#a truly disconcerting number of them offer to fuck him

[wittywallflower]

So the Endless are enduring, but the gods rely on belief and will fade away when no one believes in them anymore, right?

Now imagine all those with divinity deciding they have to go meet the Dream King’s immortal human, and make themselves memorable to Hob.

#hob gadling #the sandman #he obviously will believe they are what they say they are #one man propping up entire crumbling pantheons #dozens of unemployed gods and goddesses #with a lot of free time to drink at his pub which is fine is they stop trying to tip with drachmas #some of them show up to pick fights because they figure at least a feud will ensure hob never forgets about them #a truly disconcerting number of them offer to fuck him #(fewer offer to let him fuck them. does he really give off so much bottom energy or do gods just prefer to top?)

[kanamesharisenwrites]

kh’s story snippet celebration sendoff, entry #3

Oh, I had so much fun with this twisted plunnie! And even though only the opening scene is complete, I did finish a first draft for the entire fic (which I’ve included). It’s rough and vague, but the whole plot concept is there!

Inspired by the story, The Ones that Walk Away from Omelas, by Ursula K Le Guin.

Fandom: Naruto Pairing: Kakashi Hatake/Sakura Haruno Word Count: 2217 Genre: canon-divergence!AU, drama, angst Rating: M Warnings: brief profanity, abduction, manipulation, brainwashing, dark fic

... [ kingdom come ]

"Where's Sakura?"

"Gone, obviously." Sasuke laughs, bloody spittle coating his lips. He groans as he pulls his body off the ground. Swelling from a large contusion over his left eye mars his fair face; there is a matching one at the base of his skull. His right arm, severed and cauterized, lies in the dust a few feet away. "If he didn't kill her, Tobi probably took her. He likes shiny new toys."

Kakashi bristles and widens his stance as Sasuke walks towards him. "I want to know what happened. Now."

"Relax, old man, I'm not looking for a fight." Sasuke picks up his arm and throws it over his shoulder. "Sakura told me to get my head out of my ass and go home. That's what I intend to do."

Kakashi eyes Sasuke with suspicion, searching his demeanor for tells of dishonesty. "After all these years, you’ll forgive me if I doubt your word. It's all a little too easy, don't you think?"

"Easy?" Sasuke scoffs and levels Kakashi with a hard stare. "I knew she only wanted to join me so she could capture or kill me. I decided to kill her first – chidori through the heart." A smirk twists Sasuke's mouth, sharp and cruel, as he watches Kakashi flinch. "One stab and I'd permanently slice through those bonds Naruto rants about. Only it didn't work. Her chakra neutralized my chidori when she grabbed my arm." Sasuke shakes his head, and his smirk softens. "What the hell have you guys been feeding her, anyway? She's as strong as a fucking ox."

Kakashi shrugs. "Ask Lady Tsunade."

"Figures. Sakura managed this," Sasuke gestures to his missing arm, "with nothing but a chakra scalpel. Pulled the rest of it through her body like she was unsheathing a sword. Then she beat me unconscious with my own severed appendage. Last thing I saw was the hole in her chest close up like it'd never been there."

 "You were a fool to underestimate her."

"So were you."

.

.

.

[ .oOo. ]

Shikamaru gives Kakashi his weekly “state of the village” report.

Kakashi asks about Sakura sightings; there’s been none.

Shikamaru turns to leave, but stops. Tells Kakashi he thinks it’s time to give up the hunt.

After Shikamaru leaves, Kakashi stares out the office window and wonders aloud why he’s still there when everyone important to him is gone.

.

.

.

[ .oOo. ]

Sakura comes to him in a dream. She’s older - ethereal yet weary-looking. She reminds him why he needs to stay, about the good he brings to the village, to the world. When she goes to leave, he chases her, promises to find her. She looks puzzled.

“Why, sensei? I was never lost in the first place.”

Kakashi wakes up in tears.

.

.

.

[ .oOo. ]

When Kakashi makes his weekly trip to the memorial, Karin is there. He’s tired and his memory is fuzzy; he doesn’t remember her at first. When he does, he’s surprised. He didn’t think she’d stay in the village without Sasuke.

“Visiting Konoha, huh?”

“Hardly.” She huffs. “I never left.”

“Strange. I never see you around.”

“I keep a low profile. The village isn’t especially kind to Orochimaru’s castoffs.”

“Why do you stay, then?”

Karin pauses, her fingers hovering over Sasuke’s name. When she speaks, it’s slow, deliberate.

“Because that’s what he would’ve wanted. For me to carry on in his stead.”

.

.

.

[ .oOo. ]

Kakashi dreams of Sakura again. She seems disconcerted that he acknowledges her - you weren’t supposed to know that I’m here, sensei - but speaks with him anyway. It’s a soft, gentle conversation, and it lulls him into a deeper, dreamless sleep.

He wakes up more rested than he has in a long time, but his mind anxious.

Sakura seemed too sentient for a figment of his subconscious.

.

.

.

[ .oOo. ]

Shizune comes to see him, asks how life as Hokage is going.

Kakashi admits it’s boring - too much paperwork, too little action. Village life has become too idyllic since the end of the war, to the point that it feels unnatural.

Shizune says she feels it too.

.

.

.

[ .oOo. ]

Kakashi starts dreaming of Sakura every night. 

He tells her silly stories about the new batch of genin trying to unmask him. She shares some of Tsunade’s most “creative” teaching techniques.

She asks him how the village is doing. He tries to explain how it’s so perfect it feels wrong, but can’t quite find the words. Her coy smile suggests she understands anyway.

He asks her to stop calling him “sensei.” She laughs and calls him “Lord Hokage.”

He thanks her for keeping his nightmares at bay. She asks him what his nightmares are, but he doesn’t answer.

After a few nights where he dreams they walk through the forest without talking, he finally opens up.

Before her, he dreamed about lightning and blood: his chidori through Rin’s chest; Obito crushed and plucking out his own eye in offering; Naruto and Sasuke’s lifeless bodies on the battlefield still holding hands; searching for Sakura in an endless maw of darkness.

Sakura holds his hand and cries. Her hand feels so real, so warm and solid, that it wakes him up.

In his next dream, he confronts her. Begs her to tell him where she went, what happened to her. Sakura goes pale. When she tries to speak, she writhes in pain as if the words she meant to say were choking her. She falls to her knees and looks up at him, still no words falling from her open mouth. But he sees it - the Root seal on her tongue. 

He wakes up angry.

.

.

.

[ .oOo. ]

Kakashi calls Sai to his office and asks questions about Root. Even though it’s been years since Danzo’s execution, Sai can’t answer and it leaves Kakashi frustrated as well as angry.

That night, Kakashi doesn’t dream of Sakura. He dreams of the absence of her.

He dreams about capturing Sasuke and bringing him back. Of entrusting Sakura's rescue to Naruto and Sai. Of their return, empty-handed.

He dreams of Naruto’s grief and anger and disbelief - that Root (Danzo) captured Karin, but found no trace of Sakura. Of Sai's silent lips and clenched fists.

The memories fall away and Kakashi calls for Sakura in the dark void of his dream until his throat is raw. 

She doesn’t come.

.

.

.

[ .oOo. ]

Kakashi sees Karin at the memorial again.

She seems agitated, on edge, but she extends a gruff invite to her place for tea.

He declines.

She tells him she lives in a small house painted yellow at the foot of Hokage Mountain, if he changes his mind. 

That night he dreams of Obito, of the Tobi mask falling away revealing his old teammate. Of cruel taunts - so, poor, tragic, Kakashi lost another kunoichi - and cryptic denials - come on, Kakashi, I’d need more than one Sharingan to capture that sweet little cherry - and unfounded accusations - sounds like an inside job, if you ask me. 

Kakashi wakes in a cold sweat.

Then he goes in search of Karin’s house.

.

.

.

[ .oOo. ]

Karin seems almost relieved to see him. She opens the door and he steps inside. Immediately, he can feel it; Sakura’s chakra signature rolls over him like a wave.

Karin leads him to the basement.

Sakura sits in a dingy, old recliner in nothing but a bra and training shorts. A crown of wires connects her to a wall of softly whirring machinery. She opens her brilliant green eyes and smiles.

“Kakashi!”

He turns to Karin. “Unhook her. Now.”

“It’s not as simple as that. If we--”

“If you don’t do it, I will.”

“No, you can’t!” Sakura screams. “If you do, the village will be destroyed!”

.

.

.

[ .oOo. ]

Kakashi sits silently fuming in a meeting with the village council and the daimyo. They throw a lot of facts around: higher birth rates, reduced healing times for injuries, near elimination of sickness, increased shinobi numbers and quality, improved financial stability, etc. It doesn’t take long for him to realize.

“You authorized this project of Danzo’s.”

“Of course. How else do you think he got the technology to accomplish such a feat?”

“I suppose it’s pointless to petition for this project’s end.”

“We truly are sorry, Kakashi. We didn’t know your kunoichi was the one chosen for the experiment. But it has turned out so well for the village. I hope you understand.”

“I do,” Kakashi says. 

He walks out.

.

.

.

[ .oOo. ]

Kakashi visits Karin and Sakura again, asks them to tell him everything they know about Sakura’s situation: unhooking Sakura will reverse all the good her chakra network has accomplished.

Absolute, utter destruction, they say.

Kakashi seethes. “Danzo was a fucking liar.”

“Maybe.” Sakura shakes her head. “But I can’t take that chance.”

Kakashi storms off.

.

.

.

[ .oOo. ]

Kakashi summons Shikamaru.

“The safety of our civilians has been weighing on me.”

“You know something I don’t?”

“Just… been thinking. How many times has a significant threat infiltrated our security in your lifetime, Shikamaru?”

“Point taken. What do you want to do?”

“I want you to develop a village-wide evacuation plan. Be sure to include provisions for temporary shelter and two week’s worth of rations for every family. I expect a working model ready for drills by the end of the month.”

“Yes, Lord Hokage.”

.

.

.

[ .oOo. ]

Kakashi arrives at Karin’s house with Sai. He tells her to leave, to follow the rest of her neighbors to their designated rendezvous point.

“She’s gonna hate you.”

“I know.”

When Kakashi enters the basement, Sakura is waiting for him, ready to strike. 

“Don’t make me fight you.”

“It’s time to let go, Sakura.”

“I can’t. The village will collapse and people will die. I can’t have that on my conscience. I can’t be why Konoha disappears!”

“Konoha isn’t a place. It’s the people who live with the will of fire in their hearts. And those people have been evacuated. They are safe. Konoha will survive.”

Sakura squares her shoulders and chin, digging in her heels. “I’m a kunoichi. My purpose is to be of use to my village, no matter the sacrifice.”

“You are of more use to your village free than you will ever be wasting away in this damned basement!”

“But the village--”

“Fuck the village. It can burn to the ground as long as I know you’re safe. You’re it, Sakura. You’re all I have left.” Kakashi's voice cracks. “I can’t lose you to this.”

Sakura lowers her fists. “I’m scared.”

“I know. But it will be okay, I promise.” Kakashi presses the button on his earpiece. “Shikamaru, are we good to go?” After the affirmative answer crackles in his ear, Kakashi turns back to Sakura. “Do you trust me?”

Sakura nods.

“Sai is waiting for us upstairs. He’s ready to fly us out of here if needed.” Kakashi takes her hand. “Tell me what to do.”

“You’re sure everyone is safe?”

“I’m sure.”

“Flip that lever.”

The rumbling begins almost immediately. Kakashi scoops her up, pulling the crown from her head and smashing it to the ground. Sai spies them from his perch on his ink bird and if he’s surprised by Sakura’s presence, he doesn’t show it. They fly away, watching as a crater of rubble forms where Konoha once stood.

Sakura weeps as Kakashi holds her to his chest.

.

.

.

[ .oOo. ]

There are a lot of questions. He answers them as honestly and as vaguely as he can, leaving Sakura out of the story altogether. Some people are scared. Some are angry. Most are just thankful for their tents, their food, and their lives. This isn’t the first time they’ve had to rebuild.

After the village settles down for the night, Kakashi patrols the perimeter of the wreckage. The only thing left intact is the memorial stone. He stands there for a long time reading the names carved on its surface. The moon rises and the first chill of autumn settles in his bones.

Someone takes his hand… Sakura.

“Do you regret it?” she asks.

“No,” he answers. She shivers, so he pulls her into his arms. “Do you?”

"Yes."

The word leaves her on an exhale, as quiet and forceful as the wind. A tear escapes her, splatters against the chilled skin of his forearm.

"It's gut-wrenching, knowing what my freedom cost. I think a part of me will always feel that way." She runs her fingers over their teammates' names, slow and reverent. "But one day, maybe..."

"Then I'll hold onto it for you."

She glances at him over her shoulder, confused. "Hold onto what?"

He breathes in deep, squeezing her tight. With a kiss to her temple, he answers, "The hope for that one day."

#kakasaku #ksscs #kh writes fanfiction #you can also read it on ao3 if you click the title

[lonestorm]

The Inugami - Chapter 13

Summary: When Kagome Higurashi moved to the bad side of Chicago to help with her grandfather’s restaurant, she expected chaos. Being thrown into a fake gang, caught in the middle of a drug war and grudge that stretches centuries back in time, befriending a grumpy half demon along with a ragtag bunch of three other misfits… wasn’t exactly what she had in mind. High school AU. Inukag.

Rating: T (some language)

Pairings: Inukag, Mirsan

Chapters: Ch. 1 | Ch. 2 | Ch. 3 | Ch. 4 | Ch. 5 | Ch. 6 | Ch. 7 | Ch. 8 | Ch. 9 |  Ch. 10 | Ch. 11 | Ch. 12 | Ch. 13

Shorts: 1. Sesshomaru | 2. Miroku | 3. Shippo

**Also on ff.net here.

When the Inugami finally arrived at the hotel, Kagome noticed first how everything was too quiet. Like the calm before the storm.

They’d seen the police cars parked about a block away, all out of sight of the hotel. Sesshomaru, however, parked right in the lot and strode up to them. There was another man in a police uniform that jogged after him, saying heatedly, “I can’t just evacuate this whole place because of a tip from a couple of kids and Wolves!”

Inuyasha growled at that, but Sesshomaru halted and turned to face the man once he was beside the Inugami. “Do you have any better leads, Commander Bauer?” Sesshomaru quipped.

Commander Bauer, hair graying and face tired, responded, “No, but this is hardly more to go on that anything we’ve had before. There are upper class people in that hotel; they’ll sue the hell out of us if we evacuate and end up finding nothing. Suppose they were fed false information! Wouldn’t be the first time.”

Kagome was at least impressed that the man didn’t cower under Sesshomaru’s glower. “Will that be any consolation when everyone in the hotel ends up dead?”

At this time, Koga finally bounded up to them with Ginta and Hakkaku panting behind him. Kagome’s eyes widened at the sight of Wolves emerging from the shadows of the night, grinning with shining, white fangs. There had to be nearly a hundred of them, all growling and practically glowing with energy and viciousness, ready to be set loose...

“Wolves reporting for duty, Commander Tashio,” Koga told him, tightening the band around his head.

Bauer sighed, grimacing at the sight of the demon gang, and pinched the bridge of his nose. “Take me along and give me proof. Then I’ll start the evacuation.”

“It could be too late by then!” Inuyasha shouted at him, but Sesshomaru silenced him by holding up a hand.

“Fine,” Sesshomaru said lightly. “Inugami, Alpha, come along; we’ll get him his damn proof.”

“Ginta, Hakkaku,” Koga ordered, gripping his friends’ shoulders. “I want you two to stay here and await my word to tell the others. Stay on guard and report any suspicious activity.”

“Yes, sir!”

“Thanks, guys. I’m going in.”

Biting her lip, Kagome hurried after the Tashio brothers’ and Koga’s long strides. Miroku, Sango, and Shippo caught up beside her, and the other Commander managed to get beside Sesshomaru.

“What if it really was false information?” Kagome muttered to Sango.

With a helpless shrug, Sango whispered back, “I guess we’re about to find out.”

The hotel was truly magnificent; tall and imposing, stretching past her vision. Inside was just as grand: shiny, white and black floors, statues of gold lining the halls, intricate glass chandeliers, and bright walls. The group marched right up to the front desk, where a brunette boy in a rumpled suit was snoring with his head on the counter.

His nap didn’t last much longer; Sesshomaru slammed his badge in front of the boy’s face, causing him to gasp and bolt upright. “O-oh! Sorry s-sir, I, em… Oh, police? Um, what can I do for you, officers?”

“You can direct us to the basement,” Sesshomaru demanded, and the boy stammered instructions right away.

Kagome’s heart was in her throat as she jogged after Inuyasha’s impatient steps. How exactly do you handle a moment you’ve been waiting for for over six months? She took a look at Inuyasha… his ears were flat. Like when he was angry. He wasn’t getting worried; he was getting angry, remembering everything that got all of them to this very point. His anger pushed him on… and Kagome was angry too. So she clenched her fists and focused on it, letting it fill her from the chest. A red lava that seemed to singe her veins and light her up. Maybe… maybe anger on behalf of those she loved was what could make her brave. Brave, like Inuyasha.

They took a right, two lefts, back down a long dark hall and through the back door… and then there was a teenage boy in a baseball cap, sitting outside a metal door while reading a book. And underneath his cap, holding back his brown hair, was a black and purple bandana.

Kagome cleared her throat as they made their way towards him. “Um, so shall we say the passwords or-?”

Inuyasha was there in an instant, grabbing the doorman boy by the shirt and slamming him against the wall. “Let us in, pipsqueak.”

“Inuyasha’s trying a different password, I suppose,” Miroku mumbled.

Once the boy saw the lamplight shine off of Inuyasha’s curling claws, he scrambled for the lock.

“No need to tell Naraku about intruders,” Sesshomaru told the Spider coldly as the boy grabbed a walkie-talkie from his belt. “He’ll know we are here soon enough.”

There was a set of stairs awaiting them, dark and cool. Kagome swallowed, mind flashing back to the first time they’d tried to take on Naraku… the night of the New Moon.

The group made their way down the passage, and Kagome was nervous about the lack of guards. Sesshomaru was right; this was far too easy. There had to be some sort of trap coming up. Maybe an empty room awaited them.

But as she reached the bottom with the rest, her jaw dropped; it was all here. A large space the size of a ballroom. The tanks filled with Shikon, pink liquid bubbling up and being fed into a metal machine that spat fire and looked to be producing blocks of shining Jewel. A lavish spread of seating and dining in the colors of white and gold, Spiders lounging and laughing, smoking and drinking. And on a couch far across the way, a sinister-eyed man running his hand down Kikyo’s arm. Her eyes looked dull and lifeless, pulling a pang of pity from Kagome’s heartstrings.

“This is it,” Koga snarled, baring his fangs. “Ginta, Hakkaku, Naraku is here; standby.”

“Yes, sir!” chorused the Wolves from Kagome’s earpiece.

“Behold your proof,” Sesshomaru sneered, gesturing toward Naraku at the other end of the room.

Commander Bauer’s eyes widened, and he pulled out a walkie talkie as he took off upstairs. Kagome could hear him shouting, “Evacuate the hotel immediately! Public enemy number one spotted!”

Of course, by then, all the Spiders had become silent at the new guests, and Naraku was watching them steadily with the most disconcerting smile. Kagome grimaced at its malevolent gleam.

“Hey, Naraku,” Inuyasha told him, drawing his gun from its holster. “Your escort to hell has arrived.”

“About time,” Naraku drawled, leaning his head back and tracing a lazy finger up Kikyo’s neck. “I was beginning to think you’d never show. Inugami. Sesshomaru. Alpha. Now we can finally release some steam.” He flicked a hand. “Spiders, it’s time. Go on.”

“I’ve got a bad feeling about this,” Sango said as she drew out her bladed boomerang and a gun.

Kagome nodded in agreement as she watched Spiders stand. Some looking viciously excited, some white-faced and horrified, but they all exited from doors on either side of the back wall in droves.

To her relief, Koga ordered, “Wolves! Spiders fleeing from back doors to the outside; surround and incapacitate! Don’t kill unless absolutely necessary in defense! Remember, American laws!”

“So, we can rip off their legs to incapacitate them?” Hakkaku clarified.

“No!”

“Oh, okay. But what if I think they’re gonna rip off my legs?”

“Then you can rip off their legs,” Koga amended.

Sesshomaru sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. “That is not really how it works.”

Koga put his face into his hands. “Just… just take them down and give them to the cops, okay? You don’t need to rip their legs off.”

Sesshomaru ignored this and regarded Naraku. “I suggest you come quietly, and then we won’t have to make a mess of this place. We have the full-blooded demon son of the demon king of the west, two humans here with spiritual powers, a demon slayer, a fox demon, an alpha wolf demon-”

“I have an army of demon energized Spiders and soulless demons awaiting my command,” Naraku offered, finally standing to face them.

Sesshomaru gestured to Inuyasha. “We’ve got a half dog demon with anger management issues and a ridiculously massive sword.” His guns were drawn. “Your drugged Spiders could hardly hope to stand against the full strength of the Central Wolf Demon Tribe and the 18th District Chicago Police station, with more stations on their way.”

Naraku leaned against a nearby pillar; Kikyo still sat, motionless, and Kagome mentally urged her to get up and run. “Do you honestly think,” Naraku asked silkily, “that I’m stupid enough, after all these years hiding, to simply go tell all of my Spiders this location and passcode?”

It was Shippo’s voice that spoke up, shaking at first, but then firm. “It’s reasonable that we’d think you’re kinda stupid,” he said, “when you’ve had about a minute to kill us already but instead you’re deciding to monolog and tell us your evil plans.”

“Shippo’s right. Fuck this talking; I’m gonna go cut his face off,” Inuyasha snarled, and then shouted, “Tessaiga!”

The gun stretched into a sword, and he ripped off its sheath. Tessaiga grew to a shining, thick blade with elegant fur circling the hilt.

Naraku’s eyes gleamed. “Oh, now there’s an old friend. Are you going to use that on me underneath a skyscraper, Inuyasha? Send the place crashing down?”

“Rather take this outside with your Spiders?” growled Inuyasha, leveling his sword with Naraku’s head.

Kagome’s heart fell when Naraku’s smile only grew. “Did I say they were going outside?”

Just then, Ginta’s voice came hesitantly in their ears. “Um, boss… no Spiders out here.”

“What?” Koga muttered, putting a hand to his ear.

“But there’s a lot of screaming coming from the hotel. What are you guys doing in there?” Hakkaku asked.

Sango’s eyes were round as they met Inuyasha’s. “They… they’re in the hotel.”

“Thought I’d let my Spiders have a little fun,” Naraku sighed. “The people in this city are mine anyway…”

“What are you talking about?” Sesshomaru droned, lowering his guns. “Hostages… you want us to leave and then you will not hurt the guests?”

“Oh, no need; I’m already hurting the guests.” Naraku waved this off. “Maybe they’ll be glad they died before they became puppets with the rest of the city.”

“What do you mean ‘puppets’?” Miroku said, eyes narrowing.

“Wolves!” Inuyasha said into the earpiece. “Get your asses in the hotel; Spiders have started to attack the humans. Protect the humans! Ginta, tell the 18th division commander what’s going on.”

“Yes… uh, boss? That cool with you?”

Koga gritted his teeth, glaring at Inuyasha. “Only the Betas and squad one of the Gammas go in the hotel; the rest of you hold your perimeter in case some more come out. Other than that, just… just do what the mutt said.”

“He’s whittling down our forces,” Shippo muttered, swishing his tail nervously.

“Addicted? Well…” Naraku looked at his black watch. “I’d say my Spiders set up at the roof of this building should be releasing the Shikon gas on my command in about five minutes. I could have done it a while ago, of course, but I wanted to make sure my special guests would be here to see it. So I do thank you for coming.”

A pause. Then, Miroku let out a sigh. “Well, shit.”

“We have to split up,” Inuyasha told them, striding forward. “I’m staying here. Shippo, you should float Sango and Miroku for brute strength and spiritual power up to the roof so they can take down that gas. Sesshomaru and Koga, you’re obviously needed to protect the city from Spiders. Kagome can stay with me. If she wants.”

“She does want,” Kagome clarified, and gripped the gun magazine in her pocket. She felt a stroke of pride accompanying the moment she held up her hands and let the reservoir of energy surge to her fingertips; Inuyasha wanted her help.

Sesshomaru locked his gaze on his brother. “You two against Naraku? I think not.”

“This piece of shit killed over a hundred of my pack!” Koga spat. “There is no way I’m leavin’.”

“Then help me get him outside!” Inuyasha barked.

Miroku also looked hesitant. “Don’t… don’t you need me here?”

Kagome turned to regard him, and was immediately disturbed by the foreign expression on his face. It was intense, hungry, eye shining in utter loathing. It was… lust. For blood. That look didn’t belong on Miroku’s face.

Inuyasha apparently saw it too. “Miroku,” Inuyasha said lowly, “are you suggesting Sango face the people on the roof without you?”

Miroku had his eyes still fixed on Naraku… and slowly, turned them to Sango. “I-I…” He swallowed, clenching his fists. “I… no.”

Sango’s gaze softened. “Miroku, I don’t need-”

“Let’s go, Sango.”

With a last look behind him, Shippo followed Miroku and Sango back up the stairs at a run. Inuyasha, Sesshomaru, and Kagome were left facing Naraku, air between them still and thick.

“I have an idea,” Kagome muttered.

“What’s-Kagome!” Inuyasha called, but she was already running.

This seemed to surprise Naraku at least--she used that to run straight at him, thrusting out her hands to hit him with a bolt of pink light. Not enough to damage him much, but she’d only meant to shock him and get him out of the way for a moment. From there, she grabbed Kikyo by the wrist and dragged the startled girl towards the stairs that the Spiders had rushed out of. Kagome just kept running, not looking behind her; Kikyo wasn’t hard to pull along, seeming to have weakened by the drug over time.

“What are you doing?” Kikyo demanded, failing to tug her hand away.

“Just wait,” Kagome said through gritted teeth, pushing herself to go faster.

Sure enough, there was shouting and cursing behind her, and she heard the clattering footsteps of Naraku, Inuyasha, Koga, and Sesshomaru chasing after them.

Kagome practically threw herself through the door at the top of the stairs, bursting out into the lit hotel. Chaos reigned, the beautiful crystal chandeliers crashing down to the marble ground. Guests were running in nightclothes and screaming, chased by snarling demons. Kagome watched in horror as a Spider pounced on a fallen child. The little girl shrieked, and Kagome came to her senses, shooting a bolt of spiritual energy at the demon so that he was blasted off. But then the demon turned to her, growling, clad in black-

And tackled by a Wolf. The Wolf snarled and slashed his claws across the Spider’s face before kicking him into the stone. Wiping blood off his hands, it was Hakkaku that looked up, grinning at Kagome. “You okay, sis?”

In the middle of hell, Kagome managed a smile. “Yes. Thank you.”

The door behind her made a crashing sound. Kagome yelped, tightening her grip on Kikyo’s wrist before taking off again, dodging crystals and glass that smashed in from the windows. A shard slashed across her cheek and thigh, but she was too focused on running to register the pain.

“Look out!” Kikyo shouted once, and Kagome turned to see a Spider running at her from the left-

He was thrown away by a flash--Kikyo had her hand raised, pink light flickering around her fingertips.

Kagome was only able to stare at the other girl in shock for a second; a tentacle shot past their ear, making Kagome gasp and continue running through the front doors with Kikyo at her side.

Finally, they were in the street, surrounded by the flashing lights of police cars and sirens accompanied by the wail of ambulances and people clutching wounds with blood oozing through their fingers. Police were tackling one Spider to the ground to the left, while four Wolves were corralling three Spiders and locked in battle of teeth and claws to the right. And when she turned… Naraku.

Inuyasha followed soon after, slashing at Naraku’s back with Tessaiga with a yell. Naraku dodged, spinning to face the half demon with a hiss. Koga came from the other side, speeding up Naraku’s blind spot while Inuyasha occupied his front. Sesshomaru was supposedly in the building protecting the people. Kagome wanted to help, but then tuned into the chatter that had been going on in her earpiece from Sango, Miroku, and Shippo.

“Kohaku, please,” Sango’s voice was pleading. “Just stop. I know you don’t want to do this. Just… please come home.”

“Her brother,” Kagome gasped, staring up at the top of the impressive structure. She could make out lights and movement, but no more. “Miroku, what’s going on up there?”

Miroku’s panting voice came through faithfully, “Sango’s brother and ten other Spiders are up here defending the device. I’m holding a barrier around the device so that they can’t touch it, and Shippo and Sango are trying to take care of the rest. Sango is trying to talk Kohaku out of prepping the gas further; apparently, he’s in charge of them.”

Shippo added, after giving a curse in pain, “They can’t set it off without Naraku, even if Miroku’s barrier doesn’t last! Naraku has the launch button! Probably his watch! We’re holding our own up here fine; just take down Naraku!”

Kagome gave a firm nod, almost forgetting that her friends couldn’t see it. She scanned around until she saw the nearest Wolf, and then whistled at him. He looked over right away, and jogged over, frowning, when she gestured.

“Here,” Kagome said busily, pushing Kikyo towards the demon. “Keep her safe and away from the fighting. Naraku has used her for too long.”

The Wolf gave her a salute, curling a protective arm around a bewildered Kikyo. “Yes, sister!” With that, he swept Kikyo up from under her knees, causing her to shriek as he bounded away past the Wolves’ and police’s perimeter.

Kagome sighed. “I wish they’d stop calling me that. But it is kind of cute.” She shook her head. “Right. Middle of battle.”

So Kagome ran to the scene, Naraku leaping away from Koga and Inuyasha. None of the police had a clear shot; they could either hit a victim or ally with how fast Naraku was moving.

Naraku had a cut on his chest, ugly bruise forming in the light from the lobby, slashes across his back. But he was grinning. “I do hope you’re not out of shape, Inuyasha.”

“Judging from the blood all over my sword,” sneered Inuyasha, “I’d say I’m in pretty damn good shape, thanks.”

Then Naraku opened his jacket. Somehow, from his front burst monsters; demons of all shapes colors, sizes, and terrors. Kagome stumbled back along with the rest of the surrounding people, civilians shrieking and running in an even more crazed fashion. There had to have been fifty or more, all snarling and running at Inuyasha at full speed. Horns, teeth, claws, everything that had ever crawled out of her nightmares was suddenly in front of her, and Kagome felt her bones freeze in terror.

“Inuyasha!” she couldn’t help but call.

But he just held up his sword, gleaming a deadly sheen in the moonlight, with a determined expression and yelled, “Everyone who can hear me--RUN!”

And everyone did. Civilians, police, Wolves, and Spiders alike took off as far from the scene as possible. Kagome squeaked as strong arms whipped her up and then wind was flying against her. Before she knew it, she was over a hundred feet away in Koga’s grip. She looked back to where Inuyasha stood, crying out, “He needs help!”

“Tch.” For once, Koga shook his head and grinned grudgingly towards Inuyasha. “Darlin’, as much as I hate to admit it, he’s got those handled. Just watch.”

So she did. Inuyasha lifted his sword at the demons, and brought it down in a powerful arc while shouting, “Wind scar!”

A gale surged from the slice of Tessaiga, carving through the demon hoard. The hurricane of blood-splattering power swept through the entire group, leaving scars across the ground that stretched nearly a block.

Slowly, the Wolves, Spiders, and police approached again, gaping and muttering in awe for a few moments before remembering that they had a job to do. Spiders kept trying to wreck havoc as their master ordered, Wolves attempted to take down the Spiders as their master ordered, and police were running around trying to save lives while not dying. Which must’ve taken extreme skill.

“Impressive,” Naraku called, jumping back down from his cowardly hiding place above the main door. “But not impressive enough.”

“His lines get lamer every time,” Kagome muttered, running back with Koga to aid Inuyasha.

“Tell me about it,” Inuyasha snickered back once she arrived. “Ready to get serious, Kagome?”

“Do you have to ask?” she purred back, lifting her hands and reaching within herself until pink sparks crackled around her fingertips.

Koga sped up to their side. “My Wolves are injured. There’s a group of all demon Spiders breaking through the back perimeter. I need to give backup. Keep this idiot occupied until I get back to gut ‘im.”

“I’m gonna gut ‘im first!” Inuyasha shouted at Koga’s retreating back. “Keh. Wolf loser.”

Naraku charged.

Inuyasha slashed with Tessaiga, taking out a nearby lamppost, but Naraku dodged. Kagome shot a bolt at Naraku’s chest, only for it to get blocked by the tentacles that had burst from his back. He gave a wince in pain, but then snarled and knocked Tessaiga from Inuyasha’s hands, where it clattered back into a gun.

“No!” gasped Kagome as Inuyasha swore and was slammed back into the fountain so that some of the rock cracked.

Kagome scrambled after the gun, Sesshomaru’s words echoing in her mind: “...if he feels his life is in danger, he will transform into demon form. The form makes him a vicious beast that lusts for blood. If he enters this form too often, his soul will be lost. Only the sheath of Tessaiga can subdue that monster. He must keep Tessaiga against his body the entirety of the time he’s fighting Naraku, or the lives of even his allies will be in danger.”

She dodged one tentacle and dived over another, rolling to come up on her feet. Kagome kept running, throwing another pink bolt at Naraku to evade his grasping hand as she leapt and reached for the gun. Her fingers gripped it like a lifeline, and she turned to Inuyasha…

He’d risen from the fountain, and his eyes were red.

Kagome took a step back, eyes round. This wasn’t… Inuyasha. This was a beast that was growling and roaring, and had purple streaks across his cheeks that were the same shape as his elongated fangs.

Leaping over the edge of the fountain, Inuyasha snarled at the nearest demon Spider and slashed his claws across his chest. He spun and punched another Spider into the middle of the fountain, where Kagome heard a sickening crack of bone. From there, he lept upon a fleeing, civilian, raising his claws-

“Inuyasha, stop!” Kagome commanded.

His gaze snapped to her, and he slowly crawled off the woman. Inuyasha was watching her steadily, stopping before the fountain and continuing to growl. Kagome looked down at the gun in her hands, and back up at the one she loved. Naraku laughed behind her, saying, “Oh, the monster is unleashed! Well, go to him, little miko, and he’ll rip out your heart and crush it before your eyes.”

She felt a snarl on her own face. “You know what, Naraku?” she said, tilting up her chin. She was reminded of the first day she’d met Inuyasha, the fear she’d felt when she saw the Thunder Brothers and he told her there was no point in standing up to them. Kagome smirked. “Watch me.”

“Inuyasha!” she called, approaching him slowly. “Hey there… I know you can hear me. It’s Kagome. I know… I know you’re scared. But you’re gonna be okay, alright?”

He hiss, but let her inch closer on her dirty sneakers. His eyes travelled to her face, then to the gun in her hand.

Closer. She gave a light chuckle. “Oh, this? It’s empty. You always keep it empty. You know why?”

And closer. He lowered, as if preparing to pounce. “Because you really wouldn’t hurt anyone when you don’t have to, Inuyasha. You’re a kind man. Remember?”

Even closer. The growling had lessened, but eyes narrowed. Kagome swallowed, and tried for an unsteady smile. “Y-you help me with my English homework, teach me to fight for myself, keep me warm after a long day. You like a fan blowing and a pillow to hug when you sleep, you’ll eat miso ramen for every meal, and randomly hum lullabies without even realizing it throughout the day.”

She was right in front of him now, biting her lip as she slowly held the gun out in hopes to touch it to his skin. “C’mon, Inuyasha. You’re the toughest guy ever. Everyone thinks so, especially Shippo.” She felt tears prick her eyes at the thought, pain lancing through her chest at the snarl he was still making at her. It was as if he didn’t know her. “You know Shippo. He teases you but looks up to you like a big brother… Don’t look at me like that, please. I’m Kagome. You protect me and I protect you and we’ve been through so much-”

She gasped as he smacked the gun from her hand, sending it skittering off to the right on the crumbling brick. Her eyes snapped up to his red, raging eyes. His hand shot out, wrapping around her throat so that she panicked at the lack of air, grasping at his strong hand. Kagome could have used her spiritual powers to put up a barrier, but it would hurt him if he touched it and…

“I w-won’t hurt you,” she whispered, gasping. “E-even if it kills me, I won’t h-hurt you, Inuyasha. I l-love you and I-I w-won’t hurt you. Y-you hear m-me? I love you.”

Those words seemed to have been clawing to get out of her throat for so long, and now that they finally had… he didn’t seem to hear them.

He just… he had to.

So Kagome touched his cheek, leaned up through the pain of his hand, and kissed him.

It was desperate, imploring, begging. Inuyasha’s hand had released her in shock. He needed to know, and maybe this was her only way to tell him now.

Even if it got her heart ripped out.

The moon may have passed before she finally backed away, cracking her eyes open slowly. Daring to hope.

His eyes were closed, breaths shuddering. The purple marks still slashed across his face, but- “K...Kagome…”

“Inuyasha?” she said, eyes and smile widening.

“In control,” he muttered, squeezing his eyes shut tighter. “I-I can… control… I’m so… I’m sorry…”

“Don’t be,” she whispered, curling her hand around his. “I’m just happy you’re okay…”

His eyes opened for a moment, and she saw the red was gone. “Th-thank you… I-GAH!”

Kagome had the wind knocked out of her suddenly by a tentacle, sending her crashing down. Inuyasha was wrapped in another of Naraku’s limbs, gasping for air and struggling to retain control of himself. He was hard to see through the black spots in her vision that were blinking in and out. She had to set her hands against the brick for several moments, trying to get air back into her lungs and regain her ability to hear normally. Sounds had been muted, the screams and clashes and roars of battle all around her. Slowly, she stood.

Up. The tower, purple light, Miroku’s powers’ color, flashing along with dancing shadows. The stars were shrouded from the atmosphere.

Down. Blood splattering brick debris, victims, allies, and enemies lying on the ground, motionless or groaning in pain.

Forward. Demons slashing and biting and punching and kicking, cutting with knives or the occasional shot. There was still too much chaos for anyone to get a clean shot. At least… until her vision finally focused in front of her.

Naraku was holding Inuyasha, ignoring the rest of his surroundings in hatred of one half-demon, squeezing him in the grip of a black tentacle, snarling, “Finally found someone who will love even the monster in you, Inuyasha? Let’s see that stop me from squeezing the life out of you right here.”

“Inuyasha,” she muttered, stumbling in a daze. Naraku was going to kill him. Kill. No… no Inuyasha?

“No,” said Kagome, and looked down to where Tessaiga rested at her feet.

As if in a trance, she picked it up, took the magazine from her pocket, and snapped it into place. She pulled back the top, cocking the gun.

Bend your left arm slightly so that you can take the recoil.

Put your left hand on the bottom to hold it up and straight.

Now widen your feet.

Line up the center of the target with the notch in the back of the gun and the sight in the end of the barrel.

Kagome did this all automatically, and the gun was leveled at Naraku’s head.

“I promised,” Naraku told Inuyasha, as Inuyasha cried out in pain, “that I would break you.”

“And that was your mistake,” whispered Kagome.

Pink light swirled around the gun.

Bang!

For Inuyasha.

Bang!

For Sango.

Bang!

For Miroku.

Bang!

For Shippo.

Bang!

For me.

There was a silence, so empty and still that Kagome could hardly bear it. Her eyes were wide, steady hands lost as the gun shook from her grip and clattered to the ground with an echoing finality.

Naraku was like a statue, frozen before he fell, crumpling onto the brick lifelessly, blood coating what was left of his face. Inuyasha was dropped on his hands, coughing for all it was worth.

Every Spider had stopped, staring at the corpse of their master with utter disbelief plastered onto their faces. Wolves and police were gaping, civilians quieting in their cries, shocked simply at the notion of just how quickly a fight can be… unnecessary.

And Kagome fell to her knees, staring straight ahead. Mouth parted. And the first thing she said was, “N-no. I… I didn’t w-want…”

Inuyasha crawled to her across the rubble, that unearthly, silver hair reflecting the moonlight, his gold eyes pink around the edges from watering. Sweat dripped from his forehead, blood stuck his clothes to his body, and grime caked across his face. He was tragically beautiful. But he came to her, brought her to his shoulder.

“I d-didn’t want to…” Kagome gasped, air shuddering strangely through her body. “I-I n-never wanted t-to kill… to-to kill anyone. I d-didn’t mean to-”

And when Kagome realized that killing a man was exactly what she meant to do, she broke down into sobs, putting her face in her hands with a cry ripping from her throat. “I’m a monster!”

“Kagome! Kagome, hey, shh… hey, you’re not a monster… c’mere, Kagome…” Inuyasha pulled her into her lap, like that one night. A night they were cold and wet and windswept from the lake where he thanked God for her life. And Inuyasha held her, stroking her hair that was damp with blood and dust.

“What happened?” demanded Sesshomaru from the earpiece.

“What’s wrong with Kagome?” Shippo said fearfully.

“What’s going on?” Miroku pressed.

Koga ran around the hotel from the right, bloody and panting and skidding to a halt to witness the scene. His eyes only swept the place uncomprehendingly. “Oh my… Oh my… holy mother of…”

“Well?” Sango prompted.

Inuyasha swallowed. “Kagome… Kagome killed Naraku. He’s… dead.”

“Very dead,” Koga seconded.

Sesshomaru sounded impressed, but that only made Kagome wince. “How?”

“She shot him in the head with purified bullets,” Inuyasha muttered, staring at Tessaiga. “Five times.”

The words were like poison to her mind, and she buried her face back into Inuyasha’s jacket to try and slow the tears. Her body couldn’t seem to stop shaking.

“Oh Kagome,” Sango said, voice gentle. “It’ll be okay… It’s all over now… even up here, we won and no one is going to be a slave to the Shikon anymore.”

Kagome just shook her head. She refused to take her head away from Inuyasha's shoulder. She refused to look at that body from which she stole a life.

All around her, she could hear the sounds of the last of the Spiders either being handcuffed on the ground or fleeing in fear. News reporters had already started crowding around, ambulances wailing from other districts to take away injured police, civilians, and gang members. The sounds were overwhelming, flooding her senses, but even they didn’t keep out the sound of five shots that continued to echo in her screaming mind.

“I’m sorry,” Inuyasha whispered to her, arms so tight, anchoring her. “I’m so sorry, Kagome. You shouldn’t have had to… I’m so sorry. You were just protecting me… protecting everyone… You knew he would have killed me if you hadn’t done that. You aren’t a monster that just kills because you feel like it, okay? Farthest from it. You wanted to protect me, because that’s what Inugami does for each other. I’m sorry you were forced to… I never wanted you to have to… I’m so sorry...”

Kagome wanted to tell him he had nothing to be sorry for, that deep down, she knew she’d just been doing her best to protect him, that she wasn’t a monster and honestly, she would do it again…

But for now, she just cried.

Kagome stared dully ahead, loosely clutching the shock blanket around her.

A kind, softly smiling police man had handed her some hot chocolate that he’d gotten from who-knows-where. Wherever he’d gotten it, the gesture was so sweet that she’d nearly begun to cry again, but all her emotions seemed to have faded to near extinction.

Her cheek and leg had been patched up, and apparently she’d bruised some bones and muscles, but the pain was an ache that she could ignore. Kagome just closed her eyes, clutched her steaming cup as she sat on the edge of the once-grand fountain. Reporters had tried to ask her questions, but Inuyasha had snarled at them until they’d turned tail and ran. Shippo was snoring gently, sitting with his back to the fountain, head against one of Kagome’s knees, and one of Kagome’s hands occasionally played with his red hair.

Miroku and Sango had followed Kohaku to a police car. Kagome could see Sango hugging her brother, rocking him back and forth while Miroku stood at the ready for support. Sango finally released him, and lifted a hand to her face, likely to wipe away tears. They shared a nod, a wave goodbye, and he was gently led to the police car that would take him to rehabilitation with the others.

And speaking of the others… Kikyo was walked by, escorted by the Wolf Kagome had handed her off to and a police officer. She was going quietly, sullen as always. But when she saw Kagome and Inuyasha, she paused. The officer tried to tug her on, but Inuyasha spoke up, “Please… wait.”

The officer narrowed his eyes. “Listen, sir, I’m sorry, but I can’t take orders from-”

“You can take orders from me,” Sesshomaru interrupted, miraculously appearing behind them. For some reason, even after a battle, his damn hair was perfect. And for some reason, this just annoyed Kagome. Hers must be a disaster. “Give them a moment; I will supervise.”

“Yes, Commander.”

The officer and Wolf dispersed, leaving Kikyo with them. The girl glanced up, then back down. “Thank you…” she said eventually. “For saving me.”

Despite everything, Inuyasha’s eyes were soft. “I promised, didn’t I?”

“Yes, but I did some terrible things…”

Kagome swallowed, saying back tonelessly, “We all did. We’re glad you’re safe now, Kikyo.”

She gave a heavy sigh. “I’m going to get better… and then… I’m not coming back. I can’t be here. I need a new start.” Her sad eyes finally met Inuyasha’s. “I hope you can understand.”

Slowly, he nodded. “Yeah. I get it. I’m just glad we could get you free.”

“And I’ll always be thankful for that.” Kagome turned her head away when Kikyo took a step closer to Inuyasha. “I’m sorry it didn’t work between us, Inuyasha. But your friends… they’re right. You need something that I cannot give you. You deserve better.”

“Yeah,” he said again, and Kagome looked over to see him nod. “I think… I think I do, too.”

Kikyo gave him a small smile. She really was pretty when she smiled.

Inuyasha then said, “I really did love you. And I’m sorry that everything got so screwed up… that this happened to you.”

“I know. For what it’s worth… I thought I really loved you too.” After a moment of hesitation, she drew his head down to lay a kiss on his forehead. “I wish you the best, Inuyasha. Thank you.”

He pulled her into a long, gentle hug in return. “You too, Kikyo.”

And when Kagome watched… It didn’t hurt.

Kikyo let go, stepping back with her head low. She turned around, taking in a breath and letting it out. Looking ahead.

“Kikyo,” Kagome blurted, before the other girl could walk away, “Thank you for saving my life before. I really do hope you find happiness after all of this.”

Kikyo didn’t turn around, but Kagome did see a smile on the girl’s face. “And thank you for saving mine. Thank you and… take care of Inuyasha, will you? He has a silly habit of finding trouble or making it when there’s apparently not enough to satisfy him.”

Kagome’s mouth twitched upward. “I’ve caught on to that. Will do.”

And Kagome watched, Inuyasha’s hand on her shoulder, as Kikyo was led away, into a police car, and then off into the night.

She looked up at Inuyasha; his eyes, far away and brooding, were locked on where the police car had turned the corner.

An ugly, orange blanket like the one around Kagome’s shoulders was draped around Inuyasha. Inuyasha snapped out of his daze and looked up with Kagome to see Sesshomaru. His face was impassive as ever, but after he gave the blanket, he squeezed Inuyasha’s shoulder for one moment before striding away.

Despite her post-battle numbness, Kagome grinned. “You know, I really do think he cares about you.”

“Fat chance,” Inuyasha scoffed. “Listen, the day Sesshomaru says he cares about me is the day I’ll sing a love song to Koga.”

“For my sake, let’s hope that day never comes,” Koga’s voice mused behind them, and the alpha sauntered up with his hands in his pockets. Kagome noticed Inuyasha’s hand travel across her other shoulder to hold her to his side.

“Don’t you got some pack to lead back home?” Inuyasha sighed.

“I do,” Koga agreed. “And then… some of us are gonna be takin’ a little vacation.”

“Good for you,” Inuyasha said dully.

But Kagome caught on. “Might this vacation be to Japan to pay a visit to the North Wolf Demon Tribe?”

In the flashing blue, red, and white lights from the vehicles, she noticed a slight blush. “Yeah, you got me. You got me thinkin’, Kagome, and now that Naraku’s gone I… I’m gonna give talkin’ to Ayame a try.”

“I’m happy for you, Koga,” Kagome told him, and she meant it. “I wish you luck in winning her back, but you’re gonna have to be pretty smooth.”

“Well, you of all people would know how capable I am of that,” he purred, and lifted the hand she was petting Shippo with. He kissed the back of it. “You’re one hell of a woman, Kagome.”

“Damn straight she is,” Inuyasha huffed, arm tightening.

“Thank you,” Kagome said, rolling her eyes a last time. “Now go get the woman you really want.”

“You know, if the mutt doesn’t work out, my Wolf membership offer still stands. Could make you a beta no problem.”

“Koga,” Kagome chided, but she was smiling.

“You take care of Kagome, you hear?” Koga said to Inuyasha challengingly. His electric blue eyes narrowed. “I’m admittin’ you win this one, mutt, but you better be the best damn mate she could ever want.”

Kagome felt her cheeks heat. “No one said anything about mating.”

“You just watch, mangy wolf,” Inuyasha snapped back, despite her embarrassment. “I’m gonna respect her and take care of her a gazillion times better than you ever could.”

“That’s not a real number, Inuyasha.”

Koga ignored this, but gave her a skeptical look. “Was this guy for real before, though? Did he really kiss ya better than me?”

Though she groaned in annoyance and humiliation, she found herself shaking her head in exasperation and laughing out, “Yes, he did. But you weren’t bad. Now get going!”

With a final scoff and a grin, Koga was gone in a cloud of dust.

“Finally,” Inuyasha said in bliss. “So many bastards out of my life in just one night.”

There was a sigh, and Miroku and Sango walked up hand in hand. Sango was looking at the ground. Miroku was just looking tired, dark circles under his eyes, but a tiny smile intact.

“Such a strange feeling,” he noted, playing lightly with Sango’s fingers. “It’s as if… all I could see ahead of me was Naraku, and now everything is wide open. It’s rather disorienting.”

“I know what ya mean,” Inuyasha agreed, and Kagome raised her eyebrows at him.

“What’s more disorienting is you expressing a feeling in agreement to Miroku,” she giggled.

Sango started giggling too. Which was weird, considering the tear tracks on her face that matched Kagome’s. And then Miroku started chuckling. And then…

“Haha… yip! Hahahaha… yip!”

The four of them exploded into full on laughter, tears escaping down their cheeks and unable to breathe and loud and probably scaring everyone around them.

“That’s… that’s just so cute!” Kagome choked, hugging Inuyasha’s middle. “I-I’m s-so… I’m so tired! My f-family m-must be worried s-sick and I’ll be g-grounded forever and hahaha I just killed the worst gang and drug lord in history and I’m probably g-going to be s-stupidly depressed about it f-for the rest of my l-life! Hahaha!”

“I-I wanna g-go home a-and cry myself to sleep!” laughed Sango hysterically.

Miroku sucked in a breath only to let out more laughing. “I-haha-I hurt everywhere! I w-want to stay in bed f-for five y-years! Hahahaha! My life is a literal clusterfuck!”

“I-I actually wanna cry for n-no reason a-and I d-don’t--yip! haha, know why I’m laughing! I l-love you guys and I w-wanna punch somethin’ and p-pass out b-buried under--haha yip!--piles of blankets and p-pillows!” Inuyasha continued to laugh as well.

Shippo moaned and shifted on Kagome’s legs. “You guys… are ridiculous.”

Wiping her face of wetness and sighing, Kagome leaned over and planted a kiss on Shippo’s head. “Sorry we woke you, hon. Go back to sleep.”

“M’kay, Mom…”

Inuyasha settled into a seat next to her, and she rested her head on his shoulder with a heavy breath. Sango sat with her back to Kagome’s side, leaning on her friend. Miroku unceremoniously threw himself down and laid his head in Sango’s lap.

“We should go home,” Kagome muttered to the Inugami, eyes fluttering.

“Hmm. Yeah.” Inuyasha put his head on top of hers.

“I will when… someone… carries me,” Miroku said, and Kagome peeked over to see Sango sifting through his hair that was loose from its ponytail. Kagome smiled and snuggled back against Inuyasha.

#inuyasha #the inugami #inuyasha fanfiction #inukag #inukag fanfiction #kagome higurashi #my fanfiction #my writing

[trksterlokid]

By the Roots (pt 9)

Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5, Part 6, Part 7, Part 8

Summary: When a case pops up in rural California, it seems like a normal gank and get the hell out of dodge for you and the Winchesters. However, with mysterious circumstances surrounding the bodies, and a certain archangel popping by, things don’t go exactly as planned.

Word Count: 2239

Tags: Gabriel, Gabriel x Reader, Reader Insert

Author: Stephany

There were books upon books stacked on the table in front of you. Most of them were leather bound or tattered and falling apart. None of them seemed to have any more information than the museum did however it was significantly less entertaining. Gabe had wandered off somewhere in the stacks and you were left with papercuts on your fingers and blurry eyes.

You had been there for at least a couple of hours now and you found yourself staring into the fading sun outdoors, attempting to stay awake. Even with the help of coffee, eventually words of useless information was getting to you. But still you forged ahead, flipping the next page, scanning it over wearily and then moving on to the next one. You did this until each word became less legible than the prior one. At this point you convinced yourself that just a moment of closing your eyes wouldn’t hurt. But of course the second your eyes fell closed you found that they were much harder to will yourself to open and you slumped back into the chair, adjusting yourself until you were comfortably clutching the fruitless book to your chest.

Upon curling up in the chair it had been obvious you wouldn’t awaken until much later, or until someone came by to wake you. However, you weren’t prepared for how dark it had truly become when you once again opened your eyes. The library was cold and dark and even though it seemed as if the lights were on you were seeing everything through what you could only describe as a smoky fog. And there seemed to be no sound aside from that of your breathing. Reaching up to brush a strand of hair from your face, you came to discover something a bit more disconcerting.

Underneath your fingernails were streaks of dirt as black as night, and they ran down the back of your hands, mingled with a rust colored substance you quickly realized was blood. The book from your chest fell the floor with a thud as you sat up further, heartbeat quickening against your ribcage.

You stood with a shudder and looked around you. The entire floor was littered with leaves. All of them brown and long dead, crunching with every step you took and slowly the stacks of books were turning into a forest of gnarled trunks, roots slipping up under your feet as you walked. It wasn’t hard to tell now that you were dreaming, but you also knew that not all dreams were as innocent as they might seem and you were on edge. This one felt more genuine than your most recent ones had.

Each palm was damp with sweat and you could feel it, you could feel the crust of blood on your skin and you were beginning to smell it. But it took a while before you realized the blood was coming from you. It was dried, but there were very clear claw marks down your chest. Of course you only realized then when breeze lifted your hair from your face, and the remains of tattered clothing into the air.

“Wake up,” you whispered to yourself. If it were only a dream, you figured you should be able to control it, however nothing you tried worked. You even called for Gabriel but when you tried it came out as more of a wheeze, no words to be found. Something was there. Something was with you and you could feel the danger lurking somewhere in your mind.

It was then, as if summoned by the mere though of his name, that Gabriel appeared in front of you, concern washed over his features. “Y/N? Can you hear me?” You quickly noticed that his eyes weren’t focused on you, but somewhere not quite there. “You need to wake up. Don’t make me do this...” he breathed out, brows pinched tight over rum colored eyes that seemingly flashed. After what felt like forever he mumbled under his breath, what you could only assume were curse words, bowed his head and closed his eyes. You were so enraptured in watching him that the moment you felt a hand grip your arm you let out a scream of terror that continued even once you’d flown up in your chair, back in the library, eyes wide.

Gabriel’s hand flew over your mouth, pushing you back down gently as his gaze scanned over every inch of you. Once you had calmed once more and you relaxed, he lifted his hand away and knelt down in front of you, taking the book in your lap and returning it to the table.

“Y/N? Are you alright?”

“I think so...” you nodded after looking around you again. “I don’t know what happened... I-”

“It’s coming for you, that’s what happened. Come on, I’m getting you out of here and back to the motel. At least we can protect you there.”

You were quick to open your mouth, about to tell him that you were perfectly capable of protecting yourself. But thinking better of it you gave a reluctant nod. None of you had any idea of what this thing was quite yet and it was always safer in numbers, whether or not you could handle yourself.

Barring that, you’d have to sleep sometime after all. Gabriel was quick to clean up the mess you’d left on the table before returning to you, offering you a hand to help stand with. You wanted to say something but you weren’t sure of what just yet and the look on his face told you he wasn’t in the mood to be distracted. As soon as you got to your feet, he snapped his fingers and you were back in the motel room.

“What did I tell you about warning a girl?” you sighed and kicked off your shoes.

“My apologies. I’m too busy trying to keep you out of harms way,” Gabe grumbled and walked over to the door to make sure it was locked before looking out the window. You looked around, realizing Sam and Dean were still nowhere to be found, presumably still at the university, or knowing the time of day, Dean had dragged Sam to some diner for a burger.

“Hey, I know you are, I wasn’t being serious,” you eyed him, trying to find something to make him relax. “I doubt whatever this is, will just come barging into the motel room with an archangel in the room.”

“That’s what I’m worried about. If they did that, they’d make it easy for me. But apparently this thing is reaching into your dreams. I can’t protect you there unless I go inside your mind, which isn’t someplace I feel like you’d just let me saunter into.”

“Well you’re right about that. You’ve been in there enough lately,” snorting you shook your head. After this little trip back to the motel and the last dream you had, it had left you feeling like you’d had a bit too much to drink, and successfully had rid your mind of what you later deemed common sense.

“What do you mean by that?” Gabe’s eyes narrowed in response to your comment and you froze, realizing what you had said. It wasn’t a huge deal that he just appeared in your dreams. Of course, Gabe would find a way to turn it into something else.

“Nothing, forget I said anything,” you waved a hand dismissively. However, his face had actually managed to lighten a bit as a hint of pink found its way to your cheeks.

“Have you been thinking about me a lot? Hmm?” he cocked an eyebrow and hummed in a prodding voice.

“No, I haven’t been thinking of you,” You emphasized and ignored the way he was trying to tease you.

“So, what is it then?” he walked over and sat down beside you. “Oh wait, don’t tell me! You’ve been dreaming of me, haven’t you?”

Rolling your eyes dramatically you darted your tongue across dry lips. “You’ve appeared in a couple of dreams recently. But clearly my dreams aren’t very reliable in the first place, even less so now, wouldn’t you think?”

“Well what was I doing in them?” he asked and you felt your face go up in flames as if he already knew the answer. You tried to keep your thoughts silent, not trusting him to not pry. Of course the look on your face was probably a dead give away, especially if the smirk that was plastered on the archangel’s face was anything to go by. “Come on, tell me. Say it,” he poked your side and you flinched away.

“I’m not going to say it. None of it mattered. You could have fallen out of a tree and it wouldn’t matter,” you stood then to escape his gaze but he was quick to get up and follow you.

“Really? Cause it looks like it matters...” He grinned and you avoided his gaze in the mirror.

“I mean, look, if you’re having fantasies I can make all of them come true, no one would have to know,” he wiggled his eyebrows then and your eyes turned to daggers.

“God, no...”

“Hey, don’t bring my dad into this. You’re the one who brought it up,” Gabe’s face fell and turned into something more defensive.

“My dreams, mean nothing. The only reason you’re here right now is because you’re useful. Not because we want you here,” you snap before pausing, realizing how mean that truly sounded. “Gabe I-”

“No, there’s no ‘Gabe’ anything. I know you don’t want me around. Don’t have to be such a bitch about it. Especially when I’m just trying to help protect you right now. And don’t even get me started on that, ‘I can protect myself’ bullshit because obviously you can’t. So for now, you’re stuck with me.”

“Okay, one, you wouldn’t even let me finish apologizing. And two, you don’t have to be such a dick to me. It’s not like you have a stellar record when it comes to us. You’ve only fucked us over more times than I can count. And that’s just since I came along.”

“You’re easy to fuck with. You hunters are so simple you don’t even see it coming. You’re just lucky that’s the funnest way to fuck you over. If I really ever wanted to sleep with you I could have done it by now,” Gabe huffed and you crossed your arms over your chest.

“Excuse me? Do you even know how disgusting that sounds?” you backed up a step, trying not to let the comment get to you. You weren’t actually attracted to him that way were you? You wanted to say no but the hurt that was crawling under your skin left you unsure.

“You know what I mean. Don’t play stupid... or maybe you aren’t just playing,” he spat.

“For someone who’s supposed to be doing protecting, you don’t seem to be doing a great job. You managed to get me away from a one night stand a few days ago and can’t seem to protect me from anything else. Including anything that can get to me in my dreams. If you’re so repulsed by me then why have you even stuck around?”

“Honestly you don’t think I have my own agenda? There’s a reason I was here before you even got your ass on this case.”

“And what’s that? Why don’t you tell us? Maybe that would be important information?” You huffed.

“I was here, following Kali. She’s been travelling,” he narrowed his eyes. “But she doesn’t have anything to do with this.”

“Someone’s protective over her. You so sure? I mean she is a pagan goddess, murders people for fun, that sort of thing?”

“Yes, I’m sure.”

“Are you too lovesick to notice that she’s a walking deathtrap? Or maybe the sadistic ones are just your type. After all, you have a bit of that in you too, don’t you?” This time you spat the words, getting more worked up with every passing sentence.

“And are you too blind to see she’s into men? All the vics have male attacker written all over them. And what I do or used to do is none of your business.”

“It is when you act like a monster. And she does. I hunt monsters if you don’t remember.”

“If you lay a hand on her-” his eyes flashed threateningly and before you knew what was happening he’d grabbed the collar of your shirt and slammed you into the wall. The air was knocked out of your lungs and you coughed, hating yourself for showing any sort of weakness to him.

“I’m not going to touch her. I’m not that stupid. And it’s clear that if it came down to that you’d probably stab me in the back far sooner than she’d be able to slit my throat,” your voice cracked and you passed it off to the lack of oxygen rather than the hurt that was building inside of you. “What are you even protecting me for? You don’t give a shit. Your life would be much easier if I weren’t around.” He stared at you but you felt his hand loosen and you pushed away from him, grabbing your bag back off the bed and turning around before he could say anything, walking out the door.

A/N: Apologies for taking so long to update. Since late fall I’ve been struggling to juggle four classes, three plays, two jobs, and my volunteer work. I recently finished my first show and that leaves me with just a bit of time to work on getting some of my writing back on track. Thanks for understanding and there will be yet another update soon! 

@heaven-bound-angel, @fand0maniac, @andtheraincamefalling, @exactlyhappystranger, @molly-hooperific, @negansgrimes, @fayemenelmir, @crowleysprincess159 @neeadinghugs

#gabriel #supernatural #supernatural gabriel #supernatural fanfic #supernatural fanfiction #gabriel fanfic #gabriel fanfiction #spn #spn gabriel #gabe #spn gabe #reader insert #reader insert fic #gabriel supernatural #gabriel spn #gabe supernatural #gabe spn #sam winchester #dean winchester #mentions of sam #mentions of dean #angst #arguing #gabriel x reader #gabriel x you #future gabriel x reader #future gabriel x you #female reader #fanfiction #fanfic

[moonbelt]

»dog fever

↳ werewolf au | somewhat enemies-to-lovers au

⇢ pairing: park jinyoung | reader

⇢ genre: fluff + soft angst

⇢ word count: 9.860

author’s note: based on this prompt! hope you enjoy reading this!!

There are lots of things you don't know for sure in this world, you'd be one of the few to admit, and one of those things was whether the boy that's been your neighbor since third grade is a Werewolf. Not that you believe in werewolves — because you don't — but sometimes when you're particularly bored or disinterested in the things happening around you, your imagination tends to run wilder than you can handle.

Like now, you're supposed to be paying attention to the History professor as she goes on and on and on about wars that always happen by men with a superiority complex in countries that were not their own. Instead, you're back to thinking if maybe your neighbor is not one with the human species. Not that you have any evidence that he is, in fact, a lycanthrope. Well, there was one instance years back in fourth grade — a year after he'd first moved in, now that you think about it; that had been the beginning of your new-found curiosity in him.

It was back when Recess was the biggest form of entertainment and gossip ran rampant. And while everyone was busy screaming as they did whatever, you were on one of the few monkey bars trying to prove to your closest friend — Jaebum — that you could hang upside down for twenty minutes straight without getting dizzy. You'll admit, you didn't really pay your neighbor any attention, not like he demanded any anyways. He always sat by himself, never tried to strike a conversation and was highly unsociable.

And that day was like every other; neighbor boy sat on the curb of the designated playground and watched everyone else play their games in solitude. Occasionally, his eyes would focus on any and every nearby balls, and for a time you truly believed that maybe he wanted to join in on the soccer match taking place. But he never spoke up about it and no one ever offered. However, that day unlike every other; Jackson — the reigning king of the playground — bestowed upon this boy a game of frisbee. And unlike every other day; he agreed.

He agreed to play frisbee with the other kids and you watched him upside down from the monkey bars as he did so. Your mother had told you to look out for him since he was your new neighbor and apparently, that meant that you were destined to be the best of friends.

You knew better. And besides you didn't want to be his friend, he'd never spoken a word to you without yours and his parents present, and it grated on your nerves. Plus, it didn't help that you hated the way he ignored you the last time you'd asked him to play with his Pokémon Trading cards. He'd given you the stink eye and you'd vowed to never speak to him again. It was a bruise to your still growing ego.

The game had been going on for a while and Jaebum was still taunting you to give up already when Jackson threw the frisbee a little bit farther than anticipated and neighbor boy flung his body towards it and caught the damned thing in his mouth.

Now, you didn't know about a whole lot of things, but you definitely knew that that was not supposed to happen. Due to shock, your legs slipped from the bars and you fell head-first down and subsequently sprained your neck. Neighbor boy, however, got a new title attached to him since that day; Dog Boy.

Since that day or maybe some years later after the influx of werewolf movies, you'd become suspicious of him. The name Dog Boy stuck to your neighbor like glue. All through middle school, high school and now in college. Your entire town is small, you wonder some days how it's possible to have a university in such a restricted area, but you don't question it any longer. No one ever straight up calls him the name anymore, but your college was minuscule, and everyone thought it.

Most of the students you'd been going to school with since you could talk. It's disconcerting really, to be so close with them and yet not at the same time. The only person you managed to remain friends with since first grade was Jaebum. You guess, he is the closest thing you have to a best friend in this town. And it's not like you hate the town — because you don't — you hate how small it is. Gossip runs like wolves in this place, you can't say one word without twenty-five other people misinterpreting it to their friends.

Your thoughts have gone away from you and you don't realize you should be taking notes until Professor Min — the History Professor — decides to make it known to the whole class that you're daydreaming... again.

"[y/n]," She says, with that snide look on her face some teachers seem to always have. "If you would be so kind to come back to class, I would appreciate it."

Another con of small towns is everyone seems to know each other and consequently act like they're your parents as if your guardians are absent. You gnash your teeth together sheepishly, you hate being called out so much and yet you never stop being absent-minded.

"Sorry."

"Great..." her voice trails off as she lunches deep into another thing you don't know, but you should. Midterms are coming up soon and you can't drop this class because you need the credit hours.

Maybe not so much a need as a want. You see, Dog Boy is in this class and it's the only class you have with him this semester. Not that you're stalking him — you would never do that — but he is your neighbor and his parents talk too much with your parents and they tell them everything. Plus, it doesn't help that you needed to take this class sometime anyway, might as well take it now.

The two of you sit at the back of the class but never too close to each other. It's known that you don't particularly favor your neighbor among other things. Since that day you'd sprained your neck, he became something akin to the devil. He sits near the window, on the seat you'd been aiming for, and his attention is solely on Professor Min. You sigh to yourself, maybe you're just projecting your fantasies onto him? Maybe he's just an ordinary guy that got labeled a freak earlier than most people?

But then he turns his gaze from the front board and locks focus on you as you look directly at him. You whip your head away so fast that it threatens to snap. Shit. Several moments pass before you gain the courage to peep your head up again... and he's still watching you. This time with a look of pure disinterest colored on his face. You grunt to yourself, wanting to flip him off but not wanting to aggravate the professor any more than you already have. You turn away first, going back to ogling your notebook in solitude.

Dog Boy's real name is Jinyoung Park. And you do not like Jinyoung Park.

You weren't the most popular, in fact, you still aren't. But you'd been one of the smartest. In fact, dare you say, you had been the smartest in your entire grade. That was until the frisbee incident. And suddenly, Jinyoung was the smartest. It was like the title was snatched right under your nose. You had pitied him, never called him dog boy, offered him to join your tiny friendship circle (which he always promptly shut down) and this was how you were repaid. No one was going to remember the has-been smart kid. And that's what you were.

Jaebum says that you should be thankful to Jinyoung for knocking you off your high-horse. His reasoning is that now, you don't have some sort of superiority complex. And unlike most that he knows, when you don't understand something, you don't try to pretend you do. You told him that was a ridiculous reasoning and he said you didn't get it because you were stupid. And maybe you are stupid because here you are in your last class for the day, wondering for the millionth time if Jinyoung is a—

"For the group project, I'm going to pair you off in three's and please see to it that you meet with each other and present something worth my time."

Another problem with small towns, or maybe just a problem with Professor Min in general, is that they tend to do everything in three's. Three is a crowd they say, but three is a whole lot bigger than a crowd when you don't have that many options. The problem with three's is that it's such an odd number in a group that almost always someone gets left out. Be it in group projects, relationships or otherwise. And by gods, you do not want to spend the next few weeks being pushed and prodded by people you don't want anything to do with it.

Professor Min starts listing whoever she's connected together, and you tentatively wait for your name to be called. Your eyes scan the room and frankly, there's not one person you would like to be paired with. If only Jaebum was in this class. Then you could pray to a higher power that you'd get paired together. But no; you're stuck with a lose-lose situation.

"Park Jinyoung, [y/n], and Hui Kim."

You probably sound like a broken record at this point but there are a lot of things you don't know. You have no fucking idea how you are getting paired with Jinyoung after almost ten years and then some of knowing each other. You thought you'd missed the cliché gene when the two of you realized that you could never be friends but with this emerging situation, your safe haven might be threatening to change.

Dejectedly, you gaze at Jinyoung and sigh. Hui is known around town to not really have anything going for him, not that you want to judge him or anything but, he's not even in class right now. He hasn't been in class since Syllabus day — which was a miracle in of itself. And just like that, you know this project falls on the shoulders of you and Jinyoung. But with every fiber in your being, you don't want to talk to Jinyoung more than necessary.

Class ends soon after that and you find yourself packing your stuff faster than usual. Jinyoung is inhumanly quick with leaving the class as soon as the time is up, he never waits behind. You're determined to set the record straight with him though, even if he may not want it. You're getting a good grade in this class, even if you have to beg for it. You might be lazy as hell nowadays, but you were once an overachiever and those kinds of traits don't just fade away.

You brush past people as you tear through the door and try to locate the bed of black hair that belongs to Dog Boy. You find him, and then you're running to catch up. Christ, it's like school is burning his ass.

"Hey, wait—" you huff as you grab the corner of his shirt to get him to stop.

He halts, and you bounce into his back, the movement bristles your brain a bit and for a second, you're disoriented before you remember why you're seeking him out anyways. He shifts his positioning so he's facing you directly and you move back a few steps just because.

"Just so you know, I'm not failing this class because of you," you say when you calm your nerves from rattling.

Dog Boy always looks disinterested but now he just looks at you incredulously. "Well, you don't need my help for that, you're already failing."

You are not failing, but you might start spiraling down that path after the midterms. You roll your eyes at his statement and bite out. "Point is. I'm not allowing you slack off in this."

Jinyoung shrugs his shoulders and you curse yourself for allowing the title of Valedictorian fall into his arms. If only you'd pushed yourself a little bit harder, you wouldn't have had to forfeit it to someone that didn't even work that hard for it. Jinyoung strikes you as something akin to a genius; add that to his ever-growing array.

He doesn't say anything in response, rather he lowers his gaze to your fingers still gripping the hem of his shirt. Like it's hot, you drop it and return your hand to your side.

"Anyways," you clear your throat. "When's a good time to meet up with you?"

"I don't know, [y/n]. We're neighbors we can figure this out later."

You shake your head, adamant. "I need to know. I don't want to come over uninvited."

His eyes pop out almost comically and again with something akin to bemusement but more... condescending? You're not sure but you do know that you don't like the look in his eyes.

"You? Feeling uninvited? Is everything okay?"

You give him the finger and it pacifies your soul to the depths you can never compare. "Shut up. How does next tomorrow sound? I'll come over then."

"What's wrong with tomorrow?"

The question throws you off guard because you're not expecting it, especially not from him. It's pretty much staple news that Jinyoung Park misses the third Wednesday of every month due to issues that have never been disclosed. At first, it was the height of high-school gossip. Now, it's just something that happens.

You're surprised he sees the need to ask you. It's the second reason that fuels your suspicion that Jinyoung is of an otherworldly species. Let's not talk about the fact that you'd rather have a supernatural being be smarter than you... it makes it easier to swallow that you can't be the best at everything. You can't fight in a game where you don't even qualify to compete in.

"I mean, if you're free then let's do it," you blink a dozen times a second, trying to figure out if he's pulling your legs or not.

He must realize his mistake because he flushes red in embarrassment. "No. Your day is good. Stop by after five or something." And before you can say something in response, he's turning on his heel and bustling through the crowd.

It's not like you're going the same direction or anything, you roll your eyes as you navigate the path to your car.

If this was a perfect world, you and Jinyoung would be best friends. The stones were set. The two of you liked the same things, at least you assumed from the things you'd observed about him, your parents are ridiculously close and dare you say... are best friends. Your families have biweekly dinners that you're obligated to go to and no matter how much you whine and beg, you're never allowed to miss. But this wasn't a world that led to that, and you're grateful.

Hopefully, this project goes by in the blink of an eye and you never have to think about your stance on friendship with Jinyoung ever again. You've known him for thirteen years and you have no reason to start questioning it now. Things have always been this way and until something unordinary happens, you're going to keep your curious nature to yourself and stray away from trouble. Yes, you think, but let's hope trouble doesn't come searching for you. You don't think you're that good a person to not fall down that kind of temptation.

If there's anything you hate more than coming in second, it's studying. God, if you could sell your soul to the devil to get good grades for life without having to actually input shit into your brain, you wouldn't waste a heartbeat. There was nothing fantastic about having study sessions. But if there was anything you hated more than studying, it was not trying at all.

That's why you are studying in your bedroom and watching the time tick by oh' so slowly. The air conditioning unit stopped working in the middle of the night, a few nights ago, and your parents had yet to call someone in to fix it. So, your window is open and it's distracting you. Behind your house is a large expanse of woods and every other moment you think — you swear — you can hear something from inside it. You've always known — through your parents — that deep in the woods were home to wolves and other animals the community couldn't be bothered with.

They don't disturb your peace and so, in turn, you don't disturb theirs.

You're about to return to your notebook when you see someone stalk towards to the forest and for a second, you're tempted to scream at them to turn back. It's not ethical to go out there especially not at this time of day. The sun is rapidly going down and once it gets dark in your small town, it goes dark. But then the person whips around to look at something or maybe look for something, and you recognize that it's Jinyoung. Well, shit, he should know better.

Biting your tongue, you force yourself to go back to reviewing your notes. It doesn't matter what Jinyoung does. He hadn't been in school today, as predicted, and as always you had wondered what he was doing. You couldn't, in good conscience, ask his parents what was wrong with him because what if it was like, a medical condition that they'd told you about when you were younger and more naïve and knew absolutely nothing. But even worse, what if you had already asked them before and now you've forgotten.

You know better than to go after him in that big, big, big forest. But everything in your body is telling you that something is going to happen out there. But no! Focus on your textbook. Ingrain these words into your mind so hard that you would never forget. You will not lose to Jinyoung another year. Not another year of fighting a losing battle. You are better than the inkling of curiosity budding in the pit of your stomach. You are stronger than that.

And maybe this is a reckoning because you realize that you are as strong as you are unintelligent because before you know it, you're grabbing your jacket and flinging it across your shoulders and running out the back door. Shit. Shit. Shit. You promise yourself you'll be back before it gets too dark. Yes, you're just going to inspect what Dog Boy is doing. Nothing too serious.

The woods behind your house and you guess any kind of woods out there, is a scary place. Not only is it too vast in size, it is also a haven for your imagination to run wilder than it needs. You swear you see too many dark shadows lurking in the corners and you want to force your legs to walk back the way to your house. Screw Jinyoung. If he wants to die out here, then so be it. But the more you think about going home, the more you plod through the encroaching darkness.

"Jinyoung?" You call out gingerly, not wanting to wake up whatever is hiding out here but failing. "Jinyoung, I know you're here. C'mon, let's go back, okay?"

Once when you were eleven, you'd found a storybook about wolves. Normal wolves mind you, not wolves that could turn into men. And you remember wondering if you could ever be able to transform into a wolf at will. You thought it would be cool. And you guess, you still do. Your mother had called it a fantasy but Jinyoung's mother... she'd said something along the lines of "nothing is impossible."

That month you and the Park's didn't have a biweekly dinner. Everything went back to normal a few weeks later and you forgot about that encounter, you have no idea why you're remembering it now. But now you think the memory is somewhat important. Important for what, you don't know.

"Jinyoung!" You cup your hands around your mouth and howl, but nothing cries back. Instead, all you hear is the whistling of the wind against the trees.

Fuck. Why isn't he answering? He couldn't have got that far ahead. You stop in your tracks and take deep breaths. It's too cold to be outside for too long and the sky is already turning a deeper shade of blue, a strong chill swims down your spine. How can you be so afraid? And yet still so willing to walk through this woods as if you're not? You bite your lower lip. Ten minutes. If you don't find Dog Boy in ten minutes, you're running out of here no matter what.

And it's when you're preparing to turn around that you feel it, a deep shiver racking through your body. It's already so cold outside but now you feel something different, you've never felt it before, but you can almost taste the evil intent coating the air now.

"Well, look who we have here."

The voice drawls the words out and, in another world, you would have deemed it sexy even, but now you just want to cower and hide because this is so stupid. This whole situation is stupid. You are acting stupid. You shouldn't be out here. You shouldn't be in this confrontation... and yet here you are.

He appears in front of you and you're almost blinded by how beautiful he appears. You'd watched movies with Vampires, and you'll admit when you were thirteen had even indulged in writing horrible romance fiction about them. And this man reminds you of what you envision a Vampire to be and more. His hair is slick blonde and you can't tell if it's been dyed or not but the red in his eyes is so sharp that even in this dim lightening you can see how clear and deep it is.

You stammer, not sure if you should answer but then sure that you don't want to die. "Oh, me? I'm heading back home actually," you laugh and the both of you can tell that it's nervous as fuck.

"Really?" He is mock amused. "You wouldn't happen to know about Vampires, would you?"

In a perfect world, you would have questioned him and called him a delusional lunatic. But this isn't a perfect world and you know the bloodlust in his eyes isn't fake. Maybe it's the cat in you that's curious to its death, but you don't think he's lying. He certainly looks the part of an ethereal creature.

"Oh, I know a lot about Vampires," you lie. "My blood doesn't taste good though... I take lots of medicine and it messes up the flavor."

"Shouldn't I be the judge of that?"

"I'm saving you the time. You creatures of the night don't need more stuff to be worried about, you know," you're shaking in your sneakers and you swear he can hear the large gulp you take to steady your heartbeat.

He takes a step into the light and you notice just how tall he is and more so how pointy his ears are and how sharp his canines extend as he talks. Although he looks mind-shockingly beautiful, he also looks too grotesque. Dark rings frame his hollowed eyes, his skin is harrowingly translucent and the scare in your chest jumps to your throat.

"Would you mind if I," it's faster than the blink of your eye and he's next to you, his breath fanning your neck. "Test that out?"

Well, sure as fuck, you do. But you don't tell him that. You don't know what you're stalling for but your brain and your body work on different wavelengths.

"For a Vampire, you have pretty good manners."

He chuckles, moving his head slightly away so he can examine your face. "I was a Prince in my past life. What can I be if not polite?" He asks but leaves no room for debate.

Maybe if you run you could outpace him? No, that's not right. It's known that Vampires are more than fast. They're superhumans for God's sake. Well, more dead than human but the point still stands. You could barely keep up with him when he moved on you earlier, trying to outrun him will only lead you to—

"You smell like mutt," he finally says after several seconds of checking out your neck. "You live with any werewolves perhaps? Or maybe dogs?"

"No dogs."

"So, werewolves then. Tsk tsk, you smell awful," he remarks, and you try to feed on it.

"Exactly! So, how about you let me go? I'll take a shower and then—"

He shakes his head at you, silencing you up quick. "I said nothing about how you would tast—"

Almost as quickly as he'd come unto you, he was knocked off by something bigger, darker and more furious. It ate the ground beneath it and it swallowed the darkness like it owned it. Christ, what the ever-loving fuck? You knew they were wolves here, but this sent you farther than you imagined. It was dangerous, very much so, but unlike the Vampire, majestic. And then it snarls, a loud sound that shakes the birds out of the trees.

The Vampire smirks as he uses his thumb to prod around his jaw before he spits unto the wild grass. He grins at you and the wolf maniacally.

"See," he seems to taunt. "Werewolf friends."

Your attention returns to the wolf that's now standing in front of you, blocking the Vampire from your path and you want to thank it maybe. For protecting you but then his words reverberate in your mind. Werewolf. This, you gawk at the creature, is a werewolf? Really? You peer down at it.

The wolf snaps his head back to look at you and proceeds to give you this look. It's a look that reminds you a whole lot of looks you've received from someone else and if you're being honest it reminds you of—

The Vampire is tired of being ignored and pushes off on the heels of his feet, eager to get to you and the wolf turns away from you, growling as it throws its body into the immortal. For the first time in a long time, your body and brain work together to get you out of there. You're running so fast. Too fast that you don't feel your body slicing through the air, you don't feel the whips of the branches as they scratch your face and neck. You don't stop until you're at the clearing behind you and Jinyoung's house and even then, you don't know what to do.

For the first time in your life, you came across the wolves that roamed the woods and you came this close to being a Vampire's meal. You shudder as you lean on the back wall of your house, panting deeply with sweat dripping in streams from your face. Your self-preservation skills? Wack. Damn. Why were you trying to negotiate with a creature of the night? Something you didn't even know for sure existed until this night. You'd almost died out there. And you didn't even try to scream out in alarm.

It takes more minutes than you care about before something begins to appear out of the cloak of trees. It's a wolf, not just any wolf, it's the wolf. The wolf that came to save you from the bloodsucker. Its eyes are golden-brown and unhinged, once it gets to a certain distance, it stops moving forward.

The night is creeping on, the moon isn't fully out yet, but it's coming. Legend says that once the full moon hits, the woods start crying. Not much a legend as much as a truth for you. You've lived in this house your entire life and there hasn't been a time the trees didn't howl during full moons. It wasn't something you'd ever thought about or tried to place, to be honest, until now.

The wolf howls louder than before now and somewhere deep in your bones you understand that he's telling you to go somewhere else. You take off running through the back door and make haste with locking it tight. You realize then that you didn't see Jinyoung once through the night. No, instead you saw things you didn't know you could believe in. And then your mind recalls the former Prince's words: werewolf friends. You didn't have any friends of the lycanthrope kind. But you did know someone you speculated to be one of them.

You don't know about a lot of things this world has to offer, but you do know that one plus one equals two. And the two in this situation is Jinyoung being a werewolf. And now there's a resolve thrumming in your veins: you're going to find the truth about Dog Boy. Or rather, you want to hear the truth from his mouth.

For the time being, you blame your curiosity on the fact that you want to thank the werewolf for his help. Definitely nothing more than that.

Contrary to what you expect, Jinyoung shows up to class the next day. You'd thought that he wouldn't want to come in and put himself in your line of fire, but you guess, you and him just think differently. For the first time in weeks, you're submerged into Professor Min's lecture, not once turning your attention askew. It's a new record but you're trying to prove to Jinyoung that you're not on the highway to failing this course.

Once the class is over, you throw your backpack over your shoulder and head over to Dog Boy. Unlike every other day, Jinyoung takes his time with packing his stuff and you don't have to chase him through the halls. You stomp your palms on his desk, gaining his attention which quickly drops into a lackadaisical stare.

"You."

"Me."

"You're not going to deny it, are you?"

He rolls his eyes to the side, zipping his backpack and slinging it over his arm but not getting up from his seat. "Exactly what am I supposed to be denying?"

"You know what," you whisper-yell, earning a few looks from the remaining students leaving but ignore them, not removing your eyes from Jinyoung.

"Do you see the extreme disinterest on my face? It's all for you," his eyes flash gold for a second before it reverts to cool brown. If you didn't know any better, you would have passed it off as something in your mind.

Jinyoung rises from his seat and you take several steps back to give him the space to walk around before you continue on.

"Do you want me to spell it out? You want everyone in the community to kno—"

He interrupts you as the both of you push out of the classroom door. "Know what?"

"That you're a werewo—"

Maybe your eyes are just slow because in a shimmer of movements his palm is covering your mouth as he shoots you a look, frantically, like he can't believe you'd actually say it aloud. You shrug at him. The both of you earn snickers from neighboring students and you know by the end of the day, this predicament you've found yourself in would have reached Jaebum's ears.

When he's sure that you're not going to make a scene, which you're not sure how he knows, he drags his hand from your lips. He runs his hand hard through his hair, roughing it more than usual.

"You think people would you believe you?"

"Well, you just proved to me that you are what I think you are," you smirk smugly at him when his eyes widen at your statement. "And we both know everyone calls you Dog Boy for a reason... no one would bat an eyelash if I say you're a you know what."

Jinyoung doesn't say anything else, instead, he continues to plow the crowd until he reaches the EXIT doors, you follow closely behind. You didn't expect him to give up so easily and now you're not sure what to do. You thought you'd have to manipulate or blackmail him to admit it and it's disorienting that he's being more mature about this than you had anticipated. He leads the two of you to his car which is parked way too far to be considered normal.

You didn't drive to school today because your car, which was faulty to a fault, decided not to start up this morning. And now you're wondering if you should ask him to give you a ride home. Maybe you could promise him to keep his secret safe? It's not like he knows that you don't really plan on letting anyone else know about him. He stops by his car before he turns his attention to you.

"Are you going to keep following me?"

"I mean, I don't know. Are you going to admit that you're a werewolf?"

He licks his lip tensely and you raise one of your eyebrows, challenging him to dispute your pseudo-question. He doesn't. You've got to give him praise. For someone that clearly tried so hard to hide his nature, he didn't put up much of a fight. It's anticlimactic, to be honest.

Jinyoung must have decided to ignore you because he changes the subject as much as he can.

"You could've died yesterday," he drops his backpack on the hood of his car. "Really. Vampires aren't the most negotiable creatures."

You already know that. "But I... didn't? Shouldn't we look at the good things in times like this?"

"Good things? [y/n], do you not realize that if I had not been there, you would have been killed? You wouldn't be here right now being a pain in my ass."

You grin. "I'm a beautiful pain in your ass, be appreciative."

Dog Boy shrugs his shoulders, not fazed in the slightest. "You are beautiful. Still doesn't change my opinion of you."

"Glad to know we're on the same page." Your mind skitters a little. "Anyways, I need you to tell me about your werewolf-y things. I'm interested," you shoot him a killer smile, but his aloof expression doesn't falter, so you drop to pleasantries. "Please?"

Almost immediately, he says. "Shouldn't you be terrified of me? I'm a beast of the night."

"Pfft. O-okay, what are you going to do? Huff and puff me to the floor in the University's parking lot? Classy."

"Shut up. If you want to learn about it, use Google. It's not that hard."

You stomp your feet to the ground, annoyed that he doesn't see things from your perspective. "But those are fake. I want to hear it from you. I promise if you tell me, I'll stay clear away from you. I'm just wondering that's all."

Instead of giving you a response, he grabs his backpack by the collar and hauls it into his car, jacking his door with more force than necessary and crashing inside. He slams his door shut and for a moment the two of you stay like that. Him inside and you outside. You don't really know how much time goes by before he slides down his window and fixates his focus on you.

"Are you getting in, or do I have to leave you to walk home by yourself?"

You don't need to be told twice. You rush to his passenger side at lightning speed, happy that you don't have to bribe him to get your way. You weren't expecting him to offer the ride, but you guess he feels obligated to do so now that you know his deep, dark secret. It's more concerning that you, his neighbor for thirteen — almost fourteen — years, didn't know about any of it any earlier. You can't blame him though, you and him don't really have the friendliest of relationships. More civil than anything.

Making light work with strapping your seatbelt, Jinyoung puts the car into drive and begins the path to your side of town. As you clicked in your belt, however, your fingers brush unevenly against Jinyoung's hand. Almost immediately, the two of you shoot back from the contact like you've been electrified.

Soon after that, you wished you hadn't. You'd only brushed hands — barely even lasted a minute — and yet for reasons unexplainable, there is a tingling, vibrating sensation flowing through your fingers, numbing them. You fist your hand and will yourself to stop being so bothered by it.

You never quite realized how constricting a car silence could be until now, it's odd and frankly, it's grabbing you by the throat in awkwardness. So, when you hear the ping! tone of a new message, you practically fling your phone out of your pocket to see who it's from.

Jaebum: I saw you leave campus with dog boy. where are you going? [6:53 pm]

you: home. why?? [6:53 pm]

Jaebum: didn't you ask me to wait behind to take you home? What the fuck is up with this situation :| [6:56 pm]

you: shut up. he offered and i accepted. unlike you, I have manners [6:57 pm]

Jaebum: for someone who apparently hates dog boy, you're spending an awful lot of time getting up close and personal with him. [7:02 pm]

you: I don't hate jinyoung. i hate how many times I've lost to him. huge difference. And everyone knows closeness is used to establish physical dominance (╯°□°）╯[7:05 pm]

Jaebum: yeah okayy. guess you and Jinyoung go and have a dandy time together. just don't ever call me again begging for a ride. I'll throw your junk food stash in the trash if you do. [7:08 pm]

"No," you voice out loud, appalled by Jaebum's barbaric threat. "He can't do that," you're tempted to whine but you remember Jinyoung is in the car with you and refrain. You shoot him a look from your side and try to curb your internal fuming. You promise yourself to get back at Jaebum if he dares to follow through with his threat.

Jinyoung turns his attention away from the road for a second or two and focuses it on you. "You okay?"

You bite the inside of your cheek, attempting to come off as blasé and admittedly failing. "No, not particularly."

"Why? Are you finally realizing that you could've died last night?"

You scoff as you roll your eyes at his words. "Somehow I don't quite believe that."

"Are you genuinely okay in the head?" He clicks his tongue at your antics. "You met a vampire!"

Uncharacteristically, Dog Boy seems to be incapable of letting this one situation go. Yes, you realize that you could have become one with the dead last night, but on the brighter side, you aren't. You aren't a stickler for semantics or rather for the what if scenarios. You survived your first bout with the undead, that's all there is to that.

"What do you expect me to do? Runaway... like some coward?"

"Yes!"

"Well, what about you?!"

He drags an exasperated breath into his lungs and you can swear that he's holding back from screaming in frustration at you. "What about what about me?"

You bite your lip and tip your head to the side. "You're a werewolf. Do you want me to run away from you too?"

It takes several moments of him huffing and puffing before he finally grunts in defeat. You can't help the wide smile that blooms across your face. It's not a competition but you feel like you've won this faux argument. You squish in your seat, elated.

In fact, you've gone back to idly staring at the window, completely oblivious to the turmoil of thoughts swirling around in Jinyoung's head. You send Jaebum a ridiculous threat about trashing something he holds with importance and soon enough, your phone is blowing up with rapid-fire texts that circulate around not doing the said thing. You smirk to yourself as you put your phone on flight mode and cut off the stream of notifications.

"It's different." You almost don't hear his strained voice among the laughter thrumming in your chest. "I wouldn't hurt you. That vampire, however, was one sniff away from claiming his last meal."

You whip your head up from your lap and plaster your focus unto him. "Last?"

Dog Boy relaxes into his seat, a small scoff marring his features. "You think I would let someone kill you and walk away unscathed? Do you think I'm that terrible?"

"I don't know. We're not exactly the best of friends, Jinyoung. Honestly, I'm surprised you even saved me that night. I thought you hated me."

"Hate you? You're a huge pain in my ass, you know this, but I don't hate you. Never have."

You shake your head at him, dismissing his statement. "Yeah, you do. You didn't want to play Pokémon with me, remember? I invited you to that one movie night I and my friends were having, and you told me to never talk to you again."

He looks so mortified by your recall of the events that for the first time in your life, you entertain the idea that Dog Boy doesn't not, in fact, remember any of these happening. Does that mean you've been holding this grudge for years... for no reason? Shit. Fucking shit. What kind of messed up memory does he have?

"There's no way I did that."

"So, what, now you think I'm a liar? Wow, never knew—"

"No, no. I can't believe you even remember that. That was like, what, twelve years ago?"

"Thirteen, actually." You're still reeling from the new revelation. "And of course, I do. I know a lot about you."

You don't add that you don't particularly like to admit that you know so much about him. You don't know what to do with this conversation, it feels like its run past your control. You clear your throat, in a dire attempt to steer your mind back on track. To your relief, your houses appear in view and you almost sigh out. You and Jinyoung had decided to start this project today but suddenly, you want to procrastinate on it until the night it's due. Horrible, you know, but you can't help the feeling.

Jinyoung pulls up into the cul-de-sac of your two houses and parks his car swiftly in front of his. The two of you remain in the car and you feel this uncanny urge to break the silence and change the topic.

You clear your throat. "So..."

He doesn't turn his face from the windscreen, but he does say: "What?"

"Do you guys have like raw, ballistic sex?"

If Dog Boy could choke on a lung, he would. It's somewhat priceless the way his eyes pop severely out of his head and his face whips to the side to focus on you, more than incredulous. He sputters and sputters and you curse yourself for not having a filter. It's not like you expected yourself to really ask him the question, although you’re kind of — lowkey, curious about his answer.

"Did you seriously just ask me that?"

"Afraid I did."

"Do you have, like, no shame? At all?"

"'Fraid so."

Instead of answering you, he grabs his backpack by the arm and hurls out of the car. You struggle with keeping up with his pace. He has one of his hands in hair and you can tell that he's trying not to laugh yet embarrassed by what you inquired. You figure you'd be embarrassed too if the roles were reversed.

You scamper to his side as he runs up the steps to his front door. "Hey, are you ignoring me?"

"Gee, [y/n]. Aren't you the most observant?"

"Okay, okay, I'm sorry!" You throw your hands up in surrender. "I was just wondering. I've read stories about werewolves and like most of it borders on animalistic sex... I just wanted to know if it was true."

Jinyoung has been doing a great job of hiding his face but when he slots his keys into the door and twists around to check if you're still there; you see the dark blush coloring his cheeks. When he realizes that you know this, the color deepens, and you grin.

"What is up with your obsession with werewolves?" He finally asks after he has fought the color away from his cheeks and you've settled on one of the arranged sofas in his living room.

You shrug your shoulders. "I'm not obsessed," you tell him. "It's more... you're a real-life supernatural being and I have questions."

He takes a seat on the sofa inches away from you, clearly keeping his distance. "If I answer them, would you let this go?"

"Of course."

Dog boy bites his lower lip for several moments, throwing around the pros and cons. You take this time to look around his living room. It's fairly familiar, you've been in here more times than you care to admit. Several photos of him and his parents litter the walls, you could probably recall the pictures in your sleep.

He clears his throat, bringing your attention back to him. "Ok. Ask what you want. Please keep the invasive questions to a minimum."

You smile inwardly to yourself. "Were you bitten or born?"

"Born."

"What about mates? Does that really exist? Have you found yours? What happens if you don't find your mate? Do you, like, howl into the moonlight and hope they howl back?"

You hear him mutter, "fuck," before he raises his head from his thighs and shoots you a ridiculous look.

"I do have a mate and what the hell do you think werewolves do exactly?"

"I don't know that's why I'm asking you," you say, exasperatedly. "Do you mind me asking who your mate is?"

He shrugs, leaning deeper into the black sofa. "Does it really matter to you?"

"Not really but does your mate necessarily have to be a werewolf?"

Why you're asking this you don't know. It's not like you could be his mate. You'd already promised yourself to not fall into some cliché with your damned neighbor but for whatever it's worth, there's a small — minuscule and irrelevant — part of you that wonders if it could be you.

Of course, you can list plenty reasons from the top of your head why you and Jinyoung could never be fated together. First, he's your enemy and rival. You've spent a better part of your life watching him from behind. You know the things that make him tick faster than others. And even though there is a high possibility that he's never considered you as competition, you don't want to think that you've spent years blindly chasing behind him for nothing.

"Not that I know of."

"So, you're, like, in a relationship? How come I didn't know this? Your mother would have gossiped about it to my mother. What, does your mate hate you?" You scoff at your own implication.

You'd never read of mates hating each other. Sure, there had been the few Alphas here and there that thought they were hot shit and that their mates weren't. But on the average, you would think anyone would be happy to find someone the skies destined them to be with. Cute, you think.

Jinyoung snickers at you. "At first, I thought my mate hated me."

"What? Really?" You can't believe there's another werewolf kid living in your small secluded town. And you don't realize you've said this thought out loud until you hear Jinyoung's response.

"My family's the only werewolf family around these parts, don't worry. You'd be mighty surprised if I tell you who my mate is though."

"Surprise me."

He laughs — no, guffaws at that. "You wouldn't want me too."

You feel heat creep up your ears. It's not like it matters who his mate is anyway. You shake your head, opening your school bag in an effort to start the godforsaken project already. You clear your throat as you pull the notebooks out and lay them on the small table but Jinyoung gets up and scoops them into his arms. "Let's go to my room."

"Why?"

He scrunches his nose a bit. "It smells better there."

"Oh, I forgot. Dog nose."

Dog boy says nothing in response but grabs your backpack and his before leading the way through the corridor to his room. You've been inside it before, years ago when your parents used to force the two of you to play together. He dumps the books on his bed and you perch on one side of the bed.

He has more focus than you and soon enough the two of you have decided on a topic and a thesis to present on. But you're barely paying attention to what he's been saying or writing down. You can't wrap your head around the fact that Jinyoung is so nonchalant about the whole ordeal. You expected him to be more... emotional about it.

You bite your tongue, debating if you should ask him what has been bothering you. You decide to just go for it and interrupt his explanation about something you weren't paying attention to but should have been.

"Why didn't you tell me?"

Jinyoung furrows his eyebrows, looking up from the strewn papers. "Huh? Tell you what?"

"That you are a werewolf. I mean, you don't seem to care that I know and now it's bothering me that you tried to hide it for years."

He releases his bottom lip from his teeth and sighs out. "We're not allowed to tell people what we are. If they find out, that's cool but I can't break the rules."

Then why do you feel like Jinyoung purposely made you find out about him? You've been his neighbor for years and not once did you ever see him slip up (disregarding that day at the playground). Why... why does it feel like you walked brazenly into a trap that he set? Why does it feel like he had expected you to follow him that night?

"So, it doesn't matter that I know?"

"Not really. I mean, this isn't the most ideal situation but at least now I don't have to restrict myself anymore."

"Why do I feel like there's something you're hiding from me?"

Something flashes in his eyes and you watch, mesmerized, as the color shifts from brown to a golden hue. "What do you mean?" His voice, how ever little, shakes.

You fixate on that tremor. "Who's your mate?" You ask, this time pulling yourself closer to him and you see his throat bop as he takes an audible gulp. "Don't lie to me."

Seconds tick by and you can't tell what he's thinking. How did the two of you fall into this predicament? You and him on his bed with a huge elephant stomping around in the run. Jinyoung catches your gaze and does his best not to waver. For someone that has a brazen beast as part of him, he becomes a whole lot more demure when he's with you.

"It's you."

Before you can say anything in response, not that you can since your vocal chords are having technical problems. Jinyoung presses on, fumbling. "It doesn't matter. I know you don't like me like that. And that's okay, we can't have it all, right? Plus, it's kind of weird, isn't—"

"Shut up. Who says I don't like you like that?" A part of you hates that he came to this conclusion, even if there's some merit to it.

"Well, do you?"

You shake your head, confused. "I-I don't know."

His voice comes out barely above a whisper and for a moment you forget that he's supposed to be this big, bad, wolf. "It's a simple question."

"I like you — like how someone would like a neighbor or better yet a fleeting crush or something. I'm just not sure I like you like that."

"... Is that a polite no or are you genuinely not sure?"

"Genuinely not sure. Like, I don't know. Sometimes I have these moments when I think you act really cute, sometimes I think we're just people that have spent too much time around each other—" you cut yourself, tired of sounding like some bumbling idiot.

Dog boy mulls over what you said for a moment. "Maybe you should kiss me and find out. If there are sparks, cool. If not, no foul."

"Really?"

What if there's nothing or worse, what if there is but he discovers you're not meant for him? Where this dilemma came from, you don't know but you want it to go back where it came.

"Anything for science."

You don't know who leans in first but the two of you meet halfway. Your senses are nothing compared to his, but he intoxicates you with his woodsy smell that makes the thoughts in your head swirl around into nothing. You move closer, as close as you can, and the research books flap to the floor. He traps your hair in his hands and tilts your head, setting your lips apart and electrocuting you simultaneously.

An urgent need to feel him in his entirety washes over you. You reach your fingers around his neck, using it as leverage to push yourself closer but Jinyoung takes that moment to break away from you.

"Slow down," he chuckles. "And to think you thought I was a ballistic animal."

Jinyoung flips your body onto its back, the bed serving as the only thing that holds you up, heaven knows your self-restraint is out the window.

"I'm not usually like this... sorry?"

"It's cool with me and, trust me, I would be all over you too if I had less self-control."

You raise your eyebrow, urging him to explain.

He shrugs shifting from hovering on top of you to laying beside you on the bed. You're lucky this is a pretty big bed and not anything like the one back at your place.

"You have this smell. The first time I smelled it, I swear I thought I had died or something. Either way, my parents said it was better for me to keep my distance from you. I was young, and anything could set me off, plus we'd just moved, and I was trying to fit in, couldn't have myself following your ass everywhere."

That worked out terrible for him — if his nickname is anything to go by. But now that you know this piece of information, everything else seems to click into place. The reason he tried to never be in the same vicinity as you, why he ignored you half the time.

"Must be hard having such a nose like that."

"Not really. I can smell you for miles away. Plus, I can tell when dinner's gonna be really, really good."

You roll your eyes at him, biting out a laugh. "Amazing talent you got there."

There's another bout of silence that falls upon the both of you and you swear the only thing that can be heard is the loud thumping of your heart. It's deafening. You're not really sure what to do now. Yes, you've acknowledged the feeling in your chest and all that cliché jazz but what—

"So, how do you feel?"

You bite your lower lip, demanding yourself to stop getting lost in the re-visualization of his body pressed against yours. To think, a few days ago — heck yesterday, you never thought you'd be in this situation. You can't believe a huge section of you is willing to try this thing with Jinyoung out and that a part of you likes this.

"You're trying so hard not to react. It's cute," he says, even though he can't see your face.

"You are such a pain in my ass."

"A beautiful pain in your ass," he throws your words back at you.

You guess there's no reason to pretend that Jinyoung isn't one of the most beautiful people you've ever met. It's not like you're going to gain anything from intense denial. You pout and turn your face to the side, only to find Jinyoung staring intently back at you.

"What can I say," dog boy finally breathes out after several moments. "I live to watch how bashful you can get,” he moves a fingertip over your cheek, making an exaggerated sizzling sound. "I imagine you'd have the same reaction when you desperately try not to moan my name. You'd be so wrecked for me."

"You're the one enamored and obsessed with my smell, but I'd be wrecked? Yeah, okay."

He howls out in laughter and you make a note in your head to tease him about it, you're not used to this side of Jinyoung, but you can't say you don't like it. Moments fade into one another and before you realize it, your hand is caved in around his own. Man, this feels good and warm. Has he always been this hot? Once you're sure that you're not going to blurt out something embarrassing, you clear your throat.

"So, uh, what do we do now?"

Jinyoung heaves his shoulders, a ghost of a smile flittering unto his features. "We could continue making out?"

You sit up on the bed, throwing your arms across your chest. "Don't you have like feral werewolf-y urges to, like, do something?"

He shakes his head at you, sitting up as well but wondering where you come up with these things. "Honestly, [y,n], what the fuck have you been reading?"

Pushing forward, you shoot him a sly grin. "I don't know. How about we try testing and breaking my theories?"

"If you kiss me right now, I swear I'd do whatever," he admits.

You oblige, moving your face closer to his and resuming the path of electricity in your veins. This time the kiss is slower, softer and you feel these different things from Jinyoung. Loyalty and compassion. It's highly addictive and completely not what you were expecting from him. But you like it. You like this feeling. It something you really can't control but it's something that you want to explore.

You feel as the dragonflies carve a home in your stomach before dancing up to your neck and breaking out from your mouth. And dog boy grins into your lips. "Probably shouldn't say this right now but, I always thought you looked hella cute when you cursed me out."

Before you can say something snarky as a response, he’s kissing you again, pulling your body flush against his. You try to laugh a little but with his fingers rubbing circles against the sliver of skin exposed by your shirt, your actions turn to dust. But you swear you'll get back at him, one flush on his cheeks at a time.

A/N: woo! i really hope you liked reading this as much i liked writing it and i hope you tell me what you think about it!! thanks for reading :)

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©️ 2018 kai, moonbelt [aka high-on-food]

#hey!: thank you so much for reading!! #got7 #jinyoung scenarios #kpoptrashtag #kreativewritersnet #got7snet #werewolf au #jinyoung imagines #got7 scenarios #got7 imagines #got7 jinyoung #jinyoung park #jinyoung park scenarios #got7 fake texts #jinyoung texts #jinyoung smut #jinyoung fluff #got7 fluff #got7 smut #got7 angst #got7 meme #kpop #kpop scenarios #kpop imagines #kpop texts #jinyoung scenario #high-on-food #kpop angst #boyfriend!jinyoung

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Me, Too: Breaking the silence

This post is full of triggers. Please read at your own discretion. TIME Magazine just came out with its Person of the Year 2017, and I have to say, y'all... I'm speechless. The Silence Breakers But now, I'm speechless for the right reasons. Finally, after all this time, we are finding our voices and speaking out against boundaries crossed, opportunities lost, lives shattered. We're telling our stories, not meekly behind computer screens or stealthily to our dearest friends, but with gigantic fucking megaphones. And finally, there are repercussions. Sure, we still have a long way to go; after all, Bill Cosby still admitted to his crimes and walked away, Brock Allen Turner still only served a paltry sentence for rape (and is now fighting that ruling because of course he is), and we have a shameless sexual predator occupying the highest office in the land. Still, there's a palpable shift going on, and TIME recognized it. Sought it. And if #MeToo brought these truths to the world stage, TIME just flicked on the floodlights. And begrudgingly, it's my turn to step into the spotlight. This is the first time I've ever told my entire story, and while it's one of many I could tell, it's the one that stands out most clearly, was the most egregious of them all. I was eighteen when I was raped. He has a name, but he's not famous. He could be anyone; in fact, he's been everyone since. I barely knew him. He worked stock, I was in the photo lab, so we didn't interact very often. He was twice my age, too, so when there was opportunity to talk, there weren't a lot of common interests. But it's not like he was a stranger. It started at a Fort Lauderdale nightclub. I was invited by a friend of his, another coworker who had about seven years on me and who thought it was a great idea to doll me up to go out (she told me later, because this guy had a thing for me). Not only was I grossly uncomfortable in the short skirt and the makeup, but the attention at the club was disconcerting, too: Men of all shapes and sizes and colors and ages grinding up against you, touching you wherever your skin was exposed, and in some places where it was not. I left the dance floor a number of times, only to be dragged out again and again, finally by him. I guess he thought I was "his." One hand on my lower back, pulling me closer, the other steadily pushing other men away. I didn't know you could feel simultaneously thankful (only one guy was grabbing my ass now) and disgusted (someone still has my ass in his hand). He forced a few kisses, too, on my neck and my face and my lips, even as I turned away and tried leaving the floor again. Blissfully, 2am came and the club closed for the night. Since my female colleague had already left -- no doubt because she was hoping something would happen for his friend, if you know what I mean -- he offered to drive me home. I was already past my curfew, so calling my parents was a no-go... so I accepted. I don't remember the drive home, only when he dropped me off and how his hand felt on my thigh and the alcohol on his breath as he tried to kiss me again. I got in quite a bit of trouble last night, but I should have known my parents were the least of my concerns. I avoided him pretty well after that night, only going to the stock room, where the printer paper and ink and all other supplies I needed to do my job were stored, when absolutely necessary and always when I saw him on the floor. Of course, him being occupied by something else didn't stop him from dropping whatever he was doing and pressing me between his body and boxes of merchandise. Cardboard still give me anxiety for the way it feels against my bare hands. I couldn't say anything, though. He had been working there for several years and I was only a teenager -- an adult in the eyes of the law, yes, but a child in every other aspect. I was terrified that saying anything would cast doubt, get me fired, or worse. So I kept quiet and away as much as possible. Where it went from "what a gross guy" to "what have I done" was summer of 2003. My workplace was less than a mile from my parents' house, so I often walked to work. One hot July afternoon, as I made my way to work, a car pulled up beside me and he called out, "Do you need a ride?" It was hot. I had on layers (regular clothes plus my work smock). Things had been relatively calm for the preceding month, so maybe he had changed. Whatever excuse I had, I took him up on the offer and climbed in. "Oh, I just need to grab something from my apartment." Sure... oh, your apartment is a ways away... "This might take a second, do you want to come up?" Um... yeah, you have a balcony, I'll just stand there and out of the hot sun. "Do you want some water?" No, thanks... hey, why are you grabbing my hand... I remember the layout of his apartment. Not really much inside it, just that a tiny kitchen was immediately to my left, a dining area as you step inside, a living room just beyond that, and a bedroom and attached bath the next left, just past the kitchen. I remember thinking it weird that he had such a huge mirror over his bed. I still can't look at myself naked in a full-length mirror. I remember his eyes looking around my entire body as he took away the fun of undressing. Looking up as he took away the fun of oral sex. Looking down to my chest as he took away the fun of penetrative sex. Looking away, not with shame but a grin, after he came and pointed me to the bathroom. I remember the shower stall was like a black hole. There was a pattern on the tile, but I couldn't make it out past the blurriness welling up in my eyes. I hated that I had to use his soap, had to smell like him the rest of the day. Bar soap. Like he was rubbing himself against me again. I don't remember much else, a small blessing. I did go to work that day, a hazy, lazy Sunday. The walk home after closing up felt like an eternity as he followed me slowly in his car, his voice echoing my name. I don't remember responding. Or sleeping, or any of the days that followed. I eventually left that job and that city to attend college almost 500 miles away. I had new friends, went to class, started dating. It was a warm fall evening and I was walking with my boyfriend to the cafeteria for dinner when I heard it: A wolf whistle. And there he was, down the street, walking towards me with purpose. I guess he thought I was "his." He had followed me across the length of the state of Florida to find me. There was no social media at the time, no digital means of tracking my movement, but on a campus of almost 25,000 students, he managed to find me. I don't remember what I said then, either, but my words were harsh, biting. He asked for privacy; I told him no. He asked for another kiss; I told him no. He asked me to take a ride with him; I told him no. He asked me to keep this between us; I told him no. Within an hour, campus police knew of his whereabouts and had him escorted off the premises. Still, I locked myself in my dorm for the rest of the evening, told the front desk not to let anyone in without their student ID, and stayed inside, almost cowering, for the rest of the week. I sought no legal recourse; after all, though they did their job and found him, their reaction when I told them I was being stalked and harassed was far from encouraging. Why would city police believe me. It's been 15 years since, and while writing this out still spikes my anxiety, I feel these stories need to be told. #MeToo isn't just a social movement, it's personal empowerment, and not only for those who share their personal experiences. I've shared aspects of my story several times in the last 10 years, after I bucked up the courage to say, "Yes, I've been sexually assaulted." Of course, the story just gets new layers year after year, since some men never learn and insist women are objects and treat them accordingly. My story isn't the only one adding layers, either. But by sharing my experience, I've had several friends and family share theirs with me, too, either publicly or privately. TIME recently revealed that their photo features an elbow. At first glance, it appears surreptitiously cropped from the rest of the photo, like someone just didn't make the cut, or perhaps a result of sloppy editing. Instead, they reveal it was "an anonymous woman who is a hospital worker who was experiencing harassment and didn't feel that she could come forward." These are the women helped when we reveal our stories. Who truly benefit from the #MeToo campaign. If those in power (or who, like me, feel confident enough to) share their experiences, we may see the true "trickle down" effect and dole out consequences to other men and justice to those who have suffered at their hands. Including my rapist. He with a name, he who could be anyone... and he who always has been everyone. http://dlvr.it/Q4qKw1