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kookslastbutton · 11 months

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Too Late to Dream ༓ jjk (m) II ch. II

✑ Summary: You did it. You married your college professor. You even bought a house together. Against all odds, everything had fallen into place. But after two years of marriage, you begin feeling something was missing. You want a baby but your husband can’t say the same.

Pairing: economics professor!jungkook x fem!artist!reader

AU/Genre: angst, smut, fluff, marriage au, age gap, series

Rating: M, 18+

Word Count: 5,044

Warnings: 8-year age gap, flashbacks of professor-student relationship (oc was a Masters student), fighting, pent-up issues/desires, jk has daddy issues, mentions of therapy, kookie trying to be a good husband, cute coupley stuff that idk anyone will like but 🥺 👉👈, jk says cawk , idk why this is a warning

Now Playing: Make It Right, Tryna Be, Infinity, It Will Rain, Heaven+

A/N: Hi guys! I'm back! I thought I'd start off with a little flashback and then diving back into the story. Also, big thing–I decided not to make jk a complete butt. I don't want this story to be about "jk finally coming around after treating oc like garbage for wanting a kid". It's more of a we'll figure-it-out-together kinda thing though there will be bumps in the road. Anyway, enjoy 🥰

<< ch.I ༓ ch. III >> | series masterlist

To say falling in love with Jungkook was an effortless, butterflies-in-your-tummy, love-at-first-sight, you-know-it-when-you-see-it sort of affair is far from the truth. In actuality, you and Jungkook met on a very normal basis and had very normal rapport…well, somewhat normal.

Jungkook was your economics professor in grad school and you were merely one out of eighty of his students during the first semester. Surely you'd be walking out with no more than a barely scrimmaged 'A' and remnants of stupid economics jokes he and his colleagues found slapstick funny.

Jungkook always had an interesting sense of humor.

Bottom line? Your life wasn't a drama and you certainly didn't plan on living like it was–especially when your parents were on your tail, making sure their hard-earned money was well spent.

As if being bonked on the head by something called fate, however, Jungkook sent you away with far more than odd jokes and good grades.

Hey, hindsight is 20/20.

four years ago

“Oh, good morning.” A soft, yet hoarse voice strides past you. You view the man, estimating that he be in his early 30s though could easily pass for 25 by his youthful appearance. His hair is black, a bit shaggy but well-kept nonetheless. Silver piercings dangle from his ears and a pair of rectangular glasses rest on his perfectly symmetrical face. This is your professor?

Undoubtedly, what mesmerizes you the most is the striking arm tattoo partially displayed under the rolled-up sleeves of his dress shirt. You remember temporarily considering tattoo artistry in high school but studio arts appealed to you more.

Not like you got to do either though, seeing as you’ve been stuck in econ for the fifth year in a row. You’re parents insisted you get your master’s immediately after undergrad…how wonderful for you.

But back to the man at the front of the room. You weren’t expecting someone so hip and attractive–very, very attractive.

Your stomach churns but you brush the feeling away.

He's your professor for god sake.

The man, coincidentally your professor, quirks a small smile your way and sets his bag on the podium at the front. “Didn’t expect anyone to be here for another twenty minutes.”

“I just got out of another class a couple of rooms down so I’m here early.” You straighten in your seat and return a smile of your own. “It’s nice to meet you Dr. Jeon. I’m Y/N.” You start bouncing your leg up and down, clicking the pen in your hand. Please be right, please be right, you chant silently, hoping you remembered the name correctly.

Jungkook notices your slightly restless state but he doesn’t say anything about it.

“Just to be sure, you are here for ECON 602 right? Macroeconomic Theory?” He unzips his bag and sets his laptop on the podium. Making brief eye contact, he catches sight of the piece of paper directly below your nose. “That’s a beautiful sketch.”

You glance down, moving the paper to the side as if embarrassed. Not many people see your work beyond close friends, and even then you like to keep it to yourself. “Yes, absolutely,” you reply. “ECON 602, 12:15 pm. And thanks, I draw as a hobby.”

Your professor hums, nodding as he connects the HDMI cable to his laptop and lowers the presentation board.“ Dr. Kim is going to be quite jealous when he hears such artistic talent is in my economics class.” He lets out a slight chuckle. “You don’t mind if I tell him, do you? A little competition we have going on.”

You snort at the comment.

Dr. Kim Taehyung was the art department’s most talked about professor. Everyone knew him for his extremely unique perspective, classy personality, as well as his breathtaking artwork. You’ve passed him in the hallways a number of times, wishing you could study under him and dare you say, in more ways than one.

“I don’t mind.” You shake your head. “Are you and Dr. Kim close?” Maybe you shouldn’t be this curious but it was now fifteen minutes until the start of class and no one else had shown. What else were you going to fill time with? Awkward silence while you watch your professor fumble and tap on his keyboard?

“We were colleagues if you can believe that.” He pushes his glasses up the bridge of his nose. “Only two years ahead of me in undergrad. When I first started teaching here I had no idea he was here too. But you know what they say __, it’s a small world.”

“Smaller,” you retort. “I feel like everywhere I go I run into someone I’ve known or seen at some point in my life. You just never really know I guess.” When you first entered university, you were counting your lucky stars that most of your high school peers were attending college nearby your hometown. You on the other hand were a good five to six hours from home. Last you checked, however, half of those peers were now getting married or on their second kid. Crazy how some people’s lives change on a dime.

You watch as your professor shuffles a few sheets of paper in his hands, scanning them briefly. “I can relate to that,” he mutters. “Pretty sure we haven’t met before though. Could be a bigger world than we think. Now where’s everyone else? Didn’t all drop last minute did they?” The man lifts his head, flashing a big gorgeous grin. His eyes are playful and dance with mirth.“Not that I would mind if it were just you and I this whole semester.“

“uh–“ is embarrassingly, all you say. He isn’t implying anything by that right? Oh god __, don’t be stupid. As you've established, this isn’t a romance novel and you’re most definitely not the main character.

“You seem attentive is what I mean,” the man says, breaking you out of your daze. “And beyond punctual. Two qualities that I hold in high esteem.” You’d say he had a tiny smirk pulling at the corner of his mouth but it was likely an illusion. Your professor has bigger fish to fry than worry about any possible scenarios you’ve concocted in your silly head.

Still, in a moment of sheer thoughtlessness, you say something you regret being unable to retract. “Thank you, I like you too.” As soon as the words fly out you feel the need to run out and bang your head against the wall. Thinking on your feet wasn’t your specialty.

Little to your knowledge, Jungkook finds your mannerisms cute and stifles the temptation to tease. You’re his student, after all, a little professionally please, he repeats to himself.

“So are you from here?” Jungkook asks, choosing to switch the topic before both of you get swallowed into a messy situation.

You shake your head in denial. “I live here temporarily but I grew up about five hours north of here. My parents are still there.”

“Ah, well that’s a bit away. I imagine you miss them?”

You ponder the question for a second, eyes rolling up in contemplation. “From time to time.” Jungkook gives a knowing look. He’s had his share of familial drama and the need for space.

“I understand,” he says. “I grew up ten hours south myself.”

“Wow, that’s…far.” You’re surprised by the distance and can’t imagine it’s an easy commute. You wonder how long he’s been here and more so, if he’s here alone.

“Yeah.” He rests his palms on the edge of the podium, leaning on them gently. The protruding veins in his forearms catch your attention but you pry yourself from lingering. After what you said earlier, the last thing you want is for Dr. Jeon to think you're coming on to him. “Gets a little quiet sometimes but I’ve learned to live with it.”

As if immune to learning from your mistakes you blurt exactly what’s in your head.“So you’re not–“

“Married? Dating? Seeing someone?” Jungkook finishes your sentence like it’s nothing he hasn’t done tenfold times before. “No. I’m not.”

You give a small “Ah,” nodding in understanding before another classmate walks in, putting an abrupt end to the conversation. Jungkook is quick to greet the young man who’s joined but he’s certain he won’t be forgetting your name anytime soon.

present

You tilt your head back, allowing beads of hot water to run down your bare skin. The sound of steady pattering combined with heavy steam relaxes your muscles.

You can't believe you actually told him.

Blurting out to Jungkook that you wanted a baby in the middle of a fight is not how you intended to open up to your husband. But everything escalated so fast that it just came out.

You think back to last night’s events.

Once the movie's credit scenes appear Jungkook feels your eyes burn through him from your lounged position. "You're making that face again," he says.

"There's no face."

"Look," Jungkook cuts shortly. "Will you just tell me so we can deal with it?!"

"Just deal with it? Like it's some kind of nuisance of an issue that needs treatment?" You jump up from the couch and head to your bedroom in a fury, your husband hot on your trail.

"I don't mean to be pissing you off, sweetheart but I know something's up." He follows you into the bathroom, watching you reach for your toothbrush. "Can you please slow down and talk to me?" He grabs the toothpaste before you can, forcing you to stop in your tracks.

"I–I want…I want to be a mom. I want a baby."

"A baby? What do you mean you want a baby?" You see the panic settling in his eyes. Jungkook takes you into his arms, his thumb wipes off some of your tears. "Honey, I'm sorry I didn't know. When you came home from the park I didn't realize that little boy meant so much to you."

You try blinking back your tears but they keep running down your face. He's being gentle with you and you appreciate that but his choice of words tells you his answer is no. It's quiet, subtle, and cuts like a knife.

You break away from him to splash cold water on your face. The coolness calms your nerves. “He didn’t. Never–never mind what I said, sorry. I’m tired and I’m probably not thinking straight.”

It was a blatant lie but just look at your situation. Married for two years, still on birth control, and had no plans to change that. Suddenly one party diverts from the plan fully aware that the other is perfectly comfortable with the current plan.

Yes, you hoped he'd have a slightly better reaction but you don't blame him for his stunned look.

Plus, did you even have enough time to realize what you were saying? Feeling? It could easily be written off that you were simply impulsive, emotionally vulnerable, and so on with the track record you had regarding kids and parenting.

You sigh, bitter aftertaste in your mouth.

Not much else happened after the fight. Jungkook apologized again with his arms wrapped around your waist. He snuggled his nose in the crook of your neck and kissed your cheek too.

It was the usual, it felt familiar and warm but the pang in your head put a roadblock to that. No marriage is perfect. You know that. But you have a feeling you and Jungkook are headed for a steep valley, both on opposing sides.

"Hi.” You’re taken out of your thoughts when you hear the shower door pop open. Your husband steps in, with messy hair and half-open lids. Evidently, still sleepy.

You spare him a glance and quickly reach for your body wash on the shelf. “Hi,” you reply back, voice monotone.

Jungkook moves closer behind you and curves an arm around you. He grabs the bottle out of your hand and squirts some of the soap into his palm. “How did you sleep?”

A small shiver runs up your spine when his cool hand rubs circles against your upper back and shoulder. It still feels nice, you admit. You see some of the soap drip down and hit the shower floor.

“I slept okay. You?”

“I’m about the same.” Jungkook moves his hand a little lower, making sure to cover your whole backside. “I’m really sorry about how I handled things last night. What I said and how I said it was inexcusable.”

“Please, Jungkook you don’t have to keep apologizing about it. I know…and I’m sorry I spurred it on you so suddenly. It’s not how I wanted you to find out.” if at all, you add to yourself.

“Is it still true?” he asks, stopping his movements. “Do you really want to start a family?”

You feel queasy all over again. His tone is serious and if you turn around you’ll likely see the fire in his eyes. So you remain in your position, facing towards the shower head.

“I don’t know…” you finally say after thirty seconds of eerie silence. “But I think I do, I really do. Seeing our friends and other people our age have kids makes me wonder if we’d ever have that. I can’t explain why right now. I know it’s unexpected after we’ve been living a sort of way for so long.” After another pause you continue. “But I know it’s not a mutual thing and that’s…okay.”

“Sweetheart, even if we were to have kids…where would we find the time? The school year’s starting soon and I’m gonna be running ragged at the university next week. You know my schedule. I teach Monday through Friday, leaving at 7:15 am and returning around 4 p.m. You leave for work a little later in the morning but get back at 5 p.m. All our week consists of will be eating a quick dinner together, then I have to squirrel away to my office for the night to review class notes and grade stacks of assignments.”

Though you’re aware of how crazy busy Jungkook gets during the school year, you’re not foolish enough to believe that is the root of his argument.

“Maybe you’re right that we don’t have much time now but Jungkook, we can figure it out. You only teach 9 months out of the year and I can–I can stay at home or we can hire a nanny. And we don’t have to do it right away but–“

“__.” Jungkook turns you around so you’re looking eye to eye. He hesitates to say his next words, fearing a replay of yesterday. But he can’t bring himself to pretend with you. Not on something this serious. “I understand and I want more than anything to tell you I want the same, but I can't lie to you. Being a father, and having a kid, I think it’s wonderful but I just never saw that for myself. I’m so sorry I–”

Your heart concaves into your chest. You absolutely want him to be honest but it pains you to hear. Where do you go from here?

Slowly, you wrap your arms around his neck. Jungkook jolts a bit, surprised by your sudden gesture but welcomes the embrace.

“It’s okay Jungkook.” You settle your head into his shoulder, simply wanting to be close. One tear spills out, then another. “It’s okay.”

“No, look at me __. You didn’t let me finish.” You lift your head from his shoulder. Jungkook strokes your back soothingly before continuing. “If this is what you want, then I’m not going to stand here and be the asshole husband that just dismisses it. But this is a big step.”

You shake your head in disbelief. “Don’t say what I think you are. Jungkook you don’t have to do anything.”

“I’m not saying I change my mind.” Of course, that would be unrealistic, you talk yourself through, preparing for his next words. “However, I am–I am willing to seriously consider this whole thing, babies, diapers, strollers, all of it. But I need you to be sure that this is what you want. And the only way I think that can happen is if we start this slow. Sounds like I’m making some sappy speech huh?”

Jungkook cracks a faint smile.

You look like you’re waiting for the other shoe to drop or for him to yell psyche and flick your forehead or something.

But none of that happens.

Instead, Jungkook unwraps one of your arms from around your neck, places a light kiss on your knuckles, and stares deep into your eyes as if making a promise. “I know this isn’t exactly heaven to your ears but I’m just trying to say, let’s not rush to a decision yet, okay? All of this did just get revealed yesterday and I think it’d be unfair to both of us if we scurry past it without thinking.”

Shocked. You’re utterly shocked. You were expecting him to give you a flat-out no or attempt to cover up the issue somehow. While, this isn’t your ideal outcome, if Jungkook is willing to take this seriously, no bullshit necessary, then so are you.

“Thank you, Jungkook.” You smile at him, feeling a tad lighter than you did before. Your heart beats again, slow and steady. “I love you.”

“I love you more than anything __. I married you and I intend to keep it that way.” Jungkook sneaks a wink and you press a kiss to his lips.

“Hey,” you pipe up. “It’s Sunday isn’t it?”

Jungkook nods in confusion. “It is..?”

“You have somewhere to be this morning don’t you?” You wait a moment before an oh-shit expression forms on Jungkook’s face.

As you remember your husband was supposed to be at some fancy gold club today. Like Jimin, a certain Kim Taehyung had his weekly “thing” too. Being close friends, Jungkook was supposed to be there, along with Hoseok.

“‘You're so right. 'M sorry honey I gotta go. They’re gonna kill me." Jungkook gives you one last kiss before slipping out of the shower. "I’ll be back for dinner.”

“Jungkook! Where the fuck have you been? We tried calling you!” Taehyung is the first to speak as soon as he catches sight of the younger man. He has his usual blush pink polo shirt on paired with well-pressed beige shorts.

He looks a little too handsome for golf.

Jungkook’s secretly glad his wife stayed home this time, as he’s fully aware of her mini crush on Taehyung in school. When she first found out they were colleagues he could tell she had borderline stars in her eyes.

“Sorry sorry,” Jungkook says. “I was doing stuff and time escaped me. Plus, I didn’t have my phone near me for a bit. But I’m here now, so let’s get going!” Jungkook walks in front of the two men, heading for the first stage of the golf course. “You guys coming?” He turns around and lifts both arms up.

Taehyung and Hoseok exchange looks before following his lead. It’s unlike Jungkook to be this eager for golf. In fact, he hates golf. And his explanation is a bit…questionable.

As much as Hoseok is a friend, he is also just as much of a psychologist who can't stop himself from practicing his craft when given the chance. “You doing alright?” Hoseok waits for Jungkook to answer, one hand clings around the top of his golf club while the other settles around his hip. "Haven't seen you since Jimin's last dinner.”

"Yeah, I'm good," Jungkook barely replies, watching Taehyung practice and few swings before taking the shot. Like a prodigy, it sinks right in. "Hole in one again man? I thought you painted."

Taehyung glances over his shoulder with a smug expression, cocky smirk, and sunglasses behind his head. "Don't be too jealous of hyung, Jungkookie."

"Fuck off Tae," Jungkook quips back. "I'm not 22 anymore. I have a good job, nice house, and a gorgeous wife waiting for me at home. What do you have? A bunch of golf balls in your pants.”

Hmm, a little more defensive than usual, Hoseok notes. And guarded too, something’s up.

"About that wife of yours Kook," Hoseok drawls. "How she doing?" Jungkook turns towards the man, slight distaste on his face.

“Uh, she’s fine. Thanks for asking. Also, I know what you’re doing and I’m not in the mood.”

"Ah Jungkook, you act like I'm being so malicious.” Smiling, Hoseok continues. “Can't I care about my friend of ten years without such accusations?"

Jungkook sighs and kicks the grass. Hoseok has been one of his closest friends for a long time so if there's anyone worth talking to about his current situation and who'd understand, I'd be him. "Well, I’m not saying much right now but.....__ recently told me she wants a baby. I’m still–I'm having trouble processing it. But I’m trying.”

Hoseok throws a hand behind the younger's shoulder. “That’s big news Jungkook and it’s completely fine that you’re still working through it. Don’t feel like you have to speed up the process either. I’ve known you both long enough to know that parenting hasn’t really been in the cards until now so I’m surprised myself.”

“I think she’s still a little unsure, but something happened the other day and it struck a cord inside her. She wants a family and,” Jungkook steps to the side, and Hoseok's hand slips from his shoulder. “I wish I could tell her I want it too. But I can't lie to her like that. I also don’t want her to bury that desire for my sake, so I told her we could consider it. I don’t know man, I feel like I’m trying to do the right thing but I don’t know if I can do this. Will I ever change my mind? I want to, for her.”

Hoseok looks at his friend with soft eyes, compassion in them. “Unfortunately, this is not something you can foresee nor force. At least not this early. But you’re definitely doing the right thing by not brushing her off. As real as your feelings are about not wanting a child right now, so are __'s feelings. It’s best you listen to both sides.”

Jungkook tousles his hair around. “I just–fuck.”

Hoseok doesn’t need further explanation to understand Jungkook’s predicament. He’s frustrated, blames himself, and is struggling to come to terms with reality. The unknown scares him and he doesn’t want to lose control of what little he has. “I’m sorry, Kook…it’s a heavy load. Why don't you come in for a session sometime? I think this might be something worth talking through."

“You mean therapy? I don't know, I’m about to have a pretty tight with school starting.”

"One hour, forty minutes at least," Hoseok insists. "Why not try it once and if you don't like it, you don't have to do it again. I love you both and as a friend, I want to be here for you. Beats standing around and watching Taehyung kick our ass at golf. Just think about it and let me know. As I said, I'm always here for you bro."

Jungkook nods and reaches a hand out to gently squeeze Hoseok's shoulder. "I'll think about it. Thanks."

"Hey!" Taehyung waves from afar. "What you guys doing still up there? I’ve been waiting for twenty minutes! Don’t forget that last place buys lunch.”

“He’s referring to you Kook.” Hoseok chuckles, slaps Jungkook on the back, and walks down the golf course toward Taehyung. “You suck at golf.”

Jungkook grunts, following close behind. If this were a benching competition he’d be taking home the whole damn meal.

With Jungkook still gone doing who knows what with his buddies you decide to blast your very wide array of music. It’s a good thing you and Jungkook live in your own house or else your poor neighbors would be knocking down the door with the landlord by now. Yes, that may or may not have happened once with you were in college.

Along with the music you stick true to your character and spread your art supplies on your drawing table. You had your own mini studio, thanks to your wonderful relator who helped find you the house. You reach for a pencil, spinning it between your fingers. Maybe you should finish the drawing of the park’s pond.

Mm, you don’t really feel like packing all your supplies and driving over right now.

Deciding to save it for another day, you ponder ideas of what to do instead. Should you try out your new watercolors? You bought them last week and while you weren’t exactly in low supply, if your husband can have a hundred scented candles you can have your paints.

bling–

You snatch your phone hearing the notification bell.

Jungkook: the rest of your morning going well? [sent at 11:03 a.m]

You smile faintly and type out a reply. Sweet to check in you suppose.

__: Fine. How are the guys? [sent at 11:04 a.m]

Jungkook: Whooping my ass but it’s alright. [sent at 11:07 a.m]

Good, you smirk. Jungkook is awful at golf. And he can stand to lose at something like the rest of you.

__: When are you coming home? [sent at 11:10 a.m]

Jungkook: Looking to wrap things up around 4 pm. I think we’re having a late lunch. Miss you. [sent at 11:13 a.m]

__: Okay, sounds good because I was thinking maybe we could go for ice cream when you get back. After dinner? miss you too [sent at 11:14 a.m]

You stare at the screen, waiting for a reply.

One minute goes by…

Two minutes…

Three…

Jungkook: Okay, sounds amazing. But why not before dinner? The place we like closes early on Sundays. I love you! [sent at 11:17 a.m]

Oh shoot, that’s right. You and Junkook have gone to the same ice cream shake since you first started dating. The couple who run it are super sweet, only a decade older. How could you forget?

__: I’m a dummy, yes we’ll go before dinner. I love you too [sent at 11:18 a.m]

Jungkook: Noo, you’re not a dummy! But okay, I’ll see you soon! [sent at 11:19 a.m]

Rejuvenated, you turn off your phone, jump off your art stool and crank the current song up–Runaway by Bon Jovi. Let’s see, you think, tearing a piece of watercolor paper from your drawing pad, what to do.

When the idea strikes you prepare water, paintbrushes, your palette, and anything else you may need for the next five hours give or take. You snatch your phone again and scroll through your photo gallery, hoping to get a good reference photo.

Your best friend’s birthday was two weeks away and she’s been subtly hinting for a painting of her, her fiancee’, and her dog Bear. As her closest friend and well-practiced artist, you think it is best to appease her request.

Jungkook comes home at 4 pm on the dot. Not a minute later. He looks happy, you conclude. Genuinely happy. It looks good on him.

“__!” Jungkook runs through the front door and lifts you up in his arms. He spins you around and you place your hands on his shoulders. This is so unexpected but nice.

“Jungkook,” you struggle to catch your breath. “What’s going on?”

“I just love coming home to you.” He places you back down and grabs your wrist. “Come on, I wanna stuff you full with ice cream.”

“That sounds so weird,” you laugh.

“Why?” Jungkook opens the front door, ushering you to go ahead of him.

“Because…it sounds like you want to stuff me. Like in a weird way.”

“Woman, that cleared nothing up for me.” You hop into the car with stupid grins on your face. You don’t even know what you mean let alone having to explain to your husband. What can you say, Jungkook makes you a little braindead.

“I just mean that you wanting to stuff me with ice cream sounds like the witch from Hanzel and Gretel. You wanna fatten me up to eat me. Or taxidermy,….or Build a Bear.”

“What the fuck honey,” Jungkook curses, backing out of your drive. “Did you get into something funky while I was gone?”

“No what–ugh never mind.” You stare out the window, arms crossed and biting back the need to giggle uncontrollably. Why were you so giddy right now?

Jungkook glances over with amusement. He knows you’re inches away from balling over with laughter. “You know what honey?”

“Hmm?”

“I think instead of stuffing you full of ice cream, I’m gonna stuff you full with something just as good.”

“Don’t say it Kook, don’t. I’m going to bust a gut.” You beg fully aware he’s not about to back down.

“My fucking cawk,” he says, making sure to exaggerate the last part.

You throw a hand over your mouth, tears well up in your eyes and this time, they’re not sad ones.

You pull up at the small, but charming ice cream stand at around 4:20 pm. It’s a decent crowd tonight.

You and Jungkook get out of the car with laced hands. You’ve managed to calm down now, thankfully. As you make your way to the line a small voice catches both your attention.

“Appa!” A little girl with blue ribbons in her hair runs past you. She looks between eight to ten years old. You and Jungkook follow her movement as she leaps up into her father’s arms.

You smile at the interaction. Her father kisses her cheek and chuckles as she shows him her ribbons. She looks like she’s telling a very eventful story.

Beside you, Jungkook stiffens. His eyes set on the pair but you’re unsure what he’s thinking. “Kook?” you say, but he doesn’t respond. You shake his hand, the one laced in yours, but still no response. It’s when you step in front of his view that you get him back.

“Hey,” you say. “Are you okay?”

Jungkook blinks at you and shakes his head a bit. “I’m good, sorry. Not sure what happened there. Must be a bit out of it today. Let’s go get some ice cream.”

A/N: I like this series vv much...thank you to anyone reading :) Lmk your thoughts and if you wanna be tagged comment or send me an ask!

Taglist:

@frieschan @oldermenluverrr @tatamicc @kookswifesblog @llallaaa @sunnybyeol @namtaeh @exactlygreatcoffee @whipwhoops @yoongisducky @ktnj91 @junecat18 @thvlover7 @yoongiworshiper

Masterlist

no reposting, copying, or translating my work– © kookslastbutton

#btshoneyhive #bangtanbathhouse #jungkook smut #jungkook fluff #jungkook x reader #jungkook angst #bts smut #bts x reader #bts imagines #bts fanfic #bts au #fic:toolatetodream #kookslastbutton

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callsign-magnolia · 1 year

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Undiagnosed // Ch. 1

Mature Content 18+

Jake Seresin x Neurodivergent OC

Summary: Katie Blair grew up trying to be the perfect daughter. She always struggled to be the prim and proper little girl her parents wanted. Big personality as a kid, but now at 25, she's the shy admiral's daughter who just keeps her head down and tries to get through law school. So what happens when she's had enough and with help from a certain Lieutenant, she gets out.

Warnings: Emotional abuse, Major Character death, asshole parents, Jake is a jerk to start.

Word Count: 6.0k

Masterlist

“I’m sorry, Admiral Blair. Commander Kazansky is dead.”

Commander Kazansky is dead.

Tears welled my eyes as I stood in the doorway, my father behind me. “What?” My dad stepped around me, pushing me back into the house. I walked into the living room, seeing my mother sitting in her chair, glasses on her nose and book in her hand. “Who in god’s name is at our door at nine o’clock at night?” She asked, not looking at up. “A-an officer-“ She huffed, slamming her book shut before she ripped her glasses off her face and looked at me. “Speak up. I can’t hear you when you mumble and stutter.” I nodded, taking a deep breath and trying again. “An officer is at the door. Admiral Kazansky is dead.” I said as I rested my hand on the back of the couch. She stared at me for a moment before scoffing and putting her glasses back on. “Held on long enough, didn’t he?” “Mother!” I scolded. She huffed, slamming her book on the side table, standing. “Hush!” I immediately went quiet as she approached me. “He has been sick for years now. Your father has been waiting in the wings for his moment! And this is his moment!” She yelled, pointing her finger in my face.

“And you will not ruin his image!” I nodded, not meeting her eyes as tears streaked my cheeks. “Admiral Kazansky passed in his sleep earlier.” My father said as he walked into the living room. “And you’re crying for him!” Mom said, smacking my arm, making me jump. “He was a good man, mama!” She rolled her eyes, going back to her chair. “A man you met only three times.” I bit my lip, taking in a shaky breath. “I will be going up to my room.” I said turning, only for my dad to stop me. “Dr. Nieman says you have an exam next week; I expect you to be studying.” I nodded as he squeezed my shoulder. “Yes sir.” I said before he let me go, walking past me and allowing me to go upstairs. Once in my room I shut the door, taking a deep breath before going over to my fish tank, pulling out some food to feed them. They rushed to the top as I dropped the food, making me giggle. “Greedy little guys, huh?” I asked, knowing they wouldn’t reply. “Georgie!” I scolded the guppy who pushed Simon out of the way. “Oh my god, I’m scolding my fish.” I sighed before sitting down at my desk, deciding I better crack open the law textbook before my father came in and yelled at me for not working hard enough.

A few days went by and finally it was the day of Iceman’s funeral. I rode with my parents to the funeral, sitting in the backseat quietly as we rode from the funeral home to the gravesite. Once we pulled up and got out, I looked around at the sea of black dress uniforms, straightening out my own black dress as I stepped out of the truck. “Now,” My mom said as she walked over. “Stand still and be quiet, I don’t want to hear and squalling from you.” I nodded as she took my dad’s arm. “Yes ma’am.” I fell in step behind them, walking slowly through the grass and between the graves before finally stopping. My parents would sit, while I stood behind them, my heels sinking into the soft ground. We watched as the casket was carried over, and the funeral started. I was fine until TAPS started; it always made me emotional at these things. But I stood there, stock still but I felt the tears coming, and with them, the fear of my mother.

I inhaled deeply and shakily, fighting off the tears when suddenly my mother reached back, pinching my thigh. I jerked, which made her snap around and glare at me. It wasn’t until Captain Mitchell slammed his wings into the casket that the sobs started. I tried to hold back; my shoulders shook slightly as I held my breath. I could feel everyone’s eyes on me, making me want to crawl out of my skin. Why are you crying? You’re not family. You hardly knew the man. The voice resembling my own echoed throughout my head. I attempted to stop, but I couldn’t. The voice was right though, I had no reason to be crying. Once it was done, my mother quickly stood, taking my arm and dragging me back towards the truck. “I told you to stay quiet.” “I tried, momma. Really.” “Well, you didn’t try hard enough!” My back slammed into the truck, on the side facing away from people. “Your father has an image to keep. We can’t have an uncontrollably emotional child messing that up.” I nodded, knowing she was right. “Now, you are going to clean your face, because you have black streaks from your mascara, and then you will redo it on the way to the Kazansky’s. Sarah is doing a celebration of life and we will be in attendance.” She said as she shoved a makeup wipe at me. “Yes, ma’am.” She huffed, straightening her dress. “Now get in the truck. You look like a train wreck, and we can’t have anyone seeing you.” I nodded, getting into the backseat as my mother went to join my dad as he spoke to some people.

~~~

“Woah, who is that?” Coyote asked, looking past me. I turned, spotting who he was referring to. A girl walked in with Admiral Blair and his wife; she must be their daughter I’ve heard about. She had a small smile on her face and kept her eyes on the ground, her hair swishing in the short ponytail as she walked a few steps behind her parents. “She’s sexy.” I raised my brow at Payback, he wasn’t usually one to refer to women in such a way. “I wouldn’t even try it with her.” Coop, a pilot from my old squadron said. “What? Is she snobby?” Payback asked as I continued to watch the girl. “No, man. She’s weird as fuck. She holds eye contact too much; she stares into your soul. She also talks a lot about random things, her stories have side stories, and those stories have side stories! She’s a total weirdo.” I looked back to her; she now had a glass in her hand as her parents spoke with Sarah.

“Hey, Hangman?” I turned to Coyote who was looking at me confused. “You gonna try it with her? I don’t think your girl would like that.” I scoffed, shaking my head. “No,” I scoffed. “Kelly wouldn’t appreciate it. But she’s also not my type.” Coop chuckled. “She’s crazy emotional too. Like a loose cannon.” I looked over at him, sipping the lemonade Sarah gave me. “How do you know all this?” I asked him and he scoffed. “Made the mistake of asking her on a date.” “And was there a second one?” Payback asked and Coop shook his head. “Hell no! We paid, got in our cars and I never texted her again.” I rolled my eyes. Coop has an unrealistic idea of women. He wants a model, someone ‘perfect’. Little does he realize he isn’t such a catch either. “I bet you fifty bucks you couldn’t have a normal conversation with her.” I scoffed at his offer. “What? Fifty not enough? I’ll make it a hundred then and you can see how weird she is yourself.” I shook my head. “You know what, I’ll accept that bet.” I said looking back over to her seeing she had made her way over to the drink table. “Now if you’ll excuse me, I need a refill.” I said before walking over to her, a smirk on my face.

~~~

“Hi.” I jumped, startled out of my own little bubble by the voice behind me. I turned to find a blonde man, tall, muscular, with green eyes that glistened in the light and had tiny flecks of light brown around the pupil. “H-hi.” I said, realizing how close he was when I turned around. I took a step back, bumping the table and tripping over my feet. I swung my arm, and he caught it, straightening me out. “I am so sorry! I’m so clumsy!” He chuckled, shaking his head. “Not at all.” I smiled, looking back into his eyes. “I’m sorry Lieutenant, I never got your name.” A look of realization crossed his face, and he held out his hand. “Lieutenant Jacob Seresin, ma’am.” I shook his hand. “You seemed off in your own little world over here.” He caught you, and now he thinks you’re weird before he even properly met you. “Yeah, I um… truth be told, I just got lost in thought.” I admitted. My mind had wandered to how Sarah and the rest of the family would cope without Admiral Kazansky, a thought I probably had no business thinking. “Happens to the best of us, right?” I nodded, looking down at my heels. “So how do you know the Kazansky’s?” He asked, bending down to meet my eyes, making my head snap up. “Oh, my dad is-was just under Admiral Kazansky. Now that he’s gone that makes my dad the new fleet commander.” His eyebrows shot up in realization. “Katie Scarlett!” I froze at my mom’s voice, straightening my back and diverting my eyes from Jacob. “I’m so sorry Lieutenant. Was she bothering you? She tends to run her mouth and talk. Why, she would talk till your ears fell off if you let her.” My neck burned red against my black scoop neck dress, tears gathering in my eyes.

“No ma’am. We were just having a pleasant conversation.” She looked at me, and I took a deep breath, willing the tears away. “Are you okay?” He asked and before I could even react my mother answered for me. “She’s fine. She just tends to be… overly emotional. If you’ll excuse us.” Mom said before gripping my arm and leading me away. “What are you doing?” I jerked my arm away once we were inside and out of sight. “I was having a nice conversation with a nice man!” She reached out, pinching me before placing her hands on her hips. “First off, don’t you ever cop an attitude with me again missy. Second, he is your father’s subordinate! What do you think it will look like if you’re flirting with him?” I furrowed my brows, pinching the bridge of my nose. “Oh my god, I was not flirting, mom! It was a normal conversation.” She scoffed. “Don’t talk back to me. Now, you will not speak to your father’s subordinates. These navy boys are not worth your time, or mine when you get your heart broken.” I rolled my eyes. “Dad seemed to be worth your time.” I popped off. Suddenly I heard a loud slap and my cheek stung. “He was worth my time, and you should be grateful because that’s why you are here.”

“Now,” She said as she composed herself and straightened her dress. “Clean yourself up, quit your crying and join me outside in five minutes.” She said as she pushed past me, making her way back outside. I turned, rushing into the bathroom as tears streaked my face once again. I cleaned myself up as best I could and let my hair down hoping it would hide the growing red mark on my cheek. I took a deep breath and plastered a smile on my face before going back outside. My father was standing with Lieutenant Seresin and a few others. I made my way over as my mom turned to greet me, a smile on her face. But in reality, that smile was a threat, saying if I screwed this up it wouldn’t be good. She looped her arm through mine as I stood next to her. “Oh, and this is our daughter, Katherine Scarlett Blair.” All eyes were on me, so I opted for a small smile. Something simple that couldn’t be mistaken for anything more than what it was. My father continued to ramble as I looked through the group. Immediately catching the blue eyes of Arnold Cooper, he smirked and waved as I turned my head away. I couldn’t stand him. He was so rude on our date, letting me go on then only to tell me how stupid the topic was and then went on to critique everything about me.

Your eyes are too far apart.

Your bottom lip is too big, it makes your smile look weird.

You’re too tall in those heels.

Your thighs are too big.

Anything he could find wrong, he pointed out. I left there crying and he never called or texted me again, which I was grateful for. I looked away, staring out at the ocean, ignoring the conversation. I wonder if I could just get a boat and take off. Quit law school, leave my parents behind and just go. Travel somewhere they would never think to find me. Like Nepal maybe? More specifically Kathmandu. It’s beautiful and I could do lots of hiking and exploring. “Katherine.” I turned, looking up at my mother who had a harsh look on her face. “I’m sorry. Were you talking to me?” I asked, turning back to the group. Lieutenant Seresin nodded. “Admiral Blair says you’re in Law school. Which one?” Of course, daddy would mention law school. “USD school of Law.” He smiled at me. “And how long do you have left before you graduate?” I opened my mouth to answer when my father cut me off. “She about to finish her first year. She’s on her way to being the best lawyer in California.” My parents didn’t have that much hope for me. They just wanted me to make good money. “Nice, how do you like it?” Another Lieutenant asked, he had a mustache that most people couldn’t pull off. “She loves it. It’s been her dream since she was a little girl.” My mom said as she ran her fingers through my ponytail.

“Is there a certain type of law you want to practice?” Lieutenant Seresin asked. Once again, I was answered for. “Either medical law or corporate law. She just can’t decide.” I nodded, just going along with it. Everyone looked between my parents and me, questioning look in their eyes. “Well I just wanted to wish you guys the best of luck on this mission of yours. I’ve read over the file and I have to say, it’s very dangerous, but you’re the best of the best for a reason.” They all smiled, shaking my dad’s hand before him and my mother walked away. I turned to follow but stopped at the sound of Coop’s voice. “Following mommy and daddy around like a lost puppy?” I kept walking, trying to ignore him. “Can’t even function on her own.” I turned around, glaring at him. “You’re the one that insulted me on that so called date, so why are you even bothering to talk to me? You’re the one that ran around telling everyone how weird I am anyway.” He chuckled, “Just wanted to get a rise out of you sweetheart.” I rolled my eyes, walking away. “Whiny bitch.” My fists clenched at my sides, and it took everything in me to keep walking, but I didn’t have to go far as my mother met me halfway. “What was that?” I furrowed my brows at her. “He just wanted a rise out of me.” I admitted and she huffed. “Get your emotions in check. Because if you ruin our image, there will be hell to pay.”

A few days later I was on base, heading to my father’s office. I apparently couldn’t be trusted home alone so I would sit in the rec room on base to study while I waited for my father to finish his work. “Hi, daddy.” He smiled at me as I walked into his office. “Hi, sweetie.” Good mood. Safe. I walked over kissing his cheek. “How did your exam go?” I bit my lip, nervous. “I feel like I did good on it. I only had to go back to a handful of questions.” He turned to me; an eyebrow raised. “Well good.” I exhaled lightly in relief, escaping his wrath for now. “Well, you know where the rec room is. I’ll come get you when I’m done.” I nodded, hiking my backpack higher on my shoulder and making my way to the rec room, dress swishing around my thighs. I kept my head down, knowing I would attract attention. It’s always better if I don’t meet their gazes. I made it to the rec room and thankfully, it was empty. I sighed, setting my stuff down and pulling out my laptop and textbooks. I pushed my glasses up the bridge of my nose as I got to work, studying.

My phone kept buzzing and I tried to ignore it, but finally I picked it up, looking at the notification before scrolling through my Instagram feed. “Oh ho, look who we have here gentlemen.” I slammed my phone down at the voice, a reaction I’ve picked up from living with my parents. I looked up, seeing Coop walk in with a few other pilots behind him. I didn’t recognize any of them except Lieutenant Seresin, who brought up the back of the line. “And what are you studying, Kate?” I withheld my eyeroll at the nickname and ignored him, going back to jotting down notes from my textbook. “Oh, come on, honey. Don’t ignore me.” I saw him stand up out of my peripheral vision, but I never expected him to snatch my glasses right off my face. “Hey!” I yelled, standing so fast I knocked over my chair. “Arnold!” I yelled his first name, hoping it would catch his attention. “Oh, come on honey! You can’t reach even in those heels!” He teased, making me even more angry. "We're grown adults! Give me back my glasses!" I yelled, jumping to reach my glasses and praying I wasn't flashing the other pilots behind me as my dress shifted around my thighs. "You're cute when you're mad sweetheart." I whipped around to Lieutenant Seresin, and if looks could kill, he would be six feet under. "Sorry that I enjoy seeing and I can't do that without my fucking glasses!" I turned around, landing a punch to Coop's gut. "Give them back!" I yelled, snatching them as he hit the ground. "Katy Scarlett!" Fear filled me at the sound of my father's voice yelling my full name.

I froze, dropping my glasses as I saw his figure standing in the doorway. “What the hell are you doing?” He asked as Coop stood, holding his gut. “I-um-I-he-“ “Stop fucking stuttering and get your stuff and go home.” He commanded. I nodded as I grabbed my glasses, slipping them back on my face before rushing to gather my things. “NOW!” I was shaking so bad, I put what I could in my bag before gathering everything else in my arms, rushing out as tears slipped down my face. As I walked away, I could hear my father apologizing to everyone for my behavior. I made it outside, getting into my Lexus in hopes I could pull out before he met me outside, but no such luck. He came outside just as I shut my door. I rolled down my window, keeping my head down as he leaned into my car. “You go home, and you wait for me. We’re going to have a serious talk.” I nodded, mumbling a ‘yes sir’ before he stepped away. I rolled up my window, taking the long way home as I cried.

Once home my mother was waiting, I assume my dad called her. I took my stuff upstairs and sat in the dining room, waiting for my dad to get home. Once he did, he was yelling before he even came through the door. “What the hell were you thinking?! Acting that way in front of my men!” I flinched as the door slammed into the wall, hearing his feet stomp through the house. I opened my mouth to answer as he walked through the door, but stopped as he held his hand up. “I don’t fucking care! You assaulted a naval officer!” “YOU DID WHAT?!” I flinched again as my mother screamed in my ear. “He took my glasses.” I mumbled and my mother groaned. “Enough of this mumbling shit! Just speak up!” “He took my glasses! He snatched them right off my face!” I said loudly. “Well, if you would wear your contacts, that wouldn’t have happened!” I crossed my arms over my chest in frustration. “They give me a headache.” “Then take an aspirin!” I stood, turning to her. “I should be able to wear my glasses without someone taking them, and I shouldn’t have to wear contacts if they make my head hurt!” My father quickly stepped closer. My knees buckling out of fear and planting me back in the dining room chair as he bent down in my face.

“I don’t care what he did. Tomorrow, after class, you will come onto base, and you will give him a sincere apology.” My jaw dropped. “So, he gets to take my glasses, preventing me from studying and I have to apologize to him?” He nodded, crossing his arms over his chest. “You will, and you will do it with a smile.” I sighed. “God! Just stop the huffing and puffing! You did this to yourself! Now go upstairs and study. If you fail another test, you don’t get to come back here and cry about it. You’ll have nowhere to go.” My mother threatened, making a shiver run up my spine, knowing she was serious. I just nodded, standing and looking to my father. “Dismissed.” I bit my lip, rushing upstairs. I shut my bedroom door, tears streaming down my cheeks. I covered my mouth as I slid down the door, silencing my sobs. Why can’t I just control my emotions? I should’ve just let him keep my glasses and stayed in my chair. I took a shaky breath, wiping my cheeks clean. I stood, kicking off my heels and walking over to my fish tank. “Hey guys.” I watched as the colorful fish swam around, a few swimming up to my face as I rested my chin on the shelf the tank rested on. “You hungry?” I asked as I grabbed the container of fish food. They all rushed to the side of the tank I kept the food on, watching intensely as I sprinkled it into the tank. All five fish ate as if they were starving when in reality, I fed them this morning. I heard heavy footsteps coming up the stairs, knowing they were my fathers, I dove for my bag. Quickly pulling out my textbooks and rushing into my desk chair just as the door opened. “I don’t want to see you out of this room till dinner. You understand me?” I nodded as I opened my book. “Yes, sir.”

The next day I was dreading everything, including waking up. But I did, getting myself ready in an olive-green dress that was knee length with a ruffled hem and nude heels. I struggled to focus in class, not sure how I would manage to survive the ridiculous apology. I couldn’t focus, taking half-assed notes as I thought of how humiliating this was going to be. I barely managed to walk out of the building and get into my car. I could just drive off, maybe somewhere upstate, or even into Mexico. But they would just report my car stolen and I’d be right back here, more miserable than ever. I don’t remember the drive to base, or showing the guard my ID. But soon I found myself walking into my dad’s office, keeping my head down as I stood in front of his desk. “About time. You got out of class twenty minutes ago.” I pulled on my thumbs, wanting to snap that it takes me twenty-five minutes to get here from school, but I just kept my mouth shut. “Set your bag down.” I set my bag in the chair as he stood from his own. “Follow me.” I followed him out of his office and down the hall, keeping my head down as my heels clicked on the tile. He led us outside to the hangar, my heels announcing our arrival. I managed to lift my head, looking at the ginormous jet across the way. “Captain Mitchell.” I looked up to see an older man turn from his team to look at us. “Commander Blair.” Everyone jumped up, standing at attention and saluting him as we walked closer. “As you were.” Movement caught my eye, and I glanced behind everyone to see Lieutenant Seresin and the other man with the mustache walking closer.

“Lieutenant Cooper. Step forward.” I pulled on my thumbs again, my knees growing weak from nerves. Coop stepped closer, keeping a poker face as he did as my dad asked. “Katy, I think you have something to say to Lieutenant Cooper.” I felt everyone’s eyes on me from behind Coop and I looked up to my dad who just quirked a brow as if to say, ‘Get on with it.’ I took a step forward, averting my eyes from everyone behind him down to my feet. “Coop, I just wanted to say-“ “Eyes on me when you’re talking to me sweetheart.” My head snapped up, glaring at him. “Wasn’t there something you had to say to me?” He was trying to get a rise out of me again, and I wasn’t going to fall for it this time. “I wanted to apologize for my behavior yesterday. It was wrong of me to hit you.” I said through gritted teeth. Coop poked his bottom lip out, tilting his head at me. “I don’t think you mean it.” Tears of frustration gathered in my eyes as I fought back every emotion within me. I shook my head and took a big breath before I gave him the biggest smile I could muster. “The way I acted yesterday was wrong, and I never should’ve punched you. I really hope you can forgive me.” He grinned at me, relishing this moment. “Of course, I forgive you, sweetheart.” I nodded, folding my hands in front of me. “Good, now that that is out of the way. You can go back to training, and you need to go study.” My father’s hand slammed down on my shoulder, making me jump as he did so. “Yes, sir.”

With that I went back to my dad’s office, grabbing my bag and going into the rec room to study just like I did the day before. I sat there, staring at my textbooks but not reading them. What I wouldn’t give to go back and punch Coop in his smug ugly face. God, why did I ever think he was attractive? Thinking back on it he’s really not, and he has an ugly personality to match. God, I hate him, and I can’t stand my father for making me do that. Should I have hit him? No. But did he deserve it? Hell yes. “Do you need help?” I looked up, caught off guard by the quiet voice. A blonde man with stunning blue eyes and glasses stood before me. “Oh. No, I don’t. Don’t trouble yourself with me.” I said as I turned my head back down to my books. “I’m pretty good at law. I started in the Law education program at the naval academy before changing majors.” I narrowed my eyes at him, and he gave me a small smile. “What does Amicus Curiae mean?” I bit my lip, realizing I didn’t know the answer. “On the bench?” It was more of a question than an answer. “That’s En banc. It’s Latin for ‘friend of the court’.” I nodded slowly. “I’d be more than happy to help you study.” I stared at my textbook for a minute, going over my options. I could study on my own and risk failing, which means my parents would kick me out of the house. But if he helped me, maybe I can pass and live in the house another day.

“Okay. You can help me.” He smiled at me, slipping in the chair next to me. “Your name is Katy, right?” I nodded, realizing he was there when I had to give that stupid apology. “I’m Bob.” He held out his hand for me to shake, clasping my fingers around his, I realized just how big his hands are. I was worried I would struggle to study with Bob, but he made it so easy. He taught me a few ways to remember phrases, and it’s like a whole new world opened up in front of me. “Hey! Baby on Board! What are you doing?” Our heads snapped up at the sound of Coop's voice. He seemed angry, and Lieutenant Seresin behind him didn’t look happy either. I watched as his eyes shifted from Bob to me and I immediately hung my head. “Don’t waste your time with her. Come on.” He waved him over and Bob looked to me before back to Coop. “I think I’m gonna stay here and help her study.” My head snapped up to him in surprise and he flashed me a small smile. “She’s not fucking worth it. Now, come on.” Bob opened his mouth to retort, but Lieutenant Seresin cut him off. “Don’t fucking argue, Floyd.” I closed my text book, putting it in my back. “I’ll just leave.”

“I see you’ve finally got some brains. You can finally tell when people don’t want you around.” Coop snapped and I just stood with my bag, ignoring his words. “I have to say, I can’t stand to look at her face. But God do I love watching her walk away.” I heard their laughter behind me. I just kept my head down, hiding my tears as I made my way down the hallway. Once I was a ways down the hallway, I stopped, pulling my glasses off and wiping my eyes clean. “Hey, you okay?” I turned, seeing a woman and the guy with the mustache walking up. I turned to them, leaning against the wall as I took a deep breath. “O-oh, yeah. I’m fine.” The girl smiled at me. “We just wanted to say, Coop was completely in the wrong.” She said and the guy behind her smiled. “Yeah, and it definitely wasn’t okay that Commander Blair made you apologize to him.” I offered them a small smile. “Thanks.” The girl held out her hand for me to shake. “Natasha, callsign Phoenix.” I shook the guys hand next. “Bradley, callsign Rooster.” I smiled, feeling a little better. Their smiles were infectious.

“I’m-“ “Katy Scarlett!” My fathers voice boomed down the hallway, making me stand rigid as I turned to face him. “You’re supposed to be studying.” I nodded, folding my hands in front of me. “Yes, sir. It was just getting noisy in the rec room, so I was coming to ask if I could go home and study there? I’ll probably focus better.” He stared at me for a moment before looking to Natasha and Bradley. “Was she bothering you?” My shoulders tensed as he laid a hand on them, turning me around to face them. I kept my eyes trained on my heels, not meeting anyone’s eyes. “Not at all. I noticed her shoes in the hangar earlier and stopped her to ask them what brand they were. Valentino? Right?” Natasha asked as she leaned down to catch my eyes. I stared into hers, seeing something flash in them and I knew she was trying to keep me out of trouble. “Yes. They’re very comfortable.” My dad nodded, looking down at me. “Very well. Go home. I’ll be late so make sure you’re studying before dinner.” I nodded. “Yes, sir.” I said before turning and making my way out to my car. Once I was inside, I released a breath I didn’t realize I was holding. “I owe Natasha big time.” I mumbled to myself as I cranked my car.

I studied until dad came home, rushing downstairs to make sure I had the table set before he sat down. Once I did that he sat down, and mom placed his plate in front of him before we made our plates. “How was work, dear?” My mom asked, looking over at my dad. “Good. I have to be on base early in the morning. The team that Iceman put together ships out for their mission in the morning.” I listened intensely as they discussed his work. “They keep talking about how ‘someone may not make it back’. Cyclone isn’t worried about it, but Maverick is.” My mom scoffed. “Ugh. Maverick? He’s still flying? I figured he would’ve been discharged from the Navy, or more likely, dead.” My dad chuckled. “Maybe we’ll get lucky, and he’ll go down on this mission.” My heart lurched into my throat at his words. How can someone have such disregard for human life? “Katy.” My head snapped up to catch my mother’s eye. “God, listen to me the first time I say your name. You need to eat more peas.” I took a deep breath. “I’m twenty-five mother. I eat every vegetable but peas.” She grabbed the spoon that sat in the bowl of peas and lifted it, slamming a huge scoop of them down on my plate. “Just fucking listen and eat them. I don’t need any remarks from you every time I say something.” I just did as she said, no energy to fight with her about it.

The texture and taste was gross, but I just have to pick my battles with her. When we were done, my parents went out onto the back deck for drinks, and I cleaned up the kitchen. I used to complain about it, but as I got older, I realized this was the only time I could guarantee they wouldn’t barge in and they would leave me alone. Once I was finished, I went back upstairs and into my room. I have spent most all of the day studying, so I opted to read a book from my shelf. I plucked Salem’s Lot from my shelf, plopping down on my bed to read it. I got 5 pages in when I heard footsteps coming up the stairs. My heart pounded in my chest, knowing they were my fathers, but they didn’t sound like angry footsteps. I sat up quickly when my door opened, my eyes widening behind my metal frames as my father stared at me. “What are you reading?” I gulped, looking down at the book in my hand. “Salem’s Lot?” It should’ve been a statement, but I was scared of the look in his eye. “You have another exam tomorrow.” I nodded, standing from my bed. “Yes, but I’ve been studying non-stop for the past week. I-I thought maybe reading something different for an hour would help me relax.” I was flipping the book from hand to hand, struggling to sit still in the tension filled room. “Just put it down and study. I’m tired of having to ride your ass about school. Just fucking study and pass your fucking tests before you force your mother and I to kick you out.” He huffed and I nodded. “Yes sir.” I put the book back before sitting down at my desk, turning on my laptop. With that he closed the door and I sighed, leaning back in my chair. While I waited for my computer to boot up, I stood, walking over to my fish tank to feed them. I watched as Splish and Splash, my twin goldfish shoved each other around trying to eat. “Guys. There’s plenty.” I dropped just a little more in the tank, giggling as the all rushed around. “Do you guys think I’d make a good lawyer?” I asked as Frankie, my angel fish turned to me, almost staring for a second before swimming off. “Yeah, I don’t think so either.” I sighed before sitting back down in my desk chair.

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Taglist: @wkndwlff @cherrycola27 @daisydaisygoose

#hangman #jake seresin #jake hangman seresin #jake seresin top gun #jake seresin x oc #hangman fic #hangman seresin #top gun maverick #top gun #top gun imagine #hangman top gun #undiagnosed #ADHD OC #jake seresin x neurodivergent oc

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simpxxstan · 8 months

Text

perfect complements (ch. 1)

pairing: professor!seungcheol x professor!f.reader

genre: fluff, enemies to lovers, angst, slight smut

series summary: four and a half years of working together breeds familiarity, resentment, and everything in between. it's almost like living together.

chapter word count: 2.1k

warnings: bickering (will be a major feature in this story, so please do not read if verbal fights are not your cup of tea), seungcheol smokes.

a/n: seventeen is my new addiction and i'm not backing off! this is inspired from my dream life (hehe i want to be an econ prof). the series title is an econ term lolol sorry if it's too geeky. i think this series will have multiple spinoffs, maybe you can guess for which characters? all i can hope for is that i'll be able to pull through the plot till the very end and not get writers' block midway :(

slight heads up? seungcheol is 32 here, and the f. reader y/n is 33 here. wonwoo is 35-36, and minghao is slightly younger than seungcheol, probably 30. chan is 24-25 years old. y/n is shorter than seungcheol, and wears glasses. not much other physical description of y/n. also, this fic will probably have different povs, so this chapter is from seungcheol's pov.

thank you so much for reading! your reblogs, likes and comments mean sooo much honestly. i know every content creator says this, and i know we all mean it from our hearts.

enjoy some of my ult svt bias, seungcheollie!

series masterlist

With four and a half years of working together comes a ton of familiarity. Choi Seungcheol knows it annoyingly well: annoying because he’s greeted by the sight of your coat on his chair again, and well because this is a sight he sees nearly every Monday. Four years ago, he would have tried to explain to you that it’s a Monday morning, he didn’t want to come to take classes this early, and his patience is running thin, so it would be very nice if you could remember which chair was yours every morning when you came and took off your coat. Three years ago, he would have shrieked out, irritation burning through his veins. Two years ago, he would walk up to your desk, and spill your coffee all over the term paper you were currently checking. One year ago, he would purposely ruin your day even if it increased his headache tenfold just thinking about ways to annoy you.

But not any more. Choi Seungcheol has decided you are not worth a penny of his hard earned money, a moment of his precious time, and a nano atom of his genius brain cells. He simply picks your coat and dumps it on the ground, deliciously close to the dustbin. He knows his ears shouldn’t perk up, but they do, and when they hear your reaction, it is so gratifying, it feels like he has won a World War.

“Prof. Choi, if you feel you cannot respect the personal property of others, feel free to accompany me to the Dean’s Office.” You have somehow stomped up to him, standing right before him, as he pulls out the chair to his desk, taking in the endless papers and books that are arranged neatly before him. Your attitude never ceases to surprise him, given that you’re an entire head shorter than him, and even if you’re wearing heels, he can tower over you whenever you stomp up to him in these little furies. It makes you look like a little furry puppy, your hands on your hips, and Seungcheol thrives off the fire burning in your eyes. “There, there. I’d actually love to, but it seems that you need to remember how to respect public property and not hog over the space of others.”

You’re staring at him above your glasses, which have slipped down to the middle of your nose, and god, Seungcheol finds it hilarious. He wants to burst out laughing, the only thing holding him on is his determination to not break character and push you further.

“And if your routine morning tantrums are over, Seungcheol and Y/N, please settle down in your seats. It seems like I have to send you both to college again.”

Said Dean’s voice booms out behind you, and although his voice is surprisingly firm, there’s a shit-eating grin on his face, and he walks towards the two of you. He picks up the coat, lying on the floor, and hands it to Y/N. Jeon Wonwoo does not miss out on how flustered you both look on getting caught during your little lovers’ quarrel, as Wonwoo likes to call it in his mind, all alone in the Economics Department Staffroom.

“Morning Wonwoo! Enlighten me why no one else is here. Why am I stuck with this lady through this sad Monday morning?”

Seungcheol leans back on his chair, casual now that Wonwoo has calmed down the mood. You walk back to your desk, which unfortunately is right opposite Seungcheol’s, but he’s used to your ugly face to stay unfazed by it now. It’s like a terrible gift from a nosy relative you’ve hung up on the wall for long enough that it doesn’t catch the eye anymore and is just… there. But he’s quick to take note of how you’re smiling at Wonwoo, your glasses have been pushed to the top of your head, revealing your forehead and the same tiny pair of diamond hoops you wear every day.

It is, like he knows well, a scene of familiarity. And he really despises that fact.

“Minghao has a conference, he’s in the States. This is in preparation for his exchange program thing.”

“Oh yeah, he texted me on Saturday that he’s leaving soon… wasn’t aware it’s today.” You speak softly, already opening your laptop to get started with your work for the day.

“And Minhee is in the Girls’ Hostel.”

“Why?” You both ask, confused. “I thought Prof. Kim from History is the warden?” “Yes, but they’ve recently gone on their maternity leave. Minhee has to take over. And, bad luck for her, but on the very first day, there’s been a kind of emergency. Some punches were thrown while drunk, and now Minhee’s lecturing them.” “As if anyone’s gonna take her seriously,” Seungcheol scoffs, since everyone knew Minhee to be one of the coolest professors in the university.

“Hey! They took me very seriously, thank you. This is the problem with men. Give them a woman with good tits and a kind face and they think she’s a dumb bitch to run over.” Minhee walks into the small Staffroom, looking very much exhausted but she’s never going to admit it. She plops down on your desk, pushing away the laptop. “Is the situation better now?” you ask, holding out your coffee to Minhee, asking her silently to take a sip. “Yes, thankfully. I’ll have to go and check again after classes get over for the day.”

“Well then, you’re all up to date. Don’t forget the meeting with the Faculty Coordinator today at 5 pm!” “Yes Sir,” you all echo unenthusiastically, as Wonwoo chuckles and walks out of the room. It’s going to be a long day and Seungcheol can already feel his temples buzzing.

Six classes down, and he’s feeling the Monday blues wear off into a blissful exhaustion. At the end of the day, this is a profession he has not once regretted choosing. He absolutely adores spending time with his students- mostly. There’s always going to be a black sheep, like Lee Chan from his Advanced Game Theory course. Chan isn’t a bad guy, per se. He’s just over-enthusiastic and is always looking to impress: which results in him reading texts beyond his level just to try and make Seungcheol happy and end up confusing the entire concept.

But at least dealing with the well-meaning Chan is better than going to the faculty counselling meeting with you. Well, not just with you. But he knows very well what he’s going to hear at the meeting, and he’s absolutely dreading it. He has nearly the same look on his face as his students do when they get the term results, he’s just better at masking it.

As he walks into the Faculty Coordinator’s office, he sees you’re already sitting in a corner, staring outside the window, while Minhee is chatting with the Coordinator. He notices you glancing his way once, before turning your eyes towards the sky again. “Good Afternoon Prof. Choi! How are you doing?” Ms. Song looks at Seungcheol with warm eyes as he takes a seat. “I’m fine, thank you, and you?” It seems that nervousness has rendered Seungcheol incapable of forming sentences beyond nursery-level, and both Minhee and Ms. Song let out a small laugh at his childish response. “I’m sure you know why you’re here, Prof. Choi, as does Prof. Y/L/N. I’ll spare you the intro.” Minhee asks, “Am I really needed to be here?” Ms. Song says, “Prof. Jeon, unless you seriously want me to be alone with this pair who want to murder each other, I would really prefer if you could be here.” Seungcheol is blushing now, embarrassed to the toe. He can hear you groan, and Minhee somehow finds it all funny enough to smile. “If it's so amusing to you, Minhee, you can leave. We swear we won’t kill each other today, if we’ve been able to control ourselves all this time.” Seungcheol’s not even looking at you, but the sarcasm is biting his skin.

“Alright, alright. Calm down, Prof. Y/L/N. Remember, aggression is not the key. We’re here for resolutions.”

“Well then, could we please proceed to the point directly?”

“You’re in a rush on a Monday? You play baseball with the kids after class-” you ask him, staring into his face.

“I have a date today after class.”

That shuts you up for good, and Seungcheol feels queasy. It’s one thing trying to get the last word in, and it’s another to hit your weak point just to get the last word in. He wants to explain but Ms. Song interrupts. “I’ll cut the chase. From what I can see now, and from all the reports I’ve received in the last three months, there’s been not much improvement from the situation we had observed earlier. In fact, it’s only gotten more alarming-”

“Ever since I’ve turned thirty-three,” you sigh, but Ms. Song ignores you.

“I’ve spoken to the Dean, Dr. Wonwoo, and also to some of the other faculty members you share your classes and university space with. We collectively think it’s only fair to say that your interpersonal relationship is harming the kind of environment we want to foster in our university. It is, by no means, a new development, and students of several batches have noticed this relationship of yours as well. This kind of banter, which includes quite serious threats at times-” she raises a hand to quieten Seungcheol’s attempt to interrupt, “is not conducive to a healthy academic environment.”

You both sigh, you whisper something along the lines of it’s not that serious, and although Seungcheol hates to say it out loud, he agrees with you.

“I would recommend you both to go to the University Counsellor and take a few… bonding sessions over the next semester. We think this kind of banter is not too serious, we’re extremely hopeful of a resolution. It’s just not happening right now, because you’re not aware of the efforts to be taken. Once you sit with a counsellor, the path will be clearer-”

Seungcheol doesn’t even realise when he’s stood up. It feels stuffy. He had thought he was long past the age of getting reprimanded for fighting with his peers.

“I really have to leave now. Thank you for the talk, Ms. Song. I’ll get back to you with my schedule and we can set up the meetings with the counsellor.”

“Prof. Choi.” The voice is stern, and Seungcheol holds up. He needs a cigarette, or fresh air. Neither is really available right now, so he grips on to the chair to steady himself. “I will mail you the meetings and Plan of Action, and you shall adjust your schedule accordingly. You know the consequences-” Seungcheol nods before the threat gets completed. Wonwoo has explained the consequences several times to him.

“I will do so. Don’t worry, Ms. Song. You shall get nothing but my best efforts.” “I hope so. Really.”

Seungcheol finally steps out of the room, and heaves deep breaths to get his brain working again. His phone rings, as he walks down the stairs to get away from the building. He picks it up while lighting the cigarette between his lips as he leaves the campus-

“Hello Cheollie! Should I come over to your place to pick you up or-”

“Hyerin?”

“What? Did you forget about our date? Yah! Oppa!”

“No no, I just-” he realises that you’ve just left the campus walking past him, not even sparing him a glance. He watches you as you walk farther away from him, your car blinking in the distance, and the tap-tap of your heels fading out amidst the sounds of the wind. The campus is remarkably quiet for this time of the day, or maybe he’s just too out of it all.

“I’ll meet you at the cafe. We can go to your place later, right?”

“Yes yes, I’ve talked to my roommate already, but why not Oppa’s place this time?” the sickly sweet voice from the other end of the phone irritates him, but he knows she’s acting cute just for fun.

“You know why-”

“Oppa, Kkuma doesn’t care about the girls you bring over.” “She does! She’s a very sensitive princess.” “Cheol-ah, you can just say you don’t care enough about me, and I’ll get it. Don’t bring the poor baby into this.” Seungcheol sighs. This is why he likes Hyerin, she can be mature when she wants to.

But it seems like now is not the time.

“I’ll see you later then, Oppa! Maybe tonight will change your mind!” “Hmm!” Seungcheol hears the call get cut, and he finally drags a puff from his cigarette. You’ve disappeared out of sight, and Seungcheol’s mind is clear now.

#choi seungcheol #s.coups #s.coups x reader #seventeen x reader #seventeen fanfiction #seventeen fluff #seventeen series #s.coups series #s.coups fluff #s.coups fanfiction #seungcheol fanfiction #seungcheol x y/n #seungcheol series #seungcheol fanfic #seungcheol x reader #seventeen fanfic #perfect complements series #simpxxstan

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sugawarassoulmate · 2 years

Text

baby, you're a haunted house

“do you always have to toy with him?” you ask once you’re sure the two of you are alone but akiteru keeps you close to his body, shrugging at your words. “you’re so mean, baby!” with a whine, you tug the mask down so you can look akiteru in the eye while you scold him.

your boyfriend wasn’t exactly high on the idea of going to a college party four years after he’s already graduated but it was hard to deny you when you kept begging him the past few weeks. but after he heard his brother was coming, he practically leaped at the opportunity. he’s able to openly be with you—as open as he can be with a mask on—and piss off kei? that’s a recipe for a great night.

pairing: bad boy!akiteru x reader

words: 3.3k cw: fem!reader, halloween party, drunk sex, dubcon, knife play (it’s a fake knife), age gap (reader is 20/akiteru is 25), multiple orgasms, unprotected sex, secret relationship, akiteru calls reader a “slut” once, minors dni

disclaimer: on this blog, we discuss and explore toxic relationships/situations/just because i write about these themes does not mean i condone/support these types of relationships nor do i do them in my own personal life.

these are fictional characters in fictional scenarios and nobody should be taking real-life advice or mirror the actions of the characters in these stories!

“You seem comfortable,”

“And you seem very uncomfortable. Who’re you supposed to be again?” Kei sighs, annoyed that he has to explain his costume to you for the tenth time that night. He caught up to you as you went into the kitchen to grab another beer from the cooler. The two of you got separated after he started catching up with Yamaguchi, who was looking super adorable in his Spider-Man costume.

“I’m Clark Kent,” he says definitely, pointing to the red “S” on his chest. The look you give him tells Kei you need more context. Again. “Alter ego of Superman.” It’s a cute enough ensemble. Kei’s got a button-down shirt on with the buttons undone just enough to show off the t-shirt underneath with the Superman logo.

His blonde hair is parted to the side and he’s wearing glasses with a thicker frame than usual. It’s a simple look, Kei wasn’t really the extravagant type.

But you were such a cliche, living up to the slutty Halloween trope every year. This time you went with a cheerleader costume with a cropped top, the shortest tennis skirt you could find, and, of course, a pair of pom-poms which you had unfortunately lost while dancing.

“Don’t you think you’ve had enough?” Kei asks, golden eyes staring at the can of White Claw in your hand that you just cracked open. “That’s what—your third one in an hour? I’m not giving you a piggyback ride when you’re too tired to walk home.”

You rolled your eyes and sipped on the seltzer anyway. Kei was always a buzzkill at parties, which is why you’re still surprised he even accompanied you to this one. Parties always seemed to crop up at the off-campus housing around Halloweekend and you were a frequent attendee, getting drunk and shaking ass with your friends.

Kei usually stays home, only to get bombarded with texts and Snapchat videos of you getting sloppy with your girlfriends in the skimpiest costume you could find that year—a nurse, a witch, a cowgirl, and even a slutty Chucky from the Child’s Play movies.

And every other year, you’d drunkenly call Kei because you somehow lost your friends and needed someone to help you get home. “Keiiiiii can you come get me?”

But this time is different for several reasons. The most obvious was Kei deciding to join you—sending a simple text that read i’m coming to the party. It seems like a last-minute decision, evident by the makeshift costume he was able to put together with what he had accessible to him but you’re thankful to have a familiar face in the sea of nobodies that flood this dingy frat house.

“I’ll be fine, dad, you forget how great my tolerance is,” you quip, taking another swig. The disappointment in Kei’s eyes doesn’t falter but you’re quick to change the conversation before he can scold you again. “Are you gonna sulk the entire time? Go mingle! Have fun, go—”

“You want me to grind up on random people like you were doing?”

You’ll give him that, the sluttiness doesn’t just stop at your costume. There have been plenty of parties that ended in heated makeout sessions in the bathroom with the stranger that had been catching your eye the entire night. The worst of it was the one-night stand you had with the cute guy in the Michael Myer’s mask that turned out to be one of the student-workers at the library. (You have to avoid eye contact with him every time there’s an issue with the printer now.)

“Maybe you should, Kei, you might get lucky,” you tease, bumping your shoulder into his. Your antics finally get a smile out of him, albeit a small one.

It all disappears when someone barges into the kitchen you two are talking in. A goof wearing a Ghostface costume makes a beeline toward you, holding two flashy, red streamers in one hand and a fake knife in the other. “My pom-poms!” you gasped, wrapping your arms around the horror movie slasher as if it’s Christmas and he's brought you a gift.

Kei watches with disdain as you tipsily flirt with the masked stranger, who holds your pom-poms over your head in an effort to keep you talking with him. The blonde is about to tell Ghostface off when the creep grabs your hand and pulls you out of the room without another word. “I’ll catch you later, Kei!” you giggle, allowing yourself to get pulled to the other side of the house, away from any prying eyes.

“Do you always have to toy with him?” you ask once you’re sure the two of you are alone but Ghostface keeps you close to his body, shrugging at your words. “You’re so mean, baby!” With a whine, you tug the mask down so you can look Akiteru in the eye while you scold him.

Your boyfriend wasn’t exactly high on the idea of going to a college party four years after he’s already graduated but it was hard to deny you when you kept begging him the past few weeks. But after he heard his brother was coming, he practically leaped at the opportunity. He’s able to openly be with you—as open as he can be with a mask on—and piss off Kei? That’s a recipe for a great night.

Plus, he couldn’t keep his hands off you with your spooky cheerleader outfit. You’re just so cute, he could eat you up. “You’re so pretty,” he mumbles, looking down at you in the dark hallway. He leans over to kiss you, the first one of the night now that he’s got you to himself.

“And you’re not listening to anything I say, huh?” you groaned, allowing Akiteru to keep pressing his lips against yours. With the way you’re soft for this boy, he could get away with murder. So what’s the damage if he tortures his little brother a bit? “Well, at least you found my pom-poms,” you said, cutely waving the metallic streamers.

“I think I deserve a reward for that,” Akiteru teases, hoping for another kiss but you grab his arm instead. His cute face starts to pout when you hand him back his mask, knowing that he won’t be getting any more kisses from you at the moment.

“Don’t give me that look, Aki. Dance with me and maybe you’ll get a reward,” you said, giving him one last peck before making him put the mask back on. Once his identity was concealed, you pulled him back to the living room where the party carried on—completely unaware that there was someone that definitely didn’t belong in their midst.

As the party progressed, your inhibitions got increasingly lowered. You met up with some of your girlfriends from class, none of whom questioned the 6ft slasher you were grinding against, and downed some shots. After each shot you’d get loud and giggly, grabbing your girls to dance in the middle of the room.

With each song, you and your friends sang your hearts out and even dragged Kei in for a while. For a moment, he came out of his shell cracking jokes as you and Yamaguchi danced around him. However, you were completely unaware of the tension between your childhood friend and the horror movie killer that nearly matches his height.

Each time Kei tried to get a little closer to you or wrap his arm around your shoulder, he’d get accidentally get bumped into by the faux knife-wielding stranger, who seemed to not have any idea how it happened.

But whenever he plucked the courage to call him out on it, your sweet face would sway him. “Aren’t you having fun, Kei?” Any anger that he had would disappear at that moment and he’d have no choice but to calm down.

As it got later into the night, though, Kei got a bit restless. “Hey, I think I’m gonna head home,” he yells over the music into your ear. His body feels exhausted and he wants nothing more than to collapse in bed.

You, on the other hand, don’t plan on stopping anytime soon. “What do you meeeean, it’s not even that late!” Your words were slurred at this point, anything and everything made you laugh and with each second it was getting harder for Kei to leave but his bones were telling him it was time to go home.

“You should be going home too,” Kei says, grabbing your hand but, even in your drunken state, you’re quick to free yourself from his grasp.

“Nooo, I’m staying, I’ll be fine,” you said, retreating back to your equally inebriated friends. Kei’s ready to argue with you but stops when that irritating Ghostface asshole is back, wrapping his arms around your waist and dragging you in for another dance.

That’s when it finally clicks to Kei that you won’t be going home with him tonight.

You’re so engrossed with your mystery partner that you barely acknowledge Kei’s “be careful,” as he heads out of the house, a nervous Yamaguchi in tow. Unbeknownst to Kei though, is that he’s left you with the one person you’ve been wanting to spend the most time with.

Daringly, you lift up Ghostface’s mask just enough you expose his mouth and kiss Akiteru on the lips, breathing in the scent of his cologne. “Careful, baby,” he whispers.

“I think I’m ready to give you your reward,” you say, nodding your head over to the door in the hallway that leads to the basement.

“This is exactly the kind of scenario that you’d want to avoid in a horror movie,” he said, hovering over you on the small couch in the middle of the basement. The thumping sound of the party was heard above your heads but the both of you were too involved with each other to care. “Look at you, you’re even underneath the killer, baby.”

You hummed, untying the knot wrapped around the waist of Akiteru’s costume, wanting to get rid of all of the fabric coming to touch his body. “No, please don't kill me, Mr. Ghostface,” you joked, alcohol still heavy on your breath. “I want to be in the sequel.” You laugh, pulling Akiteru’s costume over his head for him, along with his shirt.

“You’re really pulling out the movie quotes right now?” he grimaces, most girls get flirty when they’re drunk but you become an even bigger dork. Maybe he’s the weird one though since he finds that odd part of you attractive. Akiteru’s cool, older guy exterior crumbles once he feels you tugging at the belt of his jeans, desperate to get him undressed. “Did you miss me, baby?”

“Mmhm…” you nod. Once Akiteru’s belt is unbuckled, you work hard to drag his pants down but he pins your hands back to the couch, attacking your lips with deep kisses.

“It’s not fair if I’m the only one getting undressed, hm?” He says, pulling off the top of your cheer uniform. With skillful fingers, Akiteru is able to remove your bra as well. He takes a second to take in your half-naked form—doe eyes staring up at him in a drunken haze. After another kiss, he flips up your skirt, thumb rubbing against the front of your panties.

It wasn’t the ideal location—the basement was a mess and smelled like stale beer but it would have to do for now. With the current state of your relationship, it’s rare for the two of you to get any time together. You’re busy with school and Akiteru’s work schedule it’s always a bit of a struggle. Plus, neither of you is sure how to drop the news to Kei.

There have been a few moments where you’ve been found out and if Kei has caught on, he hasn’t made it known. But you’re certainly not in the mood to be upfront about it now at least. Akiteru takes it all in stride, never pressuring you to tell anyone until you’re ready. Besides, sneaking around is kind of fun sometimes and fucking with Kei’s head is only the icing on the cake.

Akiteru groans when he pulls down your panties and sees how wet you already are, probably just as pent up as he was the whole night. Maybe you’ve been hoping to have some time alone too. He doesn’t get enough time to appreciate the sight, though as you start whining for him to do something. “Let me have my fun,” he snaps, slapping your thigh to get you to behave. “It’s been a while, can you even take me anymore?”

You’re so frustrated, so hungry for any kind of stimulation. With a locked door, Akiteru has all the time in the world to toy with you and he intends on taking advantage of it. He reaches over and grabs the knife from his costume and runs the rubber blade along your stomach. The sudden touch makes you jolt. “Sweetie, it’s fake, remember?” he coos, tickling your abdomen before venturing a bit lower. Flipping the knife over, Akiteru rubs the hilt against your slit, laughing when you gasp at the touch.

With two of his fingers, Akiteru stretches you out while the blade handle keeps teasing your bud, bringing you to the brink of an orgasm. “That’s right, cum for me, dumb girl. You’re such a fucking horror slut cumming around a knife. Maybe I’ll use a real one next time, hm? Wanna see that cute lil fear in your eyes when I make you cum,” he rambles, pressing harder on your clit.

“Aki, I want your cock. Wanna cum from your cock, please,” you cried, clutching the fabric of the couch underneath you. Akiteru found it so precious to see you trying to stop yourself from cumming. He knows his fingers aren’t enough, you want his cock to pump you full until you can’t think anymore. Such a sweet girl you are but Akiteru wants to embarrass you.

He doesn’t let up, though. Instead, Akiteru pulls his fingers out and fucks you with the knife hilt, using his thumb to circle your clit this time. You’re shaking, unable to form a coherent sentence and Akiteru knows you’re going to cum. “You’re really gonna cum on my knife, huh? Don’t worry, baby, you’ll get my cock. I just wanted to make sure you could take it,” He says, keeping your legs spread while he continues punishing your pussy.

Your eyes roll to the back of your head, tongue drooling as you finally cum. Your hands reach for Akiteru’s wrist, trying to stop his movements before you get too sensitive but he keeps going, making you ride out your orgasm until your body stops twitching. “That’s my good girl. It was so much, right? You’ve earned my cock, sweetie, gonna give it all to you.”

Akiteru tugs his pants and boxers down just enough to free his cock. It’s already hard and leaking when he decides to give himself some attention. Akiteru swears he could cum just from your own pleasure. He gets off on it and he’s going to give you even more. He strokes himself, giving you a few moments to come down from your last orgasm. Your juices absolutely drenched the knife after he pulled it out, earning a few whimpers when he does it.

He slaps his cock against your cunt, nearly slipping in a few times from how wet you are at this point. A few choked sobs escape you and Akiteru shushes them away. “I know it’s a lot, baby, but you can cum for me again, right?”

You sniffle, wrapping your arms around Akiteru’s neck to pull him closer. “M’so sensitive, Aki…” you mumble, burying your head into the crook of his neck. “Go slow, okay?”

Akiteru nods, only pushing in the tip of his cock at first. You throw your head back, sighing when your walls constrict around him. Akiteru himself has to take a few seconds. Bless his resolve—if he were still the inexperienced virgin he was when he was in college, he would’ve cum right then, immediately blowing his load the second he got a crumb of pussy. But he’s mature now and knows a thing or two now. He can definitely fuck you better than any of those losers you had before him, that’s for sure.

He fucks you with just a tip before pushing in a bit more, letting you get accustomed to him before daring to go further. Akiteru wasn’t lying when he said it had been a while. You two have been making do with quickies before anyone came home, sending nudes, and even FaceTime sex but not the long, drawn-out fucking that the two of you have been aching for.

It takes a while but Akiteru eventually gets his length fully inside, stretching you out so sweetly. You tug on the hair at the back of his neck, when he starts moving. “Oh—oh, fuck, Aki!” you gasp. Akiteru pushes your legs back until your thighs touch your chest. You’re drooling again, tongue glistening with spit with each unintelligible babbling. He ducks his head under to take one of your nipples into his mouth, biting down on the soft skin just to hear you cry out more. “I’m gonna—m’gonna cum again, Aki. Can’t hold it, I can’t…” you whine, clenching around him with every thrust.

“Look, baby, look,” Akiteru says, bringing your attention to where the two of you are connected. His cock sinks into your warm cunt over and over, rearranging your insides like an animal in heat.

The sight is too much. You still haven’t fully recovered from the effects of your first orgasm. “Aki, Aki, Aki—ah, it feels so good. Gonna make a mess. Gonna cum!” Akiteru takes that as his cue to go faster, wanting both of you to cum together. He ruts into you as if his life depends on it, each thrust forcing small “ahs!” to fall from your lips.

Try as he might, you still cum first and your nails drag down the length of his back when you do. Your climax leaves a vice grip around his cock and that’s what sends Akiteru over the edge. Chanting your name in between curses he fucks you until he goes silent and slack-jawed. His hot seed floods your cunt for the first time in weeks.

When the both of you come to after the hypothetical dust settles, you can hear the sounds of the still ongoing party. It’s gotten even louder since you went into the basement, everyone completely unaware of what’s happening underneath them. “I need to get you home,” Akiteru says, going into responsible mode after cumming.

“Stay over?” you ask, voice shot from all the crying you’ve been doing. “You can leave in the morning, nobody questions it when a grown man is out all night.” To sweeten the deal a bit, you pull Akiteru in for a kiss.

If you’re soft when it comes to him, it’s a million times worse on Akiteru’s end. He can’t argue with you. “Fine,” he leans in for another kiss and one more after that before taking charge. Akiteru cleans you up as best as he can and dresses the both of you. With your costumes back on, Akiteru leads you upstairs and through the massive crowd to disappear into the night.

“You’re just getting home?” Kei asks when his brother walks through the front door in the morning. “I didn’t know parties at stationary got crazy like that,” he teases over his bowl of cereal.

Akiteru grimaces at the bright lights in the house. “Haha, I got hammered and stayed at a friend's place,” he says, dropping his bag near the couch and immediately going for the coffee maker in the kitchen.

Kei’s about to throw another joke at his brother’s disheveled appearance when he notices something out of the corner of his eye. It must have fallen out of Akiteru’s bag but Kei can see it clear as day when he turns his head. The unmistakable sight of a Ghostface mask laying on the floor.

He keeps his comments to himself.

#haikyuu x reader #haikyu x reader #tsukishima akiteru x reader #akiteru x reader #akiteru tsukishima #tsukishima akiteru #akiteru #akiteru smut #akiteru tsukishima x reader #akiteru tsukishima smut #tsukishima akiteru smut #haikyuu smut #haikyu smut #✨#✨akiteru #bad boy!akiteru #peach's spoopy season 🎃

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aquahaha · 9 months

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^google drive link to vid... i think quality goes tumblr < google drive view (capped at 1080p) < google drive download. unfortunately u'd have to download the file from google drive for proper quality, so i'm putting it here in case anyone's interested lol. also i think the vid on tumblr gets cropped when viewed on phone/tablet :(

Song in lyric vid: Heat Waves - Slowed by Glass Animals Video editing software: Shotcut Fire animation reference here

Natsu and 🔥 🫠

Why is Natsu so baby uwu

Inspired by cutie Natsu's lil spark jutsu in ch 25!

From The Color of Summer by @spideywhites

#based on fanfic #naruto #naruto oc #natsume uzumaki #the color of summer #animated gif #heat waves - glass animals #lyric video #have all 3 versions of jpg gif and mp4 #bc the colour and quality changes a lil whenever i convert lol #learning how to colour correct gifs and use shotcut was... interesting #biggest trek was scouring the internet for cost-free and watermark-free editing websites #with trial-and-error for better quality #almost gave up on my whimsical heat waves idea #but chatgpt came in clutch LOL and recommended me shotcut #i shall use the knowledge gained from this project in the probably far future heheh #also if u think natsu’s eyes somehow look like dragon city eggs… i agree lol

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call-sign-shark · 7 months

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Heaven Lavey Shelby

Heaven Lavey Shelby - is the protagonist/reader of the Arthur Shelby x You series Heaven in Your Eyes, but also my Peaky Blinders OC. All info and background can be found in the said series but if you can't/don't want to read it, here are some basic facts below.

She's 25 at the beginning of the series • Arthur's wife • Natural white hair • Blood witch (similar to the concept of Heartrenders) • French • Cold unhinged bitch

🌙 Playlist

🌙 Theme Song: Bang Bang Bang by Sohodolls

𝒮𝐸𝑅𝐼𝐸𝒮

♢ Heaven in Your Eyes

𝒪𝒩𝐸-𝒮𝐻𝒪𝒯𝒮

♢ From Blood We Will Grow

♢ To Bark and Bite

♢ Kaiser Meeting Cyril (requested)

♢ A Bone to Pick With It (requested)

♢ Perfect Lines

♢ Love Ritual

♢ A Slice of Us (Modern!Arthur Shelby x Heaven)

♢ The Woods Whisper 1 (cannibal!AU) || The Woods Whisper 2

♢ Savage Daughter

𝒜𝒮𝒦𝒮

♢ Heaven Shelby Headcanons

♢ What if Arthur didn't exist? Who would be her man?

♢ Height difference with Arthur

♢ What does she think of Arthur's boxing hobby?

♢ How much Heaven has changed from her 1st version?

♢ What bedtime story would she tell to John's kids?

♢ Has she seen the ocean?

♢ Do the Changrettas know about Heaven?

♢ Red talks: Heaven vs Linda

♢ Red talks: Heaven vs Linda 2

♢ May x Heaven AU

♢ The best quotes for your characters

♢ Overthinker or not?

♢ How would a love story Eva x Heaven be?

♢ Would Heaven falls for modern!Arthur from Loose Cannon?

♢ Virtuous Ray of Sunshine x Ex Bad Guy

♢ Takes on hearing Arthur speak Romani

♢ What's Heaven's fav memory of Arthur? And his?

♢ Cute Aggressions towards Arthur

♢ Caption This!

♢ Tommy Shelby x Heaven Poll

♢ John Shelby x Heaven Discussion

♢ Heaven’s past Affairs

♢ How did Amos and Heaven meet

♢ What would Heaven eat at a carnival?

♢ What did Amos and Heaven's relationship look like?

𝐼𝐿𝐿𝒰𝒮𝒯𝑅𝒜𝒯𝐼𝒪𝒩𝒮 / 𝑀𝒪𝒪𝒟𝐵𝒪𝒜𝑅𝒟𝒮

♢ Heaven in Your Eyes 2nd moodboard

♢ " Not so much an Angel"Ch.6

♢ "You should be scared of me" Ch.12

♢ Trick or Treat

♢ Heaven in Your Eyes illustrations (by @zablife)

♢ Heaven x Arthur illustration (by @raincoffeeandfandoms)

♢ Heaven x Arthur moodboard (by @runnning-outof-time)

♢ Heaven Shelby moodboard (by @dearshelby )

♢ In Love with An Angel (by @there-goes-thefighter )

♢ Eleanor Shelby & Heaven Shelby (by @dearshelby )

♢ Chiaroscuro, Eva Smith x Heaven Shelby (by @evita-shelby )

♢ Fairy!Heaven Moodboard (by @raincoffeeandfandoms )

♢ Wonderland (by the @evita-shelby)

♢ Partner In Crimes (by @raincoffeeandfandoms)

♢ Party and Trouble (by @peakyswritings)

♢ Shakeaspeare's Play (Kaiser and friends by @evita-shelby)

♢ Bird of a Feather (Tommy x Heaven x Jack x Eva by @evita-shelby)

♢ Bayou Christmas (Mel and Heaven by @cljordan-imperium)

♢ Heaven In Your Eyes ( by @v3n1c3b1tch3 )

♢ Christmas Morning with Arthur and Heaven (by @peakyswritings)

♢ Heaven’s face Imagined (by @heavencanbeaprisontoo)

♢ 18th December with Heaven and Arthur

♢ Heaven As... (Aesthetic tag game)

𝑀𝐸𝒩𝒯𝐼𝒪𝒩𝒮

This part is dedicated to the works of my wonderful mutuals, who mentioned/used the character of Heaven in their stories. No word is strong enough to tell you how grateful I am for your incredibly kind gifts/surprises/cameo. I am utterly lucky to have you by my side, know that I sincerely love you. Thank you again, darlings.

Trailer video:

♢ Pierced By Cupid (video by @brummiereader)

Featured in...:

♢ Killing Me Softly pt. 5 (Cameo by @brummiereader)

♢ Killing Me Softly pt.9

♢ Garden of Eden (Eva Shelby x Heaven Shelby by @evita-shelby)

♢ Garden of Eden pt.3

♢ Girls Night and Broken Glass (for @raincoffeeandfandoms birthday)

♢ Womenland (by @raincoffeeandfandoms about the Eva x Heaven AU)

♢ Garden and Pruning Shears (by @zablife)

♢ Stolen Angel, a John Shelby x Heaven blurb (by @zablife)

♢ Pasts and Future (by @dearshelby)

♢ Snow on The Beach (by @pacifymebby)

♢ Visiting The Bayou (by @cljordan-imperium)

♢ In The Graveyard With Lilith Rose Shelby ( cameo by @chaosinkest1996)

♢ Text Memes (by @rysko )

#Masterlist maintenance #Heaven Shelby #Arthur Shelby #Arthur Shelby x OC #Arthur Shelby x reader #Peaky Blinders #Peaky Blinders OC #Heaven Lavey Shelby

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sillygoose067 · 1 month

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Over the 7 Seas

Ch.25

Charles Leclerc x Reader

Charles wakes up with a throbbing headache. “Ugghh”

“Morning, sleepyhead.”

He looks over, and there you are, sitting with a book in your lap, hair up in a messy bun, glasses perched on your beautiful nose. He reaches for you, managing to push the book off your lap and pull his head in it place. Surprised at the action, you let Charles lay there, his head resting on your lap.

“How many drinks did I have last night? I know I’m not a lightweight.”

You chuckled and ran your fingers through his hair, scratching his aching scalp and massaging his temples. “Not much, but Soju is much stronger than you’d think and it hit after you’d had too many.”

He lets out a groan of understanding and his eyes flutter shut again. Your fingers stop as well.

“Nooo”, he moans as if in pain. “Don’t stop, please. Keep going. Reminds me of when my mother did this when I was little”, he half mumbles.

You resume with a smile. Then, the events of last night come back to you. Should you bring it up? Would he even remember? Was this too fast? Too late? Just right?

Charles, somehow sensing your tension, sits up with a pained groan and opens his eyes. “Hey. What’s on your mind?”

“Hmmm?”, you release your bitten lip and look down at him. Sighing, you decided to confront him. “Do you remember anything from last night?”

You expect him to say no, shake his head. His gaze meets yours guiltily. “Believe it or not, Ange, I do.”

You release a great, big breath. Oh god. He remembers. What do I do now?

He sits up and grabs your chin so you look him in the eye. “I remember everything and Chéri, I meant every word. Every. Word.” “I think I’m finding more and more reasons to fall in love with you every single day” His thumb caresses your cheek. You blink back tears. “And I heard what you said last night too.”

Your heart stutters. Fuck.

He leans in and kisses your lips softly. “Thank you so much for entrusting your heart to me, Chéri. I know it is not easy, especially with this being one of your many firsts. And I know that I am not easy to love, either”. Another kiss, one you return actively this time. “So thank you”. Kiss. “I swear, that I will do everything in my power to ensure its safekeeping.”

By now, you’ve climbed into his lap, and are returning his kisses in full. Your heart is about to burst for this man. Because of this man. Into this man.

He cups the back of your head and tilts it back. Slowly, he begins to trail his kisses down your jaw, and you open up your neck for him. He approaches the blank, pristine skin reverently. You let out a whimper of satisfaction, craving his lips on you again, and with one final kiss on your swollen lips, he moves onto your neck, marking and teasing the delicate skin there. Inciting moans and whimpers of delight. Gasps of surprise.

Once you’ve had enough, you grasp his face in both hands and bring it back up to you lips, hands finding their way into his hair. Wanting to grant him the same pleasure, you begin to trace kisses from his defined jaw. Down to his neck, under his ear. Nipping, breathing into his ears, sucking on the creamy olive skin nearby, anywhere your lips and tongue could reach. You feel something poke you from below, and Charles pulls you off his neck in a second.

Breathing hard. His dark, dilated pupils eye you up and down. Then he smirks. “Sweetheart, you sure are a quick learner. Any longer and I would have cum in my pants right here.”

You blush at his filthy language. Rushing off his lap, you fetch him some hangover pills and a glass of water.

Gratefully, he takes it and finds instant relief. Resting his head against your shoulder, he nuzzles into your neck.

“Do we have any plans today?”, he mumbles into your skin.

Running your fingers through his hair, you hug his body close to yours. “Other than packing our bags and bidding farewell to our friends, nothing really”, you hum into his hair, leaving a kiss there.

…

After meeting up with Stray Kids, leaving with hearts full, eyes teary, and arms full of gifts, you and Charles finally make it onto the plane.

Sighing, you plop into the seat. Charles follows after you, and then abruptly turns his head to face you, resting on the headrest. Smiling he grasps your hand and places a kiss on it, rubbing a thumb over the skin.

That’s how you fall asleep.

#charles leclerc #charles leclerc x reader #f1 x reader #fluff #smut #f1 #formula 1 #kpop #jyp stray kids #jyp entertainment

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where-is-my-whump · 4 months

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So I did a little something...for everyone who can't wait for the new Hudson & Rex episode.

(@hurt-comfort-cache @natk2002 @aceofwhump @somefandomcontent @nerdywalkingencyclopedia @whumpookies @gloriousharmonylover @cici-25 @cold-weather-means-cold-toes and a lot more)

May not be perfect but it's something.. I hope you'll enjoy it;)

a short whumpy fanfiction

A poisonous cut

John Sheppart a 35 year old male was jogging the same route along the beach like he does everyday. Today he noticed something in the water. At first John thought it's a tree that's floating in the water from last nights storm but at a second glance he realized that's it not a tree...it's a human body.

He just stood there...looking at the body. There was no movement. Slowly Sheppart takes one step after the other. The shorter the distance between him and the corpse gets the faster his heart beats. Just one step left. John's heart is nearly beating out of his chest. He really didn't wanted to do this but also couldn't move on like he hasn't seen anything.

Sheppart could have had a normal day but now he stands here looking at the back of a lifeless person. John hasn't any hope that he could do something for the person but still... he puts his hand at a slow pace on the body's shoulder and turns it around.

He flinshes back. Nearly falls over. He has to fight against the urge to throw up. Never in his whole life has he seen anything like this. It turns out he looked into the face of a dead women. Her skin was greasy and changed colors to a light blue. Her eyes are fully open. So is her mouth. Sheppart didn't even wanted to take a second look at her but something inside him had to.

For what he saw before finally throwing up the corpse doesn't show any signs of violence. No blood. No open wounds. He was sure that the women drowned. But is he right? That's someone's else's job to do.

What do you think?

Charlie and Sarah are standing next to the body. Well I'm not sure. For me right now it looks like she drowned but to be sure I need her in my lab.

Alright. Let me guess...no identification no nothing?

Sarah smirks a little bit. No. Would be to easy hm? Now Charlie is the one smiling. Call me if you find out anything. Hudson takes a few photos of the woman's face. I'll talk to Jesse. Maybe he can find out who this young lady is.

Yeah alright.

Soon after Charlie gets in his car and drives with Rex in the back away.

In the meantime the body gets transfered to the headquarter, so Sarah can examine her. It'll be shocking what's she's going to find out.

Charlie...I got something. Says Sarah on the phone.

Yeah me too. You go first.

Charlie she didn't drown. She was murdered.

Yeah well and I know who our victim is. Her name is Lydia West. Her boyfriend reported her missing two days ago.

Two days?!? She's probably dead since four days.

They both breath in and say: So we got a suspect.

Looks like it Yeah. Charlie smirks.

Oh and Sarah?

Yeah?

You said she was murdered? How did she die?

Well at first I noticed there wasn't any water in her lungs what means-

-Charlie interrupts her-

She was already dead when she fell in the water or before someone put her there.

Sarah has a look of surprise in her face.

Your getting good at this.

Charlie laughs.

Isn't this a part of my job? Sorry for interrupting you. Please continue.

With pleasure Mister Hudson. Also her blood results came positive for a deadly substance. The essence was probably injected through a small laceration on her skin. Like a broken glass that was dipped in the substance before. She wasn't able to breathe. The essence caused her lungs to collapse.

Oh God. Sounds painful.

It is. We need to find the person who did this.

Already on it. I'm on my way to her boyfriend right now.

Alright. Please be careful. Love you.

Love you too.

Charlie hanks up. Sarah still has her phone in her hands. She's so lucky to have Charlie as her boyfriend. He would never hurt her.

-Knock knock-

Charlie and Rex are standing infront of Lydias boyfriends home.

Hm.. Looks like no one's home.

Rex.

On command he sniffs around the house. Until a sudden noise appeared. Broken glass falling on the ground.

Charlie takes his gun out of the holster around his hips. He puts his hand on the doorhandle and pulls her down. To his surprise the door opened. With a light touch against the door he could see into the house. Everything was a mess. Pictures laying broken on the floor. He could see more clothes on the floor than parts of the wood flooring.

Hello? I'm Detective Charlie Hudson from the St. John's Police Department. I just wanna ask you some questions about your girlfri-

Someone attacked him from behind. You can hear wood braking apart. The suspect had a barstool in his hands and fought with it until he took out a sharp object. Charlie fought back as much as he could but Lydias boyfriend was faster. He cut Charlie directly in the inside of his elbow.

Hudsons knees couldn't hold him anymore. One foot after the other collapsed. He fell to the ground. Rex was locked out . The suspect closed the door so he needs to find a way in. In the meantime the suspect left through the door on the back.

Charlie lies there in pure panic, not able to do anything. Every breath he takes his lungs collapse more. He tries to pull out his mobile phone. After a few tries he did it. Charlie's not able to hold the phone. He coughs. Pressing his eyelids together in distress. Finally he did it. Sarah's name appears on the display.

Heeeyyy Charlie. What's up?

Charlie can't talk, nearly can't breath nore move. He just gasps for air.

Charlie? Is everything OK?

He tries to say something. His lips are moving...S...a...r...a...h. But Sarah can't hear it. She just hears Rex his barking and noices she can't identify.

She notices somethings not right.

Charlie, honey, I'm coming. Ok. I'm coming. I have your location on my phone. Oh God. I'm coming.

JESSE call an ambulance. Somethings wrong with Charlie. I'm sending you the adress!!!

She didn't even look at him. Sarah just had one thing in her head.

Charlie is still on the line but he lost his consciousness.

Charlie? Can you hear me? Charlie say something pls. Sarah's crying. She can't loose him. Everything was perfect. They made their partnership official, told everyone. They even talked about a marriage. But not about someone dying.

I'm coming. I'm coming.

Rex finally found a way in and lays next to Charlie. He licks Hudsons face.

Just a few seconds later Sarah arrived. She jumped against the door. She nearly flew out of the wall.

Omg. Charlie!

She knees down. Searches for a pulse. Nothing. Her forensic instincts kicked in and noticed the cut on Charlie's arm. It has to be what she was thinking. The same substance that killed Lydia.

She rushed back to her car and got her emergency drug kit. This includes the antidote that Charlie needs.

Just hold on. One second.

She handles the kit like she didn't do anything else in her life. After she filled the syringe, she injected Charlie the antidote. At the same time the paramedics arrive.

Come on Charlie...breath, breath.

Tears are forming around Sarahs eyes.

Nothing.

The paramedics are walking over to Sarah. She tells them what happend.

Alright. We need to inturbate. Please step aside.

Sarah listens to the paramedics. She knows they will do what's right.

Empty packages of medical supplies lay everywhere.

The tubus was placed. One paramedic started with the cpr, the other one pumped air in Charlies lungs.

...29...30... checking pulse

Sarah pushes herself against the wall. Surrounding her legs with her arms. Tears falling on her jeans. Little dark spots appear. She wispers Charlie, come on. Don't leave me alone. Come on breath.

28...29...30 I got a pulse!

The worst minutes in her life finally ended.

Thank god.

She stands up and walks over to the still unconscious Charlie. Sarah strokes his forehead gently.

The paramedics transfer Charlie on a stretcher. We're bringing him to the hospital. You can ride with us but the dog needs to stay here.

A look of disappointment builds up in Sarahs face.

It's ok, you can go. I'll bring Rex back to the station.

Sarah turns around. Oh Jesse. Thank you.

Jesses standing in the doorframe. He just arrived.

Sarah hugs him and follows the paramedics to the ambulance. She sits down next to Charlie, continues to gently pet over his head and says...Everythings gonna be okay...I'm here. The doors closed and the ambulance drove away.

I chose an open end so you can move on with your little imagination until we see what's really about to happen hehe

#whump #fanfiction #unconscious #whump blog #charlie hudson whump #hudson and rex

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lotusflowerbreakingthesurface · 3 months

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Wu Xie's Birthday Congratulations

On this special day, let's get to know the cutest protagonist in DMBJ, Wu Xie aka Tianzhen aka Xiao San Ye, in a deeper understanding although everyone must already know him (⁠≧⁠▽⁠≦⁠)

One of the best ways to understand what kind of character Wu Xie is by reading the book. I found some interesting meta/analysis about Wu Xie (and PingXie) and I want to share them here. However, everyone has a different perception and understanding of things, so just take it easy, okay? ദ്ദി(ᵔᗜᵔ)

Note: I'm not good at Chinese, feel free to correct me if you find some mistakes.

⚠️ Very long post ⚠️

Uh, I feel bad that this post turned out to be so long, while Xiaoge's birthday is so short, sorry Xiaoge! >.<

First of all, let's refresh our memory about Wu Xie that was going around on Chinese sites and other sites as well.

Wu Xie's Apperance

Source: Baidu

Handsome, with a face like a crown jade, fair skin, gentle and restrained, bookish, and as gentle as jade.

Slender hands: "Unfortunately, although my hands are slender, I have no strength at all." (Daomu Biji: Angry Sea, Hidden Sands Ch. 42 [MereBear's Translation] | Chinese version Ch. 13)

Pretty face: "Tianzhen, your original face is pretty. Why do you need to be the same as your Uncle Three?" (by Pangzi, Daomu Biji Vol. 8 Ch. 25 [MereBear's Translation])

Occasionally wear glasses (NPSS's interview)

As a lotus flower breaking the surface (idiom): "Indeed, our family’s Tianzhen is a fresh and clean refined little master, a surpassingly beautiful young public figure ..." (by Pangzi, Tibetan Sea Flower Ch. 22 [MereBear's Translation] | Chinese version Ch. 22 | The meaning of the idiom is here)

"When I was in college, a girl who seemed to like me once said that my face was very calm and other people wouldn’t feel annoyed looking at it." (Tibetan Sea Flower Ch. 27 [MereBear's Translation])

"He was young with a slender figure, wearing a brown jacket and gloves, and looking very casual." (Sand Sea Ch. 6 [MereBear's Translation])

"From Liang Wan’s point of view, although Wang Meng’s boss was young, there was a weathered and worn look about his brows that were beyond the reach of ordinary people." (Sand Sea Ch. 6 [MereBear's Translation])

The eyelashes are long, and the curve of the neck is more feminine than that of a woman: "Black Glasses said that the curve of my neck was more feminine than that of a woman." (Sand Sea Ch. 180 [MereBear's Translation])

"The only part of your body suitable for fighting is your long eyelashes."(Sand Sea Ch. 178 [MereBear's Translation])

Wu Xie is the ultimate beauty in the world (NPSS's interview)

Chronology of Wu Xie’s Major Events (Weibo)

Wu Xie's Personality (According to NPSS)

Source: MereBear's Translation

In the postscript of Daomu Biji Vol. 8:

Wu Xie is a difficult person to describe. If I have to say it, I want to say: he is actually an ordinary person.

But this doesn’t mean that he isn’t great. It’s because he’s an ordinary person that people admire him so much for all he has experienced.

I think many friends will hate his weakness and hesitation when they first see him, but as the story progresses step by step, more and more people like him. He is a boy as weak as water, but please don’t forget that in harsh winter, the most formless water will become solid ice.

Wu Xie is a person like that. He is simple, a little clever, cowardly, and someone who cherishes his life. He’s sensitive and afraid of hurting people around him and is the least suitable person to experience danger among all those on the team.

But I let him become the protagonist of the story and let him experience the most terrifying journey, which is probably the most special part of the story. When everyone can back down, he just can’t; when everyone can escape, he can’t.

I really want to say sorry to him for pushing this ordinary person into such a complicated puzzle. When I look at his entanglements and troubles, it’s like I see my own entanglements and troubles. For a period of time, I could even deeply feel the despair in his heart for everything he had gone through. At that time, I wanted to know what he would do when faced with such complicated despair.

I didn’t expect him to survive. In the development of the story, everyone could see how an ordinary person struggled to become a person he didn’t want to be. But the thing that made everyone like him was that he maintained his conscience in all the places that could be turning points in his life. Even though he eventually wore a sinister mask, he was still Wu Xie at heart. He could have a lot of petty crimes and petty vices under his belt, as well as a lot of minor moral problems, but when it came to making the biggest choice, he would always be the Wu Xie who wished everyone well.

“I hope all of us can live well along the way, and all of us can see our own ending. We may not live long, please let us live the life we deserve.”

Wu Xie prayed to the sky when Pan Zi was dying, even though he was in a dark cave. He took all the responsibility and blame upon himself, unable to face the meaning of his journey.

This is Wu Xie, the “useless” one in the team and the most useless leader in the Iron Triangle. He needs other people’s protection and help. He has boundless curiosity and desire, but as long as a person is hurt, his own things aren’t important. He’s an ordinary person who wishes you to live no matter how much he hates you. This is because he doesn’t understand killing or the wealth that transcends life, he only understands the value of the word “alive”.

[2023.03.11] Taobao Live

Source: 瓶邪bot (mtl)

Q: We all know that Zhang Qiling has a gift from heaven. Why hasn’t he forgotten his companions ten years later?

A: I think this is a kind of bond. It really is a bond. Of course I can write a tragedy. (Host: Don’t write it then), it is all logical, but when such a strong bond exists, especially Wu Xie must not be an ordinary person, even though he appears as an ordinary person, he made full use of his ordinary qualities and became an ordinary person who was not an ordinary person (laughs). That Zhang Qiling must have gone through a very painful struggle and intense confrontation. He finally did it. In the end, he may have forgotten a lot, leaving only that glimmer of light, and then he remembered it again bit by bit from that glimmer of light. I think this must be Zhang Qiling’s efforts. (Host: So this is actually because he worked hard not to forget them. This is not a lucky or small-probability thing, but a result of his own efforts) Yes, because heaven is ruthless, and humans are sentient.

[2023.03.24] Douyin Live Broadcast

Source: 瓶邪bot (mtl)

Q: "Restart", this book has its entire story line structure of separation, reunion, and restarting. Do you think Wu Xie’s personal mentality has changed between the original novel and "Restart"?

A: In the main story, he is really a bit naive. He may be a little clever and a little bit of a cunning, but his understanding of the world is essentially relatively simple. When it comes to "Reboot/Restart", Wu Xie is actually still innocent. You can see that he is slowly returning to his previous innocent state. One is that Zhang Qiling has returned, and he no longer needs to show his fangs. But behind his innocence is an innocence that is not easy to mess with. He has sealed up his huge energy, but he can take it out again at any time, and some very interesting things will happen, because many people think that he is a very naive and easy-to-deceive person when he is in a very gentle state, when he is really bullied, he will return to the state of Sand Sea.

[2023.03.24] Douyin Live Broadcast

Source: 瓶邪bot (mtl)

Q: I would like to ask, what do you think Wu Xie’s mental state was when he was about to take Zhang Qiling home.

A: I think Wu Xie was not ready when he hit the road. He was ready only after he hit the road. He was slowly, slowly... he was already ready when he arrived at the Bronze Gate. Maybe Zhang Qiling was not ready. Come out, or Zhang Qiling has left. I think it is such a process. When he accepted the worst possibility, he might have calmly enjoyed the moment when Zhang Qiling came out of the bronze door if he had not left. I think he had a lot of distracting thoughts at the beginning.

Q: Actually, he has a certain amount of timidity and nervousness.

A: I think I will have random thoughts, because just in case, after living in this world for a long time, I always feel that there are chances in this world. No matter how small the probability of an event is, if you encounter it once, you will feel that it is very likely to encounter it again.

Wu Xie's Mental Journey (Meta)

Source: MuzzledIdealist

This one is a meta/analysis from Chinese fandom and it's written by MuzzledIdealist on Weibo. They already give consent to repost it as long as the source is indicated. If you are interested, you can see other analysis on their homepage.

Please note that this is an edited MTL, if anyone wants to translate it, you're very welcome to do it :)

⚠️ This meta or analysis is cp-oriented ⚠️

⚠️ This is a repost, not my meta ⚠️

【PingXie】 “When I Know That I Will Never See Him Again”

Written by MuzzledIdealist

"The things he saw were things that he hadn’t been able to come to terms with. But I saw Men You Ping, so did that mean that I wasn’t over everything that had happened during those ten years?" — [Note: Ten Thousand Mountains in the Extreme Night Ch. 63 (MereBear Translation) | Chinese version Ch. 62]

Why he wasn’t over the past?

Let’s analyze Wu Xie’s mental journey over the years:

A major premise is that Men You Ping has always been Wu Xie's greatest source of security.

Wu Xie is too curious, but as a fledgling young man, he lacks experience and force value. If his curiosity is not satisfied and the problem cannot be solved, he will easily fall into anxiety (the book mentions many times that he was anxious when encountering difficulties, so I won’t take screenshots.), and Men You Ping has been providing guidance and protection to Wu Xie, which can be said to have given him a great sense of security in both physical and mental aspects (here I summarized it before. If you are interested, you can take a look at "Sharing Some Cute Details of Men You Ping’s “Double Standard”").

Xu Lei (NPSS) also said in the interview that Zhang Qiling had been protecting Wu Xie and helping him deal with many problems, so when he left, Wu Xie was forced to become like him.

(The screenshot is added in the original post)

Therefore, when Men You Ping was no longer with Wu Xie, his source of security was suddenly taken away.

During the ten years when Xiaoge was away, Wu Xie must have dreamed of Men You Ping countless times during the long agony of waiting and dealing with the enemy. Especially when he encountered difficulties, He prayed, hoped, and imagined that Men You Ping would fall from the sky and appear next to him like it did in the past, because this is a habit he has developed due to Xiaoge's protection.

He has grown up during the period of Tibetan Sea Flower, but he will still frankly tell Pangzi, "I always feel that a place with a Xiaoge will be safer. If he is not here, at least having a statue of him is better than nothing". The fat man said he was superstitious, but that was not the case, because as a top student, Wu Xie had always been accustomed to using scientific knowledge to explain all the strange things he experienced (there are many examples in the book), but for his subconscious dependence on Men You Ping, he had no way to explain it scientifically and rationally.

(The screenshot is added in the original post or take a look on MereBear's translation: Tibetan Sea Flower Ch. 39)

During Sand Sea period, Wu Xie grew up a lot, but when faced with a desperate situation, he still longed for the appearance of the person he wanted to see most for a long time. Even though he was about to cough up pneumoconiosis, even though he knew that the stuffy oil bottle in front of him was just his hallucination. The pain of those ten years also made Wu Xie addicted to smoking because he needed to use cigarettes to relieve his anxiety.

(The screenshot is added in the original post or take a look on MereBear's Translation: Sand Sea 4 Ch. 187)

The title of the chapter in Sand Sea where Wu Xie's throat was cut and he fell off the cliff is the poem "Like red beans inlaid in the ivory dice, my yearning for you is deep in my bones" (the translation comes from here). Why was this poem chosen as the title of this chapter?

Xu Lei once answered this question in a vx (Weixin/WeChat) interview. He said that this was his emotion at the time. Writing in the first person, the author's mood at that time represents the mood of the protagonist at that time, so the meaning of this poem is Wu Xie's mood at that time.

(The screenshot is added in the original post)

The meaning of this poem is: to express the woman's deep yearning for her husband, her longing for her husband and her inseparable love, and she looks forward to her husband's early return. (From Baidu Poetry Analysis)

(The screenshot is added in the original post)

Xu Lei said in a lecture at Fudan University in 2013: "Wu Xie was doing a lot of things with a sense of resentment in Sand Sea, because everyone abandoned him and left him alone there as a widow. The only person he can settle accounts with is Men You Ping, because he is a person who will appear at a fixed place at a fixed time, so Wu Xie must be holding his breath and preparing to ask that person for something back." (This paragraph is dictation + general summary, the original video is more than an hour long. You can search and watch it by yourself.)

(Regarding the widowhood, Xu Lei once explained that Wu Xie changed his name to "Guan Gen 《关根》" in order to maintain his chastity.)

(The screenshot is added in the original post)

Therefore, during the Tibetan Sea Flower period, Wu Xie had just left the sense of security provided by Men You Ping, and would still subconsciously seek his protection when encountering difficulties, even if it was just his statue. During Sand Sea period, he had clearly understood that Men You Ping was no longer by his side, so he had to force himself to become stronger and become like him. But even so, when he was extremely anxious, he still couldn't help but miss Men You Ping, which put him in a state of both longing and resentment.

This is also reflected in the "Ten Years" chapter. In "Ten Years" Wu Xie said, "After so many years, I no longer expected anything from anyone, because these people will eventually leave for various reasons." This is his complaint. He added, “There are some people you just can’t stand up. There is a chance that Men You Ping will appear, and I may die on the road, but after going through so much, I need a relief and an end." This was his thought.

(The screenshot is added in the original post or take a look on MereBear's Translation: Ten Years Later Ch. 20 and Ch. 21)

However, in addition to this feeling of longing and resentment, Wu Xie also has worries, deep worries about whether Men You Ping will live or die in the door, so he wrote in "Ten Years": "In the past ten years, I have had many dreams. I dreamed of him meeting me when I was young. I dreamed about the white bones in front of the bronze door, and dreamed that he had turned into something like Chen Pi Ah Si when we met again. There were many possibilities in ten years, which were enough for me to imagine and accept them one by one."

He has had this kind of nightmare many times in the past ten years, and it has become a knot in his heart that is difficult to untie, so even if Men You Ping is back now, he still feels that he has not completely passed those ten years.

(The screenshot is added in the original post or take a look on MereBear's Translation: Ten Years Later Ch. 36 and Ten Thousand Mountains in the Extreme Night Ch. 63)

But even so, even in those ten years, Wu Xie had thoughts, resentments and worries about Men You Ping, and thought about asking for something from Men You Ping, but he still couldn't bear it. The moment he saw Men You Ping again, he still chose to cover up all these emotions, so he subconsciously pulled down his sleeves to cover the scars on his hands, just as he said during Sand Sea period. When he sees Men You Ping again, he will not tell him all this, he will only tell him that you are just a patient, and you can rest now. So he took Men You Ling and lived in Yucun, the place where there is legendary ginseng that can make people remember for a long time.

(The screenshot is added in the original post or take a look on MereBear's Translation: Ten Years Later Ch. 41 and Sand Sea Ch. 92 | Chinese Version Sand Sea 2 Ch. 53)

It has been analyzed before that the reason why Xiaoge went to Hangzhou to say goodbye to Wu Xie before entering the bronze door and said to him "You are my only connection with this world" is because for the first time he had his own "desire". (This is a long story, see "Psychological Activities of Xiaoge" for details)

If Men You Ping had realized that he had fallen in love with Wu Xie at this time, then when did Wu Xie realize that he had fallen in love with Men You Ping? Probably when he realized that he couldn't lose him, as the saying goes, "How do we measure love, the pain after separation."

(The screenshot is added in the original post)

---

This one is a more in-depth analysis about Wu Xie in Sand Sea by the same writer.

Source: MuzzledIdealist

The sunrise in the desert was also beautiful back then, but Wu Xie had no memory of it. But now that he and his brother are in the world’s second most valuable tomb, he can truly feel the beauty of the sunrise. Because the experience of Sand Sea was not a good memory for Wu Xie. Xu Lei once explained why Wu Xie had seventeen scars on his arms during Sand Sea period. It was because as an originally kind-hearted person, he was forced to do many things that went against his conscience in order to defeat the Wang family, including using others. Therefore, he hurt himself by scratching his arms to relax himself. Xu Lei said that Wu Xie during Sand Sea period had a kind of hatred for him.

Wu Xie has indeed grown up in the past ten years, but this growth comes at a price. Wu Xie gave himself the pen name Guan Gen (Xu Lei explained that it means "keeping his chastity"), and made seventeen cuts on his arm with hatred for himself. When he fell off the cliff, his mood was "Like red beans inlaid in the ivory dice, my yearning for you is deep in my bones" and various injuries that have caused permanent damage to his nose and lungs. From all of this, it can be seen that Xiao Wu suffered from both physical and mental pain during the Sand Sea period, and all of this cannot be summed up by the simple word "Evil Emperor". This seemingly cool title seemed to lightly cover up all the suffering he experienced during that period.

He was repeatedly entangled and pulled between his persistence towards his goal, his hatred for himself, and his extreme longing for Men You Ping. For him, the experience during Sand Sea period was once a painful memory, that's why he subconsciously pulled down his sleeves to cover the scars on his arms when he saw his brother on the day of their ten-year appointment. Maybe he didn't want Men You Ping to know who he was before. But with their tacit understanding, it is impossible for him not to see it, that’s why there was a follow-up story about Xiaoge in "Fishing King Extra" who took Xiao Wu to the Stagnant Water Dragon King Palace to make Xiao Wu suddenly enlightened in order to untie the knot buried in Xiao Wu's heart for the past ten years. Now, the same is true in Yucun Notes when Xiaoge accompanies Xiao Wu to revisit Medog (Motuo). When his lover returns to his side, the greatest source of security returns, and Xiao Wu becomes the "rough jade" again.

"I will exchange my life for ten years of your innocence." Zhang Qiling used his infinite sacrifice to Wu Xie in exchange for a limited benefit (Xu Lei's original words), "Like red beans inlaid in the ivory dice, my yearning for you is deep in my bones" Wu Xie use his ten years to buy Zhang Qiling's freedom for the rest of his life. Some people say that the relationship hurt/comfort is old-fashioned, but I don't think so. The two-way redemption between PingXie and the uniqueness between them is always moving.

---

My thought:

Maybe the word "fall in love" or "lover" the writer uses here is too strong for some people lol, but they did care for each other, no matter what the relationship is, it can't be denied, right? There were some questions that appeared in my head when I read the book, why did Wu Xie do that? Why did he do this? Why did he do all of these things to this extent? Then I understood. Actually, Wu Xie, especially in his early stage, reminds me of my old-self, so I feel like I can sympathize with him somehow. His "innocence" is different from the innocence that most people think, Wu Xie's innocence is the kind of innocence who wished everyone well.

And then, happy birthday, Wu Xie! May you be safe and live a happy life with Xiaoge, Pangzi, and all of your good friends! 🎉🎉🎂(⁠人⁠*⁠´⁠∀⁠｀⁠)⁠｡⁠*ﾟ⁠+ *⁠.⁠✧

#wu xie birthday #daomu biji #dmbj #pingxie #dmbj meta #dmbj analysis #wu xie #meta recs #pingxie only #special recs #盗墓笔记 #吴邪 #瓶邪 #瓶邪only

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bonesandthebees · 9 months

Note

Hi, me an my inability to not analyse again. I don’t like that this chapter starts with a vision. And I’m pretty sure it’s back in the palace with the pool based on the statue and the entire thing is one fire and Wilbur is diving back in the pool and I am very worried for Tommy’ safety. Please tell me he can swim.

Anyway, I go back to reading now. But I don’t trust you, Bee. These visions are giving you too much power for angst and this is definitely foreshadowing something…

-🌲

:) :) not saying anything to any of your theories but :)

#ask #spruce anon #glass ch 25

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angelsanarchy · 5 months

Text

Glass Houses: Jack Thurlow x Y/N Series CH 24 -> CH 25

Tagging:@roryculkinluvr@thatsthewrongwallcraig@icarus-star @cc-luvr @madamemaximoff06@shady-the-simp @quicksilversg1rl @s-0lar @kristennero-wallacewellsver@ophelialaufey @mayathepsychic1999 @x-prettyboy-x @rorylover71 @auggiethecreator @tempt-ress @blacksoul-27

TW: Self Harm, Blood

Y/n hadn't heard from Jack in a few days. She figured he had gotten caught up with the house renovations or his writing but when he wasn't even answering text messages, she became kind of nervous. The lights in the house were on so he was obviously home. The thought that maybe he was just busy and didn't have time to shot her a text was kind of annoying to her but she didn't want to seem clingy.

It wasn't until she was leaving the clinic and got a call from an unknown number that she panicked.

"Hello?" She answered unsure if it was spam or perhaps one of her mother's doctors.

"Hi my name is Dr. Brian Carty, I'm trying to reach Y/n." Y/n got in her car.

"This is she. Are you calling for my mother-" He cut her off.

"I'm breaking so many laws right now but I'm afraid one of my patients is in danger. I am Jack Thurlow's doctor and I'm afraid he's in the beginning stages of a manic episode." Y/n froze.

"W-what do you mean? I just saw him like a few days ago. He was fine." Y/n explained.

"His ex-fiance reached out and it made him spiral a bit. He's missed two sessions and I fear he may have harmed himself. His emergency contact is a few states away and I won't be able to get to him until the morning." The doctor was in fact breaking all kinds of HIPPA laws right now but she knew that he was serious if he was willing to lose his license.

"I'm on my way there now." Y/n hung the phone up and sped towards home. She knew she had a few first aid things with her in the trunk but she wasn't sure what kind of condition Jack would be in. All she could do was pray that it wasn't too late. Once she skidded to a halt in the gravel, she popped the trunk and grabbed her med bag before practically barreling through the front door.

"JACK?! JACK WHERE ARE YOU!?" Y/n yelled sprinting through the kitchen, up the stairs, in his bedroom, the spare room. The bathroom door was closed and the light was on. She knocked before opening the door and instant panic set in. He was curled up, naked in a the bottom of the tub, shaking and bleeding.

"Oh Jack." She slide across the floor and reached into the tub to touch his face making him jump. He startled, surprised to see her.

"What did you do to yourself?" Y/n looked for wounds and found gashes on his thighs. He pushed Y/n's hands away and she fought back.

"Jack stop it. Let me help you." Y/n said sternly.

"I-I did what I had to do. I deserve this. I don't need help." His words came out in a daze as she used gauze to press on the gashes. They were going to require stitches but the marks on his arms weren't as deep as the ones on his legs.

"Hey, get that shit out of your head okay? No one deserves this. Stay with me Jack." Y/n turned the water on, hoping it would pull him from his trance but now he didn't speak at all as she cleaned him up and pulled him from the tub. She wrapped a towel around him and put another over his shoulders as she rooted through the med kit.

"Why didn't you call me? I told you to call if you ever got this low." She found a stitch stapler in the bag and started to clean his thighs up. He didn't even flinch when she used alcohol swabs to sterilize the area. Her phone started going off and recognized the doctors number.

"He's alive." Y/n said out of breath.

"Thank God...is he lucid?" Dr. Carty asked.

"He's in and out but mostly out." Y/n explained.

"Any damage? Should I call you an ambulance?" Dr. Carty asked frantically. Y/n looked at Jack who held a disgusted sneer on his face as he ran his thumb over his wrist wound.

"No...I'm going to stitch him up-" Dr. Carty interrupted her.

"If he's self harming, he needs to be put in a hold Y/n." He pressed.

"Then you can get him to agree to that when you get here. For now, I'm going to stitch him up and wait for you." Y/n raised her voice and heard the sigh on the other end of the phone.

"Alright. I will make some calls so he'll be ready to go when I get there. Please don't hesitate to call me back if he gets worse." Dr. Carty insisted. Y/n washed her hands again and started to staple across the wounds. He still hadn't reacted to the pain at all. She ran to his room and retrieved a set of clothes for him and started to get help him get dressed.

"I noticed your pill case was full. Did we stop taking those too?" Jack was still spaced out and merely allowing her to puppet his body about the bathroom as she dressed him like a child.

"Jack, how did this happen? You look like you haven't slept, you're as thin as ever. We haven't seen each other in a week. If you were going through something, why didn't you text me? Or at least answer me when I texted you?" She pulled the shirt carefully over his head and slid his arms through, being careful of the bandages.

Surprisingly, after he was fully dressed, he stood on his own and started shuffling across the floor in his bare feet.

"You should go now..." Jack spoke as he slowly took the stairs down to the living room. Y/n checked her watch and could only hope that Dr. Carty would get there as soon as possible or she might have to restrain Jack.

"Mother thinks you've overstayed your welcome. You should go before you get hurt." Jack paused at the door.

"Jack...your mother is dead. She's been gone for over a year. None of what she said was real. She's not real." Jack kept his head down as she spoke and approached him slowly.

"I am real. You are real but your mom is gone." Y/n reached out to touch him and he jerked forward, grabbing the handle and yanking the front door open.

"I don't want you here...go." Jack held the door open wide waiting for her to exit. Y/n instead used both hands to slam the door shut snapping Jack's eyes up from the floor to look at her.

"I'm not going anywhere." Y/n looked at his normally crystal blue eyes but all she saw was darkness wash over his face. She knew things were only going to get worse.

#Jack Thurlow #Jack Thurlow x Y/n #Jack Goes Home #Glass Houses #Glass Houses Series #One Shot Series #Rory Culkin #Culkin Cult #24/38

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enchantinglyjade · 2 years

Text

Milk & Honey - Ch. 25

Austin!Elvis x Black!OC

Masterlist

Previous | Next

Summary: Elvis is determined not to give up on Honey

Warning: Swearing(?)

Song: Suspicious Minds - Elvis Presley

Playlist

I spend the next hours getting Charles and I ready for the show tonight. It was the first time we were going to be making an official public appearance, so I had no doubt reporters would be there, ready to snap a picture for whatever controversy they wanted to spread for the night.

I dust eye shadow onto my lids while regretting every decision I’ve made today and still pretending not to miss it. I really didn’t want to go, but the least I can do is support Elvis. We were still friends after all, not to mention he’s my only ride back to Memphis.

I arrive late, maybe on purpose, but mostly to avoid the crowd. Jerry meets us at the door and sneaks us in, sliding us past guests to an open table. A chill runs through my body. The theater is huge and filled to the brim with people. Beautiful lights decorate the walls, illuminating the room in a majestic kind of way. Chandeliers hang from the ceiling, and a giant golden curtain from the stage. I’ve never seen anything like it before. The atmosphere has such an intense energy, it’s enough to leave me feeling giddy despite all the thoughts that have been circulating my head.

I catch a glimpse of Elvis on stage, already halfway through his performance, while I hold Charles' hand behind me. Elvis says something to his large band behind him, before turning back around towards the audience with a smile.

I find Marcella seated in the center of the theater, adorned in a beautiful dress. She side eyes me as we walk past her table, trying to intimidate me with her glare but it does little to bring me down. I’m done fighting her for a lost cause. She can win all she wants.

“We're caught in a trap

I can't walk out

Because I love you too much, baby”

Cheering intensifies as Elvis begins a new song. He dances around center stage in a white suit. He makes a few jokes, getting a kick out of making the audience laugh, but then, he catches me walking through the crowd and an unsettling look replaces his smile.

“Why can't you see

What you're doing to me

When you don't believe a word I say?”

Jerry places us at a table off to the side. I nervously take my seat next to Charles in the red booth. A waitress stops by, setting down two waters, lemon wedges on the side, in front of the small yellow lantern on the table. Charles immediately takes the glass and guzzles it down, droplets of water spilling down his face and onto the new button up his dad just bought him.

“Charles, baby, slow down. You’re gonna choke.” I say trying to coax the glass from him before he hurts himself.

He sets it down empty, letting out a loud ‘AHH’, before taking the lemon off to taste it. His face instantly scrunches at the sour flavor and spits it out, the fruit tumbling across the table. He then reaches for my water to wash away the taste, and turns back to watch his father with my glass still in his hands.

Lord. Why do these two boys insist on keeping me so stressed? At least he keeps me sane through all this. I smirk, shaking my head at him, before looking to the stage.

When I look back up, I make eye contact with Elvis. He gulps loud enough that I hear it come through the speakers. His voice goes quieter, slowly spilling out the lyrics off beat to the music. I shift uncomfortably in my seat, almost anxious for him. What is he doing? Is something wrong?

“So if an old friend I know

Drops by to say hello

Would I still see suspicion in your eyes?

You can't see the tears are real

I'm crying”

His face contorts into that of sadness, seeming choked up and authentically mimicking the words he’s singing. He attempts to look around at his audience, but with each line he sings, his eyes seem to drift back to me.

I give him a worried look, as if to ask if he’s okay. He only gives a hesitant half nod, before closing his eyes and trying to concentrate on the song. His voice grows in volume once more, finally finding his rhythm again.

“We can't go on together

With suspicious minds

And we can't build our dreams

On suspicious minds”

He swings his arm in the air, dropping onto his knees, shouting passionately, but breathlessly into the microphone.

Oh, let our love survive

I'll dry the tears from your eyes

Let's don't let a good thing die

When honey, you know I've never lied to you”

He looks me directly in my eyes. We were so many feet apart, yet I still couldn’t help but feel so small and targeted under his gaze. He sings me the lyrics, reassuring me of their every word while begging for my understanding. On that stage, I see the boy I knew 10 years ago singing to me. The world against us, our lives at odds, while he painfully fought for our love, fought for my trust in the best way he knew how, through song.

The crowd uproars, standing to cheer for him. He walks towards the side of the stage, happily greeting fans by the stairs. He then disappears behind the now standing table in front of me. I rise to my feet to try and glance over their heads to find him again. After seconds of searching, eventually I catch a glimpse of that sweat, black swoop in his hair towering above the crowd.

Women throw themselves at him, screaming, touching him, grabbing him. He reaches down, planting quick kisses on their cheeks to satisfy them, making a feeling bubble in the pit of my stomach that I didn’t like. He scans the crowd, desperately looking for something before landing on me and stalking in my direction. In a room full of hundreds, he could only see me, and I him.

My stomach then drops, unsure what his next move could be. I twiddle with my fingers in my spot, my heart beat quickening with every foot closer he gets. He sneaks past the audience, pushing past the crowd to the best of his ability until he’s standing directly in front of me, out of breath and sweat pouring from his skin.

The entire room now has their eyes on us, but mine couldn’t leave his. As I’m about to reach out and ask if he’s alright, he lifts a hand to cup my cheek, the other grasping onto my hand. In that moment, life seemed to freeze around me, passing by slowly while my mind stayed in a bubble of just him and I. His voice echoes above all the rest of the other noise, being the only thing I could hear. “I love you, Bumble.” One camera flash. Then, he reaches down to capture my lips. Two camera flashes. Three. Four. I place my hands on his chest, fighting between pushing him away or pulling him closer, settling on the idea of doing absolutely nothing.

He leans away, leaving my lips to the cold air and my cheeks to the cool metal of his rings. He gives me a smirk, before being pulled into the mob of people by his manager. The Colonel gives me an evil eye, pushing Elvis back towards the stage.

I’m equally embarrassed as I am madly in love. Elvis can make some dumb decisions sometimes, but, boy, does he make his apologies grand.

I feel a tap on my shoulder and twist my head to see Jerry waving us to follow him. While the crowd is distracted, we weave through the tables and out the door before the photographers take notice of my absence. Jerry then escorts me backstage where I find Colonel, Marcella, and Vernon, who I haven’t seen since the day Elvis left.

Vernon looks at me with cautious eyes, while Charles walks over to him. “Hey, grandpa!”

“Hey, kid.” He greets back. I see Elvis has already introduced the two of them. Marcella snaps back at their voices, taking note that I’ve now joined them in the room.

The second the curtains come down and Elvis gets off stage, Charles is running up to him. “That was great, Dad! I liked that one move you did when you went-” He begins throwing his body around, making swooshing noises, mimicking the dance moves he saw. Elvis laughs, distractedly watching him, still trying to take peeks at me.

Marcella is next to run over, wrapping her arms around his neck. “You were amazing out there, baby!” She says through her teeth, grasping on to every last drop of hope she could. She kisses him, but Elvis tries to pry himself away, only looking at me in the process.

I sigh. I have so many different emotions swarming in my head right now, I don’t know what to make of anything anymore. I take what’s left of my dignity and turn around towards the exit. “Come on, Charles. We need to get back to our room.” I say reaching for his hand.

I manage to escape the backstage without running into any of Elvis’ fans or being followed by any particular someones. Once upstairs, Charles plops on the bed like he always does, but this time he doesn’t bother to turn on the TV. He sits with a thoughtful face, staring into the patterns of the carpet. I drag my worn out body into the bathroom to remove my jewelry and step into my comfortable pajamas. “Why are you so sad, Ma?” He ponders, swinging his legs off the edge.

I sigh, grabbing a wet rag, turning off the light, and sitting next to him on the bed, he bounces from my newly added weight. “There’s a lot been going on between Daddy and I, that’s all.” Is that already more than I should be saying to him? I gulp, nervously waiting for his reaction, while I slowly scrub eyeshadow from my lids.

“Like what?”

Aw, shit. “It’s nothing, baby. Don’t worry about it.” I try to reassure him, but he ponders on.

“Do you still love him?”

I go quiet. “Well…yeah, of course…”

“What about Marcella?” He asks with furrowed brows.

I stare off into the distance with a sigh. “I don’t know, baby. I do not know.”

He hums, unsatisfied with the answer, but knowing to drop it. He then lies his head down in my lap, hands on his stomach, while he looks up at me. “Can you tell me how you and dad met?”

A light chuckle escapes my lips, not expecting such a question after everything. “We knew each other since kids, you know that.”

“No, the story. The exact day.” He demands with a large smile.

Damn, I don’t even think I remember. “Well, Grandma Loretta and Grandma Gladys were good friends before I was born. Grandma Gladys would bring your daddy over to our house all the time. I was a baby when I first met him.” I get an unsettling feeling in my stomach. I don’t think I’ve lived a single day without knowing Elvis and it pains me to even think about having another day without him again, but I guess what needs to be done will be done.

I look up from my target on the ground, jumping when I find Elvis in the doorway. I got so lost in thought, I didn’t even notice the door open. Charles snaps up from my lap, confused as to why I was so startled. “Did you just notice he’s here??” He asks astoundedly.

I smile, turning away in embarrassment. Elvis chuckles, stepping in and closing the door behind him. He carefully joins us on the bed, sitting down slowly to wait for me to protest, but I don’t. Charles lays down between the two of us, looking up at the ceiling. “When did you know you loved each other?”

My eyebrows raise. “What do you mean, baby?” I ask him, hoping to prolong the time I have to answer.

He shrugs. “Well, people can’t make a baby without love, so what’s the day you knew you wanted to have me?

How do I get myself out of this one? I really hope that’s all he knows about how babies are made. A few incoherent noises escape my mouth before I find words. “I was too young to remember the day I fell in love.”

Elvis smacks his lips at my phony answer. “Don’t give me that. When’s the day you knew?” He asks, suddenly very involved and intrigued in our conversation now.

I cross my arms. “Well, when’s the day you knew?” I challenge right back.

He turns away in thought. “The day I was tryna teach you how to sing at Club Handy. You were still talkin to Michael, still scared about us and it drove me crazy, but I tried to give you the space you needed cause I didn’t want you to not trust me. But, my God, you looked so beautiful that night. It was the first time I felt like I truly had you to myself, like I saw a part of you no one else was allowed to see.” He takes a deep breath, pleased with his answer, before turning to me, waiting for mine.

I got so caught up in his words, I didn’t even bother to think up my answer yet. I had no idea he loved me that soon. “Well,” I start, still thinking. “Honestly, I think the same day.” He smacks his lips again, rolling his eyes and groaning. “I’m serious!” I laugh, smacking him on the arm. “That’s why I panicked and tried to run off that day, because I knew I felt something serious for you. The day that I finally acknowledged it was the day of the charity concert. Before the champagne by the way.” I reassure him, earning a chuckle. “When you walked away after our fight, I felt such a deep emptiness in me that I couldn’t run from even if I tried. I knew that if I left for Chicago, that I’d never forgive myself and would spend the rest of my life searching for someone like you.” And I was right.

I swallow, sheepishly looking up to meet his eyes. His cheeks lift into a tender smile, while he reaches out to place his hand over mine, carefully snaking his thumb under my palm so he can lift it into his grasp.

Just then, a snore interrupts our sentimental moment. Somewhere in the middle of our conversation, Charles had fallen asleep. I would have laughed had I not felt so incredibly vulnerable in front of Elvis just now.

I take my hand from him, dropping my voice into a whisper to not wake our sleeping child. “What did you come here for? I told you we shouldn’t-” He grabs me by the waist and pulls me in for a deep kiss to shut me up. Oh…well, guess I can’t stay mad at this.

“I ain’t given up on you that easily, baby. Done wasted over half my life doin nothin but wishin I had you. I’m done with that.” His whispers graze along my lips, his thumb across my cheek. “I’m done.” He assures once more.

I close my eyes, resting my forehead against his. “How do I know this is real? That this is the last time we stop putzin around and finally be together.”

His eyes meet mine, lonely and longing, but ever so determined. “I can’t promise you perfection. I ain’t no saint. Never been.”

“I know that.” I giggle.

He smiles, licking his bottom lips. “But I can promise that you are the only one, mama. Don’t know how many times I gotta tell ya, but I’ll keep doin it til you believe me. After all these long, long years, I’m still in love with you. Always have been, always will be. You and me against the world, Bumble.”

He knows just those 6 words were enough to repeatedly put my heart at ease. I smile, stealing another kiss from him.

“Are you two together now?”

I jump away from Elvis, holding my heart at our son's sudden voice. I spin around, seeing him up and awake with a dubious eyebrow raised.

Elvis reaches for my hand once more. “Mama and I have always been together in our hearts.” I roll my eyes with a smile. He’s so cheesy.

“Good. I didn’t like having two moms.” He states, falling back into the pillows.

Elvis guiltily chuckles, stretching out and standing from his spot. “Guess I should get back. Make sure she’s signin them divorce papers and not tearin ‘em to shreds.”

I scoff, standing up with him to follow him to the door. As he’s about to say goodbye, something at the end of the hall catches his eyes. He stands up straight, nervously sterning up his face. Confused, I poke my head outside the room, seeing The Colonel marching towards us, angry as ever.

“You!” He points. “Your wife is very upset, boy. Now, I think it’s in your best interest you keep that girl happy whether it be diamonds or not kissing other women, you better do it. In case you have forgotten, her daddy is the reason you have this show in the first place.”

“I’m divorcin Marcella.” He flatly lays out.

Colonel stumbles over his words, looking between us with a mix of various different emotions. “You’re not going to take a second to think about this?”

Elvis scoffs. “I been thinkin bout this my whole life. I only want one girl and it sure as hell ain’t her. You’ve known that from the beginning.”

Colonel's eye twitches and I swear I see hell shine across them, the lost look in his eyes now replaced with something sinister. “Elvis, I have been with you since you were nothing but a scared little boy doing lewd gyrations on stage. You are making a big mistake.”

Elvis’ fist turns white against the red walls. “I made up my mind, Colonel. Honey and I been through hell and back and I’m done making excuses for other people’s opinions. We’re together and ain’t nothin you can do about it.”

“I’ve worked too hard to keep her away, I’m not letting you throw your career away because of one foolish girl again.” He angrily taps his cane on the ground.

Elvis pauses. “What do you mean ‘worked too hard to keep her away’?”

‘We’re lookin for Elvis Presley and Honey James. Be you they?’

“I tried to reason with you, but you were an immature boy, you would ignore my every call. So I did the only thing I could do to get you to listen.”

‘I promise you I didn’t call the cops that day!’

“Colonel, what the hell are you talkin about?!” Elvis shouts.

‘Another colored woman locked up will have little effect on your reputation.’

My heart beats so strongly, I can feel it through my entire body. That night. The night that felt like the end of everything. “You called the cops.”

-Taglist-

@tearupmyhead @chouetteschaussettes @il-giardino @theliterarybeldam @re3kin @anangelwhodidntfall @felicityroth @crash-and-cure @mama-pankow @tzillas @wonderlandlovelove @mirandastuckinthe80s @queenslandlover-93 @coconutessential @pumkiinpasties @buckybarnesbitch00000000 @biafbunny @darkestbeforethedawn16 @dollfaceyourfear @adoreyouusugar @hails-schae @spacegh0ul @im-lame-irl @sargspiderbarnes @whisperily @whatawildone @lukasdreamland @carioquisse @kaitaesupremacy @thella @isthlsfate @katsukis1wife @ella-janehaven

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callsign-magnolia · 1 year

Text

Undiagnosed // Ch. 5

Mature Content 18+

Jake Seresin x Neurodivergent OC

Warnings: Emotional abuse, trauma response, abusive parents.

Word Count: 7.0k

Chapter 4 | Masterlist

After his apology, Jake was a little more eager to hang out with me while I study. His presence became calming almost. Any time Coop came in the room, one glare from Jake and he was turning around and leaving. It filled me with joy to see him running with his tail tucked between his legs. “Katie!” I whirled around in my seat to see Jake rushing over, a sly grin on his face. “What?” I asked and he motioned me to follow him. I stood, following him to the window where he yanked the blinds up. I never realized you could see the tarmac from here. “Okay… I see jets.” He laughed, pointing down towards the right corner. “Look down there.” I leaned over, looking and I saw two bodies by the jets, with another small body standing in front of them. I adjusted my glasses and realized it was Blake and Coop, with Maverick standing before them. Maverick’s mouth was moving but I obviously couldn’t hear anything. “Two hundred and fifty burpees. Mav is not taking this lightly.” I observed as they jumped in the air before dropping to the ground and going into a push up. “Why though?” I asked. “They screwed up. Left Bob and Phoenix to fend for themselves against Maverick. Then he got tone on them.” I nodded. “So you all have to do burpees if you mess up?” He shook his head. “No. Everyone else has to do two hundred pushups. It’s hard but not as hard as two hundred and fifty burpees.” I chuckled, watching them struggle. “I shouldn’t be laughing.” I said, turning back to the table.

“I think you have every right to laugh.” He said as I sat down, looking up at him over the rim of my glasses. “What they did was wrong on so many levels. So go ahead and laugh at their pain.” I giggled at him as he sat across from me. He smiled and stared at me for a minute. “What?” I asked. “You wanna go out on Saturday?” My smile dropped as I looked at him. “Are you fucking serious? You have a fucking girlfriend.” He sat back, wide eyed and shaking his head. “No! No, no! Dammit.” He ran his hands down his face before taking a deep breath. “I meant, do you want to go out with the team and I on Saturday? We’re all going to the Hard Deck for drinks.” I let out the breath I was holding. “Sorry. I was just caught off guard. Um, I think my parents and I have plans this weekend.” He nodded and proceeded to help me study. “Medical law really is boring.” I nodded in agreement. “What would you be doing if you didn’t have to do this to please your parents?” I didn’t even have to think about it. “Nursing school. I’ve wanted to be a nurse since I was a little girl.” He smiled at me. “I think you’d be a good nurse.” I smiled at him. “Thanks. I’ve never had someone tell me they thought I’d be good at something.”

“You mean, your parents never told you that they thought you’d be good at something?” I shook my head. “Well, my mom had me in pageants as a kid and my talent was usually gymnastics. She told me I was good at it, but then I went and broke my leg.” He chuckled as he leaned back in his seat, fingers tapping the table. “It’s not like you did it on purpose. How’d it happen?” I sighed, setting my pencil down. “My mom set up the little balance beam we had. She had placed the mats down next to it so if I fell I didn’t hurt myself. But she didn’t secure them and I messed up once so they shifted. I went into a back handspring and I went sideways. We’re still not completely sure how it happened but I snapped my femur in half.” He looked at me wide eyed. “How old were you?” I shrugged. “Seven I think. Mom yelled at me the entire ambulance ride and I was grounded for three months for ruining my chances at winning.” His jaw dropped. If this were a cartoon it would’ve broken through the table with the way he looked. “Wait, wait, wait. You mean to tell me that you snapped the strongest bone in your body at seven years old, and you were in trouble. You realize that’s technically her fault and not yours.” I sighed, shoulders dropping. “It’s in the past now, Jake. Let’s just drop it.” He could tell I didn’t want to talk about it anymore. “You realize there’s a pattern right?” I nodded. “Is this how it’s been your whole childhood?” I huffed in anger, slamming my book shut. “Yes, are you happy? Is that what you wanted to hear?” I raised my voice as I stood. He stood as well, coming around the table and standing mere inches from me as he leaned one hand on the table. “No, darlin’. Of course not. I just-it’s wrong.”

My face flushed at the nickname, not used to being called anything other than Katie. I cleared my throat, stepping back from him as he looked at me in confusion. “I should get back to studying. I have my last exam before finals coming up.” He nodded, moving so I could sit back down and once again I buried my nose in my book. The air in the room changed after that and we went silent, only speaking when he left and told me goodbye. He bugged me on Saturday, asking if I was sure I couldn’t come out. It’s not because I didn’t want to. I’d love to go out with other people and have fun, but it’s just not something I’m able to do. But ever since then, every Friday and Saturday night I would get a text from Jake, asking the same thing.

Wanna join us for drinks tonight?

I had to explain that it wasn’t because I didn’t want to, but more on the lines of convincing my parents to let me out unsupervised. He of course sent the eye roll emoji but in the end told me he understood. But that didn’t deter him from asking. Which made me feel good, like maybe my answers hadn’t annoyed him to the point he just stopped trying. But I planted the bug in my parents ear after the first time he asked and for weeks I’ve been dropping hints. “Hey mom?” I asked, sitting her drink next to her as she read her book in the family room. “What?” She snapped. “While I was in class today-” “Speak up! God, Katie. When are you going to learn that no one can hear you when you mumble!” I took a step back as a reflex before clearing my throat. “While I was in class, Professor Dunlap mentioned that the Hard Deck was doing a true crime trivia night this next Saturday, and they’ll have a lot of law questions. So if I go, I can get extra credit.” She scoffed at my question and I started pulling on my thumbs behind my back, trying to keep myself calm. “It’s also supporting a local charity.” She looked up from her book, raising a brow at me. “What’s it for?” She asked and I had to bite back the smile that was growing on my face. “Childhood cancer.” My mother is always doing events for various charities but her biggest one is childhood cancer. It’s a good cause but mom does it solely to show people, ‘how giving we are.’ In reality she doesn’t care, it’s all about image, just like everything else in our lives.

“You always say I should be more involved in charity, this would be good for me.” She seemed to think about it for a minute. “Let me discuss it with your father.” I nodded, turning and going up to my room where I felt like my chest was going to explode with excitement. For the next two weeks I’ve been kicking ass at studying, even allowing my parents to quiz me and showing them that I’ve done the work. I also went out of my way to do things without being asked, thinking maybe if I show some responsibility and maturity they’ll let me go. I was in the middle of studying when my mom came into my room Friday night. “What are you doing?” She asked. “I’m studying chapter thirty-six.” She raised a brow. “I thought you were on chapter thirty-three.” I nodded. “We are. But I finished it and I feel confident about it, so I worked ahead. Which means I’ve done the next two weeks' assignments.” She seemed impressed, looking around my room. “Your room needs a little work.” I nodded. “Yeah I need to wash my laundry and my bedding.” She nodded, turning to leave. “You need to dust and vacuum too. Your father and I were invited to a formal luncheon tomorrow and it’s just your father and I. We’ll have to leave you here… so if you can get this room straight, you can go to the Hard Deck.” She dipped out of the room after that and I grinned, excitedly reaching for my phone, shooting Jake a text.

Got plans tomorrow night?

I buried my nose into my textbooks, working hard to keep my mind busy. But I kept picking up my phone, hoping he replied. After twenty minutes his reply came through.

Same plans as every weekend, darlin’. Why?

How would you feel about adding one more person to your plans?

I didn’t even have to wait for a reply, as if he sat there and stared at his phone, waiting.

You’re not messing with me are you? This isn’t some cruel joke?

I had to cover my mouth to hold back my laugh, not wanting to alert my parents to anything.

No joke. My parents have plans and for some reason, they’ve allowed me to leave the house unsupervised.

Awesome, we’ll be there around seven!

I was so excited to go out! So much so I barely slept that night. The next morning I got up, stripping my bed and tossing everything into the washer. By twelve my parents left for their luncheon, giving me strict instructions on what I could and could not do. I was putting my sheets back on my bed when my phone rang. “Hello?” I asked, holding the phone between my cheek and shoulder. “Hey, darlin’.” The southern accent greeted me. “Hi, Jake.” I said, tucking my fitted sheet over the corner of my mattress. “You’re not gonna bail on us are you?” He asked and I giggled, shaking my head. “No. I just have a few things to do before I go.” He hummed. “Like what?” He asked. “Uh, I need to dry my comforter, wash and dry my clothes and put them away, then I need to clean my fish tank.” I could hear rustling on the other side. “How long is that gonna take?” I looked at the clock, seeing it said twelve-forty five. I did the math in my head. “About four and a half hours.” It went silent for a moment and I thought maybe the call dropped. “Jake?” I asked. “Four and a half hours for laundry and your fish tank?” I nodded. “Yeah, an hour to wash my clothes while my comforter dries, an hour to dry my clothes and maybe fifteen minutes to fold all of it. Then I need about two hours for my fish tank. But after that I have to shower and get ready.”

“What if I came over and helped you?” I was caught off guard by the question. “Um, I don’t know.” I ran my hands through my hair. “Come on, Katie. I’m sure that fish tank is heavy too.” I huffed, looking at the tank. It was twenty gallons and it was heavy, empty and full. “Okay. But you need to get here fast and you have to be gone before three-thirty. My parents will be back at four.” I heard him jump to his feet. “Send me the address, darlin’. I’m on my way.” I bit my lip, fighting back a grin at the name he seems to have given me. “Okay.” My voice was airy as we said goodbye and hung up. I text him my address, leaning against my door as I did so. My parents would literally kill me if they found out I had a male in general in the house without them here. But for Jake to be under my father’s command? That was a whole other realm of problems, especially considering the rumors that flew months ago. Maybe I should call him and tell him not to come? That would be the best thing to do. I broke away from my thoughts to grab my phone, but I was interrupted by the doorbell going off.

I made my way downstairs, peeking out the window next to the door, swinging it open when I saw the familiar head of blonde hair. Jake smiled at me as he leaned on the door frame. His hair wasn’t perfectly fixed, hanging messily in front of his eyes. He had on a black shirt with some blue gym shorts slung low on his waist, and damn, have his arms always been that big. “It’s weird seeing you in casual clothing.” He said and that’s when I realized I was in a baggy shirt and shorts. “Sorry. I didn’t see the point in dressing up just to clean.” I said as I stepped back. “Come in.” He did and I shut the door behind him. “Want anything to drink?” I asked as he looked around. My house was by no means small, and my mother wanted to show off to anyone and everyone, so it always looked grand. “I’ll take a water.” I nodded, walking to the kitchen as he followed me. I grabbed a glass from the cabinet, filling it with water and handing it to him. He chuckled, looking at the glass. “No bottles?” I laughed, filling my own glass. “No, we’re too good for bottles according to my mother.” He chuckled. “How long did it take you to get here?” He shrugged, setting the glass down. “Like twenty minutes.”

I sat on my floor, against my bedroom door for twenty minutes? I shook the thought off, motioning him to follow me. “You can sit here while I toss my clothes in the washer, then we’ll tackle the fish tank.” He looked around my room before turning back to me. “I can help.” I laughed as I grabbed the basket full of clothes. “It’s putting laundry in the washer. It’s kind of a one person job.” He flashed me a smile, and I laughed. “I’ll be right back.” As I was tossing my clothes in, I was grateful that he didn’t insist on helping me. That would mean he would’ve seen my panties, and for some reason, that made redness flare across my cheeks. I never thought things like that would make me blush. Every woman wears panties. Right? I shook the thoughts away and went back upstairs. I walked into my room to see Jake looking at all the pageant trophies my mother kept on display. “This was really you?” I nodded. “That hard to believe?” He shook his head. “No, you just look so young but so mature at the same time.” I nodded. “Lots of makeup, lots of spray tan.”

“So who's who?” He asked, leaning down to look into the tank. “You wanna know their names?” He nodded. “I mean, I’m about to remove them from their home, figured I’d know their names first.” I laughed at his words. “The two goldfish are Splish & Splash, I actually bought them together.” He nodded. “How can you tell them apart?” I pointed at Splish as she swam by. “That’s Splish. Not long after I got her, Georgie, the guppy with the veil shaped tail over there attacked her. They were still little at the time and he damaged her left fin. She’s fine but I really thought I was gonna have to separate them into separate tanks.” He nodded. “So Splash is this other one that’s next to her?” I nodded. “Georgie was the very first one I got, my parents got him for me. But then I got Splish and Splash. Simon is my angelfish over there and after him I got Ripley.” “She’s a neon tetra right?” I nodded. “Most people don’t know their species names.” He chuckled, standing up straight. “My nephew has a fish tank and it’s full of them.” I smiled at him. “Fish tanks are very relaxing, and I’ve learned alot from having them.” He raised a brow. “Like what?” He asked and I went into the bathroom, grabbing the container I put them in when I cleaned their tank. “Like goldfish have no stomach and can live to be forty years old.” “Forty years?” I nodded. “They also have short memories, but not as short as people think. It goes about three months and they can recognize people's faces.”

He seemed surprised as I climbed onto the small step stool I keep in my room, placing the container in the water. “Hand me that net?” I asked, pointing to the other side of the tank. He handed it to me and watched as I corralled them into the container before I pulled it out. “You just herded them like cattle.” I laughed and nodded. “It’s routine now. They know when they see the net to move towards the container.” I said as I went into the bathroom, setting the container back onto the counter so they didn’t get knocked around. I used another container to empty more water until there was virtually none left. “Okay, just grab an end and lift.” He held his hand out, grabbing the tank long ways and just lifting it off the table. I couldn’t help but stare for a moment as the muscles in his arms rippled. “Jake! Please be careful! Please don’t spill any of it!” He carried it as if there was no problem. “Where do you want it?” He asked. “In the tub.” He nodded, carefully setting it down. “Thank you, but I would’ve helped you carry that.” He shook his head. “You carry that on your own?” I nodded. “No one helps you?” I shook my head. “They’re my fish, my responsibility. Why would anyone help me?” I asked, pulling out all my supplies. I could feel the tension in the air and his eyes on my back, but when I turned back around he just smiled at me.

We got to cleaning out the tank. I stood in the large tub on one side of the tank and he sat on the edge on the other side. We were halfway done when he decided to splash water in my face. “I know you did not.” He laughed, looking up at me. “You said you needed a shower anyway. Figured I’d help you get started.” I splashed water back in his face. That started us tossing water at each other. “Stop!” I squealed as he soaked my glasses. I took them off, shaking them out. “And now I'm blind.” I joked, handing him my glasses to set on the counter behind him. As he did I looked past him, catching a tall form in the doorway. Even without my glasses I could tell it was my father, and I could tell he was mad. “Daddy.” The words escaped my mouth as I backed into the shower wall, wanting as much distance between us as possible. It helped that Jake was between us, but I was still scared. Jake looked up at me, seeing the fear on my face and looked behind him, standing as he saw my parents in the doorway. “Commander.” “Why are you in my house Lieutenant?” My father didn’t miss a beat in asking him.

Jake opened his mouth to answer. “I asked him to come. I really wanted to go to the Hard Deck tonight and asked if he would help me finish everything so I could go.” My dad’s jaw ticked as Jake looked back at me, but I barely shook my head, telling him to keep his mouth shut. “You need to leave, Lieutenant.” My heart thudded in my chest as he looked back at me before stepping over the edge of the tub and making his way out downstairs. I couldn’t hear anything except my blood rushing in my ears, but when I heard the front door shut everything caught up with me. My mother took off to the left towards her room and my father surged forwards. “NO!” I screamed, attempting to duck away from him but he caught my hair that was piled in a bun on top of my head. I screamed as he pulled it, causing me to trip over the edge of the tub and crash to the stone tiled floors below. “GET UP!”

I pushed myself up but he was faster, grabbing my hair again and pulling me up as a scream escaped my lips. I couldn’t get my feet under me as he literally tossed me out of the bathroom. I couldn’t get my hands out in front of me fast enough and landed face first on the carpet, blood immediately pouring out of my nose. I sat up as I heard something metal behind me, but as I went to turn and face my father I caught sight of the front door that was at the bottom of the stairs. Green eyes met my own as an angry look overtook Jake’s face. He took his hand off the doorknob and turned for the stairs, but the pleading look on my face made him stop. He couldn’t get involved, not now. “YOU’RE A FUCKING WHORE!” My dad yelled, bringing his belt down on my bare thigh making me close my eyes and scream. When I opened them I saw Jake was gone and I curled into the fetal position as my dad continued to bring his belt down. Once he left me lying on the hallway floor, I managed to get up, my entire body aching as I did so. I finished the tank and got my fish back in before I crawled into the hot shower. My back and legs stung as I gently washed my body, spotting a whelps that was lightly bleeding. He’s never been that angry, he’s never hit me with his belt. I shook at the memory, curling up on the shower floor for a minute, letting the scalding hot water wash over my body.

I only got out when Mom banged on the bathroom door, telling me to get out. Once I was dry and in my pajamas, I went into my room, closing the door. I fed my fish and then crawled into my bed, not caring that it was only six o’clock, my muscles screamed at me as I pulled the covers up to my chin. Tears soaked my face as I listened to my phone buzz for the thousandth time. I knew Jake was blowing up my phone, and probably Natasha and Bradley as well. But after what happened earlier, I just didn’t wanna talk to anyone. I should’ve anticipated them coming home early. We could've avoided this. Eventually, I dozed off listening to the filter in the fish tank, but I was woken up not long later when my bedroom light turned on. “Get up!” I screamed as my dad grabbed the back of my shirt, yanking me out of bed. He dragged me over to my desk before slamming me down in the chair. “If you’re going to be a whore, you’ll at least be an educated one.” He said before walking out of the room and slamming my door shut behind him. Tears dripped onto my textbook as I cried. You knew better. You knew the repercussions of inviting him over. I attempted to shake the thoughts away but it was no use. Just admit it. You’re desperate for friends, desperate to not be alone.

I cried the rest of the night and well into Sunday. By Monday I was too numb to cry, I couldn’t feel anything and I wore a long dress to cover my legs and the whelps that covered them. I don’t remember much of the day, only really comprehending anything until Natasha sat across from me, placing her hand on mine. I jumped from my chair, staring down at her for a second before I relaxed, only to jump again when a hand touched my back. I turned, tripping over my chair as Bradley grabbed my arms. “Katie. Hey?” He stood me up and bent down to look me in the face. “You okay?” I didn’t say anything, I just nodded and sat in the chair, tucking my hands between my thighs hoping the pressure would keep me from drifting off in my own head. “Katie we heard what happened.” Natasha got up, opting to take the chair next to me. I dropped my head, looking at the floral patterned dress that covered my thigh. “Katie, Jake was so pissed he called out today. He said he was sick, but really if he saw Commander Blair he might’ve lost it.” Bradley said as he squatted down next to my chair. I didn’t say anything, I didn’t know what to say. “What happened, Katie?” Natasha asked and I shook my head. “It was my fault.”

“How was it your fault?” Bradley asked. “I shouldn’t have let him come over. If I had just told him to stay home it wouldn’t have happened.” Natasha grabbed my hands from between my legs, taking them both in hers. “This is not your fault, Katie. It doesn't matter what you did, no one deserves… oh my god.” I realized my dress had shifted, the slit on the side revealing one of the whelps. “Oh-” I went to stop her but she moved my dress, revealing part of my thighs, the whelps becoming even more visible. “Katie.” Her voice sounded so sad and Bradley looked livid. “You have to get out of there.” He said as he towered over me. He’s never hurt me before but he scared me hovering like that. “Sit down.” Natasha said quietly and he did, sitting in the chair at the end of the table. “Katie-” “I have to figure this out on my own. If anything happens, I don’t want anyone else tangled up in my mess.” They seemed stunned. For months since we met, I’ve been saying I don’t need help, but now I know I do. “If my dad finds out that Jake knows, this whole thing will take a turn and I don’t know if it’ll be for better or worse. So I need to do this myself.” I said as my eyes trained on this one spot on the table in front of me. Natasha sighed, but Bradley nodded. “I get it. But if you need help,” I nodded. “I’ll call if I really need help.” He nodded as my phone buzzed. I looked at it and gasped. “Fuck! My dad texted me five minutes ago to meet him in front of his office!” I quickly gathered my things. “God, he’s gonna kill me!” I said as I made my way to the door. “Katie! You’re not serious are you?” Bradley yelled. But I didn’t turn around and answer, mainly because I wasn’t so sure if he would or not.

That night after dinner I sat up in my room, my parents wanted me to be studying but I’ve done so much of it I’m five chapters ahead. I can slack off some, so I did. I sat in my bed, curled up with another Stephen King book, this time it was The Stand. I had dived into the picture of the world this book painted but was startled out of it when my door slammed open, the door knob putting a hole in the wall. “Why the fuck are you not studying?!” My dad yelled as he saw me, and I shook in my bed. “I’m five chapters ahead and I’ve done the work for the next four weeks.” He was red in the face and let out a loud yell before he swiped all the pageant trophies off my dresser. I didn’t really care about them but I was terrified, backed against my headboard as I watched him. “I’m sick of having a lazy good for nothing daughter who can’t even do the simplest things she’s asked! God! It’s like you’re stupid or something! Where the hell did we go wrong with you?!” He smashed everything as he screamed. My stack of CD’s, he tipped my bookshelf over and even yanked my comforter off my bed. “You are so ungrateful! We’ve given you everything! And you sit there as if you don’t owe us anything for it! YOU WOULD BE NOTHING WITHOUT US!” He screamed as he got in my face. “I don’t need you!” I screamed back.

I yelled out as his nail scratched my face as he ripped my glasses off. “I guess if you aren’t gonna use these to study,” He said as he sat my glasses on my desk, grabbing my fattest textbook. “YOU MUST NOT NEED THEM AT ALL!” “Daddy! Stop!” I jumped up, attempting to grab the book from him. But I was too late. He slammed the book on my glasses, crushing the lenses and destroying my wire frames. I grabbed his arm and he slung me around until I fell over, crashing into the table with my fish tank. “And these fucking fish! I’m so sick of them!” My heart stopped as he launched the book at my tank, glass shattering and water pouring into the floor. “NO!” I screamed. All five fish lay flopping on the floor, gasping for breath. I jumped up, rushing into the bathroom to grab the container I use when I clean their tank. I opened the tap in the sink and filled it with water. It felt like it took ages to fill up but when I finally had enough I left the water on and rushed back to my room, not caring if I spilled water in the hallway. I dropped to my knees, sobbing as I picked them up one by one and put them in the container. “Come on, guys.” I said as I picked up Georgie, gently setting him in the container. “Come on!” I yelled as my dad stood over me. None of them moved, laying on the bottom of the container. He lightly kicked my hip from where he was standing, making me look up and glare at him. “Get the hell over it.” He growled out as he walked over towards my bedroom door. “And clean this shit up.”

He shut my door and looked back down at the bowl, crying when I realized none of them moved. My body shook with sobs as I took my finger, nudging Ripley in hops he would move but he didn’t. “You can’t be dead.” I whispered as I sat back, pulling my knees up to my chest, sobbing. I can’t do this anymore. I should’ve left before now, maybe then they would still be alive. I eventually dragged myself up from the floor, grabbing the bowl and setting it on my desk, next to my crushed glasses. I went into the bathroom, grabbing the broom from there and sweeping up as much glass from my carpet as possible. My parents went to bed already, their closed bedroom door making it obvious. If I cut the vacuum on, who the hell knows what’d happen next. I got up what I could before going back to my room. Everything else could wait until tomorrow morning. I was too scared to lay in my bed, scared he’d come back in and do something to me. So I moved my chair to the other side of my desk so I could see the door and I crossed my arms in front of me, laying my head on them. I stared at the container in hopes it was just stress or the water parameters keeping them on the bottom. I would give them till the morning. My eyes shifting over to my glasses, my bent frames looking like a bent up metal sculpture. I couldn’t hold back anymore tears, letting them fall down my cheeks until they soaked my arms and desk. The next morning was hell. I stepped on a piece of glass, slicing my foot wide open. I was yelled at for missing my first two classes because I had to clean my floors, get up the glass and water, and none of my fish survived. Just like the day before I felt numb, barely remembering how I got to class, and to base. Let alone how I saw to get anywhere, I didn’t even remember walking into the rec room. But I stared at my papers anyway.

“Why are you struggling so hard?” Jake asked when he saw me squinting at the papers in front of me. “Where’s your glasses?” My body froze at his question, my chest getting heavy. “Hey, what is going on?” He asked, squatting down in front of me so he could look up at my face. My hands were between my thighs, the pressure grounding me. “Nothing. I’m fine.” He shook his head, standing and looking at me. “No, you’re not. I know you well enough now to know you’re not okay. So, what is it?” He asked. I took a deep breath, trying my hardest to not dump everything on him. You always run your mouth, at least try to keep this to yourself this time. I shook my head. I don’t run my mouth, and someone should know about the way they treat me. “Um...” I started but immediately stopped. If I start carrying on about this, he'll think I’m weird, he’ll walk away like everyone else. “You know you can tell me, right?” I sighed. “He broke my glasses last night.” It was a whisper. My voice not able to be any louder. “What? Your dad broke your glasses?” I nodded, tears welling in my eyes. “I just- He was yelling at me, and I snapped back. He yanked them off my face and slammed them into my desk before taking my textbook and smashing them.”

I started crying at the memory, he was so angry. The yelling always set me off. “There’s no excuse for him to do that, darlin’.” I shook my head. “No. I wasn’t focused like I should’ve been. I have to pass the bar and I couldn’t keep my nose out of this book I was reading.” I said as my arms crossed over my chest, squeezing myself. “He took them, saying if I wasn’t going to use them to study, I must not need them.” I choked out. “That’s not right. No, That’s not right. He can’t just do that.” I shook my head. “He pays for them, so he can-“ “That is not how that works, no matter what he tells you.” I shrugged. “What else did he do?” I furrowed my brows. “What makes you think he did something else?” He sighed, sitting on the desk in front of me as I started picking around my nails. “Usually once you get something off your chest. You get mad. You’re still upset.” I sighed as he gently gripped my chin, tilting my head up so he could look me in the eyes. God, those beautiful green eyes. “What is it?” I sighed, more tears streaming down my cheeks. “He broke my fish tank.” I choked out. His face immediately fell, and I turned my eyes back to my lap.

“Honey, I’m so sorry. Did any of them-“ I cut him off with a sniffle and a shake of my head. “None of them survived.” I said as I started crying. He pulled me into him, my head resting on his chest as he rubbed my back. “I’m so sorry, darlin’.” After a few minutes I sat back, wiping my tears. My eyes locked onto the small chip on the table in front of me as I spoke. “I’m sorry. This is all so stupid. They were just fish.” I said, trying to play it off like no big deal in hopes he wouldn’t find me weird. “No, it's not stupid. They were your pets; some you’ve had for years.” I felt better, knowing he didn’t find it stupid. Now I felt like I could be upset about it without feeling like I had to keep it all in. But I still furrowed my brows. “You remember that?” He nodded. “Of course, I do. You would go on and on about how much you loved them and the set up you had for them.” I was shocked, I never expected him to remember all those times I talked about them within the last few months. We sat there for a moment, me still crying a little.

“I’m going to say something to him.” He said as he got up, walking out the door. “No! No! No! Bad idea!” I said as I ran in front of him. “What are you going to say anyway? To your fleet commander no less, your new one at that!” “I’m gonna tell him that you don’t deserve this.” I shook my head. “Jake, I’m going to have to ask you to not get involved in this.” I said holding up my hand, but I was shocked when he grabbed it, holding it between both his hands. “And I’m going to have to deny that request.” He said firmly, looking into my eyes. “Why?” He chuckled, looking at my hand, his thumb rubbing my knuckles. “Would you believe me if I said it’s because I care about you?” He asked, taking a step closer. I was shocked, my breathing getting heavier and heavier. “I really do. You have pulled me in with these cute little things you do. Like when you pull on your thumbs, when you scrunch your nose. That little eyebrow quirk-Yeah, that one!” He said as my brow went up. “The way you get excited about little things, and you can’t help but wave your hands around and you do this little dance. I want to do this, because I care about you, Scarlett. I care about you a lot, and I hope you care about me too.”

“I do Jake, I never thought you’d become one of my best friends, but you did. I’m glad you care, but I can’t have anyone else involved with this. I have to figure out how to get out of this on my own.” He shook his head. “I’m done, letting you deal with this alone. You need help.” He said, running his hands through his hair. “Jake, I know. But I have to lay low and be complacent for a while. I just have to let them keep doing this until I find my opening to leave. I’m watched like a hawk twenty-four seven.” His face seemed to turn red in anger. “Be complacent? Be complacent?!” He yelled. I backed into the wall and immediately tears streamed down my face. A reaction I’ve gained over the years. "They don't get to treat you like that!" He yelled as I slid down the wall, tears coating my cheeks. "They're my parents, Jake! They have me trapped financially; I can't do shit about it!" I yelled back, tossing my head back into the wall. “I have to have somewhere to go, Jake. In case you haven’t noticed, I have no life skills! I can’t just leave!” He immediately calmed down, turning to face me. “I have a three bedroom house.” I furrowed my brows, standing from my spot, looking at him. “Jake-” “Come stay with me. I have the room and your parents would never guess, you’d be completely hidden away from them.” It almost sounded too good to be true. “Katie. Seriously, this is your chance and if you don’t take it,” He stopped, standing tall and looking down at me. “I’m just gonna have to force you to go with me.”

This was it. My one chance. One that would probably never come again. Someone who was willing to let me live with them and not tell anyone. “Katie-” “Okay.” I said and immediately my heart started pounding in my chest. “Seriously?” I nodded. “When can you leave?” I asked. “Now. Mav let us out early.” I nodded, pulling my laptop and keys out of my bag, leaving them on the table, tossing my phone in between them. “What are you doing?” He asked as I hoisted my bag onto my shoulder. “My parents can and will track me with my phone and laptop. If I take the car, they’ll report it stolen. Better to just leave it all here.” I said as I turned, motioning him towards the door. “Won’t you need your phone?” He asked and I shook my head. “Better to start over.” I said and he nodded. “God, how are we gonna get out of here without passing my dad’s office?” I asked and he smirked at me, twirling his keys. “I park out by the hangar, all the way on the other side of the base.” I smiled at him. “You’re a genius.” I said and he led the way, rushing through the halls until we got out to the hangar. We rushed towards a black Chevy Silverado, Jake unlocked the doors, helping me into the passenger side before he jumped into the driver's seat. My heart beat thrummed in my ears and I felt lightheaded from the adrenaline as Jake backed out. “You okay?” He asked as I had my eyes locked on one of the jets. “I think so. This is weird and in all honesty I'm scared.” He chuckled, stretching his arm along the back of my seat before he looked at me. “You’ll be fine. I promise.” And for the first time ever. I felt like I could truly trust somebody.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

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#undiagnosed #top gun maverick #jake seresin #jake hangman seresin #jake seresin x neurodivergent oc #hangman #jake seresin top gun #top gun #neurodivergent oc #ADHD OC

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continuous-spec · 2 months

Text

ME Fic: The Messages In Between Ch.1

Summary: Shepard and Garrus messages to each other throughout the events of the Reaper War.

Link: Ao3

Notes: GST: Galatic Standard Time. Cycles are one-day cycle of the Citadel per the GST. One Orbit has 40 Cycles. There are ten Orbits in a GST year. 2686 GS is also 2186 for the Alliance.

Galactic Standard Time: Cycle 20, Orbit 9, 2686. Day 6 of the Reaper War.

Garrus breathed in the stale air of his cabin, trying to relax in his makeshift cot. He had been without sleep for almost two days.

Four days since the Reapers hit Palaven and six days since they hit Earth. Six days without contact with the Sol system. Six days not knowing if Shepard was still alive.

Garrus rubbed his brow plates, trying to push the thoughts of her out of his head. He needed to sleep. He had spent the last two hours stuck on top of a comm tower, sniping any reaper forces within scope of Vitcus' men—All while fixing the comm tower too. That was somehow just this morning. Garrus' mind whirled with fog without sleep, trying to keep track of the time. He needed to rest, but the adrenaline still kept him stirring in bed.

Just as he felt himself drifting to sleep, his omni-tool pinged dozens of times. Messages upon messages poured in. Almost all from the same source: Datapad Model OXIV, Alliance Addition. Garrus shot up out of the cot, trying to scan the messages. The words shifted and moved with his exhaustion, but there was no way he could sleep now.

***

[Datapad Model OXIV - Draft date GST: Cycle 30, Orbit 4, 2686]

Garrus, It’s Shepard. I'm sending this out. Hotwired a datapad they’re allowing me to have to prep evidence. I doubt the Alliance is reading. I'm pretty sure they won't notice when this datapad goes missing, either.

Give the Hierarchy hell, and hopefully, we’ll get somewhere with it.

Send back if you can. I think this is going out?

[Datapad Model OXIV - Draft date GST: Cycle 35, Orbit 4, 2686]

House arrest, you got to be fucking kidding me. Is this on the news? Can you see this? I’m sure Khalisah is having a field day with this.

At least Joker can still get on the Normandy. I'm stuck. Maybe I'll take you up on that offer to break me out. You know, we can steal the Normandy again, too, just like old times.

[Datapad Model OXIV - Draft date GST: Cycle 5, Orbit 5, 2686]

You’d hate this. It’s all pointless jabbering. Tribunal after tribunal. They won’t listen. Aratoht is all they care about. I’ve shown them the proof. They keep putting their heads in the sand.

Do you know that saying? Does it even translate? It just means that, as always, they’re ignoring the real problem. Why is that not a surprise?

[Datapad Model OXIV - Draft date GST: Cycle 15, Orbit 5, 2686]

Did you know today is my birthday? On Earth its April 11th. I'm only a little disappointed you didn't get me a gift.

I think I’m 32 or 30. Does being dead count towards age? Do turians celebrate birthdays?

30 is a big one, a big milestone for humans. When I was a teenager, I never thought I would get to it running with the Reds. I guess, technically, I didn’t get to celebrate it. Humans don't generally celebrate it in a jail cell either.

I just wish you were here with me for it. We could have shared another glass of wine. Among other things…

Right now, I’m so bored that I’m trying to figure out how to make prison wine. Hopefully, I won’t go blind.

[Datapad Model OXIV - Draft date GST: Cycle 23, Orbit 5, 2686]

If I could go without hearing about the Reds for one more day, I might not scream. They have spent a week dissecting my time with the Reds. Seriously? I left them when I joined the Alliance. I’m just some drugged-out teen junkie on Red Sand to them still.

When do we stop paying for the sins of youth?

I hope this is getting to you. I hope you’re getting further than I am. Good thing you left. Imagine both of us in an Alliance interrogation room?

[Datapad Model OXIV - Draft date GST: Cycle 25, Orbit 5, 2686]

Want to take any bets on how long until the Reapers are here? I'll give it two more months. that what like three orbits? You think the Councils cares?

What are you wagering? How about we wager like we did with Strip Skyllian-Five? This isn't a bet I want to win this time though. Even if I like seeing you in your skivs.

[Datapad Model OXIV - Draft date GST: Cycle 29, Orbit 5, 2686]

Still no answer from you. You playing hard to get Vakarian?

[Datapad Model OXIV - Draft date GST: Cycle 37, Orbit 5, 2686]

The prison wine is nasty, almost as bad as the stuff you brought last time. Still not blind, although I am having visions of you pinning me up against the aquarium. Did I get you blushing yet?

[Datapad Model OXIV - Draft date GST: Cycle 1, Orbit 6, 2686]

I’d like to think you’re just playing hard to get, and I’m not just sending these off into the ether. It's hard doing one-sided sexting you know?

No one tells you how boring prison is, even with the datapad. I wish they’d give me a keyboard so I can practice. Also, to hotwire it to get a better signal to you.

Now I’m starting to know why they try to limit how much electronics I get. It’s the Alliance's fault, they trained me how to do this. Yeah, that’s the excuse I’m going for.

If you can, send a voice recording, I miss it. You I mean.

I miss you.

[Datapad Model OXIV - Draft date GST: Cycle 35, Orbit 6, 2686]

God, it’s so annoying. They have these guards watching me constantly. What do they think I’m going to do? Fight someone? or someones gonna fight me? Ridiculous.

It'd be nice to have some privacy to take care of myself since you're not here. I guess I'll just have to think about you in the shower...

[Datapad Model OXIV - Draft date GST: Cycle 15, Orbit 7, 2686]

I got tarred and feathered today by the Brass. This is totally something humans do, not an expression like the sand one. Don’t look it up. Just believe me.

If I have to hear one more thing about the geth, I might blow a gasket. Okay, now that one is an expression, although, with the cybernetics, I think that might be possible for me.