#enemies to friends to lovers slowburn of ALL TIME even if the enemies part lasted all of 30 seconds fjdkdk you get me tho | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

yongility · 25 days

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NEO TV # I LIKE ME BETTER WHEN I'M WITH YOU. (jaehyun x reader) 3/?

genre: angst, suggestive, gang au, rich kid au, enemies to lovers (kinda), a lil of fluffy stuff. slowburn, series.

warnings: drug use mentions, gangs, fights, use of weapons, adult language, illegal activities, cheating (not on the main couple), toxic family environment, addictions, manipulation, insecurities, illegal street racing, death mentions. jeno is jaehyun's younger brother, angst, smut and if I slip something my bad haha.

word count: +10k?

a/n: I’m sorry this took too long to post!! 😭😭 but I been so busy with college rn, I’m going to graduate this year so I’m like having a lot of work lately, and I wasn’t satisfied with what I was writing so that was the reason it took longer than expected, sorry!

I'm a sucker for cliche stuff so as soon as this fic popped in my mind l had to write it down, english isn't my first language tho.

I'm sorry if this is too long TT, but this is kinda a slowburn? it might contain a lot of parts so wait for part 3! One of the reasons this is long af it's because I would like to show you how Jaehyun and (Y/N's life is before they get together! So pls pls don't skip anything I hope you like it!

if you want to be in the taglist, just lemme know;) enjoy!

The third day of the week arrived promptly, where (Y/N) found herself comfortably seated in one of the library chairs, with her chemistry books scattered on the table in front of her as she studied for the exams she had coming up, with Jungwoo beside her.

It was becoming her routine for the week; after last Friday's party, what she most desired was to avoid being at home, especially after having an argument with her mother when she returned from the party.

She didn't want to deal with her in a good time.

Annoyed that her mother had thought it was a great idea to take away her right to use her own car as punishment for disobeying her that night and leaving the house... staying in the library seemed the most pleasant option; with silence, able to listen to music through her AirPods, without her mother bothering her every five minutes and being able to review what she had learned in her last classes: it was something she could take advantage of. She took a sip of her vanilla latte, which had been sponsored by Jungwoo, who, in an attempt to apologize for abandoning her in that way during last Friday's party, promised to pay for each of her daily drinks for a week and a half, no matter the cost.

And even though (Y/N) could afford that or even triple, she was still happy about it. Gifted things tasted even better anyway.

Of course, she first gave Jungwoo a -no- beating after telling him everything that had happened during his absence, but still, she appreciated that her friend was okay even though she hadn't heard anything from him until Saturday night.

During these last few days, with a new routine, (Y/N) was almost always in the same places, at the same times, and if she was honest, she was surprised not to have bumped into Jung Jaehyun at any moment.

It was weird; she would normally see him somewhere around the school, either accompanied by Lucas or just sitting on one of the benches while smoking his 'n' cigarette of the day. But simply, since Friday, she hadn't heard anything from him... she hadn't even bumped into Lucas, which increased the level of strangeness, considering he was a social butterfly, he was always around. (Y/N) had been aware of her words after Jaehyun had taken her home: she could no longer continue with whatever deal they had, with all the stress of her own tasks and knowing that no matter what she did, her cousin wouldn't give up his addictions, it was best to give up.

Although it would hurt her soul to know that there was no way to help Daeho.

But thinking about it, she didn't know if she had really been sincere about each going their own way... apparently Jaehyun had taken it very seriously to not show up anywhere, and although (Y/N) knew very well that being close to him didn't bring her anything good... his presence hadn't been so bothersome in the last few days. Really, after sharing a few words and spending more time with him, she couldn't say that she disliked his existence. It was funny if you asked the (Y/N) from a month ago, there would be no way she could have imagined that, somehow, she would be related to none other than Jung Jaehyun, who, on the outside, just seemed to be one more problem.

She tried to stop thinking about it and tried to focus her gaze on the book in front of her, but after a few minutes... it was difficult for her. There was something inside her that made her feel uneasy but she couldn't think what it was.

"There’s a race in Kosmo today" her best friend's voice brought her out of her thoughts.

Kosmo was the neighborhood that was right in the middle of the city, dividing Kwangya and Neo Zone. (Y/N) knew that there were usually illegal races in that area because it was when the rich kids from Kwangya usually dared to compete against Neo Zone.

"And why should I care...?"

"Your cousin will go to bet," Jungwoo replied, interrupting her study session.

The girl opened her eyes in surprise and asked, "How do you know?"

"Daeho told Mingi, and Mingi told me," he replied simply, shrugging his shoulders. The boy fell silent for a moment and cleared his throat. "Don’t you want to go?" He asked curiously.

(Y/N) looked up from her books and observed her friend incredulously. "Why would I want to go?"

"To keep an eye on Daeho," he answered.

"I'm still mad with him, I've decided not to help him anymore. I really tried, I've been trying for the past few years, but he doesn't want help and now I understand," the girl confessed, closing her book and letting out a sigh.

"Still... don't you think it would be fun? Getting out of our comfort zone a bit... seeing what all this racing stuff is about. I've heard they're amazing," Jungwoo insisted.

"Jungwoo, my mom will kill me if she finds out I went to an illegal race," the girl continued, taking a sip of her coffee.

"She won't find out."

"Jungwoo..."

"Come on, (Y/N), we won't even be in Neo Zone, it'll be in Kwangya only. We'll go, watch the race, and leave. We won't even make contact with anyone. We'll go on our own," the boy assured her, moving closer to her. "Please, I think it would be interesting to break out of our routine, just for one night, what could go wrong?"

"Many things could go wrong, Woo," she replied.

"We won't know unless we try," he pouted, clasping his hands together. "Please."

She hated how persuasive her best friend was.

She sighed and shook her head. "Fine, but at the first sign of trouble, we're leaving without a second thought."

"I love you so much," Jungwoo replied, hugging her shoulders.

"And I really hate you."

______________________________________________

The night fell faster than she expected, and among the roar of engines and the intense music that could be heard on the outskirts of Kosmo, (Y/N) felt something cold run through her body.

She could see familiar faces here and there, some of her classmates from Kwangya were in the place, and from the opposite side, the cars and familiar faces of Neo Zone were present.

It was a strange atmosphere for her; she had always played it safe, and now she didn't even know what to think. She felt herself getting closer to Jungwoo to not lose him, the last thing she needed was for them to separate like they did at the party.

She didn't think she could survive alone.

And it's not that she was dumb to think otherwise, but her parents raised her in an environment where they made her believe that she shouldn't do things outside her daily life. (Y/N) was afraid of adventures. Her life was governed by being obedient and doing the right thing; she didn't know when the moment of rebellion she had a few days ago when she left home the night of the party had been wise.

And now finding herself in Kosmo secretly from her mother at an illegal race? She must have gone crazy.

She believed even more so that she had gone crazy when something inside her hoped to run into none other than Jung Jaehyun.

She didn't understand why the urgency of what was happening, and even less why she expected to run into Jaehyun before running into Daeho.

Maybe it was because she found it strange not to have seen him since last Friday's party.

But she knew that if there was one place Jaehyun wouldn't miss... it would be the race tonight.

"Are you looking for Daeho?" Jungwoo asked when he saw her looking around. "He's probably with Mingi."

How could she explain to her friend that the person she was looking for was none other than Jung Jaehyun?

She nodded without saying more, and they both continued on their way while cautiously observing their surroundings. The smell of marijuana and car engines was embedded in the place, the music made their ears ring, and the night breeze made their bodies tremble.

(Y/N)'s eyes drifted away when she noticed Lucas in the distance, having a conversation with another guy. Lucas felt her gaze on him and looked at the girl with confusion before approaching her after apologizing to his companion.

"Hey, Kwangya kiddos, what brings you here on this magnificent night?" Lucas asked enthusiastically.

"We wanted to know what these races are about," Jungwoo replied simply.

"Hmm, interesting," the tall guy nodded. "Well, you're in luck, Jaehyun will race today, are you sure you want to see the show? The best of the area against someone from Yellow Wood," Lucas explained while cracking his fingers slightly.

Upon hearing the guy's name, (Y/N) looked up and paid attention to Lucas's words.

"If you're interested in betting, come to me," Lucas advised.

"I think we're fine like this," said (Y/N).

"Alright, take care. I'll go look for my guy to get him ready for the race," Lucas announced as he patted Jungwoo on the back.

The guy walked away from them with a smile, and Jungwoo responded with one of his own, then he looked at his friend and frowned, "relax, you're anxious."

How could she not be?

But before she could even answer anything, a few meters away, she saw the familiar face she had been looking for. In the distance, the silhouette of Jung Jaehyun was leaning against his car while talking to a few guys from Neo Zone, his neck tattoos weren't very visible due to the darkness of the night but she could distinguish them a bit, then... as if he had called him, Jaehyun's gaze moved to connect with hers, making her freeze in place.

Jaehyun frowned when he saw her standing just a few steps away from him, looking like a lost puppy as she stood beside Jungwoo.

The sight reminded him of a month ago when Daeho had clumsily brought (Y/N) to Neo Zone. Although this time she was accompanied by her best friend, another rich and spoiled kid from Kwangya. He observed the outfit she had decided to wear, once again, just like that time, it wasn't extravagant, no famous brand could be seen in her attire, and the only piece of jewelry she wore was a pair of earrings that definitely looked like gold...

He hoped she wouldn't lose them tonight.

Because they made her look good.

The surprise was evident on the girl's face when she took a better look at the brunet's body, who was now walking towards her, wearing a hoodie with its hood over his head and as he got closer, the darkness of the night was no longer so intrusive. It hadn't been enough to hide the bruises that were scattered across his body.

There was one under his cheek, just below his left eye, and it was reddish, as if it were flushed. Then, looking at the ones between his jaw and his neck, she noticed how they subtly mixed with the ink of the tattoo he had on his neck. That one was difficult to distinguish thanks to the dark lines that adorned that part of his body, but if you paid enough attention, it was alarming.

When she lowered her gaze over his torso and then looked at his hands, she could see the intense shades of red that his knuckles contained, as if ground blood had accumulated on each of them.

It wasn't the first time she had seen Jaehyun or Lucas with a bruise or two on a school day, but it was the first time she had seen it up close.

Her heart was pounding a mile a minute. Why was it suddenly doing this?

"Did you lost your way home?" Jaehyun asked when he was in front of her.

"Jaehyun," she muttered quietly, "... are you okay?"

The girl didn't need much to realize that was the stupidest question she could ask right now, of course he wasn't okay. And although she knew this happened regularly in Jaehyun's life, she couldn't help but fill her head with doubts; what had to happen for him to end up like this?

... was that the reason he hadn't gone to school?

A small smile appeared on the boy's face, and even with the different colors decorating his face, she could still notice the dimples that formed in it.

Why did he still look good?

"I don't think you came here to ask that, Angel," Jaehyun replied mockingly. "I really believed in your whole story about us going on our ways, so what are you doing at a race where most of the spectators are from Neo Zone?"

The girl was left speechless. "Jungwoo brought me here."

"Well, if that's the case, enjoy the races, I think it'll be fun for you to spice up your Wednesday nights a bit," he continued with a sarcastic smile.

"What happened to you?" She asked again.

Jaehyun didn't answer.

He had gotten himself into big trouble... all thanks to Jeno.

He had trusted that all his merchandise would be sold by the time Monday came around, but after being at Johnny Suh's party, where other dealers were also present, he didn't manage to sell what he needed.

He had a little less than half left in his pockets and in Lucas's.

Luck had not been on his side this time, and when he had to be accountable to Lee Sooman, he had to take responsibility for his brother's actions. And despite telling him that he would not take care of him like he used to after the argument they had... he'd much rather take the beatings he had received than see Jeno the way he did in the mirror.

That time, it really felt eternal. He still remembers the angry (but also mocking) look Sooman had on his face when Jaehyun and Lucas brought the money to his office and after asking Lucas none too kindly to leave, that was when Jaehyun knew what was coming.

With Cheol Uk by his side, leading him out of the office to the vacant lot not far from the warehouse, Jaehyun could do nothing but accept what was coming.

It was one blow after another, and he knew well that at that moment, defending himself was not something he should do or he would end up worse.

He remembers feeling every punch with tremendous pain, and all he could think about was Jeno and how he would have felt if it had been him getting beaten up.

At least Jaehyun was used to the beatings and had no choice; he already knew that all of this was part of being someone from Neo Zone, so he simply had to continue to comply with what Sooman demanded to the letter unless he wanted to end up again in the position he was in.

What felt like hours was really just a few minutes; Cheol Uk stopped hitting him after a while and without saying more, he left. Leaving Jaehyun in the middle of the vacant lot with a broken lip and eyebrow as he spat blood and reached for his abdomen for some support to get up and walk to where he knew Lucas was waiting for him.

How much more? How much longer would he have to keep with all of this?

But, right now, it wasn't something he should talk about.

"It's really not something you need to know," he replied with a smirk. "You came to enjoy the race, right? Then do it, I'll be running in a few minutes, if you don't get scared by the atmosphere here before that, I'm sure you'll want to see me," Jaehyun continued, winking at her.

"I think it'll be fun to see you in second place," the girl teased.

"Baby... I always win," Jaehyun bragged, looking her directly in the eyes.

It was then that the girl didn't say anything else, she just kept her gaze on his. She hated feeling intrigued by Jaehyun himself. Because right now she didn't even feel like she was in Kosmo, with Jaehyun in front of her looking directly at her, she didn't even feel real. She was getting into fire and she knew it.

And she didn't know if she could escape from it.

For a moment she felt a heaviness on her shoulders and warmth surrounded her, causing her to snap out of her thoughts and notice that the jacket that Jaehyun was wearing over his hoodie was now over her body.

"You were trembling like a chihuahua," Jaehyun explained. "Don't consider it an act of kindness, I'm just returning the favor after having done my jobs those two weeks... at least now they won't kick me out of school this evaluation period," he continued.

"I'm not sure if I should feel good knowing that I'm indirectly helping an illegal business," she replied, adjusting the jacket.

"No one needs to know," he replied. "Good luck tonight, don't get lost too much because things get interesting," he said, and without further ado, he turned around to go back to his friends.

(Y/N) stood perplexed in her place, and it was then that she felt Jungwoo's presence next to her.

"What was that?"

"I have no idea."

_______________________________________________

The next morning, after putting her books back in her backpack, (Y/N) looked at the jacket folded inside her bag, feeling a heaviness and remembering the events of the previous night.

The rumors were true... Jung Jaehyun was the best street racer in the area, because he not only competed once the day before, but two more times, winning 3 victories in a short time, and to be honest, it had been impressive.

She hadn't run into him again after the brief conversation they had, and even though she had been waiting for it... she and Jungwoo bolted from the place when they heard the police sirens approaching Kosmo.

The last thing she needed was for her parents to find out about her escapade.

She didn't hear anything from Daeho the night before, she even doubted if he had really gone to the race.

She didn't want to give too much importance to the situation, which is why she chose to continue her path through the school hallways, hoping to return the jacket that was at the bottom of her bag and trying to divert her thoughts to something other than Jaehyun.

And as if she had summoned him, she saw him under the entrance roof as he leaned against the wall and took a drag from the cigarette in his hands. (Y/N) checked the day's weather and cursed when she noticed the raindrops falling lightly. She had forgotten about today's forecast.

Jaehyun was lost in his thoughts as he watched the rain and let out the smoke in his chest.

The bruises were still visible.

She stopped abruptly to take the jacket out of her bag and, without saying anything, approached him and handed it back to him.

Jaehyun looked at her with a raised eyebrow and blew out the smoke from his lungs.

"You're welcome," Jaehyun said as he took the jacket in his hands.

"Yes, thank you," she said, feeling her cheeks flush.

"Where did you park your car?" Jaehyun asked out of nowhere.

"I didn't bring it with me, my mom confiscated it," she blurted out without thinking, and when she turned to look at Jaehyun, she noticed a mocking smile on his face.

"Oh, mom took away your Porsche," he pouted mockingly and shook his head. "Come on, I'll take you home."

"I'm fine, Jaehyun. Thanks," she said as she looked at the rain.

"Come on, it wouldn't be the first time I've taken you. Plus, the school won't be closing anytime soon."

She thought about all the possibilities that crossed her mind, but something about her was excited to think about the ride home.

"Where's your car?"

______________________________________________

It was fortunate that his car was nearby.

Jaehyun turned on the heater as soon as they got into the car, and without further ado, the journey began.

It was just like the first time they had been together in the same car. Without saying anything, both with their eyes focused on the road, and it was then that they both realized that they didn't have a topic of conversation. The few times they had interacted had been about their interests and what they needed from each other at the moment. However, Jaehyun didn't know anything about (Y/N) that he hadn't heard at school, and (Y/N) didn't know anything about Jaehyun that she hadn't heard in the hallways or from her parents about the people from Neo Zone.

At this point, they weren't even acquaintances.

They had just coincided in something and that was it.

(Y/N) took the opportunity to send a text message to Jungwoo and tell him that he no longer needed to pick her up, without explaining more, she sent the text and subsequently, Jaehyun's phone rang.

The boy sighed and cautiously looked for a quick place to park even with the sound of the mobile phone ringing filling the car. He took the device and (Y/N) could notice the slight tension that seized Jaehyun's body as he read the caller ID, without thinking twice he answered the call.

The brunette felt weird being able to hear Jaehyun's conversation, so she tried to distract herself with something else. First with her phone, then looking out the window where she could see the rain beginning to dissipate, and then she could hear a "I'll be there in a moment" that made her react and turn to see him end the call.

The boy scratched his neck and then brought his hands to his face to rub it, let out a deep sigh, and looked at (Y/N).

“Uh, I need to do something quickly and your house is still a bit far... Do you mind if we stop by that place first? It's on the way” he asked with no other option.

“Does this has to do with your job?” She asked.

It took him a moment to respond: — No, it's not about my job. You can stay in the car, it's just that, I really need to get there.

After seeing Jaehyun's face and not being able to decipher what he was trying to say, (Y/N) nodded, not very sure, and that was enough for Jaehyun to quickly start the car.

Thousands of thoughts ran through (Y/N)'s mind. Eager to know where they were headed; she didn't know if she should believe Jaehyun that this wasn't about picking up or delivering goods or meeting someone who worked on the same thing he did.

She was only sure they wouldn't go to Neo Zone because they were far from there.

She could see how impatient Jaehyun seemed while driving, and that only made her even more nervous. What exactly did they tell him in that call to make him like this? She wanted to ask, but she knew she wouldn't get an answer.

She didn't know how many minutes had passed, she only knew that the rain stopped just before the car parked and she finally noticed where they were. A gray building was a few meters away from them, and it wasn't hard to recognize it.

It was the National Rehabilitation Center.

A long and large building, which was accompanied by an extensive garden, and from the outside, you could see that there were a huge number of rooms inside it.

Her head was flooded with even more questions knowing that this was the place where Jaehyun was needed.

“You can stay in the car if you want. I'll be back in a moment” Jaehyun said as he opened the car door and got out.

Curiosity got the better of her.

And that's why she got out of the car and followed Jaehyun. Without saying anything, they entered the building where they were immediately greeted by a nurse who seemed to know the boy well.

“Jaehyun, I'm glad you were able to answer the call” said the woman as she greeted them. “We need to talk to you”.

The boy nodded and turned to (Y/N), who just nodded and said, “I’ll wait for you.”

He smiled slightly and walked with the person until they reached the reception where she was able to pull out a few papers.

It had been, perhaps, about two weeks since the last time he had been there. A place he was very familiar with and where he regularly went; he had become good friends with the friendly nurses who apparently didn't care where he came from.

He was grateful that the nurse didn't say anything when his bruises and wounds were clearly visible.

“Has something happened?” he asked after a few seconds.

“ He's fine” the nurse said with a smile “but we need to talk to you about his stay here” she continued.

That's when the small smile on his face disappeared. Jaehyun knew what she was referring to. He swallowed hard before the nurse could speak.

“The payment is overdue, Jaehyun," the nurse confirmed what he already knew. "We care about Sicheng's health, but this is not my concern. You know that the center relies on patients' monthly payments, and the administrators in charge of them request them punctually," she commented as she handed Jaehyun one of the papers. "I understand your situation and Sicheng's, but there's nothing more I can do even if I wanted to; I've tried to delay the payment as much as I could, but unfortunately, it can't be delayed any longer. The administrators expect the payment soon, or we'll have to discharge Sicheng and send him home," she concluded.

It was difficult at first for Jaehyun to process everything the nurse had said, as more than ten things ran through his mind at once; one of them being his good friend Winwin, then, thinking about how he could quickly get the money he knew he owed to the clinic, considering the beating he had just received for not being able to complete a sale. So, what would he do? He still needed half the money for that monthly payment, and between the clinic's expenses and those of his own house for his family, he couldn't see a way to get the money on time.

He would have to ask for more stash to sell if he wanted to do it.

He couldn't let them discharge Sicheng.

Not while he hasn't made progress.

"I'm sorry," Jaehyun said. "I... I still have a little left to complete the payment. It's just that lately, it's been harder, and... how much time do I have to pay it?" the breathless boy asked.

"Considering that it's only the first few days of the month, and the payment is already two weeks late... I can't give you more than three days," lamented the nurse, making a grimace.

"I'll try the impossible to bring you that money on Saturday. Sicheng still can't be discharged; he hasn't progressed the way he was supposed to," he affirmed, a slight pout evident in his mouth.

What a contrast there was between his expression and the bruises, accompanied by the tattoos on his body.

Being in the Rehabilitation Center was the place where he could be most vulnerable.

"How is he?" he asked, lowering his gaze.

"Same as the last time you came to visit him," commented the nurse. "We're doing what we can, Jaehyun, but as long as he stays the way he is, we can't move forward. We need his will to help him."

When no words came out of his mouth, the nurse continued: "Jaehyun, you know you can go see him."

For Jaehyun, each visit was just as difficult as the day he decided to admit Sicheng to that clinic, and each one left him more tormented than the previous.

He would give everything if that means that Sicheng would go back to be himself.

He nodded after a few seconds and cautiously glanced back, where, not far away, (Y/N) was reading some brochures and observing the facilities around them; when she noticed the boy's gaze on her body, she walked toward him carefully.

The brunette didn't really know what came to his mind or what caused those words to come out of his mouth, but when he wanted to back off, it was too late, because they had already been expressed.

"Are you coming with me?"

And although (Y/N) had no idea why they were there or where they were going, she accepted anyway. So they found themselves walking down the long whitewashed hallway until they reached an elevator, and then they went up about three floors.

The atmosphere was cold, the hallways and rooms were well-lit, and they could see a few nurses and what she assumed were doctors walking around in their lab coats.

Jaehyun didn't know why he was allowing himself to show her that part of his life, especially when it was such a fragile part for him. He had tried to protect it cautiously for the past few months, and now he was there, accompanied by Hwang (Y/N), with the person he never thought he would meet at that moment.

He hadn't really thought of her when he asked if they could go there before going home; his head was only thinking about the clinic and Sicheng when the call had ended, and it was too late to change his mind when they had set off.

He just hoped the girl would be discreet enough.

They reached room 119, where Jaehyun pushed the door open and where in a wheelchair, they both could see Winwin, who was facing the large window of his room, looking outside.

(Y/N)'s surprised face did not go unnoticed; she was confused in a thousand ways. She knew who Dong Sicheng was; everyone in her school knew him, however... she thought he had simply left the city. She had no idea he was in that place. So in her head, thousands of questions arose about him, why he was there, and why he was in a wheelchair.

She could only react when she heard Jaehyun's voice: "Hey, buddy. How are you today?"

Nothing.

That's what he received.

Jaehyun walked over to him, and when he stood next to him, he crouched down enough to be able to observe him better. Winwin had his gaze fixed forward, his cheeks were a little rosy, his hair fell over his forehead, and his hands were resting on his legs.

Jaehyun sighed.

"Oh, I see you've taken a shower today," the boy mentioned with a smile, and again, there was not a single response.

When he noticed the presence of the girl, who had remained in her place throughout the visit and hesitated to approach them, he spoke: "Today I'm not alone; I brought company. Maybe you'll find it helpful to hear another voice that isn't mine or Lucas's... or the nurses'," the boy teased and gestured to the brunette to come closer, who obeyed. "Do you remember (Y/N)? She was in our class; we've coincided a couple of times, that's why she's here."

"Hello, Winwin," she greeted softly. Jaehyun made a grimace and stood up from his place to be at the girl's height.

"Don't expect an answer," Jaehyun commented. "There won't be one."

"I thought... I thought Winwin had moved to China," (Y/N) confessed.

Jaehyun snorted: "Yes, that's what everyone thinks."

Those words took her by surprise, and it was when she decided to remain silent, watching from a distance the little interaction between the boys: it was just Jaehyun saying a few words while adjusting Sicheng's hair without expecting any response.

Dong Sicheng and Jung Jaehyun had been friends since birth, being two little boys who grew up on the streets of Neo Zone, it was easy to click with each other. Winwin's parents had decided to move to the infamous area after his father had met Lee Sooman in some low neighborhood in Wenzhou, China, and he had offered him a job where he could have his family at least a little better off than in his country.

Winwin had not joined the gang since it had not been of great urgency to him; his father was the active member needed by the family, and if he were honest... the farthest he could be from the Neo Zone gang... the better. He was always Jaehyun's companion at all times. Best friends who shared every detail of their lives for years, Jaehyun took care of Sicheng, and he provided the most sincere friendship he had ever had... then, a while later, Lucas Wong and Mark Lee joined their adventures.

Four boys from Neo Zone with the desire to conquer the world, but unable to leave their sad reality behind.

Jaehyun still remembers that fateful day a year ago, and he still feels like it happened yesterday.

The guilt gnawed at him every passing day, terrorizing each of his nights as he wondered: Why?

Why did something like that have to happen to someone as good as Dong Sicheng was?

A year ago, when Jaehyun had chosen to go deliver a package of stash after Winwin had asked him to stay and keep him company, and he had denied that request... that decision still drilled into his head.

Winwin's family and he had been robbed in their own home. Knowing who had done it, the reasons for the event, and who had ordered such inhumanity, were still a mystery. When Winwin's parents along with him tried to flee the place by leaving in a car; it had not been the wisest decision they had made at the moment... because not long after, outside of Neo Zone, after the group of people who had robbed their home managed to shoot a clean shot in one of the tires of the rear part of the car, causing Winwin's father to lose control of his own vehicle and not a few meters later it would impact hard enough for the car to be shot in another direction, causing immediate damage.

Jaehyun only remembers receiving a call from Lucas and minutes later finding himself at the entrance to the Emergency Room of the General Hospital, where a stretcher with Winwin's body was being transported.

He remembers seeing the blood. He remembers hearing Lucas and Mark's screams asking to see their friend. He remembers standing still at the entrance to the Emergency Room.

But above all, he remembers thinking, what would have happened if instead of deciding to go sell that stupid package of stash, what if he had stayed at home with his mother and Sicheng?

A week in a coma and a diagnosis of paraplegia was what made Jaehyun lose his mind.

It had been a year since the accident, and Winwin had not even progressed a bit. After being diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder, it had been difficult to help the injury in the dorsal spine that he had suffered; the damage had been partial, Winwin could handle his movements and his sensitivity to walk again... if only he would come out of the state of shock he was still in.

There were too many things he experienced in so few minutes, so much physical and mental pain for what happened, that now, Sicheng couldn't react.

It had been a year since Sicheng hasn’t spoken.

The doctors assured that he could hear and understand everything, but he was simply mentally tired to process the words and make them come out of his mouth.

His body didn't react as it should either.

And until Winwin had the strength of his own will to do it, the only thing they could do at that clinic was to keep him on medication so that the pains would not persist.

But Jaehyun couldn't take it anymore.

What he would give for Sicheng to be able to enjoy life again.

Unfortunately, the visits he made to the hospital... didn't last more than half an hour since that was the place's regulation. So, his farewell was as quick as his arrival.

"See you on Saturday, Win," he put his hand on his shoulder. "Don't give the nurses too much trouble."

He could swear he heard Winwin laugh and say goodbye.

Even though that really didn't happen.

(Y/N), who throughout the visit remained silent observing both boys, could feel her heart in her hand. She had never believed she would see that vulnerability on Jaehyun's part, and knowing what it was about because of the importance his best friend had in his life, made her heart ache with sadness even more.

"Now I'll take you home," murmured Jaehyun when he passed by her without saying anything else.

The girl glanced back, looking for the last time at Sicheng's silhouette, who hadn't moved from the same place since they had both arrived in the room. She took a deep breath and left the room when Jaehyun was already far enough away.

She didn't know what to say. There were no words of comfort for the situation, and she knew it, that's why they both silently said goodbye to the nurse who had received them and continued like that until they entered the car, which was not parked far away.

Jaehyun allowed himself to lean back on the driver's seat as he closed his eyes and sighed heavily.

"I guess you have many questions," Jaehyun said without opening his eyes.

She had.

"I don't know if I really should ask them," (Y/N) confessed as she looked at him.

The boy remained silent for a few seconds.

"Sicheng and his parents had an accident a year ago," Jaehyun said, opening his eyes to look at her. "An accident that was caused."

"By whom?"

"No one knows," he replied, taking his hands to the steering wheel of the car and squeezing it tightly. "His parents died instantly... Winwin arrived at the hospital in critical condition; it was a miracle that he came out alive."

"Why...?"

"Why is he in this clinic?" he interrupted, and she nodded with a knot in her stomach. "The accident had a great impact and damaged on his dorsal spine; the doctors diagnosed partial paraplegia; his sensitivity in his legs was minimal, and he couldn't make any extensive movements with his legs that didn't make him cry from the pain. After seven days, he woke up from the coma and realized everything that had happened, including my uncle's death... he hasn't said a single word since then... the doctors said it would take time for him to recover, and that eventually, he would speak, but Winwin doesn't have the will to do it; he's still in a kind of state of shock, and that has delayed his recovery," he explained, unable to see her in the eyes.

"Who... who pays for all this if Sicheng's parents aren't here?" she asked curiously.

Jaehyun sighed; "For the first few months, my boss covered part of the monthly fee, until suddenly he stopped doing it. Since then, I've been taking care of it."

The girl's expression was one of surprise.

"How do you do it?"

"That’s the reason I'm in the business that I'm in," he replied, changing his gaze to her, being able to see directly into her eyes and causing her to feel a shiver run through her body.

There was something about those bruised eyes that had done something to her.

"It must be hard," the girl said in a murmur.

Jaehyun snorted and nodded slowly. He hated being seen in his less tough character. The only person he allowed himself to be like that with was Lucas... or Winwin. And for a stranger to see him like that... made his blood boil.

"You know? Winwin loved dancing," Jaehyun said, smiling sideways as the memory came to his mind.

That fact wasn't strange for (Y/N), she remembers seeing Winwin at the school theater... the only boy from Neo Zone who was part of the dance team. She didn't even know how he had managed that, but he must have been good if the Kwangya students allowed him to be in the group.

"Now nobody knows if he'll be able to do it again," Jaehyun continued. "Winwin was the only one of all of us who really had a future, he wasn't even a gang member... he hadn't even gone through his initiation, and look how he ended up."

(Y/N) swallowed.

"Mark Lee is no longer friends with you, right?" The girl asked curiously.

"Things got complicated with him after the accident."

The brunette fell silent for a moment and then shifted her body to face him.

“Haven't you thought about looking for another alternative?” she questioned again “You know? If you let me help you, maybe I could get you a position at my father's company and...”

“Shh. I think I've told you it's not that easy.”

“ But it could be” she insisted.

Jaehyun scoffed and shook his head as he looked away from her.

“I not only have to cover this quota, I also have to bring money home, for my mom and for Jeno. It's the easiest way to get what I need” he confessed “besides, I told you once... in Neo Zone there's no way out, once you're in, you're in forever.”

The tattoos on his neck were what sentenced him to a miserable life forever.

But as long as that miserable life helped to ease the pain and managed to make Sicheng return to who he was, it would be worth it.

“It doesn't have to be like this” she murmured, focusing on her own hands.

"You don't know what it's like to be part of this," he countered in a low voice.

How had they opened up to have such a conversation so suddenly?

The girl felt her lip tremble as she remembered the scene she had witnessed minutes earlier in that room, and she couldn't help but think about how it would feel to lose a loved one in such a way... knowing that physically they were present, but mentally they weren't there.

(Y/N) had always had a heart easy to move, but she really never believed that Jung Jaehyun would be able to achieve that.

"Is that why you insist on continuing school?" she asked, looking at him again.

"Students are my best clients," he replied with a half smile.

(Y/N) didn't know how to take that.

She closed her eyes for a moment and then said, "I can help you with a few more assignments," she assured. "But only for a while and in my own way. But, I don't want you to involve me in any of the problems you're in, it will only be school matters. I don't want to be associated with anything you do, if anything you do is enough to help Sicheng, I'll try not to question it."

Jaehyun couldn't believe what he had just heard.

"If that helps you help me and me stay in school..." he paused "...I might be willing."

"What's the reason for your change of heart?"

"Because if I were in the same situation as you, I would also want someone to somehow help me," she replied, hugging herself.

The boy nodded with a half-smile, and without further ado, he started the car.

"Only school matters," Jaehyun confirmed.

She definitely didn't know what he had just gotten himself into.

______________________________________________

The day after the visit to the National Rehabilitation Center, something happened that made (Y/N) unable to concentrate enough during class hours. Her mind kept going back to the place over and over again, but how horrible was the situation the boy was in. One day you're capable, and the next... not even being able to move. How could anyone endure that?

At some point in the morning, during the physics period, her mind was spinning, her leg moving anxiously, and she bit her lips. She tried to erase the conversation she and Jaehyun had had the day before a thousand times and tried to erase the image of Winwin in that room.

But it was impossible.

Just when she thought she had succeeded, the image returned immediately.

She hated being someone who cared too much about things.

Because she knew something wasn't right with her when she found herself in front of the doors of the Rehabilitation Center.

Her coat shielded her from the cold breeze on that day, and as she clutched her bag to her, she didn't think anymore and entered the place.

She felt a little out of place when she entered the center, but after a few minutes, a presence came in front of her.

"Hello, good morning," the nurse greeted her. "Oh, you're the girl who accompanied Jaehyun yesterday, right?" She asked in confusion.

The girl smiled and nodded. "Yes, I'm Hwang (Y/N). I'm Jaehyun's classmate... and Winwin's."

"How nice of you to visit us... are you here to see Winwin? It's rare to see someone come for him other than Lucas or Jaehyun," confessed the nurse.

"Um, yes... I could say I'm here for a visit," the girl smiled. "But, to be honest... yesterday I overheard a bit of his conversation with Jaehyun... I know Winwin's payment is delayed this month."

"Yes, usually Jaehyun finds a way to pay on time," she sighed. "But this month it's been delayed for a few weeks, and if I'm honest, I've been doing everything I can to keep Winwin from being discharged."

The girl nodded and asked, "Do you think Winwin's treatment will still take time?"

"I can't answer that accurately," admitted the nurse. "It's all a matter of Winwin's will, but to be honest, right now he has no will at all, so far as we're concerned, and if the payment continues to be monthly... he could spend another half a year here."

The girl understood the situation, and although she would like to think more about it... she didn't, so she didn't even know when she blurted out those words: "Is there any way I can pay for the next six months?"

The nurse's eyes widened with surprise, and she looked at the girl with enthusiasm. "Are you serious?"

"Yes," she replied. "I would like to help one of my classmates as long as I can. Money is not a problem," she confessed.

"Wow... thank you, i really appreciate that. Winwin is a boy with a lot of potential from what we know, and although we're sad that we haven't made the progress we want, we know that someday he will leave through that door better," (Y/N) smiled nostalgically.

"I just need to ask you something," the brunette confessed. "Could you not tell Jaehyun that I've paid?" she questioned.

"I don't know if it's easy to lie to someone like Jaehyun," the nurse laughed. "But since it's something good you've done... I'll try," the nurse walked to the desk with (Y/N) behind her. "(Y/N)?" She called and paid attention. "I know there may be many things about Jaehyun... but he's a good guy... beneath all that facade; he really has something good."

Those words hammered in her head. "Thank you."

_____________________________________________

(Y/N) reviewed the same line of text she had read five times now on some molasses topic. Trying to understand the topic deeply.

The air coming lightly through one of the library windows was enough for her to try to hug herself to take warmth, read a bit from the physics books on the table, and impatiently move her leg.

She didn't know at what exact moment a tall figure stood in front of her, but what she did know was that that person didn't seem very happy.

"Why did you do it?" Jaehyun let out while looking directly at her.

"I don't know what you're talking about," (Y/N) replied while looking at her book attentively.

"I know you know. I thought I told you I don't need your money," Jaehyun repeated with annoyance.

"I still don't know what you're talking about," the girl stopped seeing her book and changed her gaze to the boy.

"Don't play with me," the boy exclaimed exasperatedly. "Why did I went to the center today and they told me Winwin's treatment has been paid for the next six months?"

The girl shrugged. "It could have been your boss."

"My boss doesn't give a shit about Winwin!" Exclaimed the boy. "I told you I didn't need your money, I was clear, I don't want to owe anything to anyone from Kwangya."

"You don't need to pay me back," the girl assured, standing up in front of Jaehyun. "With the money you'll save from that, you'll be able to sell less."

"It seems you don't understand a fucking thing!" Jaehyun raised your arms with annoyance. "Paying or not paying for Sicheng's treatment, it doesn't change the fact that I sell drugs!" The boy explained regardless of where they were; they were lucky the library wasn't being occupied by other people.

"Everyone starts somewhere!" the girl attacked. "I just wanted to take a weight off your shoulders."

Jaehyun scoffed and looked at her with a sarcastic smile.

"Why? I don't need your pity! If you hadn't accompanied me yesterday, you'd still be thinking Winwin had moved to China! You didn't give a fucking damn even when he was your classmate!"

(Y/N) started gathering her things and putting them in her backpack.

"Saying thank you would have been enough, Jaehyun!" the girl remarked. "I know you can do better with your life," she murmured as she turned to look at him.

Jaehyun's blood was boiling; he hated when people interfered in his life, as if he didn't already have enough to deal with.

"You don't know anything about me! You said it yourself; we're not even friends," he retorted.

"And what if I want to get to know you better?" the girl exclaimed without thinking. They both fell silent, staring into each other's eyes. (Y/N) didn't even want to say those words, but she did.

She couldn't deny that Jung Jaehyun was intriguing. She didn't know why. She didn't know why she had been avoiding him for weeks, but since that night at Neo Zone, when they had talked about the deal, she knew it would be difficult to shake him off, and when she had... something inside her wanted them to meet again. Why are things so difficult? They are two different people from different backgrounds; why would she suddenly be interested in him? Was it because she saw him vulnerable the day before? Or was it because she believed there was something good in him, just like the nurse had said?

She must be crazy to think like that.

"You really don't want to do it," Jaehyun said with a bit more calmness.

"I know you can get out out of that hole, Jaehyun."

"Winwin's parents tried, and look how that ended up!" he exclaimed. "There's no way out in Neo Zone, get that through your head," he explained. "There's nothing good about me. I don't even know why you think so, just because yesterday you saw something different or because I drove you home a couple of times, doesn't mean you know everything about me!"

"Stop acting like a fucking jerk."

"Like a jerk? This is reality! Your act of charity isn't going to change my life. I was born a dealer, and that's how my life will end!"

"I really believe there's something good in you."

"Well, keep believing it."

"If you ever feel grateful, you know where to find me," the girl said, gathering her things and walking out of the library.

Jaehyun cursed under his breath and shook his hands in frustration. In just a few days, the girl had managed to push his buttons faster than anyone else from Neo Zone.

But when he saw her walk out the door, why did he feel regret for lashing out at her?

_______________________________________________

The week had been slow this time. (Y/N) and Jaehyun had been avoiding each other like the plague, not even looking at each other when they crossed paths in the hallway. For the girl, it seemed like childish behavior, especially coming from Jaehyun and his usual façade; now he seemed nothing more than someone throwing a tantrum after she only wanted to help him.

But she still thought she really wanted to get to know him better.

What was behind his façade? What was it that made him who he was? Not the boy from Neo Zone, not the dealer everyone knew... who was Jeong Jaehyun really?

That question had been on her mind for weeks, and it disappointed her a bit to know that she might never know the answers to those doubts she had about the boy.

Today was warm compared to the weather last week. The sun was shining brightly, and luckily for (Y/N), her mother had decided to return her car. So her day had started off on the right foot, and hoping for a good day, she took the opportunity to stop by her favorite coffee shop in Kwangya. Ordering her usual vanilla latte and just before it was time to pay, a thought invaded her mind, and after debating it internally, she decided to follow her thoughts.

An hour and a half later, when she was the last one to leave her physics class, someone blocked her path at the classroom door. Holding her book to her chest, after the unexpected startle, she looked ahead to find no one but Jaehyun. Who stood silently in front of her, with the same leather jacket he used to wear, the same combination of marijuana and vanilla scent, and with the same enchanting eyes, that she had just noticed.

She was in dangerous territory.

And she knew it.

"I need to go to my next class, Jaehyun," the girl said shortly.

For a few seconds, the boy in front of her didn't say anything, he just watched her, until he sighed and slowly said, "Thank you."

Short and to the point, he didn't say anything else, and that was enough to make (Y/N)'s heart flutter in a thousand ways.

"For the coffee," the boy finished. "And for the notes."

"I did my part, I told you I would help you," said (Y/N) as she fiddled with her fingers.

"I thought you wouldn't after the last time we met," Jaehyun confessed.

"I'm sticking to that."

A small silence ensued. Two people face to face. With thousands of doubts between them and things to resolve. What had drawn them together? How was it that the universe managed to put two completely different people in the same place?

"Did you mean it?" Jaehyun asked, and when he noticed that (Y/N) didn't understand what he meant, he continued. "About wanting to get to know me more."

(Y/N) swallowed hard and looking him in the eyes, nodded.

"I still believe there's something good in you."

"Why?"

"I don't know yet," she replied honestly. "And it's killing me. A while ago, I wouldn't have wanted anything to do with you, not even to cross paths, but now, I don't know what's changed, but every time I try to stay away, it's like something brings me back here," she confessed, leaving Jaehyun speechless, who just watched her, trying to decipher everything she was saying.

It was killing him too.

"Let's go to my car," he said.

"Huh?" she asked, confused.

"You want to know more about me, then get in my car," he said again, this time making his way to the parking lot, with (Y/N) behind him, who didn't say a single word, just followed his lead.

What was he doing?

When they reached the car, Jaehyun opened the passenger door, causing (Y/N) to get in without protesting. Then Jaehyun got into the driver's seat and without further ado, started the engine. She didn't know what was happening or what would happen next, but right now she could only trust Jaehyun.

Even though she didn't know how bad an idea that might be.

A few minutes later, as they had traveled a long distance, (Y/N) noticed they were approaching Neo Zone, and with her eyes wide open, she panicked.

"This is me," Jaehyun said out of nowhere, catching the girl's attention. "See all these streets? This is where I belong. This is what I am," he explained carefully.

(Y/N) looked out the window, a couple of people smoking on the sidewalk, others passing joints, and other silent streets. The houses weren't that big... rather, they looked cramped. Unlike what she was used to, to her lifestyle, this didn't seem like it would be enough for a family.

But what did she know with the privilege she had?

"I grew up here, this is what I know," he commented. "Most people are born and die here, it's something that seems to be already written," he continued as his car slowed down. "Those of us from here have a different perspective on life... people from Kwangya lives for the money... we live to survive, and although it's getting harder and harder, we manage to do it," the car finally stopped, and still looking out the window, (Y/N) saw a small house in front of them. One story, not much to describe or point out, it was small but for some reason, it looked cozy.

(Y/N) changed her gaze to Jaehyun, who was still looking ahead and spoke.

"Is this your house?"

Jaehyun nodded.

(Y/N) smiled softly.

"Would you invite me in?"

______________________________________________

He doesn't know how (Y/N) managed to have an effect on him, but now they were there, inside his little house, (Y/N) carefully examining the walls around them and analyzing every aspect of the small space.

He was grateful there were no one at home.

"It looks cozy," (Y/N) said as she looked at one of the frames hanging on the wall.

"I guess it's not even a third of your house," Jaehyun assured to (Y/N).

“And no matter how many people are there, it always feels lonely," she confessed. "It's like no one leaves anything there, like it's something unimportant. As if it's not a home," she finished.

Jaehyun looked at her gently, and as she looked around, thousands of things went through his mind.

"To be honest with you," the girl spoke. "I see more vibes from Jeno in this house than yours," she said. "Many things here seem related to Jeno... but I don't see many things related to you..." she continued. "It's like you don't even think about staying here for long."

"I don't plan on leaving Neo Zone," Jaehyun asserted, crossing his arms.

"Don't you want a different future?"

"There's no future for me," Jaehyun pointed out. "And if there were, I'd prefer to give it to Jeno. He has much more to live for than I do."

"You also have a life to live. A future to write, you can change what is today, for something better," (Y/N) turned around to face the boy.

"I have no way out," the boy replied. "Do you think this is easy? After seeing my dad die and doing everything my bosses ask me to do no matter what. Taking care of my mom, Jeno, and now Winwin? Huh? Making sure Winwin becomes who he was again and that my brother doesn't end up being a fucking addict are enough reasons for me not to leave here," Jaehyun concluded, getting dangerously close to her, with a few centimeters separating them.

The words echoed in her head strongly.

"I'm sorry," she whispered.

"Don't pity me," Jaehyun said under his breath.

"It's not that. It's just that every time I think about all this and now that I see your place and I don't see anything that seems to belong to you, it makes me think that's what you're looking for, to belong to something and leave here as soon as there's an opportunity,"

Jaehyun looked directly at her, not knowing what to say. And afraid to think that maybe she was right.

Because yes, maybe he wanted to get out of there, along with his mom, Jeno, and Winwin; maybe he wanted to do something with his life that wasn't illegal, but what was the point of thinking about it when he knew he wouldn't make it? He was afraid to admit that he wanted to be able to change things, to be able to make his family okay, that no shadow from the past would follow them, that they would have a place where they could forge a clean and safe future.

"This has never been about what I want," Jaehyun commented with a future. "Since I was born, everything around me was the gang. After my father's death, I knew what was coming, and I knew I would never be able to get out of it. It doesn’t matter what I want. It matter what my boss wants, he has that kind of power, no one below him has their own decision. The whole life of Neo Zone is ruled by him," he concluded, even closer to her.

(Y/N) looked him in the eyes, her breath uncontrolled. Her chest heaved, and her hands were sweating.

"What do you want, Jaehyun?" she whispered.

The boy paused for a moment and looked at her lips.

"Now?" he asked, and she nodded. "Would it be unrealistic to say that I want to kiss you?"

"How realistic would it be to say that I want you to do it?

She didn't even finish the question because Jaehyun's lips collided firmly with hers. The boy's long hands slid through (Y/N)'s soft hair, her hair smelling of lavender shampoo. He gently covered her cheek with one of his rough hands, and she melted into the touch.

It wasn't a hurried kiss, as (Y/N) thought it would be; actually, Jaehyun was taking the time to savor every passing second. As if this moment would disappear at any minute and he wanted to hold onto it.

Was he looking for something to belong to?

His hand moved from her cheek to her waist, and she took the opportunity to press her body against his and release a moan of pleasure. As if she felt complete leaning against Jaehyun's warmth.

As if it was something they both longed for for a long time.

And even though she wanted to continue with the act, they were severely interrupted when a car horn sounded incessantly outside the house, causing them to separate with tremendous confusion. (Y/N)'s red cheeks were enough to make Jaehyun's heart race, but when he heard another horn, he took her hand and they walked outside in hurry.

And then, there was Jeno, being thrown out of the back of a car, blood streaming from a cut on his eyebrow, bruises scattered all over his body, and falling firmly to the ground after being thrown.

"I want this to be the last time your brother sets foot in our zone. Next time it won't be him we throw," the familiar voice of a boy from the opposing gang spoke up. Chris. Who was with the window down and smiling maliciously. "Neither will it be you, Jung. It will be the girl who will end up like this,"

Jaehyun moved abruptly from his place to try to reach the car, but it left as fast as it could, (Y/N) shocked to hear those words, didn't do anything more than approach Jeno to help him up. Then Jaehyun cursed under his breath and looked into the distance at the girl and her brother together.

And his chest tightened as he realized that now, she too had been involved.

And he believed there was no turning back, because she was right... Jaehyun wanted to belong to something.

But how selfish would it be to belong to (Y/N)?

a/n: well now you know what happened to Winwin TT. Once again I’m sorry if this took too long I promise I’ll try to update sooner this time!

taglist is open! if you want to be added just lemme know;)

taglist: @spicyryujin @kriizztin @daegalismybiasinnct @peachfulnight @gojoscumslut @bluedbliss @dear-97 @girlwholoveslpreppyattire @hana-off-icial @cigarettesafterjae

235 notes · View notes

stop-talking · 3 months

Text

You're his ex, but he's desperate for a babysitter. (pt. 4)

Mike Schmidt x fem reader

2.4k words + 300 word epilogue

Tags: 18+, mike x fem reader, no use of y/n, exes, enemies to lovers, slowburn? sassy mike, sassy reader, pet names, banter, angst, fluff, comfort, happy ending.

Part 1 Part 2 Part 3

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Mike sits at his kitchen table, trying not to nod off into his cereal. Today is a quiet day. A lazy day. His one day off.

Except, not really. There's always work to be done. He just has to figure out what today's work would be. He's caught up on laundry and dishes, the house isn't too much of a mess... Hm. Maybe he should finally fix the dripping pipe in the bathroom. Or the living room window that's been stuck for years. Or one of the million other things wrong with his house.

He sighs and goes to take a bite of his cereal, only to realize he forgot the milk. Damn it. When he opens the fridge, he stands face to face with a little blue dolphin stuffed animal. Right... Abby's still testing him. He leaves it alone, she'll see it when she gets home from school and assume her "spell" still works. Pfft.

Mike nearly drops the milk mid-pour when he hears the phone ring.

*click.*

"Hello?" He mumbles groggily, a little annoyed to have his morning brooding interrupted.

"Hey, Mike? You free at all today?"

He immediately perks up at the sound of your voice. It's been two days since he last saw you, and he honestly wasn't sure if you'd ever speak to him again.

"Yeah, uh... It's my day off, actually."

"Good. I'm using that 2nd favor."

Mike's heart races. If this favor is going to be anything like the last one, he was definitely up for it.

"Oh? Missing me already, sweetheart?"

"As if. I need you to build me a shelf."

A shelf? Well, that was unexpected. Hm. Better than nothing.

"What, like build it from scratch? Are you expecting me to buy the boards, or-"

"No. I have all the pieces. It just needs to be assembled."

"You can't assemble a shelf?" Mike scoffs, but secretly he's pleased. Sounds like you just want an excuse to have him over.

"Mike. You know I'm no good with tools."

No, he didn't know that actually. Liar. You definitely just wanted to see him again. God, he felt giddy.

"Mhm. Sure."

"Just get your ass over here, Schmidt."

"Woah, what's with the attitude, Princess? I'm here to help." He can't help but let some smugness seep into his tone. Okay, more than some. He's a cocky bastard and he knows it.

"I've been working on the damn thing all morning. Almost three hours now. Not in the mood, jackass."

Shit. You sounded sincere. And really pissed off. Then again, what kind of a shelf took three hours to assemble? The fuck was it? A jigsaw puzzle?

"Alright, alright. I'll be over soon. See ya."

Mike slumps against the counter as you grumble something incoherent and slam the phone down. Damn, what is he getting himself into this time?

Only one way to find out.

・○・・・・・・○・・・・・・○・・・・・・○・・・・・・○・

When Mike finally arrives at your apartment half an hour later, he feels a bit silly. He put on a nice shirt and trousers to come see you, and here you are in sweats and a baggy t-shirt. Figures.

"Call for a handyman?" He greets you with a teasing smile, holding up his old rusted toolbox as he makes his way inside.

"Pfft. Someone's happy to see me."

Mike can't really say anything to that, so he doesn't try. He is happy to see you, even if you have attitude problems and dress like a bum.

"So, I bought the damn thing from a friend-of-a-friend, who got it at a garage sale. I swear, it has to be missing some parts or something, because-"

He nods as you rattle on and lead him to your bedroom, but he's only half-listening. He looks around your apartment, taking it all in. It's been at least six months since he last came over, probably longer. It doesn't look to have changed much. He likes your apartment. It's cozy.

"Anyways... can you fix it?"

Mike pauses in the doorway of your bedroom as you give him a sheepish smile and gesture to something in the corner.

Holy hell. Is that supposed to be a shelf? Mike can't help but think that the hideous agglomeration of boards and screws would only be good as a fire-starter. It looks more like a pile than a shelf.

"Uhh..." He bites his cheek, desperately trying not to burst into a fit of laughter. Maybe you really weren't lying about the whole "no good with tools" thing.

He finally loses it when you groan and flop down on the bed, hiding your face in a pillow.

"Ughh... Laugh at me, whatever. Just fix it."

"Jesus Christ. This has to be the sorriest excuse for a shelf I've ever seen. Sure you don't want me to haul it to the junkyard instead?" He snorts, sitting down on the edge of your bed and looking with disdain at the half-assedly assembled shelf.

Mike immediately shuts his mouth when you glare at him. Oops, right, you're in a bad mood.

"I mean, uh... you tried?" He laughs, shaking his head in amusement. He still can't believe you're actually this inept when it comes to assembly.

"Get to work, Schmidt."

Mike yelps as you kick him off the bed, but doesn't bother retaliating. He just grabs his toolbox and sits on the floor, examining the so-called "shelf".

"Well, the first step is going to be un-doing everything you did."

・○・・・・・・○・・・・・・○・・・・・・○・・・・・・○・

You lie on your stomach in bed, chin propped up on your hands as you kick your feet in the air and ponder the sight before you. Mike's back is turned to you as he quietly works away taking apart the monstrosity you assembled.

"How long is this gonna take?"

"Well, If it wasn't so..." He trails off, glancing at you and choosing his words more carefully.

"...sturdy, it'd be a lot easier to take apart."

"Hm? What do you mean?"

He gives you an incredulous look and gestures to a series of nails in a corner where two boards meet. It does look pretty ridiculous, the sharp ends pointing out the other side. Not your best work.

"You put nails in it, sweetheart." He scoffs.

"How else was I supposed to keep it together?" You give him your best pout, and gloat internally when he has to turn away. He's absolutely infatuated with you. Even the back of his neck is pink.

"It comes with screws for a reason, ya know."

"There's a difference?"

He turns and gives you a flat look, and you laugh. Damn. You can play dumb with him, but maybe not that dumb. Noted.

Still, it's a little boring just laying there and watching him grumble and pull nails from wood. You can't really mess with him too much either, because you really do what him to fix the stupid shelf.

"You want something to drink?" You finally break the silence, under the guise of trying to be a good hostess.

"Pfft. Need some whiskey to deal with this bullshit." He snorts, pulling yet another nail free. He'd almost gotten one board off. One. This was gonna take a while.

"I was thinking more along the lines of soda or tea."

"Jack and Coke, then?"

"Mike. It's hardly past noon."

"So?" He scoffs. "For me, this is like... evening, or something. I dunno. Sleep schedule's fucked with this new job."

That answer makes you pause.

"What is it you do now, anyway?"

He groans, finally prying one of the boards free of the clusterfuck.

"Night guard. Told you already, remember?" He tries to shrug the question off, but you're nosy.

"Where?"

"Uhh... Freddy Fazbear's Pizza..."

"Speak up."

"Ugh. It's this stupid rundown hellhole pizzeria. Honestly dunno why anyone would wanna break in there anyways. It's a dump."

"What kind of a pizzeria needs a night guard? Or any guard?"

"The haunted kind."

You decide not to ask about that, simply shaking your head as you walk to the door. He's truly a loon. A loveable loon, unfortunately.

"Just tell me what you want to drink, Mikey, or I'm getting you water."

・○・・・・・・○・・・・・・○・・・・・・○・・・・・・○・

Mike sits on the floor of your bedroom sipping his glass of water and wondering how he got here. If you'd told him a week ago he'd be building his witch of an ex-girlfriend a shelf, he would've gagged. Now...? Well, he just wants to go join you on that bed.

"So are you really just gonna sit there and look pretty while I do all the work?"

"Aww, you think I'm pretty, Mikey? You smile, lying on the bed with your feet kicking in the air, giving him a look of pure adoration. It wasn't hard to do.

"Pretty annoying, yeah." He turns away with a scoff, returning to his work. If only he could get this stupid nail untangled from the other two... why would anyone use this many nails?

"You know, I think I liked you better gagged."

"Oh I know, sweetheart. I could see it in those evil eyes of yours." He can't help but smirk a bit at the comment, though. Sometimes he liked himself better gagged, too. He shakes the thought away and keeps working.

"Why can't you just get on hands and knees and beg me to take you back already?" You huff dramatically and roll over onto your back, letting your head fall over the edge of the bed. He looks silly from this angle. Upside-down.

That question nearly makes Mike drop his tools. Were you serious?

"Why? So you can laugh me off again?"

Ouch. It was true you'd turned him down the last time he'd tried it, but that was six months ago.

"Maybe if you used those big brown puppy eyes of yours on me."

That only earns you a grunt, so you verbally prod him again.

"Besides, why can't I do both? Laugh at you, then take you back? Sounds fun."

"Pfft. Fun? To toy with me? You'd probably break up with me all over again just for shits and giggles." He responds bitterly, still refusing to turn around.

"Mikey. Look at me." You roll back over onto your stomach and rest your chin in your hands as he slowly meets your gaze.

"I didn't break up with you just for shits and giggles. You know that. I'm not letting you sit there and wallow in self-pity."

Mike goes stiff from your words, but your tone is soft, and your eyes even softer. You're still giving him that adoring look. Damn it.

"Well maybe I'd rather wallow in self pity than admit you were right all along."

"You've had six months to wallow. Grow a pair and come kiss me."

He can't say no to that. Not when you look at him that way. He shuffles over, kneeling by the side of your bed. On his knees for you again, damnit.

You kiss him. It's different from the lustful, sloppy kiss you shared last time. This one makes you feel warm. You kiss him again. And again.

Mike really doesn't want this to end, but the knot in his stomach forces him to pull away. He has to ask.

"Why? Why are you doing this, I mean? Do you really want... to take me back?" He sputters, looking down at the floor.

"I'm not completely sure yet." You answer honestly, shifting and lying back on the bed.

Damn. That's not the answer he wanted to hear.

"Are you-"

"Come here."

When you pat the spot next to you in bed, Mike melts. He's a wreck right now, but still wants nothing more than to be with you, in every sense of the word. He silently complies.

"It's not about right and wrong, you know. As much as I love being told I'm right." You give him a soft smile, breaking the silence and placing your hand on top of his as you both lie on your sides.

Damn it. He'd done this with you before, this and so much more. Why was such a small touch turning him to goo?

"What isn't?"

"The breakup. It's about growing as a person. As people. Both of us." You lace your fingers with his, and can't help but laugh as his face reaches a level of pink you've never seen before.

"And what exactly am I supposed to be growing out of?"

"Pfft. I don't know, the emotional unavailability? The way you never made time for me? Constant irritability?" You start to dramatically list off his flaws, using your free hand to count on your fingers.

"Okay, okay. I get it." He huffs, and grabs your hand before you can make fun of him more. Instead, he guides it to his side, pulling you in a little closer.

"And you're miss perfect?"

"No. 'Course not. I have flaws too." You give him a sly smile, and start listing your own "faults".

"Too hot and sexy, too intelligent, too kind, amazing, sweet and caring..."

That's as far as you get before Mike scoots closer, burying his face in your neck and giving you a playful nip.

"Too arrogant." He adds with a laugh, wrapping his arm around you and letting himself melt further into you.

"My arrogance is one of my best qualities, thank you." You reply haughtily, sliding your hand up his back and into his hair.

Mike couldn't speak, even if he could somehow find the right words to say. Everything in this moment felt so right. His arm around you. Your fingers in his hair. He lets out a soft groan instead.

You aren't exactly eager to let go of this moment either, and just hold him for a few minutes. It feels nice to play with his soft brown curls.

"I'll do better. Please." He finally mumbles something to you, not bothering to move his face from where it's buried in the crook of your neck.

"Please what, Mikey?"

"Take me back."

He finally pulls back, just enough to give you a glimpse of those puppy eyes of his. Damn it. How could you even think of saying no?

"Yeah. Okay."

You both lean in for another round of soft passionate kisses, and Mike feels himself relax completely. His stomach unknots and his mind goes numb. For the first time in months, he feels completely safe.

・○・・・・・・○・・・・・・○・・・・・・○・・・・・・○・

"So does this mean you'll babysit for me again?"

"Go finish the shelf, Schmidt."

"Yes, Princess."

─────────────────── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ────────────────────

♡ Epilogue ♡

Over the past few weeks, you and Mike had fallen into a sort of rhythm.

He never did end up finding a new babysitter, and besides, you're the only one who could ever get Abby to finish her dinner. You had to graduate her from daily witching lessons to weekly ones, though, convincing her she needed to study for the more advanced spells. Secretly, Mike was just losing track of which objects in his house were supposedly invisible. It was quite amusing to watch.

Mike's favorite part of the day was coming home to you already asleep in his bed, and waking you up with a kiss. He'd then either lie down in bed while you shower, or hop in there with you, depending on how you felt. Either way, he loved the view.

The conflicting schedules made things complicated, but you were able to work around it. Mike slept better with you holding him, and consequentially, was a lot more agreeable. He did his best to make more time for both you and Abby.

He even started to open up to you for once, letting you take on some of his burdens. This man sure had a lot of guilt. You were certain he hadn't yet told you everything, but he told you enough. At least you finally knew what the fucking NEBRASKA poster on the ceiling was for. Now you kind of felt bad for all the times you teased him about it the first time you dated.

As for the damn shelf... well, he finished it. It was still hideous, but it was functional. There were holes in it from the nails, and the wood had even started to splinter in a few spots. You couldn't bring yourself to get rid of it, though. Not after how much work you both put into it. Even if most of Mike's work revolved around un-doing yours.

It definitely wasn't a perfect relationship, not by far. But Mike never promised to be the perfect boyfriend. He just promised to be better.

And he was, bit by bit, every day. Better. ♡

─────────────────── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ────────────────────

Author's note:

Thank you all for the love!! This was my first time writing a fanfic of any kind so I'm really happy so many of you enjoyed it. Feels good to bring the story to an end.

Feel free to send me a request, I'd love to write more fics about Mike. Or any other J-hutch character for that matter, Mikey is just my favorite <3

219 notes · View notes

randxmthxughts · 1 year

Text

All For You - Neteyam x Ta'unui ! reader (enemies to lovers) - pt. 2

*Ta'unui is the Eastern Sea water clan that was attacked by Quaritch

part 1

summary: When Quaritch attacks the Ta’unui water clan looking for Jake Sully, the clan’s Tsahik forces her younger sister, Y/N, to escape and seek refuge from the Metkayina clan. As Y/N deals with the trauma of losing her home, she discovers that she isn’t the only outlander in the village. She develops conflicted feelings for Neteyam but the tensions grow when Y/N finds out that Neteyam is the son of Jake Sully - the man she hates.

genres/tropes: angst, romance, enemies to lovers, friends to lovers, grumpy x sunshine, slowburn

other pairings: Loak x Tsireya, Kiri x Ao’nung, platonic relationships (Y/N x Kiri x Tsireya, Y/N x Jake, Y/N x Neytiri)

warnings: war, mentions of blood, PTSD, trauma, survivor guilt, character near-death experience, slightly aged up neteyam, dialogues are supposed to be in na'vi, not english, lots of side eyes, braids swaying, and neteyam appearing out of nowhere like the batman lol

word count: 30,2k (ik this is insane)

︵‿︵‿︵‿︵

The next morning you try to occupy yourself with whatever tasks to avoid running into Neteyam. You think that both of you need some time before returning back to your usual selves. What if he starts hating you?

Tsireya silently works along you, as you’re gathering berries. She doesn’t ask you anything about last night but you’re convinced that she suspects something happened.

“Y/N,” you hear someone call out your name.

Neytiri waves you over. You notice her wearing a different belt with two small knives hanging from each side, and a bow in her hands. Oh shit.

“Are you going to fly with Neytiri?” Tsireya asks, curiously. You nod.

“Come,” Neytiri shouts again.

When you join Neytiri, you feel nervous. And it’s not because of her anymore, but because Neteyam promised to join you too, and you’re scared you might run into him any minute now. But as you walk with her to your marui to retrieve your weapons, and head into the trees, there is no sign of Neteyam.

“This is my ikran,” Neytiri pats the greenish-yellow creature on its head with a smile.

The sound the ikran makes terrifies you, but she only laughs at your reaction. You've heard stories about the forest clans riding ikrans, but you've never seen one up close, let alone flown on one. You also knew of the special bond that exists between the forest Na’vi and their ikrans; they could only choose one for the rest of their lives, and in return, the ikran had to choose and remain loyal to them. This bond was unbreakable, for life.

“You will fly with me,” Neytiri explains, as she checks the armor on her companion. You watch her attentively. “We will hunt later, so you can try shooting in the air.”

You nod your head, taking a step closer. The ikran lets out another sound but Neytiri quickly calms it down, encouraging you to keep closing the distance. A few moments of patience pay off when the ikran lets you pat its head. Overwhelmed, you let out a breathy laugh.

“Now, let’s go,” Neytiri jumps on the back of the ikran, helping you up.

“Is Neteyam going to join us?”

“He is with his father,” Neytiri says, as she pushes the straps of the armor into your hands, “Grab on these. Neteyam will come if they finish early.”

You take a deep breath, as you feel the ikran jerk under you. A big wave of air hits you in the face, and you grab harder onto the handles not to fall. When you gaze down at the view below, you feel your heart race. You never even dreamt of flying but this seems like something you were waiting for your whole life.

As you fly higher and higher, you notice how confident Neytiri is in her movements. She controls the ikran with ease, guiding it smoothly around curves of the cliffs, between trees and small nooks. You grip the armor of the ikran tightly, fear and adrenaline rushing through your blood.

Neytiri takes a dip, and as you feel exhilarated by the sensation of the wind running through your hair, you let out a laugh. She looks back at you with a toothy grin.

“Tie your feet,” she shouts, slowing down the ikran.

You obey, tying the straps around your feet to the armor.

“Done,” you shout back.

Neytiri makes a slow turn. She circles around a small lake, hidden between the green of the island. Just above the water, you can see a small flock of tetrapterons, graciously soaring.

“Take out your arrow and bow,” Neytiri orders, “We will take them by surprise. Some birds will fly away but some will fly right at us. That is your best chance.”

“I’m ready,” you reply with a newly gained confidence.

You ready your bow, adjusting in your seat, and praying to Eywa that you won’t fall off. As Neytiri’s ikran circles closer, you feel alert at the sheer number of them. Neytiri navigates the ikran around the flock, and immediately, loud screeches strike your ears, as the birds disperse.

Focused, you take one look to find your prey. You take an aim, and feel a rush of adrenaline, as you release the arrow and watch it hit its target. You shriek in excitement, marking your victory.

“Well done!”

“This is great!” you shout, raising your hands over your head, and feeling the wind.

After some more flying, you get to see Neytiri in action. She’s graceful and fast, her arrows shooting through the target every single time perfectly, while she’s still flying her ikran. You hunt for a bit more, diving to collect your prey before returning back. You jump off to the ground, adrenaline rushing through your veins, as you watch Neytiri feed the ikran with one of the birds you caught.

“Oh, that was incredible!” you grin ear to ear, earning a smile from Neytiri.

“You are a skilled hunter, Y/N,” she compliments you, “And you have never flown before.”

“I can’t even imagine how exciting it is when you have a connection with the ikran,” you come closer, petting the creature that has already grown used to you.

“It is. It’s a connection for life,” Neytiri confirms, “You feel everything they feel. The freedom, the wind.”

You watch her with admiration, recalling the way she hunts. You don’t think you have ever even come close to being as graceful as she is. Not even in the water.

The two of you sit on the grass, the ikran stretching not too far away from you, closing its eyes. Neytiri lets you catch your breath before giving you the task of removing the arrows from the birds you caught.

“You turned down Neteyam last night,” she suddenly says, and you feel your heart picking up on a faster rhythm, “Did he do something stupid?”

“Not at all,” you shake your head, avoiding her eyes.

“Then why? Have you chosen somebody else?” while her voice remains soft, you feel pressured.

“That is not the reason,” you sigh, “I… I like Neteyam. I think he is kind.”

“And you?” she nudges you with a small smile.

“And I am not worth him,” you shrug your shoulders, hoping that your answer would satisfy her.

“Nonsense,” Neytiri shakes her head, “Tell me the truth.”

You fall silent, biting down on your lip. You didn’t even have the guts to explain it properly to Neteyam, let alone to his mother. Hell, you didn’t know what to say to yourself. She doesn’t know that the thoughts of Neteyam have been driving you crazy. You feel guilty and frustrated because you can’t go back home but you also feel like you don’t deserve to live a new happy life here. You won’t be able to make him happy.

“Y/N,” Neytiri says, putting her hand on your shoulder, “Whatever is holding you back can be fought. The Great Mother guided you through the water, she helped you survive for a reason. Nothing should stop you now.”

“I don’t want to hurt him,” you whisper, “Now is not the time.”

“I used to think that when I met Jake. But it’s never going to be the right time.”

You look back at her, searching for more answers. You recall the stories Neteyam told you about his parents the night you spent together. When you first heard them, you thought they were brave to choose each other. Maybe even a little selfish.

“Mom,” your ears perk up at Neteyam’s shout, as he jumps off his ikran.

Neytiri waves her son over, and as Neteyam walks up to you, you notice blood on his forehead.

“Y/N,” he greets you with a forced smile. You awkwardly greet him back.

“What happened to you?” Neytiri stands up to examine his forehead, then circles him, looking at his back, and arms.

You jump to your feet too, following her expressions, in case she finds something.

“I’m alright, you should see dad,” Neteyam chuckles, then winces, as Neytiri slaps his arm.

“What did you two do? I told you not to be careless!” she gets angry.

“Nothing,” Neteyam pulls away, “We were flying around the cliffs of another island but there was a thick fog. Dad couldn’t see anything, so he hit a cliff. I was just behind him…I didn’t hit anything but when he fell, he took me down with him.”

“Stupid!” she scolds him, “Where is he?”

“At Tsahik’s,” Neteyam winces again, shaking off his arm. He must have hurt it, you think.

“Come,” Neytiri orders.

︵‿︵‿︵‿︵

Jake looks exhausted and in pain, his forehead creased with a frown. Neytiri sits next to him, peppering him with questions while Ronal tends to his wounds. You and Neteyam sit back, the awkward silence between you palpable. He avoids your gaze, and you can’t really blame him for that.

“No, that wasn’t fog," Jake’s voice catches your attention.

"What then, Ma'Jake?" Neytiri leans forward, her expression curious.

"It was smoke," Jake replies, his breath ragged. "I could smell it. And it was too thick. I couldn't see a thing."

You cover your mouth in shock, as a realization hits you. If the smoke was caused by the sky people, it means the trouble is closer. Ronal throws a quick glance at Neteyam, before shoving one of the balms she just used into your hands. When you look at her, confused, she points to Neteyam’s forehead, covered in blood.

You curse Tsireya for abandoning you to assist Tsahik. She never leaves her mother alone, she is the tsakarem! You know that it was exactly her intention to leave you with Neteyam.

“No need, I can do it myself,” Neteyam raises his palms to stop you, but Ronal only tsks at him.

He can’t even see his wounds, let alone treat them, you think. With your breath shaky, you walk to Neteyam, taking in the damages on his arms and forehead. You hope that by the time you get to it, Ronal will take over, so you don’t have to stare at his face. Neteyam looks at you from underneath his lashes.

“Sorry, I wasn’t there today,” he mumbles, “I know I promised but…”

“You don’t have to apologize,” you say quietly, “It was fun.”

“I told you,” Neteyam gives you a small smile.

Knowing him, he can’t stay mad at you forever. He knows it’s wrong to be petty. Still, it hurts.

You gently shove him to turn around to examine the multiple cuts on his back. He’s not bleeding but they look nasty. You take a breath before applying some of the balm onto his wounds, and you see his muscles clench.

“Shit,” you hear Neteyam wince.

You remember the same balm used on you when you first arrived, and the burning pain that followed. Hesitantly, you lean closer to blow cold air on his wounds. Neteyam's back muscles slowly relax under the feeling. It is not enough to stop the pain, but it's still a small relief. You blow a few more times before the burning dies down.

“Turn around,” you order quietly, and he complies.

You feel blood rushing to your cheeks, as you take one of his arms, to tend to the wounds you saw earlier. Neteyam watches you carefully, wincing as you start applying the balm. Instinctively, he tries to jerk his arm away but you hold him in place.

“Mawey,” you whisper. He clenches his jaw but stops moving.

After you finish applying the balm to his other arm, you realize that the adults have slipped away. You heard Ronal being rushed to treat an injured Na’vi, but not Neytiri and Jake leaving.

“Almost done. Now, the nasty one,” you breathe out, pointing to Neteyam’s forehead.

He closes his eyes, preparing for the pain, but instead of the balm, you take a damp cloth to his forehead. He flinches in surprise underneath the soft touch and opens his eyes.

“It’s a big cut,” you explain, “I need to clean it first.”

“Y/N,” Neteyam’s voice is low, “About last night.”

You gulp down, nervously, not meeting his eyes, instead focusing all of your concentration on cleaning his wound. But he’s so close, you can feel his breath on your skin.

“You didn’t have to explain anything to me. I-I,” he takes a shaky breath, "A mature Na'vi must face rejection because you can't force your heart to feel something it doesn't. And if you don't feel the same for me as I do for you, then I must accept that without question."

He is too noble for his own good, you think. You stop, and lower your hand to look at his face.

“Neteyam, you got it wrong,” you let out a deep sigh, “I didn’t reject you because I don’t have feelings for you. I turned you down because I’m scared that it could ruin us and jeopardize you as the future of your family.”

Neteyam frowns, trying to process your words. This whole time he had been so certain that you simply didn't reciprocate his feelings, that he had almost grown used to that idea.

“Why are you scared?” Neteyam takes your hand in his, giving it a reassuring squeeze, “You know I will do whatever it takes to protect you.”

“‘Teyam,” you whisper, too overwhelmed to meet his gaze.

He releases your hand and cups your cheek tenderly, bringing your foreheads together. Though you're standing, towering slightly over him, it doesn't distract from the moment.

“Please, just for a moment, let me be honest with you,” Neteyam says, nuzzling your face, “Will you?”

“I will,” you agree. All he has to do is ask, you’ll always agree.

“I see you, Y/N,” Neteyam whispers.

You feel your breath catch in your throat. You knew he was going to say it but it still felt unexpected. Neteyam's fingers caress your cheeks with love, waiting for your response. With anything. As long as he gets a response. You lean in and touch his lips with yours, and both your hearts start racing.

There is a small pause before Neteyam kisses you back softly and slowly. You close your eyes and give in to him, as he pulls you closer and closer, until there's no more space left between you.

Overwhelmed, you eventually pull away, catching your breath. A toothy grin appears on Neteyam's face, making your heart ache with love. You wish you could always make him smile like this.

“Now is not the time, Neteyam,” you try to discipline him but instead his smile grows even bigger. Is he mocking you?

Your cheeks flush with heat as you try to calm down your racing heart, but Neteyam only seems to find your reaction funny. He reaches his arm to touch yours.

“I feel the happiest,” he says.

“It’s not the time,” you repeat again, trying to sound stern this time, “You’re bleeding.”

You notice red running from his wound, and sigh, as you take the cloth, and start cleaning it. Neteyam follows your movement with a smile resting on his lips but he lets you work.

You can’t really believe that you kissed Neteyam. You tried resisting before getting sucked into the fantasy of being his, but the thoughts of returning home continue to nag at you.

He doesn’t know that it’s been days since you thought about it. Going home. The nightmare you had about your sister has left you feeling like Eywa was trying to send you a message. So you desperately wanted to check for yourself. What if she’s been alive this whole time waiting for you to come home? What if she’s with Eywa now, and you've neglected to send your prayers, instead living a new life? Just the thought of it makes you feel sick. You know that you can't wait any longer.

Neteyam lets out a soft gasp, bringing you back to reality. You blow on the balm you've just applied to his forehead to ease his pain.

“Thank you,” he places his palm on your waist.

“You’re welcome.”

“Now nothing will hold me back from being yours,” he says, taking your hand and placing it over his heart.

“Neteyam -”

“I know, I know,” he interrupts you, “You think this is not the right time, but what matters to me is that you reciprocated.”

“Of course I did,” you decide to tease him, switching the topic, “I couldn’t break your heart, when you had blood all over you.”

“Is that so?” he quirks his eyebrow, eyes twinkling,“If I had known that it takes me getting hurt to be treated so nicely, I would have got hurt a long time ago.”

“That’s not funny,” you slap his chest, earning him a laugh.

For a second, you’re reminded of the plan you had. You hang your head low before speaking.

“I can’t promise you anything right now, ‘Teyam. Not until I am sure.”

“Sure about what?” he looks at you confused.

“There’s just something that...I need to be certain of before I give in to this,” you say, gesturing between you. You feel terrible for getting his hopes high. Why did you have to kiss him?

“I’ll wait,” he says. You look up at him in surprise, “However long it takes.”

You had everything planned out. It was so simple before he had to come in and mess up your head. You would sneak away in the dark, hoping to get to the Eastern shore by the morning. With a healthy young ilu, the journey would take less time now, and you were confident that your instincts would lead you by the same route you took when you escaped before. You had to see your home.

Neteyam is a distraction. He would come in, trying to save you, hold you back. He will fight you, and push your buttons, telling you that it is a bad idea. Make it harder for you to leave.

︵‿︵‿︵‿︵

The following week seems to drag on even slower than before, with no news of new attacks. While it seemed like something good, in reality, you were scared that the sky demons were planning a bigger strike. Lo’ak has a theory that they were tracking you down with their fancy weapons, instead of wasting resources on other villages. Neteyam discredits his brother to make the rest of you feel better, but, judging by his eyes, you think he believes it too.

During these days, it’s hard for you to keep your distance with Neteyam, especially when you’re not alone. Despite his promise to wait for you, there is this new spark in him that makes him act carelessly. He can’t hide it around the others, staring at you and touching you at every opportunity he gets. Overwhelmed, in return, you overcompensate by ignoring him. You can’t let anyone find out. Because once it’s out in the open, you’ll feel pressured to become mates. And you were not ready.

︵‿︵‿︵‿︵

“What the hell, Neteyam? I almost had it!” you shout at him in anger.

“It was going to swim away if I hadn’t shot,” he responds with a self-assured tone, like he is talking to a child.

It was early in the morning, when you decided to head out for some hunting near the caves at the back of the island. And just as you were about to feel the sweet satisfaction of catching a srakat that you’ve been preying on, an arrow whizzed past you and struck the fish.

Neteyam found your expression amusing, not knowing the effort and patience you had put into finding those damned srakat caves, nor did he understand how much it annoyed you when someone interrupted your hunt.

“You should have minded your own business!” you hiss at him.

Neteyam rubs his eyes, and you can’t believe his audacity. He ruined your hunt and now he’s the one rubbing his eyes like he’s about to get a headache?

“Did I ask you to help me?” you ask him, feeling your blood boil.

"Do you ever ask?" Neteyam huffs in annoyance. You have a feeling this is something deeper.

“Oh forgive me, Neteyam, my savior,” you mock him, “What was it you called yourself? The mighty warrior? Well, can a mighty warrior return to being his mighty self and leave the real hunters to actually hunt?”

“When it comes to swimming, I get it!” he throws his hands in the air, exasperated “I always listen to you because you grew up in the water. I know you know better, so I listen to you -”

“Exactly!” you interrupt him, feeling a surge of irritation.

“Let me finish,” Neteyam rolls his eyes. “But when it comes to hunting, why can’t you trust someone who has been holding a bow and arrow in his hands before he started walking?”

“Do you think you’re the only one that hunts?” you ask him, confused. “Catch up, forest boy. We know how to use bows and arrows, but spears are easier when hunting down bigger prey. Especially srakat.”

“A good hunter works with precision and a small window of time, your method was doomed from the beginning,” he argues.

“It’s not about precision, it’s about patience and force! You can’t possibly shoot a srakat from a distance. If it spots you, you’re never going to see it again. You were just lucky that we were so close to it, otherwise your arrow wouldn’t even poke its armor.”

“Yet, who’s the one holding the trophy?” he raises his eyebrow at you, expectantly.

“Now you’re just pissing me off on purpose,” you hiss at him.

His ears flutter in response. Neteyam attempts to cover them with his hands but it is too late. Is this what you think it is? Did seeing you this angry suddenly bring him pleasure?

“You, skxawng. Are you seriously this excited seeing me angry?” you can’t believe him.

“No,” he denies, “On the contrary, I’m frustrated with your stupidity!”

“You’re the stupid one!” you poke his chest with your finger.

It takes you by surprise when he wraps his fingers around your wrist. You’re standing too close to each other, your breaths catching. Neither of you looks away, trying to read each other's thoughts. It's been a while since he's been this close to you since your kiss in the marui, and you’re suddenly reminded why. Your gaze falls to his lips, sending him a sign. Neteyam kisses you, and this time you can’t pull yourself away.

Your bodies embrace, holding each other tight, and as you kiss, it feels like the two of you are fighting over who gets to taste more. You pull him closer by the nape of his neck, and a soft moan escapes his lips. He kneels, and you follow suit, the kiss unbroken.

Kissing him is overwhelming, greedy. You sit on him, wrapping your legs around his waist. Neteyam places your hand on his chest, and you can feel his heart beating rapidly. He reaches for your queue, and you don't resist.

“Y/N,” he gasps, pulling back, “Stop.”

“What is it?” you ask offended.

“Eywa,” he says. You notice he's holding your queue between his fingers. He lets it slip away.

“She hasn’t blessed us,” you voice his concern out loud, “Not as mates anyway.”

“What do you mean?” Neteyam’s ears perk up in surprise, “Did she give you a sign about me?”

“Kind of.”

“Tell me,” he is eager, it amuses you.

“No, I think it might go to your head,” you tease him, with a playful smile.

“Y/N,” his voice is so serious, you crack.

“Alright,” you roll your eyes, letting your fingers wander over his broad shoulders, “The other day, when we were at the Spirit Tree, and it was windy, a seed floated around me, and then around you.”

“Why didn’t you tell me?” Neteyam looks at you offended. You find it amusing.

“Because you were really getting on my nerves back then,” you admit, “And honestly, you’re still kind of annoying me now.”

“I’m the annoying one?” Neteyam’s face lightens up with a sleazy smile.

Before you know it, he pins you to the ground, hanging above you. He seems to like this position a little too much. His fingers tickle your stomach and neck, forcing giggles and squeals from you, as you try to escape.

“Neteyam, stop!”

“Say you’re sorry!” he demands, pausing for a moment to give you a chance to save yourself.

"I'm not going to lie," you reply, your voice catching in your throat as he continues to tickle you, "FIne! I'm sorry! I give up!"

“Sorry for what?”

“Not telling you sooner!”

“And who am I?” he quirks his eyebrow.

“Neteyam,” you whimper, but he shakes his head, “‘Teyam!”

“Hm,” he pretends to think about it, “Not bad but you have to try harder if you want to get out of here still alive.”

You feel out of breath, smiling like a fool. You know exactly what he wants to hear.

“The mighty warrior,” you let out. His face immediately lightens up.

“Smart girl,” Neteyam leans in, nuzzling his forehead against yours.

“You called me stupid two seconds ago,” you huff but he shuts you up with a gentle kiss.

Words can’t describe how giddy you feel. It's unbelievable. You’re kissing him! Neteyam. Just a few weeks ago, you despised him with every fiber of your being. Your grandmother used to say that hate is a form of love, and you're starting to believe that now. Because at this moment, it feels like there's no one in the world except him. With his lips on yours, and his hand gently cupping your cheek while you play with his braids, you feel all the negative thoughts being pushed out of your mind.

“Oh, sweet Eywa,” you pull away from him, suddenly realizing.

“What?”

“Is that why you’re annoying me? Because I was ignoring you,” you accuse him.

“What, no way,” he denies, yet it’s so easy to spot his lies.

“You’re lying, you skxawng!” you wrap your arms around his neck, “Look at that sleazy grin on your face. And your ears! They were fluttering when I was yelling at you!”

Neteyam cracks under your gaze, and starts laughing. You take a second to admire this sound. It’s so genuine, so warm. Oh Eywa, you wish to hear that laughter every day. You gaze into his golden eyes with so much love, you feel like your heart is going to burst.

“What are you thinking about?” Neteyam asks softly, noticing how quiet you got.

“I see you, Neteyam.”

︵‿︵‿︵‿︵

Like on the schedule, the storm doesn’t take long to arrive. Tears blur your vision as you witness a Tulkun floating on the surface with its eyes closed. There are blurs of bright orange at her sides that confirm she’s been killed by the sky demons. Devastation fills the air, with Ronal trying to revive her soul sister, praying to Eywa. But everyone knows it's too late. When she finally gives up, a painful shriek breaks the silence. You sob quietly, as you feel Neteyam’s hands wrap around you in comfort. You can’t imagine what it feels like to lose a soul sister.

When Tonowari calls for a meeting, there is a mixture of anger and sorrow in the air. The Metkayina hunters wear their armors, holding weapons in their hands, ready to fight. Tonowari orders everyone to prepare to avenge the death of Tulkun.

Jake jumps into the circle, pleading with him to stop. He thinks that it is a trap set by the sky demons to lure them out, that they’re planning something worse. When the others try to silence his father, Neteyam intervenes, asking them to listen. His desperation weighs heavy on your heart. Jake raises a piece of metal retrieved from the Tulkun's side, causing everyone to fall silent.

“You tell the Tulkun, if they are hit by one of these, they are marked for death,” he says.

Tonowari seems to listen. He orders the clan to pass the message to their soul-brothers and soul-sisters, and tell them to leave before it’s too late.

︵‿︵‿︵‿︵

“I’m sorry, ‘Teyam, but you gotta move out of the way,” you sigh, tired of arguing with him.

“I’m not letting you go there, it is too dangerous,” his accent becomes more evident with the anger building up inside, “Let’s wait. I will talk to dad, we will think of something safer.”

“I don’t need you to talk to your dad!” you grow frustrated with him, “I don’t need you involving anybody else. I have thought about this. I know what to do.”

“It’s risky, Y/N, you know it is.”

“I do. But they’ve sent us a clear sign,” you point at the water, reminding him of the dead Tulkun, “They know exactly where to shoot now. Exactly where to hurt. And I can’t keep going on like this… I need to know what happened before I lose my sanity, sitting here and waiting for death,” you’re so tired, you’re ready to break down right here. Just to feel him wrap his arms around you and comfort you.

“Y/N,” Neteyam’s gaze softens at the tremble in your voice, “I can’t lose you.”

“This is why I didn’t want you to -” you stop yourself before you say something hurtful. It’s really not his fault that you gave in to this fantasy of being his, “Please. Move.”

It’s only a second of hesitation on his side but it’s just enough to give you an opening. You charge past him into the water, your ilu already waiting. The cool water rushes over you, as you swim ahead, determined to get as far from him as you can. You hear his voice call out to you.

“I’m not letting you go there alone!”

The death of Tulkun has only added to your fears of the sky demons targeting the Metkayina. Your nightmares have become more frequent. It’s the same one, every night, and you just can't wait anymore for another sign from Eywa. You need to figure out for yourself what happened to your home, and to your sister.

When Neteyam caught you sneaking at night, it wasn’t hard to guess that you were trying to leave the perimeters of the village. Of course, he is worried about your safety. You'll be alone in the open water, with the sky demons lurking nearby, looking for their next prey. What if they spot you before you can hide? What if they catch you? He’s not going to lose you right after he spilled his heart out to you. It’s not fair.

It’s still dark out, as you swim ahead, following your instincts. You can sense that Neteyam is close behind but you don’t acknowledge him. You're determined to see this through.

︵‿︵‿︵‿︵

As the sun rises, you and Neteyam arrive at the village. You can feel your heart sink at the sight of what remains of it. It’s hardly recognizable: everything you knew and loved has disappeared into smoldering ruins.

You unlink from your ilu, taking a few steps further. Even the sand underneath your feet seems to be dark gray from the fire. Your eyes roam over the burnt structures of the old maruis and the pieces of clothes and weapons scattered on the ground, showing how little regard the sky demons had for your Na'vi.

You feel the weight of guilt and anger welling up inside and crushing down on you, as you continue walking. You stop when you step closer to the remains of a marui where your sister and her mate used to stay. It was easy to tell apart from the others: as the leaders of the clan, they used to have a big home. You were always jealous of all the space they had, which from the very beginning was destined for the children they were going to have. Streams of tears rush down your face, and you can’t help the sobs threatening to close up your throat.

Neteyam, who was right behind you all this time, gently rests his hand on your shoulder. You turn around, desperately burying your face in his chest. He holds you tightly, with his hands on your back, running them up and down in a comforting motion. He feels his own heart breaking at the sound of your crying.

It takes you a long time before you can pull away from his arms, ready to face the reality again. Neteyam asks if you want to go back but you can only shake your head. Not until you know the fate of the Tree of Souls. It was the sacred place where your clan used to go to pray, hidden away in an underwater cave, on the far edge of the island. The Tree was still small, still growing, but it was the only source of light in the darkness. You pray that its secrecy has kept it safe from destruction.

You pull Neteyam by the hand, leading him towards the cave. The once bright and lively colors of the plants now seem dull. As you dive in, a faint light catches your eyes. The Tree of Souls. Quickly, you swim to it, desperate to feel its warmth and connection to Eywa. But the light the Tree radiates is too weak, barely breaking the darkness around it. You cover your mouth with your hands, in shock. Behind you, Neteyam squeezes your shoulder, as you bring out your queue to the Tree, ready to cling to it. You close your eyes, focusing on your bond, and ask the Great Mother for guidance.

︵‿︵‿︵‿︵

When your eyes flutter open, you find yourself back on the familiar beach. Your village looks just as it did in the past, with all of the maruis standing in place, untouched.

“Y/N?” you hear your sister’s voice, as she appears in front of you with a warm smile. This can’t be real.

You shake your head in denial, as tears fill up your eyes. With the signs you received from Eywa, deep down you had hoped that she wouldn’t be here. That somehow she had survived and just ran away to live somewhere else. That she hadn’t died for you.

But there she was. Gracing you with the warmest smile and wrapping you in the tightest hug. Wearing the headpiece that you helped her decorate, when she was first pronounced the Tsahik of Ta'unui. It was the happiest day.

“Why are you crying?” she asks, pulling away to look at you.

“I missed you,” you sniff.

“I missed you too,” she cups your face lovingly.

Although your nightmare threatens to repeat itself, you allow her to guide you towards the water without objection. It’s crystal clear and the sky is cloudless. You’re not scared that she may let go of your hand anymore. Together you swim, holding hands, and admiring the depths of the sea. As you both dive deeper, you come across a cluster of yellow plants that glow, breathing in and out.

“I want to lay here someday,” she gestures, and the realization hits you. This is how the water takes, claims the dead.

Heavy-hearted, you get back to the beach with her, stretching out on the sand. You wish you could stay with her. Just the two of you.

“Are you happy?” she asks you, “It seems like you’re letting the bad thoughts consume you.”

“You know me too well, sister,” you smile, “I don’t know how to start again after losing everything.”

“You just have to accept that you can never bring the past back,” she responds thoughtfully, “What scares you?”

“I’ve met someone… And I’m scared to promise myself to him. I don’t think I can make him happy.”

“Well, why?” she urges you to open up. You can only shake your head, feeling the weight of guilt crushing you. “Is he kind?” she prompts.

“He is, he has the kindest heart.”

“Is he patient?”

“Too much for his own good,” you chuckle.

“Does he love you?”

“He does,” you wince.

“I don’t see what scares you, Y/N,” she smiles proudly, “You deserve happiness. Leave the past behind you.”

“But what about you?” you frown, feeling like she is slipping away from you.

“I will be the happiest when you are too, tsmuke.”

︵‿︵‿︵‿︵

When you swim back up, you spot Neteyam sitting on the flat rocks, inside the cave. You catch his attention right away.

“Are you alright?” he leans in, helping you out of the water, “You were in there for a long time.”

“I am… the nightmare was a sign from Eywa,” you breathe out, taking a seat by him, “I think there was a burial ceremony the night when I first saw it. The Ta'unui who lived gave their final prayers to the fallen before leaving here.”

“Is she with Eywa now?” he asks carefully, and you nod, “I’m so sorry, Y/N.”

“It’s alright,” you sigh with a small smile, “I’m just happy I saw her.”

Neteyam embraces you tightly. You’re not sure if it’s meant to comfort you or himself but you’re pleased, feeling him so close to you. You tug at his queue lightly, signaling him to pull away.

“What is it?” he asks.

“I want to ask Eywa for a blessing,” you smile at him, nuzzling his face, “I want to be promised to you forever.”

︵‿︵‿︵‿︵

As you make your way back home, you and Neteyam exchange giddy laughs, when he occasionally circles around your ilu, playfully teasing you. This newfound feeling of Neteyam being yours makes you overwhelmed with your love for him. Though you both agreed to wait, you were blessed by the Great Mother and that was all that mattered.

Suddenly, Neteyam stops and puts his fingers to his ear, listening in. Annoyance flickers across his face before he touches his necklace.

“Get away from there, as fast as you can Lo’ak,” he growls, “We’ll be there soon. I don’t care, tell father right now.”

You watch with concern, as Neteyam takes off at lightning speed. You barely manage to keep up with him, urging your ilu to swim faster.

“It’s Lo’ak,” Neteyam shouts, unwilling to slow down, “He went to warn Payakan about the Tulkun’s death, but Payakan has been marked.”

“Is he okay?” you ask worried.

“He’s trying to get it out. But the skxwang brought everyone with him. Kiri, Tsireya, Ao’nung, and even Tuk followed them,” Neteyam shakes his head in frustration.

You swim faster and faster, when finally, you can spot Payakan, with the silhouettes of your friends, standing on its back. Neteyam takes off and helps them right away but you fall back, when another movement catches your eyes. A large ship is approaching and quickly coming into view.

“”Teyam,” you shout, swimming to them, “They’re here!”

Everyone's heads turn in the direction you point. As the ship gets closer, it seems to grow in size, and your voice catches in your throat. Neteyam quickly takes charge, rushing everyone back to their ilus.

“We’re swimming back now, sir,” he presses on his necklace, “Roger that.”

“Is that your dad? What is he saying?” you ask him.

“They’re getting ready to attack. But we have to leave now.”

︵‿︵‿︵‿︵

“Y/N, help!” you hear Lo’ak’s voice, as you catch a sight of him on the ilu, with Neteyam laid over his knees.

It seems like just a moment ago, you were helping free Tuk and Tsireya, urging them to retreat to the shore with you, as the Metkayina battled the sky demons. Despite your pleas, Lo'ak picked up a weapon and charged into the explosions. Neteyam shook his head before picking up a weapon himself.

“Neteyam, please,” you pulled him by his hand, “Don’t go there.”

“Don’t worry, just get Tuk to safety,” Neteyam squeezed your hand in his, “I’ll be right behind you, you won’t even notice.”

“But Neteyam -” he shutted you with a kiss, before pulling away with a smile.

“Go, now,” he rushed at you, disappearing into the battle.

You shouldn’t have let him go. Panic and fear overwhelm you, as you try to help Lo’ak and his human friend get Neteyam to the land. Your heart drops when you see red running out of his chest.

"Y/N, he’s been shot!” Lo'ak's voice breaks through your thoughts.

Immediately, you kneel down, Tsireya joining you to examine him. Neteyam barely keeps his eyes open, as you take in a deep wound on his chest, blood gushing out of it. You can’t see the bullet.

“‘Teyam! You’re fine,” you touch his face.

“What do we do?” Lo’ak asks panicked.

“I’m going to get my mom,” Tsireya stands up but Lo’ak pulls her back by her hand.

“Ronal is out there fighting.”

“You’re the tsakarem, you must help him,” you almost hiss at Tsireya.

Neteyam lets out a weak cough, clearly hurting. You press your fingers onto his wound, trying to apply more pressure. You can feel the warmth of the blood seeping through your fingers, and press down harder, almost trying to force it back. You can’t lose him now. Not right after you found him.

“Hey, hey, stay with me,” you beg him, tears filling up your eyes, “Tsireya, help me.”

Tsireya complies right away, helping you apply pressure down on Neteyam’s chest.

“Go to Tsahik’s room and find the blue balm she keeps by the wall. And bring back as many bandages as you can,” she tells Lo’ak, then turns to you with a whisper, “I don’t want to scare Tuk, but we must get the bullet out.”

You take a quick look at Tuk, wrapped up in her own arms, crying. You have forgotten she was here with you, watching her big brother suffer in pain. Your heart aches for her.

“Ma‘Teyam, are you with me?”

“Y/N,” Neteyam breathes out, a weak smile on his face. His hand cups your cheek, and you immediately cover his with yours, smearing the blood all over you, “I want to go home.”

“You’re not going anywhere without me anymore, you hear that?” you force yourself to smile through your tears.

From the corner of your eye, you notice Lo’ak and his friend returning back, and Tsireya rushes to him to take the supplies. They flee, as she takes a seat by you again, then brings out her knife. She starts speaking to you, as if she wants you to do something but you can’t really hear her. And your mind takes you to a bad place.

︵‿︵‿︵‿︵

“Y/N,” Tsireya’s voice sounds far away, “I need you to help”

Everything unraveling around you seems to pass in a blur. One moment, you see little Tuk by Neteyam’s unconscious body, with her small hands pressing over his chest. Your eyes take in a knife, covered in blood, with its sharp tip poking through the blood with quick careful motions. Then, Tsireya throws the knife away, as her fingers dig into the wound. Your eyes widen as she pulls out a bullet, covered in thick blood.

“I got it, Y/N,” Tsireya’s voice snaps you back into reality, “But I think he’s doing worse.”

You only nod and lean in to check Neteyam's breathing, but there's no sign of life. Frantically, you search for his pulse, but again, nothing. When you press your ear to his chest, straining to hear any sound, your heart races. It's like searching for a glimmer of light in the dark depths of the ocean, but at last, you hear the faintest heartbeat.

This weak, fragile beat is all that matters to you. Like a drug, it floods your veins with a surge of adrenaline, tuning out every bad thought and emotion. You quickly spring into action, now overtaking Tuk’s responsibility, as you tear a piece of your cloth to start cleaning his wound.

“Y/N, his lungs are giving out,” Tsireya voices her concern, as she thoroughly applies a thick scoop of the blue balm to the wound. “If he doesn’t start breathing on his own soon, this is pointless.”

“I know… I know what to do,” you mumble, thinking back on the chest compressions Neteyam performed on Kiri when she was struggling to breathe, “But we need to wrap this very tightly.”

Doubts flood your mind as you begin the compressions, questioning whether you are counting correctly or making the injury worse. Tsireya checks his pulse but shakes her head every time, and you feel a sense of disappointment overwhelming you. You refuse to give up. He just needs a push.

“Neteyam!” you shout, pressing on his chest in an already familiar rhythm, “Don’t leave me!”

Tears stream down your face as you press your mouth to his, willing him to take in more air. Suddenly, you feel a slight movement underneath you, and when you pull away, Neteyam coughs weakly and takes a small breath through his mouth.

As you notice his chest slowly rising and falling, you let out a cry of happiness, thanking the Great Mother for helping you. You repeat your prayers over and over again, as if in a trance, while holding his hand. Eventually the chaos around you dies down, and everything turns dark.

︵‿︵‿︵‿︵

It takes you a few seconds to adjust your eyes to the bright light. As memories of the previous night appear to you, you jolt up looking for Neteyam, and realize that you had fallen asleep by his side.

His eyes are closed, face peaceful, bandage tightly wrapping his chest. Your heart picks up a beat, as you carefully lean in to check his breathing. When you feel a weak breeze on your skin, you pull away with relief. Your eyes roam around the big marui, finding the rest of his family scattered around, asleep. Even Tsireya’s here, her head resting on Lo’ak’s shoulder. When your gaze meets Neytiri's, you notice the dark circles under her eyes indicating sleeplessness or tears, or both.

Quietly, she walks over to you and kneels down beside her son, cradling his cheek lovingly. You see her eyes glisten, as she then leans in to wrap you in her motherly embrace. A small sob escapes your lips, feeling consumed by her warmth.

“Shh, my child,” she whispers, gently wiping away your tears, “Neteyam is strong. Eywa has heard you.”

Your heart fills with gratitude for her words. Despite seeing her son like this, she finds enough strength for the both of you. Together you stay by Neteyam’s side, watching his chest rise and fall with each weak breath.

Eventually, the rest of the family wakes up, one by one checking on Neteyam.

“He will be awake soon,” Ronal confirms her prior reading, earning a grateful look from Jake.

You catch a proud smile settle on her face, as she watches Tsireya carefully switching the old bandages, consumed in her work. You feel infinitely thankful to have Tsireya by your side.

︵‿︵‿︵‿︵

The dynamics between the Sully family changed overnight. You notice how Jake and Neytiri suddenly seem even warmer, holding each other and their kids lovingly, afraid to lose them. Despite guilt eating away at Lo’ak, he feels accepted once embraced by his father. Kiri and Neytiri seem to understand each other without exchanging a word. While you find Tuk clinging herself to you and Tsireya, her newfound admiration for you evident in the way she sought your attention.

When Neytiri and Jake send the kids off to eat and bring something for them too, you protest to stay at the marui with them. The thought of leaving Neteyam’s side even for a moment makes you shudder.

Instead, as advised by Ronal, you start praying to Eywa again.

“Y/N, Eywa has heard you already,” Jake says, putting his hand on your shoulder in comfort, “Take a break, kid.”

“But what if she hasn’t? Ronal said he would be awake soon but he isn’t waking up,” your voice is desperate, “I am scared.”

“This is his battle to fight,” Neytiri adds, her voice low, “He is the first son of Toruk Makto, born to lead clans, to protect. Neteyam was destined to be strong, you have to trust him.”

“He’ll be alright,” Jake pats your back, offering comfort.

You nod, quietly agreeing. There really wasn’t a reason for you to behave like this, with his parents in the room. And they are right. Neteyam always does his best, you just have to be patient.

“Were you with Neteyam yesterday?” Neytiri suddenly asks, curiously observing your face.

“What?” you’re caught off guard. Is she implying the morning of?

“Yesterday, Neteyam disappeared. And when Lo’ak was with Payakan, he told us that you and Neteyam were coming from the East,” she slowly elaborates, as she pieces the bits together.

“Why were you coming from the East?” Jakes fixes his eyes on you, waiting for an explanation.

You avoid looking at any of them, hesitant to respond. You knew for sure that if Neteyam hadn't been lying with a wound in his chest right now, Jake would be already scolding him for venturing outside the village perimeters at night. You swallow the lump in your throat, feeling pressured to tell them. Yikes.

“We went back to my village,” you blurt out, “I didn’t want anyone to know where I was going, but Neteyam caught me sneaking out. He couldn’t convince me to stay, so he just came with me to make sure I was safe.”

The two of them listen to you quietly but you can already see disappointment covering Jake’s face. Neytiri’s expression is unreadable, and you wonder if they’re angry at you for putting their son in danger.

“Look, I know it was risky and stupid but I had to see what remained of my home,” your voice breaks, as you continue to justify yourself, “And the two of us were very cautious. Seriously, we were completely fine -”

“It’s alright, kid,” Jake interrupts you, his gaze softening, “Did you find what you were looking for?”

You nod affirmatively, noticing a small spreading across Neytiri's face. She regards you with approval, as if what you told them has impressed her. It's the same look she gave you when you went hunting together.

“You’re not going to get mad at Neteyam, right?” you ask Jake, knowing how upset Neteyam gets when scolded by his father.

“I couldn’t think of anyone braver and kinder than Neteyam to go with you,” Jake smiles, and you feel relieved.

“Something is different about you. Your spirit,” Neytiri points out.

“I got the answers to my questions from the Great Mother. I feel content,” you nod your head, confirming her words. She hums.

“Y/N, we are very grateful to both you and Tsireya,” Jake’s thanks you sincerely, “You saved my son.”

“Really, like I said, it was mostly her -” you try to oppose but another voice interrupts you.

“Your voice was the thing that kept me alive, Y/N,” it’s so low and husky, weak. Neteyam.

Your heart skips a beat when your eyes catch his golden ones, looking back at you with the already familiar, already addictive warmth. All three of you are suddenly overwhelmed with joy, as you lean in and begin to examine him, holding his face, his hands, his thighs, whatever you can get your hands on.

“You’re awake,” you let out, already feeling tears dwelling in your eyes.

Neytiri beams at her son, squeezing his hand in hers, as if his life depends on it. You give some space for Jake to sit closer to Neteyam.

“I am feeling better, don’t worry about me,” Neteyam forces a smile to calm their unsettling reactions.

“Thank you, Great Mother,” Neytiri says, looking up, and you can hear Jake repeating after her quietly.

Neteyam catches your eye, his own crinkling in the corners. But there’s something playful about his expression, like he’s trying to hold back a laugh.

“You scared the hell out of me, Neteyam,” you nag him, and earn back a weak chuckle.

Your blood boils at how angry you suddenly feel. Angry at how careless he was. At how he didn’t listen to you, didn’t trust your instincts. At how now he’s treating his poor parents’ reactions as something funny.

“You think it’s funny?”

“It’s not funny, I’m sorry,” Neteyam shakes his head, as he reaches his hand to you, offering peace, “Mother, father, forgive me please.”

“Glad to see you, son,” Jake pats his head, approvingly.

You can’t remain angry, as you look at his hand outstretched, waiting for yours. Slowly, you move close to him, giving him your hand. He squeezes it with a soft smile. You can’t help but smile back.

“Neteyam!” Tuk’s excited shriek interrupts you, as she runs up to her brother, almost falling onto him.

You laugh at her reaction, as Neteyam struggles to hug her back, and her hands almost choke him around the neck. Lo’ak and Kiri step into the room next, their eyes widening when they see their older brother. Deciding to give them a moment, you step out of the marui with a relieved smile.

When you take a seat by the wall, you feel somebody sit down next to you. You don’t have to check to know that it’s Jake.

“You know, I owe you for the rest of my life for saving Neteyam,” he pauses, then tries to joke, “How many of mine have you saved already? Two?”

“Exactly, two,” giddy, you play along by holding up two fingers, “Came really close to three with Lo’ak a few times but then Neteyam took over.”

“Wow. Either you’re really great, or my children just desperately want to give me a heart attack.”

“You should be happy that I hang around them so often,” you earn a throaty laugh from Jake, before his expression turns serious again.

“But really, Y/N…”

“I know, you don’t have to,” you interrupt him, “I care for your family too. Even if it sounds strange, given my past opinions.”

“Past?” Jake quirks his eyebrow at you, “That trip to your village really turned things around for you, huh?”

“It did,” you nod.

“And I’m guessing that he finally confessed to you?” he catches you off guard with his question.

“Neteyam told you?” you ask. Jake hums, “What did you think?”

“Does it matter?”

“It does to me.”

“Well,” Jake looks into the distance, “I thought it would be great if you returned his feelings.”

“But why? I wasn’t exactly nice to you,” you’re really confused.

“You were okay,” he smirks, finding your reaction amusing, “And kind of made a great point about me.”

“I don’t get it,” you chuckle in disbelief, “So you think I was right to put the blame on you?”

“I do,” he nods his head, “You were just the first one to say it to my face. Even I couldn't do that.”

“But I was wrong,” you shake your head, hoping that he’s only teasing you. Nothing about his expressions hints at that, “You know that the demons would invade our islands sooner or later, right? I heard about what happened with Vitraya Ramunong.”

“Yet, I was the one to lure them here,” he adds.

“I don’t understand. You were protecting your family.”

“I know. But it’s not over.”

You pause, confused, examining his face. Jake looks almost defeated, like he has accepted it, and has been living with it for a long time. You feel your stomach turn, as you recognize the nagging feeling of guilt. Feeling of being at fault. Like you didn’t deserve this life, while others suffered for you.

“You think they will come back for you?” you ask quietly, dreading his answer.

“I know they will,” he meets your eyes, his eyebrows tied inwards, “But I won’t let them hurt anybody else again.”

“What are you going to do?”

Jake doesn’t answer, instead staring off into the distance, deep in his thoughts. You think you know the answer already, everything alludes to your first conversation with him. But you don’t want to say it. Don’t really want to think about it either.

“Y/N, can you come in?” Neytiri interrupts your moment, as she leans against the entrance, “Neteyam wants to see you.”

“Sure,” you stand up. You exchange a knowing look with Jake, and try to push the bad thoughts away before walking in.

As Neytiri rushes her children out of the marui to give you some space, you catch a hushed exchange between Lo’ak and Kiri.

“You’re delusional, Lo’ak.”

“They came for us together, you idiot.”

Neteyam lies in a sit-up position, his back leaning against the wall. He smiles, as you sit next to him, his hand immediately taking yours.

“Missed me?” you tease him. Neteyam rolls his eyes before his lips stretch into a smile.

“Of course I did.”

He pulls you gently towards him, bringing his other hand to your face. You stop breathing in anticipation for his lips to touch yours. Instead, he nuzzles your cheek with his nose.

“What if your family sees?” you whisper, closing your eyes.

“Let them.”

You pull away to read his face. He looks tired but his eyes are brighter than ever. A playful smile sneaks onto his face, before he speaks.

“They must know by now anyway. Tuk likes to blabber.”

“Oh, right,” you recall the kiss he gave you on the ship. Both Tsireya and Tuk saw you.

You lean in again, cupping his cheek. Your thumb slowly traces the dark blue stripe on his cheekbone, disappearing into his braids. Neteyam closes his eyes under your touch, and it makes your heart flutter. You kiss him softly, gently. Afraid that if you press your lips against his any harder, he will break into pieces. It doesn’t take long for him to reciprocate, his arms sneaking around your waist and pulling you closer.

Smitten by the taste of his lips, you feel the urge to hold him. You rest your palms on his chest, feeling the bandage touch your skin, and before you can’t register, you involuntarily press against him. Neteyam moans into your lips with a mix of pain and pleasure. Immediately, you pull away, examining the damage. He looks fine.

“I’m sorry,” you breathe out.

“It’s alright, come here,” he opens his arm, encouraging you to sit by his side.

Carefully you nuzzle against his side, his arm draping over your shoulder. The tiredness from your sleepless night and the lack of food, makes you a little dizzy, and as you close your eyes, you eventually doze off.

︵‿︵‿︵‿︵

You shift slightly in your position, hearing hushed whispers next to you. You recognize Jake and Neteyam but it takes you some time to start making out their words. You don’t open your eyes, pretending to be asleep.

“Lo’ak said we won?”

“Yeah, kind of,” Jake’s voice is hesitant.

“So, that man is dead?”

“He is.”

There is a small pause before Jake speaks.

“I’m very proud of you, son.”

“Thank you, dad,” Neteyam’s tone is shy.

“And I think you chose very well,” you can’t see it but you can feel Jake’s eyes pointing at you. Neteyam shakes slightly underneath you, letting out a low chuckle.

“I know, Eywa blessed us.”

“Eywa?” Jake asks, “Oh, that’s good. That’s good.”

Another pause.

“Son, I knew that I would have to talk to you about this one day, yet I am caught off guard,” Jake admits, a hint of fear evident in his voice. You wonder where he's taking this. Maybe you should pretend to wake up to give them privacy?

“Why?”

“Well…” Jake breathes out loudly, “You know that even after getting Eywa’s blessing, you two can still take your time. I mean, there are other things you can do to… give each other pleasure.”

“Dad, please don’t -” you can feel the blood rushing to Neteyam’s face in embarrassment. You hold yourself back from cringing.

“I’m just saying. You don’t have to feel pressured to mate right away. Having kids this young can be too much,” Jake lowers his voice, “I want you to know about the -”

“I know, I know, dad, please stop explaining,” Neteyam pleads, as you silently pray for this conversation to end.

“Are you sure?”

“Yes, the guys talk. Like a lot,” Neteyam’s tone turns even more embarrassed, as he admits.

“Alright then,” you hear Jake stand up, “I guess this went better than I imagined.”

“You mean it was supposed to be worse?” Neteyam mumbles underneath his breath. You try your best to force down the giggle forming in your chest.

︵‿︵‿︵‿︵

As you look down on the water, soaring high in the sky, you feel heavy-hearted. You hold tighter to Neteyam, looking around at the rest of the Sully’s, each on their ikrans, maintaining similar speed. Your eyes intuitively search for Lo’ak, feeling the most saddened for him to part ways with Tsireya and his soul-brother, Payakan. Even if temporarily.

“Don’t worry, Lo’ak, we will be back until they even get to miss you,” Jake raises his voice for him to hear. Lo’ak doesn’t react.

“Come on, brother, you know she’ll wait for you,” Kiri adds, her voice filled with empathy.

Sully's human friend, Spider, is seated behind Kiri, his small hands tight around her middle. You haven’t particularly taken a liking to him but Neteyam says he is a good friend. Besides, he will play a big role in Jake’s plan.

It wasn’t hard to guess what the plan exactly was. From the second you had your conversation with Jake, you knew that whatever he had been planning in the past few months was now a definite decision in his head. Unlike the rest of his family, you were prepared for the day when he announced that he and his family were leaving the Metkayina clan for the time being. And if the possibility presents, and the Sully’s can return safely, without endangering the clan, then Jake hopes to be welcomed back and stay permanently. Kindly, Tonowari agreed, wishing Eywa to accompany the Great Toruk Makto in his pursuit.

There wasn’t much arguing from his family, when they first found out. Of course, they were upset to leave yet another home behind, but they trusted this to be the best solution. Even Lo’ak, who was the most heartbroken by this, eventually gave up on protesting. Wherever the family goes, he has to follow.

Their human friend had a tracker in his mask. And knowing that he now joined the Sully’s, Jake guessed that it wouldn’t be long until he gets attacked again. So his plan was to make a demonstrative exit, flying away from the water, over the uninhabited, wild jungles of Pandora, until somewhere along the way, he would remove and drop the tracker. You would continue your journey, until completely hidden from the sky people, and live for a little while by yourselves. No communications with the human-friends from the labs. No interactions with other clans. Just the family. And, if everything goes according to plan, Jake hopes to return back to Metkayina, where his children felt accepted.

“Just think about it, brother. By the time we return, you will be a man. Even the Olo'eyktan will see you in a different light,” Neteyam turns his face to Lo’ak, “You will make no effort to make Tsireya choose you again.”

Despite the words of encouragement, you feel the heaviness hanging over Lo’ak. It must be hard to be patient, leaving behind not only a soul brother you found but also a girl you love.

Despite the words of encouragement, the heaviness of the moment is palpable. You can feel the sadness emanating from everyone, as they all look back on the water, flying on the backs of your ikrans.

Seated behind Neteyam, you hold onto his middle tighter, reminding yourself of how lucky you were to be taken with him. You nuzzle your face into his back, seeking comfort. Neteyam stretches his arm, patting you on the thigh.

"I see you," he says, loud enough for only you to hear. A rush of warmth spreads through your body, knowing that he truly does see you.

︵‿︵‿︵‿︵

part 1

wow, can’t believe this is it. also, can’t comprehend how other writers do this, it was a journey… i hope you enjoyed reading this, and please don’t forget to reblog and leave some comments <3

︵‿︵‿︵‿︵

taglist (also tagging some blogs that i think might enjoy it, and some of the authors, whose works i’ve been reading non-stop to keep myself motivated): @fucksnow ; @heaven1oo4 ; @fanboyluvr ; @ngayawneluoer ; @aquila-de-l-ocean ; @aoteyam ; @moonpetrichors-blog ; @vinnieswife ; @eywascall ; @lxvvvllyy ; @iloveavatar ; @neteyamdarling ; @gloryy-vs ; @girasollake ; @mayhemories ; @suuuupernovaaa ; @love-chx ; @the-demon-soul ; @cosmictheo ; @victoirey ; @your-averagewriter ; @starkeysmoon ; @openpandorabox ; @urlocalfeiner ; @neteyams-tsahik ; @angelltheninth ; @sweetsbfreex ; @forever–darling ; @arachine ; @nyctophicbtch ; @jeojake ; @isabellapaul37 ; @melbee ; @loaksky ; @luvsellie ; @loakism ; @lizziesfirstwife ; @jakesullysbabygirl ; @theseuscmander ; @love13tter

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moonficrecs · 10 months

Text

Favourite Series Part 2

🌙 - all time favourite

✔️ - completed series

👩🏻‍💻 - ongoing series

1. Tongue tied by @jeonqkooks 🌙👩🏻‍💻

summary: pure domestic bliss between two idiot neighbors.

genre: neighbors to lovers, fluff, angst, smut

2. Cat-astrophe by @astralmono 👩🏻‍💻

summary: Hello! I love your work, could I ask you a request about Jungkook strong/intimidating aura but soft towards the reader who is shy, inexperienced and shy?🥺it turns him on but at the same time he feel protective towards her innocence. I would love to read a smut interactions between this two 🥺✨

genre: slice of life, established relationship

3. Ruin you by @taegularities ✔️

summary: It started with a gentle spark and harmless gazes; but by now, you’re caught in a wildfire that will expand until you’re burned inside and out.

genre: established relationship, fwb; fluff, angst, smut

4. Colour me in by @taegularities 🌙👩🏻‍💻

summary: Jungkook's door only opens for you when there's a barter: a trade of lust and haze. But today you knock for something more, as intriguing as it is frightening – and you hope it doesn't close his door forever.

genre: fwb, fake dating, college!au; fluff, angst, smut

5. Summer bummer by @kooktrash 👩🏻‍💻

summary: Summertime is supposed to be a time of easy living and that’s what you were hoping for when you signed up for an extra credit program cleaning up the shores of Busan and staying in a luxurious beach house. what you didn’t sign up for was to live with Jungkook, a failed talking stage who you’ve avoided for the past few months. despite having a slight disliking toward each other you find yourselves be by pulled back into each other throughout your stay. the only question that remains is if this is just going to be a summer thing or something more.

genre: enemies to lovers/beach read. jungkook x y/n [afab she/her]

6. I know the end by @onlyswan 🌙✔️

summary: But you had to go, i know, i know, i know.

genre: angst, a dash of fluff

7. Gold rush by @onlyswan ✔️

summary: What must it be like to grow up that beautiful? with your falling into place like dominos.

genre: fluff, smut

8. Evolution of lover’s heart by @jeonstudios ✔️

summary: The rules are simple: first one to take the virginity wins.

genre: fluff, angst, college au, fuckboy au, bet au

9. Bad influence by @noteguk 👩🏻‍💻

summary: In which you know Jungkook is a bad influence on you, but you can’t avoid falling for him every time.

genre: badboy!jk x goodgirl!, smut

10. Dilf JK by @venusiangguk 👩🏻‍💻

summary: You find a baby in your store and in turn, a dilf finds you.

genre: strangers to lovers, friends with benefits, smut, fluff

11. Gold rush by @venusiangguk 🌙✔️

summary: Jk comes back from a weekend away and he wants to show you just how much he missed you.

genre: pwp, smut, college au (kinda), established relationship

12. And they were roommates by @hoseok666 🌙👩🏻‍💻

summary: It all started with a rejection from your longtime crush, jeon jungkook. you decided to confess to him on your last day of high school. after a harsh rejection and a rough summer dealing with the heartbreak, you were starting anew once your freshman year of college came. you were going to be sharing an apartment with two other roommates that you don’t even know. what a surprise you’re going to be in for once you find out it’s the one and only: jeon jungkook and kim taehyung.

genre: fluff, angst, eventual smut, pretty much everything . college!jungkook AU, college!taehyung AU, cold personality jungkook, warm personality taehyung, slowburn

13. The lucky one by @babystrcandy 🌙👩🏻‍💻

summary: Growing up you only had one goal: beat Jeon Jungkook. Sometimes you'd win, other times you'd lose. Sometimes he'd lose, other times he'd win. But you'd both walk away from the match thinking the other was the lucky one.

genre: 18+ Minors DNI | sports au, e2l/r2l, angst, fluff, smut

14. Fool for you by @btsgotjams27 ✔️

summary: When Jungkook is finally single, you shoot your shot.

genre: fluff, angst, romance | college, fake dating, strangers to friends to lovers

15. My pretty boys by @btsgotjams27 🌙👩🏻‍💻

summary: They say if you want to learn what someone fears losing, watch what they photograph, you just didn't think your best friend would be one of them.

genre: romance, angst, drama, eventual smut | non-idol!au, camp!au, college!au, best friends-to-lovers, strangers-to-lovers

#moonficrecs #fic recs #jungkook x reader #jungkook #bts fanfic

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radiosteve · 1 year

Text

Something, Everything

Summary: You and Steve Harrington were best friends, and then you were more, and then you weren’t. When it seems like the world is about to end for the fourth time will you be able to set aside the past to help save your friends?

Note: I haven’t posted on here in a super long time, but I’m kind of back! This story is inspired by Love and Other Words by Christina Lauren, which I highly recommend. I’ve changed a lot of the details from the book (especially the timeline) but the basic premise is still there. I just wrote this for fun and it ended up being kinda long. I hope you enjoy!

Warnings: 18+, no use of y/n (reader is referred to as Honey), smut, unprotected sex, dry humping, friends to lovers to enemies(?) to lovers, language, some cannon divergence, fluff, angst, death, slowburn, naked photo.

Pairings: Steve Harrington x reader, some Eddie Munson x reader

Word count: 16.6k

It all started the night Will Byers went missing. Well, actually it started fourteen years ago, but that cold day in early November 1983 kickstarted the chain reaction that brought you here. Face to face with the one and only Steve Harrington. Your ex-best friend, your ex-almost, your ex-something, your ex-everything.

When you were startled awake by a phone call from your best friend Jonathan Byers asking if you knew where Will was, you instantly knew something was up. You skipped school, sticking by his side as him and Joyce continued their desperate search for any trace of Will. So when Nancy Wheeler squeezed her way in, bringing up monsters without faces and her friend Barb, you tagged along hoping like hell for any sign of Hawkins’ missing persons. You tried to ignore the part when Nancy said Barb was last seen at Steve’s house, and where Nancy so happened to be when Barb went missing.

It wasn’t until after Will’s funeral, when Lucas pulled you aside and told you about the girl they’d been hiding in Mike’s basement, that you got split up from Nancy and Jonathan’s monster hunting. After you were all briefly reunited in the middle school gym, the new dynamic duo secretly slipped away again, carrying out their plan while you stayed unknowingly with the kids. By the time the people from the lab were taken out and the dust settled from Eleven destroying the demogorgon, and seemingly herself, Will had been found and the world felt a little less upside down.

Jonathan caught you by the arm, pulling you into Will’s hospital room before you could join the others in the waiting room. With a quick ‘what the hell’ look and a mutter about Steve Harrington and nail bats and fire, you gladly took your seat across the room from Will’s bed until he woke up. You managed to avoid Steve again that day, something you had gotten really good at since that one day the previous year, but that bond that formed between you all that week was something that couldn’t be severed. It didn’t matter if you hadn’t seen him at all or that he only jumped into it at the last second. There was now a select group of people that understood why Hawkins was so different from other small towns and that group now contained the both of you.

When Halloween rolled around you took the kids trick or treating while Jonathan went to Tina’s stupid party. He didn’t even try to convince you to go with him. Knowing Steve would be there was enough to keep Jonathan from even thinking about asking you. But when Jonathan and Nancy came up to you with their plan to get justice for Barb, you were all in. When you all finally got back to Hawkins, noticing the romantic shift in the air between your two partners in crime, all hell had seemingly broken loose. And when none other than the devil himself came tramping out of the woods followed behind Dustin, Lucas, and the new girl Max, you knew for sure that nothing good could follow.

Despite going to the same school, you had managed to narrowly avoid Steve the past few years. You were in upper level courses while he barely coasted by in the lowest classes possible. It was the first time you had seen each other in nearly two years and it was like the wind had been knocked out of your lungs and spilled out onto the pavement below. He looked like he was about to say something when Dustin finally opened the gate and Chief Hopper came speeding out, effectively saving you from having to talk to Steve. Even back at the Byer’s house you found ways to keep him away. When Eleven came to the rescue, Will was no longer possessed, and the gate was closed, you managed to come out of it all without exchanging a single word or even sparing a passing glance. What you didn’t know was that he pestered Dustin with questions about you on the daily and when he dropped Dustin off at the Snowball that year it took all his willpower to tear his eyes off of the glimpse he got of you through the window.

By the summer you had gotten a job at the record store downtown, running over to the Hawkins Post to visit your favorite couple on your lunch breaks. It didn’t take long to recognize a few regulars at the record store, one of which being Eddie Munson, who so charmingly explained to you one day why he had to repeat his senior year a third time. He was cute, and a good way to take your mind off a certain hairspray obsessed boy that you heard got a job at the new ice cream place in the mall. So you and Eddie became about as casual as causal can be. He even had you pressed against the wall in the record store’s break room when Nancy came barreling in spewing nonsense about exploding rats and chemicals.

It wasn’t until you were dragged all across Hawkins and nearly killed a few times that you ended up in the mall and saw Steve Harrington’s beaten and bruised face for the second time since sophomore year. Even you had to admit that despite the blood and vomit stains, he looked damn good in that sailor outfit. But even as Steve drove into the side of Billy Hargrove’s car, saving you all from being driven into head on, you still couldn’t let go of the pain he caused you at the end of sophomore year. And when the dust settled and Chief Hopper was thought to be dead, you couldn’t help but avoid him again, slinking away to comfort Max and El.

Having no money meant staying in Hawkins and going to community college instead of all the out of state schools you had been accepted into. Nancy stepped up, filling as much of the Jonathan sized gap and becoming your best friend when he moved off to California. You told each other all your secrets, including both of your history’s with Steve. By the time spring had rolled around Eddie had become almost as much of a constant in your life as Nancy. Despite never saying those defining words, you somehow still found yourself curled up against him most mornings. It was because of how close you had both become that you woke up to a frantic phone call from Dustin about Chrissy Cunningham and Eddie and Reefer Rick’s.

As soon as you opened your car door and stepped out onto the pavement, you instantly wished you never picked up the phone. You silently curse yourself for ever entertaining the idea of monster hunting back in 1983 because now you’re stuck with Steve Harrington and this time there’s nowhere to run. Your eyes trace along his figure while you close the distance between you and the others. He’s changed a lot, although you suppose that you have too. His chest fills out those dumb polos a lot better now and his arms are definitely bigger too. His hair is still the same, although maybe a bit longer, but the stubble above his lip is new. You’re pulled from your silent stare by Robin pointing to the boathouse.

Following along quietly, you can’t help but notice Steve’s eyes flickering over you the same way you had done to him. Even as he jabs an oar into a tarp covered boat, his gaze still catches on you. It isn’t until Eddie has him pinned against the wall with a bottle to his neck that Steve snaps his focus away from you. As everyone shouts at Eddie to let Steve go, he doesn’t listen until he hears your voice.

“Eds, please let him go. We just want to help,” your calm words bring both Eddie and Steve’s eyes to yours. Eddie gives a slight nod, slowly releasing Steve. As much as you know you should rush to Eddie, you find yourself sliding in front of Steve. “Are you ok?” Steve swears that he can feel his heart stop for a second. The last time you ever spoke directly to him was now almost three years ago, and god did he miss the sound of it.

“Yeah, I’m alright,” Steve finally managed to barely get out after way too long. You nodded, finally listening to the little voice in your head telling you to get the hell away from Steve and check on Eddie. It isn’t until you’ve crouched down beside Eddie, placing a gentle hand on his arm that you’re reminded of something.

“Are you ok?” your voice rang out into the roaring sound of the classroom. It was the first day of kindergarten and before you sat a red in the face, wailing Steve Harrington. He looked up at you long enough to stop crying for a minute and take you in. You were dressed in a pair of well-loved overalls with a striped t-shirt that was clearly way too big stuffed underneath them. As Steve wiped the tears from his eyes he realized that he hadn’t answered your question.

“I’ve never been away from my mom for this long. I- I miss her,” he squeaked out before fresh tears began to well in his eyes. Your eyebrows furrowed as his face turned red again.

“Is your mom your best friend?” you sat down in front of him now, crossing your legs so that your knees just barely touched his. Steve thought about it and then slowly nodded his head. “My mommy’s my best friend too. Why don’t we let our mommies be our best friends at home and then we can be each other’s best friends here?” you shot Steve a small smile and noticed that his tears had suddenly stopped.

“My mommy calls me Stevie, so if you’re going to be my best friend you have to call me Stevie too,” Steve sniffled out, wiping his nose with his hand.

“Well then you have to call me Honey since that’s what my mommy calls me,” you held out your hand for Steve to shake.

“Ok Honey.”

You’re dragged from your thoughts by the sound of Eddie’s unsteady voice as he explains what happened the night before. Eddie’s shaking hands find their way into yours as he tries to calm down. There’s a flicker of a frown on Steve’s lips that he quickly corrects as he eyes Eddie’s hand enclosed around yours. Despite all of Steve’s nagging and prodding, Dustin never disclosed the nature of your and Eddie’s relationship, knowing it would do more harm to Steve than good. Steve’s gaze lingers on you for a moment longer before he hears talk of spells, curses, and Vecna.

“Who’s Vecna?” you can’t help but find his eyes as a now frightened Dustin slowly explains. And you know with each word that spills from his lips that your spring break just got hijacked by freaky monsters and gates and the Upside Down.

After a while, the rest of the gang takes off on a grocery run, leaving you to stick behind with Eddie. He watches you from the corner of his eye as you walk around the boathouse, silently picking through everything littered around the place. You’re caught off guard when his arms wrap around your waist from behind and his nose buries itself in your neck.

“I really wish I’d taken you up on your offer to come over and watch a movie on Friday instead. Then we wouldn’t be in this mess,” he says, placing a gentle kiss to your cheek before you twist your way around in his arms to face him.

“Well, maybe you wouldn’t be, but I can guarantee I would’ve been dragged into this one way or another. We’re kind of like a club now except our meetings only really take place just as the world’s about to end.”

“Sounds like a fun club,” the sarcasm drips from Eddie’s words and he leans in, slowly closing the distance between your lips.

“Super fun,” you meet him in the middle, soft lips dancing across his, making him groan as he pulls your body closer. He keeps kissing you as his hands find their way to your ass, giving it a quick slap that causes you to jump a little. Eddie pulls away slowly, just enough to see your face clearly.

“So, you and Harrington?” the question hangs in the air even as your eyebrows furrow and your head shakes side to side.

“What about me and Steve?” you search his face for any sign of what he means, but Eddie’s always been pretty good at hiding his true feelings behind those big doe eyes.

“I know you two have a history. Clearly I have no idea what actually happened because you’re very secretive,” you open your mouth to argue but he cuts you off. “No, no. You so are. Maybe not about most things, but you are about him. I know we’re not technically dating, but I just want you to know that I’m not the jealous type,” now you’re definitely confused.

“What are you even talking about?” a small giggle escapes your lips while Eddie’s eyes widen into saucers.

“All I’m saying is that if you and Harrington want to make goo-goo eyes at each other from across the room it won’t bother me,” now you’re fully laughing, and Eddie pulls you tighter to him while a grin breaks out across his lips. “What’s so funny, Honey?”

“Steve and I were not making goo-goo eyes at each other. And honestly you saying you’re not jealous only makes me think that you kinda are jealous,” you manage to stop laughing but you can’t hide the smile etched across your face.

“You wish,” Eddie pulls you in again, gently cupping your cheeks in a smiley kiss that’s quickly interrupted by the sound of the door slamming open. The two of you tear apart and Eddie grabs for his glass bottle again, pulling you behind him. It only takes a second for you both to realize it’s just the others returning from the store with food for Eddie. You don’t miss the way Steve’s gaze lingers on Eddie’s protective hand on your wrist as he files into the boathouse with the others.

Eddie goes to town munching on the food Dustin graciously handed him while they explain that the cops think he killed Chrissy. Eddie shoots panicked glances your way and Robin tries to comfort him with words but ends up making it worse. Even Steve jumps in and despite your hard glare, he and Dustin do nothing but add on to the sense of hopelessness that now fills the air. It isn’t until you all hear sirens in the distance that they finally shut up and Eddie jumps back under the tarp in the boat. You rush to the window, not noticing Steve close behind, and see the cop cars blowing past Reefer Rick’s house. As you peer up at Steve you know that there’s something else going on.

You slide into the back of Steve’s BMW with Dustin and Max on either side and Steve hits the gas until you see the red and blue lights approaching in the distance. Being in the middle seat means you're the last out of the car and the last to notice Nancy surrounded by police officers. She offers you all a small wave as your feet carry you forward, past the police barriers, and into her arms. Nancy lets out a small sigh of relief and squeezes her eyes shut at the feeling of your embrace. The others catch up and you move your way into the trailer park, sitting at a picnic table close to Eddie’s trailer. A place you’d been a thousand times, now crossed off with police tape.

Nancy talks about Fred, Dustin talks about Venca, and you do everything you can to ignore the lingering gaze of Steve Harrington. Your attention snaps back as Max makes the connection between Fred and Chrissy and everyone heads back towards Steve’s car. You follow Nancy as she keeps walking away from the others until you hear Steve’s voice and turn back around.

“Where are you guys going?” Steve’s question is directed at both of you, but his eyes only flicker over to you.

“There’s just something I want to check out first,” she says pointing over her shoulder towards her car.

“And I’m not letting her out of my sight with all this going on,” you speak up next, glancing towards Nancy to avoid looking at Steve.

“No way it’s too dangerous. There’s safety in numbers. You guys need someone to…” he trails off, turning to throw his keys to Robin. “I’ll stick with these two, you guys take my car and go check out the shrink,” Steve heads over to you and Nancy before Robin chimes in about not having a license. Steve squabbles with them all before Robin makes the executive decision that she’ll join you and Nancy instead.

Nancy explains her discussion with Wayne Munson and his thoughts on Victor Creel during the drive to the library. While you go along with Nancy’s hunch, knowing she’s usually right, Robin questions each and every detail of the theory. You can tell Nancy’s getting annoyed as you wait for the keys to the basement archives, stifling a laugh when she turns to you with ‘help me’ eyes.

The three of you search through newspaper after newspaper and you try to tune out Robin as much as you can. She’s nice enough but she talks way more than you remember. Nancy, clearly unable to put up with anymore of Robin’s babbling, goes downstairs to look for more newspaper reels, leaving you with a curious Robin.

“So, Honey…” her voice echoes through the now silent room as you set down the book you were looking through about D&D lore and Vecna.

“Why’d you call me that?”

“Everyone calls you that.”

“No, my friends call me that,” Robin opens her mouth in faux shock, bringing a hand to her chest.

“Are we not friends? Wow, you’d think saving the world from a human flesh monster and burning down a mall with someone bonds you for life, but I guess I was wrong,” you can’t help the small smile that crosses your lips at Robin’s theatrics.

“Alright, we can be friends,” a smile lights up Robin’s face and you mirror it back.

“Good. As your friend, you have to answer all my questions. Why doesn’t Nancy like me?” your smile drops from your face and your hands start to fiddle with the pages in front of you.

“Nancy likes you just fine.”

“I’m not an idiot.” Her eyes bore into yours. “Plus, what’s that thing the kids all say to each other? Friends don’t lie?” you curse Mike Wheeler under your breath for his stupid insistence on honesty.

“She probably just doesn’t like you because she thinks you’re dating Steve and she has other ideas of who she thinks Steve should be with,” it comes out pretty hushed and embarrassed, but Robin hears every word.

“I’m not with Steve. Not in a million years. He is so far from my type. I’d rather let the human population die out before being with Steve,” Robin’s words flood out in a rush of reassurance.

“You’re not a very good wing woman, you know that?” a smirk graces your lips as Robin’s face flushes. “And you don’t have to worry, I know you’re not with Steve.” Robin raises her eyebrows silently asking you ‘how.’ “Unfortunately I know Steve Harrington well enough to know when he’s interested in a girl and he’s not interested in you.”

“Do you know Steve well enough to know that he’s interested in you?” your breath hitches in your throat and your eyes meet hers.

“Yeah, I do,” you choke out, your mind stopping with the wisp of a memory.

“You’re so predictable, I really don’t get how she didn’t see right through you,” Steve puts the phone down and turns to you at the sound of your giggles bouncing throughout the room.

“I have no clue what you’re talking about, Honey,” Steve’s tone is serious but the smile stretching his lips says otherwise.

“Stevie, please. You use the same moves on every girl. If I had a deeper voice and your dumb polo I could pretend to be you, ask a girl out, and she’d never know the difference,” Steve steps closer to you. You’re sitting on his bed folding the laundry he left in a pile on top of it.

“Hey my polos are not dumb and I am not predictable,” he sits down on the bed next you, nearly knocking over the pile of sweatshirts you just folded. Steve grabs a shirt from the pile as you laugh at him again.

“You so are. You’ve been asking girls out the same way since third grade. We’re almost eighth graders now, you really should switch it up,” you snag the shirt from his fingers when you notice he can’t fold for shit. “Plus I can easily tell when you like a girl.”

“No, you can’t,” there’s something different about his voice now as he pulls his attention towards you. You brush it off, continuing your focus on his laundry.

“I totally can. You make up excuses to be around her, you laugh at all her jokes, especially when no one else does, you constantly nag everyone to tell you about her when she’s not there, and you get all moody when she’s with other guys.” you cross your arms over your chest and plaster on a satisfied smirk when Steve’s mouth drops open slightly. “See told you I could tell.”

“You do realize that you just described how I am with you, right?” the question hung in the air, and you found your jaw dropping just like Steve’s.

“Stevie,” it comes out as a whisper. Steve’s eyes shift from your eyes to your lips as you take a shaky breath. “Are you- do you like…” Steve silently nods, too afraid of what would happen if he tore his gaze from you. Your heart thuds in your chest and the world falls quiet around you. You’d harbored a crush on Steve ever since you figured out that boys do not indeed have cooties. It bothered you that he asked out other girls and never you, but it wasn’t your place to butt in. You were happy with as much of Steve as he was willing to give you.

Just as Steve was about to lean in, the phone rang, filling the silence. Without tearing his gaze from yours, Steve reached behind him, grabbing the phone from the nightstand and holding it to his ear. With a quick ‘Harrington residence’ and a muffled response from the other end, Steve handed you the phone. You held it up to your ear, hearing your dad’s quiet voice through the receiver. This pulled you out of your trance, tearing your eyes from Steve, until they fell on the folded clothes before you.

“Can you come home sweetie? I picked up an extra shift and need you to take care of your mom for a little. I can leave you a little money to order a pizza for dinner,” you agreed, hanging up after a promise of being there in 10 minutes. Steve’s gaze roamed over you with a sadness you hadn’t really seen before.

“I better get going,” you spoke softly, getting up from your place on the bed. The moment was gone. You’d both brush it under the rug like nothing happened. You wish something happened. Steve wished something happened. You collected your things scattered around the room and pulled on your shoes. Reaching out for the doorknob, you turned back, catching Steve’s sad eyes. “Bye Stevie, see you soon,” with that you left, heading downstairs and through the door, out to your bike waiting for you in the grass.

“Honey?” Robin snaps you from your trance and you jump a little in your seat. “I said, Steve never told me what happened with you two, but whatever it is, he seems really sorry. Like down on his knees pleading, crying, snot bubbles dripping down his face, sorry,” you scrunch your nose at the image.

“Are you always this descriptive?”

“Only when I’m nervous,” Robin gives you an awkward smile as you shrink back into your chair. What the hell is taking Nancy so long?

“No need to be nervous, Robs. And no need to try getting Steve back into my good graces. Our history is, uh well, history. I’ve moved on from it,” she eyes you wearily, trying to read your expression.

“Moved on enough to be with him again?” you shoot her a glare and she backs down. As you open your mouth to talk, she interrupts you. “I know about you and Eddie. Steve doesn’t, but I do. And I know that you're not really dating so don’t try to make any excuses. If you could just hear him out it could clear this whole thing up and you can live happily ever-” Robin’s sentence is interrupted by Nancy bursting back into the room and you’ve never been more thankful to see her. In her hand she holds the slides for the Weekly Watcher, making you even question her a bit. After scrolling through page after page, Nancy finally stops on a story titled “Victor Creel Claims: Ancient Demon Killed Family.”

“I know that I should’ve learned my lesson by now, but from this point on I’ll never question you again Nancy Wheeler,” you chime in, leaning over Nancy and Robin’s shoulders. Between the three of you, you manage to connect the dots between the ancient demon the article described and Vecna. Rushing out of the library, Robin radios to the others, finding out that they broke into the school. Nancy speeds over to the school as fast as she can and you catch up to a very freaked out Max describing her vision and her corresponding symptoms. Your hand reaches out for hers and she’s about to let you take it before a noise echoes through the empty school hallways.

Following Steve and his trusty lamp, everyone piles into the hallway, coming face to face with an out of breath Lucas Sinclair. He explains that the basketball team is on a manhunt for Eddie and Dustin. You’re all about to shuffle back out to the cars and head to the Wheeler’s when Nancy stops with an idea, grabbing Robin’s arm and pulling her back.

“What are you doing,” you stop, turning to face them as the others keep walking. She gives you a look, one you know means that you’re not going to like what she says.

“Go with Steve and the kids. I’ve got a plan and I need Robin,” she urges you forward, and Robin shoots her a look that you can’t quite read.

“I meant what I said, Nance. I’m sticking with you.”

“Go Honey, we’ll be fine. Plus, I think it’ll help for Max to have you with her,” you want to argue with her, but like usual Nancy’s right. You pull her in for a quick hug before chasing after the others and sliding into the back seat of the BMW next to Lucas. In order to keep your distance from Steve, you head up to take a nap in Nancy’s bed once you get to the Wheeler house. It isn’t until much later that Nancy and Robin show up in the Wheeler’s basement explaining their plan to talk to Victor Creel.

“Please don’t leave me here with him again. Nancy, I can’t take it,” you plead, following her up to her room. She purses her lips as she roots through her closet trying to find an outfit for Robin.

“Come on, Honey. It's been three years; you need to at least learn how to be civil with him. I know he hurt you and that he’s got his flaws, but I really do think he’s changed. Maybe it wouldn’t hurt to give him a second chance,” she pulls out a shirt, looking it over before shoving it back on the rack and continuing her search.

“Geez you sound like Robin,” you mutter under your breath and she shoots you a tight lipped look.

“Who sounds like me?” Robin steps through the door, immediately drawn to the cassettes on Nancy’s nightstand and all her other little knick knacks littered throughout the room.

“I was telling Honey to suck it up and stay with Steve,” Nancy glances over her shoulder at Robin messing with her stuff.

“Oh yeah, totally. I think he’d throw a fit if you didn’t. He’d probably complain about being stuck as the babysitter again and we’d never hear the end of it,” Robin moves over to Nancy’s music box, letting out a squeal as a tiny ballerina pops up.

“Maybe you can find it in your heart to at least listen to his explanation of what happened. You never did give him a chance before,” Nancy’s eyes dart between you to Robin, who is still rooting through her stuff.

“This is just because you don’t like Eddie,” Robin snaps her head up, clearly intrigued by your assertion. You feel guilty bringing him into this argument. With all the craziness surrounding you, you’d nearly forgotten about the frightened Eddie left all alone at Reefer Rick’s.

“I like Eddie just fine. It’s you that doesn’t like Eddie, otherwise you would actually be dating at this point. Although he doesn’t really seem like the type to settle down,” Nancy shrugs, handing Robin a frilly blouse and skirt that causes Robin to scrunch her nose. You open your mouth to protest but you’re quickly cut off by Nancy’s glance towards her bed. “Did you sleep in my bed this morning?” you shoot her a guilty smile before making an excuse about checking on Max and sprinting downstairs.

After Nancy and Robin leave, you join the boys in awkwardly watching Max hunch over a desk for a few minutes before she gets up to pass out her letters. Your heart breaks with each word that trickles from her lips and the feel of worn paper between your fingers. Max argues with Steve about going to the cemetery until you chime in.

“If you won’t take her I will,” all eyes shift to you, holding out your hands for Steve’s car keys. He gives you a pleading look to reconsider before giving in and heading out towards his car. You give Max a playful nudge and she flashes you a grateful smile. When you get out to the car Max slides into the back, leaving the only empty seat upfront, next to Steve. He looks at you when you get in and you swear you can see the hope in his eyes.

Following a pitstop at Max’s house, the drive to the cemetery isn’t too long, but you can tell everyone is pretty restless by the time you get there. Max argues with Steve about going to Billy’s grave alone and you, once again stick up for her before sliding back into your seat in the car. Steve opens the door, following suit while Dustin and Lucas make up an excuse about needing fresh air and get out. You’re about to grab the door handle yourself when Steve’s voice cuts through the silence.

“Honey…”

“Don’t call me that,” you stare straight ahead, almost too afraid to look at him. Steve takes a second to hide his shock, his face returning to its normal shade after its flush of scarlet at your words.

“I honestly don’t think I can call you anything else,” his voice is quiet and it makes you finally turn your head to him. You realize that he’s nervous, more nervous than you knew Steve Harrington was capable of being. Even in the face of demodogs and other dimensions, Steve had never seemed this overwrought. “I just want to talk, please. I’ve wanted to explain, tried to explain, ever since that day, but you’ve never let me. Just, please, let me,” he sounded desperate, and if you were any less stubborn, you might have actually let him.

“Now’s not really a good time, Steve,” he shifted back in his seat, processing what you said. Steve. Not Stevie. Steve. He wondered if maybe Vecna had cursed him and all of this was just some long, drawn out nightmare. But here you are, sitting in his car, looking more beautiful than he remembered, and he knows this is real. He wants to say more, but the words get stuck in his throat. Steve feels like he’s about to choke when you look past him, eyes landing on Max, sitting stiffly in front of Billy’s headstone. “Somethings wrong,” you throw open the door, calling for the boys and running towards Max. Her haze covered eyes make you recoil back for a second before you grab her shoulders, shaking them as hard as you can.

“What’s wrong?” Lucas nearly plows into you, trying to look at Max himself. You regret not listening to Steve and letting her go by herself. Steve shouts at Dustin to radio Robin and Nancy while you keep trying to break Max out of her trance. After a minute Dustin shouts something about music and favorite songs, throwing Max’s Walkman and cassettes on the ground in front of you. Sorting through cassettes, Lucas hands Steve a Kate Bush album, clicking it in, putting the headphones over her ears, and clicking play. Everyone stops for a second as the faint sound of Running Up That Hill comes from Max’s ears.

You think it might be working for a second until Max’s body starts to rise from the ground, no matter how hard you try to hold her down. A scream rips from your throat as you watch what could be Max’s last moments. You think back to the girl in the Mike Myers mask on Halloween a few years ago as tears brim in your eyes. Losing hope with each passing second before you hear a gasp above you and Max tumbles down from the sky. Lucas wraps her in his arms and you all reach out to hold her in some way.

As the minutes pass and everyone’s breathing returns to normal you realize that in the chaos of the moment your hand found its way into Steve’s. With one glance his way you can tell he’s more than aware that you’re holding his hand and will do anything to keep you from letting go. It takes every fiber of your being to hold back a small smile at how easily you can read him. His hand is warm, but you remember that his body has always run on the warmer side. You can’t help but find yourself getting caught up in a distant memory.

The Snowball hadn’t originally seemed like it was going to suck, but now that you were here, it definitely sucked. Brent Majors had made a big deal of asking you to go with him in front of the whole school at lunch. So you reluctantly agreed, wishing Steve had mustered up the courage to ask you first. He ended up asking Kat Connors to go with him, and despite the fact that she would’ve rather gone with friends, she accepted.

Steve arrived first and was immediately ditched by Kat who got sucked into her group of friends by the punch bowl. With a sigh, Steve plops himself down at an empty table and begins staring at the clock, willing the night to end. He loses himself in the hands of the clock until he hears the gym doors slam open, you emerging behind them. Steve’s breath catches in his chest, the same way it had a million times before, as he takes in the way you sparkle in the beautiful purple dress that your mom picked out for you on one of her good days. It isn’t until his eyes find your arm linked with Brent’s that his heart drops.

When Steve finally catches your eye you shoot him a wide smile and a small wave. Brent drags you past Steve, over to a table across the gym that was already packed with Brent’s friends. After about twenty minutes you realize that Brent has no intention of dancing with you so you get up and excuse yourself. Steve is still staring at the clock, trying his best not to look over to Brent’s table, when you sit down in the empty chair beside him.

“It seems that both of our dates are absolutely against dancing with us,” you speak up, nodding your head over to where Kat still stood engulfed by her friends.

“It appears so,” Steve breathed out, leaning back in his chair. He turns towards you, finally getting a chance to look at you up close.

“It’s as if they come from a town where dancing is illegal or something,” you joke, provoking a smile to appear on Steve’s lips. His lips that you now couldn’t stop staring at.

“That would make a great movie.”

“Are you kidding? That would make an excellent movie,” you smile now, seeing Steve break out of his stupor. “Come on,” you get up, holding out your hand for Steve to take. He gives you a look before you continue. “Let’s show ‘em how to dance,” Steve rises to his feet, gently taking your hand as you pull him towards the dance floor.

The two of you dance circles around the other kids, clearly enjoying yourself way more than all the others. You’re having so much fun with Steve that you completely miss the death stare Brent sends him from across the room. As the night winds down the songs start to slow. When one slow song in particular comes on, Steve grabs your hand and pulls you close. You sway back and forth, enough room between you for the chaperones to not intervene, but not enough for you to not feel the heat radiating off of him.

“Your hands are warm, Stevie,” a confused smile etches itself onto Steve’s lips, leaving you to scramble for words. “It’s not a bad thing. I mean all of you is warm. You’re always warm,” you feel heat rush to your face and your eyes dart around the room, landing anywhere but Steve.

“Thank you, I think,” he laughs at you now and you can’t help but join. “It’s a good thing that I’m always warm because you are always cold. You need someone to warm you up,” the smile still lingers on his lips, and you can’t help but look at them. Overcome with the closeness of the moment, you take a leap and say something bold.

“What if I said my lips were cold?” you ask, hearing Steve’s breath hitch despite the loud music.

“I guess I would have to warm them up for you,” Steve shakily breathes out, eyes shifting over you. He leans in slowly and you do too. When your lips collide it’s soft, softer than you envisioned it. And as much of a joke it had been, Steve’s lips really were warm. You find yourself lost in the feel of Steve’s mouth on yours, not wanting to ever pull away, until you hear a throat clear behind you. One of the chaperones stands behind you, clearly embarrassed to witness your kiss with Steve.

“Three inch minimum please,” the woman speaks authoritatively before turning on her heel and walking back to the side of the gym. You turn to Steve again and find him already cracking up. It doesn't take much for you to join him.

When the air settles around you and the sun starts to fall behind the trees, Max stands on shaky legs, heading back to the car. No one is in the mood to talk anymore. Even Dustin keeps his mouth shut. The only thing you hear besides the car engine is the faint sound of Kate Bush’s voice coming from Max’s headphones.

Back at the Wheeler’s basement, Steve falls into an armchair, curling into himself and falling asleep as you sit on the floor beneath him. Nancy and Robin arrive shortly after, reading the room and quietly joining the silence. After a brief conversation about setting up shifts to watch over Max, you find your eyelids growing heavy. You lean back into the space by Steve’s legs, catching a glimpse of Robin and Nancy’s shared look at the sight. Too tired to care, you let your head lull to the side as sleep washes over you.

Nancy’s hushed words spoken into the walkie talkie wake you a few hours later. The warmth radiating from your shoulder pulls your attention from her. Steve’s leg is pressed up against your right side and it seems as though you’d fallen asleep against it. Sitting up properly now, you shift away from Steve, caught off guard when Nancy shakes Dustin awake next to you, frantically asking about Max. Pushing yourself to your feet you quickly follow them upstairs, finding Max at the table with Holly.

With a mumble about a shower, you head upstairs making a beeline for the linen closet, and pull out a towel. You head to Nancy’s room, finding the toothbrush you left there last time you stayed over and setting it with your towel on the bed. Just as you lift your sweater over your head, Nancy’s door swings open, making you scramble to cover your chest with your arms. Steve stands in the doorway, mouth hanging open in surprise as his eyes stay glued to your chest.

“Steve, what the hell?” you shout, knocking him out of his trance.

“Shit, right. Sorry,” he blurts out, averting his eyes to the ceiling. You quickly shove your sweater back on while he continues. “Max and Nance found something so we’re leaving,” he glances back at you now that your shirt is back on.

“Found what?”

Getting out of the car you find yourself staring up at Victor Creel’s creepy ass house. Breaking in was easy, fighting the chill that runs down your spine as you walk in was not. After a look around, you break off into groups, quickly following Robin and Nancy to avoid being paired with Steve. You can hear his displeasure in being partnered with Dustin again from his voice echoing up the stairs. Exploring the house sets your nerves on edge and it’s only amplified when Steve bursts through a door beside you, running into you and mumbling something about a spider before pulling the door shut. A giggle rises in your chest when you catch sight of the array of spiderwebs littering Steve’s hair.

“You got something,” Steve quickly turns his back to you, angling his head to grant you better access to his hair. Robin and Nancy walk past you reaching to grab a spider web from Steve’s locks. They both shoot you a look while Steve tries to brush off the comment Robin makes about spider eggs.

“So, you two are like friends now?” you hum in agreement. “That’s cool, that’s cool. Maybe when this is all over Robin will finally wear you down enough to let me explain what happened,” you stiffen behind him, plucking the last spider web from his hair. Steve turns to face you, clearly a little disappointed at you shutting down at the mention of your shared past. He’s about to say something when you hear Max and Lucas call for you all downstairs.

Standing in a half circle, everyone watches the lights flicker, making the connection that Vecna must be in the house. Splitting up again you spread out trying to find where he’s moved on to next. Robin finds Vecna first but it’s Steve who’s flashlight leads you all the way upstairs to the attic. The flashlights start to pulse and shatter with intensity, scaring the shit out of everyone. Shaken and scared, you all file back into Nancy’s car heading off to finally shower and get some sleep.

In the morning Nancy drives you to your house to get some clean clothes since your car is still over parked at Reefer Rick’s house. After a quick shower the two of you head back to her house where the others are waiting. When it’s time to pile back in the car to deliver Eddie more groceries and bad news, Nancy stops you from getting in the front seat. She points to the trunk where Steve was already getting in, trying not to make it obvious that he was watching you. With a sag of your shoulders and a dramatic eye roll, you climb into the trunk with Steve, making a point to keep as far from him as possible in such a tight space. You swear you see Nancy smile to herself through the rear view mirror. Best friend my ass.

Robin does what she does best and rambles on about all the bad news to tell Eddie, doing a bit to distract you from how Steve’s eyes haven’t left you once. Noticing that Nancy has started to slow down, you peer through the windows, seeing the news vans and cop cars. The group hops out, hearing enough of Powell’s speech to know Vecna claimed another victim and Eddie's name was released to the public as the prime suspect. Just then Eddie’s voice cracks through the static of the walkie talkie, telling you all to meet him at Skull Rock.

Back in the car your thoughts race over Eddie. Poor Eddie who’s now witnessed two of Vecna’s murders all while being chased by the police. You can’t help but shift restlessly in the trunk and it’s sure as hell doesn’t help that Steve’s leg keeps brushing against yours. Overcome by anxiety you lean up a bit to look at Nancy through the rear view mirror again.

“Nance, can you maybe drive a little-” your sentence gets cut off as Nancy takes a sharp left turn towards the woods, throwing you into Steve’s lap. Your head hits the window and you let out a moan as your hand shoots up to cradle it. “Faster,” you finish, slowly realizing you’re now practically laying on top of Steve. His eyes are blown wide looking up at you with a hint of lust and recognition. It’s then that the memory resurfaces, making you want to curse under your breath and scramble back up.

After the kiss at the Snowball, everything seemingly went back to normal. Neither you nor Steve were brave enough to bring it up, meaning that you continued to push down your feelings and stay friends. Now you sat on his bed, reading a book while he paced around the room.

“I still can’t believe you wouldn’t let me see you on your sixteenth birthday,” he huffs, stopping at the edge of the bed to glare down at you. You groan, placing an old receipt in between the book’s pages and closing it in your lap.

“I told you Stevie, Mrs. Byers planned out a whole thing and you don’t like Jonathan so I figured you and I could just hang out another day,” Steve, who had returned to his angry pacing, stopped again.

“I don’t dislike Jonathan,” he defends and you let out a laugh. “He just spends a lot of time with you. Time that you could be spending with me,” you roll your eyes at that, about ready to pick up your book and go back to reading before Steve starts talking again. “Why would Mrs. Byers even plan out stuff for your birthday?”

“Because I’m extremely likable ,” you shoot Steve a cheesy grin and he fake laughs in response. “And I’m pretty sure she felt bad since my parents forgot. She just wanted me to enjoy my birthday,” Steve’s face changes at your words. His eyebrows furrow, eyes growing wide and glassy while his lips part. He takes a seat next to you on his bed, offering you his hand, which you gladly accept.

“Your parents forgot your birthday?” his voice is soft and unbelieving. That’s something he’d expect from his parents, not yours. You nod slowly, feeling a burn in your throat.

“I mean, it’s not their fault really. Dad is working crazy hours to try and pay off mom’s medical bills. I don’t think he knows what day it is normally, let alone on my birthday. And with mom-” your throat clogs a bit, trying not to cry as you cast your gaze down at your lap. “With mom we’re just lucky enough if she remembers to put clothes on in the morning. I didn’t really expect her to remember,” you finally look back up at Steve, his hand reaching up to brush a stray tear from your cheek.

“Honey, I’m so sorry. I didn’t realize your mom was getting that bad,” you nod again, not trusting your words. A moment of quiet stretches between the two of you. The feeling of warmth from Steve’s hand comforting you as much as his presence. “You know what?” he stands up slowly pulling his hand from yours. “You’re right, it’s probably a good thing I didn’t come to the Byer’s for your birthday. You probably would’ve spent too much time doing stuff with Jonathan and I would’ve gotten jealous. I mean boring stuff too, like reading,” he reached forward grabbing your book from your lap.

“Stevie! Reading is not boring! Give that back,” you shift onto your knees, trying to get the book from Steve’s grasp. He jumps off the bed, standing just by the side opposite you and waves the book in the air. In a split-second decision, you leap from your spot, tackling Steve onto the ground where he still manages to hold the book out of your reach. Steve flips you over so you’re pinned beneath him as you continue to flail for your book.

A smirk graces his face at the sound of your giggles. He has you caged in with his limbs and despite your squirming, it’s impossible to escape. You try to move up and get the book but you stop at the feeling of your hips brushing against Steve’s. He stops too, stunned into paralysis as the book drops from his hand above you. You lock eyes with Steve, feeling your face heat up, completely forgetting the now abandoned book. As you go to stutter out an apology, Steve mimics your action, grinding his hips into yours slowly. You can feel that he’s already hard after one or two brushes against each other. A gasp escapes your lips and you close your eyes in pleasure.

“Tell me to stop,” he breaths out above you, clearly feeling as good as you are. Steve looks down at you and you peel your eyes open to meet his.

“I don’t want you to stop, Stevie,” he smiles, continuing the motion as the two of you grind against each other, fully clothed on the floor of his room. You both let out moans and gasps as Steve steadies his pace. “Faster. Please, Stevie,” Steve’s heart pounds as he picks up the pace for a few more strokes.

“Shit, fuck,” he breaths out, quickly standing up and bolting towards the bathroom. You lay confused on the floor, still breathing heavily as you turn your head to look over at the bathroom attached to Steve’s room. Scrambling to your feet, you make your way over to the door, giving it a soft knock.

“Stevie, are you ok?” you’re met by silence when it finally clicks into place. “Shit, did you just-” the door swings open, revealing Steve wearing a new pair of sweatpants while his other pair sits crumpled up in a corner.

“Yeah,” his voice is still breathy and his face is flushed. “It was the way you said it that tipped me over the edge,” he takes you in, with your messy hair and heaving chest.

“Said what?” you ask, confusion overtaking your expression.

“Faster.”

“Shit, are you two ok back there?” Nancy’s question hangs in the air and you can hear all the others turning around to see you still laying on top of Steve. You quickly move up, retreating back to your side of the trunk as your face burns with embarrassment.

“We’re fine, Nance,” you call back, avoiding all eye contact with Steve, who can’t seem to tear his gaze from you now. After another minute or two Nancy stops the car and you waste no time in getting out. You try to ignore the sight of Steve’s deflating shoulders as you scramble as far away from him as you can. Moving deep into the woods, you hear Dustin pick a fight with Steve over which direction leads to Skull Rock.

“You do realize that Skull Rock is like a super popular make out spot, right?” you trail a bit further behind the two of them with Nancy and Robin beside you.

“Yeah, so what?”

“Yeah well it wasn’t popular until I made it popular,” Steve says, making you roll your eyes in response. You’re more than familiar with the rumors that spread throughout the school of King Steve taking girls up to Skull Rock. The rumors only started after you stopped talking to Steve and they only made you hurt more. Steve leads the way, much to Dustin’s dismay, and shortly after you all arrive at Skull Rock. There’s no sign of Eddie until Steve says something about Dustin being a butthead.

“I concur, you, Dustin Henderson, are a total butthead,” Eddie jumps down from a nearby rock, and you all turn to look at him. He hugs Dustin first before his eyes fall onto you. Eddie practically sprints towards you, wrapping his arms around you and spinning you into the air. A laugh escapes you when he sets you down, leaning in to give you a quick kiss.

“I’m glad you’re ok. Sorry it took us so long to get back to you,” your arms fall from around his neck, trailing down towards his hands.

“Don’t worry Honey, you’re here now and that’s enough for me,” Eddie pulls you back in for another kiss and you hear a throat clear behind you. Dustin stands watching you both with a face of disgust, while Steve tries to pretend he didn’t see anything. It doesn’t take a 20/20 vision to see the angry red splotches on Steve’s skin and the slight glassiness in his eyes.

Eddie dives into the bags of junk food Nancy hands him and starts to explain the previous night’s events. You can’t help but notice Dustin’s incessant pacing behind you. Nancy connects the dots between the lights in the Creel House and Vecna’s attack on Patrick when Dustin starts shouting and rambling on about magnets and a gate. He leaves it up to Eddie who, after a Lord of the Rings reference, agrees to start the search for the gate to the Upside Down.

Eddie has his arm wrapped around your shoulder the entire trip through the woods, whispering dirty words in your ear to make you giggle. The sun fully sets by the time you reach Lover’s Lake and Dustin’s compass goes crazy. Nancy determines that Vecna must leave an opening behind from his attacks, similarly to the demogorgon. Eddie and Steve pull the hidden boat over, helping Robin in before Eddie hops in offering Nancy a hand. You step over the motor, stumbling a bit and Steve grabs your back to steady you. Eddie eyes him wearily as you mutter a thanks and take a seat next to Nance. Eddie stops Dustin from getting in the boat, which doesn’t stop the flood of protests before Dustin eventually hands over his compass.

“Sorry,” Steve shrugs towards Dustin, pushing the boat away from the shore and settling in next to you. Robin and Eddie paddle out towards the middle of the lake when the compass starts to go crazy. They slow to a stop as you all peer over the edge of the boat. The kids radio out and Robin updates them while Steve starts to strip off his socks, determined to be the one that dives down. After a small fight you all give in and Steve stands, taking off his shirt. An audible gasp escapes your lips at the sight of shirtless Steve and all but Steve’s head turns your way. It’s almost too dark to see the shared smirk Robin and Nancy shoot each other, but you still notice. Eddie tosses Steve a flashlight before he dives down and Nancy counts the seconds on her watch.

After what feels like way too long, a breathless Steve pops up grabbing the side of the boat. He rushes out words of a snack size gate as something tugs him down for a second. He grips the boat harder, sparing one last look your way before he gets pulled under. With a shout of his name, you leap in after him, pushing through the water as fast as you can until you find the glowing gate. You break through, adjusting to the dim light of the Upside Down while you look for Steve. He’s a few yards away, being attacked by a bunch of bats. You pick up an oar from the boat on the ground when you see Nancy, Robin and Eddie appear from the gate as well. Wasting no time, you swing the oar as hard as you can, taking out a bat at Steve’s side.

“Hey Stevie,” you say breathlessly, before swinging the oar again to smack another bat out of the way. Nancy, Robin and Eddie all attack the bats around you with whatever they can find as well. Eventually Steve is able to get up, tearing the bat from around his neck with his teeth. He spits out blood before meeting your eyes again, and for something that shouldn’t be hot, that was really fucking hot. Nancy starts for the woods when the bats start to swarm the gate and the rest of you follow.

Huddling under Skull Rock, Steve starts to sway, tripping into the side of it. You reach your hands up to balance him and he tries to brush you off, claiming he’s fine despite the blood loss. You set him down and remove your flannel, leaving you in just your tank top and overalls. Robin rambles to Steve about rabies as you rip the worn fabric and tie it tightly around his waist, covering the bat bites. He stares down at you, chest heaving and eyes wide.

“Too tight?” you ask, trying not to sound as nervous as you feel to be this close to Steve.

“No it’s perfect, thanks,” he sends you a soft smile that you can’t help but reciprocate. You help him stand as Eddie and Robin throw questions at the rest of you about the Upside Down and how it works. Nancy comes to a quick conclusion that you all need to go to her house, retrieve guns, and kill the bats to get back home. Steve takes a step closer to you, reaching over to wipe some blood from the bat fight from your face. You freeze, wide eyes looking up at him as your breath hitches in your chest. The moment is interrupted by Eddie launching his denim vest at Steve’s face mumbling something about modesty.

The ground starts to shake beneath your feet and Eddie tries to lunge toward you but Steve wraps his arms around you first, pulling your back flush against his chest. Steve backs into the rock behind him, holding it for support until the shaking subsides. The echo of the bats rattles through the air, reinforcing the idea of needing guns. Steve slowly retracts his arm from around you, letting you move away from him. Despite the distance you’ve purposefully created between the two of you for the past three years, you find yourself not wanting to pull away from him. You feel safe in his arms. The way you once did. The way you always did. You catch Eddie’s eyes on you and Steve before he quickly redirects them away.

“What are we waiting for?” Steve says, bringing out the flashlight from before and clicking it on. The rest of you follow him as he leads the way through the woods to Nancy’s house. As you all keep walking, Steve ends up falling into step with Eddie a little ways behind you, Nancy, and Robin. You can’t hear them from how far away you are, but it’s nearly eating you alive wanting to know what they’re discussing.

“What do you think they’re talking about back there?” you break through the silence the three of you created. Nancy and Robin quickly glimpse back at the boys then turn their attention back to you.

“You. Definitely you,” Nancy replies with a small smirk on her lips.

“Oh shut up,” you give her a playful shove and she giggles.

“I’m serious though. I mean they only have two things in common. Their love for Dustin and their love for you,” you stumble over your own foot at Nancy’s words, making Robin laugh. You shoot her a glare before Nancy goes on. “And since Dustin’s not here I think it’s safe to say they’re all about you at the moment. They’re both clearly jealous of each other,” you open your mouth to argue that Eddie’s not the jealous type but Robin interrupts first.

“Seriously, Steve looked like a kicked puppy when Eddie kissed you earlier and the way Eddie threw his vest at Steve definitely had something angsty behind it,” your gaze trails over to the boys behind you, taking in the sight of Steve and Eddie’s faces while they talk animatedly back and forth. They stop walking for a minute and the ground begins to shake again. The force of the earthquake slams you into a tree, knocking you on the ground. Nancy takes off before the shaking stops, heading for the edge of the tree line where she can see her house. Eddie hooks his arms under yours, pulling you up from behind and the rest of you take off after her.

The Wheeler house, a place you’d been to a million times, looks frighteningly different, covered in vines and in such low light. Nancy rushes upstairs, followed by Robin, Eddie, and Steve in front of you. Steve stops halfway, turning his head towards the dining room, catching your attention too. You and Steve share a look, hearing Dustin’s voice echo from that direction and run back down the stairs. Steve calls out to him, progressively getting louder with each try. The others hurry downstairs and you try to explain while Steve continues shouting for Dustin like a crazy person. Nancy brings up Will and the lights, fiddling with light switches that won’t work.

“Guys,” everyone turns towards you as you point at the now shimmering chandelier. They gather around while you stick your hand into the shimmering air, igniting the air around it in a soft light. The others join in, feeling the tingling sensation that it brings when you touch the light.

“Does anyone know Morse code?” Nancy’s question is met with a chorus of no’s until Eddie shifts to look at her.

“Wait, does S.O.S. count?” you all turn towards Eddie, hopeful for the first time since you dove after Steve into Lover’s Lake. It only takes a minute or two for Dustin, Lucas, and Erica to notice your signal for help. Talking back and forth on Holly’s Lite-Brite, you all come up with a plan to meet at Eddie’s trailer where there will hopefully be another gate. The five of you rush outside, grabbing the bikes from the Wheeler’s garage.

“Wait, there’s only four,” you point out, everyone hopping on a bike but you. Steve turns to look at the back wheel of his bike, noticing that his bike belonged to Mike.

“Mine’s got pegs on the back that you can stand on. Hop on,” he motions you over and your desire to get out of the Upside Down overrides your reluctance to be near Steve. Putting one foot on the first peg, you grab Steve’s shoulders for support, lifting the other foot next. “Hold on tight, ok?” you nod and Steve lifts his feet from the ground to start pedaling as the others follow. You wrap your arms around Steve’s torso, doing your best to avoid the bat bites on his abdomen. Even bloody and shirtless in the Upside Down, Steve still radiates warmth, keeping you comfortable now that you don’t have your flannel to wear.

Steve’s out of breath by the time you get to Eddie’s trailer, coming to a quick stop in the grass. He helps you off and drops the bike down, following closely behind as you burst through the door. The gate is bright and red as something starts moving beneath it. Suddenly, whatever it is bursts through causing you to jump back, right into Steve’s arms. He moves you behind him, slowly approaching the hole that now covers most of the ceiling. You inch up behind him with Nancy at your side. Dustin’s hat is the first thing you see, making you burst into a bright smile at the sight. You notice the others share a similar look of relief.

The kids bring out Eddie’s stained mattress and you can’t help but catch Eddie’s embarrassed glance your way, knowing that you’re both very aware of how some of those stains got there. Dustin throws a rope made of tied bed sheets through the gate, finding that it defies all laws of physics and holds in place. Robin goes first, falling onto the mattress below. Eddie looks around at you, Steve, and Nancy before moving to go up next. He flops down, being pulled up by the kids. Nancy’s about to go next when she freezes up next to you. You and Steve share a look before looking back at her, seeing foggy eyes and a blank expression.

“Nancy?” you place your hands on her shoulders, trying to shake her awake. “Nancy, come on, wake up. Nancy!” you shout panicked with Steve next to you, looking equally worried. The others start scrambling, trying to find a cassette tape in Eddie’s trailer that has a song on it that Nancy would actually know. Suddenly, Nancy gasps awake, and you pull her into your arms as her legs give out beneath her. “We’re right here, Nance. You’re ok now. It’s ok,” tears spill from her eyes and you pull her into a tight hug. When she calms down enough to climb through the gate, you help, giving her a boost from below. You go next, catching Steve staring at your ass from the corner of your eye as you climb the rope.

Once you’re all back right side up, everyone sneaks over to Max’s trailer, not wanting to stay so close to the gate. Nancy heads for the bathroom, needing a minute alone to pull herself together after being trapped in Vecna’s mind prison. Eddie grabs your hand asking Max if he can use her room for a minute.

“As long as you don’t do anything gross in there,” she gives him a glare and he responds with a fake gasp, hand shooting to his chest.

“When have I ever done anything gross?” Eddie asks in mock offense.

“I mean look at your mattress for one-” Max begins but you cut her off with a promise that nothing will happen in her room. Eddie pulls you in, careful not to touch anything considering how you’re both covered in goo from the Upside Down. He looks nervous, fiddling with his hands as he looks up at you. You are about to speak up and break the silence when he starts.

“No, no. I talk, you listen. Ok?” you nod, meeting his gaze. “When we started hooking up, that was all we intended for it to be. Then we became friends and started hanging out even when we weren’t looking to hook up,” he pauses, searching for the right words.

“Eds,” you begin, but he holds up a hand to silence you.

“Honey, I’m not one for relationships, you know that. And I’m also not one to get in the way of one,” you’re thrown off. When he started talking, you were sure he was going to ask you to be his girlfriend, but now he’s pulled a total 180. “I don’t know what happened between you and Steve. Hell, I might never know, but I see the way he looks at you. More importantly, I see the way you look at him,” he gets quiet, eyes searching your face and waiting for your impending push back.

“But I like you, Eds,” you choke out, not realizing that you started crying. He lets out a breathy chuckle, holding your hand in his. Eddie’s hands were always ice cold. You’d always thought it was because of those metal rings he wore, but you could never tell.

“I like you too, Honey. So much,” he breathes out a shaky breath, looking down at his shoes and you notice a tear streak through the dirt caking his face. “But you love him,” he looks back up at you and you swear your heart stops beating. “Do you even realize what you called him earlier?” you shake your head, not following. “Stevie. What you used to call him. Back when you were friends. Back when you-” Eddie stops, slowly dropping your hands. “Go get him. Go be happy again. Then I can be happy for you,” he gently cups your cheeks, pulling your head forward to press a kiss to your forehead before leaving you alone, standing in the middle of Max’s room.

After taking a minute to pull yourself together and wipe the tear streaks from your cheeks, you step back into Max’s living room. All eyes land on you as you settle on the floor next to Robin. She notices your red rimmed eyes and places a comforting hand on your knee. Letting out a breath, you lay your head on her shoulder and she gladly lets you. Nancy emerges from the bathroom. Sitting in a chair that gives you all a good view of her. She describes what Venca showed her, putting two and two together to realize that Vecna is only one person away from fulfilling his master plan.

Max tries to call the Byer’s, but she’s met with a busy signal again. Nancy becomes hell bent on going back in and killing Vecna, and after a rambling of protests all around Max speaks up, offering herself as the bait. Your heart breaks, realizing how much she’s grown in the time you’ve known her. She’s different now, you all are, but she’s taken more hits than some of the rest of you. Reluctantly, you all agree, forming a plan to get weapons and take down Vecna. Eddie hot-wires his neighbor's camper, throwing Steve into the front seat to drive. Nancy rushes into the seat next to him while the rest of you hold on to anything you can find. You get thrown onto the bench in the back, falling in between Max and Dustin as Steve maneuvers out of the trailer park in the direction of the War Zone. The road stretches and the boys in the back keep a steady conversation.

“I wish Will were here. He’d be able to spy on Vecna for us and make this a million times easier,” Dustin says looking at the trees passing by out the window.

“I’m glad he’s not here. Poor kid has already been through enough. He doesn’t need to go through this shit too,” you speak quietly, looking up from your hands in your lap to find Lucas, Dustin, and Max staring back at you. “We could use Mike though. One conversation with his sassy ass and Vecna would be ready to abandon Hawkins for good,” a smile creeps onto Max’s lips, knowing her distaste for Mike’s attitude.

“What would you know about Mike being sassy? He’s hasn’t been rude to you ever since he developed a crush on you back in third grade,” Dustin chimes in, causing your eyebrows to shoot up to your hairline.

“Wha- so just because he’s not here you’re gonna spill all his secrets? Some friend you are,” you joke, still freaked out by the idea of a young Mike Wheeler crushing on you.

“No, I’d tell you if he were here too. Like this,” he stops talking, eyeing Lucas across the aisle. “Lucas has had a crush on you since second grade,” Dustin receives a pillow to the face thrown by Lucas.

“Dustin’s liked you since fourth grade. Ever since you started helping Will draw out our D&D characters,” Lucas smirks back at Dustin until Dustin tackles him to the floor. You look over at Max who is laughing at the two wrestling each other. Getting up, you move to the front, hanging over the back of Nancy’s seat.

“What are they doing back there?” Steve asks, looking in the rear-view mirror to see Dustin and Lucas still rolling around on the ground.

“Dustin told me that Lucas likes me, then Lucas told me Dustin likes me and now they’re fighting I guess,” you gesture over your shoulder and Nancy turns to see what you’re talking about.

“That’s weird, I’m pretty sure Mike has a thing for you too,” Nancy says, shifting back in her seat to look up at you.

“Seems like you’ve got some competition there little Stevie,” Robin calls out from her seat behind you and Steve’s face turns beat red. The War Zone appears on the right much to Steve’s luck, effectively ending the conversation. Nancy decides that you, her, Steve, Robin, Erica, and Max should all go in to pick out weapons. You file out of the camper and through the glass doors, overwhelmed by the amount of people crowding the aisles. You beeline for the crossbow section, filling a cart with a new crossbow and as many arrows as you can get your hands on. Robin runs past you as you fill your cart, Steve trying to catch up to her.

“Is she ok?” you ask when she runs through the doors leading outside and he gives up chasing her.

“She’ll be alright. Just saw someone she knows,” he reassures you, looking at the stuff you’ve piled into your shopping cart. You look up, eyes scanning the room to see what else you need when you spot a familiar face.

“That makes two of us,” Steve glances towards you, finding your eyes wide. He turns to see who you’ve spotted but you grab and turn him towards you, trying not to pull the person’s attention your way. “Brent Majors,” you whisper and Steve stares at you in shock.

“No way. That asshole’s here?” you nod, glancing back over in Brent’s direction. Just then Brent’s eyes shoot up, locking with yours.

“Shit,” you try to duck behind Steve, but Brent still sees you and starts heading your way. Panicked, you pull Steve closer. “Kiss me,” you plead, Steve freezes in your grasp.

“What?”

“Brent’s coming over here. He’s always been jealous of you, especially after the Snowball, and maybe if you kiss me he’ll get the idea and-” Steve cuts you off, slamming his lips to yours. It’s better than you remember. Warm lips encasing yours as his chest presses flush against you. Hands trailing down your sides until they find your lower back, pulling you as close as physically possible. You don’t want to pull away, but you’re also painfully aware that you’re now making out with Steve Harrington in a weapon supply store at what very well might be the end of the world. Your hands gently push his chest back when you hear a throat clear beside you. Erica stands next to you with a small look of panic on her face and Brent Majors is nowhere to be found.

“We gotta go,” she gestures over her shoulder to Jason and his basketball goons rifling through the shelves. You nod, quickly pushing your cart over to the checkout area and getting out of the store as quickly as possible with Steve following behind. Steve bursts through the camper doors helping you throw everything you bought inside and making sure everyone else is back and seated before driving off. You end up parked in a field, all the others split off into groups as you stand alone near the trees, testing out the crossbow. Aiming for the tree branches, you shoot over and over, hitting them perfectly almost every time. Your mind keeps trailing back to Steve. The feel of his lips on yours, all the soft touches from the last few days, what Eddie said earlier. Giving in to your racing thoughts, you head over towards the camper where Steve sits with Robin making Molotov cocktails.

“Can I talk to you?” you ask, Steve’s head shooting up to look at you. He nods right away, turning back to Robin.

“You’ll be alright doing this by yourself, right?” Robin nods and Steve stands, opening the door to the camper for you to step inside. He follows behind you, closing the door and sitting next to you on the bench in the back. You close the curtains, shielding the bright sun from your eyes. “Look, I know that you’re mad about everything and you have every right to be, but please let me explain,” he starts, careful to put some space between you.

“No. Not yet. I have to tell you something first,” you look at him, his soft caramel eyes searching over you.

“Ok, tell me,” he says, nodding his head. So, you do.

After the incident on the floor, something had changed between you and Steve. You weren’t quite dating, or at least no one had explicitly said so, but you also were definitely more than friends. No one really knew what was going on between the two of you, but you sort of liked it that way. It was almost as if it was just you and Steve in your own little world. He had his head resting in your lap, letting you lazily trace your fingers through his hair. There were only two more weeks left before the summer, not that you could tell based on the weather. It was too hot outside to do anything. Even the thought of walking the few feet between Steve’s house and the pool in his backyard made you sweat. So you stayed inside, enjoying the A/C and lounging around. Steve had fallen asleep about ten minutes ago, looking so peaceful and calm in your lap. You lean down, placing a small kiss to his lips, making his eyes shoot open.

“Sorry, I didn’t mean to wake-” you’re cut off by Steve pulling you down for another kiss. This one is deeper, more passionate than the peck you initially gave him. Steve shifts beneath you, sitting up and pulling you to straddle his lap. His kisses are warm and fiery, lighting a heat in you that only his touch could bring. Steve tugs on your shirt and without a second thought you lift it up over your head, revealing your bare chest. His eyes widen at the sight and his shirt comes off next, joining yours where it now lays on the floor. You grind into his lap, chasing the same feeling you had that day on the floor.

“Stevie,” you whimper, his hips snapping up to meet yours. His eyes swim with lust and love, finally about to feel you in a way he’s wanted to for so long.

“Baby, Honey, I’ve wanted to do this for so long,” his words come out in breathy moans beneath you. Steve’s fingers coming up to play with your nipples. “I don’t wanna rush though. Wanna take my time with you,” he continues thrusting against you and you let out a loud moan.

“I know Stevie, but I need you. Need you so bad right now,” Steve stops grinding up into you, so unbelievably turned on. You sit up, removing your shorts and panties, allowing Steve to do the same. Now you sit, completely naked on your best friend’s lap. A small giggle escapes your lips at the thought, a giggle that Steve returns, feeling the exact same way as you. He pulls you closer to him, cutting off the giggles with his lips against yours. His fingers reach down to your entrance, teasing around the outside before gently dipping in. A gasping moan pulls from your chest as Steve pumps his fingers in and out of you a few times.

“You’re so wet for me already, baby,” his lips latch onto your neck, relishing in the sound of your moans.

“Stevie, feels so good, but I need you in me,” Steve nods, slipping his fingers from you and taking them in his mouth to suck your juices off. He groans at the taste, popping them from his mouth and lining himself up with your entrance. Steve enters you slowly, sinking you down onto him as you wrap your arms around his neck and press your chest to his. You both moan as he bottoms out, wasting little time before Steve starts to pound into you from below.

“It’s like you were made for me, fuck,” Steve moans out and you clench around him. He increases his speed, thrusts getting sloppier, but you couldn’t care less. You’re on the edge of your orgasm, about ready to tip over. “Fuck, I love you, Honey,” Steve rushes out, giving one last hard thrust before spilling himself into you. The combo of Steve’s orgasm and his words pushes you to the edge, letting out a gasp of Steve’s name as he pulls you back a little from where you cling to his chest. His eyes watch you as you reach your peak. A whole range of emotions rush through him at the sight, but mainly lust and love.

“I love you too, Stevie,” you finally say when you’ve come down from your high. He pulls you back into him, wrapping you in a tight hug before leaning back to give you a bruising kiss. He’s still buried deep inside you as he dips his head, littering your chest with hickies. You laugh through your moans, pulling him back up after a few bruises bloom in order to kiss his soft lips again. Eventually, Steve lifts you off of him and you whine at the emptiness. He lays you on his bed about to get up to grab a washcloth to clean you up when he stops. He grabs his Polaroid camera from his nightstand, holding it up to you in a question. You give him a nod and he kneels over you on the bed, taking a picture of you in your fucked out state. Your chest littered with hickies, hair a wild mess, and legs spread out with Steve’s cum leaking from between them.

“I’m so saving this for later when you're gone,” he says, shaking the photo when it pops out from the camera.

“You gonna keep it with your stack of Playboys?” You ask teasingly and he’s taken aback.

“What Playboys?”

“The ones under your mattress,” you pause, leaning up with your elbows. “You know, there’s the one with the picture of a girl in it that kinda looks like me? That page is super sticky by the way, you might want to get a new one,” Steve laughs at you, leaning down to press his body back onto yours.

“I’ve got my new one right here,” he waved the photo over you, leaning in to give you a peck on the lips.

“So romantic,” you respond through his lips, smiling as he gives you kiss after kiss before hopping up to go towards the bathroom.

About a week and a half later there were only three days left before the end of the school year. Pushing through the school’s front entrance, you immediately spot Steve at his locker with Tommy and Carol. You were never a big fan of either of them but got along with them fine enough for Steve’s sake.

“Hey Stevie,” you say, joining them at his locker. His eyes soften when he sees you and he wants nothing more than to kiss you, but he knows Tommy and Carol would tease him for it, so he doesn’t.

“Hey Honey, was just thinking about you,” Tommy wears a shit eating grin as he speaks and you know that it can’t mean anything good.

“Really? What a coincidence then,” you reply, trying to get out of this conversation as quickly as possible. It’s then that you see Steve looking at Tommy as inquisitively as you feel.

“Well you see, ever since I saw this little number it’s been hard not to think of you,” Tommy holds up a Polaroid picture in his hand and you don’t even have to look at it to know what the picture is of. You reach out, grabbing the photo as quickly as you can, looking around to make sure no one else saw. “You finally came through, King Steve. After years of talking about getting her in the sack, you finally did. Kinda sucks for her though, seems like she’s developed some feelings for you,” Tommy lifts his hand for a high five and Carol belts out her witch cackle beside him. You back away, tears springing in your eyes when Steve turns to you.

“Honey, I didn’t-” Steve begins, but you don’t hear the rest. You take off down the hall and out the doors, running directly into Jonathan.

“Hey, what’s wrong?” Jonathan asks, seeing the tears in your eyes. You choke out a sob asking him to take you home. Jonathan’s car is pulling out of the school parking lot when you see Steve burst through the front doors, Tommy and Carol snickering behind him. Jonathan pulls up to your house, making you promise to tell him what happened when you feel better before letting you out of the car. You notice your dad’s car is still in the driveway, which confuses you since he should already be at work. Stepping through the door you hear a small sob coming from your parent’s bedroom. Your heart drops, already knowing what you’ve walked into. Fresh tears form in the corners of your eyes when you see your dad laying with his head pressed against your mom’s chest. He hears your footsteps and lifts his head.

“She’s gone, sweetie. In her sleep last night,” your dad sobs out, snot bubbles and tears spilling onto your mother’s nightgown. And that was it. It was too much. Steve and your mom, both gone all at once. After that day you couldn’t think of Steve without thinking of your mom. So, it just became easier to not think of Steve at all. You avoided him, slinking through the shadows at school. Hiding from the hurt that the memories brought you. Insisting on not seeing him again, not even a glimpse, until that night outside the lab when the world nearly ended for the second time.

Steve’s quiet when you stop talking, processing everything all at once. Taking in the information that you’ve had to sit with for nearly three years, while he’s only known it for about a minute now.

“I didn’t know,” his voice is quiet, attention directed towards his hands in his lap. You’d both inched closer somehow while you had been explaining. “I mean, I knew your mom died, but not until a year and a half later. Not until Nancy told me. And even then, she didn’t tell me that it happened that day,” Steve’s eyes meet yours, tears brim his lashes, clearly feeling guilty in some capacity.

“We didn’t really have a funeral for her. Didn’t post an obituary either. If we did then that would’ve made it real, I guess. Dad and I couldn’t really handle that. So, we had her cremated and kept her name out of the paper,” your voice is quiet, but calm. You’ve grown with time, learned to live with loss no matter how much it still aches from time to time. Steve clears his throat, one tear slipping down his cheek. You wipe it away gently, moving your hand back down to your lap.

“I’m so sorry,” he whispers and you shrug, as if to say ‘it’s not your fault’. “About the photo,” Steve begins, not really sure how to bring it up. “I didn’t give it to Tommy, I swear. I’m pretty sure he found it the weekend before when we had that end of the year party at my house, remember? Him and Carol went up to my room to-” he stops clearly disgusted at the thought. You let out a small laugh at the look on his face, which blooms into a smile at the sound he missed hearing so badly.

“I figured. Well, not at first, but the more I thought about it, the more I knew you never would've done that,” Steve nods, inching the slightest bit closer, hoping you wouldn’t notice. You did.

“And the stuff he said about me that made it sound like I only wanted to sleep with you, that wasn’t true. I loved you, so so much. I still love you, Honey,” he looks worried as the words spill from his lips, but he keeps his gaze locked with yours.

“I figured that out too. I knew you cared too much about me to just want sex and nothing more. We were practically dating at that point anyway,” you stop, knowing Steve was still waiting to see if you’ll say those three little words. Those barriers you’d built up so long ago to keep Steve out, slowly crumbling down. “And I love you too, Stevie,” Steve smiles, at what you said, at your voice, at the nickname, at your cute little overalls, at you. He surges forward, crashing his lips to yours in a kiss that could set off fireworks in the sky, burn down a brand new mall, save a boy from being possessed, fight monsters, and kill an evil wizard from another dimension. It was everything you’ve felt for the last three years and everything else beyond that. Steve pulls back reluctantly, his chest heaving and his hands on your cheeks.

“Eddie,” he breathes out. “You’re with Eddie,” you shake your head and his eyebrows furrow.

“We were just hooking up, but don’t worry, he told me to go for it,” you say, and Steve gives a small nod before pulling you back into another searing kiss. Clothes are stripped in a hurry, Steve’s hand roaming your body.

“God, I’ve missed you so much,” Steve whimpers, pulling you on top of him, just like before. It’s better than the first time. The two of you are more experienced now since you’ve both slept with other people, but you’re still just as in love, if not more. Steve fits perfectly into you, hitting you just right with every thrust. It doesn’t take long for you to both hit your highs. Coming down in a fit of giggles when a loud knock rattles the door.

“Hey, if you two are done, we’ve got a town to save and a telekinetic to kill,” Robin’s voice filters through the shut door. You share a look with Steve, bursting out into laughter again, getting up to get dressed again. You open the door as Steve sits in the driver's seat. Everyone files in with the weapons and you take the seat across from Steve. He sends you a wink before he takes off, driving away from the field. Max, Lucas, and Erica get dropped off at the Creel house first and Steve continues driving until you get to the woods next to the trailer park. You all go over the plan again, leaving the camper to enter Eddie’s trailer and go into the Upside Down the same way you came out of it no more than 24 hours before. Once you’re all through the gate, everyone goes outside the trailer and Steve stops, giving you, Dustin, and Eddie a lecture about not being heroes. He pulls you to the side so the others can’t hear.

“I still don’t feel good about you staying behind. You should come with us, these two can handle themselves,” Steve looks worried at the prospect of leaving you.

“Are you kidding? They need all the help they can get,” you say, hearing a soft ‘hey’ from Dustin. Ok, so maybe they’re not quite out of earshot.

“It’s just, I just got you back. I don’t want to lose you again.”

“You won’t, Stevie. I promise,” you pull him in by his shirt, kissing him passionately. A few wolf whistles sound off beside you, but you couldn’t care less, flipping them off before you pull away. “Good luck,” you push him back towards Robin and Nancy, the goofy smile on his face from your kiss slowly returning to his more serious expression from before.

“Make him pay,” Eddie calls out to Steve, who nods in return, giving you one last look and setting off towards the Creel house. You, Dustin, and Eddie make quick work of boarding up the trailer and setting up Eddie’s amp. Eddie starts playing Master of Puppets by Metallica, a song he hasn’t shut up about since it first came out. Eddie’s killing it as you and Dustin both listen along, keeping an eye out for the bats. When they’re close enough, the three of you barricade yourselves in the trailer. It seems to work at first but they start to break through. Dustin jumps through the gate and you’re about to as well when Eddie takes off muttering something about buying more time.

“Eddie!” you shout following after him as he bursts through the front door, grabbing a bike and peddling away quickly, drawing the bats away from the trailer. You take the crossbow from your back, unloading arrow after arrow into the bats swarming around him. Dustin pops up behind you, swinging his staff at the bats surrounding the two of you, protecting you both while you protect Eddie. A bat knocks Eddie off his bike and others start to swarm around him. You and Dustin creep forward as Eddie stops running away and tries to defend himself. Eddie gets pelted to the ground, a bat taking a bite out of his side before you can shoot it. You take out the others that swarm around Eddie as he keeps trying to smack them away. Suddenly in some kind of miracle they all drop to the ground. Dustin sprints over to Eddie with you close on his heels. He’s still sprawled out on the ground, but not bleeding too badly.

“I’d offer you my flannel to cover that up, but Stevie beat you to it,” you offer him a hand to sit up which he gladly accepts, placing a hand over the wound with a slight wince.

“It’s not too bad, could be way worse,” he removes his bandanna from his head, pressing it to the wound and standing all the way up. “Is it too late for me to take back what I said about you and Harrington earlier? The sight of you with the crossbow has me all hot and bothered,” you give him a light shove as Dustin gags from beside you.

“Shut up, Munson,” the boys are about to follow you back over the trailer when the ground starts to shake. They both grab onto you, trying not to fall as the ground cracks open, right through the trailer. From then on it’s all a blur. Between Steve, Robin, and Nancy meeting up with you, explaining what happened with Vecna, going back through the gate that now stretched across town, getting Max to the hospital, and finding a better hiding spot for a now patched up Eddie, it all floods together. It isn’t until two days later, when a van with a surfboard on top pulls up in front of Nancy’s house that everything begins to clear up a bit. Out of the van comes Will, Mike, Eleven, Jonathan, and someone else that you don’t know. You wait your turn for Jonathan to hug Nancy before getting over to you. Will’s next, squeezing you tightly and you realize how much he’s grown since you saw him last. El throws her arms around you and your hands find her freshly shaven head. She laughs when you tell her that you’ll figure something out to help her hair grow out faster. Mike approaches you last, enveloping you in his long arms.

“You know,” you say when he pulls back. “A little birdie told me you’ve got a thing for me. Better not let El find out. I’d hate to see what she’d do to you now that her powers are back,” his smile falls and his face is overcome with anger.

“Dustin!” he shouts, going over to the boy, berating him loudly. You laugh while watching them argue back and forth. Steve comes up next to you, slinging his arm around your shoulder and letting out a chuckle.

“You had to tease him about it?” Steve smiles over at you and you place a hand on his chest.

“Will looked a little upset and I can guarantee he’s the reason why, so he kinda deserves it,” Steve laughs, rolling his eyes and placing a kiss on your lips. When the reunions are done, you pile into the car with boxes full of donations. You, Steve, Dustin, and Robin enter the high school gym, quickly dropping off the donations and finding places to help out. Robin is making pb&j’s and Dustin is talking to Wayne Munson while you and Steve sort through clothes. You hear Robin talking to a girl at the sandwich station and it all clicks.

“Oh,” you breathe out, Steve’s eyes following yours. “I get it now,” you grab for the shirt Steve is trying, and failing, to fold.

“Get what?”

“A few days ago at the library. Robin kept going on and on about how you’re not her type and that she’d rather let humans die off than be with you,” you nod your head towards her and the other girl. “I get it now and you definitely aren’t her type.”

“She really said that? Some wing woman she is,” Steve mutters and you chuckle at him, pulling his face towards you to place a soft kiss on his cheek. It’s then that you hear murmurs erupt over by the big windows. You wander over with Steve and Robin close behind you. What looks like snow falls from the sky, but you’ve seen this stuff enough to know it’s not snow. Steve’s hand finds yours, squeezing it tightly in his warm grasp. You look at him and he looks back at you. His expression says all the same things that you're thinking. That whatever’s next, you can make it through. Together. You can do anything as long as you have Steve beside you. Your best friend. Your boyfriend. Your something. Your everything.

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zombryz · 4 months

Text

: ̗̀➛ Sparks and Cursed Shadows

˗ˏˋ hello again, dear reader ˎˊ˗ Here is my new series :3

Chapter One

masterlist | Next Chapter 2 | ao3

Pairings: Satoru Gojo x afab!reader x Suguru Geto

A/N: hehehe I am so excited for this one. I've already written 20k words and are planning on posting once a week. I usually write these for myself and will almost always make the reader afab, however, I am always open to requests and can write for any gender. As always, thanks for reading my brain rot :3

Summary: Years had passed since you last saw him—the formidable sorcerer, Satoru Gojo, with his innate six eyes, your old classmate, and first love. When Suguru Geto decided to part ways with Jujutsu High and abandon sorcery altogether, you went with him, both of you unintentionally breaking Satoru's heart. Now, after years and years, your heart aches as Suguru, your now lover, succumbs to the ancient curse of Kenjaku. Suguru—no—Kenjaku threatens to kill Suguru inside of his own mind if you do not confront your once-beloved Satoru Gojo, killing him to bring balance back to the world of curses.

Warnings: (current, may change throughout the story) **Possible Anime/Manga spoilers throughout** PSTD, Death, depression, angst, possessiveness, jealousy, uneven power dynamics (obviously because Gojo is the strongest), eventual lemon/smut, slowburn, right person wrong time, friends to lovers to enemies to lovers again, touch starved, unprotected first time, virgin!reader, virgin!gojo, betrayal, possible pregnancy (undecided but will make it cute, not annoying), fuckboy!gojo, kind of poly!reader (she loves them both at the same time), gore/blood/violence scenes that will be graphic

Word Count: 8.5k

Monday, July 9th 2018

“Do you want to go see Human Earthworm 3?” Mahito annoyingly leans into your shoulder hoping that Suguru won’t see him pestering you. You roll your eyes internally and move your head to the left a little now that Mahito is blocking all the sunlight. He sits in the beach chair next to you after he realizes you’re not going to answer him. “Oh c’mon, Geto has you on such a tight leash it’ll be fun.” He says this in a sing-song voice hoping to get you on-board.

You scoff and try to ignore his childlike teasing and pull your sunglasses down from the top of your head to block your eyes from Mahito in hopes of getting him to leave you alone.

“No one will even see me so it’ll be like you’re seeing the movie alone. No need to be embarrassed.” He adds hoping this would somehow change your mind. Ugh, he was so aggravating. You remember when Suguru introduced you to Mahito, the patch-faced, human-like curse. You initially thought he was cute until he opened his mouth. Nothing has changed since then, he’s just gotten more and more under your skin.

“Enough Mahito,” Suguru interjects and is suddenly standing over the two of you with his arms crossed. His voice made it seem like he was unbothered by the situation entirely but his body language read a little differently. Mahito slumps back into the beach chair with a clear frown plastered across his face. “Y/N, can you come with me please.” He doesn’t look at you when he says this. Instead, he turns on his heel and walks towards the floating door in the middle of the sand. You were in Dagon’s beach domain. It was mostly relaxing and this was where most of you spent your time in hiding these days.

“What is it?” You ask as the two of you approach the door. You avoid his blatant eye contact. Lately, you’ve been having a really hard time looking at the man you love because that's just it; He isn’t the man you love, well, not anymore. One day last year he came back from a “mission” extremely injured with stitches across his head. He said that he was no longer Suguru Geto but instead a man by the name of Kenjaku. At first, you thought that the injury on his head made him lose his memory but soon you realized he had been possessed by a curse that you had no idea how to exorcise. He stopped touching you and acted like he barely knew who you were and became very serious-natured. Suguru was never this cold. He tried to imitate his love for you but you knew better. It was all a facade. After all, he had told you the truth, that man was no longer Suguru Geto. You weren’t sure if you were supposed to mourn him or save him. You chose the latter and never gave up hope that one day you would get him back. You knew he was still in there, somewhere. Until then, you would do whatever he wanted you to do. It was like you were his slave. You would cry yourself to sleep at night almost every night since. Your Suguru was no longer there to hold you close, to tell you how much he loved you, to have you by his side. You were no longer of importance to him.

Only once had you attempted to exorcise him. That was the day you almost died. He was too strong and you got the only evidence you needed that he was still in there, trapped inside his own body. His body betrayed Kenjaku and didn’t allow him to hurt you anymore. Suguru had stopped himself from killing you.

“There is something I need from you.” He shuffles his hands awkwardly. Seeing him come off so confident is weird, although his body language betrays him whenever he speaks to you. In the beginning, it was tough to watch but now, you're just numb to it. God, you wish he’d just get on with it so this conversation could be over. It still hurts and you feel your tears threaten to spill. Now all your relationship was was transactions. You stayed close because you loved him and he took advantage of that. “I need you to kill Satoru Gojo.” Your heart sinks at his request. You had secretly hoped that Kenjaku wouldn’t find out who Satoru was or who he was to you and Suguru but several months ago Kenjaku had devised a plan to trap Satoru. That plan you could live with but this? Satoru’s name still sounded foreign on his pseudo-Suguru’s tongue. Your mind flashes to Satoru’s ocean-blue eyes and his cocky but warm smile. How could he say that about his best friend? Your best friend? He probably had this planned this whole time. You were being naive. It was probably because Satoru posed a serious threat to him. How could you forget that Satoru was the strongest Sorceror? You couldn’t, but instead, you just wished he wasn’t.

“I thought we planned to trap him in the prison realm, that’s what you said!” Your voice betrays you now and you’re not trying to shout but you are. You’re upset and visibly so, why is he saying all of this?

“We’re not certain the prison realm will be enough to hold Satoru Gojo, after all, he is the strongest.” He laughs and you just scoff at his words in disbelief. If Suguru heard himself say this he would be so heartbroken. It had been years since you saw him, the strongest sorcerer, the man who held the innate gift of the six eyes, your old classmate, your first love, Satoru Gojo. Almost ten years to be exact. He would be almost 30 now. So much has changed since then. You wondered if he remembered you and if he thought of you as much as you thought of him.

“I can’t. I won’t-” your voice cracks, “-do that.” The tears from earlier start to spill now. You had hoped that running away with Suguru to follow his dream would mean that you would never have to see Satoru again. You were fine with that but this, you weren’t fine with. Your heart would never allow you to kill Satoru Gojo. You weren’t even sure why Suguru was so confident that you could. Maybe because it wasn’t a request from Suguru…

“Yes, you will. If you have any hope of seeing Suguru Geto again you will.” Your eyes flick up to his forehead where you look at him through wet lashes. You look at the stitches that hold his skull together with haste. He’s still in there and you just wanted him back. “You’re the only one out of all of us that has the best chance of getting close to him. After all, he once loved you. Didn’t he?” Your cheeks burn and your stomach drops at his words. You feel like you’re going to be sick. If you were being honest with yourself, you didn’t know if he once loved you or not. “Even if you don’t kill him, you’re able to get close and weaken him, then we can trap him.”

“Fine.” You wipe the single tear from your cheek and turn to walk away but before you can Kenjaku reaches for your arm and grabs a hold of your wrist tightly making you wince.

“I think you should go with Mahito. It could give you a chance to scope out Satoru’s whereabouts. I hear he has a few students of his own now.” His voice is deep and low making you curious as to why he was whispering. Is this because he doesn’t have faith in the little curses he keeps around him? Are you the only person completely loyal to him? Maybe, you thought. Then your mind wanders to Satoru. You wonder if he’s gotten any taller, his hair any longer, or if he is the same old Satoru. Your lips turn upwards slightly at the thought of his laugh as you leave Suguru and make your way over to Mahito.

“Come on patch-face. We’re going to see your movie.” You throw a towel at him and roll your eyes at the excited face he makes. He reminds you so much of a child and sometimes you don’t know why you can’t stand him.

Later in the day

You arrived at the movie theater and bought one ticket for Human Earthworm 3. Mahito stood next to you eager to get into the theater. There were only a few other people in the theater, a few boys sitting by the front and a lone teenage boy. Good thing you didn’t care about the movie all that much because the boys up front would not shut up. The lone boy sitting at the top left of the theater wore a purple shirt and his dark hair fell over his face. He looked sad but you tried not to think anything of it.

“Should I shut them up?” Mahito leaned over to whisper in your ear. His words were laced with evil and you could hear the smile across his lips. You shiver at his words but try to play it off.

“If you want, I don’t care.” You wave him off with an annoyed sigh. The boy in purple looked up at you and you imagined he thought you were crazy for talking to yourself. Whatever. You had gone through your wallet during the movie and found your old jujutsu high ID card. Yep, just as you thought you were once a grade-one sorcerer. You flip over your ID and run your fingertips over the scratched-up surface. There was a smiley face drawn in Sharpie that was slightly smudged. That’s right, Satoru drew this. You smiled sweetly to yourself at the memory. He was so annoying back then but you adored him and his goofy self. He was somehow always so cocky. He was beautiful though, he was tall and hadn’t completely grown into his height yet. You remember his messy white hair and his angelic blue eyes. You even remember him stealing your ID card and holding it above your head so you couldn’t reach it. He always made it a point to joke with you about being short. He was always so playful with you.

Your mind wanders to something darker as you hold the plastic between your two fingers. Were you really going to have to kill him to bring Suguru back? What if he could help you instead? Did he even still care about you or Suguru enough to do that? This all felt so heavy. Were you even going to be able to kill him if he said no? Kenjaku seemed to think you could. Yes, you were once a very strong sorcerer and if you had to guess you’re probably well past a special grade now but that just means he is too. Even back then Satoru was the strongest, he was a special grade even then. You sigh to yourself. You try to remind yourself that you were the descendant of one of the strongest sorcerers in history. You were part of the Kashimo clan, your great-great-great grandfather was titled the god of lightning. You tried to talk yourself into feeling stronger but it wasn’t helping. The truth is Satoru would kill you in an instant if he wanted to. Maybe because you deserved it and wouldn’t fight back or maybe just because you were weak.

Before you knew it Mahito was bored. He no longer had any interest in the movie and you were snapped out of whatever trance you were just in. He stood up and started walking to the exit but not before completely transmuting all three of the boys who were talking during the entire movie. You roll your eyes and follow him out stuffing your ID card back into your wallet and then into your purse. Such a drama queen.

As you’re walking back to the building where your hideout was you hear someone call out to you. You consider ignoring it but then he yells out, “Hey, you, patch-face with the lady!” Suddenly your eyes widen as you turn around to face the same sad boy from earlier—the one who wore purple and had one side of his face covered by his dark hair.

“Y-you can see him?” You blurt out pointing at Mahito, not even acknowledging that he was going to say something first.

“Yeah, and I also saw what he did to them.” He steps back a little, losing the confidence he just had. He seemed sweet and you knew he wasn’t at all a real threat. Suddenly he seemed sweaty and scared.

“What, were they your friends or something?” Mahito interjects and you allow him to speak to the poor boy. You feel a small drop of water fall on your face and when you look up you notice it's starting to rain. You pull your hood over your head and lean against a wall under an air conditioning unit so you don’t get wet.

“Can I..” he hesitates, “Do that too?” The boy asks while staring down at his feet. There seems to be something troubling him for him to be asking dangerous strangers for help.

“Come on, I’ll show you.” Mahito grins creepily and that was your queue to leave. You didn’t care to listen to him go on and on about curses when he just learned about it not too long ago himself. After all, he was a new curse.

“You two go on without me. Suguru will want to hear about this.” You share one last look at Mahito and the boy before drifting back into the shadows of the alleyway to make your way back to the hideout.

The next day

Mahito tells you that the boy's name is Junpei. He can see and manipulate cursed energy and Mahito has taken it upon himself to personally “train” the boy. You’re slightly annoyed but just happy that Mahito won't be bothering you as much anymore. You tell him to be nice to the boy and that if he hurt him in any way, you’ll kill him. You can’t help it, something about him reminded you of a younger Suguru and it warmed your heart.

Suguru on the other hand didn’t care as much as you thought he would. He was more disappointed to see that you had returned with no news on Satoru’s whereabouts. You promised to go back out today and see what you could find out. You met up with Mahito who happened to be spying on Junpei. Apparently, Junpei had crossed paths with The king of curses, Sukuna’s vessel, Yuji Itadori, a young boy with bright pink hair and a red hood attached to his Jujutsu High uniform. You could feel just how powerful his cursed energy was from a mile back. His aura sent chills down your spine. Everything about Sukuna freaks you out. You’ve only ever heard stories about him as you and Suguru spent a couple of years searching for his twenty fingers. You also remember that your great-great-great grandfather made it his dying wish that one day he would get to fight Sukuna. You guessed that never happened since your grandfather was the one 6 feet under.

“He told him about us,” Mahito says while playing with the ends of his hair and swinging his feet out beneath him. He was sitting on a park tree near where Junpei and Itadori were talking but was careful to be out of sight.

“What do you mean?” You weren’t following what he was saying.

“Junpei told Itadori that he saw us yesterday and described what we looked like. Should we go ahead and kill him to preserve Geto’s plan?”

“No, that would just stir the pot. Maybe this could work in our favor. We got word from Jogo that Sukuna’s vessel was one of Satoru-I mean- Gojo’s students, right?” Now Mahito was the one not following. His face is full of confusion. You flick him in the forehead, “That means that Gojo will come to us stupid. Now we won't have to find him. He isn’t going to send his weaker sorcerers to fight us knowing that we’re multiple special grades.”

“Oh, right!” Mahito smiles and turns to face Junpei once more. “I also fought a blonde sorcerer yesterday! Even more the reason to come.” Mahito sings as he continues to swing his feet humming a tune.

Your heart drops. A blonde sorcerer? Could it be?

“Mahito… this blonde sorcerer…” you start but your voice gets stuck in your throat. “Did you kill him?” Your throat suddenly felt like pins and needles.

“The businessman? No, it was a pretty even match actually and we had to draw.”

Nanamin.. Of course, it was him. You anxiously ran your fingers through your hair. Thank god, he’s still alive. You tried to keep tabs on most of your other old classmates, except Satoru. You thought Nanami quit being a sorcerer but maybe your intel was wrong.

“Please don’t hurt him.” You turn toward Mahito practically begging.

“I never thought I’d hear you say that Y/N! Wow, you are a softy arentcha? Well, either way, I do what I want.” Mahito gets close to your face and smiles. You had about enough of him and were this close to exorcising him right then and there when you noticed Itadori and Junpei leaving. Killing Kenjaku’s favorite curse would have to wait. The two of you continued to follow Itadori and Junpei.

Later that day

You had devised a plan. You overheard Kenjaku and Mahito talking, they were going to use Junpei to create a diversion to see how much control Itadori had over Sukuna, or best case scenario, they were planning on getting control over Sukuna’s vessel themselves.

The whole plan made you sick. Poor Junpei. You knew what you had to do. You had to be there in the shadows to protect Junpei and to leave with Satoru, however you needed to. This was your only hope of saving Suguru.

When you weren’t sleeping in Dagon’s domain, you were in a room over at the motel you were all staying at. You used to share this room with Suguru and you just couldn’t be alone in there anymore, it was too much. You began packing a few of your things when you heard someone knock on your door softly.

“Come in.” You call out to them.

The door opens and when you look up you see Mimiko, her long brunette hair laying at her shoulders and her body language makes it seem like she has been tiptoeing around Kenjaku herself. You can’t believe how much she has grown since you and Suguru found her and her twin sister years ago. For a long time, you all felt like a family. You and Suguru even used to make sweet jokes about how Mimiko and Nanako were your daughters. You once asked Suguru if he thought if you had children together ironically you would also have twin daughters. He chuckled but you knew deep down he never wanted to bring more kids into the world. Sometimes you wish your relationship with him could’ve been different. You would’ve really loved just being about to go on dates and worry about paying rent with your normal careers. Maybe you both would’ve worked at Nanami’s office and made Fridays your movie nights and Tuesdays would be when you invited Shoko, Nanami, and Haibara over for Dinner. Satoru would come sometimes when he wasn’t busy with his new girl of the week. Sadly though, that was all just a dream; but maybe in another life, it wasn’t just a dream.

“It’s just me.” You say and turn to continue packing with a straight face.

“Oh, okay,” she immediately relaxes. “Where are you going?”

You completely ignored her question, you didn’t want her to start getting worked up. “Where is Nanako, I want to say goodbye to the both of you.”

“You’re leaving us? No! You can’t, please don’t leave us here with him.” Her voice cracks and it breaks your heart. They both have been through so much.

You rush over to her to quickly stop her from crying. You lower your voice so that it is above a whisper while you gently rub her shoulder, “It’s okay, it’s not for good. I’m doing this for us Mimiko, I am going to get help so that we can get Suguru back.”

“Really?” She questions while sniffling.

“Yes, but I need to hurry before he notices. Can you cover for me?”

“Well, Nanako is with him…”

“Where?” You say with slight irritation in your voice.

“Upstairs.”

You give her a big hug before making your way up the dirty motel staircase. Luckily, you see Nanako’s blonde hair coming around the corner and she is alone. You run up to her and give her a big hug as well.

“I love you. Tell Mimiko I love her too. She’ll explain everything.” You don’t even give her a chance to ask any questions before taking off down the other side of the outside hallway. You try to be stealthy and quiet but you’re not quiet enough. Suddenly an arm reaches out to you, jolting you to a stop. It was him. His grip made you wince once more.

“And where are you going, Y/N?” He asks with a borderline sinister smile. You shudder as you go to look at him trying your hardest to pretend like everything is fine.

“I’m going on your secret mission, remember? I just said goodbye to our daughters.” You hiss up at him. This time you look directly into his eyes so that he feels your anger.

He didn’t seem to like this, he reached out and grabbed your throat to pull you closer to him. Your teeth clench together and cry out in pain. He’s not quite choking you but he’s holding you hard enough to leave bruises behind.

“Good luck then.” He mutters in your ear. When he pulls away he places a small chaste kiss on your lips making your heart flutter a little. The entire interaction was giving you whiplash. You figured this was his way of saying ‘Don’t betray me or I’ll kill you’. He lets go of your throat and you cough trying to catch your breath.

You look at him with hate in your eyes one last time before turning and running down the motel stairs. You had one more stop to make for your grand plan to work. Mahito.

The next day

You wake up the next day in a room unfamiliar to you. The night before you had left your motel and went to a hotel that was closer to Jujutsu High. You showered and put on a little bit of makeup. As you were getting dressed in your family's traditional attire you couldn’t help but feel nervous. Today you were going to see Satoru. What if he didn’t want to see you? Who were you kidding of course he didn’t. You would be lucky if he paid you any mind at all. But what if you had to fight him? Your heart was beating out of your chest as you put on your all-white haori. As you wrapped bandages around your fists and lower arms you breathed out deeply preparing for the worst. You pulled your hair back into two buns and grabbed your quarterstaff before leaving for the school. It had been a long time since you’d had to fight anyone let alone dress in your traditional attire.

You arrive at the school that you heard Mahito mention to Kenjaku the day before. It was the school where Junpei attended. You decided to keep your distance from the fight because you couldn’t give up your position or your plan. When you walk toward the back of the school you see the veil had already been lowered. This was Mahito’s viel which means Kenjaku wasn’t here. He most likely didn’t want to run into Satoru to raise any red flags about your arrival. When you entered the viel you hoped that Mahito had noticed your energy like you planned. You walked through the school and up the stairs. It was dead, where was everyone? There was glass all over the floors from the windows. They must’ve already started fighting.

You turn the corner to where you thought you heard fighting and that's when you see him. Junpei. No, no, no, you were supposed to protect him. You were too late. Mahito had already gotten his hands on him and turned him into a transmuted beast. You clench your eyes shut as you walk past his body. Your heart sinks and your face twists in anger. Maybe the next part of your plan would be real then. Mahito of course will think you’re putting on a show for the sorcerors like you had planned.

When you walk over to the windowsill you see them. Sukuna’s vessel, Itadori and Nanami were fighting Mahito. Quite frankly, Mahito was getting his ass whooped. You wanted to see how this would play out but that's when you realized one of the most important parts of your plan. Satoru isn’t here. Where was he? Why did they only send Nanami?

You take a deep breath. Okay, you had two choices. Bail or improvise. You chose the latter.

With a war cry and your charged cursed energy, you jump from the window and land behind Itadori and Nanami. You tap into your rage and your hair starts emitting cursed lightning that bounces from each of your buns. Your eyes began glowing yellow and you lightly tap your quarterstaff on the ground causing the school courtyard to shake.

“MAHITO!” You scream at the top of your lungs, haste dripping from your tongue. Just as planned, Mahito would change direction and start fighting you.

Both Itadori and Nanami look your way. Itadori is extremely confused about whether or not you’re also an enemy and when he starts to make his way toward you Nanami reaches his arm out to stop him. He looks back at Nanami and he simply shakes his head signaling him to trust him.

Mahito then takes the opportunity to shape himself into a giant spiked beast and attempts to slice you where you stand. You jump over his additional spiked body parts and use one of his arms as leverage to jump across to the other side of the courtyard. He tries to hit you again and you redirect his hand using taijutsu and infuse your quarterstaff with cursed lightning and hit him directly in the chest. The impact makes him fly across the courtyard and he starts shaking from the electrical energy in the blast. Damn, you need to dial it back a bit if you want this to be believable. You turn toward Nanami and Itadori. Your eyes meet Nanami’s and your heart flutters in your chest, you haven’t seen him since his hair was long. He was so tall and cute and now he is a big, strong man. His blue dress shirt is snug across his chest and you’re just completely surprised by how much he's grown. His cheeks were much more defined and he was aging like wine. He still wore his signature frown.

Perfect moment to be distracted. Mahito takes the opportunity you give him and turns his arms into little spikes. He pierces the back of your thigh causing you to scream out in pain. What was he doing? This wasn’t the plan. You cry out as you feel two more spikes go through your gut. When he pulls them out you look down to see your all-white haori covered in blood, your blood. Well so much for dialing it back, you trusted Mahito enough to not kill you but maybe that was his plan all along. This fake fight was a ploy for him to kill you.

“Y/N!” Nanami yells out as he runs over to catch you before you fall.

“N-na-namin” you respond breathlessly as you fall to your knees. There was blood pouring from your mouth. Nanami catches you and you hold your stomach as you shake in his arms. Did Kenjaku know your plan all along? Why would Mahito kill you? You felt yourself slipping out of consciousness and all you could think about was the fact that you wouldn’t get to see Satoru after all. Maybe this was for the best. If you can’t be with Suguru you don’t care whether you lived or died.

As your eyes start to close you can feel Nanami squeeze you tighter as he hugs you against his chest. You hear Itadori yell out that Mahito is getting away and Nanami tells him to let him go, and that it wasn’t worth it. Then you hear Itadori ask if Nanami knew who you were to which he replied, “Yes, I know her well.”

---

Two days later

You wake up to the smell of cigarettes and hear muffled talking in the background. When you sit up frantically in shock you see that you are handcuffed to the bed. You begin to panic, your charged cursed energy threatening to spill out until you realize that you recognize where you are. You’re in the medical office at Jujutsu High. You’ve been here for many injuries, most of which were self-inflicted from your training with Satoru. Damn, his stupid infinity, your attacks would almost always bounce back causing you to get hurt. When you look down you see your thigh wrapped in bandages as well as your lower abdomen.

“That special grade curse got you pretty good.” You scoff at the statement that Mahito was a special grade curse. Screw him. But wait, you know that voice, that sweet voice coated with years of cigarettes and liquor.

“Shoko?” You yell out whipping your head back and forth to search for her.

“Hey squirt, it’s me don’t get all frizzy on me now.” She wheels her chair over to your bed and stands to take your temperature while simultaneously rubbing your head trying to stir up your electrical cursed energy. That’s right, she always called you that because you were a little younger and a little shorter than her. She also loved annoying you by making your hair frizzy. You didn’t even care that she was making your hair a mess, a huge smile was plastered across your face. She looks much older, you bet it's from her bad smoking and drinking habits. She’s still beautiful though, just has dark circles under her eyes and her hair is much much longer. She’s still the same Shoko. God how you missed her.

“Why am I chained to the bed?” You ask but you already know the answer to that question.

“You know why squirt…” Her face drops and she wheels away from your bed now.

“Well, what happens now? Am I to be executed now that I am in the school's possession again?” You ask with a small laugh but deep down you have a genuine concern that that might be the case, this was one of the reasons you never came back after deserting the school with Suguru.

“You know there are very strong people here that would never allow that to happen.”

Was she talking about Satoru? She had to be. Unless someone else from your class sprouted up and became strong enough to overpower those in charge. You decide to assume she’s talking about Satoru.

“I’m not so sure about that. Last time I saw him he seemed perfectly okay with the idea of me dying.” Your voice gets quiet as you say this, it’s as if the wound is still fresh. You don’t allow her to say anything to that, “Anyways, where is he?”

“He got back yesterday, as soon as he heard you were here.” Suddenly there are butterflies in your stomach. You thought you were going to die at Mahito’s hand but it seems he missed all of your vitals. So you get to see Satoru after all. Why were you suddenly so nervous?

Without warning, the big metal door to the facility opens and you see Shoko stand to greet whoever it is. Part of you hoped it was Satoru and the other part of you was scared shitless.

“Y/N.” A stern male’s voice states your name causing you to jump a little.

Your eyes start watering, “Nanamin?” You turn your head to see him walking over to you.

“You know I hate when you call me that.” Nanami gets closer to your bed and unlocks your handcuffs freeing you. You giggle at his defensiveness, it’s good to see he hasn’t gotten any more expressive with his emotions. You jump into his arms and hug him. He is reluctant to return your hug but he ultimately does. You’ve missed him so so much.

“Why are you freeing me?” You step back and rub your wrists looking down to see they’re starting to bruise. When you reach up you feel a bandage around your neck too. You look at Shoko confused until you remember the moment you had with Kenjaku before you left. You rub the bandage gently reminding you of why you’re here. He had hurt you. You want Suguru back.

“We have some questions.” He reaches around your back and puts new handcuffs around your wrists. He is gentle with his movements though so that he doesn’t hurt you. You sigh, just when you thought you were free. You understood why though, it was going to take a lot of work for anyone here to trust you again. Nanami walks you down the hall to Principal Gakugangi��s office. Memories of this hallway flood your brain. You remember the time you, Satoru, and Suguru raced down this hallway. Of course, Satoru won because he had the longest legs.

You’re brought to a room next to the principal’s office that has a chair seated at the front of the room directly under multiple TV screens. Across from that, there were a bunch of seats that were set up auditorium style. All of your old teachers and classmates were already seated, all except Satoru. You started to explain to ex-principal Yaga and principal Gakuganji why you were there. It was as if you were reading from a script. It was the story you fabricated to get here, although most of it was true. You told Shoko, Nanami, Utahime, Mei-Mei, Gakuganji and Yaga. You wished Satoru was here to listen but you figured there was a reason he wasn’t. You went on about how after you left Jujutsu High years and years ago with Suguru he was possessed by Kenjaku and forced you to work for him. You lied and told them how you heard that Mahito could transmute souls and that you went looking for him to help touch Suguru’s soul to kill Kenjaku inside of him. Everything in your story came together so perfectly, you mentioned how you were fighting Mahito at the school because he had betrayed you and told Suguru your plan and was ultimately trying to kill you. This explained why Itadori told them Junpei saw you at the movies with Mahito and why you were trying to kill him afterward.

Finally, Utahime spoke up and asked, “Why did you never come back to us, Y/N?” She sounded so dejected as she said this. You were starting to regret coming back at all, it was already stirring up way too many old emotions that you thought you tucked away years ago.

This question hit harder than you expected it to. Your chest started to feel tight. You held your wrists together to wipe your face of the tears that were now spilling out on their own. Bending forward you rest your head in your arms before continuing, “I wanted to come back, trust me I did!” You pause and look at all your old friends sitting on the edge of their seats listening to you with such care in their eyes. “I was scared because of the death penalty and also I wanted to protect you guys the best I could from Suguru, h-he was not himself.” You sniffle and stare down at your bound hands, you internally debate saying this last part but they deserve to know, “a-and, I loved him.” You hesitantly correct yourself, “I do love him.” You’re suddenly brought back to the first few years together with Suguru after you both had abandoned Jujutsu High. You were severely depressed and would cry almost every night to Suguru about how you missed everyone at Jujutsu High and how you wanted to go back. He would comfort you but couldn’t understand your reasoning. He didn’t ask you to follow him and he never really understood why you did. He did, however, reassure you of his love whenever you need it. You don’t think he ever felt sad about his past which allowed him to pour himself into both you and his purpose.

You watch as everyone’s eyes quickly dart toward the door behind you. When you look over your shoulder with puffy eyes you see what they were looking at. You finally see him. The strongest sorcerer, the man who held the innate gift of the six eyes, your old classmate, your first love, Satoru Gojo. He is, where do you even begin? If your heart wasn’t hurting so bad you could probably talk about how he was taller than the door frame for hours. His hair was slightly longer than you remember and still as white as snow. It sat perfectly on top of his head with a black blindfold that covered his beautiful blue eyes that had been burned into your memory for years. He upgraded from the little black sunglasses you used to steal from him. His lips looked as soft as you remember and when you look down you see his arms crossed over his chest. His arms look so much bigger now that he has grown into his lanky self. He looks strong and his hands are huge. You can’t even focus, the room was spinning and your heart was beating out of your chest. How embarrassing. No one said a thing. You hated that you couldn’t see his eyes. You knew him though, more than probably anyone else in the room. Your presence made him uneasy and nervous just as much as yours did his. He continued to stare at you through his blindfold. Everyone fell into an unbearable silence. It felt like you were swallowing nails every time you took a breath. You wanted him to scream or yell at you, you wanted him to do something other than what he was doing. Your eyes were begging him to take you away from all the eyes in the room so that you could talk one-on-one, but he wouldn’t do that. Not anymore. You wanted to know if he still cared at all if he even missed you.

“I thought I told you not to get distracted in a fight,” Satoru speaks in a calm voice but his posture stiffens against the door as he speaks.

You open your mouth to reply but instead, Principal Yaga interjects and stands before you causing you to turn your attention to him. You just wanted to be anywhere but here. You were now very unsure about whether or not Satoru would allow the higher-ups to kill you or not. Suddenly you feel very small and weak.

“The Kyoto sister school exchange event is about to begin,” he gruffs in annoyance and points to the TVs above your head. “We’re done for today. Gojo, she is your responsibility, put her in the talisman room until we figure out what to do with her.”

Your head shifts from Principal Yaga to Satoru, suddenly very nervous. The talisman room is where sorcerers bring special-grade human-like curses, “evil” sorcerers, or anyone who poses a threat to the sorcerer world. It was like a holding cell that drained all your cursed energy. It was where the school put those who were on death row. You freeze in your chair when you see Nanami coming over to drag you out of the room.

“N-Nanamin, please, no,” you beg, catching a sob in your throat.

“I’m sorry, Y/N.” His eyes seem sincere but you knew he had no choice. He walks you over to Satoru who takes the chains on your wrist without saying a word. He is neither gentle nor harsh in the way he leads you down the hall. A tense silence falls around you. This is the closest you’ve been to him in years and you just want things to go back to the way they were. You’re too scared to look at him so you stare at the ground rethinking this whole thing. Should you try to fight Satoru here and now? No, he’s too strong and the others would be behind him. Should you make a break for it and run back to Suguru? No. You stop abruptly causing Satoru’s infinity to hit you causing you to lose your balance. He had his infinity up around you? This was ultimately a test to see if he still trusts you, even a little, but the answer was no. Your heart breaks, things are never going to be the same. Now that you are out of the sight of the others you turn to Satoru as much as your position allows, your last hope was talking to him.

“Satoru,” You hum his name, it coming out much sweeter than you meant for it to. “Please, l-listen to me.” You look up at him and try to ignore how he towers over you. He tilts his head down at you. You’re still unable to see his eyes so you just assume he’s looking at you. “I-I know you don’t trust me anymore…” Your voice wavers as you say this. “But, you’re in danger. Please list-”

“’m the strongest.” His voice is gruff and cold as he cuts you off. It’s his way of saying ‘Shut up, no I’m not’.

You start pulling your arms away from him to get him to understand how serious this is. He eventually gives way and you’re now facing him with your hands behind your back. He cockily puts his hands in his pocket allowing you to continue talking. He is straight-faced and almost looks bored. Oh, how you wished you could see his signature Satoru Gojo smile.

“Suguru has been possessed by a very strong cursed spirit who has lived many lifetimes. He is planning on sealing you away!” Your voice strains as you try to plead with him.

“Suguru is dead,” His voice is still just as monotone as before. “I should know, I’m the one who killed him.”

First, your heart drops. Then your eyes widen and your muscles tense up. “What?” You grumble through gritted teeth as you slowly blink up at him as your mind tries to wrap around what he just said. The electric cursed energy you possess begins to flow through you in anger. You can feel the static electricity start to form between the two buns in your hair, like a radio frequency. Your hair begins to float from the friction. Suddenly your arms are free from their shackles. You must’ve tensed up so much that your strength snapped them off.

“That was you?” You say with furrowed brows as your feet naturally start to take a fighting pose. You remember when Kenjaku came back in Suguru’s place that day and explained that he found his body ‘without a host’, aka dead. You didn’t believe it, you never did. Who could’ve possibly killed him? Whoever it was had to be strong, you never guessed it would be Satoru. He was his best friend. And Suguru was still in there. He had to be.

“You know I had to do it. Don’t start this Y/N, you know I’d win.” His hands were still in his pockets and now he was just getting on your nerves. You hated that the first time you heard him say your name again was under these circumstances.

“You’re just going to have to kill me too,” Your tears stop and you reach your arm out to summon your quarterstaff using your cursed wavelength, after a moment it shatters a window and is in your grip, “Gojo.” You twirl your staff around your head and tap it on the ground making the rest of the windows in the hall shatter. You revert to his last name and for a split second, you think you see him release a pained breath but you no longer care. There was no going back for either of you. You were now enemies.

You run at him at full speed while building up your cursed energy in your staff. You had no idea how you were going to get him to turn off his infinity but you were okay with it ending here. There was something so beautiful about dying at Satoru’s hand. As soon as you’re close enough, you jump above him and hit right where his head would be. You can see your attack absorbed by his infinity. However, the floor and the wall behind him weren’t as lucky. They both take a huge hit and crumble away. Why wasn’t he fighting back? Why wasn’t he killing you?

Attack after attack after attack, he just allows you to come at him. You’re extremely angry and you feel like you’re going to explode. You throw your quarterstaff at the wall frustrated and instead walk up to him preparing to try hand-to-hand combat. Your lips are trembling now, you’re a sobbing mess. He finally pulls his hands out of his pockets as you incessantly pound on his infinity until you feel it slowly dwindle. Then your arms make contact with his chest. Tears run down your cheeks as your arms feel his heartbeat where they are resting against him It even annoyed you that his heartbeat came out slower and calmer than yours. Who were you kidding, you didn’t pose a threat to him at all. You may be a special-grade sorcerer but your weakness was him, and maybe you were his too. You fall into him completely exhausted from over-exerting yourself. He allows your forehead to rest on his heart completely swallowed by sadness. You finally gave in and cried your heart out into his chest. He then slowly reaches up to grab your arms, his touch is hesitant but still gentle. It’s almost like he doesn’t want to touch you but does so anyway. He ever so slightly rubs his thumb across your wrist making you raise your head to look at him. Your eyes were wet, your lips were red, and your hair messily fell around your face. You still couldn’t see his eyes, those beautiful eyes, and that stupid blindfold.

“He’s not dead. He can’t be.” You plead again, not even sure what you’re expecting from him anymore. “I-I love him, Satoru.” You can’t believe you’re sitting here telling him this, crying into his chest like you once did what felt like lifetimes ago now, “I know you once loved him too, he was your best friend. Please, plea-”

He brings his hand up to your cheek and caresses it softly before bringing his two forefingers up to your forehead and gently draining you of all your energy, ultimately putting you to sleep. Your eyes roll back in your head and you fall limp into his arms. Satoru leans down to pick you up bridal style before walking over to your quarterstaff and picking it up in one swift motion. You were so light in his arms. Your head lulls on his chest as he carries you to the talisman room. Your hair was completely out of place and your lips were slightly parted as if this was the most comfortable sleep you had gotten in a while. He can't help but stare at you through his blindfold as his chest tightens with emotion. You were the same girl he fell in love with years ago, you just matured and there was a certain confidence in the way you carried yourself that you didn’t do before. Your hair was much longer and your cheeks had thinned out a bit with age. It was so strange seeing you again, now his heart was starting to beat fast. He honestly never thought he’d see you again. When he ran into Suguru last year he was sure you would be with him, fighting alongside him… but you weren't. He had hoped that meant you ran away from it all and maybe even married a nice ordinary man, someone you wanted to marry, settled down, had a family like you always talked about, and abandoned sorcery altogether. But here you were not only before his very eyes but in his arms again, still tied up with his best friend and still tied up with jujutsu sorcery. He wondered what you had been through all this time away from him. He had tried to move on, he did. He’s been on plenty of dates with other women and he even tried pursuing both Utahime and Shoko, they were the closest thing he could get and it wasn’t close at all. Shoko knew he was trying to fill your void and she respected herself too much to give in to his motives. Utahime on the other hand liked him back and for a while, they tried dating but in the end, they just weren’t compatible. None of them were you, you hurt way too much. How was it fair that in the end, you chose Suguru? Did you not love him too? Did you just love him more? Why didn’t you stay?

Satoru was suddenly very thankful that you were asleep and that he had a blindfold on, his tears escaped anyway.

He walked past his room with you in his arms. Part of him wanted to lay you on his bed in hopes that you would wake up and this would all just be a bad dream. You would be back in 2006 laying in his bed again but instead of thinking with his heart, he went with his head. He brought you to the talisman room, sat you in the chair in the center of the room, and left to return to watch the Kyoto Sister School Exchange event.

#bryannawrites #gojo x reader #satoru x reader #geto x reader #suguru x reader #satoru x reader x suguru #jujutsu kaisen #jjk x reader #jjk smut #jujutsu sorcerer #jujutsu gojo #jujutsu geto

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humanitys-strongest-bamf · 11 months

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"get me a damned matcha" | Chapter 2: July I

{{ Chapter 1: June I | Chapter 3: August I }} Chapter Directory

yes even modern au levi has a sad backstory, no i regret nothing

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✧ pairing ➼ levi ackermann x fem!reader, college x coffee shop x roommates!au ✧ summary ➼ After you find yourself plagued with misfortune due to struggles in your personal and family life, you find yourself needing to move last minute. As a junior in undergrad with little money and little social support, you considered yourself lucky when you found a sublease that was close to campus and was relatively cheap. Unfortunately, it seemed that your roommate did not seem to be so excited regarding your presence. ✧ content/warnings ➼ slowburn, enemies to lovers (sorta), strangers to lovers, mentions of family deaths, mentions of an emotionally abusive parent figure, gn!hange (they/them), mentions of kenny being an abusive father figure, levi being mean ✧ word count ➼ ~3.6k

Although you weren't too surprised at your ex-boyfriend's lack of timeliness in terms of dropping off your belongings, you still cursed at yourself for being naive. You remembered waiting a week before shooting Zack a text message with a drop-off point to meet up for your belongings, in which he only responded with "I'll get to it when I get to it". You knew that this roughly translated into the fact that he would be taking his sweet time getting you your stuff, if he would even bring it to you at all.

You didn't have a car and you certainly didn't want to ask Levi to borrow his with how adamant he was on ignoring your existence. Luckily, one of your "close" friends was also in town due to a summer on-campus job, so you were able to go shopping for living supplies with her.

You and Petra had been friends since high school and you appreciated her existence, but you couldn't help but feel like she was only tolerating you instead of actually being your friend. It was always you reaching out and any attempts at bonding were half-assed at best. Still, she was the only reliable person in town at the moment—and you at least got to vent about Levi to her.

You had lived with your ex-boyfriend for around three years before breaking up and getting kicked out of his apartment. This was actually your first time navigating this type of situation on your own, but you were determined to make it work, no matter how much of a dick Levi was intent on being.

"He's just been kind of ignoring me," you muttered as you sat in the passenger's seat of Petra's car. The two of you were headed towards Chosahei Cafe. You had been spending your free time there the past couple of days and you enjoyed the atmosphere there, minus Levi.

"He barely responds to text messages and barely even acknowledges me at home. Trying to initiate conversation with him is like pulling teeth," you continued.

"Maybe he's shy?" Petra suggested innocently.

You looked at her with an "are you kidding me?" expression. You were never sure if Petra was blindly positive or simply naïve, both were irritating to deal with.

"Well, you'll be able to see him for yourself if he's working his shift today," you mumbled as you saw the café come into sight as Petra pulled into the parking lot.

"You still come into this café despite the fact that he works here?"

"Well, I figured if he's going to be a dick and continue ignoring me, then I'll be as much of a pain in the ass to him as I can be."

"You're petty."

You scoffed at Petra's comment without responding as you got out of the car, swinging your backpack that was no longer overpacked over your shoulder.

As you glanced at the entrance to the café, part of you wondered if Levi was working there at the moment. It would determine how enjoyable and productive your time at the café would actually be.

You found yourself sighing in relief when he wasn't.

"No Levi today?" you asked as you waved and smiled at Onyakopon.

"Thank goodness," you muttered, which earned a chuckle out of the barista.

Instead of taking your regular seat at the coffee bar near the tea station, you elected to sit with Petra at a small two-seat table in the corner of the café so that the two of you could chat regarding your plans for the upcoming school year.

You proposed the idea of a honors society social club towards the end of last year before shit hit the fan with your ex-boyfriend. The two other officers of the club were still off-campus for a few more weeks, so you couldn't do any serious planning ahead of time. On top of the club, you also had to think about your capstone project for graduation. Although you were primarily an English major on the creative writing track, your curriculum was a bit more individualized. As a result, your capstone project to graduate was to write and publish a light novel.

You had gladly accepted the additional requirements for your major last year before things fell to shit. You had everything planned out, such as how much you should write each month or how much time you'd dedicate to outlining versus actually writing. However, the whole situation with your ex-boyfriend threw everything out of proportion. Your grades in the spring semester plummeted—you even had to take an incomplete for a few classes—and you missed out on four months of writing, which left you horrifically behind. Luckily, it wasn't enough to throw your graduation into jeopardy, but it meant that these next two years would require you to work your ass off.

On top of that, you had to make sure your baseline grades were satisfactory enough to keep your helicopter parent-style aunt off your ass. Ever since your parents passed, your aunt had picked you up, including offering you food, shelter, and financial assistance at the expense of subjecting you to her somewhat emotionally abusive behavior.

"You sure you're able to do all that?" Petra asked. It wasn't that she doubted your abilities. She had seen how much of a mess you were the previous year and knew that keeping all of this up would be difficult, even without the emotional strain of everything in your personal life.

You stayed silent for a while.

"I have to try," you whispered.

You knew that it was going to be exceptionally difficult to even stay afloat if you don't get your shit together. You told yourself that this year would be different—you'd be more independent and focus on school and school alone. You wouldn't bother yourself with relationships or be too preoccupied with superficial friendships.

You had to—your schooling, career prospects, and even relationship with your last living family member depended on it.

~~~~~

In addition to all of the things you had to accomplish with school, you also had to do with your less than pleasant roommate every single day.

Levi Ackermann was an absolutely terrible roommate. You could not think of anyone worse. Even your ex-boyfriend, had he not been your ex, would might have been a more pleasant person to be around.

Levi was a clean freak. Although you weren't a particularly messy person, it apparently still wasn't enough for his standards. You remember you left a mug and plate overnight in the sink once and Levi spent the next 24 hours grumbling about being stuck with a "filthy" roommate and how you were going to be a magnet for pathogens. You vaguely knew that he was doing research in something related to immunology, but this behavior was too extreme even for that. Even if you did agree with him regarding the dishes, grumbling passive aggressive comments underneath your breath the entire day was certainly not an effective method of communication.

You were both light sleepers. However, this was primarily only an issue for you. Levi apparently rarely slept. You would notice him wandering around the apartment throughout the night or even pacing in his room. While he wasn't noisy by any means, you also being a light sleeper meant that you were always acutely aware of his movements throughout the night. His inability to sleep was also beginning to affect yours. You had made sure that you made a mental note to buy earplugs the next time you went shopping with Petra, although you doubt that would have helped much.

One day, you found yourself scrambling around in your room, digging through your backpack and wallet. You facepalmed as you realized that you forgot to pick up your laundry card from your landlord and she was out of town for the next two weeks.

You awkwardly knocked on Levi's door. You were out of clean laundry. You hated being forced to interact with him, much less ask him for help, but you had little choice.

Your grumpy roommate slightly cracked his door open and peeked at you through it with an annoyed expression.

"What do you want?" he asked in an unnecessarily annoyed tone. "I'm busy."

"Doing what?" you asked, matching his frown. "Staring at your laptop screen all day again?"

You didn't actually care about whatever it was that he was doing. As long as he didn't bother you, you couldn't care less about his day-to-day activities.

He didn't answer.

"Whatever," you said, trying to contain your irritation. "I forgot to pick up my laundry card from the landlord. Can I borrow yours? I'll Venmo you."

Levi remained silent and continued to frown at you. A suffocating feeling arose within him. You had only been living with him for a little under two weeks, but he could already tell that you were going to be an absolute pain in his ass throughout the next couple of months.

He walked away.

You were bewildered with his behavior and apathy towards you.

"Are you serious-"

However, before you could finish scolding him regarding how petty he was being, he reappeared and held his laundry card in between his index and middle finger, holding it in your direction.

He paused before completely handing it to you.

"Don't make this a habit," he said curtly, immediately shutting his door after you took his card.

You were grateful that he lent you his card, but you still had to take more than a few deep breaths to contain your frustration. You were already wanting to rip his stupid, obnoxious head off.

Why did I have to be stuck with the worst roommate imaginable?

There was no way that you could even fathom being stuck living with Levi for the next year.

The one positive in the sea of negatives was that you had rent and utilities figured out in terms of splitting the bill. That's what ultimately mattered, so that's what you tried to focus on, although ignoring everything else wasn't exactly easy. Even setting up payments was a pain in the ass.

He was fine with handwriting an old-fashioned check and mailing it out. You were not. You didn't understand why you'd leave so much up to chance in terms of trusting that he'd get the check written in time and that the postal service would get it to your landlord on time.

You opted to set up an automatic payment system through your leasing company's website. The fact that it existed and Levi never utilized it was astonishing. You set up automatic payments as well as spreading out bill due dates throughout the month so neither of you would have to worry about having to be overwhelmed with one gigantic bill at the end of the month. You really thought he'd be grateful that you were taking the time and energy to set all this up to make both your lives easier. He wasn't.

"Anything else you have a problem with, Matcha Girl?" he grumbled as he typed into his phone.

"Matcha Girl?!" you exclaimed, surprised at his unnecessary nickname for you.

You glanced over at his phone and saw that he was typing your nickname that you never consented to into your contact information, replacing your name with it. You scoffed at him in disbelief.

He looked up at you with a neutral expression.

"What? Are you not obsessed with your Matcha's? It's all you ever fucking order."

You clenched your jaw, finding yourself frustrated for the umpteenth time at him.

"You're a dick."

"You're a pain in the ass," he responded immediately, barely letting you finish your sentence.

Surviving this next year was really going to be impossible.

~~~~~

Levi found himself unable to concentrate. It was entirely your fault. He was sure of it.

Outside of reading at home and working at the café, Levi found himself being forced to labor away his time in lab. He was one year into his immunology PhD program and performed research regarding pathogens and the various effects of the different types on the human body. It wasn't the only reason, but it largely contributed to his status as a "clean freak".

He sighed to himself as he continued neatly writing in his notebook. He had just finished analyzing his slides and needed to jot the preliminary data before moving on to code it into the department computer. He wasn't particularly tech savvy, which contributed to how tilted he found himself at your insistence on using your leasing company's website to handle everything. Of course, you didn't need to know that. The less he had to interact with you, the better.

Levi groaned out loud as he heard the door noisily open as someone barged in, carrying too much in their arms than they could handle.

"If you fall and injure yourself, it's entirely your fault, four-eyes," he grumbled.

This so-called "four-eyes" stumbled into the room before noisily setting a myriad of lab equipment onto the table—mostly pipettes and beakers, but they had also finagled a microscope into their grasp.

Levi shot them an unamused look.

Erwin's lab primarily consisted of himself, Levi, and Hange, with Levi as the PhD student he was mentoring, and Hange as the lab tech that kept the lab running. There was the occasional undergraduate student, but this was rare.

"Oh c'mon, it can't possibly be that bad!" Hange exclaimed after listening to Levi vent about his new roommate situation for a few minutes. "_____ seems sweet."

Levi scoffed at their last comment.

"Yeah, when you're not living with her. I'm going to strangle Miche when he visits in October."

"For what? Getting a job?"

Levi remained silent at Hange's comment. He knew he had no valid reason to be mad at Miche for moving, he just hated the fact that he had to deal with you as a roommate.

"You're mad because she's an undergrad, aren't you?" Hange asked quietly.

Levi grunted and continued jotting down his notes, clearly no longer interested in continuing the conversation.

"Don't you remember your undergrad days?" Hange prompted.

"What's worth remembering?" he grumbled.

Levi always found himself incredibly irritated around undergraduate students. They were constantly running around, buying their cheaply made lattes, partying on the weekends, and generally being able to breeze through college through their parents' funding—all things he was never even given the chance to enjoy or explore.

Levi's mother had passed when he was a child. As a result, he was raised by his uncle, who couldn't be bothered to give a shit about schooling. Levi's financial aid got fucked up due to his uncle's lackluster performance in being a parent helping their kid get into and through college—which resulted in Levi having to work overtime through undergrad and pulling some strings with the academic advising office so that he could still get his degree despite having his family situation as an additional source of stress. He never got the traditional college experience, so he found himself irrationally pissed off at the more typical undergrads that didn't seem to give a single fuck about everything happening in the background that allowed them to have their "fun college experience".

"Oh y'know," Hange muttered in response to his rhetorical question. "Like figuring out how to navigate the world for the first time on your own."

They looked up and saw Levi glaring at them as if he was trying to murder them with just his gaze alone.

Levi always had to figure it out "on his own". Even around his uncle, he basically had to raise himself. He doubted that there was a single thing that Hange—or anyone—could say that would decrease his ire.

"Levi," a voice said.

Levi internally sighed as he turned to face his PI.

"Let's chat," Erwin said, gesturing to his office. "I want to discuss your project."

Since Levi was already irritable at baseline, he felt himself rapidly exiting his window of tolerance when Erwin began chatting about how he had been falling behind on research updates or literature reviews. What Erwin didn't know was that Levi was forced to work more for the past few weeks due to his moving situation, although it was unlikely that he would've done much to accommodate.

He still had three years before he needed to finish his PhD, and he could technically be granted extra semesters to finish his study, but being able to graduate in the standard four years seemed like the path of least resistance. Every other option required extra steps that gave Levi more than just a headache.

Levi decided to head home after the irritating back-to-back conversations he had been forced to endure over the course of the day. The only thing he wanted to do was go home, take a shower, and forget everything regarding real life, including labwork and the café. More than anything, he wanted to avoid thinking about his housing situation, but he knew that would be next to impossible. That further irritated him.

He groaned silently to himself as soon as he walked in the door and saw you on your laptop on the couch. You had your hair up in a messy ponytail and had already settled in for the night, wearing sweatpants and a loose t-shirt.

His following groan became audible as he noticed you approaching him.

"Hey," you said quietly, "I think we got off to a bad start."

You paused for a while to give Levi a chance to respond. He remained silent.

"But I wanted to let you know that I appreciate you letting me move in and working with me to get everything figured-"

"Just don't drag your undergrad shit home and we'll call it a day," Levi muttered as he cut you off, not interested in having a real conversation regarding the topic. He's had one too many irritating conversations in the day and he couldn't imagine talking with you as anything other than irritating.

"'Undergrad shit'?" you asked in disbelief as if you didn't hear him properly.

"Yep," he said curtly before walking past you.

You felt your frustration rising and forced yourself to take a few quiet deep breaths. You were trying to be nice and level out any tension that had resulted from bad first impressions or incompatible living styles, but none of that was being reciprocated.

Being around Levi truly was strange for you. You hated to admit it, but you knew you had a pattern of prioritizing other people's happiness over your own, even to the point of silencing your own voice and autonomy.

However, Levi effortlessly pissed you off every single time you interacted with him. Even if you wanted to prioritize his needs over yours, you couldn't. The last thing you wanted to do was give him the satisfaction.

"You really want to make living together this difficult?" you asked, trying your best to contain your anger.

Levi was immediately able to tell how pissed off you were getting, but that didn't give him any remorse. He shot you an expression that matched your mood: angry and hostile.

"Looks to me like you're the one making it difficult."

"What?!" you exclaimed, a bit louder than intended.

"Were you not the one that came up to me with this shit?" he asked calmly.

It pissed you off how seemingly calm he seemed while you were unraveling in rage.

"I walked in the door for less than 30 seconds before you brought shit up."

You clenched your fists and spoke through clenched teeth.

"Well, I'm trying to come up with a compromise!" you argued. "So we can at least get along while being forced to live together!"

Levi scoffed before rolling his eyes and walking towards his room, cutting the conversation off.

You couldn't understand why he was being this hostile to you. Sure, you had called him a dick at your first meeting, but in your defense, he was giving you a hard time at the café and your fuse was already short because you couldn't get keys to the apartment—which was also caused by him. If anything, you should be the hostile one.

You weren't sure if you did something wrong. Your previous roommate of three years, your ex-boyfriend, always said that you were a terrible person to live with, so you began to really suspect if it was something about you that made you difficult to live with, despite you putting in active effort to accommodate or be considerate of their living styles.

As you began to consider all the reasons as to why you might have had a fundamental flaw that made co-living unrealistic, you suddenly stopped your train of thought and clenched your fists—enough was enough.

Even if it was you, even if it was some terrible oversight you've had in which you were already ruining your relationship with your new roommate, you told yourself that you had enough of pleasing people like Levi—people who trampled upon your efforts to cooperate and threw them out the window. If he was going to be this difficult, you were going to be difficult back. Social reciprocity—or in this case, the lack thereof—was a thing.

You groaned to yourself as you sat back down on the couch, holding your head in your hands out of frustration.

How the fuck am I going to get through this year if I have to come home to this every day?

#: @levisbrat25 @gothgril69 @sckerman @berrijam @notgoodforlife @meowjaa @averysmolbear @roseofdarknessblog @bejewelledd @hhighkey @ayame236 @sad-darksoul @velouria17 @kamyru @l1zk4

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moonylantsovs · 4 months

Text

RULES | 2.02: INCLEMENT WEATHER

summary: gabriella kane and what is left of the hundred get separated from the dropship camp after the battle with the grounders. people who gabriella buried and mourned join them on earth. when she finds out most of her people are missing, she is ready to go through whatever she has to in order to get them back — even if that means making a truce with the grounders

pairings: john murphy x fem!oc, bellamy blake x fem!oc (slowburn)

warnings: best friends to enemies to lovers, enemies to allies to lovers, swearing, daddy issues, blood and gore, murphy being annoying, trauma bonding

taglist: @lotr-got

series masterlist

Walking into the newly named Camp Jaha, made an unsettling feeling appear in Gabriella's stomach. She always considered The Ark her home. A twisted and miserable home but still a home. That was until she got sent down to Earth and the hundred became her family and their camp her new home.

Camp Jaha did not seem right to her and the sight of Alpha Station on the ground made her internaly cringe.

Marcus made a couple of guards escort Gabriella and Bellamy inside, leaving them locked up in a room on their own.

"You doing alright?" Gabriella heard Bellamy question and opened her eyes, turning around to connect their gaze, seeing a concern expression on his face.

"About which part exactly? Seeing John's annoying face after everything he did, seeing my dad for the first time in what feels like years after I thought he was dead or having no idea where our friends are?" The blonde asked, the last words leaving a bitter feeling on her tongue.

Before she got sent to the ground, the only people she had considered friends were Murphy, Jasper, Monty and Raven despite the fact that she was more of a co-worker. After landing in Earth, it felt like she had eighty kids that were her responsibility.

"All of it, I guess." Bellamy shrugged as if it was not a big deal, but Gabriella could still see genuine worry on his face.

And yet another surprising thing that happened, she considered a guard turned janitor turned fake guard turned rebel a friend. Not a close one but still a friend. He was her co-leader and a big part of keeping the delinquents alive. They shared the same priorities now and kept the hundred alive together for this long they knew they needed each other if they were gonna keep doing so.

"Well I'm feeling kinda overwhelmed with emotions right now." Gabriella admitted, shrugging as best as she could with her hands tied behind her back "I feel betrayed and a bit...sad, I guess. But I'm mostly pissed."

Bellamy let out a breathy chuckle. "You can only feel one emotion at a time, Bambi. Otherwise you'll most likely explode.”

"If I do explode, I'd prefer to do so straight in my father's face, thank you very much." Gabriella joked, throwing a small grin over her shoulder at her co-leader.

He cracked a small smile and muttered under his breath, "Cute."

After a few moments of silence, Gabriella frowned at the sight of Bellamy's free wrists and pointed out, "Why am I the only one that gets handcuffed?"

"Because you don't think before you act." Bellamy stated as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

Gabriella scoffed instantly. "Oh, you're the one to--"

Her words were cut off by the doors opening and her father stepping into the room with a rifle in his hands. A from immediately settled on both Gabriella and Bellamy's faces.

"How long are you gonna keep us locked up in here?" Bellamg asked with an annoyed scowl, a complete contrast to his amused expression from a moment ago.

"Until I'm confident you're no longer a threat to others." Marcus stated coldy, his words making Gabriella scoff.

"The only person I'm a threat to is John Murphy and I'm pretty sure I'd be doing you a favor by kicking his ass out of camp." She sneered, her piercing blue eyes narrowed into a glare and cutting through her father's soul like a knife.

Marcus simply ignored his daughter's words and took a hold of a chair, sitting on it a moment after. "Let's continue. Now you said there were hundreds of grounders attacking. Two hundred? Three hundred?"

"We didn't count." Bellamy snapped, his frustrated tone mirroring Gabriella's frustrated expression perfectly.

"Why do you think they attacked? What provoked them?"

Gabriella rolled her eyes at her father's words and replied in a snarky tone, "What do you think made them attack? The fact that your exodus ship didn't land where it was supposed to and instead of landing in Mount Weather where there was supposed to be supplies, we landed on someone else's territory."

Bellamy nodded in agreement, adding, "We were here. That was enough. We're wasting time. The others didn't just vanish into thin air. They were taken, and we need to go after them."

"Yeah, I second that."

"Search team is preparing to leave but not before we've gotten the untel we need from you." Marcus said, trying to keep his tone stoic but Gabriella still noticed a hint of amusement that just pissed her off even more.

"We need to be on that team." She exclaimed, almost desperately.

"That's out of the question." The new chancellor instantly declined. "You're not trained. It's too dangerous."

Gabriella felt her eye twitch slightly as she raised her voice, "Bellamy was a literal cadet! We both know how to shoot a gun well. Those are our people out there!" A bitter scoff escaped her lips. "You may be the chancellor now, but you are not in control. Not completely. I mean, do you really think the hundred will listen to you if you find them? News flash, they won't. You sent them down here to die but Bellamy, Clarke and I were the ones that kept them alive. They listen to us, not the council."

"Those are our people out there. We are the ones who are supposed to keep them safe." Bellamy added, running a hand over his wounded face.

"They're my people too. You want to help them? Tell me what we're up against...grounder tactics, their numbers, what kind of weapons they used..." Marcus said, trying to sound unbothered by Gabriella snapping at him.

Bellamy hesitated, his eyes briefly flickering to Gabriella's before he sighed and answered "Arrows and spears, axes, swords...their teeth."

"No guns?"

When both delinquents shook their heads, Marcus tilted his head curiously. "You had guns."

"Yeah." Gabriella sighed, making the messy hair move from her eyes a little. "We found those at the aid depot. It leveled the playing field but more of us would survived if we had more bullets--"

"There were more bullets." Her father cut her off. "Search team just returned from the bunker, they found two more barrels full of rifles and a third filled with bullets."

"Shit." Gabriella muttered, resting her tied hands on her knees and burrowing her face in the palms of her hands.

"We should have looked harder." She heard Bellamy mutter with a mix of regret and guilt.

"Keep walking."

Both Gabriella and Bellamy scowled simultaneously at the sight of two guards bringing Murphy into the room.

"What's he doing here?" Bellamy demanded, glaring at the boy.

"Excuse me, Sir. Dr. Griffin cleared Mr. Murphy out of medical." Major Byrne explained.

Marcus tilted his head, as if thinking out his options in his head, before he got up and looked from his daughter and Bellamy to Murphy. He sighed and pointed to a corner. "Put him over there, Major Byrne."

The blonde woman motioned for two guards that carried Murphy in to tie him up while another tied Bellamy down to a metal column by his wrists. In the meantime, Major Byrne grabbed Gabriella by her forearms and did the same thing with her, but on another column.

"Wow." Gabriella scoffed in disbelief. "If you're gonna start locking us up with the biggest psychopaths of the hundred maybe you should go look for Dax's body in the woods, I'm sure he'd really appreciate that "

Murphy gave her a puzzled look while Bellamy briefly rolled his eyes at her poor attempt to lighten up the mood.

"Well, this should be fun."

Gabriella squinted, biting her bottom lip in frustration as she tried to hear what the commotion outside camp was about, but could not make out anything: just her father and some people yelling. When the arguing stopped, Gabriella tried to listen for a few more moments until she realized she was not going to pick up on anything and let her head fall against the metal column she was leaning on with a loud thud.

Only ten minutes later, when she was finally starting to enjoy the peace and quiet, a loud scream of pain echoed through camp and made her eyes snap open. Raven.

Now that Abby was there, she was able to perform surgery on her from the bullet wound but she did not think Raven would be in this much pain, or even awake during the surgery. Gabriella screwed her eyes shut, desperately trying to block out the sound of her friend's desperate screams of pain.

"Yeah. That was me at the grounder camp." Murphy said, his voice sounding as bored as it could get as he rambled. "You know, I did everything I could not to scream, but eventually--"

"But eventually, you broke and you told them everything." Bellamy cut him off, his voice dripping in venom.

"And you wouldn't have because you're better than me." Murphy drawled out sarcastically.

"Damn right. I'm not a traitor. I didn't tell them where they could find us." The Blake responded, not even looking at the younger boy.

Murphy grinned without humor. "And I did." Hia face suddenly turned serious as he let his gaze settle on Gabriella. "Yeah, I did. After they tortured me in their prison camp for three days," he looked back at Bellamy with a glare "but go ahead. You just keep believing, even if you are both in here just like me." When he did not receive an answer he turned his head to stare at Gabriella pleadingly. "Come on, Ellie. You must have stuff to say to me. Scream, yell at me, insult me just say something."

"I really don't have anything else to say to you." The blonde said, refusing to let her walls down in front of him again. "You had two choices, you chose wrong and now you have to deal with the consequences."

Gabriella could see the night sky through the small windows in the room they were locked in, a sign the sun has set and that they've been there for almost eight hours, without any food or water.

"Get up." Wells ordered, barging into the room unannounced, Finn right by his side with a backpack in his hand and Monroe staying by the doors to keep guard.

Finn threw the backpack in between Gabriella and Bellamy and announced, "We're going after them."

Gabriella's eyebrows shot up in surprise, almost overwhelmed with Wells' change of morals. A month ago, he would not have dared to go against the chancellor's orders.

Wells must have noticed her surprise and smiled slightly. "You didn't think we'd let you rot in here with Murphy while our friends are out there, did you?"

"Well, it's about damn time." Gabriella grinned back at Wells, before he bent down to untie her from the column she was tied to, while Finn did the same with Bellamy. As soon as her hands were free, Gabriella sighed in relief and rubbed them to get rid of the brief pain. "If I get tied up for this reason one more time this week, I'm going to kill myself."

Bellamy snorted at her insinuation and followed her, Wells and Finn towards the door where Monroe was waiting for them in a hurry, when Murphy called after them, "Wait, wait. What about me?"

Gabriella was quick to shake her head with a humorless chuckle. "As if. You think we would let you loose after everything you did? That's hilarious." Clearly, Bellamy had other plans, as he brushed past his co-leader about to untie Murphy, only to have her stop him with a hand to his firm chest. "What the hell do you think you're doing, Bellamy?"

"He knows where the grounder camp is. He's coming with us." Bellamy simply explained, before shrugging her surprisingly warm hand off of him and untying Murphy.

"No way." Finn shook his head, clearly just as furious about what the boy in question did to his ex-girlfriend.

"Bellamy's right, okay" Murphy said, wincing at the tight grip Bellamy had on his shirt. "I can bring you there."

"Hey, Sterling just signaled. Someone's coming." Monroe called over her shoulder, tapping her foot on the floor impatiently.

"Just a second." Wells told her, before chiming in on the argument. "Finn, stay out of it. They're the leaders here, it's their choice if they let him come with us or not."

Both Gabriella and Finn let out a simultaneous defeated sigh, before helping Bellamy drag Murphy out along with them.

When Wells, Finn, Sterling and Monroe led the three prisoners outside of Camp Jaba and they were sure they were out of sight and earshot, Bellamy finally spoke up, "You don't think anyone saw us?"

"Shh." Finn hissed, lowly. "Keep it down."

Gabriella rolled her eyes and was painfully aware that Bellamy was probably doing the same. Their dislike for Finn did not falter the slightest in the last few weeks. They might be on the same side about the situation at hand, but they both knew the only thing he cared about was finding out what happened to Clarke.

They were just not aware of how far he was willing to go just to find her.

After a couple more minutes of walking further into the woods and farther away from the safety of Camp Jaha, a light blinded Gabriella's vision. She blinked a couple of times and recognised David Miller (Nate's dad) staring at them expectantly.

Gabriella was ready to tell the rest of the delinquents besides her to make a run for it, when the woman behind David revealed herself, coming to the light. She raised her eyebrows at the worried expressions on Gabriella and Bellamy's faces and the slightly shaken up Murphy in Bellamy's hold.

"You're late."

"Bellamy decided to bring company." Finn explained bitterly.

Said male shrugged in slight defence. "He's the only person that's been in their camp."

Gabriella rolled her eyes momentarily and swore she saw the corner of Abby's lips twitch into a small smile at the action, before the female doctor reached into the waistband of her pants to pull out a gun. It was smaller than the rifles Gabriella was so used to using by now, but it was something. The youngest Kane reached for the gun and took it in her hands, letting it rest in the waistband of her own pants with a satisfied look on her face.

Abby pulled out one more gun and passed it over to Finn while David pulled out two rifles and gave them to Bellamy and Wells, the latter still being a bit hesitant in using guns but he still accepted it gratefully.

"Here." David nodded, looking between the two leaders. "Find my son. His name is Nathan Miller."

Gabriella saw recognition flash across Bellamy's bloodied features in the dark and both of them nodded at the older guard in understanding.

"Bring them home."

#the 100 #bellamy blake #john murphy #clarke griffin #bellamy blake imagine #raven reyes #the 100 rewrite #octavia blake #bellamy blake x oc #john murphy x oc #bellamy blake x reader #bellamy blake fanfiction #john murphy x reader #wells jaha

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golatcxr · 2 years

Text

More than just a roommate [Scaramouche x F!Reader] (Modern AU) Chapter 3

Genre: Slowburn, SFW , Fluff, enemies to lovers, Scaramouche is bad at feelings

Keep telling yourself that you disliked him, that he’s such a hasle. One month in yet you only knew very little about your roomate. He’s mysterious, as much as unpredictable. He was cold, rude and mean. But did he care? He did. Were you comfortable or it was because you caught feelings? You didn’t want to answer.

TW: mild swearing, reader is not taller than Scara (I am so sorry)

Chapter Index: Masterlist

A week passed quickly, you were once again met by a Scaramouche: on the couch, in the same outfit he wore the previous week. What a shady introvert, you thought.

“Mind if we made an agreement?” He asked.

“Only if it is beneficial for both parties.” You took off your shoes and stepped into the neat apartment. Then you sat down on the couch, but far away from him.

And there came the contrast that took you by surpise for how simple it was – not to let anyone know that you two were roomates.

“Rumors are annoying, too annoying for God’s sake.”

“Reasonable enough, no one should know anyways.” You crossed your arms and sighed, not intending to tell other people either.

He was a tad bit mean, most of the time actually. However, there were also times when you found him being thoughtful, silently. You wanted to keep his reputation, by all means, he wasn’t a bad person. Life gotta be so boring for those undergraduates that they started whipping up nonsense for dramas.

“Anyways, I’m going for some groceries. Anything you wanna get?” You went to your bedroom and grabbed your purse, which you forgot earlier.

“I’m coming with you, I’d rather pick things out myself.” Scaramouche stood up from his seat. So that’s what it’s like to be low maintenance.

You mumbled a “fine” and headed out with him following behind you. He quickly caught up to not fall behind and that’s when you made eye contact, accidentally.

His look, it never seem to have softened. You felt a little sad for not having a friendly roomate, it wouldn’t have been so awkward like this. Your attention diverted back to Scaramouche. “Does he even have any friend to begin with?” you thought to yourself.

“Get in, I’ll drive.” He said almost nonchalantly as he opened a car’s door.

“Is this yours?” You sweated internally, oh damn a rich kid.

Scaramouche nodded and that’s when chill ran down your spine upon remembering the arcade encounter. So that’s how the rich got along…

He drove through the neighbourhood as buildings and buildings flew past the window view, clear blue sky and the clouds floating slowly – the sight would have been truly mesmerizing if it wasn’t for the opaque black window sticker. You leaned back, listening to the song that was playing on the car’s radio. Once again, your eyes darted to Scaramouche at the front seat. His gaze was completely fixed on the road before him. More than a week of living with him, yet you still knew almost nothing about your roomate, except for that he’s an emo. Just when you were about to open your mouth to say something, you heard his voice.

“So you lived on your own before moving here?”

“Yeah.”

“No wonder.” He replied and focused on driving again.

He was less rude than the week you moved into his rented apartment. You found it a relief, but at the same time you missed mocking him to get his priceless reactions.

Not long after, you both arrived at Teyvat Market, it was huge, you thought. Since it’s fairly far from your old place, you couldn’t recall the last time you came here to shop. You exchanged contacts with Scaramouche to meet up later, then parted ways to head for your shopping needs. You found no reason to accompany him, neither did he.

There were only a few things that you wanted to get yet you couldn’t help but wandered around the industrious market. It was a little less crowded than you expected, a lot of shelves were unoccupied, including the section you were looking for – yoga mats.

“You do yoga?”

Turning your head around, you saw Scaramouche right behind your back, holding his basket with only a bundle of energy drinks inside.

“Never thought I’d bump into you again, and no, I don’t do yoga. The sofa was too narrow for me to sleep so I must buy one of these as a replacement.” You replied, eyes still on the long row of colourful yoga mats.

“Wow, crazy.” He scoffed. “Why not a decent mattress?” He then pointed his thumb at the back where some beds were displayed.

Oh, how you wished you had that option.

You laughed dryly “I cannot afford such expensive things with my current salary.”

They looked so comfy, though you already knew that their price could doubt you.

“I’ll cover you one-third of the price.”

His words shocked you to the bones, did he just say that he would help you with buying the mattress? The infamously-mean-Mr.Scaramouche?

“No no no that’s a lot of money, to be frank.” You stammered.

“Well, we’ll see for that. Up to you if you want to buy it or not.” He smirked, what a kind yet questionably sassy attitude.

You picked out a (f/c) mattress that was around 6 ft and started pressing into its surface. The softness was perfect and you smiled to that.

“That’s the cheapest here.”

“But it’s good.” You blurted out. You knew your choice wasn’t the best but still better to sleep on the couch every night.

“ I can’t believe you actually did that.” You threw your palm on your face, your right arm holding the newly bought mattress.

“Short bills look boring.” He replied.

Rich behaviour.

You still couldn’t grasped exactly why Scaramouche decided to help you out with a fairly large sum of money for nothing so you just looked at him in defeat. Returning to his car in silence, you realized the sun was almost down. The sky was in an ombre shade of orange and purple, with that you saw the small moon peeking out. The beauty of sunset clouded your thought, making you forget that you were supposed to walk back to Scaramouche’s car. He turned around and approached you despite having walked a decently long way from your daydreaming figure, grabbed your wrist and proceeded again.

His grip was cold but surprisingly tender for someone like him. You were pretty sure you didn’t somehow pissed him off.

“I’m tired of your footsteps at night, so don’t wake up and walk around anymore.”

“Hah?!” You snapped back at him. Though you remembered hearing his footsteps sometimes too, regardless he probably hadn’t changed, you thought. “… I owe you one.”

Scaramouche took the mattress from your arm, gesturing you to sit in the front seat. The huge bag was put in the back seat, occupying most of the space there. You fastened the seatbelt and waited for Scaramouche to get in, however, he seemed to be talking with someone at the corner of your eyes. The voice sounded very familiar but you couldn’t confirm whom yet.

Less than a minute later, Scaramouche got in the car and made his way to start the engine. He looked rather… unbothered.

“Who was that?” you asked out of curiosity.

“A person that I knew.” Blunt, very Scaramouchie indeed.

You chuckled “I don’t know if I’m wrong, but I’ve heard that voice somewhere before.”

“Whatever, the Earth is round.”

Your sight moved to the road in front of you, not seeing the true meaning behind his words – you didn’t even mind it. He drove on the same path on the way back, except that this time, he let you rolled down the window a bit. You really disliked the smell of car interiors, so the cool wind soothed you down from the carsick tension.

“Scara.”

“Since when did my name got shortened like that?”

“It’s long.”

“Fine, what is it?” he sighed.

You looked at Scaramouche, already expecting an answer from him.

“Can we be friends?”

“Pfff – so you wanna join that ginger head?” he snickered amusingly.

“I’m already friend with him, so I thought befriending my roomate isn’t so bad? He’s our mutual after all.” You quickly explained.

“Well then fine. I’ll take you for granted and become your friend, this should be honor of yours.” You received yet another smirk from him.

“Alright alright.” You only smiled, handing him the monkey keychain. “For you.”

Scaramouche looked at the monkey for a second then scoffed. It did indeed look funny.

“This looks silly, but thanks.”

“Ah the light turns green.” You pointed at the traffic light ahead.

It was then that he went back to focus on driving again. Though you felt as if you had just made a new friend in elementary school, you were glad that you had taken a step further to resolve the awkward relationship between you both. However,…

For the next few weeks, things got comfortable to the point of being complicated as more and more suspicions were drawn to you and your roomate. Starting off with being spotted you going home with him, your close friend Keqing sussing you for hiding a “relationship” from everyone, and lady Yae who teased you about being his friend. Some classmate even shipped and gossiped about how good of a pair you would make. Resulting in days when you and Scaraouche had to split hours to go home to avoid any eyes peering at you two. That day was just another day you were at work.

Kitsune Guuji milk shop was a little more crowded than usual, only because of the pouring rain outside.

“Thank you for coming!” you handed out the beverage and bowed lightly to the customer. You put up a smile but your mind was still worrying that the rain might not stop anytime soon.

You had been extending the opening time of the shop for quite a while, and you thought it’s finally time you disbanded the crowd. To your dismay, the rain even started to be harsher and thunder could be heard.

“Ugh…” you groaned, checking your phone just to see it’s already past 7 p.m.

You went out of the counter and explained to every person, who was sitting there for a shelter, that you were closing the shop. You felt bad shooing away people like that, but the shop mustn’t be opened any longer. Waiting for the last one to leave, you packed your stuff, turned off the circuit breakers and flipped the sign.

You used to love this place so much and you would stay for as long as you could, partly because you didn’t like Scaramouche. But as time went by, you found yourself going straight to your shared apartment after your shifts ended.

And the worst scenario became true, you didn’t bring an umbrella nor a coat. Afraid that the heavy rain might soak your books through the fabric, you hugged your bad and powerful-walked under the rain. Your head and shoulders were all wet, but you had no choice. The wind even blew from behind your back, making your hair stuck to your face.

Just as you were struggling to get the hair off your face, you saw something, more like someone heading towards you. The next thing you knew was a warm coat on your shoulder and there was Scaramouche wrapping his arm around your shoulders. He pulled you under his umbrella and led you back to the apartment. He didn’t even turn his head to look at you and so you stayed silent. His touch felt so warm comparing to the howling wind.

“What were you doing at that milk shop so late?” Scaramouche asked when he was unlocking the door.

“I’m a part-time employee there? Don’t say that you didn’t know I’ve been working there for the past month.”

“That’s not what I mean, but nevermind.” He looked at you, bothered and a tad bit worried. “Sorry for the trouble I put you through with that deal.”

No.

No, no, no that wasn’t the Scaramouche that you knew. Did the rain wash your impressions away? It was unexpected, in a good or bad way, you had no idea.

You were taken aback by his apology, not recalling you had a roomate that knew how to say sorry. You tried so hard to contain your ear-to-ear grin, felling like you had just accomplished an unbelievable mission.

“And the bath is ready, go.” He pushed you into the apartment.

Your jaw dropped to the floor. You doubted the utterly shocking thing Scaramouche had just said. You asked him if he hit his head somewhere, with your eyes wide opened, and oh he looked so done with your shits.

“Our final is coming up, be grateful.”

This time, you only nodded and head for the bath since the wet clothes made you shivered. The steam emitting from the bathtub made you doubt even more. Were you in heaven?

You carefully dipped your toe into the warm water and sunk down to watch the vapor clouding the mirror on the sink. Questioning the tingly feeling in your stomach, a lot of things came to your mind. He was still rude, but since when had he become so caring? He would laugh at your face if you got dumped a bucket of water on you a month ago, but now? You couldn’t help wondering.

Half of your face was underwater as you breathed out bubbles. You remembered when he was so cold to you, it felt like yesterday when you viewed him as your oh-so-evil-roomate. Something was off – you could feel it, but you couldn’t tell otherwise.

But one thing you knew for sure, was that you enjoyed it, somehow.

-----------------------------

Author's note: Finally some Scara x reader crumbs💀 I can now start reviewing for my mid-term djsjshbsbssh. Chapter 4 will most likely be uncompleted until November 1st, I'm so sorry for the slow update pspspsp

Taglist: @theonlysol @leon-to-sayaka @thenightsflower @stanshizuki @ventismacchiato @bunnybundle2 @shizunxie

#scaramouche x reader #gi scaramouche #scaramouche x y/n #scaramouche x you #fanfiction #genshin fanfic #genshin scaramouche #enemies to lovers #modern au

162 notes · View notes

yongility · 7 days

Text

NEO TV # I LIKE ME BETTER WHEN I'M WITH YOU. (jaehyun x reader) 4/?

genre: angst, suggestive, gang au, rich kid au, enemies to lovers (kinda), a lil of fluffy stuff. slowburn, series.

warning for his chapter: cursing, verbal fight, fight. Small smut part teehee lol (back of the car make out, dry humping, fingering, just that by now) psd: not so good at smut I think, but if you want more for the next chapter, lemme know, you ask… I’ll deliver)

word count: +10k? Not proofread!!!

After Chris peeled out the tires of his car, it didn't take Jaehyun long to approach his brother and (Y/N) to drag Jeno inside the house, with (Y/N) walking worriedly behind them.

Anger coursed through Jaehyun's body, and he wasn't even sure who he was angry at anymore, was it towards Jeno or that for that idiot of Chris? He knew he couldn't make his brother understand, but what the hell was he doing to make all this happen? He wanted to yell at him, to confront him, but he didn't want to make a scene in front of (Y/N), so he closed his eyes and paced around the room, breathing deeply to try to calm himself.

The girl went to the kitchen and after finding the first rag she could, she dampened it before returning to Jeno and helping him sit on the couches, then passing the cloth over his face, trying to tend to the wounds there and causing Jeno to let out a groan of pain.

(Y/N) chose not to say anything for the moment.

"What the hell did you do this time, Jeno?" Jaehyun asked releasing a furious sigh.

"I didn't do shit," Jeno replied through gritted teeth, letting out a grunt of pain.

"Bullshit," Jaehyun said. "What the hell did you do? I told you not to get into more trouble, especially not with the Yellow Wood gang again. You should know better than that, you're an idiot."

"What is she doing here?" Jeno asked back, grabbing the girl's wrist to stop her from continuing to apply the cloth to his face.

"It's none of your business," Jaehyun replied sharply, approaching him and forcefully removing his hand from her wrist. "What the hell did you do? Why did Chris say you got into his area?"

"It's none of your business," Jeno repeated, provoking Jaehyun.

"Stop this shit, Jeno!" The boy shouted, causing (Y/N) to jump in her place and feel small in her spot.

Jeno stood up forcefully from his seat and after letting out a groan, he said, "You told me you wouldn't get involved in my businessanymore, what happened then? Huh?"

"Don't be stupid, Jeno," Jaehyun spat. "Of course I'll keep worrying about you!" He raised his hands. "I've been in this business since I was eleven..." He murmured. "Do you think I don't know about this shit? Just tell me what the hell you did?"

Jeno remained silent for a moment, debating internally. He glanced sideways at (Y/N), who was a few steps away from them, watching the scene like an intruder. She didn't know what to do or say, she just stood there like a statue while holding the cloth to her chest.

"Sooman sent me... me and Jaemin. We were supposed to deliver some packages at the entrance of Yellow Wood but Chris and his friends were there... we didn't expect them, and then things got messy," Jeno replied in a low voice.

Jaehyun took a deep breath and let it out heavily before bringing his fingers to the bridge of his nose. "You got yourself into this shit, Jeno. I told you not to do it. I told you many times, and you know there's no turning back now, I don't know if you think this is some kind of game… but this," he pointed. "This is why I was after you and didn't want you to get into this fucking shit, your life will now become this. It won't be the first or the last fight or threat you'll have. Pull yourself together and realize what's coming," he said as he approached him.

Jeno just remained silent and clenched his fist on his lap.

"Do you think I chose this life for us? No, but you could choose to do something about yours. I was giving you everything, I was taking care of the business so you wouldn't have to! This is not a fucking game, Jeno!" Jaehyun exclaimed, feeling on the edge of anger.

"Jaehyun..." (Y/N) called him.

"No..." he said. "You don't know anything about this," and that was enough for the girl to fall silent.

"Yes, Jaehyun. (Y/N) knows nothing about this," Jeno said with annoyance. "Does she know your nightly routine? The number of packages you deliver in a week?"

"Jeno, shut up."

"Oh, I'm curious to know what she's doing here... you're not here for homework, are you? Oh, you're one of Jaehyun's little friends," Jeno blurted out. "Tell her, Jaehyun, tell her all about your life, all the truth, tell her how you manage to ruin people's lives. Or will you turn her into an addict too? Just like her cousin?"

"Jeno, shut up!" Jaehyun interrupted him loudly. "(Y/N), go to the car, I'll take you home."

"Jaehyun..."

"Get in the car," he repeated, this time in a low voice. After seeing that the girl did as he asked, he approached Jeno. "I'll tell you one thing, Jeno, you screwed up, and I won't be here to hold you up like I've been trying to do since I was eleven. It's time for you to realize your reality and what you chose... next time, you'll end up worse, and you know it, so try not to screw up so much, because you'll only dig yourself deeper," Jaehyun sentenced, turning away, not wanting to see him anymore for the moment.

He walked a few steps toward the exit, knowing that the girl would be waiting for him on the other side.

"Fucking someone from Kwangya won't make you escape your reality," Jeno muttered.

And although he had tried to avoid it all this time, that last sentence was something he couldn't help but let boil his blood because it was then that he turned around, walked up to Jeno and gave him a clean blow to his jaw.

"You're an ungrateful bastard. All my life I've tried to save you from this shit and this is how you repay me? I expected more from you, Jeno. Much more."

He turned away without letting Jeno say anything, continued his path, and found (Y/N) already sitting in the passenger seat with a bewildered look, waiting for Jaehyun to get into the car.

When he did, (Y/N) gave him a few moments to compose himself. Jaehyun slumped into the seat and closed his eyes, letting out a sigh and then a slight huff.

"You wanted to know more about me, didn't you?" He smirked slightly without opening his eyes. "There you have it. You shouldn't have seen all this shit but you did. This is my life, this is me."

The girl didn't say anything at first. She just let the words walk through her head.

"I'm sorry for what Jeno said," Jaehyun continued.

"You don't have to apologize," (Y/N) assured him. "I'm the one who wanted to come," she joked, and Jaehyun chuckled softly. "I know it's hard, but I think Jeno will someday see what you're trying to do for him... you're not a bad person, Jaehyun, you're an older brother worried about your little brother."

Jaehyun sighed. "Jeno doesn't understand how big of a deal this life is. I don't want to see him end up in a body bag or have to go identify his body. He's taking it lightly, as if it were a game."

"He won't," she told him. "As long as you keep trying, he might not."

"I see the way out further each time," Jaehyun confessed. "Every time I think I might get them out of here, something happens; first my dad's death, then Winwin's accident, and now Jeno starting to deal... it's like something wants to keep me tied here.

(Y/N) nodded slowly and seeing Jaehyun's hand on his own lap, she took a deep breath and stretched her hand to take his, which didn't seem to surprise him in the least, which caused something inside her.

"All those are reasons enough, Jaehyun," she said as she squeezed his hand. "I know that as long as you continue with that purpose... they might get out of here... I trust you."

The boy tensed under (Y/N)'s words and swallowed hard.

How could she trust him? How could she do it after seeing and hearing what happened moments ago? Why did (Y/N) want to make him feel this way?

He hated being selfish, he did it too much. But... now he felt there was something else to cling to. And he didn't understand it! As much as he wanted to, now all he could think about was how good it felt a few moments ago when (Y/N)'s body was pressed against his. How could a relationship with her end well? He didn't know, but curiosity to find out would end up killing him.

He didn't know if being attracted to (Y/N) would end up being just as dangerous as his life in Neo Zone.

But he wanted to take the risk.

"I wouldn't want to clash with your perfect life," Jaehyun murmured. (Y/N) scoffed and shook her head slowly.

"No life is perfect. Not even mine," the girl assured him. "Money isn't everything, Jaehyun... money has taken away my freedom to be whoever I want," she added with a sigh.

"What do you mean?" he asked curiously.

(Y/N) smiled slightly.

"My whole life has been based on appearances. Eighty percent of the decisions I've made have been made based on what my parents want or ask me to do. They want to have this facade of the perfect family. Especially my mom; for her, showing off our status, our money, is all that matters; everything I do needs to be backed by my mom. I have no voice in that house," she murmured the latter. "And I know that you and I are in different contexts and situations, but I also want to break out of my routine, I want to be able to have my own voice."

And that was something they shared... wishing to have their voice, wishing to be someone for themselves and not for others.

That's what brought them together.

"My life has been about being the girl who doesn't cause trouble, who sits and agrees with everything others say, who shouldn't cause a scandal," she continued and chuckled softly. "My dad has been cheating on my mom for a long time, and she knows it, but she'd rather put up with that than endure a divorce scandal... it's all pretending."

"It seems like we both seek to know who we are," Jaehyun said, turning to look at her without letting go of her hand. "And where we belong."

The girl smiled slightly and nodded.

"I don't think I'd mind finding out with you."

Jaehyun returned the smile and nodded his head.

"I'll take you home."

Crossing the entire city was a long journey, however, this time it hadn't been an uncomfortable or silent trip, so when Jaehyun stopped the car outside the Hwang residence, he got out of the car to say goodbye to the girl.

"Thanks for showing me a piece of your life," the girl repeated when they faced each other.

"Well, it seems like you're very stubborn," Jaehyun replied, laughing.

"I've been told a couple of times," she joked as they approached each other. "But I mean it, it meant a lot to me."

"Even with what happened?”

"Even with what happened” she affirmed.

Suddenly the distance wasn't so long anymore, and Jaehyun's hands weren't in his pockets anymore, but now they were on the girl's waist as he leaned against the car door.

"It's good to know," the boy said softly.

The silence stretched, and as they looked at each other, (Y/N) let out a giggle and spoke: "Are you going to give me a goodbye kiss?"

"I wouldn't want to have your dad's bodyguards on my back," Jaehyun joked as he tightened his grip on her waist.

"Can't you handle them?" She played along.

"Oh, baby, we both know I can handle them. I just don't want to cause trouble," Jaehyun confessed.

"But I want you to cause trouble."

And once again, the boy's lips met hers, first moving slowly and advancing as the kiss lingered. The only thing on Jaehyun's mind was her, nothing else. At that moment, he couldn't think of anything else, their lips collided and he swallowed the slight moan that (Y/N) let out when he pulled her closer to his body.

Playing with fire would end up burning him more than he wished.

But he would enjoy it until he couldn't anymore.

(Y/N)'s fingers played with the hairs on his neck, causing his skin to tingle and his body to start feeling hot; what would happen next? Taking her to the back of the car? Fuck, how good she would look while she was on top of his lap.

He could imagine it in a thousand ways.

But his thoughts were interrupted when something caught his attention.

"What do you think you're doing (Y/N)?" The girl's mother was a few meters away from them, and as (Y/N) pulled away from Jaehyun, he could see her face turn pale.

"Mom..."

"Get away from that boy, now," her mother demanded as she approached her and pulled her arm. "What are you doing with this criminal?"

Jaehyun's hand didn't leave the girl's waist for a second.

"Sorry, Mrs. Hwang, but I don't think I've disrespected you for you to do that to me," the boy warned as he stared at her.

"Mom, don't make a scene."

"Don't make a scene? You'll see when your dad finds out about this, go into the house now!" she demanded as she pulled her arm and moved her in the opposite direction.

"Mom!"

"Get your ass into the damn house now, (Y/N). I won't repeat it twice," the mother exclaimed and pointed at Jaehyun. "And you, I want this to be the last time you come near my daughter. I don't know what you're after, I don't know if you want money, but you won't get it. You better make sure this is the last time I see you near my house."

Jaehyun scoffed and shook his head.

"Call me, baby," Jaehyun shouted to the girl who was standing at the entrance of the residence. "And I don't want your money."

_______________________________________________

"I can't believe it," her mother said as they entered the house. "How is it that I find my daughter in front of my own house with a criminal like that?"

"Mom..."

"No, oh God, what if the neighbors saw you, what will they think if they did?" Her mother ran her hands through her hair in exasperation. "You're grounded, and you're forbidden from seeing that boy."

"Mom, the neighbors couldn't care less about what we do! And no, you can't forbid me from anything," she countered as she walked up the stairs of the house.

"Of course I can! I'm your mother!" the woman explained as she approached her.

"You don't even act like it!" the girl exclaimed. "You're hardly ever home, all you care about is how to spend Dad's money and what else to show off, you don't care about me, I see the service workers more than I see you!" she cried as tears threatened to fall. "This whole life? Huh? Full of appearances and lies? When will you understand that money isn't everything in life? And that people don't care about what we do?" she continued. "I'm tired of all of this!"

"Stop complaining when all I've done is make this family well-accepted!"

"And what good does that do? Dad cheats on you, and the worst part is you know it!" she reminded her. "You'd rather keep up this lie of a perfect marriage than admit it slipped through your fingers!"

(Y/N)'s mother looked at her for a moment and then moved closer to slap her cheek, causing the girl to look at her in surprise and pain in her eyes.

"This house doesn't even feel like a home," (Y/N) murmured before turning around and walking to the second floor.

"Let this be the last time you see that boy!"

______________________________________________

(Y/N)'s appearance that day, could say... it surprised others. She wasn't wearing the usual attire she wore to classes; today she simply had on joggers with no specific brand and a gray hoodie with the hood pulled over her head.

The night before had been... chaotic to say the least. Not only had she experienced something new with Jaehyun, for which she couldn't be more grateful, but it had also been the last straw in her relationship with her mother.

Years of listening to and doing whatever she asked, only for her to lay a hand on her in a single night.

She didn't know where she stood.

She didn't know what to feel, and she didn't know what to do.

She could still feel the sting of her mother's blow on her cheek.

For her, the pain was more mental than physical.

How could her own mother do that to her?

Feeling lost, she didn't even notice when she reached the entrance and saw Jaehyun waiting for her eagerly.

"Angel?" he called out, receiving no response. "(Y/N)."

"Huh?"

"You seem a bit lost, sweet cheeks," the boy said as he approached. "What happened?"

"I'm fine, Jaehyun," she murmured.

"Well, I think it's the first time I've seen you in joggers and a hoodie. Especially covering your head with a cap, did you get into trouble last night?" he smirked.

(Y/N) shook her head.

"My mom grounded me... again."

Jaehyun chuckled softly and shook his head.

"It seems that ever since you started hanging out with me, your mom has felt the need to assert authority," Jaehyun commented mockingly, then his expression turned serious when he noticed the slight reddish tone on the girl's cheeks.

But this color wasn't the same as when he made her blush.

It was different.

He raised his hand to gently lift her chin and tilted the girl's head slightly to the side.

"What's this?" Jaehyun asked seriously. "Did she hit you?"

(Y/N) grabbed his wrist and tried to pull him away a bit.

"It's nothing, Jaehyun," she affirmed.

The boy huffed.

"She can't just do this to you just because of last night, are you kidding me?" he asked, desperate.

"Well, she did, and I still can't believe it," she commented. "In my eighteen years of life, neither my mother nor my father had laid a hand on me," she said with a shaky voice.

"(Y/N)..."

"Hasn't it been enough? What I've done since I was little? My effort? Does she think something like last night was worth it?"

"It wasn't your fault," Jaehyun murmured.

"But look what she's done."

Seeing her like that and vulnerable was enough for him to wrap his arms around her shoulders.

The man you're becoming, Jung Jaehyun.

"I had texted you because Lucas and I are going to see Winwin, I was about to invite you, but if you think it's better for you to go home," Jaehyun whispered, still with his arms around her shoulders.

Without hesitation, the girl replied.

"I'll go with you guys," she assured. "I didn't do anything wrong yesterday to deserve a punishment, so I'll go with you."

"Are you sure?" he questioned.

"Very."

"Alright then, let's go."

______________________________________________

She no longer wore the hoodie's hood over her head and instead, tied her hair in a high ponytail.

Jaehyun might have thought that look accentuated her features more.

The boy smirked when he saw her laughing at something Lucas had said.

He could get used to that.

She quickened her pace when she noticed she had fallen a bit behind, and after greeting the familiar nurse, they made their way to room 119.

The laughter of Lucas and (Y/N) ceased when the door to the room opened, revealing Winwin just as in previous times.

Facing the window, staring into nothingness while seated in the wheelchair.

For Jaehyun and Lucas, that sight never ceased to be heartbreaking.

It was like seeing their friend dead while still alive.

"Hey Win," Jaehyun said gently as he approached him.

"Oh, what's this? Your hair has grown more since last time," Lucas commented as he took a strand of Winwin's hair. "Should I tell the nurse to cut it a bit, or do you like it this way?" he asked.

The dynamic of entering the room and conversing and asking questions to Winwin as if he could respond was something they were both accustomed to.

But for (Y/N), it was difficult to imagine the pain they endured knowing their friend wasn't mentally present.

"Oi Xuxi, Winwin's hair looks good like this, we should leave it for a while," Jaehyun joked. "His bowl cut was too much."

Lucas laughed and nodded as he sat on the floor beside Winwin's wheelchair and looked out the window, just as his friend did.

Then, Jaehyun mimicked him from the opposite side.

And (Y/N) decided to watch the scene from the room's entrance.

"Haha, Winwin hated that haircut," Lucas chuckled. "But my aunt kept doing it despite his complaints," he teased.

"Sicheng could never say no to my aunt," Jaehyun continued. "He didn't like making her sad, and she loved that cut on him," he reminisced with nostalgia and bit his lip.

Lucas nodded and sighed.

"Man, I really miss them," Lucas commented as he stopped looking out the window and looked at his hands.

(Y/N) felt like an intruder.

"My aunt made the best hot pot," Jaehyun continued. "Sometimes I miss being able to go to her house and sit down to eat with them."

"At least we have Sicheng."

Jaehyun smirked and looked at the mentioned. Winwin's face hadn't changed much, nor had his body; he looked a bit thinner since his nourishment was only through the tube he was connected to. His eyes were a bit dull, but they knew he was the same Winwin they had always known.

They just had to wait for him to come back.

(Y/N) decided to approach when both friends fell silent for a while, she stood right behind Jaehyun and placed her hand on his shoulder to offer support.

There were no words to say, but Jaehyun understood that she was there for him.

A few more moments of reminiscing a few anecdotes were enough to understand what Dong Sicheng meant to them.

To know the great friend Winwin had been before the accident.

And how much they longed to have him back.

They hated it when the half-hour visit ended. They didn't even feel like they had been there long enough; when they stood up to say goodbye to their friend, Lucas put his hand on Winwin's shoulder and gave it a slight squeeze.

"We're still waiting for you, Sicheng," he said gently.

"We'll be back soon," Jaehyun assured him, looking at him. "Don't cause any trouble."

Sometimes, the view played tricks, so when something caught Jaehyun's eye, he couldn't really believe it.

His breath stopped, and his heart raced; his gaze went to Lucas, who was to his right, and then to Winwin's body.

That really just happened.

(Y/N) opened her eyes in surprise when she understood the situation.

"Lucas," Jaehyun called to his friend.

"Did it really happen?" the mentioned asked.

"He moved his finger," (Y/N) blurted out.

"Jaehyun," Lucas called to him and then took him by the shoulders. "He moved his finger!"

Jaehyun remained frozen in place as Lucas shook him with excitement and (Y/N) hugged him from the side.

It was the first time Winwin had a reaction in the whole year he had been in rehabilitation.

And finally, they could see a light at the end of the tunnel.

After informing the nurse and thanking her for what they had done for Winwin and feeling excited about his friend's recent achievement, unfortunately, they had to leave the rehabilitation center.

Jaehyun's heart continued to beat rapidly, the thought that his friend could return sooner than expected filled him with happiness.

Perhaps not everything in his life had to be bad in the past few months.

"Should I take you home?" he asked (Y/N), who was beside him.

"I really don't want to go there," she replied.

Jaehyun nodded. "We have a race in Neo Zone tonight."

(Y/N) bit her lip and looked at him for a few seconds.

"Would you take me?" she asked hesitantly.

"I'm not sure if I should take you back to Neo Zone, Angel," he commented as he smiled sideways.

"Jaehyun," she murmured. "I survived the first visits to Neo Zone, I think I can survive one more night," she assured.

"It's not that," the boy replied as he stopped walking. "As long as they see you with me, no one would dare to harm you."

(Y/N) approached him a little, and it was then that Jaehyun took the opportunity to put one of his hands around her waist to pull her close to him.

"So?" the girl continued as she blushed. "At this moment, I prefer that, rather than going home to see my mom."

"Hmm," Jaehyun shrugged. "What do I get in return?"

(Y/N) thought she couldn't blush more, but Jaehyun just managed to make it happen now.

Seeing Jaehyun's sideways smile, the girl couldn't resist for long, which is why she slowly approached until their breaths mingled, and their noses touched.

The girl could feel herself melting right there.

"Hey, lovebirds," Lucas's shout caught their attention. "Sorry to be the third wheel, but the car is insured, and I really want to get in."

Jaehyun rested his forehead against the girl's and chuckled softly before shaking his head and, without the girl being able to expect it, he planted a brief kiss on her lips and then stepped away from her to walk towards his car.

Leaving her alone for a few seconds as she collected herself and walked behind them.

_____________________________________________

When the clock struck seven in the evening, (Y/N) thanked Jungwoo for being the best friend in the world.

"This will be the last time I sneak into your house to bring you a perfect outfit and escape from your mom so you can go to Neo Zone," Jungwoo said, crossing his arms.

"You're the best," she said as she applied lip gloss and smiled.

"And you haven't even told me what's been going on between you and Jaehyun, and now you're going to Neo Zone regularly?" the boy accused.

"We're just seeing how things go," (Y/N) murmured.

"Well, things must be going well if your mom flipped out when she found you kissing him," Jungwoo said sarcastically.

"Don't even remind me," she continued. "Are you coming with us or not?" she asked when she received a text from Jaehyun letting her know he was less than five minutes away from Jungwoo's house.

"And miss seeing my best friend getting laid? No thanks," Jungwoo joked as he got up from his bed and walked to the door. "Hurry up and let's go to Neo Zone."

When they reached the entrance of the Kim mansion, her heart could feel excitement, which Jaehyun had been provoking in her in recent days.

A few meters away, she saw Jaehyun's car, with him and Lucas in the front passenger seat. It didn't take long for them to park in front of them, and with a leap, Lucas moved to the back seats, and Jaehyun got out of the car to approach his friends.

"Hey, pretty," he greeted her, embracing her around the waist and leaving a small kiss on her lips.

Not only Jungwoo was surprised by the reception his friend had, but even (Y/N) herself was.

Jaehyun smiled when they separated and pushed her a little closer to the car. Minutes later, the four of them were leaving Kwangya, and as they approached the Neo Zone area, the streets became darker.

Perhaps fifteen minutes were enough to start hearing the roar of car engines and the music that resonated became more present. Her body was filled with an endless stream of adrenaline and emotions, and despite this being her fourth visit to the area, something inside her told her that something would happen tonight.

When the car stopped on one of the avenues of Neo Zone, Lucas was the first to get out of the car, saying he would sign Jaehyun up for one of the races. Then the other three followed, and they approached where the crowd was.

Jaehyun walked with his hand on (Y/N)'s lower back, carefully guiding her through the crowd with Jungwoo by his side.

"I can tell you're tense," Jaehyun said in (Y/N)'s ear, hoping she could hear him over the loud music.

"I'm fine," she replied in the same manner. "It's just... be careful in the race, okay?" she said as she turned around and ran her hands over his neck.

"Baby, I told you once," he said with a lopsided smile. "I always win."

"That doesn't mean you shouldn't be careful," she replied.

Jaehyun pulled her closer.

"Why don't you just kiss me so I'll consider it?"

He didn't need a second request because their lips met. Slow at first, like the first times, savoring the taste of the boy's lips... she could even swear she could taste a bit of weed that he had possibly smoked before meeting her. But she liked the taste; Jaehyun squeezed his hands on her hips and pressed her closer to him to enhance the experience.

The kiss felt electric, as if a spark ran through her body, from her lips to the tips of her toes. The boy's hands provided warmth and made her feel like she was melting right there.

She loved feeling like this.

Jaehyun couldn't get his mind off anything other than (Y/N). How the past few days had transformed them after they had both confided in each other.

He wanted to know her in all her forms. That's what he desired.

But the moment (Y/N) could slightly feel Jaehyun's hard length as he pressed her closer to his body.

She wanted to regain her composure.

"We're in public, Jae," she murmured when she pulled away from him.

"Fuck, I won't care about that if you call me like that again," Jaehyun confessed as he kissed her lips again and bit her lower lip. "Wanna go to my car?" he asked when he pulled away from her.

(Y/N) nodded without thinking twice.

Fortunately for both of them, Jaehyun's car was a bit away from the crowd. Just enough for no one to pay attention to them when they slipped between people; (Y/N)'s hands were sweating, and her legs were trembling.

Jaehyun opened the door to the back of the car, and before she could enter, he took her waist again and crashed his lips against hers, this time in a passionate and lustful kiss. (Y/N) pushed him by the shoulders to get into the car, and both of them did so without separating even a bit. A session of hot kisses intensified when, without even noticing, (Y/N) climbed onto Jaehyun's lap, feeling his hard length through her clothes.

And that was enough for her to move on him.

"Shit," Jaehyun groaned against (Y/N)'s lips.

The warmth of Jaehyun's hands left her waist to go down a bit and rest on (Y/N)'s butt, guiding her to press her small body against his clothed cock that was getting harder as time passed.

It felt so good.

Both of them did.

(Y/N)'s fingers were tangled in Jaehyun's hair, and the latter let out a moan when the make-out session became more heated.

It went on like that for a few more moments; Jaehyun's hands were doing everything everywhere, squeezing her butt, returning to her waist, and caressing any part of her skin possible. This caused (Y/N) to pant sweetly, giving Jaehyun more courage to continue.

Immersed in the state of ecstasy she was in, she didn't even notice when Jaehyun's hand left her waist and now was skimming her inner thighs.

But she didn't mind when she felt that.

“Shit baby” Jaehyun panted. “You gonna make me crazy” he rasped.

“Jae” she moaned.

“Yeah pretty girl, keep calling my name like that” he said as his fingers got in contact with her slick. “You’re so pretty looking like a hot mess”

(Y/N) didn’t say anything back, she just moved more to get the feeling of Jaehyun's fingers on her.

“Please touch me” she asked looking straight to his eyes.

He didn’t need to heart it twice to move her panties to the side and slide a finger through her folds and hearing her let a moan out. “Baby you’re dripping”

“That’s how you make me feel” she said between moans. “Fuck, Jae”

“You sound so pretty like this” he kissed her lips while introducing another finger on her, starting to move two fingers inside of her. She gasped in his mouth and Jaehyun only speed his pace. Curling and moving his fingers deep inside of her, looking for any sweet spots she might have.

“Look at you, getting off in the back of my car” jaehyun said too intoxicated, loving the way she looked as she left out moans that only turned him on. “Didn’t think you would like something like this” he said as he curl his fingers in a particular spot.

“Jaehyun” she mewl opening her mouth and making her grip on Jaehyun’s shoulder tighter. “Right there”

“Here baby?” He asked adding a third finger.

His fingers started to scissor her folds, making her feel so full of just his fingers, she moved her hips back and forth just to get a better feeling of the things Jaehyun was doing to her.

She felt in heaven.

But Jaehyun was hell.

When one of his fingers moved to her clit, that was when she lost it, getting higher moans out and squeezing her eyes shut feeling so overwhelmed. The sensation was just too good and she wanted so much more, she needed to feel him. Needed all of him.

With just a couple more of movements were enough to feel a knot in her low stomach.

“Look at me” Jaehyun asked, taking her jaw with his free hand and making her look straight at him.

With her fucked out eyes, she let Jaehyun take the best out of her. It didn’t take too long for her to let a loud moan and collapse on Jaehyun's chest, panting heavily while she tried to compose herself. Jaehyun took his fingers out of her and he licked them clean, and with his other clean and free hand rubbing her back giving her time to herself.

“You did good, baby” Jaehyun whispered in her ear while kissing her temple.

They stayed like that for a couple minutes, until Jaehyun's phone was ringing and noticing that was Lucas the one that was calling him.

“Shit. Angel?” he called her. “You okay to go back?” She hummed while nodding. “The race is 'bout to start”

“Yeah, I’m okay” she assured him.

He smiled and let a kiss in her lips while she got off of his lap. She opened the door and the both of them got out and Jaehyun help her to fix her skirt.

“Next time, your skirt will be off” he winked at her, making her blush even more.

He intertwined their hands and starting to walk again to the Main Street. Seeing Lucas and Jungwoo waiting for them a couple of meters away from them.

The loud music was still on and the roaring noise of the cars was getting louder and louder but before they both could approach their friends, someone got in their way.

“We need to talk” it was all the person said to Jaehyun but it was enough to tense him up.

(Y/N) knew Mark Lee from school, she knew he was Jaehyun’s friend back in the days, but she didn’t knew why they broke their friendship.

So, to say she was confused to see Mark in front of them, was an understatement.

“We don’t” Jaehyun stated pushing him to the side with his shoulder and trying to keep walking with (Y/N).

“Jaehyun” Mark called him from the back. “I know we haven’t talked in ages but this is important” the called one stopped his steps and took a long breath and it was then when Lucas and Jungwoo came to their side.

“I don’t have anything to talk with you, Mark” he said not looking at him.

He wanted to keep walking but the next few words that Mark let out were enough to catch their attention.

“Please Yoonoh” he asked. “Listen to me”

He shook his head.

“I know who caused Winwin's accident” he let out.

Lucas and Jaehyun quickly looked at him and Jaehyun got closer to him taking the neck of his shirt on his fist.

“Don’t say Winwin's name if you’re playing around” he said angrily.

“I’m not” Mark said with confidence. “Look dude, I know you won’t believe me, but I’m not lying. Winwin was my friend just as it was yours, so I wouldn’t joke about this. I was just as hurt as you were and you know it” he explained taking Jaehyun's wrists on his hands.

Jaehyun tensed his jaw and looks back at Lucas who just nodded and got closer to his best friend and to his formal friend.

“I swear I know who did it” Mark mumbled.

Jaehyun cursed and let his shirt to look at Jungwoo and (Y/N). “Jungwoo, take her home” he asked.

“Jae” she called him. “I don’t want to go” she said getting closer to him.

“I’m not asking you” he replied. “Jungwoo take her home” he repeated.

What will happen now that he might going to find out who caused his best friend’s accident?

He just wanted revenge. He just wanted to make them pay for what they did to Winwin.

He was just so lost.

What will he do?

a/n: im sorry if is a shitty chapter or a shitty smut part but I had to haha, if you want a smut part next ch lemme knowwww.

taglist is open! if you want to be added just lemme know;)

taglist: @spicyryujin @kriizztin @daegalismybiasinnct @peachfulnight @gojoscumslut @bluedbliss @dear-97 @girlwholovespreppyattire @hana-off-icial @cigarettesafterjae @beomgyusonlywife @bts-iris @doejaejung @methneo

If you want to ask me something, feel free to send them here!

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aquilathefighter · 8 months

Text

Trope Game

Hiii i finally have spoons for this!! thanks for the tags @seiya-starsniper @immacaria @altair214 <3

Rules: How much do these tropes affect your decision to click on a fic?

-10 -> very dissuaded

0 - don't care either way

+10 -> very enticed

nope -> if it's a hard no and you'd never click on a fic with that tag or or you even have the tag blocked or you'd insta click out of the fic if it wasn't tagged

Bonus points for explaining the rating and whether it's conditional.

Age gap: +3

its a sometimes food for me, i just have to be in the mood for it or it has to be well done, whether it's clear we're playing in the space of sexy fantasy or something a bit more unethical

Codependency: -5

brings up some yucky feelings for me. if it's done by an author i trust i might still click though!

Obsession/Possessiveness, jealousy: +4

it can be sexy and i like when characters talk through it

Opposites (grumpy/sunshine etc): +8

*gestures at most of my favorite ships*

Enemies to lovers, Enemies with benefits: 0

eh just not really my thing!

Friends with benefits: +4

its a fun thing and i love a pwp where they're just buds. but i do really prefer more romantic pairings personally

Sex to feelings: +7

love the exploration of what happens when it becomes not 'just sex'. also smut yummy

Fake dating/relationship: +10

oh my god this is my favorite trope e v e r. the number of spirk fics where they have to pretend to be bfs/husbands bc of the aliens i've read..

Friends to lovers: +9

CLASSIC. i love a beautiful foundation of two people who really know each other well realizing their affection for each other have evolved into something different!! only knocked off a point bc sometimes its really amatonormative in that the romantic relationship is seen as more/better than the platonic relationship and i do not vibe with that.

Found Family: +1

i could take it or leave it for the most part but if it's done well its certainly appreciated!

Hurt/Comfort: +10

afjdskaf;jsda i dont even have an explanation other than i like to hit characters with hammers and then nurse them back to health

Love Triangle: -8

i just think its kind of played out and very rarely do the dynamics catch my interest

Poly, open relationships: 0

i tend to get really fixated on one pairing so its kinda hard for me to get really excited about them?? all the power to poly ships but i just have very few of them (e.g. mcspirk)

Mistaken/hidden identity: +3

it can be fun! love some drama but if its simply misunderstanding i get a bit frustrated. more phantom type hidden identity pls

Pregnancy: -1

kidfic is generally a squick for me on account of me never wanting to get pregnant in my entire life ever and some personal stuff, but if its more about the relationship between the pregnant person and their partner(s) i'm down! and breeding kink ofc, thats a whole other thing

Second Chance: +7

people who have history between them giving it another try? trying to move past the ways they hurt each other??? yesssss

Slowburn: -2

this is more about the fact that i simply do not have the brain power to read 100K+ fics a lot of the time!! when i do have the capacity i love reading a slowburn but unfortunately i expend a lot of reading spoons on work on account of being an academic at all

Soulmates: -4

man im such a pessimist but i personally find the idea of predestined people you're gonna fall in love with kind of depressing? much more a fan of love being a thing you create between people

i am probably the last one to do this XD take this as an open invitation if you would like to do this game and haven't been tagged!

#tag game #i am a pretty amiable guy when it comes to most things

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giyyuzz · 2 years

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when the sun melts the ice — park sunghoon.

pairing. figure skater!sunghoon x figure skater f!reader

genre. childhood enemies to lovers, slowburn, angst, fluff.

warning(s). cursing, mentions of injuries and blood, both are very mean to each other at first.

summary. you hated park sunghoon, and it wasn't news that he hated you too, both of you were always at each other's necks, for you it all came down to who was better at ice skating and finding the slightest mistake to make fun of each other, but one day an accident and an injury make you change your view of him, proving that he really did have a heart after all.

note. this is my part for @emeraldenha's "unlikely" collab, please leave feedback, it's always appreciated !! teaser here.

wc. 12.6k

"okay, that's all for today guys! don't forget to come early tomorrow, we can't waste time!"

you let out a big sigh the second those words passed through your ears, you were tired, sleepy and the long practice was finally over, today you tried so much harder than usual and you could feel how your legs burned with every movement you made, all you wanted was to be in the comfort of your bed, even if it meant that when you got up your legs would shake.

from being relieved now you wanted to rip your ears off, you could hear how a small group of girls who were next to you didn't stop talking about how "beautiful" the boy who made your days a nightmare was. you just rolled your eyes in disgust, you didn't even know what they saw in him, he was arrogant, selfish, greedy, stupid and above all he had a bad temper, you weren't surprised to know that he had no friends when he treated everyone in an inferior way believing that he was better than the rest, who would want to be close to someone like him?

definitely not you, you couldn't even think of him as someone attractive when his personality already said everything about him as a person and didn't let you see beyond his frown that was furrowed 24 hours a day, the only times you could see him smile was when he beat you in some competition by making fun of you and you just wanted to erase any trace of happiness in him as if he were a picture of a fresh painting. not in a thousand years you could see yourself being friends with him, much less knowing all the things he said and did to you for the last 10 years.

while you were waiting for the rest of your teammates to leave the ice rink, your body almost ended up on the ground, you could feel someone bumping your shoulder sharply, causing you to almost lose your balance.

you turned to see who it was, and sure enough it was park sunghoon.

you cursed under your breath when you saw that arrogant smile of his peek over the edge of his lips, it was as if he had been listening to your thoughts all this time and wanted to take revenge, your friend yuna who was only a few meters from you watching everything could only laugh while covering her mouth. you had forgotten that you always had to be alert when you were around him.

you were about to say something to him but your coach's hand on your shoulder stopped you.

"hey i know you're tired but tomorrow you can stay up late training? i want to focus on you and sunghoon." if just the presence of him already put you in a bad mood, having to spend more time with him only made you want to drop off the earth.

"with sunghoon? is it really necessary?" you wanted him to be joking, you wanted to refuse, no matter what reasons mr. choi had for holding you back to share the same air as him.

"yes, you know that the olympics are close, i want to make sure that their routines are as perfect as possible," you let out another long sigh, turning your gaze towards yuna who was looking at you confused "i know that your relationship is not the best but you don't even have to speak, i will make you work until exhaustion and you know it. i only want the best for both and ensure that you win a medal, do not forget that you will be representing the republic of korea and that it is also one of your dreams, i'm doing this only for you."

and there was his speech again, you were tired of hearing it but as much as you hated the idea you knew he was right, besides for nothing in the world would you let someone like sunghoon ruin your chance to go to the olympics.

you will work hard, do better than him and win the gold medal. you wouldn't let him beat you.

"okay." your coach's smile lit up his face completely. when it came to skating he could be very tough but you knew he had a big heart, he was like your second father, after all you knew him since you were six years old.

"i'm happy to hear that, then i'll see you tomorrow." he gave a gentle squeeze on your shoulder and you just smiled back.

"what was that?" yuna was almost on top of your body waiting for an answer while you took off your skates.

"nothing, it's just that it seems that for the next few months i will have to spend more hours with sunghoon," you frowned "and every day, as if seeing him three times a week wasn't enough." you jerked your skates away but instantly regretted it, you didn't want them to be ruined.

yuna placed her finger between your eyebrows "you're going to get wrinkles," you couldn't help but giggle "and why are you so mad anyway? remember that this is not about sunghoon but about you and the olympics. i know that you will do great and win a medal."

"i guess you're right," you got up ready to go, with yuna walking by your side "and by medal you mean the gold one right?" you were joking but seeing that she was silent you hit her shoulder playfully "i can't believe that you are like my best friend and you are on his side." you put a hand on your chest pretending to be hurt.

she just laughed "i'm not! but you can't deny that he's pretty good too, you're not called the ice prince and princess for nothing. it's still hard to say who's better and anyone can win."

"yeah whatever you say, but i'm still better." you laughed but you couldn't help but feel some jealousy and insecurity.

you could see sunghoon talking to the coach in a corner, after all it wasn't the first time he beat you. you wrinkled your nose and went on your way, you didn't want to think about him anymore when you were more than sure that the following weeks would be insufferable, you had better things to do than think about him and his stupid face, just like how to improve your routine.

you were going to do your best, you just hoped you could beat him this time.

—

"just focus, try to do it one more time."

you bit your lip as you got up from the floor in frustration after falling for the fourth time trying to do a triple axel. you were angry, angry with yourself, with your coach, with sunghoon who kept sneering silently every time you made a mistake, you were angry with everything. and embarrassed too.

it was ridiculous that now you didn't get that jump when you had done it thousands of times before without problems, you didn't know what was wrong with you that day but you just wanted to do it right so you could stay calm, to stop tormenting your mind with the olympics and in the thousands of mistakes you could make when you were there.

you took a deep breath as you skated around the rink with your eyes closed trying to gain some confidence, muttering words of encouragement to yourself, preparing to do it one more time. you ignored everything around you, you forgot mr choi's expectant look and sunghoon's teasing one, you silenced the voices in your head and tried. it was only you

but you failed again.

"okay, that's enough." mr choi looked disappointed and couldn't even look you in the face but you didn't blame him, you couldn't do it either, the olympics were close and you were already doing everything wrong from day one. you weren't even able to show him your entire routine because you kept making silly mistakes.

you could hear sunghoon's bitter laugh in the distance "i don't even know why you focus so much on her and have so much faith when she can't even do a simple triple axel," you looked him in the eyes wanting to kill him and wishing he would shut his mouth "why is she going to the olympics with me anyway? she will never be good enough." his smirk just made you want to punch him in the face.

"sunghoon." the coach called his name with a frown, he was upset and he knew it but still didn't care, he just shrugged his shoulders pretending "stop talking, it's your turn."

tears threatened to come out of your eyes, you just sat waiting for sunghoon to finish so you could try a few more times, you closed your eyes and covered them with your hands, you didn't even want to see how he did everything perfectly, you tried to review in your mind everything you have prepared so far, but your plans are ruined when mr. choi sits next to you.

"you can go home for today," you could feel how the air left your lungs, you wanted to refuse but he kept talking "i know what you're going to tell me but the answer is no, it's clear that this is not your day, you aren't well and you have to rest because if you go there again," his finger pointed the ice rink "and you fall, you could hurt yourself and i'm sure you don't want that." he crossed his arms over his chest, waiting for you to say something but you just stayed silent looking down "look, we still have a lot of time to train, but i want you to be focused for next time, okay? we can't work like this, come tomorrow with a cool head." his cold expression changed to a softer one as soon as he caressed your hair "and don't pay attention to what sunghoon says."

your throat was closed due to the force you exerted to avoid crying preventing you from speaking, you wanted to thank him for everything but you couldn't, although you were sure he knew it.

you focused on the last thing he said to you, you were already used to sunghoon's words but that didn't mean they couldn't hurt you, they cut deep and stayed with you, you focused your gaze on him but it only made you feel worse, you hated the way he could do everything effortlessly, he aced every move, he didn't need to do much because his presence already lit up the whole place.

ever since you can remember sunghoon was like that, he had an innate talent and you were always jealous for that, he was born with a gift and you had to work hard every day to even be able to be at his level, you wanted to curse him for that.

you remembered his words from a few seconds ago, you couldn't even clearly remember why it all started.

but you hated park sunghoon.

and he hated you too.

it was nothing new for the people who knew you, it was already well known that the two of you were always competitive with each other and that you tried to be better than everyone else, all that rivalry had started when you were kids and after years it still wasn't over, it was ridiculous but it seemed to have no end.

how you wished sunghoon would fall or make some mistake so you could make fun of him the same way he made fun of you, but that didn't seem to happen anytime soon. it was stupid to deny how good he was, you could rarely see him do anything wrong and for that reason it only embarrassed you more that you couldn't get a jump you had been doing for years, sunghoon had improved a lot in a few months and you felt like you were still stuck in the same level since you are 17 years old.

you wanted to laugh when you remembered that time you tried to be friends with him at 9 years old because you had been put together for a routine, everything had started well, both were shy so you didn't talk much at first but you already admired him because you used to see him from afar.

but because of a bad move you started yelling at each other.

sunghoon was rubbing his elbow with a pained expression on his face "it's all your fault! you don't know how to skate" you already apologized and were waiting for him to do the same because you hurt your knee, but instead he just blamed you everything and stuck his tongue out at you, and that was something you couldn't tolerate.

"liar! you're the one who made us fall!" watching two little kids fight could be fun, but his coach was quick to join you to stop the yelling.

"hey, it's okay, don't fight, we're all friends and these mistakes can happen, right? now i want you to apologize." she held you both by the shoulder and brought you closer so you were face to face "come on, what are you waiting for?"

"i already apologized and he was rude." you couldn't get the frown off your face and for nothing in the world would you apologize again.

"that's a lie." sunghoon just stuck his tongue out at you again and by that time you were already crying. you hated when people were mean to you.

"dumb!" maybe you shouldn't have said that, but it was too late.

"stop crying, you look ugly!"

that afternoon, in fact, you couldn't stop crying and your parents had to pick you up to take you home, you didn't want to go for a few days but you decided you wouldn't let a silly kid ruin your fun. and since then sunghoon always made fun of you at every chance he got, he even gave you the nickname "cry baby" even though you never stood idly by and that was just another reason for things between you to get worse. you still remember like it was yesterday when he told you that you would never become good figure skater even if you practiced your whole life.

you didn't even remember how it had been or if it was really his fault that you fell, but the fact is that everything had started because he didn't want to apologize and was rude to you, you used to be a very sensitive kid so you still had a grudge against him.

you were very different, sunghoon was someone cold, selfish and very hard on himself too, while for your part you were very different from him you always found the bright side of things, you helped your teammates no matter what and you enjoyed what you did, you could never understand him no matter how hard you tried, you were more than sure that he was an insensitive and heartless boy.

yeah, you hated park sunghoon.

—

it's been 2 weeks and you're still staying up late with sunghoon to train, there were other competitions coming up but you two were the stars for the olympics.

you were doing better every time, and he was not far behind.

you hated to admit it but he was good. he was so freaking good.

the way he moves is captivating, you could spend hours just watching him move, he was delicate but precise and marked his movements well at the same time, the elegance and beauty of the sport is portrayed in every aspect of him when he's on the ice, he was definitely made for it.

but you didn't except less, after all he was your competition for a reason.

his routine was too good, but you had confidence in yourself and that yours was even better, you would not let something similar to happen a few years ago, when they chose him over you for almost all the competitions they had to represent to the republic of korea, that was your last straw. you still remember crying almost every night because of it.

"excuse me guys, i have a call and i have to answer." you just nodded and kept looking at sunghoon.

he took advantage of that moment to start practicing his quad axel, ever since he saw his biggest idol do it he became obsessed with the idea that he could do it too, mr. choi always scolded him because it was a very dangerous jump and he could get hurt by whatever mistake he made, but he was stubborn and kept trying anyway but you weren't surprised, knowing his personality you were sure he thought he was better than the rest and it wouldn't take him long to handle it perfectly.

you looked to the side for a second diverting your attention from him and a loud noise made you turn back to him almost instantly, sunghoon was on the floor and you just hissed because it was sure painful "better luck next time!" you yelled at him as you saw how he turned around floor.

you brushed him off and just got ready to enter the ice rink, but he wasn't moving an inch and had his face hidden in his arms.

"sunghoon what the hell are you doing? get out so i can practice, you're on the way." you snorted. you thought he was faking it but it took you a couple of seconds to realize he wasn't.

ignoring the voices in your head you quickly approach him, kneeling beside him, you see how his knuckles were white from squeezing his hands so much. you didn't know what to do, he hurted himself? should you tell him something? help him up? call mr choi? all thought left your head the moment sunghoon's eyes collided with yours, they were red and his cheeks were wet with traces of tears, his brow was furrowed and his lip had a small trace of blood from how strong he had been biting all that time.

and you didn't like the feeling of your stomach wanting to come out of your mouth.

"get the fuck off." you didn't realize your hand was so close to his body until he pushed it away. you tried to ignore him and want to help him but he didn't even let you speak "where's mr. choi?"

"i don't know." you walked away from him, not wanting to deal with his bad mood any longer and call mr. choi to take care of him instead.

you saw him struggle to get up, but as soon as he wanted to rest his body on his right leg it vanished almost instantly, he threw a curse into the air. the great park sunghoon, the ice prince, lying on the ground crying from a silly fall? you could only think how pathetic he looked at that moment.

"stop doing that, god you look so stupid, i will just call an ambulance or something." you didn't even really know what you were supposed to do.

the only reason you wanted to use your phone was so you could take a picture of him without him noticing and make fun of it for all eternity. you knew that he was embarrassed by his photos of when he was a child that still circulated on the internet, so this was the perfect opportunity to have a good laugh every time you entered any social media, seeing him so vulnerable just gave you infinite ideas. but you didn't do any of them, and you weren't sure if he would have done the same to you.

"just call mr. choi, i don't need you." he ran his hands over his face and pulled at his hair in frustration.

"can you shut up? i'm trying to be nice, you know i could just leave you lying here suffering because you're an idiot who doesn't know his limits and doesn't accept help, right?" maybe you should have done what he told you instead of continuing to embitter your existence with his presence.

"did i ever ask you to come help me? stop acting like you're good now, i don't need your stupid pity and much less your help, i'd rather break my ankle than be another second near you." you were more than grateful that those feelings were mutual, you were just wasting your time trying to be nice to him.

and so you confirmed once again that you hated him.

but that annoying sensation didn't leave your chest, you hated sunghoon but you hated even more that feeling that you never felt for him invade your body before. was it pity? you were sure it was, it must also be the nerves of the moment. and you couldn't sit idly by, you didn't even know where mr. choi had gone, if you just left him alone there you wouldn't be much better than him.

and you don't want to be someone like him.

"well the thing is you probably did break your ankle." the look he gave you almost made you back away from him, you've never seen so many emotions run through someone's orbs before and it was overwhelming.

you didn't want to keep looking at him because of how uncomfortable you were starting to feel so you turned around looking for mr. choi, you didn't want to be there anymore, but you couldn't even get 2 meters away from him when he finally appeared.

"what happened?" his voice sounded scared, terrified. he hurriedly approached sunghoon and wasted no time taking off his skate and seeing the state of his body, you walked away while listening to his moans of pain. this was none of your business "y/n i already called an ambulance, you go with him i will follow you with my car behind."

"what?" you opened your eyes wanting to believe that you heard wrong, but mr. choi repeated it to you loud and clear "but-"

"no excuses now."

you couldn't say another word. everything had happened very quickly, you didn't even remember if it was your body that moved on its own but you were already in the back of the ambulance next to sunghoon. you wanted to die.

both are wrapped in a silence that surpassed the uncomfortable, the tension could be counted with just a knife no matter how sharp it was, you keep looking everywhere avoiding his eyes.

"you need to tell your family." you didn't realize those words came out of your mouth instead of staying in your head.

"i don't have my phone." his eyes closed and you had barely heard him speak.

"i'll call them for you, i just need you to give me a number."

"no you won't, god stop being so annoying, just let mr. choi take care of everything." and there was his annoyed expression again, you were already surprised to see him calm for so long.

you wanted to say so many things at that time, but not a single sound left your lips just out of pity.

you made a little mental note to yourself that this would be the first and last time you would try to help park sunghoon.

—

the atmosphere was tense, you felt how simply the air from those four walls crushed your body and cut the air from your lungs, your head was heavy and the vision in your eyes became blurred over time because you had only been looking at the same spot in the floor for the last 10 minutes.

you never felt that time passed as slowly as it does now.

you just wanted mr. choi to finish talking to the doctor and finish all his calls so you could tell him that you would leave that place to go home, if you spent just one more second next to sunghoon you would feel how your lungs would become intoxicated.

and he felt the same as you, it was uncomfortable having your presence so close and that neither said anything knowing that a single comment would be like dropping a bomb, and both knew that the damage it would leave couldn't be repaired.

but there you were, opening your big, silly mouth, unable to contain yourself "how do you feel?"

"are you seriously asking me that?" you rolled your eyes for the sixth time that day at his response, at least you no longer felt your throat burn.

"yes, that's what i just did, are you deaf?" you spat out your words

sunghoon's mood wasn't the best, it never was, and with everything he was feeling at the time, your words and your mere presence were enough to make him explode.

"god, can you just leave me alone and get the fuck out of here!? why would i want someone as useless as you here? i'm sick of you, you're not good at skating or doing whatever it is you want to do now! we're not friends and never will be don't even try it, get that into that head of yours at least that's how you use it for something, i don't even know why you're still here when all you do is sulk me up and be a nuisance here." his finger was pointing at you, his body moving closer to yours with every word he spat hatefully in your face and neither of you broke eye contact.

it was pathetic how his words still had such an effect on you, he meant nothing to you so why did it hurt so much? why did you want to cry and yell in his face for him to shut up? why did your body feel so weak, as if your knees would lose strength if you kept looking into his eyes?

for almost all your life you had to put up with his insults and mistreatment, you were sick of it, you didn't want to keep quiet anymore, he even screwed up your mind making you believe thousands of times that you could never be a good skater knowing how much it affected you and how much it meant to you, you both shared the same passion so what was his problem? every day you wished you had never met him.

you would travel to the past a million times changing the timeline as much as necessary to avoid meeting him, to avoid knowing his name that consumed so much time and energy, to avoid feeling the way you did now.

"fuck you sunghoon, you've been acting like a fucking idiot when all i wanted to do was help you! you're a selfish bastard who just likes to suck the life out of people, you can't and don't have the right to treat me like shit just because you want to, i'm tired of you and you know what? i'm thankful that you injured your ankle and you can't go to the olympics now because it was your big dream, right? well that's a shame because you really deserved it and i really hope you never get to skate again!"

you would go back in time to avoid becoming someone heartless like him who didn't measure his words and only spoke with the intention of hurting all the people around him.

your heart was threatening to burst out of its cage in the rage of the moment. those words came from the depths of you, you knew that everything you said was wrong but you didn't regret it, at least you no longer felt that annoying weight on your chest.

"hey why are you guys yelling so much? we're in a hospital." the moment mr. choi's voice reached your ears was when you finally looked away from sunghoon's eyes.

"get out." his voice came out weaker than before, you couldn't see him in the face, you wanted to give him the pleasure of seeing you doing something he asked you after so long and you just walked out of there without saying anything.

you did it, you really made the effort to get along with him not just once but twice already but now you regret even thinking about it in the first place, so many years had passed and you didn't know why you thought maybe he had changed.

—

you closed your eyes tightly in the hope that it would help you become invisible to mr. choi.

you knew that when he approached you with that look it was to ask you for something you didn't like. and you knew that it only meant one thing; park sunghoon.

"you don't know anything about him?" you looked at him with tired eyes, although you could understand his concern, what happened to him had nothing to do with you.

"no, why should i know?" you wanted to hit yourself when you noticed how rude those words had come out, he didn't have to pay for your bad mood in the last few days.

the words of the famous ice prince wouldn't leave your head and they didn't seem to want to do it soon either, you couldn't skate in peace thinking that maybe you could fall like him or remembering all the times he told you that you would never be a good skater, or that all your routines were mediocre.

you hated that despite not seeing him these days you still felt his shadow behind you in everything you did once you entered the ice rink, as if he were saying those cruel words in your ear all the time.

"great, because i need you to take the stuff he left here when he got injured, i would but..." he didn't continue saying anything else, you sighed when you thought that maybe he was doing all that on purpose, after all it wasn't the first time he did something like this so that you two would get along.

your silence was an affirmative answer for him, so he went to look for the bags and the skates, which was probably what he left behind. you turned your head finding yuna, instantly begging her with your eyes to come with you.

"don't even think about it." she turned her back on you starting to walk in the opposite direction and you already had your arms holding her against your body.

"please, please, don't leave me alone in this," you said in a whimper, your words muffled against her back, you didn't want to get your face out of there until she said yes "did you forget all the things i did for you?"

you thought you could easily manipulate her but she knew you too well for your liking "as much as i love you, it's not in my plans to go to his house, much less with you knowing what happened the last time you saw each other" you didn't want that either, go to sunghoon's house and alone? not even in dreams.

and in a blink there you were, in front of the door of his house.

completely alone.

on the way there all you did was curse yuna for letting you go to that hell alone and you cursed sunghoon too by the way because there was never a bad time to do it. why didn't he go get his things? or his parents?

the neighbors probably thought you were a freak for standing there for more than 5 minutes without even moving a bit. you had to work up the strength to see him and not shoot him with the first thing in your hand.

you gathered your strength and lifting your chest like a dove, you rang the doorbell praying that anyone but him would open it.

but your prayers were in vain when his weary face with dark circles under his eyes and crutches on both sides of his body were the first thing you saw.

you didn't even know what to say or do, your eyes widened in surprise, ever since you met him there wasn't a single time you saw him in such a... unfortunate state, his face was always perfect and groomed, you were sure he would always took the necessary time to look good at any time and especially in his presentations that finding any imperfection on his face was like looking for a needle in a haystack. you couldn't help but feel bad for him, he looked as if he had spent the whole night crying and only now was getting up from his depressive nest. you knew it because you were like that before and you weren't proud of it.

the sudden breeze hitting your face snaps you out of your thoughts, sunghoon had slammed the door in your face without saying anything and didn't even give you a chance to speak. you couldn't believe it, he was acting like a capricious child, you opened your mouth to yell at him but you just threw his things on the floor in anger not caring what was inside and you were ready to walk away, but a soft voice at your back stopped all your movements.

"oh, i'm so sorry! please excuse my son, he never behaves like that." you wanted to laugh at that, if only she knew.

ignoring that, you focused on her, you couldn't deny that her eyes and her black hair hypnotized you for a few seconds, it wasn't the first time you saw sunghoon's mother but the first time you were so close to her. the two of them were almost the same in appearance but from a distance you could already tell that she was much sweeter than him.

"it's okay, i just came to drop off the bags that he left behind the other day." your cheeks turned red at how soft your voice became.

"thank you so much and i'm sorry for the inconvenience, we couldn't find time to go look for them ourselves." she took the bags in her hands and started to go into the house, you thought she was going to say goodbye to you "please come in!" and you were wrong.

"but mom-" all that time sunghoon was behind her and only now did you notice.

"you just go in and stay there, i'll talk to you later." although she said it as low as possible just for him to hear it also reached your ears and you couldn't help but giggle, not even sunghoon's gaze could shut you up, but his mother turning to see you again did "please join us, we were about to have dinner as a family."

"oh no! no need-"

"please! you took the trouble to come here and you need to eat something, take it as an apology," you wanted to say no again, make up some excuse, any would be fine but the look in her eyes won you over and now you were standing awkwardly inside their house while you waited for mrs. park to close the door behind you "sunghoon take this to your room."

the expression he put on seemed amused, he made you want to laugh again, probably because it seemed like his room was upstairs and he, well... had crutches.

his mother disappeared from your sight and if before you were uncomfortable now with sunghoon by your side it was much worse.

"can you- uh, can you help me?" him asking you for help was the last thing you expected.

you hesitated, you didn't want to do it you still couldn't forget everything he told you days ago and that still hurt your chest when you remembered it, you wanted to see him fight to be able to carry the bags by himself and if it was possible that his ankle would hurt even more, you wanted to be just as shitty as him and tell him to his face all the things you still had saved.

but you couldn't.

you couldn't afford to stoop that low just because you were hurt, he needed your help so you would just do it. in complete silence you grabbed the largest bag and started to climb the stairs, you had to wait at the top of them for him to come to your side and tell you where to leave it, on that small path you couldn't help but look around you, it was full of family pictures and you noticed that downstairs there was a special place with all the medals and trophies sunghoon had won since he was a kid, up here there were a lot of pictures of him since he was practically a baby, you weren't that surprised because after all you knew each other since you were 6 years old and you still remembered how he looked at that time and he hadn't changed that much since then.

but what did surprise you was seeing his smile in all the photos, when you saw him he rarely smiled and in that hallway all the happiness and love he felt for figure skating was captured, something you had never seen in all the time that you knew him, he was always a private person so he probably only showed himself that way to his family, but it was reassuring to see that he wasn't always the moody guy who seemed to hate everyone and life itself.

"you can leave it here." you had been so immersed looking at the photos that you didn't notice sunghoon in front of the door of his room. you were surprised again to see that he wasn't so… cold. there were posters of his favorite skaters and probably his favorite bands, plus there were a few stuffed animals lying around as well.

sunghoon's mother's voice calling both of you from downstairs made you remember that now you had to have dinner with his family, your hands were shaking and he noticed that "don't be nervous, they aren't going to bite you." you snorted, wanting to kick one of their crutches out of sight.

"just shut up, I shouldn't even be here right now."

"hey be more respectful, be grateful that my family wants to have someone like you in our house, if it were up to me I wouldn't even have opened the door for you." you just ignored him and left his room, but the moment you were downstairs again the nerves consumed your body.

"come on sweetie, dinner is ready." mrs. park caressed your shoulder affectionately and led you to the table where there were already two other people, you quickly bowed.

contrary to what you thought, the conversation with his family was really nice they made an effort to make you feel at home and you appreciated that, although at first it was a bit awkward and it seemed that they asked you questions as if you were sunghoon's partner, you were able to talk with them as if you had known them all your life, his mother and sister were some of the sweetest people you have met so far, his father didn't speak much but still congratulated you as if you were his own daughter when you started talking about your achievements on the ice rink.

sunghoon didn't even speak to you the whole night, although most of the conversation was focused on you he managed to act as if you didn't exist, when he talked to his family he seemed like a completely different person from the one you knew, the tone of his voice was much softer with them and he laughed more often, you were sure his giggles would stay in your mind for a long time because as much as you hated to admit it, he was adorable.

that night something in your head changed, your perception of him still hadn't changed that much, his family was still much nicer than him however ignoring that you always thought he was someone arrogant who didn't care if he was the best or not because just it came naturally to him and he was unable to empathize with or care for anyone other than himself.

but maybe you were wrong.

he was still a jerk to you, but you got to know a part of him you didn't know existed.

—

"thank you so much for everything." you lost count of the times you bowed and thanked for everything.

"you can always come back whenever you want darling, next time I can make you your favorite food," you smiled at her, ready to go "are you going alone? It's quite late already sunghoon can accompany you so you don't go alone."

you wanted to throw up at that thought, you tried to say different excuses but none had convinced mrs. park enough to let you walk alone late at night, so the three of you agreed that it would only be a few blocks.

you were convinced that the awkward atmosphere between you whenever you were alone would never leave, you wanted that moment to end quickly but considering that he can't even walk properly it was kind of hard.

you had been walking side by side for several minutes in complete silence, you bit your lip as you watched the stars in the sky to distract yourself.

"my doctor said that I can skate again without much effort," he spoke out of the blue and you just left him, at least he had broken the silence "I won't be able to go to the olympics but at least it's not so bad that it leaves me without skating for the rest of my life."

you knew he was saying that because of what you told him that time in the hospital, you hesitated to apologize, you remembered the moment from years ago but you were no longer children and you had to be responsible for your words, after all you couldn't hold a grudge all your life.

"I'm sorry."

he shook his head denying "you have nothing to apologize for, that should be me."

"what?" you couldn't believe that, park sunghoon apologizing? you wanted to pinch yourself to make sure you weren't imagining it "you're apologizing because your mother asked you to, right?" you wanted to make fun of him because you didn't think his attempted apology was sincere, but his words silenced you.

"look, I'm only going to say this once," you had both stopped walking and now you were looking into each other's eyes, you had never paid them as much attention as now, he swallowed before speaking "I'm really sorry."

you didn't know what to say, your body went still and the words disappeared from your head, you realized how hard it had been for him to blurt out those words and part of it was funny, but on the other hand you couldn't stop thinking about the fact that he apologized to you. after years—after having said so many horrible things, this was the first time that you both let your true feelings show and were vulnerable.

you were both sorry and you noticed it.

both look into each other's eyes for a while longer until he finally leaves greeting you with a slight nod, leaving you stunned in the middle of the night, with the stars as the only witness of that rare moment.

maybe your perception of him had changed that day after all.

—

it had been almost 3 weeks since that little conversation you had and you haven't heard from him since.

for some reason now your mind felt more relaxed and you were able to feel freer with your movements, now you did everything 10 times better than before.

except today you seemed to have a problem again, you had been trying to do a toe loop for several minutes but you always landed wrong or didn't complete all the laps, you were already starting to get frustrated and mr choi didn't seem to be around at the time.

"you're doing it wrong." a soft voice behind you makes you turn your body almost completely towards him.

"what are you doing here?" It was the first thing that came out of your mouth when you saw him enter the ice rink.

"skating" he left without bothering to look at you and you sighed once more, it would always be difficult trying to talk to him, especially knowing the kind of complicated relationship you still had. not that you had become the best of friends for an apology.

but at least you were relieved that his ankle was okay, you still felt bad about what you told him at the hospital. although you couldn't stop thinking about the idea that this would be a chance to win because it left your way clear.

you tried it one more time, with the small big difference that when you landed sunghoon's hands were on you, you shivered when you felt the contact of his skin on your waist.

"you keep doing it wrong." you saw his smirk, surely he was making fun of you.

"I know." you wanted to walk away from the uncomfortable feeling of your heart starting to beat faster but his grip only tightened.

"yeah but you're not doing anything to fix it, you keep making the same mistake over and over again." feeling his breath against your neck sent shivers down your spine.

"what do you want?" you pushed his hands away from you more roughly than you meant to. now you were seeing each other face to face.

sunghoon rolled his eyes "nothing, I just want to help you" you narrowed your eyes, not fully believing in his words "you have to lift your chest more, you're very hunched over and you're just going to end up hurting yourself." he showed with his body how you had been doing it, giving you a quizzical look for not knowing something so simple "try again now."

you snorted but you listened to what he said, you did the same as before only changing your posture a little. and to your surprise you were able to achieve it perfectly.

"see? I told you." today he was very smiling, it was rare to see him like that.

"thanks but what are you? are you trying to be my trainer now?"

"so what if I want to be?" your body stopped moving just to look at him incredulously and instantly a big laugh came out of his mouth.

"what is so funny?"

"your faces," it took him a couple of seconds to calm down, by the time he finished he was on his knee while the other held his stomach "I'm serious, after all I won't be able to compete and you're the only one good enough out of here that can win, I won't let you lose just because you can't do a dumb toe loop."

he just said you were good? even though you thought the idea of him was a bit stupid, you could feel how all the heat of your body was concentrated in your cheeks dyeing them red, why was he being nice to you so suddenly? did he forget all the things you said to each other? surely the blow he took made him dumber than he already was.

you could hear him laugh again "shut up."

—

"what, are you two a couple now?" you thought that that day would be quiet, but yuna had other plans for you.

"what are you talking about?" you complained, still sleepy on your body.

"don't look at me like that, a few weeks ago I could have sworn you guys were about to kill each other but now you're close together, what with the "you're doing it wrong, let me help you" bullshit just to hold your waist? because you were doing it perfect." she couldn't believe it.

"stop saying nonsense, i guess he just feel bad cause he can't skate at the olympics now, he's just helping me."

yuna rolled her eyes "if you say so."

she walks away leaving you alone with your thoughts, and you didn't like the feeling in your stomach.

despite having refused his proposal about 10 times, sunghoon ended up convincing you and whenever he could he helped you although it wasn't much since you were good enough at what you did, you had been spending time together at the ice rink for several days and surprisingly you didn't insult each other even once. or well, he hadn't insulted you because you had already lost count of the things you said to him for purposely tripping you up a couple of times. and now you find yourself enjoying his company, something you never thought was possible before, you two were still very different but you had found a way to be together without bumping into each other so much and it was through skating, both of you loved it so much that you began to get along little by little just because of that.

"you're fine, I know you'll be able to do it perfectly there, just try not to do the quad axel." If you had been told a few months ago that you would be laughing with sunghoon today while sharing a drink he bought for you, you would have laughed on their faces as loud as ever.

leaving that aside, you noticed him a little more discouraged than usual today, there were times when you saw him totally immersed in his thoughts or you had to repeat things twice when you spoke to him "is something wrong? I notice that you're distracted."

"I'm just thinking about you." you almost choked on the bottle of soda you were drinking, your stomach started to feel weird and your breathing was ragged.

"what?" you turned your face while touching your cheeks, noticing that they were hot, it was embarrassing and he just laughs.

"I'm sorry, what I mean is that- I'm really sorry" he looks into your eyes intensely and your whole body trembles at that, you've never seen so much shine in them "I'm really, really sorry... for everything. especially the day i got injured, this means everything to me and i was terrified that i would never be able to skate again because of my own stupidity, for being so stubborn and not listening to others, also because i had never hurt myself before and at that moment I could feel how my ankle was separating from my whole body, this injury scared the hell out of me." the crack in his voice reaches in and squeezes your heart so tight you can feel your eyes tearing up "you were right in all things what did you say, that I'm a heartless egoist who never thinks about what he says and I'm hurting the people around me-"

it was the second time you saw him cry.

"I didn't mean that." you blink the tears away as fast as they appeared, seeing sunghoon in that state and remembering all bothered you more than you liked to admit. before you might have enjoyed it but now it was different.

and it was the first time you cried in front of him.

"okay, I know I deserved it anyway," his eyes were now focused on the floor "I was just- I was trying to be the best but I realized quite late that that wasn't the way and everything I told you during years was really horrible and I'm sorry you had to endure all that, if I were you I would have hit myself several times already." he chuckled.

"i really wanted to," you hit him with your shoulder playfully "but I'm sorry too, I said horrible things to you."

"don't worry about me, I don't even know why I behaved like this for so long and I wish I could have seen how stupid I was much earlier." he moved his hand close to yours, wanting to take it in his but finally he ended up putting it in his pocket "I realized that skating means a lot to you too. maybe we're not so different after all." he looked at your face again with a smile on his face.

"maybe you're right, I mean, look at us now talking normally as if nothing happened."

"yeah but I don't want this to come to nothing, I really want you to forgive me." your heart jumped out of your chest "I was scared that you were so much better than me because I really think you could easily defeat me because of how much you try every day, even much more than me, the things I did and said to make you feel bad so that you stop skating are unjustified, but now I want to do things right and I hope we can start again." he sounded so sorry that he was really making it hard for you to hold a grudge.

"there were many years that we argued for nothing and you're not the only one to blame, you were ten times worse with me but I cannot hold a grudge or hate you all my life," he lifted his head with hope in his eyes waiting for you to keep talking "I think we're fine."

"thank you." his smile was accomplishing things inside of you, and you didn't like it "also, uh- I could see what a wonderful person you are and I was surprised that you treated me well after all, I was waiting for you to spit on me when you saw me or something like that," you raised your eyebrow wanting to really hit him this time "and I saw this as my chance to make things right."

"don't lie to me now, it was your mom that changed your mind so suddenly, right?" he burst out laughing, only to end up leaning his head against the wall staring up at the ceiling.

"maybe she played a big role in that." you couldn't take your eyes off his profile "you're a really good skater and i'll tell you all the time if need be in order to erase the bad things i said before and that probably are still in your head."

"what do you mean?"

"you don't need to pretend with me now, I can tell those little insecurities you have when you're on the ice." you wanted to get out of that place as fast as possible, you didn't think you were so obvious about it and sunghoon noticing made things worse.

he noticed that but he couldn't do anything else besides give you a smile, you simply remained silent with your eyes closed enjoying the silence and thanking that it wasn't uncomfortable like previous times, now both were a little more comfortable with each other's presence.

you needed to hear those words, you needed to feel that relief, as if the weight you had been feeling on your back all this time stopped squeezing your wounds, letting them heal.

if it wasn't for mr. choi who burst in, you both would have fallen asleep.

—

it was finally the day.

and there you were, at the winter olympics with your suit on waiting for your turn which was at any moment. you felt like throwing up since you took the plane to here and days had passed since that, your body was shaking—you could feel your blood flow through your veins and you were sure that at any moment you would pass out before entering the ice rink, mr. choi had been by your side the whole time trying to calm you down but your heart seemed to want to explode and you just wanted to dig your nails into your skin like a cat.

you kept going around and you were already making everyone around you nervous. you were so focused fixing your suit making sure there was no mistake that you almost didn't hear the sound of your phone, it was a call. and it was from sunghoon.

you pick it up quickly "hey." his voice sounded so calm in your ears that he helped you let out a sigh you didn't even know you were holding.

"hey." you noticed how even your voice trembled.

"I can feel from here how nervous you are," his laugh cleared your thoughts "relax, I know you can handle this and it will be great."

you bit your lip, not knowing very well what to say "thank you sunghoon, but if you were with me right now I would have already pulled your hair out to calm myself." his loud laugh forced you to move the phone away from your ear.

"you're so lucky, you're there with my biggest idol and you're wasting your time being nervous," you let out a sigh, silently thanked him for calling you and speaking to you so normally, maybe you'd even ask for an autograph to thank him properly. you talked for a while about a butterfly that had entered sunghoon's room the other day until mr. choi called you to get ready "I don't want to take up any more of your time but i want you to know that you don't have to prove anything to anyone, everything will be fine considering that you had the best coach," you smiled at that "you have the strength and talent to win all the medals in the world, good luck."

he hung up without letting you say anything and you could swear that a second before you heard him blow a kiss. but maybe it was just your imagination.

but sunghoon was right, you had worked hard day and night for this moment and would do your best. you were fulfilling your dream, and you were going to win that medal.

"what did sunghoon say to you to make you blush like this?" mr. choi teased you, you hadn't noticed how hot your cheeks felt until he pointed it out.

he had been very sweet to you and you couldn't help it. but quickly any thoughts left your head, you were ready to compete.

—

"congratulations! I knew you would make it."

arms around your waist were the first thing you felt when you opened your door in the middle of the night, sunghoon's hug was already leaving you breathless, besides you felt dizzy from the sudden warmth of his body against yours, which was still cold and tired, then he lifts you off the ground causing you to hold on tight to him as he spun you around in the air.

his laughter had lit up the night along with the stars and the sound of crickets in the background, when he left you on the ground and walked away from your body you couldn't help but watch him carefully, you had spent several days without seeing him after spending practically 24 hours together and only now did you realize how beautiful he was.

"thank you sunghoon," his smile really made your day so much better "why are you here?"

"well, you just arrived and I definitely had to be the first to congratulate you in person when I already sent you thousands of messages" his hand never let go of his waist "besides mr. choi obviously."

so pretty.

you never got to see his features as closely as now, but he really looked like a dream, now you could understand those girls on your team who never stopped talking about him, it had only been you who was clouded by the hatred that you felt that you never saw beyond his attitudes with you.

"my parents really wanted to see you today," his voice was full of emotion and you could feel how some tears wanted to come out of your eyes, not even your parents were there with you but you had all the support of his "but it's too late, they still want you to know that you did amazing and that you deserve it."

"that's so sweet," you ran your hand over his arm that was still holding you "tell them thanks for me, maybe I'll visit them again one of these days."

"they would love that."

you were both silent for a while, it wasn't annoying but you really wanted to talk to him more but nothing wanted to come out of your mouth.

"i think i should-"

"hey." he stopped any movement tightening his grip, he had been scared to see how you wanted to go back into your house.

"what's the matter?"

"uh, nothing, I..." he fills his other hand up to his neck scratching it "I'm really proud of you."

you giggled seeing him so nervous, giving compliments was still a bit difficult for him "thank you sunghoon, to be honest I never thought I'd hear that from you."

"but I'm serious, all those times I told you that you didn't know how to skate or that you did it wrong were a complete lie, you did it perfectly and I-"

"hey, it's okay," you caressed his arm looking for him to look you in the eye "you already apologized before, you don't need to do it again."

"okay," now he was so restless that with his movements he hit your shoulder lightly "I can't believe we spent years doing this stupid thing for nothing."

you both laugh and remain silent looking at each other under the moonlight. you felt the change in the air and now there was a different sparkle in his eyes that told you so many things you were terrified to take in.

sunghoon never knew when it happened but your existence began to weigh less and less on his head, you were still on his mind but now it was very different, he began to feel different every time he was with you and he was surprised to know that you weren't someone else completely different and you were the same girl he spent "hating" for years. was it really hate? he never believed that but he could never close his mouth when he saw you do something wrong, maybe he liked seeing you angry or seeing how you failed because after all you were the only competition he had.

his heart didn't lie but he was scared as hell of how things could turn out, he even talked to his mother about it but now he was questioning if it had been a good idea. he never fell in love, hell he hadn't even been as interested in a person as he does with you, the constant need he felt to want to help you improve and be with you all the time was beginning to be annoying for him. so many years alone and now his foolish heart wants to merge with yours? it was ridiculous.

but he liked it.

all these new sensations made him feel like a totally new person who was just discovering the world despite having lived 19 years. everything had been so gray for him that he was overwhelmed to see that there were millions of colors out there that he had refused to see.

suddenly sunghoon gets closer to your body, his fingers caress your cheek and your body begins to fail "what are you doing?"

"actually I have something else to tell you," you were scared by your heartbeat that didn't seem to want to control itself "I can't keep it anymore but I think- I think I like you."

time stops for a few seconds, your eyes open wide not believing what you just heard, you don't move or say anything and sunghoon thinks maybe he made a mistake, he wanted to speak again to apologize but you walk away from him, as if his touch burned you.

"I'm sorry I have to go." you closed the door in his face.

and sunghoon thought that he did everything wrong, that after all your wounds were still open and he had no right to have done that, that contrary to your words maybe your heart hadn't completely forgiven him. he wished he had cleaned his mouth with soap.

the overwhelming wave of feelings that hit you felt like a tsunami, and you were drowning.

—

you haven't seen sunghoon since then and your mind was a complete mess.

it was absurd that no matter what the reason was, he was always circulating your thoughts without letting you rest even for a single day.

"who are you waiting for?" yuna touched your shoulder surprising you.

"no one, why?"

"well you've been looking at the door for like ten minutes." you turned your whole body only to be in front of her with a marked expression of confusion on your face.

"no I wasn't."

"yeah you were," she just laughs "never mind, i guess you must have a lot on your mind right now." her raised eyebrows made you suspicious of her words.

"what do you mean?"

"don't play dumb, you know perfectly well what I'm talking about," you just looked to the side avoiding her face, you didn't want to think about it "did something happen between you two? you used to be together all the time and now I haven't seen him for several days around here although his ankle was already good enough to return his training."

you played with your fingers, scared to answer, scared of your feelings "I don't know."

she was silent looking at you with her eyes narrowed "you know that with that answer you already told me everything I needed to know, right?" your cheeks burned in an instant "it always bothered you that sunghoon was someone so stubborn, but you don't realize that you're almost the same." her finger lightly tapped your forehead for you to see and stop hiding.

"we are not the same." you wrinkled your nose, wanting to end that conversation.

"oh of course not dear, I've known you both for years and I could even say that you are opposite. but ones that attract each other." she smiled seeing your expression "and both are equally oblivion with your feelings."

she got up grabbing her things, you looked quickly and everyone was ready to go to her house "yuna!"

"bye!" she quickly advanced her steps to the exit, it was impossible to stop her.

what was she referring to? you let out a groan, you already had too much on your mind for her to confuse you even more.

could you really like him? you kept thinking that, just a few months ago you hated each other to death, was it possible to have those feelings now? It was ridiculous whichever way you looked at it.

"haven't you left yet? great," mr. choi sat next to you, preventing you from thinking "i need you to practice with sunghoon, it's just to help him and control him with his ankle, I don't want him to do anything risky."

you frowned visibly annoyed "what am I now? his babysitter?" seeing his expression made you regret your words "I'm sorry but everyone is already leaving and besides, shouldn't you be the one to help him with that?"

"oh come on, don't act like you never stayed up late practicing, it won't take long." he really didn't need to tell you anything else because you would do it anyway.

—

the air is sharp to breathe and there you were, again wrapped in that awkward silence.

which you had not missed at all.

"are you ready?" he doesn't even look you in the eye, but neither can you.

he entered the ice rink without saying anything, the music began to play and as soon as his body moved you couldn't take your eyes off him at any time, he became one with the music, he paid attention and dedication to every little thing detail and that was what made his presentations truly unique.

"try to slow down." still he was pushing himself too hard, and you didn't want his ankle to heal badly or worst case he hurt again.

when he finished he moved closer to your body, scared that he wanted to talk about that night, but also afraid that he would ignore you. but not a single word left his mouth, he just stood there in front of you looking at your face and then opened his arms, waiting for you to do something.

you shifted your gaze from his arms to his face a few times and your body turned on its own, enveloping him in a warm embrace. your arms find their place in him and your face seeks comfort in the space of his neck, you feel in heaven when he tries to wrap you around his whole body leaving not a single inch between you "can we skate together? it feels lonely."

both weren't even skating like you should, just spinning around nonstop while your arms constantly searched for your bodies not wanting to be even a second apart, it was as if you needed each other's warmth to live or else the ice below would consume you.

your body was at peace but at the same time full of nerves and doubts, had it been a mistake not to say anything at that moment and close the door in his face? why didn't he push you away after you behaved that way? you didn't know but you don't want the answer either, you didn't want to think about what would become of you if he just disappeared from your life, he was always there no matter if you couldn't stand each other before. he will always be a part of your life.

"actually I asked mr. choi to do this," you moved your head away from his chest, looking at him confused "I almost had to beg him to tell you to stay a little longer and let us be alone."

"why did you do it?"

his face came closer to yours "because I missed you." his breathing mixed with yours and you no longer thought you would be able to stay calm "besides because the last time I saw you you seemed to hate me again."

you hid your face again only to hit his chest, he didn't make a sound and the rage you had inside you made you hit him again and again and again. but he never pushed you away, his hands were still firm on your body, he knew he deserved it.

"you can't do this to me," you tried not to shed a single tear "saying that to me after everything you've put me through? it's not fair."

"I'm sorry."

"I know. I know you are and I hate you for it." when you stopped beating him sunghoon could only hug you tightly letting you sob into his shirt "I hate you for making me forgive you so easily despite everything."

"I'm really sorry." hearing sunghoon apologize had already become normal "it was my fault for saying that to you so out of the blue and thinking that you would reciprocate my feelings after everything I did to you, I-"

you cut him off with a kiss.

a shiver ran through your whole body, you had never felt your heart beat so fast to the point that it was the only thing you could feel, but the touch of his lips made you feel more alive than ever.

his lips were soft as winter, like snow that melted under your warm touch.

it was just like when the sun melts the ice.

"but above all I hate myself for reciprocating your feelings." sunghoon's soul returned to his body upon hearing those words, you can't help but smile as you see how the panic in his eyes fades.

"god you scared the hell out of me," his fingers wiped your tears gently "my crybaby," you laughed at that old nickname "since I started being with you more I could feel my heart beating faster whenever I was near you, look." he holds your hand to put it on his chest so you can feel his heartbeat "I feel so stupid for everything I did before."

you realize that back then you were drowning because you didn't swim far enough, but now you could breathe.

maybe liking him wasn't such a bad thing.

"as you should." you were silent for a while just feeling each other's heartbeat "i shouldn't have closed the door on you that day." he couldn't stop looking at your face fondly, his gaze drifting to your lips most of the time.

sunghoon took a deep breath "don't worry about it," he practically whispered on your lips, wanting another kiss "I like you a lot. I was so scared of losing you."

he closed his eyes letting his forehead rest against yours "I like you a lot too, I think I just needed time to think, I'm sorry."

"stop apologizing, just please let me kiss you again and again and again."

It was such an intimate moment, as if you were in your own bubble away from everyone and just showing each other affection.

none of you stopped until you were forced to pull away from lack of air "you made me see a lot of things differently." he brushed your hair behind your ear, caressing your cheek with the tip of his thumb.

you really noticed, sunghoon had changed a lot in such a short time to how he was just a few months ago, but you always thought it was because of his injury that had restricted many things, you never thought it was because of you. before he was cold and rarely smiled, he was alone most of the time and seemed not to want to make friends, he just concentrated on skating. but now it was as if he were a different person although deep down he was still him. the same sunghoon who pouted, didn't speak, and turned away from everyone when he was upset, the introverted but noisy boy who always made mr. choi laugh with his jokes, who worked hard everyday to be the best, the same sunghoon who always loved dearly. you laughed at yourself, you used to think he had no heart when in fact he has the biggest of all.

who would have thought that sunghoon was this loving? all the time wanting to be glued to you.

"you know, maybe I've won a lot of medals in the past, and all of them being better than you," you wanted to hit him for making fun of you at that moment "but nothing compares to you." he gives you a little peak "you are the most precious thing I've ever gained in all my life."

you laugh, running your hands over his neck "gained?" you gently tugged at his hair as you brought your face close to his lips, teasing him.

"just kiss me already."

and you did, enjoying the moment wishing it would never end and wishing your heart felt like this forever, more alive than ever.

"can i ask you out on a date?" god, you would never get tired of looking at his eyes and his moles.

"only if you don't slam doors in my face." he laughs, only for you to shut him up with another kiss, and another, and another.

"deal."

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streetlight11 · 2 years

Text

We Were Wrong

Summary: What one favour was thought to be harmless with no growing feelings involved, turns out to take a whole new turn during the process

Theme: college au, childhood frenemies to lovers

Genre: angst (not really), slowburn, romance, slightly suggestive, fluff

Warnings: mild language, light mentions of sexual activities

Pairing: Seo Changbin x Fem!Reader

WC: 10.1K

a/n: Hello! I'm back... Though I won't be posting weekly anymore, I will be going back to posting my works as often as I can! Here's a cute little fic with our dwaekki <3 Enjoy :)

It was a bright Tuesday afternoon. You were having lunch with your friends at the cafeteria where Sojung was just complaining to you girls about her horrible blind date last weekend. “Can you believe he didn’t know how to eat me out right? I had to guide him and teach him how to do it, it’s horrendous!” You stifled a laugh as Lisa and Eunbi didn’t bother to hide their laughter. “He needs to get lessons from Changbin. That guy is a fucking pro.” Sojung continued, to which you immediately scowled upon hearing that name.

Changbin or as you’re more familiar with, Seo Changbin, is actually your childhood neighbour and also enemy. You grew up hating that boy’s guts. He was a loudmouth in preschool that just annoys the shit out of you. He can be very obnoxious to the point where you can’t stand his presence. It only worsens when you go to high school. It’s like he was your shadow that couldn’t seem to leave you in peace.

“Why is everyone saying that? He’s such a jerk who thinks he’s so good at everything.” You scoffed while stabbing the chicken meat in your plate, only for Lisa to smirk.

“That’s because he is good at everything, especially eating a girl out.”

“Disgusting.” You said as you took a rough bite of the chicken. Just then as if on cue, Eunbi’s eyes traveled past your head and soon smirked before announcing his arrival.

“Speaking of which, here comes the prince charmings of Hankuk U.” She said, nodding her head at where she was staring. Curiously, you turned your head only to find that everyone else had done the same. The girls in every table began to whisper and squeak when the guys glanced their way and gave them flirty gestures.

The reason why they’re popular is because of two reasons. The 8 of them were a part of the school’s soccer team and they were famously known for their frequent yet amazing one night stands. People claimed that they were heavenly in bed and all of them were excellent when it comes to satisfying a girl’s needs. Almost every girl on campus has definitely experienced it with at least one of them once. The reason why I said almost every girl is because you’re probably the only one who hasn’t gone there.

Not that you plan to any time soon anyway. You would rather stay away from them, especially your childhood enemy. For some reason, your gaze was fixed on Changbin as you watched him strut down the cafeteria with his hands tucked into his pants pockets.

He was wearing a black ripped jeans, a light grey long sleeved shirt which wraps snugly around his thick arms like a hug, along with a pair of black combat boots. His hair was dyed black with a few strands of green highlights. You also noticed he has an undercut that peeks under the styled up bangs to show part of his forehead while his hair flops down his face with a volume.

Would you say he grew up well? Sure.

Does this mean you don’t hate him anymore? Fuck no.

Would you put your hatred aside to see if what everyone said about him was true? Of course not.

Right when you were about to turn away, Changbin’s eyes flickered over to your table, that’s when his gaze met yours. He walked past your table without breaking eye contact even after he was a few feet ahead. He had his head slightly turned before he finally breaks away and focuses his attention to what’s in front of him.

A few minutes later, you were just listening to Eunbi rant about her controlling parents when your curious eyes began to wander around the room. You weren’t really looking for anyone in particular despite looking like you were. It wasn’t until you spotted Changbin a few tables diagonally down from yours with his back towards you but his head was turned around and his eyes were on you.

How long has he been staring at you?

You shifted in your seat as you diverted your eyes to your plate briefly before looking back at Eunbi who was seated opposite you.

A few seconds later, your eyes flicked back past her head only to be met with the back of his head. A small sigh of relief left your lips before focusing back on your friends. After you were done with your lunch, you girls got up to leave. You forced yourself not to look over at his table despite feeling a pair of eyes burning a hole into your skull. You were halfway down the hall when a heavy arm slings over your shoulder.

“Hey princess, mind if you walk with me for a bit?” Changbin asked you directly, not sparing a glance to your friends.

“Why?” You frowned, glaring at him in the process.

“For old time sake, how about that?”

“Mmm, no thanks.” You said as you pushed his arm down your shoulder. Changbin lets out a soft chuckle before he comes back to your side only this time, holding his gaze with your friends.

“I’m sure you ladies wouldn’t mind if I steal her for a bit, hmm?”

You expected them to reject him and say you needed to head to class soon. You weren’t ready to hear them easily let him steal you away as if class wasn’t gonna start in 10 minutes time. With that being said, Changbin gives them a flirtatious wink before he slides an arm around your waist and begins to tug you down the opposite hallway. After you were quite far from your friends, that’s when you pushed him away and frowned at him.

“What the hell are you doing?” You asked in annoyance, only for him to smirk at you calmly.

“Relax, you fool. I just wanted to get some time alone with you.”

“Why?”

“Because I missed you.” He sounded very genuine but you knew this was just an act.

“Bullshit. You have no reason to miss me when you literally fuck different girls every night.” You said as you were about to walk away when he grabbed your wrist to stop you.

“Okay fine, that’s not why I pulled you aside for…” Changbin sighed as you stared at him quietly with a prominent frown on your face. You waited for him to continue, feeling him let go of your wrist while he did so. “I actually need you to do me a favour.” You raised your eyebrow at him tauntingly.

“I’m listening…”

Changbin scoffed but then continued.

“I need you to be my fake girlfriend for 2 months.”

“2 months?! What is this? The Bachelor?” You asked in shock after hearing his proposal.

“Look! I know it sounds like a lot but I just need you to be my fake girlfriend for 2 months and then we can go back to hating each other.”

“Why must it be 2 months? What shit did you get into this time?” You asked slightly impatiently this time, feeling like your brain might combust.

“My mom wants to matchmake me with this rich girl but I don’t like her. She made a deal with me that if I can’t find a girlfriend in two months, she’s going to matchmake me with that rich girl.”

“And so you’re asking the girl who is the least of your favourites, to pretend to be your girlfriend? The irony.” You scoffed, looking away from him for a brief second before he clicked his tongue in annoyance.

“Can you please just help me out over here?”

“Why me? Why not ask the girls you’ve slept with. I’m sure they’ll do an excellent job in being your girlfriend for two long months.”

“They’re nothing but strangers to me. I know nothing about them. Besides, the girl my mom wants to matchmake me with is also the same girl who spilled that chocolate milk onto your skirt in high school.”

“Kang Leena?!”

“Bingo. So are you gonna help me or not?”

“That depends. What do I get out of this?”

Changbin seemed to think hard for a few seconds before he spoke up a suggestion that you couldn’t seem to avoid, “After all of this ends, I promise to leave you alone for good.”

“Sounds about right.” You said, making him roll his eyes at you despite his lips tugging up into a smile.

Looks like you would be starting this operation in a week’s time.

Changbin and you exchanged contacts so that you can communicate with each other on days where the other is busy with personal stuff. That night, you were just watching a tv series on netflix in your living room when your phone dinged a few times with a message. You reached over to take your phone off the table only to find three messages from Changbin.

Changbin: let’s set down some rules for this fake relationship

Changbin: you list out 5 do’s

Changbin: I’ll list out 5 don’ts

You: sure captain 🙄

Changbin: Co-Captain actually 😉

You: whatever

Changbin: hurry up and give me 5 do’s

You: can you give me a minute?! Jeez…

You: okay, 5 do’s; Go on dates every week so we’ll get comfortable with each other. Hold hands or hug in public, be it in school or outside. Be nice to each other for the sake of this fake relationship. Be comfortable doing all these things mentioned with the other so that your parents will believe our act. And lastly, try not to kill each other during these 2 months

Changbin: go ahead and write a whole essay will you

You: shut up before i slap on some super glue to your lips

Changbin: you can’t even get me if you tried

You: try me

Changbin: 😒

Changbin: ANYWHO

Changbin: 5 don’ts; NO hooking up with outsiders during these 2 months. NO texting or calling for at least half of the week. NO discussing this fake relationship agenda to either of our friends. NO dishonesty during these 2 months. And last but not least, NO kissing on the lips (anywhere on the face except lips)

You: i’m pretty sure that first no is solely meant for you

Changbin: please, you’re just being modest

Changbin: i’ve heard stories about you going on a few horrible dates 😏

You: how would you know? You don’t even have a civilized conversation with me

Changbin: i have my sources sweetheart 😘

You: God you’re annoying

Changbin: thank you, and i intend on being the most annoying fake boyfriend you’ve ever had

You: fuck off

Changbin: too late princess 😆

You: i hate you

You: when does this stupid thing start?

Changbin: should we start this weekend with our first date?

You: sure, i’m free for the weekend anyway

Changbin: of course you are… okay, I'll pick you up at 4?

You: yeah whatever

Changbin: please wear appropriately for the date, i don’t want to look like i’m bringing around a homeless mother of 3

You: says the one who looks like they only have child sized clothes on for their overly grown sized body

Changbin: are you saying i’m muscular? 😏

You: fuck no

Changbin: rude… but i’ll give you that

You: are we done? Cause i wanna go back to my movie

Changbin: what are you watching? Can i join? 😏

You: BYE

You locked your phone and soon tossed it to the side, letting out a soft scoff before you turned your attention back to your tv screen despite hearing a soft ding sound coming from your phone. A few minutes later, you checked your phone to see what it was, only to smile when you saw the text he sent you.

Changbin: haha. Thanks for agreeing to help me with this. I really appreciate it 😊

Maybe this won’t be a horrible 2 months after all.

Weekend was finally here, you remembered Changbin saying he’ll pick you up at 4. You had already given him your apartment address a few days ago so he didn’t text you the entire day. Not that you cared, your fake relationship deal wouldn’t officially start after the date anyway. Now the problem is, you were struggling with what to wear. He didn’t specify what you were doing today so it was a little difficult for you to decide on your outfit. So you chose to text him to clear your questions.

You: Seo Changbin

Changbin: yes, my love?

Your heart skipped a beat. Wait, what…

You: where are we going later?

Changbin: it’s a surprise

You: 😒 is it skirt/dress friendly?

Changbin: it is but I think it’s best if you wore jeans

You: okay

Changbin: see you :)

A small part of you weren’t used to seeing this side of him but you didn’t mind it. If you were going to see his nicer side for 2 months straight, you’d be down for it. So with that being said, you managed to find an outfit for your ‘first date’. You opted to go for light washed denim skinny jeans, a white tank top, a lilac cardigan and your favourite pair of white sneakers. Your hair down in a center parting as it flows down in pretty beach waves. You wore your daily light makeup but nothing too extravagant since you weren’t that kind of girl.

After you were done, you stared at yourself in the mirror to give yourself one more look to make sure everything was okay. Besides, this was all fake anyway so surely he wouldn’t care if you didn’t look anywhere close to as pretty as the other girls he’s dated or hooked up with before.

You were just replying to the girls in your group chat when there was a knock at your front door. You left your bedroom to go greet who was at your doorstep. Without checking the peephole, you pulled your door open only to find Changbin standing there leaning against your door frame. He was wearing a black skinny jeans with a navy green button up sweater and a pair of white sneakers.

“Hey fake girlfriend, ready for our first date?” Changbin said, making you roll your eyes at him as you pushed him by the chest gently.

“Please don’t call me that. Another thing to add to our list of don’ts…”

“So can I call you baby?”

You gave him a look after locking your door before you started to walk down the corridor with him.

“No.”

“Why not?”

“Because… I don’t want you to.”

“Why?” He asked as he pressed the lift button and soon turned to you with a pout.

“Call me by my name, you imbecile.”

“But I wanna call you baby.”

You found yourself groaning in annoyance softly before you spoke up to give in to him, “Fine, but not in school.”

“Okay!” Changbin grinned as he let out a soft giggle.

A few minutes later, you were staring out his car window when you realized he was bringing you to the open ice rink. You panicked as you whipped your head towards him only to squeak, “You’re taking me to go ice skating?!”

“Yeah.”

“I can’t skate!”

“I can. So it’s fine.”

“That won’t help. You’ll probably just leave me struggling like a baby giraffe trying to walk.”

“Hey, I can be nice when I want to. You’ve just always seen my mean side all the time.” Changbin shrugged his shoulders, making you scoff. He soon pulled into the parking lot outside the ice skating rink. You both left the vehicle and began to make your way to the entrance. He walked beside you but never touched you. Upon arriving at the counter where there was a line of people waiting to rent their skating boots, you joined the queue with him beside you.

The wait was quite fast as you managed to rent out your boots and made your way into the rink. After you’ve secured the shoelaces, you watched him stand from his seat, noticing how you were still seated down.

“Come on baby girl, we don’t have all day.” Changbin said as he grabbed your hand and tugged you up. Right off the bat, you almost lost your balance and you weren’t even on the ice yet.

Changbin catches your waist while you clinged onto his biceps. A soft whine left your lips, earning a loud cackle from him. Slapping his chest for revenge, Changbin hissed but that smile never left his face. “Come on Y/N, we have to start moving.”

“I’m scared I’ll fall down! I can’t even stand properly on a dry surface!”

“Just hold my hand, you’ll be fine.” Changbin said as he began to gently drag you towards the ice rink. Once he entered the rink on both feet, you were still at the edge of the gate, feeling envious of how he glided through the ice in perfect figure 8’s. Just then, he appears in front of you with both hands outstretched to you. He told you to hold onto him but you stubbornly shook your head. Changbin snarled at you, making you growl.

“Do you trust me?” He asked.

“Not right now. No.”

“Y/N…”

“Fine!” You said as you went to grab his hands while he gently guided you forward, letting you step into the rink one leg at a time. Once you finally stepped into the rink, Changbin began to skate backwards while still holding your hands. You spent the first 30 minutes just trying to get your feet coordination right, scolding him every once in a while if he tries to be funny. You were just skating on your own when a sudden crash behind you made your heart stop while your feet skidded slightly to keep your balance. A scream left your lips as you then felt warm hands on your waist followed by a familiar voice in your ear.

“Look at you, skating well on your own.”

“In case you forgot, you were the one who left me alone.”

“But you still made it halfway around the rink, so you’re welcome.” Changbin smiled as he skated past your side to meet you face to face, only for you to narrow your eyes at him. All he did was laugh before he jokes around with you while skating backwards to make sure you didn’t fall.

After you were done with the one hour, you both left the rink to change back into your shoes. Changbin returns the boots to the counter before he rejoins you at the corner of the entrance. You were just scrolling through your instagram when you felt a pair of thick arms wrapping themselves around your waist. Changbin rests his chin on your shoulder only to hear him lightly giggle in your ear, “Where should we eat?” He asked, making you sigh.

“I’m craving for sushi…” You said. Right after you say that, Changbin pulls away from you sharply to let out a loud excited yell that leaves people turning their heads to you. You spun around and shoved your palms onto his mouth with a disapproving frown on your face.

“See, this is exactly why I don’t hang around with you. It’s because you’re so bloody loud!” You snickered at him, pushing his face back slightly before removing your hands from his mouth. Changbin’s face drops a little and you feel kinda bad. It looks like he was actually offended by your words.

“Is that why you hate me?” His voice was so soft and gentle, you almost wanted to slap yourself for saying that to him.

“I…”

“It’s okay. I know I can be obnoxious most of the time. Even my friends say that.” He said as he began to walk towards the exit. You quickly joined him by his side, only to notice his shift in attitude. So with a gentle hand, you slipped your fingers into his right palm before you grabbed it. He stopped walking and turned around to you with a small frown on his face.

“I’m sorry… for what I said.”

“It’s okay. We should get going.” Changbin smiled but you could tell it wasn’t a genuine one. You let go of his hand and soon made your way back to his car.

It’s been an hour since you arrived at the sushi place. Both of you ate in partial silence, engaging in a few short conversations along the way but it wasn’t flowing. You felt bad ever since what happened at the skating rink earlier. Even though he told you it was fine, a small part of you felt guilty for treating him like that. After he paid for the food, he told you he would send you home and so you quietly nodded.

He didn’t walk you to your door but you totally don’t blame him. Once you’ve said goodnight to him, you left his car quietly. Not even 5 seconds later, he was already pulling out of the side and driving off into the distance.

You’re officially a horrible person.

It’s been two weeks since your first date and things have been slightly changing between you and him in school. You were no longer on each other’s tails consistently. Although Changbin seemed to have forgiven you for what you said that day, it was quite obvious that your mutual hatred for each other was still there. It was a Friday late afternoon and you had a netball tournament that day. You had just finished your afternoon classes and were currently rushing over to the other side of campus where the indoor sports hall is located.

You were running late due to your lecturer being a bitch and letting you off late even when you told her you had a tournament half an hour earlier. Upon arriving at the hall, you were quite surprised to see that the bleachers were almost full. You rushed over to where your teammates were, only to see Changbin seated amongst the crowd on the second row of bleachers.

His lips curved into a lopsided smile as you briefly looked away from him to join your friends. You put down your bag and took out your attire to change into. After you were done, you came back out of the changing room only to jump back when you saw a familiar figure leaning against the wall seemingly waiting for you.

“Why are you here? Is everything okay?” You asked softly in confusion, earning a shake of his head before he pushed himself off the wall.

“I just wanted to wish you good luck.” Changbin said.

You nodded subtly and was about to walk off but he gently grabbed your wrist to stop you.

“That’s it? No thank you kiss?”

“You’re so irritable.” You sighed as you leaned in to give him a kiss to his cheek softly and said, “Thanks for your good luck wish. See you at the bleachers.” You then jogged back out to prepare for the game, missing the way Changbin had a smile stuck to his face even after he joined his friends back at the bleachers. A few minutes passed, you were leading the scores by 5 points for this first game.

You tried your best to guide your teammates on where to go, earning a few points along the way. The first game went well as you won with a hefty 18-9 points.

It was currently break time so you took this time to hydrate yourself and do a few rounds of practice. You drowned yourself in water when Eunseo asked you if you wanted to do some practice throws with her. You were just practicing your straight toss with Eunseo when Changbin spoke up from the first row bleachers to step on your tail.

“Come on Y/N… Is that all the power you have?” His lips curled into a horrible smirk that leaves you huffing. You caught the ball from Eunseo only to call him out with your finger.

“Wanna see what I can do?”

Changbin pushed the tip of his tongue against his inner cheek before he stood up and walked over to stand beside Eunseo. He never even spared a glance to her nor did he flirt with her for he only had eyes for you. He gestured for you to throw it to him with his outstretched arms. With one strong pull, you threw the ball to him in a straight throw. The ball flew across at a powerful speed that made him stumble back a step with a loud huff leaving his lips, not to mention the loud thud when he caught the ball in his hands.

You raised your eyebrow at him tauntingly, earning a light smirk from him, “Not that weak, huh Changbin?” You asked as he tossed the ball back to you but with less power.

“Fine, guess I was wrong then.” Changbin said with a shrug of his shoulders, making you scoff. A few minutes later, the third game started and your rival team was quite a strong one. Except, they had a lot of foul plays. You were about to catch the ball that Yeri passed to you when your opponent forcefully crashed into your side as she elbowed you in the face.

You fell harshly, slamming your shoulder onto the ground, a sharp pain struck your left shoulder and also your nose as you began to feel something wet flow down your cupid’s bow. Because the game was still going, no one properly came to check on you except for Minju who was near you. You sat up while gripping onto your shoulder only to hear someone direct her words to you.

“Watch out captain. I’ll make sure you get benched after this.” It was the girl who pushed you. With that being said, you growled as you stood up, wiping your nose with the back of your hand, ready to pounce at the bitch but Minju stopped you.

“Y/N you can’t, you’ll get disqualified.” Minju said and despite knowing she was right, you were too pissed to keep that in mind.

So you simply told her to continue playing while you went off to the side to fix your shoulder and nose bleed. You clutched onto your shoulder while you stayed by the side to watch your teammates. Just when you saw Yeji catch the ball, you yelled at her saying you’re open. She passed the ball to you fast but what happened next was in a split second. Right when you had the ball make contact with your hands, a firm shove to your side made you lose the ball yet again.

This time, you collapsed on your knees while your hands flew out to stop you from hitting face first. This made your already injured shoulder to dislocate. A loud scream left your lips as the referee penalized the girl from the other team for causing an injury.

You laid on the ground back flat as your arm was in a weird position. Next thing you knew, Changbin came forward to join where Yeji, Minju, Sana and Eunseo were crowding around you.

“Go get me an ice pack.” Changbin ordered one of the girls as Yeji immediately got up. Changbin came to kneel behind your head where you were laying down, only for him to stare at your dislocated shoulder.

He gently felt the bump to see how he should pop it back. That’s when Yeji came back and soon Chan joined your side.

“Remember what our coach told us?” Chan asked.

“Yeah. I need to push it down but this is gonna fucking hurt.” Changbin said as he looked at you with a frown.

“Just do it already!”

“I’m kinda warning you, dumbass.” Changbin said nonchalantly as he soon told you to hold onto something. He grabbed the parts he needed to hold in order to pop your shoulder back into place. With one quick push, your shoulder popped back into its socket, earning another scream from you.

It was even more painful now then when it dislocated. Nevertheless, Yeji quickly pressed the ice pack onto your shoulder to soothe the stinging pain. Your breath got heavy as you closed your eyes in relief.

All the while, Changbin’s hands never really left your shoulder even while you heard him just telling your teammates on how to aid your shoulder. When you opened your eyes, Changbin had just finished instructing the girls as he glanced down at you. His eyes held the galaxy even when his face was upside down from your point of view.

“How are you feeling?” He asked.

“Better… Thanks.”

Changbin nodded as he soon got up but before he did, he slid his hand up your neck only to caress your cheek with his thumb subtly. You sighed, allowing your members to help you sit up. You managed to get out of the court to sit on the bench. Despite not being able to take part in the next games, your team ended up winning the tournament.

After the tournament ended, you were all just listening to your coach giving some advice and wise words while you noticed the crowd began to disperse. You sat on the bench with an ice pack pressed against your shoulder with the help of bandages wrapped around your shoulder and under arm. When you girls were finally dismissed, Yeji and Minju came to ask if you needed a ride home.

You hissed upon moving your shoulder slightly, feeling like it was about to break again but someone’s voice answered for you.

“I can take her home.” Changbin said, making you glance to the side and see him walking over with his hands tucked into his jeans.

Your friends knew about your mutual hatred for Changbin which is why they looked at you skeptically and asked if you were sure about letting him drive you home. When you gave them a nod, they simply told you to take care before they began to go separate ways with you. Meanwhile, Changbin helps you with your bag, asking you to not move your shoulder as much.

Changbin joins you by your side, sliding an arm around your waist as you turn to him with a frown.

“You do realise I can walk just fine right?”

“I know but can’t I just hold you while we walk?” His question made you pause, staring at him softly before deciding on your answer.

“Y-Yeah… Sorry…”

Changbin chuckled lightly, continuing to walk by your side. Once you safely made it inside his vehicle, he jogged over to the driver seat and was soon on his way. The ride back to your apartment seemed faster than usual but you were actually glad he was here with you. He offered to walk you to your door so ultimately, you invited him in.

It didn’t escalate to anything serious, it was just him chilling with you for a bit and helping you out with some things before he headed home.

Looks like things are going pretty well between you and him, you just hope it stays this way.

The next morning, you woke up to a stinging pain in your shoulder. You must’ve slept wrong during the night because it fucking hurts like shit. And the first thing that came to mind when you were in a shit ton of pain, was to call the one person that you could think of the minute you wake up. The call got answered after the second ring which made you barely wait.

“Hello?” His raspy morning voice immediately soothes your cries despite the stinging pain in your shoulder.

“C-Changbin…”

“Y/N? What’s wrong? Are you okay?” There was a rustle in the background as his voice instantly grew alert.

“M-My shoulder… It hurts…” Your voice became a soft whine, knowing your cries were definitely heard by him.

“Okay, wait there. I’ll be there in 5 minutes. Don’t move okay, I’ll be right there.”

Changbin ends the call without saying goodbye but you couldn’t care anyway. You were curled up on the bed, feeling like your muscles were tearing and your bones were cracking. You quietly screamed into your mattress, gripping tightly onto your shoulder as if it would do anything to soothe the pain. Just as you were crying and whining softly in your bed, the sound of heavy footsteps began to scurry down the hall and soon enough, your bedroom door burst open.

The next thing you know, Changbin hops onto your mattress to crawl over to the other side and soon pulls your upper body up gently. He handled your shoulder with the utmost care, making sure your head was buried in his chest while he began to softly massage your shoulder. You hissed and screamed a few times whenever the pain was unbearable.

“I know, I know baby, it’s painful but it’ll go away soon, I promise.” Changbin said as you cried further into his chest. Your free hand grips onto his bicep nearest to you, squeezing it every time the pain gets too much to handle.

After a few more minutes of massaging your shoulder, the pain indeed began to subside and the sting was no longer spine crawling. Your tears had stopped flowing, your breathing got much calmer now but you still had your hand resting around his bicep. It was so quiet in the room that the only thing you could hear was the sound of your stifles. Just then, Changbin uses his hand which you had hold of his bicep, only to gently tuck your hair behind your ear and move it down to caress your cheek with his thumb.

“Does it still hurt?” He asked, to which you shook your head. His other arm was resting around your back to support you but his hand was on your rib, holding you securely in his arm. You snuggled deeper into his chest, loving the warmth he gave you.

Changbin decided to scoot you back a little along with himself, until he felt his back leaning against your stack of pillows. He gently adjusts you so that you are now sitting comfortably between his legs.

You were laying on your side so your injured shoulder was facing outwards while your head and other arm rested against his chest. Changbin had one arm around your waist while the other hand decided to play with your hair. He soon slides his hand down your arm, cupping your elbow gently while he looks down at you. From his point of view, he could only see a small section of your face but he saw your eyes still open. He smiled as he leaned down to place a very soft kiss to the top of your head. You felt this but you chose not to acknowledge it.

Just then, his free hand reaches up to glide his finger along your cheek before it tucks beneath your chin and carefully tilts your head up. Once you were facing him, you locked eyes with him shyly and he could tell.

Changbin’s smile never left his face even after he cups your cheek fully in his palm. He leans down to let his lips hover right above yours. You could already feel the feathery touch of his lips brushing against yours before your fake relationship rules suddenly flashed into your mind. With that being said, you turned your face further into his hand right on time, earning a small frown from him.

“W-We can’t… It’s the rule…” You whispered with a heavy heart yet he agreed with you.

“Right… Right, sorry…” He replied in defeat before he told you to sleep a while more. He ended up taking care of you, staying at home with you the entire day.

Maybe this was just out of pure courtesy. Maybe this was just for the act. And maybe, just maybe, this wasn’t an act and that whatever he did was genuinely honest.

It’s already been 2 months since your first ‘date’ and nobody still has any clue about your secret. You had one more date left before his family gathering the following day. Both of you managed to control your urge to act on your feelings because you forced yourself to think about all the mean things he’s ever said or done to you but all that goes down the drain every time you hang out with him. It doesn’t help with your growing feelings for him either.

It was a Saturday late evening. You and Changbin planned to go to the bowling alley for your last activity of the day since that was the only activity you haven’t done yet during your weeks of dates. You arrived at the bowling alley only to find that it wasn’t as packed as you thought it would be.

He rented a lane for you along with your bowling shoes. Both of you made your way to the very end of the room where your lane is with you carrying the shoes and him carrying the bowling balls. He told you to start first so you did. When you accidentally threw your ball into the gutter, Changbin couldn’t help but laugh at your failure.

“Seriously? You’re a Netball captain and yet this is the best you can do for bowling?” He teased you, making you scoff.

“Oh yeah? We’ll see about that.” You said smugly before taking the bowling ball and soon aimed it properly. You threw it with as much power you could muster, watching it roll down the lane in a perfect line. The minute it hit every one of the bowling pins and formed a strike, you turned around to raise your eyebrow at him tauntingly.

“What were you saying?” You asked, only to see him smirk. He pokes his inner cheek with his tongue, feeling competitive all of a sudden.

“Very well. May the best person win.”

Minutes ticked by without you realizing, the game was about to end with you leading ahead by just 6 points. Things were starting to get intense as you were on your final throw now. This last throw will determine who wins.

With very careful aim and a precise throw, you watched as the bowl swirls down the lane in an awful curve. You panicked as the ball began to swerve to the right near where the gutter was. However, right before it reaches the pins, the ball swirls back in only to hit every single one of the pins, earning a strike for you. Which means, you won the game. You squealed as you bounced around excitedly.

Upon turning around where you thought you would find him being all salty and sulking in the corner, Changbin walked up to you with his arms wide open so you threw yourself on him. You wrapped your arms around his neck, feeling his arms hug your waist perfectly to allow his hands to rest on either side of your ribcage.

He spins you around before putting you back down. When you pulled away with a giggle, Changbin’s eyes naturally flew down to your lips as his smile only got wider. Your heart was stammering in his chest as you slid your hands forward to cup his neck.

After what felt like forever, Changbin’s eyes flicked back up to meet yours before he nudged your nose with his, scrunching his nose cutely.

“Shall we go?” He asked, to which you simply nodded at him.

Both of you returned the items back to the vendor, making sure you left no belongings behind. You were just walking towards the lift lobby when Changbin’s fingers easily slipped down your inner forearms, down your wrist only to then lace his fingers with yours swiftly. You chuckled softly knowing he was probably loving this.

“How long did you wait for this?” You asked with a teasing smile on your face.

“Since our date today started.”

You couldn’t help but giggle as you both entered the lift together. You stood side by side in the lift, allowing the quietness to surround you. Just then, you felt him squeeze your hand softly to gain your attention and it did. You glanced over to him, not surprised to find him already staring at you softly.

“Are you ready for tomorrow?” He asked as he leaned against the lift wall.

“I think I am but are you? Besides, you’re the main character tomorrow, not me.”

“As long as you’re with me, I think I’ll be fine.” His words were so reassuring, you found your heart melting a bit. Upon seeing your gaze drop, Changbin tucks a finger under your chin only to tilt your head up.

“Everything will be fine. I promise.” He said with a smile, making you nod softly to say you trust him. He slides his hand over to cup your jaw but the sweet moment got cut short when a group of rowdy teenage guys entered the lift at level 5. They filled almost the entire lift that you literally buried yourself in Changbin’s chest for comfort.

Changbin notices the way those guys were sneaking glances over to you and how some of them were openly checking you out. While he was busy glaring at them, you too noticed the attention you had on you, not to mention the whispers you heard from beside you.

“How did he land such a hot girlfriend like her? He’s literally so short.”

You needed to do something. You need to remind them that you’re not interested in them. With that being said, you glanced back to Changbin, using your free hand to gently grab his chin between your thumb and index finger. You turned his head to make him look at you as you purposely pushed your body against him. Changbin panicked for a second when he felt you pressed against his front but he soon recovered and played along with you.

“Baby, can we go home? I want you so bad…”

“Mmm, be patient baby girl. Or do you want to be punished?”

“I want you to tie me up and make me scream your name.”

“Such a naughty girl for me, huh?” Changbin smirks as he begins to kiss your exposed neck, leaving soft whines out of your lips.

Changbin’s free hand slides over your waist, only to grab hold one of your clothed ass cheeks. Your breath hitched in your throat as he brought that hand back up to rest on your lower back. The minute the lift doors opened, the guys left without a single glance spared to you and Changbin.

He pulls away from you, immediately apologizing for grabbing you inappropriately like that. As much as you knew that was wrong, somehow, you liked it.

You liked it very much.

Both of you soon abandoned whatever happened in that lift, making your way back to your apartment as he told you he would walk you to your door. Once you were standing right in front of it, you turned to him to say your goodbyes even though you were suddenly dreading it. He was still holding your hand, his thumb softly caressing the back of your hand comfortingly.

“I um… I had a good time today. I hope you did too.” Changbin began first.

“I did. Thank you… for everything these past two months.” You said, despite your voice almost faltering near the end. Changbin noticed this but he chose not to embarrass you by acknowledging it.

“I guess this is goodnight then? I’ll see you tomorrow at 3?”

“Mhm! Goodnight Bin…” You whispered as he frowned a little when he saw tears starting to pool in your eyes. Next thing he knew, you quickly leaned in to kiss him on the cheek and soon unlocked your door. The minute you were in the comforts of your house, you instantly slid down to the ground with your back against the door. You quietly cried, not wanting him to hear you.

The past two months have been a roller coaster ride. Neither of you had any expectations of getting anything out of this. He solely needed you to fake date him for a few weeks so that when he finally had to face his parents who wanted him to marry a rich girl, he would have a valid reason to stop the arranged marriage seemingly because you two were ‘in love’. Nobody told him that he would actually fall in love with the one girl, he would never in a million years guess. His heart was yearning for you and he would do anything to have you back.

But he made a deal with you. That if this goes exactly the way they planned, he will promise to leave her alone for good. No matter how hurt and broken he would be.

Today is the day where you would have to face his family. You had to show off your fake girlfriend attitude to show that you were in love with their son and that they cannot arrange a marriage for their son. The only problem was, you don’t feel like a fake girlfriend anymore. You don’t think you can pretend like you’re in love with their son simply because you already are in love with their son.

So while you gave yourself one last look in the mirror, you had to force your tears away so as to not ruin your makeup. You wore a beautiful baby blue dress that flows down to stop at your mid calves. This was something you’ve never worn before but for this special occasion, you wanted to put a good first impression on his family.

Which is why when you heard the knock on your door, your heart started to race in your chest. You let out a shaky sigh before telling yourself you can do this. With your purse in one hand and your heels in the other, you left your bedroom only to head straight to the front door.

You pulled the door open, ready to greet the person standing outside but instead, your voice got stuck in your throat.

Changbin was looking as handsome as ever in that black smart pants with a white button up shirt tucked in, a black leather vest and a tie hanging loosely around his neck. His hair was parted near the center as his bangs flops down with a volume so that it doesn't rest flat on his forehead.

He scanned your outfit from head to toe just like you did before he commented first.

“I… Wow… You look… really pretty.” He said under his breath, making you do the same for him. You let out a giggle to lighten the mood as he allowed you to lock the door and soon walked down the corridor with his hand in yours.

“Why didn’t you wear this for our dates? I don’t think I’ve seen you wear a dress in all the years we’ve known each other.”

“I only wear dresses on special occasions… Today is one of them.” You smiled, making him mimic your facial expression.

The ride to his parent’s home took about 1 and a half hours but never once was it boring or awkward. Changbin made jokes, you talked about random topics, you had a mini carpool session, literally no awkward silence moments were present during the journey and for that, you were thankful.

When you finally arrived at his old house, he parked the car and soon left the car with you. His house was fairly huge, knowing he comes from a wealthy background. Right before you reached the front door, Changbin felt you hold back so he turned to you. He reassured you and his words brought you a different kind of comfort, one that only he knows how to do.

Immediately, you were met with his parents, his older sister, and a couple you’ve never seen before. The only person you recognized besides Changbin’s family, was none other than Kang Leena herself.

The look on her face clearly shows that she had no idea you would be here let alone with Changbin.

“Hi mom, dad, noona. I hope I’m not late. I actually wanted to introduce you all to my beautiful girlfriend, Y/N.” Changbin announced as his sister’s eyes grew wide as her frowning lips soon turned into a bright smile.

“Y/N?! You’re dating my brother?! I’m so happy for you two!” His sister said, making you giggle.

Just then, his mom’s face dropped but she greeted you nonetheless. The first few minutes at dinner seemed a little tense between Changbin, his mother and Leena but you were quick to save the dinner by making light conversations and jokes with them. After dinner, all of you gathered at the living area where you sat next to Changbin and Chaerin. You were just listening to Chaerin telling you about how much she missed you when Leena’s mother spoke up.

“I’m sorry to cut this short, but I think we should really get on with the purpose of why we’re here.” You turned to look at Changbin’s parents who seemed to be in a dilemma.

“I’m sorry if we had wasted your time, but I will not be marrying your daughter.” Changbin said firmly as you simply stared at him while he spoke.

“Excuse me? My daughter can give you anything you want. She is definitely way better than your girlfriend here. She probably can’t even do anything for you. We can give you and your family all the luxury you want. What do you say?”

“You want me to ditch my girlfriend for your wealth? I think you have the wrong guy. I don’t want your money.”

“What do you want then son? We can give you anything you need. You name it.” Leena’s father said. Just then, Changbin’s mother stood up to speak her ground firmly.

“We thought our son wouldn’t find the right girl to settle down with… and that he would just keep messing around. Looks like I was wrong. In fact, he looks really happy with his life right now and if it’s because of this girl, then we’ll gladly welcome her.”

Leena scowled as she glared at you but you didn’t care.

“You’re making a big mistake Changbin.”

She said, only for Changbin to smirk, tilting his head to the side softly before he raised his eyebrow tauntingly to ask, “Am I though?” She let out a groan of frustration before she stormed off, her parents following behind closely. After they left, Changbin’s parents apologized to you only for you to brush them off saying it wasn’t a big issue. You stayed behind for a few more minutes before Changbin offered to send you home.

The ride home was a little more quiet compared to on your way there. However, one thing that’s prominent was how he reached over to lace his fingers with yours, keeping his hand on top of your lap. You told yourself not to fall asleep but you did anyway.

When he finally arrived at your apartment building, you were already heavily knocked out so he carried you up to your unit level.

He unlocked your door for you, carrying you to your bedroom. After he had taken off your heels for you, he tucked you into bed, making sure not to change you out of your clothes simply to respect your privacy. His heart swelled when he felt you gently grip onto his hand as if not to let him go. Changbin’s heart broke into a million pieces.

He already loves you.

You won his heart.

And yet, the cruel reality just decides to end things for you two. So with one heavy heart, Changbin leans down to give you a very soft and chaste kiss to your lips. It almost felt like he was kissing nothing before he whispered his last words to you.

“I hope you know that I love you.”

With that, he left.

The next morning, you woke up slightly drowsy probably from the lack of sleep you’ve been having recently due to your pending assignments. You groaned as you stretched your limbs out. You realized you were in your apartment which means he must’ve carried you all the way up here. This thought made you smile as you turned to get out of bed but the note sitting on your bedside table didn’t go unnoticed. So you took it and saw in curved letters written on the front page, was your name.

The contents of it however, did not do a good job to prepare you for what’s to come.

~Dear Y/N,

If you read this in the morning, you probably would’ve known that our ‘fake relationship’ agenda ends here. I can’t thank you enough for agreeing to help me out with this. I know it might’ve sounded ridiculous the first day I told you but hey, we made it. Haha. Remember our do’s and don’ts we listed out? I think we actually nailed it, don't you think? You have no idea how many times I wanted to break that last don’t.

Anywho, I’m pretty sure you remembered our deal before we started this whole thing… That if we managed to convince my parents to not go ahead with the arranged marriage for me and Leena, that I will leave you alone for good. Looks like your wish is coming true. I’m glad we met years ago. I’m glad you came into my life. And I’m glad that you chose to be my partner in crime for this.

I wish you a happy and peaceful life from today on. May you find the right one for you who would treat you with so much love because you deserve it. Truly.

Take care Y/N :) See you around~

At the end of this entire letter, you were now a crying mess. Your heart was shattered. You couldn't stop the tears from falling. You missed him. You wanted to tell him that you loved him. To tell him that he is everything you wanted. To tell him how much he changed your feelings for him during the last 2 months. You can’t let him leave just like this.

No way.

So when you arrived in school, you desperately hoped to bump into him somewhere since you two didn’t share your classes together. Unfortunately, he was nowhere to be seen. Even his usual group of friends didn’t show up in the cafeteria or in any parts of the school. You were just walking to class with your eyes scanning the entire campus when you heard a group of girls in that table beside you talking about a soccer match this evening. With that being said, you turned to Sojung, Lisa and Eunbi only to ask, “Is the soccer tournament today?”

“Yes! It starts at 6pm later at our stadium! Are you coming?” Sojung asked, to which you nodded with a small smile.

If you couldn’t find him on campus, you were pretty sure you’d find him on the field.

Hours later, you were now seated in the middle row of the concrete bleachers of the school’s stadium. There were too many people in the crowd but they weren’t the ones you care about. The one you cared about was nowhere to be seen. The game was about to start and the crowd was beginning to cheer loudly for the school team players. You watched as they announced the opposing school team, earning cheers from the supporters for their campus.

A few seconds later, they announced your school team players and as expected, the crowd grew wild. You watched as the boys began to flood in pairs. They had their jerseys on which means you could see their names on it. Just when you thought he decided to go MIA, a familiar back came jogging in last as his name was seen in bold letters at the back of his shirt.

CHANGBIN ‘08’

You kept your eyes locked on him the entire time even on the field, witnessing how good of a striker he was. During their half time, you saw the way Changbin took a huge gulp of his water but soon his eyes began to scan the crowd as though searching for someone. Of course it would be impossible for him to spot you amongst the crowd when you literally look like a bunch of ants from his point of view.

After another round of matches, your school team came out as the winner for this tournament with a hefty score of 12-6.

You smiled upon seeing them do a group hug on the field. They were celebrating their victory and so was everyone else in the crowd. Just when you saw Changbin’s head turn to look directly in your view, you glanced down. Sojung noticed this so she asked, “Are you okay?”

“Y-Yeah…” You smiled as you tried so hard not to cry.

She knew something was wrong so she turned back to the field only to see Changbin’s gaze focused completely in your direction. He had a deep frown on his face and that’s when Sojung knew, there was something going on between the two of you.

With that being said, she suggests that you go to the washroom. The only washroom that was the nearest would be the ones at the ground level of the stadium and you had to walk towards them before entering the tunnel. Your mind was too fuzzy to think so you blankly agreed to it. You made your way down the steps, eyes naturally fleeing up but it was a mistake. The minute you did, that’s when you locked eyes with Changbin who was crossing the running tracks and was slowly getting nearer towards the bench.

Your breath hitched in your throat as you watched him look down to continue walking but his frown did not go unnoticed. You made it to ground level as the girls around you began to squeal and wave obnoxiously to get the boys’ attention. Meanwhile, Changbin had made it to the bench where he was just wiping his sweat with his small towel and taking a sip of his bottled water when his gaze landed on you.

He wanted nothing more but to go over there and hug you. All he could think of last night was you. But he already gave you that note. He can’t take his words back now. So with a frown, he turned around to let his back face you. Changbin already threw the ball to you. The ball was now in your court. What would you do? Many questions flooded your mind but it all came down to one answer.

Get him back.

With that in mind, you decided to make a detour. Instead of turning right to head into the tunnel, you continued walking straight. The whispers around you got louder and louder, that it didn’t seem to go unnoticed by the boys. Because the minute you were just a few metres behind Changbin, Hyunjin turned to see you coming so he quickly slapped Changbin’s thigh and nodded his head to you with a smile.

Changbin turned around to face you fully as he stared at you softly but you could tell he was broken inside.

“Y/N? What are you doing here?” He asked as you stopped a few inches away from him.

“Remember the last don’t?” He stayed quiet but he nodded, watching as you took a step closer.

“When was the first time you wanted to break that rule?”

“The morning after when you called me because you were in pain.”

“It’s over now, isn’t it? So go ahead.” You whispered as you were now standing just a fist length apart from him. Changbin naturally slides his hands around your waist while you rest your hands on his cheeks. His lips tug into a smile before he finally leans in and the minute your lips touched, you heard a mixture of responses from the crowd but the more prominent one was the cheers.

He hugged you against him while you cupped his soft cheeks in your hands. Changbin pulls away for a quick breath only to kiss you again deeper, feeling him lick your bottom lip. You smiled into his mouth, pulling away to let your noses touch and your lips hover over each other. You weren’t sure when to say it but he decided to say it first.

“I love you.”

You fluttered your eyes open only to see him already staring down at your swollen lips through his lashes. You smiled as you kissed him sweetly before pulling away again to finally say your three words.

“I love you too.”

#stray kids scenarios #stray kids imagines #stray kids fluff #skz scenarios #skz imagines #skz fluff #skz seo changbin #stray kids changbin #skz changbin #skz x reader #seo changbin x reader #changbin x reader #skz changbin x reader #changbin imagines #changbin fluff #changbin angst #changbin scenarios #seo changbin

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inkofyoonkoo · 2 years

Text

Masterlist

A place where you can find my stories and hopefully enjoy them 🌻

You, among the others (13/17) | Enemies to lovers!AU ∘ College!AU ∘ FWB!AU ∘ Slowburn | fluff/angst/smut

✎ Summary: You and Taehyung shared a love story for two years until you break up. You thought nobody could replace him until Yoongi –the guy you hate the most- asks you to tutor him in English, messing your life up: love can come from nothing, without rhyme or reason.

Read it on: AO3 - Wattpad

Poetica (7/10) | Dystopia!AU ∘ Strangers to lovers!AU | fluff/angst/smut

✎ Summary: In which you work in a brothel, Yoongi is a robot-repairer. In a world where people prefer having relationships with androids, or they decamp from the Earth to off-world colonies, you find yourselves taking care of each other discovering once again why living beings, although their flaws, are way better than androids.

Read it on: AO3

All the room in the world (2/2) | Childhood friends to lovers!AU | fluff/angst/smut

✎ Summary: After four years, you go back to Daegu for Taehyung’s wedding. However, things aren’t as you left them… and Min Yoongi either.

Chapters: 1 | 2

Read it also on: AO3

Into my bones (15k) | FWB!AU | fluff/angst/smut

✎ Summary: Small slice-of-life scenes in non-chronological order that describe the slow growth of your relationship, started as a friends-with-benefits affair. Aka, Yoongi is dumb and learns that love can't be controlled.

Read it also on: AO3 - Wattpad

Blow (5k) | Established relationship ∘ Idol!AU | fluff/smut

✎ Summary: In which Yoongi loves you but never said it out loud. Sometimes, gestures speak louder than words.

Read it also on: AO3 - Wattpad

I'm on the run with you, my sweet love (9/?) | Fake dating!AU ∘ Road trip!AU ∘ FWB!AU ∘ Slowburn | fluff/angst/smut

✎ Summary: When Taehyung suggests you all go on a one-week road-trip to Busan to enjoy Jimin’s “last days of freedom” before his marriage, you aren’t very much surprised –after all, your best friend is a master at coming up with stupid ideas.

But feigning that Jungkook is your boyfriend for one night is even more stupid. Just as it is even more stupid to ask to your (fake) boyfriend to take part at the (stupid) road-trip. And even more (more) stupid is starting a FWB affair with your abovementioned (fake) boyfriend.

What is certain, it's that nothing good can grow from a fake relationship born of idiocy… can’t it?

Aka, the first time Jungkook pretends to be your boyfriend is accidental. The second time is a mistake… or maybe not.

Read it on: AO3 - Wattpad

It's a heartbeat (6/?) | Enemies to lovers!AU ∘ College!AU ∘ Slowburn (ft. Yoongi) | fluff/angst/smut

✎ Summary: When your life entangles with Jeon Jungkook’s (the shallow fucker you can’t stand with every fiber of your being) through a series of unfortunate events, you think that destiny has a rotten sense of humor. But, as time passes, you come to grips with an inescapable truth: there's more to him than you think.

What if he just needs someone to give him a chance?

Read it on: AO3 - Wattpad

I gasp once, and in that breath, I accept you in (3/3) | FWB!AU ∘ Strangers to lovers!AU | fluff/angst/smut

✎ Summary: In which Jungkook arrives to your small town to spend the holidays, and you slowly let go of all the ghosts of your past

Chapters: 1 | 2 | 3 (epilogue)

Read it also on: AO3

#bts #yoongi #jungkook #yoongi scenarios #jungkook scenarios

222 notes · View notes

taem-min-archived · 2 years

Text

5 Strikes to Love Me || d.sc

PAIRING || Sicheng x female reader

GENRES || Enemies to Lovers AU, College AU, Slowburn, Angst, Fluff, Frat AU.

SUMMARY || You had never met someone more infatuating than Dong Sicheng. Spilling coffee on you and taking your seats during classes were just a few things he did to make you hate him immensely. And you had a rule which you always followed when you made an enemy: they had five strikes to get back to your good book or to make you love them again. And Sicheng seemed very very much interested in getting every single of those five strikes.

Or, in which, after an heated encounter with Dong Sicheng, you find yourself in a roller coaster of emotions

WARNINGS || Slight Angst, Profanities

WC || 3.2k

A/N || This fic is for Hannah @svchengss I’m so so sorry this is soooo late I honestly had a whole ass different fic planned for you and half way through writing it (2k) I realised that I could never get that done as it just wasn’t feeling right. But I promise you one day when I finally publish that fic I’ll tag you! Also sorry if this fic is bad enemies to lovers or college au isn't really one of my strongest suits and I tried my level best! Also, this fic was inspired by @ireneissance ‘s Three Strikes! Do give it a read it’s wonderful!

EVENT || Part of the fic exchange event by @moonlight-additions and @cherryutas thank you for letting me take part in this wonderful event!!

TAGLIST || @moonsclover @queenmedi @shrutiajit @cerisetalks @nctisthecity @woo-minhee02 @en-sun @buttvi @vllxchor @stayinzencity @joepomonerof @xavi-in-kpopland @midnightmoi @whatudoing @fifty-shades-of-mischeif @spacebyuns @imdamnconfused @ahtisa02 @tyongsbbfish @gu-nil @cloudyhaos (If you want to be added to the story taglist, send me an ask!) (If you want to be added to my taglists, fill in this form)

╼ 𝐒𝐓𝐑𝐈𝐊𝐄 𝐈

“Dong Sicheng.”

The cold voice rang out clear enough for the entire classroom to stop its mayhem and look at the duo, who earlier this week had caused a scandal big enough to spread throughout the college campus in a rapid fire.

The said boy looked up from his notebook, equally annoyed eyes meeting the voice of the owner as he frowned at her asking her to continue.

“You are sitting on my seat.” Y/N gritted, trying not to make a scene in front of the class like last time, when he had bumped into her in the cafeteria, spilling her coffee and then refusing to buy her a new one.

This wouldn’t have been so known in the college if either of them didn’t burst into a shouting competition, which ended with them having to be finally pulled apart by their friends.

“Really? I don’t see your name over here. Or do you, perhaps, own this seat?” He asked coolly, not even making attempts to move.

The class held its breath as the students now watched you turn visibly angry, your pretty brows crinkling in disbelief at his audacity.

“Do you,” she began slowly just to make sure he was well aware, “even know who I am?”

Now he raised his eyebrows.

“Does it make a difference?”

She sucked in a breath, trying to keep her composure. She really didn’t want to lash out at him. No point wasting your time and beauty on someone so infuriating.

“Look here Sicheng. You have exactly five strikes to make me love you, so do NOT waste them I’m warning you.”

“Love me? Why the fuck do I want you to love me? And five strikes for what exactly?”

She ignored the first question, going for the second instead.

“Once I mark down an enemy, I give them exactly five strikes to get on to the better side of me. Because trust me, you do not want me as your enemy.”

It was true. No one definitely wanted her as their enemy. She was, after all, one of their professor’s daughter. One of the most strict professors. And the last thing they wanted was to cross him and get themselves into trouble.

But to her dismay, Sicheng just shrugged.

“Really. You aren't worth getting back into your good books.”

Even though his comment hit her like a blow, she covered the hurt on her face quickly. She opened her mouth to retort back but was interrupted immediately.

“Sicheng! Y/N! What’s this commotion I’m seeing!” Their attention snapped back to the professor who had walked in. Her cheeks burned with embarrassment as she realised she was the only one standing up whilst everyone else had sat down already.

Embarrassed, she quickly sat down on the empty seat beside his.

“Meet me after class, the two of you.”

She glared at him and he glared back, before turning back to his notebook.

“Strike one.” You muttered under your breath.

╼ 𝐒𝐓𝐑𝐈𝐊𝐄 𝐈𝐈

“Fuck you.” She muttered, as she forcefully pulled out the weed from the soil, nearly uprooting the rose plant along with it.

“Careful. You definitely don’t want to be responsible for replanting those roses again.” Sicheng warned her, to which she just gave him a look of “I-know-what-I’m doing-mind-your-own-business”.

Sicheng and her had ended up being assigned to garden and tend the rose bushes in front of their college along with the gardener, who right now, had gone for a little break. This activity was supposed to be a ‘bonding time’ like the professor had instructed but Y/N really couldn’t see herself and Sicheng bonding anytime soon.

“Well, it’s all your fault we are here.” She snapped.

“My fault? How was it my fault? If you hadn’t demanded that seat was yours and just sat down on the seat next to me-”

“I’ve been sitting there for the whole week!” She exclaimed, nearly falling down in her excitement.

He shrugged.

“Doesn’t make it yours honestly.”

She humphed, and went back to working wondering when it would be lunch time soon so that she could get a break from him.

“You are gonna hurt yourself like this.” She said all of a sudden, as she noticed the way he was cutting the branches of the rose. He too, like her, ignored her advice.

And no sooner had those words escaped her mouth, Sicheng let out a gasp as one of the thorns pushed into his skin.

He yanked the gloves out of his hand, and cursed lightly at the sight of the thorn stuck in his finger.

She tsked at him as he began to take it out, causing him to stop. He looked at her dryly and she beckoned him closer to her. Sicheng rolled his eyes but nonetheless edged closer to her.

Taking his hands in her now ungloved ones, she expertly pulled out the thorn from his finger. It was done so fast he didn't even have the time to reach.

Sicheng stared at his finger in amazement, as he watched a small trickle of blood come out.

"Come on." She said, throwing away the thorn and standing up. He looked up at her in confusion.

"Where to? We aren't done yet-"

"We need to apply antiseptic and a band aid on that." She pointed, already hopping out of the soil onto the hard pavement. Then looking at him she said again, " We don't want that to become infectious now, do we?"

Sicheng stared at her. All of a sudden, it was like she was a whole different person. Now that they weren't fighting like usual, he wondered why others called her "sweet", a value he was always sceptical about associating with her.

She waved at him.

"Earth to Sicheng? Are you okay? Or did you lose too much blood?" She snickered.

Her snide remark jolted him back to the present, and he rolled his eyes and quickly got up, following her inside.

The coolness of Y/N's room was a blessing against the sweltering heat they had to garden in.

Presently, Sicheng found himself sitting on the bed next to the girl he detested the most, as she took out the ointment and band aid.

himself sitting on the bed of the girl he hated the most, right next to Y/N. His hand was on hers and all of a sudden the room seemed to feel hot.

Gently, she dabbed the ointment on his finger and it stung a little, causing him to wince.

She looked at him concerned and for a second Sicheng felt his heart stop.

“Are you okay?” She asked softly. He opened his mouth to speak but no sound came out as he stared at her instead. The sunlight coming from the window beside her bed lit her up, accenting her features more. Her hair stuck on to her slightly sweaty forehead but somehow he found that it made her look more natural. …And more beautiful. Despite being sweaty, he could still get a whiff of her soap, and Sicheng felt his stomach flip a little.

He gulped, trying to remember her question. What was that she had asked?

She raised an eyebrow at him and he felt his cheeks burn, as he looked away hastily clearing his throat.

“Uh, I-”

The door to her room opened with a bang, causing both of them to jump apart, not that they were doing anything inappropriate.

“Hey baby.” Jung Jaehyun strode into the room confidently, and Sicheng watched as Y/N’s face broke into one of the brightest smiles he had ever seen.

Confidently, Jaehyun leaned down and pecked her lips, and she let out a small giggle.

Suddenly Sicheng felt a sharp pain in his chest, and he frowned, wondering what even was this emotion.

“Hi, Jae! How did you know I’ll be in my room?” She asked, still smiling at him like a person madly in love. Which she probably was.

“I didn’t actually know you’d be there here. I, uh, came to get my jacket!” She didn’t seem to notice him stuttering but a small part of Sicheng was nagging as the scene he had seen a few days ago kept replaying in his mind. If she was his girlfriend then who was she?

“Ah yeah! You left it last night!” She said, reaching for something behind her bed and pulling out a leather jacket. She handed it over to him with a smile.

“Hey!” Jaehyun said, acknowledging Sicheng for the first time. Maybe it was his imagination, but he could surely see the panic in his eyes. Did he know that Sicheng had seen that?

“Hey man. How are you?” He asked, to which the other boy just shrugged.

“Good good. By the way, Johnny invited us over to his house tomorrow. Both of you too. So you better be ready okay?” Jaehyun said, waving them goodbye and zooming out of the room faster than he had come in. No sooner had the door closed in front of them, Sicheng whipped towards Y/N as she quietly put the band-aid on his finger, a small smile still lingering on her face.

“Jaehyun is your boyfriend?” He asked incredulously.

She raised an eyebrow.

“Yeah and?”

He opened his mouth to tell her what he had seen but for some reason, he couldn’t get himself to tell her the truth. Maybe it was the fact that he didn’t want to see her heartbroken.

“He’s an asshole.”

The words slipped out of his mouth before he could even comprehend what he was saying.

“Excuse me?” She screamed, pushing herself away from him.

“I said, he’s an asshole.”

“Oh is that so? You know who else is? You.” She spat, venom in her every word.

Sicheng felt his patience snap as he looked at her annoyed.

“Maybe I am. But he’s a bigger asshole. And honestly you would be the biggest one if you didn’t believe me.”

He felt himself fall from her bed onto the hard floor as Y/N pushed him off her bed, seething with rage.

“Asshole.” She hissed. “Get out of here. I don’t even want to be anywhere near you.”

Sichneg got up nonchalantly, brushing himself up. He walked towards the door, and finally looked at her once more before leaving.

“Trust me, you’ll regret loving him.”

“Strike two!”

╼ 𝐒𝐓𝐑𝐈𝐊𝐄 𝐈𝐈𝐈

“Do you think this looks good on me?” She muttered, looking at herself in the mirror. She saw the girl beside her roll her eyes, clearly bored with her long choosing process.

“Goddammit Y/N! You look good in all! Just pick one!” Minjeong groaned, tired of the long shopping session they had. Their hands were overflowing with bags of clothes but Y/N still couldn’t seem to decide on the perfect clothes.

“Hmm but I want a perfect one for Jae!” She giggled. Her best friend sighed angrily, before walking up and throwing her original clothes at her.

“Wear these. Or I’m leaving you this instant.”

Y/N frowned at her hurriedness, but nonetheless changed back to her clothes and stepped out of the dressing room.

She walked out of the dressing room and straight to the counter, where Minjeong was already billing for her clothes. Finally paying for her things and being handed her bags, she rounded around only to bump straight into someone.

Her bags fell from her hand and she let out a small oof.

“Oh it’s you again.”

The familiar voice caused her to look at the speaker, and she scowled at Sicheng.

“What are you doing here?” She asked, irritated to see him.

He raised an eyebrow too.

“What, do you own the store too now?” He snockered.

“You shouldn’t step outside. There’s people outside who look like they want your head on a platter.”

“Aww, jealous?”

“Jealous of you?” She snickered. Sicheng rolled his eyes, before bending down to pick up her bags and handing them to her.

She looked at him in surprise as she took the bag from him, still unclear on why he helped her.

“We should stop fighting over petty stuff.” He leaned in and whispered, before walking away. She whipped around to stare at his reiterating figure, only for her thoughts to be broken by Minjeong’s laughter.

“Your cheeks are burning oooh!”

Y/N turned away embarrassed, before pulling her still laughing best friend out of the shop.

“That will be strike three Sicheng.”

╼ 𝐒𝐓𝐑𝐈𝐊𝐄 𝐈𝐕

“Hey, what are you doing here?” Sicheng asked, frowning at the girl sitting all alone in the corner of the room. The room was very poorly lit and he couldn’t see her face clearly, so he sat down beside her.

Y/N turned towards him sniffling, and he froze as he saw her tear stricken face.

“Y-Y/N? What’s wrong? What happened?” He asked her, trying to hide the worry in his voice.

“Sicheng.” She whispered, in the most vulnerable voice and he felt himself automatically wrap his arms around her. She too leaned into his touch. “Sicheng I’m sorry.”

“What are you sorry for?” He asked.

She looked up at him and he felt his heart shatter into a million pieces. What had happened?

“I-I’m sorry for c-calling you an asshole. You were right about Jae-” She broke down into tears once more, unable to complete her sentence. He pulled her into a crushing hug, as though it would stop her pain. “I’m sorry. I should have trusted you-”

“Hey hey hey. Shh. Calm down first okay?” he whispered, gently patting her back. "Of course you wouldn't trust me. It's not like we were on good terms."

"I should have listened to you." She mumbled into his t-shirt again, and he guessed that she was drunk.

He dearly wanted to let her go and find Jaehyun, and give him the lunch he deserved but a small part of him didn't want to let go of Y/N. It was as though if he let her go, she might get hurt again.

"I'm sorry. I should have explained to you why. This is partly my fault too." He muttered into her hair, rocking her gently.

She looked up at him once more and Sicheng felt his heart stop. She looked so beautiful that he wanted to pause this moment just to stare at her forever.

"Why didn't you tell me then, though?" She asked.

He gulped, and decided to tell the truth.

"Because I didn't want to break your heart."

The yellow light was throwing a faint glow on her face as she stared at him with slightly parted lips. He felt his breath flatter as she leaned in slightly.

And before he knew, her lips were on his, kissing him gently. He felt her clutch the collar of his t-shirt tightly as he pulled her in closer with a quick jerk, wanting to feel her touches more.

His head was spinning like crazy, and the more he tried to figure out what was going on, the more he found himself lost.

It was like the only thing in his mind was the feeling of her lips against his, the softness of her clothes under his fingertips…

Sicheng had kissed many girls before from his thousand different flings and girlfriends but kissing Y/N was somehow different. It felt more...natural. And it felt more true.

The kiss was over too soon in his opinion and the next thing he knew, he was staring at her swollen lips, the urge to kiss her again much stronger.

But she was drunk and he didn't want to do something that might cause her to regret later.

Slowly, she leaned in so that their lips were brushing against each other's.

"That's strike four. For not telling me."

He found himself laughing as he got up, pulling her with him.

"You'll be thanking me later. But now let's get you home." And he prayed that she got over Jaehyun as quickly as his heart was beating right now.

╼ 𝐒𝐓𝐑𝐈𝐊𝐄 𝐕

The door to the small cafe swung open, revealing a shivering man as he quickly stepped inside. Once he was inside the warm and comfortable coffee shop he stopped shivering, looking around for someone.

Sicheng's eyes finally landed on Y/N's, as she waved at him happily.

He walked over to her, taking a seat opposite to her.

"Hello." She said sheepishly.

"Hello. How are you?" Sicheng asked, smirking at her shy attitude.

"Good good. How's your holiday going on?" She asked.

Y/N had asked him whether he wanted to meet up during the holidays in her favourite cafe, to which he immediately agreed. Even though he didn't want to look too eager, he didn't want to lose this opportunity to meet her too.

What he had never told her was during this small friendship which had bloomed between them, he had fallen madly in love with her. His mind kept wandering back to that night when they had kissed, but she never mentioned it, nor did he bring it up assuming that she had forgotten it.

Nonetheless, he loved everything about her. Her stubbornness, her laughter, her beauty and her everything.

Even though he saw her everyday, it was like he was falling in love with her every time he saw her.

Even now, as he saw her smile at him, he felt his head go dizzy at her beauty.

"I hope you don't mind but I ordered my favourite cake for you!" She said, peering at him curiously.

"Nooo I don't want to try what you like!" He whined. Her face fell a little and Sicheng felt his heart break a little but he suppressed it for the laughter bubbling inside him. "That's alright. I'll get you something else-"

"I was joking." He grinned.

She opened her mouth and closed it, trying to process what he had just said. Then she glared at him, pouting at him.

They talked for a long time, eating their cakes and drinking their coffee after which they decided to go for a walk in the park.

Sicheng made sure to walk close to her, but he didn't have the courage to wrap his arm around her and pull her in closer.

“Oh look!” She said suddenly, pointing at the sky. He looked up to see tiny snowflakes fall from the sky, and he looked at Y/N again. He felt his heart explode to see her happy, as the snow fell in her head like a halo, making her look like an angel.

Her eyes flicked to his and she stared back at him, time frozen for both of them.

Slowly, her eyes fluttered close and Sicheng saw her lean into him slowly. He felt something pull him towards her too, as he gently wrapped his arms around her waist.

But just before her lips touched his, he moved his face a little, a wicked smile on his face. Her lips met his cheeks and she drew back horrified, but then glared at him as she saw his smirk.

“Sicheng! Strike five!” He felt her push herself away from him.

“Just kidding!” He said hastily, quickly pressing his lips on her. He wasn’t going to waste his strikes. Not this time at least.

A/N: Please do tell me what you think about this story!! I worked really hard on it and I would love to know everyone’s thoughts on it~ Comments and reblogs are appreciated!

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