#auntie ping
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I'm working on a personal fan project for Turning Red. I was having some trouble hitting the style of the movie, but I think I'm starting to get it now. Auntie Ping is so sassy as the oldest -- she definitely reminds me of some aunties in my family LOL.
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Funny OT AU fic idea I just had:
Rex figures out that Luke and Leia are Anakin’s children very quickly after the first Death Star is blown to bits.
He uses the following details to support his determination:
Luke’s last name is Skywalker. He has Anakin’s lightsaber. He can wield the Force. (Luke is the easy one to figure out.)
R2-D2 is particularly protective of both Luke and Leia.
Only one other person ever achieved the combination of stubborn forthrightness, boldness, and (almost reckless) unconventional leadership that Leia possesses.
It takes about ten seconds into one mission planning session with Leia for Rex to flash back to 501st shenanigans and crazy Jedi General schemes.
Absolutely no dead Jedi can come back as a Force Ghost fast enough to stop Rex from immediately adopting Luke and Leia and telling them all about the stupid shit that Anakin got away with during the Clone Wars.
And then Ahsoka finds them. She verifies Rex’s claims and then proceeds to go, “OMG, I’m your Aunt Snips. Neither the Jedi Council nor Master SkyGuy can’t stop me from looking after you now! We’re going to get into so much trouble together.”
Vader’s reveal to Luke on Bespin becomes even more hilarious. Vader expected many reactions — except the one he got. Luke has heard all of the tea and knows all the embarrassing stuff that Anakin did in front of the 501st and Ahsoka. Vader was not prepared to get ribbed as hard as he did as Luke buys time for a rescue from Leia and Rex.
And Han gets trolled hard as soon as Rex figures out that he’s into Leia. (Someone has to make Han’s life hard when he’s trying to pursue Leia romantically. Bail and Anakin aren’t there to do it, so Rex and Ahsoka have to team-up.)
Also, it makes Luke and Leia finding out they’re twins extra funny. It isn’t some big reveal by Obi-Wan as a part of explaining destiny and a greater purpose. Nah, it was a clone with a finely-tuned “Skywalker is about to do something crazy, reckless, bold, and possibly stupid” sense who told them.
#this might be crack#I don’t know#I just like the idea of Rex having Skywalker/501st spider senses#and they ping incredibly hard around Luke and Leia#his brain just goes ‘I’ve met only one other person who makes that happen! you must be related to him’#and Luke and Leia have to deal with it#it gets more interesting when Ahsoka comes in as Auntie Snips#star wars#captain rex#tcw rex#luke skywalker#leia organa#ahsoka tano#han solo
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Taking a break from the main book club, here’s my color thoughts on the main family of “Dial A For Aunties”
Meddy: Vivid, bright spring green
Big Aunt: Sky blue
Ma: Earthy, tea-like green
Third Aunt: I want to say peach? Maybe it’ll come back to me over the sequel
Fourth Aunt: Neon fuchsia and glitter
#bookblr#dial a for aunties#jesse q sutanto#synesthesia#meddy#meddy chan#ma chan#big aunt#third aunt#fourth aunt#why yes this is bc I’m about to start reading#four aunties and a wedding#why do you ask?#but seriously#the first book is the funniest damn romcom featuring accidental murder you’ll ever read#it’s going to be wild ping ponging between 1800s Europe and present day SoCal but here I go!
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I’ve been feeling fluffy Spencer lately too 🥺🥺 esp dad!spencer like just visiting him at work w bub -🌺
screaming, crying, throwing up, tysm for this angel ♡ enjoyy !! also this ended up WAY longer than i planned it to be!
"i'm hungry," your daughter whines, throwing her head back dramatically, her little arms wrapped around your legs while her chin rests on your thighs
you chuckle at her, fingers brushing through her baby hairs, "you're dramatic," you snicker at her confused face, "daddy's office is only one more floor up, you'll be fine,"
as you finish your sentence the elevator pings and the doors slide open, "come on then princess," you hold your hand out, waiting for a smaller hand to slip into it
"princess hazel!" your little girl squeals, jumping out of the elevator, over the tiny gap and out into the foyer of the bau. she runs on ahead, tiny hands wrapping around the handle on the doors, "open!"
you give her a hand, pulling on the door to open it enough for you both to slip through, "hold on," you gasp, bending to grab her hand before she can take off running through the office
it takes you all of three seconds to spot spencer, sitting at his desk reading a book, though his back is turned to you, "i see daddy," you whisper, leading hazel through the office until she can see him too
"daddy!" she shouts, causing multiple people to turn their attention to the child running through the room but she only has her eyes on her dad
spencer gasps, discarding his book on his desk just in time to catch the ball of excitement launching herself into his lap, "hey sweetheart!" he chuckles, tightening his arms around hazel's body, squeezing her
he stands up, spinning around with his daughter in his arms as you finally catch up to them. the little girl squeals and giggles, throwing her head back again, "be careful," you giggle, gently holding the back of her head, "hey,"
"hello," your boyfriend smiles, settling hazel under his arm as he swoops forwards to kiss you quickly, "what're you guys doing here?" he asks, putting your child down
"well, we thought we could have lunch together," you explain, watching spencer hold both of hazels's hands while she tucks her legs up, hanging in front of him in a fit of giggles
"lunch!" hazel repeats, finally putting her feet on the floor but no sooner has she made contact with the ground, she's holding her arms up, waiting for spencer to pick her up, again, "up!"
spencer sighs, jokingly and over exaggerated, "again? but you're so heavy," he says but never one to say no to either of his girls, he crouches, scooping his baby up
silently you watch them, unpacking sandwiches, all wrapped up neatly in foil. out of the corner of your eye, you notice penelope and derek wander into the bullpen, "oh my goodness, my baby!" pen gasps before you can even say hello to her
hazel scrambles, accidentally kicking spencer in the stomach as she leaps from his arms, "auntie pen! uncle 'rek!" both of the adults crouch down, their arms wrapping around the small girl as she barrels into them
you and spencer lean into each other, smiling widely as you distantly hear hazel shouting, "up!" at derek just a few seconds before she's sitting proudly on his shoulders, her chin resting on top of his head
the commotion grabs the attention of dave, jj and emily who all appear from different directions, though they all end up stood in front of derek, talking up at hazel
"she's so loved," you smile softly, looking up at spencer, his arm snaking around your waist and his lips pressing against your forehead
"she is," he agrees, reaching for the sandwiches on his desk. he unwraps all of them, handing you half of yours before holding half of hazel's out, "morgan, come here," he chuckles
derek jumps, sending hazel giggling all over again as they make their way towards you, the rest of the team following. derek bends down, letting hazel snatch her sandwich from her dad
"hey guys," you greet the rest of the team, side hugging them gently, "how is everyone?" you ask after getting a mixed bag of greetings back from them
"much better now hazel's here," jj comments, holding her hand out so that hazel will give her a high five, "good job honey," she nods when your daughter, aggressively, slaps her hand
spencer sits on the edge of his desk, pulling slightly on your sweater until you're moving back, plopping down right next to him while you finish your sandwich
"where's uncle aaron?" hazel asks, twisting her tiny body around violently. a small scowl covers her face as she realises, he's not in the bullpen
emily leans, looking around everyone, "hey, he's in his office, shall we go see him?" she asks, holding her hands out. hazel nods, sliding off of derek’s shoulders and into emily's arms
before they dart off, spencer leans forwards, taking the left over crust from his daughters hands, "why won't you eat those?" he asks, shaking his head slightly
"yucky!" hazel shouts through a laugh when emily hops up the few stairs in front of aaron's office.
"she's getting so big," dave comments, crossing his arms over his chest, "i feel like the last time i saw her, she was half the size she is now,"
"yeah, you should bring her in more often," penelope huffs, plopping down into a spinny chair that you guess is spencers, "or, at least let me babysit every once in a while,"
through open blinds you watch as aaron stands your daughter on his desk, "hey, you guys are more than welcome to borrow her any time," you chuckle, "she's a handful though," you warn
"we can handle her for a few hours, give you and spence some time alone," jj says, her tone suggestive, "maybe give hazel a little brother or sister?" she comments before brushing past, also on her way to aaron's office
beside you spencer blushes a deep red, his fingers drumming against your waist, "jj!" he groans, causing derek, penlope and dave to also laugh as they depart, following the sound of your girls laughter
you lean back to look into aaron's office through the now open door, "she's bouncing on his couch," you snicker, watching the rest of the team bob their heads as they all watch her going up and down
"oh god," spencer gasps, standing, ready to go and stop her but you wrap your fingers loosely around his wrist pulling him back so he's stood between your legs, "pretty," he smiles, looking down at you
his thumbs ghost over your cheeks as they heat, "hey, do you ever think about it?" you ask but spencer just tilts his head like a confused puppy, "having another baby," you clarify
your boyfriend thinks for a second, "well, yeah, of course, why?" he asks, a light smirk playing on his face. his hands slip down your neck, resting on your shoulders
"hazel's going into kindergarten soon, so, it wouldn't be the worst timing," you say slowly, staring up at spencer, "what do you think?"
spencer smiles wildly, humming in agreement before bending to kiss you properly, though it's messy and interrupted by the both of you smiling into it, "sounds perfect," he mumbles, kissing at the corner of your mouth before standing straight
"okay," you whisper, heart racing with excitement as you wrap your arms around spencer's waist, pulling him in so you can hide your face against his stomach, "right, let's go retrieve out daughter before she makes herself sick,"
spencer laughs at you, tangling his fingers with yours as you lead him towards aaron's office. you slot in by the rest of the team while spencer catches hazel mid couch jump, "you'll be sick if you carry on with that, princess,"
"no i won't!"
the team laughs while you lean slightly towards jj, "hey, do you, maybe, fancy having a play date this weekend?" you ask, eyeing her slightly though you don't need to, she knows what you're asking and why
"i would absolutely love to,"
thanks for reading! remember to like! reblog! and comment! i’ll give you a smooch if you do, ily !! send prompts to my ask box!
❥ spencer reid masterlist !!
a/n you know what imma say !! proofread badly, soz x
also; dad!spencer has my mf ♡
#❥ my works#spencer reid#spencer reid blurb#spencer reid x y/n#spencer reid fluff#spencer reid x reader#spencer reid drabble#spencer reid imagine#spencer reid x fem!readr#spencer reid x fem!reader#spencer reid request#spencer reid one shot#spencer reid fic#criminal minds#matthew gray gubler#❥ spencer reid#❥ my spencer works#❥ spencer reid fic recs#❥ spencer reid drabbles
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Teddy Bear
Pairing: John Price x F! Reader
Summary: You bump into a handsome stranger while shopping. meet cute.
Warning: M Theme. VERY slight mention of Innuendoes. Alcohol use. assumptions.
A/N: for @a-small-writer-in-a-big-world, hope this will give you a tiny etsy warm fuzzy feeling with our dear Johnathan Price.
not beta'ed or proof read.
Master list
“Aunty Bear! Come on!!”
Letting out a sigh, half regretting letting your adorable niece and nephew have the free rein to choose any present they want as they drag you by the pants through aisle after aisle at the local department store.
You haven’t seen your sister’s family for over a year. You were astonished how big they have grown in the time between, especially your little niece. Seems only yesterday you were cradling her in your arm as a newborn, and now her little feet can zoom around faster than a sports car, even her six year old brother is having hard time keeping up.
“Alright alright, steady there, I can’t keep up with you when I can’t see where I am going!” you warned the little girl as you adjusted the oversized teddy bear in your arms, at the same time trying to navigate blindly. At the end you just give up and let her pull whichever direction she leads you.
Suddenly you collide with an obstacle, sending you reeling. A strong muscular arm caught you in time before you fell onto the shelves.
“Apologies, are you alright there?” A deep husky voice above your head asks as they try to steady your footing, and only to let go after they are sure both of your feet are firmly back on the ground again.
Your face heats up as soon as you lift your head up to take a good peek at your saviour ( or victim of your blind walking ), gezez he is tall, you thought. Very handsome too. Nicely groomed beard, piercing blue eyes, slight wrinkles around his eyes and between brows. He must frown pretty often.
“Ohh, aunty look, he’s got a furry face!” your two year old niece pointed at the stranger, as she stared at him with wonder.
“That’s called a beard Lizzy, not fur.” your nephew corrected his sister, rolling his eyes.
“Actually that is a mutton chop.. “ you blurted out without thinking. Seconds later your eyes grew wide, realising what you just said.
‘Shit um, sorry, uh, I apologise.. Sorry to run into you. And Um, commenting on your…” you dropped the large teddy bear on the floor, while one hand covering your mouth, waving around towards his beard, horrified.
The handsome stranger chuckled. “It’s ok. It’s always been a talking point. I am used to it.”
Embarrassed beyond words, you shake your head. You swallowed hard before you squeezed more words of apology out of your mouth.
“Really it’s Ok. I know it’s hard to chase around the kids when your hands are full.” he commented.
“From experience?” you asked, eyebrows raised, and feeling that slight ping of disappointment in your heart. He must be married. You thought. You took a quick glance at his left hand. No rings. Your heart soars again.
“ I guess chasing and yelling after three adults that behave like kids you can count as that.” He replied as he let out a short laugh. “Especially ones that don't follow your command when they are off duty.”
Seeing your brows knitted together with confusion at his comment, “ My subordinate. Those three are like my sons.” he smiled softly.
You swear the room spun a bit after seeing his smile. Or are you swooning?
Get your brain straight! You mentally slap yourself. You are here shopping for presents, not ogling on eligible or dateable people!
You felt your nephew tugging at your clothes, snapping you out of your internal dialogue. “Aunty Bear, I am hungry, can we go home and have lunch please?” he pouted.
“Ah um, ok, let’s go and pay for this and we can go home, ya?” you replied, ready to bend down to pick up the teddy bear from the floor. A shadow loomed over you. The stranger had bent over, arms out.
“I’ll carry that for you, if you don’t mind. Also be easier to hold onto your niece as well.” he gestured.
Gosh how nice can this man be? You ran into him, and now he is offering to help you to carry your purchase?
You nodded your head, whispered a thanks, before you turned and picked your niece up into your arms.
The stranger picks the teddy bear up under his arm with ease, while your nephew carries the rest of the items, as four of you walk towards the register.
“Aunty … he’s like a real giant teddy bear..” your niece whispered into your ear. “And his arms are furry too, just like his face.”
The stranger turned around, “My chest is quite furry too. And legs. Just like a real bear.” he added with a mischievous smile.
Your face burnt with embarrassment. Is he trying to flirt with you? There is no way. NOPE.
You speed up your pace to get to the register, even more embarrassed.
“Daddy and mummy buying presents for you two?” the old lady at the register asked the children with a smile as she ring up the items.
“Oh no no no we are not… “ “she’s not…I am just helping her..“ both of you shake your head, denying. Your face heated up again at the thought. How much more embarrassment can you take today? But part of your heart is actually amused at the situation.
“Oh sorry.. Just four of you look so lovely together..” the lady apologised. “Sorry to make the assumption.”
You took a peek at the stranger as he accepted the apology and gracefully redirected the conversation with the lady with little chit-chat.
He was even nice enough to help you to carry everything to the car, “Need help to put it into the boot, wife?” he joked as he flashes you a smile.
“Ah, thanks, um uh, you shouldn’t have.” you stuttered slightly hearing his joke. You pop the boot open, letting him stuff the large teddy bear in. “I ran into you and here you are helping me, I feel very bad. So um, Can I buy you a coffee or something as an apology and as a thanks for the help?”
A sad apologetic smile appeared on his face. Looking at his watch he replied, “It’s Ok. I have to leave soon. Plus,” he pointed at the two children standing beside you, pouting. “I think they are getting bit.. What is the word, hangry? So I think it’s time to feed them.”
Disappointment hits you. The one time you raise your courage to ask someone, you get turned down.
“Maybe next time?” he suddenly asked.
“Oh. Um. I .. I am not from around here. I am only here to visit my sister and family..”
Now is that a look of disappointment on his face?
“Oh. That’s fine. Well, nice to meet you. Have a safe drive home.” Giving you a final wave as you double check the children are buckled into their seats, you drive out from the car park, while the stranger is still standing at the same spot, seeing you off.
Oh well. Not meant to be. You convinced yourself. Suppressing that sadness that is bubbling up within you.
Your sister was ecstatic when you told her you found a new job nearby. She often complaints about how the children misses you, how she misses you, and the job opportunity around the city is better than the one you are currently living in, plus she has a granny flat in her backyard, you save a bit on rent, get to stay with your family while still have your own private space.
Tonight a group of you decided to go out and celebrate one of your workmate’s birthday. And you always wanted to check out this particular bar that always seems to be full of people. Everyone you asked raved about the good selection of drink and food.
“And maybe you might meet that handsome stranger again!” your friend joked.
You rolled your eyes. You knew you shouldn’t have let that story out. It’s been nearly over a year. They might have moved on. They might have forgotten about you. Surely in such a big city, the chance of bumping into the same person is quite slim.
“It’s your birthday! I’ll get your next drink!” you wave at your friend, declining her offer of money as you jump off the stool, ready to get your second pint of beer. As soon as you turned around, you bumped into a wall of broad chest. The stranger caught you just in time, and pulled you into his chest to prevent you from falling. You felt his chest rumble as he chuckled. You recognise that laugh.
“Hello teddy bear lady, we really should stop meeting like this.”
Oh deary me. Maybe luck is on your side.
tag list :
@a-small-writer-in-a-big-world @homicidal-slvt
@floral-force @okayyadriana @cumikering @siilvan
@random-thot-generator @random0lover @devcica @jynxmirage @nrdmssgs @glitterypirateduck @rileyslibrarian
@mistydeyes, @groguspicklejar,
@whydoilikewhump @captainpriceslover, @tapioca-marzipan
#call of duty#captain john price#john price x you#john price x reader#john price imagine#john price#john price x y/n#captain price x reader#captain price#captain price x y/n#captain john price x reader#captain john price x you#captain john price x female reader#sofasoap writes
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okayyy things i loved about ofmd s2 today's edition is!! FRENCHIE. what a guy. first off, joel fry, i'm free on thursdays. second, love that he gets promoted to first mate, tries to decline, & IMMEDIATELY disobeys his mad new boss to try and help izzy. he reaches out to izzy a lot tbh and of course frenchie and jim together are the litmus test for how we're meant to feel about izzy.
but frenchie is affectionate with izzy! holds izzy's hand in e1 while fang hugs him, leans against his leg in e3 while they're in zheng's jail, goes back for him in e8 when ed is carrying him forward. i think he grows up a bit esp in the first few episodes & helps his crew at the end (go frenchie!), setting him up to the captaincy at the end.
now that i look back over the series with an eye on frenchie i think they do lay a groundwork for his captaincy - not only does he become ed's first mate but he also has a functioning coping mechanism (a lot has been made of the compartmentalization as frenchie not handling shit but compartmentalization is a legit mechanism and i think once the crew is all back together frenchie gets his shit together pretty fast so u know just bc we don't see frenchie having appropriate outlets doesn't mean he doesn't have any) that would allow frenchie to take a step back and make decisions without necessarily reacting from fear. this is what enables him to fend for izzy!! he can put aside the fear of ed and ask himself, what is the right thing to do? take care of the crew.
other things that slid past me in the first few watches but which i think were more significant than i realized:
in ep 3, when the revenge and the red flag meet, the crew looks to frenchie to answer stede's questions about ed.
auntie talks frenchie (authority) and fang (soft, cultural connection - this is a deft bit of manipulation that totally works btw) aboard the revenge.
frenchie delivers the verdict against ed exiling him from the ship in ep 4 - it can't come from stede, because stede is compromised where ed is concerned, and so instead frenchie is their spokesperson.
we get one final clue as to frenchie's authority and respect among the crew in the post-ep scene of ep 8, where frenchie slips out of the jail - yeah, it's partially because he's thin enough to fit through the bars, but other folks who could fit refuse. he gets the courage up and does it, and it works! he frees the crew!
so you know, i guess i didn't instantly clock frenchie as captain in the final shots of the revenge, but it also didn't ping me as weird that he was giving orders. he's grown a lot over this series. notably, oluwande doesn't take on this sort of active role this series - his arc is a little different with zheng and jim now, his priorities are changing, and he doesn't want to captain the revenge, he wants to follow zheng. just because olu would have been the obvious choice in s1e10 doesn't mean things can't change! olu didn't want to be captain then, he doesn't want to be captain now. that's okay!! the crew have found another leader amongst themselves!!
i'm really excited to see what kind of funky cool badass jacket-wearing captain he'll make in s3!!!
go frenchie!!
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Carmy as Your Baby Daddy | Social Media AU & Headcanon Series | part one
masterlist | part two
now that i've finished my top gun: maverick series, it's me i'm back and gearing up for season two. after a bout of food poisoning, i finally cracked and am writing this pregnancy headcanon that i said i wouldn't bc my ovaries would explode (looking at you @allthefandomstogether). anyways, a huge thank you to @carmensberzattos who pinged many an ideas back and forth about carmy as your baby daddy and screamed into the abyss about this on a friday night. i'm writing this with my main character from the make your heart surrender-verse, but can absolutely read as a standalone piece. posting now because i'm so damn excited but i may go back and add some more things later.
oh and this a headcanon series now so. that part.
carmy as your baby daddy:
sometime after the wedding, you and carmy decide that you're ready to start a family. you're not trying but you're not not trying, meaning you've gone off of birth control but you're not carefully monitoring your ovulation cycle either. you both figure that it'll happen when it happens and if it doesn't, there are many other ways to make a family.
carmy never really thought about having kids until the two of you got together. after adopting your kitty together, carmy got to see a your more nurturing side and taking care of something together as a team made him think about how much he wants a family with you. after sugar has her baby it really ups the ante. seeing carmy become an uncle is what starts the conversation about seriously starting a family, and every time carmy sees you holding the baby, it's 'when our kids this, and when our kids that' for days after.
you swear it's food poisoning. after a somewhat questionable late night meal, you spend half the night vomiting while carmy works a later night at the restaurant. you text him to bring ginger ale and tums home. of course he comes through because are you kidding this man is a caretaker?!
you insist that you're fine and much better, even though you're absolutely exhausted. things are so busy at work for you (and have i mentioned the pregnancy fatigue) that you don't think much of it when a few nights later, you find yourself kneeling on the bathroom floor once again.
there are always little kids running around at the extended family gatherings and which led to your realization (when you first met everyone) that carmy is surprisingly good with kids.
it's not till a week or two later (after your little bout of 'food poisoning') that you're at cicero's place for a family birthday party that it hits you. one of carmy's cousins (not richie kind of cousin teehee) has just had a new baby with his wife. you've been catching up with ava, richie's daughter because you've become an auntie of sorts to her. you find some time to steal away for a some girl-time but when you return, carmy is holding his new niece/nephew in his arms.
the sight of him holding the baby not only takes your goddamn breath away as he stares long and hard your way, his blue eyes piercing right through your heart, but it's then that you realize that you're a few weeks late. it's like time stops as you look at him, seeing him coo at the baby with the softest look on his face. the realization hits you, clear as day.
"holy shit." is all you say, earning a few funny looks from the berzatto extended family and friends. "carm, can i borrow you for a second?" you and carmy find a quiet place to talk inside. "you okay, babe?" "carmy i think i'm-. what if i-. i'm late." "what do you-? like.. late late?" "now that i think about it, a few weeks late, honey." "yeah?" he asks you, totally in shock and eyes wide. "yeah."
the two of you make an excuse to leave the party as soon as possible, and hurry to the nearest drugstore to pick up a pregnancy test. you wait till you're home to take it. "do you want me to come in, sweetheart?" "no, carmy! i don't want you to watch me pee, you weirdo!" you answer, even though you know he's just excited.
the two of you are pacing back and forth, practically making dents in the floor with your footsteps for what feels like the longest two minutes of your lives. when your timer goes off, you're both simultaneously freaking out about the fact that you're lives are about to change forever, while also really, really hoping for a positive result. and as the fates would have it, the test is positive.
"holy shit. holy fucking shit. we're- you're-, we're gonna-!" carmy is ecstatic as searches for words. "we're having a baby, baby!" you squeal jumping into his arms." "god, i love you so much," he says, grinning at you as wrap your legs around his waist. "i love you too, carm. so, so much."
you literally get the biggest kick out of calling him your baby daddy: to friends and family, coworkers, random strangers, in restaurants, at the gas station. you'll take photos of him at the farmers market and post on your ig story referring to him as your baby daddy because you find it hilarious. carmy doesn't find it as funny (even though he secretly loves it) and he's cherry-tomato red when you tell the checkout clerk at the bodega across the street from your place that your baby daddy is going to pick up the tab.
everyone at the restaurant is so excited for you! even richie cries a little when you tell him the news. you hadn't really gotten close to richie until ava grew super attached to you, which opened up a whole new avenue and understanding for your friendship with richie.
ever since you found out you were pregnant, carmy always has bread and ginger ale on hand for your morning sickness. he started making you your favorite soft scrambled eggs with toast, but the chives have been way too strong of a flavor for a sensitive tummy. it's slowly become eggs & toast and then just... toast, which you promptly apologize for stripping away any kind of artistic freedom he may have previously had.
you get near compulsive cravings for certain foods, and carmy is always ready to throw on a jacket and run across the street when you get midnight cravings.
carmy hates seeing how tumultuous pregnancy has been during your first trimester. he's always ready with a hair tie or a glass of water for when you're done throwing up. okay hear me out: but carmy starting to wear hair ties because he wants to always have one ready for you. he'll even take off a morning with you or call your workplace if you need a sick day just so that he can take care of you. even if you don't need care, he just wants to spend time with you and be there for you while you go through it.
we already know that carmy is an acts of service king. he is the tenderest, most gentle partner and wants to be as helpful as possible. if you're sick, he wants to make you feel better. if the pregnancy hormones are raging against the machine, he's more than happy to let you be upset, or get you off by any means if the hormones go that way too. he'll sit on the bathroom floor with you and rub your back until you need to vomit again. he'll give you the best morning head of your life. he'll run a bath for you when you need one. he checks in every hour on the hour in your first trimester, which you appreciate, but eventually have to ask him to chill the fuck out.
speaking of physical changes, the pregnancy boobs are ELITE. carmy is always there to make you feel beautiful despite your rapidly changing body, esp when your clothes start fitting differently.
the first time your bump starts showing and you point it out to him, carmy cries. or maybe he notices it first and he's just like... weeping and you're like: babe r u ok? and then you realize that you're showing and carmy is kneeling and admiring your baby bump and now you're crying. sorry, but i don't make the rules it's just a fact that this is how it would go down.
carmy is so emotional about this because he realizes that he finally gets to build the family he didn't have and he gets to build it with you.
well this just hijacked my writing plans oops. part two will be more 'you & carmy pregnancy things' and part three will be birth & post-birth.
tagging my carmy taglist in the comments below!
#carmen berzatto x you#carmy berzatto#carmy x oc#the bear hulu#the bear fx#jeremy allen white#carmen 'carmy' berzatto#carmy berzatto x reader#carmen berzatto x reader#carmen berzatto#carmy berzatto headcanon#the bear headcanon#carmy berzatto imagines#carmy berzatto fluff#comfort and chaos#still into you#make my heart surrender#Carmy as your baby daddy
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What would Ganyu/Shenhe's children calling CR?
Auntie Cloud?
Grandma Cloud?
Or similar like Ping, Madame Cloud?
Wanna make a part 2 of Ganyu's lil goats
#like grandma is lesslikely because she might feel too old#hunnieramble#hunnietalk#cloud retainer#ganyu#shenhe#genshin impact#genshin impactwomen#genshin women
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What if God!Reader had a kid? Either adopted or not. What if they were pregnant when coming to Teyvat or got into a secret relationship and it happened? What would the acolytes think? What would they do?
SAGAU: Parent readerNote: I just love the brains of my anon. Well, you ask and I shall provide. Also Happy birthday Asmodeus!!! I should try to write Obey me again. It’s been a while. Lastly, if you have an idea or a question that you want me to write just dump them in my inbox.Warnings: afab! reader, pregnancy (mention), throwing up, yandere-ish(?)
Masterlist
Rest assured the child will be the most spoiled child to ever live in the whole world. You want the toy? The little teddy bear? Auntie Ningguang got it for you. You want to go out and pick some flowers around Mondstadt? Big sister Amber has your back with big brother Razor on guard. Do you want to go and play? Take Klee with you but promise not to do anything bomb related okay? The acolytes will see the child, adopted or not, as an extension of you which means if something happens to them the perpetrators should be ready for an incoming war.
If the child has been there way before you two were thrown in Teyvat and then the acolytes would take it as their responsibility to be the second parent. They’ll happily become their guardians, playmates, teachers and protectors if you become busy with your job in Teyvat. I have a feeling it will take time for the child to adjust because they are used to technology for sure and Teyvat’s closest technology is not social media related but fine tools for work and adventures.
In the adjustment period, acolytes will make their own schedules and it will be a by nation schedule to ensure that the time spent is equal. In Mondstadt they have activities such as learning how to use a wind glider with Amber and playing around with Klee and Diona. Kaeya for sure will be their guardian in the city because Jean is busy with her job as the acting grandmaster. Sucrose will be a dear and teach them the language of Teyvat with Albedo teaching them how to draw. Venti loves playing music with them but Rosaria has to keep watch because she left Venti alone; they were both found on the top of the statue in front of the cathedral. No worries about getting injured, we have Auntie Barbara on call.
Lisa loves helping them fall asleep by reading a book for them and seeing them napping in the library is a common occurrence. Outside the city, Diluc would be their protector with Eula at the distance watching out for whoever that will try harming them. A small part of the Dawn Winery was converted into a mini playground for them to play around with Elzer and Tunner teaching them about the grapes. No wine though, just grape juice. Bennett and Razor will be their big brothers and would take them to adventures (with another acolyte following them to ensure their safety of course).
They have more playmates in Liyue than in Mondstadt. The Liyue teens (Chongyun, Xiangling, Xingqiu, and Xinyan) will always set a time aside to play hide and seek around, Liyue is a big place at all and sometimes hide and seek takes a long time to finish. Qiqi’s memory is not good, which is why they are paired with Ganyu and Keqing if something happens. Yanfei once tried to teach them law saying that ‘the earlier the better’ but she was chastised by Madame Ping and the law book reading became story times.
Hu Tao once tried to take them to Wuwang Hill but it got them frightened and ran away, luckily Xiao was able to calm them down. Hu Tao is grounded from taking them outside the city from then on. Ningguang and Childe, though they hate each other, will do their best to provide for the child. It has become a competition inside Childe’s brain though. From time to time when Yun Jin needs a time off, she will sneak outside the city with the child and Shenhe tagging along with them. If the city becomes suffocating, Zhongli will take them to different places like Qinghe village or carry them in his arms to go up Mt. Aocang to meet Cloud Retainer.
Going to Inazuma, Kazuha and Beidou would be their guards. Thankfully, the Shogun already removed the storm barrier around the city or else it would be hard for them to move around. I have a headcanon that Beidou can take care of kids because the crew has a small boy and that also means that the child has a playmate whenever they need to travel.
Kujou Sara’s headache doubled after the child took a liking and started going around with Arataki Itto. Yomiya’s fireworks shows became double as well with the child becoming their mini designer. The Komori teahouse is now filled with laughter because Ayaka and Ayato will always come visit. By Thoma’s words though, they are banned from using weird stuff in hotpot games. Taking a nap at Narukami temple with Sayu is now allowed by Yae Miko who loves spoiling the child with sweets. I have a feeling Sangonomiya shrine is their new favorite place as well and that some parts of it was child proofed by Gorou and Kokomi. Raiden who has been lonely for years will do her best to be a big sister or even a second parent to the child wondering if the warm feeling in her chest is the same feeling Makoto felt when she was still around her.
If the acolytes are yanderes, they will not hesitate to use the child to gain your attention and might even subtly force them to pick a favorite place or acolyte.
If the god! reader got pregnant by one of the acolytes in secret, it’s gonna be a mini war. You thought the secret relationship could be hidden until you went to the Narukami Shrine and Yae sniffed what’s going on already. The others brushed it off as Yae just joking until you woke up one morning complaining about the smell followed by throwing up. Before any of the archon could even go near, your acolyte lover came barreling to the door asking you if you’re alright and that’s when things clicked.
Almost immediately regardless of power or money, your acolyte lover will be put to questioning because ‘really bro? Our god?’ This lover of yours will only be released by your orders. Some acolytes are salty about it though but it won’t stop them from trying to get your attention. If the pregnancy is sensitive, it’s high likely that the acolytes won’t let you travel and you’ll be spending the whole three terms in one nation only. Healers all around will be having their own home to stay in the nation that you choose and everyday the nation will be receiving tons of offerings and baby clothings and toys.
Once the baby is born, jealousy is likely to happen because it’s over. Your attention is now focused on the baby and your lover. Acolytes like Klee, Qiqi, Diona and Sayu don't mind it though, they just see the baby as a smaller sibling but to the older ones, it is different. Once that happens, they will persist and do their best to take care of the baby. In yandere context, having the baby born doesn’t save your acolyte lover though because the other acolytes will try their hardest to take them out of the picture.
Taglist:
@chihawari
#sagau x reader#genshin imagines#genshin fanfic#genshin scenarios#genshin x reader#genshin impact#genshin impact x reader#genshin x you#genshin impact sagau#genshin sagau#off hours#genshin self aware#self aware genshin#mom reader#sagau imagines#sagau#genshin impact cult au#genshin cult au#yandere genshin x reader#yandere genshin impact#yandere genshin imagines#sagau yandere
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WIP Wednesday
Good afternoon friends! Back with some more Single Dads AU, this one is a little longer and sadder than usual and I imagine the next snippet will be a follow up of this because I apparently can't write this fic in order of timeline.
Tagged by @daffi-990 @spotsandsocks @aspecbuddie @cal-daisies-and-briars @hippolotamus @callmenewbie @wikiangela @steadfastsaturnsrings and @smilingbuckley thank you my friends and go read their works RIGHT NOW
Snippet below the cut cause it's lengthy
Buck gets the text just as he’s loading the girls into his truck.
“Your phone pinged, Daddy” Lily says helpfully, booting the back of his seat to get his attention.
Buck knows. He’s been waiting for a text ever since he’d had to leave the hospital to pick the girls up from school. He’d wanted to stay but Hen had made him leave, saying there were enough people waiting around. If she didn’t pull through, Eddie wouldn’t want an audience for his grief.
Buck didn’t want Eddie to have an audience either. He wanted to help Eddie grieve, privately, where he knew he was safe. Where he knew Chris would be looked after.
But Hen had pushed him out the door and told him to collect his daughters, so that’s what he was doing. She’d texted him just as he’d arrive at the school to say that Bobby was there, which made him feel a little bit better.
“Thanks baby,” he replies, flicking Lily a tight smile over the headrest as he pulls out his phone. The text is from Eddie.
Eddie:
Shannon’s gone.
Fuck.
Buck blinks, swallowing thickly.
“Is everything okay, Dad?” Carrie asks, peering at Buck with concern. And that’s the other thing, somehow Buck has to tell his daughters, his sweet, precious girls who lost their own mother when Lily was only a few hours old, that their best friend, their Christopher, has lost his mother too.
But he’s not going to tell them here, in the parking lot of their school. So he nods, reassures Carrie that everything is fine, he even drives them past their favourite donut shop on the way home and buys them a donut of their choice.
It’s when they’re both sitting on the couch, Lily swinging her little legs because they’re not quite long enough to touch the floor, that Buck perches on the edge of the coffee table, pausing briefly to wipe a dusting of powdered sugar off Carries chin, and tells them what’s happened.
He takes a deep breath, not sure where to begin.
“There’s something I need to tell you,” he begins tentatively.
“Did something bad happen?” Lily asks, her face falling.
Buck reaches out and squeezes her knee, rubbing the sparkly fabric of her tights. “Yeah a little.”
When neither girl moves to say anything, both looking up at him with big, worried eyes, he ploughs on.
“We went to an accident at work today. A really bad one. It was a car accident and – well it wasn’t good. Uncle Chim and Aunty Hen tried really hard to save the lady, but she didn’t make it.”
He takes a deep breath, reaching out to brush a stray curl from Carrie’s forehead, before continuing.
“It was Christopher’s mom. Shannon’s –“ his voice breaks and he hangs his head.
“Christopher’s mommy died?”
Carrie’s voice is so small it breaks Buck’s heart. It’s the same voice he heard when he came home from the hospital, Lily wrapped up in a tiny bundle in her carrier and his wife’s wedding ring on a chain around his neck, as he’d knelt in front of his two-year-old daughter and told her her Momma wasn’t coming home.
“Yeah baby,” Buck swallows hard and grabs each girl, pulling them against his chest. “Chris’s mommy died. So, we’re going to need to be super strong for them, okay? They’re gonna need a lot of love and support, like we did when Sar- when Momma died.”
He sniffles, jolting a little when he feels little hands on his face as Lily wipes away his tears, just like he wipes hers when she scuffs her knee or Carrie says something mean to her.
“Do we need to make them food?” she asks, climbing up onto Buck’s knee.
“We can make them Mac and Cheese, that’s Chris’s favourite” Carrie pipes up and Buck lets out a watery chuckle, cupping the back of Carrie’s head as he kisses her forehead.
“You two are both such sweet girls. I think they’d really like that.”
His phone dings again and he fishes it out of his pocket.
Eddie:
Can we come over? I can’t be alone right now
Buck flicks off a quick response.
“Should we get it started then?”
Buck:
Of course. Stay as long as you need
Carrie perks up and Lily pushes herself off his knee, running for the kitchen.
“Right now?” Carrie asks, slipping her hand in Buck’s as they cross the room. “Are they gonna come over?”
“Yeah, I think Eddie and Chris need some friends right now.”
Carri nods resolutely. “They’re our best friends,” she says, looking up at Buck with big, determined, blue eyes. “We can make the hurt go away.”
Tagging @theotherbuckley @disasterbuckdiaz @housewifebuck @thewolvesof1998 @fionaswhvre @theplaceyoustillrememberdreaming @jesuisici33 @transboybuckley @rainbow-nerdss @wildlife4life @fortheloveofbuddie @nmcggg @watchyourbuck @bucksbackwardcap
#the scene after this is going to make me cry so hard#I promise I'm going to have Eddie's POV of this#I just couldnt do it right now because it's DEPRESSING
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*Phone ping*
Morning Luci! Where you rolling today? XD
@suddenlyauntiemaya
Hello. I will let Lucifer take this.
auntie? i dont know whats going on everyones acting really weird and i'm scared
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Coquet, Part 9 | JJK
Coquet, Part 9
\ kō-ˈket
Definition: noun. a man who indulges in flirtation.
✫✫✫Coquet Masterlist✫✫✫
Pairing: Escort!JJK x Fem-reader
Rating: M (🔞)
Genre: Fake-dating!AU; Strangers to lovers; fluff; angst; smut
Warnings: ANGST(!!!); pining; vulnerable confessions; some sexually-explicit conversations; cussing; self-deprecation; very slight hint of sexual tension; some medical terminologies
Word count: 11.8K+ words
Summary: On your brother's wedding, you dread traveling to see your family–whom you have successfully avoided for over a year after moving across the country for work. In an effort to save face, you hire an escort to get them off your back and perhaps even make your ex–who happens to be the best man–a little jealous.
A/N: Sorry this took so long! I had to sit in my feelings--just like my loves here. I also had a terrible case of writer's block while working on this. I was constantly questioning the direction that I was taking the narrative in. In the end, I went with the more realistic, sensible approach rather than going for instant gratification. And while the latter is easier and seems more satisfying, I wanted to maintain my core writing style--and that's making my characters earn the ending that I am setting them up for.
A/N2: Multiple POV switches occur here. I've tried to add headings to serve as a marker as to whose "headspace" you're in. Hope that helps! 😬
A/N3: The 'medical' portion here was directly lifted from an episode of House (love that show!). Just slightly paraphrased (for the dramz)! Also, if you've read my other works--let me know if you've picked up my not-so-subtle easter egg here 🤗
Needless to say, no wedding occurred the following day. Taehyung calmly explained things to your parents last night when he got back to the hospital. They were rightfully disappointed and extremely confused, but he didn’t leave them much room to complain about it.
There was no sign of Jennie or her family this morning either. Auntie Dahlia may have let slip that they left around dawn–before everybody else.
You wait patiently in the lobby with your suitcases as different groups board shuttles. Some were headed to the airport whilst others headed to a separate dropoff area where most local guests and relatives parked.
You were headed to your parents’ house to pick up one of their cars to drive back to the hospital so you could be there when your dad gets discharged. Instead of rebooking an earlier flight, you decided to spend your last night in your childhood home and leave on the day you had originally planned.
Too many thoughts, feeling so many emotions, you sighed and checked your flight’s confirmation email for the nth time.
You still had notifications turned on for any changes and last night you received an alert about one of the itineraries that you booked–Jungkook’s. Your phone pinged indicating that he flew out at 6:30 this morning.
Your fingers hovered on the text window’s keypad for a few seconds before closing out of it. You did the same thing last night after finding the envelope containing the money that you had given him at the beginning of the week. You didn’t care to count it.
You regretted lashing out at him. He was the unwitting recipient of your rage. Not to mention that you said the most awful words to him. Words you couldn’t take back.
It was not how you envisioned this trip ending.
Had you actually made plans to go out on a date with him? The last few days seem like a fever dream now after how things went down last night.
Haru was gone and you felt nothing. Jennie left but not before apologizing last night, trying to make things right. It counted for something but didn’t make their betrayal hurt less.
And now Jungkook was gone. You hunch over your knees and bury your head in your hands. That seemed like a harder pill to swallow.
You are pulled from your thoughts when you hear someone clearing their throat. Lifting your head slightly, you flick your eyes sideways and spot the tips of a pair of Chelsea boots. When you glance up, you see Jimin smiling at you. You force a smile in return.
He nudges your leg playfully, prompting you to scoot over so he could settle in the empty space next to you. You sit side-by-side in silence for a minute until you feel his arm curl around you, pulling you closer to him. You instinctively rest your head on his shoulder, releasing a deep, shaky breath so your tears wouldn’t fall.
Jimin could run his mouth if and when wanted to. You had a feeling that he had plenty to say about everything that happened last night, but he seems to settle with rubbing the side of your arm. It was comforting.
He finally breaks the silence with a mundane question. “Need a ride to the airport in a couple days?”
You sighed. “Will it be a quiet ride?”
“As quiet as you want it to be,” he promises.
You nodded. Straightening out, you look around the lobby, as if expecting somebody familiar to come walking by. “Is Mindi still up in her room packing?”
He closes one eye and squints, as if weighing his answer. “Sort of? She says she needs time to psych herself up before she sees you.”
You gave him a look of confusion. “Why would she need to do that?”
Jimin shifted in his seat. “She kind of feels guilty. By association.”
You groaned at the sound of that. “Chim, you know I don’t see it like that.”
“I know. I talked to her about it last night and this morning at length. She felt that she should have known–with her and Jennie being attached at the hip and all. And if she had known, she’d be the first to sound the alarm.” He simultaneously reasons with you and defends his sister’s emotions.
You tilted your head back and sighed. You rubbed your eyes, completely drained of life. You didn’t want all of this guilt floating around you, not when you had guilt of your own that you had to deal with.
“Jennie seemed like she was ready to take that secret to the grave,” you say, sounding distant.
“Mm. That’s the thing with people who seem too good to be true. They’re overcompensating for something,” he replies cynically.
Your eyebrows quirked and you glanced sideways at him. You wondered if maybe he had your secret figured out.
He lifted a shoulder, continuing. “But…sometimes, there are things that seem dubious but aren’t. You spend enough time being a skeptic, it makes it hard for you to tell whether something or someone is actually being genuine.”
“What if a person is just too gullible?”
He smirked at you. “Gullibility has its pros and cons. For one, people think you easily fall for something without even thinking it through. On the other hand, it means you believe that there’s inherent good in the world and that you’re not a complete cynic.”
You exchanged quiet looks. You felt guilty about keeping this secret from him. You were always very close, even when you were kids. Although you and Mindi played together more often, it was Jimin whom you spent the most time talking to.
“I don’t think you’re a cynic. Far from it. You just got dealt a bad hand. But you know what we always say after all those trips to Vegas? If you bust on this hand, you can either bet again or walk away. And nine times out of ten you bet again.”
You gave him a crooked smile. “I don’t know, Chim. I think you overestimate me too often.”
“I don’t overestimate you. I’m just somebody who wants to root for you.”
You stared at him for a minute, unaware that tears had pushed their way through. You hugged him tightly. “What would I do without you, Jiminie?”
He hummed. “Yeah. I love you, too.”
******
Jungkook
“‘Hello, Dr. Sakai!” A pair of nurses greet one of the residents checking in for her shift.
“Hi!” She responds cheerfully as she walks past them to proceed to the lockers. As soon as she crosses the threshold, she is stopped dead in her tracks.
“What the–what are you doing here?”
“Hello to you, too, Mayumi.” Jungkook chuckles as he shuts his locker and adjusts his lab coat. “I work here, remember?”
She shook her head. “Sorry, I didn’t mean it like that. I thought you weren’t due back for another couple days?”
He shrugged. “Trip ended early.” His tone is clipped, with a slight edge to it. He stretches his shoulders and his neck–as if getting ready for battle. After landing an hour ago, he picked up a shift at the hospital and jumped right into work. Thankful for the time difference, at least he could keep his mind occupied for a few hours.
“Oh-kay,” Mayumi said slowly as she stared at Jungkook suspiciously.
“What?” He raised his eyebrows at her.
“Nothing!” She says dismissively. “I guess I’ll see you in a couple minutes for rounds, yeah?”
“Yep,” he says wryly before walking away.
******
After rounds, Mayumi and Jungkook hang out by the nurse’s station to finish up their patient notes. Mayumi keeps glancing at Jungkook, who was deeply invested in a patient’s post-op tonsillectomy.
“You’re being very detailed about that case,” she remarks.
“Oh you know, just making sure we cover all the bases. Wouldn’t want a medical malpractice suit because we had sparse notes,” he says dryly.
“Riiiiight,” she drags out. “Because our legal department is teeming with suits from tonsillectomies that have gone awry.”
He sighed briefly, nose still buried into his notes. “You know, there was a fairly recent case from this state–it was supposed to be a simple, routine procedure–and then the patient fell into a coma. Well…not on my watch!”
Mayumi rolls her eyes. “By the way–thank you for the consult a couple days ago. I’m sorry I kept bugging you with calls during your vacation.”
“I didn’t mind at all. Did the additional heavy metal tox screen turn up results?”
She nodded. “You were right. I really thought it was lupus but we went back to your heavy metal poisoning theory. We only kept ruling it out before because none of the initial tests came back with useful results–at least, nothing on the usual heavy metal suspects: lead, cadmium, mercury. Then I did as you suggested–expanded the test to the other metals.” She paused for dramatic effect. “Gold sodium thiomalate, if you can believe it? It was from their arthritis medication.”
He looked up, chuckling softly, pleased with himself. “Hm, interesting. That ingredient is not even approved to be used in arthritis medication in this country so…they must have acquired it from somewhere else.”
“Yep! They eventually confessed that their insurance wouldn’t cover the prescription so they went by other means.”
He nods vaguely. Happy that he was able to get a diagnosis correctly–even from afar. He turned back to his notes.
“You know–I envy you so much. Out of our cohort, you have the best instincts,” Mayumi remarked.
He scoffs. “Sure. Instincts,” he repeats blandly.
“Yeah. You take one look at a patient and your mind’s already running through a list of potential diagnoses. You already know what to do.”
He hums, turning back to his notes, not really having anything else to offer Mayumi. Tired of his standoffish attitude this morning, she finally shuts the clipboard flap of one of her patients’ records and turns her full attention to him.
She asks him point-blank. “Okay, dude…do I have to ask?”
“No idea what you’re talking about, Yumi,” Jungkook says without lifting his eyes off his clinical notes.
Mayumi snorts. “Seriously? You’re going to try and deflect now? After your moping and pouting during rounds?”
He sighs heavily, “I was not moping or pouting,” he protested quietly. He scratches his head, intent on remaining distracted.
Mayumi wouldn’t let up. “Did you not get laid this week or—“
Still not looking up from his notes, he cleared his throat uncomfortably.
Judging by his reaction, her mouth grew into a wide grin. “Ahh…so you did. But something else happened…and that’s why you’re back early, throwing yourself into work so you don’t have to lick your wounds for long.”
He exhales sharply and finally turns to her. “Yumi, it doesn’t matter, okay? Now come on, help me clean up the notes here. Your handwriting is shit, by the way.”
She laughs and stops teasing him but makes a mental note to bring it up again later. Just then, their attending rounds them up again to discuss an ongoing case.
******
YN
Back at the hospital, you were just waiting for all paperwork to be signed and the doctor to give his final sign-off before your dad was free to go.
As you exit your dad’s room, you find Taehyung sitting in the hallway, scrolling through his phone. He looks up and gives you a small smile when you sit next to him.
He looked tired–like he had been up all night. You knew because you barely got any sleep too. You basically just laid in bed, with your eyes closed but still fully aware of your surroundings.
“How are you?”
He chuckled bitterly then sighed. “I’m alive. How ‘bout you?”
You smiled sadly. “I’m alright.”
His smile faded. “Are you, really?”
You shrugged. “It’s not like I can change the past, Tae. But at least I got answers to my questions,” you say wryly.
He lowered his head in his hands and rubbed his eyes. “What a mess I’ve made, huh?”
Your eyebrows knitted at him. “Oh Tae,” you say sympathetically.
“I’m so sorry…”
“Sorry for what? You didn’t do anything.”
“I’m sorry for…not fighting hard enough for you. For not… choosing you.”
You sighed. “Taehyungie, I did not make you choose. I made the choice. I knew how much Haru meant to you. I didn’t want to put you in a tough spot.”
“Still…I feel bad about it. My best friend and my fiancée…I…” He shook his head, at a loss for words. After a long beat, he wonders, “You think she lied to protect Haru?”
“Oh God, no!” Your reaction was instantaneous. “But…if anything? I think that she was protecting your friendship with Haru.” You moistened your lips before continuing. “He was there for you when your mom died. Dad told me back then that he was the only one who could get you talking and playing again. Jennie knows how special that connection was and didn’t want to come between that. And…neither did I when I decided to move away.”
He sighed heavily. “What she did…you know, lying about it? I think what hurt more wasn’t really the betrayal, but it was more the idea of her thinking that I couldn’t handle the truth…or that I didn’t have the emotional capacity to manage my feelings if she had told me about it.”
“Would it have changed your mind about pursuing a relationship with her if she had just told you from the outset?” You asked him.
He pursed his lips and shrugged. “I mean…I don’t know. I obviously can’t answer that now,” he says vaguely. “But…I still would have liked to be given the opportunity to make that decision for myself–instead of her deciding for me.”
You exhaled deeply, silently agreeing with him. “Have you talked to her?”
He shook his head slowly. “She’s texted me some but–I don’t know what to say to her. I…don’t know if I should even talk to her.”
“How come?”
“It just feels wrong,” he says quickly.
“What feels wrong?” You pressed him. As his sister, who loved him unconditionally as if you’d shared the same DNA–you understood that he would stew, go in circles and beat himself up about this unless you made it clear to him that he would not be disrespecting you in any way if he chose to make things work. All you wanted was for Taehyung to be happy.
He shrugged, not wanting to answer the question. “Is it because–you’re worried about how I would feel if you tried to patch things up with her?”
He raised his head and looked at you with sad eyes, confirming your theory.
“Tyeongie…” You tilted your head gently and faced him. “Listen to me. Whatever happened to Haru and I–that’s all done. We were over when I arrived at the beginning of the week and it has remained that way even after the truth came out.”
“But Jennie–”
“Jennie did what she thought was right at the time.” You cleared your throat and decided to tell Taehyung that you spoke to her. “She…sought me out, you know…last night. And we talked. She apologized and…I’ve made peace with it.”
His expression softens.
“You know, you and Jennie–what you two have is the real thing. What she did hurt me, yes. But neither you, me, nor she can change that fact. I see how much she loves you; she takes good care of you; and I see how happy she makes you. I understand that you’re conflicted–she hurt me but you still love her–those are both valid feelings.”
He leaned his head back against the wall and sighed, chewing at his bottom lip. You reached up to him and squeezed his cheek gently, making him smile a little.
“Do you feel differently than when you did back when you made that whole speech about your love for her growing and evolving?” You asked him.
He shook his head quietly.
“Okay so…talk to her,” You urged him. “Answer her texts and her calls. Because trust me,” you clutched your chest, “It would absolutely rip me apart if I took your happiness away from you. What kind of a sister would I be?”
He chuckled. “You know, it’s funny–Jungkook said something similar to me when we spoke, after I dropped him off at the hotel last night. About–feeling torn between two polarizing feelings.”
You forced a smile. The topic of Jungkook was still a sore spot for you. “Well, I guess great minds think alike,” you joked.
He nodded. “Have you talked to him yet?”
You start to internally panic. “Uhm, n-no. He’s…he’s dealing with a complicated case so…I’m waiting for him to come off that. I don’t want to stress him out.”
“I really like him for you, you know. He’s different–I can tell. It’s like…all he wants is for you to be happy. He’s the perfect guy for you. In fact, he couldn’t be more perfect if you’d picked him out of a catalog,” he chuckled.
You gulped, feeling a pang of guilt. You suddenly feel the urge to come clean to your brother.
“Tae–I need to tell you something about Jungkook and I.”
“Hm? And what’s that?”
You let out a shaky breath. “Uhm…J-Jungkook is–
“Freedom!” You are both startled when your dad yells triumphantly as he is wheeled out of his room by your mom.
Taehyung beams as he stands up to approach him, seemingly forgetting about the last thing you said.
You smiled warmly, approaching your dad and crouching down to kiss him on the cheek. He wraps you both in a tight embrace–as if you were still little kids–kissing the tops of your heads.
“Let’s go, kiddos! I’ve been itching to get out of here.”
********
Jungkook
“So…did she not pay you enough or—“
“Geez, Mayumi!” He whispered harshly through gritted teeth, trying to shush her. “Someone could hear you.” He glanced around the cafeteria. It was a few minutes after the lunch rush so it was relatively quiet.
“Dude, I’ve told you before, there’s nothing to be ashamed of. I’m sure a lot of people here have done crazier, possibly worse things than being an escort to put themselves through med school,” she mutters, before they settle into a table in the corner. She takes a bite of her salad.
//FLASHBACK
Mayumi and Jungkook have spent many nights together during their early med-school years. Jungkook took night classes while he moonlighted as an escort. Some nights, he’d show up to class out of breath, as if he’d just run a marathon–with his hair all brushed up, cologne in full-force. His first question was always, ‘What’d I miss?’
Jungkook wasn’t a slacker. In fact, he was a very diligent student and she didn’t mind filling him in or lending him notes sometimes. She just noticed that he sometimes had poor time management skills. At the time, she didn’t think it was her place to criticize him. She wasn’t his mother. After a while, she really didn’t think much of it until he showed up to class in a suit. She thought it was an isolated incident until he did it two more times.
It was a little jarring for her, to say the least and being inherently curious, she finally asked him about it while they were at the library trying to figure out an assignment.
“Can I ask you a question?”
“Uh–sure,” he answered tentatively.
“Do you have, like, another job or something?”
“W-what makes you think that?”
“Oh, you know–you always seem like you’re rushing into class. Sometimes, very formally dressed,” she states.
He chuckled nervously. “I’m sure a lot of us work while we go to night school,” he mumbles.
“Riiight,” she drags out. “Your job seems very high-end, though.”
He scoffed again as he looked up from a medical journal that he was perusing. “Just because I’m in a suit, I’m high-end? I could be working a catering job.”
“Not with those Gucci lace-ups you had the other day, you’re not.”
Jungkook’s eyebrow quirks ever-so-slightly, trying his best not to give anything away.
“What do you know?” He says quietly.
They stare at each other in silence. Mayumi, with a smirk playing on her lips. “I also saw you the other night at the parking lot getting dropped off by a town car.”
“I could have just asked someone for a favor.”
“Mm-hm. How would you account for your thousand-dollar shoes?”
“Consignment store, for all you know,” he argued.
He had a point. Living in a city with a high cost of living rate, if you are patient enough to search, you can find a treasure trove of bougie designer digs. “‘Kay,” she says sarcastically. “What about that Cartier trinity bracelet you have on now?” Her eyes flick downward at his wrist.
He mirrors her action and tries to cover it up with his shirt sleeve. To the untrained eye, it looked like a cheap, plain, nylon corded bracelet. But the metal rings that held it together were gold, platinum, and rose gold–worth way beyond the means of a med student on ‘financial aid’.
“Oh yeah…I like nice things, too, you know,” she smiled. Mayumi may be on financial aid, too–but she appreciated looking at fancy things.
He glared at her and lowered his voice. “It’s not what you think,” Jungkook mutters dismissively and turns his attention back to his medical journal.
They fall silent again. Mayumi’s wheels turning at Jungkook’s answer for each of her queries. ”I have a theory,” she declares.
“Oh yeah? Congratulations,” he says sarcastically.
“My guess? Is that you have a sugar momma.”
Jungkook snorts. “You couldn’t be more wrong.” He tries to sound dismissive but shifts uncomfortably while he turns back to the article that he was reading about ‘palliative care.’
Mayumi sees his discomfort and puckered her lips. “But I’m close, aren’t I? Come on…we’re clearly in this for a few years. I need some sort of excitement in my life other than memorizing a list of infectious diseases alphabetically.”
“Can’t you just pick up a hobby or something? What are you picking on me for?” He says, getting irritated.
“I can keep a secret,” she says to him point-blank. “And…if you want to bum off my notes on the intrinsic cardiac nervous system–complete with detailed illustrations–you have to pay the piper first.”
Honestly, Jungkook didn’t need the detailed illustration–he knew he had much better anatomical drawings than Mayumi. But…he was desperate for those notes. He missed that lesson because one of his dates ran longer than expected so he couldn’t leave in time to make his class. And nobody else cared enough to lend him their notes except for Mayumi.
He shuts the medical journal and looks around to make sure that nobody was listening in. “Fine. But I need you to have an open mind about it, deal?”
She stuck her hand out and he clasps it in a handshake.
//END FLASHBACK
“I’m not ashamed,” Jungkook says as sets his tray down. “I just don’t want my business out there for everyone else to pick apart, you know?”
“Seriously though, how many people can say they barely have any student debt at this stage, huh? You did that,” she points to him. She drags a third chair towards her to prop her foot on it while she continues to dig into her lunch. “I wish I could make a dent in my student loans,” she chuckled humorlessly. “I’m sure Hyunjung is regretting buying me a ring instead of making a loan payment.”
Jungkook snorted. “Please. That guy would move heaven and earth for you. And don’t pretend you don’t love said ring,” he points out before taking a bite of his lunch.
She sighed dreamily. “It is a pretty ring,” she admits. Mayumi and her fiance had just gotten engaged a couple weeks before Jungkook left for his trip.
After a moment of silence and a few bites, Jungkook asks, “Was it everything you hoped for?”
She looks up from her phone at the sound of the question. “What do you mean? Getting engaged?” She regards him curiously.
“Well…that and,” he gestures with his hand vaguely, “…Your relationship in general. I mean, how did you know that Hyunjung was the one? What made you say ‘yes’?”
She takes a moment to think about it before answering. “I mean, I love him, obviously. But—was our relationship everything that I hoped for? The short answer is ‘no,’ if I’m taking your question literally. It’s not everything, because that’s just impossible to achieve and completely unrealistic. I only hoped to find someone who’d love me enough to want to be with me for the rest of their natural life. And if you’re the religious kind, possibly the next life, too.” She answered.
He nods vaguely then chugs his water down, wishing it was a beer or something stronger instead.
She watched him carefully, waiting for him to open up further about how this week went.
“You ever think someone could see past…my past? Like, forget all that existed and just see me for who I am now?”
She smiled sympathetically at him. “Kookie, your past is a part of you. It’s part of your present and will still be part of your future. When you start separating a person from their experiences, that’s when they stop becoming whole. So, if someone can’t accept the whole you, then, maybe they don’t deserve you.”
He pursed his lips and turned pensive.
“I thought she was picking up what I was putting down,” he muttered.
Mayumi smiled triumphantly. “Did you actually tell her how you felt?” She asks.
“I mean…I asked her out,” he answers.
She let out a laugh. “So? That doesn’t mean anything!”
“What do you mean? Asking her out meant that I was showing her that I was interested!”
She rolled her eyes in an exaggerated manner. “Jungkook, unless you explicitly tell them how you feel–despite how obvious you are–an invitation to a date is a prelude. Just enough to garner expectations. Expectations…that may or may not even get fulfilled!”
Now it was his turn to roll his eyes at her but lowered his voice. “Don’t you think I know how to fulfill women’s expectations? Shit, I did it for years! And I have actual written testimonies that prove it!”
She scoffed at his arrogance. “Those were jobs. You were obligated to do it! Now, you’re talking about something in a completely different setting and context.”
“I thought I was being explicit about how I felt,” he argued strongly.
She narrowed her eyes at him. “Have you actually been in a serious relationship before?”
“Yes, I have!” He countered.
“And how long ago was that?”
He thought back to his pre-escort days, sighing in defeat. It was quite a while ago.
“Like I said,” Mayumi makes her point in between bites of her lunch. “Is that the reason why you left? I thought you wanted, quote-unquote, ‘one last ride,’” she says, mocking his voice.
He grimaced. “I thought it was going well at first…seemed like we were on the same page.” He balled up his napkin and lobbed it right into the garbage bin.
“And then–I don’t know what happened. It’s like, everything that I had done and told her–it all went to shit. I let my guard down, got all vulnerable, only to have it all thrown at my face in the end.”
Mayumi cocked her head slightly and gave him a sympathetic look. “Have you two talked since?”
He shook his head. Emotions were running high that evening. YN was reeling from her ex and her friend’s betrayal. It was a lot to take in. He knew within him that her anger was misplaced…and he was willing to put that aside until she called him names.
That’s what you are. A liar.
“Our last day ended in chaos, to say the least.”
He goes on to give Mayumi highlights of what happened that day and how emotionally charged everything was.
“So, I just…left,” he finishes.
“Maybe it’s just taking longer for the dust to settle for her. Not to make excuses but, that seems like a lot for one person to take in one night.”
“I get that. I guess…I overestimated the level of trust that we built in those last couple days.”
Mayumi sighed. “Kookie–you can’t expect trust to just bloom within a matter of days. And, can I play devil's advocate here? I get that she started out as a client for you but if you wanted to take things to the next level, I feel like you should have given her a bit more room for error, don’t you agree?”
He pouted his lips and thought about it for a few seconds before begrudgingly acknowledging her point. “I guess.”
“Buuut–I also understand that some hurtful words were exchanged. That’s an equally difficult position to be in.” She eyed him silently. “Welp…it’s like what you always say whenever we stress over a case: if at the end of the day, you’d still rather give up than try, then nothing’s ever going to be worth it.”
He exhales glumly, right before their pagers go off and they start scrambling out of the cafeteria.
******
YN
Days later, you flew back home without incident. When you arrived at the airport, a familiar face welcomed you.
“Hey babe.” Cristina says softly after she pulls up to the curb. She popped her trunk and asked if you needed help with your things. You shook your head gently and proceeded to load up your luggage in the back.
She gave you a smile and a hug when you slid into the passenger seat before pulling into the flow of traffic. It was a 10-minute drive which you spent quietly staring out the window.
You arrive at your home, leaving your things by the doorway. You mumbled your thanks to Cristina before heading straight to your bedroom.
She followed shortly, finding you curled up on your side. You hear her sigh before feeling the mattress sink as she sits on it.
“Do you want to talk about it?” She rubs your back soothingly.
With a sniffle, you answered, “No. Not yet.”
You didn’t see her nod but you felt her lay next to you. She held you for however long that was…until you were all cried out for the night.
******
A few days later, you had just wrapped up an off-site client meeting within the city and were headed to your lunch date with Cristina. She waved you over by the outdoor patio as you came around the block.
“Hey babe! Love that color on you,” she comments on your outfit.
You gave her a small smile. Cristina wouldn’t compliment anyone if she didn’t mean it. It was one of the things you loved about her. You knew you’d made a friend for life when she told you how garish your shoes were during a holiday party with your company partners and subsidiaries.
To be fair, the shoes were an impulse purchase. You had just moved to a new city–barely a month into your new job and was going through one of your waves of homesickness and self-pity. A dangerous combination. You ended up buying these ridiculously bright green Bottega Venetta sandals with curly telephone-cord straps. You were ashamed to admit how much you spent on them. But Cristina, being the great lawyer that she was, came up with a compelling argument to the sales representative at customer service when you returned them.
“Thanks for meeting me. Sorry I’ve been such a lump.” You gave her a quick hug and air-kisses.
“That’s alright. I’m always up for good food and even better company,” she says with a smile after you both take your seat. “Maybe even some juicy conversations, if you are so inclined.”
You laughed. “I thought we were just going to have a nice lunch?”
She gives you a deadpan look. “Come on…you’re due for a good bitch-session. It’s been, what? Close to a week since you got back?”
You shifted in your seat uncomfortably. You remembered the day she picked you up from the airport. You didn’t have the strength to talk about things then. Although you had talked to your family, you couldn’t be as open as you liked...especially about Jungkook, even though you’ve alluded to the situation in every conversation you’ve had with Jimin and Taehyung. Your family had this picture-perfect idea of what your life is like now and were more concerned about you reeling from the big Haru-Jennie betrayal situation–which, if you were being honest, now seems to pale in comparison to your blowup with Jungkook.
Cristina knew everything–everything you wouldn’t dare tell your family. How you fell into a depression after you and Haru split up and the instant regret and resentment you felt when you chose to leave home. She knew about your whole arrangement with Jungkook and from your reaction, would deduce how far things got before it all went to shit. You could be completely open with her and she would listen.
She leans back on her seat and spreads her arms wide. “So, come, come. Lay it on me!”
You looked at her, chuckling. God, you missed her. “Okay well–can we at least order first?” You say, while perusing the menu.
After your drinks and appetizers were served, you went on to narrate how your week started…and ultimately ended. You gave her vague, real-time updates throughout but haven’t been able to fill her in until after your dad’s medical emergency.
“Holy shit,” she breathed out, eyes wide.
“Now you know why I needed some time to decompress.”
She sighed. “Well…seems like you’ve gotten enough pep-talks from your family.”
You twisted your mouth wryly. “I guess,” you say, noncommittal. “Even after all that, I still feel like shit. I couldn’t really talk to them about it because…where would I even begin? And for starters, I haven’t even gathered up the courage to talk to Jungkook and apologize before he left.” Your heart turns over painfully in your chest when you confess your next words to her. “I don’t know how.”
Cristina continued to watch you, listening intently.
“I’m an idiot. I lashed out at him…called him names. I don’t know how I can face him. And–” you paused for a minute–suddenly deciding to switch gears and huffed out, “Maybe it’s better this way, you know? God, how did I think things would pan out between me…and an escort? And I’m not saying it to be judgemental but–he’s…like, perfect, in every way. And I’m…” you chuckled bitterly, “I’m just me. Everyone back home couldn’t believe that I landed him–and, in reality, I didn’t! I’m a fucking fraud, Cris!”
She let you ramble on. Go into your little episode–just to get it out of your system before she hits you with a dose of reality. “Have you forgiven Haru?”
Your little pity party comes to a halt with her question. You sighed and lifted a shoulder. “Yeah,” you say tentatively.
“And Jennie? Have you forgiven her?”
You sighed heavily. “Yes.” You wondered where she was going with this.
“Okay so–you’ve found it in your heart to forgive these people who have wronged you and now you have wronged someone; you’re consumed by guilt because of it. And yet–you’re telling me that you’re afraid to ask forgiveness…because you’re assuming they won’t forgive you?”
“I just told you that I basically dumped a year’s worth of emotional baggage on the guy. A guy who–” You sighed. “A guy who seemed like he was ready to accept me for all of my faults and imperfections. Someone who was actually being honest with me…and I just spat in his face.” You shrugged your shoulders. “Some things are just unforgivable.”
Cristina cocked her head to the side and looked at you, her gaze softening. “And you say that because…you have trouble forgiving yourself, too?”
You stared at her dumbfounded. “Sometimes it’s not that simple. I…have way too many issues…I’m emotionally unstable–”
“Right, but shouldn’t you at least try? Just like your conversation with Tae…try and let Jungkook make that call? Whether or not to forgive you?”
You sighed heavily, shaking your head. “I…I don’t know.”
“Every woman has the exact love life that she wants,” she declares suddenly.
You scrunch your face in confusion. “What?”
“Every woman has the exact love life that she wants,” she repeats. “That’s what my guy told me.”
“Your…guy?” You echoed, still confused.
“Yeah. My guy,” she cocked her eyebrow knowingly at you as she takes a sip of her drink.
When you don't connect the dots quickly enough, she presses on. “Remember my last vacation?”
“Y-yeah–” you say slowly. Cristina took a solo trip not so long ago–she was at an impasse at her job and desperately needed a break. She ended up booking a trip to Europe for two weeks. She regaled you with her shopping haul, food diaries, stories about her swimming in the Mediterranean, and her serene cobblestone street strolls.
“Are you talking about that Euro-fling that you had?” You vaguely remember her glossing over it–amongst other highlights from her trip.
“Yep. I hired him,” she says matter-of-factly.
Your eyes bulge and jaw drops at her revelation. “You said you hooked up at some club in Ibiza!”
“Weeeeell…” her voice dragged and went up an octave. “That was half-true. We did hook up at a club in Ibiza…among the many,” she puffed out her cheeks and exhaled for emphasis, sounding nostalgic, “...many things that we did on that trip.” She bit her bottom lip, wishing she could be transported back to relive those memories.
You recalled a few months ago–right as you were trying to book Jungkook on the app–she mentioned a ‘very reputable source’ who could vouch for the service’s guarantee of 100% satisfaction.
Eyes still wide, you absently picked up your glass and took a big gulp of water. This was hardly a conversation for lunch but–nothing was ever off-limits for Cristina.
“Got the tip from a senior partner–who will remain nameless. And I figured, hey, I’m spending time abroad to relax, take some time to think…but I’m also sexually frustrated so I didn’t mind paying for a hot, attractive man who was guaranteed to worship me while I was doing my soul-searching.”
“Oh my god, Cris!” You almost spit out your water.
She giggled, lifting her shoulders. “What? Don’t act like you didn’t enjoy those perks,” she grinned mischievously at you.
You looked away from her briefly and twisted your lips wryly. She cackled out loud.
When she calmed down, she continued, “Besides, the whole idea of going on vacation with someone, no strings attached…not having to deal with the awkwardness of getting into bed with them and without the exaggerated expectations after? What’s not to like?”
“I’m…kind of shocked but not surprised,” you remarked.
“And not to mention they’ve already been carefully vetted! I felt completely safe with him and had no trouble trusting him.”
You latched on to that last part of her comment. Trust. Safety.
She laughed. “It was great! I mean–not just the sex but, we had some pretty deep conversations, too. One thing he told me was that ‘every woman has the exact love life that she wants.’ And I agree with that assessment.”
You scoffed. “Cris, do you honestly believe that I want to be single and miserable?”
She looks at you point-blank. “When you’re ready to be un-single and un-miserable–to take that leap–then, yeah. You will have the love life that you want. But until then…” she trailed off.
You let out a deep breath, letting her words sink in.
“And you know what? By the end of our…arrangement, we knew where we stood since we both made our expectations clear from the beginning. I get that it’s not exactly the same as your current situation with your guy but–the fact remains–you need to be clear about where you stand. You can’t just leave things like that even if you haven’t really established any sort of relationship. As a person? You at least owe it to both of you to close this loop.”
******
On your way back from lunch with Cristina, you checked your emails on your phone. There was nothing pressing nor did you have any pending meetings scheduled for the rest of the afternoon so you tell your assistant that you’re leaving for the day.
You thought more about her advice. Before everything blew up in your face, you were intent on pursuing this relationship. And truthfully, you still wanted to–you had his phone number, you could very well call him and apologize–and mean it.
You hated how things ended after they were just starting to look promising. You couldn’t just pick up where you left off. You needed to make things right. You decided within yourself that you’d bite the bullet and just call him when you got home. You’d grovel, if you needed to.
Just then, your phone pings with an alert telling you that there is an accident a few blocks away–at the street where you usually make a turn to head home.
You curse under your breath and take the long way home instead. It wasn’t ideal but you also didn’t want to get stuck in traffic when you just wanted to get into your pajamas and curl up on your couch with that nice bottle of rose you had chilling in the fridge.
You take the next exit and stop at the next intersection. This was the reason why you don’t usually take this route–it’s because the lights here take ages to change.
You sighed, tapping your fingers impatiently at the steering wheel, mentally noting how much this neighborhood has changed.
You look right up ahead and see an ‘H’ sign for one of the local hospitals.
Another reason why you didn’t take this way coming home–because ambulances always gave you anxiety.
When the light turns green, you drive straight and approach your detour street. Another light…great. As you wait for it to change, you glance up at the hospital building on the opposite side of the street ahead.
You blink a few times, remembering something. When the cars in front of you start to move, you straighten up on your seat and grip your steering wheel hard–you’re about to pull a U-turn.
******
You sat in your car, hyperventilating in the visitor parking lot.
There really was no logical reason for you to be at this hospital. You thought about reversing the car as soon as you got to the parking lot attendant to claim a ticket–but there was another car waiting behind you so you had no choice but to proceed.
This is insane!
Of course it was. And damn your weird memory–for forgetting routine meetings and other regular run-of-the-mill errands that you had to list religiously on your phone to remind you of them.
But when it comes to random, oddball information that you’ve only glossed over once–things normal people wouldn’t think to ever deem essential in their daily life–you remember. Like, which celebrity has dated whom; who won the Academy Award for Best Actress this year; who designed Beyonce’s dress from 2014…and which hospital Jungkook worked at.
Should you have called first?
Of course you should have. That’s what normal people do. Stalkers randomly showed up at people’s jobs without their knowledge.
Too late now–you were walking through the sliding doors and up to the general information desk.
Maybe he’s not even here. He never got a chance to tell you much about his work–like what shift he worked. It was the middle of the afternoon–he could be in the middle of a procedure. You could leave a note or a message for him.
“Hello, how can I help you?” The staff greets you.
“Hi. Uhm, I’m here to see one of your doctors. Jeon. Jeon Jungkook?” You chuckled to yourself at how that all came out like a ‘Bond. James Bond’ intro.
“Oh, ok. Are they expecting you?”
“Not quite. It’s kind of a…spur-of-the-moment thing and I happened to be in the area.”
Just when the staff starts looking at you suspiciously, you quickly add, “He, uh–helped my dad with a medical emergency recently. Dr. Jeon mentioned that he worked at this hospital but I don’t know what department he’s in. I just–wanted to thank him personally.” You give her your most sincere smile.
She tilted her head, endeared. “Aw–that’s so amazing to hear! I hope your dad’s doing better?”
“He is, thank you. Uh, h-he does work here, right?”
She starts looking flustered and clears her throat. Geez. You know the feeling all too well.
“Yes, he does,” she says, punctuating every word as she checks on her computer. “I just started my shift and he typically leaves as I’m coming in so–he might have left for the day…”
Okay, so maybe you’ll just leave him a message.
“Oh–hang on…I guess he scrubbed into a procedure earlier. Looks like he’s still around for post-op. Would you like me to page him for you?”
You considered it. How would this person code this page anyway? ‘Former disgruntled client looking to make amends?’ Sure. That would go really well.
“Uhm–sure. Maybe just say that a former patient is here to see him.”
“Okay, sure,” she says, keying in your message. “Would you like to know which floor he's on?”
******
You got off the fifth floor elevators, as the receptionist directed you.
Your heart was pounding and weren’t sure if this would work. Would he turn you away? Tell you to fuck off?
You mentally cringed as multiple scenarios raced through your head. You sure deserved it, after everything you unleashed at him that night. Ambushing him at his work would not help your cause.
You wander over to the nurse’s station and find a woman in her scrubs, filling out some paperwork. As you pass her to walk to the waiting area right across, she sees you out of the corner of her eye.
“Hi, can I help you?” She had a friendly smile.
“Hi,” you greeted her back. “I was hoping to talk to one of your staff. I think they paged him downstairs and I was told that I could wait here”
“Oh,” she says. “Are you family or—“
“N-no. He, uh, saved my dad’s life and I just wanted to say thank-you.”
She smiled warmly at you. “How long ago was he paged? I could send him a text so he could get here sooner?”
“There’s no rush, really,” you say to her. “I’m showing up unannounced and he could be in the middle of something.”
Her eyebrows knitted slightly. “Can you tell me again who you’re here to see?”
You cleared your throat. “I’m here to see Dr. Jeon.”
“And–your dad was a patient of his?” She asks slowly.
“N-not quite. We were at a wedding and–he happened to be the only doctor in the room,” you explained.
“A wedding, you said?”
This woman seemed to be awfully curious. You nodded apprehensively. “Yes,” you say slowly.
Suddenly, her eyes light up. “Hold on a minute–I’ll page him again for you,” she says with a slight smile.
“Thank you.”
******
Jungkook
“Hey, Mr. Pyun. How are you feeling?”
“Ah–Dr. Jeon! I feel good as new,” his patient croaks out. He was just transported back to his room after being in recovery for an hour for close monitoring, post-op. “I can’t wait to take my wife dancing after this.
“Aish, let’s not rush things, yeobo,” his wife says.
“I asked her to play some music. My grandson showed me how to use this bluetooth speaker box thing,” he chuckled.
“Good to know the pain medication is working,” Jungkook’s attending remarks.
Jungkook chuckles as he checks on his patient’s vitals while his attending continues to discuss what to expect in the next few hours as her husband recovers.
Call me irresponsible, his patient began to sing along to the track while heavily medicated.
Jungkook pauses his checks as memories flood him. The dancing. The touches. The eye contact.
Don’t go there. Do not go there. You need to forget about her, he thought to himself.
He tried to bury Mayumi’s words but they still kept ringing in his head like the heart monitor pulsing right next to him.
“Yeobo, remember when we danced to this at our wedding?” his patient slurred as his wife gives him a warm smile.
Jungkook’s pager beeps just as he writes down his patient’s last blood pressure reading, effectively pulling him out of his reverie. He reaches around his hip to retrieve it. It was from Mayumi, asking to meet by the nurse’s station.
“Dr. Ahn, could I be excused? Dr. Sakai needs me for a consult.”
“Of course. Nice work today, Dr. Jeon.”
“Thank you, Dr. Ahn.” Jungkook bows to his attending before he leaves the room.
He marches down the hall and towards the nurse’s station. He sees Mayumi standing off to the side, having a conversation with someone whose back was turned at him.
Her eyes flick up at him when she sees him approach.
“Hey, Yumi, what do you—“
The woman she was talking to sees Mayumi look over her shoulder, prompting her to turn around. His eyes widen–like a deer in headlights.
“Hi. Can we talk?”
******
YN
You both sat on opposite sides at the empty waiting area. He was slightly apprehensive at first since neither of you had contact in a few days. Much to your relief, he acquiesced.
“How did you find me?”
“I just remembered–from when you showed me your work badge before. I also happened to get rerouted to this neighborhood because there were some road closures on my usual way home,” you explained.
He nods in silence.
You straightened out, exhaling sharply. “Look, I don’t want to waste your time since you’re probably really busy, and I’m sorry to drop in like this without warning.”
“You could have called,” he interrupts.
You purse your lips and nod. “I could have. But–truthfully, I didn’t think you’d want to hear from me again after…you know, everything.” Nervously, you glanced down at the floor, unable to look him in the eye, trying to forget about all of the awful things you said to him.
You took a beat to compose yourself before looking back up at him. “I’m here because, firstly, I wanted to thank you again for helping my dad. He’s doing much better–as if nothing happened.“ You tried to sound lighthearted about it.
“I’m glad to hear that,” he says softly.
You gave him a small, uncomfortable smile before continuing. “So…a-after you left the hotel, Jennie came to me to clear the air. She explained that you had nothing to do with…the whole situation.”
“I could have told you that,” he says curtly.
You swallowed the lump in your throat. “I realize that.”
“You can project, you can vent–that’s part of what I do. That’s why I was there for you. But to accuse me? That…seems unfair.”
“I know, and I –I really fucked that up. I was emotional and…” you paused and sighed heavily, “…there’s just no excuse for it. I wasn’t thinking straight.”
He nodded and remained silent, prompting you to continue.
“I wanted to apologize to you, in person. I didn’t think it would come off clearly through text or over the phone. And I know that I can’t take back what I said and I won’t make any excuses for it. My anger was sorely misplaced and I should not have taken it out on you…” You swallowed hard. “...But I did. And I realized that you were put in a really tough position. It was wrong of me to fault you for it without hearing you out. For all of that, I’m sorry, Jungkook,” you finished.
He regarded you intently, letting your words sink in. After a long pause, his face softens and he finally says, “Thank you. I appreciate the apology…and, I’m sorry, too. For the things I said. It was a shitty situation all around.”
You nodded, acknowledging it–although, you weren’t sure if he even needed to apologize since at the time, he was only giving you a reality check.
Feeling completely awkward yet somehow relieved, you took it as your queue to leave. You gripped your purse and stood up from your seat. He gets up as well. “That was all and…thank you for hearing me out.”
You’ve said your piece and can finally start to move on from this. You wanted to say more–all thoughts that Jimin, Taehyung, and Cristina have been drilling into your head...and the money that he left behind.
A few days ago, you thought this relationship held promise but judging by the look on his face, you thought it wasn’t the right time to push that topic. You waited too long and now that window has closed.
“Anyway, I’m–sorry to keep you from work.” You held your hand out to him for a handshake. Odd to be all formal this time around considering everything that you shared…everything that you did together. But you weren’t in that bubble anymore. You were back in the real world.
Thinking he would leave you hanging, you thought of withdrawing your hand but to your surprise, he places his hand in yours, thumb lightly brushing over your skin. The simple touch shot through you like a surge of electricity. Your pulse shot up when his grip tightened.
You maintained eye contact, as if playing a game of ‘chicken.’ Which of you would let go first? He swallowed audibly while you cleared your throat. You decided it was going to be you.
You withdrew from his hold. “I should get going,” you whispered.
“Right.” He kept his eyes on you but his facial expression was unreadable.
Keeping a firm grip on your purse’s strap, you said goodbye to him–for the last time. “Bye,” you breathed out before turning away from him to walk back towards the elevators. You dared not to look back–afraid of what else you might say or do.
When you reached the end of the hallway, you pressed the ‘down’ button. The elevator dings and the doors open. But right before you step in, you hear your name called out.
“YN, wait!”
You turned around to see Jungkook jogging back to reach you. “I’ve got a break coming up…if you still want to talk?”
******
You settled into one of the booths at the hospital cafeteria. It was an odd time so there weren’t many people lingering, save for a couple of hospital staff and random people who wore ‘visitor’ stickers on their clothing.
You noted how completely different he looked in this setting. He was out of his suit, he took his lip piercing out and wore a long-sleeve henley underneath his scrubs, presumably not to distract patients with his ornate tattoos. His hair was brushed back–not with product as you were used to seeing but you figured it stuck to his head like that because of his scrub cap.
“Were you coming from work?” He asks after glancing at your tailored pants and more formal-looking top. He looked relaxed but somewhat tired, leaning against the wall on the side, his legs stretched out on the seat.
“Sort of. I was at the office then met my friend for a late lunch. Afterwards, I didn’t have any other appointments so I decided to call it a day.” You sat hunched over with your elbows resting on the table, wishing you could be as chill as he was.
“The good ol’ corporate world,” he says, tilting his head backwards with a sigh.
“Yeah. Were you coming off a procedure?”
He nodded. “Yeah. It was a little complicated but my patient pulled through. He’s recovering well.”
And you both fall silent again.
“How’s Taehyung?”
Your eyebrows lifted. “Uhm–he’s okay, I think? He still feels a little weird about everything.”
“You think they’re going to work it out?”
You lifted a shoulder while you drew random patterns on the table with your finger. “They might, I don’t know. I…hope they do. But–that’s not really up to me. Tae feels guilty and he’s afraid of how I would react. I’ve told him that he doesn’t need to worry about me. I know that he still loves her and…I know that she does, too.”
“Maybe he doesn’t want to hurt you,” he guesses.
“He hasn’t done anything to hurt me,” you say quietly, still tracing your little patterns. “And even if he decides that he wants to get back with Jennie again–I would never stand in the way of that…they were meant to be,” you said with a sigh, finally looking up at him to find him staring at you.
After a beat, you ask him, “Why didn’t you take the money?”
He chuckled softly. “How many times do I have to tell you–that it’s–”
“Not about the money, I know,” you interjected. “But why?”
He exhales sharply. “Remember my funeral client?”
You nodded, remembering one of your quiet conversations by the beach.
“I stepped back from this business not just because of pressures from this job–although that was a major contributing factor. I was also losing grip on what reality I wanted for myself. I spent several years living this double-life and,” he sighed, “It was exhausting. I didn’t want to do that anymore. So I decided to just focus on this,” he gestured at his surroundings.
“At some point, I was feeling a little burnt out, too. So my friend, Mayumi–she was the one in the scrubs by the nurse’s station–she pushed me to do one final booking. Not just as a change of pace but, so I could figure out what I really wanted.”
You were shocked to find out that at least one person was privy to his secret life. Maybe the double-life was taking its toll and she was the only one who noticed.
“Then I met you–figured I’d get back into it easily–kind of like riding a bike. I’d play another role even though I’d already given you my real name. But on the plane, I thought about it and figured I’d give honesty a try.”
He rubbed the back of his neck and stretched it. “I thought that maybe…the real me would be just as good, as opposed to somebody you just made up.”
You stopped your absentminded fidgeting and gave him your full attention. When you first met, he couldn’t be more perfect–as if you had picked him out of a catalog, just as Taehyung said.
“Maybe I should have just stuck to my day job,” he says dejectedly, swinging his legs off the bench, leaning over the table to mirror you. It was a relatively small table so your faces were only a couple inches away from each other.
“I can’t help thinking that we went about this the wrong way,” you say to him.
He regarded you in curiosity. “What do you mean?”
“I mean–we both started this whole thing off with a lie. You said you wanted to give honesty a try?”
He furrowed his brows. “Yes–and?”
You held your hand out to him again. “Hi, I’m YLN YN.”
He chuckled softly, shaking his head before he clasped your hand. “Jeon Jungkook.”
“Nice to meet you,” you say softly.
“Lovely to meet you, too,” he says with a smile.
“So, I know we just met, but I wondered if you’d like to go to dinner sometime?”
He squinted at you. “Hmm–dinner, huh? A bit presumptuous are we?”
“How ‘bout coffee, then?” you proposed.
He playfully twisted his lips to the side. “You invite someone for coffee after you’ve spent the night with them.” He cocked an eyebrow at you.
You scoffed but still kept your good nature. You then deferred to him. “Okay. What would you suggest?” You were aware that your hands were still linked together.
“You’re asking me? I thought you were the one here trying to make amends,” he says, lowering his voice.
“Right, I am.” You pucker your lips, thinking of how else to straighten things out.
“How ‘bout lunch?” He suggests. “It’s in the middle of the day, a fairly neutral setting. It’s not as formal and there aren’t any expectations around it. In the end, we can just continue going about our day.”
You nod in agreement. “Okay. Lunch sounds good. When?” You ask him tentatively. You’re not sure if he’ll bite but thought you’d shoot your shot anyway.
He finally releases your hand. “Hm…I’ll have to think it through. As you know, my job’s a little bit demanding.” You detected a hint of teasing in his tone but didn’t want to read too much into it. You shouldn’t be disappointed that it wasn’t an immediate ‘yes.’ You still had to work for it.
Just then, his pager goes off. Guess his break was over.
You clicked your teeth. “Okay, well–let me know when you’ve thought it through.”
With a nod, he walks you to the nearest elevator before you part ways.
******
A couple days turn into a week. You didn’t want to seem too eager–like you were waiting by the phone but…let’s face it, you were waiting for his call.
Every text, every call that would come in–you hoped that it was Jungkook…but it wasn’t. You started rubbing circles on your temples–a stress headache was brewing. You had to chill out, try not to think about it too much. Maybe if you forget about it, it might happen eventually. You shouldn’t be rushing the process anyway.
Or maybe he changed his mind and was just fucking with you. You did call him a liar.
“Do you want to keep your team check-in for the tourism campaign?”
You glanced up at your assistant, Reena, who peeked her head in through your office.
“Uh–yeah. That’s at 1:30 today, right?”
“Yes,” she replies.
“Sounds good. Can you book the huddle room for me? I only want to meet with key staff, not the whole team.”
She nodded. “Will do.”
“Thank you, Reena,” you call out to her before she walks out.
Your phone rings and you pick it up–it was Cristina.
“Hey,” you greeted her. ���Any word yet?” Cristina gets straight to the point.
You groaned. “No. I’m starting to think that he didn’t actually want to have lunch to begin with.”
“Well…you tried, babe, that’s the point. You took a chance.”
You nod absentmindedly. “Yeah, I guess. And I–” you paused as your other line began to ring. You pulled the phone away from your ear to see who it was.
Your eyes widen at the caller ID.
“I have to go, sorry,” you say in a hurry, vaguely hearing her squawking on the other line before you hang up on her.
“Hello?”
“Hey,” Jungkook greets you on the other line.
“Hi,” you say in a slightly higher vocal register. You cleared your throat, trying to calm yourself down.
“Sorry it took me a while to get back to you. Work’s been nuts,” he says apologetically.
“Oh–no need to apologize. I kind of figured you were busy. And I, uhm, didn’t want to bother you either.”
You hear him chuckle softly on the other line. He sounds like he’s enjoying this–but you keep reminding yourself that you have no right to complain. “Anyway, I happened to have a free afternoon. I wondered if you wanted to meet up and grab lunch soon-ish?”
You checked your watch for the time. If you played your cards right, you could head out for lunch for an hour then get back right in time for your meeting.
“But I completely understand if you have plans. We can always reschedule,” he says casually.
“I’m free now. Do you want to meet somewhere?”
******
You practically jump out of your rideshare but compose yourself once you step onto the curb to walk into the restaurant that Jungkook picked. You check in with the hostess by the entrance but spot him waving at you. He was out of his scrubs and in casual, street clothes.
“Hi,” you both say awkwardly at each other then try to figure out whether to shake hands or hug.
He finally decides for both of you and gives you a hug. You inhaled and got a whiff of his cologne. Before all of those memories come rushing back to you, he pulls away.
“How are you?”
“I’m good.”
“Have you been here before?”
“I haven’t but a few coworkers have. They’ve raved about it,” you smiled. “Have you?”
“Yeah. If you want, I can tell you what’s good and what’s not,” he laughs.
“Oh. I’m guessing you come here often?” This place looked a bit fancy for a casual lunch. You wondered if maybe he brought a few dates here.
“I have,” he affirms. You tried to hide your discomfort but were failing spectacularly.
“We don’t need to tiptoe around. It’s just you and me here–having lunch.”
You exhaled and relaxed your shoulders. You didn’t need to overthink this. He purposely picked lunch because it was supposed to be a neutral setting.
“Yeah, you’re right,” you say with confidence.
He smiled at you and proceeded to point out all the good stuff on the menu. You talked about how your days were, how work was, mostly mundane things…as if you hadn’t touched on topics much deeper than those.
But being mundane made it easier for you to get through lunch. You wanted to rebuild that connection and work up to it. You wouldn’t set any expectations. A clean slate was all you could hope for.
******
“Isn’t this nice? Just…getting to talk?”
“Yeah, it was. I’m really glad that you called,” you smiled at him.
Your phone buzzes with a reminder, prompting you to check your watch for the time, it was a little after 1PM. You had a team meeting coming up soon–one that you were supposed to lead but hadn’t even had time to prepare for.
“Do you need to head out?”
“Yeah, I have a meeting at 1:30 back at the office,” you say apologetically.
“Did you drive here?”
“No, I left my car and took a rideshare. I didn’t want to deal with parking,” you explained, while pulling up the app on your phone to book a ride back to work.
“I can drive you back.”
You chuckled nervously. “Oh…I don’t want to impose–”
“You’re not. I’m offering. Besides, I’m off for the rest of the day. I’ve been on-call since yesterday. My boss finally decided to give me a break.” He rubbed his eyes and stretched the kink in his neck.
Your eyebrows lifted. “Uhm, okay. As long as you don’t mind.”
“Not at all.” He raises his arm to flag down your server to request for the check.
As soon as they delivered it to your table, you began to bicker over who was going to pay. You had your card out but he kept swatting your hand away. You offered to split the bill as a compromise but when the server returned to your table, he practically shoves his card at them, effectively ending the argument.
******
You directed him as he drove, telling him which cross streets your office was located at while he navigated right through traffic.
The ride was relatively quiet but nice. You stole glances at him every time he asked whether he was making the right turn or on the correct route.
“This is me,” you tell him, pointing to your office building and he proceeds to pull into the curb.
He bends his neck slightly to view the structure from below his windshield. “Fancy building,” he remarks.
You chuckled softly. “Yeah, it’s alright,” you say, eyes drifting down to your hands. You turned your attention to him again after a few seconds. “Thanks for getting lunch.”
“Sure. Maybe next time, you can get it.” He says.
“Next time?” Your eyebrows lifted.
He chuckled enigmatically at your question but he didn't answer it. “It was good seeing you again,” he says with a warm smile instead.
Your heart clenches and you give him a small smile in return. “It was good seeing you, too.” You cleared your throat. “And–thank you for the ride.”
“You’re welcome,” he replies.
You put your hand on the door latch, preparing to leave, but he stops you. “Hey.” You turn to him again. “Yeah?”
“I had fun this afternoon,” he admits. “Yeah, I did too,” you confessed.
He nodded, and you stared at each other–his car still idling at the curb.
“I should…go,” you finally tell him.
“Right,” he says, clearing his throat. After a beat, he says, “We should do this again soon.”
“Yeah, I’d like that.” You reply softly.
“I’ll call you.”
You nodded. “You know how to reach me.” With that, you exit his car and walk towards your office building. You looked back to see him still watching you through the rolled down passenger-side window. Before you walk through the doors, you give him a small wave and he does the same. Afterwards, he rolls the window up while his car pulls out of the curb and blends in right into traffic.
******
Right before you head out of the office, you see a bunch of colleagues gathering by the reception area, no doubt heading to happy hour.
“Hey, YN! Want to come with us? We’re checking out that new barbecue place that opened a couple blocks away,” a coworker says.
“Thanks for the invite but, I’m pretty beat. I’d be happy to check it out next time, though. What’s it called?” You ask.
“Oh, I can send you the link to the online menu,” they suggested instead, pulling their phone out to text you the link.
Your phone pings when their message comes through. “Perfect. Thanks! Have fun, guys,” you call over your shoulder before stepping into the elevators.
You scrolled through the menu while the cab descended and found a few items that looked good. When you step out into the underground parking lot, you think of something.
You clicked to text the link and forwarded it to Jungkook then followed it up with a message:
[You] (5:38PM): What do you think? They’re open for lunch? 😊
You closed out of the messaging app and made your way to your car. Once you insert the key into the ignition, your phone buzzes. You fish your phone out of your purse to see a response from Jungkook.
[From Jungkook] (5:42PM): Nice, but I like the dinner selections better. What do you say?
That gave you pause as you flashed back to your previous conversation.
[You] (5:43PM): I thought you said dinner was “presumptuous?”
His response comes in a few seconds later.
[From Jungkook] (5:43PM): It’s only presumptuous if you expect us to have coffee the next day. 😏
You laughed at his cheeky response. Touché.
After today, you realized that you’d rather try than give up…because you found somebody who was worth it.
◤Previous | Part 10◥ | Main Fic Masterlist
Thank you for reading!
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Marabelle
Marabelle
-4- The Beaumont Bash
Book: Choices – The Royal Romance, an AU series
Series Premise: An American teenager from New York City is introduced to the world of a small European country and its society of royalty, nobles, and commoners. How will her life story be transformed? Will this new adventure bring her happiness...or regret?
Catch up: Masterlist
Main Pairing: Liam Rys x F!OC Sophia (Sophie)
Other Pairing: Maxwell Beaumont x M!OC Daniel (from NYC)
Drake Walker x F!OC Melanie Smithson
All characters belong to Pixelberry, except Sophia Taylor, Bethany Beaumont, Melanie Smithson, Tyler Gregson (Liam’s assistant), Elena (dress shop attendant)
Rating: M*🔞Warnings: this series will have NSFW material, crude language. Not Beta’d: Please excuse all errors.
Category: Alternate Universe/on-going series/angst/fluff
Words: 2173
-4- The Beaumont Bash
Chapter Summary: Sophie prepares for her first Beaumont Bash and is introduced to Bertrand’s love interest/Drake’s sister/future ally, Savannah Walker.
Music Inspiration: Just the Way You Are, Bruno Mars
Love Story, Taylor Swift
A/N1: This is my submission for Choices April Challenge @choicesmonthlychallenge @lovealexhunt @aprilchallenge prompts, love is in the air, dinner, flower crown #april challenge
A/N2: This is my submission for @choicesflashfics Week#30, Prompt3- “That’s how the story goes.”
A/N3: Bethany Beaumont, Maxwell’s mother, is originally from the US: is Barthelemy Beaumont’s 2nd wife. Annabelle Beaumont (deceased) was Bertrand’s mother.
A/N4: Social Season in this AU series refers to a traditional period in the spring/summer for royalty and members of the court to take part in balls, dinner parties and charity events.
A/N5: Thank you @peonierose for the inspirational quote!
Cordonian Capital...
It was a cloudy Tuesday morning in the Capital, which meant it was a good day to spend shopping. Keeping her promise to take her niece to the shopping district, Bethany smiled watching Sophie's excitement as the driver turned the Escalade SUV into the parking lot of an upscale formal wear boutique and parked alongside the floor to ceiling display window.
“Duchess Bethany, good morning,” the elegant shop owner walked up to Sophie’s aunt in greeting as they entered the building. “This must be Lady Sophia, it’s a pleasure to meet you.”
Gazing at the display mannequins, Sophie turned and smiled, greeting the well-dressed woman.
“Hello, good morning; your dresses are gorgeous!”
“Thank you, I have taken the liberty of pre-selecting a sampling of the latest trending styles for you and placed them in the dressing room. My assistant is at your service this morning for whatever you need. I am sure that you will find the perfect dress for the occasion.”
A petite woman appeared alongside a Sophie. “Please follow me, my lady,” the shop tailer smiled. “My name is Elena.”
***
After trying on several styles and colors, the dress she fell in love with was a deep burgundy red, an A-line V-neck asymmetrical satin dress.
Standing on the pedestal inside the dressing room of the boutique, Sophie looked at her reflection in the three-way full length mirror, critically.
“Auntie, I found my dress! What do you think?”
Sophie took a selfie and sent it off to Daniel for his opinion.
“Oh, my dear, it’s lovely! That color flatters your complexion and hair color perfectly.”
“It is a pleasure fitting such a lovely figure...ahhh to be young again.” Elena tittered as she handed her a pair of gold heels to try.
“Lady Sophia, these stilettos will give you some added height.”
‘I feel like Cinderella!’ Sophie thought to herself as she slipped on the heels and stood up straight. Sending another picture to her best friend, she made sure to include the shoes.
Sophie’s phone instantly pinged with Daniel’s return message:
‘Girl, look at your killer legs! GET IT! 🔥🔥🔥’
Sophie giggled at his response, texting back, ‘OK, OK, don’t hold anything back, now🫡😁!'
Sophie clicked off her phone before reading Daniel's reply, 'can't wait to see you this weekend! 😘 '
***
The Beaumont Estate...
Maxwell browsed through the endless list of Netflix movies on his phone, looking for a movie line-up for tonight’s viewing. Tonight, being a Tuesday, was the weekly ‘Maxwell Movie Marathon’. Max was excited to introduce his cousin to her inaugural movie night, complete with New York style deep dish pizza and his infamous ‘Beaumont Brew’.
“Hey Maxxy,” Savannah Walker walked into the theatre room giving her friend a hug.
“Hi, Sav. What do you think of these movies for tonight?”
Glancing at his phone, “Oooooo, I love ‘Dirty Dancing’! Are you sure your brother will approve?”
Maxwell gave her a lopsided grin, “I’ve been telling him about my plans since my cousin arrived. You should have seen how much fun we had watching ‘Titanic’ together last Tuesday night.”
Savannah, Drake’s little sister, has a crush on Bertrand, still unbeknownst to Bertrand. Maxwell knew, however.
“Well, you are my guest tonight, so I will let you pick the second movie.”
Without hesitating, “‘Pretty Woman’”, Savannah announced.
“Ha, I see where you are going with that,” Maxwell cheekily replied.
She laughed as she pulled out a chair next to Maxwell, who had taken a seat on the sofa.
“You know what your brother is like. If he sees it being played out before him, he will see for himself, and then he will realize, 'that's how the story goes.’ Or at the very least, I hope so.”
Maxwell looked at Savannah, shaking his head. "Ahhh, 'love is in the air.' You are getting desperate Sav. I hope he gets the hint....maybe you should wear a flower crown.”
"Ha ha, Maxxy!" Savannah sighed, shaking her head.
***
Sophie walked through the estate doors, returning with her aunt, after spending the day shopping. Feeling the excitement building up within her, she went up the grand staircase quickly, turned to the right and sprinted to her bedroom, depositing her parcels on top of her bed.
After putting away her new shoes, and hanging the garment bag into her walk-in closet, Sophie looked at the gift she selected for Liam. The Swarovski crystal paperweight, with a gold inlay, was a miniature statue of liberty. Sophie thought back to the conversation she shared with him the day she was introduced to Marabelle. Liam was fascinated with the fact that Sophie had visited the monument many times. Even though the prince had visited New York City a handful of times, his advisors dictated that visiting the tourist attraction was a safety risk. With his security detail constantly ghosting his movements, this symbol of freedom was elusive for him.
Similar to Liam, Sophie shared a love of history and described her visits to the statue and to Ellis Island. Liam was entranced with her insights and her knowledge of the backstory and meaning of the monument.
The gold inlay was engraved with the inscription, ‘your breath of freedom.’ A moniker, Liam gave to Sophie that day.
***
Walking into the theatre room, the smell of pizza wafting through the air, Sophie spotted Maxwell sitting comfortably on the sofa. He waved her over to sit beside him, handing her a tall cocktail glass of a blue liquid.
“Okay, Max, I give up.���
Sophie smirked at her cousin, taking a whiff of the drink.
“Ohhh, this smells so good. What’s in it?”
“Rum, vodka, blue curacao, pineapple juice, lime juice and ice.”
“Don’t forget your secret ingredient.” Savannah giggled.
“Hence. Secret. Ingredient!” Maxwell retorted.
“Hi, it’s Sophie, right?” Savannah smiled at Sophie, and swatted Maxwell.
As Maxwell feigned an injury, his eyes went wide when he realized that he didn’t introduce his cousin.
“Yeah, Maxwell!” Sophie extended her hand in greeting and then poked Maxwell in the ribs.
“What would Bertrand think?” Sophie teased.
“I am certainly not impressed Maxwell.” Bertrand huffed and walked past his brother sitting on the wingback across from the sofa.
Maxwell felt his cheeks redden. “What’s wrong with me?” Maxwell asked. “I’m always nice to people.”
“You’re being sarcastic, aren’t you?” Sophie raised an eyebrow.
“Yes, yes I am.” Maxwell challenged his brother, staring him down.
Savannah stood up and motioned to Sophie to come with her to get pizza.
“Yes, I am starving, good idea.” Sophie stood up to also get pizza with Savannah.
“Wait! You didn’t select the movie you want to watch, Soph.” Maxwell bounded up following Sophie to the pizza.
“Umm, let’s see...I know! “How about...’The Conjuring’?” Sophie answered.
“Ooaa, scary! Love it!” Maxwell pulled out his phone to add it to the movie queue.
***
After the first movie ended, Savannah moved over to sit beside Sophie and grabbed a handful of jelly beans from the candy bowl.
“So how did you like the first movie?”
Sophie smiled. “Honestly? I have seen it now for the fourth time.” Savannah laughed, “for me, it’s the third time; I really wish they had that type of dance in the clubs here in Cordonia.”
“Savannah is originally from Texas and is still getting used to the slower pace of courtly life here.” Maxwell sighed.
“Really, now I am curious. What should I expect at the Bash on Saturday?” Sophie looked puzzled at Savannah and Maxwell.
“It’s a pretty informal event, but there’s also going to be formal dancing after dinner. It’s a tradition here, especially with both princes attending.” Maxwell explained.
“Prince Leo has a reputation for being a bit of a ladies' man, even though he is betrothed to Madeleine. So, I imagine you might see some interesting things happening.” Savannah added.
“Interesting how?” Sophie wondered aloud.
“Well, the last time he attended, one of the guests was Princess Marguerite. She was dressed in a very revealing outfit, and Prince Leo was seen dancing with her quite a few times throughout the evening,” Savannah explained.
“Madeleine was livid and threw her drink in his face.” Maxwell chuckled.
“It is very unbecoming to gossip about members of court.” Bertrand interjected. “Sophia, don’t let these comments discolor your opinion of the noble life here in Cordonia.”
Changing the subject, Savannah asked, “What types of music do you like to dance to, Sophie?”
“Oh, I love dancing! But I never went to any clubs; only at parties or school events.”
“What types of music will be played after dinner this Saturday?”
“Mostly current pop music with the exception of the first dance. That is the one dance you can count on to be played by the orchestra. The Cordonian Waltz.”
“It’s a tradition for the King to dance with the senior noble of the house to open the dance floor for the guests.”
“For this Beaumont Bash, Crown Prince Leo will dance with my mother,” Maxwell added.
“Which reminds me, Sophie, I need to teach you how to dance this waltz.”
“Me? Why me?” Sophie challenged her cousin.
Without giving anything away to Sophie about Saturday and the planned surprise birthday celebration, he explained, “just in case you are asked to dance by Prince Liam.”
***
As the evening winded down, Savannah prepared to go home.
“Hey Savvy,” Sophie called out to her new friend.
“Can I ask you something?”
“Sure,” Savannah smiled.
“Do you have any advice for me about how to fix my hair for the Bash?”
“Why are you asking me this? I mean, you have such beautiful hair!”
“Yeah, well...I was thinking of wearing a half up-do and I need someone to help me pin it. Auntie Beth will be busy preparing for the dinner.”
“I would love to, I will get Drake to drop me off here an hour early on Saturday.”
***
It was the evening of the Beaumont Bash and Sophie was brushing her long, auburn hair. Sophie stared at her reflection in the mirror of the bathroom vanity.
Savannah was coming upstairs to help with her hair in a few minutes, and she had just finished applying her makeup.
‘Okay, Soph... tonight is the Bash...why are you so nervous?’
After dabbing her perfume on her neck and wrists, she slid the gold upper arm bracelet cuff into place, followed by her mother’s gold locket necklace around her neck.
Savannah knocked lightly on her bedroom door and opened it slowly.
“Are you ready for me?”
“Almost, come in, Savannah,” Sophie called.
***
Bertrand walked toward Sophie as she stepped off the grand staircase.
Taking her hand, he moved her toward the ornate double doors of the ballroom.
"Are you ready, my dear?"
Taking a deep breath Sophie replied, "yes".
Offering his arm, she slipped her hand around his arm and together they moved forward.
"Presenting his grace, Duke Bertrand Beaumont of Ramsford escorting Lady Sophia Taylor of House Beaumont."
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through the hourglass 174. brb x oc
a/n: i have no idea what im doing so if it makes no sense blame google cause well 8) (comments and reblogs are super welcome and encouraged!! they make my nights they really do<3)
pairing: plus size!oc x rooster
warnings: n o n e. but expect some angst next chapter. NOTHING SERIOUS
goodness gracious (pls read this one to know more what this fic is about!!)
chapter
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-
One month apart,first trimester, 12:12,San Diego CA.
They were getting bigger.
It’s obvious when she turns her body and when she looks at her reflection, she was getting more…oval. Oval? Would that be the right shape? She gives herself another look, running her hands through her hair before she turns her body partially around, smiling at how the dress looked on her body.
Marcus is a magic man, he’s the Wizard of Oz of fashion because this is just so beautiful. This dress is crafted from an almost ethereal, lightweight fabric that gracefully drapes and flows with every movement. It is a seamless blend of enchantment and comfort, which is exactly what she adores.
The dress has an off-the-shoulder neckline that delicately frames her collarbones and shoulders and the bodice is designed to offer gentle support to the growing belly, and that she was pretty sure was somehow added before he handed the dress over to her.
Again, wizard of OZ.
The flowing skirt starts from just below the bust, allowing ample room for the baby bump. It cascades down in layers of soft, translucent lilac colored fabric, creating a mesmerizing and dreamy effect as it catches the light . The length of the skirt is more of a tea-length which is really comfortable, and it’s not too tight.
And it had a stretchy, adjustable waistline, “God,I love Marcus so much.” she says, still admiring herself in the mirror and cupping the bottom of her rounded stomach with both hands, “I look like those…renaissance paintings. Oh it’s so lovely!” she stops looking to herself when her phone pings with the alarm. She quickly grabs it to check the time, “Oh boy. Time to go,Nikki.” her daughter was peacefully sitting on the bed, surrounded by her toys and only looking up when her mother refers to her.
“Aa?”
“Yes, we need to go to auntie Evelyn’s party!” she coos, picking her up, “Auntie Shells is picking us up-even though I could easily drive us there she just doesn’t want me to get hurt.” she doesn’t sound that happy but she does shake her head while slapping on a smile, “Anyway, let’s go. You look so cute!”
It was just a miniature version of her dress only it had princess sleeves that made Nicole look like a little pixie. The flower headband fell a bit forward so Beatrice quickly adjusted it backwards so it wouldn’t land on Nicole’s eyes but honestly her daughter was too busy playing with the flower appliques on her mother’s bust, “I know right? It’s pretty!”
“Peety!”
“Yes! Pretty!” she grins, kissing her cheek and grabbing both the gift and her bag before walking out of the bedroom. The dogs all looked up when they heard her footsteps, with Jolene standing up at the bottom of the stairs, “Jojo.” she begins, “I’m going to be out of the house for a few hours, I’ll probably bring something for you guys too- I know there’s going to be some doggy friendly treats for you.” Eleanor whines from the corner and Beatrice lowers her brows, “I know,I know, but Evelyn said some of her relatives will bring their dogs over and they can be…hard to befriend, if that wasn’t the case you’d all come with us too!”
“Baaaabes!”
“Oh God.”
“Babes!” followed by a series of honking, “Come out here!Come on!” more honking.
“I swear to God.” she whispers to herself, bringing Nicole up to her chest, “One of these days she’s going to get arrested while here- bye guys. Say bye,Nikki.” Nicole already knew how to wave, so she did just that as they walked to the front door, saying ‘bye bye!’ to the dogs until they were no longer in her view.
Shells was leaning against the front of her Buick with her arms crossed. She was wearing a dress, but it was green, tight at the waist with a halter top bust, “Ohhh!” she smiles as Beatrice locks the front door, “You two look adorable!’
Beatrice returns the smile, approaching Shells once everything is locked tight. She adjusts Nicole in her arms, making sure her daughter is comfortable and secure. "Thank you, Shells! And you look stunning as always," Beatrice says, genuinely admiring her friend's outfit.
Shells uncrosses her arms and opens them for a hug. Beatrice leans in, careful not to squish Nicole between them, and they embrace for a moment. "Are you ready for the party?" Shells asks, pulling away from the hug but keeping her hands on Beatrice's shoulders.
"Absolutely! I can't wait to celebrate with Evelyn and everyone," Beatrice replies with enthusiasm. "Is she excited?”
Shells gives her a half shrug, “She’s kinda annoyed she had to change the date because of the people. But you know, she’s managing how she can,I don’t think she murdered anyone with her eyes yet.”
“It’s still early.”
Shells nods while laughing, opening the back door for Beatrice, “Go on ahead.” she says while gesturing towards Nicole’s seat in there. Beatrice wastes no time in latching Nicole comfortably tight, then stretching her arms above her head once she’s back to her standing position, ‘Oh my God, now I can see it?”
Beatrice blinks, holding both hands on top of her head before turning her eyes to Shells, “Hm?”
“The twins!” she points to her friend’s stomach, “Look at that! Now it’s obvious they are there, god damn,Bea, they’ll be so big once they pop out.”
Beatrice follows Shells' gesture and looks down at her own rounded belly, laughing softly. She gently places a hand on her stomach, feeling the weight and presence of her unborn twins.
"You're right, Shells. They are getting bigger," Beatrice says, her voice filled with awe and wonder. "I can't believe how much they've grown. It's both exciting and a little overwhelming."
Shells leans against the car, a soft smile playing on her lips. "I mean, are they kicking yet?"
“Not yet, but they will soon.”
“Just wait until Rooster sees you like that. He’ll freak out.” she says much to her friend’s confusion, “Girl,we are going to take some pictures!You look too pretty to not share with others!”
Beatrice blushes at the compliment and rolled her eyes, but she is very happy. "Thank you, Shells. Your support means the world to me."
“That’s why I’m here,babes. Now, get in the car or else Evelyn will have a freakout. She needs our support more than you know.”
“Both of her parents are there?”
“Just her mom, her father will be there later…cause work.” Shells mutters,”And her mother is hounding her a lot, sooo…”
Beatrice nods understandingly, realizing the importance of their presence at the party for Evelyn. She takes a deep breath, gathering her composure, and climbs into the car. Once seated, she fastens her seatbelt and adjusts herself to find a comfortable position, mindful of her growing belly “Ow.”
Shells snaps her head in Beatrice’s direction so fast she was sure something cracked, “What? What happened? Is Rooster going to kill me?”
Beatrice didn’t look amused, “No,” she sighs, “Just pinched the side of my leg with the seatbelt. Nothing to worry.”
“Ah, well,alright.” Shells starts the car and begins driving towards Evelyn's parents house. When asked the reason for doing that there and not at her penthouse the answer was ‘I am already doing more than enough, plus my parents have a huge backyard and I don’t trust my uncle Tom when he’s drunk.’. Beatrice steals a glance at Nicole, who is quietly observing the passing scenery through the window, seemingly lost in her own little world, babbling quietly.
Sometimes she could hear certain words, like ‘okay’ and ‘hello!’ coming out of her daughter’s mouth and it was so adorable. Better than music if she was honest.
She leans back in her seat, feeling the gentle sway of the car as it moves through the streets. They are getting to a residential area - after Shells stops and checks her gps at least twice- and they see it.
It’s an impressive house that looks like it was built in the 1980s. It was situated on a spacious lot,where they see a well-manicured front yard and a charming entryway adorned with mature trees and colorful landscaping. The exterior of the house showcases the distinct characteristics of the 1980s design, featuring a combination of stucco and brick siding, along with large windows that allow plenty of natural light to filter through.
And there were a lot of cars.
And Evelyn, right by the door.
She widens her eyes then relaxes, looking back over her shoulder then at the car as it rolls into a park, “Took you guys long enough,” she murmurs, stepping back when Beatrice opens the door. The two share a look before hugging, Evelyn squeezes her friend a little bit and Beatrice feels how tense she was.
“You okay?”
“I am now.” she replies quietly, ‘Jake’s family just got here.” she looks back to the front door, letting go of Bea so she could pick Nicole up and Shells was up to her friend instead, hugging Evelyn just as tightly.
“So,” Shells smiles once she leans back, “What are we expecting?”
“My family being a nightmare.” Evelyn says softly, “They are behaving, which is good but…no promises. My aunts and cousins might hound you,Bea,” the brunette looks up in surprise once Nicole is in her arms, “Since,well,” she waves her hand from Nicole to the growing bump, with a grimace, “Y’know?”
“Oh.” Bea laughs nervously, bouncing Nikki in her arms, “It’s okay, it’ll be fine.I can handle it. They can’t be worse than some of my relatives.”
Evelyn,while clearly not comforted by that sentence, just gave her a little smile, turning on her heel to go back inside, “Come on in.”
Upon entering, they step into a grand foyer with soaring ceilings, showcasing a dramatic staircase that adds a touch of elegance to the space. Both women stare, wide eyed and slack jawed at the view.The layout of the house is spacious, with multiple levels that offer versatility and room for various activities, including a pool table in the corner of one of the rooms.
The living room is adorned with large windows, allowing for panoramic views of the surrounding landscape, while the adjacent dining area provides an inviting space for formal meals or casual get-togethers. And that’s where most of the gifts were, and there were a lot of gifts. So many that neither of the girls knew how to place their own bags there, “Here.” Evelyn just pushed a large amount to the side of the table - and they didn’t fall! - “Sorry about that, there was a lot of stuff and…well, some of the gifts ended up inside.”
Some??
Evelyn,noticing their shocked stare, just sighed, “Not my fault,my parents just told everyone to…uh, go crazy.”
Beatrice and Shells exchange amused glances, with the brunette especially understanding the chaotic nature of family gatherings and the tendency for gift-giving to go overboard. They follow Evelyn into the kitchen, carefully maneuvering more gifts before reaching the backyard where everyone was.
Beatrice can't help but admire the decorations and attention to detail once they get outside, Nicole even reaching out to tug some of the ribbons that hang low enough for her little hand to grab. The area is tastefully adorned with festive colors and elegant centerpieces, creating a warm and inviting ambiance. From the corner they could see Evelyn’s mother talking to people
"I must say, Evelyn, your parents really went all out for this party," Beatrice comments, a hint of awe in her voice.
Evelyn chuckles, almost confusedly. "You have no idea.” she exhales “They love hosting and showing off their home. I tried to rein them in, but they insisted on going big."
“They do?”
“I know,Shells.” Evelyn replies, sounding so tired, “I can’t believe it either since they are both…so…social.” and her eyebrow flicks with annoyance, “Anyway, let me introduce you guys to everyone.”
-
One month apart,first trimester,21:12, unspecified location.
‘Is that your third or second?”
Rooster looks up from his files to see Hangman at the door, holding his own cup of coffee. Rooster flicks his eyes to his mug, checking the contents before pursing his lips, “Fourth,actually.”
“Ah,well, I was close,wasn’t I?” the blonde pilot looks back, where Coyote’s form is approaching, “You called us?”
“I did.” Rooster groans, rubbing his eyes, “Sit down.” and his arms went up to his head, one hand holding his wrist and his vision turned to the several maps and notes he made during the past…three hours, “Dude,my back.” he begins, “It’s like, tiny little mice are stabbing every nerve I have with tiny swords.”
Coyote makes a face, ‘Weird sentence,but okay.”Hangman and Coyote exchange amused glances before taking a seat across from Rooster. Hangman leans back in his chair, sipping his coffee, while Coyote leans forward, resting his elbows on the table.
"Well, Rooster, you look like you've been deep in thought," Coyote says, eyeing the maps and notes scattered all over. "What's on your mind?"
Rooster sighs, massaging his temples. "Well, remember how we thought we knew what we were expecting? When we figured out the old factory was being used as a stronghold?"
Hangman nods, his expression serious. "Yeah, I remember. What about it?"
Rooster taps a specific area on one of the maps. "Intelligence reports suggest that the enemy has significantly reinforced their defenses in that area. They've brought in heavy artillery and increased their troop presence. It's going to be a lot tougher than we initially anticipated."
Coyote's brow furrows as he studies the map. "Damn, that complicates things. We can't afford any surprises when we fly in."
"Exactly," Rooster replies, his tone filled with frustration. "And I don’t plan on losing anyone on this mission so, we need to come up with a solid plan to neutralize their defenses.." he mumbles, “You two are going to join me at the first surveillance round, we can’t get too close, they have heavy shit waiting for the first bird they see…and we are going to bring some of the recruits.”
Hangman makes a face then takes a thoughtful sip of his coffee before speaking up. "If it smells like shit it probably is, what exactly can we expect? Since what we knew went down the drain?"
Rooster leans back in his chair, a weary expression on his face and one of his hands against his mouth . "Well, based on the latest intel, we can expect fortified barricades, manned checkpoints, and increased patrols around the perimeter.” and he pulls every single file that contains such information “ The enemy has brought in additional firepower, including anti-aircraft weapons and armored vehicles. They're taking this shit seriously."
Coyote interjects, after a minimal amount of silence. "So, they're ready for us. It's not going to be a walk in the park,huh?"
Rooster nods grimly. "Never is. We need to be cautious and precise in our approach. Our primary objective is to gather as much information as possible without alerting them to our presence. So I suggest we divide our teams already. That way, we can cover more ground and gather information from multiple vantage points. It'll also make it harder for the enemy to detect us."
Hangman nods in agreement. "Good idea. We'll assign specific sectors to each team and maintain constant communication. We need to be aware of any changes in enemy movements or reinforcements." he purses his lips, “Which means more training.”
“Yep.”
“No wonder they said we’d be here for six months.” Coyote murmurs, leaning into his chair, “That is…intense.”
“Yeah.” Rooster laughs breathily,shaking his head and rubbing his eyelids, inhaling against his palms, “But that was it for right now, next week we’ll…have a lot to do.”
Hangman glances at his watch and raises an eyebrow. "Next week? You mean we're not going in immediately?"
Rooster lets out a tired sigh, of course he’d say that. "No, we need some time to analyze the new information, and fine-tune our plan. We can't rush into this blindly. It's better to be prepared than to walk into a trap." he groans, “Not to mention the kids need to be aware of this now.”
Coyote leans forward, his curiosity piqued, ignoring Hangman’s sour expression. "So what's the plan? How are we going to gather information without alerting the enemy?"
Rooster leans forward, hovering his hand above the papers, his eyes scanning the maps once again. "We'll have four teams. I want you two to lead one team to conduct aerial reconnaissance. We'll gather as much visual intel as possible, identifying enemy positions, defenses, and any potential weak points." he begins, “We can’t get too close, so it’ll be hard but we can do it.”
Hangman nods, his expression determined. "Understood. I'll coordinate with the kids pilots and make sure we have everything."
“Bob will help you too.”
“Bob?”
Rooster then turns his attention to the map, ignoring Hangman’s displeased shout. "And then I go in.” Silence takes over, both men look at him in surprise and he raises his brow, “I’m not going to stay here, twiddling my thumbs while you go all out. Mav will handle everything while I’m gone.” he inhales shakily, the claw of fear squeezing his stomach, “Once we get everything, once we are aware of it…I’ll go in and we’ll lead the aerial assault.”
Hangman and Coyote exchange glances, their surprise evident. Hangman is the first to respond, but his words break the obvious nervous atmosphere. "Of course you will,why am I surprised."
Rooster looks up from the map, flicking his brow with nothing but amusement shining in his eyes. "You can stay here instead, you know, staring at the snow. If that’s what you want.” Hangman rolled his eyes, throwing his hands up in defense before looking away, “I’ll meet with the others in a few, then we’ll debrief to the new recruits and separate the teams. You guys know they’ll be the new co-pilots,right?”
“Sure,” Coyote nods, “We’re playing babysitter.”
“They aren’t that bad.” Rooster chuckles as he organizes everything on the table, “They have talent,they are just…you know, like Hangman.” his friend snaps his gaze at him, “You know, annoying.”
“Hey.”
“And stubborn.” Coyote adds.
“Hey!”
“And don’t forget: full of himself.”
“Hey!I’m right here!”
Rooster,while nervous by the sudden change of events, just laughs.He’s at least glad they could share some humor in such somber circumstances…and he couldn’t help but get nervous. He led missions before, he sure did, but this one felt different because the unknowns were past the common ground.
He didn’t like to be in the dark. He didn’t like to not know what was going on…but he had to make sure everyone got back home intact…him included. He inhales shakily one last time, “Dismissed.” he mutters, “...thanks guys.” the break of professionalism wasn’t necessary but in his opinion was needed.
Sure,he was leading the mission, but they were his friends. He needed that familiarity. “Ah,Hangman,” the blonde pilot stops and stares back at him, “You should check your phone.”
“My phone-” his blue eyes widened, “Oh my God. Oh my God.” and he runs off, leaving Rooster and Coyote staring at his retreating back, the taller officer just chuckles from his desk, walking around it to turn off the lights and close the door behind him.
Beatrice talked to him about the party, it was still going back in California since it was early so Rooster could just imagine what else was planned for that day…and she looked beautiful. She always does…fuck he missed them so much, he just wanted this mission to go right.
He needed this to go right.
No mistakes.
No doubts.
#bradley rooster bradshaw#rooster bradshaw#bradley bradshaw x oc#top gun maverick#bradley bradshaw x reader#bradley bradshaw x female reader#bradley bradshaw x named reader#tgm oc#tgm fic#tgm fanfiction
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From His Mind to Hers
chapter 8 >> Chapter 9 (Interlude)>> masterlist
✣ Pairing: Hanma x AFAB fem!Reader
✣ Warning: 18+, minors DNI; unhealthy relationships & dark content
✣ Chapter CW: hanma has violent thoughts
✣ Story CWs: patient/doctor relationships; smut (oral, ptv, pta, etc.), degradation, stalking, torture (not of y/n), murder, discussions of trauma and abuse, drug use, and more
✣ Synopsis: Forced into therapy, Hanma expects to waste his time and yours, but you’re not about to let the chance of a high-profile and higher paying patient slip through your grasp. The fact that you’re both attracted to each other doesn’t hurt either.
✣ Word Count: ~2.5k+
Sometimes an emergency looks like a crowd. The troops marshalled, bodies colliding like pinballs in a machine. Then, other times, an emergency looks like this.
A quaint pre-war house far from Toman’s usual haunts. The kind of neighborhood where everyone properly separates their recyclables lest the neighborhood grandmothers raise their quiet version of hell. The kind of neighborhood that only hears sirens when an old man falls in the shower and shatters his hip. Decorated with bric-a-brac and greenery, amid a dozen identical houses is the home of Kisaki’s maiden aunt, a sixty-something widow who favors her left-side because she can’t hear so much as a shout into her right ear.
Here, in the early pre-dawn hours, Kisaki calls together the men he trusts most, the inner circle of the inner circle. Paranoid as he is, that circle consists of only Koko and Hanma. The three men sit in the windowless basement, fending off the auntie’s many attempts to serve them breakfast as they discuss the morning’s leak.
It happened like this.
On the stroke of midnight, an unknown poster released a zip file titled “Toman’s Secrets_2018” onto a dark web brokerage site. The contents were locked behind a paywall, but in a good faith gesture, the poster released unredacted hundreds of emails between Kisaki, Koko, and Inupi from the last two weeks. The website advertised that the rest would be released to the highest bidder with the auction starting at ¥15,000,000.
The post was live for four minutes before it pinged an alert to Toman’s cybersecurity team. Twelve minutes later, the entire site crashed along with any archive of the post.
In the sixteen minutes that passed from start to finish, eighty-five visitors saw the incriminating post.
“The problem is that fucker, Inoshita,” Kisaki rants. “How much do we pay him to keep us safe? Seriously, guess how much? Almost a hundred million yen a year! And what does he do? He lets us get hacked. Doesn’t notice – fucking Kokonoi had to realize something was up – and then, he lets it get posted on the fucking internet for anyone to see! If I didn’t know any better, I’d say this was an inside job.”
Kisaki paces the length of the basement like a firefly trapped in a jar, flinging himself recklessly against his cage. His jaw twitches between breaths, a paranoid tick that when partnered with the glint of mania shining off his glasses makes him look truly deranged. A haunted insomniac, Kisaki wastes the nights as his mind supplies the worst-case scenarios, the ones where he’s betrayed, arrested, shot, strung up, laughed at. Now, he can hardly tell if he’s awake or lost in one of his bad dreams.
“It could be the HJK. Weaken our position before the final negotiations in the hopes to sweeten the deal. We talked about this, knew it might happen,” Koko suggests reasonably. Seeing someone else panic always mellows him out, like he can outsource his own fretting.
Of all of them, Koko has the least to worry about anyway. At the first sign of trouble, he probably moved all his money to the Virgin Islands and chartered a jet on standby to whisk him away. There are dozens of wealthy men – the kind who supposedly built their fortunes on the straight and narrow – who would love to conscript Kokonoi to inflating their own bank accounts. He’s in no danger.
Kisaki, on the other hand, has reason to be paranoid.
“Doesn’t mean Inoshita wasn’t their mole on the inside,” Hanma offers.
“It’s not the HJK. They want this deal as much as we do. Weakening us is one thing, but this could be a killing blow. What if the police get their hands on those files? We’re flat on our asses if that happens,” Kisaki snaps.
“Was anything incriminating in the email previews?” Hanma asks.
Koko shakes his head. “Everything we write is coded. Neither of us would ever say anything incriminating in an email. You could get a sense of some of our operations and use that to set up a sting, but nothing that would hold up in court. If you got the whole thing though? You’d be able to track the money, and that’s where things get real bad for us.”
While they sit with their thumbs up their own asses, the guy behind this is somewhere laughing. Hanma should be out there, hunting, sniffing out the fucker and acquainting him with the taste of fear. Instead, he’s hunkered down in a room with no windows, listening to the thumping footsteps of a batty old lady overhead. He tells Kisaki as much.
“Oh, you’d find the guy behind this, huh? Like you found out what the Haitanis were up to when I asked? I didn’t realize Detective Galileo was on the case, excuse me. I’m so relieved now. Problem solved! Tell me, Shuji, what the fuck have you been up to the last few weeks? Other than wasting our time and leaving us vulnerable. Tell me!”
Hanma could kill him, both of them, Kisaki and Koko, before either could fight back. A bullet to Kisaki’s temple. Koko would dive to the ground, go for his own gun, but there is no cover in the wide-open basement the old lady uses for laundry. And, Koko isn’t much of a shot. He’s only gunned someone down once. Meanwhile, Hanma’s gun would already be drawn. He could turn it on Koko before the other man has a chance to take aim. The old lady upstairs wouldn’t hear the bullets. He could put her down nice and humane without her ever realizing what was happening and be on his way.
The only evidence of this vivid fantasy is the twitch of Hanma’s forefinger. Three flicks. One for each gun shot.
“Where would you even start?” Koko asks.
“I’d kill two birds with one stone. Haitani! I’ve been saying it from the beginning. He’s our guy. I gun him and his runt kid brother down, and then, you’ll see there will be no more leaks, no more posts. It dies with them,” Hanma says.
“You haven’t found any evidence to tie them to the HJK,” Kisaki says doubtfully.
“Exactly! I’ve found fucking nothing. There should be something. A little scheme here or there. No ways those fuckers are keeping their hands out of our territories entirely, but they come up like ghosts when I look. Your auntie’s less clean than they are!”
Hanma’s conviction that Ran was up to no good strengthened with every day that passed. He never underestimated the man, remembered the way he lorded over Roppongi through his own strength, remembered searching for the boy after his release from juvie, fascinated to stare into the face of a murderer. What he found when he searched that face was pure ambition, unmitigated ego, power.
The version of Ran that Hanma constructed through word of mouth in the last month is to be despised, a label-whoring, double-talking golem with no blood in his veins. Just a smirk as he evades Hanma’s every attempt to find him out.
It’s enough to drive a man crazy.
“You can’t just off the Haitanis. They’re too big. It would be an obvious hit, and there would be a massive investigation. Our people on the inside are saying that the body count’s too high lately. You keep killing people, and it fucks up the city’s murder stats. The police will have to do something soon, and the Haitanis could be the final straw. They’ll write in the papers that there’s a turf war, get the public all in a panic, the politicians will foam at the mouth, and we’ll have a team of auditors up our asses for the next decade,” Koko argues.
“Who cares about that?” Hanma snaps.
The problem with Koko, of course, is that he, like Haitani, lacks blood in his veins. He replaces with shiny coins and foreign currencies.
“I care! I care about the future of my fucking empire. And, I’m not gonna let you burn it to the ground just because you’re having a tantrum,” Kisaki hisses.
Kisaki points a finger in Hanma’s face, close enough that Hanma’s breath could fog up his glasses. Kisaki is shorter and weaker, but as he glares up at Hanma, it is the glare of a god who knows his power.
Quietly, but no less venomously, Kisaki continues,” You, Shuji, are a dog. A dog. You can whine and bare your teeth and bark all you like. Why? Because you aren’t going to bite anyone unless your master tells you. I’m your fucking master, Shuji. Me. I tell you who to bite, when to bite, how fucking hard to bite. And I’m telling you to tuck your tail between your legs and lay low until this blows over, or, so help me, I’ll put you to sleep myself.”
The nail of Kisaki’s pointer finger is trim and clean as it waves in Hanma’s face. Hanma could bite it clean off at the tip before Kisaki finishes his speech. He debates it, imagines the taste of blood and gristle, how he’d swallow down Kisaki’s howl alongside it like a wine pairing.
Violence permeates from his skin, a smell that only the initiated would recognize. As it settles in his bones, Hanma has no choice but to obey, to serve it up blood. His whole being demands it.
So, it’s important he leaves, here and now, or his decade long friendship is going to end with the boss man dead on the floor. A sad downfall to the grand empire they once built together.
“Fine,” Hanma seethes. “I will leave the fucker alone for now. And you can cry from your jail cell how you should have listened to me. Sound good, Master?”
“Good boy,” Kisaki says, but his eyes glaze as they rescan the screenshots of the night’s post. Already, distracted, like Hanma is merely an obstacle to handle.
Hanma stomps up the stairs, ignoring the sympathetic smile that Kokonoi tries to give him. Rage is blinding, and the edges of his vision are blurred with it. It obscures time and logic, too, so that Hanma returns to himself some time later, not knowing where he is or how he got there.
He takes stock of his surroundings.
The roar of a subway train as it speeds by beneath his feet tells him he’s at a station. A sign overhead reveals it’s Tokyo Ginza. Men and women with pressed hair and suits, backpacks and briefcases, rush by every few seconds, so enough time must have passed for the start of the morning commute. In front of him is a line of pay-by-the-hour lockers, and his hand is held around a small, plastic square inside an open locker.
Yes. His phone. Kisaki made them lock up their phones in storage to avoid the risk of a trace. He’s returned for his phone.
The sharp return to the material world doesn’t quell the murder in his heart at all. He is well-versed in waking up from blackouts in strange surroundings. If anything, the disorientation only heightens his need to take action.
There is time to return to Kisaki, to crack his skull in sacrifice to the demand for retribution that roils his guts. Or, he could find Haitani. He could reclaim his free will, figuratively kill Kisaki and the yoke of control he claims over him and have the satisfaction of obliterating a sword enemy off the map. Or, he could disappear into the dingiest streets of Tokyo, prowl for a fight, leave an abundance of broken bodies – not dead so as to spare the police’s precious murder rates – but hurt enough that Hanma can wash clean the violence that possesses him.
Hanma takes a step towards an oncoming train, half an idea already formed in his head, when the phone rings. Your name lights up the screen.
Today is meant to be his first real session in weeks after things went off track at the horse races. He’s seen you, but not in the clinical setting of your office. He had been looking forward to it, imagined that guilt would eat you alive when you fucked him in your office. There would be no denying your culpability then, the reality of your choices, no way to forget that he is your patient first. Hanma thought that would be a delicious comeuppance for you, a little game.
But now…
“I can’t come in today,” Hanma says before you have a chance to greet him.
“What? You want to meet somewhere else?”
Your voice is delicious. A little raspy, like maybe this is the firs time you’ve spoken this morning. Such a little thing, but with his heart already pumping with fury, he hardens in his slacks. Wanting to fuck doesn’t even slightly decrease the violence in him.
“No, I can’t see you today,” Hanma says. “If I see you, I’m going to hurt you.”
No answer, just your heavy breaths, like maybe you’re lifting something heavy or moving quickly. Hanma doesn’t hang up. Just listens.
“Are you losing control right now?” you finally ask.
“Hmmm, I’m completely in control,” Hanma drawls, breaking into a giggle that is decidedly out of his control. “I mean, I’m going to enjoy every minute of what I do next.”
“Are you bored?”
“No, Doc. I’m not bored. I’m fucking pissed.”
“Is there a difference between when you lash out when you’re bored versus when you’re just angry?”
“Hmm…Intention. It’s the difference between eating a good meal you ordered and a good meal you cooked yourself. I’m going to eat well today.”
His feet take him deeper into the belly of the city as he takes the escalators two steps at a time. Two trains roar into station and drown out your next response. Hanma has to ask you to repeat yourself. Two minutes until his train arrives.
“Let me help you!” you shout to be heard.
“Help me?”
“Yes, help you!” you shout. “You asked me before how I intend to divert you when you’re losing control. Let me show you! Give me the chance to show you how you can control it.”
“You don’t want to see me right now, Doc. If I see you, I’m going to hurt you.”
“I’m asking you to trust me. Meet me at Shidoshita Beach in two hours. If you’re still feeling this way when we’re done, I won’t stop you from doing whatever you need to do. But give me this chance,” you plead.
“And if what I need to do, I do to you?”
“I’m trusting you, too, Shuji. Meet me at the station. Two hours.”
The phone beeps twice to signal the end of the call as his train pulls into the station. And he doesn’t move a muscle as he debates where to head next.
#hanma shuji#hanma x reader#tokyo rev smut#tokyo revengers smut#hanma smut#tokyo revengers x reader smut#tokyo revengers x reader
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This redcap was much more powerful than the ones in the swamp, but not more powerful than us; Karlach basically one-shot it. And now we know for a fact exactly what hag we're dealing with. Hector is not happy about this development.
He is much more powerful than he was when they last met Ethel. And thinking about her earlier, he thought of her like an enemy out of a dream, as if it happened to someone else; he's changed so much since then.
And yet... now that it is immediate and real, the idea of facing her again feels unsettling, as if it recalls all those moments of terrible, incapacitating fear from his early days on the road. The urge to run, to panic...
Calm. He forces himself to calm. Ethel can't be allowed to continue her rampage of terror if he can stop it again. And there's one potential item of new hope - the redcap mentioned some book that Mayrina and her companions have... something that can truly hurt the hag, for real.
"That lying, thieving, scaly little *shit*," Mayrina snaps as he approaches her. "Thanks for knifing the bastard." She pauses, looks him up and down. "That makes twice you've saved me. I'm starting to think you're my guardian angel."
She was not particularly gracious about Hector saving her the last time, so this is a nice change.
"Good to see you again, Mayrina."
"You too. I've come a long way since we last met. Decided I was sick and tired of feeling stupid. Helpless. So I decided I wasn't going to be a victim anymore." She gestures at her compatriots. "This group is made of survivors. People like me who've been hurt by hags. I brought them together to fight back. We tracked a hag to the city, but lost her trail, right after she snatched a little girl."
(Oh, shit - does this tie into the quest to find Vanra???)
"Any connection to our old friend Ethel?" Hector asks cautiously. The redcap mentioned "Auntie", but... maybe there's some sort of mistake...
"I bloody hope not," Mayrina says, alarmed. "I see her enough in my dreams. No, Ethel is dead, thanks to you. But this one is no less of a nightmare. The moment I started investigating the missing girl, I felt the hag's eye on me. Next thing, I was sprouting wool and bleating up a storm."
Hector decides not to mention the redcap's comments for now. Mayrina already has enough to worry about. Besides... something else about her story is pinging. A girl, taken by a hag... perhaps more than one child has been kidnapped in the city, perhaps it's even likely, and yet when he first learned about Vanra there was that whole strange business with the memory-modified Fist guard...
"Wait," he says slowly. "Is this Lora? She said her daughter disappeared in the Blushing Mermaid..."
Mayrina's expression lights up eagerly. "That's her! And she vanished in the 'Maid? That sounds like a lead! We'll do what we can to find the girl but our chances are a lot higher with you on our side. Check the safe in the back - I've done my homework on hags since we last tangled with Ethel. Take whatever you need. I know it by heart anyway."
OK, Hector is actually quite proud of Mayrina; she's come a long way since the swamp too. And she's being much more gracious about working alongside him, and she's clearly incredibly determined to settle this matter.
We get a cool staff for helping out here.
Hector doesn't use a quarterstaff anymore but we'll give this to Gale when we get back to camp.
The safe she mentioned has two books in it. The first is a journal and study on a weapon we can use against the hag to get Vanra back:
(Wait, hags reproduce by EATING children? Alive and whole? Swallowed like a snake eating an egg? That's fucked up.)
The other's a book about general hag weaknesses:
Got it. So when we fight her (pretty sure it definitely is Ethel reborn again, based on this), we've got to burn any nearby mushrooms.
The safe also has the material to make one (1) copy of the Hag's Bane item, so we'd better be very careful how we use it to get Vanra back. We'll only have one shot.
Adrielle is not taking things very well.
"This is all my fault. Mayrina was hexed mere days after the dragonborn joined us. Why didn't I see it?"
"Hags and their agents are liars and cheats by nature," Hector points out.
"That's no excuse. I know what they're like, yet still I welcomed the dragonborn with open arms. Mayrina was right about you. Thank you - for saving her when I couldn't."
Poor kid. :( Her diary nearby suggests that she fell into a terrible state after her past hag encounter - drunken stupor, basically - and Mayrina was the one who pulled her out of it and gave her purpose again. Hopefully we can deal with Ethel for good this time and give them all some peace.
The Blushing Mermaid isn't far off, but I'm gonna go back to systematically working through the Lower City and we'll get there soon, hopefully. :D
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