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#and have decided that for today you need something a little cozy but also refreshing
oxymorayuri · 2 months
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❞𝑊𝘩𝑎𝑡 𝑡𝘩𝑒 𝑏𝑜𝑦𝑠 𝑙𝑜𝑣𝑒 𝑎𝑏𝑜𝑢𝑡 𝑡𝘩𝑒𝑖𝑟 𝑔𝑖𝑟𝑙.❝
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𝐀𝐑𝐓𝐈𝐒𝐓: Law/Ace/Doffy: pol | Kid: ダイコン
Headcanons » Law ✧ Ace ✧ Kid ✧ Doflamingo Wordcount » 1873 Info » Fem reader, mature/kinky things but also fluffy and cute
ᴍɪɴᴏʀꜱ ᴅᴏ ɴᴏᴛ ɪɴᴛᴇʀᴀᴄᴛ
𝑇𝑟𝑎𝑓𝑎𝑙𝑔𝑎𝑟 𝐷. 𝑊𝑎𝑡𝑒𝑟 𝐿𝑎𝑤
» When you read something to him: Usually you're with Law in his study, even when the two of you are doing separate things. He's mostly working on some plans or studying medical books while you're quietly reading a book on the sofa, simply enjoying each other's presence. Some days, however, you decide to read in the library. There is a big and cozy reading corner with lots of cushions and blankets, as it is always cold in the Polar Tang. The reason why you love reading there is because of the large bull's eye that reveals the secrets of the sea. Sometimes you sink into your thoughts and dream of the future as you gaze out into the blue, not even realizing how Law quietly sneaks under your blanket. Only when he takes you in his arms and presses you against him, you come back to yourself and drop your book. You talk briefly about the day so far, what you've done and then he lays his head on your lap. You brush his hair out of his face, he looks a little tired and has come to you to relax. You are his safe place, just as he is yours. You know immediately what to do and turn a few pages in another book.... "I assume we're having our little reading session again today, darling?" It's become like an unwritten rule for you, that when he lies down on your lap, you read to him and then take a nap together. Law looks at you with one eye open and grins, as you turn to the page where you left off last time. He likes the way you change your voice depending on what is happening in the story and after a while he is so relaxed that he falls asleep. When you hear his light snoring, you smile at him lovingly and put the bookmark on the current page before putting the book aside. You snuggle up to him and enjoy the peacefulness.
» Your fragrance: The perfume you wear and your own scent have a better effect on him than lavender and directly soothes his senses. You smell like home to him. When you are together with the others and you lean on his shoulder, he always tries to discreetly place a kiss on your head. Your hair always smells like fresh lemon, but rather light and refreshing. You don't like classy and expensive fragrances and prefer things to be natural and simple. Your scent is like aromatherapy for Law and that's a secret you'll never discover.
» Your hips: Law is pretty good at keeping his face under control, but when you're wearing a crop top and showing your hips, you can see the blush on his cheeks. He really has a fetish for your curves and your belly. He places a thousand kisses on your tender skin as he goes down further towards your private parts. His lips fly so softly over your skin that you can barely feel them. When he's on top of you he loves to grab you by the hips to pull you towards him. Skillful hands caress your sides, giving you goosebumps and making you arch your back because of all those tender touches. The squeezing sensation builds up in your lower middle and you literally beg him to release you. Law is someone who likes to try out lots of positions, preferably ones where he can grab you by the hips to guide you. While he is still on top of you, he pulls you towards him and turns so that he is now underneath you and you are sitting on his dick. You are visibly surprised by the sudden change of position and need a moment before you start riding him. However, Law doesn't give you a second, moves along your thigh to your hips and moves you up and down. The forthcoming penetration makes you see stars and after you both reach your peak, you let yourself fall exhausted onto his chest. He kisses your forehead tenderly and caresses your hips as you both calm your breathing.
𝑃𝑜𝑟𝑡𝑔𝑎𝑠 𝐷. 𝐴𝑐𝑒
» The wrinkles around your eyes when you laugh: Your laugh alone makes him turn around as soon as he hears it, but the little wrinkles on your face are another level. He also shows no shame and stares into your face lovingly. Of course, you don't miss his stares and his answer to why he's staring at you so intensely was simple: "Your wrinkles are so adorable when you laugh.". He then had to convince you that he finds them charming, as you don't exactly find your wrinkles cute. In your eyes, they're more of a sign that you're ageing. His reaction afterwards was almost funny, because now it was him who was offended. In his eyes, the wrinkles only mean what a cheerful person you are.
» Your skin: Your skin is so soft and gives off a warmth that he doesn't even have, even though he's pure heat himself. lol. If the guy doesn't feel your skin on his, he feels like he's hypothermic. Nevertheless, he would never get on your nerves, he rather keeps it to himself how much he longs for your skin. That means he'll take every chance he gets to touch you. You're cooking? He will of course help you by hugging you from behind, putting his hand over yours and you two stir together :D He loves it when you sunbathe. Not only is it a nice sight for him to ogle you while you sizzle in the sun, it's also the perfect opportunity to touch you intimately in public. (Ace is definitely the type to have sex in public. Nicely on the beach while the sun goes down *-*) He definitely has a lot sunscreen in stock, even if he doesn't need it for himself, but it gives him one more reason to feel your skin without being intrusive. He applies the cream very thoroughly and definitely every 2 hours. At first you thought he was very sweet and attentive because you couldn't reach all the spots, then you realized that he just wanted a opportunity to grope you… But you won't say anything against it because you enjoy how thoroughly he massages the suncream into your skin.
𝐸𝑢𝑠𝑡𝑎𝑠𝑠 𝐾𝑖𝑑
» How you dance: No matter how full the pub is, his eyes are always on you and follow your rhythmical movements. His breathing slows down while your hips move seductively. You are a passionate woman but you dance just for yourself and simply enjoy the music as it moves through your body. Kid sometimes doesn't even notice when one of his crew members is talking to him… mostly it takes him a moment or two to react. He also finds it very satisfying to watch you reject other men. He feels proud. However, if someone touches you, he doesn't hesitate and intervenes aggressively. Just look and don't touch is the motto. You also like the way he gets angry and intervenes, so you happily snuggle up to him while you make a face at the other guy. Kid doesn't seem like it, but it takes a while before he forgives you for being such a hottie that other men keep coming crawling up to you. You enjoy it though, because it's almost cute how a tough guy like him pouts. However, he will forgive you... at the latest when you dance for him in your shared bedroom, in private ;)
» Your quick wit: Well, you do not only bark, you also bite. The Crew knows that and those who don't know you will find out soon enough! Kid never has to get involved when you're arguing with others. You're eloquent and if necessary you'll hit them! But don't worry, he's always keeping an eye on you and if you show him that you need his help, he won't hesitate and will happily take over the beating.
» Your relationship with his crew: Even if you are the captain's lover, it doesn't mean that you have automatically earned the respect of his crew... But it didn't take long for everyone to consider you one of them. For Heat, for example, you're like a little sister and you're probably the only one he's okay with when she cries (He hates crybabys, lol). The first person you really became friends with was Killer, and not just because Kid told him to look after you when he couldn't himself. It's actually because you both like spaghetti, while the others are already sick of it and you're an insane cook. The first time you cooked spaghetti, he liked it so much that he ate all the leftovers at night. This is especially important for Kid, because if his people don't love you, why should he?
𝐷𝑜𝑛𝑞𝑢𝑖𝑥𝑜𝑡𝑒 𝐷𝑜𝑓𝑙𝑎𝑚𝑖𝑛𝑔𝑜
» Your appearance: Doflamingo is an obsessive narcissist. He may love you in his own twisted way but he always says he owns you. He proudly displays you by his side and that's why your looks are important. In Doffy's eyes, you wouldn't be his queen if you weren't the most beautiful woman in the world. People who disagree with him will lose their lives faster than they would like… Because how dare they think that a man like him doesn't have the most beautiful wife. Not because you are incredibly beautiful (which is definitely true) but because Donquixote Doflamingo will only have the most beautiful woman by his side. (Know the difference..)
» How you moan his name: Doffy loves to get the softest sounds out of you while he fucks you into madness. "Say my name, my angel." You look up at him hesitantly. You can't think straight as he hammers into you, his movements are vigorous but so skillful that it doesn't hurt. It just feels so good when his tip triggers your G spot. Since Doflamingo isn't even waiting for you, he casually wraps a hand around your slender neck, forcing you to keep your gaze upright. You feel so intimidated when you look into his eyes… When you are intimate with each other, you have the honor of looking into his eyes. His gaze burns itself into your brain and if you're honest, you feel powerless. When you finally let yourself be overtaken by all your feelings, you can't help but release them through your voice. You are incredibly turned on by the way his elegant hand slowly takes your breath away and you arch your back. "Oh Doffy…" With these two words, you let the last bit of air out of your lungs and let your head fall back. "Fufufufu… My beautiful angel, don't stop singing for me." You completely let go of your embarrassment and give yourself completely to him. Your sweet sounds have an electrifying effect on him, feelings are released in his body that he can't identify, he only knows that he won't leave you to anyone. Your voice belongs to him alone and he decides to let the whole castle hear how he ruins you.
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Hope you like it, I'm off to the land of dreams, good night :3
𝑾𝒊𝒕𝒉 𝒍𝒐𝒗𝒆, 𝒚𝒐𝒖𝒓 𝒚𝒖𝒓𝒊 ♡
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mamibaddie · 2 years
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Okay!! I finally wrote out how perv!bestfriend!Eddie x reader start dating. The next ones will obviously be more smutty but in the format of the other ones. I haven’t had much motivation lately with writing but I hope this is still enjoyable. I’m trying to work through my writers block with plans for my WIP and two other new stories I’m planning for this cozy fall. If you haven’t already, or if you need a refresher, I suggest reading the other parts of Perv!bestfriend!Eddie so that you can kinda understand what’s going on. I’m not sure if I ever have but I wanted to thank y’all so much for enjoying my Perv!bestfriend!Eddie mini stories! It means a lot to me that people enjoy them and look forward to them. Please let me know what you think!!
As always, 18+ only!! Contains smut. Minors DNI!!
This is it. Todays the day. Eddie was finally going to work up the nerve to ask you on a date and be his girlfriend. After many, many months of excruciating teasing from both sides, he decided to put his feelings and heart out there. He had teetered back and forth with whether or not to actually do it. He had assumed that everything you’ve said and done were flirtations. However, there was a side of him that thought maybe you were making fun of him. He knew he was a bit of a perv and toed the line of boundaries one too many times.
That didn’t stop his mind from wandering. It also didn’t stop his heart from wishing. It was now nighttime. The tail end of summer in the air. It was still unreasonably hot out, but some cool air would come in and wrap around you. It was rather welcoming, considering you two were on the second blunt of the night. Eddie had drank three beers in a lame attempt to calm his jangled nerves. You were nursing your first wine cooler for the evening. You typically liked the fruity, sweet type of alcoholic drinks. Before you, Eddie only had beers stocked at his trailer. But since you started coming around more and he started falling for you, he realized what kind of alcoholic drinks were your favorites. Hence why he now keeps both beers AND wine coolers stocked at his trailer. So, when he looked over at you, he knew he might as well do it now.
“H-hey, uh-“ he cleared his throat before mumbling your name. Your head slowly turned over and a grin spread across your face.
“Yes, Eddie, my love?” You let out a little snicker. You always called him that and it made his heart flutter. It was the corniest thing ever, and the if it was anyone else he’d probably scoff but the fact that it was you; made all the difference.
He stammered before clearing his throat. “I have something to tell you…”. You looked him in the eyes and based on his tense and serious demeanor, you knew it was serious. You tilted your body towards him to let him know that he had your undivided attention. Which should’ve comforted him but only made him more nervous. “Okay, what’s up?” You ask. Taking a drag of the blunt before passing it back to him.
He puts it between his lips and inhales a large amount. He slowly let it leave his lungs in a last ditch effort to calm his jangled nerves and figure out the right words to say. “Well,” puffs of smoke escaping out of his mouth and nose, “it’s more of a question to ask you. Actually, uh, it’s both.”
You gave him a look that let him know he can continue. He whispered an okay and took a deep breath. That’s another thing he’s always liked about you. You were patient with him. It might slightly irritate you at times, but you allowed him the space he needs enable to gather his thoughts. “I…kinda, sorta…like you…a lot. I don’t really know how to say it or to put it into words but, you’re so…” you were expecting him to say hot but instead he said, “…captivating. Interesting, even…um…” he began to rub his hands up and down his thighs, something he did to calm himself down. You reached out to put your hand on top of his. “Eddie,” he looks up to look at you in the eyes. “I like you too…sorta, kinda.” You rolls your eyes playfully and laugh. He lets out a sigh of relief mixed with laughter. “Really?” You smile at him. “Really, really.”
“Well, in that case, I was wondering if you’d wanna be my girlfriend?” You smile at him while biting your lip. You nod your head. “I can’t believe it took you this long to ask me. I was about to lose hope, ya know.”
“Wait… you knew that I liked you?”
“Eddie, it’s so painfully obvious. You didn’t know I liked you too? With all the, you know, reciprocating I was doing.”
He looks back at the times you both teased one another and played the game of cat and mouse. The longer he thought about it, the redder his cheeks got, and the harder he became.
“Besides,” you say, rubbing your hands up his thighs and leaning closer into him. “I’ve been wanting to know if the rumors are true.”
“W-what rumors?” He gulps. The closer you get, the more he can smell your perfume and it almost has his eyes rolling back.
“You know,” you look at his lips, “how much of a freak are you really Eddie?” He whimpers and you lean in to kiss him. It started of slow and gentle at first, and became lustful and hungry. Especially on Eddie’s end.
He broke away from the kiss breathlessly. “Do you really wanna know?” You nodded. You gently grab one of his wrists and pull it towards you. You guide his finger past your flimsy shorts to feel your bare pussy. “Do you feel that Eddie?” You moan and in turn he lets out a groan. “I get so turned on thinking about you Eddie.” You push two of his fingers into you. You start moving his fingers in and out of you. “Do you hear that?” The gushy noise of how wet you are, rang throughout Eddie’s room. “O-oh fuck.” Eddie groaned. “That’s all for you.” Eddie looked up from the image of seeing his fingers being pushed inside you, in and out. You were so turned on that his fingers were drenched. You both looked into each other’s eyes before he pulled his fingers out of you and moved to hover on top of you.
“Get ready sweetheart.” He said, looking you in the eyes. Before popping the two fingers that were in you into his mouth. You moaned at the sight. You thought he was going to reach to unbuckle his belt but he moves off the bed and towards his wall. He got his handcuffs off of the nail and turned to you with a mischievous grin.
“Ever been handcuffed before?”
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rubye402 · 2 years
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So people have some thoughts on who 432 could be. I have my own thoughts I'd like to share, since a couple of people liked my thank you to Crows Crows Crows so hey.
Also, yes there ARE spoilers to TSP UD again. For the sake of it being spoilers and this WILL be a big post, I'll just add my thoughts below the cut.
So! Who is 432 in my personal hc?
Narrator... At least, formerly before TSP.
Let me explain this one.
So first off, a plot about doing a monotonous and tedious job and finding out the only reason you're happy with it is via mind control and the story is about breaking yourself free to live your life? That is 100% from the perspective of someone who has some experience in this environment, and I will not be convinced otherwise.
Like, we all KNOW a 9 to 5 sucks even if we don't work there, but to so heavily take place in an office building and one that specifically has a shipping department not far from there with shelves upon shelves of boxes is NOT the writings of a man who didn't work at a similar place. Especially when you consider WHY Stanley even exists. Quote from one of the new endings to UD
"I remember before this whole story got started. Back then I was - I was different."
"I used to make big decisions. I was passionate. I was sceptical."
...
"And then, somewhere along the way, I stopped making decisions."
"I became lazy. And I came up with - well..."
"I came up with a character named Stanley to do my thinking for me."
...
"Why did I invent Stanley? Was I lonely?"
"Yes perhaps that's it. Perhaps I needed to imagine companionship."
"And Stanley did make for a wonderful companion."
"Even if he was fiction."
...Not only do we get confirmation of why Stanley and his story was written. He was written to serve as Narry's companion through his life. More than likely, through his job, and his lack of friendly peers IN his job.
And even in the vanilla ORIGINAL game, there was this sheet of paper.
There's literally a whole ROOM dedicated to "Employee 432 peer reviews." No, I'm not joking. Here's a screenshot I took myself.
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(Now, I don't wanna assume pronouns, but as a side note, Narry voiced by Kevan Brighting, a male voice, so the fact these papers have He/Him pronouns also fits into that this could be Narrator IRL assuming his voice ISN'T going through a voice filter from... Wherever he's talking from.)
Having all of these negative things said about 432, he might have stopped thinking for himself and just decided to follow along to please his peers. And as a reminder as to how NARRY handles negative feedback, what was one of the first "New Content" paths we see proper?
He IMMEDIATELY bends over backwards to have as little negative reviews as he could from other people. He IMMEDIATELY takes it to heart even though in the end, adding it only makes him unhappy with the final product. He IMMEDIATELY becomes self conscious after the first two critics.
"Only positive reviews of the Stanley Parable. That's my motto of today, and it's always been my motto! I'd do anything for the customer, Stanley."
And speaking of new content, we get to see more than the one place then the "wife" ending
For a refresher: We have the original apartment from the original game, the more expensive looking apartment in the... I don't know what the ending is called, but I called it the "bucket cult" ending, personally. And finally, the Memory Zone... House? Cabin? Property?
We'll say Memory Zone Cabin.
I have a feeling the cheap apartment was during Narry's time working mindlessly for the company.
The expensive either was before or after he worked there. Unfortunately, it's more likely it was before he started working, he lost it, and had to work at his 9 to 5. At least in my eyes.
And finally, the Memory Zone Cabin is, as Narry kinda confirmed it to be, his happy place. That would be the DREAM for him. To live somewhere cozy out with a whole lot of flora and nature. Might I add in the "Story" ending that we get something similar shown to us as a reward for playing Narry's story?
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It's not the same exact location, obviously, but it's still very nature-y in theme.
Having all these other locations that isn't the office are usually apartments, or video games in the "Games" endings. Things that Narry COULD feasibly see in his real life to put into TSP. The Mind Control facility is very much mission control and general science fiction looking locations like what you see on TV. There's the museum theme for the "Escape" ending. Maybe the "Zen" ending was another thing like the Memory Zone of a happy place. All things that either one could come up with, or take HEAVY inspiration from in their real life.
The Stanley Parable's Story ending is the ending HE always wanted for himself. Stanley is his escapism character. In Stanley getting this ending, NARRY gets that ending. And when Stanley wanders away from going with this story, he's punished for essentially taking away Narry's one and only way to get a good ending, and so Stanley doesn't get a good ending if Narry doesn't.
Which makes the "Zen" ending all the more potent in sadness. While Stanley is essentially getting to do what Narry does to him of taking the potentially good ending with a very "I'm taking you down with me", Narrator truly doesn't feel genuinely happy himself all the time. This story he crafted is a coping mechanism, and he's desperate for it to work as best as possible. If you had anti depressant medication and they only work a portion of the time; essentially when they actually FEEL like working with and for you, how'd frustrated would YOU feel when they don't work towards them?
TL;DR: 432 has gotten so much bullying from his co-workers, that it wouldn't be a stretch to the imagination that he would want an escape. ANY escape he can find. So I can see 432 being a desperate Narrator making Stanley so he feels like he has SOME semblance of choices being made, even if it's for him. Taking real places he's seen, or taking the image of some happy places, and inserting them into TSP. I can see it being his escapism dream, and the ending of, ironically enough, breaking the cycle, being what HE dreams of most.
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dollops-of-delusion · 3 years
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i'm doing well! i finished my ela hw but have more to conquer, have to clothes shop :( (i don't like doing it its too difficult for me to dress the way i want without spending 10000000000000 dollars and im a budgeter)
preferred beverage of choice? my there's so many
it could be hot chocolate, lemon iced tea, tea, coffee, mint chocolate chip milkshake, grapefruit sparkling water (the ones that come in those glass bottles)
there's so many
HOW ARE YOU? ARE YOUR FEET OKAY? ARE YOUR SHOES ALRIGHT?
I’M FINE, I’M FINE
My feet are well and alive; I would put a picture here as confirmation, but I’m not trying to end up on WikiFeet. As for my shoes, I just finished scrubbing them down with detergent 😑 Not fun.
ELA is also not fun, and I’m very proud of you for finishing it. Neither is the shopping of clothes— may I suggest a nice Marshall’s? It’s where I acquire most of my good-looking casuals and formals, and the prices are really cheap. The only downside is that you have to mentally and physically prepare yourself for a long day of shopping— you can’t carelessly look through the racks; you have to go full suburban mom and comb through those things to find the good stuff.
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lemonhobgoblin · 3 years
Text
Softer than the Summer Night
Mothman X (gender neutral) Reader
Length: 2k
Genre: Slight NSFW & Fluff
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"Stay don't move please," you wearily voiced into the dark.
When you spoke it worsened the strain you were feeling, your face contorted in discomfort. Even the thought of being moved was enough to get you squirming and whining. On your aching knees, hunched over, knuckles turning lighter in color, and eyes fixed ahead.
The sounds of the city outside your home were overshadowed by your ragged breath. All you could hear was breath and beating heart. You couldn't endure this any longer. You knew you couldn’t stay like this forever. You desperately wanted to move and finish what you started, and backing out now was far from being a feasible option.
"Fuck." Feeling a slight slip up on the other end. You physically couldn't take much more of this.
Your grip on the material you had bunched in your hands was loosening, and your reign on things was beginning to drastically falter.
"O fuck me" you breathed out frustrated, resting your head against a wooden frame. You could feel yourself getting tuckered out from this ordeal, feeling yourself becoming flushed with a light layer of sweat coating your skin. This was a good time as any now and fully let go. Knees and thighs sore from holding your still form, you began to move, releasing yourself of this hold.
"Ahhhh," you moaned out, watching in disbelief as the blanket slipped off the chair. Frustrated you threw yourself back onto the cool floor. You wasted your time doing that for nothing.
Heated at how the fabric refused to stay in place no matter how much you adjusted it. You flopped onto the hard floor to cool down. The cool ground felt refreshing on your steamy body. You didn't even want to look at it at the fort at the moment. Knowing you would just give up if you tried again immediately. You decided to rest your eyes and give yourself some time to collect yourself. Giving yourself some time before getting back to work on it.
Why wouldn’t it stay when you wanted it to stay.
Perhaps you should've just waited for your partner to bring you the supplies and figure out what to do from there. Of course, you being you, you got a little impatient eager.
It wasn’t a minute till you felt a presence hovering over you- watching.
Cracking open your eyes, you saw standing over you was a large humanoid moth-like creature looking down upon your disheveled form. Holding a batch of items in his arms, curiously staring at you. Tilting his head, confused as to why you were on the floor and.. sweaty?
"Hey, you grabbed the stuff I asked for?" You asked. Not wanting to get into the details as to why you were down on the ground defeated.
He nodded.
"Cool, well just give me a minute more. I'm almost done here. I still need to fix some things." Launching yourself back into a sitting position, getting back to work on keeping the blanket in place, only for it to slip off the wooden dining chair again.
Groaning over the fact that you were making a fool of yourself- especially in front of Mothman. He shouldn’t have to see in all your shame. Meantime, Mothman was just standing there completely unaware of what's going on still, but content to be part of it.
Internally wallowing to yourself, unsure whether you should continue or throw yourself into your half-done structure and call it a night.
Then it hit you.
Recalling that you asked for Mothman to bring duct tape. Looking back, scanning through the items within his arms. You successfully spotted the tape that was cradled within his right arm.
"Can you pass me that duct tape in your arms?" you pointed.
"No, not that"
"it's right there. That's not it."
Redirecting him and pointing out what you wanted, only to end up playing a guessing game. Sifting through each item, and saying no to everything he held out. How he was able to get the supplies you asked for? You'll never know.
After the first ten items, Mothman dropped all the material onto the floor with a thud. Thinking it would be easier to get what you wanted. Unsurprised, you stared at the pile straight lip. “No problem that is just as effective."
Crawling to the pile in the middle living room of your home, to grab the roll of tape.
What started as a calm night alone, became a little date night-with Mothman coming over uninvited. This wasn't uncommon he did this quite often, but you never turned him down always glad to welcome him in. That and also the fact you didn't want a seven-foot monster outside your window scratching at your window like a stray cat begging to be let in and draw attention to himself.
Bringing you up to speed now, putting together a fort. Clearly, rusty, it's been some time since you made a blanket fort. It wasn't your fault, you were always busy to do anything like this. Even if you did have the time, it just never occurred to you to do so after a long day of work. Usually, the closest thing to this, is you grabbing a throw blanket and pillow onto the floor with maybe some plushies and calling it a day.
But with Mothman in the picture, you had to get creative with things to do at home. Meaning you coming up with indoor activities and not go out in public at all. So no causal stroll by the park, or popping into a nice establishment and chat. As amusing it would be going out, you couldn’t do that for Mothman’s safety and especially those around. Leaving you both to see each other deep in the wilderness at night, in the abandoned TNT facility where the Cryptid resided and here in your home.
And you both managed to keep each other occupied- getting into ridiculous shenanigans. There wasn’t a day you were bored of one another’s company, even when you both had nothing to do. It was always a good time. And today was any different.
Tapping down the blanket against stile of the chair and now the moment of truth. Removing your hands and...
It didn’t move. It stayed.
“Finally!” throwing your arms up in triumph. Behind you, Mothman watched your mini victory pose. Unsure what you were doing with your arms in the air he mimicked your gesture.
“Alright, just a few more things.” Walking back to the heap on the ground, pushing and gathering all of it into the fort to do some final touch-ups. Leaving Mothman to awkwardly put his arms down as you disappeared inside.
Decorating and organizing the interior of the fort, striving to make it as pleasant and comfy as possible. Knowing that Mothman probably hasn't experienced this before. You wanted this to be perfect. Well as perfect as you could, given that you already used tape.
Amid you’re scrambling, a curious and impatient Mothman wanted a quick glimpse, to get a clue to what you were doing. He figured it was shelter, but why make another within your home.
As quiet as he could, he tried to lower himself onto all fours - to sneakily get a peek inside. Unfortunately, due to his large stature mixed with the old floorboard, you were alerted of him snooping by the sound of squeaky floorboards.
“Not yet." You said, popping, catching him off guard, in the act.
Surprised he just looked down, pretending he was looking at something interesting. Squinting your eyes, you went back inside.
Once you were back inside, he was back to his antics, and once more you heard his attempt. "Not yet" you reminded, poking out once more before going back in.
Of course, that didn't stop. He tried his hand again and you knew him too well, you were quick to scold him from inside without having to peer out.
Startled, his antennas and the fur on his body puffed out. How do you see him? Looking around to see if you were behind him or somewhere else in the room. Are you still in there? A valid reason for him to look inside now, he chirped eagerly. “Nice, try. I’m still in here and you can’t come in yet,” you announced.
Defeated, he deflated and resigned himself to sitting on the floor picking at the rug. Fortunately, he didn't have too long.
"Okay, you can come in" you called out.
You were content with the work you did both inside and out; well mostly inside. A couple of plush blankets laid on the ground with pillows lined against the walls of the interior and little something extra strung around. But there was still a good amount of space, that even Mothman could probably fit inside. Reaching for the electric lantern, to illuminate the area. You heard shuffling behind you- figuring it was the Cryptid making himself comfortable.
Lantern in hand you turned right around, the light flicking on, and was greeted with misjudgment.
Guess not you thought.
Seated smack dab in the middle, Mothman had unceremoniously become a support beam for the structure. His head pitching up the sinking portion of the blanket up. Clearly, this wasn’t large enough.
"I thought this would be big enough." You huffed to yourself.
You felt positive this was big enough, thinking to yourself - trying to see how you could fix this. Whereas Mothman just did his own thing and took matters into his own hands.
"Maybe if you-“You trailed off, watching him crawl further inside before rolling onto his back, laying his head against a pillow you set near the walls of the fort - stretching his legs across the entire interior and his feet simply hanging out from the entrance. “Or that. That's fine too."
Inching closer to him, you noted his pleasant demeanor, his chest rising steadily as he breathed in deeply, his fur ruffling up and flattening back as he exhaled. His limbs going completely slack, his muscles loosened. He was completely at ease.
“Comfy?” you teased.
He chirped in response.
"Well, I'm about to up the ante," you crawled over across his torso, reaching for a switch just near him.
"1,2,3" with a click, the interior light up with a soft warm golden glow of fairy lights strewn about all over. Though it may be cheap lighting, its beautifully sparkling bulbs filled the area with a warm, cozy atmosphere as well giving you a sense of awe just as it did for Mothman.
"Do you like it?" You asked.
Sitting up with wide eyes, Mothman gazed on with the utmost sense of wonder, transfixed on the lights and nothing else. As if he was in a world of his own. This wasn’t anything new, honestly, this was one of the first things you noticed when you first met him. And you’ve seen his habit time and time again. But you could never grow tired of it. It was quite adorable.
"I’m assuming so.” You chuckled.
Your laugh snaked its way into his enraptured mind, knocking him out of his trance. He stared at you, nearly forgetting you were there. As luminous and beautiful as the light was, there was something missing.
It didn't take long for you to catch Mothman's sudden change in behavior-still as statue and eyes locked on you.
"Mothman?"
Without giving you a chance to ask, he moved toward you, lifting you from your spot like some common house cat with ease; body slack and no resistance. He placed you right in his lap, before laying back with you laying on top of him-your back against his chest.
This was a surprise but not an unwelcome one. You shifted into a more comfortable position, Flipping over onto your stomach, propping your head up with one hand while the other lightly stroke at his chest- you peered down at him. "Better?"
Mothman sunk further in his spot, completely in bliss, and if that wasn't proof enough Mothman purred even louder in pure content. Now it was perfect. Wrapping his arms around you, hugging you closer to him-making you rest your head on him. You smiled, digging your head further into his plush chest.
He finally realized what you made, it was a nest for the both of you. Thats why you were so eager to make this. He couldn't wait to put this fort to good use. But seeing how hard you work on this, he could only guess how tired you were after put this together. So he'll let you rest.
The strong vibration from his purring perforated through your body. Whatever tension or stress you had melted away. It was enough to slowly lull into a nice slumber.
Well there go your movie plans in here. But that was okay because this was better.
Together you both laid there in silence. The beat of his heart keeping in rhythm with yours along with the ambiance of the city outside your home. The feeling of his chest rising and falling with you. Sheltered under a flimsy but cushiony fort. You eventually succumbing to sleep while Mothman stayed up to keep watch - enjoying whatever time he had left with you till heading out before dawn. Until the next night, when you could see each other again. So for now, you both held each other in each other's arms on this soft summer night.
............
A/N: Thanks for Reading!! <3
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joansiefics · 3 years
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Hi! Can you please write prompts 24 and 29 (from the fluff section) with best friend Bucky please? The reader shows up at his apartment even though they canceled their plans together, but he ends up being glad that she came because they have such a cozy and enjoyable time. And maybe a bit of ✨feelings✨ work their way into the air as well. Thanks!
Perceptible-To-a-Super Soldier's Ears
BUCKY BARNES X READER
Prompt 24- “It’s pouring rain, why are you here?”
Prompt 29 - “Thank you for staying with me”
SUMMARY: Bucky cancels your traditional Saturday night plans after a terrible mission and you decide to surprise him at his doorstep.
WARNINGS: Mentions of Death and Killing
A/N: hey, I hope everyone is doing well!!! I'm sorry it took so long to write this (at least I'm back to writing requests in a week from getting them) I hope this is what you had in mind and that you are satisfied.
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When you were just a six years old girl, your innocence was exchanged for the horrible guilt of each killing HYDRA had forced upon you. And years later the vivid images of each life you ended - the victims' pleading faces, their eyes entrances to their bleeding souls in comparison to their pulped lips, the blood drizzling down their chin. Every little detail still imprinted into your memory, haunting you in your sleep.
When Steve first introduced you to the team, you were a shy, distrustful sixteen year old, talking only when necessary, hiding behind Steve when someone else entered a room or busy yourself in work to ignore the presence of others. With little to no talking and barely making yourself known, everyone still took a liking to you rather quickly, especially one ex-HYDRA-assassin. The Winter Soldier. James Buchanan "Bucky" Barnes.
The small lopsided smiles he exchanged with you from across the room, the quiet "good morning's" handed to you on a breakfast plate when he dishes up his plate from behind you, the silent conversations spoken between empathetic eyes and the first night he helped you calm down from a nightmare. These were all contributions leading up to the best friendship you never thought you'd find.
The night he calmed you down from your nightmare, he suggested a movie night - junk food, cuddling, talking and the best movies ever. And from that night on, it became tradition. After a long week's work you would hang out at each other's apartments, watch a movie, eat junk food, cuddle and talk about what there's to talk about. This continued for about two years and plans rarely got canceled, unless it was utterly necessary.
It was nearing the evening and you were searching for some clothes to put on before Bucky came over, when you got the phone call. "Hey Y/N" your heart contracted and relaxed hard against your ribcage at the sound of his voice. 'control yourself Y/N, it's just Bucky!!!' you steadied your breathing in hopes to calm your perceptible-to-a-super soldier's ears heartbeat before your voice traveled through the telephone line. "Hey, how was the mission?" you ask, putting on your last shoe. "That's why I called" you froze at his words, your heart rate accelerating at the thought of something going wrong on the mission. "What happened? Are you okay? Are you hurt? Was it-" "Y/N" Bucky called for your attention "I'm okay" he let out a small chuckle at your concern, but then the line got dead silent.
You could hear your heart tearing a bit further with every few words spoken. "I know we would have hung out at your apartment tonight and all, but after today's mission I just need a break and I'm really tired and I don't want to get ready to leave my apartment now... So I was wondering if we could maybe continue our tradition next week?" "It's okay Bucky, I understand. I want you to sleep and get comfortable after your hard work. There will be many more Saturday nights for movie nights." you assured him. "You sure?" you don't miss the lingering sadness in his voice and the throat clearing as disguise for a small sob. "100% sure" "Thank you so much for understanding Y/N, it means a lot to me" "no problem...NOW GO LIE DOWN!!" you cover your strictness with an ending laugh, but your heart is shattered into uncountable pieces - 'I'm not seeing him tonight, just another week...maybe I can go check up on him tomorrow?'  "Yes mother... bye Y/N" "Bye Bucky" and then you hang up.
'The mission must have been terrible, why else would he cancel?' Then it streaks you - 'it was a HYDRA mission... he probably relived so many memories. He needs support through this time. That's why he sounded so sad to cancel!!' when you force your thoughts to stop and not make conclusions or bad assumptions you notice that you've already picked up your car keys and were halfway through the door.
------
In the car you push the key into the ignition and force the key right. Before you depart though you see the fuel gauge alerting you that your vehicle does not contain enough fuel for your trip to Bucky. "Damn it!" you hit the steering wheel, before yanking your door back open and storming out. 'Guess I'll have to walk then' you start your trip to the pizza place to pick up the usual pizza order. As you walk you can hear the thunder rolling in, hoping that you'll be snuggled next to Bucky when the storm starts and not be unfortunate enough to get caught in it.
------
"Thank you" you thank the lady handing you the pizza boxes and head out the door to your next stop - the small convenience store for some more snacks. The clouds were joining together fast, accompanying the howling wind and coloring the sky a dark grey. You wore goosebumps on your sleeves and let the wind blow your hair into different directions. 'Please don't start to rain before I get to Bucky'
------
While you chose out the snacks you could hear the faint dripping of the cloud's tears coming in contact with the roof and tar road. The smell of petrichor wafts through the air and twirls into your nose. For a moment you relax at the earthy smell, but then you remember "Bucky needs all the support he can get in this time' and you hurry to the cashier with the basket full of refreshments.
When you exit the convenience store it is pouring rain. 'Great, just great' you sigh and zip down your jacket to protect most of the food from getting wet. You run from one underroof location to the next, preventing being soaked to the bone, but the last underroof hiding to Bucky's apartment is quite the distance and you prepare yourself for the shower.
------
*knock, knock, knock*
Bucky opens the door, only to find you drenched on his doorstep. Bucky takes a quick glance outside his door to the wet outside world. "It's pouring rain, why are you here?" you don't know if you should take his words as an offense or as words of concern, but you go with the former. "I know you didn't wanna hang out, but then it struck me that it was a HYDRA mission and then you sounded so defeated over the phone, so I thought you might want some comfort or some food or both... and now that I think about it, it was stupid to come here in the first place, I mean after you told me that you wanted some rest and sleep and now I'm talking to much," you immediately stop your rambling when you see Bucky's face contort into one of adoration. "I think you read the situation right doll... why don't you come in and I can find you something dry and comfortable to wear?" he asks, already ushering you into his apartment.
"Why didn't you take the car?" Bucky yells over his shoulder as he searches through his closet for something you can wear. "I wanted to, but when I started the car I saw that I wouldn't have enough fuel to make it to here, sooo...." Bucky throws you a shirt and some sweatpants and you thank him before making your way to the bathroom to get changed.
"Which movie do you want to watch?!" Bucky asks through the bathroom door, pressing his ear against the wood, even though he could have heard you from anywhere with his super soldier hearing. "We don't have to watch a movie if you don't want to!" you yell back, silently giving Bucky the opportunity to decide what he wants to do after the heart breaking mission. "No, I want to... I mean you didn't get soaked for nothing" his laugh mends your broken heart. "Then you can pick the movie!" "Okay doll!"
------
When you're finished getting dressed you make your way to the living room, where you find Bucky huddled up in blankets, between the pizza boxes and snacks, with the movie ready to start. You make yourself comfortable next to him and snuggle into his chest. 'remember this is all about Bucky, make him feel special, he shouldn't make me feel special' "Do you want to talk about the mission before we start the movie?" you politely ask, worried for your friend's mental stability . "Well... when we were infiltrating the base, I just got these flashbacks about the innocent lives I've taken, I could see their pained faces and pleading eyes looking at the monster in front of them, and then I saw the room where they brainwashed me, it was all just to much for me"
You lift your head from Bucky's chest and take his vibranium hand into your hand, to show him that he is not a monster and neither a harmful soldier. "You are not a monster... do you see me as a monster?" "No" "Well then you shouldn't think of yourself as one, because I also killed those people, Bucky, I didn't have a choice and neither did you" you let a moment of silence follow for the words to sink into his mind and utter the last words "I love you for who you are Bucky and you should never forget that" "You love me?" "Uhh...yeahhh, and I have for the past two years, sine that first night you calmed me from my nightmare." you shyly fumble with the hem of your shirt, shocked at the confession that slipped past your lips. "And you're only telling me this now because....?" "because I didn't want to ruin our friendship, you're the only person I have left and I don't want to lose you too." You start to tear up at the thought of losing Bucky, but he is quick to soothe your fear "Who said anything about leaving? he takes your fumbling hands into his, gaining your attention. "I love you too Y/N, more than just a friend."
There's a few moments of silence exchanged between the two of you - the conversation playing on repeat in your minds, loving and longing looks shared and Bucky's thumb circling your wrist. "Y/N, I want to ask you something" "Go ahead" you are almost to afraid to listen to his words 'what if he doesn't want this?!' "would you like to be my girlfriend?" those seven words rocked your world and for the second time that day your heart shatters into pieces, but this time from the loud, excited thumping against your ribcage. "Yes, yes, yes, yes!!! I would love that Bucky!!!" you can't contain your excitement and it makes Bucky give you a proud, genuine smile.
------
After the movie, you were still cuddled  up to Bucky's side, resting your head on his chest and listening to the rhythmic beats of his heart. You were playing with his dog tags, tracing the engraved titles and flicking it between your different fingers. You let out a yawn and rub your heavy eyes. "How are you still not sleeping Bucky?" "It might take a while with all the memories floating inside my head, but I'll eventually fall asleep, don't you worry about me doll" "I'm always here if you need to talk okay? Even when I'm sleeping at 03:00 in the morning" you give him the only smile you could muster up in your tired state 'just imagine how tired he should be feeling' Bucky lets out a breathless laugh and the rumbling in his chest, sends shock waves straight to your tired and battered heart.
Your eyes flutter closed, but you once again force them open - perhaps you were scared that it was all just a dream and that when you woke up, you'd have to, once again, walk with the secret of loving Bucky and having no idea what to do with it. Bucky bends over and leaves a kiss at the top of you head "Thank you for staying with me" he whispers into your ear. "Always"
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kyloswarstars · 3 years
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ROOMMATES • Part 3
Divergent • College AU • Eric x Reader
ROOMMATES masterlist 💫 Divergent masterlist
You escaped your current living situation by moving in with your friend Christina – and five other college students. Little did you know that one of them was the guy who was your ultimate pain in the neck since your first semester. Now, you had to find a way to not strangle him in his sleep out of pure frustration. Also, you had to find a way to get rid of those weird butterfly feelings for him that slowly grew in your stomach.
Words • 2.9k
The enemies to lovers story no one needed.
/////
Still sleeping on only a mattress slowly took its toll on your back. You woke up at least three times a night. Twice because of your back and once because of some knocking against the wall. Every time that happened, it was in another rhythm how knuckles tried to keep you from sleeping.
For a while you observed how the morning sunshine dipped your room in a warm orange. Dust particles were dancing through the air and made their way to the floor. There was something about waking up to the sun on weekday mornings you never were able to enjoy during your semesters. Summer break was perfect for that.
That comforting silence didn’t last forever, though. Low knocking echoed from the other side of the room. You turned your body to face it. That rhythm was new. Different than those in the middle of the night. You paid attention.
Short, long. Short, long, long. Short, long. Long, short, long. Short. Short, short, long, long, short, short.
AWAKE?
You blankly stared at the wall and couldn’t believe it. During your childhood you had done the weirdest things, such as learning the morse code, to keep you occupied. Had Eric done that too? Or did he use a chart to knock you with little messages out of your sleep?
You didn’t care. You just wanted some little more peace before getting up. So you responded.
Short, short, short. Short, short, short, short. Short, short, long. Long. Short, short, long. Short, long, long, short.
There was a small laughter to be heard from the other side of the wall but then it stayed quiet.
Even though Eric’s teasing was quiet disturbing, you still rather lived here than back with your ex. You could somehow handle Eric whereas you never really knew what to expect from your ex after breaking up with him. After all it had not been the funniest of times.
You grabbed the nearest shorts and rummaged through the pockets to find a paper. Hilbert’s ninth problem. You focused on that. Until you heard Eric’s door making that cracking open sound. His foot steps trailed to the kitchen and when the coffee machine made its ‚PING‘ to signal it was ready to brew, you got up yourself and out of your room.
Eric didn’t say ‚good morning‘ so neither did you.
Reaching out for the shelf to grab a cup, you once again didn’t reach it. He leaned over, almost right into you with his bare chest – why did he never wear shirts in the mornings? – and grabbed two cups from the shelf. Eric placed them right next to the coffee machine and then turned, crossed his arms and just stared at you.
First, his intense eyes locked with yours. There was no way you could possibly guess what he was thinking with the harsh face he was wearing. Eric’s slightly pinched eyes made you lose some of your self esteem, though. His unapologetic stares weren’t that new to you, but only wearing your sleeping attire, a tank top and some sleeping shorts, made you feel insecure when his glance diverted to the rest of your body. You crossed your arms to have some little cover at least.
„Where’s everyone at?“ You asked, trying to fill that damn awkward silence. The apartment was empty, with all of the doors open.
„Don’t know.“
Another ‚PING‘ chimed. You walked around Eric, since he was still occupied with weirdly staring into your face, and poured some coffee into a cup. You hesitated to put back the pot into the machine and actually poured coffee into the second cup as well. Then you quickly grabbed your cup and went out to sit on the balcony. Gladly, you noticed him leaving for his room.
A morning coffee, a refreshing shower and an after shower coffee later, you continued with the study. You finally had found a way to properly lock the bathroom from the inside. The trick was to just drag your chair across the hallway and slam it under the door handle. That worked just fine. Unpleasant was, though, that there was not much that had to be done for the study today. No new data yet, still you tried to blindly swim around the model and work on some problems you weren’t able to solve yet. Free time wasn’t your favorite thing to have during summer break, especially not this summer break. You were still a little peeved that your friends had just abandoned you on the day of you moving. So meeting up with them wasn’t on your to do list for this summer.
Neither was visiting your parents since they were living out of state. You didn’t really want to head down to the hell the Florida Keys were in summer. It would be even hotter than here in Chicago. None of your hobbies sounded appealing enough to you today and all your roommates were gone. Except for one.
The only thing on your to do list was to buy a new bed frame.
„Shouldn’t you be out and do something instead of constantly crouching over your desk?“ Again, he leaned in the doorframe and you didn’t know for how long Eric was already there.
„Can’t,“ you were actually tracking down a possible solution and couldn’t be bothered to concentrate on anywhere else than your calculations.
„What is it that’s so important?“ It was the first time he entered your room. You noticed him move out of the corner of your eye and sensed him coming to a stop right next to you. He must’ve checked your computer screen and the papers in front of you. You couldn’t really care, though. Whenever one of those problem-solving-trains hit, you just physically couldn’t stop yourself. „Is that professor Matthews’ study?“
„Yep,“ you mumbled.
„I heard about it, tried to get in but that didn’t work out.“ His voice had a tone you had never heard before. „What’s your part in it?“ Was it honest interest?
„I’m responsible, with others of course, for the mathematical model. But please shut up for a few second okay? I’m almost done.“ You tried to talk and still follow your train of thoughts. „Just need to get it out of the brain.“
Eric stayed surprisingly silent while your hand was still moving around your desk, fishing for various papers and scribbling onto them in the illegible handwriting of yours.
You threw the pencil away, once you were mainly done with bringing the theory on paper. „So what do you wanna know?“ You asked and turned around in the same moment. That Eric had kneeled down next to you had escaped your attention. You blinked at him, his face only a couple of inches away. That this proximity suddenly slowed up your pulse confused you. He was too close. Way too close. You leaned back in your chair and swallowed.
Eric on the other hand didn’t seem to be uncomfortable at all. „How did you get in?“
„They asked, actually.“
„They asked?“ His eyebrows raised themselves to the top of Willis Tower.
„Yes.“ You replied, a little unsure of why that would be so odd. Back during high school there was this hype your teachers made about your mathematical skills. But that wasn’t reason for you to think that you were some wunderkind like Einstein or something. You just liked math. Like some people actually did. Not many, but those in your major all had similar experiences during their childhood and school time. So of course, when they had asked you to join the study, you accepted.
Eric let himself sink against the wall next to your makeshift desk. It was the first time you ever saw something like true recognition radiating off of him. And he didn’t hide it. He wanted to know more. He questioned a lot about the study and your part in it. He was interested in how math helped with a clinical study and it slowly dawned on you why he might’ve taken all those classes of yours. Those were all about adapting math in a way to help solve social orientated problems.
After having to compete with him for the upper hand in those stupid debates, you were a little gleeful that it was you who took part in professor Matthews’ study.
This conversation was everything but a discussion. And you found that it could be really enjoyable to have a decent talk with him. You even offered to put in a good word for him at the next meeting with the staff. No clue where this came from, though.
„Hey, Eric?“ The two of you had changed from your room to the dining table because of the close-by coffee refuels. „Would you do me a favor?“
He was currently getting the freshly brewed pot and nodded to the empty cup in your hands so he could refill it. You handed it to him. „What kind of favor?“
„I need a car,“ you stated, instantly noticing the disdain on his face. „Only for a couple of hours. Not long.“
Eric shook his head. „I’m not lending my car.“ He returned the hot cup and sat down across from you. „I can drive you, though,“ Eric added.
That took you by surprise. „Oh.“ You hadn’t thought he would give his car to you in the first place anyway. Wondering where this kindness suddenly came from left you without an answer. But you decided to accept it. „Okay.“
/////
Eric’s mission was to try every single bed in the furniture store. You tried to explain it didn’t really matter anyways since you already had a mattress. He insisted on still laying down and pulled you along with him. „A new bed,“ he said, „must meet many requirements. Not only the coziness factor of the mattress.“ His voice was a whisper next to you. That low rasp in it drew your attention to his full lips, perfectly framed by the stubble he rarely cared to shave.
Finding yourself laying in a bed next to Eric, even if it was in a furniture store and on full public display, weirdly quickened your pulse again. The way his fingers randomly touched your thigh made you nervous. He probably didn’t even notice, or cared, that his hand was in contact with the bare skin below your shorts. Still, it let your insecurities flame up again. Laying next to a perfectly built and defined man like him brought back memories you rather wanted to escape.
„That’s not the one,“ you quickly stated and rolled out of bed. There was no paper in your pockets this time, and it wasn’t the right place anyway, to distract your brain with. Instead you concentrated on the multiple bed frames. It was a tough task – nothing really suited your taste.
„How about that one, Y/N?“ Eric had been shouting through the whole store. You turned and saw him laying in a child’s bed – car shape.
The view of his legs sticking out on the bed end, because he was simply too tall for it, made you laugh out loud. You couldn’t hold it back nor lower the volume. By the time you reached him, he had joined in on the banter. Next to the car shaped bed was a pink unicorn one. He sat on it and said you could have his bed, he would buy this one. Your laughter increased.
„You think I wouldn’t buy it?“
You shook your head, biting back the laughter.
Eric got up and looked around for a salesman. When he spotted one, he raised his hand to wave him over but you were quick to grab his hand and pull it down. „Stop it!“ For a moment too long you held onto his hand. It caused both of you to look down at your hands like they weren’t attached to your arms and had a mind to themselves. Then your eyes slowly moved up to Eric’s and locked with them. Both of you probably tried to find a reason as to why your hands were still holding onto each other. When Eric’s fingers tried to intertwine with yours, you suddenly realised that you were holding. his. hand.
You instantly let it go like you burned yourself and went back to search for a bed frame. The urge to get out of here made you choose a random but simple bed frame. The salesman Eric had wanted to wave over was now at your side to take your order.
You went with him to the check out desk, Eric quietly following the two of you, and paid for your new bed. The salesman printed out some papers, stapled them together and handed them over. „The pick up station is three blocks down the street.“ He pointed to the left of the exit.
„Thank you.“ Grabbing the papers, you headed to leave, Eric ahead of you and holding the door open.
„Have fun with the new bed,“ the salesman inappropriately winked at the two of you on your way out. When your brain processed his remark, a heat in your face rose. To your luck, Eric was walking in front of you to his car and you tried to make the heat go away by fanning your face with the papers. You didn’t understand why all of this made you feel so… weird.
The short ride to the warehouse was silent. Even with the radio on. Eric waited in the car when it came to a stop on the lot. You got out to turn in the papers and get the bed.
The sun was blazing down while you waited for the employee to return with the package. You caught Eric staring in your direction but with the sunglasses on you couldn’t see what possibly was going on his brain. But to be fair, you couldn’t even pinpoint that when he wasn’t wearing sunglasses.
„Here you go.“ A trolley with two big packages was pushed next to you. If that would fit into Eric’s muscle car? You weren’t so sure about that.
As you turned around to wave at him, he was already at your side. Was he a cat? Or why was he always able to sneak up so quietly?
He probably saw the concern on your face because he just said ‚we got this’ and pushed the trolley over to his car. Eric suggested to remove the packaging so you could play Tetris and fit everything in. That worked pretty well and you were soon ready to head home.
It was Eric who tried to remove that awkward mood between you. He just started chatting about a new group of penguins in the zoo. That he usually went there once a week since the entrance was free and that he did it to stay grounded in stressful times. A while ago he adopted a penguin called Smartie. Him being so open about something not study related was surprising but even more surprising was that he basically invited you to join him some time to go and see the new ‚kids‘ as he called them.
Back home you carried all parts of the bed up to the third story. Eric left to find a proper parking space for his car and you started on building up the bed frame. The instruction must’ve been somewhere attached to the packaging you left at the warehouse because you couldn’t find it. That wasn’t too much a problem, though. Studying the parts you had for a second, you figured out a plan and already started putting pieces together when you noticed Eric, silently of course, appearing in your doorframe.
„I’ll help you,“ he offered. It didn’t sound much like an offer, though. More like a fact.
It didn’t take long with his help to build up the bed, place in the slatted frame and lift the mattress on top of it. You didn’t really have a plan where to put the bed but for some reason Eric convinced you to position it at the exact same spot your mattress had laid before.
„Thank you for your help.“ You sat down on your new bed and checked if it didn’t break with the first contact. It didn’t.
Eric’s lips parted and he wanted to say something. You couldn’t get rid of the feeling that he wanted to say something else when everything that came out was a sharp ‚Sure‘.
Before you could ask him if he’d like a beer, just to be polite after him helping you all day, he made a beeline for his room. And stayed there.
/////
He didn’t come out for dinner and you decided you didn’t care. When you finally crashed that night, after having multiple board game showdowns with Will, you instantly knew that you’d sleep well. The bed was super comfy. Eric had been right, the mattress only didn’t do the thing, everything had to match up.
You didn’t even check your phone anymore, your eyes too heavy to stay open.
A gentle knock came from the other side of the wall. You turned to it and listened.
Long, long, short. Long, short. GN. Good night? Those two knocked letters brought a faint smile to your lips you couldn’t fight. You returned the same knocks and fell asleep. Smiling.
/////
Taglist • @longlostinanotherworld • @dosentier • @dhunhdchrih
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stagbells · 3 years
Text
Summerdew and Sweet Kisses
From: @daikoski
To: @strawberryaeris
Written work under readmore!
notes: hello!! i had lots of fun writing this, it was such a joy to work on! it’s my first time writing lacenet, so i hope you enjoy!! summertime love :D
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It’s date night, and Lace has full reign on what they’re doing today.
It’s less of a spoken thing and more a silent agreement that one of them can take the lead and decide what sort of day the two will share together. Whether it be cozying it up at home, or working on individual projects with the other close by, going hunting, or seeking out a new activity to share, most of everything is free game when it comes to them. 
To which, she’s deliberately chosen something new.
Hornet had mentioned one time, in idle conversation, that she’d never really swam for the sake of it. If anything, it was a shortcut, if she couldn’t easily cross the body of water with her needle and silk. That she hadn’t really considered it as a fun passing of time, a recreational activity of sorts.
Well. Neither had Lace, but the thought of it now sounds far more appealing now that they’ve both claimed better lives for each other, for Hornet’s family, doesn’t it? It’s safer now, and they’re easing into a life beyond just fine, but something good instead. 
And... there are plenty of beautiful, isolated spots within the land that Lace has seen, and what better to enjoy it than with her darling? 
And what a pretty little area it is too; a pond, hidden within the depths of a lush grove. hidden, but with evidence of prior life, if the cute wooden dock is any indicator. The surface of the pond is scattered with aquatic plants in little vibrant clusters, pearls of colour that sway with the breeze. 
“Are you sure you don’t want to enter the water, dear?” 
From her spot, with Hornet sitting perched on the dock, dangling her peets into the water and swishing them around in such a way that makes Lace laugh, before settling her always so composed regard on her, she looks nothing less than perfect. And also very wary of getting wet beyond that.
Cute. 
“I’m considering it,” is just enough of a not-response that Lace hums, a touch understanding, a touch mischievous. Ah yes. She’s considering it. 
Hornet has been sitting on the edge of the dock for almost an hour now, the two making idle conversation as they enjoy the balmy air that’s heavy-sweet with ripening fruits and bright flowers, hot to the point of being almost unbearable, but alas, she is still considering it. 
Such a shame.
Lace splashes the unsuspecting spider. 
Not a full-on wave, of course, she isn’t that mean, but as of now, a little urging on her part wouldn’t hurt, and Hornet immediately shields herself from the water. The top-half of her cloak is soaked.
“Lace—!” 
“Yes?” Her voice as innocent as she is not, she merely swishes her hands within the water, propelling herself back a bit from the dock before holding her hands out in gesture, as if to catch Hornet if she were to dive in. “My, dearest, do you need any help with that? You’re already halfway there!”
“My silk is going to melt, and my things could rust...” 
“A little water won’t hurt, but if you need a place to keep them, there’s a little nook over there that’ll keep them safe.” Shrouded by bits of sweet grass and soft soil, it’s a perfect spot to keep anything important safe. Besides, they’re both well aware that both of their belongings are far sturdier than that...
“If you had wanted me in the water so bad, you could have asked.” 
Kind of haphazardly, more deliberate than not, Hornet unburdens herself of all the little tools and trinkets she keeps within her cloak, before finally sliding into the water. (It’s a mess, but a mess that she understands and who is Lace to question that.) 
“There. I’ve removed everything from my pockets, and I’m here now.” Her tone is just a touch grumpy, though that’s easily dismissed with the way Lace can feel the faint stutter-rumble of her purr as she rests a hand on Hornet’s chest.
“Cute, but I think the little questions I’ve scattered into our conversation were not given much heed.”
“Maybe if you asked again...” Ah, now that is most certainly petulance. “You’re enjoying making a fool of me today, aren’t you?”
Hornet’s claws are carefully gripping her own, smaller hand, and Lace brushes the pad of her thumb over her now damp fur. The distant, light waves that carry them ever so slightly kind of pushes her to Hornet, and she can only smile wider at the way her lover’s claws go to brace her gently.
“Ahh, my apologies, I'm not trying to be mean!” 
“Really.”
“Mm. At least, just a little bit.”
“So you do admit it.”
“And you must believe me, dearheart, when I say I have no ill intent~!” 
Intentionally, Lace lets her mandibles curl in a teasing, honey-sweet manner that always has Hornet unable to look away for just a little bit, and she relishes in the attention just as much as the way her darling swats a wave of water her way in reciprocation.
Because even if she says it in a teasing way, going so far to jab her elbow lightly into Hornet’s side with a laugh, she hopes that the cute spider knows she means every word of it. 
Because she’s something wonderful, isn’t she? Direct in a way that’s refreshing, because how often is it that Lace gets to experience something like that? Sharp and honest (and even if she does sometimes struggle with expressing her feelings, she’s still honest) and it’s in such a way that makes Lace want to be the same towards her, be something more open, more real.
...Weird concept, and Lace finds herself laughing to herself, just a little trill of delight. 
Yes, but nothing could ever make her stop wanting to tease the spider. Her reactions are so cute after all! 
But, her sappiness can be saved for later. Not when there’s currently the cute culprit of these thoughts right in front of her. It’s fun to splash around and goad her dearest on into something of a playfight, one that results in the both being absolutely drenched, but it’s just as nice to relish the coolness of the water against her shell, and in turn be able to admire the many facets such a new experience has brought upon Hornet’s visage. 
Cute.
Such as the vague flit of surprise that had so graced the spider’s face when Lace had dunked herself beneath the water; not so many bugs feel comfortable doing such a thing, after all. Or the fond, subdued smile that quirks her fangs just so with each sharp banter that slips so naturally out. It’s nice. 
And when the sunlight becomes something a bit too bright and Lace can see the films of Hornet’s eyes try to flick up as she winces from it, she can’t help but bump shoulders with her, before drawing her hand over the smoothness of Hornet’s mask in an unsubtle way of blocking the light, for even just a moment. 
“You’re getting water in my eyes,” Hornet half-protests, fangs scrunching but looking so much more relaxed now, and Lace can only think of it as a job well done. 
She had purposefully made it so that they would go out later in the day anyways; noonlight was something so sharp sometimes, but alas, even in the evenings can the sunlight bother her dearest like so. They continue like that for a good while longer, idly floating about and conversing, one instigating another splash war on occasion.
It’s all fun and games until they have to get out of the water.
Hornet, the poor little thing, looks just a bit miserable as she works on flicking the water from the tufts of fur that lines her body, chelicerae working ever so slightly concentration. Well, it’s good she’s come prepared.
“Here you are, lover!” Easily tossing a towel around Hornet’s shoulders, Lace gives it a light tug to pull her spider down to press a little kiss and a nuzzle against the side of her mask.
“You planned for this.” Hornet is nothing short of accusatory, and she laughs, just letting a playful hum be her response as she helps tumble dry her.
“What, to trick you into the water so I can give you a kiss?” 
Could it really be considered such a devious plan when she was planning on kissing her either way? Endearing thought, especially since Hornet herself is the one to go through some length to muster up something as direct as asking for a kiss. Usually all she’d need to do is start purring up a storm to leave Lace as the one giving the kisses!
At some point, Hornet had cuddled up to her, both drying beneath the steady heat of the sun, but indulging in the warmth of one another for as long as they were allowed. Laying back onto the wood of the deck, peaceful and soft and warm, where the only sounds were that of trickling water and slowing breathing.
Despite appearances, Hornet can be quite the cuddler, curling herself as close as possible to Lace, little tail and everything looping around her as she dozes. Well, this is her fate now. 
She doesn’t have the heart to move and disrupt Hornet from a well-deserved nap, even if the way they cuddle always traps her beneath her weight. Not until the sun begins to fall, and the faint glimmers of the starlight begin to settle in, does Lace think of stirring the spider. 
This is the sight she wanted to share with her, after all. To deliberately take a moment and enjoy the sight the massive void above has to offer, with all its strange mysteries and stories to tell. Stories she only really heard as a grub, but ones she’s more than willing to try and scrounge up to share with her lover if she so asked...
“Hello there, darling,” Lace carefully nudges her girlfriend awake, and Hornet untucks her face from the crook of her neck. “The sky is clear tonight, take a look.” 
(There’s no teasing note to her voice—there’s no need to bring it forth, rather. Not when everything is so quiet, so subdued, and Hornet is still shaking off the last lingering bits of sleep from her eyes, looking so peaceful and comfortable that the sight brings an ache forth in her chest.)
(That this is something they both get to have.)
“It’s night time already?” Hornet murmurs, twisting herself to lay on her back, “Would you not get cold?” The sleepy note to her normally composed and cold voice is something so cute, and Lace leans in to give her a little nuzzle. 
“No, and even if I do, I have you, as well as the shawl you had weaved for me so kindly.” And alongside that, the soft, genuine fondness in her own voice is still something so faintly unfamiliar, yet so nice. She could get used to it. 
Hornet flushes a bit, perhaps at the prospect that Lace had decided to take the gift she had made for her along in case the night air became chilly, before letting a little ‘mrr’ of disappointment out. 
“I am not sure if we should stay out so late...” she begins, before gesturing a bit vaguely, “that, and I had mistakenly assumed we were to return home by nightfall, so...”
Ohh, are her siblings expecting her?
Lace sits up, and unable to help it, stares for a moment. It clicks. Right. They usually go hunting during their dates, two belflies with one stone so to say. 
“Did you leave your siblings at home with nothing to eat?” is her automatic question, more concerned for Hornet than anything else. Hornet sits up as well, adjusting her cloak.
“Not nothing.” Hornet frowns, but there’s a small smile hidden, tucked away beneath her mask and Lace knows she’s not truly upset at her question, “they’re most likely eating as we speak. And if they so happen to finish all of our food at home, neither are the type to allow the other to go hungry anyways...” so they could very well be hunting, too.
“Ah, but I can tell you still dislike the notion of leaving them without a fresh meal.” Lace points out, and Hornet leans into her side a bit. 
“...Yes.”
“Cute! If it so soothes you, my worrier, then we can take a little detour. I wouldn’t mind if this date takes a turn for our usual.” Carefully extracting herself from Hornet’s hold, Lace hops up with ease to swipe up her belongings—including her pin.
Hornet visibly hesitates—and by visibly, there’s the slightest press of her claws against Lace’s arm, just a light pressure as if to gently tug her back to her side—before she too stands. Not one to leave things undone, not one to linger, but oh, so it seems for the both of them, lingering is just so much easier nowadays...
“Apologies...” she mumbles, and whether it be due to cutting their plans short, or the hesitation, Lace hums affectionately to comfort her. “We could stay a little longer?”
“We can always go stargazing another day, my dear. And hunting with you is always a treat, there's nothing to apologize for.” and with a little nuzzle, the two are on their way.
(A part of her delights so wonderfully at the fact she’s come to pick up so many of Hornet’s cues; not when so few bugs can say the same, and it makes her preen with a silly sweet sort of pride. Hers, just as much as she is Hornet’s.)
It isn’t until they’re both following an easy scent trail that Hornet speaks up again, breaking that routine silence and looking beautifully dangerous in the moonlight, needle and silk carrying her onwards.
“...Did you call me your ‘warrior’ or ‘worrier’?”
Pfft!
“Wouldn���t you like to know?”
...
“I suppose I’ll just earn back my title as your warrior with this hunt.”
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kerikaaria · 3 years
Text
Smile
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(Hoseok x gn!Reader) Oneshot, Coffee shop!au
Genre: (PG13) Hurt/comfort, fluff, angst
WC: 4.6k
Warnings: None, unless you count a stereotypical Kdrama trope or two offensive haha
Summary: At 28 years old, you suddenly felt like your life was resetting. One of the few things that brought you comfort was keeping the routine of stopping by the local coffee shop, and the barista behind the counter had definitely noticed the recent change in you. All he wanted was to see you smile again.
Breath of Sunshine is a sequel to this fic. 
A/N – This fic is my submission for the January prompt with @thebtswritersclub for Beginnings/New Beginnings.
I'm a horrendous human being and absolutely forgot to tag @moccahobi for beta reading this fic for me! Thank you for your suggestions Lillia! And please excuse me being big dumb lol. I love yoouuu!
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Pushing the door open, the familiar jingle of the bell sounded and warmth started to envelope your chilled body.
"Good afternoon, Y/n," the barista said as he made another customer's drink, pausing for a moment to throw a smile in your direction.
"Good afternoon, Hoseok," you replied, attempting to smile in return but could feel how stiff and forced it was.
He quickly finished the drink he had been working on, properly saying goodbye to the customer as he always did. He grabbed a new cup as he asked, “Are you having the usual?”
“Yes, please,” you said.
Hoseok gave you another smile before getting your drink started while you approached the register. You got your payment out, ready to go as he approached the counter. After swiping your card, you watched as he resumed making your drink. Hoseok had been working here for at least as long as you had been a regular customer and it was obvious he knew what he was doing.
"The weather isn't that bad today," Hoseok made small talk while he finished putting your drink together.
"Yeah, it's not quite as cold as the rest of the week had been,” you responded. If this were a month ago, you would have continued back and forth, encouraging conversation between the two of you. You could only just muster up enough energy to respond right now, much less continue a conversation.
Especially not today.
Preferring to stare at the counter rather than make eye contact, you didn’t notice the worried glance Hoseok threw your way. He had definitely recognized the change in your demeanor over the past weeks. He really missed your smile—the real one and not the forced one that sat on your face nowadays.
When he finished your drink and handed it to you, you attempted a smile once more as you thanked him before sitting at one of the tables in the café to relax.
It was a Saturday and you had a standard Monday to Friday job so you didn’t have anything to do today. But this was one of your favorite places to go, and after all the changes that happened the past month you needed a familiar routine to help keep you feeling sane.
One of the few comforts that came with moving back to your childhood home was that this coffee shop was within walking distance again. When you had moved away over a year ago, you would have to leave for work sooner to catch an earlier bus, getting off only to stop here before getting back on to finish going to work. You adored this quaint little shop and the bright faces behind the counter and didn’t want to sacrifice your patronage just because you had moved.
So needless to say, your weekend visits had stopped at that point since there was no need to catch the bus then. But now that you were back here, you had resumed your Saturday morning walks which led you here. Even though it was winter, you found the crisp air refreshing and found it easy to let your troubles escape your mind during the 20 minute venture.
You sat by a window, mindlessly watching the cars drive down the street. You had made a fair amount of progress this month, but today was particularly difficult. It was January 23, what would have been your 6 year anniversary. That wasn’t a thing anymore, of course.
At 28 years old, you suddenly felt like your life was resetting. Things that you wanted in life that had seemed so close to coming into fruition merely a month ago suddenly felt so far away, you weren’t sure they were possible anymore.
As you let your mind wander, you were unsure how much time had passed. Your drink sat empty in front of you for a while, but you didn’t feel ready to leave just yet. When you got back home you’d be reminded of how different things were now, and that wasn’t something you were looking forward to today.
Suddenly, your attention was drawn to a new cup being placed on your table. You turned to see Hoseok standing next to the table, smiling brightly as ever.
“It’s a good day for a drink like this, don’t you think?” he asked.
“I didn’t order this,” was the only thing that could escape your mouth. He was definitely known for throwing in a free drink here and there, but you most certainly didn’t want to take advantage of it.
“It’s my treat,” he insisted, “I’m actually done with my shift. Do you mind if I sit here with you?”
You glanced back at the bar, and sure enough Namjoon was now manning the station while the owner, Seokjin, took orders from the customers in line.
Looking back to Hoseok who had been waiting patiently for your response, you decide to give a nod.
He sat across from you, taking a sip from his own drink that he had no doubt made himself. A silence hung between you but it wasn't uncomfortable. Hoseok never made you feel uncomfortable. When you reached for the new cup and realized what drink he had made you, it only reminded you of how kind he was. 
It wasn't your usual, but was something you had most definitely ordered here before. You could still remember the first day you had ordered this particular drink.
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Hoseok looked at you, amused. "Not getting the usual today, then?"
"No, not today," you confirmed. "I really need this today."
"Oh?" he asked as he rang it into the register. "Is it some kind of special occasion thing? I know some people do that."
"Not exactly," you said, handing him your card. "It's more of a comfort drink."
Hoseok hesitated to swipe your card through the reader. "Oh. Not having a great day?" A frown sat on his face.
"You could say that," you sighed.
He looked to be in thought for a moment before he handed your card back to you and moved away to start on your drink.
Your brows furrowed. "You didn't swipe my card, did you?"
"It's on me today."
"You don't have to do that," you said, staying parked at the register.
Hoseok hadn't said anything else while he whipped up the drink. When he brought it over to you, you tried making him take your card one more time, but he just shook his head.
"I don't like seeing my customers upset," he said. "It's not much, but I want to do anything I can to try to make your day at least a little brighter. Please, I insist."
The smile on his face and earnest look in his eyes made you pause, before ultimately accepting his kind offer.
His smile grew even bigger when he watched you put your card away and take the drink he offered you. It was a size larger than what you had ordered.
"Thank you, Hoseok," you said. You were still unsure about taking a drink for free, but definitely were in no way going to leave without showing him some gratitude.
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Holding the cup of hot chocolate between your hands made you feel warm in more ways than one. He was telling you that he noticed you weren't as happy as usual and he even remembered the significance of the drink to you.
Knowing that someone cared, even a little, was something you really needed these days and, though a little silly, it almost made you want to cry. You held it back though, offering a smile to the man sitting across from you. It was small, but still genuine.
You waited for the inevitable question of what was wrong. The sweet gesture of the hot chocolate made you feel like you may not actually mind if he asked, despite having been tired of explaining what happened 50 times over already. Just as long as he wouldn't start asking you the loaded, 'How are you?' which translated to 'How are you after him?'
He didn't ask. Instead he said, "You know, I was really relieved when I saw it was you who came in earlier."
You looked at him curiously. "Why is that?"
"That customer that was here when you walked in? He's a real charmer." He was clearly being sarcastic. "The guy wants like 10 very specific customizations to his latte, and was backseat driving the whole time I made his drink. Despite the fact that he's a regular and I know his order to the T by this point. But nope, he can never let me just handle making the drink in peace. It's so annoying."
"Oh gosh, that does sound super annoying," you replied. A pretty generic reply sure, but you already felt more engaged in this conversation than you had in most others recently.
"But then customers like you come in and you're always so kind and friendly," Hoseok continued. "Even if the day hadn't been that great, it always feels a little better when you come in. You're definitely one of our favorite regulars. It's also nice now that I've noticed you're coming in on the weekends again."
"Oh yeah, I moved back into my last house," you explained. "So I can just walk here again."
"And out of all the things you could be doing on the weekend, you choose to hang out here in this tiny little place."
You took the first sip of your hot chocolate while Hoseok spoke. It may have been basically just hot milk and chocolate, but it was really delicious. You closed your eyes for a moment to savor the flavor before answering him. “I really like it here. It’s nice and cozy, the drinks are amazing and not super expensive, and you guys are all really nice.”
“It’s hard not to be when we have wonderful customers like you,” Hoseok said.
The compliment made you feel flustered and on top of feeling relaxed and warm from the drink, you found a genuine smile that reached your eyes spread across your face.
You felt that out of all the good qualities of this coffee shop, Hoseok was definitely the most comforting thing here.
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After that day, you began to have longer conversations with the barista. It wasn’t that you didn’t chat before, but him taking the time to sit and talk with you seemed to have opened up a door to a deeper friendship between you. While coming to the coffee shop had always been one of your favorite parts of the day, it started to become something you looked forward to even more than before.
You even found yourself leaving your house a bit earlier than before just to make sure you had some time to sit and chat with him for an extra little bit before needing to make your way to work. Your encounters were limited to the shop, not having met outside of the café or exchanged phone numbers yet. Despite that, you felt like your interactions were some of the most genuine you had lately.
As for Hoseok, he could see the gradual change in you. While he had no idea what had suddenly made you so upset back in December, he knew it had to be pretty substantial with how long you’ve been affected. He never wanted to ask though. He figured if you wanted to talk to him about it you would, and he would of course listen.
That being said, ever since he decided to sit down and chat with you, he felt like you���ve slowly started becoming more like yourself—more like the Y/n he remembered. He couldn’t say for sure, but he dared to hope that maybe it had something to do with him.
So the weeks went by, most days highlighted by Hoseok’s smiling face as you started going to the cafe more. On Saturdays it basically became a routine for you to arrive shortly before he’d be done with his shift, and then he’d once again sit and chat with you when it was over.
Saturdays quickly became your favorite day of the week.
You were trying to figure out how to nonchalantly ask Hoseok if you could exchange phone numbers, or meet up outside of the café, or something. And really, it shouldn’t have been hard. Easy to slip in a ‘Hey, can I text you?' or ‘Let’s hang out sometime,’ during a chat and it would have been natural. But you felt oddly nervous about asking.
What if he didn’t want that? What if he just wanted your little budding friendship to stay as a thing just at the café? What if you were reading too far into it and he was just a nice barista chatting with his customer to make them happy? Knowing you, you very well could have been reading into it too much. Even though you really, really hoped you weren’t.
You walked down the sidewalk heading home from the bus stop after work when your phone rang.
You didn’t bat an eye when it was his name that came up on the caller ID. It wasn’t frequent but also not entirely unusual for him to contact you. His calls often had something to do with tying up loose ends, or he was just wanting to chat. Afterall, you both had agreed to remain friends after the breakup. But it was still a bit awkward, both of you needing a bit more time to come to terms with all the changes that were occurring in the aftermath and, at least for you, figuring out how to move on still.
You picked up easily, swiping the green button across the screen and putting it back in your pocket, earbuds in your ears to listen and talk through. The call was absolutely standard, him needing someone to talk to in his boredom. Usually it wouldn’t bother you, but he was having one of his moments where he didn’t realize he talked about something he really probably shouldn’t have.
He started mentioning how he’d finally gotten used to you not being around. That it was normal now.
You knew why he was telling you. The changes were hard on him as well, to the point where he couldn’t sleep in the house after you moved out and he realized just how lonely it felt with no one there. So he was telling you because he wanted you to know that he was doing better.
But at the same time, when you were still in the process of getting used to not having him around, it hurt to hear. You had been having far more good—or at least better—days than bad ones lately, but you could feel your heart rip a bit as he talked. You tried not to let him hear it in your voice when the tears started. As soon as you could, you ended the conversation, making up some excuse that you couldn’t really recall but it seemed to work well enough for him and he ended the call.
You couldn’t stop the tears from continuously falling, and you felt so stupid for crying in public like that. The street was a more residential one and not very busy so there were few people around, but you felt as though anyone nearby would instantly have their eyes on you and be judging you.
You stopped at a corner to cross the street, looking both ways before starting on your way. Your gaze was glued to the ground, trying to keep your head down as much as you could to try to keep others from seeing how stupid you must have looked.
It all happened so quickly that you had no time to register what was going on. You saw a car approaching out of the corner of your eye, looking up to see it very close and going dangerously fast. And then you felt a tug, someone grabbing your arm and quickly pulling you the rest of the way to the sidewalk, making you stumble in your step.
You felt the wind from the car passing so closely behind you just a second later. The reality of how close you had been to getting flattened suddenly hit you. Still in the grip of this person who had pulled you out of harm’s way, you started shaking from the shock of it.
“Y/n, are you okay?” a very familiar voice asked, just loud enough for you to hear him past the music in your earbuds.
You quickly looked up to see Hoseok standing there, eyes wide as looked over you, seemingly looking for any injuries. When you didn’t respond, he called your name again.
You shakily nodded. “Y-yeah, I’m- I’m okay,” you managed to get out, pulling the devices from your ears to hear better.
“That jackass,” Hoseok mumbled. “He just came speeding out of nowhere. What the heck did he think he was doing?”
Feeling like it was difficult to keep steady, you let yourself lean into Hoseok for support. He instantly responded by wrapping a strong arm around your shoulders and tucking your head into his chest with his other hand.
“It’s okay, Y/n. You’re okay. You didn’t get hurt, you’re okay,” he calmly said, rocking you just slightly in an attempt to help you calm down.
The two of you stayed like that for a few minutes, until you felt your composure return and straightened up a bit, pulling away from Hoseok’s comfort.
“You feeling alright?” he asked, eyes still filled with concern.
“Yeah, I’m okay,” you said. “Thank you for saving me, Hoseok.”
“It’s lucky that I even noticed you across the street earlier,” he said. “I don’t want you to think you did something wrong because you really didn’t, but you should really try to pay more attention when you’re crossing the street.”
“Yeah, I really wasn’t paying attention,” you admitted. “I just- I mean I looked both ways first but I’m just not feeling the best and-”
“It’s okay,” Hoseok said. “You don’t need to explain to me. I can see something is upsetting you. I’m just glad that I was here.”
You nodded, a short silence sitting between you.
“Where are you headed?” Hoseok was the next to speak.
“I’m just going home,” you said.
“Let me walk you?” he asked.
“You don’t have somewhere to be?”
“I was just heading home too. I stayed late at the café because Joon was on a date. So no, I have nowhere to be. Can I walk you home? You still seem a bit shocked.”
You contemplated his offer, still feeling a bit shaken up from what just happened. Plus, after the phone call you just had, you could really use some company. “Okay, yeah I’d appreciate that. Thank you.”
He stepped to the side, waiting for you to start walking in the right direction before falling in step next to you.
“I was just on the phone with my ex,” you blurted out.
Hoseok’s gaze snapped to you, but you continued looking forward. He remained silent, knowing you had more to say.
“You know the boyfriend I’d mention before?” you asked, sure that he’d remember since you talked about him quite a bit. He was such a huge part of your life. “He broke up with me back in December. On the 21st.”
Hoseok was silent for a moment before he softly asked, “You guys were together for quite a while weren’t you?”
You nodded. “January 23rd would have been 6 years.”
“That’s why you moved back here?” he asked. “You two moved in together about a year ago right?”
“Yeah, a year and three months at the time that we broke up. I’m just lucky that I still had this place to come back to,” you said.
“Did he say something to hurt you?” Hoseok asked. “On the phone just now, I mean.”
You shook your head. “Not intentionally. He just doesn’t always realize when something is inappropriate or hurtful to say.” You chuckle. “He was always kind of bad at knowing social queues. He didn’t realize that telling me how it’s gotten easy for him without me around would be hurtful for me to hear.”
Hoseok didn’t know what to say, so he waited to see if you had anything else you wanted to tell him.
“It’s really hard. I had really thought he was it, you know?” you said, a sad smile sitting on your face. “But now that we’re not together, even though it’s been hard and I’m still figuring out how to be my own person by myself again, I’m realizing that maybe this really was for the better. He told me he just felt like I was his really good friend more than anything else now, and he clearly hadn’t wanted to work on things between us so there was no way we could last at that point. I am not feeling hopeful about being able to find someone else quite yet, but if I ever do I hope that they’re someone who can understand me better.
“I was by no means unhappy with him, except the issues we started to have last year that I felt like we could work through at the time. But we had different love languages. I wanted things from him that I more or less had to flat out tell him and he’d try but even then he wasn’t always putting his heart into it because it wasn’t really natural for him. I understood it, it wasn’t a huge thing. Just things like that, that were never a huge deal at all, but I realize that I really hope I can find in someone else, you know?”
Hoseok nodded along, understanding what you meant. He had been with more than one partner who was uncomfortable with how he expressed his feelings as well. While they had been much less understanding and accepting than you seemed to have been with your ex, or that he even had done for you.
“It’s just… It’s so many changes all at once,” you said. “I usually question everything. I expect people to not stick around, and wonder if people really want to be around me. But with him, I never really thought that. When I’d think of our potential future, I always thought ‘when,’ not ‘if.’ But now it’s become ‘never.’ At least with him. And it’s still hard to wrap my head around. But I have been doing a lot better. I remember you saying once before that you don’t like your customers to be unhappy and if you can make them feel at least a little better, you want to try. And honestly, you have been a huge help to me lately.”
Hoseok smiled to himself. “I’m happy to help you, Y/n. I know that I can’t help a whole lot, I understand this is all really hard for you, but I do want to be there for you however I can. I promise that the interactions we have, it’s not just me being a barista who is trying to make his customers happy. I did say that yeah, but it genuinely comes from my heart. When you stopped smiling at the end of the year, I immediately noticed. Ever since then, I remember just thinking a lot that I missed seeing your smile and wanted to try to make you smile again.”
“Well, mission accomplished then,” you chuckled. You were silent for a moment while you turned onto your street. “You know, that first day that you sat with me in the café? That was January 23rd. I was feeling worse that day than the others but you really did help me feel better. I completely forgot about what that day had meant while talking to you. And I know what the hot chocolate meant. I can’t tell you how much I appreciated that. Thank you.”
“You make it sound like I’m not going to keep trying to help,” Hoseok said. “You’re not getting rid of me that easily, you know.”
“I wouldn’t want to.” You turned to him, a genuine smile on your face.
He smiled in return. “That’s the Y/n that I’ve wanted to see.”
When you were in front of your house, you stopped, letting Hoseok know you arrived.
“Oh, you live here?” he asked, a little surprised. “Really? This is literally just right down the street from my house.”
“Seriously?” you asked. “Since when?”
“For years. I’ve lived there since before I got the job at the café.”
“How come I never realized you lived that close?”
Hoseok laughed. “I have no idea. But hey, at least we know now, right?”
“Right,” you said. “Well, I don’t want to keep you, even if you do live close by.”
“Can I have your number before I go?” Hoseok asked. When you looked at him with widened eyes, he said, “Only if you want to! I just, I feel like the two of us have gotten pretty close and I’ve been meaning to ask but I just wasn’t sure how to bring it up. I want to be there anytime you need me. If you ever need someone to talk to, I want you to be able to contact me anytime.”
Hoseok’s words warmed you, leaving you speechless for just a moment before you smiled once more. “I’ve been trying to figure out how to ask you the same thing. Yeah, I’d like to give you my phone number.”
Hoseok quickly fumbled to fish his phone from his pocket, unlocking it and handing it to you to enter your number.
“And maybe if you have some time, we could hang out one day?” you asked. “Like, outside of the café. As much as I like it there, I think it’d be nice to be able to chat without you having to worry about attending to customers. Or your nosy coworkers listening into our conversations.”
Hoseok laughed, taking a moment to calm down while you handed his phone back to him. “Yeah. Yeah, I’d really like that.”
You both stood there for a moment, unsure of how to say goodbye. Just as you were turning around to enter your door, Hoseok spoke up once more. “Y/n?”
When you turned back around, you were greeted with a really warm smile.
“I know that it’s hard right now and it’s something that you have to work through on your own,” Hoseok continued. “But try not to think of it as an end. It’s a beginning, a new start. And maybe, it won’t be as hard as you think to find someone who will give you what you’re looking for. I, for one, know someone who would be more than willing to do that for you if you ever let him.”
You felt your heart speed up and cheeks redden at the insinuation.
“But don’t feel pressured,” he continued. “Take your time. Do what you need to heal and when you’re ready, I guarantee he’ll still be here for you. He’s ready to start a new story with you whenever you are, if you want.”
With one last smile, Hoseok waved goodbye and walked up the street. It took you a moment before you gathered yourself and unlocked your door.
He hadn’t said it directly, but you understood what he meant. You couldn’t say that you were ready for anything with someone new right now, but if how you felt around him lately was any indication, you were sure that as long as what he said was true, that he was willing to wait until you were ready, you most certainly would eventually be ready to have that new start with him.
And maybe, just maybe, you put a heart next to his name in your contact list. No one needed to know that though.
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Breath of Sunshine is a sequel to this fic.
A/N – This fic is HIGHLY self-indulgent. Last month, on December 21st, my long-time boyfriend had broken up with me. A lot of what Y/n feels in this fic, and what they described about their past relationship are very similar to my own experiences. I’m also uploading this on January 23, 2021, which is rather poetic because, just as in the fic, today would have been my 6th year anniversary with my ex. So yes, this is super self-indulgent and somewhat of a coping mechanism for myself. But I hope that it can be enjoyed by others as well <3.
Also, please don’t feel worried for me or anything. I really do appreciate anyone who offers me support, but I promise that I am doing alright and holding up well. Although I do very much wish it were possible for me to find my own Hobi lol (not right away of course).
Also, if you’d like to donate to my Ko-fi, feel free! Absolutely no pressure though :)
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ningningsdream · 4 years
Text
keep it low | mk.l
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pairing: music student!mark x music student!fem reader
genre: fluff, angst, roommates-to-lovers
word count: 6.5k
warning(s): swearing, maybe a little suggestive (mention of making out and implicit allusion to sex but no smut)
description: in which you didn’t expect to also be a love counselor when you moved in with your new roommate.
a/n: this is apart of my new series of roommates-to-lovers with the dreamies, sweet life
main masterlist
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when you were younger, you’ve always expected to stick with your best friends after highschool, having the best uni experience together, being roommates and all but you never expected almost all of them to either go study abroad or in a university far away from yours. you went to Seoul Music University, a prestigious school you had the chance to attend thanks to your good grades and the entrance interview you nailed a few months before receiving your acceptance letter. the only ‘bad thing’ about being accepted at SMU was that you lived really far away from Seoul but one of your friends who knew people at SMU told you that there was this building known to house a lot of students from the university. even though the building wasn’t linked to the school, it was treated as if it was part of it since most of the person living in that building went to SMU because it was literally five minutes away from the university.
you asked your friend to ask her friends at SMU if they knew anyone who needed a roommate and that was how you ended up with mark lee’s number.
you: hey, is this mark?
possible future roommate: uhm yes? who is this?
you: im y/n, my friend gave me your number because your friends said you were looking for a roommate? and im actually looking for a place to live
possible future roommate: oh right!
possible future roommate: do you want to come see the place tomorrow?
you: mmh yeah that would be great
possible future roommate: great, just text me when you’re downstairs, i’ll come and get you
you: you’re not a creepy dude that’s going to kill me right?
possible future roommate: no
possible future roommate: even if i was, i wouldn’t admit it
you: really reassuring 😭
the first time you met mark, let’s just say that you didn’t expect him to look like that. you didn’t know what you were expecting but surely not a cute guy with glasses and a dorky smile. as for mark, he almost fell on the floor when he first saw you -literally, his feet somehow got tangled-, he was nervous about the possible idea of having a girl as a roommate. to end the awkward silence he asked you questions about yourself which you returned.
mark learned that you were starting your first year at SMU, that you were going to study musical analysis and songwriting and that you needed a place to stay because your hometown was far away whereas you learned that mark was already in his second year at SMU making him one year older than you, that he was studying musical composition and sounds aesthetics and that his ex-roommate moved out to move in with his girlfriend.
mark gave you a little apartment tour which was surprisingly pretty neat. it was a lot bigger and more luminous than you expected. the room that was supposed to be yours was simple yet cozy. mark told you everything you needed to know about the rent, the neighbors, etc. and you agreed to be his roommate.
living with mark was pretty simple at first. you two didn’t really get out of your rooms so you wouldn’t interact often, just short greetings when you bumped into each other in the hallway or the kitchen. but the peaceful atmosphere changed when uni started. you two saw each other even less than before, having different majors and different schedules but you sure were hearing him more.
well not him, his music.
it was pretty soft at first, you could barely hear it but as weeks passed by, the volume became louder and louder. you would sometimes go to his door, knocking on it with an annoyed expression on your face but every time he would open the door with this apologetic face, looking at you like a stray puppy with his doe eyes while apologizing for the noise, promising to turn it down, you couldn’t be mad at him, not with that face.
every morning for the past month, you needed a cup of coffee - even though you hated coffee - to stay awake all day long.
“why are you so sleepy again?”, lia, the only friend that followed you throughout your entire life, asked you as she saw your half-open eyelids.
“my roommate stayed up so late, blasting his music through the speakers in his room. i’m still surprised we didn’t have any complaints yet.”, you said, before putting a hand on your mouth to yawn.
“tell him to turn it down.”
“already tried but it seems like he instinctively turns it back up gradually.”
“then tell him to shut his freaking music off so you could get some beauty sleep.”
“can’t.”
“why?”
“because he always looks at me so apologetically that i can’t get angry.”
“girl, you have a crush on him or something?”
“nah, he just has that kind of face, you know?”
one night, apart from the beats and music coming from mark’s room, you also heard his voice, stopping mid-sentence every time to see if the lyrics were good. this time the song was a lot slower and softer than the usual stuff he would do so instead of keeping you awake, it kind of lull you to sleep. the next morning, you felt refreshed and more energetic as you had your eight hours of sleep.
“you looked better today girl! what happened?”, lia asked enthusiastically as you sat down next to her.
“finally got a good night of sleep.”
during your classes, from time to time, your brain would hum what you identified as mark’s song from last night, lyrics popping here and there in your brain, a mix of the one you heard from him and new ones you just made up. you wrote them down on a random piece of paper as they seemed to be stuck in your brain.
later that day, you were sitting on your bed while going through the list of first years in the composition class to find a partner for this project you have to do for your writing class. every year, students from these two classes would collaborate to create a song and it was supposed to represent 35% of your semester’s grade so it was pretty important. to choose a partner, your professors had made this list thing where they put the students’ music profiles next to their name so that everyone can collaborate with someone that had the same interests musically. the few students you managed to pick already had a partner and the process of selecting other students was already tiring you.
as you were about to dive in the list again you heard mark’s voice starting to sing the same song that lulled you to sleep. you could clearly hear the hesitation in his voice as the lyrics came out. your eyes wandered to the stacks on notebooks on your desk in which was the piece of paper you wrote lyrics to his song on and you thought about it for a moment. should you give him the lyrics you wrote or should you just let him do his thing? after all, he never meant to share the song with you.
after a hot minute of thinking, you stood up and went to your desk, taking the piece of paper out of one of your notebooks and headed to mark’s room.
when he heard the knock on his door, mark thought he knew what you wanted to tell him. he thought it was the usual 'can you turn it down?’ question so he opened the door and went, “i’m sorr-”, but you interrupted him by giving him the paper with the lyrics on it before going back to your room without saying anything. mark stood there with a frown on his face, trying to understand what just happened. he looked at the piece of paper you just gave him and recognized some of his lyrics along with unknown ones. he started to sing it in his head as he closed the door walking to his desk and decided to give it a try with the music.
you sat on your bed, waiting impatiently for his next move. a few seconds later, you heard mark singing the lyrics you gave him to his instrumental and found yourself smiling at how good it was. satisfied with how smooth the song sounded now without mark interrupting himself every second, trying to find better words, you were about to dive right back in that list of students, determined to find a partner when your roommate barged into your room.
“sure mark, come in.”, you said, sarcastically rolling your eyes.
“sorry…”, he quickly apologized, rubbing the back of his neck, “the lyrics you gave me, how-”
“i can hear everything coming from your room mark, the lyrics just popped in my head this morning as your song was stuck in my brain.”
“it’s- it’s really good. the lyrics.”
“well thanks. i am studying that after all.”
“i- uhm…are you busy right now?”, he asked, his shyness taking over his body.
“oh uhm i have to find a partner for that composition-songwriting project.”, you sighed before turning your attention back to the list.
mark nodded a little bit disappointed. he wanted to ask you if you wanted to maybe, possibly help him with his song but since you were busy with that project- wait, he too had the same project to do.
“do you want to do it with me?”, mark’s voice suddenly surprised you as you thought he already left.
“what?”, you asked because you didn’t really hear his question as your focus was on your laptop.
“the project. want to do it together?”, he asked, full of hope.
“aren’t we supposed to do it with someone from our year?”
“i’ll ask mr.kim if i can do it with you, only if you want to though.”, he said, rubbing the back of his neck. you nodded with a smile. now, you could stop going through that hell of a list. after receiving a positive answer from your professors, you and mark started to work on your song.
at first, you thought that the two of you would just work on the project, you didn’t expect to actually get to know your roommate more. you spent the last few nights in mark’s bedroom, working on your song while having some extra fun because your roommate was unexpectedly a bigger dork than you thought.
“how about we change these lyrics to those?”, you suggested, showing mark the two sentences.
the song you were making was supposed to be a sad and heartbreaking one and you wanted the lyrics to hit deep in people’s soul.
“damn girl, who hurt you?”, mark’s question made you smile, satisfied with his reaction.
you yawned a few minutes later, falling onto mark’s bed while stretching, “i’m just going to rest my eyes for five minutes. if i fall asleep, wake me up.”
you opened your eyes and it was the next morning, you panicked for a moment before remembering that it was sunday and that you didn’t have any classes to attend. you rubbed your eyes and looked around the room but saw no trace of mark. you heard some rustling in the kitchen so you walked out of mark’s room, stopping by the bathroom before joining your roommate in the kitchen.
“why didn’t you wake me up?”
“you were so cute, i didn’t want to wake you up.”, your ears perked up at the compliment while mark was trying to correct himself out of embarrassment, “i-i-i mean peaceful, yeah peaceful, you looked peaceful. anyway, breakfast?”
you smiled at how dorky he was, realizing what you’ve been missing out on during the first part of your semester.
“what’s for breakfast?”
“i tried to make eggs but they didn’t turn out great…gordon ramsay would be ashamed.”, mark said, rubbing the back of his neck with a little embarrassed smile.
“it can’t be worse than your curry that smelled like burned chicken.”, you commented, thinking about the time your roommate said he would try and cook something new but it turned out real bad and you just ended up ordering jajangmyeon.
“it wasn’t that bad.”, he corrected softly, earning a look from you which made him admit the disaster that was his attempt at cooking.
“oh by the way, where did you sleep?”
“on the couch.”
“that must have been so uncomfortable, you don’t even fit on the couch! you could’ve just lied beside me, it’s no big deal.”
“i’m a sleep cuddler, didn’t want to make you uncomfortable.”
“i wouldn’t have minded the cuddling.”, you jokingly shrugged as mark felt his ears becoming redder and redder. you took a bite of his eggs and frowned a bit, “they are surprisingly okay.”
the more time you spent with mark, the more you learned to love these little things about him, like how he would get excited and laugh his heart out while clapping hard or kicking his legs or how he played his music a little too loud at night because 1. you were now in the room with him and not trying to sleep and 2. you admired how dedicated he was to his music. even if you still asked him to keep it low when you went back to your room, you would always smile when you heard his music increasing slowly.
mark would also slowly get more comfortable around you, letting his weird but cute little quirks come out more often like now when you two go grocery shopping together he didn’t have to hide his excitement every time he saw watermelons.
“you wanna grab dinner tonight?”, lia aked you as you sat next to her in class.
“sorry, i can’t tonight. mark and i are staying late to record our song for the project.”, you said with a little pout.
“oh so you and mark huh? you’ve become quite close.”, lia wiggled her eyebrows at you, subtly hinting at something.
“well yeah, he’s my roommate after all.”, you simply reply, ignoring her teasing.
“you were still calling him 'your roommate’ a few months ago, i didn’t even know his name was mark.”, lia deadpanned.
“i just need time to get to know people.”
“i’m sure you two will really get to know each other in that dark studio all alone.”
“one, nothing is going to happen and two, we’re not going to be alone, mark asked his friend to sing the demo so we’re not going to be alone.”
“mmmh i still ship it though.”, your friend smirked before turning back to writing her notes.
after your last class of the day, you went back to your apartment to take a shower and chill a little, waiting for mark’s 6pm class to end.
sucky cook 🍳: my class ends in 15 minutes, meet me in front of the room?
you grabbed your bag, put your shoes on, and made your way to mark’s classroom on the composition side of the campus. you took a peek into each classroom to see if mark was in there -thanks to the little window on the door. when you finally spotted him, you waited patiently for five minutes before the door opened, startling you.
“it’s me.”, the familiar laugh made you frown and hit the arm of the person it belonged to.
“marrrk, you scared me! you could’ve opened the door softer goddamnit!”, you complained as you two walked to the studios’ area.
“oh come on, you scaredy-cat.”, he said, wrapping his arm around your shoulders and messing your freshly dried hair up.
after you two stopped by the studio reservation office to grabbed the key card of the studio you two reserved for that day, you entered the little dark studio and started to prepare the tracks and everything.
mark’s friend, donghyuck, arrived a few minutes later and introduced himself to you. you discovered that donghyuck was your age and that he wasn’t really a singer or anything, mark just liked the tone of his voice which you agree with. you three were so concentrated on the recording that you didn’t even notice how many hours had passed by until your stomach growled.
“oh wow it’s 8pm already. we should take a break and get something to eat.”, you said after looking at the time on your phone.
“don’t worry, i already took care of that. i texted my roommate to bring us some food.”, donghyuck said.
“oh by the way, your voice is really nice. have you considered being a singer professionally?”, you asked him while you three waited for donghyuck’s roommate.
“no, not really. i didn’t really know that i knew how to sing until mark made a comment about it.”
“you should really consider the option though. i’ve never heard a voice like yours, it’s really unique and recognizable. honestly, you could make it as a singer.”
“it’s not that special…”, mark quietly said, hiding the sulkiness in his voice.
donghyuck eyed mark as the two of you started to argue -not really- on donghyuck’s voice with you being almost more offended at mark’s comment than the one it was about. the younger boy’s eyes went back and forth between the two of you as he would slowly start to realize something.
mark was the first one to tell him that his voice was great and was always the one who praised the uniqueness of his tone so why the sudden change?
was mark lee…jealous?
donghyuck was trying to hide his smile at the thought of a jealous mark lee when you all heard a knock on the door. donghyuck opened it, being the closest one to the door and revealing a short girl behind it, holding bags of food.
“you’re lucky i owe you big time.”, his roommate said, handing him two bags that donghyuck hurriedly took.
“you kids enjoy this.”, he said, putting one of them on the mini table, and then he turned back to his roommate, pushing her outside the studio, “we have to be somewhere.”
before his roommate could even protest, donghyuck had already closed the door, leaving mark and you alone with a lot of questions going through your head.
you two started to eat while talking about your lives, “so how did you meet donghyuck?”
“oh he knew one of my friends, johnny, and we met at a party of his. i thought he was a brat at first.”, mark replied, earning a laugh from you.
“what about now?”
“he’s still a brat…but he’s also one of my closest friends. i-”, mark was interrupted by his phone ringing but when he checked who was calling him, you could see the hesitation in his eyes before he declined it, “sorry, i’m going to put it on mute.”
after mark’s little story about donghyuck puking on his shoes once when he was drunk, not because on the alcohol but just because he wanted to, you two went back to your songs.
“maybe right there we can enhance the-”, mark stopped again in the middle of his sentence to look at the caller id on his phone for what seemed like the hundredth time to you.
along with the calls he has also received some messages which you didn’t read because you respected his private life and at that moment, it was maybe because of your tiredness or just the annoyance of that caller that didn’t seem to understand that mark was busy but you said, “you can answer it if you want.”
“nah, it’s okay. i don’t want to talk to that person.”, mark replied, giving you a sad little smile which you wondered the meaning behind it.
mark continued his explanation and you started exchanging ideas when the caller id appeared, again.
enough was enough for you.
you took mark’s phone and answered the call, “hello, can you stop calling please? we’ll really appreciate it, thank you.”, you didn’t even wait for the caller’s response and immediately hung up.
a sudden feeling of guilt took over you as you realized you’ve just invaded his private life. you shouldn’t have answered that call for him.
without even noticing it you started to ramble, “i-i’m sorry. i shouldn’t have done that. i overstepped-”
“it’s alright, it’s alright. if anything i have to thank you.”, mark reassured you even though you still felt a little bad about the situation.
after you answered that call, the person stopped bothering mark and you managed to finish your song that night. you felt so relieved after that, you had more time to rest and more time to hang out with lia, it felt like forever since the two of you hung out.
“so tell me everything about you and mark? how is it going?”, lia asked, dropping the delivery food you two ordered on her coffee table.
you and lia decided to have a movie night but it was more of a 'catch-me-up-on-everything-happening-in-your-life’ night while you were both eating fried chicken.
“i already told you! there’s nothing between mark and me.”
“you sure of that? nothing happened? at all? not even a tiny teeny thing?”
“well…”
“i knew it! tell me everything!”
“it’s nothing, really, nothing at all. there was just that one time, we were taking a break from the song for our project and i spotted the guitar in the corner of his room so i asked him if he knew how to play. he said yes and you know me i always talk about my life so i told him that i’ve always wanted to learn how to play the guitar. then he handed it to me and told me it was easy, he started to teach me the basic notes and everything, it even came to a point where his arms were around me because he was putting my fingers in the right places and when i turned to look at him, our faces were so close.”, lia let out a little squeal at your story, “but nothing happened!”, you clarified as your friend’s expression changed from excited to disappointed.
“why not?!”
“because- because we’re roommates!”
“so what?”
“it will be awkward if we broke up. i’m really not ready to find another roommate.”, you explained.
“but what if you’re missing on something?”, your friend argued, not wanting you to regret anything.
“i’ve never been really lucky in that area of my life…”, you stated, reminiscing your past relationship.
“you know it’s been a long time right? you have the right to try with someone new.”, lia reassured you, knowing exactly where your mind was going.
“i know but we were so good together, i don’t know if i can ever find someone like him.”
“y/n, sweetie, you’re not supposed to find someone like him. just find someone who can make you as happy as he did if not even happier.”
“i have you, that’s enough.”, you said, wrapping your arms around lia.
“my girlfriend would not agree with that.”, lia replied with a chuckle.
“why not? we could be the hottest throuple.”, you retorted jokingly.
“never suggest that to my girlfriend, she might accept.”, lia said, making the both of you laugh.
before it got too late, you left lia’s apartment to go back to yours. luckily, her building was just a couple of minutes away from yours, so it didn’t take you long to come back to your dorm. when the elevator’s doors opened, you got out and walked to your door while texting lia that you got home safely but when you looked up, you saw mark and another girl kissing in front of your shared apartment’s door. you froze for a moment as your eyes widened, your phone slipped out of your hands and fell to the ground, causing a big and loud noise to erupt, making the couple stop in their heated action.
“i-i-”, you stuttered, picking your phone up from the ground, “i am so sorry. i-i’m going to go…uhm…you guys…continue what you were doing-”
“no, please stay. she was going to leave.”, mark said, without an ounce of emotion in his voice but his eyes were begging you.
the girl eyed you then mark and left without saying a word. mark walked back into your apartment, letting the door open for you to enter. you closed the door and removed your shoes before turning around ready to apologize again but when you did so, mark had already disappeared into his room. you sighed and made your way to your own room. you changed into your pajamas and lied in your bed. you tossed and turned for what seemed like an hour, failing to fall asleep. the previous scene seemed to be stuck in your head, you felt incredibly embarrassed, not only because you interrupted mark and that girl you’ve never seen before but also by the fact that maybe you were starting to develop a tiny crush on your roommate.
after some more tossing and turning, you decided to get up and made your way to mark’s room.
maybe apologizing to him will make you feel more at ease about the whole situation.
you knocked on the door, fiddling with your fingers while waiting for mark to open it.
as you heard the door open, the words immediately came out of you, “i am honestly so sorry about what happened earlier, i know i already apologized but i feel like-”, you looked up to see mark’s bloodshot eyes, sadly staring at you, “are you okay?”, your roommate just sniffed in response which you took as a no. your expression softened at how he looked…lost and conflicted.
“do you think i should get back with my ex?”, mark opened his mouth to ask and his voice sounded so fragile.
“okay…we definitely need to have a conversation.”, you said, putting your hands on his shoulders and turned him around, pushing him into his room. you closed the door behind the two of you and sat down on his bed. you grabbed one of his pillows and hugged it while making yourself comfortable, “now tell me what’s up.”
mark sighed and sat next to you, “the girl you saw earlier is my ex-girlfriend.”
“well if you’ve been smooching her like that then yeah you should get back together. seems like you still have feelings.”, you said, even though you may had a crush on him, you were mature enough to put your feelings aside and answer honestly.
“she cheated on me.”
your eyes widened and you quickly corrected yourself, “then don’t get back with her. never. EVER.”
“but-”
“no but! she cheated on you once, if you forgive her now, she’ll think she can get away with it again because you forgave her the first time.”
mark sighed and looked down, his phone vibrated next to him on his bed, “it’s her.”
“don’t answer! give me your phone!”
“no!”
“mark!”, you almost jumped to reach for his phone and your body was literally crushing his. you grabbed his phone and turned towards him saying, “if she didn’t appreciate you enough the first time, she doesn’t get to have a second chance. please don’t let people you love treat you like shit.”
mark suddenly wrapped his arms around you, squeezing you tightly against his own body. you let out a small surprised noise at the unexpected hug but let yourself melt into it anyway, “can we stay like that for a moment?”
“of course.”, you whispered, wrapping your arms around him, rubbing his back.
after that night, you made a mission to help mark get over his ex.
first step was to make mark block his ex’s number. it was tough but after some convincing talk, you managed to persuade him.
second step was to let mark express what he felt about his ex and the whole situation.
“so you want me to write down…my feelings? how am i suppose to do that?”
“just- just write down what you’re feeling. sad, happy, disappointed?”
“are you sure this is going to work?”
“well, you won’t be a 100% okay but you’ll feel better.”
mark sighed and complied. he looked down at the blank piece of paper and scribbled some words. few minutes had passed as mark tried to word his feelings while you were trying to play the guitar - keyword 'trying’.
“i can’t do this!”, you heard mark complain and put his guitar aside to get up and see how he was doing.
“three words? really?”, you asked, looking at the three scribbled words on the piece of paper.
mark stood up and walked to his bed, “i’m not good at expressing myself with words. you’re the songwriting student here!”, the little pout and frown on his face made your heart do that weird little thing.
“okay, fine. let’s do this differently. tell me how you feel in your own way. let’s start with how you felt when you found out about the whole cheating thing.”, you said while looking at the boy falling down on his bed.
“i-i was…angry? sad?”
“angry at her?”
“at myself.”
“why?”
“i-i don’t know- i- feel like it was my fault. maybe if i was like i don’t know, a better boyfriend? i should’ve...saw it coming? change things? like say ‘i love you’ more often?”
“so what you’re saying is that you’re angry at yourself because you think it’s your fault? you think that you could’ve done something to prevent it like being a better boyfriend or telling her you love her more frequently so she wouldn’t have gone to someone else for it?”, you tried to rephrase his messy thoughts into something less messy and more structured.
“wow, you’re good.”, mark said, pretty impressed by how quick your brain worked.
“mark…”, you sat next to him, “you really should stop blaming yourself.”, you put your hand over his, tapping it in comfort, “what stopped you from getting back with her?
"i…don’t…really know? i guess a part of me had doubts because i felt betrayed. you know, it was my friend renjun who told me about it, she didn’t even have the guts to do it.”
“see, this part of you knows that you’re worth more than that. listen to it more often.”, you commented, flicking his forehead, earning a complaint from him, “feel better?”
“better.”, he let out a sigh as his body relaxed after letting out all those feelings he tried to suppress.
third step was to distract mark from thinking about his ex.
you barged into mark’s room screaming, “get your ass prepped because we’re going out tonight!!”
“what are you talking about?”, mark asked, removing his earphones.
“seoul’s music festival!!”, you screamed, holding two tickets up, “lia’s girlfriend knows someone that got us free tickets!!”
“well, enjoy.”, mark replied, putting his earphones back on.
you frowned and walked to him to remove his earphones, “what do you mean? you’re coming with me!”
“nah i’m good.”
“i wasn’t asking. this is step three of the 'getting-over-my-ex’ plan. you need to get out and have fun. i’ve never seen you go out to have fun even once.”
“that’s an exaggeration. i do have fun…sometimes.”
“when was the last time you had 'fun’?”
“i-”, he stopped to think about it for a moment and realized that he didn’t even remember the last time he actually had fun outside with his friends, “fine, i’ll come.”
you two arrived at the festival and you already felt the vibe of the outdoor event. it had a really strong korean coachella feel to it. there was a big stage in the middle of the grass, multiple food trucks selling delicious foods, and lots of people dancing. you grabbed mark’s hand and dragged him to the middle of the crowd of people jamming to the group on stage. you joined in and started to jump up and down while screaming the lyrics to the familiar song. mark smiled while following your actions, enjoying his time with you. you two engaged into a little dancing relay as each of you did a funny weird dance that made the other laugh.
when the two of you got tired, you got away from the stage and the people to buy some delicious food before sitting down on the grass a little away from the festival where you could hear each other talk.
“i’m curious about something.”, mark said, taking a bite of his food.
“hit me.”
“how do you know all these things about getting over someone?”
“well first, the internet exists and second, that’s what lia used on me to make me get over my ex.”
“what happened?”, mark asked curiously, realizing that he didn’t know a thing about your dating life when you know so much about his already.
“well, nothing bad BAD happened, we broke up because he was going to study abroad and i stayed here. i was expecting it so it could’ve affected me worse than it did i guess.”
“do you miss him?”
“sometimes, but then i don’t know if i miss him or what we had and that’s a whole other question.”, you sighed before checking the time, “oh, already?! let’s go check the temporary tattoo area!”
you got up discarding your empty plates in the nearest trashcan and grabbed mark’s hand for you didn’t even how many times tonight. mark didn’t seem to hate it, on the contrary, he quite like the feeling of your small hand in his and he wondered how his fingers would feel intertwined with yours. the answer is perfectly. as he slipped his fingers between yours, you turned to look at him with a confused look on your face that turned into a genuine smile which your roommate returned.
you got a temporary tattoo of a poppy flower in color on the inner side of your forearm and mark got one of a lion on his ankle (something like this but like a lion).
“i can’t believe i got a tattoo. what’s my mom going to think?”, mark said in disbelief as you two walked back to your dorm hand in hand.
“it’s a temporary one, you silly. stop being dramatic.”, you rolled your eyes playfully at him.
“thank you for tonight by the way. it was really fun.”, mark let you entered the apartment first still holding onto your hand as you replied.
“see, you should go out more often. get laid from time to time, one night stands are not that bad. i’m going to change out of this now, goodn-”, as soon as you let go of mark’s hand, your roommate grabbed it again.
“wait!”, mark pulled you back, his other hand instinctively and gently placed itself on your cheek and his lips softly landed on yours.
you were surprised but kissed him back nonetheless. your eyes closed as your whole body enjoyed how mark was making you feel right now. you both pulled away for air and you heard mark ask, “wanna be my one night stand?”
you searched his face for any sign of him kidding but he seemed pretty serious about it, “this is completely physical, right?”
“completely.”, both of you knew that it wasn’t only physical but it’ll suffice for now.
your arms automatically sneaked around his neck and his hands grasped on your hips, bringing your body closer to his as you two engaged into a heated make-out session that turned into more for the rest of the night.
the next morning, the light of the sun coming through the window annoyingly stirring you out of your deep sleep.
can’t a girl just enjoy her morning free of any classes?
wait. this blanket didn’t smell like yours.
your eyes widened as you looked at your surroundings, blushing at the memories of last night. you lied back in mark’s bed wondering where your roommate was. you grabbed your phone on the bedside table and noticed that mark sent you a text.
sucky cook 🍳: hey, sorry i had to leave, didn’t want to be late for my morning class. wanna grab lunch together?
the text unknowingly made you smile as you got out of bed to get ready. when you stepped out of your building, the sun was high in the sky, the wind was softly brushing against your skin and you felt amazing. making your way to mark’s class, you politely greeted the people you knew in the hallways.
mark was impatiently waiting for his morning class to finish, wanting to finally be able to ask you out on a real date. he would’ve loved to ask you before what happened the night before but he sure was not complaining. you made his heart do all sorts of flips and just the thought of you made him all giggly.
“what’s up with you today? you look extra happy.”, his friend, lucas, asked him, after noticing a change in his 'aura’.
“really?”, lucas nodded as an answer and mark just giggled while scratching the back of his neck, “it’s nothing- i mean- no, no, it’s not nothing- i mean- i-”
“ooooh you got laid.”, lucas chuckled as mark tried to shush him, “i didn’t take you for a one night stand kind of guy.”
“i’m not- i mean, it was but- what if i don’t want her to be just a one night stand?”
“oooh hooo mark lee, yes man. get your girl.”
you waited outside of his classroom like last time while scrolling through your phone when a girl stopped in front of the class and checked inside before leaning against the wall next to the door. you looked at her for a second before focusing back on your phone. she looked quite familiar but you didn’t know where you’ve seen her.
“excuse me, are you mark’s roommate?”, the girl hesitantly asked you, snapping you out of your thought.
oh right, mark’s ex.
“uhm…yes.”, you gave her a short answer, not wanting to continue this conversation but she didn’t seem to get it as she walked closer to you.
“what are you doing here?”
“i’m waiting for-”
“y/n!”, both of you turned to the direction the voice came from and you smiled at the boy walking towards you, “kyunhee? what are you doing here?”
“i- i was wondering if you wanted to, i don’t know, grab something to eat?”, she asked, bouncing back and forth on her heels while holding tightly onto her books.
“oh, sorry. i already planned something with y/n.”, mark said, grabbing your hand and intertwining your fingers together, “see you around, kyunhee.”
you still looked at mark with wide eyes as the two of you walked away, “what?”, he asked, noticing your expression.
“you just completed the fourth step without me telling you what it was.”
“what’s the fourth step?”
“rejecting your ex if they come back.”, you proudly said then added, “even though you didn’t have to hold onto my hand to do that.”
“well, i like holding your hand.”
“i thought it was just supposed to be a one night stand.”, you said, hinting at your previous night together.
“what if i want it to be more than a one night stand?”, mark asked, sending a hopeful smile your way.
“i’d like that very much.”, you smiled back at him, giving his hand a light squeeze.
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a/n: alright, i finally posted this!!!!! i hope you like it!! i posted this to celebrate nct 2020 and the two new members hnquhncfjkdfhsyufh i can’t wait aaaah and btw i love jisung’s hair so much rn
taglist: @planetjisungie​ @thatanonymousgirl-as14​ @xiao-zi​
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noa-nightingale · 3 years
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Watcher and Autism
It is April! It is Autism Acceptance Month!
It is Autism Acceptance Month (formerly Autism Awareness Month but we are shifting away from that), and I finally found the time to write about something I wanted to write about for a long time: My experiences with Watcher, as an autistic person.
I already write a lot about being in Watcher’s audience as someone who is queer and I will keep writing about it, but this needs some attention too.
I had plans to write something about Watcher and Autism for Steven Lim Appreciation Week but I decided that it would make more sense to include Ryan and Shane in this too instead of just Steven.
Here is some background: I got my autism diagnosis as an adult (early 20s), and it was a huge relief for me. I finally had an explanation for why I was so “wrong” all the time, and that maybe I was not inherently wrong or broken. I can’t go into detail about my autism here, that would be a post of its own (or many posts) but, unsurprisingly, my autism informs the way I interact with the world; and it informs how I interact with Watcher too.
I believe it is even a big part of why I love this content so much - and Watcher is 100% a Special Interest of mine.
First of all, what are the defining traits of autism? Officially, it is defined as a neurodevelopmental disorder (I have Opinions about that but that, too, is another post), and its “symptoms” are difficulties with social interaction and communication, and repetitive behavior. There are many more traits associated with autism though, and I am just a little bit disgruntled that it is so often only defined by the things that are “wrong” with a person. Personally, I like being autistic and I (mostly) like my autistic traits.
Now, let me talk about the Watcher fandom for a second: It is a huge advantage for me to be able to communicate with y’all online. It is more accessible, not only because I would have problems to find so many Watcher fans near me (I mean, we are from all over the world, how effing great is that!) but also because my difficulties with social interaction and communication don’t feel as heavy when I can communicate in written form. I don’t know how weird I actually seem here but if you’d meet me in person, it would become pretty obvious pretty fast that there is something strange about me. (I also sometimes just go semi- or non-verbal, and that does not happen in written communication.)
I never had a stable friend group offline, I never really felt like part of a group offline, and I have difficulties making friends. So, let me just admit it now: I don’t have offline friends. Like, I do have friends that are not in the Watcher fandom but those are not offline friendships either. I don’t see my online communication as a consolation gift or some weak copy of the “real deal”. On the contrary.
Now! Watcher! First thing that comes to mind - Watcher’s special kind of compassionate weirdness just works for me. It seems very non-judgmental, and as someone who gets judged from all sides (sometimes outright, sometimes more subtle - we live in a society etc etc lmao), that’s just very refreshing and soothing. It makes me feel like I can be weird too. (I mean, there is something to be said about allistic people being praised for being weird while autistic people get shamed for it, but allistics being weird is not the problem with that - everyone has the right to be weird. Btw allistic = non-autistic.)
I also have to talk about Steven Lim here. Because I effing LOVE his awkwardness. I am the King of Awkward, and to see someone who is so awkwad and so loved is just so so SO good. And personally, I love him because he is awkward, not despite of it. He is also so... earnest. So passionate and sincere. I have those traits too, and I often feel like I am Too Much and Too Intense, or like people think I don’t have a sense of humor. (Don’t know how it is online but I don’t think people think I have a significant sense of humor when they meet me offline. I feel a lot more like myself when I can talk online. All the clumsy social stumbling falls away to a degree.)
I remember some moments from Here’s What You Do (and maybe also Watcher Weekly) where Steven did not know a certain phrase or expression, and Shane and Ryan explained it to him - without judgment, without shaming him, even if some people probably would think that you “should” know it. Again, this is very relatable to me, and I wish people would not act like there is something strange about it when I don’t know things that “should be obvious”.
We, of course, also have to talk about Mr Bergara’s ability to just say what he thinks. I am not the first person to say that he sometimes does not seem to have a filter, and holy damn, it is beautiful to watch. It is comforting to me, especially because I overthink EVERY interaction I have with other people.
Also! Fashion! Shane said (several times, I believe) that his goal is to look as weird as possible in his 30s, and it gave me the confidence to get some new clothes too. Just a year ago, I NEVER would have dared to wear them. My approach to life always was, don’t stand out, don’t attract attention, you will get punished in some form. I tried to make myself small and unthreatening, occupying as little space as I could. Watcher and their lovely, lovely wackiness gave me the confidence to stand out, and folks, I love it. (Today’s outfit was this: Pride Converse, jeans, Ryan Bergara self portrait shirt, pink demin jacket with a bunch of pins and buttons, Shane Madej Headband. It felt really good, and I have some other outrageous clothes now.)
(I also WISH I could have a mustache but that’s a whole other story lmao.)
I also have to mention Watcher’s integrity. A while ago, I read a study about autistic people and that one reason we sometimes seem like we stick to the rules so much is that we just have a strong sense of what’s right. Sorry for the awkward wording, and I don’t mean to say that allistics can’t have integrity (obviously) - but my own integrity feels very attached to my autism, I can’t untangle that. It is the most important thing in my life - is this kind? Is this right? Am I doing right by people? And I feel like that is reflected in Watcher’s values.
I could say a lot more but I will leave it at that for now. I am just beyond grateful that Watcher exists and that I get to have this Special Interest. This is so important to me, and it is really really fulfilling. I don’t know if I really could convey properly how an autistic brain works buuut I hope you got at least a little tiny glimpse. (Also, obligatory “I am just one person, I don’t speak for other autistic people” disclaimer.)
My queerness, my autism and all my other traits are all interconnected, and Watcher just seems to be a near perfect fit.
Happy (rest of) Autism Acceptance Month, friends! And thanks for giving my awkward, weird, Too Much self a cozy little home here.
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zmayadw · 3 years
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And the next one as promised :)
CALL OF THE RAVEN
PART 6
The day i got released form hospital finaly came. I was happy about it, taking a breath of fresh air will be a welcoming change after over three weeks in here. Some bruises wer still visable, and my head hurted from time to time, but other then that the doctor gave me a green light. And having too much free time makes your toughts wonder in wrong direction too much. Thinking about Jake was my daily routine, and i hoped once i get out other things will get me occupied. Jessy wanted me to stay with her, but i managed to persuade her that i'd be better of at the motel. She reluclantly agreed, but I argued that i would still be resting most of the time, and promised her we will see eachother every day, wich made her respect my decision a bit more. She called me that moring, telling Dan will come and drive me to the motel, because she was bussy planing a surprise for me. „Oh, Jessy, pleas dont go overboard, it is my first day out, i wont be up for much.“ I protested, but she quickly reasured me its nothing big. Knowing Jessy, i was sceptical about it, but she sounded so happy that i just agreed to whatever she had in plan. I was about done packing, when Doris came bringing me my dischrage papers. She gave them to me, embracing me in a tight hug „You be good now, hun. And remember what i told you before.“ She said, giving me one more of her winks. „Thank you, Doris.“ I replied, handig her a chocholate bombonier i asked Jessy to get me. „For everything.“ I hugged her once more. „No need to thank me, hun.“  „Ahh, Doris, im jelaous, i didnt get a hug from you when i was leaving the hospital.“ It was Dan, being dramatic again. I laughed, as Doris went for the door „Schmacks dont deserve hugs!“ she grinned at him, and left. „She likes me...she just wont admit it.“ Dan said, grining. „So,you ready to leave this shithole?“ „Definatly!“ i said, taking my discharge papers and putting them in my pack. Dan took it from me, and we left the room, taking the elevator down. Stepping outside was so refreshing, i stopped at the exit for a brief moment, wich made Dan turn „You allrigh there?“ „Im good, just appriciate being outside again.“ I smiled. We continued to the car. Dan opened the door for me, putted my stuff on the back seat, and we drove towards motel. I rolled the window down letting the cool morning air blow to my face and through my hair. The drive wouldnt last that long, and Dan informed me that Jessy booked the room for me already and took the rest of my stuff there, and my car also waiting for me at the motels parking. „Dan, whats Jessy planing for me today?“ i asked. „Oh, no,no, im keeping my mouth shut!“ he replied, but i groaned at him pleading „Please, Dan, at least give me a hint. I just got out of hospital, and to be honest, im not up for big fanfaras, but i dont want to dissapoint Jessy either. And lets be honest, its Jessy wer talking about here, nothing is small or meaningless with her.“ He laughed at that „Your right about that! Alright, ill tell you, but if she realize you knew something..“ „Dont worry, i can act being genuinely surprised with no problem.“ I asured him. „Well, its nothing much, rellay. We're taking you for dinner.“ he said. Ok, thats not so bad, i tought, i do have to eat. „And she invited the gang to Aurora this evening, to celebrate your release from hospital.“ Ugh, i hoped that wouldnt happen so soon, that i would at least have a day or so for me before seeing everyone. „Ah, crap, i guess it was bound to happen sooner or later.“ I said, adding „Later would be better, tho.“ „Dont worry, Maya, ill be there to rescue you, AGAIN.“ He grinned at me, and i grinned back „Good, because i just might need some rescuing, again.“
Dan left me at the motel, and i entered the small checkin office. The woman behind the counter was eldery, and she smiled at me „Good morning, miss, what can i do for you?“. „Morning'“ i replied, smiling back „I had a room booked for me by a friend, i guess you know her, Jessica Hawkins?“. She smiled more now „Ah, ofcourse, miss Cole i presume?“ i nooded in agreement. „Yes, Jessica brought all your belongings already. I would just ask for you to fill this, please.“ She handed me that check in paper you get at every motel. I filled it, and she gave me the key.“You're at room 11, its on your right once you leave the office. And i'm Ms. Walter, fell free to ask if you need anything.“ „Thanks, i will.“ I replied, taking the key.
The room looked cozy enough. It had a big bed, with a little nightstand next to it with a lamp on it. There was a midium size table in front of a big window, wich i immidiatly felt greatefull for, since some natural light is what i prefere for my drawing work, and a closet next to it. Across from the bed was a  TV, and a little refrigeratore under it. The bathroom was small, wich is more then enough. I left my stuff on the bed, when i noticed a note on the nightstand. 'The car key is in the nightstand drawer. Get some rest, and see you later! Xoxo' It was from Jessy, and that made me smile. I took the key and went to the car to get the rest of my stuff. The day was nice and sunny, and i tought i souldnt spend the whole day in the motel. I went back to the room, unpacked, grabed some clean clothes and went for a shower. When i got dressed i sat at te table and turned my laptop on. I checked my mails, and some job offers. Its good when you're a freelancer, you can work from anywhere, and I actually felt some work might keep me occupied and not let my mind wonder to Jake.  The tought of him leaving my hospital room  two weeks ago still pained me, but i cant sit here and despair all the time, so i decided to grab my drawing stuff and head exploring. I hoped Jessy wouldt mind me going to town alone, she did promise me a grand tour of it once im out of the hospital. I took my phone and texted her „Hey hey, setteled at the motel. Going for a walk arround, but dont worry, im still looking forward for my tour arround Duskwood with you! xoxo“. She replied soon „Oh, nice, have fun! Just stay out of woods! xD See you for dinner J „. Great, now i could leave without feeling any guilt. I grabbed my backpack and left the motel.
I decidet to walk towards the marketplace, i had plenty of time since it wasnt even noon yet, and Jessy and Dan wont pick me up before 19. I passed a small bakery on my way there, and bought me some food and a bottle of water. The streets leading towards marketplace wer small and narrow, mostly with older buildings and pretty quiet. After some 30-40 minutes of slow walk,  i emerged to the marketplace, and it was comepletly different. The crowd thickened, and the place hummed with life. In the center was a nice funtain, with benches in circle arround it. Few wer occupied with people: one had an eldery couple, just sitting there on the sun and talking, on the other wer two mothers, drinking coffee while kids wer running arround, giggling and enjoying a nice day. I sat on one of the free benches, and took my drawing pad out. The warmth of the sun felt nice, and i began drawing. I can get quite zoomed out of my surroundings when drawing, so when i finaly noticed someone was standing in front of me, i jumped, and my penciles flew all over the floor. I started to stan up from the bench, at the same time that someone started to bend down to help pick them up,our heads coliding. That sent me sitting back on the banch, as both of us groaned from the impact. „Auch.“ I flinched, looking at the person stnding there. It was Jake. „Sorry, i didnt mean to sneak up on you.“ he said, still rubbing his forehead. „No, no, its fine, i was really focused, i didnt see you there.“ I barely managed to say, my voice shakey, clumsely picking my penciles from the floor.He was the last person i expected to run into. I really wasnt ready for this, the knot in my stomach starting to form, as i finaly collected all the penciles and sat back on the bench. I knew we wer gonna run at each other eventualy, but not so soon. He sat next to me, and i could notice by his body language he was a bit nervouse, too. „You look better.“ he said after a moment of silence, giving me a small smile, wich made my heart skip from joy. „Thanks, i feel much better,too.“ I replied, smiling back. He was looking at me so tenderly, and the heat from the sun made me so hot, i had a feeling my cheeks wer red as a lobster. He run his hand through his hair, and all i could think is how much i wanna do that. His look became more serious now, his eyes becoming darker, but that tenderness was still present. „Maya..“ he started „That day at the hospital.. I didnt..I'm sorry..“ but i interupted him. „No need to appologise, Jake, really.“ And he really didnt have to. I continued, before he could say anything else. „Look, its like this: you had every right to act like you did, and even tho it wasnt easy for me to hear you say those stuff, you wer right, in a way.“ He looked me a bit confused. „You wer probably right, I didnt think quite hard about every possible thing that could go wrong, and God knows i had more luck then im willing to admit. But thats just who i am: i act, i go with the flow, i make mistakes. And i appologise when I realize I was wrong, wich I would do to you if you just stayed for a while more. And i mean appologise for not telling you, or anyone about my plan, not for what i did at the end, hence me saying that you wer right in a way.“ I looked at him, he was still calm, not a trace of that anger i saw at the hospital anywhere on his face. That made me relax a bit. „Maya, just let me...“ he started again, but i interputed him once more „Please, Jake, just let me finish, then you can say whatever you wnat.“ He nodded in agreement. „ I know saying 'sorry' at that time seemed so pointless, but you have to know that i really am sorry, Jake, a thousand times sorry. Yet, i still stand by what i said, i would do it all over again, no matter the qonsequences.“ I paused for a moment, before i continued „I really hope you can forgive me. I got so used at having you in my life, and for it to end here and now...“ He looked at me, but i couldnt bring myself to look back at him. I just stared at my hands, not realizing this whole time i was clasping them so tightly. „I hope you wont shut me out of your life comepletly.“ We sat there in silence for what seemed like eternity. I got my courage and looked at him. He was staring in the distance now. „I felt helpless.“ he said, looking back at me now. „It got me...scared.“ he confessed, and i ached to just hug him. I could see this was being hard for him, saying it. „I've had that happen once before in my life, and it didnt end well.“ His eyes became so sad. „I'm not sure im ready to go through it again.“ That knot at my stomach tightened as he said it, but i took a deep breath „I understand. I'v let you down, i know. But i hope with time, you will be able to trust me again..let me be your friend, at least.“ Friend...that word felt so wrong to me. I didnt want to be just his 'friend', i wanted to be more, so much more. But, i guess at the moment i would be happy with anything. He stared at me for a moment, and before he said it, a smile formed at the corner of his lips „One step at the time.“ „Thats all im asking.“ I said, smiling shyly. He sat there in silence for a brief moment before slowely getting up. „You're good, by the way.“ He said, and i looked at him puzzeled, wich made him smile. He had such a sincere and wonderfull smile. „Your drawing, its good.“ He continued, pointing at my drawing pad. „Oh, that, thanks!“ i replied. „I better be good, i doubt i'll get paid otherwise .“ i grinned. He shook his head at me smiling, walking slowely away from the bench „See you arround, Maya.“ „See you, Jake.“ Watching him walk away this time didnt leave me in pain and agony. I felt hope again. Maybe Doris and Jessy weren't talking nonsence, afterall, I tought, not realising i was grinning like crazy.
After Jake left, i just sat there, letting my heart stop beating insanely. I was really happy for how our unexpected meeting went, i tought there really was some hope for us again. Oh man, Jessy will go crazy when i tell her all about it, she will so rub me her ' i told you so's' in the face! That got me laughing out loud, a few passerbys looking at me like i was crazy. And they wer right, i was crazy! Crazy for Jake. Everything about him drow me crazy: his gorgeous eyes, that ruffeled hair, and that beautifull smile. He shoud definatly smile more, i tought, his whole face smiles when he does it. The churchbell chimmed five , and i cursed under my breath. I better head back to the motel, i need another shower for sure. I quickly grabbed my stuff from the bench, deciding to grab coffee before headiding back. My toughts wer still running wild about Jake as i was walking back towards motel, i colided with a man. I almost dropped my coffe, quickly appologizing. „Be carefull there, miss, you never know who you might bump into.“  He said, a bit grim, like he was makeing a threath. I looked at him a bit astonished „Uhm, i will mister, thanks for your advice. And, sorry again!“ I slowly turned and continued my way. Strange guy i tought, but didnt pay any more toughts about it continuing back to the motel.
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bookwormsid1015 · 3 years
Text
BNHA: Midnight Clouds
A CloudNight Oneshot
The wind combs through his hair gently, and Oboro lifts his head to greet the darkened sky. With the sun long forgotten beyond the horizon, all that remains is the faint chill lingering in the air and the silvery brilliance of the full moon above him. Up here, where the sky is endless, the air is colder, and yet it’s also much easier to breathe. Nothing can touch him so long as he remains on his cloud cruising above the shining city of Musutafu, not even his invisible fears and anxieties.
Today had been a particularly taxing day, with his teacher drilling the importance of quick time reactions in himself and his classmates. Oboro’s head still aches from where a baseball had struck him, and although the cut it left had been reduced to nothing but a small red blotch thanks to the nurse’s efforts, Oboro can still feel the ache of it just above his right eye. It was nothing more than a standard exercise, one where he and his classmates had to utilize their quirks to react to having balls thrown their way, and yet Oboro can’t help but think back on it pensively. While his friends Yamada and Aizawa were able to pass the exercise with little to no issue, Oboro struggled so much more, especially since all he could think about was the wellbeing of his peers.
“It’s good that you think about others before yourself, but that type of thinking is dangerous in hero work,” his teacher had told him sternly after class. “If you want to become a hero, you need to figure out how to balance your will to save others with the need to save yourself. You can’t save anyone if you can’t look out for your own skin.”
Those words struck a chord with Oboro. It resonates in the back of his mind, even after the school day ended and he was allowed to go home. It followed him all throughout his time studying, eating dinner with his family, and even as he played video games with his friends.
In the end, Oboro decided to take a flight, just to take his mind off things.
He’s always been that type of person, Oboro supposes. Ever since he was little, he never had much thought for his own wellbeing and instead focused on others. He remembers being no older than six, getting beaten black and blue on the playground for standing up to a bunch of bullies for harassing a kid he didn’t even know. He remembers playing sports in middle school, and somehow always coming home with a sprained ankle or bloody nose, having taken a ball to the face whenever he’d try to save his teammate. He remembers his online friends laughing at him, people jokingly calling him “meat shield” since he never failed to sacrifice his own avatar for the sake of others. It’s always been like that. Self-sacrifice is second nature to him; it’s part of the reason why he wanted to become a hero. Where else would such recklessness be celebrated?
Oboro utters yet another sigh, and cold air rushes to greet his lungs. He’s happy he’d brought a jacket and a pair of goggles with him, in addition to his cozy plaid blue pajama pants and white tee shirt. As amazing as his night flights are, it can get pretty chilly in the air, especially at night.
Oboro glances down from his cloud, and to his surprise, he finds himself cruising through a familiar neighborhood. Kayama only lives a few blocks away from him-- the close proximity of their homes is part of the reason the two became such close friends-- and Oboro’s azure eyes widen slightly at the figure sitting cross-legged on one of the tiled roofs.
Kayama is sitting on top of the roof of her house, her back facing him as she stares up at the dark sky with her glittering cerulean eyes. Her short black hair falls in spikes around her shoulders, and she’s clad in Tinkerbell pajama pants with bunny slippers and a black tank top. Her thin black glasses sit on the bridge of her perfectly angular nose, and Oboro finds himself entranced by the strange stillness surrounding her. For as long as he’s known the girl, she’s been this bright, glowing ball of energy, flaunting her glory everywhere she goes without a hint of shame. Seeing her so still, so quiet and thoughtful just catches his interest somehow, as if this sight that he’s seeing is akin to a wildlife photographer honing his lens in on a majestic deer. 
Before he knows it, Oboro is directing his cloud down to her.
“Hey, Kayama!” Oboro calls to his senior, and Kayama jolts in surprise at the sound of his voice. She turns around to look up at him, and Oboro flashes her a bright smile as he descends toward her. “I wasn’t expecting to see you out and about this late at night! It’s rare!”
Kayama smiles and tucks a stray raven lock behind her ear. Her hair, Oboro notes distantly, is more of a deep indigo color instead of true black. “It’s not being ‘out and about’ if I’m just chilling on my own roof, Shirakumo,” she replies. “Besides, I could be saying the same thing to you.”
Oboro shrugs and his cloud disappears beneath him with a small pomf. “Fair point. Mind if I chill with you for a bit?” he asks, already walking over to her. The red roof tile is cold beneath his bare feet, but Oboro doesn’t pay it much mind. Kayama is his only center of attention right now.
The older girl utters a pleasant laugh. “Sure, sure. It’s nice having some company every now and again,” she says, and pats the roof tiles beside her. Oboro wastes no time in plopping down right next to her.
For a long moment, neither of them say anything. They just look up at the infinite dark sky above them, and Oboro revels in the beauty it has to offer. The night sky isn’t completely dark, he notices with awe, but instead it’s bright with the stars twinkling distantly and the full glow of the pale full moon shining down on the world like a flashlight. Clouds also drift lazily in the heavens above them, and Oboro traces their shapes in amazement as he notices them fade between grey and white, depending on their proximity to the moon.
The night is full of silvery brilliance, and Oboro breathes it in contentedly.
“Ever notice how expressive the sky is?” Oboro finds himself saying. “Like, I know it’s just oxygen and shit, but I just like to think weather is just the sky showing off it’s different feelings. Like, sunny days are when it’s happy and full of energy, while rainy days are when it's feeling down and wants attention. Nights like this are my favorite, though. It’s sleepy, but at the same time it wants to see how us little people are doing.”
Kayama glances away from the sky and back at the teenage boy beside her. Her lips quirk up into a smile, and Oboro quickly realizes with a grimace just how lame he sounded. “Gah! Ignore me, I dunno why I said that,” Oboro rambles, his face heating up in embarrassment.
Kayama just laughs. “No, no it’s okay. Don’t worry,” she assures him with a gentle pat on his shoulder. “I never thought of it that way. I don’t usually look at the sky and look for some hidden meaning; I just take it for what it is.” She flashes him a glowing smile, and Oboro’s heart seizes up in his chest. “I like that about you, you know that? You have a refreshing perspective on things.”
Oboro chuckles awkwardly. “Do I?” he asks.
Kayama nods her head. “Totally do. It’s nice.”
They sit again in silence, though this time, Oboro’s attention isn’t on the sky above. Instead, he sits there for a moment, just watching her as Kayama turns her attention upward. The silvery brilliance of the moon illuminates her high cheekbones, the curve of her nose, and highlights her full, plump pink lips. It reflects silver in her dark hair, and her blue eyes glimmer under its elegance like twin sapphires. Here, under the moonlight’s kiss, she looks like a goddess, even more so than usual.
It’s common knowledge that Kayama is beautiful. In fact, Oboro is willing to go as far as to say she’s one of-- if not-- the most beautiful girl in UA. There’s just something so wholly compelling about watching Kayama strut her stuff down the school halls, her chest puffed out and chin held high, walking forward without a wink of hesitation nor shame. When she speaks, it grabs his attention, and when she looks at him, his heart forgets to beat. Even Aizawa and Yamada-- who clearly have different romantic tastes-- agree that Kayama is undeniably attractive.
Sometimes, it surprises him that he’s one of her closest friends.
Kayama turns to look at him, and all thoughts in his head die the second her stunning blue eyes fall to his azure ones. “Shirakumo?” she asks, and her smile suddenly turns mischievous. “Why are you looking at me like that? If I didn’t know any better, I’d say you’re checking me out.”
Steam literally explodes from around his ears (damn his quirk) as his face turns fifty shades of pink. “NO! Nope, no, nuh-uh! I wasn’t doing anything like that! I was… uh…” he turns his brain around in a panic, looking for anything else to say. “I was just thinking about class today! Haha, yeah! Just kinda got lost in thought and stared off into space!”
“Oh?” Oboro isn’t too sure if he’s imagining the hint of disappointment in her voice or not. “Well, how was it? I know Hokiko-sensei is a real hardass. Or he was when I had him last year, anyway.”
“Yeah, he was. He…” Oboro redirects his attention away from the beautiful girl sitting right next to him down to his hands clasped together in his lap. He utters a heavy sigh. “We, uh, well, we did some exercises today about quick time reactions. Basically, he threw shit like baseballs at us, and he assessed how quickly we would react to them. It was supposed to be an easy class, but I got knocked around more times than I would’ve liked.”
“Why?” Kayama asks, her cerulean blue gaze becoming thoughtful and serious.
Oboro shrugs. “We were all getting assessed simultaneously, so while I had to make sure I wasn’t getting pelted by baseballs, I also had to make sure my classmates were doing fine. Ya know, and vice versa,” he explains.
Something clicks together in Kayama’s stare as realization washes over her pale face. “Let me guess: you were so preoccupied by your classmates that you forgot to look out for yourself?” she guesses, and Oboro balks at the accuracy.
“I-is it that obvious?” he whines.
Kayama’s laugh is somehow reassuring. “It’s obvious because I know you, dummy,” she tells him, and lifts a hand to gently flick his forehead. “It’s how we met, after all. Don’t you remember that time when we were in middle school? Some girl was making fun of me and you came over to chase her away? Even though we didn’t even know each other?”
Oboro’s chuckle is shaky, and he can’t help but cringe in hindsight. “I must’ve looked like a white knight or something… Ugh, and they called us boyfriend-girlfriend for the longest time after…” he recalls with a shudder.
Kayama laughs. “Yeah, it was a little weird, but it was also super sweet. It takes guts to help a person out like that, especially if you’d never met them before.”
Oboro turns to her fully, his smile wide and hopeful. “Then you agree with me, right? Me looking out for everyone else isn’t a bad thing?” he says.
Oboro’s confidence wavers at the clear disapproval in the other’s eyes, and Kayama redirects her attention back to the dark heavens above them. “That’s the thing, Shirakumo. Society has conditioned us to believe that certain traits are black or white, when in reality, they’re a moral grey,” she tells him sagely. “At times, anger isn’t always a bad thing, and while envy is an ugly way to feel, it isn’t always derogatory. They can help us cope with situations that are unfair to us or hurtful to others. In some ways, even kindness can be bad. Unhealthy even. It’s always the good people who are taken advantage of.”
Kayama turns to face him, and Oboro’s heart stills as she offers him a gentle yet firm smile. “There is no good or bad when it comes to our feelings and habits. You wanting to help others can be helpful, but if it comes at the cost of your own health, then it’s definitely not something you should be brazen about.”
Oboro sighs deeply and runs a hand through his cloudy hair, his expression crumpling into a grimace. “I know, I know, it’s just… I don’t know,” he mutters. “Ever since I was little, people have told me the true essence of being a hero is putting others’ needs before my own. And it always made sense, you know? Like, I know you’re right, and I know that my habits aren’t healthy, but…” Oboro utters a resigned sigh. “I don’t know what else to do.”
Kayama scoots closer to him and places a gentle hand on his shoulder. “You’re too down on yourself, you know that? I know you, Shirakumo, and I know that you have all the tools you need to become an amazing hero. The only one who doesn’t see it is you,” she tells him, and adds with a small laugh, “Besides, Aizawa and Yamada look up to you, you know? You don’t know it, but you’ve been a really good influence on them. Especially Aizawa.”
Shirakumo lifts his head and turns to face her, his azure eyes wide with disbelief. “Damn, Kayama, how do you do it?” he asks, his words taking the other aback. “You always seem so confident and self assured. When you’re serious, you can spew some amazing wisdom, while I…” Oboro looks away with a sigh. “I’m all about the fake stuff. I’m not even confident most of the time, I just… force myself to act and say things I don’t even completely agree in. It makes me feel like such a fraud.”
Kayama’s smile doesn’t waver in the slightest. “What can I say? Not all of us are perfect, besides…” the light in her eyes dims a bit. “If you really think I was always this way, then maybe you are dumb.”
Oboro scoffs, though his lips betray a smile. “Gee, thanks,” he says wryly, causing the other girl to laugh.
Kayama stands up and stretches her arms over her head. Shirakumo pointedly turns his attention away as her tank top lifts just a bit, exposing a glimpse of her toned stomach. “All this talk about insecurity is kinda draining. Come on, ” Kayama extends a hand out to him, “my mom made cookies earlier. There should be enough left over for you and me to split.”
Shirakumo stares at her hand in awe, temporarily taken aback. Usually, Oboro is the type of guy to keep his insecurities and fears hidden. He wants people to know he’s reliable and helpful, and he wants to be this pillar of reassurance for those around him. And yet, whenever he’s around this girl, he just feels more… vulnerable. Like he can finally look at these hidden parts of himself-- parts that he’s disgusted with-- and somehow feel just a little more content with them. Looking at Kayama now, Oboro can’t help but realize just how amazing she is. Not only is she beautiful and smart, but she’s confident and reliable; she genuinely cares about the people around her, and while her mannerisms are a little weird, creepy even, it also makes her so much more… her.
And Oboro wouldn’t change her for the world.
“I love you,” the words stand at the edge of his tongue, the temptation to risk it all becoming more and more overwhelming by the second. “You make me want to be better. You inspire me. I want to see you become an amazing hero, and I want to be beside you when you finally achieve your dreams. I love you.”
But he doesn’t.
Instead, Oboro reaches up and takes her hand. “Your mom makes the best cookies,” he says with a smile. “My mom has been asking for her chocolate macadamia nut recipe, by the way. Think she’ll be willing to share her secrets with me?”
Kayama laughs as she pulls him to his feet. Although he’s several inches taller than her, she doesn’t seem bothered at all having to smile up at him. “Maybe, maybe not. No promises, though,” she says. Kayama turns around and clambers down to the edge of the tiled roof, where she steps onto her window sill. She smiles back at him. “Come on! I managed to get my hands on one of Bon Jovi’s limited edition albums, the other day, and I’ve been waiting to listen to it with you!”
Oboro laughs as he follows her lead down to her window. “Immaculate taste as ever, eh, Kayama?”
Kayama’s giggles are music to his ears, “What can I say? It’s a living.”
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ggukcangetit · 4 years
Text
Dreamcatchers Chap 1
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Pairing: jungkook x oc
Summary: DI Jeon didn’t need a new partner. Unfortunately, his superiors felt otherwise; especially considering the extremely high-profile murder that had just taken place in the port city. Recent transfer, DI Choi Yuri finds herself confronted with a new cityscape, unfamiliar people, a hostile partner, and a homicide that is certain to bring back unpleasant memories.  
Genre/AU: fluff/action/mystery | detective! au | police!jungkook, police!oc
Word Count: 3.1k
Rating: NC-17
Warnings: mentions of violence, alcohol, blood, drugs, death. basically stuff you’d associate with a murder mystery/crime drama.
Chapters: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5
Acknowledgement: shoutout to @stutterfly​ for designing this beautiful banner which i am completely in love with and stare at for no particular reason throughout the day
A/N: here’s the first chapter! i had originally planned on posting the entire story as one post but it’s way too long so i’m breaking it up into multiple chapters. the story features a named oc because i’m still very unfamiliar with writing second person reader inserts. i’m not aiming for strict accuracy in this story, and all criminal investigation/forensics knowledge i have has been gathered by watching crime drama/procedural dramas! my knowledge of geography is also not totally accurate so apologies for that. once again, one thing right by @hobios​ prompted me to write a police inspector! jungkook story. would highly recommend reading that because it’s probably one of my most favorite pieces of writing!
16th December
Mornings began early in the Yeongdo district of Busan. Yuri realised this on her first morning in town, as her fitful sleep was broken around 5 in the morning. Perhaps the quiet bustle at the crack of dawn shouldn’t have surprised her too much, given how this was primarily a seaside town with a small port. Her work did not require her to arrive before 8 am so she decided to talk a stroll around the town, acquaint herself with some of the shops and people, and perhaps even grab a bite to eat.
Yuri’s best friend from high school - Kim Ahreum, lived in this town, and this was one of the few reasons why Yuri hadn’t protested violently against her transfer. That, and she hadn’t been given much of a choice from her superiors. Ahreum had texted her excitedly about how beautiful the sea port of Yeongdo was - full of beautiful parks, quirky shops, exquisite food, and fascinating people. Coming from Seoul, Yuri wondered how difficult it would be for her to adjust to a world that sounded so different from the one she was coming from. Ahreum herself was a doctor in training, while her older brother - Namjoon, was in his final year of graduate school, just a few months away from his second law degree. Yuri didn’t remember much of Namjoon as he had left for college by the time she and Ahreum had become friends in their second year of high school. Her limited memory told her that he was very well read, quiet, and taller than the most other boys in school. 
“Hey! I haven’t seen you around before.” 
Yuri looked around for the owner of the voice - a little girl with two tight pigtails, a bright red dress, and a look of suspicion and curiosity lining her face. The woman beside her - presumably her mother - looked appalled at the little girl’s statement and shushed her before apologising to Yuri.
“I’m so sorry, miss,” she said, bowing deeply. “Nayeong here doesn’t really know how to talk to elders!”
“That’s alright,” replied Yuri, returning the bow. She squatted down in front of Nayeong and looked straight into her eyes. “Hello, my name is Choi Yuri. I moved here yesterday. It’s nice to meet you, and I hope we can be friends.”
The little girl seemed to hesitate in her desire to outcast this stranger who had seemingly no qualms about being truthful and friendly. Yuri could see the indecisiveness flitting through her features and decided to try a different tactic.
“I’m quite hungry but since I don’t know any of the shops over here, I was wondering if you could tell me where I could get some fresh bread and pastries.”
At these words, Nayeong’s eyes lit up and any indecision she previously held disappeared. She grabbed hold of Yuri’s hand and her mother’s, pulling them along in the direction of the town’s center. A few minutes later, they came to a halt outside a cozy looking shop.
“‘The Moon’s Post Office’?” Yuri read the sign out loud, intrigued by the name.
“Seokjin oppa makes the best pastries in the world! Eomma, tell her!” Nayeong exclaimed, looking at her mother excitedly. 
“Alright, alright,” her mother laughed. “Yes, Nayeong is right. Seokjin does make incredible pastries, breads, and desserts. It’s almost impossible to stop this one from visiting the shop every day.”
“Well then, I guess I’ll just have to go in and find out. Would you like to join me, Nayeong?” asked Yuri. She glanced at the older woman once, to make sure this request wasn’t out of line.
“Can I, Eomma?” asked Nayeong, excitedly.
“Of course! It’s always a good thing to help others out.” Nayeong squealed happily at her mother’s response and rushed inside.
“I’m Lim Seora, it’s nice to meet you,” said the older woman, once her daughter was inside.
“Choi Yuri,” Yuri responded, bowing deeply. “Thank you for accompanying me here.”
Once inside, Yuri felt her senses getting assaulted by a plethora of soft, sweet, refreshing smells. Nayeong was already at the counter, talking to someone about the different things she wanted. Yuri felt her throat go dry as she glanced at the person behind the counter. She had rarely seen anyone as handsome as the young man currently talking to Nayeong. His thick black hair kept falling over his forehead which he tried to remove with a gentle shake of his head, his plump pink lips pressed together in amusement as an oversized black and red cardigan hung off his rather broad shoulders. 
“So that’s three blueberry scones, one orange muffin, and a bag of peanut butter cookies?” asked the young man, to which Nayeong nodded enthusiastically.
“Anything else?” he asked.
“I’ve brought a friend with me today. She’s hungry so can you make something tasty for her, Oppa?” responded Nayeong, pulling Yuri forward.
“Is that right? Hello, I don’t think we’ve met,” he said with a soft smile. “Kim Seokjin, I run this bakery.”
“Nice to meet you,” replied Yuri, bowing in greeting. “I’m Choi Yuri, I moved here yesterday.”
“Nice to meet you too! May I recommend the Snow Croissant?” said Seokjin, sweeping his hand dramatically over the display case.
“The ‘Snow Croissant’? What’s that?” asked Yuri, chuckling at his enthusiasm. 
“It’s my take on the New Orleans Beignet and the French Croissant,” he replied, bringing out a golden flaky croissant dusted with powdered sugar. 
Yuri took a bite of the pastry and gasped in surprise. The light crunch of the savoury croissant blended beautifully with the soft sweetness of the sugar dust, along with-
“A hint of lemon?” wondered Yuri, biting into the pastry absentmindedly. 
“That’s fantastic! Not many people have been able to detect the subtle lemon flavour infused into the pastry dough,” replied Seokjin, looking extremely pleased. “Would you like anything else?”
“A coffee, please,” said Yuri, throwing the paper plate into the nearby dustbin. “To-go. And how much do I owe you?”
“It’s on the house,” replied Seokjin, with a wink. “Consider it a welcome present. Hope to see you around!”
“Oh…” Yuri flushed slightly at his generosity, but accepted it nonetheless. The clock inside the bakery chimed seven times, indicating that she had spent close to an hour with her new acquaintances. 
“I should get going,” she said, taking the coffee cup from the counter. “Don’t want to be late on my first day of work. It was nice meeting you all. I hope we meet again, Nayeong!”
xxx
“You can’t be serious! Why the hell are you doing this?!”
Chief Inspector Goh pinched the bridge of his nose as he watched one of his best officers fly off the handle. 3 years into the force Detective Inspector Jeon had proven himself to be smart, capable, and extremely reliable. The only problem was a recent case which had slowly come to take over his life. Which was why, when Chief Inspector Goh had called him into the office to tell him that they were closing the case, DI Jeon had taken it a little too hard.
“Jeon, you are, first and foremost, a homicide detective. Granted that this disappearance was linked to a homicide you were investigating, but you need to let it go. There are other, more pressing, cases that require your attention. We need you back on the force full time. Let Lee handle the disappearance - it's his department. For now, I’m assigning you a new partner to work with. Especially-”
A knock on the door interrupted Chief Inspector Goh, followed by the entrance of an unfamiliar face. 
“Right on time! That’s the kind of dedication we’re looking for over here,” said Goh with an appreciative nod. “Jeon, meet your new partner - Detective Inspector Choi Yuri. She’s just transferred here from Seoul. DI Choi, this is Detective Inspector Jeon Jeongguk - he’s one of our best men.”
DI Jeon scowled as he surveyed his new partner. She was tall, dressed in a plain shirt and slacks, her short hair tucked behind her ears. She gave him a small smile and bowed in greeting. In response, DI Jeon stomped out of the room, slamming the door behind him.
“I apologise on behalf of him,” said Chief Inspector Goh. “He isn’t usually this impolite. Really glad to have you join our team, DI Choi. You’ve had quite a number of impressive cases in Seoul, and we hope that you can continue working hard with all of us here.”
“Thank you, Chief Inspector. I will do my best,” said Yuri, with a small smile.
“Glad to hear that. Now,” he said, pulling out a thin case file from under a large stack of paperwork. “I need the two of you to head over to Manor House right now. Some officers are already at the scene, along with the forensics team. The body was found early this morning.”
“Have they identified the victim?” asked Yuri, checking how far Manor House was on her phone.
“Hmm. Kang Eunwoo, son of Kang Kiwoo, who owns the largest chain of hotels in Busan. So you can understand the situation.”
Yuri gulped softly, tucking her phone away and nodding her head slowly.
xxx
The entire ride to the crime scene was silent. Not the pleasant or comfortable kind of silence Yuri had always preferred over meaningless small talk. No, this was the stiff, suffocating silence that made her want to pitch herself out the car window. She was currently regretting not having driven to work - although she was still a bit exhausted from the nearly 5 hour drive from Seoul the previous night.
She didn’t know what to make of her new partner. When she was working in Seoul, her partner had been a 43 year old woman named Hwayoung. She was separated from her husband with whom she shared joint custody of their three kids, only drank low sugar milk tea, and talked a mile a minute while on the job. Some might have found Hwayoung a tad irritating, but Yuri had found a caring older sister in the ruthless and chaotic world of criminal investigation in the country’s capital. DI Jeon, in comparison, had yet to speak a word to her. The couple of routine questions she had asked him about the exact location and identity of the victim were met with heated silence. 
The Kangs were incredibly wealthy - the type that could buy your family business in an instant and then gift it back to you without incurring any loss. The lavish mansion reeked of money, luxury, and carelessness that only accompanied an abundance of liquid cash. The victim had been found in the private meeting room on the ground floor. Being an extremely high profile case, there were already reporters trying to get a good picture from outside the mansion itself.
“Cause of death?” asked DI Jeon, kneeling down to get a better look at the body.
“Blunt force trauma to the back of the head. Death would’ve been instantaneous,” said the forensic doctor, removing her gloves and stuffing them into her coat pocket. She turned towards Yuri and gave her a small smile. “I don’t believe we’ve met. I’m Dr. Ahn Seulgi. I head the forensics team at the precinct.”
“Choi Yuri,” replied Yuri, bowing slightly. “I’m DI Jeon’s new partner.”
“Is today your first day at work?” asked Seulgi, with a surprised expression.
“Yeah, I just got transferred from Se-”
“DI Choi, need I remind you that there’s a body lying here?” snapped DI Jeon. “It would be better if you socialize on your own time.”
Yuri was taken aback by the anger in his tone. Even though she had worked in homicide for nearly 5 years now, her colleagues had always been polite and friendly with her. She didn’t really know how to respond to her new partner’s accusations.
“Calm down, DI Jeon,” said Seulgi, a frown settling on her forehead. “This isn’t socializing - we’re coworkers and it's impolite to not introduce yourself to each other.”
DI Jeon didn’t say anything more after that, but Yuri could feel the anger radiating off him. She was grateful to Seulgi for sticking up for her, but it didn’t look like she was going to have an easy time working with Jeon. 
“Detective Inspector,” said another officer, approaching DI Jeon with a notepad. “I’ve just spoken to the staff. It seems there was a big party here last night. The victim had invited around 10-12 of his friends and they stayed till just before midnight.”
“Thanks, Jisoo. Ask Suho to get statements from all those who were present at the party last night. As well as where they went afterwards.”
“I will,” replied Jisoo, with a nod. “Mr. Kang is waiting for you in his office.”
Kang Kiwoo didn’t look like a seasoned businessman who had a 26 year old son. His face was young and his smile was extremely attractive, but, Yuri noticed, it didn’t reach his eyes. In fact, there was something inscrutable in his dark brown irises that disturbed her more than she liked to admit. Yuri had come to realise that a person’s eyes were the first to betray their true nature; and Mr. Kang’s eyes were almost vacant.
“My condolences, Mr. Kang,” began DI Jeon. “Please rest assured that we will do everything in our power to catch whoever is responsible for this.”
“Thank you, DI Jeon,” replied Mr. Kang with a smile. “I’m feeling reassured knowing that you are handling my son’s case. And you are?”
Yuri bowed once again and introduced herself. “DI Choi Yuri. I will also be working on your son’s case with DI Jeon.”
“Well then, how can I be of assistance? DI Jeon? DI Choi?”
“Could you please tell us more about the party that took place last night?” asked DI Jeon, not giving Yuri a chance to say anything. He had already sat down on one of the chairs, and Yuri decided that she would rather remain standing.
Mr. Kang frowned for the first time since the beginning of the meeting. “My son likes to- I’m sorry. Eunwoo liked to party quite a lot. I wasn’t fond of his lifestyle and I had told him of my views many times before. This isn’t the first time that he’s taken over an entire floor of our mansion to ‘entertain’ his friends.”
“You argued with your son last night,” continued DI Jeon, consulting the notes Jisoo had given him. “What was that about?”
“If you know that we argued, I’m sure you know what we argued about.” 
“In your own words, if you will,” said DI Jeon, a forced smile gracing his features.  
“I lost the use of my legs almost 3 years ago,” said Mr. Kang, leaning forward on his desk. “I expected my son to take over the company by the time he was 28. However, he didn’t seem in the least bit inclined to take any responsibility whatsoever. So last night, I told him I would disinherit him.”
“And how did he take that news?”
“I’m quite certain you’re not asking me to elaborate on the type of language my son used last night,” said Mr. Kang, with a slight smirk. “Because I’d prefer not to.”
DI Jeon stared at the man across from him who was proving to be much more difficult than expected. “Can you tell us what your movements were for the rest of the night?”
“I was in here, finishing some paperwork, until the party got over. I said goodnight to my son and retired for the night at around half past 12.”
“How did your son seem when you last saw him?”
“He was quite inebriated. I barely got a coherent reply from him. In hindsight, I should have stayed with him until he had fallen asleep. Maybe I could have prevented his death.”
“Why do you say that?” Yuri asked, speaking for the first time since introducing herself. DI Jeon shot her a glare before returning his gaze to Mr. Kang.
“If I had been with him until he fell asleep, he wouldn’t have gotten into a fight with the Park boy.”
“The ‘Park boy’?” asked Yuri, frowning slightly.
“Park Jimin. He came here last night. I heard his voice just before I closed the door to my room.”
“Are you saying Park Jimin killed your son?” asked DI Jeon. “Do you have any proof, Mr. Kang?”
“It is your job to find proof, DI Jeon. I’m merely stating what I know. The Parks are our long time rivals; I’m sure you’re aware of that. My son never got along particularly well with Park Jimin since they were in school. As far as I can tell, he was probably the last one to see my son alive.”
xxx
Yuri was currently at Ahreum’s apartment, having dinner in honor of her moving to Busan. 
“I had such grand plans of taking you to the street food market on your first day here,” whined Ahreum. “But given how completely exhausted you look, this is the best alternative.”
“This is great, Ahreum. I haven’t soba noodles in such a long time. You’re actually a pretty decent cook.” Yuri grinned at her best friend, before slurping some noodles.
“I still can’t believe that a high profile murder took place the day you moved here. You really can’t catch a break, can you?” Ahreum sipped on her wine, while scrolling through her phone. “Social media is blowing up with this.”
“I’m just glad I could leave in time for dinner. The way Jeon was treating me, I thought he would make me file paperwork at the station the entire night.”
“I don’t really get that. Jeongguk’s a pretty decent guy. Why’s he being such a dick to you?” Ahreum asked, tying her long brown curls into a bun. “Namjoon’s known him since before I moved here. He only has good things to say about him.”
“Beats me,” shrugged Yuri. “But more importantly, where is Namjoon? I thought he’d be joining us for dinner today.”
“He’s still at the library.”
“It’s almost 11 pm.”
“Yeah, the library closes at midnight. He’ll probably come home after that.” Ahreum stretched her hands above her head before stifling a yawn. “He runs on very little sleep anyway.”
“Nice to see that hasn’t changed since I last saw him,” grinned Yuri, slipping on her shoes and getting ready to leave. “Thanks for dinner, Ahreum. I really needed this today.”
“Oh shut up! You know I’m always ready to feed you!” she replied with a wink. “Now go home and get some sleep.”
Sleep. That was the problem. 
xxx
hope you enjoyed the first chapter! feel free to send me an ask if you have any questions so far. and don’t forget to like/reblog if you enjoyed the chapter!
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shiberpostshere · 4 years
Text
The Kiss Thief - Park Seonghwa Social Media AU
13. Chapter Nine: Mega big brain boy ✨
Previous Part✨ Next Part✨
Masterlist of the AU✨
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Yesterday was wild. It was truly wild personified. Your friends and Seonghwa's friends mingled together to create, as Yeosang kept mentioning, chaos multiplied. 
Despite the loud talking, heavy eating, after-dinner meeting and dramatic goodbyes under the influence of alcohol, (No one has yet confessed who switched Cola with Alcohol. Hence, the appearance of bold Jongho) the time spent was the most fun you've had since college life began. 
It was fun but it was tiring staying up late.
The only thing that occupied your mind today was the thought of comfortable sheets putting you to sleep in your bed.
Currently, you're thinking about the same but with different emotions, specifically regret. 
"Why are you making a face like that? This is the fourth time you've zoned out today." Seonghwa's question pulls you out of your trance. 
You two wrapped the daily studio teaching a few minutes ago and the next occupants of the recording studio showed up when you were leaving. As Seonghwa conversed with them, you decided to text Yeri, who delivered you the news, shattering your napping plans. 
Why today, of all days, today I forgot my key? 
You rub your eyes and place the phone in your pocket. "You've been counting?" 
"Well, you're the only person here I am supposed to pay attention to. So yes, I've been counting. What's up?" He asks as you two begin walking down the stairs. 
Groaning, you push your hair back into an aggressively tight ponytail. "I forgot my dorm keys, I wanted to nap but now I need to pretend to study in the library while I complain loudly in my mind." 
He raises a brow, hands fishing out car keys from his pocket. "Why don't you just drink your deathly beverage? Doesn't it keep you all buzzed and active?" 
You stop in front of the building entrance with a smug expression. "Oh, my deathly beverage for which I attended the beverage addiction convention?" 
Looking down, he shakes his head. "Do you want to grab something to eat?" You expected a snarky or teasing remark but what is delivered surprises you for a moment. 
"Together?" The thought of just the two of you sharing a meal is enough for your heart to beat a little faster than usual. ��
The time spent in the studio mostly consists of him correcting mistakes and answering your confused questions.
The initial embarassment is only subtly present. His playful comment are mostly absent when he's explaining what Hongjoong has already well explained to you. His presence is comfortable.
When among your friends there's always someone (mostly Mingi) chiming in now and then but this is the first time since you've met that you'll be spending time with each other. 
Frankly, you also don't know how to act around everyone with him when even sneezing is considered giggling. You two haven't exactly acknowledged openly about your high school crush on him other than easy, playful conversation you two engage in quite a lot, whether texting or talking. 
"No, we'll be sitting on seperate tables." He begins walking towards his car. You had half-expected an answer like that. 
"Really? That sounds great, at least I don't have to put up with your nagging." Arriving by his side, you comment with a side eye. 
He offers you a deadpan expression. "Didn't you listen to what Yeosang said? I'm actually that clueless. That open discussion about me, remember." 
"Are you really? I have receipts of your messages admitting how you find my reactions 'cute'." You tap your pocket, contaning the source of evidence, your phone. 
The confidence comes when with him without you having to muster up any.
Seonghwa unlocks his car, a small hint of smile on his lips. "Okay, let's continue this conversation while eating." 
This boy. 
"Are you really that unphased? Are you really that clueless? Teach me your ways." 
He opens the door to the passenger's seat. "I'll feed you instead." 
You place your hands on your chest, followed by a dramatic expression. "Wow, you're amazing at deflecting." 
Seonghwa places a hand on his hip and that's your cue to get inside before losing your free meal ticket. 
You'd rather eat with Seonghwa any day instead of pretending to study at the library with droopy eyes.
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After a ten minutes ride to a small and cozy restaurant, you two are seated in the chatter filled environment with two servings of soup in front of you loaded with vegetables, meat and noodles.  
He arranges the spoons for both of you.
"Better than greasy food that will make you more sleepy." He sips a spoonful and an instant satisfaction takes over his features.
You chuckle. "Oh my god, you're really a mom material---" The comment is instantly regretted as you taste the refreshing soup, enough to widen your eyes. 
He slurps the noodles and then turns to you with a victorious smile. "You develop motherly instincts when you hang out with children." 
"Children?" You're listening to him but the soup definitely has a majority of your attention. "Oh, you mean the guys?"
"All the seven of us are uniquely handful," The smile is still ever present on his lips. 
Even though you haven't spent much alone time with him, you can still detect the warmth filled, selfless nature he had back then and still has it within him now.
That was one of the main reasons you were attracted to him. 
Okay, not now (Y/N), let's not make it awkward. 
You take a big bite of the juicy, broth soaked meat. "You're still as initiative and kind as I remember." Speaking with much difficulty, you hold up your hand in front of your lips, "But I think something went wrong somewhere and you developed the quality of enjoying making fun of innocent girls like me." 
He offers you a tissue with his trademark, unphased expression. "I am actually that clueless." He shrugs. 
You snatch the tissue and wipe the corner of your lips. "Yeah, sure." 
He laughs at the look on your face. "What? You can't take a little teasing from your senior?" 
You throw up your hands in false frustration. "Oh my god, stop asserting your age kink!" 
"It's not a kink!" He says defensively. 
"Yes, sure. Mingi is Mingi but you, you are something else!" You say the statement, knowing that he understands the meaning behind it and begin sipping the remaining broth.
He too, downs the broth in one shot. "What am I?"
There it is, that amused and knowing glint in his eyes and the smirk he's attempting to hide. 
"You're..I don't know, whatever. Seventeen year old Seonghwa would never do this to me" You bite your tongue after delivering the statement.
He crosses his arms below his chest. "Seventeen year old Seonghwa was actually clueless." 
You point a finger at him with an exaggerated smirk. "Ha! You are basically saying that twenty-one year old Seonghwa isn't!" 
He places his head on his hands, shoulders shaking with gentle laughter. "(Y/N) if you keep reacting like that, do you really think I can stop?" 
Your expressive gesture shrinks. "You know what, I understand now." You hold up your hands in defeat. 
"No, don't stop now. We are finally opening up and talking." He gives you an encouraging nod. 
"Oh, don't trick me now. My eyes are about to roll back into my head." Your fingers undo the ponytail to let your hair breath. 
Sleep has abandoned your senses long ago but only now you realise how energized you're feeling.
"Fifteen year old (Y/N) would never." The innocent face of his doesn't do justice to the way he is speaking. 
"Hey!" You protest.
Wow, I sure react to everything he says. 
"Fine, fine. I'll stop now but If it ever gets beyond the limit, tell me." He assures with an honest expression. 
God, you cannot be teasing one minute and be kind the other, no, don't do this Park Seonghwa. 
You huff out a sigh and lean into your palms. "It is harmless anyway but you're too good at it and sometimes you are something else."
He mirrors your posture. "Yes, (Y/N), so tell, What am I? What is something else?" 
Your face falls into your palm and you hear his soft chuckles. 
Not again, Park Seonghwa, not again. 
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Pairing: College Student! Seonghwa x College Student! Female Reader
Genre: Fluff, A teeny tiny bit of smut with a pinch of angst
Synopsis: High school crushes are often silly and forgotten. However, you cannot forget the one senior, you "borrowed" once a kiss from. Years have passed and it's a memory you laugh at but what will happen if you're to encounter the same senior in a much different setting and situation? Especially during your first year of college.
A/N: He make fun of you, he tease you but mostly importantly, he feed you 🙏🏻
Let me know if you want to be added to the taglist! 💫
🌸Tags:
@enigmaticsal @stardusthyuck @missiopk @preets-kpop-world @rae-woo @sanisms @retrofuture-ism @jiyeons-closet @hongjoongsnoona @seong-hwa1998 @dreamie-deonghwa @veeeenus4 @mochibabycakes @vhschs @kokoboxp
Unable to tag: @mingiibabieee
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btsslowburnfic · 3 years
Text
Chthonic Love Chapter 9
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Series Summary: A Greek Mythology AU featuring Yoongi/Suga as Hades and reader as Persephone. Olympian ruler Namjoon has delivered you, Persephone, as a gift for his brother, lord of Death, Yoongi
Chapter Summary: You both wake up after yesterday’s events. 
Previous Chapter found here
When you woke up, Yoongi was gone. In his place was a beautiful fur-lined cloak. You reached over and felt the soft material and pulled it up against your body. It was very beautiful and warm, but you found yourself thinking you liked the way the old cloak smelled like Yoongi: ashes, leather, and like the air before it snows.. You sighed deeply as you remembered the events of earlier that day. Yesterday? You felt like you had slept both too long and not enough, sleep still making your eyes sticky and your mouth dry.  You heard a light knock at your door. “Come in,” you manage with a crackly voice. 
Lethe poked her head inside, “Ah you’re awake finally. I brought some tea if you’d like it.”
You blinked your eyes a few extra times to help them unstick. “Please.” You manage to push out through your lips. You sit up in bed, making no effort to actually get up and stand. You can tell your power reserves are still low; it’s been a while since you’ve used your healing magic on anything other than a bird’s injured wing.
Lethe walked over to the beside and sat the tray down, pouring you a cup of tea. She worried her lip and pressed a hand to your forehead.
"We were so worried about the two of you. Lord Yoongi missed last night's reaping. Penthos was convinced you were both dead." she shook her head, pulling her hand away. 
"I'm sorry.” You said. 
“You're still sick.” You couldn’t tell if it was a question or a statement.
“Just tired. Healing magic is exhausting. Especially on a God. Apparently. And I had already been crying before that.” You shut your eyes and leaned your head backwards against the solid headboard.
Lethe pulled a chair over next to the bed. “And why were you crying? And what on Earth did you make all those sharp vines for?”
You opened your eyes and looked over. You almost considered Lethe your friend. She had certainly confided in you, and you enjoyed talking to her. You could tell she was worried about you, but you didn’t care for the accusatory tone in her voice. You took another sip of tea, allowing the hot liquid to unstick your parched mouth and hoarse throat. You reminded yourself that she meant well and was probably just worried.
“Of course, you don’t have to tell me anything, Lady Persephone. If you don’t need anything else…” she started to stand up and leave.
“No Lethe. It’s fine. I really am just that exhausted. I’m still waking up” You reassured her. “Stay. Please. I didn't mean to create the vines. I made flowers in here and apparently a side effect of Yoongi's power is amplification. When they hit the door they went a little crazy." 
“Ah, that makes sense then. I couldn’t imagine you would have hurt Lord Yoongi on purpose. Especially when you worked so hard to save him.” She sat back in her chair, seemingly vindicated. “Speaking of,” the tone in her voice changed entirely, “ The two of you looked quite cozy when Penthos made me come check on you two." she raised her eyebrows. 
"Honestly I remember falling asleep and that's about it," you took a sip of tea, hoping to hide the blush on your face. You also remembered some hand holding. 
Lethe chuckled, ”Uh-huh.” She waited a moment to see if you would elaborate any, but you couldn’t. There was nothing else to share. “Let me get you some bread or maybe some stronger tea,” she stood up. “Oh. What's that m'lady?" she gestured to the new garment in your bed. 
"Fresh from Arachne. A coat made to withstand the Desert of Sorrow." You picked it up and handed it to her. She took it, allowing the fabric to fully unfurl. 
"it's so soft!" she remarked as she pet the fabric. "I'll hang it up for you."
"Thank you. And I would love some food and stronger tea by the way.” You stretched your arms up over your head and yawned. “Have you seen Lord Yoongi, is he OK?" 
Lethe shook her head. "Only from a distance when I heard him passing through the great hall. He seemed fine though."
"Good. Thanks." you finished your tea and sat the cup back down on the tray. “I can also just come with you to the kitchen.” You added and started to begin the task of extracting yourself from the blankets Yoongi had apparently tossed over you. You heard no response and looked back over towards Lethe. You noticed Lethe she was nervously fidgeting, wringing her hands while looking towards the door. 
"Is something wrong?" You asked. You could tell she is struggling with how to word her answer appropriately.
“Um...Well….” She trailed off, the way she does when she wants to speak her mind but can’t because technically you’re “above her” which is still very weird to you but you didn’t create the hierarchy.
“Just say it Lethe. Like it’s just you and [Y/N] talking, not Lady Persephone.” 
She turned and looked at you. “That is a lovely name by the way. I don’t think I could do that but. I...well..." she still struggled with the right words, but then you saw her ball up her fists in determination as she decided to just spit it out. “Not that you would seek him out anyways but… you should avoid Penthos." 
"I already do." you answered casually. This was not new news. You had only been here a few days but the two of you clearly did not get along and you often scurried away whenever he came around.
"Yes. But… like, really stay away from him. He is very angry about what happened with Yoongi. He thinks you tried to kill him. He was shouting some nonsense about treason. I'm sure Lord Yoongi will speak to him about it but… Uh….Until he does you should maybe just… Stay in your room. “ She looked nervously over at you.
You feel a mix of sadness and anger rise up within you. Treason? Didn’t anyone else in this realm ever lose control of their powers? You wondered. It happened on Olympus and Earth all the time. The difference was they accidentally killed mortals, razed villages, and caused natural disasters when they fucked up. You felt bad about what happened, but you had fixed the problem and hadn’t done it on purpose. You felt your face grow red. “You know I would never hurt Yoongi on purpose. It was an accident.” You surprised yourself at how sad your own voice sounded. Just remembering how cut up and bloody he was made you feel awful all over again.
“I know, I know. I’m sure he’ll talk to Penthos about it. Just, for today, until you hear from me or Yoongi, just...stay here. Ok?” she walked back over to get the tray and gave you a reassuring smile. “I know you’re a good person. Er...Goddess. I’m sure Lord Yoongi does too. I’ll be back with some more food and tea and then I’ll tell you all the secrets about the Athenian Palace,” She puts on a smile for your benefit and you can tell she’s trying to cheer you up.
“Thanks Lethe,” you said. She turned and left the room, leaving you alone with your thoughts. Treason?
----------------------------
Yoongi had woken up feeling much better. He startled awake, confused by his surroundings at first. He could sense that it was the middle of the night. Shit, I missed a reaping, he thought. It would be fine. The morning one would just take extra time. He looked around as it took him a few seconds to remember what had occurred the previous day. Namjoon. Vines. Persephone. Persephone? He suddenly remembered where he was and he turned his head to the side. There you were, still sleeping heavily, you were on your side still facing him, arms still out in front of you, reaching towards him. A shy smile crossed his lips. You looked so peaceful sleeping there. He reached over and pushed your hair back so he could see your face more clearly. He felt both warmth and an aching in his chest. And that’s when he knew. He knew that when you left it was going to destroy him.  Maybe she won’t leave? A small voice whispered in the back of his head. Shut up idiot. No one would want to stay here. It’s dark, it’s cold, its boring, you’re here. But  i think she likes me. You made a small noise, shifting slightly. Yoongi looked around and saw a blanket at the foot of the bed and pulled it up over you. Your hands moved in your sleep, clutching the fabric up to your chin and snuggling into it.
Yoongi laid there for a few more minutes taking turns looking at the ceiling and looking at you. 
He couldn’t ask you to stay. You had been kidnapped. Unlawfully removed from your home against your will. You had a job to do, he was sure, in the mortal realm. You needed sunlight and warmth, not obsidian and cold. He let out a deep breath and slowly sat up. If he would have been sleepy at all he would have stayed and gone back to sleep, but he was annoyingly refreshed. He looked back at you one more time, feeling that twinge in his chest once more, and quietly left the room.
He pulled at his shirt sleeves as he walked down the hallway. His shirt was so shredded. It looked kind of badass though, he thought. It was obvious he had fought with something. People didn’t need to know they were vines that he accidentally cultivated. He smiled to himself as he approached the great hall. He wasn’t expecting anything to be happening at this early hour, but he heard Penthos raised voice echoing in the great hall. He slowly approached, his feet quiet against the obsidian. Shit, I left my shoes in Persephone’s room. He thought. He started to turn back to get them when he heard,
“Persephone ought to be locked up for Treason. She tried to kill the Master. His blood was everywhere.”
Yoongi’s head snapped up and he turned, walking quickly into the great hall. The sconces, which had previously been lit by the ambient blue flame were now a shade of dark purple. It gave an unnatural and dark ambiance to the room. The few servants who were near the exits took this opportunity to leave. Penthos had stopped talking and the poor woman he was talking to just stood there, frozen in fear.  Yoongi walked purposefully towards the two figures in the middle of the great hall. As he approached Penthos’ back he said, “Malea you may go.”  The woman bowed her head and high-tailed it out  of the room.
“Why is it that lately, every time I find you lately, you have Persephone’s name in your mouth?” Yoongi circled around to face Penthos.
Penthos stood there, rocking back and forth on his heels. “I’m not taking it back if that’s what you expect. Look at your shirt. It’s torn to shreds. Your skin was torn to shreds as well. Because of her. Because she was angry with you and decided to attack you from her room, the only way she could.”
Yoongi felt rage slowly building inside him. He rubbed the back of his neck and thought about just leaving. He didn’t owe this man any answers. At all. He was the King. He was in charge. He decided what was treason and what wasn’t. “You’ve had one job the past day.” He angrily held up his index finger for emphasis: “ Leave Persephone the fuck alone. Does shouting in the great hall, calling her a traitor, sound like you’re doing your fucking job?!” Yoongi was screaming at this point. 
Penthos remained unfazed. “Sir I can see that your feelings for her are clouding your judgment, but the truth of the matter remains. Just look at your shirt.”
“I don’t give two shits about my shirt. The only feelings I have right now are anger. At you. The vines were an accident. She saved me. Look.” He gestured to his body and his face, “She fucking healed me. I feel better than I have in centuries. So shut. the. fuck. up.”
Penthos was shaking slightly now, but his years in the underworld and dour personality were a strong match for Yoongi’s anger. He coughed a little to clear his throat, “Sir, Charon delivered this letter for Persephone at last night’s reaping.” He took the document out and held it out between his thumb and index finger.
Yoongi snatched it and looked at him questioningly.
“I was feeding Holly and he gave it to me since you weren’t there.”
Yoongi looked down at the envelope. Shit. He looked back up at Penthos and gave him one last angry glare before stomping off to his office, letter in hand. NEXT CHAPTER
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