#i emerge from my hiatus to reblog
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HAPPY NEW YEAR MY LOVES!!
Well I, for one, am glad to see the back of 2023. It has been a difficult one and I’m glad it’s over and I hope 2024 is better and happier and healthier and everything 2023 wasn’t.
As I slowly and cautiously emerge from a mental health hiatus, I’m trying to make plans to return to writing. I’ll be spending my first few days of the new year planning my time and scheduling focus time specifically for writing in amongst all this real life malarkey. Honestly, who’d be a grownup with a job and a mortgage and bills 🙄
Unfortunately, my joy for writing didn’t find me during my hiatus, and neither did the free time needed to dedicate to it, or even attempting to. However, there have been a couple of promising signs that’s changing and I’m going to keep working on that.
Usually, I respond to every comment people are kind enough to leave on my work but with the time that has passed, it seems redundant to do that. And I don’t want to spam you (or anyone else!) with a millions reblog a of my stories!
Still, I can’t let them go unnoticed so: thank you for the kind and encouraging comments. I have read every single one of them and they’ve made me smile and encouraged me to keep working on myself and get back to writing new content for you as soon as I can 🥰
I’m tagging everyone who was kind enough to leave a few words so you know that I have seen them.
Much love,
Tina 💖😘
@nelachu2423 @deans-spinster-witch @roseblue373 @leigh70 @jbbarnesgirl @hoboal87 @sandlee44 @synmorite @jackles010378 @spnwoman @k-slla @foxyjwls007 @twinkleinadiamondsky @winchestergirl2 @suckitands33 @lacilou @octoberclidan @deanwinchesterswitch @daughterofcain-67 @deanwanddamons @kazsrm67 @akshi8278 @winchestergirl1720 @deans-baby-momma @spnfamily-j2 @negangirlxx @sofreddie @jensengirl83 @kimberkingrivers @constancelynn @stoneyggirl2 @janineb86 @michecolegate @ambergoddess444 @fullbelieverheart @mrsjenniferwinchester @jessjad @demonangelsworld
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IV.AQUAMARINE
CHAPTER 4: SHADOWS AND COURTS
A/N: I apologize for the late update a lot went down last week, my aunt passed away and a shit ton of family drama which left me very emotionally and mentally drained. I hope you guys like this chapter and i look forward to read your comments. Happy Reading!
P.S. Thank you for liking Aquamarine so far, every like every reblog means the world to me. I will be taking a Hiatus till October as I have my mid-terms at the end of September.
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JEON WONWOO X READER
WORDS: 8.5k+
GENRE: ARRANGE CONTRACT MARRIAGE AU! ENEMIES TO LOVERS!
Angst, Fluff, Smut (in future chapters not this one).
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Choices and changes are two things that are constant in every individual's life. Choices a person makes in certain situations can lead to a change that could be for better or for worse, yet these are the two things that no one can escape. In the gentle twilight of the city, a melancholic shadow casts a shadow over the newlyweds. The day had been a whirlwind of emotions, a crescendo of joy and celebration that now seemed to dissolve into a distant memory, like the last fading notes of a haunting melody.
The penthouse, perched high above the bustling city, offered a view that would usually have captivated anyone. Yet, for Y/N, it was merely a backdrop to the emotions swirling within her. As she stepped into the luxurious space, her heels dropped to the floor with a soft thud. The scent of freshly polished floors, infused with a subtle lemony fragrance, wafted through the air. It was Wonwoo's home, a place she had never been before, and it felt unfamiliar.
Wonwoo watched her, his eyes tracing her movements. His tie loosened, his collar unbuttoned, and he observed her with a silent curiosity. Y/N's fingers brushed against her temples, undoing the carefully arranged hairdo that had adorned her throughout the day.
"Nice view," she offered, her voice carrying a hint of detachment.
"Thanks," Wonwoo replied as he headed to the fridge. "Care for some water?"
Her head shook in a gentle decline, and she ventured further into the spacious penthouse. Wonwoo followed, his eyes never leaving her. There was a palpable change in her demeanour, an echo of a grand celebration that had given way to a profound stillness.
"The post-wedding blues," he mused, his voice a soft melody.
Y/N nodded, her gaze distant, as if searching for something lost in the past hours. She settled onto the plush couch, her fingers absentmindedly playing with her earrings.
"Why do I feel like your father hates me a little now? Wonwoo inquired, a faint smile playing on his lips.
"After the stunt you pulled today, any father ought to," she retorted, her tone laced with challenge.
Wonwoo, taken aback by her directness, cleared his throat. Y/N's audacity both intrigued and amused him.
"Well," he continued, "it was an emergency''. He couldn't help but feel a sting of guilt.
"Hmm," Y/N hummed, her gaze fixed on her earrings. "I know you're going to maintain your vices, but didn't I tell you to do a better job at hiding them?"
Wonwoo's silence was his confession.
Their eyes locked in a brief, challenging exchange that made Wonwoo realise why she was so respected in her field. She was a force to be reckoned with, a fact he had always found exhilarating.
Fiddling with her earrings again, she cleared her throat. "Wonwoo..."
"Pardon, what did you say?" he asked, momentarily caught in his thoughts.
"Room. Where is my room? I want to rest; my legs are killing me."
He was quick to respond, his voice gentle. "Ah, right. The master bedroom is the left door from straight."
"You didn't have to give me the master bedroom. We would've moved to Serene Villa by the end of next month after we brought Noel here."
The room seemed to hang in silence as he mulled over her words, the implications of what she'd said sinking in.
"Right? So where is your room?"
"Where yours is."
The confusion was clear in her eyes as she sought clarification.
"Pardon, what did you say?"
"My room is where your room is. I forgot to inform the staff to clean up the home gym."
"Home gym?"
"Yeah, the home gym used to be the guestroom."
"So?"
"So, you have to either sleep on the couch or you can take the bedroom. But don't worry; I'll sleep on the couch. You can take the room."
"Of course, I will take the bedroom, Wonwoo. You have this huge house, and you couldn't manage to clear out one room for me? That too, for just one week before we leave for Zurich... unbelievable."
He removed his blazer and started unbuttoning his sleeves, as if the act of undressing would ease his fatigue. "Listen, two weeks ago, I didn't even think that I'd get married, okay? I said you could take the bedroom. What's the big deal? And what's your family's obsession with words whose literal meaning is tranquilly?"
"What's your family's obsession with naming their projects after plants?"
"It's been seven hours since we got married, and you're already coming after families."
"Well, you started it."
"Y/n, I am tired, okay? And I'm pretty sure you are too. I'll call Alexandria to clear up the room tomorrow. So please, you can freshen up and rest in my room. Or is it that you're afraid to sleep alone?"
You sighed, your shoulders drooping as you got up from the couch. He nonchalantly placed his blazer on the counter and took a sip from the cold bottle.
He paused, a mischievous spark in his eyes, and continued, "Well, technically, it's our room now. I can even hold your hand until you fall asleep."
You didn't have the energy to entertain his playful banter. With a weary expression, you turned and headed towards the bedroom.
"Wow, not even an offer to let me sleep on the bedroom couch? He teased.
You stopped abruptly, irritation bubbling up within you. "You have 17 housing societies and 6 hotels across the country. I'm pretty sure there's a bed available somewhere in your vast empire. If not, you can always return to the hotel where you took your little drunk, Mrs. Shoddy NDA."
A sly grin tugged at the corners of Wonwoo's lips. "It's quite a unique wedding night when the wife suggests her husband sleep elsewhere. If anything, I smell a little jealousy."
"Fuck off, will you?" She retorted and slammed the bedroom door with a resounding thud.
"Asshole," she muttered behind the closed door.
The exchange left him feeling like he had just been painted with a scorching stroke of her fire, leaving his senses tingling and his ears ablaze with her presence.
...
In the hushed serenity of the midnight hour, you emerged from Wonwoo's adjoined bathroom, wrapped in one of his bathrobes. There was a subtle irony in the fact that he hadn't even bothered to ask the housekeeper to unpack your suitcase. His room spoke volumes about him, a blend of textures and shades, with its textured black wall adorned with a round mirror that emitted a soft, captivating glow from the lights behind it. The room's centrepiece was the bed, perfectly centred on an oak platform, with a grey round carpet resting beneath it.
The room was a harmonious blend of white and wood tones, creating an atmosphere that felt distinctly Wonwoo. On the left wall, two captivating paintings added depth and character, while the bathroom on the right continued the motif of black and white with impeccable finesse.
As you walked into the bathroom, you couldn't help but admire its sleek design. The colour scheme of black and white continued here, creating a sense of modern elegance. The bathtub beckoned invitingly, promising moments of relaxation and contemplation. Large mirrors adorned the walls, reflecting your image from multiple angles.
The shower was enclosed in glass, giving it an open and airy feel. A smooth marble slab inside the shower caught your attention, and though you couldn't fathom why someone would want to sit in the shower, and you are being honest with yourself, you don't want to think about it either.
Every detail of this room, just like the man who occupied it, was a meticulously chosen piece of artistry. It felt as if you had stepped into his sanctuary, a place where every element was thoughtfully curated to create an atmosphere of serenity and sophistication.
The scent of his products lingered in the air, a reminder that this was indeed his domain. You could almost imagine him here, surrounded by the luxuries he had chosen for himself. Standing there in his bathroom, wrapped in his robe, you couldn't help but feel a strange mix of emotions. The room was a reflection of the man you had just married, and though it was foreign territory for now, you wondered how much of yourself you would eventually weave into this beautifully crafted space.
..
Your hair cascaded gently on the silk pillow, and while the bed was unfamiliar, it cradled you with a comfort you couldn't deny. The scent of Wonwoo, as if woven into the very fabric of the sheets, enveloped you. As you closed your eyes, the events of the day replayed in your mind.
Surrounded by your chatty cousin and aunt, talk swirled around your cousin's upcoming nuptials in Paris. Across the room, at the other end of the dining hall, stood Wonwoo, a glass of white wine in hand. The glint of the engagement ring you had given him caught your eye as he conversed with Chan and one of his cousins by the bar. Rachel, your trusted aide, appeared at your side and whispered discreetly, "I think you should see this."
You excused yourself from the table and joined Rachel on the balcony, where Wonwoo overheard your conversation with Rema when his family came for dinner. He was still within your peripheral vision, and as Rachel brought out her tablet and displayed pictures of Wonwoo carrying Eleanor into his hotel, you couldn't help but feel a surge of emotions.
You handed the tablet back to Rachel with a firm command: "Kill these pictures; make sure no one can get their hands on them."
"Yes, boss," she replied, and you returned to your seat at the head of the table, doing your best to mask the turmoil brewing within you. You ignored the puzzled gazes that were beginning to notice your intense demeanor, as if they could sense that something was amiss. Wonwoo seemed like he was about to approach you, but his father intercepted him, leading him away from the party to have a private conversation in the library.
You clenched your eyes shut, trying to suppress the unsettling emotions that threatened to surface. You reminded yourself that loyalty from Wonwoo was something he didn't owe you, except in the context of your business partnership and Noel's adoption. The weariness finally overcame you, and you drifted into an uneasy sleep, your restless thoughts still churning beneath the surface.
As you were on the verge of succumbing to slumber, the sharp ring of your phone pierced through the silence of the room.
...
It was a mere five minutes away from 3 a.m. when a distant voice called out to Wonwoo. Exhausted from the long day, sleep had come easily to him. Wonwoo was accustomed to living alone and even preferred it. At the age of 14, he had moved to London to study at St. Augustine Boarding School for Boys. Though he hadn't seen you since you entered his room, he was vaguely aware of your presence in his house. It provided him with a respite from his otherwise hectic and crowded life.
Before drifting off to sleep, his father's words in the Serenity Mansion library echoed in his mind. ''Y/N is important to us. I'm sure you don't want to wash your hands off that land. So, get your act together and make her fall—"
Suddenly, someone began shaking his body, calling his name.
"Wonwoo?"
''Wonwoo! Wake up!"
Startled, he jolted awake, momentarily disoriented about where he was and who was standing before him.
"Y/n," his voice hoarse from sleep and confusion, "what's wrong?"
You stood near the bed, your warm hand still resting on his forearm. He hadn't noticed his shirtless upper body. Your body language conveyed anxiety, as if something deeply disturbing had occurred. He adjusted his position, and you withdrew your hand, placing it by your side. He propped himself up with his hand behind his head and began to close his eyes again.
"Scared? Want me to hold your hand?"
"Will you shut up? I'm going to Switzerland."
This statement roused him fully.
"Why? Weren't we supposed to go next week?"
"We were, but Jeonghan called. He said that Noella's brother came to Noel's school. We don't know what he said to him, but he has had a high fever since last night and has been continuously calling my name. I have to leave."
You began to get dressed as Wonwoo followed you, still in a sleepy daze.
"I've called Racheal since my pilot is on maternity leave. I'll head to the airport and book a flight. I know this is all—"
"Y/n, please, let me process this. You're leaving for Switzerland right now. Okay, but can't you wait it out? Kids fall sick all the time; maybe it's just a cold. If he gets better by the morning, then we can proceed according to the schedule."
"Wonwoo, that kid lost both of his parents at the age of five. You can't compare his mental state with every other kid, and I'm informing you that I am leaving."
You emerged from the bathroom with your hair pulled back in a ponytail and your phone ringing on the bed. You walked over to the walk-in wardrobe and pulled out your suitcase. You answered your phone.
"Okay, bring it to the airport. I'll meet you directly there."
"Who was it?" Wonwoo inquired.
"My driver."
"Listen, Wonwoo, I know this is really out of the blue, but I have to go. Noel needs me. I'll be in touch, okay? Just tell everyone that there was an urgent matter I had to attend to at the Switzerland branch. We'll discuss Oasis after all of this wraps up."
Wonwoo threw his head back and exhaled through his nose. "Y/n, it's almost 3 a.m. in the morning. I've only had half an hour of sleep, and people with cameras are always hounding us. Are you even thinking about how they'll twist this?"
"I know, and in all honesty, I don't care. I bet if it were you, then no one would even bat an eye. So—"
You put on your mask and walked out of the room with your suitcase in tow.
"I'll be in touch," you called out before the sound of the door closing echoed through the now-empty penthouse.
Wonwoo sat down on the bed, threw himself back, and rubbed his face with his hands as he groaned. Why is she so stubborn? He got up to search for his phone.
....
Since when did he start caring about what others think of me or us? You retorted sharply during your drive to the airport. As you were hurriedly confirming your ticket at the check-in counter for the fast lane, you realised that only economy seats were available. With a resigned sigh, you took one. deciding that it was the best option under the circumstances. As you worked on your laptop, the announcement for boarding began.
The gate was on the verge of closing when you felt someone take the seat next to you. Glancing up, you were surprised to see Wonwoo. Raising an eyebrow, you inquired, "What are you doing here?"
He replied, "It would be very unbecoming if I let my wife leave in less than 24 hours of our wedding ."
Your thoughts from earlier hung in the air, and you muttered, "Didn't think you gave a damn about what others think.'' Wonwoo's expression darkened at your comment, realising that he might have overreacted.
Throughout the flight, both of you worked on your laptops, immersed in your own worlds. The constant drone of the plane's engines made you drowsy, and you eventually dozed off. Wonwoo, however, found it impossible to sleep on flights, especially in the cramped economy seats.
He glanced at you, your head resting on his shoulder as you slept soundly. He noticed the long, delicate lashes framing your closed eyes, and a soft smile crept onto his lips.
An older woman seated on the other side of him leaned over and struck up a conversation. "Is she your wife?"
Wonwoo nodded. "We got married today, or, shall I say, yesterday."
The woman smiled warmly and congratulated him. "She is very pretty."
Wonwoo couldn't help but agree with a smile of his own. "I know." He went back to his laptop, adjusting your head gently on his shoulder. As the plane soared through the night sky.
....
....
The sun hung high in the sky as you and Wonwoo stepped off the plane, greeted by the crisp air of Switzerland. You glanced at him, a teasing smile tugging at your lips. "I hope you brought sweaters."
Wonwoo chuckled, a glint of amusement in his eyes. "It's not my first time here, you know. I've been here thrice."
"Good for you," you replied, your tone light, as you led the way towards the awaiting car. "Our car is over there."
Victor, your lawyer and good friend who takes care of matters in your Switzerland branch, stood by the car, his tall frame and salt-and-pepper hair making him a striking figure. Rema, your attorney, would be working closely with him on this case.
As you introduced Victor to Wonwoo, his eyes widened slightly in recognition. "Well, Jeonghan is not going to like this."
"Jeonghan?" Wonwoo inquired, a hint of curiosity in his voice.
"He's Noel's Godfather," Victor explained, his expression revealing a sense of intrigue.
Wonwoo couldn't help but wonder why Jeonghan's reaction to your marriage seemed significant. Did he hold feelings for you, or was there something else that would make him react strongly to this news?
With Victor now aware of Wonwoo's identity and the potential implications, you all piled into the car. The drive through the city of Zurich was breathtaking, with picturesque streets and stunning architecture passing by.
During the journey, Wonwoo couldn't help but ponder Victor's cryptic comment about Jeonghan. He turned to you with a playful glint in his eyes. "Jeonghan, huh? Is there something you're not telling me about this Godfather?"
You leaned back in your seat, a sly smile playing on his lips. "Oh, you know, just a bit of friendly rivalry. He's probably just upset that he didn't get an invite to our whirlwind wedding."
''JJ hates staying out of the loop'' Victor added from the front seat.
You chuckled, "Well, it's not like we had a choice with that one. But we'll have to make it up to him somehow, as i come bearing gifts."
As the car continued its journey through the streets of Zurich, you couldn't help but wonder if Jeonghan's reaction would be the only surprise waiting for you in Switzerland.
...
Victor's sleek BMW glided to a stop on the cobblestone driveway, nestled in one of the quieter, less touristy corners - Enge. You tumbled out of the car with Wonwoo and Victor following suit, suitcases in tow. You approached the front cerulean door and swung it open, entering Jeonghan's and Victor's home. The decor was a whimsical blend of colours and styles, with a baby blue Persian rug that flirted with salmon-white walls. A light grey couch adorned with metallic golden accents sat regally in the centre of the room.
Jeonghan, perched cross-legged with a magazine in his lap and a coffee mug in hand, sensed your approach. He abandoned his reading material and cup, rushing over to envelop you in a bear hug, which you reciprocated wholeheartedly.
"JJ!" you exclaimed, your voice muffled by his shoulder.
He drew back, holding your shoulders, to examine you. "Good Lord, girl, were you on a sleep strike for the last two weeks?"
"Something like that," you replied, undoing your scarf. "How's Noel?"
"Well, the fever's still hanging around, but he's asleep now after the doctor gave him an injection.''
"Any idea why Nikolai was there?"
He shrugged. "I didn't get a chance to ask. The teachers just told me..."
His eyes wandered past you and locked onto Wonwoo, who had just entered the house. Jeonghan's eyes widened, and he couldn't help but voice his curiosity.
"Who's that hunk?"
"Who?" you turned, and then back to Jeonghan. "Oh, that's... that's Wonwoo."
"Your new assistant?"
You chuckled, shaking your head. "No, he's my husband."
"YOUR WHAT?!" Jeonghan's exclamation could have shattered glass with its sheer volume. "YOU GOT MARRIED AND DIDN'T TELL ME? I CAN'T BELIEVE THIS--''
"Jeonghan, calm down," you coaxed, leading him to the couch. "I know this may come as a shock to you."
"Ya bet," he huffed, settling onto the couch.
Wonwoo entered the house, his expression a mix of confusion and amusement. You signalled him to come closer.
"JJ, this is Jeon Wonwoo—my, my husband. And Wonwoo, this is Jeonghan, my best friend and Noel's godfather."
Wonwoo extended his hand for a handshake, which Jeonghan eyed sceptically before reluctantly accepting. "Nice to meet you. I've heard a lot about you."
Jeonghan just nodded in acknowledgment, folding his arms. “Nice to meet you too, and i heard nothing about you.’’He couldn't hold back his curiosity, though.
"How long have you two been together?"
"Oh, we met—"
"A year!" You cut Wonwoo off, your voice brimming with faux enthusiasm.
Jeonghan eyed you suspiciously before stating, "Why the sudden wedding? Are you pregnant?"
"Yes! And they're quadruplets," you replied sarcastically, a playful tone in your voice.
Jeonghan rolled his eyes. "You think you funny, huh?''
"Ya, I'm the funniest."
"You didn't—wait, how can you date for a year when you were here all the time—" Before you could respond, Jeonghan connected the dots himself. "Ah, so this is the reason why you went back home every two weeks, every alternate month."
"Hmm," you and Wonwoo exchanged amused glances he's so far from the truth, exhaustion showing on both your faces.
"I have a few questions..."
"And we'll answer them later, Dad. But first, I want to see Noel. Can you show Wonwoo the guest room? We haven't had a chance to rest since the wedding yesterday."
"YOU GOT MARRIED YESTERDAY?" You hurried off to find Noel, leaving a flabbergasted Jeonghan in your wake.
You turned the doorknob, granting access to Noel's room. The iron-man-themed décor caught your eye, with figurines strewn about the floor and notebooks scattered on his study table. You made your way to his bedside and gently began caressing his forehead. His cheeks were still warm and flushed, and he took short, pouted breaths in his slumber. The effect of the injection appeared to be wearing off as he stirred from his sleep.
"Tante," he asked, as if you were a mere hallucination.
"Hi, baby boy."
"How are you here?"
"How can I not be? When my baby calls for me, I must show up. Is that even a question?"
You were about to hug him when you remembered you were still in your airport clothes. "It's alright, bud. You can go back to sleep."
He tightly grasped your hand, his voice tinged with worry. "What if I wake up and you're not here?"
"Then pinch yourself awake from that bad dream and find me. I'll always be there."
He brought your hand to his chest, finding solace in your presence as he dozed off again. You reached for the intercom near the side table, and after a few minutes, there was a polite knock at the door.
"Enter."
A woman in her mid-40s, her auburn hair neatly tucked into a low bun, entered the room. Her sturdy build and professional demeanour spoke of competence.
"Hello, Leila."
"Good afternoon, Ma'am."
"How have you been?"
"Good."
"That's nice. Get me some cold water and two towels. I'll wipe Noel's body and take out his fresh pajamas. Also, prepare some chicken soup with carrots and onions. Don't forget to toast the bread."
"Madam, leave it to me. I'll take care of Little Master. You must be tired after such a long flight."
"It's alright, Leila. Just do as you're told. And send someone to clean my house, will you?"
"Yes, Ma'am."
She paused for a moment and then added, "Madam..."
"Hmm?" You responded without taking your eyes off Noel.
"I'm glad you're back early. Little Master missed you a lot. And congratulations on your wedding."
You met her gaze briefly, your expression softening, before turning your attention back to Noel and nodding in acknowledgement of her words.
After feeding Noel, you made your way to the living room, where Leila informed you that Victor had returned to his office, and Jeonghan was engrossed in his study, presumably giving an online lecture. With Noel still recovering, it wouldn't be right to move him, so you and Wonwoo would be staying in the guestroom for the night.
In the guestroom, you sat down on a seater near the dresser, your feet perched on a small table, your fingers pinching your forehead in thought. You could hear the shower running nearby. Closing your eyes, you tried to relax.
The door opened, and a body emerged from it. Wonwoo stood before you, wrapped in nothing but a towel cinched around his waist and another draped over his shoulders. Little droplets cascaded down his hair and chest as he walked towards you.
"You're here," he remarked.
"Yeah," you replied without opening your eyes.
"I thought you'd sleep somewhere else."
"Can't do. Victor and Jeonghan have no idea about the real motive of this marriage."
"I figured as much.'' Wonwoo turned his back to you, preparing to change into fresh clothes.
You opened your eyes, discreetly analysing the muscles of his back. "So, he works out, huh? Not bad."
"I can feel you ogling."
''Sorry, I didn't mean to."
"I didn't say I mind."
You responded with a nonchalant "hmm" and made your way to the bathroom.
"Do you not feel awkward after seeing my body?" Wonwoo called after you.
"Why should I feel awkward? You showed me your body."
"You have a response to everything, don't you?"
"Yes, that's how conversations usually go. If you want to eat something, there's an intercom near the side table on the right-hand side. Leila will bring it."
"Nah, I want to sleep. I haven't slept a wink since yesterday."
"Okay," you said and shut the bathroom door behind you. The bathroom still held the warmth from Wonwoo's shower. You quickly shed your clothes and stepped under the hot water, the sensation easing the knots and tensions in your body. In the midst of it, you couldn't help but wonder, "Why am I always so at ease in his presence?"
By the time you finished your shower, your body felt relaxed, but fatigue had finally caught up with you. You found Wonwoo sleeping curled up on the left corner of the spacious bed. Since it was a king-sized bed, you arranged the pillows in the middle and lay down on the right side without overthinking it. As you rested your head on the pillow, all conscious thought faded away, and sleep enveloped you.
....
The sudden slam of the door startled you, making you stir slightly. You felt a warm breath on your neck and a gentle weight on your waist. Just as you were falling back to sleep, someone hopped onto your bed, jolting you awake. Wonwoo's nose nuzzled into the back of your head, and his arms wrapped around your waist. Where did the pillow go? You didn't get a chance to wonder further when Noel sat on your stomach.
"Oomph, El," you grunted.
The sound of hurried steps echoed in the room, and Jeonghan's voice followed, "El, you shouldn't barge into a couple's room like that. You'll be traumatised for life."
He entered the doorway with his eyes tightly shut. "Aren't you an eloquent speaker, JJ?''you retorted.
"Are you both decent?" he asked cautiously.
Wonwoo groaned and moved his hand away from you, turning to his side and still sleeping. You were busy glaring at Jeonghan for the untimely intrusion when you noticed Noel staring down at the man's shirtless back. You patted Noel's thigh to get his attention, and he turned to you, asking in French
"Who is he?"
"He is my husband and your uncle."
"But I already have an uncle!"
"Who?" you asked, confused. A glance passed between you and Jeonghan, who stood by the door.
"He came to my school and said that he is my mama's brother, and he will take me to his house, where he lives with my grandpa."
"So what did you say?"
"I said I wanted to live with you."
A warmth spread in your heart as Noel laid down on your chest, hugging you. He continued, "But he said you won't want to live with me when you get married and have a family of your own."
Every ounce of drowsiness left your body, replaced by slow-building fury. "That would never happen," you assured him, rubbing his back as you gazed up at the ceiling.
"If you're awake, dinner's ready. Come and eat it, El. Let's go," Jeonghan said, his voice low and tinged with worry.
You looked at Jeonghan and nodded. Turning your face, you kissed Noel on the back of the head. As you did, you met Wonwoo's eyes, looking deeply at you with his tousled hair. He was still lying on his stomach, but his head was turned towards you, and your heartbeat quickened.
Before you could say anything, his phone blared, and he turned to pick it up. "Yes, Chan," he answered, his voice hoarse. You got up, carrying Noel in your arms, and left the room, the unresolved tension lingering in the air.
....
It had been a week since the two of you arrived in Zurich. After that eventful dinner, you, Wonwoo, and Noel went to your house across the street. Since Leila was your housekeeper, she took care of cleaning and occasionally cooked for Jeonghan, who preferred to cook for himself and Victor. That dinner had been quite a grilling session for Wonwoo. He found himself caught in the crossfire, with Noel and Jeonghan bombarding him with questions. The poor man had been munching on his lettuce like an innocent sheep, occasionally answering their inquiries. You and Victor exchanged empathetic glances at each other and at Wonwoo.
The next three days had been a blur, with both of you barely meeting each other. You were busy with work and meetings in your Switzerland office, while he worked from your home office. One evening, as you both sat down to eat together, he broached the topic.
"I know you said we'd deal with Oasis once all this wraps up, but I was thinking of holding an investors meeting on Saturday."
"I don't think so," you replied, leaning back and taking a sip of your drink.
"Why?" He asked, wiping his mouth with a napkin.
"I think holding an investor meeting face-to-face would be better," you explained. "Rich people have no lack of money to burn, but they do give preference to sincerity. If we both host a dinner at our new home and show them our sincerity towards the project and somewhat toward each other, don't you think that would be more beneficial?"
You paused, waiting for his response, and then added, "Isn't that also the reason you got married? To improve your reputation and win more investors for your new project in Kyoto?"
He nodded thoughtfully and raised an eyebrow. "I guess there's nothing wrong with that. Well, then, I'll inform Chan to arrange a meeting with the architects."
"Hmm," you said, nodding in agreement, and went back to your food.
It was the night before the trial. You were reading Noel a bedtime story about a wise old owl, an owl who listened to individuals and their problems. By the time you reached the second chapter, Noel was already asleep. Kissing his forehead, you left the room and noticed the lights were still on in the study. You assumed Wonwoo was working late again. Your impromptu change of plans had put a strain on his work-life due to different time zones, making you feel a little guilty. But then again, it was his choice to come here.
Rema had arrived that morning and was now sleeping in the room that Wonwoo used to occupy. Tonight, he'd be sleeping in your room. You had offered to take the couch, but he insisted otherwise.
You were done with your nighttime routine when you exited the ensuite bathroom and saw Wonwoo standing on the balcony, smoking a cigarette and talking on his phone.
He noticed your movement from the corner of his eye but continued speaking into the phone, "What's the point of living in one of the most secure and luxurious apartments in the country if you all can't even keep a woman from trespassing?"
He pressed his thumb against his forehead, the cigarette burning. "Well then, take care of it, Chan."
He ended the call and put the phone in the pocket of his relaxed trousers.
"Hello there, stranger," you greeted him.
"Hi," he replied, puffing out a plume of smoke.
You sat on the dresser to brush your hair, and he continued to gaze down at the park, visible from your balcony.
"Did work end early?" you asked.
He huffed a smile and said, "Does it ever end?"
You picked up your lotion and started applying it to your arms. You shook your head in denial and commented, "Tomorrow's going to be a long day. Since we've applied for the fast-track court, the hearing won't take long. I just hope—"
You took a breath and continued, "I just hope we get this over with and get Noel away from these people."
You felt a comforting hand on your shoulder, and when you looked up in the mirror, you met Wonwoo's eyes. His voice softened as he reassured you, "Don't worry. You've worked hard, and nobody can take Noel away from you."
You smiled back. "I hope so."
He nodded and made his way to the bathroom.
"Wonwoo," you called out, making him stop in his tracks. "What's wrong?"
He sighed, retracing his steps and sitting on the bed. Your eyes met in the mirror as he began, "Eleanor, Tresspassed, and trashed the apartment''
''And no one did anything?'' you asked, shock evident on your face.
''Well, she is the wife of politician Lee Joonsuk; only a man with a death wish would touch her''
''I didn't know you were suicidal, wonwoo''
''Look at you and your elite sense of humour. I meant in the legal sense.'' You nodded in understanding, but the curiosity got the better of you, and you asked, ''Whats her story?'' His head shot up, and he looked at you intently for a minute, then began to share his love story—how he had met Eleanor in college in London. She came from a poor family but aspired to have a career in politics. After working under Lee Joonsuk's party, she had drawn his keen interest, and before he knew it, he was returning from his grandmother's funeral to hear that his girlfriend was marrying into one of the most powerful conglomerate families.
For a few years, it seemed nice for her, but the spark eventually faded. Their marriage had turned into just another one in society. However, neither of them could leave—their marriage served her political career, and his wealth had no end.
"So, what does she want from you?" you asked.
He smiled ruefully. "Attention."
You had no words, but Wonwoo tilted his head and said, "Wow, I never talk about these things with Chan, and he's with me 22/7."
"22/7?" you inquired, confused.
"Yes, two hours for sleep," he explained, making both of you laugh.
"Well, I am the old, wise owl; people like talking to me."
He hummed and made his way to the bathroom.
....
The drive to the court was far from easy for you. Jeonghan, Victor, Rema, and you were all packed into one car, with Leila, Noel, and Wonwoo in another. Rema and Victor discussed and exchanged pointers, trying to keep the atmosphere as calm as possible. Jeonghan held your hand, providing a comforting presence as the tension mounted.
Finally, when your number was called, Leila and Noel were escorted to the witness room while the four of you entered the courtroom. Rema and Victor took their seats on the right, while the Bulavias occupied the left side. As the judge announced, "Case Number 432: Custody of Noel Hong, L/N vs. Bulavia," a wave of anticipation washed over the room.
Your eyes met Nikolai Bulavia's, a man with platinum blonde hair, a family crest ring, a sharp jawline, and a strong build. He looked at you with those same unsettling eyes that resembled Noella's. A sneer crept onto his face as he observed you, then he shifted his gaze to Wonwoo. You were determined not to give him the satisfaction of knowing he'd gotten under your skin, so you looked away.
Wonwoo, who had been busy typing on his phone, leaned in and whispered, "Don't worry, we've got this."
His warm hand rested above your knee, offering you the reassurance you needed in this nerve-wracking moment.
Judge Andrew's, a man in his 60s with a strenuous personality and gravel voice, commanded, ''Order in the court!''
The room fell into silence as the judge called for order. You sat nervously, flanked by Rema and Victor on one side and the Bulavias on the other.
Bulavia's Attorney stood up and walked in the centre of the room and began addressing the judge, ''Your Honour, we'd like to begin by stating that the existence of the child in question was deliberately kept hidden from the Bulavia family. We were not informed about Noel's existence until recently.
Rema, following the suit, countered, ''Your Honour, if I may, the decision to keep Noel away from the Bulavias was based on the explicit wishes of his deceased parents. They wanted to ensure that Noel was never exposed to the Bulavia family.''
Judge Andrews nodded and said, ''Let's proceed, please.''
Bulavia Attorney added, ''Furthermore, Your Honour, we'd like to argue that Ms. [Your Last Name] has an unstable lifestyle. She's constantly on the move between her home country and here, neglecting to be a constant figure in Noel's life and leaving him at the care of her friends and house help, and it appears that she only wants Noel because of the substantial property and shares left in his name by his deceased mother.
Rema, walking closer to the judge's stand, said, '' Your honour, that's simply not true. My client has always had Noel's best interests at heart. She is a renown businesswoman who travels due to work. The properties and shares were entrusted to him, and she's been managing them responsibly.''
Bulavia Attorney countered, ''Your Honour, we have reason to believe that Ms. [Your Last Name]'s intentions are not as noble as she claims. We request that these financial assets be temporarily placed under the Bulavia family's supervision until this matter is settled.''
'' Your honour, we vehemently oppose this request. It is clear that Noel's life was under threat from the Bulavia family. We have evidence to support this claim.''
Bulavia Attorney, who was quiet confident, is now left perplexed at this new revelation: ''Evidence? What evidence?''
Rema is standing, holding a folder. ''Your Honour, we have obtained CCTV footage from 2016 showing Mr. Nikolai Bulavia getting out of his car with a baseball bat. We also have medical records and photographs that depict the violence Mr. Nikolai Bulavia inflicted upon Noel's late parents. He even attacked Joshua, Noel's father, upon learning of his sister's pregnancy.''
The Bulavia attorney was now taken aback. ''Your honour, those incidents were isolated, and Mr. Bulavia deeply regrets his actions. But that doesn't justify Ms. [Your Last Name]'s decision to keep the child hidden from us.''
When Rema further added, "Your Honour, it's clear that the Bulavia family's violent history posed a threat to Noel's safety. We argue that his parents' decision to keep him away from this environment was justified.''
The courtroom buzzed with tension as both sides presented their arguments. The judge listened carefully, fully aware that this was a critical decision that would shape young Noel's future.
After a thoughtful pause, Judge Andrews began his verdict: ''I've reviewed the presented evidence and heard both sides of the argument. It is clear that there was a history of violence and danger to the child's life from the Bulavia family. While these incidents may have been isolated, Noel Hong's safety and well-being are paramount in this case.''
''Your honour, we assure you that we can provide a safe and nurturing environment for the child.''
Judge Andrews firmly cut Bulavia's attorney off. ''Nevertheless, the evidence presented suggests that the child's life was at risk in your presence. Therefore, the court rules in favour of Ms. [Your Last Name] retaining custody of Noel Hong. Furthermore, the financial assets will remain under her supervision.''
The Bulavias appeared crestfallen, while you and your legal team shared a collective sigh of relief.
The judge continues, ''I will also issue a restraining order against Mr. Nikolai Bulavia, ensuring he maintains a safe distance from the child and Ms. [Your Last Name].''
Rema, who was now standing next to you, whispered, ''We did it, Y/N.''
You nodded, tears of relief brimming in your eyes. Wonwoo, who had been a pillar of support throughout the trial, gave your hand a reassuring squeeze.
Wonwoo leaned to whisper, ''I told you we'd get through this.''
''The court finds in Favour of the petitioner, Y/N L/N, for the adoption of Noel Hong''
A wave of relief washed over you as you heard the judge's words. It was official. Noel was yours, and he was safe from the Bulavia family's influence.
Judge Andrew looks at you and Wonwoo and says, ''It is the court's hope that Noel Hong will now be provided with a loving and stable environment where he can thrive and grow.''
You nodded, tears of joy and gratitude filling your eyes. Wonwoo squeezed your hand, sharing in your overwhelming emotions.
And concluded, ''Congratulations, Mrs. L/N and Mr. Jeon. The court approves the adoption of Noel Hong by Y/N L/N, and we wish your family all the best for the future''
As you rushed into the witness room after the court's decision, your heart swelled with an overwhelming mix of emotions. There, sitting in the midst of this legal battle, was the small figure of Noel, your precious little boy. You spread your arms wide, your eyes welling up with tears of joy, and Noel immediately sensed the invitation. With a wide smile on his face, he practically leaped into your arms.
You held him close, feeling the warmth of his little body against yours, his heartbeat in sync with your own. In that moment, as you held Noel, you realized something profound. It wasn't just the fact that he was Joshua's son or Noella's child that made you love him so deeply. It was simply Noel, a bright and beautiful soul who had come into your life and filled it with an extraordinary kind of love.
As you hugged him tightly, you whispered softly into his ear, "I told you, Noel, no one can ever take you away from Tante." Your voice carried all the love and reassurance that a child could ever need, and Noel, with his small arms wrapped around you, knew that he was home, safe and cherished in your embrace.
As Wonwoo watched you holding Noel, something profound and deeply touching happened within him. He felt a crack forming in the walls he had built around his heart, a wall that had been constructed over years of self-preservation and ambition. In that moment, as he witnessed the pure and selfless love you had for Noel, he realized the depth of your character.
Beneath the surface of the successful and driven persona he had seen before, there was a person who was genuinely selfless. It wasn't just about protecting Noel for the sake of his inheritance or securing a business deal; it was about providing love, care, and a safe haven for a child who needed it.
This realization shook him to his core. It was as if he had stumbled upon a hidden treasure, a quality in you that he had never fully appreciated before. In that moment, Wonwoo couldn't help but admire and respect you even more. He knew he had witnessed something extraordinary and rare – an act of pure, selfless love that had the power to touch and transform the hearts of those who were lucky enough to witness it.
.....
The night was slowly settling in as Victor drove Rema to the airport. It left just you, Noel, and a dimly lit street outside the restaurant where you had dinner. As Wonwoo and Jeonghan settled the bill inside you stood there, a familiar figure started approaching, and your heart sank.
"Which part of the restraining order did you not understand, Nikolia?" you spat out, your voice laced with irritation.
A devilish smirk played on Nikolia's lips as he responded, "Unclench your claws, kitten. I'm just here to talk."
You crossed your arms defensively. "I never cared for the child, but to think that this little kimchi pest will be sitting on 3 billion worth of property is not sitting right with me."
"Then sleep on it; you'll get used to it," you retorted, trying to mask your unease.
Nikolia laughed and raised his finger as if to push your hair away from your face, but before he could, Noel clung to your leg, visibly frightened. You warned, "Don't you dare touch me, Nikolia."
His eyes flared with anger, and he hissed, "That's not what you were saying that night 8 years ago."
You smirked, your words dripping with contempt, "Hmm, I wish I did. Then again, how would I know what faking an orgasm felt like?"
A fire blazed in Nikolia's eyes, but he didn't respond immediately. Instead, he mumbled, "Ah, Y/N, if only you'd given us a chance. You would've been his real aunt and the queen of my empire, not some little hotel man's wife."
You looked him up and down and said, "I'd rather eat glass than marry you. And don't even compare yourself to my husband, Nikolia. He has more spine than you can imagine. A person who kills his own sister, leaving his nephew an orphan, all for the sake of his fragile ego. So, get away and get lost, Nikolia. I don't want Noel anywhere near your shadow, let alone you."
Before Nikolia could respond, an arm wrapped around your waist, and Noel left your side, running to Jeonghan for safety. It was Wonwoo, exuding an aura of intimidation.
"I think my wife asked you to leave, Mr. Bulavia," he said calmly but firmly.
Nikolia glanced down at you, then up at Wonwoo, and then winked at Noel. "Don't get so worked up, Mr. Jeon. I was just having a conversation with an old friend."
You huffed, retorting, "We were never friends."
Nikolia backed away, smirking. "Whatever you say, princess. Whatever you say," he replied before finally turning and walking away into the night, 'This isn't over Y/N'' leaving you, Wonwoo, and Noel in a state of tense relief.
.....
As the time for your departure from Switzerland approached, the atmosphere was heavy with a mix of excitement and sadness. Jeonghan and Victor had come to drop you off at the airport, and there was something they wanted to share.
Once you had all settled in a quieter corner of the airport lounge, Jeonghan cleared his throat, exchanging a glance with Victor. It was clear they had something important to say.
"We have some news," Jeonghan began, his expression a mixture of excitement and nervousness. "Victor and I are getting married soon."
You blinked in surprise, and then your shock transformed into a grin. "That's wonderful news! Congratulations!"
But then a thought crossed your mind, and you narrowed your eyes playfully at Jeonghan. "Why didn't you tell me this earlier?"
He chuckled, his smile wide. "Well, you didn't tell us you were dating someone for a whole year!"
You rolled your eyes, but it was all in good humor. "Fair enough. Well, I'm genuinely happy for both of you."
Jeonghan turned his attention to Wonwoo, who was standing beside you. "Take good care of her and my godson, alright?"
Wonwoo nodded, extending his hand to Jeonghan. "I will, don't you worry."
Jeonghan gave Wonwoo a firm handshake before turning to you. He pulled you into a warm hug and whispered, "He's a good guy, but if he acts up, you know who to call."
You nodded, feeling a lump in your throat, and then picked up Noel. Tears welled up in his eyes as he hugged Jeonghan tightly, realising that this might be the last time he saw his beloved uncle for a while.
There was a farewell filled with smiles and promises to visit each other soon. Finally, the three of you walked to Wonwoo's private jet, ready to fly back home, where new adventures await. Unbeknownst to you, the new revelation you're about to face.
....
Extra:
Wonwoo descended the stairs, feeling the pangs of thirst that late-night work often brought on. He noticed the refrigerator light flickering and remembered he had a late meeting to attend due to the troublesome time zone differences. As he made his way to the kitchen, he noticed Noel struggling to open a bottle.
Deciding to offer some assistance, Wonwoo approached the young boy. "Why are you up so late?" he inquired, causing Noel to jump slightly.
"I could ask you the same," Noel retorted.
Wonwoo chuckled softly. "Touché. Well, I was working. But wait, I don't need to explain myself to you."
Noel, still wrestling with the stubborn bottle cap, retorted, "Neither do I."
Seeing Noel's struggle, Wonwoo carefully lifted him onto a stool and took the bottle. After successfully opening it, he decided to pour himself a cup of coffee and sat down beside the young boy.
Noel looked at him and curiously asked, "Why are you sleeping in the guest bedroom? Don't married people sleep together?"
A sly grin tugged at Wonwoo's lips. "Aren't you seven?" he retorted, and he couldn't help but chuckle at the clever preception.
Noel added with a hint of playfulness, "I may be seven, but I'm not an idiot. I know things because Mama and Appa used to sleep in the same room."
Wonwoo raised an eyebrow, intrigued by Noel's insight. "Well, I work late at night, and your Tante is an early bird."
Noel nodded knowingly. "Yeah, she does like to sleep a lot."
Curiosity getting the better of him, Wonwoo pressed further. "What else does your Tante like?"
Noel hopped down from the stool, discarded the plastic into the blue recycling bin, and started to amble away. He turned back briefly and quipped, "Again, I may be a kid, but I'm not an idiot to let you sweet-talk me into an investigation."
Wonwoo watched the boy walk away with a smile, finding Noel's wit and independence rather endearing. He sipped his coffee and mumbled to himself, "Like aunt, like kid."
-------------------------------------------------------
A/N: Thank you again for reading see you all again with a new chapter in October.
xx
msh
#kpop fluff#kpop angst#kpop smut#fanfiction#seventeen#aquamarine#jeon wonwoo x reader#seventeen fanfic#seventeen fluff#seventeen scenarios#seventeen arrange marriage au#arrange marriage#jeon wonwoo arrange marriage au
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「Back to you」 Kamisato Ayato smau
↳ ‘𝑰'𝒎 𝒄𝒐𝒎𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝒚𝒐𝒖, 𝒃𝒂𝒄𝒌 𝒕𝒐 𝒚𝒐𝒖.’
🆂🆈🅽🅾🅿🆂🅸🆂
‣ Young, famous, and successful. (First name)(Lastname) found herself living the best of her life. Having to be a successful owner of a radio station named Golden Hour, one of the most famous and talked about radio station nowadays in Inazuma as well as the rest of the nations in Teyvat known for it's anonymous dedication and confession. She is now living her dream the way she wanted it, away from the life she had once lived. Until one day, having to fill in with one for her DJs who happened to have an emergency for the day, she happened to receive a confession, well more like declaration dedicated to none other than herself. But the thing is, it wasn't just any random stranger, it was none other than her brothers best friend, the one who left a long time ago. The one who left your heart hanging and broken all those years ago. The one who declared that he's on his way back. Back to you.
🅵🅴🅰🆃🆄🆁🅸🅽🅶
‣ Kamisato Ayato x fem! Reader
‣ Modern au!
🅶🅴🅽🆁🅴
‣ Slight! Angst
‣ Romance
‣ Comedy
🆂🅴🆁🅸🅴🆂
‣ Golden Hour
🆃🅰🅱🅻🅴 🅾🅵 🅲🅾🅽🆃🅴🅽🆃🆂
‣ Y/N rich friends
‣ Ayato's basher friends
‣ Notable sites
Emergency
Familiar unfamiliar 💫
Under arrest
Suspicious
Guess what
Random question
Plus one
Welcome back 💫
I can explain
🆃🅰🅶🅻🅸🆂🆃
‣ @rifran @eissaaaa @rxd-iant @lunaavity @starryeyedkoko @sukunasrealgf @sammybeefangirls @reiqnn
🅰/🅽
‣ For clarification, I will be uploading the contents of this story on my other account @dark-night-hero-smau. Therefore, once clicked on the selected part of the story, you will be directed on my other account where the smau story is published.
‣ Do not worry tho, I will be reblogging the contents once published on my other account.
‣ With this main account will only contain this masterlist. Since I mostly use this account for short imagines only, it will become a huge bit of a mess once I uploaded in here. (Been there, done that.)
‣ The taglist will remain open until the story is over.
‣ To be on the taglist, just leave a comment or ask. You can do it here at @dark-night-hero or on @dark-night-hero-smau wherever is fine.
‣ Currently on Hiatus (college sucks :()
#genshin impact#genshin impact fanfic#genshin impact x reader#genshin impact ayato#ayato smau#kamisato ayato x reader#ayato x reader#genshin impact smau#genshin smau#kamisato ayato#ayato kamisato imagines#ayato kamisato x reader#kamisato ayato smau#ayato x you#ayato imagines#genshin ayato#genshin imagines#gensin impact#modern genshin au#genshin angst slight#back to you#golden hour
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When Everything's Made to be Broken - Chapter 16: We Don't Know What We're Doing
Summary: Amidst the day to day, Theo and Loki continue to learn new things about each other, including some interesting details about how they view relationships.
Author’s Note: First, I am so sorry this is so late!! I had planned to post on the 28th, but I ended up having some (good) things come up that took up my weekend and meant I didn’t have time to get this to a point I felt was ready to post. I foolishly thought I could have it ready by Tuesday, then by Friday, then Sunday, then accepted my fate and admitted I just wouldn’t have time until this weekend to get this chapter wrapped up and posted (shoutout to a work trip last weekend for making this take an extra week!) I shared a note about the delay on tumblr, but figured I’d share it here so I’m covering my bases.
That being said, spring is a crazy time for me work-wise, plus I’m finishing my second master’s degree this semester (after a two year hiatus!), so this will probably not be the only time things get a bit delayed. I’m pretty sure I will have the next chapter ready for next Sunday (the 24th), but the week after that has some work stuff going on, which means the following chapter would be posted on March 9th.
Anyways, thanks for your patience, and hope you enjoy <3 reblogs are always appreciated, and lmk if you want to be added to tag list!
Word Count: 6,789
Song: Amateur Lovers - Switchfoot (Bonus Song: Passing Through A Screen Door - The Wonder Years)
Everyone I know
Needs love like drugs
Like a common cold
We could never shrug
My baby and me
We're missing the same stuff
We've all got a disease
Deficiency of love
Every day we still try
Every night we still cry
Driving home on the 805
Months after Theo first promised Loki that she would hang out with the other Avengers, she could not deny the truth: Loki, the little shit, was right.
Unintentionally agreeing to “family night” opened the floodgates of invitations to hang out, and other than the period of time where everyone’s moods plummeted from the string of unpleasant anniversaries, Theo found herself becoming more and more fond of the colorful collection of superheroes that she lived with, and it seemed like they accepted her with open arms.
Even worse, Loki was right and he knew it.
Every time Theo caught him watching as Wanda braided her hair or Yelena talked her into trying (and absolutely sucking at) Call of Duty, Loki cocked an eyebrow and shot Theo the most smug, self-satisfied smirk. When he wandered into the lab and stumbled upon Theo and Helen working on new medical technology with Bruce and Shuri, a downright devious glint flashed in his jade eyes, and his jaw flexed as if he bit back some snarky comment about Theo’s voluntary presence. When they went out as a team and it came to light that Natasha had done Theo’s makeup, Loki bit his lower lip to stifle a snicker.
On that night, Theo had just finished up working in the emergency department; after showering and changing into an old set of Duke sweatpants and a shirt she stole from Chris the last time she stayed at his apartment, Theo made her way out to the living room with a book in hand.
The sight that greeted her was one she often found at the end of the day: Sam, Bucky, Yelena, Natasha, and Steve sprawled out on some of the more comfortable seating options, clad in sweatpants and worn t-shirts after what was likely a long day of training and briefings. A video game that Theo vaguely recognized, but not enough to identify, broadcast itself from the television screen, displaying a mix of desolate space-esque scenarios and scifi combat.
Sam sat on the edge of the couch cushions, leaned in towards the television screen with a video game controller clutched in both hands, focusing so intently on the screen that he stuck a bit of his tongue out as he mashed buttons on the controller.
On another couch sat Yelena and Natasha, with Bucky sandwiched between the two widows. Yelena and Bucky alternated between shoving fistfuls of popcorn into their mouths and shouting at the television as an explosion flashed on the screen, while Natasha sat with her legs curled up under her, sipping a glass of merlot as she occasionally teased Sam about dying in the game.
“Theo, hey,” Steve waved from the other side of the living room, where he stretched across on the couch with sock-covered feet propped up on the coffee table.
“Hey,” Theo waved as she took her usual seat, curling into the corner of the couch. “So, which game is this?”
“Halo–” Yelena replied between mouthfuls of popcorn, “— Genetically enhanced super soldiers fighting aliens.”
“I thought the point of playing video games was to take a break from reality…” Theo glanced around the room. “How is ‘genetically enhanced super soldiers fighting aliens’ any different from what we already do?”
“It’s fictional.” Yelena shrugged, despite the knowing grin she wore.
“Hey, bird brain, don’t you have something to ask Theo?” Bucky threw a piece of popcorn at Sam, bouncing a fluffy kernel off Sam’s head; Sam scowled, but kept his eyes on the screen.
“Ask me what?” Theo glanced between the others expectantly, her pulse quickening ever so slightly.
They must have been talking about her… But why?
“Fuck! I was so close!” Sam groaned as a message flashed across the television screen stating his team lost. He tossed the controller at Bucky, who effortlessly caught it in his non-vibranium hand. “You try.”
“Is anyone going to tell me what I’m supposed to be asked about?” Theo repeated, her chest tightening as she tried to guess what they wanted. She couldn’t think of anything that she did recently to raise any suspicions, and the way Bucky brought it up made it sound like it wasn’t anything serious…
“Dammit Buck, I was gonna ask her when it was just the two of us.” Sam glared at Bucky, who was too busy setting up the next round of whatever shooting game they had decided on for that night.
“Okay, now I’m just getting nervous.” Theo tried to laugh it off, but it didn’t do much to cover up her ballooning nerves.
“Nah, don’t be - I just need advice… ” Sam rubbed his face with both hands, conveniently hiding any clues Theo might have gathered from his expression. “... Dating advice.”
“Dating advice?” Theo’s brows shot skyward as she echoed Sam’s message back to him.
“Yeah. There’s a hot doc that you work with, and I want to see if she’s interested.”
Well, that certainly changed things.
Theo struggled to keep her cool, cheeks and jaw tensing to prevent a grin from curling up her lips...
.. What were the odds that Sam shared Julie’s crush?
“Thing is, the only way I ever run into her is when I need to get patched up —“ Sam continued, “— not exactly great for getting to know each other...”
“… So you want my help getting close to her?” Theo ventured, her mind running wild with possibilities. “Who is it?!”
“Oh hell no, I’m not telling!” Sam laughed sheepishly, “Not until I know if she’s interested too!”
“How can I help if I don’t know who it is?” Theo pointed out, “it’s not like all doctors are the same! What works for Julie won’t work for Helen!”
If Theo didn’t know any better, she swore she saw Sam’s cheeks flush at Julie’s name; then again, that might have been in her head.
“Watch him when he’s in the ER,” Bucky commented, not missing a beat even as all of his attention seemed focused on the video game. “You'll know in two seconds.”
“As much as I don’t want you to need to go to the ER, now I’m curious - maybe we can beat you up a bit during training so you need to pay a visit.” Theo teased, smirking at Sam. Yelena laughed, offering to beat him up, while Natasha and Steve exchanged knowing glances.
“Not you too–” Sam groaned, before pointing at Yelena and Bucky. “ – that’s the same thing these assholes recommended!”
“Because it’s good advice!” Yelena huffed, crossing her arms. “You want to see her? That’s how!”
“Oh come on, you really think that’s my advice?! I’m not that terrible,” Theo scoffed, feigning offense. “My first piece of advice would be to talk to her and see what she likes outside of work, then figure out a way to ask her to hang out and do something she enjoys. But unless you tell me who it is, you’re going to need to work up the courage to stop by the ED specifically to talk to her, or you’ll have to wait until you actually have a reason to get patched up.”
Sam let out a sharp breath, shoulders slumping as he narrowed his eyes at Theo. “And if I tell you?”
“Maybe I can help — invite them over when we do a movie night or something,” Theo offered, this time not bothering to hide her smile. After all, Theo was not above a quid pro quo - she gets to satisfy her curiosity, and Sam gets a chance to talk to whoever he’s crushing on.
Win-win, really.
Sam narrowed his eyes at Theo. “… Let me think about it.”
Theo stood up and stretched her arms overhead; since it seemed like Sam had put an end to the conversation, it was as good of a moment as any to step away for a moment and get herself some water. As she sauntered towards the kitchen, she called over her shoulder: “Your choice, but it doesn’t have to be hard!”
Conversation continued among the others as Theo entered the kitchen, voices laughing and chattering over each other so Theo couldn’t make out what anyone said.
Theo moved on autopilot as she found a glass and added some ice from the freezer, mind spinning as she tried to recall any details from past interactions that would help her figure out which of her colleagues caught Sam’s eye. Even as she moved to the sink to fill her glass, her thoughts remained so occupied with the new mystery that she barely paid her surroundings any mind.
“You feared the Avengers would never trust you, yet Wilson trusts you enough to seek your guidance in matters of the heart; I dare say that your concerns were unfounded.” A low voice spoke from just behind Theo — a smooth baritone that she recognized anywhere, even if it startled her so badly that she dropped her glass and nearly jumped through the ceiling from shock.
A flash of emerald shot forth. Loki caught the glass just before it clattered into the sink, all the while failing to stifle his laughter at the string of curses that fell from Theo’s mouth.
“Can’t you just say hi like a normal person?!” Theo pressed one hand to her heart in a feeble attempt to settle her racing heart, all the while glaring at Loki.
“When such amusement is a possibility? Absolutely not.” Loki grinned, offering Theo her water glass. She snatched it from him, taking a quick drink of water before turning back to the sink and topping it off.
For a moment, Theo considered finding some way to fuck with Loki so he couldn’t gloat so much, but after Loki had a difficult month (between the shitty anniversaries and Thor nearly dying, calling it difficult was probably an understatement), Loki needed the chance to loosen up and laugh. Besides, he was the first friend Theo made when she moved into the tower, and even if she wouldn’t admit it outright, Theo was grateful that Loki had been right.
So, she simply rolled her eyes and smiled.
“You’ve not responded to my original comment,” Loki pointed out, smug satisfaction dancing in his tone.
“Sam’s interested in one of my colleagues,” Theo attempted to brush off Loki’s observation, her cheeks burning as they undoubtedly flushed.
“I heard…” Loki leaned back against the kitchen counter, a lazy smile dangling on his lips as he looked at Theo. “Still, he trusts you.”
“Not enough to tell me who it is,” Theo grumbled, setting her water glass on the marble counter as she pretended to pout so she could cross her arms. “How long were you lurking there?”
“Long enough,” Loki simply shrugged, eyes twinkling from the reflection of the kitchen lights as he looked at Theo. “The exchange reminded me - are you still courting your gentleman caller?”
Theo couldn’t stifle the snort of laughter that escaped from Loki’s unironic use of the term “gentleman caller;” she slapped both hands over her mouth, entire face now aflame with embarrassment from the ridiculous sound.
Loki tilted his head at Theo’s reaction, brows furrowed in a silent question.
“Am I supposed to ignore the fact that you just used the term gentleman caller?” Theo finally managed, still chuckling as she repeated the term.
“Is there another term I ought to use?” Despite the neutral tone of Loki’s reply, his cheeks took on a faint shade of pink that stood out against his porcelain skin. “Or am I to presume you are no longer courting him?”
“I’m still seeing him, but I don’t think that ‘gentleman callers’ exist in modern day dating,” Theo couldn’t wipe the smile off her face from hearing the term in daily conversation. “Feminism and all that.”
“Ah, yes, forgive me.” The flush on Loki’s cheeks grew more noticeable. “Nonetheless, you are still courting him?”
“Yeah,” Theo nodded. “Why?”
“You’ve not spoken of him in quite some time.” Loki shrugged; the gesture looked like an attempt to be nonchalant, which matched his tone, but something about the movement seemed a bit… forced.
“You were busy supporting Thor, and I was busy supporting you, so it didn’t seem like the thing to discuss at the time.” Theo offered a sheepish smile as she explained her reasoning. “Besides, it’s nothing serious.”
In response, Loki leaned away ever-so-slightly, narrowing his eyes with a slight frown as he studied Theo.
“What?” Theo tensed as heart quickened in her chest, confused by Loki’s reaction.
“Midgardians often speak of love at first sight; after quite some time, your feelings for the actor seem ambivalent at best, yet you continue to court him,” Loki remarked slowly, continuing to look at her with a perplexed expression. “It’s rather odd.”
Odd - with a silent sigh of relief, Theo relaxed, her shoulders dropping ever so slightly.
“I don’t believe in love at first sight – that’s lust,” Theo winked, shaking her head. “We’re just having fun and enjoying each other’s company, that’s all.”
“I see,” with a nod, Loki hummed to himself. “Do you foresee the relationship turning into something greater?”
“I don’t know,” Theo shrugged. “Never gave it much thought, if I’m honest.”
As she answered the question, a thought occurred to her: Loki asked about her dating life, but Theo never asked about his…
“Speaking of dating, did I see you bring someone up to your suite after Stark’s fundraiser a few months back?” Theo cocked a brow at him, a sly grin spread over her face. “What’s going on there?”
“Rest assured, I’ve not kept any partners from you,” Loki replied with a smirk of his own. “I am… not one for attachment, shall we say.”
“So she was a booty call?” Theo giggled, earning a venomously dirty look from Loki. “Well, what would you call it?”
“I prefer to have companions for a single evening,” Loki dryly answered, a pale pink blush returning to his cheeks. “It’s less complicated that way.”
“Is that so?” Theo teased, her grin widening to the point that her cheeks hurt as Loki’s blush grew brighter.
“Yes –” Loki’s explanation took on an edge of defensiveness as his expression teetered on the verge of a scowl. “It’s not as uncommon as you might think, particularly among our peers.”
Theo barely managed to keep a straight face, all-too-amused by how quickly Loki became flustered.
“Civilians do not understand the nature of our roles, so relationships that are not between two agents or established prior to one becoming an Avenger are practically doomed from the start,” Loki continued. “Having seen the effect of those failed relationships on others, I have chosen to refrain from courting anyone.”
Theo’s stomach lurched at the observation, her prior amusement vanishing in an instant. She quickly grabbed her water glass, taking a long sip of chilled liquid to ground herself before the implications could make her spiral.
“That being said, physical desire is a near-universal experience, or a need, if you will—” If Theo’s expression shifted, Loki must not have noticed; the usual glint of something clever returned to his eye, as did a wry smirk. “—And sometimes our needs… Well… They need to be satiated.”
“Can’t fault you there.” Theo covered up her discomfort from Loki’s earlier comment with a smirk and a wink of her own. She started towards the living room, glancing back at Loki over her shoulder. “Some of us are hanging out in the living room. You want to join?”
Loki nodded, pressing away from the counter and following Theo into the living room.
Amidst a chorus of greetings directed at Loki, Theo took her usual seat, but this time stretched her legs out across the cushions so there wasn’t room for anyone else to sit. She looked up and grinned at Loki, who stood in front of the couch like he was about to take his usual place beside her.
With narrowed eyes flitting between the seat and Theo, Loki arched one brow in a silent challenge. Theo simply widened her grin, curious to see what would follow.
To Theo’s surprise, Loki didn’t say anything; instead, he picked up both of Theo’s legs, moving them out of the way so he could sit down; once he settled into his seat, he placed both of Theo’s feet on his lap, as a result returning Theo to her initial position. He capped off the response by flashing an impish grin at Theo, a sort of silent taunt - “you thought you could try me? Foolish mortal.”
Other than a suspicious glance exchanged between the widows, it didn’t seem like anyone even noticed the exchange between Loki and Theo.
Despite Theo’s playful behavior, Loki’s comment about relationships doomed from the start lurked in the dark recesses of her mind, no matter how hard she tried to ignore it. Even as she forced herself to pay attention while Sam and Bucky explained the rules of the particular type of Halo match they selected for the evening, Theo couldn’t shake the vague uneasiness that the comment initially instilled within her.
A good night text from Chris, something which usually made Theo’s heart flutter in her chest, instead filled her with dread. However, Theo kept her discomfort close to her chest, acting like nothing was amiss as she replied to Chris, wishing him a good night. When Theo returned her attention back to her friends, she tucked her concern away behind carefully crafted smiles and quick-witted comments with such practiced ease that it should have been concerning.
Only when she had retreated to the privacy of her suite, after turning out the lights and tucking herself beneath her thick, plush comforter, did she allow the matter to crawl out from the shadows and capture her attention.
When Theo accepted the offer to go on a date, she hadn’t even considered that the difference in careers/experiences would influence their relationship, or the special considerations that she needed to make. Given her career as a doctor, she was used to missing holidays, birthdays, and special occasions because of work. Chris had, up to that point, seemed perfectly fine with that. With healthcare privacy laws, it wasn’t odd for Theo to avoid talking about work with other people, and that naturally flowed into her relationships, another thing that Chris never seemed to mind. He didn’t care that she never brought him up to her suite, and that they always stayed at his apartment.
Maybe she was overthinking it - they never said anything about getting serious. Besides, she didn’t know the circumstances of the failed relationships that Loki referred to. Other factors could have impacted those relationships.
Still, the idea of Chris inevitably being hurt because of Theo’s lack of foresight left a bitter taste in her mouth. The last thing Theo needed was to hurt anyone else, but time and time again she made the same mistakes, and innocent people were caught in the crossfire.
Staring up at her ceiling, Theo drew in a deep breath and let it out slowly. Up until that night, she had no reason to worry about the future with Chris. He hadn’t made any indication that he wanted to pursue a long-term relationship. At that point, they were more of a situationship than anything - they didn’t change their lives for each other, they simply saw each other when it was convenient. That was okay. Theo was fine with that.
Hopefully Chris was alright with that as well.
You tried to play it down
But it never stuck
I tried to bail this town
I'm getting no such luck, yeah
When nobody's around
I keep my eyes on the clock
There ain't a cure I've found
In all my times around this block
Every day we still try
Every night we still cry
We’re driving home on the 405
Between the overly loud sounds that Midgardians called music, the throngs of sweaty people, and the sharp stench of alcohol, Loki vehemently regretted allowing Maximoff to convince him to partake in this particular outing.
One of the local bars, the Hi-Lo, hosted an event they decided to call “Emo Night.” Maximoff’s explanation of “Emo Night” conveniently omitted that the “music” was far too loud and the quality of “singing” was questionable at best. Quite frankly, the quality of the scratchy, sometimes guttural noise could hardly be classified as singing, yet the people around them “danced” all the same - that was, if one could call shoving each other about in a sweaty horde dancing.
Theo informed him the correct term was “moshing,” but Loki felt “barbaric stumbling” would be more appropriate.
Some of their entourage seemed right at home. After freeing himself from the Winter Soldier’s programming, Barnes had grown fond of the loud and angsty racket. Maximoff had a penchant for live music, though this escapade made Loki question how the Scarlet Witch defined music. Though Wilson did not seem invested in the performance, he seemed quite comfortable with the strange cacophony – particularly strange given his typically warm and straightforward nature.
Others, however, shared a response akin to Loki’s. Rogers hung back near the bar, nursing a bottle of beer with ear plugs in as he watched the scene unfold with an openly perplexed expression. Romanoff sat on a bar stool beside him, maintaining her usually neutral expression while drinking some sort of dark-colored cocktail from a cheap plastic cup. Despite shifting his appearance to look human, any passerby could have concluded that Vision’s presence in the midst of the drunken chaos was not natural. Amidst a sea of dark, casual clothing, Vision wore a pastel blue sweater and well-tailored pants. The android’s complexion lacked the flush of alcohol and the sweat from ‘moshing;’ combined with his lack of movement and mild expression, only emphasized the utterly strange nature of the event. Had it not been for Maximoff’s presence in the crowd, the android would undoubtedly have chosen a different location from which to observe the spectacle.
Until that evening, Loki assumed Theo would not be at home in such a ruckus - though she had performed in similar venues prior to becoming an Avenger, her musical prowess seemed far more advanced than this drivel.
Yet, to Loki’s shock (and concern), Theo also claimed to be a fan of the so-called music; though she initially stood beside Loki as the so-called band performed, after bobbing her head to a couple of songs she disappeared into the sea of people as they jumped and screamed incomprehensible lyrics off-key.
Left by himself in what might have been his personal hell, Loki cursed Theo for abandoning him, only to chastise himself for such a thought; after all, Theo had attempted to warn Loki of what he would experience.
Earlier that afternoon, when Maximoff said “You’ll love it Lokes,” to which Loki rolled his eyes — it didn’t matter how many times he told Maximoff, she insisted on calling him Lokes — Theo couldn’t hold back the snort as she countered, “Given your thoughts on Tony’s music, you’ll probably hate it. But hey, you’ll probably enjoy the people watching.”
Theo was not to blame for Loki’s current predicament; if anything, the only person Loki could truly blame was himself. After all, he was the one who accepted the invitation.
The sound of distorted guitar shook the walls, his shoes stuck to the floor, and he couldn’t tell if he smelled stale beer or body odor - or both - but the scent was utterly repulsive. There were far too many people packed into such a small place, and they were drunken imbeciles. Even if he wanted to people-watch, it was too chaotic to tell what was going on. With the unnecessarily loud noise coming from the stage, a conversation would be near-impossible, no matter where he stood.
Then again, now that he was alone and everyone else was distracted by other things, no one would miss him if he left. Loki glanced over his shoulder at the exit, debating whether or not he should attempt to slip away at that moment, or wait until a break between songs.
The collision of another person bumping against Loki’s hip interrupted Loki’s train of thought. He whipped around, ready to unleash a series of insults at whoever dared to run into him, only to find Theo standing before him with two identical plastic cups in hand, both filled with a dark liquid similar to what Romanoff drank. The insults died on Loki’s tongue as she offered him one plastic cup, glancing down at the cup and then back at Loki before mouthing “for you.”
Loki lifted the cup and sniffed the drink; the saccharine scent of Midgardian soda intertwined with a spicy, sharp scent akin to some sort of Midgardian alcohol filled his nose, which he quite preferred to the establishment’s fetid aroma. However, Midgardian liquor would not be enough to dull his senses and render the evening tolerable; a tense chuckle – hardly more than a puff of air – escaped him at the thought.
When he looked back at Theo, her previously free hand now dangled a steel flask between two fingers for Loki to see, as if she could read his mind.
“Spiked with Thor’s whiskey,” Theo called out over the music, “You look like you need it.”
Loki rolled his eyes, schooling the discomfort from his face as he took a swallow of the beverage.
As if the Norns recognized Loki’s frustration from the inability to converse, the ending of the next song brought a short break in the music - just long enough for the performers to switch instruments - after a relentless barrage of sensory overload, the lack of screeching instruments filling the air was a blessed reprieve.
“Honestly, how can anyone enjoy such nonsense?” Loki leaned in towards Theo, still forced to raise his voice in order to be heard over the hollering from the inebriated audience. “It’s horrendously loud, the musicians are off-key, and the technique is terrible.”
Theo failed to bite back a grin, unfazed by Loki’s ire. “It’s not about perfection, Lo.”
“Lo?” Loki raised an eyebrow at her.
Theo faltered, worrying her lower lip between her teeth. “That’s okay, right?”
Loki sighed. “It’s—” tolerable, at the very least “—fine.”
Begrudgingly, Loki suspected that there were many things he’d allow Theo to call him that he wouldn’t allow anyone other than Thor to even consider.
“It’s about the feeling behind it. It helps us deal with the bad shit, like anger and sadness —“ Theo glanced toward the stage, then back at Loki. “— Life isn’t perfect. Music shouldn’t be perfect either.”
Much to Loki’s dismay, the band’s vocalist approached the microphone and announced the start of the next song.
Theo, however, lit up, practically glowing despite the dark venue.
“Listen closely to the lyrics—“ Theo instructed (via shouting) as the first chords and the drunken ruckus of the entire venue singing off-key slammed against Loki’s ears, “this is a good example!”
Had anyone else made the request, Loki would have outright refused; however, Loki trusted Theo enough to comply, and begrudgingly put forth a concerted effort to listen closely.
A few lines in, Theo joined in singing:
“The highway won / I’m listening to traffic reports one on one, coming quietly undone / I was born to run away from anything good / an escape artist’s son / sun drenched pavement in my blood / the first thing that I do when I walk in / is find a way out for when shit gets bad, and…”
Theo kept eye contact with Loki as she sang along; a wistful look in her eyes made Loki recall some of the emotions he’d buried from his younger years. An uncomfortable void swirled in his chest as he stood amidst what he might consider to be the first tier of his personal hell.
Yet, the song barreled on and Loki forced himself to continue focusing on the lyrical content. Though the writing was not Shakespeare by any stretch of the imagination, the lyricism surprised Loki with its complexity and depth. References to historical events - the Cold War scares of the sixties - interlaced with references to the lingering sentiment within tragedy led to commentary around existential anxiety, loneliness, and the fear of not fulfilling one’s potential.
Loki glanced back over to Theo, who continued to watch him while singing along. She flashed a small, almost sheepish smile as the song reached its bridge:
“Jesus Christ, I’m twenty six / all the people I graduated with / all have kids, all have wives / all have people who care if they come home at night / well Jesus Christ, did I fuck up?”
Even in the poor lighting, Loki caught a glimpse of something painful behind Theo’s expression as she uttered the phrase ‘did I fuck up?’ The expression, however, was fleeting, replaced with a different sort of intensity as Theo locked eyes with Loki for the final chorus:
“I've been looking for tears in the screen door / and I’ve been waiting for another disaster / but I was kinda hoping you’d stay / I was kinda hoping you’d stay / I was kinda hoping you’d… stay.”
Though the song concluded, neither sorcerer made any effort to look away; something unspoken and inexplicable held them in place, frozen in a moment despite the chaos and discord of their surroundings…
… Until said chaos and discord quite literally crashed into them.
Some drunken oaf had been shoved from the crowd and into Theo’s side, knocking her off balance. Theo let out a shriek of surprise as she stumbled forward in an attempt to not crash into Loki or spill her drink.
Without a second thought, Loki practically dove to catch her before the horde could trample her in their ‘moshing,’ even though it made his drink splash out of the cup in the process. Ignoring the liquid dripping off his other hand, he hoisted Theo up by her elbow and pulled her into his chest to steady her, at least until she regained her footing.
Yet, when he felt her weight lift, he hesitated to let go.
“Are you alright?” Loki leaned down, close enough that his cheek brushed against Theo’s temple as he spoke into her ear.
“Yeah, I’m good.” Theo tilted her head back, the soft skin of her nose brushing against the crook of Loki’s jaw as she replied; the sensation sent a pleasant chill down Loki’s spine. “Thanks!”
Theo stepped back, and Loki forced himself to let go; though they met each other’s gaze again, this time neither of them allowed the moment to last.
Stifled by the sheer volume of the music, the only conversation between Loki and Theo until the end of the event consisted passing comments from time to time - Theo sharing thoughts on a particular song, Loki offering to bring Theo a refill when they both finished their drinks, or one of the pair pointing out something particularly amusing.
Between comments, Loki often caught Theo singing along, though she did so in a far more discreet manner than anyone else in the venue. Despite Loki’s best attempts to focus on Theo’s voice, the sound was lost in a swell of drums and guitars and other voices. The effort invested into trying to hear Theo successfully distracted Loki from the disdain he held for everything else about his surroundings, though it did nothing to dampen the disappointment when he could not hear her far-more-melodic voice floating through the air.
Perhaps if Theo was the one singing them, or the one playing the songs on piano, he might enjoy them more.
After far too long, the return of overhead lighting and disappearance of musicians from the stage confirmed that the event had finally drawn to a close. Wrangling the various members of their entourage required a bit of teamwork and effort, but it was not long before the Avengers exited the establishment and felt the blessedly cool air of the city against their skin.
It did not take long before the Avengers split into smaller groups along the sidewalk, a mixture of varied walking speeds and small conversations naturally pairing certain avengers with others. Maximioff and Barnes led the group, laughing and singing along to themselves as they stumbled along. Close behind, Vision and Wilson kept a close eye on their companions as they chatted with Romanoff and Rogers.
From the back of the group, Loki observed his surroundings while relishing the quiet of night. Quiet, of course, was relative - in a city such as New York, the bustle of traffic remained such a constant that it turned into white noise with due time. Strangers occasionally passed on the sidewalk, barely giving any of the Avengers a second glance as they ventured to mystery destinations in the night.
Farther ahead, a beggar sat near an alleyway, his back against a dumpster so thoroughly covered in graffiti that it would have been impossible to guess its original color; as groups of people passed without paying the man any mind, Loki couldn’t help but notice the man’s resigned sadness.
“... You survived.” The comment, clearly directed towards Loki, drew his attention from the beggar, though he did not catch the full remark.
“Pardon?” As Loki replied, he glanced over to find Theo walking beside him, somehow managing to keep pace despite her much shorter stature.
“So, you survived Emo night,” Theo repeated with a coy grin. “How terrible was it?”
“It is certainly not how I would choose to spend my time,” Loki dryly replied. “Nor is it something I would have expected you to enjoy.”
“Thought I had more cultured taste?” Theo teased, bumping Loki’s hip with hers as they strolled along.
“Clearly I was mistaken.” Loki chuckled and shook his head. “Tell me you do not subject your actor to such nonsense…”
“You think I can walk into a bar with him and not be swarmed?” Theo cocked a brow as she looked up at Loki. Despite the amused smirk she wore, something bittersweet lurked beneath her gaze. “Even if he could get in without drawing attention, I think the internet would drag me for bringing him to a place like that.”
“Drag you?” Loki echoed, hoping Theo might clarify what she meant by such a term.
“Chew me out. Chastise me. That sort of thing.” Theo sighed, looking ahead once more. “It’s not exactly a luxury hot spot; I’m guessing Chris’s fans would think this kind of place is beneath him.”
“What would he think?”
“I couldn’t see him having fun, but I don’t really know,” Theo admitted with such nonchalance that it almost seemed odd. “He seems too happy to really get the appeal.”
Loki froze in place, struck by Theo’s answer. Yes, Loki had endured hardships that others might not understand, but no one could truly exist without heartache, could they?
Theo stopped a step ahead and glanced back at Loki. “What?”
“I–” Loki faltered, grasping for the appropriate response. “Surely he has experienced emotions other than happiness?”
“I mean, sure?” Theo glanced ahead at the rest of the group, then back at Loki. “Look, we don’t really talk about shit like that, but I don’t think he’s ever had a bad thing happen to him. If I ever got the crazy idea to talk to him about a bad day at work, I don’t doubt that he’d listen and try to make me feel better, but I doubt he’d really understand.”
“The more you reveal about your relationship, the less I understand the appeal.” Loki shook his head and started forward once more. “I thought that Midgardians valued love for the emotional connection, and yet you seem all too content to avoid emotions in your courtship with the actor.”
“We connect in other ways.” Theo’s tone held a certain cheekiness to it, which she paired with an equally cheeky grin. “I could tell you about the se–”
“– No, I think I am quite alright –” Loki replied rather sharply, cheeks burning as he forced images of Theo in a compromising position from his mind. The last thing he needed was to linger on such inappropriate thoughts, particularly with another Avenger.
“– Hey, you were the one who said everyone has needs –” Theo pointed out, far too self-satisfied in her response, “I figured you’d get it.”
“I do not need the mundane details to understand the appeal of physical intimacy.” Loki scoffed, rolling his eyes. “I simply do not understand why you bother with the rest of the courtship if you’ve no interest in further commitment.”
Theo did not have an immediate answer; she drew in a breath as if to speak, but remained quiet.
By that point, the pair had walked far enough that they were about to pass the beggar Loki had previously noticed; at that point, they were close enough that Loki could clearly make out the creases of age and weathered skin, as well as the faint wisps of silver where a once robust head of hair likely sat. The man’s earlier melancholy lingered in Loki’s memory, and sentiment tugged at Loki’s heartstrings, compelling him to do something.
All it took was a twitch of Loki’s fingers to conjure some cash in hand; if nothing else, Loki figured the man could use the money for a night of shelter and a warm meal. Yet, before Loki had the chance to acknowledge the man, Theo had already greeted the man by name, then crouched down so she was at eye-level before she extended some sort of plastic card to him, saying something Loki didn't quite catch. The man, however, grinned at Theo, his smile highlighting gaps where his teeth had fallen out at some point, before thanking her for her generosity.
Dumbfounded, Loki offered a quick greeting and extended the cash, which the elderly man thanked him for, though it was not with the level of warmth that the man exuded when he spoke to Theo.
The moment they were not within earshot of the man, Loki turned to Theo. “You know him?”
“Before I was an Avenger, I played a lot of shows in this area,” Theo explained with a small shrug. “Greg used to be the janitor at one of the local bars, but since I last saw him, he had to quit because of some health problems that left him unable to work. Between the treatment and the lack of income he couldn’t pay rent and ended up on the streets.
“I didn’t find out until a couple weeks ago, when I was walking home and I recognized him, so I stopped to talk to him and learned about what happened. I told myself that the next time I saw him, I’d put Tony’s insane bank account to use and give him enough money that he would never have to sleep on the street again, and he wouldn’t have to worry about making ends meet The card has contact info for some people who can help him with the logistics.”
“Awfully generous of you,” Loki remarked.
“Hey, you didn’t even know him, but you still gave a bit of cash too,” Theo pointed out with a soft smile. “Most people would have ignored him.”
“Yes, well, back to our previous conversation–” Uncomfortable with the direction with which Theo took his remark, Loki quickly diverted the conversation. “–You never answered my question.”
“What question?” Theo glanced at Loki as they rounded the corner, Avengers Tower stretching into the sky ahead of them.
“Why bother with a courtship if you have no intention of pursuing a serious relationship?”
“You’re reading too much into this,” Theo laughed nervously as she shook her head. “It’s not that I refuse to be in a serious relationship - I just like to go with the flow.”
Yet, contrary to what Theo said, a familiar melancholy in Theo’s eye said otherwise - the same melancholy he caught when Theo sang, ‘the first thing that I do when I walk in is find a way out for when shit gets bad, and / I’ve been looking for tears in the screen door / and I’ve been waiting for another disaster…’
That look in Theo’s eye told Loki everything he needed to know.
We don't know what we're doing
Let's do it again, yeah, you know
We're just amateur lovers
With amateur friends
I can tell you what you're thinking now
Before you think it you can settle down
Our lovin' isn't gonna burn us out
We don't know what we're doing
Let's do it again
Yeah, let's do it again
#loki#loki fanfiction#loki slow burn#loki fluff#loki fanfic#loki marvel#loki mcu#loki laufeyson#loki odinson#loki x ofc#loki x ofc fan fiction#when everything's made to be broken#wemtbb#loki angst
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Shedding some light on my situation:
Yesterday, I opened up emergency commissions out of the blue with a very brief explanation on the current crisis at home. As promised, here are some more details on the situation.
Last Thanksgiving, I got disowned by half of my family on my mother's side after I exposed my abusers for what they are. Ever since I got home, it's one thing after another.
Recovery (physically from injuries too), chronic illness diagnosis, Grandpa having a hospital emergency (where I had to clean up his blood), Green Eyed Mask going on hiatus due to stress, finally finishing GEM...then my dad broke the TV.
It was so unlike him to be shouting at my mom for no reason, in my gut, I knew there was a bigger picture.
Dad getting upset, my aunts and uncles coming to visit more often, telling everyone to not say "Happy birthday" to Grandpa because he's too far gone, my abuela bringing out Grandpa's antiques from his time in military.
Last week, I was let out of class early and arrived home to everyone huddled in the kitchen with paperwork. While no one was looking, I saw that the paperwork was for Grandpa's will.
My grandpa is now 88 years old, the youngest sibling in his immediate family. His older brothers and father died at war, his sister and mother of old age. It was a given that this year is his last, he'll be lucky if he makes it to July.
A long anticipated death causes stress on the entire family. I've noticed that my body is out of balance, sobbing at random intervals all day even if I'm feeling fine. It's messing up my sleep, appetite, even my fucking periods which were already a bitch in the first place.
I avoided telling you guys because art is what kept me going. I would hide in my room and draw all day, the rest of the world fading. That's all I do now, hide.
But everyone else in my family is suffering too. My dad broke the TV 2 months ago and home is falling apart by the day. My brother opted to stealing food from the grocery store and living off of chicken tenders and fries from the deli. Mom is never seen, absorbed in her own work as much as I am. The house is a mess, the fridge is empty, bills piling up, riding pay check to paycheck.
It's not that we are poor or losing financial stability (I think), if we were I could turn to my community college for help but I'm not eligible. It's the fact that everyone is so down and busy that we forget the basics like food, long overdue haircuts, doctor appointments, taking care of the dogs, etc.
It's an "every man for themselves" kind of situation. And as a disabled person, I'm unable to work a stable job. So that's why I opened commissions. Money that I can hold of my own should there be a situation like now where I had to buy food the second I got my first order.
But this also means I am going to be more busy taking care of myself and my family. Comic production will be delayed a bit, and I unfortunately can't say for sure if Feral Casey AU will be ready by the end of May.
All I ask is for your support and patience. Reblogging my commission post helps a lot more than you think. And thank you again for everything.
Commission Post
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Ya boy is on hiatus but the's doing some emergency comms to help raise funds to prevent a friends homelessness!
note: monsters do not include the menagerie or hubert
*please dm questions about particular inquiries if you're unsure if i'll accept
please please please have visual references, i will likely not accept your commission if you do not have some kind of visual reference bc i struggle to work from written description
some of these are rules that only apply for my normal comm prices, ask if you're unsure, prommy i don't bite and i'm not venomous, trust
mult characters are allowed! $5 per character
tips are appreciated but not neccessary!!
Looking for a break from the ads? something a lil more?
I'm now offering symmetrical** art dolls that i can draw outfits on for a smaller price!
I am offering full body art dolls for 40 dollars, including one outfit
additional outfits will vary by complexity, but will typically be 10-15 dollars
**if there are asymmetrical features of your character they will be accurate, but the overall body will be symmetrical
reblogs are appreciated!
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Dude, duuuuuuuuuuuuuuude! Does anyone even remember me? Sorry for the very long hiatus, but I’m dipping my toes back into fanfic writing. Hopefully I’m not too rusty. What better way to come back with trying out an original story, that’s right this bad boy is coming from my head.
You can all thank @justsomerandomfanfic for waking me up. Seriously, thank you so much for liking my writing. It means the world (I thought my writing was pretty bad not gonna lie haha) but I am so glad I can make someone’s day with it! Apologies in advance. Please let me know if I should add any specific warnings! Hearts, reblogs, and comments are lovely!
I am going to try and attempt a GN reader x Eggsy (please let me know if I need to fix anything)
Eggsy x GN Reader
Word Count: A little over 1k
Warnings: Implied fighting and not so great friends (it’s not too bad tho)
It was supposed to be just a chill night out with some friends at a rather less crowded bar. Yeah it was anything but that. Once the words “Manners, maketh, man.” were thrown into the mix and all bets were off the table. Various objects like tables, chairs, and umbrellas went flying as their eyes scanned to find various things.
1. Find a safe exit (The front doors had been barricaded shut, but there’s got to be an emergency exit somewhere in this dump).
2. Stick with the people you know.
3. Get out.
After a few close attempts the group decided to book it for an exit that was in the back of the little kitchen in the bar. The friends left in a hurry not giving their final remaining friend a clear plan.
“Thanks guys! Thanks for not TELLING ME THE PLAN!” The tone was in the midst of transitioning from rather annoyed to fearing for their life. But rather than hearing screams and carious grunts the room was eerily silent. It’s at this moment that they realized someone just saw their outburst. Turning to face the one man army they noticed the umbrella that had been previously used to take out at least half of the patrons in the bar who are currently laying on the ground. “Put the umbrella down.” The rather well dressed man slowly followed orders as he gently placed his Kingsman umbrella onto the floor. “Now, unlock the doors.” With some loud clicking the entrance was now unlocked. “Ok I’m going to leave.” It was an agonizingly slow exit as they never turned their back on the stranger.
“Sorry I ruined your night out.” Once his accent came out their heart dropped just the tiniest bit, it didn’t help that he sheepishly scratched the back of his neck exposing a rather good physique in the muscles of his arms.
“No, do not try to play the cute guy card with me.” Their hands pressed onto their hips as the shortness of breath from the entire situation finally caught up. A strained sigh came over as the lights reflecting off the rainy pavements were not helping.
“The cute card?” His hands fixed his suit as he finally exited the bar smoothly opening the umbrella right over both of their heads. “I’d rather say I’m just charming in general.” His wink was met with a side eye. “Alright I kind of get the sense that maybe I did something wrong.”
“Hmmmm I’m not sure let me go ask someone in the bar if they know,” It was the fake walk back to the bar that made him chuckle. “Oh yeah that’s right, they’re all passed out!”
“Would it make you feel better if I said I was Batman or something?”
“Batman doesn’t fight crime dressed like Bruce Wayne.”
“Batman isn’t Bruce Wayne.” The seriousness in his voice just made the joke even better. Their eyes rolled with a smile as a well deserved slug was met on his shoulder. “Let’s start over,” He offered his hand for a shake. “Eggsy.”
“Eggsy?” The bridge of their nose scrunched up in thought. “I haven’t been in the UK that long but I will admit that’s the most unique name I’ve come across so far.”
“Well my real name is Gary but I go by Eggsy!” His face was beaming as he explained the story of his nickname. On the other hand the poor bystander was just wanting to go home.
“Yeah that’s really cool and all but I kind of need to get home.” It was their polite yet desperate grimace and the shuffling of feet that made Eggsy connect the dots. Maybe don’t go straight for someone you’re interested in right after making them think they were your next victim. The string of muttered curses that left his lips made it hard to not fall deeper into the surprisingly chill and trendy guy. “Y/N, forgot to tell you. That’s my name.” Finally learning the mystery person’s name gave Eggsy a little faith that he wasn’t a complete failure with charming someone.
“That has to be the weirdest name I’ve ever heard.”
“Oh shut up!” In what would be the weirdest of situations the two found light at the end of the tunnel, a blossoming friendship that Eggsy only dreamed would turn into something else only with time. “No but seriously I have work at 7AM, I need sleep.”
“Do you need a ride?” A part of Eggsy was holding onto hope that the offer would be accepted but he knew the chances were slim.
“As much fun as that sounds, I drove here.” Y/N held up their keys as they pressed the lock button a couple of times causing the car to beep back. “Thanks for the offer.” The night was cold as they rubbed their hands together. “I hope to never see you pissed off at a bar ever again.” A cheesy smile was plastered on their face as Eggsy’s face flushed slightly but due to the cold weather he was able to hide it.
“Yeah hopefully next time we meet, it isn’t like this.” Y/N’s head turned towards him as they laughed a bit.
“What do you want my number or something?” The laugh died fairly quickly as they noticed the look on his face.
“I mean, I wouldn’t be opposed.” He gently kicked a nearby rock. After a quick number exchange the two finally went their separate ways. Y/N noticed the number scribbled on the back of some business card as they slipped it over for further inspection.
“Kingsman?” Some store they had never heard of as they just got in their car and headed back to their apartment. Opening the door their roommate came barreling through giving them a hug.
“Oh my gosh, I was so worried when we lost you at the bar!” Y/N’s shoulders slumped into the hug.
“Yeah you guys were real worried alright.” The tone and sentiment were definitely called for especially since nobody even reached out to help. Not wanting to give it the light of day Y/N just went to their own little room and locked the door. That whole friends thing was for another day, but not now.
The next morning was uneventful as their shift went by with nothing really special happening. Not a bad day, not a good day, just a day. But hey at least the customer’s weren’t the absolute worst today.
“Can I clock out?” The manager slightly jumped in her seat not noticing their hire, engrossed in their emails.
“Oh yeah, thanks for your help.” And with the okay to leave it was a race to find somewhere to get food. With food on the brain, they almost passed something until a shiny golden logo caught their eye. It was the Kingsman store, Y/N took a peek through the window to see what exactly was being sold there but was met with Eggsy who sat across from another man dressed up just like him.
“No way.”
#taron egerton fanfiction#eggsy unwin#taron egerton#eggsy imagine#eggsy x reader#kingsman eggsy#kingsman fic#kingsman fandom#kingsman fanfiction#kingsman fanart#taron egerton fanfic#taron egerton fic#kingsman#kingsman secret service#kingsman the golden circle#kingsman golden circle#kingsman the secret service#gary unwin
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Aw man my Page didnt load right away so i couldnt see your Blog anymore🥲 i thought you were gone for ever
*emerges from the shadows and dusts off top hat*
Oh, gosh! But nope, do not worry, I am still here! I know that lately I haven't been the most active outside of reblogging inspiration posts for my OCs, but trust me, I'm not going away anytime soon! (Just on a bit of a creative hiatus, really.) That being said, I appreciate that you're still following me, thank you so much! <3
#ask replies#and don't worry y'all; I haven't given up on writing or making edits either#just waiting for the inspo to come back is all
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Hi everyone!
I wanted to give you all a quick update. Unfortunately, I don’t think I will be able to continue posting for the foreseeable future. I know my blog has been quiet these last few months and although I love playing sims I just haven’t had the time.
I also have some health issues that have emerged. I need surgery to remove a tumor from one of my adrenal glands. At the moment, we don’t know if the tumor is cancerous but the surgeon will have it biopsied after it’s removed. The surgery is extensive and I’ll be in the hospital for a few days afterwards. I’m hoping for the best possible outcome and have been staying positive.
This isn’t a goodbye by any means! I will still be around to comment, read people’s stories, and reblog cc here and there. However, my story is officially on hiatus. If anyone wants spoilers or has questions about the story I can answer for you feel free to comment or send me an ask.
Thanks for sticking around this long! I’ve had my blog for almost 2 years now. It’s crazy how time flies.
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Fandom: The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
Rating: T
Words: 5.0K~
Summary: In another world, a young girl awakens right beside the resurrected hero, fearful and disoriented.
Outposts are left to ruins, her brother’s mind is in tatters, and they’ve barely seen a soul traveling these lands since they first emerged from that cavern…
What happened to her family?
What happened to her Hyrule?
_
(An AU retelling of Breath of the Wild, focused on the growing bond between an amnesiac young man who must relearn how to be both champion and brother, and a lost little girl who must find new purpose in the remains of the land she once called home.)
Chapter Summary: Plagued by a mountain of his own anxieties and troubles all the while, Link journeys through and beyond the Dueling Peaks, little sister in tow.
This will be the last new chapter posted for a while as I strive to hit my goal of completing the first draft of Act One of this story (Up to chapter 22!) I'll be posting other stories set in this -verse while TBoA is on hiatus though, so keep an eye out for that!
If you enjoy, I’d heartily appreciate your support via reblogs here and/or comments/kudos on AO3! Thanks <3
____
Chapter preview:
He slows Makk to as gentle a stop as he can muster in front of the stable, drinking in the distinctly unfamiliar sounds of overlapping conversation, punctuated by occasional laughter. This place… all these people… His heart nearly seizes at the realization that these are the first people beyond Aryll and that old man he’s seen since leaving the plateau. Since awakening.
Words honestly cannot do justice to the spellbinding relief that courses through his veins at the sight.
Well…
Relief, and also intense anxiety, for whatever reason.
Many, many sets of eyes swing his way as he slides off his horse at the side of the road, leaving the hairs at the nape of his neck prickling and his fingers twitchy at his sides. He whirls around to help his sister dismount.
Don’t look at them, he chants like a mantra in the hallowed security of his own head. Just don’t look.
Like a bug crawling straight into a trap, he looks.
A few of the people by the fire are now whispering in between their furtive glances. His ears grow hot.
“Aryll,” he says under his breath (more discrete in this public setting than his preferred whistle for attention), his voice a little rough at the edges in its customary disuse.
She whirls around to face him, features sparkling with interest.
His next command comes swift and sharp.
“Stay close.”
#loz#botw#legend of zelda#breath of the wild#link#aryll#loz fanfiction#the ballad of aryll#my writing stuff#heeheehoohoo this is a certified I'm Sick and i Post When I Want post
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I’m back! <3 + updates
Hey guys, I’m finally back from hiatus.
My reason
As I have stated in my Discord server, a family member of mine has been diagnosed with cancer which has had a very big impact both on me and the rest of my family. The initial shock has passed, but my writing schedule will still be put on ice should an emergency arise, therefore I’ll still not post as often as I used to. I’m hoping all will be well and I will slowly be able to get back into the headspace and schedule to post more regularly. For more updates, join my Discord server: https://discord.gg/MDPNndQeAA
Also, I came back to over 1,000 followers. Thank you so much! I can’t believe it and I’m so grateful for everyone who reads, reblogs, and likes my stories!
One-Shot Info
I still want to write the one-shots I have put on my waiting list, and I am sorry I stopped posting without any word. It wasn’t fair, but I hope you guys can forgive me. I’ll try my best to write them soon.
Ao3 Fanfics / New Doctor Strange Fanfic
I will still continue my Ao3 fanfics, and have in fact posted a new one, which was in my Google Docs for a while. It’s a Doctor Strange one, and here is the summary:
Evelyn Reed has met darkness many times in her life, not least because of her family's mortuary. But when gruesome hallucinations and nightmares start to haunt her, she starts wondering just how much of it she can really take. Although she tries to focus on her medical studies, her world is shattered when she seemingly starts jumping between two realities, and finds herself in the Sanctum Sanctorum, a place which only exists in fiction in her world. It is there that she meets Doctor Stephen Strange, who is determined on sending her back to where she came from, but her growing significance for his own reality makes this easier said than done. After all, could the gem around her neck really be a so-called "infinity stone", something that was destroyed long ago? As Evelyn delves deeper into this new reality, she starts to feel an increasing pull towards the dead, and fears that something has awakened in her which she won't be able to withstand...
If you’re interested, here is the link: https://archiveofourown.org/works/47324416/chapters/119245606
This is it for now. I’m so thankful that you guys are still reading my fics and one-shots, and hope that you will also enjoy my future work.
Love, Chloe x
#fanfiction writer#writer#hiatus#house of the dragon#marvel#marvel cinematic universe#harry potter#fandoms#ao3
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okay so like in march you reblogged a post about HMLaG showing stuff about the band’s history in very pointed ways and i was wondering if you could elaborate on that? i’m fairly new lol. i take it the stealing painkillers thing is something pete has done lol
Ahaha this is a deep cut (March??? when was March??? Decades ago i'm pretty sure)-- I assume this was about the video bc of the stealing painkillers part, so here's a short list of Pointed FOB References in the HMLaG video (forgive me for not citing my sources here, it's a work night; if you want links lmk and i'll take some more time to dig some up):
the whole video kicks off at the end of the "this ain't a scene it's an arms race" video, which in turn was a sequel to the "Dance Dance" video
"When will fall out boy return to the stage?" article references the hiatus
pete being all over newspapers and articles was Very Much A Thing in the mid oughts
pete did live with his mom for a long time as an adult, mainly before FOB really took off
pete has been very open about his abuse of prescription medication but to my knowledge has never admitted to stealing any, though people in active addiction sometimes do steal drugs (feels weird and invasive to speculate further so i won't)
pete's whole arc of Being A Superhero and then retiring resonates with how he at a certain point decided to Be Less Famous than he had been (which was helped along by the waning of drama around him in the wake of the divorce et cetera)
pete also very vocally was posting about the hiatus being A Real Breakup and how FOB was Never Coming Back, which resonates with his arc in the video ("superhero vows to never run again" / "i haven't run that fast in years" and then he does it anyway)
patrick didn't wear a hat during his solo work but a) started wearing one originally because of pete (or so the legend goes), and started wearing one again when fob came back posthiatus
pete didn't not metaphorically 'break glass in case of emergency to get patrick back' during the hiatus, which ended up with the band getting back together
patrick took acting classes and has had multiple tv appearances, and complained that he kept getting typecast as like, nerds, and he wanted to play a villain, so he designed his wrestling character around that
patrick has likened being famous to having a wrestling character
patrick tried to karate kick pete in the parking lot of a taco cabana (not perhaps explicitly referenced in the video but a) this is a personal favorite piece of lore b) fighty patrick)
(extra fun fact: patrick did a whole voice for his wrestler character that got cut from the video but features heavily in the behind-the-scenes stuff they released on various platforms including youtube, which by now you very well may have seen already ahaha)
joe has worked in tv, including on the show mondo thrasho which you can watch in full on the fob youtube channel (though he hasn't specifically worked in motion capture to my knowledge)
andy has a reputation for being chill and unflappable and going with the flow (unless he's kicking someone's entire ass for You Hurt My Friend reasons) and is an anarchist and straightedge vegan, so all of that meshes together into the druid character
joe was initially the most resistant to rejoining fob posthiatus, but then patrick was on Exactly The Same Page about what needed to change in the band and led the conversation with that, and obviously he came back
patrick owned the 'i <3 bingo' hat for reportedly a week but it will live on in the fandom's collective heart forever
the stage/hall at the end is a reprise of the "this ain't a scene..." video set
pete's said that his conversation with his mom at the end is basically about how the band has fans who've had the attitude of "fob has been bad since--" since their first ever ep
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World Rejoices as Tumblr Resurfaces After Long and Harrowing 2-Hour Downtime
Internet Citizens Celebrate Survival of Tumblr Withdrawal Symptoms
In an astonishing turn of events that sent shockwaves through the digital realm, the popular blogging platform Tumblr finally emerged from the shadows after a seemingly endless two-hour hiatus. Panic, confusion, and an alarming spike in productivity swept across the online universe as users were suddenly forced to face the cruel reality of life outside their curated gif-heavy, fanfiction-laden, meme-infested haven.
Reports indicate that when Tumblr unexpectedly blinked offline, users were thrust into an existential crisis as they found themselves with a surplus of free time and the stark realization that there might be a life beyond reblogging cat photos and sharing conspiracy theories about the romantic affairs of their favorite fictional characters.
Lamenting the agony of the short-lived hiatus, one Tumblr user was overheard saying, "I had to actually focus on my work for two whole hours. It was traumatic. I even had a conversation with my coworker about the weather. Do you know how mundane that is?"
The temporary loss of Tumblr triggered a surge in productivity as thousands of writers emerged from the depths of their creative caves, blinking in the harsh light of reality. One novelist, who managed to write an entire chapter of their long-forgotten manuscript, remarked, "I never thought I'd see the day where I actually sat down and wrote something outside the realm of fanfiction. It was weird, man."
Meanwhile, meme enthusiasts, deprived of their daily dose of SpongeBob memes and 'Distracted Boyfriend' gifs, took to the streets in a spontaneous dance of macarena to commemorate the return of their beloved platform. "I couldn't even find a suitable reaction gif to express my excitement," one user declared, tears of both joy and frustration streaming down their face.
Psychologists have reported an alarming phenomenon known as "Tumblr Withdrawal Syndrome," where users have been seen pacing nervously, incessantly checking their devices, and muttering hashtags under their breaths. "It's like they've forgotten how to communicate without a funny cat picture to attach," explained Dr. Phil Psychobabble, an expert in internet-related psychological disorders.
Tumblr's brief downtime sparked rumors that the platform was launching an ambitious initiative to encourage actual human interaction, but sources close to the situation dismissed these speculations as mere hearsay. "We remain committed to providing a safe space for quirky cat enthusiasts and niche fandoms," Tumblr's spokesperson confirmed, dispelling any notion that they might be trying to cultivate a healthier online experience.
As Tumblr addicts around the world reacquaint themselves with their beloved virtual world, the brief respite from their usual internet cocoon has left a lasting impression. While some have found the silver lining in the temporary separation, others are just glad to be reunited with their cherished collection of GIFs that convey their emotions more effectively than mere words ever could.
In the end, the great Tumblr downtime of 2023 will be remembered as a poignant reminder that sometimes, even in a world dominated by hashtags and memes, one must step away from the screen and remember the lost art of face-to-face conversations. But who are we kidding? It's Tumblr, and ain't nobody got time for that!
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「 🐳 」 i think that painting landscapes are a lot more relaxing than drawing people and critters because there's so many more opportunities to create organic shapes and not mess up. you're living in the moment rather than trying to compose yourself enough to make a living being perfect than to focus on the environment around... and! i snuck around your bgs and i adore every single one of them <33 they're super up my alley and i attempt to capture the essence of old paintings, too. tempted to reblog them on my new personal blog 💕💕
while i adore drawing my ocs and other characters, landscapes are a lot more fun imo. i never thought i'd end up enjoying it as much as i do, considering that i was once incredibly afraid of creating backgrounds. hopefully this link will allow you to see? https://imgur.com/a/dJTwqsn
which is why i also think taking a break would be beneficial! taking the time off for yourself and to not focus on people in a specific environment, i mean. similar to painting backgrounds! everyone will still be here, whether you take a few days off up to a couple months off methinks ^^ I know that's the general statement we always hear when we tell people we wanna take a hiatus, but I genuinely believe that the people around you would rather you take some self-fulfilling time off to heal than to let yourself deteriorate in another place ;w;;
Oh, for sure there's so much more room of looseness and fun with landscapes! For me they are infinitely more freeing than humans to paint and while there's still plenty you can do with a person, there's just... way more appeal to me when it's beyond a person. My favorite works are usually when there's something much larger than the human going on in the scene—be it an entire Situation or just something that's literally bigger than the human—and often the human in the picture is actually massively dwarfed in size. For example, this has been my desktop wallpaper for the longest time.
How it shows the sheer scale of the dragon! Emerging from the clouds, so much larger than anything you've seen! And yes of course it's from Guild Wars 2 sdgfdfg By Ruan Jia I think?
The worry of 'getting it right' with landscapes/backgrounds/environments is so much less infuriating than with humans. Sure there's still the matter of perspective and painting a material in a way that it looks correct; textures are still important and there's still rules to the natural world, but mistakes made with portraying humans stand out so, so much more to me in my own work and it drives me crazy. There was a time when I ended up veering much more heavily towards realism in my style and realized that I was genuinely slowly starting to grow loatheful of my output because there's so much to fucking adhere to. I am hypercritical of the work I make and will forever judge it with cold harshness that I'll never see anyone else's work with, and drawing literally anything other than humans is the most respite I can offer myself from it sdhkfdg
(Like if there's going to be anything I have in common with Dola, it's the dissatisfaction with my work as an artist; though thankfully with her she loosens up once she finds herself y'know, a few centuries old with the skills of a master >.>)
And sdhfjkdf nonnie what in the hell, thank you ;w; Especially with your quality of work like wtf??? NONNIE!!! NONNIEEE!!!!!!!!!! ;w; ;w; ;w; I'm reminded of Ghibli's backgrounds in some of those... Waaa @.@ I gotta get to working on my stuff soon... I need to remake a study plan I had 2 years ago but dropped off from when I developed carpal tunnel syndrome... So motivating seeing someone else's really good art like Nonnie what on earth... Are you a triple threat or something........ ;w; ;w; ;w;
Re: hiatus... I mean it's tempting but like at the same time I realistically don't think I can stay off this site for very long because have some friends here that I can only talk to while here? I think I'm too attached to not check at least once a day to see if they're okay, though I guess I can have a few days off, like a week or something... or a semi-hiatus where I come in for like a few minutes to go see how they're all doing >.<
#chat & colloquy#🐳 nonnie!!#tbh i really should take a week off...#spend it all figuring out the art situation and getting some mounts in gw2 lmfao#i hate it here less now that ive aggressively blocked a ton of tags/words/some people and like#made peace with the fact that i just dont have it in me to really read fics or much less comment on fics rn#or have anything to contribute to the fandom really LMAO
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A/n: Hi. I know I'm still on a semi hiatus, but this is important to me. This is a very raw, very personal self-insert fic that I just felt I needed to write. I don't know if I'll keep it up, as this is very emotionally personal for me. However, I realize that some people may also feel the same. So, after this, I may open emergency requests. I don't usually do author notes like this, but it's been a rather...rough couple of weeks for me. And, well, because this is raw, it may not be written very well. My apologies.
Gn reader. Mitsuya. Comfort.
Reblogs are highly appreciated <3
It was late, and you had been pacing back and forth, opening and closing tabs, and just mindlessly wasting your time, waiting for Mitsuya to come home, the phone call from earlier replaying over and over in your head.
•••
"Taka, can we talk?"
"What's the matter, honey?"
"I... I don't think I'm okay. I mean, I'm physically healthy- aside from my sleep schedule- it's just that..." It was hard to go about how to ask this. "Up here, in my head, " you pointed " I'm confused."
"Confused about what?"
"Everything. I'm not sure what I'm feeling anymore. And, I know that I'm giving off the impression that I'm okay, that I'm happy, but..."
"You're not..." He finished your sentence.
"Yeah... but I'm not sad either. I'm just frustrated and confused and overwhelmed. I don't like not knowing. "
And then looking away from him, you whispered to no one but yourself,
"I'm scared."
•••
And now that Mitsuya was home, he sat across from you, hands splayed out on the dining table, fingers tracing the scratches caused by years worth of love, arguing, and placing hot dishes on the table without any board underneath them. His face was stern, and his brows raised in worry.
Your own hands fiddled with your sleeves, uncomfortable with the silence that you had brought upon the both of you.
"Y/n, please, explain it again to me. I'm trying to understand, honey."
You shook your head, leaning down on the cold surface. How could you explain something when you didn't understand what was wrong? It was hard enough the first time.
He leaned over, tucking a loose strand of hair back in place before taking your hands, rubbing his thumbs over the knuckles.
Truth be told you had been fine- perfect even for the last couple of months. But, you were exhausted; after well over a year of just constant mood switches and feeling unsafe and unappreciated, you finally got to relax.
But relaxation allows for the body to catch up on itself. All that terror that had been your motivation, the constant adrenaline, and drowning yourself in content that only made you more touch starved; it all caught up back to you. A couple of months of bliss. Blind, unbothered bliss.
And now it caught up.
You started to find yourself getting more exhausted faster, getting upset at the smallest things so easily after all that work to prevent out lashes.
The only reason you hadn't reached this state sooner was your fear of falling back into that depression, that loneliness.
Lost in your thoughts, you hadn't noticed Mitsuya had let go until you felt his arms wrap around you.
God, you were tired.
And he saw that, understood it even.
Taking a breath, Mitsuya began to speak.
"You know, you don't have to explain yourself to me. You don't need to explain unless you want to, m'kay? I think I understand though- what you're going through."
His hands rubbed your back, and he sighed, letting you bask in his warmth.
"And, if I'm being honest, things usually get worse before they get better. But I'm here for you, y'know?"
It was all so confusing- you didn't even know what triggered you.
All you knew was that you wanted to cry.
Softly, you wrapped your arms around him, standing up, pulling him closer. You needed this touch. You needed this connection.
Your throat hurt, and you were unsure if it was okay to ask this.
"Taka?" Your voice was raspy.
"Hm?"
"Thank you...for everything."
#meena°•#comfort fic#fanfiction#x reader#tokyo revengers x reader#gn reader#tokyo revengers#gn#tokyorev x reader#x gn reader#mitsuya imagines#mitsuya comfort#mitsuya fluff#mitsuya angst#angst to fluff#tr mitsuya#tokyo revengers mitsuya#tokyorev mitsuya#mitsuya x reader#mitsuya x you#tokyo revengers scenarios#tr scenarios#tr imagines#takashi mitsuya#mitsuya takashi
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봄여름가을겨울 (Still Life)
The Korean title is Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
4 rows of flowers. Gerbera daisies in 4 colors. 4 seasons of change. And now that the ice is thawing, the ground softening, the sun warming the air, and the petals of spring’s first flowers unfurling, 4 members are returning after 4 years of silence and seclusion to keep a heartfelt promise: that we would one day meet again when the flowers bloom.
They were only dormant, not dead. There’s still life in them... and in us, too.
The English title Still Life is possibly a callback to Still Alive, the first track on BIGBANG’s EP Alive (2012) and a triumphant anthem about the group overcoming their last brush with crushing, nearly career-ending controversy. But even if it is a nod to that, it’s probably also an homage to the members’ love of art. A still life is an age-old form of art depicting inanimate objects, usually commonplace items like food, furniture, utensils, household decor, etc. Flower pieces are a popular subject of still life paintings.
This is where I scratch my head. Maybe it’s just me, but the Korean and English titles seem to send mixed messages. The four seasons, collectively, are a well-known metaphor for change, especially a kind of constant, natural change that occurs in cycles (“the only constant in life is change”). But a “still life” is exactly what it sounds like, with a focus on that which is unchanging, motionless, inert. Maybe they’re saying that though they’ve changed in some ways, in others ways (in every way that matters) they’re still the same BIGBANG we know and love.
Or maybe they’re saying that the stillness of the last few years existed only on the surface. Looking back, this has been BIGBANG’s lengthiest hiatus to date -- to us a period of stagnation and creative calm as the guys took the time we believed they needed to regroup and put down new roots. But still waters run deep, and far below, down in the dark where we couldn’t see, they were remaking themselves in secrecy. As observers, stuck on the outside looking in, the BIGBANG we saw was a still image -- a still life. But while they were out of sight they underwent seasons of change. And now that that they’ve resurfaced, they’re going to show us what they became.
How many of you remember, in the days leading up to enlistment, the guys saying that they looked forward to showing us sides of themselves they’d never been able to show before?
Or maybe the “still life” title isn’t about the band at all. It could be about us, the fans. Maybe they’re saying that through the changing seasons of their lives VIPs have been a steady, reassuring presence.
The possibilities are endless, but I’ll stop there. We’ll find out what it is they want to say to us soon enough! (Feel free to reblog or comment with your own thoughts though!)
As for the teaser poster, the undeveloped Polaroid photo... turns out that is actually an existing work of art that as far as I can tell is titled Elaine Lustig Cohen - Ad Reinhardt, 1966. It’s more than just a Polaroid; it’s a painting by Ad Reinhardt positioned inside the frame of a Polaroid photo. Reinhardt is known for his solid-colored paintings that appear to form an image the longer the viewer looks at it. Out of the black, blues and browns seem to emerge. Interestingly, this is precisely what happened when BIGBANG released the teaser poster that was actually one of Reinhardt’s “black” paintings, though we didn’t know it at the time; VIPs began analyzing the image in search of shapes, seeking something recognizable. Many shared that they saw people embracing. Here are some examples from Twitter:
Whether there was any accuracy to the things people were seeing, I suppose only the artist would know. But now that the next teaser has been released, revealing flowers and no figures at all, there’s no reason to keep guessing! It was fun while it lasted (personally, I saw two people embracing, a man and a woman, but that’s no matter now.)
Reinhardt’s work was recently featured at the Pace Gallery in New York from February-March 2022 in an exhibition aptly named Color Out of Darkness. It’s possible the BIGBANG members were inspired by the exhibition (GD and TOP supposedly have some kind of connection to Pace Gallery) and so chose to incorporate Reinhardt’s work into their own? If so, I can’t think of a more fitting comeback concept for them than color out of darkness. Fields of flowers bursting with color, bright with pigment and promise, no longer shrouded in black. This spring BIGBANG will join VIPs on this flower road we’ve been faithfully walking... together at last.
#bigbang#there's so much potential symbolism I'm struggling lmao#the me of many years ago would also have added something about bb making new promises... but more and more lately... I wonder#color out of darkness#comeback teaser#still life#spring summer fall winter#four seasons#reinhardt#btw sorry for the confusion but the title of the song is not 'four seasons'#I've just been calling it that in my tags (along with its official titles) because... I mean... spring summer fall winter? four seasons#and after 3 years of fighting with 5-member fanatics I'm going to milk every instance of 4 that we're given this comeback
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