#makes fun of me it’s literally whatever. she gave me the tiniest opening and I literally ranted for like 10 minutes about Rohanese | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

Visit Blog

Explore Tumblr blogs with no restrictions, modern design and the best experience.

Fun Fact

25% of US internet users with an annual income of $80-100K use Tumblr.

#makes fun of me it’s literally whatever. she gave me the tiniest opening and I literally ranted for like 10 minutes about Rohanese

levis-hazelnut · 3 years

Text

Levi x Reader Tea Parties

Summary: You’re a new addition to the Scout Regiment, and you bring along with your six-year-old daughter. An unexpected bond forms between you and the Corporal when he seems to be attached to your daughter and spends quite a bit of time with her.

(D/N) = daughter’s name

"Everyone, this is (Y/N) (L/N). She will be joining us, the Scout Regiment, today and I expect all of you to make her comfortable here," Commander Erwin announced as you slightly stood in front of him, his hands on your shoulders. "I wouldn't mind giving her a little tour," a brown-haired boy smirked to his friend. "Shut up, Jean. Can't you see she has someone already?" another boy with turquoise eyes whispered, gesturing to the little girl beside you, gripping your hand.

Little did they know, you could hear their conversation, despite them trying to be secretive. You watched them as they spoke, or more like argued, as the tall, blonde man next to you was saying things that were at the back of your mind. "Cadet (Y/N)?" "... Oh, sorry. Yes?" You found it a little unusual to be addressed like that. "If there's anything you need, just come to me. Don't be shy." "Okay. Thank you, Sir." "And..." His crystal eyes scanned the crowd before he called out two names, "Armin, Mikasa!" Said people approached both of you, saluting to him, which he dismissed with the wave of his hand. "I need both of you to help (L/N) settle in and show her around. Is that okay?" "Yes, Sir." "Thank you. I'll be off then." You flashed a smile at them, radiating your friendly nature. They smiled in return and greeted you before you noticed their gaze fall onto the (H/C)-haired female next to you. "This is my daughter. (D/N)." "How old is she?" Mikasa asked. "She'll be six in a couple of months," you replied prior to crouching down. "Say hi to Mikasa and Armin, sweetie." The young girl threw herself at you in order to hide from the new people, causing you to chuckle softly. "She's shy. But in about a week she'll be fine with everyone." "She's really cute. And she looks a lot like you," Armin commented. "Aw, thank you,” you grinned in response as you could literally see a single question swimming in his orbs. A question which has been asked a couple of times prior. "I'm twenty-six, by the way. So I'm not young compared to you lot." "Wow. I would have guessed you were about eighteen." You giggled. "That's very flattering. Anyway, should we get going?" "Oh, yeah." All three of you started to walk around the castle and they introduced you to any people you met along the way and showed you the rooms you went past. As you wandered around, you made conversation with them, finding out that they were sweet people. And you told them a bit about yourself, but not too much since they were still new people to you. "(Y/N), right?" The brown-haired boy from earlier took your hand and pressed his lips against it. "Yes..." "Jean, stop it." Mikasa slapped his hand away. "I don't see a ring." "Jean!" "I-it's fine. He's right, I'm not married;;." "I can give you another tour later if you want." You arched an eyebrow and shook your head in disbelief. This teenager is trying to hook up with someone who is twenty-six and has a child? "I didn't come here to be flirted with by some guy I just met." "Well, in a few months, my offer will still be there," he smirked before walking away. How cocky can that idiot get? Did he not get the message that you don't want that kind of interaction with him? "Forget about him. He's a jerk." "I see that--" "Oh my god!! You're (Y/N)?! I'm Hanji! It's nice to meet you!!" A brunette came sprinting towards you, jumping onto you as a male strolled behind her with a crease settled in between his eyebrows. "AWWW!!! Is that your daughter?! She's adorable, I could just eat her!!!" "Sh*tty Glasses, you going to f*cking kill her before a titan does." "Hanji, could you get off of her?" Armin asked. "Excuse me, Hanji? I'm kind of getting squished between you and the floor." "Oh, sorry!" She sprung off of you before laughing maniacally at the sight in front of her, which was the raven and your daughter. "What the f*ck are you doing, you sh*tty brat?" the raven snapped at your daughter, who tugged at his trousers and bit the fabric. "Are you trying to strip me?" He tried kicking her away. That guy is stupid to think that he could talk to (D/N) like that and swear in front of her and kick her. No one would want to mess with your daughter because they would suffer from a mother's wrath. Everyone should know that you never want to anger a mother through their child. That's when their ugly side comes out and no one wants that. "Hanji," you said through gritted teeth as she looked at you. "Who is he?" "That's Levi!" "LEVI!! HOW DARE YOU TALK TO MY DAUGHTER LIKE THAT?! I swear, I'll beat the crap out of you if you don't stop!!" He scoffed. "As if I'm scared of a newbie like you." "Corporal, I think you should take a look at her." Oh, damn. You look like you could destroy humanity with that glare directed on that one male. Titans will run away from you if they saw you right now. And from the way your nails dug into your palm, you could probably rip through your skin. "Fine, here's your daughter." He gripped the back of her dress and dropped her in front of you before casually leaving the scene. "It's not my fault she wanted to see me naked." "I don't think anyone will want to see you naked with an attitude like that," you spat, causing him to stop and face you. "Tell that to me when those hundreds of women leave me alone." "Hundreds of women who have no taste," you muttered. "Damn, I've never seen anyone talk to Corporal like that," Armin whispered. "How did (Y/N)'s personality switch just like that?" "It's that mother's wrath thing. Just don't do anything to her daughter," Hanji notified them. "Do you have a problem with me?" Levi crossed his arms over his chest. "Just don't be like that with my daughter and I won't have a problem with you." "Okay." "Did Shorty just say 'okay'? He didn't fight back? He listened to someone he just met a couple of minutes ago?" Hanji rambled in shock before wiggling her eyebrows with a goofy grin. "Looks like someone's taken a liking to (Y/N)~" "Shut up, Sh*tty Glasses," he snarled before turning around and walking away. "Why would I like a brat like her? And I barely know anything about her." "Hanji's always like this. Forget about what she says. Whatever she says isn't true most of the time," Mikasa told you. "Okay. Let's just get out of here." "Well, we've basically shown you everything. Oh, we forgot the most important thing - your room." "Mikasa, Armin!" a voice called, causing the three of you to come to a halt. "Have you seen Horse Breath?" "Why?" "He put horse sh*t in my shoes. That b*stard." "I mean, we saw him like five minutes ago. He might be outside." "Thanks," he grinned. "Who's Horse Breath?" you inquired. "Jean." "I see..." When you arrived at your room, they gave you the key and left you to settle in. There was a double bed and a bedside table with a single lantern, sitting atop it. A chair settled in a corner of the room and there was a wardrobe.

You approached a door and reached for the cold knob, opening the door to see a small bathroom. Letting out a satisfied sigh, you closed the door and sat down on the bed where your daughter already lay. You brushed the hair from her face, giving her a tender smile and leaned down to kiss her forehead. "Do you like it, sweetie?" She nodded before sitting up. "I like Levi, too." "What? Why?" "He's nice." "How is he nice?" "He wasn't being rude to me. I saw him smile when he tried taking me off his leg." "I didn't notice." "He's nice, mummy. You didn't need to get angry." "I'll need to see just how nice he is," you murmured before a couple of knocks sounded, so you got up to open it and saw Erwin standing there. You invited him, standing to the side and widening the door as he walked in. Before this, you failed to see that Levi was behind him and he stepped inside as well. "How do you like it?" Erwin asked. "It's so much better than where I lived before." "You're lucky. You're one of the few brats who get their own room," Levi stated in a monotonous voice. "I'm grateful for that." The blonde smiled at you, averting his gaze to (D/N). "Hello, (D/N)." "Hi!" "Looks like she already likes you," you beamed, staring at your daughter in admiration before resting your features and turning to the shorter male. "And, Corporal Levi, she seems to like you as well." "Maybe she's one of the hundreds who don't have taste." "... Sorry about that, I didn't mean it. You know, just don't hurt my child in any way." "I know I shouldn't if I want to stay in my current, healthy state." You laughed softly, but he had no sign of amusement on his visage. That is until your daughter held his index finger, looking up at him with gleaming orbs. This time you were able to see the tiniest of smiles sneak its way to his lips. "Levi, will you play with me?" "No. I have work to do, brat." "Don't get annoyed when he calls her brat because he calls nearly everyone that," Erwin told you, knowing about the little commotion since Hanji had informed him. You nodded in response. "Anyway, I have to go. I'll see you later." "Bye, Sir." "Aww, what about after that?" (D/N) pouted. "I have to train my squad." "And after that?" "It'll be dinner and then your bedtime." "How about tomorrow?" "I don't know." "Come on, (D/N). He has to do some work." "But I want to play with him." "Baby, we aren't here for fun. Not everyone will be able to play with you." "Will you play with me, mummy?" "No. She has cleaning duty," Levi answered for you. "Cleaning! Can I help?!" "She likes to clean?" "Yeah. We both love to," you said as you picked her up, noticing that (D/N)'s hand was still wrapped around his forefinger. He saw what you were looking at and snatched his finger away, almost immediately. "Look, Erwin, they're like a family," Hanji whispered excitedly as she looked through the gap in your door. "Hanji, leave them alone." The female sighed heavily, silently closing the door before it suddenly opened again, revealing Levi who frowned at the both of them. "What are you doing?" he asked the brunette and blonde. "We were just passing by." "What are you doing, Shorty?" "I'm talking to an idiot." He left the two and made way to his office. ~/~ Seven months have gone past since you became a Scout and people enjoy you and your daughter's presence. Most scouts are grateful that you would do most of the work since they do a poor job and you end up doing it again. Everyone loves your daughter, especially and surprisingly, Levi who apparently doesn't have time to play with her, but you find them playing different games every day. Most of the time it would be tea parties and you love to see Levi interact with her and see his soft side. Once you changed into your uniform, you left your room to go clean which your daughter volunteered to do with you. You started to clean the corridors, mopping the floors, wiping windows and dusting any surfaces. Sasha and Connie were cleaning as well, or more like messing around. "Hey, you two?" "Yeah?" "You can go. I'll clean since you guys aren't doing anything." "Really?! You're amazing!!" You smiled at them as they ran off like little kids. (D/N) was more mature than them even though they're like triple her age. You dunked the mop in the bucket and wrung it out, so it isn't soaked before dragging it across the floor, doing a better job than the scouts that did it before. You blew a strand of hair away from your face and rolled your sleeves up since they had decided to travel down your arms. "Have some rest, honey," you told the little girl cleaning alongside you. "I'm fine." "I think both of you should rest. You've been cleaning for at least two hours," a voice chimed in. "We're fine, Sir." "What about you? Are you tired, (D/N)?" "A little bit. but it's fine." "Go rest, darling. You've done enough." "But I want to help you, mummy." "(D/N), go,” you ordered, your tone stern but gentle. "Okay." "Sir, would you mind taking her to our room, please?" "Of course." Erwin strolled beside her as you watched them disappear as they went further away. Since you were finally alone, it enabled you to clean quicker.

And when you were finally done, you sighed in relief, glad you were finally done after another half hour of tiring your muscles.

Your content expression soon turned dark when two boys came tumbling your way, shouting profanities at each other. Eren floored Jean, who sprung back up almost immediately and was about to throw a punch to the other's face, but you caught his wrist, preventing him from harming Eren any further. "What are you doing?" "That titan idiot punched me for no reason." "It was an accident. I was training and you got in the way. You just need glasses to see where you're going!" "You need glasses to see what you're punching!!" "Shut up, both of you!" you demanded and they silenced. "If you were outside, how the hell did you end up here?" "Oh, I don't know." Jean shrugged. You rolled your eyes, freeing his wrist from your grip and he rubbed the, now, red skin. "Honestly, you guys are so immature." "He started--" "I don't care. I'm just going to my room and I would like it if I don't hear any fighting." "Sorry, (Y/N)." "You're still young. You haven't matured yet like you were supposed to a few years ago." "You know, you make it sound like you're old, but you're still young. So what if you're twenty-six? That's still young," Eren stated. "Thank you. But I feel old when I see you." "Age doesn't matter. I would love to have you in my bed at any age." "Shut up, Jean." You rolled your eyes once again, leaving the two and making your way to your room, opening the door to find your daughter and Levi on the bed, having yet another tea party. Hearing her giggle caused a tender smile to edge onto your lips as you closed the door and padded to the bed, where they sat, and stood by it. "Hi, mummy!!" She got up from the bed and hugged your legs as you ruffled her hair. "Hey, honey. Did you have fun?" "Yeah! Levi played with me." "Looks like you had time to play with her again." "I still have work to do, but Erwin asked me to stay with her." "You can go do your work now if you want." "I can leave my work for later," he replied reluctantly, not wanting to admit that he would rather stay with (D/N). "I wouldn't think you were good with kids, seeing as how you seem to be harsh with the cadets." "She isn't at that age when she's spoiled and bratty. Or when she's annoying like the other brats here." "Was that a compliment?" Levi ignored you, watching (D/N) climb back onto the bed and she jumped onto his lap, spilling the hot contents in his mug over him. He hissed when the tea seeped through his clothes and tried to keep his patience at the cause of the accident. He stood up as you rushed to pass him a cloth. "Sorry." You gave an apologetic smile. "You can go to the bathroom and change out of your clothes while I get you some from your room. I would give you mine, but I doubt they will fit." "Just take your a*s and get me clothes," he grumbled. You nodded, despite the rudeness, and left your room, pacing to his office to get a spare uniform. You took out a pristine, white shirt and some neatly folded trousers before hurrying back to your room, careful to not crease the clothing. Knocking lightly on the bathroom door, it opened a few seconds later to reveal a shirtless Levi. Quickly, you passed him the clothes, trying to not get distracted by his abs and the scars that adorned his skin. He wordlessly closed the door before you sat on your bed, next to (D/N) who was strangely quiet. She probably just felt bad for spilling the tea on her new 'best friend'. You pulled her into your arms and kissed her cheek, resting your chin on the top of her head as she buried her face in your chest. "It's okay, baby," you said quietly. Upon hearing the click of the door, you flitted your eyes towards it and the raven came into sight as you gave him a small smile. He took the (H/C)-haired girl away from you, holding her in his arms and brushing a few locks from her face. His back faced you, so you weren't able to see the smile he owned. "I'm not angry at you." "You aren't?" "Of course not." She flung her arms around him, grinning which turned into laughter when he tickled her, squirming in his hold. You let a grin grace your lips; you wouldn't mind Levi being (D/N)'s step-father. Wait. No. What am I thinking? Shut up, brain, you thought, fighting your mind that decided to develop feelings for the male during the time you spent here. He placed her back on the ground and straightened her clothes for her, fiddling with a few strands of her hair as he stood behind her, now facing you. As he gazed at you, you could sense that he wanted to say something, so you lifted an eyebrow, questioning his silence. His eyes motioned to (D/N), letting you know that he doesn't want her to be here while he talks to you. You gave a discreet nod in understanding, ending your telepathic conversation there. "Sweetie, do you want to go play with Hanji?" "Okay!" "I'll be right back. I'll take her to Hanji." You took her petite hand in yours, leading her down the corridor as you thought about what Levi would want to speak about. You didn't notice Hanji until (D/N) squealed her name, darting towards her. "Hi!! What do you need?" "Can you stay with her for a while? I need to do something." "Sure!" "Thank you." When you wandered back to your room, you closed the door behind you as you sat back down on the bed, leaning against the headboard and crossed your legs after taking your shoes off, and patted the spot in front of you for Levi, who was still standing in the same spot as if he hadn't moved at all. He joined you on the other side of the bed, sitting on the edge with his feet on the floor. "What did you want to talk about?" "I don't think anyone has asked you yet." "What?" "Who's the father of (D/N)?" Silently, you stared at the sheets that spread over the mattress you rested on. Even after seven months of getting to know the people here, you weren't prepared to answer this question. And they were respectful enough to not inquire you on a subject you never seemed to like bringing up. "He..." you started before swallowing. "He died when the Colossal and Armored Titan attacked Shiganshina. We were fleeing from our house and I had (D/N) in my arms. I was so focused on getting to safety that I didn't realise my husband wasn't near us. When I looked back--" Your voice cracked as you bowed your head and let your hair fall to cover your face. There weren’t any tears, but you just wanted to conceal your expression. "You don't need to carry on if you can't," he whispered, fighting back the urge to hug you. "No. I-I'm fine." You pushed your hair back, keeping your eyes on the material underneath you, which seemed to be more attractive that the man in front of you. "I looked back and I saw a three-metre titan, who grabbed my husband. I saw him look at me as I froze, not able to think about what to do. I was useless and couldn't save the person I loved the most when he was right in front of me." "We all have times like that. And there wouldn’t even have been something you could do without gear." "But he was right there. I saw him get devoured by that damn monster. But he didn't have any fear shown on his face, I could see a smile. I don't even know why he was smiling, but I'm glad he was. At least, I wouldn't have an image of him screaming. Since then, I wanted to join the Survey Corps to be more useful but I waited until (D/N) was old enough to wander around here by herself. She is still quite young, though, she's really mature for her age and I'm happy to see that she doesn't seem full of misery. She was only a year old when her father died, so I doubt she knows anything about him apart from what I tell her. She always loves to hear stories about him and her full attention is at me when I tell her. Every memory I have of him is still fresh, even after all these y--" "(Y/N)!!!" You were startled by the sudden outburst and the slam of your door. Head snapping in that direction, you see Hanji standing there without (D/N). "Hanji, where's (D/N)?" "I don't know!!" "What do you mean you don’t know?!" you yelled. "I went to get Eren, so I left her in my office. I was literally like five minutes and when I went back, she was gone! I don't know where she went and so I came here because I thought you would know where she is." "Hanji, I leave you with her for like ten minutes and you already lost her?!" "I'm sorry!" "Gosh, I'll go look for her myself," you mumbled, trodding past Hanji. "Shorty, what are you doing here?" "I was talking to (Y/N)." "About what?" "You don't need to know." "You guys are hiding something from me!! Tell me!" "No. I have to go look for a girl that someone lost." You paced through the castle, looking in all the possible places she could be, but still couldn't find her even with the help of Levi. A heavy sigh slipped past your lips as you leaned against the wall, your eyes on the ceiling. "Where can she be?" "We haven't checked my room and Erwin's room." "Oh my gosh! You're right! How did I forget about that?" Levi went to his office as you ran to Erwin's and hastily knocked before opening it with no hesitation. "Sir, have you see (D/N)?" "No. What happened?" You quickly explained what happened before jogging to Levi's room to find your daughter in his arms. You beamed and took her from his grip, peppering her face with kisses. "Don't leave the person I leave you with, baby," you whispered as you rested your forehead on hers. "I got bored, so I went to look for Levi. I was going to wait here until he came back." "So, you're just going to forget about your mother and look for him? I see how it is." "No. I love you more, mummy." "More? So you love him? How close are you with my daughter, Levi?" He had allowed you to call him Levi due to the time all three of you have spent together and you were able to form some kind of friendship with him. There was a slight smirk on his lips, while you noticed the flicker of amusement in his ashen hues. "Anyway, we're going to go to the mess hall for dinner. You coming?" He glanced at his desk, where a meagre pile of paperwork sat before looking at both of you and proceeded to walk, letting you know he will come. He shut his door and strolled next to (D/N) as you were on her other side. Anyone who would see you three, and didn't know you, could mistake you for a small, happy family. "AWWWWWWW!!!!!" You rolled your eyes, knowing who it was and it just had to be her to see you. But none of you stopped, ignoring the squealing behind you. "Hanji, you sound like a kettle about to explode! Can you shut up?" you snapped, turning around once being fed up. "You guys are so cute!! I love it! Like you love each other!" "Shut up!!" both of you shouted as the door to the mess hall opened. Silence fell upon the room as they all looked your way. "... Hey, guys!" You shone a smile at them, acting as if nothing happened. "(D/N), in the near future, Levi's going to be your dad," Hanji snickered quietly to the young girl, and you shot daggers at her. "Sh*tty Glasses, shut your f*cking mouth." The pure girl gasped at Levi's words, her (E/C) orbs wide as she stared at him. He apologised to her and strode to a table, forgetting about the people gazing at him. You went to a different table and sat down, not bothering to communicate with anyone since you weren't in a great mood due to Hanji. ~/~ "Mummy!! Mummy!!! Wake up!" "Yes, darling?" you murmured as you were still half asleep. "Mummy!" You were fully awake now, looking at the adorable face in front of yours as (D/N) bounced on you with excitement. "What do you want?" "It's my birthday today!!" "Okay." "Muuuuuummyyyyyy!!!!" "I'm joking, baby. Happy birthday!" you laughed as you plopped her down next to you, tickling her. "Stop!! Stop it!" she giggled.

You stopped tickling her and gave a loving kiss on her cheek as she caught her breath. When you got out of bed, you stretched as a yawn left your mouth. Both of you freshened up and got ready for the day, leaving your room to have breakfast. "Mummy, did you get me a present?" "Of course, I did. I'll give it to you later." "I want to see if Levi got me something!" You weren't exactly looking forward to seeing Levi since you would end up talking to him. And then, Hanji would come out from nowhere and irritate the hell out of you. And you don't want to be grumpy today because then (D/N) wouldn't be as enthusiastic as she is now. When you entered the mess hall, it was already full of scouts who came up to her and wished her a happy birthday. A few gave small presents, due to having little money, which varied of different chocolates and sweets, and that sort of thing. Once you finished eating, you left the building but let (D/N) stay in the mess hall as they all played with her and kept her company. You roamed the grounds of HQ to have some fresh air after all the people that surrounded you minutes before. When you reached the stables, you decided to stroke your chestnut horse. "What's wrong?" You turned around to see Levi nearing you, and gave him a miniature smile. "Nothing." "(D/N) is thrilled to have all the attention, but I couldn't go to her yet since I don't have a present." "Levi, you're her best friend. How could you do that?” you teased. “She was excited to see what you would get her." "I didn't have time to. What did you get her?" "A bicycle." "That's expensive." "I know, but I wanted to make her happy, unlike some other people that failed to do that since they forgot about her birthday." "Shut up. I didn't forget. I was planning to get her something, but I had a lot of work to do," he protested. "I know. I'm kidding," you grinned. "I could say that the bike is from both of us. I mean, I just don't want her to be disappointed that you didn't get anything for your best friend." "You're going to pester me because of this, aren't you?" "Yep! But I'll say it was from both of us." "Thanks." "What? That's the first thanks I've heard from you. You probably just feel bad for forgetting about your best friend's birthday present." "Tch. Well, I didn't forget about the present I got for you." "A present for me? Why?" "Do you not want it?" "What is it?" "Close your eyes." Hesitantly, you complied and lidded your eyes, waiting for him to tell you to open your eyes. But he never did. Instead, you felt gentle hands settle on either side of your hips and lips press against yours, which is when you opened your eyes in shock and saw his eyelids in place of his eyes. After realising what was happening, you returned the kiss and wrapped your arms around his neck, feeling his lips morph into a smirk. "Oooo~! What's happening here~? Looks like they decided to have a party of their own." You parted straight away and saw the huddle of scouts which Hanji and (D/N) stood in front of. A light blush dusted onto your cheeks as you stood behind Levi, who faced the bunch with a glare. "See, I told you that Levi will be your dad in the future, (D/N)." "Levi, mummy? Is that true?" "... I mean... we don't know what going to happen in the future..." you responded nervously. "I want Levi to be my dad!" She dashed towards him and jumped up, so Levi could lift her up. "And I want you to be my daughter," he hummed softly, making sure no one heard him. From here, your future with Levi takes a step forward. You don't know what the future holds for you, (D/N) and Levi, so you don't know if you will be a small, happy family. But for now, you'll cherish every moment you have with Levi and remember every moment, big or small, to tell any other children you have. To think that (D/N) having tea parties with Levi is what brought you two together.

#levi ackerman #levi x reader #aot #snk #aot fanfiction #snk fanfiction #attack on titan #aot imagines #shingeki no kyoujin #x reader #levi ackerman x reader #reader insert #fluff #kind of dadvi #hes so sweet

284 notes · View notes

nyctophilin · 4 years

Text

Fake Affection | III

Chapter I, Chapter II, Chapter III, Chapter IV, Epilogue

Description: Han Jisung has been rejected by the girl he likes one to many times. He decides that he has had enough and is set on making her want him back. What could possibly make her want him more than seeing him with her rival after she boldly assumed he can’t find anyone better. That way Jisung and Y/N are stuck in a fake relationship until Jisung’s crush falls for him. Or he falls for someone else.

Pairing: Han x fem!Reader, Hyunjin x fem!Reader

Word count: 5.1k

Genre: College!AU, Fake dating!AU, Angst, Fluff, eventual Smut

Warnings: swearing, mild groping, mild violence

Pearl note -> This got long. Yeah, things got interesting in this part. :)) Also, I realized I forgot to add something so I had to come back last minute and edit it. Yeah, sorry for the delay. :/ I hope y’all enjoy it! Feedback is very much appreciated.

The sun was shining brightly despite it being almost 6 PM. The temperature outside reached unusually high numbers for that time of the year, and Y/N decided to take advantage of that. Dressed in a forest green spring dress that reached her mid-thighs and offered a modest view of her cleavage, she was waiting for Jisung in front of her apartment complex. The dress she was wearing had short sleeves, but she decided not to take any jackets with her thanks to the weather forecast that predicted the temperatures to be high until later in the night.

She was clutching the strap of her purse tightly and impatiently checking the time on her phone every few minutes. It has been such a long time since she went on a date. Just because she was going there to make Mina jealous didn’t mean she couldn’t have fun. What better way to convince the other girl that she missed on a lot of fun than have fun?

Coming from the left side, she heard the sound of an engine approaching. Soon, a black Range Rover came to a gradual stop right in front of her, the front wheel almost climbing the sidewalk. From inside the car, Jisung gestured her to get in. She opened the door and climbed in, placing her purse over her knees before fastening her seatbelt.

Without much of a word, Jisung turned the steering wheel and started driving to a destination unknown to Y/N.

“I didn’t know you had a car.” She spoke, trying to get rid of the awkward atmosphere.

Jisung threw her a look before concentrating on the road again.

“It’s Chan’s. He let me borrow it for today.” A long sigh left his mouth. “After a long talk where he told me that if I hurt his baby, I’m dead.”

Y/N let out a chuckle, and Jisung smiled as well, as the memory of the silly conversation he had with the older man flooded his mind. Another minute passed, and the silence in the car was being filled by the pop music coming from the radio.

“You look pretty!” Jisung complimented, stealing another glance at her.

A bright smile invaded her facial features at his words.

“Thank you! I didn’t know where we were going, but I figured a dress would be appropriate for many activities.” She chirped, the tiniest bit of excitement rolling off her tongue.

“What if we are going hiking?” Jisung said, and a smirk appeared on his face when he noticed her rolling her eyes from the corner of his eye.

“Then you can turn the car. I’m not coming!” Y/N crossed her hands under her chest and her mouth formed into a small pout.

“I’m joking. We are going to an outdoor cinema.”

She gave him a side look and raised an eyebrow.

“No offence, but how do you know when outdoor cinemas are happening? They don’t seem…” She eyes him up and down on the driver’s seat. “...your style.”

Jisung resisted the urge to roll his eyes at her comment. After a moment of silence, he sighed silently accepting her words.

“Mina told me about it three weeks ago. She said it was a rom-com she really wanted to see. We planned to go together.” He explained taking a right turn.

“Then how do you know if she’s going to come if you planned to go together. I don’t know if you realised, but you are supposed to be dating me, and she’s dating no one. Girls don’t usually go to this kind of thing without a boyfriend or a potential one.”

“There’s this guy from Theatre and Film that she used to hook up with when I wasn’t around. I know from someone that they are coming together.”

Y/N let a pitiful smile involuntarily invade her features. It was kind of pathetic how he knew about her whereabouts and still didn’t say anything. She understood that they weren’t together, but they were heavily flirting and behaving like a couple, hence why she and a lot of other people thought they were actually in a relationship.

She let her teeth sink in the flesh of her bottom lip holding back from telling him a piece of her mind. He was old enough. He knew what he was doing. Or at least she hoped he did.

The rest of the way to the outdoor cinema was spent in silence. The only audible sounds being the radio and Jisung’s soft humming from time to time. When they reached, their destination Y/N got out of the car and let Jisung find a parking spot somewhere further away from the location of the cinema due to the parking there overflowing with vehicles.

Checking her phone, she noticed the time indicating 7:17 PM, and only then she realised how much time they spent in the car. Walking lazily on the pathway to where space was designated for blankets and chairs she saw a sea of people. Maybe not really a sea but there were enough people to fill two of the auditorium in their university.

For a second she thought she'd lay out the blanket, but then she remembered the only thing she had on her was her purse. On top of that, they needed to ‘accidentally’ bump into Mina and her date and hope they end up sitting next to each other.

Just as she was thinking about that a squeal deafened her and a pair of delicate arms wrapped around her. When the girl let go of her, and she met Mina’s face, she grimaced, but she regained her composure fast. She smiled at her and her date, a guy she had seen occasionally in some of her classes.

“What a coincidence you are here!” Mina’s fake excitement was pissing her off. Coincidence her ass. Y/N was sure she knew they were going to be there.

“Yeah, what a small world.” She gave the two a visibly fake smile and prayed for Jisung to hurry.

“Are you alone?” The girl asked, moving her head in different directions as if she was looking for the person she came with.

“No. I actually came with Jisung.” As if on cue Jisung appeared from behind the two, a blanket in hand.

“Are you looking for me, princess?” A jolt of surprise went through her at the new nickname he used, but she didn’t let it show.

Observing the angry expression on Mina’s face at his words, she figured that was how he used to call her before they broke up whatever they had going on. She surpassed a smirk from painting her lips.

“Mhhm.” She extended her hand, which he gladly held and went in for a short kiss. “Look who I found. Isn’t it lovely seeing your friends here?” She sarcastically said, smiling up at him.

“You guys should come sit with us!” Mina’s date said, and a victorious smile spread across her face.

“We’ll love to if that is okay with Mina, of course. We wouldn’t wanna disrupt you!” Y/N faked concern and gave Mina doe eyes.

Mina’s jaw slightly clenched before immediately relaxing and letting out a forced giggle.

“Of course you can. Why wouldn’t I be okay with that?”

After that, the four of them went and found a place at the back of the crowd where they could sit. It wasn’t exactly the back of the crowd since there were some more people behind them, but they were reasonably behind.

Jisung spread the blanket on the fluffy grass, and Mina’s date, whose name she found out was Jay, did the same as Jisung. Their blankets were almost touching, the distance between them millimetric.

There were still 20 minutes before the movie was supposed to start. They sat down on the blankets, and Y/N stretched her legs, finally relaxing for not having to stand on the platform shoes she was wearing.

“So, are you guys dating or…” Jay asked, fixing his body position so he could see them better.

Y/N rolled her eyes at his question. The guy wasn’t the best at reading the room.

“Of course we are. Why would we be here together if we weren’t?” Annoyance was dripping off her tongue. She only wanted to relax for a bit before having to spend two hours watching some boring rom-com.

“Oh…” His voice sounded almost disappointed as his gaze lingered a second too long on her exposed legs. “Mina and I are not a couple. And since she and Jisung have had a thing before, I thought...” He bit his bottom lip while looking at her thighs that were pretty much bare thanks to her dress riding up when she sat down. “Never mind!”

Y/N shifted uncomfortably and placed her hands on her thighs in an attempt to cover them even a little. Mina wasn’t aware of her date’s actions as her eyes were concentrated on Jisung and on the way he looked under the golden rays of the sun that was preparing to set.

Jisung, however, was burning holes with his eyes into the other man’s head. Upon seeing him biting his lip while looking at Y/N in a less than appropriate way, he felt an unexplainable feeling of rage penetrate his body. What he wanted to do at that moment was to get up and punch that pig into next week for daring to look at her like that. But he kept his composure and decided not to make a big deal out of it.

There was literally no reason for him to get that angry. Besides the apparent reason that it made her uncomfortable and he shouldn’t allow something like that, especially when he is playing her boyfriend. But the sudden feeling to rip his head off filled him with turmoil.

Jisung decided to ignore it for now, and he took his jacket off and placed it over her legs. Her head shot in his direction, confusion and at the same time relief present in her eyes.

“What is that?” She asked, trying to act unaffected by Jay’s actions.

“I just thought you might sit more comfortably with this over your legs. It stops unwanted attention.” He subtly glared at Jay, but he didn’t seem to pay him any mind as his eyes were now fixed on Mina’s chest.

“Thank you!” She said, bringing the jacket further up to cover her thighs better.

Jisung inched just a little bit closer to her and cupped her face. Placing his lips on hers, he forcefully pushed his tongue in her mouth, taking her by surprise. He made sure their heads were positioned in such a way that the two on the blanket next to them will be able to see the exchange of their mouths.

Mina was watching Jisung drag his tongue inside Y/N’s mouth, his eyes closed in satisfaction. The exchange wasn’t rushed, and the way his thumb would caress her cheek so gently had her bursting with jealousy. Jisung had never kissed her like that. Their kisses were always rushed and sloppy, driven by sexual needs.

When she first heard about their little relationship, she laughed. She thought it was some kind of stupid joke. But then she saw how they behaved. The kisses, the hugs, the hand holding, how he would always have a hand around her shoulders. In the three days, they dated he showed Y/N more love than he showed her in a year and a half.

Her initial plan was to tease him a little bit, then finally accept to be his girlfriend. She didn’t think he'd go and find himself a girlfriend. And especially not her. From all the people he could choose it had to be her. Looking at them now, Mina regretted her decision.

Jisung broke the kiss and looked into her fluttering eyes before placing a peck on her nose. Y/N was sitting there dizzy from everything that happened. His sudden boldness left her speechless and burning hot from the embarrassment of being seen doing something like that.

She wanted to question him. Ask him why he suddenly did something like that. However, a loud sound erupted from the speakers surrounding them, signaling the start of the movie. So she focused her vision on the big cloth in front of her and decided to ignore it.

She shivered discreetly as a wave of cold hit her body. The movie was only half done, and with the midnight approaching slowly, a chilly air adorned their surroundings. The weather forecast predicted high temperatures, but at that moment she was far away from her city, and so the weather was different.

Y/N rubbed one of her arms with her hand, regretting not taking a jacket with her just in case something like that was to happen. From the corner of his eye, Jisung noticed her actions, and he leaned in close to her to whisper in her ear.

“Hey, are you ok?” His hot breath on her ear made the hair at the back of her neck stand up.

“Yeah, I’m just a little bit cold. I’ll be fine!” She whispered back giving him reassuring eyes.

Jisung thought for a second of what he could do. He didn’t have another jacket, and he didn’t want her to uncover her legs. At least not when Jay was around. An idea finally struck him, and he softly called her name, catching her attention again.

When she turned to look at him, he tapped the space between his spread legs. Y/N raised an eyebrow at his gesture.

“What does that mean?” She sounded a little bit annoyed.

“Come sit here. I’ll cuddle you so you won’t be cold anymore.” Y/N threw him a weirded out look. “We are ‘dating’. No one will find it weird. Or you could just stay there and freeze to death.” The man explained his voice a little bit louder than before.

She pondered his offer for a bit before getting up and making her way between his legs. She let herself fall backwards until her back hit his chest softly. Jisung put his arms around her, and warmth started enveloping her almost instantly. Y/N let out a purr at the newfound comfort, and her eyes shot open at the realisation of what she just did.

“Hey, don’t get too comfortable, you hear me? I’m doing this just because Mina might be watching.” She warned, her voice stern hoping he missed her last action.

Jisung rolled his eyes but decided not to bring up the sound she just let out. For now, he just wanted to enjoy the newfound proximity. Only so they can make Mina jealous. Right?

They sat like that, none of them daring to move. For some reason, Jisung found the position really comfortable. A few days prior at the start of their relationship he found skinship really awkward but now it wasn’t like that anymore. It felt almost natural. Like they have been doing it for a long time.

Some more time passed, but Jisung wasn’t sure how much. The movie was approaching its climax, and the man felt bored out of his mind. Was it really worth going through that only to get his dick wet? But then he remembered who he was doing it for. He was doing it so he and Mina, the girl who he has been in love with for the longest time, could finally be together. And when it happens, he will be able to slide his hand through her silky hair, and feel her smooth skin and kiss her soft lips without having to call it a friendly gesture.

His trail of thoughts was interrupted by a quiet mumbling coming from Y/N. Her voice was so small that Jisung couldn’t hear her.

“What?” He leaned his head down in order to hear her when she talks.

For a minute, there was silence. Thinking that she didn’t hear him, Jisung wanted to repeat the question when a puff of air left her mouth. Right after, she turned slightly to the side, pushing her head more against his chest, and that is when he realised that she fell asleep.

An involuntary smile tugged at his lips, and his heart started beating faster. He couldn’t explain why he was so happy about it. It was going to be a pain in the ass. Having to wake her up and wait for her to recover from her dazed form. They were going to be the last ones to leave after the movie was over.

A whistle-like noise left Y/N’s nose when she expired the cold air of the night, and his smile turned into a grin. Jisung moved a few strands of hair from her face before wrapping his hands better around her to keep her warm. He placed a kiss on top of her head and rested his chin on her head, swaying slightly while continuing to watch the movie.

If you were to ask Mina what has happened so far in the movie, she couldn’t give you an answer. As much as she wanted to see the film, the girl’s eyes seemed to be more interested in whatever was happening on the blanket on her left.

She watched as they were cuddling and whispering to each other things she couldn’t hear. Then Y/N fell asleep, and Jisung seemed to be even more loving, hugging her even tighter and kissing her. She was wondering if he has ever done that to her on the many nights they shared a bed.

Mina never thought she would be that affected by the fact that Jisung has found himself a girlfriend. After all, he was just one of the many boys she was hooking up with. She never thought she would have feelings for him, but here she was, being jealous of the last person she ever thought she would.

She had to somehow get the boy back. She wanted to see it as a challenge, but she couldn’t. It had barely been two weeks since they ‘broke up’ and scarcely four days since he started dating that perfect little missy. Love doesn’t fade away that fast. She’ll have him back in no time.

Y/N felt someone shaking her arm gently, and she mumbled some incoherent words, pushing the hand away. She was sleeping so well, she didn’t want to wake up. A hand pushed a hair strand that was ticking her nose out of the way before grabbing her shoulder and shaking it again. She groaned in annoyance.

“Wake up, Y/N! You have to go home. Unless you want me to take you to my place.” Someone whispered close to her face, and her eyes fluttered open, trying to make up her surroundings.

The first thing she saw when she finally managed to blink the sleep away was Jisung’s smirking face. God, he was so annoying. Ignoring him and looking around, she noticed she was in his parked car in front of her apartment complex. She vaguely remembered falling asleep, but she doesn’t remember waking up to get to the car.

“How did I get here? Did you wake me up?” Y/N asked, straightening her body and inhaling the cold air of the night.

Jisung held her hand and helped her out of the car before slamming the door closed. He let her lean against the front door and opened the back door to fish her purse from the back seat.

“I didn’t. You were way too cute when you shut up. Like a little obedient kitty. I had to enjoy the moment a little bit longer.” He teased, putting a hand around her waist and making their way to the entrance in the complex.

Y/N scoffed at his childish remark but decided to ignore it. She didn’t have the necessary energy to argue with him.

“So you carried me to the car? What about the blanket and the other stuff you had there? Did you go back for them?”

“No, I had Jay get them for me, so I don’t wake you up.”

Stopping in front of the elevator, Jisung pushed the button, and they waited a few seconds for the doors to open. Stepping inside, Y/N pushed the button for the third floor before leaning back against Jisung.

“Talking about Jay. Thank you for today!” The man threw her a questioning look, acting as nonchalant as he could.

“What do you mean?”

“Don’t act dumb! I know you didn’t give me your jacket just because you are nice like that. You saw how he looked at me.” She wanted to sound more aggressive, but her voice came out soft and calm since she was still sleepy.

Jisung found that adorable but surpassed a smile. Adopting a disinterested expression, he spoke.

“He did? I didn’t notice. I just thought that, as your boyfriend, I shouldn’t let everyone see your underwear.” Y/N punched him in the stomach lightly, and Jisung dramatically bent down, letting out a fake grunt.

“You are such an asshole!”

A loud ding echoed in the restricted space, and the doors opened, revealing the dirty wall of the third floor. They stepped out of the elevator and slowly walked down the hallway to where Y/N’s apartment door was. Taking her purse from Jisung’s hand and finding her keys, she unlocked the door and opened it.

She leaned against the door frame and looked up at Jisung, giving him a bright smile.

“I'd like to say that I had fun, but I fell asleep halfway through the date.” She giggled, trying to mask her embarrassment. “But it was nice getting out of the house. Thank you for today!”

The man put his hands in his jean’s pockets and scoffed.

“You are lucky Mina got upset by you sleeping on me. Otherwise, I would have gotten angry. My shoulders are so stiff from having to support your weight. I might not recover for a few days.” A fake pained groan left his throat, and Y/N rolled her eyes.

Lifting herself on her tiptoes, she placed one hand on his shoulder and brought his head lower. She connected her lips with his in a short kiss. Breaking the kiss, she stepped inside her apartment and kept the door open enough for her head to be visible.

“See you on Monday!” With that, she closed the door all the way and made her way into her bedroom.

She wasn’t sure what was the time, but it must have been well past 11 PM. Taking off the dress, she discarded it on the floor before grabbing the oversized t-shirt from the back of the desk chair. She put it on and threw herself on the bed, letting the sheets envelop her body before falling asleep.

Y/N’s eyes shot open, and her mouth fell open as the realisation of what she did only moments prior sank in. Putting the back of her hand over her forehead and exhaling deeply, her eyes closed and her brows furrowed. Why did she kiss him? She’ll never interact with anyone while she’s still drunk on sleep.

Meanwhile, Jisung that just exited the complex couldn’t contain his smile. He couldn’t understand why that was happening. They kissed before to make Mina jealous. But maybe that was precisely the reasons such an insignificant gesture brought him so much joy. Mina was nowhere near. A spark erupted in his stomach at the thought that the girl might have a crush on him.

“Do it again! With more love this time. Come on. You want me! You desire me!” Y/N ordered to Jeongin.

The man let out a frustrated groan, using the script to cover his eyes from the brightness of the sun.

Both of them, Hyunjin and Jisung, were outside, in front of the university. They had a free period and decided to practice the script for the short movie they were playing in. Hyunjin, although not part of the film itself, was always with them thanks to Mrs. Bae’s affinity towards him.

Jisung, however, was new in the picture. Ever since they went on that date a week and a half ago, he seemed to be spending more time with her. She felt mildly suffocated by that but decided not to question it. As long as he wasn’t distracting her from her usual activities, she didn’t mind him tagging along.

“You don’t make desiring you really easy. We’ve done it four times already. We will start filming in three months. I don't have to be perfect right now!” Jeongin exclaimed letting his body fall on the bench on which Jisung and Hyunjin were seated.

“Hey! Be careful of what you say. My girlfriend is very, much desirable!” Jisung said in a jokingly offended tone earning disgusted groans from the other two men.

“Really dude? I could have lived my life without knowing that information.” Jeongin started fanning himself with the script. It was a sweltering day.

“I don’t understand why you are here. You are only four-wheeling us.” Hyunjin remarked, earning himself a dirty look from Jisung.

“A car needs all four wheels to be functional.”

“Yeah, babe, but we are a tricycle.”

Hyunjin, Jeongin and Y/N erupted into laughter at Jisung’s dumbfounded expression. From behind Y/N, they heard even louder laughter and Hyunjin scoffed at the scene unfolding under his eyes.

“I swear to God! Mina has been so annoying lately. Much more than when she used to hang out with Jisung. It’s as if she’s following us around.” The man rolled his eyes as he remembered how many times Mina ‘coincidentally’ happened to be in the same place as them the past week.

“Tell me about it. And how she is always with Jay from our major. If I wanted to watch live porn, I would have signed up on one of those porn sites.” Jeongin seemed as annoyed as the other man.

“Don’t stress about that guys. I’m pretty sure these are just coincidences.” Y/N tried telling them, even though she knew everything they said was right.

“No, I’m pretty sure they are not. There’s someone between us whose attention she’s trying to catch.” Hyunjin gave Jisung a side look.

“You can’t be sure of that.” She played dumb, wanting more than anything to change the subject.

“ Oh, please! She’s always watching him. In the cafeteria, when we are hanging around on our free periods, when she’s kissing that loser. It’s like he’s a good movie she can’t tear her eyes from.” Jeongin snapped, tired of the whole situation.

“Then let’s give them something to look at!” Jisung smirked smugly.

“What do..”

In the next second, Y/N has been pulled on Jisungs lap, and he captured her lips in an urgent kiss. One hand was on the nape of her head forcefully holding her in the kiss, and the other one was on her ass cheek, squeezing it.

She heard someone awkwardly clearing their throat from her right, and all her senses heightened. Y/N placed her hands on Jisung’s shoulders and tried lightly pushing him away while uncomfortably shifting in his lap. As a response, the man groaned lowly and slid his hand from her neck to her chest, cupping it.

Her eyes widened in shock at his action and mustering all the force she had in her, she pushed him away, finally breaking the kiss. A loud bang ringed around them as her hand made contact with his cheek. Jumping off his lap, she gathered her bag from the leg of the bench.

“You are a fucking asshole!” She shouted in his face before storming off inside the university.

The stomping of her boots was echoing in the empty halls, and the few students that were around decided to make her space to pass. Her thinking was clogged at the moment, and all she could feel was rage and shame. She was angrily making her way down the halls, but her destination was uncertain. She just wanted to be as far away from him as possible.

Y/N heard quick steps from behind her, and a hand pulled at her shoulder. Without turning around, she shrugged it off and started walking faster. The person behind her also increased their walking speed, but this time around, they grabbed her wrist.

Just as she was preparing to scream in their face, she was pulled into a hug, her face forced into a firm chest. Y/N felt herself calm down as the smell of a cologne she grew accustomed to in the last week invaded her lungs. His hand was gently rubbing her back, and she relaxed under her touch.

“Are you okay?” Hyunjin whispered softly in her ear.

She hid her face more in his chest, feeling shame overcome her.

“I’m sorry you had to see that. I swear it’s not what you think! We’ve never…” Her voice was shaky, as if she was about to cry. Hyunjin cupped her face forcing her to look in his eyes. She could see concern and sadness hiding behind his brown orbs.

“Why are you apologising to me? You are the one who’s been wronged here. I just wanna make sure you are okay.” His soft voice was acting as a calmative for her racing heartbeat.

Y/N felt her insides flip at his caring words. His hands on her cheeks were hot, and she decided to blame them for the blush that acaparated her face.

“Hey! Step away from my girlfriend, you motherfucker!” Jisung’s voice filled her ears, and she saw Hyunjin roll his eyes.

The warmth of his body left her, and he crossed his arms as Jisung finally arrived in front of them. Hyunjin was looking down at the other man, and both their expressions were filled with anger.

“I was just making sure she’s fine. It looks like you took your time deciding to do the same.” The taller man spat venom dripping off his tongue.

“It’s none of your business how I handle my relationship!” Jisung adopted a louder tone bringing his face closer to Hyunjin’s.

“But it is when you decide to act like a bitch in heat and make your girlfriend uncomfortable. This is why Mina never dated you and why you and Y/N won’t last long!”

Jisung clenched his jaw upon hearing the other man’s words, and before anyone could register what was happening, he plunged his fist into Hyunjin’s face.

969 notes · View notes

yongiefilms · 4 years

Text

FILM | Flickering

BASED ON | The bingo collaboration feature done by legendnct studios

PRODUCED BY | “Whatever goes around eventually comes back to you. So you gotta be careful, baby,” from After The Storm by Kali Uchis (feat. Tyler, The Creator and Booty Colins) ; “Don’t follow me, you’ll end up in my arms,” from Slow Dancing In the Dark by Joji ; “Baby, I’m afraid to fall in love. ‘Cause what if it’s not reciprocated?” from Honestly by Pink Sweat$

STARRING | Lee Taeyong and Female Reader

FEATURING | Jung Jaehyun, Lee Mark, Lee Jeno, Nakamoto Yuta, Suh Johnny, and Xiao Dejun

GENRE | Romance, Drama, Teen, Angst, Fluff, Slowburn, College, and Frat boy Centred

RATING | PG-13

WARNINGS | Thematic elements, some action, crude humor, mentions of: alcohol, drinking, smoking, anxiety, panic attacks, and heartbreak, excessive partying, stupid college shenanigans, suggestive references, language, and adult themes

PLOT | You were unlucky when it came to love. You fell too fast and gave too much. Though as often as you experienced misfortune, you never truly learned your lesson. However, entering college you knew it would be different, it had to be. No more chasing after infatuation that you perceived to be love, but when you came across him, you knew it would be harder than you anticipated. He drew you in with his alluring aura and made you curious, something that would drive you to seek after someone who didn’t want to be found. Yet as many say, curiosity kills the cat, and one wrong move was all it took. OR He was a fleeting moment, a mere second of time that didn’t last too long.

RUNNING TIME | 29k words

1, 2, 3 NOW ROLLING...

“Okay…Be honest, does this dress make me look like shit?”

Your best friend, who was perched on your bed some several feet over to where you stood in front of the full length mirror in your bedroom, rolled her eyes and let out a scoff, lifting her head up from peering down at her cell phone screen. She knew the question was ridiculous and had no direction because you were beautiful, something no one would deny. Her eyes moved up and down your figure to conduct a proper inspection of you and the dress that hugged your body. Her gaze was borderlining a glare once she was done. She was right, as she always tended to be.

She huffed out a breath, leaning her hands behind her on the soft comforter that laid over your bed and tilted her head to the side. “You can’t be serious. You literally look stunning.”

You flatten your palms against the front of your black satin mini dress, confirming you appeared to be as good as you could possibly be with no wrinkles in sight. “All right, I just have to make sure.”

She scoffed yet again as you twirled around in front of the mirror with a smile on your face, your eyes lighting up with excitement for what would soon come.

But the thrill in your veins subdued as you gave her a pointed stare. “Also just because you’re my hype woman and number one fan, doesn’t mean you can’t tell me like it is.”

She stood up from her position on the bed and made her way over to where you stood, her red stilettos clicking against the vivid brown wood. She placed her hands on your shoulders to smoothen the material of your dress and gave you another once over for good measure.

“Yes I am aware, but you should know by now that I never lie.” Her nose scrunched up the tiniest bit as she showcased her pearly whites. “But seriously,” she stepped back from you, letting her hands drop to her sides. “Can we go now? You take forever to get ready and I just want to go have some fun.” She whined and it was now your turn to roll your eyes at her behavior. She was just as excited as you were, though your ability to mask your emotions was far better than hers. Going to your first college party was enough cause to be eager, surely.

“Yes we can go now, drama queen.”

She gave a slight glare in your direction at the mention of the nickname, but you laughed it off, loving to tease her as much as she loved to tease you before continuing.

“Anyways let me grab my phone and purse first.”

She nodded her head, and walked out of your bedroom towards the living room area to wait for you, her mobile phone tightly grasped in her left hand with her car keys looped around her index finger.

Once you grabbed your own charged cell phone off the nightstand and placed it in your purse, swinging the strap over your shoulder, you switched the lights off to exit your room.

“Got it!” You exclaimed as you reached her figure leaning against the wall opposite of the front door. You grabbed the sleek doorknob and opened the door, ushering her out as you followed suit.

She smirked at you once you locked the door and placed the key in your bag.

She swung her car keys around her index finger, the metal imprinting her palm when she caught them. “Time for the real fun to begin.”

Then you were off towards your destination, her behind the wheel driving, and you in the passenger seat, the wind blowing against both of your faces from the rolled down windows. The music was blaring from the radio speaker and you giggled amongst yourselves, lip-synching the lyrics to the songs that were your favorites. The adrenaline was pumping through your veins, causing a rush and the unknowns of the night spoke wonders.

If only it was real fun when you arrived at the expanse of the Nu Chi Tau frat house, or more commonly known as NCT around campus. There were already people there, covering the gigantic front yard with red solo cups in hand and flashy attire, but it wasn’t the sparkles of the glitter nor the drunken state of the people that caught your attention, it was something more magnificent.

The residence that stood before you mimicked one you would only see in the movies. A perfectly mowed green lawn with assorted scrubs encompassed the front yard, leading up to the stairs of the entryway. When you walked ahead you saw everything in clearer light. The house was a few stories high, painted a stark white that stood out in the background of the increasing night. The front lights were on, casting ill-lit shadows that danced against the concrete and some windows glowed the same color, giving evidence that those rooms were filled with occupants at the moment. There was an archway with columns to the side that protruded from the front of the house, as the rest of the habitation was left in the shade. The Greek letters for Nu Chi Tau were nailed on the archway in black and as you neared closer to the front doors, you could make out the words NCT engraved in golden script. You were mesmerized to say the least, the house was beyond beautiful and you pondered how it still looked relatively new in comparison to the other bland frat and sorority houses you had come across. Although, you would have been more in awe if your feet weren’t killing you in that present moment.

When Nicole turned onto the street that would lead the two of you to the frat house, you both had noticed how filled the street was with cars for miles. You had assumed it was most likely due to the party, or the fact that the road was so very narrow, swindling like a wave that made it hard for others to park. Yet regardless of the reason, it is where your dilemma began, for she had to park in the nearest open space, which would be some blocks down from where you needed to be.

Therefore that is how you both ended up wending your way to the frat house that was so conveniently located at the end of the narrow street, and on top of a hill no less, making matters worse.

You don’t know how long it took you to arrive, but you had calculated around thirty minutes give or take other technicalities. You were glad you made it all in one piece even if the adrenaline in your veins departed and the light in your eyes dimmed, yet you would still try to have the time of your life.

Your hand gripped the golden handle of the front door and turned, pushing it wider with ease to welcome the even more impressive interior as you strode in with Nicole hot on your trail.

The white painted walls, crystal chandelier, golden swirls on the columns, and the spiraling staircase would have blinded you if it had not been encompassed by the dark, the only light emitting from surrounding rooms and the sporadic flashes of color.

You heard a groan from behind you, jerking you out of the blue.

“Ah fuck…fuck…fuck…fuck. My feet are dead.”

You spun around to see Nicole, struggling to take off her stilettos in quick movements, as you could indisputably make out the redness around the heel of her foot and toes. Her drastic measures were a sight that made it difficult to suppress your giggles.

She heaved a loud sigh from successfully getting her stilettos off and hooked the straps over her two fingers, the footwear dangling from her hand when she stood up straight.

She locked her eyes with yours, puffing out air and a lock of hair that fell in her face amidst her conflict. “I need a drink.”

Your subdued titters came out as you nodded your head in agreement. You both needed some energy after the long dreaded walk and what better way than to drink some alcohol.

Nicole led the way, brushing up against the loads of people that crowded the foyer, not even managing to mumble a single excuse me, but that’s how she was, especially when she needed to get buzzed. After steering through countless throngs of people, you being the one to mutter apologies, you both had arrived at the kitchen. It was as modern as the rest of the house, with the subtle hints of Roman and Greek roots. The appliances were just as pale as the walls, giving off the illusion that nothing appeared to be present, howbeit the only contrast was the black buckets on the countertops and the black bar stools that were placed near the aisle along with the golden lighting fixtures floating above. Not to mention the various silver tin kegs that were located around the kitchen and the bar, which you passed on the way here, not worth the wait for the drinks the two of you desperately needed.

The kitchen wasn’t nearly as crowded as the rest of the house, withal there were just some scarce students waiting around, refilling their cups, or grabbing a new drink altogether.

Nicole unhands her stilettos on the white marble floor, the bright red color vaguely resembling smeared blood on a snowy surface, before sinking down at one of the free stools and placing her hand in the black bucket to pull out a beer. Conveniently it was a twist off and in mere instances she took large gulps of the brown liquid, finishing the bottle in one go, not bothering to wait for you to have your own bottle in hand.

She licked her lips and elevated her empty beer bottle out to you. “Cheers my love!” She gave a lazy grin and a smile slipped onto your face. “And shit that beer wasn’t strong enough, I need an actual drink.”

You laughed at her as she stood up and rummaged through the cabinets in the kitchen, on the desperate search for some secret stash. You took the empty seat next to the previously occupied one, and placed your purse on the counter, resting your cheek on your knuckles, waiting to see if she had struck lucky.

“Ah!” she suddenly proclaimed, reaching up on her tippy toes to grab the translucent liquid bottle that was placed on the top shelf. Her fingertips barely touched the tall glass, even so she managed to grab it to some shock, her feet being firmly planted on the tile when she had it in her grasp.

She closed the cabinet door and turned with a crude smirk on her face, hiding the bottle behind her back.

“Guess what they were stashing away?”

Your eyes went wide as you dropped the hand that held the weight of your head to your lap. You were curious but also slightly scared at how the smirk on her face grew. It couldn’t be good.

“Um…” you trailed off, placing your hands on the cool marble countertops. You had no idea.

“Those bastards,” she swore, taking the bottle out from behind her to shake it from side to side as you squint your eyes to get a good look at the label. Though you didn’t have to for she told you herself.

“They stored away Balkan 176 Vodka. Who the fuck does that? Like share you greedy, motherfuckers.”

She placed the tall bottle on the countertop, reaching over to the stack of red and blue solo cups that were near the buckets and pulled out two empty cups.

Your eyes got wider at the realization because no way they had Balkan 176 Vodka, it was the strongest in the United Kingdom market with an alcohol by volume of 88%.

How did they manage to get a hold of it?

The damn vodka even has thirteen health warnings on the label.

What the hell are they doing in this house?

You heard the pop of the bottle cap and the echoing sound of the liquid being poured into the two cups, interrupting you out of your thoughts.

Nicole held out the blue solo cup to you, jerking her chin out as a form of encouragement to take the cup from her.

With shaking hands, you reach forward, wrapping your hands around the cup.

You knew you would be wasted beyond belief if she poured a lot of the vodka and you only hoped she didn’t, even if your alcohol tolerance was relatively high.

She bumped her plastic cup with yours, murmuring lowly, “Cheers,” and proceeded to down the vodka in one go as you reciprocated the action.

The clear liquid stung in your throat and you could feel a tingling sensation erupt on your tongue. You shook your head to get rid of the feeling and closed your eyes, scrunching up your nose as if it would somehow help extinguish the burn.

Some tears escaped your eyes and through your blurry vision you saw Nicole step away from the counter, shaking her hands out in front of her with her head tilted towards the ceiling.

“Ah shit that burns…” She let out a few coughs, wiping the back of her hand over her lips. “But it feels great.” She puts her hands on her hips and gives you a wide teary eyed smile when she looks over at you.

You cough yourself before giving her an eye roll, placing two fingers on your temples and giving a soft rub to the skin to guarantee you won’t get a headache.

“You’re crazy, you know that right?”

She walked around the counter to where you sat, as you peered up at her, dropping your hands.

She leaned forward to whisper in your ear rather loudly in order to be heard, “Go big or go home baby.”

You placed your hand on her shoulder and gave her a small push, her giggles standing out despite the music resounding in the other room.

Then her giggles ceased and she stared straight ahead, a blank look overtaking her face, her mouth slightly opening.

Your eyebrows scrunched together. “Hey Nicole?” You asked, raising your butt off the seat to poke at her shoulder.

Her body swayed to the left then right before she shook her head and came out of her trance.

She stumbled over her footing as she tried to move forward and pick up her discarded stilettos off the tile to put them on.

“Nicole!” you called as she prowled forward once she tied the ends of the felt, discrediting the fact that you were still there, but your loud voice caught her attention for her head jolted back to peek over her shoulder to where you still sat.

“Fuck,” she muttered under her breath and pivoted on her heel to go back to where she once was.

“Sorry, sorry love,” she spoke in a rushed manner, fixing her gaze over her shoulder every so often as she shook her head once more. “I just saw some really freaking hot guy and I just—”

You cut her off, knowing where this would lead to. You gave her a small smile of empathy and encouragement. “It’s okay Nicki. Go get some.”

You lightly gave her a push as she staggered forward. Your smile had morphed into a subtle smirk and she laughed at your eagerness for her.

“Oh I will and make sure to get some for yourself too.” She turned around to give you a wink and a peck on the crown of your head, waving goodbye once she pivoted on her heel to presumably stride over to the boy in question.

The kitchen connected to a small dining space that a handful of students were occupying, having conversations with drinks in hand and you just so happened to be in luck for there wasn’t an enormous wave of people, making it easy to see who caught Nicole’s eye.

You followed her figure of a ruby red strapless dress that stood out amongst the neutral tones of the other attire, to where she had passed by a boy with washed out blonde hair, who so happened to be having a conversation to two other girls. He was adorned in a black crisp button up shirt that was folded up to the elbows, with two buttons undone at the top to showcase a bit of chest. You could catch a glimpse of the light reflecting off the silver necklace that peeked out from under his shirt, which was tucked into a pair of dark blue skinny jeans, contrasting his white vans. He took a sip from his red solo cup, letting out a laugh at something one of the girls said, allowing his perfect set of teeth to be seen as his head leaned back. He had a defined jawline and strong eyebrows that looked even better than anyone else’s in hindsight. Nicole really had gotten lucky and when she brushed her shoulder against his, muttering a sorry under her breath, his eyes had followed after her when she moved away.

He apologized to the other girls and quickly whipped his head around to see where Nicole had disappeared to, realizing she starkly could be seen ready to turn the corner to go to another room. His feet made hast as he was hot on her trail and when you saw him loosely latch his hand onto her wrist to turn her around to face him, you knew she would get even luckier. With her sultry gaze and his flirty smile there was no doubt in your mind.

They vanish from sight moments after for he was ready to whisk her away to the second floor with his arm wrapped around her waist and her hand wrapped around his bicep, whispering in his ear.

Lucky indeed.

You turned away after observing them and sighed loudly, swishing the already nonexistent liquid in your cup. You knew it would be possible to find a boy to spend the rest of night with amongst countless that were available to you, natheless you couldn’t help to feel like you didn’t have the desire to “get some” for a particular reason.

So you heaved yourself off the bar stool, too afraid if you hung around in one area for too long someone would surely make a move to hit on you. You weren’t in the mood for company exuding testosterone and cockiness. You weren’t in the mood for assholes.

You poured some more of the hell vodka into your empty cup to give you something to hold onto when you explored the house. You also made sure to grab your purse off the stool, swearing under your breath that you should have just left it in the car and put your cell phone along with keys in your bra like Nicole had done. Sometimes your level of intellect astounded you.

With a cup in hand and purse slung over your shoulder you made your way around the house, bypassing time without any one thing in mind, hoping to see if you could catch your best friend amidst the large gatherings of people, something that most likely seemed impossible. Yet impossible had a good chance as any to become possible too.

You didn’t know how long you had been moving, probably already circled the whole first floor various times, since the remaining floors were closed off for members of the frat. Time went by faster when you were trying to kindly reject offers of those that made an effort to ask you to dance or if you wanted another drink.

Only then is when you saw him—a glimpse of a boy you once knew when you stopped at the bar for a rest.

He looked the same as he did ever since the start of summer, the same from those weeks ago. Light honey colored hair. Dark eyes. A small beauty mark under his left eye. A soft chiseled jaw. Pale pink lips. His signature eye smile, a favorite feature of yours, one bright enough to light up an entire room, one which always made you feel comforted.

Every aspect of his being was the same, except for the outfit which adored his body, that still managed to give you nostalgia—a black short sleeve button up shirt with one button undone to showcase his smooth pale skin, a pair of white jeans that perfectly hugged his legs, and his staple piece of black worn out combat boots.

It reminded you of that one time he had picked you up in a vaguely similar outfit to take you to the outskirts of the city, late at night just for exploring, for adventure, when the both of you started hanging out.

All of it was the same, he was the same, and seeing him there flirting with some other girl wronged you in more ways than one, even if it had been a little over a month since you last saw him in person so close, yet so very far away.

You ducked your head lower, to conceal your figure behind those that were in your line of sight, even if you were still in the open area of view, while secretly keeping an eye on him to see if he would move. He would either notice you directly or his knowledge would be the one to give you away. He always had a sense of knowing where you were without even surveying or asking. He just knew and there was no doubt he would know you were there tonight. You had to escape one way or another before you became found.

However, you weren’t as inconspicuous as you had perceived yourself to be.

He must have caught you staring, behind the figures that did little to help you in your avoidance of the boy. You didn’t know when he exactly saw you for his leaden eyes had suddenly flitted over the heads of the people surrounding him to meet yours.

Caught.

To say you were scared or anxious would be an understatement for your palms got sweaty and you felt like you could no longer breathe with your heart beating in your ribcage like the fast beat of a drum.

Thump! Thump! Thump!

He excused himself from the brunette he was talking to, gently taking her dainty hand off his bicep when he turned to leave, muttering an apology to her, and stalked over to where you sat rooted to your stool, nearly paralyzed.

But your senses kicked in before then, prohibiting you from just waiting for his arrival. You stumbled over your footing, the heels on your feet making it difficult to get by unnoticed since you were having some difficulty walking away at a fast pace. You tried your best to steer through the people that blocked your path, heading towards an area away from prying eyes, which so happened to be a dimly lit hall that was empty from what you could see.

He was pushing through the drunken bodies, not even managing to say sorry after every push and shove. You heard him call your name, although it was drowned out with the ringing in your ears, the sounds of the music and shouts mixing together indefinitely.

You turned your head over your shoulder to see if he had caught up to you or if you lost him in the crowd.

No figure in sight. You lost him. You escaped.

You leaned your head against the wall, heaving a loud sigh, trying to shake off the jitters in your body. Your hands wouldn’t stop shaking, and the thumping in your chest refused to cease. You wrapped your arms around you in an attempt to calm yourself, to provide much needed comfort.

Comfort that turned to queasiness.

A unlit impending figure loomed over you, casting your body in a black shadow as your breath became short, making it a hassle to inhale, exhale.

Caught yet again.

You peered up, to see eye to eye with a boy that once held the entire galaxy in his orbs, but now only held emptiness.

The stare was too intense, making you force your eyes away for your own well-being. His shadow became woozy and blurry, making it difficult to pick out which replica was the real version of him.

You were nearly hyperventilating, your breath staggering and your lungs felt as if they would combust any second from lack of oxygen.

The ringing in your ears became louder as you could faintly make out him mouthing your name through reading his lips.

He then raised his hand, cupping your cheek with his thumb, caressing the skin, and that was when everything became calm through a simple touch.

The ringing in your ears ceased, the pounding of the music and chatters of the people became silent, the jitters in your body were gone, and mellowness coursed through your veins to where everything was at a standstill.

Your eyes were wide as you looked at him, awaiting his next move, his next words.

“Bub…” He started then shook his head, the affectionate nickname accidently slipping without consciousness. You hadn’t heard that name come from his mouth in so long. You missed it. “Ah, sorry.” Another shake of the head. “Are you okay? You were almost having a panic attack. Y-Your…” He trailed off, his hand slipping from your cheek to rest by his side as he turned his head away then back to face you. His eyes were soft and filled with concern. He whispered so softly, you could barely make out his words. “Your anxiety hasn’t gotten worse right?”

It was now your turn to move away from his piercing gaze. You never talked about your conflicts with your friends before, you had almost forgotten you had told him, that he knew a secret of yours, but he was never willing to share his own.

You rubbed your hands up and down your arms to provide some heat from the chills that suddenly erupted throughout your entire body.

You refused to behold him. “No,” you muttered, eyeing the floor. “It hasn’t so don’t worry. I’m fine.”

His calloused hands grasp at your chin so he could turn your face to lay your eyes on him. “Are you really okay?”

You knew the underlying meaning to his question. You could feel tears welling up in your eyes, just waiting to fall at four words that seemed so simple to provide an answer to, despite that it was so very hard to voice.

Your eyes dropped to the floor, but he titled your chin up to make sure he saw your eyes when you answered, to see if you were telling the truth.

There was no point to lie, to him of all people, so you mumbled the dreadful word, knowing it was the last one he would want to hear, “No.”

He inhaled a sharp breath, letting his hand fall and took a step back, to provide some space between your bodies. He was the one that now refused to take note of you.

“What do you mean?”

You hugged your own body closer, seeing that he couldn’t provide the much needed comfort, not when what you once had no longer existed.

Your delicate voice could barely be heard. “I-It’s just been h-hard without you. I thought I could do it, b-but…” You trailed off, a stray tear making its way down your cheek and onto the floor. The round droplet of water becoming so lonely, resting there by itself, just like you. “I-I can’t.”

He stepped further away, pushing a hand through his hair, messing up the once neat locks.

“You can’t say that.” He inhaled a breath, raising his eyes to the ceiling then at your figure leaning against the wall. “You can’t ask that of me.”

The frustration seeped through your tone. “I know that!” Your voice became softer. “Trust me I know, but what do you want me to say? That I’m fine without you? That I am happy without you in my life?” You paused, trying to cower into your body further if it was even possible. “You know I can’t lie to you, Jen.” He flinched at the nickname, furthering clutching his hair. “You know I can’t so what’s the point? I’m not happy, I’m not happy…unless it’s with you and I’m sorry for that. I’m sorry I haven’t moved on.”

He let out a long, exasperated sigh, his hand relaxing before settling by his sides. “No, I’m sorry. I’m sorry I can no longer be your happiness, but it’s for the best. We both agreed on this, remember? Even if it pains us, it’s for the best.”

You wiped at your eyes. The dry tears could be still felt on your skin, be that as it may you no longer were on the verge of crying, you were angrier than anything else. You threw your hands up in the air, taking steps towards him until you were mere inches away.

“But why can’t the best be filled with joy instead of sorrow. Why Jen? Why can’t we be happy together?”

Your red rimmed eyes and teary face bruised him on all accounts. Whenever you were hurt, he was as well and it was something he was afraid of, he would always be till the end of time.

“I…” He inhaled a breath. “I don’t know.”

You placed your hand on his bicep giving him a small smile, not letting your temper consume you today. “It’s okay, I get it.”

He leaned his head forward to rest on your shoulder letting out small, shallow breaths as you raise your hand to run through his thick locks of hair.

“I’m sorry…I’m so sorry, bub,” he choked on his words, the nickname slipping past his lips unheard. He hitches up his head off your shoulder, allowing your hand to drop from the movement. He gazed into your eyes, the regret ever so prevalent. “I’m the one to blame for us falling apart.”

You nodded your head, not knowing what else to say, both shocked at his shameless declaration and admittance of his faults, nonetheless also touched that he spoke the truth.

His cell phone then suddenly dinged in his pocket, startling the both of you as he took the device out of his back pocket, the light from the screen illuminating his face in a bright, blinding glow.

“Shit,” he muttered under his breath. He looked up at you and your furrowed eyebrows. “I-I have to go. I…” He opened his mouth, wrangling with his next words, trying to be careful with what he said next because they could either mend or break the already hanging thread that bounded the two of you together.

A subtle smile slipped onto your face that he could see in the muted lit hall and it melted his heart. He knew you understood, like you always had and always will.

“I’ll see you around.” He reached for your hand, giving it a slight squeeze, the contact alone was one that left tingles in your skin. “Stay safe.”

He leaves, letting go of your hand and the hold you had over his life, retreating into the darkness of the night for an adventure he always sought to seek, except this time you weren’t by his side.

Though even if you weren’t with him, you weren’t alone.

“You know,” a voice spoke up amidst the near gloominess of the hall, startling you. You jolted in your spot and turned your body around slowly, the pulse of your beating heart quickening. You saw a figure in the shadows, well at least that is what you could make out.

Had someone been there the whole time? Listening to your conversation with Jeno?

You were more exposed than you realized and you wished it wouldn’t bite you in the back.

Your feet padded against the marble floor and you squint your eyes to get a better look a couple of inches away. Their back was resting on the wall with their left foot planted flatly there as you could see the red solo cup in their right hand. Their head tilted forward slightly as they swished the liquid around the cup before bringing it to their lips and then they proceeded to push themselves off to advance towards you. You saw his figure emerge out of the darkness and when he stood so close to you you didn’t know what to do, feel, or think. You felt like your heart stopped beating in your chest and the blood coursed that through your veins spiked with utter heat, it was a different state, one you never experienced before, not even with a previous lover.

Your mind went blank and your mouth became dry.

The boy that stood before you was beyond beautiful. You could make out his features in the pale lit hall from every little perfection to perfection for he struck you like he was crafted from above to be unrivaled with no fault in sight.

The first thing that drew you in was his eyes. His eyes were sharp and catlike, a deep brown color that cut through your soul as if he could see every aspect of your being. His eyebrows were rich and fine, in a perfect shape, every hair in the same direction, brushed to be unmoving. While his nose was soft and round, enhancing his delicate features. His cupid bow was prominent, yet light, shaping his thin lips that were pink and utterly pulposus. His skin appeared to be smooth, without any blemish in sight, but you could make out a small scar on the right side of his face that was covered by his hair, though the mark did not take away from his loveliness, only amplified it. His hair was midnight black, almost blending into the background and perfectly framed his face, the strands falling to the sides, right above his eyes, leaving a little bit of his forehead exposed. His face was completely stoic with no mein painted across its fairness and he still was able to be so ethereal, yet imitating with his sharp jawline and pierced ears. He was too good to be true and you felt as if you weren’t worthy enough to lock eyes with an exquisite being such as himself. Even so, your eyes roamed around his face to analyze each and every feature, to truly engrave his image in your mind.

You could stare all day and get lost in him till he broke you out of your thoughts.

“You know,” he repeated again and you could feel his eyes on you as you struggled to look anywhere but at his gorgeous face. “Whatever goes around eventually comes back to you.” He paused and licked his lips, contemplating a motive. He titled his head before stepping forward while your eyes became wide with curiosity, wondering what he was about to do next. He brought his free hand up from his side, delicately grasping your chin to make you focus on him. His thumb came to rest on your lower lip as you unconsciously parted your lips from his scorching touch. He softly moved his thumb around for several seconds before pulling your lip down at a slow pace. His hand settled completely afterwards, resting by his side anew. He maneuvered right next to your body and leaned his face closer, his pink lips touching your earlobe. He whispered so quietly that you could barely make out what he said or if he even said anything at all. “So you gotta be careful, baby.”

Your mouth opened and closed, attempting to get a response out. Your heart fluttered in your chest and you could feel your hands begin to get clammy. He called you baby, a simple word of affection you heard a thousand times in your life, yet when he said it the feelings that overcame you were different. There was something else in the pet name, an unknown tone of emotion that you couldn’t figure out.

You couldn’t figure him out.

He affected you so much with mere words as well as actions and you had barely glimpsed at him for not many fleeting seconds. He held you in a spell and you didn’t know if it was one that could be broken.

You gathered enough courage to turn your head, hoping to see his face a mere centimeters from you, but he wasn’t. He stepped away from you amongst your captivated state and the hotness that emitted from his body turned cold. He didn’t even look at you as he strode by, becoming a small figure amidst a bigger crowd, only leaving you with his last lovely words of advice. You were confused to say the least. He didn’t say goodbye or inform you that he would catch you around campus like you hoped he would. He simply left and with that, you felt as if a piece of your heart did as well. What hurt the most was that you didn’t even catch his name.

Who was he?

That was a question you would strive to find the answer to, if it was the last thing you could do on this forsaken planet during your lifetime. For you were mesmerized by a stranger in the dark, a beautiful one at that who had the power to make you fall with his mere presence and make you forget all the same.

You suppose that the mere explanation why you were disoriented as you made your way back to the heart of the party courtesy of the enigma himself, the thought of Lee Jeno long forgotten.

Everything felt dizzy around you as you felt reality slowly morph into fantasy. The colors of the flashing LED lights were blurring together and the bodies that were pushing up against you when you crossed the dance floor felt too close for comfort.

You needed a glass of water or the fresh air or even someone to take your mind off things. You needed to truly be lost to the bliss of your mind in order to gain sobriety thereafter. You were slightly tipsy, most certainly pushing it, yes, but you were also intoxicated from another source that made you drunk—a boy.

Not even the Balkan 176 Vodka had this much of an impact.

You stumbled forward, pushing through the crowd to get to the kitchen, hoping you recalled the familiar pathway to your destination that had started off your night.

You must have been too close to the floor or were worse in appearance than you assumed yourself to be for you tripped on your footing and fell forward, not before someone’s arm came to wrap around you waist to prevent you from face planting the floor.

“Woah,” they said, their husky voice sounding like music to your ears. “Are you okay there?”

You closed your eyes shut and nodded your head, too scared to turn around to face them through your embarrassment. They maneuvered you around so the front of your body was directly in front of their own. You slowly opened your eyes to the sight of yet another breathtaking boy, making him one of countless others you had seen throughout the night. This particular boy though was one with a dimpled smile. He had a boyish charm that exuded from his persona, but also a sense of maturity at the same time. His deep black hair was parted and a few loose strands fell perfectly over his forehead. He had an inviting look on his face and you suppose that is why you choose him.

You didn’t even think twice before grabbing the collar of his shirt and crashing your lips onto his.

A distraction is what he would be from the brutal reality of your intoxicated world full of heartbreak, lies, and a sprinkle of hope.

He must have been startled for he didn’t move his plump lips against yours for a handful of seconds, but after much adherence he gave in.

It might have been weird to make out with a stranger you didn’t know, one whose name you didn’t even ask for, that is the glamor of college frat parties in some form. Everyone hooked up with everyone. No judgment was given and you were just there for some fun, even if it countered your morals.

Sense was out the door and a high took over. No room for second guessing.

You made out with the attractive boy for some long, draining seconds, before he pulled back first. His lips were swollen and so very red. You were sure you mirrored his features.He licked his lips and titled his head, his gaze locking onto yours as he gave his eyebrow a slight raise.

“Wow,” he muttered then proceeded to chuckle. “Do you always make out with strangers before knowing their name? Or just make out with a stranger right when you meet them?” Another chuckle and a shake of the head.

You turned away, the embarrassment coursing through your veins again. You were thankful that sobriety was achieved, howbeit it partially had to be because of a make out session no less. Sometimes you hated when you drank, too out of it to be aware of your actions.

Damn Nicole.

He moved his hand forward and grasped your chin lightly to turn your face towards him. He was the third to make contact with your skin that night, still and all his touch didn’t burn like the boy that emerged from the dark, for it only left you unfeeling.

He hummed waiting for your answer and the intensity of his stare when you peered at him under your lashes made your knees buckle.

“Um…” you trailed off letting out an awkward and forced giggle. “N-no…not really,” you cleared your throat to get the proper words out. Confidence is what you had to remember. “No, but I—”

You were cut off by a shout of another male calling your name, whose figure was pushing through the throngs of people to reach you when you turned your head to take a gander.

“Ah,” he lets out an exasperated sigh. “There you are! I have been looking all over for you.” He huffs out a breath and gives you a pointed stare. “I told you not to go running off…” He then stops abruptly when he inspects the boy who was so blatantly close to you, too close by his standards at least.

His eyebrows furrowed and zoned in at the boy's hand that were placed firmly on your side and how your chest was pressed up close to his. The boy’s hand hadn’t moved from its previous position either, but when he saw the stare of your best friend he let it rest back to his sides and stepped backwards letting go of his hold on you completely.

“Jaehyun? What are you doing? No,” he shook his head and slightly glared at the presumably older boy. “What were you doing?”

Jaehyun, the boy you now knew the name of after a kiss, shyly laughed and brought his hand up to rub at his neck. You could see the tips of his ears beginning to turn pink as he refused to make eye contact.

While you knew he wouldn’t say what you both were truly doing before your friend’s arrival you didn’t want to leave him grasping at straws.

“He—” you started, then stopped at the same pointed look your best friend gave you and let out a huff at his behavior. He was always too overprotective of you.

“It wasn’t what it looked like Mark, I swear.” He put his hands up at the eyebrow raise Mark gave him as if he caught onto the lie Jaehyun was going to tell. His hands sank to his sides before he continued. “I saw her stumbling through the crowd some minutes ago and she was so clearly out of it that she almost tripped so obviously I didn’t want her to hurt herself. I just stopped her from nearly collapsing on the floor. That’s all.”

When he finished speaking, Mark's gaze was anything but less suspicious, yet his face slowly morphed into a subtle smile. “Always a gentleman huh, Jae?” He asked and let out a laugh in which the boy returned.

Jaehyun’s eyes peered over at you as he gave a lopsided grin and subtle wink. “Always.”

You were hoping Mark didn’t catch on, but with the way his hand suddenly wrapped around your wrist and he tugged you harshly forward, you were beginning to think he had.

“Okay well we better get going. It is a Thursday and we do have class tomorrow so I'll catch you later, Jae. Just tell the guys I had to drop someone off if they’re wondering where I am.”

Jaehyun nodded his head, his eyes still on your own before flashing to meet Mark's. “Will do and hey,” he jerked his head towards you as your eyes slightly furrowed, speculating what he wanted to say to you. “Try not to face plant the floor again, okay?”

You laughed at his remark as Mark's arm came to wrap around your waist tightly, trying to whisk you away towards the front door. You stumbled over how fast he was trying to get your further away from Jaehyun, but still made an effort to reply to the other boy.

You whipped your head around to see him one last time before he would be one figure amongst hundreds. “No promises!”

He shook his head at you and pivoted on his heel. The figure of a boy with a dimpled grin being lost in the sea of people. You hoped you could see him around another time and considering everything you knew you would.

“Try not to flirt with my friends will you?” Mark spoke out as he maneuvered you around the countless bodies occupying the house. He tugged your arm over his shoulder to give him more support while you walked.

You rolled your eyes at him and pouted. “I was not,” you burped. “Flirting.”

He snickered, peering over at you instantly. “Sure you weren’t.” He looked over the heads of people as he was nearing the front door, stopping in his tracks when you were a few feet away from leaving the house.

“Anyways where’s Nicole? You came with her right? That’s what you told me because you didn’t want me to come pick you up to bring you to the party.”

You nodded your head, letting out a small yawn. “Mhm, but I lost her not even ten minutes into the party. She went off with one of your frat boys I am sure, I don’t know which one obviously and just left me to mingle.”

He sighed. “We won’t be seeing her for quite some time then.”

“Nope,” you spoke, popping the ‘p.’ “Not a chance.”

“Guess I’ll have to give you a ride then, not that I wasn’t going to but I didn’t want to leave you both alone just in case.” He spoke glancing around to see if by chance Nicole was around, having returned from her little fun escapade.

“Agreed,” you said, yawning once more and you snuggled into the crook of Mark's neck, letting your eyes shut close. Partying for who knows how long and drinking who knows how much alcohol made you exhausted beyond belief.

“Why have a frat party on Thursday? Especially when most of us have classes the next day. I don’t get it,” you mumbled into his neck as he fondly glanced down at you. There was something endearing about you in that moment, regardless of being at a frat party with sweaty bodies and stomach-churning smells. He leaned forward to kiss the top of your head before adjusting his grip on you so he could get you both out the front door and into his car without any mishaps.

“It is called a frat party for a reason, angel. No day of the week stops us, not even school days.”

You let out a loud groan. “Just great for us, huh?”

He let out a laugh. “Mhm because you’ll definitely have a hangover tomorrow and won’t want to get out of bed, but yay classes. You’re a freshman too and it’s your first week so mind you that you can’t skip even if you wanted to.”

“Screw you.” You murmur elevating your head slightly to properly glare at him. Instead of a threatening look it was something he found cute. But at that same moment when you upheave your head from Mark's shoulder you caught a glimpse of him. You were sure it was him, you couldn’t forget his face even if you tried. He was leaning on a tree in the front yard, once more in the shadows. His right foot was planted on the stump, and in his right hand was an unlit cigarette. His free hand reached into his front pocket and he pulled out a silver lighter that caught glimpses of the moonlight, shining so prominently. When he lit his cigarette he took a long drag and then exhaled, gray smoke encompassing him in a gloomy cloud. He wasn’t checking anywhere but straight ahead to the murkiness of the road, the only light emitting from the lights of the house behind you, that casted a perfect glow across his face, if only he stepped out from the shadows so you could see him in all his enchanting glory. You thought he would turn to eye you, people always did when they felt someone staring, but he didn’t and you forced your head away when Mark called your name.

“Angel?” He asked, his tone curious. “You okay? You blank spaced for a few seconds there.”

You peep up at him to see the concern in his eyes.

You shook your head to get rid of the image that plagued your mind: an image of a boy you thought you wouldn’t see afresh.

“Yeah,” you peered over Mark’s shoulder to see if he was still there, but what you saw was a bare and lonely tree with no boy leaning against it. You were left in disappointment along with confusion for he was there moments ago but left once you turned your head away.

Weird.

Another shake of the head. “Yeah, I’m fine. Just sleepy, sorry.” You sheepishly smiled up at him.

He chuckled, giving a kiss to your forehead. “Understandable so let's get you home.”

You rested your head on his shoulder once more, your eyes filled with both drowsiness and longing for a boy you didn’t know. Hope was all you had and it would be a driving force for you to see the bewildering boy for more than a fleeting second.

If only you knew he had caught you staring when he slipped away.

“You’re sober right?” You questioned when you both arrived at the location in which Mark had parked his black Audi Suv Q8. How he had the money for such a gorgeous car was a shocker, especially considering he was in college no less. Mark always did surprise you in more ways than one.

His grip on you loosened so he could fumble through his jean pocket to find his keys. He gave you an exasperated look when his keys jingled in his hand, clinking against one another.

“Angel, seriously? Of course I'm sober. You know I don't really like to drink anyways, especially at parties.”

You giggled at him. “Sorry, I forgot but I just wanted to make sure! You know my safety can be at risk.”

He brought you over to the side of the passenger’s seat as he unlocked the car, opening up the door to push you inside. He unwrapped his arm from around your waist and tugged your arm away from his neck, so you could sit comfortably in the leather cushion. As he reached over to click the seatbelt into place, he became undeniably close to you, his breath fanning your face.

“Angel you’re always safe with me, “ he drew back to get a good glimpse of your face. “Never forget that.” And when you thought he would give you a friendly kiss on the head like he did various times before, he raised his right hand and gave a small flick to your forehead instead.

“Agreed?”

You lurched back, shocked that he flicked you and he laughed at your wide eyes.

“You flicked me!”

His eyes roll in your sight and he leans back to stand up properly. “Yeah I flicked you, had to get you more sober somehow.”

Then he closes the door shut as he makes his way to the driver’s seat leaving your response unheard.

You grumbled underneath your breath and crossed your arms over your chest. “That wasn’t very nice.”

You turned away from him when he got in the car and clicked his seatbelt into place. He stuck the keys in the ignition and a rumbling was heard thereafter of the engine starting.

He called your name, reaching his right arm over to place his hand on your thigh. He patted the bare skin to get your attention. “Angel come on.” He was glancing between you and the empty road in front of him. “Don’t be mean now.”

You shifted your body, turning forward, his hand dropping from your thigh. He now placed both hands on the wheel, still awaiting to see if you would talk to him.

You sighed before letting out a small giggle and stuck out your tongue when you knew he wasn’t paying attention. “I would never.”

He whipped his head suddenly to make contact with you, your laughter still echoing in the car. “Did you just—”

“Hey! Eyes on the road dumbass!” You hollered and reached over to grab hold of the wheel when he had begun to slightly swerve into the left lane from looking at you for too long. He jerked suddenly when he heard your exclamation as he took over the wheel and steered the car back into the right lane.

He let out a sigh of relief, looking straight ahead, glad no cars were near him when the mishap occurred. He released his right hand off the steering wheel, brushing it through his luscious locks of hair before going back to gripping the wheel, his knuckles turning white from how hard his hold was.

You leaned back in your seat, snuggling into the warm leather. Your tone was mocking as you spoke your next words, “You’re so smart, Markie.” You stifled a laugh when he gave a roll of his eyes.

You knew he would reach over to softly punch you, only if he wasn’t afraid of possibly crashing once more.

“Shut up.”

Your laughter rang out and would flood the increasing silence for moments to come along with the pop music that blared from the car’s speakers, Mark’s attempt of drowning out your titters until you finally reached your destination.

You only lived a few minutes away from campus since you didn’t live in the dorms like other fellow freshmen, lucky enough that your parents had been willing to pay for your own place once you had gotten into university.

Mark had pulled up in the parking lot, turning the keys in the ignition to shut off his car. He released a subtle yawn, leaning back in his seat and turned his head to peer over at you.

Your eyes locked with his own, the contact between you lasting for what felt like instances too long. You could see the tenderness in his gaze and a small smile broke out on his face, one you could barely make out due to the darkness of the wee hours of the morning. You were sure it was past two.

“Come on,” he reached over the center console and brushed his knuckle against your check, as your own lips uplifted into a lazy beam. “Let me walk you inside.”

You hummed in response and he retracted his hand to clutch onto the handle of the car door in order to get out. You waited for him to come to the other side so he could help you out the car and to the door of your apartment, since you intelligibly could not do it on your own, the drowsiness taking over.

He opened the door and leaned over to unbuckle your seatbelt. Your eyelids feel heavy with sleep as you could barely keep them open, when his right arm wrapped around your waist to haul you up. You thought he would just help you to your door, allowing you to hold some of your own bodyweight, but he didn’t. When your feet were planted on the concrete, he latched one arm under your legs, the other still placed around your waist, permitting him to carry you bridal style. Your eyes fluttered open at the abrupt movements, but you just placed your head in the crook of his shoulder once more, finally allowing your eyes to close as he maneuvered your arm around his neck for further support.

He carried you all the way to your doorstep, knowing you had placed a spare key under the doormat when you first moved in.

He placed the key in the lock, turning it in place and pushed the door open with the front of his foot. The lights flickered on, detecting the motion and he trotted on to the end of the hall where the entrance of your bedroom was. He glanced at the stark neon numbers of your alarm clock, noting it was half past three in the morning. He shook his head and you moved in the process, letting out a small whine. He knew your class would be in a little more than four hours and he knew how much you would dread to get up in the morning.

He dropped you lightly on the bed, unraveling your limbs from around him. You turned in your bed, a groan leaving your lips.

He softly chuckled at you then proceeded to tug off your heels, deciding to leave you in the rest of your attire, even if a mini dress wasn’t ideal to sleep in. However, you would manage, especially considering you were too out of it to care.

He tugs the covers out from underneath you, evident of the sounds of protest emitting from your lips.

“I am just trying to tuck you in, you big baby,” he teases. “So stop moving.”

You weren’t fully passed out yet so you took heed to his words, stopping in your movements as you felt the snugness of the blankets engulf you. He made sure you were tucked in nicely before leaning over and placing a gentle peck on your forehead, in which he caught a glimpse of a smile.

“Good night, angel,” he whispered once he leaned back. He brought the covers up to your chin, giving your cheek a little tap with his index finger. “I love you.”

You hummed, tilting your head up to scrunch up your nose in the air as your eyes became closed crescent moons. “Love you too, Markie.” You let out a yawn and turned your head away to face the wall, snuggling deeper into your covers.

A smile was painted on his face as he pivoted on his heel to exit the room and ultimately your apartment in order to drive back to his frat house since he needed some sleep himself, considering you would rely on him in a few hours to make it out of bed for class.

He then stopped in his tracks before he was completely out the door. “I’ll come by in the morning…in a few hours and shoot you a text so you can get up on time. Class at 8am sharp, angel. Don’t forget.”

His footsteps faded into the hall and you heard the front door slam shut moments after. While he didn’t think you were awake when he spoke his friendly reminder, you were, at least before you finally let sleep take you under. Yet, in those few hours, when Mark said he would swing by, he didn’t.

So there you were, jerking awake in raw sweat when you glanced at your alarm clock that indicated the time was ten past eight in the morning.

“Shit,” you said, bringing your hand up to rub at your temples to potentially soothe the pounding headache you had.

Trust Mark to let you down, though you knew there was a possible conflict. He never forgot things, there had to be a reason, but you wouldn’t let it worry you now when you were assuredly late for class.

You thought of skipping, but recalled the oh so fantastic reminder that you were still a freshman and your class attendance did matter, especially since it was the first week.

You scrambled to get out of bed, tripping over your two left feet as you made your way to the bathroom that was a few steps away from your room.

You rushed to brush your teeth and wash your face, the light makeup crusty beyond belief. You also made sure to pee, just like your usual morning routine. Then you rushed back into your room to swiftly change into a more comfortable outfit, something that wasn’t a short mini dress because no way were you going to be marching into lecture looking like you came straight from the club. You tugged on some black jeans and took the first hoodie you laid eyes on off the hanger before jumping into your socks and grabbing the first pair of Vans that lay by your shoe rack.

You reached for your cell phone on the bedside table along with your car keys, seeing the time was now 8:17am and assorted texts from your friends. The one that stood out most was Mark’s which was the most recent, but you had no time to check what he said, most likely noting he was apologizing for not coming over. You slipped your mobile into your back pocket and went down the hall. You made a fast stop to your kitchen, grabbing a cold bottle of water from the fridge and reaching for the bottle of Advil in the cupboard, that you would undoubtedly need to down in order to get rid of your hangover, the headache pounding feeling louder by the second. You skidded over to the couch in your living room and grabbed your backpack off the cushion, hoping it had all the materials you would need for your classes today.

After shutting the door to your apartment, making sure it was locked, and skipping down the stairs by twos, you reached the parking garage of your complex, nearly running to get to your sleek grey Toyota Corolla. You kick started your car and drove down the highway, speeding to the point you were sure you would get pulled over if a cop so happened to pass by. Although fate was on your side today because you made it to campus in nearly record time, right on the dot at 8:22am. You would get marked late and definitely scolded some more if you stepped through the door at 8:30am for a lecture, but you could make it if you sprinted across campus, which was what you were going to do.

Yet, running sometimes doesn’t work for you because when you turned the corner of the hallway where your morning class was located, you bumped into someone.

“Ow,” you muttered under your breath. Their chest was rock solid and the impact hurt. Their hands came to rest on your forearms to steady you.

“Oh fuck. Are you okay?” they asked gruffly, concern patent in their tone and for some reason their voice was vaguely recognizable.

“Ah yeah, I’m…” You trailed off, just about ready to see who you ran into, but in the corner of your eye, right before you could, you saw him, a glimpse of a figure with black bucket hat and oversized paint splatter tee. It could have just been anyone, yet you were sure it was him because you would notice those arcane and void eyes anywhere. His eyes barely glanced at his surroundings as he was walking and he had the effect to unintentionally stop your train of thought. You knew it was him, the boy from the frat party, the one that stunned you into silence, the one that made your heart beat rapidly, the one that called you baby, the one—

“Hey!” the person in front of you exclaimed, slightly shaking your arms. “Are you sure you’re good? You were out of it there for a second, princess.”

You shook your head to get your mind unclouded, noting the boy had faded into oblivion, yet again. You never quite had the timing right. Sometimes fate was on your side, other times not so much.

You turn your head, locking eyes with the deep brown of the boy who you bumped into, the same boy who had saved you yesterday. Just perfect.

He has a gentle smile on his face, one that made you feel cozy and his dimples were showcased so prominently.

“Well, if it isn't my favorite clumsy girl. We meet again and soon at that. Do I have to keep you from falling all the time?”

You giggle nervously when he quirks his brow, “Well?”

You stutter, looking behind your shoulder then back at his face. “U-Um...well...I-I…”

His boisterous laugh rings. “I’m just messing, princess. If anything I so happen to enjoy our little run-ins. Gives me an excuse to talk to you and have you fall into my arms,” he states with no shame, the smile widening.

“Of course you’d say that.”

“Can’t help it princess, that was some kiss last night,” his smile transforms to a small smirk.

You hit his chest and he chortles at your action, his head leaning back. You whisper in response, “Shut up, someone might hear you.”

“My bad,” he manages to say in between his amusement.

You shake your head, but then your eyes go wide with realization that you needed to be in class, as in right now.

“Shit,” you cursed, the fear seeping in your bones. You never had been late before.

His laughter stops and his eyebrows wrinkle together. “You all right?”

You let out another high strung laugh, stepping back from him and to the other side of his body. His eyes follow your every move. “Oh yeah sorry. I’m fine…I just have to go,” you spoke and then dashed forward, leaving him behind in the dust along with the memory of the same mysterious boy from before Jaehyun stole your attention away.

You were glad you made it right on time to class, well as late as you were. You footslog through the door at 8:30am, with each pair of eyes in the classroom looking at you for the tiniest nanosecond. You were glad your professor hadn’t called you out, too invested in his lesson that he didn’t spare you a single glance even if you could feel his eyes burning into the back of your skull as you made your way to your seat in the back of the room. Class droned on for two hours and you felt every ounce of willpower draining from your veins. You were sure you would collapse any second now and taking a few tablets of Advil added to your disoriented state of sleepiness. You still had another two classes after this one before you would be able to take a break for lunch and even then you had one more class before you were done for the day.

You were hoping it went by fast, but with your hangover still quite literally hanging around, and your lack of focus, you knew you were fucked.

Fucked is what you were until lunch time came around.

You were sure everyone could catch on to the fact that you were hung over because simply put you looked like shit. You had your hoodie on, but it barely accomplished concealing your very visible red-rimmed eyes and droopy lids. You were basically dragging yourself over to your designated spot where Nicole, Mark, and you always met up for your breaks. You were glad your schedules overlapped to where you would be able to catch up with them before the other had to dash off to another class. Mark was busier since he was a year above, but he still tried to organize his schedule around your own because his classes were from the early morning to night at times. While you and Nicole usually had classes up till the midafternoon, allowing the rest of your day and night to be free.

When you reached the expanse of the indoor cafeteria, you struggled to find either one of your friends, desperately searching for a similar shade of brown and black amongst countless others.

Then you saw Mark pushing his way through the surrounding students, coming over to you and you caught sight of Nicole sitting at the table tucked into the corner of the dining room, tapping away at her cell phone screen, her tray of food discarded.

There was a smirk plastered on his face when he reached you and slung his arm over your shoulder. He whispered in your ear rather obnoxiously, “You look like shit.”

You pushed at his side to get him off of you from his crude remark, but to no avail for he brought his arm tighter around you so he could hug you to his chest. His laughter rang loud amongst the noise of the cafeteria, but you were sure it would have stood out like a sore thumb.

You mumbled into his chest, your cheek resting on his sky blue button up shirt, inhaling the scent of citrus and detergent. “I hate you.”

His laughter got even louder if that was possible. “You don’t, but whatever you say angel.” He released his grip on you, unraveling himself from your body, though his arm was still around your shoulder as you closed your eyes momentarily, leaning on him.

“Now let’s get you some food, hm?”

You nodded your head as he steered you through the crowd to get to the table. When your eyes opened you still saw Nicole typing away furiously on her mobile, but then she heaved a loud and long sigh, nearly slamming the cellular device down on the table in the process.

You walked around the table to sit next to her, Mark’s arm dropping from your shoulder as he excused himself to go pick up some food for both you and him.

You wrapped your own arm around her as she leaned her body into yours.

“What’s up?” you asked, rubbing your thumb over her clothed skin.

She sighed yet again and shook her head. “Nothing…it’s just a lot happened at that party after I left you alone…” She paused, peering up at the ceiling then down at her twiddling hands in her lap. “A lot and I don’t know…I don’t know.”

You nodded your head in acknowledgement, you had some idea what she meant, most likely referring to the boy she wandered off with at the start of the party, but you would wait for her to tell you what happened and she would when she felt like sharing. There was no point to pressure her.

“I get it, don’t worry Nicki. We can talk about it when you’re ready.”

She turned her head to smile up at you and raised her hand to boop your nose. “Thanks babe. You’re the best.”

You lazily smiled back at her. “Yeah I know.”

She let out a giggle and you were glad you achieved your goal to make her happy in that moment, but it was for a moment too short because the sound of a tray hitting the table echoed in the cafeteria courtesy of Mark Lee himself.

“Ah shit, sorry, sorry,” he muttered, his mouth turned down into a frown. “Didn’t mean to interrupt anything between you two.” He rubbed the back of his neck before gently placing the next tray onto the table to lessen the noise.

You laughed as Nicole’s weight lifted off of you.

“You’re fine, Markie, don’t worry.” You smiled up to him and patted the seat next to you. “So what did you get me for lunch?”

He maneuvered around the table to sit next to you, sliding the trays over once he sat down.

He gave you a boyish grin, his star-filled eyes sparkling. “Your favorite.”

You peered down at the tray in front of you, with two styrofoam containers of various sizes and some napkins he had so graciously placed at the sides.

You quirked an eyebrow when you looked over at him, wondering what he meant, considering you loved most food and it was always hard to pick one favorite.

You opened the larger container to a sandwich cut perfectly into two triangles, the distinct turkey slices and cheddar cheese sticking out.

“You didn’t…”

His beam grew. “Yup! A turkey, apple, and cheddar sandwich, baby! I know you’ve been craving one too and since hangovers also suck ass it is perfect for lunch.”

He bumped his shoulder with yours. “With a side of fries of course.”

You giggled and bumped his shoulder right back, making sure to give his hand a squeeze that rested on his thigh.

“Thank you, Markie. You always do take care of me.”

He squeezed your hand right back before you let go to begin eating your food.

“Always.”

“Aw you guys are always so cute…I’m jealous,” a voice broke out, interrupting the intimate moment between you and Mark.

Nicole had a pout on her face when you turned to look at her, making the both of you laugh.

“Laughing at my misfortune, sweet,” she mumbled with a roll of her eyes, but you could clearly see her trying to hold back a smile.

“Shut up, Nicki. You just wish you had a relationship like us,” Mark exclaimed with a smirk, throwing his arm around your shoulder, tugging you close to him amidst you trying to take a bite out of your sandwich.

You huffed and shook your shoulders to get the weight of his arm off of you in order to eat before your lunch break was over. “Trying to eat, mate.”

Nicole let out a loud, boisterous laugh as she stood up from the table, swinging her backpack over her shoulder. Her boots clicked against the tile as she took small steps to where the two of you sat. She patted Mark’s head, slightly ruffling his locks of black hair, in which he opposed and kissed the crown of your head, her flowery scent lingering when she stepped back.

“As much as I would love to continue this, my loves, I have to get to my next class early. I have to ask the professor some questions about an upcoming assignment.” She tugged on the straps of her backpack to hitch them higher, the sadness in her eyes transparent at her departure when her eyes glimpsed between you and Mark.

“Aw man,” you pouted. “See you later though! Make sure to text me too!”

She gave you a sly wink. “For sure!” She then smirked over at Mark. “Don’t worry I won’t forget to text you either.”

He gave a roll of his eyes but nodded his head nonetheless. “I am honored. Now go!”

“Okay, okay! I am going so bye bye loves.” She gave a little wave and pivoted on her heels, off towards her next class, but stopped in her tracks after a number of steps.

She moved her head to the right in order to glance at Mark from the corner of her eye. “Oh and Mark? Make sure our little party girl makes it to class in one piece.”

She whipped her head forward and continued walking, not sparing an ounce of extra time to see either one of your reactions. Although Mark besides you was trying his best to contain his laughter.

You punched his shoulder and pushed him thereafter, his body swaying right then left, his laughter ever increasing with no complaints of pain from your bold actions.

“You guys are so annoying,” you mustered, the aggressive sound of your chewing echoing in your ears and his own.

He patted your head, maneuvering his hands over to open his containers of food.

He shrugged his shoulders, picking up his fork to twirl the noodles around before stuffing his face with food. He chewed slowly contrary to your prior actions. He swallowed then spoke, “Yeah, but you still love us.”

You rolled your eyes, picking up a fry and pointing it at him. “Don’t give yourself too much credit there, bud.”

You took a bite when he gave you an exasperated look. “Whatever you say, angel, but you and I both know the truth.”

You ignored him and continued eating, food occupying your mind rather than the bullshit Mark pulled on you, though he did in fact call your bluff. You very much loved him and Nicole, no matter how much you joked about not loving them.

Amidst the quietness that surrounded you and Mark, the only sound of you both chewing every so often, until your ears perked up at a conversation from the tables near you, whispers of remarks.

“They’re here.”

“Who?”

“The frat boys from NCT, who else? Legends on campus. Heartbreakers of the century. Know how to throw a good party. They are pretty smart too and literally all of them are handsome, it’s insane. A whole package if you ask me. Damn good genes.”

Your eyebrows furrowed at the statements, contemplating how accurate they could be and if they really held the very weight conveyed.

Then a light bulb went off in your head—the boys from the NCT frat house, the very boys who threw the outrageous party you attended yesterday. They were here in the cafeteria and everyone was making a big ruckus out of their arrival. While they surely had a name for themselves, they couldn’t be that legendary or that gorgeous, but oh how you were so very wrong.

The diverse boys that walked into the cafeteria, their power exuding from their auras, instances after your claims, were so striking it left you breathless and in awe.

What the fuck was up with all these college boys being so pretty?

College was a whole different beast from high school, if the boys were any indication.

You were speculating the boys that stode in didn’t whole frat house, since more often than none frats had a lot of members and even more so that they would all be in different years with different classes throughout the day, not being lucky enough to have an identical period of break. Although, you knew it was possible if the right strings were pulled, but you just believed they weren’t capable of such doings for an odd reason you couldn’t point out. Regardless, the members that strode in surely spoke for the rest of them, indeed the good genes.

To your amazement they didn’t stop to grab food like other students would have if they entered the cafeteria, for the sole purpose of food and food alone. Instead they were on the search for someone, their eyes wandering over the heads of the entire student body that were captivated at their presence. They paid no mind to the apparent stares, set on who they were looking for, even disregarding the flirty winks or sultry gazes a number of girls were sending them.

Surprising you, one of them managed to send a wink right back when he strided by, a boy with relatively long brown hair with blonde highlights and fierce eyes who looked like he came straight out of a Japanese anime.

You rolled your eyes at the boy’s actions and went back to eating the rest of your fries, having already finished your sandwich, as there was no reason for you to pay attention to them in the slightest. Your meal held more importance. Not to mention, you knew they wouldn't head your way, noting that they weren’t looking for you, rather someone else, a girl or a fellow frat boy if another was in the room.

Then you paused suddenly before you took the final bite out of your french fry. You were hit with an abrupt realization. Mark was in a frat—their frat and they could in fact be looking for him.

Your suspicions were confirmed when a very tall and lean boy, with tousled black hair pushed to the side, presumably leading the other boys that trailed behind him, began to head in the direction of where you sat with Mark, his eyes lighting up as he became closer.

Well shit.

Mark doesn’t look up, too immersed in savoring his meal and glancing at his electronic device from time to time that rested on the table.

You on the other hand, do look up, and your eyes are wide in fear the nearer the frat boys get to the table. You weren’t scared of them, no, you were scared of what could possibly happen once they stopped in front of the both of you.

The tall boy is inches away and when you lock eyes with him, all he does is give you a sly smirk.

Not good at all.

You harshly nudge your shoulder with Mark to capture his attention and he turns to you right after, placing his fork down to give you an annoyed look.

You don’t mutter a word, but rather jerk your head forward in the direction of where all the frat boys stood in their glory. Some with smirks plastered on their faces, soft smiles, or no countenance at all. You could make the distinction between the ones you should ignore and befriend. Not that it should matter, Mark wouldn’t allow it all because of what he dubbed his “best friend duty,” which wasn’t anywhere near practical.

Mark’s eyebrows wrinkle and his lips pucker when he moves his head up to see what—or who you were trying to inform him of.

“Oh,” he lets out, barely audible to anyone that wasn’t close to him.

His facial features suddenly relax and the biggest grin slips onto his face. “Hey guys, what’s up?” He questions energetically, picking up the stray napkin to wipe his fingers clean and pocketing his cell after as he awaits a response.

The tall boy moves first, grabbing an empty chair and taking a seat, flicking his hand up in the air to serve as a signal for the other boys, the meaning it held to you, unknown. They disperse in seconds, swiftly walking to the exit of the cafeteria and only one boy, the one that winked at the girl earlier, stays, him too grabbing the chair next to the tall boy in order to sit down.

The tall boy’s smile is too sweet, too kind, and too secretive as he glances between you and Mark when he answers. “Just came to tell you that we set the date for the next NCT frat party.” He leans back in his seat with his arms crossed.

Mark snickers, peering at you in his peripheral vision. You were still shaken at their arrival, but put up a composed front, placing your hands under your thighs and trying to stop the shaking of your right leg. Mark reached his left hand out and put it on the top of your thigh, slightly giving the clothed skin a squeeze, an act of reassurance.

“And this news couldn’t wait till I got back home?”

The grin on the tall boy's face morphs into a thin line, his eyes becoming serious, no longer filled with mirth that was present before. His voice is stern when he speaks. “No, it couldn’t.” He unravels his arms, placing his forearms on the table while he leans his body forward with his piercing gaze directed at Mark. “It couldn’t, especially when you missed our chapter for the week.” His gaze got icier if it was even possible. “I am sure you know how important they are.”

Mark gulps, moving his eyes away to look down at the table. He doesn’t respond, opting for unnerving silence, with regards to the chatter of the students around that gives you goosebumps all over.

The unnamed boy that was quiet throughout the duration of the talk between the tall boy and Mark lets out an unexpected guffaw that fills the void. He was slouching in his chair, picking at his nails, but straightens his posture to clap a hand on Mark’s shoulder over the table. He gives Mark a small push, his loud voice echoing. “Relax there Markie boy.” He stifles his laughter at the way Mark’s eyes widen and his nose scrunches at the nickname. He leans back, pulling an object out of his back pocket of his black ripped skinny jeans—a lighter and he twiddles with it between his fingers.

The taller boy too chuckles loudly, leaning back, his arms crossed once more. “Exactly. No need to look so scared Mark. I was joking.” A teasing grin rests upon his lips, his eyes twinkling in contrast to the dullness that once made him look empty. He mutters under his breath, “Partially at least.”

The tall boy puffs out a breath of air in-between his lips, looking over at his companion who turns his head. He smirks first, the laughter bubbling up while the latter joins in with the inside joke, shaking his head, disregarding how Mark and you were still in their vicinity.

They both turn their heads forward, the chuckles dying down. Your eyebrows are furrowed, confusion unmistakable in your eyes and Mark’s expression remains neutral, with a hint of annoyance in his starless eyes.

An easy smile rests on the taller boy’s face when he clears his throat to speak. “Anyways as I was saying, another frat party. It will be in two weeks, on a Friday like we usually do.” He pauses then reaches over to pick up a stray fry off your tray, chewing slowly to savor the taste before he continues. His eyes glinted mischief when they flitted over to look at you for a split second. You were going to protest at him stealing your food, but decided against it, too worried about the outcome, even if you knew the only thing he would do was tease you. That is how most frat boys worked anyways and he wouldn’t be any different, if his actions weren’t enough of an indication. “I will let you know the exact details, but invite whoever you want as we get closer to the date. You know the drill for these…yada yada.” He flicks his hand in the air. “But keep in mind we want it more exclusive this time. There were way too many people for our back to school party yesterday. Way too many.” He rolls his eyes. “We get it, we are the fraternity, but people still show up uninvited and fuck up our house with their shitfaced actions.”

Mark hums in agreement, nodding his head. “Okay yeah got it.”

He sternly replies, “Good, we had enough of seeing way too much vomit.” He visibly shudders and your face contorts to a disgusted expression. You understood where they were coming from and you knew you didn’t want your own house to be filled with a repellent smell.

The discussion ceased after his statement and you thought that was it, that he was done with what he came to the cafeteria for, which was to audibly inform Mark about some frat business. Yet you were in the wrong, because he didn’t get out of his seat and stand up to leave like you believed him to do, no, he stayed rooted to his spot and so did his friend.

He suddenly addresses you, the cheekiness in his gaze and tone, displeasing you. He was hot, yes, but you had enough with the absentminded flirting for one night, even if it was hours later.

Alcohol leaving your system sure did marvels.

He leans forward one more, his head tilted to the side while he quirks up a brow to look you dead in the eyes. “Will you be there, gorgeous?”

You had to stop yourself from giving an eye roll when he asked you the question and his implication of a compliment. You gave him a tight lipped smile, your eyes refusing to meet his own as you opted to look at his forehead discreetly.

You were going to respond until Mark beat you to an answer, the firmness crystal clear in his tone.

“Don’t flirt with her, Johnny,” he warned, directing another annoyed gaze at the tall boy who you now had a name to attach to his face.

Johnny leans back, throwing his arm over the occupied chair to his left and snickers. “Okay lover boy.”

Mark groans, just about as done as you were with Johnny’s ever prominent teasing. He never seemed to stop and you were curious as to how Mark could keep up with him. He did spend most of his time with the boys in his frat and Johnny was one of many who could surely have his fair share of annoying moments.

“Also,” Johnny pipes up, his eyes trailing over at the girl that passes by him, before he diverts his attention to the two of you. “Taeyong is looking for you.”

Mark’s eyebrows come together in confusion and your interest is spiked at the mention of an unknown person. Something stirs within you, an emotion of familiarity as if you had ever met someone with the same name, when you were sure you hadn’t. You couldn’t quite put a finger on it as if they were the answer to a long awaited question.

“Taeyong? Why?”

Johnny lets his arm drop from around the chair and shrugs his shoulders, picking at a loose strand on his washed out ripped jeans. “I don’t know, something about a project? I can’t remember all the details.”

“Oh shit,” Mark swears under his breath as everyone looks over at him, including you. “Right.” He shakes his head, mumbling words to himself as his actions draw attention. He could feel the eyes on him and when he looked up, he looked like a deer caught in headlights. He rubs his hand on the back of his neck in a bashful manner and sheepishly smiles. “Sorry.”

Johnny chuckles. “Anyways Yuta and I need to get going.” He bumps his shoulder with Yuta to capture his attention. You now had another name to a face and you knew you would surely remember them both, it was hard to forget any frat boy. Johnny and Yuta both stand up, the latter putting the lighter in his back pocket as their bodies are turned to leave.

“I’ll see you at the house later,” Johnny states, nodding his head at Mark who returns the gesture. His eyes then flit to look down at you, an easy beam resting on his face. “As for you, I’ll catch you around, gorgeous.” He winks at you then turns, sauntering away to the exit of the cafeteria with Yuta sluggishly trailing behind him. Amidst his departure he raises a hand up and yells, “Bye Markie boy.” Both his and Johnny’s laughter echo in the hall until it fades out into nothingness.

Mark heaves a sigh, “Sometimes I can’t stand them.” He regards you with a displeased look and you have to hold back your giggles from his predicament.

“Of course you would want to laugh right, but angel I have to get going,” Mark exclaims, sadness in his gaze. “I’d hate to leave you here on your own, but understand I totally forgot about it. I really have to go, I can’t hold this...project back forever.”

You beam warmly at him, reaching over to pat his hand and give it a squeeze. “It’s fine Markie, don’t worry about it. Go.” You push his shoulder to get him on the move, allowing him to let out a laugh.

He scrambles to collect his trash onto the tray and swings the strap of his backpack over his shoulder, double checking that his cell phone is in his back pocket. Once he stands up and pushes his chair in with his hip, he leans down to give a kiss on the top of your head.

“Okay, bye angel. I’ll see you soon.” He grins and you nod your head at him, muttering your own, “Okay.”

He then quickly treads away, evaporating into the mess of students. Gone in a second.

He truly was in a rush and you couldn’t help but ponder why that was. The project must have been of uttermost importance for him to dash out so speedily. You wondered if there was something more, or maybe you were thinking too much into things, especially regarding a boy who wore his heart on his sleeve ever since you met him. Even so you were curious about the one he was meeting.

Who the hell was Taeyong?

You sigh. There was no room for pondering when it surely didn’t matter and sitting at the now deserted table, you realized you were left alone like you were at the very start.

Left in solitude and utter loneliness, but you soon wouldn’t be for time could tell.

Time worked faster than you realized, as you spent the next two weeks anxious and nervous beyond belief, for a party you knew could potentially give you the responses you so desperately sought.

In the deepest part of your soul you hoped you would see him there, the boy that captivated you without even trying. You needed to figure who he really was and who he could be. You couldn’t be disappointed and when Friday rolls around after long anticipation, you would find out if fate was on your side.

Leading up to the party, your last two weeks were mostly productive to say the least. In between classes, coursework, and your small part time job at a nearby diner along with making time to hang out with your best friends, everything went by in a blur.

Before you knew it, Nicole had come knocking on your door hours before the party, intent on making you look as stunning as you always did, while you would return the favor.

She seemed to have gotten over her so-called slump from the week prior, yet she still didn’t share the cause of her being upset or out of it, though you did have a hunch it still had to do with the boy she escaped with, someone who most likely had captured her heart when she thought no one could ever. If they were to see each other anew you desired that everything would be satisfactory, that everything would go well for Nicole more than anything, because while she put up a tough front, she was more fragile on the inside than what anyone ever gave her credit for.

Seems like fate would have to give her a chance too.

Driving to the frat house, earlier than fashionably late all due to not wanting to kill your feet once again, nerves got to you. Nicole even had to call you out for it, like she seemed to always do when she knew you weren’t calm. She kept you in check.

She even held your arm as you were making your way up to the front door, the recollection from that night hitting you like a splash of cold water in the face during a hot day.

“You good?” She questioned once she let you sit down on the black stool by the kitchen counter, the same place you were the last time you visited the house.

“Mhm, I’m good.” You rested your arms on the cool surface and put your head down, a groan escaping your lips.

She poked your shoulder. “Sure you are babe. What’s up?” She pulled the empty stool out next to you to sit down, awaiting a response.

You didn’t haul your head up, opting to mumble the words that she wouldn’t be able to make out. “Nothing, but everything.” You paused and hoisted your head up, choosing not to antagonize her. She peered at you with expectant eyes that were still tender, one eyebrow lifted in waiting. You rested your head on your knuckles, looking down at the counter instead of into her eyes. You spoke so quietly, she had to lean in closer to make out your words with the loud sounds that surrounded you both.

“It’s just I saw this boy here the other night and I was maybe…I don’t know…hoping—”

She cut you off. “Hoping to see him again?”

You nodded your head, lifting your eyes up. “Yeah, just maybe.”

She sighed loudly. “Listen love, boys in college they’re…” She paused, puffing out air in between her nude colored lips. “They are exactly like the ones we met during high school. They aren’t all too different because they aren’t innocent, caring, or mature in the slightest. No, they aren’t no matter how much their façade proves otherwise. They hold more secrets then necessary and those are the ones that keep them alive. They get a thrill out of being mysterious, untouchable, since they know how much they are desired, especially these frat boys.”

She taps a finger above your heart. “So you have to be careful, love. You have to shield your heart even if you want to open it up to the first guy that enchants you. Don’t do it. Resist because they bring more trouble than what you bargained for. Not everyone is what, who, they seem and I am saying this as a warning, a reminder for you to heed to. I don’t want to see you hurt so please be careful.”

She grasps your empty hand that rests on your thigh, giving you a small squeeze. Her eyes are somber and you can see the twinge of hurt that lingers when you make contact with her. The tone she had was too relatable for her not to be speaking out of her own experiences. Something must have happened and not for the better like you wished.

You drop your hand from holding the weight of your head and put it on top of hers. “Nicki…what happened?”

You tilt your head when she looks away.

“I guess I am not as tough as I seem,” she murmurs.

You shake your enclosed hands to make her turn back. “Hey,” you say when her broken eyes look at you. “You are the strongest person I know and just because you weren’t immune to someone else’s charms doesn’t belittle that. Nicki we all make mistakes and we all hurt at one time or another so it’s okay. You have to be aware that it is okay to be human.”

She nods her head, giving you a light smile. “I suppose you’re right. I am not weak for feeling. I am strong for it.”

“Damn right you are. You’re a bad bitch, remember?”

She chuckles loud and direct, shaking her head at your words. “Indeed I am. We are bad bitches together.”

She slips her hand out from where she was holding yours and raises her pinky.

“Forever?”

You latch your pinky around her own, smiling at her so bright, that she can’t help but let her grin widen. Her eyes now contain a hint of happiness when you shake your pinkies. “Forever.”

You both sit there, smiling at each other, the youthfulness in your gazes and you feel impenetrable. The world could build you up and break you down, but you’d still be left standing no matter how much you endured. After all, you both were bad bitches together, forever.

“Okay,” Nicole laughs, unlatching her pinky from yours. “I think that is enough sappiness for tonight. I mean we came to party right?”

“Hell yeah.”

“Great!” She yells, the music from the next room escalating in sound. “Let me get us some drinks.” She stands up, the creak of her bar stool vibrating. “You’ll be okay on your own while I go to the bar right?”

You nod your head, giving her a smile of reassurance. “Yes I’ll be fine, just don’t be gone too long.”

“I won’t! Be right back!” Then she vanishes from sight, being lost in the scatters of students.

Your knee moves up and down, the nerves coursing through your body. You didn’t want to worry her that you wouldn’t necessarily be okay on your own. You were scared of encountering Jeno, Jaehyun or the other two frat boys that you had met. The awkwardness that would surely ensure, you weren’t ready to face. You could only rely on Nicole to be fast when getting the drinks so you wouldn’t be left alone, unguarded for too long. Yet you knew she always did speak words of truth.

You suppose you were partially lucky and partially not for a few minutes went by and Nicole hadn’t returned, but on the other hand no one dared to look in your direction or spark up a conversation for some peculiar reason. You were left untouched contrary to how the other night went.

In your wait nothing of the sort happened, and you were bored, just glancing around the room and at the bright lit screen of your mobile. You just wanted to be buzzed so you could go dance and forge the thoughts that lingered in your mind. Somber when dancing never was a good fit, more so at a party.

But then you caught sight of someone who had faded out of your mind once you stepped foot into the house. It had to be him…it had to be and your suspicions were confirmed as he became closer to you. The same pitch black hair and hooded eyes that you knew by now after seeing him in passing a variety of times.

He was wearing a short sleeve silk button up shirt adorned with a circular pattern of purple, white, and green that had few top buttons undone to allow his white, creamy skin to be seen. He had paired it with black cargo pants, two dangling silver wallet chains looped to the belt and low cut, white Converse that appeared to be customized in the dim light. The silver necklace and bracelet sparkled when he moved, once more his presence stunned you.

You couldn’t let this moment go unscathed because you had to know something about him, anything rather than admiring from afar. The wants of your heart rather than mind served as a driving force once you stood up from your seat and followed after him before he disappeared like the many times before. His bright colored shirt served as an indicator in the crowd, his steps taken leisurely while yours were taken in a rush to ensure you didn’t lose him. You didn’t know where he was headed, hands tucked into his front pockets as if he didn’t want to be there, but you soon did. He took a sharp right heading in route to one of the side doors in the house, ready to exit to the back.

It wasn’t supposed to be chilly that night, but when you stepped into the backyard, chills erupted on your skin and you rubbed your arms to stop yourself from shivering.

You had never seen the backyard before, only ever been secluded to the first floor of the house, yet it was as equally beautiful as the rest of it. There was an expanse of a pool, leveled from the ground of where you stood that was illuminating with stark blue, casting glows among the rest of the yard with the candles that were placed at the sides and the other bright LED lights. You proceeded out to where the patio area was, a few chairs scattered about and a large glass table in the middle. There was another seating area to your left with high bar stools and marble counters lined along the edges leading up to a small outside kitchen with a television screen plastered on the tile. To your right was a fire pit and a few lawn chairs surrounded the area. In front of you, before one would take the stairs up to the pool, was an empty tiled area with a basketball hoop pushed to the side, a place you supposed they interchanged to fit their activities depending on the day.

Besides being mind-blown at the beauty, you were more shocked that no one was outside. It was unnervingly silent give or take the tweets of the birds and hoots of the owls along with the inside pounding of the music, which faded from penetrating through the walls completely.

“You aren’t supposed to be out here, you know.” He spoke in his light and sweet, slightly raspy voice, that directly contrasted his outside demeanor.

You didn’t know how he had sensed someone followed him outside and you probably knew you weren’t all too discreet, but you took a small group of steps to reach him, where his back still remained in your vision. You were embarrassed that he found out so quickly, though you still had to have some ounce of dignity, some ounce of unwavering confidence.

You gulped before speaking, making sure your next words were the right ones. “How do you know I’m not supposed to be?”

He turned his head to look over his shoulder at you, his gaze piercing through your soul. He hitched up a perfectly arched brow, “You aren’t a frat boy are you?”

You were taken aback and shook your head rapidly, stuttering out a response. “N-No…”

He moved his head forward, disregarding you and snickered. “Didn’t think so. The top levels and the backyard are off limits unless you’re part of the frat.”

That made sense as to why no one was out here, but why didn’t they lock the doors? Did they trust no one would come out here? Even when drunk?

The functions of the NCT frat house dazed you, never truly knowing how everything worked.

You took more careful steps until you reached him, your shoulder a few inches away from his own, the both of you looking forward. You briefly glanced at him, at the side of his face when you asked your next question. “Then why are you out here?”

He chuckles lowly and moves slightly, his gaze is one that mocks, but there was some mirth that twinkled.

You look down at the floor in recognition. “O-Oh…”

He was part of the frat, of course he was. Another gorgeous boy amongst others. He would be permitted outside and at all parties without any invitation. He could dissipate and reappear as he pleased, although it still threw you off. He didn’t truly seem like the person to commit to something, being all too free-spirited and not open to take orders. However, he still was very much in frat and you meditated on what type of position he held, if he had more authority than what he was letting on.

He spins on his heels, refusing to indulge further in a conversation. His hands are still placed in his front pocket as he strides by, not bearing to glimpse at you in his departure. “Next time don’t follow me, you’ll end up in my arms.”

You stand unmoving, considering his words and the underlying meaning, maybe there would be a next time, although the sensibility comes back once you take note that he is leaving once more.

“Wait!” You yell, partially taking large strides to catch up to him in your pumps as he stands still, indeed waiting for you. You reach him, deciding against touching his shoulder for fear of the untold. “What’s your name?”

You had to know the name of the handsome boy to settle some part of your heart.

He looks at you this time, really looks at you, as your gazes are interlocked. “You’ll have to earn it, sweetheart.” He reaches his hand out to touch your chin, his soft touch making your eyelids flutter close. He slightly jerks you forward, your eyes opening as his breath fans over your lips. “Not many have the privilege of having my name come out their mouth.” He drops his hand, stepping back to truly depart.

You stay rooted to your spot. He called you another nickname, the butterflies fluttering in your chest at the sound of it escaping his lips. He truly did have an unwanted effect no matter how much you could refuse to acknowledge it.

Before his hand touches the silver handle of the door to go back inside, you call out to him once more.

“Will I at least see you around?” You were hopeful that you would and could.

“Who knows? You’ll just have to wait and see.” He replies ominously and then he grabs the handle, turning it downward to open the door while he steps inside. The door closes on his bright figure as you are left in the backyard by yourself, left with more hope than you had in a long time.

Yes, he was imitating and impersonal , even so he made you coxy all over. You wanted to see him again, you wanted something more. You yearned for it, and standing there observing the closed door, for nothing at all, you had to figure how you could achieve it, that is until you recalled who you were waiting for previously until he had swept your attention away—Nicole.

She had probably already arrived back at the kitchen, losing her head over where you ran off to without any warning. She did have a big imagination, thinking of the worse, nevertheless she could be practical as well, though in this situation at a party, with strange people, the latter wouldn’t sit quite right.

You rushed forward, opening the door with the bang and got lost in the bodies around you. You pushed through with hurried steps, not bothering to apologize as they would either be too drunk to realize or didn’t care after being crushed up against others.

You were finally able to reach the kitchen after much effort, staggering your way forward at the sight of Nicole’s gold satin A-line dress.

She saw you first and the relief that came across her face made you feel guilty for going off on your own.

“Oh thank goodness,” she said, wrapping her hands around your body in order to give you a hug. You wrapped your own hands around her waist to return the gesture. She sighed and let her hands drop, holding you at arm’s length when she moved back.

“I didn’t mean to worry you. I hope I wasn’t gone too long,” you uttered, twiddling with your fingers.

She pats your arm. “I know you didn’t, still wouldn’t stop me. You were only gone for a few minutes when I got back, which isn’t all too bad.”

You hummed, glad everything worked out, that is until she asked the dreaded question.

“Where were you though?” She added with a pointed gaze, her worry and frustration having already faded, only curiosity lingered. “You know you aren’t supposed to go running off anyways.”

“Ah sorry, sorry. I thought I saw Mark, but when I went after him…well it wasn’t Mark.” You let out a nervous giggle, stepping away to sit down on the chair while she remained standing.

Her eyes zoned in on your face before she gave you a once over to see if anything had changed with your appearance. “Mhm…okay. I reckon that makes sense.”

She was suspicious, yet she didn’t push and you didn’t know what you would have done if she had.

If only she would have known who you were with, someone she indirectly warned against and someone you would see many more times thereafter against your control or hers.

You didn’t think it would be so soon when you saw him again, a few days after the party.

You spotted him on your way to class right after your lunch break. He was sporting a baby blue hoodie with words you couldn’t make out scribbled across the chest, light washed ripped skinny jeans, a blue cap with the words Supreme etched out in white on a red background, and Balenciaga black and white speed sneakers. He had a black leather backpack swung over one shoulder and airpods in his ears.

You had to do a double take when you saw him before you because his outfit was contrary to his natural esoteric aura. You didn’t think he could look so innocent and pure in baby blue.

You didn’t think twice before you jogged forward to meet him, surely not debating possible consequences right then and there.

“Um…hey,” you voiced as you stood side by side with him, walking to wherever he was headed to, when you knew it was the exact opposite of where you were meant to go, however it didn’t matter. They always say the heart wants what it wants.

He took his right airpod out, putting it in the case that dangled from his belt loop. “Oh, it’s you. What do you want?”

Your eyes widened, you didn’t expect him to be so straightforward and shameless. You were still touched that he remembered you, even if his tone seemed the opposite of welcoming.

“Uh…um…I…” you started, not sure what to say or even ask. You didn’t expect to get this far.

He abruptly stopped, turning his whole body to face you. “Well?” He fixes his hat, hoisting it up slightly to peer at you for a split second, his eyes covered by his jet back, long strands of hair, making it difficult to make direct eye contact. “Get on with it.”

You shook your head, rocking back and forth on the heels of your sneakers. “Sorry, I just wanted to ask if you um…” You paused, peeking at him then at the gray concrete, racking your brain for something, anything. “Wanted to get coffee sometime?”

Some instances passed, no word mentioned by him and you knew that the silence meant you weren’t going to be so lucky. He rejected you—your offer and you had to live with that, your not so discreet attempt at scoring a date.

Until he thunderstrucks you.

He tilts his head and shrugs his shoulders, answering with a firm, “Sure.”

You were positive you hadn’t heard him right. There was no way he agreed to get coffee. You knew you had set yourself for rejection, nonetheless he proved you wrong. Somewhere deep down maybe you had a chance.

“Oh…um…okay then. Should I get your number then?” You couldn’t see his eyes, despite that you knew the intensity they held, some sort of judgment at your boldness. You stuttered, “Y-You know s-o we can s-set a t-time and p-place.”

He shook his head, taking his airpod out of the case and placing it in his ear again. He leaned forward, his face inches away from yours and whispered in your ear, “No, you have to earn that too, sweetheart.”

Your eyes flutter at the proximity and his special nickname that he now began to use. You worry that he can hear the loud pounding of your heart from how near he was.

He backs away and strides forward, not before stating an answer to your unsaid question. “Meet me at the café on Second Street and Thorn at 2:30pm sharp, this Friday. It’s the only chance you get, sweetheart so take it or leave it.”

Then he’s off, leaving you to comprehend what fully happened in a few short minutes. He agreed to coffee and set a date so rapidly, the thought of not having his number leaving your mind. You were finally one step closer to discovering who he truly was and it took a small leap, one he returned in his own way.

You were giddy when you spun in the other direction to get to your last class for the day, nearly skipping on your way there and your happiness would continue till the end of the week, when the desirable day arrived.

In fact, Mark and Nicole noticed your more than cheerful mood, glad that not everything in your life wasn’t as shitty as they perceived it to be because college was more often than none dreadful at times with constant work, some of which were surely questionable. Yet they didn’t complain because your happiness meant theirs too, even if they didn’t know the cause and you hoped you could keep it that way. You weren’t prepared to see the outcomes if they found out it was a he, Mark’s very own frat brother that was to blame for the shift in your mood.

Friday came around in record’s time and when you exited your third class for the day, on your way to the designated café during your lunch break, you weren’t all that tense. Sure, you pondered on what would happen and if he would leave you hanging as you strolled through the doors, nonetheless you could be with him and it was all that mattered.

He didn’t set you up for devastation once the bell above the café doors rung because as soon as you got through the entrance you saw him huddled up at the table in the corner of the room. His head was down as he was scrolling through his cell phone absentmindedly, his bright red high top Converse contrasting the black and white tiled floor. He had on a classic black leather jacket that was thrown over a red, blue, and white checkered flannel with a white GUESS t-shirt underneath, which wasn’t tucked into his loose blue jeans.

A style he pulled off so effortlessly.

He peered up when you were heading his way and pocketed his cell phone in his jeans.

“Hey,” you commented, sliding into the wooden chair opposite of him.

He nodded his head, not selecting to give a verbal response of greeting. “I assume you haven’t eaten lunch yet. We can get you something to eat and a coffee too if you want. Though I am not sure if you want to drink that in the middle of the day.”

“Um…yeah, sure. It’s my lunch break right now so I haven’t eaten anything.”

“Good,” he stated and pushed his chair back to stand up, not waiting for you as he strolled to the front counter. He was quick on his feet and seemed to be one to leave people in the dust.

His eyes were flitting left and right to inspect the menu. He didn’t spare you a regard when you were shoulder to shoulder.

“What do you want?”

You squinted at the menu looking at the drinks section and at the food they offered. They had a wide selection, very beneficial for a café and your hunger that needed to be sufficed.

“Uh…a small iced coffee with a caramel swirl and almond milk. Light on the ice and a California club croissant sandwich, no tomatoes please,” you recite to the cashier when they appeared after he asked the question. They nodded their head, typing your order into the screen, then their eyes peered expectedly at the boy next to you.

“A medium iced golden ginger and club sandwich.”

“Okay!” The cashier enthusiastically noted, their fingers typing away. “Your total will come out to $21.77. Cash or credit?”

You scrabbled to take your cell phone out your back pocket, seeing the opportunity to pay first, since you technically invited him out, he only accepted your invitation.

Just when you were able to raise your device to the scanner, he placed his platinum credit card on the counter, sliding it over to the cashier.

“I’ll pay,” he announced as the cashier swiped his card and handed it back to him moments after. You nodded your head slowly, putting your phone back in your pocket, and slightly slouching your shoulders in defeat.

“Here’s your receipt,” the cashier declared, holding out the white gloss paper over to your companion. He took it swiftly from their grasp and crumbled the paper into his front pocket.

“We’ll have your order out momentarily,” they smiled sweetly before turning away to prepare your drinks and food.

He walked away from the counter and back to the spot hidden away from view. You both sat down and he propped his leg on the empty chair next to you.

“So…” you trailed, clasping your hands together on the wooden table. You focused on him and he stared right back, the zeal so very hard to bear. “What’s your major?”

“Neuroscience.”

The shock surely mirrored in your face.

He was a science major?

Anything in relation to science would be at the bottom of the list for a career he would pursue, you would think, because he appeared to be anything but. Despite your assumptions, he indubitably had surprises up his sleeve.

“W-What? You major in biological and biomedical science?”

“Yes,” he leans forward with a tilt of his head, placing his own hands on the table. “Let me fathom, I don’t seem like a science major?”

You shake your head. “Y-Yes…No…I mean I truthfully thought you were an art major, specifically in fashion design or something of the alike.”

He presses on, “Why is that?”

“Well…I don’t know. A hunch I guess,” you shrug your shoulders, not knowing what you were truly getting at. “You just strike me as a very creative person with a great sense of style. You even wore something customized the other day. I am sure you did that yourself.”

He leans back, crossing his arms in his chair. “You aren’t wrong. I like art, but more as a hobby and I happen to have natural fashion taste. Customizing clothes and shoes is just a pastime.”

You nod your head slowly. Not everything is as it seems. “Oh…well, it still holds true in some regard.”

“Indeed,” he murmurs.

You both get interrupted at the arrival of your food and drinks. The young girl serves the plates and drinks, a kind beam etched onto her face. Her gaze lingers too long on him when she asks if anything else is needed before she trudges away and he would be a fool not to notice. He disregards it, however, opting to ignore. You wished you could remain as neutral as he was, still the green, ugly monster couldn’t help but claw in your being.

While you were going to continue to ask him questions to get to know him better, you decided against it. Maybe after you finished your meal so you ate in silence, the occasional slurp and chewing sounds filling the quietness, regardless of those that came and went into the café.

He wipes his mouth clean with his spare napkin once he finishes eating, crumbling it up in a ball when he’s done. “Your major, what is it?”

You look up, in the midst of sipping the last droplets of your iced coffee and give him a small smile. “I’m a psychology major.”

“Ah,” he says, pushing his plate forward to the center of the table.

You thought he would add on, but he doesn’t and you decide to further the conversation.

“I know you already told me a hobby of yours, any more you have though?”

“I compose music,” he shrugs, raising his arms in the air to stretch. “I cook too.” His arms lower and he rests them on the empty chair to his right. You knew he wouldn’t ask you about your own hobbies as he seemed to like being on the receiving end and didn’t seem all too interested in you, when you wanted to know everything in contrast.

You decide to speak up for yourself, to permit him to know some things about you too. “Well I like to bake and I do some graphic design on the side.”

He nods his head for the unkempt time that day. You wished he would talk more than use actions. His voice was all more soothing to listen to.

“How about—”

You are cut off by a ding sounding from his cell as he checks the screen that illuminates with a notification. He stands up abruptly, his cell phone held tightly in his grasp.

“I have to go. I’ll see you around…” He pauses peering down at your furrowed brows. “We should do this again sometime.”

Did he say that correctly?

You were sure this “date” was more boring rather than entertaining.

Your eyes furrow even more as you’re amazed at his open admittance to another so-called gathering between the two of you. You were going to ask yourself, but he beat you to it.

“Sure,” you replied with a kind smile. “I’d like that.”

His head movement is slight and you notice his agreeance. He steps away from the table and your hand reaches out to catch onto the cool leather of his jacket before you can stop yourself.

He eyeballs you expectantly, wondering why you had stopped him.

“Does that mean I can get your number?” you question with a tilt of your head.

He chuckles lowly at your shamelessness. “I suppose you earned it, sweetheart.”

He takes his cell phone out of his pocket, handing it over to you in order to put in all your contact information while you take out your own device from your pocket to give to him. You take his cell from his grasp and type away your first name along with your phone number. Once the electronics are returned to their respectful owners, you glance down at the name he put into his phone, holding onto the fact that it could very much be his real name, except it wasn’t. He had named himself “NCT 1,” and you had to roll your eyes from the name of choice.

You slightly giggle and you can see the ghost of a smile on his face when he went his way towards the exit. The bell dings when he’s gone and as you look at his retreating figure in the huge glass window, a smile twitches on your face, one so very wide.

Your little lunch “date” went better than expected and it was one of many for more to come, serving as the much needed catalyst. Over the next couple of weeks, you would text with the boy whose name wasn’t disclosed and bask in his presence over the semi-dates you had with each other, ranging from ones at the same café for lunch or ones late at night in the library. They varied and whenever you met up, there was a sparkle in your eyes and a lightness in your chest. You were able to get to know him more and more, to truly understand him, to get to see what laid beyond the surface of his façade. He was more than what meets the eye, even if he seemed to deflect his fair share of personal information, you still had gotten closer. He wouldn’t have asked to meet up so often if you hadn’t liked the company and you wouldn’t have agreed if you thought he was a waste of time.

The only aspect that was frustrating was his refusal to share his name or even give a hint at what it could be. He would deflect, saying it didn’t matter and all that did was the moments with each other, yet his reassurance did little to suppress your ever growing curiosity. However, he had eventually cracked at your most recent study date.

“It’s Lee…Lee Taeyong,” he proclaimed randomly when you were scribbling down notes and he was reading a passage for his assigned reading in the dim corner of the library at nearly ten past eleven at night. The sound of the tick-tock filling the void of silence.

“Huh?” you asked, placing your pen down on the table and glancing up at him, head tilted, forehead wrinkled.

“My name,” he cleared his throat, locking eyes with you. “My name is Lee Taeyong.”

You had gotten a name that night to attach to the gorgeous boy you now knew more than ever about and his name was as equally captivating as himself.

Although contrary to your meetups, you rarely saw him around campus and if you did so happen to see him, he always seemed to be with a fellow frat brother, refusing to acknowledge you if you looked his way. It was odd in contrast to how he acted when you two were alone, and somehow you understood where he was coming from. You wouldn’t want to be caught either with him. Too many questions to deal with after, too much judgment and disappointment.

Despite that fear hidden in the back of your mind, he unknowingly made you happy, beyond content for a reason that was too hard to explain and too obvious to those around you.

Mark and Nicole knew something was up, but never lodged on the matter, regarding that joy could be found anywhere and in anything. Yet, you weren’t as subtle with your dashing off or disappearing for long periods of time when the meet ups became more frequent. They would eventually catch on, although you would remain blinded by the manufactured bubble of joy that was created.

So your then high became a low.

You blame Mark, but at the same time you don’t because you knew you had to be cautious.

He invited you that week for a small get together at his frat house, nothing grand like the parties they hosted nearly every two weeks on a Friday. No, this gathering would be for close friends and companions, just for some lighthearted fun, to serve as a destresser before the hell weeks would start in December. It was a Thanksgiving celebration of sorts, a Friendsgiving where you would come together and strengthen your bonds with each other, regardless of how much you knew of the others who would join.

He invited you and Nicole like he always did with any event that revolved around his fraternity or partying in general. You thought it would be nice to come, to spend some quality time with your best friends that you felt you hadn’t seen in forever, too preoccupied with Taeyong to have some time with them. He was far from your mind when Mark extended the invitation and you wished your common sense would have kicked in earlier, before the small party began, because he was in fact part of the fraternity and would very much be there.

You shouldn’t have been shocked when you saw him right when you ambled into the house with Mark and Nicole in tow. He was chatting with Johnny, the tall boy you hadn’t seen in so long ever since that encounter months ago. He held a champagne glass in one hand while the other was tucked into his black jeans. He had his signature chains intertwined in the belt loops with a light lavender turtleneck, that had a graphic design in blue of a person’s lower face in the center of the chest, tucked into his jeans, and a black and white tweed blazer thrown over the top. His shiny, black dress shoes completed the outfit as he was surely one of the best dressed by far. Even if the event was semi-formal and everyone you saw littering around in the entryway were classy, yet simple in their approaches, he managed to catch your eye right away.

“Ah, if it isn’t little Lee arriving right on time!” Johnny yells out, striding over in big steps to where the three of you stood by the entrance.

Mark rolls his eyes at the nickname, but goes in for a half handshake and hug. “Hey at least I made it and also it isn’t little Lee anymore, remember? If anything I am the middle Lee.”

“Still won’t stop me from calling you little Lee, little Lee.” Johnny slaps him on the shoulder, his laughter echoing. “I see you brought two stunning ladies in tow too.” He directs his attention to you and Nicole, not bothering to conceal the fact that he was blatantly checking the both of you out.

“Looks like we meet again, gorgeous,” Johnny states, reaching for your hand and giving a light kiss to the skin, a wink thrown after you retract your hand.

You don’t stop yourself from rolling your eyes. “Hi Johnny,” you mutter with a sickly gratifying smile plastered across your face.

He laughs once more as his eyes then trail to Nicole who stands unfazed and slightly bored at the appearance of Johnny.

“Well I don’t think we’ve met before. I would have remembered a face like yours, someone so absolutely breathtaking,” he cheekily vocalizes.

It is now Nicole’s turn to roll her eyes and she takes steps to get nearer to Johnny, his eyebrows shooting up at her boldness, but then a smirk rests on his face.

She reaches out her hand and pats him on the chest before he gets the chance to kiss her hand. “Save the flirting for someone else, will you mate? For someone you at least have a chance with because it ain’t me honey,” she drawls, stepping away to go further inside the house, waving her hand in the air as a farewell.

Mark and you stifle back laughter at her shamelessness. She sure was something, you would admit.

“Fuck you guys,” Johnny remarks, flipping both you and Mark off, yet you could see the ghost of a smile on his lips as he retreats after Nicole.

“She’s something, huh?” Someone says, taking the thoughts right out of your head.

“Yeah,” you respond, wiping your finger under your eyes from how hilarious that scene played out. “She sure is.”

And that is when you pause in realization. You knew that voice.

You turn around to come face to face with an all too familiar boy—Lee Taeyong.

You chuckled timidly, fumbling with your fingers as you fix your gaze on him. His eyebrow is arched and when he takes a sip of his champagne you can see his smile reflected in the glass.

“Oh!” Mark exclaims, putting his arm around your shoulder, an action that makes Taeyong’s eyes harden in the smallest way, or maybe you were imagining it. “I don’t think you guys have been introduced to each other before. This is Taeyong angel, and Taeyong this is—”

Taeyong doesn’t let Mark finish, muttering out a stern, “I know who she is Mark, I’ve seen her around with you before.”

“Oh,” Mark lets out, his enthusiastic self diminishing. “That makes sense.”

Taeyong nods and lifts his glass in your direction, his eyes refusing to make contact for more than a second. “Nice to meet you.”

You mumble back with a slight frown you desperately try to hide. You conjectured why he was acting so cold. “You too.”

“Okay, anyways…” Mark trails off looking between the two of you, trying to figure out if something was up. “I am going to get a drink. You ready, angel?” He asks you when he peers at the side of your face.

You give Mark a small smile, nodding your head. “Yeah, but…um I have to use the restroom first.”

Though before you could depart, someone else makes an appearance, someone you forgot about and would make matters much more complicated than they need to be.

“Yo Mark! They need help with the drinks in the back,” he yells walking into the room, jabbing his finger behind him. “They apparently stocked up on their orders of alcohol so it’s a lot.”

You glance at the entrance when you hear his voice and your heart stops in your chest.

What the hell was Lee Jeno doing here?

Mark’s arm drops from your shoulder, giving a roll of his eyes. “Of course they fucking did. I'll be right there.” He doesn’t spare Jeno another glance and neither do you, desperately trying to conceal yourself from his line of sight. Mark regards you with kind eyes, knowing you had questions he would answer at a more convenient time about why Jeno was here. He continues on from before he was interrupted. “You know where the restroom is right?”

Your eyes can’t help but flit to where Jeno stood, trying to see if he left, but when you look over Mark’s shoulder, you see him patiently waiting for the older boy and his eyes are already staring right at you. You gulp, turning back to look at Mark. “Yes, I do,” you step away from him, not spearing another glance at Taeyong or Jeno as you get lost down the hall towards the bathroom.

Although you do manage to see the way everyone’s eyes follow your figure and the way Jeno had slightly placed his foot forward, debating to follow after you or not, yet he retreats to follow after Mark instead to help in the back.

You didn’t really have to go to the restroom, you just wanted to get away from the suffocating room with the three boys, for the dread that your secrets would get revealed if you weren’t cautious.

You hear the footsteps before you see him and you just knew there was a chance he would be the one to follow you.

You don’t have to turn around to confirm your suspicions, wrapping your arms around your body.

“What was that?” he questions lowly.

You groan. “What do you mean what was that? You were the one acting all cold.”

His hand reaches out to hold your upper arm, turning you to face him, except you don’t, opting to check out the floor.

“I was so-called cold,” he makes quotation marks once his hand drops. “Because you refused to acknowledge me. Do I also have to mention the way I saw you look at Jeno? Don’t think I didn’t see it sweetheart, because I did and I’m sure anyone else with two eyes could see it too.”

You shake your head, scoffing at his bluntness. “Oh, of course you would point that out, but it isn’t that deep. Don’t let jealousy cloud your vision, Yong,” you drawl and you see the way his eyes go dark. “It isn’t me you should be concerned about, when you were acting all high and mighty way before.”

He stays silent because he knew you were right, yet it does little to lessen his hard stare. “Listen you know we can’t be seen together or seen as if we know each other, it will raise too many questions.” You placed your hand on his bicep, his previous declaration about Jeno not holding any importance. Your eyes become so round and wide that he can feel his heart slightly crack. “I don’t want any of them to be upset at me or question my sensibility.”

He pursues his lips, “I understand that, sweetheart. Don’t worry, I understand and I apologize for the way I acted. I apologize for acting like an ass.” His attention moved to the floor, his strands of hair falling over his face and you let out a small giggle from his candor.

You maneuver your hand to cup his cheek, rubbing his cheek. “It’s okay, I forgive you.”

The moment lasts for the shortest while all due to Mark’s loud voice calling your name.

“Shit,” you muttered, dropping your hand. “He can’t see you.” You push Taeyong in the direction further down the hallway, that you hoped would lead somewhere away from where Mark would reach in a few more steps.

Taeyong doesn’t utter a word and paces down the hall without so much as a goodbye, just in time when Mark squints his eyes to make out your figure, but he wasn’t looking at you, rather behind you.

He caught sight of Taeyong and you were doomed.

“Angel…” he trails off, his eyes still squinted in scrutiny. “Why were you with Taeyong?”

“W-What?” You stutter in response, swearing at yourself internally at the fact that you gave it away in just one word. Mark knew you were hiding something whenever you stumbled over your words.

“You heard me, why were you with Taeyong?”

The way he was saying the boy’s name and the implications in his pitch of voice stirred something inside of you. You needed to defend him more than yourself.

“Why can’t I?”

He regards you with somber eyes and reaches forward to take your hand. “Angel...”

You step away from him, tucking your hands into your body. “No, answer me.”

He is startled at your seriousness and evident protest. You were never one to turn away from him.

“He’s just…” he pauses, struggling to find the right words, ones that wouldn’t destroy you. He decides against finishing his sentence, choosing the all too familiar words. “Be careful. Just be careful, angel.”

Your brows furrow and that is when you lose it.

“Be careful,” you scoff, letting your hands free from around your body. “Everyone says that. Be careful. Be careful, but of what?” You throw your hands up in the air, frustration seeping in your voice. “What do I have to be careful of Mark?”

Mark visibly winces at the sound of his name coming from your lips, you never called him that, not since you first met those fateful years ago. You called him Markie and always Markie, which is how he knew you were truly upset.

“Tell me. For goodness sake tell me! He’s just a boy like the rest of you in this forsaken frat house of yours. So why, oh why, can’t I be seen with him!?”

You pace back and forth, clenching and unclenching your fists, trying to keep composure that you lost at the start.

Mark heaves a sigh, he knew where you were coming from, it was all too common and seeing you in this predicament made him ache more than you’ll ever know.

He whispers his next words carefully, scared at what your answer could mean when he asked. “You like him don’t you?” His eyes flickering close for the merest moment in wait.

You resemble someone who’s deepest, darkest secret just got exposed after trying so hard to cover the tracks when he peered at you.

“I never said that.” Your clenched hands relaxed as you now nervously fiddled with your fingers.

“No and you don’t need to, but it isn’t hard to tell. I saw the way you looked at him when we came inside. After all, actions speak louder than words.”

Silence.

The tick-tock of the clock somewhere in the hall, decreasing.

The laughs and chatters of those in the other rooms, muffled.

All that was heard were the steady breaths of you and Mark.

Mark disturbs the quietude first. “Angel I—”

You rapidly shake your head. “Mark…stop,” you whisper and he closes his mouth before he can finish. “Don’t try to make me feel guilty. If I like him I do, and if I don’t then you don’t have to worry. Just let me figure out things on my own.”

You lock eyes with him, the tears prickling the corner of your eye as you stride forward. “Please…just please….let me live once on my own terms rather than your own.” You don’t lay your eyes on him again after your last words are spoken, you simply trudge away, leaving two boys who held pieces of your heart in different ways.

You couldn’t help but ponder over the words of Mark as you were plodding to the exit of the house, no longer wishing to stay because of the mess that was created all within less than an hour.

Twisting open the door and letting it shut close, believing that no one saw you leave, you were encompassed in the night. The twinkling stars overhead and the white glow of the moon shining down, the fluorescent lights of the house adding to brightness.

Peeping at the sky, everything flooded your mind at once.

Were you really starting to fall like Mark said? Was it really that obvious? That you had caught feelings for a boy that seemed to be off limits and that you were warned about?

Did you truly like Lee Taeyong?

Those were the questions floating around, all that you couldn’t answer because you knew you wouldn’t like the result.

You were never good at feelings or admittance of faults, you choose to ignore them, but this was one of those times you couldn’t entirely push them aside because they meant something more. They were unlike anything ever felt and you never truly liked mystery, no matter if it drew you in. You had to figure out what was different and if it was worth the risk to take.

You didn’t necessarily find out the answers to the questions that plagued your mind when your next friendly date came around with Taeyong, this one unlike the others before, being on a Friday after classes and at a cute ice cream parlor you had found one day, nestled between a bookshop and the farmer’s mart.

All the bad blood between you from last Friday had diminished into nothing, you forgave and forgot as he did as well. That was the only argument you ever truly had ever since your friendship blossomed, the last one you would ever encounter if you were lucky.

Stepping inside and finding a seat while Taeyong got the ice cream after asking for your order, you clasped your hands together tightly, your knuckles turning white.

You knew what you had to do today, before your outing ended and Taeyong left till the next time you would see him. Three words that had the ability to bring people together or tear them apart.

He scraped the chair across the tile, startling you as he sat down and placed a cup of cookie dough ice cream down along with a green tea flavored one. He took the latter for himself, and pushed the other cup in your direction, the small pink spoon poking out.

“Bon appetit,” he exclaims and takes a large spoonful of his ice cream while you leave your dessert unscathed. You suddenly lost your appetite, dreading what would come.

“Hey,” he says, tapping his index finger on your hand, the cool metal of his ring causing you to shiver. “What’s wrong?”

He takes his hand back and places it on the table. You always noticed how he never initiated skinship or desired to touch like you wished him to do. If anything his touch would only linger for a few seconds, whether it be a pat on the hand or a palm on your shoulder, nothing too grand that had to bear on for eternity.

You cleared your throat, not maintaining eye contact with him any more.. “I have to tell you something…”

He hummed in response as an indicator to keep you going.

“It’s frankly frightening for me to admit and I have no idea if you feel the same, but I just have to tell you. To get this weight off my chest, even if I am setting myself up for the worst,” you stop and reach your hand over the table to place it on top of his, being bold with disregard to your observations. You don’t even notice the way he slightly flinches, but he doesn’t pull away.

“I guess over our time of getting to know each other, something further stirred in my chest. In fact it was already there but it was more profound once I got to know the type of person you are—someone who isn’t so esoteric or unexpressive. Someone who indeed has a fragile, yet caring heart and maybe it took a slap in the face to notice, but…Yong…”

Your thumb caressed his skin as you peered at him with so very gentle eyes and his own remained stoic.

You took a deep breath—make or break. “I like you.”

He retracted his hand so briskly, it was if he had gotten burned. He rubbed at his hand, where your touch still lingered. He shakes his head rapidly, “No…No…No. You can’t…”

This is the first time he ever denied to make eye contact with you and you felt your heart shatter both at his words as well as actions.

Rejection.

You should have expected this, but your all too positive outlook on life was your downfall.

You croaked out, “What do you mean you can’t?”

You deserved some sort of explanation, he couldn’t leave you hanging.

He turned his head to finally see you and you could make out the coherent regret in his eyes, with an ounce of pity. You didn’t want pity, you wanted understanding.

“Baby…” You cower back at the affectionate name, his hands holding onto each other so tightly you could only see white. He repeats himself again, the internal battle he was having with himself unknown to you. “Baby, I’m afraid to fall in love. ‘Cause what if it’s not reciprocated?”

Another crack and a few more you would be gone, submerging yourself in tears of regret.

“B-But it is. Can’t you see? I like you and you—”

He cuts you off, standing up from his chair abruptly, the sound catching the attention of those that sat at the tables near you.

“No,” he shakes his head one more, this time calmer than the last. “No, there’s a difference. You’re infatuated with me. You just like the idea of me so don’t call me your lover, don’t tell me you have feelings for me, when you don’t even love me.”

His words were an arrow to the heart.

How could he possibly know your feelings when he couldn’t even tell his own?

His warning echoes in your ears when he leaves, the slam of the door scaring those inside the parlor but you remain unfazed. This was more than rejection, it was a declaration, a calling for lonely souls that would never find love.

After all, they say all good things come to an end and after you were sparked with a surge of boldness to confess, Lee Taeyong walked away from you, when you thought he would be by your side.

He forgets about you that day and if only it was easy to forget about him.

You weren’t as good as hiding things as you thought you were because your somber mood could be seen for miles. Mark had an idea of why you were so upset, after all he seemed to know every detail when it came to your nonexistent love life, especially since he saw Taeyong nearly every day. On the other hand, Nicole had no idea since she didn’t know Taeyong and you never told her, but she had a hunch it had to do with a boy. Whenever you were down, even in high school, it always had to be because of a boy who wasn’t worth your time as she always reminded you.

You don’t know how much time had passed since your last encounter with Taeyong, since that last fateful day. Time either went by faster or slower whenever you were sad, though more often than none it was the latter. Despite everything you still found yourself meeting up with your best friends and staying on top of your classes, pushing aside any invitations you received for a frat or sorority party when you knew you had the potential to see him there. You knew you would crumble if you did and that weakness was one you weren’t quite ready to share.

So it was Wednesday of the however many days had gone and when you were poking at your salad, refusing to eat more than a few leaves, that Mark speaks up inside the cafeteria, at your usual meet up. Only small remarks were ever made at those now, they knew you weren’t in the right state of mind to talk, but he does so anyways.

“Angel, I’m sorry.”

His words burn a hole through your heart, of course he was, he was the one that said to be careful—him and Nicole.

“I don’t want to hear it,” you mutter angrily and swipe your backpack off the chair with your books in hand, your tray with you unfinished food in the other. You stand up and leave the cafeteria so fast it takes a while for Nicole and Mark to truly comprehend yet they don’t come after you. Some friends they could be

You dump your leftover meal into the trashcan and place the tray on the top of the metal your way out. You were more frustrated and pissed off than anything else. Today was clearly not your day, it hasn’t been in such a long time and it was why you decided to skip your last class for the day even if it would bite you back in the ass.

You had no problem getting into your car and speeding down the highway to your apartment, too gone when you arrived at your complex. You wanted to take a long awaited nap and maybe cry yourself to sleep to get rid of the icky feelings you had all over.

You stagger your way through the door after pushing it open and down the narrow hall to your bedroom. You don’t bother to change out of your school clothes, choosing to just kick off your Vans before you crash face forward into your soft mattress. Just when you are about to close your eyes you hear a knock at your door.

You hoick your head up with a groan.

Who the fuck would be here right now?

You have no choice but to get your lazy and gloomy ass out of bed to answer the door, not prepared to see who is on the other side of the wooden frame.

You open the door to none other than Lee fucking Taeyong, in all his glory, with his smooth parted hair that fell over his forehead and his so very gorgeous face. His stylish outfit was more dressed down than ever with a simple blue Gucci hoodie, baggy blue jeans that were cuffed at the ankles, and some simple white sneakers. Yet, he looked the exact same as he did that day, no ounce of any toll the event had taken on him, but if you inspected closely enough, you could see the bags under his eyes. He hadn’t been getting much sleep and neither had you, something that made you feel a little bit better, that he had his own fair share of pain after what he did to you—the both of you.

“Oh hell,” you muttered immediately, closing the door on his face, but his foot makes contact with the door, stopping you from fully shutting the entryway.

You groan, you determine you would have to deal with him eventually so might as well get it over with. You open the door widely, ushering him in with a dramatic gesture that he has to hold back a laugh from due to your annoyance.

You close the door, locking it shut while you regard him with deadpan eyes. “Okay what the hell are you doing here? No, no…wait. How did you get my apartment number? I never told you.”

The seriousness in your gaze slightly frightens him, he had never seen you look so unlike yourself. Your features were always soft and welcoming, but now they were rough and seemed so lifeless.

He gulps, stuffing his hands in his hoodie pocket, his left leg moving up and down. “I asked Mark where you were…actually no, he called me. He was worried about you and wanted me to check up on you, to resolve what’s going on with us.” He waves a hand between the two of your bodies and you can’t but roll your eyes. He couldn’t even say what the matter was, he had no idea what he did wrong.

When he notices you won’t speak another word, he continues on, “Listen, sweetheart.” He notices your wince at the all too nostalgic nickname, still continuing on. “Mark cares about you, he really does and you shouldn’t ignore him. You shouldn’t push him or Nicole away…please don’t for my sake at least.”

You scoff, crossing your hands over your chest, “You’re one to talk.”

“Trust me I know but—“

You cut him off, eyes zoning in on his face, diverting the conversation another way. You still didn’t know why he truly came. “What are you doing here Taeyong?”

“I already told you—“

“No,” you cut him off once more, eyes narrowing even further, “Why are you really here and don’t say for Mark or Nicole. Why did you decide to come?”

He stutters, you never saw him stutter. He was always calm and collected, so sure of himself. “I-I just really wanted to see you…I missed you.”

Those mere words are when you burst.

“You can’t say that! You can’t. You ghosted me for days, for weeks, I don’t know how long it has been. I reached out to your friends, your fellow frat brothers to ask where you were and they always deflected, saying you were too busy with assignments, with everything else going on in your life, especially finals coming up. But I could see it in their eyes, Taeyong.”

He winces at his full name. You always opted to call him Yong or any other variation of his name, but not Taeyong.

“I could tell they were lying to me. You weren’t as busy as they said. In fact you know…” You turn your attention away to look at the clock in the kitchen. “I saw you the other day when I came out of the library. It was already dark out and you know,” you could feel your tears slipping out and the look of absolute guilt plagues his face. He never wanted you to cry because of him. “Someone was with you, a boy, a girl, a frat brother, I don’t know, but you had this smile on your face that I could see for miles. You never smiled at me like that before and I knew in some small way that you were doing well, while I was over here beating myself about everything revolving around my stupid confession. So you know what? Don’t say you miss me when you don’t really mean it. Don’t give me too many words, too many excuses and not enough love…just…” you choke on your words, breaking down, piece by piece. “Get out.”

He looks destroyed at your last words and reaches out his hand, “I—”

You turn your body away from him, cowering into yourself.

He releases a sigh, he knew you wouldn’t budge. “Okay, okay. I’ll go.”

So he leaves, going out the front door and withdrawing from your life once more. You only wish he fought back and didn’t surrender to defeat.

But it isn’t even twenty-four hours later when Lee Taeyong comes knocking at your door another time, on your way out for your morning class for the day. He rushes in with messy bed hair, a striped black and red long sleeve shirt, baggy black jeans, and some brown Converse.

He came back for you after all and it touched your heart, mending some pieces that were broken from his own faults, even when the rest of your soul wanted you to stay mad at him.

He places his hands on your shoulder, directing your eye contact solely to him. “I’m sorry. I’m sorry, sweetheart for what I said and how I acted. It was never my intention to harm you, but I was scared of the feelings that you voiced, the ones I wasn’t sure if I could return so I ran away from it, from you, leaving you in pain because I couldn’t admit anything to myself. I apologize and I hope you can find it within yourself to forgive me.”

You could tell the sincerity in his words, how he was speaking from his heart rather than his mind. He truly was sorry and you both knew you would be all right even with a bump like this in the road. It was inevitable, everyone fought, for stupid or valid reasons, an aspect part of the cycle of life, but you could overcome that obstacle as would he.

You took Taeyong’s hand into your own, a smile on your face, one that made him release a sigh that you weren’t mad. “I get it, Yongie. I get it and I forgive you. You did hurt me, I admit, but hey what’s life without a little woe?”

He lightly laughs and squeezes your hand, the relief noticeable in his face. “Thank you.”

“But it still doesn’t bypass the fact that I caused you distress too and I apologize for that as well. We offended each other unintentionally, but I am glad we are somewhat okay.”

He steps back from you, his hands covered by his long sleeves. “I sure hope so, but sweetheart?”

You hum.

“I can’t return your feelings. I can’t, no matter how much you want me to.”

You nod your head, your smile now sad. “It’s okay. I might want something more, but you can’t give that and it’s okay. To be in love is both a blessing and a curse. I’ll just have to live with it and learn to get over it. You can’t have control over who you fall in love with.”

“I wish I could,” he mutters.

You shake your head, “You can’t change what’s meant to be.”

His regretful eyes lock onto you when he ushers his hand out, if not lovers then there was something even equally or more so valuable. “Friends?”

You latch your hand onto his, “Friends.”

Then all is well with Lee Taeyong as you go back to your usual routine, hanging out on select days, whenever you both were free, but with the end of the December having rolled around you saw less and less of him. You were both busy with taking your finals, but he had more on his plate being a third year. It was hard to set aside time to go out or even text as he became drowned in his ever increasing workload.

You suppose that should have served as a warner because then everything goes downhill like the rollercoaster that explained your life.

Mark is the one that delivers the news at the end of finals week when you all gathered at your apartment for a much needed Disney movie marathon—the trio back again after a much stressful week. You rarely saw each other, too immersed in your studies and wants to receive high marks.

“Thank goodness hell week is over,” Nicole groans, stretching her body on the couch. “I felt like I was going to pass out by the time it was Wednesday.”

“I feel ya, sister,” you murmur, planting yourself down on the floor with a bowl of popcorn in your hands. “I was about to give up.”

Mark rolls his eyes when he sits down next to you, placing the bowl of assorted candy on the floor. “You guys are exaggerating. First year finals aren’t too bad. Just wait till next year.”

Nicole reaches over and whacks the top of Mark’s head as he lets out a whine. “Hey!”

“Shut up, you motherfucker,” she states, sneaking a hand into the popcorn in your grasp. “This isn’t about you.”

“I never said it was.”

“You always complain. Do you ever shut up?”

“Guys!” you yell amidst their argument.

“Why the hell are you attacking me?”

“Why not? It’s fun.”

“Guys!” you yell once more, your voice raising that catches their attention.

Mark sheepishly smiles at you, but not before sending a glare at Nicole, one which she returns.

“Sorry, angel.”

You roll your eyes playfully at him. “Can we just pick a movie?”

He nods his head and grabs the remote on the glass table, opening Disney Plus and scrolling through the selection of movies.

You hear the chewing of Nicole and the clicking of the remote, filling up the quietness in contrast to the noise that was prevalent before.

You ask a question, meekly, not particularly addressing anyone in the room once Mark lands on a movie suggestion. “Do you know how Taeyong is?”

Nicole’s chewing ceases and Mark looks over at you, still holding onto the remote. “Why do you ask?”

“No reason. I hadn’t seen him since the week before finals. He said he would text me once it was over, but I haven’t received anything and today is the last day before break.”

You see Mark lock eyes with Nicole, them having a silent conversation that you had no clue to decipher. Nicole gives a nod to Mark and your shoulders a reassuring squeeze, allowing Mark to speak up in a whisper. “He didn’t tell you?”

Your eyebrows furrow. “Tell me what?”

He swears under his breath, moving closer to you to grasp your hands. “Angel…he’s leaving.”

You try to tug your hands away, but he won’t let you go. “What do you mean leaving?”

“He’s going to the states for a master’s program at Harvard, he received a full ride to study neuroscience. He finished all his credits early so he was able to graduate this semester instead of in another year like he was supposed to. His flight leaves tomorrow morning. He wanted to get an early start to settle down and everything.”

Mark finally lets go of your hands, giving a squeeze when you pull away. Water was prickling in the corner of your eyes, waiting to be released. “W-What? Y-Your lying. W-Why didn’t he t-tell me?”

Mark tilts his head up, contemplating what to say next when you were readably getting emotional and he didn’t want to wound you further. “I’m not, angel, but I think why he didn’t tell you was because he didn’t want to upset you. You had only gotten close this year and him telling you he was leaving would give you more hurt than he ever would want you to bear, especially considering you both had a tough couple of weeks that placed a stain on your friendship.”

“T-That shouldn’t m-matter b-because doesn’t he know this h-hurts me too? Him leaving w-without saying goodbye?”

You feel the weight of Nicole’s hand on your shoulders once more, rubbing the clothed skin. “You have to know where he’s coming from love. I am sure he has a reason.”

“Yeah, a bullshit one!” you croak out, some tears cascading down your cheeks.

“Hey, angel, hey,” Mark speaks out, resting his hand on your thigh. “Calm down. I can drive you to the airport tomorrow. I know when his flight leaves. How about that? Give him a piece of your mind and a proper goodbye.”

You sniffle, wiping the tears from underneath your eyes. “Y-Yeah…that s-sounds good.”

Mark smiles. “Good. Trust Taeyong to be stupid as fuck sometimes.”

You chuckle at your best friend’s attempt to lighten the mood, resting your head in the crook of his shoulder. “You can say that again.”

The next morning you are all jitters, waking up at six in the morning sharp to drive an hour to the airport, in hopes you would arrive before his flight departs at eight.

Mark had served as a wakeup call, being on facetime as you both got ready. Nicole couldn’t join the two of you for some reason, giving the excuse that she needed to sleep in after her emotional and mental exhaustion from finals. You couldn’t complain, you needed sleep too, but catching Taeyong mattered more.

Mark kept calling you out for your nervousness, your leg moving up and down throughout nearly the whole ride and when he put his hand on your thigh to calm you in some way, you switched to messing with your fingers.

There was more traffic than you realized and Mark drove exceptionally slow to where you arrived at the airport twenty minutes to eight. You rushed between the crowds, Mark hot on your trail as you searched for the correct gate that so happened to be at the opposite end of where you parked.

You glanced at the time on your cell phone, it was now five minutes to eight and your eyes peered over the heads of countless people to look for gate C7.

Then you spotted the neon yellow sign of the gate of where Taeyong would hopefully be. You glanced at the waiting area near the gate, searching for a familiar mop of hair and superb fashion sense, though to no avail, he wasn’t there, until a voice spoke up behind you, one light, yet masculine.

“Sweetheart?”

You didn’t think twice, turning on your heels and latching your arms around his neck. He didn’t flinch away this time, wrapping his arms around your waist to hug you closer.

“You’re an idiot, Lee Taeyong. A dumb fucking idiot,” you mumbled into the crook of his neck, holding back your tears the second day in a row. “You were really going to leave without saying goodbye? Who the fuck does that?”

He loosens his hold on you and puts you at arm's length to properly take a good look at you, wiping his thumb underneath your eye at the stray tear that falls down.

“I know, trust me, I know and I’m sorry. I couldn’t bring myself to tell you that I was leaving…I didn’t want to break your heart a second time.” He gives you a sad and soft smile.

You shake your head, bringing your sleeve up to wipe at your eyes. “That’s a dumb excuse, Yong. I’m only ever yours to break.”

“I wish that wasn’t the case, my love. I don’t think I deserve that right.”

You interlock your hands together with his, giving him a squeeze with fondness in your gaze. “You deserve everything, Yongie. You deserve the universe.”

He chuckles, letting go. “What did I ever do to deserve you?”

Your smile widens as you tear up once more from his words. “Guess fate made us both lucky.”

He nods his head. “Indeed it did.”

You converse further, “I’m proud of you, you know, I’m proud that you’re achieving your goals.”

“Now boarding passengers for flight 6313 to Boston, Massachusetts. Proceed to gate C7.”

His eyes widen at the announcement and he latches his hand onto your wrist to pull you into his chest one more time before he leaves, holding more tightly than he ever did, both of you afraid to let go.

Time ran out.

He whispers with his chin resting on your head and swaying your bodies back and forth, “I am proud of you too, my love.”

He doesn’t cry, but you can sense the sadness exuding off of him at the fact that he truly had to leave you behind when he was wishing he didn’t have to.

He steps back, letting go at once, his smile making you all cozy inside even with stained tears on your cheeks. “Goodbye, sweetheart. Take care of yourself for me. Take care of Mark and the rest of those obnoxious boys.”

You laugh at his use of words and nod your head, the smile on your lips wavering.

“But most importantly, don’t be a stranger,” he winks, grabbing the handle of his luggage and duffle bag as he advances forward to the gate. “Don’t forget about me,” he whispers to himself.

He is mere steps away from going through the gate when he turns his head back, giving you a small wave and you wave right back till he turns around again.

Then you realized you couldn’t leave him like that, with a small conversation, without anything to remember you by in that moment, so you run forward without thought, yelling out, “Wait!”

His eyes are wide with curiosity when he sees you run full speed ahead and you catch the front of his unbuttoned black silk shirt with gold patterns etched into the material, to pull him to a kiss.

You mumble against his lips, “Just love me once,” and he does, kissing you back with so much fervor it makes you dizzy, your heart going haywire with its frantic beats.

You don’t know how long you remain locking lips till the intercom announces overhead another time.

“Last call for flight 6313 to Boston, Massachusetts. Last call for flight 6313 to Boston, Massachusetts. Proceed to gate C7. Proceed to gate C7.”

The announcement serves as your deal breaker for he steps back, his arms leaving your waist bare and cold. His lips are swollen pink and the black sunglasses fixated on the top of his lead is lopsided, his shirt a little wrinkly from where you held on.

You giggle at his appearance and he shakes his head, leaning forward to peck your forehead, not making a direct comment about the kiss.“Tell me baby, would you still love me even if we weren’t together?”

Your smile widens, fixing up his silk shirt, “I’ll always love you.”

You wore your heart on your sleeve for him and even if he couldn’t return the favor you knew he didn’t invalidate your feelings because candidly he returned them. He liked you as much as you liked him, but he couldn’t confess, he couldn’t proclaim the feelings that kept him up at night and made him feel whole. No, he couldn’t because he was slightly afraid of what it meant and because the timing was off when his entire future laid ahead. To him there was no point to have a relationship when he would leave almost a month later so he pushed those emotions connecting the two of you to the back of his mind for the greater good. For you to be happy with just knowing him, getting to befriend rather than longing after him when he would leave.

He would only prevent you from loving and that was something he couldn’t let you do.

Your answer to his question was the one he was looking for, the one he always wanted to hear coming out of your lips one day, for his smile is enough to set the whole world ablaze. He takes your hand to give the skin a kiss, a lingering touch of remembrance. “Perhaps I do too.”

His last words are permanently engraved in your mind for he had admitted his true feelings indirectly and that was enough. That was enough to keep you hoping when he vanished through the airport gate to go to another part of the world, somewhere where he could thrive again and live to his fullest potential.

After all he was just a flickering flame, there one second then gone the next and not so easy to tame for flames always had the want to be free.

Though sometimes flames are reborn, with new intentions and motivations.

You hoped he would be too in some other life, where the two of you could have a happy ending, instead of one where he leaves you behind in the dust at the start of the finish line with a love that he couldn’t hold steady.

297 notes · View notes

taetaespeaches · 4 years

Text

“The displeasure was mine.”

hoseok x reader (or oc) genre: fluff word count: 1.8K

a/n: Hi lovelies! This is Hobi and Petal/reader’s first meeting and well Petal is not impressed. But also, she’s intrigued. And secretly fond. But mostly annoyed. And Hobi is just happy and fond and he enjoys teasing her and yeah, it’s fluff but also idk what it is. Anyways, I hope you all enjoy and thanks for reading! :))

IT was just a comment. Or a question rather. It shouldn’t have set you off the way it did, but the way it was asked, with complete lack of knowledge of who you really were and a total misunderstanding of your personality, it was… annoying.

Maybe it was also the way in which he asked the question. Stringing the words together through that sunshine grin he’d been flashing to everyone since he arrived.

More likely than not, it had everything to do with the fact that you had a shitty day and weren’t in the mood for partying, but had promised your friend that you would make an appearance, and was instantly reminded of that the second you tried to back out from coming. That was probably to blame.

But this man, irksomely handsome and optimistic, and for some reason on a mission to cheer you up, just had to ask you the question that was now grating on you as you mustered a tight smile in response to his bright one.

“Why are you so serious?”

That was it. That was all he asked.

You stared at the man for a total of three seconds before giving him the tiniest forced smile, knowing full well it relayed your annoyance.

“Do I know you?” You finally asked, the man’s eyes widening as he slowly shook his head.

“I believe this is the first time we’re meeting,” he replied, a bit more nervous than his initial question to you. He sat on the arm of the sofa that was perpendicular to the loveseat you were seated on.

“Right,” you nodded a couple times. “So why are you asking me about my mood as if we’ve met before?”

The handsome man simply stared at you for a split second before his smile widened once more, his almond-shaped eyes turning to crescents with his unflinching cheerfulness. “Well, I’m Hoseok,” he told you, holding a hand out to shake.

Scoffing at him, you looked down at his hand before meeting his gaze again. However, you noticed the knowing expression on his face as he took in the slight curve up on your lips that unwelcomingly appeared on your own face.

“Hoseok,” you repeated. “You’re the idol.” You had heard about the man before through your mutual friend who went to school with Hoseok. He cocked his head at you in excitement that you’d heard of him before. “You have an idol look,” you noted, the man giggling at the comment. Why did his laugh have to be so cute?

“What does that mean?” He asked curiously, the smile still planted on his features, not quite as wide but equally as bright.

“Handsome,” you shrugged, watching how that smile morphed into a boastful one as he shot you an arrogant look. Oh jesus.

“You think I’m handsome?” He asked, raising his eyebrows slightly, relishing in the compliment.

Looking at him with a judging expression, you looked away from him to scan the rest of the room. “Looks aren’t everything.”

As he chuckled in amusement you rolled your eyes, looking back to him. The annoyance you felt toward the man probably had nothing to do with Hoseok himself and everything to do with your poor mood, but suddenly it felt like your heart was pounding against your chest out of irritation. It had to be irritation.

However, despite the bothersome presence of the dude who seemed to be the actual embodiment of the sun, you found that your eyes were drawn to him. Before he approached you from across the party, you’d been watching him conversate with the other partygoers. It seemed like there was a spotlight that followed him across the room.

You had watched how he made the rounds, chatting with anyone and everyone, making it his goal to evoke laughter from them all. His bright enthusiasm appeared to be an act of service, as he tried to leave each individual happier than when the conversation first started. He seemed to get a high from entertaining the party. Like he wanted people to like him, or felt like it was his duty to provide cheer everywhere he went.

“Are you at least going to tell me your name so I know who had the complete displeasure of meeting me?” He joked, the comment nearly earning a genuine chuckle from you, but you held it back, instead just letting your mouth spread into a smile. “Ah, she smiles.”

“Occasionally,” you joked back. “Displeasure, I like that,” you added before telling him your name. “And yes, the displeasure is mine,” you smirked. Looking down at his hand, you realized he was still holding it out for you to shake, the smallest of breathy laughs leaving you. “Wow, you are persistent.”

“I’ll just leave it there, no pressure,” he told you, and you couldn’t help but smile a little longer.

“What’s your stage name, Idol Hoseok?” You suddenly asked, not even sure why you asked the question. Why did you care?

Twitching his head to the side quickly, he smiled at you. “You know,” he started, “I’m more than just an idol.” Though the words were said in a lighthearted tone, it felt as though they were cloaking a sentiment that may have touched on a bit of the man’s vulnerability. In fact, the overall cheerful demeanor, as genuine as it appeared, also seemed to be a mask or a shield of some sort, keeping people at a distance from the man underneath. As annoying as he was, he was intriguing.

“Mhmm, of course,” you told him dismissively.

Letting out a light chuckle, he shook his head. “J-Hope. That’s my stage name,” he told you.

“Oh, fitting,” you told him genuinely, completely understanding the name. Anyone who met Hoseok for even a few seconds surely understood why ‘hope’ was part of his stage name.

“Yeah?” He asked, acting just the slightest bit cocky once again. “Are you feeling more hopeful right now?”

“Mmm,” you hummed in feigned thought. “I’m hopeful this conversation might end soon. Does that count?”

Again, the man had the audacity to flash you that literal sunshine of a smile. “Well, hope is hope,” he told you through the smile. The comment once again had you letting out a small breathy laugh as you fought a smile, nodding at him. “Did you know that you are a very pleasant person to be around?” he asked teasingly.

“Yeah, it’s actually one of my stronger qualities,” you told him sarcastically.

“It must be right up there with friendly and approachable,” he joked back, making you once again have to hold back a laugh.

“Exactly,” you nodded. “That’s usually how people describe me.” Hoseok stared at you for a moment with a… fond smile. Why did he appear fond?

“I’m sure,” he said simply, giving you a small smile. “You know you’re allowed to have fun at these things, right?”

“Who said I’m not having fun?” You questioned while cocking your head to the side.

“Well, your face,” he told you through a small smile.

“Ok, but like I pointed out already, you don’t even know me,” you reminded the man, his eyes immediately widening in panic.

“No, I-”

“You can think whatever you want about me, Hoseok,” you interrupted his scrambling for an explanation for his comments. You’d heard all the comments before about you being stuck up or moody or boring, Hoseok wouldn’t be the first or last to person to have that opinion of you. He was just one of the first who actively tried to cheer you up, and for some reason, the endearing sentiment of that action was angering.

“I don’t have an opinion-”

“Also, I don’t need you to try to cheer me up,” you added, glaring at the man. “I’m quite content in all my moodiness.”

“Look, I’m sorry if I offended-”

“No, don’t apologize,” you shook your head. “It’s fine, I just think you and I don’t really complement each other very well,” you told him bluntly, the man’s eyes widening in surprise.

“Well, maybe I beg to differ,” he commented, you letting an annoyed smile toy on your lips as his mouth curved into a smirk, almost as if he was accepting a challenge.

Pulling your eyebrows together in confusion at his expression, you stood up to leave the party you didn’t want to attend in the first place. “Thanks for the frustrating but slightly entertaining conversation, Hoseok,” you prepared to bid him farewell. Reaching your hand out, Hoseok giggled at the gesture, placing his own hand in yours. He squeezed your hand, the feeling of his warm soft hand against your own causing your heart to race once again. Um, what the fuck?

“Nice to meet you,” he told you with that infuriating smile that you couldn’t look away from.

“The displeasure was mine,” you replied, the man laughing once again, his mouth wide open as he let the amusement flow through him freely. Annoying. And definitely not just because it was way too cute for someone you were supposed to be irritated by. Pulling your hand from his, you took a step away from him before meeting his gaze again. “Maybe if I’m unlucky enough I’ll see you around again,” you smirked.

You were met with his smile once again, as cheerful as ever. It seemed as though he knew he could get under your skin by being overly bubbly in your presence when you were throwing nothing but insults and unpleasantries.

“Already looking forward to it,” he teased, you rolling your eyes before finally walking away.

Hoseok watched as you crossed the room, walking up to your friend and telling her something, probably letting her know you were heading out.

He observed you as you smiled brightly at the mutual friend, adorably scrunching your nose as you giggled at something she said. A feeling of affection as well as a jealousy settled in his chest. You were stunning, cute, and surprisingly warm, but he wanted that directed toward him.

Scanning the room one last time as the friend talked to you, Hoseok smiled and gave you an arrogant head nod when your eyes landed on him. Blinking a couple times at him with a judging expression, you looked away from him, Hoseok chuckling to himself on the arm rest.

Continuing to stare at you, unable to look away, he watched as you hugged the friend and made your way to the front door. Just as Hoseok was about to look away from you to direct his attention to the partygoers who all seemed a bit less interesting after meeting you, you surprised him by looking back one more time.

With your eyes locked on one another’s, Hoseok gave you a small genuine smile as you resisted the urge to smile back. And with that, you left the apartment, but you stayed firmly in Hoseok’s mind.

And he didn’t think you’d ever leave.

203 notes · View notes

tinyboxxtink · 3 years

Text

“Helpless” *Part 7*

WHOOOOOO buddies, this might be my favorite chapter so far. You’ll see why....

Master List

Part 1

Part 2

Part 3

Part 4

Part 5

Part 6

Part 8

Tag List

@wanniiieeee

@word-scribbless

@dumauier

@chasingeverybreakingwave

----

Olivia, Fin, Carisi and the other blonde detective, Rollins you thought-- came bursting into the kitchen at the noise, only to find you and Rafael standing there like kids with their hands in a cookie jar.

“We uh-- we thought…” Carisi stammered.

“Sorry, we’ll leave ya’ll to it. We’re gonna take off,” Amanda waved goodbye, shoving the rest of them out the door.

“Right...have a nice evening!” you called after them in a cheery voice, but slapped your hands over your face as soon as they were gone.

“Christ...great, now they’ll be talking too,” you rolled your eyes.

“They’re not high school girls, they don’t gossip,” he scoffed.

“Uh huh...like we’re not high schoolers making out in the back room?”

“Two kisses hardly count as ‘making out’, carino,” He smiled, pushing a strand of hair behind your ear.

“Carino means…”

“Sweetie or honey, I know. Arianna speaks spanish. She calls you abogado,”

“...You know spanish? Then why did you look at me weird when I called you camarera?”

“She didn’t teach me, like a Rosetta Stone or something. She just says things randomly in spanish and tells me what they mean,” you explained, suddenly wondering how you got into this conversation.

“I see…”

“Okay this conversation has veered off into some weird little tangent,”

“I agree, enough talking,” Rafael grinned devilishly, wrapping his arms around you again.

“DOWN, counselor,” you pushed his arms back to his sides.

“You see this?” you gestured to the mess in front of you. “I gotta remake all of this before I can leave, and it takes FOREVER,”

“Well not if I help,”

“Yeah OKAY, a big fancy lawyer is gonna sit here and do prep work,” you rolled your eyes, grabbing the onions and tomatoes to slice. Rafael grabbed some knives on a nearby shelf and handed you one.

“I cook, you know,” he took an onion and started chopping.

“Do you? Then why are you in here all the time?” you raised an eyebrow while grabbing a tomato.

“It’s not fun cooking for one person,” he replied, not looking up from the board.

“You don’t live with anyone?” The question made Rafael stop chopping and look at you.

“If I had a significant other, do you really think I would be here kissing you? Even pursuing you?” He gave you a look.

“Pursuing me….” you gave him a tongued smile. “I like that,”

“Whatever…” he shook his head with a smile. “The answer is NO; I’m a thirty something something with a very nice job, I live alone,”

“Mmmmm I’m willing to bet you’re more of a forty something something, but I get it,” You smirked. “That must be nice, I’ve never lived alone,”

“It gets lonely,” he shrugged.

“Oh yeah I’m sure, in a big penthouse apartment and your many books of mahogany,”

“...Really?” he raised an eyebrow.

“I don’t know, I assume rich people have a lot of books, and I’m pretty sure mahogany is fancy…” You blushed, to which Rafael laughed. A real laugh; the crinkles of his eyes and his dimples as big as they were, you hadn’t seen him laugh like that up close before. It was intoxicating.

“...What? Did I get an onion on my face?” Rafael knocked you from your daze; shit were you staring at him?!

“Wha-- no, nothing. I’m just tired,” you played it off, waving your hands dismissively.

“Well I know you have the good stuff in here,” He walked away from the cutting board and over to your espresso machine, turning it on.

“Oh come on man, now I have to re-clean that!” You groaned.

“It’ll be worth it, I promise,” Rafael kissed your cheek as he made cappuccinos for the two of you.

---

About an hour had passed, and you two were finally done re-prepping all the prep work. Rafael had even helped you reclean the espresso machine. You did last minute checks and went outside, where Rafael followed. You locked the front doors and picked up your phone to look at it.

“SHIT, 1:45?! God, Ari must be freaking out,” you frantically looked through your history to make sure she hadn’t tried to call or text. She hadn’t.

“Well, good night counselor,” You nodded, starting to walk to the subway; Rafael grabbed your hand.

“Oh no no no, I’m not letting you walk home by yourself at 2 am in the middle of New York City,”

“It’s 1:45, and I’m a big girl. Trust me, I could knife a guy if I had to,” you protested.

“ ….‘knife a guy’,” he rolled his eyes with a chuckle.

“I could!

“Alright then humor me,” He pulled you around the corner where a town car was waiting.

“How did you--??”

“Uber never sleeps,” he opened the door for you and you slid in the backseat, Rafael slid in next to you.

“So do I just tell him my address or….?”

“I mean, unless you wanna go to mine,” he grinned devilishly again, that sparkle of arousal dancing in his eyes. It was very tempting.

“I….no I can’t, Ari will know,” you looked down, feeling stupid. It was as if Arianna was your mommy and you were out past curfew. Not like the two grown women equals you should be.

You gave the driver your address and he began driving. You felt Rafael put an arm around your shoulder, and for once you let yourself relax into him. You had literally never felt safer in your life, just being curled up next to him. So safe, so warm, so…

“...Y/N?”

Rafael’s voice awakened you from the nap you apparently had just taken in his arms.

“Oh...Oh my god! I’m so sorry, I must’ve fallen asleep,” You apologized, fixing his mussed dress shirt where you had been laying on it. There was even the tiniest bit of drool on it; god how embarrassing.

“You most certainly did, you were even snoring a bit,” He chuckled at the horrified look on your face. “What? It was cute,”

“God…” You leapt out of the car, trying to get your keys out as fast as you could to get away from this nightmare.

“Hey, wait up!” Rafael got out of the car and followed you to the door of your building.

“Okay, I made it home safe. You did your duty, counselor,” you saluted him, to which he took your “saluting” hand in his.

“That’s it? I spent hours chopping up things and cleaning, and all I get is ‘job well done’?”

“Well...what else do you want, a medal?” you teased him.

“How about…” He pulled you in for another kiss; and this time, you let him.

The kiss lasted for what seemed like forever. The chilly New York air blew against your cheap plastic jacket and you shivered. Rafael took his huge pea coat and wrapped it around the two of you while you kissed, making it that more romantic.

Even after you broke apart, your arms were wrapped around his waist inside the jacket, your head pressed against his chest as he kissed your forehead and just held you. You didn’t want to leave him there, you knew for sure you had never felt this safe. With anyone. Not even Arianna. GOD, Arianna. Now you really didn’t want to leave him because you knew you couldn’t see him again; not like this.

Rafael felt something warm against his chest, and he pulled you back a bit from him, only to see you were crying.

“Ay carino...don’t cry, what’s wrong?”

“This is it,” you sniffled. “This is where this ends, and I don’t want it to,”

Rafael sighed and put his hands on your shoulders, making you look at him. “Hey...this ends, when you say it ends. Not me, not Arianna, you,”

“Rafael I told you I--” You started, but he put a finger to your lips.

“I told you, I’m not scared of Arianna. I lo--care about you, a lot,” He bit his lip when he stumbled over his words. A micro expression trying to hide the words he really wanted to say-- but you knew that already.

Even though it made zero sense of course, how could two people possibly be in love after a few days. Not even. Maybe your bullshit about a ‘connection’ wasn’t bullshit….not that it mattered anyway because this was never going to work out. Arianna would never let it happen.

But for some bizarre reason, in that chilly doorway at 2 am, wrapped in Rafael’s coat-- you believed him. You believed that somehow, he was going to make this better. He was going to make it okay. And you were actually going to let him.

“...Okay,” you whispered.

“Okay? Really? Okay? Just like that? I thought I’d have to get on my knees and beg,”

“Do you want me to change my mind or do you wanna kiss me again?”

“Kiss please,” he smiled, pulling you even closer into his coat as he kissed you far deeper this time. He had to make this okay, he had to do something. He just had to. You never wanted to give this feeling up.

“Give me your phone,” you ordered him this time, and he obliged. You programmed your number and handed it back to him.

“There. Now I can’t ‘ghost’ you,”

“You can try, I’ll just blow up your phone with links of cute cat videos or something,” he grinned, kissing you one more time.

“Okay, seriously I gotta go upstairs. Arianna’s gonna wake up and see I’m not home,”

“...Until we meet again then,” he kissed your hand and gave you the biggest smile you had ever seen on a human being.

You walked inside your building and watched him until he got back into the town car and drove off into the night. Then you took the stairs up to your apartment, practically floating all the way there.

---

When you unlocked the front door to your apartment, you tried tiptoeing through your living room. However, as you reached the two doorways of your rooms, you noticed Arianna’s light was still on. You debated heavily whether or not to check on her, she was never up this late.

Maybe something had happened? Maybe she was worried about you?

You peeked open her door, only to see ALL of her stuff strewn about her room in boxes, while she was throwing clothes into a suitcase.

“Oh good! You’re home,” She pulled bras out of her top drawer.

“W-What is all this--” your eyes darted around the room.

“Did you have a nice time with the abogado?” her question made your blood freeze.

“What? Wha--Ari, I told you--” your voice quavered.

“Yeah I know what you told me, and I also know that look of yours,” she laughed and shook her head.

“What look?”

“The same look you had for Bobby DiMucci in 10th grade,” She smirked. “The ‘oh my god I wanna marry you and have all the babies’, look,” she batted her eyes.

“There’s...that’s not--” you scoffed with a laugh.

“But that’s cool! I hope you guys had a very nice time, you certainly seemed to have a very nice goodbye,” She gestured downstairs. FUCK you knew it, she would be watching.

“Y-You do…?”

“I do! Because we’re leaving,” Arianna grabbed more boxes out of her closet and tossed them at you.

“Wha--we’re-- NO, we’re not,” Your mind started running a million miles a minute, your body began to panic.

“YES, we are,” she stopped packing and walked up to you.

“Whether or not you and the ADA keep playing kissy face, he knows about us. And if he doesn’t take you down, he’s gonna take me down. And I can’t have that,” She explained as she continued packing.

“And I know you don’t wanna choose between us, so I’m choosing for you,” She circled the room, pulling stuff out from under her bed.

“We’re leaving, and you’re never gonna see him again,” She grabbed some of the boxes on her bed and tossed them towards you.

Your blood was boiling, your whole body was shaking. She controlled EVERYTHING in your life, down to what kind of soda you drank, or what TV show you watched. She wasn’t going to control this, she wasn’t going to take him away from you.

“I...Ari, NO,” you softly spoke.

“....Excuse me?”

“I’m not going with you,” you said louder, glaring at her.

“If--If you wanna run because you think that Rafael is gonna ‘take you down’, which he ISN’T,” “Then fine. I won’t tell him or anyone where you went. But I’m not going,”

“God….baby girl,” Arianna dropped the boxes and made a sad pouting face, as if she was feeling bad for you; But then she went for something behind her bed. All of a sudden she was pulling out a gun, and holding it on you.

“Don’t make me do this,”

“What the FUCK, Arianna? Why do you have a GUN?” You were freaking out, you didn’t know if you should run or throw something or shit your pants.

“Oh for Fuck’s sake Y/N we lived in a CAR, in NEW YORK CITY. Why wouldn’t I have a gun?!” she scoffed, moving closer to you.

“Okay but--but put it down, okay? Please?” You were now crying, basically begging for your life. How did you go from SO safe to now begging for your life?!

“I can’t do that, sweetie. Not until you agree to leave with me. Tonight,” She had tears in her own eyes, you knew she didn’t want to hurt you. She was scared. You knew she would never hurt you.

“....Please, Arianna. Please don’t do this…” You pleaded through tears, very slowly reaching for the gun.

“YOU’RE DOING IT! YOU are doing this to us!” she screamed, waving the gun in your face.

“I guess it is sort of my fault, I told you his name. I pushed you towards him. I just didn’t think he’d actually like you back,” she continued in a normal voice.

“Wow, just...wow,” you huffed.

“Not that you’re not wonderful, baby girl. Just...you know, not in his league,”

“See but you were wrong, Ari. He does like me. No no no, He LOVES me, and I love him,” You were getting bolder now, how dare she start shitting on you and Rafael. That’s all she had done from the start, was tear apart and tarnish what you had.

“Pffftttt, okay. After what, a few conversations and a few tongues down your throat? Gimme a friggin BREAK,” she scoffed, the gun still pointed at you.

“Fuck you, it’s real.” You spat, unable to take the bullshit from her anymore. Arianna stared at you in shock; you had NEVER spoken to her like that.

“And-And And if you DON’T want him coming after us, then this is the stupidest move you could make. Because he’ll fight for me Arianna, he’ll fight for me and he will WIN,” Tears still in your voice, but anger powered over them.

“God, look at you! Look at what he’s DONE to you. To us. It’s always been US, Y/N. Me and you, Bert and Ernie! Thelma And Louise! Bonnie And Clyde!” She gestured between the two of you wildly.

“NO, it’s been you using me,” you scoffed.

“Is that what he said?” She turned the gun sideways.

“It’s the truth!” you argued.

“NO IT’S NOT, and once we get out of here, you’ll forget about him. I promise, and then we can be happy again. Okay?” She had a psychotic smile, pulling you in for a hug, the gun pressed against your back. You had to get out of here.

“...Okay, Ari,” you finally gave in, throwing your hands up in defeat. You looked up at her with the saddest eyes you could muster, trying to convince her she had you beaten down once again. She hugged you again, and let you go. But she held tight to the gun.

“I’ll go pack,” you grabbed some boxes and took them into your room. As soon as you heard Arianna resume packing, you ducked beside your bed and dialed Rafael’s number.

“Please pick up, please please please….”

#rafael barba #rafael barba x you #rafael barba x reader #rafael barba imagine #law and order special victims unit #law and order svu #law and order svu fanfiction #helpless #angst

29 notes · View notes

blackcatkita · 4 years

Text

A Not So Blue Christmas

Book: Open Heart

Pairing: Bryce x MC (Kayla)

Word Count: 2925

This is my contribution to the 12 Days of Fictmas- 2019 edition and true to form, I am posting this at the literal eleventh hour. I was assigned “Blue Christmas” by the late and great Elvis Aaron Presley (may he rest in peace). Big thank you to @leelee10898 for hosting this event and wrangling us all and to @darley1101 for creating the awesome moodboard you see below. I hope you like it and happy holidays!

A Not So Blue Christmas

When Kayla matched at Edenbrook, some 980 miles from her hometown of Chicago, she knew there would be things she would miss out on. Her proud Irish family was huge and freakishly close; three brothers and one sister with Kayla smack in the middle, five aunts, three uncles, twenty-six first cousins and an absolute lunatic of a grandmother to round it all out. And that was just on her dad’s side. Birthdays, holidays, graduations, anniversaries; they were spent together whether you wanted to be there or not. Going away to college had been a blessing. For the first time, Kayla got to be seen as her own person instead of Sean and Connor’s little sister but she would be lying if she said she didn’t miss her family. The last time she saw them was back in June when she took Bryce home to meet everyone. Well, almost everyone. No one should have to be subjected to the entire clan on the first meeting, no matter how confident and easy-going her boyfriend was.

It was worth it though. She’d wanted to be a doctor for as long as she could remember and working with Ethan Freaking Ramsey on the diagnostics team was a dream come true. Her career fed her constant thirst for knowledge and allowed her to help people so she didn’t mind not being there for every little thing her family deigned worthy of celebration. Christmas was different. Christmas in the Donovan house was a huge deal.

The house would be so full it was fit to burst, food, candy, and cookies as far as the eye could see. Her oldest brother Sean and his wife Meghan sniping and snarking at each other, everyone spoiling the hell out of her niece because she was the first child, seeing what new bimbo was Connor’s latest flavor of the week because he was too stupid and too much of a playboy to find a nice girl, Gran handing out shots of whiskey and hitting on any poor soul whose only mistake was dating or marrying one of the Donovan girls; she’d had a field day with Bryce. Her dad and uncles escaping to the garage or basement, betting on how long after dinner it would take her mom to throw in the towel and switch from wine to liquor; Kayla was going to miss it all.

But Boston provided joys of its own; a group of friends she considered family that included the most supportive boyfriend the world had ever seen. Working as much as they did with no way in hell of getting off on a holiday meant none of them would be going home but that didn’t mean they would spend Christmas alone. Luckily, their apartment was spacious enough to house everyone for the open house party she and her roommates planned, though Kayla wondered why hosting always fell to them. Ethan had an even better apartment and you didn’t see him inviting anyone over. Rude.

“And, voila!” Kayla exclaimed from her post at the kitchen island. The cheese tray she put together looked damn good if she said so herself. Cheese ball in the middle with alternating yellow and white cheeses surrounding it in a pinwheel pattern. Yep, damn good indeed. “Sienna, where do you want the cheese tray?”

“Umm…” Sienna didn’t look up, too preoccupied with arranging upside-down raspberries on top of the chocolate ganache cake she made. “The banquet table by the window maybe? There’s more room for people to mill around over there.”

Kayla looked around, finding only empty space near the windows. “Banquet table?”

Glancing up, Sienna shook her head and went back to the raspberries. “Bryce!”

“Yo!” he called out.

“Where’s that banquet table you said you’d set up?”

“Oh, shit,” he laughed before bringing the table in from the living room where he and Elijah had been fiddling with the tv for the last half hour. “Sorry, ladies.”

“What are you even doing in there?” Kayla asked as Bryce unfolded the legs and flipped the table right side up.

“Helping Elijah with the surround sound,” he answered simply, taking a folded red tablecloth from the kitchen table and spreading it over the one he just set up.

“Do you really need to be doing that right now?”

Shrugging in response, he sauntered over, gave Kayla a quick peck on the lips while squeezing her ass, then snatched a piece of cheese, popping it in his mouth before going back into the living room.

Minutes later the front door opened with a thump and Jackie’s voice rang out, “Oh, hell no. You two don’t get to do whatever it is you’re doing in here while we do all the work. It’s all hands on deck so get your asses up and help. And before you say it, no, Lahela, I don’t care that you don’t technically live here. God knows you’re here enough it’s like you do. You can start by putting these bags of ice on the balcony.”

Eyebrows raised, Kayla slowly turned to grin at Sienna, finding her covering her laugh with a hand plastered to her mouth. “Remind me to buy Jackie a pony for her birthday.”

“Or a bottle of tequila,” Sienna giggled.

Kayla picked up her glass of red wine, waiting for Sienna to do the same before clinking their glasses together. “Hear. Hear.”

An hour later, people were trickling in. The cold food was moved to the kitchen table and the hot to the banquet table because that’s where the outlets were, the bar was set up, holiday music was playing and Kayla was mingling in a fitted midnight blue dress that was both sexy and elegant.

“I’m loving this party even more than your last one, Donovan.” Zaid’s tone was as dry as ever, expression impassive as he bopped to the beat of ‘Jingle Bell Rock’. “You’ve outdone yourself.”

“Oh, thanks! It was a team effort.” A knock sounded at the door and Kayla excused herself before opening it with a smile.

“Rookie.”

“You came!” Kayla gasped, putting on an air of shock with her hand pressed to her chest. “I never thought I’d see the day!”

“This is for you.” Standing stiffly in the doorway, he thrust a bottle of red wine into her hands. “I know you like red.”

“I do, thanks, Ethan.” Considering how reluctant he looked, she grabbed him by the wrist and tugged him into the room. “Come on, no one’s gonna bite you. Can I get you anything to drink? Bryce is supposed to be playing bartender but he’s fallen in love with my tv.”

A brief look of confusion flashed across Ethan’s face before he shook his head, probably deciding he didn’t care enough to ask. “What do you have?”

Kayla shrugged. “Everything? I can make you a brandy old fashioned or cranberry mule. Those are our signature drinks.”

“Old Fashioneds are generally made with bourbon.”

“Not in the Midwest,” Kayla smirked. “It’s really big in Wisconsin.”

“You’re from Chicago…” Ethan shook his head again. “What’s a ‘cranberry mule’?”

“Bryce,” Kayla called out. “What’s in the cranberry mule?”

Bryce’s voice came from by the tv, only now he had the thing turned to the side. “Four ounces ginger beer, four ounces cranberry juice, two ounces rum and the juice of half a lime.” His head popped up, looking at her over the top. “Put that in a shaker then pour over ice and garnish with a slice of lime and some cranberries. Make sure you use a copper mug.”

“Ok, seriously, what are you doing over there?!”

“I’m almost done.” Grinning, Bryce shot her a wink and ducked back down.

Rolling her eyes, Kayla turned back to Ethan. “Don’t ask because I have no idea what he’s doing.”

“I wasn’t going to. I don’t care.”

“Nice,” she stated, raising her eyebrow and pressing her lips into the tiniest pout. “Well? Your drink, Dr. Ramsey?”

“I’ll take Scotch if you have it.”

“Uh… if we do it’s probably not very…” Kayla grimaced, leading Ethan to the bar across the room. “Oh, wait! I think Landry might have left some here.” Reaching her destination, Kayla ducked down and pulled a bottle from the lower shelf. “Ha!” she exclaimed as she stood up. “Score one for the jackass.”

“Babe! Kayla!” Bryce shouted out over the noise. He smiled when she looked over, then his gaze seemed to move past her and he gave a subtle nod. “Can you help me with something quick?”

“Be right there!” she replied as she splashed some Scotch in a glass. She handed it to Ethan and gave him a little push. “Go have fun. Socialize. Be normal.” Ignoring his look of disdain, she moved back into the living room. “What’s up?”

“I need you to sit on the couch,” Bryce instructed, turning the tv back the right way.

“Why?”

“Because I need to make sure the angle is right.”

“Angle for what?”

Bryce’s eyes widened, brows raised to give her a look that said, ‘just do it’.

“Fine.” The couch that had been filled with various guests all night was miraculously empty and Kayla sat down carefully so she didn’t flash everyone with the new lingerie Bryce had given her. That show was for his eyes only. “Are you finally going to tell me what you’ve been up to?”

“Stop asking questions,” Bryce laughed as the conversation around them grew quieter. “Elijah?” The music cut out and the lull in conversations spread through the apartment. “Ok, now push the input button on the tv remote.”

Brow furrowed, Kayla reached for the remote on the coffee table. Whatever he had planned, it seemed like most of the people in attendance were aware of it. If it turned out to be a slideshow of embarrassing photos from throughout the year or a video of her drunk ass singing karaoke, Bryce was a dead man. All eyes on her, Kayla pressed the button and the tv lit up. She screamed, both of her hands flying up to cover her mouth as tears sprang to her eyes. Before her, her family sat crowded together, enough of them they filled all seventy inches of the screen.

Her dad Sean leaned forward, squinting at the camera in front of him. “Is that it? Can she see us now?”

“Oh my god, Dad.” Squished against him, Kayla’s nineteen-year-old sister Brianna rolled her eyes. “Why do you think she’s screaming?”

“Shut up, you’re all ruining it!” Gran scolded from where she was wedged between Kayla’s dad and her brother Owen. “On the count of three… one… two… three…”

“Nollaig Shona, Kayla!” Everyone shouted as they smiled and waved, not exactly in sync but close enough.

“Nollaig Shona, everyone!” Kayla returned the sentiment, smiling and waving back. She looked around the room at her smiling friends and colleagues. “That’s Irish for ‘Merry Christmas’,” she explained. Her lip began to quiver and she looked at Bryce, waving him over as her eyes flooded with tears. “Get over here.” She felt her face crumple and pressed her palm over her lips as her boyfriend finally came over, looking uncharacteristically subdued. Sitting beside her, he slung his arm around her shoulders and she turned toward him, hugging him around his waist as she buried her face in the crook of his neck, trying to choke back her quiet sobs.

“Hey, everybody.” Bryce’s voice was tight as he gently rubbed her back. He cleared his throat and when he spoke again, she could hear the smile in his tone. “Merry Christmas. Thanks for helping me out with all of this.”

The comforting movement of his hand didn’t cease as he continued to chat with her family and when she was sure the tears had stopped flowing, Kayla peeled herself off him. “Well, my make-up is officially ruined,” she laughed, swiping at her cheeks. Sienna appeared out of nowhere and with tears in her eyes, thrust a wad of Kleenex into Kayla’s hands. “Thanks, Sienna.” Kayla did her best to clean the mascara from beneath her eyes then smiled, shaking her head in awe. “I just can’t believe you’re all in front of me right now.” Her eyes watered again.

“That man of yours is more than just a pretty face, Kayla,” her sister-in-law Meghan said.

“And what a face it is,” Gran added, giving the most exaggerated wink possible.

“Oh, don’t I know it, Gran,” Kayla agreed. “Great hair, too.”

“And a body to boot!” Gran slapped her hand on her skinny little knee. “Bet he’s a right stallion in the sack. You young ones get all the action these days.”

“Okay! Enough of that!” her big brother Sean shouted, clamping his hands over his four-year-old daughter’s ears while Kayla’s dad dropped his head in his hand mumbling something Kayla couldn’t make out. If she had to guess, it was ‘Lord in heaven’.

“Sorry, Sean,” Kayla laughed. Her eyes roamed the faces in front of her; her dad, grandma, her sister and two of her brothers, a few aunts, and uncles and some cousins. “Hey, where’s mom and Connor?” Of all her siblings she was closest to Connor, they were best friends on top of being brother and sister and her mom was her biggest cheerleader. No way would they not be a part of Bryce’s surprise.

“Oh, I imagine they’ll be coming in the door any minute now,” her dad said with a twinkle in his eye. “We’ll let you get back to your party, Punkin. Don’t forget to call us now.”

“I won’t, Dad,” Kayla promised. “It was great seeing you guys and I love you all so much!”

“We love you too, Kayla!” they all shouted back, waving again as they said goodbye.

“Now how the hell do I turn this damn thing off…” her dad grumbled, looking down at his remote before the connection ended.

As the music started and the party resumed, Kayla turned to Bryce, who was looking mighty proud of himself. She grabbed a fistful of his sweater and pulled him to her, planting a kiss on his lips. The doorbell rang and she pulled away. “Duty calls but later, you’re mine.”

“I mean, we can just kick everybody out now,” he teased, leaning in for another kiss. She laughed, giving him a swat on the shoulder but he snuck one anyway. “Get the door, babe. I’ll even come with you.”

“Ah, now that your ruse is over you’ll join the festivities?”

“Something like that.” Grabbing her hand, he pulled her to her feet. When they reached the door, he stopped her a few feet away with an arm around her waist then stepped forward to open it himself.

“Shut the fuck up!” Kayla shouted when she saw who was on the other side.

“Kayla Donovan!” her mom Erin scolded. “Such language!”

“And on Christmas too!” her brother Connor added in a mock scandalized voice with his eyes wide and a palm pressed to his forehead.

Her mom laughed, holding her arms out wide. “Surprise!”

The initial shock had worn off and Kayla launched herself into her mother’s arms. “I can’t believe you’re here!” She held tight for a moment, then turned to Connor.

“Brat,” he greeted.

“Jerk.”

Laughing, he grabbed Kayla around the waist and lifted her off her feet, bouncing a few times before setting her back down. “Damn, it’s good to see you, Kay. Bryce,” Connor nodded as Bryce turned away from the warm hug her mom had given him and held out his hand, doing that weird handshake-shoulder clapping thing guys did. “Good to see you again, too. Thanks for inviting us.”

“Let’s get you guys a drink. There’s a ton of people you have to meet.”

Heart full and cheeks sore from smiling, Kayla paraded her mom and brother around the room, introducing them to all of the people who had become so important to her. When Sienna eventually dragged them to the kitchen to eat, Kayla turned to Bryce, smiling up at him as she looped her arms around his neck. “You.”

“Me.” His warm hands slid around her hips, pulling her tighter until they were pressed against his.

“You’re the best boyfriend in the entire world.”

“I know.” An easy smile spread across his cheeks. “Handsome, too.”

“And the smartest, most thoughtful,” Her words were punctuated by quick kisses. “most supportive, sweetest, the best lover, the…”

“Stop, you’re gonna make me blush,” he laughed, then raised his eyebrow as his lips settled into a cocky smirk. “You’re not wrong, though. I am pretty amazing.”

“And so humble,” she laughed with him. Gazing into his eyes, she knew she was exactly where she was supposed to be. Bryce was home, no matter where it was. “Seriously, Bryce, this was… I can’t believe you did all this.”

“I almost didn’t think I would pull it off,” he admitted. “The Portal thing was supposed to be here weeks ago but it got lost somewhere in Ohio and just came today. Then your dad couldn’t get his to work and threatened to throw the thing in the lake, and now today your mom and Connor’s flight was delayed by like four hours. I’m surprised I survived.”

As he spoke, Kayla’s smile grew wider and when he finally stopped talking, she pulled him down to press a slow kiss to his lips. She pulled back, just enough to lock her eyes with his. “I love you.”

“I love you too, baby. Merry Christmas.”

#open heart fanfic #Bryce x mc #choices open heart #12 days of fictmas #im super proud of myself I got this done on time #not even gonna lie

98 notes · View notes

tintinwrites · 5 years

Text

please never fall in love again | Bartender!Poe Dameron x Reader | Part One

Requested by: @chromium-siren

A/N: Thank you so much for requesting this!! I had a lot of fun writing it and I even have a little of part two written, and plenty of ideas for its future!!

Rating: T

Warning: Naughty language. Reader was cheated on. Reader drinks some whiskey. Precious babies (not literal)

Word count: 1,637, apparently!!

Summary: After breaking up with your boyfriend, you come across the bar of Poe Dameron; he keeps it open a little later that night for you.

GIF credit: I have no idea, but it’s not mine!

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

"Night, Poe."

"Thank fuck. Now I can actually get this place clean."

"Shut up!"

"Goodnight, Rosie."

Poe chuckled as he heard Rose mutter 'damn Dameron' under her breath at the hated nickname, watching her grab her coat and walk out with a slam of the door.

He'd told her a hundred times that he couldn't run this place without her.

His dad took him to the abandoned hangar every summer when he was a kid, telling incredible stories that made his kid brain convince itself that it could see all the impressive planes filling it; that he could hear people yelling in preparation to go out and save the world.

Those days were one of the reasons he decided to join the Air Force like his dad and mama, as well as the fact that he looked up to them like crazy.

When his six years were finished, he returned to civilian life without a clue of what to do until he came to visit his dad and went to the hangar, and saw it was for sale.

His best memories were drinking with his two buddies in the Air Force, Finn and Rey. It kind of surprised him when his visions of planes and pilots were replaced with tables and a bar, but it also kind of felt right.

Like it came to his head on purpose as what he was meant to do now that he was back in normal society.

He could see himself behind the bar, a towel over his shoulder as he gave advice and met new people. He'd always been a people person and he loved the thought of bringing people together for a drink or whatever.

He bought the hangar and he did it up as nice as he could, and his business had been doing pretty damn well if he said so himself.

Mostly thanks to Rose. The girl busted her ass for him. He'd been thinking of how to express that. Should he give her a raise or hire another person to lighten her load?

He'd asked Finn one day when he was visiting if he'd like to come work for him, but he moved to some big city that he refused to ever leave.

Said something about how he couldn't listen to crickets all day. The bitch.

He loved the hell out of that man.

Rey had grown up in the middle of the desert which was arguably even more boring than Poe's hometown and he thought she might stay with him, but the kid gained an affinity for travel. Her curiosity was cute.

It was him and Rose all the time; there were nights when they were both doing the jobs of twenty people each, hence why he wanted to give the woman a break.

He actually forced her to go home this particular night. They were near closing time on the busiest night of the week and Rose had been cleaning like mad for an hour only to have barely made a dent in the mess.

Poe didn't mind hanging around all night getting everything in order, but he would hate himself if he made her do it.

He whistled to himself in the empty bar, gathering some glasses and putting them in a sink with soapy water. He started cleaning them and setting them to dry when he heard the door open, looking up to see who walked in. "Sorry, Miss. We're closed."

The only sound was the squeaking of a glass he was cleaning, and he looked back up to see if you were even still there. You were, staring somewhere over his shoulder and yet seeming to stare at nothing. A good look at your face let him see that you had obviously been crying and looked completely distraught, your chin quivering with the possibility of starting to cry again. He set the glass in the water and dried off his hands.

"You need me to call someone?" He was already reaching to take his phone out of his pocket and call the police, but you quickly shook your head.

"I wanted a drink. I'm sorry."

He could have let you walk right out the door if the thought of letting someone so clearly sad didn't make his conscience kick him in the ass. The possibility of you drinking yourself to death or getting otherwise hurt was pretty high.

If he could be of any help to someone that needed it, he would do anything.

"Hey, wait. Sit down." He grabbed a stool off the bar and set it on its legs. "I have nowhere to be and you really look like you could use a drink."

"Thank you," you said in a voice that shook with the effort not to cry, walking over to the stool and sitting down.

"What are you thinking? Some wine? No, whiskey." He grabbed one of the more high end bottles and poured a little whiskey then the tiniest amount of water into a glass, sliding it on the bar to you.

"That's perfect."

He watched in fascination as you downed the glass in one gulp. You set it down expectantly and he quickly made up the same drink again.

You wasted no time in finishing that one.

"Looks like you could use somebody to talk to right now." He saw you hesitate.

"Something has you shaken up to the point that you're drinking whiskey like you're dying of thirst and it's the only liquid around, so you need to vent a little. A stranger's the best person to say everything to without worrying about important judgement, and I'm a bartender. Listening is what I do best."

"I don't really know..."

"I also make a mean cosmopolitan." That comment had one corner of your mouth twitching into a brief smile, breaking the ice and putting you at ease.

"My boyfriend—" You almost immediately began to cry, though your tears seemed to be a mix of anger and sadness. "Four years. Four years of my life I gave to that son of a bitch, to find out he'd been fucking one of my closest friends for two of them."

Poe didn't have to know you for a bit of rage to spark in him; there were so many times men with wedding rings on their fingers would slur confessions to him of how they were looking for a girl to hook up with, and he would have to remind himself that he'd be met with a hell of a lawsuit if he kicked someone out because they didn't align with his morals.

He only ever kicked out people who start fights and men who would insist on harassing women who were disinterested.

But he couldn't stand those guys with loving wives laying at home in bed while they were scouring bars for someone to temporarily alleviate their boredom.

Those wives would end up like you, betrayed and weeping over a glass of strong liquor to forget.

"I mean, do you know what it's like to be in love with someone and thinking of your future together, and you walk into your bedroom to find them doing your friend doggie style while she's wearing your lingerie?" The way your expression asked for empathy and understanding compelled Poe to answer your probably rhetorical question.

"I don't. I'm sorry."

"And—and he looked at me like I was some inconvenience. Said we should probably break up now. He didn't do it sooner since I'd probably cry and he didn't want to deal with it. He wasn't sure if he ever loved me, you know? My friend offered him a deeper connection." You dropped your head into your hands. "What's wrong with me?"

"Nothing is. That guy's an asshole." He took the glass off the bar and set it aside. "I know saying that doesn't mean anything, but I hope you realize one day that this is because he did something wrong, not you. Hopefully sooner than later."

You looked at him, then you got off the stool. "I should go home."

He wondered if you were a lightweight and how long it'd take for that whiskey to have you stumbling. "How'd you get here?"

"I walked." You felt your pockets. "I left my wallet and phone."

"The drinks are on the house. Speaking of, how far is yours?"

"A couple of miles. Or four."

"Let me get you an Uber. It's late and you'll probably know you had whiskey around two miles in." He pulled his phone out and opened the app he rarely used since he enjoyed driving, but he had it on there in case he got stranded or something.

"I need my mom," you said really softly, and Poe was seriously considering finding this boyfriend of yours and kicking his ass.

"You can put the address in."

"Thank you." You typed it in on his phone and handed it back to him. "You don't have to do this."

He shrugged. "I'd be a jackass if I let a heartbroken woman who's well on her way to being tipsy or drunk wander around late at night."

You smiled at him and he allowed you to wait inside until the Uber came. You glanced over your shoulder at him when you were halfway out the door. "Mind if I ask your name?"

"Poe Dameron."

“I'm Y/N. Thank you."

With that, you then walked out.

He watched the door and looked at the glasses that needed cleaning, deciding he would come in early tomorrow to wash them.

You were weighing on his mind and all he wanted to do was get to bed.

His thoughts as he closed up the bar for the night were about you, hoping you would find some happiness even though your ex-boyfriend was a real dick.

#poe dameron imagine #poe dameron x reader #star wars imagine #poe dameron fic

264 notes · View notes

rueitae · 5 years

Text

Stitches

Read my whumptober collection here

~~~~~

It’s not actually funny.

But Lance can’t stop laughing. Here, sitting in the cockpit of the Blue Lion, broken console crackling with electricity, he’s literally dead in the water.

What was that phrase? Laughing so hard he’d need stitches?

The tractor beam filters his view of the planet, everything now in shades of pink. That’s funny too, pink flora. Almost as funny as the dark pink the Galra use to decorate their ships. He usually associates the color with his niece’s dollhouse, not furry purple murder aliens.

Chosen by sentient mechanical cats that form a robot man through the power of teamwork and friendship - this entire adventure has been incredulous, and that’s funny too.

He laughs so hard tears form in his eyes when a group of Galra soldiers approach Blue in the safety of their hangar. With them is a much smaller figure in cuffs, dressed in the same clothing they’d found Shiro in that fateful day on Earth, though a green rag covers her chest among the sea of purple.

They hold a blaster to her back. The message is clear, they’ll kill Pidge if he won’t come out.

Keeping all the Paladins alive is preferable to Zarkon, Lance knows, but he’s also sure they wouldn’t mourn her death.

It is funny how much he loves her, after never flirting with her for most of their early days, never anticipating she might really love him like… not like a teammate, like someone who wants and seeks out his time and attention. Now he thrives off her presence, her calm rationale, her hand in his.

Maybe that’s why he got caught. He misses Pidge too much.

He isn’t sure at what point he stopped laughing and started crying, ribs hurting as he desperately takes in raked breaths.

Lance isn’t ready to meet his captors, but with Pidge’s life on the line he has little choice.

Forcing himself to put on a brave face, he stumbles down Blue’s ramp with his hands held up in surrender.

Two of the commander’s subordinates are on him in an instant, dragging his wrists into cuffs behind his back.

“A pleasure for you to join us, Paladin,” the Galra he supposes is the commander says pridefully. “Your accommodations have already been prepared,” he smirks cruelly. “You’ll have a chance to clean up before meeting Commander Livik.”

Lance isn’t sure he likes the way he says that. Especially not with the way Pidge looks like she wants to say something - something very important.

Pidge is prodded on in front of him as he’s dragged and pushed down the long hallways. She never looks back at him, which Lance both understands considering the situation, but doesn’t make it hurt less.

He can’t imagine what she’s already been through. How long has she been captured? Are any of the others here?

They come to a stop in front of a thick metal door with the largest latch he’s ever seen. No sooner than the sentry has opened it, Lance is shoved in, landing face first onto the… the…

The carpet?

The feeling of rug burn is unmistakable, having been the recipient of it so many times as a kid.

Lance is sitting up by the time the door closes. To his joy, Pidge is here. It’s just the two of them.

“You’re okay,” he breathes, unable to help a smile.

It’s only then her lower lip wobbles and her eyes brim with tears. In a moment she’s on her knees, arms wrapped tightly around him.

“I’ve been so scared for you,” she hiccups. “I’m so sorry.”

Lance chuckles. “What do you have to be sorry for? You didn’t do anything wrong, Pidge.”

Pidge drags in a sniffle. “It is my fault. Commander Livik used my codes to lure you in. I was such an idiot!” she cries. “He gave me the terminal on purpose and it worked. I hate that you’re here.”

Eyes heavy, he closes them and rests his head in the crook of her neck. “Maybe it's for the better,” he says and dares to plant the tiniest of kisses on her collarbone. “I was nearly out of supplies, and now I can be with you.”

She holds him closer and almost seems to sob harder. “I wish you weren’t here but… I’m also so glad it’s you.”

An unpleasant knot begins to twist in Lance’s stomach. He has the distinct feeling he’s missing something. “Pidge,” he begins softly, an appropriately somber tone. “What don’t I know?”

Pidge gulps, squeezing a fistful of his black undersuit. “We don’t have much time. He’ll be upset if you aren’t ready in time. Livik will let you fight some battles, but this one isn’t worth it, trust me.”

Lance watches carefully as Pidge stands and walks across the room. This is no prison cell, it’s an elaborate suite fit for the captain of the ship. Something isn’t right - but Pidge seems to know, and he has no problem trusting her.

“What am I getting ready for, exactly?” Lance ponders.

“Dinner,” Pidge responds before walking into an adjoining room and turning on the light switch. Moments later, water begins to flow.

A bath.

“He’s going to ask you a question,” Pidge says when she emerges. “And if he doesn’t like your answer he’ll kill you.”

Finally, something Lance expected - though it still makes his heart skip a beat. “He asked you the question too, didn’t he?”

Pidge nods. “I told him I hated him and that I was going to kill him,” she recites, eyes closed as if remembering. “For stealing mine and everyone else’s futures.”

She holds her arms, eyes downcast and shivering. “So he said he wanted to see what my future looked like, and ever since I’ve been doing menial tasks around the ship, waiting until he finds another Paladin.”

“Okay, that sounds about right,” Lance nods, impressed with Pidge’s passion and guts as usual. “What am I supposed to say?” he asks.

Pidge pauses before answering, which doesn’t exactly inspire confidence, but he still trusts her, even if she isn’t looking at him when she says, “The truth, whatever your truth is.”

She helps him out of his cuffs (she was trusted with a key, and Lance is really feeling uneasy now) and then his armor. He appreciates it, as Blue’s rough landing made him very sore - accentuated now that the adrenaline is leaving his body.

“You’re injured, I’ll help,” Pidge insists, though he doesn’t miss her bright red face - and he’s sure it isn’t because of the steam as hot water fills the tub.

“You don’t have to,” he tells her. While proud of his physique, something about Pidge seeing him naked stirs the blood in his cheeks.

Pidge gulps. “I should.”

Lance isn’t going to argue with her, but he gets the feeling she’s doing this for more than out of her own good will. He just hates how tense they both are. The suite and the bath make it all feel less like captivity and more like a honeymoon.

And that makes Lance nervous.

He gets in the water quickly, for Pidge’s sake, even if his bruises protest the entire time. Pidge has a washcloth and soap and starts with his shoulders.

“Are you… comfortable?” she asks after a while.

“Are you?” he retorts when her voice betrays she clearly isn’t. “Pidge, what does Livik want from us?”

Her hands start shaking. “I always hoped that after the war we could date like normal people,” Pidge says. “I could meet your family, and you could properly meet mine. Then if it works out we could have a nice wedding and just be together then maybe have…”

Pidge can’t finish the sentence, but she doesn’t have to at that point. Lance gets it.

Despite the warm bathwater, a cold shiver shoots up through his arms. Suddenly, he feels very ill. “Why? What could he possibly have to gain from us… together?”

“Leverage,” Pidge begins as she rubs the soaped cloth over his chest and down his sides. The analytical tone she takes makes him feel as though he’s thrown into another reality. “Entertainment, slave labor, scientific study,” she continues, speaking quicker and quicker. “He’s a ruthless commander, but he likes knowledge. I spend a part of every day talking to him while he takes notes on human behavior.” A deep breath. “With you here, his studies will begin again in earnest and he doesn’t care. We’re just lab rats to him - he has an entire prison full of different species from across the universe on his planetary base and--”

Lance grabs her hand in his, squeezing it tight. He stares into the foamy water as Pidge rests her forehead on the back of his neck, breathing heavily.

He’s sick with the knowledge she’s had to live with him for so long, in these conditions. It isn’t the dirty prison cell that he expected, but Lance has a terrible feeling that this might be worse.

“Whatever happens,” he promises, “I’m staying with you, Pidge. Don’t forget it. We’ll stay alive and get out of here somehow, find the others and save the Lions.”

“I’m holding you to that,” she whispers. “We’re Paladins of Voltron, don’t ever forget it, no matter what we have to do.”

A well of pride surges in his heart. Blue may be beaten up, but he’s still her Paladin, and with him and Pidge, surely they’ll devise the most brilliant scheme to escape.

“I love you, Pidge,” he says, pivoting around so he can see her. “I meant it before and I mean it now.” He takes a soaking hand and cups her cheek, the water on his hand merging with the tears in her eyes. She’s so close to breaking here and it kills him - she needs this reminder of her humanity more than he. “You’re the smartest person I know, brave and selfless and loyal and fun. I’d marry you right now if I could.”

She wraps him in a big hug. “I hate that this is everything I wanted, but it's for the wrong reasons. I’m a terrible person.”

Lance growls in anger and rises as high as he can manage on his knees to better hold her. “I just said you were brave and selfless. No matter what happens here, that won’t change, okay? I may not be super smart, but I do know that for a fact.”

Sniffles. “Thank you, Lance. Thank you for always encouraging me. You have no idea what it means to me.”

He holds her until he feels his legs getting pruned and the water turns cold, and even then he doesn’t want to let go. Pidge needs him right now - whatever Livik has told her has gotten under her skin.

“I love you so much it hurts,” Pidge finally tells him. “He’s going to make you mad just… please don’t fall for it. Stay alive, for the universe and for me.”

“I promise,” Lance says. “I promise I’ll stay alive, we’ll find the others, and when we all form Voltron and stitch this universe back together, we’ll live the happiest life on Earth together. You, me, and all the others. Even… even new faces we meet along the way. We’re gonna get that happy ending.”

With the way Pidge really and truly smiles at him, Lance believes it.

#plance #whumptober2019 #no.11 #stitches #voltron legendary defender #vld fanfic #rueitae #my writing #imprisoned for science #character a gives character b a bath

44 notes · View notes

squiddybeifong · 5 years

Text

Bonding

Day 5 of RobRae Week 2019:

Raven squeaked and fumbled around for his hand, some of the tension in her shoulders falling away as Dick’s palm slid against hers. Her amethyst eyes were wide and while she'd never actually admit to being overwhelmed, she was not too proud to concede that she may have been in a bit over her head.

And why wouldn't she be? She was surrounded by Bats: Cass and Steph had a cheek on each shoulder, Duke was aiming her a sympathetic smile an arm’s length away, Damian was in her face and all but interrogating her (if not for Dick’s and Duke’s hands pushed over his mouth, muffling the little bird’s words the best he could), Jason had silently nodded at her from his spot perched against the BatJet, Tim was praising her choice of tea (“That kind has a lot of caffeine in it for tea. It’s not coffee but good enough!”), Babs had given her an encouraging thumbs up but elected to watch the circus show alongside Jason, and Alfred had a plate of her favorite snickerdoodles in his arms, looking amused at all that was going on.

Bruce was just kinda there, but she knew he was watching her carefully. He still must not have been over his “no-metas” argument from when his oldest had brought home Kory that one time. But, for good or not, Dick had rubbed off on the mystic and she was hopeful that the dark knight would at least be open to getting to know her.

Especially since she fit into the family aesthetic so well.

Dick wrapped an arm around her shoulders, laughing as he shooed his siblings away, “Give us some space!”

He was positively cheeky at how excited everyone was to meet the love of his life, Don’t worry, we’ll all get used to each other soon. Become best friends and all that; especially you, Lil D.”

The swordsman’s nose scrunched up at his assertion, “You’re sure about that?”

“You’re the current Robin,” He stressed. Raven rolled her eyes as he declared, “Birds of a feather no matter what. Y’all just need some quality bonding time and bam!” Dick kissed her cheek, “Best buds in no time.”

“She’s a civilian.” He seemed unimpressed, but Dick told her enough about the kid to know how to get through to him, “I can still train.”

“Hmm,” Damian narrowed his eyes at her. His arms crossed, pleased with the idea. “After lunch sparring then?”

“Maybe tomorrow morning?” Raven fought back a smile at the frown that curled immediately the boy’s lips. He was definitely Batman’s son, that was for sure. The mystic shrugged a shoulder, her fingers brushing Dick’s again as she explained, “The trip here was a bit long.”

The boy let out a “Tch” but nodded, squawking as Steph shoved him out of the way. The blonde was excited, “But you still have time for doing stuff today, right?” She whipped her head from Raven to Cass and back again, “We really wanted to get to know you more. And not just like, as Dick’s girlfriend.”

“Oh?” Raven obviously didn’t quite get it so Cass spoke up, “You’re very… powerful. Well-known and…” The girl paused, trying to think of the word. Giving up, she jerked a thumb towards Steph, her smile obvious in her voice, “She has your posters.”

“Hey!” The blonde flushed, snapping her head back to the demoness, “Poster. I just have the one, actually.”

Raven sheepishly smiled, her eyes flicking to her boyfriend in astonishment, “I have my own poster?”

“Pssh,” Dick kissed her temple, “Of course. Why wouldn’t you have a fan-base?”

“And you know her best,” Steph mused aloud, a hand going to her chin. “That means you can help me impress her!”

“She’s literally standing right here.”

Luckily Raven looked amused and a tinge abashed at the attention, so Steph added, “But if we’re gonna spend time together, that means we should probably make it count. Do stuff we both-- all three of us like, right?”

Steph looked so excited at the prospect and kept glancing Cass’ way; while the Black Bat wasn’t as visibly antsy Raven could tell she was hopeful. Amethyst eyes glanced around the room, lingering on Duke as she aimed a soft smile his way, “I’ll have to find time to spend with all of you, but that sounds fun.”

She glanced over Steph’s head and smirked at the redhead, “We can invite Babs. Make it a girls’ night.” A not quite squeak slipped out and Dick let out a yelp as she grabbed his arm, leading him towards the controls. “We need to plan everything!”

Dick conceded with her tugging on his arm, wagging his fingers and blowing a kiss to the empath as he was pulled along. And with the acrobat no longer by her side there was another clamor for her attention. She appeased them the best she could; however, Tim was the quietest of the group (unsurprising, given that even Cass’ occasional signing was almost as loud as her siblings words) and Raven chose to follow his lead out of the BatCave.

She gave Duke and Cass a sympathetic wave as she heard the tail end of Damian’s instructions to them, deciding not to question why the youngest Bat felt it necessary to bring out the training flamethrowers for their sparring.

“Don’t mind Dami,” Raven glanced to the side and felt her smile widen at the sight of Barbara. She and Jason were the only Bats Raven had a chance to meet the first time she’d been invited to Gotham, way before romance was even an option between her and Dick. And now the redhead looked thoroughly entertained at all that had happened (and was bound to happen, given this family’s track sheet) as she wheeled alongside Raven, her olive eyes glancing at Tim. “You know about coffee?”

Raven shrugged, “Dick tries to get me to try it sometimes.”

“You’re about to get an… education.”

“On the necessity of caffeine?”

“On how insane Tim can get.” Babs’ grin was entirely cheeky as she admitted, “Jason used up the rest of the beans and didn’t refill them, so he was waiting until after you showed up to get as caffeinated as possible.”

“Should I say ‘oh no,’ or is this somehow gonna turn out okay?”

The lens of Babs’ glasses shone as they entered the kitchen, seeing that Tim had already made his way to the coffee pot in the two second lead that he had on them. “You should say ‘oh no.’”

“So, Raven…” Tim spread his arms and spun in a circle, a sleepy grin brightening his face, “You like your coffee with one sugar to two?”

Ignoring the look that Oracle sent her way, the demoness decided to be honest, “I’ve never had a full cup before.”

Babs palmed her face and wheeled back a few feet.

Raven blinked as, seemingly a second later, she was the sole audience to real life TED talk. Her head tilted to the side as she was introduced to a whirlwind of teas and coffees with Tim, trying her hardest not to smile as he walked her through how to roast the beans just enough to get all the caffeine out of them possible, taste be damned. The boy was oddly engaged and, admittedly, the topic was interesting (if a bit unexpected). Alfred’s kitchen also apparently had twenty hidden drawers just for coffee enhancements, but they would absolutely remodel to get Raven her own tea drawers ‘if she ever decided to move in.’

Her pale cheeks flushed at that, the heat burning down to her neck as Babs piped up, “Might as well start the renovations now, if Dick’s letting her fend for herself with us.”

Tim snickered at that, pointing out to his brother’s girlfriend a second later, “But you know what’s best for keeping sane in this house?”

“A cup of tea?”

He stuck his tongue out at Raven’s cheekiness and strode to the fridge. Tim pulled out a can and shook it, energy shining beyond his lethargic eyes, “A shot of coffee. Whipped cream on top.”

“A shot? Seems like coffee’s something I need to take down as fast as possible.”

“He’s actually done that before,” Babs casually added into the air.

There was a pause as Raven leaned it, squinting at the sleep-deprived teen. She wondered when the last time he had a proper night’s sleep was, but immediately tossed the thought out, lest she actually find out. Still, the mage had to know, “How long until you take in too much caffeine?”

“I know you’re just coming into the fam, but Raven,” Tim held up his coffee and sprayed a burst of whipped cream into his mouth, “Too much caffeine isn’t even an issue when it comes to me.”

Her head tilted to the side, her eyes narrowed in suspicion, “This seems dangerous.”

Babs let out a snort, “Yep.”

“And unwise.”

“That’s the idea.”

Amethyst eyes flicked to Tim and she decided that if she was in their house she might as well act like a Bat. Her arms crossed over her chest, her words resolute, “You can’t knock down a day’s worth of coffee in less than ten minutes.”

Babs let out a sigh but Tim looked excited. He winked at his undoubtedly future sister, speaking one word before tossing back the near scalding coffee, “Bet.”

Raven blinked, not sure whether to be alarmed or impressed at how he merely took another burst of whipped cream and went onto the next steaming cup. Briefly, she thought that Dick probably wouldn’t be too enthused that she wasn’t necessarily stopping him from doing this. But, if she was being completely honest, she was truly enjoying whatever this mess of her afternoon had become.

Although she did jump when Barbara nudged her side.

The redhead noted the tiniest crackle of magic on the girl’s fingertips and her face softened, remembering what Raven had told her of her powers when they’d first met. “You know,” She muttered, her brows inching up as Tim decided to simply down the whipped cream and coffee simultaneously.

Green eyes flicked to the mystic, “I’m surprised you haven’t needed to meditate yet.”

Raven shrugged one shoulder, “I rested on the way here.”

“Yeah, but we’re kinda a handful, empathy or not.” Another glance at Tim, who had somehow brought Alfred into his experiment. Babs tried to hold back a chuckle before she added, “We also brood a lot. I’m sure no one would hold it against you if you needed to chill out for a bit.” She gave Raven a knowing smile at the younger woman’s shifting, both of them knowing that she was right.

“Now that I think about,” Babs’ voice was teasing but a calm in the chaos that was Alfred silently tut-tutting as he watched Tim down coffee at a speed that shouldn’t have been possible, “There’s a little nook near the cave’s entrance. You know that carved mouse hole, like in the cartoons? It’s where Dick almost broke his arm trapezing over the statues?”

At the demoness’ nod Babs added, “It’s probably quiet enough for you to sneak in and out of if you want. I’d take you but we really don’t need Tim being too hyped up this early.” Her head tilted in thought and she pushed up her glasses, “Jay’s usually there whenever he visits the manor, though.”

She grinned at the empath, “But you two get along pretty well. And you can tell you’re there if you see ash piles around.”

Raven’s lips twitched in a smirk, “You’re really telling me to follow the breadcrumbs?”

“More like the cigarette butts. Besides, it’s peaceful and we left him in charge of keeping Damian from interrogating you. You’ll be fine and probably--maybe alone.” Babs touched her arm and Raven smiled back, feeling closer to the redhead since the last time they’d met. And, if her smile was any indication, Babs felt the same.

A lazy laugh escaped her as she turned her wheels, ready to stop Tim from his ongoing lecture that Alfred was almost certainly tuning out, “I’ll save you a spot at the table.”

“See you at lunch, then.” Raven wondered if this was what having siblings was like and nodded once, turning towards the door before Babs could even begin to guess what she was thinking about.

She knew that Batman wasn’t a fan of superpowers in his city, let alone his manor, but she still let herself fall into the shadows, quietly making her way to to place Barbara had guided her to. Her heart light, Raven wondered if Dick was right to be so hopeful on the way up here; so far things were going well. She was actually bonding with others, as insane as it was to imagine. Her thoughts and movements faltered as she passed by some of the artwork and busts that lined the halls, wondering if her lover knew their origins.

Oh, well. She had a whole weekend to find out, maybe longer if Batman somehow took a liking to her as much as his children had.

Raven shook her head and stopped, reorienting herself before she got lost. Slipping through a crack under the door the mage blinked at the tiny pile of ashes just inside. She felt his presence before he noticed hers and let her body manifest again.

Jason didn’t pause his smoking as she walked up to him, simply putting down his phone and nodding at her. His lips split in a grin as she let out a sigh and she collapsed into the seat next to him. He nudged her with his shoulder, snickering at the scent of coffee that wafted off her, “You let Tim explain his coffees to you?”

“We made a bet and he actually started drinking all of them.”

Jason let out a noisy breath, not quite a laugh and not quite a sigh, “You’re more patient than me.”

“That’s a given.”

“And you’re finally letting some of that snark out! Look like you’re getting along pretty fine here.”

A curl of magic wordlessly put out his cigarette. Jason leaned his head back, a resound laugh rumbling out of him at her antics, “Basically a Bat already.”

His turned to look down at her when all she did was snort at his words, his smile secretive. Jason nudged her again, “Although we gotta wait til Dickolas gets the balls to ask you to make it official.”

Raven gave him a flat look, although the stare was weakened by the curl in her lips. She turned away from him and decided to pivot the conversation to a more expected route, “I thought you would’ve been trying to tell me embarrassing stories of him, maybe even bring out a video or three.”

“That’s not until he brings you over for Chrismukkah.”

She snickered, resting her arm on the couch’s back. Her violet gaze looked him over once, “And what about you willingly babysitting Damian like Babs said you were supposed to be doing?”

He smirked at her choice of words, “That’s not happening until Hell freezes over.”

Another pointed look, this time interrupted by the mage’s snickers. “Although,” Jason looked her over once, surprised and appraising that she was keeping a calm head in this midst of meeting this clusterfuck of a family, “I kinda thought B'd've run you off by now.”

“B'd've?” She snorted at the contraction, one brow rising in question a second later, “Is B for Bruce or Batman or…?” She let her words trail off at the new press of emotions around her. The empath didn’t acknowledge the shift as Jason’s gaze landed on something just beyond her shoulder, but she had a good enough idea when a cocky smirk lit up his face.

“B is for Bitch.”

He looked up as he spoke, grinning at his adoptive father as the man approached them.

Bruce aimed a pointed look Jason's way, his attention settling on the demoness right after. Raven sat up straighter but didn't speak, electing to simply observe him and the subdued emotions that he carried. Jason watched their stare off for a moment, a fist pressed into his cheek in mock-curiosity.

“Quite a party,” He drawled, snickering at the two sideways glares he received. The anti-hero shrugged and bounced up to his feet, not wanting to endure the thrilling conversation they were bound to have. He aimed an emerald wink Raven’s way and nudged his dad in the arm as he passed.

A calloused hand waved over his shoulder, “Later, you two. Have fun with whatever the fuck this is!”

Raven gaze flicked from his retreating back to Bruce’s face, not knowing what to say. But the Batman seemed busy with observing her, trying to determine exactly how much he could possibly trust her. So she decided to do the same, wondering how they could get along. They certainly seemed similar enough, if Dick’s opinion was anything to go by (and she trusted his opinion with everything in her).

After a minute Bruce broke the silence, his hands going to his pockets, “Glad to see you're getting along with everyone.”

Pale fingers drummed against her thigh, “No ‘else’ at the end?”

His chin twitched and a sigh escaped, Alfred’s earlier words echoing in his mind. The billionaire shrugged a shoulder and he got on with it, “Dick loves you so I might as well get to know you.”

“That’s almost sweet.”

“I still don't trust you whatsoever.”

Her lips moved from a straight line to a half-smile, “That’s not as sweet, but very obvious.”

“But,” Batman paused, deciding to be completely honest with this girl, “I didn't trust a lot of my allies at first either. And if you may be,” He all but grunted out the word, “Family… then I'll try.”

Raven bit back a hum at his words (and Barbara’s, and Tim’s, and Jason’s), wondering if Dick was introducing her like this for a reason. But this was an opportunity she refused to waste and she nodded at him, “So will I.”

The demoness paused and stood, tucking some loose hair behind her ear. Her face raised to meet him and she spoke, “I don't expect us to start over. I know that this distrust will be there for a while but I was hoping--” Raven cut herself off, shaking her head as her voice faltered.

Visibly making up her mind, the ex-Titan squared her shoulders and held out her hand. She looked into the dark knight’s eyes as steadily as she could, “I'm Rachel, although I prefer to go by Raven.”

He stared at her for a long second, then grabbed her hand. They shook and he introduced himself, “I'm Bruce, I prefer being called Batman.” Raven was stoic despite the wave of disappointment that filled her and he rolled his jaw, “But you can call me B. Most of my kids do anyway.”

She let out a tiny breath at the intent behind his words and a genuine smile formed. “It’s very nice to meet you B,” Raven’s hands clasped in front of her stomach, her thumbs rubbing against each other, “I'm in love with your son.”

“I can tell.” The closest thing to a smile curled his lips, “He's desperately in love with you too.”

“Yeah?”

Bruce shrugged again, but this time there was some humor in his stance. “He all but threatened us to do our best to make you feel included this weekend.”

A quiet laugh escaped her, “Did he really?”

“His exact words were ‘Please try and make her happy.’ We may have taken some liberties.”

The empath’s shoulders shook again and she decided to be bold, “Well, I'd think a tour of the manor would make me quite happy. Some of those paintings in the eastern wing are new and possibly Baroque.”

“Hmmm,” His sapphire eyes glanced down at her, “You haven’t been here since Tim was Robin, right?” She nodded, knowing that his words weren’t a question. Bruce aimed his chin towards where the kitchen lay and continued, “Alfred would probably prefer taking you around, but I have an hour or so to spare.”

“And here Dick had me thinking you were a workaholic.”

A brow raised and (honest to Azar) the Batman looked amused, “Just Dick?”

Raven bit the inside of her cheek, keeping her smile from getting too wide, “Maybe a few others too.”

“Well, then,” He motioned for her to follow him and they strolled out into the hallways, “Let’s get going.”

They fell into an easy silence (well not easy, but easy enough for someone being accompanied by Batman) as they walked the halls, their steps slowing every corner or so for Raven to admire some of the art and for Bruce to offer some details. After a few minutes the mage blinked as she recognized the doorway to the kitchen and they passed through, spotting a certain acrobat.

Bruce merely tilted his head and Raven gave him a small wave, the stoics not stopping their tour as they went. As the vigilante paused to explain one of the mustachioed busts she had hesitated at earlier, Raven quietly murmured into the air, “Did you see his face?”

“He looked very happy. Usually I only see that when he’s talking about you.”

Raven smiled at that. “I’d imagine us getting along certainly helps too,” she added.

Bruce glanced at her, neither acknowledging the positive press of his emotions. The dark knight motioned around them as they entered the foyer, “So would you like to see the library or courtyard first?”

“Courtyard, please.”

Dick had brought her here on a few occasions, although Bruce only knew about the first time. Most of the times they’d snuck in for her to get a sight of the sheer amount of literature that the Wayne family had collected over the years. The library was still that wonderful mix of clean rain and old books and the shelves were as pristine as ever, but Raven was still as awestruck as the first time.

Bruce laid a hand on her shoulder, “Alfred was talking about preparing your favorites for lunch. I’ll go check up on him and send Dick your way if I see him.”

“Thank you, Bru- I mean, B.” She let out a quiet chuckle at her mess-up, “I’ll get used to it eventually.”

He raised a brow, his face a bit more open than before. Raven tried to keep the hope out of her face but she knew that he noticed. The vigilante nodded to her once, “I hope so.”

She tucked her head and, after a beat, he turned on his heel and snuck out of the library, moving in the shadows. The mystic’s attention immediately went back to the bookshelves, so she didn’t notice as he hesitated to glance one more time at her, missing the approving (albeit reluctant) nod to himself.

Finally alone, Raven let herself get lost in the novels and indexes around her. She let out a soft “Aha!” as she spotted a huge collection of first editions, carefully tucked away on a raised platform of their own.

After what felt like seconds (though, knowing her, could’ve been hours), Raven felt a wonderfully familiar aura burst into her senses. She felt the uptick of happiness through their bond before Dick softly called out to her, “There you are.”

The mystic turned to face him, her nose still in her book. “Seems like you’re having fun,” He laughed, winking at her when she glanced at him from the top of the page.

“I am.” Raven completely tore her eyes from the pages, leaning up as he pressed a kiss to her temple. Whether it was the smell of him all around her or just the calm that he brought after all the emotions of meeting his family, the empath let out a happy sigh. She sunk into his arms and the words slid out of her, “I love it here.”

Dick rested their foreheads together, his smile bright in his voice, “You do love your libraries.”

Raven’s eyes slid halfway shut, a soft smile forming, “Not what I meant.”

“Yeah?”

She sighed as he bumped their noses together. The mystic flew up an inch to quietly murmur against his lips, her words a breath between them, “Yeah.”

#robrae week 2019 #robraeweek2019 #dickrae #batfam #my writing #raven #dick grayson #barbara gordon #tim drake #jason todd #bruce wayne #rae n batfam bonding is my l i f e #it's 2 am and im done!! into the queue babey #im absolutely tim rn just... i need so much caffeine #this is not at all as finished as i want it to be #and has basically no editing #but it's here and im okay enough with it #but also #like how much of this is me trying and failing to not make these convos sound like every type of robrae possible #but i know im never gonna come back to it after this week is over sooo #so straight up tomorrow will be part 2 #with the rest of the batfam obvs #but training is like 10% done so like.. maybe i'll just post both on saturday??#we'll see. but im finishing up the rest of this week dammit #yknow two weeks ago i was certain i wasn't gonna do today or tomorrow's prompts but like.. it m u s t be done #im gonna do this all last minute but it's gonna be done!!!#i wanna finish everything by tomorrow night but whoooo boy that's gonna be a challenge

55 notes · View notes

crimsoncobaltblue · 6 years

Text

A Single Touch: Part 3 - Debbigail

(Alright so gotta do a part three of this cuz I’m long-winded. Plus this is actually kinda fun writing this stuff! When I have time, of course. I haven’t written fanfiction in a long time and I forgot how fun it actually is! Anyway, enjoy part three!!)

Read the first two parts if you wanna Part 1 | Part 2

———————

For a second, I didn’t answer because I was in awe of her. How on earth did I get someone this amazing as my soulmate?! I cleared my throat. “Yeah, I’m okay. I just...” I paused unsure of whether to tell her.

Webby suddenly looked anxious. She started messing with her hair while looking down, as if she were guilty of eating the last cookie and was trying to hide it. “It isn’t because of me... Is it?” She inquired softly as she glanced back up at me sadly.

I blinked in shock, trying and failing to comprehend the insecurity that sounded in her voice. I stepped toward her and cautiously put my hands on her shoulders, ignoring the jolt I got from doing so. I gave her my best reassuring smile and shook my head. “Of course not, Webby. I would never be upset at having met my soulmate. Besides, you’re like one of the coolest people I’ve ever met. I can’t be mad at someone that literally just did a backflip!” I explained while hoping the heat in my face wasn’t as evident as I thought it was.

Webby’s shoulders relaxed beneath my hands and she smiled brightly at me, her pretty eyes shining in what little light was in the Wing of Secrets.

“Good,” She replied. “Speaking of soulmates... Uh, do all soulmates, like, start dating as soon as they meet or... Wait what do soulmates even do?! Actually, what even is a soulmate??...” She started rambling, pressing her hand to her head, and I swear I was listening to everything.

However, I did have stop the surge of thoughts about how how adorable she acted when she was nervous. I wish I had noticed her eye color earlier but, in my defense, I had been a little distracted. Anyways my point was, I did hear everything.

“Hey, woah woah woah.” I said trying to slow down the flood of questions she was spouting. I started trying to think of everything me, Huey, and Louie ever learned about soulmates. Huey especially, because he remembered everything.

“You might wanna ask Huey what a soulmate is specifically. But I’ve always thought a soulmate is kinda like a best friend,” I started to try and answer and Webby stopped talking, hanging on every word. I felt a swell of pride in that fact. “One that is perfect for you, that is supposed to love and care for you unconditionally.” I finished and she nodded, still looking puzzled but starting to get it.

“As for if soulmates start dating,” I looked down at my hands and noticed they were still on her shoulders and now, Webby’s hands were holding onto my arms. I didn’t want to but I figured it was maybe a little weird to hold onto her like this. I slowly moved my hands from her shoulders to her wrists as I kept speaking. “Some soulmates do, some don’t date until they’ve known each other for a while. And some don’t even fall in love with the other and never date.” I stated the facts that Huey would tell me, as if he were trying to remind me that not loving my soulmate didn’t mean either of us were horrible people but it somehow never helped. I always grew a little depressed at the thought that people who literally met their perfect match, and weren’t able to work it out. By now, the tips of my fingers were touching hers. But I couldn’t seem to force my hands to come back to myself.

This whole platonic soulmate thing was probably gonna be a little harder than I thought.

“I had no idea.” Webby said, looking down as the ground. “I’m sorry that I don’t know much about them. My granny always either kept me busy training or I was researching your family. So, not much time for me to worry and research about a soulmate, ya know?” She stated thoughtfully, while staring at our still connected hands. I panicked and took my hands to scratch at my head as nonchalantly as possible.

“I don’t know honestly. I was always really excited to meet you actually.” I said while smiling and looking away. I could feel her stare as I glance to the sides, staring at random artifacts and crates around us. “Although I always thought I’d meet you later rather than sooner.” I admitted, hoping it didn’t offend her but she didn’t seem focused on that.

She reached forward and took my hands in hers. She gasped while staring at our hands so I looked as well only for her to let go, now she was staring at her own hands and I looked confused. She grinned at me wildly and I really had to try my hardest to ignore the extra thump my heart gave. “Sorry but check this out Dewey! Touch my hands! Watch what my hands do when you touch them!!” She exclaimed and I immediately touched my finger to her open palm like she asked.

I noticed the tiniest glow from her soulmarks and when I stopped, the glow stopped but the marks weren’t there anymore. “Woah.” Was all I could say. I touched her hands again and I looked at my marks and saw they were glowing softly through my shirt. “Mine are doing that too.” My smile grew wider and noticed we were a lot closer than were a second ago. My smile turned mischievous.

“I guess it’s because you light up my world.” I winked at her but I doubt she saw it. “Literally.”

For a few seconds Webby was silent until she started laughing a loud and happy sounding laugh. It was a really nice sound.

I started laughing as well, until Webby managed to get a hold of herself and she looked to where I thought I heard Huey and Louie. She looked back at me and it wasn’t until she escaped did I realize both my hands found their way to hers.

I really oughta work on controlling that.

“Can we talk more later? About the... dating stuff things?” She asked, trying to be serious as she turned around to look at me.

I nodded. “Yeah, we can.” I agreed, trying to keep from laughing. That was a cheesy line even for me.

She smiled. “Good. Then, maybe we could branch out and we could talk about sword horses, and griffins, and sea monsters and- WOAH! Careful!” Webby shouted, racing towards Louie to stop him from touching a ‘Medusa Gauntlet’ whatever that is. Sounds cool too.

“This place is incredible!” Huey exclaimed, spreading his arms out to all the stuff surrounding him.

I froze in front of an old, torn portrait, hearing Huey say that. I couldn’t stop myself. After seeing this old painting, I had to tell him the truth. Let him down so that way he won’t be fooled by all this stuff. “It’s fake.” Is all I said as I scowled at the portrait.

Huey walked towards me and stared at it and gave me a confused look before asking hesitantly, as if to make sure he wasn’t the only one seeing it, “Is that... Uncle Donald?”

“Oh, yeah!” Webby exclaimed, still smiling happily. Suddenly I felt her fingers brushing against mine and I felt myself relax a small bit as she continued. “He was Mr. McDuck’s sidekick!”

Huey and Louie looked at each other before speaking. “Dewey’s right.” Huey said with a sigh.

“Totally fake.” Louie agreed with Huey.

I did feel a little bad about saying that when I saw Webby’s enthusiastic expression fall and she let her fingers fall away from mine.

“Uncle Donald has never done anything cool.” I stated, putting my hands on my sides. This was a fact. He never has and never will do anything purposefully cool otherwise we would’ve known.

Right?

Webby practically glared at us. “WHAT?!” She shouted, turning toward me. I’ll be honest, I was a little unnerved by her yelling. Mostly because I knew she could tie us all up if she wanted to.

“Donald Duck is one of the most daring adventurers of ALL TIME!” Webby raised her arms and she got kind of a dreamy expression. “He’s my hero! Besides Scrooge McDuck naturally. Oh, and my granny too.” She stared at the painting again. “The point is that Donald Duck is one of the greatest adventurers ever!” She glared towards me, daring me to contradict her.

If she’s done as much research on my family as I think, then she knows I’m not one to back down from a dare.

“Uncle Donald is great in his own way. But he isn’t an adventurer. He gets normal jobs. He does his best to keep us safe, which I am glad for, but he just is not the adventuring type.” I argued, returning her glare.

Webby opened her beak, her finger pointing at me but, of course, Louie beat her to the punch.

I really hope that Louie will eventually stop teasing me and Webby like this.

“You know, if I hadn’t known you two have just met, I would definitely believe you were together.” Louie shrugged, smirking.

The annoying blush returned to my face. I’m glad it’s dark in here. “Ugh. Shut up, Louie.” I groaned, planting my hand to my face, too embarrassed to say anything else.

“Sorry, Dewford, he isn’t wrong.” Huey piped up, grinning smugly. “So, when’s the wedding?” Huey asked while walking around Webby to me, leaning his arm on my shoulder. Webby looked as embarrassed as I felt.

Louie did the same on my other shoulder. “Yeah, which one of us will be the best man? It’s gonna be me right?” Louie asked and I grumbled.

“This was not the point of this argument.” I pointed out, hoping this would be enough to get them to leave me and Webby alone. I stood up straight and scowled at my brothers, trying to convey as much annoyance as possible.

“I don’t know, Dewey,” I heard Webby start. I looked up, expecting her to look flustered and embarrassed but ready to tell my brothers to leave us alone. Instead I saw the boldest, most bewitching smile I’ve ever seen. What’s worse is that I liked that look on her face.

Is this what a heart attack feels like?

I’m pretty sure all the blood I have is in my face and I can’t talk. Sounds a lot like what a heart attack consists of.

“I really think we’d look cute together on a wedding cake, don’t you?” She said, her voice wobbling a smidge but she sounded confident enough that it still held power. She smirked proudly.

My brothers howled with laughter. Huey keeping his hat over his face but it did nothing to muffle his giggles and Louie was laying on the floor, hitting it with his fists as he practically cried from laughter.

Normally, I’m a smooth guy. I’ve been called a charmer before. I can give and take nearly any pick-up line you could think of. Nearly. Except one from her apparently. She smiled shyly at the floor, as if suddenly realizing that was very out of character for her.

Then she had the audacity to wink at me. That was when I knew I was done for.

“I-I-I... Yeah, well... I-I... Well...” I tried to reply but nothing actually helpful came out. All I could do was blush and stutter and grin stupidly at her. Lots of stupid grins aimed in her direction.

What can I say? I can appreciate a good pick-up line, especially when it comes from a pretty girl.

I shook my head, attempting to clear my mind. “OKAY! BACK TO THE ORIGINAL TOPIC!” I yelled out, getting everyone’s attention and seriousness. No old daydreams would come to haunt me this time.

... Webby and I in the kitchen, baking cookies...

NO! Not again, brain! Stop that!

“This has gotta be a fake!” I started, struggling to keep my mind from wandering. “And I bet everything else is too.” I had to get them against Uncle Scrooge. We can’t like him. We just can’t. Not when he hates us as much as he does.

Family is nothing but TROUBLE!

His words came back, making me feel horrible about even admiring him at one point.

“That’s not true!” Webby shouted back, turning and pointing to the picture of Scrooge standing on top of the hairless bear. “What about this picture with chupacabra?”

“Photoshop.” Huey sighed, looking disappointed.

Most people would’ve looked discouraged. Webby just looked more determined. “This treasure chest?” She violently pointed at the chest.

Louie shrugged, back to looking bored as usual. “Probably bought it at an auction.”

A sheet suddenly flew up out of the chest. “This g-ghost?” She asked, quickly backing up and staring at the sheet fearfully. I’ll admit it was an impressive act and I nearly bought it. But I can’t afford to buy it. Not when Scrooge is so clearly a liar.

I walked up next to her. “You mean this Halloween decoration?” I yanked the sheet off, determined to prove that I was right by encountering a spooky old inflatable ghost or something.

Instead I was greeted by a real ghost, and a pirate one at that. One with a big black beard and a peg-leg and a... hook for a leg too. I would’ve made fun of it if it wasn’t a REAL GHOST!!!

“CURSE YE, YA SCURVY, LIFE-LUBBERS!!!” The ghost screamed eerily while trying to grab at us.

Naturally, I grabbed Webby’s hand and we turned tail to run for our lives as fast as we could.

“It’s Captain Peghook!” She told me as I tried my best to run past her to get to what I thought was a sword. I had let go of her hand so we wouldn’t crash into anything. “The scourge of the river Styx!!” She panted while farting behind a crate.

I ran toward the door, grabbed the old sword that was inside a box. “IT’S REAL!” I yelled while pointing the saber toward the ghost. “IT’S REALLY REALLY REAL!!!” Compared to this, being tied up by Webby was a piece of cake.

Suddenly the sword flew out of my hand and into the chest of the ghost, only for it to go right through his phantom ribs.

I looked to where I knew Webby had hidden, my face betraying my obvious panic. Huey and Webby poked their heads up and Webby gasped. “That’s the Deus Excalibur! It won’t rest until it’s target is slain!”

I watched as the sword went through the ghost multiple times but Peghook paid it no mind. He just staggered toward me again like normal.

I suddenly felt the need to scream like a baby and run but I didn’t. Well, I didn’t scream like a baby at least. “But he’s already DEAD!” I yelled back at Webby.

They both made weird faces as the Deus Excalibur flew past them to hit a gong before heading back towards Captain Peghook.

The horrified gasped that escaped Webby’s beak almost made me stop in my tracks. If weren’t for the huge ghost chasing me I surely would have.

“Do not let anything else hit that gong!”Webby shouted her voice cracking on the last word. She held onto the crate next to her with a death grip.

“Yep!” I heard Louie say as I ran around the crates and under shelves of cardboard boxes and random knick knacks and artifacts, trying to lose the terrifying ghost behind me. “I’m gonna sit this one out!” I heard him say before hearing a surprised ‘WOAH!’ escape him.

I heard a loud neigh, which confused me even more than I already was, and I ran around to see what was happening.

“The headless man-horse!!!” Webby yelled while pointing at it. Then she muttered something about ‘self-explanatory.’ Honestly at this point I shouldn’t be surprised that that is a thing but I guess old habits die hard.

Which is how I might die if we don’t DO SOMETHING!

I heard the man-horse shrieking and a second gong sound and felt my heart skip a beat. And not in a good way. So I turned around and ran back and stopped beside Huey and Webby.

“That’s twice!” I panted before ducking as the ghost whisked over me.

“One more and something terrible could happen!” Webby yelled, sounding the most calm out of everyone here. Which was still pretty panicked by most people’s standards.

WHAT could be WORSE than THIS?!?!!” Louie screamed running to stand next to Huey, looking more freaked out than I’ve ever seen him.

WHAT IN DISMAL DOEWNS IS GOIN’ ON IN HERE?!?!?!” Scrooge roared behind us and we all turned around to face him. All of us probably looked like deer in headlights.

I sighed and I heard us all say it at the same time. “There it is.”

———————

(Okay so I know this was really late but, as I’ve said before, farm life is hard. But I hope you all like this third part to my little story! Also, in case you all can’t tell, I’m a sucker for a romantic Dewey lol

Thanks for all the likes and reblogs btw! Also @cartoonlover233 and @valentine1604 hope you like this part of the story. I’ll try and get the fourth part done by the end of this week but no promises ;3 lol)

#a single touch #debbigail #ducktales #webby vanderquack #dewey x webby #huey dewey and louie #webby #dewey duck #soulmate au #bad writing #lol #:3 #idek

45 notes · View notes

svtmatokis · 5 years

Text

A Bad Influence | Pt2

[Pairing]:Kwon Soonyoung/Hoshi and Reader

[Word Count]:1227

[Summary]: So far, your relationship with the idol has been smooth, other than the occasional argument about the things you do when he's not around.

[Pt1] [Masterlist]

_______

You woke up before your boyfriend, and really needed to use the bathroom, so you replaced your body with a pillow and hoped to whatever higher power was up there he wouldn't notice. After you got out of the bathroom, you saw that he wasn't on the sofa anymore. You silently panicked, thinking that he had left you, realizing how dangerous you actually were, but then your fears were sated by shuffling sounds coming from your bedroom. Fully stretching, you walked slowly to your door and opened it. There you saw your boyfriend with only boxers, looking for some clothes to wear. He was bent over, his butt fully shown to you.

You weren’t going to pass a chance like this up, since he always did it to you. You snuck up being him, and gave his backside a light but firm smack. He quickly jumped up and turned around to face you. His red face has pretty much made your entire day. He recoiled, and you saw the mischief on his face. You ran out of the room, maneuvering around your small apartment to avoid the wrath of your idol boyfriend.

You dropped off Soonyoung at the building where the dorms were, giving him a quick peck on the lips. You were going to pull away when you were pulled in for an even deeper kiss.

“Don't forget about tonight.” He told you, leaving you breathless.

__________

Sunset was coming, and honestly you were ready for sleep. Your job at the calling center had drained you. Five customers had yelled at you for their devices not working, and it took every ounce of your will not to just yell at them to buzz off. You were making your way home when you got a text. You pulled over and read it.

[Handsomehamster]: everything is set up. c'mon my pummykin ;)

[You]: please dont call me that ever again.

You roughly leaned back on your seat, and decided to turn around and go to the dorms instead of getting some well deserved sleep. When you arrived, you siked yourself up for meeting 12 boys that you've only seen through a screen or far away on a stage. You walked in and was looked up and down by the lady at the desk in the lobby. You looked down at your clothes. Black and leather probably wasn’t the best clothing choice, but at least you had a jacket to cover some of it and make you not look like a total cliché.

You took the elevator to their floor, and it hit you. Oh god, you were meeting 12 different boys with different personalities, and from what you’ve seen, they're all absolutely crazy. How did you yourself into this? When the elevator doors opened you walked over to the second dorm, like you were told earlier that morning. You let out the breath you Were holding and knocked. There was a huge commotion at the door before the one you recognized as Jeonghan opened it.

He looked you up and down before moving out of the way.

“Hi. I'm Jeonghan. You must be the girlfriend I've heard all about. Come in.”

You walked in, and were greeted by 9 other pairs of eyes. You felt like a caged animal as you walked in and stood next to the door. Your boyfriend quickly saved you.

“Jagi, hey!” he said loudly, obviously trying to fill up the silence with his voice.

“This is my girlfriend, she’s amazing.” He said, taking his place beside you.

You gave a big smile and introduced yourself.

“It's really nice to meet you all…I'm sure you've seen me at a few of your concerts, I'm a really big fan.”

The room stayed silent. The boys just stared at you, some of them even glaring.

“Can you excuse us?” you said, pulling Soonyoung into the hallway.

“How much did you tell them about me?” you demanded, your anxiety about to eat you alive.

“Everything…?”

“Everything?! What do you mean everything you mean everything, everything? My past? The stuff I used to do? The people I’m friends with?”

He slowly nodded, and you found yourself pacing.

“Oh god if they know about me they hate me oh god oh god…”

Hoshi reached out and took your hands in his. You didn't even realize you were shaking. He looked you in your eyes.

“It's going to be okay, alright? They don’t hate you okay? Even if they did, I’m on your side, no matter what.”

You quickly nodded your head, his soothing words calming you down the tiniest bit. You both made your way back into the main room, where you heard the commotion of all of the boys. It was like a controlled chaos, small groups all doing different things and not out of hand. This time they seemed to not be very tense. You must have been gone longer than you thought. When your presence was known, the mood dropped, and you were greeted with silence once again.

“Okay,” you heard a deep voice ring out, “How about we introduce ourselves?”

You looked over at the direction of the voice, and it was S.Coups, right at the kitchen. Mingyu was cooking behind him. You were not ready for this. Soonyoung led you to a part of the sofa that wasn't occupied. Suddenly, you got a fun idea.

“What if we go from youngest to oldest, and I’ll see if I can recognize all of you?”

The boys all nodded in agreement. You started your little game. You pointed your gaze at Dino.

“You're Lee Chan, the Maknae of Seventeen. You take care of your members really well from what I can see, and You’re actually really funny. You're an ace in singing, dancing, and rapping. You sure do deserve your ‘Golden Maknae’ title.” You said all in one breath.

You could see the boy blush from your compliments. You reached your hand out to shake his.

“Yeah,” he said, tentatively taking your hand, “I'm glad you know me, noona.”

Somehow, hearing Chan call you noona made you feel very warm inside. You decided to shake the feeling and move on.

You talked to the other members, all giving them compliments and observations of yours. The mood got slowly warmer as time went on. When you got to Hoshi, he beamed at you, expecting a lot of praise.

“You're Kwon Soonyoung. Next?”

The boys laughed at your short introduction for him, and Hoshi pulled you in for a small hug. You ran off the rest of the members, and when you got to Seungcheol, you couldn’t help but be speechless. He looked at you expectantly.

“You're Choi Seungcheol. You're just…amazing. Every performance you have is different in some way. You're literally never the exact same, even when you perform the same song over and over. You sacrifice your own well being for the well being of your members, and you’re a fantastic singer. You're amazing.” You breathed out.

You shook his hand awhile he beamed at you, seemingly proud of himself for making such an impact on you.

"Soonyoung never told me you'd be this pretty." He said, smiling.

Your face quickly turned tomato-like as you pulled away and settled into Hoshi's lap.

“Uh, when do we eat?” you said, trying to tell yourself that Seungcheol was not flirting with you.

“Whenever Seungkwan goes in the kitchen and checks on the food.” Vernon said matter-of-factly.

The man in question soon shot up and ran into the kitchen, checking on the food he prepared an hour before. He shouted out that the food was ready, and soon all of you were sat in various positions in the room eating. When you took your first bite, you were immediately in love.

"Woah! This is so good!" you said, taking another bite.

"You are so adorable..." Soonyoung said from behind you. You turned around to face him.

"Who're you calling adorable?" you said, giving him a fierce but playful look.

"You~" he said, giving you a kiss on the cheek. You blushed at his actions.

"Can the both of you be gross somewhere else please?" you heard Junhui groan.

"Don't worry about him." Minghao chimed in, "He's just mad 'cause he isn’t getting any."

You chuckled.

"I'm surprised," you started, taking another bite of your food, "With how you are on stage you would think that a lot of people would be wanting some."

"Are you one of them?"

Minghao hit him with his elbow. You were with Soonyoung, after all. Your boyfriend glared at him, all fiery fury.

You stopped eating and gave Jun the most seductive look you could muster.

"I could be."

His eyes widened and his jaw dropped. You and your boyfriend laughed at his surprise.

"You didn’t have to do that, you know." he chuckled.

"I know, but it was kind of funny, don’t you think?"

"I guess, but no flirting with guys that aren't me, okay?"

You gave him a small peck on the lips, catching Soonyoung off guard.

"Of course Soonie."

___________

Hi yall! It’s been a blast writing this! I love Soonyoung way too much I think…anyway, hope yall ate enjoying this series.

~Amber

[Pt1] [Masterlist]

#seventeen #kpop #seventeen imagines #seventeen scenarios #kpop scenarios #kpop imagines #svt #soonyoung imagines #kwon soonyoung imagines #soonyoung #hoshi imagines #hoshi #seventeen hoshi #pledis #17 #seventeen fic #seventeen imagine #seventeen masterlist

4 notes · View notes

punchmedanny · 6 years

Text

Chicago II July 25, 2018

Alright strap yourselves in cuz this is gonna be a long ass post WITH SPOILERS for Interactive Introverts. I will mark where spoilers begin if you want to read about pre show stuff. If you don't want any spoilers whatsoever, don't feel obligated to read this even if we're buddies! Feel free to send me an ask/dm instead 😅

Alright folks, let's go!

Playing the Waiting Game

I was supposed to get to the venue at 4 for m&g, but I got there before 3 because a) i'm terrified of being late and b) my uber driver made excellent time.

The venue was not open yet, so my bf and I walked to a nearby mall. We passed by the tour buses (presumably dnp's plus other performers'). There was a group of people hanging around them looking v stalkerish (please don't hang around the buses before the show)

We got back to venue around 3:50 and waited in line outside till 4 when the venue let us in. We were near the middle of the line, so if you want to be closer to the front, get there sooner lol

Turns out I was behind the lovely @noodlephil in line (although I didn’t know till after!)

Two internet friends were meeting for the first time and crying (it was adorable)

Inside, there was a table with staff that checked and marked our tickets then gave us silver paper wristbands

We got in a second line where we had a bag check (our venue allowed sealed water bottles, but that might vary) and were scanned by a wand metal detector. After that, staff scanned our tickets

We went to a third line which was the actual line for m&g and were told the m&g itself would start around 4:30

Marianne came by and said we would be waiting a bit longer for "latecomers" (im p sure dnp were the latecomers because most people were there at that point haha)

Marianne walked like a frickin goddess and her voice was beautiful

She made a speech giving us a rundown of how m&g would work, which I recorded

The m&g area was set up in the lobby to the side of the theatre doors

Dan and Phil entered from our left (towards the back of the theate)

They jogged across the m&g backdrop where we could see them better and waved. Dan did the cutest bouncy jump ever while waving. He stayed out longer than Phil

There was a table to set your bag on as you approached the backdrop

The music was loud af and there was NO WAY to see or hear other people's m&g - it was v private even though there were tons of people

Marianne was at the very front of the line and asked what she could do to help. I was like uhhh (because I'm eloquent like that) and she asked if we had anything for them to sign. My bf had golf balls lmao and gave them to her. I said I wanted to take a Polaroid for them to sign. She had me turn the camera on because apparently they’d had issues with Polaroid cameras in the past

I thanked her for the way everything was being run and joked a bit while we waited

When it was our turn, the people in front of us were completely gone (I repeat: v private). Marianne gestured and verbally told us to go on in

Meeting Dan and Phil

Phil was wearing his red jacket and good vibes t-shirt just like the beginning of "week in the life" He welcomed us with open arms and I went in for the Phil Hug. Wow. Phil is an excellent hugger and his arms felt a lot stronger than I imagined. And, yes, he waited for me to let go first

As soon as I let go of Phil, I stepped to the side and and looked at Dan. He was wearing his II denim jacket over a white t-shirt. He also had his arms wide for a hug. And lemme tell you, that boi has a fuckin wingspan. Dan gave a more gentle hug than Phil and we let go at like the same time

I am not a hugger and wasnt even 100% sure before I went in that I would hug them tbh

After the hugs, I stepped back and took them both in that's what she said. My initial impression was confidence and class. Literally, the most confident people I've ever encountered irl

Everyone says they're tall, but they are, as my bf said, taller than advertised. He's 6'2 and still looked up to both of them. I feel like they're both close to the next inch up honestly

They are wide. Like we've all noticed the Phil is wide, but Dan is too! They are literal giants

The cameras do NOT do them justice. Phil looks his age irl and I mean that in the sexiest way possible. He does actually have pores and tiny wrinkles (gasp), but I think they only make him more attractive. He oozes understated masculinity. But he also has serious nerd energy and idgaf attitude. Basically, he seems kind of badass

Dan looked flawless. Like I know every so often people wonder about if he wears makeup and all imma say is either he does OR he has the best damn skin care routine and/or genetics ever. He looks like someone after they use a filter

I'd say dan is suave and phil has swagger

(I'm about to sound real fucking weird) They both had such strong auras or energy or whatever you want to call it. It was palpable and BIG - like it extended off of them a couple feet. Dan's felt more static-y, while phil's felt more like balloon about to burst. It merged together between them to where I couldn't tell where one stopped and the other started

Marianne handed Phil the golf balls and he and Dan just stared at them in his hand in confusion for a second then Phil said "golf balls?" before my bf explained it was because they were the caddy lads. They chuckled and Dan said it was "the only series that has any value"

I am now the proud (?) owner of photos and video of phil holding two balls in his hand and I feel really weird about it

Dan asked if I had anything for them to sign, so I told him I wanted to take a Polaroid to which Dan replied, "D'ya want me to attempt the rare Polaroid selfie?"

Then I actually gently teased Dan (!?!?) because I'm a little shit lol I said, "I successfully did one this morning, so I hope you can"

They both seemed mildly amused and he did the thing where he touched his chest lightly in mock offense and said, "Well, let's see"

Tbh I think this was why I got genuine smiles in my pic

Dan said, "Beautiful" and Phil said "Amazing" lol (it really was tho)

Dan described the signature he'd be doing as "the tiniest little dan" and he used the highest voice ever

Phil's signature was so bad im pretty sure dan laughed at it lmao

Dan offered another selfie with my phone (i love him)

I shook their hands before I left and they seemed surprised, but appreciative. They both had excellent handshakes: firm, but not too hard. They both had soft, warm hands with Phil's being about average and Dan's being warmer than average

Overall, they were incredibly kind and professional. The vibe to be was sort of like talking to a boss who isn't your direct boss at a work party: fun, but still guarded

The saying goes "Never meet your heroes," but whoever said that obviously never met dan and phil. This was one of my happiest memories of all time

1500+ word description of the meeting including a sommelier worthy account of how the boys smell

And here’s the (real shit) video of my m&g

The Pre-Show

After meeting the bois, we were immediately given our goodie bags (one of them was double stuffed, lucky me)

Staff asked if we’d be staying in the theatre or not. Upon telling them we’d be leaving, they let us know we’d need to scan out so we could re-enter later

We bought merch (tie-dye/marbled look tee, long sleeved tee, and denim jacket). The line was basically non-existant, so if you have VIP 100% get your merch at this time

We scanned out and were told we could re-enter at 6 along with general admittance ticket holders

We had dinner then got back around 6:10. There was no line this time and we went through security and ticket scanning again

There were so many people everywhere and everyone was so cute! Why are we such a good looking fandom??? The line for merch was EXTREMELY long. RIP those folks

So was the line for the restrooms (and multiple men’s rooms were turned into ladydoors women’s restrooms)

We got 2 drinks (both for me) then went to our seats. We were front and center - I could literally touch the stage with my shoe from my seat. At this time I met @phandommom and @crunchytoasted1

The pre-show music was loud af where I was seated (I actually put in ear plugs lol). Lots of people were dancing and I got to witness crunchytoast dance to “Ladydoor” live which was a treat. At one point various people were running across the theatre with various LGBT+ flags to plenty of cheers. ‘Twas glorious. People did the whole waving the phone flashlights thing and sang along during “Welcome to the Black Parade”

My bf got me 2 more drinks

Showtime!

THIS IS WHERE THE SPOILERS START!!!

It was so, so weird to see them onstage after having the m&g. I legit wanted to climb onstage and like be close again, but, ya know, I didn’t cuz I know what’s socially acceptable

We were called Susan. Classic

Phil was wearing waffle socks. As in socks with tiny waffles all over them

We sacrificed Phil to Satan and Dan died in a furry nightclub

None of mine or my bf’s answers got chosen and I’m a bit salty lol

We sacrificed Dan (the only correct choice fite me)

At intermission the line for the bathrooms was sooooo long omg. I got myself 2 more drinks at this point and called @h-owllslide to gush about the show. I spilled one of my drinks on my bf a little when I sat back down.

Danny was 3 centimeters away from loosing his dick and he got paint on his shoe. He seemed legit irked lol

Nick Jonas was in Dan’s box, but I don’t recall the other two cuz that was the only one that mattered imo

I got a piece of the sign and when they threw it into the audience it was a bit disturbing how everyone tore into it like a swarm of pirahnas

They wore Cubs baseball shirts over their usual shirts during the rap/song finale which was absolutely precious. I LOVED the finale so fucking much - it was magnificent

END SPOILERS!!!

Closing Thoughts

I wish I hadn’t drank so much (6 wines for those of you keeping track at home). I was getting real embarrassing by the end (as in screaming excitedly too much/ too often) and I don’t remember it as clearly as I wish I did. I was just freaking tf out and my anti-anxiety meds weren’t cutting it

I was struggling incredibly hard not to disassociate the entire time

I wish I could go to another show. It was so fun!

The following day, I had a major mood drop. If you’re prone to this, maybe have a plan to hang with someone and do something nice, but lowkey the next day

This was literally the most fun thing I’ve done in at least two years and was one of my happiest memories ever. We’re talking patronus conjuring levels of happy

If you can go, go. If you can’t, don’t feel too bad. It was EXTREMELY intense and not for everyone (especially m&g). Plus they are putting it up later, which I’m looking forward to because I think I’ll be able to better absorb it

Please feel free to ask me anything about the show! I’d love to go on about it lol

#omg this is so much longer than i anticipated #i mean i aint apologizing lmao #i will be legitimately surprised if anyone reads this in its entirety #it's mainly to help me remember because i have some memory issues #Dan and Phil #dan howell #daniel howell #phil lester #amazingphil #DNP #interactive introverts spoilers #interactive introverts #ii spoilers #ii m&g #text post #punchmedanny #tw: alcohol

104 notes · View notes

haengbokjae-blog · 5 years

Text

fae/fairy jae au

genre: fluff!!!

word count: 2501

A/N: fae is really the same thing as a fairy, its just the common male term for fairy!!!

lets pretend this Doesnt Suck ok? ok ty (and if im completely honest,, the part of the fairytale is a True Story from my childhood,, my dad always told me ab it so i thought it was kinda sweet ok anywayshifg)

this is heavily inspired by @/chenle ‘s demon!jae au, you really should check it. its so beyond precious!!

(this gif is literally so perfect for this .. just wait uwu)

so yknow youre just a Soft Soul

you like to take time away from all the stress of your busy life

after coming home from your classes and taking care of homework or tidying up or making dinner

bc yknow a gal’s gotta eat

sometimes u just like to go outside in your garden

(its french style,, really lovely tbh)

and relax.. Listen to music, play music

bask in the summer sun and feel the breeze in your hair

just girly things yk

imsosorry

anywa y s .. ,,,. .

you would also bring your violin out every once and a while if the neighbors weren’t home, or even if they were, the complaints were sparing because

Lets face it

youve been playing since you were seven years old.. You’ve just turned twenty now..

you’re good

uhh yeah. Hehe xd ok so

since you were a child, your dad always liked to indulge you in these beautiful fantasies, letting your pure mind take you away to something better than reality

you felt like magic was real for so long..

he told you, that everytime you laugh and smile, a fairy was born.

they were all around you, and if you listen closely, you would hear them giggle along with you :’)

of course now, you don’t believe it,, wh- pssh thats nonsense

tbh your heart just wished these things were real, that the make believe could become reality just for a day

things would be so simple, so beautiful, you could be a princess like your dad always said you were, and you could live a pretty life with the birds and fairies and and and

after a particularly stressful day, you returned from class to the house you owned by yourself near campus (for convenience yk) and just decided it was a day that you needed to take time for yourself

so , like a sensible human being, you put on the prettiest white sundress you had, you let your hair that was once tied up fall gently against your back, you poured yourself a glass of champagne (with basically more fruit juice than champagne bc bitter alcohol isnt cute)

and brought out your violin along with a little bowl of fruit and sighed before letting it all go once your bow hit the strings

you decided to play one of your favorite pieces, Introduction and Rondo capriccioso in A Minor, Op. 28

you only got a minute in before your neck started to hurt, you dropped your right arm and put your violin in your lap before sighing, giggling a bit, and taking a quick sip of your little champagne concoction

because damn it just felt nice to let go and play after not having been able to in such a long time

but before you could rest your violin under your chin again, you heard

a Boy

and …. is that a giggle?

s-shit thats precious..

WAIT

you look around, knowing you dont have anyone living near you thats near your age

its literally all old folk okay-

and right near the peonies, is this little mist

b-but your sprinklers arent on..

the mist starts to rise and suddenly, theres glitter in the mist

i-its pink… uwu ?

and once the mist clears, out steps a boy

a really cute boy

a very tall boy

“why’d you stop? it sounds so beautiful…”

your brain : w-wUAaAAAAaAA

you:

he’s… a fairy????

the tall boy blinks once before revealing the brightest, most beautiful smile

he walks over and sits himself down next to you in the plush grass, a pair of iridescent wings slowly moving and fluttering like a butterfly’s, and pops a blueberry from your bowl of fruit into his mouth

you’re literally sitting there…. Dumbfounded

did a fairy literally just pop up because you were laughing

dAD WAS RIGHT

“a-are you a… f-fairy?”

his smile (and his little wings) legitimately dropped so fast

“i’m not a fairy im a fae.”

“there IS a difference okAY??”

“so.. y/n, right?”

“hOW DO YOU-”

“i come around sometimes”

“i read your schoolwork, your diary”

oh … oka- hEY WHA

after getting a better look at him u just kinda realize

wait why is he … beautiful

literally his skin is shimmering and his ears do the pointy thingy

“so.. why dont you play some more, sweets? you’re really good! after all, i came all this way to hear it..”

is he? …. flirti- no. no he’s not.. chill out y/n just bc he’s cute doesnt mean he thinks you are too

here you are . sitting, confused, theres a FAIRY fae in front of you

but … here goes nothing i guess?

you start to play again, and immediately he sighs dreamily and you can feel him staring at you with those sparkly eyes

all of a sudden, he reaches out and puts something in your hair, so your bow screeches on the string and you reach to touch whatever it is because the cheeky fae might have-

“nO stop!! its just a rose”

you look around

owo

“wai- i dont have roses planted in my garden right now...”

“well thats okay” he muses, then blows a few rose petals from his palm in your face

“i can plant some in your garden right now if you’d like! it needs a little freshening up…”

muttering while looking around “oh.. more freshening up than i anticipated” thinking u couldnt hear

u… u could

“hHEY ITS THE BEST I CAN DO IM A STRUGLGIN COLLEGE STUDTENT”

he just sticks out his pink tongue at you, and you notice how plump his lips are

they seriously look like rose petals.. this fairy fae

fairies and fae alike are described to be mischievous

what more can he get up to??

dont worry. a lot.

“well mr. fae, what will you do to my garden? my mother and grandmother helped me out with it, i dont want to go overboard and ruin it, they worked hard an-”

“if you please, my name is jae. and don’t worry. i know what i’m doing! you humans are too careful. have some fun!”

and as soon as he would even scan his eyes over the vines creeping up the side of your house, or the bushes of blackberries or the small rows of flowers, they all flourished, growing in ample numbers, adding sprouts of fruits and vegetables and spreading throughout the span of grass of your backyard.

your jaw was literally

...hanging open

“oh my… i-” you breathed. “j-jae..”

“you’re welcome!” he laughed, beaming down at you

the sun was literally shining brighter because he was there

the rest of the afternoon he stayed and watched you play violin, asking about different songs, who wrote them, when they were written, what you think the mood is

and slowly the sun faded and the sky grew pink

and everything was bathed in a warm light, jae’s eyes were still shining and luminous

“its been such a nice time, but i really should be going, i have pets to feed and a hut to clean”

ngl you were disappointed. you knew you’d miss him even if you only just met

but like… being needy? whos she?

“you’ll see me again, dont worry!” he smirked

“h-how did you-”

“i didn’t, but good to know you enjoy me so much!” he shook his head a little, laughing

he grabbed your flute of champagne and sipped until there was only a small bit left

he literally dared to turn the tall glace around so that the place where his lips had been

were now touching your lips

your face literally got as red as the tomatoes jae planted in the corner

you grabbed the flute of champagne, turned it, and sipped

(angrily??) can u sip angrily? (doesnt matter, u did it)

jae laughed once more and just sighed “you really are something, y/n”

“i-iTS A GOOD THING DONT WORYR”

for once today, he was the one flustered and scrambling to save himself.. funny…..

“w-well look. i have a way you can call for me.”

and out of the palm of his and, he revealed a little bell.

you held out your hand, and when he placed it in your palm, you realized just how much bigger he was than you

like damn for a fae you’re a Long Boi

you tried to ring it, but it was silent

????

“it’s too high for humans to hear, so you can be discreet with it”

“well how do i know that it’s working?”

he grinned and grabbed your shoulders, then moved your hair away from your right ear, then your left, kissing each.

your face is darker than the tomatoes he grew for you now ok a y

“w-whAT THE HELL WAS THAT FOR?”

“ring the bell now”

you shook it lightly, and you could hear the tiniest little tinkling noise

“so you can hear this anywhere?”

“that’s right!”

“you had to kiss me for that?”

“well no, you could it hear as soon as i touched your ears. i only kissed them to get a reaction out of you”

“can the bell send you away too, or?” you gave him A Look

“alright, alright, i’ll be on my way then” he raised his hands in defeat.

you laughed though, he was really something..

“just ring when you need me, y/n” he called, and with a wink, the mist reappeared, replacing the lanky body with wings

you sighed and grabbed your violin, the bowl and the empty flute, and walked inside

that night, you lay in bed, studying the little bell. it was golden with a delicate J engraved into it

your eyes were drooping while you looked over the bell, and slowly you drifted off to sleep

during the night, the bell had fallen onto the floor, and because it was so small, you didn’t hear it ring, but jae sure did

so around like 5am, jae poofed into your room

mist, glitter and all

seeing you were asleep, he was confused at first, but picked up the bell from the floor and put it on your bedside table before walking out of your room into your kitchen

around 7am, you awoke to the smell of tea being brewed

it smelled so nice and warm,, the thought really could put you right back to sle-

what the f- w-why is tea on its 7:12 in the morning

you threw your legs off of the bed, your feet finding your slippers

and you grabbed the bell, clutching it to your chest

because.. i dunno what if something bad happens?

oh christ what are you thinking what is a fAIRY BOY GOING TO DO TO PROTECT YOU?

you round the corner to see..

“jae?” your groggy morning voice makes him turn and his wings twitch and flutter and his cheeks turn a rosy pink (he would never admit to that happening tho, try it lmao)

“good morning, flower” he said gently while flicking his finger and pulling out a chair at your dining table, cueing you to be seated

“you dropped your bell really early this morning, so i just decided to not make my trip here for nothing…” he spit out

was he being .. bashful??

“you put tea on?”

“and i made muffins, i hope you dont mind i used your kitchen”

thats actually…. really sweet

no one but your mom has ever made you breakfast

you nodded wordlessly and grabbed a cup of tea from his hand

“i don’t have a teaset like thi-”

“i brought my own” he said quietly

why is he so shy all of the sudden i-

he always teases you so whats changed now huh

he brings over two plates with muffins on them, meaning you two were going to eat together

you decided to take the first bite and ….

they were so goo d like what

and ig he noticed you blushing because all of the sudden he was so proud

“glad you like them”

“t-they’re alright” you said stubbornly

he grinned and shook his head, taking a bite

you both finished breakfast together, talking a bit along the way, him teasing you more about not wanting to admit that he’s actually a damn good cook

and finally you realized your class would be starting soon… fuc

“what time is- oh GOd i have class in thirty- jae, i’m sorry but i need to go- shit we need to cLEAN okay quick i’ll take th-”

“you get ready, i’ll tidy up” he said immediately

“but- don’t be silly! Cmon i can take-”

“y/n, im not necessarily assertive for much, but i will be now. go. i can take care of this”

this mans… is he really ?

you were stopped in your tracks but he raised an eyebrow at you

and you turned away sO FAST to hide a blush bc

wow this fae is … g orge o u s ok

and since you were turned around

(and not to mention class was quickly approaching and you couldnt afford to waste more time) you decided at last to just leave jae to it

you could just feel him smirking in such a satisfied way hghfh

you marched on to your room and picked out a casual outfit and just threw it on, then proceeded to brush your teeth and braid your hair rather messily

you emerged again and the kitchen was … spotless??

(better than it had been, to your embarrassment)

“w-hoW DO YOU”

“y/n, class?”

“oh dEAR YOU’RE RIGHT”

you quickly ran to the door with jae at your heels and turned to say goodbye.

“until next time...i guess?”

only “ig” because who knows when he’ll just pop up, does the bell even matter to him?

protip: it doesn’t

PRO protip: he’s gonna show up when he wants bc lets face it he wants to be around you as much as he can but he’d never admit that

unless u did first

“yes, you can count on seeing me soon”

why is he being mysterious .. explain

you cocked your head bc . tf jae

but he only grinned at you and leaned against the doorway

“i’ll lock your doors when i leave, you go on y/n”

“well, goodbye then jae”

(rather upset bc .. in all honesty, being away from him already felt wrong)

you turned around before making your way down the path leading to your doorstep

“thank you again for breakfast”

(you made an effort to smile [much to your own chagrin, bc part of you is so tsundere but you .. wanna make his heart flutter like he makes yours bc payback… yea])

he shook his head while letting out a soft chuckle

“until later, little flower”

and with that last flirty phrase, he winked and disappeared with his usual mist

as you walked down the sidewalk to campus, you took his bell from your pocket and studied it more, with a smile lingering on your face.

#day6 jae #day6 imagines #kpop imagines #kpop blurb #kpop au #day6 au #park jaehyung #park jaehyung imagine #day6 jae imagine #day6 fluff #kpop fluff #soft kpop imagines #i literally got inspired to write this bc i saw a picture of him laughing on twitter and a bitch really just #fell: In Love #day6 scenario #kpop scenario

5 notes · View notes

yuzurk · 5 years

Text

「 Countdown to 2019 」 ⇢ RKMelting Solo ( + 2 SP ! ) ⇢ featuring the squad and @aronrk in particular

“ Happy new Year, Arongie. ”

-she leans against the railing, inhaling the fresh air from outside. she knows it's close to midnight, the first fireworks being lit in the sky. a content buzz in the back of her head she takes another sip from her bottle, content to remain here for a short breather before celebrating into the new year.-

yo, what are you doing out here? { /he asked, walking out as he gave a little grin, finding a nice spot to rest his arms against the railing. it's late, but it is the new year in a few handful of minutes, and aron thinks it's alright to be having some fun instead of being cooped up in a studio. the air is fresh, a little chilly, but fresh, out here. a nice change to whip that slight daze out of his mind' }

-his voice startles her but she greets him with a wide smile in return.- ah I just needed some fresh air... half a year past by in a flash... my life's been more eventful in that time than the whole 3 years of high school. -with a chuckle she leans against the railing beside him, leaning in to study his face.- and you? did the others send ya to get me back inside?

{ /he chuckled, staring out into open air. How things had change over the course of few months! But Aron didn't want to dwell on the memories too much - the last six months for him wasn't the best, even if he's moved on, occasional reminders of how he'd become came to haunt him.' } Ha, nah, it's not countdown yet. I think they'd like to have some peace for now too. { /he poked fun at her loudness, but his smile said that he was simply joking, as per usual.' } The air's getting a little stuffy inside. { /he paused, looking up.' } The skies are pretty tonight, huh.

-there's some hint of nostalgia in his gaze and yena is overcome with the sudden urge to hunt it away. she blinks, remaining quiet for once as she tries to make sense out of the sudden surge of emotion. has aron always looked this handsome? blaming it on the alcohol she tears her eyes away but not without giving him a shove.- is this the part where i'm supposed t'say "not as pretty as you doe"?

Ah- { /he sways to the side at the shove, scrunching his nose as he gave Yena an annoyed look, complete with a slight pout.' } You're violent, I swear. { /shakes his head.' } Besidse, isn't it supposed to be handsome instead of pretty? I'm handsome, not pretty, yo. Pretty's for girls. { /he poked his tongue out, then quirked a childish grin.' } Also, are you flirting with me now?

what can i say. you tease verbally i tease physically. -she jokes with her tongue extended at him.- and well. guess yer handsome but then the whole scene ain't work no more... -his words make her literally face a mental branch in her head. where she sober she'd choose the wiser option but alas; a grin spreads acrosd her lips as she tilts her head casually.- if ya want me to be flirtin' with ya.

I feel violated. { /he sighed dramatically, crossing his arms as he turned fully towards her direction, leaning his sides onto the railing instead.' } Then I'd take the pretty compliment. At least it's a compliment. { /he hummed, and then leaned in closer towards her.' } Well... { /he dragged his voice, almost a whisper until he felt that he's close enough, and then reach up and flicked her forehead hard, before breaking away with a laugh.' } You know, you should stop flirting with people when you're drunk. Make that your 2019 resolution.

-yena only laughs, loud and hearty but it thins down as he gets closer towards her and suddenly she's very much aware of the heat in her cheeks and the steady thud in her chest. a squeal leaves her lips as he flicks her forehead, making the girl fixate a glare at him.- well- it's not 2019 yet~ so that means i still can no? -smirk widening across her lips she gets right up in his personal space to poke his chest.- 'sides. whatcha just did there ain't one of the finest moves either. gettin' all up n' personal like that. -she doesn't address the fact she's tipsy at most. blaming all of this on the alcohol saves her a lot of questions.-

Ow, ow ow! { /he shrunk away, hands raised to cover his chest yet again to protect himself, despite with a tad more dramatic flare than needed' } So you /are/ going to quit that in 2019? Wow, I'm impressed. { /he shrugged a little, even if his cheeks did turn slightly, slightly pink at being called out. he didn't know why he had to do it, but Aron wasn't thinking that much to begin with.' } Well, you're not the only person who knows how to flirt.

well it got me into lots of troubles already... it's just so much fun to make people squirm. -with a hum she folds her arms across her chest and takes another sip of her cider, winking at aron in the process.- doubt yer as charmin' as me doe. with how yer always goofin' off it's kinda hard to imagine ya seriously flirtin'!

{ /he ruffled her hair in response to her words, turning to face the skies again. There's a calming feeling to it tonight, even though a party was going on right behind them, with countdown imminent.' } Goofing off is my charms. { /he stated plainly, a small smile appearing on his features. even if he kept his eyes on the stars And it's true. Aron's never serious, but he supposed, that's one of the side he never quite shown many people in the first place.' }

-too used to his antics she merely runs a hand through her hair to fix the strands back into place.- sure is. yer got more than that to yerself doe. -she isn't looking at him then, instead her eyes are back on the sky. she can faintly hear the others calling out to them as the clinking of glasses is followed by the hectic rustling of clothes.- looks like it's bout time... last chance to do somethin' crazy before yer gotta get back to reality tomorrow.

Yeah? Maybe, I guess. { /he laughed, shaking his head. Despite all the confidence he held in front of others, praising himself wasn't an easy thing to do. But he didn't dwell on it - not today.' } Do something crazy? Isn't the party crazy enough? { /he chuckled, pulling his gaze away from the skies. The chatter seemed louder, excitement clearly evident in the room as he cast a glance. It's time to head back in, but for some reason, Aron wasn't feeling that mood just yet.' } I doubt there's anything crazier than whatever roller coaster happened in 2018, though! { /he faced Yena, head tilting, wondering what plans she had.' } Any last words for 2018?

tch. yer definition of crazy is darn tame then. -eyes lighting up at a particularly pretty rocket going up and exploding in the sky she takes a second to look back despite feeling his eyes on her. for once she has a genuine smile on her lips, happy and appreciative.- nothin' much... just... comin' here was the best damn decision. and... i'm really glad i met ya. -again her heart thumps in her chest, her eyes averting shyly for a second before she's fixating him yet again while biting her lip. yena too knows they should head back inside, especially when someone yells "30 seconds left!".-

Tame? Well, by Yena-standards, probably. { /he nodded in agreement. He has had crazier days, but there was a different kind of weight of the things that bogged him down over the last few months. It's not something he'd like to go through again.' } - { /there's some sort of fireworks in the background that distracted him for a second, before he returned his attention, and it's the next few words that caught him by surprise. A smile touched his lips, widening as his eyes curled.' } You're getting all sentiment on me now? { /he asked, words louder cause of the increasing noise. He thinks he heard someone shouting in the room, but he's not surprised. The squad's always ready to bring the roof down. He took a second, then added.' } But hey, I'm...I'm glad to meet you too. { /and even if he doesn't say it, he's thankful for her company. Even if he doesn't say it... at the back of his mind, there's no doubt that she was one part of how he got through his worst times.' }

-again she's laughing, finding no wrong in his words.- y'gotta admit doe yer life would be pretty borin' without me. -she's jesting still but yena too realizes how aron managed to wiggle his way into her life that he's the first on her mind these days no matter the situation. with a short flutter of her lids the streamer can't quite hold his gaze but when she does, there's the tiniest challenge within them.- wanna end the year with somethin' immensely crazy?

It has been wild since you came alright. My wallet agrees { /he referred to the chicken meals he's bought, though equally in jest. Somewhere, he hears the chant of the final countdown of ten seconds, voice increasingly loud that he had to lean in. And even then, the thought of rushing in hadn't come to mind, because it felt right (nice) to stay out there in the cool breeze.' } Like? { /he noticed the glint, but arched his brow instead, welcoming the challenge. After all, how crazy could it get when she only have 10s left' }

-the smile on her lips turns wicked and it plays to her advantage that they have to be so close to each other to even hear what the other says. all yena really has to do is take a step closer, half a step more and tilt her head up further while raising to her tip toes. nose nudging against his, he still has the opportunity to back away while she starts counting down, her voice quiet despite the noise around them.- ten. nine. eight... seven...

{ /he stilled when she stepped closer, lips parted to ask 'what you're doing', only for him to swallow the sentence anyway. There's a whiff of alcohol, but he doesn't know if it's coming from Yena or himself, though he supposed that either way, that's their excuse for doing something /crazy/. The countdown is going on, but he couldn't think, not rationally. Even after all the chiding on flirting, despite the fact the he knew better, he found himself moving closer.' } - { /the countdown is at five, and he found his eyes fluttering to a close, as more fireworks were sent into the air, noises coming from the neighborhood and the TV itself, though they didn't seem to cover the thump of his own heart' }

-yena only makes it to five until he steps closer too, making her breath hitch. the whole motion is not so much crazy as it is outright insane. if only she could think straight to consider the consequences for one second but it's a lost cause really. on four her heart skips a beat as she moves to slide her hand upwards along his chest. on three she parts her lips in a last attempt to say anything but her mind is empty. she doesn't even hear two anymore over how loud her heart thrums in her ears. one is accompanied by a rocket that goes off just behind them and right as the fireworks boost off for good and everyone is cheering downstairs yena leans in the rest of the way and closes the gap between their lips.-

{ /the seconds are counting down fast and there's little time for him to think as there was to act, and he promptly chose the latter. There's going to be consequences to this, he knew, but it was thrown to the back of his mind with the ticking time. There's more fireworks, but the noises was fading out at that moment. He lifted his arm resting previously on the railing, hand cupping her cheeks, and then lips, pressed against lips. There's cheers exploding in the room, but he hears nothing about that, thinks about nothing else besides the light taste of alcohol and softness of her lips.' }

-she has at least half a mind to not drop her cider. instead her arm holding the bottle winds around his neck instead as her free fingers curl against his nape, cold patches of skin tingling against warm ones. yena exhales a sigh into the kiss like all her worries had been erased, all troubles gone and all problems solved. something within her just clicks into place that has her melt right into his arms as she tilts her head to move her lips against his in a more refined manner.-

{ /he moved his lips gently, the other hand now placed lightly along her waist. His thumb caressed the skin of her cheeks, and there's something comforting about that simple gesture. It took a while for his mind to register the fact that they're kissing, and the fact that it didn't felt awkward, or out of place, or really, all that crazy anymore. And he hummed against her lips, unable to move away, pressing down deeper. It felt nice. And it felt almost, just /right/.' }

-yena can't help but smile in return to the gentle hum, hands on her frame feeling warm and secure. she too shares the sentiment and does her best for once to not get too hasty in her urge to feel more. there's no burning inferno in her gut but more like a comforting, warming campfire. she has to admit to herself in that moment as she timidly nibbles on his bottom lip that no one has ever made her feel this way before.-

{ /it's the little nibble that drew him back to reality, eyes fluttering open slightly, though at the close proximity, he couldn't really see anything more than feel her lips. his tongue grazed over her bottom lip lightly, almost teasingly, before he pulled away. hie forehead touched hers as he otherwise stayed in place, cheeks flushed, lashes fluttering in slow, delayed motions. it felt intimate, to him, yet welcoming at the same time. Aron swallowed, struggling to come up with something to say before he would kiss her again, and he didn't know if that was going to be a good idea. Yet, the only thing he could think of, as he whispered, was' } H, happy new year?

-as he pulls back a surge of panic overcomes her. she doesn't want to leave this moment, doesn't want it to pass. she wants to keep her eyes closed and not live to see tomorrow but his forehead against hers eventually tears her out of her own illusion and has her lids flutter open. all she sees and smells is him with a tinge of alcohol but she feels so comfortable, so safe that she can't help but laugh. she laughs, carefree and happy, delighted like all the past years burdens have been lifted off her shoulders.- happy new year, Arongie. -she mutters finally, nudging her forehead against his lightly.-

{ /her laughter is infectious and he laughed too - he's been laughing a lot in just the last minutes, in fact. and while he wouldn't admit it ( yet ), her laughter was adorable., and lifted his spirits.' } mmhmm. { /he hummed, drawing into a huge grin as he ruffled her hair, something that's akin to a habit by now.' } - { /it's only then did the sounds of chatter reached his ears again, and it's as though the whole building itself is buzzing with excitement of the new year.' } ...should we head back in? { /he asked softly, not moving, nudging back against her forehead.' }

-this time she doesn't bother to fix her hair and merely scrunches her nose with a grumble. he's really taken a liking to doing this but yena can't be bothered to scold him for it right now. dare she admit to herself, if even just for that one moment, that choi yena is indeed weak for this guy and having seen him at his worst and like this- she's determined to keep his smile right where it belongs.- hrmmm five more minutes... -she mumbles as she moves to hug him instead, hiding her face away into his shoulder. just a moment longer before they have to face reality again. and many, many questions that she'll have to sort through once the morning comes.-

{ /and he lets her, wrapping his arms around her instead, holding her. he lets her get away with too many things ( including the many chicken meal purchase ) sometimes, but that's an issue he's not going to address at the moment. nor the new year kiss, at least, not now. it's midnight, the first few minutes of a brand new year, and Aron thinks he deserved some slack from thinking. Instead, he indulge in the moment of rare silence, and just feeling her warmth right in his arms.' } 5 minutes then. { /because living in the moment and being happy is important too, right?' }

#solo;#rkmelting #aronrk

1 note · View note

aticklishtem · 6 years

Text

The Bud of the Joke

((Request for @uniquemagicman ! Hope you like!! ^w^))

“Cagney, c’mon, open up.”

“No,” he answered, voice muffled by the petals stubbornly closed around his face. “I don’t want anyone to see me like this.”

He heard Hilda sigh, and he could just picture her rolling her eyes. “I’ve seen you. I saw you just this morning, and you look fine.”

“And I already told ya, I ain’t dragging my roots all the way over to the next isle just so folks can gawp like I’m the latest attraction in the freak show.” Hilda had been convinced that a trip to the carnival would lift Cagney’s spirits, but how could he face the prying eyes of the funfair crowds in the sorry state he was in? His usually magnificent crowning glory of petals was a ragged mess, his leaves were limp and lifeless, and the cold gave him the sniffles something awful. He hated winter.

“Stars above, you’re such a drama queen.” Cagney scoffed, because that was rich coming from someone who literally transformed into a raging bull when she got a bee in her bonnet, but Hilda continued: “But that’s not it. I got something here that just might buck you up.”

“Really?” Cagney somehow doubted that, but it piqued his interest, so he peeled back a single petal to squint suspiciously at her, perched on her cloud looking back at him all sincere with her big moon eyes. “What is it?”

“Come outta there and see for yourself.”

Cagney grumbled quietly to himself, but he unfurled his petals to bare his his face once again, shivering against the bitter chill in the air. Hilda smiled and nodded encouragingly, gesturing to the grass below her, and Cagney glanced down to be met with what had to be the tiniest top hat he’d ever seen.

“...That’s it? You got me a hat?” Cagney stared down at the offending item in equal parts dismay and disbelief – he knew that dame had her head in the clouds, but this was something else. “Hilda, I’m a flower, and that thing’s never gonna –“

“Surprise!”

He almost jumped right out of the ground as the hat exploded in a shower of confetti, a blare of seemingly invisible noisemakers and a flash of red, white and blue that somersaulted into the air before landing in front of him, catching the hat and placing it back on a now very familiar, shiny, grinning head with a flourish.

“Cagney, my good bud – it’s been too long! How’s it growing? Did you miss me? Were ya surprised?!”

“Oh, hey, it’s Beppi! You sure...surprised me, alright.” Cagney managed a slightly dazed smile, the eternal questions of what, how, and why still spinning through his mind as Beppi clasped one of his leafy hands with both of his smaller ones and shook effusively. “To what do we owe this, uh, pleasure?”

“Well, y’see, a little Bergie might’ve told me…” Beppi winked unsubtly at Hilda, “that you’ve been a teensy bit under the weather lately.”

“Did they now?” Really, Cagney should’ve known. “Can’t imagine who’s been telling you that, but I’m fi–“

“He’s done nothing but mope around the forest being all cranky for weeks now ‘cause he thinks the cold makes him ugly,” Hilda cut in, oh so helpfully; Cagney shot her his most withering look, but she simply stuck her nose in the air. “Well, ya have!”

“Uh-huh, uh-huh – winter blues, classic.” Beppi nodded, humming thoughtfully to himself before clapping his hands together, dialling his smile back up to its usual megawatts. “Time to perk up those petals, my flowery friend, ‘cause laughter is the best medicine - and Doctor Beppi’s in the house to cure what ails ya! Or in the field, in this case.” He glanced around, taking a moment to admire the scenery. “So, this place is looking swell! Just look at all these lovely blooms. What’s your secret?”

Cagney shrugged. “I take care of ‘em. But it’s seen better days.” He always did pride himself on keeping his patch the neatest, brightest, most fragrant in the isle, but he hadn’t been able to protect his non-sentient flowers from yesterday’s snowfall, under which most of them were currently buried.

“Modesty? Who are you, and what have you done with Cagney Carnation?!” Beppi mock-gasped, pointing an accusing finger at him before continuing: “Seriously, though. The other day, I was actually thinking of planting a few flowers myself.”

“You don’t say?” Cagney cocked an eyebrow; somehow, he didn’t strike him as the green-fingered type. Red or blue-fingered, maybe.

“Sure! But then I got home, and I realised…” Beppi paused for effect, holding up his hands in a shrug as he delivered the punchline: “I hadn’t botany.”

Hilda collapsed dramatically on her cloud in a fit of loud, exaggerated cackles. Cagney considered telling her not to give up the day job, but unfortunately for him it was all the encouragement Beppi needed.

“You like that one? Maybe next time I’ll bring along my pal – he’s a mushroom. A real fungi.”

Cagney stifled a sigh, and pinched the bridge of his nose. “Beppi…”

“Vegetable jokes too corny? Don’t worry, I’m just pollen your stem.”

“Beppi.” It came out sharper than Cagney intended, and he felt a prickle of guilt when Beppi visibly deflated – it wasn’t that he didn’t like the fella, but it was all fine and dandy for him. He didn’t have petals to preen, or even a hair on his air-filled head. “Look, I appreciate...whatever it is you’re doing here, but save it for the kiddies, okay? You don’t gotta worry about me – either of you. It’s just biology. Winter don’t agree with me, but there’s no sense in lettin’ me ruin your fun. Might as well run along and I’ll see ya in the spring.”

Beppi fell uncharacteristically – almost suspiciously – silent, his bicolour brows knitting together as he exchanged a look with Hilda Cagney couldn’t quite read.

“Okay, pal, I get it,” he said, still smiling but a little more subdued as he sidled closer and tentatively placed a hand on Cagney’s stem. “It’s a thorny issue, huh? But we can’t just leaf you here alone to wither away all winter. We’re your friends, and by golly, we’re gonna try our darnedest to pick you up, whatever it takes!”

He punctuated the pick with a light squeeze to Cagney’s stem, sending an unexpected tingly jolt through him that made him jump before he could help it. Cagney would’ve passed it off as the cold, but of course Beppi was onto him immediately, intrigue and delight flickering to life in his piercing gaze.

“Oh? Do I spy the seedling of a smile already?”

“No! I mean...yes?” Cagney hesitated, cursing himself internally for the brief display of weakness – even if he held back from reacting, he’d probably only be subjected to more terrible jokes. But that was proving more difficult with Beppi’s fingers still curled precariously around his stem, beginning to drum a gentle, teasing rhythm that was absolutely not helping the stupid grin twitching at the corners of his mouth. And judging from the way Beppi’s smile shifted from caring concern into something altogether more sinister, his situation was about to get a whole lot worse.

“Well, in that case, plenty more where that came from!” he declared cheerfully, and Cagney abruptly burst into scratchy guffaws as Beppi increased the tempo, fingers digging in and dancing up and down his stem - his thorns were usually enough to deter anyone foolish enough to think about tickling him, but they were utterly failing to protect him now. “Oooh, I got one! What did the bee say to the flower?”

“I don’t cahahahare!” Cagney squirmed and pushed at his arms in an attempt to shake him off, but Beppi clung onto him like a particularly persistent, tickly little bug. “Knock it ohohohoff!”

“‘Hey there, honey!’” Cagney tried to groan at the punchline, but it wasn’t nearly as effective melting into giggles when Beppi switched to tracing feathery circles around his thorns. “Boy, that one really hit the spot, huh? I know I got some real rib-ticklers, but this is ridiculous! Hmm – does a flower have ribs, I wonder?”

“That’s the wohohohorst…!” Being forced to laugh at that ‘joke’ only added insult to injury, as well as the embarrassing shriek Cagney let out when Beppi pinched at the sensitive spot under his leaves.

“Hihihihildahahaha!” he pleaded, twisting around to look desperately to his so-called friend as she reclined on her cloud, watching and smirking like Cagney’s suffering was just one big joke. “Li-ihihihittle help here?!”

“Oh, you need some help there, Cags?” Hilda batted her eyelashes innocently, flashing him a smile Cagney would’ve recognised as dangerous if he hadn’t been a little preoccupied trying to fend off the tickle-hungry harlequin still going to town on his stem. “Sure thing, I’d love to!” She drifted over and started scratching her nails lightly over the delicate undersides of his petals.

“Trahahahahaitor!” Cagney screeched, leafy limbs flailing wildly as he batted at her, but the sly little minx was too quick for him and this – this was just pure garden cruelty, feeling his face burning an unflattering shade of scarlet that he attempted to disguise by burying it in his petals.

“No way, mister – you’re not hiding away from me this time!” For such a petite little thing, Hilda was surprisingly strong, pushing Cagney’s petals back to leave him exposed while her other hand scribbled at the top of his stem. “Let the world admire these pretty, ticklish lil’ petals!”

“Couldn’t agree more, Bergie,” Beppi chirped, prodding along the leaves at the base of Cagney’s stem; he would’ve uprooted himself by now to get away, but he was too darn weak from laughter, helpless under the combined efforts of sixteen wicked fingers teasing and tormenting all his most vulnerable spots. “And would ya look at this big, strong stem – we got the cream of the crop right here, for sure! Hey, that reminds me: what kind of flower grows on your face?”

“Gee, I don’t know, Beppi!” Hilda trilled, like half of Inkwell’s most diabolical double act. “What kind of flower does grow on your face?”

“Tu-lips!”

“I swehehehehear I’m gonna –“ Cagney couldn’t even finish the threat as they pounced to blow simultaneous, deadly raspberries; Beppi’s loud and sloppy against his stem and Hilda’s light and fast and fluttery all over his petals, vibrating relentlessly from his crown all the way down to his roots. Cagney finally lost it, uncontrollable, incoherent cackles and snorts and pleas for mercy pouring out until his stem gave out just as Hilda planted her last loving raspberry to his top petal. Beppi only just managed to jump out of the way fast enough to avoid getting popped on Cagney’s thorns as he collapsed to the floor in a gangly, giggly heap.

“D-dihirty cheaters, the both of ya,” he grumbled, after recovering enough strength to stand again, but not quite enough to shake the wobbly grin that lingered along with a few remaining tingles as he folded his arms with a huff.

Hilda giggled and pinched his still-flushed cheek playfully. “Aww, Cags, you’re just as cute as a bug’s ear. Told ya I knew how to cheer him up.” She winked at Beppi, and the pair exchanged an irritatingly smug high-five.

“Always happy to lend a helping hand or two, Bergie.” Beppi tipped his hat and shot Cagney an equally cheeky smile. “And, I gotta say, I think tickled pink’s a good look on you, bud.”

This time, Cagney grinned back, baring his sharp teeth and fluttering his long, leafy fingers challengingly at him. “Go ahead, funny guy – make one more pun. I dare ya.”

Beppi opened his mouth, but then seemed to think better of it – probably the most sensible decision he’d ever made – and raised his hands in surrender, shuffling backwards with a nervous titter.

“Tempting, tempting – but actually, I’d better skedaddle. Might’ve left some balloon gators floating around and lemme tell ya, those guys get snappy. But you two’ll still come stop by my show later tonight, right?”

“Wouldn’t miss it for the world,” Hilda said brightly. “Would we, Cags?”

Cagney made a noncommittal hmmm noise, thinking of all those people, but it was harder to hold out with two pairs of wide, hopeful puppy-dog eyes gazing at him. “Yeah, alright...maybe. If I’m not pruning my leaves tonight.”

He had to admit, when Hilda looped her arm in his with an affectionate squeeze and Beppi’s smile lit up his face with genuine gratitude, brighter than all the lights in his carnival, the idea of getting out of the forest didn’t seem quite as unappealing as it had done.

More importantly, though – Cagney still owed them both a heaping helping of revenge.

#tickling #tickle fic #tickle fanfic #cuphead tickling #cuphead tickles #this is the most Absolutely Terrible Jokes i've managed to fit in one fic #tem writes #my fic #fanfic

40 notes · View notes

Last Seen Blogs

urdailyangie

love,angie

siotadoljuhor

Kari

mcteambuilding

MC TEAM BUILDING

the-red-sound

Red's Diary

slashermain

Welcome To The Slasher Show