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even-after-a-millennia · 2 years

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Found: The Goddess of Lost and Forgotten Things

At the end of January, I was asked to be a pinch hitter for Andromaquynh Secret Santa 2021 for @beepbeepsan. Unfortunately, between a new job and pretty bad writing burnout, it took wayyyyyy longer than expected to finish this fic. So welcome to my Secret Santa/Pride Month extravaganza, I guess? Beep, I'm so sorry it's so late. I hope you like it and you have a great Pride month!

You can read the fic on my ao3 here or under the cut below.

Summary: When Quynh's computer crashes and all her research is lost, she desperately reaches out to the universe. She didn't expect an exhausted, foul-mouthed goddess to appear out of nowhere and land on her couch.

Rated T | 4.7k | Andromaquynh

In Quynh’s defense, she didn’t mean to summon an ancient goddess into her studio apartment. But it was two in the morning, her paper was due by nine a.m., and her computer’s screen had just gone black.

“No, no no no no, no!” she chanted, checking the power cord, hitting the power button, and then smacking random keys trying to get it to come back to life. “FUCK!”

She threw it down on the couch beside her and pushed the palm of her hands into her eyes, trying to stop herself from crying. But her nose was starting to go and tears were starting to form and really, was a Master’s degree worth all this fucking stress?

“If there is some fucking person out there who is the deity of forgotten or lost things who could help me out, I would really fucking appreciate it,” she said, her voice breaking as lights danced behind her eyelids.

Then she realized it wasn’t her eyes doing that. The lights of her apartment were fluttering, and she had a moment of worry she was about to lose power when suddenly, a woman plopped onto her couch beside her.

“What the fuck?!” Quynh shouted, leaping to her feet and throwing the closest textbook she could find at her.

“Ow, fuck!” the woman shouted.

“How did you get in here?” Quynh demanded, hefting another book, ready to throw it. Then she remembered that it was a rental and lowered it slightly. Best to use it as a last resort.

“You summoned me. Why’d you do that?” the woman groaned, dropping her head in her hands.

“My computer died,” Quynh said. “And it’s not like I asked for you specifically!” She realized that the computer in question was halfway under the woman’s body. “Shit, you’re crushing it!”

The woman lifted her head and pulled the computer out from under her. Waving it around, she asked, “This thing is what you lost?”

“My paper on it, yeah. All my research. I’ve had that computer since undergrad, if everything I’ve written on there is gone, there’s no way I’m going to be able to graduate. I don’t have backups anywhere,” Quynh said, her eyes starting to well with tears as she realized all she had lost when that screen had gone dark.

The woman sighed. Then she waved her hand over the computer and Quynh watched with wide eyes as it came back to life.

“There. It’s back. Now leave me the hell alone,” the woman said, getting up.

She walked to the door and Quynh realized she was leaving.

“Wait!” she yelped, not ready to let her go. “Who are you?”

The woman looked back. Her hair was short, but still almost covered her eyes. It was only now that Quynh noticed just how tired the woman looked. Her eyes were older than her face let on.

“Andromache the Scythian,” the woman replied. “But you can just call me Andy.”

Quynh nodded, not really sure how to respond. “I’m Quynh,” she finally settled on.

Andy looked at her a moment then nodded back. “Goodbye, Quynh.”

She was out the door before Quynh could really think why there was such a note of finality in her tone.

Then she was alone in her apartment, where she was pretty sure some kind of magic being just popped into, just to fix her paper because Quynh had asked her to.

Her paper!

“Shit!”

She got back to work, reasoning that she would think about the woman, Andy, more later.

____________________________________

“So I’m pretty sure I summoned someone last night,” Quynh said to Nile as they ate lunch.

Nile stopped mid-chew to raise an eyebrow at her. “Are you going to leave me hanging for the details?”

“My computer died,” and at this, Nile gave a wince of sympathy, “and I just asked for someone who helps with lost or forgotten things to help and suddenly there was a woman in my apartment. She fixed my computer and then left.”

“When was this?” Nile asked.

“Like, two a.m.?”

“And you’re sure it wasn’t a dream?”

Quynh considered. “Well, I had to go relock my door for the night, and I don’t think that a dream would have been able to unlock it in the first place.”

“That’s so weird… Did you get a name?” Nile asked.

“Andromache the Scythian, she said.”

Nile immediately had her phone in her hands and was searching for anything on the woman. Being. Goddess? Even though they had been face to face, Quynh wasn’t really sure what to call her.

“There’s nothing on her online,” Nile said. “No history, no mentions in ancient stories, no mythology, nothing.”

“That is so weird…” Quynh said. “The person in charge of lost and forgotten things, lost to history herself. She didn’t even want to be called upon, I don’t think.”

“What do you mean?”

“She seemed mad when she showed up and said to leave her alone.”

Nile’s brow furrowed. “I wonder why.”

Quynh got an idea. “I’ll ask her!”

“She wanted to be left alone, remember?”

Quynh flapped a hand at her. It was a gesture she had picked up from Nile herself, and she liked to use it whenever she could.

“She seemed… tired. I think she needs something to do, someone to help, even if she doesn’t realize it herself,” Quynh said.

Nile shrugged. “Alright. But if it goes badly, just know that I will say I told you so.”

_______________________________________

Quynh was going to summon Andy later that night, but then she had to do her responses for her classes’ discussion posts and start doing research for the next big paper coming up, so she didn’t even have a chance to do more than fleetingly think about the mysterious woman who had showed up in her apartment until the weekend. Even then, it was past ten o’clock on Saturday night and she was putting down her computer for the first time in hours when she remembered her idea.

“Um, hi, Andromache? I’m a little lost at the moment, I was wondering if you could help me?” she asked her ceiling.

The lights flickered again, then there was a plop onto the couch.

And there she was.

She was wearing the same clothes as last time, a long trench coat over pants and a faded t-shirt, her short hair brushed off her face this time.

“What.”

“Hi,” Quynh said, smiling at her.

Andy softened slightly. If Quynh hadn’t been looking for it, she would have missed it, but a couple of the crinkles around her eyes disappeared and her eyebrows were slightly less frowny than before.

“Hello. Now, what have you lost?”

“Ah, but I didn’t say that I had lost something, did I? I said I was lost,” Quynh said. “And I’m lost because, unless this is all a hallucination, which I doubt because I can feel the couch bending around your weight, how is it that a woman can appear in my room then give me a very specific name, and yet I cannot find any information about her at all?”

Andy sighed. “Some things are best left forgotten, Quynh.”

Quynh raised an eyebrow. “And you think you should be?”

She shrugged. “Only way for me to have peace.”

Quynh cocked her head. “Peace? How so?”

“In between summonings, I don’t really… exist. I can just sink into the nothingness of time and just be. I was hoping this time, I wouldn’t come back.”

Quynh sat there, taking that in.

“Well, that’s horrifying,” she concluded.

Andy blinks at her. “What?”

“You want to stop existing, Andy. That’s not healthy, and you deserved a better existence than that.”

“I don’t really have a choice about not existing, Quynh. It’s just what happens between summons.” And Andy looked so tired as she said it, that Quynh made up her mind on the spot.

“Alright. I evoke you, Andromache the Scythian, to help me get through grad school. Because I am always lost and forget things a lot. Ever since my girlfriend broke up with me last month, I could really use a friendly face around. You’re stuck with me.”

“To what end?” Andy asked.

Quynh shrugged. “Until I graduate, I guess. I’m in my last semester, so just under three months. That okay?”

Andy looked her over and Quynh tried not to squirm under her very probing gaze.

“What’s in it for me?” Andy asked.

It was Quynh’s turn to analyze the woman — well, goddess — in front of her.

“Think of it as one last hurrah before you sink into nothingness,” Quynh said. She didn’t think it was a good idea to lie to a goddess, but here she was.

Luckily, Andy didn’t call her on it.

“Deal,” Andy said, holding out a hand.

Quynh took a deep breath and shook it.

I’m going to somehow keep you alive, Andy.

_______________________________________

Having a goddess who helps with lost and forgotten things around was doing wonders for Quynh’s grades. She got begrudging reminders when assignments were due, help finding her notes when her pile of papers got too high, and another person in her small apartment, filling up the emptiness that had been there before.

They quickly fell into a pattern, with Quynh going to class and leaving Andy in the mornings, going to the library between classes, then coming back and doing homework in the evenings. Her evenings were suddenly full of conversation and even some reluctant laughter.

Andy filled the time slowly going through Quynh’s bookshelves. She didn’t seem picky about what she was reading at first, going from fiction to an old textbook and back again. It wasn’t until about a month into staying with Quynh that Andy held up a sapphic romance and asked, “You have any more like this?”

Quynh did. And when she ran out, she went and got more one by one, trying to sneak them into her collection so that Andy wouldn’t know that she was buying them for her.

The semester was going by quicker than Quynh could have anticipated and midterms nearly destroyed her.

She woke up the day after handing in her last paper to Andy nudging her with her foot.

“Wha?” she asked, disoriented.

“Wake up, you gotta eat. I can tell you forgot to have any real meals yesterday,” Andy said.

Quynh blinked blurrily up at Andy and realized that she was carrying a tray of food. She pushed herself up on her pillows and pushed her hair out of her face.

“Here,” Andy said, holding out the tray.

Quynh took it and saw a stack of toast, a pile of fresh fruits, and a whole package of bacon on it.

“Holy shit, I can’t eat all of this. Sit and help me with it,” Quynh said, scooting over on the bed.

Andy eyed the space, then shrugged and sat down. She popped a whole piece of bacon in her mouth and started chewing.

Quynh had to stop herself from laughing. Throughout her time living with Andy, she had noticed that she was gruff and kind of grumpy, but that at least part of it was a front. Quynh saw through it constantly, like the time Andy had peeled her off the sofa when Quynh had drunk a little too much wine on a night out with Nile. She had laughed at Quynh under her breath, but Quynh had heard it anyway. She held onto that sound as she drifted off to sleep.

The awareness of her roommate had existed since the first time that she had flopped down onto Quynh's couch, but instead of becoming more used to it with time, Quynh had only become more aware of her. She felt every inch of space between her hip and Andy’s, and was keenly conscious of how small her pajama shorts were.

“Thanks for this,” she said, grabbing a piece of toast. She didn’t even care about crumbs. She needed to do laundry anyway.

Andy hummed, the only acknowledgment of her deed.

“How much of a break do you get until your classes start up again?” Andy asked.

“Just over week. Just enough time for me to get used to a completely different sleep schedule before class comes back to fuck it up,” Quynh said with a grin.

Andy huffed out a laugh, looking down at the bedspread. “Do you need me during that time?”

Quynh looked at her incredulously. “I mean, duh. What, you have something else to do?”

Grinning ruefully, Andy replied, “It’s kinda the point that I don’t, Quynh.”

“Right.”

They crunched bacon and toast in silence for a while.

“How were you forgotten?” Quynh asked. She knew she was throwing the question out there unexpectedly, but it had been on her mind for so long that it made perfect sense to say it.

Andy sighed. “I’ve been around for a long, long time, Quynh. Most things in museums are younger than me. There isn’t a record of me because the history of me and my people were wiped from existence. The civilizations that came later destroyed them. There’s a blank spot in history. And that’s where I live.”

“Not anymore, though,” Quynh said. “I’ll always remember you and I’ll make sure other people do too.”

Andy laughed and it wasn’t a happy sound. “I don’t think that’s how it works, Quynh. You are not the first person to inadvertently summon me throughout the millennia. But I still go back to that limbo once they are done with me, no matter what.”

It was Quynh's turn to hum.

“Maybe I just need to dig deeper…” she mused.

Andy looked at her and shoved another huge bite of bacon into her mouth.

“I don’t know how successful you’ll be, but I’ve seen the research spirals you’ve gone down, so I’m just going to say good luck.”

Quynh smirked. “I won’t need it, but thanks.”

Her hair fell into her face as she leaned down for another strawberry. She didn’t think anything of it until she felt fingers running through it, pushing it back behind her ear.

She froze, then looked up at Andy. She was sure that she probably looked like a deer caught in the headlights of a car, but her heart was suddenly pounding and she couldn’t make herself look away.

Andy didn’t look unaffected either. Her eyes drifted from where her fingers were curled at the back of Quynh’s neck, up to her chin, before they settled on her lips.

Quynh felt herself leaning forwards, her lips parting slightly as Andy’s face became closer.

Then her phone chimed loudly and they jumped apart.

Clearing her throat, Quynh snatched it up. “It’s Nile. Said she got home safe in Chicago.”

Andy nodded, getting up. “Good. I’m going to go shower.”

Quynh wanted more to ask if she could join almost as much as she wanted to be done with grad school. But she bit her tongue and simply nodded as Andy left the room.

Then she flopped back into her pillows and stared at the ceiling until Andy’s shower was over and she could have her lonely turn.

___________________________________

Quynh thought she was keeping her pining for her reluctant roommate pretty well under wraps until she ran into her ex-girlfriend three weeks before graduation. Sure, she was making herself have headaches with how much she was researching Andy’s history and yeah, she mentally cataloged every touch, deliberate and accidental, that they shared. She thought about their almost kiss more than she slept. Despite all that, she thought she had it handled. But then Andy had to go and ruin all of that.

She stopped by the small bakery three roads down from her apartment on the way back home because no matter how much Andy tried to hide it, she had the biggest sweet tooth imaginable. Quynh had to get them the chocolate croissants because they were usually out when Quynh came in and she could not pass up this opportunity. Also, her finals were fast approaching and Quynh would take every chance for comfort food that she could get.

As she walked out the door, she ran into someone.

“Oh, sorry, I didn’t-” she cut off when she saw it was Alexis.

They had met through one of their classes and hit it off. Or Quynh had thought they had until five months into dating, Alexis had dumped her abruptly because a “better prospect” had come up.

Nile had supplied her with so many croissants after that. Only a month later, Andy had appeared in her apartment and Quynh had realized that she hadn’t ever felt anything like she did for Andy. Looking at Alexis now, Quynh was surprised to find that she didn’t feel any leftover emotions for her. Well, except anger.

Alexis didn’t look uncomfortable at seeing Quynh, though. “Oh hey, I was wondering when I would run into you on campus. How’ve you been?”

Quynh let out a semi-hysterical laugh. Apart from being told she was a lesser opportunity and accidentally summoning and then falling for an ancient goddess, not too bad.

“Busy,” she settled on.

“Same. Hey, you wanna get dinner sometime? We could catch up,” Alexis said, her inflection hinting at more than catching up.

Quynh let out another laugh, a lower, uglier one this time.

“No thanks.”

Alexis’ face furrowed in a frown. “Wow, okay. I thought we could be mature about everything that happened.”

Quynh smiled, but it probably looked more like a snarl.

“Sorry,” she said, using her words very deliberately, “I lost the ability to give a fuck.”

She saw someone very familiar manifest behind Alexis and pushed past her to get to Andy.

“Hey,” Quynh said, lifting the brown bag in greeting. “I got you a chocolate croissant.”

Andy hummed, looking from Quynh to Alexis and back again. She came even closer to Quynh and raised a hand, running her fingertips alongside her jawline. Quynh shivered at the touch, unable to take her eyes off of Andy as she leaned in and murmured, “Thanks, Quynh,” before brushing a kiss against Quynh’s lips.

Quynh knew that it was supposed to be a kiss in gratitude, or maybe meant to throw Alexis off. She didn’t really care the minute that she felt Andy’s lips against her own.

The fingers of her free hand plunged into the short hairs at the base of Andy’s neck and pulled her closer, angling her own head so their noses weren’t brushing anymore. She felt Andy pause and pulled back long enough to breathe Andy’s name, making her melt into Quynh. Andy’s hand came to Quynh’s hips, pulling her closer until everything from their hips to their chests were touching. Quynh hummed in pleasure at the feel of Andy against her and pulled back before she got too deep into the moment.

She glanced behind her and saw that Alexis had gone into the shop.

Looking back at Andy, she asked, “Can I teleport with you?”

It took a second for the question to register, then Andy’s eyes cleared and she nodded.

“Awesome,” Quynh said. “Take me home.”

She blinked and missed the moment of transition, only to find herself in her living room.

“Oh, that’s cool. I’m gonna have you do that on days that I’m running late to class from now on,” Quynh said.

Andy laughed, her breath hot on Quynh’s cheek.

“Whenever you need,” she agreed.

Quynh set the croissants down on her secondhand coffee table and pulled Andy close once more.

“I don’t want this to be misconstrued so I’m going to tell you this,” she said, the blatant look of want on Andy’s face making it easier to get the words out, “I really like you, Andy. This isn’t just something I want to do once and get out of our systems. You’re not a one-time thing for me.”

Leaning down, Andy pressed her forehead against Quynh’s. “There was only darkness for a long time for me, Quynh. And then I heard your voice pulling me into the light. I hated that you brought me back, because I didn’t want to be here. But you had me stay. And with every morning that you ran late for class and every night that you were stressed with work, I started to feel alive again. You make me want to be alive again, Quynh. With you.”

Quynh felt tears well in her eyes and leaned forward to peck Andy’s lips softly. “That was always the goal,” she admitted. “I just didn’t think it would be like this.”

Andy smiled and nodded. She leaned down and kissed just below Quynh’s ear, making her shiver, before she murmured, “I’m so glad you found me, Quynh.”

“Always,” Quynh whispered before she pulled Andy’s face up and connected their lips once more. The tenderness of the moment slowly faded as the passion between them grew.

Quynh pulled back after a few minutes to ask, “Bed?”

Andy nodded and Quynh let out an “Oof,” as they suddenly landed on Quynh’s bed.

“That’s going to take some getting used to,” she muttered as Andy kissed her jawline.

Their lips met again and again, hands pushing clothes off, panting intermingling with laughter as a piece of clothing got stuck.

Finally, they were both naked and Quynh took a long moment to just take in all of Andy.

Then she looked her in the eye and said, “You know, I’ve never been able to find my g-spot.”

She grinned. “Wanna help me?”

Andy smirked. “Best use of my powers ever.”

___________________________________

As useful as Andy had been so far this semester, she was just as distracting in the last weeks working up to graduation. They finally had to put a rule in place that they couldn’t touch each other until Quynh got another page written in her final paper, one paper at a time, until they were all done.

It was a great motivator.

Quynh dove into finding out as much as she could about forgotten deities and wrote page after page of what she could find, proposals for future study, ideas for archeological digs that could reveal more.

It helped when the person who lived that history was in her apartment, but she had to find sources that backed up what Andy told. Which was infinitely harder, dammit.

“Hey, Andy, do you know anything about two deities called Yusuf and Nicolò? They keep cropping up in my searches,” she asked her.

“Oh, yeah. They’re the gods of enduring love. We’ve met over the centuries,” Andy said.

“Huh. Thanks!”

The last two weeks were a blur of writing and research and not-sleeping. Finally, finally, she handed in her last paper online.

“The prof wants a paper copy too, so I’m going to print one at the library, drop it off, and then maybe we could cuddle together for a while?” she asked hopefully.

Andy smiled. Her smile had changed a lot in the last few weeks. It wasn’t forced. Wasn’t small. It lit up her eyes and her whole face.

“That sounds good,” she said.

“Okay, see you soon. Love you,” Quynh said, leaning in and giving her a kiss goodbye before she went to grab her keys.

She was two feet away from the door when she realized what she had said and froze. She was almost scared to turn around and see what Andy’s face was doing.

Then she heard, quietly, “Love you too.”

She let out a shaky breath, then rushed back and kissed Andy one more time.

“We can talk about this while we cuddle,” she murmured when she pulled away. “But this professor is a hardass and I need to get him this paper by five.”

Andy huffed a laugh and nodded. “Sounds good.”

Quynh was in a daze all the way to the library, the whole time she printed her paper, even as she handed it over to the professor and left his office.

It wasn’t until she got to her apartment and found it empty that she snapped back to reality. At first, she thought that Andy had just stepped out to get groceries or something. Maybe something to celebrate Quynh’s last assignment. But when she called Andy’s phone, the prerecorded message said that the number was unable to be reached.

“I evoke you, Andromache the Scythian, to help me get through grad school.”

No, there had to be a mistake. Andy wouldn’t leave her, not if she had a choice.

“To what end?”

But what if Andy hadn’t had a choice?

“Until I graduate, I guess. I’m in my last semester, so just under three months. That okay?”

Suddenly, Quynh couldn’t breathe.

What if the void had pulled her back, now that their contract was finished? What if it finally did what she had wished initially and had her cease to exist?

“Andy! Andromache the Scythian, I need you!” Quynh shouted to her empty apartment. It echoed, highlighting the wrongness of being the only person there.

The lights flickered, but Andy didn’t appear.

“Please, Andy, I need you,” she continued, quieter now. “I know you wanted to be forgotten, I know the ache you felt to sink into nothingness. But didn’t that change? You said you loved me. I’m going to be exceptionally selfish and beg you to come back to me. I’m lost without you, Andy. Please,” Quynh begged.

The lights flickered. Then went out.

Quynh let out a sob. She hadn’t even realized that she had been crying until she realized it was hard to breathe with how hard her chest was heaving.

“Andy, please,” she cried in the silence.

Nothing.

Then there was a knock at the door. Quynh wiped her face, trying to get herself under control. It was probably one of her neighbors coming to check on her, or angry at her shouting.

She pushed herself off the couch and felt her way toward the door.

Opening it, she wiped the last of her tears away as she said, “I’m sorry for the noise, I’m-”

Then she froze.

She knew that outline, that body. She had caressed almost every inch of it, worshiped it like the goddess it belonged to deserved.

“Andy?” she asked, her voice cracking.

“Quynh,” she said, her own voice full of emotion in the shadows of the hallway. “Sorry that it took a while. I used the last of my power to get here.”

“The last-?” Quynh broke off, her mind scattering with possibilities. “Is this our last goodbye?” she asked, reaching out to Andy, terrified she would disappear before her, finally dissolve into time and space like she had wished.

The lights came back on just as her hands made contact. And there she was, in her faded band t-shirt and torn gray jeans, combat boots and leather bracelets in place. The circles under her eyes were still dark, but her shoulders were lighter somehow.

“Hopefully, but not in the way you’re thinking,” Andy said. “Can I come in?”

“Of course!” Quynh said, pulling her into her apartment. She couldn’t take her hand off of Andy. If she did, Andy might disappear.

“Hey,” Andy said gently, reaching up and caressing Quynh’s cheek. “I’m okay. We’re okay.”

“I was scared,” Quynh admitted. “I thought the void had taken you back.”

“It tried,” Andy said and Quynh’s hand squeezed even tighter, trying to get her to stay. “I ended up reaching out to some friends. You remember talking about Yusuf and Nicolò?”

Quynh nodded.

“Well, they’re still around too. Pulled me out and helped me with my request.”

“Which was?” Quynh asked hesitantly.

Andy leaned forward and kissed Quynh, quick and gentle. “I want the life I have with you to be my last. I gave them my powers. Should ensure their power for a couple more millennia. I’m human now, Quynh.”

Quynh’s free hand covered her mouth. She was crying again, unable to speak. In moments that she could scarcely allow herself to have, with as much studying she was doing, she had wondered what would happen after their arrangement. After Quynh was gone, long down the road.

She had never imagined this.

“I love you,” she finally choked out. “I want forever with you, I can’t believe we get it-” She threw herself at Andy and together, they tumbled backward on the couch.

“I’m not lost anymore, Quynh,” Andy said into her hair.

Quynh pushed herself up so she could look her in the eyes. “No, you’re not,” she said with a grin. “I found you.”

#andromaquynh #quynh #andromache the scythian #andy #fanfic #my fic #andromaquynh secret santa 2021 #i don't even want to tag it that #it's so late #but it's DONE

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jisungsmochi · 3 years

Text

confessions - park jisung

jisung x reader / jisung being whipped / fluffy, lil angst / hope it makes you feel something lmaoo

word count: 8.7k

mini playlist:

Cloud 9 - Beach Bunny

Falling - Chase Atlantic

Enchanted - Taylor Swift

summary: confessing to your crush was always daunting. but how else were you supposed to let them know how you truly feel? y/n has learned the hard way, always being the confessor rather than the one being confessed to. oh how she wished that one day, someone will have the courage to tell her how they feel, without her always having to make the moves...

“i like you”

“ew, you’ll give me cooties”

y/n was barely seven years old when she confessed to her very first crush, lee donghyuck. he rudely rejected her offer to play marbles during lunch, but she wasn’t fazed. she plastered a bright smile on her face, calmly nodding at the little boy,

“cooties aren’t real, it’s probably just germs from not washing your hands!” she snickered, turning on her heel as she made her way to a shaded area in the quad. she left donghyuck speechless that day, slightly bruising the young boy’s ego. how could she be so calm when her very first crush had harshly rejected her? she always tried to display a cheery exterior to her peers, she found it embarrassing if people caught her crying over some boy. so she pushed her feelings aside until she was alone.

when y/n was twelve, she had grown a crush on her desk mate, jeno. he was quiet most of the time, only speaking to her when he needed answers for homework, but she was whipped nonetheless. he was undeniably handsome, especially for someone their age. how was that even possible? she would intently watch him play soccer with his friends on the school oval, softly cheering every time he made a goal. jeno had noticed when she attended his games, often smiling at her from the field.

after weeks of innocent stares in the hallway and short conversations during class, y/n decided it was time to confess to lee jeno. she came up with the cute idea to write a small note to him during class, it read:

hi jeno!! i think you’re really cute, and a great soccer player. i also have a crush on you...would you go out with me?

tick yes or no

she had written the letter in sparkly pink ink, folded it gently before sliding it over to jeno’s desk. the confused boy swiped the card over to his side, slowly opening it. her heart was beating out of her chest. jeno started scribbling on the paper, causing her to furrow her eyebrows, all he needed to do was leave a tick?

jeno returned the note to her, a soft smile plastered on his face. her eyes scanned over the note, landing on his answer. the ‘yes’ box was ticked, followed by a short sentence under it,

would this mean you’re my girlfriend?

tick yes or no

she couldn’t help but smirk at his charms, immediately ticking yes. from that day on, jeno and y/n began dating. but when you’re going through your pre-teen years, things get really dramatic. jeno ended things with y/n after only three months of dating, which seemed like forever for a twelve year old. he dumped her over text, as many pre-teens did back then. she put on a brave front, acting as if she was okay with it all. it wasn’t even a serious relationship, but it was still her first. of course it hurt. but she continued to suffer in silence, no one needed to know.

when y/n was fifteen, almost turning sixteen, she befriended huang renjun. they were always aware of the other, often hanging out in the same cliques. it was the school’s swimming carnival, when she began getting closer to him. after donghyuck had accidentally pushed her into the pool, too caught up with chasing mark around, renjun came to her rescue. he offered her his towel, wrapping her up tightly as he sat and chatted with her while the others scolded donghyuck. he was a great conversationalist, always having something new to talk about. y/n adored that about him. from that day onwards, she would message him back and forth, almost becoming a daily occurrence. they would skype call after school, catching eachother up on any drama or daily events in their early high school lives. she started falling for him, fast. but there was one downfall to renjun. he would never acknowledge y/n at school. whenever he was with his friends, he pretended like he was merely acquaintances with the girl. it hurt her to see him act like nothing was happening between them. word got around that renjun had a crush on somebody. as usual high school gossip goes, the signs led back to y/n. her friends would cheer her on to confess to him, so would his friends. they believed they would be a strong couple. so she decided to take measures into her own hands, opting to confess to huang renjun.

y/n approached the boy during lunch, interrupting his conversation with jaemin.

“can i talk to you, uh privately?” her voice wavered as she spoke, but she stood her ground. renjun looked over at his friends, jaemin raising an eyebrow at him, encouraging him to go with her. he eventually gave in, keeping a slight distance from the nervous girl as they walked around the school grounds together.

“what did you want to talk about?” he coughed slightly, feeling an immense amount of awkwardness around them.

“i wanted to tell you something” she started, now stopping in their tracks. renjun gulped, a guilty feeling beginning to rise in his stomach.

“i like you, renjun. more than a friend” she finally spat out, trying to read the reaction of the boy across from her. but renjun remained silent, eyes avoiding hers. y/n felt deflated, why the hell wasnt he saying anything?

“i-thank you” he stuttered, causing her to raise an eyebrow at him. thank you?

“i mean thank you for telling me, it’s nice that you’re so honest” renjun tried to smile, but she didn’t budge. he wasn’t taking this seriously at all.

“you know what, just forget i said anything, bye renjun” y/n rolled her eyes, fed up with this constant rejection that seemed to follow her around. why couldn’t she get a happy ending? just for once. why did she have to settle for less than what she deserved? not only did she get rejected by a crush that day, she lost a great friend. y/n swore that she would stop focusing on chasing other’s affections. what was the point? she was just going to get rejected anyway. atleast that’s what she always told herself. those memories always stuck with her, and she refused to ever feel so dejected in life. she wouldn’t let this happen again. she just wanted someone to confess to her for once, would that really be so hard?

park jisung was a simple boy, cruising through life with little to no worries. all he wanted to do was finish high school, he dreaded it more than anything. everyday was the same for him, waking up to the same alarm, riding his skateboard to school, sitting for what seemed like forever, then going home to rest and repeat. he never took notice of those around him, why would he? it’s not like he was going to stay in touch with many of them after school finished. except for his best friend, chenle, he could never escape him no matter how hard he tried.

it was the first day of junior year, when jisung found himself placed in a seating plan for his modern history class.

‘is this really necessary?’ he mumbled to himself, shuffling to his assigned seat. atleast it’s by the window, he thought to himself.

y/n strolled through the halls, making her way to her first period class, modern history. a new year, a fresh new start. she waltzed into the room, noticing students gathering around the seating chart. she found her name, whipping her head around the classroom, eyes landing on a messy haired boy next to the window. she shrugged to herself, not recognising him at all. as she made her way to the desk, jisung suddenly perked up. she was stunning. it may have only been nine in the morning, but seeing her was enough to completely wake the previously tired boy up.

“hey, i guess we’re deskmates” y/n greeted politely, taking a seat right next to the timid boy. jisung was thinking of something witty to say, but nothing was coming to mind.

“y-yes we are” was all he managed to let out. y/n just nodded at him, eyes focusing on their teacher who had called the attention on the room. but jisung couldn’t keep his eyes off her. how had he never seen her before? she was practically glowing, her soft features accentuated by the light. he was breath taken by her, despite only having shared simple greetings.

y/n felt the boy staring at her, but decided not to call him out on it. she promised herself to not get involved with anyone this year. it would only bring her eventual rejection again. so she tried her best to ignore park jisung, it was the only way to get him to lose interest.

“i don’t think she’s too fond of me” jisung confides in his best friend, chenle as they sit under the bleachers, munching on their lunch.

“can you blame her? you probably ask her too many unnecessary questions” chenle smirked, teasing his pouty friend.

“no, i don’t even talk to her much, she just refuses to acknowledge my existence” jisung lets out an exhausted puff, thinking back to his numerous attempts to atleast become acquainted with his desk mate. firstly, he tried greeting her brightly each morning, in which she would only raise her eyebrows before pulling out her books for the class. secondly, jisung attempted to ask her questions about class work, in which she shushed him, pointing over to the teacher who was speaking. even after class, she would immediately pack her things before he had the chance, rushing out the door as if she was the flash or something.

“sounds like she just isn’t fond of people in general. does she even have any friends?” chenle questioned, trying his best to pull his friend out of his solemn state.

“i-i’m not sure, i mean she has to have atleast one friend...right?” jisung started thinking to himself. if he couldn’t get her to talk, maybe her friends would.

“you might be playing with fire here, is she really worth getting to know?” chenle scoffed, slightly admiring jisung’s determination.

“you never know unless you try, right?” jisung took a bite of his sandwich, there has to be a way for y/n to open up to him.

“i heard that park jisung has been going around, asking about you” one of y/n’s longest friends, ningning, suddenly brought up. y/n looked at her as if she was crazy, what is up with this park jisung dude?

“what does he want with me?” she rolled her eyes slightly, flipping through her history textbook.

“maybe he likes you? or maybe, he just wants to be friends. why are you so harsh to him anyway?” ningning sighed, memories of seeing her friend cry over boys now cluttering her mind.

“i don’t need any more friends. i have you, and like...sungchan” y/n shrugged, continuing to take notes as she read.

“i think you’re being unreasonable, he seems really nice. give him a chance” ningning tried persuading her friend but y/n was stubborn. she wasn’t going to get wrapped up in any unnecessary drama. maybe she was being a little rude towards jisung, she could cut it down a bit. but being anything more than classmates was not in the cards for her at all.

the following monday morning, jisung entered the classroom, skateboard attached to his hip.

“mr park, the skateboard stays at the front of the room, we’ve been through this” mr kim warned the tired boy, earning a subtle nod from him. jisung gently placed his skateboard against the wall, before making his way to his desk. he was surprised to see that y/n was already seated, scribbling down all sorts of things in her planner. jisung let out a soft cough, signalling her to raise her head to face him.

“could i uh get to my seat?” he muttered, barely loud enough for her to hear. he was more shocked to hear her response,

“oh of course, sorry jisung” he froze after she finished speaking. was this real life? was y/n really acknowledging him right now?

she scooted closer to her desk, allowing space for the tall boy. jisung quickly snapped out of his thoughts, rushing to sit down. she couldn’t help but let out a slight chuckle at his antics. it didn’t go unnoticed by jisung.

“may i have your attention? as you all know, it’s now the middle of the term. to test your knowledge, i want you guys to pair up with your desk-mates and make a presentation on a historical topic of your choice. please refer to the assessment outline for more information”

jisung was practically beaming after hearing ‘pair up with your desk-mate’. his eyes shifted to the girl next to him, who seemed quite pleased. she looked over at him, simply nodding, acknowledging their future partnership. did he wake up in some type of alternate universe?

“uh jisung, i really want to do well in this subject. so we should probably get started as soon as possible” y/n gently tapped the side of his desk, drawing in his attention.

“oh yeah, for sure. w-when did you want to start?” he stumbled over some of his words, catching her off guard, making her softly smile.

“maybe tomorrow? do you have a free period?” she continued the flow of the conversation, making jisung feel more at ease.

“uh yeah, just before lunch” he responded, watching as her face lit up.

“oh great! me too, we can work at the bleachers, barely anyone goes there anyway” she confirmed, writing down the extra details in her planner. jisung couldn’t stop staring at her, how could she do such simple tasks, yet look so beautiful?

all he had to say was, thank you mr kim.

y/n patiently waited for jisung to arrive, typing up random notes on her laptop. she was onto her second paragraph when she heard the huffing and puffing of someone next to her. jisung hurriedly sat down next to her, needing to take a deep breath.

“a-are you okay?” she questioned, shutting her laptop, turning her body to face the boy. jisung just nodded, holding up a finger before speaking.

“i just had chemistry with Mr Jung, he wouldn’t let us leave until we could recite the first twenty elements on the periodic table” jisung finally felt relaxed, taking out his water bottle, consuming a concerning amount of water. her mouth created a slight ‘O’ shape, grasping the situation.

“i had to sprint here, i always get stuck past Sodium” jisung continued rambling, allowing y/n to simply stare intently. she didn’t mean for it to seem creepy, but she couldn’t help but let out a soft chuckle at his constant ramblings.

“a-ah sorry, we should probably get started” he shook his head, pulling out his own laptop from his bag. y/n nodded at his words, unsure of how to continue a conversation with him. it had been a while since she spoke to someone outside her inner circle of two people.

after about forty minutes of hardcore work, y/n’s eyes started wandering around. she caught sight of the boys soccer team, who were preparing for their lunch time practice. jisung’s eyes followed hers,

“you like soccer?” he blurted out, trying his best to start a conversation with her. she nodded softly, the side of her mouth curving upwards.

“yeah, i do. i’m no good at it, i just like watching. do you?” she questioned him back, eyes now focusing on him.

“of course, my parents weren’t so subtle, naming me after a famous soccer player and all” he joked, watching as the girl across from him started hysterically laughing. oh how he adored her laugh.

“oh my god, i didn’t even realise! they must have been onto something! why aren’t you on the team?” she furrowed her eyebrows, jisung bit his lip nervously,

“ah yeah, contrary to popular belief, i suck at soccer and didn’t make the team.” he sighed, feeling slightly embarrassed. y/n paused momentarily before opening her mouth,

“ah who cares! we can just watch together from the stands then” she shot him a soft smile, relieving some of the tension jisung had previously felt. the bell for lunch rang through the field, signalling that their free period had come to an end. jisung was about to pack up his things, when he noticed that y/n was still sitting, eyes glued to the players on the field.

“hey, it’s lunch now” jisung gently tapped her shoulder, snapping her out of her mini trance. y/n just nodded,

“oh i know, i was just going to watch them practice and eat my lunch here” she explained, turning her head back to the field. jisung held the strap of his bag tightly, thinking to himself momentarily. chenle can wait, he thought to himself. jisung plumped his bag to his side as he returned to his seat right next to her.

“what are you doing?” y/n questioned the boy,

“what does it look like? i’m keeping you company” he just smiled, pulling out a packet of chips, offering her some. she couldn’t hide how entertained she was, kindly accepting his offer. they continued to watch the soccer team practice, eyes scanning for the best players.

“that jeno guy is pretty good, i’m kind of jealous” jisung pouted, causing y/n to start giggling.

“am i wrong? like who wouldn’t be jealous of lee jeno? he’s got like everything! he’s athletic, and good looking and probably gets lots of chicks” jisung praised,

“wow jisung, sounds like you have a crush!” y/n teased the boy, softly nudging him. jisung froze at the sudden contact, he liked how playful you started being with him.

“don’t you? he’s kind of a catch, i thought girls would be all over him” jisung shrugged, watching as she slowly became quiet. he was startled by her reaction, feeling heat rise to his cheeks immediately.

“d-did i say something?” he muttered, unsure whether or not she was upset.

“n-no you didn’t. i mean, lee jeno was my first boyfriend, so i can say i’ve been there and done that!” y/n let out a small scoff, she noticed that jisung had now grown concerned.

“it was nothing though, we were like 12, and he dumped me over text. hasn’t spoken a word to me since though” she sighed, eyes scanning back to the boy in question. jisung was unsure of what to say next. y/n knew she had just over shared, she couldn’t help it. once she started, sometimes she couldn’t stop. she knew it would make jisung feel uncomfortable, part of her regretting it immediately. but when she saw the boy shoot her a cheeky grin, all her worries washed away.

“it’s good to hear that one girl at this school doesn’t have a crush on lee jeno” was all he said, causing her to raise an eyebrow.

“why’s that?” she curiously questioned,

“because that means i have a chance” he just smirked, head turning to focus back on the field. y/n was speechless. was he really being serious? or was this just some playful joke? she chose not to respond, feeling heat rise to her ears and cheeks. since when was park jisung such a flirt?

“come on, it’ll be fun” ningning whined as she sat with y/n and sungchan at the bleachers.

“yeah, you’ll get to see me play for the first time since i got on the team” sungchan begged, watching as y/n debated to herself.

“okay fine, not like i have three assignments to do that night” she sighs, giving into her friend’s peer pressure to attend friday night’s school soccer game. ningning and sungchan high-fived eachother, slightly surprised by her response. y/n’s gaze drew to the one and only park jisung, who was currently trying to do some weird skateboards tricks with chenle. she couldn’t pull her eyes away, finding it amusing whenever he made a mistake and tried to awkwardly cover it up. ningning snickered, catching onto the entire situation.

“park jisung huh? guess it’s finally time for you to put yourself back out there?” y/n snapped out of her trance, now glaring at her friend.

“n-no, what are you talking about? i wasn’t even looking at him” y/n immediately became defensive, sungchan deciding to step in.

“you totally were, in fact i’m sure you have a little bit of drool at the side of your mouth” he playfully teased, pretending to wipe off ‘drool’ from her face. y/n shoved his hands away from her, softly pouting.

“guys, he’s just a classmate. i said i wasn’t going to get involved with anyone, remember?” the annoyed girl reiterated to her friends, who weren’t buying the act at all.

“you can’t shut off your feelings, you know? it’s clear that you’re interested in him, even if it’s the tiniest bit. and you already know he’s interested in you too! why can’t you see that?” ningning sighed, feeling sorry for how hard y/n was on herself.

“because things will get messy. i’ll end up falling harder and ruin everything. it’s not going to happen again, i won’t let it” y/n looked down at her hands, gripping her water bottle tightly.

“maybe he’s different. he’s not going to be another jeno, or renjun, or donghyuck even. just keep an open mind, you have to start lowering your walls” sungchan pulled his arm around y/n shoulders, allowing her to rest against his side. ningning held her hand in y/n’s, gently stroking the back of her hand with her thumb. inside, y/n knew her friends were right. but something kept telling her that she was going to end up broken by the end of it. she really hoped that park jisung would be different. she needed him to be different.

y/n and jisung were halfway through their assignment, sitting next to eachother in the school library during their free period.

“damn, we are doing pretty well, way ahead of the schedule you had planned for us” jisung teased, eyes shifting to the page of scribbles, indicating the tasks for the assignment. y/n let out a scoff, pulling her planner towards her,

“don’t diss my planning okay? it’s just a rough outline!” she pierced her eyes at him, watching as he just smiled back at her. why does he keep doing that?

“you going to the soccer game tonight?” jisung nervously stammered, trying to play off as if he didn’t care too much about it. y/n only smirked at his words, placing down her pen before responding,

“may i ask why you’re asking?” she leant back in her chair, watching as jisung shifted his position so that he was directly facing her. she held her breath for a moment, not realising how close he actually was to her right now.

“because i’m going, and i was wondering if you wanted to watch it together. you know, since we are just the spectators rather than the players?” y/n wasn’t sure why she felt so...flattered, he really was unknowingly charming.

“oh yeah, i’m going, but i’ll be sitting with my friend” she tried to push the idea of her and jisung sitting alone for two hours in the cold, out of her mind. but jisung wasn’t going to back down so easily.

“oh great! i’ll bring chenle too, we can all sit together” he smiled widely before returning to type on his laptop. y/n let out a soft sigh. it doesn’t look like he will be giving up anytime soon.

y/n and ningning were both cozied up together on the bleachers, eyes on the lookout for sungchan. they locked eyes with the tall boy, waving at him erratically, causing him to respond in the exact same manner, gaining looks from his team mates.

“oh i sure hope they win, otherwise we’re making him buy us hot chocolate, i’m freezing!” y/n huffs, her breath now appearing infront of her.

“someone say hot chocolate?” the familiar voice rang through her ears. jisung was now seated next to her, two cups of hot chocolate in his hands. her mouth was agape, watching as the boy handed her friend one cup, then offering her the other. ningning kindly thanked him, gently nudging y/n’s arm.

“and one for my favourite desk mate” jisung snickered as she gently took the cup from him.

“hey! i thought i was your favourite desk mate!” chenle, who was on the other side of jisung, whined. jisung let out a scoff, softly shoving his friend,

“that was three years ago, things change” chenle continued to sulk, jisung not paying any attention to him. y/n couldn’t hide her amusement, taking a small sip from the warm cup of goodness.

“thanks jisung, i’ll pay you back” she offered kindly, reaching for her bag, but jisung stopped her, his hand wrapping around her wrist. y/n’s eyes shifted from his hand, to his face. jisung quickly removed his hand from her wrist, placing them into the pockets of his large coat.

“it’s on me, take it as a thankyou, for being such a great partner” a soft grin was plastered on his face. y/n just nodded, continuing to sip on the drink. the game had finally started, cheers of their fellow classmates echoed throughout the stands. sungchan played his best, assisting jeno in scoring the winning goal. the group of four in the stands, wailed at the top of their lungs, gaining the attention of those around them. y/n couldn’t stop laughing, continuously slapping jisung’s arm as she did so. jisung couldn’t stop looking at her. all he could think about was how gorgeous she looked in this light, the state of pure happiness she was currently in. it was enough for him to fall harder for her. along with her, not so gentle, slaps to his arm, jisung could swear he was in heaven.

“i-i’m sorry, jisung” she quickly calmed down, now realising how hard her slaps actually were. jisung shook his head,

“its okay, i’ll be your human punching bag any day, if it means you’ll hang out with me more” he smirked, causing her mouth to open slightly. was this guy even real? how could he come up with such cheesy lines?

“you’re an odd character, park jisung” y/n slightly shook her head in amusement, allowing her arm to brush against his as they sat closer together.

“it’s one of my best qualities” it sure was.

after the game ended, sungchan ran up to the group, jumping up and down, still pumped from his win.

“you did amazing!” y/n engulfed him into a warm hug. jisung watched the interaction unfold, part of him wishing you would be comfortable enough to embrace him like that one day.

“thanks for coming guys, i really appreciate it” sungchan smiles over to jisung and chenle who were aimlessly standing.

“anyone wanna get milkshakes or something? on me” chenle suddenly pipes up, watching as everyone’s face lit up.

“and this is why you’re my best friend” jisung pulled the other boy by his shoulders as the rest followed the pair. it was short drive in sungchan’s car, to the nearest diner. y/n was slightly shivering whilst in the car, jisung immediately noticed. he debated on whether or not to offer her his coat, but didn’t want to seem too persistent about it. as y/n stepped out of the car, she felt strong shiver throughout her body. jisung pushes his prior worries aside, immediately slipping off his coat, draping it around her shoulders.

“o-oh you don’t have to do this, jisung” she tried to decline, but the boy refused.

“nope, you’re cold and i’m already warm in this hoodie, just accept it” he convinced her, not taking no for an answer. as the five of them stepped into the diner, ningning made a beeline for her favourite booth near the back window. she slid herself into the booth, with sungchan next to her. y/n slide herself in the seat across from her friends, jisung quickly shoving in right next to her, chenle on his other side, once again. ningning gave y/n a playful smirk, eyes scanning over the overly large coat she had on. y/n raised her eyebrows, eyes straining, warning her friend to not mention it.

y/n’s eyes shifted over to jisung, who had started a conversation with sungchan and chenle about some new video game that was coming out soon. she watched as he threw his head back in laughter, continuing to argue with chenle about who was the best avatar in the game. she then noticed how he balled hands into fists, gently rubbing them against the surface of his pants. he would occasionally blow on them, trying his best to get some warmth. she felt guilty for taking his coat, but knew he would do anything in his power to have her wear it. so she swallowed some of her pride, reaching for his hands. jisung froze at the sudden contact, trying to not make it obvious to the rest that he was now disengaged from the conversation entirely.

“w-what are you doing?” he muttered, moving closer to y/n, which made her slightly blush. she pulled his hands into her lap, wrapping them in the excess material of the oversized coat.

“they looked cold, i’ll warm them up for you” she softly smiled, and jisung swore his heart was about to burst out of his chest. was this real life? it couldn’t be, it had to be some crazy dream he was having.

y/n noticed the sudden shyness from jisung, heat now rising to his ears. she would be lying if she said she didn’t find him adorable. her heart racing as the close contact.

the rest of the night was spent chatting away between the five of them. from how lee donghyuck got suspended for putting shaving cream in the soccer coach’s cap, to the dreaded mid term exams that were approaching. y/n wished she had participated more in the discussions, but her thoughts were too preoccupied by park jisung. his hands still rested in hers, her fingers slowly beginning to smooth over his own, making his heart skip beats. he felt himself lean in closer to her as the night went on, practically crushing her against the window, but she didn’t mind.

“we should get heading home now, our parents are probably wondering where we are” ningning pouted as they all raised from their seats. jisung didn’t want to pull his hands away from y/n’s, making the bold decision to intertwine their fingers as they left the diner. y/n’s eyes widened at his actions as he smiled down at her. they sat in the back of sungchan’s car, as y/n felt her head lean on jisung’s shoulder, her hand still holding his. her eyes slowly became drowsy, ready to fall asleep.

“you two are really cute” ningning whispered, not knowing that y/n was listening intently,

“t-thanks” jisung whispered back, trying his best to hide how happy he was by the comment.

“so are you confessing?” chenle snickered, causing jisung to roll his eyes,

“i want to take things slow. i want her to like me back first” jisung sighed, reaching to brush some of y/n’s hair from her face.

“oh trust me dude, she likes you. she just won’t admit it yet” sungchan smiled to himself, happy to see y/n finally start opening up again.

“good, cause i’m in it for the long run” oh park jisung, who wouldn’t fall for him?

when jisung got to school the following monday, he saw y/n standing at the front gates, swaying slightly. she was wearing black stockings with a plaid skirt and a creme coloured sweater vest. but she was wearing something else that caught his eye.

“goodmorning jisung” she greeted the boy, fast paced walking to meet him. jisung smiled softly at her, pulling his skateboard to his side.

“goodmorning, y-you’re wearing my coat” he pointed out, causing her to freeze slightly.

“o-oh yeah, do you mind? it’s been pretty chilly lately” she wrapped herself tighter, eyes facing the ground. jisung felt a swarm of butterflies emerge in his stomach, she really had that effect on him.

“it’s totally okay, you suit it better than i do” he softly chuckled, beginning to walk alongside her, arms brushing against eachother.

“you gotta stop saying stuff like that” y/n sighs, waltzing through the school hallway, to their history classroom.

“and why should i?” jisung playfully teased, tugging on her sleeve, turning her to face him. her hands instantly went to his chest, not realising how close he had pulled her to him.

“b-because” she spoke barely above a whisper. jisung’s eyebrows furrowed at her,

“because it’s making me feel things” was all she said as she pulled away from him, rushing to her desk. jisung couldn’t help but admire her awkwardness. he was slowly getting there, she had partially admitted to having feelings for him. but he knew she wasn’t going to fully admit it anytime soon. he had to make the first big move...but he needed some outside help.

“is there a reason why we are hiding from y/n right now?” ningning whispered, face to face with jisung.

“i want to confess to her” he blurted out, ningning’s eyes widening in shock.

“you want to confess to her?” she repeated, mind still trying to wrap around the situation.

“uh yes? is it so hard to believe? i thought i made it pretty obvio-“

“no no, i know you like her. it’s just that, she’s never EVER had a boy confess to her before. it’s always been her making the moves” ningning explains, jisung’s mouth pressing into a firm line.

“she’s not used to this type of attention. like where the guy is genuinely interested in her as a person, and the things she likes. she’s used to always getting to know the guy, doing everything in her power to gain some type of feelings for her. then she ends up hurt after she realises that she fell harder than they did for her” jisung would be lying if this wasn’t hurting him. how could they do that to someone as caring and loving as y/n?

“how do i show her that i’m different?” jisung stammers, nerves slowly taking over. ningning just giggles,

“you’re already half way there. trust me, she knows inside that you’re not like the rest. you just have to hit it out of the park with a bomb ass confession! here’s what i’m thinking...” ningning continues to whisper to the boy, jisung stringing along to every word. operation confession for y/n was underway.

“hey, are we ready to hand in our assignment?” y/n approached jisung just before class. he responded with an affirmative nod, pulling out the ten page report from his backpack. her eyes widened at his efforts, admiring how prettily he presented the report.

“j-jisung” she stuttered, flipping through each page.

“i had some spare time last night, don’t mention it” he winks at her as she felt heat rise to her cheeks. she quickly moved to her seat next to him, trying her best to hide her face with her hair. but jisung noticed, smirking to himself. could she be any more adorable?

“there’s another soccer game on friday! did you want to sit together again?” jisung turned over the the girl next to him, catching her completely off guard. y/n looked over to jisung, his face completely softened, his eyes practically begging her to say yes.

“y-yeah i’d like that” she nodded, silently cheering that she would get to spend another night with park jisung. the plan was now in motion.

jisung was standing under the bleachers, awaiting y/n’s arrival. chenle approached him, giving him a slight pat on the back.

“you ready, buddy?” chenle whispered, a cheery expression on his face. jisung slowly nodded.

“yeah, the worst she could say is no” jisung tried his best not to psych himself out, reviewing his confession in his head.

“they’re here” chenle announces, eyes drifting to y/n and ningning. jisung took a deep breath, moving slowly towards the pair of girls. y/n was the first to notice him, shooting him a small smile, meeting him halfway.

“good evening ladies” chenle greets, making ningning giggle.

“oh please, we are barely ladies” she sighs, stepping past groups of people to find a seat for the four of them. chenle followed her in suit, with y/n and jisung straggling behind. jisung nudged y/n’s shoulder, giving her a small nod. she returned the gesture, feeling slightly awkward. but she pushed it aside, happy to spend another evening with jisung. she noticed that throughout the game, jisung’s leg kept bouncing up and down. she sensed he was nervous about something, it was either that or he was just really cold.

“do you want my coat to cover your legs? i brought an extra blanket with me” y/n whispered to jisung, causing him to halt his movements. he looks over at her, as she was halfway to taking off her coat.

“why don’t we just share the blanket?” jisung slyly comments. now it was her turn to freeze. she looked over at him, lips pressed in a firm line. as she placed her coat back on, and pulled out the blanket, jisung could feel his heart pumping faster than it had ever before. this was a good sign, right? she must like him back...right?

y/n gently placed the half the blanket over his knees, moving herself closer to him to gather warmth. she didn’t say much to him after, too focused on the game they were watching. but the position they were in right now, was all that was on jisung’s mind.

the game ended with a close win by sungchan’s team. although everyone was celebrating, it was noticeable that sungchan was not proud of how he played.

“dude don’t beat yourself up about it, it happens to the best of us” chenle tried to comfort. sungchan just nodded, not wanting to talk much about it.

“okay grumpy pants, let’s go get some food” ningning pulls the sulky not by the arm, chenle on the other side of him, doing the same.

“you two coming?” ningning calls from behind her. before y/n could answer, jisung reaches for her wrist, stopping her in her path.

“c-could i steal y/n for the night?” jisung didn’t let go of her wrist, watching as their three friends all had identical smirks.

“sure thing, see you two tomorrow” chenle winks, rushing off with the others. y/n’s face contorted into utter confusion. the feeling of jisung’s warm hand wrapped around her wrist made her nervous. he let out a short cough before letting go.

“what did you want to talk about?” she questioned, allowing multiple students to pass by her. jisung didn’t respond immediately, pulling her to sit at the bleachers again. he reaches into his coat pocket, pulling out a pink folded piece of paper. her eyes were immediately drawn to it, but part of her was still wondering what this entire debacle was about.

“i-i don’t want you to read this yet. well until i tell you what i have to say” jisung mutters, hands becoming sweaty. this was such a different jisung to watch y/n was used to seeing. he always made witty jokes out of any situation, and was barely ever...nervous.

“go on” she urged, eyes still glued to that piece of paper. jisung cleared just throat, eyes finally meeting those of the girls across from him.

“i have a crush on you” those words had y/n stunned. her mouth became agape, no proper words able to be formed. jisung decided to continue,

“i know that you aren’t looking for a relationship or anything. and you’ve been hurt before. but i just had to tell you. i couldn’t keep it inside anymore” he finally admitted, shoulders now slouching. his eyes wavered from hers at times, but they were now drawn to his hands. y/n wasn’t sure how to respond. this was her first ever confession. the first person to actually have interest in her first. she wasn’t used to this at all. jisung was a nice guy, she knew he was. but was he the guy for her? or was she just struck with the idea of him confessing first? did she even really like him that way?

jisung noticed the mini debate occurring in the girl’s mind, part of his ego becoming bruised. y/n wanted to say something articulate back to him but she couldn’t find the right words.

“uh t-thanks for telling me, jisung. it must have taken a lot of courage” that wasn’t the way he expected things to go, but he continued listening to her.

“but are you really sure you like me? like really sure?” y/n questioned, the idea still not wrapping around her head. jisung was in disbelief, was he not obvious enough?

“i’m more than sure. i’ve liked you ever since i’ve met you” he mutters, feeling completely dejected.

“t-that’s not possible. you didn’t even know me then” she shook her head, eyes drifting to the hurt expression that was now on jisung’s face.

“i didn’t need to. you were so beautiful to me. i had to get to know you. i thought i made it pretty obvious that i liked you. but i guess i should have done a bit more, maybe save myself the embarrassment” he mumbled the last part to himself. his words striking her right in the heart. she didn’t want to come off as rude or unappreciative. but how was she meant to know this wasn’t some kind of joke, or if his feelings were true.

“is it really that hard to believe that i like you?” jisung tried his best to remain calm, but he wanted nothing more than to dig a hole and lay in it.

“yes. it is. because guys don’t confess to me. they just don’t. they don’t fall for me first” she continued to tell herself, watching as jisung’s face flatten.

“you can keep thinking that. but it’s not true. i’m living proof. i really thought you liked me too. i must have misread this entire thing” hearing those words stung her heart. she did like jisung. maybe not as much as he claimed he liked her, but she definitely had feelings towards him as more than a friend. but she didn’t feel ready, for any of this.

“jisung, it’s not like that. i like you too, i just don’t think i’m ready” she whispers, tears threatening to fall from her eyes. jisung could barely look at her, an overwhelming wave of embarrassment washing over him.

“when will you ever be ready? because by the looks of it, it seems like you never will be” jisung shook his head, forcefully brushing through strands of his hair. y/n moved closer to the boy, placing her hand onto his shoulder. she felt him tense at the contact, his eyes finally coming back up to meet hers again.

“i-i don’t know when i’ll be ready. i just need some time to think about it” she sighed, not wanting to rub more salt into the wound. jisung only nodded in response. there was no use trying to convince her any further. jisung accepted her reasons, even though he held resentment towards her for initially rejecting him.

“i’ll give you some space. let me walk you home atleast” jisung stood up, offering his hand to her. y/n cautiously took his hand in hers, slowly walking alongside the tall boy.

silence filled the air on their walk home. the only sounds being heard were the hoots of owls and screeching of cicadas. jisung had let go of her hand along the way, which pained her to admit, she missed his touch immediately. as they made it to her front door step, jisung was in a rush to get home, ready to sob his eyes out. but y/n stopped him.

“i understand that you’re upset. trust me, i know how it feels. but i hope you can see where i’m coming from” she mumbled as jisung nodded along to her words.

“it’s fine, i get it. i’ll just give this to you now” he pulled out the folded paper from earlier, handing it over to her.

“if you still don’t believe i like you, that should give you a sign about how much i actually do. have a nice night” he shrugged at her, turning his back to walk away. she watched as he left her driveway, head hung low. she shook the thoughts out of her mind, opening the door to her house. she didn’t bother looking back at jisung, closing the door behind her. but just as she entered her home, jisung’s gaze lingered on her. how could she have hurt him so much in such a short amount of time, yet he still felt the exact same about her?

park jisung, you are a fool. he thought to himself on his way home. how would he move on from this?

after the long night she had, y/n wanted nothing more but to sleep her problems away. but as she held onto the pink paper in her hands, she knew she wasn’t getting any sleep. she seated herself on her bed, carefully unfolding the paper, her heart racing.

“dear y/n,

if you’re reading this, i’ve just confessed to you. and you’ve most likely rejected me. i understand why you did it, i really do. i just couldn’t hold it inside any longer. i know you aren’t looking for anything serious at the moment. but i want you to know that i’ll be waiting for you. i hope that one day you realise how amazing you really are, and how i would be the luckiest guy in the world, to have you reciprocate my feelings. i honestly feel like you’re out of my league. i mean, you’re so confident in yourself. and you never let people bring you down. you’re so optimistic about such trivial things, it’s started to rub off on me a bit. i appreciate the sweet moments we’ve had together, and i hope you do as well. i don’t want to lost hope, that’s something you’ve taught me. you’re now nearing the end of this awfully structured letter, and i just want to say, that you deserve the world, and i can be the guy to give it to you. if you just give me a chance.

- park jisung (you already know who it’s from i just wanted to sound formal okay bye)”

y/n suddenly felt tears stream down her cheeks. for once in her life, she felt truly appreciated and cared for in return. of course she could see herself with jisung. it wasn’t a hard decision for her to make up her mind about it. but her constant doubts always held her back. it wasn’t fair to jisung at all, to keep him stringing along. she needed to make a decision, quick. there was no way she was going to hurt this boy.

the following monday morning, jisung patiently awaited y/n’s arrival in class. he nibbled on the side of his lip, tapping his pen rapidly on the desk. other students asked him to stop, as they were getting annoyed at the sounds but he couldn’t help it. he was praying she read the letter and didn’t just discard of it.

just as he was slipping into his own thoughts, he felt a sudden slam of books on the desk. his eyes met y/n’s as she sat down next to him. his quickly broke eye contact, flipping through his textbook as if he was studying. but she caught on to the boy’s antics, tapping him on the shoulder. jisung froze at the contact, looking over at the girl, who was still wearing his jacket.

“this is for you” she pulled out a small jar of origami hearts, sliding it over to his side of the desk. she felt heat rise to her ears, slightly embarrassed at the sweet gesture. jisung was practically speechless, his heart beating at a rapid pace.

“wow thank you, i love it” he gave her a gentle smile, eyes suddenly disappearing. she only nodded back, unsure of how to continue.

“i read your letter” she got to the point, jisung’s attention fully attended to her.

“i didn’t realise you felt so deeply about me, jisung. i thought you just had a silly crush, maybe that’s why i thought it would be easy to push you away. but you never let it go. and i’ve never had anyone do that for me before. so thank you” y/n barely whispers, feeling her palms begin to sweat. which was only something that happened when she was extremely nervous.

“what i’m saying is. you’re not like the guys i’ve liked before. you like me for me, and you genuinely want to be with me. so would you consider going on a date with me to the movies this weekend?” she cautiously suggested, watching as the boy’s face lit up in utter glee. he wanted nothing more but to pull her close and swing her around as he hugged her. but they were still in class, he needed to be tame...for now.

“i would freaking love that” he chuckled, causing you to smirk at his response.

“i’m glad you accepted my confession, i would have given you the silent treatment if i really tried” jisung pouted, making a fake angry expression, crossing his arms. she gently slapped his shoulder, laughing at the boy’s ridiculous antics. if this what it was like dating park jisung, then bring it on.

[ three months later ]

“come on! sungchan shoot!!” ningning’s voice echoed through the stands, the whole crowd geared up for the school’s soccer grand final. y/n and jisung were bundled up together, sipping on their hot chocolates, silently praying for that grand final win. there was only a minute left, jeno passed to sungchan and...he scores!

all the students from their school

jumped up, screaming endless cheers at the team. ningning waved her mini flag she made with sungchan’s face on it, as y/n and jisung hollered with the crowd.

“you did so great out there” y/n complimented her friend, like many times before, pulling him into an embrace. she saw how jisung slightly pouted, missing her warm touch. she slipped perfectly back to his side, his arm instantly wrapped around her waist as the crew made their way to the diner. jisung held y/n back, offering to meet the rest later on. y/n was yet again confused, following her boyfriend’s steps to sit on the bleachers.

“what’s up, sung? everything okay?” she pouts, watching as jisung nervously looks up at her.

“i love you” he blurts out, hands covering his mouth once he does. her eyes widen, not expecting those three words to leave his mouth at all. she pressed her lips into a firm line, her mind comprehending the situation. jisung was left worried, trying to read her expressions as best he could. he hoped he didn’t scare her away, it would completely ruin him.

“you’re just in luck” jisung’s head whipped up and met her. “because i love you too” y/n whispered, inching closer to the boy. his hands gently stroked her cheek, it was slightly cold but she didn’t mind. her lips fanned over his, ready to press them together. as she did so, jisung smiled widely into the kiss, hands coming to squish her cheeks together. it made both of them giggle for a bit, breaking the kiss momentarily. before jisung pulled her back in.

y/n soon realised that she didn’t need to live in fear of rejection any longer. because jisung gave her every ounce of reassurance she needed. the boys from her past slowly fizzled away from her memory, jisung now taking place as the one boy who truly loved her.

a/n: pls let me know what you all think!!

#nct imagines #park jisung imagines #park jisung fluff #nct dream fluff #nct fluff #nct dream imagines #nct dream fic #nct fic #nct scenarios #nct writing #jisung fluff #nct jisung fic #park jisung #jisungsmochi masterlist #jisungsmochiimagines

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nerdzzone · 3 years

Text

Once Bitten - Twice Shy

Summary: Raising a child is hard. Raising a child with one of Hollywood’s biggest stars is even harder. And raising a child with one of Hollywood’s biggest stars who you’re not actually in a relationship with is even harder still.

One of the challenges of sharing custody is sharing holidays which is something that Whitney Taylor found herself struggling with in the December of 2019. The prospect of spending Christmas without her son was dismaying, but the complications that come with the alternative might be even harder to face.

Chris Evans x OFC

Note: Thank you to everyone who has read, liked or commented on this story! I appreciate the support.

This was the entirety of my original plot, it was just supposed to be a one shot when I started writing it, but it took on a life of it’s own. There’s quite a bit more to come now so I hope no one is too disappointed by the way this ends! I’ve started working on the sequel and have it all mapped out, but I probably won’t post it until it’s mostly finished like I did with this one. So, keep your eyes peeled and please let me know your thoughts!

Part Two

—-

Part Three

26. 12. 19

Waking up, it took a few moments for the memories of the night before to come back to me. When they did, I was filled with relief that I was alone and Chris was no where to be seen. My head throbbed, partially from the alcohol I'd consumed and partially because of the regrets that were filling my mind.

How could we be so stupid? So reckless? How could we risk everything that we'd built for Grayson just for a few moments of relief? How would I be able to push my feelings for Chris aside again after sharing such intimacy with him?

It broke my heart to make the decision to be friends the first time we found ourselves in this situation, how could I be foolish enough to put myself through that again?

I turned my head and groaned into the pillow, a much more distressed, melancholy groan than the ones leaving my lips the night before. I felt like an idiot and I was dreading facing Chris.

After taking another moment to chastise myself for my bad choices, I checked my phone to see the time and was shocked. It was already almost nine thirty and I hadn't heard a peep from the rest of the house. Unfortunately, that meant I didn't have time to mope around in bed, puzzling out what to do.

So, I took just enough time to decide that I needed to make a quick exit before getting up to get myself ready to leave.

When I got to the kitchen, it was surprisingly quiet. None of the men or children were anywhere to be seen as Lisa, Shanna and Carly tidied up the dishes from the breakfast that I'd missed. Apparently, there was another snow storm forecast to start by the early afternoon and everyone had headed out into the snow as soon as they'd finished eating to start shovelling so that we could all leave before it hit.

I was relieved by their quick action because even if I had to shovel the whole driveway by myself and then drive home in a blizzard, I was not sticking around for another night.

Lisa had tried to convince me to let her cook me breakfast, but my stomach was in too many knots to even think about food. I politely declined and settled for a banana and a cup of coffee, chatting with the women as I ate. It distracted me for a while as I tried to shut off some of the noise in my brain, but once I was finished, I knew I had to face the music and head outside.

By the time I got out there, Chris, Scott and their brother-in-law were already halfway down the driveway which was an impressive feat considering how long it was. I waved to them as I put my bag in my car before heading towards where the children were playing in the front yard.

"Mama!" Grayson cheered as I approached them. "Look! We're building a snowman!"

I looked at the sloppy pile of snow they were assembling and smiled.

"Wow, I can see that! Great job, guys!"

He grinned as he ran over to me and threw his arms around my legs. It was a feeling that never got old and I leaned down to squeeze him closer, trying to ignore the wave of guilt that washed over me. He was the most important thing in our situation and we'd lost sight of that.

"Can you help us?"

"Of course," I nodded. "But I need to go talk to your daddy real quick, okay? Then I'll be right back."

"Okay!"

With that, Grayson bolted back over to his cousins to continue their little project. They were so good with him, including him in their games and activities despite his young age and I was happy that he had such good role models to play with. Leaving them under Dodger's watchful eye, I took a deep breath and headed down the driveway to Chris.

"Good morning, Sleeping Beauty," Scott shouted over, the first to notice me coming their way. "Thanks for getting up so early to help us shovel the driveway."

I laughed at his sarcasm and stuck out my tongue, but when he shot me a knowing wink, I felt my cheeks burn. Of course Chris would tell him. I should have expected it, they were as close as brothers could be and Chris was always open with his family.

But it just made me feel worse about the conversation I was about to have as I went over to Chris. Luckily, he was on the opposite side of the driveway to the other two. At least that would give us a modicum of privacy.

"Hey, good morning," he grinned. "Did you sleep well?"

"I did," I returned his smile, though mine was much more forced. "Thanks for letting me sleep in."

"Grayson wanted to wake you up at breakfast," he admitted, looking over at our son as he spoke. "He was worried that you'd be hungry when you woke up and there would be no more food left."

I couldn’t help, but laugh at the thought of his concern.

"He's too sweet, but I appreciate you stopping him," I admitted. "I guess I was tired out after last night."

"Last night," Chris smirked. "Last night was..."

He trailed off as he tried to think of a word to describe it, but my smile disappeared entirely as I could tell from the look on his face that we weren't reflecting on our little incident in the same way. So, I beat him to the punch.

"Last night was a mistake."

My words hung between us for a moment and I knew, from the way that his jaw dropped slightly as if I'd just slapped him across the face, that he wasn't happy with what I'd said.

"Oh, don't give me that crap!" He protested once my words had sunk in, keeping his voice low enough that no one would be able to overhear. "You're saying that it meant nothing to you?"

I really wished we weren't outside with so many watchful eyes around, but this conversation needed to be had and at least this way I'd have an excuse to keep things brief.

"I'm saying that it shouldn't have happened," I clarified, my voice wavering slightly as I questioned my own confidence in my words. "We've worked hard to keep things as stable as possible for Grayson and that's what we need to stay focused on."

"So, you just want to pretend that it never happened?"

My heart felt like it was in a vice. I didn't want to pretend it never happened. I wanted to be with Chris, I wanted us to give it a shot, but I knew that it wouldn't work. I was nothing compared to the women that Chris usually dated and when it all fell apart, Grayson would be the one stuck in the middle. It wasn't fair to him.

But that knowledge didn't make it any less painful when I nodded my head.

"I think that's for the best."

Chris scoffed, looking down at the snow as if he couldn't even stand to look at me. I wasn't sure if I wanted to run away or cry and throw myself into his arms so I settled for simply standing there quietly, waiting for him to say something.

It felt like an eternity, but after a minute or two of total silence, he finally spoke.

"Just let me make sure that I'm getting this right," he started, looking back up at me with such an intensity that it made my eyes swim with tears. “You really have no feelings for me at all? Because if you feel even a little bit like I do then you couldn’t possibly think you’re making any sense right now.”

I swallowed hard, trying to come to terms with the situation that I found myself in. A situation where Chris could be standing in front of me, telling me that he had feelings for me after all these years that we’d been determined to be just friends. It would have felt like a cruel joke if there wasn’t so much hurt in his eyes, so much fear that I was about to reject him. Fear that proved to be entirely justified when I finally got my emotions under control enough to answer him.

"It doesn't matter," I told him softly. "It's not about what I feel or what you feel. We have someone more important to consider."

“That's bullshit!"

I flinched at the harshness of his words and his raised voice as Scott shouted over a reminder about language as the kids weren't very far away. I could feel the tears still filling my eyes, but I knew I had to stick to my guns.

"It's not bullshit," I insisted. "It's the right thing to do."

"But you said yourself, he's starting to notice that things are different," Chris pointed out, his voice thankfully much softer than it had been moments ago . "Why not take the chance to give him a normal family if that's what we both want anyway?"

"Because it will hurt him more if it doesn't work out."

"Hurt him?" Chris questioned, his scowl deepening. "Or hurt you?"

Both of us.

The truth was that I was worried that Chris would hurt me just as much as I worried that our decision would hurt Grayson, but I could handle the risk to myself if it was my choice. I couldn't handle our son being collateral damage.

I could feel Chris' gaze locked intently on me, but I couldn't lift my eyes to meet his. I didn't want to talk about it anymore. I wasn't sure how much longer I could hold onto my argument when the decision I was making wasn't even what I truly wanted. I needed this conversation to end before I let my guard down and made anymore stupid choices.

"We can't talk about this here, Chris."

"Well, when will we talk about it then?"

"I don't know," I shrugged. "I need to think."

Chris shook his head as a sigh fell from his lips. He looked defeated.

"Alright."

I took that as an end to the conversation and turned to walk away, but I'd only made it a few steps when Chris called out to me again.

"I care about you, Whitney," he told me as I looked back over my shoulder. "This wasn't nothing to me. I wouldn't have done it if I didn't want to make this work."

That only made me feel worse as I had done it without such noble intentions and with doubt still plaguing my mind. I felt cowardly, but I couldn't bring myself to answer him as I looked away and continued on my way back towards our son.

I stayed outside, playing with the kids in the snow, until the driveway was clear. Once my car was free, I scooped Grayson up and said my goodbyes.

"Be good for your dad, okay?"

"Okay, Mama!" He smiled, pressing a big, sloppy kiss on my cheek. "I love you!"

"I love you too, buddy. I'll see you in a few days."

I put him down and waved as he ran back to follow his cousins who were heading inside.

Turning back to my car, I wasn’t entirely surprised to see Chris leaning against the hood. However, I was surprised to see that the scowl that had been firmly on his face since we talked had eased somewhat and I was even more surprised when he pulled me into a hug as soon as I was close enough.

"Drive safe," he warned me. "The roads still look pretty bad."

"I will," I nodded, easing myself out of his grip. "And I'm sorry, Chris. I really am."

"Don't sweat it." He shrugged, but the dejected look on his face did little to assure me that he accepted my apology. "We'll talk soon though, right?"

I nodded and stepped back, moving to get into my car as Chris moved away from the hood.

He stayed there on the driveway, watching me as I turned the car around and waving as I drove off until he was out of sight.

I felt exhausted and heavy. There were tears brewing in my eyes as I turned onto the road, just as they had been when I drove these streets on Christmas Eve as I was taking Grayson to dad's house and thinking I would be spending the holidays alone. It was amazing to me how I managed to escape the sad, bleak Christmas that I had been anticipating at that point, and yet still somehow managed to come away feeling just as lonely.

And it was amazing to me that I ever let myself think that raising a child with Chris Evans wouldn't be emotionally draining as long as we weren't in a relationship. At this point, it seemed to just make things harder, but I knew that one day both of them would thank me for the sacrifice I was making right now.

I knew that it was the right decision for all three of us and one little slip up, one lapse in judgment and will power, wouldn't derail all the hard work that Chris and I had put in to co-parenting our son.

Or, at least, I hoped with all my heart that it wouldn't.

#chris evans fanfiction #chris evans fic #chris evans x ofc #once bitten twice shy

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sluttyten · 3 years

Text

Coming Home

Poly Orgy Series: Part 8

Poly Series Chapter Index

summary: when you found out you were pregnant, you worried you’d have to go it alone, but instead you find that you have quite a lot of support, several boyfriends that love you wholeheartedly, and a place to call home.

length: 21,227

tags: pregnancy!!, smut, polyamory, multiple partners, unprotected sex, the usual poly orgy series type of tags

“Baby, I don’t want to have to worry about anything in the future. I don’t want you to have to worry either. I love you so much, and the other night I was thinking about the future, about you, about the baby, and really it seemed to me that there’s only one true next step for me to take.” Mark takes a deep breath.

Your world freezes.

“Baby, will you marry me?” Mark asks even as he’s sinking down on one knee.

“Mark!” You cry out, slapping him on the arm hard enough that the sound echoes around your living room.

“Fuck!” Mark straightens up with a whine, his hand immediately flying up to cover the burning imprint of your hand on his arm. “What the fuck?”

Tears burst to your eyes, though you're not sure exactly why. “Mark, why would you ask me... ask me to marry you?” Your voice pitches up at the end, a surprised and somewhat almost frightened squeal.

Mark looks at you then, all wide-eyed seriousness. “I just thought it’s the right thing to do. If you’re pregnant, then shouldn’t you have something stable? A husband? Someone who can help you out and take care of you and the baby? And with the way our lives are, it’s a miracle that no rumor has gotten out to the fans about you at all yet, but now if it does, if they find out about you being pregnant, well, then everyone’s going to want to know which of us you’re with and the answer can only be one, and it’ll just make sense for us to get married, right?”

“And you think that should be you?”

“Well, why not?” His tone is slightly angry, defensive and hurt.

You sigh and turn your back to him so you can wipe at these tears without him watching you.

“Baby?”

“Mark.” Your voice breaks and you clear your throat before turning around and addressing him again. “Mark, I appreciate it and I get where you’re coming from, but I’m going to say no. I love you, and I love that you want to do the right thing by marrying me, but it’s simply not fair to all the others. It’s not fair to you if you’re not the--”

“I don’t care about who the dad is.” Mark straightens up, determination burning in his gaze. “I know the odds of it being mine are slim. I would love if it is mine, like, the idea of being a dad is scary, but no matter what happens, who turns out to be the father, I figure I’m still going to be involved, right?”

You open your mouth, but you can’t find any words to comfort him, to give him a satisfying answer. You don’t know what’s going to happen in the future. Of course, you’ve always known that this whole polyamorous relationship couldn’t be sustainable, though you’ve all tried your best. This news, the little life growing inside of you, might just be that last little chip to shatter the relationship to bits. How can you hope to stay in a relationship with them all when you’ve got a baby? How could you raise a child with fourteen possible fathers?

“Maybe I’ll just Mamma Mia the whole situation,” you mumble.

Mark snorts. “You gonna run away to a Greek island and raise this baby on your own? And in twenty something years when we’re all doing our own things, we’ll get an invite to a wedding, and only then will we unravel the mystery?” He smiles and steps up, wrapping his arms around you, one hand gently cradling the back of your neck. “Baby, you don’t have to do any of that. We’ll all figure this out. I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have done this tonight. I just.... I’m a traditional kind of guy, I guess. Baby, marriage, moving in together. Those are all things I’ve wanted for a long time, and we’ve already got two of those things in the works. But it’s okay, I understand.”

You sink into his hug. Mark’s so warm and soft and with his arms wrapped around you, you feel even more sleepy than you had before. You breathe in, just taking in the smell of his soap and laundry detergent, and you breathe out.

“This feels nice,” you mumble, your words muffled against his shoulder.

Mark’s hum of agreement vibrates through his chest, and a moment later it turns into a laugh.

Without breaking the hug, you ask him, “Why are you laughing?”

“I don’t even have a ring or anything.” Mark’s voice bounces happily, and he hides his face in your shoulder. “Probably a good thing you shot me down, honestly.”

A while later when you’re in bed, Mark yawning now too as he settles into your bed, you sit up and reach over to rummage through the drawer of your bedside table.

When you turn back around, Mark’s watching you curiously, and he wordlessly gives you his hand when you gesture for him to give it to you. He watches as you uncap a Sharpie marker, and then you separate his ring finger from the others, as you draw a fine black line around the base of his finger. When you’ve completed the ink band you hold his fingers in yours.

“This is a promise,” you tell him, “that we do have a future together, no matter what. That we’ll always be in each other’s lives as lovers or friends or whatever it may be, you’ll always be special to me, Mark Lee.”

You turn his hand over, and bringing his palm to your lips, you kiss right beneath the black band that you just drew on him.

Mark lunges up, wrapping his arms around you, dragging you down against his chest, and he kisses you, kisses your cheeks and nose and chin, and you’re laughing with your hands braced against his chest, kissing him when you can too.

And the next morning when you wake up, you find that some time in the night, Mark had picked up your abandoned Sharpie, and drawn a matching black ink band on your ring finger.

Things are a bit weird for a while after that while everyone adjusts to the awareness that you’re pregnant. And after your first prenatal appointment, some of the boys start acting even more differently.

For one thing, the appointment confirms that you are indeed pregnant, and about eight to nine weeks along by the looks of things. Which, as you listen to your doctor, makes a lot of sense given the symptoms you’ve been experiencing. And that news of you being approximately eight weeks along, and therefore bringing a baby into the world in about 32 weeks, definitely changes how some of your boyfriends start behaving.

Especially after you show them the ultrasound picture.

It’s just a little gray, blurry blob, but there’s a heat in your chest that’s not caused by the heartburn you’ve begun to feel

For a few of the boys, this means that they get protective over you. Taeil and WinWin, for example, both offer to do pretty much everything for you, from opening doors to running upstairs to grab something. Anything that actually might be in any possible way considered “overexerting yourself” they argue with you to let them do.

Johnny, Jaehyun, and to your surprise, Jungwoo, all get much more touchy, wanting to be around you as much as possible. And Jungwoo is just a horny boy all the time, to the point that one evening after you get home from a date with him, as you’re sitting on his lap on the sofa in the otherwise empty house, Jungwoo just starts touching you, and you can tell that he’s already half-hard.

“What is with you lately?” You ask with a laugh, letting Jungwoo pull your shirt over your head. “You’ve been so horny. Is it something I’m doing different?” You perch yourself on his knees, bat your eyelashes at him, and push your chest forward, smiling as his eyes slide down to the curves of your breasts.

“Oh my god... Yeah, angel. Just thinking about you pregnant is actually really sexy.” Jungwoo’s hands settle on your hips. “You’re gonna look even sexier, and your boobs are going to get bigger and, uh, it’s not something I’ve really talked about before, because I was afraid the others would make fun of me or you’d think it’s really weird, but the idea of, like, nursing?” Jungwoo averts his eyes from you, his face going a pale shade of embarrassed. “I think it’s pretty hot.”

You smile and pat his head. “You’ve always had a thing for my boobs, you know, so honestly, I’m not too surprised.” Jungwoo leans into your touch, smiling all sweetly even as his hands knead at your ass roughly. “But you really think me being pregnant is sexy?”

Jungwoo nods. “Definitely. Plus,” he shrugs and says, “I don’t know, there’s just something about you right now that is very, very attractive. Jaehyun says so too.”

“I’m sure he does. Especially since he’s been hot for the idea of knocking me up since the first time we all had sex.” You drape your arms around Jungwoo’s neck. “You, him, Johnny, all three of you are acting so clingy and affectionate lately, meanwhile most of the others wouldn’t dare to try to have sex.”

Just the day before you’d tried to initiate something with Hendery. He went along with it while you were just making out, but as soon as you slid your hand into his pants to rub his erection to full hardness, he’d backed away, making excuses. Taeyong had done the same a few days before that.

“I’ll dare to do it.” Jungwoo leans his head down, mouths at your breasts, as he murmurs, “I want you to ride me, right here. But turn around.”

Reluctantly you climb off his lap, and as you’re facing away from him, Jungwoo pulls your pants and panties down. You step out of them, look back over your shoulder at him, and see Jungwoo watching you with a look of pure awe on his face.

“You’re always so beautiful.” Jungwoo slides a hand down your side, over your hip, curving around to your butt. He leans in and drops just a tiny kiss right at the small of your back. “What did we do to deserve you and everything you’ve blessed us with.”

Your face heats up with a blush.

When he pulls you back onto his lap, his hands settle on your hips, guiding you all the way back until your back is pressed to his chest, his cheek touches yours, and your ass is right over his bulging erection. His fingers flutter for a moment, and then he brushes his hands up to your belly, gentle and light, and then he touches one warm palm flat against your skin, the soothing heat of skin on skin sinks down into you.

Jungwoo’s lips rest against your cheek as you sigh, relaxing back against him.

His other hand wanders lower, fingertips dipping into the crack between your thighs, and obediently you part them for him, letting your legs fall off to either side of his, giving him access to your wet heat.

“Look at you, already soaking wet, spreading your legs so easily for me.” Jungwoo murmurs. “You really do want it badly, don’t you? How long has it been since one of us touched you?”

Truly not that long. That evening with Taeil, Johnny, Taeyong, Kun, Doyoung, and Ten was the last time, and that was just a little over two weeks ago. But compared to just a couple months ago, a week could be considered a dreadfully long time to go untouched by any of them.

You whine when Jungwoo only strokes his finger teasingly over your entrance, avoiding your clit, hardly giving you anything.

“Too long, Jungwoo. I want you.”

“Me? But I’m sure you went to others first. Lucas? I know you love how big and broad he is, making you feel all small. Or Kun hyung? Remember when he and Ten were hogging you all to themselves; you couldn’t get enough of them then.” Jungwoo teases. “You want me? Why do you want me so badly?”

You squirm, wiggling down against his erection. “Because I love you, Jungwoo. I want you.”

He tuts, his lips trailing down now from your cheek to your neck, brushing over sensitive skin, his nose bumps against your jaw. “But why though? What exactly do you want about me?”

His teeth meet the skin of your shoulder just barely, and you whine. “I want you to have me all to yourself, Jungwoo. You can make me feel small too. You’re so big and broad and long.” You rub your ass down against his erection, your head dropping back against his shoulder. “I want you to make me feel small, like your little angel doll.”

Jungwoo smiles where his lips are against the top of your shoulder.

You can feel yourself dripping wet, the slick arousal gathered on his finger that just keeps up its petting of your pussy lips.

His mouth moves, teeth pricking your skin occasionally, and then you feel the moment that he catches your bra strap between his teeth, dragging it along to the curve of your shoulder. When he releases it, the band tickles down your upper arm, and Jungwoo shifts, focusing his nipping kisses on your other shoulder until he against takes that bra strap between he teeth and drags it over the curve of your shoulder.

“Sit up, angel.” Jungwoo murmurs, and you do just that, feeling excited but also disappointed when his hands disappear from your skin, only to return a moment later. His slick finger touches against your back along with several non-slicked fingers, and a second later the clasp of your bra comes apart. You let it drop from your arms, leaving you fully exposed in the room, sitting in a fully-clothed Jungwoo’s lap.

He spreads his legs apart, and you lean back against him once more as his spreading legs push yours farther apart as well.

“Sexy.” Jungwoo kisses your cheek again.

He scoots your forward just a little, just enough that he can fit his hand between you both, and unfasten his zipper to get his cock out. You feel him hot and hard against your tailbone, and your core throbs. It’s been too long since you last had one of them inside you, and now....

You moan from the satisfaction of lifting yourself up and sitting down on Jungwoo’s cock.

“Perfect.” Jungwoo murmurs, his lips against your bare shoulder once more. “Love the feel of you when it’s been a while. The way you react.” His hands circle around to the front of your body, one hand lifted to gentle cup your breast. You groan, leaning back against his chest, sinking down the last inch around him, and Jungwoo’s other hand strokes lightly at your clit. “You’re so beautiful.”

With his arms wrapped around you, his hands caressing your body, his cock filling you up, you feel so perfectly small and safe in his arms, even with you being so exposed out in the room.

Jungwoo smiles as you start to squirm, needing to move to get more than just feeling full and having his teasing touches on your clit. But as you move away, pushing up onto your feet, pulling off his cock, you turn to see Jungwoo frowning slightly. Until you sit back down on his lap facing him.

“I want to see you.” You push his cock back inside you, nice and snug, and then plant your hands on either side of his face, lower your mouth toward his, and start riding him.

Jungwoo’s hands fall to your hips, keeping your rhythm steady as you bounce in his lap. The sound of your gasping breaths and breathy moans echoes all around the space, and you’re grateful that tonight it’s only the two of you here. You feel the sparks of pleasure buzzing and zipping around under your skin; Jungwoo’s hands grope at your ass, his lips burn along your jaw, and you needed this, you really did.

The orgasm comes over you before you expected it, suddenly crashing through you--walls clenching around Jungwoo’s dick, thighs twitching, unable to hold you up any longer, but that’s when Jungwoo just holds you up by your hips and keeps fucking you through it, his thrusts rocking through your body, elongating your orgasm.

Jungwoo grunts as he approaches his orgasm, low moans under his breath and swearing, and you just twist your fingers in his hair, dragging his lips to yours as he cums.

He pulls out of you as he does, cumming half inside you and half against your thigh, but you don’t mind. You sink down, feeling the mess as you sit against the front of his jeans, the denim rough against your sensitive clit, but at the moment you’re a glutton for that kind of oversensitivity.

With Jungwoo’s softening erection still wet and the rough denim of his jeans, you start humping against him, desperate for another orgasm to keep this warm buzzy glow inside of you going.

“Fuck,” Jungwoo groans. “Gonna cum again, princess? You’re making quite the mess of my jeans, look at you.” You do duck your head, looking down at the front of Jungwoo’s jeans where his own cum is smeared along with your wetness and more of his cum as it leaks out of you while you wantonly rub yourself against the denim, making a larger and larger wet patch, grinding forward against his cock, back along the denim.

His hands circle around your back, broad hands covering the expanse of your back, and you arch backwards a bit, leaning into his touch, keeping the movement of your hips against his pants. Jungwoo dips his head forward, his tongue swipes a circle around one of your nipples, his lips then skirt around kissing your breasts. They hurt but right now it doesn’t feel so bad, not with everything else you have going on.

“Cum again for me. I’ve got you.” Jungwoo murmurs, and he sucks gently on your nipple. Your mind falls straight to what you’d been talking about with him earlier, and you picture Jungwoo sucking on your breasts like this, breastmilk on his tongue, and somehow you find that to be a stimulating thought.

This orgasm writhes through you, and your hips twitch erratically over his jeans, your body falling into the overwhelming pleasure of it, and you can feel the heat squirting out of you, and Jungwoo’s moans of surprise mix with yours. And all through it, the heat of his hands holding you safely remains, and then he pull your forward against his chest, those same hands rubbing soothingly up and down your back.

“I’m sorry about your jeans,” you whisper to him after a little while when you’ve come back to yourself. “We should probably throw them in the wash before they’re permanently ruined.”

“No,” Jungwoo hums. “It’s fine. We can just stay like this for a bit longer.”

But you feel like your pussy is drying to the leg of Jungwoo’s pants, and that idea is certainly not pleasant, so when you peel yourself away from him, you wrinkle your nose a bit in disgust and Jungwoo groans at the loss of contact. “Let’s go shower and throw the clothes in the laundry. Plus, we shouldn’t stay here like this much longer. Who knows who will come home and find us like this?”

“I guess you’re right.” Jungwoo stands up suddenly, and it’s then that you really get a look at his pants. The whole crotch of them is dark from you squirting and from his cum. He quickly stuffs his cock away again, wipes his fingers along the front of his pants, and then you watch, bemused, as he lifts his fingers to his face and sniffs.

“You’re gross.” You laugh, taking his hand, and grabbing up your clothes before heading for the stairs.

“What? You smell good.” Jungwoo reaches up to touch your butt as you climb the stairs, and you stop so that you can spin around and look at him, and Jungwoo just grins. “Come on, thought we were going to shower?”

Moving day comes quickly, and the move is easy when you’ve got a whole moving crew at your disposal, every one of them more than happy to move things for you so you don’t strain yourself at all. Especially since they’ve all had multiple chances to look at that little blur that was the beginning of a baby in your ultrasound picture. You first showed off that picture two weeks ago, and now ten weeks along, you’re really starting to feel the pregnancy.

You’re exhausted, wanting to just nap all the time. And then, on top of the morning sickness, you’re dealing with heartburn too, plus just the day before the move, you stood up too quickly and felt dizzy, so now the boys are being very protective over you.

“Don’t lift that!” WinWin cried out in frustration as you bent over to lift a box from the floor. His hand rested on your back as you straightened up. “I’ve got it. Don’t worry about it, what do you think we’re all here for?”

He quickly stooped to lift the box for you. As soon as he was out the door, you looked for anything else that you could do. You hated being unable to help yourself move out. Ten had refused to even let you try to wrangle your cat Miso into the carrier since he seemed to be uneager to leave the apartment and move into his new home. So far most of your stuff had already been taken out before you could lift a finger to help, but now you saw a few boxes left, and just as you moved toward them, Xiaojun came through the door and caught your eye.

Xiaojun shook his head. “Don’t. We’ve got this.”

When you fold your arms across your chest and pout at him, Xiaojun smiles and walks over to you.

“Don’t be like this.” He laughs. “We’re just looking out for you and the baby.” Xiaojun lifts a hand to your cheek, his thumb touching the corner of your lips tenderly. “Just think, all it takes is one day to move out, and then you’re living with us, baby. No worries about getting home late at night to your empty place.”

You glance around at your startlingly empty apartment. This little place you’d made into a home, but it had grown less homelike over the last few months as you spent more time with your boyfriends.

Home was them, the comfort of their kitchen filled with spices and warmth of whatever was cooking up, the sleepiness of sinking into the sofa with a few of them after a long day at work.

Home was Taeil cuddling up behind you, his nose chilly on the side of your neck, but the rest of him so warm. It was Johnny kissing you hello every time either of you walked into the house after not having seen each other all day. It was quiet chats with Taeyong with your limbs tangled together, Yuta’s little moments of caring for you through words and touches and gifts. Home was Kun and Ten bickering with each other and turning to you to point out that they’re both fools, hearing them murmur ‘I love yous’ with Ten’s chilly fingers intertwining with yours, Kun’s contrastingly warm lips on your skin. Home was the smell of Doyoung and the sound of his voice singing so smooth and beautiful, his laugh, his gentle touches and bright smile when he saw you. It was Jaehyun sleepily slipping into the shower with you, just wanting to be close to you, WinWin silently taking care of you and quietly showing affection through light touches and surprise moments of intimacy.

You could find home in Jungwoo’s playful, needy rambunctiousness and in his quieter heartfelt moments. Home was in Lucas confiding to you worries and secrets that he feared would make him look weak; it was in Lucas gathering you into his arms and bracing you against his chest, easily making you forget that the rest of the world was out there. Home was Xiaojun holding your face in his hands like the most precious treasure in the world; it was him laughing with his whole chest and spending hours curled together without sleeping, just having the quiet time together on your phones or listening to music or whispering to each other or gazing up at the stars. It was Hendery always being able to make you laugh, knowing the right things to say, caring and worrying and loving you.

Home was Mark playing his guitar and singing under his breath, smiling out at you from beneath a hoodie, holding your hand as if he worried you might fly away, and most importantly home with Mark was found in him always being the first to invite you into their company, into their hearts and homes.

“Let’s go home,” Xiaojun tells you.

You nod, take his hand, and walk with him out of your apartment for the last time.

Miso doesn’t like living in the house, not right away. He hisses at the boys, always bolting from room to room, trying to hide from anyone that’s not you. It’s only after Ten accidentally shuts Miso in his room with him and you that Miso finally mellows out just a little bit. After that he likes Ten. Only you and Ten. But that doesn’t keep Taeyong, Taeil, Jeno, YangYang, Renjun, and Jaehyun from trying to befriend him.

Even when you’re napping on the sofa and Miso curls up on your chest, as soon as Jaehyun and Ten come downstairs, Miso stands up, flicking his tail angrily, and jumping off your chest, which wakes you up. You just catch sight of Miso’s tail disappearing from your line of sight, and then you look around.

It’s dusk outside, the sky a pretty pale blue with hints of pink and periwinkle clouds, and through the door in the kitchen you can hear laughter from outside. Johnny and a few of the others are out there grilling dinner, some others are in the kitchen. Jaehyun sits down across the room from you, but Ten slides onto the sofa with you.

“I’m sorry Miso doesn’t like you, Jaehyun.” You stretch your arms over your head, savoring the feel of your sleepy muscles stretching. You shiver at the feel of your shirt skimming up your stomach, a slight tickle.

“Yeah,” Ten laughs. “He only likes me. Let’s hope that the baby’s the same way.”

Ten’s chilly hands slip under your shirt and you whine, smacking his hands away. “God, Ten! Stop that!”

But he laughs and pulls his hands out, only to bring them to his face, puffing some warm breath into them before he does it again. It’s slightly better, though not by much. You pout at him.

“I just want to feel.”

“Feel what? The baby’s not big enough to kick yet. I don’t think it even has proper legs. It might still have a tail.” You roll your eyes, looking across the room to where Jaehyun is watching all of this with a light smile on his lips. “And I’m not even showing yet, so you’re literally just feeling up my belly. I have much less to show under here than you do.”

And you dive for his shirt, trying to pull it up to expose his toned abs, even higher so that you see the black tip of his chest tattoo. Ten laughs and wrestles his shirt out of your grip carefully. He drops a kiss on your lips, and dances away before you can protest. He vanishes out the back door of the house, into the cooling afternoon where Johnny and Hendery are grilling dinner.

You sigh and sink lower into the cushions. Jaehyun’s looking back down at his phone now, but you watch him anyway.

Ever since all of this with you announcing your pregnancy, showing off the first ultrasound of Little Blobby (as you and a few of the others, including Jisung and Haechan, have begun calling it), and since moving in, you haven’t really had many opportunities to speak one-on-one with Jaehyun. He’s been busy MCing, taking on an acting role, fulfilling other idol duties.

“Jaehyun?” You call. He looks up at you, and when you hold out your hand to him even though there’s still quite a few feet of empty space between you and him, he raises his eyebrows. “Come here?”

Jaehyun slides smoothly onto his feet, and you scoot into more of an upright position, making room for him to join you in the oversized armchair that you’ve been reclining in. He plops right into the spot with you, and you shift around, getting comfortable, which ends up meaning that you’re tucked against his side, one leg thrown over his. Jaehyun takes your hand, lifts it to his lips, and then brings your intertwined hands back down to rest atop the leg you have thrown over his.

“Yes, my love?” His voice is low, soft, and a bit scratchy as you know he’s at the tail end of a cold.

“I just wanted to be close to you,” you tell him. “And I feel like we haven’t really talked much recently. I miss you. Have you been sleeping enough? Eating enough?”

Jaehyun’s nose crinkles as he laughs. “Mom instincts already kicking in? Yes, I’m getting plenty of those things. I’ve been busy, but I’m managing. What about you? I heard you’ve been having trouble sleeping the past few nights. Taeil hyung said that you toss and turn. Mark said that you were sleep talking about some weird shit last night.”

You snort. “Yeah, last night I had a dream that we were all out eating at a restaurant, like one of those weird ones you’ll find sometimes in America with the fresh seafood tanks? With lobsters and stuff in them? And we were waiting for our food to be served, and it was taking forever, so Doyoung asked the waiter how much longer it would be, and the waiter pointed at me then at the fish tank and said, looks like you’re almost done. And there, in the giant tank, was me, looking like one of the people from Avatar in that big tank, my belly all big. It was fucking weird, that’s for sure.”

Jaehyun gives you a weird look, but laughs. “Your imagination is something else. But other than that weird dream, you’re doing well? Morning sickness still bad?”

You nod. “I walked past Jisung and Chenle earlier after they got home from practice, and they were eating like spicy teokbokki and all those smells combined, I couldn’t take it. Also, I guess my weird food cravings are starting too, because I really wanted crunchy peanut butter and watermelon earlier? I have no idea where that craving came from.” You shrug, and look at Jaehyun’s face again. “But I think morning sickness might be going away soon, that’s what the blogs I’ve looked at say. That the sickness starts to wane at the end of the first trimester and goes away for most women. Hopefully I’m not one of the ones that it continues for, I don’t think I’ll be able to handle that.”

He’s looking down at your belly, and you bite your lip. Was he even listening while were talking? He looks miles away.

You bump him with your shoulder. “Jae? What are you thinking about?”

Jaehyun blows out a heavy breath. “You’re really pregnant, huh?”

You sit up a bit more, lean away from him so you can look at him more straight on. “Yeah? Duh. Thought we went over this like four weeks ago? Confirmed by an ultrasound and everything. And even before that you were totally on board when all I had was one positive cheap pregnancy test from a convenience store. Why the tone of, like, surprise?”

Jaehyun shakes his head. “No, it’s not-- I’m just still thinking about it a lot. Like, it’s amazing, honestly. Thinking that one of us is a dad, and we don’t really know it. I know,” he sighs, rubbing a hand over his face as he says, “That I’ve been a bit of a jealous asshole in the past. And I’ve tried working on that, right? I love you and of course I want this baby to be mine, like, fuck, how many times have I talked about that. But I want you to know that, uh, even if it’s not mine, I’m just excited and amazed that in a few months you’re going to have a baby. When do you get to find out the sex?”

“I think about at 20-ish weeks.”

“And have you started thinking about names yet?” Jaehyun strokes his thumb over your knuckles.

Before you can answer him, Yuta appears, perching himself on the arm of the chair beside Jaehyun. “What are we talking about?”

“The baby,” Jaehyun answers, “and if she has any names that she’s thinking about.”

“You should definitely give the baby a Japanese name,” Yuta teases. “Since I’m probably the father.”

Jaehyun’s head turns so fast that you’re surprised you don’t hear his neck crack. “Why do you think that?” The look he gives Yuta is so sharp, the glare so powerful, you just hide your face against Jaehyun’s neck, trying to soothe him with some physical attention. So much for working on his jealousy. It looks could kill, Yuta would be six feet under.

“I’m just joking, Jaehyunnie.” Yuta pats the younger man’s hair. “But one of the fourteen of us is the father, and considering how often you sit out and just watch the rest of us fuck her, I’d say your odds are pretty low.” Yuta says that with a smile on his face, but Jaehyun frowns and slaps Yuta’s hand away.

“Oh, knock it off, both of you.” You place a kiss lightly on Jaehyun’s neck, and put your hand on his head, comb your fingers soothingly through his hair. “I literally slept with every single one of you right around the time that this Little Blob was made, so therefore, it really could be any of you. And, about names, I don’t think I’m really going to choose until after the baby is born. It’ll be my choice.”

“How are you going to choose which of us goes with you to have the baby?” Yuta asks.

“Maybe I won’t take any of you along.” You tease. “Maybe it’ll just be me and my mother. Speaking of which, I still haven’t told them.”

Jaehyun freezes then turns to look at you slowly. “What do you mean you haven’t told them yet? Aren’t you, like, twelve weeks along? Babe, you need to tell your parents.”

You know that, you completely agree that you need to tell them. But you know they’re going to ask who the father is, that they’ll definitely judge you harshly when you tell them that you don’t know who the father is, and they won’t understand if you attempt to reassure them that it’s okay that you don’t know who the father is because you know that it’s for sure one of your fourteen boyfriends, because your parents likely will disapprove of that too.

“You can tell them I’m the father, if that’s what you’re worried about,” Jaehyun says softly, tipping his head gently against yours.

You bite your lip. “Thank you. That would help, for sure, but also, like you said, I’m twelve weeks along. My mother will be pissed that I waited so long to tell her.”

Yuta shrugs. “Tell her that you just found out. It’s not like you’re showing. So you say that you’ve been feeling weird, and you finally went to the doctor to get checked out, and found out you’re pregnant.”

“Just text her, tell her you’re pregnant, and that you don’t want to answer a lot of questions.” WinWin appears behind the chair, leaning forward to rest his chin on his hands. “At least you can tell your parents that you’re adding a grandchild to the family now. One of us is going to have to wait to tell our family about the baby until after it’s born when we find out who the father is.”

You hadn’t thought about that either.

“I’m sorry,” you apologize, resting your head again on Jaehyun’s shoulder.

“Don’t apologize for that.” Yuta stands up. “It’s not like it’s your fault.”

“Time to eat!” Johnny shouts as he comes through the door, carrying a platter piled with grilled meat. You catch a whiff of it.

Covering your nose, you shake your head. “I can’t deal with that.” Johnny catches sight of your face and whisks the plate back outside, not that it takes the smell with it, and your stomach rolls. “I’m going upstairs. I’m not hungry.” You pull yourself out of the chair and hurry up the stairs, gladly breathing the air up on the top floor that’s untainted by the smell of meat.

You shut yourself in the room you share with Taeil, and as you sit in the bed, your back to the headboard, you stare nervously down at the phone in your hand.

It takes a few moments to build up your courage to finally press the contact for your mother, and you hold your phone up to your ear.

When she answers, you take a deep breath. “Hi, what are you up to?”

“Oh, nothing. Just watching your father try not to burn our meal.” She laughs, and you can hear your dad laughing in the background too. “What are you up to? Dinner plans tonight?”

Your heart pounds in your chest. “Um, no. Actually there’s something I want to talk to you and dad about.”

“Are you okay?” Your mother’s voice suddenly grows sharp, concerned.

“I’m fine. Definitely. Can you put me on speaker?” You wait a moment until your mother gives you a confirmation that she’s done just that. Your dad’s speaking over your mother, both of them with concerned tones that you finally silence by speaking over them even louder. “Do you remember me saying I’m seeing someone?”

You had, several months ago, told your parents that you were seeing someone after your mother had repeatedly tried setting you up with a young man that owned her favorite bakery. Up to that point you didn’t want to even tell them that you were seeing someone so they wouldn’t ask too many questions. You’d not given them many details, and they didn’t push.

“Yes, we remember.” Your mother says.

“So, things have gotten pretty serious with him. Especially recently.” You can hear your voice shaking with nerves. This is not how you ever imagined telling your parents you were pregnant. You’d always thought that cute reveals to new grandparents were very entertaining videos to watch online, but now that you’re in this situation, you don’t think you could do it, not given the circumstances.

“Serious?” You father repeats. “How serious?”

You’re quiet for a few moments as you try to think of the best way to phrase it, but you wait so long that you mom says your name, checking to make sure that you’re still on the line.

“Um, so, I’m pregnant. About twelve weeks along, according to the doctor.”

“Twelve weeks?!” Your mother gasps. “Oh my! You’re pregnant! Honey, she’s having a baby! And your boyfriend... he knows? Is he excited also?”

“Do we finally get to meet the boy?” Your dad asks. “Now that he’s got a baby in you?”

Your mother hisses your dad’s name, and you hear her slap his arm. “But really, do we get to meet our future son-in-law?”

“Well, that’s another thing. Don’t.... I don’t want you to think that he and I are getting married now because of this.” You cradle the phone in your hands. “Nothing like that is set in stone. Right now, we’re just focusing on having the baby. And I suppose you should meet him.” But you’re not sure about that. It doesn’t seem fair for you to choose one of your boyfriends, one who may not be the father, and have him be the only man in this relationship that gets to meet your parents.

“Oh, well, I suppose you’ve never been so much of a traditionalist, have you? So, it’s not terribly much of a surprise that you’re not necessarily going to marry him. But a baby! Our baby’s having a baby!” Your mother cries out in excitement.

You spend the next half an hour to forty-five minutes talking with your parents, catching them up on moments in your life, talking about your pregnancy, dipping into details of how your mother’s pregnancy with you had gone. By the time you end the call, you feel much better, much lighter.

You feel as if the transformation happens suddenly. One day you look just as you have usually done, and then the next.... you’ve popped, the bump evident when you look in the half-fogged mirror of the bathroom.

You can’t help touching your belly, feeling the mound that certainly wasn’t there just weeks before.

“What are you doing?” Johnny asks, coming up behind you. He wraps his arms around you, hands covering yours on your belly. His skin is still wet and warm from the shower that’s still running in the background for you to step into. His hand is such a welcome presence, the heat of him against your bare skin. “You’re starting to show.”

You’re about fifteen weeks at this point, right in the timeline your doctor had told you that you might start showing. After that moment in the bathroom, you start wearing looser clothing, and just find it increasingly difficult to hide your pregnancy from anyone that you’d still been trying to keep it from, and your body is changing in a way that other people certainly take notice of.

“Shit, look at you, baby.” Mark whistles when he walks into the kitchen late one night, and he finds you standing beside the refrigerator with a midnight snack. You’re just wearing a pair of shorts and a low-cut camisole. Your belly standing out in evidence of the life inside of you, but you’re quickly made aware that that’s not exactly what Mark is pointing out.

He steps closer to you, and instead of touching your belly (as all the others have done as soon as they realized you were starting to show), Mark cups your tits.

“They’re bigger now.” His eyes are wide glued to your chest.

“Of course they’re bigger. Once this little blob comes out I’m going to have to feed it with these.” You nudge his hands away. “They’re not just toys for you all to play with, you know. They serve a purpose.”

Mark smiles at you and kisses your cheek. “I know, baby.” He tucks his hands into the pockets of his sweatpants, and he stands there watching you eat, apparently entirely forgetting the reason that he entered the room himself. It’s quiet for a moment before Mark finally asks, “When’s your next appointment? Don’t you get to learn the sex of the baby soon?”

You nod. “Soon. I’m not sure if I actually want to know what we’re having though.” You drop a hand down to touch your little barely-there bump. “I might want it to be a surprise.”

Mark steps closer again, and this time he touches your belly too. “This little angel’s going to be full of surprises for us, isn’t it?”

You push your fingers into Mark’s hair, enjoying having him so close to you and the way he melts into your touch. Mark’s eyes flutter shut as you comb your fingers through his hair, he leans his forehead down against yours.

“Mark?” Your voice is very quiet even in the silence of the kitchen. “Mark, what do you want from this?”

“What do you mean?” He murmurs, not pulling back from you at all, but staying right there with his eyes closed and his forehead against yours.

“I mean, do you want to be the dad? Or are you secretly hoping it’s one of the others? Do you want it to be a boy or a girl? Do you think this is going to really fuck up this relationship?”

“I think if it was going to mess this up, it would’ve already done so, right?” He stands up straight again, putting a few inches of space between you. “We’re all still here, excited about the baby. Hell, even the others are excited and they’ve not got any DNA in the game.”

You know he’s talking about the younger members, the ones not in this relationship. They’ve all been excited and supportive too. You’d taken several exhaustion naps on the sofa between Renjun and Jeno; just the other morning as you’d been looking at a pregnancy book at the kitchen table, YangYang had sat down beside you and started asking you questions about it. Haechan swore that he’d be glad to help babysit in the future. You’d heard Chenle and Jaemin offering to take bets on the paternity of the baby.

“And I don’t know about being the dad,” Mark says, “I don’t think it matters too much to me one way of the other. I don’t mean that in a bad way! I feel like that sounded kinda bad, but like, if I am the dad then that’s awesome and I’m going to try my hardest to be the best dad I can be, but even if I’m not, I’ll still try my best to be here. But I guess it also depends how you want to raise the kid, like, fourteen dads? Or are those who aren’t the dad just going to be Uncles who occasionally share mommy’s bed?”

You wrinkle your nose at that. “That’s exactly what I mean, Mark. This relationship is going to change, and that’s scary. I don’t want this to change, I love how we all are together, but after this, then what?”

“Hey.” Mark cups your face between his hands. He tilts your face up toward his, and when he kisses you softly, almost chastely, for just that moment in time you forget your worries. “That’s a problem for when we get to it, but it’s miles and miles away in the future. You don’t need to worry about that now, okay?” He kisses you again, and this time the kiss isn’t so sweet or tender.

Your midnight snack is entirely forgotten on the counter beside you. Mark envelops you--his smell and his taste, the heat of his skin against yours-- and you lift your hands to his arms, first touching his wrists up near your face, and then your fingertips dance down his forearms, resting for a moment against his elbows as Mark twists his fingers into your hair, tilting your head to a better angle as your mouth opens to his, and you gasp quietly.

His tongue touches yours, springing another moan from you, and Mark smiles, his fingers tightening in your hair.

It doesn’t take much more kissing than that to have you craving a midnight snack of a different sort. The hunger grows inside you, the heat building, and soon you can feel your shorts are damp with arousal and your fingertips itch to undress Mark, your body aching with the need to have him inside you.

“Mark,” you mumble, planning to ask him to fuck you, but your hands are already moving. Your hands drop from where you’ve been holding onto his arms, instead gripping the bottom hem of his shirt which you tug at until your fingertips find skin instead.

Mark groans, feeling your cool skin against his. And when your fingertips move across his abdomen, quickly dipping inside the waistband of his sweatpants, Mark inhales sharply, breaking the kiss for a moment, just to ask, “Here?”

You nod. “Yeah, why not?”

That’s good enough for him.

Mark dives back into the kiss, making little noises of contentment as you push his sweatpants lower, as you dip your hand inside his boxers, wrapping your hand around his cock. It doesn’t take long for him to start chubbing up in your hand.

“Mm, baby,” Mark pulls out of the kiss, his hands shaking to detangle his fingers from your hair, and his hands fall to your hips instead. Mark lifts you carefully up to sit on the edge of the countertop you’ve been leaning against, and now you’re at the perfect height to spread your legs and pull his cock free of his boxers to rub at the already damp fabric over your pussy.

You remember the time you almost did this with Kun in here. Things got hot and heavy with him, but the younger boys were just in the other room, so you moved things upstairs instead. But tonight there’s no one around. Everyone’s either out or upstairs in their rooms. There’s nothing to stop you from having sex with Mark right here in the kitchen with the lights on and everything.

Mark thumbs the middle of your shorts out of the way as you keep jerking him off, rubbing the tip against the material, which he’s tired of, craving the direct wet heat of you on him.

“Fuck, baby, why aren’t you wearing any panties?” He almost whines. His thumb glides along your slit, and you shift forward, wanting to have him just slip his thumb inside you, but he pulls it away, putting his hand back to the safe distance of your thigh. “That’s dirty. Looking so sexy already with your belly growing and your tits too, then no panties either. Shit, it’s like you knew this was going to happen.”

“Maybe I’ve just been hoping.” You lean in, capture his lips in a brief kiss, and then say, “You’ve all been so careful with me. I don’t get fucked nearly as much as before, and while this pregnancy has messed with my sex drive a bit, I do still want to have sex, I just think you all should know that.”

“So no panties because you’re horny, hoping to entice one of us into fucking you?” Mark grins crookedly, looking down at your pussy, which you finally bring his cock closer to, and you dip his tip against your clit, moving it in circles.

You smile and try to stifle a moan.

“Do you want it?” Mark asks you.

“Yes, Mark,” you sigh, and you guide his cock to where you need him most, and Mark lifts a hand to tilt your mouth up to meet his once more.

Mark enters you smoothly, slowly, in one thrust. Your toes curl at the slow feeling, the stretch and glide, the way that you’ve barely had anyone touch you in weeks, since Jungwoo, probably. You don’t think you’ve been with another one of them since him, not having one of them inside you like this--just you helping them out with a blowjob maybe and then possibly a bit of fingering, but most of them were still treating you like some fragile porcelain doll--and that was probably a month and a half ago when you were with Jungwoo, the last time you’d had one of their dicks inside your vagina.

“Oh, fuck,” Mark groans. “I swear you’re tighter than normal.”

“Shh,” you shush him, laughing as you try to kiss him quiet. “It’s been a couple weeks since I’ve had more than a finger or two inside me.”

Mark moans, deepening the kiss, silencing you as he thrusts slowly, each push of his cock deeper inside you feels incredible.

You both take it slow, in no rush to get off right now, it’s just good enough to have him inside you, to kiss him, and Mark seems to feel the same. Kissing and hands slipping under clothes, just touching, hips rolling, everything slow and warm and you feel so wet, growing wetter with each glide of Mark’s cock inside your pussy, pants and moans rising in frequency.

Your goal isn’t to cum, just to have Mark so close to you, but soon there’s no denying that you’re both getting close. It’s been too long since either of you had this kind of sexual release. Mark’s thrusts start to grow faster, sloppier, and he pants against your lips, “Can I cum inside you? What about---?”

“It’s fine, Mark.” You gasp, dropping your head back. “Please, I want to feel it.”

Happy to oblige you, Mark ducks his head to kiss at your neck. His hand sinks to the apex of your thighs, his thumb tracing quick, careful circles on your clit as he thrusts into you, chasing his quickly rising high. The sound of your breathy sighs and moans, soft whimpers of his name, all seem to drive him on, and you cum just moments before him.

“Mark, fuck!” You gasp. You clutch at his shoulders, holding yourself close to him as the sensation pulses through your body, dragging Mark into his orgasm as well. He bites down on the juncture of your neck and shoulder, muffling his moans as he spills inside you, his cum making you feel warm and full, and you don’t want to move from right here like this, just want to stay here with Mark inside you, close as he can be to you, his body pressed fully against yours, your baby bump against his belly.

You don’t want to move, and you probably wouldn’t have for quite some time, but suddenly there’s the tapping sound of someone jogging down the stairs.

Mark pulls away from you, stuffing his cock back inside his sweatpants, and he reaches out to tug your shorts back into place. He even rearranges your hair so it falls over your shoulders, hiding the mark he’d just sucked on your throat. And then he steps away, leaning against the stove and pretending to study a box of cereal someone had left out.

WinWin walks into the room, his eyes puffy from sleep. He yawns as he looks between the two of you, walking across the room toward you to reach the sink.

“Were you just messing around in here?” He asks, opening a cabinet door to pick out a glass. “Because that’s gross. We all eat in here.”

He looks away as he fills the glass with water. Mark’s eyes go faux-innocently wide, and he opens his mouth, prepared to give some excuse.

You cut him off. “You’re one to talk, Dong Sicheng. Are you forgetting the time I rode you right over there at the kitchen table? You weren’t so concerned about this being a place where we eat then. I’m pretty sure I remember you specifically pulling me into your lap and telling you that this is where we eat, so you wanted to eat me.”

WinWin coughs, almost choking on the water. Mark laughs loudly.

You smile at them both, and then push off the counter, landing on your feet, and you wrinkle your nose at the feeling as a bit of Mark’s cum begins to trickle down your thigh. WinWin reaches out to you, as if worried that the look on your face is due to some discomfort of the baby.

“I’m fine. Don’t worry.” You walk the few feet over to Mark, kiss him, and then you turn to WinWin, kiss him as well, and turn to walk away, calling back over your shoulder, “Good night!”

Their returned well-wishes of sweet dreams follow you upstairs as you crawl into Hendery’s bed.

He stirs a bit when you slide in beside him. He fell asleep watching videos on his phone, and the phone’s laying facedown on his chest, the edge of it still outlined from the light of the screen, so you move it off, rolling back to the side of the small bed to plug his phone in before you re-situate yourself on your side, and Hendery moves up to spoon you from behind.

He murmurs your name sleepily and drapes his arm over you, nuzzling his nose against your neck before he falls immediately back to sleep. And you soak in the warmth of his bed, his body curled against yours, wishing you could fall asleep, but somehow you just can’t.

You stay awake, staring at the shadows in the room, praying for sleep to claim you as it’s claimed Hendery behind you, Xiaojun across the room.

Nothing.

You hear footsteps climbing the stairs up to the floor above, hear the creak of movement, and then the closing of a door. A few moments later, the door to this room opens as well. The dim glow of a nightlight in the bathroom down the hall casts a streak across the room, right over you in Hendery’s bed.

“Sorry,” WinWin whispers as he comes inside, tiptoeing. “Did I wake you up?”

“I wasn’t sleeping. I can’t sleep.”

WinWin sits on his bed, and in the darkness, you can just barely make out the shape of his shadow patting his bed. “You can come over here. I can help you fall asleep.”

You don’t see what he’s going to do to help with that, but you carefully extract yourself from Hendery, tiptoe across to WinWin’s bed, and slide in with him.

He props himself up against the headboard with a few pillows, and then you feel him draw you in, resting your head on his chest, leaned back against him. His cheek rests against your head, an arm casually curled around your waist, his hand touching your belly, and he whispers, “I think we just need to tire out that busy mind of yours. What is it that you’re thinking about? Tell me?”

So you start talking, telling WinWin in whispers all of these worries and wonders in your head. Concerns for the future, for the state of this relationship, how they’ll all react when the day comes that you do find out which of them is the father because you’ve long since accepted that you have to find that out, though you had briefly entertained the idea of just not doing any paternity test at all. You talk to WinWin until you’re certainly tired out, or at least your voice is.

“I’m sorry,” you apologize then. “You’re probably tired, aren’t you? But I just keep talking.”

WinWin mumbles something that never quite makes its way to words. Then, “It’s fine. You need to sleep too, though. Aren’t you tired yet?”

Not quite.

“Alright then.” WinWin sighs and shifts his head, his lips right beside your ear, and he starts singing to you quietly in Chinese. The song is familiar, but you can’t place it; it’s a relaxing tune, and WinWin’s deep voice works wonders, lulling you into such a state that you don’t even notice when exactly you fall asleep.

One moment you’re awake in his arms, and then you’re dreaming.

You’re walking down the hallway, passing by the door to Lucas, Ten, and Kun’s room, climbing the stairs, you walk along until you reach a door just beyond Taeil’s room. A faint golden light outlines the door which looks shiny and new, recently installed, and from behind the door you hear the cries of a baby.

Your heart leaps in your chest.

Just a touch of your fingertips, and the door opens on a nicely decorated nursery -- creamy white walls and gauzy curtains decorated in stars and moons, a crib is tucked in the corner under a gently spinning mobile, and that’s the source of the crying.

The baby’s crying. Your baby. You walk closer, and making shushing noises as you approach, you look down into the crib and see your baby.

But it’s not only one baby. There are multiple babies, a whole row of them side-by-side, waving angry fists up at you. A baby wrapped in blue with Johnny’s face. Another that looks like Yuta. A little girl who has Hendery’s big brown eyes, one that looks exactly like Taeyong.

You blink.

There’s only one baby, cooing up at you happily with an undeniable resemblance to ---

You wake with a jolt. WinWin, still curled there together with you, strokes his fingers over the back of your hand, mumbling something in his sleep to comfort you. In the dark, you stare at his face in front of you, but all you can see are the faces of the little babies in your dream.

You shift closer, pressing your face against WinWin’s chest.

At work, you try to avoid talking about your pregnancy. Not an easy thing to do when many of your coworkers are women, including older women who just want to offer up advice based on their own pregnancies. And they’ve all got so many questions: how far along you are, who’s the father, are you still dating that guy who came to briefly visit you once so many months ago, are you learning the gender, and many more questions.

You can’t help thinking about that dream again and again.

Previously, you didn’t think you really wanted to know the sex of the baby until the birth. But after that dream, you can’t stop thinking about it.

Sometimes you’ll find your mind wandering back to that dream or mulling over what you think you’re going to have. And after your coworkers repeatedly asking you who the father is, you keep thinking about that too, trying to run through your mind the encounters you’d had with your boyfriends around that exact time that this Little Blob was conceived. The younger boys are actually taking bets on which of your boyfriends is the father, whether it’s going to be a boy or girl, and all sorts of silly bets.

And it’s not only them; the last time you spoke to your mother she was making guesses on gender based on family history and invasive questions into your sex life, which she’d followed up with an inquiry about meeting the father-to-be that you’d edged out of by feigning an incoming call from your doctor.

But you know you can’t put it off forever. At some point your parents are going to want to meet the man who impregnated their daughter. You just have to choose one of the possible men to introduce to them.

“I wouldn’t mind, I don’t think.” Xiaojun tells you late one morning.

The house is quiet. When you left Taeil’s room this morning as he woke to go to Inkigayo, you sat downstairs in the kitchen, drinking a morning glass of water and taking a handful of recommended prenatal vitamins, watching as half of the house cleared out, your boys going off to work.

You were excited, getting to see them work in different combinations than normal.

After they’d all left, piling into multiple vans, it’d just been you, Xiaojun, Jisung, Haechan, YangYang, and Taeyong left in the house. Haechan and Jisung were firmly shut inside their room, probably not likely to wake until at least the afternoon, and YangYang was similarly probably sleeping. Not that any of them would give you the company you wanted.

Sure, you enjoyed hanging out with the younger members, playing games and watching movies, and teasing them endlessly. But you didn’t want to just be entertained, you didn’t want to just go back to sleep now that you were awake.

You were horny.

You’d been dreaming nicely up until the moment that Taeil jerked awake at the sound of their manager’s voice calling from the doorway. It was a rude awakening, considering how just a second before you’d been in the midst of sucking off Doyoung while sitting on Jaehyun’s face, having the absolute time of your life. But the dream had faded in moments, leaving you with only the ache between your thighs, the heat that needed to be quenched.

So now, with all of the others gone, you were left with three choices. One, you could just take care of it yourself, which is the least fun option. Your second option was Taeyong, but you knew he had only dragged himself home from the studio a couple hours ago because he’d climbed into bed with you and Taeil, snuffling and clingy, just wanting a cuddle. A third option was Xiaojun, an eager, always good option.

So you went to Xiaojun’s room.

He was awake on his phone, and the sight of you in his doorway brought a smile to his face. You stepping inside and closing the door behind you made him smile brighter and start to sit up in bed. And when you reached down and pulled the long shirt of Lucas’s you’d stolen to sleep in over your head, Xiaojun’s smile melted into liquid desire pooling in his eyes.

“I’m horny, Dejun. Please help me.” You drop the shirt on the floor, and in seconds you’re on your back in Xiaojun’s bed, his mouth hot on your skin, lips on your breasts then your stomach, taking his time trailing slow kisses over your increasingly noticeable bump. And then he’s on your thighs, kissing, nipping, and when he licks at your pussy, your body glows with lust and pleasure.

Xiaojun performs oral sex right then like he’s going to be graded on it. Soon you’re shaking in his bed, thighs closing around his head, hips rocking against his face, and Xiaojun just keeps licking until you whine and whimper his name, knotting your fingers in his hair. He moves quickly up to kiss you.

You stay like that, kissing as the morning passes by outside, soft kisses that turn hot and passionate with your hand down the back of Xiaojun’s sweatpants as he grinds against your thigh, kisses getting softer as you spread your legs for him to fit between them and push his sweatpants down just enough that he can thrust into you. And it’s slow, soft and lazy sex in the haze of the golden rays of sunlight shifting across his sheets from the window above his bed.

Xiaojun cums and uses his fingers to get you off, and then keeps kissing you even as he rolls off to the side, holding you there in his bed even though you both feel gross and sticky sweaty.

The kissing tapers off eventually. He holds one of your hands, and your other hand absentmindedly goes down to your belly, and you start talking about the appointment you have in next week where you can finally find out the sex of the baby, and how your mother wants to come, and she wants you to bring your boyfriend.

“I’m serious,” Xiaojun says. “I wouldn’t mind if you wanted to introduce me as the representative for all of us. Your singular boyfriend, father of your baby.”

You look at him out of the corner of your eye.

Xiaojun smiles and hides half of his face in his pillow. “I think I’m probably not the dad, like, it’s just a feeling I have, but who’d be better to meet your parents than me? I’m nice, polite, handsome, funny, smart. Not to mention modest.”

You laugh and push at his shoulder, and Xiaojun dramatically rolls away and then stands up off the bed.

He looks down at you, still smiling. “And also, I think one of us should be there with you at that appointment. I think one of us should always go with you, because you need the support, it’ll be nice, right?”

“I don’t know. I cried when I first heard the heartbeat.” You sit up and look down at your belly. “Pretty sure several of you would have teased me about that.”

“Pretty sure several of us would have cried right along side you. You played us that recording of the heartbeat.” Xiaojun shakes his head. “Maybe you weren’t paying attention, but there was quite a bit of excitement and emotion that day among all of us.” He reaches down and strokes his thumb along your cheek. “Just think about it. I’m gonna go eat, do you want some?”

You don’t, so you stay there wrapped only in Xiaojun’s sheets and mentally draft up a conversation to have with your boys.

You put it up to the boys to decide which of them would accompany you to your next appointment at eighteen weeks, and who will also be the one to meet your parents.

“Whether you vote or play rock paper scissors or draw straws or something, I don’t care, as long as you’re all aware that it’s perfectly fair no matter who wins. I don’t want any of you feeling jealous, like I’m playing favorites or anything ridiculous like that.” You gave them this task right before you walked out the door to go grab dinner with some friends, hoping that by the time you arrived home later, they would have the answer.

Dinner was great. Since starting the relationship with the guys, you’d seen less and less of your friends just because it was a full-time kind of thing being with multiple boyfriends, plus it was difficult having this love life and not being able to openly talk about it with friends for various reasons such as being in a fifteen-person relationship was not at all common and also because your fourteen boyfriends were idols who could have their careers damaged if word of your relationship with any one of them got out.

Your friends were excited to see you and your not-so-little-anymore baby bump. They’d seen what you’d posted on social media -- the sonogram photo when you decided to finally post about the pregnancy, Snapchats and Instagram stories complaining about the woes of morning sickness and other symptoms -- and it was really great to catch up with your friends, and by the end of the night they were already telling you that they couldn’t wait for the baby shower.

“And we can’t wait to meet your baby daddy!” One of them cries, flinging her arm around your shoulder in a one-armed hug. “Like, you’re dating him right? You’re always so secretive with your love life; I can’t remember if you were dating someone, or was this just like a fling kind of thing?”

“Yeah, who is he? When can we meet him?” Another says.

You look around at your friends. “He’s just really private. But, yes, we’ve been dating for several months. But it’s also kind of complicated.”

“Complicated? Does he not want the baby?”

“Complicated and he’s private? What, is he an idol or something?” One laughs, and everyone bursts into laughter. You try to laugh along, but then you catch the eye of one of the girls and quickly look away. She’s been with you the time that you ran into Taeyong in public while you were broken up; you wonder if she’s thinking of him.

Another friend gasps, “Oh my god. Bitch, he better not be married!”

You try not to look like you’re caught in the spotlight, but you definitely are. “He’s not married!” Is the first answer you can think to give them. “And, no, it’s not that he doesn’t want the baby. He’s very excited, I mean, like, they’re excited.”

That raises several eyebrows. One of your friends nearly chokes on her drink.

“They? Like personal pronoun they or they, as in like, multiple people they?” One friends seeks clarification, and you take a deep breath and stare down into your water glass at the ice cubes clinking together before you give her the quiet confirmation of “multiple people.”

There’s giggles and teasing catcalls from around the table. You feel on fire, like you’re being roasted alive, and even gulping down the cold water doesn’t really help. There’s a fluttery feeling in your belly, so you lay a hand over it and just swallow down another mouthful of water, hoping to quell the nerves of having all of their attention on you after admitting this.

The friend beside you who’d been hugging you, squeezes your shoulders in what is probably meant to be a comforting motion. “So do you know which one of them is the dad?”

You shake your head. “No, but it doesn’t really matter. Like, they’re all excited and this relationship has been going on for a while. It’s serious, and I do love them, and it’s very unconventional, like super unconventional, but I’m happy.”

“That’s all that matters, isn’t it?” One of them says. “You’re happy and in love and having a baby! Damn, I wish I could be so blessed.”

After that the topic turns away from you and your love life for a bit, and you’re glad for that, but you’re also glad to have opened up just a tiny bit about the relationship. To have finally told someone that you’re in an unconventional relationship that includes more than two people, though you’re sure your friends think that it’s probably just you and two boyfriends, and you truly don’t feel like enlightening them any more. But it’s nice to have put it out there.

And when you do get home later, with a box of dessert that Ten had texted you begging you to bring home about halfway through your dinner, you find that half of the boys are still sitting around the table in the kitchen debating, but a handful of them are sitting in the living room.

Mark is sitting on the sofa with his laptop, Chenle leaning his head on Mark’s shoulder. Ten is in the armchair with Miso tucked in the nest of his legs. Hendery laying on the floor, his chin propped up on his hands, and Yuta’s sitting right beside him, watching a soccer match on the TV. Haechan, Jisung, and Jeno are also sitting on the second sofa, slouching down on the cushions, either on their phones or also watching the game.

You look around at them, before you glance toward the doorway into the kitchen.

“We lost,” Ten explains to you. “They’re still deciding.” He strokes Miso’s head, and then looks up at you, squinting in faux-anger, “You know, it was pretty rude of you to put us at odds with each other like that, and then you dip out to a fancy fun dinner with your friends. And did you even bring us anything tasty to eat?”

You stick out your tongue at him and pull the box out from behind your back.

“Do you think I don’t love you or something?”

When you hold it out to him, Ten eagerly reaches for it, but you pull it back quickly.

“You have to share it, you know.”

Ten whines, but nods, and as you start to hand it over again, Kun sweeps in out of nowhere, and takes the cake, then brushes a kiss on your cheek. Chenle laughs loudly, watching all of this, especially when Ten snatches the back of Kun’s shirt and jerks him back, nearly tumbling him into Ten’s lap on top of your poor cat.

Miso bristles and flees Ten’s lap to the comparative safety of the stairs where he begins grooming himself and glaring at the ruckus below.

You end up with Kun and Ten squeezed together in the chair, you perched on Kun’s lap with the box of dessert open in your lap, the three of you taking turns with a single fork. Your feet rest in Yuta’s lap on the floor, and after a bit, he leans over and rests his head against your knee, his actions sleepy but his eyes are wide awake following the moves of the players on the screen.

You can’t seem to relax, nervously glancing toward the kitchen doorway every few minutes. And thinking about who it’s going to be, which of them is going to be the one to meet your parents, to come to your appointments with you, it makes you nervous. While you sit there you feel flutters in your belly multiple times, and that just makes you feel even more nervous.

When the other boys finally come out of the kitchen, Taeyong whines, seeing the nearly finished dessert in your lap, and he comes over to beg a bite.

“What did you decide?” You ask him as Taeyong takes the box from you and settles on the arm of the chair. “Which of you is it? Whose egos do I need to soothe?”

“Probably Jaehyun,” Taeyong mumbles around the cake. “He’s pouting.” He jerks his head toward the other side of the room, and you follow the move just to see Jaehyun standing behind the sofa where Mark and Chenle are sitting. Jaehyun’s got his arms folded across his chest, his jaw tense, his eyes deadset on the TV, though you can tell he’s not actually watching the game.

Taeyong clears his throat and whispers, “Johnny won; we figured he’d be the best in these situations. He’ll charm your parents for sure, and he’ll be good at the appointment too.”

You catch Johnny’s eye as he comes around the sofa to sit down beside Chenle. He immediately starts tickling Chenle’s sides until he’s squirming and making loud squawking laughs while Johnny just laughs at him and calls him cute.

Eventually Yuta lifts his head from your knee to shush them, his eyes still glued to the screen as one of the teams makes a goal. You look over at Johnny again as he’s petting Chenle’s hair while the younger settles back down. And then you look up at Jaehyun. WinWin’s now standing beside him, his arm slung around Jaehyun’s shoulders, and they whisper to each other, but after a moment Jaehyun seems to feel you watching them, and he catches your eye with a sweet smile.

“How do I look?” Johnny asks, nervously tugging at the collar of his shirt. You’re about to leave for the appointment, and as you sit on Johnny’s bed watching him get ready, you fight down your own nerves.

“Handsome. As usual.” You sigh, fluttering your hands over your belly. “What about me?”

You push up to your feet, standing right before Johnny. He smiles warmly, a hand sneaking around to the small of your back, and you step just a bit closer to him.

“Sexy as always,” Johnny says with a grin. “Pretty and cute and beautiful too. If your mother looks anything like you, I can’t wait to meet her.”

Yes, the source of all your nerves. Johnny meeting your mother. Your mother coming to your appointment with you both. And then there’s the late lunch you’re having afterwards with Johnny, your mother, and your father.

“Hey, don’t be so nervous, sweetheart.” Johnny cups your face in his hands. “I’m great with parents. By the time we come home later, they’re going to absolutely love me, we’re going to know if you’re having a girl or a boy, plus we have a little surprise the others should have ready for you by the time we’re home.”

Now, that makes you more suspicious than nervous.

Typically you don’t have a good history of your boyfriends trying to surprise you with things. Seven times out of ten the surprise ends up being an orgy, and the other three times out of ten are just a failure on their part. So as you and Johnny walk out of the house, you watch the others suspiciously, such as when Taeil kisses you on the cheek as you pass him on the stairs, when Renjun pipes up from the sofa to tell you that they’ll all be anxiously waiting to see who has won the first of their series of bets, and when Doyoung hurries up from behind you to give you a few words of luck and calming for the appointment and for introducing Johnny to your parents.

“Thank you, Doyoung.” You press up on your toes to meet him for a brief kiss. “See you later!”

As you turn to follow Johnny, Doyoung’s hand falls reluctantly from your arm, and you look back at him to offer him a reassuring smile because he’s pouting.

“Doyoung also really wanted to come with you today,” Johnny tells you a few minutes later. “Him and Jaehyun were really duking it out there toward the end of our debate. Both of them were pretty pissed when I was the one who was decided on.”

You don’t know what to say to that. If it were possible, you would happily bring every single one of your boyfriends, but that is neither practical nor realistically something that your parents would ever possibly approve of. Your parents are not like your friends; your friends think it’s different and sexy that you’re in a relationship with more than one man, but your parents would think that something like that is disgusting and wrong and would certainly try to influence you to choose just one of them.

So you fall into this rabbit hole of thinking, and it’s not until Johnny puts his hand on your thigh, squeezing slightly as he says, “We’re here,” that you snap out of your thoughts.

You’re at the doctor’s office, and when you look up through the windshield of the car, you can see your mother standing beside the door into the office, somewhat awkwardly smiling at passersby, looking nervous as well.

“This will be wonderful, okay?” Johnny reassures you. “Are you ready?”

You nod, and then push the car door open.

The moment that your mother sees you, her face lights up, and then her eyes fall down to your belly, the definite mound of your belly, and she breaks into a smile so wide that you think she also might start crying.

“Oh, my baby!” She pulls you into a hug. “How are you feeling?”

“I’m good, Mom. Taking good care of myself and the baby, with some help of course.” You pull out of the hug and turn to Johnny. He’s standing a few feet back, not wanting to intrude on the moment with your mother, but when you hold out a hand to him, he steps forward.

The second his fingers interlace with yours, you feel confident and happy, and you turn back to your mother. “Mom, this is Johnny. My boyfriend.”

She looks at him. Looks him up. Looks him down. You can tell she’s analyzing everything about him, filing away little details that you’re sure she’ll want to discuss with you later.

And then Johnny holds his hand out to her. “Johnny Suh, ma’am. It’s great to finally meet you. I was just telling her this morning that --” You elbow him sharply in the side and glare at him, not wanting him to finish that sentence calling your mother hot. He laughs, and holds his hand out to your mother again. She shakes his hand, still watching him appraisingly.

“It’s nice to meet you too, finally. She’s always been secretive about relationships, but I think this is the longest we’ve ever had to wait to meet someone she’s dating.” Your mother glances at you. “Why’ve you kept this one a secret?”

“He’s too charming for his own good sometimes. Come on, let’s get inside.”

As you sit in the waiting room, nervously tapping your foot as you wait, you look around at the other women in the room. There are some whose bellies are huge, looking ready to pop at any moment. Some who aren’t showing at all. There’s one woman wrangling two toddlers along with her big pregnant belly, looking increasingly frustrated at the two children climbing over her and over and under the chairs.

You don’t even notice that you’re shaking your leg so much until Johnny’s hand comes to rest on your knee. His voice is low, soft so no one else can hear it when he asks, “You okay?”

“Fine. Just ready to find out.” You place your hand on his, and that’s when you notice your mother watching you very observantly.

The three of you chat a little bit, and she tells you that your father is all ready to interrogate your boyfriend, especially since you’d given them no information about him. “She wouldn’t even tell us your name.”

“I can’t talk too much about us, you know. We’ve got to keep it a little bit of a secret.” You whisper to her. “Maybe you don’t recognize him, but he is an idol. Other people might recognize him, and we can’t let word get out.”

Johnny’s wearing a mask and a hat now that you’re in the doctor’s office together, keeping his head down somewhat just on the off-chance that someone could recognize him. But now, with the way your mother is staring at him in surprise, you think it might draw some attention.

When you go to the restroom a few minutes later, leaving the two of them alone, you worry that you’ll come back to find things in a disastrous state, but to your surprise, after an extended bathroom break due to the number of others trying to use the single restroom available off the waiting room, you return to see them laughing and talking more comfortably with each other, and just a few minutes after that you’re called back to meet with your doctor.

Now, it’s not like the appointment jumps straight into finding out the gender of the baby, but that’s all the matters, all that you can focus on while you and your doctor talk, while she examines you, while your mother and Johnny sit nearby, but then it’s time and you’re on your back with your shirt pulled up over your belly and a technician spreading the cool gel over your belly.

You don’t remember reaching for Johnny’s hand, but suddenly you’re holding onto it while you look at the screen. Your mother’s leaning forward eagerly too, all three of you plus the doctor staring at the screen at the inside of your body, searching for your Little Blobby.

“Ah, here we are.” The technician pauses for a moment, and you can hear the heartbeat inside you--not the one that belongs to you, but the second smaller one, the faster tiny one--and you can see it on the screen.

“That’s the baby?” Johnny squeezes your hand and leans closer to see the screen more clearly. “That’s our baby?”

“It sure is.” The technician moves the device a bit more, trying to get a better view. “Is this daddy and grandma’s first time seeing the baby?”

“It is!” Your mother says excitedly. Her hand briefly touches your leg as she shifts closer to see as well. “It’s just too exciting to learn the baby’s gender, don’t you think? How could we miss the appointment for this?”

She’s right, you realize. It’s very important for the father of the baby to be there when you find out the baby’s sex. And as much as you love Johnny, you look back up at him right then, and you realize that he very well may not be the father of this baby. There are thirteen other men who it could be, and it’s not fair to rob them of this experience.

“Wait,” you say. The technician stops, and when she looks at you, you clear your throat. “I don’t think I want to know today. If you can just, like, write it down and put it in an envelope?

“Honey, what?” Your mother picks up your hand from where Johnny’s just dropped it. “You don’t want to know today?”

You shake your head. One look at Johnny shows you that he’s a little bit hurt, but that he understands the thought process behind this decision. He wanted to be the special one here with you for this momentous step in your pregnancy. But worse than Johnny is your mother. She wants to be here for this.

“We can have a reveal party, Mom. I thought I wanted to know today, but I just think it’ll be more exciting to be surrounded by family and friends, you know?” Well, by that you mostly mean with all of the potential fathers there as well. “So, can you do that?”

The technician happily agrees. “Of course, once I verify the sex of the baby, I’ll be glad to do that for you! Your little one isn’t exactly in the right position for this, but let me try to move around, see if I can get a better angle.”

Your mother sits back in her seat, folding her arms across her chest, seeming very disappointed, but Johnny stands right at your side and puts his hand on your shoulder. You meet his gaze, and Johnny smiles.

“What are you hoping for?” You whisper. “When you’ve thought before about having kids, what were you deep down hoping to have?”

“Honestly?” Johnny turns his attention back to the screen, though at the moment there’s truly not much to see. “Growing up, I was an only child, you know. I always wanted a little brother, and then when I moved here I found my little brothers. Mark and Haechan, Chenle, Jisung, the other kids. And I realized that boys are such a mess, such a chaotic hassle, but that’s easy for me to understand and handle.” Johnny’s voice dips lower as he says, “A boy. I hope you’re having a boy.”

Later that day as you and Johnny return home with a sealed envelope tucked safely in your purse, still filled with happiness from the success of the long lunch with your mother and father (who in the end both loved Johnny entirely and were very charmed by him), you just want to tear open the envelope and share the news with all of the boys inside. It’s been hours since the appointment, Johnny had kept up conversation with your parents, and then he’d insisted on stopping to grab some stuff from the store on the way home.

By the time you walk through the door of the house, you’re buzzing with nervous excitement. You want to tear open that envelope to find out the sex of the baby, dive into the bags of candy you’d begged Johnny to buy for you, and be with the men you love. But as soon as you’ve stepped out of your shoes and tucked them away in the entryway of the house, Johnny reminds you that the boys all have a surprise for you.

“We’re back!” He calls, taking you by the hand and leading you into the living room.

You leave the grocery bags sitting beside the sofa. The house is suspiciously quiet and still. You frown.

A voice calls down from somewhere high above. “Just a moment!”

“Johnny... What is the surprise? You know usually, it’s...”

“It’s not a sex thing, don’t worry.” Johnny places a soothing hand on your head. “A good surprise.”

“You can come up!” Another voice calls down, and Johnny leads you by the hand up the stairs. By the time you reach the top floor, you can hear that all of the boys are up here, not just your boyfriends but the younger boys too. And once you’ve climbed the last step, you can see them all gathered around in the hallway.

“Okay, seriously, what’s going on?”

“We have a surprise for you.” Taeil says, stepping out of his room and joining the others right in front of him. “Come here.”

Johnny lets go of your hand, and you walk forward slowly. You know that there’s no need to be suspicious of your boyfriends or the others, yet you can’t help it with them all being so mysterious.

“We all worked really hard today,” Jaehyun explains to you. “We honestly weren’t sure that we’d have it ready by the time you got home, so we had Johnny distract you a bit longer.” You frown back over your shoulder at Johnny, but he’s smiling down at Ten who’s whispering something to him. Jaehyun continues, “But we did finish. And it’s for you.”

He steps forward and lays his hand on the door to Taeil’s room.

“What did you do?” You look around at all of them assembled around you.

Tired of waiting, Yuta steps forward and pushes the door open. It’s not what you expected.

In place of the usual massive bed that occupied the space just earlier that morning is a more normal-sized bed. And, on top of that, it’s pretty, prettier than any boys room.

You take a step inside and look around a bit more. The walls have been repainted--three of the walls in cream, one in a dark shade of green. The room’s been redecorated entirely, and then as you turn and take a look in the corner of the room you see a crib and an armchair, a dresser with a stuffed polar bear toy that you recognize from Doyoung’s bed sitting on top of it.

“What is this?” You ask, then to Taeil, “Where will you sleep?”

“I moved down the hall.” Taeil grins. “We just thought that you need a space. For just you, for the baby.”

“You guys...”

You don’t know the exact moment when you start crying, but then you’re just suddenly in tears, bawling into the shoulder of whichever boy sweeps you first into a hug. They wrap around you, trying to comfort you, but you don’t exactly need comfort, you just need to outpour all of these emotions.

“It’s lovely, thank you all.” You eventually manage to get the waterworks under control, and as you wipe at your tears, you lift your head, catch sight of the crib again, and you remember. “Oh, I forgot! Johnny and I, at the appointment, I decided I didn’t want to find out right away, not then. I felt like you should all be there when I find out. My mother wasn’t too thrilled with that, but we can have, like, a gender reveal party, with my parents, some friends.”

“A party? Here?” Doyoung asks, ruffling his hand through his hair. “When? It’s almost Christmas.”

“Next weekend? Do you think that’s too soon?” You look around at all of them. Ten and Taeyong glance at each other, looking doubtful. “It is too soon, isn’t it. What about the following weekend? The, what would that be, the thirteenth?”

There’s murmurs around the room, the boys talking over their schedules, and after a few moments the general agreement is that they do have that day, for the most part, free for a party.

“I’m hungry.” You groan, sinking down onto the edge of Kun’s bed.

He looks up from his phone, frowning in confusion. “Why did you come in here instead of just going to the kitchen?”

“Because I don’t want to go all the way downstairs.” You shift, trying to get more comfortable, but that’s easier said than done.

“Oh, I get it.” Kun laughs. “You want me to go down there, make you something, and bring it back up here for you to enjoy?”

“I wouldn’t say no to that.” You finally lay down on your back, pillowing your head on Kun’s arm. “But, mostly I came in here because I know you have snacks. And snacks, plus cuddling in your bed is always going to be much, much better than walking downstairs to the kitchen.”

Kun rolls his eyes playfully and sits up, moving around you and bending over the edge of his bed to get at his snacks. You shift around, getting comfy, and tell him “I’ve been craving something salty. This baby just wants salty food.”

“Well, this baby convinced you to come to the right place.” Kun sits up again, dropping a bag of perfectly salty snacks into your lap. He settles back into place beside you, and after a few moments filled only with the sound of you crunching on your snacks, Kun asks, “Do you really not know what the baby is? Boy or girl?”

You shrug. “We really didn’t find out at the appointment, if that’s what you mean.”

“No, I believe you. But what do you think it is? Or what are you hoping for?” Kun steals his hand into the bag in your lap.

You shrug, stuff your mouth full so you can buy yourself some time to think.

“I don’t think I really know. I had a dream a while ago, though, with a baby boy. But I think a girl would be good too. Little girls always have such cute clothes, and I know more about girls than boys. ”

“That’s what we’re here for, though. Me and the guys.” Kun puts a hand on your belly. “I want the baby to be a girl. I think raising a daughter, getting to spoil her, treat her like a little princess, that would be great.”

You snort. “No matter if this baby’s a boy or a girl, I’m sure it’ll be spoiled rotten by all of you. Chenle’s already bought a few things, he told me, and then I’ll never want for babysitters, with all of you around. But I don’t think I’ll be disappointed either way, boy or girl.”

“And what about names? Have you seriously thought about that yet?” Kun asks, once again dipping his hand into the bag, stealing away a handful of the snack. And because he’s Kun and avidly listening to you as you both relax and snack in his bed, you tell him all of the names you’ve been considering, he makes suggestions, you both fall off in a tangent about naming your child after characters from movies or dramas or books.

You’re still talking about it when Jaehyun peeks his head through the door. “There you are.”

“Here I am.” You sit up a little in Kun’s arms. “Were you looking for me?”

Jaehyun glances around the room before his narrowing eyes fall to Kun’s hand on your belly. “Yeah. I mean, no, not really. I was just... missing you. I didn’t need anything.” His hand flexes around the edge of the door.

“We were just talking about baby names,” Kun says. “And talking about what she wants the baby to be. Boy or girl.”

Jaehyun steps inside the room then, closing the door back behind him as he comes over to sit on the floor beside the bed. “Definitely a boy. An athlete.”

“You just want a mini-you.” You reach into the bag (which has drastically lost most of its contents since Kun first gave it to you) and toss a few pieces in Jaehyun’s direction.

“No, I just want a sweet baby with you.” Jaehyun tosses it right back at you, then lunges up to kiss you briefly. You twist your fingers in the front of his shirt, holding on even as he backs away. “Yeah, I hope you’re having a boy, but I bet you’re hoping for a girl, aren’t you? Taeyong told me he’s hoping for a girl because he’s already watched a boy be raised with his nephew, and he just thinks a girl will be easier.”

He’s probably not wrong. You often hear about the hijinks and mischief of little boys, and you imagine any son of yours, raised in a house like this, would definitely be chaotic, an uncontrollable whirlwind. Though, you’re sure that due to the influence of all of these men, a daughter might turn out equally as mischievous.

Kun and Jaehyun begin playfully bickering back and forth about names, and you zone out a bit, only snapping back to reality when Jaehyun puts a gentle hand on your knee.

“Sorry, I’m feeling tired.” You shake your head, and move, trying to push yourself to sit up. “I should get to bed. Growing a baby is tiring, and I have to work tomorrow.”

Kun reluctantly watches you leave his bed, but you kiss him before you go. Jaehyun walks with you upstairs to your door, and he leans against the doorway as you go inside, his hand quickly snatching yours to keep you there a moment longer.

“Goodnight.” He smiles, a loose, easy, happy expression. “I love you.”

“I love you too.” You drape your arms over his shoulders, your hands tangle behind his neck, and you lean up to kiss him. Jaehyun smiles into the kiss, pushing it to be more than just a goodnight kiss, which you entertain for a moment longer. But you truly just want to sleep tonight, so you slide your arms from his shoulders, pressing your palm against his chest as you pull away.

“No,” Jaehyun moans greedily, giving you one, two, three more little kisses.

You bite your bottom lip and hold his gaze. Jaehyun’s warm eyes soak through you, heating you with a gentle radiant glow. Your stomach flutters, like the giddy butterflies you’d felt early on in this relationship.

“Goodnight, Jaehyun.” You pat his chest over his heart. “Love you, and I’ll see you in the morning.”

Jaehyun’s hand clings to yours, only slowly letting up his hold so your hand can slip out of his.

“Go to bed,” you whisper at last, stepping inside and beginning to draw the door shut. “Go to sleep and dream about the baby. About me.”

Jaehyun laughs, steps close just one last time to kiss you, and then, as he pulls away, he murmurs, “You know I always dream about you.”

It doesn’t feel practical to be having a threesome when you’re twenty weeks pregnant, with a big round belly, yet that’s exactly what you find yourself doing.

Jungwoo and Hendery are goofing around together while the three of you are shopping together. Laughing, pushing each other, being loud enough that they draw attention to the three of you, but the weather’s recently turned very cold as the winter season truly takes hold in these days leading up to Christmas, so they’re covered up with hats and scarves, and Hendery’s wearing a mask as well as glasses. You find it unlikely that anyone could recognize them, but you continuously try to calm them down just in case.

You’re shopping for a few things to decorate your nursery, for some last minute Christmas presents, and originally you’d intended to come alone or to ask your mother or some of your friends if they wanted to come along, but at the last minute, Jungwoo volunteered and Hendery said he also had a need to go shopping.

You’d done Hendery’s shopping first, which had perhaps been a mistake as he was now weighed down with his own bags of new clothes. The emptying of his wallet had been encouraged by Jungwoo who was in a very bright mood, and suggest that Hendery buy everything he tried on, from a large fuzzy Nike jacket to a beanie that had cat ears, and even an umbrella that Hendery commented was pretty as the three of you passed by the store selling it. And now that he had all of these things, Hendery was distracted, and neither of them were helping you find the store you were looking for while you walked.

“Jungwoo!” You whine, clutching his arm and clinging to him when you have to turn around because the two of them stopped to play-fight right in the middle of this shopping mall.

An older man sitting on a bench a few feet away watches them somewhat fearfully, but a small group of young girls who are clustered together in front of a makeup store are hiding their giggles behind their hands.

“Sorry,” Jungwoo laughs. “Hendery’s just so cute, I can’t help but play with him today.” He reaches over as if to pinch Hendery’s cheek, and that just starts them off again.

“Ya!” You cry out, slapping at whichever of them is nearest you. “Focus!”

This time it’s Hendery’s turn to apologize. “Sorry, sorry.” He dramatically moves about six feet away from Jungwoo, well out of arm’s reach. “I promise to be good for the rest of this shopping trip.”

“Please. I just want to finish up and then go home.” You curl a hand over your belly as you feel something like bubbles, almost like you’re feeling gassy. And you know the sooner you get home the better if that’s the case. You refuse to use a public restroom just because you truly can’t be sure of how clean it is, and the risk of infections freaks you out, especially now that you’re pregnant and have another being's health to worry about.

“Are you okay?” Jungwoo asks, stepping closer, the light mood gone in an instant, replaced with concern as he notices you touching your belly.

“I’m fine, let’s just go so we can head home.”

After that, they’re both still somewhat goofy, but they stop messing around so much. Even as you’re in the baby store so you can find some cute decorations, Hendery sticks close to you, smiling awkwardly when another pregnant customer starts chatting with you about some things he’d rather not hear about.

But at some point in the chat she asks you, “How far along are you?”

“Twenty weeks.” You place your hand on your bump. “It’s crazy when I think about it, like, it doesn’t feel like it’s been that long since I found out.”

She smiles. “Yes, but you should definitely enjoy it while you can. I remember my first one. Experiencing everything for the first time. Feeling my son kick for the first time was the strangest but most wonderful experience. Have you felt your little one yet?”

“Oh, I’m not really sure.” You look down at your belly while Hendery and Jungwoo whisper to each other a few feet away, looking at a selection of baby shoes. “I definitely haven’t felt like a kick.”

The woman laughs. “I don’t expect you would at only twenty weeks. The baby’s probably still too small for you to feel a big kick yet. For me it felt like butterflies in my tummy at first. Just little movements, kind of like gas sometimes, honestly.”

“Really?” You rub your hand over your round belly, thinking back to that feeling just earlier, thinking back further a few weeks, feeling random bouts of what you’d thought were nervous flutters. But maybe they were more. “Then I think I have.”

Almost as if it knows you’re talking about it, you feel it again. That little ripple of movement inside you that could almost be mistaken as something else. You look up at the woman in front of you, probably wide-eyed with surprise, and a smile breaks across your lips.

“Did you feel it?” She asks, her own smile rising to her lips.

“Yeah.” Quickly, you turn to your boyfriends. “Guys, I felt the baby move!”

They both reach for you at the same time, hands on your belly. The woman laughs, “They probably won’t be able to feel it yet. But soon. My husband first felt our son kicking through my belly when I was about twenty-five, twenty-six weeks.”

You hurry to finish up in the store, but you can’t stop touching your belly, can’t stop trying to feel the baby moving. By the time you’re back at the house, you can think of nothing else.

You take your purchases up to your room, and Jungwoo follows you.

“What does it feel like?” He asks, trying to put his hands on your belly again as soon as you’ve laid the bags down in the corner by the crib.

“Just a little flutter.” You tell him, moving to lay down on your bed. You pull your shirt up, exposing your belly to the room. Jungwoo comes closer, sitting on the edge of the bed. There’s a soft knock on the door, and then it cracks open, Hendery comes inside, his eyes eagerly falling on your belly. “I agree with that woman earlier. You probably won’t be able to feel it yet. When I feel it, it’s not that strong yet.” You move your hand over your belly, thinking, this is so weird.

You knew that there was a baby inside you. Obviously. You’ve dealt with the morning sickness and the sore tits and everything else. You’ve watched and felt your body changing to accommodate this new life. You’ve heard the heartbeat and seen the sonogram.

But now you’d felt that life moving within you. And that was the realist thing yet.

“That’s amazing.” Jungwoo caresses your belly, leaning in to drop a kiss right below your belly button. “Do you remember what I told you that night, when we were in the living room after our date?”

“Hmm?” You sink back fully into the pillows and glance over at Hendery as he comes closer.

“About finding you pregnant very, very sexy.” Jungwoo kisses your belly again. “Your belly, your boobs. This glow.” His hands slide along your thighs and you shiver. He turns his head to the side, looking up at Hendery then back at you as he says, “I just want to make you feel good, princess. You’re doing so much, you deserve to feel good.”

“I do, don’t I?” You smile, lifting your hips a bit to encourage him.

Another kiss to your belly. His fingers at the waistband of your pants.

“What about me?” Hendery asks. “I want in, but I don’t want to hurt you.”

“You won’t hurt her.” Jungwoo tugs your pants down from your hips, bringing your panties down too. “She’s not made of glass, and it’s not like she’s been abstinent since the baby was made. The baby’s going to be fine, she’ll be fine. Want me to show you how, Hendery?”

Hendery makes a face. “I know how to--”

“Then kiss her or something.” Jungwoo watches hungrily as you sit up just enough to pull your top over your head, then you reach back and unfasten your bra, and once that’s fallen away, you’re bare in front of the two of them.

“Your boobs.” Hendery groans lustfully.

You feel Jungwoo’s lips hot on your belly, moving higher to the top of your bump. His hips drop against your leg, and you feel his erection, and when you reach for Hendery, wanting to drag him into a kiss, your fingers brush against the front of his pants, and he makes such a desperate sound, pushing his hips forward into your touch.

Jungwoo nuzzles against your breasts, breath tickling along your skin.

Hendery pulls his shirt over his head, sinking down to the bed with you, and his lips connect with yours in a messy, uncoordinated kiss as you plunge your hand down the front of his pants to touch him.

Hendery’s always easy like this, so easy to work up, to touch him and get him going quickly.

You moan when Jungwoo touches you, slicking a finger between your folds, teasing. Hendery hurries to wiggle out of his pants, and his hand takes over from yours as he kneels up on the edge of the bed as soon as he’s free of the pants. Jungwoo flicks his tongue over one of your nipples and then sits up, kneeling back between your legs and looking at Hendery, then at you, then back at Hendery.

“Wanna suck you, Hendery,” you mumble, stroking down his thigh. His hand squeezes around his cock. “Please, you know I’ve missed your dick, the taste of you.”

“Fuck, princess, you’re wet.” Jungwoo enters you with two fingers, the glide easy because you truly are so wet right now. “Give it to her, Hendery. She’s clearly drooling for it.”

Hendery shifts forward on the bed, and you open your mouth for him. His eyes all but roll back in his head with pleasure as he sinks his dick between your lips. And while you’re distracted in getting Hendery’s dick wet, Jungwoo’s fat tip presses against your pussy, and with just a push, you stretch open around him, taking him in just as well as Hendery.

It feels so good to have them both inside you. It’s been months since you last got double-teamed; the boys are scared enough when having sex with you one-on-one, but doing it like this, the closest you’ve had to this was when rolling around with Xiaojun he’d given you his fingertips to suck on while he was inside you.

“Oh, god.” Hendery moans.

You wrap your hand around him, and bobbing your head on him, focusing on just the tip, it’s easy to get him close. Hendery’s been without any action except for himself for so long, since at least a couple weeks before you realized you were pregnant.

You drag his cock between your lips, push down once on him, taking him deep. You hungrily lick and suck, working your very best to get Hendery off while Jungwoo thrusts into you.

Hendery’s cock falls from your lips, and his breath comes out raggedly as his hand jerks over his length, carrying him to his orgasm. You feel it splash warm across your chest and your chin, striped across your breasts. You moan, stretching up to wrap your lips around his tip again, licking, lightly sucking, and you snake a hand down your body to touch yourself, fingers on your clit as Jungwoo pulls out, running his hand over himself.

And when you feel his cock rub against your belly, you get what he’s doing. His kink for your pregnant body doesn’t end with just fucking you, he wants to cum on you, mark up your pregnant belly with his semen.

“Jungwoo, Jungwoo, please!” You pant, sliding your own fingers inside yourself, trying to reach your orgasm. “Wanna cum!”

“Ah, baby.” Hendery pets your hair. “Want me to help you?”

You nod, already grabbing his hand, bringing it down your body, but his hand slows as it passes your belly, and before he can even touch you, Jungwoo swats his hand away.

Jungwoo fucks back into you, his hands touching your belly, driving into you again and again.

The orgasm shudders through you, powerful and good, and Jungwoo pulls out a second later, and his cum stripes across your swollen belly. Carefully, so as to avoid landing on you, Jungwoo drops off to your side and pushes his face into your pillow with a satisfied sigh.

Hendery disappears into the ensuite bathroom, emerging a few moments later with a damp cloth which he uses to wipe the drying cum from your chest, chin, and belly. He gently wipes between your legs, and then runs it once more over your belly.

“That was the first time I’ve had sex in this bed.” You sigh, wiping your hand across your forehead, brushing away some hair. “Thanks.”

Hendery laughs. “Oh, anytime.”

It feels very strange having your parents there in the house along with all of your boyfriends and the younger boys. If your parents think this is an odd location for your sex reveal party, they don’t comment on it. They don’t ask you why Johnny’s parents aren’t there. They certainly don’t ask why all of the older boys are eagerly introducing themselves to your parents, or question why your mother walks in on you holding Kun’s hand in the kitchen.

If your parents find any or all of this strange, they don’t say a word, and for that you’re very grateful.

Because the day has finally come to learn the sex of your baby.

It’s been two weeks since the appointment, and Johnny has sworn up and down that he hasn’t looked at the envelope. He hid it away where no one would find it, so no one else would be tempted to open it until the party.

As you’d begun setting things up for the party the day before, cleaning the house, organizing, you’d entrusted one of the boys’ managers with picking up a gender reveal cake for you. She’d been supportive of your pregnancy since the boys had told their managers about it, so you trusted her to do it well.

And then there’s your friends. Your close group of friends who already had suspected your baby daddy to be an idol after that last dinner. It had started out as a joke, obviously, but as you wanted to invite them to the party, and after talking with the boys, you’d texted your group chat with your friends and told them that the father actually is an idol, you can’t say who, just that he is.

So naturally, after telling them and inviting them to the party, they were all asking you all over again who the father was, and you refused to tell them, just made them promise that if they came to the party, they wouldn’t talk about it. You didn’t want to ruin any careers over this pregnancy. And you trusted them a lot.

Having all of them here--you parents, your friends, your hoard of boyfriends, and the other members--was very odd.

Especially when you overheard Mark and Ten and YangYang giggling together about you inviting your parents to a sex party. “Sex reveal party! A reveal! Not a sex party.” You’d cried out in exasperation.

As everyone showed up to the party, they were dressed in either pink or blue, depending on whether they thought you were having a boy or a girl. It was interesting to finally see what each of your boyfriends thought as they emerged from their rooms wearing either color.

“I just don’t own anything pink,” Taeyong tells you, tugging at the strings of his blue hoodie. “But I think it’s a girl.”

Your friends arrive in their various shades, the majority of them wearing blue. As soon as their eyes land on Mark, you hear gasps.

“What the fuck, I knew it!” The friend that had been with you when you ran into Taeyong during your break wraps her arm through yours.

“NCT?” Another of your friends cries, pulling you even closer into the midst of them. “The father of your baby is a member of NCT? How the fuck did you manage that? Why have you kept this a secret for so long?”

The hungry eyes and titters among a few of the girls is reason enough, you think. There’s a jealous flare in your belly as one of them tries to catch Lucas’s eye as he passes by wearing a gaudy pink sweater.

“It wasn’t easy, I promise you. Just, don’t flirt with them, okay?” You try to slip away, wanting to go hide in the balloon bouquet of blue, purple, and pink that someone had placed in the corner by the stairs.

“What? You want to keep them all for yourself? Babe, that’s just not practical.” One of your friends laughs, and the others laugh too. You feel warm now because that’s exactly what you want; all of them for yourself. It might not be practical, but it is reality. “So which one of them is it? Which one are you dating?”

You praise the universe in the next moment when your mother comes over, all smiles and her second mimosa in her hand. “That Doyoung is so polite. Girls! You’ve made it! Goodness, when was the last time I saw you?” She pulls your friends into hugs, and in that time, you escape.

You sit down beside Jisung (in blue) and Ten (in pink) at the kitchen table where they’re picking through the snacks, nibbling and now watching your friends warily.

“How much do they know again?” Ten asks you.

You reach for his glass of water, gulping it down to calm yourself. “They know that one of you is the father, I haven’t given them any name or anything. I did, however, make them promise not to talk about being here today. God, I’m nervous.”

Ten covers your hand with his, squeezing gently, and says, “Don’t be” at the same time as Jisung asks, “About what you’re having or your friends finding out that you don’t even know who the dad is?”

You just groan and drop your face into your arms. Ten laughs but puts a soothing hand on your back. “It’s okay. You know it’ll be fine.”

Your nerves just continue to increase as you notice your father trying to chat with Johnny (in blue) even as Mark (also in blue) keeps trying to get your father to talk with him, and your mother is simply being charmed by Kun (wearing both pink and blue, unable to decide) and Jaemin (wearing an unhelpful shade of pale purple that could almost be pink) and Taeyong. And then there’s your friends, dispersing among the boys, sometimes huddling together in pairs to whisper, sometimes they’re all over the place-- one talking to Lucas, while another blushes as she asks Taeil to hand her a napkin to wipe up the drink she spilled, while another stands beside Ten and Yuta to admire Ten’s tattoos.

“Relax.” Jaehyun comes up behind you, startling you. His hands settle on your shoulders. “You’re so tense, I feel like you need some cake. Then for this party to end, then maybe a nap or at least a footrub, right? Nice bubblebath?” His hands massage your shoulders, thumbs digging in wonderfully to the tense muscles.

You drop your head back with a groan. “That sounds great.”

“I’ll go get the cake,” he whispers. His lips just barely brush against your cheek in a kiss, and then he’s gone, disappearing into the kitchen to fetch the cake from where their manager left it chilling in the fridge.

“Everyone!” You call, but your voice shakes and gets lost in the din of other voices. Doyoung notices you though, so he shouts instead, “Everyone!”

The attention in the room shifts to Doyoung beside you until he waves at you, passing all of the attention right onto you. Nervously you rest your hands on your belly.

“We’re going to cut the cake now.” You move over toward a small table that had been moved into the living room, in front of a wall of blue and pink streamers and balloons and golden string lights that Ten and WinWin had hung up earlier that morning.

Jaehyun emerges from the kitchen, carrying the cake in front of him. Renjun’s right behind him with a knife and a stack of plates.

As soon as Jaehyun sets the cake down and Renjun’s handed you the knife, you stand alone up there.

You’d decided it was best if you stood up there alone. Yes, as far as your parents are aware Johnny’s the father, but you don’t really want your friends to think that because it’s simply not a certainty. So all of the boys stand back, and you clear your throat.

If your parents and friends can feel the pure excitement and anticipation radiating off of most of the young men in the room, they don’t seem to think twice about it. But every eye is on you as you lift up the knife Renjun handed you, as you make your first slice into the cake. An excited ripple moves through the room as you make the second cut. And then you slip the knife under the slice and carefully bring the slice out of the cake, revealing the color inside.

Cheers around the room.

Pink! Pink! The cake is pink!

You throw yourself into the arms of the first boy who approaches you. Jungwoo, Johnny, Lucas, Jaehyun, Kun, they all pile in.

“Careful! Careful!” You hear your mother crying. “Be careful with her!”

The boys all back away, giving you just enough space, and Johnny’s hands fall to your round belly. Doyoung touches the back of your head, his fingers wandering down through your hair, settling on the back of your neck. WinWin stands right beside you, nearly bouncing in his excitement.

Your mother rushes forward and your friends, all gathering around you to touch your belly. Already your mother’s suggesting names to you. One of your friends, who’s already had a daughter, is offering you hand-me-downs. With everyone around you like this, the heat of everybody surrounding you, your head begins to buzz, and you look around, searching for anything to steady you.

“Cake? Who wants cake?” Mark asks, and you turn to see him right beside you, a slice of cake on a plate in his hand. He starts slicing and handing them out, getting people to move away from you, offering you more space to breathe.

You sit down at an empty spot on the sofa. Johnny sits down beside you, grinning, handing a delightfully pink slice of cake to you. He bumps his shoulder against yours.

“A girl. A baby girl. What do you think about that?” He asks.

You put a gentle hand on your belly, feeling the baby--your baby girl--stir inside you. Lately you’re more in-tune to those movements. You can tell the difference between butterflies and gassiness and her moving inside you.

“Eat up, baby. Let this little girl taste her celebratory cake.” Johnny taps the plate, and then stands up, clearing the space beside you for your closest friend to slip into. Johnny goes over to Jaehyun and Hendery, throwing his arms over their shoulders, all three of them cheering.

“Congratulations!” She folds one leg over the other. “A sweet baby girl. And with a daddy like this, she’ll have life made.” She grins and looks around the room, scanning over all of the boys, your other friends, your parents. “But really, which one of them is it? I’ve been watching you, trying to figure it out, but I can’t tell. You seem really close with all of them.”

You push a forkful of cake between your lips. “I am close with all of them.”

“Right, but which of them got you pregnant?” And then her voice drops lower. “And at dinner you said they, so like, is that they two of them that you’re with, or one of them with someone else?”

“I can’t tell you that.” You reply, keeping your voice low so no one else hears. “I can’t risk it getting out.”

She smiles again, amused and victorious even though you didn’t really tell her anything. “I’ll take that as you’re having sex with two of them. You don’t have to tell me, but I just hope that you’re happy with them.”

“I really am. Happy.” You lean back, stroking your bump. “They make me so happy, how could they not when because of them I have this to look forward to.” You feel like you’re probably smiling like a fool, looking down at your belly, unable to block out the daydreams that pour through your mind. A life with your daughter. You feel that little now-familiar flutter. “I’m having a girl. A daughter.”

You look up from your belly, catching Yuta’s eye from across the room. He winks at you, and you can’t help the giddy feeling that rises up in you, so you just laugh, sinking back in your seat, feeling more relaxed, lighter, happier.

Good Thing <- Previous || Next -> gimme that: a drabble

a/n: oof this was a long one, now I hope y’all see why I split the last one and this one into two parts instead of keeping it as one long one. I’m not really sure when the next part is going to be posted, but I do have a drabble to post probably a week from now. I hope you enjoyed this part, like that resolution to Mark proposing, I really enjoyed seeing everyone’s reactions to that ending of Good Things. Please let me know what you thought, as usual, reblogs, comments, likes are super appreciated!

#nct smut #wayv smut #nct #wayv #nct2020 #poly smut

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sunflowersoonyoung · 3 years

Text

sweet & dangerous | hui

w.c ↠ 2.2k

pairing ↠ hui x fem!reader

genre/s ↠ smut, incubus! hui, supernatural au!, dom! hui

description ↠ the gentleman whom often visits your workplace decides to surprise you elsewhere - somewhere rather unexpected.

warning/s ↠ suggestive themes, supernatural themes

a/n ↠ hi guys~! it’s been a while, hasn’t it? i’m pretty proud of this piece, it took me many nights and lots of proofreading, but finally it’s out! check out pentagon if you haven’t, they’re super underrated~

Remnants of sleep were still crumbling off you as the clock passed nine; over an hour since you arrived at your workplace - a small cafe. Tangerine light stretched across the smooth wooden countertop, emanating a dull warmth that took the edge off of the cold.

Your favourite coworker, Eunbin, was rostered on with you. Currently sweeping the front whilst humming, she seemed particularly joyful considering it was a workday.

“You seem happy today,” you commented, observing her as you absently wiped off the coffee machine. She tucked a strand of loose chestnut hair beneath an ear and gleamed at you proudly.

“I put some extra effort into my makeup today. I’m hoping Hoetaek will notice,” she hummed sheepishly. The subject of her excitement did not surprise you.

“You’re at work,” you scolded, “you shouldn’t worry about those sorts of things.”

Hoetaek was a regular, and also the focus of practically all fourteen of your coworkers. Once one had met him, they would swiftly understand why.

He was quite attractive, with a slim face and thick lips. It often drew attention towards him, turning heads. You had served him numerous times, and he always spoke with a gentle tone and polite attitude. A winning combination of beauty inside and out.

Also, there was something about his aura. You could never place a finger on it, but he was strangely magnetising.

Eunbin scoffed, retrieving the dustpan to collect the dirt pile from the floor. She tipped the dust into the bin and faced you with crossed arms.

“You know he’s handsome. What if he offered you his number? Would you worry about work then?”

“It would be unprofessional if I accepted it,” you replied firmly.

She rolled her eyes, her excitement stifled by your stiff response, “I’m going out the back for some stuff.”

The very moment she disappeared, the bell attached to the front door chimed softly.

“Good morn-,” you had to swallow a choked cry of shock as you met the curious gaze of Hoetaek. He seemed to be quite amused that he had found you alone, a strange atmosphere ebbing from him. Something akin to sexual tension.

“Hello, darling,” he hummed, feigning his usual demeanour but with a hint of shrewdness, “the usual, please.”

Hoetaek always ordered a vanilla-raspberry muffin and a latte - you had served him this every day for over a year. As you slipped his dessert into a paper bag, you could feel his scorching stare following you with every movement.

His soft palm grazed yours as he exchanged money, and you almost jerked away, surprised by the sensation. The contact shot hot electricity up your arm, wiping clean any thoughts that were bubbling up.

Disorientated by your overwhelmed state, you decided instead to focus on making his coffee. However, this became increasingly more difficult as you could feel him still watching you. In the corner of your eye, you observed him leaning across the countertop, running his tongue over his bottom lip tantalisingly before finally speaking.

“I’m glad I finally have you to myself,” he remarked, his inky irises peering at you - surveying your expression for a reaction.

You tried desperately to steel yourself, but despite that, you could feel your face prickling with heat.

A gradual smile stretched across Hoetaek’s face, amusement painting his features. You were working so hard to remain professional, and to him, it was entertaining. A sly side was emerging from beneath his pleasant exterior.

“I bet one of your coworkers wouldn’t hesitate to say something. But you’re a good girl, aren’t you? I guess that’s why you’re my favourite.”

The frigid room grew exceedingly hot, every word that left his thick lips dripping with guile and lust. You could feel a familiar warmth ebb between your legs, images of his firm thighs overrunning your mind.

Briskly finishing his drink, you sealed it with a lid and pressed it into his hands, forcing a polite smile, “here’s your coffee. Have a nice day.”

Hoetaek’s eyebrows raise incredulously, staring back at you as if you had just done something ridiculous, and honestly, you had. It was apparent that he was unused to rejection, because he faltered, numbly clutching his coffee.

“I get it,” he finally spoke, tucking his free hand into a pocket, “your work is important. I’ll just have to try something different.”

With that, he turned his back to you and strode casually through the front door, leaving you behind to simmer over his ominous statement.

“Everything okay?”

Eunbin’s return was unexpected, and she settled a palm on your shoulder. You were in such a daze that her abrupt touch caused you to flinch. She frowned at you, visibly concerned.

“Y-Yeah, everything’s fine. Hoetaek just came in.”

Her jaw immediately dropped, and she shrieked in alarm.

“No!”

The sheets of your bed were soothing against your skin as you slid your feet beneath them. You stretched your toes, sighing happily.

Even long after work had finished, the incident with Hoetaek had never ceased to bother you. Things as simple as the colour of his voice were still replaying in your head. His parting words had especially troubled you.

Admittedly, you were bothered for more than one reason.

You had relished every passing thought of him bending you over the counters, feeling the silky head of his cock sliding between your folds. Now you were unbearably hot - your clitoris was throbbing against your underwear.

It had been quite a while since you had last touched yourself. As the warm pad of your finger ran over your swollen clit, you gasped, raising your hips from the mattress.

Though your pace was slow, you were ridiculously sensitive. Pleasure quickly began accumulating. You clamped your eyes shut, bright spots speckled behind your eyelids. You were so focussed upon the buzz washing across your body, that you failed to notice you were sinking into a deep sleep.

A soft white light shone against your face, languidly stirring you from slumber. You could feel leather beneath your bare skin, which caught you off guard. Your surroundings were hazy as if you were peering through a tinted lens. A broad figure came into view, his hands folded into the pockets of tight black suit pants.

“Hey, darling. Been waiting for you.”

Hoetaek was standing over you, carrying with him a heavy presence. He wore a white button-up, slightly undone to reveal a stretch of olive skin. You shrunk against the sofa upon recognition, covering up your almost-nude body.

He placed a finger beneath your chin and gently tilted your head towards him.

“I know you’ve been thinking about me. Who knew you were so naughty?” He hummed, curiosity painting his handsome features. He seemed vivid against the fuzzy background, every inch of him hyper-accurate.

It was strangely realistic, considering this was a dream.

“Up,” Hoetaek ordered, pulling you onto your feet by your wrist, “let’s find out if those fantasies of yours were accurate.”

You were so dazzled by his suave grin that you barely noticed as he spun you around and pushed you down across soft sheets. His palm smacked your bare thigh, urging you to crawl up the plush mattress till your head landed on the pillows.

His lips were just as full as you had dreamt of, and a pleasant scent tickled your nose as he kissed you. All of the heat in the atmosphere was soaked up by your body, filling you with desperation. You just wanted him to relieve you from the insatiable need that was eating you up, driving you insane.

Hoetaek’s fingers wrapped around your forearms amidst a dizzying kiss, tugging them above your head and clamping them in place. The weight and the subtle warmth of his figure draped across you was hardly enough contact to sate you, and he knew it.

Every slight sensation felt so real. The way his button-up brushed against your chest, the way his saliva tasted; you wanted to engrave every detail into your mind, so you would not forget when you woke.

His mouth began travelling down your neck, growing increasingly rougher as he progressed till his teeth were pinching the tops of your breasts. You groaned, arching your back against the bedding. His thumbs hooked the lace of your underpants, deliberately tugging them down your legs teasingly, letting his hands skim your thighs.

A warm finger ran between the lips of your slick pussy, and a sharp gasp slipped from your throat.

“Was it thinking about me that made you this wet?” He purred, eyes shimmering as he peered down at your vulnerable form.

Abruptly, his thick finger plunged inside of you, right down to his knuckle.

It took every inch of your willpower not to cry out, swallowing your voice and finding the pillow behind your head, capturing the fabric in your fists. Hoetaek tutted, “there’s no need to keep quiet - no one can hear you. What do I need to do to make you lose some of those inhibitions, hm?”

His question was rhetorical, and it seemed he had already planned out the answer. His hands were almost large enough to wrap around your thighs as he parted them, crawling between them. You breathed in to brace yourself as his hot breath hit your bare pussy.

Never had you ever felt such immeasurable pleasure. It crashed over you in electric waves, only accumulating more intensely with each passing moment. The way his fingers seemed to move in tandem with his tongue was almost unbearable. It was a clever tactic for him to pin down your legs, which were trembling uncontrollably.

You were so sensitive that when he suckled gently, your orgasm crashed into you. He seemed uncaring, overstimulating you mercilessly till your eyes burned with tears.

As you recovered, Hoetaek’s blurred figure loomed over you. Through a sheen of tears, you watched him lap up your nectar from his finger with a cocky grin spread across his face.

“Oh~, is that all it took?”

He reached down and unclasped your bra with one hand, exposing your bare breasts. With his other hand, he undid the buttons on his shirt.

“I can make you feel even better,” he hummed, kneeling to unbuckle his pants, tugging them down his hips just enough to free his cock - which practically gleams with perfection. The sight fills your mouth with saliva.

Hoetaek dragged you closer against him, roughly pushing the head of his shaft against your ebbing heat. You instinctively closed your eyes; he looked far too large to fit painlessly. Anticipation mingled with fear coursed through your veins.

Abruptly, his cock sunk inside of you with surprising ease. You gasped, squirming and writhing as your pussy clung to him. A groan rolled up from the pit of his throat.

“So fucking tight,” he growled, hips grinding against your backside. Once he starts moving, the air fills with only your simultaneous grunts. You can no longer see his face, your vision blurring as his cock reaches a place you have never managed to reach alone. It makes your head spin and your skin flush.

“Good girl, you’re taking it well. Just focus on me,” Hoetaek purred, his pace relentless, practically shoving you into the sheets. Everything fades away, your focus honing in upon the way he slid in and out of you.

It felt incredible, to the extent that when his thumb harshly pressed against your clit, you came far harder than earlier. Perhaps it was because you had something to clench around, but it was so overwhelming that drool began running down your chin.

You were gasping for air when you came down from your high, gradually noticing that Hoetaek had stopped. Through your fogged vision, he was smiling.

“You came pretty hard, huh? Better rest up, else you’ll be sore tomorrow.”

But you craved him and his sweet warmth. You wanted his firm arms wrapped around you, comforting you as you slept. Sadness washed over you as his handsome features began to blur into the background, till there was nothing but blackness.

Morning sunlight slithered across your face, stirring you from peaceful slumber. Shards of your dream still lingered, recalling arousal to the pit of your belly. You had never had such a vividly sexual dream, the immense pleasure still fresh in your memory.

You almost feared facing Hoetaek again, knowing you would be unable to see him the same way ever again.

Stiffness resided in your limbs, a sort of mild soreness warming your muscles as you stretched. It was strange; you had to assume that you had slept awkwardly. There was only one other explanation, but that was too farfetched of an answer.

Shuffling languidly from your bedroom, you planned to prepare for a day empty of activities. It was your day off, after all.

What alarmed you, dragging you back to reality, was the smell of pancakes. It was a familiar, sweet scent. You hastened your pace, hurrying into your kitchen to investigate.

Hoetaek stood at your stovetop, almost fully naked - save for his boxer shorts, orange lighting reflecting off his beautiful tan skin. You had to blink, dizzied by the impossible picture. He offered you a mischievous grin.

“Sleep well?”

#pentagon #pentagon hui #pentagon hoetaek #pentagon x reader #kpop x reader #hui x reader #hoetaek x reader #pentagon smut #kpop smut #hui smut #hoetaek smut #pentagon imagines #kpop imagines #hui imagines #boy group x reader #boy group smut

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honeypiehotchner · 4 years

Text

i knew you (Bucky Barnes soulmate AU) -- part nine

This felt like it took AGES to get out but college really has had me busier than ever. Anywho, all that’s left after this part is an epilogue :( This is pretty much all fluff! Love you all xx.

After Sam, Steve, and even Bucky sign the Accords -- Colonel Rhodes signed while you were gone -- it is ratified. Which leaves the rest of you to tie up the loose ends.

For starters, where Bucky will be receiving help. For a moment you’re worried he’ll want to return to Romania, but he doesn’t even mention it. Instead, he says he’s up for suggestions.

To your complete surprise, T’Challa steps up and asks if he may offer his services.

“Wakanda is safe, no one will bother you there,” the King explains. “And we may be able to help rid your brain of the programming, not just give you ways to cope. My sister, Shuri, she will be able to help you.”

You look at Bucky, hopeful. It sounds like a good idea, but it’s ultimately up to him. Or so you thought.

Because Bucky turns his head to look at you, eyes soft, but so lost. “What do you think?”

“I think…” You pause. “I think you should do whatever makes you feel comfortable.”

“What would make you comfortable?” He asks. “You feel what I feel.”

You nod. “I know. I just don’t want to make any decisions for you that you won’t like.”

“I think I need your help with this one, doll,” Bucky says, gentler this time, pleading.

“Okay, well, I think Wakanda is a good idea. Away from everyone else, you’ll really be able to heal.” You’re careful not to mention yourself, unsure as to whether or not Bucky will even want you to be with him. “And I think T’Challa’s offer is genuine.”

T’Challa nods. “I will go call my sister.” He disappears to do just that.

You stand in awkward silence, wondering what hit will come next. After the past two years, the past two hours seems too good to be true. There has to be a catch -- even if you desperately want it to be real, with no catch.

Without saying a word, Steve ushers Natasha, Sam, and Tony from the room, leaving you completely alone with your soulmate for the first time.

You never thought you’d feel this nervous.

You pull one of the chairs back from the table, sitting down to hopefully come across as relaxed as possible. You hate feeling like you need to tiptoe around Bucky, but right now, you don’t know what else to do.

He follows your movement, taking the seat directly next to you, though he keeps his distance, unsure.

One would think that if you feel what each other feels, then moments like these wouldn’t be so awkward. But they are.

“Thank you,” Bucky finally says. “For today. For everything.”

“You’re welcome,” you murmur, studying your hands to keep from studying him, which you desperately want to do. “How are you doing?”

“I have one hell of a headache.”

You laugh, something about the way he said it, or maybe the fact that despite the insane nature of today’s events, something as mundane as a headache still plagues him enough to mention. A reminder that you’re both only human.

Bucky doesn’t mind the laughter. It’s a sound he remembers only vaguely from his dreams, but his dreams have nothing on this. Nothing on the way your eyes squint, the way you cover your mouth and the way he wants to reach over and grab your hand so he can see your smile, the way his mouth aches to tell you that you should never hide. The real thing is a thousand times better than his dreams. He can’t believe he almost let you get away.

“How are you?” He asks, having realized he has yet to ask you this, even after all he’s put you through.

Your eyebrows raise slightly in surprise, though you hide it well. “I’m okay.” You pause, not wanting to elaborate, not knowing if he wants to know. Is it too weird?

“Steve told me you thought he was full of it when he would tell you about me,” Bucky tries a different route, a different conversation. “I swear he wasn’t lying. Your eyes are still my favorite color, and yes, I told everyone about you. There wasn’t a day when I didn’t talk about you.”

You’ve started smiling before you can stop it. “Really?”

“You think Steve drew portraits of you because he wanted to? No, I had to talk him into it after the first few. He kept telling me, ‘Buck, what could’ve changed?’ And truth was, nothing changed. I just wanted another picture to hold.”

You cup your cheeks, soreness settling in from how hard you’ve been grinning. Just like that, your Bucky has come back to you.

The one you’ve seen in your dreams is sitting in front of you, smiling sheepishly.

“I have the drawings now,” you confess, watching Bucky’s eyes widen in surprise.

“They survived?”

“Somehow,” you nod. “Steve gave them to me when we met.” You pause. “He also gave me a letter.”

Realization dawns on Bucky’s face as he remembers the letter, the night he wrote it. It was late, he was leaving the next morning, but he had to write this letter to you. He had to write it and get it to Steve if it was the last thing he ever did. He remembers shoving it into Steve’s chest, telling him he had to get it to you somehow, it didn’t matter how, he just had to do it for him. Bucky was a little drunk and a lot heartbroken, because he feared he’d never get to meet you. That he’d die in the war and leave you stranded.

After all those years, it finally ended up in your hands.

“Did you read it?”

You shake your head. “I hold it a lot. Sleep with it under my pillow. I could never bring myself to read it, though. Steve told me you wrote it in case you died before you got to meet me?”

Bucky nods slowly.

“Well,” you smile softly. “You’re right here.”

Bucky does the unthinkable. He reaches over with his flesh hand, fingers outstretched and palm up. It takes you a second before you realize what he’s silently asking. Gently, you place your hand in his, holding back your tears as his fingers wrap around yours.

“I’m right here,” he whispers, tears gathering in his eyes, too. Then, he shakes his head. “I can’t believe I finally found you.”

That sentence is the one that breaks you. Your lip quivers and the dam breaks. So many years of not knowing. More years of knowing, of living with the fact of your soulmate being dead. Two years of looking. And finally--

Finally, he’s here.

More of the unthinkable happens when the tears spill over your cheeks. Bucky doesn’t expect himself to do this either, but he can’t stand to see you crying. He rolls his chair closer, hand slipping from yours only so he can gather you in his arms.

Your arms wrap around his neck while his fit around your waist.

“I’m so sorry,” he says into your neck, your skin wet with his tears.

“I’m sorry too,” you cry, fingers threading through his hair.

For a moment, all that exists are your two souls, finally at peace, now that they have found one another.

+++

The plan is to travel to Wakanda by Quinjet. Tony arranged everything with T’Challa, so all that’s left is for you, Bucky, and Steve to board.

Steve opts to fly the jet, which leaves you alone with Bucky. Again.

“Hey Bucky?”

“Yes, doll?”

You’re still not used to him calling you doll. You never thought he’d be comfortable enough for that, let alone the way he hugged you earlier.

But you guess that’s just what happens when you finally find your soulmate.

You try to focus. There’s one question that has been gnawing at your mind -- and everyone else’s, even Steve’s -- since it happened.

“You don’t have to answer if it’s too hard, or complicated, but can I ask why--” You pause, gathering your thoughts. “When you were the Soldier, why were you protecting me?” Your eyes meet Bucky’s. “Why did you tell me that your orders were to protect me? You nearly killed anyone else you saw and it just…”

You see it when Bucky remembers that he said those words to you as the Soldier. He takes a few moments, collecting himself, and you expect him to not say anything else. Which you would be fine with. You know it’s hard-- more than hard, to deal with.

But he begins explaining.

“When they first tried to program me,” he sighs, almost shudders, “it didn’t work very well. I fought it harder than they were expecting, I guess.” There is no pride hiding in his tone, only disgust. “They had to somehow convince me I was doing it all for you, to protect you. I don’t think they ever thought I’d meet you, but at one point they had to tell me I was following your orders. All I could think about was you, so they had to...use that to their advantage.”

“I understand,” you say because you can’t think of anything else. What do you say to something like that? Nothing you say will make it better. He’s aching, you can feel it, and it kills you knowing that there are no magical words to make it all go away.

“You’re sure I didn’t hurt you?” Bucky’s worried voice brings you back down.

“No,” you shake your head, even though you know no matter how many times you say it, he won’t be convinced. “You didn’t, I swear. You wanted me as close to you as possible and you followed my every word. It was...strange. I could tell it wasn’t you, but…” You stop yourself, not wanting to admit that you had briefly wanted the Soldier to stay. But that was before Bucky would actually look at you and hold a conversation with you, like he’s doing now. Now, you know this is who you want to stay. Your Bucky.

“Could you feel it?” He asks quietly, eyes focusing on his hands instead of your face. “When I would…”

“Yes,” you answer, not needing him to say it. “I didn’t know that’s what I was feeling until I found out that you were the Soldier, but yes.”

“I remember when I started to feel you,” he says softly, a smile almost crossing his face. “It didn’t last long because they would wipe my memory, but it was...probably the best day of my life. Knowing you were somewhere out there.”

“Why’d you say you didn’t know me?” You ask, briefly wondering if you’re treading in dangerous waters.

“I didn’t want to believe it was really you,” Bucky admits, shaking his head. “After all these years-- All the hell I went through, and then there you were, standing in my apartment.” He looks up to meet your eyes and finds tears there. “I knew from the way you were feeling that it wasn’t for a good reason. I had seen the paper, too. I knew I was in trouble.” He pauses, wiping one of your tears away. “I wanted to protect you, doll. That’s all I’ve ever been trying to do.”

His hand lingers, and you lean into his touch, gripping his wrist to keep him there.

“And then you started jumping off buildings after me,” he jokes, earning a small laugh from you.

“You were really pissing me off doing that, you know,” you tease.

“Yeah, well,” his serious tone makes you open your eyes. “If you ever jump out of a building like that again…”

“Don’t make me run after you again, then,” you reply, just as serious.

“That’s a fair deal,” he smiles.

A moment passes, Bucky’s thumb brushing your cheek.

“Just for the record,” Steve’s voice comes from the front. “You guys make me sick.”

Laughter fills the cab of the Quinjet, and your tears recede like an ocean’s waves.

Steve talks to fill the silence, sharing more stories as he remembers them. Bucky jokes about how small Steve used to be, how he could pick Steve up with one arm back in the day.

Of course, the “back in the day” comment earned a snort of laughter from you. They are extremely old, despite not looking like it.

+++

Before you know it, you’re landing in Wakanda.

T’Challa and his sister, Shuri, greet the three of you outside the Quinjet.

“You’re the famous Shuri we’ve heard so much about,” you joke. She’s a lot younger than you were expecting, but somehow that makes you love her a little more.

“He talks about me?” Shuri gasps, playfully nudging her brother’s arm. “What a shocker. You must be the one who talked some sense into his thick head.”

There is no muffling your laughter, not when Shuri is grinning, eyeing T’Challa for his reaction, which is a tired stare.

The King moves the conversation forward. “This is Bucky Barnes and Steve Rogers,” he gestures to the two men beside you.

“Two broken white boys to fix?” Shuri asks, all in good nature.

“No, no,” Steve shakes his head. “I’m alright.”

You give Shuri a look, earning a laugh. Oh yeah. You’re going to love it here.

That’s if you’re staying-- if Bucky wants you to stay.

“Come, come,” Shuri turns and starts walking, motioning for you all to follow. “We have everything ready for you. And I think we have found a starting point on how to get all of that nasty HYDRA programming out of your brain,” Shuri gestures to her head with a look of disgust.

You can’t help but smile. That’s the best news of the day. If there really is hope for erasing all of HYDRA from Bucky’s brain, then you’re willing to believe in it.

Shuri leads you all to what you learn is Wakanda’s sort of hospital. It’s nothing like the kind in America. The blankness that would send any sane person spiraling if they were there for long enough. Wakanda’s hospital feels more like a home, a safe place where Bucky can get the help he needs.

You only say all this because you feel and see him physically relax when you enter the building. Some panic was still swimming inside of him, but you weren’t sure why, until now. He must’ve thought it was still too good to be true, until he laid his eyes on it.

You turn your head to look at him, offering a smile. He grabs your hand in return, squeezing gently.

“Will you be staying here as well, Captain?” T’Challa asks, seemingly out of nowhere. “We are happy to have you.”

“No, but I will visit,” Steve replies, sending Bucky a smile. “As much as he’ll let me.”

“You can visit whenever you want, punk,” Bucky shoots back easily, surprising himself.

“And what about you, Y/N?” Shuri asks. “I’m sorry I went snooping around on the background checks, but I could use a brain like yours around here.”

Bucky’s chest fills with confusion. Upon feeling this, you shrug and tell him, “My degree is in psychology with an emphasis on cognitive and neuropsychology.” You pause, suddenly sheepish. “You should’ve seen the look on my best friend’s face when I told her I was switching to that from history.”

“Didn’t you still minor in history?” Steve inquires -- basically throwing you under the bus.

“Yes,” you murmur. “With an emphasis on WWII.”

You feel it when some different emotion rises in Bucky’s chest, one you don’t think you’ve felt from him before. You can’t pinpoint it, but maybe that’s for the better.

“But to answer your question,” you chuckle, returning to Shuri. “I wouldn’t mind sticking around. If you’ll have me, of course.” You pause, tugging on Bucky’s hand. “And if you’re okay with that.”

“I don’t want you going anywhere, doll.”

“Good,” you murmur. “Because I’m not.”

Of course, this is when you and Bucky realize (yet again) that you are not the only ones in the room, which has Shuri grinning and T’Challa sharing a look with Steve.

Oh, well. You and Bucky have years of time to make up for. Everyone else will have to deal with it.

#bucky barnes #james buchanan barnes #james buchanan bucky barnes #bucky barnes soulmate au #bucky barnes x reader #bucky barnes x you #bucky barnes fanfic #bucky barnes fanfiction #fluff

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pennylanefics · 4 years

Text

Broken Promises - Isaiah Jesus | pt. 2

a/n: this is the second part to promises! i got carried away and some of it kinda drags on, so it’s like 12 pages 🤣 whoops

*gif not mine

•••

Two years into your relationship, Isaiah proposed to you in such a romantic way. Everything was perfect, your life was falling into place finally, and the wedding was extravagant. So why should you be worried about the future?

A few months following your wedding night, Polly confirmed that you were pregnant. You were so excited, the idea of having a child with the man you love and were so happy to spend the rest of your life with.

But, Isaiah wasn’t ready for some reason.

“Hey, how was work?” You ask as he steps inside your home, setting his things by the door.

“Stressful. But I’m happy to be home. Why did you meet with Polly when you came to visit?” He wonders. Your heart begins to race and a small smile spreads across your lips.

“I’m pregnant.” Within seconds, his expression drops and he steps away from you.

“What?” Your smile disappears and you try to move closer to him, but he continues moving back, his hands rubbing his face stressfully.

“I-I’m pregnant, Isaiah. Polly told me that she suspected something and confirmed it-”

“Well get rid of it.” You are surprised at his response.

“Excuse me? Why?”

“Because I’m not ready for kids yet!”

“We’ve been married for months now, I thought you wanted to have a family and everything.”

“Sometime in the future but not now! I can’t, I have to go.”

“Wh-where are you going?” You try reaching out for him but he stumbles away, shaking and struggling to get his coat.

“I just have to go.” With that, Isaiah is gone without a trace. You cry out and fall to the ground, your husband leaving you in the most vulnerable time.

“He just left?” Ada wonders, rubbing your back.

“Yeah. He said he couldn’t do it and he’s not ready for kids yet.”

“That’s crazy. You two have been together for a long time and you’re already married. What’s keeping him from wanting kids?”

“I don’t know. We talked about it on our wedding night and he seemed accepting and even excited about starting a family. He didn’t say anything else, like if he wanted to wait or if he wanted to start planning a time to try.”

“Finn,” Tommy directs his questioning to his youngest brother, who’s the closest to your husband. “Where did he go?”

“I have no idea. He came around to the betting shop asking for some snow and I gave him some and-”

“You gave him cocaine when he was super stressed out?!” Tommy shouts. Finn shies away and nods.

“I didn’t know he was stressed! He seemed normal. And I guess I was excited he was getting back into it because he stopped for a while.”

“Yeah. He stopped because of (Y/N). She hated him being high every single day and being violent.” Finn’s eyes widen and he looks at you, having no clue that was the problem.

“He hit you?” Sighing, you shake your head.

“No, but I honestly thought he would at some point,” you mumble. You haven't told anyone else in the family aside from Polly and Tommy, but Isaiah and cocaine were not a good mix one bit.

You remember he came home one night, trashed beyond belief, angry about something that happened at the betting shop. You tried chatting with him about his day, but he blew up. He began throwing things against the wall, shattering a mirror and getting glass everywhere. You were so scared that he would snap and throw something at you, that you left the house and ran to Polly.

When you were calm and Polly was ready to confront him, you, Tommy, and Polly went over to your place to find him slouched against the wall, a bloody hand and tears coating his cheeks. From that point, Tommy demanded he get clean, for his sake and for your sake.

Thankfully, he kept that promise until now, you are just finding out.

“Do you know where he ran off to?”

“No,” Finn shakes his head. “He just said he needed some snow then took off when he got it. Didn’t say a word.”

“Shit,” Tommy rubs his face, hearing a sob come from your mouth. “I knew he was going to hurt her at some point.”

“Someone has to go find him,” John announces.

“No,” you interrupt. “If he doesn’t want to be found, then don’t go and find him. I don’t want him to resent me for sending people to search for him.”

“(Y/N), he has to be here for your baby,” Ada says.

“I honestly don’t want him here if he doesn’t want to be.” Everyone remains quiet, knowing you don’t need anyone’s arguments.

“So, are you going to raise your child alone?” Arthur speaks up after a few minutes.

“I mean, I’m surrounded by family. I have all the help I need, right?” You realized you were taking a shot at assuming they would help you, but thankfully, they accept the idea.

“Of course, darling,” Polly happily says.

“You have the best family around, honestly,” Tomm grins. You smile and stand to give him a hug.

“I do. Thank you so much.”

“Anything for our littlest honorary sibling.”

As the months go by, Isaiah is still nowhere to be seen. No one has seen him around Small Heath, his own father has no clue where he’s at, and you received no letters or calls from him. So you assumed your marriage was over. He didn’t want to be with you anymore.

It was a sad, depressing thought, but you had to stay strong for your little one. You didn’t want to lose them too, so Polly advised you get Isaiah off your mind and focus on yourself. So that’s what you do.

“What do you think it is?” Ada asks you as she takes a seat on the couch next to you. John and Finn sit on the couch across from the two of you as Polly makes everyone tea.

“I think it’s a boy,” you smile, rubbing your protruding belly and kicking your feet up on the table.

“No, you’re having a girl,” Polly advises. “The way you’re carrying and how big you are, it’s most likely a girl.”

“Polly’s never wrong,” John states. “She predicted the sex of mine and Esme’s kids to the point where I just started accepting that she knows what she’s talking about.”

“And I do,” she says, stepping into the sitting room and handing everyone a cup. You thank her and sip it slowly.

“You really think it’s a girl?” You wonder with a small smile.

“I do. And she’s going to be as gorgeous as you.”

“I feel like she’ll have Isaiah’s eyes though,” you whisper. Everyone offers you a sad grin, knowing that you’re trying hard to forget him, but you can’t; you loved him too much.

The time has come, you were going into labor. Polly, Ada, and Esme had stayed with you while the men went to the betting shop, or the offices, wherever, to busy themselves and try to figure out how to find Isaiah.

“Good, just one more push and she should be here!” Polly encourages you. Labor had lasted longer than any of you expected, almost twenty hours of agonizing pain and contractions. It was nearing two in the morning and all of you were exhausted.

“Fucking shit!” You scream as you give one last push, then a feeling of relief washes over you and you can finally relax.

“She’s here,” Polly announces, holding your baby up for you to see. Through your tears, you smile and already notice she looks so much like her father.

“Let’s get both of you cleaned up. Esme, help (Y/N), Ada, come help me.” The two women do as they are told, Esme talking to you quietly as she finishes changing the sheets underneath you and helps you get comfortable.

“Have you got a name?” Polly questions, handing you your clean, newborn daughter, swaddled in a blanket.

“I was thinking Eden. Isaiah and I had so many talks about how he wants to keep the Biblical names in the family, so John and I sat down and went through names together. Eden is very beautiful.”

“It fits her perfectly. We’ll give you some time alone. Just call if you need anything. I’ll be up, but I’m sending Ada and Esme to bed.”

“Thank you, Poll. Seriously, I don’t think I would have been able to get through this without you and the others.” She smiles and presses a kiss to your forehead before doing the same with your baby.

“It’s my job to take care of family, darling.” With that, she leaves the room quietly and you stare down at your newborn daughter.

“Your dad may not be here, but we can do this on our own. Well, not totally on our own. We have the Shelby’s, and they’re amazing. And they’re going to be so happy to have another little one in the family.” She gurgles and stirs in your arms before settling back down. Her eyes open slowly and gaze up at you.

“Well hello. You really do have your daddy’s eyes, huh?”

You were in the middle of telling her how you and Isaiah met when the door suddenly opened. Polly argues as Isaiah stumbles in, eyes red and filled with sadness.

“Isaiah,” you whisper, your eyes landing on him for the first time in almost eight months.

“Maybe you should wait tomorrow. (Y/N)’s exhausted and needs the rest,” Polly says. He just shakes his head and continues to stare at you and Eden.

“I need to make things right this moment.” Polly looks at you with a questioning look. You nod in response, silently telling her that it’s okay for him to stay.

“Is it a boy or girl?” He asks once the door is shut. You know Polly didn’t really leave; she’s waiting right outside in case things go south.

“Girl. Eden.” His expression softens at the fact that you kept to wish of keeping tradition.

“Can I?” He hesitantly asks to take a seat next to you on the bed. Nodding, you shift a little to the right so he has space, but he stops you.

“No, it’s okay. Don’t move. I don’t want you hurting yourself or stressing your body out anymore.”

“I’m fine.” You stare down at your daughter, feeling the awkward tension between the two of you.

“What made you come back?” You ask. You hadn’t met his eyes again, worried that you would break and fall back into his arms instead of staying strong.

“I got a letter from my dad. He told me that you were close to going into labor and that they would be here any day. I knew I had to come back and make things right.”

“It took you nine fucking months to come back, huh?” Isaiah sighs, knowing this conversation was bound to happen.

“I was terrified, love.”

“Don’t call me that.”

“Sorry. I knew I wanted to have kids with you, there was no doubt in my mind. But I wasn’t expecting it to happen within months of our wedding. I was hoping to plan out a time where we could try and have everything ready by the time we needed it.”

“Well, you never expressed that to me. You didn’t even stay and talk it out. You just up and left after telling me to get rid of it.” He nods and keeps his head down, bowed in shame.

“I’m sorry,” he whispers, tears evident in his eyes. “I should have stayed and been there for you. Instead, I was a coward and ran from the most important thing to me, throwing my sobriety away because I was terrified of being a father so quickly after being married and not having any time to prepare.”

“You would have been an amazing father, Isaiah. I don’t understand why you were so scared. Or are so scared.”

“I...I saw what it did to my mum. I was scared that it would happen to you. That’s why I told you to get rid of it.”

“You never told me this.” He shrugs and messes with his cap in his hands.

“I didn’t want to worry you.”

“You did a lot worse leaving with no explanation.” Silence falls between you two as Isaiah finally looks down at his daughter.

“She’s so beautiful. Looks exactly like you.” You smile softly and caress her cheek with your fingertip as lightly as ever.

“She’s perfect. But she has your eyes.” You notice he’s itching to reach forward and do the same as you are doing, so you sit up a bit.

“Would you…?” You offer, shocking him just a little. He came back, fully expecting you to tell him off and say you never wanted to see him again. So the fact that you’re offering to let him hold her was a big surprise.

He holds his arms out as you place her into his grip. She moves around, trying to readjust to the new hold, but settles down and curls up in his arms. Right away, you see the tears streaming down Isaiah’s cheeks. This is the moment he’s been waiting for his entire life, and he missed it because he was an idiot.

“Holy shit, I can’t believe this is real,” he mumbles, trying to wipe his cheeks. Seeing his struggle, you lean doward and wipe them away for him. He thanks you quietly and goes back to staring down at his daughter.

“So, are you going to run off again? Did you just come back to see if she was actually born?” You wonder.

“I came back to make things right, like I said. I was stupid, I know. I wasn’t ready and instead of talking about it like an adult, I ran off and got high. My mind kept telling me I wasn’t ready, but I am. Seeing you and holding her right now, I have no idea why I left. It was a dumb choice and I’m hoping I can make it up to you. For a start, I’ll take care of her alone for an entire month.”

“Okay,” you chuckle, “that’s a bit excessive. How about, you help out here equally and give Ada, Esme, and Polly a rest?” He nods and smiles widely.

“Does that mean you forgive me?”

“Not exactly forgive you yet. But if you can prove you one hundred percent want this and will provide for us, I’ll forgive you. It’ll take time, but I’m willing to go through with it if you are.”

“I am. I’m ready to prove that I still want to be with you and I want to raise our daughter together.”

“Good. Now, please go get Polly to take Eden because I need some rest.”

“Sure. Do you want me to come back here or should I stay on the couch?” Thinking for a moment, you saw the regret in his eyes and the way he held Eden with such care and in a very nurturing way, you wanted nothing more than to spend time with him again.

“You can come back here.” With that, he gets up to go give your daughter to Polly. Sure enough, she was waiting on the other side, having listened in most likely, and takes the baby, bidding you two goodnight. Isaiah strips quickly before crawling into bed beside you.

You click the light off and curl into his warm body, humming in content at the missed feeling.

“I really wish you were here during my pregnancy. There were so many nights that I longed for your arms around me, telling me everything would be okay when I had doubts about it all.” Isaiah’s arms tighten around you and he presses gentle kisses to your forehead.

“I promise to be here for the next one, yeah? And I definitely promise to be here for Eden.”

“You broke your promise last time.” He knows exactly what you’re referring to; he promised not to hurt you in any way when you two finally announced your relationship to your family. But he had already gone and done that. So what made you so sure he would keep this promise.

“I was a dumb, twenty-one year old, in my first real relationship ever. Now, I’m almost twenty-four and married to the most understanding and beautiful woman in the world. You have my word.”

“But you left me only nine months ago?”

“I know, I know. It may be hard to trust me again, but during those nine months, I did a lot of thinking. And I can assure you that I want to be with you and I want you in my life. I love you so damn much and not a day went by that I didn’t think of you.”

His little speech made you tear up and give in. You missed him so much that the thought of having him back overcame your rising anger for him leaving. Within seconds, you were sobbing loudly into his chest as he consoled you.

“Shh, I’m here to stay, yeah? I’m going to give you and Eden the best lives that I can.”

“Promise?” He kisses your forehead again and holds you even tighter to his body.

“I promise with all my heart, my love.”

#isaiah jesus #isaiah jesus imagines #isaiah jesus imagine #isaiah jesus x reader #jordan bolger #peaky blinders #imagines #fanfiction #fanfic

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maevemarethyu · 3 years

Text

Unexpected (1/?)

Summary: A Bucky x Reader fic

You weren’t expecting it. Neither of you were.

That didn’t mean you weren’t happy with how it ended.

Warnings: Cheating, Threats, Sad Boi Hour, Heatbreak, I’m not quite sure what else.

“Your husband is fucking my wife.”

Those were not the words you were expecting to hear when you open your door on a cool Wednesday night. Even more shocking was the man who said them: James Buchannan Barnes.

An Avenger was on your doorstep with red-rimmed eyes and a stoic look on his handsome face.

Your first instinct is to deny the accusation. Your husband loves you! You’d been married for nearly six years. You had been high school sweethearts, you never went to bed angry, you had your neighbors over for game days, hell you had just gone on your weekly date night yesterday!

A date night that he had to leave early because of an emergency at the station but, he couldn’t help that. He was a police officer for the NYPD and he couldn’t control when bad guys decided to be bad.

Right?

Yes. Your husband loves you which is why he hates working late all the time and he spoils you with gifts and flowers. He’s been planning you both a surprise trip for vacation which is why he never let you see his phone or laptop. He had gone to your favorite store to buy you a new perfume which is why his shirts smelled like rose instead of your signature lemon and rosemary scent.

Right?

The tears welling in your eyes make you realize just how much of a fool you really were and suddenly, all you want to do is scream. Your lips fall open to follow through but, your voice won’t comply and all that comes out is a single syllable.

“Oh.” You had never thought a two-letter word could hold so much heartbreak and, apparently neither did the ex-Winter Soldier because his mask of aloofness falls, revealing raw and unhidden heartbreak in his blue eyes.

The two of you stay silent for a moment, processing his words while staring at one another. The unspoken question of now what? lingers between you. What does one do when their world is shattering around them? When you find out that the person you thought was the love of your life was sleeping with another woman.

Last night… Patrick came home late and you two…

“I’m going to be sick.” You announce blearily before rushing to the bathroom and emptying the contents of your stomach. This couldn’t be happening. This was all just some sick dream because there was no way Patrick would do this to you; with the Winter Soldier’s wife no less. You were normally impeccable at spotting a liar but, you had been duped.

“I’m sorry.” The aforementioned soldier’s voice startles you and you wipe the sick from your mouth before facing him. “I-I thought you deserved to know.”

You appreciated it. Really, you did but, you couldn’t bring yourself to thank him. Ignorance wasn’t a good color on you but, you needed time to let the thoughts swirling in your mind settle. Speaking of swirling, you suddenly remember to flush the toilet with a cringe. You could handle blood, excrement, urine and everything in between but, vomit? That was your weak point and it made this whole situation burn more than the acid that had crawled up your throat.

Yet, there was no judgement in his blue eyes when you finally get the courage to look at him; only understanding.

Of course he was understanding. He was probably the only person on the planet that could understand your situation in depth. He was in the thick of it with you.

“I’m sorry too.” You manage after several deep breaths and his jaw clenches tightly. You didn’t know what you were apologizing for but, you could tell he appreciated it; his face was quite expressive for a well-known soldier turned assassin turned hero. “I’m Y/N.”

You knew he knew your name (how else would he have found you) but, you still felt the need to introduce yourself no matter how shitty of a situation you were in. His blue eyes widen in realization before shooting to his boots.

“Ah, shit. I really just rushed here and- That wasn’t the right way to go about this.” Understatement of the century. “James Barnes.” He finishes.

You would have called the way he stumbled over his words cute if your heart wasn’t currently lying in the bottom of your stomach in a million pieces with Patrick’s name written on every shard. It hurt.

“You know, I used to think writers exaggerated how heartbreak felt.” You let out a humorless and bitter laugh. “I didn’t think it could hurt this much.”

The cold tile of your bathroom floor was starting to make you butt ache but, you can’t bring yourself to move from your position resting against the bathtub and you accept this as your new life. Counting the tiles until the pain passes.

He hums in response, sliding down to the floor across from you, back against the wall. “This definitely ranks in the top five shittiest things to happen to me.”

That said something if everything you read about the Winter Soldier and HYDRA was true. You never could understand how people could treat each other so cruelly. Why someone would go out of their way to cause another pain. It just didn’t make sense to you.

Your next door neighbor’s music lilted through the walls as it did every night and it gave you an odd sense of comfort. She was a cello player and always seemed to play whenever you were having a bad day. You and James sit in silence and your eyes fall closed as you listen to her rendition of Electric Love.

It was one of your favorites but, Patrick always complained about the noise. Patrick.

The cheating, lying, manipulative piece of shit.

“How did you find out?” You hiss, immediately regretting the words as soon as they leave your mouth. You didn’t want to know. Right now you just wanted to curl up on your couch and eat enough ice cream to put you into a coma.

He clears his throat and you open your eyes to meet his. The pain in them shone clear and you could feel tears welling up again.

“I had my suspicions. Cla- She had been acting weird for a few months but, she kept turning it onto me. Told me I was imagining things.” His voice was thick with emotion and it broke the dam keeping the tears in your eyes. “It was Sam that saw them. He was testing out Redwing and we thought it would be funny to check on ou- the apartment; maybe tap it on the window and scare her a bit. Guess the joke was on me.”

Oh. You got sick just thinking about it. You couldn’t imagine seeing it first hand.

“I didn’t go home last night. Steve made me stay at the compound while Tony ran facial recognition on your… Tony told me he was married and I came straight here.”

His words cause you to sputter. “You mean they don’t know we know?!”

He shakes his head and a shaky breath leaves your lungs. You were half hoping Patrick got his ass handed to him Avengers style and that’s why he hadn’t come home yet; save you the trauma of confronting him yourself.

The other half of you was glad. You had more than a few choice words for your husband; the first ones being We’re getting divorced.

“I didn’t know how to face her.” He whispers and your ears barely catch it. He sounded so defeated and you were sure it matched the look on your face. You didn’t deserve this. He didn’t deserve this. He was a goddamn hero.

The anger doubles in your chest, making up for his lack of. You’d never seen anyone so broken, hell, you’ve never felt so broken in your entire life and the people causing it were none the wiser. Patrick had told you he was staying at the station tonight but, you knew better now.

He was with her. They were together while you and James were crying on your bathroom floor, trying to salvage what was left of your hearts.

And you were starting now.

You pull your phone out of your pocket and dial the number of one of your best friends, ignoring James’ curious blue eyes. It rings exactly two times before you hear a warm hello?

“Hey Mattie.” Trying to keep your voice level fails miserably when you sniffle. “I- uh. Can we meet for breakfast tomorrow? Foggy too?”

“Y/N. What-“ You cut him off with a please and he agrees reluctantly. You agree to meet him at your favorite diner at nine tomorrow morning. You just had to get through tonight.

“Thank you Matt. I’ll see you tomorrow.” You hang up the phone and chuck it past James’ head, through the open door, and it hit the wall with a satisfying crack; catching the Avenger off guard. You weren’t a pacifist but, you weren’t usually so violent. You almost pitied Barnes, he was seeing the worst of you tonight and it was his first time meeting you.

“Friend of yours?” He asks with a barely there smile and you nod while chuckling at your own outburst.

“He’s my best friend… and a lawyer. I want the divorce papers ready so I can shove them in Pat’s stupid face when I confront him.” You notice his jaw twitch at the mention of divorce and you eye his sour look curiously. “What? You don’t expect me to stay with him after this, do you?”

Wide eyes meet yours and he shakes his head slowly. “No. It’s not that. It’s just divorce wasn’t really common in the thirties.”

Oh his sweet summer soul. You had almost forgotten he was a man out of time; still adjusting to the new age. It made your blood boil to think that his wife would betray him like this.

“Welcome to the twenty first century. Where you don’t have to stay married to cheating spouses.” You mutter, raising an invisible glass in a toast.

“How?” He asks, catching you off guard.

“How what? How does one get a divorce?” He nods, looking lost and you don’t hesitate. “Come meet my friends with me. This is all new for me too and I trust them with my life.”

You didn’t want to mention that you honestly wanted him there because he was proof that you weren’t the only one fooled. You weren’t alone in this.

“Are you sure? I understand that its private and-“

“Privacy went out the window when your wife fucked my husband.” You scoff, mirroring his crude language from earlier; he winces before apologizing again.

Your phone goes off in the hallway, signifying the timer you had set was finished and you stand with a groan; joints popping from sitting on the floor for too long. Your mind immediately switches in to work mode; eyes going dry and breathing evening out. It was a superpower of yours; the ability to compartmentalize your feelings.

“I need to feed Laysa.” You walk past the man on the floor, missing the look of horror on the man’s face. “She gets cranky when she’s hungry.”

He doesn’t speak but, he follows you into the kitchen. You had premade the bottle so all you had to do was microwave it for a few seconds. You suppose having a stranger following you around in your home should be more worrying but, you were just happy you weren’t alone; having the ex-Winter Soldier near you felt as natural as breathing and you didn’t have the mental capacity to question why as of right now.

Barnes opens and closes him mouth a few times, looking as if he wanted to ask you a question but, unable to get the words out.

“How old is she?” He manages after nearly a minute of silence and you answer without much thought.

“Four weeks.” You hum, pulling the bottle out of the microwave and testing the temperature on your arm. “You know Ophelia’s Diner on West 49th?”

Once you’re sure the bottle is warm enough, you meet his blue eyes and a slight frown mars your face when you notice how pale he had gotten. He looks mortified but, nods anyway.

“Meet us there at nine tomorrow morning. Are you going home tonight?” You don’t know why you ask but, the thought of him having to go home and face- huh, you never actually got her name- left a rock in your stomach.

“S’gonna stay at the compound again. Make up some excuse. What about you? Are you two going to- I mean are you alright with- Is your husband?” He was stumbling on his words again and you find it oddly endearing that he was worried about you.

“Patrick is staying at the station tonight.” At least that’s what he told me You add under your breath but, its clear he hears you when his face turns grim. A painful silence envelops the room and can’t stand it so, you clear your throat and re-test the bottle.

James takes the hint and shuffles his feet, looking smaller than a man his size should. “I’m sorry again for showing up like this.”

“I appreciate you for having the balls to come here and tell me the truth.” You say with an honest, albeit dim, smile. “I’ve gotta get this to her before she gets cranky. I’ll see you tomorrow James.”

He tries to return your smile but, it comes out as more of a grimace. “Goodnight Y/N”

You watch his broad-shouldered form walk down the hall and disappear before opening the door to your spare bedroom turned nursery; weak mewls reaching you ears. You were late with the bottle and Laysa knew it. Cubs could be so dramatic.

#bucky x reader #bucky barnes #bucky fanfic #bucky #bucky x y/n

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hvitserkmarcosource · 4 years

Text

The Arrangement

Chapter Nine: Early Morning

Warnings: Smut Smutty Smut Smut lol

Chapter Nine Summary: You and Hvitserk have a wonderful morning and an eye opening afternoon.

Word Count: 2,362

Oh my god I haven’t updated in sooo long!! I’m so sorry guys! I thought I’d spoil you all with some Hvitserk goodness 😉 hope you enjoy!

*Tag list is OPEN

Chapter Eight

Chapter Ten - Coming Soon

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That night you fell asleep and your head wasn’t filled with nightmares or the fear of what tomorrow would bring. It was content and filled with love. The beginning of your arrangement was terrifying and the fear of the unknown was crippling, you almost jumped out of a window for heaven's sake, and your first impression of Hvitserk did little to help the growing doubt in your mind that he would ever love you. How could he? A girl he had never met? Someone that could never replace the woman that his heart was still mourning…

But now as you wake up wrapped in his arms you realize that somewhere along the way his heart started to open to you. He started to let you in little by little. And for that you are forever grateful. May it be Christ or the Gods, you are not so sure anymore who to give credit to, either way you are thankful that they allowed Hvitserk to love you and be kind. A gentle soul to match your own. Someone in your life to help snuff out the fear of living.

As the sun rises so does the man laying behind you. his arms protectively tighten around your middle while he buries his face in the crook of your neck. When he starts to place kisses there you smile “Good morning” you say yawning.

“Morning princess” he mumbles, his voice gravelly from sleep. “Go back to sleep, I just couldn’t resist.”

His kisses become more and more and when they start to tickle you turn over and gently grab his face. Kissing him quickly on the lips.

“That tickled” you giggle “how can I continue to sleep when you tickle me so?”

He laughs and pulls you closer “That does sound difficult, but don’t make me stop.”

His head dips down and he starts kissing your neck again. Your eyes flutter closed at the feeling. Enjoying this moment between you. A moment of calm you both need.

You rake your nails through his messy unbraided hair and he lets out a soft moan “Do that again princess and I’ll never be able to stop.”

A smile graces your face as you proceed to do it again and another moan escapes him. “Princess” he says your nickname as a warning but it just makes you want more.

“I don’t want you to stop.” You say breathless. Not believing your own words or the current reaction you're having to simple kisses.

Hvitserk pulls away and you whine, needing him to stay close, fearing that you’ve upset him. He says your name and kisses your forehead. “Are you sure? I will not be angry if you want to wait for our wedding night.”

You nod “I’m sure… I love you.”

Suddenly his lips are on yours and the kisses aren’t so simple anymore. They're hot and passionate. Desperate and everything a kiss should be. He softly places you onto your back and says “I promise to be gentle, I would never hurt you. Please know that.”

You place your arms around his neck and say “I know, I trust you.”

He smiles, but you can tell there is a sadness behind it. “How can you trust a man like me?”

You frown and place another kiss to his lips “How could I not trust a man like you… Hvitserk you’ve only ever been kind to me and gentle. You’ve shown me how to smile and laugh when there is so much to be fearful of. So much that is unknown. The threat of what Ivar will do is looming over us at all times and somehow you make me forget about everything and feel like a child again. You are the only man I trust because you are the only man that has my heart.”

He returns your kiss and sighs “I never intended to fall for you, you make me feel again and that’s something I never thought would happen. I thought the Gods fated me to be numb forever, then I look at you and feel alive.” He takes your hand and places it over his heart. “My heart races when I’m with you Princess, it beats fast and hard… I don’t think that will ever go away.”

“Good,” you say “because I will never want you or your feelings for me to go away.”

he chuckles “I keep trying to stall, thinking you might change your mind, but you are making it more and more difficult.”

You don’t know what possesses you to do what you do next, may it be love or lust you aren’t certain. Slowly you spread your legs for him, inviting him in. Once he settles between them you let a moan slip past your lips. Heat pulling between his body and your own.

He rocks his hips into yours and you whisper his name. Over and over. Until he grows impatient and starts to undress you. You feel yourself begin to get dizzy. Dizzy in the feeling of complete ecstasy.

He moves sensually, slowly, taking his time as he thrusts into you. You're thankful for that. Not wanting either of you to lose control just yet. You're lost in the feeling of him, a pleasure you didn’t know could exist. One you never thought you would get to experience. Your eyes roll into the back of your head as he begins to pick up the pace.

He growls as you begin to chant his name. Your walls clenching around him and your toes curling. He knows you’re getting close and he takes this moment to capture your lips in a scorching kiss. One that leaves you even more breathless.

One of his hands trails down to where you’re connected and he teasingly starts to toy with the most sensitive part of you. Making your hips buck up involuntarily. You throw your head back and Hvitserk takes this moment to place another kiss to your neck, only this time his kisses are accompanied with bites.

You can’t believe the sounds escaping your mouth and you can’t control them. Your body is no longer yours to control and you wouldn’t have it any other way. A sharp thrust causes you to cry out and Hvitserk growls like a man gone crazy.

“Let go princess, come on. I've got you”

Your head is spinning, overcome with pleasure as the dam inside of you starts to burst. As you succumb to the fire that’s burning inside of you. “I-I’m going to-“

His lips silence you “Me too, let it go my love”

You cum with a scream of his name, your vision going white and your heart all but pounding out of your chest. Hvitserk follows only seconds after, spilling inside of you. You almost cum again from the feeling.

Once you both catch your breaths he looks at you, placing the hair that has fallen onto your face behind your ear. “Was that… was that okay? I didn’t hurt you did I?” He asks

“You did not hurt me, and yes that was perfect.”

He sighs happily, rolling onto his back and bringing you with him to lay in his chest. “I could stay like this forever” he says quietly “Let us worry about Kattegat and England later. Sleep my love.”

You nuzzle into his chest, listening to his steady heartbeat. Eventually you do allow your eyes to close and sleep consumes you.

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Sunlight filled the sky completely, when you woke again. Pure ethereal light, its hue illuminating each crevice of the land. It must be midday. How long have you slept? From the sounds of Hvitserk’s snoring you guess it’s been a while. You look up at him and he does look so peaceful. It would be cruel to wake him, especially with the news you’re going to have to tell him.

So you decide to venture outside alone. Find your favorite spot on the hill that overlooks the sea. If this is going to be your last trip to England, it would be best to make it memorable.

With breath paused in your lungs, you wish time would halt. That morning would be still and leave the man inside asleep. For you are dreading the conversation you have to have with Hvitserk. You do not want to ruin the lovely morning you shared.

So you continue to look out onto the world, onto the vast sea that was not able to absorb the bright sparks of the sun.The tides racing among each other to reach the horizon from where the mighty sun appeared. And though time continued. And you could hear Hvitserk calling out for you. You felt her warmth. And you knew the sun was giving you all of the strength you needed to get through one more day.

“Hvitserk!” You yell for him

It doesn’t take long for him to find you and be by your side.

“I woke up and you weren’t there, I was worried.” He admits, placing a kiss to the top of your head before he sits on the ground beside you.

“I am sorry that I worried you.”

He wraps one of his arms around you and pulls you close, making you rest your head on his shoulder. “I wish you would have brought me with you. This is beautiful.”

You smile “This is my favorite spot in the entire Kingdom. I always come here when I need a moment of peace.”

“Tell me, what’s bothering you Princess?”

You sigh and pull away from his embrace “I need to talk to you about something very important and I did not want to ruin the morning we had…”

He chuckles “Nothing could ruin that”

You roll your eyes and say what you’ve been dreading to say “My father spent all of the gold Ivar gave him. He is a stupid man.”

Hvitserk furrows his brows “All of it? That was three years worth of raiding-“

“I know, I know…” You shake your head and try to keep a level head. “A man came to him and sold him dragon eggs. Obviously they weren’t real, my father was just too stupid to realize that before he spent everything the Kingdom has on lies.”

Hvitserk’s face turns pale and your heart drops “What is it? Hvitserk what’s wrong?”

“You said the man was selling dragon eggs?” He asks

”Yes, but why-“

Hvitserk stands up abruptly and starts cursing in his language. Even in anger the Norse language is beautiful. You make a mental note to have him teach you that too.

When he calms down he returns to your side “I hate him,” he says out of breath and red in the face “this was all Ivar. All of it, Princess”

“What do you mean? How could this be Ivar’s doing?” You reach up your hand, silently asking him to take it. You’re hoping to calm him down before he explains.

“Your father wrote to Ivar, telling him of you and that you were not yet married. He said, because you are his only child, he feared you would not produce children in time to save the bloodline. He offered your hand in return for Ivar’s Gold. Of course Ivar accepted and here we are.”

You swallow the lump in your throat and ask “I know all of this, what does any of it have to do with dragons?”

He sits down and holds your hand tighter “Before I left for my raid, I went to speak with Ivar. He was already talking to a man. The man was holding a crate, what was inside I did not know… until now. After the man left I asked Ivar what that was about and he said “Did you really think that I didn’t have a plan?” I was confused, I brushed him off, and went raiding. I just thought he was being Ivar… crazy Ivar.”

He looks into your eyes and wipes the tear that has fallen onto your face. “I did not know he was planning all of this… to keep you and not help your kingdom. I am so sorry Princess.”

You laugh sadly, not being able to contain your emotions any longer. Yes Ivar stole from your father and basically kidnapped you, but if he hadn’t done all of that you would have never met Hvitserk. You’re not sure how to feel. not to mention your just as bad.

You shake your head. It’s time to admit what you’ve done. “When you were chained up, I made a deal with Ivar-“

Hvitserk cuts you off “I know, I know you did. You do not have to talk about it.”

“You do not know everything Hvitserk. After he sentenced you I knew what kind of a man Ivar was. I knew he was cruel and selfish. And I only saw one way to set you free. I made a deal with him”

Hvitserk groans and asks “You offered yourself to him?”

“No! No no no… I offered something much worse than myself. I told him how to get into the castle undetected, I told him exactly what he needed to know to steal everything.”

Hvitserk nods “Okay, but that doesn’t make sense. Why would Ivar need to know how to get into the castle to steal the gold back, if he already has the gold?”

It hits the both of you simultaneously. Ivar isn’t interested in gold. He wants to rule. Ivar wants to rule England.

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Everything happened in a flash. The two of you ran back to the castle and into your father's throne room, you begged your father to double his guards and make sure the gates were shut and boarded. You told your father of your betrayal and how Ivar would get into the castle. You told him this was Ivars plan all along.

He did not listen.

And you were banished from England. The only home you’ve ever known…

Now you are on the boat, back to Kattegat. Back to the man that has taken almost everything from you.

Ivar. Ivar has taken your freedom, your innocence, and now your kingdom.

@alexhogh7137 @ivarthebloodyking @sfyri @curlyhairedhoseok @mavalenovaninagavi @lol-haha-joke @joebob15274 @itsharleyalb @motherofkattegat @kaitieskidmore1

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harringtonheartache · 4 years

Text

Daybreak | Part Twenty

Pairing: Steve Harrington x Lab Escapee! Reader?

Summary: Part twenty (wow!) of this fic. The mother-son relationship no one asked for but everyone needed. Nine’s gone and neither Steve nor Nine herself know how to deal with it.

Word Count: 2,175 -ish

Warning(s): Cussing

A/N: Sorry if this is a little short compared to my other recent chapters, but nevertheless, enjoy! <3 all of you guys, your sweet little comments make me so happy (-:

Steve sat unmoving on the floor of the Byers’ home, hands against the wooden flooring, knees bent before him in the same position he’d landed when he fell back. His chest heaved a few times as he looked, blankly, at the wall in front of him.

Joyce, for a hesitant moment, was achingly unsure of her own presence. She looked to the wall, to the floor, to the boy sitting there in her living room. It took her a minute to jumpstart herself, but after that she circled around the recliner and sat behind him silently. She lifted a hand, a little shaky from the chaos, and placed it consolingly on his shoulder.

He didn’t move, but the tears started; quiet but hot against his cheeks.

“I’m sorry,” a hushed murmur from behind him said.

And so he folded; unable and unwilling to let his sadness swell in silence. He dropped backwards into Joyce’s lap and she welcomed him, hugging his shrinking frame to herself as he let himself cry.

She rubbed his back, a tender hand up and down the length of his curled composure. She wanted to console him properly, say the things she knew she was supposed to say. The “she’s okay, you’ll see her again” ‘s. The “we’ll find her” ’s and the “she’ll be back” ’s. All of the things she was told about her son. But she couldn’t stomach anymore patronizing, and so she said how she left instead. “I’m sorry.”

Nine woke up feeling cold. Joyce’s living room had been a mess, sure, but a perfectly temperate mess; colored lights strung from wall to wall to really sell the cozy atmosphere. The Byers’ house: the first place her mind drifted to in her haze between conscious and unconscious. Then a feeling of pressure — pure remembrance — a hold strong and warm on her own hand. That warmth fizzled out by the time she had fully dedicated herself to consciousness, and the chill took over her hand as it had the rest of her.

She rolled over, a plop against the damp ground, and her arm ached when she pressed it to the floor. Sharp pain made her breath hitch and then she groaned, eyes clamped shut, body rocking.

“Fuck.”

She let herself lay there for a minute, and looking around she understood the scale at which she existed in this new place. Around her was only darkness, and while individually concerning this was contextually a relief. The creature that had attacked the house was gone, seemingly never there.

No one was.

“Will?” she asked into the emptiness. It was almost a dumb thing to say, but she needed to hear her own voice again to convince herself that she was really there. Alive, alone, awake, there.

Nine hadn’t really wanted to get up. To stand, firstly and independently a chore in and of itself, would take energy she wasn’t yet willing to sacrifice. To then perhaps take a few steps in any direction (her choice, it would be the same no matter the decision) would only confirm her fears. And her fears were, of course, that she was lost. Misplaced in a gap of darkness and vanished from the world, her existence bordering on extinct.

“Steve?” A dumber thing to say, she knew this, but she called it out anyway.

The gravel that made up the Byers’ driveway crunched underneath Hopper’s truck. He stepped down, adjusting his hat to sit with more purpose, and walked up Joyce’s porch with a slowness reflective of his ignorance.

He knocked once, the steady sound of knuckles against wood, but the door opened promptly, leaving his declaration of arrival unfinished.

“Wha-”

“Come in,” Joyce said to him earnestly. A command, really.

She swung the door open now, an ushering hand lifting from her side. Hopper stared at her, a little rattled by her severe demeanor. Joyce had appeared in his office a number of occasions this past week, sometimes before he even got there, always with an unhinged vigor. She’d stand before him as he sat sluggish at his desk (the only time she’d be taller than him), and talk at a speed he often had trouble keeping up with so early in the morning. Now there was something more advanced about her composure; she had upgraded, still an intense presence, just perhaps with higher morale.

“Come in!” She said, wide eyes blinking at him as she swung her arm a second time.

“Jesu- okay,” he said, stepping forwards.

Steve sat on the couch with his head thrown down in his hands, unwilling to bother picking himself up to greet the sheriff. His eyes were closed; maybe trying to block out what was happening, maybe too apprehensive about opening them as it may encourage more tears. Or maybe he just didn’t want to be burdened with the sense of sight. Himself: slumped over rather pitifully on the couch, the living room: old phone book still on the floor from Joyce’s wrath, the wall: that long line over the wallpaper he had watched form as it sealed back up. He’d rather restrict himself to the darkness gifted by closed eyes.

“The hell has been happening here?” Hopper asked, doing a full 180 as he took in the catastrophe of a home.

“A lot,” Joyce said simply.

“Steve?” Hopper spoke, looking to the boy motionless on the couch, not entirely present. He got no response.

“Steve?” he said again, and this time Steve sat up. His legs were parted, once supporting his arms that were once supporting his head, and he tossed himself against the back of the couch. He bounced against the cushion then settled in, arms thrown in his lap in a standoffish manner.

“What the hell happened here?”

“What?” Steve started defiantly. “What, you wanted proof?” His head dipped to the side as he mocked curiosity. “You wanted proof that she had powers, right? Well I got another fuckin’ witness now.” One of his arms lifted as he motioned to Joyce, eyes stagnant on the sheriff.

“Steve-”

“No, she’s a witness. Go ahead, ask her. Since Nine’s not here to show you.”

“Can you just tell me what is going on?”

Steve sat forward again and his elbows rested on his knees.

“She’s fucking gone. But I guess you don’t care,” he said, head tilting to the side, “because now there’s one less person you have to question.”

Hopper stilled, drawing to memory who he was (surely) talking about. The girl he carried from that building, from those people in white lab coats. The girl Steve clinged to so desperately in the backseat of his car — yes, that one. The girl at the center of all of his problems, but maybe at the center of the solutions, too. Gone. A troubling choice of words.

“The… did the lab get her again?”

“The-” Steve stopped, pulling his lips into his mouth to bite. “Not the lab, the thing. The faceless goddamn thing from the forest! It took her, and she fell into some- some kind of void,” he said, his shoulders shrugging forward as he shook his head at his own words. “and chances are, I’ll never fucking see her again.”

He didn’t specify what he meant, didn’t want to burden himself with the thought process that would decide how feasible his fears were. “Never (fucking) see her again” — whether that meant she was dead or alive was up to Hopper to conclude. Steve didn’t want to give that question any more room to wander around his mind, and having to clarify that unknown outloud would be giving it too much room.

Hopper was unmoving. He looked to Joyce but her eyes were strictly on the ground.

“I- I’m sorry,” he began.

“Sorry?” Steve said, and he sat up again as his face shifted from irate to mournful. “I don’t want you to be sorry,” he spoke, and his once straight eyebrows furrowed. “I wanted you to do something! She told you detail by detail what happened and you just got in your car and drove away! Our job was to protect her, and sure, maybe I failed, but so did you!”

He stood up now, taller than Joyce, but not with enough height to quite make it to Hopper’s level. Still, he composed himself intensely, broad shoulders and stiff back. He took his best shot at an intimidating face, but it soon shrugged off his expression and the naturally dismal one returned; locked into place and unfleeting.

“You didn’t do anything.”

Nine sat up on her knees — half the commitment of standing — and the shallow water she had been dropped into rippled around her skin. With her movement came a wavering fog in the distance, something appearing but not quite ready to be seen. Her legs pushed forwards, quickly, so that she was taller, and she peered fervently ahead. From her mouth came a sound: the beginning of a question she didn’t know exactly the purpose of asking. “Wh-”

As if in response to her half-question, the fog became more dense. Glowing with a light without origin, colors became more clear and a shape began to form. Nine waited, eyes trained ahead, until the movement stopped again.

She finally stood up, all of the force in her body pushing her trembling legs from the ground one at a time. Water dripped from her frame as she rose, each drop making a little circle appear in the wetness below when it hit the floor. Her hands landed at her sides, swinging a little from the sudden movement, and she stood as she had sat: with expectant eyes. Your move.

The fog resumed and the shape became identifiable. It was a house: small and brown and familiar. Only having seen it once was enough for Nine to recognize the Byers’ residence.

She moved with strength she didn’t realize she had until now, arms swinging, breath rapid as she ran to the house in front of her, almost worried it would disappear if she weren’t quick enough to catch it. The gravel driveway was gone, replaced with the new texture of wet, and her feet splashed water up the length of her legs. She tossed the door open, one hand forcefully turning the knob and the other against the wood to push it open hard enough to knock into the wall behind it.

“Steve?”

An empty house. Joyce’s lights still hung from the walls but they weren’t on anymore, leaving the living room dark and dejecting. The couch, the reclining chair, the coffee table she had stumbled over before — all present but coated in a layer of gloom. Suddenly she felt like she should be in there.

Nine took a step backwards but didn’t turn around yet, eyes still darting from wall to wall, unwilling to give up hope where her brain had already. The porch creaked underneath her step and she stilled again, uneasy.

A humming noise started from a distance. A few notes, maybe a song, and this was much more unsettling than the sound of old wood. Finally Nine spun around and when she did the sound seemed to grow louder.

She didn’t move, unsure of where she’d even go. She entertained the idea of turning back around and retreating into the house to hide, but dropped it one she started to make out words from the sing-song humming.

“Should I stay or should I go?”

Sung small and with little strength, a pitch reached by a child.

“Hello?” she said, finally able to get a question out.

The humming paused as her word rang in echoes throughout the air. And then, a response: “Hello?” a voice mirrored her question, it’s tone jumping from hopeless to hopeful.

Nine gasped as if she didn’t expect the return, and her feet stalled as she began another step forwards.

“Will?”

Another long drag of silence, this time longer, but ended with a more started toss of words. “Help! Help me! I’m over here!” he said.

Her head was thrown from left to right as she tried to figure out where the sound was coming from. “I’m- I’m coming!” she shouted to nothing, hoping it would consol the little voice. She turned viciously when she spotted a minuscule light in the corner of her vision, and her feet took off in its direction, jumping the porch and splashing again in the water below. Running as quickly as she had towards the house, she breathed heavily; partly from exhaustion, partly from adrenaline. Her feet skidded when she reached the glowing figure: a small triangle, a feeble tent with an even more feeble sign reading “Castle Byers” in neat yellow paint.

“W-Will?” she asked it, bending down and pushing aside a blanket that acted as a door with her hand, gentle as she reached inside for a peek.

Sitting up from a curled composure: a modest ball of blankets in the center of the fort. A head poked out from the top, and a smile began to develop on its face.

“You came,” Will said with a full grin.

---

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twoidiotwriters1 · 3 years

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Written In The Stars CXLIV (Harry Potter xF!Oc)

A/N: I hate the absolute lack of organization my career has and I’m so full of violence bc of it omg -Danny

Words: 4,862

Series’ Masterlist

Previous Chapter // Next Chapter

Listen to: ‘Wicked Game’ -by Gemma Haynes

Chapter Six: Growing Hopes.

Mel walked into the kitchen twenty minutes after her talk with Harry, her heart still beating harshly against her chest.

Her theory could be wrong, but at the same time, it was the best way to keep the lifeline and make sure it'd be useful.

They had three rules:

Keep a clear head, no romance could happen between them.

They would use the connection in case of major injuries, and only if they were given consent.

Harry had to learn to ground himself, and they would stay away from the other's problems unless requested differently.

"Hand me that baby!" She demanded Erick when she saw him.

"He's happy with me!" He complained, turning his back on her.

"I'm his sister!" Mel tickled his sides and he immediately gave in, Erick hated to be tickled. "Come here, Leggie, was this bad man annoying you?"

"It just won't budge, this has always worked before, I just can't understand it!" Mrs Weasley said from across the room, struggling to fix Hermione's eye.

"It'll be Fred and George's idea of a funny joke, making sure it can't come off," Ginny shrugged.

"But it's got to come off! I can't go around looking like this forever!"

"It won't stay forever," Mel said. "They're not that cruel..."

"You two stop moving around, you'll upset him!" Emily warned them, looking at the way Mel and Erick continued to fight for the boy's attention.

"We'll find an antidote, don't worry," Mrs Weasley patted Hermione's head.

"Bill told me 'ow Fred and George are very amusing!" said Fleur.

"Yes, I can hardly breathe for laughing," Hermione said sharply.

"Sorry about that," Mel sat down in front of the blonde. "She's a bit on edge — our O.W.L's will be arriving today..."

"Mrs Weasley, you're quite, quite sure no owls have arrived this morning?"

"Yes, dear, I'd have noticed. But it's barely nine, there's still plenty of time..."

"I know I messed up Ancient Runes," Hermione paced around the room, "I definitely made at least one serious mistranslation. And the Defense Against the Dark Arts practical was no good at all. I thought Transfiguration went all right at the time, but looking back —"

"Hermione, will you shut up, you're not the only one who's nervous!" Ron exclaimed. "And when you've got your eleven 'Outstanding' O.W.L.s..."

"Don't, don't, don't!" said Hermione. "I know I've failed everything!"

"Were you nervous about your O.W.L.s?" Harry asked Erick, he sat next to Mel and started playing with her brother.

"I was more worried about my family finding out I was talking to a muggle," He shrugged. "I had done all I could — Studied and wrote until my hands and eyes hurt, there was nothing I could do apart from waiting..."

"Erick was obsessed with getting his Prefect badge, the fifth-year examinations were a piece of cake for him, right?" Mel smiled.

"Yeah well, I really wanted to be a Prefect," He sighed. "I was an idiot..."

"You still are," Mel barely managed to cover Reg's face from the cloth Erick threw her at her remark. "Careful, you twat!"

"What happens if we fail, though?" Harry grabbed the baby, not wanting him to get hurt.

"We discuss our options with our Head of House, I asked Professor McGonagall at the end of last term," Hermione replied.

"At Beauxbatons," Fleur started, "we 'ad a different way of doing things. I think it was better. We sat our examinations after six years of study, not five, and then —"

Hermione screamed and ran to the window. Mel stood up and followed, Reggie started to cry.

"They're definitely owls," said Ron, looking out the window and gulping.

"And there are four of them," said Harry, walking up to them with the baby still in his arms.

"One for each of us," Hermione shivered. "Oh no... oh no... oh no..."

The girl gripped Ron's arm, Mel tried to quiet her brother distractedly, but she was too nervous to do it in a gentle way. Emily got closer and grabbed the baby, Erick stood next to the group.

"It's going to be okay, guys," He said simply.

"Oh shut up, what do you know?" Ron frowned.

"Oh no!" squealed Hermione, squeezing Ron's arm harder.

Mrs Weasley opened the kitchen window. Four owls landed on the table and lifted their right legs so they could grab their letters. Mel grabbed her own and ripped the envelope so fast she almost ruined the letter.

Ordinary Wizarding Level Results

Pass Grades

Mel Dumbledore Sultens has achieved:

Astronomy (O)

Care of Magical Creatures (O)

Charms (O)

Defense Against the Dark Arts (O)

Divination (P)

Herbology (E)

History of Magic (O)

Potions (O)

Transfiguration (O)

"Eight O.W.L's!" Erick had been reading over her shoulder. "That's wonderful, Mely!"

"Only failed Divination and History of Magic, and who cares about them?" Ron said brightly, showing her his letter. "Here — swap —"

Harry showed her his letter, there was only one 'O' in Defense Against the Dark Arts, but the rest was okay, all E's... and he'd gotten a 'P' on Divination like her.

"Knew you'd be top at Defense Against the Dark Arts," Ron punched Harry and Mel on the shoulders. "We've done all right, haven't we?"

"Well done!" said Mrs Weasley, ruffling Ron's hair. "Seven O.W.L.s, that's more than Fred and George got together!"

"I'm so proud of you!" Emily said, kissing Harry's cheek and hugging Mel tightly.

Erick pulled her in for an unexpected hug and lifted her from the ground, Mel laughed at his outburst.

"Hermione?" said Ginny carefully, noticing she was the only one who was quiet. "How did you do?"

"I — not bad," Hermione replied.

"Oh, come off it," Ron snatched her letter and read it quickly. "Yep — nine 'Outstandings' and one 'Exceeds Expectations' at Defense Against the Dark Arts. You're actually disappointed, aren't you?"

Hermione shook her head quietly, Mel and Harry laughed. Ron was looking at their friend with so much affection she couldn't believe she was the only one noticing.

"Well, we're N.E.W.T. students now!" grinned Ron, then he walked up to Erick and shook his hand. "Hope you're ready to welcome me in in those study sessions of yours... Godric knows I'll need them. Mum, are there any more sausages?"

Mel noticed she was still quite settled in Erick's arms and quickly moved out of his reach, patting his arm awkwardly.

"Your last year," She said. "How are you feeling?"

Erick looked at her.

"I'm not ready to say goodbye."

When the letters with their booklists arrived the morning after Harry's birthday, they had a pleasant surprise in them.

"I'm Headboy..." Erick said under his breath.

"I'm Captain!" Harry exclaimed.

The room lit up instantly, Mel got closer to examine Erick's badge and hugged him tightly, then she went to Harry.

"That gives you equal status with prefects!" Hermione was saying. "You can use our special bathroom now and everything!"

"Wow, I remember when Charlie wore one of these," said Ron. "Harry, this is so cool, you're my Captain — if you let me back on the team, I suppose, ha ha..."

"He'll let us in if he knows what's good for the team," Mel teased. "You and I are the reason why we won last year. And where was he? Playing hide in seek with Hagrid's little brother!"

"Careful, you don't want to upset your Captain," Harry joked.

"Oh, shut up," She snorted.

"Well, I don't suppose we can put off a trip to Diagon Alley much longer now you've got these," said Mrs Weasley. "We'll go on Saturday as long as your father doesn't have to go into work again. I'm not going there without him."

"Mum, d'you honestly think You-Know-Who's going to be hiding behind a bookshelf in Flourish and Blotts?"

"Fortescue and Ollivander went on holiday, did they? If you think security's a laughing matter you can stay behind and I'll get your things myself —"

"No, I wanna come, I want to see Fred and George's shop!" Ron exclaimed.

"Then you just buck up your ideas, young man, before I decide you're too immature to come with us! And that goes for returning to Hogwarts as well!"

Ron turned to look at his friends.

"Blimey... you can't even make a joke 'round here anymore..."

"Don't feel bad, you have the emotional range of a teaspoon, you can't help it!" Mel taunted, walking past him.

Mel left the burrow with her Firebolt on one shoulder, ready to go and play with her friends when she spotted Erick sitting under a tree, reading one of the books he'd borrowed from her. For some reason, she felt like talking to him even though there was nothing new to say.

"Don't you get tired of reading?" She nudged his leg. "Don't get me wrong, I love books, but summer should be spent under the sun, gaining a bit of colour..."

"I have enough colour," Erick looked up at her. "I get all sweaty under the sun — hugely unattractive, and I have a reputation to maintain."

"As the heartthrob of our group?" Mel smirked. "I thought that was my title!"

"Your title is Lady Dumbledore," He grinned.

"Leaving you alone with Fred and George in Grimmauld Place was a mistake," She sat down next to him, examining his book. "Dracula? Finally reading something else than romance and fairytales I see..."

"Dracula's kind of romantic. Sort of fairy-like as well... if you look past the blood and violence..."

"Well, sounds like something realistic for sure..."

"Oh, please, didn't you say to me years ago that life could be a fairytale and all that?"

Mel groaned, she shook her head.

"That same day you told me how hard it is to choose between emotions and duty. We can't always be happy — What was I thinking when I thought I'd get the princess's ending, anyway? I'm a witch!"

"That's not the bubbly miss I used to know," Erick raised a brow. "I understand, though. My dreams were never as pink as yours, but they were ambitious... I guess they still are, but in a prudent way..."

"It's a start," Mel leaned against the tree. "I feel like I'm rebuilding myself... It's complicated."

"That makes two of us," He sighed. "It's good to have someone that understands, right?"

Mel suddenly felt self-conscious about how close they'd become over the last few weeks. It triggered the fly or fight reaction in her. Whatever she'd done with Fred last year helped her move on from her heartache, but it didn't make her trust her romantic feelings, whatever those pesky things were.

"Everything okay?"

She felt a tingling sensation, like thunder announcing a storm. Had his eyes always looked that honey-like with the sunlight?

"Yep," Mel squeaked, standing up and grabbing her firebolt. "I want to play..."

"Sure..." Erick frowned slightly. "Yeah, go ahead..."

"Are you sure you don't want to come?"

"My hair would get messy and I'd be all out of breath! Such a nightmare..."

"That's the whiny Prince I know," Mel smiled tensely, walking away.

Diagon Alley was nothing like the bright, lousy place she used to remember. Every window had been covered with Ministry posters, Mel anxiously ran her fingers over the scars on her hand, scowling at every single banner.

Emily, Hagrid (who was there as their guard), Ron, Hermione, Harry and her went to get new robes. Ginny, Erick, Mr and Mrs Weasley decided to go and buy the books everyone needed.

No one noticed Harry Potter was passing next to them, Mel was starting to understand what it'd been like to live during the first wizarding war, and now she was living the second wave. She was slowly sinking in her own anguish when someone touched her shoulder gently.

"Don't get upset," Harry said, making eye contact. "Remember our game?" She nodded. "You want to play?"

She nodded again. He took a moment to think of a word, then he continued:

"Quidditch. Q—U— I— D..."

"D..." She whispered. "I— T— C— H."

"What's your favourite spell?"

"I..." She tilted her head. "I don't have one."

"Wise choice," He held her hand and guided her towards the next shop. "C'mon..."

Mel stared at him, Harry was acting so differently compared to last year it was almost scarier than his angry version. Still, she didn't let go of his hand until they entered the next shop. Emily went in with them, Hagrid stayed outside to watch the entrance.

"...not a child, in case you haven't noticed, Mother. I am perfectly capable of doing my shopping alone."

"Now, dear, your mother's quite right, none of us is supposed to go wandering around on our own anymore, it's nothing to do with being a child —"

"Watch where you're sticking that pin, will you!"

Draco walked out of the dressing room and stood in front of a mirror. After a second of quiet staring, he realized they were there.

"If you're wondering what the smell is, Mother," Malfoy sneered. "A Mudblood just walked in..."

"I don't think there's any need for language like that!" Madam Malkin walked out of the backroom as well. "And I don't want wands drawn in my shop either!"

The boys had their wands out, pointing at Malfoy. Hermione whispered something about ignoring the boy.

"Yeah, like you'd dare do magic out of school," Malfoy scoffed. "Who blacked your eye, Granger? I want to send them flowers."

"That's quite enough!" said Madam Malkin. "Madam — please —"

Narcissa Malfoy stared at Emily for a long time, then at the rest of the group.

"Put those away," she said shortly. "If you attack my son again, I shall ensure that it is the last thing you ever do."

"Really?" Harry stepped forward, he was as tall as the woman, and this seemed to encourage him. "Going to get a few Death Eater pals to do us in, are you?"

"Harry," Mel said in a tone of warning, Madame Malkin gasped.

"Really, you shouldn't accuse — dangerous thing to say — wands away, please!"

"Harry," Emily insisted. "Be wise..."

"I see that being Dumbledore's favourite has given you a false sense of security, Harry Potter," Narcissa smiled. "But Dumbledore won't always be there to protect you."

"Wow... look at that..." Harry looked around. "He's not here now! So why not have a go? They might be able to find you a double cell in Azkaban with your loser of a husband!"

"That's enough," Mel said sternly, lowering the boy's arm.

"Don't you dare talk to my mother like that, Potter!" Malfoy tried to get close but stumbled on his long robes.

"It's all right, Draco," said Narcissa, putting a hand on his shoulder. "I expect Potter will be reunited with dear Sirius before I am reunited with Lucius."

Harry tried to raised his wand again.

"I think we've had enough useless fights!" The girl stopped him. "My uncle may not be here but I'm pretty able to stop you on my own, Harry."

"Mel's right..." Emily put a hand on his shoulder to ease him.

"I think this left sleeve could come up a little bit more," Madame Malkin said anxiously, reaching for Malfoy's robes. "Dear, let me just —"

"Ouch! Watch where you're putting your pins, woman! Mother — I don't think I want these anymore —"

"You're right, Draco," said Narcissa, "now I know the kind of scum that shops here... We'll do better at Twilfitt and Tatting's. Oh, and Sultens," She eyed Emily one last time before leaving. "Congrats on birthing another bastard..."

"Let them go," Mel said roughly to the boys, noticing they were ready to attack again.

Emily looked away while the Malfoys exited the store.

"Mum?" The girl approached the woman carefully.

"It's fine," She said quietly. "I just need a moment... I'm fine."

"Got ev'rything?" Hagrid asked them once they left the store.

"Just about... Did you see the Malfoys?"

"Yeah— Bu' they wouldn' dare make trouble in the middle o' Diagon Alley, Harry. Don' worry abou' them."

Mr and Mrs Weasley, Ginny and Erick arrived, all holding large packages.

"Everyone all right? Got your robes? Right then, we can pop in at the Apothecary and Eeylops on the way to Fred and George's — stick close, now..."

Mel remained silent the whole time they spent in the Apothecary, she picked the few ingredients for her next term and paid without focusing on what she was doing.

"How are you?" Erick caught up with her. "Harry told me what happened... You know the Malfoys are rubbish..."

Harry had sent Erick to talk to her? Instead of going himself? He was definitely keeping his distance. Which was excellent, but she didn't know why it hurt her anyway.

"I've heard it once or twice... never bothered me because I knew my father loved me, I never stopped to think about my mum..."

"What?"

"My parents never married," Mel explained. "They did everything a married couple is supposed to do... everything except marrying. They were waiting for the war to end."

"Titles are nothing unless you give them meaning, your mother knows that. Names mean nothing unless you want them to... Mel Dumbledore, that's one that'll mean great things one day."

Mel knew he was right, her parents had loved each other, and she had all the right in the world to be treated as a Dumbledore. Leon Regulus would be a Black if he wanted to, and her mother didn't need to do things like everyone else to be valid.

Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes was the only cheerful building left. They knew how to brighten up even the gloomiest of places. Mel felt a strong tug at the base of her stomach; she'd missed her friends.

'WHY ARE YOU WORRYING ABOUT YOU-KNOW-WHO?

U-NO-POO—

"They really know their priorities, don't they?" Erick raised a brow.

"They'll be murdered in their beds!" Mrs Weasley lamented.

"No they won't!" Ron laughed. "This is brilliant!"

Mel couldn't help feeling a bit anxious, Emily stared at the sign and smiled absently.

"Sirius would've loved this..."

With every step she took inside the loud and crowded place, her chest warmed up with memories. She'd been present for the creation of at least half of all those, it was a nice change to reminisce over something that made her happy instead of miserable and mournful.

"'One simple incantation and you will enter a top-quality, highly realistic, thirty-minute daydream," Hermione read. "Easy to fit into the average school lesson and virtually undetectable (side effects include vacant expression and minor drooling). Not for sale to under-sixteens' — You know, that really is extraordinary magic!"

"For that, Hermione, you can have one for free."

Mel turned around so fast she accidentally hit Harry's face with her hair. She jumped into Fred's arms and squeezed him as hard as she could, a pleasant wave of accomplishment washed over her when she noticed she was almost as tall as him now. Almost, the top of her head was barely reaching his nose, though.

"Good to see I've been missed," He beamed. "How are you handling our break-up, Lady? Not good I see... Listen, I'm trying to date new people, having you in my arms every time we see each other it's kind of a bad look."

"Shut up," Mel quickly cleaned her tear-stained face. "I'm sorry, I don't go around jumping on people and crying — I'm just happy to see you."

Fred ruffled her hair and offered her a handkerchief he pulled out from his pocket.

"How are you, Harry?" He reached for the boy's hand and shook it. "And what's happened to your eye, Hermione?"

"Your punching telescope."

"Oh blimey, I forgot about those! Here —" He pulled a tub of something out of another pocket and gave it to her. "Just dab it on, that bruise'll be gone within the hour. We had to find a decent bruise remover. We're testing most of our products on ourselves."

"It is safe, isn't it?" Hermione asked reluctantly.

"'Course it is! Come on, guys, I'll give you a tour. Wait —" He looked around. "Where's the Prince?"

Mel looked around as well. "He was right behind me when I walked in!"

"We'll find him," Fred put an arm around her shoulders and guided her towards a shelf. "You've grown! Try to stay like this, won't you? If my ex-girlfriend ends up being taller and prettier than me..."

"Looks like I'm halfway there!" She teased.

Harry followed them, Hermione decided to stay behind.

"Muggle magic tricks!" Fred happily pointed to the boxes on their right. "For freaks like Dad, you know, who love Muggle stuff. It's not a big earner, but we do fairly steady business, they're great novelties — Erick will love them... Oh, here's George — Ah, hello there, Prince!"

"Caught him snooping around the love potions," George smirked, his own arm around Erick, who was now taller than him. "Can you believe it? As if this twat needed one! — Blimey, lady, you're taller too! That's not fair!"

George shook hands with Harry, and Erick allowed Fred to give him a hug.

"Giving them the tour? Come through the back, guys, that's where we're making the real money — pocket anything, you— and you'll pay in more than Galleons!" George warned a boy who was trying to get edible dark marks from a tub — "they'll make anyone sick!"

George guided them to the back, Erick approached her with a worried expression.

"You've been crying."

"What?" She touched her face, but it was dry. "How do you..? Doesn't matter, I got emotional, that's all."

"Emotional?"

"I'd missed the twins, alright?" Mel replied defensively.

"You didn't even date for real..." Erick grumbled, she pretended not to hear.

"We've just developed this more serious line," Fred explained to them. "Funny how it happened..."

"You wouldn't believe how many people, even people who work at the Ministry, can't do a decent Shield Charm," George mentioned. "'Course, they didn't have you two teaching them."

"That's right... Well, we thought Shield Hats were a bit of a laugh, you know, challenge your mate to jinx you while wearing it and watch his face when the jinx just bounces off. But the Ministry bought five hundred for all its support staff! And we're still getting massive orders!"

"So we've expanded into a range of Shield Cloaks, Shield Gloves..."

"...I mean, they wouldn't help much against the Unforgivable Curses, but for minor to moderate hexes or jinxes..."

"An abrupt attack would no longer be useful," Mel said in astonishment. "Boys, this is wonderful!"

"We thought we'd get into the whole area of Defense Against the Dark Arts, because it's such a money-spinner," George nodded. "This is cool. Look, Instant Darkness Powder, we're importing it from Peru. Handy if you want to make a quick escape."

"And our Decoy Detonators are just walking off the shelves, look," said Fred. "You just drop one surreptitiously and it'll run off and make a nice loud noise out of sight, giving you a diversion if you need one.

"Impressive," Erick admitted, examining the boxes.

There was something absurd about the way Fred and George were so casually talking about their newest products. The context in which these things had been created was dark, but to them, it was just another funny experiment that had succeeded, and as crazy as it was, Mel felt hopeful. If something as bright, colourful and happy could still stand in the midst of war, then surely not everything was changing for the worst.

"Handy," said Harry.

"Here," George grabbed a fistful of the products and put a bit on the hands of the three friends.

"There's a customer out here looking for a joke cauldron, Mr Weasley and Mr Weasley," A girl said through the curtain.

Hearing the 'Mr Weasley' reminded her that time wasn't forgiving, and soon enough she would also be of age. However, this seemed terribly unimportant when so many marvellous things were happening around her.

"Right you are, Verity, I'm coming," said George. "Guys, you help yourself to anything you want, all right? No charge."

"I can't do that!" said Harry.

"And neither can we," Mel frowned, Erick nodded.

"You don't pay here," said Fred, brushing it aside.

"But —"

"You gave us our start-up loan, Harry, we haven't forgotten," said George. "Erick, your gran' got us this place and he asked for nothing in return but for us to watch over you, and that means we don't accept the money he left so you could watch after yourself. Mel," He smirked. "You're just too pretty to pay."

"Don't forget she's always believed in us! Helped while we were making half of these!" Fred added. "But yeah, being good-looking is the main reason."

Mel snorted, she was unaware of the way Erick rolled his eyes at the innocent and playful compliments.

"Take whatever you like," George shrugged, "and just remember to tell people where you got it, if they ask."

Fred led them back into the main room, Hermione and Ginny were still checking the Patented Daydream Charms.

"Haven't you girls found our special WonderWitch products yet? Follow me, ladies..."

"Oh, wow," Mel grimaced. "This looks like something Umbridge would love..."

Near the window was an array of violently pink products around which a cluster of excited girls was giggling enthusiastically. Hermione and Ginny both hung back, looking wary.

"There you go," said Fred. "Best range of love potions you'll find anywhere."

"Do they work?" Ginny asked sceptically.

"Certainly they work, for up to twenty-four hours at a time depending on the weight of the boy in question —"

"— and the attractiveness of the girl," George was suddenly once more at their side. "But we're not selling them to our sister. Not when she's already got about five boys on the go from what we've —"

"Whatever you've heard from Ron is a big fat lie," said Ginny curtly.

"Wait," Mel smirked. "Were these the potions you were examining a while ago, Prince?"

"Oh yeah," George said, a devilish grin on his face. "But he doesn't need them. Not when he's finally gaining weight and colour! I tell you, now that he's a hero he'll be having hoards of people lining up for a date!"

Mel laughed, picking up a bottle. "I'm intrigued..."

"Oh no," Fred snatched the bottle from her hand. "You give this to a boy and you'll drive him mad!"

"He'd end up in St. Mungo's for sure," George nodded solemnly.

"Sod off, you two," Mel protested. "I wasn't planning on buying it!"

"Good," said Harry and Erick at the same time.

"What's this?" Ginny asked promptly, distracting the twins.

"Guaranteed ten-second pimple vanisher," said Fred. "Excellent on everything from boils to blackheads, but don't change the subject. Are you or are you not currently going out with a boy called Dean Thomas?"

"Yes, I am. And last time I looked, he was definitely one boy, not five. What are those?"

"Pygmy Puffs," said George. "Miniature puffskeins, we can't breed them fast enough. So what about Michael Corner?"

"I dumped him, he was a bad loser — They're really cute!"

"They're fairly cuddly, yes. But you're moving through boyfriends a bit fast, aren't you?" Fred insisted.

Ginny turned to look at him, both hands on her hips and looking alarmingly similar to her mother.

"It's none of your business. And I'll thank you," She yelled to Ron, who had just appeared, "not to tell tales about me to these two!"

"That's three Galleons, nine Sickles, and a Knut," said Fred. "Cough up."

"I'm your brother!"

"And that's our stuff you're nicking. Three Galleons, nine Sickles. I'll knock off the Knut."

"But I haven't got three Galleons, nine Sickles!"

"You'd better put it back then, and mind you put it on the right shelves."

Ron dropped the boxes, yelled at Fred to put them right up his arse, and showed him his middle finger. Unfortunately, Mrs Weasley was there to witness it.

"If I see you do that again I'll jinx your fingers together!"

"Mum, can I have a Pygmy Puff?" asked Ginny.

"A what?"

"Look, they're so sweet..."

Harry, Ron, Hermione, Mel and Erick suddenly had a wide view of the window. Malfoy was hurrying down the street across from theirs.

"Wonder where his mummy is?" Harry asked.

"Given her the slip by the looks of it," said Ron.

"Why, though?" said Hermione.

"Throwing a tantrum, maybe?" Erick offered.

"Get under here, quick," said Harry, pulling his Invisibility Cloak out.

"Oh — I don't know, Harry," Hermione looked towards the rest of the group.

"He's Malfoy, who cares what he's doing?" Mel frowned.

"Come on!" Ron insisted.

Erick looked over his shoulder, making sure no one was watching.

"I'll distract them," He said. "Just try to be back soon."

"Thank you," Mel whispered, disappearing under the cloak.

Next Chapter —>

Taglist.

@dee123ksha @vampiregirl1797 @siriuslysirius1107 @stardusthigh @mikariell95 @vernon-dursley @thesuitelifeofafangirl @tomshollandz @reverse-hxlland @hamiltonwc @omiwashere @t-rexs-world @just-here-to-escape-from-reality @21bruhs @i-am-scared-and-useless-bisexual @dielgonacoffee @thelastpyle @cedricisnotdead @aconfusedslytherin

#twoidiots writing #Harry Potter #harry potter fanfiction #harry potter xoc #hp fanfic #WITT fic

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all1e23 · 5 years

Text

Code Date Night [One-Shot]

Summary: Sparks ruin date night.

Warnings: A little bit of angst. Lots of fluff. Sweet, protective Bucky.

A/N: A new Astrophile drabble! YAY! As a warning, Bucky is injured on the job in case that’s a trigger for anyone. No death. There is a bit of angst, but it’s still Astrophile fluff. It takes place roughly 5/6 years after the epilogue. Write me a book report, sing me a song or come scream at me if you like it. If you have not read the series Astrophile, THERE WLL BE MAJOR SPOILERS.

Catch up on the series here!

***My fics are not to be saved or posted on any other sites without my written permission. Reblogs are my jam, though! Thanks!*

Bucky leans forward in the back of the truck, adjusting his boots. His feet are killing him, and he just wants to be off this damn job. The love he has for his career and his brother runs deep, but he’s so ready to get home and see his wife. That is something he never thought he would say. He’s always loved work more than most things in his life, but here he is desperate to get back to the station so he can see his girl. He settles in next to Steve and continues to hum the same tune he has been humming for the last several turns. He pulls his hair into a tight bun at the base of his neck and continues humming. In just under eight hours, his shift will be over, and he will be holding his sweet Beck.

The tune repeats once more from the start, and the moment it finishes, Bucky glances at the men around him.

“Okay, what’s it from?”

Steve leans his head back against his seat and fires off a guess without any real pause to consider the melody. “Flintstones?”

Clint tears his eyes from the road for a split second and sets Sam with a flat look. “Flinstones? What the hell? Sam, you need to sit down and teach your husband a thing or two.”

Sam chuckles and sends a Steve wink who promptly blushes at the gesture.

“It’s Happy Days.” Sam glances at Bucky for conformation. “Right? Happy Days?”

Bucky chuckles and leans forward to give him a high five. Same dumb game every shift. They have to do something to pass the time when things are less than exciting, and it never fails to end the same way. Steve never guesses right, Clint makes fun of him, and Sam wins.

“Yeah, it’s been stuck in my head since yesterday morning. It’s on all night on that rerun channel, and the twins have decided four in the morning’ means it’s time to get up.”

“Let’s be real. You get up that early, or is Y/n getting up?” Sam asks with a snort, disbelief, and humor filling his words.

“Screw off. I’m gettin’ up. I get up every time my babies cry, punk. What about you? You get up with Stevie over here?”

Steve rolls his eyes. This happens every shift. Every damn day. “Of course, Sam wakes up when I do, Buck.”

“Damn right, but we are kind of passed that stage, dumbass.” Bucky lurches forward and knocks his helmet off his head. Sam whips his gloves into the backseat catching Bucky on the side of his head. Bucky jumps ahead, but Steve grabs him by the back of the jacket and jerks him back into his seat.

“Hey, guys…” Clint shouts over their scuffle. “As fun as this round was, we got a real problem coming up on the right.”

Steve leans forward to see a thick cloud of black smoke rolling out of the windows of a small four-story apartment building. The bronzed painted wood paneling on the outside of the broken windows is quickly turning black from the flames burning through the wood framing. Steve sits back and gives Sam an order before slipping his helmet on.

“Call it in. I’ve got a feeling this one is going to be ugly.”

By the time the truck came to a stop, the windows on the fourth floor had shattered. Bucky and Sam rushed in to pull out as many people as they could. The bottom two floors were cleared, the tenants could feel the heat before it ever reached them. Even with his gear, Bucky could feel it. Sam took the third floor, and Bucky ventured up to the fourth, pulling out a woman in her late forties who was trapped in her bedroom thanks to a fallen beam.

Steve waited for their all-clear before he breathed a sigh of relief. Everyone was out, and they could focus on putting the fire out, not carrying out bodies.

Steve made eye contact with Sam and shouted over the noise surrounding them, “Get that redline in here! We can get it under control before it spreads any further.”

The woman Bucky had pulled out of the flame is sitting on a stretcher, fighting against the EMTs and clawing to get to Bucky. She kept shouting about going back in, and Bucky tried five or six times to tell her there was no way anyone could go back in now until they got the flames under control.

“I don’t know what you’re saying with that mask on! My kitty is in there!"

Bucky yanks his breath mask off in frustration and tosses to Clint standing nearby. He is not in the mood. He’s already running late for date night, and all he wants to do is get a shower, eat some damn pasta, and make love to his wife on the one night his kids spend at Aunt Natasha’s.

Now he’s got to deal with a fire that the Gods had to dump in their laps.

As much as he would love to save this woman’s cat. They can’t go back in. All they can do now is put out the remaining flames and go in once it was safe.

"Ma'am, I understand but–"

"Mom?!"

The unit looks up and sees a little girl about nine standing on the fire escape, and the woman’s voice catches Bucky’s ear. "I told you! My kitty! She was hiding in one of the cupboards!"

"Shit.” Steve steps back from the truck. “Get the ladder!“

There isn’t enough time. Bucky shakes his head and makes a run for the fire escape on the side of the building. He Jerks the rickety metal ladder down and starts to climb up to meet the little girl. She is frozen from fear, and he wouldn’t leave her up there all alone and scared like that. He can hear Steve ordering him to back off, but he can’t. What if it was Orion? Or his sweet little Cassie trapped up there? He can’t just stand on the ground and watch.

"Buck! Watch out for the–"

——–

“He climbed up the fire escape to help the nine-year-old girl down before the building collapsed. The heat had cracked the window she climbed out of, so he covered her with his jacket before moving her to a safer floor. Flashover shattered the window, and that’s when he got the burn to his left shoulder and upper arm. There was a lot of smoke covering them for a good minute. Not sure how much he took in.”

“Okay,” the emergency room doctor sighs and glances up at Steve. “We’ve got it from here. We can notify his family if you don’t–”

“No.” Steve’s voice cuts through the room, and he attempts to soften it. “I’ll call. We are family– I’ll handle it. He’s in my company.”

The doctor nods. He understands. He deals with injured emergency servicemen and women more than he would like, so he understands Steve wants to be the one to make the call. They are a family in the way none of the hospital staff could understand. He leaves Steve to make the call and makes his way back to where Bucky is fighting against the heavy sedation they pumped into him. Steve doesn’t waste another second and heads for the elevator, but Sam catches his wrist before he can get far and pulls him back just a step or two.

"Where are you going?” His voice is soft and warm. He’s speaking as a husband, not a member of Steve’s company.

Steve gives his partner’s hand a squeeze and pulls his arm free of the shorter man’s grip. “It’s Tuesday. That’s their date night. I’m not going to call her in the middle of the restaurant and tell her what happened. It’s not far from here. I’ll tell her in person.”

Sam doesn’t try to argue with him; just simply nods. Once Steve’s made up his mind about something, there is no changing it. He watches Steve go and then turns his attention back to Bucky, watching through the glass wall that separated them.

"BP is good. His vitals are stable despite the injuries and smoke inhalation.”

The words coming from the blond nurse on Bucky’s right sound far away and almost muffled. As if his head was underwater, or the way Leo sounds from under his Spider-Man mask. For some reason, Bucky can’t work out, she continues trying to talk to him despite his drowning. The white lights flashing over his eyes make him wince, and his eyes focus on the room around him. He quickly recognizes where he is. He’s in the hospital, and that means… No, this isn’t good. Bucky has to get up and get out of this bed right now.

He has somewhere to be and someone he can’t let down. He can’t let her down like this.

Bucky groans and tugs at the tubes in his nose as he struggles to sit up. His left arm burns, but he ignores it. There is a pinch every time he tries to move his shoulder to pull out the IV. It doesn’t matter. He has somewhere to be. A gentle hand lands on his chest, “Lieutenant Barnes. You have to sit back for me and keep that in your nose. We need you breathing clean air.”

With the weight of the hand and whatever medication they gave him, he is too weak to push back against their gentle urging. Bucky falls back against the bed, but he continues to try to pull the sheets off his leg to climb out of the cold hard bed – nothing like his bed at home, it’s warm and soft and filled with the people he loves most. He wants his bed, not this sad excuse for one.

“You don’t understand. I got a date– My wife–”

“We can call your wife and let her know. I’m sure she will understand. You can go on your date another night.” The kind-looking nurse on his life cuts in.

Bucky shakes his head rather quickly, making his head spin and tugs at the plastic tube in his nose again. He can feel his chest tightening at the thought of Y/n, his Beck, sitting alone waiting for him to show up. He needs to make sure she is okay.

“No, you don’t understand. My wife wrote it on the calendar. We have a calendar in our kitchen and, and she wrote it down for tonight. She– she wrote in pen, okay? I can’t not show up. I can’t.”

“Mr. Barnes–”

“I promised my wife I wouldn’t–” He takes a deep breath and repeats, forcing his panic down. “She wrote it in pen.”

——–

Y/n glances at her watch once more and drums her fingers along the stem of her wine glass. She’s not nervous. Bucky is only forty-five minutes late. The large glass door at the front of the dark restaurant swings open, she sits up straighter, and a small smile starts to curl up the corners of her mouth until she realizes it’s no one she knows. It’s certainly not the man she’s eagerly waiting on. She huffs out a breath and slouches back down in her seat, grabbing her phone to check for any missed texts – not that there will be, that phone hasn’t left her hand all night.

She takes a picture of her nearly empty glass of pinot noir and sends it to Bucky with a small warning following the image, I’m on my second glass. If you don’t get here soon, I might have to find someone else to take me home. They both know she would never, but they tease each other and the foundation they’ve built all of this isn’t shaken by something that silly. It’s one of the things she loves most about their relationship. She’s never had that before, but she likes it, and she likes that it’s with Bucky.

No reply. No phone call, and it doesn’t look like he has seen the picture she sent. Her thumb hovers over Steve’s number, but she quickly talks herself out of it. This is getting silly. She doesn’t need to be that wife, the one that calls the second her husband is late and makes a fool of herself. Bucky said he would be there, and he will. He would never let her down, it’s not in him – his heart would never let him do anything to hurt her.

Everything is fine. He’s just late. She isn’t worried in the least. It’s perfectly normal for him to be a little late every now and then. Only three weeks ago, he had picked up an extra shift out of nowhere, making up for someone on day shift that needed to trade out. It’s part of the job, and she knows that. It’s not like Bucky is an accountant, working a simple nine to five and home at the same time every night without question. She knew that going in and saw it several times with Nat and Orion before she even met Bucky.

There is nothing to be concerned about. He’s merely running late and will be there soon. He promised, and he always keeps his promises.

She is not worried.

A tingle runs down her spine, giving her goosebumps and causing her to look up only to find Steve strolling towards her. The sight of the blond makes her breathe a sigh of relief. If Steve is here picking up dinner, everything is fine, and Bucky will be there in no time.

“Steve, what are you doing here?” Y/n asks, forcing a relaxed smile despite the way her heart is pounding in her chest. “Picking up dinner?”

“No, Y/n. I’m not here for dinner.” Steve holds out his hand for hers and nods towards the exit, gesturing for her to get up and follow him. “I called Nat, and she said she would sleep at your place tonight with the kids and take them to school the next few days.”

“W-what?”

Her heart sinks into her stomach, and her fingers instantly start to tremble. There’s a buzzing in her ears that won’t go away with a few shakes of her head like she hoped they would. Steve’s gaze doesn’t leave her, but he’s not giving anything away; his face is utterly blank. Whatever he needs to tell her he doesn’t want to do it here, in front of a restaurant full of people and that makes her stomach churn even more. She hesitantly reaches up to take the hand that Steve is holding out for her.

“Why does Nat– Steve, please… Where is Bucky?“

The panic seeping out from her chest is starting to slip into her voice. She can’t help it. Steve came to get her, her husband is for all intents and purposes missing, and he never ignores her calls like this. Something is wrong. Steve squeezes his fingers around hers and pulls her up. His arm tightens around her waist to keep her on her feet.

Just in case.

"Steve… Where is he?”

The crack in Steve’s demeanor tells her everything she needs to know before he gets a word out. Bucky’s hurt. He’s not making it to date night. Calendar and pen could do nothing to change that.

“He’s at the Brooklyn Methodist. He’s going to be okay, but we need to get you there.”

——–

“Mr. Barnes. For the love of–”

A deep sigh leaves the young nurse attending Bucky’s bedside, and it sounds as if she wants to throw her scrubs in the bin and never come back. It’s late nearing the end of her shift, and Bucky isn’t exactly the easiest of patients at the moment. “I know you’re upset. We’ve called home for you four times. The quicker we get you patched up, the quicker you can get out of here and back to her.”

“I have to see my wife now. Not in’a couple of days. She, She can’t go through that again. I know this sounds crazy, and I am sorry I am being a pain in the ass, but she wrote it friggin’ pen! Just give me the paper to sign that says I’m refusing care–”

“I don’t think so, Lieutenant Barnes.” Bucky’s head snaps up at the sound of her voice, and his whole body relaxes at the sight of Y/n standing in the doorway, she’s not smiling, probably because of what she just heard, but she’s wearing that little red number he loves so much. It’s the one that falls off her shoulders and hugs every inch of her body, and it’s really got him regretting missing date night.

“You’re not going anywhere, and you’re going to let them do whatever they need to.”

Bucky glances up to see the nurse smirking at how quickly he settles back against the pillow because his wife told him to. That might bother him if Y/n wasn’t walking around the slightly uncomfortable hospital bed and taking his right hand in hers. She regards his left arm, carefully. There’s no hint of what she feels, which is unusual for her. Bucky can nearly always tell what she’s thinking because she wears every emotion right there in those pretty eyes. If you just look close enough you can see everything that’s written on her heart.

The white bandage, littered with splotches of yellow and light red, is wrapped around his bicep and extendeds up his shoulder spreading towards his chest, and her eyes trace every inch of it. The stretch of the injury explains the lack of a shirt on her husband. Whatever happened though left the tattoo on his arm untouched and she breathes a sigh of relief, not only would that hurt Bucky, it would break Ori’s heart to see it gone from her father’s arm. Y/n’s hand finds its way into his hair, and she gives a gentle tug until his head falls against her chest.

“Beck,” Bucky whispers, whimpers, really, but no one is going to call attention to it. The way he’s clinging to her is for a husband and wife only, and those left in the room take the hint. Y/n runs her fingers through his hair, and he takes a deep breath before whispering against her skin, “I’m so sorry, baby. I didn’t– I tried to get there.”

Y/n’s hands freeze in his hair while he babbles on about missing ‘it’ and apologizing for hurting her. She can’t work out why he is apologizing until she hears him say, I know I promised and you wrote in pen and ‘m sorry I made you worry. Bucky, her sweet December, is lying in bed with what could very well be third-degree burns on his arm, and he’s concerned about pens, past hurts, and the promise he made to never leave a similar scar on her heart.

All he cares about is the damage done to her.

“It’s alright,” She assures him with a simple kiss to the top of his head, his temple, and his cheek, right over the stray tear that slipped out before he could force it back. "We can do it another night. There are plenty of empty spaces on the calendar.”

"But–"

"I’ll draw an arrow to a new night. In pen.” She sinks down next to him on the stiff bed and leans her forehead against his. “I don’t care what night we do date night as long as you’re the one I’m meeting.”

“You better not be meetin’ anyone else,” Bucky whispers in her ear. There is a hint of playful teasing in his voice, and it makes her grin. He is attempting to quell her unvoiced fears and give her back some of her equilibrium in the wake of what could have been their end, and she loves him for it.

“I hear you had two glasses of wine tonight and were lookin’ for someone to take you home tonight? Whaddya say you come home with me darlin’?”

“Mmm.” She considers the offer with a soft giggle and pecks his lip softly.

“That can be arranged, handsome. Let the doctors give you a once over and make sure you’re okay, then I’ll let you take me home, December.”

“Whatever you want, Beck.”

——–

Four days it’s been since Bucky was admitted to the hospital. Four days since he’s been allowed to sleep in his own bed or be able to really hold his wife. It has been four tortuously long days since he’s seen his kids and Bucky won’t make it another day without seeing their sweet faces.

Y/n wanted to bring them in, but the first few days he was in a lot of pain, and he didn’t want them to see him like that. It’s not something his kid should ever have to see. Ori was old enough to understand it was a burn and that he got injured on the job but that she meant she understood. Bucky is worried if she knows all the details, she will panic every time he leaves for work, and she may be that much closer to being a full-blown teenager, but she’s still his baby, and she should get to be a kid, worry-free for as long as she can.

As for the twins, they wouldn’t fully understand, but he didn’t want them to be scared of him. He was hooked up to a lot of machines, and he didn’t want them to have nightmares. It was better to wait.

Thankfully, today was the day. Bucky gets to go home, and Uncle Steve dropped all three troublemakers off about twenty minutes ago. Cassie and Leo ran straight for his bed and climbed up on his lap to smother him in hugs and kisses, which he happily accepted and returned. Orion, though, she hung back with Y/n at the foot of the bed, holding her mother’s hand and avoiding Bucky’s gaze.

He really hates it, not because she’s choosing her mom over him or something as petty and trivial as that. Orion chooses Y/n over him more often than not, and he’s okay with it, loves it in fact, but she’s avoiding him because she’s scared and upset, and he hates that he’s the cause of ache in his daughter.

Once they get home, they will have to talk, just him and his comet, but for now, he keeps it light for the twins.

“What have you two been doin’ without me? Drivin’ your uncles and sister crazy?” Asked Bucky, forced humor therein his voice that only Y/n catches.

Cassie doesn’t say anything. She curls into Bucky’s right side, under his arm, and hides her face in his shirt. She was scared, still is. She’s been terrified since Uncle Steve picked her up from Aunt Nattie’s and said daddy was sick at the hospital, so she would have to stay at their house till he got better. She cried the last three nights in a row and slept in her uncle’s bed, snuggled between them.

Leo isn’t oblivious to what’s going on around him. He is just as upset, but he doesn’t show his feelings as quickly as Cassie does. He tries to be strong for his mama and sisters – just like his daddy does! So, he sits on Bucky’s lap and nods, “I slept with sissy and Oviver at Uncle Stevie’s house."

"There’s an ‘L’ in Oliver, buddy. You slept with sissy, you said?” Bucky questions, and his eyes shift to Orion, who is trying her hardest not to cry and scare the twins any more than they already are.

“You’ve got a pretty awesome big sister, huh?”

Leo nods and beams at Orion, who gives him a small smile back.

Bucky raises his left arm, ignores the burning on his chest, and ushers her over with a wave of his hand. Orion didn’t have to be told twice. She dashes over and snuggles into his left side, careful of the bandage on his chest and arm. It isn’t anything too serious. Second-degree burns that may not even leave a scar, and he gets to be home with the kids for two or three weeks until it heals fully. Bucky is thankful it’s nothing compared to what it could have been because he could have been so much worse.

Still, he knows it looks pretty scary to his kids.

“Okay, you three know I’m alright, don’t ya?” Bucky places a kiss on Ori’s forehead and the top of Cassie’s head. He motions for Leo to lean in and when the four-year-old does Bucky’s lips land right in the middle of his forehead, making him giggle.

There is a muffled yeah from his girls, and Leo nods hesitantly. Bucky sighs and catches Y/n’s eye, silently begging for help. She’s better at this, better at the whole words thing. As much as he tries, Bucky isn’t as good as Beck – regardless of what she thinks. Cassie looks up at Bucky and tugs his shirt, grabbing his attention.

“Daddy?” The small voice coming from his side makes him drop Y/n’s gaze, and he finds Cassie staring up at him wide-eyed and curious.

“Yeah, stardust?”

“Your arm hurts?”

Bucky shakes his head and gives his shoulder a couple of shrugs to prove his point. There is a little bit of pain if he keeps it in motion, but Cassie didn’t need those details. She just needs to know her daddy is okay and all good for their nightly cuddle sessions.

“A little bit, baby. It’s just a little burn, but as long as I keep it clean and wrapped up, it will be alright. I promise I’m okay. Just need rest and cuddles from my babies, and I’ll be right as rain.”

She nods seemingly approving of the answer and then pipes up again, “Can we all cuddles in bed tonight?"

Leo appears to like the idea because he scoots further up Bucky and lays his head on Bucky’s stomach. Ori glances between her parents, waiting for what she clearly hopes is a yes. Bucky catches Y/n’s eye and grins. She grins right back and shrugs just light enough for Bucky to spot but not the kids.

“Of course.” Y/n says with a smile and a wink for Ori. “I always want you three snuggled up with us. We might need to invest in a bigger bed, though, with our two little bed hogs.”

Bucky chuckles and tightens his arms around his kids. “Nah, we will be fine, Beck. Just gotta cuddle real close, and everything will be just fine.”

#Bucky barnes x reader #bucky barnes x you #bucky barnes x y/n #fireman!Bucky #Firefighter AU #daddy!bucky #no longer single dad AU #bucky x you #bucky x reader #bucky x y/n #astrophile files

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cakesunflower · 4 years

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Reach For You [Dad!Calum AU] Ch. 21

Chapter 21

SHE WAS TRYING to suppress her smile, failing to do as her green eyes remained on an uncharacteristically jittery Calum. He was switching between pacing the exam room to observing the medical poster of a fetus developing stuck on the wall. He seemed almost out of place, acquainting himself with his surroundings, and Aspen kept her attention on him rather than thinking about her full bladder and how she couldn’t wait to use the bathroom after the appointment was over.

Her eyes drew to the way he stood, arms crossed to bring attention to his tattooed arms, but she was more focused on the way his right foot bounced in anticipation, dark eyes intently taking in the poster in front of him. He was almost studying it. Tentatively, fighting the smile threatening to grow as she asked, “Cal, all good?”

“Hmm?” Calum blinked, eyebrows high as he turned to look at her where she sat in the upright exam chair. “Yeah, yeah,” he assured, pulling away to take the few steps towards her. It was early in the morning, both of them in their comfortable sweats, wanting to get into the clinic as early as possible after dropping Luna off at Rich’s house with the vague excuse of having errands to run. No one knew where they were, wanting the absolute confirmation from the experts before telling anyone the life changing news. Calum stood next to her, left hand resting on top of the chair as he smiled down at Aspen. “Just, y’know—” He grinned breathlessly, the light ever present in his eyes. “Excited.”

That only served to widen Aspen’s grin, squeezing his hand. She was excited herself, of course, despite already doing this already. But this time it was with Calum—and before last year, Aspen never thought she would be here again with him. Having his hand to hold this time around brought a different sense of excitement as well as tranquility as opposed the downright fear she had when she found out she was pregnant with Luna. Five years ago, Aspen had been dealing with a breakup she hadn’t entirely saw coming and had her mom and Jodie accompanying her to her doctor appointments.

This time around, the walls of the exam room didn’t feel as though they were closing in, and the ultrasound machine didn’t look terrifying like it had back then. Aspen understood this was a first time experience for Calum, being there right from the beginning from the moment he found out about the pregnancy, but it was also a first for Aspen, too. Because now, the fear of being a single mom wasn’t numbing her. Now, she had her partner right by her side, looking just as elated as she felt. She wasn’t alone, didn’t have to worry about doing this by herself. The past couldn’t be changed, but the future continued to be bright.

“Good morning, Miss Russo.” The two of them turned their heads towards the ultrasound technician entering the room, a smile on her face as she looked towards the couple. “How are we doing today?”

“Great,” Aspen smiled, sitting up slightly as the woman, Dr. Lang, read over her chart on the tablet in her hand. “How’re you?”

“I’m good, thank you.” Dr. Land came over to the side of where the ultrasound machine was stationed, setting the tablet down. Warm brown eyes on them, she continued, “According to your chart, this isn’t your first rodeo.” She was already reaching for the gel as she gestured for Aspen to lay back. “But just a reminder—this’ll be cold.”

Aspen nodded, already aware, as she lifted her loose shirt up so Dr. Lang could squeeze the blue gel onto her abdomen, smiling at Calum as he grasped her hand. She could feel his excitement, nervousness, ever observant eyes watching as Dr. Lang switched on the machine, humming to life, and grabbed the wand before bringing it over to Aspen’s abdomen. “Let’s see how far along you are,” Dr. Land murmured, eyes intently on the black and white warbled screen as she spread the gel around with the wand.

Turning her head, Aspen looked at the familiar screen as well, feeling her heart slowly picking up its pace at the anticipation that buzzed ever cell in her body. She was early along, Aspen knew, not expecting to see anything decently sized quite yet, but any indication of something actually being there was enough.

She caught Dr. Lang’s lips twitching upwards into a small smile before using her free hand to point at the screen as she said, “There it is.”

Both Aspen and Calum’s eyes followed her finger, and Aspen’s breath caught at the sight of the small, tiny little thing that would grow over the next nine months. It was small, though only a little bigger than when she had her first ultrasound with Luna—that had been at almost five weeks, which was really early, causing Aspen to have a transvaginal ultrasound and finding out she was not a fan of those. This little one, however, seemed somewhat passed five weeks. But it was there, clearly visible, clearly going to eventually become a baby. Her and Calum’s baby.

Aspen turned her head just a bit to look at Calum, to watch his features change as the reality of the situation settled in his head. She watched the way his dark eyes stared at the screen, unable to tear them away even as they began glassing over, lips parting to let out a heavy breath he’d probably been holding in without even knowing. The grasp his hand had on hers grew tighter, as if he was trying to ground himself from getting too lost in the wonder of how his life was once again about to change.

And, yeah, the confirmation of having a second kid was enough to make Aspen cry in its own right, but to see Calum get so emotional over it was what really brought the tears to Aspen’s eyes. To see the utter happiness, wonder, and awe he held so expressively, unapologetically, had her heart soaring as he whispered, “Oh, wow.”

Then, he heard it.

Strong and faint, the unmistakable sound of a heartbeat echoed from the ultrasound machine, and Calum nearly felt his knees give out as the sound reached his ears. His grip on Aspen’s hand grew tighter, if possible, throat drying as he held his breath to focus on nothing but that wonderful, incredible sound. It was warbling and quick, but a heartbeat nonetheless. His baby’s heartbeat. Calum could feel his own racing within his chest, but damn it if he paid it any mind. The only heartbeat that mattered was this baby’s.

“That’s the heartbeat.” Dr. Lang chuckled gently as she leaned just a bit closer to the screen, pressing a few keys on the keyboard. “It looks like you’re about seven weeks along.” A lot further along than Aspen had assumed, and while she worked in a medical clinic, she apparently was shit at listening to her own body when it came to the schedule of her period. Ah, well. “I’m going to need you to hold your breath for a few seconds so I can capture some quick images, alright?”

Aspen nodded, managing to snap out of her reverie of joy, waiting for Dr. Lang’s signal. It didn’t take long, and soon enough the images were captured and Dr. Lang was wiping the gel off Aspen’s abdomen as they were being printed. As Aspen sat up, lowering her shirt, Dr. Lang took the images and handed them over, smiling as she said, “Congratulations, Mom and Dad.”

Calum took the sonograms, unable to tear his gaze away from them, the awe heavy in his voice as he absently responded, “Thank you.”

He barely even registered what Dr. Lang was saying, informing Aspen of when her next appointment would be and repeating things Aspen already knew yet she still listened intently. But Calum was too lost in the black and white picture he held in his hand. Calum knew he should be listening to Dr. Lang to be well informed as well, especially given that this was his first time being by his pregnant girlfriend’s side. And he tried, he really did, but he was so fucking elated to focus on anything but the sonogram.

Calum vaguely heard Dr. Lang bid her goodbye, telling them they were good to go, still in a daze until Aspen dangled her legs over the side of the exam table and looked up at Calum. “Hey, Calum—come back.” His eyes met hers and Aspen smiled knowingly, gaze briefly flickering to the sonogram before chuckling breathily, “It’s crazy, right?”

He let out a slow breath, the sound seeming too loud to his own ears as his brown eyes once again looked at Aspen’s. She was watching him quietly, and the drumming of his heart was overwhelming as his throat worked. “Is it stupid of me to say that I feel wholly unprepared to be a dad?”

Aspen’s eyebrows raised at his words, giving a curious tilt of her head as she silently asked him to elaborate. He was a great dad. The best she knew—even if she was a little biased. “I just—” Calum inhaled deeply, glancing down at the images once more before offering a sheepish smile. “I never learned how to change a diaper or—I mean, holding Tahir was the first time I held a baby in, like, I couldn’t even tell you how long.” Aspen’s lips quirked up slightly as she remembered when they’d visited Rich and Laila a few months ago to see Aspen’s new nephew. “I’m just scared, I guess, that I’m gonna be totally useless when the baby comes because I’ll be so damn lost.”

She had to fight the urge from totally cooing at him, wondering if it was inappropriate to find his nervousness so endearing. But Aspen could see how badly Calum wanted this, a second chance to be a dad from the start, and she wanted to desperately ease his fears. “You think you’re the first guy who’s nervous about taking care of a newborn?” she mused, grasping his free hand in hers. “This is all a part of getting ready to have a baby; I’d say you’re on the right track,” she added with a fond chuckle. Aspen squeezed his hand, reassuring, “We’re in this together. You’ll learn and you’ll adapt and I’ll be here to help you.”

The appreciation lightened the weight that had settled in his eyes, rubbing her hand with the back of his thumb as he gave a shake of his head. “Aren’t I supposed to be the one helping you through the pregnancy?”

Aspen smirked, knowing herself too well, knowing if this was anything like the first time around, just how weird and crazy her cravings and mood and everything in between will be. “Don’t worry—you will,” she reassured him knowingly, catching the raise of his eyebrows as she got off the exam table.

As Calum drove, thumb tapping on the steering wheel as he took them to Rich’s place to pick up Luna, he spoke up. “You know, I was serious about us getting a new place,” he said, reminding Aspen of his words from yesterday after hearing the news of her pregnancy. “We don’t have room for a baby in the apartment.”

“I know,” Aspen sighed, leaning back in her seat. Her home had been perfect for when it was just her and Luna. Calum had basically moved in, never spending the night at his own apartment in the city, only venturing to New York when he had business. Other than that, he was at her apartment, which had become his, equipped with almost all of his belongings and Duke. He was right. They were going to need another room for the baby, and while all the planning may seem premature, Aspen would be lying if she said it wasn’t already in the back of her mind, long before since she found out she was pregnant. Moving into a new place, one that was both hers and Calum’s, was something she’d been wanting to do for a while.

She nibbled on her lower lip, a question that swam in her head when she thought about this resurfacing as she glanced at Calum’s profile. “Do you still wanna stay in town?”

Aspen figured he heard the apprehension in her voice by the furrow in his eyebrows as he glanced at her briefly. “Yeah, why wouldn’t I?”

“I don’t know,” Aspen mumbled, suddenly feeling foolish for bringing it up. But it needed to be discussed—or clarified, at least. “I mean, I know when you first got here, we talked about custody when it came to co-parenting but obviously that’s not an issue anymore. But are you alright with living in Jersey? Permanently? ‘Cause I know your friends and family are in L.A. and—”

“Stop, Aspen.” Calum let out a soft chuckle, the car stopped at a ted light as he looked at her. There was a gentleness in his eyes that relaxed her, especially as he took her hand in his and gave it a squeeze. Gaze meeting hers, he said, “You, Luna, & this little one are my family. And, honestly, I wouldn’t wanna raise my kids there. Staying here is what I want. It’s perfect.”

Aspen felt her heart practically soar in the confines of her chest, eyebrows raising in mild incredulity as she took in a breath. “Really?” She didn’t want him to feel like he was giving anything up. But one look at him, and Aspen knew it was a ridiculous thought to even consider.

“Really,” he returned with a smile, having to turn his attention back on the road as the light turned green. “I love it here with you. Wouldn’t wanna be anywhere else.”

The smile on Aspen’s face widened, heart drumming happily in her chest as she leaned over to press a kiss to Calum’s cheek. He grinned, leaning into her touch, eyes on the road as she settled back in her seat, back against the door so she could look at Calum, unabashedly admiring him. The smile danced on his lips, left hand on the wheel and right still holding hers, the radio in the background playing a familiar song she didn’t care about. Too busy admiring the man next to her, a warmth settling in the pit of her stomach happily.

Aspen’s left hand settled on her stomach, rolling her smiling lips into her mouth as she welcomed the thought of their lives changing forever all over again. She was only seven weeks along, but she couldn’t wait to meet this little nugget.

*****

Keeping their mouths shut for the next few weeks had been unbearable. All Calum had wanted to do was, ridiculously enough, scream from the rooftops that he was having another baby. To share the pure joy that had been consuming him from the moment he had found out. But both he and Aspen had agreed that they wouldn’t say anything, wouldn’t tell anyone, until the first trimester was over. Calum followed her lead on it, on everything, really.

Especially when her cravings kicked in, almost immediately, whether it be for a strange, frankly disgusting, combination of salt and vinegar chips with marshmallow fluff or he had to make a trip to the twenty-four hour McDonalds ten minutes away so she could indulge her Big Mac craving. Her cravings weren’t all of the time, starting a little while after the first ultrasound, but whenever they came up, Calum was quick to accommodate them. And look away when it was a bit too gross for his own stomach.

He also felt guilty when her morning sickness kicked in, typically getting up early in the morning and Calum waking up soon after by the sounds of her throwing up. He’d follow her into the bathroom, sitting on the edge of the tub with his hand pulling back her hair and the other rubbing at her back and offering whatever support he could. And Calum admired her for just getting right back up after flushing the toilet, only uttering a quiet grunt before brushing her teeth and pulling Calum back to bed. She was a real trooper in Calum’s eyes, and it had only just started.

Calum shut the cabinet that was designated for snacks, having just gone on a grocery run with Luna, stocking up on all of their favorite snacks—plus the list of things Aspen had asked him to get in case her cravings started acting up. A few feet away, he heard her ever so familiar voice call out, “Calum, you home?”

“Yeah,” he responded, walking out of the kitchen to see her toe off her sneakers, still in her scrubs, raising his eyebrows at the excited grin that was on her face. “What?” he asked with an amused chuckle.

She stopped where she stood, turning sideways so her profile was to him, and Calum watched as she lifted the hem of her scrub top and claimed through her grin, “I think it might be time we start telling people.”

Aspen lowered her chin and eyes, and Calum followed her gaze before his eyes widened at the sight before him, heart jumping into his throat as he immediately picked up on what she wanted him to notice. He did, instantly, and it was one of the best sights he’d ever seen.

A bump. A small, beautiful bump that someone like Calum, who was so intimately familiar with Aspen’s body, noticed right away. It sent his heart racing, feeling himself freeze for the briefest moment before he stumbled forward—it seemed like he’d been doing that often, in terms of Aspen and this pregnancy. She caught him every time.

“Stop,” Calum all but gasped, eyes wide as he approached his beaming girlfriend, hands reaching forward to caress the bump. Aspen giggled softly as his hand came in contact with her skin, rubbing it, thinking of the life that’s growing inside of her. The mere thought of it was overwhelming, robbing Calum of his breath in the best way. He couldn’t wait until he was holding the baby in his arms. Wide, awed eyes raising to meet Aspen’s, Calum whispered, “You’re showing.”

“I know,” Aspen responded, an excited squeak in her voice as she bounced on her heels giddily. “I mean, with Luna, I didn’t start until, like, twelve weeks. But this little one already wants to make him—or her—self known.”

Calum let out a slow breath, giving her growing belly some more rubs before bringing her shirt down, not that he really wanted to, and wrapping his arms around her to pull her close. Raising an eyebrow, his brown eyes met Aspen’s green, and Calum asked, “You wanna tell people?”

She nodded, smile ever present. “I mean, yeah.” Her hands were on his biceps, giving them an excited squeeze. Tilting her head, Aspen continued knowingly, “I know you’re dying to tell the boys.”

“Only if you’re ready to tell people,” Calum quickly assured. He didn’t want to somehow pressure her, knowing she had said she’d wanted to wait until the first trimester was over. They still had a few more weeks until then, and Calum was willing to see it through. Even if it did mean holding off on telling the boys.

“Yes, I am,” Aspen answered, smile bright. Beautiful. With a giggle and a squeeze to his arms once more, she added, “Time we spread the joy.”

*****

The boys, of course, didn’t live on the east coast. They had gone back to California a few months back, but that never stopped them from FaceTiming or even hopping on a plane over just because they had the means to and could. And since Ashton’s birthday happened to be coming up, Calum was thrilled to know the birthday man wanted to spend it with his closest friends in New York.

The day after the boys arrived, just a few days before Ashton’s birthday, the group of them met up for dinner in the city after setting Luna up with a sitter. Aspen wanted for the guys to know through her and Calum telling them, rather than them seeing it, so she made sure to wear a blouse that didn’t fit too tightly, hiding the bump under the loose material. The excitement fluttered around Aspen’s stomach, feeling as though no matter how many people they told it to, the news wouldn’t seem any less exciting.

The two of them had told Aspen’s family, being responded to with thrilled cheers and excitement—some tears on Aspen’s mom’s part as well. Then phone calls had been made to Mali and Calum’s parents, and Aspen would be lying if she said it wasn’t trippy when they were telling Calum’s parents. There had been a twisting in her stomach, kind of nauseous, prompting Aspen to grasp Calum’s hand tightly as they delivered the news. And it was fucking weird, telling them through FaceTime as her own mind flashed with images of when she was in that position years ago. Sitting with Joy, being utterly terrified of being pregnant without it ever being the plan, and then being told to get the hell out of town in a more subdued, patronizing way.

This time around, though, there had been exclaims of happiness and excitement on their end, and while Aspen had briefly felt like she’d been transported into an alternate universe, she acknowledged the relief and joy she felt at their reaction. It was good. It was how everything should have been from the start.

“There they are,” Calum pointed out as they entered the restaurant, catching sight of the guys sitting at a round table towards the middle of the restaurant. Which was a surprise, them being on time for once.

Aspen saw them easily, too, smiling up at Calum as they made their way over and asked him, “You ready?”

The smile on his face was answer enough.

They greeted the boys with hugs before settling down, picking up their menus and catching up as the waitress came by to take their drink orders. And while the men read off their specific alcoholic drink, Aspen merely smiled at the waitress and said, “Just a water for me, thank you.”

Across from her, Luke scrunched his face up disapprovingly. “Aw, come on, Aspen. You can’t leave us hanging like that—get a real drink.”

Aspen felt the laugh bubble past her, exchanging a brief look with Calum before telling the blonde with a shake of her head, “I can’t.” So what if she wanted to tease it just a tiny bit?

“Nah, none of that,” Michael cut in, shaking his head as well as he sat to her left. “I hear they’ve got good margaritas here; that’s right up your alley.”

She laughed, the amusement bringing the smile onto her face as well as the simmering anticipation of breaking the news. Really, she couldn’t keep the smile off her face even if she tried, especially taking in account how the boys had absolutely no idea. “No, seriously, guys,” Calum spoke up this time, his own knowing smile tilting at his lips as he looked at his best friends, adopting as much of a serious tone as he could allow himself before adding pointedly, “She can’t.”

It didn’t click, not that either of them expected it to. But Aspen did note the furrow in each of their eyebrows, frowning in confusion as they looked between the couple. Aspen desperately wanted to just announce it, but this was Calum’s moment—he would be the one to tell his best friends that he was about to become a father for the second time. Under the table, her hand grasped his, a single squeeze indicating that it was time, and the words spilled out of his mouth before he could even comprehend it.

His grin was wide, the happiness absolutely glowing, as he announced, “Aspen’s pregnant.”

The three men fell into a brief, stupefied silence. Green, blue, and hazel eyes gaped at them, absolutely stunned by the news, processing it through the noise of the buzzing restaurant. Aspen and Calum watched them, waited patiently, hearts drumming and smiles growing as Ashton was the first to break the silence with a dumbfounded, “Are you serious?”

“Yeah,” Aspen laughed, her cheeks beginning to ache from how much she was smiling. “Gonna have another Hood by January.”

Calum looked at her, eyes warm and smile brilliant, giving her hand a squeeze as he said, “Best birthday present I could’ve asked for.”

The boys snapped out of it then, startling the couple with their enthusiastic cheers, earning some looks from other patrons as they got up from their seats to step around the table to hug both Aspen and Calum. They let go of each other’s hands to receive the hugs, Aspen grinning against Luke and then Michael and then Ashton, each voicing their incredulous happiness and excitement for becoming uncles all over again. They didn’t at all care about how loud they were being, their enthusiasm taking over, ignorant to the few looks they had received.

“This is—wow, holy shit,” Michael laughed, green eyes bright and wide as he grinned at his friends. “Do you know if it’s a boy or girl?”

Calum clicked his tongue, leaning back in the chair as his left arm draped on top of Aspen’s chair. “Not for another few weeks,” he informed them, speaking through his smile as he looked at his friends. “Place your bets, boys.”

“Name ’em after me,” Ashton grinned dimply, earning an amused snort from Aspen as Ashton laughed at her. “What? Ashton for a boy, Ashley for a girl.”

Calum scoffed as Aspen shot the hazel eyed man a smirk, raising her eyebrows at him as she said, “If the baby’s named after you, you’re automatically the one changing the diapers. I don’t make the rules.”

Laughter rounded the table as Ashton scrunched his face up, shaking his head in protest as Calum jumped in. “Oi, no—I’ll be on diaper duty.” Finger poking at Aspen’s shoulder, arm still around the chair, Calum pouted at her, “Don’t be giving my job to someone else.”

Luke shook his head in amusement. “Don’t think I’ve ever seen someone so excited to change a shitty diaper.”

“You kidding?” Calum’s smile was wide, biting down on his lower lip as his dark eyes met Aspen’s green. The sincerity was present, his following words relevant to both the diapers as well as the excitement that enveloped them. “I can’t wait.”

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