#and i start a new job next month so i’m a lil ~ overwhelmed ~ but it’s ok it’s all good things hsjddhak

[efyra]

Bubble Bath • Fred Weasley

pairing: dad!fred weasley x mom!reader

summary: after an exhausting day at work, fred comes back home to his wonderful family.

word count: 2.6k

warnings: fluff (?); mentions of sex.

author’s note: i had a dream about having kids with fred and this idea came into my mind - so i just had to write it?

like always, i’m sorry for any grammar mistake 🥺

reblogs are always welcome

you can check my other works here

The first time Fred Weasley thought "bloody hell, this must be the happiest day of my life" - which he could remember - was in a summer of 1985 when Bill and Charlie taught him and George how to play Exploding Snap. The second was when he started his studies at Hogwarts in September 1989. The third was the following year when he and George were accepted into the Gryffindor’s Quidditch team as beaters. The fourth time was on a winter's afternoon in 1993 when he had his first kiss. The fifth was when the dream of opening a joke shop with his twin had become even closer to reality after Harry gave them the Triwizard Tournament prize. The sixth was in a 1995 night when he lost his virginity. The seventh time was the day Weasley's Wizard Wheezes opened at Diagon Alley in 1996. The eighth was in May 1998 with the defeat of Lord Voldemort. The ninth was when he met you on a spring morning in 2001. The tenth time was when you agreed to go on a date with him a few days later. And since then, Fred Weasley had lost the count. 

But he remembered the most special days. 

The day you kissed. The first night you spent together. The lunch his mother prepared at the Burrow so that you could be introduced to the Weasley family. When you finally said "I love you" to each other. That afternoon you agreed to have a picnic, but you didn't check if it would rain and came home soaked. The next morning that Fred woke up sick and you made him some soup. The time you two couldn't sleep then you stayed up all night talking while drinking hot chocolate. When Fred asked you to marry him on the first day of a new year. That summer day in 2004 when you and Fred said "I do" and made a vow to love each other for all eternity. The dinner where you revealed that you were pregnant with your first child together. The day Maeve Weasley was born and your world had changed completely. And since then, Fred Weasley went to sleep every day thinking, "bloody hell, this must be the happiest day of my life." 

He was enchanted with every little moment. 

Fred was thrilled the moment he hold Maeve for the first time and nested her in his arms; he pressed a delicate kiss on her forehead, feeling that newborn baby smell and watching her sleep peacefully, finally realizing that she was his baby - his baby to care for, to protect, to love; his daughter. 

He remembered the first time Maeve opened a toothless smile, that she babbled something in the baby’s language, when she ate solid food when she was six-months-old and ended up with banana puree - made by mommy - all over her face, the way she clapped her hands when she heard Hermione singing muggle’s nursery rhymes, when she took her first steps two weeks after her one-year birthday. Fred was not ashamed to admit that he cried when Maeve first called him "Daddy", that he got emotional every time she lay on his chest and fell asleep there as if it was the most comfortable place in the world, of how he couldn't stop smiling silly while watching her dance "head, shoulders, knees and toes". Since Maeve was born, Fred Weasley thought he couldn't be happier. 

But you got pregnant again; and in 2008, Alexander Weasley was born - better known as "lil’ Alex". 

And Fred was, once again, in heaven. 

Just like happened with Maeve, he was enchanted by his son from the moment he heard that little weeping for the first time; he couldn't help but be amazed to see that the e/c color of your irises were reflected in Alex's eyes, that his nose was very similar to his father's and that he had much more hair than his sister when she was born - and once again, he had fallen in love with that newborn baby smell. 

Fred's heart melted completely when he saw the scene of you in bed holding Alex in your arms while Maeve was sitting next to you, her neck stretching so she could see her little brother more closely; he opened a broad smile with that vision, the vision of his family - his to care for, to protect, to love, his family.

That day, Fred sat next to you on the bed, taking Maeve on his lap and placing his arm around your shoulder, pulling you closer to his body; he remembered the way you looked at him with a tender smile decorating your face and said: "you and I make beautiful babies," but before he could answer, Maeve exclaimed: "but Alex looks like smashed potato!”.  Fred used his free hand to tickle his daughter briefly, who let out an angelic laugh and squirmed in his arms, saying: "not the tickle monster, Daddy!", he laughed once again, kissing Maeve's fluffy cheek; his heart seemed to barely fit inside his chest of how much love he felt at that moment. Then, your head rested on his shoulder, Fred turned his head to give you a long kiss on the temple; you, in turn, lifted your face towards your husband, sealing your lips in a very short but passionate kiss - passion for the beautiful family you built together, for the life full of joys that awaited you and without forgetting, of course, the overwhelming passion you still felt for each other. 

It wasn't always easy. 

Despite the joys that fatherhood brought in your lives, conciliating raising your children with your jobs and the marital relationship was something that sometimes you failed at. Sometimes you fought for silly reasons, other times for more serious issues, but you never forgot that in the first place you loved each other. 

The worst fight you and Fred had was when the two of you were facing difficulties at work, and without even noticing it, you started to take your frustrations out on each other; you both spent a whole day not talking - just talking about your children - but in the late afternoon, when you and the redhead were distracted with work matters while Maeve and Alex were playing in the middle of the  living room, your daughter shouted cheerfully: "Mom, Dad, look! Alex likes when I dance!", the two of you immediately dropped the papers you were reading and watched the scene before your eyes: Maeve - with 3 years-old - was making extravagant ballet moves and Alex - who had just completed 8 months - was sitting on the fuzzy carpet, applauding his sister with a smile of few teeth decorating his face. At that moment, your eyes met with Fred's, and as if you were having a mental conversation, you two agreed: "No work in this world was more important than this: Maeve dancing ballet while Alex applauded". When the children slept, you had a long talk and made up in the best possible way: in bed. 

And you were fine. Better than just fine; you and Fred were happy with the life you built together. And even if some days weren't so good, the redhead would still sleep thinking that he had lived the happiest day of his life because it was one more day by your side while raising your children together, because it was one more day with his family. 

Today, Fred felt exhausted; he and George stayed until later at the shop because they needed to make an inventory of their products, and even though they had several employees so they didn't need to overload themselves with work, that task was something they didn't trust anyone else to do but each other. 

As soon as he arrived at his home through Floo Network, Fred was surprised that there was nobody in the living room and that no three-years-old girl jumped on his arms saying: "Daddy, Daddy, you're home!", but he heard laughter coming from the upper floor. He took off his shoes and socks, leaving them in the corner, and went upstairs; Fred followed that familiar sound and stopped in front of the bathroom suite you two shared, which was with the door ajar. 

For a moment, he allowed himself to watch the scene: inside of a huge white ceramic bathtub, were his wonderful children and sitting on a stool right next to it while holding Alex - who had already completed one year old - with both hands, you were wearing only a simple t-shirt and cotton shorts, your hair was in a tight bun on the top of your head; you were laughing while looking at Maeve, who was pretending to be a fish and imitating Dory's line in "Finding Nemo" when was speaking whale - you two really thanked Hermione for all the childish entertainment she introduced to you over the years -; the little girl was talking to Alex - who was supposed to be the whale.

"Ah, so you’re there" Fred said with a broad smile on his face; Maeve exclaimed an excited "daddy", splashing drops of water on all directions when she jumped. "I thought I was abandoned" he joked, walking towards the bathtub, and squatting close to where you were. "Hi, baby."

"Hi, love" you answered, smiling sweetly and leaning slightly towards your husband so you can greet him with a peck on the lips. 

Fred also greeted his children, saying tenderly: "Hi, little princess. Hi, little prince"; you two chatted distractedly while watching your children play in the bathtub - Maeve still pretended to be a fish and Alex played with a rubber duck. 

"How was your day?" he asked. 

"Normal" you shrugged. "Nothing new, which is a relief." 

"That's good. And how are our little angels?" 

"They've had dinner, played a lot and now they're taking a bath to go to bed. Did you have dinner?" 

"Yes, I ate something at the shop with George." Fred placed a hand on your knee, squeezing it gently. "I'm sorry for staying..."

"Don't apologize" you interrupted him. Your husband had never helped you to take care of the children; he had never helped you because that was his job too - he wasn’t “helping” you; he was taking care of his kids. Fred never expected compliments or medals for putting his children on bed, for giving them food, for waking up in the middle of the night when they were crying or for changing diapers; he knew that those were his responsibilities as much as they were yours. "I know" you sent him a reassuring smile. Days like this when you and Fred didn't do those things together were very rare - after all, you were partners for life. 

"Thank you" your husband smiled.

"And what about your day? Could you finish the inventory?" you asked. 

He let out a tired sigh, watching Alex chewing on the rubber duck. "Well... yes, but not everything. I still need..." 

"Daddy!" Maeve demanded his attention, interrupting him. "Look what I can do!" she said before immersing her head in the water for a short second before pulling it up again, her hair sticking to her cheeks as she wiped the water off her face. "See?" she opened her eyes and looked at her father, waiting for his answer. 

The redhead didn't take long to react, quickly applauding enthusiastically. "Wow, princess! You truly are a little fish! Did you see her, Mommy?" he looked at you. 

"I did, Daddy!" you smiled. "Our little Maeve already is a big girl!" 

Fred got rid of his jacket and tie, rolled up his sleeves to his elbow and sat on the bathroom floor, standing next to the bathtub as he listened intently to his daughter tell him about her fun day with Grandma Molly and Grandpa Arthur; Maeve said that Uncle Harry and Ginny showed up for a visit, so she played with her cousins all afternoon - she was asleep when you arrived at the Burrow right after work, but Alex was very agitated. 

You both took the opportunity that the little girl was very distracted and started to give your children a bath; you were soaping Alex's body while Fred washed Maeve's hair. He took the handheld shower and used it to rinse the shampoo, being careful to not let the foam fall in her eyes or ear. So, you two changed; now, you washed Maeve's body while Fred poured the baby shampoo on Alex's hair. Your husband stayed on his knees, leaning over the bathtub to hold his son firmly with one arm while using the other to give him a bath; the one-year-old was still very focused on chewing the rubber duck. 

Fred laughed. "You really like this toy, don't you, big boy?" he said to his son, who looked at his direction with his big e/c eyes. "This lil' duck is tasty, isn't it?" he said in a higher pitch and musical tone. Alex pushed the rubber toy away from his mouth just to laugh at his father, bouncing in his arms. "Yeah, you like it," the redhead smiled. "Maybe you can tell Grandpa Arthur what is the function of these rubber ducks, huh?"

You were washing Maeve's armpits when you heard the sound of your son laughing; you looked at that direction and a broad smile appeared on your face as you watched Fred talking to Alex about his toy. Then, your daughter also laughed. 

"Mommy!" she said between laughs. "You're tickling me!" 

"I'm sorry, honey," you said with a smile, pulling the little girl close so you could give her a kiss on the cheek. 

Minutes later, the children were properly dressed in their pajamas and Fred went to take a bath. And the scene he found when he returned to his room was even more adorable than the one in the bathroom: you were with your back against the headboard and, on each arm, you nested Maeve and Alex while singing them a lullaby as they were drinking hot milk from their bottle. 

His daughter was the one who saw him leaning against the door, she demanded that he come to bed with you, and as soon as Fred did, Maeve left her position to lay her head on her father's chest - now you and Fred were lying on the edge of the bed and your children in the middle of you two. 

"Daddy, can you tell us a story?" the little girl asked. 

"I don't know, honey," he said. "Mommy was singing."

"But the song's over, isn't it, Mommy?" your daughter looked at you. 

"Yes, dear" you nodded, opening a little smile. 

"Will you, Daddy? Please?" Maeve made a pout. "Alex also wants you to tell us a story," she looked at her little brother, who was almost asleep on his mother's arms. "Yes, Daddy, tell us a story," she said in a soft tone - as if it was the little boy talking - "see? He wants it too!" 

You both laughed at your daughter's little trick. "Well, Daddy, it seems they want you to tell us a story," you shrugged, still with a smile on your face. 

"How can I deny a request from the three loves of my life, huh?" Fred smiled, squeezing Maeve in his arms and giving her a kiss on the forehead. 

You listened carefully as your husband told the story of two fire-haired brothers who fought against a terrible one-eyed monster and managed to obtain a precious magical item: a map that led them to various adventures around the world. And when the two brothers discovered how to get to the Candy Land, you and Fred noticed that your children were already deeply asleep in your arms. 

You both shared a look and a smile. A passionate look at the love that existed in your family. A proud smile for the life you had together. 

"I love you" your husband whispered at you.

"I love you too" you whispered back. 

And before Fred fell asleep, he thought, "bloody hell, this must be the happiest day of my life."

taglist: @eunoia-kth

#fred weasley #fred weasley x reader #dad!fred weasley #fred weasley imagine #fred weasley smut #fred weasley fic #fred weasley fanfic #fred weasley x you #harry potter #harry potter smut #harry potter imagine #weasley imagine #weasley smut #fanfic #reader-insert #mom!reader

[duskholland]

Lingerie | Tom Holland Smut

summary ↠ your co-star Tom offers to photograph you in your new lingerie, and it only escalates from there.

word count ↠ 3.9k

warnings ↠ this is pretty much just pwp I won’t lie. we’ve got some dirty talk, a lingerie-filled photoshoot, a lil bit of thigh riding, oral (fem receiving) and then MxF sex

a/n ↠ quarantine is doing ~stuff~ to me and I couldn’t stop thinking about the concept of Tom being your photographer and getting more and more riled up so....here ya go. enjoy! this is the first time I’ve posted nsfw stuff in a very very long time, so any feedback would be appreciated :) also a huge thank you to @rhapsodyparker for being my fave hype man - love you mate !

18+ !!!! this contains NSFW material, so do not read if you are a minor.

Spending a few weeks in London with your new co-star Tom and his brothers had been the brilliant idea of your manager. When your schedule had presented you with a some valuable weeks off between projects, she’d suggested that bunking down with him in his London house would be the perfect way to get to know the man before you spend the next months acting out your latest project. You’d seen him around at a few awards shows, and he hadn’t been opposed to hosting you, so with a few heavy suitcases and an open mind, you’d moved into the house he shares with his brother Harry and his best friend Harrison.

It’s been three weeks since you first rolled up, and things are going well. You’ve been enjoying getting to know the guys and the city they love so much, and it seems like every day you grow more and more comfortable around Tom - which is only a good thing, given that your upcoming project requires you to tangle with him in a few risqué scenes. But you’d be lying if you said that your feelings for the brown eyed star are merely platonic, and over the last couple of days especially, you’ve found your thoughts wandering. You catch yourself stiffening as you watch him throw back a pint of beer, his sturdy fingers wrapped carefully around the glass. And something in the pit of your stomach stirs every time he sits by you, his thigh pressing flushed to yours. You’ve even caught him staring at you from across the room a few times, his eyes trailing over your figure, and you haven’t been able to stop yourself from imagining his curly brown hair rubbing at your inner thighs.

It’s a game. A dangerous, heated game, and with every passing day, his eyes seem hungrier as they meet with yours, and he seems to inch closer to you. Neither of you have acted on the sizzling tension that ripples between you, but you know it’s just a matter of time before one of you moves a little too close, or touches the other for a little too long, and it all explodes.

“What have you got there, Y/N?”

You’re pulled from your dirty thoughts by a question coming from the man you’re daydreaming about. Tom walks into the kitchen, raising a hand in greeting as he peers down at the package you’re holding. His deep brown eyes meet with yours as you smile at him in greeting.

“Just some clothes. I’m doing a brand deal and they want me to take some pictures and post them on my Instagram,” you explain. You put the package down on the kitchen table and carefully begin to cut along the seam.

“Getting that money, eh?” You laugh as Tom slips into a chair beside you, watching you curiously with his chin resting in his hands.

“A girl’s gotta make a living,” you reply. “Hey, do you think Harry would take some shots for me? It’s always hard to get the angles right.”

Tom hums beneath his breath. “Yeah, I’m sure he’d be down for that. He and Harrison are out at the moment, though, so you’ll need to wait-“ He falls silent as you tip the contents of the package onto the table, your cheeks warming immediately as you take in the garments you’ve been sent.

Lingerie. Several different pairs of matching bras and panty sets, in a scattering of different colours and designs. You feel your heart beat faster in your chest as Tom stares down at the pieces, his own face blushing a deep red.

“I think Harry might die if I make him take photos of me whilst I’m wearing this,” you admit, picking up a red lacy bralette. Tom’s younger brother has always been nice to you, but he radiates the sort of nervous energy that can sometimes put you on edge, and you immediately know you can’t ask him to photograph you. “Guess I’ll just have to struggle through this by myself,” you mutter dejectedly.

Tom’s eyebrows raise as he looks between you and the lace in your fingers, realisation replacing his shock. He sits up straight, stretching out his arms and his biceps flex as he meets your gaze. “I can always help you,” he offers shyly. You meet his eyes and his tongue slips out to wet his lower lip.

“You wouldn’t mind?”

“I’m not as good as Harry, but I like to think I’ve picked up a few of his tricks.” Tom reaches out, fingers connecting with the tops of your arms, and your breath hitches as he grins cheekily. “Besides, I’m sure I could help you with some of your angles. If you want, of course.”

The question hangs in the air. As his fingers gently trace over your upper arm, you know this is the opportunity to back out. He’s looking at you through heated, brown eyes, but you know he’ll leave it alone if you decide to draw the line here and maintain the professional distance you’ve been slowly narrowing. But you don’t want to, and suddenly, you’re overwhelmed by a longing for him to keep touching you, and the idea of him photographing you as you lounge around in this new, sexy lingerie sets your heart racing.

“I’d love that, Tom. Are you free just now?”

He nods quickly, the tips of his curly brown hair wafting in the air. “Definitely.”

[-----]

It takes you about twenty minutes to get ready for the shoot. You’ve been around in Hollywood for long enough to know how best to do your makeup and tie your hair, and much to your relief, the lingerie clings to you perfectly. The contract you’d signed states you only have to post photos in one of the sets, so you pick one with a nice, deep burgundy hue and then walk out into your bedroom where Tom’s waiting for you. His wide eyes fall on you and suddenly you get a little self-conscious, reaching up to cross your arms over your chest as his gaze slides up and down your figure, drifting over every inch of exposed skin. When he drags his eyes back to your face and gives you a bit of a smirk, a shiver rolls down your spine.

“You look stunning,” Tom says, voice hoarse. He clears his throat quickly, averting his eyes as his cheeks gain a healthy colour. “Really, Y/N… You look amazing.”

His compliments bring a smile to your face, and you carefully put your hands back to your sides. You feel tentative and shy, but you approach him anyway and pass him your phone. “Thanks, Tom,” you mumble, meeting his eyes quickly. “Um, I was thinking you can just get a few of me the window, and then after that, maybe a couple on the bed.”

“Sounds great.”

You hesitate for a moment, looking at him carefully. “Are you sure you don’t mind?”

Tom runs a hand through his hair, pushing it out of his face as he chuckles lowly. “I don’t mind at all, Y/N. There are worse things to do than take photos of a pretty girl like you.” You bite your lower lip as you smile bashfully at him. 

“Okay,” you say. You move over to the window before adding a quick, “I will pay you back, Tom.” You punctuate your promise with a wink, and then turn around and try out a few positions against the window.

Tom gives you a few pointers as he starts to capture your shots. You know what you’re doing, but his advice helps you twist and angle yourself in the most flattering ways. The main focus has to be on the sponsored lace clinging to your chest, and as time goes by and he gradually moves nearer and nearer to you, your thoughts grow darker. You’d be lying if you said the seductive smiles and soft angles you’re throwing out are just for Instagram. It makes your heart race and a heat build between your legs to have him watching you so intently, occasionally chewing on his lower lip as he works. When you turn around and face the window directly, you arch your back purposefully and you can feel his stare hot on the curve of your ass, and as you throw your head back over your shoulder to meet his flushed face, you know you’ve caught him right in the act of checking you out.

“How are the photos?” You ask, breaking the charged silence after a few moments of sustained, intense eye contact. You relax your position as Tom steps nearer and passes back your phone, but he lingers by your side before draping a hand over your back. His hand rests on your naked hip, his touch gentle but it causes you to push into him greedily. He’s warm and he smells like pine trees and man, and your body is thrumming with so much sexual energy that you can feel your lace panties dampening.

“You look unreal,” he says, watching over your shoulder as you flick through the photos. “I’m not even sure they do justice to how incredible you look right now.”

You smile gratefully, favouriting a few of the shots. “You know, I think we’ve got as many as we need, actually. You did a really good job, Tom. Thank you.” You put your phone on the windowsill and turn to look at him properly. When his hand goes to slip from your waist, you reach down and grab at it, pushing it back into place firmly. His eyes meet yours, a curious questioning mixing with the dark lust, and you give him a smirk. “I know you liked watching me.” Your gaze briefly dips down to his crotch, and the way you can see the outline of his cock straining against his jeans. Emboldened, you lean up and brush your lips by his ear, “If you want me, you can just tell me.”

You keep your lips by his ear. When he reaches up and wraps his other hand around your waist and pulls you closer, you let your mouth drag down his neck, pressing soft, light kisses to his pale skin. You keep going until he whines, and then you suck against his sweet spot and nibble at the skin, teasing him gently until he wraps his fingers beneath your chin and tilts your face up to look at him.

“You’re such a tease, you know that, love?” He speaks, voice dropping an octave. His eyes are on your lips and the deep red lipstick you’ve coated them with, a burning fire dancing in his eyes. “Walking in here with all that lingerie, kissing my neck like that.” His fingers move from your chin and up to cup your cheek. “I want you,” he whispers, mouth brushing yours ever so slightly. The confirmation makes you wrap your arms around his neck, and you place a kiss just beside his mouth, grinning softly.

“Then have me.”

His mouth captures yours in a heated collision of lips and teeth, and you moan into his mouth as his hand slips back into your hair and tugs at your strands. His hot tongue slips into your mouth as you kiss him back passionately, your body burning from all the pent-up frustration you’ve been pushing back for weeks. The hand on your waist slips up to your back, holding you flush against him as his groans, his face flushed and his forehead sweaty, and your core throbs as you hold him close to you.

Tom breaks the kiss after a few mind-numbing minutes, and you know you’ve got lipstick smudged over your face, but you don’t care as he leads you over to the bed. You straddle his waist as he sits up against the headboard, his hungry hands trailing over every part of your exposed skin as your heart rate spikes. His thighs are firm and you can’t help but grind down against one of them as he pulls your mouths together again. The friction you get through your wet panties from his tough black jeans makes you whimper into his mouth, and he pulls back with a lazy smirk on his face, his pupils blown wide with lust.

“You’re so bloody hot,” he murmurs, hand brushing over your arm. “Can’t believe you’re here right now, looking like this. The most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen.” He leaves a few soft kisses to your shoulder, gazing up at you softly, his brown curls strewn messily across his forehead. Your heart skips a beat. 

You run a fond hand through his curls before pulling at the hem of his t-shirt. “I think you’re wearing too many clothes.” Tom laughs but holds up his arms as you pull it up and over his head, and then you roll from his lap as he wiggles out of his tight jeans and throws him aside. He pulls you back to his lap, this time positioning you so your centre rests over his black Calvin Kleins, and you rock down to feel his length pressing up against the fabric. “Shit, Tom,” you curse, the pressure sending rolls of pleasure through your clit. Your forehead falls to his as his hands move your hips, helping you grind against him as both of you feel a little relief. “I want you so bad.”

Tom moves quickly, flipping the position until you’re the one on your back, your head nestled in the soft pillows, and he’s pressed over you, caging you in with a strong arm either side of your head. He catches your lips in another kiss, and when he pulls back, he lets his teeth tug at your lower lip, catching your moan in his open mouth.

“Can I take these off?” He asks, pulling at the waistband of your red panties. You nod quickly and raise your hips as he tugs them down your body, his large hands pressing your thighs up and apart as he settles between your legs, his eyes drifting down your slippy slit. “Fuck, sweetheart. You’re absolutely soaked for me.” He drags a light finger through your folds, applying a very light, very teasing pressure to your clit, and it makes you grind down against him. “So fucking needy,” he coos, finally rubbing your tender bud with a little more pressure. As you gasp and fist your fingers in his hair, he moves his face nearer your core. “Don’t think I’ve ever seen a cunt this wet and hot for me. Mind if I have a taste, darling?”

His filthy words make your body shake, and the moment you’ve nodded your head, your back arches from the mattress as his soft, warm tongue slips out and wraps around your bud. One of his hands anchors your hips to the bed as the other accompanies his mouth on your core, and you moan loudly as he slips two sturdy fingers into your wet, aching entrance. It feels unbelievable to have Tom pressed between your legs, his fingers curling and pounding into your heat in a way that makes you cry out loudly. And his mouth - oh, god, his mouth - is unbelievable. You can tell he’s enjoying it by the way he works his tongue so smoothly, teasing lightly through your wet folds before circling back to your bud, kissing it and lapping over it and sucking it until you’re a sweaty, delirious mess above him.

Your fingers ache from the hold you’ve got on his hair, and you suck in a breath as you feel your edge approaching. “God, Tom, you’re so fucking good at that. I’m gonna cum if you keep it up.”

For a wonderful moment, you think he’s gonna keep going. He’s got his fingers pressed flush against your sweet spot and it feels so amazing that you’re about to melt, but then he smacks his lips and pulls back, leaving you high and dry and panting desperately on the sheets.

“Oh, what was that? You were gonna cum?”

You blink desperately down at him, surprised to see him looking up at you so confidently, with that teasing smirk dancing over his face. “Tom, I swear to god, you’re such a dick-”

“Shh.” He reaches up and drags his messy fingers over your mouth, and you part your lips to let them in. You swirl your tongue over his digits, humming lightly as you suck off your tangy juices, his eyes watching you darkly. It feels so dirty, but it sends a thrill down your spine, and your core continues to throb as you pull at his shoulders and bring him back up to you. “I think it’s only fair that we cum at the same time, princess? Don’t you?” He whispers. 

You release his fingers with a pop, sighing frustratedly as you trail your hands down his toned front. His muscles pull taut and tense, and as you grab a peek at the lines of his abs, you find yourself wondering how you ended up like this with him. He’s so handsome it makes you ache, and it’s as if he can hear your thoughts as he presses a few kisses to your jaw.

“And you call me a tease,” you respond, eyelids fluttering shut as he drags his mouth over your neck. “Stop messing around and fuck me, Tom.”

“Mm, so demanding.”

You grab at his hair and tug his face away from your collarbones and up to your mouth, kissing him hard. “I need you,” you whisper hurriedly against his lips. “I’m going to explode if you don’t fuck me.”

His lips pull into a warm smile. “Well, we can’t be having that, can we?” He replies. “Condom?” You point at the bedside table and he disappears for a few moments, leaving your body cold and empty. Once he’s procured a shiny silver packet, you watch with wide, hungry eyes as he pulls off his boxers, pumps his length a few times, and then rolls this plastic over his tip before you even get a chance to touch him. He notices your pout and bites his lower lip as he moves back over you. “You can touch me next time,” he promises. “Right now, I just want to be with you.”

“Next time?” You mumble, your lips going to his ear as he pushes your thighs apart. You kiss his lobe softly, dragging your teeth over his skin until he whines. 

“If you want there to be a next time, of course,” he adds. You make brief eye contact as your heart pangs in your chest, but then you find yourself distracted as his cock rubs through your aching slit and you curse, gripping his shoulder hard.

“I definitely want there to be a next time,” you promise. His tip prods at your entrance and it takes everything in you to keep back a whine. “Now, please, Tom, let me feel you.”

He presses a small kiss to your lips, and then follows through with your request. Your fingers dig into his arms as his length fills you completely and deeply, your jaw falling slack as you moan loudly.

“You’re so wet for me, love. Feels so good around me-” Tom’s voice breaks into a groan as his hips meet yours, finally in as far as possible. “Fuck, wish I could stay like this forever.”

You scatter a series of hot, breathy kisses to his forehead as you adjust to him, before running a hand over his shoulder and nodding certainly. “You can move now,” you say.

He rocks into you gently, exploring your hot heat with care as his hands move all over you. One moment he’s gripping at the lace on your boobs, the next he’s got his fingers slipping over your hard nipples, and after that he’s pulling on your hair. All whilst his cock pushes into you, gradually growing more fervent, your soaking pussy welcoming him in easily. Your groans mix with his as you cling to him, your entire body shaking from the tension building in your body as he fucks you hard and fast.

“I love your pussy,” he rasps, teeth digging into your skin as his sweaty forehead rests on your shoulder. With every thrust, he adjusts the angle, only settling into a proper pace as he hits your special spot and you moan loudly, raking your fingers down his back. “So fucking perfect, baby.” His mouth drops praises all over you and it just makes you feel even more into it as you push your hips down to meet his thrusts.

“You fuck me so well, Tom,” you groan into his hair. The muscles in his back ripple beneath your touch as he fucks you roughly. “God, you’re gonna make me cum.”

He manages to keep himself supported on one arm as the other slips down, his hand roaming between your bodies to find your pulsing bud. As he rubs over your trembling clit, you feel your orgasm build quickly in the pit of your stomach, everywhere feeling alert and hot and needy as you pull him closer.

“Mmm, you gonna cum for me, Y/N? Let me feel you clenching around me as you scream my name?” His voice is dirty and dark and the way his lips curl around your name makes you clench tightly. “C’mon, let go. I’ve got you.”

And he rolls his hips against you just as his fingers rub your clit, and it’s so deliciously hot that your head rolls back and your orgasm peaks. Your chest heaves, the lace wrapped around your breasts pushing up against Tom’s hot chest as you cum noisily, your body tingling as a pulsing warmth spreads out from your centre. Tom grunts and screws his eyes shut as you clench and squirm beneath him, and a few moments later you feel his rhythm falter as he reaches his peak too. You rock together as your highs mix and build, your hair sticking to your face as your moans turn to whimpers and your grip on his arm relaxes, and when he pulls out, you’re left feeling empty but satisfied. You breathe deeply as Tom collapses beside you on his side, his hand grabbing at yours as his eyes find yours, searching your face carefully.

“Wow,” is all you manage to say. You shiver from the pleasurable aftershocks, your body feeling light and tingly and completely fucked out, and when Tom pulls you nearer, you let him hold you in a hug against his hot chest, feeling happily settled in his embrace. “Anyone ever told you that you’re really good at that?”

Tom laughs gently, his hand pushing your hair from your face which allows him to kiss you again. It’s softer now, not burning quite as fiercely as it had before, but it’s still unbelievably nice to have him this close to you, loving on you so tenderly. “You really are something else, love,” he compliments. His eyes sparkle brightly as he squeezes your hand. “And I wasn’t lying earlier, I really would be down to do this again.”

He looks vulnerable and nervous for a second, but you quickly smooth away his nerves as you kiss him softly, gripping at the back of his neck. Your lips fit perfectly together, and it’s as if everything has finally slotted into place as you admit, “I would be more than happy to do this again, Tom. Maybe you can even take me on a date.”

His entire face seems to light up, and he leaves a quick kiss on your cheek as he grins. “I would love that, darling.”

[------]

A few hours later…

[@yourusername has posted a new photo]

| image |

@yourusername: good things come to those who wait...

Comments:

@tomholland2013: 🔥🔥🔥

@fan1: omg do u guys think they’re dating

@fan2: why has she tagged tom on her chest like that

@fan3: omg i ship it

[------]

any feedback? I would love to hear any thoughts you have on this!

masterlist

taglist ↠ see this post to be added :D

#tom holland #tom holland smut #tom holland oneshot #tom holland x y/n #tom holland x reader #woohoo #lowkey highkey inspired by all the cute hot girls i follow on instagram #ooft #my writing #y/n #y/n use #self insert #self-insert #wahey #costar!reader #famous!reader #smut

[problematicfavesareproblematic]

Band of Brothers Greetings, Part 2

Cute/charming things thay say when they walk into a room and see you/you walk into a room and they see you

Speirs:

Ok, first off- the moment he walks into a room, any room, he scans to see if you’re there, and if you are what you’re doing. 

He’s always done it, but since things between the two of you have gotten a bit steamy you find yourself catching him doing it ALL. THE. DAMN. TIME.

Like Ronald, you’re vv handsome and smoldery but YOU AREN’T SUBTLE IN THE SLIGHTEST.

Boi’s head is literally on a swivel until he finds you, straight up ignoring the person trying to talk to him until he sees that you’re there before impatiently returning his attention to whatever NIxon is saying (you know, BC OH YEAH not only are we at work but our work is war whoopsies could you repeat that, Nix i was lost in my handsome deathwish prince’s eyes?)

He’s always careful to read your body language to see how you're feeling, and based on that and the context of where y’all are he decides how (and if) to approach you.

His own feelings overwhelm him so it’s easier for him to focus on how you’re feeling

(Weirdly enough, you can read his feelings better than he can read his feelings sometimes.)

You weirdos end up staring at each other for way too long, entire conversations flowing between you two with little more than a lift of an eyebrow and a tilt of the head.

Bill and Babe had a game where they would see who between them could hold their breath through more of yours and Speirs’s weird hive mind-meld, the loser getting two freebies from the other’s rations.

Soon, more people joined in, and one day Speirs walked in while Peacock and LIpton were discussing the formation they wanted the camp set up in and half of the guys simultaneously took a deep breath through their noses to get a lungful of air 

When Lipton looked back out to the group of listening soldiers, he was disturbed to see several of his friends red or blue faced and looking between you and Speirs and each other like a tennis match

One look from Speirs put a stop to that game for a good month.

It only started up again because they saw Ron storm into the med bay and kiss you full on the mouth when you were alone after a soldier had punched you in that nose during Market Garden and left you horrifically blood-soaked and he’d thought you’d been shot.

Then the game turned into who could catch Ron showing human emotions towards you, with more points being given to the more softboy the action.

In an effort to keep THE BOYS™ focused during meetings, you and Ron eventually decided it’d be best to just stand by each other whenever you were in a room together, bc while you both are soft for each other you still get that you can’t be too distracted.

Well, you decided that.

If anything, Ron now has a new favorite game- seeing how long you could stay focused with his fingers running up and down your thigh while sitting together.

He may have slipped his hand beneath your waistband a few times and gotten you off during one of Nix’s intelligence briefings, whispering that you were being so good for him the entire time

and you may have retaliated once by getting him so worked up that he almost came in his pants like a teenager while surrounded by his sleeping men before giving him an overly sweet look before slipping away.

He makes you pay for it later, don’t worry :)

Martin:

MY ANGER BB

SO GLARE-Y, SO FROWN

That is...until he sees you

Then the furrow in his brow softens, and a knowing smile breaks across his face and he either comes to be by you or (a la Bull Randleman) he will raise him arm to show you that there is a you-sized space that needs filling (hurry plz it makes him feel better to touch you.)

He’s not going to show PDA when y’all’re busy- bc he’s good and what he does and you’re good at what you do but that doesn’t mean you can just not pay attention if important info is benign shared. 

If he thinks you aren’t paying enough attention he’ll let you know right away.

Or just glare at the thing distracting you until it eventually relents or someone hits his arm and tells him to stop glaring at the pretty flowers y’n’s looking at they’ll burst into flame and then she’ll be sad

BUt homeboy is not afraid to have you lean against him, or sit in his lap as you both get ready to do whatever it is you have to do.

If the lot of you are just hanging out- he’s much more relaxed, giving you a quick kiss on the cheek or temple before returning his attention to whatever he had been doing- arms wrapping around you as he catches you up on whatever you’d missed

BC HE WOULD WANT YOU TO BE INCLUDED IN EVERYTHING HE DOES (as long as it’s not too dangerous, obvi)

“But John, you’re going on the patrol—!” “Yeah, cause if you’re not going SOMEONE has to make sure these boys don’t get themselves killed. Think it’d be rude to leave them to fend for themselves...”

“But i could go-” “NO you can’t, shut up. Now listen to my plan and tell me what you think…”

He knows how good you are at your job, and it makes him want to be better at his job so he can make sure to be there for you.

I also feel like THE BOYS™ would sometimes be surprised to see Johnny “It may be a bitchface but I’m not resting” Martin being a lil soft with you, and would sometimes stare in shock at the sight of the two of you looking at each other with such open adoration and softness that they’d get a lil mesmerized.

Until either you or Johnny noticed

Then, get ready for the SNARKIEST “Can I FUCKING help you?” glare combo to ever exist ever.

This made me smile, idk

Luz:

GEOOOOOOOOOORGE Luz

My guy (much like Babe) is SO INTO YOU it can sometimes get the both of you in trouble (How either of you managed to keep from getting kicked out is a miracle). 

Luz is also a dramatic little goober, so you know he’ll do something over the top to try and make you laugh (bc, unlike him, you can actually keep it together for more than five seconds whenever you see him)

I’m talking shooting to his feet and standing on his chair and pointing in your direction the moment he sees you (especially if it’s for the first time that day/in a while), putting on a deep voice and an overly serious expression.

“Good God boys, I think we’re in the presence of a GOD. DAMN. KNOCKOUT.”

“WOOH, look at that! Somebody get Roe, cause I’m pretty sure my is about to JUMP outta my CHEST!”

(“You sure you ain’t just hopped up on caffeine and no sleep—?” “Shut UP Perconte, can’t you see I’m trying to flirt with your mother?”)

When you smile sleepily and tell him he can’t talk to your son that way he’ll perk up like a goddamn puppy dog, hop down from his chair and grab the mug of burnt coffee he’d poured for you when he’d heard you greeting Nixon that morning.

He presses the cup into your hand and his smile would soften into the one he saved for you (the one he’d given you after the two of you had snuck out past curfew at Toccoa to put a can of peaches by the door of Sobel’s bunkhouse and nearly gotten caught because you couldn’t stop giggling)

Luz is so obviously a goof but he also would be so endearingly obvious in his adoration of you.

No one would dare tease him about it. George brought so much light and (much needed) distraction from the darkness around them that THE BOYS™ would literally go to the ends of the earth to ensure that the two of you had time together. 

Don’t think about how, after being assigned a (gasp) room with a queen bed and a door(!) he would give you that smile again BUT this time there’d be a lil hint of Trouble in those bright eyes. Don’t think about him swallowing your sighs as the two of you keep each other warm between the sheets. 

But if you do think about it, know that he’s going to whisper the sweetest, kindest things to you the whole time, and yall are gonna fall asleep like teens in a CW show (~in each others armzZz~)

Guarnere:

KING of the dirty wink

Oh my god.

Put that thing away before you get silly and hurt someone

You’ve heard of undressing someone with your eyes (see Liebgott and Nixon (and Ron if he’s feeling naughty shhh)), and you’ve heard of talking someone right out of their pants.

You had never known it was possible to WINK someone into a PUDDLE of feels.

Bill had a whole language of winks and head tilts, but you could be DAMN sure that he knows EXACTLY what he can do to you.

(Because you’re in a position where you’re under a bit more scrutiny than the other men, he also knows that you can’t necessarily reciprocate your feelings as openly as he can.)

DOn’t worry, he’s more than happy to flirt publicly for the both of you

“There she is, fuckin goddess of war herself. Come to see how the toughest, most handsome sonofabitch in the 506 is doin’ this morning?”

“Yeah, Bill. Something like that.”

It’s really cute. 

When you guys are alone, you try to make up for the fact that you can’t openly admire him the same way that he admires you. But Bill won’t hear it- tells you that he’d still think the world of you, even if you called him “the most unhelpful, condescending little shit” you’d ever had the displeasure of meeting

(which you did, after two weeks of constantly being paired up for training in Georgia)

(He’d asked you to marry him the next day, and you’d laughed so loudly and unexpectedly that it startled the both of you. The only thing to shut you up was a bark from Lipton to focus on the combat training, and even then you hadn’t been able to stop your shoulders from shaking)

For all his insistence that you didn’t have to worry about him thinking you don’t share his feelings, he isn’t opposed whenever the mood to show him how much you care for him strikes you.

Take a lil initiative when the two of you are alone and he’s putty in your hands.

BC while he finds your restraint admirable, he’d be a fucking liar to say you dropping the stoicism to get a lil dirty makes him weak.

Everyone else is used to Bill being an open flirt, and they are pretty sure if you had a problem with it you’d make him stop, but that doesn’t stop them from being surprised when Bill had dipped you into an over-the-top romantic kiss when it was announced the war was over (BC LET’S PRETEND HE WAS ALL GOOD AND HEALED UP AND WAS WITH BUCK AT THE BASEBALL GAME OKAY?!).

Speirs had simply held his hand out, palm up while all the guys who’d bet against him paid up

He’d shipped it from day one, but you’ll never be able to prove it!

(YIKES A DOODLE HERE’S PART TWO! Thank you to everyone who responded and liked the first half (major shout out to @mrsalwayswrite for writing my new favorite Liebgott story!) Again, love yall, and may your personal letters never be considered contraband)

#band of brothers imagine #band of brothers x reader #ron speirs x reader #ronald speirs x reader #john martin x reader #johnny martin x reader #george luz x reader #luz x reader #bill guarnere x reader #guarnere x reader #it's vv bad but I'll just add it to the pile of already burning garbage pile that is my bibliography

[dragonologist-in-the-making]

And Now I’m Your Favourite Person

Pairing: Remus x reader

Request: Hi babe Remus x reader where they are both best friends since Hogwarts (with a crush) and now they are both teachers in the castle all the students, even harry insists that they should dating, that they have a good couple and that they are the best teachers Remus in the end if he invites her out. Happy and fluff end🥺 pleaseeeeeeeee

A/N: Thank you for the request, nonnie!!! It came at just the right time, I was needing some good Remus love and I literally wrote this so quickly, I couldn’t stop. I hope you like it, I really loved writing it!! Ultimate Fluff Ahead, I warn you.

Wordcount: 2.3K

The papers were collected, everyone was standing up from their desks and before she knew it she was outside of the hall flying into Remus’ open arms.

“I think I did it!” She exclaimed, the post-exam relief washing over her and bringing a bright smile to both of their faces. “Did you get question four?” she asked, pulling back but their arms still attached to the other.

“Yes! Did you get question seven?” he asked, just as excited as her. She nodded energetically, removing her grip from Remus as their three friends wandered over, a blush rising on both of their cheeks as they looked away from each other.

“We’ve officially finished our N.E.W.T.S!” James laughed, swinging an arm over each of their shoulders as the whole group laughed, free of the stress which had been weighing them down for months. “We are going to party so hard tonight.” Sirius chimed in. “One last night before we all go our separate ways.”

“Hardly,” y/n laughed. “You’re moving in with James, Lils and I are moving in together. We’ll see each other all the time, this isn’t an end.”

“It’s a beginning.” Remus finished, smiling around James at her, his eyes sparkling. “Oh god, it’s happening again. I gotta move.” James said, pulling his arms back and moving beside Sirius, who was laughing as the two teens were once again blushing furiously.

“Come on, Hogsmead trip before the party?” Sirius asked. James and Peter nodded, following him out of the entrance hall into the grounds, Remus turning to y/n and offering her his hand, silently asking if she wanted to join.

She took his hand in her own, relishing in the warmth as she interlaced their fingers, pulling him into a run beside her as they caught up with their friends in the sunshine, looking forward to their lives as graduates.

…

“Hello Harry.” Y/n smiled down at the baby she was cradling in her arms, feeling like her heart was melting as his tiny fingers grabbed onto her single index finger, bright green eyes, the copy of Lily’s looking back at her. “I never get bored of looking after you, your mummy and daddy might just find you missing one day.” He gurgled back at her and her smile stretched even wider, not even listening to the soft footsteps padding into the room.

“Are you planning to steal our baby?” Lily asked, and y/n pulled harry closer to her chest defensively.

“I don’t think it’s stealing if he comes happily.” She responded, finally looking away from the baby she was carrying to where her friend was stood, and spotted two men walking into the room. “Besides, Remus would help me hide him, wouldn’t you?”

“In a heartbeat.” He responded, coming to stand next to her and admire Harry too. “I can’t believe how he’s a carbon copy of you, James.” James and Lily had soon left for their date night, leaving y/n and Remus in charge of the infant.

“They really are precious, aren’t they?” She asked in a quiet voice, watching him sleep in Remus’ arms as she sat next to him on the sofa, their legs touching. “Do you want one?”

“I suppose, having a baby of my own would be nice.” He answered, their voices hushed, trying not to wake Harry. “Do you?”

“One day, yeah.” She nodded, feeling his gaze turn on her. “With the right person, nothing would make me happier.”

…

She apparated outside the door to his flat, barely able to keep herself up as she pounded on the door, waiting for an answer. She didn’t have to wait long, however, the door swung open to reveal Remus, his eyes as red and swollen as hers was, wearing an old, oversized sweater of his.

“It can’t be true, Rem.” She sobbed, falling into his arms as he closed the door behind her, his own shoulders shaking as he held her close. “No, they’re not gone, Lily and James can’t be gone.” The tears were sliding down her face as she sobbed loudly, crying so hard she couldn’t breathe.

They both slid to the floor, grieving together, clinging to each other in an effort to not feel like they had been left alone in the world, to remind themselves that no matter what, they had each other. They sat there for hours, until there was nothing left in them to grieve, until they had exhausted themselves so much that they passed out where they were, on the floor, still holding onto each other.

Y/n woke up to light streaming in through the windows, the sky unnaturally sunny for the pain that they were experiencing. She pushed herself up and off the floor, ignoring the aches all over her body, making her way over to the kettle, setting two mugs on the side Remus stirred on the floor. With a groan and a stretch, he came to join her, sitting opposite each other, both holding their mugs and trying to absorb the warmth.

“What do we do now?” she was the first to break the silence, her voice quiet but may as well have been a shout by the way it rang through the air. He reached out for her hand, resting his on top of hers, and even now, even when their world was ending, she couldn’t help the butterflies that erupted in her stomach at his touch.

“Now, we stay together. We move on. We live, but we never forget.”

“Just me and you, Rem.”

“Me and you.”

…

She sat in the courtyard, their favourite hang out from their days in Hogwarts, anxiously waiting for the blonde haired boy. When he appeared, aged since the time they spent here, having been through things neither of them would have imagined, she jumped to her feet, meeting him in the middle. “So?” she asked, barely able to get the words out in case she was given a response she didn’t want.

“I guess we’re both coming back to Hogwarts.” She squealed at his words, throwing her arms around his neck and squeezing him tightly as he lifted her up and spun her in a circle.

“I’m so proud of you, Rem.” She whispered once he had set her down, looking up at him, admiring his face, all the old scars and the new. She hadn’t realised how close they had gotten until an owl screeched overhead, disturbing the peace and causing the pair to jump apart from each other. “Well, Professor Lupin, let’s go and start preparing to go back to school.”

…

The school year had started, and they both knew this was where they were meant to be. Finally in a stable job, able to help young people through their troubles, and they both adored spending time with Harry and getting to know the person he was growing up to be. And as always, being in each other’s company was all they wanted, and were glad to have ample opportunity for.

Y/n was sat at her desk, marking some papers in her free time, trying not to let the work pile up and overwhelm her, when there was a soft knock at the door. She looked up to see the boy she had held as a baby, and smiled, ushering him in and offering him a seat next to her that she conjured up with a wave of her wand. “Do you want a tea? Have some chocolate, I’m sure Remus left some here on his last visit.” She mumbled, pulling open drawers and searching for the sweet treat her best friend loved so much. She finally found it, a bar of Honeydukes’ finest, and offered it to Harry, who took it gratefully.

“So how long have you and Professor Lupin been dating?” he asked, causing y/n to choke on the sip of tea she had taken and cough loudly in shock. “We aren’t, just long friends is all.” She managed to reply eventually.

“That’s not what the school thinks.” He laughed, “Everyone thinks you’re together, it’s near enough impossible to find you without the other. How long have you known each other then?”

“Since our first day here.” She smiled at the memory of the shy, guarded boy who smiled kindly at her when she joined his carriage in the train. “We’ve always done everything together. We would study together, plan the greatest pranks together, we set your parents up with each other – you’re welcome, and then we babysat you together, too. We even moved in together for a while, when your – when, when we were the only ones we had left.” She finished, her voice a lot smaller than when she had started. “And now we’re teaching together.” She brightened her voice, trying not to let Harry dwell on his parents any more than she knew he already must.

“And you’re telling me you went through all that together, and you still don’t love each other?” he asked, a disbelieving look on his face. Y/n shrivelled slightly in her seat. If even Harry, quite possibly the most oblivious boy she had met after his father, could see straight through her, then Remus surely did too and would have known how she felt all this time? She knew his silence throughout the years was an answer of sorts, and she had learned to be okay with that, in her own way.

“Of course I love him.” She sighed, throwing a smile his way, knowing the only way she could get through this was with a half lie. “But who said that had to be a romantic thing?” Harry nodded, finally letting the topic drop although she had a feeling that he wasn’t convinced in her words. He stayed in her office, talking about various things (Hagrid’s creatures, Snape’s detentions, upcoming Quidditch games) for a few more hours, until she shooed him back to his common room before he was caught out after curfew. A few minutes after he had gone, and she had managed to turn back to her papers, there was another knock at her door. Would she ever get these done?

She looked up, and all the irritability in her flooded out at the sight of who was there. She beamed at Remus as he walked further into the room, closing the door behind him and leaning against her desk. “Harry told me you were here.” He smiled at her, and she felt her heart race. Being back in their old school had done nothing but amplify all her old feelings for the boy, and she felt like a seventeen year old again whenever he was around. It was no wonder the school had these rumours flying around.

“Been looking, have you?” she handed him what was left of the chocolate she had shared with Harry, laughing at the way his eyes lit up in delight at the simple treat.

“What, is it a crime to look for my favourite person?”

“And now I’m your favourite person.” She smiled, a hint of sadness creeping up on her at the thought of her conversation with Harry earlier. How all he meant was best friend, and it would never be anything more.

“No, you’ve always been my favourite person.” His green eyes were soft, looking down at her with a rare emotion, one she didn’t catch often and could never quite figure out what it was when she did.

“Remus, I-”

“No, y/n, I want to say something, and I don’t want to be scared into not saying it again by my own brain. I know the rumours that are going around, about us. It’s funny, really. A whole new student body and yet the rumour about us has managed to stay in these walls. And I, Merlin this is difficult, I never wanted it to just be a rumour, and I don’t now. I didn’t want you to be in love with a monster, but you’d been by my side so long and you’d convinced me that maybe I wasn’t a monster, and I was going to tell you, I was ready. James was helping me, and then… After that nothing just felt like the right time, I couldn’t risk losing you in any way, not after everyone else was gone. But Harry, encouraging me, us, it felt like a sign of some sorts. It felt like James was back by my side, bored of listening to me go on and on about you, desperate for me to ask you out. This feels right now, finally, I feel ready to tell you that I love you, y/n, and I’ve been in love with you for over a decade.”

He stood there, his chest rising up and down rapidly with his breathing, his face wearing a wild expression as she tried to process his words. Before she had fully grasped them, before she had really taken them in, before she could appreciate the beauty of those three words, she had walked over to him and pulled him down by the front of his robes to meet his lips, so much softer than she had dreamed.

She pulled away, not wanting to open her eyes in case this had all been a dream, but the soft touches of his lips to her cheek, her nose, her forehead told her that it was all real, that he was finally hers. Her eyes fluttered open, meeting his green orbs, sparkling brighter than she had ever seen them. “I love you, Remus. I always have, and I always will.”

#harry potter #harry potter fic #remus lupin #remus lupin x reader #remus x reader #lupin x reader #remus lupin fluff #remus fluff #lupin fluff #remus x reader fluff #remus lupin x reader fluff #moony #moony x reader #marauders #marauders era

[pasttorn]

      -- SHORP. mega quick update on what’s up with me & a mini announcement that i’d LOVE if y’all could spare a couple minutes to look through ( & maybe consider joining or sharing with a friend y’all feel would be interested ! ). 

        -- EVEN if y’all don’t care about me as a mun / blog, at least skim the announcement section bc it’s important to me & where i am rn ! 

     UPDATE ! !

       -- SINCE december, i’ve started college ! ! the saving up year of college at least, bc the college i’m in has this thing where if we don’t have enough money to pay for the tuition fee ( which rly is just, money for us to spend throughout our first year & our trips & other expenses like food or gasoline ) we can join the saving up year & they’ll give us a job to earn the money. & while i was a bit more free before, they finally found a job for me at the canteen, which means i’m off cooking with the head chef for literally the entire day for the whole campus-- which is largely the reason i haven’t written much or said anything here ! !

      -- I’M trying as hard as i can to manage my time better in order to not be so tired / drained at the end of the day, in order to try to write something here or spend time with closer rp friends, but between moving to a new place ( since i’m living in the campus now, which is in a whole different country to where i was ! ) & getting used to the job & getting to know my teammates / classmates that i’m gonna be working with the next four+ years, it’ll take me a lil’ bit longer to try to get this blog up & running again. 

       -- FOR those wondering, i’m NOT dropping this blog & i’m not dropping any of the threads / asks i have saved up unless my rp partners don’t wanna keep writing them anymore, because this blog is too important for me to just give it up, but i am gonna be quiet / on a mini hiatus a lil’ bit longer. if any ship partners ( be it platonic or romantic ) that have a close relation w/ my muse want to break things up & move on, then even though it’d sadden me to see it end, i’d understand, because i cannot guarantee i’ll be the most active in plotting or thinking about our muses relationships & it might take some more time before i can go back to ‘ normal ‘ here-- but if y’all are willing to wait a bit longer, then i’d love it if we could continue it. if you don’t, then please tell me so we can make changes at some point because the last thing i want is for y’all to feel i’m neglecting you or your muse, which is not my intention & i apologise if i ever made y’all feel that way.

     ANNOUNCEMENT ! !

       -- TIME to promote the college i’m currently studying at ! ! or am gonna be studying at in september, at least ishuegrdfmkcvx. the college is DNS Necessary Teacher’s Training Programme, & it’s a college dedicated to training teachers ! ! honestly i’ve only been in the campus for a month now, & from the chats i’ve had with people from other years & from graduates & from my teammates in general, i can already tell it’s gonna be a worth it sort of experience. in their own words, we’re all not looking to be the ‘ traditional ‘ type of teachers, & are learning by experiencing & travelling-- the first year we travel to africa, & in the second year we ( your school year team ) picks a country in europe to live in & work in ! ! 

       -- IF you don’t have enough money, that’s alright ! you can join the saving up year, & earn the money here yourself ( & in the chance you don’t make enough, the team is here to pay the difference if we can ). if you’re worried you’re too young or too old for the programme, let me just tell you that in the 2021 school team ( the year i’m in ) the ages range from 18 to 27. if you’re worried about previous experiences, just know that this my first time in a college or even getting a job, & we’re all ! ! willing to help with anything as a team. all you really need is the drive to be committed to the programme & to the team-- because you are going to be busy almost all day, & it might get tough to deal with sometimes, & you need to know what you’re comfortable with or are not comfortable with doing.

       -- I was very nervous before coming bc rly, i’m an introverted fool that still doesn’t know what i want out of life even though i’m 21 & should know at this point, & even had a breakdown the first night i got here bc i was in a new place on my own & didn’t know what the fuck i was getting into & was so afraid of disappointing everyone, but god everyone here is super welcoming & understanding about everything. since the month i’ve been here, i’ve made friends that also very much love anime, have found out that sexuality ( or the lack thereof ) is openly discussed & accepted, there’s a D&D group & there’s just, a bunch of creativity everywhere. & yeah, it can be overwhelming sometimes, but there’s always someone in the team who would be willing to spend time with you & to help you out with whatever you may need, because in the end we’re all dealing with the same things. i’ve even gotten along with people from other school years ( that started their studies in 2020 or 2018 ), & honestly you can’t even tell they’re in a different year at times bc everyone is always so kind & open about everything.

     -- I’M not gonna lie, i’ve only been here a month for the saving up, & so far all of this feels like a real life acnh adventure, where everyone in the team is the mayor. wild comparison but everyone is so welcoming & we all live in the campus & see each other every day, that it really feels like interacting with other villagers & the money we make goes to maintaining the college / the community / our team, so it very much feels like i’m the mayor / mc in anch trying to decorate the island / make it better idK

          LINKS to check out ! ! 

Quick 3 min video ! ! ! pls watch ! ! !

WEBSITE

FACEBOOK PAGE

INSTAGRAM

NEWSLETTER

       -- IF you have any questions about the programme or what it’s like to study here, pls don’t be afraid to hit me up in DM’s either on here or on disc//ord ( SHORP#8549 ) ! ! i’d be more than happy to answer any questions or share images / videos bc god, it’d be so cool if one of y’all or someone y’all know would be interested in the programme ! 

#『 ☆ OOC → ‘ SHORP BACK AT IT AGAIN ‘ 』 #psa tag #LONG POST // #our goal is to have at least 19-20-ish students in our school year & we currently have 11+. so we're trying our best to promote the college #bsuiegrndfkmvc feel free to ignore if y'all want to #but i'd love if you could at least skim the announcement part ! ! ! #bUT YEAH I'M ! ! ! TRYNG MY BEST TO COME BACK HER EBUT IT'S BEEN WILD & CHAOTIC IN TRYING TO ORGANISE MY TIME BC everytime im done cooking #i'm just so friggin' tired to think about typing & kinda just end up watching vids before just crashing iHGUSDJNFKZCXM but i'm starting to #get used to it kinda so maybe i'll try writing something soon if i get a free day or something ! ! ! ! ! #bc you do get a free day every week where you can just. spend time to be yourself & to give yourself time to recover / relax #& i'm making it sound very hard but rly it's just ? ? me challenging myself bc personally i don't like the thought of lacking ?? or doing a #half assed job in the kitchen bc i'm helping cook lunch & dinner & it'll affect everyone in the campus & i wanna do my best to make #lunch & dinner a good experience for everyone & just hnNNGGGG it's tough but also fun to try to challenge myself like this idk #it's a nice experience isugrjdfkmvc #but yeah i'm mostly chatting in discord ( & even that is rare ) nowadays until i can try to organise myself a lil' better

[writethehousedown]

Things Are Really Cool (In Nazareth) (Ninex)- Ortega

a/n: wow hi, welcome to whatever the hell this is? this is a sort of a kind of a n19f verse/masp verse crossover set some years after the originals take place (but you don’t need to have read either to read this), borne out of the semi-autobiographical experience of my last few weeks at work trying to teach five year olds mid-pandemic. basically Nina’s a stressed primary teacher and Monet is her primary teacher girlfriend. this is fulfilling the prompt “Nice” only ten days late and also probably has one million and one typos in my haste to get it out in time for at least Christmas xo regardless, i hope u all enjoy and in the words of boyband JLS, “mewwy cwistmas”.

disclaimer: there are a couple of lines i’ve yoinked out of tv shows here- “lesbian having a panic attack” is adapted from Kimmy Schmidt and the “what are you, forty?” ones are from Always Sunny. leave me alone i’m too tired to be funny at this time of year xo

fic summary: When Nina’s headteacher asks her to pull a Nativity play out of thin air with only a week to organise it, Nina is simply too nice to say no. As a consequence, she is blindly oblivious to what her girlfriend Monet is planning, with useless lesbian results.

Nina knew she was a people pleaser. Always had been, always would be. She was simply too nice to say no to anyone. She had never been one to say no to anything.

She’d never taken the last remaining teabag for herself way back at uni; she’d always elected to leave it for Brooke or Yvie, knowing that Brooke would be grumpy all day if she didn’t have her morning cup of tea and not wanting to deal with the caffeine crash Yvie would experience if she made coffee as a substitute.

It had even started way further back in her life than her twenties. The most rebellious thing she’d ever done in high school was to pull out one of the cables of her German teacher’s computer at the back so she’d spend the whole lesson fixing it instead of teaching their class. In Primary, she was the stereotypical, insufferable goody-two-shoes: didn’t ever lose a minute of Golden Time, finished both her set tasks and the extension work that accompanied them perfectly, and was the worst kind of tell-tale.

(At the time, she thought her teachers loved that- the fact that she acted as their five-year-old corporate spy, ready to report any wrongdoings to headquarters. Contrarily, now that she was a teacher to five year olds, Nina thought that if she heard one more story about who skipped who in the line she would climb very slowly and very carefully into the staffroom microwave and blow herself into fifty million partially-heated bits.)

So when her headteacher ducked her head into her classroom on a cold, wet, rainy Wednesday after all the kids had been dispatched home, Nina panicked. Her eyes darted up to the displays on her walls. Fuck, there were still Halloween pumpkins blu-tacked up there. There was, so far, nothing on her December learning journey wall. And there were still Very Hungry Caterpillars made from bottle tops pushed into dollops of paint stuck to bright green backing paper which had been there since the kids’ first week at school back in August.

Well. Red and green were Christmassy colours. Right?

But Mrs Del Rio didn’t seem all that interested in the state of her wall displays. She’d come to ask Nina if she could film a Nativity play with her class.

“It’s for the parents really,” Bianca had rolled her eyes, folding her arms in her usual no-nonsense way. “Just something they can watch and share with the families since we can’t do a real Nativity. It doesn’t need to be anything big- just a few songs…one, two…say four. And then just have the kids in their costumes with a couple of lines. With a backdrop, y’know, there doesn’t need to be props. Just the baby Jesus…the gifts for the three Kings….maybe a couple of no vacancy signs for the innkeepers…that sort of thing. Just for before we finish up term. Maybe if it could be done by next Friday. That okay?”

And Nina, because she was a people pleaser, had nodded and said yes! and of course! and Bianca had nodded curtly at her in the frostiest thank-you the world had ever seen before leaving.

It had only taken the time in which Bianca’s heels had slowly disappeared from hearing distance for the reality of the situation to sink in for Nina. She’d just agreed to do a whole Nativity play, with songs, and costumes, and props, in the space of eight days.

She was going to be sick like little Jack had done that day he’d come into class and projectile-vomited halfway onto the carpet and halfway into Nina’s outstretched hands.

Nina was so consumed by the all-encompassing panic that she didn’t even flinch when there was a loud, jaunty knock at her classroom door.

“High Court Enforcement,” came a loud, brash voice, Nina finally turning to see who was there with glazed eyes. Willam leant against the doorframe, her messy blonde waves falling over the shoulders of her dark blue jumper like curly vines. She was the only teacher who could match the sass levels of the Year 6s and was a colleague that Nina both loved and feared. Loved because she was straight-talking and blunt and altogether hilarious, but feared because her girlfriend was the deputy head of the school and anything Nina said to her would definitely be reported back as gossip.

Also because she was, for all intents and purposes, a pint-pot riot.

“Nina. Nina. Nina,” Willam said repeatedly, her voice monotone and her persistence irritating. Nina mumbled something out.

“What?”

Nina raked her hands through her shock of frizzy blonde curls and sighed, her stress levels already rising. “I said I’m a lesbian having a panic attack.”

“Oh, that’s a mood. I was sent round to do the collection for the support staff but I’ve already spent forty minutes chatting to Alyssa instead of doing what I was asked. Got a grand total of a fiver so far,” Willam shrugged blithely, coming into Nina’s classroom and perching on one of the tiny munchkin-sized tables. “What’s up?”

The pressure-cooker that her mind was rapidly becoming told Nina to throw caution to the wind and vent, so she told Willam everything in a series of babbles barely comprehensible in the English language.

“So you’ve just agreed to doing a full Nativity video in the space of a week?” Willam cocked her head, pulling a confused face. “Why didn’t you just tell Bianca to fuck off?”

Nina paused, feeling all her panic momentarily leave her body as she fixed Willam with a glare. “Are you expecting me to answer that?”

“No, no. Shit, wouldn’t it have been amazing if you had, though? What d’you think would’ve happened? Maybe she’d’ve shouted so loud at you her lungs would’ve just exploded.”

Nina couldn’t help but blurt out a small laugh. “That’s way too dramatic. She wouldn’t even fire me on the spot because that would mean management having to go in and cover my class tomorrow while they tried to find my replacement.”

Nina regretted the small barb at their management team as soon as it was out, but Willam seemed nonplussed.

“Yeah. Court’s way too impatient to deal with your lil’ rugrats.”

“I’m too impatient to deal with them. I’m too impatient to deal with them on a day to day basis. How I’m going to teach them four Christmas songs in the space of a week, fuck knows.”

Willam cocked her head again, her smile becoming patient. “Well if anyone can do it, it’s you.”

Willam’s words were a small source of comfort to Nina. Suddenly everything seemed doable. She matched her colleague’s smile, glad she’d arrived in that moment. “Thanks, Willam.”

As soon as her words were out, she saw the small, playful twinkle in Willam’s eye. “Because nobody else would’ve been mad enough to agree to the damn thing.”

***

Getting her class sorted and organised for the day couldn’t really be likened to herding cats. No, this process was far more chaotic than that. At half past nine each day what could only be described as a minor tsunami of children hit Nina’s classroom: throwing their jackets into the designated tubs with wild abandon and subsequently knocking anything and everything off her adjacent desk, unloading every possible snack in their lunchboxes into their trays and Nina’s pleas for them to only take one snack out falling on deaf ears, spilling their water bottles and getting the zips on their jackets stuck and wanting to tell Nina a billion and one things that seemed to have happened in the 18 hours they had spent outwith her care.

During the month of December this chaos only intensified. Hats, scarves and gloves littered the classroom floor as they fell off the kids like baubles off a dead Christmas tree, shrieks filled the air as they discovered a new chocolate in the advent calendar, and at least half the class surrounded Nina like festive zombies as they all battled to win the competition of “Who can tell Miss West about what their elf on the shelf had got up to overnight the loudest”.  

Nina hammered the little bell she kept on her desk with the palm of her hand, stress levels already rising. “Okay, Reception! Jackets in tubs, snacks in trays and bums on carpet!”

As her class giggled about their teacher’s use of the word “bum”, Nina sat down in her wheely chair and waited for them all to join her on the little strip of carpet in front of her smartboard. It was moments like these where she’d be hit with a sort of out of body experience; she was someone’s teacher, she was this class’ first teacher. She was sitting in front of her class waiting to take the register and start their day. It was slightly overwhelming, even though she’d been doing the job for a number of years now.

Eventually her kids were all organised and she’d taken the register and made sure they all had a lunch to eat that day. Nina made sure to put on her best excited face as she prepared to tell them about the Nativity.

“Right, Reception!” she said, injecting lots of mystery into her voice like a storyteller. “I have got some very exciting news for you all today!”

Their little faces all grew equally excited as they were expectant, and Nina’s heart almost popped. Just then, Harry, a boy with enough gel in his hair to single-handedly keep Brylcreem in business for a year and huge bottle-top glasses’ hand went up.

“Yes, Harry?”

The boy bounced on the carpet, incredibly eager. “Can I tell you what my elf did last night?”

Ten more hands immediately shot up, and Nina’s heart sank. Great.

But she was still teaching four and five year olds and this was truly the most important thing in their little lives, so she fixed a bright smile on her face and tilted her head inquisitively. “What did your elf do?”

Harry was now sitting on his knees, towering over the other children and threatening to knock himself over with every passing second as he swayed in the nonexistent breeze. “He did a poop in my Dad’s shoes!”

The rest of the class shrieked with laughter in response. Internally, Nina was rapidly reaching her wit’s end. Love it. A bit of toilet humour to start off the Nativity rehearsals. Great. Exactly what’s needed. “Oh my goodness! What a cheeky elf!”

“He did three poops! And you know what else? They were cola jellybeans! I ate them!”

Sophie, a girl with long ginger hair in a low ponytail and a gap in her smile where two baby teeth once lived, gasped in horror. “You ate the elf’s poop?!”

The rest of the class fell about laughing. Nina had to get control back of the situation.

“Well thank you very much for sharing, Harry! Okay everyone, let’s pop our hands down.”

There were still ten hands waving proudly in the air like rebellious flags.

“We can do more elf stories at the end of the day if there’s time!” Nina lied. There would not be time. There was never time. But it placated most of her class enough for them to follow the instruction. There was, however, one remaining hand up which belonged to Jason, a boy with hair so platinum blonde it seemed otherworldly.

“It’s not an elf story! I’ve got a question,” he insisted, shouting out despite the fact his hand was already up. Nina relented, just in case he did have something important to ask. Maybe he was about to pee himself. Highly likely with the Reception kids.

Jason, pleased as punch that Nina was allowing him to speak, put his hand down. “Can I tell you a rhyming word I’ve just thought of?”

Nina’s smile grew all the more gritted, and the muscles in her face all the more tense. This was going to be the longest week she had experienced in living memory.

***

Nina would never get tired of living with Monet. The sound of her singing as the shower provided a backing track, the unholy racket she seemed to make when she cooked (a symphony of swearing, the banging of kitchen utensils, and the clattering of saucepans and baking trays). The smell of the Dior Sauvage she used instead of perfume and the Cantu hair custard she combed through her hair after she washed it. The fact that Nina could get a cuddle from her any time she wanted and the soft squash of her arms around her.

But living with Monet was best at Christmastime. The endless arguments they got into about their Christmas decorations and what looked best where, both stemming from a fierce loyalty to their own family traditions. The way they’d write their Christmas cards to their friends with a Christmas film playing in the background, and the way Monet would tease her about having such picture-perfect, font-like, primary-teacher handwriting. The way Monet would get too excited in the supermarket and load party food into Nina’s shopping basket like a child trying to sneak chocolate.

Even though Nina was completely exhausted, she still felt herself smile as she turned her key in the lock and heard her girlfriend loudly singing along with Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree, paired with the blast of the extractor fan.

“Hello?” Nina sing-songed as she closed the door shut, shedding her heavy jacket and her scuffed trainers and her backpack full of jotters that had been haphazardly stuffed in as she left work.

“Hello!” Monet chirped back, in what had become their tradition since moving in together all those years ago. “Your timing’s perfect, I just finished dinner.”

“Ooh. What is for dinner?”

Monet gestured to the pile of grated cheese, pan of bubbling baked beans, and loaf of white bread. “Beans on toast.”

Nina snorted and leaned against the counter. “Wow, don’t I have the most perfect domestic housewife! That must’ve taken, what…two hours?”

Monet reached over and squeezed her side, eliciting a yelp that would probably give their downstairs neighbours the wrong idea. “Shady bitch. It’s this or two rice cakes that’ve been in the cupboard for so long I swear they’re turning fossilised.”

“No, I’m kidding. Of course I’m hungry, thanks hun. I’ll make dinner tomorrow,” Nina promised, sliding into one of their second-hand wooden dining chairs as Monet plated up.

“No you won’t,” Monet frowned. “You look dead. What’re your kids doing to you, beating you with their tiny little chairs?”

“The fucking Nativity,” Nina sighed, pausing to thank Monet as she placed two slices of golden toast covered with beans and flakes of grated cheese down in front of her. Admittedly it did look like absolute heaven.

“Have you told Bianca to piss off yet?” Monet scowled, stabbing her toast so hard she threatened to break the plate in two.

“What kind of fantasy-land school do you work at where you can tell your headteacher to piss off and she actually listens?” Nina cocked an eyebrow at her, and Monet shrugged in agreement as she chewed a mouthful. “No, of course not. I’m going to make it happen, though, even if it kills me. We started learning the songs today, which you would think was a simple enough endeavour. Except my class, who usually can’t shut up if their lives depend on it, have all the singing volume and skill of one of Yvie and Scarlet’s cat’s chew toys. They don’t even sound like cats being strangled, that’d probably be louder. It’s like trying to have a sing-song with a room full of laryngitis patients. Except it’s not a room, because apparently we’re not allowed to sing inside because of covid. But I can teach Phonics and the kids can all make the ‘p’ sound at me until their hearts’ content and shower me with their spit like the world’s shittiest production of Singin’ In The Rain? Anyway, we have to rehearse outside. In December. I think my feet actually fell off.”

As Nina finally finished what had unintentionally become a fully-fledged rant, Monet attempted to compose herself as she wiped away a small tear of laughter from her eye and clutched at her belly. Nina watched as her girlfriend took a few deep breaths, then fixed her with a humoured grin. “But apart from all that, how was your day?”

Nina stuck her tongue out at her in response. “Shut up. How was yours?”

Monet rolled her eyes as she speared a bean. “Awful. Tried to assess time with my class today. God I love them, Neens, but they’re so bad, how can they be that bad?”

“If anyone can help them progress, it’s you,” Nina smiled encouragingly, only getting a shaken head in reply.

“No, I can’t. Nobody can. They’re beyond help. Some of the answers I got today wouldn’t even be believable if they were part of some TV comedy show. What month is Christmas in? ‘Santa’. The kid answered Santa. How many months are there in a year? ‘Sixty six’. How many days are there in a week? ‘Two’. TWO!” Monet cried, outraged. Nina couldn’t stop the laugh that bubbled up in her throat, and Monet pointed warningly at her in response. “Don’t you dare laugh. This is my reality.”

“Hey, you laughed at my Nativity nightmare!” Nina giggled, to which Monet chuckled guiltily. Nina paused to swipe a bit of toast around the plate with her fork, mopping up any stray tomato sauce. When she looked up from her plate, she saw Monet tapping at her phone. Nina frowned disapprovingly. “Hey. No phones at the table.”

“Sorry, sorry,” Monet apologised quickly, though didn’t put her phone down yet. “Monique’s just sent me a screenshot of her friend that’s getting engaged. Look at the damn size of this ring.”

Monet turned her phone to show Nina. Pictured was a diamond the size of a small Pacific nation and a band encrusted with tiny gems on the finger of somebody she’d never met. Nina couldn’t help the way she screwed her face up, which made Monet blurt a laugh in response. “Not a fan, then?”

Nina pulled a face in thought. She was sure that kind of ring made some girls happy, but to her it just seemed tacky and over-the-top, not to mention heavy. “I’m sure she likes it, but I wouldn’t want something that huge. Imagine working in a Reception class with that?! Play-dough stuck in all the little crevices. And Jesus, what if you lost it? Nah, it would stress me out owning that. I would just want one simple little gold band and one singular tiny diamond. Much less of a burden.”

Monet snorted a laugh as she finished her last mouthful of dinner. “You are the only girl I’ve ever met that would consider an engagement ring a burden. Christ on a crucifix.”

“Well!” Nina protested, before realising she didn’t really have anything else to defend herself with. Then, she narrowed her eyes at her girlfriend playfully, kicking her under the table. “Why’re you so interested in my engagement ring opinions, anyway? You asking?”

Monet chuckled as she put her phone face-down on the table. “Bold of you to assume I can afford council tax, never mind a diamond.”

Nina smiled, shrugging in agreement. “Yeah, fair. What should we do tonight? I have Maths jotters to mark but then that’s me done.”

Monet tilted her head, her expression thoughtful. “I would say fucking our shit days out but I don’t even have the energy to operate a vibrator.”

Nina almost choked on her food as she laughed. “Christ, that’s a mood. Finish dinner, pyjamas, rewatch The Office for the ninety billionth time then bed at 7pm?”

“Sounds good, babe,” Monet smiled, lifting her glass of water up to cheers with as if it was sparkling wine.

***

“Jingle bells, jingle bells, jingle all the way! Oh McFun it is to ride in a waffle sofen sleigh, HEY! Jingle bells, Jin-”

“Woah, woah, woah, woah, woah,” Nina cut in, waving her hands frantically and stopping the twenty-three five and four year olds that had previously been singing their little kidney bean-sized lungs out. “What are the words?”

Her class stared back at her as if she’d just asked her what twenty-eight times thirteen was. Although Jeremiah, who was already working at Year 5 level, could probably have worked that out given enough time.

“Oh what fun it is to ride in a one horse open sleigh,” Nina said, rhythmically and clearly. “You try.”

The children all parroted it back to her in their little voices, word-perfect. Thank God, thought Nina. Jingle Bells seemed to be the only song they recognised, so if they turned out to not know it after all then Nina would very probably need an inhaler despite the fact she wasn’t at all asthmatic.

“Let’s try it with the music!” Nina said cheerfully, making sure the bluetooth speaker she’d brought outside was still on.

“Miss West,” a small voice piped up belonging to Amber, the human embodiment of a whine. “I’m cold!”

“We’ll get inside soon!” Nina replied patiently. “Just let’s practise it one more time!”

“I’m cold too,” piped up Joshua, Amber’s male counterpart.

“I’m freezing,” Amber offered again.

“I know, it’s very cold outside!” Nina smiled sympathetically, even though her teeth were gritted. “But we can’t do our singing inside because of the virus!”

“Why not?” Amber pouted.

Nina didn’t really know. The answer was because of the care inspectorate guidelines, but that was incredibly far beyond the realms of a five-year-old’s comprehension. Just then, an idea struck her.

“Well we need to sing our songs outside so that Santa can hear them when he’s taking his sleigh out for a test drive!” she said animatedly. The wide eyes and ohhhh-s she received in reply made her feel like a genius. Move over, Steven Hawking. “Okay, one more time with Jingle Bells. Nice and loud for Santa!”

“Miss West?”

Nina blinked slowly and heavily, taking a small breath before answering the newest child that demanded her attention. “Yes, Sophie?”

“I’m cold.”

“I’m cold!! We’re all cold!!” Nina replied quickly, just that shade away from snapping so that her class knew she meant business. “We’re doing the song one more time and then we’re going inside! So nice big smiles, nice loud voices, and here…we…go!”

Nina pressed play on the song before any more children could regale her with tales of how their body temperatures had dropped to that of a snowman’s.

“Jingle bells, jingle bells, jingle all the way!” they all enthusiastically sang. “Oh McFun it is to ride in a waffle sofen sleigh!”

Nina rubbed so hard at her tired eyes that she thought they might disappear into her skull. She was momentarily glad of the fact that she didn’t have a teaching assistant to help her, as to have any other adult witness this would be embarrassing in the extreme.

Just then she noticed around five parents queued up at the nursery adjacent to the playground, watching with wry smiles on their faces as they waited for their children.

“One more time!” Nina cried, as she stopped the music with freezing cold hands.

***

“So Nina, when you gonna wife your girlfriend?”

Nina very nearly spat out her tea, a horrifying milky brown hurricane only just avoided. She hadn’t been expecting to answer deep, meaningful life questions in the staffroom during a lunch hour, but Willam was the human incarnation of petrol on a campfire and with her around things were always in danger of going from zero to a hundred very quickly. To Nina’s relief Courtney was also in the staffroom, and she whipped around from the countertop and gave her girlfriend daggers.

“Willam!” Courtney chastised her in a hiss that Nina wasn’t quite sure was meant to be audible. Willam only gave her an incredulous glare, affronted that she seemed to be the voice of reason in the conversational chaos.

“What?! Just askin’. I mean you’re what…twenty-nine? Twenty eight?”

“Twenty-six,” Nina replied. She was now at the age where being assumed she was older than she was was a curse, not a blessing. (If she’d told seventeen-year-old Nina that one day she would be disappointed at no longer being ID’d for wine at Sainsburys she’d have laughed in her face.)

“Exactly. That’s wifeing age. Mid to late twenties.”

“Hey, I passed that stage long ago, where the hell’s my ring?“ Courtney asked Willam, stirring the coffee she’d poured into one of the many, many “World’s Best Teacher!” mugs that littered the staffroom cupboards. Willam responded by turning around in her chair and positioning her pencil skirt-clad ass in the air.

“Right here, bitch!”

“Christ Almighty,” Courtney turned away from her, rolling her eyes so hard they looked like little spheric dice. As Willam gave her best impression of a seal on laughing gas, Nina cast her eyes over to Sasha who was sitting at the other end of the staffroom. As they caught each others’ eyes they shared a long-suffering smile that mourned the death of peace and quiet.

Nina was glad the conversation had been diverted from the subject of her perceived lack of marriage plans. Until Sasha opened her mouth, that is.

“I wouldn’t worry, Nina. Me and Shea haven’t had that conversation either. I mean we’d both love to, but there’s more important stuff for us right now, you know? We’re saving for a house and I think we’d rather live in a place we’ve chosen for the foreseeable future than just having one singular big lavish day.”

“It’s all about what you want to do with the person you love the most, isn’t it? Not just doing what society wants you to do,” Courtney chipped in, her voice warm and kind. “Like me and Willam used to be total party girls before we got our shit together. And now, like…there’s nothing I’d rather do of a weekend than curl up with her on the sofa and get all cosy with a film and a blanket and a cup of tea.”

Willam scoffed affectionately. “That’s your ideal weekend plan? What are you, forty?”

“Yes? As are you?” Courtney replied incredulously. Nina heard Sasha snort in her chair. As she turned her gaze back to the other two girls she realised that Willam was still looking at her expectantly. Nina sank back into her seat, a little reserved.

“It’s not really something we’ve spoken about? Well…no, we have spoken about it, obviously,” she babbled, watching as Willam took on the look of someone witnessing a victim of cardiac arrest. “Like we both want to get married. To each other, of course. But teaching is just such a busy job all the time and…you know, we only bought our flat last Summer and…I don’t know, it’s nice not to have everything happen all at once, right?”

Courtney nodded emphatically in agreement. “Of course! And I mean, if she asked, you’d say yes, right?”

Nina had to stop herself from pulling a face. How am I having this conversation with my boss? “Well, yeah. God, I couldn’t imagine life without her at all.”

Willam pretended to gag, which Nina thought was pretty rich from the woman who had begun the entire conversation. Courtney seemed to pick up on her girlfriend’s distaste.

“I don’t think Willam has ever said anything that cute about me!”

Willam turned around to look at her girlfriend, disbelief on her face. “Yeah, I only left my damn husband for you. Fuck me, right?”

Nina’s eyes widened as Sasha gave a yelp from across the staffroom. That was a small piece of workplace gossip she hadn’t expected to learn today. As Courtney’s face turned red and she shot Willam a warning glare, she turned to Nina once more.

“Nina, how’s the Nativity going?” Courtney beamed artificially at her, moving the conversation along with all the grace and decorum of a one-wheeled snow plow.

Considering the question, Nina thought that she’d rather be discussing marriage plans with her boss and colleagues again. “It’s going.”

“That’s a ringing endorsement. I’m sure that was on the poster of Titanic too,” Willam chipped in.

“It wouldn’t be any less disastrous than the actual fate of the Titanic, at least the passengers could’ve probably remembered the words to fucking Jingle Bells,” Nina deadpanned, causing Willam to break into fits of clubbed seal laughter.

Sasha pouted sympathetically from the other side of the room. “It’s those cute bits that the parents love, though, isn’t it? They won’t mind if they get the words wrong.”

“I’m sure there needs to be a foundation of at least an audible tune though, Sash,” Nina smiled resignedly back at her.

“If Bianca wants a Nativity so bad, just tell her to come teach your class,” Willam half-suggested, half-yelled. “Or get Court to teach them! They prolly don’t need to be in tune anyway!”

Courtney’s expression appeared to be the same as Nina’s after her morning’s rehearsal. “Do you ever stop talking shit?”

“You think I’m bad? That bell is going to go for the Comp’s lunch break in five minutes, Bob is gonna arrive, an’ then it’s RIP our eardrums,” Willam said, pointing to the staffroom door for dramatic effect.

“At least Bob has never presented his clothed arsehole to his partner in front of his colleagues,” Courtney cut in at once, her tone deadpan and making Nina splutter a laugh.

“Aw, c’mon Court! That’s just banter. These girls don’t mind.”

“It’s unprofessional!” Courtney clutched her chest. Willam only snorted in response.

“Unprofessional? What are you, forty?”

“We’re the same age!!” Courtney cried in response, her incredulous tone only setting Nina off in a further fit of laughter.

It was only later on that night once she had driven back home, parked, and approached her and Monet’s flat that Nina remembered the staffroom conversation. She cast her gaze up to their first-floor window in their red brick building, almost being able to feel the way her heart gave a swell at the sight of their Christmas tree framed proudly within the glass. And as she got in through the front door, Monet greeted her with a hug and a takeaway leaflet.

“We’ve got nothing in the fridge, so I thought we could get noodles? This came through the door today and I think-” Monet raises her eyebrows, slapped the leaflet into the palm of her hand decisively. “- it’s a sign from God.”

“Well, when you put it like that,” Nina laughed, shrugging off her coat and feeling grateful for not having to cook.

It was only when they were both curled up on the couch, empty pad thai containers in front of them, that Nina turned to Monet and saw the lights on the tree reflected in her eyes. She turned to her girlfriend, threw an arm round her and snuggled in to her side.

“What’s up?” Monet asked, her voice soft and sleepy and a little concerned.

“Nothing,” Nina sighed. It was true. There wasn’t really anything up, and she was the happiest she’d ever been. But she still turned to Monet, tilting her head up inquisitively. “You don’t feel under any pressure at all, do you?”

Monet snorted. “I feel under pressure to get fifteen children who can’t write the word cat on their own to magically be able to write a sentence by the end of the year, yeah.”

Nina rolled her eyes. “No! I mean, like…in life. You didn’t just…buy this flat with me because you felt you had to, right? You wouldn’t do anything because you felt obliged to?”

Monet raised a single eyebrow back at her. “Yeah, I decided to piss my life savings away on a deposit for a flat because I felt I had to. Jesus Christ, Neens.”

“No, no, I know,” Nina chuckled, realising how silly the whole thing now sounded. “But I just mean…in life, like milestones and stuff. You’d never do stuff because you felt you had to keep up, in some way? Reach some goal by a certain age?”

Monet brought an arm around Nina and cuddled her closer, kissing her hair and resting her chin on top of her head. “Everything I do in life, I do because I want to. Especially when it comes to you. Promise.”

Nina gave her girlfriend a squeeze, happy. She took a deep breath, smelt the fabric softener on Monet’s jumper that they both used but just seemed to smell better and feel softer on everything Monet wore.

“I love you.”

“I love you too.”

***

Nina sat in a child-sized chair with her knees practically up to her chest, a crumpled, printed-out script on her lap that she’d hastily typed up on her work iPad’s notes app the following evening. Her class sat behind her in costumes pulled on over their school uniforms, with books and pens and pieces of paper with botched photocopying on the back under strict instructions not to talk until the whole thing was filmed.

“Okay, Amber!” she smiled breezily at the small girl whose school blouse was sticking out under her angel costume. “You’re kicking off the video. So your line is two thousand years ago, an angel came to a woman called Mary. Practise it for me?”

Amber gripped the hem of her taffeta skirt in two tiny white-knucked fists. “I don’t want to.”

Nina bit her lip. Great start. Fantastic. “We can give it a try together?”

Reluctantly, Amber parroted the words in tandem with her. So far so good.

“Okay. Now do you want to go up against the backdrop and I can film you doing it?”

Amber’s ponytail full of flyaways swung wildly as she shook her head. Nina thought for a moment. Then her eyes came to rest on Hazel- the class’ Mary and, coincidentally, Amber’s best friend.

“What about if Hazel stands with you?”

That seemed to change things and, only slightly hesitantly, both girls got up in front of the hastily staple-gunned silver tinsel.

“Okay Amber. Two thousand years ago, an angel came to a woman called Mary. Ready?”

A nod in reply.

“Go!”

Amber took a deep, shaky breath in. “Two thousand years ago….a woman called Mary.”

Nina stopped filming, fixed the girl with a kind smile. “An angel came to a woman called Mary. Try again?”

The iPad was back in filming mode, and Amber went again. “Two thousand years ago, a…a…a little cute angel came to Mary.”

Nina stopped filming, fixed Amber with two thumbs up. That’ll do.

Things seemed to be going well as Hazel and Oliver (or, Mary and Angel Gabriel) got through their lines without too many bumps in the road. Then, it was time for Amber to take to the stage (or blue curtain with a tinsel border) once more.

“Okay Amber, so your line this time is…Mary told her husband Joseph. Want to practise?”

“Mary told her husband Joseph,” Amber repeated, with all the enthusiasm of a patient about to undergo a colonoscopy. With two days til the deadline, this would have to suffice.

“Perfect! Ready? Three…two…one…go!” Nina smiled encouragingly, as she hit record.

Amber stood beside Mary and Joseph, a little grin on her own face. “Mary told her husband Joyce.”

“…Joseph,” Nina reminded her. Where the fuck had Joyce come from? She hit record again.

“Three…two…one…go!”

“Mary told her husband Joyce.”

Nina couldn’t stop herself from bursting out laughing. “Joseph, Amber!”

The little girl nodded earnestly. “Joseph Amber.”

Nina spluttered. “No…Amber is your name. Joseph is Mary’s husband.”

“Ohhhhhh.”

Nina shook her head, amused. This was what she loved about teaching. None of the other girls working from home could say that they got to spend their day feeling like they were stuck in an episode of You’ve Been Framed.

“Go again. Mary told her husband Joseph. Three…two…one…”

“Mary told…em…um…I can’t remember,” Amber giggled. Nina could feel her own giggles bubbling up inside herself, but she had to stop otherwise it would set her whole class off.

“Mary told her husband Joseph,” Nina repeated, both Amber and Hazel now giggling to each other. “Shh shh! Okay…three…two…one…”

Amber composed herself, took a deep breath. “Mary told her husband Joyce.”

Christ Alive. Nina gasped incredulously, unable to help herself from laughing now. The whole class, Amber herself, and Nina was pretty sure God, were all doing the same. She put her head in her hands, her whole body now shaking with laughter. “Joseph!!”

She already couldn’t wait to tell everybody she knew this story. Not least so she could cement in her mind that it was something that actually happened to her, and not just simply the script of a comedy show she’d dreamed up. Miraculously, mercifully, she managed to get the rest of her class settled down and for Amber to say the correct line on film, even if Nina could be faintly heard frantically mouthing “Joseph!” in the background.

Eventually they reached the innkeepers. Easy enough, in theory.

“Okay, Carter,” Nina smiled encouragingly at the first innkeeper. “When Mary and Joseph ask for a room, you say ‘no, sorry!’. Okay?”

Carter nodded, half a finger stuck up his nose. Nina gestured to him to put his hands down, then began filming. As directed, Mary and Joseph asked if there was any room at the inn.

“YES,” the little boy shouted. The whole class burst out laughing. Nina did not.

Just then, Willam walked past the open door with her class. She gave her a look of inquisition, shooting her a tentative, questioning thumbs up.

Nina put her head in her hands in reply.

***

By some miracle of nature (although it could also have been Nina giving up on work that afternoon) Nina had made it back to the flat before five o’clock. This never happened- five pm was usually the time she left work, but a day full of recording Nativity clips and then putting them together on iMovie while her class played (read; caused havoc) had been tiring and she needed Monet, chocolate, and Merlot.

Only the first thing she heard when she opened the door to her flat wasn’t Monet singing, or the hum of the extractor fan. It was the grainy crackle of a Zoom call and an incredibly distinctive voice.

“So when you doin’ it? Do it tonight. Do it when she gets home from work.”

Monet’s voice- humoured, long-suffering. “I’m not doing it then, Vanj, she’ll be exhausted.”

“That was honestly your best suggestion? When she gets home from work?” Brooke’s voice. “Aren’t you the pinnacle of romance!”

Nina had realised that Monet was on a Zoom call with all the girls, from the way Vanessa had obviously kissed Brooke on camera was being met with half a dozen cries in protest from the others. She excitedly shrugged off her coat and unwrapped herself from her scarf, eager to see her friends again. Part of her was intrigued, though. Why were they all calling each other without her?

“My question is how you’re going to do it,” Akeria’s voice came, as questioning as always. “It needs to be good but it better not be too damn cheesy.”

“An’ you better make sure she got her nails done, she might say no if she ain’t got her nails done!” Silky came shouting through Monet’s Macbook speakers.

“Yeah, you better make it as romantic as you can, Mo,” Scarlet added, making Nina wonder what the hell it was they were all talking about. Before she could wonder any further, she heard Yvie’s distinctive snort of a laugh.

“You are in no position to speak about romance, I mean, need I remind you how you asked me?”

“Shut up,” Scarlet replied, her tone a little bashful as the other girls laughed.

“Monet I could hire you a plane if you really wanted,” Plastique offered, making Nina snort despite the fact she had no idea what the conversation was about.

“Shut up, bitch,” Nina could practically hear the roll of Akeria’s eyes.

Nina toed her shoes off and finally padded through to the kitchen, where Monet’s eyes grew wide when she saw her, her body visibly flinching.

“Hey, babe!” she smiled, looking a little startled. “You’re home earlier than usual!”

“Oh sorry, am I interrupting your Zoom call with all your side chicks?” Nina deadpanned, forcing her way onto Monet’s lap to see her friends on the screen.

“Ninaaa!!!” Vanessa’s face popped up first, her friend waving excitedly as she sat on her sofa in Brooke’s arms. “How are you, girl?”

“Shattered,” Nina sighed, rubbing her eyes harshly. “Just filmed the whole Nativity with the rugrats today. Think it took ten years off my lifespan. How’re you?”

“Good,” Brooke smiled back through the screen. “We ordered our Christmas food today. Trying to convince this one that we don’t need twelve pigs in blankets between two people.”

Vanessa scowled back at her from their position on the sofa. “Uh, yes the hell we do!”

“Twelve pigs in blankets as well as the turkey, stuffing, and all the veg? Y’all are gonna explode,” Akeria said disapprovingly.

“Kiki! How are you?” Nina cried with delight, seeing her friend’s tired but smiling face appear on screen.

“Good. Don’t stop work for a while yet, but it’s fine. Still flat hunting.”

“How’s Pri?” Nina asked, heartened by the way Akeria looked down, trying and failing to suppress a smile.

“Yeah, she’s good. Still batshit crazy. Horny all the time.”

“The ideal girlfriend, really,” Yvie said, a wry smile on her face.

“Nina!” Silky suddenly cut in, yelling. “Did you hear any of what we were talkin’ about before?”

Nina frowned, shook her head. “Something about planes and nails. And cheese. I’m too exhausted to have paid enough attention. Why, were you having a mad bitchfest about me?”

“Trying to ask the girls how best to dump you,” Monet deadpanned. Nina shot Monet a look and squeezed her leg, resulting in her girlfriend yelping and cracking her knee off the table.

Whatever the previous conversation was was soon forgotten about as excited catchups took over. Silky was excited as she was interviewing some singer that Nina had never heard of and wanted the girls to help her work out what questions she was going to ask her. Yvie and Scarlet were lamenting the fact they had to host both of their families for Christmas and had bought a turkey so big Scarlet wasn’t sure it would fit in their oven, and Plastique was telling them the weirdest things she’d been gifted by companies desperate for her to endorse them on Instagram.

“I got a box of sex toys from LoveHoney. That was probably the most random. Me and Naomi had a wild fucking night that night.”

“STOP BEIN’ GROSS,” Silky had yelled down the line, causing Nina to hammer Monet’s volume down button.

Eventually the call came to an end, but not before lots of promises to catch up soon once the situation across the world was better than the shitshow it was currently. As Monet closed her laptop, Nina threw her arms around her neck and nuzzled into her side.

“I miss them,” she sighed, and Monet patter her back comfortingly.

“I know, babe. I miss them too.”

There was a moment of pensive silence, and then Nina spoke again, the Nativity never too far away from her mind.

“I can’t export this video.”

“What?”

“The Nativity video. I can’t export it,” Nina muttered pitifully against her girlfriend’s shoulder.

Monet kissed her hair, making to stand up. “You get a cup of tea. I’ll fix your video.”

“You’re the best,” Nina sighed gratefully, walking over to the kettle.

It was only after she’d sat down with a cup of tea and Monet had promised she’d sorted her video that Nina thought about the conversation she’d walked in on earlier.

She had a strange feeling that it had something to do with her.

***

When Nina arrived at work that morning, she could tell something was…a little different. She couldn’t really tell what it was. It started with the slightly knowing smile Tatianna shot her from across the corridor.

“Congrats, Nina!” she shouted down to her before she ducked into her own classroom.  

“Uh…thanks,” she replied a little too late. Okay, the Nativity process had been stressful, but did she really need congratulated?

She supposed she appreciated it. It had been a whirlwind of a process, after all.

Only the odd thing was, it continued. The congratulations came pouring in; Alaska, Ivy from the Nursery school, Alyssa had cooed and gushed for ages about how exciting it was and how happy she was for her.

Nina had only blinked in reply, a little bewildered. “Thanks, Alyssa. It was a stress, but they managed to pull it off in the end.”

Alyssa gave her a funny look, then realisation seemed to dawn on her. “Oh…they’re non-binary! You know I never knew that, sorry sugar. Well congratulations to you both.”

With that, Alyssa hurried away only leaving Nina more confused than ever.

What in the fuck?

When the bell rang and Nina went to collect her class from the line, things only got weirder. Before she could hurry her class inside, Harry’s Mum waved at her from behind the school gate, beckoning her over. Nina’s heart began to sink- she was going to ask her why Harry was only a shepherd, wasn’t she, or why he didn’t get a solo during Little Donkey, or some-other-bullshit-like-that.

To Nina’s surprise, she held up a sparkly gift bag.

“Hi, sorry for bothering you!” she beamed at her. This was already unheard of- a parent apologising for taking up her time? Nina was beginning to question if she had slipped through a crack in the fabric of reality while she’d been sleeping when Harry’s Mum spoke again. “Me and the other parents had a quick whipround and got you a couple of things and a little card to say congratulations! We thought it was the least we could do given your lovely news.”

It was only after Nina had thanked her profusely, taken the bag and led her children into class that her words sank in. What lovely news was she on about?

Nina taught that morning in a daze. Well, ‘taught’ was pushing it; the last few days of term were always movie days or games days, and today was the former. Nina had decided to inject a bit of an educational element to it by showing her class Nativity and then asking them if they thought the film’s play was better than the one they’d put on. Despite it being one of her favourite Christmas films, though, she still wondered why everyone had been congratulating her today. Maybe her Nativity video had really been so amazingly good that people just had to comment on it. Nina decided that this was the only plausible explanation, and so was feeling particularly spirited as it reached breaktime and she sent the kids out to play.

She was sitting in her classroom reading all the messages she’d missed on her group chat when Willam practically crashed through her door.

“Oh my God!” she yelled, practically vibrating with excitement. “Congratulations, you lucky fucker! That’s gotta be the cutest damn thing I’ve ever seen. I mean Bianca probably wants your head on a plate for keeping it in, but still! How’re you celebrating? Should we go to the shop at lunchtime and get prosecco? I mean it’s the last few days of term, I’m sure drinking on the job’s allowed. Court wouldn’t tell anyone.”

Willam was talking with such speed that it took a few seconds for Nina to register everything she’d said. “Why…would Bianca want my head on a plate?”

Willam snorted. “I mean it’s kinda obvious. You don’t think she’s gonna be pissed about it? Then again, maybe she won’t. I don’t know, I can’t get inside her head. I’m not on that Honey I Shrunk The Kids kinda bullshit.”

Nina felt her head was so clouded that even if she possessed the brightest fog lights in the world she still couldn’t see what Willam was trying to say.

“Willam,” she asked, slowly and carefully as she rested her head in her hands. “What the hell are you talking about?”

There was a pause as Willam froze, then as her eyes became huge and wide as she slowly raised a finger to point at Nina. “Jesus Harvey Christ. You…you don’t know, do you?”

Nina frowned, bewildered. “Know what?”

“Oh my God. You don’t know. This is the best thing ever. You don’t even know!” Willam howled with laughter, then, before Nina could ask what she was meant to not know, Willam had dashed out of her classroom and had begun yelling into the hall. “Courtney! Court! She doesn’t know!”

Nina began to feel her heart beat in heavy thuds as the bell went to signal the end of playtime. What didn’t she know?

Eventually Nina managed to reach the end of the day. How, she didn’t know. She was so confused by all the different odd events of the day that she felt she didn’t properly make sense at any point to her class, but that probably didn’t matter as they were all so wrapped up in Christmas nonsense that Nina could’ve left the classroom and they wouldn’t have given a shit.

She was just getting ready to leave work for the weekend when Bianca stuck her head into her classroom and made her almost jump fifty feet in the air.

“Nina,” she began, in her own blunt, abrasive way. She didn’t wait for Nina to greet her as she continued. “I know you must be wandering around with your head in the clouds at the moment, but next time do you think you could maybe just run the video by me first? I mean you’re very lucky that the parents took that well. I mean it’s really about the kids, y’know?”

Nina could only blink at her wide-eyed like a deer in the headlights, getting into trouble but not entirely sure what for. Loath to say anything in response, she simply nodded.

“I mean you should’ve really kept it out,” Bianca frowned. She let the awkward, tense silence hang in the air for a few moments before a humoured smile appeared on her face. “But congratulations. I’m very happy for you.”

Without stopping for Nina to reply, Bianca had turned on her heel and left her classroom. Nina could only look at the space she’d previously been standing in. Maybe all of this was a dream. A fever dream. She’d probably contracted some sort of illness and was experiencing some hallucinogenic vision.

She didn’t know how she made it home without causing a crash, but she managed, and as soon as she was through the door she began to vent to the person she loved most.  

“Monet!” she called through to the kitchen, hanging her belongings up. “I’ve had the weirdest fucking day in living memory. So first all the teachers were congratulating me…then I got a present from the parents…then Willam was screaming about me not knowing something…and then Bianca gave me a row at the end of the day…but I still don’t know exactly why…but then she said congratulations to me too?”

It was only when Nina stopped and walked through to the kitchen that she saw the kitchen table all done up with candles and laid beautifully, Nina’s favourite meal (slow cooker beef and buttery mash) on two plates, and Monet sitting at the table with her makeup done, dressed in a backless blue bodycon that Nina had once very nearly broke the zip of trying to rip it off her one weekend away.

“Uh…” Nina frowned, more confused than ever. Slowly, as a smile spread across Monet’s face, she began to connect all the dots of weird and the picture it presented illustrated that somehow her girlfriend had to be behind it all. “Okay, what’s going on?”

Monet got up and leant against the kitchen counter. She very gently took both of Nina’s hands in hers. “You didn’t watch the whole video once I exported it, did you?”

Something like dread crossed with excitement began to pool in Nina’s gut. She narrowed her eyes. “Monet…what did you do?”

Wordlessly, Monet reached back across to the table where she picked up her phone and loaded up the Nativity video. Skipping to the end, she got past the end of Jingle Bells and showed the video to Nina. The screen faded to black, and then, Nina watched as another little title card faded into view.

To the teacher that always gives so much of herself to others, I now want to give all of myself to you.

Miss West, will you marry me?

Love, Monet x

And suddenly everything in Nina felt as if it was made of fire, adrenaline and jet fuel. Her eyes flew open, her hand smacked against her shocked, gaping mouth. Her pulse raced and her heart hammered and all of her limbs turned to jelly to the extent she wasn’t sure she was able to stand any more. When she took her eyes off her phone screen and looked at Monet, her girlfriend was down on their kitchen floor, down on one knee like in every princess movie Nina had ever seen, her hair soft and curled and loose on her shoulders and a bright smile on her painted taupe lips. Gemstone tears brimmed in her dark eyes and hung from her lashes like icicles, and there, in her outstretched hands, was an open navy box.

Inside was a ring - gold band, one small diamond - and it was when Nina saw it that she gave a sob, her own tears springing from her eyes like a broken fountain, uncontrollable and erratic.

“Oh, baby, c’mere,” Monet gave a small laugh, shaking her head and immediately rising from the floor to wrap her arms around her in a hug. Nina took a few shaky, shallow breaths, pawing at Monet’s chest to release herself from her grip and look her in the eyes.

“You! You knew…all this time, and you…you put it in the video, oh my GOD, Monet, I could’ve got in so much trouble…I did get in so much trouble, oh my God…and you didn’t even tell me-”

“I thought you’d at least watch the damn thing through before you uploaded it!” Monet burst out laughing through her tears, and Nina joined in in a lightheaded, giddy way.

“I can’t believe this is real. Fuck. My whole body feels like that time we did poppers in Crete. Oh my God. Is this happening? You want to marry me?”

“Well, I would love to marry you, but I’m waiting on an answer,” Monet smiled bashfully, bringing her arm out from around Nina’s waist and holding the ring up so Nina could see it.

The diamond only seemed to glisten more when she saw it through the tears in her own eyes, and the gold shone warm like the brightest star. It was an engagement ring- her engagement ring- and it was real, and it was surreal, but Monet was in front of her waiting for an answer with tears in her eyes and hope in her heart that matched her own.

And Nina had never been one to say no to anything.

#rpdr fanfiction #ninex #background witney #monet x change #nina west #willam belli #courtney act #things are really cool in nazareth #ortega #fluff #kidfic #proposal fic #ficmas 2020 #day 14: nice #tw: coronavirus reference #submission

[daddysfangirls-marvel]

Asking for help

Request

Summary:  Could you do one where Sam finds his gf self harming? Thanks!

Warning: self harm mention, angst 

How could someone so good have so much pain? 

He had dealt with people in similar situations before this was his job. He knew what to do; he knew how to do it who to call, but right now, at this moment with her, it all went out the window. A deep-rooted panic set in his chest and he couldn’t breathe he couldn’t think, he couldn’t -he couldn’t-

“wh-what? ...why?”

“...sorry”

Her words snapped him back into reality, although his heart was still pounding, and panic was still there; he could breathe now. He could focus. He remembered what to do, and he took action. 

Picking up a towel, he wrapped it around her wrist and put pressure on it. “ It doesn’t look that deep you won’t need stitches. You’ll be okay.”

"I'm sorry, I'm so sorry," she started to cry. 

"It's okay. It's okay. We'll fix, don't worry about it. Let's fix this first." Sam says, kissing her forehead and holding her tight.

-

After taking care of her wound and cleaning up (Y/n) fell asleep, the overwhelming emotions finally getting to her. But Sam couldn't sleep anxiety still eating up at him. He sat on the edge of the bed and watched her sleep. He didn't really know what else to do at the moment. Suppose he could have called a few doctors and therapists, but he didn't know how far gone or down she was. Did she need a therapist, or did she need to be checked into a hospital? Was this the first time, or was this the millionth time? Did this recently develop, or had this been happening for a while? He didn't have any of these answers, so he couldn't really make decisions. So he watched her sleep until she woke up.

It was six hours later that (Y/n) woke up. She opened her eyes to find Sam lying next to her sleeping as well. It didn't look like a peacefully with his face tight he looked frustrated. (Y/n) reached forward, massaging in between his eyebrows until he was calmed and peaceful once again. Then he opened his eyes.

She gasped and tried to move away. Sam wrapped his arms around her and pulled her back into him. Neither of them said anything, just looking at each other.

"Hey"

"Hey," she closed her eyes as she buried her face in his chest, fighting back the tears.

"I'm going to ask, so questions and I need you to be a hundred present honest with me, okay?"

She nodded. Sam could feel her tears soaking his shirt already. He kisses her forehead, "how long?"

"A few years. Two maybe, I don't remember."

"Have you tried talking to anyone."

"...yes... It didn't work. Just made it worse." she said as she cried in his chest.

"would you like some help? I can help you or get someone else to help you. You don’t have to go through this alone." he held her tighter.

"... I... please” 

“I need to hear you say it. please just say it.”

“Help me” 

-

Sam watched from the bathroom door's shadows as (Y/n) sat on the floor in front of the toilet in her hand was a couple of razors. Sam thought he had gotten rid of all her blades he had gone around the bedroom and pull them out of her hiding spots and thrown them all away, apparently not. He watched as she dropped them in the toilet for a moment she just looked at them he even saw her try to reach in for a second, but she stopped, took the handle and flushed them down the toilet.

"Where did you get those?" he asked, soon revealing himself and stepping out of the shadows.

"A hiding spot I forgot. I didn't-"

"I know," he came into the bathroom and sat down next to her.

"I want to."

"I know."

In the past six months (Y/n) had done well in recovering, she was seeing a therapist weekly and writing in a journal daily. She had found a new way to cope with things in art. Everything seemed to be heading in the upside. Of course, there was a bump here and there, but overall they were still moving forward.

The entire time Sam held her hand and helped her through it. Getting her therapy, her journals, holding her when she needed it, living her alone when she asked for it, just being here when she needed and wanted him. They hadn't really talked about why she was like this, or when this started, but he didn't push her to he knew she came to speak to him when she was ready.

Of course Sam himself started seeing a therapist. The thought of his girlfriend going through all of this and him not noticing it, him with all his knowledge and know how didn’t see the sighs didn’t even notice them it messed him up. It really put him in a place where he just couldn’t deal with it alone so he started talking to someone to work through it better. 

"hey," Sam said, taking her hand in his and bring into his lips kissing the back of her hand. "I love you, and I'm proud of you."

“I’m doing better?”

“you’re doing amazing.”

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[my-fanfic-library]

Hello lovely!! Would you mind doing headcanons for Professor!Claes x reader? Maybe he teaches history or something like that and you both have a nice lil affair going on after a while. I saw your tags on that one gif set and now that's all I can think about 👀

This is gonna be the only ask I answer today but holy shit I haven’t stopped thinking about this in like 24 hours

K so

Claes is most definitely a history lecturer

I don’t know why but I imagine his entire class to be similar to Indiana Jones’

Just a bunch of girls looking at him like the heart eyes emoji

Anywho, Claes is like the coolest lecturer in the world

He’s really laid back and he likes to take the piss out of people

He also handles a lot of seminar groups as well

Which is how you meet

He saw you in the first lecture and was kinda like “wow cute” but obviously nothing could happen

But when you come to his seminar group

And start bombarding him with question after question and disproving the content he had taught you so far,

L o v e

And obviously you are totally in love with him too

This tall, handsome man teaching your favourite subject, with the loveliest accent in the world

You stay after the seminar to talk to him

And he’s blown away by how much you actually know

“I’m looking forward to teaching you, Miss [Last], I think we’re going to get into a few heated moments if you keep attempting to disprove my work.”

You thought he meant arguments

He did not

You always make sure to ask a question if he invites the class to, because it makes things less awkward

And you always have a question or two at the end of the lecture

He can’t believe he’s got this golden student

And he uses you as an example all the time

“Why can’t you guys be as enthusiastic as [First]?”

Stuff like that

It kinda becomes obvious to both yourself and everyone else that Professor Bang has quite a soft spot for you

Some girls, despite being in their early 20s give you nasty looks

You respond by sitting next to Claes in your seminar the next day

And doing no work and getting into no trouble for it

Instead you talk about Denmark

Because you’re curious about his home country

It is this seminar

During the middle of your first year

That Claes just falls head over heels for you

But it’s

F O R B I D D E N

Which makes it all the sweeter

Later that year, about two weeks before the exam, you show up at his office just as he’s about to leave

“What’s the matter?”

Immediately you just burst into tears and he has no clue what to do

So he does what he thinks best

He pulls you into him and you just stand there sobbing into him for like a solid five minutes unable to make a coherent sentence in your sudden outburst

When you’re calming down, he brings you into his office and sits you down and is all “ok so what the fuck is going on?”

You explain that you’re just too overwhelmed with everything and that you don’t feel ready for the exam

So he offers one to one tutoring up until the exam (so for two weeks, you’d visit him after class and you’d sit for like an hour and go through everything you didn’t get)

Turns out you knew a lot more than what you thought

The more time that Claes spends with you, the more he wants.

So. Much. Tension.

Because you want it, and so does he, but you’re both oblivious and thinking about how wrong it is

So nothing happens except for a few gazes, a few lingering touches

He’s actually pretty gutted the day of the exam when he realises you won’t be coming back for some secret time with him

He spends his entire summer thinking about you

Wondering if you’ll make it into his class

When he finds out you are, booyyyyy is so happy

He doesn’t know why but on the first day of classes, he finds himself dressing up a bit. Styling his hair, throwing on his glasses, a soft scarf, leaving the first two buttons of his shirt undone

He doesn’t even know if he’ll see you today but fuck

And he does

Your complexion is glowing after so many months in the sun and the heat

Your hair grew out a bit

You look angelic

He finds himself unable to concentrate and keeps fumbling over his words for the whole lecture

Because you decided to sit at the front and

He keeps looking at you

And your eyes never leave him

Because he looks so good?

You couldn’t remember when he looked so fucking delicious

After the lecture, he asks you to stay and wait for a moment and the room clears out

He doesn’t know why he’s doing this but

“Did you have a good summer?”

“Yeah, I guess. We went to Majorca for four weeks and-“

“I missed you.”

“Oh, that’s... Professor Bang-“

“It’s Claes.”

You literally have 0 clue how to answer that

Your mind is spinning

He missed you?

He wants you to call him by his first name?

Your heart is doing leaps and bounds by this point

He’s looking at you differently, licking his lips

And then they’re on yours

It’s hungry - it’s different

Your hands are in his hair, on his neck, you’re leaping into his arms, wrapping your legs around him and he’s driving you into the desk

The next day, you keep looking at that spot, where someone’s notebook is

You’re smirking, trying not to laugh because that poor person is writing right on the spot where you fucked your professor last night

Claes keeps looking at you and you know by his eyes that he wants you to stay after class

It ends and everyone leaves and the second the door shuts, you’re in his arms again

It’s a frenzy

Clothes off, and this time he’s got you arched over the desk, hands gripping into the chair behind it, ramming into you from behind.

And that is how it started

School nights, weekends, you’d find each other one way or another and you couldn’t get your hands off of each other

Post-sex cuddles

Where you just talk

He usually runs his hands through your hair, with the fondest smile on his face

It starts to get hard when other guys start to get interested in you

Because you can’t exactly tell anyone that you’re with someone - you’d get thrown out and Claes would lose his job

So, you have to play

You have to flirt back

Claes loses it

The sex gets rougher

The hickeys grow darker and bigger

One time, he got so frustrated that he sat you on the podium after a lecture and ate you out

He finds himself realising that he doesn’t just want to fuck you - he’s actually fallen in love with you

And you’re fairly sure that you’re in love with him

That summer, he whisks you off to Denmark

Best trip of your life???

He loves teaching you all the history of his home country, taking you everywhere he possibly can

Car sex

Sex on the beach

And even in a hidden corner of a museum

It’s like the honeymoon phase doesn’t end

And then the worst thing happens

One of your classmates is in Copenhagen for their own little trip

They see you with Claes in a cafe, kissing his cheek, holding his hand

They immediately report it (literally out of spite because who tf wouldn’t want to date Claes, come on, and they were high key jealous)

And when uni starts up again, a huge inquiry is undergoing

Both you and Claes are pretty much interrogated - they check your phones, they see if you have each other on social media, they check your emails, trying to find a n y t h i n g

And you agree afterwards that this can’t go on

It’s too risky to visit him outside of the university

And so it all has to stop

You’re a wreck

Because being with Claes was the happiest you had been in so long

You start dating someone new

And Claes almost quits

Your final year drags

Because you have to sit there

Looking at him

Being so close to him

But feeling the eyes of the other lecturer sent to sit in and watch and make sure no funny business was happening

One night, you go out and get just a little tipsy and find yourself at his home, throwing rocks at his bedroom window

He comes out and tells you to leave as much as it pains him to do so

You tell him you feel like dropping out, of you can’t have him then nothing matters

And he brings you inside

You don’t get any sleep, he fucks you over and over until your body is numb and your brain is nothing but a swirling mess of him

He ignores you after that

You find yourself transferred out of his classes and instead, you’re placed into professor Wells’ classes

You’re livid with him

How could he move you out of his classes after everything you’ve been through together?

You purposefully have him find you in public spaces with your new partner, a little closer than what would be accepted

He’s going stir crazy. He can’t stop thinking about the last night you spent together and how badly he needs to be with you again even if it costs him a job

Your graduation is suddenly upon you and it’s so bittersweet

You have finally gotten what you worked so hard for, but you will most likely never see Claes again now

Wrong

As you’re making your way off vampire for the last time, clutching your diploma, laughing with your friends, a voice calls your name

You turn, and he’s pushing past people to get to you

He reaches you and he has this dumb smile on his face, and then he says the stupidest yet most romantic thing

“Technically you’re not my student”

And he kisses you

In front of all of your friends, family, all of your former classmates, other teachers, everyone

He doesn’t even care

His hands are holding your face, pulling you close and you have to go on your tiptoes, in your damn heels, just to be able to wrap your arms around his neck

He promptly gets fired

But he doesn’t care because he’s waking up the next morning with you sleeping beside him and he feels like he’s won at life

#i think i went overboard with this one??? #Authors AU Hour #hi i like drama #lmao #claes bang #claes bang x reader #claes bang x you #claes bang fanfiction

[mimi-cee-hq]

You'll Have Time - Shirabu x Reader

Getting Together Headcanons from Match-up requests. (This turned into a drabble though.)

Summary:

Others knew that Shirabu switched schools to play volleyball with Ushijima, but you found out that he decided to switch schools for you too.

Request from cat nonie:

Hello! I was wondering if I could get a matchup! If that is all right for you! So I’m infp and hufflepuff! I’m a girl, 5,4, have green/yellow really big eyes and curly dirty blonde hair that gets to my shoulders! Personality wise I am timid at first, but the moment I open up you are in for a ride because I am silly and a lil outgoing! I am sweet and easygoing, I am also caring and a huge nerd/dork. I am pretty determined, to the point I might hurt myself because I get set on my goals! This also leads to pretty bad anxiety from time to time. However when I relax I am super easy going and talkative! I am creative and way too curious, and I shift between motherly and baby! I sometimes think I might be annoying too, but I have learnt to not care what others think about me so I’m just plain weird myself! I love drawing, writing, musical theater and I am a fan of alternative and punk rock! I love cats and plants and I’m studying medicine, big time nerd over here! I adore videogames! I am clumsy as hell, I am creative, and determined, but I am easily distracted and a little in the clouds specially when I read, which I love. I am honestly pretty level headed despite my demeanor and I know who to really show what I'm all about! Thank you so much! Have a nice one!!

Author's Notes: It's not quite a getting together story but I ended it at a cute place. The first part was inspired by Kawatabi's current concern from the Haikyuu wiki. (He and Shirabu went to the same middle school.) Like usual, I didn't touch on everything you wrote but it's more material for me to work with.

Also, I think this is the softest thing I've ever written because I usually make my stories funnier. I did not think Shirabu and soft went together.

You'll Have Time - Shirabu x Reader

Your uncle asked you to be the cashier at his convenience store. You were terrified. He usually did that job but he needed more help. Being an introvert, it was overwhelming to see new faces everyday. You slowly got used to it, but you would have rather worked behind the scenes in the convenience store.

One afternoon, you saw Shirabu and another guy beside him in front of the convenience store. He was nervous to enter because he had told Shirabu that he thought you were cute. Shirabu didn't care and just entered the store anyway, leaving Kawatabi in a panicked state before he finally decided to follow him in.

"Hey, Y/n," Shirabu said.

"What??? You know her?" said Kawatabi.

"Yeah, she goes to my school. She's one of the smart ones."

That was all you really knew about each other. You knew that Shirabu was a determined, hard worker like you and studied like crazy to get into your school. So you really sympathized with him when you watched their match against Karasuno. You could tell he was disappointed about his performance. Even when his coach and teammates tried to cheer him up, he continued to stare at the floor, thinking of all the things he could have done differently.

Gazing at his back as everyone returned to the buses, you wanted to show your support for him somehow but didn't know what to do. The next thing you knew, you had your arms wrapped around his waist.

"What are you doing?" Shirabu bluntly said, slightly freaked out that you hugged him from behind.

"I- I-," you stuttered out. You blamed your caring, motherly side for doing that, but if you said that, he would think you're weird. So you gave an excuse instead. "I tripped! You know how clumsy I am," you said with a nervous laugh. He didn't seem to be convinced, but he accepted that answer. As he continued to walk away, you smiled, knowing he wasn't in a daze about the match anymore.

After that day, Shirabu would acknowledge you in the hallways at school and greet you when you were working at the convenience store. On a quieter day at the store, Shirabu was looking at the notes and textbooks that were spread over the large cashier counter. "You're studying?" he asked.

"Yeah, I want to go to med school so I have to get good grades. I'm fine with science but my other subjects are pulling down my average."

The more often you two crossed paths and chatted, the more comfortable you became around him. "Look Shirabu! Isn't this cat so cute?" you told him excitedly as you held the cat up to his face.

"What see you doing?!" he exclaimed while he moved his head away from the cat's moving limbs. "You literally picked up a random cat off the street," he said, slightly irritated. "Are you trying to get me scratched?" You just laughed as you watched him warm up to the cat anyway.

He continued to hang out with you over the next few months even though he learned how silly and outgoing you were. He even let you show him your favourite video games when you told him to relax and take a break from studying.

One day at school, Shirabu found you sitting on the grass while reading a book. He casually sat beside you as he stared off at nothing in particular. Then he finally said something.

"Hey Y/n," he mumbled to you.

"Mmhmm?" you replied, still distracted by your book.

"I changed my mind. I'm going to the same med school as you."

"Oh, okay," you said, clearly not paying attention.

"Then you wouldn't have to be worried about having no time to date in med school. You'll have time to date if we're both there, right?"

"Mmhmm."

As he started to walk away, it finally registered what he just implied. "Wait what?!?!"

*****

I hope you liked it! Here are my other stories.

Matchup request taglist: @nagichi-deku @nxlx96 @muffins-puffins (let me know if you want to be added or removed) Should I just have a taglist for all my writing?

#haikyuu #haikyuu!! #haikyuu fanfiction #haikyuuwritersnet #haikyuu imagines #haikyuu headcanons #haikyuu drabbles #haikyuu oneshots #shirabu #shirabu kenjiro #shirabu x reader #haikyuu x reader #haikyuu matchups #haikyuu requests #shiratorizawa #shiratorizawa x reader #haikyuu x you #hq #hq!! #mimi's fanfiction

[sergeant-donny-donowitz]

Tough Guy Pt. 2 (DonnyxFem!Reader)

Pt. 1 Here :) 

(theres a few call backs to it ^^^)

Requested by @sodapop182​ and @deadways​

@owba-chan​ @war-obsessed​ @inglourious-imagines​ @tealaquinn​ @struggling-bee​ @frozenhuntress67​ @kwyloz​ @sodapop182​

Let me know if you wanna be added to the IB or OUATIH taglists! :)

Requests still open! ____________________

"Meet me after everything...When the war's done..."

You promised to meet him right there, in that little town, just a few miles away from Paris...

But there was a slight change of plans.

Alarms rang, calls were made, orders were given...

The war was over?

It was the middle of the night.

You stood on the cobble stone path where you watched Donny leave with the basterds only days ago.

"Nurse."

You turned around, spotting the jeep taking you to Paris.

"Lucky you. You get to see the boys that done it!"

You raised your eyebrow, a little distracted as you watched the town roll by.

What if Donny came back and you weren't there?

"The boys that killed Hitler. Lucky them, I should say. They get a medic like you, they'll be fine."

You were a bit overwhelmed.

Frankly most of the nurses were...

The war just...ended... The news hadn't even broken out to the public yet.

So you smiled...

What else could you do?

Maybe...maybe this meant you had a chance of getting your sister back.

Maybe...if you hurried, you'd get back to the village before Donny.

No sooner did you step off the jeep, were you met by a high ranking nameless OSS officer giving instructions out to everyone.

"Right this way, lieutenant. They're in bad shape."

"How many?"

"Four survivors. Our two boys and the owners of the cinema. The owners are being treated already. One of your nurses is with one of the soldiers already. Right this way." He showed you to the sidewalk across  the smoldering carcass of what was once a cinema.

Your heart stopped.

There he was.... lying on the ground, covered in blood, ash, and burns, half of his leg blown off in the explosion.

His eyes shot open with a smile when he saw you, "So this is heaven, huh?"

You rolled your eyes as you started checking his pulse.

"I turn my back on you for a second and look what happens!"

He groaned a in pain, as you started to take a look at his leg.

He tried to keep his mind off it, by thinking of you. "Weren't you gonna stay and wait for me there..."

"This is the only way to keep you around, isn't it?"

He smiled a little, but then it hurt a little too much. "FUCK! SHIT Y/N IS IT BAD?"

Then it all came back to him, he shot up, sweat rolling down his forehead,  "Where's Omar?! And Aldo? He never made it! And the lady?! Von Hammersmark! Wh-"

"Hey! Take it easy!" You helped him back down, "That kid over there Omar? The one winking at the nurses with his good eye?"

Donny glanced over and mumbled through a smirk, "Yeah...yeah that's him!"

"I heard your lieutenant is alright and one or two of your boys are with him." You started to stop the bleeding, "Some of the resistance found your German friends. Three right?"

"Ones a British officer."

"They're in our hospital now. There alright. I promise, Donny."

He gave you that look.

That feverish look of uncertainty.

You gently rested your hand on his chest as it moved eratically. He raised his hand shakily, and dropped it over yours. His chest began to steady a little and you smiled, "They're alright now, Donny. Everything's alright. You just won the war."

Donny nodded slowly, his eyes looking up at the stars in your eyes. "Ya know..." His voice was strained, but his smirk was his own, "I took down Hitler."

"My hero," you chuckled as you wrapped up his wound as best as you could. He'd need a surgeon but for now this was all that could be done by any nurse.

But you weren’t just a nurse.

You were in love.

And all you could do wasn't enough to you.

You needed to keep him steady, take the pain away as much as possible.

"And all without your bat, huh tough guy?"

He took a deep breath, and tried to focus on you, but you seemed hazy...

He would have been perfectly fine with dying in an inglourious haze of revenge and justice. It was Operation Kino... he could’ve gone out like any basterd could hope for...

But then he met you...

He wanted to know what would have happened if he made it back to that little village.

He knew what revenge was... But now that it was all over, he wanted to know what more life could offer.

He'd wondered that before.

What could life give him after the war?

Well when war gave him the best it had, life gave Donny the best he could have.

The answer had been in front of him before, and stood between him and death twice.

It was you.

And now that he knew the answer to the questions he'd asked himself for years...he wasn't sure he could let go anymore.

Not now...

"Y/n..." He managed to mumble through the blood in his mouth.

"Yeah Donny?" You looked up from a harsh burn you were treating.

"Don't....don't let me go..." He pleaded softly, his eyes torn between victory and goodbye.

"Hey...your job was to kill the enemy. Mine is to keep you alive. You did your part now I'm gonna do mine and-"

"S-save me?" He grinned throufh the pain and blood.

You nodded as you fought back the tears, seeing he could still remember the night you met,  "Yeah. You."

He smiled.

Nothing had changed since the first time you met.

He looked up, now at the stars of the free sky...

He got too quiet for your liking ... He was Donny Donowitz for crying out loud. This was too quiet for him.

"Do me a favor...be a tough guy now, huh..."

There was a pulse. Barely there, but better than nothing.

You sighed, "You did it tough guy... Rest up. It's ok."

Suddenly, you heard him mumble, "You'll be there...when it's all over, Right?"

Your heart stopped as a knot in your throat threatened to take the stars from your eyes.

There was nothing more you could do.

But...you didn't lie to him.

So you took his hands in yours and smiled softly, "I promise, Donny...I-"

His eyes shut, and a faint smile because he trusted you.

You leaned over him, a tear falling over his soot covered cheek, as you finished your broken  thought, "...promise."

**** When Donny opened his eyes, he was in a hospital. His heart leapt initially, believing he was back in the place he met you... But he wasn't. He was in an actual hospital. He could hear people celebrating in the streets... He looked around, and once again, you were gone. Dull pain in his leg, the room spinning around, he mumbled your name. He knew you wouldn'r lie to him, but you had your orders to follow, too. He couldn't blame you for that. How could he be mad at the nurse that saved him....twice... He knew there were countless more that needed you more than he did.  Still, it broke his heart. Then again, when he sat up, and looked at the cots next to his, he spotted Hugo, Wicki, and Omar. "Donny!" He cracked a wide grin, and turned to the door, spotting Aldo leaning against the doorway.

"Yeah?!" He sat up, spotting Utivich and Hirschberg behind him. Aldo chuckled, and Donny noticed he was wearing civilian's clothes...new ones, that weren't covered in blood and dirt. "At ease, son, at ease." The moment they were all quiet, Omar asked with a sly grin, "Who's Y/n?" Aldo shut his eyes in frustration. He told that boy a million times not to ask. "Fuck did I tell you!?" Wicki smirked, "That's all you've been saying in your sleep, you know?" Aldo sighed, and smirked a little, "That wouldn't be the perty lil' nurse hangin' roun' here all night, would it?" Hirschberg frowned a little, thinking out loud, "Say ain't that the dame we saw you with back in that town?" Donny smiled softly, "Yeah...that's her..." Smitty sighed, "Oh...well....I saw her leave this morning. A lot of nurses got shipped out..." Donny nodded, "I know, kid...She's got work." Aldo sighed, "Well, Donny, maybe you'll see her again before y'all get discharged." Omar grinned, "Before we go home." Home... His heart sank a little, though he smiled softly. Maybe you'd get that root beer float then. Maybe you'd get your sister back... "Maybe, sir... Maybe." ******** Months passed... It was finally all over. The basterds were in D.C., getting the medal of honor. Donny looked out onto the crowd, and spotted his parents, his little brother... When did he get so tall? And his sister. Married already?

His parents... His dad had more grey hairs, his mother looked tired from worrying... But they were happy now. His eyes then fell on one more familiar face in the back, jet lagged, but just in time. He smiled when he saw you, and didn’t stop.

And in all the pictures taken that day, Donny was the basterd with the widest smile. When the cameras stopped flashing, the speeches were done, the goodbyes were made, and the hellos were given, there was time again. "Goin' my way?" He winked, and you laughed, as you threw your arms around him, "You know it." He chuckled and kissed you. "Pick me up, Friday at seven?" You winked and slipped a piece of paper in his hand. He looked down and spotted an address and number. He smirked, "You know it." So less than a week later, you'd both gone home, back in Boston... You got more phone calls from him than you could count. And one lucky Thursday night, a knock on the door. "Donny, can't you wait until tomo-" Your heart stopped, and you sobbed, as your sister stood there. Things were finally the way they should have been... And only getting better. Because the next night, Donny was the one at the door. He waited for you to get that piece of pie. Boston cream pie.

(A/N Art by @sodapop182​ !!! She’s so talented y’all should check out her blog its amazing! ;-;) _____ It became a tradition. Every Friday night, at the same booth, same order. A slice of pie and a root beer float to share. Some nights, you worked late at the hospital, but that was ok. He'd be waiting outside at the end of your shift, with the pie, knowing you were hungry and tired. One Friday night, not long after, there was pie, a root beer float, and a diamond ring. A year or two later, there were three people at that table, then four, then five. It was 1952 now. Your two year old daughter was sitting in his lap, as he chuckled, "Come on, kid sit still!" desparately trying to wipe away crumbs of pie from her face. Your two sons, four and six years old, rushed to the juke box. You looked up at Donny, laughing as you watched your sons dance. "They have your moves, tough guy." He smirked a little, though he was looking down at his baby girl, straightening out the bow in her short, black, curly hair, "They have your smile, doll." He scooped some more pie in a spoon, and fed his daughter, "Ain't that right kid?" She just giggled, and in that moment, everything was perfect. At that table, Donny wasn't a sergeant, he didn't need to be a tough guy anymore. He was wearing the same wife-beater, as always, still loud and obnoxious like any guy from Boston, and he was still a basterd at heart... But he still wore the same smile he had the moment he fell in love. Things had changed so much since you both shipped out overseas, but that smile stayed the same, and always would.

#donny-donowitz #donny donowitz imagine #donny donowitz x reader #Donny Donowitz #Inglourious Basterds #inglourious basterds imagine

[in-her-wildest-dreams]

a lil update

amidst such a wonderful time celebrating the release of folklore, i thought i’d update you guys on my life right now :)

- i graduated uni this month after 5.5 years and (FINALLY) got sent my official certificate via email last night !! we don't have a physical ceremony which sucks but there’s an online surprise thing tomorrow so im still excited !

- I QUIT MY CASUAL JOB THAT IVE HAD FOR 4 YEARS NOW AND IT WAS SOOOO SAD AND HARD BUT I ALSO HAVE NEVER BEEN MORE EXCITED TO START A NEW CHAPTER IN MY CAREER FIELD!!!!

- i was supposed to be LIVING in london at the start of this month to start a new life BUT that clearly just wasn’t right in the current climate and i’m very sad about it and have spent nights crying over life but i know i’ll be there living my dream as soon as humanly possible after COVID and now i’m just even more excited at the reality of actually doing it knowing that every single thing thats happened to me happened for a reason and it was all meant to be the way it is!!

- i got a NEW job in my actual career field a few weeks ago when i hadn't even finished my last placement which was incredibly overwhelming BUT SO SO SO EXCITING!!! its honestly a dream job already and i absolutely love every second there and the team has been THE most welcoming and nothing but LOVELY to me and i just love it so much :)

- IM MOVING OUT OF HOME TO THE CITY NEXT WEEK!!!!!!!!!!! one of the girls from my new job randomly said they were looking for a new roomie when i mentioned wanting to move to the city and it all happened so FAST AND IM FINALLLLLLY MOVING OUT NEXT WEEK AND IM SO SO SO SO EXCITED

- i have been very social and have had the most special times with my closest friends over the last few weeks and have enjoyed just living in the ‘now’ and focusing on what’s around me rather than what’s in front of me :)

- i’m very overwhelmed but very very very happy about life and i just know that this next half of 2020 is going to be magical !!!

[siennadaniels]

hi everyone, it’s meha ( andrew sterling aka noah centineo & chandler heine aka richard madden) again, back with a third character. Ms. Sienna Rose Rothschild Daniels is a lil bougie and a lil judgy, full of heart and love for her family and friends, though! She works as a journalist and photographer at the Frostford Herald, is 33 years old, and grew up in Frostford. She left town when she was 18 to go to NYU and came back a few months ago. Below the cut I’m putting some facts about her for easy reference! (please see default sienna face in gif) 

ABOUT: 

Sienna is the middle child, a girl sandwiched between her brothers. Ryder (older, married to Rosalie) and Jack (younger, got a girl pregnant recently) are incredibly important to her, even if all three of them are fuckin’ disasters!! 

Huge family— on her Daniels side (her dad), she’s related to Tanner, Thomas (RIP), Carter, Lizzie, and Lexa Cartwright and Katrina McDonald. She loves those fools and any time the eight surviving cousins (RIP Thomas) get together, it’s a fun time. Also chaos. 

Her Rothschild side comes with lots of money and a trust fund for her and each of her siblings— a far cry from her baby cousin Kat who has grown up an orphan on a farm.

Sienna literally hates her Rothschild grandparents! Hates them!!!!!! 

But she loves $$$$$ so she puts up with them and has her whole life

Sienna has been proposed to twice in her life and has literally PEACED OUT both times. The first happened at age 18 when her boyfriend/best friend/love of her life Austin Lockhart proposed to her right after they graduated high school because he was going into the military. She moved to NYC at the beginning of that summer instead of waiting until August when NYU’s fall semester began. 

She double majored in journalism and environmental science in undergrad, per Carter Institute requirements, and became a producer with the travel channel for a travel show after college (she worked her way up the ladder) 

In New York, her friend/best friend’s younger sister Juniper Kennedy set her up with June’s husband’s brother. Sienna and said brother hit it off and started dating!! 

A year later he also proposed to her at a dinner full of all of their friends, to which she said, “oh, wow, babe,” and covered her hands with her mouth and pretended to cry and get overwhelmed and said they should talk about it later, only later never actually came because the next day she packed all her stuff and caught a flight to Mobile, Alabama. 

This girl snatches her hand away anytime a man tries to put a diamond on the ring finger of her left hand. 

She just has commitment issues, and [lily james voice] “i wanna make some memories.”  

Some of these memories have included Sadie Lockhart (remember love of her life Austin? His crazy little sister) spreading rumors about her around town, including one that Sienna wanted to kill her own grandparents. Sadie probably doesn’t even regret it. 

STILL, there are good memories, like getting to live in Chicago and Philly and Nashville, San Francisco and Seattle, tour Thailand and mainland China and experience the best of Singapore all on the Travel Channel’s dime. 

She’s been back in Frostford for about six months now and is renting out this cute 2b/2b house that’s starting to grow on her & she’s got a job at the Herald to keep her busy while she continues to work remotely for the Travel Channel. Every so often she’ll go to Atlanta for a day or two to check in at the office there. 

If you are still reading— why? 

CONNECTIONS: (non-exhaustive list, feel free to dm me!)

BEST FRIENDS: 

Girl Gang Shit: Hannah Cartwright, Anna Rhee, Lemon Kennedy

General Life Best Friends who are her Life Best Friends: Daniel Kim, Beau Castor

FRIENDS: (4/X)

Brooke Parker

June Kennedy

Persimmon Kennedy

Peach Kennedy

Christopher Aldrich

FAMILY:

Tanner Cartwright 

Carter Cartwright

Lexa Cartwright

Kat McDonald

ENEMIES: 

Owen Heine

Sadie Lockhart

Gerry Dixon

COWORKERS

Rory Reilly

Easton Williams

Nash Gordon

Nora McDowell 

#about

[1-800-seo]

domestic dad!kook

hi everyone I thought I’d post my crap here so here is my domestic dad!kook Drabble list thing?

involves: pregnancy, established relationship/marriage, kissing, hickies?, general tomfoolery, nothing major, dad!jungkook,

————————————————————

* those damned blue lines

* you thought you wouldn’t see them so soon

* after all you had only been married eighteen months

* old relatives have been asking since day 1 when they’re gonna he seeing some lil jeons running around smh aunty karen

* you wondered how he would react

* he’d never shown any adverse reaction to children before but he was practically still a child himself

* the spiderman onesie you washed yesterday attests to that

* you decided to tell him at dinner

* he’d just had his first bite of tagliatelle when you accidentally blurted it out

* “IM PREGNANT”

* “what?” he replied snapping his head up with wide doe eyes

* “I-I found out this morning...I’m definitely pregnant. I know it’s soon, but we can make this work.”

* “What’re you on about? This is amazing baby, I finally get to be a dad!”

* “So you want this?”

* “Definitely, I’ve always imagined a family with you, it was just a matter of time. I’m so happy though baby, over the moon.”

* The smile on his face was beaming and the twinkle in his eye sparkled, he looked the epitome of happiness

* “I’m glad you want this then, it’ll be a wild ride but I’m glad it’s with you.”

* you reach out and squeeze his hand, as a fat tear of joy rolls down your cheek

* “I’m glad too, I know we’re young but it feels so right, so right with you.”

* he looks down, a tear dripping onto the table

* he wipes a few more and giggles

* “Tbh im surprised this didn’t happen earlier considering we go at it like rabbits”

* “KOOK” you cant help but laugh

* He is right lol

—————————————————ʕ•̫͡•ʕ•̫͡•ʔ•̫͡•ʔ•̫͡•ʕ•̫͡•ʔ•̫͡•ʕ•̫͡•ʕ•̫͡•ʔ•̫͡•ʔ•̫͡•ʕ•̫͡•ʔ•̫͡•ʔ

—————————————————

One month 🍼

* “Where is my wife and my spawn~~~~~~”

* Jeongguk loudly sang as he burst thru the front door, arriving home from work

* “Wym spawn???“ You say as he pulls you into a bear hug and flops both of you on the couch

* “You know,, spawn, this baby, it’s my spawn hence why I’m calling it spawn like the superhero,, duh”

* he drops his hands down to your stomach and rest them their, flat palmed

* bowing his head so he is closer he says

* “I can’t wait to meet you Spawnie”

* Immediately you burst into a fit of laughter at the outrageous name

* “we CANNOT nickname our baby SPAWN, JEONGGUK”

* “Why not I think it’s well cool”

* he calmly replies proud smirk on his face

* “Is Spawn even a good guy?”

* “ummm”

* “wym ummm??”

* “well he’s kind of ambiguous in the comics”

* “OH GREAT WE HAVE A BABY NAMED SPAWN THAT IS OF AMBIGUOUS MORALITY”

* at that comment you both fell about laughing, your sides beginning to hurt at it all

* and that was how your unborn baby was nicknamed Spawn

—————————————————ʕ•̫͡•ʕ•̫͡•ʔ•̫͡•ʔ•̫͡•ʕ•̫͡•ʔ•̫͡•ʕ•̫͡•ʕ•̫͡•ʔ•̫͡•ʔ•̫͡•ʕ•̫͡•ʔ•̫͡•ʔ

—————————————————

Three Months 🍼

* “I can’t push the trolley, I’m pregnant”

* you said matter of factly

* “oh you’re just being lazy,, I mean I’m not saying I won’t push the trolley, but you’re really pushing the boat out, baby”

* “hehehe my plan worked, you fool, you may have suspected me, however you still fell right into my trap muhahahaha”

* you dramatically laugh and put your hands on your hips like a comical villain

* so anyways you skrt skrt around the shop

* and right next to the book section is you know what

* the BABY SECTION

* so far you actually haven’t looked their yet because you don’t know the gender

* but curiosity brings you snooping in the aisles

* Jeongguk returns from the bakery section, carrying croissants and hair swept into a messy top knot

* you stare at the many many many racks of children’s clothes

* tiny baby booties

* hats that kook could only fit on his fist

* so so smol baby-grows

* “ngl I’m kinda overwhelmed”

* “how come?”

* he puts his hands round your waist and rests his head on your shoulders

* big soft comfy back hug

* “idk it’s a lot of responsibility, right? I can’t even begin to think about names never mind washing, clothing, feeding this tiny human being when it arrives”

* “baby, you have nothing to worry about, and I am positive you’re going to be the best most caring mother ever, and I have full trust in that.”

* He places a soft chaste kiss on the top of your head

* “thank you for always supporting me ggukie”

* “It’s my pleasure; we’re going to have the best baby ever, aren’t we Spawnie”

* You roll your eyes and kiss his cheek

—————————————————ʕ•̫͡•ʕ•̫͡•ʔ•̫͡•ʔ•̫͡•ʕ•̫͡•ʔ•̫͡•ʕ•̫͡•ʕ•̫͡•ʔ•̫͡•ʔ•̫͡•ʕ•̫͡•ʔ•̫͡•ʔ

—————————————————

Four Months 🍼

* you were sat on the couch in your small apartment, small but sufficient

* Jungkook was painting the spare room and deconstructing old furniture you were selling on eBay

* You’re job was to arrange the business dealings and to look for new kid-appropriate furniture to reoccupy the spaces now blank

* It was fine by you

* saves you from getting up off the couch and getting all sweaty

* after a good few hours JK came out from the room, sweat on his brow and hungry

* hungry for something else tho 👀

* he stalks over to where you are sitting and kneels on the floor in front of your knees

* he rests his head on your lap, arms folded underneath it

* his eyes were dark, full of want

* “How’s it going baby? You tired?”

* “hmmm”

* he just stares back

* brows slightly furrowed

* soon enough he was peppering your face in warm kisses

* he flipped you over and sat you on his lap, hands resting on your waist

* his lips latched onto your neck and he sucked a flourish of purple and blue flowers under your jaw

* his lips were warm and supple on your skin

* it sent a shiver down your spine and goosebumps to your skin

* you found the hem of his black T-shirt and slid your hands under the fray

* you’re hands met the toned muscle of his stomach and the soft honey skin

* “looks like I can’t knock you up since someone already has, oh well, more fun for me”

* his hands fiddled with the fabric of your top

* you obliged and pulled it over your head

* you were met with his mouth hungrily crashing into yours as he searched for more and soon enough you were underneath him

—————————————————ʕ•̫͡•ʕ•̫͡•ʔ•̫͡•ʔ•̫͡•ʕ•̫͡•ʔ•̫͡•ʕ•̫͡•ʕ•̫͡•ʔ•̫͡•ʔ•̫͡•ʕ•̫͡•ʔ•̫͡•ʔ

—————————————————

Six Months 🍼

* your belly was fairly noticeable by now and you couldn’t avoid the fact that you were pregnant

* people were starting to let you sit instead of them in public places

* you were getting more and more randos asking to touch your belly as well which wasn’t the greatest

* JK is always in protective dad mode™️ when this happens

* he’s ready to protect his babies

* one time when a sketchy looking old man asked to touch your belly JK immediately stood in between you and the guy

* he puffed out his chest and was hella macho

* Alpha Jungkook arises hehe

* ever since then he was more aware that people would be looking at you and more interested in you in general

* anyways

* he’s hella excited to be a dad

* his excitement is so pure and genuine it’s so sweet

* it’s like every day he gets more excited and you think by the full 9 months he’ll just be so excited he’ll be vibrating like a washing machine lol

* every night he kisses you and your baby good night

* “Night night baby jeon spawnie”

* without fail it makes you giggle

* his lil nose always brushes against your skin when he says it and it’s ticklish and comforting

* you can’t wait to meet your baby to see which of you they look like and in what ways

* will they have your double lidded eyes or his unique nose

* will they have his bunny teeth or your short stature

* either way they’ll be the most loved being in this world

—————————————————ʕ•̫͡•ʕ•̫͡•ʔ•̫͡•ʔ•̫͡•ʕ•̫͡•ʔ•̫͡•ʕ•̫͡•ʕ•̫͡•ʔ•̫͡•ʔ•̫͡•ʕ•̫͡•ʔ•̫͡•ʔ

—————————————————

Seven Months 🍼

* it was time for the long awaited gender reveal

* you and him had decided that you would go alone to the appointment since he had work and then you would surprise Ggukie when he gets back

* you decided the way you would tell him was by dressing in either blue or pink

* you know you know,, not really breaking gender stereotypes, but it gets the idea over

* so that’s what you do

* you wear you’re best maternity day dress and do your makeup all güd

* it’s 5:30pm and he’s so excited to know

* he barges thru the door and basically and sprints to you

* he’s met with a baby blue clad wife, her hair adorned with a periwinkle ribbon

* immediately he knows and swoops you up into a bear hug

* “Jungkook? We’re going to have a little baby boy!”

* “I’m so happy! I feel like I’ve drank five red bulls,, we’re going to have a boy”

* When you pull away from the hug his cheeks have tears dripping down them and his eyes are wet

* “aww baby why’re you crying?”

* “because I’m just so happy, I can’t wait to see him, he’s going to be perfect, we’ll all be perfect”

* “you’re right kook, we’ll be perfect”

* “You don’t know how much I love you, you know?”

* that was when you started crying tears of happiness too

* youd remember this moment forever

—————————————————ʕ•̫͡•ʕ•̫͡•ʔ•̫͡•ʔ•̫͡•ʕ•̫͡•ʔ•̫͡•ʕ•̫͡•ʕ•̫͡•ʔ•̫͡•ʔ•̫͡•ʕ•̫͡•ʔ•̫͡•ʔ

—————————————————

Eight Months 🍼

* “I think it’s time to think of some actual names”

* “yeahhh people at work keep thinking I’m actually calling the baby Spawnie and then I keep having to explain why it’s called Spawn and i don’t particularly like explaining that Spawn is a play on sperm and that’s my sperm”

* “What goes ON at your work”

* “you don’t even wanna know babygirl”

* “ummm so I was thinking, something familial, i don’t want a western name tho so that rules out my side,, unless you want to call him Barry”

* “uhh no thanks babes”

* “yeahh they’d sound like the flash lol”

* “I don’t want none of that DC propaganda in my household thanks”

* “tru tru”

* “so what about your side of family? Can you think of any family who have named you like?”

* “What about Junseok? My great uncle is called Junseok and I think that’s cool, also it kinda looks like a combination of Namjoon-hyung and Jin-hyung’s names.”

* “Wow they’d love that, that’s a good idea actually.”

* “Jeon Junseok, has a good ring to it”

* “I agree”

* “It’s settled then until further notice”

* “It seems it is Mr Jeon”

—————————————————ʕ•̫͡•ʕ•̫͡•ʔ•̫͡•ʔ•̫͡•ʕ•̫͡•ʔ•̫͡•ʕ•̫͡•ʕ•̫͡•ʔ•̫͡•ʔ•̫͡•ʕ•̫͡•ʔ•̫͡•ʔ

—————————————————

First Week Home 🍼

* The moment Junseok was in his little sunset coloured crib you burst into tears of relief

* you’d obviously been stressing post birth about the intricacies and once you’d got him home and settled it was like a weight of your shoulders

* he was home

* he was safe

* and you were both over the moon

* he had the smallest nose and the biggest doe eyes

* his dark hair swept across his delicate skin on his forehead

* you just knew he’d be the spitting image of his dad

* each following day with Junseok was amazing

* he was good for you

* slept so well

* settled into routine easily

* it’s as if you never had to worry

* and Jungkook was a life saver

* he was such an attentive father and husband

* always caring for you and Junseok

* every morning he’d bring you up a cup of herbal tea and bowl of granola

* and go check on the baby and if he’s awake change and feed him

* his paternity leave was a blessing

* it meant you actually got a lie in instead of Junseok waking you up

* “I can do the baby this morning, it’s ok”

* you say sitting up in bed

* “no no I’ll do it I’m used to getting up at this time for work anyway”

* “but you’ve been doing it all this week I feel bad”

* “Baby, rest, I want to do this, you deserve a rest after carrying the baby for nine months, I’m sure I can take care of him for a few mornings”

* then he gave u a sweet kiss and left to see his baby boy

—————————————————ʕ•̫͡•ʕ•̫͡•ʔ•̫͡•ʔ•̫͡•ʕ•̫͡•ʔ•̫͡•ʕ•̫͡•ʕ•̫͡•ʔ•̫͡•ʔ•̫͡•ʕ•̫͡•ʔ•̫͡•ʔ

—————————————————

Eighteen Months 🍼

* you pulled on Junseok’s tiny yellow wellies as Jungkook put on his coat

* “where are we going seokie?”

* “P-p-p” Junseok tried his best to get out the letters

* “Yayyy we’re going to the park”

* “Me and your mum are going to meet uncle Jimin too, and you know what that means? You’re going to get spoileddd”

* “V tru, but why does he always spoil him? I mean it’s not a problem he gets free things and stuff, but do you reckon he’s compensating for something?”

* “Yeah as nice as it is I think he might be compensating for not being around as often as he’d like to, solo career going strong as all, you know how he loves kids, in his head he probably thinks he’s an absent uncle but in reality he’s ever present just away for an odd weekend, which is normal”

* “yeah I get that”

* “But it’ll be nice to see him anyway, we can ask him about his new single”

* “Oh I’ve heard that it’s pretty good”

* Junseok pulled at the hem of your coat, indicating he wants to leave

* So off you went

* the day was filled with jumping in muddy puddles and Jimin nearly falling in said puddles

* Junseok got all dirty so you had to go find a bathroom to clean him up at

* hence why you ended up at an ice cream parlour in winter

* despite the cold weather you enjoyed the ice cream nonetheless

* JK teases Jimin a few times because apparently Jimin’s white blond hair was vanilla ice cream and his was chocolate

* Jimin insisted his was bingsu however JK refused

* Junseok had a great time fluffing up uncle Jimin’s hair after that

* and so the day drew to an end

* you headed home

* Seokie sleeping in the car all the way there

* you gently took him into the house and the pair of you collapsed on the couch and immediately fell asleep

* it was the cutest thing

* and when you woke up you saw your two boys asleep so soundly

* and you thought to yourself how content with your life you were

* how lucky you were

* how much you love those boys

* and you’d do anything for them

—————————————————ʕ•̫͡•ʕ•̫͡•ʔ•̫͡•ʔ•̫͡•ʕ•̫͡•ʔ•̫͡•ʕ•̫͡•ʕ•̫͡•ʔ•̫͡•ʔ•̫͡•ʕ•̫͡•ʔ•̫͡•ʔ

—————————————————

The End hehehe :)

#jungkook #jeon jungkook #bts #bts oneshot #jungkook oneshot #domestic au #dad!jungkook #fluff #pregnant #pregnant reader #established marriage #established couple #jungkook fluff #dad!kook

[agustdomain]

Taste Of His Universe

Synopsis: What’s it like to finally understand what goes on in the mind of a boy who reminds you of a galaxy?

Word count: 12.6 k

Genre: A lil bit of angst. Post-road trip. Lot of inner thoughts. 

Warnings: Minor language, implications of family abuse, negative outlook on self.

Member: Donghyuck, ft. OC, Renjun & Yuqi, other dreamies, and introduction of Jisung and Yuri! New faces haha

To Read Take Me To Outer Space, click here.

Author’s Note: This special work is an unofficial sequel. Tmtos is its own standalone work, and can be perceived as such. This work isn’t necessary and doesn’t offer a different ending, per se. It’s just an opportunity to understand the complexity of Donghyuck a little more. This is a special thank you to all those who have followed me this past year! Back when I wrote this last year, I didn’t imagine the amount of love I would get for it. Like I say so often, Take Me To Outer Space is incredibly important to me. I’m grateful so many of you love it as well. Without further ado, please enjoy getting a taste of Donghyuck’s mind. -Angelo

For as long as he could remember, there were questions rushing through Donghyuck’s mind. Sometimes they came in flashes, usually about what he had to do or that had his attention at the time. Other times, it was more serious and long term. The particularly heavy questions plagued him at night, sure, but other times they would leave his head reeling at the most inconvenient moments. He was a curious guy, always questioning and wondering about the world around him. People usually were the biggest source of his curiosity . He never let it show, found it a little bit childlike to always have wonder eager on his tongue. 

The burning question of the hour was, Why am I here?

“Seriously. That is the question,” He muttered aloud, unaware of anything but his thoughts. Here he was, the sun beating down on his back and making sweat build at his nape. The longer he stood in front of the quaint, barely noticeable shop, he tried to ignore the droplets racing down his back. 

Shuffling on his feet, he squinted down the street on his right, then did the same on his left. Searching for an answer, maybe? Perhaps he was stalling. One thing was for sure, he truly didn’t like that he always did things on a whim. 

And that’s why he was standing outside this flower shop, wondering just what his bright idea was and why he originally thought it was genius.

Yeah, it may have been a good idea last night when he was lying awake in his bed back home. All of his things packed, waiting and ready for his departure. Come morning, he was getting on a plane and flying back to reality, back to school and to all of his friends. Back to burning questions with no answers and hesitation. 

Life wasn’t particularly easy on the boy who knew how to overthink.

“Hey, kid. You just gonna stand there or what?” Donghyuck snapped out of his distracted thoughts, feeling his mouth twist in embarrassment. A worker, maybe in his late twenties, was in the middle of putting some flowers on display in front of the shop. 

“Sorry,” Donghyuck uttered, walking past him and into the propped open door. 

It was definitely a smaller establishment, kind of what he imagined a flower shop to look like. The aroma was overwhelming and everywhere he looked there was a burst of color. Rubbing away the sweat at his temple, Donghyuck felt a frown settled on his face as a headache began to rise.

He knew next to nothing about flowers.

“Why. Am. I. Here?” He said, beginning on his journey by wandering around aimlessly. There wasn’t really anywhere to wander, but he tried to make himself look like he was searching for something specific. In all honesty, the only thing he was looking for was his reason. 

The sound of the shop door swinging closed- the bell attached to it was obnoxiously loud- grabbed his attention. The worker from earlier trudged in, large box in his arms. The embarrassment from earlier tried to push its way up and onto his cheeks but Donghyuck turned away from the sight.

To distract himself, he read the little display card in front of him over and over. Peonies.

Hm. So that’s what they look like. 

“Looking for anything in particular?”

Donghyuck fidgeted in place, glancing over his shoulder at the guy who was now behind the counter. From the brief glance, he wondered if he imagined the subtle amusement hidden in the worker’s features. 

“No thanks. Just looking,” He settled on, turning forward once more. Staring down at the peonies, he found the question that was probing at him transforming into, Why am I such an idiot?

“You looking for a gift for your mom? Friend? Girlfriend?”

Donghyuck’s eyes raised to the ceiling, his eyebrow twitching in annoyance. He understood it was the guy’s job to be helpful, but it was starting to get annoying. Nonetheless, he kept his cool.

“Ah, well, it’s a bit complicated.” Donghyuck decided to keep it as concise as possible, because even he himself didn’t know how to go about handling his wild ideas.

 If he could go back in time, back to his yesterday self whose heart was aching and searching for a solution, he would tell him that flowers weren’t the answer.

“I get it,” The worker’s voice was now right behind him. Donghyuck internally sighed as he stepped up beside him. The guy couldn’t catch a clue. “It’s an apology you’re looking for.”

Instead of answering, he only gave the guy a polite smile before turning and walking away, his eyes scanning the abundance of flowers surrounding him. He couldn’t focus on the situation at hand, not when his mind wasn’t even in order and his methods were seriously flawed.

For him to think that flowers were the answer. 

Suddenly, he felt his heart grow stifled at the realization that once again, going out on a whim failed him. Flowers weren’t the answer, no, it was a stupid idea. 

Why would flowers help the complexity that was he and Y/N’s relationship?

Rubbing at his face with frustration, he checked his watch. He had only been back for a few hours, and he was already making impulsive decisions. It had been three months since he last saw you, one and a half months since you last spoke.

Boy, did he have another thing coming if he thought flowers were going to salvage the state of your connection.

“From the look on your face, it seems there’s trouble in paradise.” The worker was now leaning against a display right behind him. Donghyuck’s annoyance with himself mixed with the probing flower boy was edging him to snap. 

Once more, he feigned a smile. “I’m just looking around, man.”

The guy cocked an eyebrow. Donghyuck took a moment to study him, guessing that the worker was someone who didn’t know when to stop. Hey, who was he to talk though? He had his own overbearing personality. 

“This is my area of expertise. If you’re looking for an apology, sure, flowers can help. But if it’s an extreme offense, I can give you directions to the grocery store. Girls like when you give them their favorite snacks.”

He couldn’t help it anymore. The guy was ticking him off. “Look,” His eyes flickered down to his nametag, “Hyungwon, I don’t know if you’re bad at reading people or you simply don’t care, but I’m not in the greatest mood to be pestered. In fact, I’m still trying to figure out why I thought it was a brilliant idea to buy a girl flowers when we’re technically not even speaking. So I would like it if you just left me alone.”

Instead of being offended, Hyungwon snickered. 

Instead of snapping even further, Donghyuck walked away once more. 

“What am I even doing?” He asked himself, looking longingly at the door. The more seconds ticked by, the more he realized being here wasn’t the solution. In fact, he was better off going back to his apartment and sorting out the mess of his mind on his own. 

Flowers wouldn’t magically make things better. 

“Going back in time would,” Donghyuck sighed, before twisting on his heel and striding toward the shop door.

“Sure you don’t want to buy a bouquet?” Hyungwon, the worker, hollered. Donghyuck scoffed, the words giving him more of a boost to book it out of there. “I’m sure I’ll see you again!”

“I’m sure you will,” Donghyuck muttered sarcastically, the sound of the door bell announcing his exit.

Back to the merciless heat.

Back to confusion and wondering how to break out of his mind, his endless questions. 

Most importantly, and unfortunately, back to his thoughts about you.

It was no surprise there. Since the day he met you, you haunted him. Good or bad, it had always been like that. Distance didn’t change that, your guys’ issues didn’t change that. 

And for the better part of the summer, all of his burning questions were about you. And right now, as he made his way back to his apartment, the question at the forefront of his mind was an iceberg. Simple on the surface, a lot deeper upon further examination.

Do I still have a place in your heart?

~

“There he is. I was wondering when you’d show up. I was surprised to see all your stuff here but no sign of you.” Some of the nerves from earlier subsided at the sight of Jeno’s smile.

Donghyuck’s shoulders sagged at the release of tension, a hint of a smile on his own lips as he pushed the front door behind him shut.The two met in an embrace, a blur of excitement and adoration for each other. 

“Sorry, man, I was out… running errands.” Donghyuck settled on, taking a moment to observe the small space. The two of them had been lucky to snag an apartment near campus, though they would have to commute to and from. It was rather costly, but with some help from Jeno’s parents, both of them on the hunt for jobs and some scholarships rolled into it, they were making it work. 

“Empty handed?” Jeno inquired, his gaze flickering down to his friend’s hands. 

“Long story,” Donghyuck uttered, only now noticing he was tired. So far, the only piece of furniture in their small living room space was a two-seat sofa. He didn’t mind, though, because he was content. Content to be living with someone he valued deeply but would never say aloud. 

Throwing himself across the sofa, he sighed in relief. It felt good to rest his body and his mind. 

“I know we don’t have much to start off with, but once everything starts kicking into gear I was thinking we can add to this place. It’s small, sure, but at least we got our own rooms! And I-”

“Jeno, don’t worry about it.” Donghyuck flipped on his back to look his friend in the eye. He could tell Jeno was fretting about his reaction to the place and he regretted not being here during the summer to help look for their place. A heaviness settled in his heart. He silently vowed he’d make it up to him. With sincerity in his voice, he added, “This place is perfect.”

Watching the light enter Jeno’s face made Donghyuck so happy. He would never say it aloud. 

Instead, he merely laid his head back down and closed his eyes, finding it hard to believe that the summer had blown by and they were merely days away from their sophomore year of college.

~

Tap. Tap. Tap. 

Donghyuck peered above his laptop at Jeno.

Tap. Tap. Tap. 

Shaking his head, he could feel another headache coming on as he waited for any sign of activity on the other end of his laptop.

Tap. Tap. Tap.

“Dude, will you please-”

“I was thinking pizza tonight. How does that sound?” Jeno’s hand remained poised in the air, ready to throw the ball in his hand at the wall again. His question saved Donghyuck from having to hear the ceaseless sound of it hitting it over and over, at least for a moment.

“Sounds good. As long as we get sausage on it.”

Jeno made a face. “Bleh. We’ll make half of it sausage and half of it good.”

“Screw you,” Donghyuck chuckled, his eyes being pulled back down to his screen. Seeing the familiar bubbles pop up on his messaging app, he sighed with relief. The jerk was finally responding to his texts. Just as his friend responded, Jeno called out to him.

“Huh?”

“Did you hear me? I said I hope you don’t mind that Yuqi is coming over. The three of us haven’t chilled in forever. And I’ve barely seen her this summer. She spends all her time with Renjun.”

Donghyuck scoffed, typing away at his keyboard. “Is that jealousy I hear? Last time I checked, you had a thing with that girl this summer too. I’m sure you haven’t made any time for Yuqi either.”

“Yo, whose side are you on?”

“I’m indifferent.” Just then, he stood up with his laptop in order to head to his room for more privacy. “Of course I’m fine with her coming over. As if I have any choice in the matter.”

“Chances are, she’s going to chew you out for… you know.”

Donghyuck paused in his footsteps, his heart squeezing. Looking over his shoulder at Jeno, he could tell his friend was avoiding looking at him at all costs. Always feigning nonchalance. The two of them were one and the same.

Tap. Tap. Tap.

“She can try all she wants. She doesn’t know the full story anyway.”

“Do any of us?” Jeno only looked at him then, making Donghyuck’s heart drop. He could see the worry barely masked, could see how his hand had paused once more from tossing the ball at the wall. His eyes were mirrors of questions, ones that echoed in Donghyuck’s own mind.

All he could do was take a page out of Jeno’s book. Feign nonchalance.

Donghyuck forced a shrug. “Who knows?” 

When he made it to his pretty desolate bedroom, he quietly closed the door. His eyes fluttered shut for a moment, his head dizzy with the implications of the previous conversation.

The truth of the matter was, even he didn’t know the full story. Of course his friends would want to know. After all, everyone was friends with each other. If they didn’t hear it from him, they probably heard it from Y/N.

He could only wonder if you were just as confused as he was.

No. You probably hated him. That’s the only reasonable idea that comes to mind.

The sound of the video chat ringing startled him out of his thoughts. Blowing out a breath of air, he quickly accepted and proceeded to make himself comfortable on the only thing set up in his room: his bed.

Instead of feeling happiness like he would’ve thought, or perhaps sadness from having to be departed with his friend until he flew back home, he could only muster annoyance at the guy’s face.

“What?” He asked, before adjusting his circular glasses and shifting his own device from the other side.

“Jisung, I told you to call me the moment you got back home. How is he? Did anyone see you?”

Jisung rolled his eyes. “Relax, no one saw me. You forget we did this for an entire year. And yes, Rocket’s fine. Happy to see his favorite person.”

Donghyuck remained unamused at the sight of Jisung’s grin. 

“Not in a good mood, I see. As usual,” Jisung uttered the last part before cracking open a can of soda and sipping at it. He proceeded to say, “How’s everything out there? You all unpacked?”

He faked a laugh. “Do you really think I’m that organized? I’ve only been here for less than a day.”

Jisung leaned back in his desk chair, “Eh, you never know. Sometimes people surprise you.”

“Unfortunately, I’m pretty set in my ways,” Donghyuck shook his head, his eyes scanning his bare room. He couldn’t begin to explain the conflict in his heart. He was happy to be back here, away from the chaos of his home life. Yet, a part of him still ached for having to leave some things behind. There were only a few pieces of happiness back in his hometown. 

Jisung and his dog, Rocket, pretty much summed it all up. 

He had gotten Rocket back in his freshman year of high school. The puppy was what got him through a lot of tough nights, whether it be school or personal life issues. And he had gotten his name from yet another aspect of his life that he cherished deeply. Rocket was the name of the first song he had ever listened to by MAD, his favorite band. 

Blinking at the sound of Jisung’s voice, he tuned in on his friend’s low voice.

“You know, I just wish Rocket could stay with me whenever you’re gone. It would make things a whole lot easier.”

“Yeah, I do too. But you know how it is,” That’s all he said, because if anyone knew how his life was, it was Jisung. In fact, he was probably the only person in the whole world who understood him fully. It was such a shame he wasn’t with him.

“Well, one more year. One more year and I’m outta here just like you. And if you don’t take Rocket with you, he’s coming with me.”

“In your dreams.” Donghyuck genuinely laughed and it felt good. It felt good to be completely comfortable, unafraid of someone judging him. It was hard, because he did have good friends here at school. He had Jeno and Yuqi. And he had… you. But no one else knew him like Jisung did. “Thank you, Jisung. I… I don’t know what I would do without you.”

If Jisung recognized the double meaning, he didn’t address it. Clicking his tongue and waving a hand dismissively, he said, “No worries. You know Rocket secretly loves me more. I’ll always have his back… and yours too.”

Donghyuck looked away, maybe to collect himself or to think of what to say. He settled with, “Again, in your dreams.”

“Hey, Hyuck! Yuqi’s here!” 

“Sounds like you got to get back,” Jisung was slightly grinning, as if he had a secret he would never tell. Donghyuck knew that it meant trust, that he was considered a close confidant. 

“We’ll talk soon.”

“I don’t doubt it.”

And as Donghyuck made his way back to the living room, his heart was lighter than a feather.

~

It’s funny how things kind of fall into place. Life has an odd way of throwing a person a line, to either grab onto for help or to simply ignore. 

Right now was one of the moments.

Here Donghyuck was, lying wide awake in his bed. Around him was a small and bare bedroom, more comforting than the one back home was and that held most of his childhood. There was mostly silence in the apartment, quiet chatter a distance away coming from Jeno’s room. He had a small lamp plugged in beside the bed and Donghyuck stared blankly at the yellow blanket covering the ceiling. 

It was too early to be going to sleep.

That’s what Donghyuck initially blamed his restlessness on, when really it was because of you. 

Oh, Y/N. If you could actually look into his mind and see how much he thought about you, you would know he was in love. 

If he actually opened his mouth and told you what’s inside of him, maybe you would understand. 

That’s the problem, isn’t it? Donghyuck can never quite push himself to open up. It’s why it took so long for him to kiss you in the back of that car all those months ago, for him to even show a snippet of his feelings for you at the MAD concert. 

Rubbing at his face roughly, he reached for his phone. With bated breath, he clicked open the contacts list and scrolled to your name.

Y/N. With a golden heart. 

Emojis couldn’t even begin to convey how he felt. How could they, when he himself couldn’t communicate properly?

His thumb did a little dance above your name before he allowed the screen to go dark. Putting it back where it was on the side table, the frustration bubbled within him. He aggressively ripped the blankets off of himself before sitting on the edge of the bed. Holding his head in his hands, his heart beat fast as his thoughts picked up speed.

“Why am I like this?” He choked out, his mind racing and his heart frazzled.

The truth was, he was always afraid of what he felt for you. For as long as he was self-conscious, he knew how much of a wreck he was. He was frustrating, he knew that about himself. He also knew that he was blunt and sometimes didn’t know when to stop. It’s why you didn’t like him for so long, why he couldn’t help but be unbearable. 

He never intended to annoy you all those times, he was only nervous.

How couldn’t he be nervous when you were the most perfect person he had ever been graced with in his entire life?

Donghyuck had noticed you long before you had noticed him, way at the beginning of the first semester. As luck would have it, he had found out that the two of you had connections, mostly through Renjun and Jeno. You had piqued his interest through your guys’ shared Philosophy class. The class bored him to death, never really grabbed his attention. Not until you spoke. 

You spoke so eloquently, quiet but confident. He remembered how pleased the professor looked whenever you spoke out on your thoughts. On those days, he used to think to himself, Join the club. I’m impressed just like you. 

He didn’t see you everyday, but he tried to look presentable on the days you shared that class. Those moments, when he would look over and you would either be dozing off or intensely focused, his mind would go quiet. 

And Donghyuck couldn’t remember the last time someone or something made his mind go radio silent. 

It was a complete accident starting on your bad side. In reality, he was really trying to impress you the day you first took notice of him. You had just spoken out about your view on something, something that Donghyuck couldn’t even remember anymore. All he could recall is how he didn’t necessarily agree with your points, and had some counterarguments that could make an interesting discussion. 

For the first time in that class, he raised his hand. 

He had meant for his voice to come out reserved and confident, just like yours. Instead, it came out bold and cocky. His demeanor shifted, protecting him from all of the judgmental eyes and portraying him as this laid back and know-it-all guy. 

His heart had cracked that day when you had looked at him with exasperation. Dejected at first, he didn’t even want to show his face in that class anymore. He needed a few pep talks from Jeno, who he had let in on his crush, and even Jisung who he had called the moment he got back to his dorm that day, for him to show up again.

From then on, he couldn’t help himself. He took on this persona that was solely for you. It was stupid, he knows it now, but it was the only way you would remember him. Figuring out you would like him for himself took a long time, but as luck would have it there were always little beacons that showed him the way. 

Like MAD, for instance. 

Another night that stuck out in his memory was the karaoke night when he pissed you off. It wasn’t often that he went out with his friends, but when they did get him to come out he genuinely did have a good time. He had known for a long time how much Jeno and Yuqi loved MAD, because it was one of the things they brought up when they were all getting to know each other. 

Just like Jisung and Rocket, MAD played a huge part in helping him through hard times. They were his safe haven, a way to leave the world and immerse himself in a band that knew just what to say. There was no judgment, no questions or anger. There was no broken families or overwhelming school experiences when he pulled on his headphones and listened to Jisoo, the voice that rocked his mind to sleep. Sometimes, he’d listen for Davey’s drums, use it to slow his heartbeat. For him, MAD did the opposite of its name- it made him sane. 

And you, well, you were the human form of MAD. 

When you gave him the chance to know your heart, well, it simply felt like he had the universe in his hands.

You were his universe.

And he was too afraid that he was your black hole.

A gentle knock at his bedroom door snapped him out of his contemplations, quickly rubbing his forearm across his eyes. Taking only a moment to collect himself, he croaked out, “Yeah?”

Jeno cracked the door open before pushing it all the way. Leaning on the doorframe, his eyes washed over Donghyuck.

“You okay?”

No. But it was hard to even utter one word. He nodded instead.

Donghyuck could tell Jeno wanted to push him, but maybe the warning look on his face was enough to deter him. 

“Well, I’m here to talk if you want,” Jeno walked into the room, stretching his arms. He was quick to change the subject. But it was a subject Donghyuck didn’t really like. Turning to look him dead in the eye, Jeno said, “I have an idea. And you’re probably not going to like it.”

~

Jeno was right. He didn’t like it. 

As he trailed behind Jeno and a girl he had only recently been introduced to, he was dreading ever being talked into this bright idea.

“Do you think we need more than one flashlight?”

“Yeah. Yuqi said her and Ren have one already. I don’t know if the others have one. Just in case, we can get two.”

Donghyuck sighed heavily, making his lack of enthusiasm as apparent as possible. The burning question of the hour was, Why do I always get myself into these situations?

“I shouldn’t go.” He said aloud, probably for the fifteenth time since Jeno first told him about it. It seemed like Jeno had no intentions of letting him off the hook.

Without stopping the shopping cart, he gave Donghyuck a glance and replied, “Too bad. You already said yes and it’s going to be an amazing trip. So don’t ruin it.”

“He could always change his mind,” Yuri, the most recent face that had been hanging around, put out there. 

Donghyuck only frowned hearing Jeno’s cryptic reply to her. “No, I have a feeling he’s not going to change his mind.��

The truth was, his mouth had agreed before he could work through the turmoil. It was a couple days after Jeno told him his idea, how everyone should go camping before school starts back up. That meant this upcoming weekend, considering classes start next week. And by everyone, he meant an extended group that just so happened to include you. 

He didn’t have to ask if you were going to be there. The answer had been in Jeno’s shifting eyes. And he was practically sick with nerves at the prospect. 

The truth was, he was never one for camping in general. The ground was rock solid, most of the time it was super cold at night. No one likes bugs and he was definitely not an exception. He tried to look at the bright side but the closer they got to the weekend the more he dreaded it.

Besides all of the negatives, it was going to be the first time he saw you in months. The last time he saw you, it was right before he left for the summer. And things were fine between you, then. 

It had been almost a year since the concert. Ten months, to be exact. Ten months since the night he had revealed to you a snippet of what he feels for you, and you did the same. And that night, well, had been a symbol for hope. He could vividly remember how your perfume still lingered with him that night when he went to sleep.

The months after that wasn’t really what he had envisioned. Likely, it wasn’t what you wanted either. It’s not so easy stepping out of one’s comfort zone, and Donghyuck being expressive was definitely in the outfield.

You were patient with him. You guys took things slow. Some days, it was especially hard and Donghyuck knew it. He could be so distant and he didn’t like that about himself, but he tried to explain to you that it was just who he was. He was moody and brooding, he had a lot about him that was locked away. That could all be seen on the surface.

He just wished he could break into himself, put on display just how much you meant to him. Something told him deep down you knew. You saw it in the way he came running when you were overwhelmed with your schoolwork. You could sense it when he refused to hang up even when his voice was hoarse and slowing down with fatigue. 

His love was subtle in person, but loud in his mind. The sad part was, his brain was a locked box.

The summer had only severed the growth he had made. Going back home was like resetting and reverting back to the version of himself that liked to retreat. He could only blame himself for the distance and he could only hope there was a way to make it up to you. 

“Apparently, I thought flowers might’ve worked,” Donghyuck hummed as he spotted flowers on display at the front of the grocery store. Shaking his head, he continued following behind the pair on a mission. 

“You’re a lot more… stormy than I pictured,” Yuri directed back at him. He only gave her an icy stare in return. 

“Don’t take it personal. He’s like that most of the time,” Jeno said loudly, not at all subtle.

“I don’t mind. It brings a bit of spice to the atmosphere.”

Donghyuck glared at the back of her head, wondering who decided she was apart of the friend group out of nowhere. Why didn’t he get a say? Who cares if Jeno had a thing with her during the summer, does that give her a pass? If every girl Jeno had a thing with was in their friend group, they’d have a whole football team.

He shook his head at himself once again, recognizing his unfairness. There was some truth to his thoughts though. He was only gone for a summer and suddenly there was a new face. Guess he didn’t really have a choice if everyone else liked her. 

“Okay. I think that’s it,” Jeno maneuvered the cart out of the aisle and toward one of the checkout lines. “That was a success!”

“We only needed to get a few things,” Yuri pointed out.

Jeno’s face twisted. “Yeah, okay, but it was still successful! This weekend is going to be a blast.”

“For sure.”

Donghyuck knew he was being a buzzkill but he couldn’t help it. Was he supposed to magically be cool with seeing you after months of not being in your presence, after over a month of not talking to you? Even though you didn’t voice you were angry at him, maybe you were. Maybe you finally hated him for being so closed off. 

There was no way to prepare for the moment he would see you.

Even when you guys were cool, he never knew how to calm down his heart.

Maybe the flowers were a good idea after all, because it would allow him control over when he would talk to you after being back. If he went camping, then the interaction laid all in the trip.

He hummed in amusement, the MAD road trip flashing in his mind. 

How familiar. 

“Shit! We forgot to get an extra bag of marshmallows! I’ll go get them,” Yuri said before twisting on her heel and booking it. 

Both boys watched her departure before Donghyuck said, “It’s like having another Yuqi around. Except I like Yuqi.”

Jeno slugged him in the arm. “Lay off, man. You’re not even giving her a chance. She’s 

actually pretty great.”

“Why aren’t you guys dating then?”

Jeno, always casual, “We’re better off as friends. It wasn’t hard to figure out.”

“It’s that easy,” Donghyuck’s tone was dripping with sarcasm. His words held some truth,  because when he first met you he instantly knew he’d never see you as a friend. It’s not possible. 

Looking down at his boots, he tried to focus his thoughts. If they kept on trailing back to you, he might just chicken out of going this weekend. No, Jeno was right on that. There was no way he wouldn’t go. If it meant you, his heart would always win over his fear.

“Hey Hyuck,” Jeno took the moment they had alone. By his tone, Donghyuck knew he 

was going to get serious. He made sure his face remained indifferent. “I know what’s going on. I mean, I know it’s Y/N. We all go through heartbreaks-”

Donghyuck stepped back a bit, shaking his head and shutting him down. “Don’t assume shit when you don’t know.” He could see that he had struck a nerve in Jeno, but he knew more than anyone how entitled Jeno could act. To everyone else, he was this social butterfly who knew no harm. To the people who knew him a little better, like Yuqi and himself, he wasn’t as angelic as perceived. 

Out of everyone he had ever met, Jeno was one of those who had a problem caring 

about how he made others feel. 

Donghyuck didn’t judge him for it. They were close, after all, and he had flaws himself. It didn’t mean he wouldn’t call him out on his shit. 

“Look, I’m not trying to assume. But from how you’ve been acting and what Y/N’s said...”

That didn’t sit well with Donghyuck at all. He went into defensive mode almost instantaneously. “What do you mean, what Y/N has said? Since when do you talk to her like that?”

Jeno shrugged, pushing the cart ahead. This was the shit that ticked Donghyuck off. And it drove him crazy that these particular qualities only came out when hardly no one was around. “We talked a little more these past couple of weeks. She seems pretty torn up.”

Donghyuck gritted his teeth, his fists clenching without his control. Why did Jeno sound so… entitled? Why was he acting like he knew you?

Something flashed in his mind then, catching him off guard.

It was a memory from the MAD trip. It was when he regretted how he acted with you, how harsh he had been and had called you a loser. It was something he always regretted. What he was thinking about led up to that. 

Unbeknownst to you, he had overheard you and Renjun talking in the burger place on the road about how you liked Jeno. It had wrenched his insides, tearing him up in a way he had never felt before. Sure, he had felt other forms of devastation. There was nothing quite like finding out you had a thing for his friend, the friend that everyone seemed to love. 

Of course, it had been cleared up right away. 

That memory popped into his head right now as he looked Jeno’s nonchalance in the face and it boiled his blood.

“I don’t know what you’re playing at, but I suggest you cut it out because you’re really starting to-”

“I got them!” Yuri’s arrival snapped them out of their tense conversation. Her eyes widened at the sight of Donghyuck’s blatant irritation. Jeno grabbed the bag out of her hand and put on a smile.

“Took long enough.”

Yuri shuffled past him, and Donghyuck could feel her eyes on him. He just needed a moment, his eyes fluttering closed as he tried to calm down his breathing. 

He was acting crazy. 

Jeno hadn’t said anything wrong. Sure, he was pushing his buttons a little bit but he wasn’t implying anything. Donghyuck was simply on edge from everything, especially anything regarding you.

To you, he seemed like a confident guy, once a pest but now someone who you adored.

To himself, well, he was a mess. Inside, he was a flurry of questions, feelings and worries.

How could he even begin to describe that to you?

And if he did, would you turn him away?

When they reached the car, he silently helped put all of their belongings in the trunk. And before Jeno could open the driver door, Donghyuck pulled him back by his shirt.

“Sorry about that back there. I’m just… on edge. I,” Donghyuck paused and sighed, “I really miss her.”

Jeno’s face softened, bringing his hand up to rest on his shoulder. “She misses you too, man. Just talk to her this weekend. I think you’re just too in your head about it.”

The world blew past him through the car window, similar to his racing thoughts. As he laid his head back, he seized onto one question that kept playing in his mind. Why do I ruin everything?

~

It was the night before the trip, and it was getting harder for Donghyuck to get a rein on his emotions. He was drowning, and he was drowning fast. How could he mentally prepare himself to face you, when it had been so long since you last spoke?

His body fell back on his bed, his eyes tracing the edges of the golden light blanketing the ceiling. It was a facade, the appearance of this room. Everyday, he added a little something. It wasn’t complete, not until he would start working and be able to afford more. But the lamplight.

The stupid lamp that painted the room in gold. It was a fraud,

The only gold in his life was you. 

And it had been so long since you guys last spoke, you may have forgotten about him.

Tugging at his hair, he grimaced with distress. Since he came back, he tried so hard to avoid thinking about the last time you spoke, but it was haunting now. Trying to fight it, he paced his room and looked for anything to distract him. It was late, and Jeno was already asleep. 

He tried playing one of his playlists. It was a big mistake. After a few songs, Galaxy Eyes played through his computer speakers. His heart sunk. He moved to his computer, his fingers hovering over the skip button. Frozen in time, the piano tunes wrapping around his heart and his throat. Your eyes popped into his mind, shining and smiling just for him. Moving his finger over a few buttons down, he turned up the volume. 

Allowing his body to fall back on his bed, he stared back at that dreaded golden light. It wasn’t his focus anymore, not when your song was floating all around him. His eyes fluttered closed and just this once… he allowed in the memory.

///

It was one of those days. 

It wasn’t one based on sheer luck, like smudging one’s clean shoes or breaking one’s headphones. 

It was one of those days one tries to avoid so badly but it’s inevitable. No matter what he did or what he said, it couldn’t be avoided. Because it’s not he who causes this kind of day. 

Slamming his bedroom door, he could hear the scream from downstairs but he ignored it, tuning it out. His chest was heaving and his eyes were flooded, but he ignored it all. Making a beeline to the corner of his room, he snatched his backpack and shoved in some articles of clothing. 

He was angry at himself for crying, despised it when he did. He continued to fill his bag to the brim, swiping his arm across his eyes before he made his way to his bedroom door once more.

Pausing for a moment, his eyes stared at the wood through his hazy vision. Inhaling, exhaling, he braced himself. Taking a moment to think, he turned and went to the end table beside his bed. Rummaging through the drawer, he found his headphones and felt a sense of relief flooding his veins. 

Plugging them in, one of MAD’s older albums began playing in his ears, washing over him like a bath. 

Without any hesitation, he strode out of his room. Trying to focus on the lyrics, he could still hear the screaming over it. As he dashed down the stairs, he blasted the music as loud as it could go and walked past the living room without looking. 

He could hear the yelling directed at him for a moment but he ignored it. 

He couldn’t be in this place, not tonight. 

He made it to the backyard, closing the door behind him. Rocket rushed to him happily, unaware. Donghyuck kneeled down, managing a laugh when Rocket licked at his already damp cheeks. 

“Let’s go, Rock. We’re going to go to Jisung’s.” He didn’t waste any second clipping his leash on before heading out the side gate. 

The farther he walked, the lighter his chest felt. 

It was still too hot for it to be late evening. Donghyuck hoped his face looked damp with sweat instead. Looking down at Rocket, who hadn’t stopped wagging his tail, made his heart settle. 

On his way to Jisung’s, he called him to let him know he was coming. Jisung knew the drill and didn’t question him, only told him he’d get the guest room ready. After he hung up, that’s all he had intended to do. Call only Jisung. But his eyes found your name in his recent calls list, and he found himself clicking on it. 

The sad thing was, this shit always happened. 

He knew this was what he was coming back to, for the summer. Donghyuck simply had ridiculous hope that it wouldn’t be.

It didn’t take long, not at all, for things to go to shit. 

Being back here was draining, and the longer he was back the more he couldn’t remember how much better life was back at school. Back with you.

“Hyuck! I was just thinking about you!”

Donghyuck remained silent, his gaze hard and focused on the distance. The tears were relentless, and it made him angry that he was so affected. Still, he made sure his voice was stable before talking. 

“Hey.”

Even though he was good at hiding his tears, you sensed something was wrong. “What’s wrong?”

Donghyuck paused in his trek, stood frozen in the middle of the sidewalk. Rocket circled him, nuzzling his other limp hand. He closed his eyes, his heart twisting in his chest.

“I…” With one word, his voice broke so he made sure it was stable once more before continuing, “I need some time.”

“Some time? What do you mean?”

Ah, how your voice was the sound of his favorite song. It worked wonders, was his tether to a different life. But the tether was stretched taut, far into the future until he reunited with you. It was hard to see that, when he was surrounded by darkness.

“I have… things. I don’t want you to be apart of it. So I think,” He swallowed, so heavily that it hurt, “I just think it’ll be better if I disconnect for a while.”

There was silence on your end for what felt like hours. Donghyuck’s heart was racing so fast, it was running its own marathon. He had a headache, and he ignored that it was because he was holding back his tears as much as he could. His temple was throbbing with pain and his vision, blurry. The grip he had on his phone hurt, but he needed to hold on for you. 

You didn’t deserve this.

What could he do, though? He needed to prevent you, his universe, from meeting him, a black hole. 

“Hyuck....”

Clearing his throat, he said, “I can’t say, Y/N. I just… it’s better off if I’m away for a while.”

He didn’t know what to expect. Maybe yelling, or crying. Maybe for you to cuss him out. 

“Okay.”

Donghyuck squeezed his eyes closed. He was deathly silent for a moment, the world going quiet. He wanted to change his mind, or to tell you why it’s hard for him to communicate his feelings. But black holes ruin galaxies. 

“I’m sorry,” He whispered. 

When he ended the call, the world swallowed him whole and the volume was unrelenting. 

He could only kneel down, cover his head on that lonely sidewalk and hope it quieted on its own.

///

His eyes fluttered open, his heart aching. 

It had been months and he could still clearly hear your voice in his ear. 

You must’ve hated him now. 

Slowly, he moved his phone up to his face and checked the time. It was late, but not too late. It meant Jisung would still be awake. 

Plugging his headphones into his computer, he turned off his music and called Jisung. 

It took a few rings, but Jisung picked up. Donghyuck’s face softened at the sight of his friend, seeing his own reflection in his glasses.

“If you’re calling to nag me about Rocket. Don’t worry, dude. I dropped by to check on him earlier.”

“I wasn’t, but thank you.”

“No problem. I’m his best friend. Gotta look out for each other,” Donghyuck heard a meow from his end and Jisung looked off to the side. He bent down, and when he straightened out his cat was wrapped in his arms, “Aw, Daisy, you know I was just kidding. You’re my best friend.”

Donghyuck couldn’t control the smile on his lips, shaking his head. “I was just calling to check up on you.”

Jisung pressed a kiss into Daisy’s head before depositing her back off camera. Pushing his glasses back up his nose, he said, “Same old B.S. I’m not meant for high school. If success was based on maturity, I would be a billionaire by now.”

 “There’s high school billionaires, you know.”

Jisung stared off in thought before shrugging. “The world’s not ready for me yet.”

“You have a reply for everything, don’t you?”

“It’s apart of my charm.”

“In your dreams.”

Jisung remained unbothered, as he always was. It was a trait Donghyuck highly admired about him. The world needs more people like Jisung. 

“So, what’s on your mind?”

Donghyuck looked up at him, as if caught in the act. “What-”

“Come on, Hyuck. I know you very well. You only call to check up on me when you need to ask for my advice.”

Donghyuck had the decency to look bashful. “Sorry.”

Jisung blinked. “Don’t apologize. It’s apart of my responsibility. As your best friend, I have to read you well. Otherwise what am I here for?”

“To claim your Rocket’s best friend and fail high school chemistry.”

Jisung pointed at him. “Hey. I don’t judge you for your bad grades, don’t judge me for mine.”

Donghyuck raised his hands in peace. “Fair enough.”

His friend cracked a smile before reverting back to his usual serious nature. Well, that’s only how Jisung appeared. He had his own humor, his own way of portraying his happiness. Perhaps that’s how Donghyuck showed he was his best friend. After all, no one ever understood when he was joking like he did. Donghyuck knew him down to the quirk of his lips.

Taking a deep breath, he tried sorting his thoughts out before fully submerging.

“I, uh, I’m going camping with the group tomorrow. And by group, it includes Yuqi’s boyfriend, Renjun. Jaemin, Dahyun, and…” He blew a breath out of his lips. His eyes trailed up to Jisung, who patiently waited. A smile flickered on his mouth at the sight of Daisy climbing on him, stretching her body onto his shoulder.

“And Y/N?”

Donghyuck nodded. “And forgive me, but I’m freaking out.”

Jisung tilted his head, looking lost in thought. “Break it down for me.”

Once more, Donghyuck nodded as he breathed in to relax. This was their process, and it helped him more than he could express with words. If anyone knew that, though, Jisung did.

And so he did. It felt like the longer he talked, the more of the weight on his chest dissipated. He didn’t hold back, telling Jisung his concerns. He told him how afraid he was, how maybe you don’t even want to see him. He had been radio silent for so long, offering no explanation. 

You didn’t deserve that, and frankly, you didn’t deserve what he was giving you. How much time had passed, what, ten months? Since then, you guys hadn’t even truly broke down the meaning of the relationship. But you had never complained, always been happy whenever you were with him.

Regardless of that, he felt like he wasn’t giving you what he deserved. And it made him even more nervous to face you, because he didn’t feel good enough.

Jisung stayed quiet for a while after he finished, looking as if he were processing what was said. Donghyuck waited, feeling an immense amount of relief. He didn’t feel as frantic anymore, or as afraid. Jisung would tell him what he needed to hear. 

He couldn’t say it aloud, but regardless of his age, Jisung was indeed one of the wisest people he’d ever known. He was a gem and he was blessed to be his best friend. 

Jisung subconsciously cuddled Daisy close to him, scratching beneath her chin. The sight made Donghyuck’s heart ache, missing Rocket. 

Soon, Jisung nodded his head as if he finally collected his thoughts. Adjusting his glasses once more, he dove in with a steady voice. 

“Your feelings are valid. I understand why you would be afraid of facing her. You’ve gone a long time without talking to her, and it’s true that you don’t know how she’s viewing the situation. But you’re being way too hard on yourself. First of all, you didn’t go M.I.A for no reason. You had your own issues to deal with and you chose to take a step back from everything. You don’t owe anyone that.

“Yes, perhaps you could have given her more of an explanation. But you were in no way being malicious. Don’t ever forget that. You did what was best for you. If Y/N is the person you describe, she’ll understand that. Don’t give up before you’ve even tried. All you have to do is talk to her. And you don’t even have to tell her everything, just enough to show that you’re being sincere. Even then, I’ll think she’ll see it.”

Like magic, Jisung always knew what to say to comfort him. What he said truly helped him, walked him out into the light. He always knew what to say to get him to snap out of it. 

Sometimes, a person just needs someone to grab their hand to remind them they’re not alone. 

Donghyuck whispered, “Thank you.”

Jisung hummed, looking down at Daisy as he said, “It’s what best friends are for.”

~

Donghyuck stirred awake as the car fought against a road that fought back. Blinking away the drowsiness, he yawned silently, stretching out his back. Looking to the front seats, Jeno kept his hands firmly on the wheel in order to combat the rough road. Yuri, who was asleep the last time he checked, was now fully awake and bobbing her head to the radio. 

He turned his head to scope out his surroundings. It was vastly different from the city they lived in, and they were only about two hours North. It was so green, all around and everywhere he looked. It was refreshing to be surrounded by a sight in which you’re not familiar. 

It was peaceful, what he needed. 

The green forestry was exactly what he needed to try to remain calm. 

Rolling down his window, he rested his head back on the seat. The smell was also different. It smelled of pine and Christmas. He embraced it, thrived on it. It was what he needed to distract him from the impending nerves that would threaten to take him over. 

A memory struck him then, a memory of him at another time in another backseat. One where he was not alone, but accompanied by you. One of the most memorable nights of his life.

His eyes slid closed as his brain replayed the memory reel. He remembered how his heart beat in his ears, how his body was on end. How, with bated breath, you moved closer to him. He didn’t know where he found the courage to tip your head toward him, to feel your soft lips atop his. The moment your lips caressed his, he knew he was a complete goner. He was lost at sea, never to be found for the rest of his life. 

You were his sea, his galaxy, his universe. 

He would do whatever it took to kiss you for the rest of his life, to make you smile.

And he may have done a horrible job this summer, but he vowed to learn from it. 

Because a universe deserves to be admired. In the most utmost and proper way.

“We’re here.”

One car door slam, then two. Donghyuck was barely confident enough to open his own door. He continued to sit there, taking in the unsettling silence all around him. Very different from the city. A person doesn’t realize how loud the city can be until you’re gone. 

He heard the chatter, all of the voices mixing and some who were louder, like Renjun, echoing through the forest. 

The silence helped him, surprisingly. He was afraid his nerves would get the best of him and he’d hijack Jeno’s car back to his apartment. But no. His mind was still. Sure, his heart was a little frenzied. But something in him was quieter, parallel to the woods that were watching over them.

Straining his eyes through the windshield, he could see Renjun’s car parked up ahead. Jaemin and Dahyun had already started setting up the tents, Jeno quick to join him. Renjun was talking to Yuri, and Yuqi’s holler signalled him to open the trunk. 

Then there was you. 

His heart jumped at your appearance from the front of the car. Was his heart racing or slowing down? Donghyuck didn’t really understand how long three months was to not be in your presence, not until now. His heart was shooting stars while bursting into flames. Hugging the headrest of the driver's seat, he couldn’t help but watch you for a moment.

Just like that, everything in him went completely silent. 

You were wearing something new, something he had never seen you wear before. Your eyes were shining, and he figured it was because of your surroundings. You had once told him how much you liked experiencing new things. From what Jeno had been saying earlier, both you and Yuqi had never camped before.

“Hey! Where’s Hyuck?” Yuqi called to Jeno. 

At the sound of his name, Donghyuck snapped out of his reverie. Tugging his cap as low as it could go, he stepped out of the car. Slamming the car door caused everyone’s chatter to subside. 

He wasn’t sure if he was meant to hear her, but he heard Yuri utter, “Grumpy’s awake.”

Ignoring her, he walked up to the small group that was congregating. It took everything in his power to not look at you. 

Dapping Renjun up, he pulled on the most believable smile.

“It’s been way too long, Ren. How ya holding up? Not tired of Yuqi yet?”

“Watch it,” She growled, pausing in her task of unloading the trunk.

Renjun only beamed. “I could never be tired of her.”

Donghyuck gripped his shoulder and whispered playfully, “Give it time.”

“Aye Hyuck! Come help us set this tent up,” Jaemin called Hyuck as he acknowledged him with a head nod, “Ren, you too! What do you think you’re doing, standing around and doing jack shit?”

Ren spluttered before saying, “I’m not doing nothing! I’m helping the girls-”

“It’s okay. I got it,” Dahyun offered, shooting him a sympathetic look, “Get the ice chests out.”

“Yeah, actually, Renjun couldn’t assemble anything to save his life,” Jaemin poked fun, diving into a story about how Renjun nearly killed him by assembling his bed stand poorly. 

Donghyuck stepped toward the tent before he paused in his steps. Slowly, too slowly, he turned his head. 

He met your gaze head on.

His heart jumped, but you would never be able to tell. The love he had for you encased his body, making him as light as a cloud as he looked into those stunning eyes. 

But you would never know. 

For him, he could only show you his love through actions. It was a whole other story for him to say it, and over the years he learned to accept that part about himself. But now, as he looked at how beautiful you were with the Sun beaming down on you… he just wanted to shout it out loud and let the forest carry his voice.

I love this girl.

Instead, he looked at you beneath the shadow of his cap. You probably only saw the slight tug downward on his lips. And then he was on his way, feeling your eyes on him as he headed toward the rest of the group. 

~

“Didn’t he say we’d be at the lake by now?” Yuqi heaved, stopping dead in her tracks. 

The Sun was ruthless, beating down on them from up above. It had to have been half an hour since they began their trek from their campout, trying to find the lake that was supposed to be nearby.

“Stop complaining. We’re almost there,” Jeno said, leading the pack and sounding completely unaffected.

“No, dude, she’s right. You said that like ten minutes ago,” Jaemin pointed out.

Jeno’s face screamed agitation, narrowed eyes and pursed lips. 

“Look, did I come camping with my friends or a bunch of crybabies?”

Donghyuck shook his head, muttering, “Jackass,” Before hollering, “And did we come with our friend or a camp counselor?”

For whatever reason, he sensed your laugh more than heard it. His eyes snapped to the back of your head, your back shaking with a silent laugh. He had made sure to hang back enough for your sake, always keeping an eye on you as you trekked beside Yuri and Jaemin. 

Renjun was behind him to be by Yuqi. Dahyun was the closest to Jeno.

Under different circumstances, this experience could’ve been a nice memory of the group.

It was too hot and uncomfortable to even begin to cherish it.

“You know what? Why don’t I go ahead without you guys and then come back when I find it?” Jeno said, trying to sound as nice as possible.

“No, that’s stupid,” Yuqi voiced.

Her response only made the guy frown. “Then stop whining. Before I leave your asses here.”

“Damn. Someone woke up on the wrong side of the bed.”

“What?” He called back, but she and Renjun giggled together like schoolgirls.

Donghyuck merely rolled his eyes. 

“You guys hear that?” You called, your voice sounding innocent and excited. It made him smile. “It’s water!”

Just like that, you took off. Yuri followed after you, and Donghyuck couldn’t help but want to be near you. So he rushed to keep up. 

You were right, of course.

Right up ahead was a secluded, beautiful lake. It was gorgeous, how the Sun acted as a spotlight atop its surface. No one hesitated to ditch their gear on the lakeside before heading straight for the water.

Jeno dove in, followed by Yuri cannonballing nearby. You dipped your toe in, yelling at the temperature. Unfortunately, you were unaware of Jaemin behind you as he jumped in, taking you with him.

Donghyuck noticed he was smiling while he watched you and fixed his face, setting his backpack down before sitting up against it.

“You’re not getting in?” Yuri asked him. 

Without looking at her, he said, “Nope.” “Me either. I’m too hungry to even swim,” Dahyun sighed, spreading out near him.

“Suit yourself,” Yuri said before taking off and running clumsily into the water. 

“Is she always like that?” Donghyuck muttered, still grouchy towards the newcomer.

“Trust me, she gets… better the longer you’re around her,” Dahyun said.

Donghyuck could only shake his head. For a while, he could only watch you. It was crazy, how impossible it was to look away from you. He watched as you and Jaemin got into a splash fight, you managing to dunk his head in the water before he grabbed you and tossed you away from him. His eyes stayed on you as you floated on your back, your eyes squeezed shut. 

It was funny. 

Here he was, surrounded by beautiful scenery. 

All he could look at was you.

“Why don’t you just go talk to her?”

No one was more surprised that Dahyun was telling him that than him. After all, she was your friend. He almost expected to be chewed out, or told to stay away from you. 

“I-uh-what?”

“You guys both seem like you miss each other. I don’t know the details, I just know she misses you a lot and looked forward to you coming back.”

“What?” He said, unable to hide his confusion. Was she talking about you? The girl he so abruptly told he was going off the grid? The girl who must’ve hated him?

Dahyun had her shades on, so he couldn’t observe her eyes. But her voice was as sincere as it could get. 

“Yup. You know this, Hyuck. She’s crazy about you. Just like you are about her.”

If possible, his heart grew as nervous as it did before, this time for an entirely different reason. This time, when he turned and watched you splash around, all smiles, one question struck his mind.

You don’t hate me?

~

As the night grew closer, the air cooled down and everyone cozied up by the fire Jeno started in the pre-made fire pit. Luckily, some of them had thought to bring lawn chairs, so there were seats for some. For the people remaining, Donghyuck included, they found a sturdy piece of tree trunk to carry toward the fire in order to sit. 

“...And the father said, ‘We don’t have a clown statue’...” Renjun whispered the last part, the light from the fire casting an eerie glow along his face. Yuqi was visibly shaken, shuffling closer to him as subtly as she could. On the other side of the fire, Donghyuck watched you as you shook your head in amusement. So both of you were on the same page. None of the scary stories got under your skin.

Your eyes flickered to him, but instead of looking away Donghyuck cracked a smile. You returned it, your eyes shy before dancing away. It nearly made his heart give out as he straightened on the log, Jeno poking at the fire before taking a seat beside you. 

He listened in when Jeno quietly said, “We need more wood.” Clicking on a flashlight, he beamed it in your face and laughed at your outburst. “Want to come with?”

Donghyuck bit back the jealousy he felt watching you and Jeno walk away together, not far by any means but feeling the familiar green sneak up on him whenever any situation involved the two of you.

“Staring at them makes it obvious, you know.”

He was surprised when he turned to find Yuri watching him. Her voice was soft and genuine. Instead of feeling his usual annoyance with her, he merely gave her a questioning look. Her gaze turned to look at where he had been previously staring.

“Trust me, I get it. But it’s better to not make it obvious.”

Suddenly, it dawned on him. Watching Yuri’s longing stare at Jeno, how she quickly redirected her attention. He wondered if he looked like that too. 

His eyes found Jeno when he returned, you in tow. The pair of you were talking excitedly, Jeno laughing through his response. For whatever reason, Donghyuck looked at him with a new set of eyes.

This was a good friend of his, yes. But there were sides of him he had yet to know and recognize, sides to him that he couldn’t possibly understand. Maybe Jeno didn’t know how Yuri felt about him. But maybe he did, and just didn’t care.

It wasn’t his place to figure out.

And so, as the night continued on, Donghyuck did what he always did. He simply let himself blend in with the background and observe what was going on. It seemed like Dahyun and Yuri were close, the two of them huddled close before calling it a night and heading to one of the tents. 

Yuqi and Renjun were off in their own little world, before Jeno trudged over and started up a conversation. Jaemin was nodding off in the seat next to you, so you shook his arm gently and whispered something to him, which made him stand and head to the second tent, the one he, Donghyuck and Jeno would be sharing. 

And even though the two of you weren’t the only ones awake, the atmosphere shifted.

Suddenly, it was you, Donghyuck, and the woods.

He didn’t hide it anymore, his eyes on you. His attention peered over the fire, the warmth emanating just enough to keep him warm. He didn’t know if it was intentional, but his hoodie was hanging off of your body, his favorite red hoodie he had given you a few months back.

It rested on you like a blanket, making you look soft and adorable. Your eyes were trained on the bonfire, your hands held up and outstretched to warm them up. You looked at peace, no signs of distress or unhappiness sketched in your features.

It made him happy to see you happy.

Kind of nice, how only a look at you silenced his mind. 

Just then, you looked straight at him, likely aware he had been looking the entire time. It made his heart jump, waiting for your reaction. You offered him a line, showcasing that sweet smile of yours.

It made him dizzy. 

With Dahyun’s encouragement from earlier ringing in his ears, he stood to his feet. To try and calm down his nerves, he listened to the crunch of leaves beneath his boots. Brushing off his jacket, he pulled his hood on and tried to keep his hands busy. Anything to keep his cool.

He reached you too soon, not enough time to figure out what to say. 

It was like you knew that, though, looking up at him with what he could only perceive as happiness. 

“Hey,” You said softly, offering him the sweetest smile he had ever seen. It hurt his heart in the most beautiful way. And he knew it would haunt him for the rest of his life. It was a haunting he would welcome with open arms. 

The bonfire glow had nothing on you. It was the spotlight on the main act. You were the sky he admired every single night. 

He didn’t realize he was holding his breath, shuffling his feet before grabbing the chair Jaemin had previously been sitting in and pulling it slightly closer. He kept some distance, though, still not quite sure what you were feeling.

“Hey,” He said, sounding a little too breathless. He avoided looking at you, bending over to rest his elbows on his thighs. Looking away, his thoughts began screaming again, questions blurring all together. Trying to get a hold on anything, he stared at the bonfire, chaotic but controlled. That’s what he’d like to be.

Chaotic but controlled.

“You dyed it back.”

“Huh?” The fire of his brain sizzled out at the sound of your voice.

“Your hair,” You reached over and picked up a strand of his hair, oh so gently. Your touch stilled his heart, because it was so timid he could barely feel it. It was more your closeness he could feel. He was soaking in it. “You were so bent on keeping it orange.”

Donghyuck grimaced, failing to notice you pulling your chair closer as he rubbed at his face. “Yeah, well, I thought it was time to go natural again.”

He side-eyed you, his heart picking up at the sight of you holding your chin in your hand. You were ethereal, angelic. He didn’t think he’d ever get used to that. 

“It’s okay. I like it. You’re handsome either way.”

His mouth opened slightly at your words. It had been months since the two of you entertained these feelings between the two of you. Yet, he could never get used to your praise.

Swallowing thickly, his eyes danced back to yours. You looked a little smug at his reaction, and he would never tell you how seductive you looked. 

Did you know the effect you had on him?

Probably not. 

“Truth is, I kept it orange all that time for you.”

This time, it was you who were surprised. “What? Why?”

“You once told me I stole hearts when my hair was that color. So I kept dyeing it.” Believe it or not, it was kind of hard for him to even tell you that. But he did. Because you deserve way more than he gave you the last time you spoke. For whatever reason, you weren’t telling him to piss off. 

You poked his cheek, feeling his cheek grow warm at the contact. “You told me it was because it reminded you of MAD.”

“That was a cover up,” A laugh escaped his lips, “Well, it’s because of MAD a little bit.”

“I’ll take that.” The two of you stayed quiet for a while, observing the woods around you. It was pretty much pitch black past the campsite, but Donghyuck welcomed it. There was something serene about where they were at now, not eerie anymore like he originally thought. He had a sneaking suspicion it had to do with you.

The feeling of your hand on his forearm spread across the expanse of his body. 

You didn’t know that. Whenever you touched him, he felt it from head to toe. 

To you, you likely only saw a collected facial expression as he stared at you. What would you do if you knew how insane you made him feel?

“I’m so happy you’re back. I missed you.”

“You did?”

“Of course I did,” It was your turn to look away, but he was hanging onto your words. Subconsciously, he moved closer to you, his face nearly inches away from yours. Your voice wavered, the worry in it making his heart ache. “I was worried about you. But you’re strong.”

Is he strong? Is that how you saw him?

For a moment, he was suspended in midair. What he did next, he knew he needed to do. If you threw a line, it was his turn. You deserved so much from him and he wanted to give it to you.

So, he rested his hand above yours. Your eyes widened, looking back at him. He tried to keep his face open, his icy fingers wrapping around your warm ones. “I’m sorry. For worrying you, and for taking so long. But… I’m back. I’m not going anywhere and…” He shook his head, frustrated with himself. Just say something, explain to her.

The burning question of the hour: Why am I such an asshole?

Before he fully submerged in his head, he jerked at the sensation of your hand cupping his cheek. Opening his eyes- he hadn’t realized they’d closed- he was staring into your eyes. A galaxy looked back at him. 

“Hyuck, I understand. I admit, it was confusing and it was hard to not reach out. But I wanted to respect your wishes. We all have our issues, and you wanted to spend some time away. I don’t hold that against you. You’re here and you don’t have to worry about me. Are you okay?”

He hoped the bonfire didn’t give away his glossy eyes. “I am now.”

You beamed like his own personal lighthouse. Intertwining your fingers, you raised his hand to your mouth and pressed a gentle kiss on the back of it. He could only be amazed by you. 

Here he was, concocting all these ideas about how you were going to react poorly, how you were probably done with him and his tendency to be difficult. He didn’t even consider the possibility that you would be understanding.

How foolish of him, considering you were compassionate since the day you gave him a chance. 

Donghyuck couldn’t control his own happiness on his mouth, flipping your hand to give you his own kiss. 

For the most part, his mind was quiet. 

There was one question in its depths.

How did I get so lucky?

~

It was a beautiful day, one that would echo in the crevices of their minds long after their departure. Nothing but the Earth surrounded them, forestry and sounds of distant birds chattering among themselves. That, and a group of joyous friends splashing around were the only sounds that could be heard. 

Among those friends were Renjun and Yuqi, a passionate couple that found they complemented each other’s fierce personalities. A boy who hardly gave his heart away, but when he did it was well-earned.

There were Jaemin and Dahyun, in the middle of a splash fight. Loyal friends, who may not always be near but would always linger in a friend’s heart. Whether it be late night karaoke or on days like this one. 

Yuri was a new addition to the group, loud and proud. Her vibrant voice overtook much of the day’s activities, and her tendency to attract attention was unintentional. Given a chance, she grows on you. She could even make Donghyuck laugh when she cannon-balled near him, completely soaking him.

There was Jeno, a lone wolf, who pretended he was fine when he was alone. Maybe, if he tested himself, he could survive. Why would he want to, though, when he had incredible companions by his side? Upon first glance, he’s a boy that makes you question ever laying your eyes on beauty. He’s an innocent crush, a last stab at unblemished youth. When given the chance, he’ll become a good friend.

Donghyuck and Y/N. 

In a solitary and intimate wood, they found their way back to each other. Truth be told, they never really left. Y/N, headstrong and sentimental, could only wrap her arms around the boy’s neck as he threatened to dunk her in the water. He didn’t know that she was already fully submerged in the sea, submerged in it every time she looks in his eyes. 

Ignoring his threats of a water fight, she tugged him closer by the neck and pressed her lips on his, reminding him that she will not let go. 

That left Donghyuck, the boy whose heart raced miles a minute while his mind travelled at the speed of light. He was a cacophony of complexity, someone endless and if intrigued by the wrong person, considered frustrating. 

Not to you, of course.

When he looked at you, he could find simplicity. 

He never knew it was that easy, to find something he never really thought existed. 

Pulling you close in that lake water, staring into your galaxy eyes and soaking you in, no questions rung in his mind. 

All of them had been answered for that brief and closed off moment. 

If he had you, that’s all he needed. 

As he pressed a kiss to your nose, looking at you with all the fondness in the world, there was one statement at the forefront of his mind.

I’m lucky to have you as my universe.

#angelo works #taste of his universe #tohu #nct scenarios #nct fluff #nct angst #nct dream scenarios #nct dream fluff #nct dream angst #kpop scenarios #kpop fluff #kpop angst #lee donghyuck scenarios #lee donghyuck angst #lee donghyuck fluff #donghyuck scenarios #donghyuck fluff #donghyuck angst #haechan scenarios #haechan fluff #haechan angst #renjun scenarios #jeno scenarios #jaemin scenarios #angelo writing #take me to outer space #tmtos

[hjslovebot]

barista au with jisung

genre: fluff, bulleted scenario

word count: 2292

so imagine you work at a cute lil cafe with jisung

the way you got to know each other is actually a pretty cute story

he's worked there a bit longer than you, and you were always a frequent customer before applying and ultimately being hired

you, like anyone else who has ever come into contact with him, absolutely adored jisung

your smile would get a little wider when you pushed open the glass door and saw him standing behind the register, and his was always twice as bright

so on your first day, jisung was quite surprised when you casually stepped behind the counter instead of placing an order

he already knew your name from the numerous times he'd write it on your paper cup (๑>ᴗ<๑)

still, him speaking it in a questioning tone made your heart skip a beat or five

"you're the new girl?"

"and you're her trainer!" your new manager chimed in, giving jisung a supportive pat on the shoulder before derobing from her apron. "my shift's about over. (yn), good luck, i believe in you... jisung, don't scare the girl away, please"

and then there were two

"well, i've never had the responsibility of training someone before, so i guess just watch and learn?"

being in this new environment was kind of scary for you, admittedly

but now knowing that this was a learning process for the both of you made you feel a little better

jisung started by placing a tiny ceramic mug under what you recognized to be an espresso machine. "this is as easy as it gets" he joked

it was the single push of a button and the smell of warm espresso filled the whole cafe

learning to steam milk, however, didn't go as smoothly

first attempt, you may or may not have sprayed foam all over your sparkling new apron

before you had a chance to feel even the slightest twinge of embarrassment, jisung was quick to clean up the mess and tell you the story of his first time making an absolute mess of the workspace

he was being so reassuring and paying such close attention to making sure you were comfortable learning the ropes and AH he was just the sweetest boy “o(*^▽^*)o”

after one or two more tries, you poured the contents into a cup and added in a spritz of flavor

satisfied with your work and finally snapping on the lid, jisung outstretched his arms to you with the cup in his hands as if he were presenting you a gift

"now you know how to make a caramel macchiato, your favorite"

AAAAAAAAAAA

hoping the blush you felt in your cheeks wasn't too painfully obvious, you took the cup from his grip and sipped it

"it's delicious" you praise "but it's better when you make it"

he scoffed jokingly in denial of your words, "nonsense! you're a pro already."

the remainder of your first shift and your next few days carried on exactly like this

you were torn between thinking jisung was flirting with you or maybe he was just trying to be a supportive coworker

no matter which it was, you couldn't complain

fast forward about a week or so

you're a pro at your job by now, tackling every task with ease

you have none other than your beloved coworker and blatant obvious crush jisung to thank for your expertise (ღˇ◡ˇ)

you're working by yourself one night when jisung comes in to visit

"oh, how the tables have turned" he'd joke

this was the first time your roles were swapped, jisung was the customer and you were the barista behind the counter

jisung ordered a caramel macchiato

you didn't know it at the time but as much as he was a fan of sweet things, he had never tried that drink, he just wanted to try a taste of the thing he knew brought you so much unnecessary happiness

jisung stepped over to the pickup counter, which was so conveniently placed right next to where the espresso machine was, and watched as you prepared the drink for him

"can you quit hovering?" you asked, "you're making me nervous"

"oh, so i make you nervous?" he cracked

"i don't need a cute boy staring me down when i'm trying to focus on my craft"

you almost floored yourself with the boldness of your statement

having absolutely never been one to flirt, you had no idea what corner of your mind that came from ?????

but before you could react, jisung hit you back with the "now you know how i felt for the past year when a pretty girl like you would come into this place and order from me"

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

a million alarms started going off in your head when he said that

jisung??? calling you pretty??? and being made nervous by you??? (/ω＼)

in WHAT WORLD

"h-here you go," you stumble, passing him the cup

"its delicious," he says, before even tasting it, a cocky grin on his face

you roll your eyes at him, feigning nonchalance and returning to the register to help the next customer

jisung, being as beautifully torturous as he was, didn't go very far

you continually snuck glances at him cozied up in the corner of the cafe, sat at a table with his laptop open and earbuds in

you were incredibly curious as to what he may have been watching or doing over there, so when the time came for you to take your dinner break, you settled into the barstool next to his. "what's all this?"

"oh!" hitting the spacebar and pulling an earbud out, jisung turned to you. "jesus, (yn), you scared the hell out of me!"

you mentally scolded yourself for wanting to kiss that stupid cute pout off of his face

"sorry," you said, eyes glued to the complex bars and waves on his laptop screen. "what is this?" you repeated

"oh, this is a song i'm working on," jisung said as if there was no weight behind it

jisung makes music???

up until that moment you never really considered what kind of person he was outside of that cafe, and suddenly you felt so overwhelmed with the desire to know him as well as you knew the four walls that brought you together

"can i- do you mind if i have a listen?"

"of course! but not yet, it isn't finished yet" jisung took a sip from his macchiato, raising a finger with an idea. "tell you what," he proposed, placing the cup back on the table. "if i have it finished by the time you close up tonight, we can stay a while and i'll show you a couple tracks i've been working on"

something about the sound of that got your heart THUMPIN

so naturally, you agreed to it

by the time the pair of you left the cafe, it was nearing midnight

impressive, considering the place closed at 8

you learned so much about jisung as he showed you song after song

there was the obvious

he was an amazing rapper and an even better singer

and then there were the more subtle things like the messages he'd leave within his lyrics

you could tell this was something he was so passionate about and something about that was so admirable to you ❤︎(ˆ‿ˆԅ)

you cursed your heart for doing what it was doing to you as you got into your car that night

but what you didn't know was that jisung was hiding an entire folder of demos that he had produced or written that were inspired by the time he'd spent with you

days became weeks

weeks became months

you were falling head over heels in love with your job

and head over heels in love with jisung

you were two peas in a pod and every shift you had together felt more like fun than a job

you even began hanging out independently which you were so excited about but tried your best to contain aaaAAAAAAA

you were so happy to be spending so much time with him despite the multitude of tugs against your heart strings that came as a package deal

by now it had been a good three months and you were past the point of denying your feelings

you'd just accepted the fact that you just so happened to be working with, and becoming friends with, your absolute dream boy

you were certain of your own feelings

but that didn't mean you weren't oblivious to jisung's

so much so that when a customer by the name of felix left you a tip with his phone number written messily on a napkin, you didn't notice the immediate change in jisung's demeanor

you didn't think he even noticed the exchange, as he was busy filling the pastry case on the opposite end of the aisle

that felix kid was cute, but you were so whipped for a boy who had no idea about your feelings that you simply accepted the tip with a smile and threw away the napkin

it wasn't until much later that night that you realized something was bothering jisung

usually after the store closes one of you would play music from your phone and you'd be using spatulas or whipped cream cans to serenade the other terribly from the opposite end of the store

but no

not tonight

tonight jisung was quiet

you watched him with confusion behind your eyes as he wiped down the counters in silence, earbuds blocking out any efforts you'd make to confront him

you started to wonder if maybe you had done something to upset him

but you had no idea what you could have possibly done

your mind was being sent in an absolute whirl and you didn't like it

you decided it'd be best if you took a moment for yourself, so you stepped into the back room and heaved out an anxious sigh

much to your dismay, jisung was in close quarters

he breezed past you to throw away the rag he had just dirtied up, not even looking in your direction

"jisung," you deadpanned, of course to no avail. he still had his damn earbuds in.

two could play at this game

you shut the swinging doors and stood guard in front of them, arms crossed stubbornly so he couldn't get through to the outside before passing through you

"jisung," you repeated.

he looked straight at you with his wide eyes, pulling out the earbuds that were distracting him from you in the first place

"can i help you with something?"

you scoffed at his arrogance "'sung, what is your problem?!"

"i don't have a problem," he pouted, pushing past you with ease

you rolled your eyes, hating how he barely stood an inch taller than you but your strength was nowhere near matching his

"okaaay," you tried, following him out into the dining hall. "then can you tell me what my problem is, so i can fix it?"

eventually

jisung couldn't take it anymore

he'd spent three months bottling up everything he's felt and as soon as he thought something more was beginning between you

felix had to show up

“he's pretty cute, isn't he," jisung said quietly

he couldn't quite meet your eyes

"who?" you were absolutely racking your brain by now. "'sung, what on earth are you talking about?"

"felix, was it?"

all in the matter of seconds, everything made sense

jisung had read the entire thing completely incorrectly because

just as you thought

he didn't catch all of it because he was standing a bit far away from you

"fuck," you said without a thought behind it

what you took as a bad attempt at hitting on you that you completely brushed off

jisung saw as:

cute boy walks into cafe

cute boy gives barista his number

barista smiles and takes it from him

"i threw it out," you blurted

"i didn't even read it. i made him his drink and i was polite because that's what i'm getting paid to do. i have no interest in anybody els-"

you paused

why did jisung care in the first place?

"jisu-"

your question was answered in an instant

you were so distracted by your own rambling that you hadn't noticed jisung moving closer to you

and those rambles were cut short by the soft touch of his hand on your face as jisung hushed you with his lips on your own

!?!?!?

the kiss was over as soon as it had started

you barely had time to even register that it had happened before jisung was leaning back to get a better look at your face

"i was going to say," you breathed, "i have no interest in anybody else but you"

"i'm sorry i acted like a baby," he said sincerely, his thumb brushing softly against your cheek. "i was just scared. i didn't want the past three months to have been for nothing over one stupid customer who doesn't know how to keep to himsel-"

this time it was your turn to shut him up by kissing

you made a mental note that it was super effective!

"'sung, you don't have to worry," you laughed airily. "i've only had eyes for you for quite a bit longer than three months"

you could feel him physically relax in your embrace at the sound of your words

he rested his forehead against yours and locked your hands together

"here i thought you actually liked me for my caramel macchiatos, not just my amazing good looks," he joked.

you smiled, leaning up and gently placing a single kiss to his nose

"don't worry, you've got both."

note: ahhhHHH my first time with a bulleted scenario on here instead of a full blurb!! do you guys like this format? i need some feedback on this one but i’m super excited about this one! i’m a barista myself so it was super fun for me to write this, i hope u love it <3

#han jisung fluff #han jisung scenario #han jisung x reader #han jisung imagine #jisung fluff #stray kids scenario #stray kids imagine #stray kids fic #stray kids #stray kids fluff #hjs #fluff #bulleted #complete

[blissedoutphil]

Dan the Personal Assistant Part 6

Dan has to submit an application video to be an assistant for a company President, Mr. Lester. But what happens when he accidentally sends a wrong video?

3464 words of Dom!Phil, sub!dan

almost exactly 3 months since the last update, good job me :| sorry to have kept yall waiting but I was writing this halfway when irl d&p came out, which was so surreal and overwhelming that I took a lil break from writing phanfic, I hope you guys understand <3

also can yall imagine my surprise and outrage when I found out tumblr removed line breaks while I was on hiatus?!

~Part 5~

~Part 7~

or read on ao3!

After Dan left, Phil couldn’t stop thinking about the conversation they had. He should’ve known it was a bad idea to let the boy into his home, but he couldn’t help it. He can’t believe history was almost repeating itself. All he had to do was maintain his distance, keep the boy aware of the line between them. Boss and assistant, nothing more. Don’t cross the line, and everything will be fine. And yet here he was.

Phil cursed himself as he slumped back onto the couch. He could tell that Dan liked him. Why else would anyone even want to spend their precious weekend with their boss the entire day? But he wouldn’t blame the boy. And to make matters worse, Phil was starting to grow very fond of Dan too. It wasn’t easy avoiding his pretty lips earlier. He wanted nothing more than to kiss Dan, to taste him, to learn the way his lips felt against his own.

But that was exactly what started the downfall of his relationship with his previous assistant, and he wasn’t going to let it happen again. He absolutely did not want to lose Dan the same way.

Perhaps Frank was right, Phil thought. His colleague was just looking out for him, not wanting him to be silly and fall for an assistant again, but Phil clearly hadn’t listened. Frank had all the right to be upset at him on Friday. But part of Phil had wanted to prove to his colleagues that he knew not to repeat mistakes, and he thought that having Dan would be a good idea to show them. God, Frank would be pissed if he ever found out that Phil had spent almost his entire Sunday with Dan. 

But Phil had enjoyed Dan’s company very much, even more so than when he sits naked all pretty in his office. He never had someone so willing to just accompany him even though he was busy doing work. He never had someone to watch his favourite show while eating his favourite takeaway food with before. Not even when he was in love with his previous assistant.

Phil thought about how well he and Dan actually clicked. He wondered if in another universe, they’d meet in a different way and be boyfriends. He entertained the thought only for a minute though, he couldn’t afford to lose an assistant again.

Phil sighed. Maybe he should just let Dan know about the past, maybe Dan would be better than him at staying within boundaries. He didn’t want to lead him on if they continue this way. But he was afraid that Dan might leave entirely if he were to tell him. 

As he started clearing away the takeaway boxes, he decided that instead of talking about the past, he’d just have to show Dan the boundaries even clearer.

---------

The next day, Phil stepped into the office to be greeted with the usual sight of Dan sat on the rug and the usual scent of coffee already made for him. Phil had somewhat expected Dan not to turn up after yesterday’s events, so he was actually pleasantly surprised. He didn’t show it, though.

“Good morning, Sir,” Dan spoke up, actually feeling good that he could finally call Phil Sir again after not being able to yesterday.

“Good morning, Daniel,” Phil answered, making a point not to look Dan’s way as he settled down in his seat.

Dan gulped, not sure if Phil was still upset at him for their conversation the previous night. Phil was usually warm and cheerful in the mornings, except that one time he was late. But now he seemed guarded, like last night.

Phil seemed intent on not even speaking to him. Which was strange because Phil always had some instructions for him before he started his work proper. So, Dan decided to go through with his plan from yesterday which was to give Phil a deserving blowjob before he started the day.

He crawled over and knelt by the side of Phil’s chair, doe eyes looking up at Phil before asking if he could blow him. To his surprise, Phil merely dismissed him.

“From now on, I want you to kneel and be still by that corner when you’re not needed. Only come to me when I ask you to, got it?” Phil asked, pointing to the far end of the room.

Dan was confused, because Phil had always allowed him to just be comfortable and do whatever he wants if he wasn’t needed. But it wasn’t his place to object to instructions.

“Is this punishment for pushing things yesterday, Sir?” he asked, albeit meekly.

“No,” Phil answered a bit more defensive than he’d intended, “I thought we agreed to forget that. I’m just setting some new rules for you,” Phil gave Dan a quick glance before turning his attention to the files on his desk.

As Dan crawled dejectedly to his newly designated corner, he concluded that this was definitely because of yesterday. Just as he got into position, Phil spoke up.

“Oh before that, go get the black buttplug and use it.”

Dan went to the drawer of toys, knowing exactly which one Phil was referring to. He started moving towards Phil but Phil stopped him and told him to get it in himself.

Dan was used to Phil preparing him and using the toys on him instead of doing it himself, but he just had to adhere to whatever Phil was saying right now. So, he decided to make the most of it and put on a good show for Phil. He prostrated on the rug, head down and ass in the air towards Phil. He slowly fingered himself, complete with moans and whimpers that he knew Phil liked.

After he finally inserted the plug and sat back up and turned to Phil, to his dismay, Phil wasn’t even looking at him.

Dan huffed as he crawled to his corner. What was the point of him being there if Phil didn’t even want to pay attention? He knelt up and faced the wall, wondering how long he’d have to stay like that. He couldn’t even see the time like this, and he knew he’d be bored to death before even an hour passes.

--------------

Dan wasn’t sure how much time passed but his knees were starting to ache. He wanted to turn around and look at Phil, but he didn’t want to disobey orders. He wanted to be as good as possible and not make any mistakes. Perhaps the previous assistant eventually got bored and even the money can’t cure boredom. Or perhaps he got so bored that he started disobeying orders a lot on purpose so Phil fired him. No, Dan can’t be like the previous assistant. So he continued kneeling like a good boy despite his knees aching.

Phil actually couldn’t stop staring at Dan’s ass while he tried to do work. The plug was a perfect touch. And Dan was being so good as well, he was barely fidgeting. Phil almost felt bad that he had to do this, but it was the only way he could think of how to keep the boundaries in check. 

Just then, there was a knock on Phil’s door. He instinctively looked at Dan, who was already looking back at him.

“Go,” Phil mouthed and pointed to the bathroom door.

“I’m good,” Dan responded in a moment of defiance. He remembered that Phil hadn’t minded if he wanted to stay when people came in. And he didn’t want to miss out on any conversation that could potentially involve him anymore.

“It’s an order,” Phil said firmly, face stern.

Dan faltered a bit. He contemplated disobeying Phil, but he really didn’t have it in him to be a naughty boy. He didn’t have much time either; the knocks on the door were getting louder and Phil was looking angrier by the second.

Eventually, he got up and ran into the bathroom, closing the door just in time for Phil’s colleague to barge in.

-----------

“You’re hiding him in there, aren’t you?” Frank asked, clearly unamused as he sat down in front of Phil’s desk.

Phil sighed. At least Frank wasn’t raising his voice like last time, so hopefully Dan couldn’t hear anything.

“Yeah okay I guess there’s no point lying to you anyway,” Phil mumbled.

“You know I’m just looking out for you, right?” Frank leaned forward in his seat, volume as low as Phil’s.

“Where is the old Frank who just wanted a piece of my assistant now?” Phil tried to joke even though he knew it won’t go over well.

“I don’t want you getting all hurt again, and I don’t want you hurting some kid’s feelings again.”

Frank was older than Phil, and although he knew that Frank was right most of the time, he didn’t like how sometimes it just felt like he was being scolded by his dad or something.

“I get it, Frank, but trust me I know what I’m doing this time,” Phil said.

“You sure you’re not falling for this kid now?”

“I’m not!” Phil whisper-shouted.

Frank didn’t look convinced, “Uhuh yeah, sure you aren’t. I would’ve received the complete financial plan from you if you weren’t distracted. I’ve known you too long to be fooled by you, Lester.”

“I’ll get it done by lunch, alright?!”

“Why can’t you just get a boyfriend the normal way,” Frank shook his head, “go on grindr if need be.”

“I’m not searching for a boyfriend. I just-”

“Then make sure he isn’t being led on. Or do I need to get in there and talk to him myself?”

“I am making sure of that. We have a contract and he’s being paid so. I’m not just using him and he knows what he’s gotten into,” Phil still tried defending himself.

Frank sighed as he got up.

“Well, if you need help you know I’m here for you. Just, don’t be stupid again.”

Frank immediately left the room, not giving Phil time to argue further. Phil knew that Frank was trying to be a good friend looking out for him, but he couldn’t help being more grumpy from that conversation.

Dan must’ve heard the door slam shut as he slowly came back out of the bathroom. Phil hoped that he hadn’t heard anything at all.

Dan could tell that Phil was frustrated, it seemed like his mood went from bad to worse. Just like on Friday, he felt like he should help his boss relax. It was his job here anyway. But he wasn’t sure if it would be a good idea now after Phil set those new rules.

He couldn’t make out any words from the conversation today, which frustrated him a little, but the voice he heard sounded like the one from Friday. He wondered what it was about the guy that always put Phil in a weird mood.

Phil felt Dan’s eyes on him, so he pretended to be busy until Dan gave up and moved to his corner. When Dan’s back was facing him again, he relaxed and sighed.

He had no idea what to do after the conversation with Frank. Dan was such a good sub, perhaps too good for him. He didn’t even try to object to the sudden change in rules. Now Phil wasn’t sure if the rules would even help at all. Part of him wanted Dan to just lash out on him, like his old assistant used to.

His old sub would’ve totally disagreed with the idea of having corner time, would’ve done the opposite of what Dan was doing and instead would do anything to push Phil’s buttons, even after Phil punished him. Phil shook his head slightly at the memory, wondering why he had even put up with that. He did love a bratty sub at the time, but Dan made him realise how beautiful it was to have a wholly willing sub too.

It was about an hour to lunch, so Phil decided to ignore his situation with Dan for now to finish up the work he owed Frank so that Frank wouldn’t come for him in the afternoon. He could try to talk to Dan during lunch.

--------

“Dan.”

Dan was startled out of his daydream. He looked over his shoulder, uncertain if he was allowed to move out of his spot. He quickly stood up when Phil beckoned him over to the couches, his knees almost buckling.

Phil had ordered in for their lunch today. Dan cautiously sat at the opposite end of the couch. He still felt wary around this bad mood Phil.

Phil started eating, so Dan followed suit, but found it hard when the silence between them felt so tense. But he had no idea what to even say that could ease the tension, so he just tried to quickly finish his food.

Phil sighed suddenly, placing his bowl onto the table haphazardly.

“Dan,” Phil began, in a voice so solemn that it made Dan worry if he was in trouble or something.

Phil had no idea how to start the conversation, and Dan already looked like he’s terrified that he’d done something wrong. Why did he even pull this poor boy into this situation? It all suddenly seemed extremely silly to have a personal slut readily available for him at all times in his office.

“Could you put on your clothes?” Phil decided to say. Even though he loved seeing his boy nude, it just didn’t feel right for this conversation he was about to have.

“A-am I being fired?” Dan asked brokenly, and Phil can’t believe that tears were actually forming in Dan’s eyes.

“No,” Phil reassured quickly, “I just. Are you 100% sure you’re comfortable with all this?”

You’re like over a month late in asking this, Dan thought as his brows creased in confusion.

“Yeah, I mean I wouldn’t have signed the contract if I wasn’t,” Dan answered firmly, wondering why Phil was suddenly having doubts of his trust.

Something was clearly bothering Phil, but after what happened at his house, Dan didn’t want to overstep any boundaries by asking too much again. He was so curious but he hoped that Phil would trust him enough to open up to him without being prompted.

“I’m sorry, Dan,” Phil sighed, shaking his head, “I-I just. Wanna ask you something. Can you be completely honest with me?”

Dan was still confused as to why Phil didn’t seem to trust him suddenly. “Of course. You know that I’ve never been dishonest with you, right Sir?”

Phil didn’t answer Dan. He stalled for a bit, trying to phrase his question in his mind.

“There’s nothing more going on here, right?” Phil asked vaguely, gesturing between them.

“W-what do you mean?” Dan asked nervously, having a strong suspicion of exactly what Phil meant.

“You know that as a boss and employee we must maintain a professional relationship, so I just wanna make sure-”

“Oh yeah, I know that,” Dan quickly uttered, “yeah totally. And yeah nope, nothing more here. Totally professional only.”

“Okay good,” Phil leaned back into his seat a little.

Dan felt bad seeing how Phil relaxed. Now he can’t say that he’s never been dishonest with Phil anymore.

“...Why’d you ask? Are you feeling like there is?” Dan asked to distract from his moment of faltering.

“N-no! I just. Want to confirm, is all,” it was Phil’s turn to falter.

So much for asking for complete honesty when you can’t give him that yourself, Phil thought.

Phil cleared his throat. “Yeah, which is why I set those new rules today. To have clearer boundaries between us. Just to be sure so nothing more could come up, which we obviously can’t tolerate. Yeah. Just wanted to explain to you why we’re gonna have these new rules.”

“Okay,” Dan said passively.

“Good,” Phil replied anyway even though he was exasperated by Dan’s blank expression. He picked his bowl back up and the conversation ended there.

-------

Dan spent the rest of the day in his corner. It was the first day since he started working there that Phil didn’t even play with him once. He had a lot of time to mull over the conversation they had at lunch, and he honestly felt like he was in deep shit.

Perhaps he was more transparent than he thought, and he felt embarrassed thinking of how Phil most probably knew that he was falling for him. It was a good call on Phil’s part then, to set new boundaries. Dan thought he could’ve silently dealt with the crush, but of course he didn’t want want to make Phil uncomfortable and ruin their workplace relationship. He was glad that Phil didn’t just fire him, even if he could tell that Dan was lying to him earlier.

He tried not to read too much into how Phil answered him the exact way he answered Phil. Was Phil really being honest or did he also lie just like Dan did? What if Phil was also starting to fall for Dan and so he quickly set new rules to make sure he wouldn’t? Dan felt his heart swell thinking about Phil actually liking him back, but he didn’t want to entertain those thoughts for long. They wouldn’t make things any better.

The more he thought about their conversation during lunch, the more questions he had. But he was sure that part of why Phil was doing this was because he’d been too nosy the day before, and he didn’t want to overstep by asking too much again. He so badly wanted to tell Phil that he won’t cross the line anymore, that he can be good and maintain a totally professional relationship - whatever that meant for a personal slut - without having these new rules that he honestly didn’t like at all.

The problem was. Although Dan absolutely did not want to get fired over being unable to control his feelings, he was fairly certain that even this change can’t stop him from falling for his boss. He was definitely in deep shit.

------

Phil could concentrate on work even less now than when he often played with Dan. The new rules weren’t helping him at all. He kept looking at Dan, who amazingly stayed still almost throughout the entire day. His eyes scanned the boy’s taut shoulders, the little freckles speckling his shoulder blades, the dimples above his bum. They way he’s gripping his arms behind his back even though Phil hadn’t made him do that. Such a good boy. He wanted to pull the plug out and fuck him hard against the wall.

But he also kept thinking about the conversation they had over lunch, and how he wasn’t sure if this could help Dan not to be led on.

Not that Dan was being led on since his feelings were reciprocated, even if he didn’t know. Which was a whole other matter that Phil wasn’t prepared to think about.

But he’d already tried to make clear that he wanted to have only a professional relationship between them, and he shouldn’t take back his words. He wondered how Dan was taking this all so well. He literally agreed to have these rules without even questioning Phil the slightest, which honestly took Phil by surprise.

Maybe Phil was just overthinking and all this was unnecessary. Or maybe Dan felt that this change was helpful, and things could work out with no feelings attached in the end.

Phil sighed as he continued staring at his boy’s ass across the room. He thought about how adamant Dan was that there was nothing more going on. He didn’t know whether to believe the boy, because his actions sure showed otherwise. Not that he had a right to get mad, since he also lied to Dan about his own feelings. Although he really hoped that Dan didn’t pick up that he’d lied.

The image of Dan looking distressed thinking that he was being fired also stuck in Phil’s mind. At least one thing’s for sure - Phil need not worry about his assistant wanting to leave him like last time. As long as he doesn’t mess things up now.

Phil quickly shook himself out of his daydream of being with Dan and focused on his work for the rest of the day. If he wanted Dan to lose the feelings, he had to as well. So maybe trying to show the boundaries clearer this way would work out after all.

At the end of the day, Dan was instructed to remove the buttplug without being played with even a little. After over a month, this was his first day there that he hadn’t enjoyed at all.

---------------

~Part 5~

~Part 7~

I hope expectations aren’t too high for this fic (tbh idk how this became one of the favourites). Part of why I took a while to come back even after the feeling of omgwtfhshshskjs towards d&p’s coming out died down was because I literally have no clear plan for where this fic is going, which is a huge flaw of mine as a writer who just can’t seem to plan the entire story first instead of taking things one chapter at a time oops :x

butttt I hope this update was okay and thank you for still reading and being patient even as I tend to disappear for months at a time <3

#dan the personal assistant #Phanfic #My fic #phan fic