#he is just so so smart effortlessly. he is so endearing. he is a huge nerd. he's a great creative builder too.... he's very very | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

bobgasm · 4 years

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hush | c.b

pairing: chris beck x reader word count: 4461 warnings: tooth rotting fluff,

prompt: librarian!au | college!au

summary: in which the good guy gets the girl

author’s note: repost

oneshot | masterlist

If there was one thing she needed tonight, more than anything, was for the floor of her dorm not to host a party. Yet, as she shoved her earbuds into her ears, she’s already packing her books and laptop into a backpack. The earbuds do nothing to hide the fact that Ruby and her latest beau were going at it in the room next door, even with the music at a deafening volume. The bed squeaking obnoxiously and the frame connecting with the wall.

Y/N makes sure she’s got her key and purse before she leaves, locking the door to make sure no one goes inside. It’s happened before and things have gone missing. At least her roommate has finished her exams and gone home for break, which means no one will accidentally leave the door unlocked.

Y/N nipped into the pizzeria on her walk to the library, tucking her earbuds into the pocket of her jacket as she ordered a large pepperoni. Only needing to wait ten minutes before it was ready and she was carrying it into the library.

You weren’t supposed to have food in the library, but the librarian on Tuesdays was more lenient than the one on Wednesdays or Fridays. He didn’t mind if you ate, so long as you kept your area clean and didn’t use the library’s computers while you were eating. The same went for the books. Always keep them clean.

The only reason she needed the library tonight was because of how quiet it was compared to her dorm currently. She had one final exam to study for, which wasn’t for another two days, but she didn’t want to be cramming the night before. She wanted to go to bed feeling well rested and prepared. But knowing her, she’d be cramming, stressed she wasn’t going to pass.

As Y/N entered the library her gaze turned towards the librarian’s desk. He barely looked up from his astronomy textbook as she took a seat at a large group of desks. Setting the box on the table as she unloaded her laptop and books from her bag.

Y/N looked towards him, the librarian, as he scanned a few books for a customer. Making small talk as he entered the card number in the system.

He always looked so soft, wearing a slightly larger grey hoodie with a NASA symbol on the breast, his hair usually a mess from running his hands through it constantly. Circles under his eyes making him look perpetually exhausted, which wasn’t a shock to any college kid. Sleep was scarce around exam season. Hell, it was scarce any season. Y/N should know, the bags under her eyes were constant.

The second she opened the box of pizza she’d caught the librarian’s attention. He was in her space science class, but she’d never learnt his name. He kept mostly to himself, except for when he dominated their professors questions, whereas almost every one else struggled. He was effortlessly smart, and she’d admired him from afar for the longest time. Noticing how some days he’d come to class wide awake and alert, but more often than not, he looked as exhausted as the rest of them.

His fascination with space was incomparable to anyone Y/N had ever met. His vast knowledge of the cosmos was intriguing. Endearing. It made no sense to her that she never saw him with anyone around campus, no bros, no girls. It was always just him, with his nose buried in a new space book each time.

Y/N typed with one hand as she ate, her eyes skimming her books for anything that she knew she needed to elaborate on with a further explanation. Her hand grew tired of typing quickly and she sighed, wiggling her fingers and taking a break from staring at the screen of her laptop. The bright white occasionally hurting her eyes, this time no different.

She yawned as she shut the pizza box, unable to finish the last few slices. Casting her gaze towards the librarian who’d gotten up from his desk and wandered towards a section of books, placing the ones from his arms back into their rightful places.

Y/N looked at the clock hanging on the wall and groaned, it was almost eleven, which was when the library closed. She rubbed my hands over my face to wake herself up a bit and started packing her things back into her bag. She hadn’t thought it was that late when she’d first arrived, but clearly time had gotten away from her. Taking one too many ‘breaks’ to admire the cute librarian as he spoke in a hushed whisper to himself.

Scribbling out a little note on a scrap of paper before placing the half eaten pizza on his desk, the note sitting atop it. Telling him he could’ve asked her earlier for a slice if he was as hungry as he looked, and leaving her name and number on the off chance he wanted to use it some time.

+++

After Y/N left the library she had turned her phone off, too scared to learn whether or not he’d sent her a message at all. She had a sudden burst in confidence, yet couldn’t even handle learning the truth; if he was interested in her or not. No matter how hard a pill rejection is to swallow, no one wanted to learn that the person they’re interested in doesn’t share those same feelings. It’s hard.

At least that’s what Y/N kept telling herself.

The day of her exam she turned her phone back on to see if he’d sent anything. Clearing the notifications from a couple of apps, her breath catching in her throat when she realised there was a missed call from an unsaved number and a voicemail that’d been left. She checked the voicemail first, holding her phone to my ear.

“Uhh, hey, Y/N. It’s Chris, uhh, the librarian you left your pizza for. I’m just, thank you so much, honesty, I’ve been studying my ass off for finals and keep forgetting to eat. So thank you. You didn’t have to, but I’m glad you did.”

Y/N smiled at the recorded message, finding Chris’ rambling adorable. And his voice, god, his voice was like heaven. She never wanted the rambling to stop.

“I’m c-calling from the library’s phone because, well, long story short, I-I dropped mine in a puddle and someone d-drove over it. And I don’t know w-why I told you that! It’s not relevant, shit. I’m s-sorry. Um, I was just k-kinda hoping that m-maybe, on the off chance that you d-don’t already have plans this F-Friday, if you’d like to j-join me for dinner? I, uhh,–” he couched to clear his throat, a nervous laugh sounded in the earpiece. “I’ll be at t-the library all day T-Thursday if you wanna g-give m...”

The dial tone sounded, letting her know that the message had been cut short since he’d exceeded the time limit. But luckily he’d left another message which started off with a small nervous laugh.

“I’m s-sorry, the last message was s-supposed to say I’ll be a-at the l-library all day Thursday if you w-want to give me a c-call or s-stop by. I m-mean, if y-you don’t that’s...l’life, I guess. I m-mean, I h-hope you do, b-but no p-pressure. I – J-Jesus, you’re r-really nailing this w-whole thing, B-Beck. Real s-smooth. If I s-see you, I see you, a-and if I-I don’t, w-well, I’m sorry for w-wasting your t-time. Good n-night, Y/N. T-Thank you again for t-the pizza.”

She saved the messages to her phone, unable to bring myself to delete them. Spending ten minutes replying to a few texts before grabbing everything she needed and heading to her exam, a plan in her head to catch up with Chris at the library afterwards.

+++

Y/N spent a total of two hours and thirty seven minutes in the exam, making sure she’d answered everything to the best of my ability before handing my paper in and making her trek across campus to the library. SHe was nervous, to say the least. Her hands sweaty as she gripped the straps of her backpack. Blowing out a shaky breath as the building came into her line of sight.

Campus was dead. There were only two more days of exams and then it was Christmas/New Year break. A few lights were strung up around the courtyard as she walked down the alley between two buildings. The library was one of the only places still open, housing a few students sipping coffees from the shop next door as they tried their hardest to absorb any information they needed to prepare themselves for their exam.

It was weird feeling like she’d done well in my exam. Like a huge weight had been lifted from my shoulders the second she passed through those doors. But it could have also been because she was going to see Chris at the library and confirm their date for tomorrow night.

Y/N was excited. Exams were over and she potentially had a date with the guy she’d been crushing on for months. And it was Christmas in a little under a week. Even though she wasn’t going home for the holiday there were a bunch of students in the dorms staying back and were planning their own Christmas shindig. They had a tree put up and decorated on the 8th floor. Y/N was making one of her favourite desserts.

Hannah, on the third floor, had a friend who’d been buying them alcohol to stock up on since the shops would all be closed and the majority of our plans consisted of drinking. Once they’d opened presents, of course. They’re not totally uncivilised.

Y/N unwrapped her scarf from her neck as she entered the library, automatically engulfed by a wall of warmth. She walked towards Chris at his desk. He was currently serving a customer but looked towards her when he noticed someone was standing to the side. A grin forming on his lips as he went back to serving the customer.

She didn’t mind waiting. Watching him bumble around, stammering over his words as he kept sneaking a look in her direction. The guy walked off with his books, leaving the pair alone to talk.

“H-hey. Uhh, hey,” Chris greeted nervously, walking out from behind the desk. Rubbing the back of his neck as he walked towards her.

“Hi,” she replied, breathing out a smile. “I guess I should properly introduce myself, huh? I’m Y/N.”

Y/N held her hand towards him and he smiled down at it as he grasped it with his own. “I’m Chris.” He looked up at her with the most mesmerising smile, his blue/grey eyes catching the light from above.

“So, tomorrow night…”

“I was h-hoping I could c-cook for you,” he said, rubbing his arm. “I’m a p-pretty good cook, and I-I’m kind of too b-broke to take you a-anywhere nice right n-now.”

Y/N laughed, appreciating his honesty. “A home cooked meal sounds lovely,” she assured him with a smile. “Did you want me to bring anything?”

He shook his head. “Just yourself.” He reached toward his desk for a pen and a piece of paper, quickly scribbling down his address before handing the paper to her. “Does s-six-thirty suit?”

“Perfect,” she replied, folding the paper and tucking it into her pocket for safe keeping. “I’ll see you tomorrow at six-thirty, Chris. Have a good night.”

“You too, Y/N,” he farewelled, cheeks tinged with warmth and a smile on his lips. “See-see ya tomorrow.”

She gave him a slightly awkward wave before turning around and leaving the library, taking a peek over her shoulder to look back at him. Still smiling after her. Raising his hand in a wave before she braved the cold weather outside. Wrapping her scarf around her neck and disappearing out the door.

+++

Y/N stood in the middle of the room dressed in only her underwear, hands on her hips as she looked at the selection of clothes laid out. A pair of jeans and a woollen jumper. A cute dress and some stockings, with a lovely warm coat. Her pyjamas.

A chill ran up her spine, making her reach for the jeans even though she desperately wanted to put her pj’s back on and go to bed. She wiggled the denim up her legs, doing a little hop, step and jump to bring the material over the curve of her ass. Huffing as she finally managed to pop the button through the hole and tug the zipper up. Grabbing a singlet to wear under a long sleeved shirt before putting a jumper on.

Her bed looked extremely inviting, piled with a thick duvet and deliciously soft, warm blankets. Still unmade from earlier today when she’d finally decided to crawl out of the warm nest and venture to Bobbie’s, since she’d agreed to buy her a nice bottle of wine for her date tonight.

She was nervous for her date with Chris, but was also extremely excited. It’d been awhile since she’d last been on a date, the last few having gone awry. But those guys weren’t awkward, stuttering Chris Beck. They were the over-confident, bordering on cocky assholes that assumed after a date she’d be willing to fuck them as a thank you. The first couple of dates had been average, as well as the sex, so eventually she just stopped going on dates.

She didn’t need a half-assed attempt at conversation when they both knew what direction the date was heading in, and more importantly, she didn’t deserve to be left high and dry after they came and left her to take care of herself. College guys are the worst. But she got the feeling that Chris wasn’t like that. Even though he planned on cooking her dinner at his place, it didn’t feel like an attempt to get her into his bed. she was excited to see how the shy, quiet guy treated a girl compared to the arrogant jerks she was used to seeing.

Y/N spent a small amount of time on her makeup, since she’d already applied it this morning. Just touching up a few areas here and there. Not wanting to overdo it, but still wanting to look nice.

She blew out a breath as she packed her makeup away and stuffed her feet into a pair of boots, sitting on the end of her bed as she laced them up. Taking a minute to gather er nerves as she looked at the alarm clock sitting on the bedside table, the glowing red numbers reading 18:04, letting her know she had less than half an hour to get to Chris’ place, and that her Uber should be here any minute.

Rising to her feet, Y/N shrugged into my jacket and tucked the bottle of wine into her purse. Her phone buzzing with a text from the Uber driver, letting her know he was outside, so hastily making her way down. Locking her dorm behind me.

The ride to Chris’ place took just over 20 minutes, Y/N’s leg bouncing with nerves the whole way. Rubbing her sweaty palms against her thighs. Thanking the driver as she climbed out of the car and walked up to the house, knocking on the door thrice.

She exhaled heavily, a smile coming easily to her face as soon as Chris opened the door. A bright smile on his own face.

“H-Hey, come in,” he greeted, stepping aside so she could come in out of the cold, already shrugging out of her coat.

“I know you said not to bring anything but I couldn’t show up empty handed,” Y/N said, hanging her coat up and pulling the wine from her purse, handing it over to him. “The finest wine eight dollars can buy.”

Chris chuckled as he closed the door. “Then l-let’s open it. S-Shall we?”

Y/N was already on her second glass when Chris finally served dinner, the delicious smell of a homemade roast chicken with all the fixings filling the little space.

The house itself was cozy. He lived with three other guys who were all home with their families for the holidays, but it was kept nice and tidy. She suspected because it was just him there at the moment.

They sat at the dining table to eat, a candle was lit between them, their glasses full of wine. A warmth to Chris’ cheeks from the alcohol, or from Y/N’s flirting. Perhaps both. Asking each other why they were still here instead of with their families. Her reason being that she couldn’t afford it, and his being that it was easier being apart for the holidays. Family is messy. That didn’t mean it was an easy decision for him to stay away. The hurt she saw on his face told her there was more to the story, but that he wasn’t ready to share it.

Dinner had been amazing, to the point that after they finished eating they stayed at the table drinking. Their faces lit up with the flickering light of the candle dancing over our skin.

He was beautiful. The way he spoke, wise beyond his years. Voice smooth, the alcohol ridding him of his stuttering, but slurring his speech. The corners of his eyes crinkling with each laugh, his hand covering his mouth as he giggled.

God, she was in deep, and it was only the first date.

+++

Y/N ended up inviting Chris to the halls for Christmas, telling him a bunch of them had plans to eat and drink and celebrate together because they couldn’t be with their families. He’d agreed to think about it, but when she’d swung by the library to see him on the 23rd he’d told her he’d be there.

It’d been a couple of Christmases that he’d spent the holiday alone, and now that an opportunity presented itself where he didn’t have to be, he’d be stupid not to go at least for a couple of hours. That was what he’d told her when she’d happily embraced him, anyway.

And now it was Christmas day and Y/N was waiting in the lobby of the building to let Chris in. He’d said he’d be there around ten, and it had just gone five past. She was starting to get a little fidgety when he knocked on the glass door. She stood up to open it for him, my mood changing from upset to happy upon seeing his face.

“S-Sorry I’m a little l-late,” he apologised, shrugging out of his jacket. “It’s i-icy and I k-kept s-slippin’ over.”

Y/N laughed and shook her head. “I’m sorry for laughing,” she replied. “I’m glad you made it here in one piece, though.”

“So am I.” He smiled.

“C’mon. The party’s already started.”

SHe took his hand in hers and led him towards the elevators, his gloved fingers slipping between her own as the doors opened and they stepped inside. She hit the button for the eighth floor and held her key to the sensor, and only then did the elevator work. Taking them up to the eighth.

“Thank-thank you for i-inviting me again,” he said softly.

“Thank you for agreeing to come,” she told him, smiling up at him and giving his hand a squeeze.

The party was in full swing when the elevator doors opened. They had to wait for a couple of guys racing on swivel chairs in the hallway to roll past before they could exit.

“You can chuck your stuff in my room to keep it safe if ya want,” I offered and he nodded, letting her drag him around the hallway until they reached her room. Using her keys to unlock the door and then pushing it open, letting him walk in first.

He sat his bag on the desk and hung his coat up on the rack, unwrapping his scarf from his neck. “I h-hope ya d-don’t mind,” he said as she leant against the doorframe. “B-But I bought u-us a b-bottle of that w-wine.”

“I don’t mind at all,” Y/N said as he handed the bottle to her, smiling at him as she grabbed two plastic glasses from her desk drawer and set them on the desk. Opening the bottle and pouring themselves a glass each. Ignoring the chaos out in the hallway, handing one of the glasses to him. “To the finest wine eight dollars can buy.”

His hand came up to cup her jaw, thumb brushing over her cheek lightly as he stared at er. Gaze flickering from her eyes to her lips and back to her eyes.

“And to n-not being alone on C-Christmas,” he added softly.

“And to not being alone on Christmas,” she repeated, clinking her glass with his and having a sip as he did the same.

“Can-can I…” he stuttered, looking back down at her lips as he shuffled closer.

“Kiss me, Chris,” she whispered.

He dipped his head and pressed his lips to hers, no trace of hesitation in his actions. Kissing her with certainty. Lips firm against her own at first, softening when she kissed him back almost instantly. Tasting like the wine they’d just drank.

Only detaching when Brooke waltzed in and announced it was time for presents. She was gone as soon as she arrived, moving onto the next room.

“I, uhh...” Chris downed his drink. “I’m not c-expectin’ anything in r-return, but I wanted to g-give you some-somethin’.” He reached into his bag and pulled out a tupperware container. “I m-made you some cookies. F-Family recipe. I-I hope you l-like ‘em.”

Y/N rose to her tiptoes and pressed another kiss to his lips as she graciously accepted the container from him. “Thank you, Chris,” she replied, smiling as she set the container and her wine on the desk. Opening one of her clothing drawers and pulling out a hoodie she’d seen at an op shop. “I haven’t seen you wearing this design so I wasn’t sure if you’ve got it or not.”

He took the hoodie from her and his eyes lit up when he unfolded it, a large grin spreading across his face. Reaching for the back of the current sweatshirt he was wearing and pulling it over his head so he could put it on.

“I wasn’t sure about the size…”

He shook his head after pulling it over his head, sliding his arms through it. Wrapping his arms around her waist and lifting her off the ground, a laugh escaping her lips before he silenced her with a kiss.

“It’s great–it’s the greatest g-gift anyone has ever g-given me,” he confessed. “Thank you, Y/N. S-So much.”

Y/N laughed and shook her head. “You’re welcome,” she told him. “Merry Christmas, Chris.”

“M-Merry Christmas, Y/N,” he said back, the most joyous expression on his face.

“You wanna go and watch everyone else open presents or stay here and make out a little bit?” She asked him, her hands running through his hair.

Heat rose to his cheeks as he coughed. “Uhh, m-make out a little b-bit,” he replied honestly.

+++

With the holiday’s over and done with, a mistletoe kiss and a New Years Eve kiss crossed off her bucket list, college classes had officially started back up. Chris and Y/N had made things official before they welcomed in the New Year together, and they’d been on several dates since he first cooked her dinner.

She’d met his roommates, mostly because she spent a lot of her free time at his place. They seemed nice enough – typical guy behaviour trying to piss Chris off by hitting on her. Though he knew she only had eyes for him.

He’d met her roommate, who’d badgered him with question after question since she’d given her no warning that she now had a boyfriend. So she’d returned back from break to find him asleep in Y/N’s bed. No funny business had been happening. They’d just been sleeping after a long first day back of classes.

Her flight had been delayed time and time again, which was why she had no idea when she was coming back; because she didn’t know herself until she was boarding her flight.

It was fine. She was cool with it. And she was happy that Y/N’d finally met a guy who treated her the way she deserved.

Y/N was too. He was so good to her. And she always made sure to look after him, too. When he let her.

It was Tuesday today and he still had his shift at the library to complete before he’d go home. She knew he never took anything to eat with him – knowledge she’d gained from past experience, – so after making her own dinner, she took a container full of lasagne to the library for him.

It was still warm when she got there, sneaking up behind him and wrapping her arms around his waist, tucking myself under his arm.

“Hi-hi, beautiful,” he greeted with a soft chuckle. “I d-didn’t think I’d get t-to see you today.”

Y/N hummed as she leant up to press a kiss to his cheek. “Brought you dinner,” she told him. “Because I know you never bring anything to work.”

“Thank you,” he told her, kissing her forehead as he took the container from her hand. “Lasagne?”

Y/N hummed, producing a fork from her pocket and placing it on top of the container. “Yeah. I hope you enjoy.”

“Can’t stay?”

“Afraid not,” she replied. “Got a lot of reading to catch up on that I was supposed to do over the holiday but I got a little sidetracked.”

“It’s that b-boyfriend of yours, I t-tell ya,” he said, nuzzling his nose into her hair. “He’s a b-bad influence.”

Y/N laughed. Loud. “He’s lucky I love him.”

“He–you, what?”

“I love you.”

And she did. He was the kind of guy you knew from the moment you met him that you’d fall in love with him. All the blushing looks and nervous laughter, piled in with how much of a genuinely nice guy he was...it was a no brainer. She’d happily fallen in love with him.

“I-I love you, too-too. Shit, no. I can say this without stutt-stuttering.” He took a deep breath and steadied himself, cupping my face with both of his hands. Dinner all but forgotten about. “I love-lo, no. Wait-wait. I love you too.”

#chris beck #chris beck x reader #chris beck x you #chris beck fanfic #chris beck fanfiction #*hush

158 notes · View notes

knightmathias · 4 years

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task 01: spring play audition ( macbeth ) !

notes: don’t give him macbeth thank u i want him to go batshit LMAO im kidding but rlly dont give him macbeth

i also couldn’t figure out how to put this in organically but mathias def knows that a LOT of the others are gunning for macbeth too!!! but he’s never been worried bc he knows for sure he’s always going to get the lead roles so he never really thinks about anyone else, i think it’ll be great for him to not only NOT get macbeth but not even a really big role full stop ? i don’t think it makes sense for heidi to give him a SMALL role maybe bc he IS technically really fuckin good but i also dont think heidi think it’s Best to give him a huge role anyway like she can see the Laziness in him and “acting for the wrong reasons” / not improving as an actor bc he’s never been in the spot to need to!!!!!!

Calling it a problem sounded so serious, you think derisively. Your hands are brushing over the small packet of coke you’ve placed on the desk, eyebrows furrowed. You’ve got ten minutes until your audition, and whilst Heidi doesn’t seem to be the type of person to appreciate tardiness, you’re not used to bending yourself to follow the rules. So you’ll be late. Big deal.

Calling it a problem, you continue thinking, getting your thoughts back on track. Calling it a problem was silly. An addiction would come in the form of your sister Ana, who could never stop herself. And even then, she’s fine. High every time you see her these days, maybe, but she’s fine -- Bad things don’t happen to the Knights. Only good things. Only good things.

Still, you sweep the bag into your desk drawer instead, out of sight. You don’t need it right now, the temptation was just a little too much when you have the bag in front of you; you’re certainly not nervous about this audition at all. Sure, you haven’t really worked on practising much -- but you never do, right? And sure, you’ve been more distracted as of late -- falling in and out of [the statue’s] bed, preoccupied by Orson’s death. But you either have the star quality or you don’t, it’s what your parents have always taught you. Working hard is good, but it’s for the ones that don’t have it, who want what you have. You’ve run through your lines a few times, you know it’s going to be good.

( And sure, you’ve taken to drinking more and smoking more and done a few more lines lately than would be considered smart. But you don’t talk about that. You don’t even think about that. What’s too much? What’s too far? When is enough enough when you’ve been like this, been around this, your whole life? It’s the glamourous life of theatre, baby, it’s just show biz. )

You take your phone out of your pocket to check the time. 4 minutes. Plenty of time then.

There’s a glass filled halfway of vodka and Coke on your bed stand, not quite finished from the night before. You pick it up and down it, even though it’s gone flat by now. The alcohol to take the edge off, but you won’t admit there’s an edge to you anyway. Liquid luck instead, maybe, but when have you ever needed luck? For the enjoyment, then, is what you reason. Why waste perfectly good alcohol?

By the time you arrive, Heidi’s voice cuts to you, unimpressed. “You’re twelve minutes late.”

“Had to make sure my hair was pretty,” you say charmingly, the cheek usually endearing to others. Orson would’ve loved your response, would’ve grinned and joked back, would’ve said something about the importance of appearance on stage. Orson would’ve ---

But it’s not Orson. It’s Heidi, and she doesn’t seem to think you’re being funny at all.

“I think it’s best if you just start, since you’re running late.”

But you’ve already made your way onto the stage.

"Mathias Knight,” you say, stage voice on. Your teeth glint white in the light as you flash a professional smile, but Heidi doesn’t seem to return it. “I’m auditioning for the role of Macbeth. I’ve chosen to do Macbeth’s speech from Act 2 Scene 1 -- Enjoy.”

There’s no surprise on Heidi’s face at your announcement of choice, but you don’t let it deter you. Of course it’s predictable, to go for Macbeth and to do this scene, but does it matter what you audition with, when your talent will showcase either way? You want Macbeth and you’re going to get it, you always do. There was no point putting in more work than its worth, when performing Macbeth’s most famous soliloquy did the same job.

Heidi nods, so you take a deep breath and settle into your role effortlessly. You’ve heard the others talk about needing to have an emotional connection to the role they’re playing, and you’ve never quite understood it -- you’ve played characters you could hardly even fathom being similar to, but you’ve played them excellently nonetheless. Acting, for you, is not about the emotion, or the personal, or the leaving of your body behind. It’s about the skill and the technique and the way you perform it -- because that’s what it is, isn’t it? It’s a performance. It’s a performance and you’re conscious of that fact every moment you are on that stage, your own kingdom. You connect with the characters because you need to, but it’s always been on that surface level, knowing you are playing them. You are not Macbeth. That much is clear. But you’re a damn good actor.

“Is this a dagger which I see before me, / The handle toward my hand? Come, let me clutch thee...”

You’ve never known fear, or delusion, like Macbeth in this scene -- but that’s never been why you’re so good. You can push passion and emotion out of your voice so well that no one could ever see the difference, you can bend and contort your face in the same anguish and people will believe it. What is a tragedy to someone who’s never experienced the bad? It’s just: tragedy. It’s a word. It means nothing.

( Tragedy: a play dealing with tragic events and having an unhappy ending, especially one concerning the downfall of the main character. )

( Of course you’re the main character, you’re always the main character. There’s nothing forgettable about the way you hold yourself, the way you speak, the way you move. The downfall of the main character. But you’ve not done anything wrong, have you? You didn’t murder Orson. What’s the worse crime you’ve committed? A few stolen grams of coke? Petty thievery, small crime -- who is hurting from your lack of consequences? No one. You were born indestructible. You’re pretty sure you’re going to die that way too. )

( An unhappy ending. Darling, your story is hardly far from over yet. )

When you finish the soliloquy, that powerful feeling that settles in your bones every time you perform, you half-expect an applause. You were objectively good and there’s no other way that that could be twisted. Instead, you look out and only meet Heidi’s eyes, facial expression unreadable. For a moment, you’d forgotten, waiting for Orson to tell you how brilliant you were.

But Orson wasn’t here. Isn’t it funny it only hits you in the gut every time you want something from him? His approval felt like an applause from an adoring crowd. His approval confirmed everything you’ve ever known about yourself, and you didn’t realise you craved it so badly until you were faced with the absence of it.

Several beats of silence. You’re waiting for her to say something, but when she doesn’t, you say, “So?”

Finally, Heidi shrugs. “It was an impressive performance. Truthfully, one of the best I’ve seen today.”

At that, you square your shoulders, basking in the compliment. What’s the best part of acting for you? You’ve heard others say things like slipping out of their own body and mind, into someone else’s. No, for you, you bleed yourself out on stage for this: the roaring approval.

But Heidi isn’t done talking. She adds, “I just don’t know if it’s enough.”

You blink. “Pardon me, but what?”

“What do you think about when you’re acting on stage, Mathias?”

The question takes you by surprise. “I think -- I think about the role I’m playing.”

Heidi shakes her head. “The thing is -- I just don’t think you do. I think you’re thinking about the praise you’ll get.”

“Is that such a bad thing?” You don’t have a bad temper, you’ve never been forced to. But irritation ignites within you, an uncomfortable and unfamiliar feeling.

She considers you for a moment, and you’ve never felt self-conscious in your life, least of all on a stage. She considers you for a moment, and you feel suddenly very naked, like she’s looking at something deep within you and she’s not liking what she sees.

“Thank you for your time, Mathias,” she says abruptly.

“No,” falls out of your mouth first, because you’re not used to being dismissed, not used to failing. She said it was one of the best performances she’s seen today, but suddenly it doesn’t feel enough.

Her eyebrows raise.

“You said it yourself that I’m good,” you say hurriedly. “I’m the best, and you know it. You can dislike me all you like --”

“Mathias, I don’t dislike you --”

“But I know I’m good,” you continue, as if uninterrupted. “When I’m on that stage, it doesn’t matter who likes me as Mathias and who doesn’t; all that matters is that the audience does. I’ve been playing the lead my whole life for a reason, and they’ll all call it arrogance, but there’s nothing wrong in knowing that I’m good. That I’m the best. Who cares if I’m connecting emotionally to the characters? I’m one of the best actors on this program and it’s for a reason, and I’m sorry it’s not the reason you want it to be, but talent is a reason in itself. That’s what Orson told me. Orson said I have what it takes. Orson said I was going to do big things. Orson said --”

“Mathias,” Heidi cuts off neatly, and there’s something in her voice that you can’t place. Pity, maybe? But you’ve never been pitied before. What is there to pity in you? You’re the star. You’re always the fucking star. “I’m not Orson.”

The sentence guts you in a way it shouldn’t, and you blink at the aftermath of your outburst.

“Thank you for your time, Mathias,” she says again, firmer.

This time, you move off the stage, towards the door. The only thing you can think about is how badly you need a drink.

#no editing we post first drafts like men #ensembletask #god im reading it thru and it's so choppy and weird but im going to post anyway enjoy xoxo #( self para ! )

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dabistits · 5 years

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Himiko & emotional intelligence

This is an aspect of Himiko that I deeply appreciate and want to talk about here, especially since I haven’t seen a comprehensive post about this character trait. I think this is especially important given her desire to Kill and Replace, but it also contradicts portrayals of Himiko that construe her as not particularly smart or strategic. Emotional intelligence is actually a huge asset of hers, in many terms, including as a weapon. She exhibits a profound and seemingly intuitive understanding of other people’s emotions and can modify her own behavior accordingly for her own ends. Below is a listed breakdown with specific examples, in no particular order of importance:

1. Intuitive understanding of unspoken feelings

This is probably the most prominent example, and which we see time and again. Himiko repeatedly makes assertions based off tangential information, which she surmises into an accurate reading of other people’s character. Ochako and Izuku are basically complete strangers to her, but with minimal interaction, Himiko’s able to deduce important relationships to both of them. In the latter examples, while Izuku and Jin have alluded to their feelings to or around her, Himiko cuts right to the heart of the issue: not only does Izuku hold Ochako’s abilities in a conflict situation in high regard, he trusts her; not only does Jin feel guilty for Magne’s death, he feels the most guilt, and cooperating with the yakuza hurts him because of his guilt.

She confidently makes a statement about three different characters, and she’s shown to be correct in how she interprets their feelings. Her intuitive deduction often acts as a narrative device to show authorial intent (that Ochako does have a crush, that Izuku does trust her, Jin does feel guilt), so it’s important that her statements are accurate. As a result, she happens to become one of the most emotionally perceptive characters in the series, almost to an unnerving degree, able to correctly make snap judgments about people’s feelings and relationships. But how else do you use a quirk like Transform, right?

2. Blending into her role

We’ve so far seen Himiko in four different transformations (Rock Lock isn’t on here because I got lazy lol). Quite obviously, she’s not perfect—Kemi’s classmates at Shiketsu notes that she’s been acting weird, and Izuku quickly figures out that the Ochako he rescued during the Hero License Exam was an imposter. That said, Himiko does several things very well that shows it’s not carelessness on her part, so much as reasonable limitations given how much she knows about each of these people.

Starting from the obvious: her mannerisms. Himiko adjusts her mannerisms according to whomever she’s imitating, including expressions, body language, and (I’m assuming, w/o the requisite Japanese knowledge to go on) speech. Her personas are distinctive in each instance, and tailored to suit the situation they’re in, from Ochako’s sheepish look to Izuku’s direct, urgent communication. Himiko assumes a, at the very least, passable imitation of people she’s, again, barely met, adopting salient behavioral traits so she doesn’t easily get found out. Even when Izuku calls her out, he points out technical flaws in her imitation of Ochako (that she didn’t float, the lack of planning when coming to save him) rather than obvious tells from personality.

That said, where and when Himiko uses her Transform ability is also strategic in nature. For sustained periods of transformation, she selected a target who she could imitate more easily, whose strangeness would be more likely to get overlooked. Shishikura Seiji says this about Kemi:

Himiko’s target and surroundings are carefully chosen to minimize chances of discovery, all strategic considerations that rely on an ability to read the atmosphere and people’s dispositions. She makes use of moments of confusion and plays off of people’s (but especially heroes’) need to react and help, betting on them to act before asking too many questions. This also raises an interesting question for me: in the hero license exam as Ochako, did she fall deliberately, counting on Izuku to catch her? Canon doesn’t make it particularly clear either way, but to speculate about it is fun in its own way.

3. Curiosity towards others

This trait ties in obviously to Himiko’s fixation on Kill and Replace, but it also serves to expand her understanding of other people. By asking these questions in her drive to satisfy her curiosity, Himiko must also necessarily take in and process the information she receives in response, so she necessarily acquires an (emotional) understanding towards others. While this line is directed to Izuku, her interrogation of him broadens her perspective about not only Izuku himself, but those who are like him—in this case, heroes. Both Himiko and Tomura (in the mall scene) seek out Izuku to elucidate certain ways of thinking that are foreign to them, and seem to come away from the interaction with some knowledge gained about the enemy. While Tomura is the one who clearly grew during his encounter, in beginning to use his acquired philosophy to gain legitimacy, it would be inaccurate to say Himiko gained nothing from hers, even if it was marginal enough not to be addressed in the canon narrative yet. She’ll obviously have more interaction with Izuku in the future though, so there should be plenty of opportunity to show how this encounter affected her too.

4. Using emotional information for her own ends

All of her skills amount to this—a brilliant play in the Hideout Invasion Arc that is vastly under-appreciated. Let’s set the scene: she and Twice have been drafted into the yakuza, whom neither of them much like, and now they’re embroiled in the yakuza’s affairs which involves a confrontation with heroes. They’re disadvantaged in terms of sheer physical power, they’re trapped in the battlezone with a significant risk of getting arrested, and their true target (Overhaul) is quickly making his escape while Mimic slows everyone down. Mimic is someone with whom she’d had a brief but antagonistic interaction that we know of, maybe more went on off-screen. Regardless, she understands enough about this person to figure out where he’s hiding (which stupefied the heroes), and exactly what to do to make him reveal himself against all his best interests. How she goes about this sets the course for the rest of the chapter.

With the right combination of words, she coaxes Mimic into self-sabotaging by revealing his location, and the heroes react exactly as she wanted them to. They prioritize subduing Mimic; once Izuku catches on to where he’s hiding, he takes him out, and it occupies all of the heroes for just long enough for her and Twice to make their escape. Himiko talks the situation into her favor, and ends up with one of the most troublesome yakuza members out of the way, and the road cleared for Twice and herself to execute their own plan to sabotage Overhaul.

I don’t think I need to go on about how amazing it is to manipulate a chain of events like that. Suffice to say that achieving such a result required a remarkable understanding of Mimic’s character and tics. She knew what to say that would dig the most at his insecurities, what would piss him off the most, and how the heroes would react. Basically, she played them, pretty much effortlessly and with very little time to think everything through. As stated in point 1, her ability to grasp a situation and all personalities involved seems pretty much intuitive, allowing her take advantage of what is going on around her. This is one of those scenes when the cunning of a character truly shines through, and it happens by allowing Himiko to take control of the situation just by reading someone’s personality and emotions.

5. Emotional intelligence=empathy?

One would think that this all amounts to an extremely sympathetic reading of her, and Himiko does tend to get very sympathetic reactions out of fans. After all, she’s redeemable by her age, she’s fun, and she has extremely endearing interactions with Twice. People particularly like to cite the scene above as evidence that she’s empathetic, and therefore not just a surface-level sadistic serial killer. I somewhat agree on these points, but although I’ve just spent a lot of words detailing indications of her emotional intelligence, I hesitate to assert that it necessarily makes her more predictable in terms of her loyalties or willingness to self-sacrifice.

So as to not get too deeply into what other people think or don’t think, I’ll just present my own argument here. While Himiko does show herself to be perceptive towards other people’s feelings, upset at the team’s loss of Magne, and reassuring when Twice is distressed, it may not come from a totally selfless, empathetic place. This is something of an extrapolation from her behavior in other instances, like the serial killing lmfao, but also this bit towards Tomura:

When faced with the possibility of doing something she doesn’t like, her reaction drastically differs from Twice. Twice is hurt by Tomura asking them to join the yakuza, but Himiko doesn’t seem to feel hurt; rather than echo Twice’s plea for consideration, her reaction is a logical, problem-solving attempt to remove the element that is making her do that which she dislikes. Her gesture towards Tomura is antagonistic. Her expression is placid, she even calls Tomura by his first name, but her action is a threat, making it clear she will hurt someone to get her way.

What I read from this interaction is that, to Himiko, people are disposable if they become ‘unpleasant.’ It’s the people on her good side who warrant her reassurance, but given that it’s Tomura she threatens here, that can change at the drop of a pin. This is why I hesitate to point to her emotional intelligence as something that indicates unconditional loyalty or compassion; there is very clearly a self-centered and opportunistic streak in the way Himiko evaluates people around her and her relationships to them, and that’s a trait that’s often overlooked. People are welcome to interpret her however they want, but I think her willingness to rebel against and threaten the people she deems friends is something that bears acknowledging.

6. Bonus: she still cares to remark on what Tomura thinks though

IT’S CUTE, that’s all.

Emotional intelligence doesn't always point to good deeds and intentions, and I think this aspect of it is ignored when it comes to Himiko. Focus on her character tends towards the moments when she's being compassionate (and I get that because it's really cute) but I feel like it undersells how manipulative she can be. She regularly uses her people skills to infiltrate, confuse, and sabotage, which is also very a interesting and fun part of her character. She can be strategic! She can be cunning! It's just a different type of intelligence that most of our main characters exhibit, especially in terms of how she uses it, but that's also part of what makes her a great villain.

#bnha meta #himiko toga #toga himiko

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aion-rsa · 3 years

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Never Have I Ever Season 2 Review: This Netflix Teen Comedy Deserves to Run and Run

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Warning: contains spoilers for Never Have I Ever series one.

In a shareholder letter sent almost exactly one year to the release of Never Have I Ever season two, Netflix singled the Mindy Kaling-Lang Fisher teen show out for praise. Not praise as any human being being might put it, but acknowledgement of the half-hour comedy having “notched success” as a “key content vertical” – the words every showrunner wants to hear.

Within a month of release, announced Netflix, 40 million households worldwide (roughly equivalent to the population of California, where the series is set) had streamed Never Have I Ever’s first season, which followed Los Angeles teen Devi Vishwakumar navigating high school in the months after the very sudden, very public death of her father. The ratings received an undeniable boost from the pandemic keeping everybody at home, but this series deserves them. With sharp writing, a winning lead performance and a fresh cultural perspective on coming-of-age comedy (Devi is the US-born child of first generation Indian immigrants), the show had plenty going for it before Covid-19 gave it a shot in the arm.

Season two picks up where the first left off, both story and tone-wise, then takes Devi to some darker emotional places as she continues to deal with the loss of her dad. Her anger becomes a theme, as do her jealousy and insecurity following the arrival of new Indian student Aneesa (Megan Suri) at Sherman Oaks High. Devi’s motor-mouth sessions with therapist Dr Ryan (Niecy Nash) start to achieve the same ability to switch between light-hearted laughs and brutal sadness as Rachel Bloom’s Crazy Ex-Girlfriend.

Romantically, Devi is still caught between two boys – wealthy, brainy former-nemesis Ben (Jaren Lewison) and popular dreamboat slacker Paxton (Darren Barnet). She’s also still on thin ice with pals Fab and Eleanor (Lee Rodriguez and Ramona Young). The teen characters are as brightly drawn as the show’s hot pink title card, and their scenes power along with fast-talking, self-aware, Clueless-style dialogue. They’re mostly familiar high school types – a robotics geek, a theatre nerd, a heartthrob – but types renewed by their distinct cultural, ethnic, sexual and gender identities. From a hurtful rumour to a prom queen campaign, season two plays out familiar scenarios in high school drama, but scenarios refreshed and refocused through the specific perspective of who is playing them out.

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Season two gets the chance to explore some of those perspectives in more satisfying detail than last time. Fabiola’s identity crisis for instance, doesn’t end when she comes out as a lesbian, and Paxton won’t be the only one educated by a brief exploration of his Japanese family history. Inspired by co-creator Mindy Kaling adolescence, Devi’s Indian family is still rightly centre-stage, and it’s great to see both her mother Nalini (Poorna Jagannathan) and her cousin Kamala (Richa Moorjani) given solid B-plots this time around.

Moorjani deals with a sexist workplace conflict that develops Kamala’s character while commenting on the dubious advice women are often given on ‘playing the game’. (Though it takes place in a university laboratory, Kamala finding herself the only woman, and the only woman of colour, in a nerdy male clique might just have parallels with Kaling’s background in US comedy writers’ rooms.) Satisfyingly for Kamala and Nalini, season two doesn’t give Devi a monopoly on romantic complications, either.

Really though, this is Devi’s show. Actor Maitreyi Ramakrishnan remains the glittering disco ball at its centre. She’s a hugely charismatic lead who skips – like many of Mindy Kaling’s characters – effortlessly along the line between self-absorbed and endearing. Picked from over 15,000 candidates in an open audition, so the story goes, new face Ramakrishnan is a star with a natural talent for comedy.

She has good support from this cast, which includes fun smaller roles like desperate-to-be-on-the-right-side-of history teacher Mr Shapiro (Adam Shapiro), the aforementioned Dr Ryan, and Ben’s oblivious mother Vivian (Angela Kinsey). Ramakrishnan’s main co-star of course, is John McEnroe, who continues as the show’s unlikely narrator, peppering Devi’s story with anecdotes from his tennis career and telling us that he respectfully averts his gaze in her kissing scenes. It’s a pleasure too, for the series to indulge some of its more magical leanings with appearances by Heroes‘ Sendhil Ramamurphy as Devi’s dead father Mohan.

Season two of this high key, self-referential comedy is funnier, more confident, and delves deeper into its characters. It’s unafraid to give its lead unsympathetic behaviour, and manages to touch on serious matters without losing its comedic heart. We may have seen all the love triangle, prom and teen cliques on screen before, but we haven’t seen this particular iteration. It’s a fast-talking, brightly coloured, fizzy depiction of US teen life that updates the conventions of high school shows with a diverse cast and a modern comedic voice. If the second season can notch more success as a key content vertical for Netflix, this deserves to run and run.

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Never Have I Ever season 2 lands on Netflix on Thursday July 15th.

The post Never Have I Ever Season 2 Review: This Netflix Teen Comedy Deserves to Run and Run appeared first on Den of Geek.

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astrcldust · 7 years

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loving her was red

Read on Ao3

Summary: Piper’s relationship with Annabeth was like heaven. She’d never in her life dreamed of something as great as them. But as all good things must come to an end, the two were violently separated. Piper can’t take it. She reminisces on the good, the bad, and the ugly of her and the blonde that stole her heart. Losing her was blue. Missing her was dark gray. But loving her was red.

Words: 14,686

Notes: Here’s my fic for @pjofemslashminibang!! I worked pretty hard on this and I’m quite proud of it. My partner was @gaynalypso, check out her edit! I hope you enjoy <3

Thoughts. Piper tried to not let the thoughts consume her mind. She was fairly well trained at it. The mind could be easily distracted. Give it some insignificant task to complete and it’ll drop whatever was plaguing its thoughts and numb everything. But there was only so many things to do to distract yourself. The thing is, what you weren’t trying to think about always came back in some way. The more you try not to think of something, the more you can’t stop thinking about it. No matter how much Piper tried to erase her mind, no matter how desperately she craved for nothing to remain, it was always back.

She’d gotten used to feeling empty inside. Yet, she was filled with emotion. What do you do when you feel everything and nothing all at the same time? Being alone in her bedroom didn’t help much either. She tried to distance herself from everything. The public. The internet. She’d rather distract herself with things like books or art. Sometimes other people and technology just made her feel worse. But that left her so alone. Too alone. And so, the thoughts remained.

Piper didn’t even want to say her name. She spelled out the letters in her mind. A-N-N-A-B-E-T-H C-H-A-S-E. Just the very thought of that name tugged at Piper’s heartstrings. The girl that made Piper feel. The one who made Piper feel as if she was flying and crashing to the ground. She suddenly felt a cold chill wash over her body. Piper gripped her blanket tightly in her hands and brought it up and around her shoulders. The blanket became her sanctuary. She used it to block out everything.

All of a sudden, Piper had an epiphany. Could you really call it that? It was more of a mere thought. Yet in Piper’s world, it meant so much more than it seemed. Piper had experience with bottling up her emotions. It never went well. She crammed and crammed feelings into a bottle that would inevitably burst at what was most likely the worst time for her to break. Maybe if she allowed herself to think, allowed herself to feel, allowed herself to cry, the pain might just go away.

Piper took a deep breath and shut her eyes tight. Closing her eyes seemed to help with intense emotions. With the smallest bit of regret, Piper began to break down the mind walls she’d worked so hard to build up. She let thoughts and memories wiggle their way through the cracks and escape to the front of her mind. The girl felt another tug on her heartstrings as she let the familiar yet so far away girl enter her daydreams.

“Loving her is like driving a new Maserati down a dead-end street.

Faster than the wind, passionate as sin, ending so suddenly.”

Piper remembered it like it was yesterday. She sat at the empty table for two with her warm fall coffee. She only ever liked Starbucks during the fall, actually. The autumn drinks were probably in Piper’s top ten list of things she’d die for. She didn’t mind the lonely table either. She’d gotten used to it. Jason and Leo never had time to go out for coffee anymore. They were busy with work. Not that Piper wasn’t, she was just a terrible procrastinator. The girl took a sip of her drink and placed it on the table. She then noticed the woman making her way towards her table. Piper’s heart rate immediately began to speed up. The girl had long, curly blonde princess locks pulled up into a ponytail and the stormiest, most intimidating gray eyes Piper had ever seen. She wore a casual blue blazer with a white undershirt and jeans. The girl was absolutely gorgeous in her own special way. “Shit,” Piper whispered, hoping the girl hadn’t heard her very eloquent choice of vocabulary as their first interaction.

To her delight and/or horror, the girl approached her. Piper worried her cute smile would blind her. How could someone get their teeth so white? “Is this seat taken? The rest of the café is full so I was wondering if I could sit with you. It’s alright if you want to be alone, though,” the girl spoke.

Piper almost choked on her own words. “Uhm, yeah it’s fi-I mean the seat’s not taken I- you can sit down.” Piper mentally slapped herself at how stupid that “could you even call it a sentence” was. That was the best impression she could do? The girl didn’t seem to notice though, as she sat down and placed her drink on the table, unfazed. It looked like tea, but Piper was unsure.

“I’m Annabeth.” The girl introduced herself. “Annabeth Chase.” She even had a pretty name. Curse this girl for being so appealing.

“Piper McLean,” She replied, the corners of her lips tugging upwards slightly.

“Like the actor?” Annabeth asked. She seemed inquisitive. Like she wanted to know all the secrets of the world. Piper got the impression that she was smart. Incredibly so.

“Yep, it’s me, the famous daughter of Tristan McLean,” Piper said, a “hint” of sarcasm blended into those words. She hated introducing herself as her father’s daughter. It wasn’t like she hated being his kid, she loved her father dearly. But, she couldn’t stand the reactions of some people.

“Really? I thought I recognized you from somewhere. Maybe you were on the news once. Must be nice having a famous dad.”

Piper laughed. “Yeah, it’s great being the delinquent daughter overshadowed by her father’s talents. And damn, I gotta work on my disguise if you recognized me.” It wasn’t technically a lie. She did try and make herself look as normal as possible in public. Not only was she the daughter of an actor, but she was pretty attractive. Piper wasn’t being narcissistic. She knew it was true, and absolutely hated that truth. All anyone cared about was her looks. Nobody ever asked her what she liked or tried to get to know her. Only questions about her dad and compliments on her appearance. (She appreciated the compliments, but they were excessive). Bless Leo and Jason. They were some of the few people that got her.

Annabeth’s laugh rang through Piper’s ears and she was disappointed when it ended. She wanted to keep hearing that endearing laugh all her life. Was that a crazy thought? Piper brushed it off. “Well if it makes you feel any better, I didn’t sit here ‘cause I thought you were the daughter of an actor. I sat here ‘cause there were no more seats.”

“Ha ha very funny. I can see some empty seats, so you sit on a throne of lies.”

Annabeth shrugged. “You got me. Is it illegal for a girl to sit with a cute girl she finds in a coffee shop?” Piper immediately felt her face flush. She never blushed so naturally. How could Annabeth do this so effortlessly? This compliment felt different than the ones she usually received. This one was genuine.

“Oh, I-uh, no I guess not,” Piper stuttered but smiled at her own stupidity. The red tint on her cheeks seemed to refuse to disappear. Annabeth must have noticed. She seemed observant and you definitely couldn’t miss it. Oh well, let her look. Even if Annabeth saw it, their conversation carried on.

Piper was surprised at how smoothly it went. She’d never had such an in-depth conversation with a stranger. Even if it was just about college and pets and family, it seemed special. Piper hadn’t hit it off with someone that well since she met Leo and Jason in high school. And there was something different about Annabeth. She made Piper’s heart feel like it was on a never ending roller coaster, constantly going up, down, and in a loop. Piper had to resist smiling to herself when she watched Annabeth excitedly ramble about her future career in architecture and how she wanted to build something permanent. Piper found out she was a huge nerd, which wasn’t that surprising. Piper couldn’t really talk, she was a super-geek. And even though she didn’t understand what Annabeth was talking about when she mentioned her blueprints, she loved watching the blonde move her hands up and down as she spoke. Piper could get used to this feeling.

“Piper?” Annabeth said, jerking Piper out of her trance. She realized she’d been staring at Annabeth. Embarrassing. She then realized her phone was ringing, and her ringtone was none other than the Attack On Titan theme. Embarrassing times two. Piper quickly grabbed her phone and answered, shutting the load anime music off.

“Hello,” she grunted frantically.

“Hey Piper, where are you?” It was Jason. “We have that science test in thirty minutes.”

“Crap,” Piper muttered. She’d lost track of time and didn't realize she had an exam. “I'm at a coffee place. I'll be there as soon as I can. Stall for me if I'm late?”

“I'm sure Leo will.” He then hung up. Annabeth looked concerned, her eyebrows furrowed in worry.

“I have a test in half an hour, so I gotta run. Sorry to cut...this off.”

“Oh, that’s okay.” Piper knew she had to, but she really didn't want to leave. She loved talking to Annabeth, and really wanted to keep doing it. She wanted to keep contacting the cute girl from the coffee shop, so she then did something she never thought she would have. She pulled a pen out of her pocket, snatched Annabeth’s now empty coffee cup, and scrawled her number onto it. Piper placed the cup back down and stood.

“Bye!” She waved and then hurried off. Piper couldn't help but look back as she was leaving the café and saw a warm smile on Annabeth’s face. Piper’s face flushed, and she couldn't help grinning as well. Well, now she was really going to flunk the test. Thoughts of the cute coffee shop girl overshadowed any previous learning.

...

“Leo I have NOTHING good to wear,” Piper complained as she searched through her closet. Who knew she had so many t-shirts and jeans? Did she own anything remotely nice? Appearance was never her thing but she should have at least something.

Leo, who was sitting on her bed, shrugged. “If it matters so much just borrow something from Drew.” Piper rolled her eyes. She and her roommate Drew had a rocky start when Piper first came to college, but they soon learned to tolerate each other and actually became friends. But Piper knew if she even mentioned wanting to wear something nice to Drew she’d go absolutely crazy and insist on giving Piper a makeover.

“No way. She'll beat my face with makeup until I look like a clown.”

Leo laughed. “I'm sure you’d look fine. Besides, it's just a date.”

Piper turned away from the closet and gestured desperately to the boy across from her. “A date with the really cute girl who I've been texting for a while and who I've been pining over!” It had been a month and a half since Piper and Annabeth met at the coffee shop. That night after her exam, Piper had gotten a message from Annabeth. After she managed not to physically combust, she texted back. Before Piper knew it, the two were staying up until unholy hours of the morning talking. Piper loved talking to Annabeth, whether in person or over text. The two had met up a couple times as well. It wasn't anything special. Just video games, food, and a movie. But it meant the world to Piper. Now, she’d finally found the courage to ask Annabeth out. To Piper’s surprise, the girl said yes. Now, she had to make sure not to mess it up. “Aren’t you supposed to be good at this ‘Mr. I Flirt With Everyone I See?’”

Leo scoffed. “Okay, that was years ago. Don’t bring up my dark days.”

“Buddy I hate to break it to you but they’re still going strong.” Piper turned back to her closet and continued pushing her clothes aside in search of something. Just as she was about to give up hope, her eyes caught a pink and yellow romper hanging in the back, pushed behind a million t-shirts. Since when did she have that? It wasn’t exactly her style but was probably the nicest thing she owned. Piper grabbed the hanger and pulled it out, examining it further. She then held it up to her body, silently asking for Leo’s approval. With a thumbs up from her friend, Piper decided that’s what she would wear.

Saying getting ready was a hassle would be an understatement. Of course, Leo refused to leave. Even when she tried a bit of makeup. It wasn’t for her, and Annabeth didn’t like makeup either. Piper had finally said goodbye to Leo when her alarm blared, telling her it was time for the date. The girls had agreed beforehand to meet up at the center of a town near their campuses. Luckily, their colleges were near each other. Annabeth had told Piper she’d been planning to transfer to hers before the two met. The plan was still in the works, but it’d be great if Annabeth was in the same building as her.

Piper leaned up against a tree, swaying side to side a bit. She felt anxiousness bubble up inside of her as she waited for the blonde’s presence. Her mind started to wander to a place it should never wander to before a date. Piper started to think Annabeth wouldn't show up. Maybe she didn't want to go out with Piper after all. Was this a mistake?

She was once again jolted out of her trance by the sound of Annabeth’s voice. “Hey, Pipes.” Piper smiled. She loved the nickname Annabeth gave her almost immediately during their text conversations. Annabeth’s outfit was simple. A flowing gray shirt, a fashionable belt, and skinny jeans. Her hair was pinned up into her signature ponytail. Piper felt herself feeling awestruck by her sheer presence. There would never be a day Piper wouldn’t be entranced by Annabeth.

“Hi Annabeth,” Piper said, a little shyly at first. It wasn't like she was afraid. At least she wasn't the other times they hung out. Something about it being a date made it much different.

“So, where too?” Annabeth cocked her head to the side and Piper had to keep from imploding due to cuteness.

“Um, I was thinking we could go to the diner down the street and then see a movie?” Piper wasn't the best at planning dates and going with someone as amazing as Annabeth made it a lot harder. She hoped Annabeth would agree to the idea since she had nothing else in mind.

“That sounds great. Let’s go.” Annabeth smiled, flashing her white teeth. Piper couldn't help but smile as well. All her nerves seemed to melt away. Annabeth eased her mind and made her feel okay.

The two walked together in silence through town, basking in each other's presence. Piper found herself sneaking glances at Annabeth’s hand. It swung with her arm as she walked, open for Piper to just...grab. It was so easy, yet why was it so hard. Piper forced herself to look forward. Staring at Annabeth wouldn't do good.

Looking forward didn't help much either. Piper just couldn't stop. She thought about what it’d be like to hold the girl next to her. To kiss her senselessly. To get to know all about her. That future was possible. Piper just had to manage not to mess up.

Annabeth seemed to notice Piper’s glances and the two made awkwardly long eye contact. Annabeth then reached over and laced Piper’s hand with hers. Piper immediately felt a burst of electricity flow through her body and her face flushed bright red. She was relieved when she saw Annabeth had a similar blush adorning her cheeks as well. Annabeth’s hand felt warm and seemed to fit perfectly with hers. Piper felt quite content walking with Annabeth, but some nerves still crept up behind her with the newfound touch.

“Is this okay?” Piper asked, turning towards Annabeth. She made eye contact with Piper, her curls bouncing with the movement of her head.

“It’s more than okay,” she said. Piper could’ve sworn her heart melted at that point. The girls reached the diner all too soon and had to part as they entered through the door. Piper breathed in the familiar busy diner smell. She’d been coming to the restaurant ever since she began college, and even though it wasn’t near home it made her feel like she was back with her father in a small diner eating pancakes and talking about life.

The two girls took their seats in a two-person booth near the window. A waitress with bouncy bright blue hair gave them their menus and left them to look through their options. Piper scanned the menu, looking for something she’d enjoy. Piper’s eyes then caught the drink menu, more specifically what the restaurant dubbed the “double milkshake.” A milkshake for two. Piper tried not to laugh at the idea of romantically sharing a milkshake with Annabeth. It was the cheesiest and gayest thing to do so naturally, Piper spoke up about it. “I have an idea. Look at the milkshakes.”

Annabeth proceeded to say sure and then flip her menu to the drink section. Her eyes rolled down the page until Piper saw them widen. Piper smirked knowingly and met Annabeth’s eyes as she looked up. “Are you thinking what I’m thinking?” Annabeth asked.

“Absolutely.” Piper nodded and the two girls burst out laughing. Through fits of giggles, Piper managed to get out, “Hey, it’s the gayest option and I need to live up to my title!”

That got Annabeth to laugh more. “I understand that. And yes, sharing a milkshake is definitely the gayest thing to go with.” Piper couldn’t help her smile as she ordered the milkshake when the waitress came back. The girls decided on strawberry, both agreeing that it was singlehandedly the best milkshake flavor, chocolate being a close second. They both ordered pancakes as well, seeing as the diner allowed you to order breakfast for lunch. Breakfast at any time that wasn’t meant for breakfast just made it better.

When the waitress left, Piper started a small conversation with Annabeth. She started with schoolwork and the words flowed on from there. Piper loved how easy it was to talk to Annabeth. She could talk to the girl before her for hours and never get bored. Piper wanted to know all about her.

Their conversation was cut when their milkshake arrived. It was a large cup filled to the brim with pink liquid and whipped cream, with two matching cherries atop. The girls smiled at the sight of it and placed it in the middle of the table. Piper grabbed a straw in unison with Annabeth and they both took a drink. It tasted like heaven. Piper had to keep from making sounds that probably wouldn’t be acceptable in a public restaurant. “That…is a good milkshake,” she said after leaning back from her sip.

Annabeth nodded fast and agreed. “I think this is the best milkshake I’ve ever had.”

Piper smirked. “I know, my taste is amazing. No need to thank me.”

Annabeth laughed. “Good, ‘cause I wasn’t planning on it.”

Piper faked an overly offended face by placing her hand on her heart, which just got the girls to smile even more. They then leaned in for another sip of the drink. Piper couldn’t help but notice how close their faces were. She stared at Annabeth’s lips against the straw and then back up at her eyes. She was looking down at the shake but Piper could see hints of the storm in her eyes that Piper could spend days getting lost in. She felt another blush creeping across her ears and onto her cheeks and it only heightened when Annabeth’s eyes fluttered back up and stared at Piper’s. The girls stayed like that for a few extra seconds, basking in each other's presence. To a stranger, it’d look like they were madly in love. Maybe not just yet, but the capacity for that kind of love was more than present.

An inevitable awkward feeling took over after those couple moments of bliss, leading Piper and Annabeth to lean backward into their seats. Both stuttered in their conversation, neither one noticing the other’s flustered appearance, too caught up in their own. Piper would give anything for more moments like that. Little did she know, those could come up even sooner when they drank more and even after their time at the diner.

Piper didn’t realize how hungry she was until she wolfed down her pancakes. She must’ve looked like some sort of wild creature to Annabeth, but hey, that’s who she was. Annabeth was no better with pacing anyways. She ate almost as fast as Piper. She brought up something about her friend who enjoyed drowning his (blue?) pancakes in syrup and she couldn’t stand how much he put on. That got Piper to laugh and almost pour on too much syrup herself.

After paying for their meal the girls exit the diner and started heading towards the movie theater. They debated on what they should watch for a while before they picked. Nothing particularly interesting was out at the time but it didn’t matter to them. All that mattered was that they were seeing a movie together, and sharing popcorn no less. Piper’s little sapphic heart seemed to soar when Annabeth ordered the large popcorn. Everything was going great. They even held hands again on the way there. Piper decided that nothing could be better than that.

She was wrong. Oh so wrong. The movie wasn’t the most interesting choice per say, and the girls found themselves whispering to each other all throughout it. Annabeth loved to point out the flaws in the plot and the interesting architecture. Piper just thought the main character should’ve fallen in love with her best friend and not Mr. Pasty Blank Edgy Boy.

Piper soon turned her attention away from the movie and onto Annabeth. She loved the glossy look her eyes had as she paid attention to all the small details. Frankly, Piper thought it was adorable. She looked down to see Annabeth’s hand laying in the popcorn bag. It was slowly grabbing at pieces, but not moving out of the bag. Piper saw her opportunity and did the most cliché thing she could think off. She stuck her hand in the bag and faked searching for popcorn while secretly aiming for Annabeth’s hand. Luckily, Annabeth was too engrossed in the visuals on the screen to notice Piper wasn’t actually cluelessly reaching. Their fingers then touched and Piper wrapped hers around Annabeth’s.

Annabeth turned to look at Piper. Piper raised her eyes and they once again stared at each other. Time seemed to slow down in that moment. The sound of the movie was a blur as all they could focus on was each other. Piper’s eyes went from Annabeth’s eyes to her lips and then back up to her stormy gray irises. Annabeth exhaled softly. Piper did the same as she leaned in over the seat. Annabeth seemed to do the same and the two girls met in the middle. Their lips locked in a chaste kiss. Piper’s heart immediately started to beat a mile a minute as she took in Annabeth’s sweet scent and presence. Piper could taste a layer of chapstick and popcorn on Annabeth’s lips. She broke the kiss for a moment for both of them to breathe and immediately connected again. Piper then deepened it by placing her hand on Annabeth’s cheek. The kiss ended all too soon when the two parted, still staring at the other. A smile encompassed Piper’s lips. Annabeth wore an identical one.

Annabeth then touched Piper’s lips with her finger and held up a piece of popcorn. Although confused for a moment, Piper caught her drift. Annabeth tossed the popcorn and Piper leaned to the left, swiftly catching the piece in her mouth. Annabeth covered her own mouth with her hand, no doubt stifling a laugh. At that moment, Piper felt so lucky to have Annabeth in her life. She could feel a waterfall of feelings begin to break through and only sensed it growing stronger in the future. Piper wanted to kiss Annabeth over and over again. She wanted her lips to become a sense of familiarity to her. She wished for Annabeth's touch against her skin. She wanted long evenings where they sat and talked about life together in the dead of night with only the other to hold. Piper wanted it all.

Oh, how she had no idea what was in store.

“Loving her is like trying to change your mind once you're already flying through the free fall. Like the colors in autumn, so bright just before they lose it all.

Touching her was like realizing all you ever wanted was right there in front of you. Memorizing her was as easy as knowing all the words to your old favorite song.”

Piper never got used to that feeling in her gut. The thumping in her heart whenever she laid eyes on the girl before her. The way she could never stop the nerves that grew when she wanted to hold Annabeth’s hand and the reassurance given when the blonde grabbed and squeezed it. The look Annabeth gave her like Piper was her world. Like she was all that mattered to her. Piper never got used to it. And she didn’t think she ever would.

Being with Annabeth was like a never ending spiral where Piper just kept falling for her over and over again. She was infatuated. Everything about Annabeth intrigued her. Her hair. Her lips. Her eyes. Her passion. Her intelligence. Her pride. Piper longed to feel Annabeth’s presence next to her, against her side. She imagined the warm feeling. So, Piper did the logical thing and texted her.

Piper wasn’t sure if she’d be able to come to her dorm. They weren’t even in the same building. She hoped Annabeth would be able to, though. Studying had got the best of her and she really craved some cuddles. She stared blankly at the textbook in front of her, the TV blaring in the background, and checking her phone for Annabeth’s response every thirty seconds. When she finally heard the ding of the text she completely abandoned the book altogether. Piper couldn’t help but cheer quietly to herself. Annabeth’s text told her that she’d be there in about fifteen minutes. Too long, in Piper’s opinion. How was she supposed to wait any longer?

Piper got up from her desk, pushing her textbook aside. It wasn’t important. She sat on her small couch and stared up at the TV. Luckily, she had the dorm to herself tonight. Drew was no doubt out at some bar with Lacy and Calypso. Piper tried to focus on the television, but her mind kept wandering to the girl that would soon be by her side.

Everything had happened so fast. So unexpectedly. Piper smiled as she recalled the date’s her and Annabeth had shared over the past few months. She thought of the walks in the park with the shared snacks. The soft handholding and forehead kisses. When Piper had to pull Annabeth away from her work and held her until she got some rest. The shared kisses over a pizza at a restaurant table. The laughing that Piper had grown to love. Piper loved it all.

Memories floated through her mind as she sat for the next fifteen minutes. Most being of or about Annabeth. She wasn't able to escape Leo and Jason’s teasing and she hadn't even told Drew. She must have thought Piper was exceptionally weird all the times she smiled down at her phone like an absolute idiot. Thankfully, Drew hadn't questioned her about it yet. If Piper told, she’d definitely join the dark side with Jason and Leo.

Piper immediately sprang up from her seat when she heard a knock at the door. She quickly smoothed out her oversized t-shirt and ran her hand through her hair. She clearly didn't consider what she was wearing. Oh well, it didn't matter. She grabbed the doorknob and twisted it, pulling it open to see Annabeth standing before her. Piper couldn't help the smile that spread across her face. Annabeth looked almost as messy as Piper. Her hair was left down instead of in its signature ponytail and she adorned a long blue t-shirt with gray shorts.

“Hey,” Piper greeted.

“Hey, yourself.” Annabeth invited herself in as Piper closed the door. Piper watched her eyes scan the scattered clothes and books. Piper hadn't cleaned the floor either. “It's almost as messy as my life.”

Piper laughed. “And my hair.” She draped herself over the couch she was just sitting in, secretly hoping Annabeth would join her. The blonde stood with her hand on her hip. Extremely cute, as always.

“So you felt lonely and prayed to any and all beings that I'd oblige and come over, huh?”

Piper shrugged. “Exactly.” She couldn't lie, Annabeth was pretty good at reading others’ intentions.

“Well you bet your ass it worked,” Annabeth said as she plopped down next to Piper. Her heart flipped over in her chest as she silently cheered. The two girls sat in silence for awhile, staring aimlessly at the TV while stealing glances at each other.

“Uh, do you wanna do anything?” Piper asked tentatively.

Annabeth shook her head. “I'm tired. Too many exams. Let’s rest.

Piper agreed, “Yeah, let’s rest.” Piper concentrated on what was playing on television for the first time. It was a Harry Potter movie, the fourth one, she thought. Interesting enough, but not comparable to the girl next to her. Piper devoted only half of her attention on the film, the rest focusing on the girl next to her.

About five minutes later, Piper subconsciously leaned to the right, her head falling and resting on Annabeth’s chest. Piper looked up at Annabeth, meeting her eyes as a blush spread across her cheeks. An identical blush adorned Annabeth’s face. Piper was met with a smile and Annabeth’s around her, resting on her leg. Piper turned her head back to the television, snuggling in further. Cuddles with Annabeth were what she desired and she was damn well going to appreciate them.

Piper had grown to know Annabeth’s assertive side. Yet she could be so soft as well. Piper loved the feeling of Annabeth’s fingers on her thigh. She could hear every single beat of her heart, thumping in her chest. Piper still didn't understand what Annabeth could do to her mind. Annabeth made her feel dizzy and entranced. Loved and worth it. Crazy and stupidly enveloped in every touch.

The movie dragged on, but the girls’ attention moved away from it. They proceeded to talk and joke with each other, making their time together well spent. Their conversation seemed to make time fly, as it usually did when they were together. The movie soon ended, though neither girl really noticed or cared.

“So the movie ended,” Annabeth said. Her hands ran through Piper’s hair as she spoke. “Do you wanna stay on the couch?”

“Mhm,” Piper leaned up so their faces were about level, curse Annabeth for being taller, still pressed against her side. “What about we do something else, though?”

Annabeth’s smirk made Piper feel giddy. “I suppose we should.” Scratch that. Her mischievous tone made Piper feel very giddy. Piper wasted no time, cupping Annabeth’s cheeks and bringing her closer. Piper’s eyes fluttered closed when she felt the touch of Annabeth’s lips. Her hands moved from the blonde’s cheeks to her shoulders, gripping them loosely. Annabeth’s hands pressed against Piper’s stomach, causing them to lean back and forth as they kissed. Piper tasted remnants of chapstick mixing from both of their lips. It was sweet, like her girlfriend. Piper moved away for a moment for the girls to catch their breath, but they immediately came together again. Piper leaned forward, deepening the kiss. Annabeth began to lean back on the couch, allowing Piper to move on her lap and kiss her from above. Annabeth’s sleeve slipped over her shoulder as they moved with each other. Piper never wanted the kiss to end. She ran her fingers over Annabeth’s shoulder and took another breath, their lips brushing as she inhaled.

Piper only realized what was about to happen when she heard the click of the apartment door unlocking and the sound of her roommate making her way in. She silently cursed to herself as she realized there was nothing she could do. Drew’s shrill scream echoed through the room as she dropped whatever she was holding. Piper immediately bounced off of Annabeth and met eyes with the stunned girl. She looked like she’d just gotten home from a club, slightly messed up makeup covering her face and her heels on the ground. Shit, what time is it? Piper thought as she checked the clock. One in the morning. Time really did fly with Annabeth.

Drew’s shocked expression changed to something smug as she noticed Annabeth. Piper then realized how suggestive their appearances were. Both of their hair was a tangled mess, Annabeth’s shirt was falling off and Piper’s seemed to be stuck in her bra, revealing her midriff. Drew put her hand on her hip and raised an eyebrow at Piper. “So is this who you’ve been obsessively texting all this time? I didn’t realize you two were so...close.”

Piper rolled her eyes. “Dammit Drew this is why I didn’t tell you.” Annabeth burst out laughing. Piper didn’t really understand why, but she began to laugh as well. The whole situation was pretty ridiculous.

Drew raised her hands in surrender. “Fine! I won’t bother you! But next time you invite a girl over at one in the morning don’t expect me to not poke fun.”

“Don’t worry Drew, I don’t mind teasing. I’m gonna be here a lot, aren’t I?” Annabeth joked as well, only intensifying Piper’s growing blush. Piper weakly hit Annabeth’s arm as her cheeks grew hot. Drew’s laugh filled the room this time, no doubt aimed towards Piper.

“You’re not allowed to do that in front of Drew! She’ll have blackmail material in a heartbeat!”

“Yep.” Drew winked with the sound of her phone snapping a photo. Piper groaned and sat down next to Annabeth, although she was stifling a laugh. She introduced Annabeth to Drew and they actually had a pretty civil conversation. Drew, of course, wanted to know all the information on their relationship and Piper eventually obliged. She explained how they got together and Drew claimed it was something out of a romance novel. Piper realized how lucky she was to have that. What were the odds of a chance coffee shop encounter turning into an intense roller coaster of feelings? After they were done talking, which lasted who knows how long, Annabeth had to head home because of the late time. The girls stood at the door together to part ways.

“I had a good time,” Annabeth said. “Even when Drew walked in on us. It was actually pretty funny.”

Piper smirked. “Yeah, get used to it. I don’t think Drew will ever let me hear the end of this.”

“That’s for sure.” Piper paused for a moment to push a curl behind Annabeth’s ear. She had to keep from smiling as she saw the blonde’s ears turn a red tint. She leaned through the doorway to kiss her girlfriend quickly, backing away a couple seconds afterward so they wouldn’t get distracted. Annabeth smiled as her gray eyes shone and returned a kiss to Piper, this time on her nose.

“Bye. See you soon.” Annabeth was off just after the little kiss. Piper’s cheeks felt red hot, she must have been blushing intensely. Now that she thought about it, she’d been doing that a lot lately.

She was beaming again as she made her way to Drew, who was removing her makeup. They sat together in silence, neither of them really wanting to head to bed just yet. All of a sudden, Drew spoke up. “You really like her. I can tell.”

Piper raised an eyebrow at Drew. “Hmm?”

“Oh please.” Drew rolled her eyes. “I see the way you look at her.”

“Yeah, I-you’re right. I really really like her.”

Drew smiled and placed her hand on Piper’s shoulder. “Just don’t break her heart or believe me she won’t hesitate to harm yours.” With that, Drew stood up and made her way to bed, leaving Piper grinning with visions of Annabeth dancing through her head.

...

Piper’s mind shifted forward. There was so much. So so much that she wished she could dedicate all day to dwell on it. But what overfilled her mind was their one year anniversary. What a great day it was. Piper’s heart warmed just thinking about it.

The day had started with meeting up for breakfast together. They decided to go the diner they went to on their first date. You know, to be nostalgic and things like that. Although, it was much less awkward. They even shared a kiss over a shared milkshake, like they'd been wanting to do long ago.

The girls had each planned an activity for the day. One they thought the other would enjoy. Piper’s plan was first. Annabeth still didn't know where they were going when they got in the car. She tried to poke for hints during the ride, but Piper refused to budge. She was not cracking this time.

Piper couldn't help the smile that overcame her after she saw Annabeth’s face light up at the scene before her. Piper loved how her mouth formed a small “o” shape and couldn't wait to actually get out of the car.

“Here we are,” Piper said as she pulled into the parking spot. They'd been driving in the city for awhile, but Annabeth hadn't said anything yet.

“We’re going to New York?” She asked, excitement laced through her voice. Piper was still smiling as she thought of how much Annabeth wanted to go. She lived in Virginia but moved North to go to college. She always talked about how much she wanted to visit the city to see the buildings, but never got the chance because of school work.

“Yeah, I thought you'd like to go sightseeing for a little while.”

Annabeth beamed as she got out of the car. “I love it. Let's go!” The two girls walked out of the parking area hand in hand, Annabeth pulling Piper along. Piper let her lead the way. It was absolutely adorable. They started with a walk in Central Park, grabbing maps of the city along the way and looking at every tourist stand they came across. Piper had been to New York a fair amount of times, so she had some basic knowledge. Annabeth was a master though, and she'd never even been. It was impressive, to say the least.

Piper could have memorized Annabeth’s face that day. The smile that never seemed to leave her face left Piper with a warm feeling in her gut. She was amazing at one of those fancy cathedrals PIper couldn’t remember the name of. She was too distracted by Annabeth, her eyes widening as she studied the architecture. She didn't refrain from spewing fact after fact either. Piper didn't understand most of what she was saying, but she didn't care. She could watch Annabeth all day long.

Their day in the city left both girls tired. They yawned as they got in the car, despite it only being nine at night. Yet, they still had the activity Annabeth planned to do. This time the blonde drove. Piper connected the AUX cord and they drove while singing along to everything from Arianna Grande to My Chemical Romance.

After Piper’s marvelous rendition of “I Write Sins Not Tragedies,” the car pulled over. As Piper opened the door, she scanned the area before her. It was simple, a park with an assortment of trees, benches, and a lake in the middle. The only light came from the dim lamps along the water and the stars in the sky.

Annabeth walked up next to Piper and spoke. “You mentioned how romantic you thought stargazing and talking with someone would be. So I thought I’d take you here. I loved to go here whenever I felt overwhelmed or I overworked myself. The stars and lake never failed to put me at ease.”

Piper turned and kissed Annabeth’s cheek. “It’s perfect.” She loved that even after a year, she could still make Annabeth’s cheeks turn that lovely shade of pink. Hand in hand, the two girls walked to a nice patch of grass. They laid down so they faced the stars. Centimeters away from each other, Piper could feel the heat of Annabeth’s body against hers. It made her feel warm again. She decided that was one of her favorite feelings.

“I don't know any constellations,” Piper said. “But I always loved the stars. Actually, I wanted to be an astronaut at one point. Just a kid thing, though.”

Annabeth exhaled out of her nose as the corners of her lips upturned. “Me too. I think every kid wanted to explore space at one point.”

Piper laughed. “True that.”

Piper looked to her side to see Annabeth staring at the sky above. Her gray eyes focused, and her lips slightly parted. “Did you know that the star’s light takes light years to travel to us? Which means a lot of the stars we’re seeing right now are likely dead.”

Piper smiled. “You really know how to make a situation romantic, huh?”

Annabeth playfully slapped her girlfriend’s arm. “Oh, shut up.” She was smiling too. “But they are beautiful.”

The most cliché idea known to man popped into Piper’s head. So of course, she did it. “You know what else is beautiful?”

“Wha- oh my god Piper no don-”

“You,” Piper said, smirking.

“Dammit, Piper!” Annabeth laughed. “I can't believe you actually said that.”

Piper shrugged. “I mean, I made you blush.”

Annabeth’s eyes widened and her hand rose to touch her cheek. As a result, her cheeks warmed even more. Piper couldn't help the wave of giggles. Annabeth was just too cute. The blonde just rolled her eyes. “Oh, come over here.” She turned onto her side to face Piper and gripped the girl’s cheeks. Their lips locked in a chaste kiss, just like their first. It started to become messy when both girls laughed into the kiss, but they didn't mind.

Piper loved the feeling. She wanted this forever. Now, Piper almost found that funny. She envied the naive girl she was, blind to what was ahead. But at the time, she’d savored it. Piper had fallen in love. And she’d fallen damn hard.

“I love you,” she said as they parted. She met Annabeth’s stormy gray eyes turned gentle only for her. They then pressed their foreheads together. A gesture they did rarely, but loving nonetheless. They usually did it to comfort the other. This time, they were both at ease.

Annabeth whispered, “I love you too.”

“Fighting with her was like trying to solve a crossword and realizing there's no right answer. Regretting her was like wishing you never found out that love could be that strong.”

Not everything could be positive. Piper knew that first hand. But she was still afraid to explore what was coming once again. She knew what was to come, she experienced it after all. But as the walls she built in her mind slowly came down, she found herself scared to keep on going. With a deep breath, she began to try.

Her mind flashed to the moment everything started to go downhill. Both Piper and Annabeth were extremely tired after working all day. The loads teachers gave were the most overwhelming thing Piper had ever experienced. By then, Annabeth had transferred to Piper’s college. They weren’t roommates, but they spent most of their time in each other's dorms.

Piper didn't remember how it started, but an argument had arisen. Arguments were normal, healthy even. Piper and Annabeth had their fair share of them. But none were like this one. Piper could feel the tension in the air like she could cut it with a knife.

Piper finally found the courage to speak after what felt like hours of sitting in silence, flipping through a math textbook aimlessly. “D-do you wanna go down to the cafeteria and get something to eat?”

“What makes you think I'd agree?” Annabeth snapped. Piper couldn't make eye contact. She knew what Annabeth was like when she was angry. She was very prideful, so being in an argument made her very jumpy and occasionally rude. Piper loved Annabeth unconditionally, but it was hard not to get hurt. They'd talked about it before, and Annabeth had worked on it. But it seemed like she was slipping back.

“I didn't want to fight-”

“Save it,” Annabeth waved her hand dismissively. “I'm not in the mood for a half-ass apology. I just want to be alone right now.”

Piper nodded. “I understand. Talk later?”

Annabeth paused for a moment and then sighed. “Yeah. Let's talk later.”

Piper gathered her books and walked to the door. She placed her hand on the doorknob and glanced back at Annabeth one more time. Her eyebrows were furrowed in concentration as she scanned the words in her book. Piper’s stomach immediately felt hollow as she turned around and left.

The girl trudged to her dorm which wasn't that far away. Piper took a deep breath, and tried to calm her nerves. This would pass. Whatever this tension was would eventually go away, and everything would go back to normal. Wouldn't it?

But life seemed to want to go against Piper’s wishes. The girls texted each other the next day. They apologized. Piper apologized for what she’d started and Annabeth apologized for being so rash. Piper thought things would get better. But the tension was still there. She could feel it when their hands touched. She could feel it in their kisses. Everything seemed colder, like something had shifted. Why couldn't everything just go back to normal?

Piper missed it. She missed the early days of their relationship, filled with blushing and awkward hand holding, and loving kisses. It had been two and half years since then, and the energy was just so...different. Piper was no stranger to the way love worked. It was challenging, and people need to be absolutely right for each other for things to work out in the end. For the first time, Piper began to question whether she and Annabeth were really right.

It broke her heart to think this way. How could she? What girlfriend in love thought that the person she was in love with may not even be good for her? And after so long, too? What happened to her?

Finals only brought more stress. The girls were constantly studying, which left way less time for each other. Growing this apart didn't sit well with Piper. She had tried to blind herself to the looming future, but it was so hard. She just wanted to forget everything. Why couldn't everything be like it once was?

There came a day when Piper hadn't heard from Annabeth at all in two weeks. That was so strange. She wasn't used to it. She really, really didn't like it. Before the...break...Annabeth said she was incredibly stressed and had to devote her time to studying. Piper understood, but they'd also had another not-so-nice argument beforehand. Annabeth might be giving her the silent treatment. Piper didn't want that to be true.

“Sounds like she’s just busy,” Leo had said, shrugging. He didn't see the problem. Curse him for having one relationship before his aro/ace awakening.

“No Leo you don't see it!” Piper exclaimed. “I feel it in my gut. Something’s wrong.”

“Alright, but if you keep thinking negatively it'll take a toll on you.” Leo had been somewhat right there. These negative thoughts were definitely hurting her heart. But Piper just couldn't let go of them. They stung yes, but she feared if she’d let go, she’d just be set up for more heartbreak.

So she waited and waited and waited on. Another week passed, without a single glimpse of Annabeth’s face. Oh, how she missed those intelligent gray eyes, the curls of her long blonde hair, her feisty personality that made Piper fall head over feet. Piper found herself hugging a pillow in her dorm, looking over all the photos she had with the other. This is stupid, she’d thought. We didn't break up. Why am I not talking to her?

The truth was that Piper was afraid. She was afraid that if she talked to Annabeth, their relationship would continue to go down the dark path they'd reluctantly planted their feet on. Piper’s fears would become reality. And she wasn't ready for that.

But maybe Annabeth was afraid too. Maybe, just maybe, they could work through this. Piper decided it was worth a shot. She couldn't stand this silent treatment they were giving each other, for a petty reason if any. They were better than that. At least, Piper thought so.

With a bit of motivation from Drew, she finally gained the courage to pick up her phone and send a message to Annabeth. To her delightful surprise, Annabeth replied in about three minutes. Granted, those were some of the longest three minutes of Piper’s life. After Annabeth replied to her simple “hello” and “how are you,” Piper asked if she wanted to meet up for studying. Testing was going on that week, so it'd help, and they could be together again.

The next reply back took a little longer, but Piper’s heart flipped over in her chest when Annabeth agreed. She immediately grabbed her bag with her books and bolted out the door. The girls agreed to meet in the library in fifteen minutes, but it was about time for dinner, so Piper decided to pick up sandwiches for them. She chose Annabeth’s favorite, optimism flowing through her veins.

Piper’s heart sped up when she laid eyes on Annabeth for the first time in weeks. Annabeth’s inviting smile just amped up those emotions. Maybe Piper was wrong. Everything seemed fine, didn't it?

“Hey Annabeth,” Piper said, slipping into the chair next to the blonde, who already had her books sprawled out on the desk. Piper kissed Annabeth’s cheek quickly, disappointed at the lack of a cute blush, however still content.

“Hi Pipes,” Annabeth replied. Good, she seemed happy to see Piper. A conversation ensued after the greeting. They asked what the other had been doing. They enjoyed each other’s company. They laughed together again. Piper’s night went from good to great when the librarian had to quiet them down and they had to stifle a waterfall of giggles.

Piper didn't want to focus on how it wasn't the same. She didn't want to think about how they still felt apart somehow. A wall of tension still blocking the two from truly connecting.

She remembered her father’s stories. Four-year-old Piper, wide-eyed and curious, would ask about her mother. She remembered the bittersweet expression her father wore when Piper inquired for information. The few times her father did talk about the mysterious woman who gave birth to Piper, she was all ears. According to her dad, Piper’s mom was the most beautiful woman he had ever seen. (“Following you, of course, darling,” Piper remembered him saying to her). Their time together was short, but Piper knew it was one of the best times of her father’s life, from how he talked so fondly of it. Her mother left when Piper was very young, something her and Annabeth had in common. Piper’s father would always tell her to watch out. Love was a beautiful thing, colors of emotion washing over you like an ocean. Burning red feelings that made you crazy. But it was quick, over all too soon, and then you were left drained, waiting for something to pick you back up again. Piper wondered, was she being drained?

Two hours later, the girls concluded their study session. They'd gotten a lot of work in and got to spend time together, which was nice. Piper dreaded the end of it, until Annabeth turned to ask her a question.

“Hey, I’m going to visit my family once finals are over. They really want to meet you. I was wondering, do you want to come with me?” The question rang through Piper’s ears. She’d be meeting the family. Piper knew she and Annabeth had been dating for two and a half years, but this was still a huge step. And to do it now, when the tension in their relationship was higher than ever? Piper almost declined. She dreaded something happening when she was there. Every fiber of her being seemed to tell her that this would come crashing down. Yet, she ignored it.

“I’d love to,” she replied, a smile plastered across her face.

“Great!” Annabeth beamed. “I’ll see you soon, alright?” she said, as she gathered her books and stood.

“Yep.” Piper stood as well and leaned forward to kiss her girlfriend swiftly. After the kiss, they locked eyes for a moment, then Annabeth turned around and headed for the door. Piper tried to calm her intense heartbeat, which was an inherently pointless effort according to her time with Annabeth.

Piper had no idea what would happen at Annabeth’s house. She regretted being so blind. She regretted not listening to her gut. Why didn’t she just acknowledge what was happening then? Why couldn’t she avoid hurting? But Piper back then didn’t see it. She’d pushed away the anxiousness and only looked on forward. She was meeting Annabeth’s family. Why not?

…

The car shook as it drove over the bumpy gravel road, pulling towards Annabeth’s house. They’d finally reached Virginia in the bright red rental car. The ride had been tedious, with constant pit stops and position switching. If Piper had to hear the same god damn bland techno-beat on the radio one more time she might just kill a man. Or the radio. Whichever came first.

“And here we are,” Annabeth said, staring at the house. It was an average suburban house, white picket fence and all. Piper almost laughed at the fact that Annabeth had the white picket fence. The house was a light beige color, with white and brown accents. It was simple, yet looked like home. She could definitely see Annabeth growing up here.

Annabeth left the car first and Piper followed soon after. She opened the trunk and grabbed the girls’ suitcases. Piper took hers, and they made their way to the door. Piper noticed how Annabeth paused before knocking. She knew her girlfriend didn't have the best relationship with her family, no wonder she was nervous. Piper took the girl’s hand and gave her a shy smile. Annabeth then took a deep breath and rapped on the door.

They were greeted by two eager small boys jumping around the doorway. “Annabeth!” The boy's yelled in unison. Piper assumed they were Annabeth’s little stepbrothers, Bobby and Matthew. Annabeth took turns hugging both of them and then introduced Piper as her girlfriend.

They cocked their heads at that for a moment, which made Piper’s stomach feel hollow with anxiety, but then one of them (Bobby, maybe) piped up. “She's pretty! How'd you get her?!”

Piper burst out laughing. Annabeth looked appalled.

“Alright that's enough, Bobby,” said a voice from the hall. The man speaking came into view, running to the door as he pushed up his glasses. He must have been Annabeth’s dad. Piper was proven correct when Annabeth cried out “dad!” and wrapped her arms around him. Piper stood awkwardly to the side, unsure of what to do.

When the two parted, Annabeth turned and grabbed Piper’s hand again. She took a breath, and then spoke. “This is Piper, my girlfriend.”

“I've heard a lot about you, Piper. Including the fact that you're Tristan McClean’s daughter, but from what Annabeth has told me I can tell you're a lot more than that.” Piper felt a blush creep up her face as she smiled. Annabeth had definitely talked a lot about Piper to her father.

“Oh, um, thank you, Mr. Chase,” Piper replied, though it sounded slightly awkward.

“Call me Fredrick.” The two shook hands, and then one final person entered the room. Piper immediately recognized her as Annabeth’s stepmother. She saw Annabeth tense up and Piper squeezed her hand as a form of reassurance. She knew that Annabeth and her stepmother had quite a toxic relationship back in the day. She was the reason Annabeth had tried to run away, and actually succeeded for a little less than a month. Annabeth had said they were working on making things better between them, but nothing was perfect.

“Hello Annabeth,” she said. Her stepmother had a monotone voice, but Piper could see her raising it. “Nice to see you.”

“Hi, Naomi. It's nice to see you too,” Annabeth replied. So that was her stepmother’s name.

Naomi Chase then turned to Piper. “Nice to meet you too, Piper is it?”

She nodded. “It's great to meet all of you.”

“Well, you're always welcome here.” Frederick said as he moved to stand next to his wife.

Matthew and Bobby made mischievous eye contact. “Other people to annoy besides Bobby is pretty cool!” Matthew piped up. Piper chuckled at that. She was sure looking forward to whatever pranks those boys could pull.

This gave her hope. The room seemed to radiate positive energy. Again, Annabeth’s relationship with her family wasn't the best, but they seemed to put those problems aside for now. For all Piper knew, the aforementioned tension could very well make its way back. But Piper wasn't thinking about that right now. All she was thinking was that maybe, everything would be okay.

“Losing her was blue like I'd never known.”

Piper felt a tug at her heartstrings as she recalled that night. Oh, that night. She almost couldn’t bare to think about it again. Piper knew she had to. She’d already established this. After it had happened, she’d thought that maybe, just maybe, she could push any and all thoughts of it out of her mind and pretend it never did. However, as much as she wished they would, things didn’t work that way. She took a deep breath. She was ready. Ready to recall the night where she was taken over by all things blue.

Piper smoothed out her red checkered flannel, averting her eyes away from her girlfriend, who sat across the room on the bed. She didn’t know why everything had turned out like this. Things were going so great. When she’d arrived at Annabeth’s house, a flame had been ignited inside her. The smallest sliver of hope that they were gonna make it out of this mess. But it was torn away quickly when a wave of problems hit the girls like a tsunami.

The tension had returned quickly. Luckily, none of Annabeth’s family members seemed to notice. Annabeth’s father was very inquisitive. Always asking Piper questions regarding her life and relationship with his daughter. Complete with the embarrassing stories about Annabeth, which caused the girl to turn redder than a tomato. Piper almost smiled remembering the baby pictures. But, everything went downhill from there. The girls had gone through a few small arguments over the days. Nothing big, but enough to make them a bit uncomfortable. Piper even felt it in their bed. As Annabeth laid unconscious, Piper couldn’t help but stare at the sleeping girl and wonder, where were they going? Piper recalled her father’s stories of her mother and in the long nights, she finally realized how draining everything really was.

Now, Piper could tell Annabeth was riled up. From what, Piper was unsure of. But Annabeth’s huffed breaths and crossed arms definitely led her to that conclusion. She wished everything would just be normal again, but wishes were useless against fate.

“Piper,” Annabeth huffed with another exasperated breath. “Can we...can we talk?” Fuck, Piper thought. No no no no. Could she do this? She couldn’t do this. Piper felt like a weight was sitting in her stomach. She saw all the signs to this potential conversation, so why did she dread it so terribly? Why was she so anxious? Because she loved Annabeth, no matter what they went through. That’s why.

Piper wanted to say so much more. She felt an avalanche of words trying to escape her lips, but all she let out was, “Sure.” Piper turned to face the girl before her and studied the blonde. Her curls were tied together in a french braid on the side of her shoulder, a hairstyle Piper had taught her how to do. She wore a way too big white shirt with a band logo on it and black leggings. Her glasses perched on her nose since she’d taken out her contacts. She looked so simple, yet still stunning to Piper. She realized how afraid she was to lose that.

“Listen, there’s so much tension around us. You have to have noticed. We’ve been fighting...so much more than normal lately. It...it doesn’t feel good.”

Piper sighed. “I know. But, does the tension have to stay? Can’t we get rid of it somehow?”

“I don’t know, Piper. It’s so strong it’s like you could cut the it with a knife. I feel like we’ve passed a point of no return.”

Piper felt her heart clench, Annabeth no doubt feeling the same way. “I don’t know Annabeth. I feel so weird in everything I do. I love you so so much. I’m just so tired.”

Annabeth nodded. “But...if we’re really as right for each other as we think, why is this happening? It’s been months of this, Piper. Months. Don’t you think we would’ve found a resolution by now?”

Piper felt her hands start to shake. She sent a desperate look to the girl before her. Gladly, Annabeth didn’t look stone cold. If anything, she looked just as emotional as Piper. She shook a bit as well, and her eyebrows were furrowed. Piper spoke again, “We’re both afraid. We both hate that this is happening. But..love and fear, love and hate, they’re almost identical. They can’t be reasoned with.”

“I’ve just been thinking so much and-”

“Don’t think, just feel.”

Annabeth began to raise her voice, the higher pitch of her vocal chords stinging Piper’s heart. “I hate that!”

“I know!” Piper retorted, tears welling up in her eyes. She couldn’t help it. “I know,” she repeated, this time in a whisper. Damn, she felt so small. She felt the emotion in the room rise as her heart beat like a drum. Annabeth was never the best at dealing with emotions, while Piper, she was intact with her emotions completely. Initially, Piper thought it was an “opposites attract” situation. But maybe, it was leading to a downfall.

Annabeth averted her eyes, both girls’ hearts breaking from the lack of eye contact. “What should we do?” she questioned, a crack in her voice. Piper was at a loss for words. She didn’t know. She really had no idea. Should they stay together and raise the bottled feelings until they all spilled out even more or should they break apart and leave each other alone in this mess?

The girls continued to speak, basically no progress being made. It all seemed pointless. There were only two ways this conversation could go. Yet, they stalled. Stalled for as long as they could because what if it ended in the way that they feared?

As they continued to speak, the tension only rose. Voices got louder and heartaches got stronger. Piper felt something snap in between them. ...That was it. They couldn't do it anymore. She knew at that moment, that no matter what they did, no matter what they tried, it would end up broken. And that's when a tear rolled down her cheek. And then another. And another. She watched as Annabeth flinched, wanting to lean over and wipe the tears from Piper’s face but the crying only intensified when Annabeth hesitated and did nothing at all.

“We...can't do this,” Piper choked in between sobs. She met eyes with Annabeth. Oh, those intense gray eyes. How she wished for that loving gaze once more.

“We can't do this,” Annabeth whispered. “I'm sorry.”

“Don't apologize. What are we going to do?”

“You don't have to leave. Not yet.”

“We’re supposed to be here for another week, Annabeth. Can we handle that?”

Annabeth paused for a moment. By now, droplets of water descended down her cheeks as well. “No.” She paused, and then repeated herself.

“I can pack my things. I can get a train back to school.”

“It'll take a couple days.”

“I'll manage.”

Annabeth said nothing. Just stared into Piper’s eyes. They loved each other, Piper knew that much. But sometimes, love wasn't enough. Sometimes, it didn't come through in the end and your happily ever after was rudely snatched away from you in a heartbeat. “Annabeth,” Piper whispered, not wanting to break the connection just yet.

Annabeth quickly turned her head, shut her eyes tight, and let another tear roll down her cheek. “Just go. I can't stand looking at you anymore. It'll just make things worse.”

Piper nodded and turned around, making her way to the corner of the room. She felt numb, like everything was surreal. Maybe if she just focused on anything but their conversation, everything would be okay. Luckily, Piper was organized enough to not have to take too long to pack up. She pulled up the handle on her wheeled suitcase and stood, gripping it tightly and turning her knuckles white.

The girl shot another look at Annabeth. Her glasses laid on the nightstand beside her and her fingers pinched the bridge of her nose as she leaned downwards, no doubt trying not to cry again. When she heard Piper shuffle, she looked up and the girls met eyes one final time. They held their breaths, not daring to break the silence. And when it all became just too much to bare, Piper whispered once more.

“I love you.”

Annabeth sniffed and moved her eyes to stare out the window. The next few seconds were agonizingly slow, until Annabeth responded, “I love you, too.”

It was then that Piper turned and left through the door, not daring to look back. She wouldn't cry again. She couldn't cry again. Why was she crying again? Opening the door, she found that the weather reflected her emotions. Rain poured down from the sky, like a tribute to the lost connection. Piper almost laughed. Of course. The cliché walk in the rain. Piper radiated blue, just like the sky before her.

She sighed and began to walk again, letting the rain wash away her tears. Letting it drown out the ragged breaths and gasps as she walked further away. Further from Annabeth. Further from the girl she loved until the literal pieces they ended in.

“Missing her was dark gray all alone. Forgetting her was like trying to know somebody you never met.”

She wiped her wet eyes quickly, not wanting to think about what had happened. Piper took a deep breath, back in the real world again. She had to eject herself from her thoughts. Recalling the breakup was...rough. Oh, how she wished to do it differently. But no. It wasn't over yet. Her eyelids were heavy, but Piper refused to lay down and sleep as images overcame her mind once again.

The first few weeks were well...rough. Not as hard as the train ride back, Piper gave it that, but still. Everything had felt so surreal. She didn't even remember most of the train ride. She wasn't even able to think during it. Only clutch her stomach and part of her shirt near her heart in any attempt to stop the pain inside though she knew it obviously wouldn't work. She even tried to distract herself with social media and at least two books, but they were no use. Piper almost had to get off the train when she saw her own Instagram feed, filled with pictures of her and Annabeth. Piper told herself she wouldn't get emotional until she got home. She lied.

Piper didn't want to tell anyone. She really didn't want to. But bottling up her emotions was not a good idea, so she confided in Jason and Leo. She had sat on Jason’s bed in their dorm room, both boys hugging her. Leo even found some chocolate laying around, which didn't help much but it was nice. She'd left after that. She didn't think she could stand all the pity from them. She could barely pity herself.

What's wrong with me? Piper found herself wondering. What's wrong with us? Was it Piper's fault that she and Annabeth had split? Maybe Piper just wasn't right for relationships. Piper had felt as drawn to Annabeth as her father would describe his feelings towards her mother. Of course. Their relationship didn't work out, so why should Piper's?

Everything seemed to remind her of Annabeth. Hell, she couldn't even go an hour without thinking of her. Piper so badly wanted her to just get out. Stop consuming her thoughts. Why did her mind insist on keeping Annabeth in? She missed it. Piper missed the feeling of Annabeth’s body next to hers. She longed for the feeling of her touch that made her warm. Now, now she was just cold.

“Read,” Piper whispered to herself. “You need to focus.” She flipped the page of her book, although she'd barely been able to comprehend the lines on the other page. Really, she was just skimming, while her thoughts ran elsewhere.

“Stop it,” she whispered again, trying to reprimand her mind. She knew it wouldn't work. Thoughts were almost impossible to control. Still, she so badly wanted to forget it all. How? How could she do that?

Suddenly, an idea flickered through Piper’s mind. She slowly closed the book and stood, making her way across the dorm room to Drew’s closet.

Drew sat on her bed, propped up in some strange position. She wore a light pink tank top and sweatpants, her hair tied up in two buns atop her head. Piper remembered Drew calling them space buns, a hair technique she’d learned from her “friend” (or so she claimed), Calypso. Drew’s eyes widened as she looked up from her phone and saw Piper rummaging through her closet. “Whatcha doing?” She inquired. Not mad, but curious. Piper didn't respond.

Drew just shrugged and went back to looking at her phone. “Alright then.” As Piper dug through the girl’s closet, she didn't pay much attention to what she was pulling out. If it belonged to Drew, it was good enough. Once she had a full outfit, she brought herself to the bathroom to change.

Piper examined herself in the mirror. It was strange to see herself dressed in Drew’s clothing. She wore a tight maroon crop top, a black miniskirt, and red heels. Damn, Piper hated heels. But fuck it. Nothing mattered. Piper would endure the pain.

She pulled open the drawer by the sink, hitting makeup jackpot. Granted, she rarely did her own makeup, but she'd seen Drew do it enough times that she had some general knowledge. Trying it out in the bathroom definitely gave her a new appreciation for makeup artists. How did they do it? Piper didn't know.

She stared at herself in the mirror once again. She looked so...different. So unlike herself. Her eyeliner was messy and she’d definitely messed up whatever highlight and contour were. (Thankfully, Piper had foundation and concealer in her shade for the few times she did do makeup). But, she hadn't done too bad. It was perfect.

Turning the knob to exit the bathroom, her stomach churned. What would Drew say? Maybe she wouldn't see her. Piper doubted it, but she left anyway. Drew seemed to notice immediately, with Piper not having any skills in subtlety.

“Piper? What are you doing?”

“Going,” was all Piper said.

“Where?”

“Out.” Geez, Piper felt like a rebellious teenage daughter trying to get her mom to let her go out of the house. Drew didn't seem to be satisfied with that answer and sprang upwards. She walked up to Piper and placed a hand on the girl's shoulder. Drew shot her a worrying glance, and Piper almost changed her mind.

“Piper, you look great. But...this isn't you. Why are you going out like this?”

“Why not?” Piper retorted, snapping at the girl before her. “I'm not a child so what's the problem?”

“Because you never would’ve done this before...nevermind. The point is that I can't stop you from going out, but drowning pain that way isn't satisfying.

Piper felt anger bubble up in her stomach. Who was Drew to tell her what to do with herself? Piper could do whatever she wanted to cope. Drew didn't understand. Was Piper drowning pain? Screw it. She didn't care. All she wanted was to get out.

“You don't fucking get it! Just let me go okay?!” Piper snapped once again. “I'll see you later Drew.” Piper turned her heel and walked towards the door, or as well as she could walk in those torturous shoes. She didn't dare look back at Drew. Piper didn't think she could stand the look on her face.

Piper didn't care. She'd lost hope in everything. Didn't care for a single thing in the world. All she wished to do was lose herself. So she went. She waltzed into that club with absolutely no regrets weighing her down. She didn't know what she was drinking. She didn't care. She didn't know where she was dancing. She didn't care. She didn't know who she was kissing. She didn't care. As her hands traced lines on the mystery girl’s skin and her lips kissed the girl’s bright red lipstick, making marks over both of them, she let go of everything. Maybe it was just temporary. Maybe it was all a trick to make her feel like things were getting better even though they weren't. But...she didn't care.

The morning after, Piper awoke in her bed. How she got there was all a blur. She remembered getting to her apartment but didn't remember getting to her room. She rubbed her tired eyes as she sat up, picking up her cell phone. Crap. She and club girl had exchanged numbers, and now she’d tried to text Piper. Piper just decided to ignore it. What should she say? I got drunk ‘cause I can't handle a breakup and started kissing you since I was so drunk? The girl would be fine.

Piper quickly checked her text messages. Thankfully, she hadn't drunkenly texted Annabeth. Leo would be waking up to some strange messages though.

Piper felt so drained. Like she couldn't feel a thing in her body. Everything hurt, her heart the most. She could feel the leftover makeup on her face and she hadn't changed, so she was still dressed in that uncomfortable getup. Her head banged like a drum in her mind and it wasn't going to stop anytime soon.

Piper started to scan the room, when she met eyes with Drew. She immediately felt ashamed of herself after Drew’s concerned gaze. Piper looked downwards and began to play with the blanket.

“You're welcome,” Drew finally spoke up.

That caught Piper’s attention. “For what?”

“For taking you in after you collapsed in the hallway last night. Or I guess this morning.”

“Oh. Th-thanks.” So that's how she’d gotten to her bed. A flood of sympathy suddenly hit her. How worried really was Drew?

Piper then felt a surge in her stomach. Crap, she thought, rushing up to run to the bathroom. Coughing up puke and bile was not how she wanted to spend her morning. She soon felt a hand on her back, tracing shapes. Her hair was held back by Drew as well. Luckily, Drew knew how to deal with this sort of thing. Once she finished, Piper wretched, still leaning over the toilet as a sob wracked her body. “I-I’m sorry.”

Drew helped Piper up until the girl was fully standing. She then led her out of the bathroom and onto her bed. Piper found her head leaning on Drew’s shoulder. She’d wiped the few tears on her cheeks and wasn't crying anymore, but she might as well have been with the amount of sniffling. Piper felt weak. She didn't want to be weak. Since when was she reduced to this?

After what seemed like hours of silence, Drew began to speak. “Don't apologize. I know why you went out. But this just isn't you. Trying to lose yourself in drink after drink and each random person you meet won't do any good. I can't stop you, but I'm worried. And you know I damn well mean it since I definitely wouldn't do this for everyone.”

That got a laugh out of Piper. For a little bit, she actually felt okay. “Thanks, Drew,” she replied.

The girl smiled. “All in a day’s work.”

Piper sat up, stretching out her back. “Now can we acknowledge my killer headache?” She groaned. “I need some medicine or something.”

“I can get it, but you should probably change into something that's not a tight top and skirt. You can suffer through a hangover with something more comfortable,” Drew said as she got up and made her way to the bathroom again. Piper nodded and stood too. She grabbed a stray hoodie and leggings, not caring whether they were clean or not, and changed. She felt a little better already when her clothes weren't digging at her skin.

Drew’s medicine and a glass of water helped as well. After giving it to her, she needed to get to a class. Piper claimed she’d be fine alone, but Drew said to call her if she needed anything. Piper wouldn't do that. She didn't want to disturb Drew after everything she had done for Piper.

Being alone gave Piper a chance to think. To think about the night before. She honestly had no idea what kind of reasoning went into her decisions, if any at all. She just needed to get away. As difficult as it was, she’d succeeded for just that night. Maybe...maybe she could do it again. She desperately wanted to feel how she felt the night before. Carefree, with no worries weighing her down.

No. That mentality wouldn't lead to anything good. She couldn't go out again. Drew was right, no matter how good she felt, it'd all end as soon as it began, and she’ll just be left feeling worse.

So she let her mind wander. Her heart hurt as she recalled the night her and Annabeth had broken up. Piper wished she could take it all back. Wished she could make it work. If she had just tried harder, would they be okay? Would they still be together? If she’d really tried to make things work, would things be like they used to?

There was no point. They’d already broken apart. Annabeth probably didn’t want anything to do with Piper. Piper still dreaded the possibility of seeing her on campus. Piper had seen her walking around once. She was far away, but Piper still felt like the pain was crushing her. Piper didn’t want to see her again.

She felt empty. Oh so empty. It was like a part of her had been cut off and left her on the ground bleeding out. Everything was gray. All color had been drained from the world. Piper missed the girl who gave her color so so much. She didn’t want heartbreak. She didn’t want any of this. And yet, the world worked in mysterious ways.

“But loving her was red.”

Finally, she allowed herself to open her eyes. Strange, wasn’t it? How she was able to immerse herself in her thoughts. Piper had no idea how long it’d been, but she didn’t care that much. She had next to nothing to do, so there wasn’t really a point. The girl delicately brought a hand up to her face, only to feel the dampness of her own cheeks. Huh, she hadn’t realized she’d cried along with her memories. That just made her feel worse.

Months had passed since her last recalled flashback. She didn’t want to go through them. Relatively nothing happened, just more sadness. Piper wanted to wash it all away, but it was so hard. She couldn’t seem to focus on anything else.

The girl shoved her blanket off her shoulders and onto the bed. It only made her feel weaker than she already did. She continued to grab her phone and unlock it. Screw distancing herself from technology. It may make her feel worse sometimes, but it was a reliable distraction.

At first, it was fine. Aimlessly scrolling on Instagram let Piper take her mind off of everything. Until she saw the photo. Piper’s phone slipped from her hands, falling to the ground and landing with a loud thunk. She stared at where it used to be held in her hand, eyes widened. On the screen, was a picture of Annabeth and this boy with dark hair and the most gorgeous sea green eyes Piper had ever seen. They were holding hands and he was kissing her forehead. Piper felt herself start to shake. No. She should’ve just unfollowed Annabeth. Why didn’t she do that? Now, she had to see a picture of her and her new boyfriend.

Piper wasn’t mad. Annabeth deserved to be happy. But...Piper wanted to be the one making Annabeth happy. Not this guy who was making her smile as wide as she did in their early days. Piper wrapped her arms around her body, trying to stop the shaking. She ached inside. Longed to be with Annabeth again. Longed to be that guy in the photo. Did Annabeth tell him he had pretty eyes? She used to tell Piper she had pretty eyes.

“Fuck,” Piper whispered, her voice cracking. She shouldn’t have been feeling so messed up. Annabeth’s relationships were her choice. She and Piper had broken up months ago. Yet, Piper seemed unable to move on.

She felt a burning surge in her heart as she brought her hands to her face. She leaned forwards and sniffed, yet, didn’t cry. She reminisced about the times when she wasn’t feeling this way. The feeling in her gut. The thumping in her heart. How she couldn’t stop the nerves. The feeling of reassurance when Annabeth grabbed her hand. The way Annabeth looked at Piper like she was her world. Like she was all that mattered. Like she’d felt before. She wanted it back. She wanted to feel all those feelings again.

“Remembering her comes in flashbacks and echoes. Tell myself it's time now, gotta let go. But moving on from her is impossible, When I still see it all in my head. In burning red. Burning, it was red”

Piper left the phone on the ground. She didn’t want to pick it up again. If she did, she’d see that photo again, and be hit with a wave of flashbacks. To when everything was okay.

It had been months. Months, damn it. Piper would’ve thought she’d move on by now. But no. It was so incredibly hard. She just couldn’t loosen her grasp on Annabeth. She made Piper feel like she was everything, and that was so so hard to let go of. She just...couldn’t do it. Oh, how she wished she could. But her wishes, they meant nothing.

Piper wondered, how? How could she possibly move on when she could so vividly picture her and Annabeth in her mind. She could rewind and replay their best moments over and over again, like she was reliving them. Piper may not have Annabeth, but she had the girl she’d fallen head over heels for in her head.

It was for the best. Piper knew so. Staying together would have just led to more heartbreak, possibly more intense if that was even plausible. Piper kept trying to convince herself she made the right choice. They did the right thing. Breaking apart was supposed to be a good thing for both of them. So why did it make Piper feel so empty?

She felt lonely. Piper, although having so many great people in her life, still felt so alone. She didn’t want to feel this way. She hated it. But feelings were so hard to control and she was so sick of it. So goddamn sick of everything.

So there she sat, pushing everything out of her mind. She’d given herself a chance to think. She’d broken down the walls in her mind and let out every single emotion that she’d bared. And yet, she didn’t feel any better. It was all a waste.

Piper didn’t know how long she sat after that. Seconds or minutes or even hours. It didn’t matter to her. All of a sudden, she was pulled out of her trance by the upbeat text tone of her phone on the ground. She was going to ignore it, but then it began to blow up. Noise after noise after noise until Piper couldn’t leave it alone anymore and picked up the device. She almost smiled when she saw who it was. One of Piper’s only active group chats was alive. Leo and Jason were texting up a storm. And a new girl they’d recently added. Her name was Reyna. She’d quickly become a part of their friend group. Being around those three made Piper feel okay again, especially when Reyna came. She was starting to feel emotions she’d felt before her departure with Annabeth. Emotions that overcame her when they’d just started dating even. Piper wasn’t going to read into that. Not yet at least. Still, her friends made Piper feel like, well, something.

The corners of her lips finally upturned as she typed in a reply to Leo’s horrible joke. Her heart fluttered when Reyna was excited to see her, followed by Jason and Leo. Her head stopped hurting when her friends asked her how she was doing. She said she was fine, which might not have been a lie.

Piper thought it was impossible. She thought she wouldn’t ever be able to get Annabeth out of her head. And that was true. Annabeth would always be a part of her, no matter the circumstance. She’d never forget those burning red feelings Annabeth gave her whenever they were together. She’d never forget how she was able to get lost in those beautiful eyes and her tantalizing kiss. But Piper was ready to accept that it was a part of the past. No matter how alone she felt, at that moment, Piper realized how many people did care for her. Jason. Leo. Drew. Reyna. Even Annabeth, despite the mess they’d gone through, Piper had no doubt in her mind that the girl missed her too.

Being with Annabeth had been Piper’s everything. Being without Annabeth had made her closed up, scared. Blue. Grey. Empty. Now, she might just be ready to let some of that red back in.

“‘Cause loving her was red.”

84 notes · View notes

exoticarmy127 · 7 years

Text

More than Perfect (Jungkook, OC) Scenario

After All au, takes place a few years after “No Question” :) Yes this is the much awaited “peek” into Jungkook and Sera’s married lives as parents. :P

Sera grunted as she lifted the silver luggage from the conveyor belt, sighing in relief at finally having found it after standing there for a full ten minutes.

To say her trip was terrible would be an understatement. It was in fact one of the most difficult and hectic ones yet. Sera had been working in the art industry for years now and if people thought being an art consultant was an easy enough job, they were absolutely mistaken.

It was more than just having a knack for interpreting art pieces and affirming the right one’s that would suit her client’s interest. It also took a lot of persuading and explaining, as not everyone was familiar in the business of art. Sera was given a project by a huge international corporation who was setting up a new office in Prague, and she had been working nonstop contacting both clients and artists to fill the office space with decorative art that would be brand-appropriate.

She had her schedules filled for two weeks, going to and fro places in Europe to meet artists in search for art pieces. Whether they were renowned or rookies, it didn’t matter. Sera always believed great art could come from anyone.

It was only a matter of finding the right piece for the right person.

Sera sighed and rubbed her forehead. The plane had landed half past 9 A.M. here in Seoul and Sera could feel the jet lag seeping though her bones, considering her body has yet to adjust to the time difference. It would be around 2:30 A.M. in Prague and her body was simply craving for sleep.

Katalk!

Sera blinked and got her phone from her pocket and opened a new message. A smile immediately made its way to her mouth when she read it:

Yeobo~ we miss you. Hurry up!

Sera rolled her eyes at that before placing her luggage on the cart and pushing it towards the exit, suddenly feeling rejuvenated despite the awfully long flight and overall exhausting trip.

At the arrival gate, her eyes searched for a familiar form in the group of people huddled against the barricade. She frowned slightly when she couldn’t see them and was about to take our her phone to call when,

”Eomma!!!“

Sera jumped slightly at the familiar voice, head snapping up and eyes searching wildly for the source. Turning around, her eyes settled on one—two familiar forms standing a few feet away from her, wearing identical smiles.

Sera felt her exhaustion melting away at the sight of the two most important people in her life.

Jungkook stood there with Jino, their little Jino, on his shoulders; grins plastered on their faces while waving frantically. It was almost surreal how much they looked alike. Jino definitely looked like a mini version of her husband—from his doe-shaped eyes to that cute little overbite grin.

Sera felt herself smiling as widely as she watched Jino tap his father’s head lightly, asking to be put down. Once his little feet were on the floor, the 4-year-old made a run for it—barrelling right into her open arms.

"Oh I’ve missed you, baby!” Sera said as she hugged her son tight. Two weeks was definitely too long and she made a mental note not to take any more projects that would take her away that long. She kissed the side of his head tenderly before glancing up, eyes immediately locking with her “other” baby.

Jungkook stood there in a navy blue dress shirt and black slacks, his head covered by a brown bonnet. He smiled at her—and it was the smile Sera knew he only saved for her. It was that smile that crinkled his nose and the corner of his eyes so cutely.

“Hey kiddo, can daddy have a turn with mommy?” He asked jokingly, and Jino’s grip around Sera loosened, and he looked at her with a toothy grin.

“Appa missed you a lot eomma.” He said a matter of fact before pulling at her hands so she could stand. Once she and Jungkook were at eye level, the latter just stared at her as if he was seeing her for the very first time. Sera wasn’t sure how he does it: how Jungkook could make her feel shy under his gaze like a high school girl despite having been married for more than six years now.

Some magic… sparks… just never die down, she supposed as she smiled at him.

“Come on appa, you said you wanted to hug eomma when you see her!” Jino prompted which made the two young parents chuckle. For a four year old, Jino was definitely a smart talker.

Just like his dad, Sera thought in amusement just as Jungkook slipped an arm around her waist and pulled her in for a hug.

“Is that true?” She asked teasingly and Jungkook replied with a sigh.

“So much. I’ve missed you so much.” He whispered against her neck and Sera melted into his embrace, missing his familiar scent and the way he fitted against her body so effortlessly.

“I’ve missed you more.” She said, voice cracking slightly at how much she meant it. Jungkook’s embrace tightened at that.

“Hey kiddo, I’m gonna ask you to close your eyes for a sec.”

Sera blinked at the weird request but before she could ask, Jungkook had let go and cupped her cheeks, and then pulled her in for a passionate kiss. She willed herself not to moan right there in front of her son—and then reminded herself to scold her husband for that surprise attack right in the middle of the airport.

Nonetheless, she loved it. If there was one thing she loved most about Seoul other than seeing her son’s smile, it was coming home to Jungkook’s kisses.

When they finally parted, they were both smiling and slightly breathless. It was almost embarrassing how much her heart pounded in her chest after that.

“Two weeks was definitely too long.” He whispered as he leant his forehead against hers. “Let’s not do that again.”

Sera chuckled before leaning in to peck his lips once more. “Agreed.”

“Eomma, did you get me toys?”

They looked down at Jino who still had his hands covered against his eyes and Jungkook chuckled at his cuteness before ruffling his hair affectionately.

“It’s okay to look now, kiddo.”

Jino removed his hands from his eyes and smiled brightly. Sera turned and retrieved a paper bag from the cart and the little boy’s face lit up like a Christmas tree at the sight of it.

“I wouldn’t forget, of course.” She said as she handed him the bag, which he took excitedly.

“Hey, baby don’t open it now. Let’s do it the car okay?” Jungkook told Jino as he held Sera’s luggage.

“Okay appa.” Jino said as he led the way towards the exit. Sera smiled as he watched him walk, practically oozing with excitement as he held the paper bag filled with toys. She felt Jungkook’s hand slipping onto hers as they started to walk.

“Tired?” He asked and Sera hummed in response as she leaned against his arm.

“Yeah… but I’ve missed you two more.” She yawned and Jungkook chuckled before kissing the crown of her head.

“Jino’s couldn’t wait to see you,” He said a matter of fact. “I could barely get him to bed last night.”

“You got him to sleep on time for the past two weeks? I’m impressed, baby.”

Jungkook rolled his eyes and scoffed at that. “F.Y.I., my father skills are superb.”

Sera grinned and turned her head slightly to the right so she could kiss his arm. “I know they are, Jungkook.”

“Oh really?”

“Yeah, I married you didn’t I?”

There was a slight pause and Jungkook’s smile softened, her words making his heart beat a tad faster than usual.

“So you married me because I was ‘husband material’?” He asked teasingly just as Sera took Jino’s hand before they crossed the street.

“That… and because you were totally hot.” She winked at him, which made Jungkook laugh.

And maybe blush just a little bit.

Sera was surprised when she woke up to the other side of the bed empty and her bedside clock blinking 10: 08 A.M. The last thing she remembered was passing out in the afternoon the day before for a nap. She had told herself she’d wake later that night to send over some final rationales to her client, but she didn’t anticipate that she would be waking the next morning.

Oh well, I can just email them later, she thought. Sera sat up and blinked blearily at her surroundings, realizing that she was in her bed—in her very own bedroom at home. The fact made her sigh in relief as for once her back didn’t ache from sleeping on an unfamiliar bed.

Her hand suddenly touched the other side of the mattress, which was already cold, and she frowned slightly.

What day is it today? She asked herself, wondering if Jungkook had work at the studio. Once she got her bearings straight, she swung herself out of bed and put on her robe before making her way downstairs; knowing she had hungry boys to feed breakfast.

But she didn’t expect the sight that welcomed her upon entering the kitchen, rendering her immobile with an endeared smile on her face.

Jino was busily putting whipped cream on what looked like pancakes stacked on a plate. Behind him was Jungkook by the stove, cooking up some friend eggs.

Sera wished she had her phone with her so she could snap a photo of this wonderful scene in front of her.

Just then, her eyes widened when Jino suddenly stood from the stool to reach for the chocolate syrup on the other side of the counter. Sera already knew what would happen if he did that but before she could come to the rescue, Jungkook was already behind him, one hand on the pan while the other wrapped around his son’s waist, pulling him back down to his seat.

Sera was quite impressed.

“Careful kiddo. Ask appa to get things, okay? We don’t want to make a mess or your eomma will get mad.”

“Okay, appa.” Jino answered obediently as Jungkook placed the syrup in front of him and kissed the top of his head, before placing the eggs on a plate.

Sera’s heart melted into a puddle right there and then. They were too adorable. And Jungkook was sporting that apron a little too well than any normal person should.

Nobody should look that good, Sera thought, as she not so subtly checked her husband out.

Jungkook was in the middle of wiping his hands on a towel when he glanced up and saw Sera by the doorway. She blushed slightly for having been caught staring but he didn’t seem to notice.

“Hey.” He said, lips turning up in a smile. “Morning.”

“Eomma!”

“Good morning.” Sera chuckled as she sat herself on the stool beside Jino and kissed the side of his head. “What are you making, sweetheart?”

“Chocolate pancakes,” he answered. “We can share eomma. Appa lets me eat all the chocolates for breakfast!”

Sera looked at Jungkook sharply at that, whose eyes went wide like a deer caught in the headlights. She raised an eyebrow, displeased by that info.

“We had lots of vegetables too, honey.” He defended before looking at his son expectantly. “Right, Jino?”

To his dismay, Jino made a face at the mention of it.

“We had chocolate cake yesterday and mmm—!” Jino looked up at his dad in confusion, who had covered his mouth to stop him from talking. Sera eyed Jungkook suspiciously who gave her an apologetic smile.

“You boys had way too much fun without me.” She said after a pause, before dipping a finger on the plate with chocolate sauce and tasting it.

The two boys sighed in relief, glad that she didn’t reprimand them.

Jungkook went over to Sera’s side and placed a plate of eggs and toast in front of her, with an added bonus of a kiss on the cheek. “How’d you sleep?”

“Well.” She hummed back as her lips chased after him but she only ended up kissing his jaw. Jungkook looked down at her in amusement as he untied his apron (to Sera’s disappointment) before leaning down to peck her lips. He tasted like chocolate.

“This is the first time I actually slept through the night,” She added as she took a bite of her toast. Jino looked up at her, munching on his pancakes. She smiled and wiped the corner of his mouth where a chocolate stain was.

"The whole afternoon too.” Jungkook chuckled before taking his seat beside her and sipping from his coffee mug. “I was going to wake you since you mentioned you were going to send some emails?” He asked as he took a bite of the toast. “But you looked really tired babe, so I didn’t.”

Sera sighed. “It’s fine. I can just send them tonight. I needed those extra hours of sleep.”

”Eomma is working more today?“ Jino asked, looking slightly disheartened. Sera chuckled with a shake of her head and leaned over to kiss his nose.

"Of course not! I’m going to spend time with you guys today 'cause I miiiiised youuu.” She cooed as she pinched his cheeks playfully.

“Yay!!!” Jino cheered as he hugged her tight, making Sera smile. “I’ll go get my new toys!”

As Jino left the kitchen, Sera felt a weight on her shoulder and when she turned, Jungkook’s face was merely inches from her face with a silly grin on his lips.

“Hi.”

Sera snickered and poked his nose. “Hello.”

“I have work today.” He pouted and Sera tried not to look too disappointed at that.

“Long shoot?” She asked as he ran her hands through his hair. Jungkook sighed as he leant against her touch and nodded. “It’s fine, babe. Jino and I can handle it here.”

A sharp ringing pierced through the room and Jungkook groaned as he moved to answer it. “Yeah, but I wanted to spend the day with you two.”

“Missed me that much huh?”

“No I wanted to play with Jino’s new toys.” He said then laughed when Sera threw breadcrumbs at him before answering the phone. “Hello? Yes, speaking. Oh! Kang-ssi. Yes, the studio is just around the corner of that street. The sign’s pretty hard to miss—”

Sera smiled fondly at her husband as he stood up to take the call in the other room, amazed at how he can go from playful to business-like in mere seconds. She poked at the eggs on her plate and smiled when Jino returned, bounding into the kitchen carrying loads of toys in his arms.

She came over to help him and ended up sitting on the floor as they sorted through it.

When Jungkook ended the call, he went back into the kitchen only to find the counter empty. He blinked in confusion just as a voice said, “No sweetie, I think this goes here…”

“Okay, eomma.”

Jungkook followed the source of the voice and was surprised to see Sera and Jino on the dining room floor with a bunch of toys surrounding them. He smiled fondly at the two before taking out his phone and opening his camera app. Just as he took the picture, Sera looked up, catching him in the act.

Sera used to complain a lot whenever he took candid pictures of her but recently, the complaints have dwindled until she no longer did, and lets Jungkook take all the photos he wanted.

Sera reached out her hand and Jungkook took it with a sigh. He had to get ready to leave, but he let her pull him down to the floor beside her still—without a fight.

He could never really say no when she smiled up at him like that.

That day, Jungkook was half an hour late for his shoot because he got too invested forming the tracks for Jino’s new train toy.

And maybe because Sera was just there—within his reach—and he was making up for the time they spent apart.

“Hey Sera, you’re back!”

Sera smiled as Jimin welcomed her at the door. She came in, hand in hand with Jino who was already getting a little impatient. They had planned on going to the amusement part this afternoon but Jungkook had some things to take care of at the studio and so here they were, practically fetching him so he could hurry up.

“Hey Jimin,” She greeted as she handed him a paper bag. “Got something for you.”

“Aww, you shouldn’t have.” He grinned then reached out his fist towards Jino. “What’s up, my little man?”

“I am not little!” Jino harrumphed, making Jimin and Sera laugh.

“Spoken like a true Jeon.” He ruffled his hair before looking back at Sera. “Hope the trip went well?”

Sera nodded. “It did. Big project—heavy—glad I got it over with.” She huffed with a chuckle. Her eyes suddenly looked over his shoulder, searching. “Is Jungkook—?”

“Oh! Yeah, he’s wrapping up now. He’s actually talking to the client in his office. Should be done in a few.”

“Ok, we’ll head over—“

“Appa!”

“Jino—appa is still working wait—“ Sera sighed as Jino sprinted to Jungkook’s office. She looked at Jimin apologetically before running after him.

“Jino—“ She called again just as she made a turn to the next hallway where Jungkook’s office was located. The door was open and Jungkook was talking to a middle-aged couple when Jino barrelled into the room.

Sera watched as Jungkook’s expression morphed from surprise to happy as the biggest grin made its way to his lips. He opened his arms and carried his son, making Sera smile.

“Hey, where did you come from sport?”

Jungkook chuckled just as he looked at the doorway to find Sera there; smile softening at the sight of her. “Hey babe.”

“Sorry about that.” She said as she entered the room, bowing to Jungkook’s clients. “He’s pretty excited.”

“Oh is this your lovely family?” The woman said as Jungkook wrapped his free arm around Sera’s waist. The action was natural—like his hand knew where it ought to be.

“Yes, this is my wife Sera and my son Jino.” He turned to Sera. “This is Mr. & Mrs. Lee. I’m handling their photo shoot for their wedding anniversary.”

“Pleased to meet you.” Sera smiled as she shook each of their hands. “And congratulations!”

“Thank you. And oh yes, I’ve seen your photos over there.” The woman pointed at the picture frame by Jungkook’s desk, which was a family portrait they took from their trip to Jeju last summer. “Beautiful family. Aren’t they, honey?” She asked the man beside her, which Sera assumed was her husband.

The man nodded with a smile. “Well it seemed that you have a big day planned. We’ll get going.” He reached out his hand towards Jungkook. “The photos look great, Jungkook-ssi. Thank you again for that.”

“Thank you, it was my pleasure. I’m really glad you liked it.”

“Oh well we didn’t expect anything less from Korea’s top photographer.” Mrs. Lee chuckled and turned to Sera. “I bet your husband takes tons of pictures of you!“

“More than I like, to be honest.” Sera joked, making everyone in the room laugh. Once they said their goodbyes, Jino poked at his father’s cheeks.

”Appa can we go now?“

"You bet, let me just wrap up alright, kiddo?”

“Okay.”

“Knock knock, you guys want some cake?” Jimin asked, peeking from the office doorway. “It’s Hana’s birthday and the staff brought some to celebrate.”

“Caaaake!!” Jino cheered as he wiggled out of Jungkook’s arms and went over to Jimin who took his hand and went over to the next-door studio room, leaving the couple alone.

“They seem nice. The Lee’s, I mean.” Sera remarked as she made her way to the window. Jungkook was over at his desk, fixing his things as she looked down at the line of picture frames by the window frame. She smiled as she saw memory after memory from their honeymoon in Europe to the very first family photo they took when Jino was born. There was even one she took of the two of them, during that trip to Daegu for Taehyung’s twins’ birthday.

“They’ve been married for twenty five years.” Sera heard Jungkook say and she smiled while touching a familiar photo…

It was taken on their wedding day and Jungkook was in a classic black suit while she wore a beautiful white gown. She was smiling into the photo—almost laughing as Jungkook leaned over and kissed her cheek, his arms wrapped around her waist.

Sera jumped when she felt hands on her waist all of a sudden, then arms sliding around her torso. Jungkook hooked his chin on her shoulder, hugging her from behind as he looked down at the photo as well.

“You looked beautiful that day.”

“Only that day?” She snorted and Jungkook nuzzled against her neck.

“I retract my statement. You look beautiful everyday, yeobo.”

“Nice save.”

They stayed like that for a moment, just basking in each other’s presence. Sera looked down as she placed her hands over his; smiling when she saw the identical silver bands on their ring fingers.

“Promise me something?” Jungkook suddenly asked.

“Hmm?”

“Promise me…that we’ll make it to twenty-five.” He said and Sera smiled as she leant against his chest.

“Hmm. I can’t.”

Jungkook scrunched his eyebrows in confusion at her answer while Sera turned in his arms so she was facing him. She let her hand cup his face, thumb caressing that little scar on his cheek, which he got from a small accident back when they were young. Sera could remember that day: how Jungkook had taken the fall and caught her, leaving her unscathed. It was perhaps the first time that he made her heart beat weird… and things were just never the same after that.

“Because I want to promise you longer than that.” She finally said and Jungkook’s gaze softened at her words, his heart swelling it made it almost hard for him to breathe.

“God, I love you.” He whispered in a daze before capturing her lips in a kiss, muffling Sera’s reply.

Sera and Jungkook’s marriage was nothing out of the ordinary.

Sure they were a little more “gross” than most couples, as quoted by Jino a few times. They were the type of couple that didn’t care if they kissed in front of many eyes, and held hands because that’s just were their hands were meant to be: in each other’s. They were the type of couple who kissed each other before going to work and exchanged “I love you’s” right before bed.

Basically, they were that young married couple that never really got over the honeymoon phase, and hopefully never will.

But it wasn’t all rainbows and happily ever after’s. There were big fights too, one that caused a loud silence to cloud over their lovely home.

They would make up a facade whenever they were around Jino, because they were adults—parents –and they knew how fighting could affect their child, especially Jino who was just four years old. So they would still have dinner together, smile and the works, but after that the silence would prevail once more.

But Sera remembered how wonderful making up was. Just like that one time when they had one of their big arguments that made them ignore each other for a few days. They were alone in the kitchen one night after dinner and Jungkook suddenly muttered an “I’m sorry. You were right.” while she was washing the dishes, before going on a monologue about how stupid he was and how much he missed her.

At that Sera smiled, already forgiving him before washing off her hands and going up to him for a hug. She succumbed into his embrace so easily, after being deprived of his touch for days and Jungkook seemed to feel the same way as he hugged her tight—so tight it felt like he was breathing her in.

It was simply that easy to forgive… when you love someone so much.

It was an ordinary marriage but to Sera and Jungkook, it was special. It was special because not everyone had a second chance at true love the way they did. It was special because they both worked their dream jobs and were surrounded by wonderful people. It was special because they had Jino… and they had each other.

Right then, in their current state, it was more than what any of them could ever ask for. It was indeed… a more than perfect life.

“I have a shoot in Busan tomorrow.” Jungkook said as he lifted the comforter from the bed and slid under the covers.

“Oh? Is Jimin coming along?” Sera asked as she typed on her laptop, finalizing an email for a new client in Chicago.

“Uh, huh.” He answered before leaning over to kiss her shoulder. “Come on babe, bed time.” He tugged at the hem of her shirt. “Close that thing.”

“Yes, daddy.”

Jungkook paused at the term then smirked. “Why Sera… Are you seducing me?” He asked then burst into laughter when Sera threw a pillow at his face before turning off her laptop and sliding under the covers herself.

The rain was pouring outside and Sera shivered at the cold. But it was only for a moment for she warmed up instantly upon snuggling against Jungkook’s side, who was quite frankly a human heater.

“Wish I could take you two.” Jungkook murmured against her hair as he wrapped an arm around her. “The beach there is amazing in this season.”

“Hmm. But Jino has school, love.”

“Yeah, I know.” He sighed. “And you have work.”

“Why don’t we go next summer?”

“Sounds perfect.” Jungkook smiled and then kissed her good night.

~~~

Later that night…

Sera stirred when she felt something poking at her hip. It was gentle at first and thought perhaps it was just Jungkook. That is until she heard a voice…

“Eomma?”

Sera’s eyes opened immediately and turned her head to the side. Jino stood there, looking up with frightened eyes.

“Hey, sweetheart.” She said groggily as she pried Jungkook’s arm from her torso gently. Her husband didn’t even flinch, deep in sleep. “What’s the matter?”

“The sky makes loud sound, eomma. I’m scared.”

Sera peered through the window and saw that the rain hasn’t stopped, lightning washing the room in bursts of white light.

“It’s just thunder baby.” She comforted as she ran her hand through her son’s hair.

“Mmm? Sera? What—” Jungkook groaned when he no longer felt her by his side and Sera felt his arm reaching out for her. “Babe? Come back to bed—”

“Jino’s here, Kookie.”

“W—what?” He asked groggily.

“Your son is scared of thunder.” She answered as she lifted Jino onto her lap. The little boy immediately snuggled into her arms and Sera rocked him back and forth slightly to comfort him.

Jungkook blinked a few times before lifting himself up. He sighed when he saw that Jino was indeed in their room right now.

“There’s nothing to be…” he yawned, pausing midway. “—afraid of kiddo.”

Jino hid his face on Sera’s chest and whimpered when another thunder struck. Sera locked eyes with Jungkook who eventually sighed in defeat.

“Okay.” He said. “Get in here.”

Soon enough Jino was wedged between Sera and Jungkook and knocked out almost instantly the moment their arms wrapped around him protectively.

“Night love.” Sera said as she kissed her son good night.

“Do I get one too?” Jungkook mumbled which surprised Sera since she thought he was already asleep.

“Come here and get it.” She teased and Jungkook whined like a child but lifted himself up anyway, reaching over Jino so he could give Sera a sweet peck on the lips. He was too adorable that Sera couldn’t help but chuckle.

“Love you. Good night.” He yawned before sinking back into his side of the mattress and falling asleep almost instantly.

“Love you.” Sera murmured back into the darkness as she found Jungkook’s hands on top of Jino’s torso. She smiled when she felt him move, intertwining their fingers easily.

Sera slept soundly through the night, with her loved ones wrapped safely in her arms.

END

I’m crying I missed them. And look it’s Jino:

Cutie <3

Let me know what you guys think!

PS: After All is being edited into a full-length novel as of the moment. Just giving you guys a heads up as I will be taking down the fanfic version temporarily later this year. Thanks!

- Kaye Allen

#After All #bts scenarios #bangtan scenarios #Jungkook scenarios #Jeon Jungkook #BTS #networkbangtan #Kpop scenarios

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