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gingerbreadmonsters · 10 months

Text

easy pickings

or: it just goes to show, you never can tell!

gn!reader, big big murder and body horror warnings, pure fluffy fantasy but make it gory. get the shotgun - we’re having a wedding! much love to the gang on discord for putting up with my endless rants about how cute these two are - i can’t promise this will make it stop, but it should keep me going for a little while. inspired by ain’t nobody here but us chickens from the musical five guys named moe, and you never can tell by chuck berry. tomorrow, when you say ‘i do’, i’ll die. vega tying the knot in 12,900 words or less.

content warnings: weddings i guess, death and dead bodies, mild injury description (the injury does NOT happen to the reader character), vega does some murders (and warden is definitely into it 👀), HEAVY body horror re: demons changing form, this is CERTAINLY sacrilegious if you like churches, no seriously i mean it, if you are especially christian i suggest that you might want to skip this one because you may very well be offended. this is a story about very bad people doing very bad things. this is a fictional story about people who aren’t real. i don’t condone or encourage this behaviour in real life.

warden’s body is not described at all, and gender-neutral pronouns are used throughout to describe them. for the sake of plot, they do wear a dress and high-heeled shoes, and are referred to with feminine terms (including ‘bride’ and ‘princess’) and a feminine name at some points, but it is made very clear that this is for a plot-relevant disguise - NOT because warden themselves necessarily identifies that way. if those things make you uncomfortable, then please do not feel obligated to read - i won’t be upset!

this fic contains graphic content that may not be suitable or appropriate for readers under the age of 18. reader discretion is heavily advised. dead dove: do not eat. as always, i encourage you to stop reading at any point if you feel as though you may become uncomfortable or upset. 18+ ONLY. MINORS DNI. thank you.

also, before i forget, the song the organist is playing is mendelssohn’s wedding march, from a midsummer night's dream. that’s not important, it’s just for anyone who was curious.

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Small towns are very exciting, you know.

Well, maybe not for everyone. There’s not too much that happens here. But for you, they’re very interesting indeed.

For the last few months, you’ve been lying low in one of the empty houses on this street. The town is much, much smaller than Dahlia, so it’s been a lot more difficult to stay unnoticed, but you’ve been really trying your best. The people seem nice, but you know better than to let them have a proper conversation with you - you’ve never quite mastered the art of human small talk, and there are a few things about you and Vega that you’re fairly sure they’d rather not know.

(To be honest, you’re not sure if this house had actually been empty when Vega got here, but you’d been out exploring the rest of the town at the time, so you don’t know for sure.)

(You haven’t seen any suspicious bloodstains yet, and you don’t mention it when he comes out of the basement and locks the door behind him, looking suspiciously well-fed. You’re giving him the benefit of the doubt.)

It’s much nicer than the safehouse, which is exciting. Human houses have lots of stuff that you’ve never really seen before, so you’ve been quite enjoying working out what all the different things are. Vega helps you sometimes, when he recognises one of the things you don’t know, but mostly there’s a lot of looking things up on the computer.

You’d been living in Department-funded accommodation before, and although it had been very convenient, you hadn’t really known what sort of things humans normally put in their houses. This one has all kinds of things - like a funny little rug made of bristles that goes outside next to the front door and says WELCOME on it, or a black boxy thing in the living room that lights up when you press the special remote and lets you play computer games on the television screen.

Mm, it’s nice, living in a human house. It’s so big, too! There’s an upstairs and a downstairs that are all part of the same house, and there are so many comfy things to sit on. So far, you’ve tried sitting on all of the beds, the sofa, both of the armchairs in the living room, the beanbag in one of the bedrooms, and most of the chairs at the kitchen table. In your opinion, the sofa is the best one, but you brought the beanbag downstairs to go next to the sofa in case you want some variety.

There used to be pictures in the picture frames, but Vega got rid of them not long after you moved in. He said there was no point in keeping them, because the humans who used to live here are being kept down in the - the, uh-

- um, anyway, they’re gone now, and why would you want pictures in your house of people you don’t even know? Instead, you’ve been taking your own with the camera you found on one of the shelves, and it’s all very exciting.

Taking pictures is easier as you thought it would be, actually. You have to stay very still so that it doesn’t go all blurry, and things always seem to turn out a slightly different colour than they are in real life, but it’s nice that there don’t seem to be any rules about it whatsoever. You can take pictures of whatever you want!

There’s one of the house, and of Vega, and of the view down the street from the upstairs window. You’ve even got a close-up of one of those funny flowers, the kind that keep growing in the front garden and look like little round clouds - you had to hold your breath when you took that one, so that you didn’t accidentally blow all the little white bits away.

You’ve started bringing the little camera everywhere, just in case there’s something interesting to look at. Once, you took it to the supermarket - there’s always quite a few people in there, so you can generally find something tasty to eat - and you spent almost an hour taking pictures of all the different displays. They’re always so brightly coloured, and the fruits and vegetables always look so shiny. It’s very nice.

Life is so different in this little town. There’s so few people, which makes it so quiet. Part of that might be because you’re not working anymore - you help Vega when he asks you, but other than that it sometimes feels like you and Vega are the only people for a hundred million miles. It’s like it’s faster and slower all at the same time. You’re not quite sure how to explain it.

Naturally, you’ve been passing the time by watching daytime television.

It’s so funny! Humans seem to love these shows, and they play them at all hours of the day, every day of the week. They have big glitzy game shows, full of lights and screens, where they ask the contestants about all these bizarre topics - you don’t generally know what they’re talking about, but they’re weirdly fun to watch. And talk shows - they love these programmes where some people just sit around and… talk to each other. That’s all! They just chat and chat about nothing, but it’s so entertaining that you can’t help but keep listening.

The television really is amazing. You can watch sitcoms, which are videos of people in different places reciting jokes while an invisible audience laughs at them, or reality TV, which definitely doesn’t live up to its name. Sometimes you watch sports matches, but it tends to be quite tricky - for some reason, they never explain the rules. You have to search up the rules on the computer, then cross-reference those with whatever’s happening on the screen, and it’s all a bit of a mess. If you’re honest, you’re starting to think that they’re just making it up when they say someone’s ‘offside’.

The most useful ones are probably the soap operas. You have no idea where the name comes from - there’s rarely any soap, and you’ve yet to see any opera singing - but they seem to be a sort of documentary, all about humans. There’s much more drama than you’d imagined, and all sorts of things that humans do that you had no idea about.

Watching these soap operas for the first time, you’d been a bit worried that it was all a bit too unfamiliar. What if one of the neighbours asks you a question about going to a cafe, or baseball players, or laundry techniques? As a precaution, you’ve taken to watching one or two episodes of your favourites every evening, to help you blend in.

That’s how you’d ended up watching that.

What’s the matter, dearest? He’d been upstairs, but you’d felt his magic brushing against your aura all the same.

Hmm? No, it’s nothing.

It’s something, darling, he’d replied, raising an eyebrow. I can feel your longing from here. Did they die in your computer game again?

No, it’s - this one’s just the normal television show thing, you’d explained. He’s normally quite good with these things, but he can never seem to tell the difference between when you’re using the television to play a game or watch a programme. They didn’t die, they just…

He’d come down the stairs and into the room at that, staring curiously at you with your eyes glued to the screen, before realising what you were looking at. Oh.

They look so happy, you’d sighed, watching the human couple on the screen. Don’t you think?

He’d shrugged, slightly too nonchalantly for you to entirely believe him. I suppose, yes.

Humans have such funny ideas about being in love. Tucking your legs to the side to make room for him, you’d let him come around to sit next to you on the sofa. Do they all have to have a big party like this before they can start kissing?

No, darling, he’d explained. This is a human wedding. It’s very special for them.

But… You’d been confused, looking up at him briefly before turning back to the television. I thought they said it was a 'marriage'?

That’s what they call the thing that happens at a wedding, little one. Do you see those two there?

He’d pointed at the couple talking in the middle, and you’d nodded. Yeah. Those are the ones the marriage is for, right?

Correct. Weddings happen so that humans can ‘get married’ to each other, and then they become what humans call a ‘married couple’. ‘Marriage’ is the process that those two humans are going through, and ‘wedding’ is the name for the celebration.

Oh, okay. Once he’d explained it, it made a lot more sense - you’d been under the impression that ‘marriages’ and ‘weddings’ were two separate things altogether. But humans can be together all the time, can’t they? So what are human weddings even for?

I… You’d felt his uncertainty as he tried to come up with an explanation, and it had dawned on you slightly too late that Vega may not be the best person to ask when it comes to matters of the heart. Unless, of course, the matter is that you want it to stop beating.

I’m told it’s a… declaration. Of love.

Like kissing?

Yes, darling, like kissing, he’d laughed. They do that at weddings quite a lot, I believe. It means that they want to be together until they die.

Is that what all kisses mean, for humans? You remember being shocked, when he’d said that. Humans kiss all the time, on the television. Who would have thought that such short-lived creatures as humans would be so nonchalant about dying? Wow. Human courtships are so… intense.

Well, I think that’s what they mean… Vega had trailed off, uncertainty blooming in his aura again as the humans on the television started talking again. Fortunately, I can’t say I have much experience when it comes to kissing humans.

Weren’t they married, though? you’d asked, only to be met with a confused stare. Ivan and the… the other one?

What? He’d been so surprised, even though you’d thought it was a perfectly fair question. No, of course not. That was the whole point.

So you don’t have to be married to kiss someone?

He’d looked down at you, thoroughly puzzled by your entirely rational questions. I kiss you, don’t I? And we’re not married.

Well - yeah, but we’re not humans, you’d shrugged. I thought the rules might be different for them.

Irritatingly, he’d had the gall to laugh when you said that, tail curving around your back to rest around your middle. Do I look like the sort of demon who’s intimately familiar with the rules of human courting behaviour?

You know all kinds of weird stuff, you’d replied, poking him gently in the ribs before giving in and shifting to fully rest your weight against his side. How would I know which things you know and which things you don’t?

I have much better things to remember than the web of intrigue that undoubtedly surrounds the intricacies of human courtship, believe me.

Such as?

Now, that would be telling, he’d said, lips pressing gently against the smooth curve of your horn once - twice - three times, before pulling you more insistently into his lap, leaning back against his chest. Although, I’m sure I can think of something I do know, if you’d prefer.

Something you know… You’d only been half-focused on the screen from that point, watching dreamily as the little pixelated humans exchanged little pixelated rings, smiling as Vega’s fangs dragged sweetly over your neck. Would you say you’re especially familiar with it?

Oh, intimately.

A tiny spark of pain, melting into pleasure as he bit down a little harder, and you hadn��t really paid much attention to the television after that.

(It hadn’t stopped you thinking about it, though.)

In Aria, getting married isn’t really, like, a thing. It’s a very human concept, if you’re honest - humans like to have all these little ceremonies and gatherings for each other. You’ve seen some of them on the television, and you used to hear your old coworkers talking about them sometimes, but you’ve never been invited to anything like that.

There’s so many that it’s hard to keep track of them all, too. You know that you’re supposed to wear black clothes and cry when you go to a ‘funeral’, and that a ‘Valentine’s Day’ means that everything has to be all pink and red, and you have to do lots of kissing and eat lots of chocolates and flowers. Or maybe you’re meant to grow flowers? It all sounds very complicated.

For a while, ‘birthdays’ were your favourite because they always seem to involve some sort of special, tasty cake, but apparently there are lots of other rituals that have cake too…? Like - oh, what are they called again? - ‘housewarmings’? Or was that ‘baby’s showers’? There’s quite a lot to choose from, so you’re sort of in between favourites at the moment.

In any case, demons don’t really have a concept of ‘marriage’. Love, in general, is quite difficult for you to wrap your head around at all - it just doesn’t come quite as naturally to you as it seems to do for humans.

Vega says it’s probably something to do with the way your two species originated - humans had to evolve on their own and needed to stay in big groups to survive, so they had to find a way of keeping each other attached to the group. Demons, created by the Sovereigns, strong with magic and with no natural predators, tend to be much more solitary. You’re not sure if you entirely believe his explanation, but it’s the best you’ve got.

That’s not to say that demons can’t feel love. You can feel just as many things as humans can - and you would argue that you feel some things much more deeply than humans do.

If a human ever felt the way you feel about Vega, you think their body would burst into flame right then and there. Everybody knows that magic is tied inextricably to emotion, and your body is literally made of the stuff, but sometimes you think you might just melt away into nothing, falling apart into your astral form at nothing more than a glance from him.

It’s too much - he’s too much. You were made to know emotions, to grow them and eat them and hold them, but every time it’s like the first. His words in your mind and his hand in yours and his lips on your simulated skin - he turns you into a fizzing, sparking wreck, flooded with love and full of bubbles.

Melting, or maybe overflowing. A human could never understand.

That being said…

Demons might not approach love in the same way as humans do. But, if it were with him, you think it might be nice to try.

Plus, he makes it sound… nice. The next day, you’d gone on the computer and looked up all sorts of information about human weddings. What they mean, where they happen, what people do when they’re there. There were lots of different websites that all said different things, but after a while you got the gist of it.

Vega was right - they’re like big parties with lots of flowers and cake, and it’s all to celebrate two people being in love forever. They wear special clothes so they look all pretty, and make each other special promises to never ever be apart, and give each other special rings so that everybody in the whole world knows that they’re very very in love.

It sounds wonderful.

(It’s a little bit embarrassing to say out loud, but if Vega ever gave you a ring like that, you don’t think you’d ever take it off.)

You’re not brave enough to ask him to his face. What if he says no? Maybe he’ll think it’s all just a stupid human custom, maybe he’ll think it would be an insult to his demonic nature. Maybe he won’t feel the same, maybe he’d never want something like that with you. God, you’d never be able to look him in the eye again if he said that.

Luckily, telepathy comes quite naturally to you two.

Vega?

Yes, dearest? He must pick up on your nervousness from downstairs, and you can feel the ward around the house ripple slightly as he checks it. What’s the matter?

I was thinking about, um… Your hands twist in your lap, claws picking at the fabric of your shirt and tail brushing anxiously over the bedspread behind you. I was thinking about those human marriages again. From that programme last week.

The wedding you showed me? I remember.

Here we go. Did you like it?

Did I… what?

You know, the - the thing they did, you say hesitantly, gesturing vaguely in front of you like he can see you. With the talking and the flowers and stuff.

With the… You don’t even need to see - you can picture the puzzled look on his face as clear as anything. Darling, I’m - I’m not sure what you mean.

He must be able to feel it by now, the way your heart races in your chest as your body tries desperately to catch up with whatever strange, tangled rush of emotions is running through you. Like the thing where they were in the room, the big room with all the people in, when - oh, it - I just - it’s - do you - wait-!

You hear footsteps coming up the stairs and panic, throwing up a haphazard ward across the door in case he tries to come in. It won’t stop him rifting, but hopefully he’ll get the message.

Sweetheart, you-

Just - just forget about it, you mumble, tucking your knees to your chest and curling your tail tightly around your ankle in shame. It was always a stupid idea. It’s fine.

I don’t think it is. Vega’s aura, at the top of the stairs but not coming any closer. I can feel it, little one. What’s got you so worked up, hmm?

Magic bouncing softly against the door, testing the edges of your ward, but you still won’t let him in. Your face burns at the realisation that he really isn’t going to let this go - fuck, now you’ll have to say it…

I want - I thought-

Thank goodness you don’t actually have to form the words physically. Speaking like a human is complicated enough as it is, let alone when it’s about something as awkward as this.

Just… if that was ever something that - that you might… want. For, um - for us.

Silence.

Like, a long silence.

Sitting there, getting more and more nervous, you’re tripping over yourself trying to backpedal. And obviously you don’t have to say anything - it’s kind of a stupid idea, anyway - ‘cause, like, they’re humans and we’re demons and it’s not even that important and it would probably just be a bad idea and we - we wouldn’t - it’s just a silly human custom - it’s not - you’re right, we shouldn’t - it’s only if-

Darling.

A single claw tilts your face up from where it’s buried against your legs, and all of a sudden Vega’s right there, standing in front of you by the side of the bed. He must have - god, he must have rifted in while you were distracted with your rambling - fuck, what’s he going to say…

Little one, is that… You can’t meet his gaze, so caught up in your own swirling storm of agitation that you can’t even begin to tell what he’s feeling.

Is that something you want? With me?

Thoroughly humiliated, you turn your head away, fangs digging painfully into your lip. Oh, can’t he just know? He always knows! Why does he have to make you say it?

Answer me, darling.

Eyes closed, magic burns under your skin as you give the tiniest, tiniest nod.

Yeah.

And now, well…

Now he knows. And now you’re going to have to figure out what the hell you’re going to do when he inevitably starts laughing, because honestly, why would someone like Vega - Vega! - ever in a thousand million years want to marry someone like you? Now, you’ll have to try and fix this, make him forget it ever happened or that you ever even entertained the thought that a demon might want - would want - could want to get married, crush down that horrible, biting, burning feeling in your chest that you know means-

“Mmf-!!”

Suddenly, you’re not on the bed anymore - well, you are, but not sitting up like you were before. A strong arm looped around your waist, his other hand cradling the back of your head as the world blurs around you, and before you can even blink you’re pinned flat on your back by the weight of Vega’s body as he kisses you down into the bed.

This was - you - mmm…

Buried in the warmth and the press and the need of him, it takes your brain a minute to catch up before you timidly kiss him back. What’s he doing?

He’s all you can feel as he clutches you against him, strangely urgent, pulling you up and pushing you down all at once as the mattress creaks quietly beneath you. Stunned fingers twist hesitantly in the sides of his shirt as he licks viciously into your mouth - you’re too surprised to resist the tug of his tail around your thigh, wrapping around and around just above your knee, hitching your leg up over his hip.

It doesn’t make sense. Why’s he doing this? Pity?

He must be trying to let you down gently. And it’s very kind of him, it really is - but the thought makes something small and sad curl up in your stomach somewhere, and it’s with a tiny sigh that your fingers slowly let go of his shirt and you push him back.

Only that doesn’t happen - it’s what you were trying to do, but somehow he doesn't let you go. You jolt in surprise at the frustrated snarl that shudders through him, crushing his chest down to yours, one hand finding your wrists and pinning them up above your head.

Darling, you…

All you have to do is ask, you know that? He sounds breathless, even though he doesn’t need to breathe. You only ever, ever have to ask.

You don’t understand. Partly because he’s doing that thing with his tongue that he knows you like, but mostly because he’s not making any sense. I, uh - what?

Marry me.

His hand slides down from your wrists, claws trailing lightly along your arm, before slipping under your chin to cup your jaw. Marry me, and then you can tell me if you like it or not.

Really? Your eyes fly open, sitting up slightly and breaking the kiss as you beam up at him. You really mean it?

Well, it’s probably not a very traditional proposal, but… He pretends to think, before giving in and kissing you again. I wouldn’t say we’re especially conventional at the best of times.

You can’t stop smiling as he gathers you up in his arms, purring happily into the side of his neck, tail enthusiastically flicking back and forth behind you. Mm, it’s good enough for me.

That’s my warden, he murmurs into your mind, thick with affection. My little romantic.

He heads back downstairs with a promise to talk about it more later - after he leaves the room, you fall back onto the bed with a giddy grin and your tummy full of butterflies. If he can feel your excitement from the living room, he doesn’t mention it.

You’re getting married. Married! You, a demon! Oh, this is much more exciting than Wheel of Fortune.

The next morning, you’re having a glass of apple juice in the kitchen when Vega comes in behind you, bending down to give you a kiss before getting himself a drink as well.

I’ve given it some thought, he says, peering at the various juice cartons you’ve lined up in the fridge. Neither of you need to eat or drink anything, and you could just as easily make it with magic if you did, but it’s all part of the show.

(If television has taught you anything, it’s that everybody’s neighbours are always watching them, all the time. In order to keep up the charade, you make sure to go and bring back shopping from the supermarket once a week, and hang up clothes on the washing line outside when it’s sunny, and water the flowers in the front garden when it hasn’t rained for a while.)

You hum quietly in acknowledgement. How so?

Logistics.

Go on.

How soon were you thinking? He waves a hand at the cabinet on the other side of the room, summoning one of the glasses from the shelf inside, before emerging from the fridge with the carton of cranberry juice in hand.

Taking a sip of your juice, you consider the question - although to be honest, you already know what you want the answer to be. How soon can it be?

Properly? Never. He inclines his head slightly at your raised eyebrow, the picture of resigned disappointment. You forget how few rights demons have here, my love.

Weren’t they trying to make it legal? I thought I saw something about a case going to court a few months ago.

As far as I know, there’s been no verdict yet. And even if there is, who knows how long the Department will drag its feet to make it law? He finishes pouring the juice into his glass, before putting it back on the shelf and closing the fridge door. Besides, that case is about a demon and a human, not two demons. I suspect any attempt to make that legal in Elegy would be thoroughly rejected by a human court, simply on the basis that it’s a demonic affair that has nothing to do with them.

Damn. So not any time soon, then.

Not legally, no.

Annoyed, you take another sip. And illegally?

Well, I did look into it… He trails off with that infuriating grin painted across his face, tail swishing lazily back and forth in a way that you can only describe as supremely self-satisfied. Although I’m terribly offended at the insinuation. Breaking the law? Me?

Vega.

I’m not even sure I’d be capable of such a thing, really. I mean, do I look like a criminal to you? He shakes his head in righteous disapproval, smirking over the top of his glass, and he’s so, so punchable right now. Where on earth did you get that idea from?

Silently, you pull a drinking straw out of thin air, dropping it in your glass and finishing your drink with a long, irritated sluuuuuurp.

He laughs under his breath for a second longer, but relents at your flat, distinctly impatient glare.

Tomorrow.

…Okay, that’s not what you thought he was going to say.

You - you’re not-

Taken aback, it takes you a few seconds to string a reply together. You’d been expecting him to say something like a few weeks, or a month - not a day.

Very funny, you manage, through a smile that hopefully doesn’t look as confused as it feels. You’re joking.

Did it sound like a joke? He lifts the glass to his mouth as he speaks, swallowing another mouthful of juice. I’m serious. Tomorrow.

He doesn’t feel like he’s lying. Which, to be fair, doesn’t actually tell you much - he’s far too good at it for you to ever really know. And - just to make it clear, that’s fine. You’re used to it now. It’s kind of a trust-based thing.

(There’s probably some sort of ethical dynamite in there somewhere, but that’s beside the point.)

(...Look, it’s pragmatic, not foolproof. You’ve been trying not to think about it.)

You have a plan?

He pauses.

Of sorts.

Then tell me. The empty glass is warm as you turn it over and over in your hands. What is it?

His words are slower, decidedly measured as he holds your gaze. It’s not the sort of plan you like.

Why not? This doesn’t sound good. Behind you, the glass clatters against the countertop as you blindly put it down. Vega, why won’t I like it?

He doesn’t answer, slow steps across the kitchen until he’s right in front of you. Close, so close - but he doesn’t touch you, though. It’s weird. Your hands feel too cold.

How do you feel about humans dying?

Ah.

Right, okay. It’s that sort of plan.

I… It takes you a long moment to think about it, but eventually you reply. It depends.

Vega’s eyes narrow, ever so slightly. Just like that, you’re playing the game again. On what?

Do I know them?

He shakes his head. No.

Is it painful?

A little.

You’re intrigued. What did they do?

Nothing. He’s blank, carefully neutral. They’re just… in the way.

You’re not that stupid. In our way, you mean.

Does it bother you? he asks, placing his glass on the counter and reaching down to take your hands gently in his. It’s a distraction, and it works. If I told you that a hundred humans would have to die so that I could marry you tomorrow, would you say yes?

Closing your eyes, you drop your head forward against his shoulder. This isn’t a hypothetical, is it?

He doesn’t flinch, hands still holding yours. Lightly, he kisses the top of your head.

No.

So he really is telling the truth, then.

Objectively, you know what to say. It’s wrong. You know it’s wrong. It’s selfish and callous and a horrible, awful waste of human life. You’d feel terrible - it would be terrible. All those people, just… gone, snatched out of existence in a single, terrifying moment, just because you can’t be bothered to wait for a wedding that doesn’t actually mean anything.

But that’s not true, is it?

Because it does mean something - it means everything. This feeling, this craving, this aching burning starving need that howls inside you. It won’t stop, it can’t be stopped. Curled up and crammed in your chest, throwing itself desperately against the cruel confines of your physical body, and then the very borders of your astral mind.

All day, all night - it just kicks and thrashes and cries out for him him him, for the weight of his arms around your body and the kiss of his thoughts and the shape of his stars on your skin. There’s no controlling this anymore - you know it, can’t stop knowing it. He’s all that matters for you now.

It had been awful, back then. You hadn’t known what to call it. The seed of a feeling, warm and floating and be still, darling, I’m already taking care of it, set aflame and monstrously hungry. Has anyone else ever felt like this before? They must have died like this, they couldn’t possibly have gone on like this, every moment being swallowed up by this screeching, wretched craving.

You’d learnt that humans call it love, but it’s not enough for him. There can’t be words for how this feels.

Yes, it’s wrong. But you’re finally - finally! - figuring out what to call this feeling, finding out how good it feels to let it win, and you can’t just give that up, can you? You don’t know them, and you don’t really care to know. They’re just humans. There are plenty more where they came from.

And anyway, haven’t you had this dilemma before? Vega was right, when he said that human morality didn’t have to mean anything to you. You’re not human, and you don’t have to pretend you are anymore. Watering yourself down for the sake of a handful of humans isn’t worth it.

You deserve to be happy. The rest isn’t your problem.

Then yes. One hand slides up into his hair to pull him down to you, thin, shallow scratch marks trailing behind your fingers, while your other arm locks around his waist. Yes, I want this. And I don’t want to wait.

And just like that, the game becomes a dance.

He bends easily enough to your grip, but the look in his eyes is cold and serious. Humans will die.

You shrug, nonchalant. They’ll die anyway.

We’ll be hunted.

The air is getting thinner. We already are.

You’ll be a murderer.

The walls are getting closer. I already am.

Your impatience will kill them.

Frustrated, you dig your claws in properly this time, fangs bared in a snarl. And your hesitation will kill me.

His hands, warm and heavy on your hips. Apple juice, sweet and sticky and sliding down your throat. The smile breaks across his face, wicked and cruel and ever so handsome, and you know you’ve got him.

Then marry me tomorrow, my little warden, and I’ll kill a thousand humans for you.

You lean up to kiss his cheek, totally content. Only if I get to watch.

You’ll do more than watch, he replies, knocking his horns gently against yours, and you like where this is going. It’s no fun if you don’t get your hands dirty.

If you wanted me to get my hands dirty, you should have just said.

Don’t say things you don’t mean, darling. The coolness of the countertop presses into your back as he leans forward, and your heart flutters as he scrapes his fangs over your neck. You might give me all sorts of ideas.

The rest of the day, once you’ve finished, um, brainstorming, is spent sorting out the finer points of the plan. It turns out he was mostly lying about killing all those humans - technically, you only need two for it to work. That’s how you’re thinking of doing it, although you can always change your mind.

The plan is… actually, it’s not that complicated. Not really.

Everyone on the computer had said that planning one of these weddings would be really difficult and would take ages, but that must be if you’re planning it from scratch. You'd need money, a proper address, some sort of fake human identification, the special clothes and the special room and the special party…

That’s far too much effort, in your opinion. Who even has the time for all that?

Luckily, there’s nothing a little magic can’t fix.

A small town means that there's no Department facilities here, and not really any empowered people here who might be able to spot you - that’s one of the reasons why you came here in the first place. It’s a big relief not to have to worry about all that. Plus, if anyone empowered were to come looking after the fact, this place is so out of the way that any traces of magic would have long-faded.

Thank goodness for that, and for a demon’s natural affinity for unfocused telepathy. Your range isn't quite wide enough, but Vega could probably listen in on half the town from your kitchen window if he tried hard enough.

Ready, my love?

Even from all the way over here, you can see that the churchyard is a flurry of activity. There are humans everywhere, rushing in and out of doors with flowers and ribbons and fairy lights left and right. The whole affair is practically soaked in a strange mixture of stress and excitement, so strong you can taste it from across the road, and you watch as a harried-looking lady with an armful of candles runs into the church like she’s being chased. What on earth…?

Yeah. I think so.

Looking over at your… oh, what’s it called again? Rosé? Is that what you’re meant to call him? Or is it the one that starts with - no, that’s attaché - or the one with the two e’s - no, that’s negligée - oh, whatever the word is, that’s what he is now.

Anyway, he’s very handsome. That’s all you wanted to say.

(Fiancé! That’s the one.)

I believe the one you need should be in one of the rooms over there, Vega says, inclining his head towards one of the buildings next to the church. Do you remember what you’re looking for?

You nod, pleased. A happy lady with a white dress.

(This particular wedding is for a lady and a gentleman, and you’re hoping it won’t be too difficult to find them. All of the men are wearing suits, and you were worried that you wouldn’t be able to tell them apart - Vega’s a bit better at that sort of thing, so he’s off to find the groom. Meanwhile, you’ve got to find the bride, but the fact that she should be the only one wearing a white dress should make your job a bit easier.)

Good. The cloaking magic ripples under his touch as he takes your hand in his, lifting it to his lips and kissing the backs of your fingers. I’ll come and get you when I’m finished, alright?

See you in a bit.

You wave as he walks off, before heading over to the building he’d pointed out. As you pass the front of the churchyard, you have a quick look at what’s going on in there - it’s all still very busy, and two or three of the humans look like they might be about to come to blows over some sort of floral arrangement.

The clothes everyone is wearing are much more interesting than normal. Most are dressed quite smartly, lots of suits and long dresses and sparkly jewellery. Some of the ladies are even wearing big, brightly coloured hats that are perched at such a silly angle, they must be stuck on with magic. How else are they staying on?

Unseen, you phase through the door of the building, following the sounds of chatter through the hallways and up the stairs. There are people wandering back and forth doing all sorts of things - some are carrying trays of little bite-sized snacks, some are laden with flowers, and one or two are running around with cameras like the one you have at home, taking pictures of everything.

It’s quite fun, looking at all the people, sneaking around all invisible like this. It’s like being a secret spy!

The sound gets louder and louder, until you turn the corner and find a gaggle of ladies all hanging around in one of the rooms, chittering away. You’re still cloaked, so they can’t see you - curiously, you walk through the open doorway to see what all the fuss is about.

“Oh my god, don’t turn the air conditioning on! I’m, like, freezing already…”

“Do you have tissues?”

“No, no, you look amazing… Yeah, so pretty…”

“What do you mean, pink? I thought you said it was purple!”

“It’s literally not even that hot!”

“Did you bring flats?”

“I already called - he said they’re coming with her cousin.”

…It’s pretty loud, up close.

There are quite a few people in here - some in all black wielding hair combs and makeup sponges, one stressed-looking one who looks about five seconds away from absolutely clattering someone with her clipboard, and about five or six ladies milling around in matching pink dresses, fiddling with each other’s nails and moving various bunches of flowers from one flat surface to another.

These must be the bridesmaids, which means…

“Did you get my iced coffee already?”

…that must be the bride.

She’s sort of standing in the middle of everything, turning this way and that in front of the big mirror on the far side of the room, being poked and brushed and clipped from seemingly every angle. It looks like they’re just finishing off, though, as she grabs the plastic cup of presumably-coffee with one hand and takes a big sip through the straw, while waving away the person pinning flowers into her hair with the other.

Lady, check. White dress, check. Happy? Well, she gets a big rush of dopamine from the mouthful of coffee, so that’s basically the same thing.

Time’s probably starting to run a little short, if the panicked look on one of the bridesmaid’s faces when she checks her phone is any indication, so you’ll have to make this quick. Closing your eyes, you take a deep breath, and reach for the bride’s mind.

“I said I wanted - I said - I-”

Unfortunately, you must be out of practice - you manage to grab most of it, but the bit you can’t quite reach starts to panic as she feels herself freeze. You wince at the carpet-burn feeling of friction in her head, her mind desperately thrashing against itself in confusion as it tries to fend you off, but luckily she’s not magical. You’ll have her in another second.

“I want - I said - it’s not-”

She stutters over her sentence as you fight for control, and you swear under your breath as the magic slips out from underneath you again. Why is this woman so resistant?

“Can you just…” She trails off, suddenly tongue-tied, and you curse silently as her mind drops through your fingers again. “I need - I can’t - please, please, I-”

Vega’s good with panic, but you’ve always found it difficult - it’s making her mind all slippery and liquid, shiny and slick and falling out of your hands every time you try to grab it. Gritting your teeth, you make another grab for those last few bits of her consciousness, and-

“I said I’m fine.”

Got her.

“Just leave me alone. I want to be alone right now.”

Her brain screams at you when you make her say it, but she can’t do anything about it. You make her face smile at the lady with the clipboard, who thankfully seems to take the hint and starts herding everyone else out.

After about a minute or so of back-and-forth, the room is finally empty.

Hello.

You’re already in her mind, so you might as well speak there. The cloaking fizzles away to reveal you, standing behind her in the mirror, and if she could move, you’re sure she would have jumped a foot in the air at the sight of you.

How are you?

She doesn’t reply, too full of fear to speak back to you, but it’s okay. You’re just being polite.

Slowly, you walk around her until you’re standing side-by-side - thank goodness it’s quite a big mirror. You smile into the mirror, careful not to get too close in case you accidentally catch her fancy hairstyle on your horns.

Don’t worry. I’ll be quick.

You both watch in the mirror as your body begins to change, thickening in some places and narrowing in others, muscle and fat and bone morphing under the skin as you pour your form into her shape. It starts slow, but gets faster as you get more into it, tweaking the hair texture, the fingernail length, the skin tone, in order to get as close to her appearance as possible.

Your clothes, too, start to change - cotton turns to chiffon as you imitate her dress, and you pay special attention to the complicated details of the lace. It looks very intricate and pretty, and you’d hate to lose it in the transformation process.

Smile, please?

Helplessly, overflowing with fear, she smiles. You bare your fangs as well, paring them down until they’re just like her blunt human teeth, and shortening your tongue slightly until it’s a more conventionally human length.

Thank you. And could you just lift up your dress a little bit?

She’s forced to obey, one hand lifting up the hem of the dress just enough to let you see the shoes she’s wearing. They’re white too, sort of satiny, with a shiny silver embellishment on the front - you wobble a little bit on the high heels as your own shoes suddenly turn into replicas of hers, but it’s not too bad.

You probably have a bouquet, too, don’t y-

A knock at the door. Instinctively, you whip around to face it, claws lengthening and fangs sharp in your mouth as magic builds beneath your palms, until it hits you.

“Is that you in there, my love?”

Of course. Hurriedly, you pull the transformation back into place, smoothing out the creases in your dress from where you’d ruffled it.

You meet the human’s terrified eyes in the mirror, and her brain recoils at the sight of her own face glaring at her. Reply. Now.

“I’m here!”

The door opens, and a human man walks into the room. He’s a little bit taller than you are now, and he’s wearing a grey suit with a blue bow tie and a little cluster of white flowers on the left lapel. You’ve never seen him before, but you know exactly who he is.

The bride’s mind flickers with hope at the sight of her husband-to-be, like he’s come to protect her from you. That hope is short-lived, though - gleefully, you swallow the horror that grips her as the man ignores her entirely and comes to stand behind you instead. It’s so strong, and you gulp down mouthful after mouthful as her body floods with useless adrenaline and her eyes fill with petrified tears.

“Oh, darling,” the man sighs, and the lady’s heart splits in two. “You look lovely.”

Thank him.

“Thank you, I really like it. Thank you, I really like it. Thank you, I really like it.”

The woman speaks at your command, and you mouth along with her until you think you’ve copied her voice correctly. Her accent is a little tricky at first, not quite the same as your usual one, but it doesn’t take long to get a feel for it.

Stop.

She stops, and you clear your new throat with a small cough.

“Thank you. I really like it.”

Vega smiles down at you with his unfamiliar face, and you curl into the right-but-wrong cradle of his arms as easily as ever. At your back, his clothes feel much thicker and heavier than his usual preference, but you take comfort in the lack of heartbeat in his chest, and the way he doesn’t breathe unless he needs to speak. Underneath the mask, he’s still your Vega.

That being said, it is a bit weird. The proportions are all different and it’s throwing you off slightly.

You’re used to looking up a little more - these humans are more similar in height than you and Vega normally are, so it’s weird for him to be so… close? Like, his face is just closer to you, because these new human forms mean he’s not as tall as usual when compared to you.

“Did you have much trouble?” he asks, gently rocking the two of you back and forth. It feels nice.

You shrug. “It was fine. Just had to get back into the swing of it.”

“Mm.” His hands skim over the front of your dress, feeling the different textures of the lace and silk and chiffon that now adorn you. “It’s funny how quickly it comes back to you.”

It’s quite bizarre, being in this body. The weight is distributed differently, and the musculature isn’t yet familiar - you shift your weight from foot to foot, trying to get used to the balance. As you do, the long skirt of the dress follows you, swishing languidly back and forth as the long train weighs it down.

“If you want to dance, we can dance.” Vega tilts his head to look at your awkward swaying, taking your hand and lifting his arm for you to slowly twirl under. “Aren’t you elegant, hm?”

“I’m not sure you know what that word means,” you mutter, turning this way and that in front of the mirror as you try to get used to this new, strange body. “I look all… weird.”

“Nonsense. You look beautiful, darling,” he murmurs, fingers tipping your chin up to look at the two of you in the mirror. Like this, you could almost believe you were looking at a photograph, or a portrait. “My little blushing bride.”

He reaches out and floats something long and white over from the table, before repositioning you slightly further in front of him. Surprised, you watch as he fiddles with your new hair, attaching the object to the back of your head and stepping back to admire his handiwork.

“There.”

You turn, looking over your shoulder in the mirror. A long, gauzy veil floats behind you, trailing down to the floor, and you mentally correct yourself. Not so much a photograph as a storybook - the fairytale prince and princess, starting off on a happily ever after.

On the floor by your feet, a mobile phone buzzes.

Amy (wedding planner): Coming up to get you in 5! Hope you’re ready

“Showtime, I take it?”

You nod, a little disappointed. You were enjoying yourself.

Unfortunately, he takes that as his cue to leave, bending down to kiss your cheek and batting away your hands with a laugh as you try to tug him closer. “Don’t forget your bouquet, my sweet.”

“I won’t, I won’t,” you reply, watching in idle admiration as he heads towards the door. Whoever chose this suit definitely knew what they were doing.

“Then I’ll see you downstairs, my love.” He’s just got one hand on the door handle when-

“Wait!”

He pauses, turning back to you in confusion. “What?”

“You couldn’t just, um…” You gesture vaguely at the lady next to you, still frozen in front of the mirror. “For me?”

“Too messy for you?” He sighs in false disappointment, though you can feel the magic building excitedly beneath his skin already. “I thought you were all for getting your hands dirty, darling.”

You look pointedly down at your nice white dress, and then back at him. He knows he’s much cleaner at this than you are. “I am not cleaning blood off this. I just made it!”

“Well, when you put it that way…” Vega walks back over as you reach down, offering you a steadying arm as you hoist the hem of your dress up a bit with one hand, so you don’t trip over your new shoes. “Say goodbye, dear.”

You wave cheerily at the lady, tottering over to the table and picking up the bouquet. It really is stunning, all white and pink flowers with lots of pretty greenery mixed in. Curiously, you bring it up to your face to see if it smells nice, but it doesn’t really smell of anything at all.

The whole room tastes like terror. She stares at her own face, and you make it smile back.

The train of your dress slides smoothly along the floor behind you with a satisfying swishing sound, and you’re pleasantly surprised at how nice it feels to walk around in. It fits very well on your borrowed body, and it’s more comfortable than you thought it would be.

You can hear someone coming up the stairs - looks like you’d better get going. Apologetically, you give Vega a shrug, but he already knows. It would probably be bad if someone walked in on all this.

“See you in a bit.” You blow him a kiss with the hand not holding the bouquet, shy smile spreading across your face as he catches it and presses it to his lips. “I love you.”

“As I love you, darling.”

The door clicks open, then closed again. The clipboard lady, just rounding the corner, looks relieved to see you, and ushers you down the stairs.

(Behind you, a human man smiles at a human woman. His teeth are much, much sharper than she remembers them to be. Then her body constricts and crushes inwards, dark blood soaking through white silk, and she doesn’t remember anything at all.)

You have to walk quite slowly, still getting used to the shoes, so it’s lucky that you’ve got someone to hold onto. The clipboard lady chatters away as she takes you through the building, out to the sunny churchyard and up to the doors, but you’re not really listening. You’re much too busy floating in the beautiful ambience of it all - the excited nervousness of the bridesmaids, the satisfied anticipation you can feel coming from inside the church.

Everything just looks so pretty, soft pinks and primrose yellows among the sea of white. There’s glitter, and balloons, and gold writing on pastel-coloured bunting. Long swathes of cream-coloured fabric are draped all across the walls and ceiling, and you’re utterly enchanted by the delicate displays of flowers dotted around the room.

Humans have such inventive ways of making things look nice. Maybe you should get some flowers and streamers to decorate the house with.

Belatedly, you realise that you’ve been handed off to some human man, though you don’t know who he is. He looks a bit older than the lady you’re supposed to be, and he feels sort of… sad? But also happy. Nostalgic, maybe? It’s weird.

He fishes around in his pocket for a second, before holding out a little silver disc towards you. What is that? Is it a coin? You take it, and suddenly you realise what it’s meant to be.

It’s a sixpence! Oh, you’ve read about this! Yes, yes, this is a thing that humans do - eagerly, you hitch up your dress and lift your heel slightly out of your shoe, slipping the coin under your foot. The metal is a bit cold, but it quickly warms up, and the man is nice enough to hold your arm to keep you upright as you readjust yourself.

Whoever this man is, it’s very good of him to give it to you. “Thank you!” you say earnestly, giving him a big smile.

For some reason, you feel a little spark of surprise flare inside him when you say that, although he clearly tries not to show it. Do people not say ‘thank you’ when somebody gives them a present? But you’re sure they do - it’s one of the first things in that awful instructional video they make all demons watch when they come to Elegy for the first time. Perhaps he’s just having an off day today.

He opens his mouth, but before he can speak, the music coming from inside the church suddenly gets very loud. All of the bridesmaids seem to have split off into pairs with the men that were milling around here, one lady with one gentleman, and the doors open to let them walk inside.

Is this where you come in? Ooh, you’ve seen this bit on the television! The man who gave you the coin now takes your arm, and the clipboard lady fusses over your dress to make sure the train is laying flat. She also brings the shorter part of the veil over your head, adjusting it so that it falls forwards over your face and down to your waist - fortunately, it doesn’t obscure your vision too much.

(Even if it did, you could just use magic to adjust your eyes slightly so that it didn’t matter, but it’s not that bad. No point in messing around with your disguise right now.)

Magic swirls and fizzes inside you, bursting like fireworks in the dark sky that fills your form. You’re going to marry Vega. You! Marrying him! Today really is like a fairytale, and you don’t even try to hide the lovesick expression that must be all over your face right now.

Somewhere inside, they start playing a familiar song, and the man leads you slowly through the doors. Bouquet in hand, you walk with him, and try not to trip over your long dress.

Everybody in the church is standing up and facing you - suddenly, you’re very glad for the veil. It’s a bit awkward, but you focus on the nice feelings of admiration and happiness drifting through the room, and that makes it better.

Yeah, that’s better. It’s like being part of a play, and all these people are your admiring audience. Today, you get to be the star!

Bright light streaming through the stained glass, lovely music playing as the church organ sings away. At the front of the room, you finally catch sight of Vega - he’s standing next to the altar, and even though his face is different, you’d recognise the beautiful curve of his smile anywhere.

There you are, dearest.

His voice in your head is comfortingly familiar, and as you get closer you can feel the affection in his aura. You give him the tiniest wave, as best you can without making it too obvious, and you have to swallow down the swell of giddy excitement that rushes through you as he waves back.

When you get to the front, there’s some sort of fussing while everyone gets sorted. One of the bridesmaids takes your bouquet, before going to sit down on one of the chairs, and the man in the funny robes next to Vega - the priest? Is that the right one? - tells the man who walked you up here to give you away, or something like that.

It’s a weird thing to say, but the man nods and lets go of your arm, going off to sit down in the front row. One of the bridesmaids stays standing a little bit behind you, and one of the gentlemen stays behind Vega, but as far as you’re concerned, it’s just you and him.

(Most people would say that’s a bad thing. You thoroughly disagree.)

Gently, ever so gently, Vega lifts the veil from your face, letting it fall behind your head once again. As he does it, he blinks deliberately at you with a grin, eyes flicking back to their usual colour for just a second before turning back to their current borrowed blue.

You do the same, keeping a careful grip on the rest of the glamour as it slides back into place. Nobody notices, their human eyes too weak and slow, and the thrill of your shared secret makes your heart feel all warm and fizzy.

There’s a bit more talking from the priest man, during which you take the opportunity to sample a few of the emotions in the room. There are a few sour ones, but they make the nice ones that much sweeter - your mouthful of excitement tastes even better with the swirl of jealousy that runs through it.

He doesn’t say much that’s interesting, but you learn that the lady you’re impersonating is actually called ‘Karla Dillon’, and the man who Vega’s pretending to be is called ‘Justin Bryant’. They’re quite ridiculous names, if you’re honest. Much less sensible than Vega’s or yours, but that’s what you get with humans.

Eventually, the priest turns to you. It’s a little jarring when he calls you by this weird, wrong name, but you don’t let it show.

“Karla, will you have this man to be your husband; to live together with him in the covenant of marriage?” he says to you. “Will you love him, comfort him, honour and keep him, in sickness and in health; and, forsaking all others, be faithful unto him as long as you both shall live?”

Well, those all sound like good things. You nod enthusiastically, and say “I will.”

He asks Vega the same question, who says the same thing as you. As he says it, you both make eye contact - you can tell you’re both thinking the same thing. If only this human knew just how long you two are going to live.

There’s a bit more talking - you amuse yourself by counting all the petals in the little cluster of flowers that are pinned on Vega’s jacket, and magically making all of the candles flicker in different patterns. He plays along by making them flicker back, and out of the corner of your eye you see one of the men at the back of the room switch one of the standing fans off.

You tune back in just as Vega reaches out, lightly bumping your mind with his own as he softly takes your right hand in both of his. New face, old expression. Looking up at him like this, it’s like there’s nobody else in the world.

“In the name of God, I, Justin, take you, Karla…” He takes a breath, and to anyone else it might look like he’s trying to stop himself from crying. You, however, know that he’s actually trying not to laugh. These names really are silly.

He clears his throat, and tries again. “I take you to be my wife, to have and to hold from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, until death do us part.”

Before he lets go, he presses his thumb lightly over the backs of your fingers, right where he normally kisses your hand. You really have to fight the urge to just grab him and kiss him right now - how dare he be so sweet to you, in front of all these people?

It feels a little off, when you take his hand in return - the shape is all wrong, and his fingers aren’t as long as you’re used to. Even so, you don’t mind. It’s still him, no matter what form he takes.

The words are a little difficult to remember, but you do your best. “In the name of God, I, Karla, take you, Justin, to be my husband. To have and to hold from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, until death do us part.”

It’s disappointing when you have to let go - it feels cold, and you’d much rather keep holding his hand. He must feel your disappointment, though, nudging a pulse of encouragement into your consciousness, and it does help a bit.

Luckily, you don’t have to let go for very long. The man behind Vega comes over and offers him a little square, embroidered cushion, with two rings sitting on top. One is quite plain, just a smooth, shiny gold band, while the other has a big, teardrop-shaped diamond in the middle - Vega picks up the one with the diamond, and reaches for your hand again.

“I give you this ring as a symbol of my love, with all that I am, and all that I have.”

He says it in your mind, as well as out loud, and the feeling of his real voice in your head is almost enough to have you bursting into tears right then and there. The slight disturbance in the air where his horns are hidden shudders slightly, a reassuring reminder, and you blink away the tears as you watch him slide the ring onto your finger.

The man then comes to you, offering the cushion, and you reach out to take the other ring. Your hands tremble slightly with nervous excitement as you slip it on Vega’s finger, and you’re sure you can’t quite hide the possessiveness in your voice as you speak - both in his head and with your human mouth.

You definitely remember the words for this part. “I give you this ring as a symbol of my love, with all that I am, and all that I have.”

Vega smiles. Suddenly, you’re reminded of something he said the other day.

Have you ever seen a wedding ring before?

It had been dark, late at night in bed, and you’d just been falling asleep when he’d asked you. Sleepily, you’d turned to face him, but the blackout curtains always make it too dark to really see anything.

I think so. One of your old coworkers had shown you, once - a flat little gold band around his finger. I heard it was like a kind of courting gift.

Something like that. As I understand it, the ring is less of a present, and more… more of a promise, I suppose. Or a reminder.

You remember thinking that it was an unusual thing to say. Are humans really that stupid? Why do they have to wear a special ring to remind them that they’re in love? Shouldn’t they just… know?

Humans are always making things more complicated than they need to be, little one. I thought that was obvious.

So what makes these kinds of rings special? Are they magical?

No, there’s no magic, he’d replied, shaking his head. Unempowered humans can have weddings too.

Frustrated, you’d let your head drop heavy on the pillow. Then what’s the point?

I suppose there isn’t one, he’d said, thoughtful. Humans like all sorts of odd things.

He hadn’t said anything for a long time, and you’re still not sure if the next thing he’d said had been real, or just something your tired mind had dreamt up. Maybe we’ll just have to find out for ourselves.

New weight on your finger, new light in your heart. He’s yours. Now, you think you might understand why humans like these little rings so much.

There’s a little more talking, including a slightly weird part where the two of you have to kneel down while the priest does a sort of short speech over your heads. Vaguely, you remember Vega saying it’s meant to be some sort of blessing, but you aren’t actually paying attention. Instead, you let the words just wash over you, the joyful tide rushing over the sand, and you don’t let go of his hand this time.

When the speech is over, Vega helps you stand - you respond with a grateful pulse of affection in his mind. These blasted shoes are really starting to hurt now, and there’s so much material with all this dress and veil stuff that you have to steady yourself with some subtle psychokinesis to stop you tripping and falling flat on your face. Thank goodness you’ve got him here to keep you upright!

Thankfully, the priest waits until you’re both steady on your feet to speak, and you’re very glad he does. This is the bit you've been looking forward to most of all.

“Karla and Justin,” he says with a smile, “having witnessed your vows of love to one another, it is my joy to present you to all gathered here as husband and wife.”

The candles flicker. In the corner of your eye, a lady in the front row dabs at her eye with a tissue.

“You may kiss.”

A human hand cradles the back of your head, slips around your waist, leans you backwards into a picture-perfect dip. A human face smiles down at you, eyes bright with the thrill of new love. A human man leans down to kiss his bride, sweetly and softly, on the happiest day of his life.

“Shall we, darling?”

You smile, and it’s all teeth. “Of course.”

The glamour splitting, splintering, crumbling to dust. It's no human who holds you now. A woman screams in the second row as the facade falls away, and Vega's horns click gently against yours as he finally kisses you.

Vaguely, you're aware of the thick layer of paralysis magic that condenses in the room, locking the humans in place before they can do anything, but you don’t really pay it any mind. You’re far too focused on the warmth of Vega’s tail tangling with yours under your dress, the sting of sharp fangs dragging over your lip as his tongue dips down into your mouth.

I love you.

The air tastes like frantic, screeching terror. And I love you.

Sliding your fingers into his hair, you press yourself as close to him as you can. The relief of reverting to your demonic form is wonderful, the illusion sliding off your skin like thick oil, and you couldn’t beat back your smile if you wanted to.

My darling, he whispers into your mind, just where he ought to be. A match made in heaven, wouldn’t you say?

As he says it, he gently brings you back upright, though he doesn’t let you go. Gleefully, you relax into his arms, looking around at the room full of horrified faces. A few of them have fainted, falling limp against the paralysis that keeps them in their seats - others try to struggle out of it, but to no avail.

Oh, definitely. You look down at the ring on your finger, watching the diamond sparkle in the light - now that you look more closely, you can see that the big one in the middle is surrounded with lots of little diamonds that sparkle in the light. It’s so, so beautiful.

He holds his hand out next to yours, and you can see him magically adjusting the size of his ring so that it fits him properly. It’s a good idea. You do the same with yours - while you’re at it, you also replace those awful shoes with something a bit more comfortable. There’s a notable jolt as they disappear and you suddenly get several inches shorter, but your feet definitely thank you for it.

Once your clothes fit you again, it feels much better. Indulgently, you rest your head on Vega’s shoulder and look around. Most of the humans seem to be in some stage of panic, but some are remarkably calm. Maybe it’s just that it hasn’t quite hit them yet.

Did you want that back, dear?

Vega points towards the bridesmaid who was standing behind you - oh, your bouquet! Gratefully, you tug it free of her frozen hands with a tendril of magic, and float it over to you.

It’s very pretty, but now that you think about it, perhaps this could be a little more to your taste. With a wave of your hand, all of the candles in the room flare, and Vega watches curiously as white roses turn to deep pink peonies.

That’s better, you declare happily. Now it’s special to us, instead of them.

He doesn’t say anything, just kisses your temple, but you know what he means. You can feel it.

A quiet sniffling sound catches your attention, and you glance over to see where it’s coming from. It’s the lady in the front row from earlier, the one who had the tissue. She must have dropped it when the magic reached her - her face streams with fearful tears, but she can’t bend down to reach the packet lying on the floor by her feet.

It makes you feel a bit bad for her, so you untangle yourself from Vega’s arms and walk over to her. Slowly, as not to startle her, you bend down and pick the little packet up.

Don’t worry, miss. I’ll be quick.

You take a tissue out of the plastic, and dab the tears from her face as gently you can. Her makeup is running a bit, but you try to salvage what little is left, and wipe away the streaks of mascara that run down her cheeks. Did you enjoy the ceremony?

For some reason, your efforts only seem to make her cry harder, chest stuttering and spasming as her body sobs as much as the magic will let it. Soon, your tissue is absolutely soaked through, and you have to dissolve it between your fingers.

Oh, miss. Please don’t cry - it’s okay…

You look back over at Vega, who’s currently inspecting the decorations on the altar, but he just shrugs. He doesn’t seem to know what to do either.

Here, I can make it - I’ll make it stop.

Carefully, you reach into her mind and pull. With a jolt, the crying suddenly stops, and her eyes glaze over as her memory fades - you fill the empty space of the last few hours with peaceful mist, and slowly guide her down into her chair.

Sleep well, miss.

She couldn’t reply, even if she wanted to. She’s already asleep.

Vega, should we…? You wave your hand at the sleeping lady, and then gesture to the rest of the room. It would be weird if she was the only one.

If that’s what you’d like, he says. Faintly, you feel a little flicker of disappointment that you haven’t gone with the other plan, but he hides it well. Come on, we’ll do it together.

(Look, it’s not that the other plan didn’t sound fun. It’s just that you’ve already done a murder today, and killing all these people seems a bit greedy. Plus, it would mean cleaning all the blood out of the chairs, and that’s really not a headache you need today.)

The haze of paralytic magic suddenly gets thicker, swirling through the room like heavy fog, and you pour as much magic as you can into it to get it to stick. Slowly, it dilutes into sleeping magic, and the humans all begin to slump back down into their chairs or onto the floor.

Do you want a specific memory? Vega takes your hand and leads you back up to the altar, so you can see the whole room. Or just a gap?

You deliberate for a second. Just a gap, I think. They should be able to come up with an explanation.

He nods. Then they’re all yours, dear.

There’s quite a lot of humans here, so you have to concentrate quite hard. Gradually, you help the fog to ease the memories of today out of their heads, replacing them with the same swirling mist that you gave the crying lady, and making sure none of them remember you or Vega were ever here.

Human minds are very resilient, and they love making up explanations for things they can’t explain. Once they realise the humans you replaced are gone, you’re sure they’ll come up with an acceptable story sooner or later. They’ll be fine.

Finished. With a sigh of relief, you step back and let the magic dissipate. Should we get going, then?

Your hand moves to start opening a rift, but Vega’s faster, catching your wrist before you can get there.

Mm… Not quite finished.

Somewhere else in the room, there’s a burst of magic - you watch in bewilderment as the organist wakes from her sleep, and dazedly pulls herself up onto her seat. What?

You’re forgetting something, love.

All around you, music starts to play - oh, it’s that song! The famous one! From the one you saw on the television, the one that he watched with you! Vega offers you his arm, and you have to wipe away the happy tears that seem to have appeared in your eyes all of a sudden.

Oh, Vega… The tears don’t go away, and you sob into his shirt as he holds you, long peony stems dangling loose between your fingers. You didn’t have to!

Of course I did, my darling, he laughs quietly, kissing the top of your head between your horns as his hand smooths comforting circles over your back. Of course I did.

He offers you his arm, and you take it with a teary smile. The lovely music echoes from the high ceiling as the organ sings, and you hum along in your head as you walk back down the aisle.

None of the humans are awake to see it, but it doesn’t matter - you materialise a playful burst of shiny confetti just over Vega’s head, giggling as it rains down over him and sticks in his hair.

You-!

He gives you a mock glare, and replies with a retaliatory burst of flower petals over your own head. Then another, then another, until you’re both laughing too hard to concentrate - behind you, the aisle is buried under a trail of confetti and flowers as you practically chase each other towards the doors.

Oh, I don’t think so - there!

You’re too slow to dodge his hand around your waist - he scoops up your squirming form like it’s nothing, dress and veil so long that they still brush along the floor as he carries you in his arms. Got you, little troublemaker.

You try to wriggle free, but he’s too strong - resigned to your fate, you just settle for throwing your arms around his neck and pulling him down for a deep, happy kiss. Is that a promise, husband?

With all that I am, and all that I have, he dutifully recites, tail slipping beneath your dress and coiling possessively around your ankle. I won’t ever let you go.

It’s all you could ever want. Behind you, a room full of humans sleeps unaware, and the organist plays you out as Vega carries you carefully out into the churchyard. The sun is shining high in the sky, and your veil flutters behind you in the summer breeze.

So, darling, he asks over the music. Do you like it, then?

The happiest day of your life. Looking up at Vega, covered in confetti and laughing in the sunlight, you think you finally understand.

Yes, you say. I do.

in the mood for more? here's the series masterlist

main masterlist

this is an original work by @gingerbreadmonsters - please do not repost or misattribute.

#redacted asmr #redacted audio #redacted vega #redacted warden #redacted fluff #ginger writes #ginger after dark #gingerbreadmonsters

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aetherarf · 3 years

Note

Can I request Diluc x reader where Diluc is extremely sad and crying really hard for some reason but it becomes super fluffy with the reader running a bath for him, comforting him, cuddling him and brushing his hair? Maybe he gets an upset stomach from crying and the reader rubs his stomach? Poor Diluc is hurt a lot I want him to have some TLC ;^;

Basically this entire story is just Diluc given a chance to be babied and to be weak, and thats okay.

Also I got this request just before I posted something SUPER angsty stuff so. yeah. Let's give this boy some TLC because my goodness he NEEDS it

[[ WARNING: MILD SELF HARM ]]

[[ Summary: Woken up by the distant sound of crying... even Diluc needs to be weak, sometimes. You'll make sure that he feels safe, and loved, when he is weak.

Word Count: 1'742 ]]

Diluc is gone many nights--Acting as an anonymous, vigilant protector of Mondstadt, or just busy with paperwork or duties he was behind on relating to the Winery and the Wine Guild ( funny, how the main provider of Mondstadt's wine still had to adhere to such a foolish organization ), but it only caught your attention since you had gone to bed beside him... Looking over at the window, it was still quite dark, so it had probably been a few hours, but not enough to bring dawn.

Silently, you stare at the ceiling, listening for him. At first, you hear nothing, but the sound of rain pitter-pattering against the roof... You look over at the door, seeing how it's cracked open, looking at it idly...

Well, he doesn't take long in the restroom, so you figure he's doing something. You don't really want to sleep without him. Getting up from the bed, you sleepily shuffled your way out of the room--it was dark, but you knew your way through well enough.

You woke up completely as soon as you heard him--Sometimes, he'd mutter to himself, trying to remember what to do, or just going through a process...

But this was not that--this was something you seldom heard before: He was crying, muffled like he had a cloth between his teeth or his face pressed to a pillow, but that could not hide his wails of distress.

You fumbled through the darkness as fast as you could, not thinking to light up your way, instead you just wanted to find him, if he was in pain, all else could wait.

Eventually, you found him sitting alone--on the floor, no less, curled up around a pillow as he rocked back and forth, his face buried in said pillow as he sobbed into it.

You hesitated... but you stepped--somewhat like a stomp, just to get his attention... and it didn't work. You tried one last time, and stepped harder--and that time, it was enough to draw his attention...

The way he jerked his head up, flinching at the sound, such fear in his eyes--to think that he looked at you in fear was a kind of pain you couldn't understand.

"Diluc," you said, softly, "It's just me. I promise."

However, his breathing was still ragged, panicked. Without stepping hard, you walked closer, and in the room, lit only by a dim moonlight, you sat down beside him on the floor, gently cupping his jaw with one hand,

"Diluc," you said, again, "What's wrong?"

He didn't answer, just hiding again into the pillow, holding it close to him so you didn't have to see his face--one that you didn't need to see to know his cheeks were slightly puffy, his eyes read and covered in tears, paled from pure stress and exhaustion.

"Please," you begged, softly, "Talk to me."

He shook his head into the pillow, and you shifted around, hugging him partially from the back, and from the side, resting your head on his shoulder as he sobbed, just trying to comfort him.

After a bit, it felt like hours, but was likely only a few more long, painful minutes, he wasn't crying... but it was only from exhaustion, having wailed out his lungs already. The faint sound of gagging, and finally... he spoke.

"I feel... so sick..." He said, weakly. You knew, when you cried like that, you wanted to vomit, so...

With one hand, you shifted it to his stomach, rubbing it gently, not wanting to talk and ruin the silence, or to dare make him think you were trying to get over his fit. After a bit, he sighed, softly, and he leaned back into you, still gasping for air, sobbing weakly even if he could not cry any longer. His head resting back on your shoulder, you pressed a kiss to his temple,

"Diluc," you finally said, "Are you okay?"

He did not reply, but his sobs... his broken, hoarse voice lessened, only to exhausting rasping.

Then, slowly, he shook his head, a few more tears finding their way to trickle down his cheeks with a sob. His hair stuck to his face--how long, and how intensely had he been crying, from tears and sweat... how sore he must be. True crying, like this, where your soul was weeping with your body...

You pressed another kiss onto his cheek, desperate to try and offer any small comfort you could.

"Diluc," you said, softly, "Can you talk?"

Weakly, he nodded, "Don't... want."

He didn't want to talk. "That's okay," you reassured, "... You must feel awful... do you want me to run a bath for you? I can brush your hair how you like." You offered, and with a shudder and a shaky exhale... He nodded.

But he didn't move.

A few minutes, you thought, still rubbing his stomach gently, before you tapped it lightly, once, twice, "You need to get up to get to the bath, love."

He groaned, less pained, more just tired. You didn't know if that was heartwrenching or reassuring, but as he stood, he stumbled, barely catching himself, and you grabbed him, pulling him towards you. Silently, he held onto you, clinging with a degree of desperation.

It was a slow walk, but you got there eventually, you ensuring it was bright enough that you could, finally, assess his situation. You got him to sit down, and he flopped over like a doll that was tossed to the wall, left to be forgotten to time, but you held out your hand, lifting his head up by his chin... and he rested his head onto your hand, his cheek upon your palm, a heavy weight... oh, how tired he must be, but you wanted to get a good look at him.

He was covered in scratch marks made by blunt nails--The skin was red, inflamed and irritated, but there was no blood. As far as you could tell, it wasn't severe, but there was a notable amount on his chest, his stomach, and his forearms.

He looked sickly, too, perhaps that was just exhaustion.

"Why did you..." You rested your hand on his inflamed skin, and he made a low, pained whine, prompting you to flinch, to stop touching him.

"... I don't know," he admitted, "Didn't feel like it was... me."

How slowly he spoke, his words feeling forced and rough.

You pressed a kiss to his forehead. You could ask later.

Instead, you decided to get the water running, grabbing some epsom salts, maybe a few drops of essential oils in the warm, but not hot, water.

The entire time, you could tell he was watching you, when you looked back at him, he looked tired as he sat, his back to the wall, but his gaze didn't leave you for a moment. You decided not to question it, just looking back at him to check on him.

Eventually it was full, and you moved your hand through the water--warm. Not too warm, just how Diluc liked it. You walked over, helping him to his feet, helping him shimmy out of his trousers and step into the bath, sitting down with his head down as he curled up into a ball. Running your fingers through his hair, you could tell it was snarled... such a fluffy mess. Oh well, nothing you couldn't get out with a brush and some patience.

Slowly, you began working at the bottom of his hair, little by little, as he sat there silently. You wondered, idly, if you should talk... Not so much for him to reply, but just to give him something to listen to.

Opting to talk about your day, about something lighthearted about a cute kitty that fell asleep on your foot, only for that owner of the Cat's Tail, Margaret? Whomever it was, to scoop up... And you just brushed slowly, when the brush could go through the area you brushed smoothly, you only went a tiny bit higher, never wanting to tug on his hair to cause anymore pain than he likely was already in.

After awhile, you were able to get from root to tip, running your fingers through it, and he sighed, shuddering a little... you ran your nails along his back, lightly scratching it how you knew he liked.

"Do you want to talk about it?" You finally asked, after you had finished talking, running out of things to say.

Diluc, slowly, shook his head.

"How about we wash your hair then go to bed... does that sound good?" You asked, still lightly scratching his back...

And this time, he nodded.

You did it mostly for him, getting the soap, tilting his head back so his hair could be submerged, scratching his scalp to just try and clean it thoroughly, and you helped him out, wrapping a towel around his waist and having him sit, rubbing his hair furiously with another towel so it didn't end up soaking the bed...

Ah. It was still damper than you'd like, but that was fine. With the way he always tried to rest his head on your hand when it was near, you could tell he was ready to knock out... It was so cute, like a puppy, resting its head and just wanting affection.

With one hand, you held his chin, and the other lovingly petted the top of his head, only for him to exhale... a relaxed sigh.

"Come on," You moved your hand slowly so he didn't collapse right then and there, grabbing his hands and tugging a little, "Bed."

A soft noise, a soft whine, and he stood up, once again, you half dragged, half walked him to the bedroom, until he flopped onto the bed, on his back, as he stared up at the ceiling...

You lied down next to him, of course, not before admiring how relaxed he seemed, but as soon as you were on your back, he practically crawled right on top of you, burying his face in your shoulder. He was heavy--but it wasn't an unwelcome feeling. You just fought with the blankets to cover him with them, then wrapped your arms around him.

"Do you want to talk about this tomorrow?" You asked, barely a whisper.

"Don't... know."

"Well... you can decide tomorrow. Just go to sleep for me, my good boy."

He was out, becoming an even heavier weight upon you, before you could even finish saying boy.

#genshin impact #genshin x reader #diluc x reader #diluc #genshin diluc x reader #fluff #fluffy bark #anonymous #request #bark writes

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shyinadarkplace · 2 years

Text

So You Like Big - Part Three

Pairings: Clark Kent x Reader

Warnings: There is definite size kink, future office sex?, Clark Kent (yes he is a warning), language, I can't think of any thing else. There are some dom/sub themes but nothing to crazy. I guess I should also include that Lois Lane is a pretty shite person in this whole series.

Authors Note: THIS IS MY VERY FIRST REQUEST EVER! This whole thing comes from this lovely anon ask -"Hi Sweetie ! Can I request something fluffy/smutty with Clark Kent? He notices the reader has a size kink so he plays with her?" This is where all the good stuff happens. It is a bit of a slow burn based of an established friendship. It does get a little heavy at times but I promise there is a bunch more light hearted and steamy things coming. Thank you for reading.

Word Count:

Please do not copy rewrite, translate or repost my works. No permission is given to use my work in any capacity even with credit. I do not own Clark Kent , Henry Cavill or any of his characters.

Tuesday

Clark hadn’t really slept and it was already 4 am. He rolled over and grabbed his phone. He smiled at the last text he had gotten from you. It was simple, but damn it was adorable.

Hey. Thanks for the coffee. I swear it was the best I

Have ever had. And, uh, thank you for the note.

The sweetheart almost took me by surprise.

Not in a bad way! Maybe cuz it was at work?

Anyway. Thank you Clark.

How the hell was it possible for her to be so damn adorable?

4:00 am

Moring Beautiful.

I hope you slept well. Anyway, sorry if the sweetheart on the note

made you uncomfortable. Say the word and I won’t say it at work.

Or at all if you don’t want me to.

By the way would you like to meet me for breakfast?

He almost worried about sending the text until not even a moment later a reply came in.

4:01 am

😳 Nothing about this is beautiful.

(image)

The note didn’t make me uncomfortable. I didn’t mind the sweetheart.

God yes. Meet you in 15 min at Glorias ?

It took everything in Clarks body not to give a victory whoop. Also god damn you were gorgeous. His cock stirred at the sight of mussed hair, sleepy eyes and disheveled blankets. What he wouldn’t give to be the reason that you looked sexed up. He pushed that thought aside. And sent a reply.

4:01 am

I think EVERYTHING about that picture is beautiful.

Well then sweetheart. I’ll see you in 15. 😉

OH MY GOD ! WHY DID I SAY YES ?! GOTTA HURRY! There was nothing but sheer panic as I rushed to pick clothes, took a shower in less than five minutes, dressed and applied eyeliner and all but sprinted out of the house. On the quick walk I text Tiff and tell her everything. I try to take a few calming breaths as she texts me some stuff about playing it cool. That was going good until… Smack. A deep chuckle accompanied by a strong arm around my waist. I look up mortified, only to see Clarks bemused blue eyes and the damn cutest grin. Holy shit is that his arm around my waist? God his arms are so big. Has his chest always been this broad? Oh god he smells so good. I could very much die happy right now. His rich soft baritone smooths over me. “Good morning Sweetheart. I do love when we run into each other like this.” I think my brain stopped working until he gives me a light squeeze and says “Come on let's go in. I don’t know about you but I need caffeine.” Finally my brain seems to kick start. “Oh shit . I am so sorry. Uh yeah yeah lets do that.” I can feel my face getting warmer the longer I speak. Clark chuckles again and slowly lets me go then turns to open the door for me. Once again my brain stalls. It's not unusual for Clark to hold the door, it's just, dear god he looks so good, and he called me sweetheart and why the fuck does he smell so good. How the hell does that suit jacket not rip at every seam with how big he is. And we are going to breakfast . Fuck. I am so fucked.

After we sit down I manage to calm down a bit and we ease into our natural banter. Though it definitely feels more flirty. In the back of my mind the anxiety is killing me . I have wanted something more with Clark for so damn long, but there is so much about me that he can’t possibly like, and I think I would die if I lost him as a friend.

“(y/n/n),” Clark says softly, pulling me from my spiral towards hell. “What’s going on in that head of yours?” He looks like he already knows as he shoves practically a whole pancake in his mouth. Hell he probably does, he has hung out with me and Tiff outside of work enough to know pretty much everything about me. I take a deep breath, now or never right? “Uh, Clark. What is this?”

The waitress comes over with our food and more coffee, but it seems to take forever for her to leave. Why is she lingering? That’s when I catch her looking at Clark. Oh. It makes me wanna curl in on myself and also snarl at the wispy flirt. But Clark doesn’t spare her a glance.

“What do you mean? This is us having breakfast. Just like we have a thousand times before.” He says with a smile. “Or do you mean what is this as in me calling you sweetheart?”

At first I just wanted to nod like an idiot, but I refused to just avoid the whole thing. “Yes. And the casual touches and brief hugs being more intimate and longer, being more flirty and that kind of thing.” I look down at my food and push it around the plate waiting for him to say more, say something.

Clark looks at (y/n) and inside he feels rage build. He wanted to find every man who ever broke your heart. Wanted to break the last one you dated for breaking you down so damn much that you couldn’t believe that he wanted you. That he loves you. Clark reaches over and lifts your chin. You allow him to lift your head but you avoid his eyes. Hating the way you avoid looking at him, he takes a hint from the books you love so much. In a soft but firm voice he says “Look at me, pretty girl.” Your eyes snap to his and he rewards you by rubbing his thumb across your bottom lip and a very soft “Good girl.” His lips twitch ever so slightly at the tiny shiver you try not to let show. Keeping his voice firm and soft he continues, “When I first started at the Planet, you were the only one that didn’t just treat me like some country hick. If I am totally honest I wanted to ask you out the first time I saw you. I didn’t because well….” Clark debated telling her about the talk he had with Tiff.

“Why didn’t you?” your voice was soft and he could hear the uncertainty in it. After a deep breath he decides to tell you. “ Because apparently I was very obvious in my ogling, Tiff pulled me aside just as I was about to try and ask you. She told me that it wasn’t her place to tell your story, but I should know you were going through a lot personally. Said that may be right now a relationship might not be good for you, that what you needed most was proof. I asked her what you needed proof of, she just said that a man can be kind, steady, sincere, honest, gentle, and safe. I didn’t know what she meant at the time, but I am glad I took her advice.” Clark thought his heart would shatter when you sniffed. Gently he wiped away a few silent tears and whispered “I’m sorry Sweetheart.” It almost shocked him when you laughed softly.

“No no no babe. It's not you. I am just very grateful to Tiff. She was right. Friggin bitch is almost always right. Knows me too well. I was in a really bad place at the time. It has taken a lot to get where I am now. Wait so has this whole time just been you trying to get with me? Is this even who you are?” Yeah his heart did shatter at that. He was gonna find whoever hurt you . His voice was hard when he said “No,” softening his tone he continued “No. Nothing I have ever said or done has been fabricated as some elaborate ruse to get in your pants.” He rolled his eyes at the guarded disbelief on your face. “(y/n/n) first of all not to sound crass, but if all I really wanted was to get between those delicious thighs and fuck you senseless, I would have taken a couple of chances after a night out where you had been grinding your ass against my cock. Especially when I walked you home , walking being a relative term for you, after getting you inside you couldn’t get your dress off. ” He smirked at the flush on your face.

“Oh god no.” You kinda remembered that night. Fucking hell. Wait a minute did I call him a babe. Shit .

“Oh god yes, sweetheart. I helped you out of that sexy little black dress. After you had rubbed yourself all over me like a cat, you decided to take a shower. I couldn’t leave you alone because you could hardly stand straight. Ended up helping you in and out of the shower. And let me tell you, you did your damnedest to get me in there with you.After you were clean I wrapped you in a towel and carried you to your bedroom. Where you pushed me on your bed and straddled me. Let me tell you something else, pretty girl. I have never in all my life been so hard as when you were rocking your hips against me and asking me to make you cum. Luckily your drunk-addled brain realized you were freezing so you let me get you dressed and I only just managed to get the knots out of your hair before you passed out.” He almost felt bad with the way you covered your face until you gave a groaning chuckle. “I vaguely remember that. Oh my god I am so sorry. I practically assaulted you.” You both laughed. “ No worries, I wasn't complaining, I was glad to be able to take care of you. I liked making sure that you got home and stayed safe. Secondly, you have literally met my mother. Do you really think that if I was trying to pull one over on you it wouldn’t have come out then?”

Okay well he did have a point there. It just seemed impossible. “oh by the way what do you want to do for your birthday?” My jaw drops. Did Clark “Big” Kent just ask me what I wanted to do for my birthday. “Ya know pretty girl , usually when someone asks something like that there is very little thought.” He says teasingly. Well shit.

“oh. Sorry. Uhm I haven’t really thought about it. Wait you remember my birthday?” He nods “Of course I remember. I have loved you for a long time, but I have also been your friend for just as long.” I had no words. HE JUST SAID HE LOVES ME WHAT THE FUCK. I can hardly pay attention when he continues.

“ What I am trying to say is that, every compliment I have ever given you has been genuine. Every flirty comment was meant as a flirt. Every time we have hung out I have wanted nothing more in that moment. Every time I have seen you cry I have wanted to wipe those tears and hold you, and more than a few times I have, and everytime I felt honored that you trusted me. I want to date you.” I feel my brain short circuits. Yeah I must be having a stroke or the coma theory is still good. Clark Kent wants to date me. Does that mean I might be able to kiss him one day? Lois is going to be furious. Tiffany is gonna freak out with happiness. Clark doesn’t push. He just smiles at me.

“Damn it’s almost time for work.” He stands and offers me his hand which I take. As we walk toward the office it’s as though the world is both off kilter and perfectly balanced. Before we go in the front door Clark pulls me down the ally. There is a look I haven’t seen in his eyes before. Something deep and primal. “C-Clark, what’s going on?” He spins and suddenly I’m pressed against the wall. His big body caging me . My heart is racing, I try to control my breathing but I know it’s shaky. Just like my legs. He leans in. His lips against my ear. “Do you have any idea how long I have wanted you just like this?” His knee spreads my legs and his thigh flexes against my dripping core. I am almost embarrassed by the whimper that escapes me. He nips at my neck harshly, I gasp while he growls a warning. “ I expect an answer pretty girl.”

Oh fuck. “No No I don’t know how long you have wanted me like this.” If I died right now I would be the happiest person on earth I swear to god. He pulls back and looks in my eyes. The knot in my belly threatens to snap just from the way he is looking at me. Gone is the sweet, goofy farmboy and in his place is a true alpha. He is Big and I have never felt more safe than I do at this moment. I also realize that I have the front of his shirt clutched in my hands. Time to be brave.

Being a super strong alien on such a breakable planet, with such breakable people sometimes is a struggle. Holding myself back right now almost makes me shake. Every soft curve of her body pressed against me, the way she is clutching at my shirt, how god damn hot and wet she is, and the fact that I can feel that through our clothes. I notice the moment she gets that look in her eyes. Brave. She is gonna make a move. I can’t help but want to crow in victory like yes baby tell me what you want.

“Clark,” my cock twitches at the breathy way she says my name “Kiss me. Please.”

Who am I to deny this woman anything? I gently cup her jaw in my hand. I can’t help but stroke my thumb across her lips before I press mine to hers. We both gasp. I was trying to be slow and teasing, but that goes out the window as electricity shoots through me. Her taste explodes on my lips, fireworks burst behind my eyes. And there is only her. Only her lips opening inviting me in. Her tongue dancing with mine. Only the way that her hair feels between my fingers. Only the way she feels grinding her cunt against my thigh instinctively. I grip her hair at the base of her skull and pull her head back deepening the kiss. At first she tenses and fights for dominance, I can’t control the low growl that rumbles my chest. She moans loudly and then there is a shift. Everything in her relaxes. Oh fuck. I devour her mouth, claiming it as mine. Everything in me screams that she is mine. Screams and beats at me to take her now, mark her in some way so everyone knows she is mine. I need her closer. I grip her ass and love her little mewl. I slow the kiss pulling back nipping at her lip. “Oh fuck me.” she whispers. I can’t help but smirk. “No pretty girl. Not yet. Not here,” I kiss her again and she grinds hard against my thigh whimpering and breathing hard. “Tell me what you need. Use your words and I’ll give it to you baby.” I flex my thigh against her throbbing core and I feel her nails against my skin through my shirt. Little Minx. When she looks up at me with lips slightly parted and swollen from our kiss, face flushed , and hair mussed I almost lose it. Almost take her right here. “I need to cum.” it comes out a whisper. Well that won’t do. I grip her hair again. “Tell me what you need.” She seems to understand. “I need to cum Clark,” She grinds a little more seeking relief her eyes lock with mine and fuck her needy look does me in, “Clark make me cum. Need it.” Oh I am gonna make her cum alright. “You need it baby? Don’t worry I’ll help you sweetheart.”

When the absolute fuck did I get so bold. Maybe when Clark fucking Kent pinned me against a wall and told me he wanted me. There is a fire in Clark that I want to see more of, that I need to get lost in. Part of me can’t believe that this is even happening,but fuck if it doesn’t feel good. “Clark. Please.” I should feel embarrassed practically begging to cum in an alley, but I’m not. I shiver as I feel the rumble in his chest. “Do you want me to touch you? Hm? Do you need my big hands to make you cum,baby?” The combination of his voice dark, sweet and dominant and his hands caressing and squeezing my breasts, hips and thighs, nearly sends me over the edge. “Yes. Yes I need… need you to touch me.” The words barely leave my mouth before he is kissing me again. He is consuming me and its all I can do to respond. My fists clench the front of his shirt as he unbuttons my pants and slides his hand down to cup my pussy. “Oh fuck. Is all this for me baby?” I manage an uh-huh. “Lift your leg up pretty girl.” There is no thought I just do it, because all I can focus on is the feeling of Clark's big rough hand cupping my pussy and the promise of his fingers inside me. He slides one finger then two through my slick and with no preamble he sinks them deep inside me. His fingers are so big the stretch is incredible. “Oh my god Clark. Yes.” As he pumps his fingers inside me and the palm of his hand rubs my clit I let my forehead fall forward onto his chest. Both hands are now clutching at his chest. I need to feel his skin. I rip his shirt open more and without thinking drag my nails down his chest leaving angry looking claw marks. He groans and smirks down at me. “Fuck sweetheart. That’s it.” The coil in my belly is so close to snapping. “Clark fuck fuck fuck I’m so close. So close.” He buries his face in my neck and leaves kisses. I can feel myself fluttering around him. The sound of his fingers diving inside me along with my whimpers and his groans are driving me closer to the edge. “Don’t you dare cum yet baby.” I let out a frustrated whimper and move my hips to meet the thrust of his fingers. I gasp at the sting of a rough smack to my ass. “Only warning you get sweetheart. No attitude,” he slows the movement of his hand and I almost whine but hold back afraid he will stop. “Now that’s a good girl. My good fucking girl. Right?” I can barely breathe when I say “Yes. yes your good girl.” Some logical part of my brain is screaming what the fuck are you saying but it shuts up when he gives me what I can only describe as a growl of approval and his hand movement speeds back up. The pressure to my clit returns. “I’m going to count you down, then you are going to give it to me.” I nod as he does a come hither movement and a gasping moan claws its way from my throat. “Five…” Oh god I don’t think I can hold it. “Four…” I’m going to black out. “Three…you are doing so good.” deep breaths my legs are going to give out. “Two…” fuck this is taking forever. “One…come for me.” I have never cum so hard in my life. The knot snaps and orgasm hits me like a mac truck. Luckily Clark covers my mouth with his and the scream of pleasure is muffled by his kiss. It is also a good thing that Clark is holding me up or I totally would have fallen because my legs are shaking so bad.

“I don’t want to let you go right now.” I tell her as I gently stroke her, bringing her down from her high. “Then don’t.” She whispers her lips against my chest. I can’t help but grip her ass a little tighter even as I slide my fingers from her cunt. Her groan and then gasp as I brush against her still throbbing clit, is music to my ears. When my hand clears her underwear I groan at the sight. My fingers are coated in creamy goodness, just as she looks into my eyes I pop them in my mouth, licking and sucking them clean. The little whispered oh fuck makes me smirk. “What sweetheart?” The flush on her face deepens and her heart rate pick up again. “That was hot as fuck. No one has ever done that after doing what you did.”

“So someone else has made you cream and cum that hard?”

“No no . I mean they have fingered me, but nothing like that. That was…incredible.”

I dip my head capturing her lips in a deep demanding kiss before she starts rambling adorably again. I have so much to show her. Slowly I let her leg down and pull away from the kiss. The little whimper she gives me almost makes me take her back in my arms. “Don’t worry baby. You will be getting plenty more kisses, finger fucks, licks, and orgasms. But if I don’t stop kissing you then I will end up taking you home and fucking you for the rest of the day, well I should say I would be doing whatever you wanted me to to that soft curvy yummy body of yours.” I love how her cheeks turn red at my words as if I hadn’t just been knuckle deep inside her. “Yeah. you’re right, let's get inside.” I help her adjust her clothes and smooth out her hair and her blush deepens. “You don’t have to do that, you know?” I just grin. “I know I don’t sweetheart, but I want to. Let me please?” After a moments hesitation she nods and I finish getting her all tidy. “There, all done.” Our eyes meet and we both grin then laugh. Easy laughter. “Oh no ! Clark your shirt! I am so sorry. Lord and your chest !” Looking down at my chest I start in surprise. How the fuck ? There are actual claw marks on my chest. Well it seems I have a mystery on hand.

“It's just a few buttons. I like that you marked me.”

“You like that I scratched you?”

“Listen darlin’, I don’t know what kind of men you have been with, but real men and more specifically myself, like when our women mark us. That means I made you lose it for a moment. Understand?”

“Uhm. Yes.”

“Good girl. Now let's get inside.”

I hold out my arm and she takes it, smiling shyly. Walking in like this wasn’t unusual for us but today feels different. We make our usual small talk and easy banter. It soothes my soul knowing that we are still what we have always been. We step out onto our floor laughing and we are quickly joined by Tiff.

“Hey Tiff !” (y/n/n) says excitedly, and I grin when Tiff's eyes widen slightly and cocks her eyebrow. She is quick as a whip that one.

“First of all congrats on whatever has happened between you two. Secondly, (y/n/n) don’t freak out but Lois is in a fucking mood and has been hovering around your desk.”

I can feel you tense, then you take a deep breath and straighten your shoulders. Apparently Lois has a death wish. She decides to stroll up.

“Brace yourself lass.” Tiff whispers as the queen bitch strides up. I can’t help but smirk. I am kinda feeling myself right now and my limit for bullshit is quite low when it comes to Lois.

“Okay, come on, I have put up with this long enough. (Y/N) Get your hands off of Clark. He is mine. Everyone knows that. You have work to do so I suggest you get to it.”

So this bitch is on drugs. I put an arm in front of Tiff to keep her from snatching Lois by that weird half ponytail. The room is fairly quiet. Tiff eyes me carefully guaging just how fucking done I am with the situation in case she needs to reel me in. Good to know she has my back.

Clark’s voice holds a dangerous warning to it when he speaks. “Lois. You don’t want to do this.” It makes me wanna grin that he is willing to stand up for me.

“No no, she does Clark. It’s okay. So lets do it. The FUCK is your issue now Lois ? Hm?”

I cross my arms over my chest. Waiting.

“My problem is your worthless ass hanging all over what is mine. It’s gone on long enough. You know you wouldn’t be good for him given all your history. I see those marks on him. You know Clark, she has a lot of strange fetishes.” She gives me a sinister smile. Son of fucking hells, she has been gathering shit on me. I can feel rage building inside me. I take a deep breath.

“I know I am not the best but I am far from worthless. Clark does not BELONG to anyone. He is a person not a FUCKING object or prize to be won. He also has full autonomy over his body so he can choose who he does and doesn’t interact with. If your last comment refers to my ex, who I know you slept with to get all the inside dirt about what he did to me, let me tell you that if you dare try to bring it to light again. I will bury you and your entire career under a mountain of rubble.” Lois turns red in the face and honestly looks pissed, which is kind of funny given the whole situation. But whatever.

“Who do you think you are?! I know people and have connections you could only dream of. You can’t touch me.” She says it so confidently I almost laugh at the slight fear in her eyes. She thinks she is gods gift to earth, that somehow she is untouchable. I just smirk and lean in to whisper so only she can hear me.

“So who did you have to call to get you out of that rough spot overseas? How did you get in that spot Lois? How many laws did you break just to get four minutes with a war criminal? Where did that four minutes get you? Whatever happened to that informant you had three years ago? Salvi wasn’t ? He was a real sweet guy. Oh and how is your side hustle of selling stories to other news sources going? Isn’t that against your contract? I hope no one else discovers your pen name Sylvie.”

With each and every word Lois loses a little more color in her face, becoming a little more rigid. I lean back and decide to nail home the point.

“Just because I am not a reporter or investigator doesn’t mean I don’t know things, Lois. It also doesn’t make me less of an asset, it also doesn’t elevate you anywhere. Being well known is only useful if you are also well liked. Now unless you want this to get real ugly real quick go back to your fucking desk and pipe down.”

I let her go and to be honest I enjoy the shock on her face. I turn and walk into the break room followed closely by Tiff and Clark. Adrenaline is making my hands shake and then my whole body. Fuck.

Clark wraps me up in his arms telling me he’s got me and I feel safe.

“(y/n/n) That was so badass. From what I heard Lois is on the verge of being fired for other shit she has been doing, but girl that was brave as fuck.” Tiff is grinning at me like I just won heavy weight champ at hell in a cell and it makes me grin too.

“I am so proud of you sweetheart.” Clark says softly and then he is kissing me. Slow and sweet. I hear Tiff giggle and do a happy dance. When he finally pulls away I smile up at him. “Thanks Big.” Not gonna lie I love the little blush that comes to his face as I walk back to my desk. It's barely 7:30 am and honestly I feel like the shit.

#clark kent #so you like big #part three #why am i marking time by the days

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taetaespeaches · 4 years

Text

“I hate fighting with you.”

jungkook x reader (or oc) genre: fluff; angst word count: 3.7K

a/n: Hi lovelies! Here is the resolution to the fight between Jungkook and Holly in, “You think I’d leave you if you falter?” Turns out, these two are pretty damn good at resolving conflicts. This features a little bit of Kid (over the phone). Parts of this are loosely based on ‘seven’ by Taylor Swift. I hope you all enjoy, and as always, thanks for reading! :))

YEARS of compartmentalizing feelings were coming in handy as you worked on the conclusion of your essay. However, it was becoming increasingly difficult to write when all you wanted to do was sprint to the dorm and figure things out with your boyfriend.

For about the thirtieth time since he walked out, after you asked him to leave, you checked your phone. You wanted to text or call him. Things got out of hand and you never meant to lay all of that on him in that moment. It should have come out in a proper conversation, where both of you could listen to each other calmly without emotions being so high.

Your heart hadn’t stopped racing since he left, and your anxiety was only intensifying. The more time that went by, the less focused you were on writing, your ability to keep the fight concealed in a box in your mind dwindling. Your feelings were spilling out throughout your mind and body, the sadness and disappointment flooding your thoughts.

Your phone started ringing and you reached for it instantly, breathing out with a huff when you saw it was not Jungkook but rather “The Queen”, your close friend, who was also Yoongi’s girlfriend.

Completely unsure of how to handle the fight, you resorted to texting the girl, knowing she usually handed out amazing advice, and also knowing that she and Yoongi had some difficult times early on in their relationship. Though the issues were different than hers and Yoongi’s, you thought she might be able to provide some insight as to how to handle conflict when both parties obviously love each other and want things to work.

Answering the phone, you greeted her with a sigh before saying, “Hello.”

“Hey, bubs,” she greeted, sympathy lacing her tone.

“I shouldn’t have asked him to leave, should I have?” You asked her, hearing her sigh into the phone.

“I mean, it’s complicated, you’re working on an essay. That’s important,” she reminded you.

“But now it looks like I’m prioritizing my assignment over Jungkook,” you whined, feeling like a complete asshole.

“And? What’s the issue with that?” She asked bluntly.

“I just don’t want to hurt him, I guess, I don’t know,” you explained.

“Jungkook understands deadlines, he’s not going to see it as you prioritizing something above him, it’s just sometimes things do rank higher in immediate importance. It was just shit timing, he gets that,” she told you, you humming in response.

“Yeah I guess,” you agreed, thinking about the situation.

“The kid may act like a selfish jerk sometimes but he’s not actually a selfish jerk,” she reminded you. “I mean but throwing a tantrum over the dishes? Really? Remind me to fucking punch him next time I see him.”

You let out a light laugh at the comment.

“Don’t let anyone make you feel guilty for taking care of yourself or your responsibilities,” she told you.

You groaned, your friend waiting patiently for your next words. “I know, you’re right. I just hate this feeling so much, we’re usually so in sync and now I just dumped all this stuff on him and he had no idea I had any of these feelings. I mean, you should have seen his face, dude, he was devastated.”

“No matter how in sync you two usually are, you’re still two individuals with different thoughts and emotions and that means communication isn’t always going to go easy,” she said, pausing for a moment as you both sat in silence. “Neither of you should have taken your stress out on each other, but it happens. And as for the deeper-rooted issues you laid out there, those do need to be addressed. Again, maybe shit timing, but it’s necessary to have those complicated conversations,” she pointed out.

“I just don’t want to lose him,” you admitted, tears forming in your eyes as your voice quavered. “I’m so scared I fucked it all up.”

“Oh my god, you didn’t,” she immediately negated. “Things may feel heavy right now but this doesn’t mark the end of anything. Jungkook is in this with you. He’s just going to be even more determined now to make sure you feel loved, and if he doesn’t, he’s not worth it to be completely honest,” she told you, you thinking about the words. “Look, I know he loves you. I mean, honestly, it’s a good thing that I actually adore you because I don’t think I’ve had a conversation with the guy since you two met where he didn’t bring you up,” she lightly laughed, you scoffing as you chuckled.

“Ok, same though, I can’t shut the fuck up about him either,” you admitted.

“Yeah, I know,” she laughed, “you two are annoying.”

“Says you, little miss, honey boy this, honey boy that,” you teased her, your friend gasping in feigned offense.

“Whatever, I can’t stand that dude,” she joked, both of you fully aware of how fond she was of Yoongi.

“Is he home?” You asked.

“No, he’ll probably be in the studio all night. I might head over there in a little bit and just sleep there,” she told you, but the information had your heart clenching. If Yoongi was pulling all-nighters in the studio, Jungkook’s current work stress was probably more intense than he was letting on.

“Look, finish your essay and then call him. And if you can’t focus on the essay, then maybe call him now. You don’t have to figure everything out right at this moment, but maybe reaching out and letting him know that you do want to figure it out as soon as possible will help both of you relax,” she told you, the words resonating with you as you realized that’s all you wanted in this moment. Just to give and receive assurance that everything would be ok soon.

“Thank you,” you pouted, tears forming in your eyes again. “I feel a lot better now. Like, still shit but at least better.”

“You know it’s not a problem,” she dismissed her role in helping you. “Everything will be just fine, let me know how it all goes, ok?”

“I will,” you told her. “Thank you, I love you.”

“Love you too,” she replied before the line went dead.

As soon as the call ended, you were tapping on your phone, preparing to call Jungkook, when your front door suddenly opened. Snapping your head in the direction of the intruder, startled by the sudden entrance, you found your boyfriend, his fluffy hair windswept and amess on top his pretty head.

“Sorry,” Jungkook muttered in apology for your frightened expression. His eyes were wide and doe-like as always, but you could see their reddened coloring and the puffiness from across the room. He came back, and that was all the assurance you needed to know that everything would be ok.

“Jungkook,” you breathed out, preparing to stand up from your spot on the floor, your back against the sofa, but he held a hand out to halt you.

“No, no, don’t get up,” he told you. “Is your essay done?”

“Jungkook,” you repeated, but he ignored you, instead striding towards you and looking overtop you at your laptop screen. “I’m at the conclusion.”

“That’s good, right?” He asked, his eyes adorably innocent as they stared at you from above.

“I’m losing focus,” you whined pathetically, Jungkook frowning.

“Because of me?” He asked, the hurt and regret evident in his features.

“It’s not your fault,” you told him sincerely, Jungkook giving you a disbelieving look. “It’s not, baby, it’s not just on you.”

“Can I sit with you as you finish?” He suddenly asked, his expression hopeful but nervous, as if you just might turn him down. How could you ever?

“Yeah,” you barely spoke through a whisper, nodding a couple times. “Can we talk?”

“We will, I promise,” he assured you, bending down as he cradled your face in between your hands. “After you finish this, ok? For now, just know I love you and I’m here because I want to work through this.”

He left a kiss to your forehead, you pouting in response to his affection. Stepping away, he stretched out across the sofa, laying his head to the side of yours, placing his hand at the back of your head. As he massaged the spot gently, you leaned into the touch before taking a deep breath, exhaling slowly. “Thank you for coming back,” you told him. “I want to work through this too.”

You felt his lips press to the top of your head, accompanied by a whispered, “I know, baby.” With that, you took one more deep breath, refocusing on the assignment.

You tapped the keys on your laptop, the thoughts flowing to you much easier in the presence of Jungkook, his hand staying at the back of your head to soothe you and remind you of his care for you. Time went by fairly quickly, for you at least, as you wrapped up the essay and went back through it, cleaning up sentences, fixing thoughts, and ensuring your citations were done correctly.

“Okay,” you said through an exhale, Jungkook sitting up to look over your shoulder at the screen.

“Is it done?” He asked, his tone sweet.

You hummed, looking toward him. “I don’t know, I think it’s as good as it’s gonna get,” you told him, Jungkook moving his gaze from the computer to you. “Would you mind reading it for me?”

Your boyfriend quickly sat up, crossing his legs underneath him as he held his hands out for you to give him the laptop. “How much time do you have left?” He asked as you placed the device into his hold.

“Twenty-one minutes,” you told him through a scrunched-up face, Jungkook smiling slightly.

“Ok, that’s plenty of time, you’re good,” he assured you just before he began reading. You watched him intently as he read through the essay, your lips occasionally quirking up as he’d nod his head, physically responding to your points.

Endearing. If you could only choose one word for Jungkook, which was just not enough words for the man sitting next to you, you thought you’d choose endearing. Your boyfriend was so gentle and kind and considerate and thoughtful, and observing him in that moment, you wondered how he could ever make you feel as though you had to be perfect to keep his love.

But maybe that was the issue. He was never messy, emotional, frenzied, rarely moody, and even less so selfish. As you stared at him, you began realizing that it wasn’t actually the way he praised you or very occasionally nagged you, but was rather entirely your perception of him that made you feel inadequate. And how could that be his fault?

Jungkook’s voice broke through your thoughts as he met your gaze with his bright orbs. “It’s really good, baby.”

“Really?”

“Yeah, I mean, I had no clue what you were talking about in the beginning,” he smiled slightly, you letting out a light chuckle, “but by the end I feel like I could explain to someone else what you wrote about.”

“Are you sure?” You asked doubtfully.

“I’m sure,” he told you. “Turn it in.”

Sighing, you nodded. “Ok,” you agreed. “I don’t have time to change anything anyways,” you smiled, Jungkook giggling.

“It’s great,” he told you once more, handing you the laptop. He watched as you attached the file to the module, your pointer hovering over the submission button. “Do it,” he whispered encouragingly, you pressing the button with a giggle.

“Well, if I failed, I failed,” you looked to him, Jungkook rolling his eyes with a shake of his head.

“What was going on? You’re usually so quick with your essays. I mean, you’re an amazing writer,” he stumbled over his words, you simply shrugging.

“I don’t even know, I think I was just having some sort of mental block,” you told him with a frown.

“Our fight definitely couldn’t have helped,” he noted sadly.

“Can we talk now?” You asked, Jungkook nodding immediately.

“Come here,” he patted the cushion in front of him, you standing up just to plant yourself on top of the couch. You both sat across from each other, face to face, legs crossed underneath yourselves.

“You know if you didn’t get that essay done in time, I would love you just the same, right?” He asked you, you looking at him thoughtfully. “Or if you get it back and it’s not the score you’re hoping for?” You prepared to respond, but his next words cut you off before you could begin. “I don’t love you because I think you’re perfect, I love you because you’re you.”

Exhaling, you licked your bottom lip, directing your eyes to Jungkook’s knee that was bumping against your own. “I do know that,” you told him.

“Yeah?” He asked, sincerely curious.

“I think I was wrong,” you admitted, meeting his eyes, his eyebrows pulled together in confusion. “I know you love me for me, as I am, but I’m still scared to show you me when I’m not at my best because I feel like I won’t be enough for you.”

“Baby-”

“Not because of how you treat me,” you quickly added, interrupting him. “But because I never see you be anything but this strong and collected person and I don’t want to be the one who’s always a mess while you’re totally fine.”

“I’m not always fine though,” he told you, his eyes sincere as he shook his head. “I handle my struggles pretty well, and I handle them alone, because I’ve never wanted to burden my members when they were going through their own shit,” he explained, you listening intently.

“It’s my fault,” he held his hand against his chest, “that you’ve never seen me in a vulnerable state. I’m so used to hiding my problems from other people that-” he paused, his eyes glistening with tears. “That I’ve hidden them from the one person I want to share them with.”

“You want to share them with me?” You asked, tears forming in your own eyes.

“I don’t want to burden you or worry you with my struggles, but at the same time, I want your help,” he told you, the admission tipping you over as you let out a quiet sob. Jungkook instinctively reached forward, placing his hands on your cheeks as he wiped tears away. “You’re gonna make me cry,” he told you through a giggle, his tears building up.

“I want to see them,” you pouted, immediately realizing how the words sounded. “Oh my god, that sounds so bad,” you whined, Jungkook’s smile spreading across his face as he laughed. “I just mean I want to be the person you can show that to,” you giggled.

“I know what you mean, baby,” he nodded. “I don’t want to hide any part of me from you anymore, ok?”

Nodding, you turned your head in his hold to leave a kiss to the side of his thumb. “I don’t either,” you whispered against his hand, Jungkook smiling in relief.

It was then that his tears fell, you looking at him in surprise as your crying was stopping due to the resolution. “Oh, baby,” you pouted, crawling forward to place yourself in his lap, Jungkook’s arms easily wrapping around you as he tucked his face into your neck.

“I hate fighting with you,” he cried against your skin, you cooing at his pure heart.

“Me too, baby,” you told him, running your hand soothingly over the back of his head. “Hey, we’re good at resolving things though,” you pointed out, Jungkook letting out a breathy laugh, tickling your neck.

Sniffling, he sat up straight, wiping his face carelessly with the back of his hand as he nodded. “We are pretty good at it,” he giggled. You watched as he resituated himself on the couch so he was reclined, holding his arms open for you to cuddle up next to him, which you did eagerly.

Looking up at his face, you saw the way his jawline slightly shined in the living room light, you pulling your sleeve over the palm of your hand to dab the tear residue from his face.

You both stayed in each other’s arms in silence for a little while, Jungkook’s breath becoming slower and more relaxed as you dragged your finger in patterns on his chest.

“Do you ever feel like you peaked at like, 11?” You asked, him, Jungkook pulling his chin into his neck to look down at you.

He looked at you thoughtfully, a small crease etched into the skin at the top of the bridge of his nose. “Yeah sometimes,” he agreed. “Maybe not 11, but sometime in childhood.”

“I wish you could have known me when I was a kid,” you told him. “When I was uninhibited, just being me with no apologies every day.”

“I wonder at what age we lose that sense of ourselves,” Jungkook thought out loud.

You hummed, still tracing invisible drawings across your boyfriend’s t-shirt covered chest. “I don’t know, I look at some people, like Tae and even his Peaches,” you both giggled fondly, “and I think that some people have managed to hold onto that part of themselves. Like even though they mature and grow up, they don’t lose that inner child. Even you,” you added.

“Do you think you’ve lost yours?” He asked, you puckering your lips in thought.

“Sometimes. I’m so controlled now, I used to be free. I wasn’t so concerned about concealing everything,” you explained, Jungkook nodding in understanding.

“She’s still in there,” he told you. “I’ve seen her, we’ve met a couple times. We’re acquaintances,” he smiled, you giggling at the comment. “She just needs to know it’s ok to show herself.”

“You’re really sweet,” you whispered, pressing a kiss to his collarbone. “What were you like as a kid?”

“I was a bit of a brat,” he grinned.

Laughing, you pulled a face of feigned shock. “No,” you said sarcastically.

“Can you believe it?” He joked, wrapping his arm around your waist a little tighter. “No, I was a brat but I was a good kid. I had a nice childhood.” You watched him thoughtfully, noticing he had more to say. You waited patiently for him to continue, dragging your fingers over his abdomen. “I just sometimes think it got cut short.”

Jungkook moved away from home much earlier than most people ever even thought of living away from their parents. You had no doubt that with his long days of training, he felt that his childhood ended earlier than it should have.

“I’m sorry baby,” you told him, feeling sympathetic for the younger version of your boyfriend.

“No,” he quickly shook his head. “I wouldn’t change anything, but it’s interesting to think about,” he told you, staring at the ceiling.

“Yeah?”

“Yeah, my life could have been totally different. I’m happy with how it turned out, but, choosing a career as a kid, I don’t know, there’s a lot of opportunities that I never even got to consider.” You hummed in understanding, Jungkook letting out a scoff. “I sound ungrateful,” he pointed out, you quickly negating the comment.

“No, you really don’t. Everyone knows you’re grateful for what you have, but it’s ok to wonder about what your life would have been without all of this. And it doesn’t mean you wish things turned out differently, it’s just, like you said, interesting to think about.”

“I think the hyungs preserved as much of my childhood as they could,” he told you, and maybe even to himself. “That’s why I never wanted to burden them.”

Hearing him talk so fondly about his members brought tears to your eyes, and you could tell by the way Jungkook sniffled and coughed to clear his throat, he was becoming emotional as well.

“They’re amazing people,” you told him through a warm smile. “I love them a lot.”

The confession, which he already knew, made him look from the ceiling to you, your two teary sets of eyes meeting. You both giggled at each other and yourselves as Jungkook pulled a silly expression to lighten the mood.

“You know,” he started, the allusion in his tone piquing your interest. “I knew I was in love with you probably one month into knowing you,” he admitted, you smiling at the comment. “Which I don’t know if that’s early or too soon to tell, but I knew I felt it. But when we went and did karaoke that one night, that’s when I was so sure that I couldn’t not tell you.”

You remembered the date vividly. You went and did karaoke with Jungkook, his members, and their girlfriends, and well… Peaches. You had only met them all a few times before that, but somehow, you felt like you belonged with them.

“I didn’t know that,” you smiled brightly. “That’s why you confessed that night?”

At the end of the night, everyone went their separate ways, and as you and Jungkook were walking to your apartment, he told you he loved you.

“Yeah,” he giggled in slight embarrassment. “Watching you get along so well with everyone and seeing them treat you as their own friend, I just, I knew.”

Your eyes glistened again, Jungkook’s own bambi eyes looking at you with a sheen. You groaned in disgust of your cute moment, adding, “We’re really cute, aren’t we?”

Jungkook laughed at your comment and expression, nodding in agreement. “We’re really cute, baby.” Sighing, you crawled up his body so you were eye level with him. “Maybe even the cutest,” he added teasingly, his eyes flickering to your lips.

“You might be right,” you whispered, your lips barely grazing his own, Jungkook smiling before placing a hand at the back of your head, lifting his face toward yours to kiss you firmly.

The kiss was messy with smiles and giggles, forgiveness and acceptance His hand left your head to wrap around your lower back, pulling your body as flush with his as it could be.

“I love you,” you breathed out, mumbling against his mouth, Jungkook purposefully nudging your nose with his.

“I love you so much,” he replied, the words just as mumbled as yours.

And fuck, you really did love each other. And maybe he was right. Perhaps you were the cutest.

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wizkiddx · 3 years

Note

ohmyword if your doing req can u pls do another fluffy, domestic one bcos honeymoon morning is some i read daily AHAH maybe like the reader gets ill and toms away or something???? pls just anything fluffy

awh thank you for being so sweet abt honeymoon morning - I do think that's one of my favourite concepts ive done!! and I hope this suits what you want, im not so sure myself but I tried :)))

summary: you try to hide being ill from Tom before he leaves but inevitably it doesn't all go to plan

warnings: mentions of being sick, I think that's all - basically just fluff

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The night hadn’t really gone typically at all. Instead of relishing the last night with Tom for a few months, your body seemed to have different plans. Hence why now you were curled up in a ball on the sofa, staring blankly at the TV, while the washing machine whirred next-door in the utility room and the chemical smell of cleaning products enveloped the downstairs. At least when you were sick, you were a clean sick.

You were also a quiet sick. You had been pulled from your sleep by the uncomfortable heavy sensation from your stomach barely an hour after you’d both headed to bed. Why was beyond you - what had been important in that moment was to get away from Tom. He was flying back to set tomorrow (or given the early hours currently, lunchtime today was more appropriate) and only had a single day to settle before launching back into filming. So the poor boy was inevitably, given time zones, going to be running on poor quality plane sleep for the next couple of days - you wanted to five him a final night of peace, at least.

As a result, you’d crept downstairs and since then spent a large chunk of the night making good friends with the downstairs toilet bowl. Once you were absolutely certain there was literally nothing else in your stomach, you chucked some bleach down the loo; then stripped your *stained* pyjamas and chucked them in the washing machine; changed into some freshly washed stuff in the utility (comprising of joggers and one of Tom’s hoodies); before you could curl up in the corner of the sofa.

And that’s how you’d been for an hour or so. Still feeling grim, unable to fall asleep as much as you were trying to and generally just lying in a ball of self pity. And that was fine… until you heard the unmistakable slow padding of footsteps down the stairs.

“Love?… -hy’re you up?” His voice was drenched in sleep, making it pull on your heart strings, even before he had rounded the sofa and come into view. Dressed only in his heather grey joggers only, Tom’s curls sat ontop of his head wildly - sticking up at all ridiculous angles. And then there was his puffy eyes, barely open as he slowly processed the sight of you curled up on the sofa.

“Just couldn’t sleep and didn’t want to keep you up tossing and turning. Why are you up bub?”

“Don’t sleep good without you… you know kicking me and stealing the duvet and stuff.” Never one to maintain a level of seriousness and ‘soppiness’ - it was instantly turned back to the typical relationship of the two of you. While rolling your eyes, you still chuckled at him in the low light of the TV. Tom took the opportunity to perch on the edge of the sofa, sitting so he was grinning loopily down at you. “You fancied putting a wash on too?”

“...I don’t know just trying to be productive?” He was catching on, he was suspicious. You could tell. His eyebrows furrowed together and he delicately hovered the back of his hand over your forehead, feeling the undeniable heat radiate into his skin.

“And bleach?”

“Toilet needed doing anyway.” You mumbled, head turning to stare back at the TV- knowing his eyes were piercing into your soul. He sighed, in your peripheries you could see him shaking his head in slight frustration, as his hand reached for yours, giving it a squeeze.

“You’re ill aren’t you?”

“I’m alright-“ he cut you off with a low warning of your name, making you cower slightly because he’d caught you in a lie. “I threw up a couple times but now I just feel a bit ‘eugh’”. That was, to be fair, a completely truthful description of your evening and current situation. Maybe not put most eloquently but Tom definitely got the messsage, somehow reading your mind by lightly massaging your abdomen with his hand that wasn’t clasped with yours.

“Come on... let’s get you back to bed.” As much as you wanted to argue with him, it was clear any attempt would be futile. One of things you love so much about Tom is how fiercely protective he is of those dear to him. His circles progressively shrunk as he learnt who he could trust and who ... well he couldn’t. The culling had left a handful of people who were almost central to Tom’s life - somehow you’d managed to wangle your way into these select few too.

So no, there was not point arguing or suggesting he puts his own welfare first.

After putting you back int the double bed, Tom had disappeared for 10 minutes or so, when he reinterred the room it was clear he’d been busy. His tongue was stuck out in focus as he tried to balance different mugs and plates on a tray to you. Even if you felt shitty, for a moment by just seeing how far this guy had gone for you - you’d never felt better.

“Okay there’s some lemsip with honey to settle your stomach, water and a slice of toast just because you should probably see if you can keep something down.”

“You really are the sweetest.”

“And you’re the illest so get drinking love.” He laughed softly in the yellow glow of the bedside lamps that illuminated the room. It highlighted his prominent jaw line and the way his eyes crinkled in the corners and given your slightly off state, you might’ve spent a bit too long ogling at the man cosied up next to you. Never would there be a time you weren’t grateful for him.

Turns out you couldn’t keep the toast down but the experience was somewhat less horrific - this time you were spilling your guts out into your ensuite, while Tom held your hair and rubbed your back. Eventually things settled, allowing The two of you nestle back into bed, Tom wrapping his arms round your stomach to lightly trace random patterns on the skin underneath your hoodie - as you nestled back into his chest more.

“I really love you Tom”

“Love you darling, now get some rest and shout if you need anything.” You hummed lightly, almost letting go to sleep now your felt a bit less like your intenpstines were wringing themselves together. But not quite.

“I’m gonna miss you and your stupid face.”

“We can talk about that when your better” It was as if Tom thought whispering and drawing circles on your stomach was going to deafen you to his words. Yes your stomach wasn’t having a lot of fun and you were tired - but you were not deaf. It was oh so predictable too, he loved to be absolutely ridiculous. Indignantly you huffed, rolling over and eyeing him intently.

“What’s there to talk about?”

“Just…. Just if your sick you shouldn’t be on your own. I could always just-“

“No no you couldn’t. You and me both know for a fact you do have a choice and even if you did it be pissing off a hell of a lot of people.” He pouted, you could tell even in the darkness of the night.

“I hate having to leave you though, especially like this.”

“Yes but you love your work too. I’ll be here when you get back… maybe just with a bit less intestines.” Laughing at that, Tom pulled you onto his chest, pressing his tips to the crown of your head as your burrowed into his side.

It can’t have taken more than 5 seconds for you to fall asleep, exhausted from the illness, the stupid time in the morning and maybe slightly for dealing with Toms idiocy.

You were awoken in the morning to Tom stroking your hair gently, all dressed and ready for his flight - but still finding the time to fuss over you and wanting to say a proper goodbye. After practically ordering his to leave… you best believe he dropped in the fact he’d got both Sam and Harry to come round as your babysitter.

He was an idiot. But he was your kind, caring , beautiful and loving idiot.

#tom holland #tom holland fluff #tom holland x reader #Tom Holland blurb #Tom Holland angst

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captaincravatthecapricious · 3 years

Text

Sick Fic I Didn't Bother To Name

Post canon, Tim comes over to look after Jon while Martin is at work.

cw dizziness, fever, nausea, fainting, mentions of vomit, food mention I guess. Let me know if I should add more warnings, this is just a fluffy little sick fic it might have some light angst I don't really remember.

The thought of moving makes Jon want to cry. All his muscles hurt. The worm scars aching like the day they were made. He’s just going to lie there here until someone makes him move.

Which will probably be soon, because he’s positive Martin has asked Tim to come over and …water him?

No, in all seriousness, he can’t exactly recall what Martin told him this morning as he was leaving for work. Something about not letting him go in to work, no working online, no checking his email, something something Tim? Not that Jon is feeling well enough to get his computer. Let alone let it assault his over-sensitive eyes with the harsh light of the screen. Which is unfortunate, because he thinks Martin probably left him a text about whatever he missed this morning.

He really hopes Martin thought to email his students. He’ll try to remember to ask Tim to check. If Tim’s even coming.

Christ, he’s not thinking straight.

He thinks Tim is coming, but if not, he’s got paracetamol, his inhaler, water, a thermos of tea, some saltines, a little cup of applesauce, excedrin, a thermometer (Jon isn’t sure why Martin left him that, there is no way he’s going to use that he just… really really hates thermometers, they mean he’s ill and that meant no school and staying quiet alone and miserable in his room so ill to open a book if he was ill enough for his grandmother to notice, it was less bad when he got to go to the school nurse. Actually got some medicine sometimes, but they often sent him home too, and then his grandmother was cross that she had to pick him up. In any case, no thermometer if he has a say in it.), bin, tissues (again Jon isn’t sure why, he’s not particularly congested, but Martin is Martin and is taking care of him even when he’s at work which makes Jon feel warm to his core, not from the fever that he knows he’s running.), lucozade, and his cane. Everything in easy reach.

He should probably take some medicine, but even reaching that far feels like too much. He’s just going to lay here, on top of his blanket pile until the fever chills take him back and he has to burrow under them again. It’s been the challenge all night to find a comfortable enough temperature to sleep. A challenge he’s mostly been losing. Leaving him feeling gritty and heavy and with a headache.

He just wants to sleep. Drifting in and out of it with frantic almost laziness. Rolling heat to biting cold. He wishes he could get his laptop, willing to bear the brightness if only to get a distraction from his discomfort.

He’s just managed a trip to and from the loo, when Tim arrives. Jon’s collapsed back on his blanket nest on the couch when Tim calls out before keys jangle in the lock. Jon’s too busy trying not to pass out to make out words. He’s impressed he managed the loo without a surprise nap. But, he can make no promises that he won’t pass out now.

He comes to with the inside of Tim’s wrist pressed to his forehead. With a quiet gasp. And then a frankly embarrassing sound as he fully absorbs how wonderfully cool Tim’s wrist is.

“Hey there, bud. Hate to ask, but did you just pass out from just lying there, because if so, I’m gonna have to be a little worried?”

Jon tries to focus on Tim. “No… no got back from the toilet and surprise nap.”

Tim looks relieved.

Jon is just relieved that he isn’t alone. Where he can too easily spiral. Being alone and miserable leaves it too easy to slip into memories. Especially with the impressive fever that he’s got to be running, if the agonizing walk from couch to loo and loo to couch is any indication. His muscles are shaking from fatigue from that pathetically short walk, and he’d had a death grip on his cane and the wall to keep upright. Christ, he’s really not well.

Tim makes a big show of wiping his brow and breathing a sigh of relief. “Hey think you can give me some of the couch?”

Jon would love to, he nods, but consciousness flutters when he tries to sit up. Losing his vision to the dizziness again. Tim catches him against his chest, and gently holds him steady as he slips onto the couch, positioning Jon as best he can. Jon snuggling against Tim’s hooded jumper.

He still can’t believe he’s allowed to do this. A few years ago, Tim didn’t want to be in the same room with him. But …here he is. Here when it counts. (Although Martin would probably tell him that it counted earlier too, that Tim should have been by his side, a thought that he’s been trying to work through in therapy, and Jon is working through in reverse in his own.) Jon could cry. Might cry. Fever’s high enough that he probably will.

“Got a bit worried when you didn’t answer any texts. Wanted to see if you needed anything.”

“‘m sorry.” Jon really hadn’t thought to check his phone, and even if he had, well not as if he’d been up to reading anything on a tiny bright screen. Even the thought of doing so makes his head hurt more than it already does.

“Don’t worry about it. Have you taken some meds recently?”

Jon has no idea what time it is, or when Martin left. Can’t even keep track of how light it is outside with the blinds drawn and his face shoved into Tim. “Had some before Martin left?”

Tim’s got an arm around Jon. He’s rubbing his back. And there is a tightness in Jon’s chest. It’s been years. It’s been years. It’s been years, and he still can’t believe that Tim is really back and here and cares. Tim could hold him every moment he can stand touch, and it wouldn’t be enough. Jon needs. He needs the attention and care, and just needs his friend in general. And if he didn’t feel so sick, he could happily live in this moment forever. If he wasn’t dizzy and feverish and dreadfully queasy.

Tim’s hand stills, and a shuddery breath escapes Jon with the absence.

Tim’s heart lurches. He goes back to rubbing Jon’s back. He’s pretty sure this is Jon crying and not Jon about to puke. Jon’s decent at letting him know these sorts of things, or at least is consistent in his physical cues. “Hey, bud. Just gonna get you some fever reducers, it’s about time, I think. Marto texted me when he was leaving. Sorry about leaving you alone for a bit. Had to finish up my shift and grab a shower and grab some soup making stuff and some DVDs, in case you wanna watch anything. But, I’m not going anywhere. You’re stuck with me.”

Jon huffs a watery laugh. Or maybe it’s a sob. it’s damp, but that’s okay.

“You just gotta sit up a little. Wow, Marto really stocked up the coffee table for you, huh. He loves you a lot. Also, he worries.”

Tim tilts Jon slightly more upright, and wipes away the tears, before handing him some medicine and some lucozade. Martin said Jon had been sick earlier (probably more due to the POTS flaring up, Martin hoped, and Tim also hopes. Not that a POTS flare up is a good thing, but if he can keep Jon full of salt and keep his feet up, he shouldn’t have any trouble keeping fluids in him, which makes things easier), in any case, the electrolytes are probably a good idea.

“You thrown up recently?”

Signs ‘no.’ That’s good.

“Wanna try some crackers?”

Jon shrugs.

“If you’re up to it later, I can make us some soup, ‘kay?”

Jon nods, looking …faded. Probably best to get his legs up and him cozy.

“Mind if I get you in a more comfy position?”

Jon doesn’t answer, just blinks dizzily, so Tim carefully gets up, and props Jon’s feet up with the decorative pillows that he knows Jon thinks are stupid, and tucks a couple of the blankets around Jon. Not too many, not wanting Jon’s temperature to climb any higher, but he can’t just watch Jon shiver. Hurts too much to watch.

Reminds him of all the times he ignored him. All the times he hasn’t been there. And there’ve been many. He should have been there.

So he’ll risk a couple blankets, even though Jon is burning away. Hopefully the fever reducers do their job soon. He does, however get a damp flannel for Jon’s forehead while he’s up.

He thinks Jon might be unconscious again, but he won’t worry about that unless he doesn’t come around in a minute or so.

Jon’s awake again by the time Tim has himself settled back on the couch.

“How about some TV? You up for that?”

Jon just whines.

“We’ll start some, and if it makes it worse, we’ll turn it off, okay?”

Jon wiggles a little, getting comfortable. And Tim chuckles.

“Okay, bud. You get some rest, okay? I’ll make you some soup later, if you’re up for it. I got ingredients for your favorite. Or smoothies, if that sounds better.”

Jon makes a sound of complaint as Tim as started to talk over the intro music.

Tim chuckles. “Alright, alright. Just let me know if you get hungry. Martin will be home tonight, until then, you’re stuck with me.”

Jon falls asleep within an episode with Tim gently carding his fingers through his hair.

#the magnus archives #tma #fic #sickfic #hurt/ comfort #whump #jonathan sims #tim stoker #timothy stoker #my words #my writing #cw fever #cw nausea #cw fainting

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mintymiknow · 3 years

Text

Trust Fall - ch. 15 | Lee Minho

summary | character profiles | masterlist

Pairing: Lee Minho/Lee Know x Reader

Summary: Your mission with SKZ is about to come to its end, and so is, perhaps, your time with them. Of course, feelings become clearer as well, and so you must make the most of whatever is left

Genre: Secret agent/spy au, romance, angst, action

Word count: Approx. 7.7k

Warnings for this chapter: Highly suggestive and implied mature content (nothing explicit, but I’ve added another warning just before the part starts in case you want to skip it!)

A/N: Another long wait, I’m so sorry for that; I’m just super busy. But, here is chapter 15! I might not be able to update for another long period because my academic requirements are very heavy for the next few weeks. I hope this tides everyone over for now, so please enjoy this chapter! Have fun, and don’t hesitate to drop an ask for any questions or comments!

Slumped on the couch of the lounge room are a few of the boys, eyes glued to the TV screen as another sappy rom-com plays out. Changbin is half-asleep when the on-screen couple kisses, but Hyunjin, on the other hand, squeals and shoves Minho in an attempt to tease him. The older agent furrows his eyebrows in confusion, causing the long-haired agent to laugh.

Chan chuckles softly as he reads the new book Seungmin got him, “Minho isn’t sappy like the guy in the movie, Jinnie.”

“I know, but maybe he can try.” Hyunjin continues to tease, “Where is y/n when I need her to help me with this?”

Minho lightly smirks, shaking his head in amusement, “She’s in the lab with Jisung. Those two couldn’t rest without testing the serums and whatever.”

“Then why is Seungmin here and not there?” Jeongin teases.

Seungmin pinches the younger’s cheek, “Because I already did my part. The stuff they’re doing is now super science-heavy, and you know I lean more on the medical side of this.”

Jeongin giggles when he flops back down on the bean bag, resting his hands behind his head as he does so, “I can’t believe we’re about to wrap this case up. It feels like it was just yesterday.”

Felix looks up from his phone and tilts his head, “I think it’s been...a few months?”

“More or less.” Chan hums, flipping the page of his book.

“I’m gonna miss y/n.” Felix pouts cutely, “She’s a really good friend. She’s caring and listens well and always makes sure I’m resting these precious eyes. She’s like a big sister.”

“Well, she is a doctor.” Hyunjin chuckles, “Caring is part of her nature, I guess.”

Jeongin grins, “Maybe, but it is her personality as well. And, she’s really fun to be with during free time. She’s a bit reserved, but she’s willing to try out activities if we ask her to.”

“Yup, sounds like a big sister.” Minho laughs.

Suddenly, Changbin is much more awake as he sits up and gently elbows Minho’s rib, “Not to you, lover boy.”

Felix makes his way towards Minho to sit next to him, clinging to his arm and pouting his lips, “Can you convince y/n to stay even after this case? Pretty please?”

“I don’t think I can do that, Lix.” Minho says apologetically, “First, her agreement with Jung was to leave as soon as her job here was done. Secondly, I don’t think we can just have her waltz right back in when she was the one who left back then.”

Chan hums as if deep in thought before stating, “Technically, she can work here again, but that would depend on Jung’s judgement, and if she really wants to.”

“Yikes, Min. Just say you want her to stay.” Hyunjin laughs.

“I do.” Minho smirks, “But like I said, she’s an independent woman and I’ll respect whatever decision she has to make.”

Seungmin shrugs, “Never did I think I would see the day that Minho has the look of love in his eyes once again.”

“Hey, I look at you guys with love.” Minho smirks playfully.

Hyunjin scoffs before chuckling, “In what universe?”

“Come here, Hwang.”

Minho crawls over to Hyunjin, and the two proceed to have a mock wrestling match. Hyunjin lets out a shriek just as the lounge room door opens to reveal you and Jisung standing in both confusion and amusement.

“Well, hello.” Hyunjin says as if he didn’t just shriek with a shrill voice.

You stifle a laugh by biting your lip - which, by the way, sends arrows to Minho’s heart - while Jisung grins cheerily and waves at the group. “So, y/n and I are finally done!” the scientist beams, “The solution has been tried and tested, and we’ve made several vials of it already.”

The two of you walk towards the other agents who are now sitting up on the couch or bean bags. You pull a small bottle from your bag and show it to the agents, “This is it.”

Chan smiles in awe, his warm eyes looking at you, Jisung and Seungmin proudly, “I can’t believe you guys did it. That’s amazing.”

“Now give y/n a reward kiss.” Jisung says quickly before clearing his throat, “As I was saying, we can report this to Jung and get the plans rolling and whatever. The solution is ready, this case is going to close!”

“I’m ready to wrap this up.” Changbin says as he stands up and stretches, “Should I file a report for Jung?”

Chan nods, “I’ll go with you.”

Hyunjin leans back on the couch, “Let us know what he says.”

Minho follow suit and gets up as well, nodding at the younger agent’s words, “Got it.”

The eldest agent then gestures for Changbin and Minho to follow him out of the room. With Chan and Changbin walking ahead, Minho briefly stops next to you and flashes a small smile. He doesn’t say anything - just smiles - while his eyes swim with a million emotions at once. You manage to pick apart a symphony of sadness, pride and happiness in the swirls of his eyes, but you aren’t quite sure what he meant with his gaze.

In response, you give him a gentle smile and nod your head. You aren’t sure what you’re nodding to or what that response was supposed to mean, but you did hope that it somehow made things...easier and lighter for the both of you.

With that, Minho lets out a soft chuckle and calls out to Felix, “We’ll contact you when Jung tells us the next step, alright?”

The freckled agent playfully salutes, “Got it!”

Minho regroups with Chan and Changbin by the door and from then, the three agents make their leave and walk towards the main HQ. Hyunjin pats the couch, gesturing for you and Jisung to sit down. You both do so, finally feeling relaxed after working for hours straight. Jeongin melts into the bean bag once more, his smile wide as he speaks, “Now that this case is coming to an end, what has been the best and worst part of this case for you, y/n? Since you’re kind of the ‘newbie’ here.”

“Worst part is definitely getting chased by Cle’s agents and nearly dying several times.” you say lightly with a playful shudder, “And...finding out about Hyunbin’s true identity.”

Jisung, despite being younger, is definitely taller, so he smothers you with what he calls “Jisung’s 100% successful comforting hugs”. The gesture makes you chuckle as you reciprocate the hug, holding your now best friend close to you. Jeongin hums as he tilts his head, making the mischievous glint in his eyes very obvious, “And the best?”

“I…” you trail off, a faint shade of pink on your cheeks, “...being able to be friends with you guys…”

Felix pretends to cry where he sits, bringing a hand to his heart. Jeongin imitates his friend, though his fake-crying is much more exaggerated. Hyunjin looks like a child who was gifted with the best toy in town, and Jisung snuggles closer to you. Seungmin, for a few seconds, smiles like a friendly puppy with sparkly, bright eyes before switching into a more devious expression, “And being able to date Minho?”

“I - ” you trip on your words, pointing a finger at your friend, “We aren’t dating! Or at least...I don’t think we are. I already made that clear.”

Seungmin wiggles his eyebrows, the hum coming out of him nothing but taunting, “But you do love him, don’t you?”

“I love all of you.” you pout.

Hyunjin nods his head with a soft smile, “I’m very grateful that you do love us, but you gotta admit you love Minho in a different way.”

“That’s…” you trail off, sighing and melting in Jisung’s arms as the male continues to hug you, “It’s just really complicated.”

“How so?” Jeongin genuinely inquires.

“After this case...I…” you can’t seem to bring yourself to finish your sentence; you don’t even know why it’s so difficult, but the words remain stuck in your throat.

“We know you’re going back to Gongjak.” Felix says sadly, “But can’t you...stay? Stay here with us instead?”

“There’s a reason why Jung and I came to the agreement of me leaving when this case or mission was over, Lix.” you say apologetically, “My earlier years in SKZ brought in a lot of pain and suffering that can’t be erased no matter what. In fact, working on this case brought in more of that. It was just...made easier thanks to all of you, but...it still brought an abundance of heartache. I don’t think...I actually don’t know, Lix. I haven’t thought about the aftermath, come to think of it.”

Seungmin offers a reassuring smile, “Don’t worry about it, y/n. We’ll cross that bridge when we get there. No need to be so hard on yourself.”

“Yeah. We want you to do what’s best for you.” Felix adds in with a beaming smile, “Besides, you may not be with us physically, but we’ll keep in touch, yeah?”

“Of course.” you find yourself smiling, a fluffy and warm feeling blossoming inside you that consumed every inch of you with comfort.

But there also is a bittersweet inkling that stains that feeling; a gnawing irritation that causes you to think the worst - to think that when this is over, everyone will move on with their lives like you never crossed paths in the first place.

You wanted the case to end already, yet at the same time, you wished it didn’t.

A day later, you, Jisung, Seungmin, Jung and the other agents circled around the lab table, a variety of bottles, vials and test tubes laid out on the surface. Jisung explains how the solution works, and without wasting any more time, you use the solution on the Cle serums the team has gathered so far. Within seconds, the copper-like liquid fades in color, turning into nothing but a transparent, clear liquid.

Holding one test tube up, you say, “We’ve basically rendered it harmless, but I still advise against directly getting it onto your skin as it might mildly irritate it. But...the solution makes it safe to dispose of Cle’s serums now. The solution renders the serum into its weakest state, and once mixed with water or evaporated in the air, the chemical properties are gone and make it safe to throw.”

“I see.” Jung smiles and nods his head approvingly, “You’ve outdone yourself this time, Dr. Song.”

“I had great help.” you shrug, turning to Seungmin and Jisung with a small smile; the two males mirror the action.

Chan crosses his arms with a twinkle in his eye, “So, now that we’ve established this, what’s the next step, sir?”

Jung nods, “Yes. We proceed to interfere with Cle’s first transaction.”

The head gestures towards Minho who responds with a nod, “The most recent intel our team has gathered is that Cle is going to entertain a negotiation with an undisclosed third-party in two days in Jeju. This negotiation is said to be for the transaction of several crates full of their serum.”

“Yes.” Jung confirms, “So, we’ll head to Jeju tomorrow and anticipate the business transaction. We will interfere and stop them at all costs. This is one step towards eradicating their entire serum operation as from what the agents have gathered, most of Cle’s completed serums are being sold off in this particular transaction.”

Minho nods, “I suppose Chan, Changbin and I are going?”

Jung puts a finger to his chin as if contemplating a thought; a few seconds pass before he nods definitively, “Yes, you three. I’ll accompany you as well. I believe we should bring Felix as well, so that he can assist with communications and the mainframe systems of the hotel Cle’s transaction is happening.”

“He hasn’t been on a field mission outside of HQ in a while.” Chan chuckles lightly, “I’m sure he’ll appreciate coming with us.”

Jung smiles with an amused laugh, “Is that so? Well then, he’ll come along. I suggest you all get your rest as we’ll be flying to Jeju tomorrow. I’ll have Felix arrange for the flight and accommodations now.”

Chan nods his head and gestures towards the door. With that, Minho and Changbin follow him out of the room. You offer Jisung and Seungmin a smile before speaking, “I’ll clean up here. You two can prepare the solutions for the agents.”

Jisung flashes you a grin and waves, “Cool, thanks y/n!”

Seungmin follows him out the door after saying his thanks, leaving you in the room with Jung. You assume he’s going to take his leave as well, so you busy yourself with tidying up the lab table. However, the head clears his throat and breaks the silence, “Dr. Song.”

You nod your head, “Yes?”

“I am assuming that you want to tag along tomorrow?”

“Yes.” you chew on your lip, “Am I...not allowed to?”

“Oh, no. You are allowed to, but...I strongly advise against it.” Jung states.

This has you tilting your head as you furrow your eyebrows and ask, “Why?”

“We’re dealing with officials and bosses of Cle there.” Jung explains carefully, “And that may include Baek. I know how he...triggers you and I’d hate to see you go through turmoil in such a stressful mission. Minho would hate that.”

“Minho won’t let that happen. I won’t let that happen.” - is what you want to say, but you choose to keep it to yourself.

Instead, you reply, “I appreciate your concern, but I...personally want - no, need - to be there. I was there, working for Baek when this serum first came to be, and I want to see with my own eyes that it’s being stopped for good.”

Jung furrows his eyebrows with concern, “Are you certain, Dr. Song? I know Minho will do everything in his power to keep you safe, but he can’t guarantee that. I can’t either. You’re much safer here.”

A small smile spreads across your lips as you nod at Jung’s words. “I know, but I believe this is something I can’t miss out on. If you will let me, I will go as well. I promise not to hinder or get in the way of the mission.” you say with an unshakable firmness.

Jung chuckles lightly, shaking his head, “No wonder he likes you so much. Well, if that’s your choice, I will not stop you. Do get some rest though, Dr. Song. We shall leave tomorrow.”

“Yes, Mr. Jung.”

With that, the head politely bows and you mirror the action. He then exits the room, leaving you alone to tidy up the lab.

Later on, when all tasks have been finished and each agent is off to do their own things or preparations, you finally make your way back to the living quarters, taking Jung’s advice to get some needed rest for the final mission tomorrow. As you walk across the lobby and approach the elevators, you see Minho standing with Chan, the two males talking with smiles on their faces; it always amused you on how those two were nearly inseparable. It was bittersweet, as seeing Minho in a softer, gentler light was nice, but his bond with Chan also reminded you of what could have been between you and Hyunbin.

Chan notices you from the corner of his eye and smiles, “Oh hello, y/n.”

You nod and smile back, “Hi.”

Minho gives you a smile, and Chan tries not to bite his lip in giddiness. The younger male speaks, “Heading to your room?”

“Yeah, get some rest.” you answer, gesturing to the two, “I assume you two will do the same? Or are you going to follow Jisung and Hyunjin to the bar?”

Chan laughs, “No, but close. I’m going to the snack bar. I...lost a bet and owe Jeongin a snack.”

You chuckle, “Interesting event.”

Chan grins, a hint of mischief brewing in his eyes, “Minho’s gonna get some rest though...so…”

Minho lightly smiles before playfully smacking Chan’s shoulder. The older male lets out a warm laugh just as the elevator arrives and the door opens. The three of you step in, but Chan gets out ahead at the floor of the snack bar.

As the elevator ascends to your floor level, Minho leans against the wall and chuckles, “You can say no, but - ”

“Yes.”

“I haven’t even finished.” Minho laughs.

You chuckle, shaking your head in amusement, “Yeah, but I already know what you’re gonna say.” you lightly pat his chest, “So yes, you can stay.”

“You really can’t stay away from me, huh?” Minho teases.

The elevator door opens, and the two of you walk towards your room. While walking, you playfully scoff, “Me? You’re the one going to my room.”

“But you can refuse. You just don’t want to.”

“Doesn’t change the fact that you want to be with me.”

“I could always go to Seungmin’s room to annoy him.”

“No.” you blush after realizing how quick you responded, “I mean...Seungmin needs the rest...so...no. Don’t bother him.”

“You need the rest too.”

“I rest better when...you’re with me.” you choke out.

Minho smirks, “What was that?”

“Nothing.” you grumble after getting your door unlocked and stepping inside.

Minho follows after you, closing the door with a click. After kicking off your shoes and hanging your lab coat on a hanger, you flop onto your bed and release a relieved sigh. Minho chuckles as he joins you, sitting by the edge. “Jung told me you were insistent on coming along.” he says.

You close your eyes and hum, “Yes. I just...it’s like closure for me.”

Minho nods, a small smile on his lips, “Alright. But y/n, this might be more dangerous than all the previous missions you’ve gone to with us. We’re talking about a really important business transaction, so Cle is surely going to have much more skilled protection.”

“I know.” you reply, “I promise I won’t get in the way.”

“That’s not what I’m worried about.” Minho sighs, laying down next to you so your arms rested against each other, “It’s your safety.”

“I…” you look for the right words, “I’ll take care. I’ll stay away from danger. I’ll stay with Felix.”

“That seems to be best.” Minho hums, reaching for your hand to weave your fingers together.

You give his hand a quick squeeze. The two of you lay side-by-side in silence, allowing the tranquility of the moment to settle and blanket over you. Minho is about to doze off when you suddenly speak, voice soft and hushed almost as if you were afraid to break the silence.

“The case is really almost done, huh…”

Minho slowly peels his eyes open and hums, “Yeah.”

Another second of silence.

“What’s it like for you agents? When a major case or mission is done?” you ask, and Minho can tell you’ve shifted your head to look at him and not the ceiling.

The male blinks a few times before answering, “Well, life goes on. We take a day or two off, preferably to recuperate or recover especially if we have injuries. Then...more missions and tasks.”

“What are you going to do after this?” you ask, though really, the question is directed more to yourself than to Minho.

“Eat, sleep and probably hang out with the boys.” Minho says casually, “You?”

And the dreaded question.

Technically, both you and Minho were aware that the original agreement you and Jung had was that you’d return to Gongjak after this case. But things happened, feelings bloomed and second thoughts resurfaced, so now, going back to your job at the hospital didn’t seem too...exciting.

With a sigh that held all your confused thoughts and contemplating musings, you answer, “I haven’t thought about it until now.”

Minho is about to open his mouth to say something when he stops abruptly; he closes his mouth when he feels you shifting around to climb on top of him, essentially laying above his body. The male can’t help but smile to himself as you lie down atop him, your head perfectly rested against his chest. As if on instinct, he wraps one arm around you while the other gently strokes the back of your head.

“What’s gotten into you?” he laughs lightly.

“I just…” you trail off and release a chuckle, “...wanted to relish the moment.”

“Hmm...hey.”

This prompts you to lift your head, eyes meeting Minho’s sleepy yet soft gaze. A slow smile eases its way to the agent’s lips as he whispers, “Thank you.”

“For what?”

But Minho doesn’t answer your question; instead, he gently presses his lips to yours, allowing you to adjust to the languid, sweet pace he set for you two. You reciprocate his kiss in an instant, humming in delight when the male deepens it ever-so-slightly. The kiss was like sugar melting on top of a hot cinnamon roll to form a syrup-like consistency; it oozes and covers you with a thick, warm and sweet feeling.

When you both pull away, you whisper against Minho’s lips, “I should be the one saying ‘thank you’ to you.”

“You know we’re going to argue about who says what to who for hours, right?” Minho jokes.

You laugh with him, resting your head on his chest once again. “Whatever, Minho.” you mumble.

Minho lets a few seconds pass before he angles his head to check on you. When he sees that you’ve fallen asleep, a warm feeling blooms in him yet again. Soft snores escape your semi-parted lips, he’s almost tempted to kiss you again.

But he doesn’t and simply chooses to run his fingers through your hair, lulling you further into sleep. With his other arm still wrapped around you, Minho closes his eyes as well, allowing himself to, as you put it, relish the moment before succumbing to sleep.

The next day, the Jeju team is driven to the airport by two of the other officers in the organization. In one car, it’s you, Felix and Minho, while in the other one is Jung, Chan and Changbin. Once at the airport, the team is ushered towards a more private area where a “private jet” of sorts is provided. The rest of the team is also there ahead of your group.

You gape your mouth in awe, causing Minho to smirk at you. He ruffles your hair before walking towards the jet with the other agents and Jung. Felix falls into step beside you and loops an arm around yours, “Government connections kind of situation.”

“I see.” you chuckle lightly, walking with the freckled male towards the jet.

Once settled inside, Changbin takes a quick nap while Minho and Chan are busy going over some papers and files. Jung is eating some of the food being served while talking to other agents. You and Felix sit across each other, sharing a slice of cake that was served. “Have you been to Jeju, y/n?” Felix asks.

“Yeah, but mostly for seminars and medical or science work.” you reply, “You?”

“A few times for missions. I’ve been there for vacation once or twice with the other boys.” the younger male chuckles, “But that was I think two years ago or so.”

“Must be exciting for you to be back, then.”

“Yeah! It’s a really nice place.” Felix grins after chewing a piece of cake, “When we get the chance, we should all go...in a non-mission context of course.”

“Sounds good.” you offer a small smile; would that still be possible even after you walk away from all of this? All of them?

You don’t dwell on those thoughts much longer because Felix begins to share a story on how he and Jeongin got “lost” in Jeju for a day while the older boys were busy sightseeing. You tune out any worrisome thoughts and opt to give all your attention to Felix’s storytelling, smiling once more at his innocent enthusiasm.

After some time, the team arrives at Jeju and is once again greeted by pre-arranged agents - according to Chan, they’re SKZ agents stationed at Jeju. After each of you gets all your belongings, the Jeju team ushers everyone to the designated transportation and is driven to the hotel where the mission should be taking place.

While Jung and Chan are warmly getting things settled with the receptionist, you and Minho stand to the side and watch. Changbin and Felix seem to be looking outside where the hotel looks over to a beautiful beach.

“You know,” Minho starts, “it would be more fun in here if we were actually in Jeju for a vacation and not a mission.”

You grin, “Yeah? Felix did mention that.”

The agent half-smirks, half-smiles, “How does a Jeju vacation with us sound? Me, Chan, the other boys?”

Your cheeks blush a faint pink shade as you smile at the male, “You know I’d like that.”

“Oh? You would?”

“Definitely.”

“Hmm.” Minho’s lips curl into a smile as he reaches for your hand, holding onto it with a gentle squeeze, “Guess I’ll have to tell Chan about that.”

After a few more minutes, Chan and Jung return with keys and room assignments. The head explains that the agents need to go through the main plan and backup plan as soon as possible, as well as scout the area for an advantage against the enemies for tomorrow’s mission. While he’s talking to Changbin and a few other agents, Chan walks over to you and Minho.

“In case you wanted an explanation,” the eldest agent starts with a smile, “we’re here a day ahead of the actual mission date so that we agents can have some sort of upper hand.”

You nod, “So you can check on the hotel’s layout, familiarize yourselves with the surveillance and tech systems, right?”

“Yeah, exactly.” Chan chuckles, “Felix does a lot of that. As for Minho, Changbin, me and the rest of the team, we’re also here earlier so we can have some sort of bearing as to how the main plan goes, where to go and what to find in case we need to use backup plans, and routes to utilize in worst-case-scenarios.”

“I see.” you smile, “I was kind of wondering why Jung had us all go so early when the actual mission is tomorrow.”

“Yeah, it’s normal. But you can also use this time to check on the bottles of solutions and get some rest afterwards.” Chan smiles at both you and Minho, “Come on, time to work.”

With the agents spending the rest of the day getting ready and familiarizing themselves with the place and going through plans, the evening comes by quicker than expected. You did your part and monitored the solutions the team had brought and made sure everything was safe and intact in that aspect. Afterwards, you had dinner with Felix before the younger agent excused himself to check on the tech equipment one last time.

It wasn’t that late yet, probably 9:00 in the evening, when you returned to your hotel room to rest. You got showered and changed into your sleepwear before grabbing a book Hyunjin had lent you for the time being. Seated on the bed with your back against the headboard, you immerse yourself in the said book.

An hour and a half passes by when you’re more than halfway through the book when you hear a knock on the door, followed by a familiar voice speaking your name - it’s Minho, of course.

You get up and open the door for the male, greeting him with a tilt of your head, “Am I needed for something?”

Minho chuckles, “Nope. Just wanted to see you.”

You don’t fight the blush that spreads across your face, “Oh...well...don’t just stand there I guess.”

You step to the side to let Minho in before closing the door and locking it once he does. You both walk further into the room where you sit on the bed and yawn, “Are you guys done preparing for tomorrow?”

Minho sits next to you and stretches before leaning back to lay on the bed while letting out a breath of exhaustion. “Yeah, it’s time to rest.” he hums, closing his eyes.

“Let me guess...you've decided to rest...or actually - sleep - in my room again?” you laugh.

Minho laughs, his smile so stupidly charming, “You know me so well.”

“I’m not surprised.” you smile at him, playfully grabbing a pillow and lightly smacking him.

The male lets out a comical “oof” before sitting up and wrapping his arms around your shoulders, burying his face at the side of your neck. You stifle a giggle, running your hands through his hair, “I can see you’re very tired. I suggest you sleep now.”

Minho lifts his head, resting his chin on your shoulder to look into your eyes with a sleepy smile. You chuckle, lifting a finger to lightly tap the tip of his nose. “Are you going to oppose my...medical suggestion?” you joke around.

“And what if I will?” Minho smirks in response.

“Naughty patient.” you pout.

A switch triggers in Minho, and his smirk turns more mischievous as his eyes twinkle with a hazed excitement.

“I’ll show you naughty.”

**[Warning: heavily suggestive themes begin here, but nothing explicit. Still, it highly implies intimate acts and may describe things vaguely, so should you wish to skip this, press CTRL + F (or any command to help you search for words on a webpage) and search “And so after you both clean up and take a shower”. You can continue reading from there]

You roll your eyes at his flirtatious remark, but the male is quick to silence any sort of snappy remark that tries to leave your lips. In an instant, his lips are on yours, clashing with a burning hunger. The force of it all causes you to gasp, and Minho takes the opportunity to kiss deeper; of course, you don’t resist and respond to his advances with equal zeal.

Minho gently grabs your wrist, effortlessly pulling you on top of his lap. While you straddle the male, your arms wrap around his neck to pull your bodies closer. Minho continues to kiss and kiss and kiss until you pull away, a panting mess with swollen lips and very flushed cheeks. He, however, doesn’t give you a second to breathe as he latches his lips onto the skin of your neck, starting with feather-light kisses.

“Minho.” you breathe out, unconsciously tilting your head back slightly.

He just hums, a faint smirk forming on his lips just before he proceeds to press open-mouthed kisses on the junction between your beck and shoulder. After you gasp out again, said kisses now turn into occasional licks and sucks, surely promising a canvas of purple blooms the next day. As if he couldn’t make things any more...heated, Minho’s hands freely roam your body, traversing every inch like he needed to feel something. You press yourself closer to him, humming in satisfaction.

When he pulls away, his eyes are on you, dark with desire but still retaining its warmth. “I think you know where this is going, but I’ll only push through if you’ll let me.” he whispers, placing a peck on your lips.

You can’t help but giggle, nodding your head, “I’m all yours.”

“So am I.”

With that, the agent grabs the hem of your shirt, lifting it up and pulling it over your head. Soon follows your shorts and underwear, leaving you bare. It wasn’t as if this was the first time Minho saw you naked; the moment of intimacy you both shared in your room after the rooftop was the first.

Yet as you sit on Minho’s lap, very much aware of his eyes on you, the tips of your ears burn red. Minho, however, doesn’t waste any time in littering every inch of your body with kisses, his lips grazing your skin in a dangerously addicting way; every kiss, lick and nibble on your body sends tingles of pleasure in their wake, causing you to shudder in delight.

With his face buried into your chest, your fingers come to tangle into his messy hair, tugging the strands whenever his lips grazed a certain area; the sound that leaves Minho’s lips spurs you on, giving his hair another tug. Growing slightly impatient, the male holds onto your hips, using subtle movements to grind you down onto him. Yet another gasp - or maybe it was a moan now - escapes you, and it just makes the male guide your movements quicker.

His lips leave your chest, returning to hungrily kissing your own lips. Tongues meet and dance in a fiery performance, wet and sloppy sounds echoing in the hotel room. Minho sucks on your tongue, one hand leaving your hips in favor of caressing a certain area.

“Minho, please.” you whisper shakily, disconnecting from the kiss, hands gripping his shoulders.

The male chuckles warmly, his breath fanning against your skin. He shifts around, carefully laying you down on the bed with him looming over you. He kneels for a moment, unbuttoning his shirt while smiling fondly at you. You playfully roll your eyes, hearing the sound of his belt clinking. When he leans over you again, your arms automatically snake around his neck.

You peck his lips and ask, “Are you...sure we can be doing this? Especially if you have a mission tomorrow?”

He responds with a slow kiss on your lips, “All the more reason for us to do this.”

You furrow your eyebrows with a slight pout on your lips. “Meaning?” you mumble, mind going to a fairly negative direction such as “his life being in danger in tomorrow’s mission, leaving you with the possibility of him getting gravely injured or even dying”.

Minho chuckles lightly, bringing a hand up to gently sweep a few strands of hair away from your face. He places a gentle kiss on your forehead, then your nose, then your lips. “Nothing.” he starts, a small smile on his lips before he says your words from the other night back at you, “I’m just...relishing the moment.”

He distracts you with a hypnotizing kiss, slow and intimate compared to the hungrier ones you shared not too long ago. With his lips feeling like velvet sliding against your own, the male pushes in, earning a pleased gasp from you. Shifting around to make sure both of you were comfortable with everything, Minho supports himself with one arm while the other snakes behind the small of your back, arching it to bring your body closer to his.

Maybe it was the prospect of tomorrow’s mission being more serious and dangerous than usual. Maybe it was the idea that this may be the last time you two get to spend a night like this before you walk away and leave SKZ behind for good in favor of returning to your life as a doctor in Seoul’s top hospital.

Or maybe it was the realization that yes, you both loved each other and wished you realized sooner so you could have more time with each other.

Nonetheless, Minho’s thrusts tonight were filled with urgency; no, it wasn’t a pathetic or desperate sense of urgency, but more of an urgency to get his feelings and intentions across - an urgency to know if you felt the same. An urgency to make sure that if this was surely the last, then it should at least be monumental.

His kisses, though slow and now sloppy with how you were both moving against each other in perfect rhythm, held a delicate yet solid promise that kept you grounded. The agent moved his hips with purpose as did you, lips clashing and breaths mingling. Your nails raked the skin of his scarred back, digging into the flesh as if it were the only way to keep him with you. Your cries for his name and moans of pleasure entered his mouth like a mantra, filling him with more purpose, and his own groans and grunts sent tingles and showers of shivers through every inch of you.

Soon, the male has you seeing stars of ecstasy, blinding you and filling every sense with unexplainable pleasure. With one last shaky cry of his name coming from you, Minho sees the stars as well, now burying his head between your neck and shoulder as he slowly halts his hips. You both remain in place for a few more seconds; Minho lightly kisses your neck while you run your fingers through his hair, both of you catching your breaths.

After a while, Minho pulls away and looks at you, smiling warmly, “I’m sorry, I know you already took a shower.”

“It’s fine.” you chuckle, sitting up as he does, “Just...stay”

“Of course.”

You and Minho then lay on the bed, cuddled up in each other’s arms, the soft cottony sheets pulled over your bodies. As usual, you rest your head where it fits perfectly by the crook of his neck, hands gently rested on his chest. Minho wraps his arms around you, ensuring that you were as close as possible. Now, Minho was much more used to not falling asleep, so it doesn’t surprise him that you’re drowsier than he is right now.

With a yawn, your words slur as you speak, “Good night, Minho. Don’t die on me tomorrow.”

He chuckles to himself, kissing your forehead, “Good night. I promise I won’t, y/n.”

As expected, you fall asleep within a few minutes, snuggly safe and secure in his arms as you snore your exhaustion away. Minho tucks in a strand of hair behind your ear and kisses the crown of your head. With his lips against your hair, he mumbles, “I love you.”

If he notices the way you shift even closer to him, he doesn’t say anything.

If you could sleep for another hour, you’d gladly take the offer. Who wouldn’t? The hotel bed was amazingly soft and comfortable, and the man holding you close made you feel safe and warm. However, it’s mission day, and a sudden knock on your hotel door followed by a cheerful “It’s Felix” wakes both you and Minho up.

You’re still a bit groggy, head filled with sleep, so Minho gets up and puts his pants back on. He opens the door to reveal a smiley Felix, waving in greeting, “Good morning, Minho.”

“Morning, Lix.” Minho offers a small smile before stepping to the side to let Felix in.

By the time you’ve shaken the sleep from your eyes and are more awake now, Felix is already by the corner of the room, sitting on a chair with a laptop on the small table. You grab the sheets and use it to cover your bare body, stuttering at the morning’s events, “Felix?”

Felix chuckles, eyes never leaving his laptop, “Morning, y/n!”

Your eyes dart to Minho who is leaning against the wall near Felix. “You said you’d stay with Felix during the mission, so here he is. You’ll both stay here.” the older agent explains.

“I see...but Minho…” you clear your throat, eyes wide as you glance down to the sheets covering your body to get the male to realize what you’re trying to get at.

Minho walks over, placing a kiss on top of your head before whispering, “You can get dressed in the bathroom. Promise, Lix is a good kid; he won’t look.”

With that, the agent drapes one of his jackets around your shoulders and offers a small smile. “Lix.” he says warmly.

The freckled agent nods with a smile, bringing his hands over his eyes, “I’m not looking. Trust me!”

You stifle a giggle, looking at the younger male with amusement. You then get out of bed, shooting Minho a playful grin before sticking your tongue out. Grabbing your clothes, you make a beeline for the bathroom and close the door. While you’re getting dressed inside, Felix removes his hands from his eyes and cheekily whispers at Minho, “Wait ‘til Jisung hears that you and y/n were busy making love the night before a mission.”

Minho raises an eyebrow and smirks, “Gotta make everything worth it, right?”

“Right.” Felix clicks his tongue.

You then come out of the bathroom to see Felix now laying on the bed, elbows supporting him as he types away on his laptop. Minho is fully dressed by now, and by the looks of it, he’s ready to leave the room. A small frown meets your lips, and an anxious feeling bubbles in your stomach as reality sinks in. The agent does his best to offer an assuring smile, walking over to you. He gently takes your hands in his, squeezing gently.

“It’ll be fine, y/n.” he pecks your lips, “Trust me.”

You nod, succumbing to a moment of weakness by leaning closer and wrapping your arms around his torso, head leaning against his chest. Minho reciprocates the hug, encircling his arms around your figure as he presses another kiss to your temple. After a moment, he pulls away just enough to look into your eyes, “Also, y/n. I need you to hold onto something for me.”

You tilt your head when the male pulls a small pouch from his pocket, placing it in your hands. It seems like there’s a liquid inside the pouch as you gently feel it with your fingers. “What’s this for?” you inquire.

Minho winks, “Just hold on to it. Don’t use or open it, just keep it with you. Later on in the mission, you’ll know what to do with it and what it’s for.”

You offer a small smile and nod, “Alright.”

The male then gently puts a finger under your chin, tilting your head up. He leans in, pressing his lips to yours in a slow, deep kiss. You blush after hearing Felix stifle a squeal from where he lays on the bed, hugging a pillow to contain his giggles. Minho pulls away much too soon for your liking and whispers, “See you later.”

“See you later.” you repeat, voice barely audible.

Minho then gives Felix a high-five before wishing each other luck. Then, the older agent is out of the room, leaving you with the freckled male. Felix pats the bed and grins, “The mission’s starting soon, but I hacked all the cameras, so if you want to observe, stay here!”

You chuckle, taking a seat next to Felix, “Alright.”

“Oh, I brought some packed sandwiches in case you’re hungry.”

“Thanks Lix.”

Almost an hour passes before any actual developments in the mission happens. You and Felix are still seated next to each other on the bed, eyes on his laptop screen. While watching the static screens, you ask, “Are they supposed to interfere during the meeting or right after?”

Felix hums, tilting his head from side to side, “It depends on the situation. The agents tend to adjust their plans accordingly. Though judging from this setup, I’m pretty sure they’re interfering right after. You know...to give Cle a false sense of success. That’s honestly Minho’s style.”

“I see.” you nod, “That seems best. It might be easier to deal with Cle’s guards and fighters that way too.”

“It’s a bit double-edged.” Felix pouts, “It may be easier, but it can also be difficult to deal with both fighting and making sure that they don’t escape.”

“That’s...true.” you hum.

“But...Minho isn’t the type to let anyone escape as soon as he’s set his eyes on them. Same with Chan and Changbin.” Felix smiles, “They’ve got this.”

You both stop talking, however, when a figure enters one of the meeting rooms of the hotel. “I’m surprised they don’t check for CCTVs or anything, especially if they’re doing shady business.” you whisper.

Felix chuckles, “Technically, the meeting rooms don’t have CCTVs. I installed micro surveillance cameras in every room just for this mission.”

“I see.”

You and Felix watch two men - one stranger and Dr. Baek - sitting in the meeting room and apparently talking to each other. Nothing much happens for a few minutes, the two men just sipping their glasses of water while snacking on some peanuts. However, when the meeting door swings open, you and Felix peer closer to the laptop screen, watching out for any developments.

Neither of you, however, expect to see Jung walking into the room calmly and greeting the men with a bow.

And it’s not just him.

Seconds later, Chan and Minho are by his side, arms crossed as they nod in acknowledgement towards Dr. Baek and the other stranger.

You and Felix look at each other at the same time; your eyes are filled with panic and confusion as Felix remains speechless. You both turn to look back at the laptop screen; Jung, Chan and Minho are now seated across the Cle members, their body language composed and calm as Jung seems to be speaking with Dr. Baek.

“I thought…” you trail off, throat running dry.

Felix scans his laptop screen for any other activities in other places and areas. When nothing seems out of place, he checks his phone for any messages from any of the other agents from the team, including Changbin. When he gets nothing, he sighs, “I don’t...I don’t know. This isn’t part of the plan. They didn’t mention anything like this, not even in the backup plans.”

While Felix is busy observing and mumbling “what are you planning, sir?”, your eyes remain glued to Minho’s face through the laptop screen. His eyes are dull yet sharp, lifeless yet cold. There’s an emptiness to his eyes, but even through a screen, you can see a threatening, dark storm brewing in them.

Then, as if he knew you and Felix were watching, Minho side-eyes into the micro camera. The freckled agent doesn’t notice as he’s too busy trying to contact Changbin, but you catch it immediately. Of course you do; Minho doesn’t move his head in the slightest, but you know he’s looking into the camera, his quick side-eye like he’s piercing straight at you. After, he returns his gaze to the two Cle members.

Then he smirks.

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seriouslysnape · 3 years

Note

First your writing is amazing! Second if you’re willing to write for young Snape will you consider writing him with a fellow classmate (Slytherin)? They’re best friends and there’s been mutual pining but neither of them recognize it, even though her other friends have tried to convince her that Snape is into her. And eventually he’s the one to finally confess and as he anxiously rambles on, she interrupts him by kissing him.

No worries if you don’t want to write it!

SO CUTE. THESE ARE THE BEST IDEAS. This one is stupid cheesy and fluffy.

(Below the cut ofc) :)

Taking Chances

Young Severus Snape x Fem. Reader

Warnings: None.

Word Count: 2,355

“Doesn’t it just take your breath away?”

“He’s looking at you again.” Your friend whispered from where she sat across from you.

You glanced over your shoulder to see the familiar Slytherin boy that you had become so acquainted with over the years. He was sitting by himself at one of the tables in the Hogwarts library, an overly large Advanced Potions book open in front of him. His black hair was unkempt and had grown well past his ears, his slender frame hunched over his study material as he quickly averted your gaze once you gave him a friendly smile.

You turned your attention back to your friend who was looking at you with a knowing smirk. You raised a brow.

“What?” You questioned.

“He likes you.” She stated quietly so no one else could hear.

You gave her a heavy sigh in response. Not this again.

“We’ve been over this. Severus doesn’t like me like that. We’re just friends.” You explained, hiding the disappointment in your voice.

“Friends who spend every day together and very clearly have a thing for each other.” She argued back, tapping her quill on her parchment.

It was common knowledge within the Slytherin House that you and Severus Snape were the unofficial couple of all the sixth years. The two of you had grown extremely close during your time at Hogwarts, and there weren’t many things that the two of you didn’t know about each other. You tended to be so close that you were blind to the fact that you both were crazy about each other.

“Is it so wrong for me to have a close friend who happens to be a boy?” You asked, feeling Severus’ stare on you again.

She shrugged, completely forgetting about the assignment she had been working on. Your other friends had been telling you for years that he admired you. They noticed the way he hid his face behind his hair when you complimented him or said something kind. Or the way he squirmed in his seat whenever you entered a room and sat next to him. The only time he ever really seemed to smile or have any sense of happiness at all was when you were around.

Other students always gave him such a hard time. He was a shy, quiet kid with not a lot of backbone to defend himself. He let other kids toss him around and walk all over him. You had always felt sorry for him. Any initial encounter you had with him had been nothing but pleasant. You were a popular Slytherin girl, boys and girls alike of all Houses were constantly feigning for your attention.

Severus was the only one who you had ever had any interest in.

He had a pure heart, which was more than you could say for anyone else who had ever tried to win you over. He was just a little different was all. There wasn’t anything wrong with that. You steadily began to build a beautiful friendship, and you saw a side of Severus that you were sure no one else would ever witness. He quickly became your best and most trusted friend.

You didn’t expect to fall in love with him though.

“Not at all. I’m just saying that it’s clear that you’re dancing around one another.” She pointed out, briefly looking at Severus and then back to you.

You didn’t offer any kind of response, hoping she’d drop the conversation. You were sure that she, along with the rest of your friends, were horribly wrong. You didn’t believe that Severus had feelings for you, no matter how badly you wanted it to be true.

She leaned in even closer, her voice even quieter than before.

“You know, [Y/N]...there’s no shame in making the first move.” She advised.

You snorted, rolling your eyes.

“Yeah, and be horribly rejected and humiliated? No thanks.” You replied curtly.

She shot you a doubtful look.

“Come on. Severus would never embarrass you. The worst that could happen is that he says no to a date,” She said, trying her hardest to persuade you; “Just take a chance. You never know what might happen.”

You rolled your eyes again, packing up your stuff. You were done with this conversation.

“If you’ll excuse me, I’m going to spend my time with someone less pushy.” You insulted your fellow Slytherin friend.

She didn’t take that personally. She brushed it off, knowing you were just frustrated. You moved yourself and your belongings to the table where Severus was sitting.

“Can I sit here?” You asked him sweetly, knowing he wouldn’t mind.

He nodded in response, acting as if he hadn’t just been staring at you for the last half hour. A hot blush crept onto his pale cheeks so he shook his head slightly to push his hair in front of his face to hide it.

“How is your Potions homework going? I haven’t done mine yet.” You asked, eyeing the book he had been reading from.

“Rather well. I can help you with yours, if you want.” He said.

Your chest fluttered gratefully at his offer. Severus was exceptional when it came to Potions. It wasn’t a shocker that he had chosen to take Advanced Potions this year. You were decent enough at it to qualify for the advanced class, but you still struggled with some concepts. Severus, on the other hand, completely aced it.

“That’d be great. This chapter has been hard for me.” You admitted, reaching into your bag to retrieve your less impressive Potions textbook.

He began to walk you through the homework, pointing out what each section required you to do. You had placed yourself next to him, watching as he scribbled the names of ingredients and amounts of each on the parchment. You watched how his focus trained in on what he was doing, and how he carefully explained certain concepts to you.

He was so cute when he was confident.

“You try this last one. It lists the ingredients and you have to figure out what potion the question is asking for.” He said, handing your quill back to you.

When you took it from his grip, your fingers brushed against his for a moment. His skin was surprisingly supple, yet calloused in some areas on his hand.. He spent a lot of time brewing potions, so you expected him to have some wear on them. Your eyes met his for a moment, looking stunned that your hands had just touched.

You quickly zoned back into your work, ignoring the flushing feeling you felt in your legs. He patiently waited for you to read the ingredients listed. He noted how your brows furrowed in concentration while you racked your brain of all the possible answers. You were dedicated to your work and education. You were motivated to be a successful witch after you graduated next year. He admired your work ethic and determination. He was so fond of the way you went out of your way to make him feel seen. You genuinely cared for him and made him happy.

“I think it’s...Everlasting Elixir?”” You said, half content with your answer.

“Exactly,” Severus confirmed; “You’re better at Potions than you give yourself credit for.”

You swallowed hard at his compliment, but gave him a kind smile. He really could be so charming...even if it was unintentional.

“Thanks, S. You’ve been a huge help.” You returned the compliment.

He gave a rare, but cute smile in return. He was more than willing to help you. A silence grew between the two of you. Suddenly, neither of you could think of what to say. You thought about what your friend had been saying. Maybe you should make a move. It wasn’t like it would kill you if you did. You didn’t want to ruin your friendship by any means, but you were afraid you’d regret it if you let this go undiscussed.

“Do you want to meet me in the courtyard later? The sunset is always so pretty this time of year and I hate watching it alone.” You said, deciding you needed more time if you were going to do this.

Sunset watching? Severus thought about that idea for a second or so. You hadn’t ever done that together. Wasn’t that something that couples did?

“Yes. I’d like that.” He accepted.

You sheepishly laughed, nodding excitedly.

“I’ll see you then.” You said, getting up from your seat and dashing out of the library.

You had to prepare yourself for any outcome. At least now you wouldn’t spend the rest of your life wondering what could’ve been.

Dusk came quickly over Hogwarts castle, faster than you wanted it to. The sky blended into a beautiful canvas of orange, purple, and red. You were sitting on a concrete ledge, your feet swinging over the side. You had been building this moment up in your head all day. You still didn’t even know what you were going to say. How would he react? What if it totally destroyed your friendship?

There were too many unknowns that you just didn’t want to deal with if you didn’t have to.

The courtyard was surprisingly quiet for a Friday evening. Usually there were all kinds of students spread out around it. You took that as a blessing though. At least now there wasn’t anyone around to witness your possible rejection. Soon after, you spotted Severus entering the courtyard. He was walking with his head lowered slightly, per usual. However, he seemed to be standing a little taller than he usually did.

“Hi, Severus.” You greeted.

He was lovestruck at how beautiful you looked in the golden hour lighting. Your skin glowed and your eyes sparkled with perfection. He just couldn’t understand how anyone could feel this strongly about someone. He often wished that you were trained in Legilimency so you could read his mind every time you saw him.

That way you’d know how he felt about you. He thought that he made his feelings clear over the last few years. He was obviously interested when he had conversations with you or even when he was in your presence. You were the only person he helped with Potions or any class for that matter. He had laid his feelings out on the table in the only way he knew how. Couldn’t you see how his heart yearned for you?

“You look wonderful.” He said as boldly as he could, taking a spot next to you.

You smiled for the thousandth time that day, thanking him graciously. You looked to the sky, mesmerized by the pretty swirls of color.

“Doesn’t it just take your breath away?” You asked, sighing contently.

Severus replied, but his eyes weren’t on the sky. But you didn’t notice.

“Yes. Every time.” He confessed, his black eyes on you.

He continued on.

“I wasn’t aware that you watch the sunset often.” He stated.

You shrugged.

“I don’t do it every day. Just when I have time for it.” You explained, gaze still fixed on the sky.

He nodded in understanding. He thought about how you were a lot like a sunset. Beautiful, comforting, calm, consistent. He knew he could always count on you to show up for him. He loved that. He was close enough to you that your shoulders were almost touching. If he paid attention, he could feel body heat radiate off of you.

“Did you have a nice rest of your day?” He questioned.

He was always so curious to hear about your day. Every aspect of your life fascinated him. You liked that he always cared about the seemingly small things.

“I did. I managed to finish all my homework. I’m tired of having weekend work.” You laughed.

He laughed as well, a soft, calculated sound bubbling out of him. You felt your nerves begin to rise back in your belly. You had to do this while the moment was right. You had to get on with it. Just ask him how he felt...or rather confess your own feelings. You had put this off for far too long.

Take a chance. Just take a chance.

You took a breath to speak, ready to bite the bullet, but he beat you to the punch.

“[Y/N], can I tell you something?” He asked, forcing his hands to stop shaking.

You were stunned for a split second, but recovered rapidly.

“Of course. Anything.” You prompted him to go on.

He looked to his feet, his shyness shining through. He gulped and anxiously pushed his hair behind his face.

“I really like you.” He confessed through a tight breath.

Your brain short circuited. No way. The tables had surely turned. A million emotions crashed over you like a giant, ocean wave. You were flooded with excitement, relief, happiness, and love all at once. Severus went on.

“Uhm a-and not just as a friend. I lov- I like you a lot more than that,” He announced; “I d-don’t want you to be mad at me now, but-”

And then you kissed him, gently and sweetly.

It caught him off guard at first, not expecting that reaction. He took it as a good sign, kissing back before it was too late to do so. He never saw this moment coming, but he was so glad that it did. He had never had a girlfriend before, but he was pretty sure he was going to like it.

You pulled back to look at Severus, who was wildly blushing now.

“I’m definitely not mad.” You smirked.

He smiled softly and contently.

“You like me too?” He asked, wanting to be absolutely sure.

“Yes. I absolutely do.” You nodded happily.

He exhaled with relief. This was more than either of you could’ve ever dreamed of. It was something you had wanted for long that it almost didn’t feel real. He kissed you this time, adoring the feel of you against him. For a moment, your mind went to the conversation you had earlier. You knew one thing for sure.

You would definitely take chances more often.

#severus snape #severus #severus snape x reader #severus snape x you #severus snape x y/n #professor snape #professor snape x reader #professor snape x you #alan rickman #seriouslysnape

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jacepens · 3 years

Note

Hey, how u doing? I wanted to ask for you for indications on washette fanfics, what are the best that you have

p.s. and yes, I do want to hear as well about yours in that list as well, 'cause they're gold

Hey! I'm doing alright:) Thanks for asking! What about you? (is this the correct tumblr to anon etiquette?)

Oh goodness this is such a loaded question because the answer is many. I hope you're alright with a big list sorted by category <3

Fluff! Fluff!!

The French Mistake

One of the first washette fics I read, so it holds a special place in my heart. A little silly, a little lams, ultimately very cute and good time.

Under the Arches of Moonlight and Sky

Just very good, cute, soft weary bed sharing. (this is only wholesome, I swear)

Let's Dance

Short, sweet fic with dance instructor George and our beloved two left feet Laf:)

I Like You Better in Real Life

Did someone say Influencer/Youtuber!Laf and President!George?? No??! Well start and read this fic. Seriously, it's a longer one, and just really damn cute. A bit of slow burn in terms of internalized homophobia (done in a good way) and trans Laf?? Yes. It's really so good.

The Prince

Ok, ok, it's one of mine. The one chapter is deceiving, it's decently long and featuring Prince!Laf and Royal Knight!George!:) Also magic!! angst, fluff, denial of feelings but then of course love confessions;) after angst though, don't worry haha.

Fathoms and Foundlings

Ooooohh boy. This. This one. Mermaid Laf and regular ol George! So so so well written, I mean, the feelings, the war, the weather, literally everything you can name, it's spectacular in this fic. Be warned, it is incomplete, but I remember when the latest chapter was released when I lost all hope (plus the author is still active) so I definitely don't count this one out of being updated!:) But, I'll be honest, I'm unsure about it being finished BUT I still think you should 1000% read this because you really will not find something like it anywhere else and it's just so cute!! Did I mention fucking amazing?

Whom can we trust now?

Platonic washette!! Really well written and just altogether really well put together!:) comfort after Arnold's betrayal! Seriously, I highly recommend this fic it's just so perfect of their relationship and cuuute.

The Particulars of Language

Oh goodness. Oooh goodness. This is so so cute. A nice little blend of angst and fluff and did I mention internalized homophobia? (In a good way, if that makes sense) Also so well-written by an incredible author, I just- language confusion. Need I say more??

Marque

Ok, ok, it's been too long since I read this one, so I will say, it is very tentatively going in this category. I just love soulmate au washette! Angst! Kidnapping? ...no final chapter. So I'm not sure, it could've been planned on ending very happy and fluffy! I do believe overall, this leans on the darker side, but I know I really love this one and they love each other. I want more washette soulmate aus.

Breaks your heart, puts it back together

what's my name, what's my station

Oh God oh fuck it's this one. (said with love). Brutal? Hot? Expanding my vocabulary?? An incredibly beautiful use of metaphors??? Actually feel like crying when I read it. Yeah. This is amazing.

May the Melody Disarm Us

Oh Godd oh Fuck it's this one. (maybe I should change this section's title) this one isn't even angsty per se, it's just like...brutally beautiful. They love each so much but oh my god. The metaphors, the way the author sets the scene and environment and everything! Ugh. So so good.

Let Down My Guard

Oh dear lord in heaven above preserve me. I'm gonna be dramatic but there are simply not enough words in the universe I have that can describe how I feel about this fic and how damn incredible it is!! And boy do I mean it when I say this one breaks your heart and puts it back together. I have seriously never sobbed over any piece of fiction like I did this. Just ahhhh. The feelings they develop for each other, the confusion of cultures, the secrets revealed?? I didn't even tell you Laf is a mermaid yet. Just- please. Please read this. It will rip your heart out, but it will put it back together. But really, this is just a fucking masterpiece and so so beautiful.

Porn With Plot

that dress you like

Very nicely done smut + feels! (Did I mention how nicely it's all done?) Oh! Did I mention genderqueer Laf? Yes.

Mon General / My Marquis

Ok the only reason this is going in this category is because I find the others up there more heart-breaky than this one. I love this one!! The historical details! Their loving relationship!! Very very good and lovely. With some angst of course.

The Mistranslation

Oh God oh Fuck it's this one. (I'll be saying that a lot). Would you like all these categories put into one beautiful fic?? Here it is, here. It's incredible. Please read it. It's free serotonin. (Did I mention incredibly written??)

The Things I Would Do to You

Ahhh ok. So. Super duper sweet, lots of angst sprinkled throughout but Laf's visit to Mount Vernon + feels + (smut). Need I say more??! Seriously, this is wonderful.

Not So Easy to be the Teacher's Pet

Oh. Oh god it's this one. So this is borderline Oof (Laf is 17) but if that does not bother you, then you are in for a treat!(??) Ok but really, lots of feels, denial of feelings, way-too-sweet-for-his-own-good Lafayette and poor confused George. Just fantastic.

Devil to Pay

Hoooo boy. If you like pirates or sea adventures, (hot pirate captains. I'm just gonna say it) then I'm literally begging you to read this. Kidnapped noble Laf?? Slowly falling for the pirate captain Washington?? Not to mention so many maritime details and wonderful emotions, beautifully crafted just. Spectacular. Please, read it if you haven't. Even if pirates don't appeal to you, they will after this fic.

A secret weapon

Ahhhh!!! Thiiiiiis. Is everything. Ok, yes, it includes more than washette, but I mean come on, it's (sexy) demons. It's desperate Washington trying to win a war and fight his gay feelings (guess which fight he wins?) But also, super well written and detailed and feels!! I adore this fic, and the whole series is a treat. Go read it. It's wonderful, you won't regret it.

Oof (not in a good way)

The Sweet Enjoyment of Partaking

If the not-so-sweet side intrigues you more, this is one of the few washette fics that I do love and is...not so nice. It's really good as a not nice piece! Pretty straightforward and fucked up. Ya (I) love to see it.

Transmutation

Oooohhhhhh. This is a fic I didn't read for a while just because I didn't know what it was but boy let me tell you, it is soo good. I'll say it's not as oof as the fic above, but oooh maaaannnnn. I don't know how to describe it just, don't expect sweet things, but if darker takes are your thing please go read this. You will not regret it. It's so damn good.

Day One Way, By Night Another

Ok ok here me out. This one might seem a bit random and it is. It's very short and for the longest time I didn't read it until I did and said ow because ow!!? I find this has the most impact going in unarmed so...watch out. (but like check it out. it's just so unique I really do love it)

Once More, With Feeling

Oh GOD. This one is quite brief and straightforward but if you are looking to rip your heart out with feels and angst then boy do I have the perfect fic for you. But seriously, it's so well-written and just expresses all the feelings so so perfectly. But at what cost? (Pls read it)

A Beautiful Tragedy

Hello darkness my old friend. Ok but seriously, this fic still remains so impactful in my own mind just as the writer. It's not a happy ending, but I try to leave you with hope. Pretty music that I highly recommend listening to, I don't know. I think it's really good, I don't say that often about my own stuff soo if you're ok with heavy amounts of angst and pretty aesthetics then check this ok!:) (but guard your heart, sorry not sorry<3)

Porn Without Plot

Betrayals and Allies

So, admittedly, this one very tentatively goes into this category because I find compared to the others, this one has less feels and less focus on it, but don't get me wrong this is very emotional!! It displays their relationship and love so cutely (and smutily..? new word) and as extra bonus it fills in the gaps of the deleted scene from Turn. You know the one;) It's very good!!

Cold Nights

Look at me adding another of my own. This is super duper short, but I kinda like how the emotions turned out. I think this was the beginning of my first dive into my current style of writing so that's cool I guess? But yeah no, it's porn without plot lol.

What Good is Honor When You're Starving?

Oh dear, another of mine in this category. I barely put this here, but the main focus is on the smut, but there are many many feels aplenty. Oh wait, did I mention vampire Laf? George definitely not falling in love... but really, I like how this one turned out!:) Good sexy vampire times (with feelings)

Ah wow! You stuck with me! Thank you! I...tried to keep it brief. This is not an exhaustive list by any means btw, there were a few (many) I decided to cut because I wanted this list to be all encompassing of many authors, styles, etc.

But anon, thank you for the ask and giving me the chance to rant about my favorite fics! My apologies on taking so long to finish, I hope you can understand my life has been a little hectic, but I always try to make time for washette;)

Thank you!!<3

#asks #anon #washette #tal's recommedations #fic recommendation

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svtshine · 4 years

Text

Neighbor next door

pairing: Wonwoo x reader

genre: angst to fluff, Neighbors!au, nonidol!Au

type: oneshot

summary: Falling in love with your neighbour best friend

You heaved the heavy box filled with stuff back at your apartment and entered the apartment building yet again. Probably for the 6th time now. You wiped off the sweat that was forming near your forehead and making the hair stick to your face. Even with the aircon from the lift system blasting you, you were still feeling extremely hot and stuffy.

It was an extremely hot day however, you were still very excited to move into your new apartment and meet your new neighbors. You were told from the nice old landlady that the people here were of different variations. Some were working, students like you or parents with newborns or children. It was a way better environment as compared to your old apartment.

At the old district there was hardly any conversations or interactions between you and your neighbors. You clearly remembered the only interaction you had with one of the neighbors, a floor above you, to keep it down. Even though you weren't making any noise. He was a grumpy looking elderly, and he looked at you with such a aggressive look.

You looked at him strangely but apologized anyhow, wanting so badly to return to the book you were then reading. It was getting to the very best part where the charismatic male character was going to kiss the protagonist and confess to her under the mistletoe, on a cold yet beautiful winter night.

You kicked your front door with one hand balancing on the box and the other supporting the weight of the door. You placed the box on the floor where it remained with many other cardboard boxes filled completely with all your belongings.

You sighed out and proceeded to tie your hair up into a messy bun to keep it from sticking onto your face. i just have two more boxes, then i can start unboxing....god there is so much to do, you thought to yourself as you sat on the end of the sofa, taking a short break before leaving for those two boxes again.

Yes it was definitely tiring, but you still smiled to yourself as you thought about the new encounters and relationships that might form in this new building. You took a sip of your opened can of soda that was still cool and sighed out in satisfaction, as the cool liquid helped cool you down for a second and satisfy your thirst.

You smiled brightly and greeted the neighbors that you came across while moving the boxes. They were all very friendly and open in welcoming you, you made note to bake them some of your special cookies later on to thank them.

Wonwoo was just returning from the nearby convenience store, sucking on a cold soda-flavored ice popsicle. Under the sweltering heat and bright sun, this was what he needed. He was nearing the apartment building when he saw you. He didn't recognize you at all, and he was sure he recalled everyone’s faces. You were struggling with a heavier box, and he remembered the landlady coming over previously with a box of brownies and a notice that someone was going to move in to the apartment next to his.

“Wonwoo dear, someone is moving next door, isn’t that exciting” she said smiling brightly

“Really?”

“She looks really gorgeous dear, around your age, Slightly younger i believe. She is moving in next month so do welcome her warmly, ya hear me”

“Yes grandma” Everyone had the habit of calling the warm soul, grandma. She definitely did treat everyone like family, no one dared to mess with her either.

Grandma was watching Wonwoo munch on the delicious brownies and spoke up, “You know maybe you should show her around, get a little closer huh” she smirked deviously.

Wonwoo only took a sip of his milk, “Grandma this isn’t some fictional romance novel” he replied nonchalantly.

“You’d never know my dearest”

His flashback ended and he had noticed that you were still struggling with the heavy box and next to it was a smaller one. He swiftly walked towards to you and took the box from your hands with ease, “here let me help, I’m wonwoo. You must be the new tenant. floor 7, unit 11? i live next door, unit 12″ he spoke up.

it was only then you realised there was a handsome charming man holding onto your box and literally speaking to you, while you stared at him in a slight daze. Holy macaroni, his face is god-like and his voice? come to mama. You continued staring at him, mouth slightly open until he waved his hand infront of you and pulled you out of your imagination. You got flustered at the fact that you were literally swooning over a man you just met, your neighbor for god sakes and in front of him. Get it together Y/n.

“Hey, i’m Y/n nice to meet you Wonwoo” you stretched out your hand to shake his. Wonwoo placed the box on the ground and shook your hand gently with a warm smile. Grandma was right when she called you gorgeous. Wearing a tank top, pajama shorts, a messy bun and slippers, you still looked amazing.

You lifted the small box, “Thanks so much for offering to help, these are my last few boxes and i can finally start unpacking” you looked so relieved that wonwoo chuckled. “No worries, we live beside each other so it would be convenient too” He grabbed the heavy box and walked beside you towards the elevator. The two of you starting a simple conversation.

“I can’t believe we’re gonna be neighbors. Not saying i would hate it, i just kinda pictured the next door neighbor to be someone older” You wondered out loud.

“Grandma did say you were around my age, but i’m glad that you’re friendly. You’ll definitely fit right in” Wonwoo smiled at you. “she also told me that you were around my age, are you attending college?” He asked curiously, looking down at you since you were shorter than him.

“Yeah, i’m attending the college a few minutes walk from here. Psychology course..you?”

“nice, i’m attending the same school but taking business.”

Your stomach growled, you just remembered you haven’t eaten breakfast at all. Wonwoo laughed out loud and you pouted. “Why don’t i help you unpack and get some takeout so that we can share. It’ll help you save time” He suggested. You felt very touched by his kind gesture, “If you don’t mind, it’ll really help, i’ll pay for the takeout.”

The two of you unpacked and continued getting to know each other. It simply clicked between the two of you. There wasn’t any sign of awkwardness, and you never felt uncomfortable at all around him. Wonwoo made you feel at home. talking to him felt like you were reuniting with a friend from long ago.

Wonwoo held up a book from one of your boxes, “Holy shit, i’ve been trying to find this book for ages” you looked up from folding your clothes, “That is one of my favourite books, good eye. i had to queue hours to get that, but at least with the author’s signature as well” you winked at the end at him. His eyes widened and flipped to the first page where in deed, the bold yet elegant signature of the author lay. “i could lend it to you, as a thanks for helping me as well.”

Wonwoo smiled so brightly you were going to faint he looked like a kid who had just received a kitten for his birthday.

From then on, the two of you became the best of friends. Meeting earlier in the mornings to eat breakfast together before morning classes, walking to school together and even eating lunch together most of the times. Wonwoo introduced you to his big group of 13 friends, and not gonna lie when you first met them, you were really intimidated. Most of them were almost a head taller than you and you felt so small standing next to them. However, they welcomed you with open arms and you loved spending time with them and wonwoo.

Movie nights became a weekly thing after the both of you completed all the dued assignments. You would place you leg on his lap and the both of you would indulge in unhealthy snacks and sodas the whole night before falling asleep together.

Doing laundry together, studying at the library together and buying groceries together. it was normal to see the both of you together. There was never an awkward moment between the two of you. For the first time in your life, you trusted a friend that much in such a short time, it did kind of scare you at how fast you trusted this man but well wonwoo had never done anything to make you doubt him. In fact, he has been doing the opposite. Whenever you feel down about missing your parents or a bad test grade, wonwoo would hug you tight and wipe away your tears. He would do anything to make you happy like telling you about the dumb things his friends had done this week and afterwards tuck you in, sleeping on the couch just to be sure you were okay.

You entrusted him with a spare key in case of emergencies. The first time you realised what you felt for him was probably not entirely platonic was when you returned from your part time job one night. You were exhausted, it was a busy night at the restaurant and your manager had you running table to table taking orders and serving dishes. You wanted so badly to just collapse and your bed and sleep till tomorrow noon. You lazily unlocked your door and threw your bag on the floor, bending down to collect your shoes when you realised there was already someone inside your apartment. You recognised the back of Wonwoo’s head, his soft fluffy hair sitting on it giving him a nice look. Wonwoo heard some rustling and turned to find you finally home, “hey y/n welcome home, how’s work?” You organised your shoe and wonwoo came over to give you a squeeze. You felt his warmth and it felt so good to come back and wrap you arms around hi—.

your eyes opened in shock. You realised that with wonwoo, you were always happy. He made you feel at home, just by being next to you. He was your rock, and you looked forward seeing him everyday. Seeing him laying on your couch, a book in his hands when you reached home, immediately made you feel at ease and less tired. It was so natural, seeing him in your apartment, waiting for you to come home to him was normal.

oh my god. i’m falling in love with Jeon Wonwoo

After you started realising your romantic feelings for Wonwoo, you started being more cautious and aware of his behaviours. You would get flustered when your hand accidentally brushes against his when the both of you are walking. When he hugs you, you found is hard to let him go. You realised the sparkles in his eyes whenever he smiled and how much you enjoyed his laughter, never wanting it to stop.

The both of you would continue doing the stuff you’ve originally been doing. Baking together for the neighbours and grandma or going for walks in the park together. Only until one day, Wonwoo told you

“Y/n i’m so excited, i’m going to go on a date” You felt your smile falter, your heart breaking into tiny pieces. All hoped of “maybe he might feel the same way as i am” were thrown out of your window. You dug your fingernails harshly into your skin and you forced yourself to smile again

“hey that’s great, who is she?”

“Min jun, she’s in business as well. Super talented and smart and she’s really pretty too”

tears were starting to form, and you uncomfortably looked down at your lap, “That’s great, when are you guys going out?”

“Tomorrow, 6pm. I’m gonna bring her to that fancy restaurant Minghao recommended me.” Wonwoo looked so excited, it broke your heart even more.

“but won its movie night tomorrow” you said softly. “Don’t worry i’ll get back in time, just maybe a little late” eyes focused on his clothes. He picked out a button down and showed it to you, “Hey do you think this looks like date material”

“yeah” you mumbled. playing with your fingers, trying to distract yourself from breaking down infront of wonwoo. That night you left his apartment earlier than usual, telling him you still had some assignments to complete. If assignments meant crying the whole night.

the next day, you didn’t see wonwoo that much since you had more classes than usual. You were surprised you were still able to pull through them. Your doorbell rang and you opened it to see Wonwoo.

He was dressed nice in the same button down and jeans. His wrist adorned an elegant watch and his hair was styled nicely. he smelled of fresh shave. Your heart was pounding in your chest at how handsome he looked. “Wish me luck Y/n, i’m going to pick her up now” he smiled, showing how excited he was.

“have a great time Won” You said softly, knowing you wouldn’t have a great time knowing the person you love was going to meet someone else. Wonwoo waved goodbye to you and you closed the door. Sliding down the cool wooden surface and onto the ground, bringing your knees together and bawling your eyes out.

It was about 1 am, you sat on the couch waiting for Wonwoo to return for movie night. this heavy feeling of regret on your chest. You wanted to tell him about your feelings, at least let him know how deeply you felt for him. you knew you couldn’t pretend how much it didn’t affect you that he didn’t feel the same way about you.

The doorknob jingled and you realized it was wonwoo unlocking the door. You stood up and cleaned your sweaty nervous palms on your pajamas. Wonwoo opened the door and was shocked to see you still awake and waiting for him, snacks laid out on the coffee table and tv switched on to the netflix channel. “Y/n i wanted to check if you gone to bed already. I’m so sorry, we had such a good time i lost track of it and i walked her home”

Your heart once again broke at the fact that he had a great time. Of course you wanted him to find a nice girl, but it hurt you so much knowing it wasn’t you. “Wonwoo it’s fine...i need to tell you something and it’s really serious” Wonwoo rushed to you and the both of you sat on the couch. “look won, i really treasure our friendship but i just have to get it off of my chest. i-i love you, but more than a friend loves her bestfriend.” The hand that wonwoo used to hold your hand slowly retracted from yours.

“i know you don’t feel the same way” you said, your voice slightly breaking because your tears started dropping freely. “But you found someone, Min jun, who is much better than me anyways. Treasure her okay? i just want you to be happy and if you’re the happiest with her, then she is the road to go” Wonwoo instinctively raised his hand to wipe away your tears, but he brought it back down at the last second. “Y-y/n i’m so sorry, but i-i just don’t feel the same as you do. i really wished that i did” he looked down at his lap

You sighed out, “It’s fine wonwoo, it’s not your fault either, i just want to lay down now so goodnight. See you later Alligator”

“Goodbye crocodile” Wonwoo mumbled.

You snuggled closer into your blankets as you heard wonwoo leave the apartment and let the tears flow freely.

You know what hurts the most? Loving someone who didn’t love you back.

Wonwoo didn’t sleep that night. you were on his mind the whole time. Guilt spreading his entire body as he could still remember the way you looked when you confessed your feelings to him. The way he wanted to hold you so tight then and chase all your problems away. He reached out his hand to wipe away your tears without even thinking but backed away in the end.

He raised his hand in front of his face and stared at it. he knew he didn’t think of you as anything else but a friend.....right? He recalled all the memories he shared with you, food fights when the both of you woke up at 3 in the morning and had the terrible idea to bake cookies right then. The way your eyes lit up as you stared at the fishes in the sea aquarium. How bright your smile was when he brought you to a cat cafe. Oh god he loved your smi--

Wait no. He thought, i like Min jun, yeah the girl i’m going out with. Right?

He didn’t see you around that much anymore. You didn’t invite him in for breakfast. You walked to college on your own and you ate lunch that you have already prepared yourself. Wonwoo’s heart broke knowing you were purposefully avoiding him, trying to get over him. He himself spent countless of nights trying to get you out of his mind. But his mind always wandered back to you, have you been eating properly? Taking enough rests? or overworking yet again. he hasn’t been taking care of himself. Meals were half eaten, his eyes were dull and he hardly smiled anymore. he just wanted to see you again

your smile, your eyes, your gorgeous face, your kind heart.

his head kept convincing himself, Min jun, Min jun, Min jun.

but his heart chanted, Y/n, Y/n, Y/n.

Glasses clinked together, waiters moving around swiftly. Under dim lighting, Wonwoo stared at his date, Seo min. Seo min was talking about her new designer bag that she bought. Wonwoo zoned out of the conversation tapping his fingernails on the table, he switched his phone on from under the table and stared at the screensaver. It was a selfie of you and Wonwoo.

Seo min clicked her fingers to gain wonwoo’s attention. “Hey you okay? you seem distracted”

Wonwoo rubbed his face and flashed her a fake smile, “erm yeah i’m sorry, what were you saying?”. she continued droning on and Wonwoo had to put in so much focus just to hear what she was saying. He realised how similar the both of you looked. H/c hair, same hair length, height. But she wasn’t you. She didn’t want to get know Wonwoo, she didn’t care to ask if he was taking care of himself.

oh god, i’m in love with Y/n, wonwoo realised

“S-Seo min, i-i need to go, i’m sorry. and i can’t see you anymore. Here is the money for this meal. i have to go” before Seo min could even say anything, Wonwoo was running out of the restaurant.

Wonwoo ran like he never ran before, every breath came out as a light smoke as he ran through the cold wintery streets towards the apartment building. He climbed up the stairs as he was too impatient.

Wonwoo impatiently knocked on your door, panting heavily from running and climbing so far. He waited for you to open the door and brushed through his hair.

The multiple knocks on your door made you put down your book and hot chocolate. “I’m coming!” you said, wondering who was visiting you at this hour. You opened the door and was shocked when you saw Wonwoo panting like he just ran miles.

“Won-” wonwoo stopped you by placing his lips on yours, slowly snaking his arms around your waist and pulling you impossibly closer. You were shocked for a second, but hesitantly wrapped your arms around his neck and deepened the kiss. You broke the kiss first, leaning away and placing your hands on his face waiting for him to talk

“Y/n, these few week has been misery. As cliche as it sounds, it wasn’t the same without you. I missed you so much, your smile, your laughter, everything. Cooking with you, studying with you and even doing laundry together” Wonwoo said voice slightly quivering as all his emotions poured out for you. “i realised as much as i was attracted to Min Jun, my heart belonged to you. I love you, and i didn’t see it before but i really do. I hope that you’ll consider me again and i’ll really like to bring you out” he finished

You gave him a small peck on the lips, “of course Wonwoo.” He gave you the brightest smile, knowing he has you back in his life and that you love him as well, made him the happiest man alive

He wrapped his arms below your knees and carried you into your apartment and onto your bed. The two of you kay and cuddled for a while. Talking about the events that happened when the two of you weren’t talking.

With you, Wonwoo felt like himself. In contrast to how he felt when he was with Min jun. That night he kissed you goodnight and had the best sleep in a few weeks.

Wonwoo has been bringing you on dates for a couple of weeks now, but he hasn’t officially asked you to be his girlfriend. Regular activities such as having breakfast together and spending time together resumed.

On christmas morning, you woke up earlier to make pancakes for the two of you. A pair of arms wrapped around you from behind, you let out a small yelp and Wonwoo’s deep chuckle made your hair on the back of your neck rise.

You turned around and gave him a kiss, “Good morning won.”

“Good morning baby”

You raised your head to realised the mistletoe that you hung were above you guys.

“look won” pointing to the mistletoe, “looks like i get another kiss”

Wonwoo looked up as well, “Well darling, i have one question. Would you like a kiss from won? or a kiss from your boyfriend Won?” he said bringing you closer. “because i would definitely love to kiss my girlfriend Y/n, not just Y/n.”

you can’t believe he was asking you to be his girlfriend, and on christmas morning under the mistletoe. It was a perfect moment. Your hand wrapped against your mouth in disbelief as wonwoo continued staring at you. You finally nodded frantically and Wonwoo’s face erupted into a big smile

He brought you in for a kiss. A kiss under the mistletoe, from your boyfriend next door.

Masterlist

#seventeen #svt #boyfriend #scenario #fluff #wonwoo #Jeon wonwoo #Wonwoo fluff #wonwoo boyfriend #neighbours #wonwoo angst #angst to fluff

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elfboyeros · 3 years

Text

It Feels Oddly Domestic

Just a far warning there are going to be implied suicidal thoughts through the some of these little stories. I apologize if that tiggers or offended anyone I will put warnings at the beginnings of my stories if that is the cause!

Read the First Part

⚠️ Implied suicidal thoughts⚠️

“Mx. Paris there are other avenues that we could take.”

“Like what?”

“Well, the obvious one is to sue Callisto Merripen A.K.A Earthly Chaos,”

“Oh, come on you wouldn’t do that would you Cordelia?!”

“I don’t know!”

It seemed so outlandish, the idea of pro-hero suing another pro-hero. Especially when it appeared to be a horrible accident. Although the legal avenue for Cordelia to sue Callisto are more then sound.

“GAH, I don’t know what to do,” Cordelia huffed while in the shower, “I mean it does and doesn’t seem like a bad idea at the same.”

They turned off the shower tap, wrapping themselves in a towel and stepping out of the shower, “don’t fall again dumbass,” they muttered to themselves, “the last thing you need to do is all Aizawa or Hawks again to help you off the bathroom floor.”

They continue to think over the possible of suing the pro-hero that left them dying in the street, becoming more frustrated as the paced in their apartment, in an extra-large hoodie and boy shorts.

“Meow.”

Cordelia turned to their bed seeing the fluffy gray cat sprawled out within a pile of blankets, “good day, Aphrodite,” they said with a smile going to pet the animal, “maybe I should talk to someone…”

“Meow.”

“Thanks Aphrodite.”

Hawks was the first person they thought of talking to. He now the situation in and out he would give them advice.

Hey, I need someone to talk

Cordelia didn’t expect him to respond right away so they went to clean the bathroom to keep their mind of the choices they had to make. Although an hour and a half later they check their phone again.

[read] 4:23 p.m.

They frowned, knowing he was working. Although they wanted to be selfish this once. The possibly of making the wrong decision was eating them alive. They looked at the message list, Aizawa was under Hawks, the pro-hero 10 years their senior be the last person they texted. He had wished them luck in the meeting were the topic of suing Callisto came up.

“I can’t, he’s busy, it’s a weekday.”

Although they wanted to be selfish just this once.

Shota, do you got time to talk

It took less than a minute to get a response:

Is something wrong

Not extremely serious, but some stuff happened at the meeting today and I need advice.

If you’re busy its okay!

Do you want to do it over the phone, or in person

The fact that he had picked on how they like to discuss serious topics made them feel warm inside.

I would like to do it in person but this isn’t really about what I want

It actually is

Give me time to get there

🙏I’m in your debt

Your not, just provide me dinner

What would you like

It doesn’t matter if it’s food

Yaki Udon?

👍

Cordelia smiled, heading to the kitchen to begin cooking while Aphrodite played with toy in the background. It felt almost domestic, making Aizawa dinner as he was returning from the school. He’s coming home if you will.

“Cupid, stop being an idiot,” they sighed, blushing, “he’s coming over to talk to you because you asked, this isn’t his home.”

Did Codelia Paris have feelings for Shota Aizawa, yes, Could it be because he was being he was being kind, possibly. Although the B.M.I Hero Fat Gum was kind to the young adult since the day they met, and they had no feelings for the 29-year-old doughboy. No, they had feelings for the 30-year-old tired teacher. But Aizawa wouldn’t have feelings for them, he was 10 years their senior and it’s not like he saw them as nothing, but a young pro and a possible friend.

“And know I’m thinking about Hawks,” Cordelia huffed.

The winged hero, that birdbitch, also had a place in Cordelia’s heart and out of the two men that Cordelia wanted to be with Hawks seemed more realistic, although that doesn’t get rid of the feelings for Aizawa.

A knock at their front door, made the jump, pulling them out of their thoughts, “it’s open!”

The door behind them opened, heavy and tired footsteps entering their apartment, “you shouldn’t leave your door unlock and answer it like that,” Aizawa stated, softly as he removed his shoes.

Aphrodite had waddled her way for to the cat lover, enjoying him picking her up and holding her like a baby, “I knew it was you,” Cordelia replied, back turn toward him.

“And what if I was a murderer, or something, huh,” Aizawa posed.

Cordelia chuckled, turning around and leaning against the stove, “you think I can cheat death a second time?”

Aizawa looked at them for a second, tired, upset, and depressed, but still trying to make jokes. Just like in the hospital a month and a half ago, “don’t talk like that.”

“You brought up, buddy,” they retorted as the would out bowels and utensils.

Dinner was state in front of them at the little circular table in the corner of Cordelia’s kitchen area. The element of sitting across from each other and eating dinner felt so domestic.

“So, what’s wrong,” Aizawa asked.

Cordelia sighed, “My lawyer said I could sue Callisto.”

“Really?”

“Yeah, granted no in the room looked happy with that opinion.”

“You say that as if you have other opinions.”

“I kinda do,” they sighed again, “I could ask for a public apology, which means the actual story gets out and a ruin a young man’s career. He could give me a small about of money, under the table as an apology. Or do nothing!”

“Jesus.”

“I was told that if I sue, meaning I could get both the money and the apology, but the Hero Commission pulled me aside after and said that was a horrible idea, and would have the wrong outcome for everyone,” Cordelia explained, “but I don’t see how that possible.”

“So, they don’t want you to do anything,” Aizawa remarked as a question.

“Basically, but right now my reputation is in shambles give the cover up job that they did,” Aizawa was silence for a moment, “what would you do Shota?”

“If it were me… I would do nothing,” he replied, “it seems like more trouble than it’s worth, but I’m not you.”

“I just want the people to know what really happened! I don’t care about the money,” Cordelia replied, getting up to place their bowl in the sink, “so I guess I’ll just ask for the public apology, I just don’t know what the right thing would be.”

“I can’t make the decision for me, Cordelia,” Aizawa remarked placing his bowl in the sink beside theirs.

“I know, I’m not asking you to make the decision,” Cordelia sighed, back leaning against the sink with their arms folded against their chest, “I just… I don’t… gah! It shouldn’t be this difficult to make this decision! And of course, I’m the one making it so difficult!”

“You are making it a bit difficult,” Aizawa chuckled, leaning against the arm of the couch.

“I guess I’m just worry about what people are going to think,” Cordelia huffed, “my brain is still stuck in my freshman of high school phase, I guess.”

“and I’m assuming that bad.”

Cordelia nodded, “a bit,” they muttered, “I was a people pleaser and worried about what everyone thought of me, stuff like that.”

“Sound horrible,” Aizawa joked.

“yeah,” they chuckled, moving to sit on the couch.

Aizawa soon followed, Cordelia scrunched up on one couch cushion at one end and the Eraser hero at the other end, “why did you want to please everyone,” he asked.

“I wanted people to like me,” they replied simply, “I wasn’t the rocking bombshell that I am now. I was a nerdy, chubby, kid in America with shitty parents. I was bully through out my American education career. When I got tired of it all, I made it so people would at least tolerate me so I wouldn’t be so alone.”

“So, what happened when you got to U.A.?”

“People were nicer. I found actual friends. Getting to meet Fat Gum and get chances to have a social life where I could be myself, helped me a lot” they explained, “and hey, I even lost a bit of weight.”

Aizawa rolled his eyes at the comment of their weight, which Cordelia didn’t notice, “I feel like since the accident I'm falling backwards,” they added, “as if I'm trying to keep those around me from leaving because “I’ve done something wrong." I know it's not true, but that want a part of my brain believes."

Aizawa was silence listening to them, which was him being polite although, of course, Cordelia’s brain take that way, “I’m sorry for rambling.”

“It’s alright,” he replied, looking at them scrunched up on their own couch, “you can relax, Cordelia.”

“Then my feet would be in your lap.”

“Okay?”

“That’s your personal space,” they replied.

“and I’m in your home,” he added.

“I’m not putting my feet in your lap.”

“Too bad,” he huffed, pull at their feet, laying out their legs landing their feet in his lap.

It feels unbelievably domestic!

“Whatever… so tell me about yourself, Mr. Aizawa!”

He rolls his eyes, telling Cordelia very little about his younger ages, only because he didn’t feel like reliving his trauma at the moment. He spoke a lot about his time as a teacher, very little on his actual self.

“Come on, Shota, you gotta give me facts about yourself,” Cordelia chuckled.

“I mean there isn’t much,” Aizawa replied.

“Come on,” they groaned, “there’s no secret talent, or anything like that?!”

“Well... I can tap dance,” he answered.

“WHAT REALLY!”

Cordelia shot up, “dear god you are tell the truth,” they laughed, “THAT’S AMAZING,” they yelled falling back on the couch laughing.

Outside a center winged-hero was flying through the night sky, soaring to a center apartment. It’s not that he was ignoring Cordelia’s text, he was busy. Although the fact that he didn’t get a respond from them had him a bit worried.

“Come on, songbird, be okay,” he muttered.

Hawks landed on their balcony wall; he could see the light were on before he landed. Once he looked inside gave him the answer on why they didn’t respond to his text messages. They were talking to 1-A teacher.

“Shota Aizawa,” Hawks muttered, “you keep stealing my thunder.”

Hawks looked down at his phone, opened on his messages with Cordelia.

Whatcha need Cupid

Songbird?

I’m sorry I was busy

I’m Flying by if you still need to talk

Cordelia please answer me!

[Delivered] 7:05 p.m.

Cordelia to him was a friend and had been a friend since they had started being a pro. He had someone to flirt with that would flirt back, someone to joke with, someone to feel at peace with when near them. Although since the accident he knew that Cordelia wasn’t doing great, and the red winged hero was trying his hardest to be support, but granted he was never good at that.

Hawks’ eyes fell to the cat sitting, inside, in front of the siding door, giving her a little wave before leaving, “have fun songbird.”

“MEOW!”

Aizawa and Cordelia looked over at Aphrodite, who sat in front of the balcony, “You want out stupid,” Cordelia asked, getting off the couch.

“Don’t call her stupid,” Aizawa chuckled, watching the beaten hero walked to the door.

“Maybe she’d be called smart if she figured out how to open the door,” they joked, petting the top of Aphrodite’s head, before siding the door open and swiftly shutting it and turning back seeing Aizawa off the couch, “leaving?”

“Yeah.”

“Well, have a stay trip back to the school,” Cordelia replied, “and thank you for doing this, I’ll make it up somehow.”

“You don’t have to make anything up,” he replied.

“Maybe I could help you grade or train the kids,” Cordelia proposed.

“That’s not a bad idea,” Aizawa chuckled.

Cordelia smiled somberly, the tried teacher could tell something was wrong. Not like if he left something would happen, but just that they didn’t want him to leave, they didn’t want to be alone. He could tell by the smile and the look in their eyes.

“Please text me or call me if you need anything,” he added softly, “I’ll be here as soon as I can.”

“I know,” Cordelia remarked, “now go, Eri probably want you to read her a bedtime story.”

That confirmed from him, that they didn’t want him to leave, and that broke his heart.

“Goodnight, Cupid,” he remarked, reaching for the door.

“Goodnight, Sho,” they giggled.

Once he left things didn’t feel so domestic anymore, they unbelievably felt sad and cold.

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solastia · 4 years

Text

Call Of The Sea

Pairing: Jungkook X Hoseok

A/N: So, I went a little crazy. Instead of a tiny drabble this became an almost 4k work. *shrug* As for the smut itself, it’s oviposition (meaning eggs for those that don’t know), so there’s a bit of breeding/impreg kink as well as implied mpreg. I spent way too much time thinking about the mechanics of breeding a human male with a male merman and it shows. Anyway, enjoy!

****

There were a million excuses he’d given his roommates about why he felt the need to visit the beach so often. Most of them bullshit.

He felt more inspired to draw there - which that one was slightly true.

It cures his super frequent migraines - he wasn’t sure he’d ever had one his whole life.

He was interested in marine biology - but not for reasons they might think.

He could never actually tell them the truth: that he spent all of his free time in a beachside cave in Busan because his boyfriend of seven months was a merman.

For one that would sound insane, and he knew that if he ever told Yoongi he’d probably storm down here to save Jungkook from someone that was obviously a scammer. And Seokjin was probably related to someone in the military and would have the merman become a science experiment in two seconds flat.

No, he couldn’t tell them. At least not yet.

So he simply ignored his guilty conscience and let his plastic bag swing as he strolled down to the beach like he didn’t have a care in the world.

He pulled his hoodie tight around his ears to ward off the cold. It was getting to be late in the winter season and the trips to the beach were practically hazardous for his health at this point - good thing his boyfriend's smile was as bright as the sun.

Fuck, that was so cheesy. What the hell was wrong with him?

Anyway, despite what the temperature read, he still wasn't as cold as he should be. Actually, he was almost toasty and he felt like he was just bundling up out of habit rather than need. His temperature had been strange for a few weeks.

He shook his head and turned onto the path that led to his secret cave. Well, not that secret. Sometimes older kids came out here to party, but not often and definitely not in the middle of winter.

Once he reached his cave, he pouted silently over it being empty. He must still be out swimming. Maybe with the water being such a freezing temperature, it slowed him down.

He sighs forlornly, hoping he won’t have to wait too much longer. He lets both of his bags drop to the sandy floor and unzips the pack back, pulling out the two blankets he’d decided to bring. One for sitting, and one big fluffy down blanket so he wouldn’t get pneumonia.

He snorts to himself as he gets comfortable and observes the water lapping close to the cave entrance. It’s not likely he’d even get pneumonia without the blanket, though. Beyond his strange fluctuating body heat, he’s been putting on so much weight recently it was ridiculous, like a bear getting ready to hibernate.

Just this morning he’d tried to wear his sexiest pair of jeans for his boyfriend, only to find that his hips had widened so much he couldn’t pull them up. He’d even had to double up shirts and throw a hoodie over it because his pecs were basically tits now. They were so swollen and sensitive, he didn’t know what was going on.

And don’t even get him started on everything in the plastic bag. He sighed and brought it closer to him as the urge to protect his bounty overcame him. The same overwhelming urge that had caused him to buy all the food in the first place. He sometimes brought his boyfriend little treats here or there because he got so excited, but this had been some primal urge to shower the merman in foodstuffs.

He finally heard the sound he’d been waiting for - the nearby shriek of a waterproof whistle. He grinned excitedly and pulled the whistle he wears around his neck up to his lips and blew. It was a signal that alerted his merman that it was safe to show himself.

“Jungkookie!”

Jungkook grins as the graceful form of his boyfriend appears at the edge of the cave. He beams up at Jungkook from the shallow waters, his silky long black hair a cloud around him and his tail an iridescent blend of oranges and yellows. He’s so bright in the winter gloom that Jungkook’s spirits are instantly lifted.

“Hoseok! I missed you!”

“It’s only been two days, silly human,” but despite his words, he looks pleased and bashful by Jungkook’s unashamed neediness. A neediness that never seemed to go away, not since the moment he’d met the merman in this very spot.

“Whatever,” Jungkook pouts, pulling his blankets up to his chin to hide his blush. “I’ll just keep the things I brought you then since you don’t care.”

“What?! Gimme!”

The merman smiles sunnily, his lips shaped like a heart. Jungkook melts and relents, peeling the blankets off of himself and striding closer to the edge with his bag. He crouches and ruffles in the contents as Hoseok eagerly leans over to peek inside.

“Let’s see, lots of things you said you liked before. Cherry tomatoes, tangerines, fish sausages...a bunch of stuff,” Jungkook shrugs, blushing as he realizes yet again that he may have gone a little overboard judging by the bulging contents of the bag.

Hoseok looks over the bounty with awe, a gleam in his eye that Jungkook wasn’t sure he’d ever seen before.

“My mate has provided for me during the winter months,” he says softly, rummaging through the bag like it was filled with gems.

“That’s a good thing?” Jungkook asks, surprised by Hoseok’s strange response. He’d known the merman would be excited because he liked human food, but he’d been expecting screaming and huge smiles not...whatever this was. And he’d even used the ‘M’ word again - just like he had the last time Jungkook had let the other rut all over him, leaving him with the bite mark that itches on his thigh.

Instead of answering, Hoseok slowly looks up at him with an intense gaze. His jaw is clenched like he’s deep in thought and then finally he nods - before turning away and diving under the water.

“What? Hoseok, where are you going?”

He fucked up somehow. Did he offend the merman? He’s brought him treats before. What did he do wrong?

Nearly ten minutes later Jungkook is close to leaving. The cold is finally starting to annoy him and Hoseok hasn’t come back. He wasn’t sure if he was ever going to.

He sighs and stands up, deciding to leave the bag where it was. Hoseok could come back for it if he wanted to. Jungkook turns and grabs his blankets, intending to throw them into his backpack when a sudden metallic thump startles him. He looks towards the source, his eyes growing impossibly wide as he takes in the sight.

Hoseok’s rainbow-hued bag he’d made from discarded netting was familiar to him. The awe-inspiring pile of what can only be termed ‘Treasure’ was spilling onto the rocky ground was something new. Precious gems, ancient coins, golden bangles and crowns, all touched by the sea but still glittering and obviously valuable.

“Hoseok, what’s all this?”

“Is this enough?” Hoseok’s voice was intense as he watched Jungkook inspect the goods, his eyes alight with some emotion that he couldn’t interpret.

“For what?”

“To provide for you and our young.”

Jungkook whirled around and gaped at the merman in shock. “Our what now?”

Hoseok nods briskly like it was just a fact. “Our young. It’s mating season and you accepted my bite. Then you provided me with food to keep my strength up in the winter and able to breed you. By spring, we’ll have our first young!”

Jungkook drops to the cold ground in shock, staring at Hoseok.

“Babe, I hate to tell you this, but in the human world a man cannot get pregnant.”

“Haven’t you noticed the changes to your body since you accepted my bite? Your body widening to better hold my eggs? Your chest filling out so you can nourish our young?”

“I’m...I...what the fuck?” Jungkook grabs at said chest, feeling their newly acquired plumpness. “Is this permanent? Can I make it stop?”

Hoseok drooped, his excitement falling from him like a cloak and his eyes radiating hurt. “Yes. You’ll go back to normal after the mating season, whether I breed you or not. Do you...not want me to?”

Jungkook thought for a moment, going over the past events between the two of them. He supposed he should have known something was up. Hoseok had been getting more...enthusiastic about touching him lately. He’d chalked it up to them getting closer and Hoseok becoming less shy about affection. He’d just assumed that sex wasn’t on the table because of their different anatomy, although Hoseok certainly loved making out and getting Jungkook off. During their last heavy petting session, Hoseok had given him a very intense blowjob that had ended with him biting into the meaty part of Jungkook’s thigh.

He was definitely crazy about the merman and based on what Hoseok was telling him, he’d basically done everything to make him think that he was down for being his real mate in every way.

“It’s not that I don’t want to,” Jungkook begins carefully. “But I didn’t know that’s what we were leading to. I didn’t know about the food or the bite.”

Hoseok’s eyes widen and he clutches a hand to his chest. “I did bad! I forgot you wouldn’t know...I...I’m sorry. I just...it’s instinct and I’ve never found a mate before.”

“It’s okay. Umm…” Jungkook licks his lips nervously and asks shyly, “What all would this entail?”

“Entail? Oh...you mean how would I breed you?”

“Uh, yeah. And like, how would it come out. And what would happen...after.”

Hoseok searches Jungkook’s face, his smile slowly growing as he takes in the shy interest in Jungkook’s eyes.

“Well, first I would make out, as you call it. I like doing that a lot. No one touches lips down there,” Hoseok swims a little closer to the cave edge when Jungkook finally smiles a little. “Then I’ll pump you full of my eggs.”

“EGGS?! I’ll have to lay eggs? Like a chicken?” Jungkook exclaims, his hands flying to his ass like he could protect it.

Hoseok chuckles. “No, silly human. My eggs will nestle in your womb and absorb your DNA until spring. Since you’re a human, only one or two will be born and the rest of the eggs will be absorbed as nutrients for you and our young. If you were a merman as well, you could have easily given birth to ten or more. My sister had thirty.”

“Okay, but how are they going to come out?”

“You’re not done growing,” Hoseok smirked. “The bite is still working on you and helping your body evolve to handle our mating. If you decide to deny our bond, you will completely go back to the way you were before my bite. If you let me breed you, most of the outer changes will go back to normal until next season, but your new internal parts will stay to keep you compatible for the next season. You are growing a womb and a birthing slit.”

“Jesus,” Jungkook stares at the merman in surprise and trepidation. “You must like me a whole lot to want babies and stuff.”

“I do,” Hoseok nodded vigorously. “Bunches and bunches. I’ve never participated in the mating season before. My family called me odd because I was “picky” but now I’m happy I was. My mate is the human Jungkook.”

“How...uh...how will you get the eggs in me?”

Jungkook blushes when Hoseok pierces him with an assessing gaze. He was surprised with himself that the thought of walking around with Hoseok’s eggs - while still fucking weird - also got him rock-hard. Like he could keep a piece of the beautiful man with him on land, and one that he could feel inside of him.

“I have an organ like yours, it just looks a bit different. It’s kept inside until I’m ready.”

“And...are you?”

“Ready?” Hoseok quirks an eyebrow, smirking slightly. “I’m always ready with you, but do you want this?”

Jungkook swallows nervously, but the image of finally being fucked by this beautiful person was enough to get him wanting to scream “Yes.”

Not to mention, the more he thought about it, the more the idea of having a child - no matter how strangely they were made - that was a little bit of him and Hoseok....he found the idea appealing.

“Okay. Let’s do it.”

Hoseok’s heart-shaped smile was as bright as the sun. “Okay! Lose all those silly clothes. My bite should be keeping you warm, especially once you get in the water.”

Jungkook pauses with his shirt half over his head. “I’m going to be in the water? In the middle of winter?”

Hoseok shrugs, “For a little bit.”

Jungkook eyes him dubiously. “Uh-huh.”

Still, he strips, throwing his clothes away from the water as far as he could. He was already embarrassingly hard, his cock barely shaking as he walked towards the merman.

“Lay down and make out!” Hoseok declared, and Jungkook did so with a chuckle. The merman absolutely loved kissing. He’d been wide-eyed with wonder the first time Jungkook had impulsively pecked his lips, then demanded more almost immediately. One time Hoseok had even challenged himself to kiss every inch of Jungkook - every inch.

Jungkook laid on his blanket close to the water’s edge and Hoseok pulled himself up to hover over the human. He quietly studied his face, a tiny fond smile gracing his lips.

“Hi there,” Jungkook giggled. Hoseok grinned and lowered his face more.

“Hello,” he responded quietly, then pressed his lips to Jungkook’s.

The human moaned into the soft kiss, loving the slight tang of the sea and chilled skin against his. After Hoseok had received his fill of lips he moved lower, peppering tiny kisses until he reached Jungkook’s neck.

He growled lightly into the skin, nipping at it playfully. “Hoseok, come on.”

“Yeah? You need it, precious? Need to be bred?”

Jungkook’s breath hitched, not expecting the low husky tone of Hoseok’s voice. He growled into Jungkook’s neck, the words sounding like filth dipped in honeyed caramel.

“Want it. Breed me,” he begged in a hushed voice, still battling his shyness.

“Anything you want, precious. My precious mate,” Hoseok answered, his voice tinged with awe as he stroked his hand all over Jungkook’s soft skin.

He slid away until he was once away fully in the water and held out a hand. “Come join me in here, Jungkook. You’ll be fine.”

“Really?” Jungkook asked, eyeing the water with doubt. It was the middle of winter and the water had to be cold enough to kill someone.

“My bite protects you. Come here.”

Jungkook scoots to the edge and grabs Hoseok’s hand, letting the merman help him into the water. He’d been expecting a shock, but it merely felt lukewarm to him. Comfortable enough, he supposed. Hoseok held him close then turned him towards the rocky edge of the cave.

“Grab onto the ledge,” Hoseok whispered teasingly into his ear.

Jungkook did as he was told, grasping onto the ledge for dear life as Hoseok’s hands traveled down to grab him by the hips.

“Umm, I’m not prepared. We need stuff.”

Hoseok cocks his head curiously, “Stuff?”

“Like, slippery stuff. So, uh, it won’t hurt.”

“OH! No, that happens naturally. I have everything you need. Do humans need extra fluids? How strange.”

Jungkook chuckles, “Yeah, humans are the weird ones here.”

“Hey,” Hoseok playfully frowns. “I’ll leave you to drown.”

“Sorry, sorry. As you were.”

Hoseok made a ‘hrumph’ sound and tapped Jungkook’s ass lightly. He can feel something floating underneath him and he sneaks a peek. It’s long and wide, a fleshy pink with bumps and ridges covering it in a strange pattern. He glances behind him to stare at Hoseok’s tail, noticing the open slit in the middle of it where the pink...oh fuck that’s his dick! It was at least ten inches long, maybe more, and as wide as Jungkook's arm.

“That...that’s supposed to fit inside of me?” Jungkook asks breathlessly, staring in wonder at the monster cock growing out of the merman.

“Mmm, I have to get really deep to protect our eggs,” Hoseok mumbled, pressing a reassuring kiss to the back of Jungkook’s neck.

Jungkook turns his head and stares at the cave ledge, waiting for the first press. He nearly jumps when the bulbous head touches his rim, forcing himself to breathe as Hoseok slowly forces the head inside.

The merman sighs happily and rubs his chin into Jungkook’s hair. “You feel so nice inside,” he hums as he holds still, letting the human’s walls work to contain him.

After a couple seconds Jungkook feels something shooting inside of him. He turns back to glare at Hoseok incredulously. “Already?”

The merman chuckles. “No, precious. It’s just secretions to help you handle me. It’s a while yet until I fill you properly.”

“Oh,” Jungkook gulps.

Hoseok moves his hips again, forcing more and more of his monster cock into Jungkook with every pump. Whatever he’d filled Jungkook with made the slide painless and he felt barely any discomfort.

His cock continued further and further, until it grazed his prostate and went further still. He wasn’t even sure that a dick was supposed to reach that high without hurting him, but he couldn’t complain too much when the outline of Hoseok’s cock bulging from his stomach made his own twitch with need.

“Hold on, Jungkookie,” Hoseok rasps, before slamming to the hilt. He only had a second to grip the ledge with all his might before Hoseok started pounding with such raw power that he wanted to scream and they’d only just started.

He’d never felt so full in his life and the way that Hoseok was hammering into him felt like he was rebuilding his body to fit only him. Jungkook could only whine and sob as his senses were overwhelmed.

“Precious?” Hoseok grunted, “Are you close, sweet thing?”

He was. He was so embarrassingly close but he didn’t want to be. Mere minutes of the merman slamming into him like his life depended on it and he was ready to burst.

“Don’t stop, please don’t stop,” Jungkook begs with a sob. “Don’t ever fucking stop!”

Hoseok chuckles lowly. “Never? You want me to keep filling you up forever and ever? My sweet precious mate. So perfect,” he growls. “I want to stay inside you forever too. Fill you to the brim with my eggs until your belly is round.”

Jungkook whimpers as Hoseok’s teeth graze his neck and he feels his cock growing impossibly wider.

“Bigger?” he moans, “Why? I can’t…”

“You can, precious. Your body is mine. I have to keep you in place so I can fill you up.”

Hoseok’s dick stretches him more than he’d ever thought possible. The bumps and ridges on it rubbing the inside of his walls until he thought he would go crazy.

“Hoseok, I’m gonna…”

“Yeah? Release for me, precious.”

And Jungkook cums with a loud cry, his hips bucking into nothing as he shoots into the sea.

“Good job. Here they come now, sweetness. I’m going to breed my mate.”

Hoseok groans huskily as he grinds against Jungkook’s ass like he was desperately trying to get further inside but couldn’t. He didn’t feel anything different at first, besides the massive river of cum that painted his insides. Then...then he felt something rippling along Hoseok’s cock, making the already large organ wider still.

“Yes, yesss…” Hoseok panted into his ear as he shallowly bucked, seeming like the act of releasing his eggs made him feel even better than an orgasm did.

Finally Jungkook felt the first foreign object enter his body and travel up, up, and up. It hadn’t felt that large, perhaps the size of a lemon, and round. However, with the release of the first egg it seemed the others weren’t far behind.

One more traveled from Hoseok’s cock into him, then another, and another, until he’d lost count. He was unable to do more than rest his forehead against the cool stone floor and try not to be overwhelmed as the little eggs stroked his insides and traveled to their new home in his womb. And he knew it was there because he could feel them settle inside, bulging his tummy and pressing down on his pelvis.

Hoseok hadn’t been able to stop groaning and bucking as each egg was released, seeming to be in an endless state of euphoria.

Jungkook realized that somewhere along the line he’d gotten hard again, the feeling of the eggs jostling his sensitive body too much to handle. It wouldn’t take much to cum again.

Hoseok sighed and finally stopped his grinding, leaning his head onto Jungkook’s shoulder to rest.

“So good, precious Jungkook. I’ve never felt such bliss in all my days.”

Jungkook wanted to respond, but he was trying to reach down and tug himself to completion without slipping into the ocean. Hoseok notices and chuckles.

“Again, my sweet? You like being filled that much?”

Jungkook whimpers and nods, letting Hoseok bat his hand away to replace it with his own.

It only takes a few tugs of those long, nimble fingers before he shouts and cums, his cock slightly pained from sensitivity.

“There we go. And out of the water with you.”

Hoseok slides out of him and his cock is once again sheathed into his tail slit. He helps to heave the human onto the ledge and lets him catch his breath as the merman strokes Jungkook’s bulging stomach.

“So big and full. How do they feel?”

“Um, nice. I like it. I feel...warm and safe.”

Hoseok glances up in surprise, “Yeah? You like it a lot?”

Jungkook nods vigorously. “I can’t wait to meet them. What are we going to do when they’re born?”

Hoseok stares thoughtfully at his hand on the human’s stomach. “I suppose if they have split fins like you they’ll live on land. If they are mer then they’d have to stay with me. At least until I find a way to be with you.”

Jungkook’s eyes widened in surprise. “With me? You want to be on land?”

Hoseok shrugs shyly. “I don’t have much to hold me here, and I’ve always wanted to meet your friends. You speak so highly of them.”

“Yeah,” he muses, only to freeze two seconds later. “Oh fuck, you knocked me up. Yoongi and Seokjin are going to kill you!”

“What?” Hoseok asks in alarm.

“Don’t worry. I think we can get Namjoon on our side, but be prepared for a scolding.”

“You mean, you want me to join you on land?”

“Yeah,” Jungkook grins happily. “You’re my family too, and we’re going to have...young. We’ll figure it out.”

“Yes. Yes, we will.” Hoseok settles and sighs, laying his head onto his mate’s belly.

#bts #bts fanfic #bts fanfiction #bts smut #kinktober #merman!au #merman!hoseok #solastia

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purplerose244 · 3 years

Text

Irrational - Chapter 2: Restless

Hello everyone!! Here’s another piece for the @spacecampweek!! 💙

This shot if for the second prompt, “Sleep/Nap”, I got a little angsty on this one but there’s also fluffy hurt/comfort. Also this is a CollegeAU... of a future college? Krel is still an alien... and they were roommates 😎😎

I saw some amazing work for these prompts, my Campers mutuals you are amazing!! Enjoy!! 🥰

Summary: After just another night without sleep, work is still piling up for Seamus, and so is the feeling of doing everything wrong. Luckily, he got his roommate there to scold him.

Warnings: Mention of past emotional abuse

Read it on the AO3

Seamus used to think that being used to the all-nighters he used to pull in high school, with a heavy breath over his neck and a new list of problems to solve poking his back, facing college was going to be a breeze. He Had been an Elite student, he had graduated early thanks to his grades and he had been pulling through the weirdest Arcadia had to offer for a whole summer and more, coming out of it without a scratch – only a minor migraine whenever he thought about it. All being said, he had genuinely, absolutely, naively thought that his weekly cram sessions to stay in touch with the generic studies at the good old Arcadia Oaks High would have been enough preparation for what was waiting outside Mrs. Janeth’s classroom.

He really, really, really didn’t like being wrong. Especially since being wrong meant having to prepare a kilometric essay in a week about history of burrito engineering – huh, uhm? – in a week because he had decided it was absolutely normal taking four exams in the same period and leaving the hardest work for last.

Spoiler alert, it was not. It only made him regret his entire existence.

Or maybe that was the lack of coffee.

Which he was out of at the moment, great. It was the third time he had picked up his mug – ‘Count on me’, a little stupid graduation gift from Logan –, hoping to find restless juice only to suck air instead. It was also the third time he had groaned, holding his head between his hands and massaging his temples for a few seconds before continuing. It was getting harder and harder to focus on the screen of the computer at this point, even with the brightness at minimum.

He pinched his eyes with two fingers. Fourth time he did that.

Dang it, dang everything, his eyes were being tortured and only because he didn’t have his glasses at the moment. He had left his glasses in Eli’s castle in the sky – huh, huh? – last time he and Steve had dragged him along to watch another marathon of Earth Invaders – perfectly aware that he didn’t admit he liked it only out of pride. He didn’t absolutely need glasses, but it made it harder to keep his focus and the light was getting on his nerves. Everything was slowly starting to get on his nerves, but it was debatable if it was the inevitable stream of time extending his failure or because he had started the introduction of the essay right away instead of for last and was now doubting his entire half page – he would have screamed if he wasn’t this tired.

There were three more exams after this, the floating in midair one, the dreadful upside-down multiple choice and the GoGo Sushi exam – what? –, he couldn’t pull it off, he couldn’t!

This was hard, way more than he would have expected. He knew it was going to be tough nonetheless in a way, but he felt like whatever he was doing, it wasn’t right. He was learning nothing, all he was trying to memorize just didn’t stick with him. This papers, this situation, all the stressful work he was putting into, everything felt absolutely wrong.

Was he… was he the problem?

“Struggling to work your way through, huh? I’m not surprised.” Seamus gritted his teeth, pressing a hand over his forehead.

“Not now, dad.”

“Remember what I told you, when you decided to do be stupid and choose engineering instead of accounting? Remember what I said?” He wasn’t going to turn around, he wasn’t going to turn to find him in the room of his campus, with that awful scowl from whenever he found anything less than an A+ in his hands. “Try to go through the first college without me, see how you do! Guess what son, you’re making a mess. Just like I knew you were going to.”

He took his head between his hands, feeling it boiling. Stupid, stupid, irritating thoughts, always working against him. Always making him think that he was right. He wasn’t. He wasn’t right. He wasn’t… right?

No. No. No.

“I said not now, dad.” His room started to burn.

“When will you learn, Seamus? What are you trying to do, reach for the stars or some philosophical crap like that? You know the chances of being an astronaut are minimal, that is, if you manage to even get a master.” He could even feel him march behind him, his big and heavy steps, calculated in order to intimidate him. Every. Single. Time. Even here. “You should’ve followed the path I traced for you, the one I trained you for. You wouldn’t be struggling this much if you did.” There was a press on the back of his chair. “You would be happy.”

“Stop it.” Flames raised up from the ground.

“You’ll never make it without me.”

“Not now!” His notes and his desk were turning black.

“All I ever did was for your own good, you know that!”

“Not now dad!!” The photo he had left there gone as well.

“If you even think for a moment that an absolute failure like you will make it to the world, or even worse, that you could actually caught the attention of that foreigner-”

“I SAID-”

A noise. The door of the apartment was slammed closed after it had opened.

So did his eyes.

Seamus blinked, his entire perspective had changed. He wasn’t facing his desk, his face was right onto it, and he was looking at the door. In the way, the photo he had taken with all of their friends from high school, completely intact.

He felt the echo of his dream roaring into his ears before slowly disappearing.

Then, the absolute frustration took over.

Dang it, he had fallen asleep. He should had known, heck, he had known that he was going to feel miserable the moment he had decided to avoid the useless sleep. His cheek was attached to his notes, he was drooling over the equations, and he knew that the moment he was going to move his back was going to kill him. It was the horrible kind of tiredness, the drowsy one that was meant to stay, one hour nap was never going to suffice. His eyes felt like they were aflame, his stomach was growling horribly menacing to be emptied any time now.

On top of that, there was a good chance he hadn’t gone past the introduction for the essay. Oh how much he wanted to die right now. He closed his eyes, not to sleep, only to try to remember if his life was going somewhere. He was too tired to consider if this was realism or pessimism.

The was a thud outside his room, steps and stuff being moved around that caught his attention. A bigger thud, and half-screamed “Kleb!” in the air.

A voice emerged from behind his door. His shoulders relaxed.

“I am back! The morning shift at Hex Tech ended early, and Electronics did not have customers… again.” His annoyed tone was so intense, it made Seamus chuckle without having the strength to. Maybe Krel was the only person aside for himself that hated wasted time the most. “I hope you do not mind carnitas again, it was all Stuart had left from his truck!” Quick steps got closer, the door was opened. “It is good though, I wonder why it is always- Oh, you look horrible.” There he was, in human form as he preferred to be when he got out, even though he worked with friends.

Seamus cracked a laugh, without moving his face from the desk. It wasn’t comfy in the slightest, but the uneasiness went along well with how he was feeling inside.

“You’re sugarcoating it for me, how nice of you.” Krel did not look amused, that meant a discussion was coming and he had no strength into his body for that. “… okay, I get the feeling I did something bad, but my brain is all fried up so can you help me out on this one?”

The prince crossed his arms. Ouch, bad sign.

“You have been awake the entire night.”

“Is that a question?”

“Seklos and Gaylen, again?” He shook his head in disapproval. “I did not check on you this morning because I thought you were resting! Did you sleep at all??”

“… is that a trick question or…?”

“No tricks, not stunts, I am corpse serious.” It was a hobby of his, learning new expression and push them to the maximum. It was the funniest when he got a saying wrong. “Granted that I am no expert in regard of human necessities,” It was an old excuse considering he had been on this planet more than a few years now. “But there seems to be an agreement that sleeping is an important part of the day, so I am questioning if you are deliberately trying to destroy yourself.” That was actually a very good question, coming from a very good mind. As expected from this engineer genius.

Seamus shrugged, trying to gather around the best brain cells his brain had to offer at the moment.

“If it’s lunch time I got… huh, two hours at least. That’s something right?”

“Something very insufficient. You do know that is not okay, right?” Despite the scolding tone he got closer, placing his hand over his shoulder. Gently.

It was hard to get distant with him being worried, because despite the arrogance and the rationality this Akiridion cared so much about the people around him. Seamus was lucky enough to be one of them, and he wasn’t that interested in keeping up his pride anyway – he blamed his stupid sleep deprived brain for this. He leaned into his touch, covering a soundless sob with a yawn.

“… this is hard. I knew it was going to, but I don’t get if it’s supposed to be this hard.” He crossed his arms over the desk, hiding his face in the middle of it. “Is it normally this difficult, for everyone, or am I… really, really wrong?”

The hand on him twitched. There were a multitude of words unsaid in the air.

“You dreamed about him again, didn’t you.” Ah, the prince really knew him well at this point. “Can I begin by saying that your father is the biggest gloober I have ever met in my life and nothing he has said will ever be even the slightest bit useful?” His brain was hardly keeping up with his convoluted answers, but Seamus knew from the tone it was something uplifting. “I know that his words are hard to forget. Trust me, I understand what it is like to be conditioned by someone that is supposed to show you how to live your best life.” They really were too similar, the two of them. “But you are making progresses, you want to deal with your choices, and you are doing your best to become an astronaut like you have always wanted… that involves a procedure for some reason.”

How could he stay grumpy and melancholic with that pout on his face? This country had been pretty clear on the matter, the Akiridion was not allowed to improve space travel for humans. It had something to do with ‘allowing our specie to grow independently and finally reach the stars’, but Krel had taken it as ‘we can’t let someone else help us or we would look like soolians’. To be honest, the prince probably got it right.

Seamus looked up at him with a little smile.

“You’re never gonna let this one go, aren’t you.”

“Earth would be connected with the rest of the galaxy in a few months if they let me use even a single optimizer for the fuel capacitor. So yes, I am very not letting this one go.” Another laugh. Krel smiled as well. “Despite this ridiculousness, you are moving forward. I suggest you focus on your achievements, not on what you have not accomplished.”

It sounded so doable said from him, he simply had a way of being convincing. The blonde wasn’t sure if it was about his smarts or the way they had grown to care for each other.

He sighed, pressing his lips tightly together.

“It’s hard to do though…”

“I never said it wasn’t but might not be the best moment to think about it. Remember that time I told you Stuart got a sprain?” Miracuroulsy, inside his boiling brain, he remembered. Perhaps because the poor durian had gotten it after slipping onto a drop of guac – he had almost broken in coughs while laughing. “I brought him to the hospital back then, and I met Dr. Lake.” His hand started to rub his shoulder in a soothing motion. Ah, this felt nice. “She told me a lot of interesting facts, especially for humans that are going through college. Between those she recommended a good sleeping schedule, because restlessness affects the mood, which is additional stress.”

Ah, so not only his brain was making him feel absolutely miserable, it was also trying to make this even harder than it already was. Great, like he wasn’t a total failure already like dad always said… huh, maybe this was a little more internalized than he thought. He had left that house since months now, dad hadn’t called him at all, not even once. It was both a relief and a downer.

Seamus swallowed, turning again. Krel was looking at him, he smiled when their eyes crossed. It was really hard to keep his scowl with him around right now.

“… I have work to do, I… I don’t have time to sleep.”

“Seamus, when was your last exam?”

“What part of ‘my brain is out of service’ you don’t understand?” He got the eyes of no joking around, and he was forced to try and use his mind. “… like, yesterday?”

“Precisely. Now, again, I am in no way entitled to tell you how to take care of basic human necessities,” Okay now he was just enjoying playing the ‘I say I’m dumb but I’m really not’ card. “But I believe that studying all night after studying all night is not a good way to treat yourself, especially while you look like you got pummeled to the ground by Aja after telling her she was never supposed to be a warrior.” Whoa, that bad? “You have given a successful exam I believe, you will not receive the result for a while. There is no need to strain yourself, you are doing good.”

The blonde snorted, because motivational Krel was absolutely hilarious.

“I’ll let you convince me that I didn’t complete fail yesterday only because I have no proof of the opposite.” He did end before everyone else after rereading his answers three times. “But am I doing good? I’m a shell of a man right now, where exactly am I doing good?” He was probably admitting that this wasn’t good for himself, but there was no victory for the last statement anyway.

Krel hummed. Then he smirked, in his special way of his.

“Well, when I left, I asked you to rest every once in a while, and even though I was not conscious your body did obey. That was a wise choice of your subconscious, how about the rest of you follow suit?” This little irritating- “Not like my roommate should absolutely follow my rules, but still, how is not listening working out for you?” He snickered, shrugging a little. “I could also add that you are a mess, but not because of an overly high consumption of alcoholic substances. That is quite the accomplishment, congratulations!” He raised a thumb, something very off on him.

It took Seamus two blinks to grin back at that attempt at distracting him from his negativity. It worked, but just because he was grateful and feeling like his soul had left his body to go to a dance club, to respond to this guy he had all the energy in the galaxy.

“You sure you’re in the position of scolding me? What happened during Lake’s birthday party?”

Yep, there it was, the smirk turning into a pout. A super adorable pout.

“Akiridions are not able to sustain your alcohol, big deal!”

“Less about Akiridions and more about you, since Aja had a drink for each hand and was still able to beat her boyfriend at arm-wrestling.” An even bigger pout, if there was an argument, he could annoy him over was his rivalry with his sister. It was an easy victory. “Look, I get what you’re trying to do, but I have the essay for mech… stuff… something, to finish.” A massive eyebrow was raised. “Just because I can’t remember it very clearly right now doesn’t mean it’s not important!” Stupid brain, he was supposed to win the argument, collaborate!

No use, Krel was already on it, pulling him up by the shoulders. He was considerably less strong than his sister but still slightly better than the human average, which made him being pulled around towards his bed impossible to avoid. It did weird stuff to his chest. Seamus pondered if there was any reasons into trying to fight back – something that wasn’t going to gain him an even bigger scolding later –, deciding that even if it was a good idea he really didn’t have the energy. It was no use anyway, a moment later he was pushed onto the mattress. At that point it was impossible gathering the strength to get up once again, everything was beautifully bouncy and soft over there. He was keeping his eyes up out of pure will.

Krel moved him so he was laying down.

“Seamus, how long does it take to become an astronaut?”

“Again asking me stuff Mr. Tarron, you’re really pushing me on my limits.” Silence. Seamus struggled, but even right now it was a pretty easy information to remember. “Well, I need a master’s degree which is what I’m trying to get, then two years of professional experience, a thousand of hours pilot-in-command time on jet aircraft…”

“It’s quite a lot, is it?” He blinked, a little taken back by the interruption, slowly nodding. “Then why making it miserable? The way towards your dream does not have to be awful.”

Oh. Right.

Dad used to say that it had to be, that until he was accomplished, he was nothing. He had never said anything useful, for real. Seamus smiled.

“Yeah… yeah, I forget about that sometimes.”

“Try not to, space does not go anywhere. Literally, space-time does not move.” Krel sat onto the bed. “One day you will get there, and it will be because of your effort, but you don’t need to rush it. I hope you will have a good memory of this time as well.” His eyes were so soft right now. It wasn’t very often that he could get the most of this guy’s kindness. This was definitely a memory he wanted to keep. With that being said, the smirk coming back was also pretty welcomed. “Besides, I will be there holding your hand the entire time. No need to be anxious.”

This guy was the worst. And the best. And Seamus could do nothing else but sink his head into the pillow and laugh out loud, feeling the last of his energy slowly disappearing into that sound. He was almost in tears, moving to wipe them away.

“Why are we friends again? Scratch that, why are we roommates even?”

“Because Steve snores, Logan is not ready to leave his house, and I can hack into all streaming services without the need to log in.” The last reason would have been enough. “Also… you were there when my parents passed away, no matter how isolated and insufferable I was. I have every intention to do the same.” His cheeks reddened slightly. Never mind, this one would have sold him. Immediately. “If you are truly not feeling like sleeping, could you at least consider eating something? You need to gain your energy from somewhere.” He had gained this little mom tendency by being his roommate, finally letting his most caring side take over. It was still a little new for him, but also pretty… very endearing.

No one had really taken care of him before. Not since mom left, definitely not with dad around. Seamus could hardly get used to how he didn’t have to deal with every conversation ending with shouts, that an argument didn’t mean he was going to be punished, and that he didn’t have to gain his privileges like watching TV or go out with his friends through grades. Even with his brain all messy, it was a warm feeling.

It made him want to try to at least make Krel feel less worried.

“… no, I… I think I’ll try to sleep some more. Properly this time.” The prince made a surprised face, probably not expecting him to give up this soon.

He was clearly pleased by it though.

“Very well, I will leave you to it.” He got up. Seamus’ hand was on his wrist almost unconsciously.

“… Krel?” The prince hummed, clearly taken back but still close. “Can you… stay around? You don’t have to do anything, you can read a book or watch something on the phone, and only until I fall asleep.” He was too tired to feel embarrassed. “I… kinda don’t wanna stay on my own.”

“You’re never gonna make it without me!”

For a moment there was no reaction. Then Krel smiled, nodding. Seamus expected him to take the chair or something, instead he found himself naturally shifting away as the Akiridion lied next to him, his shoulders touching the pillow. He took a book from the nightstand, – ‘Love Amongst the Dragons’, he had forgotten where he had taken that from – one Seamus hadn’t had the time to read with his stressful study schedule happening. It was something the prince used to rarely do, reading, considering his general reluctance at accepting the terrestrial method of learning. It turned out you cannot learn college stuff through thermogenic osmosis – not without overheating apparently – so he had begrudgingly accepted the educational method.

As it turned out, he did not mind it as much as he showed. It was a peaceful view every time.

“I will be silent, please get some rest now.” Seamus nodded. His mind was too foggy to register how he was leaning his head over his shoulder, hearing a little gulp from him. Was he doing something he wasn’t supposed to? Whatever, Krel was warm. Comfy too. “… Seamus?” The blonde hummed. “Are you still tense? From before?”

Right, he asked not to be alone, it wasn’t a mystery why. He was too tired to care about keeping his pride, so he nodded, fighting the urge to sleep for a few more seconds.

“A bit.”

“… very well, then.” His voice got softer, as soft as the feeling blossoming onto his forehead. Krel had brushed it with a kiss, in a sound that barely moved something into his mind. Seamus’ chest felt lighter, as the prince quickly went back with his nose between the pages. The blonde didn’t understand why the reluctance. Was this important? It sure felt nice. “T-there, you should feel slightly better now. Have a good rest.” Seamus gave him a look. His cheeks were getting redder. He was cute. Krel was really cute.

The blonde smiled lazily, snuggling closer, finally closing his eyes.

“I always do when you’re with me.” All he registered after that was the prince holding his breath, like he had said something meaningful. Who cared, he was tired and warm, it could wait.

…

… three hours later Krel had left for the afternoon shift and his usual tutoring lessons with Steve and Lake. There was a burrito still wrapped left onto his nightstand. And Seamus, with a more rested body and a finally functioning mind, was having a full existential crisis while screaming into his pillow.

Dang it, four exams still to finish, and a crush on a snarky genius from another planet.

Studies were not the most stressful part of college anymore.

#space camp week #space camp #toa space camp #kreamus #krel x seamus #krel tarron #seamus johnson #tales of arcadia #toa #toa fic #toa fanfiction #fanfiction #toa 3below #3below

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your-daily-biaswrecking · 3 years

Text

Serva me, Servabo te

save me and I will save you

pairing: photographer!Taehyung x f.reader

genre: angst, slight enemies to lovers, slow burn, lil spooky, lil fluffy

word count: 8k | reading time: 45 min

chapter summary: even more bonding over food

warnings: nothing much, just a lil spooky house

All chapters | Masterlist | Read on AO3

Chapter 3: No man is an island

Even though it had taken you a lot of turning around in the bed to actually fall asleep, once you did, it proved hard to wake up. Something about the heavy covers and the thick curtains seemed to have sealed you in with a spell. When you first opened your eyes, you found it hard to move, and by the time you finally rose, the sun was peeking through the window which could only mean one thing: it was late. The fire across from you was crackling and the air smelled of-

Wait, what?

You did a double-take on the fireplace. Yep, it was lit. You scratched your head trying to remember if you had actually managed to light it last night, but you were fairly certain you had discarded the wood inside with no success. Had you lit a small spark that had turned into a big fire through the night without your knowledge? Probably not. Somebody else had probably lit it and you had an idea of who that might be. As you were getting dressed, you noticed the floor was clean, too. That is, from all the wax that was on it due to last night's accident. What the hell? Was he trying to get on your good side or something? Trying to make you like him? It was a little too late for that, didn't he think? A tat difficult to change your impression of someone after you had already formed it three years ago.

You wandered around the east wing of the Manor, not sure which room was Taehyung's. But you took a guess when you saw that there was only one door closed amongst the rest of them. You knocked, and when you didn't get an answer, you walked in. The room was definitely bigger than yours, boasting a king-sized bed with dark colors opposite of the entrance, along with a large balcony to the left. You could see Taehyung's stuff lying around, yet not the man himself.

You jogged down the stairs, questioning your next move. Going left, you walked to the sitting room, however, apart from the lit fireplace, that, too, was quiet and soulless. You even checked the library but were met with the same results. As you walked back, you kept your eyes out the windows, trying to catch a glimpse of him anywhere around the house. To be more certain that he wasn't blocked from any plants or flowers in the garden caught up in his photographing like last time, you went so far as to go out and have a stroll up and down the pathway. After having been disappointed yet again, you set the way for the small kitchen. Unsurprisingly, that was empty too, and you were running out of ideas of where the man could be hidden. Alas, any time you wanted to avoid him he magically appeared in front of you, yet now that you were looking for him, he had vanished.

"Well, well, well... look who finally decided to get up," you heard a raspy voice coming from behind you. You jumped slightly and frowned at the well-dressed man standing by the door, offering you a smirk. Where on earth had he been and how had he managed to materialize right behind you without you realizing? Was he a ghost, or something?

You almost asked him where he was, but quickly realized that would sound like you cared about him. Instead, you decided to comment on his uncalled-for remark. "Why, had you been waiting for me?"

He chuckled, leaning against the doorframe. "No, but the pancakes got cold by now. They won't be as tasty."

"Pancakes?" With a motion of his head, your eyes fell on the plate with a tower of medium-sized, fluffy pancakes on the counter. "You made these?"

His eyes rolled to the side. "No, the fairies did," he mocked you.

You shook your head. "Why? Why are you doing all of this?"

"What do you mean?"

"I mean making me breakfast when I didn't ask you to."

Taehyung watched you with his half-lidded eyes, his tongue running over his teeth. "Relax. I didn't make you breakfast, princess. I just made it for myself and had some leftovers. If you don't want to, don't eat it."

It felt like he was teasing you for wanting nothing to do with him. Why was he teasing you? Hadn't he acted like that, too, for the past three years? "Oh, yeah? Then what about the fireplace? And the candlewax?"

His cheeks swelled up with air as he slowly let it out. "Yeah, I'm- I'm not following. What fireplace?"

"My fireplace."

He frowned. "You mean... the one in the sitting room?"

"No! I mean the one in my bedroom."

He continued to look confused. "Okay. What about it?"

You bit your lip at his reaction. Now, you were confused, too. "Didn't you light it?"

"No... Did you want me to?"

Your mouth froze mid-sentence, trying to figure out what was happening. "I... I woke up and it was..." You took a look around you. "Did the housekeepers come here this morning?"

Taehyung shrugged. "I didn't see anyone, but maybe... It's a big house, it's easy to miss someone."

Not as easy as missing him, though. Big house and you always ended up in the same, small space. "I guess they came," you mumbled as you started to notice other little things, like the clean plates, were also in their place. "I mean, I found the fireplace lit and the wax was gone..."

Then Taehyung laughed. "Wait! Are you telling me cleaning ladies came into your room, lit a fire, and cleaned the floors while you were sleeping...? And you didn't understand a thing?" Well, you didn't usually sleep so deep but be it the fatigue or the aura of the Manor, you slept like a dead person that night. Taehyung's laugh continued. "And you thought that was me?"

Thinking he had perhaps done those things for you turned out to be a better feeling than realizing he hadn't. You felt so silly. And what were you even supposed to say now? You turned around, scratching your head. The plate with the pancakes seemed rather inviting now, a good change of the subject.

"Thank you for the breakfast," you simply said.

Taehyung smirked at you yet again, his eyes following you around as you grabbed the plate and sat down to eat. "Sure thing, love," he purred. You shot up, a tingling sensation covering your cheeks that you were sure it was shock and distaste, and nothing else. But he kept his stare on you, making you look back down. "What are you going to do after, if you don't mind my asking?" you heard him say in an exaggerated formal tone.

"Why?" you simply asked.

Taehyung looked over his shoulder. "Well, I've got some work to do. On my laptop. I was thinking about occupying the sitting room if that's alright with you."

You took a bite out of the pancakes, shaking your head. "Do whatever you want. You don't have to ask my permission, you know." You made eye contact one more time. "This is your vacation here, too. Don't let me stand in the way."

He turned around and left without another word. You scoffed, rolling your eyes, but decided to not dwell on the boy's acts. You weren't sure what he was trying to do, get on your nerves or the opposite -whatever that was- but you didn't want to use up all your energy on thinking about him. Instead, you enjoyed the pancakes with the pine tree honey, as it was labeled, and some fresh butter. You weren't sure if it was because of the organic toppings or Taehyung's skill, but those ended up being the best pancakes you had ever had. You scrunched your nose. They were so good, I guess you had to compliment him, say something, anything. It was only fair.

You found a piece of paper and a pen in the next room and wrote a small note for him to find on the counter, instead of having to say something to his face. And after having cleaned up your mess, you went back into your room.

Really, what were you going to do?

You fixed the flame, then marched in the bathroom to find your dress, now clean, hanging to dry. The signal wasn't good enough for you to contact Yoonji or anyone else, so you were left with whatever was in that house to occupy you. Well, a house like that should have enough things to keep you busy, right?

You set out to explore the rooms and the floors. The portraits on the walls of people unknown to you, people that seemed to be long gone. The sculptures at the corners of the halls that you couldn't decide whether they were very classy or very outdated. The embroidery pieces adorning the furniture, even some frames, and the random, vintage objects used as decoration. You discovered a room that seemed to be a home office on the first floor, with a big, wooden desk with old pen and ink on one side of it and a typewriter on the other. A metallic globe the size of your hug standing by the window, inconsistent books about the classics all around. A dining room, two rooms away from the kitchen, that boasted the longest table you had ever seen, set with pretty porcelain plates, crystal glasses, and silver cutlery. Another room, next to the library, whose only purpose seemed to be that of a museum; more paintings and sculptures, bizarre collections and jewelry presented all over.

The basement didn't share any of the upstairs' atmosphere. There was no decoration, no natural light. The air was humid and chill. The colors were grey and brown, none of the crimsons or the golds. You found the main kitchen, the one that seemed to be made for a whole staff to work in, but it was empty and dull. Anywhere you stood, you felt uneasy. As if you were standing in the way of someone; perhaps all the ghosts of the workers that slaved themselves away for the elites living above. A breeze made the hair on your arms float, and you deemed the moment perfect to get out.

Not letting the uncomfortable setting get to you, you continued exploring. Going up three flights of stairs, you reached the highest floor, the attic. The halls there were significantly less extravagant, the rooms notably smaller. It didn't quite reach the tone of the basement, but some similarities had to be pointed out. Some doors were locked, and the ones that were open, lead to places that had nothing to keep you there. The view from the windows wasn't much changed from the one from your bedroom, definitely wasn't worth a swap. You noticed that although there were beds and wardrobes, none of the rooms were made for guests. Maybe you weren't supposed to be up here.

That thought, instead of making you flee the way the basement had, made you want to dive deeper. You looked around the few pieces of furniture as if you were searching for something specific, looking over your shoulder as if someone would walk in and scold you for snooping around any time now. A wind blew your hair around your neck, almost like it was telling you to stop. But why did you have to stop? What weren't you supposed to see? The windows in the corridor were all closed, anyway, so where was the wind coming from in the first place? You felt it again, caressing your ears nearly like a whisper. Like a voice calling to you.

Amy...

Was it the wind, or was it the walls? Was it all the olden, inanimate objects that had gained life from the numerous generations they had incorporated? Or was it all just in your head?

"Amy!"

You jumped. You heard it, you actually, definitely did. A voice. Not just the wind, not just your imagination. There were voices coming from these rooms. You rushed outside and ran to the stairs. Then you heard it again, and you froze in place.

You frowned slightly, still not having entirely grasped the reality of the situation. "Yeah?" you shouted back.

"Food's ready."

Right. The mystery voice that whispered your name through the wind at the attic wasn't a spirit or a ghost; simply your vacation buddy shouting from downstairs. Well, good. That was good.

"I'm coming!" you let him know as you skipped down the steps.

You hadn't realized when Taehyung had moved from the sitting room to the kitchen, had no idea he had taken it upon himself to cook once again. Having had a late breakfast and a lot of exploration to do, the time had gone by unnoticed, without any thought of lunch. That was until the delicious smell reached your nose as you were getting closer, making your stomach immediately protest in hunger.

"Hey," you called when you walked in, finding Taehyung setting the table. "I didn't know you were cooking."

"Why, would you have helped me if you did?" he said smiling at you. Don't get confused, he wasn't smiling because what he had just asked was genuine, and thought it was sweet. He was definitely teasing you again.

You took a plate from his hands -well, more like grabbed- and set it on the table yourself. "I thought you were a great cook, why would you need my help?"

His stupid smile got wider. "Maybe you just wanted to spend more time with me."

"Does anyone ever spend time with you unless absolutely needed?"

Taehyung gasped and then chuckled right as he set the food in the middle. "Well, you're welcome for the lunch, I guess."

You rolled your eyes making sure he would see it, dragged a chair out, and sat down. "Thank you. What did you make?"

"Mushrooms," he said, pointing at the plates in front of you. "And other vegetables, since you wanted to have an organic meal. And I found those in the fridge, so I think it's safe to assume they won't kill us."

You shot him a tight smile with your eyes narrowed. Just as you were about to reach for the rice, he started serving you himself. "I can do it," you let him know.

He groaned in response. "I bet you're also the kind that won't let a guy pay for dinner or walk you home, aren't you? Let a man be chivalrous for once, Amy. The Mansion demands it, don't you think?"

You bit your lip trying to stop yourself before an apology escaped you. "Right, I'm sure chivalry runs through your veins and fuels your every action." You tried to take the vegetables, but he blocked you again.

"Well, no," he annunciated through his teeth, then started serving you again. "But at least when I make an effort, it should be respected, don't you think?" He finished your plate and raised his head to look at you. Why were his eyes staring into yours always putting you in an awkward space?

You cleared your throat. "Alright, your actions are noted and appreciated," you murmured, picking up a fork and preparing a bite. "If they're not fake," you added under your breath and popped the food in your mouth.

But he heard you, and like always, he laughed. "You really think I have some ulterior motive in being nice to you? What, am I trying to trick you into thinking I'm not a terrible person?"

You looked at him out of the corner of your eye while you chewed, trying to hide a tiny smile. "Yeah."

His eyes read yours for a second before he reciprocated your smile. "Is it working?"

You finally swallowed, taking a moment to close your eyes and take in all the flavor you had just experienced. "With this food, kinda, yeah." The vegetables had just melted in your mouth like cotton candy, had managed to taste like a honeycomb.

"You like it?" his face lit up as he asked you.

You nodded. "You know, I hate to admit it, but it's really good. Now, I don't know if it's the organic ingredients or the cook..."

He dismissed you with a wave of his hand. "Oh, it's the cook. Considering the pancakes were also... Ah, what was it? Superb?" You put your fork down to glare at him. "It couldn't have been easy for you to write that," he laughed at you. You knew you shouldn't have left that note; compliments only made his ego grow, and he already had plenty of that.

"Do you always talk so much when you eat?" you snapped. "You haven't even taken a bite."

"Apologies," he mumbled with a grin and started eating, too.

But the silence was too awkward. In the silence, all you were left to do was stare. And staring at your plate would quickly become tiring, and staring out the window would quickly become boring. And then, all you could stare at was the man in front of you. Staring at his brown flocks falling over his eyes as he swallowed down huge bites. His lips, shiny and slippery from the grease, moving around and making sounds. The veins in his hand popping and following down his long fingers, longer than you'd call necessary. You thought he hadn't noticed, since he hadn't looked your way. But when he suddenly glanced up and found your eyes right away, it was obvious he already knew where they were. And the look he gave you was worse than just saying out loud I thought you didn't want to talk, yet you're gawking at me.

You choked on your food, immediately looking away and trying to clear your throat. "Uh... Have you- have you been up at the attic?" you asked, needing an escape.

"Very briefly, why?" he casually answered.

You shrugged, playing with your food. "Oh, nothing. I was just up there and..." Well, you didn't know what to say. And you thought there were ghosts calling you when it was actually him?

He shook his head slightly and looked back down. "I don't like the atmosphere up there," he said. "It's kind of creepy."

Your eyes widened. "Oh my God, I know, right? You felt that, too? It wasn't just me?"

He grabbed his shoulder with one hand, rubbing it. "Yeah, I don't know what it was about it, but I wouldn't go back up there again."

You nodded in agreement. "The basement was even worse, felt like it was haunted."

"Haven't been down there, but I believe you." He gave you a small smile and, paired with his words, it made you smile back with warmth. "We should just stay here, on this floor," he added. "It's nice and cozy down here."

You chuckled. "Yeah, even my room is a little scary, especially after last night."

He looked at you again in a way you couldn't look away, almost like holding your hands so that you would stay close. "You shouldn't be scared. If you are ever scared, you should come to find me."

What... What do you respond to that?

"I mean, there's two of us in this house," he continued when you didn't say anything. "You don't have to sit alone and afraid."

"Um... yeah, I guess," you mumbled and immediately cleared your throat upon realizing how hoarse your voice sounded. "Same goes for you, or whatever."

Taehyung suddenly got up and smiled down at you, while you had to crane your neck to look at him. "Good to know. You'll do the dishes, right?" You frowned momentarily at the abrupt change of subject.

"Ye- yeah..."

"Great, I'm going upstairs." And with no more input, he was gone. Didn't even put away his plate or something, didn't even wait for you to finish.

What a dick. I mean, sure, you would've offered to do the dishes anyway, but now that he had just assumed it like that, it bothered you. You exhaled, pushing your plate away. Oh, it bothered you a lot. You looked over your shoulder, looking at the empty hallway he had just passed through. How was this man managing to make you hate him one moment, then warmed you up until you lowered your guard the next, and then pissed you off again right after? Staying with him there just felt like a big headache.

You cleaned up everything and then moved upstairs, passing by him on the way, but neither of you spoke. You went straight to the bathroom. You deserved a nice bath after that, to calm your nerves. And there was a long, porcelain bathtub inside the well-lit, room, along with many bath salts for the warm water and candles to set the mood. It was indeed relaxing. Moments like this made you really appreciate your chance to stay in that Manor. It wasn't all the moments, all the time, but there were enough of them.

After soaking up in there for nearly an hour -or maybe it was more- the water started getting cold and you decided to get out. You wrapped yourself in a big, soft towel and went to your room. You took your books with you and went looking for that office that was near the library. Taking another look at it and really taking the time to light the lamps and sit on that desk, made you like the room even more. You enjoyed some peace and quiet for the rest of the afternoon in there, switching between studying and exploring the place. You only wished you could have an office like that. The heavy atmosphere really sealing you inside and making you lose track of time.

Lost track of time so much it had felt like only two minutes had passed when you heard the door opening.

"Oh, there you are," Taehyung said in a low voice after he peeped through the door. "Are you working?"

At the moment, you had your feet propped against the bookcase behind the desk and a leather hardback copy of Frankenstein. You let it drop on the desk and close. "No, just chilling," you explained. "Why?"

The young man appeared more behind the door, yet still just standing there instead of coming in. "Can I ask for your help with dinner, then?"

Your eyebrows rose high while your lips pursed up. "Oh, the great cook needs my help?" Regardless of your comment, you got up and started switching off the lights to follow him.

"Actually, I need some help with the fireplace."

"The fireplace?"

He wiggled his eyebrows at you. "Yep. We're barbecuing tonight!"

You gasped and jumped to him. "Oh, really? We can do that?" No thought that would normally cross your mind about your behavior and distance toward this man seemed to be appearing now. He extended his arm to you, almost to catch you, and your hands wrapped around his forearm instinctively.

Taehyung chuckled as he held your arm back, and guided you into the hallway. You followed suit, still glued to him. "Yeah," he told you. "I found a grate that we can use. Have you ever done this before?" He looked at you over his shoulder.

"I have been a part of barbecue parties before, but I didn't exactly do the barbecuing," you mumbled, smiling and looking down.

Taehyung pushed a door open and you appeared in the sitting room. The fire had died down but had left a decent amount of coals behind it. The man broke free from your hold and moved closer to the fireplace, picking up a metal poker, and started annoying the low burning, red coals emitting warmth. You looked at him, wondering if he knew what he was doing because you certainly didn't. And he had asked for your help... Well, we'll see how that will go.

"The fire is almost out... Can we really do this here?" you asked while your fingers played with the hem of your shirt.

Taehyung glanced at you and nodded. "Yeah, this is the perfect level of fire you need. Which is why I thought about it in the first place." Then he pointed at the corner of the inside of the fireplace. "See? I have already put in some potatoes to cook because they need more time." Something shined in the direction he was showing you. Something covered in tin foil.

You opened your mouth in understanding. "Alright... What do you need me to do?"

The boy moved his jaw around as he checked you out before he motioned towards the door. "Let's go to the kitchen and get things ready."

The kitchen island was covered with what you could only assume was everything edible found in the fridge and cupboards. Plates and platters filled with raw meat, vegetables, cheese, spices, sauces, salads... Had he invited something like 15 people to dine with you, or was he under the impression you eat as much as bigfoot does?

"What- is all of this?" you stammered. "You know it's just the two of us, right?"

He rolled his eyes at you, but with a smile. "We're not gonna everything, I just have it out trying to decide what's best." He grabbed two plates, one on each hand, and pointed them at you. "For example: sausages or pork ribs?"

"Um..." You kept looking back and forth between the plates with your jaw hanging low, struggling to pick the most delicious looking one.

"A little bit of both?" Taehyung offered with half a smile when you still hadn't chosen.

Your face lit up. "Yeah, a little bit of both sounds good!"

He nodded immediately. "Do you want to make some grilled tomatoes and peppers as well? They always turn out great."

You shrugged. "Sure, maybe a few. Let's not make too much and have to throw them away, though."

Taehyung nodded once again and handed you the plates with the veggies and some cheese. "Alright, take these inside while I get the rest ready, please."

"Sure thing, chef."

You cleared the table in the sitting room, making room for every plate that you brought in. Following Taehyung's orders, you organized the veggies on the grate and the other appetizers on the platers while he marinated the meat. You paid great attention to the way he poised the grate on top of a little old metal thing a small way over the burning coals. Juices started falling once the tomatoes got hot, landing on the fire and immediately evaporating with a loud, sizzling sound that filled the room like the rhythmical beat of a lo-fi song. The smell that invaded your senses was something between smoke and sautéed onions and your stomach hurt in anticipation as you sat there and waited.

You sat there and waited quietly, watching the boy squatted in front of the fireplace looking over the food. As his eyes were otherwise occupied, yours had the chance to travel down his form once again. He looked small and fragile the way he was sitting, drowned in his large, knitted sweater, but you knew the moment he got up he would assert himself differently. Not that he was particularly tall and at all bulky, but there was something about his stance that demanded everyone's awareness. Maybe it was something about his eyes that made it hard to look away or his face that tricked you into thinking you were gazing at a piece of art. And you stared, not thinking you'll get caught, not thinking he will smile at you the way he did when you still hadn't noticed he was now turned towards you.

"Uh- Bread!" you squealed in panic. You got up, dusting your clothes off the nothing that was on them. "Should I bring the bread now?" you added in a weak voice.

Taehyung gave the grate over the coals one last glance. "Yeah... These are almost done, I think we can toast some bread and start eating now."

You nodded once and ran out of the room. Your hands were shaking slightly as you tried to slice the bread and you couldn't understand why he put you in such an unnerving state so easily. Okay, so you got caught looking at him. So what? You were allowed to look at people, right? He did it all the time, anyway. And, okay, you kind of don't like him... But is it really to the point that being next to him makes you hold your breath and numb your limbs? He didn't seem bothered by your presence at all, and he apparently didn't even remember you. You should really do better than this.

When you walked back into the sitting room, Taehyung was arranging the ribs that he had just taken off the grill on a platter. Then he took the bread you handed him to place it near the fire. The whole table was a mouth-watering view, and if these tasted even half as good as the food he had made up until now, you were sure this was going to be the best barbecue you've ever had. Well, if you could pull yourself together and actually act like a normal person, you would be able to enjoy this. Perhaps talking to him would be better, it had worked the last time. Kind of.

"Are the potatoes ready?" you asked. Alright, it wasn't the best conversation starter, but your hunger controlled you more than you'd admit.

"Oh," Taehyung chuckled. "I forgot about those, let's see." He fished them out, squeezed them a few times, then gave you one. "What do you think?"

You looked at him, then at the tin foil covered potato. "What, am I supposed to know if they're ready?"

He chuckled again, trying to hide the fact that he had just rolled his eyes. "It's soft, isn't it? Must be cooked."

You squeezed the potato the way he did. "Uh, yeah... I guess."

"I'm just trying to teach you how to do this, princess," he called as he grabbed the potato out of your hand again and placed it on the table.

You snorted. "Why do you keep calling me princess?"

Taehyung shrugged without looking up at you, keeping his gaze on the potatoes as he uncovered them and cut them up. "Well, didn't you choose the princess room?"

"It's not that and you know it. You say it as if it's a bad thing."

He took the butter and began to apply a very generous amount on the steaming, soft potatoes. "Hmm, I don't know..." he mumbled as he added seasoning and cheese. "Sometimes you just seem a little ungrateful and condescending, like a real princess would be." He gave you a quick, tight smile with his lips pressed together.

You couldn't help but scoff, folding your arms over your chest. "I'm condesc- Well, if I'm a princess then you- you are a king, 'cause you're worse than me!" Taehyung paused and looked at you. You looked at him, too. "Wait," you mouthed, mentally scratching your head. "Wait! Why does princess sound so insulting but king doesn't? That's not fair!"

Taehyung burst out laughing. "Sexism," he blamed with a shrug. You chuckled along, forgetting you were supposed to be upset. Something easy to forget when the man in front of you served you the potatoes he had been preparing, giving you the cue that it was okay to start piling on the food now.

You started with the sausage and a soft moan left your lips before you could stop yourself. But it was alright since Taehyung seemed to be doing the same as he bit down on the ribs. You moved on to the peppers, and the potatoes, and anything else your hands could reach. You had ended up making more than enough food, probably because neither of you could decide on what to eat exactly, but you didn't fear there would be any leftovers. No, you would fill up to your lungs and then hibernate the rest of the week if you had to.

You took a break to cut up the food on your plate and observe Taehyung. He kept looking at you every time you put something in your mouth, perhaps trying to read your reaction, desperate for praise. Or desperate to please you. He said you were ungrateful, but he didn't act as if he meant it. Sure, he never missed a chance to banter with you, but he also seemed to actively try to be nice to you. Give you something to be grateful for. Was he even the one who believed what he had said, or did he blindly have some idea of your character with no proof?

"What has Jimin told you about me?" you asked then, breaking the near silence.

His eyebrows rose high and he looked at you with wide eyes, kind of lost, as he munched on some well-toasted bread. "Wha- what? What do you mean?"

You resumed your eating, trying to appear nonchalant. "I mean... You said you don't remember meeting me, yet you know who I am. Jimin must have spoken about me, then. What did he tell you?"

Taehyung swallowed hard avoiding your eyes -something that he hadn't done before- and falling back in his seat, almost like he was trying to take up less space. "Nothing," he chirped. "Just... that you... exist."

You narrowed your eyes at him. "Really? So he just said my name and nothing more?"

Taehyung nodded. "Pretty much. I don't remember," he rushed to say and stuff his face with more food.

Well, he was clearly lying. Not that you thought Jimin would have said something bad, you knew he liked you. But you were intrigued. "So you know nothing about me? I'm just a stranger to you?" Taehyung looked at you without replying. "You stayed in a house in the middle of nowhere with a stranger?"

He pushed his hair back with his free hand. "No, well... You're Jimin's friend. And my friend's friend... is my friend," he said without sounding too convinced with himself. Probably because of the graceless way he kept repeating the word "friend". You were about to say something when he suddenly turned the focus on you. "What about you, then? Am I not a stranger to you?"

You were caught off guard. Was he a stranger to you? You looked at his face, those eyes you had seen before, that nose and lips you had inspected a lot. His voice and his attitude that you remembered clearly, even though it had been years. He wasn't a stranger to you because you knew him. Pretty well, you could add. But he wasn't your friend just because you knew people in common, either. Nor your enemy since you didn't care enough to concern yourself with his person. What was he to you?

"No..." you simply said, avoiding a longer explanation. "Because I remember meeting you."

"Sorry," Taehyung whispered while biting his lip, having caught the innuendo easily. He wiped his mouth and looked up at you. "But you treat me like one. Don't you?"

You chewed on the inside of your cheek. Did you? Were you cold to him because he was like a stranger, or were you cold to him because he wasn't? "I don't see you as a stranger," you sounded more confident than you felt. "If I did, I wouldn't have stayed here with you."

"Right... Big, old house with a strange man in it... Not ideal."

You eyed him for a second, not sure if he was mocking you or not. "Right..." you repeated and you both kind of nodded at the same time.

It was true. You obviously wouldn't have stayed if it was someone you didn't know. But you stayed. Which made you realize that, no matter what you had been telling yourself or what Yoonji knew, or perhaps even what he thought, in the end, you knew Taehyung was in that house and you didn't leave, which could only mean one thing. You hadn't stayed in spite of him. You had stayed because of him.

"Or perhaps this house and a stranger sound less scary than this house and all alone?" he added with a chuckle then, and you laughed awkwardly, thankful that you were thrown out of your thought process.

The food was almost over, or at least your ability to eat had reached its peak, and you were gazing at the dying fire since you didn't know what else to do. Was this the time you part ways again? You had only agreed to eat together and that's what you've been doing up until now, but for some reason, it felt like whoever would get up first now would be rude. It's not like you needed to leave, you didn't have anything better to do. You just wished you had something -anything- to do instead of sit next to Taehyung silently.

"Do you play cards?" you heard him say eventually, and you almost cracked a huge smile at him in relief.

Then you frowned for a second when you really thought about what he had said. "Um... used to when I was a kid. Why?"

Taehyung grinned at you. "Well, I found this deck, was thinking we could play and the loser has to do the dishes. What do you think?"

Ah, the dishes. If you had to be honest you had completely forgotten about those. But that was good, considering you would probably have to do them anyway. At least now you had a chance to get out of it. "Depends on the game we play," you answered.

"Any game you want," he exclaimed as he jumped up and ran on to some drawers at the other side of the room.

"Oh man, I don't remember any games..." you mumbled, scratching the back of your neck. "Hold on, give me a second." Taehyung returned with a metallic, little box and sat right in front of you, cross-legged. He opened the box up and revealed a rather dark deck of cards with golden flares at the back. "Beavers," you finally settled. "Do you know it?"

"Beavers? No, enlighten me."

"Well, it's normally a game with its own cards, like Uno, but I remember we used to play it with regular cards all the time when we were kids." You turned to face him better, crossing your legs the same way he had. "Uh, okay... I might not remember the rules very well, but here goes," you started explaining while showing him at the same time. "We both get four cards dealt in front of us, but we only see the two on the side. The goal is to have the smallest score, so you want to have cards like two or ace or- oh, the joker counts as zero. Good so far?"

"We add all the cards and the one with the smallest number wins?" he asked, fully focused on your words.

You nodded. "Yes. After we see our two cards, we start picking cards from the deck and if we like it, we can change it with our own, if not, we discard it. If you get a Jack, you draw again. A Queen means you can switch one of your cards with one of the other player's, and the King means you can look under any card and see what it is. When you think all your cards are small, you say 'stop' and we reveal our cards. And that's it."

"Huh," Taehyung mumbled and started shuffling the deck. "Sounds pretty simple. How many times do we play?"

"As many as you want. Do you want to play one introductory round just to see if you understood everything?"

"Nope. I got it." And with that, he dealt both of you your cards.

You were silently laughing at him, thinking you would kick his ass and definitely not do the dishes that night. Then he picked his first card and changed it with a hidden one. "Uh, Tae..." you mumbled, thinking he was confused. "You should change the ones you know first, or wait for a King to see what you've got. You don't know what's under there, it might be something good."

He simply said: "I know." Then he changed his other hidden card too. Throwing away a three, too.

"Tae, you-"

"Stop."

You blinked at him. "What? You're done?"

He just nodded. "Uh-huh. Stop."

There was no way, you thought. You drew one card for the last round, begging to get a Queen so that you could steal one of his cards or something. But no, just a nine. You sighed and revealed all your cards: a three, a four, and under the ones you hadn't seen you boasted a six and another nine. "Ugh," you exhaled. "I got twenty-two. What have you got?"

Taehyung smirked at you before he started revealing his cards. A joker on the left, a two on the right, and then an ace and another joker in the middle. "I got three."

"What?" you screamed. You fell forward, trying to look at his cards better. "What?" you yelled again, slapping your own cheeks. "Two jokers? Motherfucker, there's only two in the entire deck and you got both of them right away?"

Taehyung was just laughing. He started picking up all the cards and shuffling them again while you were still having a mental breakdown. "Do you wanna play something different?" he asked you.

Hell no, you didn't. No, this was a matter of dignity at this point, the bet of the dishes long forgotten. "No way!" you let him know passionately. "That was just beginner's luck, anyway! I'm gonna beat your ass."

But you didn't. And that wasn't just beginner's luck. There are just some people that have fate on their side, always, no matter what you do. Taehyung seemed to be one of those people. Oh, how it got on your nerves. He always got all the aces and all the jokers, even when they were hidden and he didn't know about it until the end. You barely got some twos, the occasional ace. Out of about twenty or thirty rounds, you had managed to say "stop" only a few times. The worst times were the ones you thought you could beat him, and then right at the end, he got a Queen and stole away your only good card.

"I love this game," he was chuckling after having won yet another round with an embarrassing on your part gap.

"Of course you do," you groaned.

"Do you want to stop?"

You shook your head maniacally. "No, no... One more round, I need to get ahead."

"Amy, you have, like, sixty points more than me. How are you gonna get ahead?" he teased you, lowering his head to meet your slumped form and make you look into his eyes. You did him the favor and looked at him, but were pouting the entire time. Then he did the unimaginable -or, well, perhaps you should have gotten used to it by now- and gave you a sweet smile. He was enjoying himself and still being nice about it, which made it all that worse for you.

You clicked your tongue and looked away in the process of rolling your eyes. "Fine, I guess I'll do the dishes."

Taehyung helped you take all the plates back to the kitchen, and they were a lot. You tried not to sigh in front of him or complain too much since you didn't want him to have yet another reason to be calling you a princess, but it was really hard when it was nearing midnight -god, you played a lot- and you had just lost all sense of honor to a game of cards. A silly, childish game of cards. Playing poker and losing money perhaps would've felt better.

The moment he laughed and left to go upstairs, however, you had a whole new thing to concern yourself with. You were alone. And it was suddenly silent and cold as if Taehyung was radiating heat himself. The single lamp in the kitchen only offered a bleak, white light that flickered every now and then, and the hallway stood in the back dark as ever. The windows that in the morning provided sun and a change of scenery now only stared back at you from your reflection, making it impossible to see anything that was outside. The thought alone made you uneasy. You looked at the hallway over your shoulder, then back out the window, again and again as if you were trying to catch a glimpse of something that wasn't there.

You gathered all the plates on one side of the counter and put some water to boil to help you with the grease. You had to stop imagining things, it only made you paranoid. Made every little sound seem suspicious. Even the running water, or the plates clicking together, or the footsteps in the hallway... Wait, what now?

"Hey."

"Jesus Christ!" you shrieked just as you turned to see Taehyung standing by the door.

He raised his hands defensively. "Wow, sorry. I didn't mean to sneak up on you."

You took a couple of deep breaths and turned back to the sink. "No, I'm sorry. I'm just a little edgy, it's not your fault."

You could see out of the corner of your eye that he was rubbing his neck as he walked closer. "No, it is my fault. In a way. I shouldn't have left you here all alone, it's kinda scary." He leaned on the counter next to you, displaying a smile.

You hummed, maybe in agreement but he'd never know. "What do you want?" you asked, having immediately assumed he needed something in order to be there. Especially since he was dressed differently now, in black sweats and a black t-shirt; what you could guess was his pajama outfit.

"Oh, I thought I'd help you a bit with these," he replied, making you turn to face him just to make sure you were hearing that right. He had already turned to the sink, picking up a plate.

"You don't have to."

"It's too much work."

"It's alright, I lost fair and square." Your tongue probing your cheek, you were trying to understand why he was there, but you couldn't read him. All he did was give you a quick glance, followed but a scrunch of his nose.

"I'm not sleepy, anyway."

You didn't object any further. Perhaps because you wouldn't know how to object to that statement in the first place. But you just stayed there, standing close to each other, exchanging the plates you washed and cutting down the work to a half, in what might have been the first comfortable silence between the two of you since you got there. But you couldn't help but occupy your mind with why he was there when he didn't have to be, and what he had said. He wasn't sleepy. That didn't mean he had to come back down, he could have hanged around in his room. "I'm not sleepy, so I thought I'd do the dishes" is what you first assumed to be the full sentence he wanted to say. Yet that didn't feel right. You knew the dishes weren't his true concern. You knew he could have left you like you both had been doing all along. Maybe he was scared up there, too. Maybe he had nothing better to do. No, no... The longer you were next to him, the more apparent it became; that what he really wanted to say was:

"I'm not sleepy, so I thought I'd spend more time with you."

Next chapter

#kim taehyung #taehyung fanfic #bts #bangtan #v #fanfiction #multichapter #taehyung x reader #taehyung x oc #enemies to lovers #slow burn #angst #bts x reader #serva me servabo te #save me and i will save you #chapter 3

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