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#ugh calling myself an uncle makes me feel old…
floral-hex · 7 months
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gosh, I miss flirting and being mushy with someone
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I made myself all emotional earlier thinking about old man!ghost and old!reader 😭
(I know you said you don’t see Simon having kids so that’s the way this went lol)
I was thinking about him and reader watching Johnny and introvert!readers grandkids (cause Johnny would be the perfect dad and an even better grandpa idc and Ik it doesn’t make a lot of sense cause I’m sure it’s not part of the same universes at all but for the sake of this please just go with it 🥺)
Usually roommates!reader is the one that offers but Simon absolutely adores the kids, okay and get this they call him grandpa Simon or grandpa Si 🥹 he absolutely spoils them rotten and he doesn’t regret his and readers decision to not have kids one bit, he actually prefers getting to send them back to grandpa Johnny and introvert!reader after filling them up with sweets and carrying a huge bag of new toys behind them. He loves taking them all on little trips to the zoo or to the nearest park but in the end he really just enjoys getting to be around them. He tells them (very much edited) stories about him and grandpa Johnny back in their war days… he just loves them all bunches
My breaks over so that’s all for now 🫠
(Then there’s the part about Uncle Simon but I’ll save that for later)
Help oh my god this is doing this to my brain @random0lover
(I didn't plan them to be in the same universe since it gets a little confusing when it comes to the fact that the reader is with both soap and ghost but this is a very cute idea)
Simon as an old man make me feel good and then him interacting with children is just ugh. He's perfectly fine with not having children, he still thinks he wouldn't be able to be the good parent for a child of his own but that doesn't mean he can't take care of children. He's always willing to babysit when he has the time, he's incredibly good with children, even in his old age. He's patient and definitely does break a few rules so the kids can have fun.
"Simon, they're not supposed to have sweets." You'd scold him away from the kids but he'd just give you a smile.
"They're only kids once."
He does tell stories and either changes the details or omits them completely until they're old enough to know what really goes on (though he'd still keep it safe for them).
Bad with punishments if he has to do it. The kids he's babysitting can give him puppy dog eyes and he's folding immediately so usually you have to do it.
At the end of the day when the kids have to go home he feels good. He's okay with not having kids still, he doesn't regret it and being able to look after Soap's kids/grandkids is enough for him.
Simon being able to grow old with you is what he really wants being able to grow old with his team is just as good as that too
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octakiseronliker · 2 months
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20 + eighthcest!!
20. laughing into the kiss
"You are being," Silas says severely, "completely and utterly ridiculous."
"Am not," Colum replies, tone completely devoid of amusement. "It's a real and serious condition."
"It is not."
"It is. And you would see your nephew die of it rather than administer remedy."
Colum is laying flat on his back in his cavalier's cot, eyes closed, feigning near-death. It is not a difficult thing to pretend, in his perpetually exhausted condition. He surely looks half-gone already. The purpose of this exercise is to buy him more time laying flat on his back in his bed, because his mattress feels better on his spine than does standing. So far, it is working, even if it does result in his being harangued by his increasingly irritated uncle for his pretended illness.
"There is no such thing," Silas says very sternly, "as a disease that renders you unable to get out of your bed and engage in your daily tasks ⁠unless ⁠—"
"I'm dying, Uncle. You care not at all that I'm dying. I feel myself fading even now."
"You are not ⁠—"
"The light of the Lord descends ⁠—"
"You are nearly forty years old ⁠—"
"And I'll not see another, for your callousness ⁠—"
"There is not a disease," Silas repeats, rather loudly, "that means you cannot get up like a grown man and do the work the Lord proscribes you before you have received a kiss."
The elders are going to hear him in the hall at this rate. If Colum didn't know better, he would say that Silas Octakiseron, twenty years old, devoted servant of the Emperor Undying, head of the government of the Eighth House, Master Templar of the Order of the White Glass, foremost religious official of the Dominicus system, frequent lover of the humble cavalier primary Colum Asht, was about one moment short of stomping his foot.
He suppresses a smile, but it's a near thing. He can feel his lips quirk.
"You are laughing at me," Silas says imperiously. "And being incredibly foolish in doing so."
"Not at all, Master. I find myself very grave. I face Death with my head high and eyes forward, as befits a cavalier of the Eighth, knowing that the Lord Over the River waits to call me home, surely in only moments ⁠—"
"Colum!"
"And yet an ailment so easily healed ⁠—"
"The Eighth House does not negotiate with terrorists!"
"A breach so simply repaired ⁠—"
"I am not rewarding this behavior!"
"A solution the one I love best in the world is so uniquely capable of providing ⁠—"
"Ugh!" Silas finally declaims, and though Colum's eyes are closed he can envision with perfect clarity the pinched expression that accompanies this, just as it has always looked.
"You are such a child," he grumbles. "I was supposed to have my hair done ten minutes ago to deliver the late morning mass and now I am going to be tardy, and I will blame you, Colum Asht, if anyone asks after the cause."
Colum cracks one eye open, just slightly, determined not to laugh. Silas, very pink in the face, crosses over to him and grips his face none too gently in both small hands, bending down to peck him perfunctorily on the mouth. He yelps when Colum catches him by the waist in one arm, sitting up and kissing him properly. He does laugh then, just a bit, in his triumph, and Silas makes a disapproving sound in response.
For a moment Colum almost thinks the unimpeachable Silas has forgotten himself, because disapproval or no, he allows Colum to kiss him rather deeply, almost sliding an arm up and around his neck. If he had, he remembers himself very quickly, because he pushes Colum away with an irritable noise, and in a great rush announces, "There, you're healed, stop being an idiot and get up before I make you offer penance during the service."
"Of course, Master Templar," Colum says, rising at last with a painful, crackle-jointed stretch and, still in his sleep clothes, dutifully trailing Silas to his desk to tie up his hair.
In the end, he has only made him five minutes late.
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bxriles · 1 year
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Hiii I read Sust Specks and I fell in love with it but now I can't stop thinking about what will happen to them! Since they both (spoiler) killed someone, will they face judgement? How is their relationship gonna be from now on? Is Cora going to be the dad he has always wanted to be for Law, or are they gonna act like very old friends? Too many questions and only you can answer!! What is their future gonna look like? 🥺🥺
Omg thank you! 🥹 I really do love that story. It was such a departure from what I usually write and it was so much fun getting to write about some of my favorite OP characters. See below for my depraved ramblings about what happens after the story! 
I like to imagine that Law and Rosi would end up being very near-and-dear old friends. Lots of history between them but also so much time has passed and they’re different people now—but that’s okay! There’s a lot of respect and familial love, but an essence of bittersweetness since so much time has passed. Eventually, I’d like to imagine that Rosi would end up feeling like Law’s embarrassing uncle who always shows up to family events to party and share his favorite embarrassing memories about Law with anyone who will listen (Luffy in particular).
I also like to imagine that Rosi doesn’t get in trouble for the murders because he was granted immunity as a witness or something. Maybe he just has to do some community service and court mandated counseling. As far as Law? I imagine his medical license gets suspended for a bit but he gets it back after a while. I don’t think he’d go to jail or anything for killing Vergo since it would all be very speculative. (It was just a medical procedure that “went wrong” after all.) Worst case scenario, someone would bring a med mal case against Law and the hospital, but who the actual hell would do that for Vergo’s bitch ass? 😂 As far as Doffy… I like to think his ass is rotting in Impel Down. I think that Rosi would try to visit him because that is his brother and they are toxic and codependent. Doffy would probably still torment Rosi but I don’t think Rosi would ever truly give up on his brother. They are truly✨toxic✨together. I also think Law and Rosi would have a lot of beef over Rosi trying to fix things with his brother. And then Rosi would probably want to treat Law like a kid in that regard and be like “you don’t understand” or “you’ll get it when you’re older,” forgetting that Law is literally a grown man. And sheesh Law would nottttt have it. I’d imagine he’d call Rosi a “stupid clown” at some point for it. Then Rosi would get all emotional at the “stupid clown” comment and start crying again and Law would be affectionately annoyed. Like “ugh here we go again. Keep it together, old man.”
Law totally tries to make Rosi kick the smoking habit too but it never sticks. He probably always throws out the cartons of cigarettes but Rosi keeps buying more and starts hiding them in various places. It’d be an ongoing thing with lots of sabotage on Law’s part with the Polar Tang crew keeping score lmaooo (scoreboard reads Law: 30 Rosi: 5)
SORRY I DID NOT MEAN TO RAMBLE! You just got me thinking about this story and I couldn’t help myself!! Thank you for all the love and I’m so happy you liked the story! 🥰🥰🥰
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aamethyst000 · 1 year
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sleepy thinking - March 15,23 8:14am
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I have been thinking a lot about moving out of my mother's house here. I want a change [as scared as I am about change] of pace, place, and whatever else there may be. I am just tired of being here now. however, I am almost 25 with a terrible money managing. it sucks, battling between "do I really want/need that right now?" or "would this make my moving more difficult if I buy this?" and if I was able to buy it for myself and not the whole house [I almost never have enough money for them all anyway].
speaking of almost being 25, lately, I didn't realize I was still looking at my body as if I was still 15 years old. like I [and my mind] refused to accept that I am an adult. at 21 I thought I accepted it. apparently not, it took me until now to realize that "hey, maybe this way of acting/thinking is immature?" or "was this habit from my teen years?" I might bring it up with my therapist on my next appointment. been almost 4-5 years since I frequently started going to therapy. I can hardly belive that!
1:50pm - I haven't decided what to eat yet, so I made a pot of coffee and went to have a toke with my family. hoping that I decide what to eat by then.
3:53pm - I had made microwave popcorn for myself and had 2 cups of coffee, rearranged the dirty dishes and prepared a few dishes and veggies for my mum to cook. been feeling a little irritated today, probably because there have been much left of our grocery in the house. it kind of sucks.
6:18pm - I decided to wash thw dishes to keep myself occupied until dinner is ready. my little brother doesn't eat soup so either mom or me will have to make his dinner separate. oh well, I am learning not to be so judgy about him being a picky eater. I get it, some foods are just... ugh. anyway. I am now taking a break from washing the dishes, standing takes a tole out of me apparently. I am on my 4th cup of coffee, made an appointment with my therapist and patiently waiting for a message from my coworker about if amd when I start work again. I want to take a nap now.
9:24pm - I am making mashed potatoes for my little brother's dinner, I am aware it is pretty late but at least he has dinner. the whole pot of coffee was finished and I want to bath, at the same time I don't. I just want to go to sleep lol I have been watching Steven universe on the app called streamio. My uncle found this app I think last year? I can't remember but this app has been very useful, I like it!
10:07pm - in a bit, I'll be having a smoke sesh with my family, then I finally get to rest for the remainder of tonight. supper was yummy and I don't want to bath, I am too tired to do anything else. and still a bit cranky too. oh well, today was a meh day and I may have also over booked myself for next week. oops. I totally did not realize that but I may have to choose to postpone one of my appointment. not going to be a tough decision, really. I just hate calling.
anyway, good night!
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sufferinggod · 1 year
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Sooooo really weird spontaneous out of nowhere events happened earlier. Sooo first I get a call from an old female friend coworker I used to work with. I haven't talked to this girl in months since I quit my job but she just called me out of nowhere tonight. She wanted my uncle's phone number since he drives taxis. But she also talked to me and asked how I was doing, what I was up too and we just talked. I told her to say hi to everyone at the factory for me and she said "including your ex?" and I was like yeah why not lol. And she said "what if she gets mad and hits me?" as in jokingly but idk that just made me think that my ex probably hates me. My ex probably hates me and talks bad about me. That's why my friend said that what if she gets hit (joke) just for bringing me up. Ugh. Idk man. Maybe I'm overthinking things, maybe I'm not. Either way, it's another sign that I have to move on. That's the conclusion I got from it........
And then later not long after just a few minutes after that call, another friend of mine the one I hung out with last week texted me and said he needs sponsors for his women's soccer team. As in he needs people to lend him money so he can buy new uniforms and he's asking me to lend him money. Ugh. Like, I really want to, and I feel like I should for good karma, good luck etc etc. I feel like if I do suffer and lend him a chunk of money, I'll get good karma or good luck in return eventually. Or maybe he'll do me a favor somehow like hook me up with a girl or introduce me to someone lol BUTTTTT damn bro, like I can't catch a break. I'm trying to save money man, and each time I make money, something comes up that just ends up leaving me broke. Like this never happens when I don't have money. When I don't have money I go months without spending a dime. But as soon as I start making money, there's a bunch of events that cause me to lose it as fast as I make it. Bro, I'd love to lend him some cash, but I'm afraid I'm gonna have to say no. I refuse to suffer. I have to focus on myself and save money. I refuse to go broke. I refuse to stay broke....
By a stroke of good luck my mom agreed to make Thanksgiving dinner tomorrow. And first thing in the morning we're gonna go buy all the food. We're in Mexico so we will definitely find everything since no one here celebrates Thanksgiving lol.. But yeah, and she only agreed to it because I'm going to pay for all the food. So you see? Like if I give my friend a huge chunk of change for his soccer team, plus I gotta pay for Thanksgiving dinner, and I got bills to pay, that leaves me broke. So I can't afford to just give money away. I hate to say no to someone who asked me for such a favor but I have to start saying no bro.
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uncertain3teeth · 2 years
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fuck clincal depression bc last night my aunt called which is rlly good and neat and dandy i luv it bc i haven't had ANY family interaction for a year so yeah but lik i told her that if she could get kfc for me tomorrow which today is tomorrow ajd she said "ill call you" and I AM FIGHTING THEE FOOKIN URGE TO GO BACK TO SLEEP NO MATTER HOW MUCH SLEEP I GET IM STILL TIRED AND I DONT WANT TO DISSAPOINT HER BC I ALWAYS FUCK UP AND MISS CALLS AND SHIT NO MATTER HOW MUCH I TURN THE RING VOLUME UP ON MY PHONE AND IT DOESN'T HELP THAT MY MOM HAS WORK AND WHILE SHE WAS ABT TO LEAVE I WAS JUS rantin ON AND ON ABT HOW MUCH ID FEEL BAD IF I MISSED THE CALL BC I MISSED IT BEFORE TO THE POINT WHERE MY UNCLE HAD TO BANGING ON ME APARTMENT DOOR BC I WAS SO SLEEP LIK AHHHDHDGGDGDYDJ FOR FUCKS SAKE I CANT WITH MYSELF LIK THEY ARE OLD TOO AND THEY HAVE TO GO THROUGH MY BS ALL THE TIME LIK WHY TF ALSO I WAS UP UNTIL 3 AND I WENT TO SLEEP WHY TF DID I SLEEP LATE IDK ALSO I STILL DONT HAVE MY ADHD MEDS AND IM NOT GONNA BE MOTIVATED TO EVEN STAY UP LIK IM RELYING ON COFFEE RN BUT LIK THIS COFFEE TASTES HORRID AND FUCK FUCK FUCKKKKK FUCK DEPRESSION BC I SMELL AND I DONT WANT MY AUNT AND UNCLE GOIN THROUGH THAT AND I DONT FEEL LIKE TAKING A SHOWER OR ANYTHING LIK THAT AND YK WHATS FUKKIN FUNNY IS THAT I HAVE MY THERAPY APPOINTMENT TODAY SO BOY DO I GOT A MINI STORY TO TELL UGH THE COFFEE IS SHOITE man i wish i was british BUT ASIDE FROM THAT I CAN TELL THE COFFEE IS KICKING IN SO THATS GOOF [ "looks lik the meth is kicking in" reminds me of that video LMOKOA ] yk what im gonna keep that typo its funny pfttt thats goof lmaoka garsh PFTT WTF I WAS TRYING TO LOOK UP HOW TO SPELL GARSH LIK YK GOOFY N SHIT LIK I KNOW ITS GOSH BUT LIK HOW TF IS IT SPELLED THE WAY HEEEE SAYS IT YK WHY AM I YELLING IDK FUCK YOU BUT LIK I LOOKED UP GARSH AND FOR SOME APPARENT REASON GARSH IS A WORD FOR PUSSY SO LIK WHY it sounds lik sum irish slang they would make bc ffs irish ppl are funny lemme actually look up where the word came from welp damn i cant even look it up bc since i used a movie site we cant afford netflix or disney + or WHATTHAFUCKEVER lik since i used a movie site my phone is gonna B PFTT slow and its gonna B scheiße [ shit in german for ppl who dont know ] get it bc B and ß IM SO SORRY I'LL SEE MYSELF OUT
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slashingdisneypasta · 3 years
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Total Drama Villains x Reader || Drabble Set
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Plot: You forget to take a towel to the shower and only realise after the shower, so you open the window to stick your head out and ask whoever's out there (Hoping someone is out there) to grab you one but to your chagrin- there's just a villain.
Includes: Chris, Heather, Mal and Scott.
Warnings: Mmmm, I dont think so. Swearing? A kiss?
~~~
All:
You slowly look around the room, very very aware of the fact that you're naked and cold in a room that does not have a great lock on it. "Ohhhhhh no." The words come out low and steady... but are just brimming with panic.
No. Towel.
No towel!!
Finally you gasp, covering the bottom half of your face with your hands and looking at the benches and the sinks in dread. You accidentally came in here without a towel!!
The sudden sound of footsteps out the back of the cabin rips a gasp from your throat and you lunge at the window, unlatching the lock and opening it to see who it is. Before you even stick your head out, you're calling for whoever it to stop. Please. Hold on! I need your help!
Chris McLean:
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*You are an adult camper.
When you actually see who's standing out there, you groan. Chris McLean stands outside on the grass, hands in his pockets and an intrigued look in his eyes. He know's he's about to be amused, or he's going to amuse himself depending on what kind of trouble you're in- or what kind of help you apparently need.
"What's up?~"
"Nevermind."
"Oh no no no! Come on, you can confide in Uncle Chris, cant you?"
A whine tumbles out of you. Uncle Chris?? Grooooooooss. He see's and acknowledges your disgusted reaction to him calling himself that, but just giggles. He doesn't leave, to your utter annoyance.
What other choice do you have?? Rolling your eyes, you look down at your feet instead of meeting his beady eyes and wiggle your toes. And mutter suuuuper quietly, half hoping he doesn't hear you. "I forgot to bring a towel... and I really need one... " And, this part you say especially quietly. For seriously asking Chris fucking McLean for a hand would be akin to letting your dignity pack its bags and fly the coop. "... and would you please get one for me... "
"... Sorry, I didn't catch that. What didja say?"
Oh god. A little louder, you say shortly. "... I forgot a towel... "
Chris smirks at that, rolling back on the feels of his feet. "And? What would you like from me, Y/N?"
Finally too frustrated to keep playing this stupid game with the show's host, you snap your eyes up to his and cross your arms. "Fine! Damnit. Get me a towel, please."
Immediately, a cat like grin slowly spreads across Chris' face. Its the most evil thing you have ever seen.
"Now why would I do that when I could get Chef here to send in a buncha rabid bats with you and flush you out?" Christ teases - no, threatens. But then again, does he know the difference in the first place? - , that famous, alabaster white, terror instilling grin on his face as usual. "Now that's, good TV!"
You groan, head falling back on your neck, in frustration. "Chrr-ris!!"
"Ha ha! Well? What do you expect?" You cant argue with that, but you cans till groan again. "Okay, fine. I'll get you a towel! But what will you do for me, heh? Nothing comes for free."
"Oh, don't I know it. I've been on this show for 3 seasons now." For some reason.
"Heh heh."
"Fine, I'll... " Ugh, something for Chris... You blow air out of your cheeks slowly, in thought. What would Chris like? Well, he'd sure get kick out of you getting one of your friends hurt but that's sure as hell not happening. Finally, after a few moments, you get an idea. And scowl. "I'll be sure to drum up some drama for you. Good TV, right?"
"For sure! Promise?~"
Sighing, you lean tiredly on the window sill. "Oh, I cross my heart and hope to die." You promise him like he's a child, which he basically is. Chris McLean has got the maturity level and the intelligence package of a 7 year old on crack.
"Wicked! Heh heh, this'll be good. Okay, hang tight. I'll be back."
You smirk at his retreating back.
~
When he finally gets back and hands you a towel - a much nicer towel then what you and the other campers have been using. Which is nice? But also, you cant help but worry about what kind of strings might be attached to it, - through a crack in the door, you carefully wrap it around your body and tightly tuck it in.
"I'll want that towel back" He snaps, cranky. Why?? He could've just gone and gotten you your towel! "I imported that from Fiji!"
Of course he did.
Now you take a deeeeeeep breath, gathering all your courage, and killing the butterflies reeking havoc in your stomach. Then open the door again and grab hold of the front of Chris' signature teal shirt and wrench him close before he can walk too far off.
And you smash your lips together and slam your eyes tightly closed.
When you pull back from the kiss - a horrible, unpleasant, bad kiss, - you immediately wipe your mouth with your arm and let him go. But when you reveal your mouth again, you're for damn sure smirking at the stunned man. "Is that dramatic enough for you, Chris? A camper and the host? Scandalous- I bet we'll be front page news."
Then quickly you lock yourself inside the bathroom again, not really caring for his reaction- which only comes, finally, minutes later when you're half way dressed.
"DAMN IT Y/N!!"
Heather:
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"Hm." Heather crosses her arms, an evil smirk on her lips- opportunity has knocked on her door. Or, the inside of the shower cabin. "You need something from me. Well! What will you do for me return? Hm?"
As expected. "I will vote for whoever you want me to at 2 different instances of your choice going forward. Except for myself, I wont vote myself out."
She thinks for a moment, but definitely looks pleased. "Three, different instances of my choice."
Fucks sake- "Fine! Just- please! I'm getting cold and one of the boys could come in here at any time and see me butt ass naked!!"
Uncrossing her arms and setting her hands on her hips instead, Heather laughs. "Oh- one of these boys? Shower? Haha. Have you smelled them??"
You blush darkly at her joking with you; At your worry but not your expense, before shaking your head of silly feelings and usher the pretty girl Heather, forward. "Go! Go! Get my towel already."
"Be right back." She rolls her eyes, heading off.
~
When she gets back, she reaches up to the window with the towel and you gratefully take it, beginning to dry off any drips from your body and get dressed as quickly as possible. "Thank you Heather!!"
"Mhm, yeah. Sure."
A few minutes later when you leave the door, Heather's waiting for you on the porch and you basically have a small stroke- jesus christ, why is she there!? STILL!?
"Oh, relax. I'm just cashing in some of your part of the bargain." She sneers, walking closer to you and pressing a sharp fingernail into your chest. "Dont forget, you owe me now."
"I remember Heather, we did this like 10 minutes ago."
"Good." She smiles, a tint of evil to it still. Pleasantly surprised that you're being so obedient. She leans back. "Okay, so Gwen's got to go. You got that? She's out. Vote for her and you're third done with your debt to me."
"Yes ma'am." You smirk, brushing by her and stalking off back to your cabin to put away your things.
Heather watches, hands on her hips and her own smirk on her lips. You might just be useful out of this bunch of losers. Not quite a diamond in the rough, but... better, at least. For sure. "Hm."
Mal:
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"Oh- Mike!" You exclaim excitedly as soon as you see the lanky, dark haired boy. What luck!!
But then he slowly turns around; A dark, sinister grin on his face and hair over one eye. And your heart immediately drops.
This is not Mike. Neither is it Chester, Svetlana, Vito or Manitoba- any of which would have been just fine alternatives for this moment.
This has to be fucking Mal. You've met him before, and absolutely nevermind on the luck front.
"Nope." Yep- the grizzly, deep voice that responds to you can belong to no one other then Mike's chaotic evil alter. Shit. Shit, shit, shit. You continue to chant curses in your head as he turns around fully and comes forward, looking up with evil glinting in his eyes at you like a twisted Flynn Rider to your Rapunzel.
The kind that makes you rather stay inside your tower- its safer here then out there with him. You don't go out to meet the rabid pit bull!!
"Ummm, nevermind! Go about your business, I'm fine here. See ya!"
"Oh no. What'd you want from little Mikey?" He asks, crossing his arms and tilting his head to the side, cruelly inquisitive. You chew on your bottom lip. Damn it; You've peaked his interest. Fuck.
"Um... " The sound comes out quiet and insure as you look down at the grass before his feet instead of his face. You're so nervous. "Well, I... I forgot my towel before I took my shower, and uh... I was just gonna ask him if he could go get me one."
For a moment, he's silent. Your gaze flickers up to his face to see an utterly wolfish look on his face, eyes gleaming with mischief before averting your eyes again to the grass.
Then a loud puff of hard, unpleasant laughter escapes him. He doubles over, holding his stomach as he guffaws at your embarrassing situation. You roll your eyes and cross your arms.
"Oh shut up," You snap, bravely- making him cut off his laughter immediately and look at you. You dare to fucking talk to him like that? "Come on, go get me a towel, please!! I'll owe you one."
After a moment, he stands up straight again and crosses his arms. Yes, he could do something horrible to you right now to teach you not to talk back to him; but it looks like you're going to struggle without his help. All he has to do is watch! "Hmm, nope!"
"Come on!"
"Not gonna happen."
"Ugh." You groan, leaving the window and Mal and plopping down on a bench. Fucking bastard.
This is so awkward. Especially since you know he's still out there!! And he could send someone in at any time.
... Minutes later, and you're still dripping wet but now freezing fricken cold, a towel is flung in through the still open window and lands on the wet floor near your feet. Your eyebrows fly up your forehead, as you look from it in surprise and to the window.
Mal's voice calls through it. "There! Its no fun if you just sit and bear your punishment." Huff. You can just imagine the cute boy - the look works for Mike, but is just very odd on Mal, - crossing his arms and setting his jaw, or even pouting. His voice just sound sooo frustrated. "I'll get you another time, anyway. Everyone will go down, eventually."
"Oh... mhm, oh sure." I mean, I can at least listen to his evil babble since he got me a towel, you think as you start drying yourself down and getting dressed.
A moment after you've got your shirt on, the door is kicked open and Mal stands on the threshold, making you jump. "Jesus christ!- "
"Kiss thank you?"
"Get outta here!" Absolutely not!
Scott:
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Peering out from the window, you nearly miss the boy leant up against the cabin beneath you, in fact you would have- if it weren't for his bright orange hair. You gasp, unintentionally getting his attention and smiling brightly when he looks up to find you. "Scott!"
A confused, yet somehow still evil expression paints his face. "Y/N?? What are you doing?"
"Well farm-boy, how do you feel about giving a lady a hand??"
Scott snorts, getting off the wall and stepping back to see you properly. "Lady? I don't see any lady here."
Oh- Bastard. You look back into the bathroom before disappearing from the window for a moment before returning, and promptly clobbering him with an empty shampoo bottle. "You see her now!?"
"Ugh... yeah." He grumbles more malleably now, much more open to suggestion as he rubs his forehead. "Sure, now I see her... ow."
Now you feel a little bad. He looks so pitiful when he's in pain... and yes he's a rat but... its still not okay to hurt someone. You aren't Chris. And also you're getting colder and colder as the water drips unimpeded down your skin and maybe its making you soft. "Ohh... okay, I'm sorry."
He glances up at you, surprised at your apology. "Ahh, no problem, I guess... " Did someone just apologise for whacking him on this show? He crosses his arms, raising a curious look to your disembodied head. "Uhh, what'd you need a hand, with?"
"I... kinda... forgot a towel... could you please go get one for me??"
For a moment you watch his eyes narrow and a wicked grin flicker at the corners of his mouth and get anxious that he's going to ask for something in return- before he rolls his eyes and just shrugs, turning and heading off to the cabin. "Yeah, sure, whatever. Be right back- try not to gather too much attention, haha."
As he walks off, you duck under the window again, sighing in so much relief. "Thanks, Scott!"
~
When he returns, you're waiting at the door and crack it open just enough to get the towel from him immediately- which you quickly wrap around yourself comfortably and sigh. "Thank you so much!"
"Hm. No problem." He huffs, wondering why the hell he did this for you anyway and crossing his arms again.
From inside, you carefully ask: "Are you gonna get weird if I hug you now?"
Immediately Scott's ears go bright red and he quickly loses every little bit of cool-guy vibe from a moment ago. "I-In your towel?? N-No!! I mean- yes!" He rubs the back of his neck, looking away from the door like its you, or he'll accidentally spontaneously develop x-ray vision and damnit, he's a gentleman. "I mean... " Or at least he tries to be.
Grinning, because Scott's unexpectedly cute now that you've flustered him, you quickly open the door, hug him quick, then close the door again and shout 'BYE'.
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xxreader-writerxx · 3 years
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Found
Word Count: 3.7k
Dad! Fred Weasley x Fem! Reader (Granger and mum too)
Warnings: Cursing, mentions of food, sort of sad, abandonment issues, pregnancy, vomiting, not a lot but tell me if I missed any.
A/N: I'm obsessed with dad fred ok?
Y/N= Your Name L/N= Your Last Name Y/H= Your House, Y/N/N: Your Nickname
"I'm sorry! I-It's just that between the shop, and Umbridge, and my mum- It's all too much and I can't also-" Fred says as I feel tears drip down my cheeks. "You also can't have me? I didn't know that I was such a burden Fred. If I knew I wouldn't of burdened you for three fucking years." I say and he looks at me hurt. "No- No! I didn't mean that- Baby" He begins but I let out a choked laugh. "You can't call me that. No not when you are breaking up with me. That's not fair." I cry and he tries to move closer but I take a step back picking up the clothes in my closet. "W-What are you doing?" He asks and I throw his shirts at him as I grab his things on the bottom. "I can barely face you now. I'm not facing you to give you your things back." I tell him and I hear a choked cry. "Please don't do this. We can still be friends." He tells me and I laugh through my tears. "You can't call me a burden and say that shit line." I tell him. I turn around to see tears strolling down his face, barely any because of the fight he is putting up.
I finally cry and wrap my arms around him. He places his hand on my head and the other on my back, holding me where I was. "I'm so sorry" He whispers in my hair and I just sob into his shirt. He finally leaves when George calls him and I watch from my window the fireworks off in the distance. I sit down on my bed and feel myself break mentally. 'I don't know how I will do this on my own.' I think to myself staring at the pregnancy test I took yesterday. I was planning on telling him but when he clumped me in with his burdens, it was too hard. I just curl up into a ball crying until I fall asleep.
***
"HERMIONE HE'S DOING IT AGAIN- FINN" I yell as the baby flings his lunch at me. "SWITCH!" She yells back in the same worried tone. I grab Ginger my other newborn as she grab my spoon and place her on her tray. She fights me as I try to swaddle her and I plead her silently. I hear the doorbell ring and Hermione perks up. "Don't you dare-" She begins but I place Ginger in her cot and run out to see who it is.
I open the door and my breath hitches lightly. "Hey Y/n..." George says nervously. He looks up and does a double take. "A-Are you alright?" He stutters at my appearance. "Yeah just work getting ahead of me." I explain and he nods. "So... Watcha doing here? For the first time.. In a year..." I mumble the last part and he looks around confused. "Where's Hermione. She invited me saying something about needing to tell me something." He explains. "HERMIONE" I groan and she walks out and smiles at George. "You made it!" She exclaims and I point at her. "You're dead." I say and I run towards her angrily.
"WHAT THE HELL YOU CALLED GEORGE?!"
"LOOK I CAN'T TELL YOU ENOUGH THEY NEED A MALE INFLUENCE AND SURE AS HELL FRED WON'T BE IT SINCE YOU HAVE NO GUTS, HE'S THE BEST OPTION."
"I CAN DO THIS ON MY OWN" I yell back and she sends a firm smack to the side of my head. "YOU ARE 19 YOU SHOULDN'T HAVE TO!" She yells back and George finally made it over to us confused as hell. "As much as I love the Granger sisters fighting over me... This is not what I had in mind." He points and I groan at the sound of Finn crying. "Look what you made me do." I tell her and she gasps starting to rant again. I walk into the baby's room. I smile sweetly at the boy crying in his cot.
"Hi baby..." I whisper and he gurgles at me smiling. I walk over and pick him up, rocking him lightly. I sit down on my rocker and he swiftly falls back asleep. I reach my free hand to poke inside of Ginger's cot, her hand wrapping around my finger. I smile at the two and hear a gasp. "Y/n-" He begins and I shush him softly, not taking my eyes off my baby boy. "He's asleep." I whisper, too distracted by my ginger baby to register what's going on.
"W-Who are the parents?" He asks kneeling in front of the rocker to rub a knuckle against his head lightly. "They're mine..." I whisper and look up, a tear dripping down my face that clearly gives away my happy smile. "What do you mean? Its only been a year since you two-" He stops realizing what happened. "Is this my nephew?" He asks smiling softly at him. "Maybe." I whisper and he looks at me smiling with tears sliding down his cheeks. "C-can I hold him? Or her?" He asks, guessing at the colors of their sleeping sacks. I smile sweetly getting up. I hand him Finn softly and he gasps at the size of the baby in his hands. "Y/n- You're 19. How- Why?" He asks and I sigh, rubbing my knuckle into Finn's chest lightly. "My sister has helped but honestly I don't know. It's been a crazy year." I explain. "I'm willing to help. Especially now." He tells me and I smile.
***
I pick up Ginger trying to put her shoes on her as she gurgles in protest. "Hey baby you gotta wear shoes now that you're walking, that's the deal." George explains and she gurgles lightly as if she understood. He's fighting Finn to get his shoes on and I finally put on Ginger's. "Tough ones we got here." He says, wiping sweat from his brow. His arm getting hit by a flying tantrum going on next to him. He looks at him and shakes his head chuckling. He scoops up the almost two year old in his arms and laughs. "He is a kicker." He tells me and we finally get them dressed. "Ugh we really need to stop bringing them to the shop, its getting risky." I tell him and he laughs as if I said the best joke ever. "There is no way these kids are being raised without knowing the joke shop, and plus Fred is off on Wednesdays." He explains and I nod curtly.
We walk to the shop talking about the kids who are settled on our hips. "So I will take up cleaning tomorrow if you bring them to the park the next day and I think there might be a Hermione visit. And I bought some baby food with solid because I don't know if they will still like it-" I begin but get cut off by George chuckling. "You are overthinking this. You are a great mum and if they won't eat solid,  you have a blender." He explains and I nod. He's been amazing at calming my anxiety when it come to the kids. He took the role as helpful uncle and comes over all the time but makes sure he doesn't overstep. I make my way inside the shop and he makes his way to customers. I get to the till having Ginger in her stroller next to me. Every hour he switches with me saying they need time with their mama.
The shop finally closes and he helps me with the stroller up the steps. We quickly make our way to the room and Ginger gets up waddling to his bed. I fold his clothes as they play on the bed. I hear a muffled conversation as me and the kids stay quiet. He walks in and Finn gasps reaching out for him. He hands him the milk and Ginger whines until we pass the milk quickly to her. She lays on her back playing with her feet as she drinks her milk.
"These kids..." He laughs. He grabs Finn and opens the door. "Fred's gone don't worry. He will be for the next hour." He tells me to my worried expression. I nod and he comes back with Finn in a new diaper and hands him to me. "He has been kicking me lately. The little bugger." He says rubbing his arm. I laugh and nuzzle my nose against his. "He's obviously like his father." I state and he nods smiling.
***
I make my way into the shop searching for George as the two toddlers point out everything. I hear Ginger gasp and bolt. I run after her clutching on to Finn. I look around scared as shit I lost my baby. When I hear someone talking to her.
"UNCLE RORGE!" I hear her squeal and I laugh realizing she found her uncle. "What sweetheart? Where's your mother?" I hear a voice ask laughing. "Uncle Rorgeeee. You promised me you would bring treats!!" She complains as I look for the aisle they're in. "I'm sorry little one but I'm not George. I'm Fred. What's your name?" He asks and I freeze. "Isn't Red daddy's name?" Finn asks and I can't answer. He slides out of my grasp, obviously knowing where Ginger is. I yell after him and see the man Ginger was talking to. I gasp lightly and she's giggling.
"Uncle Rorge that's not your name! Your name is Rorge. R-O- MUMMY! I FOUND UNCLE RORGE." She points out. "There's your mum. Hello ma'am- Y/n?" He asks confused. "C'mon Ginger. Uncle George is probably somewhere." I say not answering I pick her up as she cries saying Uncle George is right in front of her. I quickly scoop Finn up and quickly walk to find George. "Y/n! What- Crap its Wednesday." He says shocked. He grabs Finn from my hands and bounces him lightly. "UNCLE RORGE TEL-TELR- HE USED A PORTAL" Ginger tries and I nod rubbing her hands. "You- Oh no- Oh shit- Oh sorry-" George stutters. "I'm going to hide in your office now-" I state and he grabs my hand. "You need to face him. He is their father." He tells me and I wipe a tear from my eyes. "I can't George. Not yet." I say and he drops my hand nodding. "C'mon then." He tells me and I walk to the office with him.
I hear banging on the door and it finally opens. "Y/n-" He gasps and I ignore him playing with Ginger. "Y/nnnn" I hear him say again. "Yes Fredrick?" I ask and he tugs my shoulder playfully and George walks in. "Great, your on babysitting duty." I say and George tries to protest but I try and bolt. Fred stops me. He moves carefully so I can't get past him. "A-Are you sheep dogging me?" I ask and he shrugs. "If it works. Now when did Y/n Granger start babysitting?" He asks and I try to move past him. "Two years ago. When you broke my heart, remember that?" I ask and his smile turns into a frown. "I've been trying to get a hold of you. Every day for an hour I question Hermione or someone." He tells me and I laugh. "Anyways- I need to-"
"MUMMY FINN 'OOK MY BLANKET!!!" Ginger screeches. I turn around and George is trying to help the best he can. "I- They fight over everything-" He tries and I laugh walking over. "C'mere baby." I say to Finn. I take the blanket from his hands and he sobs. I grab the dummy and pop it in his mouth, calming him instantly. "Mummy?" He asks and I sigh. "They're two." I explain. I watch the gears turn in his head. "I- No- Wait- Are- What- No-" He stutters, shocked. "Yep. Meet Ginger and Finn Weasley- Well Granger-Weasley. Felt wrong to take the fathers name out." I explain and he collapses to his knees. "UNCLE RORGE! THERE ARE TWO!!!" Ginger states, finally looking around.
***
"Mummy. Mummy. Mummy. Mummyyyy." I hear Finn complain next to me. "Yes light of my life?" I ask sighing. "When's daddy coming? And when's dinner? And why are bananas curved? And why are me and Ginger's hair red when yours is brown? Do we get that from Daddy? Where is daddy?" He questions. "Finny- Baby- Daddy is coming in twenty minutes. Dinner will be done in an hour. I don't know, I need to google it. Yes daddy gave you ginger hair. And on his way." I explain turning so we can google it together. "Ok so bananas are curved so they can get sun." I explain. He nods and slides out of my lap. "Thank you mummy!" He yells behind him as he runs.
The doorbell rings and I open it to see Fred. I give him a quick hug as we all sit down for dinner, Fred answering all of Finn's wild questions as I listen to Ginger tell me its paghetti not spaghetti. We all finish and I clean the dishes while Fred reads them a story. He walks out and sighs laughing. "Ginger just had a long ass argument about how an elephant not a giraffe was in  Africa. She does not realize that she can't read." He tells me and I laugh. "She refuses to admit it. Yesterday she tried reading to Finn. Pride and Prejudice was a ballsy move." I explain and he laughs. "My girl would do that." He says. "Want to watch a movie?" He asks and I sigh. "Fred you need to head home soon." I tell him and he nods sighing. "I know... But can't two friends watch the thrilling and sexy adventure of- Aurora?" He says picking up a random tape.
I laugh and take the tape shaking my head. "I don't want anyone to get the wrong idea Fred." I tell him, poking his nose. "Then let's make it the correct idea." He boldly puts. I chuckle taking the blankets from the couch. "What do you mean Fred?" I ask and he moves to hold my arms lightly. "I want to be yours. And- And I want you to be mine." He states and I look at him shocked. "Don't do this Fred." I whisper and his smile falters for a second. "Do what?" He asks softly.
"Don't do this." I say circling my arms between us. "Fred I love you but based off of three years ago, you don't love me. And I finally found my peace with that. But please. Please do not say you love me when I know you don't. I love that you are such an amazing father that you would throw yourself into an unhappy relationship just for them. But I can't. I don't want fake. I want your real love. And I won't allow myself to accept the man I love to say he loves me when he doesn't." I rant and he pulls me closer. "That's not why I'm saying that. Please." He whispers the last part, placing his forehead against mine. "Fred. I'm not going to be a burden again. That's why I couldn't tell you about those two amazing kids in there. I'm not using them as a way to have you again." I say and he looks at me with hurt eyes. "At least allow me a movie. Just a movie. I don't care if you say I don't love you when I do. But I just want to hold you again." He whispers and I sigh. "A movie."
I sit down on the couch and he slides next to me. "I do love you, more than the world." He whispers and I feel my eyes sting from tears trying to leave. I hear Ginger cry and I get up instinctively. "She's been having bad dreams lately." I tell him wrapping my jacket around myself. "Sit down. I got her." He tells me and I nod sighing.
I hear the baby monitor register him entering their room and I grab it to see what's going on.
"Daddy!" She sobs clutching to her fathers shirt. "Hey little one. What's wrong?" He asks calmly, wiping her face. "I had a bad dream. I got up and Finn was gone and mummy and you. Then there was a dragon and it chased me!" She sobs and he holds her close nodding. "Look baby. There's Finn. And mummy is right in the living room." He assures her. "But every time I wake up you aren't here anymore. You always leave. Why can't you stay? Mummy makes pancakes every Wednesday and she tells us they used to be your favorite. And- And why don't you stay?" She cries into his shirt, breaking his heart. "I'm so so sorry baby. I would stay. I would. But I can't right now. But I promise I will be one day." He tries. "Why don't you and mummy have rings?" She suddenly asks and he looks at her confused. "What do you mean baby?" He asks and she digs her face into his shirt more. "Sophie's mummy and daddy have rings. And they always hug. Why do you and  mummy not do that?" She asks and he smiles at her softly. "Because mummy and daddy are a little different than Sophie's." He tells her and she pouts. "Don't you love mummy?" She asks and he sighs. "I do baby. Very much. But some things are harder than others. But I promise. I will always be here for you. And I am so sorry for all that lost time but I promise, I will make it up to you." He whispers. They stay there quietly hugging until Ginger finally drops her head, quietly sleeping. He smiles laying her on the bed assigned to her and tucks her in softly. "God I love you. More than the world." He whispers, almost exactly how he said to Y/n moments before, with the same look in his eyes. Love.
I wipe my eyes hearing him walk out. His eyes are puffy but he shows no sign of sadness on his face. "Fred?" I whisper and he looks over smiling. "Yes?" He asks and I sigh. "Make me a promise." I tell him and he nods confused. "If I do this. You have to promise me. Do you actually love me or do you just love our children?" I ask and he laughs. "I love you all. Y/n you are the love of my life. Why are you asking this?" He asks and I finally kiss him. He perks up in surprise but he slowly melts into it. "God I love you so much." He whisper in between the kiss. Finally we break away chuckling as he smiles at me. "Want to watch our movie now? I was told there are some sexy adventures in Sleeping Beauty." I ask and he chuckles sitting down on the couch. "I also wanted to say, I might have promised a ring in the future." He suddenly says and I laugh holding up the baby monitor. "Shit I forgot we had that." He laughs and I kiss hiss jaw lightly. "Guess I caught you." I whisper and he laughs.
***
I wake up in my bed thinking last night was a far-fetched dream and smell smoke. "Fuck he is too much like his father." I whisper to myself. I run out and the twins are no where to be seen. I see Fred and he is throwing toast in the trash sadly. "Watcha doing?" I ask and he looks up sighing. "Trying to make breakfast..." He groans sitting down. I walk over and rubs his shoulders as he hums lightly. "Its Wednesday you blessing of a man." I whisper and he chuckles nodding. He turns, puckering his lips and I kiss him quickly. "Get the two arsonists awake please." I say as I grab a pan. He groans moving closer to me. "Why ruin the fun so early?" He asks, his hands sliding around my waist. He kisses my neck as I lean my head away slightly. "Mmm... As much as I would love to, the muffling spell is going to drop at any given moment and Finn is a light sleeper. The boy will tell Ginger we didn't wake them up and they will plot." I explain and he laughs at the thought.
"DADDY!" I hear Ginger yell and Finn runs out to find me. "DADDY'S HERE!" He tells me and I gasp. "He is?! Does that mean we should make french toast?!" I ask and Finn tugs my pyjama bottoms. "NOOO WE NEED TO MAKE PANCAKES!!!!" He whines and I laugh nodding. "FINN! CMONNNN" Ginger yells as she pulls Fred behind her. "COMING! WE'RE WATCHING TV WITH DADDY!" He tells me and I smile. "Go on then!" I tell him.
I finish making pancakes and we all eat together. Fred gets up and Ginger grabs him. "What baby?" He asks and she shoves her face into his leg. "You're leaving aren't you?" Finn asks and he smiles at Ginger, picking her up. "Just to the bathroom. Me and mummy thought you two would like a daddy day. I'm staying here for the whole day." He says winking at me. They all cheer and he moves over to kiss the top of my head and walking to the bathroom. "Mummy..." Ginger whispers. "Yes?" I ask in the same hushed tone. "Daddy kissed you." She tells me and I nod. "Yes he did." I whisper and she giggles happily.
***
I wake up to feel Fred moving around. "What are you doing?" I ask sleepily and he kisses my head. "Finn peed his bed, I got it though." He whispers and lays down next to me. "Does he need a bath?" I ask and he laughs. "Covered." He tells me and I smile nuzzling into his arm. "My hero." I mumble and he chuckles. I start to feel woozy and I rush out of bed. "Darling?" He yells behind me. I throw up into the toilet as I feel my body shake. He rushes in and grabs my hair into a ponytail. "Darling! Oh my god this is why you don't let me make meals." He tells me and I laugh weakly.
"I feel like now is a brilliant time to tell you. I might be pregnant." I tell him smiling. "Surprise..." I whisper doing weak jazz hands.
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Text
When life forms a full circle
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What happen when Kim Namjoon, single father of twins, meet his university crush as the teacher of his precious little ones? 
W.C. 12 372 
Pairing Kim Namjoon and female reader
Warning: none! This fic is just cuteness overload (maybe a bit of anxiety but nothing much.
This fic is a collab between me and my dear princess @aspaceformyself @aspaceformyselffics09, without her, it wouldn’t have been that good!  Thanks a lot my princess! I love you <3<3<3<3<3
Dear Mr. Kim,
Here it is! Already the first day of school of your precious little ones!
Let me introduce myself! My name is Y/N and I will have the privilege to be a homeroom teacher for your kids, for their first year at the Blooming dale Kindergarten school.  I am so excited to meet your children and team up with you for their first steps as a ‘big kid’ :) 
In this email, you will find everything you need to know to get ready for the big day.  From the school material to the class behavior code, take the time to read it all with your little ones.
To start this year on a festive note, I along with a couple of other teachers are organising a small event to help the kids get to know each other and also warm up to us teachers. I would thus like to invite you with your children on their first day of class. On the site, many games will be organised along with snacks for everyone. 
Please, join us on monday, (date) 
I can’t wait to meet them and start this year together. 
Y/N Y/L/N
++++++++++++++++
Namjoon blinked at the message once, twice and thrice. 
It was 3 am in the morning and judging by his red eyes and unkempt hair, it’s easy to deduce that Mr. Kim Namjoon barely got any sleep since god knows how many days. He pushed himself up from his chair, waddled down the hallway into the kitchen, fetched himself a bottle of water and plopped in front of his laptop once again. The past few days at work had been crazy for him. And today was much crazier. After a rollercoaster ride of juggling between his work and his kids, he finally got a moment of peace for himself. And just as he thought of finishing up more of his work, his eyes began to droop and found himself passed out on his desk only to be awakened by a notification waiting for him in his email.  
“Ugh,” Namjoon groaned to himself and hurriedly typed out a reply. This is when he saw it again, the message that you sent him 2 weeks ago. He was so drowned out in everything that he almost forgot his precious 5 year olds are starting kindergarten tomorrow. It seems as if it was only yesterday, that he was changing their diapers and bringing them to sleep, comfortably wrapped against his chest in the big rocking chair.  And here he was, reading emails from the school where his babies would be starting classes tomorrow. Time flies so fast. The mere thought of his kids taking their first steps in this world, made Namjoon’s chest flush with emotions to the point his eyes felt watery.
“Dammit Namjoon,” He thought to himself, “This is not the time to get all teary and emotional about your kids, it’s 3 am in the middle of the night!” But nonetheless, he was proud and more than anything he was happy.  Overwhelmed, he did the first thing that came to his mind and grabbed his cell phone resting on the desk.
“You better tell me you’re dying, it’s 3 am!” Jin’s voice slurred through the other end, not impressed. But on the other hand he answered before it even rang twice, which means, he guessed Namjoon would be calling him at his wits end and he was ready to answer. Namjoon smiled sheepishly to himself. It was such a Jin kinda gesture. 
“Wait, don't say anything, you’re overwhelmed because tomorrow it’s the twins first day of school ?” Jin asked before Namjoon could get any words out.
“How did you know, hyung?”
“Namjoon - ah you’re forgetting we enrolled our children together.”
“Right” Namjoon snorted. 
“So, on a scale of 1- 10 how anxious are we?”
“Am I that obvious hyung?”
 “Kim Namjoon, I live 10 minutes away from you and I can hear your thoughts overflowing all the way here.”
“Right.”
“So?” Jin asked, “Gonna spill or do I have to make you spill?”
“That won’t be necessary hyung”, Namjoon laughed, “I’m gonna spill.”
Namjoon sucked in a deep breath before he dived in.
“The thing is, I know how they’re excited to start school. I know they are ready and will be doing just fine. But, at the same time, I don’t want them to be hurt or sad and I’m afraid I won’t be around them to be able to comfort them. What if they are mocked? What if they hurt themselves? I won’t be there to help and worse I won’t know about it… I know their teacher will certainly be there for them, but she’s not me, you know. She’ll have so many kids to take care of… Hyung… Just the thought of them being away from me and hurt makes me so sad and scared. I see their excitement and I want to be excited too but I’m just scared. They are so small. They are my precious babies… Also, Namu needs time before he’s comfortable around new people, it’s not so easy for him to adapt to new situations”
Jin was quiet for a while and Namjoon worried the line disconnected before he spoke again.
“Namjoon - ah trust me when I say this. I feel you. I’m shit scared my little DaMi might get hurt too. But you know what,” Jin added in a tone softer than before, “I think they are ready. We should trust them and ourselves.”
“Is this your gut talking to you?”
“I don’t know,  could be,” Jin chuckled, then sighed, “it’s okay to be scared Namjoon - ah. Nothing wrong with that.”
“Are you scared too, hyung?” 
“Yah! Who do you think I am?” Jin’s voice boomed through the phone, “I’m Kim SeokJin, I’m never scared of anything.”
“Then why are you up so late hyung?”
“You know...Uhhh, I’m prepping! I’m prepping Dami’s lunch box for tomorrow!”
“Hyung, the school is arranging lunch, it’s a school party, the first day celebration.”
“Then I’m preparing her clothes for tomorrow!”
Namjoon laughed, “Whatever you say, hyung”.
“Okay, Namjoon, I need to go. I have so much to do before the morning arrives. But before that, how are you feeling now?”
“Hyung, before that hold on, who signed the email? Who’s Dami’s teacher?”
“I don’t remember, wait, I’ll check”.  Scrolling his phone, he found the information.
‘Her name is Y/n”
‘NO WAY! Dami will be in the same class as the twins. How cool is that?”
“That’s so nice! They will all be able to count on each other. I’m so grateful, Dami won’t feel alone in the big class”
“Oooh, I thought you were not scared of anything…”
“I… I’m not”
“Yeah, sure.” Namjoon giggled, “ See you tomorrow, hyung. And for the record, I feel much better. I hope you do too.”
“I was always cool with it, you know. See you tomorrow Joon-ah. Give them a kiss from uncle Jin when they wake up. We’ll meet there”.
“Will do. Hyung… Last question… do you think their teacher will love them as much as we do?”
“She cannot love them as much as we do Namjoon, no one can. As a parent, the love we have for our little ones cannot be compared. But I’m sure that if she decided to be a teacher, it’s because she loves kids in general and therefore, we have no choice but to trust the fact that they will be treated with much care. But you know, our kids are lovable, they will be the teacher’s favorite!”
“Damn, you’re right! Thanks Hyung. I feel much better now”.
“Anytime Joon, preferably during business hours” Jin teased.
“As you were sleeping”
“Yeah, yeah! See you Joon-ah”.
_____________
Morning came way too fast for Namjoon’s liking. He barely had closed his eyes after he spoke with Jin, his fellow ‘Single dad club’ friend as they like calling themselves before he was awakened by two noisy kids racing up to his bed and jumping on him. 
“Appa! Namu will have a pancake!” Little Namu straddled Namjoon’s chest while his twin sister Nam Young followed behind equally enthusiastic, “And Nam Young will have a sandwich and omelette!”
Namjoon groaned in his sleep, shaken awake by the sudden intrusion. Slowly squinting his eyes open he glanced at the clock next to him. 6:25 am it read. Lazily scooping both his kids in his arms, Namjoon sat up. 
“Morning little monsters,” Namjoon greeted them fondly, kissing their faces and holding them close to his chest. 
“Dad! Leave us alone!” The twins giggled, “We’re not babies anymore! Don’t hold us like babies!”
“Noooo!” Namjoon whined holding them closer than before, “You’ll always be my babies! Don’t even try to make me say otherwise! Even on your wedding day, you’ll be my babies. You better get used to it right now”.
“Please appa, don’t call us like that at school”
Sniffing the air, a sweet smell tickled Namjoon’s nose. And before he could wonder where the smell came from, another pair of tiny footsteps echoed in the room and then another little girl jumped Namjoon. 
“Uncle Namjoon!” She squealed, throwing her arms around him. Namjoon struggled to hold her tight in addition to his kids already in his arms. 
“DaMi!” Namjoon’s face stretched into a smile, “When did you get here princess ?? Where’s your appa?”
“Kitchen!!!” The children sang all at once, “He’s making us yummy food! Let’s go! Let’s go!”
“You guys need to get down though”
“Appa nooooo, hold us!” Nam Young pouted followed by Namu and DaMi joining in on her.
“Fine, aye aye captain,” Namjoon sighed. Seriously, he’s way too whipped for the kids to say no. Scooping the kids in his arms with the three of them hanging on to him, Namjoon rose from the bed and made his way through the hallway, into the kitchen. 
When he entered, he was greeted by the sight of Jin behind the oven skilfully taking care of a frightening amount of poelons and cauldrons at the same time. How he never burned anything always remains a mystery for Namjoon.
“What a nice surprise!” Namjoon exclaimed, “When did you guys get here by the way?” 
“Don’t mention it! I was not lying when I told you I was prepping their lunches last night. Besides, it kept me away from overthinking,” Jin’s half admitting his anxiety was somehow touching for Namjoon who came beside his friend and put a hand on his shoulder. Both were ‘losing’ their babies this morning and the thought of it made their heart twist.
“We got here at 6 am!” Dami exclaimed from where she was perched on Namjoon’s shoulder.
“Aaaaw, did my little Dami wake up that early?” Namjoon cooed at her, then turned to Jin,“Well, it’s a wonderful surprise. Thanks a lot hyung.”
“How many times have I told you that we would be the perfect couple, Kim Namjoon? I was not lying! You would have these breakfasts each morning” Jin teased his friend. 
“I might consider the offer,” Joon joked back.
The children jumped down from Namjoon’s embrace and began to set the table in a chaotic but efficient manner. As efficient as the kids can get. In no time, the cutlery was set, and all gathered together before a delicious breakfast prepared by Jin.
No sooner did they finish their breakfast, the kids raced past Namjoon and Jin to gather their belongings as the adults cleared the table and cleaned up everything. Soon, everything was in order and Namjoon and Jin found themselves all packed, in their respective cars ready to drive to school all prepared to welcome their kids to take their first steps as the big kids. 
Concentrated on the road, Namjoon didn’t pay attention to the kids for a couple of minutes. Lowering the music, he realised that the atmosphere suddenly changed in the car. He turned his attention to what was happening in the back seat while still driving.
“... you’ll see Namu, we’ll have fun. Plus, we’re in the same class as DaMi. We’ll be together…”
“I want to stay home with appa… he’ll be alone if we both go to school. I’ll miss appa too”
Namu tears went down on his round cheeks as Joon could see and it broke his heart into tiny pieces.
“What’s going on son?”
“I don’t want to go to school appa. I want to stay home with you. I don’t want to go…”
“Aaaaw… Namu, you forgot that for today I will stay with you guys. We’ll meet your teacher and the other kids together. I can’t wait to see your class. Meet your teacher. Play with the other kids. We’ll have fun, you’ll see. Plus, tomorrow, you’ll have only half a day to let you have the time to adapt. In no time, you’ll get used to it”
“I don’t want to meet them… I don’t want to meet Miss Y/n and the other kids. I want to stay home with you”.
“Namu is just a big baby,” Nam Young playfully teased her twin brother while wiping his tears at the same time.
“Nam Young, don’t tease him. He has the right to feel anxious. It’s normal to be when we are facing a new situation”
“I’m just teasing him appa, I wanted to make him smile”.
“You didn’t make me smile, you made me cry” Namu pouted
“I’m sorry Namu,” Nam Young said as she wrapped her brother in a hug, “… please don’t cry”. 
 “Aaaaaw…” Namjoon’s heart was threatening to explode with warmth in his chest. His kids were so different. Their personality was always the opposite. While Namu was more reserved, anxious and introverted, NamYoung was a child that goes to meet everyone and adapt easily to every situation. This morning was not different. If he was being honest, Namjoon was more scared for his son’s adaptation than for his daughter’s. But looking at the duo now, he feels a little assured that Nam Young will be there for her brother if needed. She may not know how to help him yet, but she tries and it makes Namjoon proud.
“We’ve arrived kids… Jin is already parked. Let’s go”.
Namu hesitated to untie his belt. It’s his sister that did it for him and as soon as Namjoon opened the car door, the little one jumped in his father’s arms. It’s with Namu sitting on his forearm with his little arms wrapped around his neck and his face buried into his neck, and Nam Young proudly walking by his side (but still needed to hold his hand) that Namjoon joined Jin. The latter helped his friend to carry their belongings and the quinquet walked their way into the school. 
As they walked towards the building, Namu’s grip tightened against his father’s neck.
“It’s gonna be okay Namu,” Namjoon reassured his son with a small pat on his back, “ Appa is not going anywhere. I’ll stay with you today, remember?”
Namu nodded but didn’t seem to be convinced. The closer they went to the school, the more tense he felt his son against his chest. And by the time they reached the gymnasium, where the event was taking place, Namu burst into full blown tears. 
“I want to go home!” He insisted between tears, “Bring me home appa! Please.”
Watching his son melt down into tears broke Namjoon’s heart. The group stopped before they could enter the venue and Jin led them to a quiet corner where they hoped to help Namu feel at ease. In the middle of the crisis, Namjoon heard your light footsteps coming their way.
“Oooh, what do we have here?” A soft and cheerful voice asked, “I was waiting for you guys, to complete my class” you said.
Too engulfed by his son and too anxious to notice anything, Namjoon merely looked above his shoulder and turned his attention back to his son when his cries intensified.  At the side, he noticed Jin approach you, but didn’t heard the conversation you had together. It’s only when his daughter said “see you later Namu, come and join us when you feel better” did he realise that something was going on.
“Would you come with me, Mr Kim?” he felt your hand on his forearm, trying to catch his attention. “I think it will be less stressful for Namu to be in a quieter place for now. Come on” 
“Nam Young…” Namjoon enquired, now turning towards the source of the voice. It was a young woman probably in her mid twenties. She had a bright and an understanding expression on her face as she spoke to Namjoon. 
“Your daughter is okay, she left to meet the other kids with Mr Kim,” you said, “she even said bye to you and her brother. Come with me, please”.
Namjoon nodded and the duo followed you in a daze. You entered a light and colorful classroom filled with small tables and tiny chairs. There was a rocking chair in the middle of the class, 15 cushions on the floor. Books everywhere. 
“Namu… can you look at me please?” you asked the little kid. He lifted his eyes and with a tiny sob, he looked at his teacher.
“Annyeong Namu. I’m Y/n. I’m so glad that you are here, I needed help this morning because I didn’t have the time to prepare everything” you winked at Namjoon. “I will be your teacher this year and this is our classroom”
No answer from the little boy. Sensing that Namjoon wanted to interfere, you made a sign to signify that you were in control. You needed to bond with the little boy, you know you will have him sooner or later.
“Namu, I worked all week to prepare this class for you guys. But I am not sure if it will be perfect. Would you like to help me with something?” 
You had to think fast. You wanted to occupy the little boy so he would forget he was sad. Very often, the tactic worked in the past.
“No, I want to stay with Appa,” He sniffed.
Namu didn’t agree, but at least he answered you so that was a good beginning.
“But your appa will help me also, we will use him, of course” You winked knowingly at Namjoon. 
Looking around the class, Namu looked suspiciously at his teacher.
“I think it’s pretty enough as it is,” he told you with a skeptical face.
With a tinkle of a laugh, you turned to face Namu snuggled up in Namjoon’s arms. This was probably when Namjoon realised there was something nostalgic about the woman in front of him. Something he couldn’t quite place or point a finger at. But, at the same time, he couldn’t quite shrug the feeling of the warmth, the familiarity that your laughter made him feel. 
“Aaaaw, thanks a lot Namu!” You cheerfully smiled,  “You think that our classroom is pretty! I worked so hard to prepare it all, you have no idea how it looked like, before I came in. But I didn’t lie to you though, I need your fathers’ arms. Can you get down and let him help me with the boxes you see there?”
You pointed a finger at some boxes piled up in a corner of the class. “See this? I would like your appa to give me the box that is in the middle. They’re too heavy for me. Why don’t you come with me, shall we discover what’s inside together”?
Curious, the little boy looked at his father for his authorization. Namjoon gave him a reassuring smile and told his son “Shall we help miss Y/n Namu? Come on,” and he walked with his son still in his arms towards the boxes. When he arrived, he gently put him down, the little arm of Namu lightly sliding along Namjoon’s neck. Curious, the little one looked at his father taking the first box, putting it on the floor and going that way until you said “Yes, this one. Please bring that box on the table”.
Namjoon smiled at your answer. There was not a single box that was heavy enough for you not to be able to carry them. He found that you were clever as he could see the strategy you used there. 
“Here you go Miss Y/n! The box was so heavy, no wonder why you needed me with it” he smiled.
“Thanks Mr. Kim. Namu, wanna come and discover what’s inside with me?” 
Curious, he ran towards the table, the excitement slowly replacing his anxiety.
“One, two, three… Tadam!!!” you exclaimed as you placed your hands on top of the box and opened it together with the little boy. Namu's smile grew big. 
“Woah! This is figurines! I didn’t know I could play at school! I thought I was only here to be serious all the time!”
This time, you laughed for real, a big belly laughter that made Namjoon doubt again for a moment. Somewhere inside his head, he feels like he knows this sound, this person. But at the sametime he’s not so sure if he does. There’s a part of him that wants to ask and put an end to his curiosity but at the sametime, there’s another part of him that doesn’t want to make a fool of himself if he got it wrong. Then again, it wouldn’t be such a surprise if you turned out to be someone he knew. The world is small after all.  Scratching his head, he observed you while you talked to his son. He wished his mind was working at full capacity right now but unfortunately, it was not the case at all. The anxiety caused by the big event today paired with the lack of sleep of the last weeks barely left him a working neurone. One thing was certain though, this woman in front of him loves kids and has the twist with them. You seemed to be a loving and caring person, empathetic enough to take time to create a bond with an anxious little one. Namu will be at ease in no time with you, he already seems to be. It was a relief. 
“You thought we would never play?” You huffed, clearly surprised, “What’s this idea? Namu, you know what? With me, we will always play. We will use games to learn. And when we are tired of learning, we’ll play just for fun! But, but, but, you will learn so many things! You won’t even realise and you will learn. We’ll also have more serious moments of course. Tell me, do you have those figurines at home?”
“I have some, but we couldn’t buy all of them, they were not available anymore”.
“Ooooh!” you blinked at Namjoon “I have my ways to collect toys. Wanna place the figurines on the shelf you see over there? I don’t  know the best way to put them. Should I sit them? Should I group them? See? I really need your help!” you said, turning to Namu. 
“YES! Let me do it!” Namu lifted the box and dragged it in front of the shelfs, not realising the box was actually really light. “Shall I use the top or middle or lower shelf?”
“This is why I need you Namu, I don’t know what will please the kids. Do as you want, we’ll bring more boxes, I have more figurines”
“Yeah” the boy exclaimed happily, his eyes shining like glitter. 
Turning to Namjoon, you murmured lower enough so Namu won’t hear you.
“Here we go Mr. Kim. I thought it was a good idea for him to be in his little bubble before he meets the other kids. At least, now, he will be more comfortable with his environment, it’s less overwhelming for him. I know, I was the exact same at his age” you told him. He softly gazed at his child trying to arrange the figurines as he pleased by the shelves. “When he’s ready, we’ll go to the gym where the other kids are. Want me to go check on Nam Young while you watch over him?”
“You wouldn’t mind?”
“Of course not, wait”.
A short minute later, you came in and sat by Namjoon’s side as he was watching over his son with proud eyes.
“She and DaMi are already entertaining the crowd!” you smiled at Namjoon “Mr Kim is with them both, he said to take your time with Namu. So, no worry. We have a little time before I need to go there”.
“Thank you, Miss Y/n,” Namjoon sighed, relief clearly flooding through his mind and his body. His shoulders finally slouched and he let his body relax in the chair he sat in. 
“Tough morning?” You asked, judging by the demeanor of the man in front of you. 
Namjoon nodded, then smiled at you, “It was. It was the first time I’m going to part with my kids for a relatively long time. I’m excited for them and proud of them. But at the same time, seeing Namu so anxious broke my heart. He’s a sensitive kid, quiet and reserved. But bright and kind at the same time.”
“I can understand Mr. Kim,” You reassured him, “Maybe not understand all the nuances of being a parent but my students are like my little babies too. Please, don’t tell them I called them babies” you laughed.
“Oh lord,” Namjoon mixed in with the laughter, “I called them that this morning and they didn’t like it.”
“I can tell,” You giggled, “Anyway Mr. Kim, rest assured, your little ones are safe with me. I will always care for them and make sure they’re surrounded by a healthy and loving atmosphere while they’re at school.”
There wasn’t anything more Namjoon could ask for. It seemed that you knew how to create a bond with kids too, judging by how Namu was now playing with the figurines as he placed them. He was certainly more at ease.  And as it looked like you were about to get up and go towards Namu, Namjoon finally couldn’t help but ask what was on his mind the whole time. 
“Miss Y/N,” he called out to you, as he scratched his head for the nth time that day, “I apologise if this may sound weird or come across as rather creepy. But, have we met somewhere before??”
“Finally!!” You exclaimed to which Namjoon appeared startled, “ Of course we met before! I was waiting for you to recognise me!”
“...”
“It’s me Y/N from Seoul University”, You continued, “ We met from time to time during our university days”.
Namjoon still looked confused.
“Wait, remember HyunNa? She was a common friend of ours. Sometimes we met with a bunch of other people. I always loved talking with you, I have to say. You were so brilliant and kind compared to her other friends. Maybe you left a better impression than I did” you said but you didn’t seem mad at all. In fact you were smiling brightly. 
“Oh wait!” It finally dawned on Namjoon, “You’re that Y/N?!”
“Yes! Have I changed that much?” You giggled, “You finally recognised me!”
“Sorry,” Namjoon laughed, “I do remember you but damn, you changed a lot! We met often at the parties. Although neither of us are the kind to party.”
“I think this is why we found ourselves together sitting outside sipping at our drinks and reflecting on the whole wide world, while the other danced and got wasted! ”
 “And those midnight ice cream trips with our friends!”
“Yep! Ice cream was the best! That was my kind of activity”
“Gosh, those days seem so far away. Anyway, I didn't think I would meet you like this after years. It’s a pleasant surprise though.”
“I’m glad too, to be honest. Plus, I’m gonna be the one who takes care of your twins. What a faith!” You said, smiling fondly at Namu.
“They were good times,” Namjoon said, a soft smile adoring his lips.
“It certainly was,” You said, nostalgically, “I wonder how the others are doing right now.”
Once Namu felt at ease with his surroundings and after a while of catching up, Namjoon and you decided that it’s time to regroup with the others at the gymnasium. By the time the three of you entered the gym where the main festivities were held, the school party with the other kids had already started. Once you made your way towards the other teachers, Namjoon joined in with Jin and the other parents. 
“A moment of attention please,” the physical education teacher said. It was Junkook, your colleague. “It’s time for everybody to meet with your group. Would you please group in front of your teachers please, parents follow your kids. We’ll take your presence and we’ll have a short time to get to know each other before the games start. Let’s go meet your teachers guys”.
Jungkook came to you as soon as his speech was done. You had missed the welcome speech and he wanted to tell you how it went. 
“Is the little one okay, noona?” He asked, concerned.
“Yes, he was just a little shy,” You said and then added, “You took good care of my class while I was away, thanks Kookie.” 
“I did, of course. And they can’t wait to meet you, they didn’t believe me when I told them I was miss Y/N,” He pouted.
“Aaaaaw! You said that? Thank you so much! You’re the best!”
“My pleasure. Luckily, you have a bunch of single fathers in your class,” Jungkook smirked, “for the single lady you are, you’ll have plenty of choices. If needed, I may help you all year long with this group, they are all pretty cute and I may get lucky with one of the dad’s myself,” He shrugged.
“Jesus Kook! Calm your hormones” you laughed. “I’ll talk to you later” you smiled at him. Ever Since he joined your school, he was the most popular among kids. Funny, dynamic and respected by everybody. You even found in him a little brother that you never had.
“Okay guys, I’m sure you all met Jungkook?  He will be the gymnastic teacher this year. You can call him Kookie.”
Kids squealed and applauded, already under his charm. 
“I’m sorry I couldn’t meet you before but here I am now. And I’m so glad to meet you.  Now, before you arrive, I have memorised all your names and I would like to put a face on your names. Who do we have here?” 
In addition to Kim Namu, Nam Young and Kim Dami, Namjoon and Jin’s kids respectively, there were Min Jae Hyun and Min Hyun Seok, two bright kids of a young couple, Min Yoongi and Jung Hoseok. Then there was Park A-Reum, daughter of a really charming man Park Jimin, whose beauty turned the heads of everyone in the gymnasium from the teachers to the staff and the helpers.  There was Kim Sang Jung, whose energy was more chaotic than an atom bomb. He came with his equally chaotic uncle, Kim Taehyung. There was also a cute but extremely turbulent little girl named Kwak Bo Young whose parents didn’t bother to come for her first day of school, she came in class with her angelic cousin named Lee Min Ji.  Both of them were not accompanied and they soon found themselves under Jimin and Taehyung‘s  protective wings.  These were the kids mainly under your small class.  
“Woah! What a wonderful group I have this year! I’m sure we’ll have so much fun together!” you told them. “Before we start the games, your gym teacher, Kookie and I have arranged some snacks, so be sure to try them and enjoy yourselves. Parents too, can eat as much as you want”
Namjoon along with Jin looked around the gymnasium, taking in the whole atmosphere. Their kids have long ago ran towards the snacks leaving the two behind.
“This place is not bad,” Namjoon mused to himself, “I was pretty anxious yesterday. But somehow after this morning and right now, I feel at ease.”
“I know what you mean,” Jin added, as he signed Namjoon to look in front of them, “I don’t think we have to worry about the kids anymore.”
Sure enough to Namjoon’s amusement and happiness, both their kids seemed to have made friends with the others in their group. It was probably then, that he caught your attention and briefly sent you a smile along with a small wave.
“Ah I see,” Jin mused, smiling to himself.
“See what?” Namjoon asked.
“You know, the teacher,” He shrugged, “I saw that.”
“Saw what hyung??” Namjoon asked, still oblivious.
“I noticed a certain someone who seems all smiley and bubbly around the teacher,” Jin remarked, an amused expression masking his face.
“What do you mean, hyung? Bubbly?  I just waved to her,” Namjoon said, exasperated. And when Jin didn’t budge, he added, “Okay, fine, I knew her from college. We weren't exactly close, but hung out with the same group of friends”.
“And?”
“And what?”
“And?”
���Okay fine! I probably had a tiny bit of a crush on her back then!”
At this Jin’s smile grew wider and wider.
“No no no, I know what you’re thinking and don’t you go there Hyung!” Namjoon exclaimed, “It was long ago and now’s a totally different situation.”
Jin continued to smile and looked like he wasn’t convinced but didn’t say anything more. Namjoon just continued being exasperated by his friend. 
At the same time, on the other side of the Gymnasium, Jungkook approached you. 
“So… what about you and Mr Kim?” He asked you as soon as you were both out of reach of the children.
“There are 3 Mr Kim in my class. You’ll have to be more precise”
“The one with the hot thighs” He smirked.
“What about Namjoon- ah?” You asked, not even realising what you just said.
“DAAAAH!” he laughed, pointing at you. “You know exactly who I’m talking about, how’s that”
“Oooh…. Well… Why do you even ask about him, there is nothing about him” you shyly answered. 
“3 years now, I’ve known you for 3 years and I have never seen you blush when a parent waved at you”.
“I didn’t blush” you said, feeling your cheeks with the back of your hand. “We knew each other back then. There is nothing about him or anything. Leave me alone Kookie” you pouted. 
“She’s shy, how charming” Kookie said as he laid a hand on your shoulder “I think that your red cheeks speak for themselves. Oooh, wait” and he left as fast as he arrived, little A-Reum coming his way with her appa and little Min Ji.
Looking at Kook squatting down to be at the same level as A - Reum, you smiled to yourself as you watched Kook put a bandaid on the finger of the little boy.
Soon, the games began and you didn’t have much time to think about Kim Namjoon anymore, the kids taking all your attention. They were all charming but certainly will keep you busy this year. They involved themselves in the activities with every inch of enthusiasm and energy that was hidden in their little bodies. It was a fun filled day both for you, the parents and their children. And just like that, time flew and in the blink of an eye, the day came to an end. The kids, and even Namu who was so hesitant, were disappointed to go home, but you assured them that they will be back tomorrow and it’s going to be filled with fun like today was. With hopes of looking forward to the next day, and the year ahead, the kids and their parents bid you a good bye. 
****************************
“Are you sure about it hyung?”
“Oh course I’m sure,” Jin insisted on the other end of the phone, “I promised Dami I’ll bring the twins with us. She wanted it, you don’t want to disappoint my daughter, do you?”
Namjoon chuckled.
“I certainly don’t want to make my little princess sad,” He sighed, “Okay then… Are you sure you can handle the three?”
“YAH Kim Namjoon! Who do you think I am?” Jin remarked faking a playful offence, “The day is already planned and you approved all the activities we prepared. Just take that day for yourself and relax. I don’t know how long it’s been since you had a day without responsibilities. Take that time my friend, and enjoy it. You need to recharge your batteries and the kids are really happy about it all. It’s a win win situation.” Jin reassured his friend. “No worry, I know where to reach you in case anything happens”
“Yes, please. I will keep my phone with me. Call me if anything happens. Anything, okay?”
“Yes Namjoon heard you loud and clear, now stop worrying and have fun. Trust your hyung on this one, I got your back.”
Namjoon felt reassured and was even grateful for Jin’s idea. This is when he heard him laugh and say.
“Maybe you can even call the cute teacher and have some good quality time together with her,” He smirked, “I told you many times, she blushed looking at you thrice that day”
“Hyung!” Namjoon exclaimed, “She did not! And that’s all in your imagination!”
“It’s not.”
“It is.”
“Nope. No sir.”
“Yes it is.”
“Fine hyung, whatever lets you sleep at night,” Namjoon signed exasperated knowing his friend won’t relent to him.
Jin didn’t say anything but his laughter was enough to tell Namjoon that he was clearly enjoying this teasing. Ever since he learned of Namjoon’s little university crush on the teacher of their kids, Jin made it a point to tease him relentlessly over it every chance he has got. Now, Namjoon just learned to let Jin have his moment. 
Soon after this, Jin along with Dami, dropped by to collect both the twins. Namjoon bounced around the house double checking everything just to see if the kids had everything they needed. Honestly, everything was already prepared but at the last moment, he felt hesitant. Thankfully, Jin reassured him.  He now loaded all their belongings into Jin’s car with his help, hugged his little ones one last time, breathing in their smell, and made sure they’re properly seated in the car.
“Uncle Jooooooon” Dami happily called him “Can I have my kiss goodbye too?”
“Sure thing, my little princess” He opened the car door he had just closed and hugged her little frame, careful not to crash anyone with his weight.  “Have a good day Dami.”
“You too uncle.”
 And then with a final goodbye from both Jin and the kids, the car zoomed off into the distance.
It’s been quite a while since Namjoon got time for himself. Whether it was to just walk around aimlessly or watch a movie by himself or anything of that sort. In addition to the time, the weather also seemed to work in his favour. It was a clear day, with the blue of the sky peering over the millions that walked the planet. There were hardly any clouds but it also wasn’t very sunny or hot. Just the perfect weather for a stroll along the bed of the Han river. 
Namjoon sighed, leaning into the touch of the breeze that passed him by. It’s been five long years since there was any moment of peace. Ever since the day his twins were born, everyday was a jumble of rollercoaster rides for him. Not that they were bad. He certainly did have days where he was stressed, where he thought he was going to snap from the pressure of it all. But most of all, the rollercoaster ride was still welcome. His kids mean everything to him and without them, he probably couldn’t have gotten to where he is now. The hours he spent caring for them all alone, watching them grow and bloom into beautiful human beings were certainly worth all the fatigue that had accumulated over time. After all, he will always have time to rest later.
And as he sat there lost in his thoughts, he soon noticed a familiar figure sitting by a tree and reading a book. Upon closer inspection, Namjoon realises that it was you, his longtime friend and a teacher for his kids. You didn’t notice him, you were too engrossed in your book, your brows furrowed from the seriousness of what was in the story, your mouth upturned into a pout. It brought a little smile on Namjoon’s face, because it was something he was used to seeing back when you both were in university. From the little bits he knows of you from here and there, and of the times you hung around, books were a constant. Never in his life, he thought he would meet you again or feel this familiarity once again. 
As he continued to notice you and take in your presence, a soft breeze blew by you, whipping your hair onto your face. It didn’t seem like it bothered you though as you continued reading despite it. And when it happened for a second time, it was when you finally tucked your hair behind your ear and looked up to meet Namjoon’s gaze. 
“Namjoon - ah” you murmured, more for yourself. You were not quite sure if he was really in front of you, still engulfed in the emotional part of the story you just read. It was when you heard his deep velveteen voice that you knew it was not your imagination. 
“What a nice surprise” he softly giggled before he walked towards you “It’s nice to see you haven't changed at all after all these years. It’s nice to see you like that, like before”.
This was when he noticed what Jin was teasing him with for weeks now, the pink on your cheeks that he’s quite sure you never had in your university years. More so, around him.
“Oooh! You mean, reading all alone in my little corner?” You chuckled, “Yep! This is still how I spend my off days.  My friends wanted to go for a bicycle ride but after being surrounded by people all week, I needed some quiet time”.
“Haha, I know what you mean, I’ll leave you then” Namjoon shyly said.
“No! I didn’t mean it like that. I’m actually happy to see you, come sit with me” you pat the place close to you. 
“You sure?”
“Yep! Of course”
With a blinding smile, he walked towards you and sat close by. 
“By the way, where are my babies?” you asked him with a concerned smile.
“Oooh, out with Jin hyung and Dami. It’s the first time I’m on my own. They will even sleep there, if I don’t change my mind and join them or kidnap them. Because they were so happy about their day, it would be a kidnapping” he laughed. “They have planned to sleep in a homemade tent on the terrace of Jin hyung’s building, I mean…. Quite an event, right?”
“Aaaaw! This is so cute!” You exclaimed, “Don’t you dare bother them” you teased. 
“Yeah, we’ll see if I can stand it tonight,” Namjoon sighed as he gazed towards the sky.
“And how is Mr. Namjoon spending his day so far?” You asked playfully, wiggling your eyebrows.
“To be honest, they just left and I was just wandering around. I feel useless,” he chuckled, “I don’t know what to do.”
“Aaaaw! Single dad, not being used to being by himself” You cooed, “I’m glad that you have this day though. It’s good for you”
“You don’t have kids right?” 
“Nope, it’s still impossible for a single woman to procreate by herself” you laughed, “Unless it happens by a miracle.”
Namjoon snorted at that. Strangely happy for a reason he can’t fathom. But then he also wondered, 
“How do you spend your free time? Then again, how come you’re single?” he asked, almost surprised.
Looking up at him through your eyelashes, you wondered what he meant for a moment. 
“This is a question I ask myself too, Namjoon -ah,” you broke into a laughter, “Where is my prince charming, I wonder!” 
“Aaaaw!” he smiled at your cuteness.
 “Well, to answer your question, I spent my free time with whatever I want to do. I don’t ask myself how to spend my time, I just do what I want. Then again, it’s easy for me since I have no children yet. This is what you should do today. What do you, Kim Namjoon, want to do today?”
“What if I say, I want to go have ice cream with an old friend like the old times??” Namjoon asked, “Will she agree to it?”
 “This is a very good idea. You go ahead, call her” you playfully winked at him but at the same time, you were already closing your book with the same page holder you used back then, Namjoon noticed.
“I mean you, pabo!” Namjoon whined, “I don’t think I have many people I know around here or consider anyone else to be an old friend.”
“I know!” You exclaimed happily, “But wanted to tease. Oopsie.”
“Let’s get going then shall we??” He said, smiling as he stood up and reached a hand to help you. His hand was big and his grip soft but strong. You felt happy that the connection with him didn’t seem to be lost after so many times apart. 
“You won’t have that horrible flavor again, right?” Namjoon asked you with a pout.
“You remember what I used to eat?” you asked him, surprised.
“How can I forget, it’s kind of noticeable”
You laughed, delighted that he remembers, for some reason.
“Let’s see if my tastes have evolved enough to meet yours” you answered. Ice cream flavor was always a subject of playful bickering between the two of you. Never on the same page when it comes to choosing it. 
As you walked along a little path along the river with Namjoon on your left, you looked up at him to meet his soft smile. When did he become so handsome? He was always a beautiful person inside and out but somehow along the way, as he aged, he became even more beautiful. How come you never noticed it back then? And how was this something you noticed after all these years? 
“Appa doesn’t have a lover” you remembered Namu telling you and Kookie, last week “he said his priority was me and Nam Young but I would like to have a mother” the little boy had pouted cutely.
“You have a really good appa, Namu” Kookie had answered “he’ll meet the good person for him and for you guys one day. But the fact that he’s taking his time to do so is really good”.
The class had started and you had to leave the subject like that but it kept running in your thoughts today. 
“Namjoon- ah” 
“Hmmmm” he said as he looked down on you, his dimples shyly flashing on his cheeks as he smiled.
“It will be the only thing I’ll say about your kids because today, I’m not their teacher, I’m your old friend. But I found it amazing how a single parent could be able to raise such beautiful human beings. Namu and Nam Young are so lovely and brilliant. They learned to care for one another but they also care for the entire class, including me.  It’s easy to say that they received a lot of loving attention and that they were in a stimulating environment. I love them so much. If you ever doubted, I want to tell you that you did a good job at parenting them. I… I’m impressed”
“Oooooh” he blushed “Thanks Y/n, I mean, it was not always easy but they were my number one priority all the time and I certainly cared a lot for them.”
“You prioritise your kids over your own needs, I mean, it’s remarkable. I found it really amazing”.
“Thanks Y/n… for me it was the only thing to do”.
“It would have been the same for me, too, you know” You said as you gazed into his eyes, then shrugged, “But it’s not that obvious for everyone else I guess. I met a lot of egoistic parents in my young career, unfortunately”
Namjon’s eyes were captivating. Again, something else that you never noticed before. Maybe there were times you did notice that. Some moments in passing when you both were in university. Or some nights when you were drunk and stared a little too longer into his eyes. But you never gave it much thought back then. In fact you can count the number of times you felt something but shrugged it off immediately, thinking it wasn’t a big deal or blaming it on the alcohol. But why tho? Was it because you were already seeing someone? Was it because it felt wrong? Was it the guilt? In hindsight, It was probably the guilt that made you focus on something else. But now, as you stared into his eyes, you can feel the familiar warmth stir in your chest. A kind of warmth you’ve never felt for anyone in years after you last broke up with your ex. 
“Anyway,” You abruptly turned your head to face forward. Somewhere at the corner of your head, you can feel the blush creep up your cheeks and for some reason you felt embarrassed that Namjoon might notice that, ”I think I’ll have chocolate ice cream today. I don’t feel like ‘fighting’ with you.” 
Namjoon busted a laugh at that, he has a really pretty smile, “You know what,” He said, “Have whatever you like, I’m not going to judge you on that today. I just like teasing you.”
“Aaaah, Kim Namjoon! You’re such a meanie!” you pouted, then chuckled, “It’s good, I.. It’s good”.
What’s happening to you? What’s this good feeling of meeting up with an old friend and connecting just perfectly again. At the same time, what’s this bubbly, sparkling sensation tickling inside? What was that? Why so suddenly?
“Look at that,” Namjoon pointed as he came to an abrupt halt. You were so lost in the chaos of your emotions and bubbling feelings that you didn’t notice when Namjoon stopped, didn’t hear him talk to you or point at something. With your mind in a haze, you walked right into him. The tall and broad shoulders, perfect him.  It was so sudden, that the collision surprised you and in an effort to steady yourself, you tried to find the right footing. But that only led you to further losing your balance and before you could blink, you found yourself falling face first onto the ground. You tightly closed your eyes, bracing yourself for the impact.
But before, you could even realise what was happening, a strong arm quickly snaked around your waist and lifted you up from falling. You don’t know how he managed to do that but you found yourself facing Namjoon, securely held in between his arms, his hands away from you in a respectful manner. As you looked up at him, your eyes met his. His perfectly shaped, deep coffee brown eyes that stared right into your soul. They were so tender and soft, that you could feel yourself sucked right into his gaze. In this moment, you didn’t mind the ‘respectful’ manners and with the excuse of holding yourself still, you placed your hands flat on his chest. His heart was beating way faster than the calm that was emanating from his firm stillness on the outside.
“Namjoon- ah” you smiled at yourself, feeling a sting of warmth in your heart, “Why is your heart beating so fast? Were you so scared that I might have fallen down?” 
At this very moment, you couldn’t imagine that he could have been feeling the same warmth at your contact. It was so sudden for you, so inexplicable. Namjoon didn’t answer, he just stared at you. He too was so lost in the moment that he didn’t realise the kind of hold he had over you, nor did he realise the position you were in. Never in his wildest dreams did he ever imagine that he would get such a close look at your face. And when you spoke, things suddenly fell in place. His eyes went wide as the realisation kicked in. His face turned a deep shade of red as he finally let you go. 
“I...I’m sorry,” He smiled sheepishly, “I didn’t think.”
“What are you sorry for?” This confused you further. But decided not to dwell on it too much, “You saved me from face planting myself on the floor, thank you,” You laughed.
If saying that Namjoon was starstruck was an understatement, saying that he was spellbound would be too underrated.  You have an enthralling laugh. Namjoon remembered the first time he heard it back in the university, he thought it had a distinct sound to it. Like the distant chime of a bell, like birds chirping in spring. And even now if you ask him, he would say it still had the same ring to it. Had the same effect on him. If he was being completely honest with himself, he would admit right here and right now that this sound you make when you burst into laughter, he would like to hear it every single day for the rest of his life. It just made him feel light and bubbly, calmed him down. 
“You know what Y/n?” he asked as he collected himself
“What?” 
“I want to make a bet with you”.
“A bet? What kind of bet?” you looked at him, not sure what he was about to propose.
“See the tree over there? The one close to the ice cream stand? The last one that arrives there has to pay for the ice cream. What do you think”
You smirked, as your expression changed in the blink of an eye and rolled up your sleeves. How did Namjoon forget how competitive you can get when bets were involved. 
“Bring it on Mr. Kim!” You exclaimed as you jumped to prepare yourself. “You’re so gonna have to pay for me!” 
For the nth time that day, he was reminded of how much you didn’t change over the years. How much the same old things excited you or brought a spark in your eyes.
“No way I’m paying! I’m so gonna beat you in the race!” Namjoon challenged you right away.
“Sureeeee,” You chuckled, “Says the same guy who lost all the time back at uni and paid for everyone.”
“You remember??” Namjoon asked, taken by surprise.
“How can I forget? I had a couple of free treats, thanks to you” you laughed “I mean, who will say no to free ice cream, han? You better get ready Namjoon- ah! I’m on fire today. I might be smaller than you, but I’m way faster. Ready?” you asked, still warming up your muscles as if you were preparing for an olympic competition. 
“Aaaaw” Namjoon cooed “you didn’t change at all. Okay, on your marks…”
This is when things became serious for you. You position yourself in order not to miss the departure, not a single bit aware of Namjoon’s tender expression. The more he looked at you, at your cuteness over the simplest things, the more he felt endeared at you.  You probably may not have been aware, but Namjoon let you start ahead of him and he ran right after you. Always making sure he kept a step behind. 
When your hand finally touched the tree bark, you turned around and did your little happy dance exclaiming that you won. Just for that Namjoon thought he was in fact, the real winner here.
“I can’t believe that you won” he exclaimed but it sounded so fake, you became skeptical. Panting from the effort, you managed to say.
“Namjoon- ah! You cheated! I can see you let me win! Why?” you frown, pouting. “You’re not even breathless, how is that possible?”
“Aaaaw! Have I let you win?” he asked, dangerously close to you. “I don’t think I did! Anyway, ice cream is on me today… again”.
You studied his face for a moment. He didn’t seem a tiny bit deceived that he just lost a bet. He even had a warm smile on his face, his dimples on full display. You pouted even more.
“Namjoon-ah, you let me win. I know you did”.
“Of course not. I ran like my life depended on it”.
“Yeah! Yeah! Sure, I believe that,” You stared back at him, your eyebrows knitting on your forehead, your eyes in a squint.
Your breathing was much calmer now, and you were able to speak normally. Namjoon felt himself too entranced by you, if he continued to look at you like that, he didn't know what he could do. Instead of kissing you like his guts were claiming, he leaned towards you and poke your forehead. 
“Ouch” your fingers traced the spot Namjoon just poked. It was so sudden, that it took you by surprise. But at the same time you couldn’t help being fond of it.  
“Namjoon-ah! You meanie!” You pouted “You let me win and now, you’re hurting me! I don’t follow you this morning” you laughed, “Why are you like this??”
“I believe that you should not ask that, little miss. This might be information I want to keep top secret”.
“Oh Oh!  look at you,” You playfully teased, “All cool and mysterious, keeping information to yourself,”
“I heard that mysterious people are very attractive,” Namjoon remarked as he puffed out his chest, “Does Ms. Y/N think that mysterious people are attractive?”
You smiled at him, looking straight into his eyes. He was so handsome, a mix of confidence and doubt. He was himself the incarnation of Adonis. The greek god of desire and beauty. 
“Hum… let me think about it… Nah, I am personally not attracted to mysterious people. You know what seduces me?” without realising it, you got lost in your own thoughts and you had no filter anymore “Intelligence is seductive. Kindness is seductive. When someone is really caring and tender, this is really attractive, at least to me. If the person has dimples, broad shoulders, a beautiful smile and thighs… omg, if he has muscular thighs I’m a lost case”
Namjoon, who’s brain usually malfunctions when you’re around, has now completely stopped functioning. He just stopped in his tracks staring at you, his eyes wide. Trying to process the words that just left your mouth. It can’t be true is it? It’s too good to be true is it? But he just heard them. Straight from you. 
You stopped walking on the spot, realising what you just had said. Your eyes went wide and it seemed to Namjoon that the blood had left your face before that beautiful pink colored your cheeks once more.
“I mean… I…” You stuttered, which was unusual for you. A hint for Namjoon that your brain too, was malfunctioning. “I mean, dimples are universally attractive, right? We… Aren’t we all attracted to dimples? I mean… Oh well, I think I’ll just shut up now” you blushed. You were red from the top of your head to your toes. 
“I’m pretty sure it’s just you, who found it attractive,” Namjoon teased you. He couldn’t help himself, he needed to make you laugh again. His heart was beating loudly inside his own chest and he could very well feel the blush creep up his own cheeks. But that’s a story for another time. For now he just wants to see you smile at the very least. But instead of a smile, you got shy and it melted his heart.
“Namjoon-ah… I was just…”
“Say no more, Y/N, I just love teasing you”
“Yeah, it’s better if I just stop talking” you sheepishly smiled at him “The good thing is, you will pay for my ice cream today so I’m gonna take the bigger portion I ever had”
“You can buy the entire shop and I still won’t mind paying for that” Namjoon grinned.
Your heart was beating so fast and you felt so light. You never felt like this before near anybody else other than Namjoon, even back in uni. Was he flirting with you? Were you flirting with him? What was happening? How’s this even possible? Not even half an hour ago, you were alone, reading against a tree. Now you are with the most handsome and interesting man that you ever met and both of you seem to be fond of each other, at least you hope you were not imagining this. 
You were probably standing there staring at him, the familiar blush dusted on your cheeks that your mind didn’t get enough time to process it when Namjoon took your hand in his, like it’s no big deal. Like it’s something of a usual occurrence to him, to you. And when you finally came to your senses, you couldn’t help but feel his hand. His soft but tough skin, his long fingers and the way they intertwined and laced around your own. The warmth of his grip, the tingling sensation that every point of contact sent through your skin. You were no longer sure of what’s reality or what’s an illusion. 
The day couldn’t have been more perfect for Namjoon. This morning, he wouldn't have imagined it would turn out so beautifully. Walking hand in hand with the person he held a crush for over the longest period of time. If anyone would ever tell his university self that he would be walking with you while holding hands, he would have probably laughed at that person. But life does have weird ways of coming in a full circle. And here he was. The anxiety of being away from his kids was long gone. He did think of them, of course. But he was in such a peaceful and happy place, he didn’t have time to be overwhelmed. 
You walked around for a while like that. Stopping for your ice cream once and then making a few more stops as you both tried some street food here and there. And between all this, the walking, the eating, the picking out food stalls, you both couldn’t stop talking to each other, couldn’t stop the bickering. It was a while since any of you had so much fun. Been a while since you both felt so light and bubbly. Particularly with another human being, an adult specifically. Nothing about today was planned beforehand but the day was nevertheless full of remarkable moments. Small moments that you never want to forget.
****************************
“So this is it then,” Namjoon’s words jolted you out of your thoughts. Surely enough, you could see your apartment come into view from a distance. The day surely flew by. And probably for the first time, you were disappointed by the thought of having to return home yet. Beside you, Namjoon didn’t seem to let your hand go either. His grip on your hand was as tight as it was when he first held it.
A little sad that you will soon have to go separate ways with Namjoon, you looked at him. His features were half hidden by the darkness that already fell on the city. Sensing your gaze on him, he looked back at you with a tender smile on his face.
“What are you thinking of Namjoon?” You asked, an equally tender smile on your face.
“Thinking?” Namjoon asked, “Nothing really. Why?”
“You had such a soft smile on your face,” You shrugged, “So wondered what got you smiling like that.”
“Ah, that’s because I had a good day today. I’m happy I got to spend all this time with you.”
You probably weren’t expecting this answer from him, so it was a bit surprising and also made your heart flutter thinking about how you were the cause of that smile. He, too, made you happy today.  Very happy.
Guided by the desire to stay with Namjoon a little bit longer, you let your hand secure in his and with the other one, you gently laid your fingers on his forearm as you continued walking. It was not something that you planned to do, you just felt the need to hold onto him. He didn’t react to this but his already wide smile grew wider, if it’s something that’s even possible. 
“We’ve arrived” you stopped in front of your apartment building “I live here”.
Namjoon didn’t say anything but stared at your doorstep, lost in a daze. It seems that it still didn’t fully dawn upon him that it’s already the end of your day together. And when he didn’t say anything else for a while longer you just gave him a small nudge waking him up from his reverie. 
“This is so funny,” He remarked, “I walk in front of your home almost every single day when I go to work, yet I never imagined you lived here. Life is full of surprises”.
“Oh yeah?” You giggled. 
You both just look at each other, a little awkward, a little shy, unsure of what you had to say. Of what both of you wanted to say. You both knew that the time you spent together today was a million times different than how you spent it before. You can’t really pinpoint what changed or what pushed for this change. But whatever it was, it was good. It was more than just good. It was perfect.
“So….” 
“So…”
“You live here…” Namjoon bashfully said and mentally slapped himself almost instantly. Wasn’t it obvious? You had just said you live there. Jin will laugh at him until the next century when he gets to know this. 
As he was scolding himself internally, he didn’t notice you tiptoe in front of him. It’s your hands taking a hold on his chest that made him realise that something was happening. 
“Oh” was the only thing he thought of saying when he felt your warm lips against his cheek. Less than a second after, he could see your beautiful smile. You seemed to be way more at ease than he was. On an honest note, you weren’t sure what prompted you to do that. But looking at him, it only felt right to peck his cheek in a kiss. 
“You’re so cute when you’re mad at yourself Namjoon-ah! You’re the cutest!” you tittered, your eyes bright. Namjoon swore, if he stared any longer he would be able to trace galaxies in them. 
And as for you, saying Namjoon was cute was an understatement. You knew he was just as nervous as you. Nervous, happy, excited, overwhelmed and so many other things. It’s like waves crashing on top of each other. Restless, yet everything seemed like it was falling into place. 
Under the pale moonlight, you gazed at Namjoon’s face. In contrast to the softness he radiates, his face was full of sharp angles and beautiful lines. He was looking at you with something akin to tenderness in his eyes, his coffee brown eyes, fixated on yours, his brown hair falling over his face. You were tempted to reach out and brush it away. But you couldn’t do anything but standstill and continue to gaze back into his eyes. And deep inside you, a fire burned and crackled.  
When you felt him closing the distance between you, you instinctively closed your eyes and clutched at his shirt with your trembling hands. He was so close, you could feel his warmth enveloping you like a comfortable blanket. And with each passing moment, the fire inside you burned brighter. Stomach tangling, ribs crackling, butterflies scattering everywhere.
And just as Namjoon’s gaze dropped down to your mouth, he snaked an arm around your waist and pulled you in, your lips tarried at his, baiting each other with the warmth of your breath. And just as his lips gently leaned on yours, a sound to your side broke the charm.
“Hum hum” the old man living in your block cleared his throat. Still not completely coming to your senses, both Namjoon and you sprang apart, half shy, half embarrassed. You then moved on your left, giving the space that the intruder needed to pass by and enter the building.
This is when you noticed Namjoon’s finger, grazing his red and luscious lips at the exact place where he felt you. He seemed as shy and shocked as you were. 
“I… This is like an old dream coming true” Namjoon admitted, flustered.
“What do you mean?”
“I don’t know if I can say it”
“...” you stared at him.
“It’s nothing bad, you know?” he moved from a foot to another, seemingly shy and nervous.
“Then, why don’t you tell me” you had no idea what he was gonna say. All you could think about was the sudden sensation of cold you felt when you had to move back from him. It seems like you belonged in his arms and you wished you could just snuggle up against him as soon as possible. 
And the next words that slipped past his lips was probably something you never imagined yourself or ever pictured happening. 
“I used to have a huge crush on you while we were at uni,” He said, softly giggling, “I can’t believe I’m admitting that to you years later.”
Surprised, it was not something you expected him to have said, you stared at him blank, your eyes wide open. But then again, there was also no denying the sparks that flew between you back then. All this while, you thought it was only you. But, now you know, he was feeling something similar too. In a way, it was sort of comforting to know that. 
When you noticed that his features changed, you realised he might have confused your reaction to rejection. Indeed, when he started to talk, he seemed to have regretted the confession. You didn’t want him to feel that way so you moved towards him and engulfed yourself in his arms.
“Woah Namjoon-ah! I didn’t know at all…” You said, at a loss for words. Equal parts embarrassed, equal parts happy. But at the same time you couldn’t help squeeze his frame between your arms. And in your grip, Namjoon stood still, probably too shocked or surprised for his own good. His heart at that point was slippery and hot and loud. So, so loud.
You both stood still like that for a few moments. It was too surreal, it was like falling off a cliff at a high velocity, unaware of your surroundings, yet still somehow suspended within the moment. And after what felt like ages, you turned your head to face him. When you looked at his gentle features peering at you, you knew what you felt in your heart. You were sure. But wanting to confirm if Namjoon was feeling the same, you ask -
“What about now Namjoon? How do you feel about me now?” you asked, your voice barely a whisper. 
Namjoon thought it was too good to be true, that the moment was too magical, too perfect. He must have been dreaming and yet here he was.  With you in his arms, worried about what he might think, he thought that life offered him the most beautiful gift in a long time. He smiled right back at you as he looked straight into your eyes before he tighter his arms around you. One hand at the nape of your neck, he brought you closer to his chest and kept you there for a long moment, both savoring the sensation.
“Now? Let’s see… It’s beyond just a crush. I feel like… we belong? Isn't it strange?” 
“No Namjoon, it’s not strange. I feel the same” you told him, your nose against his shirt, breathing in his familiar scent.
And with that Namjoon giggled in your hold. 
“How do you feel about a date next weekend then?” He asked as his fingers delicately carded through your hair.
“Let me see” you said, thinking “I found it’s a very long time to wait! I already cannot wait to be with you… What to do?” you teased “If we talk on the phone meanwhile, maybe I can wait until next week-end” you smiled at him.
“Aaaaw! Of course we can talk,” Namjoon laughed, “I recognise you there. You didn’t change a bit!”
“But it’s how you like me, right?”
“Right!” He smiled and took your hands in his “I also can’t wait to be with you again”
The journey was coming to an end, sadly. You moved back from his arms, tiptoed to kiss his cheek one last time and lingered against him a bit longer than necessary. 
“Stay safe Namjoon”
“Yes, you too” 
“Sure Namjoon,” you giggled, “I’ll try not to get robbed on the way to my doorstep.”
Namjoon busted a laugh at that. 
“Anyway, see you soon.”
“See you soon.”
When you entered your apartment, you couldn’t believe what just happened. Sliding against the door, you sat down on the floor and held your knees against your heart in an attempt to keep it in your chest. 
Not even 15 minutes later, still in the same position, you received a text message. 
“Kind of think that next weekend is way too far… you were right missy <3”
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lettheladylead · 3 years
Text
Not Your Aunt
Chapter 8: Webby [ao3 link]
It had officially been one week since Goldie first stepped foot in the manor. And she was still there. This was the longest she’d ever spent in Scrooge’s home since his cabin in the Klondike (excluding times when she was sick or injured, of course).
She was pretty sure, by this point, that Scrooge was avoiding her. He’d been spending a lot of time with his daughter (or whatever) and a lot of time at the Money Bin trying to fix the many issues that cropped up over the past few months with his money managers betraying him, but then even the time he did spend at the manor seemed to always involve other people besides her. The only alone time they’d had was right after he crawled into bed, but every single night their conversations were brief and then he’d fall right to sleep.
So she was a little annoyed. She’d had a few conversations with the kids, sat in on a few dinners, harassed Beakley, been harassed by Sharpie...it’d been quite the couple of days. But it was getting late and she couldn’t wait much longer to talk to him about how she was feeling or how he was feeling or where they might want their relationship to go after all of this…
Ugh. Goldie sighed and wandered around the upstairs hallway. She hated thinking about mushy family stuff, but ever since Florida she’d been feeling an unstoppable pull towards the Ducks and she kind of wanted to relax and see what could happen. But if Scrooge couldn’t make any time for her in the next few days, she was definitely leaving and not coming back for at least a year. Love or not, she did not take well to being ignored.
A door ajar in the distance caught Goldie’s attention and she started walking towards it, curiosity being the best cure for her boredom. She wasn’t sure what that room was - Scrooge didn’t redecorate much, but she couldn’t keep track of everything since he collected so much junk and had 50 regular rooms plus another 10 secret rooms and who could remember all of that?
Goldie tried to peek inside, but it was pretty dark except for a small light in the corner. With a shrug, she forwent her usual sneakiness and just fully opened the door to let the light from the hallway light up the room.
She was met with a surprised chirp and two bright eyes staring directly at her.
Goldie stared back, not sure what to make of what she was seeing.
Webbigail was sitting on a table near the back of the room with a giant book on her lap - surrounded by heaps of other similar-looking books. She looked sweaty and grimy, and the whole room was covered in a thick layer of dust.
“...wh-what are you doing here?!” Webby asked, closing the book that was on her lap.
Goldie raised an eyebrow and decided this situation was interesting enough to explore. “I could ask you the same thing,” she said as she took a few steps towards the girl.
Webby frowned and shook her head for a second before wiping her hand across the cover of the book. “I was, um...well...trying to learn some stuff.”
Goldie leaned against the table Webby was sitting on and craned her neck so she could properly see what she was holding. Oh. “In an ancient photo album?”
“Yeah,” Webby said a little sadly. “Uncle S-, er...my dad has been telling me all about our family...well, just more than usual, I guess...but some things still weren’t quite adding up and I thought maybe I could piece things together on my own.”
Goldie raised an eyebrow and stared at the girl without responding.
She didn’t seem to notice. “I’ve always liked connecting things together...before I was told anything about the McDuck Clan or my dad’s life story, I went through all his different biographies and the photos he has around the house and tried to figure it all out myself. And now he’s telling me things that almost, like...conflict with other things he’s said or other things I’ve read about and it’s just getting confusing.”
“Well,” Goldie said quietly, “he is pretty old, you know. Could be he’s just forgetting some things or mixing up stories.”
“But...but he’s Scrooge McDuck!” Webby said with a frown, opening the photo album again. “It’s one thing to forget a few details from a story, but like…” She pointed to a photo of Scrooge’s parents and a very small baby duckling. “The back of this photo says it’s from 1939, but whose baby is that?! Hortense didn’t have kids until the 1980s and Matilda never had kids so is this just some random baby or-”
“That’s Gideon,” the blonde answered, pointing to the way the baby’s hair stuck out at the top. “Scrooge’s half-brother.”
Webby stared at the photo again, then up at Goldie, her mouth wide open in shock. “Wh...wait, so...does that mean one of my grandparents had a baby with someone else while they were still married?”
“Uhh…” Goldie leaned back and scratched her neck. She knew Scrooge didn’t like to talk about his brother much, but she’d met the man a few times so there was no point ignoring the physical similarities. Though the complications of his conception might be why Scrooge didn’t bring him up. “...something like that. Don’t worry about the details too much.”
“Worrying about the details is exactly why I’m here,” Webby mumbled, flipping through a few more pages. She glanced up at Goldie. “You know my family really well, don’t you?”
“Not by choice, but yeah. If you think Scrooge loves to talk about his family now, you wouldn’t believe how he was back in the day. Very talkative.”
“I know the feeling,” Webby said, chuckling a bit to herself. “Lena said I’ve always been a little too obsessed with the McDuck family and now I’ve gotten even worse.”
Goldie felt an unfamiliar twinge in her chest and plopped a hand down on Webby’s head. “If she’s still sticking around, it doesn’t bother her as much as she says it does. Trust me.”
The preteen seemed to think about that, letting out a low hum while she considered Goldie’s words. “Trusting you doesn’t seem like the smart thing to do, but it sounds like you’re talking from experience.”
Goldie removed her hand from Webby’s head and shoved it back in her pocket. “Despite what your granny says, I’m not always lying.”
Webby turned her whole body towards Goldie. “I don’t think you were lying about Gideon either...so...would it be okay if I asked you about other confusing photos from any of these albums?”
Goldie sighed and lifted herself up to sit on the table, too. “You can. I really think you should just ask Scrooge about all this stuff, though. A few memory lapses here and there doesn’t mean he’s going to withhold entire family members from you.”
“I know, I know,” Webby mumbled and held the album against her chest. “I’m just still getting used to all this. I feel like I should know all these people already, y’know? Like...like Elvira Coot, the mother of Quackmore Duck, isn’t related to Scrooge McDuck at all, but they refer to each other as cousins in a lot of old letters. Is it just them being friendly with each other? Or is my research totally and completely wrong?”
“They’ve just known each other for a very long time,” Goldie said matter-of-factly. “Some people call old friends brother or sister, some people call them cousin. Scrooge usually just generally calls everyone his family, but some people get friendly little titles.”
“That’s very confusing.”
“It is what it is,” Goldie bent one of her legs so she could lean on her knee. “Scrooge has always enjoyed being a little confusing.”
“Is that why he likes you? ‘Cause you’re confusing, too?” Webby asked with an innocent tilt of her head.
Goldie rolled her eyes. “Maybe. I’m sure he’s got a long list of reasons why he does or doesn’t like me.”
Webby huffed out a short laugh as she tapped her hands on the open album page. There were photos of a few familiar members of Scrooge’s family and even a baby picture of Donald and Della.
“...you are really confusing,” Webby said, breaking the awkward silence. She didn’t let Goldie interrupt as she continued. “I don’t think I understand you at all. You’ve been here for a whole week so...are you moving in? Or what’s going on?”
“I’m just here to talk to Scrooge.” Goldie grabbed a photo album that was next to her on the table and flipped it open. “He’s been particularly busy this past week so I’m waiting.”
Webby watched her flip through pages and wondered if there were going to be any more secret relatives she didn’t know about in there. “I didn’t think you liked waiting for things.”
“Not a huge fan, no.”
“But you’re still here,” Webby mused. She watched as Goldie stopped flipping pages and stared down at a photo of Hortense and Quackmore, clearly having a fun time on their wedding day. It was a very sweet picture. “Huey says you and Scrooge are gonna get married, too.”
Goldie rolled her eyes and flipped past the wedding photo. “I’m sure he did.”
“If you did get married...would that make you my mom?”
Goldie closed the album and glared down at the girl next to her, annoyed that these kids were so interested in weddings and marriages. “Absolutely not.”
“Why not?” Webby asked, trying not to seem too confused.
“Why would it?” Goldie said with a hand to her forehead. “At the most, I’d be your stepmother, and that’s only in the very unlikely scenario where I say ‘yes’ to Scrooge’s proposal.”
“But this is a hypothetical scenario, so...if you did get married...would I be allowed to call you mom?”
“Ugh.” She knew there was a line here where her crabbiness would start to offend, but Goldie was not enjoying this line of questioning. “Even in this magical, crazy, hypothetical scenario...I would rather you didn’t. If I’m being completely honest, I’m still uncomfortable hearing you call Scrooge ‘Dad’.”
Webby, rather than be offended like Goldie thought, laughed out loud. “You think you’re uncomfortable with it?! I’ve been saying it over and over in my head all week and it still doesn’t sound right!”
Goldie raised an eyebrow at her and Webby froze, clearly surprised at her own outburst, and settled down. “Sorry. I shouldn’t say that. It’s just a little weird still.”
“Why shouldn’t you talk about how weird it is?” Goldie asked genuinely, leaning back on her hands. “If you don’t want to call him ‘Dad’ then you don’t have to.”
“That’s easy for you to say,” Webby mumbled, imitating Goldie’s lean. “If I go back to calling him ‘Uncle Scrooge’ then it’s gonna seem like I’m rejecting him or something. That’s too mean. I can’t be mean like that.”
“It’s not mean.” Goldie sighed and turned towards the younger girl. “It’s your life. Call him whatever feels right to you."
Webby leaned her head back to stare up at the ceiling. "I've never had a dad or a mom before so I think I should keep trying for a little longer. It might just feel weird 'cause it's so unfamiliar."
"Or maybe it feels weird because it is weird," Goldie grumbled. "His DNA was stolen and used to create you, sure. So he's your father, but does that really make him your dad?"
The younger girl glared at the ceiling for a moment before turning towards Goldie again. "I don't understand what you mean."
"Being your biological father is significant, obviously. But family is whatever you want it to be." Goldie sighed and stared down at another photo - one of a much younger looking Scrooge. "You can run away from it. You can accept it without question. Or you can just try to figure it out."
Webby watched Goldie's face - trying to read the woman's expression as she stared at the photo. "I think I get that."
"Your grandmother wouldn't appreciate you listening to me, you know."
She smiled. "I know. But it's kind of interesting to get a more...outside perspective. I mean you're not not part of the family, but you weren't a part of all…" Webby waved her hands around for emphasis. "...this stuff."
"I suppose," Goldie said as she put the photo of Scrooge back down. A part of her really wanted to take it, especially knowing that Scrooge never went into this room so he likely hadn't looked at any of these photos in over fifty years. He wouldn't miss it!
"Do you think...um…" Webby stumbled over her words. "...do you think he'd be mad if I started calling him Uncle Scrooge again?"
"No," Goldie answered sternly. "He wouldn't be mad. Especially given everything that's happened with your family lately, I think an opportunity for some normalcy would be appreciated."
Webby flipped to another page in the photo album while Goldie spoke, and her eyes widened as she saw a familiar face in one of the old photos. She looked back up at Goldie and then back down at the photo. "So...if I call him Uncle Scrooge, then I guess I can call you Aunt Goldie, huh?"
Goldie turned to scold Webby for bringing up that nickname that she always knew would come up around these Duck children...when she came face-to-face with a photograph she didn't even know existed. Webby was holding it up dramatically, smiling smugly as she did so.
It was a slightly out-of-focus snapshot of Scrooge and Goldie in wedding attire, at an altar. Pretty clearly getting married.
Goldie quickly snatched it from the girl's hand and turned it around to check if there was a date or any notes. In Scrooge's handwriting it said "1953. Almost felt real."
She blushed a bit and turned it back around. "...I didn't know there were any pictures from this."
"And to think you made such a big deal out of my hypothetical scenario! But you're already married!" Webby looked more smug than she'd looked in a while, clearly ready to announce this news to the whole family.
Goldie frowned, unable to tear her face away from the image. Both her and Scrooge's faces were visible and, despite being at a bit of a distance, she could see just how happy they were at that moment. "...it was a con. A business decision. Not a real marriage."
"So you got an annulment afterwards?"
She laughed. "You think Scrooge would waste money on something like that? No, we just...moved on. I completely forgot it even happened."
"Well, Aunt Goldie, it doesn't look like he's forgotten."
Goldie sighed and pocketed the photo, wondering if she should show it to Scrooge later and shake out some memories. "Clearly he hasn't been in this room for a long time, so I wouldn't assume that."
Webby's excitement died down just a bit as she noticed Goldie's lack of embarrassment. "Isn't this...I mean, I know you say you don't wanna marry him, but you're still here despite everything plus you're already married! You really are Aunt Goldie and I don't get why you'd try to fight it."
The blonde frowned and exhaled loudly through her nostrils, trying to think of the best way to explain how she felt. "You've spent a long time idolizing Scrooge, right? Wanting to be a part of his family and whatnot."
"...yeah?"
"And from what I could tell, you two were getting close over the past few years. You called him Uncle Scrooge, he remembered your name. Yeah?"
"...uh-huh…" Webby had a feeling she knew where this was going.
"But now that this father-daughter thing was suddenly dumped in your lap in such a...such an awful way, really, you're feeling weird about it. Maybe it feels a little hollow, like this is what you wanted but it's not how you wanted it."
Webby frowned deeply - Goldie was completely right, but hearing the words said so casually didn't make her feel better about it.
"...that's what that wedding was for me," Goldie finished, finally connecting the two thoughts together. "I'd...wanted to be closer to him. I thought we were headed there. And then he suggested that plan and how could I say no? He was splitting the money with me 60/40 and I knew I could steal my missing ten percent whenever I felt like it."
"So you wanted to get married, but then you did but for the wrong reasons?"
Goldie sighed and shrugged. "Basically. It was a long time ago. Things change."
"And some things don't change," Webby added, noticing that Goldie was still staring at the photo in her hand. "You've had decades to talk to him about this, so why haven't you?"
"Eh," Goldie answered and stuffed the photo into her pocket. "Adult relationships are complicated."
Webby shook her head. "Not all of them. Just the ones that don't talk to each other."
Goldie glared down at Webby again, but the girl was already flipping pages in the album once more. She wasn't going to whine to a kid about how she was trying to talk to Scrooge but he was just making it difficult. Maybe if she told him she'd spent some time with his kid, he'd finally sit down and talk to her.
"Who's this?" Webby asked suddenly, pointing to another photo.
This one was older - depicting a young Scrooge (maybe nine years old?) with an even younger child that looked very similar to him. Goldie pouted and put a hand to her chin before grabbing the photo and turning it over to see if anything was written on the back.
"Oh, this is Douglas. One of Scrooge's cousins."
"On whose side?" Webby asked curiously.
Goldie shrugged. "Not sure. I know he lived alone in the Netherlands somewhere until he died, but he and Scrooge weren't very close, from what I could tell."
"Oh." Webby looked down at the photo, not really being able to read either child's expression. She supposed photos from the 1870s were rarely as expressive as ones from modern day. "You really know a lot about my family.”
"It's completely useless information taking up valuable space in my brain," Goldie complained with a smirk. "Maybe I'd be fluent in Mandarin if not for Scrooge."
Webby smiled, happy that she was able to recognize Goldie's words as a joke. "Well it's not useless to me. Thanks, Aunt Goldie."
Goldie frowned and rolled her eyes, but that just made Webby smile. She felt like she was starting to understand this woman...just a little bit.
A realization hit her and Webby suddenly gasped before hopping off the table. Goldie watched her with curious surprise. "I need to update my board!" Webby said as she rushed towards the door.
Goldie raised an eyebrow and hopped off the desk to follow. "I have no idea what that means!"
She followed Webby out the door and down the hall, until the girl was back in her own room. Goldie stuck her head inside just in time to see the unveiling of an insane-looking board filled with photos and string and notes and hearts and…
"...is that a locket with my face in it?" Goldie mumbled as she continued into the room. She stared at the locket as Webby ran around looking for something.
As she reached out to grab the strangely unfamiliar locket, Webby was suddenly on a step stool next to her and reaching for it herself. Goldie watched silently as the girl tugged her away from her little grouping of villains (rude) and moved her oh-so-closer to Scrooge.
Goldie blushed the slightest bit as Webby shortened the string, added some little hearts, and slammed a sticky note between them that said MARRIED-ISH!
"There's no way I'm letting you keep that up."
Webby laughed and wagged her finger in Goldie's face. "I'll just put it back when you leave!"
Goldie crossed her arms over her chest. "Then I'll just have to st...hm."
Webby's eyes were sparkling.
"...visit more often."
The correction didn't dull Webby's sparkle, instead she just smiled brighter. "I think everyone would really like that." 
Goldie raised an eyebrow. "Nice try, but I can assure you that your grandmother would sooner attend my funeral than enjoy having me around."
Webby hopped off the step stool. "Then you'll just have to win her over!" she said with a skip as she pushed the stool back to its regular spot.
"Yeah...I don't really see that happening," Goldie mumbled, not objecting when Webby grabbed her hand and tugged her towards the door.
"I think you could be friends! You just have to try!"
Goldie rolled her eyes but still didn't pull her hand out of Webby's grip. "Don't get your hopes up, Pink," she said with a sigh, but there was a little part of her that wondered if getting along with the whole family was even possible. She'd spent so long pushing away from Scrooge and his family and his friends that she'd never really considered what it would be like to actually...try. And she struggled to admit it, but...she wanted to find out.
She squeezed Webby's little hand and stared down at the bouncing bow on her head. Goldie still wasn't anyone's aunt, but...if she had to be, Scrooge's kids would be her first choice.
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After that gorgeous sequel rant, would you be willing to share your thoughts on reylo?
Ugh.
Once again, that is the most succinct, easiest, answer I can supply. But it's so short, and that just won't do.
I mentioned in a recent post that Dramione comes in a myriad of disguises. Every fandom usually has at least one Dramione ship, you can usually guess which characters the ship will consist of, and while you might not be able to articulate exactly what about it makes it so damn similar to Dramione you will recognize it on sight.
Usually, to me, a Dramione ship features a strong, independent, female lead who may be varying levels of sexually empowered, varying levels of intelligent (Hermione loves to tell us how smart she is but it's not the heart of the ship), is strong, courageous, and noble who depending on the story du jour might slide into depravity.  The real give away is her love interest, always a man, usually a young man of comparable age, who has the bad boy appeal that's not too bad boy where he often is redeemed to the good side for 'reasons' in the course of the story.
Reylo is such a Dramione pairing.
You don't believe me? Look at the authors who write it, I haven't done this too often myself, but I guarantee you that a not small majority of them will either write Draco/Hermione or will have it all over their favorites and bookmarks. It's the same damn pairing.
But worse.
Because Kylo-Ren and Rey aren't really characters.
"Whoa, hold up!", you say, "That's just slander and uncalled for!" Well, change my mind. Rey Palpatine and Kylo-Ren are a series of character tropes and archetypes thrown to us by Disney screaming "LOVE MY CHARACTERS".
Rey is our noble, very Luke like, hero who is a scrappy desert rat with overwhelming mystical powers only acknowledged when the movies feel like acknowledging them (guys, admit Rey kicked Kylo-Ren's ass every time they fought with 0 training, come on, it's not hard).
However, there is nothing underneath her surface. Her hero worship of the resistance feels dull and given to her because it's expected. Of course Rey likes the resistance! The resistance is great! Sign her up! Rey has been living in the desert at the edge of nowhere for presumably 15 years, I'm shocked she's even heard of the new republic let alone the resistance. Despite essentially starving and only having a home that's a broken down old fighter, Rey saves a random droid. We're not really given a compelling reason of why she would do this, that she has a deep respect for droids/is horrified by their use, really really really hates the random trader she sells things to, or really really really hates the empire (if she even realizes it's them behind the bounty). She does it just so that a) the plot keeps moving b) to show Rey is... noble... I guess?
Remember that even Luke (who I have some problems with as a character) started his journey with more backstory and personality than this. Luke loved the empire and desperately wanted to become a pilot. He was very put out that his aunt and uncle kept saying, "Uh, no, bad idea." Luke was ready to skip town and sign on up for flight academy, he just got distracted by pretty women, er, his sister.
So, Rey is never given a compelling reason to do any of the things she does in the series. Just vague feelings of hero worship. And, of course, the drama over her parents. Just... I feel like Disney took out a hat, put a bunch of pieces of paper with words on them, and drew out the one that said "orphan angst about parents" and said "See, now she's conflicted! What a character!"
So yeah, Rey is your cardboard generic hero who is so generic she's not even a person. She has no hopes, no dreams, no fears, just these vague things we're told as an audience she cares about but never shown in any legitimate manner. Rey likes the resistance and rando droids, Rey imprints on Han Solo as the father she never had, Rey has this thing about her parents, Rey is attracted to Kylo Ren.
And that last one, oh boy that last one. It sold me less on the attraction to Kylo Ren than... oh... I don't know... Palpatine's secret Sith planet of doom. I mean, we all saw it coming, The Last Jedi it was very clear where that was going and then Abrams went for it even harder. But what we had was a series of skype conversations where Rey went from "Gr, you killed my pseudo father!" and Kylo-Ren responding, "Yeah, well he was my real father AND HE WAS SO MEAN" to "Oh Ben, I will fly to you through space and we shall save the galaxy together!"
I am given no reason to believe Rey's change of heart. Han Solo's death just suddenly... doesn't really mean much to her anymore (the man was murdered by his son in cold blood so that his son could feel better about himself). She believes Ben Solo is good now because Luke is a dick (never mind that, no matter what a dick Luke is, Ben Solo still murdered dozens of children and then went on to gleefully massacre his way through the galaxy). We're told there's a Force Dyad, which is um... not this thing the writer's made up because they were too lazy to convince me that Kylo-Ren and Rey would end up together in any organic way.
So, yeah, why does Rey like Kylo-Ren? Because the Force told her too? Because it was somehow all Snoke's fault in a way that's never properly described? (Indeed despite us spending quite a bit of time on Kylo-Ren's decision to remain Kylo-Ren being a very internalized thing) Because we saw him shirtless in yoga pants this one time?
It's bad when that last is actually the most legitimate reason I can think of out of the whole lot.
Now let's go to Kylo-Ren. If Rey is boring and nonsensical then Kylo-Ren is a dumpster fire and non-sensical. The guy reminds me a lot of Commodus from the film "Gladiator", the man is cowardly, vile, and murders his father in despair that his father never will be capable of loving him/passes him over for the throne. Kylo-Ren's murder of Han Solo is extremely similar to the murder of Marcus Aurelius in "Gladiator". Han Solo is a flawed father, trying to make his peace with his son, who approaches him unarmed and Kylo-Ren decides to murder him in order to solidify his place in the dark side.
Only, the films never acknowledge that every action Kylo-Ren takes is horrifying.
We're told "oh, Kylo-Ren exists because evil Snoke corrupted him" but also shown repeatedly that Kylo-Ren chooses the darkest path again and again and again. He "struggles with the light" but I don't see it. His opening scene, he has massacred a village and is torturing a man for information (this is presumably a daily routine for him). In the same film he later tortures Rey for information. He serves on a Death Star which wipes out billions in an instant. He murders his father to feel good about himself. He dresses as a man who was reviled and feared throughout the galaxy, a man who murdered countless children, and a man who dressed the way he did because he was barely hanging onto life, because Kylo-Ren thinks it makes him look like a badass. Think about it, this is like if a fully abled Kylo-Ren is wheeling around in a wheel chair, perfectly capable of walking, because he thinks that Professor X is so cool. Now, replace Professor X with Hitler, this is what the movies gave us.
Yet, the films seem to take it for granted that Kylo-Ren is a redeemable character. He's just lost and misguided, he's really struggling with the light and dark side! They don't just tell us this over and over again (which they do) but also just assume we know it.
And base the entire Reylo pairing off of it. Reylo believed Kylo-Ren could be redeemed, they battle Snoke together, then Kylo-Ren stabs her in the back and continues the assault on the Resistance and asks her to be his Dark Queen (TM). Reylo is shocked and appalled, I'm just wondering what movie she thought she was watching, because that was coming a mile away.
Later, when Kylo-Ren is redeemed, we're never given a reason why it happens. Leia just gives him a nagging, one word, phone call and then Han Solo shows up to go, "Ben, are you going to do the right thing?" and Ben goes, "Mumble, grumble, fine" because there's only an hour left in the last film.
Kylo-Ren, like Rey, is the writers' desperate attempt to create a compelling anti-hero with all the anti-hero sauce we love. They just won't admit they made an overgrown genocidal toddler.
Wow, this turned into why I hate both Rey and Kylo Ren, but, uh, back to the ship. Basically, the films give me 0 reason to ever believe it, and even if I wanted to, even if I said "Alright brain, let's make these characters real people for once", I still wouldn't like it. Because the ship itself is just as flat as the characters. It's spicy but not too spicy bad boy gets together with strong female lead.
I know a lot of people enjoy this, and I won't say it's any less legitimate than any of the weirdness I ship, but I'm not one of them. And the whole thing just makes me go "ugh".
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Note
i am here to share my awkwardness :D
so we went to a family friend's party yesterday evening because they were celebrating their 10th wedding anniversary and whenever we go over to their house most of the kids who are there are usually half my age so it's for the most part awkward because the kids consist of 12 years and younger and then me, the awkward 19 year old who blends in 🤡
so naturally, in the middle of the party i get bored of being my mom's shadow and decided to walk outside and sit in the backyard where my brother and the other kids were playing
now i get along pretty well with them and do actually play along with the kids but since there were so many new people i just awkwardly sat off to the side and read a book on my phone instead akhdfjn
while they're playing this really r e a l l y tall dude walks up (i'm not joking he's probably like 6'5") and he goes "can i play with you guys?" to my brother and his friends who are all playing football and obviously they say yes, except my brother calls him uncle (an honorific for older men) which is the wrong move because this man is only 21 😭
WHICH STARTS TO MAKE SENSE AS TO EVENTS THAT HAPPENED PRIOR
so obviously at parties they have the dads and uncles (actually any male who's college age and older) serve food for others and ofc he's the one serving the main dish so when i go to get my food he's really flustered and keeps dropping the spoon and the food in the spoon and whatnot which i thought "ah he's probably just awkward like me" but nah he found out i was in college as well and let me tell you- indian men who find out you're near their age move like a fucking jaguar marron 5 who i'm sorry i'm tired and a mess akbjdfn
anyways fast forward to once it got dark all the parents are playing games and talking downstairs and naturally we're upstairs watching a movie (despicable me 2) and since i'm with people i'm more comfortable with i'm more animated and am actually talking and being my loud self but what i don't realise is that this man has been upstairs this entire. time. and to make matters worse he's been staring at me this entire time as well but once i caught him he looked away and i'm just sitting there looking like that one lisa staring meme because why-
but yeah after that occurrence i ended up being quiet until he left and then i was back to being myself abjdfnlk
there's a lot more to this story but i feel like i'm missing a lot of points since i'm giving a brief run down so that there's not a huge ask on someone's tl 😭 i feel like i've been sending a lot of those recently ahkbdfnk
AHHHH here it is hehe
1. I FEEEEEEL AHHHHH MY ENTIRE MOM'S SIDE OF THE FAMILY IS LIKE THAT!! I'm in between the adults (30+) and the kids (8 and below) at that comfortable age of 21 and I'm literally the only one in this age range SO I ALWAYS END UP BEING THE BABYSITTER (ugh, i love those kids, but i can only handle like two at a time and there's like seven of them at parties)
2. Also felt, I usually keep to myself in parties mainly cuz my introverted ass doesn't know how to participate, let alone initiate, conversation. It takes my mom telling me she's embarrassed of me to run off-
3. YES I UNDERSTAND THAT GODDDDDDD Like I love y'all but my social battery is depleting faster than sanity please understand-
4. HELP WHATTTT AHAHAHAHAHA NO CUZ IF A KID CAME UP TO ME USING THE HONORIFIC FOR TITA I THINK I'D HAVE A CRISIS side story I was once again partaking in unpaid babysitting with my younger cousins (17 and 12) and I was like "yeah college is great good luck with applications" and the 12 y/o was like "how old are you?" "21?" "Wow! You're really old!" I almost squared up-
5. OOOOO
6. AHAHAHAHAHAHAA BROOOOOOOO I FEEL 😭
7. Despicable Me 2 is an appropriate choice. Also, as much as I write about it, I'm actually not a huge fan of staring. Like if I caught someone staring I'd be so weirded out but since I'm also nonconfrontational I'd just move ngl djkhksldfjgjffs,g
8. I DON'T BLAME YOU AT ALL I'D WAIT TILL HE'S GONE TOO
9. LMAOOOO NO IT'S OKAY I get what's going on lolol and honestly it's fine that's what the new tag's for AHAHAHAHA I enjoy any and all kinds of asks hehe but no yeah fr it sounds super freaking awkward 😭
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theclockworkmonk · 3 years
Text
Desire and Will
This is the most popular fic in my "Aang/Katara Missing Moments" series on AO3. This is the first time I'm posting it to tumblr.
Summary: With Aang still having trouble letting loose with his firebending, Zuko asks an alarming question:
"Have you ever kissed a girl?"
Words: 3,944
Read on AO3
FF.net
*******
Katara was awoken by what was, to her, the scariest sound in the world: the sound of Aang in pain.
"OW!" she heard him cry out, and she wrenched her eyelids open and rolled to face where his voice was coming from. There, she saw Aang still laying on the ground where he had been sleeping, rubbing his backside like it had been kicked. Towering over him, fists clenched and face scowling...was Zuko.
A jolt a fear cut through Katara's still half-asleep mind as she reached over for her bending skin and flicked it open with her thumb. She was ready to fight, ready to—
"You're burning daylight!" Zuko barked at Aang, "Get up! Twenty hot squats, now!"
Katara's sleep fog finally cleared and she remembered why Zuko was here in their camp. She remembered their whole reluctant arrangement to have Zuko teach Aang firebending, and the nerve-wracking few days they had disappeared together and apparently danced with dragons.
Katara groggily collapsed back onto her pillow, too tired to even growl at Zuko that the rest of them didn't have to train to defeat his evil dad, thankyouverymuch, so maybe bark his orders more quietly at absurd hours in the morning.
Aang seemed to be feeling the same way, because he just moaned in response. Zuko squatted down next to Aang and pointed out into the canyon that contained the Western Air Temple, where the sky was already turning blood red.
"You see that? That's sunrise, Avatar. That's the sign of a firebender's inner strength coming to life with a new day." He grabbed Aang by the shoulder and started shaking him, "Can you feel it, Aang? Can you feel your inner fire starting to reignite?"
"No," grunted Aang plainly.
Katara was remembering more now, and becoming more annoyed. Right, what had Zuko said to her at the north pole? "You rise with the moon, I rise with the sun?" of course it made perfect sense that on top of being cruel, bloodthirsty monsters, firebenders were also something far worse: morning people. Ugh, did this mean that Aang was also going to be a morning person from now on?
"Well we've got to fix that," said Zuko, and he practically dragged Aang to his feet and started pushing him off towards the courtyard that they used to train, that jutted out from underneath the rock overhang so they were actually in the sun. With their sleeping area quiet again, Katara tried to go back to sleep, but now the knowledge that Aang was off with Zuko, alone, at the other end of the temple was nagging at her brain. It wasn't like she thought Zuko would suddenly attack him or something; she had accepted by now that this wasn't some kind of absurdly elaborate plot against them—mainly because she didn't think Zuko was clever enough to pull off something like that. But still, whenever she thought about Aang with no one around him but Zuko, she found that she...didn't like it.
After a few minutes, she accepted that she wasn't getting any more sleep, so she got herself up and started making her way in the same direction Zuko and Aang had gone. As she was rounding the last corner before the courtyard, she started to hear their voices.
"So if my firebending wakes me up with the sun, and my waterbending keeps me up with the moon, when exactly am I supposed to sleep?"
"You slept for a hundred years, isn't that enough?"
Aang laughed, but Katara recognized it as his uncomfortable laugh. Aang never liked being reminded of all that time he wasn't there for the world, which Zuko would know if he wasn't such a heartless jerk and a terrible teacher. The fact that he barely knew Aang and had no way of knowing what he was uncomfortable with was entirely beside the point.
Katara decided to not announce her presence and instead leaned against one of the stone pillars within the shade of the overhang, while they were out in the increasingly bright morning sun. She was far enough away and in enough shade that they were unlikely to notice her, but if they did happen to look her way then she could plausibly deny she was snooping. She didn't like the idea of leaving Aang alone with Zuko, but she still realized hovering would interfere with them. Aang was always trying to impress her and Zuko was still visibly terrified of her ever since she threatened to kill him the day he joined their team (which she definitely didn't take any pride in).
Aang and Zuko finished their warm-ups and faced a target at the far end of the courtyard, a few wooden logs they had haphazardly nailed together in the vague shape of a human.
"Okay, let's see if that trip to almost get eaten by dragons was worth it," said Zuko, "set your stance..."
Aang positioned himself in a sideways battle stance in opposition to the dummy.
"Now, control your breathing…"
Aang drew in a deep breath and slowly released it.
"Now…STRIKE!"
Aang punched his right first towards the dummy, and a single fireball erupted from his knuckles, traveling about 10 yards to the dummy, briefly engulfing it in flames before dissipating. After the fire and smoke had quickly cleared, Katara saw that the dummy was slightly singed, with a few spots glowing orange for a few seconds before cooling down. Katara could feel the heat of the blast from where she was standing.
Zuko, however, didn't look impressed, "Well that was...certainly better, I guess."
"You guess!?" Aang incredulously asked out loud, and Katara incredulously asked in her head at the same time, "Come on, that was the biggest blast I've ever made!"
"Yeah, and if you were any other novice, we'd call that a really promising start. Heck, you might even be called a prodigy. People would be saying you could become a master in just a few years."
Aang's shoulders slumped in disappointment.
"But we don't have a few years, obviously, so sorry, but we need to find a way to fast-track this."
Aang threw his hands in the air, "Well what more can I possibly do!"
Zuko frowned and rubbed his chin thoughtfully, "Well to be honest, I think you're still being too timid and restrained. You're certainly doing a lot better than before our trip, but I still sense a lot of energy in you that you're not letting out."
Aang looked confused and started to get defensive, "Well of course I'm holding a little back, I'm trying to stay in control! Jong Jong said that firebending requires constant discipline or fire will destroy you. He didn't even let me shoot fire, he had me try to stop a bit of fire from growing, and when I didn't listen to him—" Aang managed to cut off his own rambling and managed to take a deep breath and closed his eyes, "that was when I burned Katara."
Zuko's face cycled through several different expressions as a lot of things suddenly started making sense.
"...Oh," was the only thing he could say.
Aang continued, "I hated that version of myself, even more than when I've gone into the Avatar State. After that, I promised myself I would never firebend at all!"
Katara tried to keep track of all the different emotions she was feeling. She was touched by the fact that Aang cared about her so much that the memory of hurting her still got him to be this upset, annoyed at him for being this worked up over something that happened months ago, she had long since forgiven, and was really not important in the context of their mission, and guilty that her getting hurt and the way she reacted had caused him this much heartache, even while she knew that she hadn't really done anything wrong.
Zuko sighed, raised his hand, and after a few seconds of hesitation, lightly patted Aang's shoulder in the most awkward, panicked "there-there" gesture Katara had ever seen.
"Look Aang," said Zuko, "I can't speak to what this 'Jong Jong' guy taught you. Maybe his way is better, I don't know, but it sounds like it takes a lot longer, and we don't have the luxury of being patient and deliberate about this."
He pulled on Aang's shoulder and turned him around so he would stop looking at his feet in self-pity and look his teacher in the face again, "The people of the world don't need their Avatar to be a wizened sage right now, they need a stick of dynamite."
Zuko took a few steps away and tried his best to pretend to be a wizened sage himself, "I can only teach you how I was taught, and I was taught that even when it's not fuelled by anger and rage, all firebending is still fuelled by strong emotion. When teaching me about the elements, my uncle said—let's see if I can get this right…"
He started rubbing his hand on an invisible large belly, stroking an invisible beard, and speaking in an old man's raspy voice in his best impersonation of his uncle.
"Fire is the element of Power. The people of the Fire Nation have Desire and Will, and the energy and drive to achieve what they want."
Aang chuckled at the impression, his mood clearly improving, while Zuko looked really impressed with himself. Katara wouldn't have been surprised to learn that this was the first time in his life the dour prince had made someone laugh.
"See what I mean? Remember what we learned with the dragons. Fire is Life. And passion for life is what fuels firebending. You need to stop thinking like a monk and use your passion."
Aang didn't look frustrated or dejected anymore, but he did look puzzled.
"Um...okay," Aang said, thoughtfully scratching his head, "How am I supposed to do that?"
Now it was Zuko's turn to get frustrated. He hadn't anticipated one of his jobs as a teacher being having to explain how to feel things to this guy. That was something he was not qualified for.
"I don't know," said Zuko, not hiding the annoyance in his voice, "just think about it. Try to recreate those emotions when you're channeling your energy for your bending, and it might make your firebending more powerful. Hasn't there ever been something you...desired? Coveted, even? Something that you needed to have or to win more than anything?"
Katara almost laughed out loud, boy are you barking up the wrong tree.
Aang spent a few seconds earnestly considering Zuko's question, "I don't think so. My people believed that worldly material possessions were meaningless, and attachment to them was the source of suffering. We didn't really have anything beyond what we needed and a few toys that we shared. I played games with all my friends, but I didn't really care much if I won, I just tried to make sure everybody had fun."
Katara was grinning at what an unbelievable dork the mighty savior of the world was.
Zuko, however, groaned and dragged both hands down his face, "Yeah, of course you did." It seemed to Katara that this was the first time Zuko was having to relate to someone who was actually a good person.
Aang just shrugged at Zuko's exasperation, "Sorry, hotman."
"Stop calling me that!" Zuko thought for several more seconds before his eyes lit up and he snapped his fingers with an idea, but then immediately looked like he regretted having the idea, and started looking deeply uncomfortable.
"Hey...can I ask you a personal question? It's going to sound weird and unrelated, but just trust me, okay?"
Aang raised an eyebrow, "Uh….sure?"
"Have you ever kissed a girl?"
Aang's eyes widened to the size of dinner plates, his face turning bright pink, and Katara's heart seemed to stop in its tracks.
After what seemed like an eternity, Aang finally found his voice again, but all he could manage was a weak, "Uh...what?"
"Just bear with me for a second," pressed Zuko.
"Um," Aang squeaked, "Yes. Yes I have." and his face moved past pink into deep scarlet.
"Okay," breathed Zuko, "Now, I know I'm sounding like a gossiping school girl, but I promise I'm going somewhere with this. Ugh."
He squeezed his eyes shut and pinched the bridge of his nose, like this conversation was physically painful. "Tell me about your first kiss," he finished in a too-deep voice, very transparently overcompensating.
Katara was positively screaming inside her own head, No Aang, do not, under ANY circumstances, tell him about your first kiss.
She felt like her heart and stomach had completely removed from her body. She refused to believe that these were the circumstances where The Incident between she and Aang was finally getting verbalized. Aang hadn't even bothered to talk to her about it yet, there was no way he was going to spill it all to Zuko. The fact that the main reason Aang hadn't talked to her about it was the fact that she had been avoiding him non-stop was entirely beside the point.
Katara started running through a hundred scenarios to try to find some way to stop this conversation. Should she rush in and pretend to be sick? Say that they're under attack? Just stay hidden and bloodbend them both unconscious? But before she could decide on one, to her horror, Aang started talking.
"Well," Aang began, his cheeks still red, "it was back at the Southern Air Temple—"
All of Katara's panic seemed to instantly vanish and be replaced with confusion.
Wait, what? Why is he telling him that? Katara thought, We barely knew each other at the Southern Temple….Does he THINK we kissed at the Southern Temple? I guess that would explain a lot. Did he hallucinate or something while in the Avatar State—
"—and she was part of a visiting caravan."
….Oh.
Oh.
"We got along really well while she was there, she was really good at all of my favorite games, and while we were saying goodbye she just kissed me."
OH.
"By the time I realized what was going on, she just giggled and jumped up on her bison."
Katara was simultaneously feeling unbelievable relief that her big secret wasn't being talked about and unbelievable white-hot fury at Aang. She had just spent several weeks believing that her first kiss had also been Aang's, and now she finds out that she's just the latest? Latest of how many? Exactly how friendly had he gotten with those fangirls on Kyoshi Island? She was two years older than him, by all rights she should be on at least equal footing with him in this mess between them, who gave him permission to have more experience with kissing than her? The fact that he had never once told her that he had never kissed a girl before was entirely beside the point.
But Katara cycled through all these thoughts in just a split second before calming herself down and realizing that she had no reason to care about this. What did it matter if Aang had kissed some girl a hundred years ago? It's not like she thought of Aang that way. Aang had clearly just misunderstood her platonic affections. It's not like she had ever seriously thought about kissing him (especially not during some of the more recent times she had kissed him on the cheek). In fact, she doubted that even he had given any serious thought to kissing. He just had a little crush and the intensity of the moment got to his head. So this is fine.
It's fine.
Seriously, it's fine.
It's completely fine. Whatever she was feeling certainly wasn't jeal—
"Wait, she kissed you?" Zuko interrupted Aang's rambling and yanked Katara back to reality, "I asked you if you had ever kissed a girl."
"Well you also asked me to tell you about my first kiss!" Aang yelled with his hands in the air, frustrated again, "Which one is it!" He was clearly angry that in his panic he had revealed an embarrassing story for no reason.
Zuko put his palms up defensively, "Okay, okay, sorry, bad wording on my part. So, to clarify: have you ever kissed someone else? Have you ever been the one to take the initiative?"
Katara's heart started racing again. Why couldn't Zuko get distracted and drop this?
"Um…" Aang's face had been red before, but now all the color seemed to drain from it and he looked like a ghost, "...yes. But I don't think dwelling on that will help fix my problem. In fact, it's kind of a downer, actually."
"Why, was she an airbender too?" Zuko asked. He supposed dwelling on a girl he had feelings for that had been killed a hundred years ago would be counterproductive in fueling Aang's inner fire.
Despite how angry she had gotten at Aang's kissing experience, Katara now found herself hoping this girl was another airbender.
"No," Aang responded, rubbing the back of his neck, "this was after I came out of the ice. Pretty recent, in fact…"
No such luck.
"Okay, so what's the problem?" asked Zuko.
"Well...it didn't exactly work out well for me. She didn't really kiss me back."
Katara scowled, well that's not fair, she thought with more than a little bitterness. It's not like she had a chance to. You're not allowed to act upset if someone doesn't kiss you back when you spring a kiss on them with no warning and then fly away before they even know what's going on. If he hadn't been so dramatic and used his actual words then she would have—
Katara let out a gasp of fear at where her train of thought was leading her. She would have….what, exactly? If she had known the kiss was coming ahead of time, what would she have done? Let him down easy? Told him to focus on the mission? Thrown him into the ocean?...or would she have kissed him back?
No.
Well…
Certainly not.
Maybe?
Perhaps if they tried again wow where did THAT thought come from?
Meanwhile, back in reality, Zuko was waving away Aang's concerns, "That doesn't matter. Don't think about anything that happened afterward. Just bring yourself back to that one moment, where you overcame caution and went after what you wanted. Set your stance."
Aang faced the dummy and resumed his fighting stance.
Katara couldn't help but inch a little closer away from her "hiding" spot. Now that Zuko had stopped pressing Aang for details and was doing his job, she felt like she could observe with a nervous curiosity instead of outright panic.
"Now," instructed Zuko, "take a deep breath, close your eyes, and picture this girl, how she looked in that moment."
Aang's eyes closed and drew in a breath.
Katara swallowed hard. At this moment, there was no more uncertainty about Aang. He was thinking about her, in that way, right now. And that knowledge made her hold her breath and made her face get a little warm.
"Try to remember how you felt immediately beforehand. How she made you feel. Try to recreate how your heartbeat was affected. It's starting to get faster and harder. How your breathing changed—remember, it's your breath that creates energy in the body for firebending. Yours is getting shallower and more intense. Remember how your stomach muscles reacted. They're tensing in anticipation. Now, in your mind's eye, make your move and kiss her, and at the same time….STRIKE!"
Aang punched his right fist towards the dummy, and his hand exploded.
There was no whoosh like with the previous fireball, but a roar as a conical wave of fire erupted from Aang's knuckles, completely enveloping the dummy 10 yards away and continuing onward to blast past the outer railing of the stone courtyard into the vast expanse of the canyon. And to Katara's alarm, it kept going. It wasn't a single blast but a continuous, monstrous stream of fire easily 15 feet wide at its biggest and so hot that Katara had to turn away and shield her eyes.
Several seconds later, the flames finally died down and Aang blinked his eyes open, looking equal parts proud and terrified of himself. The wooden dummy….did not exist anymore. There was no way to tell if Aang had burned it to ashes or simply blasted it backwards into the canyon. The previously white stones that made up the part of the courtyard that had been in front of Aang were now blackened and cracked.
Zuko had reflexively thrown up his arms to shield his face, stumbling backward. He was still sitting on the ground, eyes widened to the size of Appa's, and his mouth hanging open in shock. He sat there for several more silent seconds until Aang gave an awkward cough, then his face split into the biggest grin Katara had ever seen on him and he started cackling with delirious relief and excitement.
"All right!" Zuko exclaimed, jumping to his feet, "Now that's what I'm talking about!" he loudly clapped his hand on Aang's back, who had returned to looking embarrassed.
"No, don't you clam up again," warned Zuko, "hold onto that feeling. Come on, I'll show you how to make a flame whip."
Katara slinked backward away from her pillar and began a very undignified scurry back to their sleeping area. The fire had long since dissipated, but her face still felt hot and flustered, and her stomach felt like it was doing somersaults. Her mind was filled up by the same three words, repeating over and over again:
I did that.
Thinking about her made Aang able to do that. She could no longer simplify things by telling herself that this was just a confusing crush he had let get to his head. For most of the time she had known Aang, the thought that he would have any….desires like that for anyone simply didn't compute for her. He was too selfless, too kind, too pure. He was a monk for crying out loud.
But what she just saw Zuko coax out of her sweet, innocent friend was….not pure. Had he had this inside of him the entire time? And what brought this out of him was thinking about her. Thinking about kissing her. As much as she tried to deny it, when she thought about this power she had over him….she liked it. She was now able to see Aang in a new light, and at least consider the possibility of being more than friends with him.
But she still fought against it, because that realization was absolutely terrifying.
Katara shook her head and splashed some of her bending water on her face. She resolved to keep doing what she had been doing: focusing on their mission. She could sort out all this confusion when the war was over.
Although….
If the goal was to help Aang defeat the Fire Lord and end the war, then naturally they all had an obligation to assist Aang with his bending in any way they could, right? So she supposed it couldn't hurt to give Aang the occasional extra-tight hug now and then. Purely for training purposes, of course.
After all, she thought with a slight smirk as she arrived back at camp, everyone else still sound asleep, what kind of teacher would I be if I didn't give my student the attention he needed?
34 notes · View notes
btsqualityy · 3 years
Text
Heaven Sent; Part 10
Jin x Reader
Genre: Angst, hurt/comfort, fluff
Warnings: None to note.
Author’s Note: This is the last part of this series! Thank you so much to everyone for all of the love you guys have given me, I appreciate it more than you know!! I hope you guys enjoy this final part!!
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Two Years Later
“Yoon Aera!” You shouted, sighing heavily as you took in the sight of your eight year old’s destroyed bedroom. You could hear running footsteps, which only further annoyed you because you couldn’t remember how many times you had told this child to stop running in the house. 
“Yes Mommy?” She answered as she stood next to you, and you looked down at her with an arched brow. 
“I thought you said that you could handle packing up your room by yourself,” you said.
“I did, and I can!” Aera shot back. 
“And this is your version of packing your room up?” You questioned as you used your arm to motion into her bedroom, where books littered the floor, clothes were all over her bed, and none of the large boxes that you had set in her room where being used. 
“I pulled everything out though, like you told me to,” she pouted. 
“Love, we’re moving tomorrow and you’re literally not even halfway done,” you pointed out. “Not only that, but you promised Jin that you would have it done by the time that he came home from work.”
“Sorry Mommy,” she muttered. “I’ll start now.”
“Alright, you better get to it because Jin should be off of work by now,” you told her and that made her jump into high gear, and she rushed into her room and pulled out one of the boxes. You just smiled at her and shook your head before walking out of her bedroom and down the stairs. Just as you made it off the last step, the door knob jiggled and suddenly, the door opened and Jin stepped inside. 
“Hey,” you smiled, pacing over to him and placing your hands on his cheeks before pulling him down for a kiss. 
“Hi yourself,” he grinned, giving you two more quick pecks before pulling away to take off his jacket and shoes. 
“How was your day?” You asked and he just sighed before shrugging.
“Work was work,” he replied lamely. “How was packing?”
“It was fine, except Aera hasn’t finished packing her stuff,” you told him. “I really wish you would’ve just let me do it for her.”
“That probably would’ve been easier, but we have to let her be independent,” he pointed out. “She’s been acting so much like Hae lately, we have to give her some freedom or she’ll feel stifled.”
“I know, but that doesn’t mean I have to like it,” you grumbled, not exactly thrilled with the idea of your baby growing up. Jin just chuckled and leaned forward, kissing your lips softly. 
“Come on, I’ll help you finish packing up the bedroom,” he offered, stretching his hand out to you and you didn’t hesitate to take it before allowing him to lead you back up the stairs. When the both of you walked into the room, Jin let out a low whistle from how much you had managed to do in the seven hours that he had been gone for work. 
“Damn, maybe you don’t need my help after all,” he chucked, making you nudge his ribs. 
“There’s some shoes and stuff still in the wardrobe, plus your clothes that have built up from your staying the night over the years,” you said. “So feel free to tackle those. I have to finish up in the bathroom.”
“Alright,” he nodded and the two of you went your separate ways, you stepping into the en suite while Jin grabbed a box and walked over to the wardrobe. After kneeling down in front of it, he opened it up and let out a soft gasp at how empty it was. 
“Hey babe?” He called out and he heard you hum in response. “Where did Hae’s clothes go?”
“Oh, I packed them up and his mom came to get them,” you explained as you leaned against the doorway of the bathroom. “I knew that I didn’t want to keep them and it didn’t feel right to just stuff them in the garage of the new house or to give them away so I called his parents and asked if they wanted to take them.”
“Oof, how’d his mom react to...that?” Jin asked, motioning towards your left ring finger, where the engagement ring that Jin had given you two months prior sat. 
“Jin-joo didn’t outright say anything about it, but I know she saw it,” you shrugged. “She suddenly started acting all pissy and she made an excuse to hurry up and leave once she had the clothes.”
“I hate how she acts about you just wanting to be happy,” Jin muttered, beginning to grab some of the shoes that sat at the bottom of the wardrobe and putting into the box. You couldn’t help but to smile, because Jin had felt some type of way towards Jin-joo every since you had explained to him that the conversation you had with her over two years ago was the reason why you had avoided him for almost two months.
“Eh, I’m over it,” you sighed. “I only want to keep things civil for Aera but other than that, I could care less.”
“It’s still annoying,” he replied. “But you’re right, Aera’s more important than my dislike for her.”
“That would be mutual dislike,” you pointed out with a smile, which made Jin chuckle. Just then, Aera walked into the room.
“Mommy,” she whined but she stopped when she saw Jin kneeling on the ground. “Jinnie!”
“Hi Little Heart,” Jin smiled, opening his arms and letting out a huff of air when Aera ran into his chest. Aera had long since stopped referring to Jin as her “uncle”, but it made you happy that their relationship hadn’t changed at all.
“How’s packing going?” Jin asked her and she pouted.
“Slow,” she huffed, making Jin chuckle while she turned to you. “Mommy, I don’t know what to do with my jewelry box.” You gasped softly as you walked over to her, gently taking it from her hands. The jewelry box was made of maple wood, the finish soft to the touch. 
“I don’t want it to get broken when we’re moving,” Aera whispered and you smiled because you knew why it was so important to her. 
“How about if we wrap it up with extra bubble wrap, and we can put it into one of the boxes that’s going to be in the car with us?” You suggested.
“And it’ll be ok?” Aera wondered and you nodded your head.
“Promise,” you smiled, handing the jewelry box back off to her before she bounded out of the bedroom. 
“What was that about?” Jin asked.
“Hae gave her that jewelry box,” you explained. “He actually bought it for her once I found out that I was having a girl.”
“That’s cute,” Jin smiled. “You know, are you sure that you’re ready to move out of this house? I mean, I know it’s the house that you and Hae bought together and the house that you brought Aera home to.”
“That’s true, it is but I’m ready,” you said as you walked over to him, kneeling down next to him. “This house was where we started our lives together but it’s also the house where our life together ended. It’s you, me, and Aera now so we should have a place where we can have a fresh start, you know?”
“I get it,” he nodded. “I just don’t want you to regret anything.”
“I wouldn’t have agreed to marry you if I thought I would,” you pointed out with a smile. “Now, come on. The movers will be here at 9am tomorrow and it’s gonna take you at least two hours to pack all of your clothes alone.”
“I feel judged,” he pouted, making you laugh before you leaned over and kissed him firmly. 
..................................
The next day was a complete chaotic mess, with movers everywhere, an overexcited 8 year old who was happy to be moving but also sad at the same time, and your and Jin’s friends who insisted on coming over to “help” you guys unpack.
“Why do you have so much shit Y/N-ah?” Jungkook grunted as he picked up a box to carry into the living room. 
“No cursing around the baby,” you and Jin both reminded him at the same time, referring to Aera.
“And it’s not my fault,” you laughed. “When you live in the same place for 10 years, you have a tendency to let stuff accumulate.”
“And now we’re here, stuck unloading all of this...crap,” Yoongi corrected himself at the last minute after receiving a warning eyebrow from you, since you knew that he was about to curse. 
“I think it’s cool,” Jimin spoke up with a smile. “It’s like seeing years of your life right in front of you.”
“You’re so cute when you fawn over things,” Taehyung cooed, which made Jimin blush harshly.
“Ok, don’t make this weird with your awkward mutual pining, you two,” Hobi muttered as he worked on setting Jin’s book on the shelves of the large bookcase that was placed against one wall of the living room. 
“We’re not!” They both replied at the same time.
“You definitely are,” Namjoon chuckled. 
“It’s not pining if they’ve done something about it,” Yoongi pointed out and everyone’s head whipped towards him. 
“Really?” You gasped. “But you and Tae...”
“He didn’t say that he wasn’t in on it,” Taehyung supplied and everyone’s eyes widened.
“So, throuple?” Jin guessed.
“Throuple,” Jimin nodded in confirmation. 
“Weirder things have happened,” Jungkook shrugged and everyone murmured in agreement before going back to their separate tasks. 
Later that night, after all of your friends had left, you and Jin managed to put Aera down for bed before walking into your new shared bedroom. 
“It feels so good to finally be moved,” you giggled as you threw yourself onto the bed, Jin’s body following close behind and landing right next to yours. 
“It’s nice to know that this house is ours, together,” he nodded. “No more debating about where to spend the night, no more having Aera’s stuff split up between two houses.”
“Ugh, it’s amazing,” you laughed. 
“All that’s left now is for us to get married,” Jin smiled as he turned onto his back then, extending his arm and you didn’t hesitate to move over and snuggle into the side of his body. 
“And after that?” you wondered.
“You want more?” Jin teased. “Me giving myself to you in holy matrimony isn’t good enough?”
“Shut up,” you scoffed playfully, smacking his chest lightly. “I meant as in, what you want life to look like for us after that.”
“Well, I guess I’d like for us to just settle in together as a family more,” he started. “Hopefully, I’ll be in a place soon where I won’t be working as much anymore and I can spend more time with you and Little Heart.”
“And what about...babies?” You questioned quietly as you looked up at him. 
“Babies?” He repeated with a soft smile. “You want a baby?”
“Well, I’ve always wanted Aera to have siblings,” you shrugged sheepishly. “And you’re so great with Aera, it would kind of be a crime to not add another baby to this.”
“Plus my good looks combined with yours would make a gorgeous baby, right?” Jin added, making you laugh as you nodded your head.
“That too,” you agreed. biting your lip afterwards. “So what do you think?”
“I think that I would very much like to have babies with you,”  he smiled knowingly. 
“Really?” 
“Really. In fact,” he smirked, pausing his words to wrap his arms around you and roll over so that your body was trapped underneath yours. “I think maybe we should start practicing now, just so that we know what to do when we do decide to have a baby.”
“You’re very annoying,” you whispered, your smile wide as you wrapped your arms around his neck. “Anyone ever tell you that?”
“Someone that I love very much, yes,” Jin nodded. 
“I love you too,” you replied before leaning up and pressing your lips against his. Jin’s hands moved down to rest on your waist while you wrapped your legs around his waist. Just as Jin allowed himself to rut against you, there was a tiny knock on your bedroom door. 
“Damn it,” you whispered in defeat, removing your lips from Jin’s and letting your head fall back against the pillow as Jin moved to lay next to you again. 
“Come in Little Heart,” Jin granted her permission and the door opened then, Aera’s little head poking into the room. “What’s wrong?”
“I’m scared,” she whispered and you couldn’t help but to smile softly. “Can I sleep in here?”
“Sure Love, come on,” you nodded and it didn’t take her long at all to rush over to the bed, hauling herself up onto it and crawling over your body in order to settle down in between you and Jin. 
“Your new room is still a little too new, huh?” Jin guessed and Aera nodded. “Well, we can just have a little movie night in here until you fall asleep. That alright Y/N-ah?”
“Fine with me,” you responded, watching as Jin allowed Aera to snuggle into his side as he grabbed the remote and turned on the TV that was hung on the opposite side of the wall from where the bed sat. 
As you watched them, you couldn’t believe just how far you had come in the three years since Hae-il died. Of course, you had your days where you’d see or hear something that reminded you of him, or Aera would say something that sounded just like her father and it would make you break down into tears. One thing that you learned was that the grief you felt from loosing him would never go away, it would just change and evolve over time. 
However, you had done your best to keep true to your promise that you made to Hae-il, about doing your best to be happy, and you were more confident than ever that Jin was exactly what you needed to be happy again. Jin was a man that loved you, loved your daughter, and the respected the place that Hae-il still held in both of your lives. He never tried to overstep boundaries, or create new ones; he simply loved you and Aera the way that the two of you were, and that was more than enough for you.
Looking back on everything, you never thought that you would lose your husband in the first place. Even more, you never thought that Kim Seokjin would be the one to make you whole again. As more and more time passed, you were convinced that he was truly Heaven Sent.
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