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rinhaler · 4 months

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MY BOYFRIEND'S BACK, AND HE'S COOLER THAN EVER!

CHAPTER SUMMARY : Bags are packed, parents are disappointed, and Chigiri has arrived to ride up to the Itoshi family cabin together !

ex-fiancé!rin x f!reader

WARNINGS : 18+, alcohol mention.

WORDS : 4k

notes : me vs wanting to fuck almost everyone in the cabin 😩

LAST CHAPTER ┊ MASTERLIST ┊ NEXT CHAPTER

“Ready to go?” Chigiri asks, coming inside to assess the situation. He looks at your enormous suitcase and several travel bags before looking back at you with a quirked brow. You look away from him quickly, pretending something on your phone has caught your attention. “You know we’re only going for a week, right?”

“I want to be prepared!”

“It’s crazy,” he laughs, “because I know that somehow you’re gonna come home with more things than you left with.”

“Not true! Your birthday presents are in here!” you smile, shaking the large gift bag in your hand. He tries to take it from you to peak at what’s inside, but you move it out of his reach.

He pouts.

You pout harder.

“Fine, I’ll carry the heavy suitcase. Even though it’s my birthday week.”

“Thank you Chigs~!”

“Don’t call me that~!” he repeats in your sing-song voice.

You laugh, picking up another bag and carrying it to the car. You load them into the back before rushing into your house again and getting the last few bags. He takes them for you, allowing you to lock the door. If you’d had more warning, you definitely would have gotten a house sitter. But you’re trying not to worry about that, you just want to get on the road and leave all of your worries behind.

Worries, including your family. The family who are less than impressed that you’re abandoning them to spend a boozy week with friends instead of them. You don’t care, though. You delivered their gifts and wished them well.

It’s stupid, really, that they’re so frustrated that you won’t be spending time with them. You can’t stomach spending time with your dad and his new girlfriend. He knows you can’t control your face and you say the first thing that comes to your mind.

You inherited that from him.

Your mother however, was devastated when you told her. You figured she’d be okay since she has a larger family to spend the holidays with. But you’re her only child, you suppose you are being a little selfish.

It’s something you have to do though, you feel. You’re not over Rin and you don’t want to spend Christmas with family grieving what should have been you and him spending the day together. This way, you get to actually have fun. It’s not forced or superficial to keep up appearances for your relatives.

No one is going to expect anything of you at the cabin.

“I’m proud of you,” Chigiri smiles, looking at you briefly before focusing back on the road. You scoff, turning the radio up in the car, Mariah Carey blasting through the speakers. You both groan before he hands you the aux cord. “Not in a cringe way. I just mean, I know you’re a people pleaser. So I’m impressed that you put yourself over your parents.”

“Ugh, they were both so disappointed in me. I spent thousands on presents for them both. I even got some toys for my stepdad’s ratty step-kids. What more can I do?”

“God they are ratty.”

“They’re giving Damien from The Omen.” you tell him, both of you laughing loudly as one of your playlists plays softly through the speaker. You turn it up a little, both of you whooping as you hear Boss Bitch by Doja Cat play. “I know I was shitting myself when Sae texted, but I’m so glad we’re doing this.”

“Me too, I was dreading spending my birthday with your miserable ass.” he chuckles and you slap his arm lightly. “Wait! I know you’re still down about Rin, so, this will be a fun distraction. Plus I bet you end up hooking up with one of Sae’s friends, you haven’t had your rebound yet.”

“I am not doing another footballer, I can’t.” you shake your head.

You both laugh lightly and carry on chatting about the events to come. It’s like a weeklong party, essentially. And ever since you’ve known Chigiri, you’ve both loved a party. But it’s never actually the party itself.

The days before a party are always the best. Whether you’re hosting or attending, it’s always exciting. A theme is always ideal but not essential. Either way, you’ll spend weeks talking about it. Who’s going? What will you wear? What are you gonna drink?

You go on numerous shopping trips and buy endless amounts of clothes until you find the perfect outfit. Only to wear it that night and never again. But it’s worth it, every time. Hearing people compliment how gorgeous you look never gets old.

No one’s words meant more to you than Rin’s, though. The way he’d rest his hand in the small of your back while showing you off made you feel like a princess. He’d whisper sweet nothings about how you’re the most beautiful girl he’s ever seen and the things he wanted to do to you when you got home. It made your legs weak and your face flush with heat. And yet, he was always so calm. So cool. He liked to rile you up and pay you no mind as you look up at him expectantly. Acting as if he hadn’t said something so salacious and lewd while chatting with guests.

It drove you wild.

But, truthfully, where your best friend is concerned, your favourite part of a party is the morning after. If he spent the night at your place, especially. You’d wait for him to message you to let you know he’s awake and leave Rin’s side while he was snoring softly. Hyoma can’t handle his drink, and you’re no better. You’d crawl into bed with him and burrow under the duvet after handing him some water and painkillers.

Hungover or not, though, you loved gossiping with him. You’d trade stories about what happened throughout the night and things you heard. It made your day; it made the hangover worth it.

And now, you’re driving towards a week’s worth of that.

You groan as the song changes from Doja Cat to Lust for Life by Lana Del Rey.

“Nope!” he objects, “What kind of psychopath has Doja and Lana on the same playlist?” Chigiri asks, skipping the song. You throw your head back against the headrest, sighing as you think about Rin, again.

The album featuring the eponymous song is one of the first gifts Rin gave you. In vinyl form, of course, along with a pink record player. You had a record player already, but you told him a few times that you’d always wanted a pink one. It was a birthday gift, you remember crying so much as you unwrapped it.

“And I thought we could listen to this together.” you reminisce on him telling you as he handed the album to you. You told him you’d never listened to it before when you were going through her discography. It was a throwaway comment you didn’t think he’d even remember.

You cried listening to the self-titled song, wrapped up in his arms as he held you close. Truthfully, you’ve never felt so loved. And unfortunately, you don’t think you will again. You told him, repeatedly, how in love with him you were.

He couldn’t keep his hands off you after that.

“I need to make a new playlist.” you sigh, Chigiri nods, agreeing. “You’re right, Doja and Lana on the same playlist is psycho behaviour.”

“And you’re only just realising this?” he laughs again.

“I bet he’s got a new girlfriend now. Girls always threw themselves at him, even when we were together.” you tell him. “Oh my God, I miss him. I miss him so much I feel sick. I can’t do this.”

“Shut up.” he tells you, sternly, “I haven’t seen anything on his socials about a girlfriend, but that’s none of your business anymore anyway.”

“You’re still on his socials?”

“… anyway…”

“You know how private he is, Hyoma. If he’s seeing someone he wouldn’t post about her.”

“He posted you.” he reminds you, and you shrug defeatedly. “Besides, you broke up with him. You ended things and you’re still heartbroken. Imagine how depressed he probably is. He’s a workaholic, too. He’s probably distracting himself with work, not girls.”

Hyoma always knows what to say. Deep down, you knew that. But you never would have thought about it until he said. It was a miracle that he even asked you out, after all. His friends never failed to tell you how surprised they were. He’s too focused on football to bother with girls.

But you… you were different.

“You’re self-sabotaging, idiot.” Chigiri tells you. “We’ll get there, we’ll have fun, and you won’t think about Rin at all. I’m banning Rin talk for the rest of the week.”

“Fine fine fine.” you relent, shaking your body in an attempt to dispel any further thoughts of your ex. Though, to be honest, Sae might make it hard to not think about or discuss him. He’s his brother, after all. You can’t expect him to not talk about his little brother. And you certainly can’t ask him not to. “You’re gonna love the cabin. It’s huge. And there’s a lake we can ice skate on.”

“Perfect, can’t wait.”

There are several cars parked outside as you pull up. Chigiri parks, but is frozen in place as he looks at the cabin. It’s clear that the place is not what he expected. You end up leaving him alone to process his thoughts as he drinks it in. It’s the closest he’ll get to feeling like a celebrity, he suspects.

He follows you out, rushing to help you lift your suitcase as you struggle under the weight of it. You smile, gratefully, as he drags it towards the cabin. You decide to pick up his much smaller suitcase as well as all of your other bags. It isn’t hard to keep up with him as he struggles to pull your luggage through the snow.

“This isn’t a cabin. I was expecting a log shack with a few amenities. This is a mansion.” Chigiri tells you as you walk by his side. You giggle, agreeing, you felt exactly the same way the first time you came here with Rin.

You walk up the stairs ahead of him and knock on the door, starting to shiver as the biting winter air begins to attack you.

Chigiri manages to get your suitcase to the top of the stairs before anyone even knows you’ve knocked. He’s cold, tired, and impatient, and decides to ring the doorbell. You can both hear music playing inside.

It gets louder once the door swings open, and you see a familiar face.

“Oh hey, are you the little sister?” Oliver asks, forgetting that you’ve met before. You assume that’s how Sae has been referring to you as when talking to his friends, so, you nod. He smiles at Chigiri and takes your heavy suitcase from him, lifting it with ease as he welcomes you in. “They’re all in the lounge, grab yourselves a drink from the kitchen.” he tells you, winking as he sets down your case with all of the others at the bottom of the stairs.

There’s a lot of luggage, though the amount seems to double when you and Chigiri put the rest of yours down. You aren’t sure how many people must be here, but the nerves are setting in.

“She’s cute!” you hear Oliver tell the group as he goes into the lounge, it’s quiet, but you hear it clearly.

“You’ve met her before, idiot.” you hear Sae tell him, his voice getting closer to you as he comes to greet you. “Hey you.” he smiles, hugging you and placing a soft kiss on your cheek. You hug him back, feeling surprisingly calmer as you allow yourself to melt into his embrace.

You aren’t sure why, but you were worried he’d be weird with you when he saw you in person. This is only the second time you’ve seen him since you and Rin split, after all. The first was a coffee date to explain your side of things face to face. You’re happy you decided to keep in contact with Sae, he’s been so sweet and supportive through it all.

So, really, you aren’t sure why you expected him to be off with you.

Especially since he invited you here.

“Nice to meet you, man.” Sae smiles at Chigiri, holding his hand out to shake, which he does. “Your birthday is on the 23rd, yeah? We’ll plan something fun.”

“Being here is fun enough, don’t worry.” Hyoma responds, looking around. “This isn’t a cabin, by the way.” he laughs.

Sae laughs too, walking back towards the lounge. “Come meet everyone.” he insists. You and Chigiri look at each other, but follow.

You’re the only girl here, by the looks of things. You aren’t sure if that’ll change or not though. Maybe they all have partners who are arriving together later. You’re a little surprised by the headcount, you were expecting more. Including Sae, there’s only four of them sitting around the fire, drinking together.

“Apparently we’ve met before?” Oliver’s brows knot in contemplation, and you nod. “Sorry, sweetheart. Normally I don’t forget a pretty face.”

“Yeah ya do, bullshitter.” Tabito snickers, looking up at you from his seat on the floor. You’ve never met Karasu, but you’ve heard a lot about him. Mostly from Rin about when they used to play together. And you may or may not have stalked his socials before, so you’re familiar with his face. “Nice to meet’cha, heard a lot about you.”

“Likewise.” you smile.

“Do you smoke?” you hear another voice speak as you get further into the room. Your eyes lie on Eita Otoya as he pulls a blunt from behind his ear, and you shake your head. You’re surprised to see them letting loose like this, though you suppose they mustn’t get the chance to often.

Rin found it hard to relax and unwind. He’s always been so career focused, never wanting to do anything to harm his reputation. And you understand that, you do. You’re the same, really. You have an image to maintain, people seem to think being a model is just turning up and looking pretty. But you take it seriously, like Rin.

Though he doesn’t seem to know how to turn it off.

“No Ryusei?” you ask, a little surprised he couldn’t make it.

“Not yet, he should be here soon.” Sae assures you. You laugh, knowing you’re in for a really fun week once Shidou gets here. Sae turns back to look at you, taking you back to the entrance. “I’ll show you to your rooms. Did you want to share? There’s enough for everyone to have their own.”

“She snores, I’ll take my own.” Hyoma tells Sae, earning a smirk from him. You try to argue, but your best friend seems to be too convincing. The rest of the guys join you, offering to help with your bags and carry them up to your room.

And, really, who are you to say no?

Chigiri rolls his eyes, carrying his own case and entering the room Sae had planned for him. You realise Sae is sleeping in the master bedroom downstairs when you see all of the other rooms have been claimed by sneakers and jackets from the other guests, all of them are just too lazy to bring their luggage up.

Though none of them had a problem helping with yours.

Your heart sinks when you realise Sae saved your usual room for you to take. The room you always shared with your ex whenever he brought you here. The guys don’t give you much time to feel sorrowful, though. Not when they’re laughing and joking beside you. Sae notices your forlorn expression, pulling you aside slightly.

“I thought you’d feel comfortable in here, but we can switch if you want.” he tells you, but you shake your head. “Ryusei will be in the opposite room so I’m sure you won’t be thinking about anything other than how annoying he is.” he smiles.

“Thank you, Sae.” you smile, albeit a little weakly. It’s bittersweet, that’s all. “At least I have the best view.” you tell him, opening the doors to the large balcony that looks over the lake. You think about how the nearby town’s lights twinkle at night.

“Right.” he puts a sympathetic hand on your shoulder. “Everyone out, let’s leave her to unpack.” Sae announces, ushering the other three men out of the room.

You smile, waving at them all as they leave. Once they’re out, Sae closes the door behind himself and leaves you alone with your thoughts. As much as you want to sit and dwell on things, you decide to occupy your mind and unpack instead.

You’re startled, a little, when Chigiri comes in to see you. Though you’re relieved when he starts to help.

“You did not need to bring all of this.” he grabs a gold glittery mini stress and holds it up. “I— I’ve never seen this in my life. Oh my God, did you buy new clothes for this? You are trying to get a rebound.”

“No I’m—”

“Yeah, you are.” he stops you immediately. “I’ve been stalking all of their socials in my room, they’re all single. And they all had their tongues hanging out for you when you came in.”

“You work too fast.” you laugh. He shrugs, grabbing a few items of clothing and hanging them up in the wardrobe for you.

You’re thankful for his help, it goes a lot quicker than it would have otherwise. Plus you get to gossip about the week ahead. You try and dodge his questions, but your facial expressions always give you away. You have quite a good poker face, but it doesn’t matter when it comes to Chigiri. He has a way of making you shy and giggly when you’re trying to keep a secret.

“Which one?” he asks, and you tut. “I feel like they’re all your type.” he tells you, handing you your toothbrush to take to the ensuite.

“They are.” you laugh from the other room. You return, zipping up your case and pushing it away. “I’ve always had the hots for Ryusei low key though, but I think Rin would be livid.”

“Rin isn’t here and he’s not our problem.” Chigiri smiles. You both sit on top of your bed and flop backwards with a sigh. He turns his head to the side to look at you while you’re too busy disassociating, staring at the ceiling. “Don’t just do it because you feel like you have to, by the way.”

“What do you mean?” you ask. “Oh, rebound.”

He nods, “We’re here to have fun. So, if you’re going to fuck one of them, do it because it’s fun.”

“I won’t.” you agree. “I’m worried about feeling guilty too… they’re Rin’s friends, after all. I don’t want to upset him.”

As Chigiri is about to respond, he’s stopped by the sound of the doorbell ringing. You smile, widely, when you realise Ryusei is here. Hyoma knows all about Ryusei. His feral replacement whenever Rin used to take you around the world for his away games.

Hyoma isn’t jealous, of course. Especially when he knew you had a little crush on Ryusei. You and Hyoma have only ever been friends, and you’ll never be closer to anyone than you are with each other.

“Should we wait a few minutes so I don’t look desperate?” you ask, sitting upright and resting your bodyweight on one hand as you look down at him.

“Yeah.” he nods.

You nod too. You start lying back down, slowly, looking around at the room as you do. “I can’t.” you tell him, jumping off the bed and heading towards the door. He sighs, but hurries after you.

All of the guests are gathered in the entryway as they greet Ryusei. They exchange hugs and handshakes as they all chat and catch up. You descend the stairs slowly, but not fully, standing at the halfway point with Chigiri as you watch the scene unfold.

His bright smile turns to a look of wonder when he notices you. Eyes softening as he realises you’re here, you’re really here.

“No way…” he smirks, “Hey, kid, how are ya?”

“I’m good,” you nod, an embarrassingly wide smile on your face. “And you? How are you, Ryu?”

“Better for seeing you,” he laughs. “Didn’t know you were comin’.”

“Shut the door, man, it’s freezing.” Sae tells him, approaching to do it for him. But Ryusei stops him, keeping him at arm’s length so he can’t.

“I actually picked someone up on the way.” Ryusei announces, side stepping a little as he waits for the mystery guest to hurry. Chigiri’s eyes widen in horror, the realisation hitting him before anyone else as he looks at you. You’re too busy feeling deflated that Ryusei has brought a girl along with him.

“Oh no.” Chigiri speaks, and you look at him. “We should go back upstairs.”

“What? Why?” you ask him, confused. Though your attention is forced back downstairs when you see another figure enter the cabin out of your peripheral view.

Your heart sinks.

“Rin?” Sae asks as he watches his younger, yet for some reason taller, brother set down his suitcase.

Your heart keeps plummeting deeper through your body as you watch him, too. God, he looks even better than he did the day you ended things. He’s always been striking, beautiful. Just so God damn handsome. But he looks older, more mature.

You feel your breathing get heavier and more intense the longer you watch him. The way he dusts the snow from his expensive looking coat. And that familiar ruffle of his hair as he fixes it into place.

“You said you weren’t coming.” Sae tells him.

“I changed my mind,” Rin responds, gesturing to Ryusei. “He begged, really.”

Sae holds his eyes shut, sighing. Rin isn’t sure what the issue is. He was invited, after all, he just declined. He expected his brother to be happy to see him, he thought it would be a fun surprise. Though maybe he only invited him out of obligation.

Shidou hadn’t made it seem that way, though.

“Look who’s here.” Ryusei smiles, pointing up at you.

Rin’s weak smile drops to a stoic straight line as he follows his friends directional finger and his sights land on you. You’re frozen. You can’t smile. You can’t say hello. You can’t even wave. You’re just staring at each other, both absolutely paralysed with no idea how to act.

“H— Hi…” you struggle to speak. Hyoma is thankful you’re too distracted looking at Rin to see the way he’s cringing horrendously behind your back, but not showing his face to the lower floor.

“Hey.” Rin responds, even smiling a little when he hears your voice. It’s been so long, after all. “I didn’t know you were coming.” he explains.

“Same…” you tell him, hoping he believes you. “I wouldn’t have come if I knew you were coming. Wait—” you interrupt yourself when you realise how horrible that sounded.

“Stop talking.” Hyoma whispers, and you clear your throat.

Everyone else seems to see the funny side, all except Rin. He appears a little downtrodden, though he disguises it well. You know him, though. You’re sure he knows you didn’t mean it how it sounded, but you can’t help feeling a little guilty.

“You made it very clear you weren’t coming, Rin.” Sae tells him. “If you said you were coming I—”

“It’s fine. I didn’t know you were still talking, though.” Rin says, the annoyance in his voice very evident. You can’t tell if he’s purposefully trying to hurt you or if it’s just Rin being Rin. “But we’re adults. I’m sure we can co-exist for a week, right?” he asks, looking at you with his intense, teal gaze.

“R—Right…”

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stayfortwominutes · 7 months

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📝 all in your mind | jeongin

disclaimers; cursing*, female pronouns, written from third person perspective, pet names, self-doubt; no depictions of the members' personalities, actions or thoughts reflect their true character.

pairing; jeongin x pregnant reader

synoposis; the result of exhaustion and stress clouding jeongin's mind is a dismal view on reality.

content; office worker!jeongin, one-sided misunderstanding trope, angst, fluff, comfort, married, slice of life | word count; 2.3 k

song recommendation; "mariah carey - all in your mind"

jeongin is haunted by that one image all day long.

the image of y/n. a deer in headlights, caught in the doorway as she tried to quietly scamper - more so hobble, due to her current state - from their bedroom at two-thirty in the morning. her wide eyes were glossy, her cheeks glistened pearlescent with tears that cascaded down to her jaw, and her chest was slightly heaving.

the scene was vividly imprinted in his mind. not to mention a duffel bag gripped tightly in her left hand. a shirt sleeve was caught in the zip and stuck out like a sore thumb.

naturally, jeongin would have rushed to her side to comfort her, but instead he feigned ignorance. he simply rolled over, his back then faced the door as he let sleep consume him.

that morning, he finished up his breakfast and smoothed his suit in the full-length mirror as normal. his gaze focused on the bag stuffed full to the seams that now sat in the corner of their bedroom; the sleeve having been tucked away. an undeniable tension lingered in the air; a suffocating silence replaced the couple’s usual lively morning chatter.

the only acknowledgement between the pair was when jeongin stood in the entryway, as he and his wife exchanged a routine goodbye hug and kiss. when he took y/n in his arms, he gave her a cautious, gentle squeeze before placing a light peck on her lips. it was a meagre effort resultant of the guilt that festered in the pit of his stomach.

he had to be honest with himself, the current demands of his office job had him exhausted. this exhaustion left him little to no time to even process his own emotions. work had intensely preoccupied his mind for the last week, sapping him of all his energy and consequently, he felt himself growing emotionally distant from his wife.

jeongin’s gradual aloofness was surely a strain on their relationship. it wasn’t that he took out his stress on y/n, but that he became a shadow of the person he used to be. he was recoiling into himself, shutting out everything that wasn’t work - unfortunately that included y/n.

a myriad of thoughts raced through his head, manifesting into a dull ache. seeking relief, he brought his right thumb and index to his temples, trying to massage the stress away before it had a chance to morph into a splitting migraine. a lonesome feeling settled in his heart along with the combined sediments of remorse and weariness that had slowly piled up.

“assistant manager, yang? you’re needed in meeting room three.”

a bright intern called for jeongin from down the hall, breaking him from his trace. a despondent sigh rose from the depths of his chest, as he stood up from his desk to pull on his jacket.

the remainder of the workday flew by, and fortunately for jeongin, his team successfully wrapped up their project. so successfully, they finished it three days ahead of schedule. ergo, a celebration was in order, and their team leader summoned everyone for an afterwork dinner.

jeongin was never a fan of these dinners, often times coworkers ended up blind drunk, senior employees boasted about their “achievements” – that came from exploiting their juniors, whilst others miserably recited their woes to one another.

conflicted, he momentarily vacillated between having to upkeep his professional façade as he joined in with his colleagues or, returning straight home to confront the bleak reality that relentlessly plagued his mind.

reluctantly, jeongin let himself be ushered along with the procession of his fellow office workers that were headed off to a nearby restaurant.

as the group took their seats at the conjoined tables, jeongin silently cursed to himself having to be sat at the front end near their team leader. he prayed his displeasure had not bled onto his face.

jeongin became preoccupied with his phone, as it buzzed in his jacket pocket. he held it in his lap, covering it from the view of wandering eyes as he peered at the most recent message from y/n.

jeongin: we’re having a team dinner to celebrate the end of the project. i’ll be home late. make sure to eat, don’t wait up for me. y/n: oh… i’m making your favourite, soybean soup. i’ll put yours in the fridge for tomorrow. have a good time, be safe ❤

a pang of guilt surged through his chest, but he brushed it aside, muting the little voice in the back of his mind that urged him to go home.

“mr. yang, how nice of you to grace us with your presence.”

slipping his phone back into his pocket, jeongin looked over at the team lead, mr. song. the older man brandished his grotesque golden smile, the edges of his teeth blackened like charcoal from years of smoking.

jeongin flashed a polite smile, veiling the grimace he often sported when engaging with mr. song and his brutish behaviour.

“i thought a drink with everyone would be a good way to lift the spirits, after all this hard work we’ve been through.” jeongin simply responded, ignoring the snarky undertones of the older man’s previous comment, and taking a sip of his water.

“here, let me pour you drink,” mr. song offered, but jeongin courteously reached for the alcohol instead.

“i don’t drink, my wife doesn’t like the smell.”

mr. song scoffed, but accepted as jeongin filled his glass to the brim. “suit yourself.”

soon after, everyone settled down as various dishes began to line the table, and mr. song proposed a toast: congratulating all staff, rather insincerely, for their efforts.

the evening eventually crept in, and jeongin sat amongst his coworkers, drifting between conversations, but never really paying attention to any of the topics.

“yang,” a silenced sigh emitted from jeongin as he mentally prepared himself for whatever the team lead would shoot his way.

“yes, sir?”

mr. song loosened his tie, draping an arm over the back of his chair, before taking a vigourous swig and emptying his shot glass.

jeongin moved swiftly to refill the cup, wishing his senior would fall drunk and stop bothering him.

“must feel good to wrap up another project so quickly. you’re lucky to have me to guide you.”

“i couldn’t have done it without my team, they work hard, sir.” he replied in a seasoned manner.

after years of the same repertoire of narcissist self-praise, jeongin knew that any comments were always motivated by the chance to undermine him for his success at such a young age.

the older man continued, “now it’s over, i’ll have to find another reason to avoid my wife.” he cackled as he took another shot and pushed the glass back in jeongin's direction.

“oh right, don’t you have a kid on the way?”

jeongin hesitantly nodded, unsure of his senior's intention in raising the topic. “yes, my wife is five months along.”

“you’re so young, and you’ve already set your prison date,” mr. song callously groaned, beginning to slur his words. “all that freedom gone! but don’t worry, these team dinners are a great time to be single again.”

the last comment had jeongin clenching his jaw. he continued smiling as awkward chuckles were exchanged between the other workers in ear shot. sickened by the attitude and souring atmosphere, jeongin downed the last of his water.

“yeah, and that’s why his first wife divorced him.” the voice of the other assistant manager indignantly piped up before a wave of laughter erupted. mr. song was already slouched back in his seat, unable to rebut; face glowing red as the alcohol diminished his senses.

“i’ll be taking my leave,” jeongin muttered through gritted teeth, excusing himself from the dinner. he stood in front of the restaurant, checking his phone for the time: seven-fifty, it read.

he hastily typed: “i’m coming home, i miss you,” and hit send before putting his phone away to hail a nearby taxi.

throughout the twenty-minute journey home, jeongin continued lamenting over the situation he’d left at home that morning. when the driver pulled up to a red light, a few minutes’ walk from the couple’s home, jeongin hurriedly paid, cutting his trip short upon noticing a flower stall still open late at night.

he scurried out of the taxi, and over to the vendor, requesting all the leftover flowers. the old lady running the stall was pleasantly surprised at the late custom, but happily set to wrapping up the bouquet.

“whoever it’s for, i’m sure she’ll love it! now go on home.”

handing several bills and an extra tip for the older lady’s warm hospitality, jeongin quickened his pace, his heels hot as he got closer and closer to the apartment block. his impatience got the better of him, as the elevator was stuck at the higher floors, seeming to stop at every level.

“fuck this,” he hissed, and made his way to the stairs. skipping every second step, the wind was knocked from him as he reached the front door.

jeongin frantically punched in the passcode, his initial anxiety overwhelmed by the adrenaline that coursed through his veins.

immediately, when he clambered into the quiet apartment, he was met a daunting suspense that he believed would swallow him whole.

y/n was stood blankly in front of the stove, her swollen ankles clad in compression sleeves, and her shoulder shaking a little. jeongin noticed her phone on the table, his recent message still unread.

“honey, i’m home.” he gently called out, and saw the way her whole-body jolted, startled by his unexpected return. y/n made no effort to turn around, rigidly continuing to stir the pot in front of her.

“welcome home, did you eat? it’s almost ready.” jeongin hurried over to her side, setting the flowers on the table to engulf her in a loving embrace.

“i couldn’t bear the thought of you eating alone. listen, for everything that’s been going on, i’m so sorry. i was struggling to handle work; i promise i wasn’t shutting you out on purpose.” he earnestly confessed.

y/n turns to her husband, nuzzling her face against his chest as her arms encircle his waist. focusing on the soothing rhythmic pump of his heartbeat, the couple stood swaying together in unison, holding onto each other as if life itself would end once they separated. jeongin pulls back to pepper delicate kisses over y/n’s face, a wholehearted smile broke out on her face – oh, how he missed her crescent eyes and cheeks rounded with glee.

“here, sit at the table, and i’ll serve it up.” jeongin gingerly guided y/n to the dining table and donned her apron over his work suit.

y/n’s watchful eyes followed him, softening at the return of his thoughtful gesture. she fiddled with the bouquet, caressing the petals and smelling each flower, her smile only grew wider with fondness.

jeongin placed a bowl of hot soup and rice in front of her, then slid into the seat beside her. his eyes filled with adoration, as he took a quick sip of the soup – the homely taste warmed his soul.

“let me,” he insisted, taking a napkin, and draping it over y/n’s bump – she often spilt food, a clumsy trait she’d developed with the change in her body shape.

jeongin took the spoon, briefly blowing over it before bringing it to y/n’s lip. she followed his directions, opening her mouth to accept more food and relishing in the abrupt onslaught of pampering.

“i’m not a child, you know.” she quipped cheekily, “but you’re carrying mine and i should be helping you a lot more often than i have been.”

jeongin flushed a shade of red akin to the roses on the table, thinking back to his negligence for his wife’s current state and yet having acted so indifferent.

“innie, is something wrong? i heard you did well at work today.”

y/n’s right hand came up to tenderly cradle the side of his face, he melted into her touch. that was when the first tear fell, and she instantly thumbed it away. her husband shuffled closer to her, feebly placing his head against the curve of her neck.

“please… don’t leave me,” he croaked.

“why would you ever say that?” y/n quizzed, perturbed by his desperate plea.

jeongin leaned back to sit upright, gathering his wife’s hands in his.

“i saw the bag you packed, the tears this morning too. i promise i’ll do better.” his saddened eyes and the downturn of his lips drew anguish in y/n’s heart.

“darling, i think you misunderstood something. that bag is for the baby, i wanted to pack my essentials for the hospital ahead of time. don't you remember buying it with me?” his wife chuckled as a bewildered expression painted jeongin’s face.

“a-and the tears?”

“i had terrible hayfever last night, and i know you’ve been working hard to finish your project, so i thought i’d leave the room. i didn’t mean to wake you, silly.”

jeongin was overcome with an incredulous sense of relief, he had spiralled making the reality of the situation in front of him murky.

“i’m not sure what you were thinking, but maybe it’s time to shut off your mind. go take a bath, and we can relax together on the couch together.” y/n reassured him.

affection poured from her eyes as he stared back at her. comfort seeped from her gaze to envelop his anxious soul and laid to rest the flurrying burdens of inadequacy and self-doubt that burgeoned in his own heart.

“i-i was worried i made you feel unloved and that’s exactly the opposite of what i vowed when i married you.” the heavy sigh had his shoulders rattling as it escaped him.

“never, innie. i know sometimes you get caught up in yourself, so don’t forget, i’m here to listen.” y/n held her arms wide, beckoning her husband back into her embrace. she placed soft feathery kisses against his temple while her fingers carded through the tangles of his black velvety locks.

“i love you,” jeongin hummed against the bare skin of her neck, causing her to giggle at the ticklish sensation.

“and i love you. always have, and always will.”

consider reading more: masterlist

૮ ˶ᵔ ᵕ ᵔ˶ ა note; this was a self-indulgent innie fic, and unintentionally based on the theme of mariah's song - all in your mind. the idea originally came to me when i was thinking back to some of the outfits and skits they prepared for their SKZ code episodes. i am trying to remind myself that i am writing as an outlet, not for perfection, so instead of aimlessly keeping this in my drafts, i thought i should post it. please enjoy! © stayfortwominutes ; september 11, 2023.

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pearlprincess02 · 26 days

Text

listen to: ARIES EDITION

ARIES MOON

whitney houston - moon in 1st house, cardi b - moon in 1st house, tupac - unknown, rihanna - moon in 12th house (sext. mercury), selena gomez - moon in 9th house, céline dion - moon in 10th house (conj. mars), wiz khalifa - moon in 3rd house (opp. mercury), ross lynch - moon in 9th house (squ. mercury & mars), bryson tiller - moon in 4th house (tri. mercury), grimes - moon in 4th house, will.i.am - moon in 4th house, janet jackson - moon in 10th house, rosé (blackpink) - moon in 2nd house (opp. mars), pink - moon in 4th house (squ. mars), blackbear - moon in 12th house (sext. mars), meghan trainor - moon in 2nd house, perrie edwards - moon in 2nd house,

ARIES VENUS

mina (twice) - venus in 1st house (conj. sun & sext. neptune & tri. pluto), lady gaga - venus in 11th house, shakira - venus in 12th house, johnny cash - venus in 1st house, rihanna - venus in 12th house (conj. moon & squ. neptune), mariah carey - venus in 12th house (squ. moon), cha eun-woo (astro) - venus in 10th house (conj. sun & tri. pluto), lisa (blackpink) - venus in 9th house (conj. sun & tri. pluto), matty healy (the 1975) - venus in 12th house (conj. sun & sext. mars), leona lewis - venus in 4th house (conj. sun), pharrell williams - venus in 10th house (conj. sun), janet jackson - venus in 10th house (conj. moon), chorong (apink) - venus in 12th house (opp. moon), ava max - venus in 8th house (squ. moon & mars), ashe - venus in 12th house (sext. moon), bob marley - venus in 4th house (opp. neptune), tyler, the creator - venus in 9th house (squ. neptune & sext. mars), jackson wang (got7) - venus in 3rd house (squ. neptune), billie joe armstrong (green day) - venus in 3rd house (tri. neptune), madison beer - venus in 11th house (tri. pluto), kehlani - venus in 10th house (tri. pluto), tinashe - venus in 11th house, morgan wallen - venus in 4th house (tri. mars), victoria monét - venus in 9th house (tri. mars), hillary scott (lady a) - venus 3rd house (tri. mars),

MOON IN 1ST HOUSE

madonna - moon in virgo, michael jackson - moon in pisces, katy perry - moon in scorpio, whitney houston - moon in aries, cardi b - moon in aries, jay-z - moon in libra, avril lavigne - moon in scorpio, sza - moon in pisces, nelly furtado - moon in capricorn, matty healy (the 1975) - moon in taurus, chester bennington (linkin park) - moon in sagittarius, baekhyun (exo-k) - moon in gemini, billy idol - moon in gemini

VENUS IN 1ST HOUSE

beyoncé - venus in libra, zayn malik - venus in pisces, selena gomez - venus in leo, katy perry - venus in sagittarius, avril lavigne - venus in scorpio, halsey - venus in scorpio, doja cat - venus in scorpio, selena - venus in pisces, frank ocean - venus in scorpio, olivia rodrigo - venus in capricorn, sinéad o'connor - venus in sagittarius, johnny cash - venus in aries, saweetie - venus in taurus

playlist post

main masterlist

©pearlprincess0

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gracefully33 · 5 months

Text

Rising Signs Appearance/Features

*BASED OFF MY INTERPRETATION

* Some of this might apply to you but aspects and planets in the 1h can alter the appearance.

*It doesn’t make you less attractive if you don’t have a certain rising and everyone is beautiful in their own way😁✌️

Aries Rising (Mars Ruled)

Rules the head/brain

Head strong

Large forehead

Sharp features

Muscular

Work out a lot/active

Participate in a lot of sports

Color: Red

Etc.

Examples: Rihanna, Shaquille O’Neal, etc.

Taurus Rising (venus ruled)

Rules the neck

Obsessed with luxury

Very high maintenance

Foodies

Soft appearance

Very pretty

Color: Green

Etc.

Examples: Mariah Carey, Gigi Hadid, etc.

Gemini Rising (mercury ruled)

Rules the lungs

Talkative

Very youth appearance

Slim features

Doesn’t age too quickly

Color: Yellow

Etc.

Examples: Lady Gaga, Sandra Bollock, etc.

Cancer Rising (moon ruled)

Rules the chest

Very emotional

Round/circular faces

Comforting

Large or pretty chest

Make others feel at home/mother vibes

Pouty lips

Very expressive

Color: Blue

Examples: Angelina Jolie, Margot Robbie, etc.

Leo Rising (sun ruled)

Rules heart, upper back, etc.

Tons of hair/thick hair

Brown colored hair

Striking eyes/cat eye

Very flashy/bold

Stand out from the crowd

Etc.

Colors: Orange

Examples: Selena Gomez, Nick Jonas, etc.

Virgo Rising (mercury ruled)

Rules abdomen

Very organized

Slim in the body

Looks younger than age

Ages well

Heavy on self-care

Etc.

Color: brown

Examples: Bella Hadid, Janelle Monae, etc.

Libra Rising (venus ruled)

Rules the butt/lower back

Bigger/round butt

Round faces

Known for beauty b/c venus= beauty, luxury, pleasures, etc

Symmetrical features

Delicate/soft facial features

Buy tons of makeup products

Obsessed with appearance

Etc.

Color: Pink

Examples: Beyonce, Britney Spears, etc.

Scorpio Rising (pluto ruled)

Rules sexual organs

Sharp eyes

Tends to wear darker clothing

Strong sex appeal

People have a hard time reading you

People don’t know too much about you/mysterious

Etc.

Colors: Black/maroon red

Celebs: Katy Perry, Justin Bieber, etc

Sagittarius Rising (jupiter ruled)

Rules the thighs

On the thicker/heavy side, very full & curvy body

Big thighs

Taller than the average person

Lucky

Large smiles, big eyes, or larger features

Etc.

Color: Purple

Examples: Anne Hathway, Kim K, etc.

Capicorn Rising (saturn ruled)

Rules joints, knees

Very skinny/short

Looks older than their age/more mature

People assume you’re older

Late bloomer

Etc.

Color: Grey

Examples: Ariana Grande, Megan Fox, etc

Aquarius Rising (Uranus ruled)

Rules ankles

Unique look

Loves to try different hair color

Style is different from the norm

Bold colors

Very friendly

Large groups love to be around them

Etc.

Color: Blue

Examples: Nicki Minaj, Zendaya, etc.

Pisces Rising (neptune rules)

Rules hands/feet

Fish-like appearance

Very glamourous

Neptune represents glamour, illusion, etc

Very spiritual

People copy you a lot/idealize you

Etc.

Color: Light green

Example: Michael Jackson, Billie Eilish, etc.

*Can’t add more photos sadly it won’t allow more than 10 images and thank you for reading❤️

#astrology #beauty #pop culture #rising sign #natal chart

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massivedrickhead · 4 months

Text

we’re here tonight (and that’s enough)

Words: 2778

Summary: Merry Pitchmas @wordsofmyreality! I’m your secret Santa this year! I hope you like this little bit of Christmas fluff 💖 @merry-pitchmas

Read on AO3

“Chlo’?” Beca called from her spot in the living room, her hands on her hips as she surveyed their fireplace.

“Yeah?” Chloe replied from the kitchen.

“Did you move my stocking?”

“Your what?” Chloe asked, struggling to hear her wife over the sound of the music playing in the kitchen.

“My stocking,” Beca said back, raising her voice so it could be heard over Mariah Carey.

“It’s on the fireplace.”

“It isn’t,” Beca said, staring at the empty spot where her stocking had once hung. Bright red with a golden B embroidered on it. She turned her head to where Chloe’s still hung - bright red with a golden C - and then back to the empty spot where hers should be.

“Huh,” Chloe said, entering the living room, wiping her hands on her apron before resting one on Beca’s back. “Weird.”

“It was here this morning before I left for work,” Beca said.

“Have you checked David’s hiding spot?” Chloe asked.

Beca glanced down to where their dog - named after David Guetta - was curled up. His head lifted at the sound of his name. He did have a habit of stealing their clothes, but he’d never pulled anything down before.

“I’ll look now,” she said. “How’s dinner prep going?”

“I’m almost done,” Chloe said. She gave Beca a quick kiss on the cheek. “Once you’ve checked his spot can you take him for a W-A-L-K?”

“Sure,” Beca said. “You don’t want to come?”

Chloe shook her head. “I’m so beat from work this week, I just wanna go lie in the bath for an hour. Is that okay?”

“Of course it is,” Beca said. “Are you feeling okay? You’ve been tired all week.”

“I’m fine,” Chloe said, smiling at the look of concern on Beca’s face.

“Am I a bad wife for letting you do all the Christmas dinner prep?”

“A terrible wife,” Chloe replied, rolling her eyes as she kissed Beca on the cheek again. “I need to get back in there.”

Chloe returned to the kitchen and Beca watched her go, feeling that pull to follow that she always got when Chloe left a room.

David nudged her leg with his head and she looked down. His tail was wagging, and Beca wondered if he’d somehow learned to spell.

She scratched him behind the ear and then went to the spot in the room where he hid his stolen wares.

Beca had been reluctant about getting a dog all those years ago. She’d always liked dogs, and had always envisioned having one in the future, but she’d still been hesitant.

It was before they were married - before they were even engaged - and they’d only been living together for a few months when Chloe mentioned the puppy that had been brought into the veterinary surgery where she’d worked at the time.

“He’d been abandoned, Bec,” Chloe told her, tears in her eyes as she showed him pictures on her phone. “Left on the side of the road, tied to a telephone pole. He’s just a baby.”

Chloe told Beca about how skittish and afraid he was of them. How he wouldn’t let anyone get near him, except for Chloe. He reminded her so much of Beca, that Chloe just had to have him.

“Comparing me to an abandoned dog isn’t the compliment you think it is.”

Beca had been hesitant but eventually agreed. Now, nearly five years later, she couldn’t imagine their life without him.

Chloe had been right, as always.

Beca scratched him behind the ear again as she searched through his dog toys for his hidden stolen goods.

She found several of her missing socks, a dish towel, and even one of Chloe’s bras, but there was no bright red stocking.

“So you’re not the stocking thief,” Beca said to him. “But we do have to talk about the bra thing, dude. Those things aren’t cheap, you know.”

Once she was wrapped up in her winter coat and had pulled on her boots, she clipped David’s leash to his collar and they set out for his evening walk.

They walked around their neighbourhood, David sticking close to her side instead of running ahead like he usually did.

She supposed he must be able to feel it too, that tinge of sadness that had clung to Beca ever since she found out that - once again - her Mom wouldn’t be coming for Christmas.

Beca had told Chloe she was fine, that she was used to her Mom flaking on her by now, and while all of that was true, there was still a part of her that had hoped for change. It had been years since they’d spent any real time together and, despite her flaws, Beca did love her Mom.

David stopped to do his business, and Beca looked out at the houses in their neighbourhood. The Christmas lights shone through the windows, casting their snow-covered lawns in warm and colourful glows. She wished she could take some of that glow with her and bring it into her own home.

She took a deep breath of cold air and held it in her chest before slowly expelling it, watching a cloud form and dissipate quickly as the air left her body.

David tugged against the leash, pulling her arm back in the direction of home.

“Okay,” she said out loud. “I’m coming.”

The house was quiet when they got back, and Beca was desperate to shift the sadness that clung to her like the cold. She tried to leave it at the door along with the snow she’d kicked off her boots, but it wouldn’t go.

She spent longer than necessary in the entryway of their home, drying David’s paws with the towel they kept in there for that reason.

Chloe was on the sofa fiddling with her phone when Beca finally entered the living room.

Everything felt heavy, and the lack of her stocking on the fireplace seemed to perfectly mirror her lack of Christmas cheer.

She dropped onto the sofa beside Chloe and wasted no time in pressing a kiss to the side of her head. Chloe’s hair was still damp but the familiar smell of her shampoo seemed to ground Beca.

“You’re freezing!” Chloe shrieked as Beca’s cold hands slipped beneath Chloe’s Christmas pyjama top and pressed against her warm skin.

Beca laughed as Chloe batted her hands away. She removed them and placed them over the pyjamas, her hand going to Chloe’s stomach without thinking.

Chloe covered Beca’s hand with her own. “We’ll find out soon,” she said. “I promise. I just… it was our first attempt. There’s a good chance it didn’t work and I don’t want to put a downer on things if that's the case.”

“I know,” Beca said, kissing the side of her head again. The anxiety of not knowing if they would soon become parents mixed unpleasantly with her already lingering sadness about her Mom, and she searched for something to distract herself. Her eyes fell on the fireplace. “How come you stole my stocking?”

“What makes you think it was me?”

“Well it wasn’t David, and it wasn’t me, so that doesn’t leave a lot of options,” Beca said.

“Santa?”

“That’s like the opposite of Santa’s vibe,” Beca said. “He gives presents, not steals them. You’re thinking of the Grinch.”

“Oh, well it must have been the Grinch then,” Chloe said, smiling as Beca’s thumb continued to brush back and forth across her stomach. “Or maybe Santa knows that you can’t be trusted not to peek in your stocking before Christmas morning, and he wants your gift to be a surprise for once.”

“Ah, is that it?” Beca asked.

“It must be,” Chloe replied.

The Christmas stockings had been a tradition that Chloe had brought from her childhood.

Beca had always thought they were a place to put small gifts - ones that weren’t really tree-worthy - but the Beales had used them for the gifts that were more sentimental or special.

It’s how Beca had proposed to Chloe all those years ago, only to find that Chloe had had the same idea, and now Beca couldn’t be trusted not to squeeze the stocking and try to guess what might be inside.

She was fairly confident in her gift this year - a USB full of original songs that Beca had written, sung, and produced just for Chloe - but she still couldn’t stop herself from checking her own stocking just in case Chloe had once again outdone her.

“What time are your parents arriving tomorrow?” Beca asked after a comfortable silence had settled over them.

“Around midday,” Chloe said. “We can do the stocking presents in the morning and save the rest until after dinner.”

“Let’s hope Santa brings mine back in time,” Beca said, the conversation lapsing into silence again.

“You’re sad about your Mom,” Chloe said. It wasn’t a question. Beca could insist she was fine and that she didn’t care, but Chloe knew when she was lying.

“Kinda,” Beca said. “But it's my own fault. I should know by now what she’s like, I don’t know why I expected anything different.”

“You’re allowed to hope for the best and hope that people might change,” Chloe said, turning her head so she could press a kiss to Beca’s temple. “This isn’t your fault.”

“It is what it is,” Beca said. “I’m gonna go get changed.”

“I’ll order pizza,” Chloe said.

They spent the rest of their Christmas Eve curled up together on the sofa, eating pizza, and watching Chloe’s choice of Christmas movie.

Beca had a glass of wine, but Chloe complained of a headache so just stuck to water.

“I hope you aren’t getting sick,” Beca said, running her hand through Chloe’s hair, her nails lightly scratching her scalp.

“I’m just tired,” Chloe said. “Work was crazy this week.”

“Thank you for taking care of the dinner prep,” Beca said. “It really makes cooking it all so much easier tomorrow.”

“I prep, you cook,” Chloe said, stifling a yawn. “Teamwork makes the dream work.”

“Let’s go to bed,” Beca said with a soft laugh. “I’ll let David out. Do you want anything for your headache?”

Chloe shook her head. “It’ll pass,” she said. “You go on up, I’ll let him out.”

“Are you sure?”

“Positive,” Chloe said. “You took him out, I can stand by the door and wait for him to pee.”

As soon as Chloe heard Beca begin climbing the stairs, she withdrew her stocking from where it had been stashed. She smiled to herself as she hung it back on the fireplace, and she hoped that what was inside would do something to help cheer her wife up.

When Chloe reached the bedroom, Beca was lying in bed scrolling on her phone, but she set it down on the charger as soon as she felt the bed dip beside her.

“Are you answering work emails at 10 pm on Christmas Eve?”

“Not anymore I’m not,” Beca said.

“You know if I see you working tomorrow you’re going to be in trouble, right?”

“Does that mean I can’t fake a work call when your dad tries to talk to me about college basketball?” Beca asked.

“If I have to discuss classic literature with your dad when we see him at Thanksgiving, you can handle college basketball with mine when we see him at Christmas,” Chloe said.

“Fair,” Beca said, curling into Chloe’s side as soon as she was settled in bed.

It didn’t take long for Beca to drift off, but Chloe stayed awake for hours. She was full of the kind of Christmas Eve excitement that she hadn’t felt as a kid.

She heard the neighbourhood church bells begin to ring, and it took everything she had not to wake Beca up, wish her a Merry Christmas, and drag her downstairs.

Eventually, she managed to get some sleep and woke up not long after 8 am, Beca still sleeping soundly beside her.

Chloe woke her up and coaxed her out of bed with kisses and promises of coffee and presents.

Beca grumbled but didn’t argue when Chloe took her hand and pulled her downstairs.

“My stocking came back,” Beca said, raising an eyebrow at Chloe as she settled on the sofa, a mug of coffee in hand.

“I told you, Santa must have taken it,” Chloe replied, setting her own mug down on the coffee table before retrieving their stockings from the fireplace. She handed Beca hers, who wasted no time in squeezing the sides, and she sat down beside her.

“You go first,” Beca said.

Chloe reached into the stocking and pulled out two small wrapped gifts.

“Open the bigger one first,” Beca said,

Chloe did, and her eyes lit up as she pulled out a CD case. The cover was a photograph of the two of them from their wedding, and when she flipped it over she saw a list of five song titles that she didn’t recognise.

“Open the second one,” Beca said. Chloe unwrapped a USB drive. “No one really uses CDs anymore,” she said, by way of explanation.

“Bec, is all of this new music?”

Beca nodded. “My next EP,” she said. “All the songs were written for you.”

Chloe squealed and wrapped her arms around Beca. “I love it!”

“You haven’t even heard it yet,” Beca replied, laughing.

Chloe wiped the tears from her eyes and looked back at the CD case.

“I don’t know if that’s the final album art,” Beca said. “But I wanted you to have your own version.”

“This is amazing, Beca. I can’t wait to listen to it,” Chloe said. She looked back up at her wife. “Is it okay if… can I listen to it on my own first? Just so I can really listen and hear it all?”

“Of course,” Beca said. “So, can I open mine now?”

Chloe swallowed and nodded, a smile spreading across her face.

Beca pulled three small wrapped gifts from her stocking. As she always did, she gave them a squeeze and a shake. Two were soft, and one was a box that rattled when it shook. “Which one first?”

Chloe thought for a second, before tapping on one of the softer gifts.

Beca unwrapped it and pulled out what at first seemed like a small red piece of fabric. She unfolded it and saw it was a stocking, just like the one she and Chloe had.

“Is this in case my stocking goes missing again?” Beca asked, laughing lightly but not really understanding the gift. She looked at Chloe, whose eyes were now shining with tears. Something started happening in Beca’s chest. It felt like her heart was starting to beat faster. Like her body knew what the gift meant before she did.

“Open this one,” Chloe said, tapping on the box.

Beca did, her hands shaking though she couldn’t explain why.

Under the paper was a clear plastic box, and it took Beca a second to realise what was inside. She swallowed and looked back at Chloe.

“Two lines?” Beca asked, her voice trembling. “Two means… right?”

“Open the last one,” Chloe said, the tears that had been filling her eyes now slipping down her cheeks.

Beca did, her hands shaking harder than ever.

She pulled out a tiny white babygrow, with the words ‘Baby Mitchell’ printed on the front.

She couldn’t describe the noise that came out of her - something between a gasp and a sob and a cheer - but soon she was sobbing hard, her hands reaching out for Chloe, who eagerly pulled her into her arms.

They held each other and cried until David jumped onto the sofa to try and investigate.

Beca laughed as he wiggled his way in between them.

“I take it these are happy tears?” Chloe asked, wiping her own eyes as they ended their hug.

“The happiest,” Beca said, laughing. “How long have you known?”

“A couple of weeks,” Chloe said. “It’s been killing me keeping this in, but I wanted to wait until after I’d seen my doctor, just in case. I’m sorry for not telling you sooner.”

“Don’t apologise,” Beca said, looking down at the tiny babygrow in her hands. “This is the best present you could have gotten me.” She wiped her eyes and took hold of Chloe’s hand. “We’re going to be parents. I’m… I’m so happy.”

“Me too,” Chloe said. “Merry Christmas.” She pulled Beca into a kiss which Beca eagerly accepted.

“Merry Christmas,” Beca replied, between kisses. “I love you so much.” Her hand touched Chloe’s stomach. “I love you both so much.”

“Me too, baby,” Chloe replied. “Me too.”

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