#but i was able to make Macarons from scratch | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

graaythekwami · 3 years

Text

The Little Things - ML One-Shot

(Spoilers for the season 4 episode Hack-San)

-------

"Out for a solo patrol, Chat Noir?"

Chat Noir jumped slightly, not quite use to hearing an unfamiliar voice up here on the rooftops, and turned. The figure was standing on a chimney a ways from him, the reds of her costume matching the setting sun.

"Scarabella?" Chat Noir said, looking at the temporary Ladybug heroine he had met the other day. His surprise quickly gave way to worry, eyes widening slightly. "Did something happen to Ladybug? Is there an akuma out right now? Is–"

Scarabella held up her hands, but didn't come closer. "No no no, everything is okay– I just wanted to talk to you, that's all, and Ladybug said you often did some patrols in the evening..."

He gave a tight smile, shoulders relaxing slightly. "Not really a patrol, not like what me and M'Lady do when we patrol. It's just... to get some fresh air, I suppose."

He was slightly startled when he turned and found Scarabella walking towards him, as he hadn't heard her steps. She had some papers in her hands, and an uncertain smile on her face. She paused a little ways away from him.

"Is it okay if we talk for a bit?" Scarabella asked. "I don't have a lot of time, and then I can leave you to your... 'patrol'."

"What's up?" Chat Noir asked, trying to sound as casual as possible. His feelings on Scarabella were... mixed. She was an ally and she had spirit, but he would be lying if he said there was no bitterness when he thought about her. About what she knew and why she was there.

"I... I wanted to just show you this," Scarabella said, holding up the papers in her hand, before carefully setting it down on the roof near him, before retreating back slightly. "I had to edit out a few 'tips' for identity reasons, and Ladybug doesn't know I'm showing this to you, but considering my sudden appearance I figured maybe it would help if you saw it."

Chat glanced at the papers, then back at the spare heroine. "I don't want to go behind Ladybug's back."

Scarabella blinked, then let out a small laugh. "Oh, no, no, it's not like it's something I can't show you. It's just the list of tips she gave me of how to be Ladybug while she was gone."

"Okay?"

Scarabella smiled. "Read them, would you? Please?"

Chat Noir looked at the papers, before carefully picking them up and unfolding them. Sure enough he found a list of 'tips', each one carefully numbered off. His eyes scanned down the list, noting a few numbers were missing, which must have been the editing she had been referring to.

Chat Noir's eyes jumped back up to the top, and began reading. He could tell right away that it was indeed written by his Lady, and he could almost hear her voice as he read.

Tip 1 - Keep the earrings in at all times, they are easy to misplace. DO NOT TAKE THEM OFF.

Tip 2 - Always have sweets for Tikki on hand.

Tip 3 - Not just for recharging if an akuma appears, make sure you have something she can snack on if she's hungry.

Tip 4 - No. Seriously. Holders know no fury like a kwami starved.

Chat Noir snickered, knowing fully well what she meant. His interactions with Tikki had been limited, and she had been a very sweet kwami. Ladybug told pretty much the same story... except for the times she didn't have cookies or macarons on hand for her kwami. It turned out the little Ladybug kwami was just as passionate about her sweets as Plagg was with his cheese.

Tip 11 - Tell Chat Noir what's going on right away if an akuma shows up. Since I wasn't able to talk my way into staying in Paris like I thought I didn't get time to tell him I was leaving.

Tip 12 - If you see Chat Noir patrolling at night don't worry, it doesn't mean there's an akuma or somewhere you need to take my place. My Kitty is a free spirit and Paris is our city.

Tip 13 - Leave out croissants for him if he happens to come by where you are on patrol.

Tip 14 - The chocolate covered ones are his favorite. Chat loves anything with passion fruit too.

Tip 15 - Chat Noir likes any kind of sweets, actually, but try to get him his favorites if you can.

There was a small smile on his face as he read, eyes carefully looking over each word, warmth in his heart. The tips soon drifted back towards things regarding the Miraculous, a good dozen involving Lucky Charms and explaining how the yoyo worked.

Tip 25 - Lucky Charms might be bigger than you think! Be prepared to leapt out of the way in case a piano comes crashing down instead of a pencil.

Tip 26 - Don't ask Tikki to explain Lucky Charms. She'll be vague and she'll do it on purpose.

Tip 27 - Don't try to force a Lucky Charm to work. It's just kind of instinctual? I don't know how to describe it.

Tip 28 - Ask Chat Noir for help if the Lucky Charm is too confusing. He's been Misterbug before and has helped me defeat villains with countless Lucky Charms.

Tip 29 - Just ask Chat Noir if you have any questions, he's a professional.

Tip 30 - Don't ask him so many questions though that you stress him out! Akuma fights are hard enough and with him being the most experienced he'll have enough to worry about without a bunch of questions.

Tip 31 - Just follow Kitty's lead, he knows what to do.

Tip 32 - Chat Noir has good instincts and enhanced senses, listen to him.

Tip 33 - When Chat Noir makes a joke try to laugh, even if you think it's not funny. It makes him happy. :)

"My jokes are always funny, My Lady!" Chat Noir exclaimed in protest, though there was a smile on his face.

Tip 34 - Make sure Chat Noir is happy.

Tip 35 - Don't make fun of his purring, he's self conscious about it even though it's adorable. (He embraces everything cat except for the purring, I don't know why.)

Tip 36 - Purring doesn't always mean he's happy! Cats can purr when they're hurt! If he takes a hit and you hear him purr then you got to defeat the akuma as quickly as possible! Sooner you can cast the Miraculous Ladybugs the sooner Chat Noir isn't hurting!

Tip 37 - Don't let Chat Noir take any hits for you.

Tip 38 - Seriously. He does that way too much and I don't like watching it. Stupid self-sacrificing cat. Make sure he stays safe.

Tip 39 - Or else.

"These aren't even tips at this point!" He said, holding back a laugh.

"She does that a lot," Scarabella said with a fond smile. "With 675 'tips' a good chunk of them are ramblings."

"Six hundred and what-?" Chat said, quickly flicking through the papers and towards the end. Sure enough the very last one stared back up at him, the same number as Scarabella had promised.

Tip 675 - When you say "Miraculous Ladybug" don't forget to throw the Lucky Charm.

He flicked back a few more pages, eyes scanning the various notes that had been left. Many were just like he had expected when Scarabella had first told him what the list was: advice on what to do with different types of akumas, how the timer worked, tips for finding the akumatized object, and what to say to a victim after they were freed from Shadow Moth's control.

But then there were others, small little mentions of him and things he hadn't even realized his Lady knew or noticed, things he didn't know people cared about.

Tip 142 - If Chat Noir is dismissive with how his day has gone crack a few jokes. He tries to cover up when he's had a bad day and this is the best way to lift his spirits.

Tip 143 - Chat Noir loves hugs. Quick hugs, tight hugs, long hugs, he adores them.

Tip 144 - Chat likes to be scratched under the chin and behind his faux ears. It makes him purr, but don't mention the purring (see tip 36).

Tip 145 - Chat Noir is a cuddler.

Tip 146 - Ignore all the last few tips. Respect Chat Noir's personal space.

Tip 147 - But don't be distant either, support him! Fist bumps, pats on the back, you know, be friendly.

Tip 148 - You better be nice to my Kitty. I'll be watching all akuma coverage.

Tip 149 - No booping Chat Noir on the nose. That's our thing.

Tip 150 - No bonking him with the yoyo, carrying him in your arms, or using the nicknames 'chaton' or 'kitty', again those are our things, not yours.

Tip 151 - You can use the nicknames 'Chat' or 'CN'.

Tip 152 - He may kiss your hand. Chat Noir is a gentleman, don't let the costume fool you.

"M'lady..." Chat Noir said softly.

Tip 355 - Let Chat Noir handle the media, he's a pro at that.

Tip 356 - Don't leave him alone to deal with all the reporters though, that's a lot of pressure.

Tip 357 - Chat's ears and tail can tell you a lot about how he's feeling. I've read a lot of cat behavior articles and it's helped me a lot.

"Hey!" Chat Noir protested, even though his Lady wasn't here to see it.

Tip 598 - If anyone makes any comment about Chat Noir being dangerous or being a sidekick, you don't hold back.

Tip 599 - If it's a reporter that makes this comment give me their name and who they work for so I can make sure they never get an interview from the heroes again.

Tip 600 - Send Chat Noir a cat meme on the yoyo to cheer him up if anyone does say anything about him.

"I need to go," Scarabella said softly. "Feel free to keep those, I... I just wanted you to know that she was thinking about you. You mean a lot to her, Kittycat."

Chat Noir looked up at Scarabella, vision blurring slightly, but a smile was on his face. "I don't think 'Kittycat' was on the list of approved nicknames, Scar."

Scarabella scowled. "Well I can tell you that one isn't on my list of approved nicknames either."

Chat Noir grinned. "I'm sure it will grow on you."

"Purrhaps," Scarabella said, before giving a salute and a smile. She then tossed her yoyo, swinging away. Chat Noir watched her for a moment, before looking back down at the list he had been given.

He smiled, holding the papers close to his chest as he laid down on the roof, letting out a happy sigh.

#hack san #ml hack san #ml spoiler #ml spoilers #ml season 4 #ml season 4 spoilers #chat noir #scarabella #alya cesaire #adrien agreste #fluff #hurt/comfort

378 notes · View notes

extravaguk · 4 years

Text

sweets&ink

part of my opposites attract! series.

ksj / knj / myg / jhs / pjm / kth

pairing: tattooartist&tattoed!jungkook x baker!reader

summary: jungkook was everything you feared but exactly what you needed to heal your broken heart.

wordcount: 5k

genre: fluff - angst - smut (s2l!au)

rated: m (?

warnings: some cursing, mentions of past abusive/toxic relationships/trauma that might be triggering, a lil of making love at the end. it’s overall just suuper fluffy, trust me. jungkook is a s i m p. we love that for him! slow burrrnnnn.

Jungkook knows it was love at first sight, but doesn's know how to really explain it.

He knew from the moment he entered the small shop, pastel green walls welcoming him replete of sugary treats, a sweet and heavenly scent engulfing him as soon as he stepped a foot inside. With a new found sense of calmness and serenity within he hadn't experienced in a long time, he searched for deserts of his liking, mouth watering while assessing the many options of baked goods available and bright colored frostings stealing his attention.

"Hi. How may I help you?"

Then he looked up and found you. It wasn't easy to appreciate your whole appearence with the counter hiding the lower half of your body, but it was enough for Jungkook to think to himself that he had never seen a prettier girl in hiis entire life. And that's when he knew it. Any type of movement in his surroundings coming to a halt, his heart skipping a beat, his favourite song playing inside his head. And that particular sensation. The same one that had made him feel so at ease since he found your bakery. For a moment he thought his doe eyes might have actually turned into heart eyes until you raised your eyebrows, a concerned expression replacing your previous warm smile.

Blinking his eyes and clearing his throat, coming down from cloud nine into the real world, he stuttered his order as best as he coud manage, heart pounding inside his chest and later feeling mortified for not being able to pronounce "gingernap cookies" correctly.

At first he kind of hated Seokjin for blackmailing him into going to his favourite bakery to buy his favourite cookies (Jungkook really should've known better than accidentally spill ink all over Jin's new script), but when he comes back home with a goofy smile on his face and dreams of your face, he makes sure to text him he'll go get his cookies anytime he wants.

But Jungkook is a masochist apparently.

Because a week after your first encounter he realizes that not being able to get his mind off a girl he's literally only seen once in his entire life is not exactly normal. Not for anyone, but especially not for him. Realizes that the way he embarrassed himself in front of you and probably looked like a bluberring mess (or a creepy weirdo who had never interacted with any woman before) is not reason enough to not keep wanting to try again. And the way you just giggled at him and simply shook your head as you wrapped the ginger cookies he had asked for in a pretty packaging has kept him aching for more.

So he comes once a week now. Still as nervous as the first day, but content to see that your face seems to light up at the sight of him stepping through the door the same way his does. He likes to see you in your cute pastel dresses, and if he didn't know better he'd think you were just trying to keep up with the bakery's aesthetic. But the more he frequents your shop, the more he realizes you're exactly like the treats you bake. He likes how your vividly honeyed persona contrasts with his darker and reserved one. Likes how you're all colors of the rainbow and he's just a scale of greys.

They are small interactions. Just courtesy and cordial exchange of words everytime he visits. He doesn't even know your name and you don't even know his, but sometimes he asks how was your weekend and sometimes you ask how many people had he inked that week. Sometimes he tells you how pretty you look, and sometimes you blush in response. Sometimes you add an extra macaron in his order and sometimes he debates on whether or not he should write down his number on a napkin and slide in right on the countertop before he waves goodbye.

And although Jungkook has never been one to shy away from women, he feels a certain way he can't exactly pinpoint. A way that makes his confidence falter and leaves him feeling like a little kid who's afraid to confess to the girl he likes. Because as cliché as it sounds, you're not like any other girls he's ever met. You don't feel like any other girl he's ever met. Not the older than him, tattoed and pierced type of girl he's accustomed to; not the type of girl that's addicted to trouble and believe him (maybe even hoped) to be something he's not. So it takes a while for him to summon up enough bravery and determination. It takes weeks of pining and overthinking, and a single push from Yoongi ('stop being a fucking pussy and just do it') to ask you to have coffee with him.

"I... I'm sorry. I can't."

And it only takes those words leaving your mouth to shatter his heart into pieces.

It's fine though, he told you and himself. He wasn't going to be one of those guys who believed the 'friendzone' was an actual thing and tried his best to not make you feel uncomfortable, really tried his best to erase the guilt across your face as you rejected him. So he scratched the back of his head and mustered up a big smile before leaving the shop with a bag full of cupcakes and an unsettled stomach.

Letting out a deep breath you didn't even know you were containing, you observe as the handsome stranger exits the shop. Running a hand through your hair before gripping the counter with your hands, you try to steady the heavy throbbing insde your chest.

The boy in question had been unknowingly tormenting you and flooding your mind with thoughts of him for almost two months now. That day you first had spotted him eyeing the desserts in display in amazement and then you in the very same way. It was sudden and precipitated, but it had almost made your head spin, something you hadn't felt in a long time unexplainable tugging at your insides.

You had kept your cool as best as you could, as best as you had taught yourself in the past. Wrapped those cookies he had asked and then waved goodbye, hoping under your breath he wouldn't come back but silently wishind he would. But then he did. He came back once. And then again. And again, and before you realized he had become a frequent costumer. Trying whatever treats you'd recommended him, creating small talk, sending friendly smiles here and then.

You had learned to expect him at the very same time, the very same day of the week; had learned to manage the fluttering in your tummy and the reddish warmth spreading through your cheeks whenever the eye contact was prolongued. Everything was innocent, it was brief and, most importanly, it never went beyond, even if sometimes you hoped it did.

However, after all these years, there was still something you hadn't learned to control yet. And as he spoke, clearly nervous, hesitant and clearly out of his comfort zone, wondering out loud if he could ever treat you to a coffee sometime, your body shut down. The fondness and excitement you had been harboring over the last few weeks quickly replaced by that which made you want to recoil, made you want to back to your well to let its darkness and loneliness envelop you.

That horrible and ugly wave of crippling fear and axiety all mixed together; a little monster that you had successfully concealed, now displaying its ears in warning and the same smile that had been haunting you for years, now advising you, reminding you and most of all, threatening you, to go back to your own comfort zone. And so, powerless, there was nothing else you could really to but to comply, muttering an apology and a rejection that probably pained you more than it pained the boy in front of you.

You knew you did the right thing, but it definitely didn't feel like it.

Especially a week later, as you expected his arrival- as always, ready with a tray full of fresh baked scones you had particularly made just for him, but were left severely disappointed when time passed and he was nowhere to be seen. Or two weeks later, after spending an extra hour making cake pops that you had specifically designed with him in mind (covered in dark chocolate and white sprinkles), only to realize it was closing time and that he never even showed up.

To say you were bummed was an understatement. You knew you always looked forward to him coming in every week to grace your day with a smile and a polite talk, but you didn't come to terms with how much you would miss it until now. So three weeks later, you still bake with him in mind, trying not to lose hope but still chastising yourself for not being brave enough and accepting his offer. It was just a coffee date, for God's sake, not a marriage proposal! Trying to busy your mind with work and customers coming in and out, even if your eyes dart in anticipation everytime you hear the door swinging.

When hours pass and the sun hides to make room for the moon and stars into the sky, you look at the clock and, with a defeated sigh, finish cleaning and tidying around the shop. But before you can gather your things, the door swings open and there stands the stranger you had been praying to see again.

"Am I too late?" he asks, and you don't exactly know but can tell his words hold a double meaning. You smile, a genuine smile, because he looks bashful with a hand scratching the back of his head like he had done the last time you saw him, and because there's a warm sensation spreading through your chest, like your heart is smiling for you.

"I was about to close, but I can make an exception." you accomplish to say and surprisingly don't sound as nervous as you feel. He mirrors your smile as he walks closer to the counter. "So, what would you like?"

That takes him by surprise because he really had nothing in mind when he decided to come here and now he feels like an idiot.

"Uh, um... I would like... maybe cupcakes?" he sounds like an idiot too. But you nod and smile at him and start gathering his cupcakes into a polka dot cardboard box.

"You missed the cake pops I made last week." you say, trying to keep your voice in check as he hands you his credit car. "I think you would've liked them."

"Ah, sorry... Work has been really hectic." and even if it's true, it's also true the fact that he chickened out and was frightened to face you again. He likes how even when you're alluding to his absence, there's not a malicious tone behind your words. He likes how you're still smiling at him even after he's been acting like a pussy for two weeks. But that's why he's here. "I also would like to apologize for... you know. I didn't-...If I made you feel uncomfortable, I'm really sorry."

With your eyebrows raised, your smile dissipates. "What? No, you didn't do anything wrong, really. It's not- It's not that. I just...can't." you stumble through words, trying to explain how much you actually wanted to go to that coffee date, to get to know his name and more of himself, but unavailable to. You can feel it again. The same anguish that always seem to creep up on you and numbs you altogheter. But him, worriedly sensing your distress, waves his hands in front of him.

"No, no. It's fine, you don't have to explain anything! It's alright!" his smile seems to soothe you and you return his smile in gratitude. "Anyways, I'll... I'll get going. See you next week?"

You nod, anticipation already making its way into you. "See you next week." and then he takes the box filled with cupcakes and says goodbye. Before he can open the door though, a tingle of impulsivity and fearlesness makes you say:

"I'm _____, by the way."

He pauses, clearly taken aback.

"Jungkook."

Jungkook hasn't stopped repeating your name in his head ever since you gave it to him, grinning like a fool and thinking about how good it sounds next to his. He hasn't stopped frequenting your bakery either and has lost count on how much money he's spent on muffins and whatever else you sell. He doesn't care though. All he cares about is how much likes seeing you even if it's only for fifteen minutes in your floral dresses, and as long as you keep looking like you're glad to see him every time, then he's fine.

He's more than fine. He feels amazing. Sings tunes while he works on customers, feels his creativity flowing more than ever and he feels whole. It still baffles him how a minimun interaction with you once a week can make him feel on top of the world.

He's got a bouquet of white and pink lillies next time he visits, so sappy and romantic he doesn't even recognize himself. He doesn't tell you he googled their meaning and his mind instantly associated them with you. Purity is exactly what he thinks of you and admiration is exactly how he feels about you. Hands it to you and the surprised look on your face and the spreading of pink all over your cheeks makes his heart burst. You thank him and he tells you he didn't know what your favourite flower is. You answer it's carnations. He writes it down somewhere in his mind, for next time. And then you're the one surprising him.

"Would you like to have coffee sometime?"

There's uncertainty in your voice that doesn't go unnoticed by him, and for a moment he thinks he's dreaming. He's cool with what he's got right now with you, but you repeating his words back to him makes him feel euphoric, like he can't believe it. He knows he looks dumb, the way he's looking at you.

Completely dumbfounded. He stutters like the first same he met you, but he says yes (omits the part where he tells you he could almost die). You exchange number in each other's phones with shaky hands, set the day and hour, and then wave each other goodbye.

You instantly regret it as you watch him leave. Keep regretting it the following days. That voice in your head telling you 'it'll happen again', telling you fairytales didn't exist and this most likely wasn't one, even if it felt like it was, suffocating you like it had done many times before. Screwing with your head until you consider canceling.

But you power through it, like you had taught yourself to do. This time it's harder though. Because this time there's a new romantic interest at hand, one that's making you feel things you buried a long time ago and made you swear to yourself you'd be smarter and stronger than any man could.

It's Hoseok's encouraging words that help ease the panic. It was also Hoseok's words who encouraged you to ask Jungkook out. Said you deserved something good for once and that you couldn't close yourself to love your entire life.

Thought it was time for you to write a new chapter after a rather sad one.

So on Saturday, Jungkook insists on picking you up and it already feels like too much for you. Especially when he shows up with a bouquet of carnations in his hand and a smile that takes your breath away and definitely doesn't help to ease your nerves.

Takes him by surprised how pretty you look. maybe because it's the first time he's seen you out of your shop and even though you're still loyal to your clothing style, he still fumbles with his words like an idiot to try to express how beautiful you look. Seeing he's as much of a mess as you settles you a little bit. Then he takes you to a cute café that almost makes you laugh, because seeing him, inked arms and piercings and a closet that consisted mainly of black oversized t-shirts and pants in such a bright environment reminds you of the first time he entered your shop.

You're surprised to see how well the conversation rolls, how easy it is to talk to him beyond the usual brief interactions you two have. You like how he makes you laugh and how he seems to love hearing it. You like how his attention is solely focused on you, even if his gaze on yours sometimes feels too intense and his overall character intimidates you. You like how soft spoken he is, how careful he is with words and the sound of his voice. Sounds like a lullaby without melody.

And when the date is over, he drives you home, walks you to your door and respectfully wishes you a good night. You kiss him on the cheek spontaniously before hiding the embarrassment on your face and stepping inside your home. You miss the way he stays at your doorstep for a whole minute before getting in his car and driving himself home. You also miss how peacefully he sleeps that night, dreaming of cupcakes and you. You don't miss the heart emoji he sends you before going to bed, making yours quiver.

You're glad you didn't cancel, and now you're sure you don't regret it at all

It goes on. The dates, getting to know each other more and more, Jungkook's visits to your shop and spending way too much money on sweets and carnations, the butterflies in your stomach everytime he's near and the birth of something inside of you that's starting to make you feel alive after feeling dead for so long.

It's still new, still wholesome, moves in slow motion. You're glad Jungkook doesn't push, doesn't ask for anything, never demands more than a kiss on the cheek everytime he drops you off. He is nothing like he looks like, you realized that right away.

But with every brand new beginning that requires feelings like this, especially as unique and exceptional as the ones Jungkook is causing within you, comes the evil monster trying to scare you off, to make you back off and remind you that not everything that shines is gold. The voice inside your head that keeps bewitching you back into a dark room, reminder in your head everytime that one day Jungkook will want more. He'll want more and you might not be ready to give it to him.

A voice that keeps resonating and has kept you unmoving for the past few years and now is making you feel more frightened than ever.

You've been more quite than usual and Jungkook can tell something is not quite right. It's a friday night, and after having dinner that he insisted on paying, he decided this time to drive you away, to a secluded space somewhere where you both can appreciate the city lights on the hood of his car. He can tell, so he asks you, but you give a vague answer. He wants to ask again, but he's afraid of overstepping your boundaries. He wants to get to know you in every level, want's to scratch the surface until he can see everything. He wants to learn you inch by inch. Wants to love every part you bare to him, because he's sure he will.

"My ex partner was abusive."

You finally say with a voice that's not entirely yours, and it doesn't feel real. Doesn't feel real to say out loud and letting the words sink in. It's taken all this time of excusing behaviors that were not excusable, trying to make light of a situation that wasn't and blaming yourself for things that you were not to blame for. Jungkook stays silent, but his attention immediately focused on you as soon as you spoke. Eyes slightly wide and mouth starting to open as if to speak himself. But you go on.

"Not physically." you swallow a lump in your throat. "Sometimes he would throw things at me, but they didn't always land. Or... one time he pushed me while we were arguing. Never raised his hand at me though. It was mostly psychological and emotional. He was extremely jealous and possesive. Didn't like me hanging with my friends, would never bring me to hang out with him and his friends. Though I' was cheating on him with anyone. The cashier at the supermarket, a randome dude on the street that simply looked at me. Anyone." tears prickle your eyes, but you'd learned to hold them back.

"He would always get mad at me. Would already wake up angry and take it out on me. Without reason. Would always blame me for everything. He would get mad, insult me, call me any terrible name you can imagine, tell me I wasn't worth shit. That I wasn’t worth living.Then he would punch the wall, or break whatever was in sight. Everytime, I told him I was terrified of him. Would cry in a corner and beg him to stop. Sometimes he would just laugh at me for it." you sniff, still looking straight at the city lights, and trying to keep a composed tone throughout. You had grown up a lot since then, and you knew Jungkook deserved to know you. He deserved to understand.

"Then he would calm down, apologize while he cried and promised he loved me and would change. He never did. It took me a long time to finally walk away, but the demons still haunt me to this day. You," you choke, because comparing your ex to the guy currently sitting next to you was like day and night, like heaven and hell. "You make me feel things I've never felt before. I always felt like asking for respect was asking for too much. And then here you come, like a knight on shining armour ready to sweep me off my feet. It felt like a dream. Still does..."

Jungkook's hands are balled into tight fists, his whole body rigid as he listened to you. His own heart breaking, like he could feel himself inside you and experiencing your own heartbreak. His blood's boiling, jaw so tight and eyes blinking. Pushing down his anger, because this is about you not him, he lets his body relax before sliding your hand in yours.

"I like you so much,_____, it literally kills me at night how much. Not as much as hearing all of this, though. From the moment I saw you, I was whipped. I wanted and still want to give everything I can to see that smile of yours. It's me the one who can't believe you're paying me any attention at all." you're still not looking at him, but he still sighs in relief when your lips quirk up. "Just having you here next to me and letting me take you out on dates is more than enough for me. Whatever you give me, whatever your terms are, I'm content with that. You're healing, and while you do, I'll be right here."

You look at him now, not bothering to hide the tears streaming down your face anymore.

"What if I never heal completely?" there's fear in your voice as your eyes meet his, but just the dark brown in his gaze help you feel secure, less worried about the future and more serene about the now.

"I'll still be here."

It doesn't take long for you to call it love.

Not when Jungkook keeps proving himself to be so different and so special. Not when his gestures never cease to make you feel so special, so worthy of recieving and sharing love. Because Jungkook makes you feel invincible, makes you feel one in a million.

"What to you even see in me? We're like, polar opposites." you ask him one day. And it's true, you are. So different from each other, yet the same. He laughs in disbelief, shaking his head, still holding your hand in your doorstep about to kiss your cheek goodnight.

"I see everything." he simply says, eyes boring into yours in adoration. "I see the sun, and the moon, the stars, the entire galaxy when I'm with you." your heart clenches as he interlaces his fingers with yours. "Before I met you, I felt like I was blind. Like I was lost and was looking for an exit that I couldn't find. But then I saw you, in your little bakery, with your cute dresses and those eyes, and it was like my eyes opened for the first time. Everything made sense. Everything has been filled with so many colors ever sinc-"

You shut him with your lips on top of his, emotions pulling at your heartstrings the same way you pull him down by the neck. He takes a few seconds to respond, but then this hands are dropping to your waist, their warmth immediately spreading through your skin against the chilly night.

"Would you like to come in?" you whisper, breath fanning over his lips. He nods, hurriedly, and he knows he looks like a damn idiot for the hundredth time, but he doesn't care. Because coming in doesn't only mean stepping in your home. Coming in means you're letting him in. Means you trust him, means you want him there, means you're allowing him inside your heart.

Again, Jungkook doesn't expect nor demands much. Your presence is everything he needs. You kissing him is like winning the lottery to him. Like completing a marathon, like climbing the Everest, like getting his first tattoo. Kissing you is sweet, fills him with something strong that makes him feel on drugs, like nothing matters but you and him. Like nothing has ever mattered to neither of you.

So it's you who leads him to your room, it's you who straddles his thighs and pushes his hair back as his hands carress your sides. It's nothing fiery. It's slow, tentative, and full of care. Of lingering touches, low sighs against each other's mouths.

It's you who reaches inside his shirt, hand sneaking past the hem of the fabric and trembling cold fingers coming in contact with firm skin. It's also you who asks for more with a small roll of your hips. It's you who asks him to take his shirt off. It's him who complies. Still tells you you don't have to, you tell him you want to.

It's you who asks him to touch you. He's scared like he's never been, because you're you, and you're so perfect and everything he's ever wanted and suddenly he's afraid of you're too good for him. Jungkook only wants to make you happy, never wants to see you cry, just wants to treat you the way you deserve.

It's you who begs.

It's you who tells him you need him. Need him take care of you, need him to show you much you're worth, need him to help you write a new chapter, probably even a new book where you're both the main characters and nobody else has ever existed. You say it with tears in your eyes, and he's quick to kiss them away, tongue entangling with yours. He's quick to undress you as well, with hands that still ask for permission even after you've granted it already. Hands and lips that are also quick and eager to learn your body, to find every mole in your skin as he lays you back to look at you in admiration. He keeps kissing you. From head to toe, muttering praise, making sure every 'beautiful' and 'gorgeous' and 'perfect' that leave his lips stay fire engraved in your being forever.

He first makes you cum with careful fingers and skilled tongue, thighs wrapped aro around his head, eyes still looking for yours as his hands keep your body still and yours crumple the sheets beneath. Tells you how good you taste, how long he's been dying to have you like this. Tells you this you his favourite sight as he kisses his way up.

You beg him again, asking him to please, please, fill you up. He groans against your mouth and he tells you again, you don't have to. He says he's happy like this. Repeats he's in no rush and just wants to please you and make you feel good. That it's about you, and will always be about you. You beg him again, and again and again, enticing him with a trail of wet kisses down his neck, up to his eralobe. You whisper there, tell him you need him to fill you with his cock so bad. His whole body goes rigid as your legs wrap around him, legs pulling him closer to where you want him, his erection grazing your entrance and his teeth nibble your lower lip.

Jungkook doesn't move for a while, eyes closed shut, jaw clenched and head buried in your neck. He doesn't move because his mind is somewhere else keeping him stagnant, pussy wrapping around him so good and wet and tight he's about to bust. Takes a while for him to move, but when he does he makes sure to grip your thighs around him, keeping you close, never wanting to let go as he tells you you were made just for him. Just for him. Tells you how good you feel. He tells you he loves you. Kisses your lips as you sob, tears threatening to spill from your eyes. He tells you he loves you. Tells you he'll love you forever and will always keep you safe and happy.

You're crying now, cheeks wet and he stops for a moment to look at you, concern written all over his face as his hands craddle yours, wiping the tears away with his thumbs. "We can stop, baby." You shake your head no. Pull him back into another kiss, urging him to go on. You tell him you love this, love him so much. That it's a good thing. That they are happy tears. That you've never been happier. And then his hips start moving again, your words egging him own, soft whimpers and sobs leaving each other's throats until you cum at the same time.

He then removes himself from you, rolling onto your side but he's quick to pull your body close, arms wrapping around you and lips kissing away the wet stains on your cheeks.

It doesn't take long for you to know Jungkook would be the healthy forever and after you had always dreamed of.

#THE FEEELS BRUH #aaaaaa #jeon jungkook #jungkook #jungkook fluff #jungkook angst #jungkook smut #bts #jungkook fic

2K notes · View notes

aalissy · 2 years

Text

Picnic Lunch

Chapter 11 is doneee!! And it includes the final chapter of my lil Buttercup Project saga haha. If you don’t know what I’m talking about, please read Chapter 9 and 10 before reading this chapter haha. Lemme know what you think about this <3

AO3

“Are you sure this wasn’t just a ploy to get me to bring you pastries?” Marinette giggled, wiggling the picnic basket in her hand as she drew closer to Adrien. He had texted her earlier today, telling her that he finally had some free time for Project Buttercup and that she should bring a picnic basket for lunch outside.

He was stretched out on a blanket at Place de Vosges which, luckily for her, was right next to the bakery. A bright grin was on his face as he beckoned her over cheerfully.

When she sat down next to him, Adrien sighed dramatically. “You caught me! I guess I’m just too addicted to your delicious treats.”

Feeling a blush start to stain her cheeks, Marinette attempted to hide her face by rummaging in her basket. She pulled out a small packet of macarons, some chocolate croissants, and two bottles of sparkling water. Taking a chocolate croissant, she began to nibble on it and hoped that Adrien liked the passionfruit macarons that she had taken great care to make. Maybe this time she would finally get him to taste one.

He reached forward and Marinette watched with bated breath as he picked up a macaron. “So how about this as the perfect spot?” Adrien asked her eagerly, “It’s close to home and it’s not as complicated as a private screening.”

She laughed, shaking her head as she remembered their last trip for Project Buttercup. “I don’t think anything could be as crazy as that.”

He gave her a sheepish grin, scratching the back of his neck adorably. Marinette was certain that at this point her cheeks were going to be stained a bright pink forever. He was just too sweet for his own good. It was like Adrien and Chat were the only two who knew just how to cheer her up nowadays.

Suddenly, the chocolate croissant she was eating just didn’t seem anywhere near good enough. Opening a bottle of sparkling water, Marinette took a few sips as she fought against the urge to tackle him into a big hug.

“Plus, I was also told that the best way to win a man’s heart is good food.” Adrien winked at her popping the macaron in his mouth. After he finished, he beamed over at her. “And this is absolutely delicious, Marinette. Was that the famous passionfruit macaron I’ve been hearing so much about?”

“M-maybe.” She ducked her head shyly, her blush turning a shade darker. Peering up at him from beneath her lashes she watched as he took another macaron happily. A giddy sense of pride flooded up within her. He did like the macarons.

“Well, it’s amazing,” Adrien sighed contentedly after he finished the second one. “I’m only sad that I wasn’t able to try it sooner. Passionfruit is my absolute favorite flavor, you know.”

With a quiet giggle, she said, “R-really? I had no idea.”

There was no way that Marinette was going to mention the countless magazines she had poured over and scanned every day as she searched for any mention of Adrien’s favorite flavor. She was also not going to mention the fact that she baked one for him every Sunday just in case the perfect opportunity arose.

“Marinette, I bet if you bake him one of those he’ll be falling over himself to confess to you.” Adrien gave her a decisive nod of his head, popping another macaron in his mouth.

Fidgeting on the blanket, she tapped her fingers together rather nervously. Avoiding his gaze, she nibbled on her lower lip. “A-and what if he didn’t... what should I do then?”

Adrien blinked, seeming to consider her words for a moment before he spoke up again, “Well, I think that would be the perfect time for you to confess.”

He was right. It was now or never.

Sucking in a deep breath for confidence, Marinette forced herself to meet his eyes, beginning the speech she and Chat had practiced. “Adrien, the first time I saw you, I misjudged you. I thought that I had caught you putting gum on my chair and mistakenly believed that you were conceited and superficial. But then, on that very same, rainy day, you gave me your umbrella and I got to know the real you. I got to see what you were like deep down—someone sweet, sincere, and generous. But every time I’ve tried to tell you how I feel, it’s like my brain freezes up. But because of this... because of you... I think I’m ready now. Adrien, I... I... I love you.”

Wow. She had finally done it. Fighting the urge to clench her eyes shut, Marinette tightened her fists on the blanket. Adrien’s lips had parted during her little speech and she hoped that was a good sign. Finally, after another moment's pause, he murmured, “That was absolutely perfect, Marinette. If you do something like that, I’m sure your mystery guy will love it just as much as he loves you.”

She choked back a disbelieving laugh. What was she supposed to do now? She couldn’t exactly ask Adrien for his input again. Holding herself back from giving him a pained smile and nod, Marinette instead nervously asked, “L-let’s say that um, hypothetically, I’ve already given that exact speech to Buttercup. A-are you right? Does he feel the same?”

Adrien frowned, looking puzzled for a moment. He opened his mouth, presumably to ask something before his eyes widened in what Marinette assumed was understanding. She swallowed the large lump in her throat as he murmured, “Oh. Oh!” Adrien moved closer to her, scanning her gaze before he pointed to himself with a choked gasp. “Is it me? W-was... am I Buttercup?”

“Maybe,” Marinette squeaked out, her teeth clamping down on her lower lip.

“Oh my god. Oh my god. So all this time,” Adrien ran his hand through his hair before he chuckled as he looked at her with a small smile. “Why didn’t you tell me sooner?”

She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, avoiding his gaze as she stared at the fountain. “I-I was scared. My brain froze up whenever I tried to talk to you. I couldn’t seem to get my words out without getting them all jumbled up.”

“Oh wow, that makes so much sense now,” Adrien reached forward, one of his hands landing on hers as he squeezed it gently. Her gaze snapped over to his, feeling her heart race in her chest as she saw his almost adoring smile. “I really wish that you had told me sooner, though, Marinette. You could have saved me from a lot of jealousy over this Buttercup guy.”

She couldn’t stop her brow from furrowing in confusion. “Jealousy? Why... why would you be jealous?”

“Because I thought you were pining over someone who couldn’t see it. I didn’t understand how someone could miss the amazing girl who was right in front of them. Turns out, that was me all along.” Adrien chuckled, shaking his head at himself.

“That’s not your fault,” Marinette’s frown deepened. “I wasn’t exactly sending the clearest of messages.”

He moved even closer to her. “Yes, it is,” Adrien murmured, lifting his hand from hers as he tucked a stray strand of hair back behind her ear. He lingered next to her cheek, sending a warm flush of heat up her spine. Finally, he whispered, “But I want to make it up to you. Marinette, can I kiss you?”

She didn’t think she was even capable of forming words at this moment. Practically wheezing with shock, she nodded her head before Adrien connected their lips together in a sweet kiss. Her fingers ran through his hair as pure joy billowed within her. After a few moments, she pulled back to murmur, “So, does this mean you do feel the same?”

“How could I not?” Adrien chuckled before tugging her back in to caress her lips with his own. Marinette poured every ounce of love she had for him in that kiss, content to remain in his arms forever. He pulled back, though, causing her to almost chase his lips before he whispered with a gleaming pair of emerald green eyes, “What do you say we do some more ‘location scouting’ next weekend?”

Marinette giggled, putting her forehead on his before she softly said, “As long as I get to kiss you again, I’m fine wherever we go.”

“Good.” Adrien pecked her lips again. “Because I still have plenty of ideas.”

With a happy squeal, she embraced him, memorizing the feeling of his lips on hers. She was never going to give this up. Hazily, she made plans to get Chat a gift for his part in Project Buttercup. After all, without him, this never would have happened.

#adrinetteapril2022 #adrienetteapril2022 #miraculous #miraculous ladybug #adrinette #adrienette #ml #mlb #fic #fanfic #project buttercup

26 notes · View notes

justafewsmallsteps · 3 years

Text

A look into LadyNoir for my Reversal AU, The Other Way Around. You don’t really need to read the other parts to get this one :)

Title: The Other Way Around, Part 3 Pairing: Lovesquare (LadyNoir) Rating: G+ Word Count: 2.5K

The first time Marinette really interacted with a cat was at a friend’s house. She was six years old at her very first sleepover. Nervous and shy, she’d spent the majority of the evening worrying about what would happen once the lights were out. She’d never had to sleep through a night without her parents or family with her. No amount of cartoons or pillow fights could fully ease the fear of impending darkness.

The other three girls seemed totally adjusted and excited, but Marinette could hardly eat dinner even though it was pizza from their favorite spot. Then she nearly burst into tears at the table when they served the cookies her parents had sent with her, overwhelmed with missing them so badly. With her eyes stinging and her voice ready to cry out that they should call home to pick her up, Button the cat suddenly sprung onto her lap. She was a fluffy tan thing with two black dots going down the center of her back, hence her name. In that moment she looked just like a chocolate chip cookie, albeit one that blinked up at Marinette’s face with huge, adorable brown eyes. The cat smooshed her head against the girl’s stomach, sat down, and began to purr. In her surprise and fascination, young Marinette forgot what she was so upset over.

She never had pets growing up—the hair was too much to maintain when her family also lived in a bakery—so she hadn’t any courage to approach Button before, even when the other girls had spent time petting her. She knew cats had claws and their yawns revealed sharp, pointy teeth. The last thing she wanted was to get scratched or bitten when she was already terrified. Cats had been a scary mystery. Button was small and fluffy and warm. The moment she cuddled up to her, Marinette fell in love.

After that day, cats became her favorite animal, and while she still wasn’t allowed to have one (despite the begging and puppy eyes that her mother valiantly fought against with gentle reasoning), Marinette surrounded herself with them as a good luck charm. She had kitty keychains, plush toys, cat-covered folders to take to class, and cat-print bedsheets. The obsessive phase lasted for three years, but the fondness stayed even when her room took on a pink and floral theme to match her changing design aesthetic. Obviously when she found the giant body pillow shaped like a cat, she knew she had to have it anyway. After long days of dealing with Chloe’s yapping and her own special trademark combination of back luck and clumsiness, hugging that massive squishy cat became her ultimate comfort.

That was, until another cat fell into her lap. Well, crashed into her entire body was more what happened.

When she was gifted her miraculous, Marinette thought herself a poor fit for a superhero. She liked leadership positions and really didn’t have a big problem taking charge when needed, but saving lives was a ton of pressure. She’d thrown her yoyo randomly, not sure of a single move she made, and in doing so managed to tangle her partner and herself up despite the superpowers. Chat Noir seemed more natural, and surely he deserved a partner that had the confidence to match his skills instead of her. Marinette was stuck in her head with apprehension. She’d totally screwed up her very first mission by letting the akuma multiply instead of purifying it. She wasn’t excited to be a hero. She was terrified.

Maybe it was the cat bias that made her instantly trust Chat Noir, but it was the way he put his warm hands so squarely on her shoulders and assured her that she could do this, that made her fall in love. It was the second time a cat had saved her from giving in to her fears.

He gave her the courage to stand up to Hawkmoth, and the moment she vowed to take him down was a triumph of bravery. She wouldn’t have been able to do that without him.

Of course she fell for him.

He didn’t make it any easier for her as they got closer. He was just so endearingly sweet, throwing compliments at her all the time for encouragement.

If only she didn’t turn into an absolute pile of goo whenever he did. At least she was always able to pull herself together to get the job done, but it was his fault. What could anyone expect from her when her partner was talented, smart, super handsome, and somehow humble about all of it?

She’d witnessed how he avoided the spotlight in favor of checking up with akuma victims. She’d seen him time after time go out of his way to protect others, especially her, from harm’s way. And after he did all those things he’d throw her the credit as if she was the one saving the day.

They worked together well, reading each other’s moves and adapting to each other’s pace. But he never needed the attention, happy to just get the mission done. It was a side of him that she got to see when the crowds weren’t looking, proud at what they’d accomplished while holding his fist out to hers in solidarity to say, “We did it!” Together. Always together.

But then their miraculouses would beep, and they’d have to go their separate ways with her casting lingering glances towards whichever horizon he’d disappear off to.

At least during some of their mutual patrols they had time to talk. She looked forward to each one, no matter what other responsibilities she had waiting for her once it was over. Getting to know her partner was such a highlight to her identity as Ladybug. There was the triumph of victory, the thrill of the physics defying feats she could accomplish, the heartwarming gratitude of the citizens… and then there was this: sitting at the top of the Eiffel with their feeting dangling in the cool Parisian air, aimlessly talking above a safe city set aglow with evening lights; the warm sense of security yet tingling excitement of hanging out with her one and only crush.

“Favorite hot drink?” she wondered.

Asking non-identifying questions was their way of bonding without compromising themselves.

Chat Noir hummed thoughtfully over a cookie—raspberry macarons, a favorite she had learned fairly early on. “The hot chocolate you brought in the winter was great. Probably the best I’ve ever had, actually.”

She blushed and kicked her feet nervously. She swore that she would’ve tripped if they’d been walking. Somehow his compliments did that to her. “T-thanks.”

He grabbed another macaron and turned it over, studying the ruffled feet as he added, “Otherwise I’m really fond of tea. My mother liked English high tea; always insisted we have a tea break at some point in the day. When I was a kid I was only in it for the cookies and sandwiches, but at this point I like the drink too. It's nostalgic.”

He always got wistful when he spoke about his mother, but Marinette knew that train of thought would lead them to somewhere too personal. It wasn’t that she didn’t yearn to know more about him. Quite the opposite, but they both knew that it wasn’t safe yet. There had been too many close calls. She followed up with another question. “Any tea in particular?”

“Earl grey, usually. I’m a fan of London Fogs over coffee.”

She smiled down, looking at her home’s direction. They had a lovely macaron with that flavor as well, she thought. She could bring him a variety box next time. Maybe one day they could do tea together in some fashion. A picnic, perhaps? High tea during an evening patrol seemed a bit strange, but she could always brew him a decaf in a thermos so he wouldn’t be hopped up on caffeine. Or maybe that was too much if she was already bringing the same flavor in a cookie. Did hot chocolate go well with earl grey? What about the raspberry? Plenty of people ordered a variety of flavors all the time. Maybe she should throw in a few others for balance, like the rose ones. Wait, were rose flavored macarons too romantic? Would it seem like a date if she brought him flower-flavored food? Not that she didn’t want to date him because of course she did but—

“Deep in thought, Ladybug?”

Chat Noir’s twinkling green eyes greeted her, just a few centimeters from her face. He must have been trying to get her attention for a while.

Surprised, she suddenly scooted back and flailed. “Oh!” Thankfully she was securely seated on the beam enough to not begin a sad plummet to the ground. Desserts were well and good, but she’d prefer to avoid becoming a polka dotted pancake. “Yes, sorry! Did you say something?”

He laughed his magical laugh, accustomed to her tendency to get lost in her own head. “No need to apologize. I was just saying that it was my turn to ask a question before we turn in for the night.”

Ah, was it already time to go back? Sheepishly, the heroine smiled. “Did you already ask it?”

A flash of teeth showed off his mirthful grin. “I did.”

“Sorry.” He had already told her not to apologize, but it was embarrassing that she was fantasizing about dating him when he was literally sitting besides her. “What was it again?”

“I asked if you’ve been on a date lately, Little Lady.”

Oh.

Her mind short-circuited. Had she been babbling out loud? How desperate had she sounded? “What? Me! Doing to date you? I mean, going on a date with someyou? Someone!”

If her slip up meant anything, he didn’t acknowledge it. He never did. Did she want him to?

“Yep. Like a romantic one-on-one date. I, uh,” he bashfully scratched the back of his neck, “I’ve been thinking about it lately.”

A rush of blood warmed her cheeks. “Y-you were?” Thinking about dating someone? Her? Them? Romantically!

He avoided her eyes, choosing to look up instead as he laughed nervously. “For a while now. I don’t even think I could, but there’s a girl…”

I’m a girl, her brain supplied with excitement.

“You can’t ask her?”

He clicked his tongue. “There’s a few conflicts. First of all, I don’t know how she really feels about me, and… I don’t know how to say the other part without really giving anything away.”

Ladybug pursed her lips and gave him time, either out of courtesy or because she was freaking out and incapable of speech.

“Um, it’s like… an occupational issue, I guess. I don’t know if I’d be allowed, in a sense. Then there’s the issue that I know nearly nothing about dating,” he explained.

For all his vagueness, she fit his description enough. She’d never outright confessed to being in love with him, so he didn’t know her feelings. Also they weren’t really supposed to date with all their responsibilities, and wasn’t that just part of their job as heroes? So for all intents and purposes, Chat Noir really could have been talking about her. The possibility made her head spin.

Her hope was strung on a tightrope; a precarious position that could go either way. She could ask him directly if he meant someone in his civilian life or if by some miracle he was talking about her—or she could stay on the precipice between disappointment and bliss. But for all her clumsiness, Marinette preferred balance whenever she could manage it. So she stayed her course, eyes far from looking down at the possibilities and instead on the objective: answer him.

“I haven’t been on a real date recently, no.”

She looked for any hint about his feelings in his response, any indication that he was relieved or just pitied her. He simply nodded, leaving her clueless as she continued to walk the tightrope.

“Same,” he let out a whiny sigh. “I guess I can’t really ask for advice then. I’m terrible when it comes to romance.”

She traced one of her spots with a gloved finger, trying to keep a clear mind despite the slight relief that her crush wasn’t out on dates all the time. “I doubt it. You’re so amazing, you’d make any girl really happy and lucky to be with you.” Saying those words aloud had her face feeling as red as her suit.

“Luck is your department, LB,” he grinned. “I imagine admirers are chasing you left and right.”

“Not in any serious manner,” Adrien’s corny and outlandish attempts to get her attention came to mind. He was just a flirt by nature, hardly what someone would consider a real admirer. “I… I’d be happy to go on a date with somebody who really liked me though.”

He gave her a thoughtful look that made her pause.

She stood up suddenly. “I mean, not just anybody! Like… if I knew they actually liked me, then I might give it a chance? Depending on the person.”

Chat Noir smiled again, patiently letting her ramble as usual.

She took a deep breath to collect herself. “It doesn’t matter how experienced you are with dating, at least that’s what I think. If she’s a nice person then she’ll also understand and you’ll both get through it together. You just have to be yourself.”

“You’re right as always, Little Lady,” he sighed. Her stomach did a flip at the soft sound of his voice. “You know, you do give the best advice.”

Balance, she reminded herself. Tightrope.

But he spoke again, “I can always count on you to cheer me up if things go wrong, can’t I?”

The words were kind—like a soft breeze—which was just enough to throw off her careful, barely established balance; just enough information to tip her over to the fact that he must have been talking about some other girl if at the end of the day he could still find comfort in her, his partner.

And so she fell. Or, well, she’d fallen for him a long time ago. What did she expect? Something happier, she’d hoped. Something more similar to catching herself with her yo-yo, lifting back up to soar instead of her hopes tumbling down.

“Ladybug?”

She took a second to glance down at the ground where her heart felt like it had dropped. From their high position on the Eiffel, it was a long way down. For how much she loved him, she wasn’t sure just how her heart would break. Shatter like glass? Crumble to pieces? Or would it plummet and dent the floor because it certainly felt as heavy as lead when she turned to face Chat Noir, an achingly sweet melancholy painted on face as he smiled at her.

“Of course you can count on me. You and me against it all,” she assured, holding out her hand to help him up. It was time to go, after all.

He grinned as he stood, “Everything from akumas to heartbreak.”

She gave a weak laugh in reply. “Good night, Chat.”

“Good night, Little Lady.”

#miraculous ladybug #ladynoir #chat noir #ladybug #justafewsmallsteps #Jelly art #the other way around #Reversal au #Jelly fic

64 notes · View notes

kookicat · 3 years

Text

The Macaron Job

I'm a damned idiot, Eliot thinks and scowls at the sheeting rain outside the kitchen window. It's a horrible damp day, the sort that turns his hair into a curly mess that defies even the hottest flat iron, and he's making macarons. They're never going to dry, he thinks and pokes the closest one with a clean fingertip, scowl deepening as the mix sticks to his skin.

It wasn't like there were a million other, more rainy day compatible things he could have made. Like brown butter and oatmeal cookies. Or madeleines. Or lemon and poppy seed muffins, with a lemon glaze, sweet and sharp. Or an apple pie, rich and golden and spiked with cinnamon. Or even sugar cookies.

But Parker had asked for French macarons, and he's never been able to say no to the women, especially when Sophie gets in on the act. So he's stuck in the kitchen, babysitting a sheet pan of macarons that are stubbornly refusing to form any sort of skin. They're never going to work, he thinks and sighs, pulling out the ingredients to make a batch of sugar cookies, just in case, letting his hands fall into the familiar actions while his mind wanders, pondering what else he wants to add to his newly established kitchen garden.

It's another part of himself that he's reclaimed, once he'd committed to the team, and it had taken him a while to get comfortable with his hands in the dirt again, but damn, it was nice to replace the old blood on his hands with warm, fragrant soil, capable of giving life rather than taking it. Parker had caught on first, bugging him with questions about what the plants did until he got his first harvest of peas and squash and carrots and tomatoes, turning them into something they could eat, remembering exactly how at peace he'd felt, sitting down at the table to eat a meal he'd produced in more ways than one.

He glances at the tray of macarons again, feeling irritation niggle at him when they still aren't set. The sugar cookie dough forms a neat ball under his hands and he shapes it into a log, wrapping it in plastic and slipping it in the fridge to chill, trying to ignore the urge to glare at the macarons. Like that'll make them set faster, he thinks and has to laugh at himself, just a little. Truth be told, there's not many other places he'd rather be on a rainy day than his kitchen, even if he is stuck with the least rainy day friendly bake ever.

Quiet footsteps head towards the kitchen and he keeps his back to the door, deliberately, ignoring the prickle between his shoulders that he still can't quite shake. He trusts them with his life and his soul and his sanity, but bone deep instincts aren't so easy to turn off. "They're not done yet," he says when the steps transfer from wood to the tile floor in the kitchen, knowing as good as he was, he wouldn't have heard her if she didn't want him to, because the woman was like a damn cat, all liquid grace and soft steps.

"They didn't take this long last time," she complains, boosting herself onto the counter and reaching around him to steal a crumb of sugar cookie dough from the big copper mixing bowl.

Eliot tucks a curly strand of hair behind his ear and glances at the window, where the rain has become even worse, pouring down in a way that makes him wonder idly if they need to start building an arc. Hardison would hate that, he thinks, all those animals to manage and manages not to grin too widely. "Last time it wasn't pouring with rain," he says, and lifts an eyebrow at her when she frowns.

She sneaks another scrap of cookie dough, chewing thoughtfully. "That makes a difference?"

"Sure." He crosses his arms, resisting the urge to poke the damned macarons again, and leans back against the cabinet. "It's baking, Parker. Everything makes a difference." There's a thread of wry, amused annoyance in his voice. Sometimes the strict measurements, the recipes that have to be followed to the letter, the exacting nature of baking are exactly what he needs, letting him lose himself in the details, pushing back the memories for just a little while longer. It's almost like meditation, steps he knows like the notes of an old, familiar song. And sometimes, he wants the opposite, wants to grab ingredients by instinct to create something entirely new, something fresh and exciting and his in a way that baking never quite captures.

"How do you know when they're ready?" she leans over, bumping shoulders with him, close enough that her hair brushes his cheek, nibbling on the last scrap of dough.

"You're going to get a stomach ache," he mutters absently, tapping the closest macaron round with his pointer finger. "They're ready for baking when they don't stick to your fingers."

It doesn't, to his surprise, and he lifts the tray, sliding it into the pre-heated oven. There's dark chocolate ganache chilling in the fridge and he pulls the bowl out, setting it on the counter to warm, pretending not to see Parker steal a spoonful as he turns away to stack the dirty dishes in the dishwasher. He turns back and has to smother a grin, because she has chocolate on her cheek and an overly innocent expression on her face.

"Is that nice?" he asks, biting the inside of his lip to keep a straight face.

She blinks at him, idly swinging her legs, taking care not to thump her boots into the cupboard door. "I don't know what you mean!" she says and he laughs, tossing a dish towel at her.

"You have ganache on your face," he says and she swipes it away.

The timer beeps and he silences it, turning the sheet pan around in the oven so everything bakes evenly. He grabs a piping bag and gives the ganache a stir, handing the spoon to Parker while he fills the bag. The kitchen smells safe, like good vanilla and sugar and chocolate and combined with the pouring rain it's making him feel relaxed, tranquil, almost sleepy in a way that's rare for him. He leans against the counter again, letting the comfortable silence stretch its legs, half an eye on the window, watching the water run down the glass.

"You could have said no, you know," Parker says suddenly, softly and he grunts as he ponders his answer.

"I know," he starts, and shrugs. "I didn't want to say no."

"Oh," she says, frowning like she's missed something and normally, he wouldn't have the words to explain it to her, but it's different somehow, in the warm kitchen and he shifts his weight a little, glancing at the timer before he starts talking.

"I wanted to," he shrugs, "For a long time, all I did was destroy stuff. People, mostly." The words sting more than he expects coming out and he pauses, clearing his throat, taking the time to figure out what he wants to say next. "I was finding my way back from that when we did that first job, but I still had a ways to go. Creating rather than destroying helps." The words are sticking in his brain and he scratches his jaw, meeting her eyes, seeing understanding there, feeling the echo of another conversation like this. "You never expect me to give more than I can." He lifts a hand, gestures vaguely at the kitchen. "This, I can give. So, yes, I could have said no, but I didn't want to." The corner of his mouth quirks up in a wry smile. "Even if you did ask for macarons on the worst possible day to make them."

"You like them too," she protests, knowing that she's not the only one in the room with a sweet tooth. Eliot just hides his better, but she's never seen him turn down a donut yet.

"I do," he agrees easily and shoves his hair back again. The humidity means it wants to fall in his face and his last two hair ties had mysteriously vanished. I'd order more, if I didn't think a quick sweep of the brew pub would turn up a dozen, he thinks. With three of them using them, the damn things seem to grow legs.

"Here," Parker says and offers him a hair tie.

He takes it, pretty sure it had started out life as one of his to begin with and puts his hair up, washing his hands just as the timer starts to beep. He turns off the tap and dries his hands as Parker silences the alarm, grabbing a dry dish towel before he pulls the sheet pan out of the oven.

They're not his best batch ever - some are more oval than round, and he's enough of a perfectionist to find that annoying, but they smell great and he sets the sheet pan down on the cooling rack.

"How soon can we eat them?" Parker asks and he swats her hand away as she reaches for one.

"They're hot," he says absently, before he remembers that he's talking to Parker and she seems to spend a quarter of her life in places where anyone else would find the heat unbearable. "Let them cool, or they'll break when you move them," he adds. "It shouldn't take long."

The kitchen is cool and he knows from experience that the macarons will be cold enough to handle pretty quickly. He just needs to distract Parker until that point.

"There's sugar cookie dough in the fridge. We can shape those while these cool," he suggests and she brightens.

"Can we make dinosaurs?" she asks, seeming to bounce on the spot without actually moving.

"No," he says, because sugar cookies should be round and he's pretty sure the dinosaur cutters found a new home, far away from his kitchen.

She frowns. "Animals then."

He pulls the dough out of the fridge and sets it next to the ganache while he preps another sheet pan. "No," he says, because he's fairly sure the animal cutters went to live on the same farm as the dinosaurs. "Rounds are fine."

"You're no fun," she grumps and frowns at him, seeing the quirk in his lip that means he's secretly amused and not buying her act at all.

"I made you two types of cookie," he protests, and reaches into the cupboard on the wall, pulling out a new blend of sprinkles. They're less lurid than her usual pick, but they're also dyed with natural extracts and not chemicals he can't pronounce and so he figures it's a decent trade off.

"Ooh, sprinkles!" Parker says, grinning at him. "Sprinkles are fun."

He cuts the log of cookie dough into neat, even slices and arranges them on the tray, reaching over to turn the oven up, wondering what to defrost for dinner. It's just him and Parker, for a change, because Nate and Sophie have a table booked at a fancy new restaurant and Hardison is at some game thing with his friends. Eliot doesn't rate the new restaurant - the menu is overly complicated, and he knows enough about Hardison's game nights to know he'll come home stuffed with enough cheap pizza, orange soda and gummy frogs to fuel a small army for a week. Parker would be quite happy with a bowl of whatever luridly coloured cereal she'd latched onto for the week, but Eliot is craving something rich and warming and comforting, because the weather shows no sign of improving. There's a ragu sauce in the freezer and he pulls it out, setting it aside to defrost, knowing there's fresh pasta in the fridge and homemade dinner rolls in the bread bin.

Parker is rifling in the drawer next to her knees and pulls out a star shaped cutter. "Stars?" she says and waves it at him.

"Fine," he says, and rolls his eyes. "Make half of them stars."

She hops down and crosses to the sink to wash her hands, humming happily as she desecrates half of his perfectly round cookies. He sighs and presses the scraps together, wrapping them in plastic and dumping them in the fridge for later. The cookies will be a little tough, but that's nothing a glass of milk can't solve.

The oven beeps to let him know it's reached temp, and he slides the cookie pan in, checking the macarons and finding them nicely cool. "You wanna fill these?" he asks as he gathers the stuff he needs for a simple glaze for the sugar cookies. "Just don't eat all of them," he warns as she takes the piping bag from his hands.

It's the sort of kitchen task she's good at, hands that can crack a safe in seconds graceful as she works the piping bag. Piping makes his hands and wrists ache - he's broken too much stuff for there not to be consequences- so he's glad she took to it so readily.

They work in comfortable silence as he sets the ragu sauce in a pan over a low flame to defrost and adds pasta to a second pan- fettuccine, not the one of the random bags of shaped pasta that keep appearing in his kitchen. He'd opened the cupboard and found pasta pandas a few weeks ago and wondered seriously if he'd taken one too many blows to the skull before Hardison claimed them.

The glaze for the cookies comes together easily under his hands and he pours it into another piping bag to keep it from setting while they wait for the cookies to bake. There's lemon juice in it, to offset the sweetness of the cookies and for some reason, the combination reminds him of the team, all distinctive parts that come together to be better than they ever could be alone.

He has nothing else to do for the moment and so turns to watch Parker as she finishes off the last few macarons, piping a neat dot of ganache on one before adding a second on top. There's a new smear of chocolate over her top lip and he reckons more than one has made its way into her stomach.

There's an odd macaron left and she offers it to him. "They're really good," she says, around the bite in her mouth. "Is there a secret ingredient? What is it?"

Love, he thinks and takes the macaron, knowing he's smiling again. "Now that would be telling," he says instead.

#leverage #eliot spencer #fanfic #parker #Fluff #Eliot bakes #Domestic!Eliot #Yes I know the formatting is off but it's 3am and I'll fix it tomorrow

147 notes · View notes

yannowhatigiveup · 3 years

Text

My One And Only - Chapter 22

Previous | Next | Master List

I’ve gotten myself into a writing schedule, let’s see if it works

|Translations at the end|

"I've got an idea."

————————————————————

Other than the odd spark of inspiration, the rest of Marinette's day had been uneventful. Though she desperately wanted to speak with Damian, she knew that he was probably tired and that his family would interrogate him more, if they hadn't done so already. Sighing, Marinette spun around on her desk chair. She had plenty of designs but she wasn't exactly in the mood to make them. Marinette felt bored. 'Maybe I could clean the bakery?' She thought to herself.

Walking down the stairs, the bluenette made herself busy. Cleaning the dishes, sweeping any fallen flour, wiping the windows, anything to keep her occupied. It only seemed to take a few minutes before the bakery was spotless, completely squeaky clean. Deciding that it wasn't enough, Marinette went on to clean the entire house, from the kitchen to the bathrooms. This task took a little longer but it was worth it. Once Marinette had finished the house seemed to sparkle like new. Proud of her work, the blue-eyed girl went back to her room and sat back on her desk chair. And she was bored yet again. The bluenette was about to go back down to the bakery to make something, macarons, or some pastries, when something popped in her head.

"Plagg, Tikki?", Marinette asked for the kwamis and they both appeared from somewhere in the room. Tikki sat on her desk in front of her while Plagg made himself comfortable on her shoulder.

"Yeah, Pigtails?", Plagg responded, he was probably eating Camembert since he smelt greatly of it, not like he didn't always smell of the cheese. Plagg was nice enough to stop eating it to listen to the bluenette, though he was very likely anxious to get back to it.

"Do you have any idea how Damian managed to figure out my identity? I mean, a few years ago you told me that there was magic protecting it, right Tikki?", Marinette turned to her red kwami.

"While there is magic, Damian is definitely to the type to break through it." Tikki's vague answer baffled the blue-eyed girl.

"What do you mean?", The bluenette asked, not understanding what her kwami was implying. It wasn't necessarily new, having her kwami tell her something she either did not know of or she didn't understand, but it didn't take long for Marinette to learn.

"Lover-boy is the son of the world's greatest detective and while being my true user does help, he most likely did all the work on his own." Plagg supplied, barely hiding the fact that he was proud with his chosen. Marinette blinked while Tikki nodded.

"Since he is the true user, the protective magic surrounding you weren't as strong around him, especially him being the true user of destruction. He might have been able to recognise your features and once that connection is made, everything just fits into place." Tikki finished, trying on one of the small hats that Marinette had made for her.

Marinette hummed. "What about Alya?"

"All it takes is one undeniable connection and the magic is lifted entirely. Alya's connection was realising you had a wound in the same place Ladybug got one." Tikki turned back to Marinette, how softly rubbed the place where she was impaled days ago. She turned to give Plagg a scratch on the head before looking back at her kwami.

"That does make sense, yes." She murmured, looking out of her bedroom window. "Do you think I should tell Chloe, Kagami, and Luka about being Ladybug?"

Tikki and Plagg exchanged a glance. After a few moments of silence, Tikki spoke up again. "It's up to you, Marinette"

Marinette looked thoughtful, weighing the pros and cons about telling more people about her super heroine activities. "I do want to tell them, but I think it would be best not to. For now." The two kwamis nodded before going back to where they were in the room previously, not after Plagg had asked to try on some of the hats that Tikki was wearing. Now being left to her own devices, Marinette thought if she should check the pages of the Grimoire. After a while of debating, she chose not to. Looking through the pages in her sketchbook, Marinette decided to just make something. For this particular design she would need to go out to get fabric. Which is what she did.

On her walk she took notice of a flower bush, filled with beautiful ivory-white flowers. Marinette picked one and placed it in her hair. Smiling, she made her way to her favourite fabric store. Running her fingers over a roll of fabric that would be perfect for one of her new designs, Marinette remembered that she had seen this fabric before. "Oh mon dieu! I have this at home." Just as fast as she got to the store, she left. When she reached her room again, Marinette sighed. But the trip wasn't a total loss.

The bluenette took the flowers out of her hair and placed it next to the watercolour painting that Damian had done earlier in the week. Though they were both widely different things, Marinette thought they worked very well together. Grabbing sight of the roll of fabric in her room, she went to work, cutting, sewing, and everything in between. It didn't take long for her to finish, it never did. The finished product was a light grey hoodie, it was a tad bigger than her fitted size, that way it was more comfortable. Putting it on, Marinette looked at herself in the mirror. It was a simple design and although she was already proud of it, it just needed a little something. Glancing around her room, the ivory-white flowers caught her attention. Taking a needle and a roll of thread, Marinette sewed intricate floral designs. By the time she was finished, it had become evening, the orange skies surged a feeling of warmth in the bluenette's body. Suddenly, there was a faint sound of jingling house keys and of a door opening.

"Marinette, we're home!", The sound of her father's voice registered instantly. Running down the stairs, Marinette rushed to greet both of her parents.

"Maman! Papa!", Marinette exclaimed as she hugged both of them tightly. "How was Marseille? Did you get the second bakery you were hoping for?"

Tom chuckled at his daughter. "Yes, we did"

"You should've seen the building Marinette, it was beautiful." Her mother sighed dreamily. "We bought the place as well as decorated it."

"We also got one of our family friends to manage the place. We stayed for a little while longer just to supervise and we sold out every day." Her father chuckled, proud in the decision he made.

"That's great, Papa!", Marinette chirped, she was happy for her parents as this was her father's dream, to have a successful bakery.

"By the way, Marinette", Sabine got her daughter's attention. "How's your boyfriend, Damian?"

"Oh he's fine", The bluenette replied quickly, with a smile on her face. "He had to go back to Gotham, his student exchange program only lasted two weeks."

Sabine hummed. "Shame, he's quite the gentleman." Marinette giggled. "Well, Tom, you go to open the bakery downstairs and I'll get busy making dinner.

"Sure thing, Honey", Tom kissed her cheek before heading back down the stairs. Sabine walked over to the kitchen while Marinette busied herself by taking their luggage to their room. Once she finished her task, Marinette went up to her room to clean up. Just as she was about to go through her trapdoor, Marinette stopped herself. Turning slowly, her hand found it's way to the small gift bag Damian had left her. She took the note from inside and ran her fingers over Damian's signature, a smile creeping onto her face. Only when her mother called her did she put the letter down.

~~~

"Well what is it?", Bruce asked. This couldn't be prolonged as Bruce did in fact have work to get onto, including Tim himself.

"Okay, hear me out." Tim made himself comfortable in one of the seats in front of Bruce's desk. "So I was looking through some of the files we had from last year or so and I found something.

Bruce leaned back in his office chair. "Go on."

"So you know how every year Wayne Enterprises hosts a competition? And how the winners get an all-expense-paid trip here, to Gotham?", Tim prompted, leaning more forward with each word.

"Yes of course, do you suggest we host one this year?", Bruce questioned, still not understanding what his adoptive son was suggesting.

"Yes exactly, but we choose an entry from Paris, France. We haven't chosen any winners from there, we get our witnesses and first-person accounts, and finally they get a week or so of internship here in WE. It's a win-win situation." The Co-CEO leaned back in his chair while Bruce rested his elbows on the desk.

Slowly, he nodded. "That's... that's perfect, well done Tim. We'll make sure to mention it at the next board meeting should be-" Bruce looked at his watch. "-three and a half hours from now."

"Right." Tim stood up from the chair and made his way to the office doors but before he left, he turned towards the billionaire. "See you there, then"

Bruce nodded. "I will, well done." Tim smiled before leaving. As the office doors shut, Bruce stood up from his desk. The man walked towards the windows, observing the city skyline, wondering how the whole situation in Paris went overlooked.

~~~

"Why is English so hard?", Nino whined the moment they were out of the classroom. Marinette giggled while Alya and Adrien laughed.

"It's not that hard dude", Adrien managed to say in between his laughter, Nino huffed.

"Easy for you to say, dude, you were probably taught English since birth! You too Chloe.", Alya was about to say something but Nino interrupted her. "You were obsessed with Clark Kent and Lois Lane when you were young, it's basically the same thing!"

"What about me?", Marinette chirped, batting her eyes innocently.

"Uh...", Nino struggled to think of an example while the rest of their friends tried to hide their laughter. Marinette was also on the verge of cracking but bit her lip to not let any laughter escape. Then, Nino snapped his fingers. "You were obsessed with designers around the world ever since you were five, I remember you learning English to understand what they were saying."

The bluenette pouted. "Curse you for being my childhood friend." Then the flood gates of laughter opened. Chloe was the first to collect herself.

"Alright, are you guys free after school?", the blonde asked.

Marinette nodded. "Yeah I'm free, what about you guys?"

"Sadly my parents are going out with Nora today, so Nino is helping me babysit the twins", Alya replied sadly, linking hands with her boyfriend.

Chloe nodded. "What about you, Adrien?"

Adrien tilted his head from side to side. "I'll have to check with my father but I'm sure I'll be able to come."

"Great! I'll ask Kagami and Luka if they're free later", she took out her phone and tapped away. In the meantime, the friends got a table and their lunches. Chloe came back a few minutes later. "Kagami has fencing practice with her mother and Luka says he might join us."

"Alright", Marinette nodded and continued eating her lunch. "Say, you guys want anything from the bakery? I can just go get some things and we have plenty of time left before the next class." That was true, lunch times last well over an hour at Collège Françoise Dupont, that and her house was just across the street.

"Ooh can you get me some croissants?", Alya asked.

"Can I also get some please? Your bakery makes the best ones in the entire city!" Adrien exclaimed.

Marinette laughed. "Yes yes, you love my food. I'll be back in a moment!" And like that, the bluenette zipped to the bakery, now flowing with customers since it was closed for a while. "I'm taking some croissants, Maman", Marinette said as got a box and filled it with the flaky, savory snack.

Before she left the bakery she almost lost her footing but made a quick recovery. "See you later!" She called as she left the bakery. Marinette swiftly made her way back to the lunch room and to the table where she placed and opened the box of baked goods. As soon as that action was complete, almost everyone quickly grabbed a piece. Marinette huffed. "Save some for me."

Adrien chuckled. "Sorry, Mari"

~~~

Adrien waited patiently on a chair in front of his father's office. He had just returned from school and was told he had a busy schedule filled to the maximum with photo shoots. Adrien told his friends that he would try to join them, so that's what led him to where he was now, waiting to ask his father for permission. Also, he wasn't in the mood to do photo shoots today, especially with Lila.

"Adrien", Nathalie's voice caught the blonde off guard. Still, he stood up to talk to her properly. "Your father will see you now."

"Okay", Adrien murmured. "Thank you, Nathalie". The assistant nodded and opened the door for him to walk through. There he saw his father, standing in front of his drawing tablet, illustrating things that only Marinette would be able to understand.

"Adrien, Nathalie said you wanted to talk to me," Gabriel addressed his son without looking up from his screen, engrossed with the design he was working on.

"Yes, um", Adrien scratched the back of his neck. "I was wondering if I could have my schedule cleared, I wanted to go out with a few of my friends."

Gabriel looked up from his tablet, one of his eyebrows raised. He hummed before he began talking. "Which friends will you be going out with?"

"Chloe and Marinette." Adrien answered confidently.

The man blinked. "Mademoiselle Dupain-Cheng?" Gabriel asked.

"Yeah, Marinette. You know, the one who designed that derby hat design that you liked so much", The blonde said nonchalantly.

Sighing, he replied. "Yes, I am aware of who she is. Very well, I will ask Nathalie to clear your schedule for today."

Adrien beamed. "Thank you, Father!" He happily exited the room, closing the door behind him. Gabriel's line of vision remained there until Nathalie entered the room.

"Sir, I partly understand why you relieved Adrien from his appointments today but I can't help but wonder, is there any other reason why?" Nathalie asked respectfully. Gabriel in response, closed his eyes and put his digital pen down to look at Nathalie properly.

"Chloe Bourgeois and Marinette Dupain-Cheng are both very interesting in their own right."

"How so, sir?" Nathalie inquired.

Gabriel cleared his throat. "Mademoiselle Bourgeois is the very first to resist turning into and akuma. Mademoiselle Dupain-Cheng, however, has never once been akumatized and every time there's an Akuma, she always manages to fight them off. Also, they were both miraculous users."

"But sir, I know that Chloe used to be Queen Bee but what about Marinette? How do you know that she was in possession of a miraculous at some point" the assistant asked as she herself had never seen a battle where Marinette was revealed to be a user. Gabriel smirked.

"Adrien has the tendency to talk to himself, yes?", Nathalie nodded. "Well one day I overheard him and he mentioned being in the building when Kwamibuster attacked. He also mentioned Marinette being Multimouse, a hero at only one battle because her identity was comprised." The designer finished.

Nathalie slowly nodded. "Then what are you going to do, sir?" A few moments went past and Gabriel hadn't replied.

"I will use Adrien to get close to both of them, learn their weaknesses. Once that step is complete, I'll strike."

~~~

In the end, Luka wasn't able to join them. Chloe took Adrien and Marinette to the ice-skating rink, naturally she didn't tell them so the whole time they were freezing. But it didn't really matter since they had a great deal of fun. At some point they all crashed into each other and fell on the cold ice.

"Well that was fun", Marinette stated as she took her skates off. Chloe, in response, scoffed.

"Yeah it was, until you knocked us all over. Ridiculous, utterly ridiculous." The blonde girl remarked jokingly, Adrien laughed.

"I gotta go, Father probably won't be happy with me returning home late." Adrien said sadly.

"Oh yeah, have a good evening Adrien." Marinette said her goodbyes with a hug, closely followed by Chloe.

"See you later, Sunshine Boy." The blonde girl smirked.

Marinette giggled. "I like that, 'Sunshine Boy'. It suits you Adrien."

"I am the Sunshine Boy," Adrien sighed dramatically before laughing again. "See you guys at school tomorrow!"

The two girls waved and watched as Adrien's bodyguard opened the car door. The moment the car faded from view, Chloe turned to Marinette. "I'm going to go too, see you at school Mari-bear."

Marinette hugged Chloe. "See you" Surprisingly there wasn't a car or a limo waiting to drop the blonde off and Chloe walked back to the hotel opposed to Adrien. The bluenette hummed as she walked back home, saying hello to her parents on her way upstairs. Sitting down at her desk, she wondered what to do. She was about to ask on of the kwamis for ideas when a notification on her phone distracted her.

Dami <3: Angel?

Marinette lightened up instantly.

Me: Yes, Dami?

Dami <3: We're currently having our school lunch break, do you want to video chat?

Me: I'd love too

As soon as she sent her message, a video-call request went through. Marinette pressed accept and while waiting for the call to connect, she placed the phone on her desk. Soon, the call connected.

"Hello, Angel", Hearing Damian's voice over the phone made everything seem so real; the fact that he was in Gotham and she was in Paris. He was an ocean away. From what the scene showed, Damian looked as if he was in a secluded area of his school's library, if the shelves of books behind wasn't obvious enough.

"Hey Damian", Marinette responded, leaning forward and resting her chin on her palm. "You adjusted to Gotham timings yet?"

"Well, yes I-" Damian cut himself with a yawn. It seemed to surprise him as he was silent after he had yawned, an act that Marinette giggled at. "It appears I haven't adjusted as well as I presumed."

The bluenette tried to stifle her giggles by covering her mouth with her hand. After some time, she began talking again. "You know, you look really cute right now, all flustered."

Marinette smiled in triumph as a red flush appeared on Damian's ears, but it went away as his eyes widened. His annoyingly attractive smirk appeared on his face. "That feeling you're feeling now, that is how I feel whenever I see you flustered. Honestly, I don't think you even realise how adorable you look."

Now it was Marinette's turn to blush. "Stop ittt" she whined. Damian chuckled before something off screen distracted him, and he glared at whatever the distraction was. "Dami, mon étoile, what is it?"

The green-eyed boy scowled. "An unwanted visitor."

Before Marinette questioned further, a different voice came through. "Ouch, your words wound me Damian." A black-haired, blue-eyed boy appeared on the screen, dragging a chair to sit next to Damian. It was quite the contrast, having Damian scowling and the newcomer smiling. Then he turned. "Oh hello Marinette!"

Ah, now she knew who he was. "Hi Jon!" Marinette waved to the bespectacled boy.

"Tt. Kent, why are you here?" Damian grumbled to the boy next to him.

"I just wanted to know where my best friend was, now I know he's here in the library." Jonathon replied, unfazed by the half-hearted glare his best friend was sending him. "So Marinette, how are you? And where are you?"

"Oh I'm good thanks and I'm in my room." Marinette answered.

"Really?"

"Yep, you both get a wonderful view of-" Marinette turned and moved back in her desk chair. "-pink. Anyway, how are you both doing?" Jon chuckled.

"I'm good." The boy answered.

"Fine." Damian replied.

"Yep, we're having lunch right now." Jon pulled out a bottle of water and drank from it.

"Oh cool, and Damian," Marinette held up a small gift box. "I'll get you back for this."

Damian chuckled and Jon looked at him in slight shock, "How'd you do that?" Jon asked Marinette.

"So what have you been up to today?" Damian playfully rolled his eyes at his self-proclaimed best friend.

"My parents came back from their trip yesterday, so I've been helping them in the bakery here and there. School was relatively normal and I didn't even hear a single peep from le menteur today."

"...le menteur?" Jon asked, clearly confused since he didn't have much knowledge of the French language.

"The liar", Damian translated, Jon made an 'o' shape with his mouth.

"Yeah, she's manipulative, a compulsive liar, and a bit of a bully, but other than that, she's relatively harmless. Anyway, after school Chloe took Adrien and I to the ice rink, it was fun." Marinette quickly changed the subject. "Say, Jon, what do you like to do in the free time? I only really know your name."

"Oh well I don't really do much," Jon rubbed the back of his neck, chuckling nervously. Marinette had to stop herself from raising an eyebrow, Damian didn't though. "Sometimes I help my parents out with their work and stuff, hang out with Damian and... well that's just about it really. What about you?"

Marinette hummed. "I usually help out in the bakery, hang out with my friends, and I also... Comment s'appelle en anglais?" Marinette asked Damian, she bit her lip as she tried to think of the word. "La couture?"

"...sewing?", Damian's small voice brought her attention back to her phone screen. He himself was deliberately looking away from the screen while Jon looked smug. She looked quite confused.

"Oh right, sewing. Yeah, I find it fun. Anything interesting happen, Dami?" Marinette was further confused as the smug look Jon sent his best friend was now gone with something different.

Damian sighed. "At the beginning of lunch, this harlot came up and confessed her love for me in front of the entire lunchroom." The boy grumbled, looking majorly pissed. "Obviously, I rejected her."

"I'm sensing a 'but'." Marinette said, not in jealousy but in concern.

"But, she kept going with that silly confession of hers." Damian scowled at the memory. "What she did can be seen as harassment."

"But you're okay now right?", Marinette asked, a small smile appearing on her face.

"Toujours avec toi," Damian reassured the bluenette, her smile widened in response. Jon looked between the two confused.

"You two are leaving me in the dark right now. Also, why didn't you just tell that girl that you have a girlfriend?", a few moments of silence was enough to give the boy his answer. "Wait, you haven't told them yet?"

Damian sighed. "No I haven't, the more reason for you to keep your mouth shut about this. I doubt they'll be happy to learn about this through a different source."

"Noted." Jon said with a smile. Marinette saw that Damian was about to talk again, but the sound of a school bell came through. "Well that's us."

"We have to go now, Angel. Talk to you later"

"Yeah, I know. Bye Jon, talk to you later, Dami." She waved at her screen and watched as they both waved back before the screen disconnected. Coincidentally, her mother's voice came through from downstairs.

"Marinette, dinner's ready!"

"Coming Maman!", the bluenette answered, putting the gift box back in a safe place in her room. Giving the two kwamis in her room their respective foods, Marinette headed downstairs, a positive pep in her step.

•———•

Oh mon dieu - Oh my god

mon étoile - My star

le menteur - The liar

Comment s'appelle en anglais? - What is it called in English?

La couture - Sewing

Toujours avec toi - Always with you

———

Taglist:

@little-bluestar,@miracleofadisaster,@frieddonutsweets,@jjmjjktth@genderfluidmomadragon,@starlit-dreaming,@icerosecrystal,@lolieg,@kashlyn,@mochegato,@eggadoodle,@walkingthroughonautopilot,@toodaloo-kangaroo,@lady-bee-fechin,@weebjai1

#daminette #damian x marinette #marinette x damian #maribat #damianette #mlb x dc #ml x dc #maridami

59 notes · View notes

coepiteamare · 3 years

Text

nine thousand, seven hundred nineteen kilometers

pairing: yoongi x female!oc genre: mild angst, it’s not fluff but it’s not angst, thieves oc & yoongi warnings: mild angst, oc and yoongi are thieves (think ocean’s 8/11-13, pickpockets in this drabble), lapslock word count: 1.4k

summary: you find love somewhere in between los angeles and new york and lose your heart in between paris and tokyo. (alt. maybe he’s the compulsion you can’t seem to shake, the ache that doesn’t fade even nine thousand, seven hundred and nineteen kilometers away)

paris is much quieter than the places you’re used to, but it’s not a bad thing.

you like having coffees in cafes, settling in nooks, and drinking in the scenery spread outside the window. there’s a slight soreness in your arms from the aerial act last night that you remedy with macarons and the cafe cat that comes to sit in your lap, nuzzling its nose in your turtleneck. but the itch in your fingertips refuses to subside: a dull craving that refuses to be muffled no matter how many hobbies you pick up, how many characters you adapt and abandon, how many miles you put between yourself and los angeles.

maybe you should move to amsterdam, you think as you thank the cafe owner. you contemplate luxembourg as you give the cat one last pet and leave behind a half eaten croissant. dubai is also pretty, you tell yourself as you bump into a youngman in a peacoat. hand into his pocket. you fall over, gripping on to his sleeve, as he reaches out to stabilize you. his prada wallet in your bag. you flash him a shy smile that could make the eiffel tower crumble. his watch on your wrist. you giggle an apology--i’m so sorry, i was distracted, i should have been paying more attention--and vanish into the crowd in a haze of vanilla and rose with his gucci tie clip in the pocket of your trench coat.

old habits die hard.

maybe it’s not a habit you’re trying to get rid of, something whispers in the back of your head, or maybe you’re not trying at all. shut up, you whisper back.

you close the door quickly when you enter your flat, letting the fall chill know it’s an unwelcome guest before it can settle in.

the apartment you live in is small, a little out of the way from central paris, but you like the trimmings on the cabinets and the colours of the wall. it feels lived in, less sterile than white walls, and it feels like what a home should feel like. there’s scratches on the countertop and smudges of the lives of tenants before you, and, really, you could do a lot better with the money from tokyo, but it was the first place that didn’t hiss at your insecurities in the sound of his voice. all the other ones you had seen had reminded you of him--walls painted with his laughter, banisters lined with the snap of his gloves, floors tiled in his stupid, ostentatious spending habits--and you had almost given up on paris, almost decided to live in the cheap motel with shitty coffee and questionable door locks because the first hotel you checked into had him written all over it (as did the next one and the next one and the next) until you found this apartment, cozy and in need of upkeep. i’m yours, it seemed to say; better yet, it said nothing at all. yours (whatever that meant).

“you should get better locks,” his voice rings, and you drop your purse, items clattering to the floor.

he looks just as you remember him: soft, wispy bangs against pale skin, dark eyes taking in more information than you could ever know, jaw and mouth sharp like he’d bite if you made the wrong move. the way the sun gently brushes him with a soft golden glow makes you wonder if he’s somehow conned the sun into working for him. (he’s always had a flair for dramatics, even if he claims there’s no room for theatrics in his plans.) you wrench your gaze away from him, your ribcage suddenly two sizes too tight for the thudding contraption it holds inside.

“have you ever thought locks were meant to keep people out, yoongi? that maybe people have locks to try and keep whatever’s inside them safe?” you pick up the items off the floor, carefully placing them back into your purse, trying to keep your voice steadier than your hands.

“i have a proposition for you,” he says, without missing a beat, like nothing happened in tokyo.

“would you have sought me out if you didn’t?” you mutter under your breath. you don’t like the bitterness that spreads through your mouth, the hurt that lingers like a bad aftertaste. “i’m retired,” you lean against the wall. you wonder if the scuff marks on the floor have been there a while. you try to look everywhere but him, but your training kicks in and you’re hypersensitive to everything he does: the way his shoulders are loose but his eyes are constantly moving, the way he still holds the tea cup like he did the first time he took you to a cafe 3 minutes after he met you, the way his left hand is still, unnatural, like he wants to drum them against the table or pick a lock, have something to do.

he hums and sips the tea in front of him. “i would have been a little quicker with the wallet,” your head turns to him in shock, “but other than that, it was a pretty solid job.” of course he was watching. there was nothing yoongi missed, from the stutter in your heartbeat to the thrum of your fingers against the wall. he drops his smile and his gaze bores into yours, but you feel the smug satisfaction smothering you like his cologne that still permeates your dreams, six months later and six thousand miles away.

“awareness of surroundings has gotten sloppy though.”

“fuck you.”

his shoulders shake as he laughs, breath catching with every inhale. it takes him a minute to collect himself, but the smile doesn’t fall. “the crew misses you.”

“more like you couldn’t find another acrobat,” you scoff. everything about this is painfully familiar: the sharp rapport, the sparks, him. it’s too easy to settle back into habit, even if you’ve been burnt before. it feels like diving back under the covers, body aching to crawl back to what it knows. the words slide out of your mouth before you have a chance to think about them, bitter and acrid. “were you even trying?”

“were you even trying? it’s like you wanted to get caught” he had scoffed, mouth acidic even at your tear stained face. “this isn’t a fucking performance you get to put on night after night. there is no safety net waiting to catch you. that-” he gestures at the wind, at the depository miles away from you, “whatever that was almost cost us this job.”

“i’ve missed you.” he smiles, and just like that, you hear the faint click, his words cracking the pin code on your ribcage and unlocking the heart you’ve tried so desperately to cage. you should have known better: there’s never been a lock yoongi couldn’t pick, a safe he couldn’t find his way into. nothing has been able to keep him out: not the gallery treasury in newport beach with its earthquake proof alarm system, not the cartier vault in new york city with its impressive randomized laser grid, and certainly not the flimsy, fickle alarm system of your heartbeat.

“how did you find me?” your voice is too soft, muddled under memories buried six feet under.

“have you ever seen me fail to get what i want?” he makes his way to you and doesn’t stop until you’re pressed against the wall, the tips of his shoes against yours. sandalwood tickles your throat as you take a breath. his nose brushes against yours, pink lips mere centimeters away.

“i meant what i said, your awareness of your surroundings needs work.” his breath fogs your clarity. “besides, if they wanted to keep things safe, maybe they should try a bit harder. i’m just here to prove that all things can be found.” he taps a finger against your nose lightly, mouth stretching into a smile before he makes his way towards the door with his hands in his pocket. he doesn’t turn back to look at you. “you know how to find me.”

you stand there, dazed, until the faint tap, tap, tap of the rain against your windowpane breaks the fog, sun submerged in velvet darkness.

maybe he’s just as potent as a habit, just as hard to kill.

you find a plane ticket to los angeles in your backpocket, a burner phone in your coat pocket. your safe door is wide open, contents untouched, with a post it note on top.

it’s like you’re not even trying. p.s. did you miss me?

A/N: a BIG thank you to hana @taestybae for reading this and telling me she loved it. i absolutely adore you.

i’m going to work to expand on the universe (hopefully) and introduce the rest of the crew because words cannot describe how much i love this universe and these characters.

#yoongi x oc #yoongi x reader #yoongi fic #yoongi imagine #bts fic #bts imagines #bts scenarios #yoongi scenarios #btswritingcafe #thebtswritersclub #heartsforbts #bangtanuniversity #violet dreams of violet gardens

152 notes · View notes

rabbithub · 3 years

Text

Haunted Painting!AU: Day 2

(*collapses from writing* Another one. Madness.)

You look at the painting, the subject within looking at you with quiet annoyance. "All this fruit... It's all I've been getting as of late." He scoffed.

"It's... healthy, right?" You answer, trying to sound positive. You were given a somewhat annoyed look in return.

"It's the same color and taste." The subject hisses, glaring. "It's become monotonous."

You quickly get the point. Within moments, you start to look for references to use. You see the same apple and sketch it again; somehow the pages you sketched on became blank. You look around and see another door. Curious, you open it to see another room.

It reminds you of a kitchen- save for the fact there was a tree growing in the corner of it. 'Of course, this place is designed to make no absolute sense.' you muse, noticing the plate in the tree branches. You sketched the plate before looking at the table. A plain white macaron sits on the table. 'It looks appetizing.' you note, sketching it in. 'I'll leave it be for now, but I'll ask if I could have it once I finish this motif.'

Your phone buzzes. "Let me guess, boys and girls." You ask deadpan, checking your phone. "Our devilish model didn't want apples."

[Sculptor][Day 2]

'Today is quite wonderful. He and I understand each other quite well, and we could spend countless days here.'

'Oh, my dear boy? Did you want something to eat?'

'I may be a humble sculptor, but I do remember you love apples. I'll paint a bright red one, just for'

'oh'

'I understand! Have mercy, my dear boy! I'll display you in a fine gallery! I'm sorr'

[Collector][Day 2]

'You had a apple yesterday, you brat! Why do you not want to eat one toda'

[Researcher][Day 2]

'Listen to his words carefully. It's subtle, but he's giving you clues. He is very wary of the same color. Look at the fruits in the bowl, then eliminate the colors from your choice in painting.'

[Buyer][Day 2]

'I get it- but give me a hint! I'm a buyer, not a artist! Try not to judge a book by its cover, tough guy!'

You nod in disappointment. As you walk back, you rack your head a little, remembering the fruits you saw in the bowl. 'Apples can be green, yellow or red. Pineapples are yellow and green. Bananas are yellow, and melons are green inside and out.' You figure it out. 'So I can't paint in those colors. He also doesn't want any fruit. So-'

You're forcefully pulled in the direction of the painting again, the subject looking annoyed. "Are you done daydreaming?" He growls, impatient.

"I was thinking about what you said." You reply, keeping your tone even as you step up to the worktable. You pluck up your brush, your soul alighting the very tip, then approach the canvas. Skillfully, you paint a yellow plate on the table.

"An empty plate?" The painting's subject quips. "This must be a joke."

You bite back a few insults, and quickly painted a pair of macarons on the plate, both blue and purple respectively. The subject looks at them macarons for a moment before speaking again. "...while I question your taste in colors, at the very least it's different." The way different was said had a different tone than what you were used to him speaking, like curiosity instead of anger.

You step away from the canvas as your captor focuses on the macarons, seeing if there was more to this confusing limbo. You notice more confusing architecture, among them, statues of angels and trees. You decide to sketch them in, only to discover to your horror, the sketches you made moments were slowly disappearing; fading away as if someone rolled a kneaded eraser over them again and again until nothing was left. 'So this place won't allow me to cheat in any way.' you muse. 'I have to start from scratch daily.'

You look at the painting, seeing the plate of macarons had vanished. You notice the boy's dress shirt was a striking indigo color now. "Bene." He says calmly, a pleased smile on his face. "It was very satisfactory. I supposed the color had nothing to do with the quality."

You nod, relieved. You survived this day, but...

"It's raining tonight."

Raining? "How can you tell?" You ask.

The subject doesn't answer the question. "It's getting late. Cover me and retire to your room." He says, his tone blunt. You pick up the cover and drape it over the painting; as your ear is close to the canvas, you hear the boy whisper something.

"Do not think for a moment that I didn't catch your little nickname for me last night. I'm not one to forget petty little slights like that."

Frightened, you say nothing in response and do everything in your power to not bolt into your room- not that there was anywhere else you could go. Once inside, you slumped onto the bed. Your phone buzzes.

[Buyer][Day 2]

'Barely made it by the skin of my teeth. Honestly, now I'm seeing why it was sent back to me... But hey! It was just business! Not my fault I didn't know the damn thing was cursed!'

[Researcher][Day 1]

'I woke up to this place, which resembles a dark art studio. At first, I was puzzled- I was in my study just moments ago. Then I heard his voice.'

' "I wonder if you can paint me." '

'My laptop is unable to connect to the internet here. However, I am able to receive messages from another victims. The previous owner before me owned a gallery, so the note must be from him as well.'

'This space archives the memories of its victims, and fellow prisoners are able to access them. I have my research of the painting as well, thankfully. So long as I have these notes, and listen to the demands of the painting, I should be alright. Perhaps I can solve the mystery of "The Noble with the Black Rose"...'

'The Noble with the Black Rose'? You lie down to rest, tired.

"She's actually starting to improve."

Your eyes light up. "Great! How long will the treatment take to complete!" Your answer excitedly, carefully holding the box of sweets.

"In about four or five days." The nurse answers. "You sound relieved."

"Yeah, she scared us when she first collapsed." You explain. "I'm glad to hear it."

Out of the corner of your eyes, you see someone leaving your sister's hospital room; a chill runs over your spine. It looked like...

"Is something the matter, dear?"

"...n-nothing. It's nothing..."

You wake up to the sound of rain, and a cat on the table.

"Huh." You say, heading to the door. You look back and notice the cat was gone. You open the door, then walk into the studio.

At least it wasn't in mid air this time.

You hear soft, tired breathing under the cover of the painting. "The devil is still asleep." You whisper softly. You hear a door open, and turn your head to the direction of the noise; the cat was standing in front of one of the door.

You were unceremoniously turned back to the painting, the canvas uncovered; the scenery of the painting with the subject sitting in the frontmost corner with hands outstretched. "Good morning. I see you're awake early this time."

"Fuck you, Diavolo." You mutter. You see the boy smirk defiantly, almost as if acknowledging the name. If the cat you were seeing meant anything, then you had a feeling that an animal was this day's motif...

#jjba diavolo #jjba #Diavolo #matsuro palette #death palette #crossover #haunted painting!au

19 notes · View notes

jaesqueso · 3 years

Text

The Bachelorette: NCT edition - Ep. 6

The season of love is finally here! An interactive series where you’ll get to choose who goes home each week and ultimately who Y/N chooses in the end!

pairing: nct(ot23) x fem!reader

summary: The competition gets tighter and someone decides to take things their own way for a greater good

episode guide

word count: 6,184

warnings: mentions of alcohol (all responsible!)

☽ ・・・・・ ☾

Last week on the Bachelorette:

Y/N confronts the bachelors with a warning she received but they all seemed oblivious, could it be a lie after all or is someone hiding something?

Despite the doubts, they keep working on their relationships with the bachelorette in hopes to prove they’re the right man for her..

7 guys are still on the love race but after tonight only 5 will keep running.

Who will she choose? Who will she reject? And will someone reject her?

Find out on the Bachelorette!

“Hello guys!” The boys gather around as Chris enters the guest house. “So, there were a lot of emotions when we last saw each other and I hope you really think about the reasons that brought you to this competition and if they match Y/N’s expectations.”

Tension builds up in the air as they recall the last ceremony.

“This week we will get back to having two one-on-one dates and one group date.”

The guys breathe in relief as this will decrease the chances of being eliminated ahead of the end of the week.

“As you know, if you don’t receive a rose by the end of the individual dates you will be sent home and the group date brings another chance to win a rose in advance. As always, good luck to you all and see you in a few days!”

A siren is heard when Chris leaves the room announcing the message for the first date.

How is it that some of you still didn’t get a chance to go on a one-on-one with me? Something sounds fishy…

Taeyong and Johnny exchange a look, they’re the only two in this situation, apart from Renjun that actually went on a two-on-one date. Who could it be?

I think it’s time we sea how good of a match we are, don’t you agree, Taeyong?

The boy’s eyes sparkle finally getting his chance to show you how much he wants to be here. Johnny looks a bit disappointed but nevertheless joins the others as they congratulate the lucky one.

“Oh man, I think my heart will explode.” Taeyong cries out in excitement.

“Hey, not before the date!” Yuta pats his back laughing.

“Otherwise I might take your place.” Johnny wiggles his eyebrows.

“Hell no, nobody will take this away from me, I waited for too long!”

Everybody laughs as Taeyong happily skips around the room.

The first one to get an individual date this week looks like a kid on his birthday when he gets out of the guest house to enter the car that’s waiting for him. A big smile refuses to leave his face the whole ride and it only grows when he sees you standing in front of an oceanarium.

“Hey pretty boy.” You happily great him.

“Hi Y/N.” He approaches you shyly at the pet name.

“Oh look, we’re matching!” You point at your same color shirts and sneakers.

“Looking like a real couple already!” Confidence builds up inside Taeyong.

“I know!” You giggle. “Well, in case you didn’t get it from my message, we’ll be looking at some sea creatures today. Are you as excited as I am?”

“Maybe even more.” He winks.

“That’s great! Shall we go in?”

He nods extending his arm for you to take, which you happily do as you two enter the building.

You two are amazed with the beautiful setting with low blue lights that makes you feel like you’re really underwater. As you walk through the rooms you observe all the different fish and they’re beautiful colors. Taeyong amazes you with his knowledge about the sea life telling you all sorts of random facts about the different species.

You get into a room where you see a huge shark swimming away from the glass. You take a step forward trying to get a closer look but the animal suddenly decides to take a turn next to where you’re standing and you squeal turning around hiding your face on Taeyong’s chest.

“Hey, it’s ok.” He lightly chuckles rubbing your back to calm you down feeling your body slightly shake.

“It startled me…” You murmur into his chest taking a deep breath in his embrace.

“It’s not coming anywhere near you, I’ll protect you.”

You look up and admire his beautiful features that are only enhanced in the dim lights. His gaze lowers to your face smiling and you feel like you are safe with him, as stupid as that may sound considering you were not in actual danger.

Moving on, you two stop at a corridor where the tank goes over your heads giving you the illusion the fish are swimming around you. There’s a bench in the middle so you decide to sit down for a bit. You take a seat opposite to him, your backs together and lean your head on his shoulder admiring the animals casually swimming above you. Taeyong follows your lead resting his head besides yours. Anyone passing by the two of you would mistake you for a real couple. Submersed in this mystical environment, your date starts asking you deep things wanting to know your hopes and dreams, your biggest fears, what keeps you up at night. You gladly reply enjoying how you’re getting to know each other at a deeper level than you ever expected.

After a while, you both get up to see the rest of the rooms, arms interlocked again. You’re really enjoying his company and you feel bad you haven’t decided to take in on a date sooner. As less and less guys remain in the competition sometimes it’s easier to work on the connections you already established with some of them and sadly end up neglecting the others. But you’re glad to have taken this chance today.

Back in the guest house, things get heated once again.

“Is no one seriously going to admit anything?” Jaehyun asks the group as the topic from last week is still in the air.

“I thought we had dropped this already.” Renjun rolls his eyes.

“I bet it’s you.” Yuta addresses him. “Just admit it!”

“Look dude I’ve got nothing to admit, stay in your lane.” Renjun spits back.

“All I’m saying is,” Jaehyun steps in again, “if I go home and find out a cheater gets to stay I will be pissed.”

“Same.” Yuta agrees.

Jaemin and Jeno simply nod at the statements actively listening to the conversation while Johnny silently stands on his corner lost on his thoughts.

The awaited siren is then heard and they all gather around the TV in the living room.

I may seem like a practical woman but sometimes if feels good to be treated like a princess. Now who’ll be my prince?

Curious looks replace the tense faces around the room.

Unfortunately one of you won’t be in the race for the throne but don’t worry, that means you already passed the competition and we’ll have our time in two days.

They lean forward, excited to know who will be going on the date tomorrow and who’ll be the second lucky man this week.

Yuta | Jaehyun | Renjun | Jeno | Jaemin

See you tomorrow!

“You go Johnny!” Jaehyun cheers.

“Thanks man.” Johnny says as Renjun quietly leaves the room.

“Guess everybody will have had an one-on-one date by the end of this week right?” Jeno quickly does the math.

“Well, Renjun had a two-on-one…” Jaemin states.

“But he was able to survive that date so it’s kinda like it right?” Jeno looks around the other boys who kind of nod unsure on what Renjun is feeling right now.

After a lovely time at the oceanarium, you and Taeyong decide to go grab some food at a restaurant with river view.

“I gotta say, Taeyong, you’re really impressing me today.” You mention as your drink arrive.

“Did you hold your expectations about me that low?” He playfully pouts.

“No!” You quickly reassure him. “I just didn’t foresee the deep conversations we had today.”

“I’m sorry if it got a bit intense.” He scratches the back of his head.

“Not at all, it feels good to talk like that once in a while.” You smile.

“Let’s toast then.” He raises his glass and you follow. “To deep talks under the sea and may I always protect you from vicious sharks coming your way.”

He winks and you bot chuckle, clinking your glasses. The dinner conversation is lighter, discussing hobbies and other interests.

When you first met him he looked so intimidating but as time goes by and you get to know him better you can now see he’s a sweet and kind guy, very caring and also funny without even realising. He really could be the man for you but could this be too late? Could you heart already be taken by someone else in this competition? You shake those thoughts out of your head to focus on this moment.

“How about we go for a walk?” You propose as you wrap up the meal.

“Sounds lovely.” He agrees and you two get up and leave the restaurant.

It’s a good summer night with a light breeze good enough to tame the temperature. You walk around the streets admiring the city lights and enjoying each others company.

“I’m really grateful you choose me for this date today.” Taeyong stops in the city square and takes your hand caressing the back with his thumb. “I’m having a great time, I hope you are too.”

“I really am.” You smile. “I feel like I have to apologise for not doing this sooner.”

“Please, better late than never!” He chuckles.

“Ok, can you close your eyes?” You excitedly ask.

“Wait, why?” He’s confused with your question.

“Please?” You put on the best puppy eyes you can.

“How can I say no to you?” He melts at your expression and shuts his eyelids. “Ok, now what?”

Besides the background noise of cars passing and people walking, there’s only silence. Taeyong really wants to open his eyes and see what you’re up to but he resists the thought.

“You can open them now.” He finally hears your voice.

The first thing he sees is a pink box in your hands with the word ‘Macaron’ on the top in gold. He looks at you in surprise.

“You mentioned you like the strawberry ones and there’s a stand right there.” You point behind you and he’s amazed by your gesture. “C’mon, open it up!”

He chuckles and opens the box. Delicious pink macarons ready for him to eat but… Wait. The middle one is not a macaron. That’s… He widens his eyes and looks back at you to see you smiling proudly as you were able to really surprise him.

“So? Do you accept it?”

“I-” Taeyong clears his throat. “Of course I do.”

You finally take the rose from the box and pin it to his shirt.

“Oh my god, this is amazing, thank you Y/N.” He pulls you for a tight hug with his free hand as the other still holds the box.

“I’m glad you liked it.” You giggle.

On the ride back you happily share the macarons, talking and laughing. Taeyong doesn’t even try to hide his excitement with a rose on his chest and you are very happy you gave it to him and hold him in for another week.

The next day the boys get on their ride to meet you leaving Johnny and Taeyong in the guest house. On the way they try to decipher your message and get very excited once their dropped off at the beach. They walk around the shore until they spot you in a less busy area.

“Over here guys!” You wave your hand in the air.

They walk towards you and you can tell their curious about the five marked areas in the sand behind you.

“Oh these?” You ask. “I thought we could have a little competition today, what do you think?”

Cheers are heard and you can clearly see the excitement in their faces.

“Like I said in my message, sometimes I like to feel like a princess and what kind of royalty doesn’t have a castle? That’s right, today each of you will build me a sand castle!”

The guys look surprised but not less enthusiastic.

“Then I will judge your creations and choose a winner. I will be looking at your creativity and the size and beauty of your castles so do your best to impress me!”

“What does the winner get?” Renjun asks.

“Do you see that platform over there?”

You point to the sea where a wooden trail leads to a romantic setting with an outdoor couch, a structure with white fabrics draped over it and a small table holding two glasses and a champagne bottle inside an ice bucket.

“My prince will have the opportunity to watch the sunset with me right there.”

The boys looked impressed and motivated to start building their castle.

“Alright, you can each pick a spot. There are a few beach utensils you can use but you can always walk around for any more props.”

Taking their space, they await for you to give them the go ahead.

“While you do that I will be over here ‘supervising’.” You wink taking off your dress and laying down on a sun lounger wearing only a bikini.

The guys carefully watch you, jaws dropping. How are they supposed to work when you’re laying there half naked distracting them?

“Oh, you can start now.” You smirk and they forcefully break their gaze to focus on the task in hands.

From time to time you look at them to see the process. They first work on the structure of the castles, making towers and even several floors. Once that is done they walk around the beach collecting sea shells, seaweed and even… water? You’re definitely intrigued on the final results but try not to spy on them too much not to give yourself spoilers.

After some time Renjun walks over to you sitting down in the sand beside you.

“Hey beautiful.” You look at him in surprise.

“You finished already?” You ask him as you still see the others busy with their creations.

“I work fast.” He casually replies. “And while the sloths over there finish up I thought I’d keep you some company.”

“Well, alright then.”

You two talk for a while without even noticing you’re being watched.

“What is he doing over there?” Jeno questions.

“I don’t know, do you think he finished already?” Jaemin says.

They all glance over at his station and raise their eyebrows?

“He thinks he’s gonna win with that? Good luck!” Yuta laughs.

“What a greedy idiot.” Jaehyun chuckles shaking his head as they all return to their projects.

Half an hour later everybody is ready to be judged and they all stand proudly next to their stations. The first one up is Yuta. There are several towers with different heights, a big gate in the front and the whole thing is decorated with seaweed strategically placed as stripes on the walls.

“Nice one, Yuta, I love the paint job!” He smiles widely at your compliment.

Next one up is Jaehyun. Design wise it’s more simple than the previous one but not less beautiful, there are even flags at the top of some towers and sea shells decorate the outer wall that surrounds the castle.

“Great job, Jaehyun, this looks amazing!” Another bright smile.

Moving on to Jeno you are amazed at how he separated the castle into two sections with a bridge connecting them. Broken sea shells embellish the windows all over the structure making it all look so magical.

“Wow! So beautiful, Jeno!” His eyes squint into his beautiful eye smile.

After him there’s Jaemin’s creation. Now this is a proper princess castle! Structure wise it’s not very complicated but he managed to make a river around the property with actual water there and a bridge that give access to the gates to enter the castle. In terms of decoration it looks like he used everything he could find but you’d be lying if you said it doesn’t look good.

“How did you manage to do all this, Jaemin?” Your jaw almost drops.

“What can I say? I was inspired.” He winks and you gently push his shoulder.

Finally you arrive to next station that belongs to Renjun and… There’s barely anything there. Two towers and a main section in the middle with maybe two stories if you squint. Little to none decoration. It looks rushed and unfinished but you kind of guessed that would happen with how fast he was sitting by your side.

“It’s… Something! But is it really finished?” You question him.

“You know what? I looked around and everybody was doing something amazing and I thought I could never beat them so I decide to just do something quick and enjoy some time alone with you.”

“Well, that’s kind of disappointing, I like someone who fights for what he wants and you might have lost a good chance here.”

Before he can even reply your already announcing the winner.

“And the best castle of today is…” the guys make a drum roll with their hands on their legs. “Jaemin!”

While the others groan in defeat Jaemin jumps in the air unfortunately making his bridge collapse. He gasps and turns to you.

“I still win, right?” He worriedly asks and you pretend to think about it.

“Of course, we’ll get it fixed. Now c’mon my prince, let’s enjoy some champagne. Bye guys!”

You extend your arm and he happily takes it as you wave the others goodbye and walk towards the platform.

Back in the guest house Johnny and Taeyong sit outside enjoying the sun.

“How was that first one-on-one date?” Johnny asks.

“Oh it was incredible, she’s the sweetest girl I swear.” Taeyong is still high on your date.

“Aren’t you scared of arriving too late into her heart?” Johnny questions.

“Too late? What do you mean?” Taeyong is a bit confused.

“I mean, she went on dates with all the others long ago and she clearly has built some connections with them. Don’t you think maybe because you’re only getting closer to her now you won’t be able to surpass the other guys?”

“I didn’t think about things that way…” Taeyong looks up at the sky. “But honestly you shouldn’t either. It’s thoughts like those that get you sent home. And look at me, I still got a rose!”

“Yeah, maybe you’re right…” Johnny looks up at the sky too.

“Look, just enjoy whatever is planned for tomorrow and forget those thoughts ok?” Taeyong tries to comfort him.

“I guess you’re right…”

Soon noises are heard from the front door making the two get inside and join the ones returning from the group date.

“Alright, who’s missing?” Taeyong analyses the crowd. “Oh man, Jaemin?”

“Yup.” Yuta nods.

“What did you guys do though?” Johnny asks but the siren announces a new message for him.

“I’ll tell you later, let’s check this out.” Jaehyun holds Johnny’s shoulders guiding him to the front of the TV.

Hey Johnny! I hope you’re enjoying the calmness around the house today because tomorrow we’re getting wet!

The boys widen their eyes. There you again making them anxious with your suggestive messages.

Don’t worry too much about the clothing and I promise it will be flippin amazing.

“You guys getting naked?” Taeyong almost shouts.

“Don’t be silly, of course not.” Jeno shakes his head.

“Or are we?” Johnny wiggles his eyebrows earning himself all the pillows in the living room thrown at his face.

Jaemin kindly fills up the two glasses and you get comfortable in the couch. He pulls you closer to his body wrapping his arm around your shoulders as the sun slowly goes down.

“I missed this.” He says.

“Missed what exactly?” You smirk.

“Just being alone with you, not worried if anyone is going to pop up and interrupt us.”

You snuggle closer to him trying to hide your embarrassed face. Jaemin really has a way of leaving you flustered out of nowhere like this. You stay in silence for a bit but then you decide to clarify something that’s been in your head for quite some time.

“Can I ask you something?”

“Of course, you can ask me anything.” He pets your hair.

“Do you remember when we were talking in that cocktail party after I sent Shotaro home?”

“Yes, I remember.” He recalls every single moment he spent with you.

“On that day, why didn’t you kiss me?”

His hand on your hair stops and you hear him gulp.

“You were fragile, Y/N. You were crying in my arms and pouring your heart out. My job in that moment was to hear you and comfort you. I didn’t want you to feel like I was taking advantage of you.”

You take a deep breath and smile. He really is a caring person.

“But I would be lying if I said I didn’t want to do it.” He continues and you look up at him. “It just wasn’t the right time.”

“Thank you Jaemin.” You lift your hand and caress his cheek. “I can’t wait for the right time to arrive.”

“Me neither.”

You stare at each other for a few seconds before you both start to lean in closing the distance and making your lips come together at last. Jaemin takes his time kissing you, savouring every second as it was the last time he’d be tasting you like this. You melt into his mouth feeling your heart beat faster even if time seems to have come to a stop for this very moment.

When you finally part, he grabs a blanket and lays it over the two of you as you cuddle watching the beautiful sunset that is almost reaching its end. With smiles plastered on your faces you lay in the most comfortable silence listening to the waves and the sound of your hearts that beat in sync, body and soul together as one.

Before you two head back you take the rose that was laying on the table since the beginning and he seemed to miss.

“Do you accept this rose, Jaemin?”

“Every single time you ask me.” You giggle and pin the rose to his shirt.

He thanks you by pulling you into another romantic kiss as the now dark sky and moonlight shine upon you. This was really the right time, definitely a moment you’ll never forget, but so are all moments with Jaemin.

The following day, Johnny leaves the guest house with a smile on his face ready to spend some alone time with you. He enters the car and is taken out of town to a marine aquatic park where you are waiting for him in a floral skirt and a plain top.

“Hi Johnny.” You happily greet him.

“Hey!” He excitedly walks to you.

“Question: do you like dolphins?”

“Oh dolphins are the cutest! Right after you of course.” He winks and you giggle.

“Well, should we combine those cute things?”

“Really? I might die from the cuteness overload.” He takes a hand to his heart making a painful face.

“Lucky for you I have first aid training!” You both laugh and enter the building.

You go to the locker rooms to get change into some wetsuits and meet again in front of a big pool where two dolphins swim around. You take your time subtly admiring how the tight clothing wraps around Johnny’s fit body, he definitely has a great built. What you don’t know is that he is doing the exact same thing, his eyes following your every curve.

An instructs arrives, interrupting your gazes, and introduces himself. He explains what you can and can’t do to make the best of this experience.

You two enter the water and the dolphins swim to you. You get scare at first and get closer to Johnny that takes advantage of the situation to wrap his arm around your shoulders. Giggling you start playing with the animals.

The instructor helps you making the dolphins do tricks in the water, jump around and even giving you kisses. This is really a one of a kind experience and you’re glad you’re sharing it with Johnny. He’s all smiles and looks really happy.

After a while the animals do a final set of tricks saying goodbye and you two clap.

“Thank you so much, this was amazing!” Johnny tells the instructor.

“Yes it was really incredible, thank you!” You add as Johnny helps you out of the pool.

You two walk back to the locker rooms, changing into your regular clothes so you can go get some dinner.

You go to a restaurant in the hills with a great view of the city. As the drink arrive you make a toast to a great day you two spent together.

“Had you ever played with dolphins before?” You ask Johnny as the food arrives.

“Never, but it was so cool!” The excitement is still on his voice as he recalls the experience.

“I know right? I’ve been wanting to do this forever but with work and volunteering it’s like I never have the time to do fun things like this.” You say with some sadness on your voice.

“At least you’re making the most out of this experience.” He smiles. “Not only you try to find love but also have the opportunity to make up for lost time on your daily life.”

“You’re absolutely right. You know, I always tend to put other people first and that sometimes makes me feel like I’m losing myself a little bit. This experience made me enjoy having fun for me again and I’m really thankful all of you are by my side in this journey.”

“You only live once, Y/N. You gotta make every second count.”

The conversation runs smoothly throughout the rest of the evening and you really enjoy Johnny’s company, he would be a great man to keep by your side for a long time.

The meal ends and before you leave you decide you want to keep him around another week so you reach on your purse to grab the rose you were saving for tonight.

“Wait.” Johnny holds out his hand as you were about to rise the rose in his direction and you freeze. “You shouldn’t do that.”

“W-What do you mean?” You stutter confused with his statement.

“Look, I…” He sighs. “I really like you, I think I’ve shown you that. But… I see you with the others and I know that some of them already hold a piece of your heart. As for us, I think we have a beautiful friendship embezzled with some old fashion flirting.”

You let out a sad chuckle as it seems like he’s saying goodbye.

“I don’t know if we’ll ever grow into that special connection you are looking for.” He continues. “But I strongly believe you already found it in someone else, you just haven’t realised it yet.”

You furrow your brows, how can he be so certain when everything is a mess in your head and your heart.

“If you give me a rose tonight that will only make things harder for you at the ceremony and I want to leave knowing I made things easier for you.” He covers the rose still in your hand with his. “Save this and give it to the person you’d regret sending home tomorrow.”

“Johnny, I-” You start saying but he interrupts you.

“It’s ok. There’s no hard feelings, for real.” He genuinely smiles. “I feel like I’d fall in love with you soon and maybe it’s better if I don’t.”

“Are you sure you want to leave?” You ask with tears in your eyes.

“I’d rather do this now before I get hurt.” A tear falls down your cheek and he softly wipes it off. “Please don’t cry. I’ll thank me for this one day.”

“I can’t make you stay if you want to go. But I appreciate your honesty.” You manage to say feeling more emotions than you want to in this moment.

You two exit the restaurant and his ride already awaits him. Johnny gives you a tight hug and before he leaves he gives you a final message.

“Oh, about that ‘someone has a girlfriend back home’ situation, don’t worry about it ok?”

Before you have a chance to reply he enters the vehicle and leaves. As the car disappears down the street his last words linger in your head. Why did he tell you not to worry about it? Is it him the one with the girlfriend? Could it be that you already sent that person home? Or was it all a lie after all? You don’t really know but you trust that if he said this he wouldn’t be lying.

You join the bachelors is the cocktail party in hopes to talk to all of them, specially the ones who didn’t get a change to due to the group date.

The first one to call for a minute of your attention is Jeno. After last week’s time with him on the boat got cut short and no cocktail party, he takes this opportunity to catch up with you.

“We should just get back on that boat for a do over.” He smiles.

“That actually sounds pretty nice but I’d rather we do something different next time.” You smile back.

“Next time? I already got you thinking about that? I like where this is going.” He winks and you giggle.

You really love these alone moments with Jeno when he lets himself loose and his not afraid or shy to show you every inch of his personality.

You talk and playfully flirt for a little while before you decide to go outside where you find Jaehyun. He looks more than happy to see you making sure he stands close as you two talk. This man is always a flirt and you cannot stop melting at those adorable dimples.

You think about the end of your last date when you came back to give him a little peck and he seems to recall it too by the way he occasionally glances at your lips gently licking his own.

When you two step back inside you notice Yuta make is way towards you. But in the corner of your eye you see Renjun speeding your way looking at the other boy to make sure he gets to you first. And he does. But this time you stop him. You though these petty actions would be over when you sent Hendery home but perhaps you should’ve made a different choice.

“I was hoping I’d talk to you.” Renjun says.

“I’m sorry Renjun, I’m just going to talk to Yuta first, I’ll be right back ok?”

Before he could reply you linked arms with the other guy and pulled him over to a less crowed area.

As you’re now alone with Yuta you instantly forget about Renjun. It’s been a while since you actually sat down and talked to him so you take the opportunity to check on him and how he’s been feeling in this competition. He always seems like a confident guy, very sure of himself, but as you get closer to him you can start to see his true emotions in his eyes. As the competition gets tighter he too is scared of the possibility to be sent home, even if he feels a very good connection with you already.

After talking for a while and making sure he’s ok you keep your promise and approach Renjun. He doesn’t talk about what happened so neither do you, even though you’re still a little bothered. The conversation seems to be like all the others you had before. As he started to get boring or are you just fed up?

You mingle with the other boys too and before Chris calls you to the decision room, Jaemin pulls you to the side.

“I just wanted to ask how are you?” He asks with worry in his eyes. “I don’t know exactly what happened yesterday but he never came back so I assume he went home and I know how that affects you.”

You explain what went down but you don’t feel as bad anymore, you had time to think and you really appreciated what Johnny did for you. Besides your heart always gets warmer when Jaemin checks up on you. He knows you so well already and really cares about you, and honestly you feel the exact same way. Could Johnny be right? Has your heart made its choice but forgot to tell your brain?

“So, what’s going on inside your head tonight.?” Chris asks you int he decisions room.

“Total confusion as always.” You chuckle.

“You have 4 men downstairs waiting to know if you are interested in keeping them around a little longer. Do you have an idea of who you’re going to send home?”

“As much as it pains me I think I do. I really like all of them at this point so I gotta take in consideration every action, everything they said and everything they did since day one and weight in the pros and cons of each thing.”

“Johnny’s decision was hard for the both of you but before he left he told you not to worry about the big doubt that has been dominating the competition since Doyoung left. How do you feel regarding what he said?”

“If he told me not to worry I shouldn’t. Johnny had no reason to say that if it wasn’t the truth. And like he said, he wanted to leave knowing he would help me and I think that’s what he tried to do. I trust him.”

“It’s good to see you maintaining some friendships even when they leave. Well, I’ll leave you for a bit for you to finalise your decision and when you’re ready let me know.”

“Thank you, Chris.”

As he leaves the room you look at the pictures of the remaining guys. You take a deep breath, nodding as you made up your mind, the more you think about it the more you’ll second guess your decision and you don’t want that right now.

You walk downstairs with Chris joining the bachelors.

“Alright guys, Johnny decided not to accept the date rose yesterday and Taeyong and Jaemin already have theirs. Tonight there’s still 3 roses to be handed out meaning one of you will be going home.” Chris then turns to you. “Whenever you’re ready.”

As he leave the room you address the boys first.

“As you know this is getting harder and harder for me. Letting go of Johnny was hard but we talked and he left on good terms. I’m here to find the person to spend my life with and so I can’t keep you all here.”

You take the first rose.

“Jeno.”

He’s happy to be the first one called.

“Do you accept this rose?”

“Absolutely.” You smile as you pin it to his jacket. “Thank you.”

He walks back and you grab another one.

“Yuta.”

Proud to hear his name he steps forward in your direction.

“Do you accept this rose?”

“Of course I do.” You pin the rose. “Thank you.”

You take a deep breath as you hold the last rose.

“Jaehyun.”

You finally say and the bachelor sighs in relief.

“Do you accept this rose?”

“Yes!” He excitedly says as you pin it. “Thank you so much, Y/N.”

Chris re-enters the room.

“That means Renjun, it’s your time to go home. You can say your goodbyes.”

The eliminated man shakes his head in disbelief. The others come around but he just nods with an annoyed face. He’s about to leave the room without even looking at you but then steps back.

“Is this for real?” He abruptly asks and you don’t even know what to say. “I thought we were building something special.”

“Renjun, I’m sorry, but someone had to go.” You try to say but he simply scoffs and leaves.

The other bachelors, having watched the whole situation and seeing the devastated look on your face, are quick to come around and give you a group hug cheering you up. You smile but deep inside your heart tightens as you know that from the remaining five the goodbyes will only be worse.

In the next episode:

With only five bachelors left the rules switch up a little bit.

“This could be good or bad.”

“I think you’re making a big deal out of nothing.”

And someone will have to leave the competition.

“I didn’t think it would be this hard to go.”

“Should I just give up?”

“I’m so sorry…”

Stay tuned for next weeks episode premiering 25/07.

☽ ・・・・・ ☾

Episode 7

a/n: johnnyyyyyyyyyy T_T I apologise over how late I’m posting this but this week has been so hard… I promise to do better in the future! do give me some feedback please! ❤

quick thank you to everyone who keeps supporting this series, we’re half way through guys!

taglist: @skrtbabe @yutahoes @yokshi-unbeliebubble @nakamotonudes @n0hyuck @negincho @love-and-other-possibilities @readers-posts @sylviacxt @tyongf-sunflower99 @princessjunnie

If you’d like to be included in the taglist for the series do let me know ❤︎

#cznnet #nctcreations #kpopscape #the bachelorette nct edition #nct imagine #johnny imagine #taeyong imagine #yuta imagine #jaehyun imagine #renjun imagine #jeno imagine #jaemin imagine

29 notes · View notes

hoodharlow · 4 years

Text

Show Me

AN: Part 3 of the El Novio: Workout Mini Series. Someone needs to tell Cal to stop working out bc I need to get back on schedule.The picture was taken from @kindahoping4forever. Thank you to @d-oaks for always being down to beta read and edit.

Requested: No, but @karajaynetoday gave me some ideas that I tweaked 👀👀👀

Warnings: smut

Word Count: 2.6 k words

Calum pulled up to a shaded parking space when they arrived at Costco. The parking lot was surprisingly empty for a Saturday afternoon, so he was relieved that no one would notice them. He motioned Claudia that the coast was clear, and they got out, making their way hand in hand to the food court.

“What are you getting?” Calum asked her. He wrapped his arms around her and rested his chin on her head.

“Mm… maybe an acai bowl? I wanna leave room for samples.” She responded. She tilted her head up and asked, “Do you wanna get pizza for dinner?”

“Yeah,” he nodded, “we can get some premade oven ones, so we can heat them up when we want.”

“That works.” Claudia agreed.

They waited in line to get in the store for what seemed an eternity because some lady was holding up the line; her husband was getting gas, but she didn’t have their Costco Card to get in. While they waited, Claudia stretched a bit to relax some of her muscles. She was still sore from the workout from a few days ago.

“Are you not wearing panties?” Calum whispered to her. He knew her body all too well that he knew when she didn’t wear anything under. She gave him a simple shrug and pulled up her leggings, accentuating her ass even more. He gently placed his head on the cart and sighed. “Are you trying to send me to an early grave?”

“No,” she giggled, “not my fault you can’t handle all this ass.”

“You know damn well I can. You practically begged me this morning.”

“Shut up.” she mumbled.

Luckily the line started moving, so Claudia wasn’t going to deal with his teases. She led him to the kitchen decor section. Ever since they got their kitchen redone, they have been getting new things for it, from pots and pans to storage bins for the pantry. She bent down to get a better view of the kitchen carts.

Calum knew she was going to be a while, so he went off on his own to get their other groceries. He took the car and went toward the cheese section. She ate about seven different kinds of cheeses. He knew she was a keeper when she introduced him to panela. Because now he was able to add pizzazz to his veggie tacos.

Once he was done there, he made his way to the fruits and vegetables.He pulled out his phone and scrolled through his messages with Diego until he found the one about slapping a watermelon, a tip he wished he learned years ago. He saw a dad nearby that was also slapping the watermelons. After he finished grabbing the other produce, he made his way back to Claudia.

When he got to the aisle where she was, he was immediately annoyed. Claudia was leaning against the shelf laughing along to whatever some guy was telling her. Calum recognized him instantly. He had been out in the food court eyeing Claudia when she helped out a little kid with their soda cap at the napkin section. Now stood with his hands on his hips showing off the ginormous belt buckle.

‘Must be compensating for something,’ Calum thought to himself. He saw the smirk the guy wore, ready to stake his claim at Claudia. Calum gripped the shopping cart, pissed at how sleazy some men were. The guy was probably lurking around waiting for him to leave so he can pounce on Claudia.

When he approached them, the guy gave Calum a quick glance over, sizing up to him. He was about Ashton’s height, but more muscular and bigger, making Calum feel slightly insecure. He knew Claudia was big on arms.

“Are you ready?” Calum asked Claudia. The guy took a few steps away from Claudia.

“Yeah, I ended up ordering one of the things I wanted online because they didn't have the color I wanted. Grant helped me out on how to order it.” She said gesturing to the guy that was flirting with her.

“Well, I best be going. Enjoy the rest of your evening.” The guy said. He had a deep southern drawl. He nodded his head at her like he was tipping a cowboy hat at her.

“Bye.” Claudia said, oblivious to the guy’s intention.

“Are you ready?” Calum repeated to her.

“Yeah, did you get everything else?” She asked him, rummaging through the cart.

“Of course I did. I wasn’t the one wasting time by chatting up some cowboy.” He mumbled loud enough for her to hear him.

“Seriously?” She scoffed, dropping the veggie straws. She looked up at him frowning. She opened her mouth and quickly closed it. “I’m not gonna get into it. Let’s just go back to your place.”

***

Calum peered into the kitchen. It had been an hour since they got back to 'his' place, and Claudia was baking. When they got home, she hadn’t said a thing. At the rate she was going, she could make a pop-up bakery with everything she was baking. He watched her pipe macaron batter on a baking sheet. Then she angrily hit the baking sheet against the counter, making Calum flinch. He wanted a snack, but he knew if he was in the same space as Claudia World War 3 would start. He knew the minute she said 'your place' instead of 'home' that he was in the doghouse. Ever since she moved in with him, he made sure she knew it was their home, not just his.

He watched her stalk off to the bathroom, so he took his chance to serve himself some leftover noodles. He impatiently drummed the counter as if that would speed up the microwave. Before the last second went off he took out his food. He cleaned up any evidence that he was there and retreated back to his studio before she came back.

Claudia caught sight of him as he left and felt sad. She didn't even know what made him so jealous. As if she would even consider looking at any other man when she had him. She felt disappointed that he would even think that she would ever flirt with some guy like the one from Costco. She had seen a few military tattoos peak out of the guy's shirt. She made a vow to never mess with anyone in the military or law enforcement. She knew they lacked a few brain cells and mostly joined to fuck around with guns. Just imagining them made her shudder in disgust.

She pulled out her phone and texted her friends, Sara and Dulce, if they were able to video chat. They instantly replied agreeing. She hasn't been able to hang out with them. Mostly because Sara was in San Francisco working at a graphic design company while Dulce was at NYU starting some archaeology program.

"I missed y'all so much. School's not the same without y'all." Claudia admitted. She loved USC, but it just wasn't the same without them.

"Oh, I know. I hate New York, everything is so expensive." Dulce agreed.

"Felt, San Fran is so yucky too." Sara said.

They continued talking and catching up. Claudia filled them in on how her and Calum are out as a couple, not by choice and all that went down with that mess. She continued baking and decorating. Calum approached her and said something to her. She didn't catch it, so she just waved him off. After about an hour they hung up. Claudia went to the garage for some boxes, so she could send Dulce and Sara some baked goods.

She was coming back to the house when she saw a tall skinny blonde girl with Calum and his trainer. She was giggling at whatever Calum said. Even Duke was with them. Claudia stomped back into the kitchen.

From the window she watched the girl get in front of Calum as his trainer guided them through another workout. She wasn't even sweating. She looked perfect. Like she was pretending to workout just for a few Instagram likes, but she wasn't. She was down doing the nit and gritty along with Calum. Then he took off his shirt. The girl was practically drooling for him and started finding ways to touch him or just be near him.

It angered Claudia. He was either allowing her to do all that to get her back for what happened at Costco or he was a dumbass.

***

Calum was getting frustrated with the girl his trainer brought. At first he let her casually flirt with him because he saw Claudia walk by, but now he wanted her to back off. He took three steps back and she took four. He was thankful that the session was over. As he walked them back to their cars, he was very explicit with his trainer to never bring her around, or anyone at that.

He decided he was going to apologize to Claudia for being a jealous idiot after showering, so he went straight to their bedroom. His shower lasted longer than he expected because he thought back to what happened a few days ago when they worked out together.

He was changing into shorts when he heard a crash and Claudia yell, followed by Duke's barks. He ran back down to the kitchen and found Claudia on the floor clutching her hand with the pizza pan on the floor. He grabbed an oven mitt and picked up the pizza, setting it on the cooling rack. Luckily it landed with pizza on top.

"Show me." He told her quietly. He kneeled in front of her, reaching out to her.

She hesitated but gave in. Her left palm was bright red. When she took out the pizza, she didn't even think about grabbing an oven mitt because of the baking she had been doing. She didn't notice she wasn't wearing one until she looked at her hand.

Calum didn't think twice before lifting her up on the sink and running cool water down on her hand. He went to the pantry where they had one of the many first aid kits in their house. He let her hand under the water for a few more minutes before putting a thin layer of Neosporin on the burn and covering it with a gauze. Then he wrapped it in medical tape.

"Does it hurt?" He asked her. She shook her head. "Oh, wait, I almost forgot. Sana sana colita de rana."

Claudia burst into a fit of giggles. "Where did you hear that?"

"I overheard your brother tell Paloma that when she fell and scraped her knee while we were visiting your parents." He explained. He scratched the back of his back, shyly before continuing. "I googled what it meant and found out it was little saying you do when kids get hurt."

"Well, thank you for that." Claudia said awkwardly. She hopped off the counter and made her way out of the kitchen.

"Claudia, wait," He called after her. She turned around. "I'm sorry for being a jerk. I know you wouldn't do anything to mess up our relationship. I was just angry because that guy had an eye on you since we were getting our stuff at the food court. And also for letting the girl flirt with me. I was just being a petty asshole, and I get if you hate me and all that."

Claudia took a step forward, surveying him. "You're lucky you're cute and know first aid. But if you let some other girl openly flirt with you like that, I will end you. I'm not sure how, but I will."

Calum held out his pinky to her. She smiled and wrapped hers around it. He pulled their intertwined pinkies and kissed them. He leaned down and kissed Claudia.

The kiss was filled with more apologies and promises. Calum backed Claudia against the counter as their kiss intensified. She lifted her hips up for him so he was able to tug off her leggings. He glanced down at her glistening core and back to her face. He dropped his shorts and towered over her.

"I retract all my comments about you not wearing panties with your tights."

***

It was finally nightfall and they were settling for bed. Claudia emerged in one of Calum's t-shirts and her black Calvin Klein panties.

"Why were these in the laundry basket?" She asked him, holding up her new leggings.

"I wore them? Why do you ask?" He asked her, confused.

"They're mine!" She snorted.

"No, they're mine."

"I bought them last week."

"Well, that explains why they were tighter than usual."

"You're silly."

Claudia tossed them back in the basket and crawled in bed. She straddled Calum and laid on his chest. He ran his nails against her back as they mindlessly watched Tierra de Reyes.

After a few minutes, Claudia gasped. "You did the sana sana colita de rana wrong."

"I did?"

"Yeah, after you say it, you must kiss where it hurts."

"Seriously?" Claudia nodded eagerly. She rolled off him and laid on her back. "Where does it hurt?"

"Here a little." she said holding up her bandaged hand. He gave her a quick peck and sat on his knees. She took one of his hands and placed it on her clothed core. "But it really hurts here. Can you kiss it for me? I tried rubbing it, but it didn't help."

"Well if it hurts we gotta do whatever makes you feel better pretty girl. No?"

Claudia nodded in agreement. Calum chuckled to himself and nudged her shirt off. She obliged and reclined against the pillows. Calum kissed her lips and kissed his way down her body. He paid special attention to her breasts before finally reaching her panties. He ripped them off her, tossing the ripped fabric off to the side.

He situated himself in front of her. His fingers grazed her entrance, coating them with her arousal. He licked his fingers and continued to tease her. He smirked as her breathing quickened, and her soft pleas filled the room.

He finally laid on his stomach and began to kiss the inside of her thighs before placing them over his shoulders. His cock hardened thinking of the times she would wear high heels and would dig into his back as he made her come.

"Fuck." He moaned once he tasted her.

His tongue worked its wonders on Claudia. She was on edge minutes later. One of her hands wrapped around his curls while the other tugged with her breasts.

"Cal, please make me come,” she begged.

He slipped his fingers inside of her. She squirmed at how quick he was thrusting his fingers in her. Then he added his thumb and slowly rubbed her clit, bringing her to her orgasm. He continued licking and thrusting his fingers into her as she came.

The tight grip on his hair loosened. Claudia sighed as Calum pulled his fingers out of her. He licked them clean and laid next to her. He turned to his side just as she did. She placed her leg proactively over his waist.

"Thank you." She said.

"For what?" He asked. He reached over and rubbed her leg. He tugged her closer to him.

"For being open with your feelings even if it's not right away. Like you allow yourself to be mad, sad, happy and stuff because you figure out what you're feeling and work off of that. You don't bottle it in and lash out after." She shrugged. She reached over and brushed off his hair off his beautiful face. She kept her hand there and twisted the end of his curls.

"I try my best to. Even if I end up doing something stupid or petty. I owe it to you. You've helped me process and think without even realising it." He said.

He leaned over and pecked her lips. Claudia's hand kept him in place. They kissed for what seemed hours. It wasn't anything urgent, just them showing how grateful they are for each other.

Taglist: @another-lonely-heart @sunshinebabycal @calumscalm @karajaynetoday @cherryxwildflower @myloverboyash @idontneedanyone @findingliam-o @5-secondsofcolor @spicycal @sexgodashton @sunshinebabycal @another-lonely-heart

#calum hood imagine #calum hood one shot #calum hood smut #calum hood fanfic #calum hood fan fic #El Novio series

169 notes · View notes