#Or maybe he just thinks they don't look good anymore

[erwinsvow]

ALL MINE

you had once thought rafe was bad at being a boyfriend. turns out, he was even worse at being an ex.

you couldn't pinpoint where it had all gone wrong in your relationship—mostly between days spent alone and nights wondering where he was and what he was doing, even who he was with. you felt constantly out of the loop, and though you tried to make it work for as long as you could, there was no denying that it wasn't working.

you thought you knew what you wanted, what you needed, when you told rafe the two of you needed to stop whatever this was. you could hardly call it a relationship anymore.

maybe some part of you felt happy when he tried to fight for you, when he wasn't letting you go that easily. but you had won in the end—thinking you were going to walk away scot-free and find some guy who would take you on dates and treat you right.

that had been two whole months ago—and you had tried. you'd been on three dates in that time, somehow each one worse than the last and never, ever leading to a second one. everything felt so forced and robotic—though you had never felt that way with rafe.

no, you and him had been electric from the start. that's why it was even harder to stop thinking about him, to push away every stray thought that crept into your mind in the middle of the night. you resist every urge to send a text or dial his number that you've memorized and are unable to forget.

if only someone would tell rafe to do the same. his contact in your phone—a simple r and nothing else—lights up your screen much too often for comfort. everytime you see it, your mind thinks about what it used to look like, his name spelled out with a blue heart and a photo of him that you had to take off his contact because staring at it for too long led you into temptation.

at first it had been fine. how are you? followed by one-word answers and then something that made your heart burn in your chest. good. gotta make sure you're ok.

you should have told him two months ago that how you're doing is no longer any of his concern—that this concern should have appeared when you were his girlfriend. instead you reply with a thank you and turn your phone off, because no matter how much you want yourself to hate rafe cameron, you never have and you never will.

the texts had recently been getting more frequent—something else that should have been alarming. instead you find yourself staring at your phone, biting your lip and wondering what rafe was doing right now that he stopped and thought of you.

it's terrible—it's akin to torture, the worst form. you slip down the rabbithole and start replying mere minutes after he's sent you a message—because you never keep rafe waiting. never have, never will.

the third date since the breakup is a worse than the other two put together, and it's your own fault, you should have never suggested the country club for a harmless lunch. your boyfriend—shit. your ex-boyfriend spots you from half a mile away, only waits for you to smile politely and step away to the bathroom before confronting the boy you're with.

when you get back, your date cuts lunch short, dodging out and staring back at someone with a touch too much fear in his eyes. you don't want to know what rafe said. you can barely get yourself to think about why he did it.

like always, you go home alone. there hasn't been anyone you've met since your breakup that you've liked enough to bring home, or rather, dared to bring home.

quarter to eleven on a saturday night. you should be at the party right now, the one that everyone on your side of the island is at, but you can't find the will to go. you'd gotten dressed up—hair and makeup perfect and pretty, just for a night in. a thought rushes through your mind—one you really wish had just stayed away.

you've done your hair how rafe likes, your makeup the way he always commented that looked nice. even the dress you'd picked out was one of his favorites, now perched across a chair, though you can distinctly remember the last time it had been dropped on the floor of rafe's bedroom.

and though you really, really shouldn't, when your phone buzzes with a call, and that familiar number dances across the screen, you answer.

you bring the phone to your ears, bringing your knees in and curling tightly into yourself. your back is perched up against the headboard, you watch goosebumps dance across the skin of your thighs. you don't stay anything yet.

"hey, kid." you wish you could melt through your bed, through the floor and into the ground. that would be a better fate than what you're about to subject yourself to.

"what'd you want, rafe?" it comes out too quickly, too harshly. you only half meant it—but it's too late to retract the statement. with bated breath you wait, wondering what's to come.

"what? can't check in on my girl?" the way he says it, you almost believe it, almost delude yourself into thinking you're still rafe's and rafe's still yours.

"i'm not your girl anymore, remember?"

"you should be."

you shut your eyes, eyes feeling surprisingly wet. you blink away the tears, not really upset but more... hurt. hurt by what he did, what you went through. hurt by what he's doing now. but you don't stop and hang up the call, like you should. you listen carefully, the faint noises in the background that sound like rafe went to the party you were supposed to be at tonight.

"are you drunk, rafe?" you ask it with too much concerning pouring into your voice.

"nah, kid. don't worry about me."

you pause again. you should really, really shut up.

"i always worry about you." you hear a rush of breath—half a laugh, half a sigh. rafe's probably smiling right now, happy that he got you to finally cave.

"m'fine. listen, i-"

"no," you interrupt, heart beating quickly and not sure if you can handle what he's about to say. "don't. just go back to the party. have fun. hang up and we'll both stop thinking about each other."

"i only came here to come find you," rafe says, and now you're the one letting out a shuddery breath, wondering if it would be better if you just ended the call and went to bed. "c'mon kid. there's nothin' i could do to stop thinkin' about you. i-i know i've been the worst. i'm tryna do better, okay? i'm-"

"rafe?" you ask, suddenly breathless and all too impatient to get him to stop talking.

"yeah?"

"you wanna come over?"

#part 1 !! <3333 #rafe cameron #rafe cameron x reader #exboyfriend rafe

[stone-stars]

Transcript:

[Eldermourne Theme fades out] Murph: WEL-come back to Eldermourne, everybody! Emily, Jake, and Caldwell: Eldermourne! Murph: I'm your dungeon master Brian Murphy joined by Jake Hurwitz! Jake: The relationship with my son has gone south because I foot-- I put both feet in my mouth. [Emily cackles. Caldwell joins her.] Murph: And ya did it again! Jake: Henry Hogfish! Emily: Okay, this is, we need to tell them behind the scenes! Jake: No. Emily: We literally-- full disclosure, we-- Jake: No. No. No, don't tell them. Emily: We recorded the intros-- we recorded the intros-- Jake: It's an embarrassing story for me and Caldwell. [Caldwell laughs.] Emily: And-- Murph, edit out Jake protesting. Murph, immediately: Okay. [Emily laughs.] He's been silenced. He's been silenced. Caldwell: I am absolved. This rules. Emily: We were-- (laughing) We were recording the intro, and Caldwell realized that he hadn't been recording, so we had to re-record it. But in the original recording, Jake fucked up his rhyme, and he said "oh, good, now I can get my rhyme right." [Everyone laughs.] Caldwell: Nobody's mad at me anymore! It's so good! Murph: Maybe I'll splice in the recording of Jake fucking up the first time. [Emily and Caldwell giggle.] Jake: Wow, that's perfect. Murph: So let's go ahead-- we're gonna go ahead and cut to Jake's first intro. Jake: Okay. Murph: Let's roll that. [Emily cackles. The Eldermourne Theme fades in.] Jake: Uh-- oh fuck, uh-- Relationship with my son has gone south, because I put both feet in my mouth-- I forgot it for a second. [Theme fades out.] Jake: Yeah, good on ya, Caldwell. [The others laugh.] This is not fair! Caldwell's huge fuck up was just shining a light on mine! That's not right! Murph: That's true. That's true. Caldwell: Jake texted me and said "hey, turn off your recording so that I get another shot at it, and I obliged him. Murph: This is your dad forgetting to pick you up, and then you get mugged. This is Caldwell's mistake, and then you are really really suffering for it. [The others laughing.] Um-- Then, of course, we've got Emily Axford! Emily: Living the dream and looking like Liam! Fia Boginya! Murph: Emily, it's even better the second time, hearin' it. Jake: That's fucked up. Caldwell: Crisp, perfect. Emily: Thank you, I didn't mess it up the first time, it's so good. Actually, why don't you go ahead and use whichever one I am better at, okay? Murph: Okay. Two for two. Two for two. Jake: Jesus christ. Caldwell: Can I say my livin' la vida Liam joke again? Cause I thought that was fun. From the first one? Murph: Sure. Um, y'know, as memorable as it was, I completely forgot it. [The others laugh.] Um, and of course, Caldwell Tanner! Caldwell: Oh, Stella Vervain's special little guy who's getting swept up-- Jake: Don't fuck it up! Don't fuck it up! Don't fuck it up! Caldwell: --in her sweet little lies, Zirk Vervain. Emily: Oh my goodness. [Everyone laughs.] Caldwell: Yee-haw! Flawless dismount! All the judges love it. Jake: Swing, batta batta batta batta! Murph: Wow, two 2/2s and one 0/2. It's-- You'd think there'd be some deviation there, but… wow. Jake: Caldwell didn't really get a 2/2. He didn't record. Caldwell: Jake, you could just turn off your Zoom right now, and then we'd have to start recording again. Jake: I need another shot. Murph: This intro's way better than the other one, guys, I'm just saying! This is good. Maybe we should fuck up the show every time. Emily: I honestly was barely paying attention, and then when Jake messed up again, I… could not stop laughing. Murph, laughing: Why were you barely paying attention?? [Everyone laughs.] Emily: I was looking at my spells! Murph: Okay, alright, alright. Caldwell: She's got a lot of spells! Murph: She's got a lot of spells. Emily: I have to remember what I can do. Murph: Alright guys, let's go ahead and get into the recap.

#naddpod #eldermourne #jake hurwitz #i'm only tagging jake in this since he's the one who fucked up (lol) #naddclips

[stardustlixie]

cry me a river [h.hj x reader]

trope: enemies to lovers, uni au

word count: 13.6k

warnings: not much, arguing and bickering obvi, like one badly written breakdown, mentions of abuse but no serious descriptions, a little ateez slander i'm sorry someone had to be villain, that's it i think, lmk if i missed something

Some say a child’s mind is like a blank book, and what's written in it has lasting impact, but you'd say it's more like wet clay, writing on paper can be erased, or cut down, or covered, but what about fingerprints on clay, what about the shapes it was twisted into? those cannot be undone, not without breaking.

And you're a living example.

You were the 12 year old who was told love was something you'd have to earn. You were once the 12 year old crying when your father burst out telling you ‘second is just the first loser', you were the 12 year old shaking, lest the test paper with an 82 on it warrant physical pain. 

You were the 13 year old who spent their birthday evaluating what made up a human's worth. Kindness, faith, and community were things that your mother would have said, but certificates, achievements and excellence would be your dad's answer. And for the next 8 years, it'd be yours too.

Young minds are beautiful places, but they trust to a fault, taking whatever is presented to them as absolute truth, often hurting themselves to a point where they find themselves unable to trust when older. And yet, painfully unable to shake the beliefs embedded in their psyche.

Your father isn't in your immediate vicinity to remind you that you're not lovable if you don't have something to offer and he'd be surprised if someone ever loved you for who you are. But his voice still lives in the back of your head, it's enough reminder of your uselessness without Hyunjin exiting.

Hwang Hyunjin, how you hate his guts and how your father would have loved him. All things good: funny, smart, popular, skilled, but most of all, the best at everything. 

Always first, always a step ahead of you, prettier than you, smarter than you, more friendly than you.

More than you.

Being the best comes easy to him, hell, everything comes easy to him. Especially making you feel small. He sucks the oxygen out of any place you are in.

It seems like his only purpose in the universe is causing you problems, putting you down, destroying your self esteem, getting into the most sensitive corners of your mind and evoking intense emotions that you didn't even know you were capable of feeling.

He brings out the worst of you, makes your insecurities pop out like bright red on a white canvas. 

Maybe it's you who's fragile. But not being affected is difficult when most of his attacks seem to mirror your father's statements.

You don't like Hwang Hyunjin. You know it, Felix knows it, Minho knows it, Hyunjin knows it, the entire campus knows it. 

You don't remember when exactly Hyunjin got to this point, but it didn't start like this. 

It seems like forever but it's been just about a year since you met him at that party. It's no question that he's good looking, but he had an allure to him that day. Though he was reserved at first, you both soon began to get along and your friendship began to turn into a playful rivalry.

The light hearted competition in everything was welcome at first, but there came a point where it wasn't light hearted anymore. And maybe one of you unknowingly crossed a line or two, but you were hurling sharp insults at the other in only a couple of months of meeting.

You were enemies before you were really friends.

But you blame him for that. You weren't at fault when you recieved your first semester grades and first thing he said was “Seems like second is what you'll always be.” 

You weren't over reacting that day when he suggested getting drunk at a party was your only chance of getting laid because “Your personality will distract any sober person from your looks, no one would stay with you long enough to reach that level of trust.” 

You weren't overreacting when you'd grabbed him by the collar and told him “Talk to me about trust when someone shows interest in something other than your reputation or face. Talk to me about human connection when you know what it fucking feels like.”  

That was probably the harshest thing you'd said to him, and you knew that, because this was his fragile point. He brought it upon himself though. He wasn't seen around for a week after that. But then he was back, the same, with remarks on everything about you, not always prime hurtful, but always unwelcome. There was nothing you did that deterred him from being so disruptive. So you learnt to let it be. 

But your friends didn't get the memo. They seem to get along with him really well. To this day they've been trying to get you two to ‘settle your differences’. You reckon they'll get tired one day.

☆⋆｡°⁠☆

This was a bad idea. They should have given up after two of their previous attempts.

Closed rehearsal room and your friends who thought of inviting the bane of your existence to join for a dance practice session.

“Darling you're not even trying,” he condescends, “though I don't think it'd make much of a difference if you did.” There goes that smirk.

Felix pauses his movement momentarily to look at the situation, but Minho, ever the strict teacher, orders the three of you back into position. It's been an hour of trying to come up with a choreography for a song of his choosing and you'd be worried about his disappointment in the lack of progress if you didn't have a 5 '10 problem to deal with.

Whose idea was it to attempt getting you and Hyunjin to be friends? 

You've been trying your best to focus on the instructions Minho gives but Hwang Hyunjin can be really, really annoying when he needs to be. And you're reaching the brink of your already limited patience. 

“That's it, Min. I don't know which of you two decided this was a good idea but I really hope this guy isn't in this room the next time I am. I'm not doing this anymore.” You declare and walk to get your bag when, ofcourse, Hyunjin comments.

“Oh come on,” he fakes a pout, “you're disappointing your best friends. And me.” He says, like he matters. 

“Well then,” you glare him down, done dealing with him for the rest of your life, “cry me a river and drown in it.” 

He winces and puts a hand over his heart like he's hurt, before laughing, “As you wish darling.” You're very close to snapping but you just take a few steps towards him till his back hits the wall. “Shut up, will you?” 

“Oo, how scary.” His hand reaches out but you smack it away before it does anything, your attention would be on his red ears if it wasn't on that stupid smirk.

And as you walk out you swear to yourself to wipe it off his face someday. 

When Minho and Lix brought him along and introduced him to you, he was nice, polite, quiet almost. But now it seems like he is on a personal vendetta to get on your nerves. 

His attacks go from just annoying to ignorant to personally hurtful when no one's looking. And you hate him for it. 

Felix keeps attempting to get you and his bestfriend to not be at each other's throats all the time. You can't say it's working but you've gotten more used to having a constant source of irritation around.

Is there more layers to your hatred of him than just this? Yes. Would you ever admit that? Probably not.

☆⋆｡°⁠☆

The next you see of him is in your dorm, on your dinner table. Actually your trio’s table but he doesn't belong here either way. 

He lifts a hand and waves, mouthing a ‘hey there’, to which you flip him off. You reach the table and just stand beside your friends till they feel obligated to provide an explanation. Felix speaks up first, keeping his mug aside,“Hi yn!” but completely ignores your apprehension, prompts you to sit down instead, which you do with a huff. 

You don't spare him another glance but you can feel his eyes focused on you.

“Answer a question l/n.” He seems to be studying your stance for some reason. “What even is the point of you?”

You take a deep breath. You don't wanna smite him in your own kitchen. “You ask me that like your own life has any meaning.”

“So you don't have an answer?”

“Do you get off of the annoyance you cause other people?”

“Probably. You're my favorite though.” He winks and you have to use the entirety of your self control to not break his jaw.

“You done?” Minho says to Hyunjin, though it feels as if he's addressing you both.

“There’s a group dance competition in late November,” he sees both you and Hyunjin open your mouths but he cuts it off early, “it outright says groups of four or more.” 

“Then I'm out.” 

“So am I.”

“You both calm your asses right now,” Minho gives a look that promptly gets you both settled in your seats, though he ignores Lix’s giggle, “the prize money for the winners is huge.” 

“And I know you don't need the money like us,” he looks at Hyunjin, “but Hongjoong is bringing his team. I'm sure you'd like to participate.” 

Hyunjin nods his participation but Minho isn't done. “If I see whatever problem you both have with each other becoming a problem to practice..” He concludes himself with silence and you swear Hyunjin gulps as you hold eye contact with Minho, as if challenging him to finish. 

You've known him since his shy highschooler days, you're not about to be intimidated by this doe eyed example of a man.

“I think they'll manage!” Felix cheers Minho so he disrupts whatever staring contests you both are in. Conveniently dragging him out and inconveniently leaving you and Hyunjin together. This is the first time you're alone with him in a couple of months.

You get up as if he isn't sat across from you to make yourself some tea. It's almost done when he speaks. 

“So…. truce?” 

“I’m not acting friendly with you just because that rodent wants me to” you clear and set down a mug of tea on the table with some force, “don't make yourself comfortable.” 

He looks nonplussed at the cup in front of him and looks back at you.

“You were staring at Lix’s tea like a dying man. Drink it. Or don't. Whatever.” 

“Aww you do care about your arch-enemy after all!” He makes a face that makes you wanna hurt him. 

You walk out.

☆⋆｡°⁠☆

“But wouldn’t that seem like piracy in dance? A dancepiracy?” Felix exclaims, in his usual manner of what-even-is-his-vocabulary when Minho has all of you gathered in a practice room on campus. 

“Lix, I'm sorry, what?” 

Hyunjin enters, a bit late as he always is, “Hi-” 

“Don't talk to me.” You cut him off and receive an eye roll before walking off to Minho and he beckons the two of them to do the same.

“Alright, let's decide a general vibe we're going for and then we'll pick a song based on that.” 

“How about a contemporary mix?” Hyunjin says, and before Minho can say something, you do.

“You're so clueless it's almost cute. You're gonna fight Ateez, with contemporary?” You scoff like it's the most ridiculous thing you've heard and he gives you an offended kindergartener look.

“Alright break it up, we'll club every idea together and then eliminate.” Minho says, already getting tired of the setting. How will he do this for a few more weeks?

Almost half an hour passes before the animated discussion about concepts, styles and which one of those could be used by potential opponents ends and you all try to decide on a song.

“But if we do Charisma we're gonna run out of energy pretty quickly and the power of the song is gonna overrule the moves.” You say and for the first time, Hyunjin agrees, so Minho has to drop it. 

“We should try k-music, how about Overdrive? The one by I.M.?” Hyunjin says and you almost pat him on the back. 

“That, Hwang, is probably the only good idea you've ever had in your life. Let's do it.” If hyunjin replies, it is tuned out by the sounds of a happy Felix. 

☆

“Hyunjin if your hand touches my face one more time I'm gonna rip it off!” Minho says, much to effect, Hyunjin shudders and his hand never reaches a foot’s radius of Minho again. He looks hilarious like that, cute even. Wait. No.

“Alright, that's probably all we can do today, I want all of you here tomorrow at 5pm. Don't be late, Hyunjin.”

“Hey, why are you pointing me out?” Hyunjin whines and you reply for Minho.

“Because you're the only dumbass who ever actually is late.” 

“You say that like your middle name is punctual.” He retorts and he looks unreasonably attractive while doing so. You hate him for that.

“And? I've hardly been late to anything dickwad.” 

“Oh well, I might be 15 minutes late to practice but I'm still better than you aren't I?” 

“Oh fuck off,” you scoff. “You're about as better than me as I am better than Kirsten Dodgen.” 

“Come on, instead of making excuses, how bout you dance better ln?” He scoffs.

“How bout you shove your attitude up your ass, Hwang? Bragging doesn't make you superior.” He bends down to your face in the most condescending way ever. “Having something to brag about is what makes me superior, darling.” You're done with him.

“You'd be so much more likable if you weren't an utter bitch.” You see his gaze drop and you find yourself scoffing. If he chooses to make a conversation escalate he should deal with what's to come.

Before he can say something in return though, Minho interrupts him and drags him out. You walk out before Felix gets the chance to lecture you. 

☆⋆｡°⁠☆

You're in your common room snacking as Minho and Lix argue over their makeup styles. 

"Lemme do your makeup please?" Felix asks for the third time, giving Minho his best puppy eyes, and he is close to cracking, but he has a little bit of dignity left, so he turns to you for help. "Only if yn says so."

"I think lixie's style would look quite pretty on you Min." You munch on a chip, Felix jumping up with a 'yes!' while Minho just looks at you, betrayed. You give him a small smile as an apology.

You are lost in thoughts of how much you adore these two, heart warming at their silly dynamic when you hear a knock on the door. 

“I'll check it.” 

Out of all the people who could have possibly been at your door for any possible reason, it has to be Hwang Hyunjin. 

“Why are you here?” He doesn't give you a direct answer, which isn’t like him, but just looks at his shoes. 

“Can I talk to Lix-”

“He's not here.” You know he is, Hyunjin knows too, but you're not very keen on letting him in. But he doesn't try to force it, he looks almost desperate when he replies. 

“Please just let me talk to him for a moment?” Hyunjin isn't usually polite to you, so you don't actively block him and step aside to let him enter.

Felix is doing Minho’s eyeshadow when he sees him, mutters out a greeting, and only senses something is off when he pays attention to Hyunjin’s face.

“What's up, hyun?” 

“I- uh this is kinda weird but, there's a spare bed in your room right? Since your dorm is for four people.” 

“Jinnie hyung what happened?” 

“Well they're doing some emergency repair work in my room starting today evening and me and Jisung need a place to live for like a few days. Hotels are expensive.” Hyunjin looks the most embarrassed you've ever seen him, you don't know why but you definitely don't want him to stay.

“Jisung already found a place and uh, it's just for a few days-”

“It's ok hyung you can stay in mine.” Felix smiles at him and tells him to go get all the stuff he'll need for those few days. 

As soon as he's out the door you start, “Felix, what the fuck? Did you just invite him to stay over?” He sighs and gives you a look. 

“Look he's my best friend, he's not that bad, besides he's gonna be in my room and I'll keep him in check I promise. It'll be fine.” 

You didn't think it'd be fine. With Hyunjin around it'd never be fine. But you can't think of any way out other than shutting yourself in your room. That works fine for a few hours, Hyunjin brings over his stuff and you can make out sounds of the three boys playing games and goofing around. But you are human. You're hungry. 

You try your best to tiptoe to the kitchen, and you get in safely, but on your way back, you slam into Hyunjin. How fun.

“Come on, yn, at least walk properly.” He brushes himself off like he just touched dirt, and something about that gesture gets to you. In a moment he's shoved against the wall and his breath is knocked out of his lungs. You have him by the collar. 

“What is your problem with me, huh?”, you interrogate, his ears are red but his face is unyielding, “why do you insist on being such an asshole to me? What have I ever done to you?” He gulps but his gaze on you doesn't falter. In another world you'd see what your hand around his neck would feel like.

“You're the one who likes acting superior, someone has to remind you you're not.” He says and some thread of resolve deep within you snaps. 

“Look Hyunjin, I don't know what deep insecurity of yours makes you hostile towards me. But I'm tired of this,” you glare, “I'm tired of you.” 

“You think you have the right to say that huh?”, he scoffs at you, “you were so nice at first why did you decide to hate me all of a sudden?” It's ridiculous how he almost looks hurt. It draws a dry laugh out of you. 

“I'm sorry but I should be the one saying that. Because you were the one who decided to be offended in secret and suddenly start sounding like my-” you almost say it, the reason his words affect you so gravely.

“Like your what?”

“Nevermind.” You let go of his collar and step back, he's not worthy of hearing about your reasons. He stays in place, staring at the ground, when you're about to walk out he speaks.

“It's because I hate you.” He says, you turn to him as he continues. “Rephrase, I hate how nothing budges you. You make me think of everything in my life that's out of my control. You're this seemingly perfect human and nothing gets to you. I wanted to see how far you could be pushed before you break. But you didn't, you never do. And honestly, you make me insecure.” His gaze is fixed on the ground but the irony of the situation gets to you. 

A laugh is drawn out of you at the prospect. “That's low, even by your standard, Hyunjin.” 

“I wanted some confirmation that you're human, that you have insecurities and fears and triggers, but you never show them.” 

“Haven't you pulled enough of my triggers already? Why’re you so hellbent on creating problems for me?”

“Because I don't wanna be less than you,” he says, and the irony makes you wanna strangle him. He mutters a curse. “I have a question. Why did you say that last year?” He asks, much to your confusion.

“Say what?” You ask, he inhales deeply and bites his lip, you're momentarily distracted despite the situation.

“That party at Seungmin’s after summer? I heard what you said.” He looks almost vulnerable but you still don't know what he's talking about so he continues.

“You were talking to someone that day, I heard my name so I was curious, you said I remind you of all the bad things in your life. That you hated me. And you'd been acting so harsh with me that week.”

“What?”, it takes you a moment to register what he's talking about, “oh. That.” 

“Forget it, it wasn't about you.” You say and he smiles at the ground, “So you do hate me.” 

“No, it's not that-”

“Then what is it?” 

“I-, it's my dad. I don't wanna talk about it in detail but you're everything he's ever wanted of me, you remind me of him and you talk the same way. That summer was when I told him I'm not taking his shit anymore. I was telling Minho about it.” Hyunjin looks stunned at the confession. 

“I don't hate you, you know? You just seem like someone too good to be a friend of mine.” He says and you laugh.

“You're so dumb Hwang Hyunjin. I don't forgive you but for the sake of our friends,” you look up at him and he's never looked so expectant, “truce?” His expression changes and you can sense the teasing coming your way.

“Did you just say that? You do like me that much huh?” You slap his arm. 

“Shut up before I change my mind.”  

“Oh, by the way, Lix is playing Moana in a few minutes, he said it's one of your faves, go sit with them, he'll like it. I'll fetch snacks like he told me to.”

You end up watching the movie with them, your snacks are attacked, you discover that Hyunjin does have a sense of humor.

The next day is smoother, you didn't expect Hyunjin to stop being a loudmouth, and he doesn't, but it's more bearable than before, it's not quite friendly yet, you both need time to work to that level after the spontaneous truce, but it's bearable.  

A group study in the library that all four of you agreed to just turned into a heated debate about literature and he may beat you in a dance competition but you'd be damned if he ever beats you in a debate. 

“I may have mistaken the quote for a Khalil Gibran one because it was similar but you quoted Oscar Wilde in a hetero scenario. Come on. You didn't even know what place Odesseus ruled or why Troy happened.” You're in disbelief.

“Ok fine. You got me. I know nothing about literature, especially Greek. Happy?” He admits defeat and you've never felt better. 

“Oh, very happy.” You're sure the grin on your face is annoying the hell out of him. 

You all get home groaning about not wanting to work to make dinner. One thing none of you expected though, is that all of you will miss the snowstorm alert and the notice of classes being canceled. 

“GUYS WE'RE FUCKED!” Felix shouts from the couch where he and Hyunjin are playing a game as you and Minho cook, everyone gathers around the boy as he reads out the alert emailed to all students. Minho groans, you sigh and Felix sits dejected. 

“Why are you all so down? It's just a snowstorm.” Hyunjin says and Felix fills him in about the deteriorated condition of the heater and the potential threat of a power cut. Also the inevitable delay that will happen to his dorm’s repair work.

The dinner is silent not just because of the news but because Felix and Minho know tomorrow is your birthday. 

Felix and Hyunjin are just done doing the dishes when the younger perks up, “I know what to do! WE'LL MAKE A  WARM PILLOW FORT IN ONE OF THE ROOMS!” 

“Lix I don't think that's a good idea.” You're not very excited to do this with Hyunjin around but Minho makes it worse.

“See that makes sense, if all of us sleep in one room it'd be warmer.” You know there's no going back from that so you assist in moving mattresses and blankets to make the nest looking thing ‘for the slumber party’ as Felix says.

Someone's (yours) laptop is propped up on a piece of furniture and a Disney movie, this time of Hyunjin's choosing, is played.

Looking at it positively, there's snacks, you're warm, everyone is having fun while there's a snowstorm outside, you have no classes for two days. It's not that bad. 

No one knows who falls asleep first, but there's no power when you wake up way too early, you wish yourself happy birthday and get up for tea when you're ambushed. Minho seats you back down as he and Felix softly sing the Happy Birthday song in the dark, Hyunjin shifts and wakes up, confused very much at the strange spectacle. 

Phone flashlights are turned on when a Felix-made box of brownies is passed to you, Minho lights a mini candle that you blow out and make a wish. 

“You'll have to wait a little longer for your gifts, though.” Minho says as he gives you a hug. 

The day starts early and the power comes back on in a few hours as the storm calms down. You're told to dress up for the gift giving and Hyunjin is made cameraman. 

Felix gives you a novel you've been wanting for a while along with a beautiful necklace and Minho gets you perfume and calligraphy pens. Hyunjin apologizes for not knowing it's your birthday but you tell him you don't mind.

You're not allowed to help when Minho dictates Felix and Hyunjin as they make some of your favorite food. The spectacle is amusing as can be, Hyunjin is absolutely clueless about cooking and looks lost while Felix runs about trying to manage his tasks as Minho is busy at the stove. The meal is one of the best you've had in a while. 

This is how you like your birthdays, homely, cozy and a little bit silly. 

You didn't expect even a birthday wish from Hyunjin so it's certainly a surprise when he finds you later in the evening and hands you a small painting of a chrysanthemum. 

“I don't know what to give you so I made a painting of your birth flower, but I know you like blue so I made it blue.” 

“I don't- I didn't know you paint so well Hyunjin, this- it's lovely, you didn't have to. Thank you so much.” He just gives you a small smile, which you return.

The flower is beautiful and you notice it's the exact shade of blue as your outfit. You'll keep the painting safe. 

☆⋆｡°⁠☆

There's a couple of weeks left for the competition but your team is making great progress, you're all skilled, Minho is a great mentor and you find that Hyunjin's choreography style is quite similar to yours.

Speaking of Hyunjin, you've been getting along with him better. His jokes aren't as much attacks as they are annoying, he's dramatic and he's stupid but he's also quite thoughtful. Maybe he isn't all that bad.

Hyunjin makes a very unfunny joke and you lightly punch him in the ribs, looking up to find Minho giving you a suspicious look. “What?” He doesn't reply.

When you're all packing up to leave practice when Hyunjin speaks.

“I think we're friends now.” His tone is of false disbelief, he almost looks cute with that exasperated expression.

“God don't say that. I still wanna kill you every time I see you.” You say, but you're laughing. 

You wanna kill him, but you also kind of wanna kiss him. 

Wait. No. 

He's invited over to the dorm today despite his dorm having been fixed long ago. He's bringing Jisung with him, Felix and Jisung are already friends and Minho has taken a unique liking to the boy. 

The offer is of studying together and then later hanging with snacks to find an excuse to ditch a party none of you wanna go to. 

“I call dibs on the big chair!” Jisung yells and Felix claims the next best spot in his own room. Hyunjin settles on the floor because you claim Lix's bed before him and Minho claims another place. 

You throw a folded blanket at him, “Cushion your ass Hwang,” you smirk, “if you have any that is.” Jisung snorts in the corner. “Don't insult the man’s cake like that, yn!” 

A few hours pass with Jisung and Felix chatting between their work and Minho giving them endearing looks, you and Hyunjin just work but you can't help but notice how his eyes flicker to you every other minute. 

You find yourself staring at his lips as his tongue reaches out to wet them, you involuntary mimic his action. He's beautiful, undeniably, but he looks so soft in his pastel blue sweater that you almost forget you used to hate him. You wonder what his hugs feel like.

Wait. No. No, you don't. 

You run to your room to fetch your strawberry lipbalm. 

“Hyunjin put your laptop down for a sec,” he throws you a questioning glance but complies, the other three are too busy to notice what you're doing, the pad of your ring finger swipes the tinted product across his slightly chapped lips, “There.” 

You don't realize what you've until he gulps, “Shit, I'm sorry, I should've asked-”

“Thanks.” He looks a little red and you figure it's the embarrassment of it all. 

☆

You run across Hyunjin again, as he's returning from the kitchen and you're heading there, you walk towards him, not knowing what you're gonna say when the glossy red tint on his lips is so, so enticing. He doesn't protest when your hand is on his face, examining it. 

“The shade suits you.” His breath is uneven and he gulps, you notice his eyes darting down to the same shade on your lips. You don't know why you do it, or how you'll explain it. 

But you kiss him, his lips are every bit as soft as you imagined them to be everytime he bit them. You think you've fucked everything up until he kisses back uncertainly.

You part and your eyes drop down, so does the hand that was previously on his face.  

“I-”, you curse your words for failing you at that moment and the thousand jumbled thoughts in your head that make it difficult to think.

“This never happened.” You say, finally, as you step back. 

“Consider it forgotten.” He confirms. 

Him and Jisung leave after almost an hour, you won't be able to sleep today.

☆⋆｡°⁠☆ 

You said ‘this never happened’, you don't have any explanation of why it proceeded to happen many times afterwards. You would talk about it if only you understood what you're feeling, but you don't. And it's not messing anything up and none of you is ready to give the other an explanation.

There's two days left in the competition, and the preparation is finally done. All of you are satisfied with the final choreography and the decided outfits. Maybe you're a tad bit too interested in the pictures Hyunjin shows of him in his outfit.

Minho insisted for a last run with counts before the hour ended. You look at Hyunjin’s form as he dances, he has complete control over what beats he does and doesn't hit, he looks the best here, you think, in his element. Besides there's certain thoughts you have about his tank top and sweaty body, thoughts that you don't wanna acknowledge. The song ends and Hyunjin stops moving, much to your disappointment.

You look straight at him as you play 'Industry baby' and raise an eyebrow at him in challenge. “You first.” He accepts. The things you do to get Hwang Hyunjin dancing again. 

Minho and Felix both cheer on as the dance battle continues. You beat Yunho on this song and both of them know it. You see Hyunjin's eyes widen when you hit a beat in the chorus with your entire body. He whistles and you take that as an ego boost. The battle was in your favor. 

“Admit I'm better than you,” you say to him, he laughs in response, but not in the mocking way you're familiar with.

“It'd be a cold day in whatever hell you came from before I do that.” He raises a brow at you though he's smiling.

“Gotta tell my dad to turn the AC down.” You deadpan and the three boys snort. 

“Are your trauma jokes always necessary?” 

“No but they're funny so..” 

☆

You're at Hyunjin and Han’s dorm after practice and for a godforsaken reason, Minho and Felix are both somewhere else while you sit awkwardly in Hyunjin's desk chair with your drink. He's still in the shower, you were all previously in this room but the three decided to leave you alone with Hyunjin. They're doing that a lot these days. Hyunjin's blow dryer is loud. 

He steps out and you almost choke on your boba. He's shirtless. You look in the opposite direction as fast as you can.

“Don't worry, darling, you can look. I know I'm irresistible.” 

“Shut up before I throw my boba at you.” but you look anyway, he somehow looks better than what you'd imagined was under his tank top. 

This time you let your eyes trail over him, from collarbones to the slightly visible v-line above his sweatpants, just to see who looks away first. He feels your vision on him like it's cold winter air, but doesn't look away. 

You take that as a challenge, you put your drink away and walk to him. He doesn't look away. Your hand finds his waist, he inhales sharply and you pull him to you. Your other hand finds his nape when there's barely any distance left between you. He still doesn't give up. 

“It’s almost like you want me to do something,” you let your eyes run shamelessly across his skin, “tell me to stop.” He doesn't, so you kiss him. And he kisses back, this time with certainty. You let the feeling soak into you for a moment. It's him who takes it further, and you retaliate, you bite his lower lip right when you give his hair a little tug and he gasps into your mouth, his hands roam your body and you let them.  

You push him back until his knees hit his bed and he lets himself fall, his hands find your waist again as soon as you're straddling him, this time your hand is on his neck instead of his hair, you let him kiss you once more before your lips are attached to his jawline, then down to his collarbone, your teeth nip at his skin and your hand presses at the sides of his neck experimentally, his arms tighten around you and he moans. You peel yourself away from him to look at his face, the redness from his face has bled down his neck to half his chest. Cute.

“You're.. extremely red.” You say.

“Shut up.” 

“Like.. cherry red.” You tease.

“Go to hell.” You laugh but gasp when he pulls you down to lay over him and engulfs you in a sort of bear hug. It feels surprisingly nice. 

“I can't go back home right now but your company is a better substitute for hell don't you think?” He pushes you off of him at that. 

“Hey I was kidding-” 

There's a knock on the door and Hyunjin runs for his shirt and you run to fix your hair and grab your drink.

“What’re you guys doing in there with the door closed?” It's Han. You'd strangle him if he wasn't Minho's favorite.  

“Mind your own Jisung, I just got out of the shower!” Hyunjin yells, “And y'all were the ones who left me alone here what the fuck Han?” You add. 

There's things one only notices when they're very, very close to someone. Hyunjin has a faint mole under his left eye.

☆⋆｡°⁠☆

It's competition day and you have a problem. In the heat of the moment, you'd forgotten how low cut his stage outfit was. Now you're trying not to look as Jisung and Felix interrogate Hyunjin about where he got the hickeys from. He doesn't give anything away, thankfully, you're not ready to explain something you're not even sure about, but Minho has been awfully quiet and you think he's suspecting something. 

All thoughts leave your head as you hear the host of the evening start introducing the event, the order of performances is announced and Ateez is called on first, everyone expects them to win. There's a few more teams before you and your team is close to the last, you count a few possible opponents who are good competition, like the Soobin and Yeji’s teams, you know most of the participants from Uni. 

Watching others perform, you can feel the familiar pre performance adrenaline taking over. You love it. This rush is part of the reason you do dance competitively. 

Hyunjin comes up to you and gives your hand a little squeeze, “let's kill this yeah?” “Oh we absolutely will.” 

And you do. The cheers get louder as the performance progresses and choosing a song this heavy on beats may have cost all of you your lungs during practice, but you move like you know each other's bodies and Ateez doesn't look so smug anymore. The hyped crowd is all so worth it. 

As Felix predicted, the bridge is the part which gets the loudest cheers.

There's only two performances after yours and the results come in soon after. The host thanks the sponsors and announces the positions bottom to top. Yeji’s teams is runner up.

Soobin’s team is third. The boys hug each other before they run to collect their prize, their friends cheer for them. But your heart starts beating violently soon afterwards, you're standing behind MinLix, so Hyunjin takes your hand, he's jittery so you let him.

Ateez, Hongjoong’s team, is second. You heave a sigh of relief and Hyunjin relaxes, though he doesn't let go of your hand. Ateez boys look upset and you suppress the urge to smile. 

Your team is announced first place and the four of you jump in joy and you hear Jisung screaming from the audience. 

☆

You're all dizzy with laughter when Jisung excuses himself to go to the bathroom and MinLix leave to find a friend. Why do they keep doing that? 

Ateez takes this as an appropriate time to approach you two, though they don't even acknowledge your presence. Yunho keeps looking the opposite way, he always does that around you since he was beaten in the dance battle.

“You won't always keep winning Hwang.” Hyunjin rolls his eyes at him but looks uncomfortable, you identify this boy as Wooyoung. A more slender boy? person? human? approaches next with shocked eyes. 

“Is that a hickey, Jinnie?” Though he uses a nickname, it's clear that he means nothing good when he pokes Hyunjin's collarbone with his finger. Hyunjin mumbles a ‘shut up’ but they ignore him. Hyunjin looks like he'd rather be anywhere than here. The next one to say something is Hongjoong, you've seen him around. He's no good.

“Looks like the pretty boy has finally found himself a girlfriend. Or did you find a sugar daddy, Hyunjin? Where'd you get the hickey from?” The whole group snickers behind him and Hyunjin is clenching his jaw. He looks angry and you decide to do something.

“Well he got it from me. You got a problem with that?” You raise a brow at the man, he's barely taller than you.

“Oh come on, l/n. Everyone knows you hate him. Why defend him just because he's on your team?” You take a step further, and look directly at him. 

“Are you calling me a liar, Kim Hongjoong?” He smirks back at you and you never thought any smirk except Hyunjin's could ever make you this angry, but you wanna punch him in the face right here. 

“No, l/n. I'm just saying that's a little difficult to believe considering you were at each other's throats not long ago. If you want us to believe, why don't you give us some proof, eh?” He sneers, clearly expecting you to falter and deny the whole thing.

You laugh at his face, “You want proof huh? Well, how about this?” You turn and kiss Hyunjin, with your arms around his shoulders and his around your torso. Deep enough to make them uncomfortable.

“Alright we get the point. Enough. You're in public, l/n.” When you part, Hyunjin smiles at them in a way you know will piss them off. Because it did the same to you not long ago.

“Well you're the one who wanted proof Kim. Now fuck right off. If I see you bothering my arch enemy again, you won't be allowed into the art history class anymore. Mark my words.” 

You drag Hyunjin to a quiet corner, away from the crowd and shoot a text to the other boys telling them to meet you both at Hyunjin's dorm. 

You check up on the boy and he looks miserable. “Hey. You fine? I'm sorry I should have let you deal with it without interfering.” You apologize but he shakes his head.

“No, that was really funny, I'm sure it pissed them off, just- I'm sorry you had to witness that.” He looks dejected and you can't find it even in the cruelest parts of you to not help him.

“Hey. Listen. I don't care what they think of themselves but they don't deserve to make you feel bad about anything. And I don't think any less of you because they decide to be assholes, if anything I respect you more now.” He gives you a small nod and a smile, this time, an actual, genuine smile.

“Would mind if I just..” he wraps his arms around you and his head comes to rest on your shoulder, “stay like this for a bit?” You hug him back and nothing needs to be said for a while. Hyunjin's hugs do feel nice.

When you bring him back to his dorm, the joke on the tip of Jisung’s tongue doesn't get the chance to escape. He looks concerned for Hyunjin, that's the first time you've seen the boy serious. They exchange glances and it's like he just knows what happened. 

The evening is a quiet sort of celebratory, and you find yourself trying to avoid Hyunjin as much as possible. How are you going to explain anything you're feeling to him when you can't even explain it to yourself? Minho and Jisung make everyone ramen and a sleepover ensues. You're all in Jisung’s room, him and Minho in the same bed, you, Felix and Hyunjin on the floor. Why Hyunjin's not in his own bed is weird to you. Maybe sleepover spirit.

When you wake up to get water you find Hyunjin isn't in his place anymore. He isn't in the kitchen either. You're avoiding him but you don't wanna be the prime suspect if he's found dead. 

You roam around and find him his room, sketching in the faint light of his night light like the lunatic he is, you smack the back of his head, you forgot how dramatic he can be, and you have to cover his mouth so he doesn't scream. “Shut up, you idiot. It's me,” he licks your hand, “eww. Filthy.” You wipe the hand on his shoulder.

“You literally made out with me in public, how's that filthy?” You notice what he's wearing, a white shirt, with the first two buttons undone. You smack him again.

“You idiotic dunce! Do you wanna catch a fucking cold it's literally late November!” He winces and reaches for the sweater beside him, you try to see what he's sketching but he hides it with almost superhuman speed. “Chill Hyunjin, I don't wanna spy on you.” 

“Why are you awake?” He asks.

“I could ask you the same thing.” 

“I woke up and couldn't go back to sleep.” 

“Samesies. Though unlike you, I don't voluntarily ruin my eyesight when I wake up a bit too early.” You gesture to the lack of light and he sighs.

“What do you do then?” The question catches you off-guard, it sounds genuine and for some reason you answer it genuinely.

“I write poems. In light.”

“Poems about what?” 

“That's none of your business.” Your voice suddenly sounds cold and you curse yourself for turning out so hostile with your reply. 

“Sorry. I won't intrude-”

“No. I- I don't like sharing it. I don't like sharing at all actually.”

“I get that. There's parts of me I don't like sharing either. Don't feel bad about it.”

“Why didn't I ever notice how thoughtful you are?” 

“Maybe cuz you never tried to.” He presses his lips together and you suddenly feel bad about yourself. 

“Hey,” he says, “I wanna say sorry. I know how much of an asshole I've been to you. It doesn't deserve much forgiveness but it's bothering me a lot. So I say it again: I'm sorry for everything I've said and done.”

You search your brain for any reasons to not forgive him. But with the way he's been the last month, you don't find any. “I forgive you.” You say, and it's like some invisible tension is released from his body. He smiles at you. “Thank you.” 

“Hyunjin?” 

“Yes?” 

“Let's get to know each other more.”

“How?” 

“I'll ask a question, we both answer it, then you ask one.” He nods, so you ask.

“What's something you'd do if money wasn't a factor? I'd be a philosopher or a writer.” 

“I'd be an artist or a dancer maybe. If you could live in one fictional universe, which one would it be? I'd love to be in the Harry Potter universe but the author’s racist.” 

“I think I'd like to live in either Dan Brown's or Rick Riordan’s books.” 

“What's something you wish more people in the world understood?”

That night you feel closer to him than you've ever been. You discover Hyunjin is an incredibly sentimental person, he also is a romantic, he's an only child, his parents are divorced, he has a dog back at home. So many things you never knew about him. He's flawed, you're flawed, but he’s not a bad human being. You hope you aren't one either. 

Ofcourse him being a thoughtful person doesn't rule out the annoying ass he is.

You both don't go to sleep again, you chat while he continues his drawing and you scroll through your notes app editing your writings. You find yourself enjoying his company. Two months ago, if someone told you you'd find peace around him, you would have laughed. 

☆

The five of you seem to stay together almost all the time now that Jisung is also a part of the group. The text comes when you're all out eating a few days later. Minho is offended when you forget to answer his question in favor of staring at your phone. When he sees your expression is when he realizes something's off. 

“What's wrong?” He says, and everyone’s eyes are on you. 

“He wants to meet me. Tomorrow. He's coming here.” Minho doesn't need another word to understand what you're talking about, but the rest of the boys stay confused. Yet no one questions why you excuse yourself in the middle of the meal to go back home. 

Minho doesn't disturb you when you lock yourself in the room you both share, choosing to sleep in Felix’s room instead. He knows you'll need to deal with your father alone. Even if the man refuses to let you be when you've practically abandoned him. 

The next day you leave the house after they're both gone for their last classes. You don't expect the meeting with your father to be anything good, but you know that he'll hunt you down to your dorm or lectures if you don't go where he wants you.  

He never is genuinely happy to see you, you learnt to tell his expressions apart when you were 8, and his smile right now is definitely a fake. He orders a coffee for himself and you politely deny his offer to get you one as well.

He says the same thing he does every time you meet him, trying to convince you of God knows what. You're tired of having this same conversation over and over again.

“Don't do this to me. You're my child.”

“I’m not just your child, I'm a person. You've done enough damage. Stay away from me.” 

“But how can you leave me alone? I'm getting older and I have no one to rely on-” 

“And whose fault is that?” 

“I'm sorry! Ok? But you don't respect me, can't I even want respect and company from my child?” The statement makes you wanna punch him but you just laugh. 

“Don't start talking about respect. Respect is earned, and you did nothing to earn it. And if you couldn't give me the love and support you should have given your child, at least give me the privacy and independence every human deserves.” 

“But-”

“I told you that day. I don't know you anymore. It'd be wise of you to stay away from me if you don't want the police called on you.” 

He tries to say more but you just walk out of the cafe and back to your dorm. You know he won't follow you. He's too egoistic for that. 

☆⋆｡°⁠☆

Minho hasn't slept in his own bed for two days, and you haven't seen sunlight in quite a while. The stream of texts your father sent you after your meeting, accusing you of being an ungrateful offspring and a useless human were much more depressing than the real conversation, the one you didn't allow to happen. Finally blocking him felt good nonetheless. You're tired of the responsibility of interacting with him.

You get out of bed and your entire body feels stiff, and your eyes are glitching. Maybe keeping the blinds down for two whole days wasn't a good idea. And you smell. But you still can't find the willpower to shower. 

There's a knock on your door. Minho.

“Yn? You there? I need something from my closet.” You open the door for him and his demeanor softens at your state. He knows you since highschool, he's the only one who knows what's going on and the extent to which it matters.

“Hey. Why don't you go shower, hm? The boys are all outside, they're concerned cuz they haven't seen you for some time but I'll tell them not to worry, ok?” You probably should shower. You nod at him and step out to go to the bathroom. 

Your body feels a lot better afterwards, but the world still sort of feels colorless, you decide to go get some food other than the snacks you lived on for two days. Maybe some actual food will make you feel better. There's a sticky note from Minho addressed to you on the microwave.

‘your meal inside :) finish it all’ 

You smile. He never stops taking care of all of you, that's how he shows you love.

The meal makes you feel a little alive, but the color in your world is still absent.

The boys ask you if you're ok on you way back to your room, you give them a small smile and true to Minho's words, none of them tries to dig you for information. You do notice the unexpected concern on Hyunjin's face. Weird.

Maybe you should go to your classes tomorrow.

☆

The crowd of the noon classes will never be something you like, but at least your first class is something you like and share with Hyunjin and Felix. You zone out somewhere in the middle of the lecture and your brain, your actual enemy, decides to give you thoughts about your upbringing. No matter how hard you try to focus on something else, your mind gets stuck on how unfair your father always was to you. How he deserves to die alone. How you don't feel sorry for saying that. Your lungs have been restricted since that day, but it's becoming more difficult for you to breathe every minute. You need to get out of here. You really need to get out of the crowd before you start hyperventilating.

Hyunjin saw you hurriedly ask the professor to excuse you, he asked the professor to let him go after you, and seeing how you looked, the professor let him. 

You haven't had a meltdown in a long time and your lungs burn as your breathing becomes labored, you find a quiet corridor to hide from the footsteps behind you. 

Your legs go weak and the weight of the ceiling doubles and presses down on your head. You drop to your knees. 

“Yn!” His hand is on your shoulder and you swat it away before you can even comprehend it. Things are too fast, way too fast for your brain to help. 

“Get away!” You can't have him here right now, not when you're vulnerable and he has the power to rip you apart. Your brain doesn't trust him with this.

“Let me help-” 

“I don't need help! Es- Especially from you.” You never see the hurt that flashes in his eyes because something that feels like a strong blow to your chest knocks the air out of your lungs. You clutch your top, even the fabric feeling like a restriction on breathing. 

You hear him mumble a ‘fuck it'  before he knnels down beside you and you're pressed to his chest in a protective hug. Your mental barrier collapses. 

Tears escape you like a dam overflowing, your brain not functional enough to form a coherent sentence. Years of bottled up hurt, the emotionally overwhelming events of the last few days and the unpleasant reminders of everything you lack flow out in ugly sobs as Hyunjin runs a comforting hand across your back. No questions asked. You surprise yourself with how broken your crying sounds.

Your breathing is choked and painful, quite like your life in your childhood home. But there was no one to help you calm down there, no one telling you ‘its okay, you're safe, try to follow my breathing hm?’

You follow his instructions the best you can, calming down enough for some air to flow into your lungs. He makes you drink water and runs to the lecture hall to fetch both of your backpacks. He takes you back to your dorm and gets you a snack without asking a single question. He deems your own room too depressing for you to stay in so he brings you to the kitchen. He observes you carefully until he's sure you're fine.

“I know you don't trust me to help you,” he sighs and regret washes over you like a wave, “forget about the rest of your classes today, get some rest. I'll go back now-” He reaches for his backpack when you speak up. 

“Hyunjin- wait.” He says nothing, but just looks at you, wanting you to continue. 

“Stay,” you say, your eyes still burn from the crying and you don't want to feel alone anymore, “please.” 

He sighs and sets the backpack down. 

“I don't want you to tell me everything, but I can't help if I have no idea what's wrong.” 

He lets you reach out to hug him, you ignore all the confusing feelings in the back of your head. 

“I'm sorry. Even talking about it reminds me of the details. And that usually ends up worse than what happened a few minutes ago.” 

“Mhm.” His hand pats down your messed up hair and you don't remember a touch ever being this comforting.

“It's my dad. I met him a couple days ago, he tried to get me to stay around because apparently he doesn't wanna die alone. But I refused and walked out. He resorted to his old behavior and flooded my texts with all the things he always keeps saying about me. About how I'm useless, no good at anything I do, disrespectful and not worthy of any love and things like that. It got to me more than it should have, but hey, I finally blocked him.”

“I'm proud of you for doing that. And let me tell you something. You're incredibly good at everything you do. You're so smart, and such a good dancer. I was so jealous of you when I first met you.” He says, and you believe him despite your brain saying he's lying to you. 

“Your friends all love you so much. Would you really let a man with no company tell you whether you deserve love or not?”

“But I haven't earned it. I've done nothing to deserve that love.” He makes a disbelieving sound at the statement.

“Love isn't something you have to earn, it's something that is given out of will. And if someone gives you their love without you asking for it. Then you certainly deserve it. Whoever tries to tell you otherwise is lying to you, ok? It took me a while to understand this but trust me. It's the truth.” You nod into his shoulder before you break the hug to look at him. 

“Since when do you care about me, huh?” You joke, not even expecting an answer but he gives you one. 

“Since when? I don't know. All I know is I care about you a lot. I don't like seeing you hurt. Which, again, makes me feel guilty as fuck for acting like I did to you. I don't know why I was so selfis-” 

“Shh, it's in the past now, we're even. I don't mind having you around now.” 

“Is that you being soft for me darling?” There goes his teasing, this warrants the punch in the rib you give him. He grunts in response but laughs anyway. 

“Would you find it funny if I ask you for cuddles right now?” You say, and he looks surprised, but happy nonetheless. 

“I'd find it adorable.” You drag him to your bed. 

“We need to make your room look less depressing after this okay?” He says and you nod before you let yourself fall on top of him, getting an ‘oof’ in reply before he arms come up to hold you. 

You feel puzzled about this whole situation with him and matter how much you like it, you need to clarify it. 

“Hey, Hyunjin?” He hums.

“This, whatever it is, do you want it? Should we like, talk about it?” He doesn't get angry like you expected him to, but replies calmly. 

“I like whatever it is. If you wanna talk about it, we should. I'm not sure I even have a name for it though.”

“I don't have one either. I don't really understand feelings. But I don't want this to stop. Do you?” 

“No. No I don't.”

“Minho knows something's up with us.” 

“I know, I've seen him looking at us suspiciously, though I don't think he hates it though.”

“He's my insurance. Just know he'll murder if you decide to become a bitch to me again.” 

“I won't. Promise.”

☆

You're both up before the other occupants of your dorm come back with Jisung inevitably tagging along. When Minho comes back the first thing he does is check up on you. You tell him about the little breakdown and Hyunjin helping you. He stares at Hyunjin for a good minute as if gauging him for signs of danger but then shrugs and thanks him.

You explain your complicated relationship with your father in minimal detail to the other two boys just so they don't worry too much in uncertainty. It is decided that everyone will go out together to eat and celebrate the upcoming winter break. 

You don't go home for winter break, but Felix and Minho do, so does Jisung, so it's just you and Hyunjin together for Christmas. You don't hate the prospect. 

Two days after the three boys are gone you two decide it's better staying in one place than continuously having to meet each other to prepare for the celebration. You don't hate this either. 

Hyunjin is fun to be around, he's hilarious on top of being beautiful, you're almost sure you have feelings for him, feelings of what sort and how deep, that you don't know. Maybe you'll add one more poem about it to the collection that has been growing everyday. 

You learn he's much more affectionate than you thought he'd be, he's almost always close to you. He isn't clingy per se, but he's always close. Like right now. 

You're trying one of Minho’s recipes and he has got you convinced there's flour on your face, though you're sure you've added more flour to your face in your attempts to remove the original bit because he's laughing like you're a clown. 

“Hyunjin if you're not helping I'm going to the bathroom to wash it off-”

“Wait.” He cups your face and swipes his thumb at your jaw to get the first bit off, he's closer than he needs to be, though you don't think you care. The second bit of flour is on your forehead apparently, that's where his hand is even though his eyes are on your lips. You're almost certain he wants to kiss you. So you do the next reasonable thing. 

Put flour on his nose and run. 

“Hey! Not fair!” He tries to catch you but fails, and like you're toddlers, a game of chase starts.

“Come back here!” He laughs and you return it. 

“Nope. Not coming back there.” You run up to Lix's room.

“Alright have it your way.” He grabs a pillow and before you can tell him no, you're in the middle of a pillow fight. He tries to hit you on the head but misses, and your pillow lands square in his face. He recovers soon after though, and somehow manages to snatch away your pillow and pin you down on the bed.

You're both dizzy with laughter. “All I wanted was a kiss! The betrayal! I want payback!” He complains like the dramatic toddler he is. “Well deal with it Hwang. You're not getting any kisses on Lix’s bed, have some shame.” You push him off in a moment of weakness and take off again.

“NOT AGAIN!”

“The stuff in the oven will burn dumbass!” 

The dinner is made and eaten without incident, thankfully. You make Hyunjin sleep in Felix's room, being pretty doesn't give him an automatic ticket to yours, you like occupying all the space by yourself.

☆⋆｡°⁠☆

You're cold. Too cold. It's almost as if the coldness has seeped into your bones. With every moment the pressure on your body increases, you feel like you're drowning, when your eyes open all you see is a distorted sheet of blue. You are drowning. Your body is slowly sinking deeper. The pressure is pressing down on your brain and your ribs, you call for help but your words aren't heard, not even by you. You scream but no sound escapes your watery prison, you strain your throat with how hard you're trying to make a sound, to scream for help- 

You wake hyperventilating, like you always do from this same nightmare. It takes you a good minute to catch your breath. 

The next thing you do is calculate how much self respect you can sacrifice from your dwindling resources to fall asleep again. Because you certainly won't be able to sleep alone for the rest of the night. 

His door’s open. Maybe disturbing him a little wouldn't hurt? Well that would be the case if he were sleeping. 

“Are you fucking nocturnal?” You say, and you watch him jump and the phone fall from his hand.

“God who even lurks in the dark like that? How do you not make a sound? Are you a vampire?” 

“I dunno. Instincts. Not a vampire though, sadly. Why’re you up?”

“Can't sleep. You?”

“Stupid dream.” You seat yourself beside him. You both seem to have something against sleeping properly.

“Wanna talk about it?” He's put his phone down, you notice. 

“Only if you tell me why you never sleep.” He contemplates for a moment then shrugs. 

“No details but nights never meant good things for me growing up. I'm a light sleeper and on the bad days even footsteps wake me up. Sometimes I can't sleep at all.” He shrugs.

“I can sleep most nights, but I have this recurring dream where I'm drowning for some reason. I can't sleep after waking up from that one. Why are nights bad for you? Memories?” 

“Yeah. I don't like talking about it.” 

“You wanna try going back to sleep or you wanna do something else?” You ask.

“I’d go back to sleep but it seems impossible now.” You don't remember ever relating to him as much as you do right now.

“C'mere.” You gesture to the space beside you, to your surprise he doesn't protest. “Talk to me about anything until it's morning or one of us starts feeling sleepy.” And he does. Your discussion goes from fiction to emotions to the way people behave and then back to anime then to art to poetry and then what not. But when you wake up, there's so much light in the room that you're almost sure it's noon. And you can't move. 

“Hyunjin. Wake up.” He doesn't. “Hyunjin! You stupid ferret, get off me.” He budges a little at that. So much for claiming to be a light sleeper huh? You need to push him off of you before you can get up and check the time. 

11:40 am. Wow. That's a solid 7 hours of sleep. 

You get up to clean up and find something to eat. By the time you shower and dig into your bowl of cereal, Hyunjin finds his way to the kitchen with a puffy face. Adorable. 

“Good Morning, ferret. Sleep well?” You joke. 

“Very well actually, why're you eating cereal…. sitting on the table?” 

“I dunno,” you shrug, “seemed fun.”

You're never witnessed an actually groggy Hyunjin before this and it's hilarious. He's dazed and almost hit his head on the counter. Thrice. It's almost surprising that he manages to get himself water without breaking anything.

“You left me alone.” He complains when you're done washing your cereal bowl. 

“Well I'm sorry but I had to. I was hungry.” 

“No fair.” In a few seconds you discover handling the weight of a tall guy is quite a task. Is it a hug or are you being crushed to death? You're not sure. “Ok I'm sorry let me breathe please!” 

You can finally breathe when he lets go of you, “Now go shower. Your breath’s nasty.” He doesn't reply but just messes up your hair before running off. 

☆⋆｡°⁠☆

You should have known. Maybe you can't let good things happen to yourself without attempting to destroy them.

“You're not the brightest outside class, are you Hwang?” You're watching him struggle with figuring out what spice is what. 

“You only say that cuz you're jealous of my class smarts.” He rolls his eyes at you.

“Oh please, you were behind me by a whole grade in two classes last semester.”

“That wasn't my 100%, I had stuff to deal with.” 

“All excuses, aren't they?” 

“Everything is a competition for you isn't it?” He sounds disappointed but you're not the bigger person.

“Isn't it for you too?” 

“No it isn't. Forgive me for not wanting to compete for everything in my life.” 

“Why? Scared?” The conversation escalates before you realize it and you blame your tendency to argue with him.

“Why are you so obsessed with being the best?” He's no longer calm.

“You tell me. You were the one mocking me for always being second for a whole damn year!”

“Oh come on, there's more to it! Why are you so fragile about it?” 

“You and your taunts are all there is to it and I'm reacting like anyone would. Why were you so insistent on beating me in everything?” 

“Oh, come on! There's definitely stuff you're not saying, why can't you open up to me?” 

“I don't want to say anything. Why the fuck do you even want me to open up to you?” 

“Because I want to fix this!” 

“And why does fixing it matter?” 

“Because I like you god damn it! Are you that dumb?” 

“Bullshit. You suddenly like me after a whole year of hating me huh?” 

“Why else do you think I'm doing this? Why else would I agree to this?” 

“Maybe cuz it'd make for a very funny scenario don't you think? ‘Hey look at them developing feelings for me just because we stopped trying to kill each other’ sounds hilarious doesn't it?” You don't even know where all this is coming from but you never completely ruled out the prospect of all this being an act on his side. 

He didn't think so, that much is visible on his face when you finally find the guts to look at him. Fuck. You just can't stop hurting people in your life huh? 

“I'm sorry.” You apologize before you turn to leave, but he doesn't let you. Instead of being angry like you thought he'd be, he just pulls you into a hug. The gesture does something to you that you can't quite figure out. 

“Let go of me.” You don't want him to, but you can't find the courage to face this. You're too weak.

“No. I'm not letting you go anywhere.” 

“I don't deserve this Hyunjin. Staying for me will get you nowhere. You're stupid if you-”

“Well, I’m sorry I fell in love with you, okay? But it happened and I can’t do shit about it.” 

“You… what?” That's not a confession one would expect out of him. But you can't say you didn't do the same.

“You heard me. And I'm not letting you leave without even trying.” You've never heard so much emotion in his voice, even in the few months that you both spent together, you're sure his eyes would be glossy if you look at him now. So you don't.

“But-”

“We need to sort this out, yeah? You can't keep running from everything.” 

Your tears always choose the worst time to appear. 

“I'm so fucking sorry, I didn't-, I'm not…… used to feeling this way ok?” 

“I know. And that's fine. I never expected this to be easy. It's okay.”

“I'm sorry I- I want to trust you. I want to. But it's so difficult..” 

“I don't blame you. We both barely know about the things that we had to deal with. Trust doesn't happen without communication does it? That's why we need to talk to each other. About everything. Even the stuff we don't like sharing. Nothing will work without that, right?” 

It feels like he knows how to take your jumbled up mess of thoughts and feelings and make sense of it in ways you don't even understand. So you talk, about everything you don't like sharing, about your fears and their origins, about the troubles you have with trusting people, about the insecurities you relate to your image, about the pressure you keep putting on yourself to be the best there is and why you do so. 

And he does too, about the way he feels out of control of everything and why that happens, how it feels like an obligation to put his own feelings aside and live by the reputation expected of him, about why loud footsteps or just loud sounds scare him, why yelling brings back bad memories, how he feels like he's carrying a heavy weight from his past along with him wherever he goes, how his coping mechanisms have caused both of you damage. 

And by the end of the conversation it doesn't feel so difficult to trust him anymore. He wouldn't hurt you, not on purpose at least. If he does, well, maybe you want to take the chance. For the sake of it. Maybe you don't hate the feeling of vulnerability. 

“If I fuck this up,” you look at him as you speak, “promise me you'll leave.” 

“You won't. I know.” 

“I hope you're right. I'm sorry for being so stupid.” 

“If we want this to work the first thing you'll have to do is stop apologizing for everything.” It's almost like you're a toddler being scolded. 

“I'm sorr-”

“Not again.” 

“Shit my bad-”

“Hey!”

“Okay! I get it! No saying sorry for everything.” 

“Good.” 

You like his hugs. They're warm. But you also like chaos. So you pinch his waist, the boy is dramatic, of course he jumps and looks at you with the most disbelieving wide eyes.

“What was that for?” 

“That was for being stupidly pretty.”

“So we're doing compliments now, darling?” He's never gonna stop doing this is he?

“If you use the tease voice I'll pinch you harder I swear.”

“Not sure I'd mind,” before he can finish the sentence though, you have him trapped between your arms and the dinner table, he seems quite happy with it, “you seem to like me quite a lot, don't you darling?” 

“And? What if I do?” 

☆⋆｡°⁠☆

Your roommates expected to find stuff when they returned from their homes, but stuff definitely didn't include you and Hyunjin arguing over who gets the last piece of cake. The fight seemed…. unserious.

They definitely didn't expect it to end in you and him sharing the last bit. You and Hyunjin. Sharing. Unheard of.

The real surprise came when they were done unpacking. You caught Felix in his room. 

“Hey Lix, guess what?” Poor sweet soul of his, already interested in what you have to say.

“What?”

“I'm dating someone.”

“WHAT? Who?!” 

“Try guessing.” He looks confused but attempts nonetheless.

“Soyeon?” 

“Look I mentioned her being hot one time. That don't mean I'm dating her.” 

“Then who?” 

“Who did I spend winter with?” He gives you a look that says ‘bitch tf’.

“Oh come on. I may be a little clueless but there's no fucking way you're dating Hwang Hyunjin.”

“Oh yeah? Why don't you go ask him? He's explaining the same thing to Minho right now.” 

You find them in the kitchen, and as you expected, Minho looks like it's a normal day for him. No surprise at all. 

Felix however, is quite close to losing it. 

“Hyunjin. Tell me they're making a fool of me.” He says, but Hyunjin stays silent and you fear Felix is actually on the brink of insanity. 

“What the fuck.” It's almost a whisper when he says it. Both you and Hyunjin cannot hold back your laughter. Their reaction was exactly what you predicted.

Minho is the one who speaks up next.

“Come on, Lix. These two weren’t even that subtle. Where'd you think Hyunjin got that hickey from? Just a few weeks after these two stopped fighting? Why do you think I insisted on leaving them alone together?” 

You knew it was his plan. How else would you end up alone with Hyunjin at the most convenient times ever?

“Lee Minho you little fucker, you better sleep with one eye open.” You joke.

“Look at how ungrateful you are. I helped you and you give me death threats? Betrayal,” he's smiling at you, when he turns to Hyunjin however, he looks murderous, “if I hear you hurt my best friend in any way, the world will run out of places for you to hide in. Trust me on that.” 

“Enough Min, you'll scare away my boyfriend.” 

Boyfriend huh? That felt nice to say. 

“Now who's gonna tell Jisung?” 

“Let's all just head to his dorm. Help the boy with unpacking too.” 

“You seem keen on meeting him, Min. What's the matter?” The question only gets you elbowed in the rib.

Jisung's reaction is as loud as you anticipated but he doesn't seem too surprised, you ask him why.

“Oh Hyunjin always rants about things, I'm his roommate, I figured something was up with you.” 

Later, when you have your boyfriend to yourself, you decide to ask him about it.

“So, about what Jisung said”

“Don't believe him, I beg you.”

“Save the begging for other things, I'd say it's pretty plausible, considering you rant about a lot.”

“I do NOT monologue about my crushes, case closed.” Hyunjin really needs to control his fidgeting if he wants to get away with lying. 

You cup his face, “Why are you denying it? It's adorable.” 

“Not funny?”

“Maybe a little funny.” The urge to kiss his nose is strong, so you don't fight it. You die a little when he scrunches up his face on reflex. 

He's adorable and maybe you're a little obsessed.

“I can't believe cornering you somewhere is all it takes to make you blush!” You laugh, because you have him cornered right now. Against his desk this time. 

“It is not!” He defends himself to no avail, it makes you laugh, you're growing increasingly fond of him. 

“Such a pretty liar, huh? Quit trying to deny it, love.” That's the first affectionate nickname you've given him. And its effect is visible, if the smile on his face is anything to go by.

“Shut up and kiss me.” 

“How demanding.” But you do it anyway. And he takes it forward, like he does everytime, this time you're not confused. You want him. He wants you. And it's the best feeling ever. If he walks out of this room with hickeys later on, you don't need to act clueless. He's yours. 

But with the way his lips attach to your skin, maybe you'll be the target of your friends’ judgemental glances as well this time. You don't mind. You're his. 

If Jisung comes knocking now you're pretty sure you won't hear it over Hyunjin. The boy is sensitive. 

☆

“Maybe getting those two together was a bad idea, I can hear them and I'm sitting in a different room!” 

“Leave them alone, let's go to ours. We can't keep sitting here any longer like we're not hearing anything.” 

☆⋆｡°⁠☆

Hwang Hyunjin, how you love him and how his existence is a slap in the face of your father. He's everything good. But first off he's yours. And he loves you. Maybe clay doesn't need to be broken to be fixed, maybe if you just paint over the fingerprints and love the shapes as they are, you'll see some beauty in it. Hyunjin sees beauty in you that's for sure, he never seems to get tired of drawing you, being someone's muse is a wonderful feeling. He's your muse as well though, with the entire collection of writings he's prompted by simply existing. You recited some to him one day, maybe you'll give him a handwritten version of the rest on his birthday.

☆

You think it's ironic, you're back where you started, movie night in your dorm. Only this time you're tangled up with Hyunjin and the three boys are in a weird heap of limbs. Whatever they are, they're your friends. You're not gonna judge. 

But they will definitely keep judging the PDA Hyunjin makes them all witness. 

“You're both disgusting!” It's Jisung, and he's pulled back to sit by a worked up Felix. “He meant disgustingly cute!” 

“Why are you running damage control? They are disgusting.” That's Minho, just trying to eat his pudding.

This is how you like stuff, cozy, homelike, and a little bit silly.  

☆

“HWANG HYUNJIN DID YOU EAT THE LAST CUPCAKE?” 

“I didn't know it was yours!” You will chase him around the place until you get payback. You can hear the other boys laughing their asses off at how terrified Hyunjin is. 

He tries to take off in the opposite direction of you but is a few seconds late. 

“Caught ya! Now apologize!” You pinch his ear and his yelp is the most amusing thing for Jisung, it seems.

“Ow! I'm sorry your majesty! I will never touch your food again.” You almost think you've won before he runs off. You catch him again, obviously. This time in your room. 

“You little thief Hwang, I hate you.” You're out of breath and you're laughing. “Hate and love, same thing aren't they, darling?” He will never stop with that teasing tone. 

“Hmm, maybe you need a better lesson. You're lucky you're pretty, love.” His hair is messed up and he's slightly out of breath, there's a lopsided grin on his face. He's probably the prettiest being to ever exist.

You lean close and the expression on his face shifts a little, he looks a little doubtful, uncertain, almost vulnerable.

“Do you really want me?” He wants you to affirm it, to assure him.

“You know I do.”

☆⋆｡°⁠☆

#skz #stray kids #kpop #hyunjin #stray kids x reader #skz fluff #hyunjin x reader #skz x reader #skz imagines #skz hyunjin #skz scenarios #skz x you #stray kids imagine #skz imagine #stray kids au #skz fanfic #hwang hyujin imagines #hwang hyunjin

[elvenbeard]

Old and Happy

😭 my feels have been all over the place since I finally finished this! Don't even remember when I started, as I kept working on and off on it over a couple of months. But I think it was after writing something particularly angsty and going "you know what, they will get their happy ending though, so it's all good".

Some details and thoughts below the read more cause it got long hhhh ;A;

This is in about 2087 maybe, roughly "ten years later". Vince changed his hair, ditched the rattail for good (or again xD) for something still colorful but a bit more easy to style. But he might change it up again, he's done so repeatedly and still likes to experiment with his hair.

Not visible, he probably would've added some elements to his back tattoo after surviving all of 2077. Johnny's tattoo he covered up as well, he would've done that first probably before the back piece. Adding some things here and there over time, with colors and patterns and wings, some cherry blossoms ('cause a thing of beauty will never truly fade away - hence just not getting laser removal but covering it with something that suits him more, but keeping some elements like the J and V visible). It started with three roses below the "V" as a little homage to Jackie, and 2077 as the year that finally put him on the right track in his life, even if it almost killed him in the process.

Overall he is a healthier weight than he was for most of his life, and finally got some therapy he desperately needed to deal with all the crap he went through pre-2077 already. He's not dyeing his first grey hairs because hell, that he's even still around to get some is amazing with his line of work and life story. And he realized that there's no need to be super well put togeher 24/7, clean shaven and whatnot, when you know you're just gonna be hanging out with your man and cat all weekend (and actually allowing yourself to something like that - leisure time and pizza in bed, unheard of to 2077!Vince). He's doing good and feels good and comfortable, physically and mentally.

Kerry also changed, also embracing the dad bod over abs, probably still experimenting with his looks a lot now and then whenever the label feels like they need to draw attention to him for whatever reason. But to the brown eyes he returned in 2078 already in my headcanon for the Sun ending timeline, and he stuck with them.

Overall I think he might finally care a little less about other people's opinions too, the buzz and the drama, cause he knows that at the end of the day there's always gonna be someone waiting for him at home who loves him unconditionally. He's a bit calmer and at ease, but of course still up to no good whenever he gets the chance to stir shit up xD Vince and him remain to be a dangerous duo you don't wanna mess with. At that point Vince is a well-respected, even if somewhat elusive, fixer, so he's probably even more dangerous now than he used to be as a mere merc with an arsenal of connections and resources at his disposal that can almost rival Kerry's.

I also gave Kerry a lil new cyberware piece on his hand - he is an old man and I think, using his hands as a musician on the daily, at some point there's just gonna be some wear and tear to your bones and joints only tech can fix anymore... Especially if you're stubborn and refuse to retire cause no, you're not done yet, you still have so much to yell into the world and music to make, stuff to add to your legacy and all.

Last but not least: Nibbles is an old lady already as well here, but living her best life with her dads spoiling her rotten, of course!

And then öalkshjdfagsdföasgdfaösfh ;___;

Y'know, "to bad decisions" and all, and two very different pieces still fitting together perfectly somehow, and light and shadows, and the sun and moon and yeah. ;___; Brb crying, the feels are back xD

Thanks so much for reading if you made it this far!! They mean so much to me and aösdjhfajsfhasfk could go on forever about every little detail xD On to the next drawing!

#cyberpunk 2077 #cp2077 #Cyberpunk2077 #cyberpunk fanart #cp2077 fanart #cyberpunk 2077 fanart #kerry eurodyne #kerry eurodyne x v #cyberpunk v #male v cyberpunk #masc v #otp: to bad decisions #art by me #screaming crying öakjshdfaasdfasfdhf #already been yelling on discord about trying to put everything into words for the past few days xDD #now I finally did it

[livefastdriveyoung]

Redbull offering Checo a contract renewal, and not just a 1+1, but a proper 2 year contract, actually makes complete sense to me.

First and foremost, he's got the Mexico Sponsorships. He's the only driver from Mexico on the grid, which means that the money is going to him and some sponsors are going to invest where he drives.

Second of all, he has no problem being a second driver. Red Bull have previously only had teammates with goals of making waves, changing the world, being the next Michael Schumacher or Lewis Hamilton. There's nothing wrong with those aspirations, but Red Bull have always made it clear that Max comes first. Checo is a great balance for that. He wants a seat in the sport he loves. He thought he was never going to have that again when BWT dropped him. If a stipulation of keeping your seat is being ok as a second driver, with the promise of lots of money from coming in second place, yeah, I would take the job no problem.

Third, and this one is important, Checo is a good driver. Majority of the collisions he has been in have not been his fault. He's not necessarily the best in the world by any means, but he's clearly capable of handling Red Bull's machinery. He's still in the top five so far this season.

Fourth, yes, Liam Lawson is amazing. His talent is so good it is a shame he is on the sidelines. But one of Red Bull's biggest criticisms is that they kill young drivers. Has anyone considered that maybe they are trying to escape that image? If all you're known for in the sport is your personnel, one of which has just left, one of which is a terrible human being, and one of which is seemingly looking to leave, and the other is that you punish a driver if they can't keep up with a world champion, I too, would focus on the easier story to spin, and that's "oh look, we're keeping our driver set up the exact same for another year! Consistency!"

Fifth, and if we're not putting Liam in the seat, and it's between Daniel and Yuki? I wouldn't put either of them in there either. Yuki has improved significantly between last season and this season. But I don't think he's a Red Bull driver. As for Daniel, I don't think he's a Red Bull driver anymore. I think this Daniel is happy to have a seat, he knows he's lucky, and, if the rumors are true, is like two days away for signing with V-Carb for another year.

Finally, the teams see everything. They run literal supercomputers in every race. They have all the data they could possibly want in front of them. They see the whole picture. We see what they want us to, and what they're legally required to reveal. That's it. There is so much we don't know and don't see.

So no, it's not surprising, no it's not a flop, it's the best of the options. This sport is all about money and smart decisions, even though few actually make them.

#f1 #checo perez #max verstappen #red bull racing #daniel ricciardo #yuki tsunoda #liam lawson #adrian newey #red bull f1 #visa cashapp racing bulls #formula 1

[upsidedownmvnson]

♥️ Hi!! Can we get a cute lil story with Buckley and Harrington trying to convince reader that eddie is into them, two oblivious jealous dorks in love? Would love this!!

"Squish that cup anymore and you're gunna be wearing your drink," Steve said, sliding up beside you by the pool table.

You were all in Steve's basement, drinking to celebrate the end of an era, yours, Nancy's and Robin's graduation. But all you could focus on was Eddie, and the girl he'd been talking to this whole stupid party.

"Yeah, well," you sighed, chugging the entire content of the drink, "problem solved."

Robin snorted, sliding up on the other side to flank you. "You know they're talking about the chem homework."

"Since when does Eddie care about homework?" you mumble, wishing you had more drink in your cup.

"He doesn't," she said, "but Dustin told him that making you jealous was a good idea."

"What happened to easing them into it?" Steve asked, cocking an eyebrow at Robin.

"That was easy, I could've called them a dummy."

"I think you just kinda did," Steve said.

"Do you guys need me for this or...?"

"Look, maybe you should go over and talk to him," Robin said, bumping your shoulder with her own. "and then you wouldn't have to feel so jealous."

You nearly choked. "Jealous? Who is jealous? I'm glad actually. I think it's great, Eddie should be talking to girls at parties, it's like... it's so great."

"Okay, you can't really think we believe that." Steve laughed, watching the girl touch Eddie's arm, and noticing how your fist clenched by your side.

"What do you want me to do? He doesn't want me," you said, "he doesn't want me."

"Okay, now I'm going to call you a dummy," Robin sighed, she turned you to face her, and with a slight shake of your shoulders she said, "I can't take it anymore, you both love each other. It's so obvious. And you're so... oblivious!"

"We can make this happen faster, you know. Play mind games," Steve said.

"I don't want mind games," you scoffed.

"Okay, not mind games per se, just uh, evidence, we'll call it evidence. Just trust me, okay? Bet I can make him come over here in under a minute." Steve smiled, and then wrapped his arm around your shoulders. Robin chuckled, and found a place with Nancy on the other side of the room. Steve kept his arm around you and leaned close to your ear and whispered, "stop looking confused, smile and look down."

Out of sheer curiosity, you did. You chuckled, his breath tickled your ear. And you tried not to glance over at Eddie.

Eddie couldn't even pretend to care about what this girl was saying anymore. Dustin was an idiot for convincing him to try and make you jealous. It was juvenile, really. When you chuckled, he was barely in control of his feet as he walked away from that girl without saying anything, and felt himself be carried over to you guys.

"What're you guys talking about?" he asked, watching as Steve slid away from you.

"Nothing really," Steve said, laughing. "Oh - chips are empty again, I better go host."

As Steve walked away, Eddie took his spot, leaning beside you.

"Was it really nothing? It seemed... flirty."

"Uhm, actually... he said he could get you to come over here in under a minute. He did it in about 20 seconds."

Eddie glared over at Steve, who's back was turned. He bit the inside of his lip, "well, I didn't like it."

"You're right, it was stupid. I told him I didn't want -"

"No, I mean I didn't like him touching you like that."

"Oh," you said, not knowing what to say.

Eddie looked nervous, but he took a deep breath and said, "I was trying to make you jealous. But I probably should've just told I..." he took a slow breath, "I want to take you out sometime. Like a real date... if you want that?"

"Yeah," you blushed, looking at your shoes and kicking nothing, softly with the tip of your toe. "I want that."

And Eddie didn't say anything else, just intentionally bumped his pinky against yours... blushing lightly when he did it back.

#stranger things #eddie munson #eddie munson imagine #eddie munson fanfic #eddie munson x reader #eddie munson imagines #eddie munson fluff #eddie munson x you #eddie munson fic #eddie munson fanfiction

[nan0ka]

𝐀𝐍𝐓𝐇♡𝐏𝐇𝐈𝐋𝐄⁰³

summary. you two actually want to reach other a lot better. and it starts with a picture. the first one together.

content. highschool au, fluff, slowburn, childhood friends to lovers, umemiya may seem ooc, little angst.

wordcount. ~2.53k.

❨📁❩ ← previous. ❨🗂️❩ → masterlist. ❨📁❩ → next.

　“YOU'RE in the wind, I'm in the water.”

The music from your headphones blasted through your ears as you dipped the brush into the paint, drawing lines on your canvas. One line, two lines. You easily drew a rose as always. Whenever you began to draw, the first thing you can see is a rose. Now again. The same pink colored rose. But then you get a blackout. You don't know what to draw next. So you just let your hand do your thing.

"—Nobody's son, nobody's daughter. Watching the chemtrails over the country club."

And the moment you think you're done, you pull your hand away to see what you've drawn. "Oh." is the only word that escapes your lips while you were looking at the whole picture. You think you have drawn hundreds of the same picture. A rose being held by a man. White hair. Shining blue eyes. Bright smile. It's always the same thing you draw. It's hard for you to not paint him.

"—Suburbia, The Brentwood Market

What to do next? Maybe we'll love it."

You sighed out annoyed as you leaned your forehead against the canvas, causing your skin to get wet by the fresh paint. But you couldn't care less. After last night, you couldn't think straight anymore. The worst part is, you couldn't even sleep. You tried to erase the very existence of that man out of your mind. Yet everytime you closed your eyes, it was the same picture appearing in your mind.

"—White picket chemtrails over the country club."

Curse him. Curse him for everything. You closed your eyes as you furrowed your eyebrows. Hot breath. Hushed whispers. Warm hand brushing softly against your cheeks. The sweetest smile. This man. You're going crazy. You want to punch him in the face and just leave him confused on the spot. And then you'd still worry about how much it hurts. Was the punch painful? Did it even hurt at all.

"Because I honestly would never forget you."

You also wouldn't forget him.

"I'd be crazy otherwise."

How hasn't he gone crazy yet? You're already going insane because of him.

"Quit gawking at me."

"Can't. Too pretty."

Stupid white-haired man. What's up with him and his brain?

"Promise, I'll take good care of the rose."

He won't break the promise, right? Because he's Umemiya Hajime. And Umemiya Hajime doesn't break promises.

"...May I.. touch your face?"

Every word of his is engraved into your head. They are lingering thoughts. Your ears feel hot. And your face doesn't make it better. You're happy nobody can see you in your pathetic state right now. You think you can't look him straight in the eye anymore. What's up with you? You never had a problem when you both had accidental touches the years before. Now you're getting weak knees.

Sighing, you leaned back and saw the painting again. "I don't want to see you ever again." and with that, you just punched the canvas, making a hole in it. "Stupid dude." you muttered before standing up to wash up your forehead. And when you were done, you took your camera and left your apartment without giving it a second glance. Not even bothering to throw it away.

Because the painting only had a hole beside his head.

─ ⊹ ⊱ ☆ ⊰ ⊹ ─

　You looked at the blue sky and you couldn't even spot one cloud. This is a crime. You were robbed. Where are the clouds who look like cats. You explored the town further to find your inspiration to draw. The people around you greeted you with the friendliest smile while you tried to return it, resulting into a rather awkward one. Gosh how could you only forget that you hated it to be alone on the streets.

"Come over here, boys!"

"—this is our thanks for always saving us!"

"Please visit us again, yeah?"

"You're doing the shopping for Kotoha-chan, right? Take those eggs with you!"

Curiously, your eyes went to the shouting and tumult. But the crowd was so full, you couldn't even see anything. It was probably furin again and you couldn't care less about that school. A sigh left your lips as you walked past them, the grip around your camera got tighter with every second passing. It was loud. Too loud for your liking. And unfortunately, you didn't go unnoticed by the pair of blue eyes.

"[name]-chan?!"

Oh. You should've known he was there when Kotoha's name was mentioned. You should've known. With that, you picked up the pace to avoid public attention and didn't even looked into his direction. But it got so bad, you heard how he literally yelled sorry's while pushing the people around him gently away to get his way to you. "Oh god..." you muttered and began to run away from him.

"U-Umemiya-san?!"

"Hah!? Where is he even going?!"

"[name]-chan!"

You could literally hear the despair in his voice.

─ ⊹ ⊱ ☆ ⊰ ⊹ ─

Silently, you hid in an alley while panting heavily. The sweat rolled over your cheek as you wiped it away with your arm. "That... crazy g-guy..." you mumbled and standing straight up again to lean your back against the wall. "He really did shout my name until he couldn't see me. He even tried to follow me." you closed your eyes and sighed out. "But I was enough lucky enough to escape..."

"Ma'am?"

A yelp escaped your lips as your head immediately turned the unknown voice. There stood a tall young man with brown curtained hair and eyes, paired with a leather eyepatch on his right eye and yellow tassel earrings hanging off a red gem on either side. He wore the Furin High uniform layered on top of a light-colored changshan, loose black pants, and flats in the same color for footwear.

"Oh, it seems like I surprised you a bit. I apologize." he gave you a kind smile with his hands behind his back.

"What do you want, brat." you couldn't even hide your distaste for those furin boys and talked like you were a lot older than them.

"Nothing, really. I was just curious why Umemiya-san wanted to follow you." you groaned at the mention of his name. "I assume you both are acquaintance?"

"Please just leave me alone. I have enough of him. And furin. What did I even do to deserve this?"

"I'm sorry for prying into private matters." he apologized again.

"A sorry doesn't make it up."

"Well, then..." he looks up for second, his finger on his chin while thinking. "Oh! Wanna know what he thinks of you and what he said just moments ago?"

Now you're listening. Your curiosity is going to be your death one day honestly. And the worst part is, you don't wanna act like you're dying to know. What does he think of you? What does he say about you? If someone asks you something like that, you couldn't answer, because you don't know. He could think anything about you. You could even imagine how he thinks of you like a sister.

"Tell me."

Do you even want to know from a complete stranger?

"He-"

"Wait, i'm changing my mind." you interrupted him, while still thinking about it.

The brown-haired boy sweatdropped and shut his lips again, his smile told you that he was rather amused by you. "I don't know if I want know." was your answer. "I don't know if I wanna hear it from you. I wanna hear it from himself." those questions broke your mind. You are dying to know. Does he think positive of you? Does he think negative of you? Does he see you like a sister?

"Who are you?"

"Seems like I forgot to introduce myself. How rude of me." now his smile was apologetic. "Hayato Suo, first year of furin. May I ask for your name, ma'am?"

"[lastname] [name]. I hate violence."

"Ah, I heard a lot about you-"

"[name]-chan, found you!"

Out of nowhere, two arms wrapped around your tensed body, restraining your arms, and his loud voice made you flinch. "H-Hey! Don't touch me, you-" your head turned to him. Oh. You closed your lips, holding yourself back to complain. His face was really close, but then he leaned his forehead against your shoulder. You noticed that he was out of breath, panting like you did.

Crazy, how he didn't even sweat.

"Let me stay like this for a while... please." he whispered.

Your cheeks were painted in a light red color as you stayed still. A sigh left your lips once again as you looked ahead to Suo, who chuckled. "You two are really close and that answered my question already. I won't pry anymore." a first-year was watching. How embarrassing. You could die on the spot. And he even thought wrong now. That adds more weight to the embarrassment.

"You said you heard a lot about me." you brought up his last sentence before he got interrupted by Umemiya. "Does he talk... good about me?"

"Curious, aren't we?" he chuckled. "How about you ask him yourself?"

And with that being said, he just turned his back to you and walked away, leaving you alone with the white-haired man who refused to let you go. "Traitor." you whispered blankly. "I hate kids. Kids these days are pretty rude." you're talking like you weren't rude at all as a kid. You're still rude. To people you dislike or straight up hate. And you kept your mean thoughts for yourself. Most of the time.

"Hajime?"

"Mmh?"

"Let go."

"Please let me hug you longer. I don't get to do it very often." he sounds like a defeated puppy to be honest.

"...fine." you sighed, going to your usual self around him.

"Why did you run away from me?"

"Because." ah. You don't have an explanation. Not a good one. "I just felt like... having a quiet rest day for myself. And you aren't the calmest one."

"You should've told me."

"It would've hurt your feelings." you muttered. "And yet... At the end I still told you."

"[name]." he lets loose, making you think you're free from his hold, only for him to place his hands on your shoulders and turn you around. "It saddens me it if you take distance from me. But I can absolutely not stand it if you run away from me. I thought my life was over."

Your eyes widened as he said that with a complete serious face. Since when could he make such a face? Oh gosh, you have a lot more things to learn about him. His ocean like blue eyes locked into your [e/c] ones. "I despise being away from you. Everything tastes so bitter. Even Kotoha's omurice. And I love her omurice. Like hell, it's my favorite dish on earth." he doesn't sound serious at all.

"Hajime. What am I to you?"

"The best part of my day."

While your questions accidentally slipped out of your lips, his answer came out immediately. Like he was waiting forever. He didn't waste or hesitate a second to answer your question. Now you feel silly. Silly for doubting him. Silly for not being aware of his answer. "I'm such a fool." you sighed out, closing your eyes and laughing out. Please. When was the last time you laughed?

"Me too. We can be both fools together."

"No, I thought I know a lot about you, but in reality. I know little to nothing about you. And this irritates me."

"Then let's start over. I'll begin to teach you what I like and you'll teach me. I really wanna know a lot more about you. The curiosity is killing me. You're killing me." he begins to ramble again with the most excited smile. "But it's fine if you do."

"You're insane." you insulted him and took his wrist. "I think you're the real fool."

"Let me be your fool!"

"Absolutely not."

His eyes went down to your camera. "Wait." he said and took out his phone to look at the back of his phone case which was full of pictures. "We know each other for... eight years and still didn't take one picture of us together. Let's take one, right not, shall we?" he suggested with a smile, while he was literally beaming at his own idea. Oh. Right. Have you ever taken a photo with him?

"Sure." you watched as his hands wandered to your camera. "But not here. We're in an alley."

"Doesn't matter. Every picture looks good if you're on it." he's still smiling.

You sighed with the smallest smile on your lips as you watched how he carefully took your camera. "How does that work?" he asked and fumbled with your precious camera before turning it on while you were watching him. "Oh... uh and now?" he questioned and pressed every button to test it out. "Oh! There are a lot of photos of childhood pictures of me!" his eyes began to sparkle.

"What." the smile dropped in seconds after you realised what he just said.

Quickly, you grabbed the camera from his hands with a red face. How could you forget?! Gosh, this day couldn't get worse. You scrolled through the gallery and noticed how many pictures you had of him, while shutting your mouth completely. Aren't you a stalker? "Let's just get it over." you grumbled and gave him back the camera. "I hope you know how to shoot a photo."

"Right, right!" he chuckled amused.

As he hold the turned camera out with his one arm, he wrapped his other arm around your neck. "Three... two... one." he counted, but at the last second he twisted his face to you and placed his soft lips against your forehead. The flash blinded you, not giving you much time to react as he kissed your head. And when the flash came the second time, your small smile dropped.

─ ⊹ ⊱ ☆ ⊰ ⊹ ─

　"Please send me the picture." Umemiya plead liked a kicked puppy.

"No."

"But I need it, [name]-chan!" he whined. "I need it! I want to put it in my phone case."

"That's what you get." you rolled your eyes. "Besides that, isn't your phone case already full with other pictures? If you add one more, it'll explode."

While he was complaining the whole time, you both walked out of the alley towards town. On topic inspiration, you didn't even find anything you wanted to draw. The only reason you crawled out of your apartment. Yet you didn't even do what you intended to. How unlucky you are. But still, it was worth going out. Only because you met him again. That guy you didn't even want to see. He still makes you happy. Crazy, right?

"Yeah, I think so too." he took his phone out and looked at the pictures. "They all are pretty old. How about I replace them all with a new one?"

"You wouldn't lay all those pictures to the side for our picture." you chuckled lightly, knowing he only joked around.

"Oh believe me. I would for you."

- NAN0KA [ june 3rd, 2024 ]

#anime #hajime umemiya #hajime umemiya x reader #manga #umemiya hajime #umemiya hajime x reader #wind breaker #wind breaker x reader

[things-arent-what-they-seem66]

I feel like the fandom is overlooking Adam.

I mean his power, personality and role is heavily mistaken by most of the fandom.

Power: Alastor is not stronger than Adam, yet people still try to find excuses about this.

“Alastor has a deal with Lilith that limits his powers for the angels!“ (As if they have the script of season 2 or something)

“Alastor mocked/mistook Adam that’s why he lost!” (Mmhm as if Adam didn’t send him to direct death by one shot)

“Nifty took care of him!” (Really?)

These annoy me so much. For people to think that someone who destroyed the whole Hotel with a single shot, is less powerful than Alastor.

Most are Alastor glazers anyway.

Personality/The trauma he went through: Even though maybe the show is going to take a different turn, Vivzie can’t deny this plot anymore. Lucifer ruined Adam’s life. Lucifer is not a saint. Yet, the fandom views Adam as if he is just evil for evil’s sake.

And I’m just stating the things we saw in the actual show, I’m not even talking about the trauma Lilith, and Abel and Cain situation gave him.

Role: Adam has… Too much potential to only be left as a “Jackass season 1 antagonist” Yet most of the fandom wants to see him like this.

His redemption arc would be nice to see, since we know Vivzie is planning to have 5-6 seasons this could be a good plotline.

Sorry for the little rant.

I agree. Because he's the bad guy people dismiss his.

He almost KILLED Alastor in a fight that didn't last very long. And yeah Alastor selling his soul to Lilith for power is a good theory but until the second season comes out it's just that a theory.

Adam was the first human soul into heaven so he would be the strongest one they got. Ten thousand years is a long time to get good at using your powers. And yeah he cut the hotel in half like it was a slice of cake.

Nifty took care of him....... Bitch snuck up behind him and got lucky. I guarantee that if Adam knew she was there, she'd be the one to have died.

Yeah Lucifer did ruin Adam's life and doomed humanity in one fell swoop. You can't deny that. Adam in Eden was made with Innocence and purity, I doubt very much he was an asshole back then but the book of Hell is made to make it look that way.

The trauma from everything that came after the betrayal and the apple, yeah you'd probably become a bitter person too.

There is SO much potential for Adam to come back on later seasons to get redeemed and have an actual character arc but I think it's like I've said before he was a one and done villain his purpose is done, so long see you never.

It's a waste if they don't bring him back but they likely won't.

It would make a great plot line especially if he came to care for the people at the hotel like family and saw the error in his ways.

It's okay! I had a rant of my own lol

#hazbin hotel adam #ask #rant

[octopiys]

Cw: blood/murder, body horror, mentions of catholic guilt

Witch!Johnny who has no idea of what he's doing.

His nights since "Simon" has returned have been restless, dreamless, and he's always woken up feeling.... unfinished. There was was always unease in his chest, buried deep, like the feeling of forgetting something. His days don't go by much easier.

His work is mostly on the computer, and there are sometimes where he must go into the offices, bring Gary some leftovers from the night before, fill out some files, and head on home.

Today, though, is different. He spends his time searching through every record their office had, trying to find any semblance of what he's seen.

Witch!Johnny, who's beginning to think the lack of sleep has made him go insane. Maybe he's making it up. He feels more comfortable gaslighting himself into believing that a storm pushed over the tree in his backyard, than-

NCO!Gary who finds Johnny asleep at his usually empty desk. There were numerous tabs pulled up on his computer, of age old chat forums and supernatural sightings from years ago, blogs that had gone cold. He smirks, shaking his head with the roll of his eyes as he pats Johnny on the back, trying to wake him up.

NCO!Johnny who wakes with a jolt. Gary looks slightly concerned, he must've fallen asleep again. He apologizes, and shuts down his computer. He's just felt so tired recently.

Witch!Johnny, who comes home to Ms. Riley, pacing anxiously on his front step, who's eyes light up when she sees him. She looks tired too.

"Oh, John, thank goodness- Mozzie's run away, and Tommy's coming in tonight, I was gonna ask if you can keep an eye out for him!" She pleads and he agrees, equally worried for Mozzie, short for Mozart, which is short for Mozzarella, who's been the Riley dog as long as he can remember. How the little rat dog escaped bequeaths him, but he promises to double check his wildlife traps tomorrow when he takes the cart around to collect them.

NCO!Johnny who ensured that his traps were practically harmless to the environment, not a doubt in the world that Mozzie had gotten into one of his raccoon cages.

Witch!Johnny who locks his doors twice tonight.

Fae!Simon, who thinks it's rather hot. The weather, that is.

It's a peculiar thought to have when some humans flesh and blood lies mangled beneath him. There was a soft inkling of recognition in the base of his skull, a little tendril that beckoned him to destroy it, and so he did. The heated metal bits that were fired at him had little effect. They could not hurt him now.

They could not hurt him anymore.

What used to be the wriggling mass under him had called him something odd, whispered it like a True Name, and it was. It hit a notch in the tendrils of his heart, and he sprung. This man had wronged him before, and used his true name to do so. Yet, when he said it, it didn't entirely feel like his.

Like something else shared it.

So it must've not been his after all.

He turns, the earth warm beneath his feet as the sun rose high in the sky.

What is a Simon, anyhow?

Witch!Johnny, who dreams tonight. He's a kid again, pouring over his nan's old books while she bakes too salty cookies in the kitchen. He never complained, and she gave him a handful of chocolate chips to munch on while the cookies were in the oven. Simon would be coming over later, and he too, would not complain about the cookies. Johnny would give him a chocolate chip for his bravery.

His Nan bumbles up to him, her chest puffing proudly that the boy is following in her footsteps. "Did ah ev'r tell ya 'boot my lil' Jackie?"

"Yes, Nan," He'd always say in response.

"Aye, but y' dinnae ever listen!" Something sharp lurks beneath her words, like sharp rocks that you take notice of when you finally take the training wheels off of your bike. "When ah was a wee lass, my lil broder, Jackie, was too curious for his own good. Born with caul, too, if ye can believe. Mam would call us in fer dinner, and she'd send me ou' ta find him. He loved the woods, that boy, and the life inside o' it. Real sweet lil' thing, too. Broke his heart anytime Mam squished a bug, and God forbid he stepped on one o' em on his own! I found him, one night, sittin' just inside o' the trees. There were mushrooms all 'round him, like somethin' had died just up under th' roots. An' ah knew then, I think. But ah ran inside and got me Mam, cus he would nae answer when ah called 'im. She came out with th' shears-" She pokes him in the side with a wooden spoon for extra measure, and he giggles, despite the tragedy of the story. "An' cuts up all o' the mushrooms, an' he sits up, and walks back inside."

"What then, nan?" He asks, always too eager for his own good.

"Thought ye said ye heard o' this one?" She teases him, before turning away and continuing. "He was so quiet after tha'. Made me sad, cus he would nae talk aboot anythin'. Like a switch had been triggered. He stepped on a bug he found that night. And another one, after that. His eyes were so cold." She trailed off, sounding almost sad, which seemed impossible to Johnny, because his Nan was never upset. "Me Mam turned him out the next week. Told him that she wanted her boy back. She warded the creature off with those shears up there, an I never saw 'im again." She hums, like this was an everyday occurrence as she gestures to the old sheers hanging in the window.

Witch!Johnny asks, no longer a child. "What was it, Nan?"

His Nan just smiles, before looking down at the book. "Seems like ye found one o' yer own, have ye nae?"

Witch!Johnny who looks down at the old book, where written in ancient ink across the top was the header: Changeling.

Witch!Johnny, who sits up in a cold sweat. His clock read 3:13. Unlucky. Somewhere in his former catholic brain, an alarm bell rang.

The curses of the law lifted by becoming the curse.

Did he still have that book?

He'd found one of his own. He spills out of his bed, racing to his bookshelf.

He blows dust off the cover and flips through it until he's satisfied, eyes settling on the thinning paper. Changelings. Was he right?

Deep-seated unease settles inside of him as he read, mentally ticking off boxes.

For it is written.

Pointed teeth. Cold eyes. Personality change. Precious, precious, precious. Did he play any instruments? No. Not Simon. He barely talked anymore. Barely ate, that he knew of.

Changeling, changeling, changeling.

The man that lives down the street, who came back rugged from war. The man who was not the person he grew up with. The Simon who came back. He should've known. Oh, his grandma must be turning in her grave right now, or laughing at his stupidity. He drops the book, hands shaking.

The Ghost that replaced Simon Riley was a Changeling.

Cursed is everyone who hangs in the trees.

Last part | Next part

Inspired by Meet Me In The Woods by Lord Huron

Taglist: @whorangi1104 @impossible-to-pronounce @the-only-universe-here

(If your blog is here but the tag doesn't work, there's a good chance your blog is accidentally hidden! Lmk if that's the case :) )

Any questions? My ask box is open!! <3

#call of duty #cod mw2 #john soap mactavish #simon ghost riley #modern warfare 2 #ghostsoap #captain john price #alejandro vargas #alerudy #incorrect quotes #johnny soap mactavish #soapghost #soap x ghost #ghost x soap #kyle 'gaz' garrick #kyle gaz garrick #gary roach sanderson

[imineffible]

Blitzo had probably stayed outside of Stolas' palace for about a couple hours. He screamed, begging to be let back in, and tried every window and door, but they were all locked.

He didn't mean it. He never thought lowly of Stolas - it's Stolas for fuck's sake! He's a Goetia, he's powerful, he's gorgeous, he's charming - Blitzo just never thought that Stolas could ever actually care about him like that, nobody ever has.

Once it was clear Stolas wasn't going to let him back inside, Blitzo yelled, "You know what? I don't even need you!"

He stormed off with no destination in mind. Eventually, he found himself at a bar.

He spent the rest of the night numbing himself with alcohol, sex, and he might've been slipped some drugs too.

Only when morning came did he think about going back to the I.M.P. office. Blitzo managed to stumble his way back unharmed.

Everyone else wouldn't even know anything was wrong. Loona was used to him not coming home on full moons and all of them were used to him coming in late the next day.

Blitzo opened the door and trudged in.

"Good morning, sir," Moxxie said with too much enthusiasm. "How did it go? Do we still have the grimmoire?"

Blitzo gritted his teeth. He ripped the Asmodian crystal off his glove and slammed it on the table. "We don't need the stupid book anymore."

"Is that-"

"Yeah. Sto-" Blitzo's voice cracked. "He gave it to me."

Moxxie and Millie exchanged confused looks.

"Why did he do that?" Millie asked.

Blitzo ignored her question and went into his office, letting the door slam behind him. He sat with his head on his desk and tried not to think about anything.

The first one to try finding out what happened was Moxxie, slowly opening the door as if Blitzo was some wild animal that would run if spooked.

"Sir?" he said softly after closing the door. "What happened last night?"

Moxxie looked surprised to see the tears in Blitzo's eyes when he lifted his head.

"Nothing," Blitzo said. "Go choose a client for us today or something."

"Blitzo... If you're this upset, I don't think that will help."

Blitzo groaned. "I don't care. If you won't pick a client, then go find something else to do that isn't in THIS FUCKING ROOM!"

Moxxie had never been one for confrontation, so it was no surprise that he left after that. Not long after, Millie was the next one to come in.

"Heya, boss," she tried to be casual. "How ya doin'?"

"I'm fine," Blitzo growled. "But if we're not killing anybody, then get out."

"Blitzo..."

"GO!"

She appeared annoyingly sympathetic and said, "I just think you'd feel better if you talked about it instead of sittin' around and mopin'."

Blitzo slammed both fists on the desk. "What do you want me to say, huh? You think I'm just gonna pour my soul out to you?"

Millie gave him a look of pity - which didn't make him feel any better - and left. He grumbled and hid his face in his hands.

It wasn't until a few hours after Millie tried that Loona finally gave it shot.

"Hey so... You've seemed a little... off today," Loona stated the obvious. "I didn't really believe it, but was I right when I said he was getting bored of you?"

Blitzo glanced up at his daughter. She looked uncomfortable and worried at the same time. He guessed he owed it to her as her father to tell her a little bit.

"No. No, it was... the opposite, basically, and I fucked it up, like I do with everything," he explained.

"Well, not everything. You didn't fuck up with me, right? ...Dad?" she added after a moment.

"Oh, Loony," he said, ready to start crying again. She let him give her a big hug.

After awkwardly patting him on the back a few times, Loona slowly extracted herself from the hug.

"Umm. So..." Loona said. "Are you feeling any better?"

Blitzo nodded and Loona smiled at him before leaving.

It was nice to know that he had people who cared about him, who will stay even when he pushes them away.

Maybe even Stolas wasn't fully out of his life yet. Maybe he could try talking to him again later.

It was unlikely, but maybe, just maybe, it could happen.

#helluva boss spoilers #helluva boss #helluvaverse #helluva boss blitz #helluva millie #hellaverse #helluva spoilers #helluva moxxie #helluva boss stolas #stolitz #stolitz angst #angst #fanfic #post full moon #pre apology tour #helluva loona #this was meant to be fully angst #but i couldn't help myself #and i put in a hopeful ending #stolitz fanfic #helluva boss fanfic

[beautifulterriblequeen]

Teaser thoughts

I had to do adulting (leave for a suddenly rescheduled appt) 20 mins after the trailer dropped this morning, so I'm only now starting to get my thoughts settled but omg I have to write this stuff down or how will I know what I think

here we go

Rayllum flying together. Is it cute, romantic, or is it some twist where they're going somewhere for horrible reasons in a hurry and they can't even take the Shadowpaw. Where is the Shadowpaw why are they fl-

Does Ethari have his Shadowpaw back is that why they have to fly

Love the bisexual vibes here ngl

Starscraper is over land. It's not a deep thought shhh

The search for Zubeia. I'm curious why Ezran has let two of his best Crownguard leave his side. Surely this will have no consequences!

Janaya kiss with Amaya on her tippy toes. Janai has her crown on here. I feel that's relevant for uhh later. I hope this is real and not a dream Janai is having - those have not been going well for her.

This one makes me sad. The picture is torn, but then mended, and I love that. But it's set up like you'd see at a funeral.

Is this one super early on in episode 1 maybe? It could be the same night as the end of S5. That feels more likely than Terry catching up to Claudia later on... specifically in her allowing him close after what we got in the other trailer. Aahhh

This one has so much in it, I can't! It's got star bug stuff which I'm extremely here for, let the gods be gooey. It's got the whole quasar diamond crown right there. It's got Rayllum having a close moment. and it's posed like they're at the altar in a chapel getting married. Also the star is upside down in the stained glass window, so whatever theme is going on it's being consistent there.

This is one of my favorites: Ezran out on his own castle bridge defending it. Ye Olde Narrative of Strength got to him! Opeli looking worried has me worried - she's usually so certain and swift. This could be Viren trying to come home like a half drowned rat - will they let him in? Don't make me think of the men of Númenor right now, do not.

Battle couple battle couple! Rayla and Callum teaming up again! (she's the dark blob kicking free in the upper left) I love when a couple fights together. gonna be super normal about that.

This top down view of the Starscraper is a little dizzying, ngl. With Callum and Rayla tiny at the bottom, three floors down, these flying, circling elves give me shark vibes. What if they're not nice. like at all.

Why was Stella falling!? what are the Celestials doing, are they helping or are they trying thievery? Is this just a big mob of seagulls here

Janai is losing control of her emotions, she's furious and sad. She's setting fire to the Sun Seed tree. We know the Seed was stolen, but maybe this is her finding out, early on. It's less angsty if it's early, you know how things always get Worse during the course of a TDP season lmfao. If it's later on, maybe the fact that she isn't wearing her crown is... important.

Rayla in the frozen ship. Why's it burning, what's she there for? why did she go alone? This gives me some Banther Lodge infiltration vibes ngl.

Okay I am all about this altercation. Viren shoving Kpp'Ar to the floor in fury. are they arguing about Soren? dark magic? both? neither? What's the logo stand for, what's the I for in IK? Does he have a show called It's Kpp'Ar and they're just on set? lmfao the real reason there are gears everywhere is to change the rooms around isn't it. Kpp'Ar just got sick of those extra 29 steps to the kitchen.

Few things are scarier than a True Believer getting everything he wants. this shot of Karim being so filled with elation cannot be saying good things for Janai's prospects. He's got all kinds of cool Sunfire stuff on, too, including a crown, and his old tin ring from his mother. Those things were confiscated when he was exiled, which means he must not be exiled anymore. He could be king, having displaced Janai somehow, and he's fulfilling his intentions to his people by bringing back the glory of the Sunfire elves by healing their injured archdragon. Or so he hopes, anyway! We'll see if it works.

Sol Regem has come out of his cave and he's got that Power Dragon Wingspread going on. Looks like he's been convinced to take a swing for uhhh big dragon things! I wonder how far his power will reach... and his bitterness. We might get a new Dragon King that makes Avizandum look soft.

It's so interesting to me what we did not get to see in the teaser, too. There's no Aaravos, no Aanya, no Runaan or Ethari, no Kim'dael. If we get another trailer before July 26, maybe they'll be in there! Or maybe we'll just have to white knuckle it until release day.

Hold on tight! S6 is coming!

#tdp #tdp spoilers #tdp s6 #tdp teaser trailer #the dragon prince #karim #viren #janaya #rayla #callum #rayllum

[rainee-da]

Hello <3

Is it ok to request the "What they said when you're sleeping" but with the Divine Visionaries? Tysm!

🍀 The Talk When You Sleep [2]

CHARACTER ❥ Orter Mádl ⏳ / Sophina Biblia 📕 / Tsurara Halestone ❄️

W A R N I N G ⚠️ R13 for general fluff w/ slight angst as spice / Relationship HCS / BIG SPOILER!!!! / might be a bit too OOC for you.

O R T E R M Á D L ⏳

he opened the door to your bedroom and sighed loudly "Seriously? We're supposed to be at the office at 9 o'clock, and you're still sleeping in your bed? Your laziness is absolutely revolt-" he shook his head in annoyance and marched closer, but stopped abruptly as his hand hovers in the air "That eyebags... you must be staying up late again," he sighed and sit at the edge of your bed, thinking for a while "There's no urgency... I suppose it's fine to let you be for some more," his face is annoyed as he loosened the tie in his neck he looked up the window, his expression remained unchanged "Yesterday was quite frivolous, I didn't remember there was anything in particular happening... what made you stay up late?" he mumbled as he turned his head to watch your face "Are you overthinking again? Or is there something that I missed?" he frowned as he is thinking to himself, before sighing again "No matter... we'll just sleep together later at night so I can fix your sleep habit, should've done so for a long time anyway." he brushes your hair to the side with his finger, his frown softens slightly "Your expression is good, and your temperature is normal. At least you're not sick physically," his hand moves to stroke your cheek as he enjoys the silence for a while, his expression grows solemn as the deep thought overwhelms his mind "Every time I see you as innocent as this, I always wonder... Why do you want to be with someone like me?" his finger rubs your eyelids gently "I rarely said this to you, and I know I should, but... You're a smart person. You're strong, able to defend yourself when danger strikes. You also had good friends that cherish you," he tilted his head as he got immersed by your face "You're... a beauty, so beautiful that it made me wonder how many people felt envious when we made us official... And, most important of all," he paused as the word got caught up in his throat, he blinks rapidly to clear some of his senses "You're so altruistic, so kind... unlike me." he chuckled lowly "I don't even know how many people have died by my wands, for the sake of order," he sighed as he turned his eyes away to stare at the view outside the window "Order is made for a reason. I believe that as long as the order is properly maintained, there will be no more Alex in the world. No people would get hurt anymore... But," he paused "The whole incident with Innocent Zero made me reconsider those beliefs... But, if my actions all this time were wrong, " he paused, his face darkened "Wouldn't that make me.. a. criminal?" he sighed, rubbing his face wearily "No use thinking about that now. It only brings unnecessary questions that will hinder my rationality," his gaze shifted to you and his mouth formed into a thin smile "It's a new dawn, and the citizen will need to get used to the new order. A riot would be inevitable, and bringing the previous sense of normalcy would be a grueling task ahead for the Divine Visionaries. But," he leans in and gives your lips a chaste kiss "With you, I believe I'll do well—maybe even better than before." "𝘼𝙛𝙩𝙚𝙧 𝙖𝙡𝙡, 𝙄'𝙢 𝙣𝙤 𝙡𝙤𝙣𝙜𝙚𝙧 𝙖𝙡𝙤𝙣𝙚 𝙣𝙤𝙬."

S O P H I N A B I B L I A 📕

"Oh my, the way you sleep is so vulgar! This won't do," she hurriedly move to fix your sleeping position and remove her coat to put it over you "There, all better," she smiles in satisfaction as she move your head to put it over her lap "You really had no grace, sleeping during work hours like this... you're lucky I'm more pliable than Mr. Madl." she sighed and shake her head as she opened the book in her hand to starts reading "Well, I'm only this pliable towards you if I'm being honest. If Mr. Revol's the one who's doing this, I would've already cursed him so he would dance bare-naked in the courtyard," she coughed softly and hums to stop herself from laughing "That's... such a tasteless threats coming from me, I can't believe I just said that." she tried to focus on reading but her mind is wandering "Let's see... Didn't you promises me that you would never napped at work anymore? So I think a punisment should be in order, no?" the thoughts in her head brings subtle-yet mischievous smile in her stoic face "What if, you have to cook dinner for a week? Or maybe I'll make you read one of my books? That's not really a punishment though," she tapped her chin as she's thinking "Or, I could also punish you," she leaned closer and blow into your ear "Like this? Fufu, you're so cute when you're wincing like that." she sighed and close the book to put it on the side, and her hand moves to brush your hair gently "You bring out sides of me that I never thought I have..." a soft smile formed on her face "For example... I never thought that feeling your hair against my fingertips like this could be so addicting," she lightly pinched the tip of your nose, and giggles at your reaction "Or that teasing you would be so much fun? Your reaction is so lively, it's never boring to be around you," she sighed and close her eyes as she lost in her own thoughts "Being with you has become one of my hobbies... Fresh scent of new book will never compare to the scent of your fragnance, and reading become a chores if you're not by my side," she smiles dreamily, slowly getting sleepy "Your influence is kaleidoscope of color in my life, I never thought that something as abstract as you would be so enjoyable... Really, I would trade everything in the world, if it means we could always be together like this," her hand lied in your chest as she slowly dozed off "𝙄 𝙬𝙞𝙨𝙝 𝙬𝙚 𝙬𝙞𝙡𝙡 𝙖𝙡𝙬𝙖𝙮𝙨 𝙬𝙧𝙞𝙩𝙚 '𝙤𝙪𝙧' 𝙨𝙩𝙤𝙧𝙮, 𝙩𝙤𝙜𝙚𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙧"

T S U R A R A H A L E S T O N E ❄️

"Brrrr…. oh, you're asleep?" she lowered her hand from her mouth, her body shakes slightly "I guess you've been waiting for long… I'm sorry," she walked towards you, her face expresses remorse "I should woke you up, don't I? But… brrrr…. let me use your body to warm up first… You don't mind, right?" she lied beside your sleeping figure, and snuggle closer to your side "Hehe… your body is so warm," she smiles dreamily as she hugs your body "I'm sorry that it took me so long to finish my work… I was getting in the zone with my research, and finally made some progress… But then," her gloved hand move towards your neck to rub it gently "The heater suddenly broke down… I have to waited for the mechanic to arrive, and I didn't realize that it was already this late" she sighed and closed her eyes, looking exhausted "I should've told you to go home early... I'm sorry that you have to wait for me." her body shakes again, and she lay her head on your chest "Brrrr... Why is it so cold," she lost in her own thought as she listen to your heartbeat, a soft smile formed in her face "Your heartbeat is steady, that's good... I always used your body as my warmer, and I know you said that you didn't mind that one bit... " she blushes and shyly buried her face to your neck "... But I hope you're not forcing yourself... My magic made my body cold, I didn't want you to get sick because of me." she stumbles as she risen up, her smile is warm and her hand is stroking your cheek "I think soon enough I can make some potion that will help keep my body warm temporarily! Tomorrow I'll show it to you! I don't know how long the effects would last... But," she leans in to kiss your cheek, accidentally biting her inner cheek out of nervousness "Ouch! Eh, what I'm saying is, with those potions we, hopefully, can starts hanging out outside! Do some dinner date, movie night at cinema, stuff that I know you want to do but you never asked out of consideration for me. " she hums happily as she snuggle closer to your cheek "You're warm," her eyes is full of adoration as she stares at your sleeping face "I love that the most about you... You're such a warm person. You're patient with me, even though sometimes my magic combined with my clumsiness causes you trouble. But you're always being so kind with me... It made me so happy," she turns to look at the clock "Ah, It's already this late! I should wake you up now." "𝙊𝙣𝙡𝙮 𝙮𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙡𝙤𝙫𝙚 𝙘𝙖𝙣 𝙬𝙖𝙧𝙢 𝙢𝙮 𝙝𝙚𝙖𝙧𝙩."

Long time no see! I've been busy with my irl stuff and just finally got the time to write again. I kinda projecting on some of the characters lol I hope you don't mind... I originally planned to write for all of them, but I decided to split it into different parts since when I'm writing this I have a severe case of writer's block lolol. I promises that the rest of them will be uploaded in due time!

I've made similar prompt before w/ Devil's Quintuplet+Cell War so check it out! And I tried to make it as less OOC as I possibly could, but I don't know if it will suits your interpretation. I hope you like it all the same though! Thank you anon for your request 🍀 and thank you for reading!

#🍀❛ RAINEE ༉‧₊˚ #mashle: magic and muscles #mashle #mashle headcanons #mashle imagines #mashle scenarios #mashle x reader #mashle orter #orter mádl #orter mádl x reader #mashle sophina #sophina biblia #sophina biblia x reader #mashle tsurara #tsurara halestone #tsurara halestone x reader #divine visionaries

[mahs-dumpster]

Confrontation.

a/n: ever since I went back to catch up with the Savanaclaw manga I had book 2 daiggie brainrot UGHHH– I can't escape them, I'm always thinking about them😔 so here💔

cw: oc x canon (Ruggie x Daisy)

Words: around 1k

“Ruggie Bucchi.” Ruggie’s ears twitched at the sound of his name, his head moving towards the people walking in his direction. He clicked his tongue upon seeing the familiar faces of the same group who had trespassed Savanaclaw’s territory the other day. “We need to talk.” He observed as the blonde girl said, crossing her arms and standing tall in front of him, the others right behind or beside her.

He looked at her carefully, then to the other guys around her, and chuckled, a smirk following right after as his eyes met hers again.

“Sorry, I’d love to give you my full attention, flower, but maybe when we’re alone?” He joked, knowing the magicless girl would have a funny reaction just like she did when he teased her during their Spelldrive match. Her eyebrows furrowed and her cheeks went red, but she stood her ground. That he respected.

“Concerning the state of injuries that have befallen prospective Spelldrive tournament players,” The housewarden of Heartslabyul interrupted, making Ruggie's attention be diverted to the redhead. “we’d like to ask you a few questions.”

“Mind stepping outside real quick?” Cater continued and Ruggie made a face at that. This wasn't good… he needed to do something fast.

“Alright, I get it. How ‘bout we stop with the threats?” He got up, his ears twitching anxiously as he followed the group outside. He glanced at Riddle's magical pen.

That could work.

“Alright.” Riddle said. “To make sure we won't have any inconveniences, I’ll be casting my Unique Magic to–”

“Ah, you sure about that, Riddle-kun?” Riddle's eyebrow raised at that as Ruggie’s smirk got wider. Daisy looked at him suspiciously. “You shouldn't be casting spells without a mage stone, should you?”

Suddenly, the group began searching for their magical pens, only for Ruggie to reveal them in his hands.

“You guys surely had a privileged upbringing, huh? Emptying your pockets was child’s play.” He laughed, Grim pointed his little paw at him with annoyance.

“When did you use your magic to do that?!” The cat-like monster asked.

“As if I’d need magic to do something like this.” Ruggie turned around, waving with his free hand at the group. “Sorry, I don't really like being beat up black and blue so bye-bye!”

“Hold it, you thief!” Daisy called, looking at Grim with a frown. “Grim, come on, let's go!” After she said that, she took off, Grim right behind her as Riddle and Cater found Ace and Deuce, ordering them to follow the hyena beastman if they wished to be a part of the Spelldrive teams.

‘Those selfish morons’, was what Daisy thought, but she couldn't waste time laughing at her friends or looking fondly at them, right now, she had a thief to catch!

…Except he was incredibly fast, and was able to think quickly when taking a detour to slow them down. Daisy wasn't exactly athletic, and at this rate, if she didn't think of something, they’d lose him from sight! 

Her brown eyes diverted to a corner, she quickly stopped Deuce and asked: “does this lead to the Courtyard?” 

“Huh? Yeah, but why– hey, prefect!” Deuce called before the girl took off down that path, running as quickly as her legs let her. She had memorized the school at this point, Ruggie seemed to be heading towards the courtyard, she couldn't be 100% certain but if she wanted to catch him she needed to take risks.

She could never outrun him, not even in her best dreams, but she could use a shortcut.

Ruggie looked behind him as he reached the courtyard, he couldn't even see the guys following him anymore. He smirked and played with the magical pens, throwing them in the air and catching them with ease, pleased with himself.

They weren't anywhere near his level,  he had way too much experience running away from people, of course those privileged kids would never–

The beastman fell to the ground as something – someone – pushed him. His back hit the floor as he groaned in slight pain, the magical pens hitting the floor. His wrists were being held by a pair of hands and on top of him was the same pair of brown eyes he had mocked earlier.

The prefect of Ramshackle dorm.

“I pinned you, thief!” She smiled victoriously, her breathing heavy from how much she ran. She frowned at the boy underneath her, her grip on his wrists tightening as he seemed to widen his eyes in surprise. “Now–” she paused to breathe for a moment. “–you’re gonna cooperate and answer our questions. Am I clear?”

Her eyes seemed to pierce through his soul, and despite the situation, Ruggie couldn't help but feel like he'd seen her before. He was so sure he had met her before somewhere, it was the same when he first met her in the botanical gardens looking for Leona, when he had stolen her furball’s sandwich, and every other time they’ve interacted. Not only that, her touch on his wrist felt familiar. Like he had felt it before. But he couldn't have seen her, she wasn't from Twisted Wonderland. 

But why the heck was he letting himself be guided by all these thoughts right now?! Wake up, you idiot!

“Alright, alright, I get it, let me up!” He complained, ignoring how fast his pulse was beating. He furrowed his eyebrows as he huffed in annoyance. “You win, princess, I’ll cooperate.”

The girl seemed to ponder whether to trust him or not, staring at him hesitantly. Still, she nodded, seemingly trusting him finally, and letting his wrists go free.

And that was her mistake.

Soon enough, her back was against the ground, the hyena staring down at her with that annoying smile of his. “Pinned ya.” 

Daisy clicked her tongue, trying to get out of his grasp in annoyance, but he quickly moved close to her face, making her hold her breath and stop moving, her cheeks growing red and her heart beating by the sudden proximity. Ruggie chuckled. She was so easy to tease. 

“Do me a favor, next time you try to catch someone, make sure you at least have evidence.” With that, the boy got up, running away from the Courtyard as he heard footsteps approaching, leaving Daisy on the ground, dumbfounded. 

“Daisy!” Grim called, making Daisy come back to reality and sit down, looking at her cat-like friend. “What happened, did he hurt you? If he hurt my hench human I’ll–”

“Ah, prefect–” Ace interrupted, crouching down near her level and pointing to his own ears. “Where are your earrings?”

As Daisy blinked, her hands quickly moved to her earlobes, realizing her late mother's pearl earrings were nowhere to be found. Her eyebrows furrowed and she got up, screaming at the direction Ruggie had gone. 

“Come back here you coward! You thief! You– ugh!” She muffled a groan with her hands and Deuce and Ace eyed each other, shocked at the amount of frustration Daisy was displaying. The blonde looked at the both of them with determination. “Boys! We’re gonna catch those guys if it's the last thing we do!”

#twisted wonderland #twst #oc x canon #twst oc #💌! mah writes #twst yuu #yuu twisted wonderland #ruggie bucchi x yuu #twisted wonderland ruggie #💌! daisy #💌! daiggie

[judespoets]

𝙛𝙪𝙩𝙪𝙧𝙚 | 𝙟𝙤𝙗𝙚 𝙗𝙚𝙡𝙡𝙞𝙣𝙜𝙝𝙖𝙢

𝙨𝙪𝙢𝙢𝙖𝙧𝙮: jobe spends the perfect day with you, and him making you his forever wasn’t what you expected.

𝙥𝙖𝙞𝙧𝙞𝙣𝙜: jobe bellingham x fem!reader

𝙬𝙖𝙧𝙣𝙞𝙣𝙜𝙨: none

Jobe shifted, propping himself up one elbow. You were still sound asleep as he just looked down at you, admiring every single feature of your face.

His gaze traced the curve of your jaw, the delicate line of your throat.

"You know," he murmured, "I love waking up like this every day."

Your eyes fluttered open slowly, and a sleepy smile tugged at your lips.

"Like what?" You asked, your voice still thick with drowsiness.

"Wrapped around you," Jobe replied, his fingers tracing lazy circles on your bare shoulder. "The sun shining through the window, your hair messy like that. It's absolutely perfect."

Your cheeks flushed, and you buried your head into the crook of Jobes neck. "You're too sweet," you whispered. "But I agree. This- it's perfect. You're perfect."

Jobe chuckled. "You're not just saying that because you're half asleep, are you?"

"No," you said, lifting your head to meet his gaze. "I mean it. I'm really thankful for you, you know. When I'm with you, everything else just- doesn't matter."

Jobes heart only swelled, even though it was common for you to be extra affectionate in the morning. He'd never been good with words, but you had a way of unraveling him, pulling out the emotions he kept hidden.

"My love," he began, "i love you, so so much."

Your eyes softened, and you cupped his cheeks. "I love you," you whispered. "More than words can express."

You just kept laying there, tangled in each other, you listening his heartbeat with your head on his chest while his hands kept stroking your bare waist slightly.

"Babe," Jobe said, breaking the comfortable silence, "what do you really want from life? I mean really want."

You tilted your head, looking at Jobe with a confused look on your face. "Jobe, babe, you already know that. Where does that come from we've been together for two years we talked about all of this on like our second date." You said, chuckling slightly.

"I know, baby. I just- we talked about it but i want like an update, you know. Do you still have the same priorities?"

"I think i do, yeah. Well obviously i still want adventures. I want to explore new place, taste exotic food, meet new people. But you've become my priority for sure. I really want to do all that with you, you know. I don't imagine my life without you in it anymore." You told him honestly. "And you?"

He grinned at you, you could see the sparkle in his eyes which were looking down at you with admiration.

"I want to make a difference. Not just a ripple, but a tidal wave. Maybe write a book someday."

You acted offended. "No me in your future?"

Jobe put the hair behind your ear, looking down at you, "I love you so much, baby. You're my number one priority, sweetheart and my future doesn't exist without you."

You laughed, burying your head further into his chest while Jobe held you tightly.

"What do you wanna do today, any plans?" Jobe asked you since it was his day off today.

"I do need to get some groceries but other than that i'm all yours today, babe." You told the man next to you.

You both loved a free day. Days where the both of you have nothing to do and Jobe doesn't have training, it gave you time to spend together since that did fall a bit behind with Jobe's tight training plan.

"I'm taking you out tonight, be ready at 6:30 and dress fancy." Jobe told you softly. "I'm making breakfast what do you want, baby?"

You were stunned at first. You didn't expect Jobe taking you out today. You both were normally the staying in type of couple. Since Jobe also gets recognized a lot. But the both of you loved this idea of a date night, cuddled up on the couch with snacks and a good movie.

"Why? Any special occasion?" You wondered out loud.

"Can't I take my girlfriend out once in a while?" Jobe asked jokingly.

"You can, where are we going?"

"Ha, as if i'd tell you that. Just be ready." Jobe told you as he winked and left the room to get breakfast started.

While Jobe was downstairs in the kitchen, you got ready, doing your usual skincare routine and throwing on a pair of leggings and one of Jobe's hoodies. Walking down the stairs you smelled the amazing smell of pancakes, your favorite breakfast.

"What's going on today? My favorite breakfast too? Did you do something or what?" You wondered, jokingly, sitting down at the table with Jobe.

"Babe, don't worry. I just want to make you happy." Jobe smiled at you, giving you your cup of coffee.

The both of you spent the day grocery shopping and going for a little walk before you started to get ready.

Walking down the stairs of your shared home you saw Jobe standing there, practically admiring you.

You wore a dark red, long dress with a small slit at the leg. Your hair was done in curls and your makeup was fancy yet simple.

Arriving at the front door, you looked at your boyfriend, he wore a black suit, your favorite.

Chucking, you wrapped your hands around his neck while his almost immediately wrapped around your waist.

"You look so beautiful, baby." Jobe told you, looking down at you.

"Thank you. You know you don't look too bad yourself, handsome." You chuckled, giving Jobe a small peck on the lips.

Together, the two of you walked to the car, Jobe driving you to the restaurant he booked you a table at.

Walking towards the restaurant, you noticed you knew that one. It was the restaurant you spent your first date at.

"Jobe! Our first date was here!" You exclaimed full of excitement, you loved the idea of spending your evening with Jobe here.

"I know, you happy?" He asked hopefully, turning his head towards you.

"So happy." you answered.

The two of you spent an amazing dinner together, which Jobe obviously paid. He never let you pay.

Walking out of the restaurants doors, expecting to go home, Jobe pulled you to the other direction.

"Let's walk at the beach a little." Was the only thing he said.

The beach wasn't too far away and it was a really warm night so you didn't complain, although the heels you were wearing did start to hurt a little bit, but it was bearable.

Entering the beach, you walked a little while before you saw light. So many little candles were forming a way together with rose petals, hundreds of them.

"Look Jobe! That looks so beautiful." You said clueless.

"You think so? I was hoping you liked it." He answered, grinning from ear to ear.

"You did that? Are you serious?" You asked, not believing what was happening.

As Jobe let go of your hand he started running towards the end of the walk where you started to see a little circle also formed out of roses and candles. You couldn't believe this was happening.

Arriving at Jobes place, you turned, looking at the beautiful view.

"What's all of this, babe?" You asked, turning around and clapping your hands over your mouth, the tears already daring to spill out of your eyes.

There he was, down on one knee, holding a box with a beautiful diamond ring inside of it.

"(Y/N), baby. I really didn't plan what I was going to say. I was too nervous about the rest. But baby, you are the most amazing, beautiful, intelligent, loving woman i have ever met in my entire life. When I met you, i knew I wanted to spend the rest of my life with you, touché, i know." Jobe said slightly laughing.

"You are the woman I want to marry. You are the woman i want to be the mother of my kids and grandmother of my grandkids. You are the woman i want to grow old with. (Y/N), you are the woman I want to love and cherish for all my life and after. My love, (Y/N) (Y/L/N), would you do me the honor of becoming my wife, will you marry me?" He asked, with a few tear streaming down his own face.

You were lost of words, you couldn't say anything, you were shocked to say the least. So you just nodded. You nodded so much you could think your head would fall off.

"Yes, of course, Jobe, of course I want to marry you." You said as Jobe slid the ring on your finger, standing up and taking you in his arms, spinning you around.

As he set you down again he didn't waste another second before taking your face in his hand and kissing you passionately.

"I love you. I love you. I love you." He said in between pecks on your lips. "You just made me the happiest man on earth, my love." He told you, wrapped his arms around your waist, while you wrapped yours around his neck.

You just stood there, taking in the moment, in each other arms.

Jobe pulled away, turning around.

"SHE SAID YES!!" Was all that was heard before you heard cheers from the other side of the beach.

You saw a figure running towards the both of you, revealing Jude as he tackled you both to the ground, hugging you.

"I'm so proud of you, bro." He said, laughing and kissing all of Jobe's face.

You couldn't control your laughter anymore,.

You were so, so happy.

#jobe bellingham #jobe bellingham x reader #jobe bellingham imagine #jobe bellingham oneshot #jobe bellingham blurb #jobe bellingham fic #jobe bellingham fluff

[ronearoundblindly]

1, 11 and 23 for the bedrock and bluebrint babes please

I’m trying to figure out what I want to ask for Steve and the mermaid

Questions from this ask game and for the Bedrock & Blueprints series with Ari Levinson and best friend!reader.

*These drabble-answers are fine for all ages of reader. However, not all the linked stories within are. Your media consumption is your own responsibility!

1. Describe their first date.

Oh boy, oh boy, who would think this would be so difficult to answer???

You had a fake date on Valentine's Day years ago, you've gone out just the two of you many times, and you 'get together' ::cough:: for the first time when Ari confesses his feelings...

That wasn't "a date" though.

Immediately after that is a bunch of trips back and forth from your apartment to your house, using his truck to move your furniture and boxes. He's hurriedly fixing up bits of your new property. He's spending the night when he works there late (almost every night after he finishes work-work). You two go to a pool party at one of your new neighbor's houses and continue to see José and Dimitri at the bar maybe once a week or so, but you and Ari are still secretive--or at least guarded--about such a huge shift in your relationship.

Honestly, I don't know which thing you two would pinpoint as the first date. I think the fact there's no exact end to your friendship or beginning to your romance is kinda perfect actually.

11. How do they feel about nicknames/pet names? If they like them, what pet names do they use? If they hate them, why do they feel that way?

'Old Man' and 'Kid,' obviously, and those names started as playfully derogatory but evolved into loving jokes. Both of you use them now to (gently) point out behavior you each know the other would like to outgrow: Ari doesn't want to be a stick in the mud or close-minded, and you don't want to be naïve.

There are...occasions where you and Ari are half-speaking to your daughter Rachel and referring to each other as 'mommy' and 'daddy.' Look, it bleeds into the bedroom sometimes, and I won't go so far as to say it's a kink, but y'all don't hate it. They're cheeky names in those situations, still loving jokes.

23. What are the defining characteristics of their relationship?

longterm support, consistency, respect

You know that feeling where you have a concept in mind, you know there's a word for it, but you can't find a way to search for it? That's what finding your person has been like. You had an idea of the pieces, you tried to search with a checklist, but the right person never manifested. You made adjustments to how exactly what you wanted could exist together in one love--perhaps he didn't have to be so perfect, perhaps he could have flaws, too--but after a while, you had to spend energy of thinking of other things.

In the background, things click in your brain. In the background of your daily life, Ari manifested.

He wasn't that person you were looking for to start. He had a concept for his own life that wasn't fully formed. He kinda lived like a nomad, and that made him very comfortable in the military, but later, that definition didn't quite fit him anymore.

You two grew differently, not apart.

I'm going to stress here that consistency does not exclude evolving. You are not good for each other right now and then change into something else. That happens to people, yes, but not when you consistently see and listen to your partner. You know things about Ari which make life difficult for him. He knows things about you that turn you off to change. He can be flippant and you can be judgmental. You both are not without your shortcomings.

You two consistently want to see each other happy, you consistently want to be the cause of each other's happiness, and you consistently forgive each other and yourselves for mistakes along the way.

This goes hand in hand with respect. You are different people, with different backgrounds, who want different things sometimes, but you never diminish the other as being silly or wrong for those differences.

Except folding the laundry.

Ari does it wrong. That's not disrespect, thems just the facts.

Thank you for asking!

[Main Masterlist; Light Masterlist; Ko-Fi]

#ro answers #ask game #bedrock and blueprints series #ari levinson x female reader #ari levinson x reader #ari levinson fanfiction #ari levinson x you

[mrs-kunikida]

Can't stop the feeling

Kunikida x gn reader

Synopsis: Kunikida can't seem to hold himself back anymore... not around you.

Warnings: established relationship, lots of kissing, maybe a little suggestive?? Kuni being needy nothing too steamy haha

A/n: what can I say? I am a sucker for a yearning and longing Kunikida. And Kunikida in general.

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It was a well known fact that Kunikida lived his life on principle.

With his trusty notebook always in hand, he had already detailed out the way things should be life.

The emphasis was on the word "should", because ever since he started dating you, his... inclinations seemed to be changing.

He prides himself to have good self control, yet in your presence, it seems to be waning away. He makes it to a point to keep it strictly professional at work, needing to set an example at the agency, because who else would? But when you pass through his desk, your scent lingers in the air, and Kunikida finds his fingers that were furiously tapping on the keyboard slowing down.

His ears perk up every time you speak, and he's left simply throwing glances at you as you work. His heart races even when your fingers touch slightly, as you pass him the documents for the new request, and the smile that you grace him with doesn't do him any favours to end his inner turmoil.

Kunikida seemed lost in thought, barely keeping his desires in control as he works on taking copies for the next meeting in the print room. He jumps as he feels you touch his arm.

"Sorry, did I surprise you?" You pursed your lips in concern. He was surprised at himself for not noticing your presence in the room earlier. What was happening to him?

Kunikida shook his head, "No, I'm alright. Just thinking about a case." He lied, looking away from you, trying to compose himself.

You bite your lip, looking at him with concern. "Are you sure? Because you seem kind of flustered." You say softly, reaching out to touch his arm lightly.

Kunikida looks at your hand on his arm for a moment before slowly nodding, struggling to piece his thoughts together. Did you always wear that shiny lip gloss? "Yeah, I'm fine. Really."

You put your hands on his cheeks and tilt his face towards you, "You know I'm your lover right? You can tell me anything you want." You smiled, leaning in closer.

Kunikida looks at you, his heart racing in his chest. He swallows hard, trying to find the words to ask what's on his mind. How could he really describe the storm you were stirring up inside him? That he was feeling so much for you, urges that only you could fulfill, and how he was at your complete mercy, craving every single drop of affection from you and was having a hard time holding himself back?

He lets out a grunt of surprise as you suddenly stand on your tip toes and press a kiss to his brow, "You're worrying about something. Relax, Kunikida."

He feels his heart swell up at your sweet gesture, and the lovely smile you grace him with, "You don't have to tell me. Just remember that I'm here if you need me for anything."

"You're the only thing I need." Is what he wants to say but he cannot bring himself to say those words. He would be so embarrassed to say something like that out loud. It sounded so cheesy, like something Dazai would say when he's trying to pick up girls on the street for a double suicide.

"Do you want to come over to my place after work?" You took his hands in yours excitedly. "We could buy some fruit tarts on the way back! Please?"

Kunikida doesn't even spare a glance at his already planned out schedule for the day. How could he when you were basically giving him what his heart desired?

"Thank you. I should be able to make some time in my schedule, if you don't mind me coming over."

Kunikida nods, pushing up his glasses and hoping he doesn't come off as too eager at the prospect of getting to spend more time with you.

Once again he is surprised as you press a quick kiss to his jaw, "Of course I don't mind, silly. I like being with you."

He was left alone in the print room as you went back to the office to finish your work. Kunikida touched the part where he felt your lingering kiss, heart still drumming against his chest.

Oh, what a greedy man he was becoming.

----------

Kunikida seated himself on the floor as you poured him tea. While it wasn't his first time in your apartment, something about finally being alone with you without any prying eyes was heightening his awareness about you. Particularly how the entire place smelled like you, how close you were to him right now, how your lashes fluttered softly and your enticing lips...

"–Kunikida?" He blinked as you called out his name, feeling flustered as he realized you had been talking about something while his head was imagining not so decent things about his lover.

He apologized quickly, but you still had a look of concern on your face.

"It's really unlike you to be so distracted. Are you okay?" Kunikida felt himself heat up in shame. "I know I'm not the most reliable person but–" You started but Kunikida cut you off.

"That's not it." Kunikida immediately refuted, disappointed in himself for making you doubt yourself.

"Then what is it?" You looked at him softly, and he found himself melting under your gaze.

He ruffled his hair, frustrated at himself for putting himself in this position. He cannot fathom since when did he become so needy.

"I just..." Kunikida hesitated, until finally he couldn't take it anymore. Not when you were looking at him with those sweet eyes, your presence exerting comfort he was seeking.

"I'm not able to control myself around you." He muttered, cheeks heating up as he finally reveals his inner turmoil. "You...you make me feel things. And I can't help but want more of you." He looked away from you, afraid of meeting your eyes and seeing disgust for brash confession. Yet, a small part of him hoped that you wouldn't turn him away for being honest.

He completely missed how your own eyes widened and the blood rushing to your cheeks at his words.

"Kunikida." Even as you called his name, he couldn't bring himself to look at you.

He felt you move closer to him, and you slowly took his face into your hands, turning to look at you. As he softly meets your eyes, you gently press a kiss to his lips.

Kunikida's eyes widen as his lips meet yours, but he finds himself melting instantly, your touch like a balm. As you pull away, he whispers, "You're not disgusted?"

You giggled softly, and he felt relief spread all over his body, "Why would I be disgusted, Kunikida?" You gently traced his jaw line with your fingers, "Every person wants to feel desired by their lover."

You looked away shyly from him, making Kunikida's eyes widen as you said, "Besides, I feel the same way about you, you know."

You took a shaky breath, and Kunikida held his own breath as you met his eyes, "I want more of you too."

Kunikida felt as if his entire being was on fire as he heard you say those words. He found himself feeling giddy, wanting nothing more than to hold you close to him and never let you go.

"Could I kiss you again?" he murmurs softly, his eyes fixed on yours.

You nod slowly, smiling bashfully. He leans in closer, your lips brushing against his in a gentle kiss. As you break from the kiss, you feel butterflies in your stomach as Kunikida smiles softly, pulling you closer and holding you in his arms.

"You can ask me anything you want, Kunikida." You place your hand on his cheek, tracing his jawline with your fingers. "What do you want to do next?"

Kunikida looks into your eyes, a mixture of desire and nervousness on his face. He takes a deep breath, his heart racing in his chest. "I... I want to touch you more," he whispers, his voice barely audible. He reaches out tentatively, running his fingers through your hair.

You let out a soft sigh of pleasure as Kunikida's fingers run through your hair.

"Go ahead," you whisper back to him, your voice filled with desire. You lean in close, your lips brushing against his neck. Kunikida shivers slightly at your touch, his hand gently stroking your back.

He gently traces his fingers along your arm, feeling the softness of your skin beneath his fingertips. You close your eyes, savoring the feeling of his touch as it sends shivers down your spine.

He gently traces his fingers along your collarbone, watching as you shiver lightly at his touch.

"You can be bolder," you whisper, encouraging him to explore further.

You let out another soft sigh as Kunikida's fingers trace along your sides, savoring the sensation. He leans in closer, his lips brushing against yours in another kiss. You wrap your arms around him, pulling him closer as you deepen the kiss.

Kunikida feels your warmth envelop him as you deepen the kiss, his heart racing in his chest. He tentatively reaches out, tracing his fingers along your back. You moan softly into the kiss, encouraging him to explore further.

Kunikida hesitates for a moment before gently tracing his fingers along your spine, feeling the softness of your skin beneath his fingertips. You arch your back slightly, pushing yourself further into his touch. He traces gentle circles around your waist, causing you to shiver lightly. You break the kiss, looking into his eyes.

"You're so gentle," you whisper, running your fingers through his hair. Kunikida blushes, looking down. "I-I just want to make you feel good," he replies softly, his voice barely audible. You lean in close, pressing your body against his. "You do." His heart flutters in his chest as you admit it in a heart beat.

You feel Kunikida's heart racing in his chest, and you smile softly. You place a gentle kiss on his forehead, and then trail more kisses down his face, ending with a soft kiss on his lips. "I love how you make me feel," you whisper, running your fingers through his hair.

Kunikida looks into your eyes, feeling a wave of emotions wash over him. He gently places a hand on your cheek. You smile softly as he leans in close, their breaths mingling together. "Only you can make me feel like this." You whispered, and Kunikida could feel his heart racing even faster if it were possible.

Before he even knows it, he presses his lips against yours. He swallows up your moan of surprise as he meets your lips hungrily, feeling his desire for you well up as he devoured your lips.

The kiss turns passionate as he moves his lips against yours, and you eagerly respond back. You moaned as Kunikida started to grope your body more firmly, his hands sliding up and down your back, pressing his body further into you. He moans softly into the kiss and you feel a surge of excitement as Kunikida angles his mouth, sliding his tongue into your mouth, his touch sending shivers of pleasure down your spine. You wrap your arms around his neck, deepening the kiss even further. Your tongue explores every inch of his mouth, teasing and tantalizing him.

Your back lands on the floor when he leans forward pressing his body closer to yours, as he continues making out, your breathing gets heavier as you feel Kunikida's hands on your heated body. Your body tingled with desire, feeling a flurry of emotions rise up and all you know is that you didn't want him to stop, wanting more and more.

"K-Kunikida..."

The sound of his name slipping from your mouth in such a wanton way seemed to arouse something insatiable within himself. His patience seems to be hanging by a thread as you gasped beneath him, when he pressed a kiss under your ear.

He seems to have lost any sense of restraint as he presses open kisses to your exposed neck, his hands firmly gripping your waist. The only thought that repeated again and again in his head was the urge to pull more sounds from you. To make you squirm beneath him, to hear you moan out his name in pleasure.

You whimpered, gripping his arm as he softly kissed the expanse of your skin, leaving you feeling hot and flustered. You could feel your toes curling when he nipped a particular spot, his hot breath fanning your neck.

He continued peppering you with kisses that had you shivering, "K-Kunikida...Can we take this to bed?" You bite your lip to stop yourself from moaning.

He stops in his tracks, suddenly realizing how uncomfortable it must be for you to be lying on the cold floor as he hunches over you. He quickly lifts himself off you, swiftly apologizing and helping you up.

Kunikida covers his face, feeling ashamed for his actions, "I'm so sorry, Y/N. I got too carried away."

You blushed, running your hand through your hair, "It's quite alright. I just wasn't expecting you to be...so passionate."

Kunikida groans, blush turning tenfold, as a wave of embarrassment washes over him. It would be better if the earth swallowed him up right now.

His heart skips a beat as you take his hand in yours and bring it to your mouth and kiss it softly. "But I...I liked it."

On the exterior Kunikida seemed to be fine, but internally Kunikida.exe had stopped functioning.

You were really going to be the death of him.

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#bungou stray dogs #kunikida x reader #bsd kunikida x reader #bsd kunikida #kunikida doppo #bsd x reader