn’t leave: he needed his car.

It’s almost ten when you come back, and as much as it was long-awaited, it even felt unreal that you’d come back.

“Y/n!” He didn’t realize how his anxiety had crept up on him, even when concerning you—he knew Hao was safe home, but you were his main concern. Sort of weird, that it’d be that way. “I’m so glad you’re okay!”

“Bad news,” you say as you come into his office, basically screaming over the music, “I barely escaped when I came, but they’re blocking every street around here for the parade.”

Jun stood over his tiptoes to see the state of the roads: the parades were already setting in, and the roads were blocked everywhere. The only other option would be to wait it out, until it’s past midnight and everyone is back home in their beds.

He sighed. “I think I’ll have to stay until the end of the party.” He pulled out his phone, urgently texting the babysitter.

But Jun immediately turned into his usual anxious character, not being able to get home at his son’s bedtime. He paced around the party, sometimes paying attention to the music, although it was just grating for him at some point, and, not wanting to return home drunk, refused all booze and decided to chaperone the party.

He finds you at the hard liquor corner, during his many rounds around the office. You’re leaned back and sipping out of a full bottle. Jun hasn’t drunk in a while, because hangovers and being drunk in general made him unable to parent. He knows moderation looks different to everybody, but you weren’t it.

“... all I said was he spends a comically high amount of time with that girl from work! And he’s like, you’re always tailing after Jun, and I’m like, yeah, that’s my job? And then he says, I'm not his girlfriend, I just live with him, he can do whatever he wants.”

You take another mouthful out of the straight bottle. “What’d you say?” Arin edges you on.

“Told him that’s rich coming from the guy that was balls deep in my—”

Jun cringes with scrunched and avoidant eyes, as he comes over to take the bottle away from you. Setting it down on a desk behind him, he notices that the people around had started to clear out, not wanting a chaperoning boss to ruin the fun. They rushed to the windows and the balcony.

“I thought you were going clubbing on your night off?” he asks you, standing two feet planted in front of you. You were holding yourself really horribly, and ended up resting your head on his stomach without a thought in your head. If you had thought it through, maybe you wouldn't have done it.

“Fight,” you explained. “With the guy I live with.”

“I see…” Jun tenderly combed his fingers through your hair, but only used it to pull your head off his stomach. “Well, I guess office party’s just as fun, huh?”

You snorted as a reply.

“Last sixty seconds, guys!” someone yells. They’d opened the windows so the sounds of the parade in the street were full-blown blaring distantly, and you were about forty stories up in the air, the night breeze blowing with a vengeful cold.

You’re tired, your feet hurt and you just wanted to collapse into your bed. Unable to hold yourself up any longer, you fall face-flat into his stomach, again. Your arms wrapped around him, as if you were imagining him as a body pillow.

You feel Jun still, and you almost think he’s just uncomfortable being so close to you, but then you… realize something.

You’re suddenly more awake than you were five seconds ago. You stand up, and there’s commotion—everyone’s crowding around the window, yelling the countdown as loud as their voices went. You look into Jun’s eyes. Sober, clean, worried.

“Do you think we can kiss, Mr. Wen?” you asked.

Jun stilled. Palms sweating, there was a moment where he swore his heart stopped, before he remembered how to breathe and regain all brain-control functions again. It might be what people call ‘skipping a beat’ meets ‘brain freeze’. “What?” he basically mumbled, unable to talk very loud, but you heard.

“We’re the only ones with no date,” you told him. “Everyone’s partnered up.” It was true, even people without dates had struck up deals for a new year’s kiss.

“It–it’s just not a good idea,” Jun stuttered.

“It’s a kiss for luck!” Every step you took towards him, Jun stepped back from you until his back hit a desk. Pouting, you add: “I want to have lots of luck next year.”

You must have had a lot of those schnapps and shots from the reception, Jun concludes, but too late: right after he takes the steps backwards, you had pulled him towards you by his tie. Hungry eyes, if he’d ever seen any. “Y/n,” he breathed out against your lips, which came close to him with every passing second, “we can’t.” You pull him in even closer, controlling him by the tie.

You do whatever the fuck you want when you’re drunk, Jun concludes. But it’s setting him into a full-blown panic. “Y–Y/n.”

The countdown starts, and you’re right—everyone’s gathered at the high-rise windows, looking at the parade under the office. No one’s looking back at you, and even if they were, they wouldn’t be able to tell who you were from the mere blue silhouettes of your bodies. At best, they’d just be able to see his white shirt. His entire body shrouded you.

Three!

You’re in every single part of Jun’s senses. He can smell you wearing the perfume he gave you, he can hear the low hum of your breath in his ears, he sees you, he sees the flimsy little dress with the spaghetti straps that keep dropping down to reveal more and more, he just…

Two!

He just has to taste you.

One!

He’s the one that takes the step to meet your lips, and now you’re kissing. You taste like soft cream and feel like good sleep. His tongue darts out, and you welcome it in your mouth.

Jun let out what he thinks is a sigh, but really was more of a moan, a sound that went unsuppressably past his throat and vibrated across your tongue. He thought you looked killer, the spaghetti straps of your dress would sometimes fall just a bit that he could see so much… flesh… from the side, but he won’t think about it, he won’t even look, he won’t be that pervert, the older guy that wants what he can’t have because you’re too shiny and spectacular and just the personification of a starry night, especially in this dress—and he can’t have you! He needed to get that through his head.

You had a boyfriend, you were literally about to go clubbing with him, you were taken, so what was he doing, what was he doing?

When he’s panting post-kiss, he doesn’t know if it’s the kissing making him breathless, or if it’s all his thoughts tiring him out.

“Wanna continue this?” you whispered to him, eyelashes hooding your expression. Jun doesn’t understand why you’d want to—yes, he wants to, but why do you—?

But he nods. He’s the one that grabs your hand, and walks over to his office, and you’re following him. Every time he told himself this was it and there’s no way you’d go further, you do. What the fuck.

The office is almost unrecognizable in the dark, with only the fireworks outside to light it up. You locked the door, and he realizes it hadn’t even crossed his mind.

You push him against the window, and for a second you looked over his shoulder at all the fireworks. He watches them reflect in your eyes, and the sight of you is just haunting.

And then you’re kissing him, his hands are on you again, this time peeling the spaghetti straps off, feeling your bare shoulders, just the feeling of your skin—he hadn’t been with anyone in a long, long time, too busy with his son or work, and to finally have this–with the person he’d been pining for so long…

He almost rips the dress off you, but restrains himself. Your lips feel soft and healing against his own, and then they’re on his neck. He doesn’t even stop you to tell you you can’t leave hickeys–it doesn’t even occur to him. His nose is just buried in your hair, as you trail kisses down his chest—when did you even undo the buttons?—and, when he messes with the straps of your dress again, it just drops to the floor at your feet.

He doesn’t even have the chance to take your form in, in just your strapless bra and panties. You’re rubbing him over his pants, and he’s hard, he wants it, yes, but he’s also dead sober and he couldn’t even stay drunk on you that long.

“Wait,” Jun says, holding up his hand, perhaps to keep some distance from you. “You’re drunk, we can’t go that far.”

With a lick of your lips, you’re undoing his belt and flinging it over your shoulder. When you can’t kiss him the way you wanted, you simply pull him by the tie so he’s on top of you, pinning you down on his desk. You want to kiss, you want his hands on you again, but he’s hesitant, only coming where you pull him.

“Y/n,” he gasped. “Y/n, please—this is a lawsuit.”

You giggled. “I’ll sign an NDA, if you want.”

Jun sighed, heavily breathing. “That’s not the problem.”

But he wants you, and if you want him now, there isn't a choice but to give in. Your naked legs wrap around his waist, and he just trails his hands down them, until they reach your heel-clad feet. It’s so hot, the way he’s allowed you to entrap him.

Jun is fervently kissing down your chest, your bra pulled down, as he enters you. He’s so hard, so bothered, and wet with precum. So hot it could sizzle. You throw your head back and let out a pornographic moan, but he cups his hand over your mouth, wordlessly reminding you that you were only a wall separated from a whole party of people.

Jun hadn’t been this way with anyone in a long time. There had been dates from time to time, but never with someone he actually truly liked. Trembling, his hips stutter, so does his lips, which are moaning your name. He tries to be as quiet and composed as he could, but he feels like he might let the loudest grunt, alerting everyone outside. He bites down on his lip.

He hadn’t been doing this in a while. This makes him impossibly sensitive, and he might release, even if it’s just too soon. You sense it in the stutter of his thrusts and immediately slip off him, and he’s glad, because he knows he can’t cum inside you, but also it was embarrassing to have to tell you. You kneel in front of him, open-mouthed, and he could spasm from the mere sight, before you take him in your hands.

Jun hisses sharply. “Do you see how it’s so white, you were so wet around me—” He interrupts himself with a sharp inhale.

But you’re going slowly, as if you were inexperienced with your tongue, or just wanted to drag the torture out for him. Jun’s hand grip at the table behind him.

“Please,” he moaned. “It hurts.” When he reaches out to touch you it’s fervent, hot. You’re the only thing in the world that could ease the pain and quench the thirst. His hands wrap around your hair, although to him it’s more like you hair had come alive and entangled themselves all over his digits. Your mouth feels so—fuck!

He’s cumming down your throat. Jun whimpered as the sensation of you never truly left him, you take care of him. Until the last of it spills onto the carpet. And he’s just watching you through his eyelashes, tired and giddy. He speaks your name.

You look up for a moment, before your gaze turns towards the door. Someone else was calling your name.

“It’s Arin,” you observe carefully. “You should count to like, three minutes before you come out, maybe more. I’ll go first, okay?”

He wondered if you’ve done these things before, as you strutted outside. The lights were back on outside in the hallway, and he shrouded himself in the shadows, feeling embarrassed but not ashamed.

When he exits the office later, locking the door behind him, there’s a man at your desk, figure defined by a dark puffer coat over a pastel hoodie. “Sorry I missed the kiss,” he was saying.

“I got kissed already,” you told him, avoiding eye-contact.

Guanhang didn’t believe you one bit, especially when you couldn’t meet him in the eye. “Yeah?” he says. “Who was it?”

“Arin,” you say plainly. Guanhang laughs. He grabs your hand.

“Wanna go watch the parade? I’ll put you on my shoulders and everything.” He looked past you, and sees Jun, and offers a tight-lipped smile. “Aren’t you going to introduce me to your boss?”

“I don’t see why you’d need to, you’re just some guy I live with, right?”

You grabbed your handbag and strutted towards the elevator, but later Jun hears that Guanhang did put you on his shoulder to see the rest of the parade.

The second of January and business is back, you sit down at your desk after an uncomfortable subway ride and check a day’s worth of missed emails. When Jun comes to work, finally, you offer a smile, but don’t meet him in the eyes. He wasn’t looking at you, either.

“Good morning,” he basically grunted, clearing his throat. He knew it was impersonal, but he didn’t want to say your name, because whenever he spoke your name there was an embarrassing adoration in his voice.

“I’ll get you your coffee,” you told Jun.

You’re beating yourself up while waiting for the order, and you pull out your phone. These were words you couldn’t literally say to him, but on text you felt brave, hiding behind a screen. Not having to read his expressions.

You: hi, i just wanted to tell you…

It’s immediately read, although he doesn’t reply. He's waiting for you.

You: if you can just forget everything! It would be cool

You: what happened that night, I mean

You: I can’t be doing this, I have a boyfriend

Mr. Wen: we can do that.

Mr. Wen: i’m sorry, by the way

You: don’t be.

You: I liked it

Jun tries to forget.

A few days after New Year’s was Jun’s European business trip, and you were glad you wouldn’t have to see him after all. And yet, sitting at your desk two feet away from the office where it all happened made you feel weird. As all your drunk escapades make you feel.

He’d been gone since Monday, and was due back today, to land in the evening. But as you check in with him, you find out his flight’s been delayed.

“There’s engine issues,” he told you. “I don’t know, fingers crossed I make it in time before Hao’s bedtime.”

But an hour later he called you in a panic. “Y/n, fuck—what do I—I don’t even—” When you ask him to tell you, slowly, he tries to calm down. “The babysitter! I told them my flight’s delayed, and she can’t stay all night—I don’t think my plane will land until dawn. Now she’s mad I’m demanding too many hours, because she stayed all night on New Year’s, too…”

You cringed, thinking about New Year’s night.

“I don’t know what to do, can you go to my apartment? I already called Seungkwan, and then I tried Joshua, but—”

“Of course I’ll do it!” you interrupt. “You can’t call your friends, they’re busy men… I’ve got nothing going on, it’s fine. I’ll go.”

Jun sighed in relief. “You sure?”

You looked over at the make-shift dining room table in your apartment. Guanhang promised to be home for dinner, but he hadn’t come home at all. “Yeah,” you told him. “Just try to have a safe flight, okay?”

Hao’s crying, and the babysitter is panicking when you come into the apartment. You quickly explain the situation to her, and she’s soon excused, leaving you and the sobbing boy alone, but at least seeing you, who he associated with his dad, calmed him down a little.

“Your dad’s at the airport,” you explain to the little boy patiently. “You remember airports, right? You’ve been there with daddy?”

He pulls out a plane and asks if Jun is in a similar one, and you answer yes.

“But papa’s always here when I go to sleep,” Hao whined. “And I need someone to watch my back, so the monsters don’t creep up.”

“Do you want me to put you to sleep?” you asked. “Hey, why don’t we sleep in the master bedroom, huh? So you can surprise daddy when he’s home.”

Jun’s giant apartment actually had an office and three bedrooms, but the master bedroom was his, the other was Hao’s—with a little kid-sized bed—and he turned the third bedroom into a playroom, so guests were never expected. You decided once you put Hao to bed, you would go sleep on the couch in the living room, wake up and go home once Jun’s home, you get a day off, anyway.

Jun took a taxi back home. The sun wouldn’t rise for hours. He’d been microdosing on first-class flight champagne all night, and it only made him feel sleepy and unsharp. Plus, he’d been up for an entire day.

He’s stumbling into his apartment, not even taking his shoes off—if he sat down to do it, he’d fall asleep immediately—and only takes them off when he’s in his bedroom. He hears Hao’s little breaths and sniffles, and concludes he’s in his bed.

But when he turns to finally look, you’re there, too, lying on the blankets, not under them. You must have fallen asleep putting Hao to sleep…

Jun tucks you into bed, intending to keep you and Hao there and sleep in the living room, but he can’t deny the welcoming pliability of his bed, so he would just rest his head, on the familiar navy pillows, just a blink, just to shut his eyes…

When you wake up, it's because there’s something in your hand. You blink the sleep out of your eyes, to see that you were holding onto Jun’s hand, held over his sleeping son’s chest.

You flinch away, and with the rustle of the bedsheets, he’s awake.

You’d been sleeping, forehead to forehead and holding hands over the sleeping boy, like you were a family.

You murmur your apologies. He excuses you, and tells you you can keep sleeping for a bit, he’s going to take a shower anyway, he’ll make you and Hao breakfast and then you could leave.

You’re having this whole conversation still lying on the bed like a mom and dad, and he reached over, patting your head. Your hair’s messy, and still had clips in it, never having taken them off. He pets you as if you were something beloved—but you pulled away. Cleared your throat. “Um. You should go shower.”

He’s so tired he doesn’t even know what he’s doing, whole body running on autopilot until he wakes up watching the steam rise out of the showerhead. Jun lets the warm water rush all over his body, pitter-pattering over his closed eyelids and down his broad shoulder. He sighed. He’s travel-weary, and jetlagged, and everything sucked. And he was embarrassed, because of the way you had flinched away from his touch…

Suddenly he heard footsteps outside the bathroom, and despite the sounds of the water, he heard everything (damn you, expensive rich-people shower!).

“I was home until 10, and you’re the one that didn’t come home!” He realized you were screaming, and you were near the bathroom because you had to scream—it was the farthest from where Hao was sleeping, so a blindspot.

“Heng, I had work!”

“Don’t give me that work bullshit, how is there work at fucking midnight?!” Damn. He could hear it despite the call not being on speaker, and also through the sounds of the water. Guanhang could yell, for sure.

“There just was! I’m an assistant–I’m sorry, alright, I’m sorry! I tried to call you last night—”

“Stop fucking calling me, then, fucking leave me alone!” You went quiet, which made Guanhang snap: “why aren’t you saying anything?!”

Jun hears you groan. He tries to tune it out, until at one point he can’t hear anything anymore. It must be over. Hao must still be asleep, although he bets not for long. Jun weighs his options, what he could make for breakfast for the three of you. He lets the warmth of the shower and the prospect of good food lull him into a another open-eyed nap.

Your whereabouts in the house were unknown to him, until he sees your figure enter the bathroom, through steam-mist shrouded silhouettes. He doesn’t say anything, letting you get ready on your own for the day—but you open the door to the shower.

Jun basically jumps back, but sees that now you’re in your tank top, the one you wore under your sweater, and… panties. His eyes don’t linger that long there.

“I wanted to shower, too,” you told him. He doesn’t say anything, half in shock, still tired. But he does watch everything, the way you peeled the pieces of clothing off of you so slowly, and then, under his gaze, felt strange and so cover your breasts with your arms. You look like a pin-up girl, which makes his brain chemistry go woah. You join him under the water, looking as if you didn’t even realize he was there, focused on wetting all of your hair, with closed eyes concentrated on the feeling of the water.

Can he touch you? Jun decided not to bet on it, and leaned back, watching you, dazed. He didn’t even understand what was happening.

You pull him in by the back of his hair, making him lean down to kiss you. As soon as that awkward seal broke, Jun’s on your skin, kissing your naked chest, trying to cover more ground than the water does. But you need his lips on your own, stat, so you yank his head up with a sharp, painful pull of his hair. He winces, but finds he likes the pain—like your coffee, everything you give him is sweet.

“This time you can cum inside of me,” you say raspily against his ears, which makes him feral, turning you around and pressing you up against the glass walls of the shower. He lets out a low growl, reminiscent of his days as a bachelor, before his ex, before Hao. He felt like he was just dripping in that youth again, being inside of you.

It doesn’t occur to him how weird it was. Why would you not even let him pat you on the head, but kiss him naked in the shower? Of course, he came to a conclusive construct in the end: Guanhang. Every time your own boyfriend disappointed you, you came to him.

The next morning, right before he set out to drive to work, came the text:

(2) New messages from Y/N

Forget about yesterday, please

I feel really bad. We shouldn’t have.

Jun would wait. Until Guanhang makes you feel unneeded again, he would wait. He didn’t see it as taking advantage of your sadness—in fact, it was a sadness mutualism. He was there for you when you felt down, and he… Well, he was always sad. You made it worse when you left, but when you were around it felt like heaven.

Guanhang spends nights out, and you wanted to limit your meetings with Jun to just that, but sometimes, you’d take his car to his apartment, fuck, and then he’d drop you off, right before Guanhang comes home from work or whatever he does. You never get caught—Guanhang doesn’t expect you back so quickly. There were nights you spent completely at his apartment, where you’d talk more than you’d fuck, and also play house with Hao, like a little family, and Jun’s never had that, that he begins to actually fool himself. He knows it’s insane, of course, but sometimes between sleepover nights and making you breakfast, he wishes you were Hao’s mom. He thought he’d given up on that a long time ago, but you made him revisit what it feels like to be young and in love.

At the office, you act naturally. You never even show half a glimmer of interest in him, you do your job. No one catches on. Your acting was genuinely convincing, that he’d wonder if you even liked him at all, but once work is over and he’s driving you back, you’re all over him.

He knows, of course, that it all depended on Guanhang, agonizingly so—you only paid attention to Jun when Guanhang wasn’t paying attention to you. And sometimes Jun gave you presents here and there, shopping trips and premium subscriptions—and one time you wanted to give Guanhang a video game as a present, so you siphoned off Jun’s money for that. He knows it’s wrong, you’re stringing him along, but sometimes he knew no better. He chose to know no better.

“She’s just a user,” Minghao told Jun when he finally admitted to it. “If she only comes to you when her boyfriend has off-days, I’m sorry, she’s a user. Nothing more to it.”

Jun knew you didn’t love him, of course, but it’s hard to imagine you completely indifferent to him. You were nice when you’re together.

“Either way,” Minghao says, “It’s a dangerous game. What if she extorts you?”

“She wouldn’t!”

“She has a boyfriend, what if he finds out and blackmails you?!”

Jun admitted to the possibility, but told Minghao not to worry. He was willing to go down for you, although he didn’t dare admit it to his friends.

But Jun let you in every time you knocked, until you became as familiar to him as the back of his hand.

“I’m taking Tuesday afternoon off,” Jun says as he lazily thrusts into you, “We’re trying to get Hao into one of those high-end nursery schools, next year.” He moved in you, and it’s tight and wet, but for you it just feels full, with no movement. You feel a little crazy.

If you weren’t trying so hard to cum, maybe you could have made a joke about how high-end nursery schools can be. But you just nod, peeking at him through scrunched eyes. “Uh-huh!” you squeaked. He’s moving again, and you throw your head back and moan.

“I think I’ll need you there,” Jun says. “I mean, I’ll need to look important and be hands-on, it’s nice to have an assistant there.”

You shiver around his cock, he’s moving but only minimally, and you need the full violent, bottom-out-and-thrusting-in action. You whine.

“Y/n? Are you getting this? I’ll meet you at the office, alright?”

You simply groan, pushing him back and trying to find… whatever was the pussy equivalent of ‘footing’. You try to gain leverage on the desk behind you and bounce, fucking yourself on his cock, and it’s still not enough.

Jun laughs. You are not getting it. You’re basically going feral from the withheld orgasm. Giving you what you wanted, he goes faster, and you nearly scream, gripping onto his white oxford in bunches, lewdly bouncing on his cock. “Want me to touch you?” he questioned, and you nod vehemently. “Yes, yes, yes, yes—”

There must be like 20 kids running around at this party. (“oh my god, triplets!” you whispered to Jun as you first stepped into the garden) Hao’s shy, and wants his father to carry him, preferably back into the car, but Jun refuses, making him walk. He doesn’t cry to protest, which is what you love so much about Hao. “Go play with Hoon,” Jun suggests, dropping to his knees to talk to his son. He pointed the familiar little face out. “Go on, make new friends!”

“He’s a bit like you,” you told Jun as Hao wandered off into the playpens.

Jun turned to you, curious. “How so?”

“He’s shy, but… he makes it work.” You’re back on your phone again, double-checking your boss’s schedule, checking all mail, confirming meeting times and topics. Jun waits for you on a bench until he couldn’t anymore.

He snatches the phone from you. “Work later,” he says. “I’m just like Hao, and I need you to be tailing me at all times so I can have a sense of security.”

“A false sense of security,” you say. “Wait, security from what?”

“The parents’ committee…”

So you’re the one that meets the fear-striking bunch of parents, rich trust fund kids breeding more trust fund kids, whose only purpose was to take care of their children. They might be problematically prideful and impossibly picky, but they made up for it by having an overly welcome demeanor. The triplets’ mother led the committee and also the waitlist to the nursery school, and as you pointed Hao out to her, she gushed over how cute the little guy was. Jun stands demurely behind you, not even accepting the compliment himself.

“He really is a sweet boy,” says the woman, “well it’s no wonder, when his parents are so cute!”

Jun looked at you, wanting to cut in, but he never speaks soon enough, and you’re the one that goes: “thank you!” with a grin. He doesn’t say anything anymore after that.

It’s winter, and when the party’s over the sun had set. Hao’s extra tired, from climbing up walls and running around with the other kids. When you look back at him, a few minutes after having strapped him into his little child seat, he’s out like a light. “He’s kaputt,” you informed Jun.

“Yeah?” He smiled. “Good… hey, I mean, when they thought you were his mom—”

“I hope you don’t mind!” you say. “I just… didn’t want to go through the whole I’m-actually-his-assitant and then they ask where the mom is and then the whole divorce story…”

“I’m actually grateful.” Jun’s lips are tightened but upturned in a little :] smile. “I… never like talking about his mom.” You nodded. After a few minutes of silence, he goes: “well, I mean, if they ask next time where his mom is, and you’re not there…”

“Of course I’ll be there!” you put a hand over his thigh, and squeeze. “Maybe you can keep saying that, I’m gonna be with you guys for a while, aren’t I?”

Jun’s the one that carries his son out of the car and into the apartment, and you follow him upstairs—he promised to make you dinner. As you get into the elevator, you text Guanhang you’ll be eating somewhere else, if he cares.

Guanhang: Where? Maybe I can join you

You: just somewhere with the girls from the office :) girls’ night?

You look up from your phone as little Hao wakes up, cheeks puffy against Jun’s shoulder. “Y/n,” he says sleepily.

“Hey, little guy. We’re home.”

“You’re home,” Hao says with a yawn, and maybe he just said it because he was half-asleep, but you stop in your tracks. You realize you’d been spending more time at your boss’s house than you do in Guanhang’s apartment.

You ran Hao a bath, and you and Jun bathed the little guy together, complete with bathbombs and bath toys. There’s sand from the garden everywhere in his scalp, which you patiently wash off.

“I want Y/n to be my mommy,” Hao says as you gently wet his hair, occasionally dunking him, which he’s patient to.

You let out a laugh, it was just awkward and you didn’t know what to say, how to parent.

You’re not the parent though, and Jun took the little boy into his arms, growing sterner. “Hey, you don’t say things like that, okay?”

“Why not?” the little boy pondered.

“Well, because she’s still young and she might not like—I mean, son, listen, motherhood—I mean, it’s just—you’re cute, don’t worry, you’re the cutest thing ever, but—you can’t just say that to everybody you like!”

“I don’t say it about everybody,” Hao says. “I just say it about y/n!”

You offer a tight-lipped smile, and Hao’s still not done: “I looove y/n. I like her more than mama. Mama’s mama, and Y/n is mommy!”

“I didn’t teach him that,” Jun says quietly. “I swear, I did not teach him that.”

Later when he sends you home, he’s still apologizing profusely. And then, he lights up with a smile. “It’s good he likes you, isn’t it?”

You shrugged. “I mean… yeah. I like that Hao likes me, it’s part of my job.”

Jun presented a little promise ring, a silver band encrusted with diamonds. Minghao sighs. “You cannot be…”

“It’s for Y/n!”

“I thought she wanted no strings attached?” probed Minghao.

Jun frowned, thinking deeply about it. “But…” he sounded as innocent as his own son as he said it, “we’ve come far enough that we can define our relationship. You don’t know what she told me.”

“What?”

“She said, she’ll be here with me and Hao. For a long time.”

“Jun,” Minghao says, sighing, “don’t… don’t do this to yourself or little Hao. Don’t play with someone that obviously doesn’t care about your feelings.”

“I don’t know, Minghao,” Jun sighed. “I think this might be it. I feel like she could… be in my life. Permanently.”

“She’s a user!” Minghao pointed out. “If she comes to you whenever her boyfriend lets her down, and takes advantage of you and your money because you’re needy with a kid, she’s a bad person.”

“She’s never asked for anything from me,” Jun says sadly. “I think you’re wrong.”

“She never denies your gifts, either.”

“Why would she refuse something I’ve already bought her?”

Minghao groans, head in his hands, his friend was not getting it—he’s just not getting it! “Listen,” he told Jun, “you are not asking someone that flaky for a real relationship. You won’t like what you get.”

“Why—”

“She’s still living with a guy!”

“You’re right,” Jun says. He sinks back down into his chair. “I’ll just ask her to move out, first.”

Minghao throws his hands up in the air and lets out the most strangled groan he’s ever made his entire life.

Jun can’t pop the question. It’s hard to just ask someone about their lovelife, even someone he considers to be as close as you. Of course he, with his small circle and busy life, thought you were close, and you knew everything about his life, but did you consider the same of him? He didn’t even know so much about you.

Plus, you never talk about your feelings. The only time you’d ever come close to that were the times where you talked about Guanhang, times when he eavesdropped, just to know what it’s like to be someone you loved, except it wasn’t him, and he could never imagine it being him.

So he thinks that’s where he should start: Guanhang. If you loved him, then you must hang onto him, and if he gets a straight answer about it then he’ll stop the pining. Plus, it would mean he has no chance.

He picked an evening where you were in your feelings. The sky’s a certain shade of blue, from all the citylights polluting the darkness, and it would never dim; you rolled down your side window and stared out, sometimes enjoying the velocity breeze but he just kept getting stuck in traffic, so the car was often still. “Y/n,” he says quietly, voice almost blending in with sounds of the city, “how’s Guanhang?”

“Oh, you mean the guy I live with?” you snort. You rolled your window up so you could hear him better. “He’s fine. Now that he’s taken up a second job we have less time to fight.”

“Do you love him?”

You gasp. “What?”

“Do you even believe in love?” Jun wondered. “I feel like you don’t really act that way.”

“I didn’t use to,” you answered honestly. You sounded so wise to him, he’d never heard you this way before. “But… one day, you know, Guanhang works at a studio, and I listened to one of the stuff he produced—there were like, 30 guys singing on a backtrack, but I knew immediately when his voice was in it. I could just recognize it.”

Jun’s heart clenched in his chest, and if he weren’t driving he’d double over. He hadn’t had his heart broken in so long… not since his broken engagement.

“And,” you say, “one night, Guanhang ‘borrowed’ his friend’s car and we went out of the city, to stargaze. We just had the radio to listen to, so we spent the entire ride driving past the suburbs screaming the lyrics to every song we knew. It was like a competition—and then, at one point, I stopped screaming. I just listened to him. I realized then that’s what love is? If that makes sense? Love is shutting up while you’re singing in the car because you want to hear their voice. And that’s the day I said it. ‘I love you.’ I’ve never said it to anybody before in my life.”

You looked over at Jun. “But now he’s just some guy I live with.”

Well, that wasn’t a straight answer. But he knew he could never ask you now. Guanhang was someone you’d always want to hang onto. With his ex, it had been black-and-white, she didn’t want him and he gave up. But Guanhang was always going to string you along, and he… knew he couldn’t compete. He’d never felt good enough for love, ever since his ex and the wedding debacle.

There’s a letter of resignation on his desk, a few days after that night. You had been growing cold towards him, nights where you slept over grew seldom and seldom until you just stopped. But you give him his coffee every day still, perfectly, even, without spillage, and it always tastes just as sweet, as sweet as only you could make it.

So it’s a shock to him as he read the letter, right in front of your eyes. “Why?” he demanded. He got so fired up he started speaking mandarin. “Wèishéme?!”

“I just…” you say, blinking tears away, “I just can’t do this anymore, and seeing you every day at work like we aren’t something is just...”

“Is it Guanhang?” he demanded.

“No,” you say. “No, I just… I just want positions I deserve. And I feel like I got here because… you liked me.”

“You’re here because I like the way you work,” Jun insisted. You don’t believe him. “No, I—I had this assistant that would color-code everything with custom stickers, but they were all pastel and I basically turned colorblind trying to read them, I had another guy assistant that kept asking questions and making me confirm everything myself, I had this other intern, right before you, that took pictures of me and Hao because he wanted to put it on his blog—Y/n, you’re great. I like that you don’t overcomplicate your systems, you sometimes spill things and trip and fall, but I don’t mind. It’s small flaws I never even saw—I didn’t hire you because of some… sexual ulterior motive. I like you. I like the way you work first, and then I just… fell for the rest of you.”

You looked conflicted, you watch him through your eyelashes. “I want to transfer,” you say, resolute but soft enough. “To Mr. Choi’s company—you know I’m more into that line of work, it’s what I studied. I just think a position there might be better.”

Jun tries to convince you to stay, but he was never a believer in his own self.

You leave, two months later, after treating him just like a stranger whose schedule was the only thing you knew about him.

Jun still has the promise ring, and it’s always somewhere in his pocket, although he hopes that one day he could just lose it, more or less accidentally, but the little velvet box always stayed somewhere in the pockets of his coats or trousers. He didn’t even know why it mattered to him, it’s not like you’d even touched it in your entire life. And yet… when he holds it in his hands, it feels to him like that sweet daydream that never became reality—he never got to touch it, but still, it’s so vivid.

Hao keeps asking why you’re not around, and Jun never knows how to answer. He explains the concept of resignation to the little boy, patiently, and Hao sort of begins to get it.

“So Y/n’s somewhere? In this city? And we just can’t see her?”

It’s supposed to be spring, but the wind still blows harsh and northern like the middle of winter, and it reminds him of you, because all the months you’d worked for him were so cold. He remembers you in your little trenchcoats and woolen things, trying to text with a smart glove on…

“Do you want to see her?” Jun asked Hao. “Maybe we just pay a little visit, for the last time?”

So him and his son are parked in front of the complex he always dropped you off, and he presses the bell for 3A, which you shared with Guanhang. When it buzzes in, Jun takes the little boy on his shoulders.

Guanhang’s waiting at the door, not knowing what he’s being visited for. “We just wanted to see Y/n,” Jun says, awkward because that was his rival he was talking to. “The little guy missed him, is it okay if he—”

“Y/n moved out,” Guanhang says plainly. “A month ago.”

But that was when you resigned. “Do you—know where?”

“That receptionist friend she had,” Guanhang says. “Moved in with her. I don’t fucking know. Don’t look at me like that, I tried to make her stay, too.” The door slams.

Jun calls the personnel office in his car with the engine on, as Hao swings his little legs on the seat. This was a revelation to him—you ended it with Guanhang, and even with him, and everything’s just so clear to Jun, now: you wanted things you deserved. You were starting over. You wanted to work for things yourself. He just wanted you back in his life, he wasn’t bad for you, he would prove it.

The phone comes through. “Hey! Good evening, it’s Jun—I just need to know where Choi Arin lives.”

“For something good, like a bonus, I hope,” replies the man working at the office.

Arin lives in another complex, closer to work this time. The apartment was on the third floor, and Jun climbed the stairs with Hao on his shoulders, once again, only for Arin to come out and tell him you didn’t live there anymore.

“It was just temporary,” she said. “She wanted a real place she could rent—I think Mr. Jo from security hooked her up with a free space in his flat.”

“Hey, Jun again… could you give me the address of Jo from security?”

He doesn’t know which floor you lived on, or even which side of the terrace. He tries door after door, and nice ladies here and there wanted to accompany him for the rest of the search. Then another man wants to see it through, too, and Jun entrusts that his son was grabbing the tail of his coat at all times, following him.

He’s gathered a bunch of people following him when he arrives at the new side of the terrance. He almost loses the motivation to go around asking a whole neighborhood if they knew you, when…

He could hear music, faintly coming from a ground-floor window. He followed it, knowing the melody well—you would hum it all the time, it was your favorite.

He knocks on the door it leads him to.

You come out with a bowed head, and you’re more beautiful than he remembers, although you looked even more tired. If you were living here but working at Seungcheol’s company, you must be waking up so early just to make it there at 9 a.m. Jun reaches out to touch you, as if he had been fooled and you’re just a mirage.

“Y/n!”

You extend your arms to the little boy, and he climbs up. Your laughter is light. “Hao! What are you guys—Jun? What is this?”

He doesn’t know how to start this. He fumbled around with the pockets of his paddington coat, and there were just too many pockets. After going through each of six pockets twice and coming up with just stray used tissues and car keys, he checks his pants, and there it was. He pulls out the little velvet box; a bunch of people gasp. You just mumble, “he wouldn’t.” But you don’t know if he would.

But there is a ring, although at closer inspection you notice it’s not for engagements. A simple promise ring, which you putt out to inspect, and ‘1.1. 00:00’ is engraved on the inside.

Your first kiss. You look up at him, and just when you’re about to speak, Mini-Wen wraps his arms around you. “Missed you, Y/n.”

“Y/n,” Jun starts, “I just—I—I wanted to ask you to be mine. But I was just—I was just afraid. I’ve had this phobia against relationships ever since Hao’s mom left me, and…” (the crowd ‘aww’ed) “I was afraid of getting close to someone again, if they might break my heart, and well, you did–you did, you left. But… I found out it doesn’t even matter. I’m happy to be loving you and getting my heart broken by you. I think you’ve got your fair share of broken hearts, too, but if you trust me—” you’re looking up at him with a brand new look in your eyes. He falters, splutters, as he always did when you look at him. “I can promise you I’ll always be here for you. I’ll keep your place for you, I’ll always protect you, I’ll—”

With Hao still in your arms, you step in and kiss Jun. For a second he forgets to close his eyes, and he just watches you, lips sinking into his. He knows exactly what he feels for you, except he’s just too scared to say what it is.

“Did my speech move you into kissing me?” He murmured against your lips.

“No, but there’s just too many people watching I felt the need to perform.”

Hao plants a kiss on your cheek, and suddenly you and Jun are kissing him back, on each cheek—Jun had imagined showing his son love with this, but it was only you that made it possible.

He brings you and Hao closer into him, warm and padded inside his coat.

“I think I was too preoccupied to tell you on New Year’s,” Jun says. “I hope you have a good year, Y/n.”

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seleniangnosis · 10 months

Text

Mid Year Check In 💗🪽

Pile 1 Pile 2 Pile 3

Hi everyone 💌🧁! My life is keeping me quite busy, and away from the tumblr tarot community for a while now. I've done this spread for me yesterday, so I decided to share it with you as well.

The reading is intended to provide you with some help and answers on how you've been progressing this year, and a bit of what to expect next 🤍. Pick the picture/pile you're most drawn to and feel free to discard any information that doesn't resonate with you. Enjoy! And reblogs are highly appreciated

Pile 1

Hello pile one and welcome to your reading 🧁🤍

You've entered this year with a goal in mind. Whether be it personal growth and development, topping your class , or building on your finances, you were ready to do whatever it takes to get there. You might have been a bit stubborn with your plan, even to the point where you neglected other life aspects, or for others, you've been very driven on changing the circumstances you've found yourself into for a long while.

You seem to have been extremely diligent with your plans, following them trough, or created a very structured way to get you where you want to be. For those who have jobs, or were job searching, this year has been spent for sure on achieving some sort of financial abundance, or create a foundation for your career, this part is highly similar to my own reading and I can say I truly worked hard this year, so pile 2 congratulations on your hard work, and I hope you're enjoying the fruits of your labour.

You've got so many pentacles cards here pile 2 ,so yeah a lot of focus on personal development, finances, and stability.

Something you've learnt is how to be consistent in your work, life , studies etc, rely on yourself, and how to manage ideas, or maybe a situation when something doesn't go the way you planned it. Some of you might have been focused on creating business connections or just create some stable new connections in regards to work / workplace, or maybe you were focused on finding a workplace where you felt like you can grow and develop your skills.

Something that you'll have to pay more attention to, and might serve as your next lesson is related to some self introspective work, and spending some time with yourself. You seem to have been all on the grinding mindset, so much that you kinda forgot about yourself. Good work ethics are great, but I get the impression that you were overworking yourselves, and you got the results, but detached from yourself and some self care.

If you have a certain goal set in mind, go for it, but not on the expense of your health. I got an intresting mix of cards, which leave me with the idea that you're highly aware you're stressed and have been working your brains out, but you keep going because you already have your mind set on something and only after you get that thing done you'll be able to relax.

Whatever it is pile 1, I'm proud of you, but please don't forget to tend to your needs as well 🤍💌.

Pile 2

Hello pile two and welcome to your reading 🤍🧁

The message of this pile seems to be again centered around money, finances, staring a new job / moving to a different job, work. Some of you might have started as an intern in your first job, or changed your career. You might have felt a personal call to change your orientation and start something new. I'm getting that energy of " should I stay ? should I leave ? What if I get into a much worse situation if I leave this place?" . Maybe, for some of you, your workplace was toxic and no longer suitable, but you were afraid of what could happen if you don't find a better one , or none at all.

Some of you might have took a break and some time to reflect and redefine their goals. I feel like even though you were getting some reward and results, they were not worth the mental exhaustion, the stress , and what you were putting yourself trough.

It's highly possible for you to still be in this energy/ situation, because as the next lesson the universe has in store for you I got something about facing what you're afraid to face. You seem to be caught too often and too tight into your own thoughts, that you're blocking your rational thinking, so you keep yourself away from reaching that freedom. Pike 2 , how stressed you are rn? You're thinking about making a move, making a plan, you get distracted by illusory thoughts, you're back to square one.

You should start looking at the good side of the things as well, not only what can fail or go wrong. Have more faith in yourself pile two 🤍💌!

Pile 3

Hello pile three and welcome to your reading 🤍🧁

The page of pentacles showed up in all 3 piles, but for this one, the energy is centered more on self work and development. For you I'm not getting much about money, work and finances, but about new start and goals around personal development. Your year was more of a journey in the search of what works and what doesn't for you. What improvements can you be making in terms of how you think about yourself, how can you change your mindset and find more fulfilment, rather than resenting yourself for things that didn't work out. Maybe you've even been unsatisfactory with who you were , and spent time improving yourself, making better decisions that bring you healthy benefits, and enjoying the journey of these small new beginnings. You learned to have more faith in yourself, in the fact that you're capable of improving yourself.

As something that you are still about to learn, well when I picked the cards I got " committing to yourself ", so ... commit to yourself. Maybe you feel guilty about how you've changed, and even though it's a positive change for you, others might make you think you're selfish, or a bad person. Maybe you were too tolerant in the past, and now that you've learnt to take better make better decisions, others see you as too self preoccupied.

For the rest of the year your goal should be yourself. Creating stability for yourself, and share it with those like-minded, who appreciate your presence in their lives💌🤍.

#tarot reading #pac reading #tarotblr #pick a pile #pick a card #free tarot reading #tarot spreads #tarot cards #tarotcommunity #tarot spread #free tarot readings #free tarot #tarot pac #daily tarot

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ragnarokhound · 2 months

Note

((you don’t have to do both if you don’t want to, you can consider this one a back up / alt))

“If you don’t know where to go, you can always come here.” 💞

From this writing prompt list i reblogged in...november lmao fljdsjfa

anyway this grew legs and sprinted away the second I picked it up yesterday - clearly it just needed some time to proof lmao. Thank you for the ask, tauria!! From *checks watch* almost 5 months ago fjdslafjsa I will be cross-posting it to Ao3 in my new oneshot collection fic :)

Warnings for: Vague allusions that Ra's Al Ghul is a creep (what else is new), threats of gun violence, canon-typical violence

15. “If you don’t know where to go, you can always come here.”

When Tim arrived in Gotham this morning, he had no way of knowing that his day would end in Jason Todd’s bed.

Frankly, he wasn’t really sure what bed he’d end up in— because his own certainly wasn’t an option right now. But If he had to pick, Jason Todd’s was somewhere near the bottom of whatever list he’d make.

He didn’t exactly plan on this, okay?

But, uh. Let’s back up a little.

—

Tim knew his day was going to go to shit when he got back from the airport at 7 AM.

He had his driver drop him off two blocks away from his townhouse for the sake of caffeine at the hole in the wall place he likes. Wealthy CEO he may be, but a sixteen hour flight is still a sixteen hour flight and Tim is cursed with an inability to sleep in the air.

Don’t ask. He’s tried. It doesn’t work.

So he wants coffee, and he wants a shower, and he wants his own bed. In that order.

With the first thing on his list acquired and blessedly burning his tongue, he managed to tug his brain cells together enough to realize that the building they’d passed that had been shrouded in tents and canvas was his building.

"What's going on here?"

The worker outside his building looks up from her clipboard, her face wrinkling into apprehensive confusion.

"Hello, sir. Can I help you?”

He hasn’t slept in roughly seventy two hours. He is not awake or patient enough for this.

“My name is Tim Drake. I own this building. What’s going on here?” He repeats.

The woman raises her eyebrows and looks down at her clipboard again. “Mr. Drake?” She questions, clearly expecting him to look like a grown-ass man and not a sleep-deprived college student coming home from spring break or whatever.

“Yes. Timothy Drake-Wayne. Why are you—” he tries to gesture with the hand still holding his suitcase handle, walking towards the tarps and tents erected around his townhouse with increasing trepidation, “—here?”

“I’m sorry sir, but you can’t go in there. Not for at least forty-eight hours.”

Tim stops in his tracks.

“Forty-eight—?”

“We've been scheduled to fumigate the property today.” She says it like she’s reading it out of a handbook. “It won't be safe to enter the building for at least forty-eight hours. You should have received prior notice. Uh. Sir.”

Tim's jet-lagged brain kicks into overdrive.

Bruce hasn't made any disappointed noises about Tim’s perfectly normal work ethic lately so it probably wasn't a misguided attempt at benching him. And besides, rendering Tim’s apartment inaccessible is counterproductive on that front.

Dick wouldn’t. They haven’t been exactly— great, lately but he wouldn’t. Besides, if he wanted to get Tim out of the house more, he’d show up to drag Tim out into the daylight himself. This is a little too roundabout for him.

It’s too much work to be Steph. She would think it’s funny, but there’s no way she’d follow through.

Damian might, but this doesn’t quite fit his preferred methods for making Tim’s life hell. It could be some cloak and dagger maneuver to leave him vulnerable, faking a complaint to the city so he’ll—

And then Tim thinks about the call.

The call he’d brushed off at fuck o’clock in the morning somewhere over Europe, too busy with another project. The call his secretary took for him instead. He thinks about the distracted confirmation he’d given to whatever it was she’d asked him about five minutes later.

He also thinks about the form he signed about two weeks ago, before this last minute trip to Hong Kong had consumed his entire attention. The one with “Two Weeks Notice” stamped across the top. His stomach sinks.

“Today,” he repeats.

She looks apologetic. “Today,” she confirms. “And we just started about an hour ago. I’m very sorry, Mr. Drake-Wayne but—”

"No it's—" he says through gritted teeth, "fine. I'll just. Make other arrangements."

—

He does not make other arrangements. Though not for lack of trying.

Tim has a handful of safehouses scattered throughout the city. He has options. He gets a taxi to the closest neighborhood, and nearly falls asleep in the backseat. The cabby has to knock on the glass divider to get his attention when they come to a stop. He grumbles and hauls his suitcase out of the backseat, and tips the man excessively.

Shower. Bed. Sleep. He’s so close he could cry.

Except when he finally rolls around the block, coffee half gone and trying to remember if this safehouse is the one with in-unit laundry or if he’ll have to haul his shit down to the laundry room, his building is a blackened husk with police tape all around it.

He stops on the sidewalk. He peers up at the window of his unit, squinting at the peeling black wood and shattered glass. He ponders whether two is enough data points to be considered a pattern. And whether he could get away with napping in the alley on this street or if that’ll end with him stabbed and robbed.

As he’s pondering, he catches sight of a passerby and stops him.

“‘Scuse me,” he says apologetically. “What the hell happened here?”

The guy looks up from his phone and takes in his rumpled clothes, his suitcase, and the scorched remains of his apartment.

“Oh, uh. Yeah, there was a big fire about a week back? Bad fire. Took out, like, half the block. Cops are saying it’s arson.”

“A week ago,” Tim repeats. The guy’s eyes widen.

“Oh shit, bro, did you live here?”

“I’ve been out of town,” he explains numbly.

“Dude, that sucks. And right in the middle of con’ season. Good luck finding a hotel!”

“Yeah,” Tim sighs as the guy walks away. “Thanks.”

—

The next safehouse he tries isn’t in much better shape.

He remembers hearing about Freeze going on a rampage a few days into his trip, but he hadn’t realized another one of his places had been caught in the cross-fire. The cold burst the pipes, and now the whole place is undergoing renovation.

He hears all this from the crotchety old lady who lives in the next building over (her building needs renovation too, but will the city pay for it? Of course not, they weren’t ‘directly impacted by disaster’ so they won’t see a penny of relief funds even though their pipes are on the same line. Typical) and when he finally extricates himself from the conversation, it’s almost noon, his second cup of coffee is long-since empty and he’s at the end of his goddamn rope.

By the time he sees his next safehouse, he isn’t even surprised anymore.

“Does God hate me?” He asks the boarded up building. “Is this a punishment? What did I do? What the fuck did I do?”

He is 99% sure at this point that someone is burning his bolt holes. There’s a short list of people with the resources and the intel to do it, and while he’s not above ruling out the likes of Damian just yet, he seriously doubts anyone wearing a bat is behind this.

Besides, Dick would have noticed by now if Damian were sinking this many resources into convoluted covert ops designed to make Tim suffer. Definitely. Probably.

Fuck it.

He goes around the back and hops on top of his suitcase to reach the clunky camera watching the back entrance. This building is on the shittier side, closer to Crime Alley than his other haunts; cameras break all the time around here. He’ll have it replaced after he’s a functional human again.

Reportedly, this building was tagged for ‘high toxicity levels’— which is pretty typical for any building where fear toxin or Joker gas are found in any amount. They must have found a lot to condemn the whole building, but Tim is confident he’ll be fine. The airborne shit dissipates to safe levels within hours depending on the ventilation. If it was in the air, it’s long gone. Anything else needs to be injected to be effective.

Once the camera’s busted, he kicks out the boards and heads inside.

He drags his suitcase in after him, and mourns the shower he probably won’t be getting. The hall lights are out, and chances are the water’s been shut off along with the electricity. But at this point, he simply does not give a shit. All he wants are four walls and a mattress.

Leaning on the door to his floor to make it open, he stumbles out into the hallway—

And catches sight of the glistening curved dagger stabbed into the wall next to his door, the hilt gleaming green in the sinking sun.

“Nope,” Tim says, spinning on his heel and going back down the stairwell double time. “Nope, nope, nope.”

He is now 100% certain that the League of Assassins has been burning his bolt holes. Ra’s al fucking Ghul can eat his whole ass.

—

Seven blocks away, Tim sits on the sidewalk in front of a bodega and contemplates a third cup of coffee. The shittiest one yet.

See, here’s the thing.

The thing is, he has options.

He could go to the Manor. Or the penthouse. Or to Steph’s place. He’d have to answer some unnecessary questions like ‘Master Timothy, you know you can’t sleep on aircraft, why didn’t you sleep before your flight’ or ‘Tim, why didn’t you come here first, you know you can still come to me if you’re in trouble, right’ or ‘why did you agree to fumigate your fucking house, you loser, lmao’. (Stephanie is not going to let him live this down).

He is absolutely certain that he would be welcomed in any of these places and after a completely undeserved amount of fussing, he could take a fucking nap and someone else would deal with the League bullshit for him.

And that’s the thing. There’s the rub.

No one should have to deal with the League bullshit for him. This is his problem. He’s not in a hurry to bring them down on anyone. Not even Damian.

With grim resignation, he reaches for his phone to try and find a hotel room (during a con’ weekend apparently, RIP) and maybe get a fucking handle on this whole stupid thing, when he hears:

“Hand over your wallet!”

He lifts his head slowly and finds himself looking down the barrel of a gun. A gun held by some guy wearing a ski mask in broad fucking daylight. There’s another guy next to him who’s watching the street. There’s a third guy somewhere behind him who he can’t see, but he can hear the scuff of his boots.

Sure. Why not. With the day he’s had, this might as well happen. He holds up his hands placatingly.

Tim contemplates his muggers. The guy with the gun is jittery, probably new to this, or hopped up on something. He keeps glancing between Tim and the bodega behind him, so they were probably planning a run on the till. Might have chickened out, or thought Tim was an easier target, an unexpected meal ticket plopped right in their path. Or they were already inside when Tim sat down, which wouldn’t bode well for his situational awareness seeing as he just came out of there himself.

The grinding gears of his tired brain keep getting caught on the fact that this is happening in the middle of the fucking day. Tim glances at the street corner and bites his cheek in frustration. Yeah, he’s smack dab in the middle of the Alley. Figures.

“Are you deaf or somethin’ man?” The guy with the gun is saying. “Hand over your fucking wallet!”

The other guy doesn’t seem as crazy-eyed. He’s nervous, though. He keeps looking around like he’s expecting Batman to materialize, to come whistling down the street like a beat cop.

“Dude, come on, it’s not fucking worth it,” he says, grabbing at the gunman’s shoulder. “We got the money, let’s fucking go.”

The third guy kicks over Tim’s suitcase. “Yeah, come on, Don, let’s just grab this shit and bounce.”

Tim can’t do anything. He’s not Red Robin right now. He’s Timothy Drake-Wayne, CEO of Wayne Enterprises, and he’s getting mugged in front of a bodega at two in the afternoon in a rumpled suit and tie and still toting his suitcase from his early morning flight.

His hands are trembling from unspent adrenaline, too much caffeine, and not enough sleep. His eyelids are the heaviest they’ve ever been in his godforsaken life. His ears are ringing. He could knock all three of them down in less time than it takes to tie his shoelaces. But he can’t.

“Shut up, Johnny, look at him shaking! What’s he gonna do? If he doesn’t wanna get shot, rich boy’s gonna hand over all his fucking shit!”

“Hey, let’s just—” Tim tries to say.

Stars explode across his vision as Tim takes a punch he genuinely wasn’t expecting. He stares up at the blue sky for about half a second, more confused than anything else, before the gunman grabs him by the front of his shirt and hauls him up to shout in his face.

“What’s it gonna be, pretty boy?!”

Caught on the exhausted edge between vigilante training and the preservation of his identity, Tim is frozen. He doesn’t know what to do. He kind of wants to cry.

“Gee, Donny, what is it gonna be?” A fourth voice says, full of false cheer.

Tim blinks. So do the muggers.

He knows that voice.

“Who the fuck—?” The gunman drops Tim, spinning around and into a fist. He tumbles down to the ground, out cold.

Everything happens pretty quickly after that.

Jason Todd is in civvies. He’s sporting a worn out looking hoodie and a pair of jeans that have seen better days. But his heavy boots are the same ones he wears for his uniform, and the kick he delivers to Johnny’s face is all Red Hood.

Almost in a daze, Tim watches him fight with the usual mix of seething envy and raw desire that rears its ugly head any time he gets to see Jason in action. He’s fast, decisive. Efficient. Beautiful. Tim wishes he had Jason’s skill. And he wishes—

Well. He wishes a lot of things about Jason Todd.

Tim is pretty sure he and Jason are friends. Maybe. Probably. They’ve pretty much moved past the whole “replacement”, “zombie-dickhead” part of their relationship and have graduated to occasionally providing backup on ops that overlap in each other’s sectors, ganging up on Dick when they’re all in the same room, and maintaining a surprisingly steady stream of vigilante gossip to keep each other in the loop.

So, ok, yes, due to the aforementioned, he’s pretty sure they’re friends. And also because Jason wouldn’t have stuck his neck out for him otherwise. He would have just let him get mugged.

Watching Jason fight is one of Tim’s favorite pastimes. But right now, Tim’s usual appreciation is soured by the gut-roiling embarrassment of being caught in this position by Jason of all people. His eyes itch. His cheek throbs. He’s so fucking tired.

“Hey, little stalker,” Jason says suddenly, holding out an expectant hand in Tim’s face. The muggers are groaning on the ground around them. Tim isn’t sure when that happened. He might have zoned out. “Did you know that you had a stalker for a change?”

Tim flushes. “I resent that. I haven’t stalked anyone in years.” He takes the hand. It’s warm, and calloused, and big around his.

Jason laughs at him and yanks him to his feet. “Liar.”

Tim’s mouth twists into a scowl. He tries to glare at Jason, but he can feel himself swaying and Jason still hasn’t let go of him, and it’s ruining everything.

Also, lowkey, Jason is right. But in his defense, it is literally their job to stalk people, so.

“I haven’t stalked you in years then. Just other guys. Bad guys. Not non-bad guys. Fuck. You know what I mean. Whatever.” He pauses; recalibrates. “Had?” He asks.

Jason’s eyebrows inched higher and higher the longer Tim talked. Tim doesn’t blame him.

“Yeah. Had.”

So much for the League, Tim muses.

Jason gives him a once over before tugging decisively on Tim’s wrist, easily grabbing the handle of his suitcase and starting to walk with both in tow, to Tim’s rising horror.

“You’re coming with me, shortstack. What’s wrong with you? Are you drunk? You look like shit.”

Tim tries to yank his wrist out of Jason’s grip, but the asshole doesn’t budge. “I’m not drunk,” Tim snaps. “I’m fine. I’m just. I’m just… really tired.”

Jason stops abruptly, and Tim stumbles into his shoulder.

“I can see that,” he says, steadying Tim with an amused but ultimately sympathetic look. He loads Tim’s suitcase onto the back of a motorcycle that Tim literally just now noticed.

God, he’s fucked. And not even in a fun way.

“C’mon,” Jason says. “Don’t fall asleep on the way over— road rash sucks ass.”

—

They don’t talk on the way to— wherever Jason is taking them, but once they’re parked in a random garage and walking towards the elevators, the game of twenty questions begins.

“So why’ve you got League assassins after you, anyway? Piss in a lazarus pit? Push over the baby brat on the playground?”

“Ra’s al Ghul wants my body,” Tim says, dejected but resigned to this bizarre fact of his life. “Since I was seventeen, I’m pretty sure.”

Jason wrinkles his nose. “Ew.”

“I don’t think it’s a sex thing? But it could also be a sex thing.”

“Again. Fucking ew.”

“Yeah. Also I blew up a bunch of his shit and I think he’s still salty I got away with it.”

“Is that why you weren’t at the Manor?” Jason asks, herding Tim out of the elevator and down a long hallway. “Or anywhere but a random street in Crime Alley?”

Tim nods. “Yeah. They found all my safehouses, but— my mess. My problem.”

Jason thwacks him upside the head.

“Ow! What the fuck?”

“You’re the dumbest person on the planet.”

“Am not. B is on-planet right now.”

“Then you’re pretty fucking close,” Jason snarks, fishing out some keys and opening one of the apartment doors.

Tim scoffs at him as he’s pushed inside. “Oh, please. Don’t try to tell me you would let Dick swoop in and solve all your problems for you.”

Jason rolls his eyes, stepping into the side kitchen and popping open the freezer door of the fridge.

“Dickiebird can’t even solve his own problems,” he says as he rummages. “But maybe when I’m fucked up enough to let three nobodies robbing a fucking bodega get the jump on me, that’s a sign that, maybe, it might be time to call in the cavalry. Dick isn’t the only person who’s got your back.” He presses an ice pack to Tim’s face until he takes it himself, and keeps steering him through the apartment. “Just saying.”

Tim would protest with all of his very good reasons why Jason is definitely wrong here, but he’s too busy processing the fact that Jason has led him into a bedroom. With a bed. There’s a bed, with a mattress and pillows and blankets. Right there. Tim stares at it with lustful eyes.

Jason catches him staring. He rolls his eyes, but he’s sporting a small smile that Tim has the presence of mind to memorize. He walks over to a dresser and pulls out a big shirt and a pair of shorts that he hands to Tim.

“Look. If you don’t know where to go, you can always come here. No guarantees I’ll be always around, but, yeah. Mi casa es su casa, or whatever.”

Tim eyes him up, clutching the bundle of Jason-smelling fabric in his hands. “And you’d do that for me because…why, exactly?”

Jason flicks his forehead, a stinging reprimand. Tim hisses.

“Because, dumbass, you need help and I feel like it. And you don’t actually suck to be around, so shut up and be grateful.”

“Oh, yes,” Tim deadpans, rubbing at his forehead. “So grateful to be allowed the privilege of squatting with you.”

The thing of it is, Tim is grateful. But Jason doesn’t need to know that.

Jason squawks, and before Tim can duck, he’s snatched Tim around the neck in a headlock. His arm is thick and doesn’t budge no matter how Tim shoves and kicks. The ice pack and the clothes go flying, and Tim just about dies. Jason is warm.

“Jason—!”

“Brat!” Jason crows, not giving an inch. “I paid for this place fair and square— you’re the only squatter here!”

“Blood money doesn’t count as square!”

“Tell that to half of Gotham, kid.”

“I’m trying to, thanks for noticing,” Tim says, finally wrenching himself free of Jason’s grip, stumbling into the bed and giving into its siren song. He sits down heavily on the edge, toppling over sideways and reaching pathetically for the fallen ice pack that’s just out of his reach.

“And don’t call me kid—” he complains, muffled by the pillow. It also smells like Jason. “You’re barely two years older than me.”

The cold ice pack is pressed into his fingers. He cracks an eye open to look, but Jason is just smirking at him, like he’s giving Tim the win. Ass.

“Coulda fooled me, shortstack.”

Tim rolls his eyes, and onto his back, toeing off his shoes and letting them clatter to the floor. He can’t tell if Jason’s bed is the best bed in the world, or if he’s just deliriously inventing things.

Frankly, Jason Todd’s bed is the last place he ever thought he’d end up, this morning or otherwise, so he’s never bothered to speculate. He does not have a contingency plan for this.

“Is there a reason you keep calling me short,” he complains, “Or will I just need to fill in the blanks myself?”

“Can’t help it. You’re just so small,” Jason coos. Tim props himself up on an elbow at that, raising a disgusted eyebrow.

“You don’t hear me constantly talking about how big you are.”

Jason grins like he just won the lottery; Tim shuts his eyes the second it’s out of his mouth.

“Baby, you don’t know how big I am.”

He does, actually. Not in a creepy stalker way, just— there was this one time. A big rogue breakout at Arkham, all-hands on deck type of situation; Tim, Cass, and Jason were covering Poison Ivy in the park. Acid-spitting pitcher plants were involved.

And look, Jason’s tactical gear is fine in the day to day, but it’s not like any of them had time to prep a neutralizing agent, so when Jason needed his pants off, stat…uh. Well. Tim was right there.

He knows, okay?

“Alright,” he rallies, trying desperately not to replay the memory of Jason adjusting himself through his boxers. All of himself. “I walked right into that one.”

“Oh, trust me. You’ll know if you’ve walked into it.”

Tim scoffs, but he can feel how red his face is.

And the thing is. He says it without really meaning to.

But he still means it.

“You gonna put your money where your mouth is, big guy?”

The change is immediate. Jason had been halfway out the door, but now he turns to Tim, giving him his full, undivided attention. He looks at Tim, laid out in Jason's bed, giving him a very slow once over. The scrutiny is at once nerve-wracking and thrilling.

“Thought you didn’t want my money,” Jason murmurs.

The temperature in the room spikes. If it weren’t for the slow throb of his bruised cheek, Tim would think that he’s already asleep and dreaming.

But he isn’t. He’s very much aware that he’s wide awake.

Tim swallows. “Well. It’s not your money I want.”

Jason’s grin is electric.

He stalks over to the bed, and Tim is frozen like a rabbit, waiting to see what he’ll do next. Jason settles a knee on the sheets between Tim’s legs, looming over Tim and boxing him in against the mattress. Tim’s free hand reaches up of its own accord to tangle in the collar of Jason’s hoodie, and the cotton is softer than he expected.

Jason’s eyes rove over his face, dark and heavy. He catches Tim’s face in his hand, swiping his thumb lightly across the bruising hot ache of his cheekbone. He leans in deliberate and slow and—

—and stops about an inch away from Tim’s mouth.

“Get some sleep, babybird,” Jason teases, his breath puffing gently over the skin of Tim’s lips. “You can proposition me again tomorrow.”

“It’s, like, 3:30 in the afternoon,” Tim argues, breathless.

“Yeah, and your body thinks it’s 3:30 in the morning. You’re dead on your feet. Don’t make promises you can’t keep, and go the fuck to sleep.”

Jason moves to rise. But Tim hooks a stubborn arm around his neck and pulls him down that last remaining inch.

The kiss is— bad. At first.

Tim basically smashed their mouths together to prove a point, and Jason muffles a surprised sound against Tim’s teeth. He lands heavily on top of Tim at an awkward angle, and he’s kind of crushing him. Tim refuses to let go, but— Jason doesn’t pull away.

Jason gentles the kiss instead, and Tim thrills. He levers himself up onto his elbow, wrapping an anchoring arm around Tim’s back. He finds a home between Tim’s legs, and he lets Tim kiss him until Tim's lips are tingling and his fingers go slack; until he can’t keep his eyes open anymore.

Somewhere between fifteen minutes and a small eternity later, Jason presses one more kiss to the corner of his mouth. He curls around Tim on his side, and Tim turns his face into Jason’s neck with a soft wondering sigh.

“I’ll keep it. Promise. Wait n’ see,” Tim mumbles. Jason snorts, but doesn’t budge, and Tim can hear his smile in his voice, lilted and lulling.

“Sure, babybird. I’ll wait. I got nowhere else to be.”

Tim is already asleep.

#one hundred thousand years have passed #i creak up out of the soil gasping and hacking and coughing #'i lived bitch'#'have some jaytim that grew legs on me'#my writing #asked and answered #jaytim #ladytauria #hurt/comfort #this one is sillier and more light-hearted than the other ones #the hurt is more like 'near tears travel exhaustion' than your typical aftermath of violence lol but it so definitely counts #i held a gun to the head of the muse that said 'this is way too short' and pulled the fucking trigger #i KNOW it's a very fast get together but i did Not want this to become my next 5 digit wordcount fic okay. okay. oka #the bones of a long 'tim and jason vs the league of assassins' fic is hiding here #and if i actually wrote that this would have ended much differently #but i am Not Writing That okay I am Writing Cowboys and also Werewolves Right Now. I Do Not Have Time For This!!!!!!#prompt fill

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my-ceiling-is-tilted · 3 months

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Hey, it's been a minute

Life's been busy, of course, but that's not really the reason I haven't been posting here. In case you missed it, staff have at this point confirmed that they'll be selling user data to Midjourney for use in generative ai training datasets. While I have opted out of third-party data sharing in my blog settings (and you should do that too if you haven't!!), I'm still not terribly satisfied with this platform's handling of the situation.

Tumblr has, over the last year especially, demonstrated a complete lack of care or respect for the human beings that use their site. In this light, I do not expect them to follow through on this new venture with any regard for ethics or artists. If they cannot manage to moderate poc or trans women's blogs with the respect and gravity folks deserve on such a fundamental level, I cannot imagine the pattern will suddenly shift to value any one of us over marketability and profit.

I'm considering this development the final nail in a coffin that's been pretty much built for a while now.

My art on this blog will remain up, as an archive, because I consider the damage to be done. I will not be posting additional work here in the future. My sideblog might remain active to some extent (In case staff invents more hidden switches to flip without telling anyone), but I'm disinterested in my intellectual property being farmed for content generators without my consent (which I have not given) and appropriate compensation (which I have not received).

If you like my stuff, and want to see more, I'll be over on cohost pretty much exclusively, so feel free to come say hi. There's hot new art over there that neither you, nor Midjourney, have seen from me yet.

If this is where we part ways, thank you for all the kind words, rbs, and likes over the years. tumblr was my first experiment with posting my art publicly, and while it truly sucks for things to end this way, I'm happy for the time I've spent on here, and the friends I've made along the way.

#digital art #artists on tumblr #tumblr changes #ai art #third-party sharing

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yvtro · 2 years

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once again grieving how dc killed everything unique and interesting about kon's story. it was such an interesting concept to introduce a character who is basically a child celeb. such a novel piece of reconstruction of the genre within its universe.

kon was exploited by everyone in his vicinity. and i'm not even talking just about him being used as a weapon. i'm talking about his fame. i'm talking about capitalism.

for people who have never picked up 90's superboy series: there’s rex and roxy, rex as his ‘manager’ who sells superboy merch, organises meetings with media, plans a SUPERBOY WORLD TOUR. roxy is rex’s daughter and she sticks mostly for that reason too. there’s tana, his girlfriend, a whole fucking adult, who’s a journalist, probably the only one who reports on most of his adventures. then there’s dubbilex, who is sent to hawaii by cadmus as a ‘chaperone’. there’s makoa, a local officer, who of course at first despises him, but eventually starts working with him too (because he admits that they need him, not because he suddenly has any respect to the boy).

not a single person who makes friends with him or becomes his caretaker because of who he is as a person.

in one of the early issues, his manager strikes a deal for a superboy cartoon. at the time, kon is infected with the clone plague. everyone is so into the show and discussing if it's a good production or not, that no one notices that there’s something wrong with him till he collapses in front of them all.

couple of issues later, a superboy impersonator is killed. kon blames himself for it. rex talks about how they can capitalise on it by producing a comics titled ‘a death of superboy’.

not even mentioning a whole plotline about rex selling out kon to some guy because he was in debt and how the kid almost got killed in the process.

when kon gets sent to school (as a freshman in high school btw) he still doesn’t even have a name, going exclusively by ‘superboy’ and he has a really hard time making friends because his first instinct is to impress his classmates with his power.

oh, since we’re talking about high school, I should mention that tana was reporting on-live his first day at school. speaking of tana, she also calls him almost exclusively “kid” (criminal) and in issue #0 she overhears her co-workers talking about how it’s not ethical to be in a relationship with a boy who’s not even 16 yet, but she quickly brushes it off as them being “jealous”.

anyway, my point is: there are a lot of stories about how young superheroes become overly confident and snobby because of the media attention. there’s not a lot of stories about them being literally groomed and exploited in every way possible very much like children celebrities are.

I don’t know how much of it kesel actually intended to be read this way, because ultimately, most of it is played off as a joke, and tana is not the only adult woman who’s interested in kon (look: knockout calling him a ‘jailbait’ and their whole relationship), but there’s so much potential in this story. kon doesn’t seem to realise how wrong everything going on around him is, as he knows nothing else. hell, he doesn’t even have a name till around issue #60 and he doesn’t mind it. he still wears a cadmus earring with his experiment number without a second thought.

there’s still a lot of stories to be written about it, but dc is too busy with producing copaganda i guess. and the fanon is sleeping on it too.

#superboy #kon #dc comics #kon meta

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wambsgansshoelaces · 1 month

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Turmoil; Chapter 10

Roman Roy x Reader

short but oh well! kind of sucks but soo la voo as the french say (pls understand that reference)

let me know what u think x I’ve missed this

Word Count: 2.022k

We need to figure things out. Now.”

Your arms are folded over your chest. You’re stood, Kendall and Shiv sat down on the plush sofa in your office.

Roman pipes in from across the room. “And it’s not me.”

Kendall and Shiv eye each other. “Realistically, it’s me,” Kendall says first. “I’ve been at the company the longest in the position closest to CEO. I’m the logical choice.”

“Who gives a shit who’s kissed Dad’s ass the most?” Shiv interrupts. “I’d bring better business. I’d be better for a rebrand- we could become ethical for once.”

“Okay, Shiv, while that’s respectable, the company would collapse before you could do any of that.” Kendall leans back, crossing his ankle over his knee. “You can’t make changes to a company that you can’t keep alive.”

Roman’s crossed the room to stand near you, intently inspecting the curtains on the windows overlooking the city. “Nice fabric,” he murmurs to you, glancing back at you to make sure he has your attention. You can tell he’s not comfortable with anything that’s happening at the moment. But he’ll stick it out because you have to be here. He’s thinking of you more and more, these days.

He doesn’t know what to do with all these new feelings. New sensations.

Kendall and Shiv glare at each other, words passing between them in a language you’ll never understand. Roman turns back to the curtain, clearly anxious, linking one of your pinkies with his.

“The way I see it, you both are the right decision. Just do it together,” you tell them. “Two CEOs, Kenny handles the nitty gritty and Shiv does all of the media stuff. Problem solved.”

“It’s more complicated than that,” Shiv manages through gritted teeth.

“Is it really?” you question. “Because that’s my offer. If you want my help, it’s both of you take over the company after we go to court. Or it’s neither.”

It’s ridiculous of you to do so, but you know it’s the only way you’ll get them both on board. You were never going to give it to anyone else, anyway.

“Didn’t know we were on Shark Tank,” Kendall mutters. “But fine. I’ll do it if you do,” he says, turning to Shiv. She heaves a sigh.

“Fine.”

“Fucking finally,” Roman says. He’s sitting in your desk chair now, feet reclined. “Actually, no. You both caved too fast.”

“Oh, shut up, Roman. They agreed to it, let’s fucking make sure it stays like that.” He catches your eyes and makes a face at you. You ignore him, turning your attention back to Kendall and Shiv. “We should speak to Connor.”

Shiv scoffs. “And say what?”

“He could be what wins us the case. Do you know how valuable he’d be as a witness?” you ask, watching the gears turn in Kendall’s head. “The fact that he was framed could be all we need to send your dad packing. We just need some hard evidence.”

“It’s worth I shot, I think,” Kendall offers. “If Shiv doesn’t want to do it, I will.”

“No, no, we’re doing it together. Honestly, Roman should come, too.” She turns to glance at him, over relaxed at your desk. “I think there’s a lot of things we need to talk about as a family, anyway.”

Kendall stands, clapping his hands together. “Well, I’m glad we figured this out.” His neck’s tense, a smile out of place on his strained face. He stands still for a moment, taking a breath. His shoulders sag, relaxing, and he adjusts his tie before coming to give you a hug.

A little surprised, you weakly return it, giving his back a light rub. Every muscle your hand glides over is taut.

Whatever’s going on in his head, you know you’re going to hear about it later.

He pats your back, squeezing you tight. “You’re a godsend,” he says, his voice suddenly warm and light, a stark comparison to his previous stiffness. “Thank you,” is all he says before he leaves, nodding at Roman, not sparing Shiv a glance.

“Fucking hell,” she manages, grabbing her purse and getting to her feet. She doesn’t say goodbye. She doesn’t even look at you, merely stalking out of your office after Kendall.

Roman rocks backwards in your chair, watching his siblings through the glass panes of your office walls. “They’re not doing that shit.”

“Not doing what?” You slide onto the edge of your desk, glancing over at him.

“The CEO thing. They’ll rip each other’s throats out before they even get near that.” He picks up a trinket from your desk, handling it delicately. “Cute.”

You sigh. “They’re going to have to suck it up until the court case They can do whatever the fuck they want after the company’s theirs.”

He starts spinning himself around in your chair. “Crazy thought,” he begins on spin one, “you give it to neither of them. Steal from the rich and give to the poor. Robin Hood.” He spins again.

“What, just walk out onto the street and choose some hobo to become Prince Ali?”

He snorts. Another spin. “Not the poor poor. The millionaire poor. Or something.” He spins again. “They won’t be able to handle it. They’ll implode. All of this buddy buddy stuff-” he flaps a hand at the windows, Kendall and Shiv long gone “-won’t ever happen again.” He sticks his leg out to halt his whirling, facing you. “And I… I don’t really want that. It’d… I can’t just watch our relationship disintegrate like that.”

☾𖤓

You straighten your blazer, Cherry flitting about your office straightening things out. She’s paranoid like that- always has been. You treat her well, she treats you well. What started out as a symbiotic relationship is now a genuine friendship, one that you’ve both nurtured and hope to continue nurturing.

“If he screams, I’ll run in with the fire axe,” she mutters to herself. “Self defense.”

“This building has a fire axe?” You take a manila file from an assistant who’s rushing by, setting them on your desk.

“What do you know about Siobhan?” Cherry asks suddenly. “Other than that she’s a Roy.”

You round your desk, slipping into your chair and spreading various documents just the way you like them. “She’s sweet when she’s not scheming.” Your eyes snag on a sticky note pasted to the surface of your desk.

You’ve come to recognize Roman’s handwriting when you see it. It’s his messy script on the Post-It, his messy doodles. It’s only one word- hi, the rest of the paper covered in hearts and shitty stick figures. He’d labeled two for you, the both of them holding hands, a heart floating between their heads. Y/N and Roman, he’d written, a cloud of hearts surrounding his script.

You bite your lip, suppressing a smile. You peel the sticky from your desk, resticking it to on of your desktop monitors.

Cherry’s voice pulls you from your thoughts. “She’s really pretty in real life,” she says hesitantly, straightening out a portrait on your wall.

“Oh?” You let yourself smile now. “Is she ugly on TV? I think someone's a bit lovesick,” you say, watching her fumble with the frame.

Her face flushes pink. “Is she even into girls?”

“I’ll ask for you.” She opens her mouth to protest, but one of the front desk receptionists buzzes in to your desk phone. You make a face at Cherry, watching her scuttle from the room with a stupid grin on her face, her middle finger stuck out at you.

“Mr. Roy is on his way up. He refused to sign in,” the receptionist says, irritated.

“Thank you, Garrett,” you say back, making quick note to do something nice for your staff once everything was done and over with.

Before you know it, Connor’s sat across from you, grin on his face. “L/N, about time you had me in.” He settles into the armchair, his skinny limbs splaying at awkward angles. “I was beginning to think you’d forgotten about me.” His expression is as confident as you’ve seen it, his eyes carrying a relief you haven’t seen before.

“Don’t worry. I could never forget about you,” you say coyly, gathering a few papers and stacking them.

“Well, come on.” He shifts in his seat. “What’s the big news? You must’ve finally let me in for a reason. I’m not as stupid as Pops says I am. I know you’re avoiding me.”

You feel a pang in your chest. You’ve thought all of this over thousands of times, and each time, you’ve felt worse and worse for Connor. The poor guy just wants to be happy. And in the end, so did you. How could you ever hate someone for that?

“It is big news,” you say, smiling softly. You paperclip the sheets together before sliding them into the manila folder that’d you’d set on your desk earlier. You paste the kindest, most benevolent expression onto your face as you hand him the folder. “You’re being served.”

You can see his heart stop.

“Sorry?”

You use a pen to gesture at the folder. “You’re being served,” you repeat. “I’m suing you.” You keep your words clipped, yet soft. You still feel bad for him, in the end. He’s just a pawn in this sick and twisted game, same as you. Might as well give him grace.

Connor breaks down before you. “I thought they were joking,” he manages. “Just trying to scare me.” He drops his head into his hands.

“Siobhan and Kendall aren’t your father,” you say gently. They’d gone to speak with him, as they’d agreed, but Roman had strangely not shown up. He’d given you a quick excuse when you’d asked him at home, the words rolling quickly off of his tongue. “And I’m not, either.”

Connor’s face is tear stained when he looks back up at you. “I have nothing,” he tells you. “Nothing, and I keep losing, I keep going into debt…” He wipes at his eyes, struggling to speak.

“I can help.” You unlock a compartment in your desk, taking out the paperwork you’ve been painstakingly working on since you met with Logan in that restaurant you’ve come to hate. You slide it towards Connor. The papers are structured similarly to the ones you’ve already handed him, but the defendant’s name is different.

His fingers begin worrying at the bottom of his sweater. You notice it’s beginning to fray. He looks over the papers, his features still drawn in a heartbreaking mixture of pain and desperation. “What’s this all mean?”

“That I can right some wrongs for you.” You keep your eyes locked on him, despite his avoidance of your gaze. “More importantly, I could get you a lot of money. You won’t have to keep scrambling. You won’t have to resort to crime, which, by the way, you never had to do.”

“How does this change things?” he asks quietly, his eyes trained on one part of the first paper in his hands. You know what he’s looking at.

“Things won’t ever be the same with him, Connor,” you murmur. “But they haven’t been good for a while. He can only use you for as long as you let him.” He sets the papers on your desk with shaky hands. “You don’t have to do anything you don’t want to. I’m just urging you to think through your options. I’m here to help… he’s not. You’re just a means to an end for him.”

“I’ll do it,” he says immediately. “I’ll do it. I’ve been doing the wrong thing for too long. It’s time I righted my wrongs,” he says, reusing your words. “I can finally right my wrongs.” All of a sudden, he’s out of his chair and has thrown his arms around you. You’re stiff with surprise in your chair, only for a moment, until you awkwardly return the hug. He’s struggling to breathe, but doing a good job of hiding it. He quickly straightens up, composing himself. “I’ll do good this time. I promise.”

“I believe you.”

“I’m so fucking grateful that you do.”

#roman roy #roman roy x reader #roman roy x you #succession #succession hbo #wambsgansshoelaces #succession x reader #succession fic #turmoil

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am-i-the-asshole-official · 10 months

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AITA for calling out my coworker?

This has been going on for a few weeks now, and while I don't think I'm the AH, I have been told that I am. A damning start, I am well aware.

My coworker (~35F) Janet and I (33F) don't work on the same location, but we work for the same clinic. She holds the exact same position I do. All locations are treated as the same clinic rather than separate and individually functioning locations, so we frequently have to be in contact and work together with people hundreds of miles away. This usually works well, unless people disagree, as we can't just walk up to each other to ask for clarification when it's needed.

About 4-5 weeks ago, my car gave out in the morning on my way to work. I had to get towed off of the freeway, and I notified my boss and coworkers accordingly and through the appropriate channels (a direct phone call to my boss and a notification in our work group chat explaining the situation and that I would be later, but didn't know how late). Being stranded on the freeway is terrifying, so I was off to an emotional start of my day. An hour or two later, I was rounding everything off and was getting into a different, borrowed car. At that point, Janet told (not asked) me, in the group chat, to start doing my shift. I was scheduled for a day on the phone, and she could see I wasn't answering calls. I replied that I already told everyone that I was going to be in late because of my car trouble and that I was headed over now, and should be there in about 30 minutes. I got no response.

Exactly one week later, Janet and I were scheduled together to answer the phone again. Towards the end of the day, I was called in by my manager to go through the details of an upcoming safety drill at our location, which I'm overseeing. This was unexpected, but it wasn't that busy, so I told my coworkers (Janet and one other) about it, and said I would probably be in that meeting for the rest of the day. Immediately, Janet replied that she wouldn't be able to stay on the phone either, since she was the last one left in her building and had to man the front desk. Our third coworker's shift would end in 10 minutes or so, so with me gone too, there would have been no one left to pick up the phone. She hadn't informed anyone of that before that moment. If she had, I would have told my manager we'd have to pick a different time. Now we had to cut the meeting very short. I told her so, and an argument ensued in the group chat. She was of the opinion that I should have deduced that she would be on her own, through our roster, the doctor's agenda, and general knowledge of her location. I was of the opinion that our roster said she was scheduled to pick up the phone until closing, and that if she knew she wasn't going to be able to do that, she should have informed the people who were supposed to pick up her slack. I didn't say this in the group chat, but I'm not a damn detective, out every day to make sure people are scheduled correctly.

She's been poking and prodding ever since, picking any excuse to call out perceived errors in my work ethic. The thing is, she's never right, but because she always put it in the group chat, I could never really explain the why of it to her. I'm 95% certain that she was well aware of this, and that's why she kept doing it.

I tried calling her to talk it out, but when she saw it was me, she didn't answer. I tried chatting directly rather than in the group chat, calling her location, calling her personal phone - in any way possible I've tried to get in contact with her personally, but she was just not responding.

Eventually, I typed out an email to her in my lunch break, addressing some of the times she tried to publicly shame me. Times she said I wasn't picking up enough phone calls, even though I was doing thrice the amount of phone calls she was. Times she said I wasn't working at all, when I was stuck in a phone conversation with another hospital, that lasted 40 minutes. I attached evidence to make my point (we have call logs), and ended by asking her to please just assume that we were all working our hardest, and no one's actively not working or trying to make work harder for others. I put my boss in cc (not bcc), because she had asked about our interactions a couple of times by then, and even notified my coworker of that in the email itself, because I didn't want to blindside her. It turned into a long email. The response I got was "I don't have time to read entire pages, I'm working". My boss saw. I don't know what came of that, or if anything even happened at all.

Janet has since blocked me on every medium, which means I can't reach her anymore, including for work related things.

Yesterday, my boss called me in again to ask how it's been resolved, and I told her honestly that it hadn't, and that I was pretty sad about it tbh. I try to do my best, and it felt like I didn't get the same in return. Besides, I'd like to have a good working relationship with my immediate coworkers, and it leaves a bad taste in my mouth to leave it unresolved like this. Instead of understanding that, I got a lecture (a friendly one, my boss is still cool) about how I bulldozed her over with my email, that I wasn't compassionate enough, that I should have tried to reach out with empathy. Honestly, I'm furious about this. All the shit that I've been enduring from her, and I get reprimanded? Any attempt I made to reach out to her was actively blocked or ignored, and now I'm getting shit for attempting to talk it out in the only way that worked. It all feels very unfair to me.

I want to know if my boss is right, or has a certain point. I never want to be perceived as TA in any situation, so I'd like to see whether I should adjust my conflict management skills accordingly, or if I can metaphorically roll my eyes and shrug it off.

So, Tumblr, AITA for calling out my coworker via email?

What are these acronyms?

#aita #am i the asshole

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review-of-all-who · 11 days

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Boom

Everyone was shitting on this title so much and then Moffat gave us an absolute banger. This episode is incredible. Ncuti had to stand in one place for a full fucking episode and still gave us some of the best acting I've ever seen. The pathos of it is excellent. And god the themes and commentary.

Moffat is commenting on so much here and it deeply helps that he's a grumpy old man in the exact same ways I am. The episode really is a my philosophy speed run. He really just said.

"the church is an organisation created to justify atrocities, war is perpetuated by capitalism because humans matter less than money, medicine run like a business devalues human life and costs lives, faith is a powerful tool that when wielded unwisely can be used to justify horrific acts because it needs no proof but can be a useful tool in providing comfort when faced with life's biggest questions, fundamentally after death all that matters is the impact you make on others, Susan should be talked about in terms of her affect on the doctor more, the cooperate sheen of pleasantries as it commits horrific acts is deeply dehumanising and frustrating, thoughts and prays mean nothing and are annoying as hell, algorithms should never be in charge of decisions that require an ethical system and compassion"

Just incredible that he manages to put all that in 45 minutes so succinctly. I am very much forgiving him for his show runner crimes because this was such a god damn banger.

Also I'm really interested to see where Mundy goes considering she might well become the next companion. The doctor did say he was coming back so it would be super cool if we actually get a companion from the future again. Her being an Anglican marine and thus having some tension with the doctor would be fascinating to explore. Bonus points is Mundy Sunday becomes real. I'd adore that.

My hopes aren't too high, doctor who does avoid future companions nowadays but if we are keeping Ruby on board then maayyyybe it's won't just be a future version of her.

Also if you want my predictions, Ruby or the doctor are related to the toymaker. Mrs Flood is Susan (she's been brought up way too much not to be in the show). That's my theory. We'll see if I'm right

#doctor who #doctor who review #boom #doctor who spoilers #new who

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mareposie · 2 years

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Parents Teachers meeting. The Forgers are mesmerizing everyone with their beauty and elegance and classmates tell Anya she’s adopted because she is not as pretty lmaooo. Dr Forger is now called Dr Love. Henderson is so happy to see Anya’s parents but act professional, Anya is doing great but still need improvement, he believes in her and thinks her last Toni is an accident. She’s very active the class’ life and contributes to most of the interactions between the students. Her taking naps during class won’t be tolerated next year so she needs to get a better sleeping schedule (she should take naps during breaks). Yor promises to teach a better sleeping schedule to Anya. He and Loid agrees that she is very good in Classical Language and asks her if she should join an extra class on this subject so she can get better grades. She says no because she doesn’t want to study. Well, Anya survived her first year of school with an average grade of 60/100 and she can stay with her friends next year. 2 Stellas and 2 Toni.

Damian waits for house staff and he sees his classmates, his friends, Forehead girl and Stubby legs smiling with their parents as they are officially passing. He is uncomfortable and maybe a bit jealous because he did very well, he got 98/100 with honors, Two Stellas. But he is here, sitting alone in the hall. He pushed Emile and Ewen away because he didn’t want to feel excluded with their parents who might ask about his father. The sky is orange now and he hears Becky and Anya talking about their plans, like going to the Blackbell Mediterranean house for a week. Mr Blackbell and Mr Forger are busy men but Mrs Blackbell invites Mrs Forger to join her with the girls, the two families are getting along very well, apparently they are even going dinner after this and Anya and Becky will have a sleepover.

“Maybe her mom is really friends with my mom” he thinks.

Yor Forger suddenly approaches him and greets him, saying she knows Melinda was not able to come and if he has someone to take him to the meeting. Damian blushes and says the house staff is just late, very late. Loid Forger joins the conversation and smiles at Damian,

“We are not your parents but we know you take care of our daughter everyday so allow us to take you to the meeting. I don’t think the house staff will come, I remember you being alone during orientation. Plus my wife can contact your mother after the meeting, I’m sure Mr Henderson won’t mind. ”

“Pretty please Damian, it’s getting late you will catch a cold !”

“You can borrow my parents Sy-on boy don’t be shy.” Anya says with a cool pose while Becky is amazed by her attitude. There’s no way commoners are pitying him ! The scion of the Desmond family !

And this is how, Damian found himself between Loid and Yor who were amazed by his accomplishments. Henderson has this internal crying because the Forgers did THAT again. Henderson praises Damian for his academical success but wants him to be a kid and to enjoy life a bit more. He congratulates him of his efforts on managing his anger issues and patience with other classmates, especially a certain girl. He scolds him on the lack of sleep he inflicts on himself and hope he will have a better schedule next year.

“I admire your work ethic but you are allowed to relax and to have fun Damian.” Loid pats his head with a proud smile.

“You did amazing Dami-chan ! We need to celebrate it with a cake !” Yor hugs him like she hugs her daughter. She asks him to come over during the summer so he can play with Anya and they can celebrate their successful year with a lot of cakes.

“Thanks, Pops... and Moms.” He is red like a tomato but happier. Maybe commoners aren’t that bad, very clingy and overly affectionate but kind. Actually they are WAY TOO NICE.

#damianya #damian desmond #anya forger #Yor Forger #loid forger #becky blackbell #spy x family #spy x family headcanons

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didalexiabreakupwitholgayet · 1 month

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Do you know about Alexia's education Where did she study?

yes, so alexia went through the primary and secondary school education system in spain. and then she was enrolled at the Universitat Pompeu Fabra de Barcelona to study business administration and management back in 2015. but she had to move to a long distance study program when it became difficult to attend in person classes with her training schedule.

she was interviewed during the women's world cup back in 2015 and said that her goal would be to have a long term career that combines football with her studies in business ("connecting the things she likes the most.")

in 2015, alexia also said it was difficult to study with training and games:

"Yes, it's difficult. I used to go to a university that was face-to-face, but I couldn't go to half of the classes because of the training, the trips to the Champions League, the national team. In the end I had to choose to follow the race at a distance. A lot of discipline is required. Actually, since I'm doing single subjects, I've just started. I still have a lot left. I'm going to go little by little, because the purpose is to study a career for when football runs out. As long as football lasts, I'm going to take it out little by little, giving priority to football, while always maintaining a commitment to my studies."

anyway, i'm not 100% sure about her degree status, but relevo has reported that she's planning on starting a foundation to focus on gender discrimination in sport. so that would seem to be a good way to combine her one true love with what she has studied.

as for "academically smart," i don't know how to answer that because i haven't seen her results 😂, but i have to imagine that someone who is a hard worker, has disciplined work ethic, and amazing football iq and vision should translate into someone who could be academically successful as well, if she puts her mind to it! and she has a pretty good track record with her brand deals, so i'm sure she's putting those business classes to use there too!

#alexia putellas #fcb femení #futfem #woso

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