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ggidolsmuts · 2 years

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Of Seaweed and Pancakes - Loona Heejin, Hyunjin

"Yah, what are you up to?" An arm slips between yours. Jeon Heejin, the most beautiful girl you ever knew. Her eyes pierce yours, and you fear she can see through your feelings, your heart thumping as she smiles softly at you. But despite her rabbit-like cute features, she is blind as a bat when it comes to you. "Let's do something!"

"Ooh, I want in!" Another arm slips through on your other side. Kim Hyunjin, also the most beautiful girl your ever knew. Her eyes are large and round, almost catlike as they grow rounder when something interests her. Just like a cat she blows hot and cold—sometimes aloof, sometimes far too clingy. You liked Hyunjin, but you could never get a read on her. "Arcade? Or noraebang?"

"Hey Hyunjin, you two have the day off?"

"Mmhmm! The company gave us a few days break! What do you want to do, oppa?" You wince, Hyunjin loved to remind you of your age, despite being barely older than them.

"Whatever you want to do, it's your break," you deflect, but they don't take no for an answer.

"No, we want to do what you want to do!"

"Okay okay, arcade then?" They nod vigorously. You move your arms, trying to shrug them off, but they stay attached to you. "I can walk by myself you know."

"Nah, we're gonna stay stuck to you!"

"Aren't you two idols now, can you even do this?"

"It's fine! We're all wearing masks!" You sigh and shake your head. Locked between the two of them they quick march you to the arcade the three of you have always gone to. As usual the arcade becomes a battleground, a war between Heejin and Hyunjin, and you? You're the poor referee.

"Yah Kim Hyunjin, that's cheating!"

"It wasn't in the rules!"

"You can't just take all of my basketballs away!" Heejin complains, turning to you as Hyunjin returns them to the pop-a-shot game. "Oppa, that's cheating right?"

Hyunjin hurriedly starts the game before you can say anything. "Fine fine, ready? Go!" As she puts up a shot Heejin reaches over and swats it away—it was impressive, if it wasn't for the fact that you were in an arcade, and the ball goes flying all over the place.

"Yah, Jeon Heejin, you're not supposed to block my shot!"

"Why? That's not in the rules either!" They end up in a tussle, trying to steal basketballs from one another, and no shots get put up—it ends as a tie, zero zero.

"Oppa, who won?"

"Yeah, who won!"

You sigh and ignore them, walking to the air hockey table. They immediately start a game, and almost as soon as it begins there are arguments.

"You can't just trap and stop the puck!" Heejin complains again.

"What? Why? It's positioning!"

"Hmph, fine!" Heejin grabs another paddle, using two to block her goal.

"Yah, one per person!"

"Boo, where are the rules for that?"

"Hmph I want one too!" Hyunjin grabs a second paddle of her own, and the games devolves into the two of them waving both paddles wildly on the board, sending the disc flying all over the place. It ends up shooting off the table, landing at your feet.

"Jeon Heejin, you lose, you hit it off!"

"No, it bounced off your paddle last! Oppa, who won?"

Both of them pose self-righteously in front of you, and you make your decision.

"I lost, okay? That was so embarrassing, let's go before someone finds out you're idols."

"We're leaving already?" Hyunjin pouts.

"Yes, I'm embarrassed to be seen with you, let's go let's go." You hurriedly usher them out of the arcade. "Let's just go to a cafe."

"Ooh, I know a place, they have really good pastry!" Hyunjin suggests enthusiastically.

"Oh, that place we went to last time?" Heejin chimes in, and Hyunjin nods in response. They both grab you by the arm and drag you along. "That's really good, let's go!" Before you know it you're in front of a quaint cafe, but it wasn't quite soon enough—Heejin and Hyunjin were bickering the whole way about one thing or another.

"Hyunjin, can you get the drinks? Heejin and I will find a table."

"Sure, oppa wants a cold brew right? With honey?"

"You got it, what about you Heejin?"

"Oh she knows." And she's right, Hyunjin's already walking to the counter. "Come, let's find a table!"

The two of you find a corner table, and you sit against the wall to allow Heejin a little anonymity.

"So oppa, are you seeing anyone?"

"What? No. Why all of a sudden?"

"Ah, no just—" Heejin's reply is cut off as you rise from the chair.

"Oh, let me go help Hyunjin!"

-----

Heejin can't help but feel the smallest of twinges pulling on her heartstrings as she watches him walk away from her and towards Hyunjin. He takes the tray of drinks and pastries from her, and Hyunjin gives him a bright and grateful smile. The twinge becomes a twang as he smiles back at Hyunjin, suppressed feelings slowly rising to the surface of Heejin's heart.

Ever since her unnies had gotten boyfriends they wouldn't shut up about them, looking happier than ever when they got a message or a call. It made Heejin start looking at the guys around her—they were all fine, but she admitted to herself that she was happiest around him.

"Here Heejin, this is your drink right?"

"Oh, yes." Heejin takes her drink distractedly, sipping on it as she remains deep in thought.

Inevitably this came up in her conversations with Hyunjin, who just sat down next to her. Hyunjin also had similar thoughts—the two of them often complained about their unnies' aegyo, even more so when they talked to their boyfriends. They would bounce guys off one another, asking what they thought of so-and-so. Oddly, or perhaps for good reason, Heejin never asked what Hyunjin thought about their mutual friend, and Hyunjin never asked her either. Perhaps it was from fear of disrupting their trio's chemistry, perhaps it was a fear of creating competition.

Maybe Hyunjin doesn't even see him that way! Heejin tells herself hopefully.

Or simply, Heejin didn't want to be teased by Hyunjin if she found out, and vice versa. So the whole issue remained under the surface, just like their feelings for him, growing stronger and deeper with every interaction.

Should I confess?

-----

"Heejin? Heejin?" you wave your hand in front of her.

"Told you, she really can't multitask!" Hyunjin jokes. "Let's eat already!" With one sugar-filled bun in hand Hyunjin takes a chomp into it, her eyes going wide as she savors the taste.

"Hey Hyunjin, why'd you buy so many?" The one she just ate was but one in about ten baked goods she had bought.

"They're all new, so we have to try them!" She hands you one, pushing the green and brown and yellow colored bun towards you.

"What— What is that?" you ask, almost disgusted at the color.

"Mm... Mocha Mint Choco Pineapple Cream Bun! Sounds delicious, give me a bite!"

"I haven't even—" Hyunjin bites into it, squealing as the sweetness overwhelms her tastebuds.

"It's good, try it, try it!" As you bite down and almost wince at the saccharine flood on your tongue, Hyunjin pushes one to Heejin. "Yah, do your part, eat!"

"Hmm? Oh Hyunjin, sure." Heejin takes the bun, chewing at it distractedly.

"What's wrong?" Hyunjin asks inquisitively. "You're not this deep in thought normally."

That snaps Heejin out of it. "What do you mean not deep in thought? I have a lot of thoughts!"

"Sure sure, useless thoughts."

"That's true, she was asking if I was seeing anyone earlier."

-----

"Oh," Hyunjin replies blandly. Internally she was pancking, why would Heejin ask him that?! Hyunjin looks questioningly at her longtime friend, only to find her face red, waving her hands wildly.

"No no, I was just curious!"

"Why curious? Do you have someone in mind recently?" he teases, and to Hyunjin's shock Heejin gets a shade redder—subtle enough that he didn't react, but Hyunjin recognized it. It was Heejin's "Whatever I say next is going to be a lie" shade of red.

"No!" Her tone, it was so blatant! That, he could react to, and he does.

"Really? Why do I doubt it?"

"Of course!" Hyunjin finds herself covering for Heejin. "We can't really date, so we're curious about relationships!"

He's still not convinced. "Well sure, but you can still have feelings right, even if you can't date. So who is it?"

"Yeah I guess..." Heejin trails off, not sure how to continue the lie or answer the question properly. Hyunjin realizes the issue—it wasn't that Heejin had feelings for someone, it was that Heejin had feelings for him, feelings for him too. With a sinking heart Hyunjin helps her out.

"We're just curious oppa, our unnies have been getting boyfriends, so we're just wondering what it's like."

"Yah, how can you tell him that?" Heejin hits Hyunjin not too gently, shocked out of her embarrassment.

"Why not? It's oppa!"

"People might be listening!"

Hyunjin drops her voice to a whisper. "Fine fine, our unnies have boyfriends, so we've been wondering about it."

"Oh, I thought you couldn't date?"

"Doesn't mean we don't."

"Oh, well umm, no I'm not seeing anyone, so I don't know either." He answers them lamely. Unknowingly to each other, both Hyunjin and Heejin can't help but smile inwardly—good, he's still single!

"Really? Oppa you should start dating!"

"Who are you to tell me that hm? Hyunjin, it's not like you're dating, are you?" Hyunjin can feel her face burn as he directs the question to her.

"N-No, that's why you should!" Pouting she pushes another delicious pastry towards him. "Eat."

He gets the hint. "Alright alright I won't ask."

-----

The table descends into a rare silence as you munch on another one of Hyunjin's recommended pastries. Surprisingly Heejin and Hyunjin don't bicker over which ones to eat, and instead bite into their own morsel with faraway looks in their eyes, clearly deep in thought.

"It's rare for you two to be so quiet, how was Queendom?"

"No, the cake was just that good! Right Heejin?"

"Yes! Sorry oppa you said Queendom? Queendom was so much fun!" With the tense atmosphere broken you smile at Heejin talking animatedly about Queendom, while Hyunjin nods in agreement—this is the duo that you knew.

"Thanks for coming out with us oppa!" Heejin hugs you tightly after you walk them to their apartment building, surprising you.

"O-Of course Heejin, good to see you."

"Me too right?" Hyunjin hugs you just as tightly, and you struggle to breathe under her strength.

"You too Hyunjin, you're squeezing me!" you cough.

"Ah sorry." Hyunjin seems almost shy as she releases you, her tone softer than usual.

"Is everything okay? You two are a little weird."

"What do you mean a little weird? We're very weird! Into the UNKNOOOOOOOOOOWN" Hyunjin protests, breaking into song immediately.

"Yah yah stop! Oh my god that's so embarrassing! Go go, before someone complains!"

"Let's go let's go Kim Hyunjin!" Heejin pulls her friend into the building, and both of them wave goodbyes as they enter the elevator.

"What a weird pair," you mutter to yourself.

-----

"Yah Jeon Heejin," Hyunjin calls out in the lift.

"What?"

"Why did you lie to oppa?"

"What are you talking about?"

"You don't think I can't tell? After all these years? Oppa might be clueless, but I'm not."

"I was just... shy, I didn't want to talk about it."

"You like oppa don't you?"

"What about you?" Heejin fires back, and the silence that settles is only disrupted by the ding of the elevator. "I'll see you at practice," she mutters before hurrying out.

Later that night Heejin lays in bed, thinking about how Hyunjin didn't answer her question, and Heejin realizes what she had to do, what she wanted to do, what she needed to do.

*Oppa, can you meet me tomorrow?*

-----

"Hey Heejin!" You show up at her place the next day, a little surprised at the abrupt invitation. She's dressed in a nice white one-piece, looking pretty as ever.

"Oh hi oppa, come in." You realize you've never been in her new apartment before, and nervously you step over the threshold into her place.

"Wow, nice comfy space, where's Hyunjin?"

"Hmm? Oh, she's umm, busy."

"Ah really?" Why did you call me out then? you wanted to ask, but thought better of it. It had always been the three of you, never the two of you. Sure, Heejin and Hyunjin spent a lot of time together, but that's because of their work, and you always spent time with both of them, together.

"Uh huh. Do you want water?"

"Thanks, what are we doing today?"

"Just watch some TV? I guess?" You're surprised by Heejin's seeming lack of a plan—why did she call you out then? Shrugging, you settle down on her couch, and Heejin curls up next to you just as usual, except for the distinct absence of Hyunjin on the other side.

The afternoon turns to evening, and as the sunsets you prepare to leave, but Heejin stops you in your tracks.

"Do you want to get dinner?"

"Umm sure why not, let's call Hyunjin too!"

"Oh, she's not around, I think she said she was visiting family."

"Oh, is everything okay?"

"Yeah, yeah." Distractedly Heejin answers you before going into her bedroom to change.

You almost choke on your water when you see her reappear—jeans, and nothing except what looked like a bandanna wrapped around her chest, her shoulders bare, her bellybutton the only thing covered by the piece of cloth. Her back is almost entirely bare, save for where it is tied, leaving nothing of her toned back to imagination.

"How is it?"

"Yah wear some clothes, you're an idol!"

"I—fine I'll throw something on." Heejin blushes before throwing a jacket around her shoulders. She blushes even deeper when you take it in your hands, tugging on it and make sure it covers her properly.

"You dress like this normally?"

"No, just bought it recently, wanted to try it out," she mumbles. The two of you exit her apartment building, wandering around before settling on a frequented spot. Dinner finishes quietly, the atmosphere oddly muted as the two of you don't have too much to talk about—you already met up yesterday, after all. To your surprise she stops by the convenience store, grabbing two cans of beers before asking you to come back to her place.

"Is today your birthday? Why the beer? Cheers!" The fizz of a can, the clank of the bottoms, and finally, the breath spat out after the two of you down the bitter liquid on her sofa.

"Oh, no it's just, today's an important day for me."

"Really? What day is it?"

"I-I want to say I'm sorry." Heejin begins, her face redder than ever, and definitely not just from the alcohol.

"Sorry? For what?"

"For lying, the thing is... the person I like is you." Heejin concludes bluntly, rushing through her confession, her fingers beginning to crumple the can.

Your jaw hangs open. "What? I mean I like you too but—" Heejin interrupts the rest of your sentence, hugging you tightly.

"Shh, that's all I need to hear." Just Heejin's gaze is enough to shut you up, and as her eyelids flutter shut, all the air between the two of you is suddenly missing, and your lips move to fill the vacuum. Her gentle lips somehow pull you towards her, and when you touch them, the circuit between the two of you is closed for the first time ever. A surge of electricity travels through the two of you, your nerves and senses flooded with thoughts of Heejin.

"Mm..."

Heejin soft moan snaps you out of it, and you break the circuit. This was wrong, it felt like a betrayal of... what? You dig through the fuzzy happiness of Heejin's confession and unfortunately find what you were looking for.

"Wait, what about Hyunjin?"

Heejin stays silent, and so do you—both of you knew what this would mean for your "trio".

"I don't know. Please, can we not—"

"We shouldn't rush into this. Sorry, this is too abrupt. Does Hyunjin know?" you ask, standing up.

Heejin shakes her head, and before you can protest further she pulls on your shirt, bringing you down into another kiss. When you open your eyes again you're on top of her, her hair splayed out on the sofa. She bites her lip, the faint smell of alcohol still on her breath, but her husky words are drunk on something other than beer.

"Please, don't bring her up, let me be the only girl in your life, if only for tonight."

You didn't have it in you to deny her, and you crash headlong into Heejin with a kiss and a hug. In an instant two pairs of hands wander everywhere, touching everything, but leaving both of you feeling like nothing was touched—you needed more, she needed more. Before you know it the hands that had tugged the jacket on tightly for Heejin had slipped them off, revealing, then memorizing the feel of her skin underneath your fingertips. With a jolt you realize Heejin is replying in kind, her hands under your shirt, roaming around your midriff.

"Heejin..." you gasp, taking off your shirt, wordlessly asking for permission to do the same to her, to go further. She nods, letting you hug her, your hands reaching behind, undoing the zip that held the cloth around her. You unwrap the top and pull it off before tossing it away, flinging it to some corner of her apartment. You push yourself out of the hug, and for the first time ever you take in Heejin, topless.

"Wow." That's all you can say, the rest of your breath taken away. Her breasts are perfect for her frame, two grabbable mounds tipped with the beginnings of arousal. A flush spreads down from her neck, and you realize you've been ogling at her silently for too long. "Umm, you look beautiful."

Heejin responds by taking your hand and bringing it to her chest, urging you to squeeze. Full of want, she rasps.

"I want more."

So you lean in for more, and Heejin parts her lips, letting you in, her tongue reaching for yours. Invited in, your tongue explores Heejin, brushing every inch, her moans vibrating against your tip. A new sound is heard from Heejin when you suck on her bottom lip, nipping and pulling at it needily—she whimpers. Her eyes are clouded with passion and lust as she cups your cheeks and begs.

"Please, take me to bed."

She leads you to her room, and as her hands go to her jeans you stop her.

"I want to do it."

Blushing, Heejin moves her hands away, and with trembling fingers you unbutton her jeans. Slowly, as if not believing that it is happening, you pull down the zipper, revealing her simple white panties—you could feel her heat even from here. Your hand brushes her mons accidentally, and Heejin reacts primally, a gasp accompanying the sudden jerk of her hips towards you. Heejin quickly works your own jeans off, and the two of you lay on her bed, naked save for the last pieces of underwear.

"H-Heejin," you croak hoarsely, your throat drier than ever. "Are you sure?"

She nods vigorously, reaching for your boxers daringly. "Please, I want this so much, I want to do it." You take a moment to admire Heejin's body once more as you pull the panties down and around her hips, sliding them off her legs—the thin string of slick that attaches to her underwear just makes you produce more precum, both of you far too ready to do this. You bury your face in her neck, groaning as your tip brushes her entrance.

"I'm going to do it."

"Please!" Heejin can only squeak out her assent, and the two of you hold your breaths as you push in, changing your relationship forever.

-----

Heejin squirms on the bed, feeling every thread of the bedsheet on her back as the fullness grows between her legs—she is way too sensitive right now! Her held breath is pushed out of her by his length, and immediately she's panting.

"Heejin, Heejin you okay?" he asks her softly. She opens her eyes, not even realizing that she had shut them tightly during penetration, and immediately they widen when she looks at him, and then down her body—he wasn't even fully in yet.

"Y-yeah, keep going." To emphasize her words she wraps her legs around his thighs, trying to pull him in further. A low moan escapes her lips as he stretches her like never before, plunging deep into her body, far different from her solo “self-love” sessions. It is almost unbearable, the fullness overwhelming, her body at its limit—but she takes him, all of him.

"Oh my god, Heejin..." she's delighted by his moans, that he feels good in her, with her. He hugs her tightly, staying still until the pressure in her abdomen alleviates. "Can I move?" Heejin nods into his neck, and she yelps in pleasure as he pulls out, the sudden friction of their connected bodies going straight up her spine—it never felt this good!

All she can hear is his groan when he pushes back in, her own scream swallowed by her lack of breath. Her lower body is burning in both pleasure and exertion, her legs wrapped tightly around him, every repeated stretch more delightful than the last. He fares no better—Heejin is too warm, too tight, too wet, melting him in liquid pleasure. He tries to distract himself by changing the position slightly, breaking out from the hug, but it only makes things worse.

Heejin is a visual in every sense of the word—even in bed she looked stunning as he spreads her milky white thighs, lightly stained with flush and arousal. Her abs twitch in pleasure, her chest lightly bouncing with the force of his thrusts.

It is hard to say which visual was more erotic, his length spearing Heejin open, a sheen of her pleasure coating him between every thrust; or Heejin's expression of sheer ecstasy, her lips trembling, mouth slightly open to release her soft whimpers, and a word.

"Faster!"

-----

"God Heejin..."

You groan under your breath as you throw your hips faster and faster into her. Heejin's pulsing around you gets more erratic, that, or you're throbbing like crazy inside her. Her lips quiver, and when she bites her lower lip it drives you up and over your limit.

"Heejin I'm going to—"

"Oh god, I'm cumming!" Heejin cries your name out loudly, vivid lights exploding behind her eyes. The sudden tightness finishes you off, but you manage to pull out in time, spraying her trembling tummy with your load. You go weak immediately, landing on Heejin as softly as you can in your orgasm-seized state. You groan into her hair, continuing to spasm and push thick white fluid on her body, making small spots and puddles all over her creamy skin. You are vaguely aware of Heejin wrapping her arms around your neck, holding you close until her climax releases her from its clutches.

Heejin's weak breaths are music to your ears, and you only realize she was mumbling a few moments later.

"I'm so happy, I'm so happy oppa..."

You turn to face her, the flush slowly receding from her cheeks, replaced with a pink blush as you look at her intently.

"I'm really happy too."

As the two of you clean and cuddle together, neither of you notice your forgotten phones lighting up to multiple messages from Hyunjin.

You wake up to a dream—Heejin dressed in an oversized shirt, brushing her hair at her dressing table.

"Heejin?" She drops the brush immediately.

"Oh oppa? You woke up!"

"Yeah, good morning." Heejin gets close to you, and before you know it she steals a kiss from you before blushing.

"Do you want to get brunch?"

"Sure, what's good around here..." You get dressed as Heejin grabs her phone. You notice something wrong when she looks all put out.

"What's wrong?"

"Hyunjin was trying to reach me yesterday."

Oh. You find your phone, and see that you also were bombarded with messages from Hyunjin.

"Me too." An awkward silence descends on the two of you, both of you unsure what to do now, but you make a hard decision.

"Let me talk to Hyunjin. I'll explain to her, I'll go talk to her now." Heejin is unsure about your plan.

"A-are you sure? Maybe I should go with you?"

"It's okay. It might be easier if she doesn't see us together right away."

"I... okay."

"We'll get brunch together some other time, okay?"

"Sure." Heejin leans in for another kiss. "Thanks oppa."

"For what?"

"Making me happy."

You kiss her back.

"Thanks Heejin."

"For?"

"Making me happy."

-----

Hyunjin jumps on her phone the moment she hears it sound. It is a message from him.

*Hey, you want to do lunch?*

Lunch? That was unexpected, especially after neither he nor Heejin replied to her messages last night! Deep inside her heart, Hyunjin knew something probably happened—it was unlike him to not reply, it was unthinkable that Heejin wouldn't reply.

*Can we do dinner? My place*

As soon as he replies in the affirmative, Hyunjin picks up her phone, and heads to Heejin's place.

"Yah Jeon Heejin, let's talk."

"Hm? Oh hi Hyunjin, what's up?"

"What did you and oppa do last night? You didn't return my messages, you didn't even read them, and neither did he."

"Ah, about that..."

"Did you confess? Did he confess?" Silently Heejin nods.

"And? How far did you two go?" Hyunjin asks bluntly.

"H-Hyunjin..."

"Did you sleep with him?"

Heejin nods again, blushing furiously.

"I'm sorry."

"There's nothing to be sorry about."

"You... like him too, don't you?" Heejin asks carefully. This time it is Hyunjin's turn to blush, but there are no secrets between the two of them.

"If you two are together, what about me? What do I do? It's not fair..."

"I—" Hyunjin interrupts Heejin, taking her hands, pleading.

"Give me a chance then, let me confess to him too, we'll let oppa choose."

Under the intensity of Hyunjin's gaze Heejin nods mutely in agreement. As Hyunjin leaves, Heejin makes one final plea to her best friend.

"Hyunjin, I really like him." Hyunjin pauses, a rare conflicted expression on her face.

"I really like him too."

"Hi Hyunjin," you start, only to stop as you take in her appearance at the door, dressed in a simple yellow one-piece.

"Hey, come in."

"Thanks, listen, I need to talk to you."

"I know about you and Heejin." You stumble as Hyunjin flatfoots you, how did she know already? You stay frozen to the spot as she continues. "And I don't care."

"W-what do you mean?"

Hyunjin chokes the breath out of you, her arms wrapping around your midsection as she hugs you from behind. Her whisper is loud in the silent apartment.

"I like you too. I wanted to say that." Her confession slams into you like a wall.

"Hyunjin... Hyunjin, what do you want me to do?" you croak hoarsely again, this was not how you expected the talk to go at all.

"I don't know, I don't want to lose you, I don't want to lose you or Heejin. Please don't leave me alone." She turns you around, leaning forward for a kiss. Hurriedly you step backwards, but Hyunjin keeps moving towards you, and you feel the back of your legs hit the couch.

"Wait, Hyunjin!" "Ah!"

She trips on you, not expecting you to stop suddenly. You find yourself lying on her couch, and Hyunjin's on top of you, her face close, far too close on you.

"Are you okay?" you ask her.

"Yeah, yeah... Oppa, let's do it, you want to do it too right?" Hyunjin drops another thunderbolt on you, and you realize she can feel you through your jeans, your body reacting to Hyunjin in close proximity.

"Hyunjin, wait—"

"Why?! You did it with Heejin because you like her right?"

"How did you—"

"She told me. Do you not like me?"

"No, I like you too but—"

"Then what's the problem!" Hyunjin's not thinking straight, caught up in the emotions of the moment, and when she latches her lips to yours, you can't think at all. Your hand caress her cheek, and she keeps it there, her face and hand both far too warm.

"If you're going to choose Heejin over me, then please, at least for tonight, please be my man. I need you tonight."

As always, Hyunjin is utterly and completely honest about herself. You reply her honesty in kind, reaching up to kiss her passionately.

"Mmph!" Hyunjin's surprised by your reaction, but quickly she returns the kiss, her body melting into yours. When the two of you break for air, you hold her close, whispering breathlessly in her ear.

"Okay, I don't know what's going to happen either, but if you need me, I'll be there for you."

Hyunjin happiness peaks at your response, but that is soon overshot by a different emotion surging within her, a fresh heat. Her dress rides up her thighs, and she gasps when you poke against her, the layers of fabric suddenly an annoyance. She sits back on your legs, and your eyes nearly pop out as she simply slips her panties off.

"Hyunjin, shouldn't we go to the bedroom?"

"No, I can't wait." You gets the briefest of looks between her legs—pink, wet, ready. Her long black hair obscures the rest of your view as you find yourself in another kiss, your jeans being undone for you—the second time in two nights. You take a gasp of your own when she grips you; your boxers weren't even fully off yet! Hyunjin's look of focus is almost cute as she aligns herself on you, but it slowly dissolves into pleasure.

"Oppa..." With a low moan Hyunjin gradually dams herself on you, her tightness forcing her to take you slowly despite how wet she was. "Do you feel good?" she manages to ask, but she doesn't hear your answer, the pleasure of fullness blocking everything else out. The delicious pressure grows, until finally her thighs rest on yours, and she's taken you in fully.

"Ugh Hyunjin..." you choke out into her hair. Her silky walls grip and massage you constantly, and you're drowning in her slick. A sting, and you recognize it as Hyunjin nipping at your neck, leaving hickeys on you. You look up at her as she pulls away from your deck; she's downright ravishing, her sleek black hair a mess, hiding the slightly feral glitter in her eye. The strap of her dress slips off a shoulder, and instead of pulling it back on she shrugs and slips her arm out. The dress dangles on one side, and the tiniest peek of her breast has never been more erotic. She blinks, and realizes the very visible mark she left on you.

"Sorry, I can't help myself," she murmurs, but her actions say otherwise, helping herself to you however she wanted, unapologetic. Hyunjin chases her own pleasure, and all you can do is lay there and bear it. She grinds on you, rocking her hips back and forth, making sure your tip drags over every single nerve inside her.

Her pants become low groans, which then become loud moans when she plants her hands on your chest, slamming her hips down over and over, as if to imprint your shape and length into her body. Hyunjin rides herself into a frenzy, every bounce on you sending her thighs rippling, a physical manifestation of the ecstasy rippling from between her legs, all the way to her toes and up her gorgeous figure.

You lean forward, pulling the dress down a little, allowing yourself to tease and play with her exposed breast. It bounces freely as Hyunjin continues to ride you hard, and the additional stimulation turns her into a liquid puddle, collapsing on top of you and giving you easier access to her chest, which you take full advantage of. You suck and flick the nipple of the exposed flesh while your hand squeezes her other breast over the dress, the friction of your palm through the thin fabric making her cry out in the new pleasure.

"More, more! Nngh, I'm going to cum!" A whiny whisper, and greedy Hyunjin breaks with a wail of relief and satisfaction, going rigid with bliss. You grit your teeth and grunt, biting your lip to keep yourself from going off the edge with her. Oh how easy it would be to just send everything into her convulsing, contracting warmness, but you hold on, if only for a few more moments.

"Hyunjin get off," you mutter, but she doesn't seem to hear you, groaning and grinding out the last few waves of joy. "Hyunjin!" you utter more urgently. She doesn't move, so you take things into your own hands, pulling her off just in time, your slick covered shaft shooting a dangerous load into the air, most of it landing on her dress. Your arms wrap around Hyunjin as she collapses on you limply, emotionally and physically drained.

"Thank you oppa, I really like you..." she sighs, a contented smile on her face.

"You're welcome, I really like you too." In the silence the two of you catch your breath, allowing your heartbeats to settle and sync.

"Are you going to choose Heejin?" Hyunjin's sudden question disrupts that though, and no doubt Hyunjin can hear your heartbeat begin to pick up.

"I don't know, I don't want to lose either of you. I don't want to lose us, the three of us."

"What do we do then?" From her tone, you know she means the three of you too.

"Give me time, I— I mean we, all three of us need time to think about it."

"Fine, I understand. I'm still really happy today happened," Hyunjin says softly.

"Same here."

You peck her as Hyunjin gets off you to change, and when she comes out dressed more casually you have fixed your own outfit.

"Do you want me to... stay?"

Hyunjin nods eagerly, but then pauses.

"Do you have your own pillow?"

"What? Not at your place!" you say, stymied by the question.

"Ah... I don't have a pillow for you."

Taking a peek into her room, you see several pillows you could use.

"What about those?"

"Those are mine!" Hyunjin gasps, scandalized.

"Then I'm going home, I don't have a pillow here."

"Ah, mmm... Go take a shower oppa, I'll prepare something for you."

"Are you sure?" Hyunjin nods, so you shrug and take a quick shower, coming out ready for bed in your t-shirt and boxers. You're mystified when you see nothing has changed on her bed.

"Where am I going to sleep?"

"Here." Hyunjin lays on the bed, patting her stomach.

"You want me to sleep on you?"

"Yeah, I'll be your pillow!"

"I don't think that's going to work."

"It'll work, come here!" You shake your head and do as she says. It's fine but definitely awkward, and a short while after Hyunjin sits up, throwing you off her. "You're right, it's weird."

"Hah, told you." Hyunjin pouts, so you make a suggestion. "What if I just use your arm as a pillow?" Her eyes light up, and eagerly she agrees, beckoning you to lay on her. Hyunjin's arm is thin and sinewy though, and you settle for using her shoulder.

"Is this okay?"

"It'll do."

"Good, now don't move around!" she warns you. "Don't touch my pillows!"

"What if you just give me one of your pillows, and then I'll buy you a new one after?" She ponders your offer and eventually accepts it. Gratefully you lay on a comfortable pillow next to her, and Hyunjin snuggles up to you.

"Don't leave me oppa." You wrap your arms around her tightly, her hair tickling your cheek pleasantly.

"I won't."

-----

"Yah Kim Hyunjin."

"What's up?"

"Did you, you know?"

"Yes, oppa slept over last night."

"And?"

"Don't know, he says all three of us need to give it some thought, he doesn't want to lose either of us."

"Aish, so annoying."

"Right?"

The two of them stew in their own thoughts, sipping their bubble tea.

"Jeon Heejin." Hyunjin calls out, but Heejin's too engrossed in her own thoughts. "Yah Jeon Heejin. Yah!"

"What is it?" Heejin asks, mildly annoyed at Hyunjin breaking her focus.

"Do you not like the thought of oppa being with me?"

"No, I don't mind oppa being with you, just—"

"Then what would you not like if he chooses me?" Hyunjin interrupts her.

"Because then he would not be with me!" Heejin says, as if it is the most obvious thing.

"Why would he not be with you?"

"What are you talking about?"

"Why can't he be with both of us? I don't mind oppa being with you, you don't mind oppa being with me. I just don't want oppa to not be with me." Heejin's brows furrow, and after a few long moments of silence she replies thoughtfully.

"I guess I am the same."

"So if he is going out with both of us, you wouldn't mind?"

"No."

"Good, I wouldn't mind either, I might like it actually, that way we're still three."

"What now then?" Heejin asks.

"We ask oppa."

*Heejin and I are coming over to your place, is that okay?*

A week later you receive the text with some trepidation—you had given it lots of thought but had no idea what to do, and you reply to Hyunjin with that.

*That's OK, we're coming over then later today*

That's okay? What? You know it would be pointless to argue with Hyunjin, so you agree to see them later that day.

A playful knock on your door in the evening, and you see Hyunjin and Heejin in front of you.

"Hey Hyun— mmh!" Hyunjin shocks you, pecking you on the lips in greeting before slipping past you in the doorway. Before you could even react, Heejin steps forward, leaning in and kissing you too.

"Hi oppa." She follows Hyunjin past you. What the hell is happening? The two of them are seated at your dining table, and gulping, you sit across from them.

"So umm, what's up?"

"You couldn't make a decision right?" Hyunjin gets straight to the point.

"Not yet—"

"So we made the decision for you, if you're okay with it."

"What?"

"You should be with Hyunjin,” Heejin says.

"And you should be with Heejin,” Hyunjin follows up, and your eyes probably cross as your brain tries to make sense of it.

"What does that even mean? How can I be with both of you at once?"

"That's what we thought, but then, why not? We don't dislike each other." Hyunjin wraps her arm around Heejin's shoulder, and they fist bump each other to emphasize it.

"So, let's just all be together, the three of us, like we always have."

"Are you two absolutely sure?"

Heejin nods, before adding softly. "We both like you, so as long as you still like the both of us, we can make it work."

It was crazy, it was insane, it just might work, and who are you to say no to them?

"Okay, as long as you two are okay with it, I would love to do that. I promise to treat you both equally."

"Good, then you can start with this." They walk around the table, and suddenly you have the two of them in your lap, one on each leg. Heejin pulls you in for a kiss, cupping your cheek. As soon as she breaks away, Hyunjin snaps the trail of saliva still connecting the two of you, turning you to face her, taking her turn for a liplock and a tongue duel. When they've had enough they nod at each other, and you let yourself be strong-armed into your bedroom. There's no way in hell you'd say no, but you had to ask.

"Are you two sure about doing it together?"

"Why? We've seen each other naked already, we've both seen you naked, you've both seen us naked, so what's the problem? Besides, we prepared a present!" Hyunjin pulls off Heejin's coat, revealing her black tight shorts complementing her tantalizing yellow top, complete with a large ribbon in front.

Heejin blushes at your brazen gaze, and distracts you by ripping off Hyunjin’s jacket and skirt with a flourish—Hyunjin's dressed in a form-fitting blue dress, complete with fishnet stockings. Your jaw drops while something in your pants rises, the two of them looking downright cute and sexy.

"You like it oppa?"

"Y-yeah, yeah of course." Heejin sits on the bed next to you, and Hyunjin gently pushes you towards her.

"Go ahead, open that present first."

-----

Heejin's heart was pounding, it felt like their first time again last week, it might as well be—their first time as a couple. But Hyunjin is also a couple with him too, and—

"Hey."

All that miscellany flew out the window with just one word from him, and Heejin focuses on the here and now and him. Especially him. She pulls him towards her.

"Mmm..." he relaxes her with a kiss, the comfort of his body on hers making her heart pound at a more manageable rate—it still sends all her blood down her body though, doubly so when she feels him pressed against her there.

"You look so hot, can I?" he asks quietly, and Heejin has never been more eager to take off her clothes. The straps fall off her shoulders, and shortly after, the gift that is Heejin is partially unwrapped. Unable to control himself he launches at her chest, sucking and teasing her breasts.

"Nngh oppa, your turn!"

"Mmm not yet." He works his way down Heejin's body, admiring her defined abs by planting kisses and tracing them with his fingers. It drives Heejin crazy, and soon she's taking his hands and trying to shove them lower. He takes the hint, and he plants his lips right above her shorts. Slowly he pulls them down, kissing the newly exposed skin right down the middle. With every kiss Heejin's scent grows stronger, and soon he's buried between her legs. All he gets is one lick though, as Heejin has had enough.

"Strip him!" She tugs on his shirt, and Hyunjin works on his pants; between the two of them he is quickly naked. "Hurry up..." she whines. Hyunjin takes the opportunity to hug you from behind, her hands wandering over your chest.

"Don't last too long..." Hyunjin whispers. He nods and Hyunjin sits to the side, and she is struck by something she never thought of before.

How is that going to fit in Heejin?! she gasps internally as his length is freed from his boxers by a hungry Heejin. How did that fit in me! The memory of taking him in fully brings the heat all the way back for Hyunjin, and she unconsciously slides her hand under her skirt, her legs spread open on the bed as he lines himself up between Heejin's spread legs.

"Ahhh!" Hyunjin's eyes are glued to his shaft, and Heejin moans loudly, arching her back off the bed as it disappears inside her. Hyunjin doesn't need to imagine what Heejin's feeling, she knows exactly how it feels—fucking amazing! Hyunjin’s blue dress does its best to stop her, but it is futile, and the fabric struggles against her wrist as she dives past the holes in her fishnets, past her planned lack of underwear, and as her fingers part her folds, he penetrates Heejin again.

"Mmmmnngh!" Hyunjin never thought it'd be possible for Heejin to make the sounds she's making now, but now she vaguely wonders if she would be making those same sounds. Every pump of his hips into Heejin seems to leave his shaft even shinier than the last, and Hyunjin alternates between licking and biting her lip, eager for her turn to come. She's doubled over on the bed, her two fingers thrusting swiftly in and out of herself, matching the speed of his thrusts. Hyunjin's ears are filled with the claps of their bodies against one another, but she almost matches them in volume with her fingering, her own warmth is more like a pool as her fingers slosh her slick all over his bed.

How is Heejin not cumming yet? If it was herself Hyunjin would have been passed out in pleasure by now surely—

-----

"Yes!" With a scream of your name Heejin explodes in ecstasy, her hips buck up into you uncontrollably as her entire body flexes and twists and contorts in orgasm. You hear a muted scream to your side, but you're too focused on not finishing in Heejin, and you have to survive her death hold to prevent doing something you'd really regret. As Heejin clings on to you, you spare Hyunjin one brief look: Her long black hair covers her expression of pleasure, but there's no denying the speed at which her hand's moving between her taut legs, toes curling in her own orgasm.

That turns out to be a mistake, as seeing Hyunjin in that state simply pushes you right to the edge.

"Heejin, Heejin let me go, I'm so close!" She only wraps her legs around you tighter. "Heejin!"

"It's okay, cum in me!" she whispers urgently.

"But—"

"Trust me!"

"Fuck!" You take Heejin at her word, and with a few quick pumps you take Heejin one last time, shoving yourself deep into her and letting go. Heejin lets out a low moan, and your thick hot seed pushes her into consecutive peaks, her porcelain white figure accepting your creamy white load. Your world goes white, black, and every color in between as you hold her close, rocking in and out of her gently until both of you lay still and limp.

“You’re so warm in me...” she sighs dreamily.

"That was amazing Heejin," you mumble in her ear.

"You were amazing too," she turns to fire you the biggest smile you've seen on her. "Now go be amazing to Hyunjin, she wants you."

You roll off Heejin, and briefly you eye the puddle of white between her legs. Briefly you consider asking Heejin about it, but that's wiped away as Hyunjin pounces on you, kissing you passionately and needily.

-----

"My turn."

Drained of what seemed like everything, Heejin tiredly turns her head and watches Hyunjin on top of him, still basically fully dressed.

"Wait, give me a second. You should take off your dress first," he suggests, and Hyunjin expertly slips herself out of the dress in record time. Heejin blushes as her eyes are more drawn to his re-stiffening length, covered in a mix of white and clear fluids. Absentmindedly she feels the mess between her legs, and with a sigh she pushes it back into her—she still wanted more later.

Hyunjin wants more now though, and with the dress gone, she's wearing nothing but the fishnets.

"What about—" he starts, but Hyunjin simply rips them, haphazardly taking it off.

"I can't wait. Ah!" Hyunjin moans as she swallows him up between his legs, taking him to the hilt. Heejin's eyes go wide as Hyunjin leans down to continue kissing him, her hips undulating on top of him—where did she learn to move like that? Mesmerized, Heejin watches Hyunjin wring every drop of pleasure from him, his hands scrunching up the sheets. He soon plants his feet into the bed and begins to reciprocate, pushing up into Hyunjin.

Hyunjin's moans get even louder, and soon his hand goes to her hair, pulling her in for another ferocious kiss, muffling her slightly. Heejin doesn't need the moans to tell that Hyunjin's close though—she's shaking on top of him, her thighs trembling while trying to keep up the pace. Their whispers are loud, and Heejin hears them even over the collisions of their bodies.

"Don't pull me off this time!" Hyunjin begs.

"Are you sure?"

"Trust me, trust us, fuck I'm so close, I'm so close!" His hands go to Hyunjin's thighs, feeling them up before going further back, gripping her butt and hips. In unison Hyunjin slams herself down on him while he pushes upwards, and loudly they shout and yell, pushing each other over the edge together.

Time stops for Hyunjin, her world restarting with a big bang as a white hot heat rips through her, searing her from the inside out. It rapidly cools down into an intense warmth in her very core, his lips on her neck doing enough to bring her back from the brink. He's still moving, and so she moves in tandem, grinding on him as he pumps the last bit of warmth into her. As gently as she can she leaves him a hickey, right next to the one she left last week.

He slips out of Hyunjin eventually, and Heejin watches their mixed fluids dribble out and stain their bodies. Her eyes meet Hyunjin's, and she blushes slightly before looking away. Knowing her friend too well at this point, Hyunjin rolls off him and gives him a peck.

-----

"Go, Heejin wants you again."

As you turn to look at Heejin, all you see is the flash of her brown hair before she's on top of you.

"I want to ride you too."

"And after that I want to be on the bottom oppa." Hyunjin adds, the two of them both apparently wanting to see how the other position feels. Heejin pulls and Hyunjin pushes, and with what's left of your stamina you let yourself be passed between the two of them for a few more rounds, until you finally have to wave the white flag.

"I can't, I can't go any longer."

"Just a little bit more oppa, I'm almost there!" Hyunjin whines beneath you, and you put in your last few pumps, thrusting into her prone form before a loud and tired whimper finally escapes her lips, and you unload what you have left into her. You collapse on top of Hyunjin, and the two of you lay there for a while before finally Hyunjin recovers enough to breathe.

"We need to work on your stamina oppa."

"Take it easy on me, you two are both idols, I can't keep up."

"At least you kept up with Hyunjin, she's tired too." Heejin chirps from next to the two of you—she’s laying prone too, a fresh load still in her while she watched the two of you finish.

"I'm not! I can keep going!"

"Yeah right, I doubt you can even stand up."

"I can if oppa would just get off me!"

"Sorry." As you roll off Hyunjin they both sidle up to you, and together the three of you cuddle together for the first time as a... threesome-couple? Double couple? Whatever you call it.

"I'm so glad you're okay with this," Heejin whispers, half to herself, half to you.

"Of course, as long as you two are okay with it, how can I complain?"

"Says the guy going 'I can't go any longer!'" Hyunjin pokes at you.

"I— That's different, the spirit is willing but the flesh is weak, you know?"

"Wasn't very weak earlier," Hyunjin says without thinking, before blushing bright red. You wrap your arm around her tighter.

Heejin seems to notice this, and she shoots off the bed. "I'm going to wash up first!"

"What?! Yah Jeon Heejin!" Hyunjin makes to leap off the bed, but you hold her back.

"It's fine, you can go afterwards, else I'll be lonely here!" You pacify Hyunjin, whispering sweet nothings as she nuzzles into your embrace. Heejin doesn’t take long, and she hastens to dry her hair when she sees the two of you cuddling.

"What? My turn! Hyunjin hurry up and go!" Heejin sees the two of you and hurries Hyunjin into the bathroom before taking her place. You put on a t-shirt and Heejin takes the rare clean spot on the bed, sitting next to you and resting her head on your shoulder.

When Hyunjin finishes it is your turn, and you tell them to help themselves to your food as you lumber into the bathroom. After a quick but refreshing shower you exit your bedroom dressed in clean clothes again, nervous and excited about the next step in your relationships.

"Hey I'm done. What the—" Heejin and Hyunjin took your offer quite literally, emptying out almost your entire stock of snacks and ramen. "Did you two eat all of my food?"

"No, we left you some!" You see one feeble packet of ramen on the table while they dump the rest of it in a pot.

"Why not just cook all of it then!" you say, exasperated.

"Really? Okay." Hyunjin takes the packet and passes it to Heejin. Sighing you grab a cup of water before sitting down and watching them make your kitchen look like a ramen-bomb went off. After some shouting and bickering Hyunjin comes out with a bowl of noodles.

"Here oppa, eat first." You thank Hyunjin and dig in.

"How does it taste?"

"Passable."

"Good. Heejin he says it's edible!"

“Nice!”

"I was the guinea pig?!" you shout, outraged.

"We gave you the first bite, be honored!" Hyunjin fires back as Heejin brings out two more bowls of noodles. After the quick meal the three of you settle into an awkward silence, as if unsure where to start, so you take it upon yourself to clear your biggest worry.

"So you two are okay right?"

"Okay about what?"

"Me, you know, finishing inside?"

"Oh, yeah, safe days for us." Heejin states matter-of-factly, dismissing your worry with a wave. "So, me and Hyunjin were talking while you were in the shower, we need some ground rules."

"Okay sure, what should—" Turns out, they had it all planned.

"One, we get equal date time. If you take Heejin on a date, you have to take me on a date too. Or you can take us both on a date at once, that also counts as equal date time."

Heejin continues for Hyunjin, the two of them seeming to operate as a pair.

"Two, we get equal gifts. If you get Hyunjin something, you have to get me the same thing. Actually, just get me something similar."

"What, why not the same thing?" Hyunjin asks curiously.

"You have weird taste sometimes." Hyunjin nods thoughtfully at Heejin's jab.

"That's true. Oh and three, date time also includes sex, so if you have sex with one of us, you must have sex with the other too. Or both of us at once like today."

"Yah we didn't discuss that!"

"Fine, I'll have all the sex then."

"N-no that's not what I meant." Heejin blushes madly.

You lean forward, taking both their hands. "Relax, I'll treat you both equally, in every way I can, I am the luckiest guy in the world to have two such girlfriends like you."

You walk them to the door, giving each of them a goodbye kiss.

Sometimes, love is a tug-of-war, of strategic pulls and pushes, and this time, for once, the rope wins.

"We're both lucky too oppa, to have you as our boyfriend."

A/N: Finally got this out of the way. This was the 6 month draft I referred to. I spent the longest time trying to figure out how to write a fluffy threesome, where no one comes out portrayed as “negative” while not being too porn-like. I’m not sure that was done well, but oh well, I tried to capture the 2Jin dynamic.

A lot of stuff is mirrored in a sense. Heejin pulls, Hyunjin pushes, Heejin on the bottom while Hyunjin rides you, Heejin unclothed, Hyunjin clothed sex, lots of stuff like that. There was more of a tug-of-war metaphor I wanted to bring up, but I forgot halfway through and only remembered when I finished most of it, so have that line at the end instead lol.

Thanks for reading!

#smut #heejin #hyunjin #loona

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evecolourshock · 11 months

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Well, I couldn't draw sleeping Tron without doing Beck now, could I??

Now, for someone who's larger than life when awake, Beck seems to take up no space at all during the infrequent times he sleeps. He curls into a little ball and hides away from the rest of the world - often with his disc pressed up against a wall, or tucked close to his chest, after the scare of having it stolen that time.

Usually the slightest noise disturbs him, and he has frequent nightmares.

It was seeing him like this, after he missed training by over half a millicycle because he passed out from exhaustion, that drove home to Tron that Beck's still a scared kid having to be his own protector and forced to grow up far too quickly.

#mun speaks #ooc #art and conversations #my art #sleepy beck #beck headcanons

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the-firebird69 · 2 months

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Salsa bae ❤️

I know the difference and it's not a very good meringue and it's nothing like a salsa but you don't have to be good at it or a professional to do it and they have a class there and it's fun and I was trying to do it myself and that's what it is and a lot of people we'd have fun doing it and you can get muscle and maintain it without beating yourself to up and not getting anywhere. It's really not bad to exercise like that I had fun too I want to say that he's trying to be positive and people should be around him he's an awfully hard life things are changing and we're going to find out some horrific stuff and the max are at it as usual ahead of us and we need to get in there make screwed up and so what everyone's such a b****. Now my legs are shorter now but my butt is going to be and the legs are kind of hefty so I have no idea why he doesn't know either except he saw me with no legs and no arms I think I might have someone else's and that's weird and it might be of someone who's just a bigger person and I do see that of the same race but usually if someone messing around with us so I do need to see what happened and these people are idiots and think they've won he's going to March around for a while saying it and he's going to be done he's been threatening our friend here to grow asinine Giants that suck he does have a point but he didn't do it right they're out too soon and he took too much stuff and didn't time it right and doesn't have any ships left for the most part and he says it's probably some big huge groups of giants near the ships that he's saying are his and yeah that's going to heat it up we don't like him he doesn't do anything for anyone and his attitude is terrible. And he's a terror this guy is a maniac and he's a sleaze ball and a friend here says he's a street person and he's seen them and he acts just like one and goes after a certain game and thinks it'll win and doesn't work with knowledge and he's in trouble and is our friend is and says he's got his big fat ass right on it and it's probably his clan and he hates the clan so it's going to take a little few times a few days then he's going to be off his rocker and engaging Max and the clan and he will probably die and the max are probably going to take it over his idiot Giants and everyone's fighting and they'll sneak in and try and do that and who cares they do a better job but really on us wish it seems like they would do anyways. So I guess we do care. The symbology is glaring.. and these are important subjects

: the legs are long in the rear end is a little large his legs are shorter and his butt's not so big a little bit bigger and he be okay you can't really see it much he says it seems to be fine and Hera says it is practically normal it's a little small like a baby's butt. And they're saying that

: the height of myself is way up there in my torso is a little short right now is torso is long and he's at his maximum height and it's maximum meaning that it's really exactly how tall you really is without making his back stretch out or anything and my torso is a little small and I checked my discs and they're just right so I think you might be right there might be someone else's legs and I have to check to make sure it's not gross and everyone's messing with everybody it's disgusting and we have to stop it. I'm going to start growing and he'd be out of proportion but it just looks it because my head is smaller and what he says is I think I've got it that when I get bigger it'll look like my closest shorter but my head size is about right to be 6 ft 2 that's true too but his face can grow a little so it'll probably look like me but with the torso a little longer and his face will still be a little on a bit odd they will start growing because even though he's young he thinks because of the increased muscle mass and Bone his face might grow and people say it is a little bit true it happens to babies if they don't grow up which is good so saying it's not happening with me that much it's not really true he says usually I'm a little smaller in the face and it probably throw a little more but he's only going to grow an inch or two at first and then say it's true so my face will fill in a little and it's a heads up he says he knows all this stuff I'm explaining it

: he says that they have him rants and his people have to have him rant because of threats and it is so damned annoying it's true too we hate it

: and so when is it going to happen it says it's a gold's gym he thinks and it is you can see the writing a little and it's not worlds they look very similar and it's in Spain or Mexico or something and it's in Spain and so he says it's kind of like what's happening now but when they discover the clan might be around which would be only a day or two away maybe or a few days this is going to find all the Trump stuff and they'll drill down and they call me the enemy a lot but he doesn't notice and Ken will be in trouble especially with that a****** Becca.

: and it kind of yelled at each other a little the boy who's going to be in trouble they still need him and to be threatening for stuff when they attacked the clan so they like it

: and yeah Trump is off and Dan is sitting there chewing on himself but for real the time date stamping it's it's a change in physique but it hasn't happened yet so the question is when... And here's what I came up with when he starts becoming like the enemy and he's listening to the radio but for real but a little bit so you can't hardly tell like he has earphones on and and his chest is still kind of a little odd looking but it's getting held up by something good and yeah I'm off the path again but it has to do with the Giants of trumps and what's below and when they're found he becomes this white top half decent looking female and starts growing some pretty good legs and I don't think it has to do with a car and I know what most of it means and it all points towards that and the guy in the background means it's probably can and it is a fairly good size guy but not real big and people check it often and they are now and they want to threaten you and threaten Ken to threaten you and all this stuff don't do anything with doomed but that's the timing it has to do with that incident that happened yesterday into today and further investigation will start that nonsense they were doing in westborough forward then got them harmed and a lot of them got hurt and tons of them went into hiding and we think they might be down there

A girl in clip and yeah I lost my arms and legs and I was healed by some friends and family and I do know who they are

I have something to say this is not a bad looking girl but she's been some hell and she's had a hard time and my husband is just a rough person he doesn't want to be tough for a short with you but he helped you get through some things in the saving and it's good and you really didn't beat up a lot and people need to give that a rest hopefully this will do something different and really it's going to be hell for him and others near him and this guy has no clue keeps saying he's related and the Giants are on top of them he is a moron

But what I read is going to happen soon and yeah I know he's waiting for it but really it's going to happen probably within a few days it'll start doing it he never notices and he'll start healing the oxygen level is going up to like 17 during the day most of the day and drop to 15 and then up to 23 at night to 27 and drop a little bit not that much and it's because the algae has come in and whatever goes out there is going to make it grow and grow it's going out there all day and night and they'll start doing the diamonds and tons of it will grow that's another point. She's wearing like a wedding top and it has to do with the tunnels in the diamonds in the tunnels in Florida and she said wow you're going to get me one. And when the unplug that all of that algae is going to grow right offshore and it's only going to be offshore after a while about 20 mi and some people say less and it probably will be because it'll move in with the current and I see that and it's the wedding top so weird things but women have trouble figure out what to wear and the pants are strange and he didn't figure that out at all really it's some kind of pants that you wear when you're attaching to something and you want to be attached to it but not too hard I can surfboard and stuff so really they're like swimming trunks in the gym so he's like this swimming wedding girl in other words the same there might be a lot of rain and that there might be some potential flooding and they're saying it's the diamond stuff but we don't think so so I get that too one more thing I think he's being pushed for hard right now now he's tired and needs to sleep

Hera

It's such a lot because he was tired but only until 7:00 from 4:00 like 2 and 1/2 hours so he needs 8 hours of sleep and really he does need to recover and there's other things going on but this is interesting and I will say this they're saying it's going to coincide when he becomes the good looking female or good guy who's going to beat up the max and there's like this wedding it's going to happen and they want it to happen and Trump says he did on purpose and they're going to nail him and it's really they have to see if the max are trying to take it over and that's what part of the headphone stuff is and they put a helmet on. Cuz other things going on and with the symbology and it is that they're saying quite a few things but really I'm just saying you don't know how to dance when you have big legs and strong posterior which means you can really move you're just sitting there practically standing still and it doesn't make sense and so they're saying it's your people but not your people cuz they're not really making you look that good and some of the common say it and they were amazed cuz of symbology and how it came out and it might even the girl who came up with it cuz he he helped her get back together and she wants to know why our legs are big and he says he has no idea and beggars can't be choosers and it's probably mac code interview a nightmare, and they probably had her do it so they're going to look at that. But this time period it's not very large they're looking at about 50 of these Trump things and trying to see below them and they're looking at what he wants to do with them and they hate it and the pseudo empire is examining it and it came up with this I'm going to come out and slay anyone near the area and take it over and help get ordinance from the statues and casuals and take over the rest of the area now there's some in the Midwest about 50 and some of the Giants are up to 500 miles for real they grew them for ages because it's their race and that's true they change the formula it was our son or daughter's clans and they'd be up in a year but this is ridiculous our sunset 1998 is disgusting it's like 25 years and it's a quarter century she says in the video no but they're going to say it I mean it's ridiculous it's gross and John Gallagher got it cuz I said the other day you should go around 25 miles and suddenly you got angry and said what in the hell are we doing a bunch of people know and he said that's probably not the problem it never is with Trump the incredible boo Foo artist so he said great they're hiding something in the Max and then he got working a lot of people look at it but this is what it means when they find the giants that are the clan and he's going to be labeled and really it says that he's going to start growing already a little bit but once they're found he grows more and it is these little idiots who are suppressing his growth with power and they're going to die when they find them

Thor Freya

Olympus

Well he likes drying it out drawing it out and other people are interested and we need it out so going to publish

Hera Zues

0 notes

sor-vette · 3 years

Text

Chapter One | So Help Me and Sit Near

At the turn of a new leaf, you find yourself dancing along the knife’s edge. To keep yourself from falling over, you must ask three questions: what do they have, what do they hold dear and how far will they go to make you stay with them?

• w/c: 3.0k • rating: mature/explicit

• this series' masterlist • other works

There is an air of tension in the room. It's stretched taut like a violin string on the brink of snapping apart. Though every single waiter, coordinator, manager and planner, were gliding smoothly across the floor like a well-oiled gear in the machine, all that was needed was a single grain of sand for everything to go awry.

(Or seven grains, but that you realize that much, much later on. Too late.)

You sit to the side, taking a breather. The last moment of respite you'd get for the remaining evening. Everyone else is worried. Figuratively but hopefully not literally sweating spinal fluid. You try to be just as anxious. If you're not, then your performance takes a noticeable dip, but then again: why should you care? This is your last day on the job. Still, these people didn't deserve it. You didn't want to be that accursed grain.

(And you would not be.)

And so, with a heavy sigh, you fix your name tag with the small inscription: chief supervisor.

The event is modestly about 1000 times larger than what your agency deals with on the regular. The Neptune Foundations is a small firm growing out of a family-owned business. A trendy, hip place that was in favour of hiring young people. So when you sat in front of an equally unprepared, untrained 'HR manager' you'd lucked yourself into having a job. Did it pay well? No. Was it any good? No. Why were you here? Fuck if you knew. That is what you realized a month and a half ago. And so, with little thought and much impulsivity, you'd handed your letter of resignation. Was it insanely stupid? Yes. But to go back on your word would be plain embarrassing.

You sort through your folder of papers and join the ranks of the weary souls darting back and forth across the dance floor.

It is a fund-raiser gala. An upscale, seasonal event, gathering many 1 percenters into one room. God, to burn this place would be to deliver justice. You look up to the crystal chandelier. It throws subtle hues of light, like an overprized disco ball. Once again going over the papers and the seating list, you can't help but sneer at the snobbiness of it all. Providing funds for the needy, doing the world a favour...as they tunnel this into their tax returns or rather the lack of it. In the end, earning back the same money they gave away, all while dressing to the nines and parading around their supposed virtue.

You were usually not this bitter. But it was difficult not to judge while working the 15th hour.

The event begins as the precisely 99 of you await with trepidation the arriving higher class. You thank all that there is of your managerial position. The hosts look close to crying as they tear their cheeks into a smile, and waiters resembled spinning discs, serving drinks and appetizers all around.

At the sight of hors d'ouevres your stomach rumbles. You swallow your own spit, steeling your glare at the party of your responsibility. Originally this was Jane's work. You were supposed to overlook the elderly couple in seats 103a and b. But she had begged near tears to swap, and despite all pretences, you had quite the soft heart, falling for many sob stories in your life.

You can handle this, you had said to yourself. That confidence is starting to wane as you see Them climb up the marble stairs.

Women, either with or without marriage ring, had turned their heads in unison, along with quite a sizable portion of men. Whole couples were salivating at their mouths. Everyone is anticipating, and you are dreading. Looking at the seven of them, you realize that you really, really don't want to stand here. Certainly, you don't want to greet them and definitely to have them look at you.

Throwing a sideways glance, you find Jane next to her elderly couple. Her eyes are wide as she mouths "sorry" across the room. You sigh again. 5 hours, and you're done; 5 hours, and that's it.

(In hindsight, it really was "that's it" . You just hadn't accurately guessed as to what.)

They don't just look at you, they stare. Openly. Their manager/bodyguard/advisor (?) was tugging on the arm of the man at the front, the incredibly tall rose-gold haired one. A quick glance to the folder affirmed - Kim Namjoon. The quote-unquote leader of the group whatever that entailed. He doesn't even bat an eye as she puts her entire weight to pull them forward. The group was supposed to quickly go up the stairs where you'd guide them to the table. The remaining have stopped dead in their tracks as well. Oh, wonderful. If they did not want to have you as their guide, they could go fuck their pretty way all the way to hell.

As the stress of the entire evening settles, you feel the acidic anger boil suddenly in your chest. And at the moment when there reverberates a petty reminder through your skull, namely that this is your last day, you visibly roll your eyes. Right into their faces. A laugh, a little bit pitched, closer to a bark, rises from the stairs. You narrow your eyes, but their faces are impassive. The culprit cannot be found. You square your shoulders, straightening and letting a heavy tick establish a permanent home in your jaw. In other words, trying to look like a complete bitch that would bite the head off of anyone approaching near. It had worked in high school. Though the audience might be different in age, the basics couldn't differ that much.

There is one of them, the one with curly hair and sharp eyes, that moves first. Taking vast strides, skipping over three steps altogether, as he dashes up. He looks so determined you almost begin to worry he wants to punch you, but their manager, Lim Bo Young, steps in front of him, blocking them from your view. You don't much believe in auras or feeling other people's emotions, but there is just this presence around of discontent and indignity. You write it off to avid imagination.

(It wasn't.)

"Hello, nice to meet you!" She bows slightly. You do the same, repeating her actions on an auto-pilot. People are gawking, and you've begun to flounder, not knowing how to react.

"I'm sorry, they are... just a bit camera shy." You peek over her shoulder. They stand gallant and beautiful in their matching silver detailed tuxes. This group of 'it' boys, who are yet to look away. They don't look shy in the slightest. They look...

...unnerving?

...dangerous?

...

... people you'd like to avoid.

"Table 23, seats 62 - 69," you declare mechanically, gesturing towards the depth of the ballroom. Faintly you hear hushed whispers behind Miss Lim. However, as she moves forward, clearly thrust out of her depth as well, there is no visual confirmation of their infighting. They walk past you, this time visibly not looking at you. This serves to irk your nerves only further. You let your nails slip into the paper folder, practically tearing at it like an irritated house cat. The second shortest one, one with grey hair and an elegant gait, is looking, however. His head twists at an uncomfortable and slightly worrying degree gazing back at you like a showcase at a zoo. Only a helpful hand of the one walking next to him interrupts the grey-haired man from cruising straight into a champagne tower. You sort through your files, matching the small pictures to reality. Park Jimin and Kim Seokjin. The one who had sprinted the stairs was Kim Taehyung. You scowl first at their pictures, then at the retreating backs.

God, you hope they won't cause much trouble.

Oh, they did not cause trouble. They wrought absolute havoc. Were their seats the right ones? Could they move closer to the wall? Oh, it was not possible. Could they just speak to table 17 themselves? They really did not like to be so much in the centre...

"I'm sorry Mr Kim and... Mr Kim, it is not possible for you to move seats. The arrangement is strict." The one who'd asked originally, Kim Taehyung, abetted by Kim Seokjin, was innocently fluttering his eyelashes, cheek placed in the palm of his hand. A visage of a seeming angel. To you, he was the devil incarnate. Certainly, had the good looks.

They keep calling you over and over again. At first, pressuring their poor manager to speak, then involving themselves personally. And they were asking the most inane, weird questions. You could have sworn they just wanted you to witter all night long in front of their table. The surrounding people at first were quite irritated. Though all it took was one flirtatious look for the disgruntled whines to melt like butter. No one for you to use as a shield

You lean back onto the wall with a deeply exhausted sigh. Your muscles wept. You just wanted to sit and un - straighten your spine for just a second. Just one second. For a while, it seemed like they finally relented and just let themselves be. Then Jung Hoseok turns around and beckons at you. You look at him, dead in the eyes and swear. As if he'd heard, he laughs, eyes turning into sickled moons. Upon gliding closer, you see their manager take flight...towards the kitchens? For some reason. And two: they are, in fact, playing rock, paper, scissors.

Kim Namjoon wins as well as Jung Hoseok. They both stare at their hands as if the victory was a miracle personally delivered by God. There is a flurry of movement. So fast and so coordinated that you don't realize they have emptied a chair for you until both victors have stood up. Gesturing for you to get it, much like you had yourself done earlier in the evening.

"No, thank you," you try to stand your ground even though the sight of the plush golden chair nearly brings you to tears. You're so tired.

"Sit down, baby, please," Namjoon says, voice deep. Though you maintain quite firmly that you're not to be charmed by these seven rascals... Perhaps you don't bristle at the pet name as much as you usually do. There is medium bristling.

"We have lots of questions," Hoseok supplies with a gentle smile. Placating. So you don't flare up like a volcano, as you'd usually would, anger issues and all that, but they didn't need to know neither this nor that.

With little choice, because both men gently, softer than a feather, have caught your elbows, you sit down. You nearly bite your tongue in two, trying not to groan as the ache in your bones subsides. The main course finished two hours ago, and yet as you sit down, several eager hands push fanciful plates towards you. Chestnut fennel soup, wilted spinach salad with warm apple cider and bacon dressing, pork tenderloins with caramelized pears in a brandy cream sauce with the finishing Mont Blanc Chocolate Pavlova. Of course, you knew all the foods. After all, you were there when the chef had wailed like a ghost on the floor. He had realized his staff was perhaps not as five stars as the menu required. In fact, you had not seen him since. Maybe, someone should check the bathrooms... and whether the poor man had a sturdy belt on his persona.

Perplexed yet again, you stare at the dishes. They'd kept some of them.

"Is there something wrong with the food?" You ask. They had wanted to go to the kitchen. An hour and twenty-five minutes ago, Jeon Jungkook had shyly tugged at your sleeve and asked whether he could switch his pavlova to ice - cream. Then you'd pointed out he'd already inhaled the chocolate dessert (yes, inhaled, at the speed that it could be considered a magic act) therefore it wasn't an exchange, but just getting extra. At this, he just blushed brighter, and there was a widespread "Jungkookie!" resounding at the table.

"No, no! My compliments to the chef. I could, of course, do better, but this is nothing to scoff at." Seokjin waves his hands around in large gestures. There is an actual speaker on the stage. There had been a rotation the entire evening, but they hadn't tuned in, not even once. Agreeing among themselves that making you yap on and on was far more entertaining.

"We feel terribly sorry for burdening you so much, so we're making amends through food," Jimin smiles innocently, hands crossed underneath his chin. You don't trust that expression one bit.

You look over the food, mouth watering. The hours had ticked by, and you have had nothing but a granola bar and a single leaf of lettuce. While the food is technically not their own, and it's not like you're Persephone of the sixth month, you don't trust their sly demeanour. In a way, it felt like an invitation, after which you would owe to them.

You'd belong to them.

Or something.

(It wasn't "or something".)

In a show of resistance and frivolous annoyance, you pluck a singular grape from the fruit bowl set permanently on the table and munch on that. It doesn't get the desired effect in the slightest. If anything, it causes an uproar of hushed stupid giggles. Cute, can be heard. You're close to turning murderous.

"What do you want now?" Thirty-two minutes. In thirty-two minutes, you would be unemployed. You were not going to waste too much breath on being polite with a bunch of overly rich, audacious men who were dead set on winding you out of patience.

"Would you like to be ou-" Taehyung starts but suddenly falls silent, face contorting in a bizarre expression.

"What he meant was," Namjoon turns away from his friend (? Brother? Lover?) smiling politely, "we'd like to ask you about this gala." You can't even silence the irritated growl at this point. They'd asked you about the gala no less than twenty-seven times already (yes, you counted). Which is stupid, considering they knew all about it. Or at least their manager did.

"Open wide," comes a sudden voice near your ear, and as you instinctively turn to face the speaker, a forkful of the dessert is shoved into your mouth.

Your face begins to heat up in embarrassment. While technically not anything scandalous, the way Hoseok looks at you while the fork is in your mouth makes you feel dirty. You swallow the pavlova quickly, letting go of the fork. Turning back to Namjoon is no solace either. He, as well, has this smug, dark look about him. But that is mild compared to the one who sits opposite of you. By process of elimination, you determine the one to be Min Yoongi. His eyes shine as if he's sick. There's no smile on his face as he gawks at you, barely blinking. As if he wants to tear into you.

(He does.)

"What do you want to know?" You force out.

"Do you often work at such events?"

"No."

"Ah, I see. Is this your first gala?"

"Yes."

"Is this position what you want in life?"

"None of your business."

Namjoon smiles. While not entirely put out by your lack of verbose answers, his brows are furrowing. Maybe he can't understand why you are not swooning over them. You are in a way, but like in a distant way. In a way, you'd look at them in a magazine and think they're handsome. In a way, you'd listen to them speak and realize they're not just pretty faces. In a way, you'd look through their broadcasted social interactions and find their mannerisms charming and endearing. But not in a way you'd want to talk to them. No, you turn heel and run away from anyone you like. Avoidant personality, hermit, social anxiety, the lonesome type. Call it what you want, but you'd rather be at home, where there's quiet, and nothing ever happened.

Nothing ever happened, you realize, and feel a tug of acrid loneliness in your sternum. Honestly, perhaps one of the reasons why you had sat down at all was the pure shock of human touch. Still, heaps and heaps of people were lonely, and you were one more or less by choice, so there was little to whine about. Whining doesn't get anyone anywhere.

"Are you mad at us, baby?" Yoongi speaks, voice rasp like a record scratch. You don't even look at him.

"Frankly, I don't understand why you're doing all this."

"Ah, you just seem interesting," Seokjin explains, pushing around the caramelized apple slices.

"I'm boring." He laughs, peeking over the champagne glass analytically. Like he knows exactly what you're thinking in your heart of hearts. Maybe they all can see through you a bit better than what you'd like.

"Honey, we're quite good judges of character."

"Go judge someone else." You snap, bending your knees to sit up, but out of a sudden, you're hit with a dizzy spell. So you plop back down, head hazy.

"Baby, you're overworked. Sit down with us."

Yes, you're overworked and tired. And the seat is so soft... and whoever has their fingers running down your nape is doing stellar work. You melt into the touch. Nothing seems so horrible anymore, not sitting here, not being surrounded by strangers, not being born wrong as you'd secretly convinced yourself. Everything makes sense and fits together like a puzzle, and you just want to stay here forever...

"Taehyung!" Namjoon's stern voice washes over like a bucket of ice-cold water. Whatever was that delirium vanishes into the night, leaving no trace behind. You're wide awake and maybe slightly nauseous, but mostly you're just over this bullshit.

Nineteen minutes be damned. You're out of here.

You push the chair back, leaving towards the staff clothing rooms. You pull the coat over the dress, not bothering to change into the jeans you arrived, and quickly leave, not looking back.

Not noticing Yoongi's eyes shine through one of the window's as he watches you cross the street.

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387 notes · View notes

smallp0tatoes · 3 years

Text

Affinity [chapter one]

Chapter Two

This story is something I’ve been toying with when I get burnt out on other writing projects. There are about 4 different versions, but this is the most polished. Most of this is set up, so unfortunately there’s no g/t, but I promise it’ll be worth it heheheh

Warnings: swearing, graphic violence (really, like this gets pretty intense toward the end), blood, mentions of death, alcohol

This is my first time posting my writing on tumblr, so I’d appreciate feedback!

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The dull roar inside the bar pounded against Camryn’s brain, adding to her already throbbing headache. She forced herself to focus on the drinks she was pouring, counting down the last minutes of her shift.

“Here you are,” she said over the noise, sliding the glasses across the table to a young couple so wrapped around each other that they didn’t even register her.

“Camryn!”

She glanced over at the closing bartender, who was in the middle of serving up a round of ales. “Kegs just arrived out back. Lawrence asked if you’d help before you leave.”

“Got it,” Cam called back, more than happy to leave the crowded room. She ducked through the flaps to the kitchen and the freight door that let out to the alley behind the bar. Though the sun had set, the air was still comfortably warm: this summer promised to be a hot one. The owner, Lawrence, glanced up from the paperwork he was signing for the driver. He flashed her a bearded grin. “My knight in shining armor,” he said playfully.

She rolled her eyes as she strode over to the truck. “Please. As soon as your back is healed, you’re doing this on your own.” They both knew she didn’t mean it. She’d been helping Lawrence with the kegs before he’d slipped a disc in his back, and she’d be doing it even after he recovered.

“You’re faster at it than I am,” Lawrence argued.

“True.” She stepped onto the liftgate, where the driver had lowered ten full kegs. He came around the truck just in time to see her hoist the first one effortlessly onto her shoulder and stride toward the rack where they were kept. When she returned for the next one, she found him gaping at her. “Those kegs weigh 160 pounds each,” he said.

She just shrugged, but Lawrence laughed. “You must be new. See, our girl Camryn here is secretly Wonder Woman.”

“It’s not a secret if you tell everybody,” Cam told him. Privately, she knew Lawrence was more correct than he realized.

Four months ago, she’d been walking across a crosswalk when a drunk driver struck her at 30 miles per hour. Her body, forced into a life-threatening situation, activated something dormant inside her—something she hadn’t even know existed.

Magic.

After her accident, she’d woken up in the hospital. The doctor who had tended her possessed healing magic. He’d explained to her that magic exists everywhere: for most, it exists quietly, in the form of simple talents. A person who’s a better swimmer, or perhaps even a swimming prodigy. Those who can hear a piece of music once and play it perfectly. Those who seem to always get lucky, despite the odds.

But there were also those who possessed far greater magics. More powerful, that manifested in ways one can grow and control. Some that were, put simply, sorcery. These magics were known as affinities.

Arcane affinities were the most common, and the most versatile. Individuals who could control the elements, manipulate objects, and heal wounds. But there were others as well: wild magic, which included influence over flora and fauna; spiritual magic, which involved communication with spirits; and physical magic, which enhanced the body far beyond that of a normal person.

When that truck had hit her, it had awakened the physical affinity sleeping inside her. All at once, she had obtained superhuman speed, strength, and accelerated healing ability.

She hauled the last of the kegs onto the rack. Lawrence thanked the driver, who was still staring at her in confusion and surprise, and slid the freight door shut. When he turned back to her, his grin was wider than ever.

“You never get tired of that, do you?” Cam asked.

“What do you mean? The way their eyes bug outta their head is hilarious!” He locked the door, guffawing. “Honestly, I don’t know how you’re so nonchalant about it. I mean, those kegs weigh twice as much as you do.”

“Check your math. I’m 140 pounds.”

“Well, they still weigh more,” he grunted. He glanced at the clock. “You’re out, right? Thanks for your help tonight, Cam.”

Despite her headache, she smiled. “No problem. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

“Careful on your way home.”

Cam had never had a father figure, and while Lawrence was far too young for her to consider him as one, she thought she might have liked to have him as an older brother. After her accident, he’d gone above and beyond to help support her. It was for that reason she was always willing to give him a hand.

She hung up her apron and pushed open the back door of the bar. The alley crickets paused at the sound, but soon resumed their gentle chorus. Cam shuffled down the dark street, rubbing her temples in irritation. Ibuprofen and a hot shower were in her near future.

A ball of green flame the size of a softball roared past her, singing her arm. She leapt away, only for her foot to snag on a pothole. Her head clamored in protest as she landed on her side, and she looked up slowly, already knowing who she’d see.

“Damn, you weren’t even paying attention,” Theo Blackthorn laughed, tossing a second fireball in the air. Its green glow snagged in his long red hair that cascaded down his back in wavy autumn shades. He wore dark jeans, and the top three buttons of his black shirt were open with the sleeves were rolled up. As usual, a single black glove stretched up his right arm to his elbow.

“Get lost, Theo,” Cam snapped, getting to her feet. “I’m not in the mood.”

He smirked, green eyes narrowing. “Ooh, not very friendly tonight.”

Not to you, Cam thought, watching him warily as she took a step back. The fireball flared above Theo’s gloved hand. “That’s too bad,” the mage tutted. “Here I was thinking we could have a little fun.”

The doctor had told her about the battles. Mages going after other mages, for various reasons: good-natured fights to practice and perfect techniques were most common. But there were also those that attacked for power. If a mage with powerful talent defeated another—as in, killed them—they could absorb that mage’s magic. However, as someone with a physical affinity, the doctor told Cam that arcane mages would most likely leave her to her own devices. They couldn’t use or absorb physical magic.

Clearly he had never met Theo.

Only weeks after leaving the hospital, she was out hiking the trails along the lake when the redheaded prick jumped her. The attacks only increased, until she felt like she was dodging his magic every damn week—and she had no clue what he hoped to gain from it.

The second fireball shot through the air, and Cam barely jerked her head back in time to dodge it. Steeling herself against her throbbing head, she glanced around and spotted a large piece of asphalt that had broken free from the pothole she’d tripped over. Two more flames flew toward her, and she dove to the side and grabbed the chunk of gravel and tar.

As Theo summoned more fire, Cam aimed and hurled the asphalt as hard as she could. It spun through the air like a drunk frisbee, and Theo had to bend his knees to duck. Before he could recover, Cam was barreling toward him, curling her fist. The mage’s eyes widened as she bore down on him, and he swept his hand through the air.

The dumpster hit her like a bull, sending her crashing into the alley’s brick wall. Her breath whooshed out of her like a waterfall, and she struggled to regain it as Theo stood once more.

“Damn, that was close,” he laughed, stepping toward her, not even winded from moving the heavy dumpster. “What, you tapping out already?” he asked as she coughed and struggled to her knees.

“Get…lost,” she repeated. Theo stopped six feet away and stared down his nose at her, that greasy smirk plastered on his face. She’d asked him once why he was so keen on trying to kill her. He had laughed. “Kill you? Not at all. You make such a great test subject for my spells.”

“Come on. Maybe this will re-energize you.” Electricity bit into her body, making her go rigid. Theo preferred fire, but electricity was his second favorite. The voltage finally vanished, leaving only Cam’s rage. She leapt to her feet and swung at Theo. Her fist caught his shoulder and sent him flying backward. He crashed into the recycling bins, and Cam took the opportunity to run. She was tense the entire way to her apartment, expecting some other projectile to come hurtling after her, but she reached her building without added injury.

Her apartment sat above a bike shop off of Main Street. It had two bedrooms, with a balcony that faced the lake along which her town was nestled. And it was somewhere that Theo had never, ever followed her to or attacked her at. Even so, she checked her locks before dragging herself to the bathroom. She let the warm glow of electric candles be her light, since they were easier on her throbbing head, and quickly swallowed three Tylenol for good measure. Then she peeled away her work clothes and stepped into the hot, inviting shower.

If she was being honest, pitting herself against Theo was a decent workout. Though she didn’t care much about magic, he allowed her to tap into her body’s newfound potential. But god, he was such an asshole. His spells ranged from annoying to painful. One had turned her hair green; another had left her vomiting for hours. Burns and electrocution were dealt out on whims. He never seemed to care either way: it was all a game to him.

She finally emerged from the shower. As she toweled off her chin-length brown hair, she caught a glimpse of her reflection in the mirror and hissed. Bruises were already forming across her ribs where the dumpster had rallied her. Despite how quickly her body healed, they’d be sore for the next couple days. She trudged toward her bed, vowing that next time she’d give that Blackthorn a bruise to match.

--------------------------

Camryn bit into her burrito, groaning with satisfaction. Across from her, Oliver chuckled. “That hungry?”

She nodded and swallowed. “My affinity burns calories like crazy. Does yours not?”

The younger boy shook his head, making his turquoise curls bounce. “Spiritual magic affects my mind more than my body. At most, I’ll get a headache if I use it too much.”

Not long after getting out of the hospital, Cam had been leaving campus late one night when she heard the haunting sound of a violin drifting through the fog. Upon following it, shapes had materialized, as though stepping out of a dream and into reality. They were the statues and sculptures scattered around campus, brought to life. A carved deer with trees for antlers grazed in the flowerbeds; copper butterflies flitting through the night; a woman striding along the sidewalk, her marble-hewn dress flowing like silk. Tendrils of blue, purple and gold twined around all of them, twisting to the sound of the music. At the violin’s source, she’d found Oliver, using his spiritual affinity to appeal to the pieces of soul left behind by the artists. As long as he played, they danced and moved as though they were flesh. It was a beautiful affinity, and she and Oliver had become fast friends.

Now they sat at a table in the campus common room, grabbing lunch before class. The college was located at the mouth of the river where it ran into the lake, and she spotted several students in swimwear walking the short distance to the beach. The water was still chilly, but in the mounting heat of summer she couldn’t fault them for wanting to cool off.

“Seriously? I get hungry whether I bench press a Volvo or not. What a ripoff.”

“I would both love and hate to see you do that.” He got to his feet. “I’m gonna get napkins. Need anything?”

Camryn shook her head, mouth full of delicious burrito. He rolled his eyes and headed for the condiment counter. She was going for another bite when a familiar, velvet voice appeared to her left.

“Goodness. Watching you eat is almost as entertaining as watching you fight.”

She nearly choked and looked up.

Theo stood before her, a binder and stack of papers under his arm. If it hadn’t been for his voice, she wouldn’t have recognized him. He wore a black beanie that somehow managed to contain the entirety of his hair. Only his bangs protruded, giving the illusion that his red hair only sprouted a few inches from his head. Black square framed glasses perched on his nose, and his button-down shirt accentuated his thin build.

An embarrassing number of seconds passed before she realized her mouth was hanging open. “The hell are you doing here?” she finally managed.

He raised a brow. “I work here.”

It made sense—she just hadn’t expected such a normal answer. “Doing what?”

“I teach chemistry and physics.”

“You…” She paused as his words sank in. “You’re a professor?”

Theo held up the staff pass dangling on a lanyard around his neck. “What were you expecting my profession to be?”

She busied herself unscrewing the cap from her water bottle. “I dunno… Reading people’s fortunes, or some bullshit?”

Theo’s smirk widened. “Maybe that’s my side gig.” His eyes suddenly sparked. “Too bad you left so soon the other night. Things were just getting interesting.”

She scowled. “One of these days you’re going to get more than you bargain for.”

“I look forward to it,” he purred. With a final grin, he turned and sauntered off through the common room.

--------------------------

A few days later, Camryn made him eat those words.

She’d been enjoying a walk along the lake shore, admiring the way the sun dappled across the vibrant blue-green water. It was just outside of town, and the trail down had been blessedly quiet.

Of course, it couldn’t last.

As she squatted at the water’s edge and reached for an interesting-looking rock, a force slammed into her back and sent her sprawling face first into the lake. She jumped to her feet and whirled.

Theo stood atop a rocky outcrop of granite, hands in his pockets. He burst out laughing. “How many times am I going to catch you with your guard down?”

“I shouldn’t have to watch my back every fucking second,” she snapped, pushing her dripping hair out of her face. “Prick.”

“Ooh, name calling now, are we?” He shrugged. “I’ve heard worse.”

“I have no doubt,” she grumbled, wading out of the lake.

He jerked his gloved hand from his pocket, and fire shot from his fingers. Cam had to lunge to avoid it. “Quit it!” she snarled, trying to keep her footing on the shifting rocks.

“Do something about it,” Theo sneered. “Or is that temper just for show?”

She dodged another fireball, and it whizzed past her head and landed in the lake with a sharp hiss. She gritted her teeth and sprinted toward the rocks. Two jumps, and she was at the top.

Still grinning, Theo took a step back—only for his foot to catch on a jutting stone.

That second of unbalance was all Cam needed. She clamped down on his shoulder and dug her fingers into her palm. His green eyes widened, and she slammed her fist across that smug, pretty face.

There was a sickening crunch from his nose, and the force of Cam’s hit snapped his head to the side. He sprawled backwards and landed in a bush.

For a moment, the only sound was her panting. Then Theo hissed and sat up, hand hovering over his face. Blood dripped from his nostrils, as well as a gash across the now-crooked bridge of his nose. He blinked up at Cam with watering eyes.

She smirked. Without a word, she turned and trudged back up the hill.

--------------------------

The next day, she pushed open the door to the campus library and nearly collided with Theo. He had a coffee in one hand and a stack of books in the other. Like the other day, his hair was somehow stuffed up into a beanie.

They both stopped dead. A nasty purple bruise ringed his left eye, and there was a bandage across the bridge of his very obviously crooked nose.

Camryn couldn’t help the grin spreading across her face. “Now that’s a good look for you.”

Theo’s lips split in an equally feral smile. “You’re very lucky my hands are full right now.”

She clicked her tongue. “You wouldn’t attack a student on campus, would you Professor?”

He raised an eyebrow. “This is the last week of classes. After that, your luck runs out.” He brushed past her, departing with a purr of, “Enjoy your summer.”

Even his threat couldn’t dampen her glee at the damage she’d done to his face. She flipped him off and ducked into the library.

--------------------------

It had rained earlier, and the sharp, earthy scent of the forest enveloped Camryn as she hiked along the trail. It was still cloudy, and few boats were out on the lake today. She glanced down the cliffs, where on nicer days people liked to leap into the water below. She’d done it herself: as long as you avoided the part of the cliff that sloped out at the bottom, you could easily land in deep water. Today, however, there were no such thrill seekers.

Something prickled along the back of her neck. Without pausing, she snatched up a broken branch from the ground, spun on her heel and hurtled it at the rocks above the trail.

It flipped through the air, only to slam to a halt. Theo grinned at her, gloved hand raised, and flicked his finger. The stick spun in reverse, far faster than she’d thrown it. Even so, she snatched it out of the air and grinned back at the redhead.

“If you wanted to play catch, I feel like asking would’ve been easier,” she called.

“What do you mean? You’re terrible at catch—you can’t even catch me,” he shot back, jumping down a rock and spreading his arms.

“Really? Your nose is still crooked.”

Theo’s grin turned savage, and both of his palms ignited in green flame. “You’re going to pay for that little trick.”

She sprinted across the trail, keeping her body low as she darted around the fireballs came flying at her. In a random moment of observation, she noticed the flames winked out as soon as they missed her: before they got a chance to land on the forest floor.

Shaking off the distraction, she leaned in, working her way closer. He jumped backward, gaining the high ground as she circled around him.

A green glow enveloped his arm—a spell was coming. Gritting her teeth, she willed strength into her legs and vaulted up into a tree. The green light struck the trunk where she’d just been standing, and the bark sizzled with what looked like acid.

So much for caring about the environment.

“That’s dangerous!” she snapped, leaping to the next tree.

“That’s the point!” he replied.

She leapt forward, catching a thick branch in front of her. Her abs clenched as she swung forward and let go. Gravity and momentum sent her hurtling toward Theo.

The redhead flinched and raised his hand. Then Cam was there, and her feet slammed into his stomach.

She heard his breath whoosh out of him, and he went flying backwards. Right over the…

Crap. The cliffs.

Theo floundered as he began to plummet toward the lake. Camryn had no way of knowing if he’d clear the rocks below.

She swore and ran towards the cliffs, launching into the air. Theo’s eyes widened as she crashed into him and wrapped her arms around his abdomen, letting her momentum carry them both further out over the water. For a moment they were weightless: suspended in air. Ear pressed against his chest, she heard his heart beat faster.

Then they were falling.

“What’re you… Get off!” Theo struggled against her, eyes filled with panic. She opened her mouth to tell him to quit it, when a sudden electric current seized her body. She released Theo, and the voltage vanished seconds before they hit the water.

The electricity left her body tingling all over and numb in some places. As she started to sink, she opened her eyes and looked around. Theo’s mane of red hair was nearby as he flailed his arms, trying to reach the surface.

He can’t swim. Camryn drifted there for a moment, almost in a trance, watching as the mage sank to the bottom. All that power, and he can’t even float.

She kicked her legs and seized Theo by the arms, pushing off the lake bottom.

They broke the surface, gasping and sputtering. Camryn kept one arm around Theo as she swam them toward shallow water.

“What…were you thinking?” she panted, dragging the coughing redhead up onto the beach. “Fucking electrocuting me?” She let go of him and flopped down on her back, legs tingling with numbness.

“I thought you were going to hold me under!”

“I was trying to make sure you didn’t hit the fucking rocks!”

“It’s your fault I went over the cliff in the first place!”

“You’re the one who attacked me, asshole!”

“You could’ve drowned me!”

Cam’s anger flared. She sat up and glared at him. “You wouldn’t have needed my help for that. You can’t swim, can you?”

Theo blinked, and his face reddened. His long hair was plastered to his head, and for the first time, she realized the mage was incredibly scrawny. “That’s not…!”

She jabbed a finger at him. “Idiot! Everyone should know how to swim, especially if they live near water! Figure it out!” She struggled to her feet and headed for the trail, making her way up without stopping.

--------------------------

For awhile, Theo left her alone. It was nice to be able to hike without being ambushed, but with summer in full swing work kept her busy more than she would have liked. So after a month of work and visiting friends, when she finally had a warm, beautiful day to herself, she donned her swimsuit and headed for her favorite small, secluded stretch of beach. It was hard to get to from the trail, and like today, she was usually the only person on it.

Sunlight glinted off the green ripples of the water. Atop a slab of granite peeking out of the lake, Camryn stretched, basking in the hot summer air. Taking a deep breath, she dove from the rock and plunged into the beautiful water. She let herself drift down and opened her eyes. The water was remarkably clear, and she felt her body relax as she floated through the quiet.

Finally, her lungs began to protest the lack of oxygen. It was unfortunate that she’d gotten super strength and not the ability to breathe underwater. She kicked up, ascending through the deep, and broke the surface with a satisfied gasp.

“I wondered if you’d drowned.”

She blinked water from her eyes and turned. Theo stood on the rocks, hands in his pockets. Despite the hot weather, he wore a button-down shirt with the sleeves rolled to his elbows, and the glove still covered his right arm.

She smirked at him. “Come for swimming lessons?”

The redhead bared his teeth in a grin. “So you can push me under when I least expect it? I don’t think so.”

Camryn floated on her back. “Someone’s paranoid. I had the chance to let you drown, but I didn’t.”

Theo didn’t say anything. She smiled and flipped over, diving underwater. With a few powerful strokes, she swam closer and came up for air once more. Theo was still standing there, watching her warily.

“Are you sure you don’t want me to teach you? I’ll swear by anything you like that I won’t harm you,” she offered. The warm weather and water had put her in a good mood, and despite her general irritation of Theo, she was feeling particularly generous.

He chuckled darkly, and she cocked her head. “What? You don’t think I’d keep my word?”

“Words are the things I trust least,” he replied. “Nothing would stop you from changing your mind as soon as it suited you.”

“Wow. You’re a real ray of sunshine. What do you trust?”

Theo examined his nails. “Science. Things that can be proven. And my affinity, of course.”

“Not friends?”

The redhead snorted. “You mean people to knows my weaknesses?”

Camryn stared quizzically. “…You don’t have friends? Like, anyone that you’re close to?”

He pushed a stray strand of hair out of his face. “Those who proclaim friendship and closeness simply want something. When it comes down to it, all they care about is their selfish desire.”

Cam kicked her feet, watching the mage thoughtfully. What had given him such an opinion of people?

“What?” he asked.

“I’ve never met someone who holds everyone at a distance like you do.”

“I told you…”

“Yeah, yeah. Weaknesses. But that doesn’t stop anyone else from making friends.” She propelled herself into the shallows where she could touch bottom, far enough away that Theo wouldn’t think she was trying to pull a fast one. “Aren’t you just putting yourself above everyone to feel superior?”

Theo smirked. “I am superior,” he said.

“I see. And how does it feel being all alone at the top?” she wondered. A flash of understanding went through her. “That must be why you come after people like me: you want human interaction, but without a risk or attached strings.”

Theo’s bemused expression wavered for half a second, and then he laughed. “My spellwork and experiments are my focus. I don’t have time to be concerned with friendships and the like.”

Then what are you doing here having a conversation with me? “Someday you might regret not having anyone in your corner when you need it,” she told him.

He picked a blade of grass off his knee. “I doubt it.”

She sighed. “You could at least dip your feet in the water. It feels amazing.”

Theo looked down at the water and said nothing. Cam shrugged and dove again, doing an underwater handstand. When she returned to the surface, Theo was sitting on a rock at the water’s edge, rolling up his pant legs. She resisted the urge to make a joke about his blindingly white shins and watched, bobbing a few feet away from him as he dipped his legs in the water.

“Feels good, right?” she asked.

“Hmm,” he grunted, still watching her. After a moment, he spoke.

“How’d you get that scar on your arm? I thought your physical affinity was supposed to grant you accelerated healing.”

She glanced at the pink, puckered scar across her bicep. “What’s the use in knowing?” For it was the most personal question he’d asked, and she wanted him to admit he was genuinely curious.

He smirked. “I was wondering if I’d been the one to give it to you, and if so, which of my spells was so efficient.”

Cam smiled. “I’ll have to disappoint you, then. A drunk driver hit me while I was crossing the street.”

Theo blinked. Despite the smirk he kept plastered on his face like a mask, she was beginning to learn to spot the emotions beneath it. Her words had rattled him earlier, and now she’d surprised him. But she kept her voice dismissive as she added, “If my affinity hadn’t awoken, it might’ve turned out a lot differently.”

Theo stared. “Awoken… You’re a novice?”

Cam shrugged, enjoying the slipping of his aloof façade. “I suppose so. When I woke up at the hospital, the doctor there explained magic to me.”

The redhead seemed deep in thought. Then he shrugged. “That would explain why you’re so sloppy.” With a flick of his finger, his legs were dry, and he bent down to put his socks and shoes back on.

She arched an eyebrow and decided to ignore the jab. “How long have you had yours?”

He straightened, hair cascading over his shoulder like a molten wave. “My affinity developed when I was two.”

Seriously? “Are your parents mages?” she asked.

His grin stayed firmly in place, but a muscle feathered in his jaw as he glared down at her. “What’s the use in knowing?” he asked, quoting her words back at her.

She bared her teeth back at him. “Touchy subject, then. I was starting to wonder if you had emotions at all.”

Theo flicked his finger, and she dodged the rock that hurtled through the air. It skipped across the water behind her, but she kept her eyes on the mage.

“Just because you’re a novice doesn’t mean I’ll go easy on you,” he said.

“Just because you have magic doesn’t mean you’re superior,” Cam snapped back. “Your personality is still shit.”

For a moment she thought he might electrocute the water while she was in it. Instead, the redhead snorted and turned on his heel. “Not many people dare to talk to me like that. Watch your back.”

She actually laughed. “Are you for real? You just asked me about a huge scar I received from a traumatic injury, and then get upset when I ask one little yes or no question about your fam—”

The next rock was too fast to dodge. It sliced through her eyebrow and left her blinking blood and stars out of her vision. Fury surged through her, and she lunged for the rocks. “I’m gonna kick your ass, you skinny, ginger punk!”

But by the time she pulled herself ashore, the redhead had vanished. She touched a finger to her split eyebrow and clenched her fists.

--------------------------

Camryn yawned as she headed home from work. It was Summer Solstice, and the sun had only just set a couple hours ago. It was also a new moon, so the sky was darker than usual. From now on, the daylight hours would slowly but surely start to dwindle…

Something struck her—hard—and sent her rolling across the asphalt. Pain bloomed through her side, and she grit her teeth and forced herself to her feet.

Theo stood before her; hand outstretched. The manhole cover that had hit her clattered to the ground.

“What the hell?” she snapped, clutching her sore ribs. She hadn’t seen Theo since the day at the lake. Now he was smirking, but there was something glittering in his green eyes that she didn’t recognize.

Something cruel.

He took an uneven step toward her, and she realized he was drunk. “What’s wrong? A thought we could have a little fun,” he laughed darkly. There was a strange lilt to his voice she’d never heard, but before she could identify it, electricity bit into her already throbbing muscles. She staggered and leapt out of the way to avoid his next attack.

“What’s your deal?” she snapped, dodging the bolts of lightning. “Is this because I asked about your family? If it’s that personal, then I’m sorry!”

An invisible force seized her ankle, swung her through the air and slammed her into the ground. She coughed and rolled, dragging herself back to her feet as she tried to catch her breath. This was nothing like their normal bouts. He was bloodthirsty.

“Theo!” she exclaimed, standing with feet planted. “What’s going on? Did something happen?”

“Shut up!” he hissed. “Dinnae talk t’me like we’re friends!” Flames shot from his fingers, but his aim was sloppy. She dodged most of them, but one caught her pant leg. She patted it furiously, wincing as the fire licked her fingers, until it was out.

“Theo, stop it!” she yelled. “You’re drunk!”

“A said shut up! As if you know anything about it. Yer nothin’ but an amateur physical affinity,” he snarled. “Stop actin’ like we’re equals. Like we could be friends. Compared to my power, you’re nothing!”

A green aura enveloped his hand, and he sliced downward. Nothing happened, and Camryn gritted her teeth, ran forward, and struck him across the face. He went careening backward and landed in the bushes, out cold.

She stood there, panting. What the hell had that been about? She’d never picked Theo as the type to get wasted, but she could smell the alcohol on him. Something had definitely happened to make him attack like that. But what—

A fierce whip cracked across her back, sending her nerve endings howling. She cried out and spun around, but no one was there. Another burst of pain followed, and she stifled a shout and stumbled back, away from Theo. She ran full tilt for her house as the third lash followed, and then a fourth, and a fifth. A green flash that matched Theo’s magic accompanied each one. The skin on her back broke, and hot blood seeped into her shirt. She fumbled her keys into the lock, staggered inside, and fell to her knees as the invisible whip cut her over and over again. Blood spattered the floor, and her fingers smeared it as she dug her nails into the wood.

Just as she teetered on the edge of unconsciousness, the attack ended. She lay there for a long time, taking shuddering breaths as she felt her heart beating in time with the throbbing on her back. Tears ran down her face, mixing with the blood that speckled the floor.

She had to talk herself into getting up. Gritting her teeth hard enough to hurt, she slowly pushed herself up. The movement alone almost made her black out, but she forced herself to a sitting position. The entryway looked like a massacre. As she looked around at all the blood, a sob escaped her lips.

--------------------------

She called into work the next day. She told Lawrence that her grandfather was ill, and she had to take a leave of absence. She’d be out for at least a week.

As usual, he was completely understanding. In reality, she was sitting on the edge of her bed with a towel wrapped around her to stop the bleeding, since there was no way for her to wrap bandages around herself.

The lashes covered her back like some sort of gruesome latticework. Whatever spell Theo cast had filleted her skin like a pro chef, and even breathing brought on a surge of pain. It had torn her shirt open, which was the only way she managed to get it off, because trying to lift her arms over her head would’ve resulted in fainting.

She thought about going to the hospital. But the thought of trying to drive herself anywhere, not to mention how in the world she’d explain such terrible injuries, snuffed the idea out almost immediately. No, all she could do was hole up and let her accelerated healing do its work.

Which it did, but it felt like an eternity. She focused on eating and drinking plenty of water, and did what she’d always done when it came to pain: forced her way through it.

The fight with Theo ran through her head on repeat. Fury boiled in her veins as she recalled his drunken rant about not needing friends. Had he really maimed her because she’d tried to be friendly for a fucking change?

The first two days, she was ready to kill him. That didn’t last long: no matter how angry she was, she knew it was something she’d end up regretting. Breaking several of his bones and rendering him immobile for a few months, though, seemed incredibly practical.

The lashes slowly scabbed over. A few more days and she could gingerly put on a shirt. Two days after that and she was moving better. However, by the fifth day it became apparent that she couldn’t feel the middle of her back, where the overlap was thickest.

Lawrence noticed she was more subdued—and moving a little stiffly—when she came back to work. He asked once, and when she gave a short confirmation that she was fine, he didn’t bring it up again.

#holy shit i can't believe we're doing this lol #affinity #g/t #g/t writing #giant/tiny

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doctors-star · 3 years

Note

lister/rimmer for “Oh no, I feel bad- SYKE, no I don’t.” pretty please

“You’re being weirdly helpful today. What do you want?”

Rimmer opens his eyes parodically wide, fingers splayed against his sternum in an elaborate moi? gesture. It is an appearance of surprise and hurt so manufactured that Lister almost wants to applaud the performance, bow at their audience of stars, and abandon the bastard to his machinations. But unfortunately, Lister has been granted prophetic visions of the future and knows with deep and terrible certainty that, were he to do so, he would spend two minutes wandering the empty decks, trip over Kryten’s best mop, slide on one of Cat’s abandoned silk cravats, and go and find Rimmer to bitch about it and hope that he’s doing something more interesting. So, given that interstellar travel is remarkably exhausting, it’s far better to cut out the middleman and instead lie here on the sofa and watch Rimmer direct scutters to haphazardly clean the living quarters inch by mind-numbing inch. They’ve even got little white glove-fingers on their claws, so that Rimmer can demand that they swipe something to test for cleanliness and then bawl them out for miniscule specks no-one else can see. Once, Rimmer had conjured up a white glove for himself and gone round doing the same thing, but when Lister had pointed out that he couldn’t pick up dust and therefore was imagining things, Rimmer had only doubled down harder - so hard that he’d worked himself into a real tizzy about going video-blind, or being permanently stuck with dust on his finger for all eternity, or dying, again, and had needed to go and have a lie down in the dark for a bit. So this is - debatably - an improvement.

Normally, Lister wouldn’t give a toss about Rimmer bossing the scutters about on yet another mad powertrip, but he’s going too far. He’s thrown out all Lister’s mouldering dishes, professing concern for Lister’s health but probably just trying to irritate him, and he’s cleared out the space in the corner of the bunkroom that Lister had hesitantly earmarked for the crib - and in doing so, had thrown out Lister’s third-worst t-shirt, the one with the curry stain vaguely resembling Maggie Thatcher, and which he likes to keep around in order to spit at it every now and then. The final straw, however, had been when Rimmer had nasally informed him that he was getting in the way of the scutters’ gruelling floor-cleaning regime, and that he had better go and put his feet up instead - to keep out of their way, of course.

“When have I ever tried to manipulate you to get what I want?” Rimmer says with a voice which he probably thinks is sweet and just makes him sound like a particularly jammy and unpleasant used-car salesman trying to get off with the seventeen-year-old girls coming in for their first Fiat 500.

Lister narrows his eyes. “Do you want that alphabetised or chronological?”

Rimmer blinks at him balefully, still very much putting it on. “Can’t I just do something nice without an ulterior motive?”

He considers this. “A person could, even if they never have before. You, though, I genuinely think the shock of it would kill you.” Lister spreads his hands invitingly, obligingly lifting one foot out of the way of a scutter before letting it once more dangle over the side of the sofa. “So, out with it.”

Rimmer shifts nervously from one foot to the other, inventing something at speed as though he never expected Lister to call him out on this - in which case, he’s a moron. More so than usual. “I don’t want the twins sleeping in our room,” he blurts out all in one rushed go, and Lister raises an eyebrow. “They’ll - they’ll cry, and keep me up, and I’m not giving up my Learn Esperanto discs for rodent-sized versions of you.”

Lister makes a game show-style incorrect noise and blows a raspberry, just to watch the left side of Rimmer’s face twitch in irritation. “Nope, not happening. They’ll cry so’s I know they need me, so I gotta be here to hear ‘em. Anyway, I wouldn’t make you give up your Esperanto discs - they’ll be better at it than you in a few months.”

Rimmer makes a sucked-lemon face at him. “Your spawn is not piggybacking my learning, the little parasites,” he says sternly.

Lister cups a hand around his ear exaggeratedly. “What was that, little-Listers? Ni estas tre lertaj? Yes,” he says to his still flat stomach in a very gooey voice that makes Rimmer clench and unclench his fists like a prize fighter, “you are very clever!”

Rimmer wrenches one hand up and points at him viciously, the other fingers curled in so tightly that his knuckles go white. “I forbid it.”

Lister sticks his tongue out. “Move out. Anyway, that’s not the reason - you cleared the space for their beds yourself. So, what is it?”

Rimmer narrows his eyes. The scutters start inching towards the door and effecting their escape. “I want to pick the film tonight, and it won’t be Fast and 14ious again,” he says carefully, feeling his way into the lie.

Lister pulls a sympathetic face and makes his game show noise again. “Oh, too bad,” he says, “you know well it’s Cat’s shout tonight so helping me won’t do anything. Anyway, 14ious is the best one.”

“It’s scratched to hell,” Rimmer points out. “We have to make up our own dialogue for the entire second act - last time, Kryten had the central car chase pivot around a shipment of mopheads and got disturbingly into the sex scene immediately following.”

Lister winces briefly at the recollection, but shrugs. “Exactly, it’s the best one. Right, contestant, last chance, remembering that you still have your lifelines: ask the audience, fifty-fifty, phone a friend-”

Predictably, Rimmer frowns. “Phone a friend?”

Internally, Lister pumps his fist. “Sorry contestant, that’s wrong too - you don’t have any friends.” Rimmer offers him a truly poisonous look and Lister nearly falls off the sofa snorting with laughter.

Rimmer folds his arms. “Well, if you know so much,” he sneers. “Work it out for yourself.”

“Nah, ‘cause you’ll just say yes to anything in the hope I’ll shut my gob,” Lister says without taking offence, and Rimmer looks vaguely exhausted. “Come on,” he wheedles, “tell me what’s eating you.”

“Nothing!” Rimmer snaps, unfolding his arms in a jerky motion and stalking off to fold himself into his bunk so that Lister has to awkwardly lean his head over the back of the sofa to see him. “Maybe I just want to live somewhere with basic standards of cleanliness.”

“Yeah,” Lister allows, watching Rimmer rub at the webbing between thumb and forefinger obsessively, as though seeking comfort. “But usually you yell at me until I do it. This,” he says, gesturing at the hard work of the scutters, “could be interpreted as nice, Rimmer, so you’d better do something selfish before the Playboy cover designers get in touch and make you every Miss July for the next century, or something else equally unlikely happens.”

“You’re an unbearable goit with all the standards and appeal of a mangy, leg-humping jack russell.”

“That’s the spirit. Now, explain yourself, you uptight lunatic.”

Rimmer makes a face at his own knees, then looks up, sees Lister watching him, and makes an even unhappier face. “Well,” he says, and then Lister has to wait and listen to nothing but the noise of deep space and Red Dwarf slowly falling apart around them for a good minute. “We ought to be ready for the babies, when they arrive,” he says suddenly, addressing the starched creases in his trousers.

“Which will be in about seven months,” Lister prompts gently, turning around to lean his chest against the back of the sofa and watch Rimmer better. He rubs the back of his neck carefully, tugging at the baby hair under his dreads. It’s not that he doesn’t want to be prepared, but - seven months is a long time, in the depths of space with sod all else to occupy them. Rimmer seems oddly hung up on it. The thought occurs to him like a lead weight in his stomach. “Look, man, I know we never asked for ‘em, but they are coming, so even if you don’t want them around you’ve-”

“No!” Rimmer says sharply, and when he meets Lister’s eyes he knows Rimmer is entirely serious, even though he still doesn’t understand literally anything else about the situation. “It’s not-” he waves a hand at Lister dismissively. Then he fixes his gaze on his hands, and addresses his remarks to those. “Pregnant people are supposed to rest,” he says sternly, “and be undisturbed by - by mess, and noise, and small children.”

Lister feels a frown settle on his brows, and a worry settle in his gut. Rimmer swallows hard, adam’s apple moving like a yo-yo. “Why’s that?” he murmurs gently, as if - if he could only be quiet enough - the question wouldn’t spook Rimmer out of his honesty.

Rimmer shrugs one shoulder. “Stops the baby growing up strong,” he recites oddly. “Mummy said she’d spent so much time running after my brothers that she was worn out with me, and that’s why I was slow.” He sniffs. He looks horribly lonely, and a hundred thousand miles away, and it’s like there’s a fist around Lister’s heart slowly constricting. “And that she might as well keep focussing on them, since I was never going to catch up.”

Lister shakes his head slowly. “Rimmer,” he says, “you’ve got more hang-ups than Elton John’s feather boa rack. I’m not raising the kids like your parents did you, and I’m not going to lie on the sofa for the next seven months doing sod all.”

“Whereas normally you’re such a ball of energy,” Rimmer snipes, but his heart’s not in it.

“Yeah,” Lister agrees calmly, “I’ve a strict schedule of slobbing about in different places and I’m gonna stick to it. Rimmer.” Rimmer flicks his head up guiltily and Lister offers him an exhausted look. “You can’t just decide to only care about my health when it suits your trauma and really annoys me, alright?”

Rimmer frowns. “Why not?” he whinges - which is a surprise, because Lister was anticipating him latching onto the caring thing, and not getting much further.

Lister spreads his hands. “All or nothing, baby,” he says firmly and with cheer, and then shoots Rimmer a wink - which reminds him of the aforementioned caring thing, and sets him off sputtering.

“And - and I don’t care,” he manages in the end. “Watch me not caring, you odious toad.”

“Uh-huh,” Lister says, and then, when Rimmer chances a glance his way, blows him a kiss to make him go all red and cross. It’s really ridiculously endearing.

“This,” Rimmer says, pointing at him, “is a manifestation of my dreadful upbringing, and, and Stockholm syndrome, anyway.”

Lister manages a grin, and lets it go. As he slumps back into the sofa, he can’t help but wish that Rimmer wasn’t probably right - and not just because the man is obnoxious and intolerable on a good day, when he’s wrong - and failing that, that this Stockholm syndrome, this resolute and unbending care that humans apparently manifest for one another despite literally everything when there is nothing else in the universe except a few creeping lifeforms and the persistent love they put out like radiation from a life-destroying nuclear incident, touching everything and making it all complicated - he cannot help but wish that it wasn’t there, or that it was there more, or something. That Lister loved him less, or that Rimmer loved him more, or that there was anything, anything at all, that Lister could do to change that.

But there isn’t, and he hasn’t got a hope in hell of Rimmer ever acknowledging affection without yelling got you afterwards, so he’d better just - stop bothering, really. Lister sighs, and smoothes his shirt over his stomach. He doesn’t care that Rimmer doesn’t want to care. He’s fine about it.

He hears his own brain make the game show noise. In a fit of pique, he removes one vile sock and throws it into the cleared space designed for the cots, and tries not to think about the hair-pulling sense of satisfaction he gets from listening to Rimmer yell at him.

#apologies for the delay! as ever i am working on it all slowly #thanks for the prompt anon! hope u enjoy this slightly loose interpretation thereof #red dwarf #rimster #this is your captain speaking

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baby-grayson · 3 years

Note

is there any chance we can see some heavy angst between gray and ness?

College Football Gray Part 2: Tagged Out

tw: hospitals & angst

Vanessa’s tears hadn’t dried onto her cheeks when a group of nurses came in to whisk Grayson away, rolling his bed out of the room as he groaned in confusion. One of them stayed behind, offering Ness a tissue and sympathetic shoulder tap before running out to catch up with the group. Ness sat there, staring at the empty space that used house Grayson’s limp body in a hospital bed. Her emotions stirred inside of her, mixing into an uncomfortable mess of happiness from hearing Grayson declare his love for her for the first time and darkness from recognition about what Grayson’s declaration could be stemming from.

She sat in that chair until a deep imprint of her hips formed in the polyester cushion. She chewed off nearly all her fingernails, occasionally flicking her tongue against the corner of her mouth. She waited so long for the nurses to wheel Grayson back in that her tears dried on her face, leaving dry trails of salt across her cheeks.

At the sight of Ethan, she nearly leaped out of her chair. Although he was usually emotionally grounded, Ethan did not consider Vanessa’s feelings when he started shooting questions out of his mouth. He asked her if Gray had seen a doctor, if he was awake, if he had an X-Ray, how long had she been there, where he was: his questions blended together into an obsfucation of sounds and grunts.

Nessa felt a ball form in her throat during the middle of Ethan’s questions, it started to grow and welled up. When Ethan took a breath between his words, the ball exploded out of Nessa’s mouth like a sob. Ethan looked shocked: too confused by his own emotions to analyze the situation at a regular speed. He paused for a moment before putting an arm around her, drawing her into his chest.

Nessa heaved into his shoulder. Her nose filled with the smells of grass and sweat which only triggered her eyes to water more. Something about being pressed against Ethan’s chest made her yearn for Grayson more, knowing that the twin was not as good as the original. She needed her Grayson, and she was prepared to cry heavy tears until he was by her side again.

Lisa and Cam arrived on the scene to find Ness heaving into Ethan’s chest, with a fat lip and swollen eyes. Lisa adjusted her cardigan, preparing herself to enter mom mode while dealing with her own emotional struggle. She gently took Ness from Ethan’s arms and wrapped her in her own, starting to soothe her. Ethan collapsed against the back of his chair when Ness left his arms, he looked at Cameron and began explaining the situation to his sister.

“It’ll be okay,” Lisa rubbed a warm hand against Nessa’s back. Hard as she tried, Lisa only managed to partially quell Nessa’s anxiety while she still heaved against her shoulder, occasionally taking in a mouth full of fabric. Lisa pulled away from Ness as a large blob of snot ran from her nose and landed onto her sweater, “Why don’t you-“ Lisa hedged, “Why don’t you go home? Get cleaned up? We can take it from here huh? You can come back in the morning.”

Lisa rubbed gentle circles into the small of Vanessa’s back but her attempt at comfort did not stop the loud, shrieking cry that escaped Nessa’s lips.

“No-“ Ness sniffled, “I-I-“ she heaved, “I can’t leave him,” her words sounded dry in her throat, “I love him-I can’t” she sniffled, “I can’t-I won’t” she heaved harshly, roughly moving her chest as she tried to breathe, “No.”

In Vanessa’s mind, leaving Grayson meant giving up on Grayson. While her memories of sitting near her mother’s bedside flooded her brain, Ness didn’t want to face the consequences of missing a moment while Grayson was in the hospital. She defined her role as his girlfriend to mean that she had to be there for him. She felt existentially obligated to not leave the hospital. Considering Lisa’s suggestion meant considering surrendering as a failure to Grayson.

Lisa shook her head softly, trying to wipe tears from Nessa’s face while holding in her own stress. “It’ll be okay, I promise” Lisa cooed, “go home- get some sleep, you’ll be here in the morning.”

Ness continued to shake her head in a stalemate with Lisa.

They repeated the interaction for what felt like hours, with Ethan and Cameron frozen in the corner watching everything happen. The overhead fluorescent light flickered. Each passing nurse held the possibility that they would be towing Grayson behind them.

Eventually, Ethan broke the stalemate by standing up and throwing an arm around Nessa’s shoulders. Ness protested while Ethan started to walk her to the parking lot: she was a ball of heaves and snot. Ethan sighed when he got into the drivers side of his car, gritting his jaw. Halfway through their drive, Nessa’s sobs quieted into gentle sniffles while she wiped her nose with the back of her wrist. Ethan sucked on his bottom lip for most of the ride.

Ethan parked the car in front of Nessa’s dorm building. Ethan didn’t give her a time to pick her up in the morning. In fact, he let her leave the car wordlessly: without so much as a goodbye. She took a few breaths, trying to find composure before leaving his car. The walk up the stairs to her front door felt miles long. The act of taking her key out of her pocket and fitting it into her door required the same amount of mental stamina as brain surgery.

Ness didn’t sleep a wink that night. She didn’t even bother taking off her clothes when she dragged her body through the doorway. She laid in her bed, staring at the ceiling and asking her clock to move faster.

Fortunately, she awake to look at her phone and see a text from Ethan: “I’m leaving at 8:30, I’ll pick you up if you’re awake.”

Lisa was waiting in the hospital lobby for Ethan and Ness to arrive, she feared another outburst from Ness would wake Grayson from his badly needed rest. She greeted Ethan with a hug when Ness peeped up from behind them, “How is he?”

Lisa made a gentle nod, as if she was letting the information settle in her head. before saying anything. “A bad concussion- they guess he probably had a minor one before the fall-” Ness and Ethan exchanged a sheepish look,, “--and it got worse. He was out all night, they were doing tests on his back-”

Ness sucked in a breath, afraid of the end of the sentence.

“-he slipped a disc in his spine.”

“What does that mean?” Ethan spat out while Nessa’s mouth went dry.

Lisa shrugged, “We’re waiting to find out” she passed a hand over her forehead, “It’s going to be a long road.”

Ness couldn’t wait to see Grayson, she all but ran up the hospital stairs and did not look behind her to see how far Ethan and Lisa were trailing her. She froze outside of his hospital door, looking in to see his head passively leaned back on a pillow. In the corner of the room, Cameron slumped over a chair, curled in a ball during a nap. Grayson’s head didnt move, his eyelashes didn’t twitch against his cheek bones, his chest didn’t even pump with the shallow promise of breath.

Ness felt frozen in fear: anxieties igniting on her nerves like a million fireworks going off against the night sky.

Ethan and Lisa moved past her, making her pick up her step and follow them into her room. Ethan stood by Grayson’s head, he rested a hand against his brother’s limp shoulder. Nessa’s breath caught in her throat when Grayson’s eyes blinked opened. He sniffled, his lips were dry. “Bro-” Grayson said lowly, “E-..”

“Hey man,” Ethan said, his tone hinting at sadness, “How are you feeling?”

Grayson sniffed in a breath, his eyes fell in opposite directions in their sockets when he tried looking up at Ethan, “Better than ever” his letters rolled over each other. Ness felt overtaken by the helpless feeling of seeing someone you love in a hospital bed and knowing she was powerless over his fate.

Ethan’s eyes teased a tear when he looked down at his brother.

Grayson tried to hold his head up, looking like a broken bobblehead, “Whu-Where is erreebody? Oh hey mom,” his head bobbled in Lisa’s direction, “..Ness..”

Ness shuffled to the opposite side of the bed as Ethan. “Hey,” she spoke softly. Her hand found his limp fingers to hold and stroke gently, “How’s your head?”

“Great,” Grayson murmured unconvincingly, “Better with your lips on it.”

Nessa’s eyes went wide. Ethan sucked in his lips. Lisa found a spot to stare at on the floor. From her nap, Cameron chortled against her chair.

Ness tried to alleviate the situation by pressing a sweet kiss to Grayson’s forward. He responded to the act by murmuring words of appreciate. The air still hung heavy and awkward.

Grayson stayed in the hospital for more than two weeks. Ethan drove Ness from campus to see him in the afternoons. He was plagued by the pain and nausea that accompanied his intense concussion. Ness grew accustomed to helping him to the bathroom as he struggled to regain feeling in his right arm: his shoulder would occasionally spasm and lock, making him moan in the combination of soreness from his shoulder and his head.

The day Ness and Ethan brought Grayson home from the hospital was like bringing home a new baby. Ethan prepared his car with a cushion fort’s worth of blankets and pillows. Ness stocked their fridge with snacks and labeled his medication cabinet with the days of the week.

Grayson was allowed to go home under the condition that he did not attend class. He was prohibited from practicing football: his doctor refused to entertain the question of when he would be back on the field. Lisa tried to protest, but Ness and Ethan insisted that the best place for Grayson was with them. In truth, neither one of them would have been able to handle the emotional strain of being separated from him for a prolonged period of time.

Ness would rush to Grayson’s apartment between classes to check on in: despite the fact that she was texting him constantly. Grayson gave her his key since he was not going to be leaving without her and Ethan anytime soon. She would drop her backpack on their couch and go to sit by his bedside. Grayson would groan as she applied hot packs and icepacks to his shoulder. reminding not to twist so he can keep his spine straight.

When his pain medication kicked in, he found enough energy to ask Ness about her day. One day, he insisted that she sit on the floor in front of his bed. She laughed and asked him why.

He shrugged, “I want to try something.”

Ness shook her head lightly and complied: she was mainly happy to see Grayson find energy to do something besides lay in bed.

Grayson took her hair in his hands and started passing strand over strand. “Oh-um,” he grunted, “Why do you have so much hair?”

Ness laughed, “Do you want me to cut it?”

“No! No,” Grayson hedged, “This looked easier on TikTok.”

“What are you doing?” Ness giggled and looked up at him.

Grayson sighed, “I was-I was trying to braid you hair- all pretty like.” He let go of her hair, “I saw it on tiktok- they called it a Niagara braid? or a waterfall braid?”

He huffed in defeat. Ness reached up to kiss the bottom of his chin, “Practice makes perfect.”

Unfortunately, not all of their moments during this time were so happy.

One Monday morning, Ness walked into Grayson’s bedroom and leaned her backpack against his nightstand. Ness was derobing out of her winter coat, scarf, and gloves when Grayson groaned from bed, “Can you get me the IcyHot?”

Ness complied and fluttered out of the room. The door knocked her bag to the side. Grayson leaned his upper body off of the bed, dangling off the edge by his thighs. He shuffled Nessa’s papers back into her backpack. He stopped at one. He pulled himself back on to the bed to look at it further.

Ness walked in, carrying a pack of IcyHot, and noticed him inspecting the paper. “What you got there?”

Grayson took in a shallow breath, his tone was low, “You got a 32?”

Ness stopped in her tracks. Immediately recognizing her exam in Grayson’s hands. She put the IcyHot on his night stand, “It’s no big deal.” She went to grab the paper from his hands put he held it away from her.

“Ness,” he started in a paternal tone, “What happened? You never get grades like this.”

She sighed and rolled her eyes, “It was a hard test okay, not my fault.”

“Are you doing better now?” Grayson asked with a soft touch to his voice.

“I’m working on it,” Ness responded tirelessly, “Don’t be mad at me.”

“I’m not mad at you,” Grayson said softly, “I’m just..disappointed.” He sighed and looked at her with kind eyes, “If this is too much, Ethan can do it. I don’t-I don’t want you getting bad grades on account of me.”

Ness shook her head, “It’s fine, I promise.” She leaned forward and kissed his forehead, “I love you.”

“Love you too,” Grayson mumbled while she applied the IcyHot to his shoulder.

In the weeks that followed Grayson coming home from the hospital, Ethan drove him to physical therapy twice a week: every Tuesday and Thursday night. Immediately following his sessions, Grayson would fall fast asleep: lulled by his soreness and exhaustion. The mighty football god could barely pick up a wooden block with his right arm.

On Wednesday morning, Ness came through Grayson’s front door carrying a box of cinnamon buns. “Hey,” her voice took a sing song tone, “Guess what I have?”

Grayson grunted and tried to pick himself up from bed.

“What- What happened?” Ness nearly dropped the box of cinnamon buns, it fell on Grayson’s night stand with a ‘plop’.

Grayson moved his left hand through his hair, still rubbing the sleep out of his eyes.

Ness stared in shock, being impatient for Grayson’s answer, “Why are you in sling?”

Grayson looked down to see his shoulder sitting in a blue foam sling. “They’re worried about me pulling it in my sleep, the spasms-they don’t it to flop around in the night.”

Ness blinked quickly, “Why didn’t they give you this before?”

Grayson shrugged with his available shoulder, “Dunno.”

Ness shook her head, “This means you’re getting worse. It doesn’t mean you’re getting better-” Ness paced in circles on the tiny floor space of Grayson’s bedroom.

“I’m fine,” Grayson promised, “I’m going to be fine.”

Ness looked at him, unconvinced by his words.

The semester was coming to a close, Ness furiously, and unsuccessfully, tried to balance studying for exams with tending to Grayson. She didn’t say a word when he proposed a movie night the evening before her Ethics final. Instead, she wore her favorite fluffy socks and tried to curl up next to Grayson while the Lady and the Tramp played on his computer.

“Hey uh-” Grayson grunted, “Can you go on the- the other side?”

Ness gasped, “Yeah. Yeah.” She tried to move over his body, to get away from his injured shoulder.

“Oh,” Grayson groaned as she rolled over his midsection.

“Sorry,” Ness squeaked.

Grayson tried to settled in, returning his attention back to the movie and wrapping Ness in his left arm.

“I can’t see,” Ness complained, trying to shift her body above Grayson’s.

“Sorry,” Grayson groaned a she continued to roll around him.

He shut the laptop she looked up, startled, “What’s the matter?”

Grayson shrugged, “Wasn’t working out.”

That moment was the inspiration for the conversation Grayson knew he had to have with Ness. It happened a few days after, when Ness came over to his apartment on the last weekend of the semester. She was confused when he asked her to take a seat on the foot of his bed. “What’s going on?” She asked curiously.

Grayson sighed and licked his bottom lip, “I-uh- I wanted to tell you.” He sighed and spoke quicker, “I think it’s best if I go stay with my mom. For the start of next semester.”

Ness looked down and analyzed the folds in Grayson’s sheets. She spoke slowly, “How am I going to see you then? If you’re all the way in Jersey.”

Grayson shifted his weight from side to side, “I don’t think you will.”

Ness shot her hands up in the air, “What? That’s ridiculous. I’m not going to- I’m not going to not see you. You’re my boyfriend? If I don’t see you how are we going to-”

The grave look on Grayson’s face told Nessa more than his words ever could.

“Oh God,” she said softly.

“I’m sorry Ness,” Grayson said sincerely, “I don’t mean to-”

“You’re breaking up with me,” she interrupted him. “I can’t believe this Grayson- Gray, I love you. I really love you. I thought you loved me too.”

“I do love you Ness,” Grayson reassured, “It’s just--” he sighed and shifted his weight again, “I can’t stand to see you like this- to see us like this. For pete’s sake Ness we haven’t had sex in months, we can’t cuddle without a major--a major---fiasco! your grades are slipping Ness-” Grayson’s eyes turned downward at the corners, “I can’t- I can’t watch myself keep doing this to you Ness.”

“My life is mine to worry about,” she said indignantly, “Not yours.”

Grayson sighed, “Don’t do this to me. Don’t think of this like a-”

“Don’t do this to you? Don’t do this to you? Like I’m doing anything to you?” Her attempts at sounding angry were water logged by the sobs that were catching in her throat.

“Don’t think of this like a break up,” Grayson continued, “Just a break.”

Vanessa seemed to grow sadder and more sullen at his answer.

“It’s not like I’m going to be seeing other people,” Grayson promised, “I just- I don’t know how long it’ll take until I’m...”

“Yeah,” Ness whispered into the air around her, a surrender.

She sat there, heart broken. She was crushed by the weight of loving Grayson Dolan. When he grabbed her and kissed her at that first party, Grayson became the center of her world. In his broken condition, Grayson took priority in Nessa’s life: stripping her of any trace ways to spend her time. Sitting there, she realized that a life without Grayson, wasn’t really a life at all for her. She felt like someone had blocked out the sun: playing a cruel trick with sunglasses and mirrors that couldn’t possibility be true. She waited for him to say it was a joke, to say it was a misunderstanding, but he never did. She left, feeling like she didn’t know where to walk after someone blocked out the sun.

Despite his injury, Grayson only felt like less of a man when he watched Ness walk out of his apartment. He felt desolate. The pain that thumped in his head and his back wasn’t measurable compared to the stabbing feeling that came as a result of tearing out his own heart: and watching Ness walk away with it, no promise that she would ever bring it back. The only solace he found was in trusting that he did the right thing for Ness. He brought about so much pain to himself, but he couldn’t bare to see her suffer any longer on his account.

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bookishbarnowl · 3 years

Text

A Night Masked With Changes: Chapter 1

Clay's finally ready to attend the Ball himself, determined to explore the world beyond the castle. Romance is not something he accounted for. Whoops.

Warnings: None

Relationships: Dream & Technoblade (twins), Dream/George, Dream & Wilbur, Dream & Sapnap, Dream & Fundy, Phil/Kristen

Word Count: 1,929

Ao3 Link: Here

Chapters: 1 (here) 2 3 …

The clock in the Great Hall had just sounded twice, and the castle was silent. Guards were just beginning to nod at their posts, servants had long since retired to bed, and the royal family should have been asleep in their beds. The young crown prince was defying expectations.

Clay carefully shut the door of his bedroom with a quiet click, his usual extravagant attire exchanged for a simplistic suit of forest green and a dark cloak. He’d spent the last few nights working on his mask, a blank white disc carefully fitted to his face and painted with a plain black smile. It was embellished with stylized ferns and edged with painstakingly painted daisies. He was proud of it, perhaps embarrassingly so. Art was not one of his strong points.

He spared a quick glance towards the door a few rooms down from his own, knowing his twin, Technoblade, was asleep inside. He’d seriously considered dragging him along on this little excursion he had planned, but ultimately decided he couldn’t risk it. His brother could carry a secret to his grave if he wanted to, but he was a serious stick in the mud about rule breaking. Clay’s general rule of thumb with his brother was that if it could get him in trouble, he kept it to himself, and he really didn’t want his dad to find out about this. This was most definitely in that category, so tonight he was alone.

The other person he’d desperately wanted to confide in was George, his best friend. Technically, he was Clay’s valet and manservant, but over the years their relationship had evolved into something much deeper than that. They spent most of the day together and their friendship had gone from tentative giggling at jokes the other made to raucous late night gossiping sessions and sharing practically everything with each other. George had been the first person brave enough to make fun of him (besides Techno- he didn’t count) and Dream found that he actually liked being the butt of a joke when he could laugh with the person and snap back with some witty retort. George wasn’t afraid of him, and when one was the crown prince, unprejudiced companionship was a valuable commodity.

His friend was currently asleep in the servants quarters far below him in the depths of the castle, sharing a bedroom with fellow servant Floris. After a lot of troubled consideration, he’d decided that he would keep this escapade a secret, at least for now. The worst that could happen to him was he’d be grounded or punished by his dad, but George could lose his job or even worse if he was discovered helping Clay sneak out of the castle. His father wouldn’t care whose idea it had been, only that they were both involved. He was not willing to put that on the line, so no matter how guilty it made him feel, he was going to do this by himself. Besides, Floris was a light sleeper. It would be hard to avoid waking him up.

He slipped down the hall and crept down the stairs on cat feet, tying the strings of the mask behind his head as he went. Getting out of the castle was a simple matter, he’d long ago discovered a window that was loose in its casing and large enough to fit through while being light enough to lift by himself. He could slot it back into place from either side of the wall, which made it the perfect escape route.

The outer wall was a bit more of a challenge, but there was a reason he’d waited until this exact moment. There were only twenty minutes until the next change of the guard, so they would be tired and bleary from four hours of alertness. If he was careful, he could sneak up to a parapet and let himself down with a rope, which is exactly what he did.

He landed on the ground with a soft thud, tying his rope to a nearby tree so that it couldn’t be pulled back up without a hassle. He checked that his mask was secure on his face, then darted off into the night, bound for the brightly lit village in the distance.

Once a month, the town held a Masquerade Ball. Ostensibly, it was a chance to catch up with your neighbors and enjoy a night of carefree revelry. In reality, it was paradise for anyone who wanted to get away from who they were during the day. Not everyone hid their identities, but most did, and they came from all walks of life. Some came in shoddily patched linen with burlap sacks over their faces and some came in fine silk with embroidered bandanas hiding the countenances of high profile officials, but all were treated with the same welcoming spirit. One’s real name was a well-respected secret, and unmasking someone was the ultimate act of cowardice. Anyone who broke that trust would be punished without remorse.

Clay had known about the event for quite some time now, having heard a few details from George, and had finally worked up the courage to attend himself. He was sick and tired of everyone looking at him and seeing someone to be impressed and flattered. He wanted to meet someone as himself for once. Tonight, he wasn’t the crown prince. With the mask and costume on, he became Dream, his idealized self.

He snuck into the town square through an inconspicuous alleyway, ducking into the crowd and hoping he hadn’t been noticed by too many people. He wasn’t looking to draw attention yet. He got a few looks, but most people were content to return to their own conversations and pay him no mind. He was about to sigh in relief, glad to have made it in unscathed, when someone touched his shoulder. He jumped and rapidly turned to face them.

It was a man in a pale tunic and dark pants, the bottom half of his face covered with a cream-colored bandana and sparkling black eyes winking mischievously at him from the upper half.

“Welcome to the Ball,” he offered cheerfully. “You seem like you haven’t been here before.”

Clay nodded, not trusting himself to speak yet without giving himself away.

“Well, if you’d like a dance partner, I would be honored to make your acquaintance.” The man bowed cheekily, extending his hand in invitation.

Clay couldn’t think of a good reason to refuse. He was Dream now, and Dream took risks. Dream could afford to dance with strangers without fear of judgement. He nodded again and took the man’s hand. He was promptly whisked off to the center of the square, where about a dozen couples were dancing to the lively music.

He was grateful for the years of rigorous lessons he had to fall back on as the masked man swept him into the forms of the dance with confident ease. His new friend was leading, but he found he didn’t care much and excitement thrilled in his heart as the man swung him into a dip with a brilliant smile that was obvious even with his mouth obscured.

He felt so alive he could fly, grinning like a madman as the two of them twirled across the square in perfect step. His cape swirled behind him in effortless elegance when he spun, the lightweight fabric echoing his thoughts as he realized he could never happily go back to the heavy woolen mantle he wore to formal events. He’d never danced like this outside of the privacy of his lessons, and it was exhilarating.

The last measure of the song sounded with a triumphant zing, moving into a more sedate melody. His dance partner bowed once again, breathing hard and eyes wild with delight. Clay, equally tired and elated, bowed low in return.

“May I steal you for one more?” the man asked, nodding towards the other couples, who had transitioned to a stately waltz.

In response, Clay caught his arm and took the lead, placing a firm hand on his waist and gently guiding them into the first steps of the dance. They were the epitome of grace, well-matched in skill and dexterity as they flowed through the figures of the waltz. He started to notice a few people staring, growing aware that compared to most of the other attendees this level of expertise was unusual. He decided he didn’t mind the eyes on him as much as he usually did.

With the relaxed pace of the slower song, he was free to fully take in the man in front of him. He was a couple inches shorter than Clay himself and had a shock of dark hair that stuck up in all directions, his skin a few shades shy of olive. The hand clasped in his was callused around the fingers but not the palms, so he probably wasn’t a manual laborer, but he was still well-muscled. His costume was simple but the fabric was a far cry from the coarse cotton of many people here.

Clay estimated he was somewhere in the upper middle class, but he had no idea who was standing in front of him. He felt sure he would’ve remembered those impish eyes if he’d seen them before.

He wondered how he himself looked. He knew his height and fitness weren’t anything to scoff at, and compliments on his appearance were common, but what impression did he make without his famous face? He felt mysterious and intriguing, and certainly something about him had attracted this man’s attention. It felt good, knowing that he was interesting enough to seek out even without his title. He was sure his joy must be showing on his face, and he wished he didn’t need to hide it.

“So,” his partner began, interrupting his thoughts, “do you speak, masked man? I would love to know the voice that matches such exquisite dance skills.”

Clay cleared his throat, pitching his voice a few tones higher than usual. “My ability is no greater than yours,” he said appreciatively.

The bright eye-smile was back. “It’s rare I find such a well-trained dance partner, good sir. Do you have something I can call you?”

“Dream,” he answered warmly. “And what can I call you?”

“Sapnap,” he replied. “And what are you seeking tonight?”

He thought for a moment. He obviously couldn’t say he was escaping royal responsibilities. “An unbiased eye,” he admitted after a brief hesitation. “Why are you here?”

“Why, to dance!” Sapnap laughed. “It’s a Ball, after all. You’re the best partner I’ve seen since the Blood God, and I’ve been coming every month for ten years.”

“Who’s the Blood God? Are they a regular attendee?” he questioned, interest piqued. The name itself evoked fear and awe, but a certain majesty tempered it. And they were apparently a dancer as well.

“He comes most times. He’s here tonight, actually. He keeps to himself, but I finally convinced him to favor me with a dance a few months ago. He’s a very strong performer. He’s dressed in a red cloak and a pig mask, if you’d like to find him later.” He glanced over Clay’s shoulder and his eyes widened. “Or you can meet him now. He’s coming this way.” His expression switched into something more nervous. “To be quite frank, he intimidates me. Act cool.”

Clay laughed lightly and finished the waltz, bowing to Sapnap one more time before turning around to meet the Blood God. His jaw dropped as he saw who was pushing his way through the crowd, suddenly very glad indeed that his face was covered.

#mcyt #dsmp #dreamwastaken #technoblade #georgenotfound #wilbur soot #cinderella inspired #technotwin #fanfic #also on ao3 #fluff #friends to lovers #moderate slow burn #dreamnotfound #dnf fic

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mcatmemoranda · 4 years

Text

Today, the fellow went over how to read chest X-rays with me, which is good because I need to review that.

First, you need to determine whether it's an anteroposterior (AP) or posterior-anterior (PA) view. That just means whether the X-ray was taken from the front (AP) of the pt or the back (PA) of the pt. The heart will look enlarged on an AP view, so the PA view is better to determine whether or not the heart is actually enlarged. The scapulae are further out in a PA view than an AP view. The PA film also comes with the lateral view.

Then you want to say whether there is good inspiratory effort. If you can see at least 8 to 10 ribs, then you know the pt had good inspiratory effort. If you see more than 10 ribs, there is hyperinflation (e.g., COPD, where you would also see a flattened diaphragm).

Next you say whether the film is well penetrated, over-, or underpenetrated. In a good CXR, you can see the spinous processes and as you go down the spine towards the diaphragm, you should be able to see the intervertebral discs. If you can't see the intervertebral discs near the diaphragm area (i.e, it's all just white, you can't see any less dense areas between the vertebral bodies), then the film in underpenetrated. If you can see the discs too much (black spaces between the vertebral bodies), then the film is overpenetrated.

Determine whether or not the pt is rotated. You do this by looking at the distance between the spinous processes and the clavicular heads. If you're looking at a PA view, the side with the clavicular head further from the spinous processes is the side to which the pt is rotated. It makes sense if you just think about the anatomy--if you are rotated to the left, the left shoulder is further behind you than the right one, so the space between the left clavicular head and the spine will be greater than the space between the right clavicular head and the spine. If the distance between both clavicular heads and the spine is the same, then it's well aligned.

Next look at the bones. Look for any rib fractures. If there were a rib fracture, you would also look for a pneumothorax (broken ribs can puncture the pleura).

Next, look for any hardware (e.g., ET tube, lines, etc.)

Then look at the soft tissue. You can appreciate the pt's body habitus based on the amount of soft tissue there is (e.g., you could say an obese pt has abundant soft tissue). Look for any soft tissue masses.

Next, look at the heart. The heart should be 1/3 on the left and 2/3 on the right with respect to the spine. Also look at the mediastinum (the space between the lungs); see if it looks enlarged.

Then look at the lung parenchyma. Talk about the upper, middle, and lower zones of the lungs, the costophrenic angles, the hila, any opacities/nodules.

A pt we have today has chronic bronchiectasis and came in C/O hemoptysis. He has a history of smoking marijuana, vaping, and snorting cocaine. The damage to his lungs is what caused the bronchiectasis, so any irritation to the lungs now can trigger an exacerbation of it (more hemoptysis). He also had a left lower lobe wedge lobectomy due to a cavitary lesion that may have been an aspergilloma, but turned out not to be. Before he had the lobectomy in 2016, you could see air crescent sign on his CT scan. In his current CXR, the heart is more shifted to the left in this pt (probably becaue of the left lower lobectomy/atelectasis, which draws the lung to the same side).

The air crescent sign (ACS), also called the meniscus or cap sign, appears on radiographs or computed tomographic scans of the chest as air interposed between an intracavitary, ball-like mass and the cavity wall. Its shape ranges from crescent-like to that of total encapsulation,2 and its volume varies greatly.

An air crescent sign describes the crescent of air that can be seen in invasive aspergillosis, semi-invasive aspergillosis, or other processes that cause pulmonary necrosis. It usually heralds recovery and is the result of increased granulocyte activity.

It should not be confused with the Monod sign 2 which describes the air that surrounds an aspergilloma. Unfortunately, the air around the fungal ball is also crescent-shaped and the term air crescent sign is often used interchangeably in that instance - opinion as to the validity of this latter use is controversial.

The Monod sign (often misspelt Monad sign) simply describes gas that surrounds a mycetoma (most commonly an aspergilloma) in a pre-existing pulmonary cavity 1-3.

It should not be confused with the air crescent sign which is seen in recovering angioinvasive aspergillosis 4. The air crescent sign heralds improvement in the condition.

In practice, it is likely that the term Monod sign will receive blank stares. The gas around the mycetoma is often crescent-shaped and hence, the term air crescent sign is used interchangeably by many to refer to both pathological processes.

For a pt with a bronchiectasis exacerbation, you want to limit the pt's coughing so he doesn't worsen the bleeding. This can be done by giving dextromethorphan, a cough suppressant. The pt should also lay on the side of the bad lung so that if he coughs up blood, it doesn't go into the other lung.

Ground Glass Opacity (GGO) in one area can be active alveolitis. Infiltrates on the CT means he needs antibiotics (and he was given cefepime). Have to rule out infection (his Quantiferon is negative and he's not immunosuppressed, so the Quantiferon is good; he also got acid fast bacilli [AFB] culture x3).

Histomplasmosis can cause calcified nodules called "histoplasmomas."

Histoplasmoma is the name for a specific kind of nodule secondary to granulomatous reaction to histoplasmosis infection often described as having a pathognomic target lesion appearance. Histoplasmomas can appear in the lungs or central nervous system. Although classically conceived as a solitary lesion, there are reports of multiple histoplasmomas in a single patient 1. Histoplasmomas vary in size and may grow over time, and can even exceed the technical definition of a pulmonary nodule's size (i.e. greater than 3 cm) 3.

The fellow also taught me about dosing for heparin. Heparin drip is given for pulmonary embolism. I think she said you have to check the PT/PTT every 6 hours when the pt is on heparin drip and the number should be 60. Heparin can be reversed quickly.

LMWH (enoxaparin [brand name Lovenox]) therapeutic dose is calculated by taking the pt's mass in kg and giving them that number in mg/mL subQ every 12 hours.

#CXR #air crescent sign #bronchiectasis #lung nodule #pulmonary nodules #heparin #heparin dosing #LMWH #pulmonary #pulmonology

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r3b3lgrrrrrrrl · 4 years

Text

A LunaTic and her Gunn (Part 104 1Xs2) "Late Nights and Lazy Days"

@creatureofthen1ght-v3 @crystalbaby12 @5sosfam1dlover @backoftheroomandnotbelonging @findingmyths

The show at The Roxy was a huge success. The venue filling with electricity as soon as The Boys took the stage. Outside, the sight of Luna had given Colson an extra boost of energy to his mind. Inside, OnStage, her touch was a direct shot of adrenaline to his body. The crowd growing even more insane once Dom and Travis joined him OnStage for an intense encore of I Think I'm Okay.

BackStage, Luna had offered up her repacked bullet to whomever wanted it while hanging off of Colson's back. Collecting their things, they sent their luggage to the LA house after deciding to spend their night in The Valley at Roger's Bowling & Arcade. Luna calling Frannie and Paris while Colson invited Mod and Noah.

-------------------------------------------------

"You're goin' down, Sucker!" Luna wiggles her loose arms and fingers as she grins at Benny and he chuckles.

With so many of them, they have to break off into teams. Luna and Colson call Captain in unison, leading him to complain about how They Won't Be On The Same Team. He only pouts out a Fine when Luna gives him First Pick and a kiss.

Choosing Slim first, Luna takes Paris. Eyeing Luna and knowing how his last interaction went, Colson tries his luck by picking Fran. Making Luna shake her head when she catches her friend rolling her eyes at his effort. Luna takes Rook as a response. Colson snatching up Travis, AJ, Mod, Benny and Bullet while Luna secures her team with Ashleigh, Dom, Baze, Noah and Paris's boyfriend Gabe.

It's way passed midnight. Having been ON since before Noon, Luna's hitting her fifth or sixth peak by now. Just as it starts to kick in for Ashleigh and The Boys. Having only hit the bullet upon arrival with Frannie and Gabe, Paris dutifully sets up their bowling screens as everyone crowds around and the two teams talk shit to each other.

"You don't know what these guns can DO!!" Benny laughs at Luna as he flexes.

"We gonna take her cocky ass down?" Colson nudges Frannie trying to break the ice between them.

Paris had rallied for Colson on the way over, still trying to persuade her to give him a chance. Deciding to bite her tongue tonight for Luna and P, she nods with a small smile. Agreeing with him that, THAT Bitch Could Be Knocked Down A Peg Or Two. It's Colson's laughter that draws Luna's eyes over to the two of them.

"Ugh... With all this bullshit with Sam, I really fucking hope tonight goes well..." Her mind flashes before it catches a trail of colors and is off flying in a different direction.

"Alright.... Here we go!" Paris calls out.

The pure MDMA is now coursing through all of their bodies, minds and souls. The stream of black lights wraps around them, causing them to glow. The bass driven music making their hearts pound as they laugh, trip and bowl.

"It's so great to finally get to hang out with you!!" Luna exclaims as she grabs a seat beside Gabe.

"It truly is!" He agrees with a wide smile.

"Tell me.... What are you guys working on right now. P said you have a mini tour coming up?" Luna asks regarding their band The Soundflowers.

"Yes!!!" Gabe beams as Paris approaches them after picking up a spare.

The three go on to talk about The Couple's music and plans. Colson making his way over as they take turns bowling. Wrapping himself around Luna from behind, he kisses her cheek before joining their conversation. Colson and Gabe clicking quickly as they bond over their love of Sublime and Oasis.

"Your turn, LunaTic!!" Rook hollers.

With her body warm from happiness, content, love and drugs, Luna leans her head back into Colson's chest. Lifting up, she kisses him under his chin before going to support her team.

Grabbing her bearings along with her ball, Luna poises herself as the different colors and objects dance around her. Blinking twice, she swears she can taste cotton candy as she throws a Strike.

"MY GIRL!!!!" Colson yells to her squeals as he spins her around. "I don't even care that you're supposed to be my rival right now!" He laughs as he pulls her chin up for a kiss after he sets her down.

"Come on, Loooove Birds!!" Mod teases them. "You're holding up the game!"

They're really not though. All Sixteen of them are ON, distracted by the black lights and lasers. Slightly Slipping. Bodies still bouncing and bobbing to the music that surrounds them as they chat uncontrollably with each other about EVERYTHING.

Growing bored after the first game, The Slipping Sixteen venture into the Arcade. Simultaneously finding a row of ski ball lanes alongside a line of electronic basketball games. Entering into more challenges against each other, they drop tons of shiny quarters into the game's slots along their way.

Slim, Colson and Benny battle it out in basketball while Luna, Frannie and Ashleigh go head to head in ski ball. Paris and Rook switch out when Luna wins as Baze steps up to challenge Slim along with Gabe after Colson loses to him.

"I got next!!" Colson calls on ski ball.

Luna wins again. Squaring up against her and Frannie, Colson takes his stance in front of the middle lane VERY seriously.

"You two have NO idea what you're in for." He says confidently as he laces his long fingers together and stretches them out in front of him.

Lights, lasers and images dance around them. Flowing in through the windows of their eyes, down into their souls. Binding them together like sticky, magical taffy.

Popping their quarters in, the wooden balls fall down the slot with a loud SMACK. The sound making the three players grin as it brings back goosebumps from their individual childhood memories.

With Rook shouting 1.2.3. GO! They're off. All three being incredibly skilled, it's a close call. Luna coming in 3rd as Frannie takes Colson by two solid 100K point hits. A slightly smug twinkle glints in her cool, blue eyes. It's the only sign of how pleased she is with herself.

Comparing ticket winnings with each other, Luna notices Baze is a little quieter than usual. Part of The Slipping Sixteen going on to wander around the Arcade, giggling and wiggling while they taste the sounds and hear the colors. Finding Travis, AJ, Mod and Bullet, they're consumed by the vivid, original arcade games as the others join them.

"You okay?" Luna asks Baze as she hooks her elbow into his and they continue to wander together.

"Is it that obvious?" He answers with longing eyes.

"Only to me." Luna reassures him as she leans her head against his large arm.

"I miss her, MaGoons..." Baze sighs.

Passing a mirror, Luna stops them. "Let's tell her." She smiles at him before taking a selfie of them and Snapping it to Sam.

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

Sam is at Pier 97 with Ashley, Stephanie, Mack, Jackie, Logan, Jason and a bunch of their other friends. Continuing to celebrate at Pride Island, a 2day music festival created solely for the end of the week long event. Checking her phone in the bathroom, she finds the Snap from Luna.

Sam sighs when she sees Steve's face as her heart flutters for him. They have a strong connection but Sam is incredibly independent... And if she'll admit it, incredibly scared of intimacy. Reading Luna's words, she's annoyed with her but can't help Snapping her back with love along with her trademark sass.

---------------------------------------------------

"Yo!! You game?" Slim challenges Luna when he sees the beaming lights of an open AirHockey table.

"Bet, Motherfucker." Luna laughs as she digs in her bag for more quarters.

Slim drops the plastic disc on the table as it begins to roar and cool air blows from it's sides. With a nod, they signal their beginning. It's an intense, fierce game. Both talking shit as they slam the disc across the board with all their might.

"You ain't got SHIIT!" Slim tries to intimidate her as they match up at 2to2.

Pulling the puck from her slot, Luna holds it in place as she points at Slim. "Watch me, take your whole life and FUUUUUCK it all up in one shot." She grins as she rearranges and recites Colson's lyrics.

"You're such a fucking dork." Slim laughs at her.

The two of them are quick as they make the plastic object zoom across the flat surface. Luna's wide eyes steadily following it as it turns from one disc into four. Glowing orange trails fly around behind it, causing her to become distracted by it's zip as Slim connects just right. Slamming it into her goal, he wins the game.

🎶Who fucked who's life all up in one shot? I DID! Beat THAT bitch when I made THAT disc drop in her slot and YOU KNOW that I'm so good that I can't stop.... Because SOMETHING'S FUCKING WRONG WITH ME!!"🎶

Slim raps as he teases Luna, laughing as he dances around the table. Quickly grabbing her to happily jump and shake her around with him. They're slowly becoming friends.

"FUUUUUCK Yooou!" Luna laughs with him as she rolls her eyes before giving him playful shove.

"You gonna let THESE BOOYS play us like that, B?" Frannie asks with a grin, throwing her arm around Luna. "I got next, Big Man." She taunts Slim with a welcoming smile.

Frannie is naturally suspicious of all people, growing up in the environment she did. It's when her third eye is open that she let's her guard down, fully enjoying herself as she kicks Slim's ass 3to1. Lightly teasing him along the way.

"You got an eye, Girl, don't cha?" Slim compliments her after her win, making Frannie laugh.

Coming back together, The Slipping Sixteen decide to bowl another game. Keeping the same teams as they continue to be entertained by each other and mesmerized by the different colors. Noah and Mod argue over Who's Ball Is Who's while Colson and Slim both High Ten Frannie when she hits a strike on her first bowl. Ashleigh flicking them both off when she nails her own solid strike.

Only picking up a spare, Luna checks her phone as she sits on Colson's lap. Finding a Snap back from Sam, she opens it.

Seeing the Snap over her shoulder, Colson realizes for the first time that Sam didn't come back with Luna. He's called for his turn before he can ask Why.

Having a blast, they finish up their game. It's a close one, Luna's team only winning again because of Rook's impeccable Turkey.

Gathering together, Paris and Gabe exchange GoodByes and Love before catching an Uber home. Frannie uncharacteristically choosing to head back to Colson's with Luna along with Noah and Mod. Dom catching another Uber with Travis to his place, choosing to crash there while Ashley's still in NYC.

--------------------------------------------------

Back at the crib, they let loose with all of them being happy to be Home. Making their way through the house, only Twelve Tripping Twits remain. Pumping up some old Blink 182, Colson immediately starts jumping up and down on the couch before hopping off to grab whatever he can find to juggle. Being pool balls this time.

Luna watches him adoringly. She can feel her brain and heart throb for him as her body continues to tingle during it's own personal rollercoaster ride. "Fuck, I missed him." She thinks. Regardless of the stress from the loss of his Adderall, traveling or even Sam's issues, Luna's glad to be Home. Colson being her Home. Not The West Coast. Not even NYC. Her Home lies where Colson is. Always.

Hooking up Casie's Dance Dance Revolution, at different points they all succeed in both excelling and destroying their attempted dances. The Twelve Tripping Twits laughing uncontrollably at each other throughout their turns as they pass joints amongst them.

They continue on with their magical journey. Gliding in and out of the house, talking about and touching everything. Different Twits alternate in and out of different jam session at different times.

Colson, Luna, Rook, Frannie, Noah, Slim and Mod take to chasing each other around the house, wrestling about and hitting each other with pillows unexpectedly as they round corners blindly. Ashleigh, Benny, AJ and Baze are curled up in fuzzy blankets while Mario Kart escapes from the television. Bullet can be found outside lounging by the pool, staring at the stars.

There's a lot happening at all times. The Twelve Tripping Twits making a huge mess out of the house with their amusing antics.

"Lemme set you up...." Luna says to a still wild eyed Frannie.

"I can't sleep right now, Loons.... I'm on some seeing and feeling shit." Frannie let's out with an exasperated gasp.

"That's okay... I just wanna show you that you've got a safe space when you're ready to crash." Luna answers lightly as she takes Frannie's hand.

Already talking to Colson, Luna shows Frannie to Casie's room. It's a special privilege. Frannie may not be aware of it, but Luna is. NO ONE sleeps in Casie's room.

"This is The Kid's room. You can sleep here without being bothered..." Luna trails off as her swirling mind struggles to formulate words again in order for her to speak. "But... If you're not ready to sleep, you gotta stay the fuck outta here." She asserts by closing the door to Frannie's all too knowing nod.

"There's our killer!" Slim shouts as he comes out of his room, finding Luna and Francis in the hallway.

Wrapping his arm around Frannie's shoulders, he asks What They Were Doin'. Fran answers with a NunYa to Slim's laughter as they follow him back downstairs into the ongoing House Party.

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

Rolling hard, the music is still loud as Luna offers up Xanax for calmness and sleep. BB King easily grooving through the living room as The Twelve Tripping Twits begin to slow down. Lounging around while burning HARD. The blues guitar slipping, ripping and vibrating through their enlightened souls.

Exploring each other's bodies slowly on the floor behind to the couch, Luna coaxes Colson to his room. Not bothering to say GoodNight as they slip away. Thinking they're quiet, they loudly laugh as they fail at racing each other on the stairs. Tripping in different ways as they make their way up them.

-------------------------------------------------

In his bed, there's a sweet sensuality to Colson and Luna. Trying to focus, they slowly take each other's clothes off as they kiss the other with soft touches. Uncontrollable colors, feelings and love radiating off of them. Luna's breasts are full as she runs her hands down the sides of her throat, then along her shoulders. Pulling down the straps of her black, lace bra. She unhooks it, letting it fall off of her body as she drags her hands down alongside her ribcage. Still rolling hard, even the lightest touch to her body is amplified by a million.

"I don't know if I can handle fucking you tonight." Colson let's out with a slight hint of fear in his voice.

"Mmmm... That's okay... Can we just lay and touch?" Luna asks delicately with an understanding of the intensity that drugs can bring.

"Yes, please...." Colson answers, wrapping his naked, long body alongside Luna's tiny one as they lay together side by side.

Getting comfortable, he can't help but cup her breast. It's not long before his coarse thumb finds it's way to her pierced nipple. The rounding strokes of his hard thumb making her body heat up as her pussy becomes plump for him.

Their touches are kind and sensual as Colson pulls Luna closer to him from behind. With his right arm under her, distracting her nipple, his left hand slides over her hip. She can feel his growing cock against her as his fingers slowly reach for his goal. Running his two tips up her vulnerable lips, he grows harder as he feels how warm her insides are.

"I wanna live inside her pussy." Colson's drug addled mind wishing for the impossible

Pulling her lips open with his index and middle fingers, Colson slowly makes his way inside of her from behind. His touch causing Luna to arch her back as her whole body tingles. Taking his time as he slowly slips his dick into of her, making her quiver at not only his girth but also his touch.

"Holy fuck...." Luna's body erupts as her brain slowly repeats "Holy Fuck....." Over and over again. The sensation of Colson being inside of her so insanely strong that she feels like they're melting into each other.

Taking his time, he rocks her back and forth along his cock slowly. Colson grunts louder with every inch of him that she pulls further inside of herself.

"Oh, Kitten..." He moans as he sucks on the back of her neck.

"Mmmm....." She coos, enjoying the way he fills her.

Colson holds Luna closer to him, making her juicy pussy clutch his cock tighter. Picking up his pace as he drives into her deeper. Still playing with her piercing with one thumb, he reaches down. Using his middle finger of his other hand to tickle her clitoris, Colson has full control over Luna's body.

"Oh FUUUUUCK, I'm cumming." She moans, not being able to control herself as her body gyrates.

Feeling her tighten around him even more, he let's go also. Bursting inside of her like an overfilled balloon.

"God Damn, Loons.... I swear, your pussy gets better every FUCKING time." Colson pants as she kisses her naked shoulder with a sigh.

Luna let's out a light snicker from his words, causing him to pop out of her to both of their disappointment. Placing his tired dick against her bare ass, they drift off wrapped in each other.

Sticky from their sex as the Xanax begins slowing down their running minds. Their touch calming more than just each other's soul as they end another late night together.

--------------------------------------------------

Feeling Colson shift, Luna rolls over with him, turning him into The Little Spoon. Nuzzling in between his shoulder blades, she kisses his bare, tattooed skin as she whispers out an I Missed You. Squeezing his body tighter against hers. Lifting her hand, he kisses it as he mummers the same. The two easily and instantly falling back to sleep together.

A few hours later, Colson stretches out long as Luna curls up against him under the covers. It's a Monday, the first of July. Just coming off a month long tour, they're taking the day off. A lazy day if you will. Already deciding last week that business will resume it's regularly scheduled programming tomorrow.

Wrapped in each other, their too hungover to talk. Both of their brains feeling like mush from the massive amounts of drugs they not only consumed the day/night before, but throughout the last 2mnths or so. Although their insides feel like dehydrated fruit, there's an intimate relief as they simply cuddle. Enjoying the quiet moment to themselves, they drift back off. Catching up on some much needed sleep.

--------------------------------------------------

Colson and Luna finally make their way downstairs after lazily fucking each other awake. He's bare chested in a pair of EST basketball shorts while she's in an oversized Hotel Diablo shirt with a pair of Colson's black boxer briefs underneath and a loose bun.

They find Frannie, Slim and Ashleigh surrounding the island as Baze controls the kitchen. Joints flowing freely while Neil Young plays lowly in the background. Noah and Mod are knocked out in the living room on separate couches with Bullet sprawled out across the floor. The sight of him making Luna happy. While Rook, AJ and Benny can be found still snoozing in their bedrooms.

"Holy shit, that smells delicious." Luna compliments Baze as she peeks around his arm. "What 'cha makin'?" She asks as she accepts a cup of coffee from Colson with a grateful Thanks.

"Homemade bacon cheese burgers, REAL fries and grilled asparagus along with spinach and mozzarella stuffed garlic mushrooms." Baze answers proudly as he checks the oven.

"You truly are a Norseman's God, aren't you?" Luna teases as she slides into a chair between Colson and Frannie, accepting a joint from her pal.

"Viking in the HOOOUSE!!" Baze shouts as he triumphantly thrusts his fist in the air, making the room laugh with him and Luna.

"How'd you sleep?" Luna asks as she turns to Fran after passing the joint to Colson.

"Fucking GREAT!! That bed is a dream. Literally." She laughs. "Thank you for letting me crash in your daughter's room." Fran goes on to speak to Colson as she leans up against the counter to look at him.

"No problem, I'm glad you were comfortable.... Just don't let her know her when you meet her. She can be a little anal about her room and things." Colson says with a smile as he exhales a large cloud of smoke.

"Wonder where she gets THAT from.." Ashleigh chimes in as she rolls her eyes.

"Not THIS guy, EVER." Slim laughs as he jerks his thumb towards Colson.

"Fuck you both, you don't like people touching your shit either." Colson counters as he throws them both a middle finger.

"Facts." Luna laughs as she backs up his statement.

"You're just as bad!!" Frannie exclaims to Luna with another laugh.

"Who's just as bad and what are we eating, My People?" Mod asks happily as he comes bouncing into the kitchen just in time to intercept the joint.

"All of 'em, apparently." Frannie answers through her laughter.

"Hey!! Don't you lump me in with them fools!" Baze threatens with a smile as he points his spatula at Fran.

"My bad, Dude." She continues to laugh with a grin.

"You fuckers are soooo LOUD...." Rook complains as he makes his own appearance.

"IF YA CAN'T HANDLE THE HEAT, GET THE FUCK OUTTA THE KITCHEN, YA FUCKING ROOKIE!!" Colson yells at him with a teasing tone.

This catches him a middle finger from Rook and a solid NO from Luna as she puts her hands over her ears. Colson retaliating with another loud I DO WHAT I WANT before Luna skips him and passes a fresh joint to her Favorite Drummer Boy.

"You're such a bitch." Colson complains with a chuckle once he realizes what happened.

Noah, AJ, Bullet and Benny slowly trickle in as Baze throws the burgers on the grill. Making The Twelve of Them a complete set again as they fill the kitchen with bodies, music, smoke and coming food. All surprisingly functional once coffee and bud hits their blood streams as they recount the madness of last night.

"You totally stole that kid's tickets!!" Noah shouts at Colson.

"No I didn't." He shoots back immediately with an undeniably guilty look.

"You stole a kid's tickets!?!" Luna and Frannie ask together in wide eyed shock.

"No." Colson asserts. "He walked away, I just grabbed the loose tickets that were hangin'." He shrugs with a smirk.

"Seriously?" Luna asks with a cocked look.

"I mean, yeah... But, I gave all our tickets away to a bunch of kids at the end of the night so fuck 'em." Colson shrugs again as he sips his coffee.

"You're such a fucking dick." Luna replies with her face still twisted in disbelief.

"Whatever. Someone else would've jacked 'em if I didn't. And at least I spread the wealth... Because I REALLY wanted those fucking light sabers." He laughs.

Slim, Baze, AJ, Benny and Rook solidify him with a RIGHT. Leaving Luna to lean across the counter now, looking over at Ashleigh for someone else besides Frannie to shake her head with.

"So, what, you fancy yourself as the Robin Hood of Arcades?" Fran challenges Colson. "Robbing from the dumb who are probably in the same poor crowd that you're rewarding?"

"Ohh, FUCK ME." Luna mentally sighs as Colson cocks his chin towards Frannie.

"No." He answers with an attitude. "But if you're stupid enough to leave your money hangin', I don't give a fuck what age you are. Imma snatch that shit up. Don't be dumb and you won't get played like you're dumb."

"Truth." Slim agrees, tossing his bestfriend an elbow while Luna's tosses her an unamused eye.

"I get what you're saying, Kells... But that's fucked up. You can't tell me you wouldn't snap if someone swooped up on Case's tickets." Ashleigh says, putting her two sense in.

"Case wouldn't be dumb enough to leave her tickets behind." Colson replies smugly.

"I had you until then...." Luna laughs lightly as she leans across the counter again to Ashleigh's sigh, both knowing he's right.

"So, what's that make you... A partial dick?" Fran asks not letting it go.

"Oh no, I'm that FULL dick. Through and through. Ask Luna." He smirks.

"Shut the fuck up." Luna replies as she sucks her teeth. Going on to roll her eyes at him and shake her head, she displays the three quality signs of an annoyed woman. "No one here gives a fuck about your dick." She continues as she SideEyes him.

"Yo! Check my mushrooms!" Baze interupts them as he hollers from the patio.

"Gotcha!" Ashleigh shouts back as she hops up.

"All I know is, I'm gonna FUUUUUCK this food UUUPPP." Luna declares, making the entire room agree for the first time.

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Crowded around the dining room table, they all compliment Baze's cooking skills as it's sweet scent fills the room. After passing plates of food and condiments around they all dig in. There's a collective sigh of Oh SHIT when they sink their teeth into their burgers.

"Holy fucking cracker balls." Luna moans as she bites into the homemade potato wedge. "PLEASE fucking teach Colson!" She requests with her eyes closed in pleasure.

"Hey... I know how to cook." Colson states as he shoots her another SideEye.

"No Bunny, you know how to grill. Not cook. We both know this. I love you, but there's a difference." Luna sighs in delight as she takes a snapping bite off of her asparagus.

"Facts." Colson admits. "To Truck, our Viking cook!" He says as he raises his beer. "Great food, better friends and MOTHERFUCKING HOTEL DIABLO!!" He shouts as everyone clinks their glasses and beers with his.

Enjoying their meal, each other's company and being off of The Road, The Twelve of Them relax around the table as they shoot the shit. Bodies slowly recovering as the delicious food regenerates their beings. As always, continuing to bust each other's balls as they laugh with full bellies over a round of drinks and joints.

Once they've finished, The Girls begin to wipe down the kitchen and do dishes as The Boys clean and clear the table while carrying things in from the dining room. They wrap up leftovers before helping with the rest of the clean up. Baze being the only one who's exempt. It's been said before, if you cook in Colson's kitchens, you do not clean.

Coming up behind Luna as they finish, Colson lightly touches his lips against the back of her ear lobe. Sending instant goosebumps down her spine as his deep voice crawls into her brain.

"I wanna show you something when we're done." He husks.

"Okay." Luna agrees without hesitation.

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Word Limit (1 of 2)

To be continued.....

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