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#he gave it to me around my birthday last month so i was procrastinating for over a month 😭 looking at it everyday just sitting on my
heyyyharry · 1 year
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Night Light (from the Flatmate series)
...in which Y/N never turns off her night light.
"Wait for me in my room. It's the door on the right," he whispered to the girl whose name he'd already forgotten. He'd just met her an hour ago as he was leaving the club.
The girl kissed him drunkenly, and when she was gone, he came into Y/N's room to turn the light off. She'd fallen asleep with her book covering her face, so he removed the book, put it on her desk and left quietly.
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A/N: I always fall asleep with the light on, and ever since I moved in with my boyfriend, it's become a routine for him to go into my room (we have separate rooms) to turn off the light for me. That was how I came up with this :)
.
.
.
She forgot to turn off her night light. Again.
See, this was why Harry hated sharing a flat with someone else. He had reminded her so many times before to turn it off before she went to bed, but every night, she would doze off with her book still in her hands. No wonder their electricity bill last month was so high. He had hoped that this girl would be less annoying when she slept, but she always managed to find a way to get on his nerves.
After a long moment of standing outside her door (which she left open for some reason), he decided to come in and turn off the light on her bedside table.
In the morning, he reminded her again. She promised she would turn off the light tonight.
She didn't.
~~~
Harry came home late, stumbling into the flat with his arm around the girl. She giggled too loud, so he shushed her and gestured to Y/N's door. The living room was softly lit by the warm light coming from her room, but he knew she was too deep in her sleep to know that he was home.
"Wait for me in my room. It's the door on the right," he whispered to the girl whose name he'd already forgotten. He'd just met her an hour ago as he was leaving the club.
The girl kissed him drunkenly and when she was gone, he came into Y/N's room to turn the light off. She'd fallen asleep with her book covering her face, so he removed the book, put it on her desk and left quietly.
~~~
Harry was in Paris tonight with his friends for Layla's birthday.
Y/N had stopped responding to his messages, so he assumed she had fallen asleep. As he sat on the sofa, drinking cheap wine with his friends while a shitty EDM song was blasting from Louis' Bluetooth speaker, he thought about Y/N sleeping with her light on.
~~~
"You're awake?"
Y/N looked up at him from her laptop, face lit by the cool light from her screen. "Yeah, deadline."
"That's what you get for procrastinating," he smirked.
"Can you procrastinate annoying me? I can't deal with you right now."
"Need help?"
"No, thanks."
"You sure?"
She gave him a dismissive wave. "I'm sure. Thank you. Goodnight."
"Goodnight," he said. "Remember to turn off the light."
"I will."
Harry went to his room and lay in the dark for an hour or so. When he came back to check on her, she had fallen asleep and her light was still on.
~~~
Harry was well aware that he was drunk when he entered the flat as the room was spinning. He didn't know how he managed to make it to Y/N's room without knocking over furniture, but he wanted to give himself a pat on the back.
As expected, she'd fallen asleep, again, with the light on. He sat down on the edge of her bed, not because he wanted to, but because he felt so dizzy that standing only made it worse.
"Goodnight," he whispered to her, hesitated for a moment before turning off the light.
Right after he'd left her room, he went straight into the bathroom to throw up.
~~~
He had been avoiding her all day, for reasons even he didn't understand.
It was 1AM when he came into her room to turn off the light. Before he left, he told her something he wasn't brave enough to say when she was awake. He went back to bed, worried that she might have heard it.
She hadn't.
~~~
Harry tried to be as quiet as he could, but when he came in to turn off the light tonight, Y/N stirred awake.
She blinked sleepily at him. "Hi."
"Hi," he said nervously. "Just gonna turn the light off for you."
"Thank you," she said with a smile.
"Goodnight," he said and switched the light off.
"Goodnight. I love you."
The three words froze him when he turned away. They'd confessed their feelings to each other last night, so why did it still feel like the first time?
"I...love you, too," he said, smiling shyly at her. He was thinking of kissing her before he left, but she'd already buried herself under the duvet.
~~~
"Do you want to cuddle before bed?"
Her bed was warm and smelt like her. He gave her a lot of kisses as she read her book with her head on his chest. When she fell asleep, he reached over to turn off the light.
~~~
Harry came back late for a business dinner today and she was still awake.
"It's already midnight," he said, loosening his tie.
She smiled up from her book. "We couldn't go to bed without you."
He kissed her on the lips and then her baby bump. "I'll take a shower and join you both."
When he returned, she'd fallen asleep. Harry turned off the light and carefully slipped into bed.
~~~
"Ria fell asleep with the light on, again," Y/N complained as she returned to bed from her daughter's room.
Harry chuckled, pulling her into his arms. "Like mother, like daughter. I had to turn off your light for you for years."
"I had my reasons."
"Oh yeah? What were they?" he asked, stroking her hair.
She grinned up at him. "At first, I wanted to annoy you. Then you kept doing that so I didn't bother to turn off the light anymore."
"Why am I not surprised at all?" Harry laughed, but he was glad she'd deliberately done it in the first place. "Now could you turn off the light on your side, please?"
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gender-trash · 1 year
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last november/decemberish i made the egregious mistake of asking my dad if there were any out-of-print technical books he wanted me to print and bind as a christmas gift, especially given that i now have a wide-format printer; turns out the answer was "yes, many," and he sent me three crusty-ass pdfs of which i selected the least crusty.
however
it pains me, deep in my soul, to turn out a work product with my name on it that's That crusty, and some of the photos etc. (originally meant to be full-color) weren't parseable anymore. so i got my grubby hands on a copy of the original via interlibrary loan (there were EXACTLY three copies in the link+ system which covers a bunch of public and university libraries in the bay area, and i ended up with santa clara university's, which was kind of neat because Back In The Day i took a bunch of physics and math classes at SCU) and manually photographed every image in it on my phone (best camera i have). then i spent approximately the week prior to christmas in a deathmarch slog 1. de-skewing, color correcting, and pasting in all the photos in god's worst pdf editing software (xournal++), 2. retyping all the image captions (originally printed in this lovely dark red that got viciously mangled by b&w scanning) and screenshotting them + pasting them in, and 3. for those photos that are sufficiently clean or unimportant that i don't need to edit + paste in replacements, but that have large black areas in them, covering them in semitransparent white rectangles so i don't wind up printing big black areas on my poor inkjet.
needless to say, this is the worst, most tedious process i can think of except for actually re-typing and re-typesetting the entire book in latex, a process which tempts me every time i work on this albatross around my neck. i only got through part 1 of 5 before christmas so i gave my dad a different book (bought from the bookstore, like a loser) and the promise that i would Definitely have it done by his birthday.
and then i stopped working on it for several months because IT SUCKED AND I HATED IT SO MUCH
and then partway through april i was like "oh shit, his birthday is in two weeks". so now every evening is this cold war with myself where sometimes the project wins and i piddle through another section of part 2 and sometimes procrastination wins and i do a medieval twin-cord binding of my immortal. anyway his birthday was technically today but we are celebrating it next week so i have a LITTLE more time to get the bitch done
whenever i complain about it to my dad he's like "just give up!! just print it as-is!" (accompanied by profuse apologies because he didn't mean for me to go to anything like this much effort) and on the one hand it would feel like giving up but on the other hand i would be FREE OF THE ENDLESS TORMENT but on the third hand there would be a VERY visible delineation halfway through the book where you can tell i Just Didn't Care Anymore
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deleteddewewted · 3 years
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Hello! How are you, and I have a request if you wish to do it. So I was thinking of a College AU with Shinsou working there as a part-time employee, then one day fem! reader comes in and at first he is like “Pfft whatever” but then he brings dropping his tsunade behavior and beings growing soft for her while he got to know her and he has seen her rescue a kitten in which he asked to help co-parent their child. He is doing it to get to know her more because he fell for her, but she is a bit oblivious when it comes to ✨feelings✨. I thought this would make a cute HC/ Drabble, however you wish to do it, of how their relationship began to bloom at the local coffee shop.
AAAAHHHH!!!! YES!
Happy Birthday to Shinsou Hitoshi!💜
The most adorable, handsome, and overall best purple headed boy on the show (Fuck off Mineta).
To Take Care of a Stray: Shinsou Headcanons
Barista! Shinsou x F! Reader
FLUFF
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As any college student would tell you, cheap caffeinated drinks were a must.
Coffee specifically was a must.
Shinsou was honestly debating if he needed his 3rd cup of coffee that morning or if he could just wing it and go on with an empty tank.
He procrastinated when it came to his assigned project, plus his project partner ditched him, so he was practically all alone figuring his shit out.
And thats how he found himself working at his local coffee shop.
He hated every single customer that would come in at any hour of the day that he work on.
They all demanded his attention and honestly, some days he wished he could just scream in their faces that "No, i don't give a fuck about your pet bird speaking back to you. I'm only here to make you your coffee and take your money."
The cheap coffee was worth it though, so he keeps the complaining to a minimum.
Retail is honestly a "no reward" type of job. The amount of entitlement that some people have baffles him at times.
Around his second year in college he ends up working the late shift to make some extra cash. It also meant less people coming in and demanding an overly complicated drink. Score!
The sound of the rain pouring down helped calm his nerves and allowed him to relax for moment before the door of the shop swung open.
"Oops, sorry. Didn't mean to do that." The first time you walked into the shop you accidentally pulled the door with too much force that it ended up slamming into the wall.
Shinsou immediately didn't like you.
Who the fuck was this woman?
You went up the counter and told him your order taking out your money and handing it to him.
Clean and simple. Nothing special.
Then you came back again a few days later. That really fucked with him.
Most customers came in and never bothered to talk to him. He wanted their money while they wanted the shitty coffee they sold. Easy, right?
Nope, not with you apparently. You came in and asked about his day, how his studies were going, and if anything interesting happened in the shop.
He would respond with brief answers and immediately ignored you afterwards.
You were just so annoying.
..Ok, maybe not.
You were funny, the way you fumbled and played it off as you being intentional.
The way your mouth would widen into a smile anytime he spoke back to you.
You weren't overly energetic, nor overly happy. You were just nice, nice to him.
He wasn't use to that.
You fascinated him just because you existed and he wanted to learn more about you.
He got his chance on the 5th time you came in.
You usually came in at a specific time, always when there was barely any customers, but today you didnt' show up at all.
He wont admit it but he got concerned and would keep looking at the clock on the wall and back to the door of the coffee shop.
When you finally came in, you had scratches on your hand and on your cheek.
"What the fuck happened to you?" He leaned onto his hand that was placed on the counter top. His body relaxed and only showed boredom.
In reality he was terrified, you had scratches on your hands and red streaks too. Why?
"Oh, i was just- i fell into a bush." You gave him a smile that made his heart flutter and legs go weak.
He was so happy he was leaning on the counter because he hadn't he would have fallen onto the floor.
Your smile just had that affect on him.
"How stupid can you be? Look were your going next time."
"Aww, thanks sir!"
Good mood was gone. He told you not to treat him like your friend, thats not what you both are.
...But he really hated that you took that very literally and didn't bother to at least call him by his last name.
"Hmm." He gave you your usual and answered the questions you had for him that day.
You started to come in 4 times a week and every time you did he would notice new scratches on you.
The scratches weren't that bad, he thought maybe you were one those "adventures" types, but the red marks were concerning him.
When he would ask you about them you always had a different excuse for them.
"My backpacks straps are bit rough."
"I placed my arm wrong on the table"
It was this or that but never a concrete answer.
It was happening every time you came in so something had to be wrong.
He gathered up the little cuarage he had and decided to ask you what you were doing.
"Why do have so many scratches on you?" You werent expecting him to be so blunt but you happily told him to meet you after his shift at the nearby alleyway.
He was suspicious of you but he was also curious, he desperately needed answers because the concern for your wellbeing was getting to be too much for him.
He followed your instructions and walked towards the alleyway you directed him to.
When he turned the corner he saw the most beautiful scene in the world.
You were surrounded by cats...and you were giving them food.
He could die happily then and there.
"W- this is why you show us with scratches all over you!?" You nodded but got up and walked over to a cardboard box that was tucked under a bigger box.
You told him to follow and when he crouched down to see what was in it he saw two huge eyes staring back at him.
"You've been- this little thing is the reason for your scratches?"
"Yep!"
He laughed at you and helped you feed all of the cats.
When the two of you finished up, you picked up the box that the small kitten was tucked in and gave it a pat on the head.
"What are you going to do with the kitten?" Shinsou asked you.
"Well, i wish i could take it with me but i don't think i'd be able to take care of it since i work early in the morning and have classes late at night."
Shinsou's mind started planning.
He really liked you and wanted to be around you more often.
Shit, if he was brutally honest he had a crush on you.
"Well, i have classes early morning while i work at night. So...why don't we co-pa-... i mean co-care for the little guy?" He knows his ears were red, he knows his face was starting to turn red as well.
But he wasn't about to admit that he really wanted you to say "yes".
"Uh, ok. Sure!"
Shinsou was over the moon with this and it was all going so perfectly as well.
The kitten would spend the mornings with you and in the afternoons the two of you would meet up to take care of it together.
You both decided to name the kitten Mieko.
""Beautiful blessing child", thats a cute name! Why do you want to call him that?"
"Because...i want to- y-you idiot. Stop asking so many questions!" You just laughed at him and gave him a pat on the shoulder.
Shinsou melts.
Shinsou would bring the kitten with him to work since his boss had a soft spot for animals.
Imagine how exited he was when you first invited him into your own apartment.
"You have your own place? Color me impressed."
"Thanks Shin." Shinsou blushed a little at the nickname. It had been over a month that you both agreed to take care of the kitten together.
The more time he spent with you the more he fell.
"I hope you like the umm...book." This was another thing that started after the two of you began to co-parent the kitten. He would bring you gifts and act like it meant nothing.
Reality is that he was courting you.
He expected you to make a comment on his gifts but you glossed over them like nothing.
It was getting on his nerves.
"Aah, hey. Do you want to take Mieko out for a walk...again."
"Was that a question or a demand?" You laughed at him
You made it look easy with how much you make him blush.
The more time you both spent with each other, the more Shinsou realized he was truly in love with you and wanted you to be by his side.
But he was facing a problem. You.
You wouldn't pick up on the hints he was dropping on you. His interest on you.
So one day he decides to just tell up upfront if you would like to go on a date with him.
"Hey Shin, do you want to go on a date with me?"
Shinsou. exe has stopped operations
"W-wha-"
"I'm joking buddy! But seriously do you want to go out to eat? I think Mieko would-"
"W-WHaT!? F-fuck no!" That upset you because you thought he might like free lunch.
"You could've just said no." He was losing you, again.
Fuuuuuuuck!!!!!
"N-no wait! What i wanted to say was umm, would you like to go out with me? Like a date! N-not like friends."
You both just stared at each other for a moment, the silence only making the situation worse.
"...Sure."
Mieko, your child, just blinked at the two of you.
"These two ridiculous humans are my parents, great." At least this lead to Shinsou moving in with you and Mieko having a permanent home now.
Double the pats for the two new people in your home, double the purring sounds, double the angry and grouchy cats begging for your attention.
Who wold trade this? You got to cuddle with the two most adorable people in this world.
"I'm not fucking adorable Y/n!"
"Shush Toshi or you're not getting cuddles and kisses."
"....fine."
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jessikahathaway · 3 years
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Ambrosia - Prologue
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Park Jimin (Aphrodite) X Reader
Genre: GreekGod!AU, Genderbent Aphrodite!AU, Romance, Fluff, Angst, Slow Burn and Smut (Future)
Warnings: Mentions of terminal illness, Jimin in a SUIT, Namjoon being a lil nosy, profanity (if I forgot anything please let me know!)
Words: 3.1k (YA GIRL PROCRASTINATED TOO LONG AND DIDN'T GET THE FULL CHAPTER DONE SO WE'RE DOING A PROLOGUE. K? K.)
Summary: Cast out of Olympus with the task to find his one true love, Aphrodite is certain his match will come to him. But as the years drag on, what happens when the God of Love, gives up?
Days in a flower shop in the middle of a decent sized town can pass by fast or slow. There can be days with what feels like hundreds of orders coming through the tiny store, and then there are the days where the employees just wind up looking at their phones the whole time and not one soul passes through the door.
But on special days, all it takes is one person to walk through those doors and everything changes.
This is a story of one of those days.
--
Tuesdays could seriously go fuck off for all you cared. This particular Tuesday was proving to be a test on every ounce of your patience and every single time you heard that door bell ring as the gates of hell opened, your shoulders sagged a little more. Something about their flowers wasn’t right. The blue wasn’t like the sky but like the sea and that’s an issue. The flowers look wilted. Always something.
But, like you did every day you turned to the customer and gave them a huge smile, ready to help them with whatever they needed. Even if it meant losing your sanity little by little.
The day passed this way, going on and the clock didn’t seem to be moving at your desired pace. So, you sat on the chair behind the desk at the front and gazed out the window.
It was a warmer spring day.
The trees were budding and life was returning after a long winter. You loved this time of the year. Everything becoming new again, alive and welcoming. But, it also means more work for you. It’s never been a problem, but this past year has been particularly hard.
Your younger sister passed away.
She’d been fighting a long illness, one with a poor prognosis. At a young age you and Sana were placed in the foster system, living with a decent enough upbringing. The foster parents were never mean or cruel, but they weren’t your parents. Whom you barely remembered now. So when you turned eighteen you asked if you could become her legal guardian. Your foster parents had agreed, wishing you and her the best of luck...
But luck had never been on you or your sister’s side.
Her illness started to rapidly progress, causing more and more doctor’s visits and more money being pulled from your measly savings. It wasn’t enough. You were having to take out loans and everything just to keep the lights on in your apartment.
Sana, however, kept her spirits high no matter the situation. She was the positive one. The bright one that everyone gravitated towards in school. She was your light. And now your life is duller. Your sister loved to go through the streets in her wheelchair, looking at the budding leaves and flowers that were growing on the trees.
“Look Y/N!” she’d squeak. “They’re so beautiful. I want to open a flower shop, and I’m going to sell the most beautiful flowers to people.”
As her birthday present you decided to open the flower shop.
It was her last one.
Looking out at the spring blooming in front of you it was hard to be happy, knowing how much your sweet Sana would’ve loved it. Life often wasn’t fair, but you hadn’t expected it to be so. You weren’t a bad person, but bad things had happened. But you were alive, and had a life to keep living.
As much as the flower shop was Sana’s dream, you couldn’t sell it when she died. It had become your safe haven. A little place to call your own. Even if it was Sana’s dream, you had made it real. Real enough for the both of you, and now you gotta keep it going. Even if the loan to open it made your wallet want to cry, it was enough. Plenty.
Because it was yours.
A single tear fell down your cheek as you thought of your beloved sister, and her cute cheeks and beautiful eyes that never held an ounce of fear or regret. A few petals fell from the blossoming tree outside in the wind and fell to the ground in a swirl of pastel hues that made you smile.
More tears moved down your cheeks and you wiped them away in frustration. She wouldn’t want you to be upset, she’d want you to be happy and to continue with your life. Keep going and make something of yourself.
Sana used to say that you were always Y/N the big sister and never just... Y/N. And you knew it was true. You were supposed to take care of her, but now that she’s gone... T-There was no one to care for but yourself.
You’d have to be enough.
Suddenly, the bell above your door ran proudly, making your teary eyes refocus on the person entering the store. Those tears were quickly replaced with a look of wonder.
A man walked through the door, head held high and his eyes scanned the area like he was inspecting it. Wiping your already sweaty palms on your apron you approached him with a gentle smile.
“Welcome to Sana’s flowers, how can I assist you?” you asked, coming towards him. The man took in your appearance and a calm expression steeled over his face.
“Hi, are you Sana?” he asked, referring to the name.
“No, Sana was my sister,” you said, swallowing hard. The man seemed to understand.
“I apologize, I didn’t mean to impose,” he said, bowing lightly.
“You’re fine, no worries. How can I help you?” you asked, looking at his apparel.
He was dressed in a fine suit, tailored to his every inch, must’ve been expensive as hell. You could probably open a whole new section of your shop with the money he was dripping in.
You weren’t known for having an upper class clientele, not that the occasional businessman came in and asked for a bouquet of your finest flowers. Sometimes two... Shaking your head you focused on the man in front of you as best as you could. But, his features were so striking it was hard to keep your eyes from wander...
“Park Jimin,” he introduced, holding his hand out politely.
“Y/N,” you said, extending your own hand and taking his in yours. Shaking gently he gave a smile that could rival the very stars in the sky. This man was more breathtaking the longer you looked, making your palms start to sweat even more.
“A pleasure, Y/N,” he said. “I’m having an event to celebrate my family's company. It’s the 125 year of it’s business and we are looking to source from the local populace instead of corporations to provide a more intimate setting for the investors and other members of the company,” Jimin said, rambling off a lot of information for your sleep deprived brain.
“I see, so you’re looking for floral arrangements?” You asked, heading towards your book of options. Jimin followed you over, leaning towards you so close you could smell his cologne. A spicy scent that wasn’t overpowering but more... alluring? Inviting?
Shaking your head you pulled up your options of centerpieces and the like, showing him what styles you had available and Jimin paid close attention to each set. Asking questions about what flowers would look good in what vases and if they did better in foam or water.
“For events I prefer the foam personally. Less likelihood of someone knocking a vase over and water getting everywhere. But the flowers are more mobile in the water, so it’s about what you’re looking for in regards to the feel,” you said.
Jimin seemed to weigh his options for a moment. “I like the traditional styles you showed me. The simple little flowers decorating around the larger arrangements, it looks classy and provides the color I’m looking for,” he said, nodding.
Making a note you grabbed a notepad to start writing all the information down.
“So when is your event? A month, two?” You said, throwing out a few different times.
“Two weeks,” he said. You froze, swallowing hard.
“Ah, I see,” you said, biting your lip.
“Is that a problem?” He asked, looking up at your pained expression.
“It’s just, the flowers might take a minute to get here. And I arrange everything by hand, so it takes me a little longer. How many tables were you going to have and the garlands for the stairways as well?” You asked.
“Well as for tables I have 150 dinner tables, 50 cocktail tables and 8 large banquet tables. There are two main stairwells that wrap around to the main area so there will be about 400ft worth of garland necessary,” he calculated slowly.
“Okay,” you said, rubbing your temples slowly.
“How many people do you have on your payroll?” He asked, looking around and noticing the empty space.
“Just me. My friend Namjoon likes to come and help sometimes but he’s a full time nurse so,” you shrugged.
“Would you be able to do this in two weeks with just by yourself?” He asked, raising a brow.
“I can always try,” you said, giving a gentle smile.
“How much would it cost?” He asked.
“Depends on the flowers you want, you already picked the style so one second,” you said, grabbing your calculator and running the numbers really quick. “I can do expedited shipping on the flowers to get them here faster but then you run the risk of stems getting broken and not having enough. But I can order more to compensate but then that’s more money,” you said.
Finally you had a total and you frowned.
“It would be around $2,156 if we did the expedited shipping and ordered more flowers to compensate for the potential broken ones,” you said, biting your lip. That was a lot of money to spend on flowers for a simple dinner event. You knew it, but with everything he wanted and the time frame it was the best you could do... You didn’t even charge him for the probability of Namjoon helping. Because then it would jump up to the 3,000 dollar mark and you weren’t going to push your luck.
After a few moments, Jimin pulled out his checkbook and started writing the check out. Your eyes bulged when he pushed the piece of paper towards you, his pen clicking with a sense of finality.
“What kind of flowers should we get?” He said, a smile on his face. You looked down and almost flung the check right back at him.
$5,500
This man had just dropped over five thousand dollars without blinking.
“Th-This is too much,” you said, trying to push it back towards him.
“You charged me for base flowers, and it’s super short notice. Take the extra as a tip,” he smiled.
“I-I can’t accept over two thousand dollars as a tip. If I get audited I’ll be screwed,” you said.
“No you won’t, it’ll be fine. Please, take it,” he encouraged, placing the check back in front of you.
You swallowed thickly, trying to keep yourself from panicking. You did have a large loan payment coming up, and this would lessen that blow significantly...
But wasn’t it wrong?
“Alright...” you trailed off, taking the check and stamping it before putting it in your deposit bag.
“What type of flowers do you recommend using?” He asked, looking at you with a gentle gleam in his bright eyes.
“Peonies and hydrangeas are a great combo with complementary color palettes. I always love doing grass pieces as a nice natural moment but, baby's breath is a classic and more traditional if that’s what you’re looking for,” you said.
“Can we do the soft blue hydrangeas and white peonies?” He asked, looking at the sample photos you had.
“Yes, the white peonies would bring a nice fullness and the hydrangeas can add the color,” you explained.
“Perfect, let’s do that then,” he said, nodding.
“Okay! I’ll get the order to go in and get the expedited shipping and we should get them by the end of the week. They’ll go into the fridge and that should help keep them fresh,” you said.
“Here.”
You turned around to see a small card placed on the table in front of you.
“What’s this?” You asked, lifting the small thing to your eyes.
“My number,” he said, grinning. “Message me when the flowers come in.”
“O-Okay, absolutely!”
Jimin smiled then, a bright dazzle expression that had your mouth drying in longing.
“I look forward to hearing from you, Y/N,” he said.
“I look forward to it as well, Mr. Park,” you said politely. Jimin tutted and shook his head.
“No, Jimin will do just fine. Have a great day Y/N,” he waved, turning on his heel and heading out the door.
You looked at the numbers and sighed.
God you were so fucked.
“So, let me get this straight,” Namjoon said over the phone. “Hot guy in a suit comes in and orders a fuck ton of flowers you know you can’t do yourself and you agree because he dropped an extra few grand in the check? Y/N! You can’t do that, I’ll only be able to help you arrange the bouquets the day of. So you’ll have to put them all together yourself! When will you sleep? Eat? Poop!?!” He yelped.
“Firstly, my bowel movements are none of your concern,” you stated. “And second of all, I can’t refuse that kind of money! The next loan payment is going to fuck me over if I don’t have this padding. Please Joonie, tell me you can help me at least the night before,” you pleaded.
“I really can't Y/N, I’m working night rotation. So, I could maybe stop by in the morning but then the flowers have to sit longer,” he reasoned.
“Yeah I know... Can you switch?” You said, a soft voice replacing your whining.
“I wish I could, but there’s hardly any staff that night as it is. And we’re all pulling hours we don’t like. I can’t ask them to do more. Poor Taehyung has already covered me this month and I would rather throw myself in front of a car than ask again,” he said.
“I’m sorry. I know you’re busy and I’m desperate, but... I’ll figure it out,” you said, rubbing your face in exhaustion.
“What kind of asshat doesn’t come in until last minute to order a huge ass amount of floral arrangements?” Namjoon asked.
“An asshat named Park Jimin apparently,” you said, twisting the stem of a flower in front of you.
“You-You mean the Park Jimin?” Namjoon stuttered.
“I don’t know how many of them there are, Namjoon. I just know what this one looked like,” you said.
“Doesn’t he have like, neon pink hair or something?” He asked.
“Um, no? It was blonde-ish when he was in here,” you said.
“Plump lips?”
“Yeah?”
“Eyes that command the panties of women to drop?” He asked.
“Sir, my panties stayed firmly in place so I don’t know what the fuck you’re on about,” you huffed.
“For now, Y/N, for now. Anyways,” he said dismissively. “If this is the Park Jimin we’re talking about you need to be very careful.”
“What? What are you talking about,” you whispered.
“He’s like a sex God or something. He’s got game better than Jordan, okay? But he never commits to anyone,” he said, seriously.
You rolled your eyes, even though the man couldn’t see you.
“My heart isn’t in danger here, Namjoon. We’ll be fine. I can handle an attractive businessman,” you said.
“Yeah, but can your cum thirsty twat handle it?”
“Sir, I’m gonna hang up,” you warned.
“As a nurse I demand to know the last time you got laid,” he said. “It’s for you health of course.”
“That should be a HIPPA violation,” you complained.
“Yeah, not a friendship violation though. Tell me when was the last time you were left boneless between the sheets my guy,” he said.
“I don’t see how this has to do with floral arrangements,” you sighed. “But since your bitch ass needs to know it was about a year ago.”
“Well, maybe it is time to get back in the ring,” he reasoned.
“Namjoon, there’s no need to get me a suitor. You’re not my dad trying to get another cow on the farm or something,” you joked.
“Do you think Park Jimin would give me a cow if I gave him you?” He asked, sounding too serious for your liking.
“I’m really gonna hang up now,” you said, pulling your phone away from your face.
“Just, be safe Y/N! Don’t work too hard, I love you!” You heard screamed from the receiver.
“Yeah love you too Joonbug,” you said, hanging up and looking at the clock. The numbers glared back at you like they were judging you for being up this late. But you simply shrugged and went and took a much needed shower.
That man had you sweating like a sinner in church.
As you bathed you tried to think of your next plan of attack, but the water was too warm and soon you found yourself relaxing into the stream happily. Once you were done you cracked open a can of beer and sat down in your living room ready to start the night right, when a message floated across your screen.
Joonbug: IS THIS THE CULPRIT?!? Jpg.1013
You stared at the screen with an unamused face, but picked up your device anyway. Namjoon had sent you the picture and you could tell the fucker picked the first one off of google images like the lame hoe he was, but you looked regardless.
And, surprisingly, it was him.
The cherubic cheeks and wide smile, bright eyes and an alluring body. You sighed and texted him back.
Y/N: Yea, that’s him.
Joonbug: OH REAAALLLLYYYY???
Y/N: I hate you so much.
Joonbug: You can’t resist. THIS.
Y/N: I’ve resisted your rat poison for years, I think I got it.
Joonbug: EXcUSE MEEEE??? I am at least some kind of like, sexy poison???
Y/N: I’m dying either way, why do I care if it’s sexy or not?
Joonbug: :((((((
You left the conversation at that, but your mind began to wander. How were you going to finish this order and not embarrass yourself in front of a multimillionaire?
Maybe you bit off more than you can chew...
176 notes · View notes
dontworrysunflower · 3 years
Text
Merry Fucking Christmas | h.s.
a/n: i’m baaaaccckk!! lol idk it took me a while to finish this and i was gonna have it finished before christmas but then i was exposed to covid so i was little paranoid but anyway (i’m good tho). merry christmas and happy holidays!! i know this years been hard but hopefully we can make it a little better :)
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warnings: drinking, angst?? idk not proof read word vomit, some language too
word count: 3.1k
also thank you @watchmegetobsessed !!
feedback/reblogs appreciated
You knew the holidays this year were going to be difficult. You procrastinated on getting gifts for your friends. Your work seemed to pile up on your desk since you got your promotion. You weren’t able to fly back home, and you still had some thanksgiving weight you weren’t able to put off.
Oh yeah, another thing. Harry was still with his girlfriend.
You met Katy, Harry’s girlfriend, at his birthday party in February. She was the epitome of ‘his type’. She had bleach blonde extensions and the bluest eyes you've ever seen. She was tall and really, really loud.
Since then, she’s all he ever talked about when they weren’t together, but when they were in the same room, boy did you want to gag.
You thought they would last maybe three to four months, you were so sure, you bet with some of your other friends.
Needless to say, you lost quite a lot of money.
You tried not to let it bother you, really. But it was so hard when Harry is the literal sweetest person you’ve met, had the voice of an angel and wasn’t bad to look at.
You felt you were the closest with Harry when you moved to London. He made you feel welcome in your little friends group. There was a little flirting game between the two of you that you didn’t even notice until one of your friends brought it up.
“Oh c’mon, it’s so obvious you like each other.” Margot slurred, her second glass clinking against the table as she finished every drop.
“What?” You asked, baffled. Your eyes were wide and your face started to heat up. “He doesn’t like me.”
“But you like him?” Ava, a friend from work, smirked at you.
You stumbled on your words, wiping at the condensation on your glass.
But since he was in a relationship now, you felt almost icky around him. You felt so uncomfortable around him that you did whatever you could to not be in the same room as him.
You were ready for the holidays, you thought. It would give you a break from constantly thinking about him being so busy with your family back in your hometown.
You should’ve known London weather wouldn’t be in your favor. It rained constantly everyday and the fog seemed to get closer to the ground every other day. The weather was getting so bad that you started working from home, the roads too wet and icy to drive on. So honestly, you weren’t that surprised when airports closed due to the weather, meaning you had to spend Christmas in London.
With Harry.
The day after flights were cancelled Harry texted on your group chat saying he could host a dinner and party on Christmas eve and everyone was invited. You watched texts from your other friends flood in, some excited vulgar words were thrown in there as well.
You never responded. Not only because you still felt weird around him for having this massive crush on him, but because things haven’t really been the same between you two.
You can’t remember the last time you had a full on conversation with him before you had to excuse yourself because you couldn’t take the ache in your chest when you were around him, and he wasn’t yours. You can’t remember the last joke he ever told you or when you went out for lunch or drinks when it was only the two of you. You were sure he noticed how weird you were around him, but never said anything, so you let it be.
As the day neared, your mind would change on whether you were going or not. You didn’t want to seem bitchy and cold on what was supposed to be the happiest and cheerful day of the year, so you thought you would go. You thought of every reason you shouldn’t go that had nothing to do with Harry, but you knew you wouldn’t be able to handle seeing him cozy up with his very serious girlfriend.
But there would be alcohol, so you decided to go.
•••
Hey (y/n)! Think you come over early and help me set up for tomorrow? H xx
You stared at the text for what seemed like hours, but it was only a couple seconds. Before you could even register what your fingers were doing, you tied up a quick message and hit send before you could stop yourself.
Of course!! See you tomorrow!
You hated yourself for the rest of the day. Why would you do this to yourself? You could barely be in the same room as him and some other friends. How would you survive being alone before the party started?
•••
The butterflies in your stomach have not been able to settle since you woke up Christmas Eve morning. Just the thought of seeing him made you nervous. You almost didn’t get out of bed that morning. But you pat yourself on the back when your feet finally hit your wooden flooring and moved on with your day.
Your shoulders hung low beside you as the time to meet up grew closer, the sun lowering behind you, Christmas lights and inflatable decorations coming to life as stars dotted the sky.
You sighed heavily as you styled your hair and naturally did your makeup.
You slid on your silky, tight dress and grabbed your coat and quickly made your way to your car to get away from the bitter cold.
You rubbed your hands together, blowing into them to regain some feeling before turning the key into the ignition, quickly turning the heater on, Mariah Carey blasting through your speakers.
You were about to pull out of your driveway, mumbling along to Mariah’s notes when you realized you forgot the gifts.
•••
Your shoulders were hunched up as you knocked on the white door, your foot tapping against the brick stairs of Harry’s house as you waited for him to open it in the freezing cold.
You could hear shuffling from the other side and watched the doorknob wiggle, Harry having trouble with his lock since June and still hasn’t had anyone fix it.
The door swings open to reveal Harry in his glory, brown corduroy pants and an ugly Christmas sweater under an apron that’s tied around his slender waist that you’ve always been jealous of.
“Hey, sorry, come on in.” Harry said to you before moving out of the way, a bowl nestled between his side and his arm.
You mumbled a quiet thank you before stepping in, your cheeks reddening at the warmth enveloping you as you walked through the foyer of his home.
“Mm,” he hummed as he remembered something. He puts down the bowl he had on his white kitchen counter and waddles over to you, a small curve on his lips as he wrapped his arms around you. “Merry Christmas, love.”
You hate that nickname. But you don’t. You hate the butterflies that flutter in your stomach when he says that word. You hate the goosebumps it causes you and the hairs sticking up on your neck when he says the one thing you feel too harshly for him. And you hate how much he doesn’t feel it back.
“Merry Christmas, Harry.” You mumbled into his neck, his cologne flooding your senses bringing you comfort.
He doesn’t let go of you yet, but he backs up just a little to see you. “You look gorgeous, (y/n).”
The air gets stuck in your lungs and you almost forgot how to formulate words. You hoped Harry thought the pigment on your cheeks would be from the cold because it totally was. Before it was obvious how his words affected you, you stuttered out a few words. “Thank you, you look nice too.”
He chuckled at you, the breath passing his lips hitting your neck, a tingle passing through your spine. “You don’t have to lie, darling.” He squeezed you one last time before letting you go, your body instantly becoming colder as he backed away.
There's a low hum of Christmas music playing in his surround sound system, a tall tree tucked in a corner between his burning fireplace and window looking out onto the street.
You turn your attention back to Harry as he speaks up again, his famous dimples puncturing his cheeks. “Thanks fo’ comin’ early to help me out.”
You rolled your coat off your shoulders and hung by the door, walking up to him as he moved around the kitchen. “Oh yeah, it’s no problem. Not like I had anything else to do.”
He gave you a small sympathetic smile before throwing a tray full of greens into the oven. “I’m sorry you couldn’t go see your family.”
You shrug as you run your finger on the edge of his marble counter. “It’s alright, nothing I can do much anyway.” You perk up when you remember what you’re doing here so early in the first place. “Guess that’s why I’m here, no? What can I help you with?” Your heels click as you move around the counter closer to him.
“Nope.” His lips puckered as he pushed you back to where you were standing. “Just stand there and talk to me. Wine?”
Your brows furrowed in confusion as you blindly nod, watching him uncork a bottle of Moscato. Your favorite.
He hands you a glass of the sparkling wine before turning back around to the dishes, prepping food of all kinds for everyone and most importantly; eggnog.
“But, you said you needed my help.”
He chuckled nervously, his cheeks reddening. From your comment or from the wine? You weren’t going to get your hopes up. “I just need some company before the party. Just stand there and look pretty.”
You try your hardest ignore the blush on your cheeks. You twirl the wine glass from the neck, watching the liquid swirl around in the depths of the glass. “What about Katy?”
He sighs deeply, opening the oven to check on the food. “We’ve been kind of fighting lately.”
You did your best to stop the grin from forming on your lips, hoping he did notice your sudden burst at the new information. They are still together, so you can’t act on anything. “I’m sorry. Can I ask what’s going on?”
He shrugs. “I don’t know really. Anything and everything. Every little thing I do annoys her and anything she does annoys me. It just wasn’t the same.”
“Is she coming?” You ask before you can think about it.
He shrugs again, shoulders hanging more than usual. “I don’t think so. She said she was staying home since she can‘t fly back to her family either.”
A silence hangs between the two of you when neither of you said anything, not really sure of what needs to be said next.
“I don’t think I feel the same way for her as I did in the beginning.” Harry mumbled, arms crossed over his chest as his hip leaning against the counter, his usually bright eyes a little darker, a little sadder.
You walk up to him and lay your hand on his shoulder, giving him a small smile. “It’s not my business but, if you really feel that way, you shouldn’t lead her on, it’ll only hurt both of you.”
Harry looks down at the floor as he nods. “Thanks, love.”
There’s a wave of silence between you again as he raises his head to look at you. You almost felt small under his gaze. Something about his crystal green eyes always made you nervous. You were scared he could see what you were really thinking.
And you also swear his eyes fell to your lips.
•••
The dinner party was in full swing now, people’s laughter bleeding in with the loud Christmas music playing around the house. Some people were dancing in front of the fireplace, drinks being refilled every once in a while.
You were standing by the counter with your friends, Margot and Ava, chatting and drinking your eggnog instead of the wine you had before the party started. You had completely forgotten about the wonderful man hosting this party, the conversation you had earlier with him slipping your mind as the drink in your hand lowered to the bottom of the glass, intoxicating your thoughts.
Even though you offered to help, Harry didn’t let you help with the rest of dinner before everyone came over, so now the food still wasn’t ready as people flooded in. You heard him say something about potatoes and that was as much as you knew of the food preparation and when you would be able to eat.
The music is lowered a bit and then a clicking sound was heard, everyone turning their heads towards Harry, who clinked a fork against his glass. “Dinner is ready!”
Everyone cheered and started making their way towards the dining room. Most people had already filtered towards the next room when a knock on the front door was heard.
You turned your head as Harry twisted the knob. You were sure Harry's face mimicked yours when you saw who was standing at the doorway.
There stood Katy, hair newly bleached and a little overdressed.
She wasted no time in wrapping her arms around him, her plump lips repeatedly marking his face with the bright lipstick.
“Oh god,” you waltzed over towards Ava, who was pouring herself a new glass of eggnog. “pass me the eggnog, I can’t stand this sober.” You pushed her over slightly and grabbed the handle of the ladle she was using, filling up your cup almost to the brim.
Ava looked at you in curiosity at your sudden change, carefully looking over at the lovely couple still by the door. “Wait, I thought you told me they were fighting.” She whispered beside you, eyes widening as she watched you gulp down some of the eggnog you just served yourself to give yourself some more.
“Guess fucking not.” You were much less sober now, on the brink of tipsy and drunk. Your words slurred, eyelids heavy, vision blurry. “Let’s go fucking eat.” You dragged Ava by the wrist towards the commotion in the dining room, almost, but not quite forgetting about the couple behind you.
•••
You’ve had four glasses of eggnog. Or was it five? But now, you stand in front of the bowl, pouring some into your glass again, making it six.
“Don’t you think you’ve had enough?” You hear his sultry voice behind you, his tone a little sassy and annoyed, but you didn’t care.
“What are you gonna do about it?” You slurred, turning around to face him. His pink lips were turned down in a frown, his eyebrows furrowed in frustration, his buff arms that were constricted in his sweater cross in front of his chest. “Gonna go kiss your girlfriend some more?” You stumbled on your feet, your drink almost spilling over the rim.
“What does that have to do with anything?” His face changed from annoyance to confusion. His thumb twisting the ring on his other finger nervously.
You open your mouth to retaliate, but even in this drunk state you knew not to say anything. You chug the creamy drink, keeping eye contact with him, watching his face change again. You didn’t care.
He obviously didn’t care either.
You sighed dramatically as you finished the drink. “Merry fucking Christmas.”
•••
You had sobered up quite a bit after your little encounter with Harry, mainly because there was no eggnog left.
You realized it was for the better though, so you made your way back into the kitchen, doing your best to not stumble or bump against anything as you grabbed an empty cup to fill with water.
“I am really sorry.” You knew his voice anywhere. But it wasn’t his usual chirpy, charming voice he had that always soothed you, it sounded more sad and somber.
“On Christmas? Out of any day you chose today?” Katy sniffled, voice wobbly and hurt.
“I know but, you know we can’t go on any longer, we’ll just hurt each other more.”
“I think I'm going to head out.”
You don’t hear Harry say anything back, but the sound of the door clicking open catches your attention and you almost turn around to watch.
“I just have one question.” Katy said weakly.
You walked away before you could hear anything else.
•••
Even though you were still a little upset at Harry (For what? You weren’t sure anymore), you stayed behind as everyone left to help him clean up before you head home.
You were putting things back in his refrigerator when you heard the front door close, the light chatter and drunken goodbyes silenced by the wooden door.
You kept your back towards the door, suddenly nervous of the words that would be spoken between the two of you.
“(y/n), can we talk?” Harry’s voice was low and sultry, your knees almost gave out.
“I should um-I should get going. It’s late.” You hurry around him to grab your things and for the door, but he holds your wrist.
“Please?” He sounded desperate, and for the first time in what felt like days you looked up into his emerald eyes. There was that desperate look in his eyes, his eyebrows furrowed and lips turned down into a frown.
You sigh and nod slowly.
He lets go of your wrist and stuffed his hands in his back pockets, his pink cheeks either from the cold or from nervousness.
“I’m sorry.” He said suddenly. “I didn’t mean to get mad and I know I shouldn’t have said anything.”
Is that it?
You weren’t going to lie, you thought he would profess his love to you or something.
“I um- I also,” he swallows and takes your hand, his rings cold to the touch. “I broke up with Katy.”
Your mouth opened for words to come out but nothing ever left your lips.
“Do you want to know the real reason why Katy and I were fighting?”
You’re still speechless, scared of the answer, even though you have an idea of what he'll say.
“I’ve always liked you, (y/n).” His shoulders rise in a deep breath. “I guess, I don’t know, I thought if I started seeing someone else it would it easier but, not being with you this past year has been hell and I know I haven’t made it any easier with being with Katy but—”
Your lips crash on his, your arms wrapping his neck, your fingers immediately tangling in his brown locks.
He stumbles back in shock but grabs at your hips, bringing you closer to his chest.
His pink lips press against yours, the corners slowly turning up into a smile, breaking your kiss.
“Merry fucking Christmas to me.”
•••
Taglist:
@samaratheweirdo @sarcasticallywitty15
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403 notes · View notes
ressjeon · 3 years
Text
ghost of you | jhs
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pairing: jung hoseok x female reader
summary: he keeps begging you to go, but you insist on staying
genre: childhood best friend!au, angst, slow burn, drama, little bit of fluff
warnings: implied smut (brief affair), swearing, alcohol consumption
word count: 12k (whoops more than planned)
a/n: so this is my very first full fic whew. there’s been last minute changes so I procrastinated but do listen to the song of the same title by 5 Seconds of Summer while reading this :)
and since this is VERY late from his birthday i just decided to submit it to @houseofddaeng​​’s Happy Hobiuary event this year and i chose a comeback look with my favourite hair colour on him, this was from the Euphoria MV ❤️
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Clearing your throat, you got the attention of everyone at the table. Now all eyes on you, you feel your confidence starting to falter. Who fucking cares, this monthly dinner with Hoseok's family is the best time for this.
"Um..so me and Hobi were thinking.." you eyed Hoseok beside you to help you continue explaining what you both have been planning for weeks.
"Y/N and I are thinking of getting a house together" Hoseok smiled back at you and you flushed.
"You wanna live together! Omg my ship is sailing!" Hoseok's sister Jiwoo is squealing while poking your sides. You just glared at her, eyeing her to stop just in case Hoseok catches on.
"N-no, not like that, we'll share a house near our campus" you clarified but the knowing look from your Mom is making you nervous, she can always read you. "Yeah, cause the dorms in uni are separated but we don't want to live apart" Hoseok chimed in cheerfully, putting an arm around your shoulder.
"Well then, of course. Who are we to stop you both" Hoseok's Dad smiled at you both and you felt his Mom's teasing eyes when you nuzzled into Hoseok's side. Your parents have not said anything and you contemplated asking, now anxiously holding Hoseok's hand beside you. His parents looked at yours hopefully and then your Dad finally decided to face you both.
"You both are now adults so do whatever you want" a look of surprise etched up on your face and you resisted to smile broadly, maintaining your cool exterior when you're actually screaming inside of happiness.
You can't help but think that this could possibly help you develop your relationship with Hoseok on another level.
.
After settling down, things are going well with you and Hoseok welcoming freshman year of university together. You're just glad that he never changed despite him gaining more friends because of his bright personality.
Meanwhile, you're the opposite. Literally people avoid you when they see you or seem hesitant every time you make a conversation which is bs so you eventually give up on making new friends. Hoseok once told you that you have this “hostile” aura, though he tried to convince you to still try but you don’t care anymore. Him has always been enough.
Most people wonder how you and Hoseok are best friends because of how opposite the two of you are. There is one thing that you and Hoseok share a hobby though, dancing. Which is why after the house was purchased, you both decided to transform the basement into a mini dance studio, it’s literally just a room with full wall mirrors and of course, only his family supported the idea.
"We'll pay you back after we graduate, promise!" you giggled excitedly, both of your hands clasping together, thanking Hoseok’s parents for being supportive. Finally you can dance freely now that you are out of your parents' lair, they were never supportive of you venturing in the arts anyways.
Though you haven't actually delved into dancing fully, Hoseok knows how good you are since every time he sees you secretly practicing, he always gets mesmerized with your moves. You've never taken any dance lessons and yet you're already this good, a natural hence why Hoseok decided that he’s gonna help you in going back to it fully this time.
"Let's choreograph a dance together" Hoseok beamed at you while you both are eating breakfast one morning.
"Wait what? Why all of a sudden?" you pouted, looking at him in confusion. Though his idea is amazing, you're not sure if you're good enough compared to Hoseok. He's dancing skills are out of this world with years of professional experience and you're just, well, you who only dances for fun.
"Why not? Y/N you're naturally talented you know, I don't know why you can't see it" Hoseok smiled warmly at you and reached out to hold your hand across the countertop. You almost choked with your toast when you looked at his eyes so you covered it with a cough.
"Pshh fine, be patient with me okay? I'm not as good as you" you jokingly glared at him, snatching back your hand. You hope that the shade of the morning sunlight is covering your blush cause you definitely felt your cheeks heating up.
Yeah you have feelings for him. Yeah you love him, so what? It's not like you can stop yourself in developing them. You tried but with a guy like Hoseok, that's impossible. Though you've been planning to confess, you just don't have the perfect timing yet.
.
After a few weeks, you are planning to confess to Hoseok tonight so you texted him to meet at your favorite restaurant at 8pm. You said it's your treat so he promised to be there, I mean he never breaks his promises anyways.
You're feeling jumpy for the first time, well it's different since it's Hoseok. After years of keeping your feelings, you're finally ready to tell him. Funny how brave you are in everything else except for this one, you smiled to yourself. You were early at the restaurant and laughed at yourself. Okay maybe you're too excited on what's going to happen tonight. Minutes passed after 8 and he still hasn't come so you readied yourself while waiting for him.
He's late, I mean you shouldn't be panicking since it's only been a couple of minutes but you can't help getting worried so you texted him. You mentally giggled, adoring the cute nickname you have for him that you only change when you’re alone. You always set it back to “Hoseok” afterwards in case he calls you in public, especially at uni.
[Hobi loml <3: Hobi are you almost here?]
You didn't wanna be too pushy. One text is enough and you took a deep breath while waiting for him. The waiter stopped by but you dismissed him saying that your companion will be here any minute now.
45 minutes have passed and he's still not here. You waited for more and it’s now 9:30 so you’re agitated now.
[Hobi loml <3: Hobi? Are you still coming?]
When you didn't get a reply, you smiled bitterly and just asked the same waiter to take out the food you ordered. He looked at you sympathetically but good thing he didn't say anything.
Arriving at your shared home, you noticed that the lights were off. So he’s not even home, where tf could he possibly be at this hour. Just when you were about to call him, you received a text from Hoseok but a guy named Jimin is  telling you that Hoseok is with them and that he would be staying the night at the boys’ dormitory.
So not only he forgot the formal dinner you prepared but he stood you up,  basically ditching you to be with his new friends. He broke his promise..
You’re wondering if this is only the beginning of him breaking his promises to you.
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A few months after that night, you notice that there’s something changing in Hoseok. You barely see him anymore since he spends a lot of time now with his other friends, but at least he still comes home at night and treats you the same. You’ve been waiting for a perfect time but you don’t want to delay your confession any longer so you decided to corner him one night after dinner. 
“Hoseok, can we talk?” you muttered and he eyed you curiously. 
“About what? And why are you fidgeting?” he coaxes you on, raising his eyebrows.
You straightened yourself and reached out to hold both of his hands, clutching them tightly.
Then staring into his eyes, you poured all your emotions on them as you declared what’s been deep down your heart for so many years.
“I like you, Hoseok” you smiled lovingly at him while his eyes widened in complete shock. His silence along with puzzled eyes looking back at you is making your heartbeat faster every second of him not doing anything.
“Y/N..” his voice came out unsure, I mean his face gave it all so now you’re very nervous.He probably thinks you’re just playing around and you’re getting restless.
“Hoseok, I’m serious okay?” you try to sound determined though your confidence is slowly dissipating. 
Back in silence, you can tell he’s been trying to be careful with his words, maybe to try not to hurt you. God if he rejects you-
“I don’t know what to say, uhm..thanks?” if this is in another situation you would’ve thought how adorable he is scratching the back of his head.
Hoseok doesn’t know how to respond to you. He knows you’re usually upfront in most things but he didn’t expect this from you. He’s literally clueless on what to say but you’re his best friend so he trusts you. 
What the hell got into you to think that a confession would be so simple. Well, you just decided to break the usual “I’ve been in love with my best friend for so long but I don’t want to ruin our friendship” thing. Not that there’s wrong with that, it’s very hard for some people to do so. So here you are, just finished confessing your feelings to your best friend and for the first time you’re nervous around him.
“Was I supposed to say ‘you’re welcome’?” you huffed, trying to act dismissive. “So what’s your answer? Again I told you I wasn’t joking, I like you Hoseok”. He gulped, you only use his real name when you’re very serious but he literally thought you were trying to prank him earlier or something. 
“Uhm, can you give me some time?” he looks at you with hopeful eyes. 
Fuck. You’re making him uncomfortable. Fuck.
“Shit, Hobi I’m sorry I didn’t mean to-” he cuts you off before you can even continue. 
“No, no, it’s not that.. It’s just-” he paused and breathed deeply, gathering his thoughts.
“I totally understand if-” you’re already panicking given that you're now speaking faster than usual.
“I’m not really sure how to be in a relationship, there.” He blurted, letting out a deep sigh that made you pause. You didn’t expect he would be just honest about the real reason at the moment so you smiled at him.
“It’s okay Hobi, we can take it slow and-” you’re already saying too much but who cares, it’s not like he rejected you so there must be something, right?
“Look, um I can’t give you a real answer yet but I trust you so I want us to give a chance ‘kay?” his tone shifting softly while shuffling your hair, walking away outside after. 
You pouted but nodded anyways. Hoseok’s glad that he got out of the conversation smoothly, at least now he’s relieved since you’re back to calling him “Hobi”.
Honestly, he’s happy knowing about your feelings for him. Smiling brightly at the night sky outside in the backyard of your shared home, thinking how he made his ever-confident best friend nervous just for a confession.
A ding from his phone pulled him out from his reverie, 
 [Unknown: We need to talk. Answer me or else she’ll know ;)]
Hoseok already knows who this is, given that he had blocked her numbers for a while now. He just didn’t expect that she’ll go this far, even going after you now. He just hopes this would be like the other warnings that he was able to handle.
[Unknown: image.]
[Unknown: Still not gonna answer me? You have a day <3]
He couldn't move from where he’s standing, staring at his phone in shock. This couldn't be happening, despite his confusion earlier you actually made his day better (as usual) but he doesn't know if he will be for yours after this anymore. Still staring at the text, Hoseok couldn’t think straight after what he just read. He’s hoping it’s not real, praying to all the gods out there that it's not what he thinks it is. 
[Him: Fine. Let’s meet at the nearest cafe, don’t you dare do something]
[Unknown: Yay! Can’t wait to see you, good night <3]
Retreating for the night he passed by your bedroom, only to see you asleep on your desks with some unfinished homework and he smiled, you’ve always looked beautiful even when you’re sleeping. He chuckled by himself at how adorable you are, with your habit of not locking your door when you're busy.
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Waiting at the said cafe felt like eons for Hoseok. He's mostly nervous because of the texts, especially that image. Getting absorbed in his thoughts he didn't realize the pair of arms that’s latching on his shoulders from behind and he jerked in surprise. 
"Hobi! Did you miss me?" a high-pitched voice startled him and looked up sideways to see a pretty girl with an innocent looking face, ironically."Don’t call me that" he released a defeated sigh, yanking his arms from her hold. 
Ahn Sohye, the girl who’s been going after him since the start of the school year that he has been desperately avoiding. Hoseok's bracing himself to whatever craziness she has in for him this time, doing his best to focus in order to get the clarification he’s been wanting.
“Awee why that face? And what? Cause Y/N’s the only one allowed to call you that?” Sohye scoffed, a tone of jealousy in her voice. Hoseok just frowned at her and was about to leave but her expression quickly changed, a sly smile towards him with warning eyes.
“Look!” her demeanour suddenly changed as she eagerly handed him a printed picture, and time stopped immediately.
An ultrasound picture.
No. 
no,no,no,no.
“What the fuck is this?” he hissed at her, incredulous eyes now mixed with anger.
“Our little one of course” she squealed excitedly, batting her lashes at him.
“Stop fucking around with me Sohye, this isn’t funny anymore” Hoseok’s usually calm but his patience have been tested for weeks already and it’s getting worse but this one is beyond anything the girl has done before. 
“Why are you so concerned anyways?” Hoseok gave her a look and she smiled mischievously. He went silent, eyes skeptical.
“Ah, her.” she quipped, a smile not faltering and that made Hoseok uneasy. 
He’s having a hard time adjusting to everything. Is he really going to be a dad? Not that he hates kids but why does it have to be now? After you confessed? Everything’s been going well for him, for you both.
“This is the last straw Sohye, don’t you dare” Hoseok grits his teeth. You can’t find out about this. You just can’t. The memory of your saddened expression because of his lack of response suddenly flashed through his eyes. He doesn't wanna let you down any more than you already are.
“Why not? Won’t she support you? You guys are best friends after all” she mused. Yes, both you and Hoseok have been since you were little, but something definitely shifted from the platonic feelings he had for you after that night. He still wants to wait it out to be sure, but it’s definitely more than how normal friends would feel and apparently you are already feeling it way longer than him and he didn’t even ask when so now he feels way worse than before.
“You don’t understand, we-” Hoseok paused. He doesn’t want her to know, though there’s no point since Sohye seems to be getting the message already. He just didn’t want to show any signs that will confirm her suspicions. 
“It’s not mine. No way in hell that’s mine” Hoseok’s rambling to himself in distress, he doesn’t know who he’s trying to convince other than himself.
“Of course it’s yours, that party remember? 2 months ago?” she cooed at him. His eyebrows are creasing together trying to rack his memory of what party Sohye is talking about. 
“I don’t think you would remember any of it, you were very drunk” she giggled and that caused Hoseok to pale. That one party was hosted by one of Taehyung’s friends where he got so drunk that he didn’t remember anything the next day.
“No, that’s impossible. Taehyung told me I didn’t do anything rash that night”. Hoseok’s fidgeting right now. He’s usually careful, but that night his tolerance seems to get the best of him. Then he started remembering bits of pieces back...
“Hey, you’re the one who dragged me to the bed you know” she smirked, winking at him.“Why the fuck would I want you in bed with me?” he noticed his voice getting louder, as he was looking around the cafe people are already giving weird looks at their table. 
“Here, watch” her smile, still annoyingly on like all of what she’s been planning this whole time has finally come to fruition. 
A video. A fucking video taken by Sohye herself, but camera was on Hoseok only for the entire time. Of him calling her your name. Of him babbling about what he feels when you’re around. Of him letting all his emotions out in the open. He thought she was you, he was only seeing you when he’s drunk.
He’s speechless. He can’t think of what to respond to that one now. Sure the pictures can easily be dismissed but this video, this damn video is making him more helpless than he’s ever been already.
“So you see Hoseok, you can’t run away from me now” still frozen in his place he didn’t even swat her hand that she put them on top of him.
.
Meanwhile, you were just outside the cafe witnessing all of these happening. It’s not like you followed him here, you just happened to pass by since you’re going for groceries which is on the next block. 
You know your best friend from the back of your hand. You can recognize him anywhere since you both have been inseparable ever since. So when you noticed his figure inside the cafe with someone, your heart clenched. 
“Is he on a date?” you murmured to yourself. Is he? But why? You just confessed last night didn’t you? Is that why he didn’t give you an answer? Cause he’s already seeing someone and just didn’t want to hurt you? You recoil at the thought of him subtly rejecting you.
Hoseok couldn’t help but look sideways through the glass wall beside him to calm down and noticed someone standing there, looking straight at him.
He instantly jerked when he recognized it’s you.
You. Standing there, facing him and Sohye but now hurriedly leaving. He yanked his hands from her hold and immediately busted out through the door, hoping to catch you.
You don’t know why you started walking faster the moment he looked back at you from inside the cafe. Why the fuck were you even so obvious? He must think you’ve been spying on him or something.
“Y/N!” his voice is so loud calling you, but agitated. Hoseok doesn’t know why he suddenly has an urge to explain to you. To explain that what you saw was nothing to worry about.
You were fiddling your phone, pretending to look for something online when you felt his hand on your shoulder. Composing yourself, you faced him with a “surprise” look.
“Hobi, hi! I was going to get some groceries, do you want something specific?” you’ve put up a great acting which made Hoseok wonder if he was only imagining what he saw earlier. 
“Uh, just buy my usual favorites hehe” his voice full of uncertainty. So he did really see you earlier lurking at him and his date. And Hoseok being Hoseok, didn’t confront you about it.
“Hobi! Wait for me” a woman’s voice suddenly interrupted you both and Hoseok paled as soon as he saw Sohye walking towards you both.
Please not now, please not yet-
“Oh you’re with someone” you’re trying to keep your voice neutral despite wanting to scream in frustration at the moment. You’re not gonna cry, you were never a crier anyways. No fucking way you’ll cry in front of Hoseok and his date. 
You feel betrayed, even if Hoseok doesn’t owe you anything. It’s not like he answered you, did he? So he can do anything he wants to do, go on dates even if you already told him how you feel.
“Y-Y/N, it’s-” before Hoseok could explain the girl already gave out her hand to shake yours.
“It’s Sohye, Hoseok’s girlfriend”. She smiled at you, a knowing one. You know her of course, she’s the majority of Hoseok’s daily complaints to you since the beginning of the semester last year so now you’re really wondering how they are together now. 
You stiffened. Your expression must be wavering since Hoseok tried to reach for you but she's already clinging into his arms to stop him. 
You can’t crumble like this, you already looked pathetic from confessing to someone who’s already taken. But then it’s not like you know right? Hoseok would’ve told you the moment you confessed but he didn’t so maybe they JUST got together earlier inside?
 “Uh Hi! Nice to meet you, I’m Y/N” you’re trying your best to show your most kindest smile even though they came out strained since you’re already dying inside.“Oh I know, Hobi told me a lot of things about you” she smiled at you, a feign one you see.
“Y/N-” you decided to cut him off, clearly you’ve interrupted something very important for them.
“I’m sorry I really have to go now, see you at home later Hoseok” you didn’t even look at his eyes and just turned away without letting him respond.
Hoseok’s distressed. He just hurt you again, and your expression earlier was even worse than the last time he saw you with it. 
Stupid, stupid, stupid.
He’s a fucking coward and he knows it. He’s too nice to the point that his indecisiveness is causing the most important person of his life in pain.
“Why did you tell her that you’re my girlfriend when you’re clearly not? He barked but Sohye just laughed at him mockingly.
“Are you kidding me? You’re the father of my child so obviously you’re my boyfriend now” she retorted and Hoseok scoffed. “I’m not your fucking boyfriend and you better clarify it with Y/N”. He’s on edge right now, he knows what you’re feeling and he knows for sure that you’re mad at him.
“Anyways, I’ll update you later bye” and she kissed him on the cheek. 
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The thing is, you saw everything though. After turning around when you’re supposed to be going to the convenience store, you hid at the corner of the street. To watch them, to torture yourself even more.And when you saw Sohye left a kiss on his cheek while he’s still lost in thought, you finally left. 
Arriving at the convenience store, you pulled your hoodie up trying to cover your face as much as you can. Don’t want any strangers looking at you weirdly while shopping with tears. After grabbing necessities, you proceeded to the meat section to get pork slices since Hoseok loves bulgogi. Your tears started to fall through after staring at the couple of sliced pork packs that reminded you of when you and him were having a picnic at the park.
You remember Hoseok doing the barbecues and you just stared at him the whole time, until this day you still wonder if he knew about you ogling him before. Staring at him while he’s cooking made you realize how in love you are with this boy. Not because of his handsome face but because of how he is naturally him. How his smile always brightens you up. How his sweet and caring nature made it really hard for you to quell what you feel for him anymore.
After Sohye left, Hoseok immediately went to the convenience store and saw you at the cash register, ready to pay. He cuts you off before you give out your card, “Here, I’ll pay” with a crooked heart shaped smile directly at you. Though you noticed the simmering guilt in his eyes.
“No Hobi, you paid last time so just let me” your voice came out colder than you intended it to be that made Hoseok more guilty.
The cashier was looking at you both and snickered “So who’s going to pay? I’m all for equality and shit but just decide. You young couples are always complicated” she groaned.
Both you and Hoseok are stunned with the lady’s insinuation, well obviously you can’t believe you were still blushing so you're thankful that your face is semi-covered.
“Uh-” you were about to explain that you’re not a couple but Hoseok cut you out of it. “Me, I’m paying” he smiled at her and she offered a satisfied shrug, murmuring something about how “gentleman” Hoseok is. Why didn’t he correct her? 
Hoseok offered to carry all the bags but you insisted. He must be really feeling pity for you right now. After leaving the convenience store, you both were quiet. Way different than before where you both usually banter and throw jokes at each other when walking to home.
This awkwardness needs to end.
“So, is that why you couldn’t answer me before?” you turned to him, trying to sound bold. You just want to know the truth, since he already lied to you.
“Uh no, actually-” cutting him off of his explanation you scoffed. Listen to his explanation Y/N just listen..
“You should’ve been honest with me you know, is it really hard for you?” your voice came out weaker. Since when did you both start keeping secrets to each other? Sure you do harmless small lies but not as big as this. 
“Yes, I was and Sohye isn’t my girlfriend” his voice rising with panic. Hoseok’s feeling it again, the need to clarify things to you. Maybe because he now knows what you feel? Or maybe because he just doesn't want to hurt you even more.
“You didn’t have to lie, I saw you both at the cafe clearly on a date” you stated coldly.
“That wasn’t it, you’re misinterpreting everything” his voice went quieter, now pleading.
“It’s alright Hoseok, can we drop the subject now” you glared at him and walked faster towards your shared home. 
Hoseok just sighed defeatedly, deciding to give you space since your mind is really closed for any explanation.
.
You wonder who’s going to “cook” since you can’t cook for shit but Hoseok’s pretty good though he’s very humble about it. Now that you both are in tension with each other, you were about to offer to buy take out when he beats you out of it again.
“I’ll cook, just let me Y/N” mimicking what you said earlier to him. Entering your bedroom, you gave out a big exhale to calm down and rationalize everything.
You’re being irrational and immature about the whole situation and it’s not fair for Hoseok. The smell of bulgogi made you come out of your room to the kitchen where he was preparing early dinner for you both.
A surprised gasp came out of your mouth the moment you saw how the dining table was arranged to like that of a formal date. With the fine plates and cutleries that you even forgot where you put, the mini candle light that you gifted him from last Christmas and the vase of daisies, your favourite.
“Hobi-” you started but he put his hands up to a stop.
“No, let me explain everything please” his usually warm and happy eyes look up at you sadly.
“Okay..”
“First of all, I’m sorry okay? I know you’re hurting already but please believe me when I tell you that me and Sohye are never together. She’s not my girlfriend and I didn’t lie in any means that night.” he’s fidgeting now because of nervousness.
“Hobi, I should be the one saying sorry to you for acting like that. You didn’t deserve it” you told him, voice lacing with emotion. You really grow weak when it comes to him.
Hoseok smiled with relief at you, you never show this emotional side to other people except him. He opened his arms wide and you didn’t hesitate to accept his embrace.
You stayed like that for a while, you being way calmer now because of his embrace and him running his hands through your hair while swaying you both slowly. As if doing this wouldn’t make you forgive him or something.
“Come, let’s eat. It's getting cold and oh, I cooked your favourite. I’m also making up for the dinner I missed last time” his usual sunny demeanour is back though an apologetic smile appeared on his heart-shaped lips.
“Thank you Hobi though this is too much for an apology, I can never hate you for so long” you chuckled, playfully hitting his arms.
After your make-up dinner, the atmosphere of your shared house went back to normal and you both decided to end the night with a movie.
Cuddling with him has always been your favorite. You just love skinship in general but you would never let anyone know that. You’re only like this to Hoseok anyways.
You both are debating again about the movie when you can feel the vibrations from his phone inside his pocket.
Hoseok grimaced the moment he looked at the name appearing on his phone. He looked at you but you didn’t seem to notice his reaction.
You did. Of course you did, it’s Sohye. His reaction gave it away but you pretended to be still immersed in the movie.
“Uh, I need to take this. Be right back hehe” he ruffled your hair with a strained smile and left to go outside. Props to him for being considerate, he’s trying to protect your already broken heart. 
“What” he barked on the phone as soon as he answered Sohye’s call. 
“Don’t snap at me Hoseok, did you tell her? She’s pretty down” she mused with fake sympathy on her voice.
“Is that really the only reason why you’re calling me?” Hoseok’s annoyed. This night was supposed to be a make-up night for you both and now she’s ruining it.
"No of course not, my parents want to meet you". Hoseok's blood ran cold. Sohye's parents..does this mean?
"Hey, are you even listening?!" Sohye screeched on the phone which made Hoseok put the phone away from his ears.
"Yeah I am, what the fuck do you mean meet your parents? No way" he responded with disbelief. He couldn't even wrap his head in the fact that he got someone pregnant accidentally when he was drunk and now he's already going to meet Sohye's parents?
"You will, I told them what happened and they want to meet the father of their soon to be grandchild. End of discussion" she stated coldly.
"Sohye-" before he can even try to plead to move things slow, the line went dead already.
An exhausted sigh came out of him with the new problem he's going to face from now on. Fuck.
Looking back at the house, he saw you at the doorway looking worriedly at him so he smiled to ease you.
Something's wrong. What's happening with him and Sohye? You didn't hear anything but you saw Hoseok's reaction to whoever he's calling.
You stopped him before he could continue.
"Is everything alright? you're trying to ease the obvious distress on his face but as usual he just shrugged. 
"Yeah, don't worry it wasn't Sohye" his response seems flat and he couldn't look at your eyes so you're already suspecting that he's lying. 
You pretended you didn't notice his lies and smiled back at him saying good night and retreats to your room.
.
You definitely noticed the changes in him after that night. He looks defeated and troubled every time you see him. Is this your fault? Did your confession cause all of this? But he would’ve told you differently, no?
It’s a miracle you’re catching him eating breakfast in the kitchen since had been avoiding you. “Hey Hobi you alright?” that seemed to shake him out of his thoughts. 
“Y/N, hey you scared me” he chuckled awkwardly. 
“Hobi what’s wrong? You know you can tell me anything right? I won’t judge”. He looks at you thoughtfully though you can't quite figure out what his eyes are telling you.
“I’m fine Y/N, just busy these days. You know how serious Yoongi is in this songwriting club that we just started” disappointment crossed your features at his dismissal of your concern. Maybe he just needs space, but it’s not like you’ve been clinging to him more than usual after your confession. Everything’s normal, even better, at least for you.
Hoseok flinched when he saw your disheartened face. He’s been trying to act like nothing’s going on even though he’s been frustrated on what to do next. He’s literally helpless. He needs to let this out to Namjoon since he knows he’s rational and would know what to do in any kind of situation.
“Oh okay, just tell me when you’re ready hmm?” you hoped that sounded less disappointed of him not opening to you. He didn’t even look at you when you hollered to say goodbye for class.
He couldn't look at you since he's afraid he'll slip up. He has to settle himself first before telling you. He wouldn't want to cause you any more pain so he needs to be prepared.
.
One morning, you woke up with the silent house. Maybe Hoseok went for an early jog so you helped yourself in the kitchen where you saw the breakfast that he already prepared.
“Had to leave early, here's your breakfast! :)”  - Hobi <3
Ugh, why are you still not used to him being sweet when he was always like this? Okay maybe things just magnified once you realized your feelings for him.
You wonder where he went though. Sohye? Nah, you don't think so.You both just went back to normal so you're not going to be the reason to put you both in that awkward situation again.
You dismissed your thoughts and decided to do full house cleaning since it's the weekend. And hey, you kinda miss cleaning so-
The doorbell rang and you dropped your cleaning supplies to check. That's strange, you didn't order anything so it must be Hoseok's.
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He's nervous. Scratch that, he's fucking terrified of meeting Sohye's parents. Not only that, he lied to you again. This one just an addition to the rising amount of lies he now seems easily to do to his best friend.
"Just relax, they're gonna love you" Sohye's trying to calm him down by caressing his arms but he pulled away.
"Are you sure that's even mine? How do I fucking know for sure?" he hissed and Sohye whined.
"Would I fucking involve my parents if this isn't serious? You didn't know the shit I went through after they found out" her voice came out meekly which surprised him.
Hoseok paused. He's been too absorbed of what's happening to him to the point that he didn't even think of what Sohye is feeling for all of this.
Sure she annoyed the fuck outta him but if this baby she's carrying is actually his, then Sohye's going to be one of his responsibilities too.
"What? I- I thought they were supportive Sohye" his voice is calm compared to the usual harshness and this startled her.
"We're still in university, this pregnancy will delay my graduation so duh" she tried to be dismissive about it but Hoseok can see the subtle troubled look in her eyes.
When they reached the Ahn residence, Hoseok's heartbeat seemed to multiply even more. Sohye intertwined their hands and he didn't bother stopping her because he couldn't really think of anything right now.
Sohye’s parents welcomed them both and guided them to the living room where they’ll discuss the “future”. Hoseok couldn’t help but feel that he needs to make a good impression to Sohye’s parents otherwise.
“Hello, Mr and Mrs. Ahn I’m Jung Hoseok” Hoseok bowed and smiled though he still can’t meet their eyes with his own.
“Oh you’re so polite and warmingly charming” Mrs. Ahn mused with an endearing voice.
“So you are the one who knocked up my daughter” Mr. Ahn spat, eyes now glaring at Hoseok and he played with the scrutinizing eyes.
“Dad, can you please not scare him?” Sohye shrieked, shielding Hoseok from her father.
“She’s right sweetie, calm down hmm? Hoseok’s seem to be a good boy” Hoseok is kind of relieved that at least Mrs. Ahn is nicer to him than the latter.
“So when’s the wedding date?” 
Everyone went silent as soon as Mr. Ahn dropped the million dollar question.
Mrs. Ahn looked intently at the both of them while She's giving expectant looks to Hoseok who can’t seem to remove his gaze from the floor.
Finally after a long inhale of breath, Hoseok raised his eyes to face Mr. Ahn .
“With all due respect,”
“You ARE marrying my daughter am I correct?” Mr. Ahn cutting him off made him falter but he has to man up now. This isn’t something he can run away from anymore.
“Dad, me and Hobi still wanted to graduate,” Sohye stated. 
“But you both will have a child soon so it’s better to get married now before your graduation” Mrs. Ahn added, her demeanour now getting serious.
Hoseok’s panicking right now but he doesn’t care anymore if it looked obvious as he was trying to find alternative ways to escape this route, surely there has to be other than marriage. 
This will ruin everything that he's planned for himself and well, you. The thought of you made Hoseok winced.
You who he's already hurting
You who loves him for as long you could remember 
You who do not know about any of this
You who is-
"Hoseok!" hands tugging his arms made him come back to reality where Sohye's been trying to get his attention.
"Huh?"
"What's your answer going to be? Mr. Ahn and Hoseok gulped.
"I-um I'll marry her" his voice came out stable which surprised him. Is he really gonna be doing this? Get married? He's not even ready but how about Sohye? 
The thought of Sohye keeping their child from him if he ever refuses made him convinced himself that he's doing the right thing.
"Really? Omg that's great!" Sohye squealed along with her mother sharing the happiness with Hoseok's decision while Mr. Ahn was looking at Hoseok with knowing eyes.
"Come along" Sohye's father gestured him to their mansion's garden and now the nervousness is back on Hoseok's veins.
"Sir-"
"You don't love my daughter, I know.I can see it, I'm not blind kid"
Hoseok gasped lightly. Well he shouldn't be surprised since his expressions have always been obvious. Dammit why can't he be better in acting?
"I-yes you're right" he's been trying to calm down but he couldn't stop his legs from fidgeting.
"But you're marrying my daughter regardless" Mr. Ahn wondered.
"It's the right thing to do" he responded firmly which surprised the older man.
Silence ruled the both of them until Mrs. Ahn called in for lunch.
.
You opened your door to a mailman delivering what seems to be baby supplies. Huh?
"Uhm sorry, did you get the wrong address? the mailman stared back at you warily before showing you the receipt that displays Hoseok’s name.
“This is Mr. Jung Hoseok’s residence is it not?” you were caught off guard to the sassiness of the mailman so you grabbed the boxes he was holding.
“Yes, thank you” you offered an embarrassing smile.
“You’re welcome and congrats by the way” he replied while eyeing the boxes and immediately left.
You stood there for a while trying to process what the mailman just said. He thought you’re Hoseok’s wife or something? He thought you’re pregnant? Wait.
Baby supplies. Why would Hoseok need baby supplies?
And then it struck you, 
Sohye.
Your heart shattered with the revelation that you almost dropped the boxes. Why? Why would Hoseok lie to you again? You both just made up and now this?
He confuses tf out of you. He says he doesn’t wanna hurt you but here he is, hurting you even more each day.
Fuck, you feel pathetic. Bet your homegirls back in uni’s gonna laugh at how much you’ve become weak just because of a boy.
But he’s not just some boy, 
He’s your best friend,
And the love of your life
But lately with the lies and secrets, you’re not even sure if you know him anymore.
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The lunch with the Ahn family consisted of talking about the wedding plans, all seems to be a blur to Hoseok as he just keeps nodding to whatever they say to him.
“Hobi, honey, when do you think is the perfect date?” Sohye grasps his arm which makes him turn to her and he’s trying not to barf with the endearment she just called him because her parents are around. 
“Uh-idk I have to talk to my folks first” he replied nervously which made both Sohye’s parents focus on him.
Fuck.
“Yeah he didn’t know about it so take it easy” Sohye whined at her parents.
“And besides, I’m not even sure if that baby is mine” he added. The sudden accusatory remark towards Sohye changed the atmosphere, cold all of the sudden and Hoseok immediately regretted the words that came out from him. 
Where in the fucking world did he even get the confidence to say out loud what’s been bugging him in this situation.
“What did you just say?” Mr. Ahn growled, actually now getting angry. Sohye went rigid beside Hoseok and speechless and Mrs. Ahn let out a surprised gasp.
Shit, it’s now or never.
“If I’m being honest, I don’t trust anything that comes from your daughter, seeing as how she’s been chasing and threatening me since the beginning of the school year” he stated, voice hard while glaring at Sohye knowingly.
“How dare you insult us in our own home?” Mrs. Ahn yelled at him. Hoseok’s confidence faltered, vanishing but he stood on his ground.
“I’m serious, I won’t marry her until I know for sure if it’s mine” Hoseok’s proud that his voice came out stable.
“Sohye, why don’t you guide Hoseok out” Mr.Ahn stated calmly which made Hoseok nervous again, the old man must have felt betrayed given how Hoseok suddenly changed his mind after their talk earlier.
The table was silent until Sohye stood up wordlessly and grabbed Hoseok towards the outside of their mansion.
Before they could even reach the gate, a sudden hand landed on Hoseok’s left cheek.
“Fuck you Hoseok” Sohye grits her teeth, eyes with fury while looking at him intently. 
No lie, that slap hurts but Hoseok didn’t even care because his eyes were on the gate.
On you.
And you’re in rage now that you witnessed what just happened and Hoseok knows how protective you are of him.
The lack of response caused Sohye followed his gaze, now on you and she laughs, hysterically.
You were already walking towards them with that furious expression, the one that actually scares Hoseok.
“HOW FUCKING DARE YOU TO SLAP HIM YOU BITCH” you screamed with fury the moment you reach the both of them and was about to grab Sohye but Hoseok stopped you just in time. 
“Y/N stop!” Hoseok’s trying to stop your arms that are reaching Sohye who’s still laughing, clearly amused by your outburst. She wonders if you already know but judging by Hoseok’s anxious eyes looking back at her, she knew it was the latter.
Well, what a perfect time.
“Oh Y/N, what are you doing here? I don’t remember inviting you” Sohye smiled at you mockingly, obviously trying to get into your skin and you’re falling for it.
“Cut the crap you bitch, how dare you-” you were about to attack again and actually almost succeeded because you actually caught her arm when-
“She’s pregnant Y/N stop!” Hoseok shouted which made you froze from flailing your arms around and you jerked in shock.
The devastated expression that emerged from your beautiful face made Hoseok’s heart lurched. He didn’t have the intention of telling you this way, this wasn’t supposed to happen.
“W-What?” your mind went blank. You came here expecting an explanation from Hoseok about the baby supplies package you received earlier. Why is he so goddamn good at hurting his best friend? No this is a joke, this has to be.
“Yes, Y/N I am pregnant and Hoseok’s the father” Sohye squealed, looking at you with those triumphant eyes with a slick smile. Wait, does she know of your feelings?
You averted your eyes to Hoseok now that the truth is out. You were hoping for a different reaction but the moment his eyes met yours, they’re full of shame. Fuck, it really hurts coming from him.
The realization finally crept into your mind with everything that's been happening to Hoseok ever since the night of your confession.
Sohye, avoiding you, going somewhere without telling you..it all makes sense now. But what's not making sense is how he kept lying to you all this time.
"Y-YN-" Hoseok is like a deer caught in headlights, guilty eyes that are now morphing into full of panic. He knows you, does he really though? He doesn't even know himself anymore.
You're usually composed, especially with other people around. You're that kind of person who remains calm even in rough commotions. But it's totally different when it involves the man you cherish and love..
And before you could reply, a middle aged couple emerged behind Hoseok who reminded you of Sohye and remembered that you're in their premises, the Ahn residence.
"What is going on here?" Mrs.Ahn eyed the three of you suspiciously, primarily staring at you. Ah, the stranger.
"Nothing Mom, this is Y/N, Hoseok's best friend" Sohye smiled sarcastically to you with those knowing eyes, challenging you to continue.
Embarrassment filled you once you came back to reality and snatched your arms from Hoseok's grasp. Breathing deeply, you tried to compose yourself before looking up at both of Sohye's parents.
"Really? I thought she IS his girlfriend given the fact that he had refused to marry you" Mr.Ahn stated coldly, still eyes on Y/N.
Hoseok turned around to face Sohye's parents, thinking of putting his arm around you but hesitated. 
He knows you're mad at him so he opted to move slowly in front of you, trying to protect you from the scrutinizing eyes of Sohye's parents. Noticing this you raised your chin and looked directly into Mr. Ahn's eyes.
"No, I'm not his girlfriend but he's one of the most important people in my life as I am to him so whatever situation you've put him through, I need to know" you seethed, eyes full of determination though the phrase "not his girlfriend" almost distracted you. 
You're surprised your voice came out confident despite the nervousness that might be etched now on your face.
"Well young lady, we were just talking with your friend about wedding preparations but seems like he's changing his mind" Mrs. Ahn glared at Hoseok.
"I already told you that I have to talk to my family first and figure out what really happened that night. I'll update you as soon as I can, I swear" he hurriedly explained, nervously looking back at you to gauge your reactions. 
"Alright then, we hope to hear from you soon". Mr. Ahn replied coldly, his eyes landing on Y/N and that made Hoseok uneasy.
Sohye's parents went back inside and you stepped back from behind Hoseok with a stoic expression, in no way you'll show Sohye how affected despite of your suspicion that she knows already.
"Brave of you to come here Y/N, but props you both are fun to watch" she chuckled and you didn’t want to give her the satisfaction so you fought yourself, bitch.
"I'm just fetching Hoseok and since I think everything's done here, we're leaving" you turned around, not waiting for any response from the both of them. You felt hurried steps behind you,trying to catch up but you didn't bother.
Inside the car, the silent tension that surrounds the both of you is deafening. Hoseok nibbled his lips anxiously, feeling your anger from the revelation earlier. It's his fault so he has to settle this down before arriving home.
"Y/N I'm sor–"
"You lied to me, again" you cut him off with a blank expression, tone contemptuous.
"I know but–"
"We promised each other after that night that there would be no lies anymore" you bristled.
"I didn't wanna hurt you more than I already am okay?!" he blurted out, eyes turning glassy. Hoseok's trying to take a deep breath to stop himself from tearing up. 
You sneered and didn't bother to respond,the nerve of him to be upset in this situation.
"I'll sleep at Namjoon's" he mumbled meekly and you quickly dropped him at his friend’s house.
“Good night Y/N” he inhaled sharply when you didn’t respond or even looked back at him. “I’m sorry” he mumbled, exiting the car with a gloomy expression.
You waited on your seat for a while, trying to hold in every emotion that has been building until he was further away. Hands turning white as you grip the steering wheel, you took a deep breath and started bawling your eyes out in pain.
In excruciating pain. What’s going to happen between you and Hoseok now? All your hopes of a future together are now shattered. It was going so well, you confessed and he gave you a chance and now this. 
.
To Namjoon’s surprise, it was a miserable Hoseok who’s standing in front of his dorm room instead of the japchae delivery he’s been expecting. He didn’t ask for more and stepped aside to let his friend in.
“Alright man what happened?” Namjoon asked worriedly and Hoseok’s tears welled up in his before exhaling deeply.
“She knows Joon” Hoseok whispered, trying to stop his tears and Namjoon sat down on the couch urging his friend to continue.
“Everything happened so fast..Y/N was going after Sohye after she saw her slap me so I had to admit the truth right there” he felt his throat closing up when he recalled your crushed reaction earlier. How he wishes he could’ve told you in a different situation.
"She'll find out eventually though" another voice replied, and Hoseok turned his head back to see another person coming in the living room. Immediately recognizing Namjoon's roommate he walked up to him and hissed,
"You told me nothing happened that night!" he yelled and poor Taehyung grabbed Hoseok's arm that's on his collar in an attempt to calm him down.
Namjoon immediately stood up in panic and rushed towards both boys, struggling to get Hoseok off from Taehyung.
"Hobi, hey, calm down" Namjoon spoke calmly and Hoseok let go of Taehyung instantly.
"Hyung, I'm sorry I swear the only time I saw you was when we were drinking and the morning after. Jungkook told me you left with someone so I thought that was Y/N coming to pick you up" the younger man reasoned with fear, knowing how Hoseok gets when he's absolutely angry.
"Well it wasn't, it was Ahn Sohye and we slept together apparently" he answered slowly, more calmer now. What's the point of blaming other people when it already happened, it's going to change anything.
Only Namjoon knew at the beginning as soon as Hoseok heard the news and told him immediately, asking for help. Meanwhile the rest of his friend group didn't know about it until, well starting now.
"Stay for the night, you're always welcome here anyways" Namjoon patted Hoseok's shoulders softly and grabbed Taehyung to set up for dinner, which just arrived when they heard a knock from the door.
"Thanks Joon, and sorry for my outburst earlier Tae" he shuffled the younger's hair affectionately.
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Hoseok wasn't there in the morning and a few mornings after that. You debated to ask his sister if she knew about this whole thing or what. She could've known and just didn't want to tell you to spare your feelings but you didn't care.
Calling Jiwoo 언니..
"Hello? Y/N?" she answered cautiously. Ah, always obvious just like her little brother. 
"So you knew" you muttered passively. How could she? You both are like sisters from different mothers.
"Don't be mad please, I just found out too!" voice laced with alarm.
When you didn't reply she then proceeded to explain to you that Hoseok did go to his family to tell them the entirety of the situation. Why didn't he text you to meet there? Despite what happened, you would've been by his side, supporting him because that's what best friends do.
But then you remember last night and suddenly your anger resurfaced and you ended the call immediately, getting ready to leave only to be greeted by Seokjin at the door.
"Good morning" he smiled at you, filled with compassion.
"They sent you didn't they?" you snarled, frowning at his handsome face as you stepped aside to let him in.
"Hoseok actually since you know, you can't cook. He just wants to make sure you get a proper breakfast" he mused, rummaging the kitchen for ingredients.
"How sweet of him" you replied sarcastically, taking a seat at the kitchen counter with both hands on your face to cover your expression from Jin.
"Hey give him a break, all this is not easy for him too" he stated solemnly, giving you a serious look, placing the waffles and omelet that he just cooked.
You glared at him and started eating silently. Seeing him sit in front of you, you know he's looking at you closely deciphering your current emotions.
"I'm fine" you stated as you looked up at him and though his eyes widened at your lack of sadness, his eyes are still skeptical.
"No, you're not. We heard what happened" he answered with caution. You almost faltered but you remained composed, acting dismissive as usual.
"I AM fine, drop it Seokjin" you jeered. Seokjin wanted a reaction from you so there you have it, only anger though. He texted the rest that you seem to be alright and that they'll meet with others soon.
"Hurry, we're going somewhere" he quickly cleaned up the table and gestured to you to follow him outside. You grumbled but agreed anyways.
"If you're bringing me to Hoseok don't bother" you glanced at him blankly before looking outside the car window, obviously you don't want to seek him out unless he needs something from you.
"No you'll help us prepare, the boys want your opinion" Jin explained calmly, still wary of your mood.
You didn't answer him and just scoffed so he took it as a yes. You don't want any confrontation from the rest of Hoseok's friends but you can't really escape them so might as well.
.
Tonight, you saw the lights are on as you're walking into the driveway. 
He's home, and you're nervous on how to approach him.
“I’ll be your maid of honour” you whispered. Hoseok looked up at you, eyes surprised at your sudden conviction.
“W-What? B-but Y/N..” he tried reaching on your arm but you stepped back and that made him pause. Hoseok should feel happy that you’re going to his wedding but he can’t help but feel wrong.
“My decision’s final, I don’t care but don’t try to stop me. I already confirmed with your sister” you stated coldly, still not looking into his eyes.
"I don't like hurting you, Y/N please. You don't have to attend the wedding, it's fine with me" his voice pleading, still trying to convince you despite your final decision earlier.
See? How can you not love him? Even in rough times like this, he is still considerate of your feelings.
You sighed, “Don’t be ridiculous, I’m your best friend and this is an important part of your life so I should be there” you stated, finally looking back into his eyes.
You're not gonna cry
You're not
You're getting tired of it..
Focusing on other thoughts to stop yourself from crying you didn't notice Hoseok approaching you slowly. When his hands cupped your face, it broke out your reverie.
"Y/N, I-"
You already have a feeling of what he's going to say the moment you met his eyes earlier, they've always been so expressive.
"Don't. Not now Hoseok, not anymore" you looked at his eyes that mirror with your sadness. He inhaled sharply, eyes changing with determination.
"No, Y/N" the way he says your name with a smile is making you nervous and before you could muster a response, a pair of soft lips touched yours and you immediately closed your eyes.
Is this finally happening? Hoseok kissing you? You only hoped about this before but you didn't think it's finally happening. He feels the same now right?
"Hoseok.." you croaked breathlessly after you released each other. He didn't release his hold on your face in which you're leaning, hoping that this is not only your imagination.
"Let me show you.. please.." his eyes begged. Not gonna lie, you've been waiting for this moment to happen but you both see it in a different way. 
Him, showing gratitude while you..
While you're taking advantage of him for your own selfish reasons.
Bringing your hands up on top of his face, you smiled back at him and nodded.
He’s giving you a chance, though this seems like charity even but you don’t care anymore.
So you did.
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Hoseok woke up the next day feeling relieved but mostly happy to have finally shown you his feelings, though he’s not sure if you heard his declaration last night. Expecting your presence beside him he turned around and reached out, only to find an empty space.
Suddenly sitting up in dread, he looked around trying to find you. Getting up and hastily putting on his clothes, he went outside directly to the kitchen but you are nowhere to be found. His chest tightened at the thought of you leaving him after what happened last night.
Was he too forward? But you gladly accepted him. Was that an act? D-did you already fall out of love from him?
Before he could continue his thoughts, his phone dinged beside him at the counter. Though he’s expecting Sohye, the text surprisingly came from his sister.
[지우 Noona: Y/N’s and I are in the boutique right now, where are you?]
[Hobi: jwu why? am I needed somewhere?]
[지우 Noona: Go meet with the wedding planner with Sohye in an hour]
He was gonna ask about you but hesitated. Why didn't you text him or leave a note? You just acted like nothing happened and that made Hoseok concerned.
Damn. When you said you'll help with the wedding preparations, you didn't expect to be leading the way. Apparently, that's Hoseok's request according to the wedding planner. 
You've been giving your all into this, most likely because you want to distract yourself from what happened that night and what will happen in the wedding. You keep thinking of why Hoseok would want you when clearly, he doesn't feel anything for you.
Or does he? 
You weren't sure if you were just imagining him saying "I love Y/N" when his arms were holding you tight after your rendezvous the night before. It must be your subconscious trying to fulfill your innermost desire, for your best friend to love you back.
"Hey, Y/N you alright? You look a little worned out" Jiwoo looked at you worriedly, running her eyes around your face.
Yeah your brother drained tf out of me..
"WHAT?!!" you jerked with her shrieking and then you realized you said that thought out loud and your face flushed with shame.
Fuck.
"Uh-" now you can't look at her eyes, cheeks going red with what you just told her.
fuckfuckfuck
"Omgggg, now I get why" she happily mused that made you raise your eyebrows back at her.
"Wtf why?" you shifted uncomfortably, never before you've been this aloof to Hoseok's sister until now.
"I texted him earlier but he said he's still at home at this time which surprised me" she teased, wiggling her eyebrows at you.
"He's about to get married, you know" you smiled bitterly, gaze focusing on the white wedding dress on display. Would've been lovely if you're the one who's getting married to Hoseok.
"And? It's not like he and Sohye are in a relationship" she huffed. Jiwoo's right but somehow, that didn't change the already creeping guilt inside you.
"Whatever, that's never happening again" you scoffed but she looks at you suspiciously.
"I'm serious, I value marriage and it will be a form of cheating if that happens again after the ceremony so, no" you firmly stated, looking away. You've been planning to distance yourself after the wedding since that would be what's best for both you and Hoseok.
Jiwoo looked at you wistfully, with sympathetic eyes that you've been getting used to from the people around you the moment Hoseok and Sohye's wedding was announced.
 "Y/N, I'm sorry you have to feel this way. I know how much you love him" she replied softly, laced with emotion since you're like a little sister to her, after all she was hoping you'll end up with her little brother.
"It's okay, I'm used to it" you smiled curtly, your expression changing back to neutral like it has always been.
.
Since you've put all your time into the wedding preparations which clearly affected your academic performance, the preparations went smoothly as you planned.
Hoseok's been trying to corner you, but you're silently thankful for the people who keep distracting him because you're clearly not ready to talk to him.
Isn't that what you've always wanted? Now why are you running away? I mean you are going to eventually but you promised you'll be there for him. Fuck it, just a little bit more..
On the night before his wedding, you've stayed in your hotel room again like what you've been doing the entire time when you know Hoseok's around. You didn't even go to the bachelorette party you were clearly invited for and he's having a stag night too.
Around 3am you were awakened by loud knocks of your hotel door and for the sake of other guests on this floor, you dragged your feet and opened the door impulsively. 
Only to see a drunk Hoseok, groggily smiling at you.
"Why are you here? It's already early morning" you hissed and he just giggled in response.
"Wanna see you" he pouted and you gestured to him just in case he'll vomit which is about to happen as you see his face contorted.
"Fuck come here quick!" you're rubbing his back as he releases all remnants of his stomach into the toilet when he staggered.
"Y/N I'm sorry" his voice sounded so broken and you straightened yourself. He's not gonna remember anything in the morning anyways so what's the point.
You didn't answer him but you helped him clean up and before you can even talk to him, he's already knocked out on your bed. Should you call someone to get him? But everyone's asleep now, screw it.
You stayed beside Hoseok, staring at his sleeping face for the last time, the last time you'll be able to be this near to him since he'll be a married man tomorrow. You can't stop your tears as you run your hands through his face.
"I love you Hoseok, I love you so much that I am letting you go" you stopped yourself to cry louder in case it'll wake him up. You wrapped your arms around him, relishing a few hours of selfishness on your own end.
.
The morning comes and you're dreading to let go of Hoseok. He woke up with you already staring at him and you jerked. 
"Here are painkillers, drink that before you go" you handed them to him but he grabbed you wrist instead, silently pleading you to look at him.
"Y/N, let's run away" he croaked. Hoseok actually heard you the night before, heard you letting go of him and it crushed everything in him, hearing your voice so broken because of him and he wants to make you feel better even though you both know how late it is already.
"What? Are you crazy? You're getting married hours from now" you yelled at him. You've never lashed out on him like this but his plan is ridiculous. You're already guilty of sleeping with him and now he wanted to elope?
"I don't care, I just–" a knock from the door made him pause and your eyes widened. Fuck fuck fuck. You and Hoseok looked at each other's eyes full of panic now.
You walked towards the door and prepared yourself for any interrogation when you were met with sleepy eyes and a smirk.
"Wtf do you want Yoongi" you seethed, you haven’t slept properly since you tried to stay awake as much as possible.
After hearing that it's only his friend, Hoseok appeared behind you, with a relief expression.
"You two looked like shit, be thankful I volunteered to get him" he snickered and you glared at him.
"Nothing happened" you answered nonchalantly but Yoongi's teasing smirk is still on so you turned back to Hoseok but then you're suddenly enveloped with a firm hug, with Hoseok's face nuzzling your neck.
"Thank you" he hummed and released you. You can tell through his eyes that he wanted to stay longer and talk to you more but you shake your head.
"Alright man let's go, they've been looking everywhere for you" Yoongi grabbed Hoseok who's still reluctant to leave. 
"Go, Hoseok" you slightly push him towards Yoongi with a serious tone and just when they were about to leave, Jiwoo suddenly appeared in the corner.
“I knew it, I should’ve looked here first. Thank you Yoongi” the boy just nodded back at Jiwoo gave you the "i told you so" look, though not judgmental, you felt the need to clarify to prove your point the last time you talked.
.
Time of the wedding,
Time to let Hoseok go, permanently.
You are the maid of honour so you have no choice but to put on a happy face especially in front of Hoseok's parents who were constantly checking on you during preparations with apprehension.
After the bridesmaids and groomsmen have walked the aisle, it's finally your turn and it fucking sucks since you have to walk alone.
You took a deep breath before raising your chin up, and faced everyone as they looked at you walking up to the altar. However, your eyes are only on Hoseok as you imagine that it was you he's waiting for, not the actual bride behind you.
Hoseok is doing the same thing, ironically. He's imagining that it's you he is marrying, the person he truly loves but it's too late for that so he should just focus on Sohye.
He continued his daydreaming until Jungkook nudged him since the youngest best man is the closest to him than the other 6, breaking his thoughts and facing the reality that Sohye is the bride, not you.
When the officiant asked if there was someone who disagrees with the couple's union, your body wanted to stand up and tell everyone how you really feel. You felt Jiwoo's arms around your shoulders, hoping to provide the comfort that you needed but you shrugged her arms off.
You wouldn't mind usually but you're in her little brother's wedding and you've been refusing to meet Hoseok's eyes until the officiant proceeded with the next part of the ceremony. You can't look at him or else you'll crumble and there's no way you'll embarrass yourself in front of his family and yours.
Surprisingly, your parents came when you invited them. It would usually have to be Hoseok or any of his family members invite them to come though you already have a suspicion that it's not the only reason why.
“Do you Jung Hoseok, promise to love, honor, cherish and protect her and hold only unto her forever more?” this caused you to finally look back at Hoseok. He stayed silent for a few moments which made everyone chatter in whisper but as soon as his eyes found yours, he smiled, full of longing.
"I do"
You closed your eyes as tears fell from them, unable to hold his gaze anymore. It might be improper to look back on the best night of your life but you can’t help it, you just want to hear Hoseok say it again, over and over.
“I love you Y/N” 
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Another morning of Hoseok waking up without you in his life. Tears ran down the sides of his face when he remembered, but this one is longer and the clearest of them all.
That dream's too vivid for him to handle. He smiled bitterly as he remembered all the memories, starting from the beginning up until the shift of your friendship that severed you both.
Chuckling pathetically at himself to even have the audacity to think of you when he's the very main reason you were gone. He just misses you so much. 
In your absence, he indulged himself into alcohol only because he remembers you nagging him to be mindful of his tolerance. He knows it's not good for him, but it's the only way to forget his pain of losing you.
It's not like he's being irresponsible to the point of getting piss drunk, he just drinks when he's alone because that's when the thought of you creeps back into his mind.
Getting up to face another day of wallowing, he decided to come down to the basement to do some cleaning. The mini studio, the only thing he has of you left. This is the reason why he didn't wanna sell the house in the first place.
He then went to a nearby speaker and set the song you both choreographed ages ago, another memory coming up, haunting him.
"Alright that's it, it's been a minute! Surely that's enough right?" you whined at Hoseok, heaving since you've been dancing for like hours now.
"It's less than a minute! Come on, we're just doing the extended chorus" he giggled and you rolled your eyes.
"But yeah, we don't have to do the whole song" his eyes trained on you and the folded Led Zeppelin shirt on the chair. You followed his gaze through and found him eyeing your precious shirt.
"I'm gonna wear it when we're filming this dance, it's from my grandma remember? And I'm gonna pair it with those red orange pants you gifted me on my birthday" you fondly explained to him. 
Hoseok never took you for being sentimental since you always act dismissive when you receive gifts from him.
The voice of Troye Sivan echoing throughout the room brought him back to the present reality. He still feels you around the house, especially here so he went in front of the mirror and readied himself.
He looked back at his reflection in the mirror, instantly seeing you beside him with an affectionate smile. He lets himself give in to his imaginations, just this time. Starting the moves smoothly, Hoseok will always remember this choreo out of all the ones he made because it's you.
Always have been you but he was a coward for not acting on his feelings earlier. The song ended and he fell into his knees, hitting the floor while another gut-wrenching sobs escaped his mouth.
You laid out your feelings for him but he doubted himself when he clearly feels the same so now here he is. 
Still in grief full of regrets..
Still wishing you'll come back to him..
Still clinging to the ghost of you..
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taglist : @hobisnesseu @ggukkieland​ @sheprocrastinatesalot @hoebii @jeonsbun @iamscharene​
It's up to you where Y/N is or what happened to her :')
And yes the dance is by Hobi and Ryujin from Highlight Reel ♡
Thank you for reading! Feedback's greatly appreciated! 
©  ressjeon 2021. do not repost, modify, or translate.
219 notes · View notes
serenadeonacanoe · 3 years
Text
Honestly, I'd piss him off on purpose. (Namjoon x OFC)
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Pairing: Namjoon x Original Female Character
Genre/Warnings: Smut, Angst, Fluff, too tired to beta
Tags: Artist!Namjoon, Yoongi and Tae are the best flatmates, Enemies to Lovers I guess... more like brats to making out in the storage unit, OFC is an idiot.
Summary:
"Wow. Is that that grumpy artist behind you? Jesus. He really looks like a bit of a dick. And you are right. He really is hot..." Oh no. Speakerphone. Namjoon was standing behind me and was staring at me. Then at my phone. He let out a little laugh, then raised his hand to wave at Tae and Yoongi outside who were now also staring at him as if frozen, before turning around in unison. As if that would help. As if he couldn't see them. Or better even... couldn't hear them.
[...]
Mister Darcy has nothing on Kim Namjoon - that new and upcoming artist you probably already heard of (You haven't? How dare you? At least have the decency to pretend you have!). He is cold, serious, and rather good at making other people believe he is a prick. Especially Elizabeth Bennet - uh... Charlotte - is about to lose it because of him. Maybe in a good way. Man, I'd literally piss him off on purpose.
More chapters on AO3
CHAPTER 1
Even the sound of my own nails rhythmically tapping on the top of the counter was annoying me. To be fair, it didn't need much today to blow my fuze that had never been particularly long in the first place. But after a week consisting of being belittled by old white men and endless hours of unpaid overtime I about had it. Welcome to the art world. You know well before you enter that the hours are horrible and the job market is more than frustrating, but you love art and you have good organisational skills, you are resilient, charming when it counts and tend to romanticize things even when you know you shouldn't. It's too late to turn around now.
"That is why I don't use an agenda or notebook. If something is important enough for me to attend I simply won't forget. I know you youngsters are all about the bullet journaling and expressing yourself by mapping out your life but it really is just another way to procrastinate instead of getting to actual work." For a second I considered throwing my damn notebook in the buyer's face, but that probably wouldn't have helped my CV and the new job I would have to look for starting tomorrow. At least I should have screamed at him a little. Mainly, that I didn't care, that I was on my period and my shitty shower in the shitty flat i shared had broken and no dry shampoo in the world had fixed my hair this morning and that god damn it, how the hell was I supposed to remember every phone number, every call my boss had to take, every art handling transport I had organized if I couldn't write it down somewhere. Instead, I smiled. Died a little on the inside and complimented him on the gift of his exceptional memory and asked whether he would like another cup of coffee.
"What a dick." Samantha murmured, more to herself than me, after the guy had finally left, which made me snort under my breath. She usually didn't say much but when she did it was usually pure gold. In the end, it didn't matter that he was. Didn't matter that everyone at the gallery thought the art he had bought from us over the last couple of months had neither been smart nor impressive purchases. Mainly expensive. And flashy.
"Doesn't matter now." I said in a sigh after a quick glance at the clock. It was Friday night and we were about to close. Since it was my birthday on Monday I had taken two days off, about the longest break I had had this year and I was looking forward to being the lazy slob for a few days I was maybe always meant to be. In silence we answered a few last emails, tidied up the desks and counters so that potential buyers that would come in over the weekend wouldn't have to suspect anyone was actually working here. - A white desk. A huge Imac on it. That was all they needed to see, folders and pens and apparently especially agendas to be hidden away in drawers.
At five to eight I threw on my coat and Samantha just gave me a tired smile. Probably happy for me, just exhausted. "Have fun then? Don't get too wasted?" "Oh..." I said with a huge smug grin on my lips. "You have no idea... gonna take a bottle of Moët with me from the bar and drink it in my bathtub after eating a huge pepperoni pizza by myself and dancing to only the finest of 90s Euro Trash." I couldn't help it, apparently, I felt it necessary to give Sam a little demonstration, waving my arms up and down while swaying my hips in a way that I'd probably would not have if it hadn't been for a bit with an audience of a single person. Or maybe two?
A quiet scoff behind me and I quickly turned around, slowly lowering my arms, Sam biting her lower lip at the sight of me standing there like an idiot in front of HIM of all people.
Men didn't have to be old to annoy me. Or white. Yes, those were the ones that pissed me off most usually, but no one had managed to do so as much as Kim Namjoon recently. And now he was standing there, looking me up and down and stopping at my hair. The crazy too-much-dry-shampoo-because-the-shower-broke-hair. "Nice." He just commented and then looked over at Sam. "I'd like to take a last look before Sunday's opening if that is okay?" I stood there, my shoulders dropping, completely ignored.
"Uhm, actually, my babysitter has to leave in about an hour and I will have to be home before that." Samantha replied and I was impressed by how calm she stayed. "Of course." Namjoon said and gave her a slight smile. "Anyone else still around? Chris maybe?" Of course Chris hadn't been in today. It was Friday and unless important guests had announced themselves the owner of the gallery wasn't around on Fridays... "I am afraid not. But maybe Charlotte has a few minutes?" Well. Thanks. Thanks a lot. I felt a little betrayed. "Wouldn't want to keep anyone from their important Moët-Pizza-Dance Party plans." Namjoon replied before I could say a word. His voice once more dropping to a hushed, deep disapproval and his hands buried in the pockets of his rather expensive looking coat. Silence for a few moments and then he just walked off towards the room his exhibition had been set up all week. Showing without a further word that I would have to stay anyways if he wanted it that way.
"Well thank you for pushing me under the bus like that. Really appreciate it." "I am so sorry. But I was serious, I can't lose this babysitter. She got Jamie to eat vegetables. VEGETABLES!" Samantha suddenly seemed in a rush, grabbing her jacket and purse and showering me in promises she would make it up to me. Even though we both knew that wouldn't happen and wasn't necessary. Suddenly having to stay longer was normal. I just hated that it had to be today. And because of him.
I heard the door close behind Sam and I stood there for a second before putting my bag down again. Usually, I would have followed the artist, asking if I could somehow help, but nahhh... my ego was bruised up enough now, especially remembering the little dance. I closed my eyes. Fucking hated the guy. Always had. Well, not quite. I had thought he was cool for about five minutes when he had come in the first time. We had heard about him for quite a few months before, I think I had even seen pictures of him at some point, but those were nothing compared to him in real life. He came in all cheekbones and sharp chin and an all grey outfit, quick pace, observant gaze. Incredibly hot. He had also completely ignored me.
That's how it had started - a bruised ego. He couldn't know that it was my weak spot. Having studied art and its management and now feeling like a better secretary at times, when my colleagues and I were doing all the behind the scenes work while Chris worked very little hours and ended up with all the money and recognition. I was aware this wasn't the only field of work where this was the case, but it still frustrated me... I had imagined my life in the last years of my 20s to be a bit more glamorous than living in a tiny apartment on the outskirts of the city... spending my Friday night waiting for some rude artist dude to leave so I could lock up.
But what I perhaps hated most about him... was that I admired him. - Purely for his art. Really. Even the fact that he kept acting as if I wasn't around every time he came in didn't mean I couldn't admit that. At least to myself. The stories behind his huge colleagues were clever and thought through, but even without context, the pure aesthetics were mesmerizing. It was the kind of art that touched something deep inside of you and standing in front of it I always had a hundred questions. Whenever he brought in a new piece I was the first one to sneak a peek in the back rooms before it was hung.
"I don't get why you have such a problem with him. He is just... quiet. I think he might even be shy... stop being so sensitive and just ask him out already." I had almost strangled Sam for that comment a couple of weeks back. Stop being so sensitive. What did that even mean? Comments like that made me want to cry and scream at the same time, which probably would have been perceived as even more sensitive, but when had insensitivity become something to strive for? I had only kept quiet because I liked Sam and I knew what she had tried to say. At least I thought so. That I might have given less of a shit if I hadn't been rather attracted to Namjoon. Even though I had never mentioned it, she just knew. She knew if I didn't care about something I didn't waste my time on it. But if something made me angry or upset there was usually more to it. I hated that she could read me that easily. But he was still a dick and I still wanted to go home.
He took his sweet time. After an hour I walked up to him, a little speech prepared in my head about how he could come back first thing tomorrow. But when he turned around he just raised a hand between us to keep me from interrupting and turned away again. I hadn't seen that he was on the phone. "No, it's nothing, just one of the gallery employees." I heard him say and okay... if I wasn't about to explode before I was now. I stood there for a minute, fuming, and then simply walked back to the office area, my hand shaking when I started turning off the gallery lights one by one. It wasn't as satisfying as I had hoped but still felt good. Two minutes later the only lights still on were the one above my head and the one in front of the door. I would at least give him a clear direction where to head, he seemed to need it.
When Namjoon appeared out of one of the dark corners he looked even more annoyed than usual. Looking my direction through squinting eyes and his tongue pushing against the inside of his cheek. "Seriously?" he yelled my way and almost walked into one of the little flyer shelves. Wasn't the first time I had seen that happen to him though so maybe that had nothing to do with the light.
I felt oddly triumphant. By the time I had put on my coat and turned off the remaining lights, ready to finally lock up, Namjoon had almost found his way, standing in the open door, still on his phone. A little groan from my side when he didn't even notice that I was standing behind me went by unnoticed. Or simply ignored. But instead of the appropriate clearing of the throat or the maybe less polite squeezing past him, I just put my hands on his back and gently pushed him forward a bit, until his feet hit the pavement and he turned around. Dropping his hand with the phone in it, for a second he looked like he wanted to push back. Or trample me.
"Okay, what the hell is your problem, Charlotte?" His voice was hoarse. His eyes dark. God, he was hot. I hated him so much. "You." I simply replied and stared at him for a second, then turned around and locked the two locks on the door before stepping over to the alarm system. I couldn't help feeling smug because apparently, he knew my name. I imagined him staring at the back of my head because he was flustered, but couldn't be sure. All I knew was that when I turned around again a minute later he was still standing there, his arms crossed in front of his chest, his lips pressed together forming a straight line and watching me.
"Do you always act like that at work around people who could get you into trouble?" He was right, he could get me into trouble. But I was too fired up now, my heart racing. "Is that a threat?" "An observation." "Only around the ones I don't like." "Cool." "Great." "Enjoy the dance party. Sounds shit."
And with those words he had turned around, coat flying open in the wind, unfortunately making him look really cool as he walked away and I ABSOLUTELY HATED HIM. I kept my mouth shut and just walked off in the other direction, realizing minutes later that my car was parked the other way, but I kept walking for a while before I finally turned around. It took a while to calm down and only cuddling up to my cat on the couch to trash tv finally did the job. But by then I had realized something I wasn't sure I liked too much. Yeah, I thought he was a prick. And yeah I should have just played it cool. Would have been much smarted in many regards. But I also had somewhat enjoyed myself in the most fucked up way.
Seeing that stern look, that intense posture as he was towering over me... man, I'd literally piss him off on purpose.
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gummygowon · 4 years
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polaroids | park seonghwa
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word count: 1.3k
genre: college student reader! x seonghwa, fluff
established relationship!
warnings: it’s so fluffy you’re gonna die
a/n: i am deeply in love with park seonghwa oh my god and writing this made me fall deeper lmao
“y/n, isn’t it almost 10 o’clock?” your coworker asked as she glanced back up at the clock in the break room.
“huh?” you perked your head up from the table, snapping to the clock, she was looking at. “oh fuck, thank you so much, ryujin.”
you were adding the last finishing touches to your boyfriend’s card for his birthday right after your shift ended for work. yes, you knew that procrastinating any birthday card, especially your boyfriend of four years card was extremely disappointing and sad but to be fair you were a college student who worked two part-time jobs, one at a local ramen shop and as an assistant at a hair salon. however, you finished his actual present earlier in the week and was really excited to give it to him. 
you quickly gathered your stuff from your locker and said your goodbyes to the rest of your coworkers, making sure to say thank you again to ryujin. 
you clocked out and sprinted to your car as you dug into your bag looking for your phone. you called hongjoong immediately, as you got into your car.
“hong?”
you heard him try to catch his breath as quickly as possible, “yes, y/n?”
“you guys are still at the practice room, right?” you asked, as you slipped your key into the ignition. 
“yeah, we won’t be done for another hour or so.” 
“ok, perfect.” you smiled, grateful at least one thing was going right. “i’m going to stop by to see seonghwa, okay?”
“got it ma’am, do you need me to stall if he tries to leave early?” 
“yes, please. that would be great. thank you so much.”
“of course, y/n. hwa’s been so moody since he hasn’t seen you in forever. so i’ll do whatever it takes to get him happy again.”
you were really glad your boyfriend was lucky enough to get along so well with all of his members who adored and took care of him as much as they could when you weren’t around. 
“thank you so much, hongjoong. i’ll be there soon.” you ended the call after the two of you said your byes. 
you had went over a brief plan of what you wanted to do for seonghwa’s birthday with ateez’s leader about a week ago. since the both of your guys’ schedules was jam packed since the beginning of month, the two of you had rarely enough time to see each other on the weekends. even though you guys lived in the same city, finding time to meet up was hard. but you understood that the day seonghwa decided he wanted to become an idol and he understood that keeping a relationship with someone as busy as him was going to be difficult. 
you and seonghwa had talked about the difficulties the two of you could face when he debuted but you guys made a promise to each other that no matter how busy you guys were, you would somehow make time for the other. 
the love in your relationship was not defined by how much time you spent together but rather by how much you cared and supported each other. he celebrated every good grade and promotion you achieved with you while you cheered him on at his stages and concerts. 
*
you pulled up to the 7/11 that was below the company building and made a quick trip into the connivence store.
afterwards, you made your way to the practice room. you peeked through the glass door to see if they were almost done and to your surprise, yeosang opened the door and almost walked straight into you.
“oh, hello y/n.” yeosang greeted with a small smile.
“hi, is-”
“y/n?” a familiar voice rang throughout the room. 
you poked your head further, only to be caught in a tight hug. 
“oh my god, you scared the shit out of me.” you playfully scold your boyfriend as you wrapped your arms tightly around him. it had been almost a month since you saw him in person so you missed each other greatly. 
once seonghwa pulled away from you, he placed a quick kiss on your cheek causing wooyoung to gag very loudly. 
you rolled your eyes at him, used to his antics as seonghwa glared at wooyoung making him apologize rather quickly.
“get out.” your boyfriend told his younger member as he pointed towards the door.
“yes, sir.” he replied before walking out with his head down.
“where were we?” he smiled at you before kissing you happily.
when the two of you broke apart, stupid grins on both of your faces, you asked him to go up to the roof. seonghwa brought you up there once a couple years back when he was still a trainee. it was not of the most romantic dates you guys had but you were ecstatic to see him again.
once you guys had reached the roof and reached the edge of it, you let seonghwa gaze at the soft glow of the city lights as you pulled out your gifts. 
“surprise, hwa.” you whispered softly at him as you handed him a small strawberry cake and a small gift bag.
he gasped at the sight of the mini cake, “thank you so much, love.”
seonghwa pressed another kiss to your cheek as you felt your heart race. 
“open the bag!” you exclaimed, curious to see his reaction. 
“alright, alright. let me eat the cake first jeez.” your boyfriend laughed at your eagerness.
“fine.” you fake pouted at him.
after he took a bite of the cake he scooped up another piece and offered it to you which you gladly took. 
while you chewed, you watched seonghwa open up the bag and pull out the gift wrapping before reaching a small box.
“what is it?” he looked up and asked, as if you would give him an answer.
“just open it, seonghwa!” you groaned at him.
“fine.” he pouted before smiling after you lightly slapped his shoulder.
the tiny box had contained a polaroid sized book that held pictures of you guys together from your very first date to your last. it also included photos from all the countless times you spent together. holidays, birthdays, and graduation photos were all in this small book. there were even captions to the side of it, retelling what had happened in that photo along with inside jokes. 
your gift brought tears to seonghwa’s eyes as he flipped through the pages. your whole entire relationship was stored in this tiny box and in a way it reminded you of your love for him. sure, it seemed small and plain to others but to you guys it was everything you wanted and more.
“do you like it?” you asked nervously, playing with your fingers.
seonghwa didn’t give you an answer before he grabbed both sides of your face and smashed his lips onto yours. you smiled in between kisses, feeling just so lucky to be dating someone who made you so happy. 
“i love you.” he answered, looking at you if you were the only person left in the world.
“you didn’t answer my question.” you whined even though the goofy smile on your face told another story.
he just shook his head at your comment, still smiling at you as he pulled your back into his chest so you guys could gaze at the city in front of you.
you guys sat in a comfortable silence watching the cars go by until you broke it.
“i’m sorry, this isn’t the ideal place to celebrate your birthday. i-”
“don’t be sorry, love. i’m just glad i got to see you again.” he answered honestly, hugging you tighter.
“i love you.” you mumbled as you sank deeper into his embrace. you had missed his touch more than you realized. 
seonghwa gave you a quick kiss on the lips before you guys went back to looking at the city, enjoying the warmth he provided and his hugs.
even though you guys were celebrating the last few hours of his birthday, seonghwa couldn’t get any happier than this, his arms around you just like they should be.
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mikauzoran · 3 years
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The Ascendancy of The Plan ™ (re: Mikau’s WIPs)
So, I feel like I’ve gotten a lot accomplished in the past few months since I last did one of these status updates. Most of the stories I ended up writing were much longer than anticipated, and I’ve had a lot of ideas just pop into my head that I hadn’t originally been planning, so this list isn’t going to look very different from the last one, but I promise that I have accomplished things, and there are some new projects in the works. ^.^;
I’m currently posting the final chapters of Among the Wild Things and Betting Against the House. Below is a list of works I have planned for the coming months. Let me know what sounds interesting or what you’re excited for.
Anhedonia: When Adrien Met Marinette: (Adrienette, post-reveal/pre-relationship, roommates) So, I’m taking a screenplay writing class, and we’re studying the scripts of several movies to get a feel for how the writer evokes different cognitive responses from the audience. One of the movies is When Harry Met Sally. I’ve never seen this movie, but apparently it’s about two friends finally ending up together after some trials and tribulations. It’s about never giving up on finding love and happiness...only I’m feeling depressed at the moment, and I don’t want to hear about true love because I’m lonely and despair of ever finding someone to share a life with. So I’m using my feelings to write a story. ^.^ Naturally. XD
It’s post-reveal/pre-relationship Adrienette. They’re roommates, and there’s been a misunderstanding because Marinette didn’t tell Adrien how she felt about him after she found out he was Chat Noir, and he’s told her that he’s over her because he thinks that the only way to preserve their friendship (since she’s already turned down his advances as Ladybug, so, obviously, she wouldn’t want him as Marinette either). It has a happy ending, and they straighten things out because I still believe in finding true love and happiness. XD I’m a sap like that, and these two deserve happiness.
Ladrien Present: (Adrienette, Ladrien) I’m still trying to write a story where Ladybug brings Adrien’s birthday party to him. ^.^; I have half of it written (the Adrienette half), and I have an outline for the rest. I just...need to sit down and make myself write it. I’ve seriously been procrastinating on this one. I don’t know what my deal is. -.-;
Marichat Prompt: This is an overflow prompt I received as part of my Productive Procrastination Prompt Giveaway. It’s about Chat Noir visiting Marinette and it somehow coming up in conversation that Marinette has always thought of Chat as a player. For some reason, this makes Chat really angry because he can’t stand her in particular thinking that about him. I thought this story out a couple months ago, but I didn’t write it down, so now I’ve forgotten, and I’m going to have to think up the plot all over again. XD
Alyadrino Prompt: Someone sent me an Ask that said, “Snuggle party makes me imagine what if nino and alya accidentally did to adrien what luka and marinette intentionally did to him in shades 12″, and I thought, “…Oh, all right. Why not?” I had a basic outline of what I wanted to do with this story a couple months ago, but I didn’t write it down, so now I have to figure it out all over again. Oh, well. I have the basic idea, I think.
Lukadrigaminette: At the beginning of the month, I thought, “I should do Valentine’s Day stories!” I ended up writing a Marichat one, and then I had this idea. It’s not Valentine’s Day related, so I decided to shelve it for later. So, several years ago, my friend and I concocted this scheme to bake for our respective crushes and win their hearts that way. It’s a really fond memory for me, and I’m turning it into a Lukadrigaminette story. Luka and Kagami join forces to bake for Adrien and Marinette in order to win their love.
Plagg and Wayzz Prompt: I got a comment on one of my stories that said, “Can you do a top wayzz bottom plagg one? Preferably in universe and in human form. Doesn’t have to be smut.” First I thought, “What the bloody hell?” because it was a comment on a Lukadrien story, and that’s all it said, and I thought, “Well, that’s random.” I’ve never really written Wayzz before, but this gave me the idea for a story where the team is up against an akuma that somehow separates them from their kwamis, leaving the heroes unable to detransform and the kwamis in defenseless human form. What I came up with really doesn’t have anything to do with the prompt other than Plagg and Wayzz will both be in human form. It will probably just end up being a Lady Noir identity reveal piece, honestly.
Supportive Adrien Lukadrien One-Shot(?): I haven’t actually pinned this story down well yet. ^.^; I was just thinking that I wanted to write something where Adrien is the one supporting and encouraging Luka, since I typically write Luka being a supportive presence for Adrien. I was thinking that the scenario could be that Luka is feeling down because Marinette still loves Adrien and things aren’t going well between Marinette and Luka, so Adrien takes Luka on an outing and confesses his love and they live happily ever after or something.
The only thing is that a different scenario is trying to creep into this story. It’s really weird. It’s post-Papillon defeat, and Adrien is twenty-four (Luka is twenty-six). He’s been in kind of rough shape the past few years since his father was arrested and he lost his family and home and fortune. He couldn’t finish university, and he’s been travelling around, trying to find work and make a life for himself. He ends up back in Paris, broke, and auditions for a band because he happened to see a flyer advertising for a new lead vocalist. It just so happens that it’s Luka’s band, and Luka ends up finding out about Adrien’s situation and taking him in and feeding him...but that scenario is just more Luka taking care of Adrien, and that’s not what I wanted to write. XD It also feels like multiple chapters, and I don’t want to go there. Oh, well. We’ll see what happens.
Adrien Trapped in AU-Land: (Adrienette, canon universe featuring AUs) My idea is based off of a writing prompt submitted by @graaythekwami on the @miraculousfanworks Discord server: AU where all the characters wake up in a different AU every chapter, fully remembering what happened in the last AU. My idea is for Chat Noir to get hit by an akuma (probably named Escapist or something equally dumb ^.^) who traps Adrien in a series of alternate realities (AUs) until he realizes his feelings for Marinette and manages to break free.
L’Amour de Loin: (Lukadrien, post-Papillon defeat, Félix wingman) I did a sneak peek for this here. This was one of the two “Winter Lukadrien Pieces” mentioned on my last status update. Adrien is living in London with his aunt and cousin three years after Papillon’s defeat and arrest. He’s in rough shape and hasn’t kept in touch with anyone from Paris. One day, he gets a text from Luka out of the blue, and they rekindle their friendship. Félix acts as wingman to ensure that it turns into something more.
Adrienette Hanahaki: Awhile ago I did an ask game about a trope I’d like to try writing, and the one I came up with was Adrien with Hanahaki disease (The one where you start coughing up flower petals due to unrequited love making flowers grow inside your lungs). I’ve been thinking about it, and I’ve decided I’d like to actually write this story. My basic outline is: Adrien starts showing symptoms, and Gabriel badgers him about whom he’s in love with, and Adrien just blurts out, “Marinette!” And Gabriel threatens Marinette into dating Adrien, and they start fake dating but then fall in love.
Happenstance and Magic: Marichat May 2019. Marinette and Chat Noir adopt kittens together, and Adrien tries to get Marinette to see that he’s not perfect but still a worthwhile person deserving of her love.
I’ve been thinking about this one, and I think I’m going to cut the number of prompts I actually use. Once I’m done with the other stories, I want to sit down and make a more thorough outline of what I want the story to be and which prompts I’m going to use to get me there.
The Seduction of Adrien Agreste: This is part of the Springtime in Wonderland (Daisy/Jabberwocky) series. It deals with Luka and Adrien experimenting with physical intimacy to see if they can reach a compromise where Luka and (asexual) Adrien are both comfortable and have their needs met.
Things Currently on the Backburner:
The Rejects Club: Predominantly Marichat with Adrienette. Chat Noir and Marinette unexpectedly grow very close very fast as they open up to one another after Marinette overhears Adrien seemingly dismissing her as a romantic prospect. Identity shenanigans at farcical levels ensue.
I can’t really deal with Rejects right now. I’m feeling super overwhelmed by basic life stuff, so I don’t really have the mental or emotional energy to put into a story where I don’t know how many more chapters there will be until the end. I’m thinking that what I have planned will take at least another one or two hundred thousand words. This thing is just so massive, and I’m not in good enough mental heath to deal with it right now.
Springtime in Wonderland: Yeah, no. See the paragraph directly above. This is another one that’s going to take another couple hundred thousand words to complete, and I just don’t have the stamina in me right now. I’d rather focus on smaller projects that actually feel attainable. I’m trying not to burn myself out.
And that’s it for the moment. I’m sure I’ll come up with plenty of other stuff between now and the next time I do a status update post, but is there anything that you’re particularly interested in? Let me know what you’re thinking.
Thoughts? Feelings? Suggestions? Opinions? ^.^
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jijis-deliveries · 3 years
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First Line Meme
Thanks for the tag @asajjvxntress​ 😄😄
Rules: List the first lines of your last 20 stories (if you have less than 20, just list them all!). See if there are any patterns. Choose your favorite opening line. Then tag 10 authors!
(I’m gonna let y’all know rn I’m just tagging whoever wants to do this)
Fair warning: 18/19 of these are Haikyuu fics and one (1) unfinished HP rarepair fic that has a special place in my heart:
1. What Makes You So Special? (Kuroo/Tsukishima and Tsukishima/Yamaguchi, T)
“Happy birthday, Tsukki!”
2. Something I Can’t Live Without (Asahi/Noya, G)
The rumors had started when Asahi was only sixteen years old. 
3. You’re The One Habit I Just Can’t Kick (Asahi/Noya, T)
They said their official goodbyes to the graduating class of 2013 shortly after the ceremony.
4. Don’t Know Where Your Head Is Now (Daichi/Suga, G)
On most mornings, Daichi was the first to arrive at the club room for morning practice.
5. Wait For The Feeling Of You (Daichi/Suga, T)
Every weekday afternoon, just before 3:00 pm, Daichi prepared the same mobile order for the same regular customer.
6. The Sweetness Never Lasts (Daichi/Suga, T)
In the first month after they broke up, Suga put on a brave face and agreed to stay friends with Daichi.
7. Suga We’re Going Down (Daichi/Suga, G)
“How’s it going over there, master chef?”
8. The Last Of A Dying Breed (Daichi/Sgua, T)
History wasn’t exactly Daichi’s favorite subject, but it also wasn’t his least favorite either.
9. You Pulled A Gem Out Of The Mess (Daichi/Suga, G)
In hindsight, maybe Suga was wrong to think that two young men whose lives revolved around volleyball until just last month would have fun analyzing the deeper meaning of various art exhibits.
10. Where Is Your Boy Tonight? (Daichi/Suga, T)
As his friend Asahi had so delicately phrased it, Suga’s love life was a dumpster fire.
11. Please Don’t Stir It (Asahi/Noya, T)
The first time Asahi realized he had a crush on one of his best friends and teammates, he felt sick to his stomach. 
12. walking the wire (George Weasley/Luna Lovegood, M)
The only people who were awake at 4:30 a.m. on a Wednesday were baristas getting ready for their shifts, a few people who never missed their morning jogs, procrastinators walking home from their all-nighters in the library.
13. I Am Just Playing House (Asahi/Noya, T)
Like most days, Noya woke up as soon as the sunlight filled the bedroom. 
14. This Isn’t How Our Story Ends (Asahi/Noya, T)
Eight years ago, Asahi pushed himself to move to Tokyo on his own to pursue fashion design, where he had no prior connections to help make a name for himself.
15. We Could Turn The World To Gold (Asahi/Noya, M)
“Asahi, let’s take a picture here!”
16. Know There’s Nothing I Wouldn’t Do For You (Asahi/Noya, G)
Asahi expected to spend his weekend doing last-minute holiday shopping with Noya, but the cold that he had been trying to ward off for the last three days finally caught up with him.
17. We Will Never Believe Again (Asahi/Noya, T)
In Noya’s defense, it wasn’t entirely his fault that he was running late for the first class of his first semester at university.
18. Late Night Watching Television (Asahi/Noya, T)
Asahi had only been living in his new apartment for a week when his cat Jiji nearly gave him a heart attack.
19. I’m Not the Type of Girl For Yū (Asahi/Noya, T)
“Text me when you get to your cousin’s house, okay?”
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champagne-bucky · 4 years
Text
The Undoing: Four
Summary: The truth about a past life is unveiled.
Warnings: THIS IS A DARK STORY!! dark! Steve Rogers x reader, kidnapping, non con and dub con (or at least mentions of), dark! Bucky Barnes, Stockholm syndrome, grooming, mentions of pregnancy termination and suicide mentions (for one chapter), possibly more tags to be added!
Notes: Ahhh, so here we are, part 4 and the present time in which this story takes place. I’m sorry it’s taken me so long to get shit done, but I’ve just been so unmotivated and it sucks because I had all these things planned and ughhh procrastination sucks. Anyways enjoy part 4. Please make sure to like, comment, reblog, inbox, and follow for more!! Enjoy :)
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PLEASE READ WARNINGS!!
*Present time*
“Happy birthday to you. Happy birthday to you. Happy birthday dear Sasha. Happy birthday to you,” the small crowd that was Sasha’s family cheered as she blew out her candles.
Finally, her 18th birthday. A day where she is legally considered an adult. A day that her father had promised to grant her the freedoms that she saw the other kids had. A day where she would no longer be sheltered.
“Happy birthday, sweetheart,” her mother came up to the young woman and gave her a kiss on the cheek. Her father followed suit, a side hug and kiss as she worked on cutting the cake.
“I want the first piece,” one shouted.
“I want a really big piece,” said another.
The shouting amongst her siblings didn’t subside until her father quieted them down with the threat of “no cake at all.”
While her mother busied herself in the kitchen, Sasha’s father was helping his youngest children get their slices of cake. Birthdays and holidays were the only times the Rogers’ family got to indulge in sweet treats. Steve had made it clear that his children were to only eat the healthiest of foods, and his doting wife always complied.
A knock on the door caught Sasha’s attention. While the family was in momentary disarray, Sasha was the only one who ended up hearing the faint series of knocks.
Therefore, she wiped her hands of sweet buttercream icing and made her way to the locked door. The knocks continued on even after she told them to wait a minute. A peek through the peephole revealed a stranger. To be fair, everyone was a stranger to the Rogers’ family. No frequent visitors, friends, even family, the Rogers’ only knew each other.
“Daddy, someones at our door,” Steve abandoned the youngest child to meet Sasha at the door.
Steve glanced through the peephole and for a minute it seemed like he saw a ghost. “It can’t be,” Steve swung open the door so fast that Sasha feared she would get knocked out by it.
“Bucky,” Steve looked at the stranger on the other side of the door.  
“Been a while huh?” The man, Bucky, gives a half grin at Sasha’s father.
“Wow,” Bucky turns to Sasha, “she’s all grown up,” Bucky invites himself in, but before he could get halfway past the threshold Steve stops him.
“Why all of a sudden have you turned up?” Steve gives Bucky a look that says “don’t say too much.”
“Because there’s a party going on,” Bucky then turns to Sasha. “Happy birthday sweetheart. My god, look at you,” Bucky looks her up and down. Sasha looked very taken back by the strange man. Who was he and why did he know your father?
Steve cleared his throat, “uhm, Y/N is in the kitchen cutting the cake. Why don’t you stay for some,” Bucky obliged and made his way into the kitchen.
“Dad, who is he?” Steve was quick to dismiss her question by replying that he’d been an old friend that knew him back when Sasha was first born.
Buck had made his way into the small kitchen, nothing had changed since Steve had brought his now wife here. In that kitchen were a bunch of children, some big and some small, all asking for a slice of Sasha’s birthday cake.
And then there was her, the young women that Bucky once knew, now all grown up with a family of her own. Bucky couldn’t help but smile at how pleasant she looked while serving the youngest children slices of their cake. She turned once she felt a presence at the door. A mix of emotions flashed through her eyes for a moment, but then her confused expression turned into a smile. She gladly walked over to the long time friend and greeted him with a huge smile and open arms.
“Bucky, it’s great to see you,” not a hint of sarcasm or an urgent surge of rage coursed this beautiful woman. She was genuinely happy to see the man that ruined her life prematurely.
“You haven’t aged a day since I last saw you,” Bucky smiled as he hugged her back. She looked nice in her freshly ironed dress and brand new heels her husband had demanded she wear around the house at all times.
“Please, come sit down while we have some cake. Kids, get to the dining room now please,” the herd of small children rushed out into the dining room with their sweet treats in hand.
__
Bucky was observant throughout dessert. Upon dodging judgemental and questioning looks from Steve, Bucky got to know more about the rest of the Rogers family.
“Last time I was here you had just had Gwynedd, yes?” Their mother nodded as a carbon copy of Steve Rogers looked up at him with a smile. She was going to be 17 soon, as she mentioned to the family a handful of times about birthday party ideas.
Then there was the third oldest, Max, a short haired, freckly 15 year old who had dreams of becoming an engineer. Reid was approaching 13 years old in the next couple of months, he was adamant on a firetruck themed party seeing as he wanted to be a fireman when he grew up. 11 year old Jocelyn had the same physique as her mother, but her personality was all Steve, she was sassy and always helping out her younger sibling. Last, and probably won’t be the least, was 9 year old Sarah Rogers, named accordingly after Steve’s long departed mother of course, she was the prized baby of the family that no one could touch.
Then there was Sasha, the oldest Rogers. Sasha was 100% her mother, from looks to personality. It was almost like someone hit a copy and paste button on everything Y/N Rogers and stamped it perfectly onto Sasha. Bucky couldn’t believe that the once small baby girl he held in his hands had grown into a beautiful, young woman. Bucky was snapped out of his thoughts when Steve called his name.  
“So, um, Bucky, what plans do you have for the summer?”
“Daddy says we might be able to go to the seashore this summer if we all behave,” Sarah shouted with her mouthful of cake. Her mother scolded her for interrupting Bucky and Steve.
“Well that sounds a lot more exciting than what I’m doing, Sarah. I’ll be fixing up this old house I bought a few blocks over from you guys. I got it for cheap so I want to do some remodeling and maybe sell the place before autumn.”
“Why would you buy a house just to sell it again in a few months?” It was Gwenyd’s turn to interrupt this time.
“It’s called house flipping Gwen, people buy crappy houses and pour all their money into it so they can get stinkn’ rich off the place,” Sasha finally spoke up.
“Sash, remember we don’t use words like that in front of the younger ones,” her mother reminded her before putting her head down and eating the rest of her cake slice.
“You’re very correct Sasha. Think of this as a new hobby of mine, Steve, taking something old and run down and forming it into something new and modern.”
“So what are you going to do to it?” Gwenyd asked.
“Well I'm going to redo the whole structure of the outside, maybe add in a pool and deck area in the backyard. The inside I’m planning on gutting the whole thing and putting in my own personal touches,” the children all ooh’d and ahh’d at the idea.
The wheels in Bucky’s head were turning for a moment. He looked at sweet Sasha and the other kids. He couldn’t just leave them caged up in this house for the summer. He knows Steve. He knows that he’ll keep them locked up inside for fear of one of the children saying something about their unusual situation. He didn’t want to leave Sasha most of all. 18 years old and definitely hasn’t gotten a chance to explore the world. He wanted to help them.
“Say, kids, redoing a big house is a lot of work for one man. How about you guys help me out and I’ll give you some money for your seashore trip,” Reid jumped out of his chair all excited.
“Daddy, Mommy, please please please let us help Bucky. Please!” Steve quieted Reid down.
Their mother kept her head down. She would love for them to get out of the house for a bit, but Steve makes all the rules.
“I’ll have to think about it, Bucky,” Steve said which caused the younger siblings to groan.
“I think it’ll be fun, dad. We get a little bit of work experience, we’ll be kept busy for a couple weeks, and we can make our own money,” Sasha spoke up and Gwenyd was giving her dad a thumbs up to agree with her older sister.
“I said I’ll think about it, girls,” Steve said sternly while finishing off his cake.
Steve couldn’t help but glare at Bucky throughout the rest of dessert. Something just wasn’t right about Bucky’s abrupt visit. Steve’s wife didn’t seem to care much because she enjoyed getting visitors, but Bucky wasn’t a frequent visitor in their home.
Bucky left Steve soon after Gweyndd was born. He stayed around because Steve needed someone to help take care of Sasha while he was busy breaking in his wife. Steve never told Bucky to leave him after that, he would’ve preferred if Bucky stayed around to be in their lives. However, one morning he took off and never came back, he even went as far as breaking all contact with Steve.
Dessert was over and the kids were helping their mother clean up. Steve offered to help, but the kids hopped right to it, cleaning down the table and loading the dishes into the sink. While they were busy, Steve led Bucky into their family room with a couple beers in his hands.
“So, why are you really here?” Bucky laughed.
“Stevie, I just said I was stopping by. Sasha’s 18th birthday is a pretty big deal. No longer a young girl, but a grown woman,” Steve seethed at his response.
“So after all these years of no contact you just decided to show up again after like everything is okay?” Bucky looked at their surroundings to see if anyone was listening. When the coast was cleared he finally spoke up.
“I had the cops on my ass since that first week. That stupid family next door had cameras showing me getting Y/N to come outside with me. Lucky I convinced Sam to pull those traffic cameras and delete the evidence or we both would’ve been caught.”
“The cops were snooping around and you didn’t think to tell me?” Steve heart rate picked up. He did get questioned by the cops one day, but already rehearsed a solid alibi. Who would've guessed that taking that one drama class in high school gave him solid acting skills.
“I had to lay low. I’m pretty sure they tapped my phone and had P.I.’s following me everywhere I went. Once I was cleared of anything I got a new job and skipped town.”
The case went cold after a few years, Steve guessed that they were trying to pin the disappearance on Bucky, but considering Bucky is standing in front of him today it seems he got off.
“So what do they think happened?” Steve whispered.
“A classic runaway case. The family refuses to accept that she’s gone for good. I got to town every now and then and I hear that the parents go looking for her every night on their own. Everyone gave up on them,” Steve let out a breath of relief. He feared that the cops were still after his wife after all this time. It’s refreshing to find out that the case is really over.
“So, you really taking the kids to the beach?” Bucky smirked already knowing Steve’s response.
“They’ve been hounding me all year that they wanted to get out of the house and do something fun. Had to tell them something to get them off my back.”
“When are you gonna break the news to them?”
“Probably a week before I told them we would go. I’m sure Reid or Joce will do something that’ll make me “change my mind”,” Steve smirked. He really couldn’t risk them going out of the house.
“Why don’t they come with me,” Steve laughed.
“I’m serious, Steve. All that time in the house with the kids, how do you and the missus have any “free time”,” Steve rolled his eyes.
“What we do is none of your business. Plus, I don’t want any of these kids to run their mouths like Sasha did,” Bucky asked what he meant by that. Sweet Sasha would sell out her family like that?
Steve explained the whole situation. She took playing house a little too far and took the kids outside to play. Just as bad luck would have it, the neighbors were also outside when they noticed a bunch of unattended children running around and playing. The nosy bastards kept asking Sasha questions. Did you kids just move in? Where are your parents? You’ve been living here how long?
Fucking CPS got involved and wouldn’t let up on the family. Steve’s wife sure as hell got a punishment of a lifetime. She also had to stay in the basement anytime a social worker would have random visits. Couldn’t risk anything.
To get them off their backs, Steve promised that he would enroll all the children in real schools so they would get more social interaction from their age groups. Yeah, that lasted about a month or two until the social workers stopped coming by. Everyone of them got pulled out of school except for Sasha. She enjoyed learning so much and was already making her way into high school.
It took months of convincing her mother to help her out to convince Steve to let her go to high school. Long nights and heated arguments between the couple was giving Steve major migraines. He finally agreed, but only on a string of strict conditions. Luckily, Sasha was already well behaved at this point so he wasn’t too worried about her fucking up again.
“I think it’ll be a good idea to let the kids come with me. They can learn new things and it’ll get them out of your hair. Think of all the time you and Y/N will have. So much time that you could be giving the kids and new brother or sister,” Steve did perk up at that idea. He has been on his wife for a while now about wanting a new baby, they just aren’t getting many opportunities to try with all the kids around.
Steve thought for a moment, “You’ll make sure they won’t get into any trouble right?”
“I’ll watch them like hawks,” Bucky promised as he saw Sasha coming out of the kitchen to head upstairs.
“Hey daddy, I’m gonna go to bed, but I just wanted to say goodnight. Thank you for a great birthday,” Sasha kissed her father’s cheek.
“It was nice meeting you Bucky,” Bucky smiled at her as she walked upstairs.
“You raised her well, Stevie.”
“Fine,” Bucky was surprised.
“Fine what?”
“You can have the kids help you, but don’t get into anything stupid or I’ll have your head,” Steve threatened as the other children started to come in to say goodnight.
“I’ll be here 8 sharp then,” Bucky got up to leave soon after the kids were getting ready for bed.
Bucky had his own planning to do, and he would make sure he would keep Steve’s word.
__
For something that the children were so excited about, they were relieved that helping Bucky out was over.
What they thought was a couple week project turned into the whole summer. A few fights and temper tantrums later and the house was almost done. However, Bucky wouldn’t need their help any longer. Instead, he agreed that he would keep them longer so Steve had a good excuse to say why their trip wasn’t happening this summer. The kids were so upset that their beach trip got canceled, but Bucky made it up to them by buying them ice cream and letting them watch movies all day one day.
Not only did they get endless amounts of ice cream, but they had a new addition to expect in the next 9 months. Yes, their mother got pregnant again with another child. Bucky could tell Sasha was a little upset by this, but the others were thoroughly excited about a new brother or sister joining the family.
The nights got cooler and the days were getting shorter meaning fall was approaching them. Which meant Sasha would finally be able to get back to school. While most kids dreaded going back Sasha didn’t. She loved school, her teachers, classes, and most of all was getting new books. There has never been a kid who enjoyed reading a European World History book more than Sasha Rogers. Also she couldn’t wait to get some peace and quiet away from her brothers and sisters.
“Sash,” Bucky stopped her before she could walk out of his new house.
“Yeah, Buck,” they had grown rather close during this time, almost as if they were long lost friends.
“I got you something. Think of it as a late birthday present,” Bucky pulled out of his back pocket a rectangular device. Sasha had seen them on TV all the time. In fact, she begged for one for so many years, but her father yelled at her to drop it before he got even more angry.
“I’m not supposed to have one of these. Dad will kill me, he’ll kill you,” Bucky laughed and shoved the phone and its box in her hands.
“It’ll be our secret. Hide this in and don’t tell anyone. Don’t tell mom or Gwen, even your friends at school,” Bucky urged her to take it.
“But I can’t pay for it,” Sasha wasn’t allowed to have a job either.
“I’ll take care of everything. Just to make sure we are clear, don’t do anything stupid with this phone. You tell no one about it at all. If I find anything bad on this phone I won’t hesitate to tell your father, understand?” Sasha gulped and shook her head out of fear of what her father would do.
“Uhm, uh, thank you so much Bucky,” Sasha hugged him.
“It’s no problem at all, Sash.”
Now with a phone in her hand and access to contacting her, Bucky had his own plan in motion.
Tags to be added in comments!!
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stereksecretsanta · 3 years
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Merry Christmas, obsessedbutonline!
For @obsessedbutonline, who listed fluff, angst, and ‘Derek giving Stiles gift’ as a few ‘Likes’. I hope I did those items justice. Hope you have a wonderful Christmas, Friend!
Read On AO3
*****
The Gift
The gift. He supposed it all started with the gift. Or maybe Star Trek. Derek wasn’t sure. It was Stiles, after all. One day, the younger man had been debating the cuddle rating of a Tribble, before diving into an analysis of The Voyage Home being one of the worst movies in franchise history (except for the whales, of course), and the next thing Derek knew, he’d found himself discussing how Moby Dick was one of his favorite books. The random jumps from one topic to another hadn’t been anything new for Stiles, but that had also been the year they’d legitimately gotten ‘together’ after their contentious circling of each other’s orbits, so when Derek had opened an inelegantly wrapped early edition of the novel on that first Christmas as a couple, he’d been rendered speechless.
He couldn’t remember how long he’d stared at the leather-bound copy exactly, but he did recall feeling a bout of inadequacy. He thought he’d hid it well though. “Stiles – “ he’d started. “I wasn’t expecting…This is too much.”
Stiles had shrugged like it hadn’t been a big deal, an eager grin on his face. “Nah, it wasn’t too bad. A classmate mentioned a prof who needed an assistant to help translate some Latin verses, and I thought I’d check it out. When I went, I noticed a copy of Moby Dick in his office, and you’d mentioned it was one of your favorites, so I offered my translation services for free if he would sell the book for a discounted price.”
Of course, Stiles had remembered that weird detail from a throwaway conversation. And of course, he’d been resourceful in procuring it. That was just who Stiles was. Now, Derek, on the other hand… well, he’d felt completely out of his league when he’d pulled out the gift card he’d picked up a day earlier from a comic book store. He hadn’t even known if that was a store Stiles ever visited. He really sucked at gift-giving. “Sorry, I didn’t …”
Stiles had yanked it out of his hands before he’d even finished. “I love it. Thanks, Derek!” The younger man had beamed excitedly, clutching that cheap piece of plastic in his hands as if he’d just received some personal heirloom. There had been no uptick in the man’s heartrate, so there’d been no lie in those words, but that hadn’t stop Derek from feeling bad.
And it was then that he had resolved to do better, that he would be thoughtful and meticulous in his gift selection the next time Christmas rolled around. Stiles deserved as much.
But he’d mentioned he was bad at gift-giving, right? As in, monumentally bad. Because the next Christmas, when they’d settled down on his couch after an intimate holiday dinner he’d prepared for the two of them, Stiles had presented him with a charmingly wrinkled gift bag. And when he’d pulled out a lovingly restored and framed photograph of his family from before the fire, he’d not only felt a slight lump in his throat at the sentiment, he’d also felt remarkably small and completely lacking in comparison. It was a good thing they’d come to a mutual understanding that their birthdays would be a no-gift zone, because Derek wasn’t sure he could’ve handled double the inferiority complex this time of year.
“I found a copy of the photo from the digital archives of the town newspaper. It was for some fundraiser committee your mom chaired, I think. I saved a copy, and googled around for some pointers on how to increase the resolution so I could print out a decent version of it,” Stiles had explained.
Derek had nodded absently, his fingers lightly tracing the curve of his mother’s face under the cool glass. His whole family had stared back at him, carefree and unburdened in the moment that photo had been taken, eyes all shiny from a sunny afternoon picnic. “Yeah, I remember. It was a Pets in the Park fundraiser for the local animal shelter.” There had been an ache in the pit of his stomach at the reminder of everything he’d lost, but it wasn’t as sharp as it had once been. Now, it had been dulled by time, and tempered by the meaningful relationships he’d found, foremost of which was the one with the man beside him. “Thank you,” he’d said slowly, slightly surprised that his voice hadn’t cracked at the pool of emotion swirling within him.
“Anytime, big guy.” Stiles had leaned in, his weight and warmth freely offered as a source of silent strength.
But when he’d pulled out his gift for Stiles, he had had that sinking feeling of failing an important test. He hadn’t even had time to wrap it properly, opting to place a haphazard bow on it instead. “Sorry, I didn’t know …”
Stiles had grabbed the cellophane-covered box with a puzzled expression. “A bath set?” he’d asked slowly. “Is this your way of telling me I stink?”
There had been amusement in the younger man’s tone, devoid of upset or disappointment, but that hadn’t stopped Derek from feeling upset and disappointed in himself. After Stiles had gone through all the trouble of giving him such a personal and meaningful gift, he’d reciprocated with … soap. “Remember when you were on break during Thanksgiving,” he’d started to explain. “That necromancer problem we had?”
“Oh, damn, do I ever! We spent the whole night trying to wash zombie goo out of bodily crevices I never knew I had!” Then, realization had set in as those rich brown eyes widened. “This is perfect, Derek! Thank you!” And just like that, Stiles had fallen on him with his usual gracelessness, and proceeded to express his ‘gratitude’ properly.
That had been last year. But this time around, right before Stiles had returned to campus for his final two semesters of college, Derek had stumbled upon the ideal Christmas gift, while they were cleaning, of all things. They’d been packing up and storing some of Stiles’ stuff before the younger man headed back to school when they’d gotten diverted by some dusty, old boxes in the Sheriff’s attic. Somehow, in the way of procrastination, they’d ended up flipping through old photo albums when Stiles had paused to tell him about a picture of his mother.
“Oh, there’s the locket my dad helped me buy for Mother’s Day when I was eight,” Stiles had said as he’d pointed to a picture of Claudia Stilinski, vivacious and beaming brightly at the camera. Anyone could see where Stiles had gotten his smile. “I didn’t have the greatest taste in jewelry, so it doesn’t look like much, but she was so excited when she got it. She wore it all the time.”
“It’s nice that you have a memento to remember her by,” Derek had supplied.
Stiles’ shoulders had slumped a little at the comment. “Yeah, I think we accidentally sold it during a garage sale not long after she died. Dad wasn’t exactly in the best place, and he just wanted to get rid of the memories because they hurt so much back then. Lots of regret now. Who knows? It might’ve found another home, or it might be in a garbage dump somewhere.”
And that comment had led him down the winding, convoluted path to where he was now: standing in front of a teenage girl with bright blue hair and an eclectic ensemble of a loose plaid shirt, artfully ripped leggings, and combat boots.
“A hundred bucks,” the girl re-stated, her tone indicating that this wasn’t a negotiation.
“One hundred? The pawn shop owner said you only paid five dollars for it.” He could be stubborn too, though deep down, he knew he wasn’t really in a position of power in this situation, much as that rankled him.
Ms. Blue-hair shrugged. “So? If you want it that bad, then you should be willing to pay for it.”
She had him there. Three months of diligently interviewing the Stilinski neighbors, and following a trail of multiple goodwill and pawn shops had led him to that very locket hanging from the girl’s neck, that very locket Stiles had shown him in that old photo of his mother. He gave the teen what Stiles had laughingly termed his ‘murder-brow’ look and pulled out his wallet. Of course, he would pay, especially after all the work he’d put into tracking it down, and because this was for Stiles. He didn’t have to like being swindled like this though.
“That’s a nice jacket, by the way.”
Derek looked up from pulling out the cash and froze. He glared at the girl, hoping the intensity of his stare would deter whatever she was about to insinuate. It didn’t work.
“No,” he said flatly as she watched him expectantly.
“Okay, I guess we’re done here then. Nice meeting you.” And with that, she turned and started to walk away.
Derek ground his teeth together to keep from outright growling and fought hard to not wolf out. He hated being bested like this. Life would’ve been so much simpler if he could just take the damned piece of jewelry by force and run off with it. Stupid morals.
“Fine,” he conceded with a clenched jaw after she’d managed to walk several feet away.
She turned with a triumphant smile as he started to shrug off his leather jacket. When he held it out with the wad of cash, she unclasped the chain without any further objections and handed it over. “Pleasure doing business with you, sir.”
(***)
Stiles’ name flashed on his lock screen just as he was pulling up to his loft.
“Hey, you back already?” he answered as he shifted his car into park. His regular visits to Stanford notwithstanding, he’d been anticipating Stiles’ winter break for a while, and the timing couldn’t have worked out any better with him finding the locket when he had. “I was going to pick you up tonight after you’ve had a few hours with your dad.”
Several seconds of heavy breathing greeted his words, and almost instantly, he was on alert, muscles tensing and heartrate increasing. “Stiles?”
“Yeah, Derek, I’m here,” a familiar voice sounded through the phone. “Sorry, just had to get around Scott to check something out. But no, I’m not home yet. Got sidetracked on my way into town. Can you come to the preserve right now? The trail just off Parsons. We’ve got, um, a problem.”
Since his return to Beacon Hills, the supernatural activity in the area had decreased significantly, especially with a solid pack established in the area now, but that didn’t mean there wasn’t the occasional run-in with creatures bringing in death and mayhem. This sounded like one of those times. Shifting gears into reverse, he responded without hesitation, “On my way.”
The trip to the preserve was quick, the route having been travelled so many times that he could probably drive it eyes closed. After parking in the lot off Parsons, he picked up Stiles’ scent almost immediately, along with a few others of the pack, and had no problems tracking the source down a few hundred feet off a popular running path.
Not surprisingly, Scott noticed him first, looking up from a patch of tall grass and nodding in greeting as Derek silently approached. Stiles stood more out in the open, back turned and head down as he tapped busily on his phone. Once upon a time, his quiet ‘stalking’ would’ve caused a flailing of limbs and a high-pitched yelp from the younger man, but of the familiarity borne from the years of closeness, Stiles simply turned, smiled, and greeted him with a warm ‘hey’ as if he’d known he was there the whole time. And all things considered, he probably had.
They’d never been a couple for overt displays of affection, but the way Stiles unconsciously leaned toward him, trusting and open, worked just as well in telling Derek how the other man felt. He usually did the same, subtly breathing in the scent of his boyfriend and feeling more settled in his presence. They hadn’t seen each for a couple of weeks, and he’d missed having Stiles near.
“What’s going on?” he asked, looking around for the rest of the pack. Their scents were fainter, which meant they had been here recently, but had likely wandered off or left altogether.
“It’s Christmastime in Beacon Hills, so the usual. Y’know, carolers, Santa parades, sleigh rides, tidings of comfort and joy, and oh yeah, witches.”
Derek had never been bothered by Stiles’ sarcasm, though he wouldn’t openly admit that if asked about their first encounters with each other, but now, he found the trait rather endearing. “So, we’re dealing with a witch. How bad?”
“That’s what I’m trying to figure out. I was driving back into town when I saw a kid running across the road. Freaked me out, and barely stopped in time. When I went to check on him, he was crying and said an old woman had tried to take him. At first, I thought it was an attempted kidnapping, but then, he said that there was a lot of screaming coming from her big bag, and he was scared of getting stuffed in there with all the other kid. For this town, that triggered alarm bells. Stuffing kids into bags and lugging them around is not your regular run-of-the-mill kidnapper MO. I called my dad, and he came out here with a few units, but is running interference on the supernatural front. He’d mentioned that this was the third attempted kidnapping this month, so the deputies are on high alert. They still think it’s a regular human predator, so they’re canvassing the other side of the preserve right now, which means we can do our own investigation here. I called Scott, and the others are now fanned out, doing a search to see if we can catch a scent.”
“No luck yet,” Scott added as he strode over to join them. “Just a whole bunch of the usual smells, and with the people that use the running trails, it’s hard to pinpoint a specific one. We’re not exactly sure what we’re looking for.”
“I think I have a lead though.” Stiles held out his phone to show an etching of a stooped crone with a large sack. “We might have an Icelandic witch in the area, one that kidnaps and eats children, but I’m not a hundred percent. I hope I’m not right because … well, children! But she’s supposed to be active around Christmas. I need to double-check some books at my house to make sure though.”
Derek nodded, not surprised that Stiles had pretty much figured it out already. As human as Stiles was, he was arguably one of the pack’s most valuable assets, and truth be told, Derek felt quite proud of the other man’s quick wit and life-saving accomplishments. “So, you need to go home then?”
Stiles made a sound of agreement as he tucked his phone away and gave him an apologetic look. No words were needed to communicate how sorry he was that their reunion wasn’t what they’d planned.
“Okay, call us with any info,” Scott chimed in. “Derek and I will probably be more useful if we keep scouting the area. This is children we’re talking about. I don’t want anymore of them put in danger.”
“Yes, sir, Mr. Alpha leader, sir,” Stiles replied jokingly, giving his friend a mock salute.
The years had matured Scott somewhat, enough that the erstwhile werewolf took his role and responsibilities somewhat seriously now. And for this, Derek was grateful.
Scott gave Stiles a shove to get him on his way, before shaking his head with a laugh and started to move back to the tall grass he’d been searching through earlier. “Go, you idiot.”
Stiles responded with the very mature gesture of sticking out his tongue. Then, Derek felt the younger man’s arm wrap lightly around his waist and pull him close for a quick kiss. The motion was casual, natural, and one that Derek returned without thought. “Sorry, not what we’d planned when I got back, huh? Let’s catch this witch fast so we can start our Christmas cuddle session, ‘kay?”
Derek raised an eyebrow at the comment. His boyfriend sure did have a way with words sometimes. “Christmas cuddle?”
“Hey, it is what it is.” Stiles shrugged innocently as he started to move away.
“I’m not calling it that.”
“Suit yourself, Sourwolf, but I’ve officially labelled it, and you can’t take that away from me,” Stiles said as he walked backwards toward the nearby trail. Derek half-expected him to trip on some invisible rock in the next few seconds. “Gonna say it all I want!”
He rolled his eyes as the younger man’s antics. “Go.”
“Christmas cuddle! Oh, and far be it for me to complain about seeing you in that t-shirt, but you do know it’s winter, right? We may live in California, and you may have some super-awesome internal wolfy furnace going, but I’m cold just looking at you. Where’s your jacket?”
“Go!” While he didn’t feel the chill as acutely, he didn’t need to be reminded about his fleecing by a greedy, blue-haired teenager.
After Stiles wave his acknowledgement and jogged out of sight, Derek turned back to join Scott. Their relationship may have started out roughly, but they’d fallen into a companionable pattern over the last few years. It was likely because of everything Scott had been through and his maturation, but Derek guessed part of it may have been out of respect for both their relationships with Stiles. Without much preamble, they quickly sectioned off their respective search zones, and fanned out into the thicker parts of the preserve. Derek had grown up here, had run and played amongst the trees and foliage so often that walking through it now stirred a sense of homecoming. Still, sometimes, there were things here that could still surprise him. Like the odd whiff of fear and panic he caught a few minutes after he’d split off from Scott. It was faint, probably non-existent for the newer wolves, but it was there, so out of place with the earthy scent of moss and soil. He started to follow it, his senses sharpening as he homed in on the potential prey. He hadn’t made much progress before he heard a howl off in the distance, and his entire body tensed, ready for action.
They’d found something!
Once he pinpointed the source, he was off, dashing through branches and over roots with a surety of stride that had been acquired from a lifetime of running these woods. He didn’t get very far though. He heard it first, a loud symphony of disembodied laughter all around him. Before he could stop and confront whatever it was, he caught a flutter of movement in his periphery, and then, he was flying, thrown through the air by an impact harder than anything in recent memory. He was out cold before he even landed.
(***)
He wasn’t unconscious for long. At least, he didn’t think he was, given that generations of werewolf evolution had refined his healing abilities to the point where he shouldn’t be. But however long it was, it was enough to find himself strapped to a board – or a crude table, perhaps – staring up at the flickering shadows of a stone ceiling. Or a cave? He honestly hated losing time like this and waking up in unexpected places, which, given who he was and where he lived, was an actual occupational hazard.
A whimper somewhere to his left drew his attention just then, and he tilted his head at an uncomfortable angle to take better stock of where he was, and with whom. Just within his field of vision, he could barely make out a small figure sat huddled inside a primitively constructed cage no higher than his hip. A wood fire burned beneath a big vat just a few feet away, thoroughly heating up whatever was inside if the bubbling sound was any indication.
“Hey,” he said quietly, if a little hoarsely, hoping the hunched figure would shift enough into the firelight for him to make out who it was.
The figure shuffled over, and Derek could see the tear-streaked face of a boy, probably no more than eight or nine years old. Stiles had said there’d been attempted kidnappings. It looked like one had succeeded.
“H-hello? You’re awake.”
“Yeah, I am.” He wasn’t good with children, barring the few cousins he’d played with when he was younger, yet that had been different. They’d been family. He knew this kid was scared, could hear it in the tremor of his voice and smell it in the dankness of the air, but he wasn’t sure what he could say to help with that. “I’m Derek. What’s your name?”
“A-Andy.”
“Well, Andy, if you give me a minute, we can get out of here and I’ll take you back to your parents.” He tried to sound reassuring, though he wasn’t sure it worked as well as he’d intended when he was tugging and testing the thick ropes tied around his chest, waist, and legs. They were tight, but he managed to slide a hand free enough to shift and start slicing away at the restraints with his claw.
“Just Mom,” the boy said quietly. “Dad left.”
“Okay, we’re going to find your mom then. I’m sure she’s really missing you right now.” He figured that keeping a calm tone and easy conversation going was as good a plan as any while he worked on the ropes.
Andy shuffled a little in his cage, his face dipping down again into the shadows cast by the nearby fire. “She’s working. She’s always working. She promised I’d get to see Dad, but she couldn’t take me, so I went to find him myself.”
Which might explain why the boy hadn’t been reported missing yet. There was some give to the rope by his right hip, so he tilted his head and tried to look over at the boy and hoped he properly projected the sincerity of his words. “That doesn’t mean she’s not missing you, Andy. I know she’s probably very worried. She – “
The stench assaulted him first, sour and rancid, before he felt the whole space shake with a reverberating thud. Andy quickly scooted back into the corner of his cage with a scared squeak, leaving Derek to turn and search out the source in the dim light. An old woman came into view near the foot of his table, posture bent and face haggard, each of her steps sending tiny shockwaves through the cave. Her long, gray hair hung in a greasy, unkempt mess, framing a crooked nose and a gap-toothed, mirthless grin. She resembled the picture Stiles had shown him on his phone, but the younger man had neglected to mention one thing. She was a fucking giant!
The whole cave suddenly felt cramped, and her looming presence caused his heartrate to spike. He worked faster on his ropes.
“Good dog. You’re too old and gristly for my liking, but if my lads want a pet, a pet they will get,” she said in a voice deeper than he’d expected. She patted his stomach dismissively as she passed, and he fought hard not cry out at the jarring, painful contact. “Now, where’s my little snack? Little boy for a little snack. Little boy snack.” She cackled at her own wit.
He heard Andy whimper again as the old, giant crone ambled her way over to the cage, and he wanted to tell the boy to be brave, to hold on because he was almost through his rope. Yet, as he was about to do just that, he caught the scent of metal and electricity in the air. It cut through the myriad of other unpleasant smells like an olfactory beacon, clear and crisp and a harbinger of something – or someone – familiar. He couldn’t help but smile a little at the arrival of the calvary, even as Andy shrieked when the witch pulled him roughly from the cage and shuffled over to the boiling pot.
Then, several things happened at once. First, voices that sounded like the disembodied laughter he’d heard earlier came from somewhere outside. This time, however, they were shouting out in distress, intermingled with the familiar voices of his pack. The cries gave the witch pause for a split second, just as he cut through the last of his restraints and pulled free. After that, he was up and leaping through the air, aiming to get Andy free of the old woman’s clutches and away from the fire. And he managed just that, wrapping his arms around the boy as he clawed at the large hand that held him. But he underestimated the reaction speed of the crone, and barely managed to turn his body to shield Andy before her other hand swatted his side. He landed with bone-cracking impact against the boiling pot, adrenalin enhancing his movements as he rolled quickly to avoid landing on the fire or getting splattered by the hot liquid in the toppling vat. He was pretty sure he’d probably cracked a few ribs, but they were already healing. Andy seemed none the worse for wear when he looked down, unhurt and safe in his arms still.
“My boys! What are they doing to my boys?” the witch wailed.
Derek tensed briefly, thinking the giantess would take her surprise and anger out on him. He readied himself for a fight, but instead, she turned and marched the other way, he and Andy seemingly forgotten. He eased himself up with a barely suppressed groan, and let the small body pressed against his chest slide down to his lap. He could hear the pack outside, the growls of the wolves and the foreign-sounding chants from Stiles, and he knew that they had it handled.
“You okay?” he asked as he gave Andy a good once-over.
The boy simply nodded, his whole body still trembling. Then, without a word, he leaned forward and hugged Derek as if his life depended on it. Not sure how else to respond, Derek hugged the child back.
That was how Stiles found them a few minutes later when he stumbled clumsily into the cave. After some coaxing, they both managed to talk Andy into finally letting go. Scott took it from there, coming in to take the boy away to find the Sheriff, who had been called to the area when Stiles had triangulated Derek’s location. Stiles waited a moment after Scott had left before he turned and threw himself into Derek’s arms.
“Oh, thank every deity I just prayed to you’re okay. Had me worried.”
Derek squeezed the warm, lithe body clinging to him like an octopus, and bent down to briefly nuzzle his partner’s neck. He breathed in the fortifying scent that was simply Stiles and used it to ground himself after the crazy events that had just happened. “Sorry. I didn’t mean to. I’m fine.”
“I know. You’re one tough son of a bitch, but the uncertainty always gets me.” Stiles pulled away and gave him a look with those ridiculously wide Bambi-like eyes that made Derek’s insides go warm. “And of course, you would go all superhero and save a child while we saved you. With the way the boy was holding on to you, I thought you’d replaced me with a cuter, newer model.”
Derek quirked up his lip into a lopsided, half-smile. “Never,” he returned easily. “If I did, I would at least try to get a good trade-in price for you.”
“Smartass.” As his comeback, Stiles smacked his arm with the back of his hand. He then slipped said hand into Derek’s, intertwined their fingers, and started walking out of the cave. “See if I ever send baddies back through an intercontinental gate for you again.”
“So, she wasn’t a witch?” Derek asked as he followed Stiles’ lead out of the cave
“Oh, no, she was a witch. The giantess witch, Gryla, and her sons, the Yule Lads. I don’t know how they got here, but I was working off of some quick and dirty research, so the best I could do was track down caves in the area, which is what the literature says she tends to favor, and find a spell to send her back to her native Iceland.”
Derek silently listened as Stiles explained what had happened, both grateful and proud – and not for the first or last time either – at the quick wit and resourcefulness of the guy he got to call his. They eventually emerged from the cave, and he immediately felt lighter the moment he could smell the fresh earth and foliage again. The sun was beginning to set, creating lengthening shadows of the redwoods and the oaks that stood like sentinels around them. And with that came a distinct chill in the air. He felt Stiles shiver at the lower temperature, and wished he’d had his jacket around to offer the other man. The jacket that he’d exchanged for …
With his free hand, he reached into his jeans pocket where he’d tucked the locket earlier, and –
Shit!
Without another thought, he turned and sprinted back into the cave. He quickly scanned the area and did not see the locket anywhere. His eyes then fell on the overturned pot and the still-burning embers of the woodfire. A dash of panic began to taint his actions, but he didn’t stop to quell it. Instead, he rushed over to the dying fire and started digging through the ashes. His hands burned and healed almost simultaneously as he dug desperately through the charred wood, an odd combination of frustration and helplessness clouding his judgement.
“Derek?”
He heard Stiles, but didn’t answer, mainly because his fingers wrapped around a clump of metal just then. He looked down at what used to be Stiles’ mother’s locket, the piece now misshapen by the heat and bearing no resemblance to what it used to be. He dropped the thing, both dejected and angry. This was supposed to be the year. This was supposed to be the Christmas where he would show Stiles how much the younger man meant to him by putting the care and thought into his gift that Stiles had always put into his. But everything… everything had been for nothing.
“Derek? What’s wrong? You okay?” Stiles approached and knelt beside him, looking ready to join him in whatever he was searching for.
He brushed the soot and ash off his hands, shook his head, and stood up. “Nothing. I’m good. Just thought I dropped something but I was wrong. C’mon, let’s go home.”
Puzzled, Stiles stood too, though he didn’t pry, and together, they made their way out of the cave once more, but not before Derek threw one last, longing glance at the pile of ashes.
(***)
“Oh, my god, I’m so stuffed,” Stiles said as he plopped down on the couch and rubbed his belly. “I might have to be rolled off to bed later because there’s no way I’m standing up.”
Derek smiled softly at the younger man’s dramatics, and joined him on the sofa. Christmas dinner had been an intimate one again between just the two of them, with Derek doing most of the preparation, while Stiles had ‘helped’. He didn’t mind though. He enjoyed their time together. The way they fit together, their ease with each other … it had all been hard-won, and he wouldn’t trade it for anything. The younger man had chatted animatedly throughout the meal and Derek had let him go on, wanting to prolong the whole thing because, if he was being honest, he was dreading what would happen afterwards: their gift exchange.
“Merry Christmas, Derek,” Stiles said, as if reading his thoughts. He reached over to the end table and grabbed an unevenly wrapped gift.
Derek stared at the thing for a moment, just knowing deep down it would be a typical Stiles present, all special and personal. Why did Stiles even stay with him? He must come across as an unthoughtful, unappreciative jerk. Slowly, he unwrapped the gift, and revealed a collage of artfully arranged photographs. There were trees and flowers and butterflies dancing on sunbeams across open trails. They were beautiful, more so in that Derek recognized where they had been taken: the preserve.
“You sometimes talk about how you grew up in the preserve,” Stiles explained. “How it’s a second home to you, and how you have all those memories with your family there. I know the memories are special, so I went and took some pictures during summer break. I hope these help you remember all those good times.”
Derek blinked away the prickling he felt in his eyes. Stiles may have assumed he was touched by the gift, which was fine. He didn’t need to know what Derek was really feeling. He didn’t need to know that in that moment, he thought Stiles really deserved so much better than him.
“Thank you. It’s perfect,” he choked out. “I – “ He didn’t know how to continue. What else could he say? “My present isn’t –“
He stopped. Stiles looked at him expectantly. Not finding the right words, he leaned over to the coffee table and grabbed the last-minute gift bag he’d filled the day before. “Here.”
He looked away while Stiles eagerly dug into the bag. He knew what was in there, and he didn’t need to see the lackluster reaction the younger man would have at the assortment of Reese’s candies he’d find.
“Oh, this is awesome, Derek!” Stiles exclaimed excitedly. “Holy shit, there’s a half pound peanut butter cup in here! Hello, Heaven!”
Derek felt Stiles’ arms wrap around him in gratitude, but he couldn’t find it in himself to return the gesture. The younger man seemed to notice and pulled back. “Derek?”
He turned and took in Stiles’ questioning gaze. He couldn’t do this. They complemented each other so well in everything, but somehow, in this, they were completely mismatched. “Doesn’t it bother you?” he asked in earnest.
“What?”
“My gifts. Doesn’t it bother you that my gifts are so … so bad. Yours are always so … so perfect.” It felt good to get that off his chest.
Stiles gawked at him as if he was speaking a foreign language. “Huh? But I think your gifts are perfect. And that’s not a lie. You can tell, right?”
True, Derek hadn’t heard any change in the other man’s heartrate to indicate otherwise, but no one could like his choice of gifts that much. “I just ... I wanted to show you how much I appreciate you, how much I care about you, the same way to do for me, especially with the gifts you give me. But I can’t seem to do that.” This was uncharted territory for him, this admission. He wasn’t used to revealing his insecurities like this. Yet, this was Stiles he was talking to, he reminded himself. Stiles, who never had any shame in revealing his every failure and weakness, and who gave his trust without fear of being hurt. Derek owed him the same. “I found your mother’s locket,” he finally said. “The one from the album you showed me. I found it, and was going to give it to you, but I lost it when we fought that witch last week. I’m sorry.”
He stared at the coffee table. He stared at the discard wrapping paper of the collage he’d just received. He started at everything but Stiles.
And then, “That’s what you were worried about? Not being able to show me you loved me?” Stiles’ tone was incredulous, and it was enough for Derek to turn his attention to the younger man again. “You’re an idiot, Derek,” Stiles continued. “For the record, your presents are awesome. But that’s not the point. You drive three hours each way to visit me on campus every other weekend. You cook Christmas dinner for us every year. You help me pack for college each fall. You drop everything and meet me in a forest, no questions asked, when I call. You even spent all night picking zombie guts out of my hair. If that doesn’t say ‘love’, I don’t know what does!”
To put an exclamation to his point, Stiles pulled him in for a long, lingering kiss. “I love you, Derek Hale, and I know you love me. You don’t need to give me things to show me that. You show me every day in the things you do. And that’s more than enough.”
Derek looked at the man sitting beside him, stunned and at a loss. “I –“
“It’s more than enough,” Stiles re-stated firmly. “Now, stop your self-flagellation, and show me how much you appreciate my gift by kissing me.”
Stiles pulled him in again, and this time, Derek did put everything he had into that kiss because the weight of those heartfelt words were slowly sinking in. He loved Stiles. And Stiles … Stiles knew that. He groaned in appreciation at the true gift he’d been given as he pushed the younger man down onto his back, bracing his weight on his arms as he ground their hips together. Fuck it, he felt like he’d really won the lottery in finding Stiles … because Stiles was right, he realized as he deepened their kiss, tasting and teasing the smart, sarcastic, and silly man beneath him.
This … This was more than enough.
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emergencymanagement · 3 years
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there are so many plot holes in Peter’s betrayal IT’S INSANE
okay! hello! can I just rant for a minute? I’m writing a fic that spans from the beginning of the marauders’ years at Hogwarts to Remus and Sirius’ last days together and I’m trying to lay down the timeline of the first war right now, and
 nothing! about! jk rowling’s plot! makes! sense!
(apologies in advance for spelling mistakes I’m drunk and tired, but let’s gO)
Problem 1: The Potters
JK has two conflicting timelines of when the Potters go into hiding:
Timeline 1: 
the Potters go into hiding immediately after Lily becomes pregnant
this means they went into hiding around October 1979 and stayed in hiding for two years until they died in October 1981
that’s a long ass time! a loooooong ass time! you’re telling me they were locked in their house for two years?? that means they only served in the Order for a little over a year which makes no sense because...
Problem 1: Somebody took a photo of the Order in July of 1981 and James and Lily were in it. Why would they have left their newborn baby at home (or taken him with them!) to go to Order headquarters and take a photo for an organization they hadn’t been a part of for almost two years?
Problem 2: In Lily’s letter to Sirius, written around August of 1981, a month after the photo was taken, she reports being in hiding and says that James is starting to get antsy not being able to go anywhere which implies they JUST went into hiding and are still getting used to being stuck in the house
Timeline 2: 
Based on all the information above, the Potters must have gone into hiding early to mid-July in 1981, after the Order photo was taken and before Harry’s birthday  on July 31st (Lily mentions in her letter that Harry celebrated his first birthday in hiding). This would make sense because if Peter was already working for Voldemort (which Sirius claims he was in POA) then it wouldn’t take him very long to betray them to Voldy, and so them being in hiding for only three months before they were killed is very reasonable. So this timeline that I’ve just described must be J.K.’s second timeline, right?? that would make sense, right? WRONG. Nothing makes sense in this world, you fool.
timeline two ACTUALLY says that the Potters had to go into hiding “at the time of Harry’s christening”
which like?? what??? his christening? okay. I guess Lily was devoutly religious because Christianity sure didn’t seem to be a big thing among the purebloods (what this reads like to me, though, is another example of JK Rowling trying to weirdly inject Christianity into the Harry Potter books while ignoring all other religions, but that’s for another time) ((fyi I have no issues with Christianity or blending religion and fantasy but her usage of it is odd and noncommittal)) 
christenings usually happen anywhere from a few weeks to six months after the baby’s birth depending on your sect, situation, e.t.c
this would mean that the Potters went into hiding around late summer-early fall of 1980
THIS would mean that the cast the Fidelius charm for a year before their death
this seems more likely than the first scenario, but all of the problems listed above with the picture and the inconsistencies in the letter are still present
On top of that, Sirius claims that Peter was a spy for a year before the Potters’ death. This would mean that Peter secretly joined Voldemort at almost exactly the same time the Potters went under the Fidelius charm. Admittedly, the Potter family being directly threatened and going into hiding seems like a solid catalyst for Peter noping-the-fuck-out of the Order and secretly becoming a spy. He probably partially joined the Order because all of his friends were doing it (James especially) and so seeing James being forced into hiding was probably a huge shock for him. Also, at this point, the Death Eaters were winning, and he was most definitely shitting himself over that. So. Yes. Timeline works there. 
BUT! then why did it take Peter a year to give the Potters up? It seems (although there’s some wiggle room) like they didn’t switch secret keepers, rather made it seem like Sirius was the secret keeper publicly while Peter was secretly the real secret keeper. In this scenario, Peter either would have had to willfully withhold this information from Voldy himself for almost year, which is kind of a dangerous move coming from a coward, or he told Voldemort the minute he was made secret keeper and for some reason Voldemort didn’t do ANYTHING ABOUT IT FOR A YEAR. Does Voldemort have really bad procrastination issues? Did he just forget that there’s a baby that’s threatening his very existence out there somewhere?
This leaves one last plausible option: something happened that made them switch secret-keepers last minute, and Peter did not become secret keeper until shortly before the Potters’ death. This is not what Pottermore or the books imply, but it’s what makes the most sense. We’ll come back to this option in problem 3 which is all about secret keepers, but for now let’s talk about the prophecy that made all of this come to be... 
Problem 2: The Prophecy
Dumbledore says that the prophecy was made in 1980 “shortly before [Harry’s] birth” on a “cold, wet night”. 
I think that anything below 50 Fahrenheit/10 Celsius can be considered cold, so according to this map of temperatures in the Scottish Highlands:
Tumblr media
(okay... yes... I see it too... perhaps the climate map of the Scottish Highlands is taking things a bit too far. But I’m trying to make a point, okay!!)
Trelawney could have conceivably given Dumbledore the prophecy anywhere from late March - early June. There’s some wiggle room there, but I’d place my bets on it happening somewhere in the spring based on the weather and timing. This means that Trelawney made the prophecy a year and a half before Voldemort was finally able to kill the Potters. So what took Voldemort so long? Let’s break it down. 
We know that Snape overheard the prophecy and brought it to Voldemort. From there Voldemort decided to kill Harry not Neville because Harry was a half-blood like himself, Snape went back to Dumbledore and offered himself as a double agent in exchange for Lily’s protection, and Voldemort reportedly spent “months searching” for the Potters until he found their whereabouts and discovered they were using a Fidelius charm. Then “WITHIN A WEEK OF BEING NAMED SECRET KEEPER” Peter betrayed them and Voldemort was able to enter the Potters’ home. The implications of this are too ridiculously convoluted to get into, but I’ll hit the stuff that makes me want to scream: 
Option 1: Snape Tells Voldy Immediately After He Hears the Prophecy
In this scenario, we only have a few months accounted for. Voldemort finds out about prophecy, searches for a few months, finds the Potters, kills them. Makes sense, right? Bing, bang, boom. Very efficient. Except no. He knew for a year and a half, so what was he doing with allll of that extra time? Discovering the joys of muggle television? Completing a 5,000 piece crossword puzzle? Teaching Nagini to dance? Get on top of it, man. World domination is on the line. A few months is not a year and a half. 
It’s also possible that the few months thing is wrong, and Voldemort was actually searching for the full year and a half. If Peter gave the Potters up within a week of becoming secret keeper, they should have been dead wayyy earlier! Like over a year earlier! Even if Sirius was the original secret keeper, and they switched mid-October of 1981, Peter would have still known where the Potters where and that they were under the Fidelius charm, information Voldemort didn’t know until shortly before he killed them. So why did Peter, who was already a spy at this point, fail to say anything? If Voldemort had found out Peter had willfully withheld information, he surely would have killed him. That thought alone should have been enough to make Peter come to him immediately considering how terrified Peter has always been of dying.
Option 2: Snape Sort of Drags His Feet with the Whole Thing
okay so maybe Snape didn’t tell the dark lord immediately. Maybe he knew what this would mean for Lily and was terrified. Maybe he debated for a long time whether it would be safer for Lily if he kept the information to himself or if he told the dark lord and begged him to spare her (fuck the baby, am I right?) 
STILL this is a big risk for Snape. No one really wants to piss of Voldemort and saying, “heyyyy big man, I’ve actually known that there’s a super baby that can kill you for like a year, and I didn’t tell you about it because I was scared, but don’t be mad” is not an A+ move. Seems like Voldemort might be kind of mad. Seems like he might even kill you. It seems unlikely to me that Snape would wait that long, but I guesssss it’s possible.
NO MATTER WHAT there are so many conflicts in this timeline. Everything conflicts with everything else, especially the timeline of the secret keeper which is wholly dependent on the other two fucked-up timelines we just discussed, so without further ado...
Problem 3:  The Secret Keeper
so WHY not just make Sirius the secret keeper? That’s the question of the century. If the secret keeper can only break the Fidelius charm voluntarily--meaning torturing or imperius-ing them can’t force it out--and Sirius, in his own words, “would have died rather than betray [James]” then WHY NOT JUST HAVE SIRIUS BE THE SECRET KEEPER AND  BE DONE WITH IT LADS 
Well here’s Pottermore’s (sigh) answer:
“The answer is that Sirius wanted to deflect attention from the real Secret-Keeper. He probably hoped Voldemort would go after him so he could steer attention away from Pettigrew. If all had gone to plan, Voldemort may never have known Sirius was not the Secret-Keeper – but even if he’d discovered the bluff, Voldemort’s pursuit of Sirius would have given the Potters and Pettigrew time to regroup.” 
Okay... so Sirius wanted to deflect attention from the real secret keeper... and have the Death Eaters come after him instead... but this still explains nothing because whether Sirius is or is not the secret keeper, the Death Eaters are coming after him regardless, and if he knows that he would rather die than betray James and Lily, why risk letting anyone else carry the secret? In other words, why did he trust Peter more than himself? 
The only answer I can think of is that something happened that made Sirius stop trusting himself. For some reason, he felt that the Death Eaters had something on him that might make him break. Sirius’ defining quality is his undying, self-sacrificial loyalty to the people he loves, so it’s a massive deal that he doubted his own ability to be loyal to James, Lily, and Harry. This goes entirely against his character, so something must have happened that was not mentioned in the books. Unless we change his entire character, there’s a HUGE missing piece here.
(I am keeping this a mainly wolfstar-free post because it’s just about the plotting of the books, but I think it’s interesting to explore how the Death Eaters could have threatened to torture/kill Remus to try to try to make Sirius break. That’s literally the only scenario I can imagine that would make Sirius doubt his ability to be loyal to the Potters--if he had to choose between killing James and killing Remus. Anyways. That’s really dark. Let’s move on.)
Problem 4: Peter
Okay so now we’re past the actual event of Peter’s betrayal and hopping ahead to after James and Lily died. 
Why did Peter remain a rat for 12 years?
Pros of Remaining a Rat:
the wizarding world can go on thinking you’re dead and thinking your best friend is guilty of 13 murders
the Death Eaters who think you wanted Voldemort to die at Godric’s Hollow also think you’re dead and aren’t going to be up in your business
someone feeds you
life is simple (if you ignore the many lives weighing on your conscience and the ultimate degradation of your soul)
Cons of Remaining a Rat:
you’re a rat
no one likes you
you have to watch out for mouse traps
you live in a house with Fred and George and probably fear for your life every waking moment
no seriously I think these are big cons
Other Options If You’ve Murdered Your Best Friends and Are a Rat:
go live with the muggles. seriously. there must be a muggle village somewhere without wizards (there aren’t that many wizards) where you can BE A HUMAN. Even if you do run into a wizard, they probably won’t immediately recognize you, and if they do, you can turn into a rat, run away, and go live with the millions of rats of the world
go to space?
no, I mostly just wanted to make that first point
It’s also possible he remained a rat because, as Sirius said, he was “keeping an ear out for news [...] Just in case [his] old protector regained strength, and it was safe to rejoin him.” This definitely is possible, but if I had to choose between maybe living a life as a human and living as a rat in case a guy who totally seems dead comes back, I’d try to be a human. Plus, Peter could live with muggles and still keep up with wizard news. 
Problem 5?: Sirius’ Escape
Admittedly, this problem isn’t that big. I still find it a bit weird though.
When Sirius recollects his escape to Harry he says:
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If all Sirius had to do to escape Azkaban was to slip out the door when the dementors brought him food, why did he wait twelve years?? yes, okay, he was a universally wanted man and people would have immediately started hunting for him, but Sirius is fucking smart. Dude became an animagi (something only seven other people had done that century) when he was fif-fucking-teen and was considered to be a genius by almost everyone who knew him. Surely he could have hacked it on his own for awhile until he made it to Remus or Dumbledore** and was able to convince them that Peter had been the real secret keeper. And yeah! It may not have worked. In fact, even if Sirius did convince Remus it hadn’t been him, they’re still kind of fucked either way. Worst case scenario, though, Sirius just gets sent back to Azkaban. It’s not like they could have extended his already life-long sentence. I feel like you could argue the merits or disadvantages of running away from Azkaban until you’re blue in the face, but the bottom line is Sirius is a reckless, impulsive, chaotic human being who hates to be told what to do and hates to be made useless and has no qualms risking everything if it seems worth it. So why wasn’t even a brief glimmer of freedom worth it? The only reason I can think of is that Sirius was so destroyed by Peter’s betrayal and the Potters’ death that he didn’t really think it was worth living at all. 
ALSO, one last thing, why is it so fuckin’ easy to escape Azkaban? All you have to do is slip out the door and do some swimming? Someone should have done that years ago!
**okay admittedly Dumbledore probably didn’t care about exonerating Sirius and actually found it quite convenient that he was in Azkaban because it meant Harry had no adult looking out for him, but Sirius didn’t know that, and probably still thought Dumbledore cared somewhat for his wellbeing because they worked so closely in the Order (but this is totally conjecture idk)
anyways, point is: 
 HOW CAN YOU FAIL TO PLOT THE CORNERSTONE OF YOUR ENTIRE SERIES SO SPECTACULARLY?? THIS IS YOUR JOB. THIS IS YOUR LIVELIHOOD. 
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If you have any thoughts, answers, or if you simply wish to scream in frustration with me, please add them on!
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s3r-en-d1p-ity · 4 years
Text
just friends - t. chalamet x reader
been getting in my Timmy feels lately and haven’t posted in a hot minute since I keep procrastinating so here’s a timmy imagine
pairing: platonic!timothée x platonic!reader
warnings: lil angst, mentions of drugs, just some platonic fluff and some swearing
part 2 , part 3
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You and Timothée met years ago, back in 2015. He was 19 and you were 17. You ran into each other at an awards show and clicked. You knew from the moment you started talking that there would be a friendship.
As time passed, you got closer and closer until you were inseparable. Only a few months after you met, you had opened up to him.
“My dad’s been in jail for 10 years,” You shrugged, sliding down the wall next to Timothée, who had his back pressed against the door and his legs spread out wide in front of him.
He looked over at you, with curious eyes. He wanted to ask, but didn’t want to pry. You noticed the look, and smiled sadly. “He killed my mom.”
His breath got caught in his throat, and he didn’t know what to say. He didn’t have much to say, and he didn’t want to pity you. So he just grabbed your hand that was resting on your knee and scooted closer to you.
He didn’t treat you different, or give you pity, and you admired that. You knew there was something different about the boy.
You were a singer, and he was an actor. So obviously, your lives were very different and you both had very different schedules that made it hard to see each other. Especially when you were on tour and he was shooting in a completely different place. There was a whole month where you didn’t get to talk to each other because your time zone differences were constantly switching and when you were up, he was asleep and when you were asleep, he was up. But when you got to talk again, it was like nothing had changed.
The longest you went without seeing each other was 9 months. Those 9 months were hell, but you were proud of Timmy because he had gotten one of his biggest movie roles yet and he was proud of you because you sold out every single show on your tour.
The doorknob to your apartment jiggled, and you sat up warily because the only person who had a key to your apartment was Timmy.
Timmy.
You jumped up, at the same time he opened the door. There he was, in all his glory, your best friend. He closed the door behind him and smiled at you.
“Long time no see, stranger.” He joked. It took you a minute to fully comprehend what was happening, but once you did, you were running across the room and jumping onto him.
He stumbled back a bit, but hugged you back tightly. He squeezed you and lifted you up off the ground, burying his face in your neck. It gave him a sense of home, and made him smile.
“You told me you weren’t coming home for another 3 weeks.” You mumbled, your hands clenching the back of his shirt.
“Ended filming early,” He replied. “Took the first plane back.” His curly hair tickled your cheek and you smiled. You didn’t realize how much you missed Timmy’s hugs and the way he clung to you so tightly.
You think that maybe that’s when you realized you had a little crush on Timothée.
Yeah. Had. As in, after a while you realized how much that would ruin your friendship and pushed your feelings away. Eventually, it worked.
You’re glad it worked, because a few months later, Timothée got a girlfriend. Her name was Reilyn.
He spent all of his time with her. You thought back a few months ago, and thanked God you didn’t still have feelings for him, because if you did, you’d be crushed to death.
At first, you didn’t mind. You were happy Timmy was happy. Then, he started ignoring your calls and ditching your plans to hang out with her. You let it slide for a while, but when he showed up 3 hours late to your birthday party, you brought it up.
He defended Reilyn, of course. And that started one of your biggest and only fights.
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You woke up to your bed sinking. You were a light sleeper, always had been. The slightest noise or touch woke you up.
You groaned, shifted around and opened your eyes to see Timothée sitting at the side of your bed. “Hi,” He whispered. You didn’t respond, just stared up at him.
Then your mind replayed the events of the past 2 days, and you wanted to crawl in a hole and die. “What do you want? I just want to sleep right now.” You grumbled, burying your face back in your pillow.
“You’re naked.” He noted, his eyes running over your bare back, not covered by the sheets.
“No shit, sherlock.” You scoffed, mad at him. “I had a guy over. I asked him to leave.”
Timothée was silent for a while. For a second, you thought he had left. Then you heard his soft breathing. “You called me a lot yesterday and today. What’s wrong?” 
Anger bubbled in your stomach, and you clenched your fist around the sheets. “It doesn’t concern you anymore. You were with Reilyn.” You spat, not bothering to hide the venom in your voice.
“I’m sorry, y/n/n. My phone’s been shut off, it was our year anniversary. Please, just tell me what’s wrong.” He pleaded, his hand finding your back.
You didn’t respond. You didn’t want to think about it, or talk about it. You’d be reliving it all over again, and that’s the last thing you wanted. Timothée pulled the covers over you, pushed you over, and crawled into your bed. He turned you so you were facing him and froze when he saw the tears in your eyes.
“Please.” He sighed, gripping your forearm. You gulped, looking away from him.
“Josh called me yesterday.” You started. Josh was your brother. After your mom died, your then 15-year-old brother decided you guys should go live with your aunt, here in California. He began using drugs, more and more as time passed.
“oh.” Timothée breathed out. He met him once. He was worried for the dude, because he looked like he would collapse any second. In all honesty, Timothée didn’t have any words. He felt guilt piling up because he wasn’t there for his best friend.
“I met him at a cafe. For a while, it was small talk. Then he asked me for money. Of course he asked me for money. He told me it was for gas, but him and I both knew I wasn't buying that. I left after and that’s when I called you. And you didn’t pick up. Then, later that night, I got a call from the hospital and they told me he OD’d. That’s the second time I called you. I went to the hospital, waited for 3 hours to get at least some information, and I was on the verge of a panic attack, that’s the 3rd time I called you.
Two hours later, when I went home to shower and get him some clothes, I came back and the doctor told me he discharged himself. I tried to get a hold of him for 3 more hours, looked through all of the sketchiest streets in L.A. for him, then gave up and went back to my apartment only to find it trashed and Josh asleep in my bathtub. I called you. When he woke up, we got in a huge fight and he took cash from my wallet and left. At least a couple hundred bucks. Then I called you again. So I called Jack over, we fucked, and then I asked him to leave. Then I called you for the last time, and went to bed.” You ended, turning away from him.
“I’m so sorry, y/n.” He croaked out, and you knew he was crying. You wanted to yell at him, wanted to scream at him, and wanted to blame Reilyn, but you weren’t like that. So you didn’t do it, and let him hold you and tell you he was sorry.
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You walked into your dressing room, breathing heavily. Another night, another show. You found Timothée on the floor. His back was resting against the couch, and he was playing with a rubix cube. He looked up when you closed the door behind you.
“Hey superstar.” He laughed. “Amazing show.”
You smiled, walking over to him. He pulled you down, right between his legs. You let your back rest against his chest and put your head on his shoulder. His arms wrapped around your middle. “Seriously, you did great.”
A couple days after the whole fiasco where Timo didn’t answer his phone, he broke up with Reilyn. You felt guilty but he assured you it was for the best and that it wasn't your fault at all. That was almost 5 months ago. You were back on tour and Timmy wasn’t shooting so he was able to come to a lot of your shows.
Your fingers drummed on Timmy’s knee absentmindedly. Times like these made time go so fast, but slow down at the same time. You felt at home, a haze over you that only Timmy could make you feel. In a strictly platonic way, you reminded yourself. “Timmy?” You mumbled, grabbing his knee.
“Yes?” He replied, muffled by your hair.
“I love you. Thank you for being there for me, always.” You sighed, feeling his arms squeeze you and his lips press to the back of your head.
“I love you more, y/n/n.”
sorry. really wanted something to post and low-key wanted to make this a little series where she realizes her feelings are coming back but I wanted to see if people liked this first. also, im a new writer so sorry if this is crappy ahahaha
if u want to see a lil series for this lmk and i’ll try and make it happen without procrastinating :)
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romewritingshop · 4 years
Text
Wake up Parker! - Chapter 10: The Interview
Relationship: Peter Parker x Tall Older Reader (Peter is 22 and Reader is 26/27), Bucky Barnes x Reader (Bucky is older and slightly taller)
Warnings: None
Word Count Total: 1313 (This Chapter)
Summary: Peter Parker is a student in the city of Brooklyn. He’s lazy, spoilt and he procrastinates a lot. He meets a woman named (Y/N), She’s recently moved to Brooklyn for an independent life. Something Peter is fascinated by. Over the course of a few months, Peter needs to realise that he has to grow up and become responsible for his life.
Tagged: @bggerbtch
WAKE UP PARKER! MASTERLIST
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It has been a month since her birthday and delay after delay, the editor of Brooklyn Nights, James Barnes was finally free from his work duties and he had time to interview potential employees. (Y/N) was really angry, no she was fucking angry at the amount of time she wasted waiting for her second interview. She was close to filing a complaint. 
She really should have but at the same time he probably had a lot of work to do so she was at a mild angry simmer. He was finally free and she didn't want to mess up her chances for the job. This would be the first stepping stone as a writer. She should just grab this opportunity. Which she was doing, right now.
She stood in his office, patiently waiting for him to come interview her. His office had glass walls but the left side was filled with papers. Absolutely filled with papers. He had a bookshelf opposite to her and his desk was just angled at the right side of the room. He had a single sofa chair with a blue throw draped across the back of the chair. The only thing to stand out in the office.
The desk was coated with papers. The office was a mess and no doubt James Barnes might be the same. He did have nice taste with books, works varying from Maya Angelou to Ernest Hemingway and Truman Capote. She glanced at the clock on her phone, noticing it has been fifteen minutes. Where was he?
Speaking of him, the editor-in-chief, finally entered the offices. James Barnes. Dressed in a blue shirt and dark denim jeans and hair tied up in a bun. He had a scraggly beard and (Y/N) was right about the man being as messy as his office. Mr. Barnes was glancing through a clipboard as he went around to his desk to take a seat. He had not noticed (Y/N) as she cleared her throat to get his attention.
"Hi. Can I help you?"
"Yeah, I have an interview with you, fifteen minutes ago." She couldn't help with the sneer at the time but it wasn't her fault.
"Interview?" James turned to his mess of a desk and picked up a paper with a list of names and times. He completely forgot he was interviewing people for the assistant role. He went through the list and spotted a name. "Right. Interview. Are you Sharon Carter?"
"(Y/N) (L/N)."
"(Y/N) (L/N), right." He pulled out a drawer and spotted the resume with a green post-it. The post it read:
 (Y/N) (L/N)
Previous Interview, 7 weeks ago
Steve says "She's talented and fantastic."
 "You've already had an interview here, with Steve?"
"Yes, I did."
"So why wait weeks for the second one?"
(Y/N) refrained from making an angry scowl at Mr. Barnes. He was the reason and he was asking her. She took an internal deep breath and answered calmly.
"It was because you were busy. Mr. Barnes, Sir."
James remembered that and couldn't help but smile at (Y/N)'s distaste. He understood it was his fault. 
"Oh yes of course. I was busy. But, you know … well as my assistant, you should know that I'm a very busy man. My last assistant, Brock was brilliant. Absolutely brilliant. And then he had to go on paternity leave," He glanced up at (Y/N), "My bad luck, I suppose. And your good luck!"
(Y/N) couldn't help with the frown on her face. As he turned his eyes over her resume. She straightened her black sweater and shifted her feet. She felt she dressed good in dark jeans, a black sweater with a pink heart crocheted across the middle and brown boots. Her red and black bag rested on her right shoulder.
"So, (Y/N) (L/N), your application letter was interesting but your resume is pretty weak. Two months at the State Library? That's it?"
She immediately stepped in to offer her talent. She has done more volunteering and has enough experience with writing.
"Yeah but I was also the editor for my college newspaper for two years!"
"I'm talking about actual experience. Experience working in a magazine. Look, I am a workaholic. I'm extremely hard to work for, Ms. (L/N). Think you could keep up?"
"Absolutely. I won't disappoint you, Sir. I've come far, only to become a writer. I'll learn much from you."
James's face dropped at the mention of 'writer'. The job he posted was for an Editor's Assistant. He combed his hair back and reclined on his chair.
"A 'writer'? Why did you apply for this job if you wanted to become a writer? An assistant's work is very clerical. Cleaning up my desk doesn't require any creativity. Besides, this is a magazine about Brooklyn and you're not even from here. What makes you stand out?"
(Y/N) couldn't believe Mr. Barnes. She wasted so much time just for him to say that she was nothing special. There was no way she was going to leave without giving him a piece of her mind.
"I applied for this job to gain editorial experience. Being a writer for this magazine is an end goal and I want to build up to that role. Even if it is taking on clerical work. I understand that you're a busy man but that doesn't mean you don't apologise for making me wait weeks for an interview. You could've tried to give me a call. 
"And the thing about not being from Brooklyn: shouldn't make me less suitable for the job. Me being an outsider gives me more of an advantage to explore Brooklyn; with a fresh set of eyes. Unveil new things that Brooklyn bred people would not have noticed. There's a new cafe called 'The Milano'. They serve a true New York Cheesecake with apple cider.
"They've opened a new exhibit at the Brooklyn Museum to celebrate people of colour. There's a new ride at Coney Island called The Ricochet. It's not just a city. It's a lifestyle. I applied for this job after a lot of deliberation. In fact, I've pictured myself going through this interview a thousand times already.
"I did not expect it to go this way. So if you want me to leave. I'll happily leave." She felt absolute relief after her angry rant. A little too relieved. She noticed that Mr. Barnes had a smile on his face. Damn it! She blew her chances. She let emotions get the better of herself.
"Wow! Ms. (L/N). That was aggressive, passionate and honest." He stood up and rounded his desk to sit at the edge of the table, to level his eyes with hers. She hadn't noticed his eyes were grey and really deep. She started to feel a little flustered.
"I like you. Do you want to start tomorrow?"
(Y/N) blinked her eyes twice, trying to process what he said. He actually wanted to hire her! But what had she done to convince him?
"Tomorrow?"
"Yep. You have passion for the magazine and you speak honestly. Which is something Brock never did. You can tell me honestly if things don't work. So would you like the job as the editor's assistant?"
He raised his hand out to shake and she stared at it as if it was dirty. She couldn't believe her angry rant got her a job. She was beyond thrilled. Wait, was this a test? She seemed sceptical about Mr. Barnes.
"This isn't a test, right?"
"No. Not at all. The job's yours."
She creased her eyebrow and steadily shook Mr. Barnes' hand. It felt coarse but warm, he must really work out. She took her hand away and gave a nod.
"Right. Yes, thank you for the job. I promise to clean your desk very creatively and handle clerical work efficiently."
"Good. I'll see you tomorrow morning then."
CHAPTER ELEVEN: THE END OF ALL THINGS
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fanfiction4thesoul · 4 years
Text
Family Man
Pairing: Roger Taylor x Reader
Word Count: ~1.5
Warning: Fluff!!
Summary/Request: I have a fluffier kind of request. Let’s say reader and Roger have kids, beautiful twins around seven. Roger decides that he wants to try being a dad for a month or so, despite never having done so for more than a few days. So with mommy being able to go back to work full time, the kids are learning to bond with their dad while he learns the joys of fatherhood?
A/N: Thank you to @lemonypink for this cheese filled request. I hope I made it fluffy enough for you. Sorry it took me a little bit to get out; I got swept up in the holidays. Anyway, I hope you enjoy, and thank you to anyone that like/comments/reblogs!
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“And my work number is on the fridge. If you need anything. Like, anything at all.” (Y/N) was on her way out the door, bag in hand and coat on but doing everything to procrastinate her departure. 
Roger smiled, giving her a kiss and cupping her face. “(Y/N), love. We talked about this. I’ll be fine. So will the kids. There’s no need to worry about us.”
And there wasn’t (probably).
The band was taking a bit of a break between albums which meant that for the first time in his whole life, Roger got to take on the job as a stay at home father. There were no tours, no press conferences, and certainly no long dreadful days in the studio. Between everything he had to do for the band, Roger felt like he never got to be a true father to his kids. 
Despite the distance, Roger never made the mistake of mixing the boys up. His two seven-year-old rascals, Calix and Casper, were identical twins. They were also the spitting image of Roger back when he was that old. On a rare day out with his family not too long ago, he learned the boys like to play games to deliberately confuse people so they couldn’t tell who was who. Roger secretly feared they would play their games with him and he would unwittingly fall for it. Thankfully, that hasn’t happened yet.
So now that Roger has this break from the studio, he and (Y/N) decided that she could take more hours at work so Roger could spend quality time with his kids.
At least until they have to start the next album in a month or two.
“I have to worry,” (Y/N) pouted, pulling Roger back to the present. She looked wide eyed for a second. “Not that I think something will happen! Just… well, its weird. Going into the office and not working from home where I can always be with the boys.”
Roger brought her in close for a hug, rubbing her back soothingly. “I know, love. But it’ll be good for us. You’ll get out and away from the house, and the boys and I will have a great time together at home.”
She sighed into his chest. “I know. I think I just needed that pep talk.” Moving back, she gave Roger a quick peck before slipping out of his arms. “Okay, okay. I’m leaving now. Or I’ll never get out of here.”
“Boys! Come say bye to your mum!”
There was a loud thump from upstairs before Cas and Cal came thundering down the stairs, throwing themselves at (Y/N). “Bye, mum!” they said together.
She gave them all a farewell hug, giving Roger one last kiss before disappearing out the door.
When the door closed, the boys turned to Roger giving him a questioning look. 
“So,” Cas starts.
“What are we going to do today?” they asked.
Roger had been prepared for this. Besides taking them to parties (family friendly ones) hosted by one of the boys, or going out somewhere to keep them entertained, Roger wasn’t really sure what to do on a day to day basis with his sons. (Y/N) had given him a great idea, though, reminding him of a promise he had yet to keep.
“Well, I thought we could start our time together with a surprise,” Roger said smiling. 
The boys immediately got excited, talking over each other to ask what it was. Instead of answering, Roger beckoned them to follow as he led them to the garage. Once there, their gasps of delight brought a wide grin to Roger’s face. 
He watched in fond affection as they ran up to their new bikes, admiring them in amazement. “I know I promised to teach you when I had time. And you’ve waited so patiently for me. I’m sorry it took so long.”
They turned to him, still smiling. “It’s alright, dad” Cal said.
“You’re doing it now, yeah?” Cas interjected.
“That’s all that really matters.” they finished together.
God, when did they get so mature? “Alright, let’s get to it then yeah?” He said, clapping his hands together.
They used their extended driveway as a space for Roger to teach them. Roger made sure they put their helmets on (but left off all the other pads (Y/N) had bought) and took them out. At first they argued that the grass looked far softer a surface to fall down on. Roger had to convince them it would be easier on the asphalt.
There were tumbles, a few scuffed hands and a hurt knee or two. But there were no tears, just happy laughs and squeals of delight. Soon enough, they got the hang of it. Roger watched them ride around their drive. 
They took a break for lunch which (Y/N) made for them this morning. Roger was even able to enlist their help with the dishes though they practically bounced around in anticipation of going back outside. When he let them go, they sprinted out the door with Roger yelling after them not to leave the driveway.
After he finished a few things around the house that (Y/N) normally did while periodically checking on the kids, Roger joined them outside. “Alright boys. Ready to take a ride?”
“Yes!”
Roger grinned, grabbing his own bike and leading the boys out the drive and down the street to the local ice cream parlor. 
They sat on the curb to eat their ice cream, Cal and Cas squished next to him on either side talking animatedly about one of their friends who just had a birthday party they went to. Roger got a rush of affection as his heart swelled, listening to his boys.
His lifestyle and job choice wasn’t fair to his family. He knew that. And he often felt heartbroken at the things he missed because of it. And yet…
Cal and Cas didn’t resent him for it. They weren’t even mad about it. 
They still loved him despite his absence. 
So when they finished their treats and got up to leave, Roger kneeled down and pulled them into a tight hug. They hugged him back immediately, no questions asked.
“Thanks for waiting for me,” he murmured, moving back to cup each of their faces.
Cal pulled a face though, “Dad, you’re being weird.”
“Yeah. Like, mushy.” Cas added mimicking his brother’s face.
Roger laughed, ruffling their hair, making their faces twist even more. “Alright, the mush is over. Let’s get home, yeah? Your mom should be home in a couple hours and I thought we could make dinner together for her.”
The ride home consisted of a race between the boys, of which Casper won. Roger showed them where to store their bikes, giving them the responsibility of keeping their new bikes safe and taken care of. 
The boys were very helpful with dinner, reading the recipe from one of (Y/N)’s cookbooks and following Roger’s instructions. They wildly fanned the smoke away from the smoke alarm when Roger left something on the stove too long (it was still salvageable).
Cas and Cal just finished setting the table when the sound of the front door closing caught their attention. “Honey, I’m home!” (Y/N) jokingly called, walking into the kitchen.
“Mum!” the boys yelled, rushing to her.
“Dad, got us bicycles, mum!”
“And he taught us to ride them--”
“And we went to get ice cream--”
“Oh you did, did you?” (Y/N) said, eyeballing Roger with a playful smile. “I hope you’re still hungry for dinner.”
“Don’t worry--”
“That was hours ago--”
“And we helped Dad make dinner.” they said, as if that made it better.
“Okay!” Roger stepped in, “Let’s not get your poor old dad into more trouble. Go wash your hands for dinner.”
Roger watched them run away towards the upstairs bathroom, giggling between themselves. Once they were out of sight Roger grabbed (Y/N) by the waist, pulling her close to give her a sweet kiss. “Hello, love. How was work?”
“Good. Different. How was your day? The boys seem so happy.” She brought a hand up to brush some hair from his forehead before wrapping her arms around his neck. 
“It was… fantastic. They were so happy all day, even if they had some tumbles off their bikes.”
“Hmm. That’s great Roger. Now what are you going to do tomorrow?”
“I… haven’t thought that far ahead to be honest.” He admitted, a guilty look crossing his face. 
(Y/N) laughed at him, giving him a peck. “I’m sure you’ll figure it out.”
Before Roger could answer, the boys came running back in, pulling them both to the table wanting to tell (Y/N) all about their day today. They started telling her all about what they did, exclaiming excitedly while (Y/N) was just as animated in response to their exaggerated storytelling. As Roger watched the interaction, he reached over the table to grab (Y/N)’s hand. She gave him a smile before turning her attention back to the boys.
Yeah, Roger thought. This is perfect.
~
Taglist: @jennyggggrrr​
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