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#ko-aid man
gameraboy2 · 1 year
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“Oh, yeah!”
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genderqueerdykes · 5 months
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Disabled homeless trans lesbian in need!
im a disabled genderqueer lesbian currently living with my girlfriend in her apartment because my apartment isn't liveable anymore, my roommates there smoke cigarettes indoors, don't clean up after their cats, invite guests to sleep in my room (the living room as it is a one bedroom) without asking o warning, the entire bathroom is non functional and i am being guilt tripped and begged to spend money on things I can't afford and to cancel my plans and reduce my work hours to spend time with them.
things are also unsafe at my gf's as she is breaking up with an abusive ex and it is a triggering environment, also her home is very busy with many people coming and going at all hours. i am still couch surfing. i make and sell jewelry as a living, if you're interested in helping me get into a better situation, please consider checking out my ko-fi page!
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kideternity · 11 months
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Hiiii it’s your friendly neighbourhood Ant 🐜! As mentioned in the tags of my most recent rb bump of my comms post, I was denied social service/disability allowance from the government, so I’ve decided to open a kofi account to hopefully help with my financial situation. The about of my new kofi has some more details on why I chose to open it- you’re free to commission artwork from me there or leave a one off donation. Thank you for reading!
Kofi: ko-fi.com/kingofants
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disaster-demon · 2 months
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Fellow trans friends who’ve in part or wholly raised funds for their hormonal or surgical transition stuff: which platform should I use for this purpose? I was thinking Ko-fi as I don’t really want to crowdfund my WHOLE transition, just get some extra £££ towards it, if that makes sense?
Has anyone got any tips for raising money via mutual aid? I am going to make and sell some things also on Ko-fi like badges which will go towards funding my transition alongside just asking for mutual aid. I’ll also pay it forwards when I can afford to but transitioning is expensive especially to start with…
Any help or advice is most gladly received! Especially if you’re in the UK as our VAT laws are hard for me to understand for some reasons and I need to know if I’d pay VAT or taxes on any income from Ko-fi/funding my transition?
Thanks in advance lovely people in my phone.
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yawndogs · 1 year
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hello everyone :) this is just a small reminder that I do have ko//fi, and while nobody is obligated to do//nate, I am still saving up really hard for HRT!!!
with your help I was recently capable to undergo pituitary resonance that I had been adviced to do by my doctor due to several problems with my hormones. I will have results for this in about half a month, and after that I am required to do a few more blood tests (FSH, LH, testosterone, prolactin, estradiol) that unfortunately aren’t refunded. as I mentioned in my ko//fi, I am graduating high school this May and I’m not capable to find a job or take any more commissions than I already have accepted, so I figured that while I am incredibly busy with studying and catching up on comms I can put this out here https://ko-fi.com/yawndogs anything, a share, a like, will help so much. thank you for being patient with me on this long journey and supporting me each and every step. without my followers help I would never be where I am now and I’m so close to the finish line!!!
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hardygalwrites · 1 year
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Originally posted to FFN a little after the 12th of September, 2016
Simply archiving a writing challenge I did back in 2016 up to 2017 and featuring my favourite writing pieces from each week of the challenge here on Tumblr :]
← Week 4 (SS) – Week 6 (KO) →
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Cartoon: Transformers Prime / Robots in Disguise 2015
Characters: Smokescreen, Knock Out, and Bumblebee, with appearances from numerous other characters (even ones not featured in the cartoons)
Synopsis: An Autobot Elite Guard rookie, a Decepticon medic turned Autobot, and an Autobot scout turned warrior turned street cop - three very different bots with a wide range of stories to tell. And we are going to spend the next year exploring said stories through daily-written drabbles, be they angsty, humorous, gut-punching, or just plain odd! Who doesn’t love a challenge? (2016 to 2017)
Balm of Gilead
"Your ability to use your so-called quick thinking to get from one bad situation to another never fails to amaze me."
The patient, a certain idiotic Elite Guard, remained unresponsive. Not like Knock Out had expected otherwise. Cosmic Rust really took the spark out of a bot, figuratively and literally.
Preparing an injection vial, Knock Out continued. "But then again, the whole situation somehow works out for you anyway." He cast the patient a somewhat bitter smirk. "Usually at my expense."
He injected the vial into Smokescreen's forearm. "For the record, I'm still angry at you for sticking me into that wall."
Foxglove
"You... killed quite a few bots during your days as a 'Con."
Knock Out paused a moment, fixing the younger bot with a narrow look. "Yeeeessss. What's it to you?"
First Aid bolstered himself. "Do you... ever feel sorry for what you've done?"
This question appeared to catch the medic off-guard. He quickly regained his composure, turning back to his datapad. "Of course I do," he said smoothly. "I'm an Autobot now. And as an Autobot I now fully repent of all the naughty things I've done."
First Aid eyed Knock Out doubtfully, but he decided to drop the issue.
European Sweetbriar
"How bad is it, kid?"
Knock Out took in his mentor's condition. A grim look appeared on his faceplates. "Honestly, you should be dead."
"That bad, huh?" His mentor laughed, but it quickly devolved into cries of pain. He regained control of himself and lay back ever so gently. "Well," he said between clenched denta. "You know what to do."
"Yes." Knock Out extended his rotary saw. He paused. "I'll be honest, I didn't think this was how I'd become my own doctor."
"Me neither, kid."
Knock Out activated the saw. "I'll make it quick."
"I don't doubt it. Doctor."
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nineblooddances-if · 4 months
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NINE BLOOD DANCES
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Nine Moons for the Nine Circles of Hell
Ruled by Nine Siblings. Or better known as the Commanders of Hell. Each believed to carry a role in the natural world and each a leader of the Devil’s Army. Each Commander is the personification of their circle and is made with a part of The Devil’s Body.
His Brain. His Genitals. His Stomachs. His Lungs. His Eyes. His Tongues. His Flesh. His Ears. And lastly his heart.
With each part, combined with that of a woman of a different species, flourished the consciousness of the circle, and then from a piece of the circle, a body was molded, creating each commander.
Yet with no one to rule over them.
For the Devil has many things to do and does not have the time to watch over the things he created. So, he gets an idea. A funny idea.
For he wishes not to strip himself of more. So, he goes to a mortal man. One who knew all that of the world, a man who had everything that the mortal heart could desire. Expect love–Yes love. For there is a difference between idolization and obsession and honest love. The mortal man had not that, and so the Devil laughed and lured this man to his death. And when no one showed genuine care for the man at his funeral, he fell into despair.
And the Gods who refused to hear his prayers before now stared upon him and pitied him. And sent the mortal man a gift in order to ease the loneliness.
A gift the Devil needs.
── ⋅ ⋅ ✶ ⋅ ⋅ ──
✶ [DEMO]
✶ [PATREON]
✶ [KO-FI]
✶ [DISCORD]
── ⋅ ⋅ ✶ ⋅ ⋅ ──
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You were a gift. Now to whom? No one knows.
All that matters is that you are a gift and not like any of the others of your species. Uniqueness and importance oozes from every fiber of your being. You're important. Everyone says you're important. But why you're so important?
Who knows?
You must figure out what makes you so special and different. You must figure out what drives you through all circles. And you have to figure out why the nine commanders of Hell all have their eyes upon you and wish to have you by their side.
All before the fall of the ninth moon.
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☽☽✶☾☾ Customizable MC
✶ [Name, Species(human, fallen angel, vampire, succubus/incubus, etc), Personality, Gender, Pronouns] ✶ [Appearance (markings, scars, wings, tails, horns, ears, etc), Traits, Love Language, Allergies, Diet, Piercings, Aesthetics, and more]
☽☽✶☾☾ Ability to have certain traits, likes, and disabilities
✶[Favorite Foods, Smoking/Drinking Habits, & More] ✶[ADHD, OCD, Depression + more] ✶[Hearing Aids, Prosthetic Arms or Legs, and choosing how you lost your limb]
☽☽✶☾☾ Options that have an effect on romantic and platonic relationships.
☽☽✶☾☾ Choose between nine romanceable Love Interests or None at All.
☽☽✶☾☾ Stats, Personality, and MC Characteristics that will affect the story and characters.
[Harem Route & Poly Routes Optional]
| IMPORTANT VIEWINGS OF CERTAIN FEATURES | ✶Ear Piercings
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PERSONIFICATION OF THE 1ST CIRCLE—LIMBO—
COMMANDER AAPO I LIBERTAS
── THAT OF THE DEVIL’S BRAIN
✶ Personality: Aapo is an overly confident, charismatic man who is proud of the ranking he holds, being that he is ranked above his siblings and seen as the current ruler of the Nine Circles. Aapo walks and talks with a smile on his face and radiates this atmosphere of freedom, which is quickly erased by this underlying need for control, and he demands it. He has no reservations to confirm that. Many fear him despite his faux cheery attitude and overly relaxed posture.
✶ Appearance: He stands at [6’1FT ~ 188CM] with rosy pale-colored skin that is littered with warm brown freckles. He had deep-set shaped eyes while his eyes were the darker color shades of the rainbow, that fluctuated depending upon mood but remained a deep emerald green. He has short mahogany brown hair with a short fringe that seems messy. He’s lean and long, with long legs and arms. Always wearing overly vibrant and eccentric suits of greens and browns, decorated with bronze and gold.
──"CAMBION"—AMAB—HE/HIM ──PANSEXUAL [MASC PREFRENCE]
── ⋅ ⋅ ✶ ⋅ ⋅ ──── ⋅ ⋅ ✶ ⋅ ⋅ ──
PERSONIFICATION OF THE 2ND CIRCLE—LUST—
COMMANDER ANIL/AIDEN II LUXURIA
── THAT OF THE DEVIL'S GENITALS
✶ Personality: Anil is a self-assured, arrogant, aloof, hotheaded woman. Always wearing a scowl or frown of some sort. Her mood changes just as quickly as the wind and follows that of the hierarchy. She demands respect and will expect it. Many of the others stay out of her way and allow her to do as she pleases, since she has no desire to disrupt anything and follow the rules in place. Unless they get in the way of her desires.
✶ Appearance: She stands at [6’2FT ~ 192CM] with deep chocolate brown skin with no blemishes or scars. She has bedroom eyes that are a deep navy blue but appear black until in candlelight. Anil’s hair is jet black hair reaches her waist and is curly, while wet it reverts into a more coily texture. She has long legs and a waist and adds to her height by wearing dark blacks and blues, wearing heels, with a subtle male pirate aesthetic, wearing silver with everything. With the remains of two torn leather wings upon her back, with a long and heavy black scaled tail of a crocodile.
──"INCUBUS/SUCCUBUS"—AFAB—HE/SHE ──OMNISEXUAL
── ⋅ ⋅ ✶ ⋅ ⋅ ──── ⋅ ⋅ ✶ ⋅ ⋅ ──
PERSONIFICATION OF THE 3RD CIRCLE—GLUTTONY—
COMMANDER ALICE III GULA
──THAT OF THE DEVILS STOMACH
✶ Personality: Alice of the three siblings is by far the kindest of them. With a laid-back attitude. She is blunt but kind in her words, and the most approachable. She, just like her Aapo and Anil, expects respect due to her rank, though she cares little about enforcing it, especially with her "siblings". However, she has a mean streak when hungry and can become aggressive toward those who are men or those masculine in nature.
✶ Appearance: She stands at [5’7FT ~ 175CM] with warm ivory-colored skin, that’s covered in what looks to be scars, that are prominent on her throat, the back of her hands, her palms, and her knees which are small scars, while the entire along her collarbone, slanting cut across her entire stomach, and along the outside of both thighs seem like bigger scars, but they’re not. They are instead different mouths with sharklike teeth and crimson red tongues. That she keeps closed unless extremely hungry. Alice also has yellowish blonde hair that is a messy pixie cut, with an eye patch covering her right eye. She always has deep monolid-shaped eyes that are a vivid orange color. She has a sheer clothing aesthetic as while as a leather aesthetic, wearing many shades of orange, black, and white with gold. Accompanied by the small horns of a deer, a shade of white, and the tail of a deer.
──"VAMPIRE"—AFAB—SHE/HER ──BISEXUAL [FEM PREFRENCE]
── ⋅ ⋅ ✶ ⋅ ⋅ ──── ⋅ ⋅ ✶ ⋅ ⋅ ──
PERSONIFICATION OF THE 4TH CIRCLE–GREED—
COMMANDER ERIC/EDWARD IV AVARITIA
── THAT OF THE DEVIL'S LUNGS
✶ Personality: Eric is the quietest of the siblings, rarely speaking unless directly spoken to. He is a loner and prefers to be alone. He is also one of the only siblings who dislikes the hierarchy of siblings, and rarely spends his time commanding his circle, opting to be away, spending his time exploring the other parts and various layers of Hell and the unique punishments.
✶ Appearance: Eric stands at [6’5FT ~ 200CM] with pale skin. With the rest of his features hidden beneath a black cloth that hides his eyes. His black cloth also replicates bandages that covered various parts of his arms and legs. He has shoulder-length curly black hair that he keeps in a ponytail. He has a Dark Victorian aesthetic wearing black, red, and yellow.
──"DHAMPIR"—AMAB/AFAB—HE/HIM/SHE/HER/IT/ITS ──GRAYROMANTIC—PANSEXUAL
── ⋅ ⋅ ✶ ⋅ ⋅ ──── ⋅ ⋅ ✶ ⋅ ⋅ ──
PERSONIFICATION OF THE 5TH CIRCLE—WRATH—
COMMANDER LOUIS V IRA
── THAT OF THE DEVILS EYES
✶ Personality: Louis is a confident, arrogant, egotistical, smart man. Who revels in his circle enjoys using his influence on lower-ranked demons and enjoys spending time with higher-ranked demons. He also throws extravagant parties and chooses to spend most of his time with the Devil, who is the embodiment/avatar of Wrath. Louis tends to his duties well, despite his nasty temper.
✶ Appearance: He stands at [5’7FT ~ 175CM] with limestone-covered skin round bright blue and red heterochromic eyes and short blonde hair that fades into red that cut like a jellyfish. He dresses like that of kings and queens, with a 16th-century royalty aesthetic, wearing that of gold and red. He also has the horns of a ram that are a beautiful gold.
──"HUMAN"—AMAB—HE/THEY ──DEMISEXUAL
── ⋅ ⋅ ✶ ⋅ ⋅ ──── ⋅ ⋅ ✶ ⋅ ⋅ ──
PERSONIFICATION OF THE 6TH CIRCLE—HERESY—
COMMANDER GABRIEL VI MENDAX
── THAT OF THE DEVILS TONGUE
✶ Personality: Gabriel is someone who speaks only of rumors and half-truths. Many don't trust a word he says, and you must force the truth out of it. He gets a lot of humor leading people astray with his words. Even though he is quite knowledgeable and level-headed. He prefers to use his wisdom in more trickster ways, unless threatened, he quickly breaks. Outside of his lies, he is quite kind and fair, yet due to his tongue, no one believes his kindness.
✶ Appearance: He stands at [5’9FT ~ 180CM] with bronze-colored skin and long straight dark brown hair that he keeps in a thick braid, decorated with purple snapdragons, lavender, and vines. Gabriel has a soft flowy cottagecore aesthetic wearing colors of white and purple. While upon his back he has two large gray feathered wings that he keeps tucked away.
──"FALLEN ANGEL"—AMAB—HE/SHE ──AUTOSEXUAL
── ⋅ ⋅ ✶ ⋅ ⋅ ──── ⋅ ⋅ ✶ ⋅ ⋅ ──
PERSONIFICATION OF THE 7TH CIRCLE—VIOLENCE—
COMMANDER DAMEION VII VIOLENTI
──THAT OF THE DEVILS FLESH
✶ Personality: Dameion is laid back, mischievous, charismatic, and cocky. Since he has one of the most popular circles, he garters high respect despite being the seventh. He has overbearing pride and follows the hierarchy of the circles. Still, you will not find Dameion without a cocky smile and relaxed posture no matter where he is. Which leads him to having and being loved by many. Everyone practically swoons when he walks into the room or speaks. This doubles when amongst full-blooded bloodhounds, due to him being able to have a body, unlike them.
✶ Appearance: He stands at [5’9FT ~ 180CM] with honey-colored skin with black armband tattoos upon his wrists and ankles. He has short, shaggy black hair and deep red eyes. With a formal aesthetic, always wearing suits or a more military-type aesthetic. He has two long black tails of a wolf and wolf ears that hide amongst his hair with two red horns of a bison.
──"BLOODHOUND"—AMAB—HE/HIM ──POLYSEXUAL
── ⋅ ⋅ ✶ ⋅ ⋅ ──── ⋅ ⋅ ✶ ⋅ ⋅ ──
PERSONIFICATION OF THE 8TH CIRCLE—FRAUD—
COMMANDER LUCY OR LUCIUS VIII FICTUS
──THAT OF THE DEVILS EARS
✶ Personality: They are an untrusted liar, fake, fraud. Dawning on various masks and looking to deceive whoever they need to deceive. Taking upon titles, achievements, and anything to further their lie, and when it all backfires, they run away and never get caught. Due to this, they are never in hell, nor in their circle, in fact, it's hard to get in touch with them. They also spend a lot of time within the different underworlds and heavens, trying to gain something from the divine. Only to be sent back to Hell without punishment. They are tricksters and unreliable, with no real redeeming qualities.
✶ Appearance: They stand at [5’8FT ~ 178CM] with thick curly gray hair with white faded ends. Their hair is short to their chin and left alone. They have hooded gray eyes and short-bison-like horns with gray bat wings that fade into black with a long rat-like tail. They have varying styles but settle on clothing far more revealing. Wearing pinks and whites.
──"IMP"—[SELECTABLE GENDER] ──GAY OR LESBIAN [SELECTABLE SEXUALITY]
── ⋅ ⋅ ✶ ⋅ ⋅ ──── ⋅ ⋅ ✶ ⋅ ⋅ ──
PERSONIFICATION OF THE 9TH CIRCLE—TREACHERY—
COMMANDER TRENT IX PRODITIO 
──THAT OF THE DEVILS HEART 
✶ Personality: Trent is a sweet talking and kind person. Always understand and be sympathetic. He’s easy-going and easily trusting. He’s a very honest person and falls into his roles, whilst being obedient and submissive. Not wanting to break rules without important reason. He’s a big man with an honest and open heart and tries to live past his title.  
✶ Appearance: He stands at [7’5FT ~ 230 CM] with tan scarred skin and freckles. He has large heterochromic eyes, his right olive and the left mustard yellow. He has messy brown hair that he keeps in his face, partially hiding his eyes. He bulky and tall, but always hunching over with feathered ears that are dark brown and long wispy split bird tail that is also dark brown. Trent wears many colors yet sticks to neutral tones and dark green. 
──"NEPHILIM"—AMAB/AFAB—HE/HIM  ──PANSEXUAL 
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AVAILABLE POLY RELATIONSHIPS
TO BE DETERMINED
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ⓒ 2023 CVLUTOSGAMES & nineblooddances-if — all rights reserved. Any sort of plagiarizing, copying, modifying, translating, editing of my works are strictly prohibited.
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twstgarden · 3 months
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❀ ❝ 𝘄𝗵𝗼 𝗵𝘂𝗿𝘁 𝘆𝗼𝘂? ❞
━ diasomnia (malleus draconia, lilia vanrouge, silver, sebek zigvolt) x fem! reader (separated)
━ after a fight broke out, you received several injuries and you tried to hide them from your beloved. however, he discovers your wounds and quickly comes to your aid. (f/n means first name) (reader can be yuu or an oc)
requested by: anonymous <3
request type: scenario
requester's message: “Who hurt you?” + taking care of injury/comfort
florist's note: hello, lovely anon! thank you for filling out the form~
this work does not contain spoilers for chapter 7, diasomnia’s arc.
do not steal or translate without my permission.
ko-fi here if you want to support me <3
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━ 𝙢𝙖𝙡𝙡𝙚𝙪𝙨 𝙙𝙧𝙖𝙘𝙤𝙣𝙞𝙖 ━
it came as a surprise to malleus when he came to your room to see you hissing softly in pain as you dabbed your wounds with an alcohol-soaked cotton ball. you were in bad shape - smudged blood on the side of your lips, dried tear stains on your cheeks, bloody cuts on your forearms and fists - it was clear that you had gotten into a fight.
"child of man?"
hearing his voice made your eyes widen in panic for a moment before you hid the cotton ball and smiled at him, feigning innocence as if the wounds were magically not there. however, you knew better than to fool this man, for he has already seen how wounded you are and still dares to smile at him as if you were fine.
he stepped closer towards you, hands gently cupping your cheek as if he were handling a delicate treasure, his expression morphing from shock and concern to anger.
"...who did this to you?"
you froze the moment he spoke with clear anger in his tone, and you tried to stutter out a reply, "it's... this is nothing..."
"this is not nothing. who hurt you?" asked malleus once more.
"i just got into a fight with some students from another dorm," you mumbled, not wanting to give him more details. he stayed silent for a moment before reaching his hand forward and using his magic on you.
a quick feeling of relief and coolness engulfed your senses before it all died down. you no longer felt the pain in your wounds or the dizziness you experienced a few minutes ago.
malleus sat beside you and wrapped his arms around you, hoping to comfort you after whatever you have gotten yourself into. seeing as you weren't willing to tell him everything, he knew it must be something bad and you did not worry him.
his warm embrace relaxed your nerves as you sighed and sank into the feeling of his hug, resting your head on his chest as you wrapped your arms around him, "...they were making fun of me, so i had to defend myself..."
he stayed silent as he listened to you speak. the undeniable feeling of escalating anger filled his thoughts as he held onto you a little tighter the more you spoke of your recent encounter with the other students, "i was just defending myself, and they suddenly got physical... i don't know what i did wrong for them to hate me so much..."
malleus was sure you were silently crying into his chest as you spoke, and he held you close with a hand on your hand, caressing your hair as he spoke in a soft, comforting tone, "who were they, dearest?"
a soft sniffle was heard before you told him who they were and which dormitory they were from. the knowledge you gave him made him hum in reply as he kissed your forehead and gave you soothing words to calm you down.
as soon as the next day came, you realised no one was pestering you all morning. while you have welcomed this new sense of peace, you can't help but wonder if malleus had anything to do with their sudden distance... or disappearance.
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━ 𝙡𝙞𝙡𝙞𝙖 𝙫𝙖𝙣𝙧𝙤𝙪𝙜𝙚 ━
lilia was humming a tune as he walked down the halls of your dormitory, bringing a mini bouquet of your favourite flowers that he picked out himself in diasomnia's garden. as soon as he arrived at your door, however, he heard soft sniffling sounds followed by a few noises of things moving around.
out of concern, he slowly opened the door and peeked inside, only to see you sitting before your vanity mirror, wiping your tears and the blood on the side of your forehead. the sight of this made lilia panic as he quickly rushed to your side, placing the mini bouquet on the table and cupping your cheeks as he spoke, "n/n?! my dear, what happened? who did this to you?"
you were surprised to see him all of a sudden, but you sniffled softly and spoke in reply, "a classmate..." lilia sighed and healed your wound, kissing your forehead right after as he hugged you, "oh, my lovely girl. why did you not call for my help?"
"i can handle it..." you responded as you looked at your reflections in the mirror, seeing him hug you tightly with your head on his chest as if he was cradling it like a baby.
"i know you can, my independent darling, but i'm right here to protect you and aid you," replied lilia as he looked at the mirror as well before kissing your forehead once again, "please, don't bite off more than you can chew."
"okay..." you mumbled before smiling at him a little, thanking him for healing you. you then glanced at the mini bouquet as you grabbed it and stood up, kissing his cheek as you spoke, "and thank you for the flowers."
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━ 𝙨𝙞𝙡𝙫𝙚𝙧 ━
"n/n?"
silver's voice reached your ears as you looked up at him, seeing him look down at you with worry before holding you in a bridal carry, running down the hall as he rushed to the infirmary without another word.
it did not take long for him to set you down on the infirmary bed as he spoke while looking at you and the wound on your leg, blood trickling down your calves as it stained your clothes and his, but his stained clothes were the last thing he was worried about.
"what happened?"
you were hesitant to speak as he took off his jacket and wrapped it around you for warmth before speaking softly once more, "who did this to you, f/n?"
a soft sigh left your lips, trying to fight through the stinging pain on your leg as you replied, "it was just an accident... a bunch of students were playing in the courtyard, and i happened to pass by..." silver then looked at your wound before taking a quick glance at you, "may i...?"
you nodded, allowing him to inspect the injury and clean off the blood as you both waited for the nurse to arrive at the infirmary. after he cleaned off the blood, he held your hand and spoke in the same comforting and gentle tone, "be careful next time, okay?"
you hummed in reply as you tightened your hold on his hand, "...okay..."
silver was relieved that you were alright now. placing a soft kiss on your hand, he smiled gently, "i'll stay here by your side until you're healed."
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━ 𝙨𝙚𝙗𝙚𝙠 𝙯𝙞𝙜𝙫𝙤𝙡𝙩 ━
the young diasomnia student was patrolling around the school one evening with the other diasomnia students as a means to look out for any dangerous creatures and/or people that may harm their master on the tournament the next day.
during the patrol, he happened to stumble upon you crying softly by the well in the courtyard. confusion and worry latched onto his expression as he ran towards you and held his arms out to help you up, "why are you crying?"
his voice was a little loud, as it usually was, but it brought you a sense of comfort and safety as soon as you heard him. you wiped your tears away as you looked up at him, and he could see some bruises on your cheek along with a few cuts on your lip.
sebek's eyes widened in shock for a moment before he held your shoulders and exclaimed, "who did this to you?!" surprised by his sudden exclamation, you did not reply.
"f/n, who did this to you?!" he repeated once more, and you finally told him who it was - a student in the same dorm as you who had been pestering you since your first day. once he knew who that was, an exhale of irritation left him before he carried you to the infirmary. once he set you down, he said, "wait here."
he then left the infirmary, letting you get treated by the school nurse while they asked questions about the incident. it wasn't until a few minutes later when sebek had returned to the infirmary with a rather tamer aura than earlier. he sat beside your bed, seeing the cuts on your lips cleaned and covered with ointment while you held a cold pack on your bruised cheeks.
"why did you not look for me?" asked sebek as he frowned, showing his pure sadness and concern to you as he finally settled down after a pit of anger upon seeing your bruised state. you held his hand and spoke softly, "i did not want to bother you while you work..."
"i..." trailed sebek before you caressed his cheek after you held his hand, "thank you... though... for bringing me to the infirmary." a sigh left sebek's lips as he spoke, "that's the least i could do..."
"and yet i appreciate it a whole lot more," you replied before he gently hugged you, hoping you'd feel better with his presence and semi-awkward embrace. the comforting moment lasted for a while before you asked, "by the way, where did you go?"
sebek stayed silent for a moment before he mumbled, "do not concern yourself over it."
the next day came and you were suddenly approached by the same student at lunch. you prepared yourself for any impact out of instinct, but what came next was nothing short of a shock. the student stood there, quaking like a leaf and face as pale as a ghost, "i'm sorry..."
hearing the apology stunned you. the student's eyes wandered around before they gulped and spoke in a louder voice, "i-i'm sorry for beating you up and causing you harm. from now on, i will stay out of your way..."
without another word, the student ran off and you were left stunned for a moment before you looked at sebek, seeing him casually having his meal before looking at you. you then smiled and thanked him, knowing that he had something to do with the sudden apology.
hearing your thanks made sebek smile as he spoke in the same confident and loud tone as he always does, "no thanks needed! as long as it means you'll be safe!"
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© twstgarden 2024 || please do not steal, translate without my permission, or use this to train a.i.
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verinarin · 4 months
Text
The mission and how it teaches him the slight difference between protectiveness and possessiveness
(Dr. Ratio x Partner Fem! Reader)
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Part One ( ̄^ ̄)ゞ - Part Three ╰(*´︶`*)╯♡
This would be a trilogy so expect one more part
This is mainly spicy fluff as I like to call it (fluff with sexual tension ψ(`∇´)ψ) The sum of this fic is… let’s watch Ratio lose his marbles over Reader gambling her life yet again !
comment what do you think about this part, it sorta motivates me lolololol (*⁰▿⁰*)
Support me on Ko-fi ╰(*´︶`*)╯♡
If someone could be an embodiment of both the path of erudition and nihility it would be you, because he couldn’t fathom how a person could be so strategic yet so careless at the same time
Your eyes glimmers with vexatious enthusiasm as the dealer distributes the cards, he shouldn’t have agreed to meet with the potential client in a casino of all places
“Don’t fool yourself, think before anything else,” he leans beside your ear, trying to at least guide you to not do anything heedless
“Veritas Ratio, don’t you worry we’re not here to gamble,” you smile as you glance at your cards
He audibly sighs as he leans back, his arms folded as he see your opponent in front of you, a well known casino owner in Penacony someone so powerful that the IPC would want in their pocket
You’re tasked to invest in said casino, no matter what choices you have to make in the future, you need to report back with satisfactory results
That’s something you never cease to succeed in, doubling the profits. While he is here to assure your safety while doing so and the legality of your methods, while the casino owner over there ogles all over your body, how disgusting…
“I’m here to extend my sincerest gratitude for setting the meeting for today,” you extend your hand for a handshake towards the man seating before you, which is reciprocated but you can’t help but to feel a little bit distraught over the firm handshake
“Now now it’s not a big deal really, so what does the IPC wants from me hmm?,” the man chuckles, his eyes glaring at you, like a predator stalking its prey
Ratio took notice of this, the man exudes a strange aura that he can’t seem to pinpoint, leering at you while seemingly unaware of him currently seating beside you
“Ah a man that gets right to the point, I like that ! Ratio if you don’t mind,” with that he nods as he took a briefcase filled with a hefty amount of credits
“We’re here to invest in your casino sir, to further aid us in widening our connections and intel pool,” Ratio opens the briefcase to reveal its contents for the casino owner to see and he doesn’t seem to be interested at the slightest
You study his micro-expressions and quickly state that everything is negotiable if credits doesn’t suit his taste, he smiles before revealing his true desire
“Well now I’m a casino owner and I have plenty of investments under my name, I need no more credits in my life, but well what I do need is a beauty like you,” hearing this a gear starts to move on your head, your eyes glints underneath the yellow light
Ratio on the other hand can’t believe in such fool existing, worse yet breathing in front of him with such mediocre want, if his sharp gaze could be considered blades, then this man already have his neck severed seconds ago
“A lady like me have a high price tag y’know ?,” you let out a small snicker as you fold your arms, a sudden soreness blooms on your thigh you struggle to keep your smile as you glance down to see Ratio’s hand digging itself into your thigh
You glance up to see his expression, it’s screaming ‘foolish girl are you seriously going to do what I think you’re going to do’
You forgot that Mr. Veritas Ratio over here also has a PhD in reading you, he knows very well you’re going to gamble away your life yet again
The casino owner notice quickly of the tension between you both and so he cuts straight towards his price “I’m willing to let you invest in my casino for 40% profit if you win sweetheart, but if you lose then you’re going to stay and be my personal doll,”
Before Ratio could even open his mouth to disapprove these moronic terms, you’re quick to give your own terms
“Now now as I say before I’m quite the expensive asset, if you want me to be your pretty little doll then I’m afraid you’re going to gamble more,” you pout your soft lips at the casino owner, successfully riling up both him and Ratio at the same time
“With a cute face like that, you’re making me want to gamble my life away,” he boisterously laugh
“Then please do !, if you win you’ll have me but if you lose you’re going to sell this casino of yours and the payment would be the amount of credits that’s inside that briefcase,” you quickly reply
The man scoffs before dimming the cigarette he was smoking “What makes a pretty little thing like you so confident about winning ?,”
“Let’s just say I have a winning streak these past days, now what do you say sir ?,” well that’s true to some extent Ratio needs to applaud your constant stream of luck but that doesn’t justify whatever this is
“I love that feisty attitude of yours, so let’s gamble !,” the casino owner seemed to be riled up by your confident nature
While Ratio is currently questioning how does his life leads to being stuck in here between two gambling maniacs with questionable intellect, his cover his face back with his alabaster head, not wanting to interact with this monstrosity of a situation
“Great !, Ratio please draft us a contract immediately, I can’t wait to start,” you turn your head to the side to reveal Ratio glaring at you, with that look of disapproval emanating from his person, well you can’t see his expression but you definitely feel it, like mentally and physically feel his disappointment…
“Of course excuse us sir, while we compose a fair contract,” Ratio took off his alabaster head before excusing himself outside the private room, dragging you with him
Before you could protest however, he shoves you towards the wall and pins you in place with his arms caging you in, holding you captive for as long as he deems fit to scold you
With one of his arm on top of your head and the other holding you in place by your waist you could hear his uneven breathing pattern accompanied by his rather intoxicating scent “Did I not make myself clear earlier, think before executing your task !,” he whispers beside your ear, his tone deep and demanding
At this point you wish for him to yell at you instead as per usual because being close to him like this makes your brain melt, especially after that incident an hour ago.
‘What’s with the sexual tension !!!?!’, you silently scream as you try to come out with an excuse, but your brain has failed to do so because it’s currently overheating
He’s grown impatient with the silence you gave, he uses his hand to gently force your face to look at him, forcing you to stop ignoring him. “I-i umm if I win this gamble y’know how profitable it’ll be right ahahaha,” you nervously mumble, your sentence was a bit jumbled because of him unnecessarily squeezing your whole face
His eyes stares dead into yours before asking one more question with that deep silky smooth voice he used earlier, “What if you fail to win ?, it’ll be a tremendous lost for the IPC and you’ll be gifting away yourself in a silver platter to a fool who doesn’t deserve you, not even worth your time,”
‘ASDHDJFHKSK,’ is the inaudible sound that internally plays inside your brain as you feel his thumb caressing your bottom lip. I mean sure the IPC would suffer quite the loss for losing one of its high rank employee but not tremendous loss and what’s with the last statement?!?, you feel like Ratio is threading on a thin line between being protective and possessive
“I live by ‘audaces fortuna iuvat’ and I’ll stick with it till the rest of my life Ratio, so please believe in my ability to win or at least try to be supportive of me,” you sternly reply
There it is, the fiery passion reflecting in your eyes that he oddly founds to be attractive
Well this whole ordeal goes against his way to conduct negotiations and he doesn’t like to admit that the stakes are pretty tolerable considering the reward. As much as he hates to admit it, you do have an unparalleled ability to gamble your way out of situations; scarily reminds him of a peculiar person back at the office
“It seems that you’re certain with your decision, once I draft this contract and send it to headquarters there’s no turning back and I can’t assist you in anyway,” he sighs as he puts both of his hand on your shoulder, insinuating the high pressure of this gamble
You already feel the pressure by his mere presence, but you won’t back down not when you already manage to lure that casino owner into a shitty gamble
“Draft the contract, I assure you by the end of this I’ll be taking the Casino’s land certificate,” you smile, with that he can’t help but to take a deep breath and sigh, that’s it there’s no going back now
“You can’t afford to lose, this is your freedom we’re talking about and you’re not a damn trophy he could flaunt,” he huffs as he now retracts his hands away
“Relax, if I don’t know you any better I might mistake this as you feeling a little bit too possessive over me,” you jokingly punch his arm
However his reply is no joke at all “Maybe I am, who knows it’s open to interpretation, but do note that I can’t afford to lose you too,”
“W-what for what possible reason?!?,” this man has a tendency to really keep you on your edge doesn’t he ?
“I have my own reasons and agenda, that I will not disclose at least not when you’re gambling your freedom away,” he sighs as he massage his temples
“Fine have it your way mister I’m soo morally ambiguous!,” you huff as you walk back towards the door, however he grabs your wrist and pulls you back towards his embrace,
“May fortune bless the bold,” he mumbles against the crown of your hair, his arm loops around your shoulder as, holding you close against his chest as he inhales your calming scent for the last time, you took this weirdly affectionate Ratio as a good sign of luck !
Since he usually hit your head with that ridiculously heavy codex instead-
“Stop worrying about this, you know that the chances of me winning is higher than that guy !,” you mutter against his broad chest before pushing him away and turn your heels toward the door
With a huge smile on your face you open the door to reveal decks of cards and poker chips waiting for you “Let’s gamble shall we ?,”
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hannieehaee · 4 months
Text
SINGING LOW (teaser)
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18+ / mdi
summary: despite everyone within the industry knowing mingyu to date around a lot, what didn't meet the public's eye was his undying crush on you, his label mate, and his need to fill the you-shaped hole in his heart with any girl who'd give him the time of day.
content: idol!mingyu x hybeidol!reader, pining, mingyu's kind of a slut, smut, afab reader, reader is a 97 liner, dry humping, a lot of made up shit abt the industry lmao, mentions of other idols, oral sex (f and m receiving), penetrative sex, angst, fluff, etc.
(^ no actual content warnings in the teaser)
wc: 1.7k (teaser) 13k (full fic)
FULL FIC HERE
Or you can check it out on my ko-fi today by subscribing here and going on the fic here
a/n: this is not connected to my lil idol!mingyu x idol!reader series just fyi <3 also i decided to open a ko-fi!! (stop booing me pls T-T) here's a link to the details! anyways hope u enjoy this ive been thinking of this trope for a while <33
masterlist
Mingyu could still remember the day he met you. Well, maybe not met, but it was the first time he ever saw you face to face. It was at some awards show back in 2017. MAMA, was it? Or maybe the MMAs? Well, that didn't matter much. All he knew is that on stage, you had caught his eye.
It was only about a year into his debut, so he still wasn't too used to this scene. He simply sat back and enjoyed the pretty sight in front of him, knowing your group (and you) by name, but not having had the pleasure of meeting you personally by then. He hadn't met many people thus far, actually. At the time, most of his friends in the industry consisted of the twelve other members of his group. Coming from a small company, it had been hard for any of the members to begin to disperse and befriend their peers in the industry. Sure, they all had friendly acquaintances with other idols, but nothing could really compare to what they had with one another.
It wasn't until somewhere around 2017 that Mingyu had finally found a group of friends outside of his twelve members that he could trust. He had always been an outgoing guy, befriending anyone who'd look his way. He reasoned that someone had to be the icebreaker in every social situation, and he had given himself that job. Despite being a charismatic extrovert, however, most of these friendships did not stick. He developed many acquaintances, and maybe even situational friendships, but he had not really considered anyone a friend until meeting one Jeon Jungkook.
Jeon Jungkook was simply the tip of the iceberg. Some believed Mingyu had taken the man under his wing, while others believed the opposite, but it had in fact been a mutual aid. They had both felt a bit lost at the time they met, bonding over the many things their lives had in common. Their age being one of them. At first it was thrown around as a joke, the idea of forming a little group with the many other 97-liners within their industry. But that joke became reality soon after when Mingyu had met Yugyeom backstage during his group's most recent comeback at the time. The three soon became four, taking in a Cha Eunwoo, and then a Jaehyun from NCT. Even some of Mingyu's own members joining, having the privilege of being born on the great year of 1997. This was how you eventually entered the picture.
Mingyu had already known you, well, more so known about you. Despite being the same age, you had debuted a couple of years before Seventeen, which gave him the opportunity to get to know you as an idol before he did personally. He still remembered the days in the green basement, watching comeback shows with the members as they prepared for their own debut. There had been a specific day when your group had been presenting their newest comeback, which was also the day Mingyu first caught sight of you. You had caught his eye immediately. There was just something about you. He might've developed a slight interest in you from that moment on, hoping for the day in which he would become one of your peers.
Upon debuting, Mingyu had only seen you in passing for the first few years, the closest contact being a quick and informal introduction between your groups as you cruised through the backstage hallways of MNET. You looked even better in real life, he had to admit. But sadly, there was no one-on-one interaction between you that day. Nor was there during any of the following encounters throughout the next few years. It wasn't until a few years into the creation of the 97 squad that Mingyu had the pleasure of meeting you personally.
It was sometimes Jungkook who brought in new members to the friend group, but it was mostly Mingyu who would take the liberty of befriending the aforementioned members in order to introduce them into the group. It was mostly due to Mingyu's extroverted personality, which allowed him to strike up conversation with anyone at any time, unlike Jungkook who was a bit shier in that aspect. It had been Jungkook, however, who had first introduced the two of you. It had been backstage of MAMA or MMA, he wasn't completely sure. Mingyu also wasn't sure how you and Jungkook had met; he'd never bothered to ask, but upon your first meeting it had seemed like the two of you were close friends already. Mingyu had to admit that upon that first assumption, he was a bit jealous of his proximity to you. This was immediately followed by the realization that maybe Mingyu's previous infatuation in you went further than mere interest in you as a fellow idol, but it was maybe a bit of a crush. Regardless of what Mingyu had felt at the moment, he knew that he wanted to see you again.
For some unknown reason, you were not present in the following 97 gathering soon after your introduction. This struck Mingyu as strange, seeing as you were also a 97, and a friend of Jungkook's, so why would you not be present? It was soon after revealed to Mingyu that you had yet to be offered a spot in the now renown 97 squad. Jungkook had assessed that all the dating rumors that would come attached to the inclusion of a girl in the group were simply not worth it. He wanted to save you both the headache and the scandal. It seemed like a pretty reasonable decision. Mingyu, however, was not the most reasonable of people, often allowing his decision-making to be led by impulse rather than calculated choices. Which was why Mingyu had found himself walking up to you next time he spotted you at yet another comeback show, promptly asking you if you'd like to meet some of his friends sometime in the following week, claiming it was tradition for all 97s to go for a drink every other week. He felt like he was inviting you to join into a cult, or at least that's what you said to him it had felt like. But you had still agreed, giving him your number so that you could be privy to the details of the meeting.
Your admission to the friend group came very naturally, having already met a few of the members and easily befriending the rest. Yes, it had come with some controversy at first, but Mingyu had come to learn that you were quite strong-minded, not allowing a few rumors to get in the way of your personal life. It was easy for the two of you to grow close after that. Despite having befriended the entirety of the group, you and Mingyu seemed to form a more special bond, even seeking each other's company outside of group gatherings. It was all platonic, of course. Mingyu had quickly realized you did not seem interested in that way, so he tucked his crush deep within him, choosing to offer a friendship to you instead, never speaking of his crush to anyone. This was how the two of you came to become best friends.
This repression of his feelings, however, did not come without its consequences.
Mingyu was a hopeless romantic at heart. This meant that his crush never really went away. It actually worsened over the years that he knew you. But you never acted like anything other than a friend to him. You would always treat him the same way you did Jaehyun or Eunwoo. He was just another one of the members of the friend group to you. Yes, you two were closer in nature – calling each other the best of friends within the industry – but Mingyu did not want to risk that closeness just because of a selfish crush.
The repression of his feelings was also met with other things. Mingyu was a very loving man. He needed to express his love to everyone around him or he would physically explode (Okay, not really, but he swore that's what it felt like to him). He had a loving family to tend to by taking care of them financially and spending every waking minute away from work with. He had his thirteen best friends to shower with playful affection during and out of work. He had his 97-liners to play around with in between work schedules. What he did not have, however, was that one person who was his and only his. Someone to give the type of love that you reserve for only that one special person in your life.
Mingyu found himself seeking this person out since the beginning of time. Many would call Mingyu a womanizer or a player due to the high volume of relationships he had been involved in during his life. It wasn't like that, however. Not at all. Mingyu would date a girl he liked, would be happy with her, but would ultimately realize that the spark he was looking for was not there, causing him to regrettably end the relationship. He was often met with curses directed his way, but he felt it was best to try and end it amicably if he did not see a future there.
His most recent relationship had been with a former staff member. She was funny and sweet, and also pretty easy on the eyes. They got along very well when she first got assigned to Mingyu as part of his personal team. It started as a friendship, but it didn't take long for Mingyu's hopeless romantic tendencies to seek her out in a romantic way, something to which she obviously agreed to immediately. Mingyu had no issue getting women on his side. He had never dealt with rejection all his life. Being handsome, talented, funny, and even rich from a young age, it was rare to be met with anything but enthusiastic responses left and right. The relationship did not end amicably, however. Mingyu should've known better than to date someone who technically worked for him. I mean, he had been through this before (with one stylist, one MNET staff member, and a former Pledis recruiter to be specific), so he should've known by now that mixing business with pleasure was a bad idea. But his romantic tendencies couldn't be helped. He had too much love to give, and no one to give it to.
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adventuringblind · 1 month
Text
Band-Aids are for Speed
Lando Norris x Reader
Genre: Fluff, Street Racer AU
Summary: The five times she patched Lando up, and the one time he patched up her.
Warnings: Injury descriptions, broken bones, cuts, bruises, blood, illigal street racing, car accidents
Notes: Author is not a doctor but has watched medical dramas... don't judge my knowledge!
Side Note: I hope le requester enjoys this as much as I enjoyed writing it!
Masterlist // Request Form // My Website // buy me a Ko-Fi
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The first time she met Lando, he was siting in the emergency room waiting to be stitched up. She quietly hums to herself while setting up as the other nurse changes places with her.
The deep gash on his arm makes her wonder what he did to get it, but she also knows better then to ask. He doesn't look like he's in the mood to talk anyway.
It takes approximately three minutes for her to retract that statement. "So, you come here often?"
The question takes her so of guard that she doesn't know what to do with it aside from take the next few seconds to process. Is it not obvious that she works here?
"Do you mean the hospital? Or in this room specifically?" She laughs lightly at the ridiculousness of her patient and blames the minor blood loss.
"Nah, I mean in my presence." He smirks.
She tries to focus on her work. "Can't say I have."
"Would you like to be in it more?"
He gives her his number before he leaves. He dots the 'i' in his name with a heart.
She texts him the second she gets him to ask if he's bless her with his presence again.
♡♡♡♡♡♡
In the few months they've been seeing each other she's learned that Lando is obsessed with cars. It's cute when he jumps into excited rants about his favorite subject.
With the amount they've been talking, it's not shocking that Lando texts her in the evening. She assumes it'll be another silly joke. Instead she's met with frenzied sentences and misspelled words about need medical attention.
She doesn't hesitate to drive to his place. In hindsight, she really should've asked him why he didn't go to A&E when he's bleeding all over the bathroom floor.
"Please tell me you didn't get jumped." She kneels down and sets about getting him a position where she can see what she's doing.
He groans in pain as she moves him. "Nope! It was spectacular though."
"What do you mean by that?"
"I crashed the car but still won." He lets out a triumphant hoot.
This man can never give her all the details at one. "You got in a car accident?! How is that winning?!"
"Because I won the money... duh." He's definitely delirious now. Probably has a concussion. "Oh, I didn't tell you? I street race."
There's that strange part of her that is intrigued and curious to know more, specifically because that adds to his sex appeal (like he wasn't hot enough already). The logical side of her brain that is currently staring at Lando bleeding says otherwise. "Uh, no... you didn't."
"Well isn't that unfortunate! You coulda seen me crash today if you had."
Lando is half asleep by the time she is done. She's barely able to wrangle him into bed with how uncoordinated he is. It's useless keeping him awake.
She turns the lights off and is about to leave - "Will you stay?"
"I can, yeah, do you want me on the couch or is there another bedroom?"
"In bed with me. You can stay here - with me."
Against her better judgment, she does.
♡♡♡♡♡♡
She doesn't usually work the weekend shift but one of the nurses is on vacation and she could us the extra hours. She leaves her phone on vibrate in her pocket in case of a 'family emergency.'
Said emergency being Lando who is more accident prone on the weekends. Somehow, less accident prone in the car and more when he's doing normal people tasks.
Sometimes she wonders if her gets hurt on purpose just so he has an excuse to see her. She keeps telling him he doesn't need one - just in case - but he still calls and she goes. It's not like she has much else to do with her time aside.
She really shouldn't be shocked when he ends up in emergency clutching his arm. He gives her a bashful smile and tries to awkwardly wave. "Hi."
"And what, my love, are you in for this time?"
"I slipped on the stairs..."
Another male, a tall brunette who she knows as George, hits him playfully on the head. "No he did not! This idiot decided it would be a brilliant idea to tie a skateboard to the back of Alex's car and sit on it while Alex drove."
She throws a stern look at Lando and his smile goes from bashful to downright embarrassed. "You're lucky it's just you're arm."
By the time he's set free into the world to make more impulsive decisions, she makes the executive decision to make him wait until she's done working. He puts a pout on his lips, but it goes away when she sends him to the cafeteria.
They drive home listening to the indie station. The one he's made her fall in love with.
"Thank you, again."
"You've got to stop thanking me, Lan. It is literally my job." She laughs a little at herself for that one.
"Yeah, but, that's not all. You're the only person who doesn't freak out on me for doing stupid shit. Like I know I shouldn't do it but it gives me that adrenaline that racing does." The sincerity in his voice nearly takes her off guard.
"I can't tell what to do, but I'll always be there when you need a patch job."
"And I'll be there when you need a ride." He winks.
♡♡♡♡♡♡
The first time she's at one of Lando's races, she can feel the thrumming in her heart. The excitement of the start and the fear that he could possibly die doing this.
He jogs over to her right before the start. His hands clumsily find her waist and he smash his lips on hers. "For good luck." He whispers as he pulls away.
She doesn't let go, however. She pulls a band aide out of her pocket and sticks it to his hand. It's a crayon, but she highly doubts he'll care to much.
"What's this for?"
"I had a little girl today who told me that Band-Aids give you speed. I thought you might try it."
"When I win, it'll be all because of you."
Lando does win. She buys more Band-Aids with some of the prize money.
♡♡♡♡♡♡
She's there when the crash happens. The boys had deemed her the official medical personnel. Which she's glad for, since they are the ones getting her to the crash site. In record time - it has to be - she's sure she's never gone this fast before.
She dives out of the back of the truck to the driver side door. Lando sits there, a few visible cuts, but he's smiling at her. She has half a mind to give the boy an earful, but refrains since he did just crash.
It takes her, Alex, and George to get him out of the car and into the truck. She stitches him up before they go home. In her car, mind you, since the one Lando drove is out of order.
"I'm sorry..."
"Don't be - just - please remember that I can't fix every kind of injury."
They curl up in bed together. The long night having drained them both of their energy.
"Maybe, but at least my odds of surviving until my thirties have gone up with you around."
"At this rate, you're more likely to die doing dishes then driving."
"That was one time!"
♡♡♡♡♡♡
It wasn't supposed to be this way. She was supposed to go home, not end up back at her job.
Granted, she's here for a different reason now. One that's not her fault and she's pissed about it. She's going to explode with emotions. Her body hurts so much.
Fucking drunk drivers. Who gave them the right to say it's her fault? Telling her she's lucky it wasn't worse.
A soft knock at the door draws her attention. Lando stands there look mildly disheveled. Still, he has his hands on his hips and rolls his eyes. "Whatever am I going to do with you, my love? Always getting into accidents!"
He comes to lay beside her on the bed and she wiggles to make accommodate him. He pulls out a box of bandages from his pocket and proceeds to put them everywhere she has a new mark.
The stress of it all finally breaks through. She sobs into his shoulder and clings to his sweatshirt. "Thank you."
"Hey, none of that. I owe you for all the Band-Aids you've used on me and all those times you've patched me up."
"Does this mean I can drive your car now? Since I have extra speed?"
Lando raises his eyebrows. "Maybe not drive, but I can think of other things we can do with speed." He wiggles said eyebrows suggestively.
"How about, a speedy recovery? You have plenty of those."
"Alright fine, a speedy recovery - and I'll be here for all of it with a plethora of crayon Band-Aids because I bought them all just for you."
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dropsofletters · 28 days
Text
i feel like i know you [jww]
SUMMARY: sometimes, we meet a person, a complete stranger in the streets, and we feel as though we have seen them somewhere else. a sense of familiarity that comes with longing and extreme love. however, it could only be one of those cases of deja-vu…if one does not think that there are other universes, roaming around its axis at the same time that we do.
jeon wonwoo doesn’t believe in the concept of soulmates, but somehow, he always has the same one in various universes.
maybe, destiny does exist.
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TITLE: i feel like i know you
PAIRING: jeon wonwoo x reader
GENRE: soulmates!au ; soulmates in different universes!au ; friends to lovers!au ; unrequited love!au ; forbidden love!au ; childhood friends!au and wonwoo finding his way back to oc again and again.
WORD COUNT: 8,000 words approx.
TYPE: fluffy fluff ; fantasy ; alternative universes ; angst if you squint
NOTE: this was a ko-fi request! you can go over there if you want to request something from me.
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UNIVERSE 01: friendship.
A pendant sits on the palm of her hand.
It dangles in between his fingertips; tips colored by Kool-Aid, burning red. The music is a little too loud in the cramped room, where the strands of his bleached hair merge in between the black, original ones. Wonwoo sits neatly, though his image is copied out of one of those magazines that he reads over every once in a while when at his job at the mall.
Maybe, this is where her friend met the supposed old lady that taught him the future was written in one’s palm. He’s a man of science, though he masks it as not. Books and articles highlighted on his bookshelves, casted in dust as he reaches his twenty-five years of age and he realizes that, perhaps, in the midst and wits of time he never truly reached what he wanted. No scholarship. No travelling. Nothing other than sitting at his small apartment, dangling a necklace, hoping for a sign.
“What do you want to know?” Wonwoo always speaks like he has a secret, eyes squinted, voice a rumble of depth. His vision, however, is settled on the pendant that only moves the slightest, from side to side, venturing into the unknown of what it is supposed to tell her.
Life, on the other hand, is a little bit more secure for her. She didn’t imagine her life to be big, and hence, settling seemed nice. Three years into a relationship that started out in college; a college degree that also sits on her bookshelf, waiting for it to mean something than it actually is, and work. Work has been hectic, with coffee breaks towards the coffee shop in which Wonwoo works at with a scowl to his face and a purse of his lips.
“The unknown.” She jokes, hand trembling a bit as Wonwoo rests it on his thigh.
His eyes roll, the sclerotic becoming a bit apparent, before he returns his gaze to her. For Wonwoo, the world is serious; like the heat of the Americano she has each day, and the routine of making perfect coffee. “I’m being serious.”
“So am I,” She looks back at Wonwoo. This is the man that would nod at every single one of her words when battling her fear of speaking in public back in high school. Her friend. The reason as to why she gets to speak now in her corporate job for some fashion magazine. She knows him far too well, dances with his eyes and knows how to sit him down with simple syllables. “You don’t believe in any of this.”
“I’d like to grant myself the benefit of doubting my beliefs.” He explains. The nineties are far more technological, fitted for someone like him, with up-and-coming laptops and websites. He could have been so much more, but it feels these days like he’s losing himself to a trail of nothingness. “They haven’t exactly worked to my favor the past few years, so what do I lose by giving you an answer to something? Shit, maybe, I could get an answer, too.”
She grabs his hand, pendant digging to the skin of her palm, engraving the thunder that Wonwoo had bought on a convenience store nearby. It was probably on sale, too. “You don’t need answers, Wonwoo. What’s not lost should not be hunted down.”
His eyes soften. Mirrors in shades of brown, like a lake house that she could never escape. Here, listening to Backstreet Boys, trying to hide from the reality that they are not kids anymore, is the man she trusts the most. The one person she cherishes more than life itself. For, Wonwoo was there for her to lighten up her days, even when the exposure of sunshine would hurt him, too.
“…Let me just answer one question of yours.”
“What for, though—?”
“Just to prove to myself that I’m not the only one that doesn’t have it figured out.”
She sighs, opening her palm once again and closing her eyes tightly. She imagines all that has happened throughout the years of her living on this earth. She has a job that she likes. She has gone through college safely, thankfully. She has a relationship but…these days, it feels like he doesn’t foresee a future. Nick, her boyfriend of three years, goes on and on about his plans in the future, but it never includes her. A shush coming after his words when she ever-so asks…
Would you ever want to marry me?
“The first letter of the love of my life’s name.” She spurts out, knowing that the universe will be unable to ever grant her a benefit of knowing, let alone draw it on her palm with a pendant. Wonwoo doesn’t raise his eyebrows, never judging out loud, but speaking under his breath.
“Totally not the asshole you have for a boyfriend.”
“Wonwoo, have some respect and concentrate.”
“I’m just being honest.” He shrugs, sending a tight-lipped smile her way before he’s tracing her palm with the pendant and letting it hang. The woman at his job told him that it would trace two answers; a circle was a yes, a line was a no, and what she was asking…they’d see if it could get answered.
Much to his surprise, they hold their breaths, looking at the pendant before it starts moving. Almost like magic, like the world has things that we will never understand to its full complexity, the necklace starts moving its pendant until it draws a shape. Repetitive not, perhaps a little bit two quick, but the two folds of the ‘W’ are apparent. Her eyes trail forward, widened in complexion, before laughter spurts out of her lips.
“This shit is crazy.” Wonwoo’s cheeks are tinged pink, standing up and clasping the necklace in between his digits.
“Totally. Uh, where the hell did you even learn this?”
“Remind me to never trust people from work again.” Wonwoo’s back is turned towards her, saving the necklace on the coffee table, and she thinks about it for a moment…
Wonwoo and her together…
Pfft, as if that could ever happen.
“Noted. This will never happen again—”
“Yep. Want to get some burritos?”
“Thought you’d never ask.”
The nineties had their own tagline, but ruining a friendship because of some stupid myth as the ear of technology was launching was totally not it.
###
UNIVERSE 02: opposites.
Wonwoo has always had an odd liking to coffee.
He presumptuously admits that he enjoys the taste on the roof of his mouth, and how it burns his palate and awakens him in the early mornings. Macchiato. Latte. Cold or hot. He enjoys them all. Hidden behind of strands of long hair, curled at the edges, and a pair of glasses so thick that they might as well hold all the eyes in the universe, he thinks it’s his own language. His way of speaking without actually opening his mouth. He grants happiness with a ‘good morning’ and a nod of his head, even though his coffee shop is not as big or as crowded as his family back home thinks.
A sigh leaves his lips, wiping the same spot he has worked on since the early morning. Only a client had passed by. A latte, decaffeinated, with two shots of vanilla and one of dark, moody chocolate. The busy man left without much of a glance at him, but the job was done. Hence, the day was uneventful, leaving him with pastries to sell and coffees to prepare. Aching to feel that this business is going somewhere.
He painted the walls green himself, thinking they’d match well with the plants his brother had gifted him after he moved to Jeju with his wife and worked on a gardening program over December. The tables, found in a trip to Scotland, did cost a little bit more than what he likes to admit, but it’s gloomy. Wholesome, like he wants it to be. A place that resembles the peace that comes with having a cup of coffee on a winter day.
It's summer.
Maybe, people just don’t want hot beverages.
The repetition of one of the first albums from The Beatles is cut off by the sound of a megaphone. Sharp and repetitive sentences shouted into the void of the street. People start to gather in front of his shop, but it’s not because of the coffee beans he brews every morning. There is someone else there—one of those hippies that he tries to stay away from.
Wonwoo pushes his hair away from his face, not even making the effort to clasp his beige apron off as he ventures to the entrance door and opens it with a swing. Standing on a small beer box is a woman; sporting a long floral skirt and a simple top that dangles off one shoulder. It reads ‘fuck politicians!’, loud and clear, like the sound of her voice as she asks for rights.
Rights to have some kind of reelection, for she thinks the government is corrupt.
“We are fucking marionettes to the politicians. Workers that will lose their nails clawing to get to the last bit of money they offer us. Not enough for us to eat and live freely—” She speaks into the megaphone, and he notices the soft hue of her lips and the crookedness of her hair. She’s not playing the part, but somehow, she looks quite beautiful in her messiness.
“Excuse me.” Wonwoo speaks softly, as per usual.
“Us women, we need to stay close, to protect the children of our lives. The people that need us the most. We are tired of staying silent—”
Though, she’s silencing him in the process. If this protest gets any heavier, he could even get jailed just because she wants to speak out…in front of a coffee shop. “Um, miss, excuse me, I have something to say—”
“Say it with me: ‘We shall not be silenced’!”
“Miss!” Just when she gives a moment for the crowd to speak, Wonwoo’s voice becomes loud. A shout into nothingness that brings color to his cheeks and a set of widened eyes that anyone could miss if they don’t look at him from up-close. She turns to him, still on that beer box, the wind blowing at her skirt and tracing the soft curves of her body. “This is my coffee shop…and—and I fear my clients would be scared of entering if they saw this protest in front of it. Could you please—?”
“What?” She questions, putting the megaphone down and raising her eyebrows. “This is something important.”
“Yeah! Totally. I know.” Wonwoo, though not a fan of politics, can understand that the economics are not the best these days. Hell, he fears that he will lose the business that he had worked so hard on. “How about this…I know that you planned this protest and that—”
“Just leave the fucking woman alone!” One of the protesters grits through his teeth, the others bursting in exclamations just like him.
“Yeah, fucking capitalist!”
“I could offer all of you coffee! And a place to talk. You buy me a cup, I let you have this whole…ordeal inside.” Wonwoo tries to smile, covered by the strands of his hair, but the wind whisks it away and she gets a good glimpse at him. The frown in between her eyebrows softens, mouth agape for a second before she brings the megaphone up to her lips again.
“We’re going inside! A small business needs us, everybody. We’re not getting out of this mess if we don’t make a change.”
Her hand lays on his shoulder, getting off the box and sending him a smile that blossoms one of his own on his face. It’s crazy how the world has millions of people, each more different than the last one, but there are still connections. Electricity that pulls two people together even with a mere touch, as he realizes just how gorgeous she is.
And so unlike him.
Such an impossibility.
He prepares her favorite coffee then. Sweeter than anything, with marshmallows on top, a caramel Macchiato that keeps her fed along with the guava pastry that she dared try. Speaking her mind away, he only sits and listens, knowing that this is the last time he’ll ever see her.
###
UNIVERSE 03: right person, wrong time.
He looks like the image of what his mother used to coo about every Christmas night when the eggnog got to her system.
Not a man of marriage, he used to say he was, when he was just fifteen years old and promising he could pull through with a relationship. At the time, his now bride-to-be Fae was the third wheel of the trio. The woman that would wipe her tears when everything got to be a little bit too much with him, and that would clasp Wonwoo’s hands in between her own and teach him how to be a better boyfriend. How to leave the faux interests of bad friends behind to build something beautiful.
That they built in just a few months of relationship, tainted and left as lukewarm friendship, got destroyed in just three months.
She’d dare say, however, as she lets the emerald green of her bridesmaid’s dress cascade down her back, knowing fairly well that the fabric fits her a little too snugly because she decided to bathe her stomach with alcohol just hours prior to this, that…Wonwoo was her first love. She had never loved as purely, harshly and truly. With rain falling down on them as they both cried their goodbyes, eager to make it work, but regretting forcing their friendship to be something more.
Now, he’s marrying Fae. They didn’t get together soon after they broke up. It took years, pulling away, falling apart as a trio, coming back together and Wonwoo and Fae being roommates during their senior year of law school for them to get in a relationship.
Though, the word has it that when a man is totally certain about a woman, things will fall into place quickly. He looked at Fae in the eyes quite like he does now, as she stands behind her. Fae has her soft peachy hair curled and tied at the top of her rounded face, lips opened in that heart-curling smile that shows all her teeth, imperfect and yet, so fucking gorgeous. She looks like she was taken out of a fairytale, glowing…and she should be happy with her friend.
Fuck, she is.
God, imagine how difficult it would be to explain to Heaven when she tried to knock on its doors at the end of her life that she was happy…but also a bit jealous that this wasn’t her.
Because once, when she was a teen, she thought she would be in this position. Standing in front of Wonwoo, eager to place her hands on his arms, tug him closer and press their lips together. Call it forever, because it sounds like it could be possible with him. And these are thoughts not to be having when at the altar with her two best friends, as his eyes get filled with tears when looking at Fae.
She wishes it was her.
Wonwoo does look her way at one moment, departing from his vision towards Fae and it’s almost like his shoulders fall. She knows, then, that he remembers the possibilities—what they once talked about when seated on the front-yard of his old house, through small pecks and giggles. They once said that they were ‘ride-or-die’, only to ride along the adventure that they tried.
She gives him a tight-lipped smile, raising the corners of her mouth, as if telling him that they have made it. The ‘happy-ever-after’ reached in different spectrums. Wonwoo smiles back, tracing the outline of his engagement ring, the one that will meet the new ring that will create, hopefully, a lifetime of happiness.
Not with her.
Of course, not with her.
And that doesn’t haunt her. It’s something that she wishes she could have told herself in the past, so she would have never placed herself in Wonwoo’s life that way, making his relationship with Fae easier and more factual from the beginning. However, now that she’s here, it brings nostalgia.
They were once kids, now he’s getting married.
There’s a baby waiting for him in Fae’s womb, that not many people in this church know about. If any, really.
That’s the magic of moving on, but at the same time, wondering why it wasn’t like how they wished for as kids.
She nods at him, mouthing the words: “I’m proud of you.” in hopes that he can read her lips. Wonwoo, excelling at everything he does, manages to do so, nodding back at her before returning his gaze towards his wife.
Then, comes the exchange of words. His deep vibrato promises to cherish Fae forever, and she believes him. Maybe, she doesn’t have anyone by her side, or a man that can compare to the quality of people that Wonwoo is, but the time will come. For now, she’s the tree that shadows over the couple, sheltering from the eyes of the judging as they kiss, after letting out into the world what they wish for each other. Enormous contentedness, for example.
She claps, hands coming together as if praying that they will get to live up to their words. Plenty of years that will come and would have happened to her if Wonwoo was truly her person. Or maybe, he is, because this buzzing excitement that builds like makeup within her chest, coating her heart in layers and layers to hide what truly lays underneath is…an indicative.
Wonwoo is not a person that she got rid off easily. If not, they wouldn’t be friends by now.
Cheers escape her lips, fists balled and raised high in the air for the new couple. At least, someone got to have a happy ending.
###
UNIVERSE 04: the unknown
“I wish I had your eyes.”
Wonwoo says so with simplicity, his nephew—or more like his brother’s grandson—looking up from the handwritten letter that is taking up most of his time and headspace. He takes off on the family genes, with the dark hair, stoic eyes and cat-like smile. Though, the blush is different. In his eighty-six years of living, Wonwoo can’t recall the last time he actually blushed.
He sits back on his chair, creaking from how old it is, wood carving into the spine that had once functioned as leverage for running miles in the Olympics, but now is just a tale that people rarely believe from him. With that, he gets to cross one leg over the other and smile.
Love. Oh lord, love. How beautiful it is, and so inexplicably unreachable for him.
People say that everyone has fallen in love at least once in their lives, but for Wonwoo, it never felt quite right. Women were beautiful in their own spectrum of differences; he had liked a few, if he dares say so himself, with relationships growing and then, withering to the pressure of passing a few months together. But he had never met someone that had him feeling like he could keep going. A romance that could paralyze him to the bone and make him stay.
Now he doesn’t move much, but he doesn’t have anyone that accompanies him, perhaps with a memory, as he sits on this damn uncomfortable chair at six in the morning, downs his two shots of coffee and then, proceeds to read whatever book he finds in his beloved book collection. He wonders if the problem was him; if he couldn’t just quite make his expectations lower so someone could sit by his side.
He feels like his soulmate never came his way, either.
Minho crooks one of his slim legs over his hip, turning to look at the old man. “Paps, I am quite sure you have them. My dad can’t stop going on and on about the Jeon’s and how their eyes are the reason they got ladies on the first place—”
“Not that. Your dad’s an idiot.” Wonwoo excuses, laughing from within his belly and earning a smile from Minho, who plays with the button of his pen. “I am saying that you have a look in your eyes that I wish I had. How long have you been going out with this lady?”
“Almost three months.” Minho admits, running a hand through his dense hair. “…I mean, I’ve liked her for a bit longer, but paps, this is…like…you have to know how it is. I love this woman. I can’t imagine any other girl in my life.”
He can’t say that thought has crossed his head. It’s difficult to fathom just one person being enough for the rest of his life. He was a man of education, so it wasn’t like he was lurking for hook-ups…he just liked the science of relationships more. Why hunt when it always ended in a fall-out?
And he never really cared enough to keep going, either.
“I don’t know how that is. Maybe, that’s the goddamned problem.”
“How—? What?” Minho’s incredulous voice has him standing up, forgetting his letter to his girl to frown at Wonwoo as he points at him. “You’ve never been in love?”
“Never met anybody who could truly make me feel at ease.” Wonwoo announces, clearing his throat and rubbing at the long hairs on his chin. “…Because that’s what love is to me. I didn’t want a woman that I could go crazy with in the sheets. I needed a lady that…made me feel like I could be a better man, who pressured me to be better but still, made it seem like it was nothing. Like trying for her was just enough.”
“That’s crazy…” Minho mumbles, taking a seat next to Wonwoo. It’s horrid that he has to live in the same house as his brother’s family, just because walking gets harder by the day. “Do you believe in soulmates?”
“I do.” Wonwoo contemplates, nodding along to his words before sighing. “I believe there are people in this universe that we are just meant to find. But I never looked, you know? I stayed still. Hoped the great woman would just burst through the door and be…perfect. For her to be ready for me. For us.”
“That’s not how it works.” Minho says. “Love is action. Soulmates are action, too. You can find them, but if you never truly make an effort to develop and help grow, it’s not going anywhere.” Those words ring within him, youth bursting from his vocal cords, but nonexistent in the antiqueness of his vision. “Because destiny can only do so much. People can be perfect for each other, while being imperfect in their own ways.”
His nephew, or grandnephew, stops for a moment before smiling fully, like a vein in his chest had popped and liberated him.
“If we learn to forgive, we learn to love.” He finalizes, pressing a hand to Wonwoo’s knee and patting it. Those words settle within him; regret basking upon the old man’s figure. Of having so much and yet, having lived so little. With that, the guy raises one eyebrow in questioning. “Would you like to read what I’m writing? I want to give it to her for our four-month anniversary.”
“Technically not an anniversary.” Wonwoo adds the obvious, only to have Minho laughing.
“And right and there, paps, is why you’re still single at this age and time.” He still doesn’t listen to Wonwoo’s grumpy ways, or the grumble that he lets out. Minho sits by his side, the bubblegum pink paper making Wonwoo cackle. “So, I started it off by spraying perfume on it.”
“Of course, you did.” Wonwoo rolls his eyes.
“Oh, just so the lady never forgets me.”
“…And there goes, some of your dad’s genes popping out.”
“Paps, don’t be so grumpy.”
“Sorry, that’s what old single men are like.”
“Well, old man, let me show you what real love sounds like.”
###
UNIVERSE 05: we were just kids.
Bones chilled, crippling under the weight of small tremors, Wonwoo doubts this is the harshest rain the city has met. Not that he would know; he’s only been living for eight years in this wholesome world, but he knows for a fact that he could climb mountains with storms that could break the sky itself and he’d make it, just to meet his crush by the swings that near his home.
She’s his neighbor of sorts. His cousin studies with him, just one year older than him, and he ignores the kind of beauty he holds. The headbands that cling to her hair and tangle it even more. The gloss of her lips that may come from the donuts he always steals from his dad’s shelves just to give something to her. Her cheeks are rounded, like universes that he’d dare kiss if that wasn’t prohibited. Mom taught him that he shouldn’t get too close to girls, but she’s…gorgeous.
Intelligent.
She’s a storm waiting to unravel and he notices it when her hands splay under the rain, trapped underneath one of the picnic tables, waiting for the night not to eat them alive with the power of rain water. She may be made of sugar, like the sweetness of her words when she tells him that he’s the best student in his grade, that he knows things that even her, as his senior, has no idea about. That could be why she doesn’t get under the rain, afraid of it, cling to her own knees…
“Oh!” Wonwoo says his thoughts out loud. Of freaking course! Dad always lent his jacket to Mom when the weather got a bit cold. Though, he’s not a businessman. He doesn’t have a jacket around waiting to wrap around her arms. Instead, he stretches the sleeves of his yellow sweater, placing the tips on her ears and mumbling. “You must be freezing.”
“Everywhere. Not just my ears.” She points out and thank God it has gotten late—though not really, he may hear an earful from his parents when he gets back home—. Or, they could come looking for them. For, both her family and his knew about their whereabouts. “You’ll ruin your sweater.”
“You’ll get sick.” Wonwoo points out the obvious, though he can’t help but give a toothy grin that is mostly braces. “…That could give us an excuse to come over to my place. My grandma always makes the best chicken soup. Dad says it heals the heart.”
She smiles at him, crooked, closing her eyes the slightest before returning her gaze to the sky. “I’m afraid we won’t make it home tonight. I don’t want to stay out from home.”
Then, she pauses, lowering her voice.
“I’m scared.”
He hadn’t noticed that while being under the rain with her seemed like the most romantic thing to do, it was also something that she didn’t want to do. Responsible, eager to wrap herself up in her mom’s arms as she had hot chocolate to ease the ache in her joints, that’s who she was. The stars become her north, though Wonwoo notices she’s studying the houses not too far, where the lights have started to take place one by one because of people turning them on at the dusk of dawn.
That’s the cue he needs for taking off his sweater, leaving him only in a white t-shirt with a dinosaur imprinted on it. Then, he’s placing the sweater on top of their heads.
“Wonwoo!” She screeches, covering her face with her palms. “What do you think you’re doing? You’ll get sick, too!”
“I am getting you home, that’s exactly what I’m doing!” His black hair sticks to his face, turning around with his sweater getting drenched while on top of him. He’s already out of their hideaway, nodding at her. “Get here! We need to run before we get entirely wet!”
“Jesus!” She adds, walking alongside him and wrapping an arm around his waist to keep the two of them under the sweater. Wonwoo would be lying if he said he didn’t feel his heart racing within his chest. “O—Okay. I’ll have my mom make you some hot choco in return.”
“Really?”
“O—Of course.” Teeth tittering, she gives him a smile when he looks down at her for a fraction of a second, running through the streets of their neighborhood, shoes ruined because of them splashing against the water-covered concrete. The tip of her nose glistens as if she had just cried, but she looks genuinely happy. “Wonwoo, you’re…the best boy I’ve ever met.”
They are only eight years old, but those words are enough to let Wonwoo know that he wants to be just as old as his parents are and cling to her hand just because he can, and because he wants to. He guides their scavenging, blushing, trembling, mumbling and tripping over his own words, perhaps even his shoelaces, because he is so young and yet, he knows this is love.
The romance his grandma always coos about in those books she reads as her dishes are finished.
The same love that his brother got scolded about just a few days prior for drawing hearts on his notebook.
The love that adults say they can’t find because they are too blind to the obvious. Only a heart that loves purely is able to hunt for romance. For, if love is viewed by a battlefield, it will only be a matter of time before the ticking bomb explodes and their territory is turned to ashes. He may not know a lot about life, or if they’ll last forever, but in his short years of living he knows he doesn’t want her anywhere but at his side, each and every afternoon, playing in that park near their neighborhood, swings with their names written in between doodles of hearts.
###
UNIVERSE 06: i promised i’d stay.
The first night of living with somebody should feel like the initiation of a construction work that only architects could battle with. It’s a promise of sorts; the trial and error that every relationship needs to go through, and she’s so certain about Wonwoo. Everything that he has established and shown to be in the year they have been together, but at the same time, lying next to him as the lull light of his reading lamp bathes over them, his eyes half-closing as he dives into a good read, feels like she could die at any minute.
Not because of him, but she just wants everything to go well.
It’s the fear of having people a few years from now telling her that they saw it from the get-go; that they wouldn’t work out in any way. It’s the irrational thought that pops in her head and tells her that, much like blogs and memes have emphasized, people are not to be trusted, for no one loves truly in this time and age. It’s the weight on her chest that tells her that he loves her, but she could have tried to put on something sexier instead of her usual cartoon pajamas.
She tries to fall asleep to no avail. People say that relationships no longer exist; we are just going from one person to the other, searching to be found. However, the thought of not having Wonwoo by her side and failing in this terrifies her. She is supposed to be the love of his life, the woman that he sighs about every single day and the mere reason why he has a smile on his face. She doesn’t ask for perfect, for they have had their arguments with tranquil conversations aiming to be respectful between the two, but she wants it to be him.
But what if it’s not him?
What if it’s him, but she’s not his ‘it’s her’?
Another turn on the bed.
Another tug of the sheets.
Another sigh.
Wonwoo closes his book softly, eyes closing the slightest before he turns to the side. That’s when he comes face to face with her, pulling the covers slightly over his chin before he connects his gaze to hers.
“I can hear the gears turning inside your head.” He whispers, licking his bottom lip and pressing a chaste kiss to her cheek before sighing. “What’s on your mind?”
“Nothing.” She lies through her teeth, afraid of what he may think in that moment of overthinking. Though, Wonwoo doesn’t eat it up, humming at her words.
“Are you sad?”
“Not precisely.”
“Are you angry?”
“Not precisely.” She repeats.
“Is it something I did?”
“Not precisely.” She confesses, hiding her face on his chest and feeling all the weight on her shoulders come out in a sigh. “It’s the fear of what you can do. Like leaving, stop loving me, hating me after moving in with me…wanting to go somewhere else, loving someone else—”
“That’s impossible.” Wonwoo says with a scoff, placing a hand on her face and pressing kisses to her cheeks repeatedly, each softer than the last one.
“Promise me it’s impossible.”
“I can swear.” Wonwoo announces, pulling away to kiss her lips. Her heart races and calms down at his motions at the same time; the paradoxical magic that he pulls with her. “Because I choose to love you every day, even when there are millions of people out there, and circumstances that can happen between us. I choose to go to bed every night with you because I was tired of thanking God and having to think you’re far away. I won’t hate you, because I want to make it work.” He stops for a second, rubbing at a tear that had glided down her eye. “I choose you here, now, tomorrow, forever. You’re the love of my life not because the universe put you on my road, but because I choose you.”
Sometimes, we get lost on ‘the one’. The one person that was made to perfection to fit exactly what we wanted. However, we shape the person we love within our thoughts to be the one that we wanted. It’s up to us to accept someone, or feel like they are the kind of person that we want by our sides forever. She thinks this way as she cuddles closer to his chest, intertwining their legs, imagining if it will feel as safe and beautiful as it does right now when they are eighty and he keeps reading a few chapters before going to bed.
After all, doubting Wonwoo comes in spurts that disappear when she recalls that she feels like she has known him forever. Here, in this lifetime and the many ones to come.
Maybe, in another universe, they are just as in love as they are right now.
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thetriumphantpanda · 8 months
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i'll be needing stitches | din djarin
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Summary | The Mandalorian has never had someone else tend to his wounds.
Pairing | Din Djarin x F!Reader 
Word Count | 2.1k
Warnings | Future chapters will include smut, but this one involves mentions of injuries, a dead bounty, explicit descriptions of an untrained professional stitching someone up, blood, some explicit thoughts and some yearning.
Authors Note | My favourite tin can man is back and ready for business. I am having such a wonderful time imagining all the things Din has never experienced before and the idea that he has only ever been the one to patch himself up was more than I could cope with. As always, comments, reblogs and freaking out in my ask box are all welcome and if you enjoyed this, please consider supporting me with a donation to my Ko-Fi. 
I no longer use taglists - please follow @thetriumpantpandanotifs and turn on notifications to know when I upload fics. 
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He’d been gone a few days. That was nothing new. Off hunting his next bounty, leaving you in charge of child. You didn’t mind it, once you’d gotten used to the fact that you couldn’t really reason with him, and that you’d be tired from constantly keeping an eye on him, he was actually pretty decent company. 
You’re fussing with him, trying to get him to go down for some rest when the Crest doors open and there’s the sound of a body hitting the floor. That’s nothing out of the ordinary, so you don’t rush to see what’s happening. What is out of the ordinary is the sound of metal crashing to the floor right after it. 
You whip around, looking at the scene before you. There’s a dead bounty on the ground, being kept company by Mando, who is crumpled on the floor in his armour, a pool of blood seeping out from underneath his left leg as he struggles to push himself up. 
“Bloody hell,” you exclaim, immediately dropping all worry of the child to drop to your knees next to him, “What the hell happened?!” 
He doesn’t respond, just grips at the injured leg, trying to get the bleeding to subside. His trousers are torn and there’s a nasty gash to the skin of his thigh that is about to cause a whole world of problems if you can’t fix it. 
With your hand on his shoulder, placed there to let him know you’re near, you whip your head around trying to remember where he keeps the healing equipment. He’s needed it before, but only for minor injuries, and has never needed your help before, but with the way the blood is spreading across the floor, he’s going to need you now. 
He feebly lifts a hand, pointing in the direction of his bunk, “Left it…. There.” He struggles to spit out. 
“Okay, I’ll fetch it,” your voice is laced with panic, like if you leave him now, he’s going to pass out, or worse, “You’ve gotta promise me you’ll stay with me, okay?” There’s no response, “Mando? You hear me? No sleeping!” 
He mumbles something unintelligible under his helmet but at least he’s talking. You let your hand drop, guiding him down to lie on the floor whilst you rush to his bunk, pulling at the haphazard sheets until the first aid box appears at the foot of the bed. You’re back on your knees next to him in no time, and he’s still moving about and groaning as you put your hand on his thigh to get a better look at his wound. 
Your fingers tear at the edges of the material, wanting to allow him to keep his modesty but see the extent of the damage. The gash is angry, blood seeping from it with red edges. You tip the top of the box open and root through it. There’s a single bottle of bacta spray, which you pull out, give a little shake and go to take the top off, when his wide palm circles around your wrist to stop you. 
“No.” 
You let a frustrated growl leave your throat, “Then what, Mando?!” You exclaim, “You’re bleeding out, what am I meant to do?!”
“The thread,” He chokes out, “Just stitch it up.” 
You look him straight in the visor, hoping your disapproving look is landing through his beskar. You are not a nurse, if you try and stitch him up you’re only going to make it worse. 
“I’m going to make it worse like that,” You insist, “I’ve never stitched anything in my life.” 
“Y-yes you have,” he squeezes your wrist, to reassure you, “Y-your tunic.” 
“Mando, this is your fucking leg we’re talking about, not my clothes, it’s completely different.” 
He pulls on your arm now, dragging your attention to him, craning his helmet as much as he can to look at you, “Do not waste that spray.” He demands, and even when he’s bleeding out on the floor, he commands you, knows that no matter what, he calls the shots - he lets your arm go, pushing you away gently but towards his leg. 
You could argue with him that saving him from certain death is not wasting it, but the longer you bicker, the less time you have, so with shaking hands, you put the bacta spray back, and instead find the needle and surgical thread. With shaking hands, you do your best to thread the needle and tie it off at one end, before your hands are grasping at his thigh. 
“This is going to suck,” You mutter, because it is, it would suck at the hands of a trained professional, so it’s definitely going to suck at the hands of someone who could barely sew their own clothes together, “I’m sorry.” 
You don’t give him enough time to respond, or yourself much time to consider what you’re actually doing, you just push the needle through the skin closest to you and over to the other side, trying not to look up or focus too hard on the sounds he’s making as you drag the needle back and forward through his skin, watching as the skin closes together the further along the wound you pull. Your hands are shaking, and you’re holding your breath, but you don’t seem to be making it worse, which is something you’ll take. 
You’re trying your best to concentrate on making the line of stitches as neat and tidy as you can, but all you can really focus on are the sounds that are coming from underneath that helmet of his. Low groans and grunts of pain as you work the needle through his skin, groans and grunts that you can’t help thinking about in another context, like if you weren’t currently trying to stitch him up and instead he had you pinned down and was- okay, no absolutely not. 
You shake your head, trying to rid yourself of the now incredibly distracting train of thought. Sure, there have been moments when you’d thought about it, though about what kind of lover he would be, mainly only out of curiosity than your own desires. But ever since he took that damn helmet off in the rain and touched your face, you can’t help but wonder what kind of lover he’d be for you.
Whilst he’s led there on the floor, all his trust put in you to patch him up and make him better, make sure he lives, and all you can is wonder what those sounds would be like for you. What the press of his thighs would do to your own when he put himself between your body, or what this specific thigh, gripped in your hand, clenched as you push the needle through once more, would feel like between your legs. Would he guide you through it, with those big hands on your hips, or would he lean back and let you take what you needed? Would he snake that hand down the front of your trousers and help you along, or would he let you do it all yourself? 
He’s agitated, and understandably so, it’s been a slow patch up, with you making sure that the scar your sutures will leave is as neat as it possibly can be. As you bend your head to look closely as you tie another knot in the end of the stitches, you realise he will have this for the rest of his life. A permanent mark on his skin, made by someone else sure, but patched up by you. The Mandalorian will always have this reminder of you etched into his skin, even if, for some reason, you cease to exist in his life. It’s primal, the way is makes you feel, that one day, if you’re gone, he’ll have to explain your existence to someone when they ask how he got that scar. You will forever be a piece of him. 
He’s gone suspiciously quiet, the pain you were causing him by driving a needle through his damn skin has made way to a dull throb. You reach into the first aid box, pulling out some gauze and tissue. You use the tissue and what little disinfectant there is to clean the sutures and the blood from his skin,  before haphazardly taping the gauze over it to try and keep it clean and free from infection. 
He pushes himself up on his elbows once you’re done, watching as you clean away your mess. He wants to reach out to you, he wants to touch you, to anchor himself to you and never let go, to thank you, but instead he simply tries to push himself up whilst trying to keep the stitches you just put in him intact. He lets out a pained groan, you whip your head around.
“Maker, help me,” You grumble, dropping the things you were attempting to clean up to rush back to his side, “I just sewed you up and you’re trying to move on your own?” You’re trying to speak in a tone that is authoritative but it doesn’t seem to come out that way, “Can’t you just sit still for a minute?” 
“Need to get us out of here,” He mumbles, taking hold of your hand that you’ve offered him, using your body to steady himself as he pulls himself up off the floor, “I’m sorry.” 
“For what?” You ask, letting him lean on you slightly for support as he hobbled toward the ladder to the cockpit, despite him weighing considerably more than you. 
He doesn’t actually respond to your question, once he’s at the cockpit ladder, he seems to not need your help anymore – struggling up the steps, grunting with each movement of his injured leg, so you let him go, turning around to finish cleaning up. As you’re cleaning the blood from the floor, you’re face-to-face with the body of the bounty he’d dropped on the floor. You’d seen him deal with these bounties more than once – normally when they’re talking back and fighting – so this will prove easier than anticipated. The bounty is slight, so dragging it into the carbonite chamber is easy enough. You flip some switches and press a few buttons and in no time the bounty is stuck there, waiting to be handed off whenever Mando gets you back to Nevarro. 
It’s not until much later that he reappears. You’ve fed the child, fed yourself, left a ration pack for him, and you’re just killing time, waiting for the child to wear himself out so you can finally let the exhaustion take over your body and sleep. Mando leans himself against the wall, watching you as you fuss over the child. 
“Thank you,” His modulated voice hits your ears, “I’ve never had someone to help me like that.” 
You look at him – this one doesn’t surprise you, the lone warrior who hasn’t allowed anyone but you to travel with him, of course he’s only ever had himself to stitch up his wounds. 
“Well, I don’t know how to drive this damn thing,” You speak, knocking your knuckles against the wall next to you, “So it was pretty important for you not to die,” you wait for him to laugh but he doesn’t, “You’re welcome,” you speak quietly then, “Sorry it was a horrible sewing job.” 
He walks towards you now, visible limp but better than you imagine anyone else with a similar injury would walk, sitting down on the bench next to you. He’s so close that you can feel the heat emanating from his body. He sets a gloved hand on your own thigh, squeezing it slightly, making your pulse jump. He has to know, right? He has to know that he has this effect on you? That whenever he touches you, though that isn’t often, it makes your blood boil with want. Does he know that as your hands worked to close his wound earlier all you could think about was what his perfect, meaty thigh would feel like wedged between your own? 
He doesn’t move his hand, just lets it rest there, thumb rubbing across the material of your trousers, comforting you, because he’d scared you earlier, he knows he did, and he needs you to know he’s never going to leave you, even if he’s not quite ready to verbalise that to you yet. You let your head drop to his shoulder, closing your eyes as he stays there for you, his body offering you’re the comfort you so desperately need. 
“I’m always going to fix you Mando,” you speak quietly, “You’ll never have to stitch yourself up ever again.” 
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coinandcandle · 21 days
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Hermes Deity Deep Dive
This was a requested deep dive on Hermes, you can request a deep dive on my ko-fi for $5!
Hermes is one of the 12 Olympian Gods and is known as the herald or the messenger of the gods. Often depicted wearing winged shoes and holding a staff or wand, he was known to be the patron of heralds and messengers.
As with many deities, Hermes is the god of many things, such as poets, athletics, luck, travel, trade, omens, animal husbandry, and thieves. This multi-faceted god was often conflated with the Roman Mercury, though there are some key differences.
With that, let’s get to know Hermes!
Parents and Siblings
Zeus (father)
Maia (mother)
Lovers or Partners
Theses are the more common lovers found referenced with Hermes.
Aphrodite
Brimo
Daeira
Peitho
Persephone
Penelopeia
Children
These are all of the cited children I found, there may be some discrepancies depending on which myth you read and who tells the story.
Evander
Pan*
*The primordial god Pan has many origins, being the son of Hermes and Penelopeia is just one of these origins. The next three are thought to be aspects of Pan that may also be personified separately. Pan may be a tripartite deity, this will have to wait until Pan gets his own Deep dive.
Agreus
Nomios
Phorbas
Hermaphroditus
Abderus
Autolycus
Eudoros
Angelia
Myrtilus
Palaestra
Aethalides
Arabius
Astacus
Bounos
Cephalus
Cydon
Pharis
Polybus
Prylis
Saon
Epithets
The Greek gods have massive lists of names, here are some I’ve found on multiple lists.
Atlantiades
Argeïphontes
Cyllenian
Kriophoros
Notes
One of the more popular myths of Hermes is the myth of him stealing Apollo’s cattle as a baby. Hermes was freshly born, escaped his crib and stole his half-brother’s herd of cattle. In order to avoid getting caught, Hermes plays some devious and clever tricks, though the tricks he plays depends on the myth-teller. At some point on his journey with the cattle he finds a tortoise whose shell he turns into the very first lyre. Inevitably he gets caught by Apollo but the sun god is so charmed by the lyre that he allows Hermes to keep the cattle or at least forgives him.
Not only this myth, but others depict him as a trickster who enjoys a good prank.
Hermes was known to be the patron god of Arcadia as he was born in Mount Cyllene in Arcadia according to Homer.
Philostratus places Hermes’ birthplace in Olympus, however.
Hermes is also a psychopomp, a traveler between the realms of the living and dead who aides souls headed to the underworld.
It’s possible that Hermes’ name derives from the Greek herma which meant “heap of stones” or “cairn”. These heaps of stones, or cairns, were roadside markers for travelers and may have also acted as small shrines for the deity.
Hermes was notably charming even as a baby, considered a darling of the gods (ref) where many of the deities in the pantheon would teach or entertain young Hermes.
Hermes was said to have invented wrestling and racing.
One of his more prominent cults was in Attica during the Classical period. By this time he was considered to be the god of travelers and sailors.
Thoth was another deity conflated with Hermes.
Hermes in many myths and traditions is seen to be a liminal deity. Not only is he able to travel between the underworld and overworld with ease, but he is often depicted as both young and old, as a mediator between god and man, and as a dream bringer.
It’s possible that this ties into his involvement as an initiator for young adulthood.
The Hermea were festivals held in honor of Hermes.
Hermes’ staff or wand, the caduceus (staff with two snakes wound around it), is often mistaken for the Rod of Asclepius (staff with one snake wound around it).
Modern Deity Work
Explanations are placed next to each item on the list.
Correspondences
Rocks/Stone/Crystals
Copper - I couldn’t find a source for this but I’ve seen it on multiple posts now and my friends who follow Hermes cite this as well so it is worth a mention!
Gold
Silver
Rocks - Just rocks, specifically stacked rocks from the roadside. Cairns were
Herbs/Plants
Crocus flower - based on the myth where he accidentally kills Krokos and turns him or his blood into a flower.
Strawberry Trees (botanical name Arbutus unedo) - he had been nursed under one according to some myths.
Animals
Hare - he placed the hare amongst the stars as the constellation Lepus.
Tortoise - created the lyre out of a tortoise shell.
Cattle - stole Apollo’s cattle as a baby and is known to be a god of cattle rearing.
Hawk - he transformed two men, Hierax and Daidalon, into hawks.
Symbols
Caduceus - the name of the staff or wand he is depicted as carrying.
Shepherd’s Pipes - he created the shepherd’s pipes.
Winged shoes - the type of shoe varies by myth or artistic depiction but the “winged” part remains the same.
Winged hat - he is often depicted wearing a winged hat.
Traveler’s hat - he is often depicted wearing a traveler’s hat.
Offerings
Shepherd’s Pie - This is purely based on the fact that it’s similar to shepherd’s pipes and I find it amusing, I’m sure a god who enjoys jokes would enjoy this too but that’s my bias.
Koumara - I found this post by @grecowitch explaining that while strawberries are often cited as offerings for Hermes, this misconception comes from the misleading name of the “strawberry tree” which actually produces fruit called koumara! That said, I imagine Hermes wouldn’t be upset at receiving delicious strawberries.
Animal skins - Hermes
Coins - he is known to be a patron of not only merchants but thieves!
Other standard offerings to Grecian deities are olive oil, honey, cheeses, various fruits, milk, and candles.
Acts of Devotion
Write poetry - he is a god of poetry.
Travel - he is the patron god of travelers.
Learn how to play the lyre - he created the lyre.
Play sports - he is known as a god of athletics and during his festival days people would play sports.
Play pranks - I won’t advocate for harsh pranks, personally, but he is known as a trickster so do with that what you will.
Pray to him - pretty standard devotional act.
Go to the gym or otherwise exercise - he has been cited as the patron deity of gyms.
Build a cairn - DO NOT STACK ROCKS IN NATURE as it disrupts the natural environment! However, feel free to build one on your porch or in your house with rocks you may already have.
Celebrate Hermea - I was unable to find a set date-range for these festivals. Some suggested around the beginning of August, possibly due to his conflation with the Irish god Lugh’s holiday Lughnasadh; others suggested May 15 due to the Roman god Mercury’s holiday Mercuralia. That said, he was known to be worshipped during other holidays in Greek tradition alongside other deities.
References and Further Reading
Encyclopedia Mythica
The THEOI Project
Wikipedia
Britannica
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writingoddess1125 · 6 months
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My Shooting Star
A Request I received on Ko-Fi, Hope you enjoy Darling!
Shanks x FemReader x Mihawk
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⚠️ Warnings: ⚠️ Sadness, depression, mention of injury.
Request more stories on Ko-Fi
You stepped back, a bit frightened by his sudden forwardness and general excitement he possessed. He raised a brow in confusion at this as he took a step back.
You're my Shooting Star...
Shooting Star...
Pain... it was so painful..
Black waves, Crushing Boulders, Dark skys and purple sand. That is the first things you saw when you opened your eyes.
Your body ached and your lungs burned from salt water that you forces from your lungs. Pulling yourself up slowly from the icy water you saw that you were in a foreboding place like it had been cursed to be dreary and bleak, wincing as a sharp pain shot through the back of your head as you tried to focus your gaze around you but the darkness wasnt helping.
Rolling up you see a shadow, like a castle just up the beach.. your aching head screaming that it was shelter and possibly help. Crawling through the sand you make it to the steps of the castle, climbing the dark cobblestone and opening the massive doors.
Collapsing in the hallway you felt your body burning in pain, like you had scrapped your knee but over most of your body.
You didn't even hear the sound of footsteps approaching you. That was till a sword was brought to your neck, The steel warmer then the chill from your bones as you looked up. There standing was a man, in a open white shirt, gold cross hanging from his neck and a stoic face that was chiseled just like the black facial hair and combed back darkness on his head.
"How dare you break into my home.. State your business" He hissed, not lowering his blade as you stared up at him from the ground.
"I-I need help.." You managed out, before coughing up more water from your lungs onto his floor. Him cringing at the sight.
He stared at you before lowering his blade and returning it to his back. His eyes looking over you before sighing and holding a hand to you- which you accepted and finally stood up on uneasy legs.
Supporting most of your weight with ease, He lead you to what looked to be a study and set you a bit ungratefully into a large chair. Sitting across from you with a heavy scowl on his face-
"I am Dracule Mihawk- How did you find my home?" He questioned, his eyes narrowed dangerously at you as you sat in the chair shivering from the wet clothes.
"I-I don't know? I just washed on shore" You admit, the man's yellowed eyes locking onto you as his brow raised.
"You are dressed in pirate gear- What crew did you sail with?" He questioned but you gave another 'I don't know' answer.
"What is your name?" He asked, Staring at you as he poured you a cup of tea. Your head hurt... and you winced when you tried to think... but nothing came up.
"I-I don't remember?.. Honestly I don't remember anything.. I judt remeber waking up on that sand out there" You admit, rubbing the back of your head once more and wincing. Mihawk standing up and leaning over to take a look at the back of your head, seeing a horrendous wound there which he attributed to your memory loss.
"It looks like you have a head wound...Ill return soon"
Standing up suddently he went off to grab the first aid kit quickly he began to clean the back of your head.
He asked you basic questions, ones you didn't know the answer to in any way which he seemed to forgive.
"May I see whatever else is hurting?" He questioned, You nodding and pulling away the wet cut up fabric of your coat and shirt underneath. The fresh air adding a cold sting to your body as you saw the harsh twisting wounds thay decorated your body, like your body had been sent through a grater or rubbed raw with a pumice stone. Mihawk winced at the sight, sighing as he saw many tattoos that had been on your body was clearly removed by your treatment of the sea.
"Looks like the sea was not kind to you.." He whispered softly as he set to work cleaning you up. Talking to you about nothing as he tried to distract you as he worked, picking bits of coral and stones from your flesh. Once it was all over and you were wrapped in bandages Mihawk gave you a shot of a strong alcohol to help the pain. He found some leftovers which he quickly fed you as well and gave you some more booze to help dull the pain through your body. Offering some clothes to change into as well as he helped you to your feet again.
"You can stay here to rest.." He said softly, guiding you himself to a nice bedroom were you could rest- That night dreams of a red ship filled your mind, sailing with blurred faces of people you had once knew and the warmth of someone kissing your face.. it was bittersweet and you didn't know why.
It had been a few weeks you'd spent with Mihawk and Perona. They were so nice to you, and in truth you had started to really like Mihawk. He was quiet sure but he was so kind as well, He helped your wounds and would keep a careful eye on you. You saw it and maybe because you didn't know his true identity you saw a sparkle of enjoyment everytime you came to speak to him-
In that time Mihawk and you had found a name for you, (Y/N)- You two having spent some time in the library together as Perona came in and out screaming if it was cute or not. Finally finding one that suit you and you liked hearing yourself being called by.
However it seemed the quiet bliss you were experiencing was soon to be disrupted once more, as a storm rolled in much like the one that had brought you and a massive knock on the door brought Mihawks attention from the chess match he shared with you.
Telling you to wait you watched him leave the library you two were playing in- It was almost 30 minutes of silence. Eventually standing up to go see what was happening, You didn't hear any fighting or anything but could see that the fireplace in the Study had been lit and light was pouring out. Silently walking over you took a peak inside, Hearing a small conversation spoken between two men.
There a red haired man sat, talking to Mihawk in a stressed way as he ran a single hand over his tired face. He reminded you of a weathered dog, Kindness still in those eyes but a loyalty and fierceness that said he had seen a lot. Mihawk caught you staring and nodded at you.
"Ah, (Y/N)- this is Shanks" Mihawk said calmly as he gestured for you to enter further, The red haired man standing to greet you.
He turned to stare at you with wide eyes, a wide smile breaking over his face as he rushed to you suddently. His hand reaching out to cup your cheek in affection.
"Starlight! You're alive I'm so glad my Love I was worried sick for you!"
"Starlight? It's me Shanks- You know me" He emphasized.
"I-Im sorry but... I don't remeber you" you say softly, his eyebrows raising in surprise at this
He tried... for weeks he stayed on that island, bringing foods he claimed you like, songs you used to love, and books that used to inspire you. Non of which held the value or interest you apparently once had for them-
His face washing in worry as the realization whatever marks had been on your body had long since been washed away by the new scars that decorated your body. He swallowed thickly as he took a shaky breath, Mihawk grabbing Shanks shoulder gently.
"Shanks... Let us talk about this privately. I do not think it is fair to frighten them like this" Mihawk said softly, the Red head opening his mouth ready to protest but looked at you once more. Recognizing the shine of fear in your eyes.. so he nodded softly at this. Mihawk waving you to leave and go to bee, which you did and glanced back to see the red hair man looking to Mihawk as fresh tears ran down his cheeks... your heart aching at the sight even if you didn't understand.
The next morning when you went for breakfast you saw everyone was already there, Perona seeing you up and quickly dismissing herself back to her room. Which ment this wasn't good.. Taking a seat Shanks started talking immediately, you not even able to take a sip of your tea.
"Starlight- er sorry (Y/N) I wanted to apologize for how I approached you last night.. But I wanted to explain... See you were a member of my Crew and.. my partner" He started, you feeling a wave of embarrassment and unease hitting you at his words. Mihawk taking a sip of his tea as he clearly wanted this to be as civil as possible.
"However not long ago we were in a terrible battle, a storm hitting the ship before you were swept overboard. Me and the crew trying to find you but was unsuccessful and even I was separated from my ship in the disaster.." He mumbled, clearly unset from the situation for himself as well.
"Mihawk has taken his position as your Ward of sorts.. and well" Shanks hesitated clearly unsure how to proceed so the Warlord stepped in.
"He wants to stay here, see if he can jostle your memories in a few weeks and if by the time he needs to leave if you'd join him" Mihawk said calmly, fear hitting your heart at the request... you looked at both men, Mihawk of course keeping his eyes lowered to not sway your opinion while Shanks stared at you with pleading eyes.
"Okay.. I'll give it a chance" You say softly and give a hesitant nod. The red head smiling brightly at this.
"I'm glad (Y/N)- I promise it will be fine" He said in a reassuring way, however you felt unease in your soul as you took a bite of your now cooled breakfast.
Mihawk keeping a close eye on Shanks to make sure he didn't throw you in a panic or go too far in wishing for you to remember him.
You bit your bottom lip, your stomach churning at the choices laid before you. A man who swore you loved him, vs the man you found yourself falling in love with.. a past that you had lost or a future you could see.
You however just felt guilty- It was like being told you were someone's fantasy but not living up to their ideas.. you didn't know who this 'Starlight' was, What she liked or what she did. You wanted to help Shanks and make him feel better but when something just didn't click for you, the disappointment in his eyes were unmistakable.. many nights you would go to Mihawks room and cry, letting him hold you as you admitted your guilt of hurting the stranger and seeing his broken heart.
Clearly after your tearful cries for far too many nights, Mihawk had called off the trial between you and Shanks. Deciding it was best to make a decision now.
Gathering in the Study you sat awkwardly in a chair as Shanks and Mihawk went back and forth, bickering about if they should let you continue humoring Shanks and leaving with him or stay with Mihawk and live your life as (Y/N).
"Shanks this is ignornat- You can't force her to remember and you are putting to much pressure on her" Mihawk stressed, Shanks glaring at his peer.
"She needs to remember- You are giving in too quickly and when she wakes up she's going to regret ever-"
"Enough!" You finally spoke drawing both their attentions.
"I think this is my choice" You spoke firmly, both men growing quiet as Mihawk nodded in respect of your wish and Shanks doing the same.
"I'll always cherish the memories with you" Shanks said softly, even though there was a smile on his lips you could see the heartbreak in his eyes. Like he was mouring and saying goodbye to a passed love one.
You look to Shanks, he had been kind to you despite everything... but something said it wasn't right- Not him but you... you weren't who he wanted, He wanted Starlight not (Y/N)- you lowered your gaze and sighed softly.
"I-I'm sorry Shanks.." You whisper softly, and it was almost like you could hear his heart shatter at your words. Glancing up to see his eyes blank and glossed over, shock clearly in his system as he slowly lowered himself down into the chair. His movements almost robotic in nature as he grabbed the bottle of wine Mihawk had set out and pulled it close to his chest like a child would pull a teddy bear.
"Come (Y/N).. let us retire..." Mihawk said gently as he wrapped a gentle arm around you and guided you out of the room. Shanks still seated there, still like a statue and the second the door closed behind you and Mihawk you could have swore you heard a broken sob.
Shanks stayed locked away for 3 days and nights. He didn't step out once from your knowledge and you saw plates being left at his guest room door but never touched. Once again guilt eating your soul.. however on the 4th day he emerged, speaking to Mihawk before returning to his room.
"Mihawk?... what's going on?" You question, Seeing the man grab his hat and coat.
"Shanks has agreed to leave the island. He requested a temporary ship to set sail.. he leaves this evening" He said calmly- Your heart clenching at hearing this, but you nodded non the less... you spent the day in your room, in a whirlpool of unease and pain, Yet confuses by your feelings that was set before you. Snapping out of your feelings only when Mihawk knocked on your door to tell you it was time.
Standing at the pier you wait next to Mihawk, Shanks had yet to appear.. after 30 minutes the man stepped out, his eyes had bags under them and his stubble was unruly having clearly been depressed to do much. Shanks walked to the two of you and smiled softly at you as he patted your shoulder tenderly.
He stepped back from you, Smiling still as he looked to Mihawk who was still behind you with a hand on your shoulder.
"Take care of her Hawkeye, See she's a a special one. Like a real life Shooting Star"
'Shooting Star-... My Shooting Star'
A sharp pain hit your heart, like hearing that Nickname suckerpunched your stomach... you swore you heard it before. However shook it off quickly as you watched the Red-Head turn away from you the final time and walk to the ship.
Uncertainty filling your chest as you watch Shanks turn and leave. A ache in your chest like your heart had been broken at the sight and tears filled your vision- Like a loss you could never hope to understand.
Or remember.
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yoonia · 9 months
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Chance Encounter | 06
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⟶ Title | Chance Encounter
⟶ Summary | Sometimes your fangirling can cause you a lot of problems. Add alcohol and your clumsy thumb into the mix, followed by waking up to an accidental DM getting sent on Instagram, and your life changes forever. The entire mess leads you to an odd form of friendship with the man who you had always admired. But what happens when your two worlds collide, blurring the lines between reality and dreams? Will you be able to return to your real-life once this is over?
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⟶ Pairings | Christian Yu ( DPR +IAN / Yu Barom ) x reader ⟶ Genre | Teacher’s Aide!AU, College!AU, Fluff, Future Smut ⟶ Ratings & Warnings | +18 / M for Mature theme and upcoming smut chapters; Mentions of alcohol consumption, sexual tension, flirting, accidental text messages with revealing pictures ⟶ Word count | 9k words ⟶ Story Masterlist: Chance Encounter | ⤎ Previous Chapter | Next Chapter ⇢ ⟶ Main Masterlist | Mailbox | Taglist | Music Playlist | Ko-fi ⟶ Cross post | AO3
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⟶ Author's note | It's finally here! After a long wait, I have finally returned with this story. I think this would be the perfect time to reveal the reason why I haven't been updating this series in a while and that is...*drum roll*...because google docs lost the entire files for the rest of the chapters lol I'm back, though, and I have every intention to finish this series because I still have a ton of ideas to share featuring this amazing man. I hope you'll enjoy this chapter!
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Chapter Six
“Are you guys still at the mall? Seriously, did you have to take so long to pick your—bathing suit?” 
Pressing your hand on your mouth, you muffle the sound of your laughter while Christian continues fuming on the other side of the call. “Bathing suit? Damn, you sound older than Momo’s Dad,” you almost choke as you tease him, unable to stop yourself from laughing. 
“Okay, bikini, swimsuit, whatever,” he says, grumbling on the phone, causing you to laugh harder. 
“It’s not that we lost track of time because of the bikinis,” you answer him with your voice lowered, not wanting to draw any more attention from the people roaming around you when you had already drawn enough eyes on you just by giggling to yourself. Having people glancing your way is already making you feel uncomfortable enough, even more so when it feels like you are hiding a big secret from the world and you have an irrational fear of getting caught growing on you. 
Speaking to Christian like this makes you feel that way. It feels like you are keeping an important secret from the world. Although you have to admit that this is exactly what he is—a wonderful secret that you want to keep to yourself for a bit longer. 
Thinking about this puts a smile on your face. One that stays with you when you cheerfully add, “We just had a little detour while shopping, that’s all. We’ll be back on track and finish things up in no time.” 
Just as you are saying these words to him, you cast a glance towards the other side of the store where you currently are. There, you see Momo leaning over one of the glass showcases lined inside the store with rapt attention, eyes glowing over the collection of expensive branded watches lined up properly on display. Right beside her, Em is basically doing the same, and it is almost comical to see their expressions mirroring one another, with the bright lights coming out of the glass display reflecting on their faces to make them shine. And neither of them is even bothered by it, too mesmerised by the flashy collection that they have been eyeing on. 
“Is ‘detour’ a code word for saying that you guys are getting carried away at the mall? You’re not trying to buy everything you see on display, are you?” Christian speaks on the phone again, and you are forced to stifle your laughter as you listen to what he is saying. Even without seeing him, you can already picture his pouty face and the curious frown that he normally gives you when he is trying to understand something that he couldn’t get a good grasp on, which often happens when you share some of the things that you do when you are not with him. You turn to look at the watch counter, watching silently as Momo is helping Em choose between a couple of watches that the storekeeper has personally picked out for them. 
“No, it’s an actual detour. We sort of encountered some kind of—distraction.” A smile comes to your face when you recall what had happened. To remember the reason why you and Momo had ended up in the exclusive watch store with Em, the last person on earth that you would expect to be hanging out with. 
It was quite awkward at first to have Em join your shopping date, when you barely knew anything about her except for what you have learned through the few cordial encounters you had with her, especially after the cryptic comment she made about the gift she is looking for. 
But you are thankful that you had Momo here with you today, as she managed to defuse the situation, knowing exactly well about your habit to overthink and worry about the things that you don’t fully understand. Once Momo jumped in to break the ice, you finally gained enough information to not be as wary as you were when you first met Em earlier. 
“What kind of gift are you thinking of getting?” Momo asked her while the three of you were browsing through the shops and did some window shopping before making any decisions about where to go, and Em—having no knowledge of the turmoil happening in your head at that moment—nonchalantly answered, 
“Something that would give a nice message as a congratulatory and send-off gift.” 
Momo stole a glance your way then before asking. “Send-off? Is it for a friend of yours?” 
“Yes,” Em said, looking at the two of you with a bashful smile that told you more than any spoken word could. “He’s a really special friend of mine who is moving to the States sometime next month. He got this terrific offer that would allow him to make more music, which is basically a huge upgrade to what he’s been doing here lately,” she explained, then she turned to you with a request, “He’s also a good friend of Rome. I mean, Christian. Since they’ve been spending time together quite often lately, would it be okay if I ask you not to say anything to Ian when you see him? I don’t want to spoil the surprise too soon. We’ll be leaving for the States together once the date is set, but my friends and I are planning to have a send-off party the weekend before. I’m thinking of giving the gift to him then.” 
The smile that came to your face was almost spontaneous. The relief that you felt must have been palpable, yet you couldn’t get yourself to reel it in. Though you did manage to control your composure when you promised her, “Your secret is safe with me,” while you tried to qualm the feeling of guilt for having suspected the relationship that she has with Christian. 
On the phone, Christian gives you a sarcastic scoff and says, “Riiiight—” 
“It’s not what you think, I promise.” 
“No, I get it. Those discount sale offers can be quite intriguing,” he says, obviously having the wrong assumption about what you are truly up to. You wish you could explain, yet this is just another secret that you would have to keep from him. At least until the end of the month, when Em would finally be able to reveal her surprise gift for her special friend. “Look, just go ahead and have fun with your friend. You deserve it,” Christian adds, though his voice sounds lighter, no more of his feigned annoyance is heard. In its place, you can hear his smile, which only draws your own to appear. 
“Thank you,” you say to him. “Aren’t you supposed to be busy right now?” 
“Yeah, I’m in the middle of a break, but we’re getting back into it in a minute,” he says, already sounding a bit distracted just as the noises behind him start growing a bit louder. “Call me when you’re back. Maybe, you know, you can give me a little preview—” 
Knowing where this is heading, you quickly cut him off before he could say the words, “Goodbye, Ian.” 
He chuckles on the phone. “See you later, baby,” he says, before ending the call, all while your heart is racing so violently in your chest for the endearment that he had just given you. Immediately, your face grows hot, and your mind seems to be swirling up to the air with the joy blooming inside you. 
Still feeling as if you are on cloud nine, you almost miss it when Momo turns to call you over, “I think we’ve found the perfect one. Come here and take a look at this, try to see if you like it too.” 
Putting your phone away, you rush towards your best friend and your new shopping companion, Em, who appears just as giddy and excited as Momo is to show what they have found. Seeing their combined reactions, you cannot help but share the same sentiment, and it adds a bit of pep to your footsteps as you come to join them in finding the perfect gift for Em’s secret crush. 
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“How about this one?” Em asks you as she shows you yet another pair of bikinis that seems a bit too revealing compared to what you are used to. You make no comment about her choice of outfit as she hands the delicate pair to you, choosing to take a good look at the piece to appreciate her genuine effort in helping you to find the piece that might fit your taste more. 
Ever since the three of you came into the store, both Em and Momo have been assisting you to find the perfect pair for you to buy, as they took notice of your indecisiveness right away. Everything you are seeing in the store has been lovely that it is making it impossible for you to choose, yet the two girls have only been of little help to you. Because when Em keeps choosing the most revealing and extremely daring ones she could find in the store which makes your face burn each time you try to imagine yourself wearing them, Momo has been choosing the ones with the brightest colours and flashy frills that you would never be able to wear without getting your face burning in embarrassment.
This time, however, the piece that you are holding in your hand seems to have caught your eye. It is a solid coffee-coloured triangle set with beaded strings, and a halter top that covers just a bit more skin compared to the previous ones she showed you. The piece sure looks like a major upgrade from the small black piece that she showed you earlier with the top which barely covered your boobs and the thin strip bottom, and while it looks revealing, it seems a bit more appropriate to wear at Momo’s house this weekend—where some or any of her family members might be present—compared to the other ones she has shown you so far.
“You know what? This one actually looks quite nice,” you say to her, acknowledging her taste in style and suddenly believing that you might actually look good in something that seems quite daring. 
Your comment seems to please her as her face instantly brightens. And for some reason, it makes you just as happy to see her getting excited for you. This new feeling is quite—odd. Not more than an hour ago, the air of awkwardness that was present had made it hard for you to start a conversation with her without Momo’s help. You cannot deny that the underlying doubt that you felt about her relationship with Christian had made you feel inferior while being around her. Added with the way she looks and dresses and how she wears her confidence so openly, something that is quite the opposite if compared to you. 
But that feeling is no longer present now when you have finally gotten to know her a bit better, and once you got to see her bubbly personality that seems to fit your and Momo’s energy perfectly.
Once that bridge has been crossed, you begin to see and understand why she is able to get along with Christian and his friend group. The more you spend time with her, the more you are able to see how kind and friendly Em really is. And that despite her pristine appearance, she could be quite—clumsy. 
Much like you are.
Perhaps knowing that you aren’t completely different from one another has been the reason why you are beginning to feel comfortable hanging out with her without anyone else’s helping you.
“Great! I knew you’d like it. The set comes with a cover-up too,” she says, plucking the thin piece of coverup from the rack that appears to be a part of the set for you to try on. “Here, try them all on together and see if it’s something you’d like. Oh, and try the black one too,” she insists, quickly snatching the similar set in black before handing them to you along with the coffee one. She looks at the sets you are now holding and sighs dramatically. “I still think the previous one was hotter, though.” 
“Oh, no,” you quickly say to her, shaking your head when you recall the one she mentioned. “The black one you picked for me was not a bikini top, those were nipple patches.” 
Your comment makes her laugh. “Yeah, I admit, those were more daring than the rest. But I have a couple of them at home and they’re really comfortable. And I bet you’d look really good in them.” 
You almost grimace as you try to picture yourself wearing those tiny things, though you hide it the best you could, knowing that Em has rocked those types of bikinis perfectly and is evidently loving them to bits. You know this because she has shown you a few photos of her wearing them from her social media, and you have to admit, she does look good wearing all the daring pieces you saw that you almost feel envious of her confidence.
Em leaves you be as you make your way to the fitting room at the back of the store, only to suddenly return before you can get there so she can slip a couple of new items into your arms to add to the pile that you are about to try on. 
“Here, try on these too while you’re at it. Can’t hurt to know how they would look on you, can it?” she says, while you only roll your eyes and laugh at her.
“Fine, if it makes you happy.” 
Sliding into one of the vacant booths, you finally get to take a look at what you have gotten with you so far. Aside from the two complete sets that Em got you earlier, you also find the black top which you classified as nipple patches among the pile. This one is adorned with gold chains tying the top up to hang around your neck, making it look a bit more classy compared to the ones that Em initially found when she first started helping you. 
Shaking your head and chuckling at Em’s sneaky antics, you put the tiny thing away to have a look at the others. Other than a new pair that looks similar to the black and coffee sets that you liked earlier, you find another bikini set which Em managed to slip in. This one looks just as revealing as the other ones, if not just a bit more, with a brighter colour that makes them pop in your eyes. You hold up the red halter bikini top which comes together with a thong-like bottom that leaves almost nothing to the imagination. Although, there is a sheer long skirt that comes with the pair, what seems to be a coverup that looks to be sufficient enough to cover the bottom half if you need it. 
Surprisingly, you find yourself liking this piece as well. Just when you are pressing the pieces against your body just to imagine how it would look on you, you hear a knock at the door before Momo speaks to you from the other side. 
“Em told me that you’re in here. So, have you finally found something you like?” she teases, while you can only shake your head and laugh. 
You look down at your stash with a sigh. “Will you be patient? Perfection takes time.” 
A scoff is heard from your best friend, and you can almost imagine her rolling her eyes at you. “Or you’re just being too picky. Hurry up and try them on, then come out here so we can see it. Em already approved the ones I picked.”
You smile at your reflection in the mirror when you recall Momo slipping into a fitting booth with an arm full of bright-coloured bikini sets. “Why should I show you mine if I didn’t get to see what you’re buying?” 
“You’ll get to see them later when we’re paying for them. I only want to see yours to make sure you’ll look hot in my jacuzzi,” she says, making you laugh. 
“Okay, let me try these on. Now leave me alone.” 
You hear nothing from Momo other than a simple, “Okay,” and you start choosing the ones you want to see yourself in. Surprisingly drawn towards the red bikini set, you immediately pick that one to try first. While you can never possibly imagine yourself wearing it this weekend, you want to see if it would be something that you could wear sometime in the future. 
The thin fabric feels like silk on your skin, but they are surprisingly comfortable. You are originally not one to wear something this revealing, always have been choosing the modest ones whenever you could, yet you can definitely see yourself in this set even if it may not happen for a while. 
“Which one are you trying on now?” you hear Momo asking, and you absentmindedly answer her while admiring your own reflection, turning left and right to see yourself from every angle, making sure that the piece actually works for you before you can buy it. 
“It’s the red one that Em found for me.” 
“Really?” you can hear Em squealing from outside, excited to hear that you are trying out the piece that she seems to like. It makes you stop to hear her voice, realising that she is also out there, crowding the front of your booth with Momo. 
“Seriously? Are you guys actually standing out there together waiting for me to show these?” 
“We just want to see them,” Momo whines, while Em chimes in curiously,
“So? How do they look? Do you like them? Don’t they look gorgeous?” 
They actually do look gorgeous, and it makes you look more appealing while wearing them. You feel the sudden urge and excitement to show them, especially Em, just to make her happy to see you trying this on. Yet, thinking about stepping out of the booth right this minute makes you feel a bit insecure. 
“Um—do I have to step out and show you guys? They’re really—well, I feel exposed,” you hesitantly admit, feeling every bit self-conscious about stepping out of this booth.
It is one thing to wear this on a beach or while you are lounging in a fancy jacuzzi. It is another thing to be flaunting it around while being in the middle of a mall. With strangers around you to see. Momo seems to get this when you hear her snickering from the other side of the door.
“Then take pictures of them and send them to me so we can have a look.”
“Ooh, good idea!” Taking out your phone, you start taking pictures of yourself. Posing right in front of the mirror, you find the best angles that would be able to show the set that you are wearing, before covering your bottom half with the sheer skirt and taking photos of yourself wearing the complete set as well. “Hang on, let me try out the others before sending them to you.” 
You barely hear Momo’s response as you quickly change out of the first bikini set, then repeat everything again as you try out the other two which you liked earlier—the coffee and black ones that you would feel more confident to wear. Feeling cold, you rush to quickly send all the pictures, adding a short comment for the coffee-coloured one in the message, ‘I’m getting this one for the weekend.’
Once you are done, you place your phone aside and change back into your clothes as you wait for Momo’s reaction to the pictures you sent. When you hear nothing from them, you simply figure that they might be still looking through the photos and think nothing of it and focus on sorting out the pieces you tried on before taking them with you. 
But then Momo calls out to you from outside, getting you confused when she asks, “What’s taking you so long? Did you take the pictures yet?” 
You stop in the middle of tidying yourself up. “What do you mean? I sent them all to you already.” 
“Really? I’m getting nothing on my phone though.” 
Wondering what the hell went wrong, you pick up the phone to see what happened with the messages you sent her. Only to have your stomach dropping once you open your message app, finally realising what you have done. Because you already did send out the messages and the pictures, except that you had not been messaging Momo the entire time. 
“Fuck, fuck, fuck—” you curse at yourself when you see Christian’s name and his profile picture on top of the message thread. Panicking, you quickly begin deleting all the photos, even though deep down, you know that it would be no use. Minutes have gone by since they were sent out, and while Christian would often take a while to check on his phone whenever he is busy, you can already see that he had seen the pictures already, even if it had only been mere seconds before you started deleting them. 
A sharp gasp and a desperate cry leave your lips as you drop down to the floor, feeling like your legs are giving up on you, drawing Momo’s concern when she can hear everything from outside. 
“What’s wrong? What happened?” 
Covering your face with your palms, you groan defeatedly before answering, “Nothing’s wrong. Just give me a minute.” 
With a deep breath, you pick up your cell phone again to call Christian, who answers the call within the first ring, confirming your suspicions that he has been holding his phone the entire time to witness your shenanigans. The photos showing off the outfits you were trying on wouldn’t be such a big deal if you hadn’t been showing that much skin, or the funny and sultry poses you did to show off the sets which were originally meant for your best friend, or the fact that you have not even been dating this man for more than a day for you to be showing him—all of these things together. 
“Did you open the text message? Please tell me you didn’t get it,” you immediately question him even before he could finish saying hello.
“Mhhmm—” is the only response he is giving you. 
“That wasn’t supposed to be for you,” you continue blabbering, hoping for any slight chance that he might have not seen them and you had been quick enough to delete them before he could. “I’m so sorry. I was too shy to come out and show them to Momo when she asked to take a look so I took the photos for her instead.” 
“Mhhmm—” 
“What does that mean? Oh my God, you’ve seen them,” you worriedly question his lack of response and groan deeply when you realise what had happened. Though knowing that he had no doubt seen the photos only makes you grow more concerned about other things. “Oh no, you’re still working, aren’t you? Did anyone else see it? Is someone there with you?” 
Christian chuckles softly on the phone. “Yes, I’m still at work. Don’t worry, Dabin had just stepped out of the room when I opened your text.” 
“Okay—” you softly answer, though your voice fades to a muffled groan as you sit back against the booth and hug your folded legs as if it can help you hide from the world, which is clearly not missed by Christian. 
“What’s wrong? You sound funny.” 
Sighing, you refuse to raise your head as you answer, “Nothing. Just trying to figure out how to bury myself so I would stop feeling embarrassed.” 
While you are busy covering your burning face, you can almost hear the smile on his face when Christian speaks again, “I guess I have to get used to this, huh?” 
“To what? What do you mean?” 
Chuckling softly, he answers you with a teasing voice, “Getting stray messages coming in when least expected. I don’t mind it, though.” 
Burying your face deeper into your folded knees, you let out another groan. “Please stop. God, I wish I was at least drunk.” Thinking of how often this has happened between the two of you, you can only sigh to yourself. How could you have forgotten that you have been messaging constantly with Christian while you were out the whole day? “Fucking stupid. I should’ve paid more attention.” 
Your comment makes him laugh, though he quickly tries to console you by saying, “Hey, it’s fine. The messages are gone on my part too. I was just about to ask you about them when you finally noticed and they started disappearing.” 
“Thank God I was quick enough, though,” you say with a sigh. “I’m sorry again. Please forget that this happened.” 
You hear him chuckling softly on the phone. “Forget? Hah—Now, that would be a bit hard to do,” he teases, making you smile. It is quite funny how easily he makes you feel calmer, when you were so close to crying over your own stupidity merely moments ago. 
“Ian, please.” 
“I’m just teasing you, baby. Don’t worry about it, okay? Besides, no one else had seen them and they’re no longer on my phone. Although, I wish I had saved them—” 
Your cheeks have been growing warm with how gentle he is when speaking to you and calling you with this new endearment that he has chosen for you, but that quickly changes with his teasing that you roll your eyes. “Really?” 
He laughs. “I’m joking, baby. I wouldn’t do that to you. Besides, I can always keep them in my memory—” he says, while humming softly as if he is closing his eyes to recall the photos again, “—or wait for a chance to have you showing them yourself for a private preview.” 
“Hah, we’ll see about that, Mister,” you scoff at him, making him laugh. But as you find yourself feeling better and feeling less like an utter idiot, you cannot help but whisper to him, “Thank you, Ian.” 
“Anytime. Now go on and continue shopping with your friend. Don’t mind me while I’m here trying to work and not think about those photos. I’m going to be dealing with a ton of stuff here anyway, so I probably won’t remember any of them by the end of the day,” he says, drawing a smile to your face. You feel grateful for the way he is able to help you qualm your trepidation and dread simply with his gentle voice and comforting words. 
Yet, in a typical fashion of his, Christian reminds you of his mischievous ways as he teases you for the last time before ending the call, “Hey, babe? I think I liked the red one the best on you.” 
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Past the entire shenanigans happening during your shopping spree, followed by the busy week where you had to go through classes and assignments while Christian was keeping up with work, the weekend finally comes. 
There was nobody home when you arrived at Momo’s house in the morning, as her family members were mostly out for the weekend, so you and Momo got to enjoy the entire house to yourselves and hang out in the new jacuzzi for as long as you like. While lounging in the hot water during the afternoon, the two of you talk about the day you spent at the mall. You share with her your apprehensions about Em and how your feelings changed after spending time with her and getting to see what kind of person Em truly was. Then Momo shares her curiosity about the secret crush that Em harbours and who it might have been directed to. 
“Could it be Dabin?” she curiously asks you after chugging down her cold beer, while you shake your head. 
“Not sure. She only said that it was one of Ian’s music producer friends, and Dabin has a lot of projects coming up with Ian so I don’t think it would make sense for him to leave,” you tell her, to which Momo groans softly. 
“Yeah, that would be hard to figure out then cause we know Christian has a ton of friends, and I doubt you’ve met every single one of them already.” 
Hearing this makes you smile. “You’re right, he does have a lot of friends and connections.” 
“Speaking of Ian,” she suddenly says, turning to you with a sly grin on her face. “Are you excited about tonight?” 
Your eyes grow wide, and you immediately feel your nerves spiking when you are reminded about what is happening tonight. After having only met Christian in person twice the entire week and only during classes, with both of you being so busy with your daily schedules, he finally called to propose taking you out on a date once he is done with his project this week. Once you found out that Momo has another plan tonight after hanging out with you, both you and Christian agreed to set the date for tonight, once he is done with the day and after Momo drops you back at your place when she leaves at sunset. 
“I’m more nervous than excited, to be honest,” you admit to her, while Momo waves her hand at you. 
“It’s fine. Everything’s going to be just fine,” she says, consoling you in her own way. “You’ve gone out with him before, so it’s going to be nothing different than those times, right?” 
You ponder about it for a moment, and it only makes you frown just to think about seeing him tonight. 
Because, no, absolutely not. It wouldn’t be anything like the times you shared with him previously. 
Because this time, it would be a date. A real date. Not just a simple meet-up at the coffee place like the times you had to meet him after class to discuss about the class assignments, or when you came with him to the work party, or the night you joined him and his friends for drinks. This is different. It would be just the two of you—no friends, no assignments, no other people around that he has to meet up with as he is handling his business. It would be just you and Christian doing whatever it is that he has planned for you. 
“I don’t think there’s anything for you to worry about, though. The guy likes you, and you like him too. I’m sure things will be great. Just like how it’s always been. Both of you are similar in a way, so I’m sure he’ll make it comfortable for you instead of making things awkward for a first date.” 
You rest your back against the side of the jacuzzi, with the hot water bubbling against your sides, massaging your toned muscles and rubbing away the tension you have in your body. You relish the pleasure you are getting while taking in what Momo is saying. She wasn’t completely wrong. Things with Christian have been flowing so easily. You have always been so comfortable when you are near him, while he seems to have always been able to sense your mood, always keeping up with your pace instead of going about things in a more rushed and lavish way. 
Perhaps the only thing that makes you worried is the fact that things have also been proceeding the way you had never once thought they would. How everything that is happening now feels like a dream, and there is a deep fear haunting you that once you are with him, once everything between the two of you changes to a new direction, you would be forced to wake up and face reality, to see that nothing is as beautiful as what your mind keeps telling you to see. 
Just like what happened back then with—
Shaking away your worries, you tell yourself that things are different now. Things have to be different. Because you have no idea how you would be able to deal with it if things turn the other way around once again. 
“You know what? Maybe you’re right. I’m worrying too much,” you finally say to Momo, making her smile with relief, not realising that you have also been consoling yourself by saying this.
“Good. That’s the spirit. Just enjoy everything and have fun with him. I’ll help you get ready if you want to and we’ll make sure you’ll be knocking him off of his feet once he sees you tonight.” 
Closing your eyes, you try to relax and give in to the comforting warmth around you, trying not to overthink and let your agitation takes over when you are supposed to be having a good time. Both now, as you are lounging in this fancy jacuzzi without having to spend a single penny, and later, when you are about to see the man who has always managed to cause your heartbeat to race wildly in your chest. 
You remain in the hot tub only for a while later, stepping out just as both of you start feeling more relaxed and you are ready to continue the lazy afternoon pampering each other and relaxing on her cozy pool-house. It isn’t until sunset when you are finally ready to leave, with Momo dropping you off before she heads out to where she needs to be. 
“Remember—” she says, once you stepped out of her car, “Don’t be so nervous and relax, enjoy your night with him. You won’t be able to have a good time if you’re worrying too much.” 
“I know. Thanks, babe,” you answer her gratefully, somehow finding yourself believing in your own words this time.
“Anytime,” she says, before quickly adding, “Oh, and wear something sexy!” 
“Goodbye, Momo,” is all you say to her as you shut the car door close, and you soon watch her car rolling out of the parking lot, leaving you all on your own to get ready for your first night out with your new boyfriend. 
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[06.58 PM] From Christian: I’ll pick you up around eight. Will that be okay?
[07.03 PM] To Christian: I’ll be waiting ;)
[07.04 PM] From Christian: I can’t wait to see you :)
Just when you had thought you were ready for your fateful first date, the text that Christian sent you only makes you feel on the edge. Once again, you feel tense. The tension that you feel as you are reading his texts may not be as daunting as it was before, when your imagination kept running wild and your insecurities kept taking over with still many hours left before the date happens, yet it doesn’t mean that you are not nervous enough about tonight. 
The thought of meeting up and being alone with him tonight seems nerve-racking. But just like how you managed to get over your worries earlier, you keep repeating the same comforting words in your head like a spell as you continue getting yourself ready to see him. 
Everything is going to be okay. 
You continue reminding yourself of this as time continues to pass. The clock is ticking, your heartbeat keeps racing, and your feet would not stop pacing each time you try to relax. You can barely able to get yourself together with nothing distracting your running thoughts, but by the time eight o’clock rolls around, you have gathered up enough composure to stop pacing around your living room and pulling at your dress as you wait for him to arrive. The long trails of discarded clothes that you left behind in your bedroom when you couldn’t decide what to wear would have to wait until you return home. Right now, all you can think of is how you are going to keep it together once he is here.
A knock comes at the door, and it makes your heart do funny things even before you get to see him in person. After giving yourself a brief pep talk while shaking your trembling hands to make them calm, you finally open the door. Your heart begins doing that funny thing again, skipping a beat and rushing at the sight of Christian standing right in front of the door, waiting for you, wearing his dashing smile on his face while being surrounded by an air of confidence that makes you look at him in awe.
Stunned speechless, you say nothing to him, giving him a chance to take the sight of you in. His eyes trail down on you with an appreciative look. Going from your face to your dress, and it makes your skin grow warm under his perusing gaze. Seeing that you are still unable to speak, a smile expands so subtly on his face as he greets you first, “Hey.” 
“H-hey,” you stammer in response, which only makes his smile grow wider.
“You look great,” he says, making your cheeks burn even hotter. 
“Thanks,” you chuckle softly. “You too.” 
Christian laughs softly at this. “Are you ready? I have an Uber ride waiting for us downstairs. I hope you don’t mind. I figured if we were both going to have drinks afterwards—” 
You look up to him as he speaks and feel an instant sense of relief. Because it suddenly becomes quite obvious to you that he might be just as nervous as you currently are when you notice him rushing as he speaks, and he doesn’t seem to know what to do with his hands when he keeps slipping them in and out of his pockets or running them through his immaculate hair. 
“I’m set to go. Thanks for thinking ahead,” you quickly reassure him before he could continue with his rambling, and a visible look of relief appears on his face. 
“After you,” he says as he steps aside to let you join him once you have your jacket and purse with you, locking the door behind you as you leave for the night.   
It is a warm night, so the two of you decide to have the ride drop you off a block away from your destination so you can enjoy the short walk there, with the sight of the city’s main river accompanying your walk. As you walk side by side with him, his hand entwined gently with yours to keep you by his side and the conversation flowing slowly as you talk about your day, you find yourself steadily getting more and more comfortable. The tension that has been following you the whole day soon fades, while the familiar ease that you have often felt when you are with him starts coming back to you. 
It doesn’t take long before you finally reach the restaurant that he had chosen for tonight’s date. Situated right at the end of the boardwalk that you have been walking on and not too far from the clear river is a quaint pizza place, partly hidden from the main road but still open to the view around the neighbourhood to allow you to enjoy the comfortable atmosphere around you. He finds a table for two outside, quite a distance away from the sidewalk that you can have your own space without having to worry about the passing crowd. A soft tune of music is playing from the restaurant, giving you a pleasant welcome as you both begin perusing the menu. 
He makes a suggestion to order their signature dish, the cheese pizza, which you are completely fine with, while you choose the appetiser and one of their pasta plates to share between you two. As he hasn’t been drinking alcohol as often lately, Christian chooses a glass of their special draft beer to taste and a bottle of soda to go with his dinner, while you order a glass of cheap wine that costs nearly the same as his orders. 
This is all happening so fluidly—how you talk about the menu without worry and choosing what the two of you would like to have and share—that it feels almost natural to do something like this. There is no hint of awkwardness existing between you, helping you to forget that you are on an actual date instead of casually hanging out with him, even if the feeling lasts just for a brief moment. 
Your stomach has been in knots since you left home with him. While the short walk here and the conversation that was shared from then until this moment have helped a little to put you at ease, he would constantly bring back the tension either with his gestures or by being particularly flirty. Each time his fingers come brushing gently against your hand, sparks instantly start flying in the air around you. Your skin would tingle when you are talking to him and he leans closer to listen with rapt attention, and your chest would feel tight when his eyes are looking deeply into yours. 
And then he reminds you the reason why you have always been so captivated with him and how you began to harbour a deep crush on him, as he shares with you about everything that he has been up to lately—of the long hours he spent filming with his crew and the long nights he spent working on post-production, and also about how he is slowly diving back into making his music again. It is the moment you look into his eyes when the flutter in your chest returns, when you get to see the clear sight of his love and passion for what he does, the look that is so captivating to see that you are once again lost for words. 
The waiter returns to your table just then, setting down the drinks that Christian ordered before pouring the red wine into your glass. Once he is done, Christian leans forward to get closer. 
“So—how about you? You said this week has been busy for you,” he inquires so suddenly, sounding genuinely curious to know what you have been up to this week while he has been busy with his own thing and you haven’t seen each other after attending his last class. 
“Oh, just the usual,” you answer with a shrug. You tell him everything about the classes you went to this week and all the mundane things you would usually do during the day. But then as you begin sharing with him about your assignments, and the exciting things you do during your part-time job in the night, your excitement grows. He should be able to notice it from the tone of your voice, or the way you keep twirling the wine glass in your hand as you speak. Either way, there seems to be no way Christian would miss the way you are enjoying these things, as he keeps his eyes on you the entire time, looking deeply at you as he listens, taking in everything you are sharing with him. 
“Speaking of your work—” you hum, suddenly recalling the day you joined him during filming. “I kind of missed being in that environment, to be able to see you work and see how you handle things in the set. Your crew seems so fun to work with too.” 
Hearing this makes him smile. “You’re right. I’m lucky to be working with a group of talented people. Working with them has been fun,” he says, before he suddenly tilts his head and you see him getting curious about something.
“You know, I’ve been wondering—” he starts as he leans closer over the table to gently ask you, “How did you get here?” 
You raise your eyebrows. “You…picked me up. At home,” you answer him, feigning innocence, even if you have quite an inkling of what he is trying to ask. 
“I’m not talking about being here,” he chuckles softly. “How did you end up studying film production? Have you always been so interested in making videos and movies?” 
You bite your lips. Not feeling sure how to answer him at first. “It’s quite a long story,” you finally tell him. “And a part of it might be a bit embarrassing to share.” 
Christian gives you a reassuring smile. “I got time. And I won’t laugh, I promise.”
Sipping your wine slowly, you try to decide where to begin. Once you gather enough courage, you finally admit to him softly, “Actually, I could probably say that I got interested to dive deeper into this because of you.” 
Christian’s eyes grow wide in shock, obviously not prepared enough to hear this. “What—?” 
Chuckling softly, you begin to tell him everything. “When I started college, I knew I was either going to study art or film, but I have to admit that I had no direction to know where to go. I’ve always loved movies and old films, and I loved the artistry behind creating music videos. I’ve also been drawn to documentary videos for a long time, but I never knew if I would be able to take up the challenge to dive into that world. And then I remember stumbling upon your videos during that time—” you stop briefly as you recall finding his raw videos before his crew grew into what is known today, but it was seeing him sharing those raw videos and making the process behind them seem like such a fun thing to do that got you so drawn into the entire process and finally getting to love it as well. 
“I tried to see if I would like it, so I started by learning and doing photography while saving up to buy my own camera set. Then you started sharing your travel videos and your post-production process online, and it got me interested in learning more about photography and film. And I was right about it being so much fun. I found the kind of challenge I was looking for in film major.” You stop for a brief moment and cannot help but smile as you recall those days when you finally had your mind set on it. “Let me just say that switching from art major to film production was the best decision I’ve ever made in life.” 
You turn to smile at him just then, realising that you finally get the chance to do the one thing that you have always wanted to do. That you finally get to do what you had always imagined you would be once you meet him in person. “Thank you for inspiring me, by the way,” you say to him with a grateful smile, before adding playfully, “And if it wasn’t for you, I probably wouldn’t end up taking the post-production course to finally meet you in person.” 
Christian has been in such awe as he listens to your story that he seems to be lost for words. You feel worried that you might have been oversharing with him and that you are making him uncomfortable with your confession. A part of you is relieved that you get to say all of this instead of keeping them to yourself, but another part of you is afraid that he might feel burdened by the admiration you have for him, and you are worried that it might only push him away. 
But seeing him getting flustered makes you feel intrigued, curious to know how he feels about what you had just said to him. Clearing his throat, he rubs a palm over his lips to cover his bashful smile, though you can still see the crimson shade materialising on his skin. 
“You’re flattering me too much that I have no idea what to say,” he says with a nervous chuckle. Noticing your silence as you are waiting for his response, and perhaps noticing how shy and tense you seem to be feeling, Christian scoots his chair closer until he is within inches of you and reaches for your hand, once again igniting the sparks between you as he takes your smaller hands between his larger ones. 
“But I’m glad that finding my videos was what led you to me,” he gently says as he rubs his fingers against yours. “Or else, we probably wouldn’t be sitting together like this tonight, and I wouldn’t get to know your amazing personality and talent.” 
This time, you are the one who is flustering in the middle of what was supposed to be an innocent conversation. With his hand on yours, his deep eyes looking intently into yours, and his presence being so close, you are not only feeling sparks rising between you, but also heat simmering in the air that you start feeling a different kind of tension. The kind that gets your chest filled with delicate flutters and your body growing warm. 
The food arrives, granting a short moment of reprieve from the rolling tension as he finally leans away and the two of you soon dive into the beautiful meal while the conversation between you lightens.
“So,” he says while eyeing you expectantly as he slowly devours his food. “Tell me more about your, um—little adventure at the mall.”
You immediately laugh at this. “There is nothing more to share. If any, I think I may have already overshared with you by accidentally sending you those photos.” 
Christian softly chuckles, and he glances at you with a sly look dancing in his gaze. “I have no regrets of it happening,” he says, while you can only shake your head. 
“I’m sure you don’t,” you taunt him in return. 
Despite playing along, he probably suspects that you are still feeling uncomfortable about the mishap that happened that day. He reaches across the table to once again cover your hands with his. “Don’t worry, nobody else saw those photos, I promise. And you deleted them from both devices already so you won’t be able to find those photos anywhere on my phone, I’m sure,” he says, reassuring you. Though it is hard to feel immediately relieved when you see the playful grin growing on his face soon after. “Lucky for me, I have quite a good memory, so I won’t have to look for them again to remember everything. Like the coffee-coloured one that you said you were buy—ow! I’m kidding!”
Rubbing his upper arm which had just become the victim of your reflexed slapping, Christian laughs, pleased to see your reaction. You tease each other a while longer while you continue enjoying your meal, with his hand occasionally reaching out to you at every chance he gets, from brushing against yours to entwining his fingers between yours whenever he likes it.
When casting your gaze down on your joined hands, your heartbeat would start racing rapidly. Everything still feels like a dream that you want to pinch your skin so badly to see if you would wake up from this, yet you can still feel his warmth through your entwined fingers, letting you know that this moment is real. 
Then you would look up to see his face, to see his smile from up close and listen to his voice as he chats with you, and you realise that he is real. 
Instead of allowing your nerves to take over and have yourself be intimidated by his presence, you choose to savour this moment. Because the more you open yourself to him, and the longer you are together with this man, you finally realise that the infatuation that you feel growing between you isn’t simply a figment of your imagination. That it is truly there, and it is just as real as the two of you, present and blooming steadily even without any of you realising it. 
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Once dinner is done, Christian takes you to another walk just to have more time with you. This time, he chooses to make a stop at the small dessert spot not too far from your place and start from there. 
You can feel his eyes on you while you are slowly licking at your ice cream, savouring the taste and this serene moment you have together as you walk on the side of the street, with nobody paying attention to any of you. 
“Have you been enjoying the night so far?” Christian suddenly asks you once you arrive at your place and he is now walking you to your door. 
“Do you hear me complaining?” you question him, drawing a smile to his face. “I had fun. I think it was the most fun I’ve had in a while, to be honest.” 
Chuckling softly, Christian nods his head. “Same with me. I always love being with you,” he admits slowly. “You always make me feel—” he sighs, as if having trouble finding the right words to say. “Comfortable with myself, if I have to describe it with words, and that’s not even half of it.” 
Soon enough, you are standing right in front of your door, with your hands entwined and he is not showing any sign of letting you go. Deep down, you also feel like you are not ready to part ways with him. Your chest feels heavy as you are not ready for the night to end this soon. 
So you turn to him, smiling as you nervously ask him, “Do you want to come in?” 
His smile grows, and there is something showing in his gaze that looks quite unfamiliar to you when he says, “I would love to.” 
He follows you as you walk into your warm home, still with your hands interlaced with one another. The moment the door is closed right behind him, Christian reaches out to you and pulls you to him, before he finally does the one thing he seems to have wanted to do all night long, as he soon leans down, capturing your lips in his to a deep, long kiss that takes your breath away. 
And the heat that has been simmering between you the entire night erupts into flame.
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