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ericspinkhair · 3 years

Text

quarantine longings

pairing: best friend!kevin x fem!reader

word count: 3.2k

synopsis: you and your best friend have sex because quarantine made you horny

warnings: best friends to lovers, takes place during the pandemic, spoiler of 356 days (but not the end, just generally the plot), no use of condoms but only the pill, creampie, sexual fantasies, fingering, hand-job, sex, slight angst at the end if you squint

a/n: I would literally die for kevin, I love him so much. I'll be writing a multiple parts series about him after I'm done writing scenarios for every member first.

requests are open!

masterlist + requests

you slammed your foot hard against the wall and cursed in pain. you hopped on one foot to your bed, holding your other leg in agony and tasted blood as you bit your lip to keep the volume of your suffering groans in check. someone knocked on the door.

'are you okay?' your roommate asked concerned.

'no, leave me alone, kevin,' you croaked out. you wanted to suffer by yourself.

there was an awkward silence and then you heard him sigh. soon after, the door next to your room closed shut.

why were you so frustrated, one might ask? well, the pandemic was kicking your butt and you just couldn't take it anymore. when the news of the virus had first spread, no one thought it would become this serious. but suddenly everyone was walking around with masks and spent most of their time staying at home.

after graduating high school, you and kevin had decided to move in together for college because both of you were broke and couldn't afford to live alone. you had been best friends since middle school and had been convinced that it was a smart idea at the time.

and everything went smoothly for the first one and a half years. however, after not seeing anyone else since the start of the pandemic over a year ago, it became increasingly difficult to share an apartment, but not in the way one might assume. you were neither sick of each other nor did you fight a lot. to tell the truth, it was quite the opposite.

earlier, before you had kicked the wall in anger, the two of you had painted together. kevin was majoring in art and, since you didn't have anything better to do, you joined him while he did projects for his classes. you might have been majoring in journalism but you had always liked drawing and painting, even though you weren't particularly skilled. you were a naturally clumsy person, always tripping over air and dropping things. today you were hecticly moving around your hands while telling him about a stupid video you had seen and you accidently let go of the brush in your hand. it hit the side of kevin's face, leaving a wide splodge of red paint on his right cheek.

to get back at you, he jerked his paint brush and splattered some green color on your white shirt. you saw this as a challenge and soon both of you were both drenched in the colors of the rainbow, laughing hysterically on the floor, not caring that you were spreading the paint on the poor carpet.

you turned your heads to look at each other and you felt absolutely in peace. you loved this man and couldn't be more glad that it was him and not anyone else you were stuck with inside of this apartment.

he stood up to take off his stained shirt and your smile quickly faded off your face. your lips slightly parted and you couldn't help but stare at his now exposed biceps and abs.

your mouth watered and you felt heat pooling between your legs as you took your time to study his architecture. thoughts about how badly you wanted him to thrust into you while his strong arms held you up invaded your mind. you tried to shake them off but it was impossible.

occasions like this were slowly becoming a common occurrence for you.

having mostly stayed inside for over a year, also meant that you didn't have sex for that long. it's not like you were the horniest person on the planet but you still had needs that were being neglected. with kevin being home all the time you didn't even dare to masturbate, scared that he would be able to hear you through the frustratingly thin walls. you must have gone insane with all the lust building up inside you and that's why you suddenly craved to have sex with your best friend. this whole thing was destroying everything. it was hard to act normal when he was making you this nervous and heated but you tried to pretend that everything was fine anyway for the sake of your friendship.

that was the reason why you were angry and had hurt yourself. you hated the way you felt about your best friend and you hated the pandemic for not giving you an outlet to escape so you could recollect yourself.

what you weren't aware of was that kevin was no stranger to the exact same frustration.

he would need more than his ten fingers and ten toes to be able to count the amount of times he had to run to the bathroom to hide his boner because he had done so much as look at you bend over or stretch. he didn't want to make you uncomfortable but it was a challenge to try and calm down his hormones.

whenever he jacked off, images of you flashed through his mind; your sweet curves and pink lips drove him insane.

last week, you two were cooking together and you had asked him to get the salt. he stood behind you to reach for it on the highest shelf. he was forced to press his crotch against your butt cheeks and his dick hardened against his will. he quickly handed you the salt, excused himself and ran off before you could figure out what had happened.

he might not have known the cause of your sudden outburst but he sympathized with your fury because he had a lot of pent up anger towards covid as well.

he lay in his bed and tried to focus on the book he was reading but he couldn't tune out the groans coming from the room next to his. he cursed.

'stop it!' he was panicking as he saw a familiar tent forming in his pants. your sounds triggered some weird perverted part of his brain that sent signals right to his genitals. his dick was hardening and he saw no other solution to his problem than to give in to his subconscious desires.

he pulled down his pants just far enough so that his cock had enough room to spring out. it only needed a few strokes before it stood tall and angry. kevin pressed his head into his pillow and moved his hand fast. he wanted to get over with it quickly. he emptied his cum on his stomach while imagining your greedy little mouth being stuffed by his cock. he lay there panting as yet another round of shame flushed over him.

'get yourself together,' he whispered, mentally slapping himself.

***

'do you want to order japanese or italian?' you asked kevin. today was friday which meant it was time for your weekly tradition of ordering take out and watching a movie.

'definitely italian. we've already had japanese for the past four days. I need something else for a change,' kevin complained and shuddered at the thought of having to eat sushi again. the japanese restaurant prepared absolutely delicious food but he just couldn't stand it anymore.

you laughed at his pained facial expression. 'fine, italian it is.'

within twenty minutes the doorbell rang and after about half a minute kevin came back with two huge boxes.

he opened them on the small table situated in front of your couch and the smell of freshly cooked pasta seasoned with basil made your stomach growl.

kevin wanted to dig in already but you stopped him. you had to choose a movie first.

'let's watch tall girl. I saw everyone hate on it on tiktok,' you suggested.

'I think we should watch 365 days, that was all over my for you page as well,' kevin argued. you hadn't heard of it so you weren't sure whether it would be the right movie for you. the rule was that it had to be as bad as possible.

'according to what I have heard, it's apparently even worse than 50 shades of grey,' kevin added which piqued your interest. the both of you had watched 50 shades about two months ago and you were honestly shocked by how awful it actually was. you couldn't understand why everyone had been so obsessed with it when it was first released. if 356 days was really worse, then you'd hit the jackpot. you clapped your hands.

'fine, you win. I swear if the movie isn't as horrible as you say it is then you owe me something!' he intertwined his pinky with yours to promise.

watching horrible movies was way better than watching good ones. making fun of bad storylines, stupid characters or horrible editing was one of your favorite past times.

'I guess I'll have to add are you lost, baby girl to the top 10 worst lines ever spoken. who thought ah yes this is sexy, let's have him repeat it over and over again', you complained, shoving some pasta into your mouth.

'so he's like I won't do anything without your permission while he is literally groping her boobs against her will, like make it make sense, massimo', added kevin, ruffling his hair in frustration. he almost completely forgot about the food.

'so let me get this straight: he drugged her, kidnapped her, tied her up, hung up a painting of her just because he saw her face when his dad was shot?'

'totally relatable.' both of you giggled.

you were enjoying complaining about the plot. it was horrible.

there were plenty of erotic scenes but they were honestly so funny and kinda gross that you could bare it without really being affected by them. kevin, on the other hand, had placed a pillow over his hard-on to hide the embarrassing fact that these terrible, smutty scenes had turned him on.

and then the infamous boat scene came.

massimo and laura had a huge fight, she fell of the boat, he saved her and now she was suddenly so in love with him that she begs him to fuck her. which he does.

you felt your panties become increasingly wet as the couple had steaming hot sex.

'this is embarrassing but I'm so horny,' you admitted but in a way that should have suggested that you meant it as a joke. something about this statement stirred something in kevin.

'well, what can I say?' he replied and lifted the pillow. your pupils widened at the sight of your best friend's bulge.

his eyes darkened and he looked at you with lust clearly written on his face. you reciprocated his stare with the same intensity. you tried to focus on his dark brown orbs instead of his boner but the image you had just seen was present in your mind.

his gaze shifted to your lips and, before you knew it, kevin climbed above you and pressed your back flat onto the couch.

your lips locked and you immediately buried your hands in his hair to pull him closer. you moved in sync, his lips fitting perfectly onto yours. you bucked your hips up against his crotch and earned a moan from kevin. he opened his eyes in shock as realization hit him. he quickly pulled away and jumped off the coach.

'I'm so sorry, y/n. I shouldn't have just done that. I don't know what came over me,' he apologized profusely, staring at his feet. did he really think that you didn't want this?

'give me your hand,' you told him and held out your hand.

'why?' he raised his eyebrows in confusion. you rolled your eyes.

'just do it.'

you took his hand and led it to your crotch.

'what are you- oh my god.' your juices had completely soaked through your panties and your sweatpants. 'you are so wet.'

'for you,' you added. 'there's no need to apologize. I'm literally begging you to continue.'

you didn't have to say that twice before he pulled you closer to him by your hips and engaged you in another desperate kiss. his hands were groping your butt while you let yours slide under his hoodie. you felt his naked skin and toned abs, as you rubbed his stomach. you lowered your hands and bravely palmed his boner through his clothes.

'y/n,' he hissed out against your lips. you hooked your thumbs in the elastic of his pants and underwear, and pushed the material down to his thighs. he struggled to get them off.

you stroked his hard dick as he slipped his hand into your panties to massage your pussy at the same time.

he slipped one finger inside and began working it in and out. you finally were getting the relief you had been desperately craving for for so long. kevin was skilled and your walls were trying to swallow his slim finger. you were quickly coming close to your orgasm after having abstained for more than a year. you pulled his hand out.

'I bet you can make me come even better with your dick,' you challenged kevin.

'you bet I will.' he was confident.

'let me just look for a condom.' he was already turning away to go search in his room but you held him back by the arm.

'forget about it. I'm on the pill and I want you raw. I want you to come inside me and not spill into a stupid condom.'

the idea of this sounded very tempting to kevin. he picked you up and threw you back onto the couch, drawing your hips closer to him so he could pull off all the pieces of clothing that were hindering him from accessing your pussy.

he propped up his arms next to your sides and spread your thighs apart. strings of arousal were hanging from your folds and he saw your hole desperately clench around nothing. his dick hurt from how much he wanted to finally be inside of you. he wanted to find out how close he had been able to imagine how you would feel around him.

your hole took him in easily, welcoming him happily by embracing it tightly. kevin swore he could've cum right here and there.

he went slow at first to give you a chance to adjust but you were already fully ready, rocking your hips forward to meet his thrusts.

he crashed your mouths together and you kissed him like he was oxygen and you were short of air. you smiled and your eyes rolled back, satisfied with how things had played out today and the prospects of coming looked fairly promising.

desperate for release, kevin picked up the pace, his eyes closed while fucking into you like a horny animal. he couldn't help himself and all the 'faster's and 'harder's spilling from your mouth only encouraged him to drive himself deeper into you.

you wrapped your legs around his torso in an attempt to regain the control you were losing.

'fuck fuck fuck,' you cursed, feeling your muscles starting to contract. kevin brushed away some hair that was stuck to your sweaty forehead.

'it's fine, I'm coming too,' he announced and it took only a few more thrusts before a body shaking orgasm flushed over you, making you see only white. this drove kevin over the edge too and he spilled inside you, filling you up with his hot cum. he continued to slowly ease his dick in and out of you, fucking his semen right back into you until you had ridden out both of your orgasms. he let himself fall onto the couch right next to you, panting hard.

'I very much needed this,' you sighed in content.

'same, I wasn't sure whether I could hold out any longer without having a proper orgasm.' he watched his cum drip out of you.

'we should've thought of this sooner,' you said. 'this was a great idea.'

kevin hummed in agreement.

***

so now you and kevin were having sex on a regular basis, your high score being five times in a day. it felt good to finally live out your sexuality and not having to restrict yourself. sure, you guys did it more than necessary but it was a great way to pass time and it felt fucking amazing.

today you had done it in the shower after waking up, then on the kitchen counter and you had just finished having sex in his bed.

he was spooning you from behind, his cock still placed inside of you. he nuzzled his nose into your neck.

'stop, that tickles,' you chuckled.

'sorry.'

after a while of comfortable silence you heard him let out a big sigh.

'what's wrong?' you asked as he pulled out of you. you turned around to be able to look at him.

'I don't think I can do it like this anymore,' he confessed.

'what do you mean?' you asked. 'are you talking about us having sex?'

he nodded. your heart dropped and you started feeling dizzy. you tried to search for answers in his eyes but he avoided looking at you.

'w-why?' you stuttered, trying to hold back the tears that were welling up in your eyes.

'it was amazing at first,' he started and finally raised his head to meet your gaze, 'and I went into it without much thought. I went crazy during quarantine and began fantasizing about having sex with you. then it became reality but now I understand that was probably wrong of me. I've always thought of myself as a gentleman, yet I slept with you without much thought. you see, my issue is this…'

suspense hung in the air and you were impatiently waiting for him to get to the point.

'I like you.'

you quietly gasped in surprise. you had been expecting him to say you were bad at sex and that he regretted everything but not this.

'I shouldn't be sleeping with you unless you were my girlfriend,' he finished off his ramble. you felt immensely relieved.

'do you want me to?' you asked him.

'want you to what?' kevin was confused. he had been a hundred percent sure you'd immediately jump out of the bed in disgust when he confessed.

'be your girlfriend. after all, I like you too, you moron.' you realized that you had known this for a while. you might have even been crushing on your best friend since way before the pandemic struck but it was kind of hard to track your feelings. still, you were sure you liked him too. now that he had admitted his feelings, you were able to admit yours not only to him but to yourself as well.

'wow, I didn't expect this,' kevin confessed surprised. you laughed.

'yeah, we should've realized this sooner.' he pulled you closer and kissed you. it was different than the other times. his lips moved softly against yours, in contrast to all of your rough and passionate kisses you had exchanged these past few weeks. he conveyed his emotions through the kiss.

'you're ready again?' you groaned as you felt kevin's dick harden against your upper thigh. he chuckled.

'sorry, you just turn me on so much.'

so then you did it for the fourth time. that day, you set a new record of having sex six times. you might have been happy now but still just as horny.

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chocosvt · 3 years

Text

⚬ pairing: joshua x reader ⚬ word count: 5040 ⚬ warnings: mentions of alcohol ⚬ genres: FLUFF, shallow angst, guitarist/bandmate!joshua, some annoying neighbour tropes, a little bit of pining, wintery pizzazz, joshua is a hopeless romantic :(

✧✎ synopsis: somebody new just moved into the upstairs apartment. they’re loud, irritatingly sweet, and unfortunately, very pretty. but you’re not looking for a new relationship, even if it comes in the form of joshua hong.

✧✎ a/n: oooUUooouu YES! this is a gift to my lovely secret santa, @luvshuas !! ♡ in my first ask, i learned that dani liked using paint by numbers, AND I THOUGHT THAT WAS ADORABLE so i helped use it to create this fic! dani, you are such a joy to talk to AND I HOPE YOU ENJOY THIS XOXOXO !! :D

Last week, someone new had moved into the empty apartment one floor above yours. You didn’t know who. Not their name, not their face, just that they occupied the once vacant space of room 24D. Supposedly, their next-door neighbours had already brought them some housewarming gifts. A watering can filled with flowers, a wreath of white candles, and an old sewing tin now converted into a container for oatmeal chocolate chip cookies.

All closely resembling the gifts you received during your first week at the apartment complex. It made sense though, considering most rooms were home to very elderly couples. At first, you planned a brief gap in your day to visit this stranger and welcome them to such a small complex. Find out if they were old or young, endearing or irritable, sensible or flat out crazy. But you never visited room 24D, because you were currently in a moat about your ex-partner.

An extremely deep, inescapable moat.

Not only had they broken up with you on the day you planned to introduce them to your parents, they decided it would be most efficient to do so through a stupid text message. From Monday to Friday, you’d been moping in a curled-up ball on the couch, blowing into tissues and flicking through the holiday romcoms even though they were all so cookie-cutter and dull. To make matters worse, it had been snowing all week, shutting you indoors as a draft built up outside the windowsills.

You had completely forgot about the newbie who’d just moved in upstairs. Until one day, when they decided to make their presence known in the most jarring way possible.

That particular morning, you were finally feeling stable enough to not eat dry, stale cereal straight from the box. You were feeling well enough to avoid another twelve hours moulding into the couch. While a cold wind blew against the windows and rattled the glass, you poured yourself some tea with the new teapot your mother parceled as an early present. And that’s when you heard it: an eruption of electric sound from the floor directly above yours. It sounded like a guitar, if that guitar were plugged into a massive amp and its chords were being plucked by one thousand fingers.

Coincidentally, you spilt tea, scalding and runny, all over the countertop. It started dribbling down your cupboards and creating blotches on the tiled flooring. At random, the sound stopped.

By lunchtime you were unwinding in the shower, your eyes shut as the water poured onto your face and streamed toward the drain. When you squeezed out some shampoo onto your fingers, you heard the chord progression again. This time louder, if that was even possible. The bottle flung from your wet hands and crashed against the floor, startling you half to death, a trail of wasted shampoo then painted to the wall. But the sound didn’t stop immediately. Unlike last time, the stranger railed on their guitar for half an hour at least.

Yet the last straw didn’t come until evening.

Sitting at the kitchen table with a water jar next to your elbow, you were using your new paint by numbers kit. You had been waiting all day to try it, brushing in the mesmerizing colours of a watery-purple landscape. For the last time that day, you were jolted by the riff of an electric guitar, causing you to jerk a huge, thick streak of black paint right across the paper, effectively ruining it. How horrible. How Terrible.

And you were not going to let the incident slide.

Room 24D.

The room directly above yours. After banging your fist rather inhospitably against the door, you couldn’t lie that the face which greeted you was a definite shock. A young man probably in his early twenties, with curly, brown hair styled neatly yet in disarray, and these wide, glass-like eyes that felt so penetrating you were afraid to glare him down. In fact, you were a bit nervous.

“I don’t know where you stayed at last, b-but at this complex, people don’t usually slam on their electric guitars.”

But so what if you were nervous? You had grown accustomed to sharing this complex with seniors. The thought of someone this young (and admittedly – quite beautiful) had somewhat stunted your brain. The stranger looked at you as though he had nothing to say. He started bobbing his head and shrugged.

“Yeah, well, I’m guessing it doesn’t happen ‘cause everyone here is over seventy and crochets scarves until bedtime. It’s not my fault you’re the only one who’s still got decent hearing.”

Your eyes narrowed; your brow heavily creased.

“What’s your name?” You asked.

He hesitated at first, then replied, “Joshua.”

��Okay, Joshua, I’d rather have everyone in this building crocheting scarves out the damn window if it meant not listening to a stupid electric guitar all day. You ruined my paint by numbers kit.”

Joshua laughed. “Your what?” He then flashed a grin which suggested he was holding back a satirical comment.

“My paint by numbers kit!” You repeated, feeling your nervousness dissolve into irritation. “It’s ruined, and I’m blaming it on you because it’s your fault. My whole week has been awful and you just made it even worse. So there. I hope you’re happy.”

For some reason, Joshua leaned his shoulder against the doorframe like someone who had all the time in the world. He appeared way too comfortable. Something about it irked you while simultaneously pulling this weird, fuzzy string in your chest. The boy folded his arms and raised a curious eyebrow.

“Why was your week awful?” He questioned.

There was a sweetness to his voice which hadn’t been there before, and you absolutely weren’t going to fall for it, even if it sounded like he ate a spoonful of honey and might taste just as good.

“No. Forget it,” you sighed, waving a dismissive hand, “I said what I had to say. Just be quieter, please.”

You turned around sharply, making your way toward the elevator based at the end of the corridor. Those magnetic eyes of his seemed to be glued to your backside, an almost palpable feeling.

“Okay!” He called out. “Great chat! Nice to meet you too!”

The boy was being wholly sarcastic of course. After returning to your apartment, you cleaned up the kitchen table, sweeping away your paint by numbers kit into a drawer just in case you were one day struck with the motivation to fix it up. Probably not.

“Uh—excuse me? You called me, remember? So don’t go shifting the fault like always. I just can’t believe how immature you are! And, you know what, I’m hanging up now! Don’t call back!”

Smashing your finger against the phone screen, you ended the call, silencing the aggravated voice that had pounded through the line just a second before. An unfortunate misdial resulted in your ex phoning you at the supermarket. The interaction immediately turned south, prompting you to hurry outside into the snow, wedging the brown paper bag of produce underneath your arm and against your chest, all while you barked into the phone with the other hand.

Snowflakes were brimming the edge of your wool hat; your fingertips numb and stiff. Your pacing, impatient footsteps were stamped across the white ground. Things had been difficult enough without your ex invading even the most boring parts of your life, and now a mundane stop at the market had left you intensely unsettled.

As you huffed a web of your breath into the air, you spotted something unexpected: Joshua helping Mrs. Akané load the groceries into her small silver-bullet car. She lived alone on the bottom floor of the apartment complex, one of the kindest old ladies in the whole building. Every winter she had knitted you a pink pair of mittens. When Joshua opened the car door for her, she gave him a gentle pat on his shoulder and her patented rosy-cheeked smile.

Since you scorned him for his abrasive guitar playing, it only happened less often, though it was never any quieter. You realized that he belonged in a band. From time to time they would take the stage at the downtown bar, engendering a space so packed it was nearly impossible to wriggle to the counter for a quick drink. Joshua invited you to his Friday night gig – which was tonight – and while you had contemplated the decision to attend, the disheartening encounter with your ex had officially soiled the mood.

Joshua noticed you, probably looking cold and mad.

“So,” he began, “are you coming tonight?”

Adjusting the groceries underneath your arm, you shrugged, meanwhile the hollow nature of your eyes screamed a blatant no. If anything, you wanted to be back on that living room couch, eating an entire tray of frosted shortbread cookies and dabbing at your tears.

“Seriously?” Joshua frowned. “You’re gonna pass? It is ‘cause you’re still mad about the guitar playing? I’m sorry, okay.”

“No,” you shook your head, “no, no. It’s not because of your disruptive, loud guitar playing. I’m just not having a good day.”

Bits of snow began to powder Joshua’s brown hair. His cheeks were blushed and his nose rosy.

“No offense,” the boy laughed, “but it seems like you’re never having a good day.” He then shook his head, scattering the snowflakes from between the fibres of his hair. “How about you come to our little concert shindig thing, listen to our set – which is great, I promise – then we can talk about it, back at my place.”

For a moment, you paused, and this perplexed expression briefly eclipsed your features. Did he just subtly attempt to persuade you into some sort of… Date? No, it was too soon for anything like that. He was probably joking anyways (despite his straight face).

“I don’t know… I’m tired. Maybe another time.”

You started carrying the brown bag of produce to your car, parked just down the street. Joshua chuckled and tagged along at your side, the snow crunching softly under your feet.

“When’s another time?” He asked.

Throwing open the car door and sliding the bag inside, you sighed. “Another time is another time. It’s self-explanatory.”

“So you’re not coming?” Joshua questioned in finality.

“No.” You replied, rubbing your cold fingers together, attempting to spark some warmth. “I’m not.”

It was then that Joshua took your hands in his, a gesture that completely flicked you off your axis, and started to squeeze them, kneading your skin with his thumbs until you felt the uncomfortable stiffness gradually wear off. He brought your hands close to his face, pursed his pink, very pretty lips, and started to blow on them. A sensation fizzled to life in your lower tummy. Not only were you heating up significantly, but you felt too hot. Scary hot.

“That’s a shame.” Joshua said, releasing your hands carefully, like he’d just touched gold. “But I can wait for another time.”

You couldn’t sleep that night.

Most likely because you were regretting the decision to not attend Joshua’s gig at the bar. The fact that no matter how hard you pushed, memories of your past relationship would still linger like a heavy mist, preventing you from being happy, from detaching, from forming new connections. Wet drops of snow tapped against your window. And then, at around one in the morning, you heard a knock at your apartment door.

Joshua. Evidently intoxicated. His guitar case slung over his back. A foggy sort of look disrupting his usual countenance.

“Hey there,” he mumbled, rubbing at his eye, “couldn’t get into my room. Think I could crash—” the boy stopped midsentence to yawn and hiccup, his face flushed pink, “crash here?”

“Did you walk home from the bar?” You asked, disregarding his inquiry.

“No, Jihoon drove me.” Joshua answered, bracing his hand against the threshold. “Pretty please? Can I stay?”

“Fine.”

You took the dark green guitar case from Joshua’s back, stamped with numerous luggage stickers that made it seem as though he’d flown all over the globe. After settling the case beside the couch, you helped Joshua lie down, though he flopped rather ungracefully with his face squished into a pillow.

For an awkward moment, you were just standing there, twiddling your thumbs as Joshua squirmed onto his back.

“Do you want a glass of water?” You proposed.

Joshua carded a hand through his brown locks and further dishevelled them. His face seemed to glow and the manner in which his eyes softly shut had you feeling oddly sympathetic. Like you needed to take care of him.

Rather than answering your question, Joshua sighed.

“I can’t believe you flaked on me.” He said. “I looked forward to seeing you there all week. I told my friends about you.”

Your toes dug into the carpet; teeth fastened into your bottom lip. You couldn’t tell if he was rambling drunken nonsense or being wholly truthful. Joshua titled his head to the side, nestling his cheek comfortably against the pillow.

“Like I said, there’ll be another time.”

“Can I have a blanket?” He mumbled sleepily.

Disappearing into your bedroom for a moment, you grabbed Joshua a spare blanket which often lied next to you on the bed, just in case it got a little too cold at night. Your heating was fairly shabby.

“Here you go.” You said, dropping it on him.

After pulling the fabric up to his chin and spending a minute getting comfy, Joshua started smiling, lashes long against his cheeks.

“Appreciate it.” He replied. ”Kick me out early if you want.”

When Joshua scheduled his next gig at the bar, you made sure to be there, settled near the back at the cocktail counter. As you anticipated, the space filled up quickly, and you kept tucking in your legs whenever someone scooted by to use the washroom or find a better vantage point. You didn’t mention that you were coming. It was supposed to be a surprise which had oddly excited you. Like you were someone important to him, even though you probably weren’t.

You enjoyed his band’s performance. While sipping at something syrupy and a little too cherry flavoured, you couldn’t help but smile behind the glass, shake your foot even, as Joshua strummed down on the electric guitar. There was a pink-haired drummer seated behind him, and a bassist with a dashing, heavenly smile. Eventually, the tone of their music shifted near the end of the set. Joshua exchanged his electric guitar for the acoustic one kept in that dark green, stickered case. And when he started to sing a slower, more sentimental song, you felt something cotton-like in your chest.

How could his voice be this soft? How could it turn so sweet? How could his eyes switch from a powerful ripple to calm water? And why were you heating up all over? The glass hit your knee as you continued to watch Joshua sing, as though you’d fallen into a trance, like a sailor caught by the lullaby of a siren.

But then, as your eyes scanned the crowd for a brief moment, they attached to some who looked awfully familiar.

Goddammit. Of course.

Why did your stupid ex have to be everywhere?

Why did they have to invade every aspect of your life? Especially the enjoyable parts? Once the stage ended and Joshua began thanking the crowd for an energetic reaction, they turned around and grabbed their friend excitedly. Yet, the thrill on their face disappeared the second they noticed you, glaring bitterly, angrily, still clearly hurt. That’s when you decided to leave.

You were halfway down the block when you heard your name being shouted. Pausing beneath a street lamp, you attempted to peer through the heavy flurries sweeping down from the night sky. A silhouette began to take shape. Joshua finally pressed through into the light, without his jacket, his equipment, or even a damn sweater.

“What the hell are you doing out here?” You questioned him, wondering how cold he must be feeling in that white t-shirt.

Joshua took a few more steps forward. “I saw you there,” he replied, still trying to catch his breath, “but then you just stormed out. I nearly threw myself down the back entrance trying to catch up with you, y’know. How do you walk that damn fast?”

“I just—I wanted to beat the crowd home.” You lied.

Joshua took in another big breath, then nodded his head. “So, what did you think? You like the music?”

“It’s cool… Why did you leave without a jacket? I mean, it’s snowing like crazy. You’re gonna get hypothermia or something.”

“Well, I didn’t want to let you get away.” The boy laughed, brushing off some flurries compiling on his shoulder. “It was great to see you there. But, why didn’t you tell me? Why the secrecy.”

You shrugged. “Why should I tell you?”

At that, you weren’t expecting Joshua to have a response. Maybe he’d be a little puzzled and have to think about it. Instead, he seemed to be formulating a surprise of his own.

“Because I have a song for you,” Joshua revealed, “I wrote it with Jihoon. It’s an acoustic thing. But I could turn it hard rock too.”

It felt like someone had turned the table. Ironically, you were the one struggling to reply, your brow furrowing in the dim light as you stared at this boy with his glowing cheeks and his hair disrupted by the flakes of snow. You sniffled, cold air hitting your lungs.

“Why would you write a song about me?”

No one had ever done such a gesture for you before. Not that you had been acquainted with many musicians or lyricists. You felt strange, but also warm, and heart-fluttery, and like you were possibly falling for someone harder than ever before. Joshua approached you tentatively and grabbed your hand, his eyes soft.

“Probably because I like you.” Joshua murmured. “A lot.”

Your heart started to pound, and it felt like someone was banging their fists against your chest. Even if you had denied it in the beginning, the truth was that you liked Joshua too. And yet, those reciprocating words somehow fell to the bottom of your feet. Because as much as you wanted it, you still weren’t ready for someone new.

“Joshua…” you squeezed his hand and looked into those endearing eyes of his, “I-I can’t right now. I was in a relationship not too long ago, and now that’s over, but I’m still trying to get over it. I’m sorry. I’m really, really sorry.”

The boy shook his head. “You don’t have to be sorry.” Joshua answered, running his thumb between your knuckles. “You’re not ready, I get it.”

Breathing out slowly, you smiled at him.

You were yanking open all the drawers in the kitchen, trying to remember where exactly you had stuck that little metal whisk. A bowl of unmixed cupcake batter was waiting to be stirred. Each year that it was open, you signed up for the Complex Gift Exchange, and it just so happened that sixty-five-year-old Miss Dupont really liked vanilla cupcakes. You pulled out the drawer that had been hiding the ruined, stained paper courtesy of your paint by numbers kit.

Rolling your eyes, you slammed it shut, only to realize you’d left the whisk sitting behind the big bag of flour on the counter.

Even though you had turned down Joshua that one night in the snow, he didn’t act spiteful or weird about it. And somehow, you two had grown closer since. Joshua was very easy to talk to. He was a good listener. No matter how many times you ran into each other on the elevator, or at the supermarket, the letter boxes in the lobby or at the car lot, Joshua always made time to listen to whatever mishap had bothered you that day. He still railed on his electric guitar every now and then, though you were beginning to accept it. Baby steps.

Apparently, one of his bandmates was visiting today.

You knew exactly when he’d arrived too, because as soon as you pulled the cupcakes out from the oven to cool, this wave of intense sound; drumming, symbols, guitar, everything, exploded from the floor above, like someone had just thrown a clump of instruments into a hurricane. You stared up at the ceiling winsomely and sighed.

Dressed in a long, thick winter coat, you went outside the complex to visit the garden, now blanketed by snow and sparkling white. You brushed off the bench that had once sat before a fiery pink row of petunias and took a seat. It was much quieter.

“Hey!”

Or so you thought.

Turning around, you gazed up at the apartment complex, spotting two familiar faces hanging out from a fourth story window.

“What?!” You shouted back.

Joshua grinned, then cupped his hands around his mouth as an amplifier. “Were we being too loud?!” He asked.

“Yeah!” His friend yelled. “Were we too loud?!” You had learned the other face was Jihoon, the band drummer, his hair now a rusty shade of crimson. He helped write most of their music.

“No, I’m just sitting out here in the wind and snow and below zero temperatures because I want to!” You replied at the top of your lungs.

Waving at you apologetically, Joshua kept smiling. “Sorry! I’m gonna kick him out soon!” He pointed at Jihoon. “If you want, you can come up here and listen to our last rehearsal!”

Jihoon shoved Joshua’s head out of the way.

“Don’t come up here!” The drummer exclaimed. “It’s not even close to ready yet. He’s just saying that because he’s in—”

A hand clamped swiftly to the boy’s mouth, muffling the remainder of his sentence like it was top secret. Joshua then dragged him away from the open window. Quirking an eyebrow in confusion, you stared at the vacant space until Joshua reappeared a moment later, scratching the back of his head and looking sheepish.

“Sorry about that!” Joshua called. “We’re almost done!”

“I’m in no rush!” You answered, turning back around.

It was true. There weren’t too many pressing things you needed to get done today, besides making the buttercream frosting for Miss Dupont’s cupcakes. The weather wasn’t even as terrible as you made it seem. The wind was light, and the shining sun helped mitigate the usual bitterness of winter. It was quite nice out.

Until about ten minutes later, when Joshua threw a snowball at your back. You spun around quickly, glaring at the boy who was dusting his hands clean of snow, standing near the complex doorway. In that moment, you wanted to be angry at him. But, to be honest, you felt like laughing instead.

“Shouldn’t I be the one throwing snowballs at you?”

Joshua shrugged. “If you could even hit me.”

“Keep your eyes open tonight, Joshua Hong.” You comically threatened him. “Where are you going, anyways?”

“I have to get my person a gift for the exchange thing.” He said, pulling a hat over his hair. “And a new guitar pick.”

“Have fun with that.”

Then, waiting for him to turn around, you hastily packed together a snowball and threw it against the back of his coat.

Miss Dupont somehow figured out who was responsible for her gift. She asked you to give her the cupcakes early, because she swore, she was had been able to smell them baking through the air ducts. Maybe you added too much vanilla. Everyone was supposed to exchange their gifts tomorrow, leaving them by the door or delivering them in person. You didn’t have a clue as to who could be preparing your gift. As long as it wasn’t another candle wreath to collect dust in your closet, you figured you’d be fine with it.

Tonight would be your last opportunity in a long while to watch Joshua’s band perform at the downtown bar. You’d missed their last show, ruminating over the possibility of encountering your ex again; feeling those horrible emotions which were nothing more than poison in disguise. After the New Year, Joshua was planning to visit South Korea with his bandmates for a few weeks. It would be awfully strange to not hear another symphony from his electric guitar, or Jihoon’s drumkit. Jeonghan never really stopped by much.

It was at least an hour or so before Joshua was scheduled to perform. So, you decided to walk down the street to the lane of trees now wrapped and curled with lights. There were small, twinkling white lights. Large, blue lights shaped like hanging icicles. Some blinked in a specific pattern while others morphed colours. At night, it made quite the spectacle. Many people had stopped, much like yourself, to admire the aurora and pull their significant other a little bit closer. You huffed, hating this lonesomeness inside you.

But then you felt a quick pair of fingers dance up your back, and immediately recognized his eyes shining like stars.

“This is the first time I’ve seen you at the lights.” Joshua remarked, zipping up his jacket. “They’ve been up for a while now.”

“It’s always a magnet for couples.” You told him, glancing around at all the handholding and heads leaned adoringly on shoulders. “And I am—well, I was, standing here alone.” Inside your coat pocket, you played with a piece of lint, realizing that perhaps you finally felt ready and significantly healed to consider another relationship.

Looking at you from the corner of his eye, Joshua nodded.

It seemed as though the lights were a place he visited frequently, even amongst all the couples. To you, Joshua seemed like someone who was inspired by love. The not so subtle nature of awkward yet enamored eye contact which made people giggly. Holding onto the very tips of someone’s fingers because you couldn’t let go of their hand even for a second. Pressing an ear to a comfortable chest, listening for a rhythmic, thumping heartbeat. You bet he liked kisses too. Quick kisses on cheeks and gentle kisses on noses and slow, warm kisses to the mouth which could set a fire in your belly.

Out of the blue, you asked him something personal.

“How fast do you usually fall for someone?”

Joshua’s eyes traced the twinkling lights of the tree, all the way to the very top.

“I don’t know.” He shrugged. “I’ve never thought about it.”

Kicking at a lump of hard snow, you sighed. “I think I fall too quickly. Maybe that’s why my last relationship ended the way it did. I just… I don’t know, it could be that I jumped in without knowing what’s beneath me. I don’t want that to happen again.”

The boy glanced at you, snowflakes already beginning to stick in his hair. “Well, there’s nothing wrong with taking things slow. I mean, there’s always going to be some chance in a relationship. You don’t know until you’re in it.”

“I guess so.” You replied. “When I think about it, anything’s better than getting text message-dumped right before a family dinner.” Joshua wasn’t a stranger to the humiliating affairs of your past relationship. One night, after one too many beverages at the bar, you introduced him to the entire story.

“Bad luck.” The boy said.

“Bad taste, more like.” You sighed. “I mean, what was I thinking?”

Joshua shook his head, his hand rubbing your shoulder. “Don’t beat yourself up. Seriously, the right person will come along.”

Short laughter burst through your nose, and you looked at him with a knowing, lighthearted grin. “Are you supposed to be that person, Joshua Hong?”

“I’d like to think I am.” He chuckled, his cheeks getting rosier. “But I know you’re not ready. I can be patient, though.”

“So, you’re going to wait for me?” You asked, raising an eyebrow.

Joshua nodded. “For you, and you only? Of course.”

At that, something deep in your chest began to stir. The feeling robbed you of your words and left you breathless. Afraid of what you might do in the silence between you, quickly, you changed the subject.

“Am I going to hear that special song you wrote? Or have you scrapped it already?”

“You’ll hear it.” Joshua said, reaching into his pocket and pulling out an ivory guitar pick. “Save your applause for the very end, though. I know you might be tempted to start cheering, come up on stage in front of everyone and try to kiss me or something.”

Rolling your eyes, you started to laugh, your breath becoming a thin cloud in the still coldness of winter.

“You wish, Joshua Hong.”

He sighed, a faint smirk on his lips. “You’re right. I do.”

At approximately five o’clock in the morning, you were awakened by a fist banging at your front door. For a moment, you believed it was nothing more than part of a fuzzy dream, and simply tossed over in bed as your arms dug further under the pillow. However, the banging resumed almost instantly, and though it was very muffled, someone was calling your name.

Groaning, you dragged yourself from between the sheets and into the washroom, taking a quick sip of water before splashing some to your face. In a loose pair of shorts and a poorly adjusted tank-top, you stumbled to the front door, throwing it open while yawning.

“J-Joshua?” You mumbled, rubbing circles to your eye.

He stood on the opposite side of the threshold with a glimmery-red gift bag in his hand. For some reason, he was dressed in his jacket, those dark brown locks of his seeming damp or partly soaking as they were brushed back from his forehead. His cheeks and mouth were rosy, eyes glistering, and he was breathing deep.

You thought he looked gorgeous.

“Hey!” He exclaimed a little too loudly, as though he’d forgotten how early it was. “So, uh, weird news. Turns out we’re leaving for South Korea today, and we have to catch this seven-am flight. We’re kinda pressed for time. Jeonghan’s been helping me throw all my shit into these suitcases and—anyways, besides the point.” Taking in another breath, Joshua then held up the pretty red gift bag. “I got you for the Gift Exchange. Well—not really. But I made Mrs. Akané switch with me. This is for you.”

The sudden splurge of information had for feeling even more disorientated than when you first awakened. Joshua had to leave already? Had he been packing ever since you walked home together from his show? He pulled strings to get you for the Gift Exchange?

Reaching into the bag and pushing around some tissue paper, you pulled out a rectangular-shaped kit. It felt fairly heavy.

And then you realized just what he’d gotten you.

“Really?” You smiled, letting the bag drop to the floor because all you cared about was the project in your hands. “Another paint by numbers kit? I didn’t even know they sold these here!”

Joshua nodded, brushing some melted drops of snow off his cheek. “It wouldn’t have arrived on time if I ordered it online. Trust me, it was a process. I had to get Jeonghan’s grandma to make some calls because she’s friends with this craft store lady.” He half-sighed, half-laughed. “I just remembered you were so upset about it when I met you. About a lot of things. And I never stopped feeling sorry. I know I laughed at it and everything, but I thought it was cute.”

You brought the project to sit on the dinner table. Looking outside into the street light, you were shocked at how heavily it was snowing. Huge, fluffy clumps. No wonder Joshua’s hair was so damp and his skin so flushed. You couldn’t believe that just a few hours ago, you were sitting on that barstool near the back of the dim room, listening to him sing and feeling like you were starting to love all over again. Now, Joshua was being whisked away.

“I should really get going.” Joshua said, rubbing his pink nose, “Jeonghan and Jihoon are waiting for me down there.”

“W-Wait!” You exclaimed before the boy could disappear.

Joshua paused, though you could read the look of urgence coloured to his face. It was merely a few seconds you stood in that spot, fiddling anxiously with your fingers and struggling to take another step, yet it felt as though time had stretched itself out like plasticine.

And even though it was slightly terrifying, you had never felt so warm and full of thrill until you had crossed the space to kiss him. Your hands pushed against Joshua’s chest, searching for stability, as you experienced the soft sensation of your lips pressed so desperately to his. Joshua grabbed your cheek in his cold hand to tilt your head a little more left. He stared at you with a hazy, sort of dreamlike look, just for a moment, before kissing you again.

“Am I making you late?” You laughed breathily in between the heated breadth of another kiss.

Joshua shook his head, taking your face in both his hands, moulding his mouth against yours in a smile.

“They can wait just a minute longer,” he answered, “I can’t believe you’re doing this right when I have to leave. You’re really screwing me over, here.”

“Then finish it when you get back.” You smirked.

This time, you were certain of something: you hadn’t jumped too soon. You weren’t going to crash. You were falling in love.

✧✎ a/n: the end the end!! happy holidays !! <3 honestly think it’s kind of the dream to get joshua as ur apartment neighbour xoxo. HOPE U LIKED THIS DANI AND THAT IT GAVE YOU SOME SMILES heheh. i actually haven’t written for joshua in quite a while so i rly appreciated getting to experiment with this. i also love the idea of joshua in a band and being a sappy romantic who always writes abt his future muse ;_; i’m not a huge fluff person BUT I WILL GLADLY GIVE UP EVERYTHING FOR THAT!

#caratwritersclub #joshua scenarios #seventeen scenarios #svt fanfic #joshua fanfic #joshua hong #seventeen fanfic #svt fluff #joshua fluff #svt x reader #joshua x reader

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honeym4rk · 4 years

Text

station (jjh)

college! jaehyun x reader word count: 3.0k summary: four times you find yourself alone with jaehyun at a bus station.

There is comfort in the silence.

With every step you take, there is a crunch of fallen, juniper leaves at your feet. Your canvas tote bag is looped around your shoulder, your fingers clinging to the straps like it would shield you from the awkwardness of the current circumstances.

He’s got his hands hidden in the cavity of his hoodie. His knuckle cracking is sporadic, and you cringe at just how many times they’ve made an encore in the past two minutes.

You really should have begged Mark to tag along and leave the shindig so that this wouldn’t have happened- but alas, the boy was still hooked by the prospect of winning the next round of Mario Kart against Donghyuck. ‘It does some good to my self-esteem,’ he’d said.

So here you are, sauntering bashfully to the bus stop with Jaehyun.

“So, uh- what bus are you taking?” You muster up the courage to speak up after a few minutes of painful reticence.

“I’d have to take 922 or 153 from the opposite stop to get back to hall,” he sighs. It’s clear that he reciprocates the weird, distinctive tension here.

“And you?” He faces you with his raised eyebrows and you’re baffled by the sudden eye contact made. Your eyes dart elsewhere.

“Oh, I’m taking 922 from here.” You nod your head imperceptibly at the bus stop ahead of you.

A few metres away, there’s a zebra crossing, and you thank your lucky stars that you’re finally about to part ways. Oh, you’re sure Jaehyun is a nice person and all, but that doesn’t change the fact that the unspoken, kind enmity in the air is capable of being taut so hard around your neck that you asphyxiate.

Ten more steps. Come on.

Five steps.

Three steps.

“I’ll see you next ti-”

Yet he doesn’t stop at the crossing. Instead, he continues his stride in tandem with yours towards the station. You stop in your tracks, slowly gesturing towards the beaconing street light with the hand you raised to bid adieu.

“Aren’t you going to, you know..?” Eyes hinting at the yellow streaks of light, at the bus stop across the road, anywhere away from his own. Jaehyun notices your halt and follows suit.

“Well, I mean, Mark did ask me to see that you got home safe....”

You immediately wrack your brain for an appropriate response to his chivalry. It’s unclear how you should react; he really caught you by surprise. And from the way he’s gnawing at his inner lip and raising a hand to scratch the nape of his neck, you infer that he’s abashed too. All you manage is a small, “Oh,” as more silence ensues, before you start to blabber,

“No, no, thanks, Jaehyun, but it’s really fine, you don’t have to.”

His lips are taut into a firm, straight line and he lets out a surreptitious hum.

“Let me just wait ‘til you board your bus. Is that okay? It’s getting pretty late.”

You want to vehemently object.

And you’re about to, but you let out a consenting “Yeah, alright.”

He’s invading your desiderated solace- yet something about his offer seems so genuine and saccharine that you comply out of curiosity. You’d heard things about Jaehyun around in school before, good things, especially seeing that he was well acquainted with your friends like Mark, but you’d never really encountered him until tonight, thanks to Donghyuck’s birthday celebration. Being a Linguistics student, fate hadn’t really presented many opportunities for him to meet someone majoring in Pharmacy.

Therefore- you think to yourself- it wouldn’t be so bad. It’s unlikely that you’ll actually talk to him again, since you’ll probably never be within a radius of at least ten metres from him again. It’s alright, it’s okay. You decide to let him be a gentleman.

So you bask in the quietude shrouding the two of you, as you sit on the metal form, awaiting the arrival of a yearned 922.

After all, there is the slightest hint of comfort in the silence.

There is also comfort in the familiarity.

You’re sure there’s a sense of déjà vu. It’s a similar scene to what had ensued a few weeks ago, at least, and you’re definitely surprised to be here again, with him . However, you’ve both abandoned the multi-layered cake of unease. It’s almost been completely devoured now. Fortunately.

Jaehyun’s chuckling relentlessly- nearly doubled over laughing- as you recount the earlier occurrences of the Friday night.

“Yeah, no, but I’d give anything to see the look on Donghyuck’s face again.” His eyes crinkle into small crescents as he runs a hand through his silver hair.

“He looked so confident that it was going to work and I’d already told him otherwise, but I really don’t know what he expected.”

Tonight, there had been an effort to study in Donghyuck’s apartment; considering the looming exam season. This purpose was indeed fulfilled, to some extent.

Then Donghyuck, feeling rather ravenous, decided that he wanted to indulge in a quick and easy two-ingredient Oreo mug cake. The video tutorial truly looked too good to be true- you’d seen multiple YouTubers debunk the content-farm produced recipes.

The wide-eyed boy was too desperate, however, as he credulously decided to fill his mug with crushed oreos and milk to the brim. He swore that it looked and sounded promising until a loud Pop! reverberated in the kitchen 30 seconds into heating.

Everyone gathered around to watch Donghyuck cry over his spilt milk, literally, as his appliance perpetually emitted smoke, its glass door burst open. Burnt mounds of moist black and white cookies were thrown at the white, metal walls of the microwave. Donghyuck fanned the plumes of smoke hastily.

“It looks like a volcano erupted.” Mark added, coughing, as he tried to swallow the chuckle bubbling at the back of his throat.

“Dude- I don’t want to say I told you so but,” You began to implore, before Donghyuck interjected.

“Maybe I should just try again, I think the microwave setting just wasn’t right.”

And so he did- but to no avail.

The two of you approach the tiny station side by side, and you relish the warm, fuzzy feeling establishing in your stomach. Not quite butterflies, but maybe more like a tiny sprout popping out of the ground.

“To be fair, though, it didn’t taste half as bad as it looked.”

You snort. “Sure, because it’s literally sugar and milk with a dash of hidden carcinogens.”

He lets out a low chortle. Jaehyun nails the bellowing dad laugh right down to a T, and some part of you finds this endearing.

A flash of bright light emerges as you look up from your feet. 922 has arrived and you’re rummaging through your bag for your bus card.

“I feel like I left my card at Donghyuck’s, shit,”

The bus halts.

“Here, use mine, I’ve got a spare.” Jaehyun offers without a second thought, pulling his card from the pocket of his denim jeans.

“Go on, the bus driver’s waiting.”

You would have thought this through for a little while longer, but he was right. A scowl that said ‘Stop wasting my damn time,’ is plastered on the driver’s face, and it urges you to carefully pick the card slotted between his fingers.

“Thanks so much- I’ll return it tomorrow, or something.” Your eyebrows furrow together and you clench your teeth together in a grimace.

“Yeah! Yeah, whenever. Good night, Y/N. Get home safe,”

“You too, thanks again!”

Boarding the bus hastily, you wave at him through the glass door as the bus sets off. He doesn’t leave until you’re out of sight.

You can’t help but grin as you examine the portrait on his student pass. He’s handsome, skin clear and glossy, hair parted such that there are a bunch of strands obstructing his forehead. It’s black in this image. You wonder how many colours it's been dyed. His dimples replicate the poked slime in the myriad of videos you’ve seen, and his cheekbones are incredibly prominent.

It dawns on you that you don’t have his number, or follow him on Instagram, or have any means to contact him at all. You guess that you’ll have to fish something from Mark, but Jaehyun seems to beat you to it.

Unknown, [2340]: hey this is jaehyun lol hope you get back safe :-)

A sudden flash of the many possible outcomes this could entail breezes past your mind. You’re quite uncertain about how this will play out, and you unlock your phone to reply.

Y/N, [2341]: hii hahah thanks again! i can return your card tomorrow, just lmk where i can drop by

Jaehyun, [2341]: yeah sure, i think i’ll be cooped up in starbucks doing work w my friends lol

Jaehyun, [2341]: u can join if ud like :o

There is comfort in the unknown.

There is comfort in the noise.

Your whole herd of boisterous friends are walking uphill from yet another study session at Donghyuck’s- there’s been quite a number of them since the first. You’re honestly amused by how many people can fit in his apartment. The study group has expanded from a mere four to a whopping seven people in total.

Thankfully, there haven’t been any microwave oven explosions since then, but you’ve had your good share of fun and company, and more importantly, productivity.

The pack of young adults currently divulging the extensive, latest gossip and hall horror stories, you and Jaehyun stray further behind. You’re trying to listen in and pick apart information, but you’ve joined the conversation a bit too late for context.

“Oh my god, Lia, you’re going to hate hearing this, but…” Jungwoo begins, his voice entering a decrescendo.

“But Jeno has a girlfriend? Yeah, I figured.” Lia wails. “I saw them together in the library the other day, being all cute and shit. My heart shattered .” She emphasises this by hitting Jungwoo’s shoulder out of pure frustration.

“How long have they been together, though?” Ryujin quips, to which she gets a reply, but you try to drown out the rest of their conversation.

You tug at the arm of Jaehyun’s sweatshirt, and he leans closer to you as you query, “Who’s Jeno, again?”

“Cute dude that she keeps bumping into at hall, I think,” he mumbles. His words are semi-intelligible, because of the commotion right in front of you.

“Sorry? I didn’t catch that.” The infinite frequencies are hard to tune out, and it gets increasingly arduous to do so when Ryujin gasps.

“Oh shit, the bus is here!” Your friends are immediately ready to break into a sprint, but Jaehyun’s feet seem heavy as he continues to meander with you.

“Jae, aren’t you coming? The next one’s in thirty minutes!” Jungwoo shouts as they begin to dash across the road.

“It’s fine, go on! I’m just a little lazy. See you!” Jaehyun dismisses him with the wave of his extended hand, and receives an incredulous look. The lame excuse confuses you, bamboozles you, but you wave goodbye to your friends anyway.

It’s been long since you’ve been caught alone here at the bus stop with Jaehyun- you usually head home with Mark every Friday. He’s not here, though. He’s crashed at Donghyuck’s for tonight.

“Uhm, what was that ?” You chuckle nervously, the little sprout in your belly magically reappearing. Truth be told, after the many lighthearted, late-night messages exchanged over the past few weeks, and after unravelling Jaehyun bit by bit, the sprout has grown into a pocket-sized garden. It brings its own butterflies, but you don’t quite have the audacity to admit this. There’s a different kind of trickiness lingering in the air tonight.

“Well, you know- Mark…and it’s- it’s getting late, kinda.” He’s timorous tonight. Under the luminescence of the bus station’s lamps, you see the pink tint land on the tips of his ears, something you’ve learnt happens when he’s rather shy.

“I wanted to ask you something, too, though.”

“Okay, shoot.” You take a seat. He sits a modest distance away from you, cracking his knuckles instinctively.

“Well, I uhm, I’m not quite sure how you’ll react to this but,” he licks his lips.

“But?” You encourage him to carry on, staring as you await his continuation.

He looks as if he’s got the words at the tip of his tongue, the sea of sentences about to overflow from his mouth, and they’re spilling when he starts speaking again.

“Would you-” You listen intently, attempting to read his lips. However, he’s cut off by the booming wails of a velocious ambulance. You whip your head around to watch the vehicle pass by.

Jaehyun breathes sharply, exhaling in frustration. The cries subside, so he tries again.

“Y/N,” he clears his throat, and you face him once more.

“Yeah, sorry.”

“I was wondering if-”

A fire truck zooms past the bus stop, and your attention is grabbed by the monotonous siren that raids your ears. Jaehyun notices your bus approaching, and he panics. The air-raid isn’t becoming distant; the truck’s obstructed by the imposing red-light flashing. There’s only so much time left to ask what he’s been dying to- and he can’t believe he’s getting cockblocked by the emergency services right now.

You’re hearing Jaehyun spill a string of words but they’re incoherent- all you can seem to comprehend is the blaring repetitions that are relentless.

“What?!” You shout, fighting past the cacophony. “I can’t hear you!” You’re signing this to him, pointing to your ear and shaking your hand vigorously.

Your bus halts before you. Jaehyun’s in an absolute frenzy now. He doesn’t want to do this online. Something about hiding behind his screen sounds so ingenuine to him, and you’re already standing, shit, but he can’t win against the absolute pandemonium and doesn’t want to embarrass himself in front of the small crowd that’s alighted the bus, but he’s also not sure when he’ll get to talk to you in private like this again,

So he clamours.

“Do You! Want To Go Out! With Me!” He’s cupping his large hands around his mouth, screaming into the makeshift amplifier with all his might, as you walk towards the front doors of the bus.

You look like a deer caught in headlights, eyes wide open in disbelief as you gawk at the boy who’s sheepishly glancing at everyone and using his hand to defend himself from their stares. The butterflies that have erupted in you are merciless.

And then you burst into a fit of laughter- Jaehyun curses the sirens for piercing through such a pleasant sound- and you nod profusely, one foot already boarding the bus.

The glass doors shut close, and you’re enthusiastically gesturing to your handphone, waving at him. The bus whizzes away.

He’s shell-shocked, and he’s unable to will his hands in drawing his phone from his pocket. The sudden series of vibrations brings him back to his senses.

Y/N (⸝⸝ᵕᴗᵕ⸝⸝),[2257]: WAIT ask me again

Y/N (⸝⸝ᵕᴗᵕ⸝⸝), [2257]: idk if i heard u right

Jaehyun, [2258]: k

Y/N (⸝⸝ᵕᴗᵕ⸝⸝), [2258]: dude come back </3

Y/N (⸝⸝ᵕᴗᵕ⸝⸝), [2258]: YES lol

Y/N (⸝⸝ᵕᴗᵕ⸝⸝), [2257]: yeeeeeeees

It heavily hinders Jaehyun that night, but there is comfort in the noise.

There is comfort in the isolation.

It’s only the blinding fluorescent lights and the cool breeze presenting company at the bus stop- you’re grateful that the occasional cars speeding by are helping you break down the very last walls of tension between the two of you, if there are any.

Whoosh.

“I really enjoyed today.” He smiles and steals a quick glance at you. You’re at a different bus stop now- a month later and you’re amazed that you’ve gone out with Jaehyun at least three times now.

You catch the slight twinkle in his eyes as he scoots a whole foot nearer towards you on the cool metal bench. The distance between the two of you is closing slowly yet your heart rate is augmenting. It’s accelerating now- faster than any of the rambunctious vehicles that race down the road, their engines revving dirtily.

Whoosh. A black BMW zooms past you both and you take the opportunity to reciprocate the cheeky glimpse.

“Me too.”

There’s fumbling of fingers and twiddling of your thumbs before you notice the sudden influx of light and buzzing and realise that your bus has arrived. Pure languish rushes through every vein in your body- you don’t want this night to end.

Jaehyun begins to stand and shoots a quizzical expression when you don’t follow suit.

“Let’s wait for the next one,” you grin, your legs swinging back and forth as you continue to glue yourself on the elevated seat.

The sound of his chuckle envelopes you into a warm hug- it’s deep, and strong, yet soft at the same time- and then you’re pulled to your feet by your wrists before he embraces you with confident hesitation too.

“Is this- it’s okay, right?” He just wants to be sure.

“Yeah- very.” You breathe, and his boyish smell fills your lungs. There is difficulty in naming what scented cologne he’s used today; but you devote no more attention. You just wallow in the tangy, mellow fragrance that has permeated your senses.

He’s got his arms coiled around your waist, his palm extended to press your back closer to him. You’re playing with the sharp, freshly cut hairs on the back of his neck. You run your fingers through them and he dives his head further into the crook of your neck. Jaehyun’s muffled voice is tickling your shoulder-

“Your hair smells really nice.” The corners of your lips edge upwards into an unrelenting grin.

“Thank God.”

There is comfort in Jaehyun.

#nct #jung jaehyun #jung jaehyun x reader #jaehyun x reader #jaehyun fanfic #jaehyun imagine #jaehyun oneshot #jaehyun blurb #jaehyun au #jaehyun fluff #jung yoonoh #jaehyun #nct imagines #nct oneshot #nct au #nct fanfic #hm4rk os #hm4rk jaehyun

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hitsuackerman · 4 years

Text

Wallpapers (Shinso x Reader)

a/n: it has been a hot minute since i last drabbled about my purple boy. with that here is some fluff :’) god shinso is like a breath of fresh air from all the heavy fics im making XD

PROMPT: Shinso likes stealing your phone to change your wallpaper into something random. Using that opportunity, you try to tell your feelings via wallpaper.

Warning: Fluff, Mediocre work :3 huhu gomen

Masterlist for all my fics :) here

Crushes.

They can either be a blessing or a curse.

One would consider it a blessing if the person reciprocates the feeling. Or, it can be put into good use. Say, as an inspiration for an exam or motivation to move forward. It can be considered a curse if they are dense, ignorant, or just so happened to be named ‘Hitoshi Shinso’.

Your feelings for Shinso was no doubt a slap to the face. It took a damn while before he finally lowered his walls and saw you as a friend. From the sports festival to the joint training session, it was all kept at bay. The sensation of butterflies fluttering in your tummy when he mentions your last name. The giddiness you feel when he drags the chair beside you and greets you a good morning. Well, basically anything he does just brightens your day.

Once he was finally comfortable, you saw just how much of a tease he was.

There was never a day when you would roll your eyes at his antics. If you would not disrupt the classroom’s peace by yelling his name, 2-A would immediately think something’s wrong or that both of you had a fight.

One habit Shinso developed was taking your phone and changing your wallpaper. The possibilities were endless when it came to options. Sometimes you would catch him taking your phone and his dead panned lilac eyes would scan for the perfect picture to replace the current one. There were great ones but there were questionable ones as well. It was annoying at first but, you got used to it.

In all honesty, you were just using that as an excuse for him to bring his chair closer to your desk. It was the perfect reason to stare at him as he went through his options. You could tell when he’s done his usual task, his mouth would form into smirk and he’d put your phone on the desk face down.

“I already know you changed my wallpaper.” You’d comment. “Why bother putting it face down? And why don’t I get a chance to change yours?”

“To add to the surprise, (L/N).” That’s what he always said. “And, my phone is off limits.”

That little sentence sparked an idea.

You had always been planning on telling Shinso about your harbored feelings. It was supposed to happen on Valentine’s day. However, you realized that it would look scripted and that he’d probably receive a few other chocolates. He was a good looking guy and when people saw how he had transferred to the Hero Course, that was enough for girls and guys to turn their heads with curious sparkling eyes.

Today was the day. You had changed your wallpaper into a gif that wrote out ‘I like you’. That might be enough for him to look at you and finally let you take the weight off your chest. It was taking too long for the bell to ring. When it did, you took your phone from your pocket and set the plan to start.

Placing it on your desk, you stared as the purple haired boy dragged his chair to sit closer to you. His tired eyes were accompanied by a lazy smile. His hand reaching out to grab your phone. Rolling your eyes, you let him be as you grabbed a book from your bag.

Unlocking your phone, his eyebrows jumped when he saw the wallpaper. You were still busy reading but that alone made his heart skip a beat. Blinking to himself, he thought that it was probably a prank and that his own feelings were not reciprocated. Probably.

Brushing the thought aside, he looked up a picture that would sum up his response. Once he was able to choose, he set it as your wallpaper. You were still busy reading your book. Not wanting to disturb you anymore, he stood up and walked towards Deku and his friends.

Not expecting his reaction, you waited till his butt was rested on the desk and his back facing you. Sure that he was engrossed in their topic, you took your phone and unlocked it. Your shoulders slumped when you saw the change of wallpaper.

It was a picture of All Might. With the caption saying 'Who doesn't like me?'.

“Failed attempt?” Denki teased as he sat on your desk.

“Shut it.” You pouted and pocketed your phone. “I thought the message was clear.”

“Or maybe he thought it was a joke? You know how his brain works. Probably thought it was some kind of plot for him to stop bugging you and your phone.”

“Ah shit.” Denki was right. “What can I do then? If random wallpapers won’t work, what will?”

“Do you guys have any pictures together?”

“Yeah. One.”

“Use that.” Your pikachu friend patted your shoulder and left you alone with your thoughts. Just in time for the bell to ring.

While waiting for the teacher, you scrolled down your gallery till you stopped at that one photo you had with Shinso. Hoping that it would work, you set it as your wallpaper and prayed for the best.

It had already been a few days and Shinso still wasn’t able to get that cursed image off his head. It was somehow fair that you would do that to bug him but it still stung nonetheless. Somehow he had developed the fear of taking your phone. He would capture you placing it on your desk, free for him to grab and yet he chose not to.

Today was now friday and the two of you had planned to go to a nearby cat cafe. Shinso walked by your side with your bag in his hand as well. Your mind wondered why he chose not to touch your phone, just when you saw the need for him to. Upon seeing the signage, you were relieved. The tension was a little drowning especially since it had been a silent walk from school.

Now that the cats were nuzzling on you, your eyes landed on Shinso. A black and white cat sleeping on his lap. A miniscule smile rested on his lips. Your heart ached and all you wanted to do was replace the cat. Damn. You were jealous of a cat. The sigh you let out was a little too loud.

His attention was now on you. Maybe he should just tell you his feelings now that you were alone with him. It had always made him wonder. He was always used to starting conversations, but when he realized he had developed feelings for you, he just froze and his mind would malfunction.

“Hey, Shinso…”

“What?”

Taking your phone out, you placed it in front of him. Not sure what you meant, he took the device and began to fidget with it.

“You, uh, you haven’t been changing my wallpaper these days.” Your cheeks burned at the thought of him finally seeing your wallpaper.

"Realized I was invading your personal space." He replied. Eyes lowering while his free hand caressed the napping. His heart beat ramming in his chest. Might as well say it now. If the Dekusquad told him he was blind of your affection then perhaps they were right.

"I miss you changing my wallpapers…" That was probably enough to let him unlock your phone.

Judging that it wasn't the best time to go all mushy, he nodded his head and scooted closer to you. Careful to not disturb the sleeping cat. When he was beside you, only mere inches apart, he unlocked the device. His breath hitched when he saw the picture.

“Is this a joke?” He now turned to face you. Shinso just couldn’t take it if you had wanted him to change the picture you two had together. “Look, if you wanted me to stop changing it you could just tell me rather than do this.”

Staring blindly into space, you internalized how blind he was.

“Hitoshi.” Your voice was a little sterner now. Yet, it was music to his ears. This would have to be the first time you called him by his first name. Looking down at the cats cuddling with you, a small pout formed on your mouth. “Do you not understand the messages I’m sending you? The gif from a few days ago? How my wallpaper is the only picture I have of us?”

“Shit.” Chuckling at his stupidity, he facepalmed himself. “I guess I let overthinking win this time.”

Stretching his arm, he gently brushed your cheek with his index knuckle. The reddish blush on your face gave him the needed confident boost. When his eyes met yours, he took his phone from his pocket and handed it to you.

“Change my wallpaper.”

A small smile began to form on the face. If this was what you think it was then it was all worth it. Frowning at the sight of his wallpaper, you threw the phone at his chest. Being met with a Beadpool wallpaper that said ‘Ligma’ was not what you expected.

But, the laughter that he gave you made you think otherwise. Seeing how his arms began to snake around you into a hug, you leaned on to the crook of his neck. His embrace was warm and comfortable, everything you had imagined it would be. His hand found its way to the back of your head. Feeling him softly petting you caused the butterflies to rampage.

“But seriously though? Ligma?”

“Could not waste an opportunity, (Y/N).” Gently pushing you away, just enough for him to look at you, he gave your cheek a quick kiss. The purple orbs you adored gleamed with excitement and playfulness at the reciprocation of his feelings. “But, feel free to check my gallery if you want.”

Handing you his phone back, you opened the gallery and giggled. Despite all the memes and cat photos, a few stolen pictures of you were scattered across the app. Sneaky bastard. No wonder he preferred not to let you hold his phone.

“Want to commemorate this day and take our second picture together?” He offered. Pulling you back to lean on him.

“Wouldn’t want it any other way~”

#shinsō hitoshi #shinsou hitoshi #mha shinso hitoshi #shinso hitoshi #shinso hitoshi x reader #hitoshi shinso x reader #shinso x y/n #hitoshi x reader #bnha shinso hitoshi #bnha shinso #mha shinso

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usedtobeyours · 3 years

Text

try hard dick energy: a fairytale

try hard dick energy got his nickname after almost 3 months of me seeing him

he used to be soft dick energy first.

we met through friends, as i usually like it to go.

on a regular thursday, we started chatting and we kind of fit. his music seemed to be a perfect match to my favorites. i listened to his playlist that whole week.

a week later we met at said friends’ home, on the day before a holiday.

my first impression was meh. but than again, it had been over 5 months since i even kissed another guy.

conversation went on, and my thinking was: wow, i can actually be friends with this dude

then we got drunk and he ended up waiting for when my friend went to the bathroom to kiss me. again, a meh kinda kiss. but again, 5 months. it still felt nice, butterflies and all.

i was on my period, maybe day four of it. after my friend went to sleep, we started drunkenly making out and he tried taking my clothes off. i was like no, no way, i have my period. and he said he didn’t mind. i wasnt sure i did.

then, a call that was just the best to get. friend #2 coming home from a date. we chatted on the dining room and i tried keeping her there for as long as i could before she started bobbing her head. to this day, he swears i was making faces at her for her to leave. that’s certainly not how i remember that.

she went to bed, we made out for a while, i took my menstrual cup out and we fucked. and we slept just as we were. i don’t remember much, but i do remember him saying: “was it too fast?” and like a good girl, i said it didnt matter. that’s how he got his soft dick energy nickname as i retold that story on the day after.

oh, the day after. we slept at around 6, and he was out of the apartment as i was still sleeping. my friends and i wanted to go to the beach, but that part of the story doesn’t matter much for this tale. we talked. and talked.

on thursday, two days later, i was headed to my guy best friend’s house bringing my other best friend - #1 from the first story. he picked us up from her place - his place was closest to my guy best friends house, but he did it anyway. we sat, and we got high, and drunk. we made out whenever everybody wasn’t around. i had to teach him that people don’t smoke inside people’s homes without asking - and in the window. duh.

he then left for a weekend away with his friends. it was the first time i missed him, and i spiraled into a weird depression mood from lack of attention. that’s how needy i was. am.

from then on we didn’t see each other for two whole weeks. he traveled, then i traveled, and weekdays were never his thing. we still talked everyday, and kept up with each others lives. we shared stickers, and said we missed each other. just the weird 16 year-old romance i yearned for.

we met again three weeks later. he really wanted to go to my girl best friend’s house, but she didn’t really want him there. we went for a beer on the beach - which turned into 6 really quick. by 10 pm, he forced his way into my girlfriends’ house, even though she didnt want him there. we made out a bit, and he left. i was so in love.

then the chat continued slower than before. carnaval went by, he didn’t want to join us for it. i moved, he didn’t want to come by. we seemed to chat, but it always revolved around him. he took up 3 weeks of my therapy sessions, but i kept chatting. it was good. it filled up my neediness - and my time. it was like a long distance relationship. weekends were lonely and kind of sad. my luck is that bracco was in rio, and i was getting to know noemi. they kept me busy.

he moved into a new apartment. it was around his birthday. i think it 15 days that we didnt see each other, but it felt like a month. that day it was all SO clear to me.

you invited me over to your place. i hadnt seen you in forever, but you said i shouldnt bring anything. i drank a beer on my way there, out of nervousness. i also brought you m&ms. your roommate was wearing a bra in the living room. she was nice, we drank beer, smoked, and chatted. it felt weird. and then, she came up with the whole depressed comment.

let me explain: we were talking about her sabbatical, she wanted to go away for a year once she was 27. i was sharing resources and a bit of my miami experience. she then said: “oh, miami. thats where you got depression”. as if depression was something you catch. as if i told her about it. as if you told her about it and she felt we had a relationship where she could just bring that up?! not sure. i was weirded out for the rest of the night. at some point, you brought me into your room and kissed me. i couldnt really get into it. you said: “we dont have to do anything”, but you kept kissing and groping me. it’s not like you backed off and said: “whats going on?”

so i caved, and we fucked. and it was mechanical. and short. and plain out boring. i left 20 minutes after, and you seemed to be happy i did.

my brain was a mix of feelings. i was in love, but then everything about that night was so fucking weird. being with you felt weird. the next day, you were weird too... i tried calling, but you called me back right when it was bbb time.

and i was talking to noemi in the balcony, and it was a whole thing about not being available for people who dont show themselves available. we didnt talk again until saturday, and i decided to cut you off for good. i unfollowed you on social, unfollowed myself from your page, deleted your number. it wasnt until wednesday that you realized and reached out.

you were all: we havent talked to each other in a week, and im also to blame for that... and so i told you i was upset about more than one thing that happened on wednesday, you exposed me to your roommate and i felt invaded. so i decided to pull myself away from this relationship. you apologized, but took no responsability for the rest of non caring. and thats what i wanted. so i cut you off.

it was two weeks, and two therapy sessions in which my therapist said i should have talked to you before cutting you off. and turning you off was good: i started focusing on shit that mattered to me.

but then i rethought it all. and i said, maybe we should have a grown up conversation. so i followed you, and opened up the conversation again. you said you were happy - you never thought you’d hear from me again.

but you did. and i told you i was open for talking, and for getting things back as they were. you said you were too, but then you disappeared for two other weeks.

and i felt done. over it. truly with no intent to see it moving. conversation was off and on. until last week it took on again. and we chatted for two days before you suggested a visit to my place. i was okay with it, cause then again, quarantine neediness is always present. and - for the first time ever - you were here on friday. you brought wine and condensed milk.

we chatted for two hours and it was boring as fuck. i hoped my roomies would join us. they did. and so did our friends. we drank and smoked and talked until 2, once again. but you decided to stay over, they went home, and it was just the two of us.

i wanted to sleep. everything felt so fucking awkward. i pretended to fall asleep while you cuddled me. so fucking odd. i just wanted to me alone and starfish my bed while hovering all my pillows. and then you noticed i wasn’t up for sex, or making out for that matter.

you asked: are you still upset over my roommate?

i said no. why would i be? we talked it over and it’s over. do you want to talk about this still?

you said no. but you still felt something wrong.

and i said, yes. something is wrong. sex has never been good with you. i need you to have something we call pegada.

and you made an excuse once or twice. but somehow we hooked up again and you had pegada.

we fucked, and it was good, for once. better than “huh, i guess i had sex”

i fell asleep, feeling it was so weird to have you here.

i woke up to my alarm, got ready, and you wouldnt budge. i said i had to go, and you said you wanted to sleep in. i said i would be back in an hour, and i went to work.

you texted at work. you used my computer and god knows what you digged up off it.

and then i came back, we had breakfast, and you didnt want to leave. we cuddled and watched a show. you tried kissing me but position was all weird. yet, it was good having you around.

you had a whole 2 hour meeting in my bedroom, in my computer. shivers. the whole time i was telling my roommate: the affection is nice, but oh no, im done.

and after your meeting we fucked gooood good. you got a promotion on your soft dick title. and fuck, i fell into it as well.

you left right after, as if you knew you got me hooked again. and again, chatting daily, you dont feel there. but we made plans for saturday.

mafe, mafe. why again. this boy definetly doesnt want you the same way you want him. yet you;re still there, as available as ever... i thought writing this might give me clarity. nope.

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aphrodites-law · 5 years

Text

My Favorite

Trope: Soulmate marks.

Twist: Lexa doesn’t have one. Clarke does.

3/? - (Part 1 - Part 2)

Teaching had been Lexa’s focus for so long that she had forgotten how much she loved learning as well. How exhilarating it was to study a language she knew in a form she didn’t. Lexa dug into the history of sign language first, needing to understand its roots before she attempted to practice it. Lexa found herself at an impasse eventually, stuck between American Sign Language and its British cousin, apparently far more different than most people knew. It was a gamble to focus on ASL, then, one that made Lexa realize just how little she knew Clarke.

Was she completely off her rocker for delving so deeply into another language for a practical stranger? But then, how would this stranger ever become anything else if they couldn’t communicate? Clarke was close to Raven, who Lexa was hopeful might become a good friend in this city. Inevitably she would spend time with Clarke then - didn’t it make practical sense to speak her language?

Not to mention, it was a valuable skill regardless of the personal reason that had led her to it. Lexa was a teacher, who perhaps one day would encounter a student grateful to communicate that way. If she could make a difference, if she could brighten their day, it was worth it. If anything, Lexa was frustrated that she hadn’t thought of it before.

A week before Lexa officially started her new position, she met with Gustus Bernard, the principal. Lexa had liked Gustus since the first time they spoke on the phone. He wasn’t the type to delegate his work - a man of principles who worked hard to ensure his leadership was effective. Polis MS’s methodology did not leave any student behind, and its high-performance spoke for itself. Lexa had met with other schools during the application process, many of which had seemed more interested in boasting about their reputation and donors over their educational programs. She had never been more certain of a career choice than this one.

Gustus showed her the lay of the land before it was invaded, he joked, which Lexa greatly appreciated. There was nothing quite like an empty school, both eerie and exciting. The chairs were aligned, the lockers were clean, the bulletin boards empty. Lexa was led to her office, the first time she ever had one, and immediately felt a lump in her throat at the sight of her name plate. It was such a small thing, and yet for the kid who had been pushed around and taunted in her own schools growing up, it felt enormous.

She could make her own mark in this world after all.

On the weekend before the big day, Lexa found herself at the grocery store to stock up on essential supplies. She’d gotten enough ‘brain foods’ to last a month, and multiple snacks for her office drawers.

She was in the candy aisle when she stopped short, a flash of blonde hair in an up-do catching her attention.

“Clarke?”

Clarke turned around, just as surprised, then smiled when she noticed Lexa. She waved her over.

“Hi,” Lexa said, worrying her lip as she stopped in front of her. “Um... I realized at Raven’s shop that I hadn’t really introduced myself.”

Clarke’s head tilted to the side.

“So I... tried something,” Lexa said with a nervous smile.

Hello, I’m Lexa, she attempted to sign, the movements slower than she’d like in the spur of the moment.

Clarke blinked at her, then dug around in her purse for something, much to Lexa’s confusion. She watched as Clarke pulled out a notepad and pen, then quickly wrote something.

Hi, Laxe.

Lexa groaned as she noticed Clarke’s amused grin. “E and A - always mix them up.”

Clarke hesitated before she reached out for Lexa’s hand. With a gentle ease, she moved Lexa’s fingers in the correct way; once for the E, and once for the A.

Lexa, she mouthed with a smile.

Lexa felt her worry melt off her shoulders. Clarke had the uncanny ability of making her incredibly nervous before putting her right at ease.

“I was hoping to make a better second impression.”

Clarke arched a brow before signing something slowly enough for Lexa to understand.

“I... think... you’re...”

The last word stumped her. Clarke signed it again, but Lexa’s very limited lexicon was of no help.

“A complete moron?” She finally guessed with a sigh.

Clarke rolled her eyes in mock-exasperation, then looked around. She grabbed a bag of candy and tossed it at Lexa, who looked down with a frown, then back up.

“I think I’m gummy bear too, but that’s beside the point.”

Clarke laughed before shaking her head. Lexa smiled, relieved she could at least still make Clarke laugh.

“So I’m sweet, hm? Does that mean we could... maybe... go out sometime? If you’d like?”

Clarke bit her lip. She quickly wrote something down again. As fast as she wrote, Lexa imagined it was frustrating to have to do it. Her notepad was thick and well-used, most likely not the first or the last one she carried around by a long shot. Lexa hoped there was a future where she could understand everything Clarke signed; from mundane things to detailed stories. But for now, she would have to read fast:

I have to travel for work, but come at the hotel next Friday. 7pm. Good?

Lexa felt her heart speed up. She could hardly believe it. “Yes. Of course, yes. I’ll be there.”

Clarke grinned and put her notepad away.

Bye, Lexa, she mouthed before taking hold of her cart and continuing toward checkout.

Lexa sighed happily, looking down at the bag of candy she held. On her fist day at work, an hour before her first class began, she made sure to tuck it at the very top of her office drawer. It would be a good year - she’d never felt more hopeful about anything else before.

Part four

#clexa #clexa fic #clarke x lexa #f: my favorite

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vertanimeni · 4 years

Text

the ice will start to break, the day will fade away (10/18)

Summary:

“Have you heard? The Elephant of Caocin has committed high treason!”

From Trikru’s most reputable war hero to Trikru’s most wanted traitor, Kova found themselves stripped of their titles and trapped between a clan that wants them dead and a camp of invaders - the same ones who kidnapped and tortured their brother.

But Kova was willing to do anything to stay alive and keep their family together.

Pairing: Bellamy Blake/Grounder OC

Word Count: 6,363

TW: Wilderness violence, bees???

A/N: Hi again!! Ahh I’m really happy, I think I’ll be able to finish this series by September at the rate I’ve been writing... Anyways, if you’re reading through my blog, the read more does not show up due to Tumblr’s new formatting, so please click on the post itself. I will be updating every Friday at 4pm EST. Enjoy! <333

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x. ireful.

The two entered the dropship simultaneously, but the moment Raven caught sight of Fox and Emmie huddled together, speaking in gentle tones, she sped up. Emmie no longer clutched her stomach in pain, nor was she sweating, but she was still laying in bed. Wells stopped Raven from walking in further, but before she could ask why, he held up a cloth similar to the one he had over his lower face.

Kova and Raven tied their makeshift masks when Emmie called out, “Kova, look! I’m already feeling better!”

Although this was the third time she had interacted with the grounder, Raven found herself surprised at the way Kova’s eyes lit up. She watched as they tied off the cloth in a hurry and sat criss crossed in front of Emmie.

“Let me check.” Kova placed a hand on her forehead just as Raven joined them. “Hmm. Strange.”

“What? What’s wrong?” Fox asked with a worried look.

“I don’t hear or feel any brain cells thumping around in there.”

…

Emmie let out a soft giggle. “You can’t feel my brain cells like that!”

“How do you know?” Although the mask covered half of their face, the three sky people (more importantly, Emmie) could see the teasing mirth in their eyes. “Here, maybe if I try this way,” They flipped their hand and plopped it across Emmie’s forehead, making her flinch and laugh (and cough a bit, but nothing of concern), and touched their own forehead with their other hand.

“How is she, doc?” Raven played along, “Are her brain cells still there?”

“Mn,” Kova closed their eyes and scrunched up their face, as if concentrating hard. “I sense at least one.”

“Hey! I have more than one!”

“Oh, really? Then how come I don’t— Ah!” They exclaimed as quietly as they could without disturbing the other patients. “I feel more brain cells running around.” They took their hand back. “She’s okay, no fever.”

Fox visibly relaxed, her shoulder bumping against Raven’s.

Kova took Emmie’s hand. “Now to see if I can hear your blood cells.”

“Blood cells?”

“Mn.” They wrapped a hand around her wrist, two fingers at her pulse point. “Well, really, I’m trying to hear your heartbeat. Let’s see what your heart says.”

Emmie waited with bated breath while Kova closed their eyes and ‘mn’-ed and nodded a few times, as if they were having a conversation with her heartbeat. “Your heart says… You need to eat more.” They concluded, placing her hand back to where it was. “More vegetables, preferably.”

“Yuck.”

“Yuck? Vegetables are delicious.”

“The ones the older kids make us eat are kinda gross.” Emmie frowned.

Fox flinched, and Raven murmured, “They’ve been eating only turnips and onions for the past few days, so…”

“Ah. I see.” Kova nodded solemnly. “Well, until we can find better vegetables, you must listen to your heart and eat what you have for now, okay?”

Emmie grumbled out an “okay,” and sighed.

Kova turned back to Fox and Raven. “I… will talk to Clarke about this. I’ll see you later, Emmie.”

“Already? Bye!”

Before either Fox or Raven could say anything, Kova stood and made their way to Clarke, who had finished with another patient.

“Hey.” Exhaustion laced Clarke’s voice, and for a moment they wondered if they should ask about this now or let Clarke catch up on some sleep first. Well, best not to beat around the bush.

“Your children are malnourished.” They said quite bluntly. “They are more susceptible to the virus.”

“Oh? Is that’s why…?” Clarke looked over her shoulder to the three new small patient she gained in the past hour. Letting out a heavy sigh, she rubbed at her temple. “Shit. No wonder.”

She heard the click of Kova swallowing before they said, “Let me go out.”

Clarke snapped her head up, her neck audibly cracking. “What?”

“Let me go out. Send me with a team if you have to. I can get you better vegetables than onions or whatever it is you have been feeding them. We can go hunting, bring back meat and medicinal plants, too.” Their expression grew more calculating.

“Medicinal plants?”

“I… will admit I am not the best at making medicine, but I know the process and which plants you would need. It won’t cure the virus, but it’ll lessen the symptoms at least.”

“…I guess this is our closest shot.” Clarke let out a soft sigh. “Ask Bellamy to set you up with a team — the more people you have, the more things you can bring back. Just be back before sundown.”

They gave a curt nod, and after explaining the situation to Wells, they replaced the cloth mask for their brother’s mask and jogged out of the dropship.

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Leaning over the table where he had set up a map of the surrounding area, small twigs representing an unfinished wall, Bellamy had been halfway through the discussion when he noticed a change in the delinquents’ behavior.

Skin shining with a sheen of sweat, Jasper had turned even paler than Bellamy thought possible and kept his eyes lowered, as if all the blood drained away from his face, as if afraid to make eye contact. Bellamy would have immediately sent him to Clarke if it weren’t for others in the room also nervously looking away, averting their gaze from his general direction. Even Miller, who Bellamy had known since the Ark Guard, had grown twitchy and would catch his eye only to look past his shoulder, as if gesturing to look behind—

If Bellamy jolted when he was suddenly face-to-face with a mask resembling a snake, that was no one’s business but his own. He leaned back against the table and let out a harsh sigh, his eyebrows furrowing in anger.

“My apologies,” Kova said, “I did not mean to interrupt, but I must speak with you.”

“We’re busy. You’ll have to wait.” He turned his back towards them, but before he could continue with the discussion—

“It’s urgent.”

Another sigh. He hung his head, then looked at the group. They all seemed to be itching to leave, and Bellamy couldn’t blame them. “Work on what we’ve talked about so far. Once that’s done, come back and we’ll work through the second half.”

Everyone bolted from the table, except for Miller.

Bellamy turned back and gestured for Kova to talk.

“The children and the others in camp are becoming more susceptible to the virus because of malnourishment.” They started off. “Getting proper vegetables, meat, and medicinal plants would benefit not just them, not just the sick, but the entire camp. Clarke said you would set me up with a group of people to go out and forage.”

“No,” was his immediate response. He never thought a blink could hold a weight of judgment until Kova leveled his gaze, fire flaming behind them.

“Clarke gave permission. Unless you prefer I go alone—”

“It’s hard enough getting this wall up with a pandemic running around.” He gestured to the camp around them, to the people lugging tree trunks, rope, and heavy buckets of water. “With the grounders ready to attack at any moment, do you really think I’ll let you go out? Tell her to send someone else to lead the mission, and maybe I’ll consider it.”

“Bellamy—”

“The whole point, Bellamy,” They gritted out his name with contempt, effectively cutting Miller off, “is that I am the only one who can recognize and bring back what is needed. And contrary to what you may believe, I do not gain anything from returning to Trikru.”

“And how am I supposed to believe that?”

“Murphy said it himself. They consider me as the scum of the Earth. Not exactly welcoming. Look, at this point, I don’t care what you do. I’m going.” Kova brushed past him and bumped into his shoulder. “Good luck trying to explain to Clarke why I didn’t bring back enough—” They knew it was a mistake when they felt fingers clasped around their wrist.

“You know, that reminds me. I had some questions about that. Elephant of Caocin?”

The same reaction as last time. They froze. Spine popping as their shoulders tensed. Hands shaking and balling into fists — in anger or fear, Bellamy didn’t know, but he felt the back of his hand prickling under their sharp gaze. They angled their head towards him, and to his surprise, their expression behind the mask seemed haunted, not unlike his after he realized how many people died in the Ark because of him. Shaken, he found himself releasing his hold on them.

“What?” He snapped, suddenly uncomfortable. “It’s pretty suspicious—”

“What is, exactly?” One step, two steps forward, and Bellamy felt the angry warmth of their body against his, the two chest to chest. He resisted the urge to reach for a weapon. “What’s so damn suspicious about it, hmm?”

‘Many things, too many things,’ He wanted to say, ‘Why are you helping? Why are you still here? What's with you and Octavia? Everything about you screams suspicion.’ But instead, he fumed in silence at the fact he had to stretch his neck to reach their gaze dead on.

They tilted their head in a way that infuriated him even further, that had his fists clenching, jaw tensing. “I think you’re just upset Murphy knows something you don’t.”

His eyebrow twitched.

“Ah. So that’s what it was.” They nodded, their lips curled back in a mocking smile and they pressed a knuckle against their bottom lip. “If you want to know so damn badly, then I’ll tell you. Elephant of Caocin is a title that had been given to me three years ago by the Commander of the 12 clans. The one you angered. That’s all you need to know.”

Miller thought Bellamy’s jaw would break at any moment. “Based on Murphy’s spouting,” Bellamy gritted out, “it seems to be more than that.”

“And like I said,” they bristled, “that’s all. you need. to know. That title is well over three years old, long before you all came and ruined everything.”

“Meaning?” Faces far too close together, Bellamy could see Kova’s sharp eyes glaring down and clashing against his.

“Meaning the Elephant of Caocin is none of your fucking business. I am going to get those damn plants with or without your help. If you need more proof, I have already snuck out of this camp at least twice since I’ve been here, and Trikru has not shown up at your doorstep.” They continued, despite Miller’s shocked look and Bellamy’s face flushing in anger. “Like I said, scavenging for better food is our best shot at curbing the pandemic. Unless you want more people dying, this is the best way to help them.”

“The best way to help is— Monty?”

He let go of their wrist. They turned just in time to catch a poorly made wooden spear. They unconsciously spun it into the other hand and positioned the pointed end towards the ground between them and Bellamy, who stepped back after he realized his foot was directly underneath it.

Kova looked back to the young boy who threw the spear, and although Kova recognized him as the boy Octavia was talking to the night they snuck out, they eyed the boy with suspicion.

“I overheard everything. What’re we gonna do when the wall is built but there’s no food?” Monty’s voice wavered ever so slightly, but he stood tall with his own spear.

“Then we’ll go and find some ourselves.” Bellamy answered.

“Last time we did that the entire camp ended up high as shit. Miller was stuck in a tree for three hours.”

(Kova glanced at Miller. He covered his face and averted his gaze.)

Monty then turned to Kova and said, “I was… uh, decent in Earth Skills, but it’s not very helpful when all the plants have mutated. I’ll do whatever it is you need me to do.”

“I’ll take as many people as I can get, regardless of skill. Do you know anyone else?”

“We’re going!”

“I-I’m going too.”

The group turned around, and while seeing Finn didn’t shock Bellamy, seeing Zoe with a bright smile and her hand in the air, Drew, and even Fox caught him completely off guard.

He wasn’t the only one. Kova’s eyes widened when they landed on her, barely noticeable behind the mask, but Fox caught it. “I heard your conversation with Clarke earlier. I… wasn’t sure if I wanted to go, but Raven convinced me. I want to help.”

“I appreciate it. Thank you.” They lowered their gaze before turning to Monty. “Are there any big baskets in this camp?”

“I think there’s a couple from when Roma…”

Only Kova and Miller noticed Bellamy’s flinch at the name.

“Yeah, I know Warren and Myles took over her project after she died.”

“If possible, get one per person.” Kova paused. “And two for me.”

“Two? They’re pretty big…”

“Kova,” Finn glanced at their leg. “Don’t forget about your wound.”

“I know. Two for me.”

“I-I’ll go get them.” Fox said.

“I’ll help.” Finn offered.

“We’ll meet you outside the gates.” Kova eyed the spear in their hands. “We’ll have to make do if we want to get fish.”

“Oh, we’re going fishing?” Monty’s nervous smile brightened. “Sweet!”

“I bet I can catch the biggest fish.” Zoe grinned haughtily.

The remaining three delinquents headed towards the gate. But when Kova made a move to follow, a hand held their bicep. They lowered their gaze to the offending limb, then to Bellamy. “Let. Go.”

“You’re not leaving.”

“Like I said before,” They centered their gaze on the wooden gates past his head. “Clarke already gave me permission. If that’s not enough for you, that’s not my problem. Take it up with her.”

Ripping their arm from his grasp, they left without another word, leaving Bellamy and Miller dumbfounded.

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“Alright, gather up. Drew, got your spear back?”

“No, not yet!” Called out said delinquent, balancing on top of Zoe’s shoulders trying to climb a tree. Far above him, his weapon stuck out of the tree’s trunk. “But we’re getting there!”

“Great! Monty, fixed your shoe?”

“I’ll probably end up with a blister or two, but yeah, for the most part.”

“Alright.” Finn clapped his hands together — not too loud, though. He learned his lesson after last time. “Who’s gonna talk to them?”

If the group hadn’t teamed up against him, Finn might have laughed at the way Zoe and Drew froze and looked up/down at one another, while Fox and Monty scratched their heads and faced away from him, acting as if they didn’t hear his question. Instead, he exhaled through his nose — too gentle to be a proper sigh, but too passive aggressive to ignore — and turned around to the fallen log a ways ahead, where Kova had been brooding alone for the past ten minutes, one leg propped up, the other bouncing against the wood.

The scavenger group had only been an hour into their trip when Kova had their outburst.

It all started with Drew. Call Drew whatever you’d like - serious, stubborn, a tad bit overprotective, somewhat of a romantic — but nobody could call him a quitter. And one squirrel in particular had caught his eye when it scurried down from the trunk of its tree, tail swishing, taunting him like the little shits they were.

And guess who fell for the trap?

That is how Drew had gotten his spear stuck in a tree not once, not twice, but three times. And because none of the sky people knew how to climb a tree, Kova had been the one to retrieve it. All. Three. Times. And they weren’t low throws either! Again, no one could call Drew a quitter.

But by the time Kova had retrieved the spear for the third time, face scratched up, twigs and leaves stuck in their dreads, they had given him a sharp look and put an end to his squirrel endeavors.

(He kept a careful eye on the squirrel though. Just in case.)

The group continued. All was well until Kova felt a nagging feeling when they saw Fox reach down and exclaim excitedly, “Oh, I know this plant! This must be Virginia Creeper!”

Now, Kova knew five things about Virginia Creepers.

Do not eat raw, it is poisonous.

Do not touch with bare hands, it is an irritant.

When cooked or used properly, the berries can be used for edema, the roots for diarrhea, and the bark and twigs for a strong cough syrup.

Younger vines have three leaves, older vines have seven leaves, but typically it should have five leaves.

It is an aggressive and invasive tree murderer, a vine that likes to climb and suffocate trees by growing its leaves on top, and they absolutely hate growing along the forest floor.

Recalling points 1 and 2, Kova had already been moving towards Fox to warn her. Recalling point 3, they thought, ‘Maybe I can wrap some in a rag for Clarke,’ and pulled out said rag that they kept in their pocket. But then, recalling points 4 and 5, they noticed the plant looked mature despite growing on the ground, but it still had three leaves—

With a red center at the stalk—

And Fox’s bare hands were far too close—

Kova dropped the rag and found themselves running towards her, yelling, “Wait, don’t—!”

In their panic, they swung their leg straight up, kicking Fox’s hands away. Fox yelped and backed away with hurt, wide eyes, clutching her wrist. Before any of the delinquents could point their spears at them, Kova quickly said, “This is poison ivy, it causes awful rashes, blisters, and allergic reactions, and I don’t have any jewelweed that could help if someone is affected. Stay away from it.”

Monty’s eyes widened. “Whoa, that’s poison ivy?”

He, Zoe, and Drew crowded around the plant. Kova made their way towards Fox and reached a comforting hand out to place on her shoulder, but hesitated and pulled back in case she didn’t want them touching her. “My apologies, Fox, I did not mean to hurt you. I panicked, and I didn’t know how to get you away from it fast enough.”

Because Fox had grown up with reassuring touches and affections from her parents when they were still alive, she had seen Kova pull back their hand and took it the wrong way. She thought that the (surprisingly) kind and friendly grounder must have been furious with her despite their tone, and that any progress she had made with Kova poofed in one go, all because she had been reckless on a planet she didn’t know but claimed as her home. She stepped away, ducking her head. “N-No no, it’s alright,” She wrapped her arms around herself, unable to meet Kova’s eyes. “I should have been more careful. I won’t touch anything else.”

Fox had made herself tiny, and in Kova’s eyes, it meant she was uncomfortable with them crowding her space, just as they thought. They silently berated themselves as they dipped their head in acknowledgment and stepped away.

The group moved on, and while that incident had been more anxiety inducing rather than irritating, it didn’t help what came after. The group had finally reached what Kova and Finn had been tracking for the better part of the past hour — a deer of some sort, eating foliage in a bush. Most likely two headed, but from this angle, no one could tell. Kova leaned back, sharpened spear in hand, while Finn and Drew sat behind the bushes, holding up their own weapons in case Kova missed and needed another one asap. Just as they pulled back their arm—

Crack! Crack! Snap!

In a too quiet forest full of predators, the sound of twigs snapping was a warning. The deer fled without looking back, and yes, it was two headed, full of meat.

Kova clenched their jaw hard enough for Finn and Drew to hear a pop!

The trio turned around to find Monty and Zoe with apologetic, nervous smiles. Those two had snapped enough twigs to make an entire new dam for the beavers on the way here, but they couldn’t even—!

No point. Kova took a deep breath. No point in getting upset. The deer was long gone by now. What’s done is done. Finn was kind enough to try to track it down again, but the prints fell apart after the deer had gone through the section of the forest with thick roots popping out of the ground like veins. They would have to find something else to hunt. Instead, Kova decided that gathering the plants and herbs needed for the group to use as reference would be best.

Clap!

Knee deep in plants and bugs, a new vein would pop at Kova’s forehead with every—

Clap!

No point in getting mad.

Clap!

No point—

Clap!

Finn had grown frustrated with the sudden rush of bugs attacking him, as if drawn to his blood type.

Clap! Clap! Clap!

Now, while Kova didn’t remember what they had shouted at the group when they finally blew up, whatever it was, it must have been hurtful. Hurtful enough for Fox and Drew’s eyes to swell with unshed tears, for Monty and Zoe to pointedly look away, and for Finn to look taken aback. A feeling they wouldn’t name gnawed at their chest, and unable to handle it, Kova stormed off to be alone.

‘Well,’ They thought as the wood creaked under a new weight next to them, a pair of shoes popping up in the corner of their vision, ‘That didn’t last long.’ They snuck a peak. Finn.

Taking a deep breath, Kova spoke first. “You guys… weren’t joking.”

He raised an eyebrow. “What do you mean?”

“When you said you didn’t have much Earth skills.” They tucked their face in the crook of their elbow. “You weren’t joking.”

“Well, yeah.” He let out a light chuckle. “None of us have even seen this much green in our life. There are no trees or river or dirt in the Ark.” Well, there was one tree, but it didn’t really count.

Kova blinked a few times. “I… can’t imagine that.”

“For clothes, monochrome colors are easier to reproduce. The Ark is made of metal, so everything is grey. But when the sun hits just right, we would have yellow, blue, and green lighting.” At Kova’s confused look, Finn explained, “We still had our own version of a sunset of sorts, so we would get rays of yellow. Green reflections would come from the Earth’s forests, and blue from the ocean.” He let out a light laugh. “You should have seen our faces when we first came down here. Everyone went crazy when we saw the sky turning orange, pink, even purple.”

“Mn.” Kova faced upwards, past the bright green foliage and brown bark of the trees, to the baby blue sky, with wisps of white clouds, a serene day. “It’s quite beautiful, even for us.” They tilted their head towards him. “You should see it from Polis. It’s gorgeous.”

“Polis?”

“Major city and capital of Trikru.”

“If everything works out, maybe one day.”

The two had a moment of comfortable silence. Then Finn said, “You’re right. We don’t have any Earth skills. We’ve only survived by learning the basics.” He turned to them. “But we’re willing to try our best.”

Chewing on the inside of their lip, Kova looked down at their hands. Calloused. Rough. Dry and ashy without their usual lotion. Then to Finn’s. Cut up, sure, but other wise clean of the hard labor expected in Trikru — in all clans, really. They ran their hands through their dreads and massaged the nape of their neck, before giving him a curt nod and standing up. “If you’re willing to try, then I should treat you all the same way I treat the baby warriors back home. Let’s go.”

Without waiting for his response, Kova made their way back to the group waiting for them.

And what a sight they found themselves in. Drew, with his arms and legs wrapped around the trunk of a tree like some sort of koala. Zoe, laying spread eagle on the ground a ways away, breathing heavily, shoulders dirty. Monty and Fox, surrounding Drew, trying to coax him into giving up on the spear. That was when Kova noticed Drew had thrown his spear up in a tree again, but this time right above a—

Drew looked over his shoulder to brush off Monty, but made eye contact with Kova instead. He sent them a nervous smile when they started walking over to him and said, “No, don’t worry Kova! I can try to get it myself!”

“Nope, nope, get down from there.” They reached under his arms and pulled him off the tree with ease. “Last thing I need is you breaking a leg trying to get down.”

Drew dropped his gaze to the floor, pink flushing his neck.

‘Treat them like the baby warriors.’ Their eyes flickered around for a moment before they clapped his shoulder lightly. “Hey. If you wanted to learn how to climb a tree, I wouldn’t mind teaching you. But one, we have something else to focus on. And two,” they pointed upwards, “you see that grey pouch thing up there?”

Drew nodded, and the others followed their looks.

“That’s a bee’s nest. You see a tree with any type of lump or pouch like that, you avoid it completely. That spear belongs to them now.”

“Bees… they’re the ones that sting, right?”

“They don’t sting unless you aggravate them, and they only sting once before they die. If you see them in flowers, they’re really chill, but not in their nests.” Ah, that reminded Kova of a field trip they went when they were younger. Maybe they would tell the group the story another time. “Wasps and hornets, on the other hand, are absolute bitches, and won’t hesitate to sting you multiple times.”

“So that’s what a bee’s nest looks like?” Zoe asked.

“I said it was a bee’s nest because it’s outside on a branch, and wasps and hornets typically like to nest inside of a trunk or a dead animal—” Kova saw Monty mouth ‘dead animals?!’ and held in a laugh, “—but it’s too far for me to tell what it really is. Regardless, it doesn’t matter. If you see a nest, you walk away, even if they’re just bees. Here,” Kova passed their spear to Drew, “you can take mine, I don’t need it.”

“Oh, thanks!”

“Mn.” They dipped their head in acknowledgment and addressed the whole group. “Alright, new plan.” They clapped their hands together and started walking. “Follow me.”

“Where are we going?” Monty asked.

“There are a couple of plants that could help Clarke a lot. They grow along the river, so while I pick those, you guys will fish.” Before the group could say anything, they corrected themselves. “First, I will teach you guys how to fish, and then you will go fish.” They pressed their hand against their chin. “It’s the middle of September, so the salmon should be migrating from the rivers to the ocean. As long as we avoid the waterfalls, we shouldn’t run into any bears.”

“Salmon?”

“Bears?”

Finn stiffened. “What about the huge ass eel?”

“Huge ass eel? The unu mach’aqway?”

“Whatever it’s called, it’s huge, it eats people, and it’s in the river. How are you going to fish?”

“It’s… a water snake, of sorts. They’re usually gone by now — they migrate to the ocean and Floukru hunts them down.” Kova shook their head. “Regardless, if it is still there, we can head past the dams where it can’t reach us.”

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On the dry and ashy river rocks, there were four pairs of shoes lined up side by side, each stuffed with socks and sprinkled with specks of water. In front of the shoes, protecting them from the river, stood a line of four baskets.

“Hah! Caught another one!”

Wind blowing through the stab wound in its gill, a fish flew in the air and smacked against the edge of a basket, thoroughly splashing water across the shoes with its tail as a final ‘fuck you’ before flopping inside to be with its dead brethren.

“Zoe!”

“Ah man. Sorry!”

“Say that to your own shoes! And don’t go asking around for spares—” Drew’s tease cut short with a splash of water. “Hey!”

With a stroke of the non-bloodied end of Zoe’s spear, she splashed and soaked the cuffed ends of Drew’s pants. “Whoops!”

While those four delinquents waded in the shallow end of the river, necks aching, fingers pruned, Fox had opted for foraging and uprooting plants with Kova, to their pleasant surprise. Kova had given her a bundle of various herbs to help identify which plants to uproot and which to leave alone, and despite what had happened earlier, Fox was, for the most part, accurate. Especially compared to Monty and Drew, who somehow had pulled a bucket’s worth of weeds and useless plants.

Kova and Fox squatted at the forest line, and behind them were three baskets, organized by their designated plants: ginger and cloves; turmeric and tea plant; peanuts and thyme.

“Hey,” Kova passed Fox a bundle of cloves, “you sure you don’t want to join them? I can handle this.”

“Yeah, no, I’m sure.” She took the bundle and tossed it in its appropriate basket. “I, uh…”

Kova waited patiently, uprooting another plant, their silence encouraging.

“I’m scared.” Fox whispered out, mindlessly playing with the leaves of a ginger plant. “I don’t know why. I’ve never even been in the water before, but…” She shuddered and dropped the ginger in the wrong basket. When she turned away, Kova fixed it, and noticed the way her hands shook. “Thinking about stepping in the river, where anything could bite or crawl on me—”

“I hate the ocean for the same reason.” Kova cut in, not unkindly. “I hate the feeling of something brushing up against my legs, even though I know it’s most likely seaweed. And I’m always worried about stepping on a sea animal that’ll stab me in the foot, or poison me or something.” They snorted. “A-Lin always told me I was being dramatic.”

“A-Lin?”

“My little brother.” Kova threw another bundle into a basket and clapped the dirt off their hands. “I’m going to go check in on them. Do you…”

“No, it’s fine, I’ll keep working.”

“Okay. Call me if you need anything.”

“Yup!”

“Guys,” Finn laughed and pulled off a fish from the sharp end of his spear. “Why do I feel like I’m winning?”

“Because you are.” Monty grumbled, looking at his clean spear with both disdain and defeat.

“Finn has the most fishes.” The delinquents turned at the new voice. Kova inspected the baskets, one hand on their hip, the other holding their mask up. While Finn had seen them without their mask before, Monty, Zoe, and Drew’s mouths dropped slightly in surprise. With mirth glinting in their eyes, Kova said, “Next is Zoe, then Drew, then Monty.”

Monty gave out quite a long ‘boo’ and leaned against his spear in utter defeat. “This truly is a crime, a slander on my name, absolute heterphobia—!”

The delinquents had heard this joke of his plenty of times, both in the Skybox and since they reached Earth, and usually responded with a roll of their eyes or beaming whatever they were holding at Monty’s head. However before any of them could hit him with their spears—

A snort.

A splutter of a laugh.

The delinquents turned in shock, only to find Kova with their back towards the, shoulders shaking, the hand on their hip now over their mouth. “Sorry, sorry—” They managed to get out with a hitched breath. “I’ve— I don’t think— Never heard an expression like that before.”

They took a deep breath, wiped their face down, and without turning around, they ordered, “We’re going soon. Put the fishes into two baskets. The other two we’ll use to gather vegetables.”

They dropped their mask and made their way to Fox, purposefully ignoring the surprised whispers of the delinquents.

“Everything okay?” Fox asked, noting the delinquents packing up.

“Mn. They caught a lot of fish. We’ll move on to vegetables, then head back to your camp.” Slinging the two heavier baskets across their shoulders, they waited for Fox, who had been struggling with the lightest basket.

“Ah, really?” She finally managed to strap the basket over her shoulder. “That’s great…!” Trailing off, she noted the distant — no, fond look in Kova’s eyes. She followed their line of sight to the delinquents, where Drew and Zoe smacked one another with fish while Finn and Monty dumped the fish into two baskets. “Kova, are… you okay?”

Eyes flickered to her for a moment. “…mn.”

“…can I ask what are you thinking about?”

The two fell into silence for a moment, and Fox, thinking they wouldn’t respond, prepared to change the subject, until, in a quiet voice, they said, “Home.”

Ah. She nodded, looking up at the sky. “Mood.” She sighed.

“…mood?”

“Oh, it means something like, ‘I agree.’”

“…hmm. Mood.”

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While the forest had the sound of rustling leaves, Lincoln’s home had the sound of rustling paper. Well, what was once his home, anyways. Now, it was just a cave that once held his belongings, his knick knacks, his good memories. He had packed everything essential into a bag, including the papers he had planned on binding into a new journal, while the rest of his things were organized into two neat piles on his desk, should he return.

Should he return. What a thought. A few years ago — no, even a few weeks ago — Lincoln never would have thought about moving out. The cave was perfect for someone like him — the black sheep of TonDC. The questioner, the arguer, the “questions first, actions later” type of man, and most importantly: the solitary type. Parents dead, extended family gone, he had grown used to being alone, living alone, existing alone. The only social interaction he really needed was Kova and their family.

And when Kova had gone into seclusion, his warrior duties had begun to pile up in the aftermath of the war, so while he would still visit their family every other day, his social interaction came more from the warriors he had to train (and, truthfully, console more than anything else). Going back home to an empty, quiet cave, was nothing short of a blessing.

And a reminder that Kova was no longer there.

Lincoln shook his head, and after adding the final touched to his bag, he couldn’t help but smile slightly. Leaving with the two people he cared about the most and joining a clan that wouldn’t spark violence led by his old friend sounded almost like a dream. They could leave behind everything — Mount Caocin, the political drama, the potential war with the sky people…

Only taking Octavia and Kova with him and leaving the sky people to fend for themselves. At first, he thought he was being selfish. Even now, as he leaned against the desk and drank a cup of water, he can’t help but think that. But he tried his best with Lieutenant Anya and Chief Indra, but in the end, he was ignored and mocked. What else was there left to do?

The sound of wings flapping caught his attention. A messenger bird came through the open door, papers fluttering as it landed on his desk and stuck its leg out impatiently. Lincoln undid the knot and took the roll of paper attached, and with another flurry of papers, the bird left. He opened the letter with haste, noting it was from Luna.

My dearest Lincoln,

The waters here have turned cold with each passing day, and while it is quite unfortunate for our swimmers, we have caught more unu mach’aqwaykuna than expected. Needless to say, we have plenty of food for incoming migrants. I am glad to hear the updates between you and Octavia, however, I cannot say the same as to what has been going down between Trikru and Kova. You and I have watched each other’s backs during our travels, as well as in our personal lives. Most importantly, you helped me escape the conclave, and that is something I will never be able to repay, in this lifetime or the next. Because of this, I deeply regret to inform you that I cannot allow Kova safe passage into Floukru.

The temperature in the room dropped. His hands trembled, and Lincoln was half tempted to stop reading to forge a new plan, but there was more.

I am unsure if Trikru has already announced this to its people, but in our last meeting, the Trikruvian ambassador disclosed to me of the high bounty placed on the Elephant of Caocin, for criminal disobedience, treason, and espionage. Relations with Trikru have been fragile as of late, and unfortunately, allowing Kova to come would bring us more problems than we can handle. I truly am sorry. However, the offer still stands with you, and potentially Octavia, as long as she has not been involved in the political problems between the descendants of the Betrayers and Trikru. She can assimilate to cover her identity here, if she wishes to do so. Again, I am sorry about Kova. I can’t imagine how difficult this must be for the two of you. Knowing you, I do not think you will come without Kova, but let me know what path you decide to take soon.

Luna

In the end, Kova was right. He dropped the letter on the desk and brought his hands behind his head, breathing in deeply. ‘Fuck,’ He thought, and because he was never the type of person to hide his thoughts when he was alone, he said, “Fuck.”

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#bellamy blake #bellamy blake imagines #bellamy blake x oc #bellamy x reader #bellamy blake imagine #the night our stars aligned (and our breaths touched)#the 100 #the 100 fic #writeblr #my wips #my writing

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jyndor · 4 years

Text

paul krugman and the art of doubling down on shitty takes

so on september 11th, famed nyt editorial writer, keynesian economist and fave of your racist liberal uncle, paul krugman, wrote one of the shittiest takes I have ever seen on twitter, which is SAYING SOMETHING.

krugman famously tweeted this:

and got a million virtual shoes thrown at him for being so ignorant, because anti-muslim hate crimes did actually escalate after 9/11, and the bush administration eagerly fanned the flames of islamophobia in order to make their illegal wars in afghanistan and iraq popular with the public. muslims, sikhs, indians, literally anyone vaguely brown, and lots of black ppl too, were terrorized by their neighbors, (former) friends, classmates, coworkers, etc. and anyone with a muslim friend knows this happened because they've told us about it. and these attacks were reported on. they were, I remember reading about them when I was a kid.

(paul krugman works for the new york fucking times, and while I think the nyt is warmongering centrist garbage, they do actually report on things that happen in the world. he writes editorials for them, surely he reads the damn paper once in a while).

so today, I log on to twitter and see he has decided not to apologize, but rather do the ol' double down, which always works out well.

here are some highlights:

okay so first thing's first, no apology (obviously) since this is a double down. but we got a chart, and liberals do love a good chart when they are being racist and ahistorical.

he admits that the chart is actually inaccurate because it excludes all the other victims of anti-muslim hate crimes who weren't actually muslim (read: the innocents). okay. so already he is losing credibility because he is using an inaccurate chart as the basis of his double down, and really, we love to see it.

after this there's some shit about how he didn't say there wasn't an outbreak of white americans attacking muslims and people mistaken for muslims, but rather that it could have been worse. lol well anything can be worse than it was, as 2020 has taught us. it’s a pedantic mess and I didn’t feel like that was the meat of the double down.

so first off, the iraq war was definitely started for many reasons, but islamophobia was part of it. the bush administration wanted to invade iraq and depose saddam hussein, and steal iraq’s oil for multinational oil companies lbr, and so they exploited americans’ fears about muslims by propagandizing about how it was important for us to attack them over there before they attacked us over here with their weapons of mass destruction, and of course they would attack us over here if given the chance. why? because they hate our way of life here, our freedom. those things were LITERALLY said by bush people and also by their stans at fox news and the wsj, and yes, in the editorial pages at the nyt.

so to someone like paul krugman, who knows lots of conservatives who don’t seem racist, or are educated and distinguished and just... like war? idk but to him, he sees people like them and says, well... they’re not like uneducated filthy poors in west virginia, not that kind of racist.

but what he doesn’t get, or he is being deliberately obtuse about, is that in order for the bush people to dehumanize muslims the way they did, they had to personally place less value on the lives of iraqis than on the value of that sweet crude oil. they were willing to go to war, sacrifice hundreds of thousands of civilians in the process (as well as thousands of american soldiers, but this isn’t about them) because they didn’t see them as anything but collateral damage. and that is fucking racist.

and while I have no interest in playing the “which racist is worse” game, when the west virginia uneducated racist endangers those around them, the politician rich harvard educated racist writes policy and lies us into illegal wars that endanger millions. both are bad, both are racist.

and by the way, him “sticking his neck out” to speak up against going to iraq was brave and necessary, especially because the nyt was pushing the invasion. but when you put it like that... you just sound like a tool. like it was a burden to call out the liars and imperialists. bitch, you’re paul krugman, a nobel laureate and renowned economist. I do not want to discount the IMMENSE pressure and blacklisting that opponents of the bush administration experienced, because showing any opposition to the wars at the time was risky. but idk the way he put that just irked me, especially since he didn’t even lose his job like many in the media did when they spoke up.

usually what liberals do when they fuck up publically is a fake ass apology and a few hail marys, and I assumed he would be on twitter begging for forgiveness on this one since his garbage take went so viral and pissed off so many people. and of course was wrong.

but then he does this:

yeah. your eyes are not deceiving you. that chart is measuring anti-black, anti-lgbtq and anti-”islamic” (lmao who says that bro just say anti-muslim or islamophobic) hate crimes. shut up leftist twitter, black people have it worse than muslims according to my inaccurate chart. so stop attacking me, a rich white man who doesn’t really care about anything other than my reputation.

there is a lot to unpack here, namely that paul krugman is using faux concern for black people as a way to deflect from his shitty ahistorical take about how much restraint white americans showed after 9/11 towards muslims. maybe krugman doesn’t know any black muslims, but they exist. also oppression olympics is stupid even when used by well meaning essentialists, let alone by milquetoast academics.

not to mention that he has already discounted his own shitty chart by saying it doesn’t show the full picture of what happened in these anti-muslim attacks. but even if we take this chart seriously, it actually does not really support his point. look at how many more hate crimes there were against muslims in 2001 than there were in 2000. there are significantly more black people than muslims in the united states. I am not good at math, and surely I am no nobel laureate, but it seems to me that hate crimes against black people increased a little, and hate crimes against muslims increased a lot. and this chart only takes into account three years, and only two of which are post-9/11. so... idk man maybe we should look at what happened in, say, 2003? 2004? how about all of the 2000s?

(source: https://www.pri.org/stories/2016-09-12/data-hate-crimes-against-muslims-increased-after-911)

oh, that is actually pretty consistently bad! yes, there was one spike in 2001/2002, but it isn’t like we went back down to pre-9/11 numbers afterwards. and I am not sure if this information includes non-muslims targeted for “looking muslim” but I would say it is unlikely, since the data seem pretty similar to krugman’s olympic shit.

I am not writing this because paul krugman is particularly shit-for-brains, or because I hate him more than like... idk any other moron on twitter. there were plenty of anti-muslim takes on twitter friday like there are every 9/11, and every day. but krugman is actually someone liberals respect. he is, after all, a nobel laureate and a keynesian economist, and fairly mild mannered. when people in the media like krugman write these ahistorical shitty takes they are, as chomsky wrote, MANUFACTURING CONSENT. it is a deliberate tactic, and it works. and if you want to learn more about this theory, check out this short clip by al jazeera narrated by amy goodman (of democracy now). the media manufactured american consent when they pushed the wars. they continue to do so when they try to rewrite george bush’s history by making trump seem uniquely terrible to muslims.

elites in the press and in government have been trying to whitewash and rehabilitate george bush’s reputation for YEARS, and they are succeeding. and why would they want to do that? well, there are a lot of reasons. one, a lot of people in washington are complicit in bush’s crimes. two, democrats think they need to appeal to moderate republicans (lol) in order to win elections, and I guess they think there are moderate republicans left (lol!), and that those moderate republicans like george bush (LOLLL). three, they want to make trump look uniquely terrible. if they do that, then no one but trump needs to be held to account for his government’s failings. but these are just my speculation.

do not let them rehabilitate george bush any further than they have. it is a fucking shame he will never be held to account for war crimes, but an extra slap in the face to all of his victims when we act like he didn’t do things he did. like stoke anti-muslim hate. he invaded muslim countries with a smile on his face, and that is pretty fucking hateful.

paul krugman doubled down and tried to use Black Lives Matter like a human fucking shield. seems a bit racist imo.

#paul krugman #islamophobia #racism #war #imperialism #anti-blackness #fuck this guy i stg

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anika-ann · 4 years

Text

Think Again (When You Stop Freaking Out) - Pt.2

Recon Mission

Pairing: None Word count: 2159

Warnings: language, hella lot confusion, … irony and sass? ;)

Summary: Both Matt and Steve find someone willing to lend a helping hand. Granted, their allies’ approach might differ, but they are not in a position to look a gift horse in the mouth... Steve especially, after all.

Story Masterlist

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It only took a minute for Matt to run into someone. The man was slightly shorter than himself – in this body anyway –, but was significantly smaller in built, olive skin and dark curls, wearing thin glasses. He gave Matt a brief, but warm smile.

It kinda freaked Matt out, but he tried not to let it show.

“Hey, Steve,” he nodded in greeting and Matt’s brain stopped.

Steve Rogers. Okay. At least he knew 'his' full name, that should be helpful. Though an unpleasant suspicion had crept into his mind and he prayed he was wrong. Then again... did he? It wouldn’t be such a bad option, would it? All things considered…

“You okay?”

Matt observed his face, unsure if he was wearing an expression of concern. Matt wasn’t used to identify emotions on people’s faces. He had heartbeats. Laughing. Breathing. Little noises. Hell, sweating even. Now he had big fat nothing. He gulped.

“Uhm... no. I don't... I don't feel like myself,” he admitted and now it definitely was concern on his friend’s (?) face he was seeing, the man’s brows furrowing.

“What do you mean? Tell me. It could be the effect of the artefact you retrieved yesterday, you’re the only one who touched it without any barrier. How do you feel? Dizzy, or...?”

At that moment, Matt was pretty confident he had not been wrong with his suspicion.

Retreating artefacts. Possibly alien ones. Matt had no doubt now. Steve Rogers, build like a rock, living in a fancy skyscraper, retrieving artefacts. Possibly enhanced strength...

Oh yeah. He had woken up in Captain freakin' America's body.

Once the situation would be only a history – there had to be a way to reverse that strange Freaky Friday (thank you, Foggy) situation, right? – the story would never get old. Foggy would be so jealous, actually…

“Steve? Can you hear me?” a voice reached him and he quickly shook his head to get rid of the silly thoughts.

“Huh? Yeah, yeah. It feels like… like, uhm, like I am... in a wrong body.”

Does that even make sense?

No, it doesn’t, none of this makes sense. Welcome to reality.

“Oh? Uh-oh. Does it feel too big?” the man asked, slightly horrified.

Matt grimaced. Well. That was one way to put it, he guessed. “That too.”

“Huh. Do you remember being injected with the serum?”

“Uhm…” Matt hesitated. How the hell should he know?! Was this man talking about the experiment that made Steve Rogers a supersoldier or about something else? “...yes?”

“Oh boy. That's not very convincing. Do you know who I am?” the man asked slowly, and Matt thought he was being looked at like a science project now. He did not like that.

Science. Matt wasn’t very enchanted by the bunch of heroes that had saved them from an alien invasion since they had kinda failed to minimalize the damages – then again, those had been aliens, for God’s sake –, but he knew the basics. He had heard about the Hulk and he was ninety percent sure this man was him. But even if you tortured him at the moment, he would never be able to remember the big man’s civilian name.

“Uhm. I-“

“Oh Jesus, this is bad.”

He hesitantly raised his hand, placing in on Matt’s/Steve’s arm, slowly enough for Matt to retrieve if he wanted. Matt decided to test the waters, letting the touch happen. He was almost surprised it wasn’t as uncomfortable as he would expect. Then again, these two people were probably friends; apparently, he had adopted some of Steve Rogers’ manners and muscle memory.

��Come on. Let's run some tests.”

That did give Matt a pause, all of his alarms bells set off. No probing, please. “What kind of tests?”

“Oh, brain scans, blood tests and so on. I promise not to do anything you don't want me to. I swear I am a friend.”

Matt gulped despite himself. Well. Figures.

He still had no heartbeat to confirm that exclaim and reading faces not his forte. But ‘his’ body still wasn’t on alert, so he crossed his fingers mentally and took leap of faith, forcing himself to relax. It could hardly get worse, right?

“Okay.”

“Good. I call Tony too. It feels like we could use his help.”

Matt was sure his eyes went wide. Tony. Tony Stark?

The premise of meeting the man was as terrifying as it was… yeah, let’s stick with terrifying for the moment. Maybe annoyance will come next.

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The man threatening Steve to enter the apartment had not been kidding. He let himself in, his shoes shuffling against the floor (it sounded a bit as if someone scraped their nails on the chalkboard, the sound eased by a mild rustle of fabric and something soft – hair against shoulders?), perhaps as the man was looking around in a search of his friend.

Or partner?

It was hard to tell, but Steve had come to conclusion that this man did not pose any threat. In fact, he might think Steve was the dangerous one, because Steve was pretty sure there was no Matt in this apartment, while Steve himself – a stranger – was standing in the middle of it, seemingly invading someone’s home. Not that he had any clue how he had got there or lost his sight. Temporarily, he hoped.

He really, really hoped with his whole heart.

“Matt?” the man’s worried voice reached Steve’s ears – scratch that, his soul, vibrating through his bones, what the hell – quickly turning annoyed. “What the hell, man? You promised me to come earlier for Mr. Hanks’ case! I had to run the whole meeting alone!”

Steve blinked uselessly, but cherished the piece of information. Alright. Hold on a second. Why did this man think Steve was Matt? He had to, right? He didn’t freak out when seeing Steve, acting as if he was the person this man came for. What…?

This was not happening. He had not been in someone else’s body, right?! That would be insane!

Yeah, because nothing you lived through so far was, right? Like getting injected with a serum that earned you several pounds of muscles within seconds, fighting aliens, meeting the Hulk, a man in iron suit of armour, or surviving in the ice for seventy years… yeah, all totally normal.

Was switching bodies with someone a normal for him now?

Let’s say the theory was somehow, impossibly true. Who was he at the moment? Who was the newcomer?

Maybe a business partner? He spoke of a case? A medical one? (Blind medical practitioner…? That seemed a bit off, then again, Steve had been a 90 pounds of a man when joining the army, so he would not be the ableist one, alright.) But… maybe a lawyer then? That could work somehow, right? And he had talked about a meeting…

“The sign has written Nelson and Murdock on it, you know? Not just- ugh!”

Nelson and Murdock. Great. Now who was who? And how should he react? Was this a usual situation for these two? Was it a common occurrence, Matthew not showing up at work?

“I’m... uh-“

“No, don’t say it. You’ve been out, haven’t you? What time did you go to bed? Three a.m.? Later? No, don’t answer that either…” the man continued, exasperated, yet somehow caring. He started pacing – just like Steve’s mind. Out? Like… partying? “Please, at least tell me you don’t have your ribs broken or something…”

…what? Now Steve was perfectly at lost. What the hell was he supposed to say to that? Why would he have a broken rib? Though thinking about it, the pain he was feeling did resemble an aftermath of meeting someone’s fists. Steve would give his money on being mugged; but this friend assumed he might have been injured without Steve telling him he was in pain.

Why?

A ridiculous thought of a fight club flashed through his mind and he cursed Clint for introducing him to the movie classic.

Then again… why not? Steve had to admit that he was shocked by the reaction his body had when waking up in a strange bed. His body didn’t feel like his at all, but the grace he had steadied himself when rolling out of bed…

“Matt. Hey. You’re with me? Oh no, do you have a concussion?” the man sounded concerned now, taking several steps towards Steve, reaching out his hand.

They didn’t touch – and Steve wondered, how he could exactly tell that hand was close to him since he couldn’t see it. Not to mention that with the arrival of the man, the rest of the world quieted a bit, Steve’s senses focused on him. Strange. Not to mention Steve could hear a heartbeat, but among all of the crazy things it seemed like a detail, truly.

“I'm... I’m not sure,” he whispered, because he didn’t want to break the spell of sudden silence – or at least relative silence.

“Oh wow. That's great, Matt, really. Splendid.” Steve had a suspicion he had just messed up big time for the poor man in whose body he was now. “If you're admitting not knowing instead of denying it, there's something seriously wrong with you.”

“I'm sorry?” Steve offered reluctantly. “I'm sorry.”

“I'm starting to think ‘I’m sorry, Foggy,’ is my name, considering how often you use it. Put a shirt on. Come on, I'll call Karen to hold the fort. We're going to the hospital.”

“No!” Steve blurted out, alarmed. That did not sound like a good idea.

The other man’s heart – Foggy’s? – was pounding now.

“Murdock, I swear to god-“

Matthew Murdock. Good, now he at least knew ‘his’ name. And that meant that the other man was Foggy Nelson. Steve stored that information for later.

“No, no, I mean... we should go to...” Steve hesitated only for a moment. He didn’t have much of a choice, did he? He needed this man to help him. To help him to get help, because this whole situation was not okay. “…to the Avengers Tower.”

“Come again?”

For a split second, Steve wondered if he should come up with a reason believable for this man. He decided that no, that would not be a right thing to do. He should be telling the truth.

And when he was thinking about right things, he put figuring out what the whole broken ribs and concussion thing meant and how to prevent it from happening it again high on his priority list.

He cleared his throat, straightening himself. He probably still looked pathetic; it was like being small all over again. Helpless. And Steve hated it.

“Listen, I know this is gonna sound strange but... I'm not Matt.”

The other man’s heart literally stopped, scaring Steve to death.

“...just how bad the bad guys hit you?” the man asked, sounding as if someone was strangling him.

But the choked voice wasn’t the weirdest thing to be honest. The words were. The bad guys? If Steve didn’t know better, he would think this man was talking to him him now.

“Mr.-“ Steve stopped himself, realizing they apparently called each other their first name and it might feel weird, “Foggy, I know it sounds insane, but…” Screw it. There was no way to say this gently. He could even call him Mr. Nelson, dropping the charade he had been terrible at so far. “My name is Steve Rogers and-“

“Ouch! Low blow, Matty, you know he's my favourite Avenger!”

Steve’s knee-jerk reaction was a shot of delight to his veins, the spark immediately fading. He was not Tony, for God’s sake, to enjoy the genuine fan-out. He had bigger issues on hand.

“Really? Thank— no! I'm serious!”

Mr. Nelson sounded amused now, crossing his arms on his chest—and how did Steve know that again? He couldn’t see!

“Sure you are. Ten points to Gryffindor for originality, buddy. Now, get dressed. We're going to the hospital.”

Steve huffed, resisting the urge to throw his hands in the air in frustration. “Uhg. Okay.”

Maybe he could convince Mr. Nelson later. Mission number one: get dressed. Yeah. That might be a problem. He barely navigated through the room. He didn’t think he could do as much as put a shirt on. He swallowed awkwardly loudly.

“Get dressed... right. Could you maybe... please, help me?”

Steve would swear he could hear Mr. Nelson’s eyebrow rose and he felt a blush creeping up his neck.

“Oh my god... this is just like college… huh, thinking about it, maybe you're just on a bender...” Mr. Nelson mumbled to himself, but for Steve’s ears, it was as if he spoke full volume.

He couldn’t help but smile at the new piece of information though; apparently, these two were good friends, going a while back. Steve got lucky that Mr. Nelson had showed up. Maybe he could start resolving the injuries issue earlier than he had originally thought.

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Part 3

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Tags: @mermaidxatxheart

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The GIF is not mine, obviously, but it was too good an opportunity to pass up ;)

#fanfiction #marvel #mcu #avengers #captain america #daredevil #steve rogers #matt murdock #bodyswap #foggy nelson #bruce banner #steve rogers fanfiction #matt murdock fanfiction #think again when you stop freaking out #anika ann

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eldritchsurveys · 4 years

Text

653.

Do you struggle to articulate your thoughts and feelings? >> I do. Outworld, anyway.

Have you ever watched a Sons of Anarchy? >> No.

Do you want to see The Woman In Black? >> I never got around to watching it, it never piqued my interest enough.

Has a random guy ever asked you for your phone number? >> Yes. I’m so glad those days are over.

Has a guy ever pulled over to ask for your number or call you hot? >> Probably.

How attracted are you to the last person that kissed you? >> There is no way in which I am not attracted to Can Calah.

Name something that you are doing tonight. >> Fucking around online.

Are you a jealous person? >> Not in the slightest.

Do you like February? >> I mean, there’s really nothing much to like, per se? It’s not a very interesting month.

Where have you lived throughout your life? >> Quite a few places.

Have you ever known a white supremacist? >> Sure, online. Maybe in meatspace too, if they were covert.

What were you doing an hour ago? >> I was either watching Hannibal or reading my emails.

In regards to who do you think 'what if?'? >> ???

Do you like the smell of a barbecue? >> Sure do.

Do you get excited when you find Sanrio products at Wal-Mart? >> I don’t recall ever having a distinct experience of finding Sanrio products at Walmart. But I don’t imagine it’d surprise me or anything, considering Hello Kitty is a widely distributed brand...

Are you 420 friendly? >> Yes. I can’t really partake because of personal issues, but I support its usage for those who enjoy it.

Do you own a Champion's sport bra? >> No.

Do you watch Justified? >> No.

How many cups of tea of coffee do you have in a day? >> Zero, most of the time. I might have a cup of tea or two if I can manage to get my executive function on board. I love tea but making it is a different story...

Do you own a varsity jacket? >> No.

Dolce Vita or Jeffrey Campbell? >> What?

Ryan Gosling or Channing Tatum? >> Ryan Gosling, only because of like. Drive.

Has anyone ever called you apathetic or unemotional? >> Certainly.

Would you rather someone you loved passionately hate you or be indifferent to you? >> I can’t imagine feeling that intensely for someone who doesn’t have any positive feelings towards me whatsoever. It just doesn’t add up for me personally.

Have you read Wuthering Heights or Jane Eyre? >> No.

I bet you miss somebody right now? >> Well, you lost that bet.

What are you planning on doing after this? >> Probably check out what’s going on on my dashboard for a bit.

How much money do you spend in a month on clothes or accessories? >> Usually none. I haven’t bought any new wearables since October.

What was the last clothing item you wore that doesn't belong to you? >> Probably some t-shirt of Sparrow’s. We have similar tastes in t-shirts and wear the same size.

Do you watch Jersey Shore? >> No.

Do you have a thing with someone? >> What...

Do you have any bruises on either of your legs? >> No.

Who was the last person to touch your stomach? >> The last person outworld to touch my stomach would have probably been a doctor or something.

Something tragic just happened. Does your facial expression show it? >> I mean, I guess it depends... the flatness of my affect is an ever-changing element.

Who is the cleverest (crafty) person you know? >> *shrug*

Do you think people who know a lot of facts are really smart? >> I think they’re people who have a great ability in retaining information. Which one could argue is a factor in intelligence, I’d imagine.

Do you ever feel like strangers look mad at you? >> Er, sometimes, I guess.

Do you own anything with your state or providence's name on it? >> No.

How often do you hold back from saying what you are thinking? >> Quite often, because people don’t really need or necessarily want to know what I’m thinking all the time?

Do you like the Paranormal Activity movies? >> Never seen them.

How do you like your oatmeal? >> Thick and still chewy, with milk and clarified butter and maple syrup and cinnamon.

Do you have siblings under the age of 12? >> No.

Are you going to any concerts this summer? >> I don’t know what I’m doing this summer, it’s months away.

What do you watch on TV on a Monday? >> So, I don’t watch regular television. Tuesday? Wednesday? Thursday? Friday? Saturday? Sunday?

Is there anything you want that you can't have? >> Sure, like a well-functioning brain.

Does it make you feel better when an ex starts dating someone unattractive? >> ---

How many brick and mortar schools have you attended? >> Like, 12.

How do you feel about opiates? >> I don’t have any feelings about them.

Do you like True Blood? >> God, I loved that show so much. I might rewatch it just because it’s utterly ridiculous and stupid and fun. Also because Lafayette is in it and I have rarely loved a character more than him.

What's your newest perfume? >> ---

What's your favorite perfume? >> I use a roll-on oil that you can buy, like, on the streets in big urban areas. Which makes it hard to get for me. There’s also one of those hippie stores in the mall that sells a roll-on that’s close enough, I guess. But nothing beats the street-vendor version.

Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint, or Tom Felton? >> No.

Are you a Hunger Games fan? >> I did like the books.

What's your favorite way to eat peanut butter? >> On toast.

What is the last thing you stole? >> I don’t remember the last time I stole something. I finally quit like 5 years ago or so.

Urban Outfitters or Forever21? >> No.

American Eagle or Macy's? >> Mm.

PacSun or Zumiez? >> Nah.

Can you play any musical instruments? >> Nope.

Do you think Selena Gomez is cute? >> I have no opinion on Selena Gomez.

Do you fall in infatuation easily? >> I don’t fall in infatuation at all.

Who has initiated most of your first kisses? >> ---

Do you have Netflix? >> Yes. Honestly, I’m beginning to hate Netflix, but I keep it for the household (and for our friend that also uses my account).

Do you have a good memory? >> Yeah, it’s fine.

What did you wear to bed last-night? >> Same shit I’m wearing right now.

What gives you anxiety? >> Oh, you know. Stuff.

What's the last movie that really scared you? >> I can’t think of any movie I felt that way about.

How did you get the shirt you're wearing? >> I bought it. Probably at Hot Topic.

Why do some guys take shirtless mirror pictures when they don't have abs? >> Because they fucking want to lmao god

Do you think lines are as good as abs? >> What. Also fuck abs.

Do you like bows? >> I like bowties...

Have you ever made a 'haul' YouTube video? >> No.

Have you ever been to Indiana? >> I’ve rode through it on the way to Chicago.

Do you straighten your hair almost every day? >> No.

What kind of a guy do you imagine when you hear the name 'Tim'? >> I don’t imagine any kind of person.

What brand is starting to invade your closet? >> None.

Have you ever seen those Flapjack cartoons? >> No.

Has a boyfriend ever made you breakfast? >> Sure. Raven did that a lot. He was a good lad.

Do you think all porn stars are whores? >> No. In fact, I don’t think any porn stars are whores, because I think whore is a derogatory term and I have no business calling people that when they’re just trying to make a living doing something they (presumably) enjoy. Just like everyone else.

Would you date an 18 year old at the age you are now? >> No. I also wouldn’t date, period, but. Definitely not a teenager.

Do you like cinnamon bacon? >> I’ve never had it, but it sounds like it might be good.

Do you like Epic Meal Time? >> I’ve never watched it.

Have you ever starved yourself? >> No. I never had the willpower. Which is a good thing, I’d imagine.

What do you gather your change in? >> I don’t get enough change to need a place to put it.

Do you like to play Angry Birds? >> I tried it back when it was popular, but it didn’t stick.

Are you more likely to show affection through your words or your actions? >> Actions.

Would you agree that all love is conditional? >> I mean, it is for me. I can’t say that it is for everyone else because I’m not everyone else and people experience love in all sorts of ways.

Do you listen to Darwin Deez or Birdy? >> No.

Do you think Mac Miller is overrated? >> I don’t even know anything about Mac Miller. Except that he’s dead? I think? Might be confusing him with someone else for all I know.

Do you know who Mac Lethal is? >> No.

Do you like Cheez-Its? >> No.

What color is your so's car? >> Sparrow’s car is silver.

Do you believe in God? >> God just doesn’t really factor into my life most of the time.

#surveys #survey #random survey

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benedictshurley · 5 years

Text

Positive : Part 12

Wow it’s been a hot minute. I think the writer’s block is finally gone but don’t quote me on it! It’s shorter but I think you’ll enjoy it all the same! Enjoy! P.S don’t hate me for the ending thank you!

Summary: It’s Minncon and everybody is still abuzz about the album party

Pairing: Rob Benedict x Reader

Word Count: 1,940

Warnings: angst, fighting, matt benedict is a sweetheart, privacy invasion, ultimatums, stephen’s no longer a teddy bear

Disclaimer: this is pure FICTION. I mean no harm or hurt to the Benedict family, or others involved. Marnie is Rob’s fictional wife from Kings of Con. I originally used Mollie (his real wife) but ultimately decided to change it as it made me uncomfortable writing about her and his kids.

If you knew this is where you’d be after finding out you were pregnant, you would’ve hidden in a cave until you gave birth. Fans sending hate after hate. For breaking up Rob’s marriage, for lying, people thinking you cheated on Stephen. The album party video went viral throughout the fandom. Yet here you were, at the convention in Minneapolis, ready to be bombarded with rude questions. Even though for the first time in your convention life, you decided to field your questions, making sure they were appropriate and semi-respectful, but you knew deep down there’d be a few who slipped through the cracks.

Ever since that night, you haven’t seen or talked to Rob. You only texted him back once. To tell him you didn’t love him back. Which deep down, you knew was the biggest lie you’ve ever told. You did love him, but you didn’t want to break Stephen’s heart. Yet, any feelings for Stephen were beginning to diminish. Ever since he found out about Rob being the father, he’s been controlling, if Rob even looked at you wrong this weekend, you were sure he would beat him up on the spot. Plus, knowing that Rob had feelings for you too, made being with someone else extremely difficult.

Entering the hotel, you checked in and got in the elevator. So far, so good, all you needed to do was make it to your room and- you rammed face first into someone’s chest.

“Oh god i’m so sorry, I was lost in my own thoughts and-” Once you looked up at who it was, your mouth went dry. “Rob.”

“Y/N” He breathed out, almost relieved to see you. “We really need to talk. About everything.”

You wanted to, god did you want to, but your brain was giving you flashing red signs. “Rob I don’t-”

You were cut off by Stephen exiting the other elevator. Right, you had texted him that you were here. Wrapping his arm around your torso, Stephen presses a kiss to your temple. “Hey babe. Missed you.”

Rob let out a heavy sigh. “Steve, Y/N and I need to talk. Considering a majority of it involves our child.” He made sure to enunciate the “our”, making it clear to Stephen that he wasn’t the father, and he never would be.

“Well, Y/N hasn’t expressed any interest in seeing you, and I don’t believe that changed. So we will be going to our room.” Stephen smirked triumphantly, grabbing your arm and pulling you towards your room.

Rob scoffed, but got in the elevator anyway, instead of going after you, like an idiot.

“Stephen, slow down!” You whispered, not to disturb the other hotel guests, as you always flew in late friday. “Stephen! You’re hurting my arm!” You shoved him off of you.

Stephen turned to look at you. “I’m sorry, I was just trying to get you out of there. I didn’t think you’d wanna talk to him.”

Opening your hotel room door, you groaned out in frustration. “Maybe if you let me get a word in, instead of making my decisions for me, you would know I could’ve handled it myself!”

Stephen stood speechless, you’d never yelled at him like that.

“I’ll be sleeping alone tonight. Goodnight Stephen.” You spat, slamming the door in his face, not waiting for a reply.

Saturday

As expected, all anyone wanted to talk about with you was the party and the fact that you and Rob had sex. Instead of being offended during your ops and autos, you plastered on a smile and said with enthusiasm “That’s why you use protection every single time!”.

Each one of them left with a little bit of a scowl on their face, but that’s what they get for being assholes. You were nearly 23 weeks pregnant, and extremely hormonal. Don’t mess with the mama bear.

SNS came quicker than expected because before you knew it, you were backstage while the band performed on stage. There was awkward tension though, because Rob’s brother, Matt was sitting right next to you. You had no idea what even to say. “Hey sorry I ruined your brother’s marriage?” You didn’t have much time to think it over before he tapped your shoulder.

“Hey. I’m Matt, but i’m sure you knew that already.” He gave you a grin, eerily similar to his brothers.

“Y/N, but i’m sure you’ve heard all about me. Homewrecker.” You sarcastically threw up jazz hands. “Listen, I just want to apologize to you and your family for ruining rob’s marriage-”

“I’m going to stop you right there. You did us all a favor. Marnie was always sweet to Rob, but she never liked sharing his attention. Even when they had Tyler, it was all about her. We all knew it was going to crack, we just didn’t know when. I’m surprised it lasted as long as it did to be completely honest.”

You were shocked. So she was always a bitch, Rob just never saw it. “Well, then I guess you’re welcome? I’m glad I could be of assistance.”

Matt chuckled, and eyed your stomach. “You know he’s excited right? He can’t wait for her. He sends our whole family ultrasounds now that it's out in the open. Couldn’t be happier honestly. The smile that he gets while talking about your daughter is the biggest one I've seen. Almost as big as the one he gets while talking about you.”

That revelation made your face heat up. Rob talks about you, to his family? “H-he talks about me? A lot?”

Matt nodded, his eyes occasionally darting back to the screen to watch his brother perform. “All the time. Sometimes it’s hard for him to shut up. I haven’t seen that much love in his eyes in a long time. Shame you don’t feel the same way.” And with that, the band came off the stage for a moment before the encore, Matt leaving to talk with his brother for a minute.

“Yeah, except I do.” You muttered to no one in particular, your voice being drowned out by the crowd screaming for the band. Stephen came over for a quick good luck kiss, which you barely reciprocated, before he got in line to go back out. Locking eyes with Rob, you felt your heart begin to beat faster as his blue eyes seemed to stare into yours perfectly. Only when billy hit Rob on the back of the head, did the eye contact break.

Deciding you’d had enough today, you sneaked away and got in an uber early, heading back to the hotel. Once you got in your room, you quickly changed into pajamas and crawled into bed, ignoring the numerous texts you got 20 minutes later from Stephen on your whereabouts. And for the second night in a row, you went to bed alone.

Sunday

Sunday went off without a hitch, but Matt’s words kept ringing in your mind. He wasn’t drunk when he texted you, and he meant it. But then there was Stephen. Your boyfriend.

Once Sunday had wrapped, Stephen had come to your room with some flowers, to apologize, which made you happy, but it was like getting flowers from your mom when you’re single on valentine’s day.

“I’m sorry I tugged on your arm too hard, and I’m sorry I didn’t let you handle yourself with Rob.” Stephen smiled sheepishly, waving the flowers around before putting them on the bed.

“That’s really sweet. Thank you.” You gave him a soft smile, but when he went in for the kiss, you turned so he got your cheek instead. He looked hurt. “Sorry. Haven’t brushed my teeth yet.” You made up that excuse, when in reality, you didn’t want to kiss him.

He took it though, shrugging his shoulders. “Rob wouldn’t shut up about you today. Kind of annoying.”

“Stephen i’m pregnant with his child, it’s gonna happen. I wish you two could go back to how things were. I don’t want to ruin a 20 year friendship.”

Stephen rolled his eyes. “I see the way he looks at you. And I saw the text.”

You felt anger begin to bubble up under your skin. “You went through my phone?! That’s private Stephen!”

“I’m your boyfriend. I think I’m allowed to look on your phone.”

“For google or something! Not going through my messages like a jerk!” You spat, crossing your arms.

“It’s not like you had anything to hide! He confessed his feelings and you turned him down! Simple!” Stephen yelled in return.

“That’s not the point! You invaded my privacy!”

“It’s starting to seem like you want to fight with me just to fight! What’s gotten into you?!” Stephen questioned, rage becoming apparent in his own features.

“You’re being a dick! You’ve changed since you found out that Rob’s the father. You’re controlling and borderline possessive!” You shouted back.

“I’m just trying to protect you and our relationship from him!”

“Why?!”

“Because I see the way you look at him! It’s the same way I look at you! I saw the little eye contact last night and I know that’s why you ran away! I’m trying not to lose you and I feel like the only way that's going to happen is if he’s out of your life!” Stephen yelled, his voice cracking a little bit.

“What are you saying?” You asked, a bit worried about the answer.

Stephen sighed and looked you in the eye. “I want Rob out of your life. Cons, i’ll manage its your job, but personal life, he’s out.”

You almost laughed. “Stephen, that’s not going to happen. He’s the father of my child, and i’m not keeping him away from her.”

Stephen’s nostrils flared. “It’s either him or me. You need to choose because i’m done being strung along in your little game. And I know that if he stays, you’ll never fully love me.”

Your mouth was agape. He expected you to choose between him and Rob. He was making you choose.

“Him or Me, Y/N” Stephen spoke again, his voice harsh.

“I-”

Rob’s POV

Rob was laying in his bed, flicking through TV channels. This weekend hadn’t gone like he had hoped. He thought he’d be able to talk to you, try to make up for what Marnie did, but Stephen was everywhere. The second he’d try to talk to you, Stephen would be there, taking you away.

A knock on his door shook him from his thoughts. Who would be here this late?

Opening the door, Rob was shocked to come face to face with you. “Y/N. It’s late, what are you doing here?”

You pushed past him to enter the room and you turned to face him. “I lied.”

All color drained from Rob’s face. What did you lie about? Was Stephen actually the baby’s father? Had Marnie been right this whole time?

“A-about what?” Rob stuttered, shutting the hotel room door.

You took a deep breath and looked him in the eyes. “When you texted me that night, telling me you loved me and I told you I didn’t feel the same. I lied.”

Rob’s face had shock written all over it. “Does that mean-”

“Yes Rob. I am completely and utterly in love with you. I’ve been trying to hide it but I can’t anymore. And I just hope that deep down, you still love me too.” Your voice matched your face. Hopeful. “Please say you still love me and I’m not too late.”

Rob was still silent. It took him a moment before he opened his mouth. “I.”

Positive Taglist : @natasha-cole @itsfunnierin-enochian @kocswain @missihart23 @wontlookaway @shanghai88 @rblstrash @burningrupture @sherlockedtash88 @bloodstained-porcelain-doll @tas898 @lullabylike @lexiemiller97

#rob benedict #rob benedict x reader #rob benedict fanfiction #rob benedict smut #rob benedict rpf #richard speight jr #Matt Cohen #Mandy Musgrave #Stephen Norton #billy moran #Mike Borja #supernatural fanfiction #Supernatural RPF #spn rpf #rpf #fanfiction #positive #collinscosmicentity

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no-champagne-socialist · 5 years

Text

Facade (Bucky Barnes x reader)

Prompt: “That’s the nice thing about telling the truth. You don’t have nearly as much to keep track of.” Word Count: 2378 words Warnings: Angst, sad and betrayed Bucky, probably cursing. A/N: I don't have much to say, other than this sort of spilled out of me when I read the prompt. It didn’t exactly turn out the way I thought it would, but here it is! I hope you all enjoy. My permanent taglist is still open for anyone interested.

This is my entry for @delicatelyherdreams’s (Elle’s) 1K Writing Challenge! Congratulations on the milestone!

The only thing that pulled her away from attacking the punching back in front of her, was a bead of salty sweat dripping into her eye. She hissed at the sting, bringing up her hand to press her palm into her eye socket in an attempt alleviate some of the pain. The gym had been empty all morning. The majority of her coworkers had left the night before, following a lead on an organization called Hydra that they had been tracking for quite some time. Their captain had insisted that only she and a couple of other stay behind. She had done nothing to hide her frustration at being left behind, and had confined herself to her bedroom and the gym since the group had left.

Y/N hated it when Captain Rogers ordered her around. Having to report to someone had been the reason that she had been hesitant to join the Avengers in the first place. She and authority figures never tended to get along, so she and Captain Rogers often butted heads. However, Y/N and Steve were quite good friends.

Outside of when they were planning mission tactics or out on the field itself, Steve and the newest recruit spent a bit of time together. They would wake up, usually before the sun had risen, and go for runs together. Usually with Y/N complaining the whole time that Steve’s pace was too quick for her.

Y/N reached for the towel that she had slung over a bench, using it to remove the layer of sweat from her forehead and cheeks. She took the opportunity to take a long drink from her water bottle, pausing in her action when she saw the tiny Sokovian woman watching her warily from the door of the gym.

“Morning, Wanda,” she greeted with a smile. The Scarlet Witch always made her uncomfortable. The younger girl was so trusting and naive that Y/N felt like it had to be an act - no one could be in their line of work and be so innocent.

“Good morning, Y/N.” Wanda returned her smile. “I was going to make some breakfast for us, and I realized I didn’t know if you liked pancakes. Or if you liked anything in them.”

“I do like pancakes.” Y/N picked up her gym bag, adjusting the strap on her shoulder. “I’ll take a quick shower and help you. I found a new recipe I wanted to try out.” Wanda nodded her agreement, and skipped down the hall in the direction of the communal kitchen, while Y/N headed into the showers off the gym.

Y/N always found showers the perfect place to think. She often got so caught up in her own brain that it would take someone knocking on the door to pull her from her thoughts. Today, however, the promise of pancakes had her rushing through her shower.

Wanda had laid out any necessary ingredients by the time Y/N entered the kitchen, Flour and baking powder and eggs along with chocolate chips - semi-sweet and milk chocolate, blueberries and strawberries, powdered sugar, and whipped cream. The girls giggled over mixing and shared stories as they poured the batter into pans. They were sitting at the table about to eat, when Bucky Barnes strode into the kitchen.

Bucky Barnes made her heart flutter in ways she hadn’t realized were possible. Even now, as he stood above her, his strong hands on her shoulders, she felt breathless. He kissed the top of her head and stole her fork from her hands, spearing a portion of the pancake that she had been eating. His voice was muffled when he commented, “I didn’t know you liked blueberries.”

Y/N rolled her eyes as he returned her fork to her. “You don’t know a lot of things about me, Barnes.”

He hummed in response, his metal hand moving to rest on the base of her neck, the mechanical thumb rubbing small circles onto her bare skin. “I guess so.” He removed his hand from her when Steve called his name from outside kitchen. The dark haired man sighed, leaning down to murmur in Y/N’s ear. “I’m gonna shower and go to this briefing, but meet me in my room in an hour?” She simply nodded her agreement, smiling softly when Bucky pressed his lips to her temple and left the room.

Y/N looked across the table to see Wanda smiling at her knowingly. “He’s completely smitten with you, you know that right?” Y/N glanced down at her now half eaten pancake, a blush evident on her cheeks.

“The feeling is mutual,” she whispered, the bright grin on Wanda’s face evidence that she had heard Y/N’s low words.

Bucky’s apartment was on the opposite side of the tower from Y/N’s room, but nestled comfortably next to Steve’s. It hadn’t quite been an hour when Y/N let herself into Bucky’s place, after allowing FRIDAY to scan her thumbprint.

She always hated being away from Bucky. Though their relationship was new, she quickly had become attached to the former Winter Soldier. She told him that she saw the same darkness in him that she saw in herself. But Y/N didn’t believe Bucky really understood what she meant when she said that.

Y/N had just poured the first pancake onto a pan from the batter that she and Wanda had made earlier, when Bucky opened his door and walked into the kitchen. She glanced over her shoulder, smiling softly at him. “Hey Buck, how did everything go?” She turned back to the stove, turning the heat up slightly and reaching up to grab a plate, when she realized that Bucky hadn’t moved to greet her.

She turned around, her hands still holding the white plate, and her eyebrows immediately pulled together when she saw the blank look on Bucky’s face. “Bucky? What’s going on?”

She watched as his Adam’s apple bobbed in his throat and his chest rise in a deep exhale. Bucky’s blue eyes were dull, his mouth settled into a frown. An uncomfortable silence settled between them before he spoke, his voice low and rough.

“What would you do, if you were me?” Y/N was about to ask what the hell he was talking about when Bucky took a step toward her. Y/N had never felt unsafe around Bucky before, despite his broad form and history, but there was something about the way he took that careful step forward that made her a small step back. “What would you do? Because I really am at a loss here.” He rested his palms on the small island that separated them and Y/N found herself wondering if he was showing her his hands to appear less intimidating.

“I told Steve I’d handle this. But I have no idea what I’m supposed to do.”

“Buc-”

“Where are you from?” He interrupted, his eyes narrow. “Where is your family from?”

“Florida.”

“Florida,” Bucky repeated, nodding slowly. “Okay, where is it you went to university again?”

“Florida State.”

“And what did you study?”

“Bucky, what the hell is this?” She was frustrated now. She placed the empty plate on the island, in front of Bucky’s hands. “You know the answers to all these questions.”

“What did you study, Y/N?”

“History. I studied History.”

“Who was your favourite professor? What was your favourite course?”

Y/N shook her head in annoyance. “Dr. O’Day. Classic History 4437. It was a course about Greek history and myth.”

Bucky nodded, his eyes trained on her. He was looking for something. She was unsure of what exactly it was, but of this she was sure - Bucky Barnes was interrogating her.

“When were you recruited by Director Fury?”

“Last August. Are you going to tell me-”

“How old were you when you had your first kiss?”

“Fourteen.”

“Who was it with?”

“Matt Bartlett. He lived next door.”

“What was your favourite vacation you’ve ever taken?”

“A trip with my girlfriends to Greece.”

“Who went with you?”

“No one you know.”

Bucky gritted his teeth. “Who went with you?”

“Jesus, Bucky. I think I’ve taken this sudden questioning quite well, considering the way you came in here. But that is enough. What the hell is this about?”

He stood up, placing his hands by his sides and walking around the island. He stopped when Y/N was only a breath away from him.

She moved away from Bucky, suddenly feeling like he was invading her space. She had only taken a single step back when her back hit the counter. “I don’t understand what’s happening.”

“Don’t you?” Bucky grinned at her, but it was tight and angry. “C’mon, Y/N. I think you do.” He walked over to the stove, turning off the burner and moving the frying pan. When he turned back to her, he looked defeated. “How about you tell me the truth this time? How about we make a pact not to lie to each other anymore? That’ll make everything so much easier.”

“I don’t under-”

“Or not, I guess.” Bucky cleared his throat and straightened his spine. The look in his eyes was familiar, but Y/N was not able to put a name on it. “I saw the proof, Y/N. I saw it. But I still didn’t really believe it. Not until now.”

He moved closer to her again, placing his flesh hand on her hip and resting his metal hand under her chin, cupping her jaw. He pressed his lips to hers in a quick kiss, and he sighed, resting his forehead on hers. “The thing about liars is,” he whispered, his warm breath hitting her face, “is that they tend to lie so much that they get so tangled in the webs they weave, that they can’t remember so much of what they said.”

His blue eyes flicked between hers when he said, “You told me on our first date that you didn’t like berries, I know it sounds ridiculous, but that was how I knew Steve was telling the truth. We went for ice cream after dinner,” he recounted, “you brought me to that place that made their own ice cream. And you spent five minutes ranting about how berries didn’t belong in anything, let alone ice cream.” When Y/N didn’t speak, Bucky continued, “you also told me that your favourite vacation was to Italy. Not Greece. Maybe another person would think that’s just being nitpicky. Everyone misspeaks sometimes.” His eyes narrowed slightly, and his metal hand slipped down her neck so that his thumb sat on the base of her throat. “But when you suspect your girlfriend is a Hydra spy, well, then that’s a bit of a red flag.”

“What the-”

“Don’t,” Bucky warned, his voice falling dangerously low and his grip on her throat tightening enough to remind her who had the upper hand. “Don’t lie to me, Y/N. I think you’ve done enough of that.”

Bucky tightened his hand around her throat again, this time squeezing enough to restrict her airflow for a moment. Y/N realized quickly that there was only one way this was going to play out.

“Fine,” she managed to gasp out. Bucky immediately loosened his grip, but kept his hand firmly on her airpipe. “You should know by now, Barnes, that Hydra won’t stop until it has it’s best weapon back.”

“So, what, exactly, they had you spying on me? Checking in every few weeks, letting them know what their experiment was up to?” Bucky’s face was getting flushed and the anger in his eyes unnerved Y/N. “Goddamn it, I trusted you. I told you so much and you turned around and told them!”

Y/N narrow her eyes. “You were so easy to manipulate, Barnes. I want you to know that. It was so easy, it was almost boring.” She immediately felt a sharp pressure at her abdomen, and glancing down, she realized Bucky had pulled a knife on her. She hadn’t even noticed him take it out. The months she spent at the Avengers compound had really caused her to get a little lax on her skills.

A sharp knock on the door pulled their attention away from each other and the door opened quickly after. Steve Rogers stood in the doorway, dressed in his tactical gear, shield in hand. He was ready to take her down if needed.

“Bucky,” he said cautiously, taking a step into the room, his entire body on high alert. “You good?”

The brunette turned his attention back to the woman he had pressed against the kitchen appliance. “Yeah, we’re all good here. We’re just having a little chat, aren’t we, Y/N?” He paused for a moment, a smirk crossing his features. “That still is your name, right?”

Rather than speaking, Y/N simply nodded.

“And where are you actually from?”

“Canada,” she murmured.

“That’s the nice thing about telling the truth.” Bucky’s voice was soft and filled with a quiet anger. “You don’t have nearly as much to keep track of.”

“You know, soldat, it’s a little difficult to have a conversation with your grip so tight on my neck,” she managed to spit out. Her words only seemed to make him even more angry and he used his grip on her throat to push her into the fridge.

“You don’t get to call me that,” he growled.

“Bucky,” Steve warned, his voice sharp. Over Bucky’s broad shoulder, Y/N watched as a group of men, dressed head to toe in black kevlar, each of them holding guns. “Bring her here, Buck. We gotta take her.”

Keeping his metal hand around her throat and his knife pressed into her side, Bucky led her to where his best friend was standing. Steve wrapped his large hand around her bicep, eyeing Bucky as he finally dropped his knife.

“Barnes,” Y/N said, turning to look at the soldier over her shoulder as Steve passed her to two of the agents. This time she didn’t bother to plaster a smile or a scowl on her face. Instead she just looked sad. “My first kiss really was with Matt Bartlett.”

Permanent Tags: @pineapplebooboo

Marvel Tags: @asguardiansoftheavengers @spidey-d00d

#bucky #bucky x reader #bucky barnes #Bucky Barnes x reader #Sebastian stan #marvel #marvel fic #bucky angst #Bucky Barnes angst #elles1kwritingchallenge #writing challenge #prompt writing

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apotatomashedbybts · 5 years

Text

I'll Be Your Knight

[GENRE: fluff, slight angst

Pairing: Jimin×reader, Taegi

Soulmate!Taehyung , BestFriend!Yoongi

Word Count: 3.5k+]

[Summary: When Y/n met Jimin she knew that it was a love at first sight. But she didn't expect the consequences that came with loving him. After their unwilling separation will Y/n be able to do what it takes to get him back?

A story of love, loss, fight, dreams, and friendship...]

Chapter XI : The Longed Reunion

Jimin's memory was quite sharp as he seemed to remember Jinnie when I only mentioned him and his café occasionally or may be I did mention him a lot subconsciously. Either way he remembered everything I told him about Jinnie. I got to know that during tonight's video call with him. I was going to go back to UK next week and I still didn't figure out how was I going to face Jimin. I wondered whether he was ready to face me or not. Or maybe he was planning to hide from me. I didn't know, more precisely I didn't want to know. I just wanted to face him bang on and confront him for everything. Thinking about all these made me sigh draining the air out of my lungs. When I was busy thinking about all these things I received a message from Jinnie who wanted to have an urgent video call.

Jinnie: Hey! Were you sleeping?

Me: Was going to. What's up? Aren't you busy?

Jinnie: I just got a break since it's afternoon.

Me: It seems weird that you need to actually ask your staffs to give you a break when it's your own café! Ha ha ha!

Jinnie: Hey don't laugh! You know how it is.

Me: Of course I know how much you care! So what is it that you were so eager to talk about?

Jinnie: Umm.. Jimin was asking about you.

Me: WHAT? How did he know that it's your café? He didn't even see you there for once!

Jinnie: Well, it seems like he remembers what you told him about me! Today he came looking for me and asked my staff if I was here. My staff replied that they didn't know anyone named Seokjin here as I taught them earlier in case of emergencies since I didn't want my cover to blow up! But he was persistent, so I kinda gave up and came out. We talked for awhile and he asked me about you. He seemed genuinely worried and sorry. I told him that you were fine. Thank me later for not mentioning to him about your wrecked state a month ago. But yeah that's it. And don't worry, I didn't tell him about our investigation!

Me: .....

Jinnie: Stop worrying. Everything will be alright! Just come back quick! I miss you!

Me: Jinnie, I don't know how to thank you... I'll be leaving next Friday night. I just hope nothing more happens. That's enough adventure already.

Jinnie: I hope so too! I can't wait to eat loads on your marriage!

Me: Shut up!

Jinnie: Okay okay! Good night.. have some beauty sleep! You look awful!

Me: Yeah. Bye! Let's talk later...

[Pause]

Jinnie?

Jinnie: Yeah?

Me: I miss you too.

Jinnie: [Smile] Yeah I know.. now go to sleep! I am disconnecting the call.

...

"So, is this where we depart?" Tae sighed dramatically, keeping his right hand on his eyes and pretending to cry.

"Yeah! I guess so. Tae, these past days were so beautiful with you... I can't even imagine how am I gonna live without you shouting near my ear. I hope I never meet you again!" I started with a sad face and ended the with a loud laugh, gaining a smack from Tae.

Yoongs sighed smilingly at our dramatic self and shaking his head pulled me into a hug and whispered, "I am gonna miss you so much! Just finish that stupid study and come back quickly to us!"

"Are you crying?" I looked up at Yoongs mockingly and wiped away his dry cheeks.

"Aish!" He left a hollow chuckle and said, "Like I would really cry for you! Right Tae?" After saying this he looked at Tae, which made me turn my head at him too. But we couldn't see him and our eyes automatically went to the floor only to see him crouching there folding himself into a ball and sobbing quietly. We almost immediately crouched down near him and made him stand up, he was still sobbing. Being the stronger one I had hold myself until now but seeing him like that I broke down too. We hugged each other and cried like two five year olds who would never see each other again. After a minute Yoongs joined us too and we could feel that people were staring at us while passing by but we didn't care, it was our emotion that had nothing to do with those people. I still had time in my hand before boarding, knowing our departing nature we had arrived here almost two hours prior only to avoid missing my flight like last time. And before we knew, Tae and I found ourselves sitting on the waiting chairs rubbing our running noses and hiccuping, like I said earlier, like some five year olds who had just been scolded by their parents, whereas Yoongs went to buy us something to eat, taking up the role of our parent as he always did. I did miss Hobi and felt sorry that he couldn't come to see me off because it was Friday and he also said that he was really bad with good byes.

Within a blink of my eyes, I found myself waving at them as a goodbye and turned around to hide the tears that were rolling down my cheeks. Deep down I knew that they too were in the same state I was in. I held my terrible urge to look back at them because I knew that if I did that I would end up being in their arms.

I rubbed my sleepy eyes after coming out of the airport, only to see Jinnie waiting there for me with a warm smile on his face. A smile made its way to my mouth as soon as I saw him and though I was still missing Tae and Yoongs I knew that I won't be left alone here. Entering Jinnie's car I lied down at the back seat because I was in terrible need of a good sleep. Jinnie, paying a small glance, just smiled widely at my layed down figure and started driving. I was glad that he came to pick me up - the taxi drivers here were quite rash unlike Jinnie, who was a good and gentle driver.

"Y/n/n! Wake up! We are here!" I heard a distant voice calling me in my dream and then a sudden jerk pulled me out of that, only to tell me that it wasn't a dream, it's Jinnie who was trying to wake me up. I sat up with a whine which more precisely sounded like a groan. I looked at Jinnie adjusting my eyes to the sunlight that was invading my eyes and noticed that we were in front of his café, which made me realise that I was hungry and as if my brain just registered the feeling, my stomach made a loud growling sound. I looked at Jinnie sheepishly and he started to laugh loudly at my state which only made me to land a series of smacks on his back.

Entering the café I inhaled deeply. I missed the smell of freshly baked croissants that is made here and only Jinnie's café provided with almost ten types of croissants fillings that were totally worth dying for! As I was busy doing my 'nose' job, Jinnie came and pushed me through the glass door behind the counter which led to his chamber or office, which was more like a small apartment where there were all the necessities that he needed as he spent most of his time here in the café, and making me sit down at his small dining table, went out to bring me some food.

He brought some of his croissants and making me settle down with those went to make some poached eggs in his makeshift kitchen.

A proper English breakfast was Jinnie's favourite and whatever he made was my favourite. While munching on the sausage I looked at him and seeing him taking a long sip on his tea I understood that he was preparing to say something so I looked at him curiously after swallowing whatever was left inside my mouth.

As I had suspected he started, "So, how are you going to face him? Your classes are starting on Monday and he knows that. Are you planning to talk to him on that day?"

Seeing my saddened and haven't-decided-yet face he kept his hands on mine and said, "You don't have to stress yourself on this. Things will go on with the flow so I think you should take rest today and may be think out what you'll say once you meet him." After pausing for a while, as if remembering something he said, "Oh! By the way, he is going to come today too. And also tomorrow. He comes here everyday! So you can stay here until he arrives and see for yourself, from a hideout of course!" Then smiling at me he took away the plates. It was time for him to get to work, he was already late because of me. I laid down on his bed after he went out putting on his uniform. I could feel my heartbeat gaining speed the more I thought about facing Jimin. What was I going to say to him? Should I keep a poker face or should I keep all my devastating emotions in front of him? I didn't know and thinking of these made my head ache, my heart too. Relaxing only seemed to be the best option.

I woke up with a start and noticed that I was sweating profusely. Was I having a bad dream? I couldn't remember much except a vaguely dark place where I saw Jimin crying for help. It was definitely a bad dream. I washed my face and after returning saw that Jinnie came with some food as it was lunchtime. This was his busiest time so almost stuffing the lunch in his mouth he went out after telling me that Jimin was here. I could feel my heart stop for a good minute. I pulled myself towards the door and through the small and almost transparent glass I could see him, that baby face which lost its puffiness, ordering food at the counter and talking to Jinnie. I could sense that Jinnie was holding himself from looking at this way and also from giving away any information about me being there. I didn't know that I missed him so much that I forgot to blink while looking at him for the whole time he was there. After finishing his lunch he got up to leave. Waving a little bye to Jinnie he went out of the door. Before I could register my legs were already on the move and before I knew I was moving frantically towards the main door only to catch a last glimpse of him. I could hear a faint voice behind me calling my name but I could care less. I reached out for the door handle to open it but someone opened it from outside and I was face to face with Jimin. Suddenly the world stopped, completely, along with myself. Everything surrounding me blurred out and the only thing I could see was him, his changing expression that ranged from surprised to alerted and his turning away to escape. But before he could do that, in a split second, I found myself hugging him, clasping him tightly as tears began to flow out making my cheeks and his shoulders wet.

I was still hiccuping in Jinnie's embrace while Jimin was sitting across me awkwardly, not knowing how to deal with the situation.

A few minutes ago, Jinnie realising that we were putting up a show for the customers in the café took us to his office after telling his staffs to manage for now. After I went back to somewhat a normal state, Jinnie made me drink water and left rather abruptly after saying, "I think I should leave now and it's time for you to have the 'talk'." But he didn't forget to give Jimin the 'you hurt her, you die' look before leaving. I could feel Jimin's uncomfortable shifting at that which made me facepalm mentally.

Jinnie could say it easily to us to have the talk but I knew how difficult it was for us. I wanted to ask so many things and also say so many things back but everything became a mess and formed a lump in my throat. But if we stayed like this nothing was going to get solved. Just thinking back about the day that he left made my eyes swell as new droplets of tears began to form. I raised up my hands to wipe off the tears with my sleeve and opening my eyes I saw that Jimin was kneeling right in front of me. Seeing him that close startled me and I instinctively moved my head back.

"Y/n/n please forgive me. I know I am at a fault but everything I did was for you!" He took my hands in his warmer ones and looked into my eyes yearningly.

"For me?" I was clearly surprised and wanted a clearer explanation, "What are you talking about?"

Jimin sighed heavily and as if thinking that I deserved an explanation he sat down comfortably near my foot, still holding my hands, and began saying, "There are some things that I came to know of recently. I have been keeping them to myself and decided to continue doing so but it was becoming difficult, believe me, it really was. That night, at almost midnight, my dad revealed to me that he wasn't what I thought he was and we needed to run away from there as early as we could because some really dangerous people were after us. He also said that he would explain everything to me once we are at a safe place. I didn't tell you anything or anyone because I sensed that any contact with me only cause harm to all of you. And I can't afford that. I can't afford losing you. The fact that you are alive and happy was enough for me to be at peace, even if it meant that I would have to live far away from you. I think it's no use holding it in anymore. I never told you but I was falling in love, with you y/n/n. You matter to me, more than anything else." The emotions all came flooding in and I began to shake at the sudden surge of unknown happiness as my eyes teared up again. I leaned forward and rested my forehead on his and tried to mutter out, "J-jimin, I...I ..." He stopped me from saying anything by keeping his forefinger on my lips and said, almost whispering, "You don't have to say. I know.." The words lingered in the air for a moment, then our lips met. It felt like nothing else existed at that moment except us and the emotions that we had for each other. Our lips against each other basking themselves in the passion and longing, didn't want to separate. And we both wished that it lasted longer.

The sudden sound of the door opening and a quick stuttered apology from Jinnie made us break out of our world. We were clearly embarrassed but Jinnie was more discomposed than we were. Jimin hurriedly rose from where he was and took his former seat. I was somewhat offended at the sudden interruption, so I looked at him and I didn't realize that I was glaring hard until Jinnie shrunk at my gaze, apologetically. That made me soften my expression and I asked him to relax.

He scratched the back of his head sheepishly and said, "Sorry for barging in like that. Actually I received this message from Tae and I just wanted to check for myself so I was just peering through the glass but I think I need to reinstall the locks of this door since they couldn't even tolerate my weight." He smiled again and handed me his phone to let me see Tae's message

I facepalmed visibly and blurted out, "What am I going to do about him?"

Jimin looked at me curiously, so I showed him the text and smiled sheepishly saying, "Soulmate problems." And took a mental note that I HAVE to remember blocking certain feelings from now on.

At dinner, I invited Jimin and Jinnie over to my apartment, mostly to discuss and know about the things that Jimin still had to say to me, and more than partially to spend as much time as I could with Jimin.

Three of us sat in a circle as Jimin began saying, "My dad as you know is a biochemist. As one of the best in his field he used to spend most of his time in his lab creating things. But before he was a full fledged biochemist, he used to work for Yuhaehan as a drug scientist - he tested samples to see their effects and enhanced or diminished them sometimes. But after sometime he got tired and practiced himself. After a few years he invented a special kind of drug or a kind of bioweapon you can say, accidentally. The words got out and Yuhaehan became desperate to get their hands on it. My dad hid it somewhere that he didn't tell me yet. But he made an account that is linked to his personal blog, in case he got into some trouble, and put a code in it that only he could crack. On that note I should tell you that he was great in coding too, and that's why I got it in my gene. That account contains the information where his creation is hidden but that thing is also secured with the same code."

I could only stare in disbelief and contemplated inside about the things we were dealing with. I was still in my thoughts when Jinnie asked, "But your dad could have destroyed it!"

Jimin smiled weakly, "That's the main problem. He invented it accidentally and doesn't know how to destroy it. That's why he put such security so that it doesn't get lost or get in wrong hands."

It was my turn to question him, "Why is Mr. Moon after you?"

"I didn't tell you yet, actually none of Yuhaehan knew how I looked in real life, thanks to my dad's overprotective self. That day, when Mr. Moon called us to his office, actually the last problem that only I was able to solve was the same pattern of code that dad used in his account and he called me in his office alone to ask me about where I learnt to decode that. As I didn't know about anything then, I said everything that my dad taught me to do it. I guess I did a blunder by saying him that. Apparently he is working for the Yuhaehans."

I asked again, "But why did your dad decided to go back? And w-why did you transfer here when you knew that I study here?"

Jimin gave a faint smile, "You remember that you were quite surprised to hear that my dad was a biochemist and we moved so much? That was to run away from the constant chasing, earlier from the authorities and later from the Yuhaehans itself. Last year when I was studying in Tokyo, one day I was in college and my mom and dad got into an accident. My mom died in that accident. I thought that it was a normal accident. But after coming here my dad told me that it was not. The Yuhaehan attacked them. While on her death bed my mom made my dad promise to leave the bad things behind and go back to his homeland to start everything anew. And thus, to keep that promise he went back to Seoul, to our ancestral castle."

I could sense the deep sadness in his voice as memories of his mother flooded in. I kept my hands on his, trying to provide the least comfort that I could. He looked at our hands and then looked up at me, smiling as if to imply that he was fine but we all deep down knew that he wasn't. Trying to avert the sad atmosphere he said, "Oh! You asked me about my transfer here, right?" I nodded just very slightly as a reply and he continued, "This is one of the few countries that I haven't been to yet. And the principal of this university happens to be a really close friend of my dad. That's why this was the only safe option."

...

Jinnie said, "I think I should go now. Tomorrow is a busy day and an early sleep would help I guess."

Jimin, staring at his walking away figure, said, "I think I should tag along too." But as he was about to stand up something in me made my hand hold the side of his jacket. He looked down at me curiously to which I replied, "Would it be bad if you stayed here with me tonight?"

He gave me an adorable smile and then turning back at Jinnie, who was waiting for him near the door, said, "I think you have to go alone. I am staying here tonight."

A/n: How are you all? I hope you have been good and continue to be so! So we got some explanation in this one! Tell me what do you think and how you feel! I hope you enjoyed reading this chapter! Please like and give feedback! It would mean a lot! Thank you for reading! Love you all 💜💜💜

P.s.- let me know what do you think will happen in the next chapter 😋

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bechloeislegit · 6 years

Text

BECHLOE WEEK 2018

Day 4: Why?

Note: I wasn't quite sure what to do with this one. I did see where the moderator (is that what they’re called?) told another writer that it could be used any way the writer wishes, such as having someone in the story asking Why?; so that's what I did. I hope you enjoy it.

______________________________________________________________

Beca had a long day and was slowly making her way back home. She smiled because 'home' was the Bellas house and she considered the girls her family. She knew that no matter what happened after they graduated, she would always be able to count on her family.

It was only six-thirty when Beca came into the Bellas house. She was surprised to see most of the girls sitting in the living room. The only girls not there were Flo and Lily. She dropped her bag at the bottom of the stairs to take up later and walked, into the living room, greeting the girls.

"What? No hot dates tonight?," Beca asked the group as she grabbed a handful of chips. "Everyone is usually running around getting ready by now. I don't think I've seen this many of you just sitting around on a Friday night, like, ever. Especially you two." Beca nodded in the direction of Stacie and Amy.

"You know the hunter's been tamed," Stacie said with a wink. "And, Aubrey had to work overtime tonight."

"I have a date later," Fat Amy said. "Much later, if you know what I mean."

"We all know what you mean, Ames," Emily said.

"What about you?," Chloe asked as Beca sat down next to her. "No hot date with Jesse?

"Um, God no," Beca responds.

"Why not?," Jessica asked.

"Probably because he's with his girlfriend," Beca said nonchalantly as she munched on her chips.

"What?," the Bellas asked as one.

"Since when?," CR asked.

"We broke up little over a month ago. We both realize we were better as friends." Beca laughed and added, "I really should know better by now not to tell you girls anything when you're drunk."

"Wait," Chloe said with a furrowed brow. "When did you tell us this? Why don't I remember? This is big news."

"Remember that day in January when Stacie told us that it was 'Peculiar People Day'?," Beca asked.

"Yeah," the girls responded.

"It was decided that since we considered ourselves a band of misfits that the Bellas should celebrate," Beca said and the girls nodded. "And, someone," she looks at Chloe when she says this, "decided to let Fat Amy play bartender. I came home and didn't realize how drunk all of you were and told you that Jesse and I had just broken up. Everybody gave me sympathy in the form of whatever it was you all were drinking, and I was as drunk as the rest of you by the time we called it a night. After that, it never really came up again."

"Oh, my God," Chloe said. "I only remember the start of that party. I have no memory of anything after that until the next morning."

"I don't think any of us do," Ashley said. "That was one weird night."

"You're welcome," Fat Amy said with a smug smile.

"I'm so glad I missed it," Emily half-whispered so only Ashley heard.

"I wish I had," Ashley whispered back and shivered.

"I'm so sorry, Beca," Chloe said. "I should have been there for you with ice cream and boxes of tissues."

Chloe pulled Beca into a hug. Beca hugged her back and pulled away.

"It's okay, Chlo," Beca said. "Like I said, we knew we were better off as friends. And I wasn't really that upset over it."

"So, that means your single," CR said with a mischievous grin. "I know someone who might be interested in going out if you're up to it. And, I know for a fact they're not doing anything tonight."

Chloe threw the dark-skinned beauty a glare.

"Ooooh, I know who you're talking about," Jessica said. "She's really nice, Beca."

"You should take them up on it, Beca," Stacie said. "You know what they say? The easiest way to get over somebody-"

"Is to get under somebody else," the girls all finish together and start laughing.

"Funny," Beca deadpanned. "Thanks, but I think I'm good for now. You don't mind if I hang out with you girls tonight, do you?"

"You know you're one of us, right?," Chloe said, giving her a quick hug.

"Are you sure, Beca?," CR said, not letting it go, much to Chloe's chagrin. "This girl is so your type."

"She said she wasn't interested, CR," Chloe said as she started to squirm. She knew they were talking about her. It was no secret to the Bellas that she liked Beca. "Let's just drop it."

"But, she's really hot!," CR said and pushed on when she saw Chloe blush. "I mean smokin' hot! And, like I said, just your type."

"So, I have a type?," Beca said with amusement.

"Yes, you do," Jessica said. She looked over at CR and grinned. "I'd say your type is someone who loves music as much as you do."

"Exactly," CR said. "And they have to be able to get past your snarky attitude. And if anybody can do that, she can."

"And," Ashley adds, "they would also have to like the whole closed-off alt-girl look you have going on. Although, admittedly, you have toned that down over the years we've known you."

"Thanks," Beca said with a smirk.

"Someone who can invade your personal space without making you want to cringe," Stacie adds.

"Someone who knows your coffee order," Jessica said.

"Someone who can put you in a good mood just by smiling at you," Emily throws in.

"That's enough," Chloe finally said. "Leave Beca alone. She can find her own dates."

"Thanks, Chlo," Beca said with a smile. "But, it's okay. I'm kind of liking the sound of this girl they're talking about."

Chloe gave her a 'what the hell?' look.

"I mean, she sounds nice," Beca said with a shrug. "And I'd like to hear more about her."

The Bellas were all smiling when Chloe let out a huff and left the room.

"I have her number if you want to give the girl a call," Stacie said with a laugh.

"That's okay," Beca said with a big smile. "I already have it."

Beca pulled out her phone and found a contact and hit the call button. She, too, walked out of the room as the phone started ringing.

"Guess she's not as oblivious as we thought," Jessica said as they all started high-fiving each other.

Chloe hurried up to her room and shut the door. She flopped onto the bed as a tear started to fall. She couldn't believe Beca could be so dense. It was obvious the girls were talking about her. She felt her phone vibrate in her pocket and pulled it out to answer without looking to see who was calling.

"Hello," Chloe said.

"So," Beca's voice came through the line. "I hear from mutual friends that you are smokin' hot and just my type." Chloe smiles. "So, I was wondering if you were free to have dinner with me? Tonight."

"You mean a date?," Chloe asked, not believing what she was hearing.

"Yes, a date," Beca responded. "Do you want to go out with me?"

"Are you serious?," Chloe asked as she sat up on the bed. "This is for real?"

"Yes, and yes," Beca said and laughed. "See, I've been crushing on you for a while, but I was in a relationship and couldn't act on my feelings."

"What about now?," Chloe asked with a small smile on her face.

"Oh, I'm kind of beyond crushing on you," Beca said quietly since she was standing outside Chloe's door and didn't want her to know she was there. "And the relationship is over. Don't worry it was an amicable split. So, I'm single, and I've been led to believe that you're also single. So, what do you say? Are you interested in a date? With me? Tonight?"

"I'd love to," Chloe said as she jumped off the bed and hurried to the door. She wanted to find Beca.

"Great," Beca said. "How about I pick you up," suddenly Chloe opened her door and squealed not expecting to see Beca standing there. "Now?"

Chloe just grinned and said into the phone, "Give me ten minutes to change into something a little less comfortable."

"I think it's safe to hang up now," Beca said with a chuckle. She put her phone in her pocket and smiled at Chloe.

Chloe put her phone in her pocket and pulled Beca into a hug. "Seriously, give me ten minutes, and we can go."

Beca reluctantly pulled out of the hug.

"I'll wait for you downstairs," Beca said.

Chloe closed her door and squealed again. She rushed around looking for something to change into.

Beca thought about changing as well, but looked down and decided her work clothes were fine for dinner out. She went downstairs, and the girls started cheering.

"Finally," Beca heard a voice say.

"Aubrey?," Beca asked looking around.

"I have her on speaker," Stacie said. "I had to call and tell her that the bechloe ship was finally leaving the dock."

"Beca," Aubrey said. "I know I don't have to tell you what will happen to you if you hurt my best friend, right?"

The girls all smiled and looked at Beca.

"I promise you, Aubrey," Beca said. "If I do anything that hurts Chloe, you can do whatever you want to me."

"Deal," Aubrey said. "Stacie take me off speaker, please."

Stacie takes the phone off speaker and goes into another room so she can finish talking to Aubrey in private.

"So, where are you taking Red?," Fat Amy asked.

"I was thinking we'd just hit up Antonio's since it's so last minute," Beca responded. "And then we'll just see what happens after that."

"That sounds perfect," Ashley said.

Beca is smiling as she sits and waits for Chloe. She can't believe they are actually going on a date. Suddenly, her smile drops and she looks panicked.

"Beca?," CR said as she went to Beca's side. She knew that look and that Beca was starting to panic, which means she wanted to run. "Don't do it. Chloe has been waiting for you to make a move for a long time. Don't flake out on her now."

"I, um, I have a date with Chloe," Beca said and swallowed. "Oh, my God. Why do I have a date with Chloe? Oh, right. I asked her. Why did I ask her?"

She started breathing heavy, and her eyes were wide with panic.

"She's losing it," Fat Amy said. She goes rushing out of the room and comes back with Stacie.

"Beca," Stacie asked, kneeling in front of the girl. "Are you okay?"

"She's panicking because her brain finally caught up to the fact that she asked Chloe out on a date," Jessica said.

"BECA!," Aubrey yells causing Beca's head to jerk and look at Stacie's phone mere inches from her head.

"Yeah?," Beca asked hesitantly as Stacie placed the phone near her ear.

"If you try and back out of this date," Aubrey said so Beca could hear her. "I am going to skin you alive and leave your bones for the vultures. Do you understand me?"

Beca blinked a couple of times. "Yeah," Beca said seeming to calm down after hearing Aubrey's voice. "Thanks, Aubrey."

"Any time," Aubrey said, and Beca could almost hear the smirk she knew Aubrey was wearing.

"Sorry, everyone," Beca said. "Just a moment of panic. I'm fine now."

"Becs?," Chloe called as she entered the living room to find the girls huddled around her. The girls turned to look at Chloe. "Is everything okay?"

Beca smiled at her, and the girls moved away from Beca. "It is now," Beca said as she got up and walked over to Chloe. "You look great," Beca said and kissed Chloe on the cheek.

"Are you okay?," Chloe whispered.

"I'm fine. Don't worry," Beca said. "I did have a mini-panic attack, but I'm better now that you're here. Shall we go?"

"Are you sure you're okay?," Chloe asked. "We don't have to go out."

"Yes, we do," Beca said. "We've wanted this for too long to back out now."

Chloe smiled and grabbed Beca's hand. "Then let's go."

"See you girls later," Beca called out as she headed for the door.

"Don't wait up," Chloe said and winked at them.

Beca's eyes got wide and then she smiled. "What she said," was the last thing the girls heard just before the front door closed.

~oOo~ ~oOo~ ~oOo~

Beca and Chloe were sitting across from each other at a cozy little table for two. They had placed their orders and were now just chatting.

"I'm glad you asked me out," Chloe said with a soft smile.

"I'm glad I asked you out, too," Beca said mirroring Chloe's smile.

"I could have killed the girls when they started talking about finding you a girl, even if that girl was me," Chloe said with a small laugh. "It seems everyone knew about my feelings for you, except you."

"I've been wanting to ask you out since Jesse and I broke up," Beca said. "I have to admit he's the one who told me to go after you."

"He did?," Chloe asked, surprised. "Why would he do that?"

"He did," Beca said. "He said he could tell I was into you and I shouldn't let fear stop me from being with who I really wanted. It seems he knows me better than I thought he did. He's bugged me about it almost every day since."

"He really is a good guy," Chloe said.

"He is," Beca said. "But, back to the Bellas. As I was saying, I've wanted to ask you out for a while. When they started talking about knowing a girl who was my type, I caught on pretty quick they were talking about you, so I went along with it. I thought you were playing along until you left in a huff."

"I thought you were being oblivious to the fact that it was me they were talking about," Chloe said, looking apologetic.

"Understandable," Beca said and they both grew quiet.

Beca looked at Chloe and Chloe looked back. Beca took a chance and started to lean forward to kiss Chloe. Chloe moved forward as well.

"Here you are ladies," the waiter said interrupting them as he placed their food in front of them.

"Why, dude?," Beca asked, her frustration evident. "Why now?"

"My apologies," the waiter said and hurried away.

"It's okay, Beca," Chloe said with a laugh. "We have all night."

"You're right," Beca said. "I'm sorry. I just really want to kiss you."

"I really want to kiss you, too," Chloe said.

The two girls leaned forward again, each staring at the other. Their lips were mere inches from each other.

"Sorry, ladies," the waiter said interrupting again.

"Why? Why are you here this time?," Beca said trying to hold back her frustration.

"I, um, I forgot, uh," the waiter stammered.

"It's okay," Chloe said, placing her hand gently on top of Beca's that was on the table. She turned to the waiter. "What did you forget?"

"I forgot to leave your bread," the waiter said and set the plate on the table before hurrying away.

"Let's eat," Chloe said, giving Beca's hand a squeeze before letting it go. "It all looks delicious."

The two girls began eating and talked about anything and everything. They were both almost finished when Beca offered Chloe a bite of her stuffed shells. Chloe took it and hummed in appreciation.

"That's really good," Chloe said. She then put the last bite of her lasagna on her fork and offered it to Beca. "Here. Taste this."

Chloe held the fork towards Beca. Beca placed her hand over Chloe's and slowly pulled the fork closer. She leans in and takes the offered bite, closing her lips around it until they met the fork. She slowly drew back, letting her lips slide the bite off the fork and into her mouth. She kept her hand on Chloe's and looked directly into her eyes as she licked her lips to capture some of the tomato sauce that lingered. Beca could see the shudder that ran through Chloe as she sucked in her bottom lip and smiled.

"Oh, my God," Chloe thought to herself. "That was so sexy."

"Wow," Beca said letting go of Chloe's hand. "That's really good. I hope wherever we go next time the food is just as good."

Chloe realized her hand was still holding her empty fork in the air and quickly put it down on the table. Trying to act casual, when her whole body was tingling, she took a deep breath to settle herself and looked at Beca.

"Um, next time?," Chloe asked, her voice a little shaky. She cleared her throat. "You think there's going to be a next time?" Chloe was relieved that she sounded more confident.

Beca wiped her mouth and put the napkin back on her lap. She looked at Chloe.

"Why? Don't you?," Beca asked. "I mean I hope this isn't our first and only date. I'd like to take you out again, a lot. I mean, you know if you want."

Chloe couldn't help but smile at how quickly confident Beca became uncertain Beca.

"I very much want," Chloe said. "Are you done? Eating, I mean."

"Um, yeah," Beca said. "Why? Would you like some dessert?"

"No thanks," Chloe said. "I was just thinking maybe we could go home?"

"Why?," Beca said. "I thought you were having a good time. I'm sorry. I didn't mean to put you on the spot. It's...I guess I'm just not ready for the night to end."

"I am having a good time," Chloe said and bit her bottom lip to hold back a smile. "And who said the night was ending?"

"You said you wanted to go home," Beca said and looked at Chloe. Chloe just looked back at her with a big smile on her face. "Oh, you meant-. Check please!"

#bechloeweek #bechloeweek2018 #bechloe #fanfic #bechloe week 2018

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