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writing-in-the-impala · 3 months

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Secret Smokes (Part 10)

Pairing: Teacher! Remus Lupin x Reader

Series Summary: When the reader bumps into the new DADA professor on the bridge in Hogwarts she begins to build a friendship with him all thanks to their shared feeling of not belonging and love for muggle cigarettes. Their friendship blooms while they both fight internal battles deciding what is wrong and what is right leading to a lot of fluff, angst, flirting and a rollercoaster of emotions.

Warnings: Swearing, smoking, drinking, teacher-student relationship, angst, jealousy, fluff, smut.

Word Count: 2960

A/N: A lovely human asked me today if this fic is over and I thought damn I got to update quick before I lose all my readers. Hope 2024 is treating you all well, here's to the first post of the year!

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Previous Chapter, Part 10, Next Chapter

You opened your eyes scanning the room you're in, first you saw the curtains shut. Clothes neatly pilled on the side, a messy stack of books and parchment. Then you turned around and saw the back of Remus's head as he slept peacefully. Thoughts of guilt, lust and memories flooded your head. You began to think whether he regrets last night, was it just a drunk mistake, what do you say to him when he wakes up. You felt him move and turn towards you, on his face a gentle smile. "Morning dear, how'd you sleep?" He asked and kissed your forehead.

"Really well, you?" He scooped you closer with his arms to his chest.

"Let's ignore the conversation we have to have now and just savour this moment." He whispered while cuddling close to you.

"I like that idea." You replied breathing in his smell. Your heart felt full and you felt so comfortable like this was the place you were waiting to be your whole life, and he didn't seem to regret it but rather welcome it.

"Now dear would you like some coffee? Breakfast?" He asked softly not letting you go.

"What a gentleman." You joked in return.

"I try my best." He said with a wink before kissing the top of your head and standing up, he put on a T-shirt and his trousers from last night. "I'll start making the coffee, rest as long as you want."

You lay there in naked confusion and bliss, you were happy but you were confused. You had no idea how you will face him in class after waking up in his bed. You got out of bed putting on yesterdays clothes and grabbing one of Remus's sweaters for warmth before making your way down to the kitchen. The room smelt of coffee, Remus looked younger for a moment with messy hair and wearing no socks on the cold floor as he made coffee. He turned around with a smile. "Good morning, nice jumper." He said with a wink. He winked a lot you noted, maybe he was just as nervous as you right now. "Do you like it with milk or black?" He asked.

"Splash of milk please, no sugar." You confirmed and he followed your instructions and handed it to you. "Perfect thank you."

"Care to join me on the roof for a smoke and coffee? Then we can think of breakfast plans." He said walking towards the stair case and you followed. You sat down side by side on two chairs, it was cold but you didn't mind. "You know this has always been my guilty pleasure, coffee and a cig the morning after, I thought it made me cool." He admitted looking out onto London.

"It makes you look cold, I'm not sure if cool is the right word." You said and he laughed lightly to response, shaking his head.

"It used to calm my nerves because I wasn't sure what to do with a girl in the morning after, how guys are meant to act, so I figured out to start my mornings with a smoke and conversation, not that this is a common occurrence."

"What you don't sleep with your students often?" you joked to ease your discomfort about this whole situation.

"I don't sleep with anyone often, especially students."

"Why?"

"Because they're my students and I have somewhat of a professional-" You interrupted him by saying "No I mean why don't you sleep with people often."

"Y/N you know what I am."

"So?"

"So, being around me, close to me is not only dangerous but also a burden to a persons life. Therefore I've found it's better to focus on solitude and not burden anyone else who I may possibly care for. Y/N I am not a man I am-" You once again cut in to stop Remus Lupin from his usual self-loathing pit. "I'm hungry."

He quickly checked his watch "We could go to a bakery about 5 minutes away they should be open, we can grab some pastries if you'd like."

"What time is it?" You asked in fear.

"Half past nine, why do you need to be somewhere?" He asked with a slight painful tang behind his voice.

"The Weasleys, I was meant to be staying there. I need to go before they all wake up." You said leaving your coffee and heading down to Remus's bedroom, Remus followed you down.

"I'm sure you'll be okay, just tell them you fell asleep on the sofa." He tried to calm you as you put on your jacket and gathered your belongings.

"No, I'll never hear the end of this. Molly will kill me." You said in panic.

"Y/N you're an adult they'll understand, just stay finish your coffee, I can write to Molly that you are here." He said placing a hand on your shoulder to calm you.

"I'm sorry Remus I don't want to run like this but I have to, I don't want to try and explain why I'm here in the morning. Happy new year." You simply said to him as his face dropped into a frown.

"Happy New Year." He said quietly and you apparated to the Weasleys house. You didn't know that you left Remus with a feeling of enormous guilt, he felt like he used the opportunity of you drunk to sleep with you and now you regretted it. He was reminded of your age by the way you rushed home, you may be eighteen but you still sometimes behaved like someone's daughter and that made Remus feel uneasy about perusing you, especially when you have to rush home the morning after. Rush home to a friend of his. The guilt ate him alive as he cleaned the coffee that you didn't finished and put out your half-smoked cigarette. In that moment he made a decision, he messed up, he got close to you and kissed you because he couldn't control himself and based on how you ran out the house you obviously regretted everything.

You on the other hand felt guilty for leaving, Remus treated you nicer than anyone else you've ever slept with, he made you coffee, he cared, it filled your heart with warmth, you knew you'll have to apologise for how you left. You slowly walked through the house up to the spare room you were staying in when you bumped into Percy who was going to the bathroom. He gave you a quick look up and down in a judgmental way and didn't even say hi, then as you passed the twins' room they opened the door with big grins. "Nice jumper." They both said at once. You looked down and saw you left in Remus's jumper.

"Shit." You took it off in that very moment in panic. "Don't tell anyone." You warned them.

"Our lips are sealed." They said in unison. "Although we will high five him next time we see him." Fred shrugged.

"Don't you dare Weasley." You warned.

"So how was sleeping with our dear professor?" George asked.

"Was it everything you dreamed of?" Fred added.

"I don't want to talk about it."

"Was it at least good?" Fred pushed.

"The best I've ever had. And he made me coffee in the morning and hugged me and kissed me." You felt like you were melting just thinking about it.

"The best?" Fred repeated.

"Who knew prof would be so good." George added.

"Let's not talk about it, I actually have to sit in his class after this." You felt a bit sick at the idea, that was the end of that conversation. You quickly went to take a shower and change. After that you wrote a letter to Remus apologising about leaving so soon and thanking him for the coffee. He didn't reply. You sent him another three letters over the next few days making sure he's okay however he didn't reply. So you got the message, and he did regret it, he was just being nice to you in the morning because he was a good person. You were nervous to go back to Hogwarts but you decided you won't let New Years stop you. You came back a week before term, and you thought it may be good to bump into Remus before term starts to talk. You went to the bridge but he didn't, you knocked on his office but no one answered, you even tried to find him using the map but it was like he was always waking away from you.

You finally saw him on the first day of term, he was sitting eating breakfast in the great hall with all the teachers. You received and owl and it was from him but he didn't look up at you at all. The letter read:

"Welcome back to the new term miss L/N.

As previously agreed our tutoring continues to prepare you for you exams.

- Professor R.J.Lupin"

You looked up at him but he didn't look at you.

In his lesson that day you sat nervously in your seat, you were sitting next to Sebastian as you and Percy weren't on talking terms after New Years. "Are you okay?" Sebastian whispered watching you move around in your seat nervously waiting for Lupin to arrive to the classroom.

"Just nervous about exams." You explained to him, he put a hand on your leg to steady it. "It's okay you'll do great, I've got some calming fraught if you want it though." He said and you nodded. He slipped you the potion and you drank it, you didn't realise that around the time Sebastian put his hand on your leg Remus was walking in the classroom and watching the whole interaction. "Better?" Sebastian asked and you nodded in response. "Thank you." You said and he gave you a smile before moving his hand from your leg as you had stopped shaking from stress. Remus cleared his throat as he stood at the front of the classroom. "Welcome back I hope you've all had a good new year," Remus said, looking at you intensely during the last three words. You instantly felt hot however because of the position you didn't feel worried instead slightly turned on as you looked back at him, after a moment of eye contact he ripped his eyes away.

"Now I'm sure you're all nervous, but I will get you as prepared for your exams as possible all I ask is for you to listen and pay attention and that way I can help you." He continued, his eyes kept catching yours as if he couldn't look away and you were now enjoying the attention as all stress had left your body. However the closer to the end of the lesson it got the more the potion started to wear off and you could no longer look Lupin in the eye, he noticed the change in you and was very confused, he simply couldn't read you, he knew you took a potion however he wasn't sure what you took, he suspected it was calming draught but he had to ask you in your tutoring session if you show up. You considered skipping it but you knew you had to speak to Remus sooner or later and you didn't want to fail your exams because of him.

You lightly knocked on his office door filled with a bit of anxiety, he was sitting marking papers when you came in and he smiled gently at you but you could see he was on edge just like you. "Good afternoon Miss L/N. I hope you had a good Christmas." He greeted you and it filled you with anger that he was just pretending nothing happened.

"Can we talk?" You asked quietly sitting down on a chair near the front.

"Is it about your studies?"

"Obviously not." You snarked and he sighed pulling up a chair opposite you.

"We shouldn't, it's my responsibility to prepare you for your exams and" he began before you interrupted with a simple. "Remus." He loosened his tie and sighed.

"I'm really sorry Y/N. I'm really sorry for what I did, I should've been the responsible adult, I'm your teacher for fuck sake." He began and he looked visibly upset.

"Do you regret it?" You asked gently.

"Obviously, I shouldn't have put you in that situation. I pushed myself onto you, I knew my feelings for you I shouldn't have spoken to you at all if I was drinking."

"But I wanted to kiss you."

"Y/N I'm your teacher." He said as a matter of fact.

"So I don't care do you? Answer honestly."

"No." He shook his head and swallowed hard.

"Would you want to kiss me again?" He did say anything he just looked at your lips. "Answer honestly Remus." You added and he shook his head.

"Then do it." His eyes didn't leave your lips for a moment and then he made eye contact with you and he simply said "I can't."

"Why?" You asked him pleading.

"Because I am falling incredibly hard for you, and all I'm going to do is hurt you. Because I am your teacher. Because I can't offer you anything much more than a tea and a great music taste and an awful lot of knowledge on books."

"I don't care, you made me feel special, you make me feel loved." You continued to beg.

"Don't lie to me I saw how you ran out the house." He said with a angry and annoyed tone.

"I wrote to you three time to apologies, and you ignored every single letter." You said feeling like you're about to cry.

"You did?" His complexion changed suddenly.

"Yes. But I got the message that you rather ignore all this happened."

"Y/N, I wanted to make you coffee, take care of you and then talk to you like an adult about what this means for our lives here, but you ran out and the only letter I received was this from Percy." He said pulling out a letter that was crumbled up in his pocket, the address was Hogwarts, of course, all your letters went to the cottage but he didn't go there he came straight to the castle it all clicked.

"Why did Percy write to you?" You asked softly and he just handed you the letter to read.

"Dear professor Lupin,

As head boy I urge to remind you that you are our professor within and outside school grounds. And I believe you don't need to be reminded of school rules, especially for a man with your condition losing this job may be disastrous.

Happy new year, P. Weasley Head boy of Gryffindor"

"That prick." You said quietly and looked up at Remus. "I promise I didn't tell him anything."

"How would he know?" Remus asked he looked like you betrayed him.

"Your jumper," you began and Remus have you a puzzled look. "I came home in it the morning after and Percy saw me, he gave me a look of hate, we haven't talked since." You answered honestly. "Remus I'm sorry about this, can you ignore it and can we have this conversation based on our own opinions." You said and Remus sighed.

"No matter what I am your teacher and we've crossed a line."

"How do you expect me to focus in your lessons after what you've done to me professor?"

"Fuck you calling me professor like it doesn't turn you on." He said looking away and taking a deep shaky breath. "Can I kiss you one last time dear?" He asked and you nodded. And he leaned over the desk to kiss you slowly, the kiss was desperate and slow, as if he was savouring the moment, he put a hand on your cheek and tucked your hair behind your ear just like he did that first morning.

"Don't make it the last." You said as soon as he pulled away.

"Dear, as soon as you realise I'm just a broke man who's been cursed since childhood the sooner you'll realise you don't want me, so many men will be able to offer you the world, I won't."

"I hate you, I hate that you won't even give yourself a chance to be happy." You said feeling like you're about to cry.

"Y/N I'm trying to protect you." He pleaded.

"Or maybe you're just trying to protect yourself from feeling any good emotion in your life?" You said standing up. "Maybe you don't realise you're hurting me by not even trying, by leading me on."

"I'm sorry Y/N, I truly don't know what I'm doing, I wish I was, let's leave this conversation for another day let's start working on revision."

"Remus how am I meant to sit here and listen to you teach me while all I can think about is wether you like me just for sex, wether it's because you get turned on by fucking your student, wether you're just lonely and I'm convenient or wether an ounce of you actually cares about me."

"Y/N, if you want to have this conversation with me you need to act your age not frantically shout your thoughts at me like a school girl." He said harshly his mood becoming a lot more authoritarian.

"I am a school girl! I hate you Remus Lupin, I hate how you treat me, I hate you for making me feel like I mattered for you to just change your mind when it's convenient. I hate Percy for that letter. But I really hate you." You said pushing the tears away from your eyes.

"I'm not surprised, I hate me too." He said looking down at the desk and then he went silent.

"No Remus. I didn't mean-" You began realising your emotions got the better of you, truly you were scared about how much you liked him, how dependent you were becoming on him, how life wasn't the same without him.

"You've said enough. Goodbye." Remus said turning around and walking upstairs to his office without a single turn back to face you. And that was the last time you saw Remus Lupin that week, the next lesson you had with Lupin was taken over by Snape, and even your tutoring was now with McGonagall. Lupin returned on Friday evening, you saw him in the great hall during dinner, that's when you received and owl from him which was rare during dinner...

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punkshort · 5 months

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look what we've become - ch.3

Chapter Summary: Joel joins Tommy to meet the Fireflies and set up a trade agreement. They come back to Jackson with more than they expected.

Chapter Warnings: language, angst, mentions of slavery

WC: 5.4K

Series masterlist | Previous Chapter | Next Chapter

A/N: a reminder this story follows a slightly different timeline. Ellie was born pre-outbreak, but she was little when it happened.

Joel couldn't believe the past day and a half really happened. The rollercoaster of emotions you put him through left him stunned and shaken, wondering how he could read everything so fucking wrong. He found himself questioning everything now, replaying conversations, wondering if you had ever alluded to your feelings about marriage and a family that maybe he misread, misconstrued. Twisted and built up in his mind to fit into his stupid fantasy. One, he acknowledged, wasn't even in the forefront of his mind until his brother brought it back up to the surface. And suddenly, he wanted it, too. Like some resentful child who saw another playing with a toy he hadn't paid attention to in months, then demanded it for himself.

But he had thought about it, well before Tommy decided to man up first. He had the ring, but he never did anything with it. Why? Deep down, had he known you wouldn't want that? Was he subconsciously protecting himself by never acting on it? Or was he truly just waiting for the right time?

Even with Tommy's news, he still hadn't come up with a plan to actually ask you to marry him. He just allowed the fantasy to play out between your legs while he continued to make up excuses as to why he was holding off. Maybe it just turned him on to have a secret. Maybe he just wanted to have you, mark you, claim you. He knew he had a bad jealous streak, but would he have let his possessiveness lead him this far off track?

No. There were real reasons why he wanted you to be his wife. You made him want to be a better man. The way you made him feel was unlike anything he had ever experienced before. You brought out sides of him that others, including himself, never knew existed. Good things. You made him believe in happiness again, after his heart had been stomped on, making him treat everyone around him so poorly, even his own family. At a time when he felt so undeserving, you made him feel like the only person in the world. Even back then, he had a hard time believing you could actually care for him, but you saw through his bullshit to the man he was underneath, and you loved him for being him.

You had this way of looking at him like he was capable of anything. And with you by his side, he felt like he really was capable of anything. He did things he never thought possible to keep you both safe, as did you. You killed for each other. Not many people can say that. That meant something. The trauma and pain you both endured for one another had to mean something more. There was no doubt you both had proven what you were willing to do for the other, so it was only natural he wanted to commit himself to you. Say the words, vow to you in front of everyone you knew and loved that he would happily devote himself to you for the rest of his life.

So why didn't you want the same?

Ages ago, when the pair of you stumbled into the hellscape that was Kansas City, his ex, Amy, had mentioned offhandedly that you were only with him for protection. At the time, he shrugged it off, knowing full well it was bullshit just to get under his skin. But now, against his better judgement, he was rethinking those words. Rolling them around in his head, wondering if there was any truth to it.

"You been real quiet," Tommy said, pulling Joel out of his misery, surprised to suddenly find his brother next to him as they made their way on horseback down the mountains. Joel shrugged, averting his gaze ahead to the three other men leading the way.

"You mad at me for puttin' you on patrol yesterday? I'm sorry, Carl got sick and I didn't have anyone else," Tommy continued.

"Nah, it's not that," Joel replied, still staring straight ahead. "Didn't sleep well, is all."

"Ah," Tommy said, a playful smile pulling across his lips. "She send you off with somethin' to remember her by?"

Joel huffed and rolled his shoulders, his anger bubbling below the surface as he thought once again about the night before.

"Not exactly," Joel responded, trying to keep the bitterness from his voice.

Tommy hummed in response but remained quiet, trying to read his brother from the corner of his eye.

"Everythin' alright at home?" he asked, unknowingly hitting the nail on the head, causing Joel to clench the muscles in his stomach, like he was bracing for a punch to the gut.

"It's fine. What's the plan for when we get to this place?" Joel asked, quickly sidestepping the subject, something that was certainly not lost on his younger brother, but Tommy allowed for the change in conversation, anyway.

"We're gonna meet up with their leader, woman named Marlene. They're lookin' mostly for weapons, but they need other stuff, too. They got lots of medicine and first aid to swap. Bill's been runnin' real low on antibiotics, considerin' how fast the town is growin'," Tommy said with a sigh, readjusting in his saddle. "Girls sent me with a list of inventory, highlighted all the stuff we have a surplus of and all the stuff we could use more of. Remind me to thank her for helpin' when we get home," he said, keeping a close eye on Joel's reaction when he referred to you.

"Sure," was all Joel said in response, refusing to let him drudge up the topic. The wound was still too fresh, and he needed time. For the first time in a long time, he had no idea what was going through your head, and it scared the shit out of him.

Was it marriage and kids in general you didn't want, or was it marriage and kids with him?

He should have asked. He should have stayed instead of storming out that night. Instead, he let his emotions get the better of him and left you all alone, likely crying until you fell asleep if your swollen eyes the next morning was any indication. When he saw you, saw the distress etched in your perfect features, he wanted to pull you into his arms and never leave for this fucking trip. And he damn near did just that, until you confirmed it was a false alarm, and his heart was torn all over again. It was then he realized he had been hoping you were pregnant with his child, and there would be no choice but to face the next challenge together. Then he would be able to prove to you that it was a good thing, that you could, in fact, do it. And so could he.

Now, instead, he wasn't even sure where you two stood. You had said you still wanted him before he left, and that gave him hope. Hope that maybe not all was lost, that you could repair the damage that was done and come out stronger in the end for it. That maybe he could, in time, prove to you that he would be a good husband, a good father.

But then, Amy's words crept up in the back of his mind since he left. Somehow, years and years later, the woman still managed to torment him, making him believe he wasn't worthy or good enough to possibly have someone like you. The same way she manipulated him into thinking he deserved to be betrayed by her when they were engaged, that he didn't give enough of himself, that she warned him she needed more and he refused.

He shouldn't have gone on this trip.

"Alright, we're losin' daylight, let's set up camp and get an early start tomorrow," Tommy announced, much to Joel's relief. He didn't want to admit that, just a mere few weeks away from his fortieth birthday, his back and knees were aching like he was a much older man. He slid down from his saddle with an audible groan, then tied his reins around a tree trunk before giving his mare a few loving pats along the crooked white blaze that split her face.

He unbuckled his sleeping bag from the saddle and shouldered his backpack, dropping his belongings unceremoniously to the ground before he and Jake headed out with a couple hatchets to collect some firewood.

He didn't mind Jake so much anymore. He was quiet, kept to himself and, fortunately, didn't seem to harbor any resentment towards him from the time Joel put him in the infirmary for kissing you. His bad temper mixed with his jealousy nearly killed the man.

Afterwards, he thought he lost you.

You left him, asking for time to process what happened, upset that he didn't take your word for it when you promised him the kiss was a misunderstanding, that you handled it. You viewed it as distrust, he viewed it as protection. It wasn't until later that he realized he was harboring his own trauma from failing to protect you from a past sexual assault.

As he carried an armful of firewood back, he reflected on everything you had been through together. The outbreak, your parents, the time you were stabbed, the assault, the breakup, the accident that nearly killed him. Not to mention all the infected and raiders that threatened you both at every turn. Was your relationship strong enough to endure one more massive hurdle?

They were deep in the woods, the terrain favorable. The trees hid the fire well, and the vast, empty land kept infected away. Still, each man took a quick turn overnight to keep watch. It hardly mattered when Eugene gently shook his shoulder, alerting him it was his turn to watch. He can never sleep well when he's away from you, anyway.

Joel was almost grateful when they reached the hospital late in the afternoon the next day. It was the first time in two days he was able to stop thinking about you, his mind swirling with images of your trembling lip and your tear stained cheeks. He frequently wondered what you were doing, if you told Maria or Carrie about your argument. Were you packing up your things? Would he come home to an empty house? He wasn't sure his heart could handle it again.

You said you still wanted him.

You said you loved him.

But he didn't say those things back, and he left.

Even if you were fighting, even if it was the most significant disagreement you've ever had, he still wanted you near. He could never silence that driving force inside him since the outbreak that screamed keep her safe.

When they approached the hospital, they were all searched, weapons confiscated, as expected, before being ushered inside to meet the leader of the strange group called the Fireflies.

Marlene was a taller woman, with a firm jaw and eyes that could look right through you. He could tell right away she was not to be trifled with, that she took her role seriously in this little revolution she was spearheading. Although the people they had met since arriving seemed very intense, he didn't feel threatened. And he usually had a good instinct for those things. Usually.

They were in the hospital cafeteria, the five men, Marlene, plus a few others seated around a large, circular table as Tommy and Marlene exchanged pleasantries, both parties trying to make the other more comfortable. Joel hadn't really been listening. He was scanning the room, watching the guards pace by the doors regularly, the sentries standing watch with their hands resting on their rifles as they watched the exchange from a distance.

A small group of women entered from the door behind him, heading towards the kitchen to begin food preparations. Joel's eyes glanced over the group of four, three middle aged looking women who kept their eyes pinned to the ground, and a young girl with brown hair, tied back away from her face. She didn't look to be a day over thirteen, and she was the only one who looked around the room, her eyes locking with Joel's. He stared at her, his brow slightly furrowed as he tried to assess the situation. She continued to hold his gaze as she followed the other women, and although her body language gave nothing away, Joel felt the hairs on the back of his neck stand up. Something seemed off.

"Isn't that right, Joel?" Tommy was saying, snapping his attention away from the girl, who he saw in his peripheral disappear behind a door into the kitchen.

"I'm sorry?" he replied, leaning forward and lacing his fingers together on top of the table, trying to look focused.

"I was just sayin' how we know of a few police stations in some small towns that have barely been touched. Wouldn't be much effort for us to get a group together when we get home and go ransack 'em, take just a few days to hit 'em all," Tommy said, his eyes flicking from Joel to Marlene, then back again.

Another trip. More days away from you.

"Yeah," Joel replied, nodding his head and ignoring the pit in his stomach. "It's not enough for an army, but I reckon any little bit helps."

"In the meantime, lemme show you our inventory list. See if anything jumps out at you, and we can work on gettin' those guns," said Tommy as he pulled the list out of his coat pocket and smoothing it out on the table.

Marlene reviewed the list, her dark eyes flicking over the paper quickly with a few hums here and there as she took notes.

"Looks good, but we mostly need weapons," she said, leaning back in her chair. "I could probably do with some fresh vegetables, I think everyone's getting sick of the canned shit. And shampoo. But that hardly is a match for antibiotics." Her eyes shifted back and forth between Joel and Tommy, and the corner of her mouth turned up as an idea hit her.

"I do have another offer, though," she said, leaning forward. "It's not what we discussed, but if you're willing, I could send you home with half a box of penicillin now, and the other half after."

"After... what?" Tommy asked a little hesitantly.

"I'm lacking manpower at the moment. My guys are stretched thin, we're planning a hit on the soldiers at the Boise QZ. I need you to take someone to the hospital base we have in Salt Lake City. It should only take two days to get there, and I just need you to make sure she gets there alive," Marlene said, pressing her pointer finger into the table on the last word for emphasis.

Tommy glanced at the other four men, clearly not expecting to run errands for these people in exchange for medicine. Joel could see the wheels turning in his brother's head before Tommy spoke.

"Show me the meds first," he said to Marlene, and she quickly lifted two fingers up from the table, blindly addressing someone behind her to exit and do as he asked.

"What's the catch?" Joel asked, his defenses going up.

"No catch. Just need to get her out of here and with my other group, and I don't have the time to do it myself," she said with a shrug, but Joel knew better. She was trying to act casual, but he saw her knee bouncing under the table.

He shouldn't have come on his trip.

Once Tommy laid eyes on the unopened vials of medicine, medicine Jackson could really use since Bill, the town doctor, had been rationing enough as it is, Joel knew his decision was made.

"Done," Tommy said with a nod, extending his arm to shake Marlene's hand, which she eagerly reached out to do.

"Tommy," Joel said quietly, annoyed his brother didn't run the decision by the group first.

"Give me a little bit. I'll go talk to her so you can hit the road right away. John, please give these gentleman half the box of penicillin," Marlene said as she pushed her chair back, the legs making an awful screech against the dirty, linoleum floor. "Dinner is about to be served, please help yourselves as my guests," she added over her shoulder, leaving the dining hall.

"Tommy," Joel tried again, finally pulling his brother's attention. "A word?"

He led Tommy a ways away from the table so their conversation couldn't be overheard.

"What're you thinkin'?" Joel asked him, hands on his hips. "We don't do things like this."

"I know, Joel, but we're already out here, what's the harm? It's just a few more days," he said.

"I can't do a few more days, I need to get home," Joel replied, raking his fingers through his hair anxiously.

"I'll send Jesse and Jake back to let the girls know we'll be a little longer-"

"Goddamnit, Tommy, no!" Joel said, louder than he anticipated, a few heads from the table turning to glance his way.

"Jackson needs this medicine, what the hell's gotten into you?" Tommy asked with a frown, shifting his weight as he tried to read his brother's face.

Before he could reply, Marlene reentered the room alone, motioning for the two brothers to join her back at the table.

"Ellie's working in the kitchen, once dinner is over I'll send her to change and gather her things," Marlene said.

"Not a problem," said Tommy as he sat back down.

"Is that true?" Marlene asked, her lips pressed in a thin line as she held Joel's gaze, waiting for him to answer. He took a deep breath through his nose and crossed his arms.

"Yeah, not a problem," Joel replied bitterly.

Joel ate his meal quickly, desperate to finish this ridiculous task so he could get home. The longer he was away from you, the stronger his paranoia became. With each passing hour, he could almost feel the chasm between you growing, and he was beginning to convince himself there was no repairing the damage that was done. On both sides. Communication had never been his strong suit, but he thought he was getting better at it the past few years. Why did he go on this trip?

His eyes flicked up from his empty plate to see Marlene heading their way with the young girl he saw earlier in tow. His anger flared deep in his belly again, and he elbowed Tommy in the ribs to mutter angrily "she didn't mention it was a fuckin' kid" before Marlene could overhear.

"Ellie, these are the men I told you about. They're going to take you to Salt Lake City like we discussed," Marlene said, her hand resting on the girl's back. Joel eyed her carefully, noticing how tense her shoulders looked as she regarded the five men in front of her. His eyes drifted back to Marlene, wondering why on earth she was willing to leave this young girl with five strange men without a second thought. He decided she either was very desperate, or didn't care much for the girl.

Ellie readjusted her backpack on her shoulders and yanked on the edges of her long sleeved shirt, squaring her jaw as she stared them all down. Marlene crouched down to the girl's level and rested her hands on her shoulders.

"Remember what I told you. Listen to them, and everything will be fine," Marlene said, narrowing her eyes at Ellie. Ellie nodded, nostrils flaring before Marlene stood up to address Tommy.

"You need a map?"

"Nah, we got maps," Tommy said with a shake of his head. "This group know when we get there to give us the rest of the payment?"

"I'll radio the leader over there once you leave, let her know the deal," Marlene replied, stretching her arm out again to shake Tommy's hand.

"Alright, then," said Tommy, looking back down at Ellie and shooting her a small smile, trying to make her feel more comfortable. "You ready?"

"Yeah," she said, taking a deep breath and following Tommy out of the cafeteria.

They collected their weapons at the entrance before heading out, Ellie joining Tommy on the back of his horse. They didn't make it very far before the sun began to dip behind the trees and a quiet place was found to make camp for the night.

After getting a fire going, Tommy sat down in the dirt next to Joel, who had been leaning against a small oak tree, sipping from his flask and staring into the flames. The other three men were quietly playing a game of poker across from them, the occasional laugh or taunt floating in the air, while Ellie busied herself with a worn, paperback book further away from the rest.

"You wanna tell me what's goin' on yet?" Tommy asked, taking out his own flask.

"Nothin's goin' on," Joel replied gruffly, eyes trained on the fire.

"What's makin' you feel like you need to get home so bad?" he pressed. Joel felt that anger swelling inside him again, up his stomach and through his chest, and for a moment he wondered if Tommy knew. That maybe you told Maria and she let something slip.

"I told you, it's nothin'," he snarled, taking another sip from his flask and letting his eyes drift over to the girl. "Just wish I knew you were signin' me up to be a goddamn babysitter before comin' on this fuckin' trip."

"I can hear you, you know," Ellie said, her eyes never leaving the pages of her book.

"Good," Joel said, jutting his chin towards her, finally finding something to take his anger out on. "What's your deal, anyway?"

"You wouldn't believe me if I told you," she said, sitting upright and letting her book fall to her lap, a flash of stubbornness not unlike his own reflecting in her eyes.

"Try me," Joel argued, his jaw clenching. Ellie glared at him, silence falling over the camp as everyone waited for her to speak. She opened her mouth, then thought better of it, clamping it shut and casting her eyes down. Joel scoffed, not ready to let the topic go just yet. Angry that this child was keeping him from home, from you. Angry that his brother agreed to it, like a fool.

"C'mon now, let's hear it. What makes you so fuckin' special?"

"Joel," Tommy said under his breath, a warning, reminding him to watch his language, that she was just a kid.

"Why should I bother? You're all the same, anyway! No one ever listens to me, 'cause I'm just some kid, right? No one-" she cut herself off, stopping herself before she said too much.

"Who's all the same?" Tommy asked gently, trying to coax the information out of her. She shrugged and huffed, crossing her arms over her chest defiantly.

"The people Marlene hires. Dragging me all over the country like I'm... whatever," she said, stopping herself yet again.

"So this ain't the first time Marlene sent you off with a bunch of strange men?" Joel asked, the edge still in his tone but he could feel his resolve softening, somehow feeling bad for this little girl despite his own problems.

"No," was all she offered, glaring at Joel again.

"Are you in some sort of trouble, kid?" Eugene's voice asked from across the fire. The silence that followed was deafening, only the crackle from the fire filling the air. Ellie's eyes shot over to Eugene, looking him up and down, trying to keep up her steely resolve before giving up and turning her back on the group, announcing she was going to bed, and burying herself in the sleeping bag that was way too big for her.

Joel stared at the back of her head, trying to connect the dots with the context he had available to him, but he couldn't figure it out. Tommy shifted next to him, clearly lost in his own thoughts, as well. Wondering for the first time if he had gotten them all in over their heads.

The following morning, Tommy sent Jake and Jesse back home to let everyone know they were going to be a few days late. The three remaining men and Ellie packed up their supplies early, hitting the trail as soon as possible, ready to make a dent in the long road ahead. Eugene led the way, followed by Tommy, then Joel brought up the rear, his eyes burning holes in the back of Ellie's head as she clung to Tommy's denim jacket to keep her balance on the back of his horse.

Joel chewed the inside of his cheek, still feeling bitter, about everything. You, Tommy, Ellie. All of it. Since he couldn't get to you, and Tommy already got him in too deep, he chose to direct his energy towards Ellie when they took a break midday.

"Marlene send you with any food, or are you takin' that from us, too?" Joel asked, sitting down on a fallen tree trunk with a groan.

"I have food. And what else could I have possibly taken from you?" Ellie replied curtly, sitting further down the log as she opened her pack to fish out some granola bars.

"Time," Joel snapped. "And we don't even know why we're doin' it."

"Isn't Marlene paying you guys?" she replied with a huff. Tommy's eyes toggled back and forth between Joel and Ellie, becoming exasperated with the constant bickering.

"Can you just drop it, Joel?" Tommy asked. "Who cares? It's an easy gig, and we get meds out of it."

"Oh, she's giving you meds? Wow, she must be really desperate," Ellie chimed in.

"Alright, I've had enough," Joel said, standing up to tower over the girl. "Spit it out. What're we doin' here?"

"Fine, Joel," she said, stretching out each syllable before standing up, fists clenched at her sides. The way she said his name set his teeth on edge. "You wanna know how you're helping slavers move cargo? That the answer you're looking for?"

The three men froze, clearly not expecting that. Tommy stood up now, his head swiveling between Eugene and Joel as he processed the information just dropped on them.

"Wait-" Tommy said, stretching his arm out to Ellie, but she cut him off.

"Yeah, that's right. You still think this is a pain for you?" she snapped, glaring at Joel even though Tommy was the one who spoke.

"Stop!" Joel shouted, holding his hands up in the air as silence fell over the camp. He pointed his finger to Ellie.

"You. Explain. Now."

Joel pinched the bridge of his nose as he silently listened to Ellie tell her story. Her parents were dead. She was taken from her aunt and uncle's house at a young age, forced into slavery for the past few years: laundry, cooking, cleaning. Sometimes for twelve hours a day. Said she's been with the Fireflies a long time, that they keep moving her from base to base but she claimed she didn't know why. Joel had to wonder how much of what she was saying was the truth. There was no doubt something was happening at that hospital, but slaves? Something just didn't add up.

When she finished her story, she nervously glanced around at the men, waiting for one of them to say something. Tommy sighed and motioned to the woods.

"We need to talk about this. Privately," Tommy said, narrowing his eyes at Ellie. "You stay here."

"Fine. Not like I can make it on my own out there, anyway," she said with a snort. She picked up a stick from the ground and began drawing into the loose dirt at her feet.

"We're takin' her back, givin' back the meds, and goin' home," Joel said the moment they were out of earshot. Tommy shook his head.

"Joel-"

"This is enough, Tommy! This ain't our business. Any other option here puts the whole town at risk, puts Maria at risk, puts-" he stopped himself, biting his tongue before saying your name. He hadn't thought about you for the past half hour. A new record.

Tommy wasn't an idiot. He knew something was going on, but he couldn't focus on it, having a much bigger problem to sort out.

"She's a kid. We can't take her back, and we can't take her to Salt Lake City. It ain't right," said Tommy gently, hoping he would make his brother see through whatever was plaguing his mind and look at the bigger picture. Joel frowned and glared at the grass below his boots, clenching and unclenching his jaw as his mind struggled to wrap itself around the situation.

"Eugene?" Tommy said, turning to raise his eyebrows at the older, and suspiciously quiet, man. Eugene sighed, dropping his shoulders like he was carrying an enormous weight.

"I agree with Tommy," he said, and Joel spun on his heel, angrily pacing a few feet away to take some deep breaths.

"So, what? We take her to Jackson? We don't show people where we live for a fuckin' reason," Joel reminded them, his back still turned on the two men.

"We take her back, just a bit, til we can find where her aunt and uncle were livin', and we'll take her back home," Tommy said, the gears in his head turning as he formulated the plan on the spot. "In the meantime, we tell the Fireflies she ran off in the middle of the night. Maybe if we can get those guns to 'em, we can still keep the antibiotics."

Joel scoffed and shook his head, turning around to glare at his younger brother.

"This is stupid and risky. Lyin' to those people don't seem like a good move to me."

"Yeah, well, it's the only move we got, Joel. Otherwise, we're just as bad as them," said Tommy, his eyes drifting through the trees to make sure Ellie was still perched on the log where they left her. "I won't ask you to help take her back to her family."

"Damn right, you won't," Joel muttered, rolling his shoulders angrily. He stared off in the direction of Ellie, his jaw ticking off to the side with his hands on his hips, lost in thought.

He shouldn't have gone on this trip.

"Alright, is it settled, then? Can we hit the road, go back home?" Eugene asked, clearly tired of the bickering. Joel glared at the other two men before stomping back over to Ellie, who stood when she heard the men approaching, eyes flicking to each of their faces. Joel brushed past her to scoop up his bag from the ground and jumped back up on his horse with a grunt. At least he won't have to be away from you any longer. Not that he was sure what to even say, he just knew he needed to see you.

"C'mon, kid. We're takin' you to our town," Tommy said, motioning for her to grab her things and follow him to his horse.

"Really?" she asked excitedly, a small smile playing on her face for the first time.

"'Til we can get you back to your family, yeah," he replied, holding an arm out to help her scramble up the back of his horse.

Joel remained quiet the next day and a half, inwardly brooding about the potential blowback from taking this kid, which then morphed into nerves when he realized he was a few hours away from seeing you again.

When they arrived through the gates of Jackson, he didn't watch Ellie's eyes light up when she first saw the town, the people, the animals, kids her age playing. Maybe if he wasn't so focused on searching for your face in the small crowd that welcomed them back, then he would have seen how happy Ellie was. How, for maybe the first time in years, she felt a spark of hope. Maybe if he wasn't so focused on the ache in his chest when he didn't see you, it wouldn't have come as a surprise when Ellie snuck off the first chance she got, bobbing and weaving down the busy street, eager to see what the town had to offer.

Tag List @nana90azevedo @ninaminaromina @untamedheart81 @taz-97 @nastiasnow @amyispxnk @plz-be-solo - lmk if I missed anyone or if you want to be removed

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ramblingthoughtsofayoungadult · 5 months

Text

Unpredictable Part 3-Limoreau x black!fem!reader fic

A/N: AAAH, thank you for all the support on this. I didn't think it'd be a series but I can't stop writing.

Warnings: toxic parents, body shaming, eating disorders, alcohol abuse, and swearing

Words: 7.7k

Series Masterlist

“…and that’s how I knew that I was meant to do charity work,” the nasal redhead concluded.

That afternoon, the Si Chi house was packed with pledges in floral or puffy Selkie and Miss Selfridge sun dresses. A handful of servers circulated the foyer with trays of orange juice and mimosas. The combination of Prada Candy and Viktor Rolfe Flowerbomb made my head spin but I smiled through it as I nodded at different pledges’ stories. All of them were desperately trying to toe the line between interesting and bragging because one could never act too important for a potential house.

“That’s great news,” I glanced at her name tag, “Brenda since Si Chi regularly engages in philanthropic work.”

Brenda smiled widely, making the hot pink blush on her cheeks even more prominent. “I know, that’s why I’m so interested in joining this---your house.”

“Well, we are glad that you took the time to visit us. Would you excuse me?”

As I weaved my way through the foyer, I plucked a mimosa from a passing server and started sipping. Exactly five seconds passed until I was surrounded by a new crop of bright-eyed freshmen.

“Oh my gosh, are you Y/N Y/L/N?” a willowy brunette asked.

“Guilty, and you are?”

“She’s Justine,” a shorter brunette interrupted.

Justine narrowed her eyes and thinly covered the glare with a smile. “I can introduce myself, thanks, Renee.”

Renee shrunk a little in her oversized light blue sundress and I glanced at Justine.

“So, why are you interested in our house?” I asked.

Justine straightened up and smiled like a pageant girl. “Well, I’m perfectly aligned with all the values of Si Chi: Sisterhood, respect, and intelligence. I am all about women empowerment and I respect people from all backgrounds----I’m exposed to a bunch of different people as an actress, anyway.”

“What about intelligence?”

“Well, I think there’s many different kinds of intelligence and, as an actress, I’m emotionally intelligent to the point where I’m exhausted by everyone else’s energy.”

“She really has to prioritize self-care,” Renee added.

“It’s great that you’re aware of that for yourself.”

She had to be one of the least self-aware people I ever encountered and that was a difficult fete. However, her socials had decent numbers and she had been in a few Vought Plus movies, which would help her win Sydney and Lydia, the vice president, over. The next two years with her and her friend would be irritating.

A softer expression slipped across Justine’s face, and she took a step towards me. “I just want to say that I think it’s so brave that you’ve been participating in all the rush events despite your traumatic experience. I can’t imagine what it must have been like to see Luke,” she paused and placed a hand on her chest, “kill himself.”

Though it had been a week since, it still felt like a bomb rolled off Justine’s tongue when she said it. The wave of emotions that I experienced in that time was hard to describe; Shetty said that grief was a rollercoaster, and the influx of emotions was normal.

“As impossible as it may seem, one day you will come to accept what happened,” she’d advised. “You may experience more anxiety but, with your network, I am sure you will be able to cope.”

The network she referred to was strained at best and destroyed at worst. My “sisters” were as supportive as they could be: Alina gave me a Lush self-care kit, Sasha was not nearly as antagonizing as usual, Lydia gave me grief book recommendations, and Sydney let me pick what workout classes we attended. Emma and Cate were the only non-Si Chi people I spoke to since it was way too difficult to speak to the others.

Justine placed her hand on my shoulder. “If you ever need someone to talk to, you can count on me.”

“Thank you for the thought,” I replied, smiling tightly.

“You must be so grateful that Marie was there to stop him,” Renee quipped.

I sipped some more juice to keep the confusing feelings from bubbling up. Nothing could have prepared me for Marie and Andre being propped as the Guardians of Godolkin, which was arguably the dumbest name Vought could give them. The less I wanted to see them, the more I saw their promos and videos. It was horrible that the last time we spoke we had a fight but every time I saw her, I felt a weird wrench in my chest.

At the very least, Emma seemed happy for her.

Then, Coco Allen, a Si Chi junior, appeared from the crowd and squeezed between the freshmen. “There you are, Y/N, I have a crim freshman with a water manipulation ability who wants to pick your brain.”

“Sure. Will you excuse me?”

“Bye!” Renee called as Coco pulled me through the crowd.

When we got to the less populated living room, I exhaled a breath I did not know I was holding. Then, I turned to the beaming Coco.

“Thank you,” I said.

“You’re welcome. You know I hate entitled freshmen,” Coco mused.

Coco was the only other black girl in Si Chi and happened to be the first one to talk to me when I visited the house last year. She was a little shorter than me with deep mahogany skin that always glowed. She always wore her waist-length jet-black hair in tight curls and accessorized solely with gold jewelry. That day, she wore a fitted white sundress with espadrilles.

“Were there this many last year?” I asked.

Coco shook her head. “But there are a few more black girls so it’s promising.”

“That’s great! I hope I can find them before the event’s over.”

“That would be great.” Coco eyed me. “So, how are you holding up?”

“I’m okay, the mimosas don’t hurt though.”

“They never do. You didn’t have to come today, you know, you could have taken more time, get out of here for a minute.”

I shook my head. “I needed this, it’s a nice distraction or, it has been. Besides, what would it look like if the secretary didn’t attend?”

Coco nodded slowly but I could tell that the gears in her head were turning too much for her to be convinced. “You’re already Sydney and Lydia’s favorite and they might have let it slide.”

I cocked my head at her and she immediately started chuckling half-heartedly.

“Sorry, I shouldn’t have said that. The hoops they make us jump through are ridiculous,” Coco reflected.

“It makes sense why you didn’t want to be an officer even though you’re poli sci,” I commented.

Coco grinned. “Hey, I’m making decent connections just by being in this house. This is just a steppingstone on my path to become the first black woman supe president.”

Even though the title was long, if anyone could do it, it was Coco. One time last year I sat in on one of her debates in class and she had a senior in tears and their debate partner ready to put their laser eyes to good use.

“Well, don’t forget little ole me when you’re a big shot,” I teased.

Coco frowned. “What do you mean ‘little’? You have done too much to talk like that.”

I shrugged. “Not that they’re not as important but my four-year plan is less impressive than yours.”

“Oh yeah, the plan where you basically end up a trophy wife? No shade but, I think you’d be way too bored in that role.”

“Hey, I would have a city contract too. Plus, it’s what I want and what I see for myself every time I look into the future. Every step I have taken up until this point puts me closer to that.”

My voice was much stronger than I thought it would be but Coco was always pushing me. Some days it was motivating and on others, it was infuriating.

“Like I said, I’m not trying to crush your dreams or your plan but is that really all you want for yourself? Especially thinking about all the good you’re already doing with your powers?” Coco questioned.

Her words plagued me for the rest of the event and bugged me when we gave our ratings of the pledges to Sydney and Lydia.

“Oh, and Y/N, don’t forget to send me that compilation with all the pledges’ socials,” Sydney requested as I was on my way out of the foyer.

“Of course, you’ll have it by the end of the day.”

Everything was much quieter underwater, except for my thoughts, but those were much clearer. Every time I thought about where I would be in five years, it was the same: smiling at a city event on the arm of some suit. I never saw the man’s face but I knew he had to be somewhat attractive. My eyes fluttered closed at the bottom of the pool and I focused on my future.

It was the same image, complete with flashing cameras and I was wearing a gorgeous rose pink Oscar de la Renta gown. My hair was piled on top of my head in Senegalese twists, and I was smiling widely. However, when I tried to look at whose arm I was on, it was like I could not turn my head. The harder I tried, the sorer the side of my neck got.

After a few more seconds of trying, I pushed myself up to the surface and sucked in the air. The sky was a mix of orange, purple, and blue. Sydney was blasting “My Head, My Heart”, which signaled that she was getting ready to go out with Eric Landon, the president of Sigma Kappa. It would be nice to be asked on a date, a proper one without the expectations of sex later.

My face warmed at the fact that I had never actually been asked out. People constantly told me how good looking I was but that did not translate into boys falling all over themselves for me. There were the occasional fun nights out but it would always end in that same venue. I didn’t think I asked for too much: flowers, good morning and good night texts, respect, intelligence, and ambition. Emma told me I watched too many movies once and while that could have been true, I also thought that it wasn’t too much to ask a guy to hold a door open.

It also did not help that Jordan was the last person I ever got close to being intimate with. I groaned at the thought and dove underwater, making my way to the other side of the pool.

An almost-kiss should mean absolutely nothing but I could not stop thinking about it, just like I could not stop thinking about how Jordan would throw me under the bus to save themselves. I would never do that to anyone, especially not someone I cared about.

But you already did, the voice in my head hissed.

Marie didn’t count, I didn’t mean to do that; Andre, Luke, Cate, and Jordan decided for me. I would have stayed if it was my choice but that didn’t matter to Marie or any of them.

I pushed myself from the side of the pool and butterfly stroked my way to the other side. Thankfully, the water was heated and soothed my aching muscles. As I was about to resurface, I noted a blurry tall blonde figure standing above me. When I pushed up, Cate stood over me, her eyes worried.

“Hey,” I greeted.

“Hi, can we talk?”

“Sure.”

A few seconds later, I was wrapped in a fluffy towel and standing across from Cate. Her eyes shifted around for a moment before she suggested we headed inside. When we got to my room, she immediately closed the door behind us.

“Is there any way someone would have listening devices in here?” Cate asked.

“No,” I said slowly.

“Are you sure? There’s shit out now where they put it in the tiniest crevices and you would never know,” Cate argued.

“I would have seen it or had a hint about it. What’s going on?”

Cate finally sat on my bed, and I opted to stand across from her. “Andre and I found some stuff that makes Luke and Brink’s deaths way more complicated.”

“What do you mean?”

“Well, for one thing, they totally cleared out his room the day after he died and I mean everything.”

My eyes widened. “Even the…special drawer?”

“Yes, and at first, I thought it was protocol but what would they do with all those----”

“I get it, Cate, what else did you and Andre find?”

As Cate continued to speak, I could feel my stomach sink further and further, until I was sure it was somewhere in the house basement. Nothing Cate said meant anything positive for anyone. If there was some kind of lab under us, that meant anyone could become a part of it.

“Have you told anyone else?” I asked.

Cate huffed and leaned back on my bed. “Well, Jordan’s been spiraling about Marie and the rankings, so I can’t get a word in about anything else.”

“They’re spiraling?” I asked.

“You haven’t talked to them since Luke died?” Cate asked.

When she said it like that, it sounded like I committed a cardinal sin. After that day, there was nothing else for me to say to them. Even though I saw them in class occasionally, I never spoke to them and desperately tried to avoid eye contact.

“They could have reached out too,” I muttered.

“You’re such a younger sibling,” Cate commented.

“It’s true!” I whined.

“Well, they’ve been freaking out about the rankings since they fell down to number five and Andre’s number one.”

Being in the Top Five was like Jordan’s lifeline. They’d always shared a friendly rivalry with Luke but I knew they wanted to be number one eventually. They spent almost all their time making sure they stayed in a high position and to drop to bottom of the Top Five must have been devastating.

“Oh no,” I whispered.

“Yeah, and your new best friend cracked the Top 100 and is Jordan’s new nemesis,” Cate added.

I walked over to my dresser and pulled out a chocolate brown loungewear set. “Neither of them are my friends.”

Cate frowned. “Seriously, what is going on with you? The other night, you and Marie were inseparable, and you and Jordan were bantering. What happened?”

It must have been the fact that I was holding all my thoughts and feelings in because I burst.

“Marie and I can’t be friends since she thinks I’m a shallow bitch who would sacrifice her to save myself because I hang out with people who do. The funny part is that Jordan admitted they would backstab me if they could get ahead, which is definitely not something I would do to a friend or anyone I almost kissed!”

I was panting by the end and my chest felt a lot lighter. However, my nerves began to build when I noticed Cate’s mischievous grin.

“Who did you almost kiss?” Cate asked.

“That’s not the point,” I mumbled.

Cate stared at me for a second before lighting up. “It was Jordan, wasn’t it?”

“It doesn’t matter.”

“You hesitated which means I’m right. It could have easily been Marie though since you were all over her.”

“Why do people keep saying that? I was being nice!”

Cate held up her hands in a relaxed defense. “Chill, Y/N, it’s okay to like more than one person at once.”

“I don’t like either of them.”

“At all?” Cate quirked an eyebrow.

“No,” I pouted.

Cate looked unimpressed and I felt even more unimpressed since I knew that I liked Marie and Jordan platonically.

“Okay, we’ll save that for later but, I don’t think Jordan would tell you that they would backstab you and they would not think about it. They would do it to other people, but not you.”

“You’re just saying that because they’re your friend and you weren’t there.”

Cate cocked her head to the side. “Think, Y/N, did Jordan really say, ‘I would backstab you if it would save my ass’?”

As I recalled the memory, I slowly rocked back and forth on my heels. “They didn’t say that but, they didn’t answer me when I asked if they would.” “You probably caught them off guard,” Cate reasoned. “I’m sure if you talked to them, things would go okay.”

I hesitated and set my clothes on my bed. “Let’s say that I decided to speak to them, I don’t know what to say. Even if I did, my class tomorrow isn’t with them.

“You’re not going to the Think Brink gala tomorrow night?” Cate asked.

Earlier that day, Mom mentioned something about a gala on the phone but I was only half-listening. In my defense, there was only so much complaining about her clients and Dad that I could stand. I grabbed my phone from my nightstand and “Go to Brink gala” was in bright letters on my calendar.

“I guess I am,” I concluded.

“Then, you have some time to figure it out. You might get lucky and not even have to say anything.” I nodded and messed with the charm on my phone. “But what about Marie?”

“You’ll figure that out too. Indira’s taking her to the gala so, you can get both your ‘friends’ back,” Cate said, putting “friends” in air quotes.

“Why did you do it like that? Don’t say it like that.”

“Just because you’re in denial doesn’t mean I am. Think about it, would you be this freaked out if we had a fight?”

The “yes” should have come immediately but it didn’t; it died in my throat, and I couldn’t look at Cate. Why were things different with Marie and Jordan? Why did I stress out about them when I tried to stop thinking about them?

“Can you just make me say the right thing?” I asked.

Cate mulled it over for a moment. “I think it’s best if you do it yourself. If you don’t have a vision about it, something will come to you.”

“Thanks, Cate. If you and Andre need any help snooping----”

“You will be the first person I text,” Cate assured.

“I was going to say that I’ll probably know before you.”

I narrowly avoided the pillow Cate tossed at me and laughed at her effort.

“Maybe you are getting a little too cocky, Y/N.” She stood and walked over to me. “And for the record, I would never betray you in any way, neither would Andre or Jordan. If either of them did, they would have to deal with me.”

“Thanks, I would hug you but I’m still soaking wet.”

“Yeah, that’s smart. I know this might be useless but try not to worry about everything.”

I shrugged. “It doesn’t hurt to try.”

“You’re taking the meds from Indira?”

“Yes, Mom,” I teased.

“Just trying to help.”

Strangely, that was the first night since Luke’s death that I fell asleep as soon as my head hit the pillow. The trend was that I would strain myself to have premonitions until I was exhausted and tried again in the morning. For once, sleep found me quickly.

After sitting through a two-hour lecture on trauma’s impact on villains and heroes, I was more than happy to wander back to the Si Chi house and decompress. In a few hours, Talia, Mom’s assistant, would arrive with options for the gala. Then, the glam team would arrive and do their best to ignore Mom while they did their jobs.

I needed all the relaxation I could get.

As I was mentally reviewing which movies I could watch, my phone kept buzzing in my back pocket. I thought it was another flurry of comments on the TikTok Coco and I made yesterday but it was from a strange number.

XXX-XXX-XXXX: Y/N, pls come 2 my dorm, it’s an emergency.

XXX-XXX-XXXX: Im srry we haven’t talked in a while but it’s important.

I frowned and typed back, ????

XXX-XXX-XXXX: It’s Marie. Emma’s in trouble.

My stomach dropped and I replied, B there soon.

As I raced around other people on campus, my thoughts moved faster at the possibility of what could have been going on with Emma. The last time I had spoken to her was two days ago and she was okay then. If anything, she may have been tense because Marie and I were not speaking but she had not said anything else.

I was halfway to their dorm when I ran into something solid.

“Watch where you’re going, Y/N,” Maverick sneered.

“If you put on some clothes, maybe I’d see you,” I shot back as I continued down the hall.

When I finally got to their dorm, I was panting and could barely knock. Marie pulled the door open, pulled me in, and closed the door behind me.

“Did you sprint here?” she asked.

I nodded. “You said…it was…an….emergency…Emma.”

In the middle of me grabbing my bearings, I noticed something tiny next to one of the supports on Emma’s bed. Slowly, I slid to my knees and crawled over to it. When I realized who it was, a choked gasp escaped my mouth.

“What happened?” I whispered.

“I don’t know. She was like that when I got here and I didn’t know what to do so I called you since you’ve known her the longest,” Marie rambled.

Her words barely registered in my brain as I went to one of Emma’s drawers, grabbed a small set of clothes, wrapped her in it, and carefully set her on her bed. Emma was barely breathing and was ghostly pale.

“Emma, I know you’re probably not going to like this but, you’re going to need to eat something.”

She didn’t reply and for a second, I wondered if she could.

I started rifling through all her stuff until I found a box of crackers. My hands trembled as I broke them into small pieces and kneeled in front of Emma. She never looked at me as she nibbled on each crumb I fed her.

Eventually, she grew back to her normal size. As soon as she was, she pulled her knees to her chest.

“I’m sorry you saw me like that,” she muttered.

Slowly, I sat next to her and it was almost the same way zookeepers treated wild animals. If one moved calmly enough, they would not get attacked. Marie sat on her bed.

“It’s okay, I’m glad we were able to help,” I replied. “What happened?”

Emma sniffed. “I opened up to this girl in my class. We’re scene partners for a project and we were talking, and I guess I felt comfortable enough to tell her about how I get small. I thought it was just between us, but she posted this…this video on YouTube telling the whole world about it.”

“Who’s the girl?” Marie asked.

“How do you get small?” I uttered at the same time.

Emma froze for a moment and looked away from me. “I make myself…sick.”

When she said it, I suddenly remembered all those times she would go to the bathroom and then come out a miniature version of herself. However, all those times, it was for different commercials or other work-related events. Then again, there had to be times when she did it at home or at my house.

How did I never notice? “Emma, I’m so sorry. I wish you would’ve told me sooner,” I said.

Emma turned to me with a glare in her eyes. “Really? How would I work that into a conversation? ‘Hey, Y/N, I’m sorry to interrupt but, I make myself throw up to get small’?”.

“We’re friends, friends tell each other this kind of thing,” I insisted.

Emma scoffed. “Please, like you would get it if I told you. You’re perfect, you always have been. Your face, your hair, your body, your eyes, your life!”

“That’s not fair.”

“Emma, I think you need to get help,” Marie interrupted.

Emma’s gaze flickered to hers and I thought she might set Marie on fire. “I need to get help, that’s rich coming from you. You act like no one can see your scars.”

Marie flinched and her eyes narrowed slightly. “I do that for my powers, that’s different.”

Emma laughed callously. “Please, at least be honest. How about this: I’ll go to therapy when you admit to cutting.”

Emma’s voice had no tone and every word she said was like a hammer slamming into my chest. She wasn’t in the right headspace for any conversation and I kept reminding myself as I stood.

“We should talk later when we’ve all calmed down,” I suggested.

“I don’t want to speak to either of you again,” she hissed.

It took more effort than usual to swallow the lump in my throat as I let myself out of their dorm. Just as I was about to lean against the door and wallow, Marie slipped out behind me and shut the door. I took a step back, barely avoiding a pair of girls rushing past.

“Sorry,” she apologized.

“It’s fine.”

Silence filled the space for a moment, and I had no idea how to fill it. Cate said I would know what to say but I was at a loss.

“I’m sorry about what I said…that day,” Marie delivered gently.

My eyes snapped up at her. “Oh.”

She sighed. “I was just angry, and I thought you were a part of it but, Emma kept saying that you would never do something like that. I just didn’t know how to reach out or say anything.”

I know the feeling.

“I accept your apology but I’m also sorry that no one came back for you. I guess it worked out, though?”

Marie sighed and leaned against her door. “Sort of. The perks are nice and I’m in crim now but I feel like everyone’s looking at me and expects something from me; almost like they’re waiting for me to fail.”

“Really? They had me convinced you’d be the black Starlight,” I teased.

Marie laughed half-heartedly. “I still want to be a hero, though, someone like her people can look up to.”

“Anyone in particular?”

Marie hesitated. “My little sister. We were both obsessed with heroes when we were younger, but I was the one who got Compound V. She always looked up to me and I want to be someone who would make her proud.”

“That’s a really admirable goal,” I complimented.

She smiled softly. “What about you? Shouldn’t you be my competition to be the black Starlight?”

My expression faltered and I looked down at my French acrylics. “No, I don’t think I have the showmanship you do. Besides, my goal isn’t to be in the Seven.”

“Really? What do you want to do?” Marie asked.

“So, I have this four year plan and if I follow the steps I am on to a T, I will graduate with a city contract and be engaged to an eligible supe.”

Usually, when I told someone my four year plan, my chest swelled and my shoulders rolled back unconsciously. This time, it felt like I was a toddler showing my mom a drawing I made in school.

“Is that it?” Marie asked.

“I know it’s more traditional and maybe even a little lame but, it’s what I want,” I maintained.

Marie nodded slowly.

“What is it?”

“Nothing, I just imagined you doing something in, like, criminal AI or stopping criminals from re-offending.”

“Both are great, they’re just not me.”

“Which is fine,” Marie insisted.

She sounded a little too eager but I let it go as we started walking down the hallway.

“What should we do about Emma?” Marie asked.

“I’ve never seen her like that before but she’ll need time to cool off.”

“Sounds good, I just have nowhere to go until the gala tonight.”

“You could come to Si Chi for a bit. I can’t promise they won’t try to initiate you, though.”

Marie laughed. “Me, in a sorority?”

“Hey, we’re getting more black girls this year so you never know!”

“Whatever but, yeah, I’d like to hang out with you…at your house.”

Even though Marie rushed the last part, a smile quirked on the corners of my mouth. It would be nice to have a new friend over and it was even nicer that there was no more tension between us.

“You know, Emma never told us the name of that girl,” Marie pondered once we got outside.

“Oh, that’s easy.” I grabbed my phone and scrolled through my contacts until I reached the right one.

Shelby answered on the first ring. “Y/N, hi!” “Hey, are you on your way to class?” I asked.

“Yeah, if I’m late one more time, Professor Elix is going to make me do an improv one-woman show!” she panted.

“Well, I don’t want to slow you down but, you have class with Emma Meyer, right?”

“Oh yeah, Intro to Stage, why?”

“Cool. She told me her stage partner has an incredible Insta aesthetic, but she never told me her name and I need new inspo.”

“Oh, that’s Justine. I don’t know her last name but I’m sure you’ll find her.”

“Thanks, Shelby. Have fun in class.”

“Thanks!”

I hung up and turned to Marie, whose eyebrows were raised. “What?”

“What was that voice?” Marie asked.

“It was my voice. Haven’t you heard of code-switching?”

“Fine. Did you get the name?”

“Yes, Justine and I’ve met her.”

“What? How?”

“She’s rushing Si Chi.” I couldn’t keep the devilish smile from working its way into my mouth.

“What does that look mean?” Marie asked.

“It means that there are many more perks to being in a top house besides living in it.”

For some reason, everyone thinks that white girls have a monopoly on passive aggression and relational aggression. That was not the case at all; black girls simply are more inclined towards active aggression but we’re capable of both. I proved as much during Brink’s gala.

The ballroom was packed with board members, trustees, alumni, and the wealthiest GOD U students, the latter being my target of interest. They were all easy to approach since I had met them at some function or another.

“Y/N,” Bianca Peterson gushed as she hugged me.

Her Gucci Guilty perfume tickled my nose and I willed myself not to sneeze as I politely pulled away from her. “Bianca, it’s been too long. I think the last time I saw you was at Beta Ro’s Brunch for Boy Scouts.”

Bianca nodded, light auburn curls bouncing around her sculpted features. “Yes, we bonded over jewelry.”

“And you still have fantastic taste,” I mentioned, gesturing to the gold buckle around her wrist.

“Thank you, it was a present from Theo but I gave him a few hints,” she bragged lightly.

“How is rush going?” I asked.

“Pretty well, our pledges are shaping up nicely this year, not that they don’t every year,” she quickly added the last part.

“Of course. Do you have a lot of girls from Counting?”

“We’re interested in a couple, why? Are you trying to poach?”

I shook my head. “Not at all, I just wasn’t sure if you heard what Layla from Zeta Nu discovered.”

Bianca raised a microbladed brow. “No, I don’t think I have.”

I took a deep inhale and slowly shook my head in disbelief. “Oh, well, I should let it come from her then.”

A moment later, Bianca glanced across the room at Layla Ruthers, the president of Zeta Nu, who was smiling politely at a pair of hunched-over old men.

“In case I don’t have a chance to talk to her, what happened?” Bianca asked.

I glanced around us for a moment before leaning closer. “Apparently, a freshman posted a video about another girl’s eating disorder.”

“Really?” Bianca’s eyes widened.

I nodded. “Layla was insulted for the other girl and banned the pledge from rushing Zeta Nu. She even said that no respectable house would accept someone so low-class.”

“Oh,” Bianca uttered.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to take up all your time. I should go mingle.”

I made it about two steps before Bianca gently grabbed one of my arms.

“Wait, Y/N. Did Layla say the name of the pledge?”

My eyes wandered around the twinkling lights of the room for a second. “Justine something, I think.”

“Thank you. I’ll see you later.”

“Sure!”

The rest of my conversations followed that pattern. Each girl I spoke to was shocked and horrified by my words. Plus, none of them would dare speak to the other; that would mean another house had better information than them. My final target was easily the most important one: Sydney.

In her ice-blue mermaid dress and intricate updo, she looked more like Cinderella than a gala attendee. She was standing at a table, nodding her head at something a shorter guy was saying.

“Excuse me,” I politely interrupted, “I need to borrow Sydney for a second.”

The guy deflated slightly. “Sure.”

“I’ll see you soon.” Sydney huffed a sigh of relief as soon as we were out of earshot. “Thank you, I don’t know what he was even talking about.”

“Anytime,” I replied.

She snatched a champagne flute from a passing server and downed half of it. “I can’t wait for this night to be over.”

I nodded. “It is morbid despite their attempt to dress it up.”

“Yeah, and my parents won’t stop bugging me about my future. I can only apply to so many internships and not everyone is looking for a telekinetic,” she griped. “Sorry, how are you?”

“I’m alright. Ironically, I think he’d hate the name they picked but I didn’t know him super well,” I admitted.

“Right.”

Here it goes.

“So, I think the event the other day was a success,” I commented.

“Definitely. The house was packed. It’s too bad we can’t accept them all.”

Sydney smiled as she spoke.

“I know. It’s great that there’s so much interest.” I paused for a second. “But, I wanted to tell you that something came up with one of the pledges.”

Sydney gestured for me to continue.

“Even though my social media deep dive on the pledges was thorough, something came up today that I thought you should know when considering the pledges,” I explained.

“Okay.”

“Today, Justine posted a video exposing another girl’s eating disorder. Several of the girls were upset when they saw it.”

“That’s awful,” Sydney responded.

“It’s also so disappointing since I met Justine during that event, and she was saying how women empowerment is important to her. I know that women empowerment is a huge passion for you and a foundation for Si Chi and to imagine a pledge so willing to tear down another woman infiltrating the safe space you building is horrifying.”

Despite the liquor, I could tell Sydney was processing my words quicker than any computer. Her expression shifted from shock to anger to coldness. Then, she finished the last of her champagne and set it on the table closest to us. “Thank you for telling me, Y/N. I’ll see you later.”

As she walked away, I grinned widely at the response. Bid Day was going to be even more fun and interesting than last year. To celebrate, I grabbed myself a flute of champagne and sipped it as I started to wander the room.

“Y/N!”

My body froze at the masculine voice and my mind raced with what to say or do. Finally, I decided to face Jordan. They were in their masculine form and standing at a table by themselves. Though they looked fantastic in their navy suit, they looked like they hadn’t slept in days.

“Hello.”

I practically sang it and prayed for someone to make the floor swallow me.

“Can we talk?” he asked.

“Um, sure.” I walked closer to their table and rested my forearms on it.

“It’s good to see you,” he started. “Outside of class, I mean.”

“You too.”

Jordan nodded and rubbed the back of his neck. “That’s good.” He paused. “I’m sorry about everything.”

I looked up from tapping my nails on the tablecloth. “Wh---”

“Please, let me finish. That day…I don’t know why I didn’t just tell you that I wouldn’t throw you under the bus but I wouldn’t even think about it. How could I do that to my little freshman?”

For the first time ever, my chest warmed at the nickname. However, I tried to bite back the smile that was worming its way onto my face.

I glanced away for a moment, crossing my arms over my purple sleeveless satin gown. “Well, I guess I forgive you,” I playfully grumbled before turning back to him. “But you still did it pretty easily to Marie.”

Jordan’s expression faltered and he sipped some champagne. “Don’t mention her.”

“Why not? She’s my friend and we did a very mean thing,” I argued.

“Look, I protected myself and you that night, I won’t apologize for that. Besides, she’s still here and she’s doing great,” he spat.

“I know you’re pissed about the rankings but, those can change, especially with how hard you work and how powerful you are.”

Jordan scoffed. “That’s how it should work but no one wants to back a bigender Asian.”

His words made me stop for a second. In all the time I knew them, Jordan seemed invincible to punches, laser beams, electric shocks, and words. They made succeeding at Godolkin look so easy but it must have been anything but. Plus, Luke and Brink’s death must have impacted everything else.

“We’ll see about that,” I challenged. “There’s about thirty trustees and every board member in this room. There will have to be a few who will like you.”

Jordan hesitated. “I’m not really in the mood to promote myself.”

“Then let me talk,” I offered.

He eyed me for a while before crossing over to my side of the table and looping one of his arms with mine. “Don’t make me look bad, freshie.”

“I think that’s impossible.”

The first target was easy: a thirtysomething white guy with floppy light brown hair and an oversized gray suit. I focused on him for a moment, gathering as much information as I could.

“Trevor Emerson, GOD U alum and old money beneficiary,” I muttered to Jordan.

“Isn’t he supposed to hate me?” Jordan hissed back.

“He’s overcome by white guilt since his recent discovery that all the black and brown people who built and managed his family’s manor were not salaried employees,” I explained. “He’s dying to look as much of an ally as possible.”

Jordan straightened up. “Good job, freshie.”

“I haven’t even gotten started.” I painted a polite smile on my face. “Mr. Emerson, it’s so nice to meet you, can we bother you for a moment?”

Two guilty and three haughty donors later, Jordan and I found ourselves at a different table. It was the first time that I saw him smile that night.

“You were amazing out there,” Jordan exclaimed.

“Thank you but you also made my job a little easier being talented and whatever,” I joked.

“Seriously.” Jordan grabbed my hand. “You might have saved my ass.”

I tried to ignore the tingle that shot up from my hand into the side of my neck. “It’s okay, I’m happy to help.”

When they announced that the video was about to start Jordan sulked again. “I can’t believe they’re making us sit through this shit.”

“Me neither.” I rest my hand on top of his. “I’m sorry I didn’t ask sooner but, are you okay?”

Jordan laughed humorlessly. “No but schmoozing with you did help a little. I’ll see you later?”

“Yeah.”

When we parted our separate ways, I wiped my sweaty palms on my dress skirt and approached my table. Fortunately, Mom and Dad had not burned down the ballroom with their arguing. In fact, when I got to their table, Mom was on her phone and Dad was rhythmically tapping his fingers against the tablecloth, looking anywhere but her.

“Hi, were you bored with me gone?” I asked, giving Dad a side hug.

“Not at all. I met a few board members and sold a few pictures,” he responded.

I nodded and slowly took the middle seat between them. The video was equal parts patronizing and infuriating. However, my parents’ whispers kept me from focusing too much on the video.

“Y/M/N, can you get off the phone for one second? They’re playing the video,” Dad hissed.

“I am about to cut the biggest deal of this quarter. They can send it,” Mom hissed back, waving a manicured hand for emphasis.

“Mom, people are starting to stare,” I quietly interjected.

“Let them stare. This is what’s paying for you to be here.”

“Don’t act like I don’t contribute!” Their words used to make me flinch but I forced myself to sit up straighter and breathe.

“I’m grateful for it, for both of you, really. You both paid to be here and I thought you would not want to miss the man they’re honoring,” I whispered.

Those words made Mom slowly mutter something into the phone before placing it face down on the table and leaning forward. At that same time, they flashed a picture of Brink and me across the screen. He had been meeting with my small group when the photographer appeared.

Dad squeezed an arm around my shoulder and I softly leaned into his touch.

“Thank God you lost that baby fat,” Mom commented.

“Y/M/N,” Dad said quietly.

“You know it’s true, Y/D/N,” Mom hissed back.

Suddenly, Dad’s arm felt like a boa constrictor, and I gracefully slipped out of its grasp. When the video ended, I drank a fresh flute of champagne. The bubbles instantly went to my head as I giggled at Dean Shetty introducing Marie.

She looked really pretty even though she was nervous.

“Do you know her?” Mom asked over the applause.

“We’re friends,” I replied.

“So why is she a guardian and not you?”

“She was more involved in stopping Luke than me,” I lied.

When Dean Shetty cued everyone to return to socializing, Mom turned to me.

“Your grades are fantastic and your standing in your house is good,” Mom began. “But eligible bachelors will not notice you unless you stand out like her.”

“Y/M/N, leave her alone. Anyone who doesn’t notice Y/N isn’t worthy of being in our family anyway,” Dad defended.

Mom ignored him. “That girl, Marie Moreau, is not your friend, she is your competition. You are in the prime setting to have everything you’ve ever wanted but she could snatch it from you. You’re supposed to be able to see things like this coming, Y/N.”

“I do see things coming and I know Marie wouldn’t do that to me,” I quipped.

At that moment, Mom’s eyes bore so deep into me that I didn’t think that anyone could claw them out. Her eyes looked like they were going to bug out of her head at any moment and I could feel my breathing pick up.

“I’m sorry, it just slipped out,” I promised.

It felt like forever until she leaned back in her seat and grabbed her phone.

“Make sure it doesn’t ‘slip out’ again. Now go socialize.”

“I need a minute, Mom, I’ve been socializing since we got here.”

Mom rolled her eyes. “This again.”

“What?”

“Y/M/N, please.”

“No, no, Y/D/N, she is constantly using, what, anxiety to get out of speaking to people. You are always too soft on her and make me look like the bad guy. I’m the one helping her be normal,” Mom snapped. “Anxiety didn’t exist when we were her age, we just did what we had to do, and look where we are now.”

I wondered if Emma ever felt as small as I did in that moment. Then, I wondered if she ever made herself small to hide from people, even her mom. Wordlessly, I left the table and tried to avoid any cameras as the tears burned in the corners of my eyes.

I tried to take deep breaths to calm my trembling chest and keep my throat busy. My chest shifted from trembling to heavy and I started looking around the room.

“I hear one piano…feel two fingers…smell three different alcohols…and see---”

“Y/N, are you okay?” Cate’s voice broke me out of my rhythm and I glanced to see her sitting with Marie and Jordan, who was in their feminine form.

My chest felt much lighter and I quickly wiped away my tears. “Yeah, I’m fine.”

“Bullshit,” Jordan called gently.

Cate pulled me into a hug and had me sit between her and Marie. “What happened?”

“My parents, well, my mom mostly. I guess I got too anxious for her, and she yelled at me,” I rambled.

Cate smiled softly. “Then you came at the perfect time. We were just talking about our horrible parents.”

My ears perked up. “Really?”

“Well, mine are dead,” Marie commented.

I turned to her and placed my hands on top of hers. “What? I’m so sorry. How did it…”

“I accidentally killed them with my powers,” Marie explained.

“That must have been horrible.”

Marie barely nodded and I squeezed her hands. “I just told my little brother to go away during a camping trip. He never came back and my mom pretty much locked me away,” Cate confessed. “I was seven.”

“What?” I whispered.

“I killed my grandpa with my powers,” Jordan interjected.

We all turned to her and I cocked my head to the side.

“No, you didn’t,” Cate countered.

Jordan smiled. “You’re right, I was feeling left out.”

I didn’t think that I could laugh the way I did but it felt so nice. At least I had friends again.

When I started sipping on the whiskey Cate stole, I saw a brief image flash before my eyes. There was a guy with curly brown hair covered in dirt running away from several bloody bodies. He paused for a moment and opened his hand, revealing a tiny sleeping Emma. When the vision left, Andre was standing in front of us.

“Seriously?” I complained before he even spoke.

#black!reader #jordan li x reader #gen v x reader #limoreau x reader #marie moreau x reader

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velvetcloxds · 1 month

Text

ENSUE | E. M

word count: 2k

warning: can confidently say that this is officially the last part of this series, it's been an emotional rollercoaster for sure, reader gets injured, shitty men in the workplace

summary: you manage to injure yourself after a confrontation with your father and the new manager and eddie finds you hiding in his bedroom instead of your usual spot, seems you've got a lot to talk about now that the dust has settled

previous chapter | series masterlist

You were tired of knowing better, it was only getting you into trouble, every chance it got. You knew better with Eddie, but you still got hurt. You knew better than the new manager your father had hired to spite you, you still got shouted at in front of all the staff. You knew better than your father, knew he couldn’t do any of this on his own, and still ended up on the other end of one of his humbling temper tantrums. Somewhere between Mr. Harrington telling you to know your place and your father calling you an inferior girl who has reached the end of her usefulness, you moved a little too close to your father’s cigarette and burned your arm. You weren’t even sure where you were going when you started rushing away, weren’t sure if you were crying out of anger or out of pain, you’d never been all that good with either, maybe it was both.

Eddie wasn’t sure why he was so worried when he heard about what happened, but he was almost sprinting by the time he got to his room, he’d searched everywhere and this was a last resort, you knew where it was and it was always open so maybe, just maybe you’d gone there in your rush to get away from the office, hide the fact that you were crying- still, he couldn’t help the surprise on his face when he opened the door and actually found you. You were standing sort of aimlessly by his mirror, wiping at your eyes, of course, that would be your focus.

It was odd seeing you, seeing you in his space was something wholly different, it had been weeks since you found him talking to Billy, weeks since he’d been able to look at you without you looking away or excusing yourself. He hadn’t spoken more than a quick greeting or an entirely professional question since then and he was both hugely freaked out and somewhat grateful that he’d get the opportunity to do so now, all things considered.

“Y/n?” you tensed at his voice, considered it carefully before turning towards him, you wondered why he looked so worried, you’d been shouted at many times before since the two of you started working together. The only difference was that men tended to stop when he was with you, like he was some sort of buffer, they didn’t respect you any more than they did when he wasn’t there, they just respected him too much to show it in front of him. “Robin called me, said she saw you running from the office clutching your arm,” you nodded, didn’t react to him walking towards you, he meant to be slow, really he knew he should’ve been but you met his gaze, he noted then that he’d never seen you cry before- you’d been upset, hurt, insulted, and you’d been close but you’d always catch yourself.

“They turned our spot into a storage room,” you explained, hand stupidly moving to cover the burn mark on your arm, hoping he wouldn’t mention it, wouldn’t take note of it- he did, he had to stop himself from making a scene about it. “And there were people everywhere, I just needed to clear my head, I didn’t know where else to go-“

“It’s fine,” there was a silent conversation paired with his interruption, a subtle nod to your hand to have it move, an outstretched hand begging you to let him see, and the gentlest fingers that grazed around the skin to scope how bad it was. “Cigarette burn?” he had to keep his mind at bay, he knew the smokers of the office and had borrowed a cigarette from most of them, you only ever got into direct contact with one, you knew that too.

“It was an accident, I was trying to explain myself, I lost my temper,” he couldn’t picture that, you losing your temper, even when he gave you good reason to do so, you didn’t, it made his stomach turn, his blood boil, if he was in the room with you, your dad probably wouldn’t have gotten close enough to shout at you let alone hurt you. “I’m sorry, I’m the one who told you to leave me alone and now I just show up when I need someone,” you scoffed, tried to take your arm back but he wouldn’t allow that, would reprimand you soon enough for apologizing for something so silly. It was the oddest thing when you looked at him, you’d convinced yourself you despised him, didn’t know him, but the way his eyes drifted over your face and his skin melted against yours and his curls fell forward when he tilted his head to examine your arm, you were sure he cared, it felt like he did, really.

“We should get this cleaned up,” he sighed and you didn’t object, didn’t fight him when he guided you to the bathroom by hand, didn’t make any attempt to take your hand back as he rummaged the cupboard for supplies- it was comfort in its simplest form, you thought, how familiar it felt to be seen by him, cared for like you’d deprived yourself of something you didn’t know you’d gotten used to even if it wasn’t genuine.

He had you sit on the closed toilet seat, and kneeled in front of you as he set everything aside and your mind was racing, there was a part of you that considered maybe you’d overreacted, accidents happen, people get upset if it weren’t you, it would’ve been someone else, it had just been you for about a month now and if anything you were tired of being the punching bag while trying to help. You watched Eddie work and were reminded with much annoyance how pretty he was, how despite what you heard him talking about and what he’d done, he was one of the few people who you felt comfortable being weak around, soft, you didn’t have to think- it was a feeling, not logic, logic had proved otherwise- but the fact stood, you were tired of thinking.

“Thank you, Eddie,” he hummed, satisfied with the job he’d done, it probably wasn’t wise, closing a burn wound, but you’d be going home soon, and he didn’t think you’d want anyone to question it, it wasn’t as bad as the discoloration looked but knowing you, you’d be embarrassed by it still.

“You got to open that as soon as you get home, okay, don’t leave it closed,” you’d never heard his voice quite that timid and gentle, which speaks volumes considering he always spoke to you softly, kindly. “I think I have one of your concealer sticks in one of my jackets if you want to fix your makeup but-“ he interrupted himself, paused when he realized he’d brought a hand to your cheek, brushed a thumb over a stray trail of a tear, he half expected you to jump back, not lean into the touch, certainly not close your eyes to savor it. “But I don’t think you need to,” he continued, and he wasn’t sure if his heart was still beating in rhythm, not really, it was pounding in his ears and it didn’t sound right, only got louder as you slid your fingers around his wrist. “I’m sorry, sweetheart,” it was a loaded sentence, you’d learned that much about being around him so long, it meant he was sorry for having to see you like this, it meant he was sorry for everything he’d done and not done with Billy, for being one of the men who’d let you down.

“I should hate you,” you noted, opened your eyes, only to find his staring back at you, they held an openness to them you hadn’t seen in a while, you realized you should’ve noticed the lack thereof sooner, maybe you did, maybe you ignored it. “But you’re such a bastard, Eddie Munson, even when you’ve given me every reason to be utterly appalled by you, you’re still the first person I wanted to see when I felt like this.”

“You should hate me,” he agreed, and you were happy he didn’t try and take his hand back, letting your joined fingers fall to your lap, brushing a thumb over your knuckles, rings cold against your warm skin, a perfect piece of symbolism. “I wanted to be the first person to find you like this, make sure you’re okay.”

“What a mess we are- there was chaos when we didn’t stay away from each other and chaos when we did, it’s like were doomed.”

“Chaos tends to follow me around, should’ve warned you about that,” he had that look again, that paled face of regret that he’d been wearing for days now, it took everything in you not to hug it away then and it took everything in you not to hug it away now. “I should’ve tried harder to tell you that this wasn’t all a lie, it wasn’t all pretend, it’s much easier to care for you than it is not to.”

“Some of it felt real.”

“Because it was, sweetheart, honest, I screwed up either way, and we both know even if I didn’t, there was no sort of happy ending here, but it wasn’t all for them, I genuinely was soft for you,” the admission was paired with a tint of rose to his cheeks and though he tried to tilt his head and hide it with his curls, it made your heart soar, you hadn’t gone mad, your heart wasn’t betraying you, it wasn’t all a ploy.

“I get it, you know, what you guys did to my dad- I don’t think my mom deserves it, and let’s face it, I wouldn’t be here if she wasn’t forced to be here too- but maybe I’d have been far less upset with you if things were different.”

“Always wishing for things to be different,” he scoffed, you knew he couldn’t comment on what you’d said, mostly because as much loathing as you had for your father, you didn’t wish ruin upon your family, you were angry and maybe if he wasn’t in the picture you’d be less angry, if he wasn’t in the picture Eddie would just be a questionable guy who made it hard to hate him despite knowing that your should.

“I think I’m going to write some heartbreaking stories about you, Eddie,” you noted, and he moved quickly to make room when you slid down to kneel in front of him. “Think it’s going to take me forever to stop thinking about you.”

“Don’t I know it,” it was scary how quickly you caved, how easy it was to let him pull you into his chest, hold you against him like it wasn’t going against everything you promised yourself and your mother. It was intoxicating how safe it felt between his arms, how much his leather jacket smelt like home and comfort and good things he didn’t represent. You hated every second of it, wrapped your arms around his waist, breathed him in, allowed him to place a fleeting kiss on the top of your head and you wished the moment would endure forever. “Will you make me good in your stories?” he whispered when he walked you to his door, he was planning on sneaking out first, drawing attention away from the room long enough to slip out, eager hand latched onto your wrist.

“Course I will, you’re good, Eddie, you’re just a little lost right now.”

#eddie munson #eddie munson x reader #eddie munson x you #eddie munson x yn #eddie munson fluff #eddie munson one shot #eddie munson blurb #eddie munson drabble #eddie munson imagine #eddie munson ff #eddie munson fanfic #eddie munson fic #eddie munson fanfiction

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racinggirl · 2 years

Text

breaking deals || charles leclerc (part 2)

type: two shot (part 2) - click here to read part 1 pairing: charles leclerc x reader word count: 1.7k summary: being friends with benefits with a driver on another team has its ups and downs... requested: yes! “can you please write a fic where y/n is a driver, she's friends with benefits with charles, but when he confess his love she leaves. later on, she decides to give them a chance and the end is super fluff? please show her being super cute with him and breaking the news about their relationship on the paddock!”(by anon) Requests are OPEN!!! warnings: swearing (just a little), (mentions of) a crash, possible heartbreak, just loads of fluff. emotional rollercoaster, you've been warned. notes: a little later than planned, but it's here! part 2 :) I hope you all like it, don't forget to like, share, or comment. love you all <3

my masterlist

‘’So you’re telling me you and Charles have been sneaking around for half a year now?’’ Lola, your best friend, just finished her pizza, watching and listening how you poured your heart out about the Ferrari driver. You simply nodded in response, playing with the – now cold – slice of pizza on the table in front of you. ‘’And why exactly did you tell him to leave? I mean, come on y/n, you obviously have feelings for him as well, I know you.’’

‘’That’s exactly the problem, Lo, I have feelings for him, but we can not be together.’’

‘’Aren’t you leaving Alpha Tauri next season?’’ She asked, her eyebrow raising as she sipped the diet coke she brought along with the pizza. You sighed, heavily. It was true, you and your manager had some meetings with different teams, other teams than Alpha Tauri, because who didn’t want the first woman in F1 in their team? Exactly.

‘’Yeah, but…’’ ‘’No, y/n, no buts, you like him, for gods sake, go for him, at least tell him how you feel.’’ Yeah, easier said than done.

You wanted to tell him, you wanted to be with him, but it almost felt like a Romeo and Juliet kind of story. You liked each other, hell you loved each other, but both sides you were on didn’t allow the two of you to actually be together. You at the blue side, him at the red side.

‘’I did have a meeting with Ferrari as well.’’ You mumbled to your friend, watching as her eyes widened, the pizza almost dropping to the floor. ‘’You what now?’’ She gasped.

The meetings you had with Ferrari actually were the ones you looked forward to the most, but also dreaded the most, because this meant avoiding Charles, lying to him, hiding things from him. The truth is, Ferrari wanted you, Carlos going back to McLaren to replace Daniel, who would find his way back to RedBull. However, you couldn’t tell Charles, because of the contracts, because of the agreements you made with the teams.

‘’I swear if you tell anyone-‘’ ‘’Don’t worry, don’t worry, your secret is safe with me.’’ Your friend smiled after you just told her your new racing suit for next season had the same color as Charles’. Yes, you were going to be his teammate.

‘’So that’s why you can’t tell him? Because of the contract.’’ Your friend sighed, making you nod in response. ‘’Yeah, if I tell him they will reconsider the contract, I need to be able to keep secrets in this team, it’s almost like a test.’’

‘’A bloody hard one…’’

And it was a hard one, one in which reality hit almost harder than one of your biggest crashes.

‘’Red flag, red flag, keep the delta positive, delta positive.’’ Charles heard his race engineer over the radio, his heart beating out of his chest the moment he heard it, he saw it.

‘’Y/n, are you okay? y/n, let me know if you’re okay, the medical car is on their way, medical car on their way.’’

Abu Dhabi, November 20th, 2022.

‘’And welcome, to the final race of the season, welcome, to the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix!’’ The commentators were everywhere, people cheering, screaming, a lot of energy coming from this place.

The race itself however, was less good, it was bad, really bad. You qualified P8, which was okay, but not the best so far. Charles qualified even worse, P11. Your start was okay, Charles’ start was amazing. But once the final laps approached, things got out of hand. You tried to overtake Lance Stroll, who was defending like his life depended on it. It was a battle for the final point.

The defending got a little too rough the moment you were wheel to wheel, side to side as you took the outside, while Lance took the inside. His car took the wrong route, sending you into the barriers with a speed over 150 miles an hour. Charles saw it happening, since he was about to lap the both of you.

‘’Red flag, red flag, keep the delta positive, delta positive.’’

‘’Is she okay? That was y/n, wasn’t it? Fucking hell.’’ Charles kept talking, nervously, looking into his mirrors to see the Aston Martin of Lance slowly driving behind him, the Alpha Tauri you were in, completely into the barriers, the only thing sticking out was the broken front wing.

‘’Affirm, that was y/n, no information on it yet, I’ll keep you updated.’’

‘’Fuck me, fuck! She needs to be okay, that was a big one, for fucks sake!’’ It felt like his whole word collapsed, right in front of his eyes, the way you were making the move, the smart move. And then, the way Lance lost control of his car, sending you straight into the barriers.

‘’Okay, y/n is okay, she got out of the car, but is headed to the hospital for checkups.’’

He wanted to come along, he wanted to make sure you were okay, but he couldn’t. He couldn’t because reality is, the two of you hadn’t spoken in days, weeks, months. After that one time in the hotel room, you lost contact and never spoke again.

He missed you, like crazy, and so did you, because there was more than just friends between the two of you, more than just friends with benefits, there was love, true love, from both sides.

The moment he saw you in that hospital bed, bruises covering your arms, bandages on your ribs, a sob left his mouth, waking you up after the nap you just had.

‘’Charles?’’ Your voice was raspy, dry, soft, fragile, it matching the way you looked right now. ‘’y/n, please, don’t say a thing.’’ He mumbled, feet moving into your direction, his hand instantly reaching for yours.

‘’You scared the shit out of me.’’ He continued, playing with the fingers on your right hand, a sigh escaping his lips. ‘’I’m so glad you’re okay, so so glad…’’ He sighed.

Mattia talked to him, mostly about the results of this year, but also about next year. Charles had asked him if they found a new driver yet, because he knew Carlos was leaving Ferrari, going back to his former team, McLaren. Mattia decided that, since you were in the hospital, it was time to tell him.

‘’You’re going to be my teammate.’’ He whispered after a long silence between the two of you, your hands not leaving each other’s. You instantly looked up into his eyes, blinking twice to make sure you weren’t hallucinating.

‘’What?’’

‘’My teammate, you’ll be my teammate.’’ He says again, eyes meeting yours. You swallowed thickly, a sigh escaping your lips. ‘’Who told you?’’ ‘’Mattia.’’ ‘’Oh…’’

‘’I know you couldn’t tell me, he explained it to me.’’ He mumbles, sighing. ‘’I don’t want to hurt your head too much now, sorry, we can talk about it another time, okay?’’ He kindly suggested, a weak smile appearing on your lips at how sweet he was again. You missed him, so freaking much.

That day in the hospital changed your entire life, he had you back, and you couldn’t stay away from him anymore. You were back together, this time not just as friends, but as lovers.

1 year later

‘’Well well, look who we have here, the grids favorite couple.’’

‘’Hello to you too, Carlos.’’ You shot the old Ferrari driver a smile, stepping closer to Charles as his arm was wrapped around your waist in an attempt to hold you even closer to him than before.

‘’How was your holiday?’’ The Spaniard asked the Monegasque, walking with the two of you towards the press conference room. ‘’It was absolutely amazing, aside from the fact I finally got her to say yes.’’ He smirked, intertwining your hand with his.

‘’Really? You’re finally moving in together?’’ Carlos smiled, laughing as he patted Charles’ back the moment you rolled your eyes in a playful way.

‘’How could I say no after you practically begged me. You know he gave me a whole paragraph of reasons why I should move in with him? He even mentioned the climate.’’ You all laughed, Carlos shaking his head at his former team mate. ‘’Dude, really?’’ He chuckled.

‘’What? It’s warmer at my place than it is at hers.’’ He says, squeezing your hip as you all waited outside the press conference room.

‘’Charles, we freaking both lived in Monaco!’’

All with all, things turned out to be more than perfect. The way you broke the news about your relationship was a way to never forget.

Monaco, May 28th, 2023.

‘’And for the first time in his career, Charles Leclerc wins his home Grand Prix, Ferrari getting a 1-2 in Monaco!’’

He won, the both of you won, the way you were able to work together to get this amazing result, was one of many pro’s about your relationship, the connection you had, the communication you had, everything was perfect.

Jumping out of the cars, hugging your team, hugging each other, going backstage and preparing for the podium ceremony, something the two of you had done more than once this season. And you were hoping to achieve this many more times this season.

‘’Let’s make it one victory to never forget, shall we?’’ Charles rested his hand on your lower back, giving you a gentle push to the podium, on which you received your trophy for the Monaco GP.

Charles came some seconds later, and after the national anthem, Charles’ anthem, he put his trophy down, grabbed the champagne bottle and poured it all over you, you doing the exact same thing to him. One sip, which was enough for the both of you. You stood on the top stage of the podium, arms wrapped around each other as the pictures were taken.

‘’I love you.’’ He whispered in your ear, making you turn your head to look at him with a smile. ‘’I love you too.’’ You whispered back, your smile only growing wider when his lips met yours. People were cheering, screaming, clapping, flashes were lighting up the entire sky, the amount of pictures taken of that first public kiss, were more than all races held in the history of Formula One.

‘’I’m so glad I broke our deal.’’ He whispered, making you laugh before pressing your lips against his one more time. “What deal?” You hummed, his hand moving up to cup your cheek. “Rule number one. Don’t get feelings.” He whispered, slowly pulling away from your lips which tasted like champagne.

“I broke that deal before we even made it…” Yeah, madly in love… from the very first moment.

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witchthewriter · 8 months

Text

𝑩𝒂𝒓𝒃𝒊𝒆 𝑫𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝑺𝒆𝒓𝒊𝒆𝒔

𝐁𝐞𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐢𝐧 𝐚 𝐩𝐨𝐥𝐲 𝐫𝐞𝐥𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐩 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐑𝐡𝐞𝐚 𝐑𝐢𝐩𝐥𝐞𝐲 & 𝐁𝐚𝐫𝐛𝐢𝐞 𝐰𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝 𝐢𝐧𝐜𝐥𝐮𝐝𝐞

⤷ female, ambiguous race, and any size reader. Requests are open, thank you for reading!

a/n: swears

ᴹᵃˢᵗᵉʳˡᶤˢᵗ | ᴹᵃˢᵗᵉʳˡᶤˢᵗ ᴵᴵ

gif credit: @rebecca-quin.

𝑺𝑭𝑾🌿

・You had been taking Barbie to see the new toys in your closest mall. She instantly went to the doll section, where there were many Barbies (that made her nostalgic) lining the aisles.

"Oh! They've come out with a new one! Oh we so have to show Mami this one-" Barbie said as she took a box from the shelf and showed it to you.

・The box said in big purple letters: 'Barbie as a wrestler!' And it had her alter identity - a purple wig with make-up you could add onto her, it also came with the championship belt along with other accessories.

・Both of you were excited out of your minds, and couldn't wait to send a photo to Rhea

・Rhea was currently in another state, probably in the gym. You both went to as many matches as possible, but sometimes Rhea had to travel just to film scenes

・And yes, you both call Rhea, 'Mami,' it's like a proper nickname. Any weirdness has been erased from it

・Barbie cries while watching nearly every movie - even lighthearted ones.

・When your relationship was first beginning to solidify, Barbie said that she wanted to experience the whole of being a human. (Even though you shook your head).

・To Rhea, that meant taking Barbie on every rollercoaster???

・To you, it meant a lot of sightseeing and listening to people's stories and histories.

・You three like to travel together; Rhea always has everyone's luggage under control, you have everyone's passports, and Barbie makes sure everyone has sunscreen on/has drunk water/gone to the toilet

・You honestly make a great team

・And although Barbie could be thought of as a stereotypical dumb blonde who is inexperienced and a lost puppy - it's far from the truth. She's a quick learner, very kind, open-minded and adores animals.

・It was actually Rhea who put a stop to Barbie's endless adoptions. Because she would save animals who were due to be put down because no one wanted them. But she got too emotional when they got hurt or had to go to the vet (she gets attached to things very easily).

・Dom is a tad jealous of the relationship you have with Rhea. But again, you and Barbie let him fawn all over her during the WWE episodes.

・He's a pretty cool guy though, and has invited you to a few of the WWE parties

・Finn is polite, but doesn't really talk to you guys much. Damien is different though, he's very inclusive and loves seeing you two with Rhea.

・He calls you and Barbie his "best girls!"

・So, all in all, Judgement Day approves of you - not like Rhea would care if they didn't (they would not go against her ... ever)

・Barbie is a nose booper

・Rhea was actually the first person to say "I love you"

・Barbie has bandaids on her ALWAYS

・You try and keep your relationship on the DL when in public - for many reasons actually. Rhea has fans, and you don't want to bring too much attention to the fact that Rhea and Dom aren't actually together. And you don't want attention from the public - Barbie definitely doesn't. The thought actually causes her to hyperventilate.

・You and Barbie have scary dog privilege with Rhea - no one fucks with you.

・Rhea actually hates being in small areas - she's a bit claustrophobic

・You and Rhea let Barbie practice make up on you. She's ... getting better at it ...

・You're the blanket hog btw - Barbie and Rhea always whine when you roll up in the blanket

𝑻𝒉𝒆𝒎𝒆 𝑺𝒐𝒏𝒈

Style (cover) by Ryan Adams

𝑹𝒆𝒍𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏𝒔𝒉𝒊𝒑 𝑻𝒓𝒐𝒑𝒆𝒔

Black Cat (You) x Golden Retriever (Barbie) x Doberman (Rhea)

The Impulsive (Rhea) x The Chaotic (You) x The Unheeded Voice of Reason (Barbie - surprisingly)

Makes A Mess (Rhea) x Cleans The Mess (You) x Is A Mess (Barbie)

𝑹𝒐𝒎𝒂𝒏𝒕𝒊𝒄 𝑷𝒍𝒐𝒕 𝑻𝒓𝒐𝒑𝒆

Secret Dating

𝑵𝑺𝑭𝑾 🔞 no one under 18 past this point!

・It took a while for all three of you to figure out how sex was going to play out

・It took Barbie a while to understand her own body, so neither you or Rhea pushed her. You were both patient in letting her discover herself.

・But Barbie knew she liked women...

・A lot

・When entering the human world and deciding to stay, Barbie's body changed. So she does have a vagina

・And she very much likes to receive head. That's one of the things she's adamant about liking. She may still be discovering things - but Barbie loves head

・Rhea is a dominant person, but also likes to be dominated. Ironically, Barbie really likes to dominate and you're a big switch.

・Barbie likes to sit on Rhea's lap and nuzzle into her cleavage - pretty much making her a boobs gal, but she does like to check out your ass's every now and then

・Rhea is ass over boobs, it's why hers is so ... supple

・The bedroom is the best place to do sexual things as a throuple

・You guys have tried the shower (someone always got too cold), the bath (not all of you fit), the car (same thing - it was too difficult to manuever), toilet stall in the airport (way too sus with three people)

・So it's the best at home, where you have a lot of space to move

・Barbie makes very sexy moans; when she's about to cum, she makes a loud whine that is the prettiest noise

・Rhea LOVES dirty talk

"Whose in charge?" You growl in Rhea's ear as Barbie grabs and kneads Rhea's ass

"You are," she rasps

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saintarmand · 2 months

Note

Hi! Do you think that s2 big reveal will be that Armand manipulated Louis memory? What do you think the "disastrous consequences in Dubai" mean? Louis attempting suicide as many books fans expect?

no. i think the "big reveal" will be that armand didn't have to. louis knows armand did the thing and stayed with him anyway like he did in the books. they very well may lead the audience to believe armand is doing that to louis, when it was actually daniel who got his memories wiped (and daniel may have agreed to it.) and i think any inconsistencies about the events of s1 that may or may not be revealed will be because of louis repressing memories the old fashioned way. at most armand helped a little. and i'm not saying that only because of the racist and abuse apologist implications or just cause i'm an armand stannie or whatever, although that's all also true. i'm saying that because i think the story is better for it.

to me, armand having significant overarching influence, especially though literal magic, on the story we've been told (specifically LOUIS's story told BY louis), undermines the theme of "memory is a monster." they told us the fallibility of memory in this story is the real life kind; how memory naturally changes every time we remember events in our lives, how our present self affects how we look at the past, etc. this is a fantasy story, yes, but it's very much grounded in reality. the racism isn't "fantasy racism", for example. having the twist be that a crucial element of the story that we were told was real was actually magic would lame and disappointing as hell. i think daniel having his memories wiped magically will be a parallel to louis. but the thing about parallels is that they're not meant to be literal or complete, and they emphasize differences as much as similarities, in order to reinforce the ideas and themes of the story, not replace them. so i think that while louis and daniel's memory issues can look similar on the surface, they have different causes and the show will make it clear which is which.

hell, they've even shown us magical manipulation vs regular manupulation before. we saw lestat entrance several humans including louis himself ("his gaze tied a string around my lungs and i found myself immobilized") but it was done in a way that made it obvious when it was happening, so general audiences weren't speculating lestat was using vampire magic to make louis fall in love with him or agree to be turned or whatever. he was shown to have powers he could have used at key points but didn't, more often using very basic human manipulation tactics, which were actually even more effective. even the idea of lestat causing paul's death was brought up only to be discarded. i think they'll pretty much do the same thing with armand, only teasing us a bit more with it. and sure, some people will still speculate, but i think this is what the intention of the writers is, and hopefully they do it well.

i assume the "disastrous consequences in dubai" is an interview quote and i've heard something like that but since i don't have the full context in front of me it's hard to say much about it. if you could tell me the whole quote and who said it and where and in what context i could probably talk about it in more detail lol. link me if you'd like?

what i will say right now is that i think there's gonna be a lot of arguments and accusations and revelations in dubai, i think louis will go through a hell of an emotional rollercoaster, i think daniel will find out about the eternal sunshine of the devil's minion as i like to call it, will ask to be turned again or at least realize he still wants it, i think louis and armand will break up, and i think there will be a book released by the end.

the louis suicide attempt theory i believe is based on merrick, which i still haven't read (i need to get my shit together and read it before may 12th lol) so it's difficult for me to say much about it? i know he attempts suicide at the end and that him talking to claudia's ghost who's fucking furious with him is a thing that happens. something like that anyway, i've read some quotes from it. i highly doubt louis has been talking to her literal ghost at this point in the show, he's just doing that metaphorically. i would love to see it in the future though.

honestly to me just the fact that armand said out loud that he thinks the interview is basically louis's suicide note indicates that's probably not actually what's going on. that's usually how it works in stories lol. when the character tells you what they think is gonna happen it never happens like that. (on the whole "other vampires will paint the walls with his blood" thing, i think the human world will assume the book is made up bullshit or daniel is senile or crazy, and because of that most vampires won't care that much. would be pretty dumb to kill him since it would only draw more attention to him and the book. i do like the idea of lestat, inspired by louis, going on to more or less successfully prove the existence of vampires, causing a big ruckus, and the whole "great conversion" thing that was mentioned, being a part of the show version of the queen of the damned somehow.)

louis attempting suicide could still happen i guess but i just don't think it's that interesting or particularly good writing in the context of the story being told in seasons 1 & 2. not only because it's kinda predictable and basic and boring to me but like. if he tries kill himself and fails, that's basically him being forced to live. to me, louis choosing to live on in this continuous state of mourning is much more compelling and devastating even, than him having no choice in it. it's like with him staying with armand, isn't it waaaayyy more fucked up and sad if he's doing that of his own volition as opposed to being kept there against his will? that's a story about who louis is, the choices he makes, not about how he's a victim. of course he still is an abuse victim etc, and that's certainly not his fault, but him blaming himself and seeing himself as just as bad as lestat or armand because he "let" it all happen is, to me, a core part of his character. in the book he monologues about his passivity being his biggest fault; in the show he insists "i'm not a victim" even as he's telling us a story about being abused. abuse culture & catholic guilt baby!

also. the thematic note the book ends on is, to me anyway, about the human spirit clinging to life even in devastating circumstances. armand tells louis how so many vampires resort to suicide, but louis doesn't (in book one.) he keeps going, haunted by his past, dead inside and out yet still alive, unable to let go. and he spends the whole book telling daniel the boy reporter how awful immortality is and yet daniel still wants it, thinking it will be different this time. choosing the horrors life throws us, even the cursed half life or unlife of a vampire, over the horror of the unknown that is permanent death. etc etc etc. i love this part of the book too much to want to let it go!

hell, armand only tries to kill himself after finding out what hell is "really like" in memnoch the devil, and while i don't know cause i haven't read merrick yet, i bet that influenced louis too. death isn't as terrifying when you know what to expect.

and i'm also just not a fan of the idea that actually most of the other books' events have also already happened. because then that influences the characters who are telling us the story, in ways that we won't find out until seasons later. like if louis tries to kill himself at the end of season 2 and then in like season 7 or some shit we find out actually it wasn't because of what happened in s1-2 it was actually because right before the interview he was talking to claudia's ghost who said horrible things to him and also because he found out hell is real but it's actually a bit more like purgatory where if you prove yourself you get to go to heaven eventually and also because— like you can see how that would be bad storytelling right? lmao. not that revealing new information about characters or events later is always bad, it can be very interesting and beneficial even, but not if it undermines or completely changes the whole story before that point. not shading AR's retcon habit here at all not at all of course not i would never do that

anyway i think i've rambled enough. thank you for asking!

#asks #anon #iwtv #s #interview with the vampire #vampterview

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thecuriousquest · 10 months

Text

For Love

Yandere Kirishima x Reader

Tag List: @issamomma

Warnings: Yandere themes, NSFW (abuse), blood, murder, control, possessiveness, choking

Summary: How will you react when Kirishima comes home covered in blood?

Checkout my Master List here.

—————————————————————

Waking up, you don’t see Eiji anywhere. Shrugging, you think he must be off doing something heroic. You sometimes wish he would wake you up with a tiny kiss and let you know where he’s heading off to, but he’s forgetful sometimes. If you absolutely want to know where he is, you can always just text him.

Making breakfast, you decide to put on some music while you cook your favorite meal for the beginning of the day.

The front door opens and shuts. The music is low enough so you can hear it. Excited, you turn the music down all the way. You turn and look at your boyfriend.

“Hey, I’m making breakfast. Oh…oh my God, Eiji! Your shirt! You’re covered in blood!” You run to get paper towels, your brain processing seeing his blue t-shirt stained with dark red. You start dabbing his shirt frantically, lifting the fabric by the hem to see if he has any injuries.

“The blood? Oh, don’t worry, honey bear, it’s not mine.” He gives you a smile, trying to assure you that everything is okay.

“What? Eiji, who’s blood is it, then? Did you have to fight a villain or something?”

“No, it’s nothing like that. Look, don’t worry about it. Breakfast actually sounds nice. Can you make me something too?”

“Eijiro, tell me what happened!” You’re becoming panicked with him not relaying any information to you.

He puts his hands on your shoulders, trying to calm you down. It doesn’t help the emotional rollercoaster that you’re on. He can feel how badly you’re shaking underneath his heavy palms that are trying to steady you.

“Listen, I just got a little tied up with something. Everything’s fine now.”

You try to push him away, but it’s like trying to move a boulder. “Tell me what’s going on. Please? Why are you covered in blood if you didn’t have hero work today?!”

“Okay, okay, I ran into your ex. It…it’s no big deal really. He stopped me on the street. Started yelling about how I stole you from him. He was really bitter about the whole thing. He told me he was going to get you back even if he had to kill me.”

“Oh my God…Eiji, what did you do?” Although, a part of you already knows what he did.

“I did what I had to. I can’t let anyone else have my girl. Let’s just leave it at that. Now, what were you making for breakfast- Hey! Where are you going?!”

You turn tail and run, needing to get out of the house, needing to get away from him. This is the biggest red flag if you’ve ever seen one. You run to unlock the front door. It takes too long. Arms wrap around your waist, pulling you into him. He walks over to the couch with you kicking and screaming in his vice-like grip. Kirishima plops you down on the sofa, pinning you down underneath his weight. He’s careful not to suffocate you, but you’re not thinking about being grateful right now.

“You’re not leaving. You can’t leave me. I did what I had to. He said he would kill me to get to you. I couldn’t let that happen!” He tries so hard to justify his actions.

“You’re a fucking pro hero with a hardening quirk! What the fuck could he do against you?!”

“It’s the principle of the matter.” His eyes are hard, scarlet boring into yours.

“Principles? You really want to talk principles right now? My ex was a coward! He wouldn’t have fucking done anything. How about the principle of not killing people just because they make empty threats?”

“You weren’t there!” He shakes your shoulders. “I don’t care if he meant it or not. He said something he shouldn’t have, and he paid for it.”

You both argue back and forth for a while until Eijiro becomes so frustrated with you that he latches onto your throat. With your oxygen shut off from your lungs, you fight to pry his hand off of you. There are spots of darkness in your vision, and tears spring forth to your eyes. You go limp underneath his tight grip, and just when you think the world is going to end for you, Eijiro unhands you. He grabs your chin, forcing you to face him.

“I did this for you, for us. You’re not leaving. You’ll never leave me. Try to run away again. I’ll find you. I’ll always find you. You will NEVER be able to get away from me.” He leans down and gives you a soft kiss on your tear stained lips. “I love you, Y/N.”

Sniffling, you nod in understanding. He lets you up and takes you back to the kitchen. You resume cooking under his watchful eye. For right now, you focus on making breakfast, trying to ignore the tears spilling over your lashes. You don’t realize that this is just the beginning of his spiral.

#my hero acedamia #boku no hero academia #triggering content #triggering themes #yandere #eijiro kirishima #mha eijiro kirishima #bnha kirishima #yandere kirishima #yandere eijiro kirishima #yandere x you #yandere x reader #yandere x y/n #yandere x darling

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thedanceronthestreets · 1 year

Text

The future of Trent Crimm: Have we only just begun?

If you are a person that isn’t into overanalysing interviews with actors, then keep scrolling because this post is not for you lmaooo. All subsequent screenshots are taken from Jimmy Lance’s subjectify interview and are in chronological order as they appeared in the interview. Let’s get right into it.

I’ve been thinking a lot about this interview recently since we’re now in the post-Amsterdam era and I believe the things that happened in that episode recontextualise a lot of things mentioned here. Most obviously, this was the interview that really made fans believe Trent was going to be confirmed to be homosexual since he actively dodged an answer to that question (see screenshot number 3). Additionally, it made a lot of tinhatters believe that there might be something happening between Ted and Trent... Et voilá, Trent is gay now. And so, as I read over the interview again with that new nugget of knowledge in mind, I thought “I can read this a lot more delusionally now considering we were right about Trent.” Little did I know I’d be faced with a bit more of an emotional rollercoaster.

@ishouldbedoingalright and I were kind of disappointed to find that a lot of the things Jimmy alludes to in the interview are already well explained by the fact that Trent is gay. The fact that he speaks of a “truth” to be revealed (screenshot 1) now makes me think he was simply speaking of the fact that Trent is gay, which now has been revealed to the audience. “There’s a lot going on” could very easily relate to the new Trent lore we were presented with: the fact that he only recently came out to his (presumable) ex-wife and daughter means there was a lot of upheaval in Trent’s life independent of his career change and even if he didn’t come out because of Ted, he very likely found the courage to do so because he saw that kind of authenticity was achievable for himself, inspired by Ted. It’s perfectly reasonable therefore that Jimmy is just referring to his own headcanons for Trent here, i.e., Trent being grateful for Ted’s presence because it gave Trent the push he needed to pursue the life he so desperately wants to lead (fitting in with what’s said in screenshot 2 here). That thinking took the wind out of my shipping sails a little bit because it already makes sense with what’s happened in the show sans tedtrent shipping agenda. Ted touched Trent’s life in a way that allowed Trent to become true to himself and try new things. Those things included coming out as gay and changing his career (which is still very touching in non-shipping terms and hence a perfectly plausible way to explain the things Jimmy said in the interview).

But then I reread the interview again and something I hadn’t realised before caught my eye. The question of “Is [Trent] meant to be gay?” only appears ¾ of the way through the interview and is not what Jimmy is answering when he says “there’s a lot going on”. At that point, all they are talking about is how Trent looks at Ted. And I do find that an important detail to point out, especially considering what happens at the end of the interview. When the question of “Is [Trent] meant to be gay?” comes around, Jimmy refuses to answer it, which makes sense considering he wasn’t allowed to break his NDA and any answer would’ve been a spoiler for what happens in Amsterdam. But then Natalie Fischer aka the interviewer circles back to what they spoke about in the beginning by connecting the two points of Trent’s relationship to Ted and Trent’s sexuality. She says “That’s because of the look [Trent gives Ted], [...] the gaze I spoke about” after pointing out that despite Jimmy not being able to comment, many people back then interpreted Trent to be gay (see screenshot 4). And to this, Jimmy also doesn’t give a straight-forward answer and even more so, he says “I mean, it would be”, which half implies that to his understanding people are getting the idea that Trent might be gay not just from the ‘hair and the whole vibe’ but from the way he looks and behaves around Ted specifically (which wasn't the case, most people based this headcanon on Trent's...well...general vibe). To me, that implication isn’t explained by what has happened so far in the series. Sure, Trent can look at Ted admiringly considering how Ted has canonically affected Trent’s life, but that alone shouldn’t give people (and apparently Jimmy Lance) the impression that Trent is gay. The fact that it has could imply that there’s more to Trent’s admiration for Ted than gratitude and I don’t want to call gay people media literacy geniuses but the fact that Jimmy refuses to answer two questions in this interview and one of them has already turned out to be true just as fans predicted is all things considered... interesting.

Plus, I want to talk about the tone indicator given in this interview. At the end when Jimmy says “all I will say is people are really forensically looking at stuff in a way that is kinda like... okay!” coupled with what he mentions earlier with people saying “Ted and Trent, they just need to kiss or whatever like, what the hell!” immediately made my queer fan alarm bells ring with the alert ‘the actor is making fun of the queer fans, you’re overinterpreting again, you’re going to get burnt for being invested’ etc. Reminiscent of other fandoms... but we’re not going to go there. However, the tone indicator struck me since Natalie really wanted to make sure people didn’t get the impression that Jimmy was being snarky, and readers would feel offended or even attacked by what Jimmy said here. And the fact that right in the beginning he says “that’s really funny to hear [...] that you pick up on that and if other people are picking up on that” makes it sound like he’s genuinely appreciative of the fact that people are invested in his acting decisions and his character’s admittedly minor scenes. So, I want to cautiously presume that even though we’re all delusional and aware of it, there might be more ground to our delusion than we’re giving ourselves credit for.

Peace and love guys. In the end, it's all just a bit of fun, isn't it.

#tedependent #tedtrent #trent crimm #ted lasso spoilers

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borathae · 1 year

Text

↳ Index [Chapter 05 - Gäste]

• Gäste (German, guests)

Warnings: a vampire dance, big strong vampires, Yoongi is hot lisTEN!, Tae is grieving and he is a mess because of it, suggestive themes, hints at oral sex, hints at vampire blood orgies & kinky vampire sex parties, drunk!vampires, the ending has me in fluffy tears

Wordcount: 15k

a/n: this chapter is a rollercoaster of emotions and i’m loving it

You didn’t find Namjoon in Munich. Yoongi looked and looked and met with too many people, but his fellow Creator stayed hidden. You left Munich two nights ago. Geneva. That’s where your journey took you next. Yoongi had a house there. Two stories high and with a spacious back garden. He says that he hasn’t visited it in almost fifty years and judging by the dust on every surface, you believed him. You cleaned the place all of yesterday so that it would be comfortable to stay in. In the evenings you played board games, except for Yoongi who met with one of his contacts.

You spent most of today with Taehyung. Yoongi and Jungkook were gone until lunch, while Hoseok and Seokjin were gone until the later hours of the afternoon. So you spent time with Taehyung. First he woke you with his head between your legs. It surprised you so very much that you found your high the second you woke. Taehyung hasn’t initiated sex in months. The happiness and surprise was too grand not to lose control. He made up for the way too early orgasm with the best doggy you had in a long time. Truly, you haven’t experienced such passion from him in months (you don’t blame him. You are aware why he didn’t want to have sex). Afterwards he took you out for food and afterwards shopping because you needed an evening gown as your little group had been invited to a dance.

An old acquaintance of Taehyung and Yoongi sent the invite. She and her husband were organising a dance for vampires (and humans) this evening and they invited Taehyung. He plans on taking all of you as his plus one so you could meet them. They were old vampires. Very old vampires and Yoongi hopes that they can offer their help in his search for Namjoon. Taehyung hopes for an entertaining evening, while the rest of you is down for whatever may happen tonight.

Taehyung has been happier these past few days. Yesterday whilst cleaning, he sang and did a little dance and today when the two of you were out shopping he said that the weather was nice. He hasn’t done either of those things in months and you wonder if the reason for his sudden happiness was Jungkook.

You ran in on them making out on the sofa yesterday and while Taehyung looked happy to see you, Jungkook’s face was as red as a tomato. Which for a naturally pale vampire such as Jungkook meant a lot. You assured him however that you didn’t think it weird that they were seeing each other and then wished them lots of fun as you left the sitting room again. You didn’t see them for the next hour. You also told Yoongi about it, because you wanted to share the news with him as the entire situation still surprised you greatly. He looked at you with widened eyes, but ended up acting as if he didn’t care about it. You think that he talked about it to Jungkook however, because as they returned from their adventure today, Jungkook looked really flustered again.

It was time to leave for the dance. The boys of former Sanguis have already gathered in the foyer, chatting to each other about the evening. They plan on getting drunk tonight.

Taehyung is the next one to join them, while you and Yoongi were still busy with closing the clasp on your necklace. It was a very stubborn clasp and needed all of Yoongi’s concentration.

Taehyung scans his eyes over Jungkook. A black suit and satin dress shirt with the first four buttons undone. He has his long hair in a half bun, letting some of the front strands hang into his face. Taehyung feels his stomach flutter at the view.

“Jungkook”, he calls out to him, making the young Ripper turn.

Jungkook shimmies nervously, looking at Taehyung from head to toe. His stomach is tingling. Jungkook thinks that Taehyung looks really handsome in his suit.

“Hey”, he says quietly, lifting his hand for a shy wave.

“You look dashing tonight”, Taehyung says and steps closer, touching Jungkook’s waist. He claims Jungkook’s lips in a deep kiss, flustering the younger vampire to the point that he is gawking even with Taehyung’s lips on top of his’.

Taehyung breaks away, but stays close enough that their noses are almost touching.

“You are making my knees weak”, Taehyung whispers, “I want to run my tongue down your chest.”

“Oh, uhm, oh, uh.”

“What’s the matter?”

“I, I don’t know. You kissed me”, Jungkook stutters.

“Yes. What about it?”

“N-nothing.”

Taehyung lets his eyes flit over Jungkook’s shoulder, meeting the incredibly shocked faces of Hoseok and Seokjin. He tugs Jungkook snug against his body, resting his chin on his shoulder.

“Hello there”, he greets them, smirking playfully, “you look good in your suits.”

“Dude legit”, Hoseok says, “don’t talk to me for the next ten minutes, I have to sort through my thoughts right now.”

Taehyung chuckles deeply, squeezing a wiggling Jungkook closer.

“Since when are you two a thing?” Seokjin asks, trying but failing to hide his disgust. Not for the situation, but for the fact that Jungkook is dating someone like Taehyung.

“Since when are we a thing, Kook?” Taehyung asks, turning his head to Jungkook. He drags his lips up his neck, basking in the shiver Jungkook tries to hide.

“Tae please”, Jungkook says, pushing at Taehyung’s chest softly, “don’t make it weird.”

Taehyung lets go and watches in amusement as Jungkook fixes his shirt with shaking fingers. He looks over his shoulder, meeting the eyes of his friends. Hoseok is gawking, Seokjin is cocking an eyebrow up at him.

“It’s a long story”, he murmurs, burning up uncontrollably.

“Yeah? Really? I couldn’t tell at all”, Seokjin says sarcastically.

“Please don’t judge me”, Jungkook whispers.

Seokjin and Hoseok exchange a look. They let out a sigh simultaneously, turning back to their friend.

“Nah, you’re aight”, Hoseok assures him with a grin, stepping closer to give Jungkook’s cheek a soft pinch.

“I’m keeping an eye on you Kim Taehyung. If you break his heart, I’ll break your windpipe”, Seokjin warns and drapes his arm around Jungkook’s shoulders, “he’s my little brother, so treat him well or else.”

“Yeah or else”, Hoseok agrees, throwing his arm around Jungkook as well.

“Guys please”, Jungkook mumbles, flustering most ardently, “you’re so embarrassing.”

“Waaah, embarrassing?” Seokjin gasps, “who are you calling embarrassing? You old Casanova you are hooking up with Kim Taehyung.”

“Yah hyung”, Jungkook nudges Seokjin’s chest, “you said that you wouldn’t judge me.”

“No. Lies. Hoseok said that. I never did”, Seokjin says with a grin which lets him know that he was solely messing with him.

Jungkook rolls his eyes and grins. So his friends aren’t judging him. He feels so relieved right now. And happy too because he has the bestest friends in the whole wide world.

“Wow look at you guys, you all look so handsome.”

They turn upon hearing your voice.

“___, wow so pretty”, Jungkook gasps, studying you from head to toe.

You are by Yoongi’s side, body wrapped in a mint green dress and with silver jewellery glimmering in the lights. Yoongi is keeping it simple. Black suit and white shirt with a white scarf. He is holding your hand to support you on the steps.

“Right? Isn’t the colour so nice?”

“It’s so pretty. It fits you so well.”

“Thank you, gosh. Tae helped me pick it out.”

“I still love it most ardently, my darling”, Taehyung says.

“Me too, I really do”, you say, sitting down on the hallway chair to put on your high heels.

“No please, let me.” “Wait, I’ll do it.”

Yoongi and Taehyung say, squatting down in front of you at the same time which ends in them bumping their heads together.

“Careful”, Yoongi hisses, rubbing his aching skull.

“Why is your skull so hard?” Taehyung whines, massaging his aching head with a big pout on his lips.

You chuckle, making them look at you.

“Are you both okay?”

“No, he bumped my head”, Taehyung whines, showing you the spot, “look, it’s bruised.”

“I didn’t bump your head. You bumped mine”, Yoongi complains.

“No, I did not. You did.”

“No. You.”

“Guys”, you cup each of their cheek, making them look at you, “don’t fight about that”, you say, caressing their painful little bruises, “I’m also very capable of putting on my own shoes. So get up and stop quarrelling, you whiney cuties.”

“Whatever, just wanted to help”, Yoongi murmurs, getting to his feet. He busies himself by putting on his own shoes.

“I apologise, I wanted to be a gentleman. A lovely lady shouldn’t have to put her own shoes on”, Taehyung says, stepping back.

“You’re a sweet talker, Tae”, you say and chuckle fondly.

You finish later than Yoongi, standing up. Taehyung steps closer, presenting a pair of mint satin gloves.

“Your gloves. May I put them on for you?” he says.

“Thank you, darling”, you accept them, giggling as Taehyung slips on your gloves. He ends it with a gentle kiss to each of your knuckles, “you look beautiful”, he says.

“You’re so sweet, my darling”, you gush, feeling your heart flutter.

Yoongi steps closer then, calling your attention. You turn to him. He is looking up at you, holding your coat.

“Can I?” he asks.

“You guys”, you giggle, “thank you, my prince. You are so sweet”, you say, allowing him to dress you. He twirls you gently, working diligently to close the buttons.

Taehyung, who watched the whole scene, finally breaks into giggles.

“What?” you ask, glancing at him.

“It is just that you two, oh”, he laughs, pointing his finger between you and Yoongi.

“What? What’s wrong all of a sudden? Is the coat weird?”

“No, oh dear no. It is just that, hah”, Taehyung can’t finish his sentence as he has to giggle again. It confuses you greatly.

“I don’t understand. What’s happening?”

“You are oh so funny, Kim Taehyung”, Yoongi hisses, sending him a deathly glare.

“I don’t understand.”

“He’s laughing because I’m smaller than you. That’s it, isn’t it?”

Taehyung nods his head, snickering.

“Now you’re truly tiny. Oh Yoongi, this is hilarious.”

“Very”, Yoongi grumbles and turns to leave. He stomps, keeping his back extra straight just so he can add more height to himself.

“Oh”, Taehyung truly can’t stop himself. He topples over in laughter, holding onto your arm, “this is beyond adorable.”

“You’re so mean, Tae”, you whine then turn to jog to Yoongi.

You touch his arm, making him look up at you.

“Should I change shoes?”

Taehyung wheezes, laughing once again.

“No, that’s weird”, Yoongi whines, “oh my god, stop laughing. It’s not that weird that I’m smaller. There are actually many men who are smaller than their girlfriends, so it’s more common than you think.”

“You are so cute, truly you are adorable”, Taehyung says, draping his arm over Yoongi’s shoulder, “now look at us. Me and ___ with our tiny grandpa in the middle.”

“Fuck off”, Yoongi hisses, shaking him off and pushing him back, “fuck, you’re such a brat. Who taught you manners?”

“I can’t seem to remember”, Taehyung teases and snickers then grabs Yoongi’s hand, “I’m only teasing you. You know that, don’t you?”

“I do. The joke’s terrible”, Yoongi says dryly, pulling his hand out of Taehyung’s hold.

Taehyung grins boyishly, sending Yoongi one last playful look before he turns to you. He grabs your hand.

“Follow me, my sweetest”, he says, leading you outside with the others following close by. “Oh tonight is going to be marvellous. I haven’t seen Fringella in ages” he says.

“You are such a meanie Tae, don’t tease Yoongi about his height”, you say, earning yourself a boyish grin from him.

“He will survive”, he says and steps closer to you. He twirls you, wrapping his arm around your waist, “you are the same height as me”, he says and smiles, “you are so beautiful, my darling.”

“Tae, stop it”, you fluster. He hasn’t been that lovely with you in months. It feels so nice to experience it again.

“Mhm no”, he says and gives you a quick kiss. He pulls back with a smile and sparkling eyes, “I can’t wait for you to meet Fringella. You will love her. She is wonderful”, he says, turning to the front. He holds your hand, swinging it back and forth slightly.

“Yes? How do you know her?” you ask him.

“We were lovers once”, he says nonchalantly, “I spent the seventeenth century with her. We had quite the, well”, he chuckles, “let us call them excessive sessions. Very intense and deeply sexual.”

“Ah. I see”, you eye him, watching him grin and then snicker.

“I will have to warn you, she is quite aggressive in her greetings. So please don’t be startled.”

“Okay?”

“Who is?” Jungkook asks, having joined your side.

“Fringella”, Taehyung says, intertwining his fingers with him.

“Who is Fringella?”

“Apparently his past lover”, you say.

“Ah”, Jungkook says, sneaking a glance at Taehyung.

“She’s a cunt”, Yoongi grumbles.

“Woah”, Hoseok gasps, “harsh words.”

“Yeah and true.”

Taehyung furrows his brows, sending Yoongi a dark look.

“Just because you spent your days not making any friends doesn’t mean you can insult my friends.”

“Uncalled for”, Yoongi says dryly.

“Yes and true”, Taehyung says and stomps off.

“Tae?” you call after him, watching him manoeuvre his way through the crowd on the streets with his hands balled into fists, “hey Tae!” you try to run after him.

“Let him”, Yoongi stops you however, “he’s unbearable when he’s with Fringella. It’s best to stay away from him.”

“You were really mean right now”, you tell him, nudging his side.

“No”, he says nonchalantly, giving you a deadpan expression, “you’ll understand once you meet her.”

“She can’t be that bad, can she?”

“Oh trust me, she is. The only reason I haven’t fucking ripped her head off yet is because she sired way too many vampires. I’m not in the mood to spend my next two centuries eradicating all of them.”

“Damn Yoongi”, Hoseok says.

“Tzt, it’s true.”

You exchange a quick look with the others, who seem just as confused by the feud he seems to have with her. Or by the entire situation for that matter.

“If you don’t like her then why are you coming with us?” Seokjin asks Yoongi.

“Connections”, he clicks his tongue, “she may be a cunt and her sires are fucking perverts, but at least they have eyes and ears everywhere. I’m sure one of them heard of Namjoon’s whereabouts.”

“Is she a Creator just like you?” Hoseok asks.

“No, but close. She’s the first Normal who was turned.”

“Oh damn, so she’s strong strong?”

“Yes Hoseok, I wouldn’t try anything if I were you. Unless you want to be turned into dust within seconds.”

“I’m not going to try anything”, he says and shudders, “scary stuff. I’ll just stick to my little glass of booze and shake my booty on the dance floor.”

“That’s good. You all should. Stick together”, Yoongi says.

“But wait”, Hoseok gasps, “does that mean we are all her sires too?”

“Could be. But it’s not a given. There were many others turned after her by Yaeji. She was just the first.”

“Creepy”, Hoseok says.

“Mhm.”

“Could you beat her?”

“Yes. With some struggle.”

“Woah.”

Yoongi sneaks a glance at Hoseok, giving him the quickest of smiles.

“I can’t believe that we’re meeting someone who could easily go up against you.”

Yoongi scoffs and turns away.

“Yeah, don’t get your hopes up high. She’s a cunt.”

“Will you stop calling her that?” Taehyung says, whipping around, “she’s not a cunt. You’re just jealous because she’s popular and you’re not.”

“Oh trust me, I’m glad I’m not popular. At least people don’t think that I’m their friend.”

Taehyung rolls his eyes.

“Roll your eyes all you want. You know I’m right.”

“Oh trust me. People don’t want to be your friend either way.”

“Taehyung”, you gasp, “take that back, that was uncalled for.”

Taehyung huffs out air and turns back around to stomp off again.

“Hey, come back here”, you call after him, taking big steps to get to him. You grab his arm, turning him to you rather roughly, “Taehyung.”

“What?”

“What’s wrong with you? Why are you so pissy all of a sudden?”

“Because he’s ruining my mood”, he pouts, “I was so excited to meet Fringella and he badmouths her. And now I don’t want to go to this silly dance anymore because I feel as if I’m the only one who will enjoy it.”

“That’s not true. I’m really excited for it.”

“Really?”

“Yes of course. I haven’t been on a proper dance in ages”, you give him a smile, “and I’d love it if we could go there together. Peacefully. As a team.”

Taehyung sighs in defeat.

“I understand”, he says and intertwines his fingers with you, “please forgive me.”

“I don’t need the apology.”

Taehyung glances at Yoongi, grinding his teeth.

“Please”, you say.

“I’m sorry”, Taehyung presses out.

“Mhm”, Yoongi acknowledges him.

“That’s better. Let’s just only have good times from now on.”

Taehyung smiles sweetly, nodding his head.

“I’d love that”, he says, pulling you into him so he can drape his arm around your shoulder, “oh?” he laughs, “it feels so peculiar now that you are the same height as me. Oh darling”, he pulls you closer and kisses your temple, “those shoes are doing things to me.”

“I can step on you later.”

“Mhm, don’t seduce me, darling. I can only take that much”, Taehyung says and growls playfully.

“Gross”, Hoseok throws in, grinning boyishly.

“Then don’t listen in”, Taehyung throws back.

Hoseok blinks in confusion.

“I was just…joking.”

“I...” Taehyung exhales shakily, “forgive me. I don’t know what is wrong with me tonight.”

You exchange a look with the others.

“I’m sure that you’re just nervous to meet your friends again, aren’t you?” you say, addressing Taehyung.

“Yes, oh terribly nervous”, he says and gives you a nervous smile, “I’m sorry, I’ll try not to let everything get to me from now on.”

“Mhm, okay”, you give him a sweet smile then turn to the front so you wouldn’t accidentally trip over something.

The streets are crowded tonight. The spirit of festivities has the entire town in its clasp so it seems. Your little group blends in perfectly. Nobody seems to mind six people dressed up in fancy clothes journeying the streets. On the contrary, people in their most colourful clothes and costumes dance all around you, singing to the songs and getting drunk on the wine the shops seem to offer.

“What exactly are we celebrating tonight?” you ask Taehyung.

“Oh that? You see, my sweetest. Fringella owns most of the city and its surrounding land and once a year she holds this great festival to celebrate Yaeji, the woman who gave her life.”

“Yaeji? As in the Creator who sired all the Normals?”

“Exactly. She is seen as a goddess here. Well, at least in the circles of our species. Most humans here have no idea what exactly they are celebrating, they are merely tourists or curious souls craving a night of celebration and good wine.”

“I see, so there are many vampires living here?”

“Of course. We have entered their territory five blocks ago.”

You seem to clutch his arm tighter at the mention.

“Worry not, most of them are friendly towards humans”, Taehyung, who had felt you hold him tighter, assures you.

“Well, this is reassuring to hear”, you say and laugh breathily, “I was worried a little.”

“You don’t have to, truly you are safe here. Especially with me.”

“Tch.”

Taehyung sends Yoongi a dark look, one the latter returns.

“And the others of course”, Taehyung says and smiles at Yoongi rather tauntingly.

You try to ignore their weird passive aggressive eye contact.

“Of course, I feel so safe when I’m with you guys”, you say.

Fringella’s house finds itself in the middle of the city’s finest neighbourhood. Well, quite frankly, her house and surrounding parks were the city’s finest neighbourhood. The parks are buzzing with life tonight. Lanterns, held in reds, light up the spacious gardens. Hung from trees, along the marbled paths, on top of statues and furniture and in the countless fountains you pass. It was truly a celebration of light.

“It’s beautiful here”, you say, watching the red lights reflect in the water of the big fountain you are passing. Atop the fountain, a big statue of a woman is standing. Her hair is long, hugging her naked torso in a way that would cover her breasts from the eye of spectators.

“Who is that?” you ask.

“Fringella”, Taehyung answers you and smiles, “isn’t she beautiful? Oh darling, she is even more beautiful in person.”

“Ah. I see she erected a statue of herself”, you mumble.

“Indeed”, Taehyung says and snickers, “she is so beautiful.”

“I’d call it self-obsessed”, Yoongi grumbles.

Taehyung rolls his eyes and pouts.

You have to be honest, you almost chuckled at Yoongi’s words. Building a twelve foot statue of yourself half naked does sound a little bit self-obsessed to you.

“You really can’t stand her, can you?” Seokjin asks.

“No.”

“Why? Did you guys have a fight in the past?”

“More than once. She may be a Normal, but she isn’t any better than a Ripper.”

“That’s not true. At least she can control herself other than you people”, Taehyung snaps back. Yoongi looks unaffected, but Jungkook lowers his head.

“Ah of course, that makes the murders so much better of course. Because she did them out of her own control. That’s acceptable of course.”

“You know what? I’m giving up with you two”, you murmur and break away from Taehyung, “keep bickering, but don’t do it next to me”, you hiss and then hook your arms with Jungkook and Hoseok, “come on guys, let’s have fun.”

Seokjin follows too, placing his arm around Jungkook’s shoulders.

“Cheer up, bro. We know you’re not like that.”

“I know, I wasn’t even upset”, Jungkook lies.

You give his arm a little shake, making him look at you. The smile you send him lights up his eyes in a sparkle.

“You have to dance with me tonight, Kook. I’m not taking no for an answer.”

He nods his head vigorously, “I’d love to. I promise not to get a boner again.”

You snicker.

“Yah Jungkook, you big Casanova”, Seokjin teases, taking Jungkook into a headlock.

“Hyung no”, Jungkook laughs, “my hair, stop messing it up.”

Seokjin snickers, releasing Jungkook to pat his back instead.

“Besides”, Jungkook fixes his collar, “you can’t tease me anymore, because I know that I have game these days.”

“Ooooh Kook”, Hoseok hollers, clapping into his hands.

Seokjin snorts, “you didn’t really just say that, did you?”

Jungkook smirks confidently, “I did.”

“Waah Jungkookie, you’re such a player”, Seokjin exclaims, giving the younger vampire a gentle shake, “careful ___, he’ll get all the ladies if you’re not careful.”

You snicker, “I’ll keep an eye on him.”

Jungkook looks at you with rosy cheeks and soft eyes.

Yoongi and Taehyung join your side very soon, keeping their distance with a frown on their faces. Your group stops by the opened front door.

“Min Yoongi”, a tall woman steps closer, crossing her arms in front of her chest.

Yoongi lifts his head to look into her eyes, deepening the frown.

“Gwendoline”, he says coldly.

“You have balls coming here and thinking that I’ll let you pass”, she hisses.

“Let me through, I’m not in the mood for games.”

“Oh, but I am. One step closer and I’ll rip your arms out.”

“Try it, I dare you”, Yoongi challenges, flashing his eyes ruby.

She growls, baring her fangs.

“Gwen!” Taehyung is the one to diffuse the situation, pressing himself between the vampire and Yoongi, “my darling, come now don’t be like that.”

Gwendoline’s eyes return to their normal blue colour, her lips curl into a smile.

“Taehyung”, she gasps and laughs, “oh look at you, how long has it been?”

“Seventy years? Eighty? I’ve been too busy these days.”

“Indeed you have”, Gwendoline nudges his chest before letting her hand run down his torso. It finds its resting place on his belt, playing with it mindlessly, “you owe me the night in Paris.”

“What night?”

“Tae”, she warns, tugging him closer while her eyes flit to his lips, “don’t play with me.”

Taehyung gets on his tiptoes and lets his lips brush against her cheek.

“You’ll get two nights if you let all of us in”, he whispers.

Gwendoline purrs, sneaking her hand to Taehyung’s butt. She grabs it, gives it a good squeeze.

“What is happening?” Hoseok whispers to you.

“I have no idea”, you murmur, eyeing them with distaste. Jungkook isn’t even looking, staring at the ground with a heavy lump in his throat.

“Even Min Yoongi?” she asks.

“Mhm, especially him”, Taehyung purrs, running his fingers up and down her arm.

“Two nights aren’t enough.”

“Three?”

She chuckles.

“Fine, four.”

“Four and breakfast in bed.”

“Deal.”

“Seal it, like we always did.”

Taehyung leans in and kisses her on the lips. Deep and with tongue.

“Ew”, Hoseok says, looking at your face instead, “you okay?” he whispers.

“Mhm yeah”, you lock eyes with him because quite frankly you weren’t in the mood to watch Taehyung tongue kiss a stranger.

“Okay that’s enough”, Yoongi is a little more open about his distaste, placing his hand on Taehyung’s shoulder to tug him away, “thanks Gwendoline, I owe you one”, he says and then drags Taehyung with him.

“I won’t forget it Min Yoongi, you owe me one”, she calls after him.

You are inside when Taehyung finally shakes off Yoongi’s hand.

“Why did you stop me?” he hisses.

“Because we didn’t come here to make out with everyone. Don’t forget our plan, we need to-”

“Yeah, yeah find allies in your fight against Namjoon. Don’t worry Min Yoongi, you’ve been talking about it nonstop, I’m sure even the hotelier knows of your plan by now”, Taehyung interrupts him.

“Tch”, Yoongi scoffs and lets go of his shoulder, “fucking brat, mock my plan all you want. You’re still here with ___ and Kook, show them some respect at least.”

Taehyung sneaks a glance at you and Jungkook. He knows exactly what Yoongi meant.

“I know what I’m doing, thank you very much”, he hisses and then struts to you with confidence. He takes your hand and intertwines his fingers with Jungkook as well.

Jungkook however steps away, slipping his hand out his grasp. He seeks Yoongi’s side, granting Taehyung not even one look.

“Okay”, Taehyung murmurs, looking at you instead, “did I do something?” he asks you.

“I don’t know”, you answer him with slight coldness in your voice, looking around the big mansion.

Chatter seems to quiet down, heads seem to turn. They follow you as you walk through the endless hallways. Some people even seem to step to the side, whispering to the next best person while their eyes are focused on your group.

“Why are they all staring?” you ask Taehyung.

“Because you are beautiful, darling”, he says and smiles at you, “they are blinded by your beauty.”

“You’re so cheesy”, you say, giving him a roll of your eyes.

“No but seriously, why is everyone staring at us?” Hoseok throws in, whispering the question.

“Because of me”, Yoongi grumbles.

“You?”

“I told you. I’m not popular here.”

You enter the main dance hall as Yoongi speaks the words. The dancing seems to stop, whispering goes through the rows of people. Then the music stops. Your group comes to a halt. You can sense that Hoseok is inching closer to you as you can suddenly feel his hand on your lower back as if he tries to find comfort through it.

“Min Yoongi”, a deep voice calls from somewhere above so loudly the entire room seems to vibrate, “you have some balls showing your face here.”

Yoongi exhales in annoyance, rolling his eyes. He steps out of your group, straightening his back in a roll of his shoulders.

“Come out Fredrick, I’m not in the mood for your games.”

A deep laugh then a shadows lands right in front of you. Hoseok and you startle, stumbling back and accidentally colliding with Seokjin, who lets out a little squeak of surprise.

There he is. Fredrick. Six foot three. Broad chest, big arms and legs, ginger hair down to his ribs and with his long fangs on display. He stretches his arms out.

“I see you’re still the asshole, you always were”, he says then steps closer and wraps his arms around Yoongi to give him a tight hug, “oh come here old friend.”

Yoongi accepts the hug with a frown, keeping his arms tangling by his side as his face gets squished into the set of impressive man tits the vampire Fredrick sports.

You would have continued staring at the peculiar scene hadn’t someone screamed Taehyung’s name on top of her lungs.

Taehyung’s face lights up.

“Fringella!” he calls out, looking at the balcony high above.

She stands there confidently and proud. Her hair matched in orange colour with Fredrick’s, her body seemed strong and barely any fabric covered it.

“Ladies and gentlemen, there he fucking is. The second best cock I’ve ever had to honour to sit on”, she says loudly, pointing at Taehyung.

Taehyung laughs in a way you have never heard him laugh before. He sounds so cocky, so full of himself. He looks like it too. His face carried the kind of confidence only a man who thinks he could have the entire room carries on his face.

“You’re not making me come up here, are you?” he calls out.

Fringella’s lips curl into a dark smirk.

Then she moves.

She jumps off the balcony, streaks of shadows and then you can watch how she is holding Taehyung’s face captive in a sloppy kiss right against the next best wall while Taehyung is basically bruising her flesh by how tightly he grasps her.

The music starts again. The guests continue dancing and chatting. It is as if such occurrences are completely normal here.

“Okay, there is so much happening”, Hoseok mumbles, changing his gaze between Taehyung violently making out with Fringella throughout the entire ballroom and Yoongi getting smothered by some hairy man tits.

“Yeah, totally”, Jungkook agrees.

“I feel so out of place”, Seokjin whispers.

“Same”, you say, watching with confusion as Fringella drags Taehyung’s lips away from her. Taehyung smirks lazily, dripping spit from his lips while he looks at her with half-lidded eyes. They say something to each other, you can’t hear it because they are currently on top of the balcony far, far away from you.

Then they fall into a disgustingly sloppy tongue kiss again and disappear.

You won’t see Taehyung for the rest of the night. Neither will you see him the next day and the day after that.

You don’t know of that future now however and so you turn back to Yoongi, who just this moment steps back from Fredrick, fixing his suit.

“You messed up my hair”, he states dryly, fixing it.

Fredrick laughs throatily, “you’ll survive, Min Yoongi.”

“Tzt.”

Fredrick turns to you then, studying you from head to toe.

“And who are you guys? You aren’t familiar to me.”

“Hoseok and Seokjin, Normals. Jungkook, Ripper and my apprentice. ___, human and Tae’s mate, so don’t touch her.”

“Of course, of course. All humans are welcome here”, Fredrick says and bows deeply, “welcome. I hope you will find great pleasure here. I’m Fredrick, husband of Fringella and long friend of Min Yoongi.”

“I wouldn’t say friend.”

“Oh come now”, Fredrick hits Yoongi’s upper back brotherly, “I’m the first person he turned.”

“Oh damn, really?” Hoseok gasps.

Fredrick nods his head and smiles proudly.

“Ripper, just like good Jungkook over here”, Fredrick points at his own chest, “I was turned three millennia ago and you?”

“1953?” Jungkook says shyly.

“Oh”, Fredrick belts out a loud laugh and then goes to slap Jungkook on the back so harshly poor Jungkook stumbles with big eyes, “so a Youngling? No wonder he is your apprentice, Min Yoongi. Tell me Jungkook, how many did you kill before Yoongi helped you?”

“I, I don’t know? I, I tried not to count.”

“Mhm sounds plausible. I killed ten thousand five hundred and twelve”, he says and smiles just slightly too proudly for your taste.

“O-okay? Uhm...” Jungkook is trying to wiggle out of Fredrick’s arm, failing miserably.

So with Jungkook in a tight headlock, Fredrick turns to Hoseok and Seokjin, who already cower away in fear of getting the same rough hug as poor Jungkook.

“And you? Younglings or not?”

“Very, please don’t hurt me”, Hoseok says, making Fredrick laugh loudly and then slam his hand on Hoseok’s shoulder in a brotherly pat. Hoseok’s knees buckle, a soft whimper slips past his lips.

“You are a funny boy. I like you.”

Hoseok steps back the moment Fredrick lets go of his aching shoulder, hiding behind Yoongi with a big pout on his lips. Meanwhile Jungkook is still trying to get out of the headlock, hitting Fredrick’s arm who doesn’t even seem to notice.

“Seokjin. I was turned in 1875”, Seokjin says confidently although his eyes seemed scared.

“Another Youngling. Oh that is great”, Fredrick says and greets Seokjin with a harsh slap to his arm, “oh to see the day where Min Yoongi surrounds himself with Younglings”, he says and chuckles.

Seokjin tries not to stumble but still ends up stumbling to the side with an aching arm.

Fredrick turns to you then, forcing cold sweat of terror to your skin.

“And you are ___, Taehyung’s mate. Oh that must be exhausting”, he says and laughs, “tell me is he still fucking his way through life?”

“N-not that I know of.”

“Oh that is hilarious. Kim Taehyung finally learned how to control his cock. But then, he is off to fuck my wife right now, so I would hardly call this control”, Fredrick laughs and lifts his hand to give you a brotherly pat as well.

You stare at it in horror.

This is it, you think, this is the night you will die.

Fredrick lowers it quickly.

You squeak.

Yoongi stops it, grabbing Fredrick’s wrist tightly.

“I told you not to touch her”, he hisses, “besides, release my apprentice will you?”

“Oh?” Fredrick looks at Jungkook, “oh forgive me, kiddo. You are so small and fragile that I didn’t even notice you”, he says and releases Jungkook.

Jungkook stumbles back, finding refuge behind Seokjin and Hoseok and looking like a sad puppy with tugged in tail doing it.

Yoongi lets go of Fredrick’s wrist by pushing it away, stepping between you and the vampire afterwards.

“I see you have to play bodyguard again. Kim Taehyung will never learn, will he? Oh Taehyung”, Fredrick laughs quietly and shakes his head.

He looks at all your faces again.

“But where is Park Jimin? I’m missing him here.”

“He’s not here.”

“Oh truly? But they were inseparable. Fringella’s dances were their favourite thing to go to together.”

“Jimin’s not here anymore.”

“I don’t understand.”

“Namjoon killed him.”

The room, once filled with music and chatter, becomes as quiet as the graveyard Jimin is currently resting on.

Fredrick’s entire face changes. The once bubbly, friendly person from before disappears, giving view to an angry, heartbroken monster.

“Park Jimin is dead?” he asks with a demonic voice.

Yoongi nods his head, forcing angry whispers to go through the room.

“I can’t believe this! Not Jimin! Oh if I meet Kim Namjoon, I will rip him to shreds!” Fredrick yells, grabs a chair and throws it against the wall so harshly it shatters into a million pieces.

You understand then, as you scan to faces of the people in the room and meet utter heartbreak in all of them, why Taehyung might be acting the way he does. He must have been thinking about the fact that he had to go to Fringella’s dance without his best friend by his side. Jimin wasn’t here anymore and this dance is the biggest reminder of it.

Oh poor Taehyung. No wonder he was so easily pissed off. He must have been in so much pain.

“That is why I’m here, Fredrick”, Yoongi says and places his hand on Fredrick’s arm. It seems to pull the vampire back to reality. Just like with Jungkook. Just one touch of their teacher and order returns to their mad faces.

“We are looking for him and we need everything you can give us about his whereabouts”, Yoongi says.

“Of course, I will help you. Everyone!” he calls the attention of everyone, “Min Yoongi didn’t come here looking for a fight. This fella here is looking for the murderer Kim Namjoon, who killed our precious friend Jimin! And he needs our help! So gather here and speak your truths!”

“Was that necessary?” Yoongi grumbles, looking highly uncomfortable by the attention.

Cheering goes through the room. People call his name and scream words of encouragement at him.

“Hear hear!”

“Down with the tyrant!”

“Long live Min Yoongi!”

“Kill the murderer!”

“It’s about time!”

“I mistrusted you unfairly Min Yoongi!”

Despite Yoongi’s words about being unpopular here, the crowd seems to love him, soon inching closer to your little group. Fredrick drags Yoongi right into the crowd. Yoongi turns before he disappears completely. His eyes carry discomfort and exhaustion. Poor Yoongi.

“Stay together”, he tells you then the crowd swallows him.

“Uhm…” Jungkook says, “what the actual hell did we walk into?”

“You say what I’m thinking”, Seokjin murmurs.

He watches with the rest of you as Fredrick and his friends seem to carry Yoongi in their hands. Not literally because Yoongi puts up quite the fight to stay with both feet on the ground, but one wrong step and the poor guy would probably be flung into the air by the excited crowd.

“Can I say what I’m thinking?” Hoseok says.

“Say it”, you tell him.

“I feel like we shouldn’t have come here.”

“I’m getting the same feeling”, you agree and Seokjin nods his head as well.

“Do you guys think that Yoongi will get his answers?”

“Hopefully?”

“Poor Yoongi, I feel bad for him”, you say and pout.

“Why?” Hoseok asks.

“Because he hates crowds”, you explain, letting out a loud sigh afterwards, “poor Yoongi.”

“Yeah poor Yoongi”, Jungkook agrees.

“Idea”, Seokjin says then, “let’s go to the bar, get booze, hide in the garden far, far away from people and get very drunk and I’m sure we’ll have a good time.”

“We could do that”, Hoseok agrees, finally breaking away his eyes from Yoongi to turn to you and the others instead.

You sit down on the grass once the bottles are obtained. Hoseok offered you his jacket to sit on, which you declined at first until he convinced you with a pout.

So now you are sitting on top of his jacket in the green grass and sharing a bottle of champagne.

Hoseok, Seokjin and you have been chatting vividly while Jungkook has been awfully quiet.

“Jungkook hey”, Seokjin says, handing the younger vampire the bottle, “what’s wrong?”

Jungkook takes a sip, “nothing’s wrong”, he says, handing the bottle to you.

“Yeah, something’s up. You’re really quiet.”

“I’m always quiet, hyung.”

The three of you exchange a look.

“No, that’s not normal”. Hoseok says, scooting closer, “talk to us Kook.”

“No”, he refuses, ripping out grass.

“Well, maybe it’ll help more than killing the poor grass”, you say, placing your hand over his’.

He stops and sneaks a glance at you. For just a moment he falters, before giving in with a sag of his shoulders.

“How are you so cool with it?” he asks you.

“Cool with what?”

“Cool with Taehyung acting like the biggest, rancid fuckboy ever?”

“Damn, harsh words”, Hoseok says.

“Yeah well-”, Jungkook falters, lowering his eyes, “whatever, forget I said something.”

“Are you upset about it?” Seokjin asks him.

“Yeah”, Jungkook whispers.

“Oh Kook”, Hoseok says, placing his arm around Jungkook’s waist, “that sucks. He’s so mean.”

“And I’m upset cause he, he talked about me like that.”

“What do you mean?”

“When he said the thing about control and us people”, Jungkook says and sniffles, “that was so mean.”

“Yeah that, I heard it too. That was really uncalled for”, Seokjin agrees, “I’m sorry Jungkook. He had no right to say that.”

“Yeah, he seriously didn’t”, Hoseok agrees.

“I’m sure he didn’t actually mean it”, you assure him, “he just wanted to anger Yoongi and said untrue stuff.”

“No, he meant it”, Jungkook murmurs.

“No Kook, I’m sure he didn’t.”

“It’s about the principles, ___”, Seokjin says, “he may have only said it to annoy Yoongi, but it still sucks when you insult a certain characteristic of someone when a person you care about has it as well and hears it. Kind of makes the insult sound like a confession about their true feelings.”

“Yeah”, Jungkook whispers, sagging his shoulders even more.

“Okay if you put it like that, I can see why it is upsetting”, you say, “I’m sorry, I didn’t see it that way, Kook. I was trying to cheer you up, but sounded ignorant.”

“It’s fine”, he murmurs, lowering his head until he can rest it against Hoseok’s shoulder, “I’m sad guys.”

“Hey Kook!”

“No baby!”

“Come here Kookie!”

The three of you exclaim at the same time, hurdling over each other to take Jungkook into a big group hug.

“Don’t be sad sweets, we’re here now”, you tell him.

“Yeah, we’re here Kook”, Seokjin agrees.

“We’re not going anywhere”, Hoseok promises him before smooching his forehead loudly.

“Thanks guys”, Jungkook murmurs, finding comfort in the hug. It is warm and smells like genuine love. He likes both of those things and it makes him happy to know that those two things are for him right now.

“You know what we should do?” Hoseok asks.

“What?” Jungkook is talking quietly.

“We should finish this bottle, get more and then dance. I’m sure that will help more than being sad in the grass.”

Jungkook sighs and shrugs his shoulders, “yeah sure, we could do that.”

“Of course we’ll do that. Come on guys, let’s help Kook up and dance.”

It helps. Jungkook is soon too drunk on alcohol and the music to really care about his thoughts. You all are, don’t assume anything else. Seokjin is willing to reach very deep into his pockets tonight. Very deep.

“Fuck”, you stumble again, falling into Hoseok’s chest.

He catches you safely, keeping his hands wrapped around you tightly.

“Careful”, he is lulling his words.

“Damn bro, no joke. I’m fucked”, you say, laughing manically afterwards.

“Same dude”, he says, snickering uncontrollably.

“What’cha guys talkin’ bout?” Seokjin throws in, leaning himself on your shoulders.

“Drunk”, you tell him, “we’re really drunk.”

“Same”, he says and hiccups, rubbing his cheek against your shoulder like a cuddly cat.

“You good?” you ask him.

“Yeah, so good. ___ you smell nice.”

You laugh, “are you guys trying to do a masquerade ball one point two here?”

“No, course not. Unless”, Seokjin wiggles his brows at you, “you’re down for it.”

“Yo, seriously dude? Here?” Hoseok gasps.

“Yeah dude, here?” you tease him.

“What about here?” Jungkook throws in, now having stumbled to your little group. He finds support on Hoseok’s shoulder which in return makes Hoseok lean more of his weight on you.

“Seokjin wants to grind”, Hoseok lulls.

“Yeah, wanna grind”, Seokjin says, rubbing his nose against your neck.

“What grind? On each other?” Jungkook lulls, stepping closer.

“Yeah each other”, Seokjin says, nodding his head, “you join too Kook, you got a nice ass.”

“Thanks bro, you got a nice ass too.”

“Thanks bro”, Seokjin says and the two men high five each other clumsily. They just kind of slap each other’s wrists and call it a day.

“Yeah bro”, Jungkook says.

“Bro”, Seokjin whispers and tugs you closer.

“Guys seriously”, you groan, “you’re kinda unfair right now leaning on the only human here”, you whine, struggling to keep up their weight.

Seokjin snakes his arms around your waist, trying to help you with the burden. Not that he is of great help. Now you have Hoseok and Seokjin trying to tug you closer while Jungkook is still fighting to get into the hug.

“Guys”, you laugh, wiggling out of them with all you got.

They stumble, falling into each other.

“Give a girl some slack”, you say, smoothing over your dress.

“Noo come back ___”, Seokjin whines, making grabby hands at you.

Hoseok drapes his arm around his shoulder and drags him into his body.

“Why are you so horny, dude? You’ve never made a move on her before.”

“Cause she’s pretty. ___ bro you got a nice ass too.”

You snort, “thank you Seokjin.”

He lifts his hand so you can high five it. Which you do, even if Seokjin misses the first time and only gets it right with Hoseok’s help.

Thinking about it, perhaps Seokjin is the drunkest right now.

“Hoseok”, he lulls and presses his lips against Hoseok’s neck, “I miss Emma.”

“Okay, bad news guys. He’s going into depressive mode”, Hoseok says, fighting for his life to keep Seokjin from falling to his knees.

“I get it dude”, Jungkook says and stumbles closer to you, “depressed”, he says and plops against your body.

“Who let those two babies drink?” you groan, “Kook, you have half a ton of muscle mass, please use your legs, I can’t hold you.”

Jungkook whines, “hold me please ___, you smell so good.”

“Okay, know what? Let’s get you to a bench.”

And so it happens that you and Hoseok (with your dizzy heads) drag your two immortal babies to the next best seating possibility. You sit them down, propping them up in a way so they could lean against each other.

“There. Now you can be depressed together”, you tell them, turning to Hoseok, “I’ll get water, you stay here.”

“Yeah, try not to trip.”

“I won’t.”

And with that you turn to stumble away onto your journey for water.

Truth be told, you forget your destination halfway to the bar. It wasn’t your fault, but that of your host.

“Are you lost ___?” Fredrick asks, placing his massive hand on top of your head.

“Oh hey there Fredrick sir”, you greet him, “don’t touch my head like that. You may be one massive tree of a man, but I don’t want your hand on my head.”

Fredrick snorts before laughing loudly.

“Who filled you up?” he says, studying your swaying body.

“Seokjin”, you answer him, “and now he’s crying over his girlfriend.”

“His girlfriend? Who’s this girlfriend if I may ask?”

“Emma. She’s a Glutton, but he can’t find her.”

“Emma, mhm. I know an Emma.”

“Yeah you do? That’s good. Go to him and tell him, because he’s sad.”

You stumble. Fredrick catches you, holding you with painful strength.

“Good sir”, you grunt, “you are too strong, don’t touch me.”

“Oh you are hilarious”, he laughs again, throwing his head back, “forgive me, I won’t touch you again.”

“Thanks.”

You lock eyes with Fredrick. He is grinning down at you.

“Since when are you Taehyung’s mate?”

“Since last September, but we had a little break for a few months because he lied to me and then tried to kill me with Jimin and Namjoon and then Yoongi locked him up as a punishment, but he’s free again and we’re good.”

“Ah I see”, Fredrick’s amusement grows, “and Yoongi, tell me, is he still the loner he always was?”

“Don’t know”, you say, shrugging your shoulders, “I ain’t telling anyways, even if you try to convince me.”

“And why is that?”

“Cause”, you shrug your shoulders, “that’s why.”

“I could convince you very easily”, Fredrick says with a playful smirk.

“No you can’t”, you say and show him your magic ring, “my mind’s safe from you fuckers, I’m not dumb.”

“Oh you”, Fredrick bursts into belly aching laughter. He laughs so hard that you fear his big tits may rip through his shirt (not that there was much of a shirt on his torso to begin with), “I like you. No wonder, Taehyung fancies you.”

“Mhm I know”, you say confidently.

“Either way, I have to go. There are many people who want to talk to me. If you see Yoongi anywhere tell him he’s welcome to join me for a whiskey upstairs.”

“Yoongi?” your ears perch up, you straighten your back, “where’s Yoongi?”

“Don’t know. I lost him an hour ago.”

You look around the room in search for him. Where is Yoongi?

“Either way, I’m going. It was nice talking to you, human ___.”

“Yeah, yeah”, you dismiss him, turning his back to him. Where is Yoongi?

Fredrick watches you stumble away with curiosity in his eyes. He has never seen such a reckless, yet also impressively confident, human in a room where ninety percent of the guests aches for a taste of her neck.

“Oh yeah!” you whip back around and stumble to Fredrick.

You press you finger into his chest.

“You go talk to Seokjin and tell him about Emma, or else”, you tell him, poking his chest harder.

“I will talk to him”, Fredrick promises.

“Good”, you say and turn back around to finally leave.

“She is fascinating”, Fredrick murmurs, “oh if only she wasn’t Taehyung’s”, he says and licks his lips hungrily.

You disappear behind a pillar and with it out of his sight.

Fredrick turns, making his way upstairs. He won’t talk to this Seokjin guy. Emma is better off where she is.

You enter the long hallways, dodging too many people to count. You have to find Yoongi. This is top priority. Find Yoongi and then…make out with him. Yes, that’s the plan. You will find Yoongi and then make out with him. You really want to make out with him.

It is difficult to walk in your heels. They are so uncomfortable and way too high. You really should have picked out sneakers or something. Or no shoes. That would have been fun too, you think as you walk right over some broken glass.

“Or maybe not”, you mumble before continuing your way to Yoongi.

Now where is he?

You cross another corner, entering the massive entrance hall. The air is cooler here then it is in the ballroom. The chatter is quieter as well. It is still loud, but it at least is not as deafening as it was back there.

“Now. Where is he?” you mumble and look around the room.

There he is. Your eyes find him an instant, focusing on him as if it was their only purpose. He is alone, hiding under the stairs with a glass of whiskey in his hands and a deep frown on his face. His figure and face are almost hidden completely in the shadow, but you still know that it is him.

Your face lights up, your heart flutters.

There he is. Your Yoongi Boongie.

You quicken your steps.

You see him a little better now that you are coming closer to him. His eyes – previously they scanned the crowd – are focused on you. His hand lifts the glass to his lips. He drinks the bitter beverage without moving one single muscle in his face. Then he lowers the glass again and licks his lips once.

You dodge an unknown vampire, then two more steps and the shadow swallows you as well.

“Hey there stranger”, you greet him.

“You look drunk”, he says dryly.

“I am. Very drunk actually. I hate my shoes, it’s difficult to walk”, you tell him as you rest against him with your cheek on his shoulder.

“You smell like Fredrick”, he tells you, stepping back.

You lift your head, pouting now that he rejected you so obviously.

“Yeah. I met him when I was trying to look for you. He touched my head.”

“He did what?” he hisses, puffing out his chest.

“Calm down”, you stop him from storming off and ripping Fredrick’s hand off, “I told him not to touch me and he apologised. I’m good.”

Yoongi stares at your head, obviously trying to check for wounds. He relaxes with a huff of air, taking a big sip of his whiskey.

“Good”, he grumbles, looking to the side with a roll of his eyes.

“What’s wrong?” you ask him, poking his tummy.

“Don’t”, he says, tensing his abs.

“You look pissed”, you say, studying his dark frown, “what’s wrong?”

“I’m not. Just bored.”

“Yeah because you’re hiding in a dark corner all alone like a creepy little shadow. The party’s back there, not here.”

“I don’t want to be there.”

“Why not? You’d be less bored.”

“Yeah and far more pissed.”

“Really?”

“Mhm, I can’t stand Fringella’s people. They’re perverts.”

“And you’re not?” you tease jokingly, but Yoongi sends you one of his looks. The kind of cold, annoyed look you haven’t seen from him in ages.

“Careful”, he hisses.

“Damn Yoongi, you’re really pissed aren’t you?”

He grinds his teeth and looks away.

“Was the talk with Fredrick so bad?”

He shakes his head, but keeps frowning.

“Tell me about it. Do we know more now?”

“Yes. There’s a group of Namjoon’s followers outside town. One of the guests saw them gathering in an old warehouse.”

“But that’s good news.”

Yoongi nods his head.

“Fredrick’s sending some of his men out there tomorrow. They’ll kill all of them except one. We’ll question them.”

“Seriously?” you gasp.

Yoongi sneaks a glance at you.

“That’s Fredrick’s methods. They’re successful, so I won’t question them.”

“I...understand”, you say, scratching the side of your neck awkwardly. Yoongi is right. The method seems the best for a situation like that. You just have to get used to the constant presence of murder and death and just how normal they are seen by everyone here.

“Do you think that they’ll talk?”

“Oh trust me, they will.”

“Okay”, you whisper.

Yoongi looks at your face.

“Don’t think about it. Fredrick and I will do the work, you should go sightseeing with the others tomorrow. I heard the city offers a really nice botanical garden, I’m sure you could like it.”

“Don’t you want to come with me?”

“No.”

You fluster, blinking rapidly.

“Well, that was quick”, you say.

Yoongi licks his lips now that he feels embarrassed about how quickly he denied you.

“Not tomorrow. I have to take care of Namjoon’s followers”, he tries to put softness into his voice, but fails just slightly.

“Fine, then I’ll do something else tomorrow and we’ll go to the gardens the day after that.”

Yoongi studies your features. He just can’t seem to stop himself from frowning.

“We’ll see what we can do”, he says dryly.

“Okay, we’ll see about it.”

You reach out and touch his wrist.

“Do you want to come out of the shadows now and join us?”

Yoongi hesitates. You notice that he does and decide to distract him.

“Or actually. We don’t have to leave this place.”

You step closer, making him fall against the wall as he tries to keep the distance up. Even closer. You place your hands on the wall beside his head.

Yoongi lifts his head and lets it fall against the wall, locking eyes with you.

“What are you doing?” he rasps the question.

“Taking your mind off of things”, you say, taking his chin between your fingers to keep his head tilted up.

It makes Yoongi’s eyes glow ruby for just a second.

“I think it’s kind of hot that I’m taller than you.”

“Yeah?”

“Mhm yeah, I like it when you look up at me. Your pretty eyes are made for it.”

“I know what you’re trying to do here.”

“I know”, you say, dragging your thumb over his lips, “you’re tempting me.”

He is affected. You know that he is because he likes it when you look down on him. Tonight he seems way too annoyed to react however.

“We’re not alone”, he says, turning his head away.

“We’re hidden enough, nobody will notice”, you say, leaning in to kiss his neck most seductively.

“Control yourself”, he says, moving away slightly.

“I can’t. You’re so addictive”, you rasp, giving his neck a gentle bite.

Yoongi tenses up and lifts his shoulder to his ear.

“I mean it”, he hisses, “don’t play with me tonight.”

You stop and lift your head to study his features. He is frowning.

“Oh Yoongs, what’s wrong?” you ask him, trying and failing to caress his cheek because Yoongi flinched away when you reached out.

So he is truly upset. Well damn.

“Did someone say something to you? What else happened when Fredrick dragged you away?” you ask him worriedly.

“It shouldn’t concern you.”

“Well it does. We’re a team, remember?”

He sneaks a glance at you.

“It’s nothing”, he says.

“No, it’s not nothing. You’re upset, I can see it”, you say, caressing his upper arm, “talk to me, Yoongs.”

“They said my name, talked to me. They know who I am, princess.”

“I mean… Obviously people know you. You’re the Min Yoongi and you announced that you are avenging their friend. Obviously they will talk to you.”

“I don’t want that”, he hisses, “I don’t want to be seen as, as some sort of stupid, fucking celebrity.”

“Oh Yoongi”, you say, rubbing his arm gently, “I know, but I’m sure they didn’t mean any harm in it.”

He huffs out air.

“I’m sure most of them talked to you out of a sense of respect and because they wanted to help.”

“Whatever, you don’t get it”, he says, shaking you off.

“No I do. You don’t like it when people know you, but don’t think that way. Those people think they know you but they don’t. They know the Creator you, not the real you. And you don’t have to show your true side to them, you can pretend.”

Yoongi listens intently to what you have to say, emptying his glass of whiskey gradually.

“You can put on a façade tonight and pretend to still be that scary, unbeatable Creator and people will believe to know you when in reality they never will.”

You give his cheek a soft pet.

“You can do that Yoongi, you know? Just because people know your name and reputation doesn’t mean you automatically have to show yourself to them. You can be hidden behind a mask, that’s your right to do.”

It happens then that the deep frown finally falls from his face. His forehead stops creasing, his brows relax and his eyes – once cold in anger – warm up as they focus on your face. Yoongi takes your hand with utmost care and lifts it to his lips to kiss your knuckles softly.

“Thank you”, he says, rubbing the tip of his nose against your knuckles just once before he lets go again in fear of someone seeing him.

“Don’t. That’s what I’m here for.”

Yoongi nods his head in understanding, avoiding eye contact as he feels too shy. You give his soft cheek a little pinch then step back to give him some space.

“Do you want to dance with me?” you ask, stretching your arms out to him.

“Dance?”

“Yes, dance. I feel like dancing.”

“I don’t know. I don’t like dancing.”

“Do it for me?”

“I don’t know.”

“Please Yoongi?”

“Mhm”, he cocks his right eyebrow up.

“Please?”

“Can’t you ask someone else?”

“But-”

“Hoseok!” Yoongi interrupts you.

The younger vampire stops in his tracks abruptly, backtracking slowly. He looks around the hallway for a moment before his eyes finally land on you.

“Oh, there you are”, he says and hurries to you “what the hell? Why are you hiding in the shadows? I didn’t even see you at first. Also thanks ___, you were of great help.”

“Why?”

“You abandoned me with the two biggest babies ever. I had to drag them outside all on my own. And then Seokjin pushed me into the fountain and now I’m drenched. Look”, he shows off his wet body, “I had to walk all the way back to the bathroom to get dry and they are still outside both crying and whining about their lovers. Why would you abandon your own brethren like that?” he is whining loudly, carrying the biggest pout on his lips.

“Oh shoot, I’m so sorry Hobi. I totally forgot”, you gasp.

“What’s wrong?” Yoongi asks.

“It’s Kook and Jin. They’re waiting outside, totally drunk and depressed”, Hoseok explains.

“Great. I’ll take care of them. You guys should dance together. I’m leaving.”

“Yoongi wait”, you call after him.

Too late. Yoongi is gone already. With sagging shoulders, you turn back to Hoseok, giving him a pout.

“I’m so confused”, he says.

“I asked Yoongi to dance with me and he panicked and then played wingman for you and I.”

“Ah I see”, Hoseok nods his head, “is he being grumpy again?”

“No, he is most definitely not in his preferred location.”

“Oh yeah, I get it”, he laughs, “I almost joined a blood orgy on my way to the loo.”

“Excuse me, what? You joined what now?”

“Nothing. I just opened the wrong door and suddenly bam around twenty vampires fucking. All covered in blood and cum and sticky stuff”, he shudders, “very disturbing, especially when you just wanted to dry up. I left that room so fast.”

“I can imagine”, you cringe, “now I know why Yoongi thinks they’re all perverts here.”

“Oh yeah, they definitely are”, Hoseok laughs, nodding his head, “you should seriously stick with us because I don’t know what would happen if you accidentally walked into that room.”

“I don’t even want to imagine.”

“Neither do I”, Hoseok says and furrows his brows.

“Well uhm”, you begin, “now that we were so successfully wing manned by Yoongi, do you want to dance?”

“Honestly? I kind of want to leave. This party isn’t of my taste.”

“You know what? I respect that. Come on, let’s see if we can still catch up with Yoongi.”

You and him hold hands so you wouldn’t get separated.

“I’m sorry for leaving you. My drunk brain totally forgot what I wanted to do.”

“It’s fine, I kinda had a gist that you idiot forgot”, he assures you, making you chuckle.

“Is Tae still here?” you ask him.

“Yup somewhere. Probably. I guess. I honestly have no idea, I know as little about his whereabouts as you.”

“You don’t think that he’s in that room, do you?”

Hoseok seems worried for a moment. Not for Taehyung, but your feelings.

“I don’t know”, he says, laughing nervously, “I honestly didn’t look that closely and it was pretty stuffy and dark. So I didn’t see much.”

“Hobi, you guys can see perfectly in the dark.”

“Yeah still”, he whines, “I just didn’t look that closely, okay?”

“Yeah okay, I get it”, you say and huff out air, “I just really hope that he isn’t.”

“I’m sure he’s not.”

“Do you think Yoongi is alright?” you ask him.

“Yes, I think he just needs some alone time.”

“I get it. Gosh, I feel bad for him. He always excludes himself from stuff without even trying first”, you pout, “I feel so bad because I feel like he could have so much fun if he allowed himself to.”

“I get it, but it’s Yoongi. I don’t think he could ever have fun with”, Hoseok leans in to whisper, “those people.”

“I guess”, you mumble, “but he could stay with us and have fun with us.”

“Yeah I know”, Hoseok gives you a sorry look, “don’t take it to heart ___, I’m sure he doesn’t mean it personally.”

“I know, I’m not. I guess, I’m just an overly worried girlfriend right now.”

Hoseok laughs, caressing your upper back gently.

“Don’t laugh. I feel like all I do these days is worry about one of you guys.”

“You don’t have to, you know? We’ll make sure that nothing happens to us just so you don’t have to worry.”

“Gosh Hobi, you’re sweet. Thank you for staying safe", you say, caressing his arm.

Hoseok gives you a cute grin, “of course. Now where is Yoongi? Mhmm.”

You and Hoseok look around the spacious garden.

“I can’t see him anywhere”, you say.

“Yeah, neither can I. Let’s go further up the path.”

You look left and right as you walk, looking for a small vampire with two massive vampires thrown over his shoulder. Knowing Yoongi, this will be his preferred method of transporting the drunk babies back to their rooms.

You end up not finding Yoongi anywhere and walking all the way back to the house.

You stop by a food vendor for some fries with ketchup and then eat them on a metal bench while a few feet away a street musician plays his songs. The lanterns are still burning brightly and all around you, people have gathered to listen to the melodies.

“You know what I hate the most?” Hoseok says.

“Wet clothes?”

“Oh yes, very much so. Especially wet socks”, he wiggles his feet, “there is still water in my shoes.”

“Oh no, poor boy. Should we go back to the house already? So you can dry up?”

Hoseok shakes his head, “but that’s not what I meant.”

“No? What else?”

“When they put the ketchup all over the fries.”

“Yeah same, oh my god, biggest pet peeve.”

“Totally”, he agrees and pokes his fries into the ketchup. He throws it into his mouth and chews vigorously, “those are good fries though.”

“Mhm, totally. Really good. Very salty, which I like.”

“Same. Salt is what makes them good.”

“Agreed.”

“And lots of grease. I don’t understand how people don’t like greasy fries.”

“That’s like a fifty-fifty for me”, you say, “sometimes I like it, but sometimes I get a tummy ache from it. So it all depends on the day.”

“I respect that”, Hoseok says, nodding his head.

“Tonight the grease’s good though. My drunk ass needs it.”

“Totally. My mates back in the day always said that greasy food is the best to sober up.”

“They totally had a point. That and chocolate donuts.”

“Chocolate donuts?” Hoseok laughs.

“Yeah?” you glance at him, “why are you laughing? They are the bomb when you’re drunk.”

Hoseok lifts his hands in defeat, shrugging his shoulders, “I couldn’t possibly tell you, I never had them when I was wasted.”

“You should really try them. They’re amazing.”

“Next time then, unless”, he looks around, “nope, there’s no donut vendor around here.”

“Yeah sad, I already looked. I really crave them.”

Hoseok drapes his arm around your shoulder, patting your arm, “my condolences.”

“Thanks”, you say and chuckle, “maybe that’s karma for abandoning you.”

Hoseok laughs quietly, “maybe yeah.”

He keeps his arm around you afterwards, dancing his fingertips over your upper arm to the melody of the street musician. And as he does, he continues munching on his fries, making sound effects of approval each time the fry was especially salty or greasy. You do the same, enjoying the calmness of the night. Out here, time finally seems to feel real. Back at Fringella’s place so much happened at once that you could barely even keep up. It felt like a dream or as if you were stuck in a movie and someone pressed the fast forward button. But out here, you can breathe again. This feeling is nice.

Hoseok looks at you, which in return makes you look at him.

“What’s wrong?”

“Honestly we should have just done this”, he says.

“Done what?”

“Stayed on the streets. I feel like the night wouldn’t have ended that messily if we did.”

“You think the night ended messily?”

“Yeah I guess”, Hoseok shrugs his shoulders, “Kook and Jin are too drunk, Yoongi is moody and Tae’s gone. And you’re upset too.”

“I’m upset too? What makes you think that I am?”

“I mean…you can’t be okay with Tae acting like that, can you?”

You take a deep breath through your nose, turning back to the street musician. You take a fry and eat it. You swallow it.

“I don’t know”, you say, “I feel like I have no right to feel negatively about his behaviour. Not when I’m the same.”

“The same?”

“Yeah. I want to keep seeing Yoongi too and I’m flirting with you guys. I’m the same.”

“Okay but, you’re not the same. Taehyung’s probably involved in god knows how many orgies with, like, really weird people right now. And he is so nonchalant about fucking strangers. I don’t know, I just think he’s different than you.”

“I guess”, you say.

You eat another fry and then another.

Hoseok has turned back to the street musician by now.

“Sorry. I didn’t wanna overstep my boundaries”, he says, giving your shoulder a little squeeze. His palm is cold like it always is.

“No, it’s fine. It would be weird if you guys didn’t ask. It’s honestly a little strange for me too to have him act so nonchalantly about sex with strangers, but it is what it is.”

“I guess”, he says.

“I’m more worried about Kook, if I’m being honest. He is really upset about it.”

“I know. Honestly it wasn’t okay for Tae to talk like this.”

“Yeah, but I still think he didn’t actually mean it.”

“I guess. It’s still not okay.”

“No, it really isn’t.”

“Especially because Kook’s such a romantic”, Hoseok says and sighs sadly, “I feel so bad for him. He just wants to experience that really cheesy type of love, you know?”

“I know”, you murmur sadly, “it’s so weird, because when I met Tae he was this really cheesy romantic, who talked about monogamy and wanting The One, but he feels so different these days.”

“Is he mean to you?”

“Oh god no, he isn’t. He’s still a total sweetheart when we’re alone. But sometimes he is just…different. I can’t explain it. He seems so distant sometimes”, you say and after a moment of silence you speak again, “I shouldn’t say that. I know why he’s like this.”

“Why?”

“He’s grieving Jimin. That must be it. He is grieving the loss of his best friend. You heard when Fredrick asked about Jimin today and that those two always went to these dances together. Just imagine how much it must hurt him to know that he can’t experience it with Jimin anymore.”

“You really think so?”

“Yeah”, you nod your head, “Jimin was his best friend for so many centuries. You know, sometimes Tae talks in his sleep and sometimes I ask him questions and he actually answers me. One time he repeated that he lost it. So I asked him what he meant by it. And Tae he…fuck”, you lower your head, “Tae told me that he lost his will to live. Fuck”, you inhale shakily, “I cried myself to sleep that night because I was hurting so much for his sake.”

You sneak a glance at Hoseok. He seems to truly live your emotions with you, eyes sad and lips turned downwards.

“Just imagine how painful it must be to lose a person you have known hundreds and hundreds of years, with whom you have shared not one, but countless lifetimes with. I don’t think anyone could truly describe the amount of pain that must bring.”

“It must be really painful. I don’t even want to imagine how it would be to lose Kook or Jin or you and Yoongi”, Hoseok lets out a scoff, “goddamn it, now I feel bad for being mad at him.”

“Yeah, it’s honestly such a messy situation. I’m mad at him for Kook’s sake, but I also feel guilty for it because in the end, Tae’s in a lot of pain too.”

“It’s really messy”, Hoseok agrees, nodding his head. He throws the empty food container into the bin and stands up.

He claims the spot in front of you.

“Let’s go back to the mansion, it’s getting cold and I feel like staying here will only make us feel depressed as well.”

“Gosh Hobi, you really can’t stand talking about sad stuff can you?” you say as you accept his hand and let him pull you to his feet.

“No, I hate it so much. I’m too awkward for it”, he says, making you chuckle fondly.

You intertwine your fingers again and then begin wandering down streets. You don’t chat a lot, just talks about how nice the night is when you aren’t trapped in a vampire orgy mansion and how you truly should have stayed on the streets. Then you wondered whether or not Yoongi would have been less grumpy about it and then you talked about how bad you feel for him now that he has to take care of Jungkook and Seokjin all on his own.

You then sped up your steps and hurried back to the mansion.

“Yoongi?” you call out, closing the door behind you, “we’re back!”

You slip out of your heels and Hoseok helps you with taking off your coat.

“Hyung, how are the others holding up?” he calls out.

The mansion however stays silent.

“Where is he?” you ask Hoseok.

“Don’t know, let’s check upstairs.”

You check Seokjin’s room first. The owner of said room is knocked out, sleeping with his mouth agape and a wet cloth pressed to his forehead. Yoongi also managed to somehow wrestle him out of his suit. He placed the neatly folded suit over the backrest of Seokjin’s armchair.

“He’s knocked out”, you whisper to Hoseok.

“Yeah, let’s let him sleep”, Hoseok answers you and together you tiptoe out of his room, closing the door behind you.

Next, Jungkook’s room.

“Yoongi hyung?” Jungkook’s tiny voice calls out from the darkness.

“No, it’s us”, Hoseok answers him.

“Hobi hyung, you’re back.”

“Yep, we’re back.”

“Is Taehyung back too?”

“No, he is still at the dance.”

“Oh”, Jungkook says and then soft sobs fill the silence.

“Hey Kookie, I’m here now”, Hoseok gasps, hurrying to his bed, but not before turning to you, “look for Yoongi, I’m staying with Kook.”

“Good plan. Give him lots of hugs from me.”

“I will. Hey Kookie. Hyungie’s here now.”

“Hobi, I really need a hug.”

The door falls closed behind you, drowning out the rest of their conversation. Hoseok will take the greatest care of him. You are sure of it, because Hoseok is one of the sweetest people you know. You feel terrible for having to abandon Jungkook in his state, but you know of Yoongi’s warnings. Moments of emotional vulnerability make Jungkook prone to lash out on humans against his will. And you don’t want that to happen. Jungkook doesn’t need another burden atop his aching heart. Hoseok will take good care of him, you are sure of it.

You finally find Yoongi outside, standing by the fence at the far end of the garden. You hurry to him, using what little light the moon gives as your guide. The grass is wet on your bare feet, tickling your shins as you hurry through it. You are sure that your dress is soaked by now, but you don’t care. You will simply wash it.

“Hey.”

Yoongi turns his head, studying you from head to toe.

“Hey.”

“That’s where you went off to. I was looking everywhere for you. You left so quickly.”

“I hate those things.”

“Why? I thought it was really fun.”

“I hate the stares.”

“Yoongs, that wasn’t true. People didn’t stare at you.”

“Yeah they did.”

“Well, if they did then it was because you look so handsome in your suit.”

Yoongi sneaks a glance at you, seeming flustered. You giggle and step closer, nudging his arm with your chest.

“What are you looking at?”

“Fireflies.”

You turn and look at the endless fields. He is right. The darkness is broken up by hundreds and hundreds of golden sparkles. They flutter on their black canvas, painting pictures of utter tranquillity.

“They’re pretty”, you say.

“I guess. I find them relaxing.”

“Yes, you’re right. They are really relaxing”, you say and smile, “it must be such a great life to spend it making the night prettier.”

“Yes”, Yoongi agrees as he looks at your face. You don’t see that he looks at you, too busy being happy about the fireflies, “it must be a good life”, he says, looking at your lips before he has to look somewhere else as for just a second he felt like gasping for air.

“Did you know that fireflies glow to attract a mate?” he asks.

“I didn’t know that”, you sneak a glance at his face, “where did you learn that fact?”

“Just somewhere, can’t remember.”

“Mhm”, you acknowledge him then look at the fireflies again.

“I like knowing facts”, he confesses quietly.

“Mhm, you know a lot. It’s always awesome when you tell me something. I learn new stuff, that’s nice.”

“Yeah”, he whispers, flustering slightly.

Yoongi picks off a little loose piece of wood from the fence. He looks at it and how it sits under his fingernail. He flicks it away and begins picking at a new spot.

“Did you dance a lot?” he asks.

“No, we left a little after you. We ate some fries and listened to a street musician.”

“Mhm.”

“Why did you not want to dance with me?”

“I hate doing it.”

“Really?”

He nods his head, “there were too many people.”

“Ah, I see. The stares.”

“Yes.”

“I get it”, you say and then hug his arm. You rest your head against his shoulder. “You have to dance with me one day.”

“You really want that, don’t you?”

“Yes, I want to know how you dance.”

He looks at you. You have your eyes closed, smiling contently.

He turns then, forcing his arm to slip from your grasp but making up for it by taking you in his arms in a perfect dancing position.

“What are you doing?” you gasp.

Yoongi steps closer and begins moving.

“Dancing with you”, he whispers.

Your eyes begin sparkling even brighter than the fireflies. Yoongi finds immense happiness in the smile you give him.

He leads the dance. Slow steps. Left and right at first before he makes your feet take steps back and forth as well. And then it becomes a pattern of different directions until you are swirling over the meadow, looking as if you are floating on dark clouds.

And as he guides you over your improvised dance floor, the fireflies seem to burn even brighter, dancing with you while the stars light up your surroundings.

He keeps looking at you as you dance. His eyes are sparkling with such love they could outshine the moon. You can’t look away either, gazing at him with your heart racing in your chest.

So you are dancing. You are actually dancing. And it is even better than you could have ever imagined it.

Yoongi twirls you and catches you safely. It makes you laugh and for his own lips to curl into a fond smile. You grow closer afterwards. He is hugging your waist while you caress the back of his head.

“What is it?” he asks softly.

“Nothing, you’re a good dancer”, you tell him.

He flusters and ends up twirling you again. He twirls you and twirls you until you are squeaking and squealing and laughing so much that your tummy aches.

“Stop, oh my god, I’m dizzy”, you complain.

He stops you, holding you safely, “sorry”, he whispers with fondness in his voice.

“Urgh Yoongi, now I’m dizzy”, you whine in a chuckle, resting your forehead against his shoulder. A happy giggle shakes your body and Yoongi finds himself kissing whatever part of your head he can reach, “oh Yoongi…”

You step back and twirl him.

“No, don’t”, he says and laughs, stumbling back into your arms.

You giggle, caressing his back while swaying from side to side.

“You’re so silly”, he says in a laugh, shaking his head in disbelief.

“Yeah I know”, you grin, “you’re cute.”

“Are you drunk?”

“Yes”, you nod your head, “drunk on you.”

“Tzt. I walked right into that one, didn’t I?”

“Yeah”, you have to snicker.

Yoongi is melting. You sound so adorable when he makes you laugh. He draws closer, resting his chin on your shoulder while holding you close with his arm on your lower back.

You rest against him, squeezing his hand softly.

“You’re smaller again”, he whispers.

“I know. My feet hurt so much, so I took off my shoes. I hope that I don’t step on a slug. That would be so disgusting and I would have to burn off my skin with acid.”

Yoongi chuckles.

“Should I massage your feet later?”

“You don’t have to.”

“Okay, I’ll massage them.”

You smile, “you’re so cute. Thank you, Yoongi Boongie.”

You begin twirling again, covering your naked feet in the evening dew whilst creating circles in the grasses. They make sense to you and him. They form the perfect pattern as they are created out of the same melody. A melody only you and him can hear.

“Wait Yoongi not so fast, my feet are clumsy”, you laugh, stepping on his toes more often than not.

“It’s not fast, you’re just slow”, he teases you and picks you up after you stepped on his toes again. Now you are tangling in his arms, feet just inches off the ground and waist held safely by one of his arms. He presses you against his chest, gazing up at you.

“Set me down”, you whine whilst having to giggle.

“You said I’m too fast”, he says, doing a little twirl while you squeal and squeeze his shoulder. He laughs, setting you down just to hug you close.

“I’m so dizzy”, you whine, lifting your head to send him a pout. His laugh grows until you can’t help but giggle yourself.

It’s so nice. It’s so nice to hear him laugh so much and to watch his face literally scrunch up in happiness. It’s so nice to witness his happiness and to know that right now it is just you and him. As with many of your most precious memories with Yoongi. It’s just you and him.

You know that it originates from a place of wariness on his side. Showing such tenderness in public could mean your death. You know of Yoongi’s fears. But it doesn’t make the moment any less special, maybe it makes it even more special. Because right now, it is just you and him and he shows himself to you as who he really is while fireflies watch you fall in love deeper and deeper.

“I’m happy”, he says and inches closer to rub his cheek against yours like a cuddly cat.

“Me too, Yoongi”, you tell him, doing the same to him with your eyes closed.

“I’m so weird when I’m with you, aren’t I?”

“No, you’re perfect.”

“You think so?”

“Yes. You make me happy without even doing anything.”

“Mhm, okay”, he whispers, turning his head to give your cheek a kiss, “you too.”

“Good”, you turn your head, making your noses touch.

Yoongi’s lips part, his eyes almost close as they look at your mouth. You break the distance, kissing him sweetly.

Yoongi stops dancing and as a result so do you. He wraps his arms around you oh so tightly and as a result, so do you. And so it happens that you are standing still as you kiss, hugging each other even better once you break away and begin dancing again.

Yoongi sighs, keeping his eyes closed as he begins rubbing his cheek against yours again.

“I’m sorry that I was such a moody bore at the dance”, he says quietly.

“Don’t say that Yoongs. I’m glad you didn’t dance with me there”, you tell him, playing with his hair slowly.

“Why?”

“Because I wouldn’t have wanted anyone to see this.”

“Mhm, yeah”, he whispers, caressing your spine.

“You’re not boring.”

“Don’t say that.”

“But I’m serious.”

Yoongi stays silent because he is flustered.

“You also smell nice”, you say, nuzzling your nose into his cheek and tickling him in the process.

He chuckles, “you’re so silly.”

“Yes, oh so silly because of you”, you coo, snickering when this makes Yoongi huff out air and then grumble quietly.

“You really have to stop giving me so many chances at being cheesy”, you laugh.

“Whatever. It’s because you’re a flirt.”

“No, it’s because I want to fluster you.”

“Tzt.”

You giggle, turning your head. You can’t see his blush as his skin is glowing silver in the moonlight, but he avoids eye contact which means you made him shy.

“You’re cute when you fluster.”

“Shut up, no I’m not.”

“No? Well then you’re handsome.”

Yoongi sneaks a glance at you, pouting slightly.

You giggle, pulling him into a kiss. Yoongi accepts it instantly, touching your lower back while he kisses you back with tingles in his stomach.

He likes it when you tease him. He would never tell you because he’s scared that if he did, you would stop. But he really likes it because it gives him flutters in his tummy and makes you giggle. He likes hearing you giggle and he also likes the flutters in his tummy.

He pulls back, holding your cheek safely in his hand.

“I’m sorry that I only introduced you as Tae’s mate. That was shitty of me to do. I shouldn’t have erased you like that.”

“No Yoongi, don’t apologize. I know why you did it. People liked Tae and they didn’t dare to touch me with that knowledge. But if they knew you liked me too, then that could have been dangerous. You didn’t know who to trust and I’m sure that many people would have used that knowledge to hurt you.”

He nods his head, furrowing his brows.

“Fuck princess”, he presses out shakily, “I seriously can’t lose you.”

“I can’t lose you either, Yoongi.”

You kiss to seal the promise, holding hands oh so tightly.

“You won’t lose me though Yoongs, hear me? Those are just silly fears of yours” you whisper.

“No, it can happen so fast. Fuck, sometimes I just wanna keep you locked up in my room.”

You laugh softly, “please don’t.”

Yoongi caresses the tip of your nose with his own, “I won’t do it, but if you’d let me…”

“No”, you snicker, “Yoongi Boongie, you silly kitty.”

Yoongi peels his eyes open, squeezing your hands. You open your eyes as well, squeezing his hands back. He pulls your hands closer and kisses your knuckles. Afterwards he rests his cheek on them, looking at you with so much fondness you wonder if his eyes could ever be normal again.

“You’re so beautiful, my princess”, he says.

“You think so?”

“Yes, I do”, he drops your hands but only so he can cup your face instead. He caresses your cheekbones and smiles drunkenly.

“I’m drunk too”, he confesses.

“You are?”

“Yeah, I drank too much because I was thinking too much.”

“Thinking about tomorrow?”

He nods his head, “I’m scared to fail you.”

“Fail me? Why would you fail me?”

“Because if we don’t get anything out of them tomorrow, your freedom is still so far away and fuck, princess”, he lowers his eyes, “I just want to give you the keys to the fucking world, but I can’t.”

“Yoongi”, you whisper, making him look at you by tilting his head up with a finger under his chin.

He looks at you with sorry eyes.

“You’re already giving me the world when you’re close.”

He blinks rapidly then looks at the ground with strict precision. It makes you giggle.

“So don’t worry. You won’t fail me, no matter what tomorrow brings.”

“Mhm”, he acknowledges you, stepping closer without saying anything. He rests his chin on your shoulder, cradling you in his strong arm while intertwining his fingers with you.

“We’ll have to leave in two nights”, he tells you, “one of Fredrick’s creations heard whispers of Namjoon being in Paris. So once we eradicate Namjoon’s followers here, Fredrick will prepare us a flight.”

“Okay, we’ll go there together”, you say and smile, “can we make out on top of the Eiffel Tower?”

Yoongi laughs, but shakes his head.

“That’s just reckless.”

“No, it’s not. It’s romantic.”

“So? We can make out in the hotel room too and it’d be the same.”

“Oh no, it’d not at all be the same.”

“I think you’re putting too much importance into Paris. It’s a rancid city.”

You roll your eyes, “I think you’re just telling yourself that because you only spend your days in tiny hotel rooms.”

“No, it’s because it’s shitty there.”

You laugh, “you’re seriously such a grumps.”

He lifts his head to show you a frown, furrowing his brows.

“I don’t mind”, you whisper, erasing the frown by dancing your fingers over his brows softly, “I just want you having fun from time to time too.”

“I do. With you…when you are here…with me…” he lowers his eyes, “whatever.”

You smile fondly.

“I’m glad you do. That’s all I want for you.”

“Why?”

“What do you mean why?” you chuckle, “because I want you to be happy, of course.”

“Oh. Okay. Thanks”, he says and hides his face in the crook your shoulder.

“Gosh Yoongi, you’re so silly sometimes”, you say, hugging him. You begin swaying your bodies from side to side and soon you are the one leading the dance while Yoongi hugs you with his eyes closed and his nose buried in your neck.

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writing-in-the-impala · 3 months

Text

Secret Smokes (Part 11)

Pairing: Teacher! Remus Lupin x Reader

Warnings: Swearing, smoking, drinking, teacher-student relationship, angst, jealousy, fluff, smut.

Word Count: 4495

A/N: Yes I did drop off the face of the earth for a bit but can I make it up to you with an extra long chapter?

| SERIES MASTER LIST (All chapters) |

Previous Chapter, Part 11, Next Chapter

Your fight was the last time you saw Remus Lupin that week, the next lesson you had with Lupin was taken over by Snape, even your tutoring was now with McGonagall. Lupin returned on Friday evening, you saw him in the great hall during dinner, and that's when you received an owl from him which was rare during dinner. He didn't pay you any attention, so you decided to take the letter to the lake and read it by yourself so no one could interrupt you and he couldn't watch or analyse you open it. You sat down by the water and opened it.

"My dearest, Y/N,

Oh how I've fucked up, in life constantly but with you in more ways than one. I don't know how to express my words in person I've never been good at words when it came to the important things like people. This is version five of this letter.

I traveled home after Monday. I couldn't bare to look at that desk, I couldn't go to Sirius as his home will forever smell like the first time I kissed you. When I arrived I found your letters, they made me realise you left to protect us from ending up in this very situation, I thought it was from fear of getting told off for being home late but really you knew that Percy was looking for clues. Unfortunately his letter found me first and convinced me to push you away, that I was risking too much by risking your schooling, I don't care about my career, what's life if you only live for a job but I don't want to mess up your future. I take my job very seriously but life is more important.

You were right when you said I'm scared of having something good, however you were wrong when you said you were convenient. You're far from it. I might be lonely but that's not why I'm drawn to you, I'm drawn to your wit, I'm drawn to your smile and I'm drawn to your world. If we could spend forever sitting on my sofa listening to music and talking I would die a happy man.

I don't know what my feelings for you are but they are strong and they scare me, you're much more important to me than anyone else I know and I fear to admit it. New Year's Eve I messed up, if we were ever going to kiss I wanted it to be after a date where I show you how you're meant to be loved and offer you the world not drunk on the steps of my best friends house.

I don't know how you feel about me and if I hurt you too much, if that's the case I am terribly sorry I wish I could make it right. If an inch of you still thinks I'm a decent man I have two offers for you.

A. If you want to remain friends and go back to last year's rules "no dear, no alcohol and no kissing" meet me tomorrow evening in my office for tea and tunes, or let me know in your own way

B: If you are up for an adventure my dear and willing to see what happens if we risk it and you still feel any attraction after my poor behaviour: Meet me tomorrow morning at 9am in Hogsmeade, next to the three broomsticks.

C: if you simply hate me like you said (at least 4 times using my full name I'm glad you don't know my middle name) all I ask is show up to my lessons, we can arrange another teacher to take over you 1-on-1 schooling but please show up. I promise to pretend I don't think you're the most amazing witch and woman I've ever met. Please don't let me ruin your exams or future.

Yours, Remus John Lupin.

P.S. To answer the question in your original letters from the 1st of January keep my sweater, it will simply be a painful memory if you choose C and I like the way it looks on you if you choose B ."

You felt a mixture of excitement and relief with his letter, it felt like everything has magically explained itself. Remus was an anxious writer with a tendency to sabotage his own happiness but he was trying. He was trying for you.

The next morning you woke up early to get ready to see Remus, you didn't know what to expect but you were excited. You arrived in Hogsmeade early knowing Remus as someone extremely punctual you were shocked to find Remus wasn't there. You waited until 9:05 but nothing, so you began to walk back at towards the castle. "Wait!" Remus said and you turned around to see him holding two cups of coffee, one of which had obviously slightly spilled on him. "It's with milk!" He said holding a coffee forward towards you.

"Thank you." You said grabbing it.

"I'm glad you came." He said softly.

"I'm glad you sent that letter." You replied. "You have coffee on your sweater." You pointed out reaching in your pocket for a tissue.

"I didn't think through apparating with two cups of coffee.' He admitted with a shy smile as you dabbed his jumper dry. "Thank you dear." He continued softly.

"Are you ready to go?" He asked.

"Where?"

"London, grab my hand and hold your coffee tight." He said reaching out a hand and you took hold of it and you appeared in Holborn, London.

"I thought that wasn't possible in Hogwarts." You admitted.

"That's why we met in Hogsmeade dear, sorry about being late, there was a queue." He admitted showing you the coffee.

"I thought you may have changed your mind." You admitted.

"I was scared you wouldn't come." He admitted.

"Liar you got two cups of coffee." You pointed out.

"I had a feeling you'd show up, now dear, see today as my way of apologising to you. I have a small plan but if you want to do anything just tell me." He said and at that moment you turned the corner to the British Museum. "Have you been here before?" He asked.

"Maybe once or twice as a kid."

"Okay but have you ever had a magic tour of this place?" He questioned and you shook your head. "Great." Remus led you into the British museum, he looked quite excited and more young now than ever. "Now not everyone knows that many treasures in this building are actually artefacts from great magicians."

"So they stole from wizards too?" You asked and Remus laughed.

"They sure did, now not many people know how some of these great people used magic to help muggles and how some of this stuff is either cursed or enchanted." Remus continued as you walked through the beautiful foyer.

"But I'm sure you do." You said teasing him and he nodded.

"I'm not just a pretty face, unlike you I spent a lot of time in libraries."

"Are you saying I don't study? I spend a lot of time in my professors office."

"You spend a lot of time listening to music and distracting me while I try to mark work, dear." He shot back and you laughed. "Now as I was saying, I may not be a rich man or have much to offer but I have a lot of knowledge."

"You should be a teacher." You said with a wink.

"You should be a comedian. Now enough talking watch this." He said and then one of the Egyptian statues moved and stood up.

"Holy shit, are you allowed to do that?" You asked looking around.

"Don't worry no one will notice." He said

"What was that?" You asked.

"It's a Pharos tomb guard, they're enchanted to stand when an attacker approaches, they have a lot of ancient magic in here."

"So why didn't they do that when they were removed from the tomb?" You asked as you and Remus continued to walk and look at the different statues.

"They did, they did for a very long time, however when dark wizards realised there's money in helping archaeologists they helped lift curses or limit enchanted objects. Those guards were stopped from being the soldiers they were, the only thing left is the command to stand when you summon them." Remus explained, you were impressed by his knowledge. You walked through the ancient Egyptian part for another few minutes before Remus took hold of your hand and hurried you to the Ancient Greek part. "This bits my favourite, sorry is it okay if I do that?" He asked gesturing to your hand.

"It's encouraged." You blushed.

"Tell me when I cross a line Y/N, we still need to talk about us but first I want to hold my part of the deal, showing you who I actually am."

"And who are you profesor?"

"A lonely bookworm with a furry problem and a teaching job to pay the bills."

"Don't forget the cottage." You winked making him laugh.

"Now these are the Parthenon marbles, the Parthenon was being used as a base to store ammunition by the Ottomans and some idiot messed up and blew up the whole thing."

"Some idiot is that the technical term profesor?" You poked him in the arm and he rolled his eyes. You found him very attractive when he was more casually dressed, with his jacket drooped over his arms and a warm sweater on.

"It is now." He replied. "Long story short some guy named Lord Elgin went to Greece and asked the Ottomans can I have this? And they said sure and he took it, as lords usually do. It's missing a lot of parts as they're back where they belong but a small part of me feels lucky to have them here as they tell a story. You see if you come over here you'll see the Centaur." He led you over to the far wall. "He tells a story of the battle between Centaurs and Lapiths at the marriage feast of Peirithoos. And if you do this even with it's missing parts you get to watch it." He lifted his wand and the marble moved. It began plaything the story throughout the panels as if they were alive just like the paintings in Hogwarts. "And if you think that is cool look behind you." You turned around and the main sculptures were all moving, they were missing parts but they felt human.

"That's incredible, show me more." You expressed with a big smile and Remus couldn't help but smile back. "Come on." He said putting one arm around you while his other arm still had his jacket drooped over it. And like that, he led you through the museum holding your waist and making your heart flutter at his actions and brain amazed at the world of knowledge he was sharing with you.

It was one of the few times you saw Remus truly happy as he immersed himself in history. It was beautiful to see him care free not putting himself down, not talking about his condition just being himself. As you walked out the museum hours later he still had a hand around your waist. "Now dear what would you like to do?"

"Should we go get some food?"

"What a wonderful idea, there's a great pub not too far from here, only thing I need to get some cash out as I'm low on muggle money." He explained.

"I can pay."

"I'm sure you can but you won't I'm taking you out on a date it's my treat." He said as he rushed in front of you to the cash machine. "Okay" he said looking at it. "Okay, okay." He continued looking for where to insert his card. "Just a moment." He said after inserting it and just starring at all the options on the screen. "Merlin." He whispered quietly while pressing random buttons.

"You do know how to use it?" You asked suggestively.

"Of course I do." He said but he was obviously struggling.

"Here let me help you." You stood alongside him pressing the buttons for him. "How much do you want to withdraw?"

"£20?" He said hesitantly.

"£20?" You confirmed.

"£50."

"£50 are you sure?" You asked in disbelief.

"I'm not good with this, I haven't been in a muggle pub in forever I don't know the prices these days. I'm sorry, get however much you think it'll cost for us to have food. This is so embarrassing." He admitted.

"£50 it is, Remus the muggle world is my world it's okay to ask for help, I literally didn't know you could aparate in Hogsmeade." You calmed him while you finished the transaction.

"Yeah that was silly, everyone knows-"

"You don't know how to use a cash machine Remus!" You interrupted.

"I'll shut up. Now off to the pub, thank you for your help." He took your hand and lead the way. The pub was quite busy but you expected it as it was lunchtime on a Saturday. It was nice to sit opposite Remus having a meal, flirting, chatting and being yourselves. You didn't feel anxious like you did sometimes on dates, you felt like you were hanging out with a friend that you had a crush on, he would make you blush a lot with his words but he was also clumsy and stumbled a lot, something you never saw in him at Hogwarts. He ordered fish and chips and knocked over the sauces with his hand, when he went to pick them up, he hit his head on the edge of the table, you found it all cute and amusing but he was obviously embarrassed. "Am I making you slowly think I'm an idiot?" He asked after the incident and you simply replied with. "Only a little bit, makes you less intimidating."

"Am I intimidating?" He asked.

"Not at all." You said and he shook his head while laughing. After you ate you decided to take a walk along the river at first you began to talk about meaningless stuff like how you missed the Christmas lights or how Remus enjoyed the fact you can find oyster shells and old pipes on the rivers edge from the Victorian era. However the conversation changed when Remus asked. "What do you see us as?"

"I don't know." You admitted a bit of anxiety started to grow inside you.

"I don't know either, but I think we need to set some ground rules."

"What do you suggest?"

"Defining what's okay, like for example I think if either of us is developing strong feelings like love for the other we should cut it off as we don't want to hurt each other and with our current position we can't be in a relationship and be student and teacher." He said his eyes moving all over the place but avoiding you and he used his hands to emphasise what he was saying.

"How come?"

"Well for starters we can't do this all the time, if I was in love I would like to offer that person all my love, I would like to take them on dates, I would like to walk around and hold their hand, I would like to bring them to see my friends and so on... we can't do that, it will hurt to love someone but not be able to live in public, I don't want to risk the pain for either of us." He explained and you nodded.

"So what can we do?"

"What do you want to do?"

"I want to continue to relax in your office with you." You began and he nodded. "I want to be able to kiss you, I want to be myself with you, I want to smoke on the bridge with you and when no one is watching I want to be held by you."

"And we can do that we can just not love each other, and give each other a relationship that's the line."

"So we can see other people?" You questioned him and he looked puzzled.

"I would prefer not, I can't stop you but I may not feel comfortable with sleeping with you if you're kissing other men." He admitted.

"I'd prefer if you weren't kissing anyone else either... Can we do this sometimes?"

"Of course dear, however not as much as either of us would like to, maybe once a month or every so often not to raise suspicions."

"But I can come see you in your office every night?"

"My door is always open for you dear."

"Can I sleep in your office?"

"Where on the desk?" He remarked in a snarky way.

"Is that where you want to fuck me?" You matched his energy y.

"Well it's not for sleeping." He winked and the grabbed your hand."Enough serious conversations, let's just live a little before we have to worry about rules. Today, exists in a world of its own, what do you want to do?" He asked with a cheery tone.

"I mean checking out that desk sounds fun but maybe before that we should enjoy London."

"I'm already enjoying it right here." Remus said stopping and pulling you in closer, putting his arms around your waist. "I think I like London." He said looking at your lips.

"Oh really." You stood on your toes to get closer to him and he leaned down and kissed you lightly.

"Alright let's go I have an idea." He said once again grabbing your hand and leading the way. You walked into a small cosy record shop. You both started looking through the shelves showing each other records you thought the other would life and either replying with a "yes" or "not my style" once the yes like became tall enough you walked over to the record played and started listening to them, there was only one pair of headphones so you had to share, bringing in your heads close as you listened to the music. "Oh listen to that trumpet." You said listening to a Chet Baker vinyl. "Do you like it?" Remus asked and you nodded. "This is one of my favourite songs, the earnest vocals, I fall in love too terribly fast, for it to ever last..." you began to sing along to the song and Remus smiled warmly at you, he couldn't help but kiss you on the cheek. "Let's buy it." He said.

"What Remus it's quite expensive?"

"That doesn't matter today dear." He said putting it back in the vinyl sleeve and taking it to the till. "Besides there's nothing more I want to do than lay in bed with you and listen to this here vinyl." He said while paying for the vinyl, he thanked the cashier a grumpy old man who didn't seem to care about your conversation. You continued to walk through London for a bit longer but it started to get colder and you both decided it was time to head home. "Okay, we need to aparate back separately as it may be busy with people at this time." He began. "You'll go first and I'll follow, I don't want to leave you alone back here, I'm sure you'll be okay but I don't want the stress." You nodded in reply. "Okay dear, once you are back it would be a good idea for you to go to your dorm or walk around somewhere far from my office, and in about thirty minutes from now come to my office and we can continue this evening." You nodded in reply and that's when he gave you a quick kiss on the lips. "I'll see you soon my dear." He said and you left. As you walked back to Hogwarts all the emotions rushed in, the excitement, the love you felt but shouldn't, the confusion from the conversation about not falling in love. You felt very overwhelmed but you also felt so many positive emotions that you couldn't wait to go visit Remus in his office. It was weird not being able to travel back with him after you were able to spent so long acting like a couple but it made sense you just wished it could be different. You walked back to your dorm room where Percy was sitting on the chair. "Hi Y/N." He said as he saw you coming in, you didn't reply. "Still giving me the silent treatment? You know I haven't done anything wrong all I wanted to do is spend time with my friend." He continued as you walked away.

"Our dear brother causing you trouble?" Fred asked as you walked past him.

"I'm going to hex him." You replied as your turned to the girls chambers.

"Be our guest." George said before you went into your chambers. It was good that Percy saw you, helps avoid his suspicions. You waited the thirty minutes before heading straight to Lupins office, just in case you checked if Percy followed you but he didn't so you were in the clear to go meet Remus. You walked through the corridors with a hint of excitement as you approached his office, you knocked on the door and Remus opened it almost immediately. "Hey you." He said with a smile letting you in and checking behind you if anyone was in the corridor, he closed the door and turned the lock before leading the way upstairs to his office where he also locked the door after you came in. "Hungry?" He asked as you sat down on the sofa.

"More peckish."

"Perfect, I have some cheeses here and some bread."

"How fancy." You pointed out looking at the small charcuterie board he prepared.

"Only the best for you." He said as he sat down beside you, a record he already had playing way playing in the background as you both sat their indulging into the different flavours. "Thank you for joining me today." Remus suddenly changed the subject.

"Thank you for showing me everything, and for the food and the vinyls, everything." You said a bit overwhelmed by his generosity.

"Come here." He gestured for you to come in closer, you lay on the sofa with your head on his crotch and he stroked your head lovingly, slowly playing with you hair. "I love how soft you hair is." He pointed out as he continued to stoke your hair. A few minutes later the vinyl playing finished and Remus gestured for you to sit up so he could change the music. "How about we try this one out dear." He said pulling out the new Chet Baker vinyl and your heart warmed. "Anything to drink? I've got a nice bottle of wine I've been thinking about opening."

"That sounds great."

"The music or the wine?" He clarified.

"Both."

"White or red dear?" He asked while opening a cabinet.

"What do you prefer? Maybe red?"

"Red it is." He pulled the bottle out and began to open it placing two glasses on the table in front of you and filling them up. "To wonderful day." He said raising his glass as he sat down. You rested your head against his shoulder as you sat in comfortable silence.

"You know moony, I prefer this when we're allowed to cuddle on the sofa and kiss sometimes." You broke the silence.

"Me too dear." He bought his hand up to your cheek and pecked your lips slightly before going back to the resting position. "I craved this every time you sat here and I sat at my desk aching to kiss you." He admitted. This was peace, you were in your safe place.

"Are you aching to kiss me now?" You asked quietly.

"Always." He whispered into your ear placing his glass down on the small table in front of you and then taking yours to do the same for you. He leaned in to kiss you, as the kiss depended you ended up laying on the sofa. He was above you his lips and your lips colliding as you both struggled to catch a breath. You felt him getting hard as he slowly moved his body up and down over you, you reached up for his shirt unbuttoning it and pushing it off his shoulders. "You're not wasting any time." He said between the kisses. His arms moved under your ass and he scooped you up in one movement so you were now straddling him, he pulled your shirt up and unclasped your bra as you began to grind on him making him harder and harder. He pulled away from your lips to suck on your nipples, the sensation made you moan in reply he grabbed your hair and pulled it down roughly making your head tilt back as he continued to worship your body. "Let's take this somewhere more comfortable." He said lifting you up and carrying you.

"You don't want to do it on your sofa?" You asked curiously.

"Oh I do, and my desk and every wall however today I will show you how you're meant to be loved not fucked." He said while pushing the door to his bedroom open and throwing you down on his bed. He unbuttoned your trousers and pulled them off along with your underwear, getting down on his knees and kissing your legs all the way up to your pussy. His hand reached up to your breasts where he started massaging them as his tongue flicked your clit making you moan. As he continued this movement with his tongue he moved his hand to slowly slip his fingers inside you pulling in and out while starting to alternate between sucking and licking. "Merlin you're either so wet or I'm drooling like a dog over how good you taste." He went straight back in and continued until you started begging for him as you felt yourself getting close. "Beg for me again." He growled as he moved to be just above you.

"Please." You barely whispered and he smashed his lips into yours, unbuckling his own trousers and taking them off while still keeping his lips on yours. You felt him thrust inside you leaving time for you to adjust, even though you remembered his size it shocked you how deep he filled you. "Are you okay dear?" He whispered checking in on you. "Mmhm." You confirm and he picked up the speed. He kissed you while going faster and started to slowly move his kisses down to your neck and breasts. You felt yourself get close as he ramped up the speed. "Cum for me dear, I want you to feel how good I make you feel." He said kissing his breath a bit. You couldn't hold it any longer and came which made him cum in you, you felt the warmth inside you as he slowed his pace and rested more of his body weight while moaning into your lips. He kissed you deeply once more before pulling out and laying down beside you. You were both panting as you lay there, Remus moved the covers and covered both of your bodies and kissed your forehead. "Good night dear." He whispered and you placed your head on his chest hugging him as his arm was around you. "Good night, Moony."

NEXT CHAPTER | More stuff I wrote

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