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wannaeatramyeon · 1 year

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Hello!! Recently found your page and when i tell you i binge read almost all of your lookism content i mean it.

That being said i would love to ask if you could do a scenario where y/n and Goo hate each other but fake date in order to make Gun jealous and of course annoyed (in Goo’s case), however in the end they both fall for each other.

Aww!! THANK YOU FOR READING!! Isn't this community great. Isn't Lookism great.

I LOVE fake date fics! Slight deviation to just trying to prove Gun wrong (the plot is thin, okay).

Goo Kim x Reader: Fake Dating

"Get your hands off me!"

"It's called acting, you bitch!"

"Dumb bastard!"

"Stupid hag!"

"Four eyed fuck!"

"Shit for brains!"

A door slams shut. You and Goo freeze for a brief moment before throwing yourselves at each other. Your lips smash painfully together, and hands wander. It's for authenticity, you see.

(And it works.)

Gun stops in his tracks, "What the fuck?"

You had been chit-chatting as you usually do during one of the lulls in your missions with Gun.

"-and winter weddings are sorta magical, y'know? I like the idea of getting married and having snow falling all around me. But summer with the weather, I-"

Gun has had enough of your mundane chatter. "How the hell do you find the stupidest shit to talk about. You can't even get anyone to date you."

You throw a punch at him, "We dated!"

He dodges your attack, "And we broke up."

"Fuck you, loads of people want to date me!"

Gun peers over his sunglasses at you, he knows you are bullshitting.

Ugh. You'll show this asshole.

"Hey, you big lump," you kick Goo's chair. Oops maybe a bit too hard. You cackle as he tumbles into a heap on the floor.

"AHH! What was that for, you dumb bitch!" Goo gives you the filthiest look.

(On paper you and him should get on like a house on fire. But the first time you met, he had opened his mouth and asked who brought along this pretty little bimbo. You tried to rip out his tongue for that. Well, the rest is history.)

"So..." You eye up the blonde dusting himself off and readjusting his glasses. Is this one of your worst ideas? Probably. "Wanna piss off Gun with me?"

"I don't need you to do that."

"But what if we can take it to new realms of irritation?"

"..."

"I'll pay you."

"Why didn't you say so, Princess! I'm all ears."

Goo had always thought you were a little weird. As if this doesn't prove his point exactly.

Whatever.

He's making money and irritating Gun. Two of his favourite things. Add in beating someone up in there, and it's his holy trinity.

Hmm, maybe he could beat you up after this. That would be fun. He gives you a sly glance as you're explaining the 'fake dating' and what it entails.

Seriously, what an oddball.

After Gun discovers you two all over each other, he turns around and swiftly exits.

He did not care for getting involved in your love life. That ship had long sailed.

The only concerns are with his own sanity.

Having you and Goo together is a dangerously irritating, annoying combination. It doesn't just increase his chance of getting a headache and into trouble two-fold, it increases it exponentially.

...And the fake dating begins.

"Sweetheart, this song reminds me of you!" Goo gives a mocking smile that only you could see.

Gun is sitting in the back while Goo drives and you occupy the passenger's seat. That's fine as far as Gun is concerned. The further he is away from the both of you while you have this little... thing going on the better.

He honestly could not care less. But even listening to you two flirting is like nails on a chalkboard. The headache is returning. He should really invest in some headphones.

"Aww~ You are so sweet!"

You run your hands along Goo's thigh then brutally dig your nails in as you pinch him. This fuck. Did he think you couldn't hear the lyrics? The woman in this song is a useless doormat.

Goo blows you a kiss in return.

"Cupcake!" Goo matches pace with you and goes to hold your hand. You hear Gun's unhappy grumblings from behind. "There's a new hot restaurant that opened up. We should go on a date!"

"I would love that," That really would be thoughtful if you guys were an actual couple.

"We can have a nice night out and walk along the Han river."

"Perfect."

Goo's grip on your hand tightens, he looks deviously at you. Oh no. You prepare yourself for whatever comes out of his mouth next.

"And afterwards we can go back to mine for dessert? You know what I mean? By dessert? That's how everyone phrases it right? To mean we will just fuck all night? With my big, huge, throbbing-"

You hear a stumble and cursing from Gun. You look at Goo and feel him mentally high five-ing you.

Heh. That'll teach Gun for being such a dick. This isn't such a terrible idea after all.

"Sweetheart! Don't I look handsome!"

Gun questioned his life choices.

You and Goo had insisted on running into a designer store for something quick. 'Something quick' had turned into an hour of Goo parading around in suits. And now Gun is waiting sullenly in the corner for you both to finish up whatever the fuck you are doing.

"Hurry the fuck up,"

"Gun, you sourpuss! It's for the HNH function tonight. Goo needs to look his best."

Goo definitely did look good, you'll give him that. The blonde has a great body and a keen eye for fashion.

"Honeybun?" you turn your attention towards your 'boyfriend' as he strides out the fitting room. The suit looks like it was tailored especially for him.

Oh. Has he always been this handsome? You start to think maybe he isn't so bad until-

"You said you'll treat me for showing you a good time last night?"

You must be a better actor than you thought. Your mouth doesn't drop open at his boldfaced lie and your face remains neutral.

This prick. No doubt he's going to rack up an absurd bill and make you pay.

"Let's have a closer look then," you walk over to him, playing the part of a sweet girlfriend. Your hand smooths out the lapel and shirt.

"Silly, your tie is all askew," you adjust the knot and tighten it until it almost chokes this idiot.

Goo doesn't say a word, just looks down at you with a smirk. You feel the urge to wipe it off.

"I do like this one," you say. Your hand reaches out to caress his face. He stills at your unusually tender touch, his next backhanded comment gets stuck in his throat.

You push yourself up on your tiptoes to press your lips to his.

As if on autopilot, Goo's arms moves to circles your waist, pulling you closer and deepening the kiss. Something about the way you fit with him feels natural.

You nip at his lower lip. Hmm, Goo really is a good kisser.

Gun closes his eyes and pinches the bridge of his nose. You two are getting on his fucking nerves. He really shouldn't kick your asses here. He takes a deep breath and counts to ten.

Scratch that, maybe one hundred.

Goo, with his arm around your shoulder, eyes your Uno cards.

He had already won a couple rounds ago, and now you and Gun are determining who between you is the loser.

"No cutie-pie, don't put the green one down. Gun will +2 you!"

"Don't help her out!" Gun growls at you both sitting across from him. He gets awfully testy even with silly games.

You hum and haw at whether to trust Goo as he studies your hand, trying to come up with a strategy.

"Put this one down," he ignores Gun and points at a particular card, "cross my heart babe!"

Fine. You follow his instructions.

Gun huffs and picks up a card from the pile. Guess he couldn't follow your colour or number.

Goo taps twice on his cheek. You giggle and reward him with a loud smooch.

"Like this,"

Goo comes up behind you, pressing himself fully into your back and helping you adjust the grip on the golf club.

You subtly elbow him.

"Watch it," you whisper.

"You're paying for my boyfriend services," he responds under his breath, a grin never leaving his face.

Your voice returns to its normal volume, "I thought I was doing it right?"

"Nooo Princess, your swing is all off!"

He rests his head on your shoulder, actually telling you about where your hands should be and correcting your stance.

If you were a weaker woman, you would be feeling butterflies, and your face would flush. You would think about how sweet Goo could be, and how fun he is in a relationship...

You see Gun from the corner of eye and quickly derail any straying thoughts. Instead, you turn and lightly graze your lips on Goo's cheek and shuffle your hips into his crotch playfully.

Goo, delighted at your movement, chuckles.

Off to the side, Gun facepalms.

You open your mouth obediently as Goo spoonfeeds you.

"Isn't it extra delicious when your Goo-bear is feeding you?" He flutters his eyelashes. God, this guy is so ridiculous you couldn't help but laugh.

"Do you have to fucking do that? I'm trying to eat here." Gun glares at the display.

"Don't be jealous just because you'll never know love like this!" Goo snaps before feeding you another mouthful.

Gun rolls his eyes. Why does Charles curse him with the most idiotic partners.

"Yeah I'll just pay for mine and the wifey's food," Goo smiles at the waitress, handing over some cash.

"Just pay for it all you cheap asshole!" Gun is exasperated. It's a goddamn hole-in-the-wall, not some fine dining establishment. The total is pocket change.

"Nope!"

"You fucking-"

The waitress clears her throat awkwardly.

"Pay for it yourself, you prick," Goo retorts as he nuzzles into your neck.

Gun angrily slams down some money.

"What's this?"

So much for doing work. Goo loudly makes an entrance into your office and wafts a piece of paper in front of your face. You snatch it irritably.

"My invoice!"

What? This wasn't the duration that was agreed.

You narrow your eyes at him, "But we're not done yet!"

"No, we're not."

"So?"

"So I thought I'll give you a 100% discount for the foreseeable, sweetheart."

Your eyebrows knit together. Does this mean what you think it means?

Goo is a picture of nonchalance, he perches on your desk as he examines his nails.

"You mean you actually want to...?"

"I'm having a good time. You look like you are too."

Hmm, you couldn't deny it. And you never thought kissing him could be so pleasant.

"So we're really...?"

Goo gives you a smile and a casual shrug. "If you want to, Princess."

How does nothing ruffle his feathers. How can he be so relaxed about this?

You mull it over. What's the worst that could happen? The last few weeks have been undeniably fun. You don't think you had ever laughed so much.

You school your expression and give him a nod.

Goo's easy smile turns into a toothy grin. He pulls you close and kisses you, like all the times he had before. But this one feels sweeter. Real.

Goo fucking Kim is actually your boyfriend. Who would have thought?

When you finally pull away, you both stay within touching distance, beaming at each other like morons.

"Bastard."

"Bimbo."

Goo suddenly frowns, and the magic breaks. "This doesn't change anything. You still need to pay the bill!"

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izartn · 4 months

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So, about how I see Link Click's Lu Guang and Cheng Xiaoshi relationship:

As it stands in canon? Queerplatonic partners. And it's convenient for the plot that they're like this.

Because of Chinese censorship it can't be explicitly romantic, yes I know it. Let me tell why it's queerplatonic for me. The way these two have intertwined their lives and futures together?!

Owning a business and living together, that hint in ep2 (comparing them to the subtextually older lesbian couple who also came across as queerplatonic bc censure) where Xiaoshi wonders/fears if years down the line he and Lu Guang will separate/break up implying their partnership is for life as far as he's concerned (the parallel can be taken as a subtext romance too but follow me we're talking text), the way they were already going also on vacancies together three years prev in canon, etc...

Without entering on their complimentary powers and the way the dives need both of them if they want security in not screwing the past, and the inmense trust and vulnerability the dives themselves require?

They're not simply best friends either.

Those aren't the actions of normal, totally not queer friends. Cheng Xiaoshi checks out women on the dives, sure, (and men too when the host is feeling it which I love bc they can't address it directly bc censorship and then it comes across as Xiaoshi being super confident in his own relationship to sexuality/gender) but I don't think he would ever date bc Lu Guang is already there, filling that place in his life minus sex and romance but all that same companionship and intensity of feeling.

These two meet in what, the last year/s of High School and then proceeded to latch onto each other with a commitment reserved for romantic partners.

And I know you want to say, "it's the censorship! they'd be romantic and canon if not for the censorship!"

Are you sure? Are you sure the story would work if there were explicit romance in it? (I mean, if they could I'm pretty sure they would have nailed it anyways but allow me my a-spec delusions) Cheng Xiaoshi and Lu Guang feel so much like an already established pair, they work like one, and Link Click is not about them coming together like many other stories. Are you sure this would work as BL?

There's a distinct difference on the way they start the show already like six years at least since they're best friends and three or two since they live together. That's not usually how it goes. I'm talking not just romances but every buddy or nakama anime/show, where the protag has to learn to work with who will be his best friend or rival. These stories usually have the same kind of plot progression as a romance which is why they work so well when you make the subtext text.

But a story where the main romance is already established and we're following a plot that has nothing to do with it? Much more rare, even stranger to find them well done although there are some very good ones and with the friendships instead of romo they're more common. For example, Soul Eater, which is all about the trials of it and how they hace to truly come to understand each other. That's Link Click a bit, but not even then.

Link Click juggling a budding romance between Lu Guang and Cheng Xiaoshi with all the other stuff is going on?? Messier for sure. I don't know if people would have liked it as much or if the donghua would have been as well done.

As it is, Link Click has the exact level of emotional connection between our protags it needs to have incredibly high stakes emotionally and at the same time not need a detour by romantic scenes/fanservice that would derail the plot or the other charas importance. That it happens to be pretty queer anyways in a platonic way?

Nice for the aroace-spec folks watching the show xD

Btw, I'm pretty sure in season 3 we're going to get more of Lu Guang's PoV, the origins of their powers and the past between him and Xiaoshi. It'll probably dig more into the aspect of "testing their bond and coming stronger bc of it" which is were the romantic subtext usually comes through...

—unless you're very very good at writing like Arakawa in FMA, who nailed the brotherly relationship without tipping into incest subtext which I've seen more than a few writers fumble. or the latest D&D film for the platonic childrearing and partnership for a no familial example between a man and a woman also very very difficult to get right for writers dunno why—

... but until then, for now I'm incredibly satisfied by the canon.

The other read of course it that they're already a couple since well before the start of season 1, and to mentally edit what we saw in canon with that lens (it wouldn't be very difficult honestly) but reading only the text? Queerplatonic partners!

There also how Xiaoshi and Lu Guang don't have that anxiety/insecurity of their bond that makes it so easy to read the want for something, like a romance for shipping purposes. Despite the disagreements on the Dives or the trials of season 2 or Lu Guang keeping secret Cheng Xiaoshi future/past death they read very steady which is fun. I love some good established relationship, you can go to deeper places when the base is already secure and the risk is higher for the characters. Plus I love domesticity! Yes, I do my angsty/Gothic leanings notwithstanding. Don't you know you need a home for the Gothic to be effective?

#link click #meta #link click meta #lu guang #cheng xiaoshi #shiguang #my thoughts #all of this to say that I don't exactly ship them #Although I've been tagging fanart and meta with their shipname #bc I dont not ship them #honestly?#it's because despite it all I'm very much a canon girl so I can't help but see shiguang on that same romo-not romo limbo #canon present us with #loving the fics though #and Lu Guang is so tragic timetraveler for love coded is not funny #which is the reason I'm sure season 3 will give me that shift towards a more romantic lense to their relationship #also the way they made sure to sibling-fy qiao ling and cheng xiaoshi was fun XD #in conclusion: I think Link Click being a danmei wouldn't have worked #precisely bc it wasnt created as danmei the story as it is works almost perfectly #and right now Im not sure if I would want the romance at the expense of everything else the plot is doing #....qiang jin jiu did it well on the second half though #but it had the first part to go from a enemies-to-lovers and establishing the romance #I don't think I've seen a danmei start with a established romantic relationship bc the genre being a romance tells you that's #what's going to be centered #link click would had to be a just a time travel thriller with queer elements (which it is)#and I don't know #I'd love it but I bet we'll have lots of people annoyed/annoying bc they're here for the romance #Instead of taking the story for what it is #but then romance (queer romance) doesn't devalue the storytelling #ah the conflict of wanting a-spec queer stories VS censorship

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jakessbtch · 1 year

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☆ fluff headcanons | c.g

masterlist | requests

TW ✿ ° : hinting to deaths, Fluff

pairing ✿ ° : Carl Grimes x Reader [s/h]

summary of fic ✿ ° : Some fluff head cannons of Carl !!

requested by ✿ ° : @liu1307

word count ✿ ° : 558 words

a/n ✿ ° : ug nit updating the summary, though there will eventually be a new one!

✿ ° Carl has matching pajamas. his personal favorite are a blue pair with a cowboy hat sown onto the side. He has a whole drawer filled with them, one for all occasions. he and judith have a matching pair, him and you, he secretly has one for him and his dad too. he just loves them so much.

✿ ° Carl writes and draws his own comics, making you the main love interest and him the hero. he doesn't have much, just a few. yet he would burn himself, the comics and his home if anyone found out. secretly Rick has found one, but he never told carl. Carl reads them frequently, especially when hes alone.

✿ ° Carl is a big black cat bf he needs someone whom is bubbly and enjoyable, someone to stick up for him, and he’ll do the same. He loves being the closed off one, and he probably feels as if he wouldn’t do well with someone who couldn't show feelings well enough. Don't get me wrong he loves quiet people, but he also LOVES louder and carefree people.

✿ ° Carl names all the stuffed and real animals he comes past when on runs or in alexandria. his favorite is a tabby cat he couldn't forget, he named him Waddles cause he had an injured foot. He always told himself, when the world got better he would have a tabby called Waddles. if it ever got better.

✿ ° Carl Despises the pet name Baby. he hates being referred to as a baby because of memories in school. Carl likely got picked on because his mother was always so worried about him, preventing him from going out with friends and such. [i know this is an angst headcanon, but you're not getting fluff from me without angst].

✿ ° Carl had a dog when he was younger, before the apocalypse. He was such a sucker for animals, and after so much tiring yet purposeful pleading he got a small maltase shiatzu. he adored him, he loved going outside to run in circles and play with the dog. The dog kept him up at night after the apocalypse, but he still giggles at the thoughts.

✿ ° Carl wanted kids. He wanted 2 little boys. He found judith too fussy, and not knowing how baby boys were behind closed doors, he wanted one with you. he wanted to call one Noah and the other Flynn, you told him Noah was a basic name but he didn’t care. he always used the excuse, “It’s the apocalypse, no one is going to care about a name”

✿ ° Carls favorite subject to read about is either Mathematics or Biology. He finds it fascinating how different parts of the body works and how you could find percentages just by an equation. Carl always made fun of Rick for his lack of Mathematics knowledge. “You're wrong Dad, Look, it would be 13.6 percent because-”

✿ ° Carl has thousands of love letters in his room. he hides the everywhere, one behind a picture frame, one in old converses, on hidden between the desk and the wall. he wanted ou to find them, he could only say so much to you. he found it far more better writing them all down instead. He was in love with you.

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handledwithgloves · 1 month

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two very popular drarry fics that i did not care for and why

in the past however long of my becoming a drarry stan ive read many fanfics and i can say only two had really gotten me so pissed i had to log off

and thats not to say that i never dnf a drarry fic before because i have done that to so many for various different reasons. ive also read plenty dead doves do not eat so… this is saying something i suppose.

and this is no hate at all to the writers of these fics they clearly love what they do and are super talented and no hate to the enjoyers of these fics, like what you like. this is just my person experiences.

first is, harry potter and the welcome to the world of grey. i just gotta say i did not get the hype at all. i hated voldemort so much everything he says to harry is meant to be philosophical and insightful and whatnot and that makes harry question whether or not voldemort is truly evil but mans just talked way too much for my liking. he needed to be shut up and every time harry was tryin to beat on his ass he stopped for whatever reason - i was so pissed. like atp just kill each other istg. and then harry is supposed to be conflicted and all alone and he cant trust dumbledore and he doesn't want to face the consequences of his actions and go to jail for killing someone, well too bad pookie! get tf over yourself you're a bad guy now. not only did you kill twice but both times you killed it was not in self defense but your own willingness to do so. like the drarry was good, in fact so good that i got about 3/4ths way through before i had to quit. the drarry was carrying this story and i understand if drarry stans love it solely for the drarry but if there's going to be other parts of the story i need it to make sense to me. harry and voldemort's characters were just not doing it for me.

second, is the mirror of ecidyrue series. It started off soo well, so well. i loved how all the characters were so in character and everything was cool and draco was powerful and his power was mysterious and bella was scary. i loved how harry met draco and how hermione started trying to befriend him i loved the friendship bracelent draco made her and that snape helped. i even loved jealous harry when draco and charlie were flirting and harry was like 'how old are you again, charlie? 25!? well draco's 14' and charlie started freaking out 'um, 21'. so anyway, strong start! but theeennn... we get later on in the series and for some reason draco starts changing? like yes he gets influenced by the people around him but all of a sudden he's like hyper fem which is not a bad thing in general but definite ooc - i like draco's character so i would prefer him to be in character but whatever i was able to ignore it until they started giving each other nicknames. oh god the nicknames were the worst part. like i get they're cringey kids they do dumb things draco is no exception apparently even though mentally he's like 21 hanging out with 14 yos. so yeah i had to absolutely stop when draco was having sex with 16 yo harry and harry starts calling him dragon in a sexual way... yeah i just had to stop there. i was getting way too much second hand embarrassment that it was pissing me off. i did not like draco lmfao. also i hate that they made lucius abusive lmao.

once again just disclaiming this is no hate to the writers or enjoyers of these fics i just couldnt stomach the stories and thats my own personal fault. i just wanted to share what i thought lol. they definitely made an impression!

#god like to this day! to this day! i still think lunaluna and start dying inside like fy draco!#its just her name said twice but god i wanted to vomit #drarry #drarry fics #idk what else to tag this lol pls dont attack me or tell me i'm being a hater i really did enjoy these stories to an extent but no other fi #made me quit reading them so hard and fast lmfaooo #all other fics i dnf happened slowly like i was reading and then put it away for later then read a bit then put away for later and eventual #just started reading other fics instead

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kwritingbooks · 2 years

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Storm’s Calling

your phone’s dead, your car’s dead, but the small grocery store’s lights are very much alive at this time of night. given the ghastly storm beating down, you don’t really have much other choice but to run inside. but who might be waiting behind those doors?

tags: sci-fy, thriller, angst

word count: 4.2k

my masterlist here

The rain was pelting harshly at your windshield as you stared blankly at it. Exhaustion had seeped into every crevice of your body; all you wanted to do was be home. You supposed that tiredness had translated into not paying attention to your car's needs, too.

Shocking.

Except, the fatigue of the week looked to be the least of your concerns now as your dead car sat idly in a grocery store's parking lot with a heavy storm beating down on you and your useless vehicle.

"Fuck," you finally mumbled out as you beat your hands against the steering wheel. "Fuck!"

It was the only word that seemed to fully encapsulate your predicament, and even then it didn't seem to do it justice.

Your eyes trailed over to the store that still had its lights on. Strangely, you were surprised it was still open. Just before your phone died, the numbers on your device read out just past midnight, and you didn't know many stores that had hours like that anymore. Especially given how this place seemed to actually be in the middle of nowhere, along with about two other cars in the lot with you.

Maybe they were broken down just like yours. Stranded in a strange town on their way home from a work trip, consumed with stress and the aching of their own messy bed, too.

"I'm gonna have to go in there, aren't I?" You whispered to yourself as if someone else was supposed to answer that for you.

You knew the answer though.

There was no one coming to rescue you like those movies showed when you were growing up. And given the rough wind and lightning outside, as well as very minimal street lights, a movie much more daunting would have been more fitting than a rom-com. Something you did not intend to sit and wait for to happen.

And you didn't even have an umbrella.

Of course.

Reluctantly, you shoved your keys into your purse and wrapped your cardigan more tightly around your body before slinging the driver's side door open. One step out was a sudden wake up, immediately getting pummeled by the rain above.

The door slammed shut, but it was muffled by the sound of lightning clusters above. It even lit little flickers of light against the dark pavement as you hurriedly rushed to the entrance.

Splashes of water hit against your ankles, soaking your socks and shoes in the process. You could feel your pants grow heavier as the bottoms collected the rest of the water that didn't splash everywhere else.

You didn't care too much though, the end was near. The fluorescent lights were getting closer. The chime of the entrance bell was already ringing in your ear with anticipation.

Your arms were reaching out for the handles before you even made it there, anxious to at least be surrounded by not so much noise. You didn't even care that it was radio music that you typically would skip through playing in the building either. Anything was better than being outside stuck.

Not that inside stuck felt all that great either.

You scanned your eyes around the store, practically begging to meet anyone's eyes. There had to be someone with a phone you could borrow to order an Uber, or even you could maybe beg one of my friends to drive the hour that was left of your drive to come and get you.

They were all pretty heavy sleepers though.

So you'd just deal with that Uber cost and leaving your car in a random parking lot later. Tomorrow. You just needed to get home first, and then you would figure it out.

"Hello, welcome to Corner Mart," a voice from behind said cooly.

It startled you, causing your heart to quicken up even more than it was before as you spun around.

A young guy, probably about your age, stared back at you. He had a beige apron over his clothes, which was just a white t-shirt and a pair of grey slacks. He held his hands in front of him with a slight crook to his head as he seemed to examine you.

An eyebrow of his crooked once he noticed how crazy you must have seemed: soaking wet, out of breath, and looking lost.

"Hi, um, do you by chance have a charger? Or a phone I could borrow?" You stammered out.

You shifted on your feet, adjusting the bag on your shoulders while you continued to both stare at each other. You couldn't tell if what you were feeling was unsettling or not. Maybe it was just in your head, but something just felt strange. And it didn't even seem to be from the guy standing in front of you.

If anything, the more you watched him, the more you realized he was actually not that bad to look at. Handsome, even.

Very handsome actually.

"No cellphone, but we've got the company phone." He blinked his eyes kindly back at you, sending a small wave of relief through your body.

At least he didn't seem the crazy type.

Without much else said, he led you toward one of the only three checkout lanes. He fumbled with something underneath your view, and you tried not to look as impatient as you felt.

But, it wasn't like there were any other customers that needed help. As if they would even be as in dire of need as you were right now anyway.

He pulled out a phone that looked about a decade older than it should have been, but you tried not to judge too quickly.

Ubers were definitely out of the question with that dinosaur, though.

"Do taxis come out this far? This late?" You asked, flicking your eyes intensely from the phone to his face.

His expression seemed a bit confused, like he didn't know what you meant by the question. That only elevated the annoyance bubbling inside of you. If only he realized all the shit you had been through the past week with work and now this.

"Er..." He trailed off as he looked at the buttons. "Not sure." He shrugged his shoulders.

Another "fuck" loosely slipped from your lips without realizing.

"Is everything okay? I can maybe help. I don't have shit else to do," he shrugged his shoulders again, but apologetically this time. If it wasn't for his soft tone, you might have considered lunging at him from his laissez-faire attitude.

Not that that would have been productive, you knew that. Or appropriate.

"It's my car." You breathed out an exasperated sigh. "It's dead. I've been ignoring getting the engine checked for a couple weeks now, and I guess this is the consequence."

He hummed with a sly smile across his lips. He rested his elbows on the table with his chin tucked neatly in his palms.

Your eyes crinkled as you surveyed how he was looking at you. What was so funny? How was any of this funny?

"That engine light exists for a reason," he said as he pushed himself off the counter to come back around.

You could feel the heat rise to your cheeks.

"Wow, you work at a grocery store and you're smart. Isn't that something?" Your eyes continued to lock onto him, even with his venturing somewhere else. A light laugh escaped his mouth without you trying to be funny.

"You're funny," he remarked.

You incoherently grumble curses under your breath in response.

"So can you help me..." You trailed off as you squinted your eyes to his name tag. "Henry?"

"Harry," he quickly corrected.

"Okay, Harry. So are you able to help me?" You tried your best to keep your tone light and airy, like women's magazines taught you from a young age on how to speak to men when you wanted something.

He thought for a moment, and you almost envisioned the little mice in his head spinning the wheels with each quick step of their feet.

"I'll call Steven, he might be able to help." Harry replied, as if to himself, while he walked back to the phone he just left. "He's a mechanic down the road. Only one in town, too."

"He'd be able to help me out this late?" You questioned, stepping closer to the register, as if a paying customer. You tried not to sound like this was the best news in the entire world, but it sure felt like it at that moment.

"Maybe. I never really know with him. He's a bit unpredictable." He casually replied as he tucked the phone between his ear and shoulder, dialing random numbers I couldn't place.

Only a couple seconds passed before he pressed his fingers to hang it up, repeating the dials once again. Little veins in his forehead began to creep up as he had to hang up and retry again.

"Do you remember his number?" You didn't mean for it to sound like you were scolding him, but that was definitely how it seemed. You cleared your throat to try and rectify it.

He slammed the phone down for the last time, shaking his head. "Phone's are down."

You were sure the blood fell from your face and left you bottom heavy, wanting to fall to the ground at a moment's notice.

"What do you mean down? I was just on mine earlier before it died!" I croaked out, trying to hide the sobs that wanted to pour out as hard as the rain outside was.

"Sometimes it just goes out. Probably a power line, I don't know. I'm just a grocery store worker after all." He shot a brief look at me, pegged lightly with annoyance but that soon faded to another sly grin.

You ran a shakey hand through your wet hair. Examining your nails, you thought through your possibilities.

I could sleep in my car, you thought. Wait until the morning and maybe the lines will be back up. More customers will have come in by then, and someone is bound to have a cellphone, right?

"Um..." You trailed off, looking behind you towards your car that had yet to move.

God, it looked scary out there. Even if there wasn't a violent thunderstorm going on. This would've made a perfect horror movie starting point.

Now all we needed was a scary masked murderer to walk in at any second...

"Ma'am?" Harry asked.

You shook your head, coming back out of your daze as you looked back ahead again. He had moved from behind the counter again, now directly in front of you. You didn't even hear him move, so your heart picked up from the startle.

"Yeah? Sorry," you let out as a hand rubbed at your temples. "It's been a long week. You don't have to call me ma'am though. My name's Y/N."

He smiled back, taking a couple steps away to lean against the conveyor belt. "Nice to meet you, Y/N." He nodded his head. "I'll be here all night if you want to wait it out in here. Probably safer."

You sucked in a sharp breath through your nose, your body stiffening at the thought. A quick glance over your shoulder back to your car solidified what he said. It really was safer in here.

You were pretty hungry, too.

You ended up finding a pre-made sandwich in the deli section. You made sure to double check, even triple check, the expiration date just to make sure it hadn't been sitting out as long as that phone looked to have been.

It was nothing special. Ham. Cheese. Small slice of lettuce and tomato (which you took off).

You ate beside the greeting card section. It was the warmest area you could find against your still dampened body and clothes. You had taken off your soaked cardigan as to let it dry by one of the store's industrial fans that Harry brought out from some back room.

Since then, you hadn't seen him much besides small stolen glances as he faced different products in the aisles. You tried to keep your head down and focused on your own tasks, even a task as small as eating your sandwich, as to avoid his eyes. Not because you didn't want to look at him, but because his contact sent a surge of heat against your cheeks. It made your stomach flutter ever so slightly when the corners of his lips would curl into a smile as he darted his own eyes away from you as well.

You felt like a little kid again.

Was it because of the situation? Was this your way of filling your time? Crushing on some random worker in a deserted town?

You picked one of the cards that had a bouquet of flowers on them. Cursive letters twisted together to form an "I'm sorry for your loss." You quickly placed it back in its spot, not wanting to think about that.

Your eyes scanned the rest of them, reaching for a more cheerful pattern. It was bright red with little pink sparkly hearts dotted all over. You took a guess that it was Valentine's related. You brought it closer to your face to read the presumably cheesy one-liner that would be attached.

"I extend my heart to you, sending love and peace to you during this hard time," you read aloud. A frown immediately replaced your once curious features, quickly putting it back again.

Your eyes zoomed along each one, searching for something that didn't make you want to cry in a corner. They all reminded you of your grandma, who had died just a few weeks ago, adding onto the already stressful time you had had. It was part of the reason you wanted to go on that work trip. It was a chance to get away from everything—from everyone sending you their well wishes. If only there was a polite way to tell people to fuck off and leave you alone.

Was there any card for that?

The answer to that was no. They were all about mourning the loss of a loved one.

Every single one.

My condolences.

My thoughts and prayers are with you.

Please accept my deepest sympathies.

Your sandwich no longer sounded as it did a moment ago. You tossed it directly in the bin across from you, happily walking away from the depressing rows of cards.

It was only a small section dedicated to cards. Maybe they were out of birthday ones. Maybe they didn't get restocks often. Maybe that even meant not many people died here, so those weren't needed like the others. It was just Mother's Day recently after-all.

You laughed to yourself as you watched your feet move ahead of you. Of course you had to make everything seem so dramatic. It was the one thing you could always count on.

"Coffee?" Harry's voice broke out, startling you for what felt like the millionth time that night.

You stopped in your tracks, the smile wiping briskly off your face. You stood only a few inches from him. If you hadn't stopped when you did, you would have most definitely rammed your body into his, spilling the coffee that was cupped nicely in each hand all over the both of you.

You looked down at it for a moment, wondering the chances of it being spiked. You were too desperate for warmth and caffeine that that thought soon dissipated into nothing.

Remember? He's not crazy.

You might be, though.

You extended your hand towards the cup, not having stepped away from the rather muscly guy ahead yet. His muscles protruded in a way you hadn't noticed before. The sleeves of his shirt seemed tight against them, but perhaps it was just the closeness that made everything seem magnified.

"Uh, thank you." You cleared your throat with a weak smile. "I'd love some."

He smiled wide, exposing a deep set of dimples on either side. "Thought you might. You look cold."

You took a step back as you looked your body over. Small prickles of goosebumps sprinkled themselves against your arms and legs. You weren't sure if they had been like that the whole time or if they just sprung up since he showed up this close.

"Thank you,” you hummed out, pressing the cup to your lips with a small swig. The coffee felt like a tight hug from a loved one, enwrapping your body with an accompanying warmth as well.

You could feel his eyes on you, watching as you continued to take another drink out of the cup as he did the same. Relaxation filled your body with each sip. The anxiety of the night, the week, the month, was soon feeling less uncontrollable. This little moment of bliss in midst of the chaos was like a breath of fresh air.

Words flowed out of you like they hadn't in years it seemed. It first started as normal chit-chat, talking about your job and then your work trip. Then, it soon turned into deeper things you hadn't even told your friends yet. It was weird how everything came out so effortlessly. You weren't even scared you were saying too much, even though you probably were.

It wasn't like he knew anyone that you did. You didn't know anyone that he did. You were both strangers to each other, and maybe that was why it was so easy.

He listened with open ears, nodding his head as you spoke. He waited patiently when you had to take a deep breath, fighting away the tears that wanted to spill from your eyes. He listened better than any of your friends at home would have listened.

And you listened to him, too. It was like you both needed this. Seconds passed that turned into minutes, minutes that soon turned into hours. You were both sat criss-crossed on the floor, way after the storm had already seemed to pass. All that was left was a light rain that still softly hit against the cement outside.

Sunlight soon flashed through the big windows, alerting you that time really had passed—and quite a bit of it, too.

"Oh, shit. What time is it?" You questioned, looking over Harry's shoulder.

Both of your empty coffee cups were still beside the two of you, tipped over at some point during the conversations.

He looked over his shoulder, a light laugh dripping out of his mouth before he turned back around with a shrug. "Morning it looks like."

"I should be getting home. The storm is gone, too," you said quietly, unsure yourself about leaving yet.

He sat up, using his knees as leverage. He extended one of his hands in your direction, pulling you up with one quick swoop.

“Y/n?” His voice sounded hollow, worried even. You crinkled your eyebrows at him.

“Yeah?”

“There’s something I should probably tell you.” He scratched at his arm, looking over his shoulder like someone could have been eavesdropping.

Was this where he told you he lied about the phone being down? That he didn’t actually work there? That this was where you now had to die?

Your heart hammered heavily against your chest. You felt like you could vomit.

“What is it?” You said through gritted teeth.

He chewed on the inside of his cheek as he stared directly at you. A darkness seemed to cast over the two of you as if the past few hours hadn’t existed at all. The previous weight it had lifted seemed to fall back down all at once again.

“Harry?” You trembled out. You couldn’t help the anxiety that overwhelmed you now. He looked like he wanted to throw up himself.

“You can’t go home,” he rushed out, avoiding your eye contact.

You felt your heart stop, fighting to keep you alive.

“Harry, what the fuck do you mean I can’t go home? Are you kidnapping me here?” Your anxiety was turning into anger. You wanted to run, fight your way out, run all the way home if you had to.

You weren’t staying here.

“No, no. I’m not holding you hostage.” He waved his hands in front of him, like he was trying to find the right wording himself. His eyes were squeezed shut as he thought. “Like…”

“Like what?” You couldn’t help the anger that spilled through your words. “No, actually, I’m done listening to this. I’ll find a ride on the way home. Thank you so much for wasting my time, Harry.”

Without anything else said on your end, you pushed past him right through the door. It chimed just as it did hours ago when you pushed in, soaking wet.

You mumbled similar curses again under your breath. All that time you thought you really found someone who was listening, not wasting your time. You thought it was someone who was just trying to make your time less miserable, actually. You could’ve been home by now. The storm had stopped awhile ago, but he was just another selfish twat that probably wanted something else out of it, holding you up as long as he could to reel you in.

“Prick,” you cursed out loudly.

You gave your car a pat, as a bit of a farewell, as well as “I hate you for putting me through this.”

But then you felt a sudden onset of dizziness hit you only about five feet away from your parked car. It probably didn’t help the hunger that gnawed at your stomach. Those few bites of sandwich mixed with coffee could only hold someone over for so long. But that idea quickly subsided when everything went black.

You weren’t sure how much time had passed when your eyes managed to pry themselves back open. Florescent lights glared back at you, radio pop music ringing in your ears.

“What?” Your hand reached up to rub at your head, feeling a small knot that had begun to form.

“You passed out,” Harry replied matter-of-factly. “I tried to tell you, but you left too quickly.”

You sat up on your elbows, the blurriness in your sight not fully gone yet. “You carried me all the way back here? Were you watching me that whole time?” Even in the grogginess, your attitude was back just as forcefully as before.

“No, I haven’t moved.” Harry leaned against the counter, his arms crossed as he looked down at you.

“Well how else did I get here?” You motioned around the empty store. “Not like there’s anyone else here!”

“There’s not anyone else, just us.” He crooked his head to the side, like what he was saying was the most rational thing in the world and not the most confusing.

You buried your face in your hands, wanting to scream. This was making your head hurt.

“Harry. If you don’t start making sense in less than a minute, I’m running out those fucking doors again.” Your face was still partially buried in your hands, smoothing them out in your hair.

“We can’t leave. It just brings you back here.” He said solemnly. “Trust me, I’ve tried.”

You glared at him, darting your eyes between both of his. You were looking for something but unsure what of. Insanity? Maybe?

Without much else thought, you ran out again.

Past the door.

Past the lights.

Past the car.

Bam.

Your headache hurt worse this time around, eyes opening to the same view you had just tried to argue out of.

“What the fuck!” You screamed out. “Harry, what the fuck is happening!”

“I don’t know how to say this,” he began.

“At this point, just say it! I’m tired of these weird fucking riddles or whatever this game you’re playing is. Just tell me!” You shouted with vigor.

“We’re dead.”

Your breath stopped. Your heart stopped. Your body stopped moving. You just stopped.

“W-what?” You stammered to no one in particular. “That’s not possible.”

“That’s what I thought, too.” He switched positions, no longer leaning against the counter and knelt closer to you. He brushed a piece of hair out of your face, trailing a finger along your forehead.

Out of the back of his pocket, he brought out a mirror, shining it back towards you.

What stared back looked like a version of you, but not really you. A long scar started and ended from one side of your forehead from the other. Tiny scratches sprinkled in various places, some with bits of glass still stuck inside. Why did it look healed?

You reached up, expecting to feel it, but the pain didn’t spread. It didn’t pulsate. It didn’t bleed.

“What? H-how…” You whispered to yourself, pulling out a shard of glass without even a tickle.

“I wish I knew, I’m sorry.” His face peered over the side of the mirror, but you averted your gaze from him.

“What…what do we do then?” You dropped the mirror from your grasp, it landing with a thunk in your lap.

He let out a deep breath, his eyes trailing along the floor. He looked up at you once more.

“Guess we’ll find that out together I hope.”

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