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eddiemunsonsdrug · 2 years

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Four Tolls Part II [Eddie Munson x OC/Reader]

part i

Summary: Dustin's sister was making her own path, going to college, leaving Hawkins behind. But when headaches begin to haunt her daily life and the voices in her head get stronger she needs to check on her brother. When she hears the boy she tutored years ago is facing allegations of murder, she starts a new path. Back to Hawkins

Pairing: so I gave the reader a name as I didn't want to write Y/N for this, but other than that it is a reader insert

Words: 2318

A/N: Thank you to everyone who read my last chapter I hope you continue to enjoy this series as much as I'm enjoying writing it. Let me know if you want to be tagged or whatever

Warnings: blacking out, Vecna appearance, pill taking (Tylenol), grammar and spelling I'm sure.

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You packed the previous night, you had miss the rest of your classes but were uncaring at the thought of missing some study tools.

The next morning was brisk and bit into your face as you stuffed your car with the remaining clothes you would require for a trip home, plus some laundry you had put off doing. Might as well use moms washing machine when you’re home.

After a quick goodbye to a confused and concerned Nicole, you hit the road. You knew you’d be in Hawkins before the afternoon but the quicker you got home the better, you’d be able to see Dustin and ask him about Eddie.

Once you hit the highway your mind wandered at the thought of the Eddie Munson. You hadn’t thought of him for years, but you remembered tutoring him. The two of you spent endless nights in the public library as seniors.

You remembered him approaching you about halfway through the year asking, no- begging for you to help him study. He claimed this was going to be his year, that he was going to graduate. You took his words as a joke, he was a senior, of course he was going to graduate.

His hair was beginning to reach behind his ears, his ear pierced to hell, and his hands were always ring clad as he fiddled with them while you went over your English course work.

“Eddie, are you even listening?” You asked, you had looked up from the book you were getting him to read for his final essay exam. His eyes were practically glazed over with boredom. “Huh?” he shook his head wildly as he tipped back in is chair, almost losing balance at the sound of your voice.

You gripped his chair and pulled it back before you frowned. “Why can’t you ever be less dramatic.” He shrugged in his oversized jean jacket. “Gotta live life to its fullest, why not make a spectacle of myself.” He smirked as you shook your head.

“Speaking of which are we almost done?” He questioned bored out of his mind. “This isn’t exactly me thriving.” He motioned around the library before resting his head on the back of the chair. “I’ve got band practice.” You let out a long sigh, you knew this would go nowhere. “Sure.” You muttered as you shoved the book over towards him. “Try to read at least some of this.” Now you were the one begging, he shoved it into his jacket before standing. “Great, see you Henderson.” He smiled before jogging out the door.

You knew he never read any of that book, and you were disappointed when graduation came and Munsons name was mysteriously skipped. You had always cheered him on in your head when he actually made it to a class.

After graduation you never saw him again. During your second year in college you heard from Dustin excitedly through the phone that he had met the coolest guy, he was his DM, he had taken him under his wing, he was Eddie Munson.

You were happy to hear about Dustin being taken care of in high school, you were always worried about how he was being treated. But you were also taken by surprise and upset to hear Eddie was still in school, still a senior, still not graduated.

You knew he was absolutely harmless though; his tough exterior was just something he had built up under the name of freak. If anyone took the time to get to know him, they would immediately know the nicest person they would ever meet.

You also knew the murder wasn’t something that just happened in Hawkins, not from a human at least. After the fires from the previous year at the mall, you had grilled Dustin about it till he told you everything he knew from his side and some of what he knew from Elevens.

Normal crimes didn’t just happen in Hawkins.

A sharp pain in your brain had you shaking your head and you snapped back to reality. The familiar dinging of your car reminded you that you meant to get gas earlier.

You pulled off to the nearest gas station the smell of gas made your head pound almost making you sick, quickly paying you took the change to the payphone, once again dialing home.

“Hello?” Your moms voice came rather quickly this time. “Hey mom, I just wanted to let you know I’m on my way home.” You heard her sharp gasp. “Really?! What for?” she asked, glee filling her voice. “Well, um, its spring break and I’ve missed you guys.” Your mother squealed slightly shooting a sharp pain to your skull and down your neck. “Oh I can’t wait to see you sweetie. I’ll get your room all set up, when are you due?”

You looked down at your watch. “Bout two hours.” You bit your lip and shut your eyes nervously. “Is Dustin home yet?” you asked though you already knew the answer. “No, he slept at Mikes house, I thought Mike was out of town though. I don’t know I can barely keep up with that boy.” You chuckled at your mom’s obliviousness, how she still didn’t know all of the shit Dustin and you got into you’ll never know. “Okay, I’ll see you in a bit.”

She quickly said goodbye and you hung up. Once in the car you popped a few pills and hit the road once more.

You pulled up to your house parking in the driveway. After grabbing a few bags you made your way into your house. “Mom? Dustin?” You called out, there was no answer though. You felt a bit nervous till you found a note saying your mom had gone into work and that she would see you later that night.

Sighing you almost felt relieved as you didn’t want to waste too much time having to catch up with your mother. You dropped your bags on the ground of your room and sat on your bed. You don’t know how much of your room had to be ‘done up’, it didn’t look like anything had changed since you left two years ago.

Before you could rise from your bed you heard the front door swing open with a loud thud. “Olivia? Olivia!?” You heard your brothers voice call from the front door, you ran from your room to the front of the house. “Dustin! Thank God.” You rushed over to embrace him, the antique grandfather clock in the corner of the room rang out four times, though it didn’t feel like 4 o’clock, you could have sworn it was only 10 AM. “What are you doing here?” He asked as he pulled from your hug, his eyes were searching you for an answer. “I heard about what happened with Eddie and just felt like I needed to be here.” You responded, your heart lifting as you saw him clearly.

He was still so young looking, still needed you to protect him. “What? That’s what brought you here?” he questioned his voice almost deadpanned. You raised an eyebrow. “Yeah, of course. I know nothing normal happens in Hawkins.” You replied attempting to joke. Dustin stepped back to look you over. “He brought you here, but not me?” He seemed mad, you couldn’t understand why, Dustin was always very understanding. “Not me?” You cocked your head; did he hear about your nightmare somehow? “No Dust-“ His fists clenched. “Not last year when we were dealing with the Mind Flayer?”

Your stomach churned at the accusation. “What? Dustin-“

“After all we went through, after I almost died?” The blood rushed from your face. “No. because I mean nothing to you, don’t I?” He shouted at you, the house went dark at his anger, and you felt dizzy. “N-no of course you mean everything to me.”

“Then why didn’t you come back last year!? When we all needed you!?” Your head felt heavy as you tried to speak. “Dustin-“ Nausea overtook your body. “You weren’t there, you were never there!? When Billy died, when Steve got captured by Russians, when Hopper was killed!!” Your mouth went dry as Dustin faded into something grotesque and veiny. “Wha-whats happening?” Your knees felt locked as your body began to feel its flight or fight response. “All you care about is yourself, leaving your brother alone to fend for himself.” His voice was no longer recognizable. Tears began to blur your eyeline, though this thing was no longer Dustin you felt the need to explain yourself to him.

When you opened your mouth to speak you felt your throat choke, your mind going numb, you were close to blacking out. Not again, you prayed. You looked down at yourself to see something slowly wrapping around your throat. “P-please.” You croaked out before your eyes shut.

Your eyes snapped open; you were back on your bed. You instinctively placed a hand on your throat as you took in gasping breaths. Your body was shivering, though a thin layer of sweat sat on your skin. You searched around the room, the bright sun shone in from the windows and the clock on your nightstand displayed it was 10:30. Your head shot forward as you attempted to calm your heart unsure of what that was. Another nightmare? Had you fallen asleep by accident?

You stayed seated for a few more minutes as you tried to brush off what had happened as a weird daydream that engulfed your thoughts, before grabbing and changing into some new clothes and walking out the door.

After getting back into your car you headed off to the Wheeler house. You knew it was basically a safe haven for the kids at this point. Where they hid Eleven, where they played D&D, where they talked about everything, they needed to talk about to each other.

You pulled into a spot on the street in front of the house you had spent some much time in, in the past. A quick shot of nerves hit you as a flash of memories filled your brain. Shaking your head almost violently, willing away the spine-tingling thoughts. You pushed yourself out of your car and to the front door, you hesitated before knocking, it felt weird to knock.

Mikes father opened the door, Holly close behind him gripping her teddy bear. “Olivia? Well you’re the last person I expected to be here.” For the first time in a while a genuine smile spread across your face. “Hello Mr. Wheeler.” He moved aside to allow you into the house. “Is my brother here?” Holly continued to hide behind her father’s legs as she watched you with close eyes. “You bet, basically got a whole crew asleep in the basement.” You gave him a quick nod before giving Holly a small finger wave as you made your way to the basement door.

As the door swung open you could here the chattering of a few people down in the basement. Your footsteps were heavy as you made your way to the bottom. When you hit the end of the stairs Max pushed past you and rushed upstairs, your eyes followed her till she disappeared. The talking had come to an abrupt stop. “Olivia?” You turned your head, your eyes immediately landing on Dustin, it felt almost dramatic as you made your way past the bodies and pulled him into a hug. “Dustin.” You choked out, all too emotionally for everyone around you to hear.

The hug went for a few moments before he pulled back. “What are you doing here?” A cold shiver ran down your spine, was this real or another nightmare? You could feel all eyes on you as you scanned around the room, Steve, Nancy, and Lucas were all in disbelief. There was another face she looked utterly lost as to who you were.

“I, uh, can’t explain it. I just needed to come home.” You huffed out as you finally looked back towards him, a huge sigh of relief escaped your lips. “I’m so happy you’re here, I’ve been calling home for two days.” You hugged him once more as he desperately tried to break free from your embrace.

“Wait, Henderson has a sister?” You heard the stranger whisper. “Uh, yeah.” Steve confirmed. You couldn’t stop the pink from spreading across your face as you finally let go of your little brother. “H-Hey guys.” Steve gave you a weak wave, Lucas smiled brightly at you and Nancy waited a moment before wrapping her arms around you. “Thank god you’re here.” She murmured before pulling back to look at you. “We need all the help we can get.”

After a moment and some introductions for Robin you sat on the couch. “Right.” Dustin said. “You probably have some questions.” You nodded as the other continued to watch you. “Yeah, right. Where’s Eddie?” You looked around the room like he would be hiding under the same table Eleven used to. “Wait, how do you know about that?” Steve asked from the armchair across from you. You glanced at him; you hadn’t seen him in years. You were always surprised to not see him join your college eventually. He still looked the same but last you heard yet again from Dustin, he was working at Family Video and before that an ice cream place in the mall.

“My mom mentioned he was in the news.” You told him before breaking eye contact. “He’s safe.” Robin said to answer your question. “Where?” you felt a twinge inside of you, feeling a sense of urgency with Eddie, you wanted to see him. Dustin looked at the group before back at you. “Olivia, just- he’s safe.” You nodded closing your eyes, your head pounded weakly at the side of your skull.

“So what are we dealing with this time?”

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umichenginabroad · 4 months

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Stockholm Week 3: Travel Preps!

Hej! I can’t believe it’s already February. Time flew by as I made more unforgettable memories in Stockholm :)

I am definitely getting more used to school and living like a local (we went through so much recycling in the past three weeks).

But for now, I'll dive right into my third week:

1/29 Mon: Freedom in Gamla Stan

During lunchtime, my friends and I visited Matchaya to get bubble tea and lunch. It was only a 10/15 minute walk from the DIS building! Very convenient. The bubble teas were AMAZING and the ramen was good too :)

My first bubble tea (Mango passion fruit) in Stockholm was a huge success <3 They put chunks of real mango in the drink too!!

I’ve always wanted to go back to Gamla Stan to go into some specific stores that I passed by when I was with my friends, hence I went to Gamla Stan again. Granted that I have been there multiple times now, I didn’t need Google Maps to use the metro or get to the stores. In a small souvenir shop, I found the perfect key chain for my housing key!

It’s a tiny little fuzzy Viking friend!

As I walked in the warm sunshine and the occasional breezes, I could feel the definition of peace of mind. It was exactly what I came to study abroad for and I was suddenly on the verge of tears due to pure happiness. It was an inexplicable moment :)

1/30 Tue: Searching for the One

I had never imagined that finding a cream-colored puffer in XS size would be this hard.

There was this white jacket that I saw in UNIQLO during my arrival shopping, and it had been living in my head rent-free since then. I have visited other stores to look for jackets with similar properties but I never succeeded. Moreover, UNIQLO was out of the size I was looking for both online and offline. When I went to the website and applied the filters it said “VERY LOW STOCK” in the mall. I had no option other than to go to the Mall of Scandinavia to look for the exact jacket. I had to try!

I took the astonishingly smooth commuter train for the first time, and it only took 25 minutes in total. Much to my joy, I was able to snatch the last one at the mall!

1/31 Wed: Let’s Book Everything

I didn’t have any field trips today, so I had a great time waking up late in the morning (afternoon to be exact).

I appreciate the sun so much more than I did back in the States

My roommate and I had a conversation the day before about going to Austria, Vienna together as a weekend trip. We searched through Ryanair (at 1 am) and found the best flight that perfectly suits our class schedules. It gets better: it was $65 per person for a round trip to Vienna! That’s what I call a deal.

Next, I called my dear college friends back home. They have been talking about going to London ever since my study abroad in Sweden was confirmed. My friend and I scheduled a time on Wednesday with Google Calendar (this is what we need to do when we each have 10 billion events going on in our lives) to finalize the trip. Again, Ryanair did its trick and I got my flights booked in an hour.

** Ryanair is recommended if you are on a tight budget AND don’t have a lot of stuff! I’m only bringing my backpack since these are all weekend trips :)

My roommate and I also had a fabulous dinner, ramen.

As you can see from the photo, we had a feast

2/1 Thu: Self-Care Day

My morning film class was canceled today, so I had the pleasure of turning off all the alarms. For once I had plenty of time to make breakfast.

*･+:*｡･ Golden French toast *｡･:*+*

When I was done with my late afternoon three-hour core course, I really didn’t feel like doing anything. So I didn’t!

The view from the DIS building

We just cooked together following an Instagram recipe

(could have used thinner meat)

and watched Memento together. It played with my mind too many times… I highly recommend it + a video essay that unfolds the movie from a different perspective!

2/2 Fri: Banksy!

To make up for the work I didn’t do last night, I woke up at 5 am to finish my homework.

Sunrise view at 7:30 am

After class, I briefly ate lunch and headed to The Mystery of Banksy.

I had no prior background knowledge about Banksy, which allowed the museum trip to be a fun learning experience. There was a lot more political and social criticism than I imagined in Banksy’s artworks. The pop-up ends on February 4th, so if you are interested check out the Banksy website!

Here are the pictures we took:

My roomie even brought her camera!!! I was so jealous

2/3 Sat: Fika with Friends

Of course, I went to Gamla Stan again. I was invited for a fika brunch and there was no reason to say no.

We walked around until there were seats available at Fika and Wine.

The food and the desserts were all flavorful.

After devouring everything, we strolled around the city to digest. All four of us took pictures of each other at the same time and the conversations we had were too funny.

So much laughter <3

I started turning around and around while my friend was taking pictures of me - it resulted in me getting a new nickname of rotisserie chicken.

The picture depicts a chicken in the midst of rotating

Your answer better be YES to this question!

Maybe it was the turns that led me to lose my transportation card. That’s right, I lost my 90-day SL card. Thankfully, I registered for the replacement guarantee during the first week because I knew it was bound to happen at some point (but not this early ;-; ). I went to the SL Customer Service Center in Central Station, near the T-Centralen metro station, and got my 90-day plan transferred into a new card for $2.

Sending love to my roomie who stayed with me until the problem got fixed. Couldn’t have done it without you <3

2/4 Sun: More Planning (Hopefully the Last)

I finally finalized all the details for my Spain trip during the Exploration Travel Week Break! I got the flight and the hotel in Barcelona, and I am extremely excited for this trip. Going to Spain has been on my bucket list for a while now, and I can’t describe how THRILLED I am. I will write more about it when the time comes :)

My plans for the rest of today are doing more homework and maybe getting dinner with my friends at a Ghanaian restaurant.

I hope you enjoyed my relaxing but vibrant third week! The past three weeks in Stockholm have been exactly what I came to study abroad for, and I wouldn’t change this experience with anything.

I hope to share more of my everlasting memories with you!

Vi ses,

Jiwoo Kim

Chemical Engineering

DIS Study Abroad in Stockholm, Sweden

#UmichEnginAbroad #IPEStockholm #JiwooKim #IPEWinter24 #Sweden

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xi218 · 7 months

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୨୧ goals ୨୧

Physical: working on being sober, ab workout routine, getting into bed earlier, not snacking so much, wearing the clothes you're saving for a "special occasion", trying out new looks and clothes, venturing out new styles, upgrading your basic hygiene routine, drink more water

Mental: journaling daily (or near daily..), decorating pages, keeping track of emotions both negative and positive and what triggers them. Get rid of the negative triggers and bring in more of the positive triggers.

Emotional: getting in touch with a therapist, dedicating a journal to release you emotions instead of bottling them in, interpret dreams, talking to friends when things upset me

Professional: working 1 hour more than usual, dont wake up and finish work before class

Personal: find your old hobbies (crochet), discover new ones (shirt making 👀), trying new food even if im nervous, complimenting people out loud, making an effort to hang out with friends when opportunities present themselves, limit youtube time

Finance: learn how to budget, no impulse spending, watch videos about making money with art and follow through

Important habits to have: waking up and going to bed early, using planner, having a morning and night routine but the freedom to change it/ leniency with myself if i dont stick to it

Important skills to build: how to communicate my own needs, learn what the line is between sharing and dumping (rather than choosing to bottle everything ive ever felt lol)

schedule ଘ(੭ˊᵕˋ)੭ ੈ♡‧₊˚

So you've picked your goals. Great. Now take a look at your schedule and figure out what things are taking up most of your time. Is it a long commute? Spending too much time scrolling on your phone? Waking up late? Going to bed late?

୨୧ time blocking / schedule:

☆ Mornings:

5-6am: exercise

6-7am: shower, get ready for class / library

7:30-8am: library for breakfast, get ready for the day

~class~

☆ Evenings:

get back from class, shower immediately, change into pajamas

eat dinner

finish homework

plan the next day, journal, go to bed

Assess how you spend your time and utilize it. Instead of scrolling on your phone during your free time, spend time with your loved ones (pets, kids, partner), instead of staying in one place while you're on a call, walk around to get steps in, there is always a way to implement your goals into your daily life.

Notice how I say fit your goals around your life. You don't want to be taking away important things like errands, jobs, school, being a parent just meet your goals- no. Use your time wisely. That's all. You can fit them.

On the larger goals like taking up a class/large skill, like dancing and painting. On fridays, you'll have dance class and on other days that you have free, you'll be painting a piece or reading your anticipated book, learning a language, trying out a new recipe, planning the next day, taking a spontaneous art class, etc!

Weekends.

Because I work a lot, I like to use weekends to really do deep work. Intensive study sessions. And because I deep work (work with no distractions) I don't need to study all day. I'm getting so much done in little time that I'll be done by the afternoon and I can go out and do errands, get all dressed up and have a nice day out in the city, or just have a relaxing day by doing chores, watching a nice movie and more!

3. Setting up a system so you can actually stick to those goals.

Keep a journal to keep track of what you did today. If you didn't reach a goal that day (and that's okay), ask yourself why? and how does it make you feel? Then take action on what you can do to reach it tomorrow.

i think post its in planner should be effective

Switching. We all know it’s best to not push yourself so hard. For example, don’t do intense exercise everyday. Walking and dancing throughout the day counts as exercise too, so by switching (depending on YOUR goals), you’ll have time for your other goals as well. Here is an example: on a rest day of no exercising, maybe that day is the night I have a ballet class. That is exercise as well. So instead of exercising in the very early hours of my day, I can use that time instead to do more studying OR have more time doing something else.

which means I can do one do the following: spend more time with my pet, read a few pages of my book, make a new recipe, etc.

Ex. 4am-5am - on a no-exercise day, i can study during that time instead. 6am-7am - more time to tackle my other goals.

Create a foundation. If you have an amazing day, felt very productive and accomplished, what's a habit that really helped? if you had an off day, figure out why and maybe your foundation can help.

★ That’s all!

#100dayswithddd

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the-unheardvoices · 2 months

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Small Talk with Shirley

The Tea House

Cold. The January weather is bitter with ice. It bites the shins of those who forget to wear long socks, like a dog’s jagged teeth inching into bare skin, and tendrils into the warmth of the human heart. It is afternoon, and the winter sun is mellow in its pale, yellowed gaze. The aged gray stones whisper, and the wooden beams of the old Suzhou-style architecture shift in their cold, unforgiving slumber. The little town is quiet, but not desolate. An ember of warmth flickers in each templed storefront and—there it is. A rectangle of verdure enclosing low metal tables and chairs, Chinese charms of all kinds decorating the edges, flowers scattered arbitrarily across the floor, as if done by a giant’s hand. There is an infinite sequence of succulents on an elongated windowsill to the right, and a closed, glass door standing next to it. If you open the glass door, it will reveal an ancient world, a world you have never known—a world spanning more than five thousand years. Boxes of tea are stacked on every wall, their names written in thick, looping strokes of Chinese characters, ceramics of the deepest blues and brightest reds placed upside down on a table. Banners of calligraphy are framed on the walls, an unfolded fan with a painted tiger propped up by the tea sets. The owner will welcome you in; she is dressed in traditional Chinese dress—dyed a lovely turquoise—and her hair is carefully bound. A plaque hangs from a string around her neck. Her name is Shirley.

Shirley’s long, elegant fingers wrap around the handle of a china tea-pot. She pours tea for Claire. White smoke trails from Claire’s delicate cup. Shirley describes what tea it is, and how long it has been grown for. She points out the clearness of the color; how its redness is undiluted, as clean as a morning-lake. Claire sips her tea and closes her eyes, letting the flavor soak on her tongue. She opens.

Claire: You’re so good at all this tea stuff, Shirley. Did you always want to do something related to tea, or is it more of a spontaneous thing? It’s so interesting.

Shirley: I’ve been learning about tea for eleven years. At first—and this is going to sound surprising—I was an aerospace engineering major in university. I studied planes. I got a job during university—with a lot of luck—at an airport, where I was in charge of helping out customers with luxury goods. In the process, I learnt an incredible amount about tea, because it was an aspect the customers would never ignore when they sat in lounges and purchased goods. That’s when I initially got interested in tea culture, actually. After my job ended, I went back to my university professor and asked her for help. She helped me contact a tea master, and I quickly got involved. Funnily enough, I made my first income from tea this way—I asked around my school if anyone was interested in learning tea, had those people pay me a lesson fee, and, shortly after, listened to my tea master lecture to a whole class. I didn’t get to keep most of the money, of course, as it went to funding my tea master’s tuition, but I got to listen to my tea master’s class for free, as well as make a little extra. But I learnt to love tea, and all the complicated processes which preceded and followed it. I contacted more and more tea masters to learn tea. Eventually, even my provincial government contacted me to spread tea culture in my city—I got my university professor teacher to join in—and I opened several tea houses in the area. Now, my university professor operates them; she’s no longer an aerospace engineering teacher. I’m currently trying to maintain and spread tea culture in Suzhou—I opened a tea house on Xietang Road during the pandemic, and I’ve really grown to see a lot more tea houses on the street since then. I can’t take full credit, but I’d like to think that I’ve contributed to this growth in my own way.

Claire: Wow—that’s incredible. You really transitioned across two entirely different majors. And you’ve come so far, too! What do you think was the main reason why you were able to pursue tea as a career path? I mean, it’s hard to envision as a high-school student, especially since Chinese culture tends more towards traditional pathways such as STEM.

Shirley: I think my family definitely influenced me. My grandmother made porcelain, for instance, though she isn’t very famous. Her mentor is, though! And my parents were very supportive of my pursuing tea—they were skeptical at first, but supportive. I’ve tried to not rely on them for any monetary support, but they’ve provided a little. Also, the people you meet are truly valuable. I’ve met such a large variety of people interested in Chinese culture, and not just tea culture, because when you learn tea, you start learning about many other things, too. There’s calligraphy—tea needs decoration—and porcelain, obviously, but also Chinese paintings, jewelry, and Chinese medicine. There are so many threads interconnected with tea, it never gets boring. There’s always more to explore, and more to improve, and that’s why I was able to fully explore tea as a career path. Because tea isn’t really just tea. In my Suzhou tea house, for instance, I’ve witnessed people use tea as a vehicle for countless things—business deals, family talks, relaxation, amicable meetings between friends. Tea is also a vehicle for health; I’ve learnt a little about Chinese medicine, and I can thus prescribe different types of tea for complementary medical treatments. So, I suppose there’s two main reasons which allowed me to pursue tea as a career: my family, and the people I’ve met along the way, who have redefined what I thought was just ‘tea.’ You see, if tea had really just been mixing tea leaves into water, then I’d have given it up a long time ago. It’s the people—the people who help you get into tea, and pursue it, and also the people who come and drink it.

Shirley mixes another type of tea in her little pot by transferring boiling water from her kettle and pouring it in. She presents the new tea to Claire, letting her inhale the invigorating scent. Claire thinks it’s a little like grasslands garlanded by the bright, blinding afternoon light. A little like the undiscovered side of the moon. New and yet strangely familiar. She takes a sip, and Shirley corrects her posture, pointing to her pinkie. Claire adjusts.

Claire: That’s true. I always thought of tea as something that’s one-dimensional, singular in nature—something just meant for simple enjoyment. But you’re right. It’s much more than that. It links to Chinese history and culture as a whole, and the passing-down of it. Since you’ve learnt so much, are you satisfied with where you are right now? Or do you have a lot of future plans?

Shirley: I think I’m definitely not satisfied, per se. Of course, I’m happy with the progress I’ve made in garnering regular customers—we’re trying social media, but word-of-mouth is still what works well right now—especially since COVID meant we had nearly no influx of customers at the beginning. There’s a greater need to stand out more than ever, though—many more tea houses have opened along my street, and so I need to keep on working to maintain originality. Every tea house has a different style; we’re all very supportive, and I’ll often recommend customers to another tea house if it’s something I think they’re looking for, but you can’t settle in with the crowd. It’s not enough. I’m also working on the bubble tea industry; cold tea is something that, traditionally, a lot of people in the tea community think is sacrilege, but it’s gotten bigger and more popular in recent years. I’m personally supportive of it, as long as the quality of the tea leaves are high, and the tea is replaced after two to three hours of use. Bubble tea is an incredibly global phenomenon, after all, and I think it has greater positive prospects ahead. I’ve been working with a local cold tea brand, actually—the one that’s just around the bend, opposite to my tea house. I’ve made some initial investments. So, yeah, that’s something that’s on my radar, as well as maintaining some individuality for my personal business.

Claire: I’m glad to hear you’re supportive of cold tea—I, personally, am a huge fan. Would you say that your definition of success is always keeping to a path of improvement, then?

Shirley pauses in the middle of pouring tea for Claire, the pendant on her chest bobbing with her movement. She considers Claire’s question, her eyes wide and pondering. Her long, willowy sleeves rest by her wrists.

Shirley: Yes, I do think so. I think that success is something we strive for; something that means that we’re on a constant path of improvement. That’s the crux of being human, isn’t it? Becoming better versions of ourselves. Not getting used to things. Giving ourselves time and space to relax, yes, but not in a way that’s complacent. I’m always looking to the next thing, and I think that’s what defines success for me—looking to the future. I’m excited about what I’ll do next; that’s my success.

Shirley smiles, and points to the stacks of tea behind her, neatly ordered into wooden cabinets. She can name them all without even turning around to look at the labels; by smell alone, she can know which tea is which. She mentions that the calligraphy on the wall was done by the headmaster of some famous university—you think you heard Tsinghua—and that the fan she has innocuously propped up on a table is crafted by an extremely famous artist. She is graceful and resplendent in her green, traditional wear, the wooden background of her tea house highlighting her dress. Shirley pours some more tea, the clear, flowing liquid an endless river, her fingers bridges to an ancient, forgotten world.

#entrepreneur #story #theunheardvoices #writing #tea #chinese

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danishmuseuminterns · 2 years

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Welcome to the Land of Lincoln

By Anders Tornsø Jørgensen

These past two weekends led me to the great state of Illinois. This post will be a bit nostalgic to write. Illinois was my first home state in the United States back when I was an exchange student in 2019 at the University of Illinois in Springfield. Also, Illinois was my first meeting with the Midwest and its wonderful people and endless yellow sea of cornfields. My experiences as an exchange student stirred me in a direction, that I probably wouldn’t have gone if I had stayed home. As with my internship here at the Museum of Danish America, I lived together with American students and explored and experienced American culture in a way that’s only possible when you actually live in the country. Exchange stays and internships provides individuals with opportunities that could impact a lifetime. That’s why I am so grateful for the opportunities provided by the American-Scandinavian Foundation and the Museum of Danish America.

The first weekend to Illinois went to Chicago where I was going to represent the museum at the 42nd Scandinavian Day Festival in nearby Vasa Park, South Elgin, IL. Leaving Elk Horn early Friday morning, we made it to Chicago where I spend most of the afternoon exploring the city. Chicago is one of my favorite American cities. When I arrived as an exchange student, I decided to stay in Chicago for a few days before I took the Amtrak to Springfield, the capital of Illinois, where I was going to study. That time was simply magical: I was 21 and had three days alone in one of the most wonderful cities on Earth. So, it was really great to be back in Chicago after so many years. And I can truly confirm, that the city is still a magic place filled with intense vitality and energy.

Chicago, with a population of 2,746,388 in 2020 (metropolitan limits 9,618,502) is the most populous city in the American Midwest. This goliath of the Midwest is the railway center of America and home to the world’s first skyscraper. This city has produced so many architectural wonders from the works of Louis Sullivan, Daniel Burnham to Frank Lloyd Wright, just to mention a few. Chicago boasts buildings such as the Carbide & Carbon Building with its golden top and green-tinted terracotta façade, the Chicago Board of Trade Building with a thirty-one-foot statue of Ceres, the Roman goddess of agriculture, that sits on top of the building, and of course Chicago’s amazing Union Station with its gorgeous Great Hall, where you wait for your train.

It is above all the span of Chicago that is so outstanding. In fact, Chicago has spread out to become a kind of city state with parts of Wisconsin, Indiana and even Michigan.

The downtown area of Chicago, the Loop, is still bound by elevated tracks, which gives it an old-school feeling. The Loop is also home to the world-class Art Institute of Chicago. If you have ever watched John Hughes’ 1986 film “Ferris Bueller’s Day Off,” then you may remember an iconic scene where the three main characters visit this wonderful place. My all-time favorite piece of art at this place is “Nighthawks” by Edward Hooper – for me, it’s a uniquely American painting. The Loop is also home to various landmark theatres such as the Chicago Theatre and Cadillac Palace Theatre, whose marquees and neon signs are stunning, especially during nighttime. The whole Loop area is surrounded by a system of canals and rivers that runs into the mighty Lake Michigan. The combination of water, an overload of Art Deco buildings, and the magnificent Grant Park with its iconic Buckingham Fountain and the mysterious Bean is perhaps the reason why Chicago is like no other city ever witnessed by the eyes of man. When I am in Chicago, I always go to the Adler Planetarium. Unfortunately, not due to an interest in astronomy, but because it provides the best view of the skyline along with Lake Michigan.

As home to the Chicago-style pizza and Chicago-style hot dog, the city is a center of culinary wonders that I always love to explore whenever I have the chance. My favorite pizza place in Chicago is definitely Pizzeria Uno, who claims to have invented the Chicago-style deep-dish pizza. However, this is a matter of controversial debate among Chicagoans.

Chicago is also President Barack Obama’s hometown, and I ended up visiting Valois Restaurant in Hyde Park, which was Obama’s favorite breakfast spot. Also, the Obama Presidential Center will be located in Jackson Park, which is located on Chicago’s South Side. Jackson Park is perhaps one of the most important parks in Chicago. It was originally designed in 1871, but then completely remodeled in 1893 to serve as the site of the World's Columbian Exposition. Some features still bring that historic world’s fair to live, including a one-third scale replica of ‘The Republic’ and the Museum of Science and Industry, which was known as the Palace of Fine Arts during the world fair.

Next to architecture, what Chicago is best known for is, of course, crime. As home to the notable gangster icon Al Capone, Chicago is still associated with the Mafia. One of my favorite movies, Brian De Palma’s 1987 “The Untouchables,” takes place in Chicago during the Prohibition Era, and it’s always funny to walk around Chicago and find the filming spots for this film. It is estimated that Al Capone and his Chicago Outfit earned around 100 million dollars a year, more than $1 billion when adjusted for inflation. This made the Chicago Outfit able to bribe and control the police, the courts, and above all the political machines that dominated Chicago. The era when they ruled the city is gone forever, but if you wish to go on a trip down memory lane, then you can visit the Green Mill Cocktail Lounge. Here visitors can sit in the same booth once frequented by Capone himself.

Baseball is often called ‘America’s Pastime,’ and I have never really watched any sports game nor been to a big sports stadium in the United States, so I ended up going to a baseball game at historic Wrigley Field, home of the Chicago Cubs. I loved singing the national anthem, but also “Take Me Out to the Ball Game” during the seventh-inning stretch of the game. It was lovely to see the deeply devoted fans, who sang along, and I also happened to grab a Chicago-style hotdog and a pretzel with cheese. Furthermore, a person proposed to his girlfriend and she said yes – it was just like you see on television! It was a wonderfull experience tven though the Cubs lost to San Francisco Giants.

Most of my Sunday took place in Vasa Park, South Elgin, where I attended the 42nd Scandinavian Day Festival. Unfortunately, the weather was against us with heavy showers, but rain or shine, we were standing strong. I enjoyed watching traditional Scandinavian folk dance, talking with friends of the museum, and of course I ate my way across the Scandinavian kitchen with freshly made æbleskiver covered in powdered sugar, crêpes-style pancakes with lingonberry, and a traditional Danish hotdog as was it served at a pølsevogn. I had a Dane good time at the Scandinavian Day Festival!

Next weekend bought me to Springfield, Illinois, where I studied in 2019. The Chicago area is overwhelming Democratic and rural Illinois is just as overwhelmingly Republican, so it always felt like two very different worlds when you leave Chicago.

My brother and mother happened to visit me, so I planned to show them both Elk Horn and Springfield as part of their trip to the United States thereby giving them a good healthy amount of Midwestern culture. After having seen where I work each day and having been introduced to my sweet colleagues, we went on a six-hour drive to Springfield. They were pretty surprised to see the endless yellow sea of corn, that continues out of Iowa and into Illinois. Our route took us pretty much across the heart of America’s Corn Belt.

Springfield is a very interesting city: It is the capital of Illinois, the home city of Abraham Lincoln, and situated along legendary Route 66. Two of my favorite Abraham Lincoln-related places is of course his presidential library and museum, one of the finest in the nation, and the majestic Lincoln Tomb at Oak Ridge Cemetery. Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum is home to two top-notch theatric productions that tells about Lincoln’s life and times. Furthermore, the museum contains models of Lincoln's boyhood home, areas of the White House, along with various scenes from Lincoln’s life. My favorite component was the ‘Campaign of 1860,’ which features journalist Tim Russert, who presents the four-way presidential campaign of 1860 in a modern media setting. I always liked presidential libraries because they promote understanding of the presidency, but also of American history - some more successfully than others. Abraham Lincoln, next to George Washington, is one of those American icons than continue to inspire across the globe.

Even today, Lincoln’s pro-democracy, anti-slavery legacy is important, as authoritarian forces from abroad, but also within, is on the rise. Democracy as a national way of life is deeply imbedded in this nation’s fabric, and if the American experiment is to endure, we must now, as never before in history, act and define our age – as Lincoln did in the 1860s.

Despite history lessons, Springfield is also home to lighthearted slices of Americana. As such, Springfield is where my favorite American dish, the Horseshoe Sandwich, actually originated. It’s an open-faced sandwich, consisting of thick-slicked toasted bread, usually a hamburger patty, and French fries – all smothered in a cheese sauce. Legend has it that in 1928 the first horseshoe sandwich was made by a 17-year old dishwasher at the Leland Hotel in Springfield. I introduced my family to this peculiar tradition, and surprisingly, they also liked it.

I also happened to meet up with a lot of old friends from my time as an exchange student which was really nice. And it made me so proud to see how great they greeted my family. Whenever I am in the United States, I always try to stop in Springfield. It’s one of those places that shaped me a lot. To quote our friend Honest Abe: “To this place, and the kindness of these people, I owe everything.”

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cecisinjapan · 2 years

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Once again playing catch-up with my posts… June 7 - June 26. I think I will only write the highlights. Part of why I keep forgetting to update is because enough days are just “went to class, did my homework, and did little else,” making it pretty boring to write up as a blog. I think I’ll try to mix things up a little more this upcoming term. I don’t want my life to be just school and homework during the week.

—

Thursday, June 9, 2022

I finally gave in and decided to ask Google which clothing stores were most likely to carry clothes in my size. I ended up landing on a store called Punyus, which was created by a famous comedian. Their sizing is Large through 3XL, so I was able to find something. Plus, the style of the clothes is up on current trends, so I can at least pretend to be styling. I only bought one skirt, though, to test the waters. In the future, I might go back and get more.

—

Saturday, June 11, 2022

The final culture class of the term. In the morning, we learned about the history of anime and manga. Then in the afternoon, we went and wandered around Akihabara. I had seen a lot of the bigger sights already, but the teacher in charge of showing us around also made sure we saw a couple things I hadn’t seen before: Kotobukiya (it took walking inside and seeing the Star Wars figurines for me to realize I had seen their booths at Comic Con and that’s why the name sounded familiar) and the Akihabara shrine. I got my fortune from a little machine with a dancing robot (big fortune!) then picked up a protection amulet from a vending machine (felt like a must since Akihabara is Electric Town).

In the evening, my friends and I went to a restaurant then did some karaoke, which is always fun.

—

Tuesday, June 14, 2022

With finals a week away, the school forced us into mandatory review sessions. I honestly can’t say whether it actually was beneficial for me, but having an extra hour-and-a-half of class after three hours of class had my brain absolutely fried.

—

Thursday, June 16, 2022

This day had two parts of my final exam: the conversation test and the oral exam (the oral exam is exclusive to the US program, which seems a little unfair). As someone with social anxiety, putting both of these on the same day was both a blessing and a curse. A blessing because I could get them both over with and not have to worry anymore; a curse because I only have the mental bandwidth to stress about one of these things at a time, but I had to worry about both at once.

—

Saturday and Sunday, June 18 and 19, 2022

I buckled down and forced myself to try to study on the weekend leading up to the final exam. I’m still not really sure I know how to study, but I spent multiple hours each day doing my best.

—

Tuesday, June 21, 2022

Final exam day. I think I did reasonably well on the test.

Afterwards, I went back to my dorm and gave myself a haircut. My hair had gotten too long to manage well, especially in the humidity here.

To celebrate the end of the term, a group of friends went out for dinner and karaoke. We went to the same all-you-can-eat place we went really early in the term. Since I was prepared for it this time, I got to enjoy it a whole lot more than before.

We ended up staying at the karaoke place for five hours, only finally leaving a little after 1:30 in the morning. Most of the others got taxis, but I was not really feeling like dealing with people, so I ended up walking back to the dorm. It was only 4km, so it wasn’t too bad. And there were basically no people on the street, so it felt really safe. I will repeat what I say pretty much every time: it’s ridiculous that a city this big stops its trains at midnight. But, hey, I got to see streets I don’t normally get to see and got to enjoy some fresh air along the way. Totally worth it.

—

Saturday, June 25, 2022

Pikmin Bloom had its first in-person community day event. I managed to convince someone to come with me—which turned out to be very important because I got in line around 9:20am and only got into the event area at 11:50am or so. I had not planned to stand in line that long, especially with the weather being so hot and humid (it was 94 or so, but Apple Weather estimated that with humidity, it felt like 104). In fact, when we were only minutes from the front of the line, the app started sending out messages that they were ending distribution of the t-shirts and swag early out of concern of heat stroke (nobody else in line bailed, so we didn’t either—from what I can tell that was mostly directed at people who hadn’t gotten in line yet, telling them not to come). Disappointingly, there was basically nothing to do once you got into the actual park. Just grab a shirt and go. But I’m happy with that. The shirt is a truly unique souvenir from my time here.

In exchange for accompanying me to the Pikmin event, I went with my friend over to Meiji Jingu shrine in Harajuku. The grounds there were amazing. The trees were so tall and relaxing to look at. We then wandered around Harajuku for a bit before taking a turn I hadn’t taken before, which ended up leading us to Shibuya. I got to point out the Hachiko statue and took my friend through the Shibuya Scramble. But by that point, we had been outside in the heat for quite some time, so we called it quits there.

It’s still supposed to be rainy season, but it’s been brutally sunny and hot lately. I wonder if rainy season has ended early this year or if it will return with a vengeance. Honestly, I could do with some cooling rain for a day or two.

—

Sunday, June 26, 2022

Nothing too exciting today, but I did get to see a cat, so I wanted to share how angry he looked.

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levantea · 2 years

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Day 2 | hyunjin *ೃ༄

╰┈➤ 14 ways to say”i love you” series

Pairing: hyunjin x y/n

Genre: fluff, tablemates!

Rating: PG

Warning: none

Word Count: 1.79k

⇢ ˗ˏˋ prompts: 18 — “Here, drink this. You will feel better.” + 31 — “Don’t worry about me” + 44 — “I’ll drive bring you to the hospital”

My stomach hurts.

My stomach hurts badly.

Your brain has chanted these 2 sentences repeatedly since the start of the day as your period came right before you left the house. You had to rush back in to grab your sanitary pads and make sure it doesn’t stain over your skirt.

Females having periods are always at their most vulnerable state as some will experience bad cramps and backaches. Nonetheless for you, you always struggle alot during your first day and you were silently manifesting that this month will treat you better, but seems like it got worse.

Morning was still fine, you were able to walk around and talk to your friends across classes but when afternoon strikes, you started to feel the awfully familiar cramps at your lower abdomen. You felt your nerves harshly clenched together and you can barely stand straight. You were trying your best to hide your sufferings from your other classmates but your tablemate captures all.

“Are you okay?” he asked softly as you clutched onto your stomach, biting on your teeth as you cursed at the pain you are experiencing. Your gripped on your pen so tightly that it looks like it is going to break and your the folds of your fingers are getting redder, causing your tablemate to frown.

“Yeah, trying my best,” you mustered your energy to reply him while trying to wipe off some cold sweat. Didn’t want to get him worrying, you faked a weak smile before putting your head on the table, grabbing your bag to hug against your stomach, in hope that the pain will subside soon as you have music lessons in a different room.

“You don’t seem fine, do you want to go to the infirmary?” he leaned closer to you he checked your complexion. You sensed it because you saw a shadow hovering from the sunlight as you closed your eyes, and his steady breath against your cheeks.

“Don’t worry about me, i just need to rest abit, let me know if Mrs Jeon calls me,” you uttered softly that is only audible enough for Hyunjin to hear as he replied with an ‘mhm’, shifting his body back to his table, not forgetting to check you out in constant intervals.

The bell rang and your music lesson is starting soon. You thought that you felt better but the moment you shifted your body, the pain pierced again and you instantly sat down.

“Y/n, i guess its better if you sit here and rest, i’ll tell Ms Molly that you are unwell, do you need anything? I’ll grab for you before i go,” your closer friend in the class approached you and suggested as she saw you couldn’t stand at all.

“Would be great, thanks Shyan,” you waved a small goodbye to her before placing your head back down on the table. You turned and saw your tablemate still sitting there, looking at you with concern.

“Hyun, you should go, Ms Molly will kill you if you don’t attend, you are her favourite student,” you poked his arm as he catches it, making your heart skip a beat when you feel the heat radiating from his palm to yours.

Your relationship with your tablemate is pleasant — Hyunjin has been a wonderful table partner as he always make sure you finish your work on time, reminding you about the to-do lists for the week, helping you with your studies as he is a top scorer and other miscallaenous stuff that you can’t even count with your 10 fingers.

There have been rumours spreading around the cohort that both of you are dating and you did deny a few times before, but to no appeal. You questioned Hyunjin before if he wanted to clarify, which you are happy to do so (to avoid more misunderstandings between the both of you since you guys are pretty close as friends) but he said that just leave it be.

You probe again but he merely said that it was unnecessary to respond to such rumours, which may backfire the intention of trying to clarify. You agreed to his point and hence, leaving the tea stirring and people are still speculating both of you from time to time.

Putting all these rumours aside, if you were to touch your heart and be truthful, you would admit that you had crush on him ever since he sat next to you. Who wouldn’t be fond of such boyfriend material tablemate?

He is smart, talented, artistic, hardworking, humble, alluring…whatever good vocabularies you can use on him. Nevertheless, he is such gentleman towards you. Whenever you need assistance, he would definitely be the first one to hop right infront of you and do everything. Unsure if it is a tablemate’s privilege, you never once saw him going to this extend for someone before, except for his close friends and family.

Sometimes you felt the connection between you and him is complicated because there isn’t a fine line between close friends and lovers. He do some weird but heart racing things such as: lending you his textbook when you forget to bring yours and he received the punishment; he would ruffle your hair gently when you are satisfied with your results and praises you “good job”; he will take good care of you when you are in PE lessons and never forget to bring you a bottle of 100plus to quench your thirst.

Maybe we could be something more than that? You always wondered that to yourself, but you just didn’t have that courage to take one more, just one more step further, because you are worried this friendship is either going to progress or break.

“I’m worried about you, are you really sure you don’t wanna go to infirmary? or hospital even,” he tucked a strand of your fringe behind your ears, gently carassing your temple as you shake your head.

“I’ll sit here first and observe, will consider that if it still doesn’t turn better, just go, anything i’ll call you,” you patted his hand as he acknowledged it, leaving the classroom after gently closing the door.

Now the classroom only left with you and you took some tissue paper to wipe off youe sweat from your table, only to realise that the cramp has worsened until you start to feel your lips getting drier and body becoming numb.

“Screw my life,” you tried your best to stand up and walk towards the door, praying that you can sustain until the infirmary room that is located 2 levels below. However, the sight of seeing a few flights of stairs made you growl as every steps taken felt like a torture.

As you were going down, you noticed your vision is getting blurrer every second ticks by and you hold onto the handrail as if holding onto your life. You shook your head abit, trying to regain your vision but oh well, it got worse.

You collapse to the ground first and lay there, still having last bit of conciousness before you heard fast footsteps. You were trying to call for help, but nothing came out of your mouth as you were too weak to even make a sound.

“Y/n? Y/n! Are you okay?! I’ll bring you to the hospital,” you heard your tablemate’s voice as he kneeled beside you, elevating your body and pull closer towards his legs, calling for you to stay awake.

“No…don’t… just- infirmary…” you forced a few words out before passing out. He instantly carried you in bridal style and rushed to the infirmary to get you treated.

—

“Y/n? Y/n! Omg you are finally awake,” you slowly opened your eyes, finding yourself lying on a bed and an unfamiliar white ceiling. You tilt your head abit towards the left, seeing Hyunjin’s worried face and grabbing onto your hands tightly without hurting you. You forced a smile to reassure him that you are okay, making him on the verge of tearing.

“You are obviously not okay, i know you are not, don’t be stubborn,” you heard his sound contains a tinge of breaking down as you rub slow circles around his hand, soothing him from his emotion.

He went silent for awhile before speaking, “i’ll go get you some warm water, stay here.”

You chuckled lightly at his actions. “Your boyfriend is so cute,” the nurse commented as you darted your eyes at her.

“Boyfriend? He’s not-“

“You don’t need to be shy! He already admitted it, even if he didn’t, i would have guessed it as well because he was so so so worried about you… literally begging me to help you when it was just menstrual cramps and he was sitting here for the past 1 and half hours holding your hands watching you,” the nurse laughed at your tablemate’s movements, causing you to burst out laughing too. “And he keeps asking me when will you be awake.”

He is that concerned about me?

“Haha, i see, he is, very nice to me…” you looked across the window, seeing him running back to you with your thermal bottle in his hands.

“Here, drink this. You will feel better,” he opened the lid and blow gently before passing over to you.

Would be nice if he is really my boyfriend…, you wondered as you take a sip.

“I’ll leave you 2 lovebirds here,” the nurse winked at you and left, causing the both of you to be flustered.

“Was it true…? Like what she said…” you started the conversation after it went silent for a good 5 mins, seeing Hyunjin sitting and fidgeting with his fingers, as if he got something to tell you.

He looked at you for a short one second before looking down at his hands again. “I mean, i was so worried and… urgh, y/n i really can’t get you out of my head…like everywhere i see is just you and only you…” he shifted his eyes back to you, looking into your eyes when he confessed in his last sentence.

Badump, badump, badump.

Is that what like means?

“Likewise,” you replied one word before taking another sip of your bottle, side eye seeing him widening his eyes and lips curling up.

“Really? You feel that way?” his voice filled with hope and ectasy, taking your hands back into his.

“Really.”

You looked back into his eyes, seeing him smiling like a fool while giving a light kiss on your hand, leading you to laugh at his action as well. It seems like ‘tablemates’ will not be the right term to describe both of you anymore, but something else more than that which you both long hope for.

-> Navi | Masterlist | About

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beom1e · 3 years

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SOUL WATCH

everybody had the soul watch app, because everybody was curious to meet their soulmate. it was an app that told you when or how and gave you hints, but never who. and due to all the pressure, you downloaded the app too... just to find out you didn’t even have a soulmate after all.

PAIRING yang jungwon x gn! reader

THEMES soulmates au, highschool au, fluff, humour

matching jewellery was a trend among soulmates when it came to being a highschool student. those that had found theirs wanted to show it off, basically shoving it into the faces of those that were still searching. walking down the corridors was a constant reminder that you didn’t have a soulmate for yourself, as matched couples would walk hand-in-hand with shiny bracelets or be seen wearing those missing piece style necklaces.

mondays. after freeing yourself from the couple-filled hallways, you sat down at your desk and placed your books onto the table with a huff. trying to block out your classmate bragging about meeting their soulmate over the weekend, you noisily checked around in your bag for your pencil case.

then came the clicking of your teacher’s heels as she entered the classroom, and there was a rush of students finding their seats. the squeaking of chair legs and quiet chatter only made you more annoyed at the world. to say discovering you were soulmate-less a few weeks prior had put you in a permanent bad mood would be an understatement.

but everything lit up as soon as yang jungwon appeared in the doorway. he apologised for being late, cheeks flushed and hair windswept. heat rose to your own cheeks at the sight of his sorry smile.

much to your dismay, he was a few seats to the back and to the right of you. he disappeared from your sight, making you slump sadly in your seat.

‘today is international soulmate day,’ your teacher smiled, setting her powerpoint up behind her. ‘as you all may know. there are many types of soulmate links out there, but i want to know about yours. so research and write about it — its origin, its rarity — and hand it in at the end of class.’

not sure what to do, you raised your hand. ‘what if you don’t have a soulmate?’ at the sound of your voice, jungwon looked up from his notebook. he didn’t have a soulmate either.

‘everybody has a soulmate, y/n,’ she reminded you. ‘maybe you entered your details into soul watch incorrectly.’

‘i don’t have a soulmate either,’ jungwon spoke up. you turned in your seat. ‘so what do we do instead?’

‘this is the first time i’m hearing of people being soulmate-less,’ she chuckled awkwardly, slightly panicked. ‘well, you’re both part of the student board aren’t you? just head down to the main hall and help the others set up for the soulmate dance.’

the soulmate dance. just the thought of it made you roll your eyes. you’d never attended, because you didn’t show interest in finding out until those few weeks ago, but you knew how cheesy it was. it was like every other kind of dance, totally cliché and super boring. except, you got to bring your soulmate.

you packed up your things as quickly as possible. as horrible it would be having to decorate for a stupid highschool dance that you wouldn’t even attend, at least jungwon would be at your side. and he must’ve understood your suffering, especially during international soulmate week on international soulmate day that just happened to fall on a monday.

you slung your bag onto your shoulder and followed jungwon out of the door. he walked slightly ahead of you, holding open each door for you which you quietly thanked him for.

when you made it to the main hall, the bright pink colour palette made your eyes burn. ‘this is going to be a long week,’ jungwon sighed, dropping his bag and leaving you at the door. mentally agreeing, you placed your own bag down beside his.

you sort of felt bad for jungwon. it was depressing to know that you weren’t ‘destined’ for anyone, and that you’d have to find someone the old way. he seemed even less of a fan of soulmate week than you were, but he did seem really down about not having a soulmate of his own.

it was wednesday morning and you’d missed your bus. annoyed with yourself, you had to run to the nearest bus stop in hopes another bus would arrive soon. that was where you saw jungwon and his friends, all of them being upperclassmen.

trying not to be seen, you awkwardly leaned against the outside of the shelter and looked off to the side. ‘it’s not like i like them,’ jungwon argued, which earned a few laughs from the boys. ‘why would i ask them to the soulmate dance if we’re not soulmates?’

‘because you don’t want to spend saturday studying alone in your room?’ sunoo teased, ‘if they’re not matched, then you can ask them. no big deal.’

the bus pulled up in front of them. you waited for them to get on before following, avoiding eye contact and taking a seat at the back. ‘good morning, y/n,’ jake turned around to face you. ‘i didn’t know you take this bus.’

‘i don’t,’ you awkwardly replied. ‘i was late and missed my own bus.’

‘are you going to the dance on saturday?’ sunoo also joined in, smiling brightly at you.

‘oh, uh,’ you nervously fiddled with the straps of your bag. ‘no, i don’t have a soulmate.’

‘well, we were just telling little wonie here that you don’t need a soulmate to go,’ jay patted jungwon’s head, making the younger boy complain about him messing up his hair. ‘you could come with us.’

‘thank you...’ shifting uncomfortably in your seat, you looked between all of the boys who were staring eagerly at you. ‘for the offer... but i don’t want to go. it means a lot, i just don’t do school dances.’

the bus conversation was probably the most awkward thing that happened to you that day. or during lunch time, when you took a seat on a bench facing the sports field. there was jungwon once again, playing around with the same friends. you watched as jake gave up on running around and collapsed to the floor, with everyone mirroring his actions seconds later.

you’d always had a crush on jungwon. he was always so sweet and polite, with the perfect balance between humour and seriousness. you saw him as someone you could easily rely on and trust, despite never being close to him. his cheeks always had this natural blush and his laugh was addictive, and he looked so serious whenever he was concentrating. you felt your heart racing whenever he was around, but you never had the courage to confess to him.

as you got lost in your thoughts, you made eye contact with him across the field. panicked, you began packing your things away and into your bag. then you left, trying not to move too quickly so that it didn’t look suspicious.

after classes, you were called into the main hall once again. knowing today you’d have to be painting, you grabbed your change of clothes from your locker and headed into the changing rooms. coming back into the hall, you were met with jake and sunghoon covering each other in the baby pink paint.

you slipped past them and looked around for something to do. and then someone tapped on your shoulder. it was sunoo, who asked if you could help him with painting the banner. jungwon passed by you, sending you a soft smile before hurrying off towards jay. how did he seem to be everywhere?

on friday afternoon, as you were exhausted from all the decorating you’d been doing, you were so glad to be able to go home and enjoy your weekend. the whole week had been a complete disaster, and you now had a strong dislike towards the colour pink. but much to your dismay, the head of the student board asked you to attend the soulmate dance in order to keep an eye on the students. why he chose you specifically, you had no idea.

so on saturday morning, you tried your best to drag yourself out of bed. though you really didn’t want to dress up for a highschool dance, there was an outfit you had in mind. things weren’t going to change, you weren’t going to randomly get a soulmate, but you stupidly had hope things could change.

you spent most of the day considering backing out, but gave in because you didn’t want to disappoint your classmate. you arrived at the main hall an hour and a half before the event, ready to set things up.

a few students were around, moving tables to either side of the hall. a large red carpet was being rolled through the centre of the room, leading out onto the school gardens. you turned around at the sound of your name, bumping into the source. they reached for your hand, preventing you from toppling over.

a shock of electricity shot through your arm, forcing you to snatch your hand back. ‘i’m so sorry,’ the voice spoke, and much to your dismay, it was jungwon.

you felt your heart racing again, heat rising to your cheeks in an instant. ‘it’s ok,’ you reassured him. ‘it was my fault, so i’m the one that’s sorry.’

‘well,’ he smiled. ‘i guess i’ll see you around.’

honestly, you felt like an idiot. he heard loud and clear just a few days ago that you didn’t want to go to the soulmate dance, but here you were. maybe he would realise you were being forced into it, but if he didn’t, then that would be humiliating.

you shook your head to clear yourself of all the thoughts. ‘y/n,’ turning on the spot, you were met with the sight of jay coming towards you. ‘you’re looking lost. i thought you weren’t coming.’

‘change of plan,’ you simply replied. ‘i was asked to help set up some things.’

‘well, i need help carrying some things in from the truck outside,’ he offered. ‘if you’d like to help.’ nodding, you followed behind him at a distance.

the sky was clear — not a single cloud in sight — and the sun was shining brightly. the back doors of the truck were open, workers from the catering company lowering large bottles of drinks onto the ground. jay gestured towards the cluster of fruit juice bottles before grabbing one for himself.

they were heavy, but you managed. walking at jay’s side, you couldn’t think of a conversation starter to make it all a little less awkward. but thankfully, or maybe not, he spoke up first. ‘you do know that jungwon has a crush on you, right?’

the bottle fell from your grip. panicked, you reached forward to catch it again. clearly the universe was on your side in that moment, because it didn’t split.

‘uh, no,’ you forced out a laugh, feeling your entire body heat up. ‘i did not know that.’

‘he denies it,’ jay shrugged, helping you lift the heavy bottle back up from the ground. ‘but we all see the way he looks at you. after he found out you were soulmate-less too, he wanted to ask you to the dance tonight. but when you said you weren’t going, he gave up on that idea.’

what were you supposed to say to that? as you placed the bottles beside the snack table, jay pushed them under it. turning around to see jungwon on the other side of the hall, you felt yourself swallowing your words before leaving to the outside again.

but avoiding jungwon wasn’t as easy as you had hoped. he seemed to be in your line of sight at all times and in all honesty, you weren’t even sure why you were avoiding him. after all, if what jay said was true, then the feelings were mutual. still, you couldn’t shift your mind away from the shock you had felt at his touch. you thought maybe you were going crazy and had imagined it, until your phone buzzed with a notification.

leaving jay to bring in the rest of the drinks, you leaned against the exterior wall and pulled out your phone. a notification from soul watch lit up your phone, 0 days until you meet your soulmate. eyes wide, you looked around the area, hoping to see someone checking their phone in that same moment. was that even possible?

you weren’t sure what to do. search for your soulmate? or would they just come naturally to you? did this mean jay was your soulmate? it was a possibility, considering you were with him when the notification came through.

‘you coming inside?’ speak of the devil. you quickly hid you phone, putting on a fake smile and nodding. ‘people will start arriving soon.’

as soon as the hall began to fill up with people, you wished you had never came back inside. you really needed some time and space to think everything through. there was that electricity when jungwon had helped you up, but then you should’ve gotten the notification in that moment, right?

you grabbed your phone from your bag, going out into an empty corridor. sliding down the wall beside the door and pulling up the soul watch app, you searched your profile for details. but all the information it had was about your soulmate link, which happened to be a countdown. and now that the countdown was over, there were no more hints?

you were in complete disbelief, but the soulmate dance wasn’t the place to be researching this.

‘i guess you got it too,’ you looked up to see jungwon. ‘you’ve been avoiding me all day, so you must’ve.’

‘i have not been avoiding you,’ but the redness of your cheeks suggested otherwise. ‘and got what? i don’t know what you’re talking about.’

‘a sudden notification that you’ve possibly met your soulmate...?’ he sat down beside you.

‘well actually,’ you could’ve laughed at how stupid you were about to sound. ‘i was avoiding you because of what jay said earlier. and i thought there was no way you could be my soulmate otherwise i would’ve received the notification after we bumped into each other.’

‘who else could possibly be your soulmate?’

‘what’s that supposed to mean?’ you turned your head to make eye contact. he quickly looked away and down at the floor, wishing he hadn’t been so bold with his last statement. jungwon was never this forward with people he wasn’t yet close to.

‘i know jay told you that i like you,’ he admitted. ‘and i’ve always known that you like me back. i just never thought to bring it up because i didn’t have a soulmate, and i thought you would have one.’

‘but you have a soulmate now,’ you reminded him, a smile lighting up your features. ‘or... however that works. do you think it has to do with us touching for the first time back then?’

‘you felt that too?!’ his eyes widened as he stared back at you. ‘i thought i was going crazy.’

‘do you want to go back inside?’ you gestured to the door into the main hall. jungwon shook his head, standing up and holding his hand out to you.

‘we could...’ he trailed off, looking behind himself at the exit. ‘or we could ditch this snooze fest and do something fun instead... like go to an arcade?’

‘sounds like a plan,’ you took his hand, letting him pull you up from the ground. he checked if the coast was clear before running towards the exit, the sound of your laughter filling the empty corridor.

#enhypenwriters #enhypen #enhypen au #enhypen fluff #enhypen oneshot #enhypen oneshots #yang jungwon #jungwon #yang jungwon au #yang jungwon fluff #yang jungwon oneshot #yang jungwon oneshots #jungwon au #jungwon fluff #jungwon oneshot #jungwon oneshots

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sweetlycreations · 3 years

Text

cafe au lait - l.juyeon

Pairing: lee juyeon x gn!reader

wc: 1.5k

: weekly study dates at your favourite café turn into something more when the owners nephew joins in your routine

hidden cafe’s where the warmth of sunlight radiates throughout the entire space, where voices flow with the wordless tracks are perfectly blended and the smell of fresh coffee beans mixes with the taste of sweet icings.

that was the small hidden away cafe that you had stumbled across during a sudden sun storm, the day was still ever so fresh in your mind.

the sweetness of the owners was something that kept that little bit of faith in strangers, the husband offered to take your books out into the kitchen in hopes of drying them without ruining them too badly and the wife sat you down with a towel promising a hot drink to help you warm up.

you had been visiting the cafe going on two and a half years now, it was a place where you felt the world made sense, as did your assignments. without fail you came every tuesday afternoon, on friday mornings you would sit and wait for the world to wake up with you and every sunday you sat there from open to close.

so the initial feeling of shock when you arrived on friday morning, albeit around ten minutes later than what you normally do and you weren’t able to open the door to the cafe had you stumped. Mr Lee always had the door unlocked, even though trade didn’t start for another half hour, it allowed you to catch up your past week before the morning rush started.

knocking on the door you were met with the face of someone who definitely wasn’t there normally...

as he walked to the door he motioned to the little clock that indicated opening times, when you didn’t budge he simply turned and walked out the back. you had no idea who he was, tall and extremely cute but you would much rather be sitting inside the cafe as the air was beginning to grow extremely crisp of the morning as winter began creeping its way through.

knocking once again and shifting foot to foot, the guy appeared again this time yelling out to someone and turning his back to you waiting at the door. hurried footsteps headed your way as Mrs. Lee rushed to open the door, much to his confusion.

“..feel being out there at this time! honestly juyeon where are your manners. hello my dear, sorry about that, we did tell him to unlock the door if you arrived and we weren’t out here” ushering you into the warm room, she closed the door behind you.

shaking your head, as you placed your things on the table in front “it’s fine really. i guess he just isn’t used to being disturbed before open. where’s Mr. Lee i haven’t seen him this morning, normally he’s talking my ear off by now.”

a smile graced her face as she thought of her husband, ever as in love as the day they met they claim.

“he’s away actually, off with his brother for a small holiday. that’s why my nephew is here, you must be craving that drink - i’ll get it started. we also got a new recipe that i wanted to get you to try so i’ll grab you one of those too!”

as she left your side, you pulled your books closer to you, opening all of the notebooks you brought immediately getting started with your study schedule and organising what you needed for your afternoon classes.

you barely noticed the guy who turned away from you earlier, walking over with your coffee, “i’m sorry”

jolting from your thoughts you looked up, silently you made a space for the drink, holding it in your hands you felt the warmth begin to spread through your fingertips, it made you smile

“it’s okay, you didn’t know. if you’re still here sunday then hopefully you won’t be too shocked when i appear so early again” sending him a smile of reassurance you turned back to your books as you got a notification from your phone.

running your hands down your face you quickly began grabbing your things, “Mrs. Lee! I have to run, my professor changed our class to an early slot, I’ll be back later on today okay!”

staring at the drink you never got to taste, you were quick to rush out of the café barely remembering to drop the money for your drink and rushing out the door

It just had to be the day a cute boy is working…

thanking every possible higher power that getting through the class easy, as you went to enter the café seemed a lot busier than what you remember it normally is. tables were completely packed and life was loud and buzzing through the glass windows.

noticing that Mrs. Lee was currently clearing the table you normally sat at, you hurried through the somehow large crowd to speak to her, “is it just me, or is it insanely full for an early afternoon?”

smiling she grabbed your books placing them on the table before someone else could, she nodded her head, “apparently my nephew is quite the people person, take a seat my dear and I’ll get you your things as soon as possible, but it might take a little longer with mister popular over there working the machine.”

trying to get through your days work felt like it would be an impossible task, especially with what felt like a hundred eyes staring you down after barista boy came to bring you your drink and the pastry you were promised early morning.

fingers crossed it died down on Sunday…

much to your luck, it hadn’t, if anything it was like it got busier. It definitely didn’t help by the tight white shirt that he had been wearing. its not like you could really fault the busy cycle that had been going on, but you did happen to notice the work or lack thereof that you were able to get through by the time the lunch rush began to quiet down.

“hey, I’m just letting you know that we’re going to close the doors for a little bit to try and get on top of everything. you don’t have to leave but we won’t have any coffee for the next thirty at least” broke through the smooth voice of the boy you still hadn’t learnt the name of. nodding you’re a head you closed your eyes as the last dawdling customers made their way out.

it finally felt quiet, if you listened close enough you could hear the mixer turning at the back, and the rustling of bags being moved around. glancing around the café you noticed how much traffic had actually gone through the doors, closing your books you walked to the counter reaching over to pick up a spray and a clean wipe, you moved silently to the tables wiping them down and straightening everything back up.

it was funny, you didn’t even know his name but you moved in complete harmony, every time he tried to reach out and grab the cleaning supplies out of you grasp you would bump his arm away and shoo him towards the counter.

in the blink of an eye the café was cleaned up and ready to reopen for the afternoon, sitting back down you stared at your books. with an upcoming test you hoped that somewhere someone was listening to your prayers of a quiet afternoon.

a glass was sat in front of you, but for the first time the boy sat down to, “thank you, for your help. I didn’t think it would be so busy for a Sunday…” he looked genuinely exhausted,

Poor thing…

“it’s no issue really, it’s not like I was getting much work done anyways. I barely made it through half of what I normally do”

as his eyes wandered through the open books, he couldn’t help the small smile that grew looking at how everything was set out in the books.

“you know, I don’t think I ever even caught your name, I’ve been serving you drinks and food all day and it isn’t the first day we’ve met… it feels kind of weird asking for your name now though, I was hoping that someone you knew would come in and say it so I didn’t have to ask” his hand reached behind his head as he looked away with a hint of pink growing in his cheeks

smiling you flipped through your past notes, “[name]”

his eyes snapped back to you, a pretty smile graced his face, “[name], it suits you. Well [name] its been an honour to serve you your coffee’s today, hopefully the afternoon is more quiet for you”

he quickly got up and moved away from you, and made his way to the door to open it again for trade, “hey wait! You never told me yours…”

sending you a wink, he welcomed the next customer into the store, guiding them to the counter to place their order.

almost two hours later you were getting ready to pack up your books, when a pastry was placed in front of you, as you went to comment you just saw the back of his head as he headed to the table across from you.

shaking your head, you waved to Mrs. Lee and headed out, opening the pastry bag all that sat inside was another pastry that you had sampled the other day and a note

it’s Juyeon – I’ll see you next week x

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dreaming-about-fanfictions · 3 years

Text

A Little Too Much II Draco Malfoy x Reader, Theodore Nott x Reader II Part 2 of 2

Summary: Draco has to watch how you fall in love with someone else. (18+)

PART 1

Words: 2.5k Pairings: Draco Malfoy x Reader, Theodore Nott x Reader, post war Warnings: none except for angst

Theodore Nott falls in love with you on a rainy sunday afternoon in his fourth year of Hogwarts.

He doesn’t see it coming, he doesn’t expect it.

He is on his way to the Great Hall when he sees you running inside the castle - completely drenched, pressing a book to your chest. You leave behind a trail of raindrops and your laughter echoes off the stone walls. He has heard it a thousand times before; in the common room after classes, during quidditch training, muffled through the palm of your hand in the library. He is familiar with the way it swells and makes you gasp for air the longer it goes on, and knows how you tear up. But this time, something’s changed. Your laughter is ringing in his ears a little too loud and his heart suddenly starts beating a little too fast.

He is so captivated by the scene that he doesn’t see how Draco appears behind you and takes your hand. Yet, when lightning strikes behind you, Theo knows that he is lost.

***

Two months later, Theo sits next to you in Defence against the Dark Arts. For the past weeks, you haven’t left his mind. Not once. Theo doesn’t know what’s happening to him, doesn’t quite understand. He’s only fourteen, he’s never been in love, and the way you overtake his mind, body, and soul frightens him.

Now, he’s here, smelling your shampoo and he feels dizzy. He can’t stop looking at you from the side, fascinated by you. He notices the little wrinkle that appears between your brows when you concentrate, the way you play with your quill absentmindedly, how you smile at him from time to time when Moody says something remotely funny. Not that Theo is listening to him.

“Are you going to the Yule Ball?” The question leaves his mind before he can think about it.

You stop writing and look at him. “Of course.”

His heart beats a little faster.

“With Draco.”

A kick to the stomach. That’s what it feels like. Theo can’t breathe for a second and when he regains his composure, he doesn’t know what to say. He hesitates, maybe a little too long - he’s worried you’ll notice. But you don’t. There’s a spark in your eyes and your smile is warm and bright as you continue: “He asked me. I was hoping he would but you know … I thought he’d rather go with Pansy.” You lower your eyes.

Theo stares at you. Draco. His best friend. You. He swallows.

“I mean … why would he want Pansy when he can have you instead.”

***

Draco doesn’t deserve you.

For Theo, this is as clear as the fact that the sun will come up tomorrow morning.

He doesn’t deserve you and he never has. You feel like a sunny day in spring - warm and bright and colorful - and he’s a hailstorm. He fights and is loud and gets in trouble - trouble that you always end up saving him from.

But you still fall in love with him. So hard and fast that Theo can do nothing but stand aside and watch. When you kiss him at the Yule Ball, something inside of Theo cracks. A crack that only grows wider when you start dating officially.

Draco often comes to Theo, talking about you, and Theo wants to scream. Yet, he doesn’t. He listens quietly, he pretends to be happy, he swallows down his guilt. He wants to be happy for his best friend. In a way, he is happy. He simply wishes that it wouldn’t be you Draco talks about. He’s still convinced that Draco doesn’t deserve you but he makes you feel so good. Theo sees how your eyes light up when Draco comes, how you hang onto his every word. And he also sees how something changes within Draco. You make him better even though you shouldn’t be burdened with such a task.

In the end, who is Theo to judge? Who is he to end your happiness, to hurt you?

So, Theo stands aside and watches.

Watches you go on dates in Hogsmeade and drink butterbeer together. Smiles when Draco tells him, he confessed his love for you in fifth year. Looks away when the two of you drunkenly make out in the Slytherin common room after a party. Bites his tongue as Draco breaks in the sixth year and you hold him, desperately trying to fix him.

Theo dates other girls during all these years - a pathetic attempt to forget you. It works from time to time, at least for a few months. But then you come down the stairs or laugh at one of his jokes during Quidditch training and it hits him all over again.

There are occasions where he wants to tell you and confess but never pulls through. He can’t do this to you, to Draco. You’re happy together and the question of whether or not Draco deserves you, is yours and only yours to answer.

So, Theo stands aside and watches - and breaks a little more each day.

***

It happens slowly.

Theo doesn’t know when it starts but something inside of you begins to shift after the war when you all return to Hogwarts. He notices how you watch him during meals, how your eyes linger a little too long. You flinch when he accidentally brushes your hands in Potions or lean in a little too close during study sessions.

A small, tiny seed of hope begins to grow in him.

He tries to kill it. Tells himself that he is imagining all of it - until one day, all of you sit in the common room. Pansy keeps talking about one of her embarrassing dates and he makes a comment - he can’t even recall what he says - and you laugh. Loud. Too loud. Theo turns his head, the smirk still plastered on his face, and your eyes lock - and suddenly, he knows and the seed grows into a flower.

A flower that grows a little taller each day. With each smile you send him, each touch that lingers on a little too long. It grows inside of him, its roots wrapping around his heart, and he barely notices how Draco pulls away from him. Not even after the talk in the library does he see how their friendship is slowly coming to an end.

Or maybe he simply doesn’t want to see it.

Because the guilt that washed over him from time to time when you smile at him across the classrooms, threatens to drown him. He rather pretends that everything is fine. Everything will be fine. Everything has to be fine.

So he lets the flower grow and grow and grow until the night of the party, his lips crash against yours, and the flower has turned into a garden.

***

Theo paces up and down his dorm room. His mind is restless, his thoughts keep circling back to the night before. The kiss replays in his head over and over. The way your lips felt against his, the smell of your shampoo, the way you tasted … Theo stops in the middle of the room and touches his lips with his fingers as if that will help bring the memory to life even more.

You had left abruptly, practically ran away from him while he was left in the bathroom, out of breath, confused. He had dreamed of this moment for so long and now that it actually happened it felt like just that … a dream. He stayed in the bathroom for a few more minutes until a group of Ravenclaw boys stumbled in, trying to find a nearest toilet but failing. One of them vomited right in front of Theo.

When Theo stepped outside again, his head still buzzing, he saw Draco a few meters away, looking in the direction he assumed you went. And then he turned his head and the two friends stared at each other. The bitter realization in Draco’s eyes flipped Theo’s stomach. He lost him right in that moment.

Something will change today, Theo is certain of that. He saw it in your eyes this morning and it’s the reason he is hiding out in his room. He skips class, misses lunch and then right before he starts debating whether or not he should attend dinner, there’s a knock on his door.

His heart stops.

The door opens and it’s you.

Theo gets up from his bed at lightning speed. “Hi,” he says.

“Hi,” your voice is low, almost shy. He sees how you pick at your thumb and instantly knows you feel the same way he does: nervous. In fact, his heart - which momentarily stopped - is now beating so hard, he’s scared that it might jump out of his chest any second now.

“You want to come in?” Theo opens the door a little wider.

You have been in his dorm room before. Countless times. But usually, Draco would accompany you. Sit with you on Theo’s bed as you played a round of cards or shared a bottle of stolen liquor.

You hesitate for a second but then nod. “Yes, thank you.”

Theo catches a whiff of your shampoo as you walk past him and as he inhales the familiar scent, he realizes what you must have done. Truly realizes. If you would have talked to Draco and sorted things out, you wouldn’t be standing here, in the middle of his small dorm room, looking so tiny and lost. And you certainly wouldn’t be crying.

The tears begin to fall and Theo is by your side in a millisecond. Instinctively, he puts his arms around you, pulling you into a hug. Like he had done a million times before. But this time, you lean into him a little too much. “Hey, hey, it’s alright,” he says repeatedly as holds you close.

He feels his shirt becoming wet with your hot tears and closes his eyes. His heart breaks for you. He never intended to hurt you, he never wanted to see you cry, you are the last person in this castle who deserves to be in so much pain.

“It’s over, I-I … it’s over,” you mumble against his chest, your body shaken by sobs. “I ended it. I …”

“I’m sorry,” Theo whispers. And he means it. “I’m so sorry.”

“I … he … I don’t know …”

“Shh,” Theo makes. Then he slowly guides you over to his bed. “Come sit down, it’ll be fine.” Empty words but he doesn’t know what else to say.

You cry for what feels like hours. Theo holds you the whole time, he doesn’t say anything and you are grateful for it. After a while, your breathing calms and your sobs fade away until you finally pull away from him. Your eyes are red and puffy. Theo reaches for a tissue from his nightstand.

“What happened?”, he asks when he hands it to you.

A dumb question and the look you send him, proves that. He grinds his teeth with embarrassment. “How did he take it?”, he then offers a different question. One that he means. Draco loves you and he must be shattered right now. Theo can only imagine what is happening in the dorm room down the hallway. Is Blaise with him? Theo should be with him right. His best friend. But instead he’s here with you.

Welcome back, guilt.

You sniffle again as you dry your tears. “What do you think? He’s … devastated. The last time I saw him like that …”, your breathing began to speed up again and you looked up to the ceiling, trying to gather your thoughts. Theo watched you, his face slightly distorted. “I had to end it, I …”, you continued. “I couldn’t go on pretending.” Then your eyes find his. “Am I imagining it?”

Theo blinks. “Imagining what?”

“This. Us.”

He stares at you - and although he had guessed it during all those weeks, had hoped and dreamed, you just gave him the final confirmation. A smile tugs at the corners of his lips, a little too bright, a little too happy, a little too much. “No,” he then says, trying to chasten himself. “No, you’re not imagining anything.”

“Fuck.”

He lets out a laugh. A short, breathy, relieved one. You look at him and he can’t read your expression. He can only imagine the whirlwind of emotions and thoughts that must happen inside of you right now.

“I don’t know what to do now,” you whisper.

Theo’s smile leaves as he leans forward to take your hand. “You grieve.” He pauses. “Cry, scream, whatever you need to do to cope with the loss of your relationship. Figure out if breaking up was the right thing to do.”

A part of him hates himself for saying that. Why can’t he just swoop in and kiss you like he did the night before? Because it would be wrong. He knows that. If the two of you have any chance of surviving the aftermath of your relationship, you have to be by yourself for a while.

“That’s not the answer I expected.” You frown.

Theo chuckles. “That’s not the answer I want to give,” he replies truthfully.

“What answer do you want me to give then?”

“I want to tell you that you should just forget all about him and kiss me,” he says softly and looks at your hands in his. “We can’t though. Not like this. I need you to want this. To fully want this with all your heart. Y/N, I’ve been in love with you for so many fucking years and I need you to know that this, me, is what you want.” He doesn’t look you in the eyes when he says this but he feels you flinch at the confession. So you truly never noticed. “This will blow up everything. I’m losing my best friend right now. And you … you lost your first love. You need to …” He swallows. “If some time has passed and you still … you’re still sure of this, then I’m here. I promise you. I will be here.”

When he says that, he finally looks up at you again. Your face is soft, confused, but there’s the faint shadow of a smile on your lips.

“Have you always been so wise?”, you ask him, teasingly.

He shrugs. “Hm, I have my moments.”

The shadow turns into a full smile.

Fuck, Theo thinks, fuck, you’re so beautiful. And he knows, just like he did all these years ago, that he is lost.

“Let’s go, have dinner.”

***

A/N: I hope you liked it! I appreciate any kind of feedback <3

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#draco malfoy x reader #theodore nott x reader #draco malfoy x you #theodore nott x you #draco malfoy imagines

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snelbz · 3 years

Text

Tempting the Fates {Chapter 9}

Summary: It’s the final semester of Aelin Galathynius’ collegiate career and she is so beyond ready to be done. Her schedule is packed full of nursing classes and labs designed to test her knowledge and hone her skills for the real world and her “big girl” job. However, she needs one last elective to graduate, so she decides to study a subject she’s always been fascinated by: Mythology. Who would have thought that a class about gods and goddesses living complicated lives would end up complicating her own in such an unexpected way?

A @snelbz X @theladyofdeath collaboration.

Word Count: 3378

Chapters will be posted every Wednesday.

Tempting the Fates Masterlist

Shelby’s Masterlist

Tara’s Masterlist

***Announcement! *** After the completion of I’ll be Seeing You and Tempting the Fates, all of Tara and I’s joint fanfiction will be posted on a separate blog that we run together > @snacmc. Be sure to follow the new blog as we will start posting on there soon!

Hestia

– Goddess of the hearth, home and family

Mondays and Wednesdays always seemed to drag.

Thanks to her lack of Rowan in class, Aelin’s classes were boring and she found herself thinking of other things, rather than the notes she was supposed to be taking. Like the way Rowan’s eyes had been on her as she went down on him in the shower earlier than morning.

At his insistence, she’d begun using his shower for more than just sex purposes, as she’d so eloquently explained to him the week before. She was regularly staying over, getting ready for her own classes in the morning, just as he was. But whenever one of them followed the other into the tiled shower, it was used for practical reasons.

As well as sexual ones.

Suppressing a whine as she thought of the way Rowan had pinned her up against the cool tiles that morning, Aelin crossed her legs and checked her watch. Only another twenty minutes and then she had her break between classes. She wasn’t hungry, thanks to the protein bar she’d eaten just before this class started, and she was close to the gen ed building, so she decided she would drop by her mythology professor’s office. She had a few questions about the homework he’d assigned yesterday and face-to-face was always better to her than an email.

Once her anatomy professor was wrapping up, Aelin was tossing her books into a bag and hauling ass across campus. Rowan’s last class was wrapping up, too, and she didn’t want to miss him before he hurried off to do whatever else.

She could’ve texted him to stay put, but she didn’t want to ruin the surprise.

She made it to his building and dodged by those who were hurrying off to their other classes or their beds, and stopped at Rowan’s office door before giving it a halting knock.

It took him a second to answer, but when he did, he was handsome as ever.

His shirt sleeves were rolled up, the button down tucked into his trousers. When he saw it was Aelin at his office door, a silver brow lifted.

“Aelin,” he began, clearing his throat. “How may I help you?”

“I have some questions about the homework,” she began, voice low, even though no one else was around. “Can I come in for a second?”

Rowan moved aside before she had finished her question. With one last glance down the hall he shared with a few other first-year professors, he shut the door, sealing them into his office. The blinds were open, but on the third floor, it wasn’t like anyone could see the private meeting he and his student were about to have.

Even if he didn’t know what kind of meeting it was about to be.

“Are you on your lunch break?” She asked, leaning back against his desk.

He nodded. “Didn’t plan on taking lunch, but I’ve got a couple hours before my next class. Was going to work on some grading. Why?”

He had stepped closer, pausing beside one of the chairs he kept in front of the desk for students to sit in.

Aelin clearly had other ideas of where to sit though. With a smirk, she reached out and lightly gripped his shirt, pulling him towards her.

“You had questions about the homework,” he breathed, leaning away as she tried to kiss him.

It wasn’t that he wouldn’t kiss her. He just wanted to see her squirm.

And squirm, she did. “You know very well that I turned in the homework yesterday afternoon.”

She tried to kiss him again, but he fell away, even though his arms were around her waist.

“I don’t recall that,” he taunted. “Maybe you could remind me.”

“I turned it in just before I did this,” she crooned, and her lips found his.

Aelin kissed him, slowly, her arms snaking around his neck. She swore she would never tire of the feeling of his mouth on hers.

“Oh yeah,” Rowan muttered, against her lips. “Now I remember.”

It only took him a second to grab her hips and set her on top of his desk.

There was a clattering of something tipping over, probably a cup of pens or paper clips from the sound of it, but neither of them cared. Not as he gripped the outside of her thigh where her legs were wrapped around him, or her hand found its way into his hair. He was both frustrated and very glad she’d worn leggings today. While he wished she was wearing something with a bit easier access, it was probably a blessing in disguise that he couldn’t get his hand between her legs.

Or his mouth.

Or any other body parts.

That wasn’t stopping Aelin from rubbing against him, looking for friction, as their tongues battled and teeth occasionally clashed. She let out a quiet moan and he tugged on her hair, pulling her lips from his.

“We’re not fucking in my office,” he breathed, looking her in the eyes. “It is way too dangerous.”

She nodded, knowing and accepting the fact, but it didn’t mean she was done kissing him.

“Was this morning not enough?” He smirked, trailing his lips down her throat instead of returning to hers.

“It’s never enough,” she gasped. “Every time I’m away from you…”

Her words trailed off as their lips met. It was true. It was never enough. She was so fulfilled with Rowan, and the second he was gone, she longed for him.

“Come over tonight,” Aelin begged. “Stay with me tonight.”

Rowan groaned as his tongue slipped between her lips.

They stayed at Rowan’s nearly every night. The only times Aelin stayed at her own apartment was when she had an exam or homework she had to work on, without Rowan distracting her. Lysandra and Aedion had met Rowan over dinner a few nights before, though Aelin had insisted take out was much more her friends’ speed than a fully home cooked meal. However, Aelin had a lab due the following morning, so after dinner, Rowan had gone back home.

Alone.

“We have class tomorrow,” he replied, lips still on hers.

“So we’ll make sure we get up early.” Dragging her teeth across his jaw, she gripped his shoulders. “Bring over everything you’ll need to come straight to class.”

Rowan hesitated. “I don’t know.”

“We don’t live on campus,” Aelin said, quietly. “It’s not like I live somewhere surrounded by students.”

Rowan pulled back and met her gaze. “It’s important to you?”

Aelin nodded, arms still wrapped around the back of his neck. “I love being cooped up in your apartment. I really do. But, sometimes I wanna be cooped up somewhere else, too.”

Rowan huffed a laugh. “Alright.”

“Yeah?” Aelin asked, a soft smile painted across her light pink lips.

Rowan couldn’t help his own smile forming as he leaned forward and pulled Aelin closer to him as he kissed her, softly. They went on like that, dwelling in those slow, prolonged kisses. There was something personal, something exceptional about a long, slow kiss. Something sensual that made Aelin’s stomach feel like it was going to explode, even though it lacked that animalistic passion they had come to find within one another.

A quick knock at the door had them jumping apart, Rowan dragging a quick hand through his hair, not having a chance to reply before the door opened.

“Hey, Rowan, I was hoping you could— Oh.”

The pretty woman froze in the doorway, taking in the scene in front of her.

It was innocent enough, though Aelin’s lips were swollen from their kisses. That could easily be explained away, especially as her teeth found the bottom lip and gnawed on it.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t realize you had an appointment,” she said, eyeing Aelin, who had thankfully gotten off the desk before she’d entered.

“It wasn’t officially booked,” he explained, slightly stepping in front of Aelin to keep her shielded. “Miss Galathynius had a few questions about the homework I assigned in class and about an upcoming project. She stopped by during her lunch break, since her schedule is so busy.”

Silence built in the office, and after a second, Rowan cleared his throat. “Did you need something, Remelle?”

“Maeve sent out an email about a mandatory department meeting for Thursday night,” she said, slowly, still looking at them both suspiciously. “A couple of us in the building were going to get drinks after, wanted to know if you wanted to come.”

Rowan cleared his throat. “Uh, yeah. Sure. I’ll plan on it.”

“Good,” Remelle said, a little too quickly. “And check your mailbox in the office. It’s full.”

With another look at Aelin, then at Rowan, Remelle left and the door fell shut behind her.

Silence enveloped the room.

Rowan slowly turned around to look at Aelin, whose face was pale.

“You couldn’t have locked the door?” she whispered.

Rowan scoffed. “Yeah, because that wouldn’t have been suspicious, being locked in here with a student.”

For some reason, the word student felt like a jab coming from him in that moment. Aelin’s back straightened. “I wasn’t aware that the receptionist randomly barges into your office. If a student found it locked, they probably wouldn’t think it was weird, at all. Offices around here are locked all the damn time.”

Rowan sighed and nodded. He stepped towards her and ran his hands up and down her arms, pressing a soft kiss to Aelin’s forehead. “You should go. There’s only so much we can talk about homework.”

Nodding, Aelin wrapped her arms around his waist, and he wrapped her up in his own. “I’ll see you after class?”

“I’ll run by my place to grab some things and pick up dinner on the way,” he promised, tilting her chin up to look at him. “I’ll see you later.”

She nodded and rose up on her toes to press a kiss to his lips. Grabbing her bag from the chair, she adjusted her messy bun, which was only a little messier than it had been before and slipped out the office door.

Leaning back on the spot Aelin had just been sitting in, Rowan took a quick moment to breathe before setting his desk to rights and heading down to check his community mailbox. It wasn’t full as Remelle had implied, but there were a few things in it, mostly department memos and notes from other professors. He ignored her suspicious look as he made his way back up the stairs to his office and settled behind his desk to work on the grading he’d planned to do during his lunch.

He was halfway through an essay from one of his upperclassmen when his email dinged on his laptop. It had gone off a few times since Aelin had left, but he’d ignored them, assuming they were automatic replies to Maeve’s email about the meeting.

Tapping on the track pad of his laptop to wake it up, he kept reading over the essay as his email came to life, but he waited until he was done to look over at the most recent notifications.

Freezing, Rowan’s eyes flashed over the subject of the email from Maeve three times before he actually had the nerve to open it.

Meeting in my office after your final class of the evening.

We need to have a talk.

Aelin felt as if she had been holding her breath for hours.

Which was exactly how long it had been since she had received her text from Rowan.

As someone who was not nervous or paranoid by nature, she hated the feeling of being so freaked out that she was nearly about to vomit. She had already cleaned her apartment once, and was pouring herself a glass of wine as she was deciding what she could clean next. Maybe she would clean out the fridge.

After downing her glass of wine, she did just that, throwing open the refrigerator door and emptying out what had been in there for over a week.

She didn’t even hear the front door open, nor did she hear her roommate and cousin walk into the kitchen.

“Ace?”

Aelin yelped, jumped, and spun around, nearly knocking over her glass of wine on the counter nearby. “What the hell?” she yelled. “You can’t just sneak up on people like that! Doesn’t anyone realize how fucking rude it is to just barge in?!”

Aedion’s brows shot up as Lysandra stepped forward. “Uh, everything okay?”

Aelin’s face fell into her hands as she leaned against the countertop. “Does it look like everything is okay?” she asked, words muffled.

“What happened?” Lysandra asked, gently prying Aelin’s hands from her face.

Her eyes were still shut, as if she could shut out the world. Taking a deep breath, she released it, answering in one, quick burst. “I think Rowan and I got caught.”

She heard something hit the floor, clearly dropped by Aedion, but Lysandra’s hands went slack on her wrist. “What do you mean?”

Letting her head fall to the countertop, she groaned once before standing up straight and looking at them. Aedion had indeed dropped the bag of pretzels he’d pulled from the cabinet.

“We both had long breaks today, so I stopped by his office to see him for a minute. I didn’t mean for anything to happen. I mean… Yeah, I kinda did. I kissed him first.”

“I don’t need to hear about this. Lys can fill me in,” Aedion muttered, scooping the bag of pretzels off the floor and heading for Lysandra’s bedroom.

“We didn’t fuck or anything,” Aelin sighed after he left. “But we did make out on his desk a bit. It was barely even PG-13.”

“So what happened?” Lysandra asked, getting another glass down and refilling Aelin’s glassed wine and filling one for herself. “How did you get caught?”

“The secretary walked in,” Aelin said, staring at a spot on the hardwood. “She didn’t see anything, we broke apart before the door opened, but… I don’t know. She sounded suspicious, looked suspicious.” Aelin took a sip from her glass. “I mean, seriously, who knocks but doesn’t wait for a come in before they open the damn door? It’s rude as hell.”

“I don’t wait before coming into your room,” Lysandra said.

“That’s different, we live together,” Aelin said, unable to control her chuckle.

Lysandra smiled, but it faded as she shook her head. “That man needs to learn how to lock his office.”

“That’s what I said!” Aelin agreed, and topped off her glass before it was even halfway empty.

“So, what?” Lysandra went on. “She came in but didn’t see anything. Maybe she just always looks suspicious. I’m sure nothing will come out of it.”

Without another word, Aelin took her phone out of her pocket and slid it across the counter. Lysandra slowly picked it up and read Rowan’s text.

Got an email from Maeve. I have to go to her office tonight. Says she needs to talk to me. Sounded urgent.

Aelin had texted back. Did she say what it was about?

No, Rowan had replied. But it doesn’t sound good.

“Have you heard from him since he sent these?” Lysandra asked, setting the phone down.

“No, but we’ve both been in class.” Aelin let her head fall to the countertop again. “He’s supposed to come over after he gets out. But now I’m wondering if that’s such a good idea. What if someone sees him getting here?”

“It’s not all students, and we’re not exactly social butterflies. We don’t know any of our neighbors,” Lysandra said, clearly trying to soothe her.

Aelin just shook her head. “I like him, Lys. A lot. I can see a future with this guy, but… What if this is all too much? It’s too dangerous. We’re jeopardizing our futures.”

Lysandra’s eyes softened. ��The secretive part of your relationship is only temporary. Besides, he’s head over heels for you, too. Would it really be worth it to give that up?”

“What if Rowan is about to lose his job?” Aelin shot back. “Lys, I would never be able to forgive myself. I have to do something.”

“Always the hero,” Lysandra muttered. “Look, the best thing you can do right now is stay here, drink wine, and let it all play out. Rowan is a big boy. He can handle himself.” Aelin said nothing, so Lysandra went on. “I just want to see you happy. Does he make you happy?”

“Beyond. Happier than I’ve been in a long time,” she sighed, crossing her arms over her chest and leaning against the counter. “I know it’s only been a few weeks, but… I care about him.”

“And it’s pretty damn clear that he cares about you, so sitting and waiting sucks, but that’s what you’ll have to do.” Lysandra crossed the kitchen and wrapped her best friend up in a hug. Aelin’s forehead fell to her shoulder. “I can send Aedion to get more wine if you want.”

Aelin nodded.

Lysandra chuckled and said, “Then that’s what we’ll do. Why don’t you—?”

A knock on the front door had Aelin’s head snapping up and she hurried from the kitchen. Throwing open the door, she found Rowan standing on the other side. Before he could say anything, she pulled him inside and wrapped her arms around his waist, burying her face in his chest. “Gods, I’ve been so fucking worried.”

To her surprise, he laughed quietly, and it only caused Aelin to lean back, eyes wide. “What could possibly be funny right now?”

“I’m not I’m trouble,” he whispered, arms going around her waist. “We’re safe, we’re fine.”

Aelin blinked, all anxiety fading from her body only to be replaced with confusion. “Why did Maeve call you into her office, then?”

“She just wanted to check how things were going.” He shrugged. “Being new, and her nephew, she just wanted to check in.”

“Gods, Rowan!” She shoved his chest, lightly. “You couldn’t have texted me that? I’ve been a nervous mess!”

“She’s not exaggerating,” Lysandra mumbled from behind them. “Hi, Professor.”

Rowan rolled his eyes. “Hi, Lysandra.”

As Lysandra headed towards her room, he looked down to where Aelin was staring at his chest. He tilted her chin up until she was forced to look at him. His brow furrowed and he was surprised to see silver lining her eyes. “Everything is okay, baby. Why are you crying?”

She shook her head and blinked, but wasn’t able to stop the single tear that spilled over. He wiped it away with his thumb. “I thought we got caught, that I had ruined your life.”

His heart nearly broke. “Aelin…” He wrapped her up in his arms again, holding her as tightly as he dared, as if he could keep her from falling apart. After a second, he leaned back so he could look at her, but didn’t let her go. “Being together isn’t a decision that just one of us has made. We both went into this relationship knowing the consequences. If something were to happen, if someone finds out, you aren’t ruining my life.”

Aelin snorted, and framed his face in her hands. “So we’d both be ruining your life?”

“No one’s life will be ruined,” Rowan promised. “I’m going to be with you, Aelin. Now, and when you graduate, we can have a normal relationship, whatever the hell that means. If you’ll have me, I’m not going anywhere.”

“That’s a big promise to make so early in our relationship,” Aelin breathed, running her thumbs across his cheeks.

“I have a good feeling about us,” Rowan followed, melting into her touch.

Leaning down, he pressed his lips to hers, but pulled back and smirked. “But maybe I’ll start locking my office, just in case you decide to make another unexpected visit.”

Aelin threw her head back and laughed, wrapping her arms around his neck as she rose up on her toes to kiss him again.

The day had stressed them both out, but throughout it all, there was only one thing Rowan could think about: he didn’t know what his future held, but there was one thing for sure.

He wanted Aelin in it.

#rowaelin ttf #snacmc ttf #tempting the fates #throne of glass #aelin x rowan #rowan whitethorn #aelin galythinius #snacmc collabs

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americxn · 3 years

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some hcs or a small headshot of dating pre death tate? more specifically how they met and their instant connection and them just bonding over the same interests and same opinions of highschool/social media/the other kids at school and it’s kinda like a i hate everyone but you thing?? sorry if that’s a lot i just had it on my mind!!

High School (Tate Langdon x GN!Reader)

warnings: a teeny mention of mental health, otherwise none <3

You and Tate met on your first day at his high school after moving states and transferring institutions; you knew nobody and he was the only person who paid you any sort of positive attention when you were put in the same history class as him, your desk situated right beside his.

He was a little awkward at first, throwing messily flirtatious comments into your conversations almost immediately upon meeting; after several months of dating, he still purposely spoke to you with occasional pitiful attempts at flirting, knowing that it made you smile.

He immediately offered to walk you between classes, going so far as to leave his own early, much to the continued dismay of his teachers who didn’t have the influence to stop him, in order to meet you outside of your classroom and walk through the crowded halls together to your next class before disappearing to his own.

The canteen was a truly hateful place for the both of you, and so Tate took it upon himself to supply the both of you with food from home; he was a terrible cook and so most of the time his messy lunches would consist of just a sandwich each, but you were always immensely thankful and savoured the time you spent together on lunch break, usually eating outside or finding an empty classroom to reside in.

History was, unfortunately, the only class you had together; the two of you both despised the subject and so, about a month into your transfer, you began to skip the tedious weekly classes, hiding together in a secluded corner of the library and reading from the books to each other in hushed whispers.

It was during these skipped classes, the two of you savouring the precious time you stole from the turbulent routine of school days, that you began to uncover each others personal interests and teach the other the basis of your favoured knowledge or small little facts that you found intrigue in.

Tate's attitude of "I hate everyone" very quickly began to influence your own outlook on the school and everyone else in it. It was an attitude of utter loathing towards anyone outside of your relationship and to the hateful building that forced you to associate with the people populating its dirty corridors.

His early words to you, discreetly spoken into the silence of the back row in a history class, of:

"You can do anything, could be anything. Screw high school. That's... it's just a blip in your timeline. Don't get stuck there."

had resonated immensely with you, enabling you to release the stress of your studies and indulge fully in the boy that you rapidly fell for.

Eventually the two of you had resorted to skipping school entirely for the best part of the week, spending the day at his favourite beach, little more than a small stretch of sand surrounded by rocks on a fairly quiet, secluded part of the coast near his house; he said that he felt free there, the salty air and muted roar of the ocean temporarily smothering all of the negative thoughts that incessantly plagued him.

That was another vital lesson that he had taught you, hidden in his words of:

“I used to come here... when the world closed in and got so small I couldn't breathe. I'd look out at the ocean, and I'd think... "Yo, douche bag, high school counts for jack shit." Kurt Cobain, Quentin Tarantino, Brando, DeNiro, Pacino, all high school dropouts. I... hate high school. So I come here and I look out at this vast, limitless expanse.”

You would only really ever deign to venture into school during Wednesday afternoons and Friday mornings, the days where you were timetabled to be in history class, just to carry out the ongoing tradition of sneaking into the library, talking softly to one another in quiet corners, pinning anyone who interrupted you with icy stares.

From there, it escalated to sneaking books out of the library with you when you left, tucking them under your jackets or shoving them in backpacks, never with the intention of returning them; you would hide them away in Tate’s bedroom in Murder House and would flick through them together on rainy afternoons, when the tide was too turbulent for you to venture out to your signature spot on the small stretch of beach you had claimed as your own, instead settling in his arms, the sound of the rain against the thick windows and Tate’s deep, steady voice in your ear as he read to you from stolen books lulling you to sleep.

taglist: @kitwalker02 @three-eyed-snail @forevercountess @kitwalkerangel @milly-louise @thecountessesglove @undeadcortez @kitwalker64 @samsassinparvismagna @xmaximoffic @divineruler @liandav @tatesweaterweather @evanmybeloved @tatelangdonsupremacist @ikkleroniekins @ananad1 @shlutnutt @mossybank @tatesimper (dm to be added or removed)

divider by @kawaii-lau

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umichenginabroad · 1 year

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Week 2: That one time I got robbed

Today marks two weeks of studying abroad in Buenos Aires, and the end of an eventful week. We started out this week of extreme highs and lows with a beautiful little weekend getaway to Mendoza. A city known for its bodegas (or wineries), Mendoza did not disappoint. We arrived Thursday evening and had a nice dinner after a decently long travel day. One of my favorite things about Argentina culture is something known as a "sobremesa," where everyone stays at the table after finishing eating for purely social purposes. My roommates and I stayed at the restaurant for an entire 2.5 hours just talking. This cultural difference helps make every evening enjoyable, even when there are no big plans going on.

The next morning, we woke up early to head to the San Martin Park, which is the largest in Mendoza, and we ate brunch at a cute outdoor cafe. Afterwards, we explored the mini artisan market, where I bought some jewelry. The , we went on a half-day winery tour that we booked through TripAdvisor. Everything went very smoothly, and the tour guide could speak english. We visited three different bodegas and one olive oil factory, and it was a day well spent. The bodegas were absolutely stunning, and it was really interesting to see the intricacies of the various wine cellars and production process. We also got to taste some delicious bread and olive oil variations as an afternoon snack. Our exciting day came to an end with a beautiful sunset that we got to watch from the rooftop balcony of our final bodega.

Life suddenly moved on after our blissful weekend in Mendoza, and I really felt the shock during our 8 am physics class on Monday morning. It was difficult to snap back into a school routine, but playing ping pong and pool every day between classes definitely helped. If you told me two weeks ago that one of the highlights of my experience abroad so far was playing pool (a game that I had never played before) with classmates, I would've thought I went insane. However, playing little games has helped me bond with the other students, and even meet locals who attend the same university. I also spend most of the free time I have at the nearby parks, where there is an abundance of mini soccer (futbol) fields. Soccer tennis is now an essential part of my daily routine, and it is definitely a rewarding activity. It makes me so happy that I was able to incorporate the sport I love into my experience abroad, especially in the most passionate futbol country in the world.

The week picked up again on Tuesday night with a Tango show that was included with our CEA study abroad program. The venue was absolutely breathtaking, and the dancers matched the venue with their immense talent. I wish photography and recordings were allowed during the show because it was truly one of a kind. I will definitely be investing in tango lessons during the remaining time I have left here.

However, the night quickly plummeted after we decided on keeping the party going at a boliche (similar to a nightclub). After a couple hours of dancing, my heart dropped as I noticed my purse's zipper was open, and my phone was nowhere to be found. When preparing for a considerable trip like this one, lectures on preventing your belongings from being stolen are inevitable. I was always incredibly cautious with keeping my bags within sight and within my grasp, which made it even more distressing to find out my phone was stolen. After a brief mental breakdown, I finally calmed down enough to complete the necessary steps: tracking the location, putting it in lost mode, erasing its content, and calling my cell phone provider to discontinue the number. As this only happened less than 24 hours ago, I am still in a state of distress and shock, but I know that this happens to so many students abroad and that everything will be okay. This was a huge lesson (though one I wish I didn't have to learn) about how you really can never be too cautious with your belongings in a country such as Argentina, and I will take this knowledge and experience with me for the rest of this trip and my life. The good news is that it really can only go up from here, and hopefully by next week's Wu Wednesday, I will have things figured out!

#umichenginabroad #IPEArgentina #MeganWu #IPESummer23 #Argentina

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mymoodwriting · 2 years

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Request for Anon (Professor Ten x m!reader sequel to this) 1.7k, yandere themes, handjobs, voyeurism, masturbation, public masturbation, manipulation

“It’s a simple request.”

It was honestly anything but that. In this relationship, if it could even be called that, you had no power, and no real say in anything. During the week you’d be at the dorm and go about your classes like normal. His classes weren’t normal anymore. And over the weekend you’d be at his house. Sometimes he’d bring you over during the week if he was in a mood. You were always exhausted the morning after those nights. So it didn’t take you long to learn to behave and just do as you’re told. Although sometimes your mouth would act on its own.

“It’s really not.”

“Are you talking back?”

“Nu… no, sir.”

You’d blame the grogginess over having just woken up. It was Monday morning and Ten was preparing breakfast when he brought up his latest task. You were still half asleep as you sat at the table, sore and exhausted over the events of last night.

“Hm… I kinda like it.” Ten wrapped an arm around you. “Shall we continue this in the bedroom.”

Your stomach growled, practically saving you from more bedroom shenanigans. Ten giggled and kissed your cheek, finishing up with breakfast and setting the table.

“Eat up, you have a busy day today.”

“Thank you.”

“And don’t forget, one for a passing grade, two for extra credit.”

“I won’t.”

Of course Ten took you back to campus, dropping you off a block from the main entrance. At this point it probably didn’t matter if anyone knew you were dating, but it was best to keep it a secret. Probably for your mental sanity. Since it was still early the campus was pretty dead, but you wanted to be alone so you went to an empty classroom. It was your first class of the day but no one would show up for at least another hour, so you’d be alone, or so you thought.

“I knew I’d find you here.”

YangYang came into the room and plopped down in the seat next to you, setting his bag down.

“You ghosted me all weekend.”

“Sorry, I was just busy.”

“I figured. So what’s up with you and Professor Ten?”

“What… what do you mean?”

“You know what I mean.”

“No… no I don’t…”

“Your private tutoring sessions? Why the hell is he tutoring you?”

“I… I was failing and he wanted-”

“Seriously? That’s not fair, he can be really strict.”

“I know.”

“Yeah I bet. Anyway, can you tutor me? I’m gonna wind up having to retake his class if I don’t pass the test this afternoon.”

“I… I can’t really help you.”

“Please, please, pretty please!”

“Just go over the study guide.”

“Dude, please.”

“I can’t, it’s part of the deal with my tutoring, I can’t tutor anyone else.”

“He won’t.”

“He will, trust me.”

“Ugh, fine, but if I flunk this class you owe me.”

“Study harder.”

“Says the boy getting special treatment. Not like you could pass this class without tutoring.”

“Fuck off.”

“Yeah, yeah. I’m gonna nap, wake me up when class starts.”

“No promises.”

Just cause YangYang had brought it up, you checked your grades, seeing that you were passing all your classes, but of course you had really gone up in Ten’s class. Which was funny considering you had no idea where the class really was anymore. As long as you did as Ten asked you didn’t need to worry about his class. You hated to admit it but it was beneficial to have one less class to study for, even if the circumstances weren’t. Still, you didn’t see a way out of this, not until the semester was over and you’d make a note never to be in his class again.

Today though you had to worry about the exam, which you had no idea what it was about. Still, there was something you were dreading. As you walked into class you noticed everyone was gathered by the front instead of taking their seats. Since they were taking a test, Ten saw it best if he chose where everyone sat to avoid cheating. He said that but you knew the real reason, which was further confirmed when you found yourself alone all the way in the back of the class. Ten played some classical music to help but that was just something else for your benefit. You stared down at the test, writing your name and the class number, skimming over the questions.

You glanced up at the class, seeing everyone with their heads down and focusing on the test. Then your eyes met Ten’s. He had papers before him to grade from another class, but his focus was on. He raised a brow at you, and you knew what he wanted. You should be used to his games, but this was something. You could always ignore him, but that would only lead to punishment which was probably way worse than this. You sighed, glancing around the class one last time, rubbing your sweaty palms against your jeans. The sooner you did this, the sooner it would be over.

You were hesitant, but most of all cautious as you reached into your pants, you had worn joggers for a reason. There were plenty of distractions to help you hide what you were doing, but you were anxious nonetheless. You put your head on the table, eyes shut tight and biting your lip. This was so crazy, and you couldn’t believe you were actually going through with it. You figured this had a reason, surely meant to teach you a lesson. You slowly wrapped your hand around your cock, keeping your breath calm and steady. Even if this was horrifying, you had to admit the adrenaline rush felt good.

Of course you couldn’t keep all this to yourself, slowly looking up, glancing at the class and then meeting Ten’s eyes. He watched you with lustful satisfaction, raising his brow as if to tell you to go on. You were hesitant to really start pleasuring yourself, but there was no going back now. You had lubed up your hand before, so now you just needed to do this. You shut your eyes again, trying to think of something to get you in the mood despite the atmosphere. As you started to get into it you bit your lip, trying to keep quiet, and taking things slow.

You had no choice but to be patient with this, not wanting to draw attention to yourself. This was probably what Ten wanted, teach you some damn patience when pleasuring yourself, and it was good. Although you had to remember the point of all this. Somehow you managed to find Ten’s eyes again, your imagination wandering to him. All the things he’s done, what he’s made you feel, and this most of all. Now you understood the lesson. You had to go slow, you had to be patient, or else you’d get caught, and doing it this way, fuck, you were shaking with adrenaline and pleasure.

You had to keep eye contact with Ten though, trying to control your moans and whimpers, biting hard into your lip. He was loving the show you were giving him, and you didn’t know why you were enjoying it too. At this point your eyes couldn’t go elsewhere, hypnotized by Ten’s gaze, although you could barely hold yourself together as you got closer and closer to climax. You wound up with your head on the table again, keeping your lips shut tight and trying not to move too much in your seat. This was torture, but there was no way you were gonna stop now, you couldn’t.

Still, you knew you’d be in trouble if you didn’t give Ten a chance to see the finale. You barely managed to get your eyes up to meet Ten as you reached your high, desperately holding back any sound. You honestly couldn’t believe you just did any of that as you finally let yourself breath, trying to calm down and not attract attention. No one really seemed to have noticed, which was a relief, and you had also just passed your test, both Ten’s and the one on your desk. So now it was just a question of whether or not you wanted the extra credit. Maybe some other time though.

“Uh, professor.”

“Yes?”

“I think y/n fell asleep.”

“Ah, it seems you’re right. I’ll deal with him once everyone else leaves.”

“Alright, see you next week professor.”

“Have a good week.”

When the students finished the exam they could turn it in and leave. One by one that happened except for one student who seemed to have fallen asleep. Once the classroom was empty Ten made his way up to the back row, sitting on the table next to the student and dropping down a box of tissues. He reached over and gently pet your head.

“I see my good boy could only muster up the strength to pass his test and then pass out.”

You whined. “It wasn’t… easy…”

“No, I imagined it was very very hard for you.” Ten chuckled. “Did you have fun?”

“I…”

“It’s okay, you can be honest with me. It was amazing wasn’t it? I told you patience was important.”

“Yes, you’re right.”

“Of course I am. Now you should clean yourself up so we can go over your test. You did pass after all.”

Ten kissed your head, getting up and wrapping his arms around you from behind. He had you pick up your pencil, his chin resting on your shoulder, although his hands drifted down to your waistband. He didn’t tease you at all, his hands merely diving in to grab your limp cock, starting to play with it.

“Maybe you can clean up after I’ve had my fun. Come on now, focus. The first answer is A.”

You bit your lip again, feeling like you were on the verge of tearing skin at this point. You didn’t have to worry about others, but you still knew to be quiet. As long as you behave you’d be rewarded, and all you had to do now was listen and be a good boy. That you could do.

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