#coffee tastes so good but why does it hurt so bad

[juicywritinghoard]

prompts to shake things up

I didn't know you wore glasses and I'm thinking normal and platonic thoughts about you right now I swear

I'm going to take over the world and no one can stop me not even y- okay well if you ask nicely I guess

you say childish like it's a bad thing but I see you eyeing that life size Pokémon plush don't kid yourself 

be honest are you crying about the commercial with the kitten in it

this marriage was supposed to be a scam but, but listen,

soooo *twirling hair and fluttering eyelashes* why does everyone think you're a freak

I know I'm your doctor and the horns growing in overnight was kind of a surprise but why do you want them removed those are sick as hell

babe. my love. song in my heart. are you purring 

okay so if you want me to rescue you from up there you have to try to come with me--okay I guess I'm picking you up

I have never been this sick before I'm sorry did I, haha this is so weird, but did I confess my love for you? f- four times? yeah? haha oh

every time you taste my cooking you just say it's amazing does it need more salt or not I swan to John

oh it's nothing it's just. you sing when you're happy and the place has been so quiet for so long, and I heard you- nevermind,

you frost cookies like you're neither left or right handed but a third other hand that you don't actually possess and I can't stand it (affectionate)

I don't think you understand how much your good morning texts legitimately keep me from rotting in bed all day 

you must be pretty down if me juggling your oranges doesn't even get a laugh out of you :( should I light them on fire? 

no I see the super powers yeah I just, I'm not sure you got them from your medication, yeah, and would you say that's a negative side effect or

you bought me a SWORD? OH MAN IM GONNA BE SO DANGEROUS 

ooh what's this potion do? coffee? that's a funny name. what happens if I press this button? humans are so fascinating this is the best I hope I never go home

you've been blinking SOS in Morse code at me for ten minutes honey this award ceremony is supposed to be honoring you 

when we kiss I feel like I'm floating, like literally gravity stopped working on me please don't let go?? also another kiss wouldn't hurt just saying 

so it was YOU who took a full bite out of that stick of butter!! please. please. why??

let's go on vacation somewhere cheesy and act like we're a couple wouldn't that be sooooo funny haha

okay so sleeping it off didn't work. let me consult my list. hypnotism, no. meditation, certainly not. well something has to work because I simply cannot be in love with them

I'm a spy. i can do unspeakable crimes under the morally bankrupt cover of night but I'm not sure I can pretend to look at real estate as a couple with you 

my love is your arm stuck in the claw machine. you were going to steal that prize for me?? oh my gosh. let me rescue you and also show you how to actually do this

#writing prompts #writing ideas #prompts #prompt list #rp prompts #rp ideas #creative writing #writing inspo #writing inspiration #otp prompts #roleplay prompts #prompt meme #writing prompt #story ideas #rp starters #romance prompts #writing #writeblr #story prompt #trope prompts #fic inspo #fic inspiration #fanfic inspo #fanfic inspiration #fanfiction prompts #fanfiction ideas

[prettyboyeddiemunson]

would you write Eddie x reader where he's like, dropping everyone off at night and reader is last, when the kids are gone she takes her bra off because it was definitely hurting her aaaaand Eddie notices that she's got pierced nipples? NO NEED to make it smutty if u don't feel like it, just curious about his reaction? lol thanks <3

reader is 18 in this, and obviously, minors dni!

———————

Another fun evening was had at Hellfire Club, and you & Eddie were ready to wind down at your place. He dropped some of the other members off at home first, and your house was the last stop on his tour. Eddie had been your close friend since you were eight and he was ten, and you did everything together: D&D, drama club at school, drugs, booze, you name it. Every chance you got, the two of you were always together—usually getting into some drug- or booze-induced shenanigans. When you weren’t doing that, you were doing the exact thing you were doing tonight, which was going home to chill out together on the couch or in your room.

You loved being around Eddie, and it far exceeded just friendship for you. The thing was, you had always harbored a little crush on him, from the moment you’d met him all those years ago. In fact, for the last few years, that crush had turned into all-out love. He didn’t know, of course; you would rather gouge your own eyes out with a hot poker than ever tell him and risk losing him.

You & Eddie sat in your living room, with the TV on and drinking beer that Eddie had smuggled into the house. There was a show that neither of you were paying attention to, some kind of weird sitcom that was neither of your tastes. You were sitting close together, as usual, practically cuddling as you mindlessly took in the show and drank. Your parents were upstairs, probably in bed or watching TV themselves, but they didn’t come down to greet you when they heard you return home. Since their car was outside, it told you they probably turned in for the night. That left you & Eddie completely alone, which could be either a good or bad thing, depending on the mood the two of you got into.

Things started off innocently enough. The two of you discussed the new campaign, how your classes were going, what your weekend plans were, all the usual topics. You were digging around your chest almost the entire time, trying to fix the discomfort that your bra was causing. It always annoyed you to wear one, but you had to; without it, your nipple piercings were going to be extremely noticeable, and you couldn’t have that in school. Nothing helped, and short of taking it off, you had no relief whatsoever. But it was becoming ever clearer that removing it is exactly what needed to be done, with no other choices available.

Eddie is in the middle of talking about his favorite part of the campaign when you do it. You unclasp the bra under your shirt, sliding your arms into the sleeves to remove the straps, before pulling it from the bottom of your shirt. Eddie stops talking and watches you closely, his doe eyes wide in surprise as he sees the bra land on the coffee table. His eyes trail back to you, but they don’t find your face again. They are transfixed on your chest, and on the unmistakable impressions of nipple piercings that are pressing against the fabric of your Hellfire Club shirt. He swallows thickly, running a hand over his cheek as he tries so hard to look away. You chuckle, unable to help it, and he turns his gaze with a light blush dusting his cheeks.

“It’s okay if you noticed,” you say. “They’re kinda hard to miss when they aren’t in the bra.”

“I…” he says, swallowing again as he finds your eyes. “I didn’t mean to seem like some kind of fucking perv. I guess I'm just more surprised than anything else. Why didn’t you ever tell me that you got them pierced?”

“I guess I didn’t think it was that big of a deal,” you say, glancing at your chest. “I haven’t had them pierced for long. They’ve healed nicely, but sometimes they’re still a little sore.”

“Well, they seem very….um….” Eddie began, and you could tell that he was clearly flustered. “They seem nice. Probably got someone good to pierce them, huh? I hear those can be really hard to do.”

“Yeah, the guy who pierced them did a good job,” you say, and you can sense a shift in Eddie at the mention of another man. His jaw and fists clench, and he looks to the floor. You laugh, reaching over to run your fingers through his hair. “Aw, what’s the matter, Eddie? Are you jealous that another guy got to see my tits?”

“No,” he says, but he’s lying. You can always tell; after ten years of friendship, it wasn’t as if he could fool you. “I’m not.”

“Mmm hmm,” you say, then teasingly add: “You know, I’ll let you see them, if you want to.”

Eddie nearly chokes on the drink of beer he had just taken, and wipes his mouth on the back of his hand after thumping his chest. “Sorry, but I’m going to need you to repeat that. I need to make sure I heard you correctly.”

“I said,” you repeat, brushing some hair back from his shoulder before ghosting those fingertips over his neck, “you can see the piercings, if you want to.”

“I don’t want it to be weird,” Eddie says, looking at you and leaning closer into your touch. “Will it be weird?”

“Only if you make it weird,” you say, your hand on the back of his neck and tangling into his hair. “It’s just boobs, Eddie. I’m sure you’ve seen your fair share.”

“Well, yeah,” Eddie says with a soft smile. “But these are yours. I mean, don’t get me wrong, I’m not saying no. As long as you swear this won’t ruin anything between us, or make it awkward.”

“I don’t think it will,” you say, reaching for the hem of your shirt and slowly lifting it. “You can always change your mind before I get it hiked up, though. Tell me if you do, okay?”

He nods quickly, pulling the corner of his lip into his teeth. You keep moving the shirt up little by little, until your breasts are fully exposed to him. Eddie sucks in a breath, his eyes unable to leave them. He took in the shape of them, the way your nipples looked, and how the piercings gleamed in the lamplight of the living room. His breath caught, and he exhaled in the form of a shaky “fuck.” You laugh a little, biting your own lip as you watch him admiring your chest. You can tell that he’s enjoying it, and that whatever worries he had about this being awkward were long gone. In the front of his jeans, you could see the unmistakable outline of a forming erection.

“What do you think?” you ask, smirking.

“They look fantastic,” Eddie says, his eyes still taking in your breasts. “And I guess the piercings are nice, too.”

You laugh a little louder at that, and feel even more boldness coming over you. “Do you wanna touch them? You can, if you want to; I won’t mind.”

Eddie’s eyes flickered to your face, and they widened again. “I can?”

“Sure,” you say, taking one of his hands in your free one. “Here. I’ll show you that I’m not kidding.”

You place his hand over your right breast, and he hisses at the contact with your skin. His lips part, his brown eyes already filling with lust as he kneads experimentally on your skin. You whimper pleasurably under his rough palm, feeling a rush of heat in your cunt as a response. He mewls softly, taking his other hand and placing it on the opposite breast. He ghosts his thumbs over the nipples, against the piercings and your sensitive skin, and you cry out at the touch. Ever since getting them pierced, the sensitivity in them had increased tenfold, and that little brush of his thumbs nearly had you up the wall with pleasure.

“Eddie…” you sigh, squeezing your thighs together to dull the throbbing ache that was settling between them.

“Are you okay?” he asks, looking at you worriedly. “Do you need me to stop?”

“God, no,” you say with a breathless chuckle. “Please don’t stop.”

He gives them a light pinch, and when he sees you reacting positively, he does it a little harder. You grab onto his arm, moaning and biting your lip to quiet yourself a little. The last thing you needed was for one or both of your parents to hear, and come down to investigate. Eddie massages circles onto your nipples, before cupping your tits and pressing them together, massaging them, and bringing his face close to them. He looks up at you through bangs and lashes, smirking as he does so. His lips travel from your breastbone to your stomach, and then back up, his eyes never leaving you for a moment. More wetness starts pooling in your panties, and they cling to you as his soft, plump lips continue pressing your skin.

“You know,” he says, nuzzling his way between your breasts before leaving hard, open mouthed kisses on your sternum. You tangle a hand in his hair, head tipped back as you moan hotly. “Not trying to sound like a creep, but I always knew you had some amazing fucking tits.”

You laugh, and that boldness from before takes over again. “Oh yeah? Well, I always thought your dick would look fucking amazing pressed between them, or just rubbing on them, or a combination of both. Whatever you would prefer.”

He shivers violently at that, groaning against your skin. “Fuck, y/n…”

He wraps the tip of his tongue around one nipple, still looking at you as he does so. You meet his gaze with a shiver, pushing some hair from his eyes as his tongue swirls the metal of the piercing. “I’ll bet you would love to cum all over them, wouldn’t you? Seeing me with it all over my tits, maybe even on my chin and tongue if you’re the type of guy who can really shoot one off.”

“Jesus, that’s…” Eddie breathes, giving your other nipple the same treatment. “That’s hot as shit.”

“Wanna do it?” you ask, and he shivers again. You can feel his cock, hard and throbbing in his pants, against your leg. “I think you do; the thought of it is getting you rock. Fucking. Hard. Isn’t it?”

“Yes, fuck,” Eddie hisses, pulling your nipple between his lips and sucking rapidly. He tugs it in his teeth, and you moan loudly, clamping your lips shut to keep silent. He toys with the other one, two fingers pinching the nipple & playing with the piercing. He draws back to look up at you, one hand settling on your waist as he tries to pull you closer to his body. “How does it feel? Does it still feel good?”

“Mmm hmm,” you breathe, grinning at him. “It feels so good, Eddie. You wanna know how good?”

“Yeah,” he says with a quick nod as he moves over to the other nipple for equal treatment.

“I’m so wet right now,” you say, your nails grazing his scalp as your hand deeply embeds in his long brown hair. “Mmm…I really want you to see just how fucking wet.”

“Please, let me see,” he practically whines, his lips pressing all over your chest in desperation as he ruts against your thigh. “Or let me touch you, or anything you want. Please, fuck…”

“Hang on,” you say, unbuttoning your pants and taking his hand. You guide it inside your drenched panties, where he groans at the feeling of your warm, wet pussy. “Feel that? You’re doing that to me, Eddie. It’s all you.”

“Goddammit,” he breathes, bucking himself harder against your leg with a low moan. He circles a finger around your entrance, before moving to your clit. You shiver and mewl as he rubs circles against the small bundle of nerves, head falling back again. He rapidly flicks his tongue over one of the piercings, before pressing the tip of his finger inside of you as an experiment. “I’ll bet your pussy tastes fucking incredible, and I’ll also bet that you would feel good squeezing around my cock.”

You groan filthily at his touch, chuckling as his free hand plays with your breast. You pull his head up by his hair, gazing into his eyes for a moment before kissing along his cheek, his jaw, and finally reaching his ear. Your teeth tug the lobe, a smirk on your lips as you whisper: “Why don’t you take me upstairs and find out?”

#eddie munson #eddie munson imagine #eddie munson blurb #eddie munson x reader #eddie munson x fem reader #eddie munson x you #eddie munson x y/n #eddie munson smut #eddie munson fanfic #stranger things #stranger things imagine #stranger things fanfiction

[lokischocolatefountain]

Whiskey and Wine

Fandom: Narcos

Pairing: Javier Peña x Reader

Rating: 18+ (Smut, angst, hurt/ no comfort. Warnings: Prostitute!reader, misogynistic terms to describe sex workers, mentions of domestic violence.)

Word count: 4k words

Summary: He drank whiskey and she drank wine. After years of offering her the wrong drink, Javier finally buys her the right one.

A/N: Venturing out to Javis who are no happily married and madly in love, so it’s angst central, baby! Let me know if you like this sad boi and go check out my other Javi (and Joel Miller) fics in my masterlist.

Wine was not Javier’s preferred choice of drink. He could count on his hand the number of times he’s had wine throughout his life. But when he was at the store, looking to replace his bottle of whiskey, the dark green wine bottle caught his eyes.

“Drink?”

“I’ve told you I don’t like whiskey,” she said, settling into his couch and tossing her handbag on his coffee table.

“I know,” he whispered, pulling out the bottle of wine he’d stashed in the bar. A smile found its place on his lips as he uncorked the bottle and poured it into a wine glass he bought especially for the occasion. The dark crimson, almost black filled the glass. When he’d filled his own glass, he put the bottle down on the counter.

“That looks familiar…” she said, turning the bottle around to see the label. Her eyes twinkled as she read the name of the brand she’d once told him she liked in passing. It was a long time back. Before Cali, before Los Pepes. When she’d only just become his informant. And it took him all this time to buy a bottle of wine for her. It wasn’t for a lack of wanting.

“You remembered,” she remarked, her eyes softening. They raised their glasses and let it clink together before taking a sip. Eyes closed, she nodded as though appreciating the taste. In his head, the nod was also for him, an approval, a good boy for choosing the right drink. It wasn’t his favorite. It tasted much too…fruity. But he took another sip. If it was good enough for her, it’s good enough for him.

“How have you been? How’s Miguel?” He asked about her kid who he could only remember as a two year old.

“He’s good. Getting alarmingly taller. I’m good, all things considered. It’s better now, in Medellin. I guess it’s Cali’s turn now. Is it bad there like Medellin used to be?” She asked. He took a seat next to her. Took her hand. It had been so long since he’d touched it. So long since it pulled at his hair as he buried his face between her legs.

“It’s a little more covert in Cali. The Godfathers run the cartel like a corporation. There’s this veneer of decency about them that Escobar didn’t have. But you peel back the layer and you’ll see all the same brutality.”

“Is it harder? I mean, I don’t care about Cali like I cared about Escobar. That could just be because I’m from Medellin and have no reason to be in Cali. But I don’t see anyone else giving a shit either. Must make it hard,” she said as she toyed with the loose tie around his neck.

“It does… ‘s like people think everything’s fucking perfect after Escobar died. It isn’t. You take down one monster and another one takes his place.”

She placed the glass of wine on his coffee table and put both her hands to use. She undid his tie and tugged it off his collar before rolling it up around her index finger. “Who is the next monster then? After Cali.”

Whoever the fucking CIA wants there.

“I don’t know…” he sighed before he reached out and unfurled his tie from around her finger. He tossed it back over his shoulder and took her hands in his, turning them back and front to admire them. He took her right hand and placed a kiss on each finger, looking up to catch her eyes. Her eyebrows furrowed and head tilted, she considered him like she was trying to figure him out.

“Why do this job if you think there’s no end?”

His shoulders slumped and he looked away, unable to meet her question. His hand stilled around hers. “I don’t know,” he answered again, his voice devoid of emotion. She’d always read him perfectly. Just one look at him was enough for her to know he’d had a bad day. After a lifetime of bad days, she still had a way to know exactly what worried him. One of them at least for he worried about multiple things at once.

“Let me take care of you, Javi…” she whispered, closing the gap between them. She was close enough that he could feel her breath and see the texture of her skin beneath her makeup. He closed his eyes and leaned forward, taking her lips between his. A sense of peace filled him as she melted into his arms. He moved her hair aside and cupped her cheek, gently holding her in place for him.

Burying himself in women and booze was second nature to him. Yet he hadn’t really indulged in the former since he came back to Colombia. Not after the first night with the woman from work.

Whiskey, women, work. The three Ws that kept his world running. Nibbling at her chin the way he remembered she liked, he was happy to have his trifecta back. And it mattered that it was this woman he’d found again. She was something of an addiction for him back in his Medellin days.

Sleeping with local prostitutes was no strange thing for the men at the embassy. Steve was one of the very few who didn’t indulge. And no, it wasn’t because he was married. Plenty of married men dipped their fingers into the money from their paycheque that they were meant to send back home to support their wives and kids. He just stumbled into the practice by using them as informants. While they all slept with prostitutes, he felt that he was different from the other men. He didn’t pump and dump them, didn’t fuck a different one each time. When he was sleeping with someone, he sought them out frequently and didn't sleep with others for the period. It didn’t make him a fucking saint. Of course not. It was just what he needed to do to collect intel. It was also to ensure safety. AIDS was no laughing matter.

He felt her expert hand pulling at his belt. He helped out, unbuttoning his pants for her. In a second, her hand was on his cock. He bucked into her hand, his body desperate for her touch after having gone so long without.

Javi loved women. Loved painted lips and long hair. Loved their elegant fingers wrapping around his cock and roaming his chest. He loved having them at the mercy of his tongue and making them scream his name until they could only make incoherent noises of pleasure. He loved all women, but he loved her much more than the others.

“Missed you so much, querida,” he breathed into her exposed neck. “So fucking much.”

He had given pieces of his heart to everyone in his life. Everyone he’d ever met who wasn’t an explicit enemy held a piece of him, held the power to crush it between their hands and ruin him. He broke off a huge chunk of himself for her. Or maybe it was gradual, he thought as he pulled her onto his lap.

He pushed her skirt up to her waist and adjusted her on him so that he could feel her wet heat on him. She grinds over him, eliciting a hiss. He grabs her by her hips, stalling her movements. “You keep that up and I’ll come before I’m inside you.”

She laughed and stopped struggling in his grip, allowing him a smidge of mercy. One look at the twinkle in her eyes and the upward curl of her lips was all he needed to realize that the process was gradual. Each time he invited her into his leather couch and then his bed, he gave her a piece of himself. Each time she asked if he was okay, each time she said just the right things to make him relax if only for the night, each time she did more than she needed to do for a paying client.

“Let me take you to bed,” he said, wrapping his arm around her waist to pick her up. She pressed her hand on his chest in a silent request to stop. He raised an eyebrow at her and searched her features for clues.

“Want a quick one first.”

“First?” He asked, brushing his lips against hers. “Is that a promise for more?”

“Mhmm,” she hummed before giving him a quick peck, making him smile. “I missed you too, you know?”

“Yeah?”

His heart warmed when she nodded in confirmation. Moments like this had him believing that maybe, just maybe, she might feel a little something for him too. It was pathetic, really. To believe the things women in this profession told men to make them feel good about themselves. It was no different from shop assistants telling you that the shirt you tried on looked good on you. It was good business.

He sneaked a hand beneath her top, caressing the soft skin with his callused one. She lifted her arms, helping him pull the top up before tossing it aside. She leaned back, accommodating him as he grazed her nipples through her bra with his teeth. The cheap lace scratched his tongue, making him snap the hooks in the back, releasing her from the wire-lace prison. He took her tits in his large, greedy hands, relishing in how she pushed into his hands.

In turn, she undid the buttons of his shirt, spreading her fingers over his chest and running them all over him as he ground himself against her. She whimpered, pushing back against him before she reached between them and stroked his cock.

She reached into her purse that sat on his coffee table and came back with a condom. He let her put it on him, shuddering at her touch as she stroked him a few times. Lining him up with herself, she took all of him in just one go. A groan rumbled from the depths of his chest as her velvety heat molded itself around him. “Hard and fast, Javi. Want you to get your stress out.”

“You’re so good for me. So good, always…” he praised, lifting her up and down his cock. “I missed you,” he mumbled. He needed her to know, know that this wasn’t just some line. He wasn’t saying things in the heat of the moment. He really did miss her, buried himself in other women and gone home to fuck his fist because they didn’t satisfy him like she did.

They weren’t so receptive to my touch, he wanted to say. They didn’t hold me like they cared. Their smiles didn’t wipe away the worries of my day.

Her earrings jumped with their dance, the little bells that hung from the base tinkling as they joined the sweet melody of her soft sounds. The red of her lips had grown light from his greed, was smeared beyond their boundaries. As he pulled her to his chest, he smelled the faint fragrance of her rose scented perfume, the one she always wore. It wasn’t anything uncommon, he’d smelled it on several women after her and drove himself mad with yearning. But on her, it smelled just a little different. It mixed with her natural scent, her intoxicating pheromones that was just her, that he wished he could bottle up and keep at his bedside.

Their lips found each other again, tasting each other, drinking up the sounds of the pleasure they gave each other.

A thin sheen of sweat coated her neck, making her glisten under the golden light from the street lamps streaming through his window. Mesmerized by the bouncing of her tits, he fucked into her harder, faster, letting his eyes enjoy the treat. His lips, jealous of the taste his eyes got, wrapped itself around a nipple. His hand grabbed the breast as his teeth nipped at her. She trembled in his arms as he let out a groan into her flesh.

“Javi…”

“Yeah, baby. Say it again, say my name.”

“Javi…please, faster.”

Gripping her harder, letting his nails dig into her flesh, he obliged. He thrusted into her, faster like she requested. She threw her head back, granting him access to her neck. He kissed and licked and nipped, tasting her sweat and her skin. He kissed scars and birthmarks and the little black moles on her skin that he had memorized like the streets of Laredo. Take a right from the mole on the right collarbone and go straight up to find the heart shaped mark on her shoulder.

He reached between their bodies, groping around for her clit before he found it with her “Fuck, right there Javi!”

With as much tenderness in his touch as the hardness of his thrusts, he began to play her clit. She bucked into his touch and writhed on his lap. He lost himself in her, his overactive mind finally calming down. Miguel Rodriguez and his almost-capture before the efficient hand of bureaucracy meddled had left his mind. Stechner, the CIA, Ambassador Crosby— it all ceased to exist.

Tension gripped his thighs, his balls, every-fucking-where. He threaded his fingers through her hair and guided her eyes to his. The tug of her hair had her tightening around him. He pulled again, his chest rumbling with his groan as she reacted expectedly. He spoke her name in a plea, not really knowing what he begged for. She rewarded him with her little whimpers.

“You’re so fucking beautiful,” she hummed appreciatively as she touched him. She spread her hands over the expanse of his chest, fingers healing scars old and new.

Her touch was addictive. When she dropped her hand from the force of his thrusts, he took them and placed them back on himself. He needed her touch. He needed to know she was wrapped around him in more than one way. Contrasting his harsh strokes, she brought a gentle hand to his face. Her thumb caressed his bottom lip. Before he could take the finger between his teeth, her hand wandered away. It caressed his cheek, the softness of the touch making him close his eyes.

“Fuck! ‘m close. Keep fuuu— mmm, so fucking good, baby. Just like that!” She screamed encouragements, keeping him maintaining the pace she liked so much. He couldn’t keep his eyes off hers as they glazed over. A sense of pride filled him to see her like this. After all his failures that week, he was doing something good. To bring her ecstasy, that was above anything he’d managed to fuck up. She tightened around him, pulling the world together around their bubble. The globe was now just them, just the noises she made for him.

With one final cry, she crumbled in his arms, falling limp, relying on him to hold her up. He pulled her to him and let her slump down on his chest. “Did so good,” he praised as he used her for his sake. She continued contracting around him, the remnants of her orgasm still vibrating around his cock. He gritted his teeth as he struggled to maintain his thrusts, the intervals between each thrusts growing and shrinking and growing again.

Words struggled to escape through his labored breaths, yet he chanted her name in between curses. “Fuck, fuck, fuuuu— I love you.”

She gasped and jolted in his grasp. His words took a second to sink into him as he blanked out from the feeling of her around him. As he spilled into the condom, his world stilled. It then came crashing down, from the high and from the realization of what he’d just said.

Downcast eyes focused on the stop where they were connected. His arms fell to his sides. He kept them there, not wanting to trap her in case she wanted to escape.

The words echoed in his ears— I love you I love you I love you. There was no escaping, not for him.

“I’m sorry.”

Javier still didn’t have the confidence to look at her. Not when she climbed off his lap. Not when she walked around his apartment, collecting articles of her clothing. Not when he heard her pour herself a glass of wine.

Pink painted fingernails wrapped around a glass of whiskey entered his range of vision. He accepted it. He needed a fucking drink and wine wouldn’t cut it. He mumbled a thanks before he took the glass to his lips, closing his eyes as the liquid burned in its way down his throat.

“Take it back.”

Of all the things he’d expected her to say, this wasn’t it.

“Please…”

“I’m sorry.”

“You don’t mean that.” Her voice trembled as she spoke. She tilted his head up by his chin with a finger, forcing him to look into her eyes. They were glazed with tears. She held them in, let them pool around her. “Take it back.”

He shook his head. “I meant it— mean it.”

She scoffed before turning away and walking up to his bar. Glass of wine abandoned, she poured herself a finger of whiskey. She brought her hands up to her face and though he couldn’t see it, he knew she was wiping her tears. “Do you know how many men have told me they love me, Javier?”

A weight settled in the pit of his stomach. A deep ache found itself in his chest. Rejection had never felt so heart wrenching.

“It happens. Too many men say it. They find their wives boring, are sick of their kids, are tired from the monotony of their jobs… Doesn’t mean it’s real. I need you to understand that.”

“I don’t have a wife or kids. My job is anything but monotonous.”

She shook her head before taking a swig of her drink. “Doesn’t have to be that specifically. It’s just— people say it all the time. More often than you think. When life is hard… A lot of men come to me when life is hard. It’s easy to say shit like that to someone you’re fucking.”

She was rationalizing her way out of it, giving him logical explanations as to why what he said wasn’t true.

“Your job is hard, you’re in your late thirties and you don’t have a solid relationship. So you’re just saying that to me. To fill some void. You could’ve said that to any whore.”

He flexed her fingers and glared at her back, hoping to burn a hole through her skin. He planted his face in his hands and closed his eyes, attempting to get his breaths to a normal pace.

“Is that what you think you are to me? Just some nameless, faceless woman?” He asked, voice trembling with the fear of a yes from her.

“It’s not that— Javier… I’ve been doing this job for a while. I’m just one of the many nameless, faceless women. It’s just part of the job. I don’t take it personally.”

“I love you,” he reiterated despite her strong rejection. He must be a masochist, inviting more pain after his first taste of it.

“Just what do you think will happen by saying that? This is real life, not Pretty Woman. You should keep those delusions to yourself. When you wake up tomorrow, you’ll realize you didn’t mean it.”

“I mean it. ”

“And what?” She snapped. “And we live happily ever after? You take me back to Texas and give the whore your dead mother’s ring? Kids, white picket fences, happily ever after?”

He opened and closed his mouth, unable to muster up the courage to ask himself the questions she asked him. He wasn’t thinking when he told her he loved her. Not the second time and most certainly not the first time. Were you supposed to have the answers to those questions when you told someone you loved them? Fuck if he knew. The last time he said it was to Lorraine and they were much too young to be thinking about marriage and kids.

“You’ll love me today and you’ll love some other girl tomorrow. Another pretty brunette you pick up from a brothel.”

“I don’t know what you think of me, but I don’t just go around saying that to fucking everyone.”

“You think you love me. Because you’re stressed and lonely and have nothing beyond your job. You thought you loved Helena.”

“Don’t,” he warned, his voice strained. His mind filled with images of Helena, her beautiful eyes marred by fear as she lay trembling on a ratty old mattress, her mind far away from her body. Hands shaking, he took a sip off his whiskey.

“That is what happens to women like us when we get close to men like you,” she continued despite his warning. He put his drink down and clutches his head in his hands. There were only three women he’d fallen for— Lorraine, Helena and now her. What an unfortunate series of choices. “You’re good, you’re kind and you treat me like a human being. Bare fucking minimum, but you’d be surprised how rare that is for women, prostitute or not. Maybe you really loved Helena. Maybe you were just feeling guilty about what they did to her. I don't know that. Whatever you wish to accomplish by telling me…telling me that—it’s not going to happen.”

“I’m sorry,” he said, for what felt like the hundredth time that night. She came up to him, finally showing him her face as she filled his empty glass with amber liquid. He took her hand in his and rubbed circles on the back of it.

“The scar on my back. I didn’t tell you where I got it,” she said, her voice too calm to be discussing the large welt on her back.

“It’s from the first man who told me he loved me.”

His thumb froze. He tightened his grip on her. As though holding her tight would keep her away from the man she was speaking of.

“He was sweet, handsome. Paid well, treated me better than any of the other men I was sleeping with. Just like you.”

“I would never— I’m not like him. I couldn’t hurt you,” he said as he shook his head, defending himself against a man he didn’t know, but abhorred.

“I know…” she whispered, her eyes holding only kindness for him despite his confession. “I know. But I didn’t know it back then, the difference between men like you and men like him. I was nineteen, barely an adult and already in this profession. I believed him. It was hell. Almost three years of it before he went off and died somewhere.”

“Many men have told me they love me since. None of them I could believe. You, I can’t afford to believe. Because unlike the rest of them, you can break me. Because I feel all kinds of things for you. And I can’t live with knowing there was a chance, I can’t afford to break. Not again.”

He nodded, gave her a sad smile through his clouding vision and let go of her hand.

“Now tell me you didn’t mean it. Lie if you have to. Please,” she said, her voice breaking at the request.

“I didn’t mean it.”

Minutes passed before she spoke again. Or were they mere seconds? He didn’t know.

“Maybe it was my fault that I didn’t take money from you the last few times.”

Maybe. Maybe he wouldn’t have fallen in love if they’d kept it as a transaction and nothing more. If he’d forced some cash into her hands before leaving her place, he wouldn’t be here, what was left of his lonely heart breaking into even smaller pieces.

“Now pay me and drive me to my friend’s.”

They found themselves outside her friend’s place where she was staying during her trip to Bogota. The ride was silent, but no longer awkward or uncomfortable. Even after having his soul ripped out of his body, he was still standing. So was she. He glanced at her face, illuminated golden by the street lamps and took her in for what would most certainly be the last time.

“Your job has no end, you know that. There will always be new monsters to hunt but only one life for you to live. Go home. Find some nice Texan girl, take care of your Papa’s ranch, have the kids and the white picket fence,” she said, giving him one last smile before climbing out of his car.

“You too,” he said with all his heart. “Miguel, more kids and the white picket fence. With some nice Medellin boy. Oh and the restaurant you want to open. All the best.”

“All the best to you too, Javier.”

#javier peña #javier pena fic #javier peña fluff #javier pena fanfiction #javier pena imagine #javier peña x reader #javier peña x ofc #javier peña smut #javier pena smut #javier peña fic #javier peña fanfiction #narcos fanfiction #narcos fic #javier peña hurt/ no comfort #pedro pascal character fanfic #pedro pascal #all that i've inflicted on the world

[promiscuouscutie]

All Yours pt. 4

Ethan Landry x fem. Reader, reader is a little naive and Ethan’s obsessed, eventual smut

Part 5, Part 6

Word count: 1659

Warnings: mentions of murder, that’s about it. Oh and Cason’s back so lol

<The next day>

Ethan smiles from ear to ear as he sets the camera up in your room. He found the perfect spot: right in between some plants on your bookshelf. It had the perfect view of your room, of your bed. He could get a clear shot of you doing anything. He could watch you on his computer while doing homework, maybe even while he tries to sleep. It could bring some comfort to him, knowing you’re safe.

Ethan took one from his father’s house. He knew he had a whole collection of them, both for work and personal use. Ethan likes photography as well, even joined the yearbook club in high school. He made sure to call in sick for his last class so he could make the drive. His father wasn’t home. Thank god. Ethan didn’t want to see him, hear about how frustrated he was with his son.

“Why can’t you be more like Richie?”

“Why is it so hard for you to just go forward with the plan?”

Why was it so hard for him to go through with the plan? Easy answer: you. He was so focused on you that he didn’t care whether or not the plan was completed.

Ethan quickly leaves your dorm and locks the door behind him. He looks around, making sure no one’s in the hall. He starts to walk off, turning the corner. He feels his phone vibrate in his pocket, hoping it’s from you. His smile returns as he reads the text:

You feeling okay? I didn’t see you in class :( -you

His smile grows. You were thinking about me? I must be the luckiest guy in the world.

I’m feeling better. I think I got a migraine. -Ethan

He told a white lie. You didn’t have to know he was feeling fine. He needed to keep you from finding out where he went, how he stole your key while you were sleeping and kept it for his own use. You noticed it was missing in the morning, but thought you must’ve misplaced it at the party.

You got a new one, paid some money for it. They gave you the regular reminder: “Don’t lose your key! Someone could break in!” You knew they meant well, but you thought you’d be fine. Who would want to break into your dorm?

Well, Ethan did. But you didn’t have to know that.

Good! My head’s been hurting all day too. I hit the alcohol pretty hard last night lol -you

Oh I’m sorry. You wanna come to my dorm and go over the homework? -Ethan

I’d love to! I’ll be there in a bit :) -you

He shoves his phone in his pocket and rushes back to his dorm. He needs to make it there before you. He needs to clean up the place, make it look presentable and spotless. Chad would probably be there, playing video games and eating out of a Cheetos bag. He would ask what was wrong, and then ask Ethan too many questions.

“Should I leave? Maybe give you space for the night?”

“Do you need condoms? I’ve got some, but I don’t know if we’re the same size…”

“Does she know you’re a virgin? Like the biggest virgin on the planet?”

While Ethan was scrambling to get to his dorm, you were grabbing some tea for yourself. Bubble tea, to be exact. You went every once in a while with Anika and Mindy, sticking with the strawberry milk tea. Ethan knew that of course; he memorized your order. He even memorized your coffee order: an Iced Cinnamon Dolce Latte. You liked cinnamon. He did too.

Well, he developed an acquired taste for it once he started to watch you.

You take sips from your tea as you read an article. It was talking about the recent murders that were happening on campus. Two film students were murdered in their dorm, also hiding a creepy collection of Ghostface memorabilia. A professor was killed as well, one you never had the pleasure to meet. She was found in an alley alone, stabbed to death. And then there was Michelle.

Michelle, the blond sorority girl who terrorized many. You hated her. You truly did. But you still felt bad. She was murdered, brutally. And it was at the party! The party you attended! That could’ve been you! That could’ve been anyone else!

You start to feel a little nervous. What if you were next? What if you were gonna be killed by this killer who decided to take the Ghostface mantle? You took another sip from your drink and closed out of the tab, turning your phone off.

“Y/N?” You recognize the voice. “Cason?” You look up at him, noticing how tired he looks. His eyes are heavy, his nose a little red. He looks like a mess, but you weren’t surprised. His girlfriend was just murdered! You would feel sad if that happened to you.

“How are you doing?” You ask him. You had time. You could take a moment to check on him. That’s the kind thing to do. He sighs, shrugging.

“Not great. Not uh…not too great.” You touch his arm, squeezing it lightly. “I’m very sorry for your loss.”

He weakly laughs. “You’re too nice, bunny. She hated you, and yet you’re being sweet.” The pet name struck a bit of a nerve. You remember last night, despite drinking too much. You remember how he ignored you, despite promising to talk to you. You remember feeling pathetic, confiding to Ethan. Sweet, innocent Ethan. The thought of him made your cheeks turn a little red. Did you like him? You didn’t know yet. You want to spend more time with him, more one-on-one time. Maybe that could help you figure out your feelings!

“Do you wanna get some dinner tonight, bunny?” Cason’s question brought you back. You notice how much closer he is in front of you. He’s even holding your hand. It bothers you. You don’t like it. You don’t like it all. You take your hand away from him, which surprises him.

“I’ve got plans. Sorry.” You say it calmly to him. You notice his face change. He looks annoyed, pissed off. You feel nervous, starting to regret it. Maybe I should’ve—

“Whatever. See you around, I guess.” He walks away, and you feel relieved. You almost changed your mind. Why? Why did you have to be so nice? Why worry about hurting his feelings? You sigh. I need to work on sticking up for myself.

You made your way to Ethan’s dorm, knocking on the door. He answers it immediately, smiling awkwardly. “Hey.” You notice he’s wearing a blue long-sleeve shirt and sweatpants. Are those his pajamas? Has he really been in bed all day?

You smile back. “Hi!” He opens the door for you more and invites you to come inside. You thank him and go in, not feeling his eyes on your chest. You’re wearing a black tank top with a bit of lace on the hem, combined with your brown jacket. It was fall; the city was getting colder. You slipped it on in the morning and didn’t even bother to take it off during class; it was so comfy.

You look around the room. “Is Chad here?” You ask. Ethan shakes his head. “He’s with Mindy. Something about sibling-bonding.” You set your bag down on the couch and slip your jacket off. Ethan goes to his room to grab his notes while you sit. You look around the room, suddenly feeling anxious. Why did you? You’ve been here before. You’ve hung out with Ethan plenty of times. But never alone, with the exception of last night.

What if he likes me? What if he tries to—no. I’m crazy. I’m kidding myself. It’s just a stupid crush. You brush the thoughts away as Ethan returns, sitting next to you.

“Where should we start?”

Some time goes by, and you’re already leaving his dorm. You broke down the lesson for him and made sure he took detailed notes of it. You quizzed him, making sure he understood. Whenever he got a question right, you smiled at him and fed him praises. He loved that. He liked hearing you tell him he was doing so good, doing a good job. You even helped him with the assignment! You made sure to get a copy of it for him when he texted you he wasn’t coming to class. He peppered you with thank you’s, telling you he appreciated it.

“Thank you for explaining it all to me. It means a lot,” his eyes shift from yours to his feet. You notice that he did that around you a lot today. Your cheeks feel warm as you lean up to kiss his cheek. His eyes widen for a second; he didn’t expect that. You didn’t really expect it either; it was totally on impulse.

Ethan starts to step closer, as if to cup your face and kiss you. But he doesn’t. His phone vibrates in his pocket, and he groans. He knows it’s Quinn, calling about how he’s supposed to be following Sam and Tara. He was trying to push it off, get a little more time with you.

You sigh, feeling defeated. You thought he was going to kiss you. You hoped he would. “Have a good night, Ethan. I’ll text you later,” you smile.

“Good night.” He says it as you start to leave, feeling defeated as well. He takes his phone out of pocket and answers the call:

“What do you want.”

“Dad is gonna beat your ass if you don’t get to the Carpenters right now!”

“Okay, okay! I’m on my way.”

“By the way, how was the sex?”

“Shut up.”

“Awww. Did my baby brother get rejected? I told you she’s out of your league.”

He hangs up the phone. I fucking hate my sister.

Tag-list: @ssnapsaurus @wenvierismycomfort @Iloyd907 @ch9mpi0n @c0untryclub @stabmemaybe @libraryfairy02

#ethan landry #scream vi #ethan landry imagine #ethan landry smut #ethan landry x reader #scream 6 smut #corruption kink #eventual smut #young and naive

[clementianos-blog]

From the beginning, Tim and Steph had a kind of chemistry in their lack of chemistry. They were very different - backgrounds, perspectives, family influences, etc. About all they had in common was that they were only children with family troubles, but even those similarities were abundantly different once you scratched the surface even a tad.

But what I find interesting, and seriously questionable, is how their actual relationship comes about. Steph repeatedly makes choices that aren't the best while "trying to help" and Tim repeatedly has to correct her. He's more-or-less acting like a conscience to her. I guess you could look at this as being that strong part of Tim's personality that drives him to help others. It's why he's Robin. Unlike his predecessors (and successors), the main reason he became Robin was to help Batman; helping everyone else was a secondary (and Batman's primary). To Batman, Tim's Robin is the "I'll help you so you can help everyone else." It's ingrained into him to see the shortcomings of others and he intrinsically wants to help.

There are multiple moments in which Steph is ready to walk away from a lowlife thug who is vulnerably facing certain death - and Tim explains why they need to help. But that's a major theme in the Batman comics in general, so it doesn't really fit the bill of what we're talking about here in a way that is unique to Steph and Tim.

But this does:

Steph is willing to steal two Zesti sodas from a convenience store after she and Tim cleared out the bad guys. He sees no problem in taking the Zestis as long as they will be compensating the store for them rather than stealing. He probably thinks "we COULD go to another, open store, but I'd rather help this one out" or even "best to be seen as little as possible" etc. It doesn't really matter. What matters is that he anticipates that she's thinking about stealing them. He asks "this your treat?" to put the burden on her since she was the one who offered to pick them up.

This could also be his subtle and not-enough way of pushing the "this is not a date" vibes he's been lazily humming out at her lately. Which brings us to the scene that follows this directly:

Tim has been emotionally cheating on Ariana for quite some time, relying on Steph for the emotional pick-me-ups and help-me-outs as well as leading her on. He's reflected on this a few times and even tried to do something about it several times before this point. But here, he is pretty open about his resignation.

This is the kind of thing teens do a lot - really, everyone does it at some point or another. We redefine our understanding of the world, of our morals, of our personal resolve to suit what feels nice. Exactly this is why it's a very good piece of advice to write down your goals in distinct, objective terms and keep them visible to you when you make them. If you say you aren't eating sweets for a month, be specific about what that means. If sugar in your coffee is an allowance, then say so. If desserts, pastries, jams and jellies, and candy are not allowed, then say so. Without being specific... we start to think things like "Well, a blueberry muffin isn't really a sweet (even though this one is covered in sugar crystals and tastes sweeter than the candybar I had last month)."

I'm not really cheating on Ariana. I haven't held Steph's hand. I haven't kissed - er, I haven't intentionally kissed Steph.

The problem is often that we don't see the danger of this stage. Just like Steph saw no danger in stealing two Zestis from the convenience store, Tim sees no danger in letting Steph treat their outings as dates. It's just a buck. It's just a game. It's not serious. No one's getting hurt by it.

And this is a problem for the exact reason Tim gives Steph.

What Steph did was so small, so simple, and seemingly so harmless. The shopkeeper probably would have handed them a case of Zestis each for what they did. But the shopkeeper isn't there.

Steph has Tim here to help her understand why it's wrong to compromise even an inch of her integrity.

What Tim is doing is so much worse. SO much worse. There is no justification, no excuse, and no good reason other than "this makes me happy right now."

But unlike Steph, Tim doesn't have a... well... Tim to put it in perspective. To help him see why it's wrong. Why it starts like this, and soon he'll be bending all the rules.

Instead, Tim has a Steph who is the one dragging him into this quagmire where he's blatantly cheating on his girlfriend and cannot see it for what it is.

And yes, it's clear he can see that it's wrong - just like Steph knew that taking the sodas wasn't really right. But just like with the sodas, neither of them recognized the action for what it truly was: stealing/cheating. Once put into that context, Steph immediately pays. If it were simplified like that to Tim, he would cut it off. The end. No more. I'll either say goodbye to Ariana, or I'll say goodbye to Steph.

But he sees something else: he feels happiness, he sees two happy girls, and he thinks, "No one's getting hurt here. It's not really right but it's not like I'm, you know..."

It starts like that. And soon you're bending all the rules.

TimSteph has a lot of positive qualities to it, but the fact that Steph's a project of Tim's - to build into an upstanding citizen from the rough place she's been raised - means that he needs to stay in the role of her pillar of morality. If he doesn't, as we see, then he falls himself.

Tim managed to say no to the Zesti, but the apple was just too tempting.

#timsteph #tim drake #stephanie brown #robin 3 #spoiler #dc spoiler #dc comics #comic excerpts #comic analysis #character analysis #robin 1993

[cupidjyu]

the sweetener you are

hyunjae x reader (idea from the anon who requested childhood friends to lovers!)

summary: when a mysterious man moves into the apartment next door, you realize that he’s your childhood best friend who’s disappeared for years. he changed, his life seeming to have soured. but you could just be his sweetener, the one to make him smile again

genre: best friends to lovers, and boy-next-door sorta thing, hurt/comfort for him because he deserves the world, nightmares, healing, one bed trope, youre forced to move in with him hahaha am i evil, back hugs, he acts "drunk" when tired (dont ask why, it was just an excuse to write him being clingy), hes flirty ish and teasing, hes shirtless for like one second (BECAUSE.), sleepy love confessions, kissing, is there tension? i can't tell myself, “sweetheart” good god notes: school started so expect much much less after this... so see you in a bit 🥲🥲but hope u enjoy!!! this is literally just yumi who needs to stop writing long interpretations of their love for hyunjae in the form of fics + song inspo! word count: 12.7k

You coughed. You choked. And then you glared straight at Younghoon who was staring back in complete alarm. Setting the unfinished glass down on the counter with a loud clink, you clenched your jaw with unspoken curse words that threatened to escape your lips.

“This tastes like dirt,” You garbled out. Rushing over to one of your cupboards, you pulled out one of those small sugar packets that you liked to swipe from those cute coffee shops. If it was free, why not take a few? Ripping the paper open, you poured it into the drink that didn’t even look like it belonged on this planet. It was both… green and yellowish-blue at the same time.

Younghoon gasped, slapping a hand over his mouth dramatically. “That’s not healthy!”

“But it tastes so bad,” You whined. “It needs a sweetener.”

He glared, dragging his hand all the way down his jaw in an unattractive way. “It’s an herbal drink. It’s meant to taste bad. Think of all the health benefits you could’ve gotten out of that without the sugar.”

“You made this?” You scrunched up your face in disgust.

“No, I–” He laughed nervously. “My mom did. I promised her I would finish it.”

You narrowed your eyes. “And you couldn’t because it tasted so bad. So you’re making me finish it.”

He gave you a pained smile as he stepped away. “I– who said that?”

“Why’re we even friends?” You questioned before jabbing a finger at the door. “Get out.”

Younghoon pouted but he eventually obliged, opening the apartment door. “You still owe me money for that overpriced tiny piece of cake by the way.”

“It tasted good!” You shot back.

“It did not.” He sighed. “It’s just you with your horrible sweet tooth. Don’t even– hey…” You noticed him peeking out of your door and into the hallway. And then he leaned back in, searching your face with wonder. “Someone’s moving in next door.”

You brightened with interest at that, practically jumping off where you were sitting on the kitchen counter. Bounding over to the door, you poked your head out under Younghoon’s, just like they did in the cartoons. Squinting your eyes, all you could see was a tall man with a cap on that covered most of his face. 

“Who’s that?” Younghoon said, slightly too loud for your liking.

With a groan, you elbowed him in the ribs. “Shh…how would I know? Though... he does look better than that old dude who constantly yelled at those courtroom TV shows like he was the judge.” It was like the apartment next to yours was cursed. Magic wasn’t real here. Or at least, in this world. But you still believed that a witch had strolled by and casually placed a hex on Apt 245 for the fun of it. For the time that you’ve been here, you’ve seen about five people move in there. And they were never happy. 

Once, there were two parents who had to deal with multiple children who would not stop crying. You hadn’t slept a wink the whole time they were there. They did receive a noise complaint though. Another time, there was a teenager who couldn’t even properly pay off the rent. He didn’t have a job. But he could somehow afford the loudest speaker where he would play the most gut-wrenching, saddest music ever. He got evicted.

But this man… well–he looked decent. Really. No evident curse here. Or at least, yet. When he turned around, you could see that he was very tall and… broad. Apparently, that was the first thing you noticed. He also seemed to pick up the moving boxes with ease and when he had stepped just the slightest to the side, you could see the impossibly perfect slope of his nose. Also a very odd thing to notice.

Younghoon grasped your arm, pulling you back into your own apartment.

“Don’t fall in love.”

You gaped at him. “What? I don’t even know who he is.”

He raised an eyebrow. “But he’s tall. And broad. And has a nice nose. I know you. I know your type.”

Shit.

“You do know me,” You mumbled sheepishly. “But still!” You poked him harshly. “I won’t fall in love. I probably won’t even see him for like– a month. Or he’s going to be cursed and moved out like the others. Don’t worry.”

Your friend narrowed his eyes in skepticism but he eventually nodded. “As long as you don’t bump into him tomorrow or something.”

You laughed, rolling your eyes. “Of course. I won’t fall in love.”

You didn’t fall in love. You fell onto the floor.

And you also happened to bump into him the next day ironically enough.

If only—if only—you decided to pick up your mail yesterday like you were supposed to, this wouldn’t have happened. And by this, you meant being distracted by a cup that rolled out of your new neighbor’s door and then walking straight into his chest. 

You squeaked in horror. “I’m sorry!” And then you stepped backwards, tripped on your badly-timed untied shoelace, and ended up on the floor in the middle of the hallway.

When you looked up, there was a pretty hand that reached out to help you up. Taking it with burning cheeks, you could finally see what this man looked like up close and without a cap.

And you would have expected maybe one of those boy-next-door romantic moments where you would fall into his arms and start dating the next day. Oh, and also kiss and eventually get married. But no, you—

“Hyunjae?”

The man—Hyunjae—gaped at you with comically wide eyes. 

“Y/n,” He breathed out.

As long-lost childhood friends, the most sensible thing to do was ask how he was. But you often defied expectations, positively or negatively, and so instead you lunged forward, wrapping your arms around his waist and pulling him into a tight hug.

Hyunjae, whom you’ve known since you were just young kids, has been your best friend for as long as you could remember. He used to be on the elementary school track team while you… were on the bleachers trying to tell the difference between subtraction and addition. But luckily, Hyunjae was both a smart and kind kid and so he had stopped in the middle of his running to sit with you and teach what your teacher couldn’t do properly.

He was always one year older, always more mature and experienced. But he tended to throw that away just for you and join in on playing games with you when he should’ve been studying for an exam. But he did so to cheer you up. He was sweet like that and you adored spending your afternoons after school with him.

The two of you even got to experience those dreadful high school years together, except there was always that haunting realization—that he would eventually graduate first. But he always reassured you.

“It’s just one year, silly,” He joked, pulling you into a side hug, one that perfectly portrayed his understanding of your worries. “I’ll text and call you all the time. Promise.”

Promises were often broken and this wasn’t any different. For when he had left for college, he never contacted you ever again. You had tried to reach out, but he never responded. And so, for your whole college term, you never saw Lee Hyunjae, your supposed “best friend,” ever again.

And you should have been mad—no, furious to see him again. You should have pushed him away and went on with your life while skillfully avoiding him. But just the simple sight of him brought back all those fond memories–baking cupcakes, falling asleep together just after screaming over a horror movie, holding each other when life just gets too much... And so you found yourself buried into his chest, holding him tightly.

“Hyunjae,” You whispered again, shutting your eyes in both contentment and fear of him pushing you away again. 

But you felt two hands snake around your middle, hugging you back. There were a million questions running through your mind at that moment, wondering why he had disappeared but welcomed you so easily. But you set them aside, choosing to just melt into his still familiar embrace.

Finally though, you managed to pull away, looking at him with a fond smile. He smiled back. He had grown even more handsome than before. He managed to become taller, broader, and more charming all at once. His features were sharp, more mature. Something about him–the way he was dressed in a literal suit–really portrayed to you that he really was an adult now, as opposed to the teenager who procrastinated on science projects.

“How are you?” He smiled, almost too polite for your liking. You could see the way he stood, awkwardly and with fidgeting hands. And that was when it all hit you like a truck.

Your eyebrows suddenly furrowed, your lips pulled into a scowl, and your eyes narrowed as you stepped forward. “How am I? No. How could you–” You banged a fist on his firm chest. “–leave me–” Another punch. “–like that–” He stepped back in growing alarm. “–and act all polite and uneasy as if we weren’t best friends for years?” Both of your fists lingered on his chest, your strength growing weak from frustration. 

“Y/n, I–” He winced.

“Actually, I hate you.” You glared. But your words differentiated from your actions when your hand came to smooth down his crumpled tie. “I don’t want to see you ever again. You’re an absolute asshole and I–” But your eyes met with his, his gaze amused and soft. And then you sniffled, looking down at the ground, the urge to cry suddenly overcoming you.

Hyunjae laughed quietly. “I’m sorry. If you would allow me to explain?”

“Great,” You grumbled. “Then do so. Since you’ve owed me an explanation after all these years.”

He glanced at his watch. “I have work. Tomorrow, maybe? Trust me.”

You looked at him in bewilderment. “Work? But you haven’t even unpacked yet.” You eyed his apartment with the door open. There were multiple boxes strewn about, some not even open yet.

“Emergencies,” He sighed. That was when you noticed just how exhausted he looked. “I have to go.”

“Oh,” You stuttered. “Okay. I– good luck?”

Hyunjae smiled, pinching your cheek just like he had done all those years ago. He seemed to be completely unfazed over the fact that you just punched him in anger. “Thank you.” And he was locking the door behind him and heading for the elevator. But just as he was walking away, you felt the need to call something out. Just a few words.

“Hyunjae?” You said.

He turned around, tilting his head. You never knew just how well work attire suited him. He looked almost… attractive. But god, what were you thinking?

“I missed you.”

He smiled but he never quite gave you a response as the elevator ding had interrupted him. Instead, he just gave you a small wave. 

It was odd. Awkward. But one step at a time, you figured. It’s been years after all.

The next day, as promised, he had shown up to your door. This time, since it was the weekend, he was wearing a simple white shirt. One that still never failed to accentuate his broad shoulders.

But initially, you thought it was Younghoon and not a guy who you haven’t seen for multiple years. So you may or may not have opened the door with your hair like a bird’s nest and your sleepwear on that… wasn’t meant for the general public to see. Apparently, Hyunjae fits in the general public category now. Best friend? No, you hate him.

Kind of.

Not really.

Stumbling to the door, you flung it open, your eyes barely open. Immediately, you were met with the sight of just. Long legs. Not very helpful.

“Who–” And then you looked up, only to meet Hyunjae’s eyes. Choking on your spit, you straightened up. “Hello,” You blurted out in a monotone voice.

He raised an eyebrow and tilted his chin down with amusement. “And who’s the uneasy one now?”

“Sorry, I…” Your eyes trailed down to what you were wearing. With an internal gasp, you stepped backward. “I’m going to– change.”

He widened his eyes and then his gaze also traveled down. His cheeks were oddly red and he cleared his throat, looking away.

You cringed and shut the door in his face before he could even say anything.

Now in proper clothes that were for the general public, you opened the door again. He was still standing there with that same smile. The same kind, caring one he always regarded you with even when you were just kids.

“Where should we talk?” You asked. 

His eyes glanced over to his own door. “My place?” He offered quietly. “I have unpacking to do.”

You stared at him silently. And then you nodded with an excited smile. “I can help.” 

“Oh no,” He laughed softly. “You don’t have to. I’m fine on my–”

“You don’t look fine,” You interrupted. And without thinking, your hand came up to cup his cheek, turning him to face you. “You look tired.”

He stared at you wordlessly before sighing. “I guess I am.”

“So let me help.” You grinned. “I’m using my vacation days from work right now anyway.”

He could only mutter a shy “okay” as he opened the door for you to enter. Looking around, you found that the only things that he had unpacked lacked much of any personality. He took out the necessities and a bunch of… work. Papers, a computer, work suits and the like.

“You seem busy,” You remarked as you walked over to the box labeled “decorations” only for there to literally be one single plant that looked like it needed to be watered. In fact, it was on the brink of death. Immediately, your face was contorting in worry and you turned to where he was just standing at the entrance with an embarrassed expression. “What… happened to your initial dream?”

He approached you and peered into the box. “What dream?”

“The one where you wanted to have a place full of pretty plants.”

“Yeah well,” He laughed bitterly. “Circumstances change aspirations.”

You gulped nervously at his change of tone. Something was bothering him. Something, in particular, caused him to move here. You led him to the couch and sat next to him.

“So what is it? Why did you cut everyone off and– disappear?” You asked cautiously.

He looked at you for a long minute like he was trying to figure out a response for himself. And finally, he just sighed in defeat.

“Problems.”

“Like what?” You prodded.

“A lot. And I wouldn’t want to lay them all on you.” He gave you a weak smile. You regarded him with a soft look in your eyes, searching his face for any sort of answer. All you could see was a flame that had long been put out.

“Then tell me one.”

“One?” He bit his lip nervously. “One…”

“Just one,” You said gently.

“Like the one where the place I used to work at didn’t treat me right? That they refused to give me anything?” He mumbled, his voice trailing off with embarrassment. “So I moved here so that I could get away? That one?” 

You froze at his words. You processed them and that was when it began to make sense. He wasn’t going to work yesterday. He was going to an interview. His computer was open to job openings and the papers weren’t reports. They were resumes.

“Hyunjae,” You whispered. But he was already distancing himself, standing up from the couch. You gazed at him with concern as you stood up, only for him to take a step backward.

“Why are you…” You frowned. “It’s okay, you know. Did you think I would look at you any differently?”

His jaw clenched. “Well, I did cut you off because I didn’t want to worry you. You always told me I would be successful, the best. So how exactly could I face you after they…”

“That’s not your fault. And I’m sorry for putting that on you,” You mustered, stepping closer. This time, he didn’t step away. He allowed you to do anything. He let you trail a hand down to his wrist, holding it gently. “It’s okay. You don’t have to tell me more. I’m sorry.”

He watched you with slight surprise, and with his lips pulled into a straight line, he whispered a small, “I should be the one who’s sorry.”

You shook your head with a smile. “Don’t be.”

He stayed silent at that, simply studying your features. You could tell he still wanted to apologize. But then the corner of his lips lifted slightly. “You grew up.” His tone was gentle, so kind, just like you’ve always known. It was a little quieter than before though, more closed off as if he was afraid–scared of what you would think of him.

You laughed bashfully. “And so did you.” Your hand trailed up to his shoulder. “Did you start working out?”

He smirked. “Why, do you like my progress?”

You snorted. “Could improve.”

He scoffed yet he only looked at you with fondness. The two of you simply stood there, in the midst of his empty apartment, just staring at each other. And then you giggled. He laughed as well before reaching forward and pulling you into his arms, squeezing you so tight that you felt the air leave your lungs.

“Ah–” You choked. “Hyunjae. You’re killing me.”

“I’m showing you my newfound strength,” He joked, stepping away. You were about to refute but instead, you felt your gaze wandering to his arms. Since when were they so toned and–

“Very funny,” You weakly replied. Escaping from his persisting soft gaze, you stepped away and approached the various boxes. “What can I help you with?”

Hyunjae didn’t have much. Apparently, all those large boxes contained about three small things. 

“I overestimated,” He replied with a sheepish smile when you asked.

Most of his things were put away yet when you looked around, the apartment was void of any joy or charm. The only boxes that were left were his clothes which he claimed he could do another day. After putting away his single cup and plate–that’s all he had apparently–you turned around only to see that he was crouched, bending towards that same plant that you pointed out. Its leaves were drooping and the stem wilting, as his fingers gently prodded at it. When you looked closely, you could see a melancholy look on his face, a small frown tugging on his lips.

It was true, that Hyunjae had many dreams when he was younger. That was normal for many people. But to witness it all dissipate before your sight, no sign of light behind his eyes, you couldn’t help but feel your heart clench.

Walking over, you crouched down next to him. He gave you a forced smile.

“Kind of sad,” He remarked with a disappointed sigh. “I bought it only for me to fail to take care of it.”

“You can always buy another one.”

“Mhm,” He hummed dully. “Sure.” 

You watched him wordlessly, observing the way his gaze fell when one of the leaves broke off. Shaking your head, you suddenly stood up.

“Let’s go out.”

He looked up at you in surprise. “What?”

“I’ll be your tour guide of the town,” You joked. “I know everything.”

Standing up with you, he stole a glance at his phone. “I can’t.”

“Why?” You pouted.

“I’m waiting for my result from the interview.”

You sighed and took his wrist in yours, pulling him to the door. “You need to get your mind off that for a second.”

“But–”

“Please?” You looked up at him, even batting your eyelashes. “Just for a moment?” You also exaggerated a pout.

He blinked in shock, his eyes trailing over your expression. “What are you doing?”

“Making you feel bad. Is it working?” You held back a grin.

He huffed out a laugh. “Definitely. Fine, just for a moment.”

You grinned and you were already pulling on your shoes and bounding out the door, leaving Hyunjae to smile to himself.

“This is a convenience store.” You pointed at it with a bright smile.

He rolled his eyes. “I know what a convenience store is.”

You laughed and led him to the next block before abruptly stopping. “This is the karaoke bar,” You said, pointing at the nearby building.

“Fun,” He muttered.

“We should go one day.” You smiled. “Actually no.” You scowled. “I got drunk there once and I think they banned me because I was dancing on the tables.”

Hyunjae turned to you in slight shock. “You? Drunk?”

“What?” You widened your eyes in surprise. “What is it?”

“I just… you always said that you hated the taste of alcohol,” He replied in wonder.

“Times change.” You grinned, nudging his shoulder. He gave you a small smile back.

Then, you led him to your favorite spot. The central park in the middle of town. It was a beautiful day out, the sky bright and blue. You loved to sit at one of the benches, watching birds fly by or kids play happily on the playground. 

“Wait here.” You patted the seat. And then you were running off, nowhere to be seen. Hyunjae simply sat there, observing the calm atmosphere. When you came back, you were holding a stick of cotton candy in your hand. It was large, almost covering your whole face. Hyunjae chuckled, taking it from you so you wouldn’t trip on the ground.

“Aren’t we too old for this?” He questioned.

You shook your head. “I still love it.”

He took a bite and turned to look at you with furrowed eyebrows. “It’s so sweet.”

“That’s why it’s good!” You stared at him like he was the craziest man alive.

“It’s because you’ve always had a sweet tooth.” He frowned, gently placing it back in your hands. 

“Fine,” You scoffed. “If that’s how you treat your best friend.” And you were taking a bite on the opposite side. When you pulled it away from your face, you were startled by a loud laugh. From Hyunjae, specifically. Turning to him with wide eyes, you could even see him smiling.

It was not like the other smiles that you’ve seen so far. Those ones were small, lacking much of any emotion. But this one was wide, full with amusement and happiness.

“Wha– oh,” You huffed, realizing that there was cotton candy on your nose. Hyunjae laughed even louder and suddenly he was leaning in to gently wipe it off with his finger.

“Cutie,” He whispered fondly, his other hand gently cupping the side of your face.

Your heart stuttered at the word. “Wh-what?”

He gulped, pulling away like he was burned. “Oh, I…”

You quickly recovered, instead scooching even closer to him so that your shoulders were touching. “You think I’m cute? Even when I’m all grown up?”

“Always.”

“I missed your smile,” You stated as the two of you were walking back to the apartment complex.

You had expected him to point out that he had smiled other times before. But instead, he gazed at you with soft eyes.

“I did too. It’s been a while since I’ve felt so happy,” He said. “All thanks to you.”

“Of course!” You beamed, looping an arm with his before pulling him closer. “You can always count on me.”

He didn’t respond this time. But his expression said it all. Thank you, thank you, thank you, was all you could see in his dark brown eyes. Smiling, you bumped your body playfully against his.

“Are you busy tomorrow?” You asked.

Again, you found yourself in his apartment the next day. Apparently, he had just gotten back from running and he needed to take a shower. So, you were looking through his boxes full of clothes. You sorted through them, folding them until you came across a hoodie. You didn’t recognize it, but the fabric of it was so… soft and warm. Your hands held onto it, contemplating what it would feel like if you just–

The door to the bathroom creaked open. You gasped and shoved it behind you, greatly hoping that he didn’t notice you staring at it longingly. But alas, you just had to have slow reflexes at this moment.

“Do you like it?” He asked. “Put it on.” 

You laughed awkwardly, turning to face him, only for your protests to come stuttering to a stop. Your eyes trailed down from his damp hair to his… whole torso. His bare torso. He was shirtless. Right out of the shower, water droplets sitting prettily on his collarbones, traveling all the way down to his chest and his– he definitely works out. 

“Oh,” You breathed out, your cheeks flushing red as you frantically looked away. This was not how you expected to reunite with your best friend after so long. 

“Sorry,” He replied, his voice low. “My shirt’s in there.”

You nodded, refusing to look up. It was quiet for a moment, too quiet that you contemplated just shoving his clothes into his hands while dutifully avoiding the sight of his bare chest. 

But then he was right beside you and he smelled so, so good as he leaned over you, his hand gently grasping your waist. To take a shirt. Very unnecessary but it still left you inhaling sharply. Feeling yourself go dizzy as you stood there, eyes trained on the ground, and every single muscle in all of human anatomy completely rigid until you were sure he was properly dressed.

Taking a peek, you were met with his teasing smile.

“Everything okay?”

“Yes,” You mustered.

“You were staring weren’t you?” He leaned even closer, his eyes searching yours with amusement. His hand gently lifted your chin up, making you swallow thickly at the way he was gazing at you with a small smirk. 

“I wasn’t,” You whispered shakily.

“Hm,” He hummed. “You look a little flushed though.”

“It was nothing,” You shoved him away, feeling like your face was on fire. “You shouldn’t just walk around like that. It’s…”

“Mhm.” He only continued to smile wider. “Whatever you say.”

You groaned, abruptly turning away to hide your reddening cheeks. But then your eyes landed back on that same hoodie.

“I know that look on your face,” He teased, picking it up. “You like it.”

“I don’t.”

“Okay,” He simply replied, shrugging and turning around. You were just about to question his suspiciously short response when out of nowhere, he whipped back around and pulled the hoodie over you. Immediately, you were encompassed in warmth and– did he always smell this good? And why was he staring at you so softly with that stupid fond smile and why was your heart beating a mile a minute and–

“Hyunjae,” You groaned. “What was that for?”

But he stayed silent, simply examining you wearing his clothes. You tilted your head.

“Do I look good?”

His breath hitched and now it was him with reddening cheeks as he backed away. You stifled a laugh as you stepped forward, cornering him against the edge of the kitchen counter.

“And I know that look on your face,” You teased back. “You like it.”

His eyes fluttered, almost like he was fighting the urge to look over your body once again. He inhaled deeply and then he straightened, leaning over you this time. With a subtle smile, he whispered something that left shivers down your spine.

“I love it.”

Oh my god. You treaded backwards, suddenly feeling conscious of everything. His eyes on you–all over you–the way the shirt clung to his body, the rushing thought of the fact that you saw him without it on just a few minutes ago–everything came over you like a bucket of ice water.

“I–” With wide eyes, he only continued to approach you, the scent of his shampoo overcoming you quickly. You couldn’t come up with a comeback anymore. At first, you thought that this was just friendly banter, the type that you guys would do in the school cafeteria. But this–this was something different. With the way he was looking at you with darkening eyes, you weren’t quite sure this was that “friendly banter” thing anymore.

“Shut up,” You blurted out as you pulled the hoodie off you and thrust it into his chest.

“Why?” He grinned. “I like this game.”

You raised your eyebrows. “What game is this exactly?”

“The game of making the other person flustered.” 

You stood there for a moment, thinking. You couldn’t quite come up with a verbal comeback. So you could instead…

Taking a step forward, you hooked a hand around the back of his neck, letting your touch linger there for a moment. A stuttering breath was caught thickly in his throat as he looked down at you in bafflement.

And then you let your fingertips trail around, down his neck, across his collarbone, slightly pulling down the hem of his shirt and stopping just at his chest where you could feel his heart thump erratically.

Your trace on his skin left sparks flying in your heart and when you had looked up, you knew that Hyunjae was experiencing the same thing.

He was looking down at you, completely speechless and his eyes round in shock. You smiled in triumph, leaning close to one of his reddening ears.

“Then I win.”

And you were heading for the door. But just as you turned around, you could see Hyunjae who was still leaning against the counter, cheeks now red as he stared down at the ground. You giggled, closing the door behind you.

The next time you saw Hyunjae, unsurprisingly, he looked exhausted again. In fact, he didn’t even recognize you at first with how he was gazing off into space rather than unlocking his own door.

“Come over tonight,” You offered.

He raised an eyebrow. “To do what?”

You choked. “Not that. Movie night!” You winked, patting his shoulder before leaving for the grocery store. You made sure to mentally add popcorn to your list.

And so, when it was pitch dark at night, you had opened your door to Hyunjae, fidgeting nervously at the entrance. You laughed, grabbing his wrist and pulling him in.

“Don’t be nervous.” You grinned. “It’s just me.”

As you set up the movie, you couldn’t help but notice Hyunjae looking around your apartment. He seemed to be taking in all of your decorations, and the fact that you had more than one cup and plate. You smiled.

“We can go shopping if you want,” You spoke up. “For your apartment.”

He glanced at you in shock. But he eventually nodded with a small smile, that same one you noticed that he often forced when he was tired and down.

Now sitting on the couch, side-by-side but never quite touching, the two of you watched a movie. It was a comfortable silence and whenever you would glance at Hyunjae, he would notice and turn his attention back to you. And every time you would make eye contact, you made sure to give him a bright smile, one that showed him that “I’m always here for you.”

"Staring?" He teased.

"In fact I am," You replied. "Forget the movie, you're the award-winning feature."

He laughed again. The same bright one at the park.

"I didn't take you to be such a flirter," He remarked.

"I'm not," You refuted. "You really are amazing."

He gave you a smile that wasn't so convincing. "If you say so."

Near the resolution of the film, you found yourself scooching over to him, letting your shoulders touch. But that wasn’t exactly enough, so you lifted his arm so that you could rest your head on his chest, his body warmth easily spreading to yours.

“What are you doing?” He muttered.

For a second, you thought he might actually be annoyed. But, when you looked up, you could see his softening eyes and the slight blush on his cheeks. You huffed in amusement and you only persisted, snuggling close to his chest. Eventually, he gave up on the whole tough act and he let his arm wrap around you, rubbing your arm in up-and-down motions.

You didn’t notice that you had fallen asleep.

Though you did briefly remember two… moments. One of them was him cautiously bringing you to your bed. The other being a warm hand softly caressing your cheek.

You woke up alone. Good! Who else did you expect? Rubbing your eyes, there was a constant sound ringing in your ears. The doorbell, you groaned. Stumbling to the door, you were hoping maybe… Hyunjae? But instead, it was your landlord. You furrowed your eyebrows in concern.

She sighed, shaking her head.

“Bad news.”

When it was Hyunjae this time who had invited you over, you were pleasantly surprised. Opening the door, you could see him sitting at the table, staring intently at his computer.

Tilting your head, you were about to ask what he was looking at. But then he suddenly jumped up, the chair almost falling over. There was a bright smile on his face as he rushed over to you.

“Hyunjae?” You looked at him in confusion.

“I got the job,” He exclaimed. “I got it.”

“You did?” You gasped. “That’s so– that’s amazing! Congratul–” You inhaled sharply when you felt two hands grasp onto your waist. And suddenly, your whole world shifted once you realized that he was literally picking you up and twirling you around. You laughed shyly as you allowed him to, watching fondly at the way he smiled so, so freely.

Once he had slowed down, there was an impending thought in the back of your mind that appeared from all of the adrenaline. He could put you down and you could lean in and maybe… maybe– press your lips to his as an extra cheer. Mentally slapping yourself, you felt your cheeks grow hot. Again, what were you thinking?

His hands were still on your waist, the both of you out of breath. You smiled, giggling softly. He smiled back, his eyes bright and sparkling.

“I’m proud of you,” You finally said.

“It’s all thanks to you,” He replied.

“Hm, well,” You huffed. “Guess who lost their apartment.”

He gaped at you. “What?”

“Not permanently,” You groaned. “But there’s been a technical problem that has to be investigated and fixed. So I can’t stay there for the meantime.”

He looked at you, deep in thought. And then his hands tightened on your waist. “Then stay here with me.”

Now it was your turn to gawk at him. “What?”

“Please.” He smiled. “I owe you.”

You blushed. “I didn’t do much.”

“You did.” He walked forward, nearly caging you against the wall. “Everything. You’ve helped me get this job.” Another step forward. “I’m indebted to you.”

“H-hyunjae,” You stuttered, trying your best to avoid stealing a glance at his lips.

“Just temporarily.”

You made a mental pro and con list. Pros–He was your childhood best friend meaning that he knew you best. Cons–what if things changed? What if you… fell? And you didn’t mean physically.

With a hesitant sigh in defeat, you responded quietly. 

“Temporarily.”

When you and Hyunjae had art class together, you learned a little bit more about him. He was always the one who enjoyed the sketching, the outlining with the black pen, and shading in grey. You, on the other hand, were the one who would color in between those lines with vibrant colors, brightening the picture into something truly complete. 

That was how you complimented each other. People often painted him out to be cold and blunt, but you always saw past that. It was always you who thought that he was the sweetest person you’ve ever met–the one who took care of you when you were sick and who pulled you away from passing cars.

Just like one of those art projects, you began to liven up his apartment with your own things. Of course, you didn’t bring everything, but the simple pieces of your toothbrush next to his and your coat hung up on the rack, were enough to make the puzzle feel just complete.

Soon enough, the evening came which brought the dilemma of where you would sleep.

“The couch,” Hyunjae spoke up, walking out of the bathroom again, with damp hair. But at least he was fully clothed this time. Still, that vision was practically ingrained into your mind.

“You’re right.” You nodded in agreement. “I’ll–”

“Not you,” He huffed. “Me.”

“Oh,” You breathed out. Abruptly you stood up in defiance. “No!” You blurted out. “That’s rude.”

He looked at you entirely unimpressed. “I’m being a good host. A gentleman.”

“Exactly.” You scowled. “You’re going to make me feel like I’m intruding. And look who invited me in the first place?”

He sighed, glancing at the bedroom door. “There’s only one bed.”

“Then we’ll share,” You replied, completely sure of yourself. Hyunjae didn’t respond so you lifted your chin high and walked past him and into the bedroom as odd as it may sound. However, in the corner of your eye, you could see that his ears were slightly red.

You may have underestimated the sheer awkwardness. Just a bit. Maybe a lot.

The two of you stood on either side of the bed, facing each other, contemplating the fact that this would be the first time you would be sleeping together. Actually, it wasn’t really awkward per se. It was more… hilarious. You pursed your lips, trying to stifle your laughter, while Hyunjae’s cheeks were puffed out in embarrassment.

Again, as the bolder one, you climbed under the sheets first. Still, Hyunjae was just standing, hesitating. You squinted up at him through the darkness. 

Even under the dim lighting, you could see that his cheeks were incredibly flushed. 

“I think I’ll just go back to the–” He couldn’t even finish his sentence because you were grabbing onto his hand and pulling him down into bed. He didn’t really protest though as you could sense him slowly melting into the warmth of it.

The lamp was off now and you were both succumbed to darkness. It was silent, only the sound of Hyunjae’s calm breathing. You weren’t exactly tired right now. You knew that it would take you a while to fall asleep. But that was fine! You would just wait until he fell asleep first.

Except, when you turned on your side to face him, you could see him staring back, big, round doe eyes on you. So, scratch that. And now you were cold which you weren’t used to. Your apartment was usually the perfect temperature, but this one left you shivering all over.

Unconsciously, you began to shift closer to his body. He’s always been the warm one. That used to be your strategy to not freeze to death when the two of you would walk down the winter festival together.

Suddenly though, you felt an arm across your waist and steady breathing on the side of your neck.

“Hm?” You hummed in confusion, wondering if the chest against your shoulder was just a hallucination. 

But then he replied in a quiet, lower voice.

“Is this okay?” He whispered.

Oh, this was more than okay. You were familiar with his embrace. But to feel it just moments before you fell asleep brought a sudden bout of tranquility.

“Perfect.” You smiled to yourself, curling up to his body in which he held you closer in response. It was warm, comforting, just perfect. It didn’t take you a while to fall asleep anymore. 

When you awoke, you were slightly—no, very confused about why it was still dark out. You were pretty sure the room should be bright with natural light from the sun. Or maybe you’ve just gone crazy. But that was when you glanced at the time. It was still the middle of the night.

When you turned to your side, that was also when you realized that it was Hyunjae who had woken you up. Unknowingly at that. His arm was still around your waist but this time, his hold was almost painfully tight. If you looked closely, you could see that his eyes were screwed shut, his eyebrows twitching with small stuttering breaths escaping him.

But, you’ve always heard the saying that you weren’t supposed to wake someone up from a nightmare. So you hesitated, keeping your hands close to yourself, worriedly watching. At some point, he jolted awake by himself.

Now, his breathing was even faster and he had shot up, looking around frantically. Blinking your eyes sleepily, you turned on the nearby light and sat up with him.

“Hyunjae?” You whispered, looking him over in concern.

He turned to you in a growing distraught state and he widened his eyes. “Are you–”

“It’s just me,” You muttered. “Bad dream?”

Hyunjae froze for a moment but he slowly nodded. And usually, it was you who initiated the hugs. But this time, he was the one who lunged forward, holding you close to his chest. His hands grasped onto you tightly as he buried his nose into your neck.

With the way he was holding you so tightly, so… desperately, you wondered if this had happened before. But still, you allowed him to just hold you close, your own arms coming around to gently pat his back.

You didn’t know when, but he eventually pulled away. He refused to look you in the eye and so you brought a gentle hand to the side of his face, coaxing him to face you.

“How long has this been going on for?” You frowned.

He shut his eyes. “A while.”

Your heart clenched at his quiet response. For the past few days, you had thought he was feeling better, less exhausted. But behind the bedroom door, it must be different.

“Do you… want to talk about it?”

“I don’t know…” He trailed off.

“You don’t have to tell me–”

“...what they’re about.”

“Oh,” You breathed. “The nightmares?”

He nodded with tired eyes. “But while I was gone–away from you–people I’ve loved, everything I’ve cherished seemed to disappear before my eyes. It wasn’t just work it was… a lot.” His voice was quiet, hard to hear but it was loud enough that you could hear each and every heart-twisting emotion.

You stayed silent, your hand finding his to stroke the back of it soothingly.

“I felt hopeless.” He frowned. “I guess those nightmares felt like I was reliving that all over again.”

He didn’t say anything after that. You watched him cautiously, wondering what exactly to do. But then you felt his hand tighten on yours slightly and that was your cue to shift even closer.

He glanced at you with an ashamed expression that only made the pit in your stomach drop even more. Slowly, slow enough so that he could back away if he wanted to, you wrapped an arm around him, pulling him close against you. Almost instantly, he was breathing out a low sigh of relief as he nuzzled even further into your embrace.

“You’re not alone anymore,” You whispered. “And… thank you for trusting me enough to tell me.”

He didn’t say anything, but when he held you back, it was a perfect answer. The two of you stayed like that, in the dead of night, just holding each other until you began to feel drowsy from his warmth. It wasn’t the first time that you’ve done so. The only difference was that it was always you who needed that extra piece of comfort. It was never Hyunjae. Seeing him open up was different but something that you were most grateful for.

“I never replied to you the day we met in the hallway,” He spoke, interrupting your thoughts. 

You pondered for a moment, recalling the memory. “When I said that I missed you?”

He nodded. “I didn’t reply because I was afraid you would still be mad at me for leaving you so abruptly.”

You smiled softly and shook your head, your hand coming up to the back of his head to stroke his hair soothingly. His eyes widened slightly in shock but he quickly melted into your touch. “I was angry at first.”

He laughed quietly, though his voice was watery with unfallen tears.

“But now I’m not,” You whispered. “I promise. I’m just happy to see you again.”

He pulled away to look up at you, searching your face to make sure that you were telling the truth. When you only gazed back with utmost sincerity, he let a small smile tug on his lips.

“I missed you,” He had finally replied, answering your statement from before. “More than you know. It was hard without you.”

Your gaze softened once you noticed the sparkle of a few tears in his eyes and when he blinked, your sleeve was immediately coming up to pat his cheek, drying the ones that had broken free.

“I missed you too,” You responded and gently, you were pulling him back into bed. And this time, without hesitation, he was hooking both of his arms around you, tightening you into his chest.

“...so much,” He muttered sleepily. “I missed you so much.”

“You have me now.”

“Always.” And you felt his hand grasp yours, guiding it to where his heart was, thumping in a soothing rhythm. “In here.”

You were the first one to wake up. It seemed that Hyunjae’s nightmare and tears had left him too exhausted to even notice you unwrapping yourself from his protective embrace. And so, you took it as your duty to cook something decent for him to wake up to.

Except maybe Hyunjae did notice because he opened the door shortly after. You probably should have placed a pillow in his arms before you left. He walked out and you had to stop yourself from cooing because that would be a little bit… weird. But you couldn’t help it because the sight of his hair tousled and messy, his eyes barely opened and puffy from the tears, and his lips pouted adorably, left you smiling with endearment.

“Morning sleepyhead.” You grinned, turning the stove on. 

He didn’t say anything. Instead, he shuffled over to where you were standing behind the kitchen counter. 

You tilted your head in amusement, wondering how he managed to navigate with his eyes barely open. “Are you feeling better?”

Again, still no response. You watched as he circled the counter, positioning himself behind you. And then you gasped quietly once you registered the strong arms that enveloped your waist, pulling you into a warm hug, your back now pressed up against his chest. You could even feel his nose nuzzling into the back of your neck, breathing deeply.

You simply just froze, unable to do anything. Once you realized he wasn’t going to move anytime soon, you turned the stove off and simply allowed him to hug you to his heart’s content. He let out a sleepy hum. Or was it a whine?

“You’re clingy in the morning,” You mused.

“Mhm.” Even his morning voice was cute.

And when you said sleepy, you meant it. Literally–you were pretty sure he fell asleep while back-hugging you in the middle of the kitchen. You practically had to hold on to the counter to brace his weight and when you stole a glance over your shoulder, you had to stifle a laugh. His cheek was smushed into your shoulder and his eyes shut in content.

“O–kay,” You heaved, forcing your body to turn around. And still, he would have almost collapsed into you if you hadn’t planted your hands on his shoulders to hold him up. His head lolled to the side as he peeked an eye open to look at you drowsily.

You chuckled and your hand came up to his hair to ruffle it. Immediately, he was leaning into your touch and when your hand traveled down to cup his cheek, he was nuzzling into it like a puppy.

“I missed you,” He slurred, his voice huskier than usual.

“Mm, you said that already,” You hummed teasingly, a smile threatening to spread across your lips. “Hyunjae.”

“Hm?” He smiled lazily.

“You’re acting drunk and it’s like–” You glanced at the clock. “Seven in the morning.”

“And what about it? I missed you,” He grumbled, an adorable frown on his lips.

“Ah,” You sighed, shaking your head. “Go splash water on your face, you dummy. Then you’ll wake up properly.”

He still didn’t budge. And so, using every single ounce of your strength, you had to carry him all the way to the bathroom as he was still clinging onto you like a koala.

After a few minutes, with the sound of the bathroom sink splashing in the background, you finally managed to start cooking something. But then the door clicked open and you looked up. Hyunjae, his eyes finally open, was blushing so hard that you couldn’t even conceal your laugh anymore.

“Missed me?” You remarked.

He winced in response, his cheeks continuing to flame red.

“I don’t know what got into me,” He muttered, refusing to look you in the eye.

You beckoned him over and he finally looked up at you shyly.

“It was cute,” You teased. “You’re cute when you’re sleepy.”

“And what else?” He quickly recovered.

Your breath hitched. Ah, you thought. There he was. The usual Hyunjae when he was fully awake. The one who loved to tease you until you were blushing and hiding your face. 

“Don’t do this again,” You groaned.

“Do what?”

“That.”

“You’ll have to elaborate on that, sweetheart.”

You raised an eyebrow at the nickname, completely unfazed. But when your eyes traveled down, that was when you realized just how close he was. He continued to lean forward until he was caging you against the counter, both of his hands on either side of you. It wasn’t the flirting that got you, it was his body encompassing you so, so effortlessly, making you feel smaller than you really were. 

He chuckled. “Cat got your tongue?”

Oh, this is definitely how best friends act. You were one hundred percent sure about that. 

He smirked, tilting his chin down, as his hand traveled from the edge of the counter down to your hip. 

Fifty percent. 

His eyes wandering elsewhere–somewhere along the lines of your lips.

One percent.

“The breakfast is going to burn,” You stuttered.

He simply licked his lips, his gaze fixated on yours.

“I can always try something else.”

You were screwed.

The first day of Hyunjae’s new job was the very last day of your brief vacation from work. With a sigh, you scrolled through the shows and movies, only for you to ultimately turn off the TV in boredom. You weren’t going to beat around the bush and refuse to admit that you felt lonely without him. Of course, you saw him in the morning, already dressed in a suit (that fit amazingly on him, dare you add), but it was only for a short moment.

He still had nightmares but they were becoming less and less frequent. Sometimes, when they happened, you would just pull him closer and he would immediately relax with a small sigh, almost like you had the superpower to eliminate his night terrors.

And sleeping together never was awkward again. In fact, you adequately enjoyed it–his arms around you and vice versa. Did best friends regularly cuddle at night and gaze at each other for so long that your heartbeat started to speed up? That… you weren’t quite sure about.

Yawning, you found yourself lying down, spreading across the couch. You didn’t even do much today yet your eyes still threatened to shut close.

At some point, you blinked your eyelids open once you heard the door unlocking. Sitting up, you smiled softly at the sight of Hyunjae opening the door. His tie was already loose and his hair was blown up from the wind. Squinting your eyes, you then noticed that he was practically stumbling into the entrance, almost like all of his coordination had dissipated. 

His eyes were droopy and his lips pouted from what you would guess to be exhaustion. Everyone’s first day of work was like that. You watched as he set down his work bag and walked over to you, very… very slowly.

“How was work?” You questioned, looking up at him.

And just like last time, he didn’t respond. Silently, he leaned forward and literally–very literally–laid on top of you. His body weight pulled you back down to lie on the couch and his arms were snaking around you as his legs tangled with yours. Speechless, you felt as he nuzzled back into your neck, just like he’s begun to do so often now.

“You look gorgeous today,” He whispered, his voice very oddly slurred.

Your breath hitched. “Are you drunk?”

He looked up at that and you practically choked on air once you realized how close his face was to yours. And then he smiled languidly and shook his head.

“Are you sure?” You searched him for any sign–red cheeks, the scent of the alcoholic drink–yet you couldn’t find any. 

“I’m just tired,” He mumbled, planting his face back into the crook of your neck.

“Okay,” You laughed. Gently, your hand came up to his broad back to rub it in circles, the material of the suit rough and honestly quite unsatisfying. But still, you persisted once you felt his tense muscles slowly soften. Slowly though, you came to a stop. “Hyunjae.”

“Hm?” He hummed.

“You need to take a shower,” You huffed. “C’mon.” With all of your power, you pushed him up and off you. Again, his head tilted to the side with a tired smile. You laughed and shoved him until he finally obliged and went off to the bathroom.

Meanwhile, you were left there, contemplating his strange behavior. He never acted this clingy before. Not even for the years that you’ve known him. It was only after that particular night that he started to… do this.

When he was done showering, he stepped out. You had hoped that he would be more awake now, but it seemed he was even drowsier than before–too tired to even dry his own hair. With a click of your tongue, you motioned him over to sit down. Like a puppy, his eyes brightened at the sight of you as he obediently followed.

“You’ll catch a cold,” You ridiculed with a worried frown.

After finding a towel, you stepped in between his legs. Carefully, you began to dry his damp hair, marveling at the way his hair curled up after a shower. You rubbed his scalp, making your way around and behind his ears. When you peeked at his expression, you stifled a laugh at the way he basically fell asleep under your touch.

Once you deemed his hair dry enough, you were about to walk away but instead, he abruptly stood up, swaying slightly. And then he fell forward, pulling you into a warm embrace.

You smiled fondly. “Tired?”

It seems that when Hyunjae was tired, he never answered any of your questions, funnily enough. A lot of his answers were just “I missed you” or a small hum. But this… this answer was different. It was spoken so quietly, so softly yet it perfectly resonated through your ears. 

“I love you.”

Before you could even say anything or really do anything, he was reluctantly pulling away and heading to the bedroom. Your lips parted as your eyes fixated on absolutely nothing. Just– space. Your whole body had gone rigid as you simply stood there, processing his words. You couldn’t even blink. 

Best friends… say that too, don’t they?

It started to become a pattern for the whole first week of his new job. When he was actually fully awake, he told you that the work was demanding yet he never looked so happy and content. Sometimes, you wondered what his past work was like, but you never prodded.

But, because the work was just so demanding, every single day, from Monday to Friday, he came home exhausted. And any person would expect him to just head straight for bed. But like you said, it was a pattern, a usual thing, that he would cling on to you. Apparently, something had shifted in him. Originally, when you saw him exhausted, he would become closed off. But after… that night, he acted almost intoxicated. Not on a drink. But simply off being tired.

You found it endearing actually. His voice was always quieter and he often stumbled over his words this way. His eyes were dazed and soft on yours and he also became ten times heavier as he liked to lay all of his weight on you when he pulled you into a hug. He constantly just seemed to be in a completely different mindset–one that was very… loving and… yeah– different.

He liked to say things too. Slurred and quiet, but he still very clearly said them. You could never figure out if he meant them or if he was just tired and rambling things for the fun of it.

He said “I misssed you” a lot. Occasionally, he would blurt out that you looked pretty or beautiful. Or, it would be a small “hi” accompanied by a shy smile. Sometimes, if he was too tired to say much, he would just giggle over nothing in particular. But… there was one specific phrase that he would say out of the blue.

“I love you.”

That one always left you perplexed. It could be a… platonic thing to say, right? Where did the word “love” come from? You didn’t think much of it, but you couldn’t help but feel some sort of spark of light in the very depths of your heart.

It was weird, really. An out-of-this-world, alien-like thing for a best friend to say. The words I, love, and you arranged in that particular order were never syllables Hyunjae ever let fall from his lips. He never spent any particular ounce of breath to say them. 

Yet now he did.

For some odd reason.

But again, he was just tired. Surely.

And just like before, the pattern started all over again. The week was coming to a close so maybe you wouldn’t hear those words again after this. But you didn’t really mind altogether. With a tired sigh, you walked out of the room, now changed out of your work clothes and into something more comfortable.

Right on cue, the main door was unlocking, and once again, the pattern began to unweave itself. He would walk in, with the occasional misstep and stumble. And like usual, he looked tired. Though, you envied his ability to still look… attractive. And then he would look up, search for a particular someone, and do that stupidly lazy smile–the one where his eyes weren’t focused on anything but you.

“What are you doing here?” He giggled–he giggled now, apparently.

You eyed him, completely apathetic. “You let me stay here temporarily, remember?”

He blinked at you with an adorable pout. And then he nodded. “You’re right.” He smiled. “Aren’t you smart?” He pinched your cheek. 

Scowling, you wrestled his hands off. And for the first time this week, you finally decided to question his bizarre behavior.

“Why are you acting like this?” You whined, holding him up by his arms so he wouldn’t fall over you like he had done the day before.

“Because I missed you,” He grumbled, his eyes struggling to stay open. “Now let me–”

“Agh,” You groaned. But still, your hands fell to your sides as you let him wrap his arms around your torso, bringing you close to his chest. Whatever made him happy, was your motive. And totally not, I secretly enjoy this.

It was quiet for a few moments, just the sound of his slow breathing against your earlobe. For a minute, you worried that he had fallen asleep already, but he spoke again.

“Have I mentioned how uncomfortable this suit is?” He mumbled. “It’s very hot and–”

You didn’t even say anything. With a sigh–one that wasn’t particularly annoyed, but more… doting–you stepped away. He stared at you in both drowsiness and slight confusion, but his eyes slowly widened once he realized that you were taking off the jacket for him. Gently, you pulled it off his shoulders and down his arms, your eyebrows slightly furrowed in concentration.

He was quiet, simply watching as your fingers grasped his tie, unloosening it with a sharp pull, causing him to lurch forward, his lips startlingly close to yours. 

“Interesting,” He teasingly remarked, but his voice was still slurred.

“Shut up,” You snapped yet there was no malice behind your tone.

Your hands then came up to his collar, unbuttoning the first few buttons to reveal slightly past his collarbones which… you’ve already accidentally witnessed before. With a friendly pat on his shoulder, you deemed him undressed enough. He slowly turned his gaze to you and your breath hitched at the sight– his work attire now loose with his hair slightly messy… ah. Not to mention, his tilted head and sleepy expression that only made things worse.

Clearing your throat, feeling your cheeks burn, you scrambled off somewhere to shove a change of clothes into his hands and left abruptly, your heart thumping. Soon enough–you didn’t know when because you were busy contemplating all of your feelings and the meaning of life–he walked into the bedroom. Undoing the made bed, you motioned him to climb in. Obediently, he followed and you pulled the blankets over him.

“Y/n,” He muttered, grasping your wrist before you could walk away.

“Hm?”

“...love you,” He whispered.

Again, he was just rambling. He was just saying things. He had stumbled over his words and his voice was quiet, so that meant that he didn’t mean it. He didn’t mean any of it. It was all fake–

“I love you,” He repeated—clearer, louder this time without an inch of hesitation. And this time, he was looking straight up at you, his cheeks slightly pink, flushed.

Maybe it was more real than you had thought.

The first week was over, meaning Hyunjae was more situated at work and most importantly, less exhausted. On the first day of his new, non-intoxicated-on-fatigue persona, he had simply greeted you and strolled past. You wouldn’t admit it fully to him but that simple interaction that did better fit what you guys were–best friends–left you feeling empty inside.

But it was fine. It was just a one-week thing.

Until it wasn’t.

The next day, the pattern appeared again, but it wasn’t… like before.

He was fully awake this time yet he still–

“Hyunjae?” You stammered. The arms wrapped around your waist tightened further as he stood behind you, hooking his chin over your shoulder, and breathing out a low sigh. And now that he was newly… conscious, he did more. His hands began to wander over you in soothing shapes and he pressed his chest further against your back.

“Just stay here with me.” 

You could see his soft smile in the corner of your eye. With a bothered huff, you glanced back at him, only for you to inhale sharply at how close he actually was and how… nice his cologne smelt. Oh, and his hands were still wandering.

“I thought you only acted like this when you’re tired?”

He shook his head, shifting even closer, his warmth encompassing you comfortingly.

“Do you want to know something about me?”

“I know a lot about you,” You joked.

But he was quiet, a serious silence befalling the two of you. You gulped and whispered a small “what is it?”

You could hear him huff out in amusement, his hands never failing to leave your waist. “While I was away–when I was at my lowest–I thought of someone all those years.”

And for some reason, you knew exactly what the answer was. 

But still, your voice tremored. “Who?”

A squeeze on your waist.

“You.”

Shutting your eyes, you breathed out a shaky sigh and looked down to where he was still hugging you from behind. Your heart was thumping and you were sure he could hear you. And even if he could make out the pounding, he never budged once. Not once did he stop tightening his arms around you and not once did he cease to bury his nose somewhere into your skin, leaving shivers down your spine.

With your heartbeat practically reaching your ears, you nudged him and turned around so that now, you were facing him. Without his dazed, sleepy look, it was just his soft eyes and the slightest tug of his lips, an endeared smile. Without his exhaustion that often left him sluggish, it was just his firm, stronger arms that held you so easily.

“Hyunjae,” You whispered. 

“Sweetheart,” He replied, his voice gentle and content. And before, you wouldn’t have paid a single ounce of attention to that nickname because it just seemed like how best friends would fool around. But now… things were different and you weren’t sure how exactly. And so the name sweetheart now left your cheeks flushing.

You swallowed thickly, your breath shortening. “Do you know how much you confuse me?”

His smile only grew. “Elaborate on that.” A pause. “Sweetheart.”

You sighed, biting your lip with mortification. “That. The nickname.”

“Sweetheart? You never said you didn’t like it, I can stop if you want—“

“Don’t!” You rushed to say. You blushed more once you realized he was teasing you again, his eyes glinting with amusement. “Not just the nickname. Everything.”

“Like what?” He stepped closer if that was even possible.

You gazed up at him and you were sure you looked frustrated right now, judging by his fond smile. He always said you looked cute when mad.

“You say that you miss me all the time.”

“Because I do.” He dipped his head lower to look at you with those foolish, puppy-like eyes. “I think of you whenever I’m at work.”

“But,” You exhaled shakily. “Do you realize that you say something else?” 

You were sure he wasn’t aware. He didn’t seem to be in the right state of mind whenever he was exhausted. So maybe, he would just stare at you in utter confusion, deny it, and this whole… feeling fiasco would be done and dealt with. But then—

“That I love you?”

Your lips parted in surprise and you peered up at him, wondering if he was just taking a wild guess. But no, the soft, genuine look on his face said it all.

“You… knew?” You stuttered.

“Of course I did,” He chuckled softly. “And I meant every single one.”

Eyebrows furrowing, you stepped backward from shock. As you avoided his eyes, you missed the nervousness and the unsureness that flitted across his face. But, just that one step away left chills down your body–as if being away from Hyunjae and his embrace wasn’t even natural anymore.

And so you stepped forward again. Immediately, you could hear a low sigh of relief escape Hyunjae’s lips and feel his hands snake back around your waist protectively. You weren’t sure what expression was on his face though, as you were very adamant on staring directly at his tie–his chest. You knew that he could still see your reddening cheeks, but you still preferred not to look him in the eye. 

“That,” He said quietly. “You’re also quite confusing too.”

“Wh-what?” 

“Stepping away and stepping back,” He spoke softly. “Looking me in the eye but refusing to when I say that I love you.” One of his hands left your waist to gently guide your chin up. “So look at me now.” 

“I…” You trailed off, feeling yourself go weak just from his soft, loving gaze.

“And one more thing.” He tilted his head teasingly.

A pause. A great moment of silence.

“You don’t say it but you show it.”

“Hyunjae,” You breathed out, your heart beating like a loud, intense drum.

“I wasn’t completely unaware.” He smirked. His hand had already left your chin and found its place back to your waist, yet you found yourself staring straight into his dark eyes, stuck in a trance. “I know that you dried my hair with a towel–that you even undressed me. I know that you took care of me.”

You did do that all on your own accord, simply because you thought that you were being a perfectly good friend. But now that you thought about it–you didn’t have to. You could have easily pushed him off, and told him to do everything on his own but you didn’t. And it was all because you–

“So tell me then,” He whispered, his voice quiet–only for you to hear, almost like he wanted you all to himself. “What are we?”

You held your breath, your cheeks growing hot. Your hands rested on his chest and you could feel his heart pound, exactly like yours. He felt the same, you realized. With a shaky sigh, you gazed up at him.

“What do you want us to be?”

He hummed, a soft smile on his lips. “What do I want?” 

He slightly reworded your question and you wondered why. But you nodded, your eyes studying his features. His handsome features. They were sharp when you had met him in that hallway. But his keen eyes, the angle of his eyebrows, his perpetual frown–they were just soft, soft on you. No longer was there a frown, but just an affectionate smile.

“What do you want?” You repeated his question, your voice hushed to a whisper.

He leaned in, his gaze warm and gentle, his eyes wandering over each and every detail of your face.

“I want to love you.”

You had expected to inhale sharply, gasp maybe–but no. Because everything made sense to you now. His kind words, his soft and fleeting touches across your body, it all pointed to one thing. And so, instead, you smiled shyly.

“Then love me.”

And just like that, his grip on your hips tightened and he turned you around so that your back was facing the door. He was walking you backward until you felt the hard surface against your shoulder blades and he was leaning down, close enough that if he inched further, he would be kissing you. But he didn’t–not yet.

“May I?” He muttered, looking over you with slight concern. 

You nodded, embarrassingly with a bit too eagerness. He laughed softly and then he was fitting his lips against yours as your eyes fluttered closed. The press of it was gentle and tender as he tilted your chin up and angled himself so that it was more comfortable. The kiss was unlike any that you’ve experienced before. It was like the tension that had built up before had completely broken down, as you allowed yourself to just fall.

Fall, physically, almost because you felt your knees go weak, with only the door behind you to hold you up. But his hand traveled back down to your waist, hooking you in against his body, keeping you steady as he muffled a groan against your lips. You couldn’t hear anything but his breathing and the thumping of your own heart. 

All you could think of was him–how he could so easily change from rough to soft, how he could push forward so quickly but pull away so easily to allow you a gasp of breath, and how he could make your heart pound yet lull it into a steady rhythm of love. He kissed like he could devour you, but if you decided to peek an eye open, you would see his adorably furrowed eyebrows and his flushed cheeks, showing that he wasn’t anything like that.

He was just a man who needed a bit of a sweetener in his life.

With a quiet noise, he pulled away. Immediately, his eyes searched over your features, making sure that you were okay and that he didn’t do too much. But, when you gave him a smile, your eyes flitting nervously, he grinned and leaned in to grant you another soft kiss.

“How long?” You laughed shyly.

“I came to the realization when you tried to cheer me up whenever I was tired. But I think I’ve already felt this way for a while.” He replied. He pinched your cheek again. “All those dates and extra care that you gave me…very cute thing to do.”

Your eyes went wide. “You… noticed?”

“I notice a lot of things, sweetheart,” He teased. “Like how you’re grabbing onto my suit to pull me into a kiss right now.”

“O-oh,” You stammered, letting go of his crumpled collar. “I didn’t realize I–”

He shook his head and before you could finish your sentence, he was cupping your cheek–something that he’s never done before–and guiding you back to his lips. And this time, his tongue swiped against your lip, making you gasp quietly.

“You taste like candy.” His gaze fixated on your lips.

“I didn’t know you could…” You had to stop for a second to catch your breath. And it wasn’t just because of his exceptional kissing, but it was the beat of your heart, of all of your love. “...you could kiss like that.”

“What can I say?” He tilted his head with a teasing look. “I guess I have a sweet tooth.”

“Trust me on this,” Younghoon whined. “I followed the instructions to the very dot. They’ll taste good. Promise.”

You eyed him skeptically but still, you picked up one of the cookies that he had baked. They looked a little… off, but it should be fine. Taking a bite, you took note of the odd texture, and then the taste started to register on your tongue.

You coughed. You choked. And then you threw the cookie back on the plate. 

“Bitter,” You gagged. “It’s so bitter.”

“What?” He cried. “Are you kidding me–”

Your eyes lit up once you remembered your boyfriend who was sitting next to you on the couch. He was busy on his computer, doing some sort of work report but you ignored that, turning to him and grasping his collar tightly. You pulled him in, pressing your lips to his, causing him to let out a small “mmph” in surprise.

But almost instantly, he turned into jelly from your touch, a smile growing on his lips as his eyes fluttered close. He had tried to deepen it desperately but you pulled away shortly after, leaving him to chase after your lips adorably.

Younghoon gawked. “I’m right here.”

“So?” You shrugged, smiling innocently. “At least he tastes sweet.”

“Oh my god,” Younghoon mumbled, getting up to throw the cookies into the garbage can. 

Meanwhile, Hyunjae was staring at you in a daze, his cheeks flushed. But, he quickly recovered and he was quick to pounce on you, pressing kisses all over you once Younghoon had left.

“A warning next time would be great.”

He was now hovering over you on the couch, caging you under his arms and his computer long forgotten. The position left you flushing but it was also the perfect one to knee him in the stomach.

He winced in pain. "What was that for?"

"A warning, you said," You mocked. "When literally yesterday you kissed me up against a wall in your own workplace."

"That's an exception." He smirked. "You liked it, didn't you?"

"I..." You blushed, remembering the way he had kissed you so fervently, dressed in that suit and tie, the thrill of getting caught still running through your veins. "It was alright."

"Sure, sweetheart," He whispered in a teasing tone. He looked annoying handsome like this, with that amused smile that contrasted his soft, loving gaze. "Then I'll make sure you like this one."

Oh, how you despised him.

And then his lips were on yours again, swallowing up any shy noises that threatened to escape you. But just before he did, he had whispered three quiet words against your lips.

"I love you."

And how you loved him too.

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[megantheebaddest]

Silent Treatment

Reader and Jack are giving each other the silent treatment but both of them absolutely hate it. Warning this does turn into a little bit of smut xx

It’s been about two days since you and Jack have had the worst fight you ever had. Lots of screaming and name calling and hurtful things were said. You and him both knew you both didn’t really mean more than half of the things that were said. But that didn’t stop you both from giving the silent treatment to each other. The vibes in your shared apartment were so negative and to be honest you were hoping this silent treatment would end very soon. You haven’t slept good the past two night because Jack didn’t cuddle up to you to keep you warm. The first night he slept on the couch, and last night he didn’t come to bed until 5:30 am.

You missed him so much and wanted to end the silent treatment but the look on his face and his attitude and actions made it clear as day that he was not ready to give it up. You wanted to make him breakfast but you figured why waste the time because he was just going to be petty and not eat it. That’s one thing about Jack is he is PETTY. So you just leaned up against the kitchen island and sipped your coffee while scrolling your phone, trying to pay him no mind while he slammed cabinets and the fridge gathering up whatever he could for breakfast. An occasional sigh leaving his plump lips.

After what felt like an eternity Jack was finally sitting down eating his breakfast and it was quiet again. You liked the quietness but hated the reason for it. You were still sipping your coffee, a few giggles coming from you due to tik tok. You didn’t know but Jack has been eyeing you up the whole time. He has the perfect view from where he’s sitting. His eyes admiring every curve, and the way your night gown outlines your plump ass. He could tell that you weren’t wearing any panties. The sight of your back side had him bricked up. He was about to break the silence just so he could get a taste of you but the pettiness in him didn’t want to be the one to break the silence. Instead he just treated you as eye candy. Until you stood up from your position, you were still looking at your phone while putting your coffee cup under the keurig and hitting brew. You did it effortlessly without paying attention, Jack let out a soft chuckle only he could hear. He always laughed at your addiction to coffee because he couldn’t understand how someone could love it so much. He got up to take his dishes to the sink and while you were still consumed by your phone he bent down to sneak a peak. You were in fact not wearing panties. He just shook his head and made his way to the living room trying to shake the thoughts he had. You on the other hand took your cup of coffee up to have a relaxing bath.

~

About 40 minutes passed by and Jack made his way up to your shared bedroom. He was heading to get dressed for the few things he had to run out and do. He entered the bedroom were his eyes immediately met the sight of you in a matching bra and panties set with your hair up in a towel. You were standing in the full body mirror applying your makeup for the day. The Alexa in your room was playing ‘Out Front’ by Jack softly as background music. His heart melted anytime he heard you play his music. But this sight of you really fucked with him. You looked so good and it really took everything in him to not throw you on the bed and fuck you senseless. If he didn’t have obligations to tend to he absolutely would. It annoyed him so bad that you didn’t pay him any attention when he entered the room. He just got ready and grabbed everything he needed shutting the door softy as he left the room. His heart slowly breaking at you not even being curious as to where he was heading.

But that was in fact not true. You bit your tongue so hard in order to not ask him where he was going. You just figured he was heading to the studio. This was so dumb. Why not just be the bigger person and apologize, so this stupid silent treatment doesn’t continue? Well anytime you both fight you are always the one to apologize and you told yourself you weren’t going to be the one to do it this time.

Once you were dressed for the day you decided to venture out and get a few of your own errands done. You went to the bank, and made a pit stop for an iced coffee before heading to do a little clothes shopping, then eventually heading to the grocery store for dinner. You figured you’d cook tonight since you haven’t out of spite the past couple days. You thought that maybe if you cooked it would fasten the process of lifting the silence. You got home and Jack was still gone. You brought all the bags from your shopping haul. You left the clothes bags by the steps and made your way to the kitchen to cook. Tonight you were keeping it simple with chicken caesar salad and garlic bread.

About 15 minutes later you heard the door to your apartment open and shut. You smiled to yourself at the thought of him finally being home. When Jack opened the door he saw all the clothes bags piled by the steps and he smiled to himself. He always laughed when you would tell him there’s no such thing as too many clothes. He made his way to the kitchen to see what the good smell is. You had your back to him cutting up the chicken and salad ingredients. He smiled at you but you obviously weren’t looking. He grabbed a stool to sit on at the kitchen island. He had a bunch of important papers that he had to look over and sign so he sat in the kitchen with you to do it. Usually he does that in his office. But he misses you.

As you wait for the chicken to fry you open up a cherry blow pop and plop it in your mouth. The noise of the wrapper caught Jack’s attention. He slowly looked up at you, watching this lollipop swirling around in your mouth. He swallowed and tried to focus on his papers. You grabbed your phone and started scrolling it again, occasionally making sucking and popping noises. Jack snapped his head back up at you. You weren’t paying any attention. His eyes now glued to your mouth. You were holding the lollipop stick while swirling your tongue all over the blow pop. The noises sounded all too familiar to Jack. He watched as your lips wrapped around the blow pop so perfectly and how you would slowly pull it out of your mouth before putting it back in. Jack was a whole mess just from watching you suck on a lollipop. He almost laughed out loud due to you being so oblivious to how you were eating it. For a minute he thought you have been teasing him all day on purpose but he just realized that that’s not true at all. You had no idea what you were doing to him. Here he was sitting there bricked up and you were clueless.

He got up to get himself a drink, he came up behind you and pushed his hard on up against your butt. He had on hand gripping your hip the other reaching up above you to grab a glass out of the cabinet. You were shocked at the sensation out of no where. Almost immediately you pushed back against him. He let go of you to walk to the fridge.

“You’ve had me bricked up all day. Not good when i’m supposed to be mad at you.” He said spinning around to face you as he leaned against the counter sipping his drink and looking at you with those beautiful blue eyes. You stood there gazing back at him shocked that he said something.

“Huh?” is all you could say. What was he talking about? You’ve literally done nothing.

“Mhm.. Walking around here with no panties this morning and now i gotta sit here and watch you suck on that lollipop?” He said sounding frazzled.

You let out a loud laugh. “Oh my gosh.. grow up Jack.” you said flinging your lollipop in the garbage and checking on the chicken. You felt Jack come up behind you. He slithered his arms around your waist.

“Come onnnn.. No more attitude or silent treatment. I miss you ma” He said into your neck making you jump and squeal at the ticklish feeling. “I’m so sorry for everything that happened the other night. I never want to fight like that again. And I definitely don’t want to ever do this silent shit again either. I hated that.” He said making you giggle.

“I know that really did suck.. and I’m sorry too Jackman. I love you so much.” You said turning around so that you were in a deep hug. “But seriously that’s all it takes for you to get bricked up?” You said jokingly.

“Oh cut me some slack mamas. I haven’t even touched you in like 3 days. I’m withdrawing.” He said laughing.

You were smiling and looking up at him as your hand creeped down to the front of his jeans. You rubbed the tip of your fingers on his stomach just above the band of his jeans. He instantly tensed up.

“Don’t start if you’re not gonna do anything.” Was all he could breathe out. Both of your hands went straight for the button and zipper of his jeans. You quickly undid them with ease. You dropped to your knees at record speed. The second his dick sprung free you took him all in.

“Ohhhhh fuck y/n!” Jack screamed as his head fell back in pleasure. “Uhh i needed this so bad baby” he moaned loud. You quickened your pace and started massaging his balls.

“Y/n.. Holy fuck.. You’re so amazing baby” he moaned louder. You moaned against him and he sharply breathed in. You slowed down and swirled your tongue on his tip and sucked just the tip for a minute. His knees shook and he almost fell to the ground.

“Fuck!” He screamed. He grabbed a perfect fist full of your hair and held your head steady. He fucked the shit out of your throat while praising you.

“You’re such a good girl for me y/n.. Mmm fuck” Jack moaned slowing down.

“Can you take all of my cum for me pretty girl?” He asks you guiding your face up to look at him.

“Mmm yes baby i can.” you whine out.

He starts pumping himself while looking you in the eyes. He was a moaning mess while you sat on the floor beneath him with your tongue hanging out waiting for his cum to hit your face.

He came all over your face and you took him back in your mouth almost causing him to fall over again. After he cums his dick becomes so sensitive so it almost took his balance. He screamed the loudest i ever heard him scream in pleasure.

“No baby.. I can’t handle.. it” He barely breathed out. He stood there against the counter with his head resting back on the cabinets. He was dripping sweat and trying to gain his composure while you were still sitting on your knees looking up at him with the biggest smile.

#jack harlow #jackman thomas harlow #jack harlow fanfic #jack harlow imagine #jack harlow x reader #send requests #jack harlow x you #jack harlow x y/n #jack harlow concepts #jack harlow imagines #jack harlow blurb #send in concepts #jack harlow smut #megantheebaddest #smut #jack harlow fluff

[gremlin-bot]

This is based off this prompt from @stealingyourbones! Now this does have Hanahaki disease in it as well as blood and things to do with the lungs if y'all don't like that! this is also my first time writing for DC. 

Edit: Here is the ao3 link

Blooming Death, Please Love Me

Danny never thought he would get Hanahaki disease after the accident. He was too busy with ghosts and general survival. He sees that he is wrong now, with burning lungs and the taste of iron on his tongue. Small red petals cupped in now bloody hands. Most would think it was a rose in his lungs, but Danny can feel they are not. His core hurts, lungs burn, and blood blossoms bloom in his lungs.

Danny sighs. He'll have to deal with this later, his break is almost up and he still has half of his shift left. He just hopes Tim doesn't come in while he's working, his lungs and core wouldn't be able to take it.

Danny usually works nights in a 24/7 coffee shop next to the Gotham University campus. It pays well enough for his shitty crime alley apartment, plus he can go there straight after his classes. He didn't expect to see any vigilantes during his working hours, but Red Robin's coffee addiction won't rest (much like the vigilante himself).

Now vigilantes aren't the only high profile people to tumble in during Danny's shifts. The Wayne family, for some ungodly reason, tends to stop in. According to his co-workers, they mostly stop in only during his shift. Danny thinks they are liars. Why would they only come during his shift, it's not like he does anything that would catch their attention. He's mostly retired from the hero gig and keeps invisible during his ghostly flights.  

Danny is just a normal tired college student trying to get through his shifts. Really he should have known that could never happen. The thing with being a barista is that you get really good at recognizing voices. So, when Red Robin came in a couple hours after Tim Drake with the same tired but steady voice, well Danny didn't tell a soul.

It's a Friday night and his lungs burn. Danny is trying his best to stay calm. Fixing the mess his heart got him into might turn his half-life into a bigger tragedy than it already was. To think his second death was blooming in his lungs over a hot, too smart for his own good, vigilante. Danny coughs, petals brush and burn his throat. They sit on the tip of his tongue, like the words he has yet to say. Blood blossoms, the only damn flower he couldn't live through. He was going to die from the burning of his chest and core. Spitting out the poison of his heart's creation, Danny gets back to work.

It was a slow night, not surprising considering Gotham is still recovering from a break out at Arkham. The chances of Tim showing up should be high but Red Robin hasn't been seen in the streets lately. Danny really should stop thinking about him, his core aches, but he really can't help but worry. 

___________

Tim was tired of not being able to take a full breath. He never had Hanahaki disease before. Never fell this hard for someone. This unexpected event put him out of commission for anything related to the bats and the birds. He hated it but couldn't blame them, not when he let it get this bad.

Tim's petals didn't start with the first time he saw Danny but damn was it close. A cute guy that doesn't even blink at the amount of espresso shots he asked for, isn't what kept Tim drawn to Danny. No it was his snark and brain. Tim often sees him working on some engineering project. If he has time, Tim will get Danny to ramble on what he's doing. Danny was brilliant. If he wasn't a full time student, Tim would have tried to snatch him for Wayne Enterprises.

He really hoped that the rest of his family didn't catch on to his crush, but hope can only take you so far. It was Dick that called him out on it. He is also the one to text it to the sibling group chat, like the trader he is. They make bets to find the person that has Tim looking like a love sick puppy. The first petal is coughed up, unnoticed by the family of great detectives, hidden under tongue and deflective words. 

Tim didn't look at the first petal, or the second or third. He refused to believe that his heart was gone this quick, before his family even had a chance to look for the boy who wanted to touch the stars. Another cough, more petals.

Jason is the one to find Danny first, surprisingly. He wasn't even trying to look either, but hey he'll take winnings anyway. Since then the rest of his siblings stalked the coffee shop for the boy to make sure he was good for Tim. Honestly Tim wouldn't be surprised if Bruce knew what was happening and was helping them. 

The commotion of his siblings hid his flowering lungs well, but at this point denial was useless. Tim fell hard for Danny, a cute boy with a brilliant mind to match. Tim coughs hard. Lungs rattling as a whole handful of petals fall from his mouth to his dinner plate past his poorly cupped hands. Everyone stops around him, it's silent. Tim for the first time looked at the petals from his lungs, white Chrysanthemums are the flowers suffocating him. Concerned chaos enraptured him.

Bruce pulls him from patrol, even after Arkum's break out. Everyone is walking on eggshells around him, well almost everyone. Jason doesn't feel the irrational guilt of worsting Tim's flower with teasing and the like. Tim may hate the situation he got himself into but at least someone is being sensible about it, (unlike himself). 

It's around the time he would stop in to see Danny as Red Robin, when Jason checks in on him. Tim is coughing up whole flower heads, their roots pulling at the inside of his lungs with a long stinging sensation that turns into a stab with each convulsion. Hands hold him upright as the petals stop falling from his mouth. 

Jason looks worried before sighing, his face shifting to a shit eating smirk. "It's been a week and here I thought you are smart enough to confess" 

"You just saw me cough up a garden and that's what you say to me? Unbelievable!" Tim flat start is barely held as he fights a slightly hysterical laugh.

"Really living life here, Timbo. How's those flowers tasting? Not good I assume but clearly you like them enough to keep them so fucking long"

"Yeah, yeah, I get it. I should confess and shit, but I'm on mandatory bed rest. If Alfred catches me going out, I think I'll die from the disappointment."

Jason smirks turns smug "Good thing I already told him I was taking you out so you can take care of your sad love life. Come on let's go before your boy toy’s shift ends"

This sends Tim into a panic. He is nowhere near ready to go outside the manor least of all talk to Danny, but Jason doesn't care. He throws Tim over his shoulder and turns to walk out of Tim's room.

"Wait! Wait! Wait!!" Tim pleads "I'm not even sure if Danny likes guys and I'm not meeting him looking like I've been dying the past week!"

"The dying thing is true and you know it but I guess you can get changed." Jason relents, setting Tim down. "Be out by my bike in 10 or I'm hunting you down"

Tim scurries to his closet. Okay, he's doing this. To think that out of all of his siblings it would be Jason that finally gets him to confess. Tim is going to make him pay for his coffee when this is all over.

___________

Danny's shift is almost over, and there is still no sign of Red Robin. Not seeing him for a week shouldn't worry him this much, Tim could be on a business trip for all Danny knows. Actually he would know, Tim has a habit of complaining about having to leave for them.

His core burns as a red vapor starts to trickle up his throat. Hanahaki disease shouldn't be taking over his lungs this fast, but life decided to deal him a bad hand. Danny painfully swallows the vapor. He just has to make it to the end of his shift, he'll call Jazz for help then.

He is resting his head on the counter with his eyes closed, trying to manage the blooming pain. He is the only one here tonight besides his manager Anna. The bell above the door rings out into the quiet shop. He stands up from his resting position putting on his customer service smile. 

Tim is standing just in the door. Their blue eyes meet and red vapor fills his burning lungs. Danny is going to drown in petals and green flaked blood. Danny starts coughing hard, not even trying to hide the bloody petals falling from his lips, nor the vapor rolling up into the air. 

Tim rushes to the counter, his own petals starting to fall from him. At the same time Danny's manager walks out from the back, stopping him from vaulting over the counter. She looks startled before seeing their collection of petals. 

"Danny, you can take the rest of your shift off. I'll cover the rest just to figure your shit out before you come in next okay." She says while helping Danny up.

He glances at Tim then back at her before nodding. "Okay, I'll clean the mess-"

"No. I got it, plus I think that you'll only make it worse at the moment." She gives him a small smile, while shoo-ing to the back so he can grab his things.

"Well, since you are waiting for him, is there anything I can get you?" She asked.

Oh right Tim forgot Jason was there. His brain shut off when he saw Danny crumple from a familiar cough. The red vapor and amount of blood mixed with the petals was concerning but hopefully that will be fixed after this. Petals fill his mouth as he orders him and Danny coffee. Pushing Jason to the counter to pay as they discussed (argued) on the way there.

Danny comes out the same time their order is done. Tim grabs the drinks and walks up to the cause of the flowers blooming in his lungs. Danny looks nervous, but smiles at Tim with slightly bloody teeth anyway. That shouldn't be hot. Tim blushes as he holds back the worst of his coughs. Petals puff out of his mouth like the first fallen leaves in autumn caught in the wind. Danny giggles as his own bloody petals fall.

"Man, I guess we got each other huh." Danny sighs

"Yeah, wanna talk about it? It's a little late to take you out for dinner, unless you want Batburger?" Tim leads Danny out of the coffee shop, leaving Jason behind.

"Batburger for a first date doesn't sound too bad." Danny grins, and the pull in his lungs disappears. The last of the Chrysanthemums petals leave his mouth. He looks at Danny hoping to see the same, but Danny looks anxious and in pain still.

"But, before that there's something I have to tell you. If we are doing this it would be unfair for you to not know" Danny takes a deep breath and turns to look at Tim. He really shouldn't tell Tim but he'll have to trust him. 

"I'm half ghost. I had a lab accident when I was younger that killed me but brought me back… mostly. Now I can turn into a ghost and have ghost power. Also fangs but that's less important and I'm rambling now. Please say something."  

Tim blinked "Well that wasn't what I was expecting but at this point, it could be worse. I believe and accept you. We can talk more about that later in a different place." Tim said, looking hopefully at Danny. 

The burning in Danny's lungs stopped with one last drag of red vapor and bloody petals fall from his lips. He relaxes and takes Tim's hand.

"Good, because the flowers that were in my lungs are like one of the only thing that can kill ghosts and they fucking burned. Anyway, where is the nearest Batburger?" Danny says, casual as ever.

"Wait, WHAT!!" 

#dp x dc #danny fenton #danny phantom #tim drake #dc x dp #brain dead #dp x dc crossover #dp x dc prompt #tim drake x danny fenton #hanahaki #blood blossums #tw blood #danny phantom au #ao3 link #Petals and Arrays of The Dead and Those Yet To Be #Writing on the walls

[ratherbefangirling]

Belong 4

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Pairing: ot7 x reader

Genre: Fluff, hurt/ comfort , Omegaverse

Synopsis: The pack seems to be falling for you but Jungkook doesn't like it one bit. What happens when he learns you are his mate

You avoid the boys by staying at home. You don't tell your mom so as to not bother her.

Instead you crash at your best friends house. Yun Suyeon was a beta with an alpha mom (you had bonded over 'are all alpha mom's the same?' ) and you had been friends for a long time.

Suyeon though finds it a bit strange but doesn't comment on it and commits on spending more time with you.

"Are you excited for the college fest." She asks.

"I dont know."

"You should. Why don't you try for the Coordination. I'm in hospitality. Lim Suho is one of the heads and Kang Taehee is another they need more people."

While normally you would probably not consider such an intensive position but it didn't seem like a bad idea to drown in work.

"Isn't it kinda too much work?"

"Yes but you get certificates and stuff." She replies. "That's why I've volunteered for the social media head."

"Fine. Where do I sign up."

"Wait let me send you the link." She said.

After you submitted the form. Suyeon's pack mom bought snacks for the both of you.

You thanked her.

"It's nice to see you too. Come hang out with our pup more often." She says.

You nod politely.

"Don't stay up too late." She says as she leaves.

Suyeon hugs you squealing in excitement.

"We are going to be the coolest kids on the block." She says.

She notes you have put on scent cleaners. But before she can say anything about it. Her phone rings her boyfriend asking to hang out. She informs him she's infact with her wifey and thus is not available.

You dress nicely in the morning as today was the team meeting between the coordinaters.

There were four of you. Though you didn't know who the fourth was because their number wasn't saved on your phone but you were added to like 5 different groups.

After the classes were over you all had decided to meet at a coffee shop to discuss. Suho who the teachers had declared the main guy was the one who would bridge between the teachers and you all and you would look over and communicate with heads of all the other committees like decor, entertainment etc.

Suho was a beta and Taehee was an omega like you. The third member was Choi Yeonjun, an alpha.

You thought he was cute. You texted the same to Suyeon.

S: he's soobins bestie

S: should I arrange a double date

Y/n: noooo ... I'm just happy with eye candy

S: I mean let me know if you want a taste

Y/n: YUN SUYEON

S:😉😘😘😘

You had met at the campus and Yeonjun offered to drive you all to the cafe.

But Suho had his bike and Taehee had to go home for a change in clothes as someone dropped their drink on her.

So it ended up being you and Yeonjun.

"So ... what made you decide to coordinate? You always hide behind your bestfriend." He said.

"Just like that what about you?" You say.

"I like meeting new people. This is the best way to make it happen."

Their is silence.

"Can I turn on the radio?" You ask.

He does it for you.

It's nice not having too speak and the music is decent until Namjoon's favourite song starts playing and you abruptly turn it off.

"Is something wrong?" He asks.

Luckily the cafe is in sight.

"No just like that.. the cafe is here." You say changing the topic.

He nodded and the others joined you shortly. You soent an hour discussing themes and writing down important information.

"Let's have dinner together. Bonding night." Taehee suggested.

"I'm sorry I have prior engagement but I will pat the next time. You guys have fun." Suho says.

"Don't tell me you guys are busy too?" Taehee pouts.

"No I'm free and quite hungry." Yeonjun says.

"Me too." You add.

"Perfect!" Taehee exclaims and you guys go to a barbecue place.

You have a good time. Yeonjun takes it upon himself to serve. Its very alpha of him but you don't mind.

Taehee is good company too.

After your meals are over. Yeonjun offers to drop the two of you. You spend the ride discussing ideas and themes. Taehee is very excited for a more fantasy based one. Yeonjun wants a more party theme.

"Why don't we do it Russet inspired?" You ask.

Russet was a popular fashion magazine.

"That's super vague." Taehee comments.

"Exactly bur we can include different elements under one thing. And maybe people can wear things they already own instead of buying so it's sustainable."

"I would have never thought that." Taehee says.

"Yeah and we could get sponsorship from a fashion house or Paqsal Inc. ....they do charity galas to support initiatives like recycling and other sustainability endeavors."

"Let me text it to Suho. Let's run our ideas through the teachers. But the art department is going to be excited." She says. "We need to be very specific for the things to match and not be all over the place though."

"I'm sure we can do that we have like more than two months." Yeonjun adds.

Taehee's home is closer so she leaves and their is silence in the car.

"So?" You both say in order to ease the awkwardness.

You both laugh.

"It was genuinely a great idea." Yeonjun says.

"Thanks.. yours was nice too and probably easier to execute." You reply.

"All good things are hard work." Yeonjun replies as your house appears.

"Maybe.. but what if they aren't so great because they were too hard."

He shoots a concerned look towards your way but bites his lips.

Choosing instead to offer you a smile.

"See you later."

"Good bye, goodnight. See you later."

Taehyung had come out to throw trash when he saw you coming out of the unknown alpha's car. How he knew it was an alpha? Well no omega or beta liked that type of flashy car.

He wants to call you out but he can't since Namjoon has decided they should give you space. He thought it would be a better approach even Yoongi had conceded.

The pack house wasn't the best place to be right now. Jin had left to see his family. He had been very sad and even Hobi was very restless and short these days. Jungkook was still stubborn. Namjoon was was working himself to death and Jimin was stuck to either Taehyung or Jungkook. Continuously scenting.

Taehyung was worried Jimin was taking this very personally but he could do nothing to help except do whatever Jimin felt like that.

When he had talked about this to Namjoon, he asked Taehyung to take Jimin and visit their family packs.

So they had planned a trip. Taehyung had to guilt trip Jimin a bit but Jimin did need to be babied a bit and nobody did that better then their family packs.

But before Taehyung left he would give Jungkook a little something to think because that boy had done enough hiding after rejecting his mate when she helped him out.

If you were Taehyung's mate he would never hurt you like this or let you be away from him unless you needed to.

When he comes inside the house. Jin is at the window looking outside towards you. He can see the longing in Jin's eyes.

He let's his hyung be and looks at him. Staying with his family has turned Jin chubbier and his face is glowing except for the expression on his face. Taehyung decides to change it.

"Jin Hyung !!! When did you come?" Taehyung says.

Jin is startled almost falls on the sofa beside the window but before he can recover himself Taehyung octopus hugs him causing him to fall.

"I will break my back you brat." He says but Taehyung smells no real anger. Thus Taehyung pays no heed scenting his beta.

"Can't you ask me before scenting me?" He says only half serious. In reality Jin missed his packs scents.

"No, my beautiful beta." Taehyung says muffled against his skin.

Jin laughs. Alerting Jimin who came out searching for Taehyung.

Jimin was glad to see a laughing Jin tackled by Taehyung. Jimin too joined the pile.

Just in time Namjoon came to witness the happy site. He planted kisses on their head and was going to leave when Taehyung pulled him too.

Maybe things were a bit rough but it would be fine as long as they were together.

On the day they were leaving, Jimin was careful to scent Jungkook. Taehyung had gotten their bags and tickets. He entered the room where he observed Jimin sitting on Jungkook's lap. A flash of irritation arose.

"Jiminie." Taehyung called out.

"Yes Tae." Jimin asked.

"Go get ready. We have to leave soon." Taehyung informs Jimin flashing the train tickets.

Jimin nodded rubbing his scent on Jungkook for the last time before he left yo get ready.

" You're angry." Jungkook said scrunching his nose.

Taehyung wanted to agree but he also didn't want to fight.

"Why are you so mad? Shouldn't you be happy about going home.. are you worried about alpha's on the train."

"I kind of hate that part." Taehyung confessed but that wasn't what he had been actually bothered about but that was a concern too it had been a while since it was just him and Jimin usually one of the hyungs would accompany them. When they were younger Jimin had built enough muscles to pass off as a non omega, these days Taehyung pretended to be the non omega. Even though it was inconvenient he did secretly enjoy being able to protect Jimin as much he liked being coddled by his soulmate.

Taehyung sighed and let Jungkook scent him.

"I saw Y/n yesterday." Taehyung confessed. "She was with another alpha. It made me kind of thingies." Jungkook stiffened but did not say anything.

Taehyung sighed. Jimin and Hoseok had come back. Hoseok was driving them to the station.

Before they left Taehyung stopped by quickly into Namjoon's room who had an off from work today.

Namjoon's scented him and it made Taehyung feel better and he could finally enjoy the time in which he would have Jimin to himself.

Jungkook is stirring a cup of coffee in the kitchen when Namjoon comes down. Now awake.

"Wanna go on a date?" He asks Jungkook.

Who stops functioning for five minutes. Namjoon uses those to make himself a cup of coffee.

Jungkook knew Namjoon liked you when in his rut he could remember smelling Namjoon on you, so he thought Namjoon might ignore him to sort his feelings out.

"Ok..."

"Good!" Namjoon says smiling so brightly that his dimples start showing. He gives Kookie a kiss on his forehead mumbling something about outfits.

Namjoon comes out wearing all black hoping to match with Jungkook who had decided to go with the softer warmer colors in his wardrobe, Hobi who's sitting outside with Yoongi eating tangerines bursts out laughing when he sees them.

Namjoon smiles too when he realises what happened. Jungkook groans in embarrassment.

Jungkook starts the car as Namjoon sits in and puts on the safety belt.

"Where are we going, hyung?" Jungkook asks.

"I was thinking let's go to the beach, it's been a while."

Jungkook nodded and entered the location in the GPS. Namjoon played his 'driving' playlist.

The beach was fairly empty when they reached it.

They set up the little picnic basket and picnic mat they had bought near a tree.

After eating the sandwiches and drinking their beverages they lie next to each other staring at the sky. The breeze is lovely and the sound of wind comforting.

"I should have brought something to sketch." Jungkook tells Joon.

"Hmm." Namjoon acknowledges.

Jungkook cuddles closer to Namjoon. Its rare they have time together like this.

"Hyung... can I ask you something?" Jungkook asks and he hates to ruin the peaceful moment but his curiosity overcomes all.

"Of course kookie." Namjoon replies.

"Do you... you not like it that I've driven her away?"

Though he doesn't take your name Namjoon knows who he's talking about.

"I can't say I'm happy that our relationship is in strains but if I had to chose it will be you over Y/n. I know I may not say this often but I love you and I love our pack. This.. us. It means the world to me. Being pack alpha I want to be able to take care of all the packs needs and whatever the others may or may not feel about her she's your mate and I should apologise for bringing her to you in your rut but I won't because I couldn't see you suffering and as your hyung and your pack alpha I just couldn't bear to see you in distress or lacking."

"No you don't have to be sorry. I trust you hyung."

Namjoon ruffles Jungkook's hair.

"Why did you reject her, jungkook?"

"I didn't want her in the pack."

Namjoon nods.

"Remember when you joined the pack." Namjoon asks.

Jungkook nods. Ofcourse he does how does one not remember the best thing that happened to them.

"You know how most people avoid larger non familial packs. " Jungkook nods. " The reason we worked was all if us were in duos as friends before we decided to become a pack. Then we suffered in the transition. It isn't very easy to include more people in an already established dynamic. Then you came along like a Knight in shining armor. To be honest a part of me was jealous that even though I was a pack alpha I couldn't provide for my pack omega when a kid who didn't present did. But later I learnt that I couldn't be the sole provider and that it was ok not to be. Now I know this is something you lean and keep learning..Then came the part we decided to bring you to the pack. There were many concerns, your age, your presentation, uneven number of packmates. But you know who was the most willing to bring you in?" Namjoon prompted.

Jungkook shook his head no.

"It was Taehyung. He talked to me, convincing me. I even asked him if he was ok with no longer being a maknae. He was like Jiminie needs it hyung. And he was right but it also made me realise how cool our Tae is. Jimin is his soulmate and he didn't even care about jealousy or loosing Jimin. He just cared that Jimin be happy and healthy. I guess it did work out in the end that you could supplement each others need to be babied." Said Namjoon chuckling at the end.

"Taehyungie hyung told me he saw Y/n with someone."

"Aah." Namjoon drawled in understanding.

"I dont know how to feel about it." Jungkook said honestly.

"It's ok not to know. But if you think there's a possibility you want her then don't make her wait. "

"It's so tough." Jungkook whined.

Namjoon let out a small peal of laughter and pecked his baby alpha's nose.

"It's going to work out in the end and you have all of us to help .. anyway I'm hungry again let's go check out if there's foodtrucks that opened right now." Namjoon says standing up and giving Jungkook a hand.

In the middle of their journey back Namjoon groaned loudly.

"What is it hyung?" Jungkook asked sparing a sideway glance.

"I forgot to check out crabs." Namjoon exclaimed almost jumping of his seat.

Jungkook laughed.

Yeah so this one doesn't have much fluff with you involved but we cleared the air ig aaaand we have a love rival. We will probably be seeing more members but hopefully it balances out.

Hope you enjoyed and let me know your thoughts.

I would like to take a moment to say that I'm grateful for the support and that's the only reason I'm continuing this au honestly it was meant to be a one shot maybe 1.5 shot lol and writing this it's easy to get stuck because I don't have any idea where I'm going with this. I mean I had plans with alpha reader and beta reader.

Anyway don't be shy to drop in and say hi.

Until next time 💜

Taglist : @jaiuneamesolitaiire ; @mintsugarmy ; @goooood-vibes ; @juju-227592 ; @singukieee ; @zae007live ; @rainbow-bunny-bts ; @fluffy-canada-pancakes ; @bleubirdinthesky ; @kyrah-williams ; @thedarkwinterrose ; @realswimshaddy ; @djodjom1 ; @thsrndkd ; @emu007

#bts x reader #bts au #bts fluff #ot7 x reader #ot7 x you #bts omegaverse #bts drabble #abo au #bts series #bts angst

[ksnfangz]

I WISH YOU KNEW ( How much I love you ) | P.S.H

paring : Sunghoon x fem!reader

word count : roughly 3.0k

A/N : This is pretty much just sunghoon missing his ex girlfriend… while thinking about how his childhood fucked up his view of love… ( Also this is just Do it all again but I turned it into an xreader and it’s no longer multi chaptered since i’m discontinuing the series… sorry ) This hasn’t been proof read/edited and sorry if the writing his shit ( what’s new tbh 🥲 )

As he opened the familiar black door the brunette was instantly swarmed with a sense of relaxation as he stepped into the warmth of the small coffee shop.

walking up to the counter he was greeted with a kind smile from the cashier who quickly took his order before going to hand it off to the barista.

A few minutes later his name is called, the brunette carefully grabbing his hot beverage mutters a thank you to the worker.

Moving over toward the bay window where he'd usually find himself sitting, Sunghoon was surprised to see his usual spot occupied by someone .

Though something about the girl seemed familiar, the bucket hat she was wearing hid her eyes as she peacefully read the book resting in her lap. Wired earphones plugged into her ears.

Despite not being able to see her face the yellow sweater she wore looked all too familiar.

It was your favorite sweater. . .

The one you wore on the day you first met, and the same one you wore the day he called things off.

It couldn't be you the boy thought as he seated himself at a table not too far away from the window. Hands shaking as he lifted his drink to his lips letting the hot liquid overflow his taste buds.

Why was he nervous just thinking about you? It's been about 3 months since you guys broke up. You're probably already over him.

The sound of the bell above the door ringing catches Sunghoon's attention, the boy's hopes of talking to l

you faded as the girl in the yellow sweater exits the shop. Sunghoon caught a glimpse of her face.

It wasn't even you.

If you asked Sunghoon the last time he'd heard the words I love you leave his parent's mouths the boy would stare at you and say nothing. Since according to him they never did.

Not during his birthday, Valentine's day, or even when Sunghoon said it first. The only time the park boy had ever heard somewhat caring words come from his parents' mouths was when he was skating on ice.

So in a search for the attention and love he craved when he was younger Sunghoon continued to skate just to earn his parent's approval. Though the older he got the more tired he grew of their lack of attention.

Why couldn't they treat him the same at home or before he even started skating? Why does he have to give 100% every day only to receive a small nod and a forced smile. Did they truly not love him? Or was he just not worthy of their love?

And to this day Sunghoon still wasn't exactly sure about the answer to that question.

Good thing skating wasn't all that bad. It gave him something to do and he was able to keep himself busy. Like an escape from the realities of his life.

It was also the reason he'd met you.

You and Sunghoon met during his 2nd year of college and it was safe to say that you were like a breath of fresh air. Your kind smile, and captivating eyes that turned into crescents as you laughed, and the soft voice that spilled from your plump lips.

Sunghoon had first spotted you at the ice rink while you were teaching a group of younger students to skate to help your friend earn her community service hours. Your hair was covered by a knitted blue hat that matched the gloves shielding your fingers from the cold. Your cheeks and nose tinted a faint pink due to the crisp air.

Sunghoon was surprised to see anyone in the rink since it was usually empty in the afternoon, so he just decided to practice another day since one day off wouldn't hurt.

As he was in the middle of unlacing his skates another pair of united skates stepped into his vision. Followed by a soft tap on his shoulder.

" Excuse me, sir, could you help me tie my skates?" A slightly deep voice asked, causing Sunghoon to look up only to see a young boy with blonde hair staring back at him. He looked to be about 15 or 16 at the most. Sunghoon couldn't help but notice his accent seemed much different. Maybe he's foreign.

" Oh, um sure!" sunghoon says guiding the boy to sit down on the bench before he began tying the boy's skates properly. " There you go." Sunghoon goes to stand but the boy pulls his hand.

" Wait, can you also walk me over to that girl over there, I would go over by myself but I don't wanna fall." The boy says pointing towards the girl who was currently helping two other children stand up.

" is that your teacher?" Sunghoon questions as he adjusts his own skates receiving a nod. " Alright, come on." Sunghoon says holding out his hand to assist the kid as he stepped onto the ice.

" Y/n look I tied my skates all by myself!" The boy shouted holding onto the sunghoon for dear life as he tried not to lose his balance.

" Niki, what are you doing now?" The girl questions skating over to the pair. " You said if I tie my skates properly all by myself I can take you on a date." The boy— Niki says causing sunghoons eyebrows to raise in surprise and your eyes to harden into a, not at all intimidating glare.

You looked more like a mad toddler and Sunghoon couldn't help but smile.

" Niki how many times have I been over this... you're too young for me, I don't date children." You remind Niki to frown.

" Hey, you promised! plus it's only a 4-year difference that's better than Jongseob's parents and I turn 18 in a few years." Niki whined. A faint shout of 'Hey!' could be heard from who Sunghoon assumed was Jongseob, but no one looked to acknowledge it..

" You didn't even tie your skates yourself," y/n claims gesturing towards the neatly tied skates as she comes a little closer. " I can tell." the girl adds tiling her head. She was prettier up close, Sunghoon thought.

wait what was he thinking?

" What's that supposed to mean? Are you saying I'm not capable of doing it myself?" Niki gasped dramatically, placing a hand over his chest.

"Yes Niki, that's exactly what I'm saying."

"Whatever... I'm out of here. I won't listen to your accusations, you hear that? Jungwon needs me." Niki says despite Jungwon being across the rink skating alongside Soul.

" Hey sir do you mind helping me over to that boy over there," Niki asks, making y/n burst out into laughter.

" Nevermind I can do it on my own, y'know since I'm independent!" Niki exclaims before attempting to skate away on his own only to fall a few seconds later.

" You didn't see that." The boy says standing back up and wobbling his way over to his friends.

" Sorry about him, he's a bit of a handful." Y/n apologized now, turning her attention to sunghoon who had been staring at her pretty much the whole time.

" Oh, no worries, he seems very dedicated." Sunghoon chuckles, snapping out of his trance as an awkward silence falls over them.

" so, what's your name?" She asks boldly, catching Sunghoon off guard. " Oh um it's Sunghoon. Park Sunghoon." He replies, trying to avert his eyes away from the girls stare.

" Well, it's nice to meet you! I'm Y/n... Y/n L/n." Y/n says and when she smiled Sunghoon knew he was long gone.

That was probably one of the best days of Sunghoons life, or maybe the worst since it led him to where he was now.

Sitting alone in a coffee shop filled with couples and families after having a mini-eternal panic at the thought of seeing you again.

His drink had now turned cold and tasted much more bitter than it did just minutes ago yet he still drank it. Honestly, Sunghoon was a bit annoyed with himself.

Why was he so hung up on some girl when he was the one who ended things? Why is everything affecting him so much?

He didn't notice it at first but as the days went by after their breakup he started becoming more and more aware of how dull his life was without his sunshine ( you ) in it.

There was no one for him to wake up to every morning and fall asleep next to every night.

No one was waiting for him in his apartment after practice and forcing him to watch a new episode of a drama while eating ramen that they made together.

No one was singing obnoxiously loud in the seat next to him as he drove to the mall earning stares from the people in the cars next to them.

No one there for sunghoon to drag into every store that caught his eye.

No one there for sunghoon to argue with about the best ice cream flavors.

No one was there to eat dinner with.

There was just no one there.

And it sucked.

But what really bothered Sunghoon the most was that he'd never had a problem with being alone before meeting you.

Hell, he'd even purposefully turn down friendships just so he could keep to himself only making 3 friends just to keep his parents off his back. So why did it bother him now?

Fuck, Y/n what have you done to me?

" BUT YOU PROMISED YOU'D COME HYUNG!" Niki yelled, causing Y/n to flinch and pop the balloon she was holding. It was December 9th, Niki's 18th birthday.

" come on hyung just come by to say hi at least it's my 18th. I've been waiting for this day since I was 14," Niki says and 14 just so happened to be how old he was when he met you.

" talking about how you've been waiting to be legal to date my ex-girlfriend isn't gonna make me wanna come to your party." Sunghoon complains to Niki, rolling his eyes at his stubbornness. Why did you and Sunghoon have to break up before his birthday?

" You think that's all I've been waiting on? It was a kiddie crush. Okay I've already moved on and honestly you should too." Niki admits, whispering the last part as he walks into his bedroom, locking the door behind him to prevent the girl from hearing more of the conversation.

Sunghoon scoffed, slightly offended by the youngers words. Despite how true they were.

" Who are you to tell me to move on from her? We've only been apart for a few months. It takes time, Niki." Sunghoon explains, it had been 3 months and 5 days to be exact though, he wasn't counting.

"Fine, then what if we make it a duo party? you didn't even let us throw you a party yesterday."

"I don't like celebrating my birthday." Hoon dismissed flatly.

" Well I guess you won't be here to try and stop Theo from asking her out then, y'know he's been flirting with her a lot lately. " Niki lies.

" Niki I'm not falling for your dumb trick Theo and Keeho are practically married there's no way he's into y/n." Sunghoon recalls causing the boy on the phone to whine once again. Keeho snapped his head toward him at the sound of his name.

Sunghoon could hear the sound Niki's feet stomping against the wooden floors. He's such a baby.

" So what if Jake asked her out, would you be okay with it?" Niki questions raising his eyebrows, a smirk making its way into his lips. "Doesn't matter who asks her out, it's none of my business! even if it's. . . jake"

" Hoon, just come to the party so you guys can kiss and make up like you always do. I'm sick of this whole being apart thing getting on my nerves. You two usually only break off for a week or so. I preferred when you guys were all annoying and clingy." Niki states Sunghoon shaking his head.

" You think I don't miss that too ?" Sunghoon mumbles to Niki, unable to hear him. " Listen, Niki, I know you're trying to make things right but, we're better off apart."

I wish we weren't.

Though Niki disagrees he doesn't say it he just responds with a short ok. " Happy Birthday Niki,I hope everything goes how you want it to," Sunghoon says before hanging up. Looking over at Wonyoung, keeho, and Kai who were sitting beside him shamelessly listening to his conversation. Sunghoon already knew what the trio was about to say.

" You should go to the party." keeho blurts

" I'm not going to the party."

" Come on, it's Niki's birthday. You're gonna look like an asshole if you don't go. Y/n definitely won't take you back if you upset her best friend." Wonyoung says looking at an unamused Sunghoon.

" Why does everyone assume I want to get back together with her? I mean I'm the one who ended things, why would I want her back?" Sunghoon groans

" Because you love her... duhhh." kai said as if he were stating the obvious. ( he was )

yeah, but I never told her that

Sunghoon could tell you a lot of choices he'd regretted making in all his 21 years of living. but if he had to choose his biggest regret it'd be not saying those three words that he'd craved all his life.

It was honestly shocking to Sunghoon when Y/n told him she loved him in the middle of one of their movie nights.

Sunghoon remembers how he tried to stutter out his reply and how scared she looked when he struggled to reply. Sunghoon had never heard those words before, nor did he feel he deserved to hear them at all.

He hadn't done anything to earn the three words though he couldn't exactly ignore the way his heart jumped when the words fell from her soft lips.

" It's okay if you're not ready to say it back. I'll be here when you're ready." Y/n reassures her soft tone calming Sunghoons nerves as he tucked his head further into her neck.

But what if he was never ready to say it back? Would she still love him? Was she willing to wait for him? Sunghoon knew deep down that he wasn't worthy of someone's love. Especially not yours.

You deserve someone who could shower you with endless 'I love you's, you didn't deserve to wait for someone like Sunghoon when there were so many other options out there. Like jake. . .

The sexy australian guy who had transferred to l your college and never tried to hide his crush on the you. He was smart, also played soccer and had the personality of a puppy. And when it really comes down to it Sunghoons always wondered why you choose to stay with him.

" Why?" Sunghoon asked pausing the movie. You sat up to look at him.

" Why what?"

" Why do you love me?" Sunghoon questions as if he couldn't believe the idea that someone would truly love him. The truth was he didn't.

" I mean everyone usually has a reason. My sister loves me because I take care of her and buy her snacks, my grandma loves me because I help her fix her phone 10 times a week, and my parents... they like me because I skate. So why do you love me?" Sunghoon questions, failing to see how the girls eyes softened as he mentioned his parents.

" I love you because you're you, Sunghoon. Not a skater, or someone who buys me things, helps me fix something, or because you're my boyfriend. You don't always need a reason to love someone, sometimes you just do." Y/n explained but her answer only confused sunghoon more.

Noticing the boys confusion she quickly spoke again

" But that's just how I see it, and that could be completely different from your opinion and that's okay," she adds, toying with Sunghoons fingers.

" wish my parent thought the same way you do." Sunghoon blurts out. " They only love me when my feet are on the ice, as soon as I step off th–they couldn't care less about me," Sunghoon mutters, letting you pull him into a warm hug, your hands softly rubbing the back of Sunghoons hair.

" Well just know that I'll always love you whether there are skates on your feet or not." She declares placing a quick peck on Sunghoons lips.

Oh, how sunghoon wishes he would've said it back.

" Dude you're making me sad... it's a party have fun!" Jay says approaching sunghoon who was currently sitting by himself on the couch in the living room.

" I'm only here because Niki begged me to come, as soon as the cake is cut I'm out," Sunghoon stated, his eyes filtering over the people inside the house, some students from Niki's school and others some of his older friends.

" So you're telling me you haven't been eyeing Y/n and Jake this whole time ?" Jay asks, Sunghoon tensing beside him, of course he has but jay didn't need to know that.

" I didn't even know Jake was here actually but now that you've announced it I think I'll heading out early," Sunghoon claims, starting to stand up to go and find Niki so he could say his goodbyes properly.

" Hoon, you can't keep letting this stuff affect you. We're all friends and I'm not gonna let you throw that away because of a dumb breakup."

" It wasn't dumb, and I'm sick of all of you telling me how to deal with my breakup. You guys weren't the ones in the relationship." Sunghoon sneered, growing tired of everyone's input on his life and coping mechanisms. He knew he wasn't the best at dealing with his emotions and he'd never really gone through a breakup before, but their constant nit-picking wasn't exactly helping him either.

He'd get over y/n eventually, he just needed time, even if he missed her more than he wanted to, that was his business.

And as he watched you laugh and hit Jake's arm, the colorful lights reflecting in your eyes, your smile enhancing the faint dimples on your cheeks he knew that getting over you would probably take him more than a few months.

© KSNFANGZ. please do not plagiarise, repost, copy or translate any of my works!

#enhypen imagines #enhypen fic #enhypen x reader #sunghoon x reader #park sunghoon #enhypen sunghoon #enhypen #enhypen fluff #enhypen angst #ni ki enhypen #jay enhypen #jake enhypen #enhypen oneshots #enhypen reactions #sunghoon park #enhypen members #x reader #idol x reader

[6rookie-writer0110]

Cold Tides

Pietro Maximoff X Reader (Gender-Neutral)

Summary - Pietro, and Reader just spending time together.

Pietro is on his way home and he passed by a cafe shop. He noticed there is a fall theme coffee named after the avengers, he assumed there won't be one without his name. He starts to read it and he is surprised because there is a drink named after him. He felt excited about it and he starts to smile.

He used his speed to grab you from the apartment, then brought you to the cafe shop.

“Pietro!” You yelled.

You felt everything spinning. He has his arm around your waist and you smacked his arm.

“What was that for?” Pietro asked.

“I was doing something at home. Why did you get me?” You said.

“Sorry. Babe, there is a coffee named after me” Pietro smiled.

You can see how excited he is about it. You and Pietro go inside the shop, he points at the menu and you take a picture of him.

You and Pietro stand in the line, he ordered the drink and a donut. You ordered a drink named after him and his sister and a cupcake. The drinks have their signature colors then you took a picture of the drinks and sent it to Wanda.

“Does it taste good?” You asked.

He nods “Yes, it does taste good. This is so cool”

“Yeah, it is cool. I actually like both drinks and I sent the pictures to Wanda and she is happy about it” You said.

He smiled then gave you a peck on the lips.

----

It's Halloween and Pietro is dressed as Where's Waldo Costume.

“Wow babe, you look hot with glasses,” You said.

He smirked at you “Thanks. I like your costume as a Luigi”

You and Pietro leave the apartment and go to a haunted house. While exploring the haunted house, you and Pietro hold hands. You got scared a few times but when Pietro got scared, he squeezed your hand a little tighter.

“Pietro, you are hurting my hand,” You said.

“Sorry. I actually thought it would be boring but don't tell anyone, I got scared a little bit” Pietro smiled.

You smiled back at him “I won't tell anyone”

Later, you and Pietro went to get pizza, and you take selfies with him. You and Pietro go to the Halloween parade. Later, you and Pietro got Halloween theme ice cream and other stuff You and Pietro keep exploring the city and finding new places to try, then he kissed you and smiled at you.

Later, you and Pietro go home and changed into pajamas. You and Pietro cuddle in bed and watch a movie together. You have your head on his chest, you fell asleep during the movie. But Pietro finished the movie and then went to sleep.

✬ ✫ ✯ ✬

Pietro surprised you with a date at the ice rink.

“I am going to teach you how to ice skate” Pietro smiled.

“Since when do you know how to ice skate?” You asked.

“I don't know how to skate. Wait, here” Pietro said.

“What-”

He didn't let you finish your sentence. He used his speed, to use his phone and starts to type how to ice skate. Since he has speed learning, it took him to know everything about ice skating in 4 seconds.

“Okay, Y/n I will be your coach so let's start” Pietro smiled.

“Okay, let's see if you will teach me how to skate” You smiled.

“Don’t worry you will learn a lot from me” Pietro smiled.

You and Pietro start to put on the skates. You hold on to the rail and you are starting to move slow.

“Y/n, you have to let go,” Pietro said.

“What did you learn?” You asked.

“I will show you,” Pietro said.

He starts to skate as if he learned how to skate for years.

“Wow,” You said.

“Grab my hands and I will show you how to skate,” Pietro said.

“Fine,” You said

You let go of the rail and grabbed his hands. He tells you how to move your feet and tells you not to be scared of falling. You did try to skate without holding his hands, you almost fell but he grabbed you in time.

It took you a while to get the hang of ice skating. Now and then you would hold his hand or the rail.

“You are not a bad coach, Pietro,” You said.

“See, I told you I can be a good coach,” Pietro said.

You and Pietro skate for a little longer then went to take off the skates. Later, you and Pietro went to get something hot to drink and eat.

-----

You and Pietro are shopping for Christmas decorations and a tree. You and Pietro couldn't decide on how the tree will look. You and Pietro kept talking about which trees look better. After a few minutes, of debating you and Pietro finally decided on a tree.

After a while of shopping now you and Pietro go home. You watched him set up the tree then you start to decorate it with him.

“What did you buy for me for Christmas?” Pietro asked.

“You have to wait and I won't tell you,” You said.

“Not even a hint?” Pietro asked and he smiled.

“Not even one hint. Just wait” You said.

He kissed your cheek.

“Okay, I will wait,” Pietro said.

Later, you and Pietro start to bake gingerbread cookies and then added the frosting to them.

✬ ✫ ✯ ✬

It started to snow heavily last night. You and Pietro woke up to a cold bedroom. Pietro went to grab extra blankets and he turned on the heater. You moved closer to him as he wraps his arm around you, he snuggled on you.

“Let's stay home today,” Pietro said.

“Yeah, it's too cold to go out today,” You said.

You and Pietro didn't talk much and went back to sleep.

---

Later, Pietro woke up first and he didn't want to wake you up just yet. Pietro got dressed and used his speed to buy food. He is always back in the apartment, he sets the food and drinks on the table and he went to wake you up.

“Babe, wake up,” Pietro said.

“Mhmm,” You said.

“I got our favorite food,” Pietro said.

“But there is a blizzard happening,” You said.

“I have speed. I still can run through the snow. Let's eat or I'm going to eat your food” Pietro said.

“Wow, that's mean,” You said.

He smiled and used his speed to go to the kitchen and you just smiled. You did get out of bed and he already started to eat his food.

---

Later, you and Pietro went to see Wanda and her sons. You and Pietro start to have a snowball fight with Billy and Tommy. Wanda watches and she is laughing, Pietro throws a snowball at her. He starts to laugh now she joins the fight.

“Pietro no fair, you have speed,” Wanda said.

“You are still too slow and you lost” Pietro teased.

Wanda throws a snowball but Pietro dodged it. But the snowball hit you in the head and Wanda starts to apologize.

“Y/n, I am so sorry. I was trying to hit Pietro not you. I'm so sorry” Wanda said.

“Nice throw, mom,” Billy said.

Wanda wipes the snow off your jacket and head.

“It’s okay, I'm not mad at you. But I will get my payback” You said.

Everyone starts to throw snowballs at each other.

Much later, you and Pietro help Wanda cook dinner. Wanda enjoys the time when you and Pietro come to visit. Later, you and Pietro play video games with Tommy and Billy. You teach Wanda how to play the game.

#marvel x reader #marvel imagine #gender neutral reader #pietro maximoff imagine #pietro maximoff x reader #pietro maximoff x male! reader #pietro maximoff x male reader #x male reader #male!reader #pietro maximoff x y/n #pietro maximoff x you

[bullet-prooflove]

Executive Decision - Alden Parker x Reader

Tagging: @sarakafarrah @mandy426  @crazy4chickennuggets @kmc1989 @oureternalbond

Alden knows when something going on with you. Sometimes you don’t see each other for a couple of days when a case gets hot. It’s the way of the job. You always check in, the same way he does. When you don’t respond to his texts, he decides to take a trip a few floors down to the Family & Sexual Violence Department where you head up your own team specialising in Adult Sexual Assaults.

The Navy’s version of SVU, he calls it.

The number of sexual assaults has gone up by 6% since the COVID restrictions were eased, 50% percent were perpetrated by colleagues, which means other sailors. Alden finds those stats harrowing. He’s just glad that the victims have you on their side.

It’s a bad one, he can tell because you’re not at your desk. He checks in on the purple orchid he got you for your birthday, rubbing the leaves between his thumb and forefinger. It’ll need pruning soon; he’d promised he’d show you how to do it at the weekend. He’s sure you’ll find it as meditative as he does. A little bit of Zen in your line of work wouldn’t hurt anyone.

He seeks you out, his gaze coming to land on the conference room. He can see you through the blinds, your earbuds in your ears, your hair pulled away from your features. You’re scribbling something onto a notepad.

You don’t look up when he enters, you’re too absorbed in the interview you’re listening to. It isn’t until he puts his hand on your shoulder that you realise he’s there.

“Easy,” He says softly when you jerk at his touch. “It’s just me.”

His thumb ghosts over the nape of your neck, rubbing the tension out of the muscle. You groan under his touch, and he smiles before taking the seat beside you and reviewing the white board. He understands now why you’ve been so pre-occupied.

Six victims, each image progressively more harrowing.

“I guess that explains why you’ve been MIA over the past couple of days.” He says before he turns to face you.

There’s dark circles underneathe your eyes, they look red rimmed and a little raw. His gaze strays to the bin in the corner, filled with empty take out cups piled haphazardly on top of one another.

“When was the last time you slept?” He asks you. “Or had a meal?”

You give him that look, and he already knows the answer. Two days ago, the last time you stayed over at his place. He’s made love to you in the shower that morning before serving you Napolitanas de chocolate from the Spanish bakery on the corner. You’d been in a rush by the time you’d left, a call had come in. You’d taste liked chocolate and powdered sugar when you kissed him goodbye.

“OK I’m making an executive decision and busting you out of here.” He tells you, holding up a finger when you open your mouth to argue. “You’re tired and running on terrible coffee fumes; I’m taking you back to my place where I can cook you something and make sure you get a good night’s sleep.”

You sigh, your gaze straying back to the whiteboard.

“Sweetheart.” He says, clasping your jaw lightly in his hand before he guides your attention back to him. “You’re no good to anyone if you’re exhausted. Isn’t that what you’re always telling me?”

“I know you’re right.” You tell him, looking into his eyes. He can see the fatigue in them, the weight that the burden of this case has set upon your shoulders.

“It’s hard. I know how tough it is.” He tells you, his thumb ghosting along your jawline. “You feel like if you take a break you’re letting them down somehow, but you’re not. You’re going to rest so that you can come back tomorrow and give them your best.”

He leans in close, his forehead coming to rest upon yours. He hates seeing you run yourself down like this, he knows how a case can get under your skin, how it can prickle at your nerves like a barb, make you a little unhinged. He’s been there and he doesn’t want that for you.

 “Let me take care of you tonight.” He requests his lips brushing over yours. “Let me look after you, the way you look after me.”

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#alden parker #alden parker x reader #alden parker x you #ncis

[vriskabot]

davris morning routine hcs?

YOU CAUGHT ME OFF GUARD I WAS PLAYING MINECRAFT cracks my knuckles. this kinda turned into sleeping habit and self care hcs as a whole sorry not sorry -vriska is not a night owl or a morning person but she IS a long and heavy sleeper. do not wake her up before she is good and ready or you WILL get torn a new asshole bare minimum. if the verbal lashing does not work she will escalate immediately and directly to grievous bodily harm -dave is probably the only person who can manage this without dying but even THEN he would much rather get on her ass about going to sleep on time than get on her ass about getting up in the morning -dave is a much lighter sleeper and honestly naturally a nap guy. i think on a genetic level the strilondes dont sleep long even when they DO manage to sleep (dirk and rose are notorious insomniacs) but i dont think dave really minds it -nobody knows when he sleeps but he does! hes just Constantly Around -this was only further reinforced by living with bro and being trained and all that jazz so daves sort of got a built in alarm clock (lol time player) -in that vein dave can kinda predict when vriska is gonna be up based on what time shes gone to sleep so he can be in and out of the bathroom before she needs to be in there which is. a very very good thing -i think dave was a lot more anal (and anxious) about what he looked like when he was a teen (to the point of being unable to leave the house if his hair wasnt JUST right) but hes way more lax about it now -that being said i also dont think hes gone fully curly girl now that hes okay with his hair having a single iota of texture whatsoever. he just combs it into the style he wants it to dry in and lets nature take the wheel after that (its very soft and vriska LOVES to touch and tousle it) -he MAYBE uses a light pomade while wet if anything but thats only if he NEEDS his hair to stay nice all day -vriska on the other hand. woo buddy. -depending on how im feeling about her styling, shes either full 17 step curly hair routine or blowdried + straightened + hairsprayed until its crunchy even if her hair is naturally already straight -like im sorry shes SO emo -i think a lot of that stemmed from the sort of persona she put on to protect herself that ended up becoming her taste Anyway -the full face of makeup + done hair carries a very Intentional feeling that makes her seem a little less off the wall, has-no-clue-what-shes-doing than she really IS -ultimately its about control! having more control over the interpersonal dynamics and the flow of things based on the kind of assumptions people make about her based on the way she presents herself -dave was doing his similarly insane hair routine at 13 14 15 for the same exact reasons -dont let her fool you though its all smoke and mirrors -when she was in her teens it was definitely a full coverage foundation + powder foundation + pencil liner for EVERYTHING situation and loads of dark eyeshadow -in her adulthood though i think shed be alright with like. a much more lightweight base like bbcream or even just concealer in spots for daily wear and she saves the full face beat for more special occasions like dates and shit -as much as i think dave finds later on in life that he actually kinda enjoys cooking, hes not up making a Full Breakfast every day -theyre both perfectly fine with like. toast and microwave breakfast sausage to eat -vriska however is not to be trusted with the stove. she sucks SO bad at cooking save for the few dishes shes ruined enough times that shes got the experience to do it right -both of them are horrible caffeine fiends. they will drink soda or energy drinks with breakfast and then wonder why their fucking stomachs hurt later -i think in the case of NEEDING caffeine vriska is much more varied in her intake sources--energy drinks, soda, coffee, and tea are all viable options depending on how much energy she feels she needs -dave though... he feels like the "starts with an energy drink and only drinks other stuff when he has a craving" kinda guy

-though maybe thats the raging adhd you tell me -their bed is almost never ever made and both of them live in organized chaos. whether or not they ENJOY the chaos is a different story entirely -vriska is a blanket hog AND a pillow hog so they eventually had to settle on each having their own blankets -vriska loathes mint toothpaste and dave is a cinnamon toothpaste guy so you can imagine how much of a eureka moment vriska had the first time she spent the night -and yes that means she was just bearing with the mint because she had no clue there was any other option -uhhhhh i cant think of much else more on this topic i hope u enjoyed <3

#homestuck #dave strider #vriska serket #vriska #davris #davevris #we8comic #ironies in the fire #q+a with vel #Anonymous #I THINK THAT ONE GOT A LITTLE AWAY FROM ME #i had to wrack my brain about morning routines because im not consistent at all with mine #ANYWAY THESE ARE FUN!!! ive actually not thought about some of this stuff a lot so #its kinda interesting to see what bubbles up out of my brain when im presented with an angle i never considered hee hee #dont ask me about the weird gap in the text block. i literally cannot post it without it

[ashintheairlikesnow]

Follows from @angst-after-dark's piece here

-

There's a little coffeeshop down the road from the soup kitchen, and Jameson makes his way there, clutching a handful of dollars that Taron's friend had slipped him when he told her to fuck off and stop trying to make conversation. Then he'd apologized for telling her to fuck off. Then she'd given him the money.

He curls up on a couch in the corner. It's a million years old and sagging in the middle, but soft, and he can sit here sipping coffee until they ask him to leave. Dark clouds gather overhead, promising rain. Thunder rolls somewhere in the distance, as low as Robert's voice rumbling when he ordered Jameson out of the cage.

He misses Nanda's deeper growl, the purr always at the edge of every order given. Men always talk to him like that, low and deep. There are so many flavors of deep voices, so many different tastes on his tongue.

The thunder comes again, louder this time.

"Oh, Elsie'll be scared as shit," He mutters. Taron's goat - or, well, Zizi's really - didn't like loud deep noises like that. She'll be hiding in the barn behind haybales or something. Taron'll have to hunt around for her.

Well. Not his problem anymore. He'd seen the look on Taron's face after he hurt him, heard the get out of here that the man never said.

Jameson looks down, taking another sip. The coffee is good but it just makes the way his chest twists in hurt and... and guilt, cut a little deeper. He had known sooner or later that Taron would get sick of him. It was just a matter of time..

But he still feels like shit about it.

The little bell over the door rings as people come inside, probably just wanting out of the rain that had started to fall, droplets tap-tap-tapping. Jameson closes his eyes, fighting the saltwater heat stinging there. He doesn't cry anymore. Robert took every year he had left. He won't cry again.

He was stupid to think his broken brain was worth fighting for. His broken body, scarred and in pain all the time. The legs that some days don't work, and he has to pretend he doesn't want to do chores so he doesn't have to admit that he does want to help, but his knees won't straighten out without agony, his legs won't hold his weight. He was stupid to think some guy would want to deal with his nightmares and how sometimes he tastes the voices of people who have died, how nightmares wake him up screaming.

With all his scars and his fucked up bald patches, he isn't even pretty enough to earn it by opening his legs. Nobody wants a scarred slut.

Especially not one who pulls a knife when you're just trying to help him, the fucking moron.

Stupid, stupid, stupid.

Stupid-

He jams the palm of his hand against his eyelids, fighting the way his throat closes up, how badly he wants to cry. Not here. Not now. Not ever again.

The couch dips as someone sits down next to him, and he turns to snarl fuck off, can't you see I'm a fucking danger to you only to have the words die in his throat, the taste of them turn to nothing on his tongue.

Zizi, head tipped to one side, waggles her fingers in a wave. "Hello."

Jameson blinks.

Then he looks away, and-

Taron, lurking with hands in his pockets. Long sleeves cover the bandage Jameson knows is there on his arm. He looks as bad as Jameson probably does, the exhaustion written in his face and frame.

"What-..." He has to clear his throat, rubbing aggressively at tear tracks to pretend they never existed. He looks from one of them to the other. "Why the fuck are you here?"

Zizi is the one who answers. Her voice pops on his tongue, like always. If she ever kissed him he might melt into the floor. "We came here for you, Jameson."

"... Why?" His eyes go to Taron. The cold anger of this morning isn't there, not even when Jameson searches for it, for even a hint. He just looks tired, and... relieved. "I fucking cut your arm. You could have bled-"

"Gave myself stitches." Taron shrugs, as if discussing taking a short walk on a sunny day. "Done it before. Not such a deep cut."

"I'm..." He didn't know what to say. He had been thinking about leaving an apology note at the restaurant, taping it to the door and then disappearing again. Easier for them. Easier to understand that he knows he isn't wanted anymore.

Except-

They're both here.

"I'm not safe," He finally says, rasping, just above a whisper. "I have nightmares-... all the time."

Zizi puts a hand on Jameson's shoulder, thumb rubbing a little there, soothing. How she does this - touches without intent or coercion, only affection - is a revelation for Jameson. He can't remember anyone before the two of them who could touch him without demanding something in return.

Taron, where he stands, only nods.

"I wake up and I-I don't know where I am. I could... do anything. Hurt anybody. I hurt you. I don't want to-... But I don't know. I only see..." He trails off. "I only see Robert. Or Brute."

The two of them share a look, but Jameson doesn't see it. He's staring down at his coffee again. Outside, thunder cracks and the lights in the coffeeshop flicker. Someone laughs nervously across the room, acidic like orange juice.

"People who hurt you," Zizi says, voice low and soft. She moves close to him and something in Jameson's iron isolation cracks. He leans against her, lets his head rest on her shoulder.

"People who fucked me up," He agrees, eyes closed. "Better I stay off by myself, anyway. It could happen again. I could hurt someone again-... I don't-... I don't want to hurt someone again... But I wake up and I see him, and I know if I don't fight this time... it doesn't fucking matter. I hurt you, and you, you did the right fucking thing, telling me to go. I won't bug you anymore. I'll fuck off, and you don't have to worry about me anymore."

"Oh, honey," Zizi murmurs. Her arms go around him.

There's a silence.

Then, Taron says in his own soft, deep voice, "I didn't tell you to go, kid."

"... What?"

"Didn't... Didn't want you to go."

#taron and jameson au #i love taron #and zizi! #whump #bbu #box boy universe #traumatized whumpee #caretaker and whumpee #angry whumpee #self loathing

[xinhua-jun]

Ooohhh are you taking prompts? If so “What, did you think I kissed you all these times because I was doing it for the shits and giggles?” “…Let’s be real, you did have a lot of fun shoving your tongue down my throat in public.” for the pairing of your choice? If you want🥰

[prompts] [AO3]

LOL I just saw this (hellsite 🙄) and I was so confused ;; I forgot I had those prompts queued 😂❤️ but they’re good prompts!! so here you go~ thank you for the ask mi cielo 💜 I hope everything is going well!!

Arthur is having a wonderful time.

He shouldn’t have expected it to last.

They’re celebrating another successful mission, at one of Saito’s many mansions. They had a great dinner. Now he’s drinking one of Yusuf’s amazing cocktails, surrounded by friends and enjoying their chatter. It’s such a good atmosphere that he lets himself, foolishly, be lulled into a false sense of security.

So of course that’s when Ariadne brings it up.

“So,” she says, in that tone that tells Arthur whatever’s about to come out of her mouth next is going to test his love and adoration for her. He’s proven right when she follows it up with: “Since when are you two dating?”

He almost chokes on his drink.

“We’re not dating,” Arthur says, as delicate as possible, but still firm.

“Oh. You’re not?” Ariadne says, at the same time Eames goes, “We’re not?” next to him, just as surprised as her.

Arthur loves him even as his heart squeezes.

He’s trying to make things less awkward, even as his own comfort is compromised.

“Alright.” Cobb claps his hands together. “Why don’t we give them a little bit of space.”

Arthur has to remind himself that Cobb is a great friend, really he is. He just has the worst sense of timing when they’re not on assignment.

They’re all out the door before he can do anything to stop them—which, might as well. What’s he going say? ‘I’ve been trying really hard to ignore that I’m in love with my best friend while he isn’t, and now you’ve gone and made it weird’? Yeah, right.

Besides, it’s not Ariadne’s fault. Cobb’s, maybe, since he made it all serious before Arthur could play it off. Certainly his own, for being such a bad actor.

There’s a reason why the Forger is–

Eames wraps light fingers around his wrist. “Darling?”

Arthur hums noncommittally, taking a sip of his cocktail.

“Was it the kissing?” Eames says softly.

‘Was it me doing my job that gave you the wrong impression?’

The cocktail is really interesting, now that he notices. He will have to ask Yusuf later how he can balance that many colors without having them mix, and still make it taste nothing like the alcohol they serve at the pubs.

“Okay.” Eames’s voice is—off, just a little, which is what draws Arthur’s attention.

Eames is looking at their hands, but Arthur can tell he’s not really seeing them. There’s the little furrow he always gets between his eyebrows whenever he’s thinking really hard about something important.

Oh, no. He’s trying to let me down gently.

“Listen,” Arthur puts his free hand on top of Eames’, allows himself to linger because this might be the last time he ever does. “I know you don’t feel the same way about me. You don’t have to let me down gently–”

“Wait,” Eames interrupts him. “Darling, darling, darling. What? Let you down gently? Why would I do that?”

Arthur huffs out a laugh. “It’s okay, Eames.” And really, it is. Arthur has had enough time to come to terms with it—if not with the immensity of his feelings, with the fact that Eames, for as much of a mischievous streak as he has, would never do anything to hurt him. That’s all that matters, really. “I’m a big boy. I can take it.”

And he can. Eames might not be in love with Arthur, but he does love him. He proves it every single day, in small and big ways. Bringing him coffee just the way Arthur likes, helping him research their targets, pulling him in on the fun whenever he can allow himself some mischief in some forgotten corner of a dream, bringing him souvenirs from all his trips… Arthur has had a very fulfilling life, with this job, surrounded by friends, and especially right next to Eames.

Eames who stares incredulously at him. Eames whose eyes widen like he’s having a sudden realization. Eames who lets go of his hand, only to cradle his face gently. Eames who leans in, Eames who is kissing him–

Eames is kissing him.

It’s a slow, tender kiss. Nothing like the playful pecks, or the noisy smooches, or the heated make-out sessions he sometimes engages Arthur in when the dream allows it. This is soft and heartfelt and sweet, and just as able to make him weak at the knees as any of the others.

Arthur, too, has an epiphany.

“My dear,” Eames begins, once the need for air makes it difficult to continue. His already plush lips are kiss-swollen and pink and Arthur just wants to reel him back in. “Did you think that when I kissed you all those times, I was just doing it for the shits and giggles?”

Arthur laughs, just as breathless. “Let’s be real, you did have a lot of fun shoving your tongue down my throat in public.” Arthur searches Eames’ eyes, “In dream public. You were always in-character when you would kiss me, and never did it out of an assignment.”

“Sweetheart.” Eames groans, but he can’t stop smiling, either. “While very rewarding, you know I don’t need to be kissing you to play a convincing role.” His thumb swipes gently under Arthur’s eye. “Most of those characters weren’t even anywhere near the target’s vicinity.”

“I will admit I found it a little strange and daring, even for you,” Arthur concedes. “But I just thought you were challenging yourself, to see how much control you had over your characters regardless of the distance.”

The look Eames gives him holds unmistakable fondness. “I was trying to give you some space. I wasn’t in any hurry, so I told myself I would leave it up to you and that we could go at your own pace.”

Oh.

Arthur is such a fool.

“Oh,” he says dumbly, maybe for the first time since he was a gangly teen.

Eames has a way to make him feel like a gangly teen: imperfect, unstoppable, brave. Full of life.

“Now that I’ve made my intentions clear,” Eames gives him a look, then a grin. “Arthur, darling, can I kiss you?”

Arthur can feel his ears burn. His breath hitches. “Yes.”

So Eames does.

#🎐 #dream husbands #inception #things I write #elle #I just think oblivious Arthur is just so #[chef's kiss] #it’s ok Eames loves him #now I wanna write one of those 5+1 ahhh #5 times Eames kisses Arthur on a mission and 1 time Arthur kisses him first #maybe later~

[onedaughterofman]

Heyoo! how are ya doing? Im unsure if you take requests because i can't navigate tumblr to save my life, but, if you do, could i ask for some Ghost bc x reader birthday comfort fic? like,,, hurt to comfort? yesterday was my birthday and i had a rlly bad day, like, boss screaming at me, ppl forgetting abt it, etc. Can be with anyone, the ghouls, papas, whichever flows better :) Gn reader if possible. If not thats ok! Hope you had a good day!

Hi! Listen, I'm not taking requests anymore BUT I had a draft laying around that could work with this, so I made some changes here and there. It's not perfect, but I hope you like it.

I know your birthday was some days ago, so happy (really) late birthday! ♥ I'm sorry to hear you had a hard time. Here is my gift to you.

Papa Emeritus II x g/n reader. Birthday fluff!

Summary: Secondo is a soft man at heart, with a secret talent he puts to good use for your birthday.

Tags: Rated T, kinda fatherly Secondo, fluff, platonic relationships.

A/N: Look at Papa doing his silly little dance!

“What’s that?”

Papa’s hand hangs in front of your eyes, a big white ceramic plate resting on it. “Torta paradiso,” he replies, delicately swaying the place to one side and then the other. “All'arancia”.

Alright. That you can see and smell. The delicate yet strong fragrance of the orange permeates the air, making your mouth salivate. The cake looks simple, barely decorated with a bit of powdered sugar and orange zest on the top.

However, you don’t understand why Secondo is placing it right in front of your face, making it serpent like it’s tempting you to sin. “I can see that,” you continue, sitting straight on the couch. The heavy blankets fall around your waist and the cold air hits your skin, sending shivers down your arms and legs. “Where did you get it?”

“I made it myself.”

Oh.

That’s… something you didn’t see coming. A man like Secondo, who always looks angry and intimidating, doesn’t seem to be the type to spend any time in the kitchen baking something as delicate as a cake. Even more, he not only made it, but now he’s proudly displaying it to you.

“I didn’t know you could bake.”

“Can’t an old man have a hobby?”

Tripping over your words, you hurry to reassure him that it wasn’t your intention to question him. Secondo only laughs, a bitter but somehow calm sound that fills the air with warmth. He takes a sit next to you, motioning to move away the blankets. The ceramic plate is placed on the little coffee table.

For a few seconds, Secondo stares at the TV. There’s an old movie there, a cartoon you used to watch when you were years and years younger. This movie always brought comfort to you, awakening memories of hot beverages and butter cookies, of old friends and cozy socks.

Life used to be simpler before. Then, shit happened. Shit always happens, but it hits harder on days like these.

On your birthday.

No one remembered it. This day was just another day, only heavier on the heart. Maybe it’s all your fault. You are fool, as you have constantly been. Year after year, you hope for things to be different, better somehow.

A certain type of sadness fills your body and soul on your birthday. A sadness that walks behind, hugging your back and whispering heavy words in your ears.

No one cared.

No one celebrated it.

No one.

To your left, Secondo sighs. The sound halts the tears that were beginning to form on your eyes. In a swift movement, you hurry to clean any remnant of it, hoping he doesn’t notice it.

If he does, Papa says nothing. He merely reaches out to the plate, cutting a slice of cake before carefully placing it on a napkin. His gloved hand extends in your direction, leaving no place to deny him. You take it.

His gaze is intense and expectant, full of an emotion you can’t quite discern when you take the first bite. Is he nervous? Is he anxious? He’s looking right into your soul, analyzing every little twitch of your eyebrows and searching for any reaction.

The sweet and fresh taste of the cake fills your mouth. The texture is soft, airy and delicate, and the taste of orange and vanilla is comforting. You nod, a smile on your lips. “This is so good!”

“I’m happy to hear that,” he says, letting himself fall on the couch. For another long moment, he stays in silence. His eyes absentmindedly look into the TV, before closing as he exhales. “Happy birthday, kid.”

“You remembered it?”

“Isn’t it a Papa’s duty to remember this stuff?”

Right. A duty. It’s foolish to think a busy man like Papa Emeritus II went out of his way to do something for your birthday, out of the kindness of his heart.

Maybe it’s the way your gaze obscures, or the heavy lump on your weary shoulders, but he hurries to continue. “I mean, I care about every Sibling. I know most of us don’t fit outside this Ministry, but we are a family here. If we have nothing else, at least we have each other.”

The strange softness in his eyes makes you swallow dry. Papa is a stern man, someone who mostly keeps to himself when he’s not surrounded by women. And yet, there’s something deep inside his pupils, a dark veil of emotions that tells you he understands.

Papa is a sad, sensitive and lonely man at heart. “Do you really like it?” he questions, after a beat. “I wasn’t sure if I wanted to make this or a torta caprese.”

“I liked it,” you repeat. Papa smiles, reaching out to wipe a bit of powered sugar from the corner of your mouth.

“So, what are we watching?”

Excitement filling your voice, you explain. Papa listens, nodding a few times in an effort to encourage you to keep talking. When the movie continues, his eyes remain on the screen for a few minutes before you detect the faint sound of his snores.

Oh, well. Papa is also an exhausted, old man. Leaning closer to his body, you wrap the corner of the blanket around him. Head on his shoulder, you take a deep breath and close your eyes too.

#ghost band #ghost band fanfic #papa emeritus ii #papa secondo #papa emeritus ii x reader #my writing #my fics #ask box