#now my new favorite type of movie genre: parent issues
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We’ve dealt with mommy issues
Now it’s time to start dealing with daddy issues!
#now my new favorite type of movie genre: parent issues#my text#brave#luca#turning red#strange world#merida#queen elinor#luca paguro#daniela paguro#ming lee#meilin mei lee#meilin lee#searcher clade#jaeger clade
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hii, good morning/afternoon/evening! can i request a Haikyuu!! march up?
Im 16 y/o. i use she/her pronouns. my sexuality is heterosexual. i have a my favourite colours are green and black. my mbti is INFP 9w1. i dont believe in star sign im sorry :(. my appearance is short (148cm/ 4'8 ft) with short black hair that reached my shoulder, chubby, tanned skin and i have two moles on my face which are on my nose and under my right eye. i love cats and bunnies even though sometime im scared of them. i also love musics.
my ideal type is someone whos only show their care and love only to me, someone that always give me gifts, someome that didnt judge my musics preference or my appearance. respectful and honest. always listens to me when im talking. i love when hes into music like me too. i find males whos smart attractive. for physical features, i like when he is taller than me and has a short messy hair.
my pet peeves are when im talking to someone and they are not even listen to me, just cut the song when it dont finish yet and forced me to do something i dont want.
some traits i hate is when people who arrogant like they always think they are the best, people that like to show-off, lies and people who disrespectful to other people.
and i would like the match up to be romantic, please. thank you !!
Why?:
His greatest passion besides volleyball is music. He will share every new song he likes with you (his tastes vary, so he doesn't have a favorite genre)
He is pretty quiet and chill, so he likes to listen to your voice
A plain fact, but he is tall af and smart
He seems to be arrogant, but he really is just a bit insecure (this was first a reason that you despised him, but after getting to know him that changed)
He is a big softy with trust issues, so he will be soft with you and only you after some years into your relationship
Your littlle story:
" The popcorn is almost ready!" you shouted into the living room. " Yeah, I am almost finished" yelled Tsukishima back. He opened Netflix and searched for your favorite movie. "Do you want to watch part one or two ?" he asked as you entered the cozy living room. You placed the popcorn and the drinks on the Coffee Table. "Part two," you answered and popped yourself onto the couch. Fortunately, your parents had to work a night shift. You could have a Cozy movie marathon without any distractions. Tsukishima nodded and started the movie. He placed himself behind you and wrapped his arms around you.
The opening titles began to play. You both went silent to watch the movie. Especially the music and the atmosphere made you feel like you were there with the avatars. It's your favorite movie for a reason, but then the best thing happened. Neteyam finally showed up, and you began to fangirl. A bit too much for Kei's taste, but he was glad you were happy. "Look at him. He is so perfect. I wish he is real." Now Tsukishima raised an eyebrow. He let it slide for this moment, but as your fangirling became more agitative, he started to growl. He wrapped his arms tighter around your torso and placed gentle kisses on your neck. "What are you doing Kei? It tickles," He didn't answer for now. You were his, and this blue guy wasn't even real. Kei started to pout with each passing second of the movie.
At the end of it, you sighed. "Neteyam is so great, don't you think? And he is so pretty." That was when Kei had enough. "Shut up," he mumbled. "You are mine. This blue idiot doesn’t even exist. I am way better than him.” A wide grin spread across your face as you teased him. "Oh are you jealous, my sweet boy? Well, you are greater than him." You pecked him on his cheek. His eyes lit up, and he started to claim your lips. "I love you so much, and this blue alien can't keep up with the love I feel for you." You nearly had a heart attack from how fast your heart was beating. By now your cheeks were probably as red as Neteyams neck jewelry. As you buried your head in Kei's chest he began to chuckle "You are so cute."
Your special suprise:
🎧 A playlist: Pov your relationship with Tsukishima 🎧
A/N: I hope you enjoy this little story. Sorry it took so long. <3
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- July 17th 2023 -
What's on your to-do list for today?
Not much. Just some housework - I need to load/run the dishwasher, vacuum, and get caught up on my expense tracking spreadsheet.
Do you ever watch movies or TV in bed? Do you use a laptop or do you have a TV?
Nope.
What's your favourite thing to cook for house guests?
Creamy Tuscan chicken, or penne pasta with roasted zucchini and tomato sauce.
What sort of music did you grow up listening to? Did your parents have a big influence on your music taste today?
My mom is a classical pianist so I grew up listening to mostly classical, and also some jazz because my parents took a liking to it when we lived in the New Orleans area in the early 90s. And my dad likes classic prog rock so I listened to a bit of that as well. Classical and classic prog/psychedelic rock are still some of my favorite genres.
Do you remember your dreams?
Usually.
Are you at home right now?
Yep. I'm in the downstairs bedroom that we use as a bird room. I have a mini portable/collapsible desk that I set up when I want to bring my laptop in here from my study and chill with my birds.
When was the last time it rained where you live?
About 10 minutes ago. A thunderstorm just passed through.
Do you think you have a diverse vocabulary?
Yes, I'd say so.
Have you ever eaten pawpaw?
I've had papaya (I've read that some parts of the world call that pawpaw, I'm not sure if that's what you meant), but I've never eaten what people in the U.S./Canada call pawpaw, that's a different type of tree fruit that's really obscure and not usually cultivated/eaten.
What was the last art or crafts project you worked on?
Macro nature photography.
Do you know anyone who's been bitten by a snake?
Nope, not that I know of.
What's a slang word or term that's specific to your neck of the woods? For me, in Australia, I would say "old mate" or "frothing" :D
Ope! It's the most Midwestern word ever lol. It's an exclamation of mild surprise, and in some uses it's also kind of politely apologetic. Sort of like a mashup of ''oops'' and ''woah!'' and ''pardon me.'' Like if I accidentally bumped into someone I'd say ''Ope, sorry, I didn't see you there!'' Or if I had misplaced something and then suddenly found it I'd say ''Ope, there it is!''
Do you know how to ice skate? When was the last time you went, if ever?
Barely. I think the last time I went was in 2008-ish? I vaguely remember going to my university's ice area with some friends but I can't remember if I joined them in skating or not. If not, then the last time actually skated was at my 10th birthday party.
Dogs or cats? You must pick one!
I honestly can't decide! So much of it depends on the individual animal and its temperament. I like well-behaved and calm dogs more than most cats, but I like most cats more than neurotic/needy/high-strung dogs.
Are there any animals or creatures that scare you?
Just spiders and centipedes. And scorpions but I've never seen one in real life.
Do you like watermelon?
Yes I love watermelon.
Is your backyard or outdoor year tidy or messy?
It's tidy, except for the garden hose in the back yard that's just kind of laying there rather than on a reel.
Have you ever played organised team sports, like in a league?
Yep, all throughout my childhood. I played soccer from ages 5-10, and softball from ages 5-13.
What are you insecure about?
My teeth, sort of. My tooth enamel didn't develop properly, it was a side effect of antibiotics I had to be on as a baby, because of a birth defect that caused frequent kidney/bladder infections. I want to get veneers but I need to get my TMJ issues and slight overbite fixed first. I had orthodontics when I was growing up but the orthodontist failed to address my malocclusion and made it worse.
Okay, what are you secure about then?
Who I am. My personality and sense of self.
What's your favourite kind of puzzle?
Sudoku puzzles, or nonogram puzzles.
Do you ever use the bathroom with the door open?
Yep. I usually only use the en suite bathroom in my bedroom (so that I can keep the downstairs guest bathroom cleaner for longer), so it's no biggie if I keep the door open.
When was the last time you took an elevator, and where were you?
A few months ago, at my doctor's office.
What last made you feel sad?
Seeing my Granddad deal with dementia. And seeing how it affects my Granny.
Have you ever received a gift hamper? What did it contain?
I have, but it's been so long since I got one of those that I don't remember what was in it.
Are you using a phone, laptop, desktop or tablet right now? Maybe something else entirely?
Laptop.
What sort of movies do you tend to watch?
I don't watch movies super often, but I like science fiction, psychological thrillers, and historical dramas.
What colours are you wearing today?
Navy blue, black, and white.
How often do you use your microwave? What did you last put in it?
Not very often, maybe like once a week? I think the last thing I put in there were some of the leftovers that I brought back from dinner at my parent's house last Wednesday.
Who's the last person you messaged and what did you say?
My husband. I sent ''You're sweet 🥰"
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SUMMER SNOW
In which you confess to your summer crush on a hot july night that you’ve never seen the snow.
pairing: mingyu x reader
Words: 1.5+K
Genre: fluffy + friends to lovers
Warnings: none I think. English is not my first language so apologies!! I needed to cuddle and this was the result get me a boyfriend so I can stop writing about my fantasies, please
A/N: Uploading this bc I can’t stand this blog being inactive and I’m planning more things so I need to let this fic go already haha
Whenever people fought over "what is better? Summer vs. Winter edition" you always said summer. Summer to you was special because it meant much more than hot weather for 3 months, beaches, and pools. To you, it meant a getaway. Summer was when you left the polluted air from the gray town you usually live in to go to your grandmother's town, lost somewhere in South Korea but also next to the coast. It meant three months of partying with friends you only see in summer, with those cousins that live far away that visit your grandmother too, and also Mingyu.
Kim Mingyu was always there. Despite looking like he could buy the entire town and spend his holidays at a luxury hotel in New York at the same time. Mingyu is just as poor as the rest of us, mortals, but the way he carefully chooses his clothes, the way he keeps his hair swept back, and, of course, his breathtaking smile makes him look like a young millionaire. He laughs every time you tell him that. Mingyu has been your summer friend ever since you were kids. When summer finally arrives you know it's time to spend all three months with the person you cherish the most and do all sorts of things together, and of course your favorite plan:
"Shall we go stargazing?" He usually asks, two blankets under his right arm and one basket in his left hand.
"Oh, yes, please." You always say.
Stargazing is supposed to be a soft, entertaining activity to do with your friends, right? But how can you do anything soft and cute with Mingyu without risking selling your heart to the most perfect person you've ever met? You don't know the answer to that because your heart has belonged to Mingyu for a while now. It began as a small crush, something you were sure would fade when you go back to your hometown. When you were about to get rid of your feelings, summer came again, and his presence woke up the butterflies within you. At some point, you stopped pretending you had no feeling for the silly boy just because you weren't seeing him during the year.
However, last year’s third day of September made a difference between you two.
It happened while stargazing.
"Don't you think stargazing is not as fun as when we were kids?" He asked.
"It is a bit different now, I guess. Two twenty-two years old do different things. I still enjoy spending time like this with you though." You answered truthfully, and almost fainted at the last part.
Just why did you say that?
"I enjoy it too. You are the only reason why I spend summers here."
"Are you saying that you like me more than Seoul?" You joked.
"Could be, or maybe is because Seoul is beautiful in winter but unbearable in summer, so I just settle for you." You made a face and he laughed. "It's because of the snow, Seoul looks like a romance film in winter."
"It snows there?" You felt your eyes sparkling. "Woah I've never seen the snow in real life."
"Really? Well it's fun at first, but don't get so excited you get used to it after a while and it's not as amazing."
"I just want to make a snowball and throw it to your face, I'll be satisfied just with that." He pretended to be offended and tried to tickle you in revenge, but somehow he ended on top of you and his face approached yours dangerously. You thought you were going to faint.
"Then let's make a deal."
"Surprise me."
"You give me something I really want this summer and next summer I'll bring a jar with some snow on the inside, okay?"
"What type of deal is that?" You would have laughed at his face if he had stopped approaching, but your faces were just a few centimeters apart. "Mingyu, it will melt."
"We can try."
"I'm getting nothing out of this deal, I won't have snow next year."
"How many excuses should I make up just to kiss you?"
"None Mingyu, just go for it" And just like that, his lips covered yours and you melted in a soft kiss.
That was the best night you'd had for a very long time, but you barely enjoyed it because the next day Mingyu was gone and the last thing you knew about him was a message he left to your grandmother: to tell you he suddenly had to leave to Seoul because of some family issues.
22 years of knowing the boy and still you never got his phone number.
The only thing you know is that September is not September without Mingyu.
"Are you still thinking of the summer guy?" Your mother asked you in December. You simply nodded. She didn't know Mingyu but she did know what your grandmother tells her about him, and the last thing your grandmother knew about Mingyu is that deep inside he didn't want to leave so suddenly and without warning you himself. He looked regretful and heartbroken.
This time, it was harder to forget about Mingyu, but you are not sure if you tried enough. You actually thought about him more. You aren't sure if he regrets the kiss or if he wants you or even if he just did it for the thrill of the moment (even if Mingyu is not like this, he wouldn't cross that line, risking to lose a friend). You just want to talk and end your suffering. But when June came once again, you are not sure if you are ready.
You see each other again on the first night of July, later than expected. At this point, you thought that Mingyu wasn't going to spend his summer in town and you kept a sad face for an entire month. He took you by surprise, you were stargazing on your own at your usual spot on top of your grandmother's house.
"Hi y/n." You almost choke on your spit.
"Mingyu?"
"Before you say anything, I've brought you a little something, and you have to see it right now."
"Uhm, okay?" He wastes no time and opens his basket. He pulls a small jar filled to the top with something white.
He gives it to you, and the first thing you notice is that it is icy.
"Open it." He encourages you.
It feels weird, and it melts right when you touch it.
"You've brought me snow?" You can barely find your voice.
"Well, I tried. Do you know how hard it was to keep it as snow and not water or ice? My parents were so worried that his son had lost his mind. Now, make that snowball and throw it to my face." He sounds more amused than he should.
You try, but every second that passes it becomes more watery and you are not sure if you can even grab it. You throw what you manage to keep in your hand to him, and he laughs and hisses at the sudden cold contact.
"It's very nice for the summer to be honest." He laughs.
"Our deal is done now, is it?" You don't even know why you bring it back, memories from that night come to your mind and you wonder even if it was real.
"I'm sorry I left so suddenly."
"Oh no, that's fine, is everyone okay?" You ask, concerned.
"Yes, everyone is fine now. Our house wasn't, we almost got robbed that day, but everything is fine now" You sigh in relief and he smiles softly.
Kim Mingyu if you don't stop right now... You think to yourself.
"I actually was wondering something."
"Okay then, surprise me once again." You want to stop making references to that night but you just can't.
He seems to catch the reference and smiles widely. He grabs a little piece of paper from his front right pocket and gives it to you, still with his signature puppy smile on his face.
It says 'Mingyu's mobile phone, for future inconveniences’
"I realized this winter that I don't want to spend another nine months without hearing from you. It was thrilling at first but it's not anymore. Call me anytime you want, actually just call me, please." His cheeks are tinted with a light shade of red and you feel yours burning.
"And I was also wondering if you'd like to visit me for Christmas in Seoul? You can stay at my house if you want to and we could spend more time together. Summer is not enough for me." Your heartbeat accelerates and you feel yourself nodding without thinking. "Great! I have so many things I'd like to show you. I want to take a walk with you in Seoul if it snows, and we can make snowmen and you can properly throw me snowballs if you feel like it. We can skate on thin ice and get hot chocolate and eat sweets and..."
He stops suddenly and you can tell he feels embarrassed.
"I guess I just want to do all the romantic things couples do at Christmas movies... I guess I just want to properly date you."
This time you are the one to initiate the kiss and all your worries of not being on the same page with Mingyu that you've had for almost ten months dissipate as he deepens the kiss and holds you tighter.
#seventeen#seventeen x reader#mingyu x reader#mingyu#mingyu imagines#seventeen imagines#mingyu fluff#seventeen fluff#mingyu au#seventeen au#mingyu scenarios#seventeen scenarios#seventeen fanfic#seventeen oneshot#mingyu oneshot#seventeen drabble#mingyu drabble
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Superpower!AU with Hyungwon
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Group: Monsta X
Member: Chae Hyungwon
Genre: fluff, romance, small [very minimal] angst
TW: car accident - don’t worry, no one died
Type: Bulletpoint AU
Word Count: approx. 2.8k
→ Inspired by the AU Prompt: “I know you can read minds and I really like you so I’m constantly filtering my thoughts—stop making fun of how I think of fighting giraffes, it’s my go-to when I think about you shirtless”
so Hyungwon has the power of telepathy
how he got it was rather odd
he wasn’t necessarily born with it—it kind of came to him
despite what people might think, it wasn’t radioactivity
it was actually due to an accident
when he was young, there was a minor encounter
basically, there was a car and semi-truck incident
next thing he knew, his parents were in critical condition and he was being rolled into the ER for surgery
when he woke up, he was in his hospital bed and the ventilator was hooked up to him
he heard the voices of the nurses and the doctors, but their mouths weren’t moving
originally he brushed it off since he hasn’t fully recovered and his vision kept going in and out
but once he did recover… he could still hear them
luckily, his parents were okay
and that was how he was able to confirm his new-found power
he was able to hear theirs first and it was…. insane
he was freaked out, his parents were freaked out
once they calmed down, they tried to figure out what to do—they eventually came to the conclusion to just let it happen
they can’t control that so they might as well figure it out together
at first, it was uncontrollable, so he heard these voices whether or not he wanted to hear them
it was always loud and his own thoughts were never heard in his own head
oh, the amount of migraines he’d gotten from a young age…
but, don’t worry, he learned to maintain it as he grew up
now, he’s able to listen whenever he looks at someone and concentrate a bit more
he’s got a better control of it, but it also means he has to be careful as to where he looks bc he doesn’t wanna listen in on someone’s private thoughts
he’s always been getting in trouble when he was trying not to get in trouble when it comes to his telepathy
that tends to happen a lot in general though
because you’re hearing a lot of thoughts that you’re not trying to hear
which is why music became a good route of distraction
at first, the monsta x boys made fun of him for not getting airpods, but, after telling them about his telepathy, they understood why he got those big ass headphones
but, we’ll get to them later
anyways
bruh, high school was extra rough on this man
can you imagine hearing all of those thoughts? especially of hormonal teenage boys?
nasty
anyways
I like to think that this is why he sleeps so much
when he first got it, it was very emotionally draining for him and he slept like twelve hours at a time
unfortunately, he got into this habit and now he can doze off if he zones out enough
he slept a lot in high school, considering that he was trying not to hear his teacher’s thoughts and the other students and focus on the lesson and would end up falling asleep on his desk and then getting in trouble with the teachers
again, it’s that whole getting in trouble without meaning to get into trouble
so anyways
his family are the main people who know and god
the amount of family tea he’s gotten from his parents’ thoughts
while he does hate being able to hear all these thoughts without a choice, his favorite is the family gatherings and reunions
homeboy could make a tv novella with all the information he’s got on his family
because his immediate family are the ones who know, whereas his cousin that’s like twice removed doesn’t, but that’s justifiable
also, his parents have to be careful when they’re talking about him or his younger brother tho
(Hyungwon: “dad, am I not your favorite?”
his dad: “I don’t have have favorites”
Hyungwon: “the lies”)
other than his family, his long time friends also know, i.e. the monsta x boys
I’m talking long term because he’s so comfortable with them and Hyungwon was stupid and let it slip
Jooheon: I know we agreed on Chinese but I kind of wanted pizza
Hyungwon: “we can get both if you want”
Jooheon: “get what?”
Hyungwon: wait a second
oh, whenever they play games, Hyungwon uses this telepathy to help him cheat
and Changkyun was suspicious of how Hyungwon, the guy who falls asleep 20 minutes into a movie, had such good gaming tactics
his suspicions were confirmed when Hyungwon told them but they all also lowkey were confused and didn’t believe him, altho it did fill in a few of the gaps
like how Hyungwon gives perfect gifts for people that they can actually use
and how he can easily solve issues before they can even become bigger issues
there were just bits and pieces that came together and he did get to prove it
Kihyun: “what am I thinking about?”
Hyungwon: “I don’t think you would want me to say it in front of our Minhyuk here”
Kihyun: …… “okay, you pass”
but revealing this also means a lot of questions
especially from Minhyuk, who’s bouncing around and is curious as to how it works
and isn’t like always being verbally asked
like, the questions will just pop into their heads and Hyungwon hears it
actually what he hears is
Minhyuk: can he hear animal thoughts?
Minhyuk: do they speak English? or do they speak in that animal sound?
Minhyuk: should I ask him? or am I going to be bothering him?
Minhyuk: okay, try to be casual and slip it in and-
Hyungwon: “I can only hear people’s thoughts, now can we please get on with the meal?”
Minhyuk: oh right he can hear mine
Hyungwon: “YES I CAN HEAR IT PLEASE BE QUIET”
Wonho: …. “what’s going on????”
this is why he favors you compared to the others
you’re curious, but not like super curious like Minhyuk
but it’s also because your thoughts are the most hilarious ones
it’s primarily because you censor a lot of your thoughts with other thoughts and they are….. eccentric
there’s a reason tho
long story short: you like him
you two are basically childhood friends
you met in middle school and woke him up before he could get in trouble and it was all history from there
it wasn’t until around the college years that the feeling hit you like a ton of bricks
and when it did hit, you were lucky Hyungwon wasn’t around to read your thoughts
because……... oof
he went from that kid with acne that you used to spray water at to keep awake
to a handsome young man that makes your heart pound so loudly in your chest
he had told you about these powers of his about a year into college, when he realized you weren’t going to disappear from his life so easily
but also because you were thinking about how the fbi is definitely listening in on your conversations because you got an ad on instagram about those sleeping bags that make it look like you were being eaten by a shark and he HAD to make a comment
Hyungwon: “dude what the fuck”
You: “what?”
Hyungwon: “how bad is your anxiety that you’re worried about the fbi agent in your phone?”
You: …… **narrows eyes** “I didn’t say anything about an fbi agent”
Hyungwon: ah shit, here we go again
anyways
that’s just a small glimpse of what Hyungwon has to hear
your thoughts were hilarious to tune into, to the point where Hyungwon listens in when you’re daydreaming and it’s like his news for the day
and it only got worse (at least for you) because you were constantly censoring your thoughts after your self-discovery of your feelings for him
you two were studying in the library one time for finals and he got real close to get a good look at the textbook to see where you were
and you couldn’t stop thinking about how close he was
but when he looked at you
you immediately switched your thoughts to think about that time Wonho choked on his ramen noodles
Hyungwon: “why are you thinking about Wonho choking?”
You: “because it’s funny?”
Hyungwon: …… “fair point”
and so now, you have something to turn to each time an incident happens
whenever he says something that makes your heart flutter, you think about Ted Bundy’s yellow buggy
whenever he makes you unconsciously jealous, you think about fat cats sitting on glass tables
you have something for everything
and Hyungwon has no idea because you’ve gotten so fucking good at hiding it
until one day, you were out with the boys, trying out this new restaurant that opened beside the river
Jooheon talks about how nice it would be nice to go to the beach sometime
Shownu tries to start plans and says y’all could plan a barbeque and make a whole trip out of it
but then Kihyun whines, saying he’s not ready because he hasn’t gone to the gym in a month
Wonho: “you haven’t gone to the gym period”
Kihyun: “better than me living there like you do”
Wonho: “and who’s the one with the abs?”
Kihyun: “son of a bitch”
that got you thinking
Hyungwon? on the beach? that means he’s just gonna chill on the side
but that also means….. a shirtless Hyungwon
Shownu: “what do you think (y/n)?”
You: “nothing, absolutely nothing”
Hyungwon looks over at you with a knowing look in his eyes
You: “what?”
Hyungwon: ………….. “why are you thinking about fighting giraffes?”
Minhyuk: “.... is that really what (y/n)’s thinking?”
Changkyun: “dude”
You: “sorry for thinking about the zoo?”
Hyungwon: “we were talking about the beach, why were you thinking about the zoo?”
You: god, I wanna die
Hyungwon: “well, are you going to die before or after the beach trip?”
Shownu: “we need to keep track of the body count, (y/n), this is important”
sometimes you also wonder why you like him when these moments occur
but then he gives you that smile and you think to yourself
it do be like that
and because you all are trying to plan out the beach trip, you couldn’t stop thinking about…. shirtless Hyungwon
therefore
starts up more thoughts about fighting giraffes ensue
and more teasing on behalf of Hyungwon to you
Hyungwon: “do you wanna go to the zoo instead???? is that why you keep thinking about these giraffes????”
You: I. want. to. die.
Hyungwon: “you’ll die if you join the fighting giraffes—oW OWW OKAY I’LL SHUT UP”
the nonstop teasing for weekkkkkksss
until he finally asks you, the day before the trip
Hyungwon: “seriously, are you upset that we went out to the beach instead of the zoo?”
You: ugh, this whole ass man keeps making fun of me for thinking about fighting giraffes, this is your fault for being so fucking attract-
You: WONH O CHOKI NG ON RAMEN
Hyungwon: “WHOA NO FINISH YOUR THOUGHT”
You: NO
You: WONHO. CHOKING. LALALALLALA-
you avoided him for the rest of the day and filled your head with more censored thoughts
so he couldn’t hear anything else
and he didn’t
homeboy was left so confused because
he really likes having you as a friend but
having you as a partner would be so much better
he’s liked you since high school
hearing your thought process and little quirks
he grew fond of them
he knows it’s really invasive, but, in his defense, he was still learning to control them
and he found himself staring at you more and more, accidentally hearing your thoughts
one thing he really hated about his power is that even when he’s just taking in your presence………… he can still hear it even if he doesn’t try to
but anyways
he was sure of his feelings, but didn’t wanna push anything until he was absolutely sure
and now just might be that chance
so, after ducking him the entire day, which is hard to do when he’s trying to find you the entire day
(it’s not that hard considering all he hears from you is “FBI AGENTS GET OUT”)
(at least, that’s what you were trying to think so he doesn’t hear anything else about how you were going to explain yourself)
and he manages to catch you when the boys set up a bonfire and there’s no other spots…… except the one next to Hyungwon
which he totally, 100% did not plan
;)
anyways, you try to distract yourself by focusing your attention the marshmallow you have roasting over the fire
whereas he’s trying to read your mind, but it goes to waste as your attention is solely focused on the marshmallow
hence the tune of IU’s Marshmallow being played in your head
some of the other guys leave the bonfire, either to take a nightly beach stroll or to sleep
and that left you, Hyungwon, and a melting marshmallow that you were trying to keep from completely burning
before you could flee though, Hyungwon speaks up
Hyungwon: “what? no fighting giraffes?”
You: “I will hit you with a flaming marshmallow”
you thought about it for a second tho, why did you think about fighting giraffes?
the boys were talking about the beach and then they talked about the trip
and the beach made you think about a shirtless Hyungwon
…………. shirtless Hyungwon
FIGHTING GIRAFFES
Hyungwon: “wait what”
You: fuck
You: “fuck”
and then your worst nightmare happens
he starts laughing
You: “sssttttoooppppppp”
You: “it’s my go-to when I think about you shirtless, okay? are you satisfied?”
he keeps laughing
Hyungwon: “do you like the image that much that you have diverted your thoughts from it?”
You: bitch
Hyungwon: “I heard that”
You: “I KNOW YOU DID”
there’s a bit of a lull and you try to focus on your marshmallow again, but the heat on your face isn’t from the fire alone
Hyungwon: “don’t be embarrassed”
You: “I’m embarrassed because it’s you, idiot”
Hyungwon: “why?”
You: because I like you
Hyungwon: “how dumb of you to think I didn’t feel the same way”
you turn to him
You: really?”
Hyungwon: “yeah really”
Hyungwon: “your marshmallow is burning”
that’s not the only thing burning
you both assumed that was the night that you both agreed to date
the next day, were the boys shocked that the two of you are dating?
not exactly
bc they knew Hyungwon liked you for quite some time and also the fact that whenever one of them did think you were cute….
let’s just say Hyungwon’s mouth said idc but his eyes said he could murder them and get away with it
also he trusted you enough to tell you about this secret of his, so there was definitely a high chance he was going to develop romantic feelings for you anyways
*cue a sad Minhyuk in the corner somewhere*
KIDDING
or am I
anyways
there isn’t much change to your relationship
other than additional cuddling and pecks here and now
altho there are a couple of changes
your thought processes are more clear because now you have nothing to hide but
they are also unclear because it’s like
Hyungwon. Hyungwon. Hyungwon. Hyungwon. Hyungwon. Hyungwon. Hyungwon. Hyungwon. Hyungwon. Hyungwon. Hyungwon. Hyungwon. Hyungwon. Hyungwon. Hyungwon. Hyungwon. Hy—
he also tries more and more not to hear your thoughts, but sometimes it’s hard not to hear them, especially as he openly stares at you more and more
but then again, because of that, he’s gaining better and better control of his powers
he lowkey does use it when you get into arguments because it gives him a better understanding of your perspective and that allows him to provide his and it opens up more communication between you two, even if you don’t have telepathy
also he tried to make up for it by saying everything he’s thinking
that was a very bad idea from the start bc you got annoyed really quickly
but you also kind of sympathized with him
You: “I’m sorry you have to hear my thoughts all the time”
Hyungwon: “that’s not your fault”
You: “but that’s not yours either”
he loves being able to talk to you about these things bc it really feels like someone’s in his corner
you try to understand him better and make things easier
whether it’s getting him better headphones
or distracting him with your own obscure thoughts
I’m very sure that anyone who dates Hyungwon in general is going to nap with him so…
many many naps with him with lots and lots of cuddles
you both take care of one another, physically and mentally
especially since you know he isn’t the type that opens himself up to many people
and hearing all of these thoughts, yours and others, must be exhausting for him
anyways in this household we love and protect Chae Hyungwon bc homeboy is just tired and needs a break
#admin grandma#grandma aus#aus#fluff#kpop#kpop aus#kpop imagines#kpop scenarios#monsta x#monsta x hyungwon#monsta x aus#monsta x imagines#monsta x scenarios#chae hyungwon#hyungwon#hyungwon aus#hyungwon imagines#hyungwon scenarios#superpower!au#superpower!hyungwon#group: monsta x#member: chae hyungwon
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1142
survey by tickticktmr
Do you have a digital camera? What color is it?
No, haven’t held one in years. The last digital camera we had was a bit of a magenta shade; it actually belonged to my sister but I borrowed it occasionally.
Did you like the movie Juno?
It was ok, though to be honest I’ve mostly forgotten what it’s about. I remember fairly liking it but it’s not the type of movie or genre I’d rewatch.
Name something you think is way over-rated:
Big Macs, which I’ve never found tasty.
Do you remember your first friend?
Yes, it was a girl named Kaye that I sat with in preschool. She didn’t stay too long in my school, so I haven’t been able to reconnect.
Would you rather live with your mom, dad, a friend or on your own?
On my own.
Name something your pet(s) like:
Walks.
Do you listen to country music?
No, I don’t.
What does the color white remind you of?
Peace, serenity, doves, minimalist homes.
What show/movie/song makes you cry every time?
Show: From Brooklyn Nine-Nine - either the episode where Rosa Diaz comes out as bisexual or the episode where Terry gets racially profiled.
Movie: La vita e bella.
Song: There isn’t one song that makes me cry 100% of the time, but I suppose Why We Ever by Hayley Williams had this effect on me for a time.
What was your last fight about?
I spilled a drop of our dinner’s soup on the dinner table last Thursday and my mom did a sufficient job making me feel incompetent and a dumbass about it, so I was hurt by it and didn’t speak a word for the rest of the evening. Not really a fight, but y’know.
Do you text a lot?
I used to not but anymore. I usually get prepaid for LTE now, not to have credits for texts.
Have you ever been screamed at by a teacher?
Many times. A number of them didn’t like me for whatever reason...
Do you smile or scowl more?
I definitely try to smile more, but idk for sure if that’s what I do more frequently.
Obama or Bush?
Idk, maybe Obama? Considering we were colonized by the US at one point and imperialism remains to linger in my country, I generally don’t take kindly to any US president, though.
Batman or Superman?
I don’t like comic books.
Are you excited about Blink 182 getting back together?
I don’t follow the band so I’m not sure how recent or relevant this news is, but generally speaking I don’t remember ever being stoked for a Blink-182 comeback in particular.
Would you rather be a teacher, a stripper or a hairdresser?
I’d go with teacher, and preferably of history, so that I at least can have an hour or so to talk about my passion with other people lol.
The last person you spoke to: how many times have they made you cry?
Just once.
What's your favorite kind of gum?
The classic bubblegum flavor is fine with me.
Have you ever failed a class in school?
Just exams, but never altogether an entire class that required me to retake.
Are you even in school?
No, not anymore.
Are you taller then your best friend?
No haha, I’m slightly tinier than both of them.
Are you scared of spiders?
I’d be scared probably of the larger kinds, but all we get here are the super small spiders so this isn’t an issue for me for the most part.
You can't eat anything ever again except for jello or apples: which one?
Probably apples. I cannot stand the texture of jelly/Jell-O, and I guess I can move past my dislike of fruits for this situation since apple is kinda decent anyway.
Have you ever cheated on anyone?
No, never man.
If you answered yes to the last question, do they know about it?
Do you paint your nails often?
I never do and I never have them done either.
Mascara or lipgloss?
Er lipgloss I guess, since I literally don’t care how my eyelashes look.
Who’s the last person you called?
I think it had been Denise, a co-worker.
Describe the last person who sent you a text:
It was just the delivery guy who brought Ysa’s gift to my place, so I don’t know enough about him to be able to give a sufficient description.
Do you ever watch TV shows or movies on YouTube?
No, because for the most part they would be high- or low-pitched, in a tiny screen, sped up, zoomed in, or altogether fake. I also don’t understand why buying movies individually on YouTube is still a thing when Netflix exists for literally cheaper.
Myspace or facebook?
Uh Facebook, I guess.
How old were you when you lost your first tooth?
I was around 5 or 6, I think.
Have you ever embarassed yourself in front of someone you like?
Yeah. But when I started dating them, fucking up in front of them became less embarrassing, of course.
Describe your hair right now:
Wet and slightly dripping since I just stepped out of the shower.
Do you like it when it rains?
Yes, it’s my favorite weather.
Does anyone miss you right now?
I hope my friends do...but I can’t say for sure.
How many funerals have you been to?
None. Just wakes.
Where's your favorite place to hang out?
Depends on the vibe I’m feeling for the day and the company I’ve got.
Have you ever laughed so hard you peed in your pants?
Oh gee, never.
Do you like video games? What's your favorite one?
I was raised around video games and so much of my childhood was watching my kuya, dad, and a number of my uncles completing games, so I definitely hold a big appreciation and fondness for them. I never inherited any skills of my own though lmao, so I mostly watch walkthroughs; and the only video games I’ve ever met considerable progress on are Nintendo games marketed for all audiences HAHAHA.
Have you ever worn something your parents wouldn't approve of?
Yeah I’ve gotten chided by my mom a handful of times, telling me to cover up with a jacket or something. But her reasoning was always men, so I’m usually able to defend myself and say that that’s not my problem and that’s something fucking men have to deal with themselves. We both know I’m right so she ends up begrudgingly letting me go out with whatever outfit I choose on that given day.
Where are your sibling(s)?
They are in their respective bedrooms.
When's the last time a friend got dumped/dumped someone?
September. That friend was Gabie and the dumpee was me hahahah, does that count?
Do you celebrate Valentine's day?
If I have a significant other, yeah. I like keeping our activities lowkey though because from all my past experiences, malls and restaurants tend to get fully booked on February 14 and it ends up being more of a (very crowded) hassle than a celebration.
Do you celebrate Christmas?
Yep.
Does it snow where you live?
Never.
Have you ever wanted a pet unicorn?
I never did, actually.
Would you like to work to earn money, or simply have money given to you?
The latter is obviously the ideal situation, but I recognize the importance of hard work too and constantly working on my skills.
If you could be on any game show, what one would it be?
Jeopardy or Family Feud.
Do you know anyone whose famous?
Yes, at least locally.
Do you read those gossip magazines?
I used to, lol those were my guilty pleasures back then. I still keep up with celebrity updates, but I’ve moved to social media now. I also filter which publications I consume and avoid the tabloid-y ones like Daily Mail.
Summer or winter?
I’d go with winter so that I can actually experience it for once.
What do you hear right now?
I’m watching an archived Facebook livestream of a senior citizen who had held a virtual piano concert to raise funds to afford his maintenance medicine. The media ate it up like crazy and it’s since gone viral, so I was able to I read about him earlier tonight. He reminds me so much of my late grandpa so I quickly searched for the finished concert on Facebook and now I have it on :)
When's the last time you saw a cousin?
Around two weeks ago.
Where were you the last time you left your house?
I can’t remember exactly. I think I went to Feliz...OH OK I remember now - I originally went to the nearby SM to handle an LBC delivery for work, and to stay at Starbucks for a few hours also to work. After that I went to their vape stall to buy new pods but they didn’t have any for the vape brand I use, so I went to Feliz as well to try my chances there. They ended up having a few flavors but not what I usually get, so I decided to try a new one - grape lol.
Describe the room you are in:
Dark, filled with the lovely sounds of piano music, and the faint smell coming from my scented candle. Overall, light and peaceful.
What shoes did you wear today?
I wore my Onitsukas when I walked Cooper this morning.
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Nam Jaejoong
28 years old - Genius - Slob - Bookworm
@simvicii Alex’s Bachelor Challenge
(NOTE: Under the cut is LOOONG story with his earlier life containing tw violence and depression. If you’re okay with that content, I hope you take the time to get to know Jae.)
Backstory:
Jae was orphaned when he was 10, and he had been keeping to himself mostly ever since then. His family had gone through series of tragedies, but most of those things do not make sense to a child. When he was 6, his older sister was diagnosed with Leukemia. Their parents’ relation started to strain as they struggle to earn money for his sister’s treatments and for their basic needs. They worked multiple jobs, and took turns in taking care for their children, but Jae was mostly overlooked. Both of them had to stop school, and so their only activities at home were reading and house chores (which eventually Jae had to do most as his sister’s condition worsened). Their parents were barely home, and when they were, all they would do is fight (screaming at each other and throwing things around the house). Eventually, his father stopped coming home. Without enough financial aid, medical treatments for his sister halted. She died when Jae was around 9 years old.
After years of struggles and pain, his mother was pushed to a point of experiencing depression. Again, a child wouldn’t know what to do in his situation. After all these things, the worst was yet to come for him. Robbers came to their house one night, and his mother tried to fight them of from stealing what is left of their savings. Jae rushed to help her but one of the robbers attacked him, all he could remember was a sharp pain on his face before he passed out (This resulted in him having a scar on his face). He woke up in a hospital bed, wherein a police officer broke the news to him, his mother was killed in the robbery. The orphanage has sent him from foster families after foster families. Jae spent most of his time on his own, reading books and trying experiments (when he has resources). He had a hard time at school because most kids and teachers just saw him as a weird kid. When he was 17 his genius potentials were noticed by their school principal who decided to give him a test, wherein if he passed he is then qualified to continue on to college despite him stopping school for a few years.
After passing the exam, Jae was then introduced to a couple willing to adopt him even though he is almost in legal age. The couple were both middle-aged doctors, who never had a chance to have a child of their own. They think that he will fit right in their household, and he did like it there. He had access to a library with a lot of medical books, a comfortable bed, and supportive guardians. During his time spent with them and in college, he slowly started to open up to other people. It was a little awkward for him at first to call them “mom” and “dad” but he got used to it.
For his bachelor’s degree, he took up BS Psychology. His course was a big part of how he was able to help himself heal and to also attend therapy. His social life also started to grow as he participated in different organizations that are about healthcare and environment preservation. When it comes to his dating life, well, college girls and boys don’t usually take interest on someone who has his face buried in a book. He went on a few first dates, but none of those developed into anything serious.
He did of course still spend most of his time reading, especially fictions which are fantasy genre since that was his interest when he was a kid. Jae was usually submerged in studying; this applies to all kinds of topics ranging from social issues up to medical discoveries. Whenever this happens, he tends to ignore the random papers, candy wrappers, water bottles littered in his room so his mom describes him as bit of a slob. (Their housemaid confirmed this).
His motto in life is “Keep Learning”. He values individual growth and always finds ways on self-improvement. He tried out sports during this time too, which are basketball and tennis. They were fun for him but they didn’t exactly become his favorite activities. But his experience did help him realize that hobbies aside from reading are important as well. This was how he developed the habit of jogging every other day, and he also tried going to the gym but that didn’t work out for him so he opted for exercising at home instead.
Jae entered medical school when he was 22, and he originally planned to pursue being a General Practitioner. But during his third year, when he had to choose his field of specialization in medical practice, he chose to focus on being a surgeon. Furthermore, his goal is to be a neurosurgeon.
When it comes to family bonding, they genuinely enjoy discussions related to their field of expertise. His dad is a Physician and his mom is an OB-GYN. But medical field aside, they enjoy watching action movies together. They also go out to eat ice cream during summer, and their favorite food to eat during winter is ramen.
Right now, at age 28, he has finished 2 years of internship. He is currently evaluating his life and his goals in life.
“I’m working as an intern in the same hospital where my parents work. But I decided to take a small break from that for now. I am passionate about my career, but I’m also the kind of guy who dreams of having his own family. And uhm.. I’ve been thinking that I’m not getting any younger, and now more than ever I want to take this shot at love. I talked it out with my parents, because they’ve always been supportive of my career, and they said they want what’s best for me, and that I’m the one who knows that. I’m going to admit that the idea of my own family also terrifies me, but I also know that with the kind of person I am now, I’m going to be a responsible and loving father/husband.”
The reason why Jae is even able to make this choice, despite the well-known fact that doctors are busy as heck, is because of his security in his workplace and the support from his parents and friends. The hospital he works on ensures not only the best care for its patients, but also to its workers. The board members and all staff are aware of Jae’s capability as a doctor and treats him with high regard even though he’s only an intern so far. He had a discussion with the Director of the hospital before he started internship, to which he expressed his intentions and wishes regarding his working hours incase he decides to start a family. The Director is a good friend of their family, and one of the few people who knows about his past. Which is why he has made arrangements for Jae, with the knowledge that he will still be able to work his best.
Jae doesn’t really know what to think of fate or coincidences, but just during the start of his break, he saw “The Bachelor: Alexander Goth”. He wasn’t one to have crushes immediately on someone, more so on someone he hasn’t met. But boy did Alex leave an impression on him. The more he read about him, his interest in him develops and he hopes to get to know him in person someday. He deeply respects Alex’s work as an author, and he’s pretty excited to read his works!
“I’m entering this challenge and I view it as me spending time with possibly the love of my life. When it comes to what I look for in a relationship, I want someone I can grow with. People are so obsessed with finding their Perfect Match, and most of the time they just look for someone who is completely compatible with who they are at the moment, and worse they only want these ideal soulmates. I think that it’s important for partners to respect, trust and love each other. But they should also be aware that people continuously change overtime, and that as partners they must grow together and always choose each other.”
Here is a CAS picture of him where his scar is now visible:
squishybuttercup’s notes: hi love!! I know that your aim with this challenge is to have gameplay-centered legacy. But the reason why I wrote this much detail about him is for you (and alex) to get to know him well. Gameplay-wise he can just work as doctor in the sims world and be one of the two best dads in the sims world. Also Jae isn’t the type of person who shares his life story away, so I imagine him telling Alex himself about that part ^_^ I’m super excited for this and I hope Nam Jaejoong gets picked! Anything else not mentioned here you may ask me or opt to have your own interpretation I don’t mind as I am literally offering him to be in your game ajsdfsjkl this also means i acknowledge that you might change his looks to fit your game’s aesthetics. also ily :p
#ts4#the sims 4#the sims#sims#sims 4#maxis mix#simvicii#ts4 edit#sims 4 edit#sims edit#s4 edit#ts4 male sim#male sims#alexgothbcentry#my edits
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Worlds Away - Ch 4 (Final)
Genre: Online Dating!AU - Smut & Fluff
Pairing: Jimin x Reader
Word Count: 6.7k
Warnings: Language, Slight Dom/Sir kink. Let me know if I am missing anything! ^^;
Plot: You met Jimin through your favorite online video game. Finding out that he lived on the other side of the world from you. You both quickly fell for each other, and dealt with the issues that come with online dating. Although, some temptations are too hard to turn away. Especially when your significant other is nowhere near.
A/N: Well….This took so much longer than it should have to be finished. I got a random burst of inspo, so I hope you like it. Thank you for giving the rest of the chapters so much love. ^^ (Any quotes in italics is being spoken in Korean)
Four years.
It had been four long years since the day Jimin stepped over the threshold of your small apartment and walked away.
You would have been lying to yourself if you said it was easy to let him walk away. Easy to not pack up your things and take the next flight to Korea. No, it wasn’t easy. It was one of the hardest things you have ever had to do, as you closed your door behind him and cried harder than you ever thought you had in your life.
Not much had changed between the two of you, other than the heightened sexual tension, and even worse, the longing to be in each other's arms once again. You still spoke over skype every day, and every once in a while you would join him and Taehyung for a round or two of video games. Before your job and your intense studies sucked you in like a black hole.
There was one thing that had changed since Jimin left, and that was within yourself. You were firm in your decision to change your major half way through your freshman year of university. Moving from a business major, to a linguist major had been fairly easy, since it was your first year and you were only working on your basics. Your counselor raised her eyebrows so far when you told her you were going to specialize in Korean that you thought her eyes were going to pop out of her head, as it was not an often occurrence for the language to be chosen. Most students chose French, or Spanish when entering this field. But, you had made your decision and you were sticking with it no matter who tried to detour you.
At first, learning the alphabet and how to pronounce the words had seemed daunting, but once you got into the flow of it it was like second nature. The letters and syllables forming the words roll off your tongue as if it was your native language. After receiving the highest marks of your class, you graduated Summa Cum Laude. Walking the stage to receive your diploma was the happiest you had been in those 4 years. As you looked over to where your parents said they were sitting, and met their gleeful, cheering faces, you felt your heart sink and your smile falter. Jimin wasn’t there. He should have been there. Cheering for you alongside your parents. You understood, however. Things were tight with his schedule, as the boys had come a long way since you started dating. He was very busy, and you knew that. It still did not stop your heart from longing for him to be there. You nodded to yourself, thinking the long haul was over, and now was the beginning of your lives together.
Your parents were thrilled, as were your closest friends. All of you were sitting around the table of your favorite restaurant, chowing down on some appetizers.
“Y/N.” You mom called your attention from the plate you were zoning out on. “When will you be leaving?”
“Ah. My flight takes off in a week. I figured that would be enough time to get everything I need in order.” You nodded.
“Have you found a place to live?” Your best friend chirps from beside you.
“No.” You sigh. “That has been the most difficult part, unfortunately.”
She pursed her lips and nodded, you looked up just in time to see the concern passing over your mom’s face before quickly disappearing. “I will make sure I secure a place before I leave, so you guys do not have to worry about that.”
“Okay!” Your best friend held a thumbs up before turning to continue the conversation going on with the rest of your friends.
“Just don’t let anyone take advantage of you while you are there.” Your father gruffed. “I still do not like that we have not met this Jimin, but you are moving across the globe to be with him.” He was almost pouting at this point.
“Dad, don’t worry about me.” You said as you grasped his hands in yours. His thumbs rubbing over the backs of your hands. “I will call you both every chance I get, and you can come visit me whenever you want. I will scold Jimin for you for not visiting last time he was in your area.” You smirked, a devilish gleam behind your eyes.
Your dad chuckled as he let go of your hands. “You were always a tough girl. You can’t blame me for worrying.”
You nodded as your plates heaped with food were placed in front of you, the rest of dinner going by filled with laughter and reminiscing on various memories throughout your life.
As you were all leaving the restaurant, you hugged your mother and your father tightly. Thanking them for everything, and promising to visit them as often as you could. You did the same to your friends, lingering a little longer when it came to your best friend. You cried as you hugged her, thanking her over and over for being in your life. She pulled apart from you, wiping your tears.
“This isn’t goodbye, silly. I will still text you everyday, and will come visit when I can. You best do the same for me! Okay?” You nodded and brought her back into your embrace. Only letting go once her Uber arrived and you were forced to leave each other.
“One last thing,” She yelled, one foot in the car. “You tell Park Jimin if he ever hurts you, it’s not hard to get a flight to Korea!”
You laughed, wiping more tears that fell from your eyes. “I will! I love you!”
“I love you too!” She said as she got into the car. Blowing you a kiss and waving through the open window.
Crazy girl….She’s going to get into so much trouble without me… You thought as you made your way to your own apartment.
-1 week later-
You slipped your cab fare into the driver’s hand as you tugged your backpack over your shoulders and made your way inside the airport. You don’t know how you did it, but you managed to secure a place to live and movers that would have all of your belongings in your apartment in time of your arrival. You had also been offered a job at a company almost as soon as you woke up the day after your graduation. Your salary was much, much higher than you had expected, as it was difficult to find linguists who would move to Korea. They would be paying you more than enough for your expenses, and you would have lots of play money left over. That did mean that you would have to be on call at all times since you were fluent in English, and would have to account for time differences.
Your parents bought you a first class ticket, among other things for your new apartment, as a graduation present. What you didn’t expect, was for them to buy you a pod of all things! You would have been perfectly comfortable in a regular seat, but now that you were here and saw everything that came with the pod seating, you happily accepted their gift.
The long flight went by without any issues. You mainly slept, but spent your time eating and watching movies where you were awake. You were surprised when the pilot called for all passengers to return to their seats and prepare for landing, as you did not think that much time had passed.
Thanking the flight attendants as you walked off the plane, you secure your backpack and took a deep breath, heading to baggage claim. Finding your bags was rather easy, as they were bright pastel blue and purple.
There was a line of taxis outside the airport, eagerly awaiting passengers needing a ride. You hopped into the nearest one and gave the driver your address. He said it wouldn’t be a long drive, as you bucked up and nodded at him with a smile.
As he drove you took in the sights of Seoul. It was much more beautiful than you had ever imagined. The bright blue sky, further illuminated by the sun beaming down on the tall skyscrapers, basking in its warmth.
“May I roll down the window?” You asked.
“Of course, my car is yours while you are here.” The driver responded.
As you rolled down your window the spring air whipped around your hair. You took in a deep breath and smiled. Letting go of all the stress and heartache the last 4 years had brought you. You were glad it was all over, but now the real stress of a new job begins. A thought you didn’t dwell on for long, as the excitement of being in a new city, and so close to Jimin was stronger. Much stronger.
The driver pulls up to your apartment and helps you get your bags out of the trunk.
“Thank you.” You said to him with a slight bow, he returned the gesture and told you to have a good day.
Typing in the code your landlord gave you, you opened your apartment door to all of your belongings neatly placed in their respective areas, according to what was written on their box. You sighed as you walked into your new home. A closet for your jacket on the left, and a rack for your shoes on the right. You took off your shoes and put on your slippers as you reached out and ran your fingers along the counter to your left, the kitchen sitting on the other side of that counter. To your right, your TV had been neatly mounted to the wall, built in bookshelves framing it on either side. Straight ahead down a small hallway and to the left was the door to your bathroom. A normal bathroom as any, but what made your heart swell was the his and hers sinks. You pictured yourself standing next to Jimin, brushing your teeth getting ready for your day. At night, sloppily trying to take off your clothes between heated kisses, trying to stumble over each other to get into the shower. Shaking your head and tapping your now heated cheeks you closed the door and stepped into what would be your bedroom. To your left stood a door that led into your bathroom. A little bit further to your left was the door to your closet, again it wasn’t anything too special. The flutters returned to your heart at the thought of Jimin’s clothes being nestled tightly next to yours. In the center of your room was your bed. Side tables and dresser being placed exactly where you would have put them if you had moved them yourself.
“Wow...they really didn’t have to go to this much trouble….” You whispered as your hand ran along your dresser, looking at your TV that had been mounted just like the one in your living room. You spoke a quiet thank you to whomever was listening that the kind movers did this, as you did not think you would have been able to do it yourself. To the right of your bed was a sliding door that led out to a small balcony. The view from your balcony almost took your breath away. Since your company was paying you much more than you had expected, you decided to splurge a little on an apartment almost smack dab in the center of Seoul, and if you looked to the left you had a nice view of the mountains outside of the bustling city.
You turned around and walked back into your apartment, throwing yourself on your bed letting the sleep that was nudging at the back of your mind since you walked into your apartment take hold, falling into a deep sleep without the weight of school, jobs, or the move slipping from your shoulders as you inhaled deeply.
When you woke up, the sun had already set. Stretching your limbs, groaning as your muscles tightened, and your bones cracked. You looked at your phone, eyes widening at the 20 text messages from Jimin, and the 5 missed calls on your skype. “What is with him?” You tisked. Soon realizing that you were not in your home town anymore, you were across the globe, where the time is different. Slapping yourself on your forehead, you quickly responded that you had just fallen asleep, and that you were in fact fine. Keeping your move a secret from Jimin had been one of the hardest things to keep from him. Making things up about your supposed major, threatening your friends and family within an inch of their lives not to say anything. You were happy that you would soon not have to keep your little plans a secret. You made a quick trip to the nearest market to grab some dinner and necessities for your home. Giggling to yourself as you picked up a blue cup and toothbrush, and a matching purple one to go alongside it.
After you ate, you began unpacking your living room. Putting your various books, video games, movies, and plushies on the shelves next to your TV. The kitchen was next, followed by your bathroom, and then your room. It did not take you long to unpack as the movers had done a lot of the work for you, and you brought as little as possible from your old home and sold or donated the rest. You smiled a wide smile as you brushed your teeth, looking at the cup and toothbrush that Jimin would soon be calling his own. Turning off the lights and giddily hopping into bed, you texted Jimin goodnight before putting down your phone and quickly falling asleep.
“Goodnight? Why is she texting me goodnight?” Jimin asked as he showed his phone to Taehyung. Who just shrugged in response.
“I mean, it is 1:00 pm her time….” Jimin twitched his head to the side, staring at his phone.
“Who knows man, maybe she is just taking a nap and misspoke. Focus on the game now, will ya?” Taehyung tutted as he tossed a pillow at his best friend.
“I know. I know. I just miss her. Maybe I’m reading too much into it. Maybe I should go visit her.” He sulked.
“You know you can’t. Our schedules are just too tight right now.” Taehyung sighed. Jimin huffed, and nodded before putting his full attention back into the game they were currently playing. Jungkook screaming in his ear as they won, yet another, match.
The only person, other than your friends and family, that you had let in on your plan was Taehyung. You needed someone to help you find various items, and of course an apartment to live in. You needed to thank him later for finding you such a good place. “It’s a 5 minute walk from the dorms, too.” You laughed as you heard the playfulness behind his voice. You could almost hear him wiggling his eyebrows through the receiver. “Ah, Tae! Stop it. Just remember, keep him busy and DO NOT say a word to him about this.” You nagged him.
“Yeah, yeah. My lips are sealed. Wouldn’t want to ruin this for our precious Jiminie, now would we. Bye bye now!” You heard the click of his phone directly after that, shaking your head and laughing before diving back into studying for your last exam.
The next morning you woke up to hear the birds chirping from outside your window. Pulling yourself out of bed, you wrapped a robe around your frame and quickly made yourself a cup of coffee. You sat on your porch inhaling the scent deeply before drinking the warm liquid down. As you were about to jump in the shower, you texted Jimin and asked him for a favor. You had wanted him to pick up something you had ordered online, and send it to you. He asked a million questions a second, before agreeing once you had thoroughly calmed him down. You patted yourself on the back for quickly thinking up the fib. Telling him you found something you liked online, but did not feel comfortable giving the person your address, even if it was so far away. Jimin agreed with you, and said he would be at the address you gave him in an hour, and would text you when he picked it up.
You showered quickly, and wrapped a towel around yourself as you began blow drying your hair. When you were done, you applied a little bit of makeup. You pulled out the lingerie that you had bought specifically for this moment. A black bustier, that hugged your curves perfectly, ending at a pair of lace black boy shorts that you were sure would have Jimin’s eyes bugging out of his head. As a final touch you put on some thigh high stockings, that had cute blue bows at the top. Nodding in the mirror at your appearance, you moved to top it off with your favorite pair of jeans, and a t-shirt. Inconspicuous indeed Y/N….. You laughed to yourself as you checked the time on your phone. Jimin had texted you 10 minutes ago that he was on his way. He should be almost here then… You thought.
You anxiously paced your living room for what felt like hours, before those 3 magic knocks wrapped upon your door. Your heart lurched itself into your throat as you tripped over your own two feet trying to get to the door. With your hand on the door knob you took a deep breath, and put your hand over your heart willing it to stop beating so hard before turning and unlocking the door.
As you opened it, you were met with the top of a black baseball cap with blonde hair wildly poking out of the sides of it. The boy wearing thick rimmed glasses and a face mask staring down at his phone, oblivious to someone opening the door.
“Now, where are your manners, Park Jimin?” You asked in a sultry voice, grateful that it didn’t crack or show how absolutely thrilled you were to have him standing in front of you.
He visibly stiffened as he looked up from his phone, his mouth hanging wide open under his face mask. His eyes opened as wide as they probably ever have, staring at you as you stood there.
“Are you gonna come in, or not?” You said as you lifted your fingers to his chin and pushed his mouth closed. He simply nodded and followed you into your apartment. The second he got his shoes off, his brain seemed to have caught up with what was going on. He turned you around and crashed you into his chest. Wrapping his arms tightly around you, burying his face into your neck. Deeply inhaling the scent of everything that is you. You wrapped your arms around his waist, giggling at his reaction to you being here.
“How, when, why?! Why are you here?!” He asked, you were not sure if he was on the verge of tears, or excitement.
“If you don’t want me here, I can always go back.” You laughed into his chest. He looked at you and firmly shook his head before slotting you back into place against him.
“Let’s have lunch, shall we?” You asked as you pulled away, taking his hand in yours and leading him to the table where you had already placed the take out you ordered shortly before he arrived.
As you were eating, you told him everything about how you had come to live in Korea. He cursed at the fact that Taehyung knew this entire time, but after you told him not to be mad at the poor boy, he nodded and said he understood why he kept it a secret.
“I’m going to have to punish you for lying to me this whole time...you know that right?” He was looking at you from the corner of his eye, but you didn’t miss the mischievous glint swimming behind them.
“Of course, sir…” You replied in perfect Korean.
Those 3 words turned the mischievous glint, into full blow lust. You saw the change in him as he sat a little straighter, started licking and biting at his lips, and of course the way his pupils were blown wide as he looked at you.
He stood from his chair and stalked towards you like an animal hunting his prey. He held out his hand to you, and expectantly raised his eyebrows. You put your hand in his. As you stood he spun you around, your hands bracing the wall as he molded his body to your back. His lips attached to your neck and you sighed into his kiss.
“Do you know how much I’ve missed you? How much I have craved you? To feel you against me, under me, above me?” He said as he punctuated each question with a sharp roll of his hips into your backside.
All you could do was groan as you put your head back to lean against his shoulder. He took the opportunity as your chest pushed upwards to roam his hands from your hips to your breasts. Massaging them in each of his palms. You took one of your hands and pushed it in between your bodies to palm at his clothed erection. His eyes snapped open as he spun you around, pushing you back into the wall while pinning your arms above your head.
“Now, now. I didn’t say you could touch me, did I?” He said as he ran his nose along your jaw, causing you to shiver under his touch. “Words, princess.”
“No, sir. You didn’t say I could touch you.” You sighed out as he pressed his body flush with yours. Eyes looking deeply into yours as he nudged your nose with his own.
“Naughty girl.” He chuckled darkly. “We’re going to have to do something about that now aren’t we?”
You didn’t have the chance to answer him properly, as the second he got the last syllable of his question out he crashed his lips into yours. Tongue immediately swiping your bottom lip to gain entrance to your enticing mouth. As you kissed, he hugged his body to yours, relishing in the feeling of having you with him again. He could break out into tears at the fact that he would now have you with him for good, that you wouldn’t have to part from each other. At that thought he pushed both of you off the wall, leading you into your bedroom without breaking the kiss.
He tossed you down on the bed, with him following shortly after. Settling himself in between your legs as he kissed you deeply, not willing to part from you for a single second. Not yet, at least.
You had been lazily making out for what felt like forever, but seconds all at the same time, he lifted off of you. His fingers skirting the hem of your t-shirt.
“Let’s see what you’re hiding under here. Shall we?”
You returned his mischievous smile from earlier as you stood up from your bed, pushing his shoulders until he was laying flat on his back. Propping up his head on the hands he had laced behind his head. You made a show of taking off your shirt, swaying your hips as you moved to remove your jeans. You noticed Jimin licking his lips as you revealed what was underneath. Climbing up on his lap, your knees on either side of his hips, you continued to put on a show for him.
You put your hands on his chest and rolled your hips against him a couple times before leaning down, giving him a nice view of your chest, and kissing the length of his neck, moving along his jawline, before reaching his ear on the other side.
“I bought all of this just for you, sir. They’ve been under my clothes this whole time and you didn’t even have a clue.” You practically moaned into his ear. You gasped when you felt the palm of his hand reach your cheek in a loud smack. Even more to his liking, you groaned when his hand did the same thing to the other side. His hands slid up your body, landing at your waist as he began to side you over his clothed length. You delightfully moaned into his ear, a sound he wished to hear more of.
He tapped your thighs, signaling for you to sit up. When he did he ripped his shirt off his body, and undid the button on his jeans and you eagerly helped push them off his body along with his boxers. You slid your hands along the length of his chest, spending a little extra time feeling the deep ridges of his abs along your fingertips, moving to sit on your knees on the floor as you did so. He raised himself up, propping himself with his hands, and looked down at your expectantly. He threw his head back and groaned when you wrapped your hand around his cock and gave an experimental squeeze. While he was distracted, you took him into your mouth. Rolling your tongue around the head. Your actions caused him to completely lose strength as his arms gave out and his back hit the mattress. As he regains his composure he completely sits up, pulling your hair out of your face and bunching it up into his fist. You took the action as him wanting you to take him deeper, which you happily obliged. It took your gag reflex a moment to settle down, but once it did you were able to take all of him down your throat. Stilling for a second, he began to lose patience as he began to thrust up into your mouth.
“Ah, princess. That feels so good…” He groaned as he thrust his hips upwards. As he did this, you rubbed your hands up and down his thighs, letting him know you were okay and he could keep going. It was when you cupped his balls and began rolling them in your hand that he pulled you off of him with a loud pop.
“You want me to cum in that filthy mouth of yours, don’t you?” He asked. His voice dropped an octave as he fell deeper and deeper into the lust that was clouding his brain. You wiped your lips as you looked up at him with the most innocent eyes you could muster, and nodded.
“Come here.” He said as he held his arms out to you to pull you back onto his lap. He reconnected his lips to yours for a brief moment before he flipped you onto your back. His hands finding their way to the hem of the stocking you were wearing, he moved to the floor as he began pulling them down. Kissing every area they were once covering, pulling them off as he reached your ankles. Then did the same thing to your other leg. His hands roamed their way back up your body, and slipped under the waistband of your lace boyshorts. He looked up at you, when you nodded your underwear were discarded with your stockings. Leaving the bottom half of you exposed to him.
He maneuvered himself back up until he was eye level with your dripping core. “All of this, for me?” He sighed as he took in a deep breath. When you didn’t immediately answer him, he smacked the outside of your thigh. “Yes, yes. Only for you. Only ever for you.” You yelped. “Now please, Jimin….Plea-ohhhh..” You stuttered as he licked a long stripe from your entrance to your clit. Where he stayed, flicking the bundle of nerves as if his life depended on it. Your back arching off of your bed and your hands intertwining with the light strands of his hair. He chuckled as you gargled out a moan as he entered two fingers into you. Curling his fingers just enough to reach the spot inside you that had galaxies twisting and turning behind your eyelids.
Goosebumps rose along your skin as you reached your high quicker than you thought was ever imaginable. You didn’t even have time to warn Jimin, not that he cared. “Jimin!” You screamed as he continued on his mission, Not letting up for even a second. You tried to push him off of you, but your limbs weren’t working correctly as the pleasure started to overwhelm the pain of overstimulation.
“One more...hmm?...I know you can be good and give me one more.” He whispered as his fingers continued their movements inside of you, moving his mouth back to your clit once you nodded. Your hands were gripping his hair tighter as he sent you hurtling towards your second high in mere minutes. You cried out, your body convulsing uncontrollably as you orgasmed around his fingers. You could barely hear his coos of praise as the rushing waves of pleasure took over all your senses. He waited for you to come back to him before he moved on, stroking your hair, and making sure you were okay. He was sure that was the first time anyone had ever done that for you, and he didn’t want to push you too hard.
“Are you okay, love?” He asked when he saw the light return to your eyes. You nodded with a smile and he put his hands on the front clasp of your bustier, not moving an inch until you gave him the okay. When you simply nodded, his face set into a deep frown. “How many times must sir tell you, I need to hear words, princess. Do I need to make this ass red again since you can’t listen?” He asked while grabbing a handful of your cheeks and squeezing. “No! I’m sorry, sir. I will be good. Please, please, continue.” You rushed the words out so fast you weren’t sure he understood. Your body already alight for more pleasure that was guaranteed to come from the man draping himself across your body. After a quick peck, he moved his hands back to the front of your bustier, undoing the clasp and sliding the garment away from your body. He massaged your breasts as he lavished your neck with all the bite marks and bruises you could ever need or want. When he pinched your hardened nipple, you shoved your chest into his hand with a gasp. Moans escaping your lips as he rolled the pebbled bud between his fingers, while flicking the other with his tongue. He switched sides, drinking every single noise you made in, remembering the sounds as if this were the last time he would ever get to hear them. When he felt like they had gotten the attention they deserved, he moved back up to your mouth. Lazily rolling his tongue with yours as he had done before. As if he had all the time in the world. You reached for his cock, which had been angry and leaking for a good amount of time now, and lined it up with your center. After one final kiss, he slowly began pushing himself in. Dropping his head into your neck, groaning at the way your heat enveloped him, a feeling he was certain he would never be able to get over.
“Jimin, move. Please move.” You signed as you felt him bottom out. “You don’t need to tell me twice.” He chuckled as he began thrusting in and out of you. You thanked Taehyung and his smart brain for finding you an apartment that was on the corner of your building. You didn’t have to worry about your headboard knocking against the wall, clueing your neighbors in on what you were doing.
Jimin’s bangs began sticking to his forehead as he propped himself up above you on his arm. He used his other arm to prop your leg on his shoulder. With one thrust at this new angle, he pushed deeper into you than you thought was possible. He stilled for a moment, looking up at the ceiling and moaned as your nails raked his arms. Leaving crescent shapes in the taut muscles. When he began slamming into you, reaching down to draw sloppy figure eights into your clit is when you lost all coherent thought.
“Are you gonna cum, hmm?” He cooed. “Are you gonna cum around your sir’s cock and make yourself all messy for me?”
“Yes! Yes! Please, sir, please make me cum around your cock.” You yelled as his thrusts became sloppier.
“Cum then. Hurry up, don’t make your sir wait.” He commanded, and with one final thrust you were a shrieking, shuttering mess beneath him. He put your leg down and grabbed your hips. Thrusting in and out of you so hard you had to brace yourself against the headboard to keep from getting a concussion.
“Finish inside of me, sir. Please. I need you to finish inside of me.” You begged, as he came closer and closer to his end. When you wrapped your legs around his waist in an effort to bring him impossibly closer is when his arms gave out, landing on top of you as you felt his warmth fill you to the brim, moaning into your mouth as he sloppily kissed you. Thrusting slowly in and out of you until he became too sensitive to continue. With one final kiss to your forehead, he shuffled off the bed and into your bathroom to retrieve a towel.
When he came back you noticed he was smiling and holding something. You looked over at him as he held up the blue cup and toothbrush.
“Is this….mine?” He said shyly, a complete contrast to the person that was just inside you, commanding you to cum around him.
“Yes…” You said. Ducking your head underneath the duvet. “I got it in case...you know….you ever wanted to stay the night. Or whatever.”
You felt your mattress dip under his weight as he pulled the blanket away from your face. “I would love to take you up on that offer. Now, let’s get you cleaned up.” He said as he set the cup on the bedside table.
You ordered takeout and watched movies wrapped up in each other for the rest of the night. The only difference was, this time when you fell asleep on the couch and woke up a couple hours later, Jimin was still next to you. Still fast asleep, without a care in the world. You began tracing his features with the lightest feather like touch, moving the strands of his hair out of his face before moving down his nose to his lips. You don’t know when he woke up, but you couldn’t miss the light peck of his lips against your fingers as his eyes fluttered open.
“Did you sleep well, my love?” You blushed at being caught admiring your boyfriend. You weren’t sure why, you’d been together for 7 years now. You had been caught staring at him more than once. Perhaps it was because this was much more intimate. Much closer than you had been over the past 4 years. Your heart swelled as you thought about how you would be spending the rest of your foreseeable life like this. You nodded as you cuddled closer into his chest, feeling his chest shutter with the chuckles rolling through him as he cradled you closer to his body.
“Let’s go get in bed. Yeah?” He said. His voice was heavy with sleep. You nodded and begrudgingly pulled yourself from his warmth and made your way to your bedroom. Pulling back the sheets and laying down, he took the other side of the bed and pulled you flush with him. Both of your breaths becoming deep and slow as sleep once again pulled you under.
-6 months later-
Life in Korea was far better than anything you expected. Although, if you were honest with yourself you did not know what you were expecting. Your job was fantastic and you got along well with your coworkers. Being on call 24/7 wasn’t that bad, as it was only once or twice a week you were called by a potential investor outside of work hours. Even then, you were able to speak with them from the comfort of your own home.
Jimin was spending more time at your place than the apartment he shared with Taehyung. Tae of course pouted at this, but you made him feel better by setting up a second TV in your living room so you could all play your favorite video games together. You also relished at the fact that you made Tae blush when you told him he could now find a girlfriend of his own to bring home, and not having to worry about Jimin being there. The rest of Jimin’s friends were great. You met them slowly, one by one, as their schedules are getting busier by the day. The couple of times you hung out with them all together, you compared them to a pack of wild hyenas. Which sent Jimin into hysterics at the picture forming in his mind, telling you it was true between giggle fits.
Jimin and his company made a deal that they wouldn’t force him to continue the fake relationship with Rose, if he would make his relationship with you public. Thinking it would boost their sales if his fans knew he was happy and healthy. That they would believe the words behind his music more than they already had.
You were lost in thought walking down the streets of Seoul after lunch, hand in hand with Jimin. Your thoughts had drifted to how happy you were to be here with him, and patting yourself on the back for making the decision you did.
“What are you thinking about, love?” Jimin asked, turning to face you, stopping you in your tracks.
Wide eyed, you answered him honestly, without so many words. “I love you.”
His eyes closed with how big of a smile he was wearing, pressing a tender kiss to your forehead before saying, “I love you, too. Always have, always will. Thank you for moving here.”
You began walking back towards your apartment when he ran around to face you, once again forcing you to skid to a halt. You looked at him as he began rummaging around in his pocket. You looked at him questioningly, before it all clicked in your head as he sank down to the ground.
“J-J-Jimin….?”
“Y/N…” He began, swallowing his nerves. “Will you marry me?”
You began crying as you nodded at him, your hands covering your mouth. You held out your hand to him as he placed the beautiful silver ring with a single diamond in the center around your finger. He wrapped you in a tight hug, tears of his own falling from his eyes. Even as the clicking of cameras could be heard from all around you, all you could focus on was Jimin, and all that made him, him.
He planted a loving kiss right on your lips, and whispered in your ear, “Thank you for making me the happiest man alive, Y/N. I will do everything I can to make you happy for the rest of yours.”
That was a promise that he kept, for the rest of your lives together.
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Top 5: Nostalgia Movies
This Top 5 is taking a trip down childhood memory lane to choose the best Nostalgia Movies - films that I loved as a kid and continue to love to this day. The film must have been watched multiple times during my youth and continue to be associated with a memory or tradition that was an important marker of growing up. Therefore, any film produced past 2004, when I graduated high school, has not been considered - and, to even make the cut, the film must be associated with more than just constant re-watches in our downstairs rec room (arranged with a HUGE - well, big for the ‘90s - screen with actual surround sound that my dad installed); rather, these films must be an essential part of my childhood progression into adult-hood and laid the groundwork for a future of loving cinema.
Gibelwho Productions Presents Nostalgia Movies:
5. Ferris Bueller’s Day Off
4. X-Men
3. The Little Mermaid
2. Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade
1. Newsies
Ferris Bueller’s Day Off (1986): As my high school career began to wrap up and I was looking ahead to college (where I had already committed to attending film school), my mother informed me of a proclamation - I was not allowed to leave her household without watching Ferris Bueller. Perhaps she knew that she needed to instill a little bit of rule-breaking encouragement into her straight A / type A child before I was to head out into the unruly world of college, but nonetheless, this film left a mark with it’s delightful adventures of Ferris, Cameron, and Sloane. Years later, I attended an LA rooftop screening where the audience all danced during the Twist and Shout parade, bringing me straight back to the joy of discovering this film with my mom. In the same tradition, I will be sure to make my kids watch this film before they leave our household for the wide world so they can learn to cause a little innocent rule-breaking. Save Ferris!
X-Men (2000): I had a secret obsession when I was a kid - I LOVED Marvel Comics. I had read all of my dad’s comic book collection from when he was a kid, I started my own collection, and had even started tracking the value of each issue. But I was a girl, and did not share this particular passion with my fellow elementary school friends (ahhh, the fear of being judged by your peers). So when I entered a movie theater as a freshman in high school (with my secret still intact) to see an X-Men film and the place was PACKED, I couldn’t contain my excitement that maybe, just maybe, more people would be into these characters and storylines. Then, when I went into my summer theatre program and my friends used X-Men characters as improv inspiration, I thought...this is going mainstream! I still didn’t confide my true colors until the MCU began and my college friends discovered that I knew a...lot more about Iron Man’s backstory than should be possible and I was officially outed. So, fully embracing my nerdom, I traveled to San Diego to the sacred ground that was Comic Con, truly cementing my love of Marvel. And now the rest of the world has caught up to why these characters are so special. That first inkling of a wider world loving what I loved started when I watched X-Men in theaters - seeing my heroes on the big screen, fighting their super villains, and the packed crowd around me was digging it!
The Little Mermaid (1989): One of my earliest memories of opening presents was from my 6th birthday, sitting in the living room and ripping open the wrapping paper to discover the VHS for The Little Mermaid - a film I had seen at school and LOVED - and now it was mine to watch at any time! Truly a special Disney moment, which is also matched with many other memories of Disney animated films (the momentous opening to Lion King and the cut to black that took my breath away in the theater, playing the Mulan soundtrack on cassette over and over singing Reflection, and identifying with Belle’s obsession with reading). I was very much the target audience for the Disney Renaissance, and I ate up all the music, the (slightly) stronger portrayal of women, and our VHS collection only grew to include all of these modern classics. The Little Mermaid kicked off a golden age for Disney Animation and little Katie grew up on the Alan Menken soundtrack.
Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (1989): Our family had three fancy VHS boxed sets for three different franchises and we watched these flicks on repeat - Star Trek movies (TOS with Kirk and Spock), the Star Wars trilogy, and the Indiana Jones films. Literally any one of the movies from these collections could make this slot, but since both of the Star franchises have already gotten love in these Top 5 lists, I’m going to pick representation from our resident archaeological professor / international adventurer. My favorite of the bunch is the third - from the thrilling opening of young Indy, to the dynamic between father and son, and the epic ending of selecting the correct Grail (“you have chosen...wisely”). Watching any one of these films is just comfort food for my soul, taking me back to the family settling in to watch in our downstairs rec room, setting the foundation for the nerdom that my parents instilled into me at a young age and that has continued to guide my interests and movie-watching to this day.
Newsies (1992): Growing up, my family had Friday movie nights, where we ordered from the Pizza Hut that was right next to a Blockbuster; my brother and I were allowed to each choose a movie to rent for the weekend. I went through a phase where I just rented Newsies on repeat. It was as though this film was made just for me - a musical, set in a historical time period, with cute boys singing and dancing, music by the magical Alan Menken - what is not to love?!? I was so obsessed with this movie that in the pre-Internet age, I wrote down the lyrics by meticulously listening, pausing, writing down, rewinding, and repeating - which was an onerous process when one was working with manual VHS tapes. I eventually got a copy of my own, the DVD when it came out, the CD of the soundtrack, and also the piano sheet music. I knew all the lines to the songs, and could probably to this day quote the majority of the movie. Years later, imagine my delight when Disney produced a Broadway musical of the movie - we took a special trip to New York on my birthday to see the show (which of course, doesn’t match up to my love for the film, the true effect of a nostalgic love for a piece of your childhood). Living in LA affords us the opportunity for magical movie-going experiences, and my husband and I scored tickets to a special showing of Newsies at the Disney El Capitan theater - and then the traveling Broadway company of Newsies the musical that was in town and performing just up the street at the Pantages theater made an appearance and performed for the audience after the movie wrapped. This film has held a special place in my heart and is the epitome of nostalgia love for a movie from childhood.
Honorable Mentions:
The Music Man (1962): The two music genres we listened to growing up were 90s country (Garth, Reba, Trisha, Wynonna!) and also musicals. Our family was very much into theater and starting at the age of twelve, I started acting in musicals at our local performing arts program for youths. Our family also watched many of the classic musicals that were filmed in the 1950s and 60s, such as Hello, Dolly, Oklahoma, and Music Man. This last film stands in as a proxy for all those classics, but was also selected in particular because I performed in a production during a summer in junior high, where I was in the background chorus (and featured in the Wells Fargo song!). The music and lyrics of this story, written by Meredith Wilson, are of such cleverness and variety - from the 4-part harmony barbershop quartet to the love song ballads, the pre-hip hop rhythmic talking song to the genius opening number of the salesmen on the train. The translation to film is serviceable and very much in the style of the musicals brought from stage to screen in the 1960s - nothing too clever and some blocking that sought to recreate a theater stage on the film set, but these series of musical films cemented my love for the genre in an accessible way just as I was starting myself to perform on stage.
Jurassic Park (1993): Oh, the raptor in the kitchen stalking the two kids stills brings me chills thinking about it. Watching that scene as a kid, I (more than once) fled the room because it was so scary! This film had it all - creepy dinosaurs, a smart teenage girl and an even smarter heroine that was a scientist, great music (whose theme I diligently learned how to play on the piano), and plenty of action! My family definitely had this on repeat in the VHS player, but I loved the movie so much that I ended up reading Michael Crichton’s novel to experience the source material - and became more aware of how a film is an adaption of a novel’s storytelling, translating from the page to the screen. I do fall in favor of reading the novel before seeing the movie, but if a film helps you discover an incredible book, it can be like diving into an extension of the world beyond what the screen can fit.
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[TRANSLATION] Praew Magazine April 2019 issue x JUS2: time for 2
Ahgase! Right here!
Thailand's summer heat wouldn't be able to compete with hotness from the duo brothers, "JB & Yugyeom of GOT7. In the newfound unit, JUS2, they released a new single- "FoCus On Me- that makes the fans scream with interest to add this new single to their collection. In this issue, Praew took a flight to South Korea to collect photos of these 2 hotties for you before we took the chance to have a chat with them. Chatting with them in South Korea is really something. JB took the seat at the head of the table, followed by Yugyeom who greeted Praew staff around the table in Thai style with Wai and the word "Sawaddee Krub"
First of all, we would like to ask you how the leader of GOT7 and the youngest brother of the group form this new unit (a special Korean song project created by specific members), JUS2, together.
“In concerts, the two of us often sing together. So, we often talk about which kind of unit we would form next. In parties after concerts, the higher-ups would often talk about this idea as well and they thought having the two of us work together on a new song would be fun. So, the idea was developed from that point and became this duo unit today." JB replied.
"We also share similar favorite song genres, and we want to represent our characters with the music style which is totally different from GOT7. So, we took part in the production of every song in this project. We created some of the songs together, and created the others separately. For the promo song, we got help from a song writer named Cosmic Boy. We hope that everyone would love our songs." Yugyeom explained.
Can the fans expect something special from this unit?
"The first special thing that the fans can expect from us is stage performance. The second thing is the music which is going to be something that the fans have never seen from GOT7. We try to focus more on expressing emotions through the music in this unit, and we tried our best to present our characters through the MVs and the music style." JB answered.
You mentioned that you share similar favorite song genres. Which genre are they?
“I like R&B and Hip-Hop. So, I tend to go with these music styles when I write a new song. I mostly go for R&B, and mix Trap beats into the song sometimes. Do you know Trap music? It's a type of Hip-Hop which we can mix it with R&B. If you ask me who is my favorite singer, I’d say Chris Brown (R&B singer) and Travis Scott, a Hip-Hop singer" (smile). Yugyeom answered first.
“For me, I don't particularly fond of any genre. If it's a good song, then I like it. Same goes for when I sing. If I like the song and it's the song that can express my feelings with good music, then I can sing it regardless of its genre. If I have to pick my favorite singer, I'd say D'Angelo is my idol. It doesn't mean that I want to make my songs like his though (smile). I also like to listen to Toro y Moi and Kaytranada's songs lately." JB shared his thoughts.
What are the secrets or tips you use to write a song that can impress everyone?
"There's no secret in my work process. It just needs a lot of thought. I mostly find inspiration from my own experience or the stories I can find around me such as movies, songs, or books. I also have my past like everyone, my love experience or others, which I can take to present in my song. It's the same as making a movie (Scenario)." JB replied immediately
“I also get new inspiration from my surroundings as well, from my point of view on different things in my daily life. For example, when I saw a couple on the other side of the road, I would imagine what they're talking about, how happy they are. Or when I saw people living their life, I would ask myself what is their happiness, where do they find it, maybe their happiness is family or children at home."
“For me, Hmm...I don't think I do anything special. I just want to have fun with it. I may put my life experience and my imagination into the lyrics, but I mostly just create a good result if I enjoy the process and are happy with it." Yugyeom shared his thoughts.
It seems your processes are quite different.
"Actually, we share the same trait which is that we both like to work freely and have fun with it. The difference might be our standpoint. Yugyeom wouldn't think too much and tend to be easy-going, but I would focus on the point. If we have to make a decision, I make a clear decision while Yugyeom is struggled to choose" (smile). JB denied our mention.
Yugyeom gave JB a dirty look. "I’m not like that anymore! Like JB said, and as we mentioned about the way we work, you'd see that our thoughts are quite different (smile). However, this difference is what makes JB a good consultant since he can point out something I couldn't think of which is a great help to me.
"Another difference would be our preference for food. We aren't picky, but JB would prefer Korean or seafood dishes. He also likes Thai food as well. ("Tom Yum Kung is my favorite, and I also love Gaeng Keow Wan Gai" JB mentioned.) However, I would prefer western dishes and red meat. For Thai food, ld say Khao Pad is the best."
Since you've been working together for a long time, have you had any conflict?
“Never. We do have our different thoughts, but if it's my responsibility, Yugyeom would respect my decision. And if it's his responsibility, I would respect his decision as well. In terms of group decision, we mostly agree with each other. I think he has grown up. Looking at how he conducts himself nowadays, I can say that he has become more responsible. I can't tell you the detail since it's his private life though" (smile). JB said with confidence.
So, has the big brother JB done anything that makes him look like a kid?
Yugyeom looked at JB before bursting a laugh. "Sure! Everyone would say that he's like a very naughty kid when he pulls a prank."
Since you are in this industry for 7-8 years already, do you remember the goal you had on the first day you entered this industry? And how far is your progress toward it now?
"My dream is still the same, which is to be a dance singer. To this day, I still have a long way to go, for both dancing, singing, and stage performance. I think I could keep getting better if I keep practicing." Yugyeom answered clearly.
“I’ve never had a goal. I used to be a b-boy dancer and I want to have a full experience with b-boy and Hip-Hop culture, but I have never set a goal to become a famous singer. If I get famous, that's good for me. I just want to dance the way I like and write songs freely. I didn't do it to get famous. All I want is just to give my all to make good songs." JB said.
“I still think that I need to produce more quality songs. Further than that, I want to keep working on it every day. Not to repeat the same thing over and over, but to explore something new to improve myself and widen my world with the new lessons and discoveries I could find along the way."
Looks like you two have come so far. What makes you become who you are today?
"I think it's diligence. As time passes by, I grow more diligent because I often think of the past which makes me feel that I could do things better but I didn't. That makes me try my best to keep getting better at my work so that I have no regret. It's to the point that everyone sees me as a very diligent and determined person." JB replied immediately. Yugyeom agreed to JB. "Like what he said, we just try our best and keep it up every day."
Have you ever been depressed or struggled because of your work? And how do you deal with it?
"Generally, it's my physical condition like when I'm tired or lack of sleep. Sometimes, I sit alone on a sofa and ask myself, what am I doing or why do I have to do it, which I believe that everyone has moments like this no matter what kind of job they do. However, I'm quite optimistic and easy to forget. When I start asking those questions, I'd just ask them and stop thinking further (laugh). Yugyeom shares his experience.
"My problem is that I think too much. I would overthink things over and over until it sinks into my heart which makes me feel very bad to the point that I can't sleep sometimes So, I normally try to sleep it off. If I feel very down, I will go out and meet my friends so that I can forget about it. When I have something on my mind,I will not tell the others. I usually try to figure it out myself. I may tell my parents about the problem on my mind, but that's only when they ask. If they don't ask, I don't talk" JB told us seriously. “But if we talk about physical tiredness like when I’m tired from work, I will think of when we released the song Never Ever. It was very cold back then. The time we finished our work and got into a warm place was the best. This memory could help me Cure my tiredness.”
Yugyeom took this chance to conclude. "I think we just need to be positive because no matter what's the problem, we can go through it"
What about the good time? Is there any good memory you get from work?
"I love to perform on the stage. Doing concerts is the best time in my working life." Yugyeom answered first.
"I do like to do concerts like him and I like the time we release a new album as well, but I would be happier when I get good feedback from my work. When GOT7 returned from the Eyes On You World Tour and received a lot of praise from the company or when I wrote You Are and got a praise message directly from the company's president at night, I was very happy. It makes me feel like every effort I put into my work pays off the good result." JB shared his memories
May you give some advice to the people who dream to be a popular and successful singer like you please?
"First of all, you must understand yourselves the most you can. Ask yourselves if this is really the job you want. You need to think carefully because you might regret and lose your way if this job turns out different from what you expect, but if you're sure about it, then you must give it your all to make a success of your dream. Do your best every day, and don't cower before any obstacle." JB, as the group leader, gave his advice
You have visited Thailand so many times and you will pay a visit again in the near future. Is there anything in Thailand that impresses you?
“I really love Thai food, especially seafood with a lot of shrimps. For traveling, I like Phuket the most. I saw a lot of advertising about Phuket, then I travelled there and found that it's a really great place. (Yugyeom nodded and agreed with JB. "Exactly, Phuket is the best. ") Oh! There's another place I want to visit. It’s Phi Phi Islands which I heard that we need to take a boat from Phuket to go there." JB answered with a smile.
"If we talk about Thailand, I would think of Thai fans. Every time we visit Thailand, Ahgases would treat us very well. The event that impressed me the most would be during the Eyes On You World Tour in Bangkok. The fans on the 3rd floor arranged pink glow signs to form the word GOT7 Saranghae (We love GOT7)" Yugyeom answered excitedly.
"That's right. I remember that Bambam would report the number of audiences to us before the concert excitedly. He said, You know that this is Thailand, right? All the 12,000 seats are packed full, you know? (laugh) Our Thai fans treat us very warmly. If it's American or westerner fans, they would enjoy the concert with us, but Thai fans would give us their all." JB confirmed Yugyeom's opinion.
Is there anything you want to say to Thai fans? JB pleaded with the fans first. "We are JUS2, the special unit from GOT7. We hope that you would like and enjoy our new release, Focus On Me. We put our feelings into this song. And I want to thank everyone for supporting us all this time. Thailand would be really hot right now. So, please take care of your health" (smile)
"Everyone would have been waiting for us for so long. I do want to meet everyone soon as well. Please support us in unit JUS2. We made the song and created new moves for this unit ourselves and we hope that you would love it." Yugyeom pleaded the fans with cuter tone. “Rak na…“ (love you.)
Scans by coconutverbena
For more pictures check out: https://twitter.com/coconutverbena/status/1113992114176528384
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How to kill a dragon | Lee Minho
Genre: how to train your dragon!au, Vikings!au, enemies to lovers!au
Pairings: Reader X Minho ft. Chan, Changbin, Jisung. (Maybe more)
Warnings: blood and gore, idk they're Vikings what would you expect.
Synopsis: It was your soul's mission to avoid Lee Minho at any cost, but life seemed to have other plans. A plan full of dragons, confusion, lots of tears, Minho, and newly found troubling feelings.
A/N(edit): the fic is posted.
A while ago, I read this masterpiece by none other than @j-once, and it reminded me of my favorite movie (httyd).I don’t know if she wrote it based on this movie or not, but I thought it would be a fun concept.
Heres a sneak peek ( basically the first part of the story)
I’ve been working on this for some time now, give it some loven’ it’s lonely.
I.
Steam was still rising from your soup bowl, meaning you haven’t been sitting on the polished wooden bench here for that long. But time could not go any slower than a wagon pulled in mud whenever you were in the presence of the almighty Lee’s family.
All they did throughout the whole weekly-dinners you and your father had with them in the great hall was boast and brag about how powerful they are, how many dragons they’ve slain, how much dragon skin they have hung up on their walls as tapestry, and how many teethes they wore around their necks, one from each species they’ve killed, as a reminder to the townspeople of who they were.
They perceived themselves as royalty. No one actually liked them, but everyone bared with their bragging as they played a crucial role in keeping this land safe and in one piece.
Your spoon kept picking at the peas in your soup, glaring at them, hoping if you keep your head down and stare at your soup long enough, you might turn into one eventually and not have to sit through this agonizingly long Rendezvous.
You wished you could skip these dinners, but being the last and only descendant of the villages’ chief put you in a tight spot. The Lee’s were a compelling family, they kept the village safe for innumerable years, forming a long line of dragon slayers. So to refrain from rendering this town to ashes, your father made sure to always be on good terms with them; thus you having to sit next to your father on a weekly basis in the large hall placed up north the island, where the elite lived, and pretend you don't dream about having their heads on sticks.
Appetite nowhere in sight, you abandoned your soup in favor of playing with the mashed potato next to the rib meat dosed in a brown sauce, smashing it even more. The food looked delicious, props to the chef, but you lost your appetite whenever you were within a mile of their existence. Being their neighbor wasn’t that fun either. Not when you inevitably meet at least one of the Lee’s whenever you step a foot out of your house.
You were beginning to believe this dinner might actually end on a peaceful note this time, without food thrown at each other across the table. Until the pretty faced boy seated in front of you opened his mouth.
“Why so quiet, Y/N? Dragon got your tongue?” Lee Minho, the youngest and last of the Lee’s, teased.
Great, now any sign of you having a civil, quiet meal completely perished.
You glared at him, trying to keep composed and not fall into one of his tricks, you replied, “Having to stare at your face all evening makes me want to hurl.” Alright, so much for keeping your composure.
“Aw, I make you that nervous?” He grinned, mischievousness sparkling in his pretty brown eyes— you meant ugly, ugly mud brown eyes.
“Aw, you want me to shove my foot up your ass?” You taunted.
“If that's what you're into,” that made everyone on the table queasy. And made your cheeks burn.
“you're revolting.”
“Come on, princess, I know you like me.”
“ I’d much rather have myself hunted down by a night fury than fraternize with you .” It was infuriating how good looking he and his brothers were.
His oldest brother, the firstborn- Chan, was the only one with a cool-headed mind, he was notoriously known in the village for his strength but he never, not once bragged or acted out as the rest of his younger siblings.
You were even more agitated with the way your heartstrings tugged whenever you set eyes on Minho. But you never liked him. There was no reason behind that, no big fight over who got the last biscuit from the great hall buffets, or quarrels over who-said-what-about-who, and especially no arguments over who was the better Viking because you-along with the whole island- knew that both of you have never killed a dragon.
While 12-year-olds were out there with a dash in their slate, both you and Minho were known for being the most softhearted Vikings this town has seen in decades. It was no victorious title, especially not to Minho, the legacy of the Lee’s must continue on, and you understood how suffocating it must feel to have to bear the weight of the crown he was forced to wear since the day he took his first breath. And it’ll stay on his head till the day he takes his last.
You hated him because he was a stuck up prick that couldn’t stop himself from annoying the living daylights out of you. And as far as you know, he couldn’t stand you either, if the glares he always sent your way weren’t an indication of his hate than you don’t know what it is. But you had no idea why he hated you. You never did anything to him. His hostility originated from the pressure of being the black sheep of the house, but why he chose to take it out on you was a mystery.
“Be careful what you wish for.” Minho had the audacity to smirk, right where you had a steaming hot bowl of soup in your hands reach. Did he not learn from the last time he tried to test you? Was the slimy residue of the goat intestines that left his hair sticky and smelly for a week not enough of a warning of how hands-on you could get? He might need a reminder.
He was right though, Night furies were no joke. They are the most feared type of dragons. It only appears at night, never shows itself. It’s fast, stealthy, and never misses an aim. If it has its eyes on you, then you better pray to Odin to give you the stamina to outrun it to a shelter, because other than that your chances of encountering a night fury and coming out alive are nigh to none.
It’s sporadic to see a night fury, much less kill one. No one knows how it looks like, and no one has ever caught or killed one. The only sign that one has come to hunt you is their screech and their unmistakable blue plasma fireballs that could burn anything to ashes upon contact.
You could say night furies were the most sought after dragon in the Lee’s, they want them as a trophy. If they could get that under their belts, then this town would not hear the end of it with how high their heads would be in the asses, proudly wearing it as a tophat.
While you were busy thinking of your comeback, You heard his parents and your father joking as always, saying how you two bickered like a married couple, and how perfect both of you already played into your foreseeable future marriage.
This was another point that added fuel to your hatred. Your families always talked about how the both of you would eventually come around your little fights and marry each other.
With that said, you still would rather be eaten alive by a dragon than have to face the Lee’s for any second longer.
You opened your mouth to say exactly that, but the perusing pair of eyes that were set on you made you shut up. You turned your gaze from Minho's and caught his older brothers instead.
You’ve always admired Chan, he was calm and collected, unlike his baby brother. Fighting in front of him made you feel immature. You two don’t talk often, but you would have absolutely no problem if he were the one you would be betrothed to. He was a very sensible man.
You dropped your gaze back to your plate, letting go of the issue. Shame draped over your shoulders like a coat, you don't mean to pick fights with Minho, but his constant remarks always hit the nail on the head. He knew how to get on your nerves, and it annoyed you to no end that you give him the power to do so.
“So tomorrow is the big day, yeah?” Minho’s father cut into the pregnant air with his question, gathering everyone’s attention back to him, ignoring you twos previous bickering.
“Yes, the sea has cleared up enough for us to set sail.”
Seeing as it was getting hotter these days, sun heating up your armors, turning them into a portable fireplace, melting your skin. Seas turning back to their natural liquid state, your father and his soldiers were bound to go on to one of their semi-annual sea trips.
It completely slipped your mind. It was always around this time, where the adults of this town sailed out to explore the ambiguous sea, in hopes of finding where all these dragons were nesting, while the younglings stayed back for dragon training.
Dragon training.
You’ve managed to avoid joining training thus far, somehow explaining to your father how important it was for you to learn from the town's seamstress how to sew two pieces of leather skin together. But you had a feeling, not this time.
“ Is Commander Kim still the head trainer for this years dragon training ?” Your father nodded, then said, “ speaking of dragon training, Y/N will be joining this year.”
That was news to you. You knew it was bound to happen, but knowing that he signed you up behind your back without consulting you first still hurt.
“What?!” Your spoon clacked loudly against the plate, gathering everyone's attention.
“You heard me,” He said with finality. “ Minho will be there with you too. One of you might actually kill a dragon this time.” He added humorously, as if that would make either of you feel any better. You would rather jump into an active volcano than have to stand next to one of them.
You saw Minho scowl at the mention of his name while everyone else at the table cackled.
“ I bet Y/N will kill one first.” Changbin, the second oldest son and the older twin of the lee pair, made the frown on Minho's face deepen. You could see he was trying to not burst, his hands curled to a fist, knuckles turning white.
Sympathy washed your disdain away, You always felt sorry for Minho whenever his brothers made fun of him. You were an only child and were handled as a relic, meant to be seen and not touched, behind compacted glass. You've never lived a life of sibling rivalry, it wasn't that you envied people with siblings but the thought of having someone to throw the blame on when you tear one of your father's maps seemed pleasant. You always thought blood is thicker than water but witnessing firsthand the unfortunate bulling of lee Minho made you think otherwise.
“ what’s she going to kill it with? Her crossbow?” The younger twin, Jisung, Snorted. You ignored him, both pairs of the twins were nutheads. Albeit good looking nutheads.
“But dad,” you tried to bring the conversation back onto you, letting Minho breath for a second, not that you cared about him, but because you would hate it if you were in his place “the seamstress finally managed to get velvet, she’s going to show me—“
“No more excuses!! this time you're going!” He slammed his fist into the table. He looked mad, you didn’t know the town folks shit-talking about his daughter being too weak to inherit this town bothered him that much. He must have reached his limit for him to slip and yell at his kin in front of other people. “ how can I pass this village down to you if you can’t even face a training dragon?!”
Ouch. That stung. It wasn’t like you wanted to become the next chief, you wanted to explore the world beyond your tiny island, study the plants and animals, experience life in general. But you were tied down by duties and responsibilities.
You were startled into tears, you’ve never felt this humiliated before. Getting yelled at in front of your archnemesis made tears threaten to fall from your eyes. Now you wished you had stared at your soup harder.
Picking up your crossbow from beside your leg, you stood up abruptly, your soup could not rival the heat that was pooling in your cheeks, eyes glassy, lips pressed to a tight line. “I'll take my leave.” you rushed outside, ignoring your father's calls. Missing the solicitous stare that followed your figure out, his fists unclenching.
Continue.
#i wanted to upload this as a oneshot#but its taking to damn long#i dont know what to do#should i write it all at once or release part by part?#writing it all at omce might take me anoth month#yikes im to impatient#stray kids#straykids#skz#stray kids imagine#skz imagines#credit to the owner of the pics#skzinc#forskz#Lee Minho#skz minho#skz blurbs#skzwriters#stray kids fanfic#Minho x reader#skz x reader#stray kids x reader#kpop scenarios#kpop imagines#bang chan#changbin#jisung#seo changbin#han jisung
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All The Pieces Fall
Synopsis: Some pieces mismatch, but some pieces fall into place. They figure out a way to create a beautiful and unlikely picture. Here’s how a few lives intertwined on this holiday, making it count.
Word Count: 26.4 k words
Genre: Holiday, Friendships, Not present lover, Christmas Fluff
Warnings: It’s really long. Haha I’m sorry. And a sprinkle of angst throughout.
Members: All 7 of them. Hoseok as a brother, Yoongi as a lover, the rest will make their respective appearance (;
Author’s Note: This work is highly special to me. I was supposed to post it last Christmas, but didn’t finish it and vowed to finish it this year. And I accomplished that goal! I am so happy with how it came out. It’s not perfect, but it’s beautiful. And I think that’s reflected in how the piece unravels. Hope you enjoy! Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays! ~ Angelo
For as long as she could remember, she was a sentimental person. She enjoyed the smaller details, she collected items that may seem confusing to those who didn’t know her well and at the end of most nights, she enjoyed reminiscing about the people and the things that she loved. Earlier on in life, she knew there were rare feelings that she wouldn’t find anywhere else; when she was a teenager, she documented them and if she ever discovered new and rare feelings, she’d add them to the list.
First love. Concerts. And the feeling of Christmas.
There were only three experiences that sparked those rare sensations, but every time she pulled that little note out, it made her smile. Rare feelings aren’t something to be sad about.
She was aware that many people considered Christmas their favorite holiday. That in itself wasn’t rare. What’s rare is the feeling that blooms in her chest every 24th of December, and what lasts until she goes to sleep on the 25th. Her friends would call her a poetic romantic, always trying to articulate what or how something makes her feel. Christmas was one of the only experiences she certainly couldn’t capture in words. It was too rare, too stunning, too… ah, she couldn’t find the words.
What she could confirm is that her heart always swelled seeing those she loved surrounding her, the look of joy on their faces unforgettable. The air was warmer on those days, the lights softer. Smiles were more lovely. It’s the Christmas air, her brother Hoseok would say. Perhaps that’s what it was.
Christmas was the closest, she believed, to the feeling of pure bliss.
It always has been that for her, and it always will be. Sometimes, things go wrong and it doesn’t seem like Christmas will be the same. Somehow, in some way, it always works out. Even if it’s the slightest shift.
This winter was the most helpless she ever felt. As her favorite day grew closer, a piece of her hope would splinter off. Her brother didn’t seem to be coming home from university, her parents weren’t batting an eye, and it might be the first Christmas without him.
She wouldn’t lose faith, though, not yet. Christmas wasn’t over until the clock struck midnight welcoming the 26th.
This particular holiday always had a funny and inexplicable way of surprising her. She assumed this year wouldn’t be any different.
She could only hope that even if it’s different, it still captures that feeling she craves all year long. That’s all she wanted as a gift.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The Christmas Tree
“Have you talked to your brother recently, Y/N?”
The words sent her stomach dropping, finding it hard to resist asking her mother to repeat herself out of shock. She knew her mom wouldn’t be happy if she did so. Frankly, she had expected anything but those words to leave her mouth. She had been home for a few days now due to being on winter break as well as scheduling time off of work. Being surrounded by her childhood memories, portraits of her and her brother, and simply being reminded of how Christmas might be different this year, had left her moping around. She was too guilty to admit it aloud, but she found her mother partially responsible for their circumstances. Truly, she did not expect her mother to ask her that one morning after waking up.
It was her favorite time of year, the Christmas season. It was the most blissful experience, so brief and a wonderful rush that fills her once it’s around the corner. The day itself was highly anticipated, but it ended so fast it was almost like it never came. Now that she was a little older, the experience had transformed into an entirely different experience. It was more about giving instead of receiving, and she couldn’t get enough.
That particular morning, she had been lounging in the living room watching a Christmas movie on tv. Her mother joined her shortly after she woke up. Not thinking much of it, she assumed her mom was just joining her to watch the movie. She had not expected her to ask her such a loaded question, and one about Hoseok at that.
She spoke slowly and carefully. “Uh, I haven’t. Why?”
A brief silence, and it was enough to let her know what she needed to know. More than anything, growing up in her home, her and Hoseok recognized early on that their parents’ silence typically had to do with their pride. If it was related to an issue and they were responsible for apologizing, it took even longer for them to set pride aside. Hence, their familiar silence.
“What are his Christmas plans?”
To be fair, she didn’t know the answer that question either. At the realization, her heart sank.
There weren’t enough words to describe how much she loved her brother. Hoseok was his name, and that even conveyed how warm and soft he actually was. He was an enigma, mostly because somehow the moment anyone met him, they fell in love. Even if he spoke two words, they became enamored. Growing up, bringing her friends around her bright brother was fascinating because afterward, they were all smitten. When they were young, it was his friendliness and excitable personality that drew in everyone they met. As they both matured and grew, and he became the young man he was today, people simply fell for everything about him. All of that didn’t matter, though, because above everything else he was her brother. She and Hoseok had an unbreakable bond, one that wasn’t just because they were siblings but also because of a friendship built on years of closeness.
What she lacked, he embodied and vice versa. She loved him and supported him in everything he did.
Earlier this year and just after Christmas, Hoseok had announced that he had changed his major. It wouldn’t be such an issue if he had been changing to anything but photography.
When he was eight years old, he had gotten a camera as a birthday gift from their grandpa. Not just any camera, though. Their grandpa had gifted him a Yashica Mat 124G. At the time, Hoseok knew next to nothing about photography. What mattered to him that their grandpa, who was his favorite person in the world, had gifted him something so special to him. Once Hoseok clicked the cranked it and clicked the shutter, there was an everlasting love in his eyes.
She was six at the time, but she knew her brother had been changed by this gift from their grandpa.
Since then, his love for capturing the world had never ceased, only expanded with time. It was why she was utterly surprised a couple of years before he graduated high school, and told her he had chosen psychology as his major instead.
Although their parents loved him dearly, they were too afraid of the unknown that came with pursuing a career in any type of art. At the age of eighteen, he would have done anything to appease their parents. So he settled for his second passion, which happened to be psychology. It made their parents relieved. It made her brother passive. That was over three years ago.
Last year when he was home for Christmas, he confessed to a lie that he had been telling his family since before his sophomore year in college. It had really been plaguing him; she could tell he was hiding something long before that moment. He was on his third year of university, and he had been carrying the secret with him for so long. She had watched as the words slipped past his mouth, about how he was on his second year now of majoring in psychology. She watched the life return to his eyes as the weight lifted from his shoulders. That’s all that mattered.
The repercussions were deadly, the biggest explosion between her family she had ever witnessed. It had been about a year since the fight, but she tried to avoid thinking about it as much as possible. She hated remembering how thundering her father’s voice sounded in the house, rattling the house. She hated seeing her brother transform as he was backed into a corner, how Hoseok reciprocated with an even bigger storm in his eyes. She especially hated witnessing her brother’s heart break as their father treated him like he wasn’t welcome anymore. The night had ended in shambles, her brother leaving back to school a week early.
Since then, her father and brother hadn’t spoken. And their mom only occasionally checked up on him, in fear of breaking down and in fear of making it worse. She knew how much it was killing both sides, but Hoseok wanted their dad’s approval and their dad was too stubborn to concede. At this rate, she was afraid for not only Christmas, but for the future.
“I haven’t asked,” She paused, carefully wading through, “Do you want him to come?”
Silence. Then tiptoeing. “He is welcome to do whatever he pleases. Seems that’s what he does anyway-”
“Mom, enough. Do you want Hoseok to spend Christmas with us or not? Are you really going to let him spend Christmas alone all because he loves something you don’t?”
And she didn’t know if it had been the conviction in her voice, or if it was solely because she missed him so much, but her mom’s next words were exactly what she wanted to hear.
“I want my son home.”
~~~~~~~~~~
That afternoon, after settling down from mulling over her mother’s words over and over, Y/N found herself contemplating the home around her. The home she grew up in, the one that she and Hoseok played tag in and got scolded for running in, the one where her and Hoseok teamed up against their parents in debates and got scolded for as teens. Of course, there were both good and bad memories tied to this house. More than anything, it was their home. Usually, she loved being home completely. It was different, knowing that her dad didn’t welcome Hoseok anymore.
Yet, their parents welcomed her with sweet smiles and warm hugs. Her dorm wasn’t even far, a brief drive away to be quite honest. She had chosen the nearest university to her family because a) it had the major of her dreams and b) she was near her family. With the swarm of school and work, however, she didn’t get to visit as often as she’d like. Yes, that’s why she didn’t visit regularly. It wasn’t because it reminded her of the strain in her family.
It was at dinner that night that she found herself thinking about Hoseok once more. As she sat across from her parents and quietly ate her dinner, she remembered Hoseok’s laugh ringing in the air last Christmas, his smile as she unwrapped her gift from him. Their entire lives, his laugh had always been loud, sometimes obnoxious. It never failed to pull a laugh from her. Even now, a smile tugged at her lips as she recalled how she’d hit him with a throw pillow every time he’d laugh too loud late at night. He would only send her a mocking glare every time she told him to shut up, not worried at all about being caught watching t.v. late on a school night.
Her smile faded as she remembered how he was a boulder to cover her from the harsh winds of life. When school was overwhelming and he’d find her crying over something she can’t even remember anymore, he would wrap her up in his arms and remind her he’ll always be there. He would say that with her spirit, the world doesn’t stand a chance. She always used to wonder how could it be possible that he viewed her the same way she saw him.
He was a bonfire. People were drawn to him and his warmth. He would never let her hear the end of it whenever she compared herself to him. Thinking of that, his words rang in her ears. I’m not any better than you, Y/N. You are amazing, the most amazing sister I could ever ask for. Stop comparing yourself to me. Can’t we both be great?
“Y/N? Did you hear me?”
She looked up then, her attention being drawn to her mother. She was sitting to her right, her dad sitting right beside her. The setup almost made her happy. Almost. Except it wasn’t, not with Hoseok nowhere to be found. If he were here, he would be sitting right beside you at the table, finishing her plate when she grew full. Sometimes, their dad would jokingly insist she needs to finish her food. When he would leave the table, Hoseok would shovel all of her food quickly into his mouth, causing her to weaken with laughter as he finished, resembling a squirrel with filled cheeks. After swallowing, he would always say the same thing. “If I can’t finish your leftovers, what kind of brother does that make me?”
“What did you say?”
“I was telling you that the Parks can join us for Christmas Eve after all. It’s been so long since we’ve spent Christmas Eve with them. Their son is back home, too, which is lovely. We haven’t seen Jimin since your guys’ graduation. Isn’t that crazy?” Her words successfully drew her attention, mostly because it had been a long time since she saw Park Jimin.
Before she could respond, she felt her mother’s probing gaze. She knew what she was going to say. She wished she could stop her, but there was nothing she could do to avoid her teasing.
“I felt like I should let you know. I know you always used to have a crush on Jimin. I would hate for you to be caught by surprise after seeing him again.”
She clenched her fists with embarrassment, keeping her gaze trained on her plate as she pushed around her leftovers. No Hoseok to finish them for her. Hearing her dad’s exclamation, she braced herself for his dramatic reaction as her mom stifled a smile.
“Excuse me? You like the Parks’ boy? If I’d known that, I wouldn’t have ever let him spend the night-”
Her mom waved him off as Y/N cupped her forehead with embarrassment. “Oh, hush. He was friends with Hoseok. And so what if she has a little crush on him? He’s a good boy. Well, now he’s a young man.”
She tried her hardest to pretend her parents weren’t discussing her past crush while residing right across from her. Her thoughts were thankfully enough to keep her distracted.
It was true that as she was growing up, Jimin had been the boy who made her heart race. He was the school’s sweetheart, mostly because he was sweet to everyone. Because he was sweet to everyone, her heart grew sweet on him. Back in high school, he had been one of Hoseok’s good friends. Having him around made it even easier for her to grow fond of him.
He had only two girlfriends throughout high school, and each of them were treated like his queen. Whenever he spent time around her, he treated her the way Hoseok did. Back then, she didn’t know what loving someone was like. The way it felt, it was like he truly saw her. He looked out for her back then, bought her her favorite chocolate every time he came over. He even liked to ask her what new music she was listening to, because according to him she always had great taste. When Hoseok let it slip that Jimin had a Spotify playlist with all the songs she told him about, she knew she was head over heels for him.
She buried that crush deep within. He was not only Hoseok’s friend, he was her friend, too. His friendship meant the absolute world to her. The crush she harbored wasn’t deep enough to risk everything.
At graduation, after she and Jimin took a picture in their caps and gowns, she had stared at the boy in his angelic eyes. They were going their separate ways, him moving across the country. She would always remember him as her childhood crush, the friend that meant a lot to her. And when his lips had brushed her cheek, and her entire body grew warm, she was okay with leaving those feelings right then and there.
Besides, by now she had truly experienced what love actually felt like, all because of a boy with jazz eyes and piano hands. Her parents didn’t know about him quite yet. So, you let them speculate about the Parks’ son.
“Not that I don’t love talking about love with my parents,” She said sarcastically as she rose to her feet. She held back a smile at her dad’s highly unamused face and her mother’s amusement. “I’m going to head to bed.”
“This early? I know you don’t sleep until 3 am,” Her dad said, calling her out.
“You got me there,” She said, bending down to give both of them a kiss on the head. “Goodnight! Love you.”
Truth be told, she wasn’t tired at all. It was only 10 pm, but it was only a few days until Christmas Eve and time was working against her. For whatever reason, her heart was racing at her plans. This was Hoseok, for crying out loud. She was just afraid he would not take it well when she asked him to come home.
She had texted him earlier to video chat with her tonight. He agreed, his text exclaiming how much he couldn’t wait to talk to his sweet “Paws”. She couldn’t distinguish whether or not the nickname he had given her a long time ago made her more sad or happy. All she could do was shove it aside as she prepared herself for the tough conversation she was about to have.
The time had come, and as she shifted in her bed, she prepared herself for what was about to unravel. Inhaling deeply, she hoped for the best reaction. Unlike her parents, she stayed in constant contact with him. He didn’t really like to talk about their parents though, and she knew it was because it hurt him. She hoped this wouldn’t be too much for him.
Finally, his beaming face popped up on her screen and she quickly accepted the video chat, his face temporarily freezing in a buffered smile before it cleared up and she was staring at her brother’s live and in action face. It had been a while since they had video chatted, and staring at him made her realize how deeply she missed him.
Both of their smiles were unrestrained, and they excitedly got out their initial greetings.They talked about school for a while, discussing how their semesters went and what had been difficult about some courses. The topic shifted to work, Hoseok telling her about how he had recently gotten a job at a dance studio. He had gotten hooked up with an interview by one of his friends who majored in music production. He loved it a lot, hoping he would eventually get to be able to teach his own class. After the small talk, Hoseok’s smile died down and she could tell he was going to say something serious.
“I see you’re back at home.”
She didn’t control the surprise that filtered across her face. Nervously, she laughed. “Yeah, I am. For the holidays. Finally, I got some time off of work.” The smile she tried to hold didn’t last, her lips uncontrollably pursed before she decidedly dove in head first. “Speaking of the holidays, Christmas Eve is in three days…”
She didn’t like the cloud that covered Hoseok’s face, his eyes trailing off to the side. It squeezed her heart. Her brother was someone who should always be smiling. It made the world a lot more bearable. But she understood his dilemma. Their dad, who they both cherished, didn’t support the one thing he loved. It hurt her to know he was hurting.
She continued, her voice sounding small all of a sudden. “Are you coming home for Christmas?”
His voice was just as small, quiet. “I can’t. You know that.”
“Yes, you can. You know you can. Mom and dad love you-”
“Dad sure has a funny way of showing it,” He scoffed, and she pretended not to hear his voice crack. She wished she could hold him tight, just like those times in school when she doubted herself. If only he were here.
Shaking her head, she tried to find the words. By the look of his face and the sound of his voice, her heart sank with the oncoming disappointment. “Hoseok, you know he only wants the best for you. We both know he’s wrong in how he’s handling it, but he misses you. Mom misses you. I miss you.”
“Oh, they do? Then why hasn’t dad spoken to me since that night? How come mom can’t go one phone call without trying to convince me to switch majors, all to appease him? Why do I feel like I’m a villain for pursuing what I love?” He was crying, she could tell by the slight quiver in his voice. He had moved the camera so she couldn’t see his face.
Her own cheeks were damp, but she ignored it. She was desperate at this point, fishing for the words to bring him home. She needed him here.
“I want you here. And I know they want you here too. They’re just too stubborn to admit it.”
“I’m sorry, Y/N. I don’t want to be an outcast in my own parents’ eyes. I miss you so much. I’ll come visit you after Christmas break.”
“Hoseok-”
“I got to go. I’ll talk to you soon.”
“No, wait, please-”
The call ended just like that. The silence right after was unbearable, her brother’s broken voice and broken heart ringing in her memory. The ring was deafening, painful. She sat there a moment, frozen. Although she knew there was a chance the call wouldn’t go well, a part of her had still hoped she would convince him to come home. Instead, her mind began to torture her the realization of what Christmas would be like this year sunk in.
Her face crumpled as her heart did. She wished so badly she could shake her parents and tell them to stop hurting Hoseok. Mostly, she wanted him here.
~~~~~~~~~~
“Y/N!”
The next morning, she sluggishly trudged down the stairs and found her mother in the kitchen scrambling eggs. She stood in the doorway, watching her mom as she hummed a Christmas tune underneath her breath. Still tired from her restless night, Y/N found herself really looking at her mother. She knew her opinion of her parents had changed since that fateful night when her brother stormed out of the house, no intentions of coming back. She heard it in her mom’s voice yesterday, when she asked about Hoseok. And she saw it when her mom thought no one was looking, her eyes fluttering over the photos of her son hanging in the hall. She missed him just as much as Y/N did.
“Oh!” Her mom slightly jumped at the sight of her. “You scared me. Sorry to wake you. I need you to run to the store for me and pick up a couple things. I would ask your dad, but he’s at work. It’s his last day before he’s off for a week!”
Her excitement was endearing, and a bitter part of her wanted to be angry at her mom for doing nothing when her dad chased Hoseok away. At the end of the day, she knew that her parents initially had good intentions, that they loved Hoseok and had only been trying to protect him. They simply let the problem spiral out of control and were too prideful to make amends.
“Okay. Let me get changed.”
Before she knew it, she was driving to the grocery store. Since she woke up, her heart was weak at the memory of the video call last night. Hoseok’s hurt voice, his refusal as she pleaded. She tried to avoid thinking about him, but she couldn’t shake the sadness that came with the reality that he was not coming home. It would be her first Christmas without him, no one to wake her up to tell her to come downstairs. He wouldn’t be there Christmas morning, ready to start watching their favorite holiday movies. Who would finish her hot chocolate for her? Who would force her to dance to Christmas songs? Maybe it shouldn’t be as sad as she felt, but no matter how hard she tried she couldn’t shake the heaviness. A pivotal piece was missing.
It was like she blinked and she was at the grocery store. She sat in the car for a moment, the ignition turned off and the previous warmth from the heaters dissipating. As the cold air seeped in from outside, she told herself to push down the negative feelings. She would figure it out. She would. For now, she would just focus on the task at hand.
Stepping out of the car, she hissed at the frigid air, zipping up her jacket as tight as it would go. As she walked toward the entrance, she noticed on the other side of the parking lot there was a sectioned off area where real Christmas trees were set up. Before she went inside, she noticed people hauling off trees to their cars. It was quite the sight.
She bought everything off her mother’s list with no trouble. She was in and out rather quickly, pushing the cart out of the store and avoiding other frantic shoppers as much as she could. With the rapid approaching holiday, everyone was frantic and everywhere was busy. Somehow, she avoided all of it. Because of the music playing in the store, Jingle Bell Rock was stuck in her head. As she hummed it to herself, she gathered in her surroundings as she headed toward her car.
Taking one last look toward the Christmas tree lot, something caught her eye- moreso, someone did. Narrowing her eyes, she stared for a moment before the familiarity dawned on her. A smile widened on her lips before she raced to the car and put all the groceries in the trunk. After she finished up, she put the cart away and rushed to the tree lot.
As she approached, her gaze trained on the familiar figure that had previously snagged her attention. And she was thankful she had noticed him, because it had been too long since she had seen him.
When she was close enough, she felt her heart light up like the star on the top of the tree at home. He had let his hair grow long since the last time she saw him, but he was as handsome as she remembered. He was kneeling, fixing one of the Christmas trees that he had placed in a shopping cart. His face was flushed red, from exerting himself or from the cold she didn’t know. She smiled at the festive beanie he wore atop his head.
Finally, he noticed her. His eyebrows furrowed for a slight moment before his face lit up like the sunrise. A grin formed as he rose to his feet. Without any hesitation, he approached her with open arms. She stepped right into his arms as he said her name with unadulterated happiness.
“How long has it been since I saw you?” He said, cold air seeping out past his lips. She couldn’t describe the joy that wrapped around her at the luck of running into her dearest friend. Kim Taehyung was someone that had entered her life as sudden as a shooting star. But he wasn’t brief, no, he was an everlasting sun. She had met him when she was fourteen, and had forged a friendship that hadn’t been broken by distance or time. Yes, she hadn’t seen him in months, due to different schools and lack of time. That didn’t change anything. And here he stood. And it was like no time had passed.
“I think August. I’ve really missed you, Tae.”
His smile was blinding, erasing the previous distressed emotions suffocating her. “Likewise. It’s been way too long. No one else puts up with my tomfoolery like you do.”
“Maybe it’s because you use words like ‘tomfoolery’.”
His laugh echoed in the air, drawing the attention of a nearby family looking at trees. Glancing at them, she offered up an observation. “Isn’t it a bit late to be looking for Christmas trees? Christmas Eve is in two days.”
Taehyung shrugged casually, adjusting the beanie on his head. “Yeah, but it’s always sort of been a thing my family does. We cut it pretty short to the day itself. We’re badass like that.”
“Or reckless.”
“I like badass more.” His smile died down then, his fond eyes looking her over. “It’s so good to see you. I was going to wait until Christmas to reach out to you. Crazy how it’s not that small of a town, but it never stops us from running into each other.. We have to hang out before you go back-” And something strange happened then. It was like something had physically stopped him from continuing, his eyes glazing over. She had known him long enough to see something was bothering him.
“Is everything alright?”
His eyes found hers once more, shaking it off before feigning a comforting smile. “Everything’s fine! Sorry! I just remembered something. Anyways, want to help me find a tree? Taeyeon wants me to bring the perfect one home!”
Something told her not to force him to tell her what’s wrong. So, she complied. For twenty minutes, she walked the lot with him, offering up her opinions and finding time in between to reminisce about old times. A part of her wished he still lived nearby during school. Shortly after she moved into her dorms, he moved to a nearby city about thirty minutes away. Though he wasn’t far, they were both busy with school and work, and hardly found time to see each other. If they found the time, she was positive he would be the person she spent all her time with throughout the year.
Soon enough, he found what he deemed ‘The Perfect Pine’, and she helped him carry it to his familiar red Toyota. It brought back some dear memories, and she was unable to control her gasp of glee. After helping him secure the tree in the truck bed, the two of them stood facing each other.
She patted the trunk. “Haven’t seen this old friend in a minute.”
“Dory missed you. Just like I did.”
She threw her head back and laughed. “I can’t believe you remember our nickname for it!”
“I know, right? We were so excited when I got this car. Named it and everything. Except we never even called it Dory, not even once.”
It was times like this that she truly missed about being younger. Sure, it hadn’t been too long since she had seen Taehyung. And she generally kept in good contact with him. But it wasn’t like when they were younger. It was good to see his face.
His next question inevitably called back her sadness. It wasn’t his fault, because he couldn’t have known. However, there was no way to cover up the disappointment that washed over her face at his words.
“How’s my boy Hopeful? Haven’t seen your brother in ages. I miss him too.” At her prolonged silence, his hand reached out to her shoulder as he noticed her crestfallen face. “Hey. What’s wrong?”
Shaking her head, she sighed. “It’s… complicated. Let’s just say he’s not coming home for Christmas because he’s clashing with my parents. Has been for a while now.”
He sighed at the news, his hand unconsciously moving to rub her arm comfortingly. “I’m sorry to hear that.” His actions paused for a moment, as if he were pondering what he was about to say. It seemed he decided it was best to say whatever he was holding back. “Since when has an argument with your parents been this drastic though? And since when did that make Hoseok miss out on his favorite holiday?”
“It’s worse than it seems. Our parents don’t really support him and what he loves. And because of that, he doesn’t feel welcome.”
Taehyung frowned. “Your parents never seemed like they would be that way.”
“That’s the thing. They aren’t. My dad’s silence is just his pride. I know he misses Hoseok. My mom asked me to bring him home somehow. They want him here just as much as I do. They’re just too stubborn to make the first move. And Hoseok is hurt. He doesn’t want to make the first move because he’s afraid they’ll just do the same thing as last time.”
“So talk to your parents.”
“I have.” Her voice died, squeezing her eyes to make sure she didn’t get too emotional in front of him.
“Have you truly talked to them? Have you told them they’re wrong, that in order to have him come home, they need to reach out to him?”
She opened her mouth to respond but came up short. Because in a way, Taehyung hit the nail on the head. All these months, she hadn’t really called them out for their wrongs. She had only implied that they needed to be more understanding. For the first time since the night Hoseok stormed out, she realized that maybe she played a hand in this prolonged stalemate. Without outright calling them out on their behavior, they won’t think about what they’re doing. It was up to her to ultimately end all the turmoil.
“Tae, what would I do without you?”
He brushed off her compliment, his face drawn in a shy smile. “You would be fine.”
Lunging forward, she held him tight. “No, I wouldn’t. I have to head home, but we’ll hang out before I head back to the dorms. Have a Merry Christmas.” And in that moment, she didn’t register the grimace on his face. Maybe it was because of the stress of her family situation, that she didn’t even notice Taehyung’s own sadness lingering. At that moment, she had to get home and then get Hoseok home.
~~~~~~~~~~
“Mom, we need to talk.”
She turned at Y/N’s greeting, her eyebrows pulled downward in question.
“What took you so long? The list wasn’t that long.”
Brushing her arm dismissively, she explained, “The store was pretty busy. And I ran into Taehyung. But-”
“Oh, Taehyung! How is he? You haven’t brought him around in so long! He was always such a good friend to you-”
“Mom. We can talk about him later. We have something important to talk about.“
“Is everything okay, Y/N?” The concern in her eyes solidified her nerves, but she needed to push through. This talk was going to be hard, but she wasn’t walking away from it without getting her mom to see what’s right. If she failed, then she didn’t know how long her parents and Hoseok’s relationship would hang in a void. She couldn’t stand the idea.
“No. Everything isn’t okay. But it can be.”
~~~~~~~~~~
Her father came home to a gloomy house that evening. Both Y/N and her mother sat in a quiet living room that night, her mom’s stoic expression trained on a blank television. Her own gaze followed her dad’s movements nervously as he shrugged off his coat, meeting her look with his own questioning one.
“What’s going on? What are you guys doing just sitting here?”
“Dad, we need to talk.”
He stared at her for a moment, before he rubbed at his temple tiredly. “Can’t it wait? I’m pretty tired from work.”
“It really can’t. It’s important.”
She could sense his exasperation was building behind his expression, but she was thankful he was at least trying to be patient. “What’s it about?”
She was holding her breath, nervous for his reaction. Exhaling deeply, she just let go. “It’s about Hoseok.”
Disappointment filled her bones at the sight of him guarding his expression, looking the least bit responsive. “We’re not talking about him.”
“Dad, we have to. It’s almost Christmas-”
“So? What does that have to do with him?” His words stung and she unconsciously rose to her feet.
“What do you mean? It has everything to do with him. He’s your son, my brother. Christmas won’t be the same without him!”
“Whose fault is that? If he just listened to his parents-”
“Why would he listen to you if you guys were wrong-”
“I won’t have you disrespect me in my own house, Y/N. If you feel so strongly on the subject, why are you here? You can leave just like him.” His words extinguished any sort of fire previously lit in her veins. She heard her mother cry out in disbelief, but there was nothing else she could do. It seemed he was dead set on being prideful.
Shaking her head, she muttered, “You’re unbelievable,” before turning on her heels and heading toward the staircase.
“Y/N.” This time it was her mother, uncharacteristically quiet during the whole argument. Turning to look at her, something in her gaze comforted how upset she was. “I’ll talk to him. Just stay in your room for the night, okay?”
And there was nothing she could do. So she agreed. And she hoped her mother could pick up the pieces. Because if she didn’t, then maybe her family would never be the same. It was her biggest fear at this point. Aside from Christmas, what would their relationship with Hoseok look like in the future? It terrified her.
She didn’t have to wait long to know how the conversation played out after she went to her room. It was a few hours later when her mom joined her, her hiding beneath the covers. The only light that filled the room filtered in through the hall. Quietly, she walked in and sat beside her.
Her silence unnerved Y/N, and she feared her mom was quiet because she was coming to bear bad news. She sat there in silence for a few beats, her heartbeat the only sound thundering in her ears.
Finally, she spoke.
“Your father is driving up to see your brother in the morning. He’s going to talk to him. And if your brother lets him, he’s bringing him home.”
Her words brought Y/N to tears.
~~~~~~~~~~
Stockings
The countdown was two days until Christmas Eve.
That was her first thought the next day when she awoke. The second thought that flashed in her mind was her brother, and how their dad was going to see him. With that thought, she ripped her blanket off of her and stumbled out of bed. She sprinted out of the room and to her parents’ bedroom down the hall.
Pushing the door open, her heart rate spiked at the absence of her parents. Spinning around, she made her way down the hall and stairs, finding her mom lounging in the living room watching the news.
“Mom!”
Jumping at her voice, she shot her an irritated look. “Don’t scare me like that! What’s wrong?”
She paused, almost wondering if she had dreamt what she said last night. So she had to ask, just in case. “Did… did dad leave already?”
Her face morphed into realization before she soothed her with a soft look. “Yes, he headed out about an hour ago. He should be there soon. And if all goes well… Hoseok should be home by late afternoon.”
The words filled her with relief as the realization hit her like a knockout.. The words were exactly what she wanted to hear, an antidote to the potentially ruined Christmas. Slinking into the spot next to her mom, a thought struck her.
“How did you change his mind?”
She waved her hand before cupping her mug once more. She sipped at what she guessed was her morning coffee before she answered. “I’ve known your father a lot longer than he’s known himself. He didn’t need his mind changed when it was already where it needed to be. He just needed a little encouraging. He loves Honey and truly does want what’s best for him. All this time, he just needed to realize that Hoseok is in control of his life and is old enough to pick his own path. It’s just up to us to be there if he ever falls.”
Her heart tugged at the mention of the family’s nickname for her brother, then twisted at the sentiment of her mom’s words. She couldn’t help but hug her then, ignoring her playful protests. Soon, she was embracing Y/N back, her hands unconsciously moving to play with her hair.
In a few hours, the family was going to be what it was supposed to be. And Hoseok was going to be right where he belonged.
About an hour passed like that, her in her mother’s arms as she tempted Y/N to doze off. Her mom knew that playing with her hair was her ultimate weakness. It almost always led you to falling asleep. She fell asleep briefly before her mom adjusted in her seat and woke her up.
“Sorry, sweetie. I didn’t mean to wake you.”
Yawning, she sat up straight in her seat. “It’s fine. I actually think I’m going to get some sleep. Before they come back.”
Her words seemed to please her mom, her eyes getting distant. “Yeah. When they come back.”
She groggily headed to her room then, every intention of hers to get some sleep. Just as she got in the most comfortable position, her phone began buzzing on the bedside stand.
Groaning, she debated whether or not to ignore it but ultimately decided to reach out and grab it. Looking at the screen, her sleepiness faded at the sight of Tae-rex.
“Tae! What’s up?”
“Hey. Did I wake you?”
“Nah, I’m just in bed.”
“I just wanted to check up on you, see how things are. Did you… talk to your parents?”
She couldn’t control the smile on her lips and permanently in her heart.. “I did. My dad is driving to pick him up as we speak.”
“That’s awesome! Y/N, that’s so great to hear! I’m happy for you.”
A laugh escaped her, even though there wasn’t anything funny. It just bubbled out from her body. All was well.
“Thank you, Taehyung. Something as simple as pointing out how I feel made a difference. If you hadn’t suggested it, who knows what would’ve happened?”
“It was all you. You’ve always had an influence on people. I admire that.”
This time around, she wasn’t distracted by her sadness. Immediately, she picked up on his underlying solemn tone. Something was bothering him.
“Tae, is everything okay?”
He hummed in thought. It was never a good sign. It always told her everything she needed to know about how he was feeling. It was the sound he made when he didn’t know what to say, and the sound he made when he was hurting. To know that about him was an advantage and a burden, because it meant something was really wrong.
If possible, his voice dropped lower and quieter than it was before. “I’m fine. Why?”
“Something tells me that there’s something bothering you. Intuition, perhaps. Are you really fine?”
He was quieter a lot longer than she expected. Again, it told her all she needed to know. In a way, his silence answered the question.
“I…” She knew how he worked. Two sides of him were battling, one side telling him to put up a front and the other to open up. Over the years, he started opening up and letting the latter win. Other times, it wasn’t easy for him. She wondered what side would win. She hoped he confided in her. “I’m not fine. It’s hard for me to say.”
“You don’t have to tell me if you don’t want, I just-”
“I do want to, though. You’ve always been there for me. Maybe I just wanted to pretend I was okay. Who knows? It’s just hard to say because I don’t want you to feel bad. I’m just trying to be tough for Taeyeon but…” Now, she knew what was coming. She gave him the time to sort out his words, to find them and tell her what was plaguing him. And when he did, her heart dropped.
Taehyung proceeded to tell her about how he had been working hard to make this Christmas an amazing one for his little sister, Taeyeon. She had always been fond of his sister, a youthful little girl who carried the same wondrous eyes of her older brother. And as Taehyung began to open up a little more, a lot more started to make sense. Questions that had poked at her in the past became answered in this moment. She hadn’t known that Taehyung’s mother wasn’t around as much as she had initially thought. Sure, Y/N had been good friends with him since they were fourteen. And she was aware that Taeyeon was his number one priority, that he loved his mom a lot but she wasn’t around as much as an outsider would expect..
She would have never guessed that his mom missed out on the holidays that played a part in their family, the holidays that mark a kid’s childhood, the weekends are spent with parents. It broke her heart to know that him and Taeyeon had only been experiencing Christmas with each other as company for who knows how long.
After he finished, she was holding back the pain in her chest and the tears that threatened to fall. He didn’t sound too sad, which meant he was comfortable with the situation. That could only mean this wasn’t the first Christmas his mom wasn’t around. It also must’ve meant he likely saw it coming. And it made the realization even worse.
“...And I didn’t tell you all this so you could feel bad for me. Taeyeonie and I are fine. I just… I was thinking about how sad she looks every time she opens her presents in the morning and only sees they’re from me. You know, on Christmas Eve I do nothing but watch movies with her to keep her distracted. But every time she hears a noise outside the door, her head snaps toward it. Like… like she’s expecting Mom to walk through it. It makes me angry. Because I want to give her the world, but I can’t give her the one thing I know would make her extremely happy. When she was younger, she used to ask questions, wonder why Mom wasn’t around on Christmas morning. Now, my blood boils because it’s like she already knows. She’s conditioned to it, like she doesn’t have to ask anymore. I can’t figure out which one feels worse.”
“Tae…”
“You don’t have to say anything. I know. I’m sorry,” His voice wobbled too, but he was strong. He always had been.
“Don’t be. You don’t have to be sorry about this.” They both fell into silence, and she wanted to ease his pain, so badly it lit up her entire body. She wanted to embrace both him and Taeyeon, the starry eyed little girl who had her heart the first day she met her. She wanted to do everything in her power to ease their pain, even a little bit. Without any hesitation, she let your heart take the wheel. “Would you guys maybe want to spend Christmas Eve with us?”
~~~~~~~~~~
Y/N and her mom were on the third episode of a sitcom when she heard a car pull up in the driveway. Pausing the show, they both listened. One car door slam, two car door slam, three-
Jumping up to her feet, she rushed to the front door, her heart soaring at the sound of her dad and Hoseok’s voices blending together as they approached from the other side. Throwing the door open, her eyes immediately connected with Hoseok’s smiley gaze. She launched herself toward him, his laughter breaking past his lips as he accepted her hug effortlessly.
“Hobi! I’m so happy!” She tried to keep the tears at bay, but she was almost in disbelief at the change of events. At this time yesterday, she was unsure of how Christmas was going to play out. She was melancholic at the thought of not seeing her brother. Here she was twenty four hours later, holding him and thankful at the unexpected turn of events.
Not soon after, her mom interrupted their moment to hug him, her own face shiny with tears. Hoseok offered up a comforting smile to her, but his whole body was bouncy with happiness. Just like he always should be. The feeling in her chest couldn’t be put into words, she was utterly filled to the brim with joy.
Turning to her dad, she hugged him just as tightly. He held her, a chaste kiss being placed atop her head.
“Thank you, dad. Thank you so much.”
“No, Y/N. Thank you.”
“Who’s this?” Once again, her mom interrupted another moment she was having. This time, she had garnered everyone’s attention at her questioning. Y/N’s gaze followed her mom’s inquisition, her eyebrows rising in surprise. Amongst all the embraces and happiness, she hadn’t noticed a lone figure standing back, hovering a little awkwardly.
He was young, possibly a little younger than her. His hair was dark and shielding his eyes. The clothes that adorned his body were just as dark as his hair. Even though his appearance was gloomy, he had quite the boyish face.
“Oh,” Hoseok strode over to the quiet guy, his arm falling across his shoulder as he addressed her and her mom with yet another blinding smile. “This is Jungkook. He’s my roommate back at my university. He can be a bit quiet, but once he warms up he’s gonna be as loud as me.”
“Great. Just what we need,” She offered up jokingly. She laughed at the sight of Jungkook flashing Hoseok a disbelieving look.
“Oh,” Their mom’s tone was surprised but pleasant. “Is he spending Christmas with us?”
“Yeah, he is. Is that fine?” It was the first time Hoseok’s smile disappeared, worry creasing his face. But he should know better. Growing up, their mom was avid in one particular message during Christmas: no one should spend it alone. Although Christmas Eve dinner typically had the same faces every year, she and Hoseok would expect to see someone there that hadn’t been the prior year. Their mom was soft like that.
“The more the merrier. It’s nice to meet you, Jungkook.”
~~~~~~~~~~
There was a rhythmic knock at her bedroom door, and she could recognize it anywhere. Considering Hoseok liked to knock the beat of Mickey Mouse Clubhouse, it was pretty easy to distinguish. Leaning back in her desk chair, she called out that the door was unlocked. It opened to reveal her smiley brother, inevitably making her a smiling mess too. The joy from earlier hadn’t worn off quite yet and if possible, it felt like she had received an early Christmas present. That’s exactly was. Hoseok was a gift.
“It’s good to be home.”
“It’s good to have you home. It wouldn’t have been the same without you here.” At her words, he beamed even brighter. She wondered if there was anyone as warm as him in the world. She would argue that no, there wasn’t anyone that could compete.
He trailed into the room then, letting a comfortable silence fall between the two of them. She watched him as he fondly took in her room, chuckling at the sight of a goofy photo of both of them on her bedside. It had been too long since she last saw Hoseok.
“Where’s Jungkook?” She asked, curious about his friend.
“He’s fine. He’s on the couch playing a game on his phone. I’ll be down there soon.”
She nodded before asking, “Mom and dad?”
“Went to bed. They said the day took a toll on them. I agree. It was quite the roller coaster.” He finished his statement by spinning and eyeing her, as if she was a suspect in some interrogation room. She met his gaze head on, playing innocent. He continued talking. “I never would have woke up this morning thinking that dad would show up at my apartment, scaring Kook and demanding to see me. When I saw him, I felt like I died. But he wasted no time to apologize, grumpy face and all.”
She laughed a little before getting up and facing him. “I’m glad you accepted his apology.”
“Why wouldn’t I?”
“They hurt you. And didn’t show their support.”
He merely shook his head before he responded, “I love them and I missed them. We all make mistakes. What I want to know is if this was all your doing?”
For whatever reason, she grew a little shy. “I played a hand. I argued with dad and thought I didn’t get through to him. Mom took care of it though. To be honest, Taehyung gave me the idea to confront them in the first place. I wanted my big brother home.”
His face dawned with realization before suddenly he lurched forward and held her in a light chokehold, rubbing his knuckles on the top of her head. She shrieked in protest, fighting to get away from his arms. He was being too loud, but she had a feeling their parents wouldn’t be barging in to scold them tonight. Gosh, she really missed him. Even his too-strong cologne was the same, practically burning her nostrils. Most people loved it, but she always said a softer scent would better suit him.
After he finished his assault on her head, she huffed and shoved him away gently. Glancing at herself in the mirror, she glared at the sight of her unruly hair. She wasn’t angry, though, she was too happy to have him here.
“My little teddy looks so precious when she looks like a witch.”
“Shut up before I punch you in the throat.”
Yeah, mostly happy.
His eyes went comically wide as he held his hands up in surrender. “Violent! Geez, don’t cast a curse or anything.” Just like usual, his attention shifted as he threw himself on her bed. “Tae, huh? How is he? I think I haven’t seen him since your graduation.”
“He’s…” She was going to say he was fine, but it felt like a lie. Hoseok caught her hesitation, watching her closely.. “He’s tough. I admire him and his strength. He has some things going on with family. I invited him and Taeyeon to Christmas Eve dinner.”
His face was filled with understanding, knowing not to prod. “Are they coming?”
“He said he would think about it. I won’t force him to. I hope they come though.”
“Me too. I always thought he was cool. Cooler than the other friends you brought around,” He gave her a funny look at her eye roll before continuing, “And I haven’t seen Taeyeon since your graduation either. How old is she now?”
“She’s eight now. And we all know how much she loves you.” She feigned bitterness, but it had made her happy years ago when Tae’s younger sister took a liking to her brother. It made it feel like they had two more siblings.
“What can I say? I’m everyone’s favorite,”He joked, sitting up on her bed.
“The fact that you don’t know that that’s the actual truth is annoying.”
“You don’t know what you’re talking about,” He dismissed as he stood to his feet. “Now I think it’s time to carry out our Christmas tradition.”
“It’s not Christmas yet.” She smiled at his pointed look.
“It’s hot chocolate time! And The Polar Express! You know that Kook has never seen it?”
She exclaimed in horror, following him out the room. “The audacity! Speaking of... Kook,” Hoseok smiled at her awkward attempt to use the boy’s nickname, “Is everything alright with him? He’s spending Christmas with us…”
Hoseok’s voice grew quiet, which was odd considering he was so loud in any given situation. “Everything’s fine. The weather wasn’t looking good and his family didn’t want him flying out today. They got him a flight for the day after Christmas. He was really down, and it was one of the main reasons I was going to stay on campus too. But dad showing up out of nowhere really put a dent in my plans. There was no way I was leaving him there alone. So here we are.”
If possible, she admired her brother even more. He had the biggest heart, and one day she hoped to be as selfless as him. Their talk ended there, arriving to the living room to find Jungkook doing the exact thing Hoseok had said he was doing. His gaze jumped up at the sound of their arrival.
“Kook, it’s time for us to change your life.”
Coolly, he raised one eyebrow. She wished she knew how to do that. “That doesn’t sound good. What nonsense are you going on about now?”
“Watch it, kid. Remember who’s older.”
Jungkook sighed, turning off his phone before he asked again, “What do you mean, change my life?”
Hoseok smiled creepily, evading the question entirely by staring at his friend for a beat too long. She quickly grew impatient, so she reached over and lugged him in the arm. He shouted in pain, effectively ending his theatrics as he complained underneath his breath.
She said, “We’re going to watch The Polar Express. I heard you’ve never seen it.”
“Oh, yeah I haven’t. Hoseok nearly killed me when I told him. You offended too?” The guy had a bit of sassiness to him. It was kind of refreshing, given that a lot of Hoseok’s friends were just like him: warm and bubbly. Jungkook was different, more quiet but more witty and unafraid.
“No, I’m not. It is going to change you though. Hoseok and I love it.”
“Well. Let’s see if it’s worth all the hype.”
She merely shook her head before taking the recliner, grabbing the remote and finding The Polar Express. About ten minutes into the movie, Hoseok announced that it seemed like it was the perfect time for hot chocolate. The only issue was, neither of them wanted to get up and make it. After having the movie paused for too long as the siblings stared each other down, she suggested a game of rock, paper, scissors to determine who gets up.
“No fair. You know I’m not lucky.”
She shrugged. “Oh well. Best two out of three.” He sighed, before raising his fist to get ready.
Jungkook called it out for them. The first round, Hoseok chose paper and she chose scissors.
Hoseok cursed, his face scrunching in concentration. She wanted to laugh, but she didn’t want to risk getting him angry. The second round went to him, her shushing him when he celebrated a little too loud.
The last round, the two of them must’ve read each other’s mind as they picked the same play three straight times. Finally, Hoseok took the round as winner. Jumping to his feet, he danced around wildly, his arms flailing like a seal before he began a smooth dance.
“We get it, showoff. You can dance,” She hissed, having to control the urge to lug him once more. She wasted no time heading to the kitchen.
“Your sister’s funny,” She heard Jungkook try and say quietly but failing miserably. Seems he and Hoseok do have a few things in common. It eased the loss she just experienced, a smile on her face as she prepared three hot chocolates.
As she waited for the milk to heat, she felt her phone buzz in her pocket. Pulling it out, her smile grew wider at the sight of her nickname for the person that pretty much owned her heart at this point. Reading the text, however, made her heart sink and her smile disappear.
Yoyo:
Hey… I’m sorry, but I don’t think I’ll be making it back home in time. I’m working Christmas Eve and I couldn’t get it off. As for Christmas, I’m spending it with my family.
I’m really sorry. I know you wanted me to-
She didn’t want to read the rest, the upset feeling overwhelming her as she set her phone down. Trying to get a reign on her emotions, she finished preparing the hot chocolates. Taking them to the boys, she gave them a weak smile before going back to retrieve her own mug.
She remained pretty quiet for the rest of the movie, forcing a laugh every time Hoseok made a joke or Jungkook made a witty comment. Somehow, she managed to fool the boys into thinking she was okay.
It seemed something really didn’t want this Christmas to go well for her.
Yoongi wasn’t going to be here.
“Psst. Y/N,” Jungkook whispered toward the end of the movie. Her eyes left the movie, trailing to him and seeing him gesture to her brother. A genuine smile tugged at her lips at the sight of a knocked out Hoseok, his head lulling on the armrest of the couch.
She grabbed her phone, wanting to take a picture of the sight. However, the sight of another text made her pause. It was from nearly an hour ago, and she wanted to punch herself for not responding. She could only imagine how worried he must have been from her lack of response.
Yoyo:
I’m really sorry, Y/N. I know you’re upset. I really wanted to spend the dinner with you and your family. I know how much it means to you. I’ll make it up to you.
Shaking it off, she told herself she’d answer him later before she took a picture of her brother. She chose to pretend she didn’t notice Jungkook’s prolonged stare.
Soon enough, the movie ended and she realized it was officially after midnight. It was Christmas Eve. The thought both made her happy and sad. Although she was bummed Yoongi wasn’t going to make it, she was happy that Hoseok was home and that there was a chance she was going to make things a little easier for Taehyung and his sister.
Yes, this was still going to be a good Christmas.
“What the?” Hoseok startled awake, his bloodshot eyes shooting to the now dark television screen. “I missed the ending?! Come on, it’s the best part! When the boy can hear the bell,” He gave up in his ramble, too tired as he lay back down on the couch.
“You sleeping there?” She asked, amused.
He hummed, mumbling that Jungkook was taking his bed. She proceeded to go and grab him blankets and a pillow, assuming his last hum was a thank you. This holiday season was making her a little too emotional than usual, but she didn’t fight it as she ruffled his hair and whispered, “Goodnight, Hobi.”
“Night, Teddy.”
Jungkook followed in the walk upstairs. His voice was quiet, nervous to wake up her parents.
“Teddy?”
She sighed. “I’d rather not talk about that embarrassing memory.”
He proceeded to nod in understanding. That is, until he responded with, “I see. I’m sure Hoseok will tell me the story when I ask.”
She gaped at him while he attempted to muffle a laugh. Leading him to Hoseok’s room, she pushed the door open and flicked on the lights. She paused in the doorway for a moment, taking everything in as she realized that Hoseok’s room was just like it used to be. Nothing really changed since he moved out three years ago, and the same went for her. She remembered the first year of college for him, and how incomplete the house had felt. The puzzle was back together again for the holiday.
“Wow. His room screams Hoseok.” Jungkook’s voice somewhere from behind her. She nodded along in agreement, taking in the one wall cluttered with movie posters, the longest wall with professional shots he took with his own camera, and the furthest wall painted white with black constellations.
“It really is, huh? Kinda showcases how passionate he truly is.” She spoke fondly before stepping aside and letting him walk into the room. Jungkook moved past her, taking a moment before hesitantly sitting on his bed.
“I really admire Hoseok. I’ll have to admit, when I first met him, he was a bit much. He’s just so… different from me. Different, but the same. It’s hard to explain.” Jungkook shook his head, his fringe moving in the process. Watching him like this, a boyish young man in the center of her brother’s room, made her feel… almost like younger Hoseok was before her. She did sense that about him, how he was different but similar to him Life was like that sometimes. Maybe that’s why he and Hoseok clicked.
“I understand what you mean. Hoseok has that effect on everyone. Whenever I try and tell him how great he is, he doesn’t really see it.”
Jungkook stared back at her, confident and assured now. It was vastly different from her first impression of him. “That’s how most great people are.”
She held his gaze for a moment before cracking a smile and plopping down in Hoseok’s desk chair. Albeit, she had to move several articles of clothing to even sit down, but she didn’t mind. Hoseok was an array of color, touching every single surface and every single person.
“Hoseok talks about you a lot, you know. I felt like I knew you long before I met you,” His eyes were distant, like he was a grandfather retelling stories to his grandchildren. He looked at peace, his smile easy. It was a sight to behold. A slight chuckle bubbled out from his chest, one that she didn’t think he was aware of, before he threw her for another loop. “You know, he sees you the way you see him. It’s pretty sweet.”
She could only blink at him, not really sure what to say. She knew how close she was to Hoseok, she just never really thought about how he viewed her. She thought the world of him, and according to Jungkook he saw her the same way.
A confused but sincere smile found her lips. Something about Jungkook’s admittance was enough to dismiss anything that was hanging over her head, if only for a moment. And spending time around Jungkook quickly made her understand why Hoseok adored him.
“Tell me about your family, Jungkook. That is, if you want to.”
Her words surprised him, she could see it in his face. He blinked once before he nervously laughed it off. “Sure. Well, I don’t know if Hoseok told you but I’m going home the day after Christmas. The weather is pretty bad on the way back home. So they thought it was best to hold off a day or two. My mom’s a bit paranoid like that. It’s okay, though, I understand. She’s…” And at the mention of his mom, stars flickered in his eyes.
He jumped right in, describing this driven and passionate woman, unmoved by hardships and stern in her ways. He spoke so highly of her, and how he wanted to take care of her the moment he got out of university. He described her like she was the greatest woman in the world, and she adored that. She could tell how much he loved his mom.
Soon, he was talking rapidly and passionately, his eyes glancing at her here and there but mostly in another world as he started retelling memories. His attention shifted to his dad and his brother, how similar the two of them were and how balanced they made him and his mom. Where he took after his mom, his brother took after his dad. Regardless of the differences though, they seemed like a tight knit family.
After awhile, Jungkook lost all of his fire to continue talking about them. But in its wake was a lovely boy with distant eyes and a soft smile. It made her heart squeeze, both out of happiness that she got to know a little more about him and sadness for the fact that he wouldn’t get to spend Christmas day with them.
“I’m sorry you’re not with them right now. But soon you will be. And I’ll make sure you have a good Christmas with us.” Her voice was strong, firm as she tried to reassure him that he wasn’t alone.
He didn’t seem as down as he was before though, choosing to nod with a smile. He whispered a thank you, the smile still present and reassuring her. It baffled her, because it should’ve been the other way around. She got the feeling that Jungkook wasn’t the type that liked to be worried about. However, in the short time knowing him, she was another person on his side.
Before she bid him goodnight, he left her with a short statement that melted her heart.
“You know, you remind me of my mom. And if that’s anything to go by, I can tell you are someone I’ll love having around.”
And as she dozed off, a smile flickered on her lips. She held onto that feeling, refusing to let any of her worries creep in. When you’d wake, it would be Christmas Eve.
~~~~~~~~~~
The Nutcracker
She woke up to the sound of Hoseok’s booming voice.
Any other day and it probably would have irritated her. But it was finally Christmas Eve, and she could bear the sound on this particular day. After she cleaned herself up, she headed downstairs to find an odd but endearing sight. Her dad was sitting at the table with both Hoseok and Jungkook, in the middle of telling them a story.
“Isn’t this an interesting sight?” She uttered at her mom as she walked past with her coffee mug. She shot her a look of agreement, but she could see in her mom’s eyes that she was just as happy as she’s been since Hoseok arrived.
“Sleeping beauty finally decided to join us!” Her dad acknowledged her, his eyes twinkling with his own joy.
“More like Maleficent,” Hoseok attempted to subtly tell Jungkook, but they all know his lack of whispering skills.
She shot him an irritated look, which he tried to soothe with his beaming smile. It worked.
“So. What’s on the list of to dos before dinner tonight? I know Mom has something planned for us all,” She sighed, pulling out the chair across from Jungkook and beside her dad. At the sight of recently cooked croissants, she picked one up with excitement. As she began eating, Hoseok proceeded to answer her question.
“Well first off, I’m taking this kid,” He hooked a thumb toward Jungkook, “To buy an outfit for tonight. He owns nothing festive. That just won’t do. I am not letting him eat an amazing Christmas meal wearing nothing but black sweats.”
Jungkook rubbed his forehead in clear distress. “I guess I understand.”
She chuckled. “Don’t overdo it, Hobi. If he’s comfortable, leave him be-”
“Nuh-uh, nope. I don’t care if he only ends up wearing a simple green sweater. As long as there’s some color, I’ll be satisfied.” She knew that wasn’t what was going to happen.
“Good luck, Jungkook,” She told him seriously, and she watched as he flashed her a look of dismay. He looked toward their dad for help, but he was lost in his own little world as he typed away at his computer.
“Y/N, please,” Jungkook whispered, as if she could help him. Truth is, she was relieved that someone else was Hoseok’s victim for a change. With his focus on Jungkook, she could get away with a semi-decent red sweater and pants if she wanted. He was on his own.
Before she even got a chance to let him know that, her mother calling her over interrupted the conversation.
She got up quickly, but not before she shot him a thumbs up and said, “You’ll be fine. Hoseok, go easy on him.”
“No promises,” was his hollered response before she found her mom in the living room. She walked in with the intention of asking her a question, but it died on her lips at the sight of an unfamiliar man standing at the front door. The first thing she noticed was how tall he was, broad shouldered and practically taking up the whole foyer. The next thing she noticed was how stunning he was, perhaps the most breath-taking man she ever saw with her own eyes. His hair was dark and swept off his forehead, professional and serious. His eyebrows looked perfectly shaped, pulled in a furrow. His lips were plump, turned downward in a slight frown. The clothes that adorned him made it look like he just came back from an important meeting. He was all business. No pleasure. He was art, a painting of a stunning man frozen in his sorrows.
“Uh…” His gaze turned to her, searing and making her feel flustered.
Her mom was a different picture entirely, bright like a night light. She clapped once in excitement, before she said, “Y/N! I’ve been waiting for this moment, you don’t even know. Do you remember the Kims from across the street? This is their eldest son, Seokjin! I’ve told you about him, how he helps me and your dad out. I thought you’d never get to meet him, but luck is on our side! He made it back for the holiday!”
She suddenly felt severely under-dressed when meeting someone as intimidating as he looked. But as she stepped forward and extended a hand, his lips lifted into a smile that looked like it was meant for someone special. It made her feel warm all over, her lips glued shut as she reached out and shook his hand.
“Your mother has told me a lot about you. She’s really proud of you, and all of her praises made me curious to meet the one and only.” His voice was melodic, less bold than she expected.
“I,uh, yeah she’s told me about you too,” At least she thought she did, considering she could not remember a thing about the man in front of her.
“Seokjin was just dropping by to give us these homemade cookies,” She held up a container happily, “Isn’t he so sweet? You really didn’t have to.”
“I know, but it was a small token for all of the times you and your husband have taken me in for a nice dinner. You know my parents are always travelling. That big house can be quite lonely.” She knew her mom too well, watching in mild horror as she recognized the twinkle in her eye.
The question may seem innocent to an outsider, but she knew where it was leading. “What are you plans for the evening? I know your parents are travelling for the holiday.”
He shook his head and did a playful eye roll. “When aren’t they travelling? But anyways, Namjoon is flying in for the holiday. Haven’t seen him in who knows how long, but he’s finally coming home. We were thinking of maybe ordering takeout and watching a movie or something. He doesn’t really do anything for the holidays. Our other brothers are all scattered.”
She watched as if it were a movie unfolding, her mother shooting him her signature smile. “I would hate for the both of you to not have a home cooked meal on today of all days. The two of you should come over tonight.”
Immediately Seokjin shook his head, his hands coming up to politely refuse. “No, it’s fine, really-”
“It just won’t do, son.” Y/N mouthed the word ‘son’ to herself, wondering how exactly this young man snuck his way into her mom’s heart. “We’d love for you to join us. It’s a tradition we uphold every year, to have Christmas Eve dinner with family and friends. My best friend and her family are coming, my kids are home for the holiday, and others are coming. Everyone is welcome. And now I think it would make it absolutely perfect if you and your brother join us.”
Seokjin stared at her mother with a slightly agape mouth, causing her to hold back a laugh. He looked like he was backed into a corner, his face frozen in surprise. Finally he got over his shock, composing himself by smoothing down his dress shirt and clearing his throat.
“A-are you sure? I wouldn’t want to make things worse on you-”
“Seokjin! Is that you?” The three of them turned at the sight of all the men in the house making their way into the room. She felt bad for this man she just met. She watched in confusion as her father stepped forward and embraced him.
Hoseok looked just as curious as her, looking to her for an answer to his question. She just shrugged.
“How are you? We haven’t seen you in weeks.”
Seokjin focused all his attention on her parents, explaining to them what he’s been up to and how busy work has made him. She sidled up next to her brother and Jungkook.
“Who is this guy? And why does he look like he just stepped out of a GQ magazine?” Jungkook asked, the three of them watching the interaction happening in front of them.
Y/N uttered, “I guess he’s our neighbor. The Kims’ son. Why haven’t we met him before?”
Hoseok shrugged, humming in thought before he said, “He must be the really successful one. The one never around.”
“Hey Seok? Probably shouldn’t talk about him,” Jungkook uttered.
“Why?”
“Because you can’t whisper and they’re looking at you.”
Hoseok looked at him confusingly before trailing to his parents. His eyes widened comically, their gazes angry and Seokjin’s amused. Nervously laughing it off, he stepped forward and introduced himself.
She simply observed, watching as Hoseok cracked a few jokes and made Seokjin laugh. Everyone seemed to ease up, and soon enough it felt natural. The topic of tonight came up again, and her mom didn’t hesitate to sink her claws into him once more.
With your dad staring at him, it seemed Seokjin couldn’t refuse anymore.
“Alright. I’ll let Namjoon know the change of plans. We’ll see you tonight.”
Her mom clapped with glee, causing she and her brother to share a look. It seemed like Seokjin was her favorite kid and he wasn’t even her son. Their dad clapped him on the back, shaking his hand and enthusing about seeing him tonight.
“It was nice meeting you,” Seokjin’s gaze swept past her and Hoseok with a polite nod before he headed out the door.
Their parents stood at the front door, their mom shouting, “And dress down, Seokjin! We want you to be comfortable!” His yell back was indiscernible, but at the small exchange she witnessed, she was officially curious about this man whom her parents loved.
When their parents turned back to the room, their smiles died down at the sight of their questioning children.
“What?” Their dad grumbled, his eyes narrowing.
Hoseok laughed through his question, “What was that?!”
“What was what?”
“Is he our long lost brother?” She joked, pretty amused with how smitten her parents had seemed.
“What are you talking about?” Their mom asked, that previous excitement she had displayed long gone now.
“You guys stared at him with heart eyes. I’m a little hurt,” Hoseok wiped away
an imaginary tear.
“Oh relax. He’s just an amazing young man. He’s so thoughtful and responsible. I think you and Y/N will really like him once you get to know him,” Their mom sounded confident, before she walked past and to the kitchen. She called Y/N to follow her.
Her started washing the breakfast dishes, chatting with her and letting her know the game plan of how the day was going to go, what needed to be done before dinner time. A few minutes passed before the topic of Seokjin came up again. However, this time around she learned more than before.
“You know, I’m really glad he’s coming tonight. I was hoping he would end up agreeing. He is such a good man with a big heart. I know you and Hoseok don’t really know him yet, but trust me when I say you’ll love him just as much as I do. And,” she sighed, piquing her attention as she looked at her mom curiously, “My heart goes out to him. Not everyone is as fortunate to spend time with family during the holidays. Some people aren’t affected by that. The Kims have never been festive like that, and that’s completely fine. But… given what’s recently happened with Seokjin, I didn’t want him to have a gloomy night.”
“What happened?” She found herself asking. At her next words, her heart saddened for the man she just met.
“Recently, his fiancée called off their engagement. To be quite honest, she broke his heart. And he hasn’t really been the same since. I just want him to have a good dinner with us, at the least.”
Thinking back on Seokjin, she never would’ve guessed he was hurting. He was so put together, his smiles effortless. The revelation was unfortunate, but she was impressed by the strength the man so obviously possessed. She was completely on board with the idea of giving him a good Christmas Eve dinner.
“I’m glad he’s coming.”
Her mom looked over her shoulder at her, reciprocating a smile. “Me too, Y/N. Me too.”
~~~~~~~~~~
The holiday music was soft and playing in the background, but it caressed her skin. The smell of dinner wafted from the kitchen, filling up the entire house with a gentle and mouth-watering sensation. The air was warm, and she couldn’t decide if it was because of the body heat or the heater. The room carried an almost angelic glow, and she was positive that if she told anyone, they would look at her funny. There was truly nothing quite like Christmas, and it had shown up before she could give it a proper greeting.
“You look nice.” Hoseok’s voice came from behind, and she turned to greet him with a smile. He was dressed for the part, his hair parted and neat. His ensemble was a bit… much, given his usual style. She didn’t comment, because admittedly he looked handsome in his maroon fitted sweater with a collar and slacks.
“What? Why are you looking at me like that?” He asked.
“Oh, nothing. I was just expecting you to comment on how I wasn’t following the Christmas color theme.” She hadn’t expected less, considering she was wearing a white sleeved shirt and a skirt. Nothing too fancy, but still a bit considerate.
Hoseok merely shrugged. “Unfortunately, you weren’t my responsibility this year. Kook is a lot more picky than he looks. I practically had to drag him out of the store with one new outfit. One. Speaking of that kid, he should be coming down any moment now,” His head was craned and his eyes were drawn to the hall where the stairs resided. But that wasn’t where her focus laid, no, it was something much more pressing.
So far, only her aunt and uncle had arrived with her cousins. Currently, they were running around and hollering louder than necessary. But she didn’t mind, not when her mind was split in a few different directions.
One reason was the fact that the neighbor’s son Seokjin and his brother had arrived about five minutes earlier. They were currently in the corner of the room, conversing with her father and making him laugh at something she couldn’t hear but likely wasn’t that funny. She found it easier to admit as time passed, Kim Seokjin was definitely a sight that she couldn’t exactly pull away from with the snap of a finger. The man should be on magazine covers.
Another probing thought was whether or not Taehyung was showing up. He had stopped answering her texts around noon, the last topic being about him still unsure if he was attending. She hoped with all her heart he would show.
The most prominent thought plaguing her, so much that it was the one she had to fight to suppress if she didn’t want to be down all night, was Yoongi. She hadn’t really gotten much opportunity to talk to him since he broke the news to her, but it was true that she couldn’t find the words. Genuinely, she understood where he was coming from and was happy. She would never want someone to not get the opportunity to spend time with her family. That didn’t dismiss her disappointment in not getting to see him tonight, the night she had been dreaming to see him for a while now.
It was the reason they had held off coming to visit each other at each other’s schools. He was older, about to graduate and she had a while to go. She knew he was busy most of the time, so they figured that the next best thing was to spend time with each other on the holidays. Unfortunately, that didn’t work out when they both had jobs and lived a few hours from each other.
The two of them hadn’t even figured out what this was, but all she knew was that she wanted to make it work. When she realized her feelings for him, she knew that he was it for her. He was her Christmas in a person.
To not have her Christmas person not with her on Christmas Eve, well, it was a major disappointment. All she could do was keep her head up.
“Hey teddy… I was trying to wait for you to approach the subject first, but you know me and my impatience. It’s Christmas Eve after all,” She was confused to see Hoseok acting slightly nervous, but she understood why moments later, “Is Yoongi joining us tonight or not?”
Spluttering, all of her breath that had been currently inhabiting your lungs disappeared. She stared at her brother wide-eyed, wondering how he could possibly know-
“Do you think I’m stupid? Both of you are so smitten, it’s disgusting. I’m the one who introduced the two of you. Not only that, I spend the better half of my weeks with the guy. Lastly, you two are the least sneaky people I have ever met. Did you guys really think I wouldn’t find out? And neither of you are actually hiding it considering he’s always asking me about you and you’re constantly bringing him up and-”
“Okay, okay. I get it. You figured it out.” She sighed, rubbing at her forehead. If anything, it made her heart even heavier.
Min Yoongi wasn’t just a guest that had been invited on short notice. In fact, he was never meant to be a guest. He was a man that spoke more with his hands, the way that he gripped onto her for a second longer than necessary or when he pressed into her back to lead her. She had to watch him to understand him, specifically his face, to know what was really on his mind. She knew when he was tired, his eyes low and his speech even slower than usual. His happiness was easier to observe, his lips loose and his eyes carrying a subtle excitement.
As luck would have it, she had met him by chance when she had went to surprise visit Hoseok earlier this year. The two of them hadn’t fallen for each other at first, mostly spending time together that one time. She remembered her innocent curiosity, requesting to follow him on social media and how he took a day to accept. He was the first to message, their conversations light and inquisitive.
It wasn’t long before she started to feel a shift in their conversations, how profound and intimate they became. She was the first to make an excuse to come and visit. She did it a second time. He did it the third. Whenever she looked into his dark eyes, it was like looking into another world.. Dark eyes carried her solace, carried a mirror to the life she wanted to live. Eyes that weren’t actually dark but an array of colors, all brand new and enamoring.
She liked to compare him to home. To anyone else, it might be a house with no distinctive feature. To her, it was walking in and feeling like she could finally and fully be herself.
In nearly a year, he had become one of the most important people in her entire life. And deep down, she knew he always would be.
“Y/N? Are you going to answer me? I didn’t get to see him much this last month. Whenever I was working, he wasn’t and vice versa. Last time I talked to him, he told me he was trying his best to come visit you, but he wasn’t positive.”
“How long have you known?” She ignored how sad she actually sounded, attempting to toughen up and tell herself that him not being present didn’t have to sour the night.
Hoseok shrugged, a certain glint in his eye. His eyes found the Christmas tree as he answered. “You’re my baby sis. And he’s a good friend. I was suspicious at first, because he seemed a little lighter after you visited that first time. And you seemed a lot more giddy. It didn’t take a genius to see the signs after you visited two more times in the same month,” She covered her face in embarrassment, wondering if he was angry.
Again, he answered her silent question. “I’m happy for you. I don’t need to know all the details. As long as he treats you well, and the both of you are happy, then I’m happy.”
She couldn’t help but embrace him, her heart soaring as she wondered how she had been blessed to have such a phenomenal brother. Pulling away, she whispered her thanks. At the sound of her mom calling for her, she figured she would answer her brother and use the new guests as her escape.
“He can’t come tonight. I’ll probably see him when next semester starts.” She ignored his exclaim of confusion, pausing in the entrance of the kitchen and composing her erratic feelings. Even if Yoongi wasn’t here, it didn’t mean the night would be any less special. That’s what she kept telling herself. She knew it was true, but it was hard to snap out of her disappointment.
She stepped into the room with a smile, a question on the tip of her tongue before she stopped in her tracks.
Her mother was sitting at the dining room table, Seokjin sat across from her with an attentive smile adorning his lips. She spotted Y/N, her face lit up as she enthusiastically waved her over. She approached slowly, his smile fading at the sight of her for a moment before he adjusted it into something more friendly.
“I was just telling Seokjin about how you’re still in school, studying and working hard for your major.”
He waved his hand. “Please, call me Jin. Seokjin makes me feel old.”
“Oh hon, you’re not old. Trust me.” It was odd to hear her mother’s unrestrained laugh, to see the same adoration that she held for her and Hoseok shimmer in her eyes as she gazed at Seokjin. Y/N wondered what exactly it was about the man before her that had her mom enamored.
“How did you like your classes this past semester?”His voice was gentle in addressing someone he barely knew. But she had heard him earlier among his banter with her dad. He had a strong personality hidden in the depth of those curious eyes, a loud voice in which he was restraining out of politeness or weariness, she did not know.
She entertained his questions, a mild conversation about school and work ensuing between the two of them. At one point, her mom spoke about having to leave for a moment.
She thought she would feel uncomfortable alone with him, but it was quite the opposite. He was a character, animated in his story-telling and thundering in his laughter. Little by little, she opened up and saw why her parents adored him.
“Truthfully, I’m happy your mother called you in here. I had been meaning to officially meet you. She loves talking about you and Hoseok. So much that, she actually made me excited to meet you two.”
“That so? I never really thought about her doing that,” Her eyes found the fabric on top of the table, her hands tracing the design. For whatever reason, she was shy at the thought. If he noticed, he didn’t comment.
“Believe me, she does. She really loves the two of you. And… I know it meant a lot to her that Hoseok was able to come.” Ah, so he knew about the previous divide in the family. She wondered just how much he happened to know.
“Well,” She waved her hand, “That’s behind us. I did notice how much she happens to love you. My dad too. You’re like their third kid or something.”
His eyes shone with pride for a moment before it dulled, his smile fading. “Yeah… they’re really great. Without them, I don’t know if I would’ve pulled through some rough moments I had this year.”
What her mother told her earlier rang in her ears. It jostled her, but only for a moment. She shook it off, giving him a gentle smile.
“I’m glad I got to meet you, Jin. It means a lot that you came tonight.”
Without looking at Y/N, a smile grew on his lips. “It means more to me than you’ll ever know, that I’m here tonight. Your parents are something else.”
“And so are you. Otherwise, they wouldn’t love you so much.” She watched as his neck grew flushed.
“Thank you, Y/N.” A whisper.
“No need to thank-”
“No, really. Thank you.”
And for his sake, she pretended not to notice the actual shine in his eyes, instead returning the smile he directed at her.
He was a good man, indeed. And she hoped this was the first night of many that built him back up again.
~~~~~~~~~~
The Carolers
She was joking around with Hoseok and Jungkook when the doorbell rang, only to reveal the Parks had finally arrived. They stood poised in the doorway, her mother exclaiming loudly at the sight of her best friend. As they exchanged hugs, Mr. Park maneuvered around them to greet her dad, leaving Jimin hovering in the doorway.
“There’s Jimin,” Hoseok wiggled his eyebrows, causing Y/N to roll her eyes.
“What’s the scoop on him?” Jungkook asked.
“Nothing. He’s yet another one of my friends Y/N has had a crush on.”
“Dude!” Y/N exclaimed, walking away from him and slinking into the couch as she ignored his teasing laughter.
To distract herself from her brother, she watched her little cousins run past, her uncle chasing them. Her aunt joined the other older women, the three of them catching up on whatever it was they needed to talk about.
It was nice and full, so warm and angelic. It was almost complete. Almost.
Looking over, she noticed that Jimin had made it inside and was in the middle of unwrapping his scarf from his neck. His face was slimmer now, more mature. Her heart was trained to jump at the sight of him, but he didn’t give her that longing feeling he used to give her.
That feeling was reserved for someone else, now.
Checking her phone, she noticed a text had come in from Yoongi around thirty minutes ago. They had been texting on and off all day. She could tell he was feeling awful about not being able to make it, but she reassured him that she understood. It was still sad to not have him around on this wonderful day.
Yoyo:
How’s everything going?
Y/N:
Going well so far! Mostly everyone is here. Taehyung hasn’t shown up with his sister yet. And my mom invited the neighbors’ sons. They might show up.
He responded quickly. He always had since the moment they first talked.
Yoyo:
I’m sure they will.
Are you excited for tonight?
Y/N:
Yes I am! It’s my favorite holiday. Since I was little, I’ve had nothing but golden memories of this day. It’s…. Magical.
To be completely truthful, the answer to his question was yes and no. It wasn’t perfect without him, but he was with her through the phone. And that had to be enough for her. She hoped he would have the best Christmas ever. If anyone deserved to, it was him.
In the middle of texting him that, someone sat beside her. Looking up, her face contorted into surprise. Quickly, it morphed into a soft smile to mimic Jimin’s own.
“Y/N.”
“Jimin.” She looked into the young man’s eyes that used to keep her up at night daydreaming, and now all she felt was a distant fondness. He may have matured in his looks, but he still had the same boyish eyes.
“How are you? I usually ask Hoseok but now that I’m finally seeing you, I figured I didn’t need the messenger.”
She acknowledged his tone with a bigger smile. “I’ve been really well. The semester was busy but I survived. And I got a new job, which makes the days go by quicker. I’m honestly really happy to be home. What about you? How is it living so far away?”
Jimin tilted his head in thought. She took a moment to study him up close. He was styling his hair different now, more of a mature look. He had it swept to one side of his forehead, but other than that it was a short and neat haircut. It was pretty short now, remembering in high school he would let it grow out and dye it blond. He was back to more of a natural look, and she adored it.
A part of her was always going to adore him. He was, after all, her first crush. Before Yoongi, she referred to him as her first love. Now that knew what love really was, she knew otherwise.
“I’ve adjusted. It was pretty hard at first. Being away from everyone. I missed my parents a lot and thought about transferring. Somewhere around November, I found my groove. I’ve met a couple friends who make the days easier. And I really love my major.”
“I could never do Environmental Engineering. Highly impressive.”
“Ah, we all have our different skills.” There he was, the Jimin from her memory. He downplayed everything because he wanted everyone to feel good. He was an angel even in the slightest ways.
They went on to talk about different things, first catching up and asking about each other and then moving onto reminiscing. It was peaceful, being able to talk with someone who knew her childhood. It was rare to have a connection with someone because they were apart of that, and they understood that part of you.
Going to college, one meets all kinds of different people. They come in endless different forms, and one forms new and unforgettable bonds that may last for a lifetime. There is no one quite like the people you knew beforehand, the ones that were around when growing up.
Those people are a different tier, a tier of old memories and different kind of fondness.
He had just made Y/N laugh when the doorbell rang once more. Hoseok opened it this time, grabbing her attention when he shouted, “Hey! It’s been so long, man!”
She jumped up at the sight of Taehyung, his sister peeking out from behind him. She rushed over to them, and at the acknowledgement of Taehyung’s smile, she hugged him tightly.
“I’m so glad you decided to come,” She whispered.
“I realized I couldn’t miss spending time with you and your family. You guys were always good to me.”
“And we always will be.” She pulled away and they looked at each other with appreciation, mostly with different reasons but the same sentiment.
She ushered him inside, both of them pausing at the sight of Taeyeon chatting up a storm with Hoseok. He was knelt to her level, a blinding smile on his lips. She had forgotten how he pulled out a side to her none of them usually saw.
Hoseok sparked minds, old or young.
Once her brother noticed them, he uttered something to Taeyeon and then pointed at the two of them. Taeyeon turned and widened her eyes, rushing to the both of them. Yanking on their hands, she pulled them forward.
Y/N and Taehyung shared a look, before going along with it.
“Come on! Hoseok told me you have toys packed away in your closet! Let’s play with them!”
“Hoseok,” She called her brother, who raised his hands in surrender.
“She asked me if I still had my toy train. I do not. But you have your old toys so.”
“You need to come too, Hobi!” Taeyeon instructed, the mention of his name causing his eyes to widen in shock.
“Me?” He asked, pointing to himself.
“Yes, silly! You’re the only Hobi I know,” She whispered loudly to Y/N, “Kind of a weird name.”
Hoseok’s mouth dropped, looking offended and causing Taehyung and Y/N to laugh. Thankfully, before Taeyeon could successfully pull them onto the stairs, Y/N and Hoseok’s parents stopped them.
Her mom stepped in front of them, greeting them with a cherry red smile. “My, my. If it isn’t the daredevil duo. I haven’t seen you since you were six,” She greeted toward Taeyeon, who grew shy at the new amount of attention. She ducked behind her brother again, causing the adults around her to laugh.
“Sorry, she’s still a little shy whenever someone new talks to her,” Taehyung apologized.
“You don’t have to apologize. Some kids are.” Her mom stepped to Taehyung and gently placed her hands on his shoulders. “Taehyung, you’ve grown so much. We’ve missed having you around.”
“I’ve missed coming around, too. Everything’s changed, huh?” He said, stepping into her hug.
“Yes, it has. I know it’s for the good, but sometimes you can’t tell if it really is,” She told him.
Y/N and Hoseok stayed quiet, knowing not to comment on that. They knew how sentimental their mother could be, and they knew it was hard for her to have both of them out of the house for most of the year. It hurt Y/N more than she would ever reveal to her, because she knew it would only make it harder for everyone.
So she put on a smile and asked Taeyeon if she wanted to meet some new friends as Taehyung caught up with her parents.
Taeyeon nodded, taking her hand and letting Y/N lead her to where Jimin and Jungkook stood in the kitchen. Hoseok had joined them right before her, noticing they were talking about some Netflix show the three of them loved. She cut them off, but she had a feeling they wouldn’t mind.
“Sorry to interrupt, but a friend of mine here would like to meet you guys! Taeyeon, this is Jimin and Jungkook.”
“We’ve met before. We had lots of fun at your birthday party a couple years ago, remember?” Jimin smiled down at her. His eyes widened in shock at her response.
“I don’t remember you. You were at my party?”
Hoseok nodded. “Yeah! Remember? Your brother invited Y/N and me! We brought Jimin with us. We bought you your own toy train, and then we jumped in your bouncy house with you!”
“I remember that, but I only remember Hobi being there,” She said accusingly, as if Jimin were lying to her.
He struggled for words, not knowing what to say as everyone else stifled their laughter at the little girl’s probing gaze.
“I-uh, well, I was, uh, I was there. You must not remember! I wouldn’t lie about that. The party was so fun! I loved the cake. I even helped you when you couldn’t find your friends in hide and seek! I pointed out where they hid!”
She narrowed her eyes at him. “So you’re a liar and a cheater!”
“What?!” Jimin exclaimed.
Hoseok burst out in laughter, causing Y/N to follow. Jungkook was a little better at maintaining his control, deciding to throw Jimin a line.
“Hi, I’m Jungkook. So you’re the sister of…?”
“Taehyung. He’s my brother. He’s in there talking to the adults. He’s pretty cool. Sometimes. You might like him.”
“I’m sure I will,” Jungkook said, a smile tugging at his lips. They were all amused, taken aback by Taeyeon’s sharpness with Jimin.
It was a pleasant conversation after that, all of them loving Taeyeon’s insight. They even consoled her when she worried about there being no kids there, as if on cue Y/N’s young cousins bolting in. They asked Taeyeon to play with them, and she agreed shyly.
Once she was gone, they all sat at the kitchen table. It was odd for Y/N, almost as if she were transported back into the past. If it weren’t for Jungkook, she could fool herself into being back in high school on a Friday night, waiting for popcorn to finish in the microwave so her, Hoseok, and Jimin could watch a movie.
Taehyung soon joined them. Then, her mom and her uncle trailed into the kitchen, continuing whatever they were finishing up for dinner. Y/N introduced Taehyung to Jungkook, but let him do his own thing. It always depended with him. Sometimes, he was quiet with meeting new people, sometimes he was loud with his personality.
It seemed they were all vibing well, not having any trouble keeping a conversation going. She liked this, having warm faces surrounding her. It made this Christmas special on its own, because the majority of the people sat at the same table as her, she hadn’t known if they would be in attendance at all.
These were her people. This was her home.
She realized why people believed in Christmas miracles. Sometimes someone can find themselves wondering if Christmas will work out. And somehow, in some way, all the pieces fall right into place.
Just then, the doorbell rang for the last time. Hearing her dad’s greeting from the living room, they knew it was the two brothers from the neighborhood.
“I’m not even lying, the oldest brother looks like a Disney prince,” Hoseok spoke with conviction, upon Jimin and Taehyung’s look of question on who just arrived.
Taehyung looked to Y/N for agreement, and she nodded.
“He’s not that good-looking. He’s no Prince Naveen,” Jungkook muttered. When they all looked at him, he added, “What? Am I the only one watching Disney plus or what?”
They all looked at him for even longer before Hoseok ignored him altogether, “Alright. Let’s go greet them.”
Taehyung leaned over to Y/N and uttered, “Looks like Hopeful’s got a man crush.”
“Looks like everyone does. Even my parents are in love with the guy. I don’t blame them. He’s pretty great.”
“That so? Then I got to meet this supposed prince.” His tone was sarcastic, but she knew that because he was joking around. Whenever he joked around, it meant he was comfortable. And it made her chest flutter with love.
There was nothing more satisfying than seeing the people she loved when they were happy. She wouldn’t trade it for anything.
“Then let’s go, Prince Tae.”
~~~~~~~~~~
The group made their way into the living room, just as her dad began to introduce the pair to everyone else in the room.
“Everyone! These are the Kims’ sons from across the street. You all know Seokjin,” Her dad clapped a hand on the man in question, grinning with pride as if it were his own son, “And this is his younger brother, Namjoon.”
The latter seemed to be the complete opposite of his brother, looking more frazzled than put together. Seokjin immediately moved over to Y/N’s mom, looking her over with a warm smile. Namjoon hovered awkwardly, hands in his jeans. His button up blue shirt was wrinkled, and it looked as if he had tried to make his hair neat and failed. His glasses were slipping down his nose, and she watched as he continue to reach up and adjust them.
For whatever reason, she knew she already liked him.
“Anyone else noticing how they’re all fawning over that guy?” Jimin nodded his head at Seokjin, who had just made all of the adults he was talking to, laugh.
Hoseok shook his head, huffing playfully. “That guy is stealing my brand.”
“Won’t hurt if you’re knocked down a few tiers,” Y/N joked, ignoring his glare. Shaking him gently, she hoped it was enough to comfort him before announcing, “I’m going to introduce myself to his brother.”
She wasn’t surprised when the group dispersed, Taehyung being the only one to follow her. They walked over to the newcomer, and her heart felt for him as he rocked on his heels, looking as if he didn’t know what to do with himself. Noticing their approach, he pulled his hands out of his pockets and fumbled for a moment before deciding to clasp them together.
“Hi,” She greeted with a smile, “I’m Y/N. I’m happy you decided to join us.”
“I’m still figuring out if it was a good idea, considering no one has even noticed I’m here with the star that he is,” He rolled his eyes as he motioned to Seokjin, but otherwise was unbothered.
“We noticed,” Taehyung said seriously.
Namjoon paused at that, before sliding his glasses up his nose. “I’m Namjoon. Pretty different from my social butterfly brother.”
“Different isn’t bad,” Y/N shrugged.
“I agree,” Namjoon gave the room a onceover. “Nice place. It’s a lot more warmer here than at home.”
Y/N and Taehyung glanced at each other, not knowing what to say. Namjoon stifled a laugh at their faces. “I meant that we don’t decorate for Christmas or anything like that. Our family doesn’t really celebrate.”
“Really?” Y/N inquired, mildly surprised. She didn’t come across many people who didn’t celebrate, but she knew there was obviously people that didn’t. She respected and understood that, but it made her sad to think of people not experiencing the joy she experienced at this time of year.
Namjoon nodded. “Which is why I was surprised Jin insisted on us coming over here.”
“That’s interesting.”
“Why is that?”
“Your brother was hesitant to accept his invitation.”
Namjoon waved the statement off. “That’s just him being humble. He loves your parents, always talks about them. In fact, I’m really glad. I know things haven’t been… smooth for him. So, it was good to hear something had him excited. I’m really here for him, if anything.”
Y/N nodded once. “I’m glad then. Glad he has you.”
Before they could continue further, her mother announced that dinner was ready. And so the night officially began.
~~~~~~~~~~
The Angel
All of the parents were sitting in the dining room, her mom directing the young adults to sit either at the kitchen’s smaller table or in the living room. Y/N and Hoseok didn’t complain, knowing the routine, so they found themselves huddled around the small kitchen table with their friends. Namjoon had been convinced into sitting with Seokjin and the adults. Y/N wished she could save him, seeing how quiet he was with them, but he decided to leave him be after he shot her a reassuring smile.
She sat across from her brother, Jimin on one side of her and Taehyung on the other. It was a standard rectangular table, but she always appreciated this time of year when her mom pulled out a white knitted tablecloth. Hoseok disappeared for a moment as everyone settled into their seats, returning with a lighter.
“What’s a dinner without candles lit in the center?”
“Hobi, we only do it on holidays. So technically, dinner would be just fine.”
“Hush. You’re ruining the sentiment.”
“Actually, you are by leaning over Jungkook’s plate.”
“Seriously,” Jungkook agreed, looking at Hoseok with disgust. Y/N laughed, both at his facial expression as well as Hoseok’s struggle to light them.
“Dude, what the fu-” He stopped dead in his tracks when he glanced at Taeyeon, who insisted to eat with Taehyung. Clearing his throat, he straightened his back and started over, “What’s wrong with this lighter? Is it a trick lighter?”
“No, you’re just weak. Let me see,” Y/N stood.
“It’s not me! The candles don’t want to light-”
“Excuse me. I got it,” Their mom had suddenly appeared as if she had sensed the topic at hand, bearing one of those longer lighters. The clicking of the lighter went on for three times or so before she caught a flame, easily lighting the centerpiece candles.
Jimin clapped and cheered for her, their mom patting Hoseok sympathetically before asking, “Any of you need anything? Drinks? Anymore food?”
After everyone expressed their thanks, she departed. Just like that, Christmas dinner began.
For every family, it was different. Different cultures mean different dinner traditions. Growing up, it had been one of Y/N’s favorite parts: the food.
As she ate quietly, she looked around the table at the faces of the friends who had joined them this Christmas. At her brother, who was in the middle of telling the other boys some story about Jungkook that the latter was embarrassed over.
Her heart hurt with happiness. Just a couple days ago, she was crying in her room at the thought of Hoseok not joining him. Now, he was across from her having a laughing fit. She hadn’t seen Taehyung in so long, and now he was next to her smiling and making sure his little sister was having a great time.
It had been even longer since she saw Jimin, and looking at him gave her this wave of nostalgia. He was like flipping through an old journal, the pages filled up with the memories of her youth. He was a piece of her past, one that she didn’t think she would ever forget.
Jungkook was a new piece to the puzzle, but since he had joined them, she saw a whole other side to Hoseok. He brought out this energy in him that she had only ever seen in secret. Jungkook brought out that same look on Hoseok’s face when he was out photographing the world. She knew Jungkook was special.
It was a special dinner, mostly quiet. Stories would break out here and there, but it felt like they had slipped into a snowglobe of bliss. Nothing could shatter the intimacy and disconnect from every other worry in her life.
Even when she would pause in her eating and text back Yoongi, everything was alright. His sweetness dripped through the words on her screen, making her miss him but comforting her.
She was drunk on the love in the air, and no matter how the night ended, she knew then this would be a Christmas for the books. Not because something exciting had happened, but because it was a quiet one. That in itself was beautiful.
A little while later, after some of them had settled into eating dessert and Taeyeon had dragged Taehyung away to play a game with the kids, Jungkook directed a question at Y/N. “So, am I going to get to hear the story behind your nickname?”
“Teddy?” She asked.
“Yes, teddy. What other nickname do you have?”
Hoseok grinned mischievously, and Y/N shot him a look of warning that he ignored. “Oh, she has plenty.”
“And so do you! If I were you, I would keep my mouth closed!”
They had a stare off for a few beats, and Y/N thought she was in the clear- that is, until he rushed out, “We used to call her Walrus because when she was younger, she liked sticking things in her mouth and pretending to be one.”
“Hoseok!”
“You guys want to see pictures?”
Jungkook had started laughing at the thought, and Y/N felt mortified. Just then, she thought of the perfect revenge. As if Hoseok had sensed the gears of her mind turning, his smile faded.
“My parents used to call him Huggies until he was like eight. You want to know why?”
“Y/N, no!”
“What? You told them about Walrus! You know that story embarrasses me!”
“But Teddy is a cute nickname. And so is Walrus. It’s not even bad! Don’t do this!”
Their debate eventually died down when Taehyung came back, effectively distracting them from the topic at hand. Jimin asked Jungkook about his major, how he liked his university.
All of the guys seemed to be getting along well, and it was a sight to behold. They were all incredible, so it wasn’t a surprise that they were getting along.
That was, until the mood shifted without her even noticing.
Jungkook had just finished summarizing why he loved what he was studying, Jimin listening intently as he sipped on a soda. Letting him finish, Jimin nodded along before asking, “Are you from here?”
He shook his head. “I’m not. I moved here for university. I love it here… but I do miss my family all the time.”
Jimin nodded along in agreement. “I definitely understand that feeling.”
“I love my major, I really do. It was everything I imagined it would be and I can’t wait for more. I love my friends, I mean, if I hadn’t gone there I wouldn’t have met Hoseok. I’m so grateful for the opportunity. But some days, I just miss my hometown. I miss my family so bad sometimes, I feel the urge to buy a plane ticket straight home. Of course, I don’t have the funds for that but it’s nice to dream,” Jungkook’s voice was dreamy and longing, and Y/N knew he was thinking of his family celebrating Christmas. Her heart tugged.
Hoseok sat quietly, listening. She could see in her brother’s face that he was thinking the same thing. They didn’t have the words to comfort Jungkook, but suddenly his face transformed into something more hopeful.
“Even though I can’t be with my family until after Christmas, I’m really glad I got the opportunity to be here. It reminds me of my own home, and I know not everyone is lucky as I am. I just, I keep thinking of my mom. She’s great. I just know that right now, she’s probably fretting over all of our guests at home, asking who wants more food. That’s who she is, always on her feet and taking care of everyone else. I can’t wait to see her.”
“And you will. In two days. Before you know it, you’re going to be back home,” Hoseok assured him. Jungkook nodded, shooting him a look of appreciation.
The atmosphere, regardless of the subject, had felt hopeful. Y/N saw how Jungkook was determined to keep a good attitude, and she expected that was the end of it.
Not everyone has as warm a Christmas as you, is what she would come to realize.
“If you’ll excuse me,” Jimin muttered, offering all of them a weak smile before scooting his chair back and striding to the backyard door, going outside.
Y/N’s eyes remained there for a moment, his facial expression replaying in her mind. Had Jungkook said something wrong?
Looking over at Hoseok, they had a silent conversation with their eyes. They both knew something was wrong, and they had no intentions of leaving Jimin alone. They came to a silent agreement, the pair of them rising to their feet.
“We’re going to check up on him,” Y/N told the other boys.
“You guys going to be alright?” Hoseok asked Jungkook and Taehyung.
“Of course. We’ll just go talk to Disney Prince. See if he’s as great as everyone says he is,” Taehyung suggested. Jungkook pointed at him, as if he came up with a brilliant idea. Y/N could only shake her head before she led the way, making sure to quietly open up the back door.
Hoseok flicked on the back porch light, successfully shrouding Jimin’s back in light. He was sitting at the bottom of the porch steps, his head bowed.
The siblings paused at the top, and Y/N wondered if it was right to disturb him. Something was telling her to not leave him out here to drown in his thoughts. It was obvious he was upset and who knows if he intended to talk to anyone about it. It was up to them to at least try.
“Hey…” Hoseok began, taking the lead as he walked down a few steps. He remained behind him, waiting for any reaction. Jimin stayed quiet.
Y/N decided to try, maneuvering around her brother and stopping two steps above Jimin’s. Kneeling down, she paused before gently placing a hand on his shoulder. “Jimin.”
His shoulders started shaking, and her heart dropped as she heard the beginning sounds of suppressed crying.
He wasn’t okay, and maybe hadn’t been this entire time.
Looking up at her brother, they shared a look of concern before she sat beside him, keeping a hand on his shoulder. Hoseok joined them, taking a seat on the other side of him. They didn’t look at him, respecting his need to cry.
They didn’t know what was wrong, and maybe Jimin wouldn’t tell them anything at all, but that wouldn’t stop them for being there for him. So they let him cry. Here and there, Y/N would rub his shoulder affectionately, hoping he didn’t feel alone. It may have been a year since she saw him, but it wouldn’t stop her from being there for him.
When the crying ceased and the sniffles were few and far between, he raised his head. She still didn’t look at him, and she had a feeling Hoseok didn’t either. They simply waited.
They listened as he cleared his throat, tipping his head back to look at the stars.
The beautiful thing about stars is that even when your world is turned upside down, they remain permanent, a constant in the chaos.
“I’m not happy.” From the corner of her eye, she saw the air leave his chest, his shoulders relax. He continued. “I haven’t been since I started college. Everyone says that it’s the homesickness, that eventually you’ll get into the groove of things. When months passed, and nothing has changed, it only got worse. I’m stuck. And I don’t know what to do.”
He took a moment to collect himself. His voice became stronger as he continued, as if the more he talked, the more weight dissipated from his shoulders.
“I hate school. I hate my life over there. I’m not myself, and I’m putting up a front every single day just so I can pretend it’s not the life I chose. I hate my major, I don’t know when I started hating it but somewhere along the way I realized it’s not what I want anymore. Y/N,” Her name startled her into looking at him. He was already looking at her, his eyes shining and his cheeks damp. “I lied to you earlier. I acted just like I’ve been acting all these months. I’ve always been taught to put up a brave face, that even if I’m crumbling, to never show anyone I need help. It’s not what I should do, simply because my whole life I’ve had everything figured out. When in reality… I want to be home.”
She and Hoseok watched him now, how he slowly began to talk softer, his eyes finding the ground. Although his voice was soft, his conviction was hard and set into his words. “Being home, I feel like myself. I just want to stay. I don’t belong at that school, studying what I’m studying, being someone I’m not. And maybe I’m not meant to be here for good, either. I just know that I belong here, surrounded by the people that care about me and make me feel like myself. That’s all I want and… being here with you guys so strongly reminds me of all of that. I just don’t know what to do.”
They waited until they knew he was completely done before Hoseok jumped in, ducking his head to watch Jimin’s face. “Why don’t you talk to your parents?”
Jimin immediately shook his head. “I just can’t.”
“Why not?”
He raised his voice before it grew soft again. “Because! Because… they insist on me being strong, to following through with whatever I start. I told them how much I loved my major, they expect so much from me. I can’t crumble for them. I have to be strong for them. I have to be strong for my mom! She needs to see me be strong! She can’t see me fail!”
“Jimin…” His voice was urgent, his words fast, but Y/N sensed there was more to his words. She waited until he was looking at her. “Why do you feel like you need to be strong for them?”
“She’s… She’s sick,” Jimin’s face crumbled at his words, Y/N’s own heart shattering at the sight. She wrapped her arms around him, letting him cry into her shoulder. Hoseok looked at her, at a loss for words. He reached over and gripped Jimin’s forearm, letting him know he was there.
This time around, the silence was thick with weight. Y/N’s mind was wheeling, searching and searching for anything to say. Her mind came up blank, and she wished with her entire being that there was a way for Jimin to come out of this unscathed.
“I belong here,” He cried quietly, pulling away from her arms, “And she’ll insist that I stay over there, that I pretend she’s okay.”
“So you tell her that you love her. And that you’re going to stay here and be strong for her.” Hoseok spoke sternly.
“But-”
“Jimin, you’re not happy over there. And I’ve known you and your family for a long time. Your mom wouldn’t want you to be miserable. If your dream is to be home, to be yourself, then you gotta tell her that you want to be here. It’s going to be terrifying, and they might not want you to at first, but they love you. They only want what’s best for you.”
“What if they… what if they refuse?”
Hoseok frowned, then nodded once. “Then that’s when you do what’s best for you. And hope that with time, they accept it.”
“I can’t upset her right now. She needs me to be strong.”
“Jimin,” Y/N took the soft approach, “In order for you to be strong for her, you have to let her know the way to do that is to be home. Once you’re home, you can be happy and then figure out all of the other things that are worrying you, like school and your passion. The only way for you to do that is to tell them how you feel. All you can do is try.”
“They love you. And they’ll see it’s taking a toll on you,” Hoseok added. “And you’ll come home.”
Jimin ducked his head again, sniffling and nodding at their words.
Silence ensued, different from the first two. It was a non-judgmental silence, one that took in its companions and offered them some time. It was just what Jimin needed.
“Thank you guys. Really.”
“You don’t have to thank us,” Y/N responded.
Jimin looked over at her, gratitude oozing from his gaze. “I really do.” He ran his hands through his hair, sighing deeply before saying, “You know, being out here reminds me of high school.”
“It does, doesn’t it?” Hoseok said.
“Yeah. I remember this one time, when I spent the night. Y/N and I had to be like fourteen. We had convinced you to play hide and seek out here.”
“He was so scared! We were trying so hard not to laugh at our hiding spots, because he hadn’t even been looking for two minutes before he threatened to go back inside,” Y/N laughed through her words.
Hoseok narrowed his eyes at them. “Yeah, I remember that. Jimin jumped out of the bushes and scared me so bad, I slipped on the wet grass.”
“That was priceless. Absolute gold,” Jimin exclaimed. “And then you pulled Y/N and me down with you.”
“We laid on the grass so long that night, we got sick and then we got in trouble for it,” Hoseok added, the three of them drawn to look up at the sky in memory.
“But it didn’t matter to us, then,” Y/N said softly, “Because the stars were so beautiful that night.”
“You know, I can almost be certain that they look like they did that night all those years ago,” Hoseok said, moreso directed at Jimin. And she watched as Jimin looked up at the sky, how it looked back at him, and how Hoseok’s words made him smile to himself.
~~~~~~~~~~
Christmas Lights
As the night grew darker and colder, the amount of people in the house started to thin out. Her aunt, uncle, and their children left a little after midnight. The Parks were getting ready to leave, and Y/N could tell Jimin was nervous to face what he had to do. If she got the chance, she would pull him aside to talk to him one last time.
Taeyeon was dozing off on the couch, so Taehyung was debating whether or not to leave as well. He was looking at her fondly, before he uttered to Y/N, “This might be the best Christmas Eve she’s ever had. I… I’ve tried so hard to give that to her but there was nothing like that joy on her face playing with your little cousins.”
Y/N rested her hand on his upper arm, waiting for him to look at her. “Tae, you’ve always given her the best gift of all. Your love. And because you love her so much, you’ve gone to the lengths of trying your hardest to give her the best Christmas every single year. That’s what matters. Not whether or not she gets to play with kids, or even if it’s not some grand gesture. She’ll see that and appreciate it more than she’ll comprehend when she’s older.”
Taehyung looked at her, fully looked at her with so much emotion in that moment, she felt everything he was feeling. Rubbing his arm, she allowed him to take a breath and regain his composure, before he mouthed, “Thank you.”
She nodded her head, before turning just in time to see the Parks heading for the door. She stepped away, walking over to Jimin and catching him before he walked out the door. “Hey. Can I talk to you for a sec?”
“Yeah, sure. My parents are going to get stuck outside talking to yours anyway. They’ve never understood the concept of goodbye,” Jimin joked, but she saw the unease in his eyes, heard it in his voice.
“Hey,” She lowered her voice, “It’s going to be okay. You have all of us, especially Hoseok and me, rooting for you. This is what’s best for you. I know it’s hard and scary, but your parents need to hear how you feel. You should never feel like you have to pretend.”
He nodded along, rubbing his hands together anxiously and looking over his shoulder at his parents. Just then, his jittery nature calmed down and his hands froze in their movements. He was looking at them for a prolonged moment, before he whispered, “I’m going to be okay.”
“You are.”
He looked at her then, before he said, “I better get going. It was… really nice to see you again.”
The way he looked at her transferred her back to high school, when her heart would flutter like his eyes did at her. His voice was as soft as she remembered, and she could almost fool herself into being young again, except this time around she was aware of the growth they’ve both experienced. That, and she wasn’t a young girl with a crush on him anymore.
Nonetheless, she found herself shuffling under his gaze, just like she used to. Her hands fiddled with the bottom of her sweater, just like they used to. It was like his gaze was all-knowing, and she needed to look away from him for a moment. Old habits die hard.
She cleared her throat. “It was nice to see you too. I’m really glad you made it.”
“I am too. I missed you and your crazy brother.”
“He is a little crazy, isn’t he?”
“Who’s crazy?” Hoseok thundered in her ear, making her recoil from the sound. Pushing him away, he laughed like he was Santa, before he rushed forward and bear-hugged Jimin. The latter tried to fight the hold, voice raising in alarm when Hoseok started ruffling his hair, before giving up altogether with a wide smile.
After they settled down, Hoseok whispered something to him, and Jimin gave him a soft look. He nodded at him and expressed his thanks, before Hoseok walked outside to tell the Parks goodbye.
“Well, Merry Christmas, Jimin,” Y/N said softly.
He smiled, before he stepped closer and opened his arms to her. Stepping into the embrace, it was high school all over again. It was strange how some things never changed. She could recognize there was a slight shift though. The embrace wasn’t as tight as another from her memory, wasn’t the same scent. The embrace was different from Yoongi’s. This was a friend’s embrace.
“Merry Christmas, Y/N.”
“Let’s go, Jimin!” His dad’s voice bellowed. Jimin held up a hand for everyone else in the room, everyone saying their goodbyes before he strode out the door. Y/N waved at his parents, hoping with everything in her heart that they were understanding whenever he decided to talk to him.
“I think that’s our cue as well. Taeyeon can barely keep her eyes open,” Taehyung announced, holding the little girl’s hand in question. Y/N’s heart ached at the sight, her sleepy eyes blinking slower and her grip on her brother’s hand light.
“Awww. My favorite girl is leaving?” Hoseok asked, kneeling down in front of her.
“I’m sorry. It’s Tae. I would stay if I could choose,” She told him seriously. Hoseok laughed while Taehyung simply shook his head.
“Well, Merry Christmas! I’m really happy you guys joined us this year. You’re more than welcome to join us next year.”
Taeyeon’s eyes lit up like christmas lights, tugging on Taehyung’s hand, “Can we come next year? Can we? Can we, please?”
Taehyung pretended to think about it before he grinned down at her, “Of course we can!” His smile softened at her cheers, before he told the siblings, “I’d really like that.”
Y/N and Hoseok switched off saying goodbye to each of them before they walked them over to the door. She advised them to keep their coats on tight, it was really cold out.
“Text me when you get home, okay?”
“Okay.”
“Merry Christmas, Tae. I’m really happy you decided to come.”
“So am I,” He told her, before hugging her and whispering, “Thank you for everything.” He pulled away from their embrace and turned to the room who housed the last face left in the room: Jungkook. “Merry Christmas, mon ami!”
Jungkook saluted him. “Merry Christmas!”
As Taehyung stopped to say his goodbyes to their parents who still hadn’t finished talking to the Parks, Hoseok uttered, “Glad they hit it off.”
“We definitely all have to get together again.”
The sound of Seokjin’s laugh grabbed their attention, and they turned to see him leaving the kitchen with Namjoon. It seemed like they were in the middle of gathering their things as Seokjin shrugged on his coat.
“We better head out too. It’s getting too late for me.”
Namjoon added, “He may look young, but he’s a grandpa.”
His brother slugged him at that, and Y/N was amused as Namjoon pretended it didn’t hurt. She told them, “I’m really glad you guys came. My parents love you.”
“They’re the best. If it weren’t for them, this guy and me would be eating takeout tonight.”
“Seriously. Dinner was so good,” Namjoon uttered longingly.
They walked over, and Hoseok led them to the door. Just then, their parents finally came inside. Their mom was quick to say, “Oh, you guys are leaving already?”
Seokjin paused, as if finding the words. “We know everyone is leaving and we didn’t want to
overstep.”
“Don’t ever feel like you’re overstepping. You’re always welcome,” Their mom said. Their dad nodded in agreement.
“Thank you for that. We appreciate that.”
“Yes, thank you. It was nice to be surrounded by warm people on a cold day,” Namjoon added.
Y/N’s mom softened at that, telling him, “And Namjoon. I’m very glad we got to know you tonight. You are as amazing as your brother says.”
He looked shocked at that, his eyes shooting to Seokjin. His brother pretended not to notice, though he did look a bit smug. Namjoon searched for the words, rubbing at his neck shyly before he mustered up, “Ah, thank you. That means a lot.”
Their dad opened the door, angling it so the two of them could walk out. Seokjin walked out last, only to turn around and tell the family, “Thank you for tonight. It was… everything I needed. I’ll always be grateful for what you guys do for me.”
Her mom said, “It’s nothing, Jin. We will always look out for you and your brother.”
“It’s everything,” He told her as his face remained serious, before he looked past her at the pair of siblings and smiled up at them. “It was nice to finally meet you two. Their praise of you was well-deserved.”
Hoseok held back a smile as he called, “And so was yours.”
Seokjin merely shook his head before saying, “Merry Christmas!” It triggered a chorus of the phrase, until they watched them get safely into their house.
The day was now at its end, with the same five from the beginning.
“I can’t believe it’s over. It flew by,” Jungkook muttered a few minutes later, the trio of them squished onto the couch together.
Y/N’s parents had put on a Christmas movie in the background, and the two of them were cuddling on the recliner.
“That’s how Christmas is. Slow to come, quick to end,” Y/N told him.
“That’s what makes it so special,” Hoseok threw out there. Y/N and Jungkook hummed in agreement. The three of them were pretty sleepy, but they didn’t want to disturb the atmosphere.
It was a calm night to end the special day.
Jungkook was the first to retire to bed, expressing his thanks and announcing a goodnight. They could tell how tired he was, and they also saw in his face that he wanted to be alone for a while.
Y/N thought about him, about Taehyung, about Jimin. She thought about Jin and how each of them had been having a rough time. She thought about Hoseok, how up until a couple of days ago he felt alone.
She came to the realization that Christmas didn’t make everything perfect, didn’t suddenly dismiss all of the problems someone has on any given day. Christmas isn’t miraculous, at least in the sense that it makes everything disappear. What Christmas does is quiets those issues, highlights the love and the warmth that already exists. Christmas reminds you of what you have, and what you can give to other people.
That’s why Christmas feels rare, because it’s one of those days where you’re showered in what you deserve, and people aren’t used to feeling what they deserve.
“I have an idea.” Hoseok whispered to his sister. She glanced at him, wondering why he was whispering. She noticed that her parents had dozed off in each other’s arms.
“Hit me,” Y/N whispered back.
“It’s a surprise gift for Jungkook.”
~~~~~~~~~~
“WAKE UP! WAKE UP! WAKE UP, WALRUS!”
Her eyes flew open as she shot up in bed, her heart racing. Looking around, her eyes fell on her smiley brother standing at the foot of her bed. Giving him an icy stare, she fell back in bed and tried to get comfortable once more. It wasn’t even a moment of bliss before Hoseok grabbed a hold of her comforter and ripped it off of her.
“Hobi, I promise you that if you don’t stop messing with me, I’m going to tell everyone why we used to call you Huggies.”
“It’s Christmas, Ebenezer! Get up and come downstairs!”
She groaned, hating be woken up early. She couldn’t control the smile that had fallen on her lips at his words, stumbling out of bed.
Hoseok looked pleased, but it disappeared all too soon when Y/N rushed over to him and blew air in his face. He screamed- a little too high-pitched if someone asked her- as he pushed her away, face contorting in disgust. “That’s so nasty! Go brush your teeth, garbage mouth!”
“You love me.”
“Unfortunately. Now hurry up and meet us downstairs!”
She took a few minutes freshening up before she met them downstairs. She found her dad, Jungkook, and Hoseok watching tv. Hoseok had managed to get Jungkook to wear reindeer antlers, and she silently fawned over how adorable he looked.
“Here!” Hoseok thrust a Christmas tree headband into her hands, before he quickly placed one of those christmas light necklaces over her head.
“Isn’t this a bit much?”
“You mean, not enough?” He told her seriously, smoothing down his ugly sweater. She shared a look with Jungkook, happy to know that someone else got to see this crazy side of her brother.
“Merry Christmas, everyone!” Everyone responded, the boys mostly distracted by the television screen. She walked over and leaned down to give her dad a kiss on the cheek, before she asked where her mom was.
No one had to answer, because she could hear her mom bustling around in the kitchen. She joined her, helping out in any way that she could.
This was her favorite way to spend Christmas morning: a calm morning after a busy Christmas Eve.
It was everything she had wished for: to have Hoseok home, and for everyone to be together again.
“Call the boys. It’s time for breakfast.”
It was after breakfast that she gave Hoseok the signal. She was in the middle of distracting Jungkook with a story, watching as Hoseok not so smoothly took Jungkook’s phone from beside him. He looked panicked after a few moments, showing her that he had guessed the password wrong.
She stuttered in her story, watching as Jungkook looked at her with mild worry. She waved it off, smoothly continuing on and noticing that Hoseok figured it out. He was quick, disappearing into another room.
It was a couple minutes later, and Hoseok still wasn’t back. She was starting to get worried because there was a lull in her conversation with Jungkook, and it was at any moment that he was going to notice his phone was-
“Hm. That’s weird.”
Her heart jumped. “What is?”
“I thought I put my phone right here-”
“Jungkook! Come here for a second!” Hoseok called from the living room. Jungkook’s eyebrow lifted in question, but Y/N merely shrugged. She waited for him to lead the way before following closely behind. They walked into the living room, Hoseok standing in the middle with his hands behind his back.
“What’s up?” Jungkook asked cautiously.
“Well,” Hoseok took a deep breath, “We’re really happy you got to spend Christmas with us. But, we all know it happened because the unfortunate events of you not being able to catch a flight. However, in this day and age, it’s a little easier to see your loved ones. So,” He pulled the phone out from his back, revealing his family on the screen, “Merry Christmas!”
Jungkook’s eyes widened, watching as his family shouted Merry Christmas, his mom as beautiful as he described. He was frozen for a moment, before his face broke into the happiest smile she ever saw on him, him lurching forward to grab onto the phone.
“Guys! I miss you so much,” His voice faltered, before the smile returned, “I wanted to video call but I felt like I would disturb you.”
“Disturb us? Of course not! It’s Christmas. We’re just so glad you’re well taken care of,” His mom said on the other line.
His dad said, “Can’t wait for you to join us tomorrow.”
She looked away to give him some privacy, hearing how tender his voice had become as he whispered, “I can’t wait to be with you guys, too.”
~~~~~~~~~~
The following evening, in the middle of watching yet another Christmas movie with the boys, Hoseok began acting strange. He was huddled in the corner on his least favorite chair in the living room, tapping away at his phone.
After asking him several times what he was doing, Y/N threateningly got up to go to him, and he freaked out. He yelled- again, a little too high-pitched for her ears- before he raced off to his room.
“What’s up with him?” Y/N asked. “I was only messing with him.”
“I stopped asking myself that a long time ago,” Jungkook responded, unbothered by Hoseok’s antics.
She decided to ignore it, sitting back down and continuing to watch the movie. About fifteen minutes later, Hoseok re-entered the living room. She didn’t look at him at first, assuming he was going to stop acting weird and finish the movie with him. After he stood in the entryway for too long to be normal, she looked up at him and instantly grew confused.
He was dressed to go out, his warm clothes a telltale sign that he intended to leave. His next words confirmed that. “I have to head out really quick. I’ll be back soon.”
“Where are you going?” Y/N asked, suspicious. On top of his weird behavior, he was suddenly leaving?
“Yeah. You didn’t mention having to do anything,” Jungkook added.
“Well- Well, I need to go get something from the store,” Hoseok rushed out as he rushed to the front door. This time, she wouldn’t let it slide as she raced to grab him before he made it out the door.
“Why are you acting so funny? What are you doing?”
“Nothing, Y/N! I have to take care of some business! Just let me be!”
“Why can’t we go with you?” Jungkook asked casually, unmoving from the couch as he stuffed some popcorn into his mouth. Noticing Hoseok’s pointed stare, he said, “What? Just a question.”
“Because.”
“Because why?” She narrowed her eyes, noticing he wouldn’t look at her. He was too nervous, too suspicious. He had always been bad at hiding things.
“Because I said so! Now leave me alone, you gremlins! I’ll be back!”
Just like that, he disappeared. She was entirely confused, wondering why he had to rush out like that and what he could possibly be hiding that he had to keep from her and Jungkook.
“Maybe he’s getting us a present?” She offered up to Jungkook.
He looked over at her and shrugged. “Who knows with him. Maybe he just wanted a dessert and didn’t want to have to pay for us.”
“He’s not like that!”
“He’s like that with me,” He scoffed playfully, before the conversation ended.
She looked down at her phone. 8:03 PM. There was nothing she could do now, so she tried to focus on the movie.
Around an hour and a half later, she got a text from her brother. Only, it wasn’t a text but he had shared a location with her. Clicking on it, she felt worry build realizing it wasn’t a place, but a road.
Was he in trouble?
“Jungkook.” He looked over at her. “Hoseok’s worrying me. He just sent me a random location. It just looks like a road.”
“You know what this means, right?”
“What?” She asked him. Jungkook sat up quickly.
“He’s sending us on a scavenger hunt!”
“Or to our death.”
“Highly doubt he could. Come on! Let’s go!”
“Are you sure?”
“Yes! Now come on! Get your coat on!” She had never seen him so pumped up, and now she was really worried. As she got her coat on, she tried to call her brother but to no avail. What was going on?
It didn’t take long to reach the spot, though the drive was completely nerve-wracking. Had he been in an accident? Why hadn’t he answered when she called and why had he still not called her back?
And Jungkook was acting weird now, too, drumming his fingers on his thigh. When she tried to strike up a conversation, he gave her short and distracted answers.
It was a twenty minute drive to the road that Hoseok had sent to her. She recognized one of the cars- her parents’ car, parked on the side of the road. Right behind it was a car she didn’t recognize.
What was going on?
Just as she asked herself that question, she pulled in front of her parents’ car and parked the car, looking into the rearview mirror. Seeing two figures sitting in the car, she watched them for a moment.
“Who is that?” She asked herself.
Like magic, her question was answered as both car doors opened. She peeked out the side mirror on the left, seeing her brother shaking his body up and down, likely from the cold. She narrowed her eyes at the right mirror, studying the figure who stood at the front hood of her parents’ car.
Her eyes looked over his dark curtain of hair, his head tilted to her brother. His hands were buried in his long dark coat, his entire ensemble as dark as Jungkook’s was when she first met him.
She took in his lanky figure, his familiar stance and his distant but familiar features, and her heart jumped.
Unclipping her seatbelt, she quickly fumbled for the car door and rushed out into the cold, the air slapping her and trying to discourage her. Nothing could stop her, though, as she raced through the cold, past her brother and right toward her warmth.
Yoongi barely had time to register she was racing right toward him before he opened his arms and she fell into them.
It was falling into a warm bath, washing over her body and soul. He was her haven, protecting her from the cold and from all of the hardships she had recently overcame.
He was here, right in front of her.
And she couldn’t gather the words to express how happy she was to be with him.
“You’re here,” she whispered into his chest, inhaling his cologne. He chuckled a little, adjusting his grip on her.
Kissing the side of her head, he said, “I am.”
“How? I thought you were just going to stay with your family today.”
He pulled away, looking at her with smiley eyes. A side of his mouth tugged upward as he declared, “I did stay with my family today. It’s night time now.”
“Yoongi…” Her eyes looked anywhere but him. Shuffling in place, he tightened his grip on her to keep her from being embarrassed, “You didn’t have to. I’m sorry if you felt like you had to leave your family-”
“I’m going to stop you right there. I didn’t have to do anything, that’s true. But I missed you and wanted to see you. That’s why I wanted to surprise you. Except, things didn’t go so well,”He hissed at the last words, his eyes going to the car she didn’t recognize. “I should’ve listened to my mom when she said the car’s been having problems.”
“Ah, so that car is your mom’s.”
“Yeah. She gave me the idea to surprise you.”
“Really?” Her entire body stiffened with nerves. “You told her about us?”
He gave her a look of disbelief. “I told her the day I met you that you were going to be my future girlfriend.”
“Seriously?” She choked on a laugh, not aware that he had told his family before she even got around to telling her family they were together. Of course, they knew of Yoongi, but she assumed they thought they were friends. She was just so nervous to tell them, especially given that he was Hoseok’s friend.
He cracked a smile, gently playing with her hair and looking her over. “Yes, seriously. She was nervous about letting me use the car, and now I know why. But using it led me to this moment. So I don’t regret it.”
“You’re amazing,” She said, breathlessly. They stared at each other for a moment, losing themselves in each other’s eyes. He tilted his head a bit, his telltale that he was going to kiss her, until Hoseok cut in.
“Not to ruin the lovely moment, but it is freezing out here and I really don’t want to see my sister kiss anyone. Mind if we get in the car?”
“Sure, Hoseok. Thank you,” Yoongi’s voice was dripped in sarcasm.
They all gathered in their parents’ car, Hoseok turning on the heater.
“So,” Y/N pointed at her brother, “He knew about it.”
Yoongi looked unamused. “Yes. And did a real crappy job at not being suspicious.”
Hoseok whirled around from the driver’s seat. “Hey! It’s not my fault she knows me so well! She can tell the moment I start acting different!”
Yoongi shot back, “Then don’t act different.”
Y/N said, “Doesn’t help that he screamed like a baby when I acted like I was going to take his phone.”
“All that matters is she didn’t figure out you were coming,” Hoseok threw his hands up. They all laughed at how offended he was acting.
“I knew too. Well, after I asked if we could come he texted me and went off on me,” Jungkook told her.
“See? Now, Jungkook knows how to act less suspicious,” Y/N pointed out.
Hoseok shook his head. “You guys suck.”
Yoongi and Y/N shared a smile, him reaching out to intertwine their fingers. It was a moment she engraved in her mind, sitting in that back seat waiting for a tow truck.
She vaguely listened as Hoseok described his grand idea of calling her out to his location, calling it more “romantic” if she came to see him where he broke down instead of him bringing Yoongi back to the house.
She hummed along, mostly distracted by Yoongi’s presence. He was breath-taking, absolutely stunning. He was wearing a maroon turtleneck, probably for the occasion. His hair was swept barely above his eyes, which were in the middle of looking her over as well.
Suddenly, she grew embarrassed considering she was still in her pajamas and the apparel that Hoseok had forced them to wear this morning. At least Jungkook had taken off his antlers.
Yoongi leaned over, uttering into her ear, “You look so cute.”
She smiled down at their intertwined hands, rubbing her thumb over his. “So do you.”
They tilted their heads together, her heart racing.
“Merry Christmas, Y/N.”
“Merry Christmas, Yoongi.”
There it was. Somehow, in some way, it always worked out. Even if it was the slightest shift.
Christmas had already been perfect. But her gift was right here beside her, her Christmas in a person was with her.
She couldn’t ask for anything better.
“Now,” Hoseok clapped his hands at the tow truck pulled up behind their line of cars, grinning back at Yoongi, “You ready to meet my parents?”
Yoongi nodded confidently. “Of course.”
The mischief danced in Hoseok’s eyes. “You ready to meet them as Y/N’s boyfriend?”
She watched the fear enter Yoongi’s eyes, reaching forward to shove Hoseok. She ignored his scream, lying her head on Yoongi’s shoulder.
“They’re going to love you.”
“How do you know?”
“Because I love you.”
~~~~~~~~~~
About a week later, the photos that her mom had taken on Christmas were finally developed. She was a sentimental woman, one who liked to buy those old-fashioned ones you had to get developed at a CVS Pharmacy.
She laid them all out on the table, looking them over one by one.
There was a photo of Taehyung and Taeyeon, posed near the Christmas Tree. She was on his back, both of them in the midst of laughing.
A picture of Hoseok and Y/N, backs against each other and finger guns poised. They were standing near the family Stockings, the ones that Hoseok insisted on every year.
Jungkook in a candid photo of him checking out the Nutcracker she put out on the mantle every single year, studying it.
A photo of Seokjin with his arm around Namjoon’s shoulders, both of them unsmiling but comfortable. They were posed as if they were two Carolers, awaiting someone to open the door.
A picture of Jimin helping adjust the Angel at the top of the tree, his parents in the background smiling proudly at him.
Other pictures of everyone scattered about.
The last photo of the disposable camera was at the bottom of the pile, a picture of Yoongi, Y/N, and Hoseok, outside and surrounded by the porch’s Christmas Lights.
It was a beautiful Christmas. Not perfect to most, but perfect to them.
#all the pieces fall#atpf#bts scenarios#masterlist#angelo works#merry christmas#christmas works#kpop scenarios#kpop fluff#bts fluff#yoongi scenarios#yoongi fluff#jungkook scenarios#jungkook fluff#taehyung fluff#taehyung scenarios#namjoon scenarios#namjoon fluff#seokjin scenarios#seokjin fluff#jimin scenarios#jimin fluff#hoseok scenarios#hoseok fluff#bts
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#2: Lipstick.
Read It Here!
Author: Diurnal Days. @diurnaldays
Genre: Romance, drama.
Rating: Mature.
(USUK/UKUS/USUKUS)
One-shot (19.478 words).
Summary: Sometimes, something as small as a tube of lipstick can mean so much.
Warnings: Depictions of homophobia, misgendering, use of a dead name and slurs.
Drama level: All is rainbows/A small problem happens for like a second/Some conflicts and tense situations but you can handle it/You may shed some tears/NO TEARS LEFT TO CRY
---
- Analysis -
There are great USUKUS fics and there are USUKUS fics that you can really see being transformed into a published book or movie. This fic is definitely in the second category for me. It is an excellent coming of age story with realistic characters dealing with heartfelt dramas.
“Lipstick” is about Alyssa and Alice, two teenagers who are childhood friends, finding out about their identity and their true feelings for each other. The detail is that we see the story from the point of view of Alice who does not yet know that she is a lesbian and that her best friend, "Alfred", is a trans girl.
(By the way, I'll call "Alfred" by their chosen name, Alyssa, here, although in the story the name most used for the character is "Alfred" since she doesn’t come out as a trans girl until much later.)
Well, let's summarize the story. Alice and Alyssa are best friends who know each other since childhood. Alice is a strong, smart girl who enjoys British stuff and it’s a bit of a loner. Alyssa is a very sweet person, who likes "... football, cars, Nerf guns and everything else perfectly American and male.". Therefore, Alice is surprised when Alyssa asks her to borrow her lipstick so she can help with her makeup. However, she allows Alyssa to practice makeup on her without thinking much about it.
Over time, Alyssa continues to express her interest in makeup, even going with Alice to the mall, by her own will, to buy some more. This is yet another subtle scene of character development that becomes more important when we consider what Alice doesn't know yet about her best friend. Look how carefully this scene is written:
“Though Alice expected Alfred to look tired by the time they reached the cashier -- as her mother once said all men at the mall eventually did --, Alfred still smiled widely at her when she gave him a glance. Oddly enough, he seemed happier now than when Alice had suggested they go to the arcade or the carousel, though Alice was sure that was just her imagination.”
After shopping at the mall, Alice realizes that Alyssa wants to keep some of the makeup they bought and ends up giving her a lipstick - yes, the fact that the story is named “Lipstick” shows how important this scene is. Yet, Alice doesn’t think much about the fact that Alyssa wants some makeup, just assuming that Alyssa wants to be a good friend and improve at helping her with her makeup.
For now, Alice's true drama lies in her discovery that she is a lesbian, something she realizes thanks to her lack of interest in the guys she dated, a few magazines with provocative images of women that she happens to see and also thanks to the good old internet. There is one particular line in this scene that really cracks me up:
“She typed into the search engine: Is it gay to look at boobs”
I don’t want to spoil the whole thing so I won’t go into detail about what happens in the plot after this discovery. In general, the two characters deal with dilemmas regarding their self-discovery and, amidst all that, they also have to confront their feelings for each other.
From the beginning, it’s pretty obvious that they like each other, but Alice still doesn’t know that Alyssa is a girl and Alyssa doesn’t know that Alice is a lesbian, which leaves a veiled tension between them. Besides, there is the factor that they are best friends, which makes things even more complicated from a romantic point of view.
When it comes to story writing, I would say that its main strong point would be what you can read between the lines. It’s amazing how the subtext of the gender identity and sexual orientation issues of the main characters adds tension and meaning to scenes that would be completely casual to cishet characters. Most scenes involving Alyssa are like this, but there's one in particular that really struck me.
"Don't worry about it. Your friend and I are just having a man-to-man chat here."
"Ha ha," Alfred laughed awkwardly.”
Ouch, this one hurt. It’s very impressive how simply by choosing two key-words to add to this little piece of dialogue ("man-to-man", "awkwardly"), the author subtly shows us Alyssa's veiled suffering with the fact that she is constantly misgendered in everyday interactions. This scene really made me think a lot about what trans people have to deal with it before they come out.
This subtlety in the writing style is also well used in the construction of the story’s romance. Throughout the narrative, we can see that Alyssa and Alice know each other very well, have small traditions together, are comfortable together and are physically attracted to each other. Alice is also jealous about the idea of Alyssa dating someone else. With all this, even before the characters realize it themselves, the readers can already see what a great couple they would be.
Another point I would like to highlight is the dialogues. Generally in this story, what is described during a dialogue is always very meaningful. Each reaction of the characters suggests a lot about their feelings and this is very important given that all we know from Alice's perspective is the visual cues. I will show some examples here:
1. “Thank you,” he murmured, uncharacteristically soft.
2. “How do I look?” Alice blushed and glanced to the side at the feeling of Alfred’s gaze burning into her face.
“Uh...uhm. Really good,” Alfred blurted. “Are you buying any of it?”
3. “You’re so hot,” Alice breathed. Alfred shot her a look.
The dialogues are really effective in making us understand the tone of the scene and make us see the reaction of the characters.
In short, this is a truly moving fic, with great characters that go great together as a couple. It shows the adolescence as the complicated but also exciting period of self-discovery that it is. There is a drama in the middle of all this, but the ending is happy, don't worry.
I strongly recommend that you check this one-shot and leave a review on it. It truly doesn’t have as many reviews as it deserves.
---
Some of my favorite lines (apart from the ones I've already mentioned):
1. Something about his quiet confidence in driving his car made Alice wonder -- with a knot in her gut -- whether or not he had that same sort of confidence when seeking out one of the many admirers he surely had.
2. Whether her reticence was really for Alfred’s sake or her own, Alice didn’t know.
3. “I sincerely doubt that my parents would ever let me sleep over with you without at least ten other friends participating, fourth grade or not.”
4. The awkwardness of the sort-of-argument between herself and Alfred quickly faded away when she returned to her room and saw that Alfred had forgotten his laptop on her nightstand. She remembered the cute cat videos they'd watched together and their escapade onto the roof -- and suddenly she found herself imagining Alfred wrapping his arm around her waist, and drawing her close, and looking deep into her soul with his eyes, and then leaning in for a kiss--
Oh. Alice sucked in a breath. She let herself fall back onto her mattress. That's new. Maybe I should think about that.
---
Extra points:
1. Lesbian and trans representation.
2. Alice learns about the LGBT+ community mostly by researching the internet. Relatable af.
3. Alice and Alyssa are one of the couples with the healthiest and most natural relationship that I ever had the pleasure to see in a story. I can’t emphasize enough how much they feel like a couple before even becoming one.
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GIB FORD and/or his sister plez UmU
Bring forth Ford-The-Gourd!
Full Name:
Taihneford
Gender and Sexuality:
Nobinary Man and Pansexual
Pronouns:
He/Him, Them/They
Ethnicity/Species:
Sylvari
Birthplace and Birthdate:
The Grove 1325, on the 20th of the Pheonix (4/20 babey!) He’s a night bloom too (so technically he could be born at 6:09pm)
Guilty Pleasures:
Reading horrifically bad romance novels. Just seeing how far he can ride his griffon/skyscale AWAY from his problems (he comes back but oh the temptation). Having lazy days
Phobias:
Heights and caterpillars
What They Would Be Famous For:
Being the Commander, being a chimera, being the Commander’s sister in some AUS, and for being an iron-gut
What They Would Get Arrested For:
Being an idiot. Bad parenting
OC You Ship Them With:
Honestly anyone who catches my eye (aka my friends ocs have you seen them all just
I think @prismaticaurene‘s Alistair might have first dibs though, he kissed his cheek!
How ever will I marry off Ford now? He’s been sullied by a kiss, he’ll never be able to wear white (jk jk!)
OC Most Likely To Murder Them:
Lasairlugh… Canach… Rhosil… probably Enfy (defo Nura… Zojia probably has planned it multiple times)
Favorite Movie/Book Genre:
Romantic Comedy and Comedy - he’s a feel good kinda guy who 100% cries at the predictable ending
Least Favorite Movie/Book Cliche:
“Hero gets the girl BECAUSE he’s the hero” He likes romance, he doesn’t like forced romance with no chemistry (alt. “the people fight over a girl and she has no say in the matter”)
Talents and/or Powers:
Aside from the typical Firebrand/Guardian package - he’s proficient in general fire magic - his flames look a little funky, but they’re very potent and always seem to a burn a little hotter than they should. Also pretty stronk and has the suitability of a cockroach
Why Someone Might Love Them:
He’s a big goofball tbh, a push over despite his size and generally pretty relaxed and charming. He adores people easily and is essentially a dog in sylvari form. He’s also pretty charming when he’s complimenting people, and lights up like a christmas tree at the slightest thing. Gives really warm hugs. He’s the type of person who’ll just hug you as you walk, and be a nice little heater, regardless of how close you are or who you are - a great big tree of a guy who’s got a dorky, snorty laugh but will drag you to the settee for a nap, or to see a cute kitten on the side of the road. 100% got in trouble before for saving an animal at an important event and walking in filthy
Why Someone Might Hate Them:
He’s a doormat, and lacks confidence in himself. The Commander persona draws people in, but Taihneford’s actual personality and quirks push them away. Like I’ve said 60 thousand times, he’s really emotionally stunted, so friendships, relationships and so forth are still new territory for him; so he can unintentionally stress people out by being overly meek or overly headstrong about things. Also, stubborn af - you don’t spend your Dream with Lasairlugh and not come out stubborn as an ox. Kinda a combo of all of that, but he’s also prone to some childish habits if he gets in the mind set, and will huff and puff if he’s grumpy enough. Also super melancholic and will not tell anyone why
How They Change:
Ford goes from someone who’s meek, but kinda pushed into this role as Commander, into someone actually quite bitter and resentful. He frequently grows frustrated with the role, but it’s all he’s known. He has no hobbies, and was honestly pretty depressed before Enfy and Dragon’s Watch strutted into his life.
As a sapling he was more shy, but kinda puffed himself up around the Firstborn to meet their expectations, and was downright cocky at times. He was still trying to process what happened with his sister, but kinda threw himself into this role, thinking maybe it was normal? Around Season 2 and HoT he started to develop some serious resentment over everything
He’s, at this point in the story, more confident, relaxed, but still holds some aggression and resentment for what he’s been through. He’ll likely always have self confidence issues from his saplinghood, but he’s learning to shove them a little deeper, which honestly isn’t probably good Ford my dude get help
He’s trying though
Why You Love Them:
MY FUCKIN BABY! Ford’s been with me since the start of HoT in many different forms, but he’s always been a character I felt drawn to, and now that he’s the Commander and my main? My dude I love this idiot! I honestly push a little bit more of myself into him than I did other characters, but got a nice balance of ‘I can comfortably explore what I’d do in universe without being disloyal to the character’ and also getting the chance to explore various themes that interest me about him (chimeraism babey!!!)
He was honestly the first time I went ‘okay I can’t TECHNICALLY make this is game, but how can I find a loop hole’ and man it’s real freeing! He’s honestly become a bit of a comfort character for me, and, while I get a little bit self conscious talking about him so much, THAT’S MY SOOOONNN!!!
and his better half is here
#Taihneford#Ford is 100% the person who just pines from a distance#talk to the person you like? Hell no he's not doing that#mytalikes#gets nervous talking botu ford too much vs the desire to talk about ford#this one came out the dream pre-traumatised
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The Dragon’s Lair | 2
Chapters: [ 1 ] [ 2 ]
Pairing: Dragon Hybrid Namjoon x Reader
Word Count: 3,748
Genre & Warnings: Hybrid au. Fantasy themes. This will have a little bit of everything. Lots of fluff, some angst, perhaps eventual smut. Mentions of physical abuse and possible other trauma or emotional issues in the future. Brief mentions of death but no MCD.
Notes: Trying to make up your own Dragon lore is a pain in the ass.
You could hardly believe that it had only been a week since you’d met Namjoon and discovered a whole new world. The two of you had decided to wait until the weekend for him to move in, giving him time to wrap up his classes and say goodbye to his friends since he’d be away from the center for a while for a bonding period with you. It also gave you a chance to prepare your home, although you were still pretty confused about how the hell you were supposed to prepare for a Dragon. You’d settled on just making sure there were the basics in his room; bed, dresser, desk, and a laptop. You’d take him shopping for whatever else he wanted later.
The two of you had also used this time to get to know each other a little more. You rushed over after finishing your work for the day, and you’d watch him teach a class. He taught literature and music production for fun, but helped with the classes that covered hybrid health and law as well. After his class, the two of you would hang out in the exotic wing’s playroom, watching movies or playing with the other hybrids, or go to his room where he showed you books he’d been reading or whatever shiny thing had caught his eye in the yard that day. He was such a beautiful old soul, and you gravitated towards him he was an oasis in the desert.
The more you got to know Namjoon, the more excited you got about bringing him home and starting a life with him. He was smart and passionate, caring of his hybrid friends, so sweet and shy. Honestly, the more you thought about it, the crazier it was that he hadn’t been grabbed before this and was settling for someone like you. Not that you were willing to give him up. They’d have to fight you now.
You’re practically skipping as you make your way into the now familiar lobby of The Fairy Pawmother, sharing a smile and a wave with the regular hybrids that hung around the area helping customers and potential adopters. Heechul is in his usual spot behind the front desk, smirking over your obvious excitement.
“Either you’ve become a bunny hybrid, or it’s Saturday,” Heechul chuckled, pulling out Namjoon’s file.
“Todays the day! Is everything ready? Did he change his mind?”
“Are you serious? That kid has been ready to go since six am. I had to force him to eat because he was too excited, and he’s been sitting on the couch with his bags for hours. I’m almost insulted he’s so ready to leave me.”
You snort, accepting one of the papers he hands you to sign.
“You know he’s going to be coming back to help with classes and to see his friends after the bonding period.”
“Still not the same. Be good to my baby.” Heechul fakes a tear, and the two of you chuckle. “I’ll have someone load his things into your car for you. Let’s finish signing these and go get him before he comes barreling down the stairs and hurts himself.”
Once the paperwork is all completed, he takes your arm to escort you to the exotics wing. You take the chance to ask him something that had been on your mind, but you hadn’t wanted to upset Namjoon by asking him.
“Hey, so I was just wondering why Namjoon was here for so long? He’s so amazing, and I mean, I can’t possibly be the best person to come along.”
“I don’t know about that, but he actually was adopted once, a long time ago. It’s all in the copy of his files that I’ll be giving you today. I believe he was...five? They brought him back when he was seven. I was really upset about that. I’d had this off feeling when they met, but Namjoon was so excited to have a home that I let it go.”
“Seven? Poor thing. Did they say why?”
“They couldn’t handle him, they said. Probably expected him to act like a dog hybrid when he’s a dragon. I assume you won’t make that mistake.”
“I hope not. I’ve been trying to do research, but there’s not much out there about dragons besides that they like shiny things and dumb jokes about how humans are tasty with ketchup. There’s absolutely nothing about dragon hybrids.”
“That’s because he’s been the only one in thousands of years.”
That fact brought you up short and gave you a whole new set of worries. Mainly, that there was no way for you to ask others if you had problems. Except for Heechul, but he was overly fond of vague answers. You’d have to rely on Namjoon being honest and open about his needs. So far nothing hinted that this would be too hard, but it was still worrisome.
There was also the fact that this meant he was completely alone and had no one that really understood him as a dragon hybrid. He had his other exotic friends, and they could relate on some levels, but as far as being a dragon he had only himself.
“Wait, if he’s the only one in thousands of years, how was he born?”
“Just caught that did you? It’s all a bit complicated for the mortal mind, honestly. Let’s just say that there are souls out there deserving of a good life, some that have been here before, and not all of them are human. They are granted a chance to be reborn and adapt to be more accepted into the current world.”
“So he was reincarnated? But where are his parents?”
“Oh, that’s basically me. Namjoon came to me as a lovely gold and silver egg.”
“An egg. He was freaking hatched?”
“Well, he is a dragon, remember?”
“So someone just put a shiny egg on your doorstep, and you let it hatch?”
“It was more like it shimmered into existence in the nest I have set up in my room for such things.”
“Right. Shimmered. Got it.”
You didn’t get it.
Heechul patted you on the head, and you could practically hear the There, there, you dumb human.
“Namjoon’s great, though.” Heechul continued. “Very smart, I’m sure you’ve noticed. He likes to talk things through, so he’ll probably let you know what you need to know. I think the thing those people had a problem with the most was the hoarding.”
“I saw stuff about dragon hoards, but I didn’t realize he’d do that too.”
“Oh yeah, although Namjoon is easy. His current obsession is those Ryan teddy bear dolls. Last count there were at least sixty-three of them covering his bed, and he slept in them like a nest. Frankly, it's adorable. He still has the urge for all things shiny, but I think Namjoon is the sort of dragon whose hoard will end up being more...sentimental.”
You recalled seeing a few of them in his room before, not nearly the amount Heechul had described though. He must have started packing them away the moment you’d met.
You finally reached the floor where the exotic rooms were kept, making your way towards the now familiar room at the end of the hall.
You peek into the room with a grin. “Hey, you.”
Namjoon was sitting on his twin sized bed, that was now stripped bare, kicking his legs back and forth with a large gold velvet bag sitting next to him. His eyes shoot to meet yours, jaw dropping in shock before melting into the sunniest smile. He was absolutely beaming as he jumped up and hugged you, practically crushing your smaller frame to his.
“You came! I...wasn't sure. I hoped, but...thank you.”
You pulled back, patting his cheek gently. “Of course I came. You’re stuck with me now, buddy. Sorry.”
“I’ll try to live with that,” he giggles, lowering his head shyly.
“All ready to go?” you ask, taking a moment to scan the room. It seemed he’d done an excellent job of clearing everything from his room, except for whatever was in the giant Christmasy looking bag.
“Yeah. Just this. I, uh, didn’t want anyone taking my Ryans down. I wanted to take them myself. Do you have room for them still?”
“Yeah! Of course. Heechul told me how much to expect, so there should be plenty of room in the back seat, and you’ll still be able to keep an eye on the bag from the passenger side. Is that alright?”
“Yes, thank you. I’m sorry for being a bother.”
“Hey, you’re not. It’s really fine, Namjoon. Honestly, I get it. I have an Avengers collection at home, and I would probably have a panic attack over anyone else trying to move it.”
Namjoon chuckles, nodding in understanding. “I didn’t know you liked those types of movies. Who is your favorite Avenger?”
“James Barnes.”
“Does he count as an Avenger? Wasn’t he a bad guy? I know they tried to fix him up before he fought in the last one, but does that make him an Avenger?”
“Are we about to have our first fight? I will fight you over Bucky,” you smirk up at him as he grabs his giant bag of plushies.
Namjoon’s stunning amber eyes glint with undisguised amusement. “Duly noted. Bucky is an Avenger. I know how to pick my battles.”
“Good boy.”
Namjoon’s cheeks flush at the words, and you hope that wasn’t too far. You were just teasing, but it could be taken either good or bad. You settle for clearing your throat with a small smile and letting Heechul chat with Namjoon as he guides you both back to the lobby.
Heechul and Namjoon discuss the lesson plan Namjoon had prepared for the classes in his absence. You allow them their time as you all wander through the halls, using the time to build a mental list of things that Namjoon might need.
You’re startled out of your thoughts when fingers softly touch yours, and you glance up to see Namjoon has moved the bag to hang off of one shoulder, leaving one hand free and was tentatively trying to hold yours. You smile reassuringly and pull him a little closer, lacing your fingers together firmly.
Heechul walks with the two of you all the way to your car, opening the door for Namjoon to gently secure his collection in the back.
“Well, I’ll see you in a month, Namjoon. I wish you the best of luck. You know where to find me if you need me, but somehow I’m sure you won’t.” Heechul pulls him in for a quick hug, and no one acknowledged that the man’s eyes looked suspiciously watery.
You both got in the car and waved to Heechul one last time, clasping your hands back together as you drove off.
“Let’s go home.”
You pull up to your house about a half hour later, watching Namjoon inspect it out of the corner of your eye. You can’t help smiling to yourself over the fact that he could barely hold himself still. He was practically bouncing in his seat as he looked at every bit of the outside he could see.
“Here we are. I know it doesn’t seem like my style, but my Grandparents built this place, and it didn’t feel right to repaint or anything,” you explain as you both grab a couple boxes and his bag of plushies and lead him up the grey bricked path to the buttercream yellow and ivory painted farmhouse.
“This place is huge,” Namjoon wide eyes travel over every bit of the house and the land around it. “You didn’t tell me you lived on a farm.”
You chuckle, using your knee to balance the boxes on while you unlock the beautifully carved oak and glass windowed front door.
“It’s not really a farm anymore. They sold off the big chunks of land years ago when it became apparent there was only me to inherit, and I am no farmer. I’m already struggling enough trying to keep Grandma’s flowers and kitchen garden alive. We just have a little barn and some penned up areas in case I ever want to get, I dunno, goats or something. There is the big forest behind our house past the pool; that’s technically mine. Not much I can do with it, but I didn’t want to sell it off and have some corporate assholes come in and build a carwash behind me or something. I used to go exploring in it as a kid and pretend I was Snow White.”
“Why Snow White?”
“Oh, because there were a few squirrels and a couple of deer that got used to me and would let me pet them or give them treats. So, to a little girl, that means I’m obviously Snow White.”
Namjoon laughs and follows you into the house, and you lead him up the steps to the room that sits next to yours. You set the boxes down near the massive king sized bed and gesture grandly around the room.
“Here are your quarters, sir.”
Namjoon quirks an eyebrow as he sets his things down, shaking his head.
“Yeah, you’re right. That was cheesy as fuck,” you giggle. “Anyway, it’s nothing special right now. I wanted you to be able to pick what you wanted, so I just got the basics. We can go to a home goods place to pick out everything else you’ll need. Bookcase, blankets, bathroom goods, all that.”
“It’s so big!” Namjoon wandered around, poking his head into the closet and the bathroom.
“You’re kind of a big guy, so,” you chuckle, watching him plop on the bed and bounce as he smiles up at you. “I gave you the biggest room available, besides mine. I’m right next door. There are three other rooms if you wanted to choose a different one.”
Namjoon shook his head. “No, this one is great. Big and bright. More than I thought I’d ever get. Thank you.”
“You’re welcome, sweetheart,” you blush as soon as the words leave your mouth. You hadn’t meant to say it, but your head to mouth filter always seemed to malfunction around Namjoon.
He didn’t seem to find anything amiss with it though since he continued playing on the mattress. You clear your throat and walk back towards the door.
“So, I’ll leave you to unpack your things and make a list of what else you’ll need. Don’t worry about cost or anything; it’s best if we just take care of the big stuff now so you’re comfortable. Forgive my ignorance, but will we need to go by a hybrid store for unscented things? I know the other hybrids are into scent marking their stuff but is that important for you too?”
Namjoon rubs the back of his neck. “Uh, yeah. That would be nice. I can get pretty territorial. Um, but not in a bad way! Don’t worry. I just...need to protect my den?”
“It’s cool. I understand that you don’t exactly have a guide and you get by instinctually, so whatever makes you feel comfortable and fulfills whatever urges you get, we’ll do. As long as it’s not like, burning the mailman. Let’s avoid that. He brings me cookies every Christmas.”
Namjoon chuckles silently, shoulders bouncing as he shakes his head. “Got it. No crisping the mailman.”
“So you really shoot flames?” You raise your eyebrows in surprise, having expected for at least that to not be a real thing.
“Sort of? It’s not like, dragons in the movies kind of flames, or all the time. Twice a year, in the spring and late summer, I run even hotter than usual. Like, so hot that the first time it happened, I thought I was dying. And I get really protective of my hoard and can get a little aggressive? I don’t really mean it, it’s just the hormones and stuff.” He glances up at you like he’s begging you to understand, and you have a feeling this is a sore spot for him.
You nod and pet his shoulder a bit to let him know you understood and didn’t blame him. He seemed to get the hint and relaxed his shoulders, continuing his story.
“Anyway, one year we had a new hybrid in the center, and he heard me shouting and came to check on me. I guess no one warned him not to. And in my hormone driven mind, he was coming after my hoard, so I screamed at him. I could feel my throat expand and my mouth suddenly tasted weird as something coated the inside like mucus. And then, to everyone’s surprise, I shot what was basically a fireball at him. Singed off his eyebrow, but he thought it was so cool we became friends. Jackson is awesome. I can’t wait for you to meet him.”
“Sure. You know, that sounds kinda like your..heat season? I don’t know what it would be called for you.”
“Me either. Heat or rut is a dog and cat thing. Everything online is just for snakes and stuff, and they just call it mating season. Heechul hyung calls it a rut to make it easy for everyone, so we can just keep calling it that I guess.”
“Okay, I guess we’ll...discuss that stuff more later. We have a few months before Spring,” you try to hide your blush as you realize you’re going to have to figure out arrangements for that. You’ll have time to ask Heechul, you suppose.
“Anyway, make your list, and we’ll go get you taken care of.”
“Thank you, Y/N.”
You nod and smile softly at him, leaving him to settle in.
Many hours later, you both get home exhausted and ready for bed after such a long day. You’d bought him everything his eyes landed on just a little too long. Among the many items that you’d purchased, he now had a beautiful royal blue and silver bedding set, everything he could possibly need for his bathroom, and a new Ryan plushie that you’d insisted on buying him. He’d maintained he didn’t need it, but you’d seen the way he clutched it tightly to him and narrowed his gaze on anyone that got too close to it.
There was still plenty more he’d need, but the big stuff like the bookcases would be delivered, and there was plenty of time to get whatever else he needed later.
You help him make the bed after washing the new set and stand back to fondly observe as he adds his Ryans one by one with painstaking care. The newest one you’d bought him seems to have a place of honor next to his pillow.
“I’ll leave you to your rest. I’m beat. Night, Joonie. I’m so happy you’re finally here,” you say softly, reaching up to peck his flushed cheek before you head to your own room.
You’d finally started to drift off a bit when you heard your door creak, and a light tap sounded in the silence.
“Y/N, I’m sorry, but are you awake?”
“’S’matter Namjoon?” you slur, struggling to come back to awareness.
“Um...it’s just. I can’t sleep? I’ve tried so hard but...”
You sit up slowly, rubbing your eyes a bit. “Oh, yeah. New environment. That happened when I went to summer camp a few times. Couldn’t sleep well for the first three days. Uh, if you’d be comfortable with it, you’re free to sleep here.”
You hear a shuffling sound coming closer in the darkness.
“Are you sure? It’s not weird? I just...have this urge like somethings missing in my hoard and I know there’s not.”
“Maybe I should try sleeping in there then, so you’re not away from it?”
“Would you?” Namjoon’s nearly breathless excitement at the suggestion settled that. You hummed sleepily as you got up and waved around for his hand in the darkness. He saw better in the dark, you guessed, because he latched on easily and gently dragged you to his room.
He flipped down the blankets and helped you get under them, arranging his plushies so they wouldn’t be in your way but still close. He snuggled in when he was done, inhaling loudly before releasing a pleased sigh.
“You can cuddle if you need to. It’s cold in here, and you feel like a damn furnace,” you mumble into the pillow as you settle in.
He wraps his arm around you slowly, like he’s worried you’ll change your mind. Eventually, he relaxes, and you find yourself completely wrapped in his long limbs. You giggle when you hear his pleased rumbling.
“Better?”
“This is perfect. The weird tickle I get when something is wrong with my hoard is gone.”
“Does that mean I’m part of it now? Not sure how I feel being compared to a Ryan doll.”
Namjoon huffs a laugh against your hair.
“Would it bother you if you were a part of it? It seems kind of possessive, I guess. I don’t want to scare you off already.”
“No. Its...kinda nice, actually.”
Namjoon rumbles again, the vibrations strangely calming as you burrow close to his chest. Your last thought is that if you had to belong to anyone, you were glad it was him.
#kwriterskollection#kpopwritingnet#btswriters#bts#bts fanfic#kim namjoon#namjoon fanfic#Hybrid!bts#Hybrid!Namjoon#Dragon!Namjoon#Hybrid au#fantasy au#kpop#kpop fanfiction#Dragon hybrid
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BECAUSE THE CARTOON PORN IS NOT WOKE ENOUGH.........
Last week, I stumbled upon Overwatch porn. I wasn’t looking for it—I know as much about Overwatch as I do about sports, cars, or how to talk to my parents about what I write—but it’s not hard to stumble across porn when browsing the gigantic nudity repository that is the internet.
The first time I saw Overwatch, I assumed it was a Pixar trailer. Widowmaker and Reaper sparred with Winston, a cartoonish gorilla scientist, while Tracer zapped around in the background, giggling like a cockney kid in a candy store. It was goofy, not sexy—the butts that would, over time, become polished and pert like glistening hams were just functional posteriors back then. Times were simpler. I am less innocent now.
There were a few things that stood out to me while I browsed through the surprisingly broad selection of Overwatch porn.
Firstly, to absolutely no one’s surprise, the people doing the penetration in almost every video are headless, which is to say that they have the implication of a head, but they’re all cropped off. Evidently, no one’s interested in the person who managed to get into Mercy’s panties, as long as they’re packing something big enough to put a permanent look of lusty worry on her face—you know, the one that says “oh dear, I think I can feel you brushing up against my lungs.”
Secondly, everyone in Overwatch is incredibly flexible. Legs over heads, backs arched like someone in dire need of a chiropractor, and the ever-popular tits-and-ass angle that movie posters love so much. It’s hardly surprising that fictional CGI characters in porn are able to bend their bodies like sweaty fuckpretzels, but it makes me feel 90 years old. One particular clip featured Pharah being double penetrated, and I just couldn’t stop worrying about perineal tearing.
But thirdly—and most importantly—the quality is so very, very high. My knowledge of video game-related porn extends about as far as that live-action Pokémon porn with the haunted Pikachu-Pennywise creature that doesn’t so much scream “sexy” as it does just regular screaming. But Overwatch porn is a genre all of its own: created by a small number of Patreon-funded animators who are able to recreate, in loving detail, what Mercy might look like if she was getting a sudsy dicking in the shower.
Overwatch porn—which is no means the only type of video game porn of this quality that I found—is fully animated, usually about 10-30 seconds long, usually voice acted, with impressive audio design that captures all the gross body noises that might happen during sex. Sure, the boobs might be overly jiggly, and some of the gasps of pleasure are a little too close to sobs, but the animation is amazing—subtle movements of flesh and hair, detailed fabric simulations, lifelike surfaces, realistic lighting—some of these animators are making almost $6,000 a month on Patreon for their work, and I’m not surprised. Even if someone needs to tell them that buttholes aren’t usually thatspacious.
A large number of the Overwatch porn scenarios are pretty basic: Mercy giving a secret footjob in a fast food restaurant, D.va putting an entire candy cane up her chimney, Widowmaker Snapchatting herself banging in the park—any variation on character, sex act and location, really—but others take the character’s personality and preferences into account, like D.va in the arcade with her “favorite joystick” or Widowmaker deepthroating a baguette (apparently she’s French, which is one of the things I’d know if I’d ever played Overwatch).
I realize that many of you have probably heard of, or seen, Overwatch porn, and therefore to you this post might read like a toddler patiently explaining the nuances of using the Big Boy toilet to his parents. But, as someone who wasn’t really aware that 3D animated porn existed in such quality, quantity and specificity, I’m impressed—even if you, dear reader, are over it.
Of course, it’s not all sunshine and daisies in Overwatch porn-land. It has a lot of the same issues as the porn industry as a whole. Pharah always seems to be portrayed as far whiter than she is, Brigitte is heavily slimmed down, and there’s no sign of Zarya and very few videos involving Mei. It’s clear that the people making these videos are into a very specific, predominantly white, and almost always skinny version of women.
Why is that bad, if that’s what these creators and their audiences are into Well, if the porn industry—and the game industry—showcases conventionally attractive, thin white women over all other body types, races, gender presentations, and so on, that’s going to become the default for desirability. That default, in turn, affects the self-esteem of people who don’t look like that, as well as the general consensus on what’s considered “hot,” which is to say, “acceptable.”
(Also, far too many of the models don’t have clitorises. Hoo boy.)
There’s also a fair bit of really nasty homophobia and transphobia that I found amongst some of the creators of Overwatch videos. Apart from how bigoted and wrong it is to be like that in the modern day, it’s always dismaying to see porn dominated by assholes in more than one way. Straight men aren’t your only audience, you know.
There is, of course, a conversation to be had about the sinister nature of photorealistic CGI porn. In an age where we can recreate Grand Moff Tarkin and get rid of Henry Cavill’s moustache, it doesn’t take a genius to know the road we’re heading down—and we may already be there with the rise of deepfakes. Let’s just hope people stick to fantasy characters for as long as possible.
NEW RULE: ALL PORN MUST LOOK LIKE THIS NOW. Sorry i don’t make the rules UwU
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