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stop-talking · 2 months

Note

Wait imagine listening to music with clapton while in detention.. like sharing earbuds with him while yall sit in silence🫢 and then a cringe song comes on at the wrong time LMAO

BLESS YOU anon this is so cute

Saturday School

Clapton Davis x gender-neutral reader

Word count: 2k

Tags: fluff, a little cringe, romantic tension, older Clapton & younger reader

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You'd managed to get through nearly 12 years of schooling without getting sentenced to detention.

Unfortunately, today resets your streak. Only a measly two weeks at this shitty school and you've already gotten yourself into trouble. Just your luck, huh?

God damnit. Surely, this is going to be absolute hell. I mean, it isn't even a regular after-school detention, but Saturday school.

As you take a seat in the meticulously-arranged circle of desks in the library, you spare a glance at the other students. You vaguely recognize some of them... the goth chick looks familiar, at least.

They all seem disinterested, so you copy their aloof attitudes and lean back in your chair. Yeah... that seems right. Just do what everyone else does, and maybe you'll survive this.

Suddenly, the door bursts open and slams against the wall. You turn to look, and see the principal himself storm through, dragging a boy in by the ear.

Oh great. Finally, someone you recognize, and it's motherfucking Clapton Davis.

"It's not fair! I don't even HAVE Saturday school!" He whines, wincing as he's roughly shoved towards an empty desk. The desk right next to you. Wonderful.

"Should have thought about that before coming to school on a Saturday." The older man growls, giving him what he probably thinks is an intimidating look. Honestly, he just looks silly.

Clapton groans, slinking back in the desk and letting out an exaggerated huff that blows his bangs around.

God, can't that guy just be normal? You only just transferred here and already you know almost everything about him. Not by choice... obviously. He's just somehow the center of attention wherever he goes. Even in goddamn Saturday school.

"And as for the rest of you..." The principal continues his rant, glaring at the small circle of students. No, prisoners.

"Just remember. I have eyes and ears everywhere. EVERYWHERE."

With one final less-than-intimidating-glare, the man stomps out, closing the door behind him. Is that it? He's just going to leave you here in a roomful of delinquents with nothing but a vague threat to keep you all in check?

You glance around at the other students, but no one says anything. Hm. Maybe that's normal. You have no idea, so you just lay your head down on your desk, determined to get through this mess as simply as possible.

Turns out, that sentiment might prove to be more challenging than you thought. You hear a quiet "thud", and shift slightly, peeking an eye to your left to see what the noise was. Are you crazy, or does Clapton look... closer?

Nope. Not crazy. With another soft thud, he scoots his desk over again, inching it closer to yours.

"Pssst." He whispers, extending a leg out to nudge your foot. He's less than a yard from you at this point. Though you can't see the other students with your head buried in your arms, you're sure they've noticed. Damnit. Why did this jackass have to draw attention to you?

"What do you want?" You grumble, shifting on the desk so he can see your face, but still trying to stay hidden from the other students.

"I haven't seen you around before. You new?" He gives you a sheepish grin, eyes flickering with mischief as he takes you in.

"Yeah." You respond dismissively, giving him a flat stare. Please just pick on someone else, Clapton Davis.

"Cool, cool..." He crosses his arms and leans back in his chair, looking up at the ceiling.

You watch as he restlessly taps his feet and tries to balance on two legs of his chair. He's so high-strung. Like a chihuahua. Small like one too. Hah. The thought makes you smile, which he unfortunately notices and takes as a sign of interest. Damnit.

"So... what are you in for?" He asks, treating the exchange like you're two inmates. Honestly, it's a fair comparison.

"I, uh... Accidentally lit my teacher on fire."

With a crash, Clapton tips back in his chair completely, hitting the floor. Hard.

"You WHAT?"

The sudden noise makes you jolt upright, and you can feel a blush creeping up your neck as the other students turn to stare.

"Accidentally!" You protest weakly, hanging your head in shame as Clapton scrambles to his feet.

"How the fuck do you 'accidentally' set someone on fire?" A dark-haired boy across from you scoffs, and a few other people voice similar questions.

"Okay so... Mr Jones's sleeve caught fire while giving me a demonstration with the bunsen burner..." You start, taking a deep breath and staring down at your desk to calm your nerves.

"I panicked and doused it with a vial of the closest liquid... apparently an extremely flammable liquid..."

"Is THAT why he went home early Friday?" A blonde girl asks, letting out a shrill laugh, like that of a hyena.

"Woah. Sick." The goth-looking girl just nods in approval before lying her head back down on the desk.

Before you can give any kind of response, you feel your desk jostle as Clapton's slams into it. Apparently he'd taken the initiative to get a little closer while everyone was distracted by your story.

"So, Grizzly Lake High has a new pyromaniac, huh?" He teases, propping his elbow up on the desk and resting his chin on his fist as he grins stupidly at you.

"New?" You scoff. "You mean you had an old one?"

"Hey, there's a lot of weirdoes here." He shrugs.

"Yeah... I can tell."

He pouts and tries to feign offence as you pointedly look him up and down. God, what a stupid fucking face.

"You're not in any of my classes, are you, newbie?"

"No. I'm a Junior."

"Ah. Well, maybe we'll have some together next year."

"Next year? Aren't you a Senior?"

"Yeah, but with the way my grades are looking..." He grimaces, shaking his head sadly.

"...you might be a Senior again next year?" You finish for him.

"Yeah."

"Bummer."

An awkward silence settles between the two of you, and Clapton starts to squirm, looking as if he wants to say something else.

"How'd you end up here? In Saturday school, I mean." You ask, if only to cut the tension. Not because you actually care.

"Oh." His face falls, clearly annoyed just thinking about it.

"Principal Verge confiscated my skateboard Friday... I was supposed to get it back at the end of the day, but I ended up getting detention... By the time I was done, he'd already left and locked It up in his office."

"Sooo... you came to steal it back?"

"Not steal! There's sometimes a few teachers here on weekends... I was just gonna ask one of them..." He mumbles, hanging his head.

"But stupid Verge caught me 'sneaking around' and threw me in Saturday school."

"Oh, so he just has it out for you, huh?" You tease.

"Exactly!" He hisses back, eyes wide with excitement.

"People just don't understand. I'm not a troublemaker... just unlucky."

Unlucky? He seems pretty damn lucky to you. Everyone likes Clapton Davis. Everyone but you, it seems.

"Pfft. Maybe you could try being quiet and sitting still for once." You muse, trying to hold back a smirk. He might be onto something though, honestly. He's a total trouble magnet... which is why you should probably just put your head back down and ignore him.

"Hey!" He pouts, feigning hurt as he reaches into his pocket.

"And to think, I was gonna offer to share..."

This piques your interest, and you lean closer to him, trying to get a glimpse of the object he's fiddling with under his desk. An iPhone. Great.

"Won't that just get you in more trouble?"

He rolls his eyes in return. "Look around. I'm not the only one."

Sure enough, when you look more closely at some of the other students... yep, at least half of them are on their phones. The way they slump over the desks sort-of hides it, but once you knew what to look for... damn. He's right.

"Why? What's even the point of Saturday school, then?" You're completely baffled by this revelation, shaking your head.

"What's the point of school at all?" He counters, shrugging and popping an earbud into his ear. His wired headphones are extremely tangled, but he offers you the other earbud anyways.

"So, wanna share?"

Damnit. You really shouldn't. But you hadn't brought your own phone, and fuck, that grin of his...

"Fine. What do you have on there?" You sigh and accept the earbud, scooting closer to him so it'll actually reach your ear. There's not much slack with how tangled they are, so the two of you are nearly cheek to cheek as you hunch in your seats and peer down at his phone.

"Here, I'll turn on my playlist."

He fiddles with the little phone, and you can feel his breath mixing with yours as he speaks. Eventually he gets some music playing, but you can hardly hear it over the beating of your own heart.

"What do you think? You like 90s stuff?" Clapton smiles warmly, turning to face you.

His smile is contagious, and you can't help but let your gaze flicker down to his lips... just for a moment. He's so close, his mouth just inches from your own.

"Uh, yeah. I-I mean, who doesn't?" You mumble lamely, feeling a familiar heat creep up your neck and tinge your cheeks. Fuck. He's not that cute, get yourself together!!

"I know, right?" Apparently that's the right answer, because he turns his attention back to the phone, scrolling through his playlist and pointing out his favorite songs.

His music taste isn't bad, actually. You find yourself nodding at his choices, and soon you begin to forget where you are. The other students fade into the background, and Saturday school starts to feel a little less grim.

That is, until the song changes and the vibe is completely thrown off. What the hell is this? Your brow furrows and you try to make out the nonsense lyrics.

Cat? I'm a kitty cat. And I dance dance dance And I dance dance dance Cat? I'm a kitty cat. And I dance dance dance And I dance dance dance

The lyrics repeat over and over, and Clapton nearly drops his phone in his scramble to change the song. In his rush, he gets his password wrong over and over, making it impossible to fix.

"Clapton, why the hell is this on your playlist?" You ask, putting a hand to your mouth in a failing attempt to stifle a giggle.

"I-it's catchy, alright??" He mumbles, still trying to change the song. He gets his password wrong for, like, the tenth time, and it locks him out of his phone for thirty seconds, leaving you both stuck with the nonsensical cat lyrics ringing in your ears.

You try to keep your composure, but when the man singing the song starts meowing, you completely lose it and throw yourself onto your desk in a fit of laughter.

Unfortunately for Clapton, you accidentally tug the headphone cord with you, unplugging it from his phone. As you bury your head in your arms and laugh uncontrollably, the silly cat song starts blasting out loud for the whole room to hear.

And he can't even do anything about it, because he's still locked out of his phone for the next 20 seconds.

"S-sorry!" He shouts, trying to cram his phone into his backpack to shut it up.

You can feel all eyes on the two of you, but this whole situation is so utterly ridiculous, you don't even mind the attention. A few other kids snicker, and you can't help but feel a little bad for him.

Your remorse fades as soon as the principal throws the door open, immediately turning his attention to you and Clapton.

"Both of you!" He roars, pointing an accusing finger. "Detention on Monday! And Tuesday!"

Damnit. You knew this boy was trouble, and yet...? As the cat song finally stops, you meet Clapton's gaze, a sheepish smile plastered across his face.

Maybe spending a little more time with him wouldn't be so bad.

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Author's Note: Sorry if it wasn't fluffy enough...? I mean, the reader kind of hates him at first, and they don't even kiss... But the request was really funny, and I love putting Jhutch characters in awkward situations <3

Maybe I'll write a sequel? Probably not, though. Sorry it took so long to write, also. I wrote half of it and then let it sit in my drafts for weeks before writing the other half.

Hope y'all enjoyed, feel free to send in more requests!! I'll get to them eventually, even if it takes weeks. <3

#clapton davis #clapton x reader #x gn!reader #x gender neutral reader #clapton davis x you #clapton davis x reader #detention 2011 #detention movie #josh hutcherson x you #josh hutcherson fluff #josh hutcherson fanfic #jhutch1992 #jhutch #clapton davis fluff #fluff fic #gender neutral reader

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kangen-wanshi · 1 year

Text

Recorded Proposals ft. Trey Clover, Leona Kingscholar, Azul Ashengrotto

"I'm glad that that whole mess is done now.. Though I guess it's kind of a shame that I didn't get to actually propose to the bride, huh. I practiced a lot, too..!"

"Oh, don't worry, Prefect! I have all of your practice proposals recorded!"

".. What? Wait, Ortho what do you mean you have it recorded — Ortho- Hey!"

Tags: Separate, proposals and daydream and all the sweet stuff, no gendered pronouns used but reader is mentioned to be wearing make-up and such in Trey's

Trey Clover

"I know that you're no longer alive.. I know that we couldn't enjoy the joy of mortal entertainment and woes, but.. Even after death, I wish to always stay by your side and go through whatever there is ahead and build a bright future with you! So please.. Marry me!"

Trey got the video from Cater. One day the orangette sent him the video through DMs with just a wink emoji and some teasing about his crush on you and he just sort of accepts it with a light blush.

Trey watches that specific part over and over whenever he is about to go to bed (he refuses to watch it anywhere else). Your words stuck to him - whether it is because of the oddly sincere look in your eyes when you speak, or your beautiful attire, or perhaps your styled hair and make-up — He doesn't know why he's so addicted to it.

It became a sort of charm for him to have a good sleep (which sometimes involves having you in his dream). Your words rang and echoed through his mind when Trey finally shut his eyes and cuddled his blanket at night, ready to dream about you after a particularly long day.

Sometimes he likes to daydream that you were saying those words to him, as cringe as it sounds to his opinion. Trey always ended up a blushing mess with a lovesick grin on his face whenever that specific thought came up randomly throughout the day. He always hides himself with a hand over his mouth or his hat being pulled just a little lower. He's blushing? No. The weather probably just got a little warmer..

He's a sucker for anything that involves 'building a future together'. He's a big family man, he wishes to have his own family one day, preferably with you in the picture of course. As his partner. Domesticity is just sort of his thing at this point and he's not even denying it.

Maybe he should come clean to you.. Maybe you managed to spur out these specific words that tug on his heartstrings because you, too, want it for yourself. Perhaps in those silly proposals, you let out a small speck of your desire, which is why it seems so genuine in his eyes..

Either way he still acted normally around you. He would bring up the topic of the video and the proposals every now and then to tease you - without outing himself about the fact that he has a personal copy of it.

Perhaps he'll invite you to bake more often. Perhaps he'll invite you to various normal 'dates' and activities together. You can study together.. You can watch movies together.. Oh hey look his hand found yours, did he just intertwine your fingers together? You don't mind if he stays there for a while.. Right?

Leona Kingscholar

"I know what other people may say. You and I are.. Different, in every aspect. Yet I couldn't help but be drawn to you. To your beauty, your flaws. The way you love and the way you hate.. All of it..! And I promise you, I'll love you through and through - no matter what people may say. No matter what you'll become. Will you.. Marry me?"

Not sure how he got the video.. Most likely asked Ruggie to get it for him in secret? He made a deal with Azul to get a copy? Who knows. He doesn't really care where he got it from - it's with him now.

Leona watches it in the middle of the night. He likes to snicker and chuckle at your other failed attempts. It's a.. Good pastime. When he feels particularly terrible after a day, he watches your silly acting trying to propose to a dead Princess as a way of entertainment.

He got attached to that specific line of your proposals without even realizing. Whenever he went to watch it, he would usually skip to that part specifically to hear you say those words again and again. Except this time he isn't laughing. Rather he looks quite intense listening to your words.

Why do you have to stare so intently at the camera..? It made the experience a little too realistic to his liking. Now he needs to deal with the hammering noises in his heart, heat that slowly pools on his cheek, and his tail which swish and flick around.. Darn Herbivore you're making his sleep a little more difficult this time and you're not even here with him!

Leona doesn't daydream, but some part of your words does strike a nerve in him. You said you'd love someone despite your differences and their flaws? What a coincidence. You and him have lots of flaws and you're pretty different from each other. Right? He just lets those words keep on repeating over and over in his mind whenever he feels like it.

Actually he listened to your voice so much in his head now that he couldn't handle not hearing your voice. Leona doesn't usually have his phone with him but Ruggie noticed that he's been carrying it with him a lot lately.. Even though Leona still doesn't answer any of his calls or texts. He brought them so he could listen to you when he knew that would have a particularly busy day. He even converted the video to mere audio so he can listen to it.

Leona is also another one who acted mostly normal around you. He doesn't really bring up the event - considering that he failed miserably himself with his proposal attempt, so he doesn't like bringing it up.

But you noticed that his stare has become.. Longer, and that his hold on you linger, followed by his tail which often would cling to you whenever you're within proximity. Hey, what did you mean by you'll love anyone despite your vast differences? Huh? What do you mean those were just fake proposals? Come on answer the question, he's listening.

Azul Ashengrotto

"I've seen all of you. Your past, and your current self. And I don't doubt that you still have many many sides of you that are hidden from the world. Sides that you love- sides that you hate. I wish to love all of them, all of you - including your future. And.. Well there's no other way than to tie ourselves with love and marriage so that I may achieve this dream of mine.. Right?"

Either he got it from Idia who got it from Ortho, or he straight up asked Ortho, Azul will have his way to watch that video. A determined one, and everyone knows how Azul is when he wants something to be part of his possession.

At first he keeps telling himself that this is for academic purposes. He failed his own proposal back then despite his careful calculation and thorough planning, he just.. he wants to know how you handle it since you're the charming Prefect of Ramshackle! Of course! You would be a great reference should anything similar like this arise in the future!

Azul clips every part that he deemed important (keeps telling himself that these are bookmarks for the highlight of your proposal but really these are just his favorite parts.) Which includes you giggling at yourself because of how stupid the proposal was, or you being utterly embarrassed because of what you said. He has them in short clips!

Although there is a clip which he finds himself constantly repeating. He found your words to be.. Comforting and flattering. At first he thought that maybe this is his ideal proposal. And then he nodded to himself before continuing his said research. And then he immediately snapped back and realized that Oh Sevens is this his ideal proposal?!

Azul finds the idea that you, perhaps, would be willing to love him no matter the amount of facades he has to put up for his business, to be extremely endearing and beneficial to him. He would have your affection, while he's still able to keep up with his Deals. Why would he hate the idea? If not, it made him want you even more than he already did. (Even though he knew these were probably just you sputtering some romantic nonsense to gain the Princess' heart.. He.. Likes to wish. He just hope he could fulfill this specific wish of his own now..)

Since then he couldn't watch the video seriously anymore. He would be blushing - not to that specific part but to literally every other proposal you practiced (although that has become his favorite).

Azul doesn't daydream. He wants things and he will have them. Including you.

He would become more bold in his advances. He keeps falling in love with you over and over whenever he watches or remembers the video - it's only fair that he should start making you fall for him over and over.

So, Prefect, Azul has this new business idea and it involves you.. Oh don't worry you'll gain plenty of benefit from it! Would you like to at least talk about it or consider it? You would? Brilliant! Meet him in the VIP room he already has everything prepared!.. What do you mean you saw a marriage contract on his table?

#x reader #reader insert #les does writing #twst x reader #twisted wonderland x reader #trey clover x reader #twst trey x reader #trey x reader #leona kingscholar x reader #twst leona x reader #leona x reader #azul ashengrotto x reader #twst azul x reader #azul x reader

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hairrington · 2 years

Text

Without A Clue

Summary: Steve is into you. Really, really into you. The only problem is that everybody seems to know it but you. It’s not until you get dragged into the Upside Down that you finally start to see just how much he cares about you. Female reader hurt/comfort in which reader is clueless to Steve’s feelings! Requested by anon. Some canon divergence. CW: blood/injury. Gif credit to hawkinsindiana.

The rowboat was bobbing in the middle of Lovers Lake with the five of you inside, but it rocks even more when you stand.

"Whoa, what are you doing?" Steve asks.

"The gate should be down there, right?" you say. "We have only one way to know for sure."

"You're jumping... in there?" Eddie asks, staring into the black water.

"I'll go," Steve urges.

"You snooze, you lose, Harrington," you say, peering over the corner, adrenaline coursing through your veins.

"Damn, (Y/N) has guts," Robin says with an impressed scoff.

"(Y/N), seriously," Steve mumbles.

"I'll be fine, Steve," you say. "Hate to brag, but I have great lung capacity." You give him a proud smile before plunging into the cold lake.

As you pump your arms through one breast stroke after another, deeper and deeper into the still water, you think about how you got here in the first place.

It all started with a part-time job at the arcade. One lunch break, you decided to kill time in the video rental store next door. You figured it was better than sitting in the arcade’s depressing break room.

Standing in the Sci Fi section, your eyes travelled over the spines of the VHS tapes. You noticed movement near you and looked up to catch a handsome man's eyes. The next second, you noticed his uniformed vest and name-tag.

"Looking for any recommendations?" he asked.

Normally, you would've said you were just browsing, but the guy was too sweet to turn away.

"Sure," you answered.

"Anything in particular you look for in a sci fi flick?" he asks, raising an arm to rest on the top shelf.

"Hmm, lots of action," you say.

"Adrenaline junkie?" he asks.

"You could say that," you answer.

"Well," Steve says, lips pursed. "You might like...” His eyes landed on a tape. “Somewhere In Time. Maybe. I don't know. To be honest, I'm trying to look like I'm good at my job in front of my boss."

You laughed, amused by this rambling stranger whose nametag you could now read: Steve. Sure enough, way at the front counter, a long-haired man stared daggers into the employee’s back.

"So, Steve,” you said. “I should look like I'm getting a lot of valuable information from you.” You began nodding and looking at Steve seriously, knowing you were being watched.

"Thank you," he said with a relieved smile.

"I get it," you said. "I got one of those types of managers next door."

"Oh, you work at the arcade?" Steve asked.

“Yes,” you joked. You had put a cardigan over the itchy t-shirt you were forced to wear, put pointed to the small fraction of words on the shirt. “And I swear, time actually stops there.” Steve half-smirked.

“I thought it’d be fun to work over there.”

“I hear pinball machines in my sleep,” you said seriously, making Steve smirk again. “So, to make you look good, I should probably rent something out, huh?”

“I’ll owe you one,” Steve replied.

After that, you visited the video store way more often than you needed to, befriending both Steve and Robin and enjoying the laughs and customer horror stories you’d shared with them. They’d visit you, too, trying their hand at some of the arcade games and actually getting pretty good at them.

When you noticed some of the kids you saw at the arcade visiting the video store speaking with Steve and Robin with low tones and serious expressions, your curiosity got the best of you. And suddenly, you were immersed in the stories of the Upside Down - unbelievable, scary, but incredible stories.

Funny enough, as you dive deeper into the lake, Steve is thinking back to the first time you met, too.

"That's it, I'm going in," he says, staring at the water and shaking his head.

"Cool it, Romeo," Robin says. "It's been like ten seconds. Have some faith in her." Steve rolls his eyes at his friend’s incessant teasing about his crush on you.

"It's the monsters I don't have faith in, Robin," Steve complains.

Meanwhile, you had reached the bottom of the lake and encountered the red, otherworldly entrance to the dimension you’d heard so much about. If you weren’t underwater, you’d have gasped.

After swimming your way back up, your hands find the rim of the boat and you take in a big gulp of air. Steve is not much of a religious person, but when he sees you alive and well, he silently thanks God.

“So, there’s definitely a portal down there,” you breathe out, gazing between Steve, Eddie, Robin and Nancy, their faces lit up by the moon. The cold air presses up against your wet skin.

“Glad we settled that,” Steve says. “Get back in.”

“Yes, sir,” you chuckle. But when you set to lunge forward, instead, you feel a tight pressure around your leg. You let out a shriek before it pulls you down, filling your lungs with water.

Fear boils deep into your bones as you watch the surface get farther away, gasping for air but only gulping in water.

Once air reaches you again, it's thick and smoggy. You lie on your front on the hard, rocky ground, gasping to breathe. Heart pounding, you look up to see red skies and disjointed rocks.

Is this the Upside Down?

You find the strength to get on your knees, still gasping and feeling the sting of water in your nose and throat.

High-pitched shrieking startles you as horrifying bat-like creatures lunge right for you. Burning pain rips through your shoulder when you realize one the creatures has dug its teeth into your skin.

You scream out, grabbing for it and pulling it off, the pain gruesome and nearly debilitating. You stomp on it, missing a few times, but successfully knocking it out.

When you were pulled down, Steve didn't hesitate. He dove headfirst in the water, fully clothed, knowingly and urgently swimming down into the dangerous world you had been pulled into.

You hear your name being shouted and you frantically look around, finally landing on Steve.

"Duck!" he screams, and you obey, narrowly missing another demon bat.

Nancy, Robin, and Eddie appear shortly after, the group of you swinging and strangling and stomping the bats. In the tussle, you feel fangs dig into your leg above your ankle, and you choke out a sob, continuing to fight for your life.

Finally, the last bat lets out a spine-chilling groan, lifeless on the ground.

Heaving, you all walk towards each other to form a haphazard circle, your ankle and shoulder burning.

"You alright?" Steve asks, primarily looking at you.

"Never better," you breathe, wincing. The shrieks of demobats return and to your horror, a hoard of them appear in the sky nearby.

"Over there!" Nancy points. You all follow her lead, running into the dark woods. Unfortunately, your newfound injury makes you limp far behind, and when Steve notices how far back you are, he turns towards you.

He runs your way and scoops you up, cradling you in his arms. You brace his sweater for stability, cotton bunching up under your fingers. Steve pants as he runs and you look up at him, his eyebrows furrowed as he gazes ahead.

The five of you find shelter in the murky forest full of tangled, disjointed branches. Steve slowly lowers you, strong hands still on your waist as you find your footing.

You feel faint, but don't want to show it and cause panic. Sure enough, though, you can't hide it from Steve.

"Is it bad?" he asks, breath hot on your neck.

"It's not good," you admit.

"Is it your leg?" Robin asks. Steve rounds you, giving you a chance to put all your weight on your feet. The burning in your ankle is still vicious, and you're still a bit drowsy, but it doesn't hurt as bad to stand.

"I guess one of those things got me," you mumble, looking up from your foot to your shoulder. "Twice."

"You shouldn't have jumped in the water," Steve mumbles. You roll your eyes, but he doesn't notice as he’s too busy pulling his yellow sweater off of his shoulders, revealing his torso.

"If I didn't jump, you would've," you answer. "So what difference does it make?" He gazes at the blood on your shoulder, the ash over your face, and it pains him to his core to see you so wounded.

Steve steps closer to you, looking down at his sweater as he rips it.

"I'd rather be the one cut up like this than you," Steve says at a volume only loud enough for you to hear.

"What kind of survival instinct is that, Harrington?" you tease. You look up at Robin to share an amused look, but she's only looking at you two empathetically.

"We'll catch up," Steve calls back to the other three over the sound of fabric ripping in his hands. "Just don't walk too fast."

Robin only shrugs in agreement and slowly makes her way in the forest with Nancy and Eddie.

Screeching and howling in the distance fills your ears as Steve takes one half of the sweater in his hands, the other tucked under his elbow.

"But that was such a nice sweater," you say quietly, trying to earn a smile from Steve. It doesn't take.

"I don't care about the sweater," he says.

You're close enough to see the wrinkles his forehead makes when he winces as he wraps the fabric around your shoulder. The pressure against the wound stings, and you recoil.

"Shit, sorry," he says. "We just have to put pressure on it, okay?"

"I know," you whisper, nodding quickly. "Do what you have to do."

He tightens the fabric around your arm up to your shoulder, tying a knot at your shoulder blade. You find a place to focus your eyes, and it just so happens to be his chest, peppered with tufts of hair.

Then your eyes travel up to his face. His very concerned looking face.

"Steve, jeez, you look..." Worried isn't quite the word. It's not strong enough. "Distraught. It's okay! I didn't die."

"You got hurt, though," he answers, bending down with the other half of the fabric, investigating the gash on your ankle. "Can you hold onto me?"

You oblige, moving your good arm to grip his firm, naked shoulder. You stare down at Steve, hair tousled, as he creates a tourniquet around your ankle.

Finally, Steve rises to his feet, towering over you with frantic eyes.

"Thanks for patching me up," you say. "Now stop looking so worried."

"(Y/N), we care about you, okay?" he says quietly. "I care about you. I can't... I can't see you get hurt." Steve sighs, cupping your shoulders, grip loose on the bad shoulder. "You don’t see how much you matter to me? Don't you get it?"

His eyes skitter away, then return to yours. Steve's so close, smelling of sweat and cologne.

"Get what?" you ask.

Your eyes travel his face, waiting for an indication of what he's talking about.

"I don’t know when I wanted to do this but this is definitely not the time. We should go," Steve says, words rushed. He’s nervous. You’ve never seen Steve nervous. "Are you okay to walk?"

The confusion of the last five seconds sends your head spinning, so all you can do is nod. No need for Steve to carry you again, no matter how comforting it was. And no need to make a joke about it, because whatever happened between you just shifted everything.

How much you matter to him? This isn’t the time? What the hell is he talking about?

Sure, you’d been friends for a few months now and of course a person cares about their friends, but as you make your way through the woods, careful not to roll your ankle, you can’t get the soft, meaningful way Steve was looking at you out of your head.

Steve marches in front of you, listening for your footsteps to make sure you’re okay, but unable to bear turning around to look at you again. He's too nervous that he's ruined everything with you.

As much as he likes you, your obliviousness has frustrated him to no end.

Whenever he’d ask to hang out outside of work, you’d ask if Robin was coming, too. Whenever he complimented you, you’d roll your eyes and assume he was joking. Whenever he’d go above and beyond to show he cared about you, you’d smile in that sweet way you always did, too stubborn to see that he was falling for you.

Robin had been telling him to just give it to you straight. But right now? In this squalid forest in the Upside Down? Not the time to just spill it out to you.

You stare at his bare back as you follow him, watching the dips and valleys of his muscles, and you’re not sure if he’s mad or just stressed out. You feel like you’re missing an important piece to the puzzle, but you’ve searched everywhere and the piece simply isn’t there.

“Hey, guys,” Eddie says as you approach the group. “Anyone know how much longer we have to walk through literal hell?”

“We’re close,” Nancy says matter-of-factly.

“(Y/N), you alright?” Robin asks, eyes darting between you and Steve. He finally turns around, concerned eyes boring into you.

“Yeah,” you say. “Thank you, Steve.”

He gives you a genuine smile, albeit small, and turns back around. Robin meets your eyes again and you mouth “I don’t know” to her with a shake of your head. She looks like she wants to say something, but doesn’t.

When you reach the Wheeler house, you’re grateful to see that at least couches exist in this alternate dimension. At this point, the ache in your ankle is sharp again, and you desperately need a break.

As the others go upstairs and explore the house, you sink into the living room couch and trying to even your breathing. Guilt finds its way into your core when you think back to Steve’s frantic eyes and shaking hands. He was terrified for you.

A minute passes, and when you hear the four of your group members talking upstairs, you grab the armrest, pushing yourself up onto your feet. The break helped.

As you go towards the noise to find the group, quick footsteps hammer down the stairs and you get to the staircase to find that Steve has just reached the bottom.

“Hey, you alright?” he asks.

“Just took a little break,” you say. “Steve, I’m sorry that I scared you.”

“Hey,” Steve whispers. He can’t take the sad expression on your face - the way your mouth turns down and the way your eyelids drop kills him. “You didn’t do anything wrong. There’s nothing to apologize for. I’m sorry I freaked out.”

You swallow hard and nod, looking up the staircase in the dark, musky house.

“You can hold my hand if you want to,” Steve says gently, and you take it without hesitation, his palm calloused and warm. Your heart races at the intimate gesture.

When you make it to the bedroom, Robin takes note of you and when her eyes dart to your hand clasped in Steve’s, you swear that she smiles for a second.

Being guided by Dustin’s echoing voice from the world you’re desperately trying to get back to, the five of you stare at an orb of light, debris floating menacingly. You kneel in front of the light, and when you lose grip with Steve’s hand, you’re surprised to realize how empty you feel without his touch.

After staring at the light for a few moments, an idea pops into your head.

“Trace with your finger,” you say quietly to nobody in particular, and when Nancy tries and it works, the others gasp in disbelief.

“Good one, arcade girl,” Robin says, amazed. You grin at your friend.

When you realize you have to make it to Eddie’s trailer, dread fills your body. You’re not sure if you can walk again. But when you discover that you can bike there, you’re much more up for the task. You make it to the trailer soon after, relieved knowing you’re one step closer to getting home.

Breaking any and all laws of physics, the five you climb and somehow fall at the same time into the right version of the world. Breathing in normal air brings you a wave of comfort.

You all take a second to inhale and exhale and let it sink in that you’ve made it back. You gaze up at the portal that separates you from the terrifying world you’d been attacked in.

Then, you look to your aching shoulder to see that your blood has soaked through Steve’s sweater. Dread crawls up your back. Your impulse is find Steve’s eyes next, and when you do, you see that he’s chewing on his bottom lip as he stares at your shoulder.

“(Y/N) needs to get to the hospital,” Steve announces, more so to himself than anyone else. You’ve been successfully softening the magnitude of your injuries, but now, seeing that much blood and feeling as faint as you feel, you can finally agree with Steve’s uneasiness.

“Get them home,” Steve says to Robin, Steve, and Eddie, motioning to the kids. “And I’ll get her to a doctor.”

“Steve, the neighbor two trailers down has one of those magnet key boxes,” Eddie says, glancing between you two. “Under his front left tire. I’ve... taken it for a spin a few times. I swear, the old guy sleeps like a rock. He’s never caught me.”

“We can’t steal someone’s car,” you say, wary.

“We’ll borrow it,” Steve says, nodding to Eddie. “We’ll take anything we can get now. You need a doctor.”

You’re too tired to argue.

“And you probably need a shirt, dingus,” Robin comments. Steve looks down and nods quickly, so distracted by your state of need that he can’t think of anything else.

After Eddie lends Steve a plain black t-shirt, the two of you pace to the neighbor’s Ford in silence. You settle into the pick-up truck, feeling throbbing in your shoulder.

“How’s the ankle?” Steve asks once he slides into the driver’s seat. The engine comes to life when he turns the key.

“Better than the shoulder,” you say.

Steve exhales deeply, and when you glance over at him, you notice his hands are shaking on the steering wheel.

The two of you make it out of the neighborhood and onto a main road that you recognize.

He’s scared. He’s so, so scared. In the Upside Down - hell, even in the Russians’ bunker, he was more calm than he is now. He can’t stand to see you in danger like this.

Street lamps plunge you in and out of light.

The pain and the fatigue hits you like a train, and you feel hot tears build in your eyes. You can’t hold them back and they slip down your cheeks, letting out quiet sniffles.

"Oh no, baby, please don’t cry,” Steve whispers, the pet name slipping out and immediately embarrassing him. “We've got like... not even ten minutes, okay?"

"I'm just tired," you mumble.

"It's okay. We're getting you to a hospital. It's okay."

In his time working at Family Video, Steve had seen his fair share of drama films. And one thing he remembers about when someone is seriously injured: keep them talking.

"Talk to me about something else," Steve tells you. "Anything."

"I'm really glad I have tomorrow off," you mumble. It makes Steve chuckle, and you smile to yourself. "Finally, I get you to laugh. You've been so serious all night. It's unlike you."

You think back to how courageous Steve was in the Upside Down. He was like an action hero.

"But seriously, you were kind of amazing down there, Harrington," you mumble honestly.

Steve feels his cheeks get warm. How can you say things like that and not realize what it does to him?

"Yeah, I know," he quips, making a right turn. Only a few blocks left.

"Humble as always," you mumble, feeling your eyelids getting heavier. Steve looks over at you.

"Do me a favour?" he says.

"Hmm?"

"Keep your eyes open?"

You sigh, forcing your eyes open.

"Yes, sir," you tease.

"So, what would you have done tomorrow? With your day off? Tell me everything you're thinking." Steve asks.

"I was planning on catching up on sleep," you tell him. You think of your home. Your bed. Your mom works nights, so you'd probably wake up when she's already back home and sleeping. At least you know she left for work before you set out of the house tonight, so she has no idea that you spent your evening fighting inter-dimensional monsters.

"I'd have a quiet morning," you continue. "My mom would already be back in bed, so I'd watch the tv on low. Then I was thinking of dropping by Hawkins' best video store."

"Best, huh?" Steve asks. He loves when you come into store. Hearing the door jingle and looking to see you walking through it always gives him happy goosebumps.

"I know a guy. Gives all the best recommendations."

"Sounds... not true."

"Okay, yeah, I lied," you say. "But his boss knows all the girls come in just to see him so he keeps him around."

"They do?" Steve chuckles.

"Don't play clueless, Harrington," you tease, fighting to keep your eyelids up.

Steve shakes his head to himself. If only you knew how clueless you were about how much he likes you.

"How's it driving?" you ask.

"Higher up than I'm used to," Steve answers with a nervous chuckle. He goes through a green light. "But okay."

"It smells like peanuts in here," you say. Steve laughs. "Hey, you said to tell you everything I'm thinking."

"I'm glad you are," Steve says.

"I can't believe that this car is stolen right now."

"Borrowed."

"You stole a car for me," you say.

"I'd do anything for you," Steve replies.

This sends your heart fluttering. Even in your drowsy state, you recognize the weight of his words.

"Remember when we met and I rented out that movie just to make you look good to Keith?" you ask.

"I was thinking about that actually," Steve says. "Earlier tonight." He thinks back to watching the water in Lovers Lake, praying you'd come back up to the surface.

"You said you owed me one."

"Yeah?"

"With everything you did tonight, consider it paid back. Like, tenfold."

"All I did tonight was freak out," Steve says.

One thing you know for sure about Steve after months of being friends with him: he likes to pretend to be cocky, but in reality, he can never take credit for how good of a guy he is.

"We're here," he announces, pulling into the hospital parking lot. You breathe a sigh of relief.

After checking in and claiming it was a stray dog that attacked you - "close enough", Steve had said to you privately - you were waiting in the small hospital room.

You assumed Steve would've wanted to stay in the waiting room, but he offered to come with you, and it made you feel much less nervous.

You sit at the end of the hospital bed, and Steve is settled in a chair a few feet away from you, leg shaking rapidly. You look at him, his brown hair hanging over his forehead, chin resting in his hand, concerned eyes glued to you. His jeans and shoes are dirty and look funny with the clean borrowed t-shirt. You stare at each other, wordless.

In this moment, Steve can't think of anything more important in this world than you.

"So we got a dog bite here?" you hear a voice. You look up to see a woman in a lab coat enter through the door, with a nurse following close behind.

"Ye- yes," you mumble.

"Okay, let's take a look."

You peel off the soaked, ripped sweater Steve had given you, wincing at the pain. The doctor quickly examines it and looks at you.

Steve watches, heart ripped in two.

"You'll need stitches and antibiotics," the doctor explains to you. "We have anesthesia so the area will be numbed, alright?" the doctor explains.

"Okay," you repeat.

After the wound is cleaned and the numbing gel is applied, you look to Steve again. Remembering what he said back in the Upside Down in the Wheelers' home, you give him a weak smile.

"You can hold my hand if you want to," you say to him. Steve exhales with a smile, standing next to you, fingers interlacing with yours.

You don't look when the doctor puts in the stitches. After they check out your ankle and determine it doesn't need stitches, they clean and wrap it in gauze. The doctor then does a general check-up and determines that your blood loss level doesn't require extra attention, so you're okay to go home.

"But drink water and stay off your feet," she instructs. "And I'll see you soon to get those stitches out." The doctor looks to Steve. "Make sure she takes it easy and takes her antibiotics, okay?"

He nods with a serious expression, taking his mission to heart.

When you exit the hospital and get back into the pick-up truck, Steve takes a moment to hold his head in his hands and sigh deeply.

"I like you so much," he says quietly. He can't keep it in any longer.

You swallow hard, staring at him. His head is still in his hands, fingers in his messy hair.

"Wh- what?" Your voice is small. Disbelieving.

Steve drops his hands to his lap and looks at you. In the dark pick-up truck, the shadows aren't too stark, but you wish you could see his eyes better. See if what he's telling you really is true.

"I thought it was so obvious." He half-chuckles. Your eyes travel over his face. The weird comments about you not getting it, his anxiety over your injuries, the way he takes care of you. It all makes sense. The last puzzle piece clicks into place.

Your stomach numbs at your friend's confession. He likes you. And within the next millisecond, you realize you like him back.

"Watching you get hurt... I can't explain it, (Y/N). It kills me," he says. "I care about you so much. I can't keep it in anymore."

"Why did you?" you ask with a smile. "Keep it in, I mean."

"Waiting for the right moment?" he explains. "Waiting for you to see it yourself?"

"You'd be waiting forever," you tell him. "I'm clueless." Steve chuckles, dipping his head. "I'm clueless and I like you, too."

His head darts up - eyes big and smile bigger.

"Yeah?" Steve's tone is adorably excited.

"I thought it was so obvious," you tease. "Are you going to kiss me or what?"

He's gentle when his lips find yours. No matter how hungry he is for this, for you, no matter how long he's wanted to kiss you, he's soft and slow with it. He wants to take his time, especially because you're injured.

His mouth is warm, a wonderful change from the cold bitterness of everything that took place tonight.

To Steve, kissing you is unlike how he imagined. It's somehow even better. And while he kisses you, he knows when he says he likes you, he really means love. But he'll save that word for a time when you've wrapped your head around everything that's happened tonight.

Steve pulls back, forehead pressed against yours, eyes closed.

"Sorry I'm clueless," you whisper. Steve laughs the sweetest laugh.

"Can I be your boyfriend?" he asks. Your heart swells.

"Yes," you reply, unable to think of any better way to say it.

"I want to stay here forever, but you need sleep and medication," he whispers back.

"Yes, sir," you sarcastically scoff.

Steve smiles below the next kiss he gives you and pulls back to start the car.

The entire ride home, you stare at your boyfriend's profile. He squints as he drives, previously shaky hands now steady. One hand is on your knee, and you hold it tightly, knowing that whatever is to come, you have someone looking out for you.

#fic #steve harrington imagine #steve x reader #steve harrington x reader #steve harrington fanfic #steve harrington fan fic #steve harrington fanfiction #steve harrington x you #steve harrington x y/n #stranger things #stranger things fanfiction #stranger things imagine #steve and reader #steve and y/n #steve harrington and reader #steve harrington fluff #steve harrington imagines

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just-my-latest-hyperfixation · 6 months

Text

Merry whatever

Written for the @steddieholidaydrabbles, day 25

Prompt: Christmas

Rated: G

CW: none

Tags: Fluff; Getting together; First kiss

Notes: Continued from day 5

Steve is just putting the last of the cookies into the oven - stars and trees and gingerbread men with little vampire teeth - when there’s a cacophony of swears and noise from the roof and a giant letter X crashes into the snow outside the kitchen window. He wipes his hands on a towel, slips into his boots and coat and makes his way outside.

“Eds? You still alive up there?”

“Barely!”

Eddie pops his head over the edge of the roof. He’s wearing the Santa hat again, the one they found in the attic together with the letters and the rest of the decorations.

“Your roof is a fucking ice rink, Harrington. Veritable death trap up here.”

“Hey,” Steve sloshes closer, almost trips over a plastic elf protruding from the snowy lawn like a tiny, cheerful goblin in a striped hat. “Don’t whine at me. I told you it was a bad idea, getting the letters up in that weather.”

“Yeah, yeah, mom!” Eddie snarks. “Now get that thing back up here.”

“Of course,” Steve rolls his eyes but still tucks the fallen letter under his arm and clambers up the ladder. “No fun if we don’t break both our necks.”

“Don’t be so dramatic.” Eddie takes the letter from him as soon as he’s within reach, then extends a gloved hand to help him onto the roof. The wool is scratchy against his skin, but Steve still revels in the warmth of it, the firm press of Eddie’s fingers entwining with his. “Didn’t survive the literal apocalypse to be taken down by some holiday decorations. Now help me put this- woah!”

He slips on the icey roof, teeters dangerously close to the abyss, eyes comically large and arms ruddering in the air for balance. Steve does what he does best and flies into action, bodily lunging himself at him and pulling him against his chest. He goes down on the shingles ass first, Eddie sprawled on top of him. By some Christmas miracle, Steve manages to grab a hold of the X before it can fall a second time.

Eddie’s breath is warm against his neck, hands clawing into his coat, and oh shit, they’re close. So very close. Much closer than two buddies who just happen to be spending Christmas together should be.

“You okay?” Steve says over the sound of his own blood roaring in his ears.

“Peachy,” Eddie pulls back, shoves the Santa hat out of his eyes. His very brown, very pretty eyes that Steve has caught himself thinking about an absurd amount lately. There's a bright pink flush coloring the bridge of his nose - probably from the scare. Or the cold. Yup, the cold, that’ll be it. “Reckon you’ll ever get tired of saving my ass, big boy?”

“Never.”

The word is out before Steve can bite it back. And maybe it comes with a little too much force, a little too much conviction. The smile slips off Eddie’s face and he blinks. Gulps. Disentangles himself from Steve and takes the letter from his hand.

For a few moments, the only sounds are those of the wind on the roof and Eddie’s struggle to put the letter in its proper place.

“Still feels weird sometimes, doesn’t it?”

“Huh?” Steve says lamely.

Eddie chuckles and slots back into space beside him, shoulder-to-shoulder and knee-to-knee.

“That it’s all just … over like this? That we’re here and get to do all this boring, normal stuff like baking cookies and putting up lights and celebrating Christmas?”

One of his hands finds Steve’s knee - a light, reassuring touch.

We’re here.

We’re both here.

“Dunno,” Steve shrugs. The sky is turning dark and Hawkins is spreading out under them, a sea of twinkling lights slowly coming alive. “I like normal.”

I wanna do a million normal things with you, for a hundred years. I don’t think I’d ever get tired of it.

“Yeah,” Eddie hums, a low and content sound that Steve feels in his own body, close as they are. “I'm starting to get the appeal.”

Then, before Steve can say or do anything stupid, he bends down to retrieve something from somewhere by their feet. He reemerges with a toothy grin, a plug and an extension cord.

“Okayyy, let's get these babies lit up, shall we?”

Steve turns as the neon lights flicker to life behind them, basking them in their glow and-

“Oh,” says Eddie. “Whoops.”

The words sparkling down at them, bright and cheerful for all of Loch Nora to behold, read MERRY SMAX.

The laughing fit hits Steve so hard that, this time, Eddie needs to grab him before he can fall off the roof.

“You asshole,” he wheezes into the leather of his jacket. “You did that on purpose!”

Eddie gasps through his own laughter, tries to put on a serious face. “What? Stevie, you wound me! What do you take me for? A troublemaker? A fiend with no respect for the honored tradition of this fine, Christian holiday?”

His eyes are large and round with mock-offense, Santa hat flopping around with the force of his own laughter, face alight with that gorgeous toothy grin of his. He’s ridiculously pretty, so fucking pretty with the lights twinkling all around him and Steve’s brain just sort of short-circuits. Not for long. Just for a second.

Just long enough to lean in and press his lips to Eddie’s.

When he pulls back, Eddie isn’t laughing anymore. Instead, he’s staring at him, mouth aghast and eyes wide.

“Shit,” Steve blurts. “I mean- Sorry, I dunno what that was, I-”

Something flickers across Eddie’s face, something needy and raw.

“I’ll show you what the fuck it was,” he growls and pulls Steve back in.

This time, it takes the blare of the fire alarm from the kitchen to break them apart.

MERRY SMAX, everybody!!!

Part 3

All my holiday drabbles

#steddie #steve harrington x eddie munson #steve x eddie #steddie brainrot #steddie fanfic #fanfiction writer #fanfiction #fanfic #my writing #steddieholidaydrabbles #steddie holiday drabbles #hype's holiday drabbles

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burntheedges · 3 months

Text

Maintenance Request Chapter 16

Joel Miller x f!reader | new chapter every Friday 18+ | ao3 | main post & chapter list chapter word count: 5.8k

chapter summary: it’s time to back to work after your weekend of dates with Joel. but at least he works there, too 😏

a/n: thank you as always to @katareyoudrilling for being the best beta 💕 back to work for these two. I mention San Antonio in this one, so it’s probably obvious I’m imagining this town they’re in as somewhere in Texas, but you can ignore that if you want and imagine it wherever you’d like. also, there’s Russian poetry mentioned in this one because I speak Russian and I’m being self-indulgent, but just in case anyone wonders — I am very much against Putin’s war in Ukraine. Слава Україні!

chapter tags/warnings: flirting, banter, fluff, more poetry (links at the bottom), cursing, food and drink mention, talking about teaching methods, kissing, grinding, groping, pet names (honey, gorgeous, darlin’, baby, cowboy), reader straddles Joel’s lap, texting, Trevor (does he deserve his own warning?), department politics, mention of past bad relationships (reader’s ex, Joel’s ex), mention of absent mother

Chapter 16

Tuesday, October 29 Tenth week of the semester

On Tuesday, you had two whole hours blocked off on your schedule for lunch with Joel. It was miraculous, in comparison to how your schedule normally looked.

You hadn’t seen each other at all on Monday – some kind of emergency in the lab buildings kept him busy all day. And he’d come over for a drink after your date on Sunday, but he hadn’t been able to stay. You’d made out against his truck for longer than either of you had realized and by the time you made it back, it was almost time for him to head home.

(On his way out of your apartment, he’d pinned you against the back of your front door and pressed hot kisses down your neck. “Leavin’ you like this is the last thing I wanna do, honey, I’m sorry.” He’d worried a mark right under your collar bone, and you’d gasped.

“It’s alright, Joel. Tell Sarah I say hi. And Tommy, I guess.” He laughed, pressing his forehead to your shoulder.

“Promise me I’ll see you this week?” He pressed more kisses into your neck and shoulder as he said it.

“Of course, Joel. Lunch, every day we can manage it. And coffee.” He looked up and met your smile with his own.

“Then I’ll see you tomorrow, gorgeous.”)

He hadn’t, of course, because of whatever had happened in the labs yesterday, but you’d be seeing him any minute for lunch in your office. He’d texted that he was on his way about 10 minutes ago, and you were up and pacing between your desk and bookshelf, totally unable to sit still.

Right on time, the knock at your door kicked your heart rate up. You called for whoever it was, hopefully Joel, to come in as you stepped closer. You grinned as you watched him come into view.

“Hey there, gorgeous,” he greeted you with a half smile. He closed your door behind him, turning the lock as well. You took the opportunity to walk up and step right into his arms.

Joel’s arms came around you swiftly, and you tucked your face into his neck. “Hi there,” you mumbled, pressing a kiss to his neck. You felt him breathe in sharply before he gently pushed you backwards, far enough for him to see you.

“Missed you, darlin’.”

You smiled and pressed another kiss to the corner of his mouth. “You just saw me on Sunday.”

“Hmm, that's two whole days, honey. One too many, if you ask me.” You laughed. You swayed forward to kiss him again, but kept it short and stepped back reluctantly.

“We should probably eat, huh.” You stayed close, unable to bring yourself to move too far away from him, and his hands came to rest on your hips.

Joel nodded. “Probably,” he agreed. You both looked at each other for a moment before you took a deep breath and turned towards your desk. You’d barely shifted your weight, though, when you felt his hand close around your elbow to spin you back around. You gasped, and fell forward to lean on his chest with your palms. He moved forward to press his mouth close to your ear.

“Hold on there, troublemaker. Are you wearing my shirt?”

You grinned where he couldn’t see you. “I dunno, am I?” You’d decided to wear a sweater today, and it was chilly enough outside for two layers. You’d smirked to yourself this morning when you’d pulled his shirt from your clean laundry, tugging it on and tucking it in where no one would see it (except maybe Joel). You realized it must be peeking out at the neckline, enough for him to notice.

Joel pressed a line of kisses down your neck until he reached the neck of his shirt. “Shit, baby,” he murmured, scraping his teeth lightly towards your collarbone. You tilted your head to the side and whined. “It’s one thing to see you wearin’ it at home, or in bed. But here? You been wearing this all day?” He pulled you forward by your hips again, leaning back on the wall by the door to take your weight. You sighed as your hips came into contact with his.

“Joel–”

“I know, I know,” he kissed you, a short press of his lips against yours. “Just, hmm, let me kiss you for a minute.” And you did. He pulled you into another kiss, but this was nothing like the gentle kisses you’d shared since he walked in the door moments before. Your mouth opened to his and he swept you away with the heat of it. He groaned into the kiss, and you found yourself straddling his leg with his hands firm on your hips. You slid your own up to tangle in his hair.

Joel slid further down the wall and suddenly your positions clicked into place – his thigh was snug between your legs as he braced himself against the floor. One of his hands slid up to hold the back of your neck and you moaned, softly.

“Shhh,” he hushed you softly. “Can’t let anyone hear us.” You nodded and leaned back into the kiss.

You were getting carried away, and you knew it. But mostly you didn’t care – you could feel Joel pressed up against you, all along your body, and it felt so good. It felt like what you’d been wanting since he’d gone home on Sunday night. He was warm and solid, and every part of his body felt amazing against yours. His hands roamed your back and one dipped low to grab your ass, making your breath catch. You realized your hips were thrusting forwards in tiny movements, moving in a steady rhythm against his thigh. You could feel his cock getting hard in his jeans.

You were getting awfully close to actual sex in your office when loud, familiar voices in the hall outside your office door startled you both. You leaned back from Joel with a small gasp as you heard Jilian and Trevor walk past your door.

“... doesn’t look like she’s there right now, Trevor,” Jilian was saying, and you realized he must have come looking for you. You looked up and met Joel’s gaze, eyes wide, suddenly glad you’d had your overhead lights off all morning. He looked as wrecked as you felt, breathing hard, eyes dancing over your face. His hair was an absolute mess.

“Well she has to have office hours sometime,” Trevor grumbled. You rolled your eyes and Joel grinned.

“She does, Trevor, and you know they’re this afternoon. Why do you need to talk to her, anyway? We have lunch with the course committee.” Their voices were starting to move away and you sighed, falling forward to rest your forehead on Joel’s chest. His hands came up to wrap around your back, holding you there.

“Er, no reason,” Trevor sounded shifty, but you put him out of your mind as their voices finally faded. Joel cleared his throat.

“Think we got a little carried away there, darlin’.” You could hear his smile.

“Yeah,” you laughed, “should probably stop, actually eat lunch.”

He pressed a kiss to the top of your head and agreed. “Just, ah, give me a second.” You looked down, noting his predicament. You grinned as you stepped back.

“Don’t worry, Joel, I need a minute, too.” He laughed, shaking his head as he reached down to adjust himself. You bit your lip as you watched.

“Don’t look at me like that, honey, or we’ll end up right back against this wall.” He wiggled his eyebrows at you in an absolutely ridiculous way as he said it, and you felt your shoulders finally relax as you laughed.

You both settled into the comfortable chairs in front of your desk, smiling.

Over lunch, Joel finally explained what had happened the day before, in the labs – apparently there had been some sort of malfunction and hundreds of crickets escaped their cages in the basement of the biology building. He and basically anyone else on campus who had been available had been chasing and catching crickets for hours.

“Never seen that many crickets in my life, never want to again,” he groaned. You laughed at his shudder. “They were everywhere. And almost impossible to catch. Eventually they brought in people with actual equipment, but for a while there we were, scoopin’ ‘em up with gardening gloves on. It was ridiculous. Tess even had some try to crawl up the leg of her pants.” You made a face. “Yeah, she screamed loud. I laughed at the time but also, shit. Can you imagine? Probably would’ve screamed the same way myself. Surprised none of ‘em went down my shirt.”

“No thanks,” you grimaced. He smiled.

“They think they caught ‘em all, but I think they just got tired of lookin’. I bet there’s still some enjoying their freedom down there. There is a tunnel to the chemistry building, after all.” You nodded. That tunnel was old and creepy to begin with, it would be a nightmare with surprise wildlife.

You moved on from the crickets to your plans for the week, and you mentioned going out again, wondering when you might go on another date.

Joel looked down and frowned a bit. “Well, darlin’, I’m going out of town with Sarah this weekend. She has a soccer tournament down in San Antonio, we’ll be staying with family and visiting too. Meant to tell you on Sunday but I got a little, ah, distracted.” You tried to look like this news wasn’t disappointing, because obviously you weren’t going to complain about him spending time with his daughter. He eyed you knowingly and shook his head. ‘Don’t worry, honey, I’m disappointed, too. But next weekend?”

You nodded. “I’m free all weekend, Joel.” He smiled.

“Well, Sarah will be with me on campus again on Friday morning, before we drive down. She wanted me to ask if she can come hang out with you, ‘stead of me.”

“Of course!” You almost interrupted him, you were so quick to respond. “I have class at 9:30, but she can come to that too, if she likes.”

“I’m sure she’d love that, darlin’. And she’s really looking forward to talking to you about your dissertation.”

You smiled, knowing Joel wouldn’t want to hear you talk down about it again. “I’d love that, Joel.”

He smiled back at you and the look in his eye was so soft you almost had to look away from it. “Well, good. So I’ll bring Sarah here on Friday, then maybe I’ll call you over the weekend? Won’t have a ton of privacy, with so many people around, but I’ll make sure to find some at some point.”

You tilted your head and contemplated him. “Privacy, huh? You have plans for that phone call, Joel Miller?”

He grinned at you and winked. “Maybe I do, gorgeous.”

After you finished eating, you scooted your chair closer to his and rested your legs across his lap. He rested his hands on your legs, massaging them gently as you chatted about his upcoming trip, your plans for the weekend, and what was going on in your classes.

“How’s that kid doing, the one you were worried about? Nick? Was he better in class yesterday?

You couldn’t help but smile at him. “Yeah, looked like he actually got some sleep this weekend. I did pull him aside after to encourage him and check in about it. He said he was trying to go to fewer parties, but his roommates were always going out.”

Joel nodded. “That’s tough, to be left out. Especially at that age. Sarah’s better about it than I expected, but she hates it, too.”

“I told him to try to talk to more people from class, form a study group. People he could meet up with in the library or somewhere else to study, so he’d have plans of his own.”

“Good advice.” Joel smiled at you.

“I’ve gathered some good suggestions over the years, from other students, too. Usually around this point in the semester I have them all share ideas with each other about how to study, or for the freshmen I have some upperclassman come in to talk about how they manage their time. Without me in the room.”

“I mean, I already knew it from seeing you in action, but you’re a great teacher, you know.” You smiled and ducked your head, but he reached over to gently nudge you back up to meet his eyes. “It’s true, darlin’.”

You realized, at that moment, that you didn’t need to worry about this being only about sex, even if you were always thinking about it. (It was hard not to – he was basically irresistible.) Joel listened so carefully to all of your stories, and he seemed to remember everything you’d ever told him, even the names of your students. He cared about you and about the details of your life. The realization made you feel warm.

After a while, Joel squeezed both of your calves, and said, ”I have to leave in about 10 minutes, darlin’.” You nodded and started to move your legs. He resisted, looking a bit put out, but relented when he saw the smirk on your face.

You stood and stepped closer to where he sat. “Well, I think I know how we can spend 10 minutes wisely.” He grinned as you settled into the armchair with him, knees on either side of his hips. His arms quickly circled you, tugging you forward until your chest rested against his.

“I like the way you think, baby.”

(He really did seem to like seeing you in his shirt.)

…

you (2:12 PM): just got dangerously close to sex in my office

bestie (2:14 PM): just let it happen (2:14 PM): take the win

you (2:15 PM): look I’m not going to say I wouldn’t have if Trevor hadn’t walked by in the hall

bestie (2:16 PM): WHAT

you (2:16 PM): but can I at least pretend lol

bestie (2:17 PM): what on earth was that prick doing there

you (2:18 PM): no idea. my door was closed and the light was off so he didn’t stop, but he was looking for me

bestie (2:19 PM): 🙄 (2:19 PM): how do you know

you(2:20 PM): he was with Jillian and they talked about it

bestie (2:21 PM): that guy is the worst (2:22 PM): whatever he wanted was probably extremely irritating

you (2:23 PM): always

...

Friday, November 1 Tenth week of the semester

On Friday, Joel and Sarah met you on the quad as you walked to your office.

“Good morning, Millers,” you smiled as you greeted them. Joel leaned to press a quick kiss to your lips. After that, though, Sarah quickly stepped in front of him and claimed the spot next to you on your walk across the quad.

“Do I really get to come to your class?” She looked visibly excited, which was more than you could say for some of your students. In fairness to them, though, 9:30 was early in college. And adulthood in general.

“Yep! Hope you’re ready to discuss some poetry.” Her eyes widened, and she looked back at Joel where he was walking behind you.

“Dad! You didn’t tell me I needed to read anything!” Joel raised his hands defensively, but you laughed and cut in before he could reply.

“Don’t worry, Sarah, they haven’t read it either. We’re reading it in class today. And I won’t make you participate if you don’t want to.”

She looked relieved, and nodded. “Oh, cool. What’s the poem?”

You glanced back at Joel, and noticed he was smiling at the two of you. “It’s my poetry in translation class, so maybe you’re on more even footing. We’re doing Russian poetry today, by Alexander Pushkin and Anna Akhmatova.”

Sarah looked, if possible, even more excited. It was very gratifying.

“That’s so cool! I’ve never read anything like that.”

You grinned. “I’m glad you think so. I’ll let you look at it before we head over, if you’d like.”

She nodded, and you let her go in front of you up the stairs to the door of your building. You felt Joel’s hand rest on your lower back as he stepped up next to you.

“Think I’ll leave you here, darlin’, I’ve got some things to wrap up before we head to San Antonio later.” You leaned closer to him and smiled. “Alright, Joel. I think we’ll have a good time.”

He grinned. “She’s been looking forward to this all week. And I know I’ll hear all about it on the drive, later. I’ll see you around lunch time.” He leaned in and pressed a gentle kiss to your cheek, squeezing your arm at the same time, and then turned to head to his office.

You and Sarah had about 15 minutes before you needed to head to class, and you spent it in your office telling her about the lesson plan for the day, and the class in general.

You watched as she flipped through the copy of the syllabus you’d printed for her. “It’s mostly either upper level students taking it for their major or others taking it as an elective, who aren’t English majors. Some of them write poetry, some don’t. It’s a mix.” She nodded. “This is our only day looking at Russian poetry, so it’s new to everyone. Except I know we have a couple of Russian majors in the class, they might have read some of it.”

“Do you get to pick the poems?” She asked, studying the list.

“Yep. I didn’t, my first year, but now I have more control over my classes. That’s pretty normal.”

“This is really cool. Are these, like, your favorites?”

You hummed thoughtfully. “Not all of them. I don’t always pick my favorites for a class like this, they’re not always the easiest to study, or they might not make sense for the topic. But Akhmatova is one of my favorite poets, so anything by her is high up on the list.”

“I remembered her name from your dissertation.” Sarah said it so nonchalantly, but you were surprised.

“Oh? I didn’t think I mentioned her that much.”

She shrugged. “It was in the appendix.”

You laughed, stunned. “You read the appendix?”

Sarah finally looked up at you, and raised one eyebrow. The expression was so Joel, it felt like your heart clenched in your chest. “I read the whole thing!” She sounded offended that you doubted her.

“I know! Sorry. It’s just, no one ever reads the appendix. Thank you for reading the whole thing. I don’t even think my advisor did that.” She narrowed her eyes, and huffed.

“Well, they should have.”

You were touched. You grinned at the top of her head as she bent back over your syllabus. “What was your favorite part?”

She tilted her head to the side, thinking. “Probably when you talked about space. Like, inside poems. I never realized that was a thing. Like, that poems could have, what was it? Openness?”

“Expansiveness? Closeness?” you offered, and she nodded.

“After I read that it made sense to me. Like, we can describe feelings with words, and then when we read them we feel it, too. You said a poem could be claustrophobic, or, um, airy. I had never thought about it like that.”

You felt a bit silly for suddenly feeling overwhelmed with emotion, but you did. It had been a long time since anyone paid this type of attention to your dissertation.

“I-” you cleared your throat. “Thanks. That’s what I hoped I was saying, anyway. Do you like poetry?”

Sarah shrugged again as she tucked the syllabus in her bag. “I do, but I don’t like, read a lot of it. Just what we read for school. I guess I’d probably like other stuff, but I don’t know where to start.”

You stood and walked over to your bookshelves, running your fingers over the books until you found what you wanted. “Give this a try. It’s ok if you don’t like all of it.” You handed her an anthology of contemporary poets that you liked. “But there’s probably something in there that you’ll like. And then you can follow that thread, you know? Read more by that poet, or from that time.”

She took it and nodded. “There’s a lot of flags.” You grinned, nodding as she ran her fingers through the multi-colored flags and notes that were sticking out of the book. “Yeah, I tend to mark up books. Sorry about that. Maybe it’ll make it more interesting.”

“Dad always gets on my case about writing in books, but I have so many thoughts while I read, I can’t help it.” She rolled her eyes, and you laughed.

“Well, I’m on your side.”

“Good!” She smiled, and stood up. “Is it time to go?”

You nodded, and gestured for her to lead the way.

…

Sarah seemed to enjoy the class, if you judged it by the way she talked about it on your walk back.

“Is the class always like that?” She was a little bit bouncy in her walk, like she had a lot of energy to let out.

“They were pretty engaged today, but yeah, we usually have good discussions. Did you like the poems?”

She nodded. “Anna Akhmatova is really cool! Do you have more of hers I could borrow?”

“Sure. A lot of her poetry is online, too, but you can borrow the translation I like best.”

“Thanks for letting me come. It was cool seeing all the different ways the same poem could be translated. I’d never thought about that before.”

You grinned at her. “Thanks for participating. It sounded like your group was having a good discussion.”

“We were! They were really nice, too. Even that guy.”

You snorted. “Yeah, Chase can be a handful. But he’s enthusiastic.” He was one of your more talkative students, you usually had to not call on him at least once per class to give everyone else a chance to talk.

Sarah nodded. “He said he was working on not always talking so much in groups.” You were glad to hear it. “Do Russian people really put jam in their tea?”

“Yes, some do. It’s not bad, actually.” She eyed you skeptically. “Hey, don’t knock it ‘til you try it.”

“Maybe,” she sounded like she really meant no, and you laughed. You’d reached your office at that point and you opened the door for her to go inside.

“Who’s this?” You almost groaned aloud at the voice that suddenly came from behind you, but you managed to hold it in. You gestured with your eyebrows for Sarah to go inside your office and something about the look on your face must have convinced her. She moved back a few steps, stopping by the desk. You turned in the doorway.

“Hi Trevor. This is my friend’s daughter, she’s visiting campus today while her school is off.” You almost tripped over the word friend, but talking about your love life with Trevor was actually the last thing you wanted to do. Ever.

“Oh. I didn’t know that was allowed.” He sounded like he wanted to tell you it wasn’t, but probably knew it was actually fine. And was just being a dick about it for no reason.

“What, bringing a visitor to campus?” You looked at him skeptically but tried to make your tone at least polite. “Anyway, we’re running late, so I’ll see you later, Trevor.” You weren’t actually, but he didn’t need to know that.

You stepped back and tried to close the door, but he had more to say. He always did.

“Well, maybe you should have gotten it approved.” He looked put out. You were familiar with the expression. It was the face he always made in faculty meetings when his complaints weren’t getting him anywhere.

You sighed. “I’ll talk to Claire. See you later.” And you shut the door. You heard his footsteps as he moved away and rested your forehead against the inside of your door as you sighed.

“Who was that guy?” Sarah sounded baffled.

“That,” you said as you turned to lean against the door, “is Trevor, the British Lit Prick.”

She stared at you and then started giggling. “Wait, really?”

You nodded. “That’s his nickname. Don’t tell your dad I told you. Actually, he doesn’t like Trevor either, so maybe it’s fine.” Her giggles intensified. “He’s like that all the time. I don’t know why he’s always bothering me about rules and stuff, especially rules that don’t actually exist. Every time I talk to him he’s complaining about something I did. He’s been like that since I started here a couple of years ago.” You shook your head and shrugged.

“Weird. Why doesn’t dad like him?”

“He’s apparently also a prick to the maintenance guys.”

“Ugh,” she groaned, “that’s the worst. I hate when people are rude about that stuff. Like, ok, your dad’s a fancy doctor or whatever, but I bet he’d end up in the ER if he tried to fix his own sink. Or like, hammer anything.”

You laughed. “Probably. Does that happen a lot?” You wondered if maybe she wouldn’t want to talk about it with you if it did. She shrugged.

“Sometimes. Most people aren’t like that. But I know my dad’s cool, even if he’s also a total dork. Don’t tell him I said he’s cool.” You promised, smiling. “I’m glad he met you. He’s been…” she trailed off and bit her lip. “He’s been happier, lately. I haven’t seen him like this before.”

You were flustered. “Oh– oh?” You took a few steps and fell into your chair behind your desk.

She grinned at you. “Yeah. Like in a movie or something. He’s always smiling. Or forgetting what he’s doing while staring out the window. Yesterday I caught him singing to himself while he folded clothes. Like, who does that?” You could feel the heat in your cheeks and you hid your face in your hands.

“He was singing?” You peeked through your fingers at her.

“Oh yeah. And he’s always checking his phone. And smiling at it.” She raised her eyebrows at you.

“Well, um,” you started and shook your head as you laughed a little at yourself. “Beth, my best friend, she said something similar about me. About my phone. And Ellie,” you nodded towards the picture of her, “she’s my niece. She said I’m ‘pathetic’ about him. So, you know,” you shrugged. “It’s mutual.” You felt like your face was on fire, but you wanted Sarah to know it wasn’t one-sided. You were in deep with Joel and you wanted his daughter to like you. You liked her, both of them, a lot.

Sarah laughed. “Look, I don’t want to hear about it, but I’m glad, ok? I like you, and I just want him to be happy. Not that I think he hasn’t been happy, but. I think there are different kinds of happy. And he’s really happy right now.”

“I am, too. Did he, um,” you hesitated and flattened your hands on your desk. “Did he explain about, the other day–”

She nodded and interrupted. “Yeah, it’s ok. I mean, I was worried that maybe you didn’t like him, which would be dumb.”

You laughed and agreed. “Yeah, it would. But I do. Like him, I mean. Just had a bad past relationship, and sometimes it still, um. Still gets to me.” She nodded like she understood, which surprised you.

“That’s what dad said. I don’t… I figure he hasn’t told you much about my mom. He doesn’t like to talk to other people about it without checking with me first.”

Your eyebrows raised and you started to reassure her. “You don’t have to tell me about it, that’s–”

“No, it’s ok. I want to, just a little bit anyway.” Sarah took a deep breath, and you briefly wished you’d known each other longer. You wanted to give her a hug.

“She left when I was five. She’s been back a few times, but I don’t think she’s coming back anymore. It’s been a while.” She said all of this very matter-of-factly, and you felt the weight of it like a hole in your chest. She was so young. “I used to hope she would, you know? But I got older and I realized how other moms were. And I saw how unhappy dad was whenever she was around.” Sarah wrinkled her nose as she shook her head. “Most of the time I’m happy she’s not here.”

You clasped your hands together to resist the urge to pull her into a hug. “I’m sorry, Sarah. That’s really shitty.”

She snorted. “Yeah, it is. But, um. That’s what I mean, when I say he’s happy in a way I’ve never seen before. He never was with my mom. And he hasn’t really dated anyone else. So this is a big deal, you know?” She looked at you intently with a very serious look on her face. Like she wanted you to get how important this was.

You did. “It’s a big deal for me, too. After my ex. I wouldn’t…” You wondered how to put it. “I wouldn’t have gone out with Joel if I wasn’t serious about it. And I’m really glad I’m getting to know you, too.”

Sarah smiled. “Me too.”

You were both quiet for a minute, and then you suggested, “Want to talk about something else?”

“Yes, oh my god,” she laughed. “I wanted to tell you that but I hate talking about it.”

You smiled at her. “Well, tell me what questions you have, about college.”

You talked about college and her upcoming soccer tournament and her high school classes for a while, until you both jumped when someone knocked on your door.

“Come in,” you called, pretty sure it was Joel on the other side. It was.

“What a sight, my two favorite people in the same place.” He was grinning as he poked his head in the door, and you felt your face heat. Again.

Sarah rolled her eyes. “You need more friends.”

“Nah, got all I need right here.”

“I’m telling Uncle Tommy you said he wasn’t your favorite.”

“Go ahead, I’ll tell him to his face.” Joel pulled on one of her curls playfully so that it sprang upward, and she batted his hand away, laughing. “You ready to go, babygirl?”

She rolled her eyes, but smiled at him. “Yeah, dad.”

“How was the class?” He glanced between the two of you, smiling.

“It was great!” Sarah told him all about the class, and what you’d read, and the book she was going to borrow. Joel came to sit in one of the chairs in front of the desk as she showed it to him. “I’m going to go to the bathroom before we leave, I’ll be right back.”

“To the left, end of the hall!” You called as she stepped out. She nodded.

Joel turned to look at you once she was gone and smiled. “Seems like she had a good time.” You stood and moved around your desk to stand in front of him.

“Yep, she spoke up in class, too.”

He raised his eyebrows, but rather than replying he reached out and rested his hands on your hips and tugged you closer. “I want to hear about it, darlin’, but we got about 2 minutes before she gets back and I need a kiss to tide me over before our trip.” You laughed and let him pull you in.

You didn’t quite sit on his lap, but you did rest your hands on his shoulders and let him guide you down into a quick kiss. Your heart rate picked up, like it always did when he kissed you. His hands moved to circle your waist as yours slid down his chest, with your knees resting against the chair between his legs where he sat.

The kiss wasn’t long, but it was intense. You broke off too soon, worried Sarah would be back any second, and wrapped your arms around his neck in a tight hug. You tucked your face against his neck.

Joel kissed you at the hinge of your jaw, which you’d realized was one of his favorite spots. “I’m going to miss seeing you this weekend, honey.”

You nodded. “Me too, Joel.”

He pressed a few more kisses down your neck and then buried his face in your shoulder. You both held on tightly for a moment before he slowly moved his hands back to your hips to help you stand. “I’ll call you? Maybe tomorrow?”

You smiled, running your hand through his hair to brush it back from his face. “Whenever you want, cowboy.” He closed his eyes and smiled as you ran your fingers through his hair again.

Footsteps in the hall signaled Sarah’s return, and you stepped back from Joel, though he kept his hand on your hip for a moment. He squeezed once before dropping it to his lap.

“Ready to go?” She asked as she stepped through the door. Joel nodded. “Thanks for letting me hang out with you. Dad’s office is always boring.” She smiled at you as you laughed.

“Anytime, Sarah. I mean it.”

Joel stood to give you another quick hug, a much less intimate version with Sarah standing nearby. “See you later, darlin’.” You leaned in to press a kiss to his cheek.

“Have a good trip. And good luck in the tournament, Sarah.”

After they left, you fell back in your chair with a sigh. It was going to be a long weekend.

…

bestie (4:31 PM): I mean that sounds like a good thing to me (4:32 PM): Sarah seems to like you, and we already know you think she’s a cool kid

you (4:33 PM): yeah (4:33 PM):: it was fun to get to know her more but also nerve wracking. you know? I didn’t want to mess it up

bestie (4:34 PM): I mean that’s fair, it’s important. She’s important (4:35 PM): but you know how to talk to teenagers. Plenty of practice with Ellie lol

you (4:36 PM): is Ellie a normal teenager?

bestie (4:37 PM): well (4:37 PM): I plead the fifth 😶 (4:38 PM): also you know I’m coming over tomorrow right (4:39 PM): taking advantage of HCG’s absence to actually hang out with my best friend

you (4:40 PM): 🙄 (4:40 PM): we had lunch together literally yesterday

bestie (4:41 PM): that’s in the past. irrelevant at best

you (4:42 PM): Ellie will be over most of the day. I’m helping her with a class project and then we’re going to a movie

bestie (4:43 PM): sounds like my kind of day

you (4:43 PM): 👯

...

a/n: next week -- the phone call 😏

Poems mentioned in this chapter (not by name):

He loved three things in life... by Anna Akhmatova

He loved three things in life: Evensong, white peacocks And old maps of America. He hated it when children cried, He hated tea with raspberry jam And women’s hysterics. …And I was his wife.

I loved you by Alexander Pushkin

This is maybe my favorite translation (Babette Deutsch) but you can see at this link some of the many ways this poem could be translated:

I loved you; and perhaps I love you still, The flame, perhaps, is not extinguished; yet It burns so quietly within my soul, No longer should you feel distressed by it. Silently and hopelessly I loved you, At times too jealous and at times too shy. God grant you find another who will love you As tenderly and truthfully as I.

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magicshopaholic · 2 months

Text

A Lack of Colour

Summary: Seokjin realises he needs to have a talk with his girlfriend. Yoongi makes a promise. "i should have given you a reason to stay" - death cab for cutie, a lack of color

Pairing: Seokjin x OC, Yoongi x OC (different OCs)

Genre: Angst, sort of

Word count: 9K

Rating: 18+

Warnings: language

A/N: Please don’t hate me. Takes place a week after Helping Hands. If you want to yell at me with other readers after you're done , you can do so on the Discord channel.

Tagging: @bbl32 @quarter-life-crisis2 @meirkive @faearchives @margopinkerton @dreaming-with-happiness @purpleseoul7

Listen to: "a lack of color“ by death cab for cutie

seokjin masterlist | yoongi masterlist | main masterlist

The ER is quiet today - too quiet.

Nari tries to ignore the giggles and whispers that are permeating the sanitizer whiteness of the room, and concentrates on the breath sounds of the patient on the bed before her. She’s come in complaining vaguely of “chest pains” but it’s mildly frustrating; Nari can’t hear anything except absolutely normal breath sounds and heartbeats.

“Show me where you’re feeling the pain again?” she asks kindly, watching closely as the girl - a kid probably in her early twenties - frowns and gestures largely at the front of her torso.

“Just… everywhere,” she answers unhelpfully.

Nari frowns slightly, not wanting to alarm her patient while a variety of scenarios start flipping through her mind as to why her chest sounds perfectly normal, not dismissing the possibility that her stethoscope is damaged.

She glances up at the girl’s friends, two similar looking girls who seem least bothered about their friend’s situation. Instead, they’re on their phones, exchanging grins and excitedly whispering, nudging the girl on the bed to look at something on their screens.

“Just - give me a moment. I’ll be right back.” Nari walks away calmly and doesn’t stop until she reaches the front desk of the ER. She leans over to the first year resident who’s manning the desk for the day.

“Hey, have you seen Dr Kang or… Cheon or… anyone else?” she asks. “I need a consult.”

“Oh, um, I think they’re all in surgery…” The resident checks a large board behind her. “Yeah, won’t be out for a while. Anything I can help with?” she asks quickly.

Nari nods, empathising with the annoyance of having to answer phones in the ER in place of practising medicine. “I have a case of chest pain - female, early twenties, otherwise seemingly healthy. Her breath sounds, heart beat and EKG are completely normal and she can’t seem to pinpoint any singular area of pain. Can you do some research to understand what this could be?”

Her eyebrows shoot up. “Yeah, of course -“ She retrieves a notebook from her pocket and flips through it vigorously. “I’m sure I can find something -“

They’re interrupted momentarily by another sound of furious whispering - a group of medical student interns pass by them, giggling in hushed tones.

“Not to sound old or anything, but I swear we were more professional at that age,” mutters Nari, shaking her head.

“I kind of get it, though,” says the resident, shrugging apologetically. “It’s not every day there’s an idol somewhere in the hospital.”

Nari raises her eyebrows. “Like a k-pop idol? Here?”

“Uh-huh. It’s all super secret and high profile, though. He’s in the VIP section and has bodyguards everywhere.”

“Wow. That explains a lot. Anyway, let me know if you find something on the chest -“ Nari pauses abruptly, something clicking. She turns around slowly to look at the girl with the mysterious chest pains, sitting up straight on her bed and whispering with her friends.

“You know what,” she says instead, turning to the resident. “It’s a slow day. Why don’t you take over my patient instead?” she offers.

The resident’s eyes widen. “Are you sure?”

“Absolutely. Make sure to really ask her a lot of questions,” adds Nari. As the resident hurries away, pulling on her lab coat, Nari stops her. “By the way… who’s the idol?”

“Oh. Nobody knows.” The resident shrugs. “Rumour is that it’s someone from BTS.”

—

Nari waits outside the entrance of the VIP section, watching as one of the bulky bodyguards slips inside the private hospital room, presumably to ask the said BTS member if he knows and would be okay to see a Dr Choi Nari.

It’s a fifteen percent chance it’s Seokjin. If it’s any of the others, it will be a pleasant run-in. If it’s him… it occurs to Nari for the first time that he might not actually want to see her.

Just as she begins processing this possibility, the bodyguard pokes the upper half of his body outside the room and waves at her to enter.

Her heart leaping slightly, she saunters down the corridor silently, ignoring the two surely-vetted nurses giving her bewildered looks as she pushes open the door.

“Hey.” Seokjin, in a hospital gown, looks tired yet relieved. “I was hoping I’d see you.”

“Yeah?” Nari takes a few steps towards the bed, hands in the pocket of her lab coat, noting that he seems okay, except for an IV in his forearm and one of his feet elevated on a cushion. “You know where I work. Why didn’t you tell me you were here?”

He purses his lips hesitantly. “I didn’t know if you’d want to see me,” he says lightly. “I thought… this might one of those times where lack of privacy would actually come in handy.”

She nods, waiting for the heaviness in her chest to reappear, but it doesn’t. “It did. What happened to you?”

“Oh.” He seems to remember why he’s here. “Um… twisted my ankle. And our regular doctor is out sick today. Irony,” he adds in a soft sing-song voice, grinning when he realises they've done it in unison.

“M-hm. Who’s your doctor here?”

“Uh… Park something. Park Naeun.”

Nari raises her eyebrows. “Head of the department?” She taps his foot with her pen, ignoring his dramatic gasp of pain. “Must be some twisted ankle.”

“That hurt!”

“No, it didn’t,” she says, giving him a look when his face immediately drops to normal. She points at his chart hooked at the bottom of his bed. “Do you mind?”

“Go ahead. You don’t have to ask.”

“Yeah, I do. Patient information is confidential and I’m not your doctor.”

Seokjin nods slowly but his expression is clear. Nari waits for him to say what she thinks he’s about to but then decides she doesn’t want him to.

She flips through the chart. “Your vitals seem fine. BP is a bit low…” Automatically, she pulls her stethoscope from the pockets of her lab coat and puts it on. “Sit up?”

Seokjin raises an eyebrow but obeys. Keeping the chart down, Nari places a hand on his shoulder and gently presses the chest piece to his chest. “Take a deep breath,” she murmurs, listening closely, frowning when his heart speeds up slightly. She moves to his back. “Lean forward a bit?”

He does so, and the hospital gown falls from his chest to his waist. His skin feels warm where Nari places the chest piece on his back. “Slightly tachycardic. You’re dehydrated, Kimbap.”

“Bingo,” he says, sounding tired again. Up close, he looks paler. But his eyes look more full of life than Nari has seen them in a while. She frowns curiously for a moment before realising it’s the first time she’s called him Kimbap in months.

In order to break the silence, heavy with meaning, she places the back of her hand on his forehead. “You’re feverish. And you look thinner,” she adds, stepping away. “Have you been eating properly?”

He chuckles pointedly. “Hello, pot. I’m kettle.”

A smile flits across her face. “Shut up. I’m serious.”

“Airplane food is shit.”

“Even business class?”

“Absolutely. And touring is tiring.”

Nari nods, placing the chart back. There’s nothing much for her to do; rest and fluids are all he needs and both are taken care of for now. She hesitates, wondering if she should leave. A moment later, she takes a seat on the chair next to his bed.

Seokjin doesn’t try to hide his smile. “Don’t have surgery to get to?”

“It’s a slow day.” She nudges his bed lightly with her foot. “How have you been?”

Seokjin’s smile fades slightly, and his eyes fall. Nari bites her lip; it’s only been a week, but it feels like forever ago. Standing inches away from each other, his cheekbones under her fingers, his palpable desperation followed by clear, transparent realisation.

Despite that, it’s the first time in months that she’s been around him without wanting to cry. Talking with him is easier. Being around him feels like it used to. The truth is out there, and it feels like a weight has been lifted off her chest.

“Okay. Been thinking a lot,” he says, glancing up at her.

She nods. She wants to ask more, but looking at his pale face and clammy forehead, she decides not to. Not while there’s a chance of delirious answers.

“Where’s Seulgi?”

His face falls. “Oh, crap. I should call her.” He reaches over to his bedside table and picks up his phone, only to see a black screen. “Damn it.”

“You should let your people know to let her in,” says Nari, taking his phone from him and plugging it in to charge behind the bedside table. “They’re fairly intimidating.”

He half-chuckles. “And yet here you are.”

“The whole hospital’s talking about a famous idol here somewhere. Had to check out the rumour for myself.”

“Good to know.” He turns to check that his phone is charging and sits back. “She’s gone to see her parents in Busan,” he says after a moment. “So I don’t think I’ll see her. I fly out the day after tomorrow,” he adds, answering her silent question.

“Oh. You may not be in a state to,” she tells him, pointing to the IV in his forearm.

“Don’t have a choice.” He sighs and closes his eyes, placing his other arm over them. His chest looks white, not a single bit of loose flesh anywhere. But she knows better than to argue with his schedule.

“Keep a water bottle on you at all times. One with a carabiner that you can hook onto your bag.” She clicks her tongue. “There is no way that this is the first time I’m telling you this.”

“Okay, Dr Choi,” he mutters, not moving.

She slaps his shoulder lightly. “I’m not kidding. You’re making yourself sick. You look like a ghost, Kimbap.”

“On the plus side, my hair game has never been stronger.”

She reaches over and ruffles his hair until he slaps her hand away, laughing.

“Don’t be jealous, Nari,” he says loftily, delicately straightening his bangs along his forehead.

“I’m not,” she says honestly.

He gives her a small smile but says nothing. “Thanks for coming,” he says after a moment. “Truth be told… I don’t feel that great.”

Nari wonders if she’s imagining the double meaning, or if she simply wants to. The look on his face at the restaurant opening when she’d finally told him, in as many words as she could, how she felt; it had simultaneously broken her heart and renewed hope because now he knew.

Part of her had expected their lingering desperation at maintaining a friendship to die a feeble death right then, but Seokjin seems to be genuinely glad she’s here right now. She searches, again, for the heaviness - but it has disappeared.

“‘Course I did,” she says softly, squeezing his hand. He squeezes it back, warm and dry, and Nari feels like crying. Not out of sadness, or heartbreak - but out of relief. There was a lack of colour in her life but it’s back now, clear, beautiful and messy.

“Nari, look… about -”

The door flies open and Dr Park Naeun stands at the doorway, youthful as ever in her late forties, with a sharp frown on her forehead.

“Dr Choi,” she states sternly. “I don’t remember assigning you on this case. Are you cleared to be here?” Without waiting for Nari’s response, she turns to Seokjin and her face softens. “I’m sorry, I was told you didn’t want to be disturbed.”

“I’m not,” he says instantly, letting go of Nari’s hand. “Nari - er, Dr Choi,” he amends, glancing at her sheepishly, “is my oldest friend. No disturbance at all.”

Dr Park nods, still seeming a little unconvinced. “Alright. You should rest, though. Dr Choi - the ER isn’t going to run itself.”

Sensing her cue, Nari stands up, her hand brushing Seokjin’s. “Of course. Take care,” she says softly to him before walking past her boss and out of the hospital room.

—

Nari doesn’t stop by again except later that night to inform him she’s going home and checking his vitals once more. Seokjin stays motionless while she presses the chest piece of her stethoscope once more to his torso, soft and familiar fingers brushing against his skin. The medication makes his heart race but he tries not to show it, and he doesn’t exhale until she leaves the room.

He is discharged the next day; a shiny black SUV takes him back to the dorm, where all the members have elected to stay until the tour ends. It’s both convenient yet mildly chaotic; the only time any of them go back to their own apartments is when Dilara is in town, or if Jimin is to meet Sooah, or if Jungkook is entertaining one of his casual lady friends.

As it so happens, the only person in the house when Seokjin returns is Min Yoongi, eating a bowl of cereal at four pm in front of the television.

“Hey, you’re back,” he says unnecessarily. “When did - wait, why didn’t you tell any of us when you were coming back? We could’ve picked you up.”

Seokjin waves his hand dismissively. “Not necessary. Everyone has enough going on.” He takes a seat next to Yoongi on the sofa and sighs, gratefully accepting the bowl of cereal and taking a large bite of choco flakes and cold milk. “Oh, God, that’s good,” he murmurs, closing his eyes.

“I can get you a bowl,” offers Yoongi, heading to the kitchen when Seokjin nods. He brings back a plate with a bowl of cereal on it, along with toast and blueberry jam. “I know it’s carbs but you were sick - you need your energy.”

“Yeah, I don’t care about carbs right now,” agrees Seokjin, eagerly taking the plate and going straight for the toast, not emerging until he finishes an entire slice. “Jesus. It feels like I haven’t eaten in days.”

Yoongi nods, patting him on the shoulder. “Good. How are you feeling now?”

“Much better. Yesterday was a bit shit but I woke up feeling pretty okay. Nari’s convinced it was the rest and fluids but I think it was the super comfortable hospital bed and jelly cups that did the trick.”

“You met Nari?” Yoongi raises his eyebrows. “How, uh, how is she?” he asks, sounding a bit guilty.

Seokjin is sure he’s recalling the disastrous not-date that occurred at the restaurant opening a week ago, but says nothing. Nari’s transparent embarrassment from that night doesn’t need to become public knowledge.

“She’s okay. It was kind of weird seeing her in work mode, but - but it was good,” he replies, realising as he says it, that for the first time in a long time, it actually was good. Maybe it was the fact that he was sick or that he hadn’t actually seen her smile at him in forever, but it was the closest he’d felt to her in months.

Kimbap. And maybe - just maybe - he wasn’t alone in it.

“Why are you smiling?”

“What?” Seokjin stares at his remaining cereal. “I’m -” About to deny it, he stops. “Okay, I need to get something off my chest.”

“Okay.” Yoongi mutes the television.

“I -” He takes a deep breath, not really sure where to begin. “Um… after the restaurant opening, when Nari was leaving…” He swallows, feeling his stomach squirm the same it has the entirety of the last week, every single time he thought about her and that night. “I think… Nari might have feelings for me.”

There’s a few moments of silence. When Yoongi doesn’t answer, Seokjin turns to him to see him looking back expectantly. “And?” he asks in a hushed voice.

“Well…” Seokjin frowns.

Yoongi squints. “Please don’t tell me that’s news to you.”

Seokjin opens his mouth then closes it, knowing he’s been caught. “It’s not… news,” he admits. “But it’s confirmation. I didn’t think it was likely, not after the pregnancy scare and with that Jason guy… but I did wonder. Maybe,” he finishes, shrugging tiredly. “Kind of felt wrong to speculate once I got together with Seulgi,” he mutters.

“Does Seulgi know? Wait - what actually happened?” Yoongi asks instead.

“Nothing happened,” he clarifies immediately. “Not like that.” But it could have. Another second and I might have. “But… I mean, I would be deliberately obtuse if I didn’t see it now, right?”

Although it doesn’t answer his question, Yoongi tactfully doesn’t repeat it. “But you said everything was good with her yesterday?”

“That’s just it.” Seokjin pounces on what’s been going through his head for the last twenty-four hours. “It’s been a nightmare for almost a year and then suddenly it’s… we’re back to normal. Kind of.” He shakes his head. “I kept thinking it might have made it worse, having it out in the open. But it isn’t. It’s like a switch flipped.” I got my best friend back, he thinks, and a part of his heart soars.

“What does Seulgi think?” When Seokjin doesn’t answer, Yoongi sits back on the couch, still observing his friend. “Does she know about this new development at all?”

“It’s complicated,” he mutters. “I don’t even know what this development is.” He catches Yoongi’s knowing look. “I’m serious. It was, like, fifteen minutes in total and it was… normal. If anything, the last few months were a development. This is the default.”

Seokjin is mildly aware he’s rambling now, especially when Yoongi conspicuously utters nothing. It’s just as well; he’s run out of ways to explain the situation. There are no appropriate words to describe the wave of emotions he’d experienced since last week, beginning with shock and solace that Nari was finally communicating with him, stress and fear that this may just have pushed her away for good, and a numbing relief when she’d shown up yesterday.

He wishes he’d hugged her. He wishes she’d stayed longer, or that stupid Dr Park hadn’t told her to leave. He wishes he knew what she was going through last week, if she was truly as relaxed as she seemed, if her confession really had been as cathartic for her to make as it had been for him to hear.

“Do you think you can travel tomorrow?” Yoongi asks, breaking the silence.

“What? Yeah. Yeah, of course.” Seokjin shifts on the sofa, running a hand over his face. “It should be fine.”

Tomorrow. It seems too soon now, now that there’s so much to leave behind in Seoul. She was happy. It was, at the crux of it, the detail that sticks in his mind. He imagines the weight off her chest, imagines her expecting something from him, imagines telling her what she wants to hear. It could get complicated, for certain, but the thought of it doesn’t tire him the way it used to.

“Hey, you know what?” Seokjin asks, a thought suddenly occurring to him. “That night, when Nari was leaving the party, she said you were… kissing someone?”

Yoongi goes very still. “She told you about that?” he asks, and there’s a bite to his tone.

“Well… she was upset,” he says hastily. “I don’t think she knew it was a secret… is it a secret?” he asks hesitantly, not wanting to overstep.

Yoongi is silent for a moment longer. “There’s nothing to tell, honestly,” he mutters, and that’s enough to indicate that the topic is closed.

Later that evening, as he drives to the Big Hit building, Yoongi finds himself regretting being so abrupt with Seokjin.

But there is nothing to tell. He didn’t lie. There has been virtually no contact with Miso since that night, and he hasn’t been able to come up with a single appropriate way to begin conversation. Hey, I just want to skirt around the awkwardness of kissing you in a coat closet right after you admitted your psychotic mother has a habit of stealing men from you, so how’s it going? I miss you.

It was variations of this until Yoongi gave up, choosing to give her space and time to process everything and let the ball be in her court for once.

Even when he reaches the floor, he makes sure to only wave at her while she’s standing with Donghyuk and a couple of other people before ducking into his own studio. He stays there for a while, distractedly flipping through his files and trying to remember why exactly he’d come in today at all.

After a few minutes, he decides he needs a cigarette, taking the elevator to the terrace and stepping out into the pleasant evening air.

He lights his first cigarette and takes a deep drag, closing his eyes when the door creaks open behind him.

“They don’t let you smoke on tour?”

Yoongi doesn’t move. “They’d probably have a heart attack if I did. Although my make-up artist joins me for a secret one once in a while.”

“Clandestine smoke breaks feel different,” she agrees, slipping out her own pack and placing a cigarette between her lips. Yoongi reaches forward and lights it for her, and her eyes look brown in the brightness of the flame.

Miso breathes it in and lets the smoke out without flinching. “Didn’t think I’d see you back so soon.”

“You didn’t?”

“Yeah… weren’t you in Europe or something this week?” She frowns. “The flying must be playing havoc with your system.”

She means the tour. Yoongi nods a little belatedly. “I guess. I’m used to it. I sleep when I can. How are you?” he ask after a moment.

“Same as always.” Miso takes another drag before giving him a side glance. “Also… I just want to move on from the whole… weirdness of our - of us, you know, kissing in the aftermath of my whole word vomit about my demented mother going after men far too young for her.” She exhales, having said everything in one breath.

Yoongi stares at her, blinking wordlessly before he realises she’s expecting a response from him. “Oh, hey… don’t worry. No weirdness whatsoever.”

She gives him a small smile and leans back against the railing he’s looking over, the city of Seoul lit up under them. Their shoulders brush and Yoongi tries to grasp at anything to keep the conversation going. “Um, so… how are things with - with you and your mom?”

Miso frowns slightly, as though she hadn’t expected this question. “As good as they’ll ever be? We’ve successfully ignored each other all week,” she explains, half-chuckling.

Yoongi doesn’t know whether to laugh or cringe; it’s not a common cue to take, so he simply nods. She seems a bit jittery; the last time he’d seen her like this, it was almost a year ago at her house, the first glimpse he’d gotten a peek into her life. He’s about to reach for her hand which is holding the cigarette and tapping absently at the railing, but at that moment she raises her hand to take another drag.

“Anyway, I, uh…” She clears her throat and taps the cigarette, ash falling on the ground, “I’m just glad we didn’t… I mean, you don’t have to feel like… God, it was a weird night,” she sighs awkwardly. “But it doesn’t have to… go anywhere. We can just go back to normal.”

Unlike her, Yoongi doesn’t look away. “Truth be told, I’m not really sure what normal is with us.”

Looking at the ground, Miso half-chuckles again, without humour. She’s wearing full sleeves again, despite a mostly warm day. Beige sleeves and a dark t-shirt on top; her skin looked white against it, like porcelain.

“I know,” she admits, flicking ash again. “But I’m just saying, it doesn’t have to be… anything different. Whatever normal is.” She shrugs and when Yoongi doesn’t respond, she looks up. “I’m just saying… it was a long night. I was on edge, surrounded by my mother and her friends and you… and everyone was hungry because they took forever to serve dinner…” She exhales, and grey smoke comes out of her nostrils. “Nothing… really happened.”

Yoongi stares at her, his face making no movement whatsoever for he finally feels as though she’s reaching the point. “What?”

Miso gazes at him, pursing her lips. It feels as though she’s reading him, trying to gauge what his question is referring to. She takes a last, deep drag and finishes her cigarette. “This is a good thing, Yoongi,” she says at last, stamping out the butt. “You got a look into the shitshow and… you’re getting out ahead.” She gives him a small, forced smile. “You’re off the hook,” she says in English, the unfamiliar accent jarring.

She moves to leave while Yoongi stays frozen to the spot, his stomach sinking slowly. Then, as though jerked out of a trance, he extinguishes his cigarette against a metal pipe on the side and drops the butt, turning around and catching up to her in a few steps.

“I’m off the hook?” he repeats, voice low and sticking to Korean.

She doesn’t look too surprised that he’s stopped her, but her forced nonchalance wobbles slightly. “Well, the proverbial hook.”

“Yeah? What hook is that?”

“The hook that pegged you to kiss me in a coat closet after I… dumped my mommy-trauma on you.” She shakes her head. “There was a lot going on and I don’t… I’m not expecting anything from you. Not for that.”

Yoongi bites his lip. “So… I’m off the hook for the spur-of-the-moment kiss we shared after I assured you that you can trust me.”

Miso’s eyes flicker momentarily but she reverts to her blasé expression instantly. “The words sound like you get me, but your tone is throwing me off,” she says wryly.

He takes a step closer to her. “You are,” he mutters tightly, his hand clenching into a fist, “the single most uniquely frustrating person I have ever met.”

“I don’t understand why you’re getting annoyed with me,” she replies, but Yoongi doesn’t believe her, scoffing and turning away. “You want this, believe me.” When he doesn’t answer, she folds her arms across her chest. “I’ve told you a dozen times not to get involved. I don’t know why you’re still trying to.”

“You know, I’m starting to wonder the same thing myself,” he snaps, walking past her and out of the terrace. He catches a glimpse of her just as the elevator doors close and he bristles; there’s no doubt, guilt or anger on her face. It’s an expression he’s seen numerous times before, annoying him more each time: the one of being proven right.

—

Donghyuk [21:15] Going out with some of the prods in a bit. Drinks on BH. You in?

Yoongi [21:16] Don’t think so. Too much to get done.

Donghyuk [21:16] Sure? Kim Namjoon’s coming too. Probably.

Yoongi [21:17] You asked him?

Donghyuk [21:17] Not yet.

Yoongi rolls his eyes, although Namjoon might just agree to go. Anything to get his mind off his girl.

Yoongi [21:18] Raincheck. In the zone right now.

Donghyuk replies with an irrelevant emoji but doesn’t push. Yoongi locks his phone and stares at the wide screens in front of him. A part of him had planned to return to the dorm tonight to give Seokjin some company; something about how deep in thought the older member had been earlier today was throwing Yoongi off. Seokjin didn’t divulge much, but Yoongi had a feeling he might want to just this once.

There’s also the added bonus of a hot meal most likely awaiting him at the dorm, for when Seokjin was stressed, he tended to cook.

Yoongi [21:25] Hyung. Need me to pick up anything for dinner?

Seokjin [21:27] Not for me. I’m probably going out.

Yoongi raises his eyebrows at this unexpected response, his stomach rumbling sadly. But he ignores it, reaching for his half empty pack of cigarettes and debating another smoke break, when his studio door opens without permission and he turns, his heart skipping an automatic beat.

Miso pokes her head in, expressionless. “Donghyuk’s leaving. He asked me to check if you want to schedule the demo with that rookie girl group tomorrow at noon.”

Yoongi turns back around. “Sure. Anything else?”

She hesitates. “That Chinese place you recommended sucks, by the way. Their portion sizes are deceptively huge and now I’m stuck with enough Kung Pao chicken to feed a small army,” she states in mild exasperation before leaving.

The door swings shut behind her. Yoongi scoffs under his breath, shaking his head. Uniquely frustrating. Everything had to be an argument, and every argument had to be won by her, even if it was about an excess of Kung Pao chicken.

He checks his pack to see about half a dozen cigarettes left, when something clicks. He pauses and, on cue, his stomach rumbles again.

Grabbing his phone and the smokes, Yoongi stands up and heads out of his studio, making a beeline down the corridor for Donghyuk's. He can smell the food even before he pushes the door open.

Miso looks up when he enters, not looking entirely surprised, but - he notes with caution - her shoulders relax as though in relief. Four boxes of food are on the console table in front of her while she unpacks the chopsticks. As he takes a seat next to her mutely, she unpacks the last items in the bag: two cans of lemonade. She slides one over to him and he catches it.

“Thanks.”

She nods, handing him a pair of chopsticks. “I’ve heard the food’s not bad.”

“So have I. I didn’t know about the lemonade on their menu, though.” He takes a sip and swallows it slowly, wincing slightly at the tartness. “Not bad.”

Miso, her can unopened in front of her, observes him thoughtfully before bending over the other side of her chair and retrieving two cans of Budweiser Premium. She offers one to him, eyebrows raised.

“Are we allowed alcohol in here?” he asks mildly, taking the can anyway.

“No idea.”

“Not afraid of getting caught?”

She hitches one leg on the edge of her chair and pops her can open, taking a long sip. “What are they going to do? Fire me?”

Nope. Not daddy’s nepo princess.

A year ago, Yoongi would’ve said it out loud. The arrogance of her statement would have struck him in his very core, except now he can only detect apathy in it. What’s the worst they can do? Fire me?

He opens his own can and takes a sip, the cold beer feeling incredible in his chest. “God, I feel healed.”

The corner of her mouth lifts and she reaches over, and they clink their cans together. “Cheers.”

As they eat, Yoongi finds himself more confused than ever. Not only did Miso, in her own twisted way, offer an olive branch and buy him dinner, but for the first time since he’s known her, she is initiating conversation.

“Are you allowed to drink on tour?” she asks him, curiously scooping some noodles into her paper bowl.

“Only as long as we’re not seen. And as long as it doesn’t make us put on weight or bloat or break out…” He shrugs. “So… no. Not really.”

“Is the company afraid your fans will get scandalized if they see you, an adult man, consuming alcohol?”

He cracks a smile. “Something like that.”

“Damn. How do you smoke?”

“I don’t, as much. I wait to come home and do it in peace.”

She grins and his heart catches. “Yeah? Dreaming about the Big Hit terrace while sailing around the world?”

“You have no idea. Sometimes I wake up smelling instant coffee and cornflakes.”

“A man so loyal to his work,” she says dryly, chuckling when he waves a hand in mock-embarrassment. “Big Hit is so lucky to have you.”

“They make me do a lot more dancing than I ever signed up for, so… you know what? They kind of are,” he agrees, smiling when she laughs. “Damn, this is good beer.”

Without being asked, she hands him another one, and their fingers brush on the cold can. Their eyes meet for a fraction of a second before Miso lets go and leans back, busying herself with something else. Yoongi glances at her as he absently bites down on a mushroom, wanting to bring up their earlier encounter today, last week and all the preceding weeks - but it’s not a good idea. Not during this precarious time of… he isn’t even sure what to call it.

“How come you didn’t go out with Donghyuk and the guys?”

“Work,” he answers simply. “How come you didn’t?”

“Work, I guess. And I had all this food to finish,” she reminds him, gesturing to the half a dozen boxes on the table. “You’re only back for a couple days, though. How come you don’t want to, you know…” She does an awkward wave with her shoulders. “... party?”

Yoongi stifles a chuckle. “Someone had to help you finish all this food. Apparently it’s my fault there’s so much of it.”

“It is. But the food is actually quite… not bad,” she adds generously. “How’d you know about this place?”

“Oh, I, uh… I used to deliver for them,” he confesses, nodding when she raises her eyebrows in surprise. “It’s been a few years, but… there was this one apartment over in Hongdae that ordered in from there almost every single day. A couple of roommates, fresh out of college, I think,” he recalls. “I asked them once about it and they said they worked long hours and ordering in from here was what kept them going.”

“Wow.” Miso is quiet for a moment. “So you started eating from here, too?”

“Once I could afford it, yeah.” He catches her eye but she lowers her eyes, almost as if ashamed. “The shrimp fried rice is the best thing on the menu, though.”

She nods, glancing up at him. “Noted. For next time.”

Yoongi’s heart soars unexpectedly before his mind forces their disagreement on the terrace to the forefront of his mind.

“I didn’t know you delivered food,” she says after a moment.

“Mhm. It’s also when I learned to pick a lock, because these kids in one of the Gangnam neighbourhoods would lock people’s bicycles for fun,” he tells her, rolling his eyes.

“What? Why?”

“Who knows.” He tosses his empty bowl on the table and stretches back in his chair. “Dumb, rich kids with nothing better to do,” he mutters, looking up at the ceiling. When he glances back down at her, it’s to see her quietly cleaning up, her hair covering the side of her face.

Yoongi starts to say something but thinks the better of it, instead helping her clear the table.

“Tell me something about you,” he says a little while later, as they share a single serving of chocolate mousse. “Not your parents or your… driver or whoever. You.”

Miso raises her eyebrows, looking a little startled at the question; it’s clear that it’s not something she gets asked too often.

“I don’t know. I’m really not that interesting.”

He gives her a look. “I told you about being a delivery boy. Interesting isn’t the criteria here.”

“Fine.” She purses her lips and frowns, apparently thinking. “Okay, I have one. Ready?”

“On the edge of my seat.”

A smile flits across her face. “Okay… I’m red-green colourblind.” She shrugs hugely, looking slightly uncomfortable.

“Huh. Really?” Yoongi wasn’t expecting that. “So, can you…”

“I can,” she confirms. “I wear contact lenses so I can pretty much see everything normally. But, yeah. That’s something about me.”

“Have you - sorry, this might be a stupid question -“ He raises a hand and she waves her own, permitting him to ask. “Have you always had it?”

“Pretty much, yeah. It’s genetic,” she adds. “My mother used to take me to the optometrist in secret, as if she was afraid that my father would explode at a reminder of a weakness,” she explains, rolling her eyes. “Actually, that seems pretty on brand for him.”

Yoongi frowns. “But if it’s genetic…”

“Yeah, but he doesn’t have it,” she confirms. “Neither does my mother, which means she’s a carrier.” She shrugs. “Doesn’t matter. It’s not something we talk about. Ever.”

She says it in a matter-of-fact way, as though it’s the most understandable thing in the world for her own issues to take a backseat to her egocentric father’s insecurities.

Yoongi lets out a low whistle. “So it’s your little secret?”

“Kind of. Strange to think about,” she agrees. She is quiet for a moment. “She really did seem to care that I had the best possible doctors and specialists and whatnot.” She shudders. “It’s like a fever dream.”

He doesn’t know how to react to this so he follows her cue and returns her wry smile. “I saw a picture of you as a kid at your house. You were a cute kid.”

Miso narrows her eyes at him. “Uh-huh. Where are you going with this?”

“Nothing. Just picturing you holding your mother’s hand, going to the optometrist.” He grins when she rolls her eyes. “You did say she took you in secret.”

“Well, she and Seungkwan,” she amends. “Not that we ever discussed it with him but I’m pretty sure he guessed.”

This is news. Yoongi’s eyebrows shoot up. “Really? And he never told your father?”

A faint smile appears on Miso’s face. “It’s a dangerous thing to be that loyal to my father. Some things are better left ignored.”

He senses something else in her words, but doesn’t ask. He remembers her driver vaguely; somehow, he appears everywhere she is, whenever she needs him.

“Well, I can keep your secret,” he promises her, leaving the last bite of the mousse and handing it to her.

Her smile widens as she takes it from him. “I know,” she says. “I trust you.”

Yoongi holds her gaze for a moment. “Are you sure?”

Miso’s smile fades. “Yoongi…” She trails off when he drops his head, suddenly tired. She begins again. “You know, you’re the only person in the world who’s ever apologised to me,” she tells him.

She waits until he meets her eyes again, and he’s slightly startled at how sorry she looks. He struggles for a moment to recall what she’s talking about, the memories of the aftermath of the launch party crawling to the forefront of his mind.

“That isn’t -“

“I’m just saying… It seems okay now. Now,” she repeats. “But you really don’t know what you’re getting yourself into. I’m not talking about my parents,” she says quickly when he opens his mouth. “I’m saying…” She sighs. “Yoongi, I don’t think I can give you what you want. I don’t know how.”

Yoongi says nothing; his throat feels stuck and he worries that if he speaks, his voice might break. It doesn’t feel like a rejection, but he also can’t find a way to respond. Once again, she’s won the argument.

They leave soon after that, once they clean up in silence and Yoongi takes out the trash while Miso closes down Donghyuk’s studio. He walks her to the elevator, both of them walking beside each other with just enough distance between them to not touch.

I don’t know how. It bothers him more than he’d like to admit, and he can’t tell if it’s because of her fucked up parents or her general tendency to keep a distance that she believes she’s incapable of genuine human connection.

When they reach the elevator and she reaches up to press the button, his eyes fall on her wrist and he wants, once again, to grab it and push her sleeve up her forearm. The bruise he’d seen all those months ago feels like a siren he’d ignored; it makes him sick to think about another potential one on her wrist right now.

The doors open, Miso glances at him hesitantly. “I don’t know about you… but I actually had a good time tonight.” She nods once. “Thanks, Yoongi.”

He slips his hands in his pockets and shrugs. “Thanks for what?”

“You know…” She steps in between the doors to stop them from closing and turns to face him. “Helping me out… with the Kung Pao chicken and everything,” she finishes, her mouth lifting up at the corners. By the way she bites her lip, he knows his own face is betraying at least a hint of humour. Or maybe it’s exasperation, or annoyance, or infatuation, or everything at once.

“Your driver… Seungkwan?” He waits for her to nod. “He’s here?”

“Downstairs,” she confirms.

Take care. Call me if you need anything. Call me if you don’t need anything, too.

“See you around, Miso.” He waves mechanically and it immediately feels ridiculous.

She frowns curiously but mimics his awkward wave. “Bye.” She takes a step back into the elevator and presses the button, and he takes a similar step further back. She gives him a small smile as the doors start to close.

Yoongi starts to walk back towards his studio, noting the elevator only in his peripheral vision. As he leaves, the image of her on the terrace comes back to him; through another set of closing elevator doors, her look of mild satisfaction, almost expectant.

It only takes a fraction of a second; Yoongi turns on the spot and hurries back to the elevator, slipping through just before the doors close fully.

“Whoa.” Miso jerks back slightly, but doesn’t look annoyed “What are you doing?” she asks as he steps towards her.

“Don’t worry, I’m not going to kiss you again,” he assures her dryly, ignoring the look she gives him and reaching over to wrap her in a hug. He waits a moment, and then two, and then relaxes when he feels her arms go stiffly around his waist.

“You don’t have to do anything you don’t want to,” he murmurs, his lips brushing the shell of her ear. She smells of lilies and cigarette smoke. “But you’re not getting rid of me that easily. I’m not going anywhere,” he promises her, closing his eyes and meaning every word of it.

It takes another moment but she tightens her arms around him. Her fingertips brush his shoulders and - he hopes he’s not imagining this - he feels her smile against his collarbone.

They step away from each other a few seconds later when the doors start to open. There’s a tinge of pink on her cheeks he’s never seen before. She hitches her bag on her shoulders as she exits.

“Don’t be such a sap, Min Suga.” But the blush says differently, as does the small smile she visibly struggles and fails to hide.

Yoongi grins at her, wide and gummy, feeling lighter and taller all at once. He’s made a decision, and now she’s in on it, too.

—

It’s almost close to dinner time, but for once Seokjin isn’t hungry.

His phone stares at him from where he’d tossed it on the futon a few minutes ago, the screen painfully dark. He was trying to spare himself the temptation of checking it every second, but this isn’t any better.

After staring at it for a few more seconds, he reaches for it and replays the voicemail he’d sent to Nari over an hour ago.

“Hey. It’s me. Seokjin. Er, Kim Seokjin. I got discharged and I’m home. I hydrated, too, like you said. Still am, in fact. You may have been onto something, Dr Choi. Anyway… thanks for coming yesterday. It really meant a lot and I’m… God, I can’t tell you how good it was to hang out with you again. I didn’t realise how much I’d missed it. And… I do want to talk about last week. I know things have been really weird with us for a while but I don’t want them to be anymore. I’ve been thinking a lot this last week - I can’t help it, I’ve tried to stop, believe me. I’ve been way too afraid to lose you as a friend. I’d be lost without you, Nari. But… I may have been overcompensating on that front. I don’t know where this leaves us, but I want to figure it out. With you. Not in my own head, the way I’ve been doing it this whole time. I’m flying out tomorrow, but do you think we could talk tonight? Coincidentally, I have everything needed to whip up jajjangmyeon, too. Just throwing that in there. Let me know. Oh, this Seokjin.”

There’s a click to signal the end of the message, but Seokjin’s stomach churns more than ever, though not necessarily in a bad way. He’s officially entered the ring, albeit to do what, he isn’t completely sure. All he knows is that there’s no ignoring this anymore, the uncomfortable distance with Nari, the subtle hostility between her and Seulgi, the distaste with which he thinks of Kang Jason at the oddest times.

Nari hasn’t replied or called him back yet, but he tries not to stress about it. Most likely, she’s in surgery, or the ER, or even catching up on sleep in an on-call room. He’s determined to stay up all night, though; he can sleep on the flight tomorrow.

Automatically, his eyes fall to the last message he’d sent to Seulgi. Hey. I was hoping we could talk. Call me when you’re free?

She had replied a little while ago. Sure. Everything okay?

Seokjin didn’t have a response to that, so he’d sent her a skull emoji instead, hoping that would do the trick.

He wishes he wasn’t touring right now. There’s a better way to do this: with Seulgi, in person, thorough and rational - and then with Nari, slow and gentle, giving her space and control.

But he has one day - no, one night - before he leaves once more for weeks, with all three of them left to stew in their own thoughts for that time. Sure, he can call - but calls can be ignored. So can messages, and voicemails, and then before he knows it, he’s back in Seoul, tired and jet lagged only to find out that the situation has progressed, leaving him completely out of the loop.

After considering it for a minute, he picks up the phone and calls Seulgi. Fortunately, she picks it up on the second ring.

“Hey,” she says, panting slightly. “I went out for a run; I was just about to call you. What’s up?”

“Um -“ He bites his lip. “Not - not much. How are you? How are your folks?”

“They’re good. Mum’s asking when she can meet you but I deflected that,” she adds, but there’s a knowing lilt to her voice. “You have enough going on right now.”

Do I ever. “I appreciate that. I just wanted to talk before I fly out tomorrow.”

She sighs. “I’m sorry. I really wish I could’ve been there. You barely get any time off as it is and even when you do, I’m not in town.”

“Nah, don’t worry about it.” He picks at a loose thread on the corner of the sofa. “You don’t have to accommodate your family plans around my crazy schedule. And I’ll be back again soon.”

“Can’t wait.” She pauses. “What did you want to talk to me about?” she asks, apparently done with small talk. “You seemed serious.”

It’s not serious, he’s about to say, but stops himself. “It’s… it’s about Nari. We kind of… ran into each other.”

There’s another pause, a longer one this time. “Okay. When?”

“Yesterday, when she visited me at the hospital. I wasn’t expecting -“

“You were in the hospital?” She interrupts him, tone suddenly anxious.

He freezes. “Yeah, but it - it wasn’t serious. I was dehydrated, that’s all. I don’t even know why they took me to the hospital, honestly. I’m back home now.”

Her next response is instant. “But Nari knew?”

“I - only because it was her hospital. And I didn’t tell her - she found out.” He waits for her to respond. “Seulgi, it wasn’t a big deal. You weren’t here - I didn’t want to worry you. I’m perfectly fine, really.”

There’s another pause and then she sighs deeply. “Okay. Is this what you wanted to talk about?”

Oh, boy. “Kind of. Well, no. I…” He sighs. “God, I really wish we were doing this in person,” he mutters.

“Wait. Are you -“ She scoffs, but it breaks slightly. “Are you breaking up with me? Over the phone?”

“No! No, I’m not. Look, I think I need to talk to Nari,” he says quickly before he loses his nerve. “It’s been a long time and I… I really need to know what’s going on. But I want you to know.”

“What do you mean?”

“Well…” Where do I start? “I mean, you know what it’s been like. But it’s just been too long - and I think she might be ready to talk to me, too. I have to try and fix it with her… I hope you understand why, Seulgi,” he adds, meaning it and already feeling horrendous.

“But I thought she was mad at you.” Seulgi is calm - too calm, and it’s worrying. “Or something. What’s changed?”

“That’s the thing, I don’t know.” It’s not a complete lie. I think she might have feelings for me based on a moment we shared a week ago, where neither of us actually spoke. Not only did it sound insane, it didn’t actually clarify anything. There was no point bringing it up when he wasn’t sure of it either.

“So…” She takes a deep breath on the other end. “Let me get this straight. She’s been evasive and distant and - let’s face it - sort of pissed at you. And then something changed… and suddenly she’s nursing you back to health during a hospital visit that I’m finding out about now.”

Seokjin closes his eyes. “I know it sounds bad,” he murmurs. “And I know it’s my fault it’s so messed up. I don’t… If I think back, I don’t know where I went wrong, but I’m sure I did something. You know?” He bites his lip, suddenly glad he’s flying out tomorrow, far away from his girlfriend and his best friend where he can’t hurt them anymore. “I don’t want to be unfair to you,” he admits.

“Why do you think you are?” she asks quietly.

“I don’t know…” He runs a hand down his face tiredly. “There’s a lot of history there and baggage and stuff…” There's no telling what we’ll find.

“You know what I think, Seokjin?” she says after a few moments. “I think you’re not fully sure of what you want. Or you are,” she guesses, “and you just don’t want to admit it because if you do and you don’t get it, you’re afraid it’ll devastate you.”

Seokjin swallows. His vision blurs without warning and he blinks rapidly, a distinct memory threatening to surface, of hope being crushed in his chest, a life he’d dared to imagine disappearing before he’d even fully wrapped his head around it. He’d repressed it as best as he could, figuring there was no one to blame but himself for this lapse in judgement, but it had inadvertently set actions in motion that he will regret for a long time.

He’s taking too long to respond, he realises, but he’s afraid to speak. It might all boil down to that one night and the thought of what it meant - of what it might still mean - is too overwhelming to think about.

“I’m glad you don’t want to be unfair to me,” she states, and there’s finally a bite to her tone. “So call me when you figure it out.” She hangs up.

Seokjin stays frozen for a minute before he sighs, tossing his phone back on the sofa and dropping his head in his hands. Suddenly, everything about his relationship with Seulgi feels tainted, now that his mind is involuntarily tracing the timeline of events back to the day he met her, and then ran into her again. She was lovely and calm and straightforward and put together - and he was so tired.

He needs to talk to Nari. He needs to. His mind is blocked and so is his heart, and it’s occurring to him now that it all comes to Nari. Everything comes down to Nari.

He’d been vague but he can’t imagine she would simply ignore his message, not unless she absolutely hated him. She didn’t, though, his brain reasoned.

She’d visited him, actually talked with him, and she’d called him Kimbap. She would call. Even if she couldn’t meet him, she would call, or text. All he has to do is wait.

—

Nari takes off her lab coat and shakes her hair out, glad to be done with the day.

“See you tomorrow, Nari,” says one of her friends, a perky first year resident with the kind of confidence Nari could only dream of. “Say hi to your famous friend for me.” She winks and leaves.

Nari rolls her eyes but scoffs in humour. Somehow, the other residents in the surgical wing had caught wind of the fact that she knew the elusive celebrity idol that was admitted to the hospital yesterday and while she’d neither confirmed nor denied it, the story spread anyway.

“You’re in a good mood,” comments Hyeri, her friend, changing out of her scrubs at the locker next door. “What did you take and can I have some?”

Nari frowns curiously and laughs. “What are you talking about?”

“That. The laughing and the smiling and the… being nice to first years and interns.” Hyeri raises her eyebrows. “We haven’t had the mental capacity for that shit in years.” She raises her eyebrows. “Is it actually because of your famous friend? I mean -” She steps closer and lowers her voice. “We’re talking about Seokjin, right?”

“I - yeah. He was here,” admits Nari. “Nothing serious, though. He got discharged today.”

“Oh.” Hyeri sounds surprised at the admission. “That makes sense. You’re relieved.”

Yes… and no. She’s certainly glad Seokjin’s okay, but despite how selfish it makes her feel, she’s even gladder that for the first time in a long time, she was able to be herself around her best friend. It’s definitely relief - Hyeri isn’t wrong about that.

“I can’t believe we’re actually out early enough to have dinner,” remarks Hyeri as they head out of the locker room, out of scrubs and in normal clothes again. “I’m going to get in the tub with a glass of wine and fall asleep in there. Obviously I’m not serious,” she adds quickly, catching Nari’s eye.

“Hey, no judgement. Add some candles while you’re at it and it’ll look like a Madonna video.”

Hyeri chortles. “I’m out of wine, though. Can you send me the number to that liquor store? The one that delivers?”

Nari nods, fishing her phone out of her bag. “Shit. My phone’s dead. Daeun has it, though - she’s the one who sent it to me.”

“Okay, let me - oh, there she is!” Waving hurriedly, Hyeri jogs towards the entrance to catch up with Daeun, another of their resident class who’s leaving for the night as well.

Nari smiles as she watches her friend dash away, and catches herself. The laughing and the smiling and the being nice to interns. It’s not a mystery, the origin of this brand new version of herself. It took a long time and a lot of frustration and courage, but a week after the fact, she knows she’s at a place with Seokjin that she was only hoping she would eventually reach.

It’s a start, she tells herself. It’s a start and irrespective of what happens next, at least it’s a start. She’s lighter and she’s calmer - sometimes, there are moments where she feels freer, as though the invisible chain that kept her tethered to her suppressed feelings has been cut through with a chainsaw.

She stops by the pharmacy in the lobby of the surgical wing to pick up some antiseptic for her first aid box. While the cashier rings up her purchase, she turns absently and spots Jason at the reception, still in scrubs and handing in a couple of patient charts. As he clicks his pen closed and tucks it in his pocket, he grins at something the nurse says and responds, making her laugh.

Grabbing her antiseptic, Nari walks over to him, smiling when he spots her.

“Hey.” He takes in her clothing? “Leaving already? I thought you were helping Dr Park with her trial research.”

Nari shrugs. “She gave me the night off.”

“Wow. Is she okay?”

“I’m not going to ask; I’m just taking the night,” she tells him. It’s a start. “What about you? Are you, uh, free tonight?”

Jason raises his eyebrows casually. “Uh, yeah. I have a couple of things to close out, but I can head out in a bit. Or I can meet you back at my apartment, too, if you want.”

“No, um…” She shakes her head and bites her lip. She hasn’t done this in… ever. “I meant, are you free… for a drink.”

He clearly notices the change in her tone. “A drink,” he repeats. “Just you and me. Like a…”

“M-hm.” Nari nods, but she doesn’t think he’ll say no. Familiarity builds over time, and Nari is suddenly seeing the world - and the people in it - in a newer light.

After a moment, Jason nods. “Absolutely. Just give me fifteen minutes?” He waits for her to nod as well and smiles, touching her elbow as he leaves.

She watches him go and her heart beats pleasantly fast with a small risk that’s paid off. She’s definitely lighter, brighter, calmer - and she can only route it back to the night of her confession to Seokjin. It felt like a start but maybe - just maybe - it was closure.

—

Thanks for reading. Don't forget to drop a review :)

#seokjin x oc #seokjin fanfic #yoongi fanfic #yoongi x oc #thebtswritersclub #bangtanwhq #micdropnet #k-vanity #houseofddaeng #wkcnet #hyunglinenetwork #bts jin fanfic #bts suga fanfic #bts suga angst #bts jin angst

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yetanothergreyjedi · 1 year

Text

Ghosts of Our Pasts: 9

DP x DC Crossover

Danny Fenton and Damian Wayne Siblings AU

Ao3

Masterpost Previous Next

Dani: Yo, what's with the massive group chat I just got dropped into?

Dani: I'm assuming you guys have to do with this

Tucker: ....did... did we forget to send you Danny’s new number?

Dani: he has a NEW one? I just swapped his contact information like 2 weeks ago

Tucker: it's actually the same number just backwards... present from the Backwards Day Ghost

Dani: WOW

Tucker: it was miserable

Dani: I'm sure

Dani: so about the group chat?

Tucker: Danny met his bio-sibling and he had a fraid too, so idk its like fraid inlaws or something?

Dani: Bio-sibling? Danny's adopted?

Tucker:Shouldn't you know this?

Dani: Why would I?

Tucker: You're his cousin....

Dani: Oh... I forgot I told you guys that...

Tucker: ?

Dani: I'm his clone

Tucker: this is gonna be a wild story isn't it

* Dani started a call that lasted 31 minutes *

---

Jazz: Danny why did you just put me in a group chat with like 25 people in it?

Danny: Sibling groupchat

Jazz: What?

Jazz: Danny, I'm going to need a bit more explanation than that.

Jazz: you didn't get cloned again?

Jazz: Did you???

Jazz: Danny?

* 1 missed call from Jazz *

* 2 missed calls from Jazz *

* 3 missed calls from Jazz *

---

Jazz: please tell me Danny lost his phone again and isn't in some kind of trouble.

Tucker: Oh, it's in his bag... he's out rn...

Jazz: out where?

Jazz: I thought this was supposed to be a 'laying low' vacation?

Sam: that was before he met his brother

Jazz: his brother?

Tucker: yeah! Apparently he's related to the Batman!

Jazz: you left him alone with his brother

Sam: Yeah...?

Jazz: the brother that killed him?

* multiple people are typing *

---

So yeah, Danny was officially tasting emotions now. He realized as Damian looked him over. The flour-y taste of concern was replaced with a salty-savory pride as he confirmed that, no, Danny hadn't been shot. (Well, he would've been, if he hadn't decided to not be tangible.) Then Bio-dad dropped down, mugger dude gave off another milk-sour wave of fear. Then Bio-dad saw the gun and huh, he didn't think describe how disappointment tasted with human words. But maybe he should be focusing less on what flavors most accurately described his stupid new empath ability and focus more on the situation at hand.

Together Dami and Bio-dad explained the normal process of cuffing criminals in obvious places so the police can find them. It was simple, didn't really require Danny to do anything, so he disassembled the weapon while he listened. Which he probably shouldn't have done, because now he was being asked to hand it over as evidence...

"Uh..." Danny fished the larger pieces back out of his pocket, but their was a lot of little ones, because he might've phased the screws out to take apart the fun little inner bits and he ended up dropping tiny metal parts all over the sidewalk.

There was a beat of silence, then Damian clicked his tongue with a little "Tt," and Danny flushed.

"Sorry..." Danny started.

"It's fine," the Bat said. Amusement, it turned out, tasted like raspberries.

Notes

Danny, holding a deadly weapon: "is this a fidget toy?"

Somebody told me once that they didn't see any Canon evidence that Sam and Tucker knew Dani was a clone. And like, their lives are so crazy that peice of information falling into a crack, sure. Where did Danny's concerned about vlad cloning people came from. Like they didn't question it, vlad is weird. They could see him doing it... oh... he did do it? That makes more sense than a sudden semi rational fear.

Also Batman has absolutely noticed some weird things about Danny. But he also knows that Danny has "a weird conglomeration" of Lazarus put side effects, and that Danny said "mood" about being in other dimensions. It might be ooc for him to be patient with answers, but he's in my story so he's gotta play by my rules.

Tag list

@spectralstardustandphantomnights @avelnfear @idfk-man10 @blackroserelina @candeartist422 @mur-ururu @luer-mirin @insufferablecatenthusiast @skulld3mort-1fan @alonedustspeck @voidbornposts @meira-3919 @marshmello @aethernorwood @mimilikey @undead-essence @cloudminder @markus209 @everything163 @latheevening226 @roman4517 @moobloomrights @battybatbat @lumosfeather18581 @werv @ahyesanerd @pyramaniac @lexdamo @princessbelix @bun-fish @deeannthepan @edgyboi10000 @thatrandomsarahchick @busterkeel @aconitewolfsbane @spoopyspoony @bright-shade @spidey29phangirl @idontgetpaidenoughforthisshit @keimiwolf @u-a-wizard-jamie @gay-puff @bicerise @itshype @blackfoxsposts @icanneverdecide @lolottes @chubbypotato @jovialherringtacoghost @saltyladynightmare

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sansblkgirlfriend · 2 years

Text

Just like the stories (J.WY)

Pairing: Best friend! Jung Wooyoung x Reader

Synopsis: You left your notebook in class, so your best friend was gonna bring it to you. Too bad it’s filled with stories about you and him.

Rating: 18+ (MDNI)

Tags: Dom!Wooyoung, Sub!reader, degradation, light breath play, slight daddy kink, unprotected sex (wrap ya willies).

————————————————————————————————————————

“Y/n what’s the worst that could happen??”

“Idk maybe HE READS MY BOOK EVE!”

“But-“

“NO BUTS, I'M ON A ONE WAY TRIP TO FUCKEDVILLE!”

“And that’s a bad thing?!”

You sink in your chair, your hall mate and friend Eve, was trying to make you feel better about a situation that was going down.

Today after lecture you lifted a bit early due to some business you had to take care of and you ended up leaving your notebook.

You thought the professor was going to put it on her desk but she had to leave right after class.

So your best friend Wooyoung had to get it for you and bring it to your dorm.

Only problem is, you had a major crush on Wooyoung. And that notebook may contain various different smuts about you and said best friend.

And knowing Wooyoung…

He was gonna read them.

So here you were worrying like crazy as Eve tried to calm you down. You sighed as you sunk down into your chair, “Well, I’ll leave you to it Y/n,I’m telling you that you are overreacting…” Eve gives you a small grin before leaving out, closing the door behind her.

You hear her footsteps go down the hall and open up her own dorm door. You sigh loudly as you manage to work yourself up out of your chair. Heading into the kitchen you figured you might as well fix you something to eat and wallow in your embarrassment until Woo got home.

Your book contained very detailed smut about you and your best friend. It was filled with him fucking your across every piece of furniture in your shared apartment. You imagined him calling you the filthiest of names and doing ungodly things to your body. Things that would make your mother pass out.

Now you ran the risk of him seeing it.

Fuck your life.

Pulling the hoodie you stole from his room down a bit before grabbing a snack, hearing the door open back up and your heart sink down to your chest.

“N/n~! I’m home, I brought us some food as well, sorry it took me so long.”

Peeking your head from around the corner, you see him with some food bags and your notebook tucked under his arm. You feel like you wanted to vomit, like you wanted to be yeeted into the sun and burnt to a Crisp.

You knew he read it. He was being to damned calm.

So later on in the day you began to forget about it, the two of you went about your day as normal up until bedtime.

You had already gotten ready for bed and was laying on your back, distracted by your phone.

“Y/n~ You know you look good laying on your back like that.”

Your eyes darted to Wooyoung in the doorway, nothing but his Pajamas pants on. Your face heats up quicker than a cookie in the southern heat has he walks over. He smirks down at you before grabbing both of your legs, spreading them.

“So tell me…”

Wooyoung pulled you closer, so your clothed sex was pressing against his, making you hide your face. Woo tsk’d and pulls your hands away.

“When were you gonna let me know your dirty little thoughts?~”

————————————————————————

“Ahh so you wanted me to fuck you silly and treat you like a little whore huh?…”

You could barely respond as Wooyoung’s hips met yours at a brutal pace. The male barely gave you any time to speak, each time you tried he’d shush you and angle his hips to shut you up.

“Who would have thought my pretty friend is such a slut…”

“You’re making such a mess on my cock, look at you…”

“Mhm…go ahead and call yourself my dumb little

Cockslut.”

Your moans could probably be heard, you knew you were loud and you weren’t ashamed.

Countless nights you dreamed of this, you always wanted Wooyoung. You wanted him more than a friend should.

You wanted him to make you cry on his dick, fuck you so good that you’ll never be able to fuck someone else without thinking of him.

You wanted him to call you every name he could think of, you were his little cumslut, his little cocksleeve. It didn’t matter because it all had HIS in front of it.

“Y/n~” He teasingly called, slowing his thrusts down so he could lean towards you. He places a ghost of a kiss before sneaking a hand around your throat and gripping it.

You gasped and he smirked.

“Let’s make a few more of your little stories reality…shall we?”

#evesdrabbles #evesnightclub (18+)#ateez imagines #ateez x reader #ateez scenarios #ateez fanfic #ateez fluff #ateez smut #wooyoung smut #Wooyoung x reader smut #Wooyoung x reader #jung wooyoung smut #Jung Wooyoung x reader

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gaym0m · 1 year

Text

So I FUCKEN hate spiders. Like I’ll set myself in fire before dealing with one. That being said, here’s what I think Ellie, Deadite!Ellie, and Beth would do for their s/o who’s afraid of spiders cause there’s one in the corner of my room and I know it’s waiting for me to sleep which now I can’t.

Warning: some cuss words. Spiders. Deadite Ellie attempting to eat the spider. Pre established relationships even with Deadite Ellie, to where they definitely kiss here and there. Uhh I dunno what else to be honest, lemme know if you find something I should tag, I tried to make this as gender neutral as possible but I’m too gay so sorry if there’s anything I missed 😭

Ellie:

Personally, I always Yelp/make a loud noise. Not really scream but like a wtf if wtf was a noise not a phrase so let’s say Ellie’s s/o did that.

Quickly she’d probably make her way into the room, not quite worried but definitely curious as to what that noise was.

Locking eyes on her s/o, who (if they are anything like me) would be standing in the opposite corner to the spider. Eyes wide open, non blinking and just staring daggers into the eight legged monster on the corner of the room.

One perfect eyebrow raised, Ellie would probably look up to try to see what’s so glare worthy however she didn’t have her glasses so she couldn’t see it too well.

Slowly she took a step towards the corner with the spider only for her s/o to jump and pull her back(can you tell this is super indulgent and self insert?)

“Nonononono! There’s a monster!” Of course whisper yell because what if the monster can understand them.

Cue the silent and confused staring from Ellie.

“Spider! There’s a fucken spider!” More whisper yelling, more panicked now.

Cue more silent staring, more of a ‘are you— serious?’ Now.

Followed by that tired motherly sigh.

Followed by yet another motherly (heroic if you ask me) act of Ellie (tall ass who can reach the corner of the ceiling) taking a shoe to the monster and killing it.

Immediate relief floods her s/o before she’s jumped on and kissed on every inch of her face s/o could reach.

“All that for a spider? Huh might have to kill them more.” Flustered Ellie, flustered (happy) s/o and thankfully dead spider.

Deadite!Ellie

Honestly, I’m not a pro with Deadite writing but with so many decomposing bodies and other stuff— there’s definitely spiders crawling around.

Granted, at that point s/o probably has bigger issues to deal with (like the possessed Ellie trying so hard to get her hands on them).

However every self help book states that when your life is in disarray or out of control, take into control what you can and ignore the rest.

Of course self help books are bullshit and in no way help with a possessed girlfriend and a spider/animal infested apartment building.

S/o is probably just hiding somewhere, praying Deadite!Ellie would get bored or give up or something literally anything except continue to run her nails down the wood of the door that stood between the two.

Somehow, an eight legged monster standing a few feet from s/o’s feet was more scary than the Deadite standing outside the door.

With a sudden burst of energy, s/o ran out the door as if the devil himself had cussed her out.

Deadite Ellie immediately turned to her, excitement making her dead blue eyes light up like Christmas lights.

However she realized something was wrong, normally her precious s/o would tease her for much longer than this, and as soon as they made it behind a door they would rarely (if ever) come out willingly.

Especially with Ellie still there.

Ellie stared at her s/o, the urge to pounce was so strong yet her curiosity stood stronger.

Her rotten head turned towards the bathroom, not finding a single thing wrong— at least in her head.

Then her precious made a noise, a noise that drover her crazy (as if she wasn’t crazy enough) but it also made her decomposing blood boil.

Because the noise wasn’t for her, but for a. . . a—

Growling, Ellie struggled to remember the name of her current rival.

Instead of dwelling on it, she reached for the creature. Picking it up and waving it around as if to try and tease some of the most lovely noises from her s/o.

Unfortunately her s/o was frozen, unable to move and unable to even whimper.

Growing annoyed quickly, Ellie lifted the monster towards her lips, ready to eat the disgusting creature.

“ELLIE BIXLER I SWEAR IF YOU EAT THAT ILL NEVER COME BACK—“

. . . S/o and Ellie had no idea they could scream so loudly— it actually stung the Deadlites ears.

Almost like a kicked puppy, Ellie pulled the spider from her face and stared at her s/o as if waiting for instructions.

“P-please just crush it and . . . And toss it in the trash or something just don’t eat it and keep it away from me.”

Happily Ellie did as told, probably (definitely) expecting some reward.

She may have gotten some kisses… your choice.

Beth

From the start, Beth had tried to been a total badass in-front of her s/o.

It was like she was trying to make them fall for her, not really realizing how smitten they already were for her.

It had been a random night, they had just finished a show and had returned to their hotel room.

They’re had been playfully giggles, jokes and kisses here and there as they got ready to sleep for the fun day they had planned.

However, all the happiness crashed down on s/o when they noticed a spider in the corner of the bed.

Covering their mouth as too avoid a scream too loud, s/o let out a muffed scream.

Beth immediately made her way out of the bathroom and into the room, her pocket knife in hand (talk about wanna be).

“What’s wrong?”

“Spider!”

Blink blink . . .

“What?”

“SPIDER! KILL IT.”

For a second, Beth felt her face drain of blood.

Ellie always killed the spiders for her— but independence meant killing the spiders yourself

Or in this case for her s/o

So with trembling hands, Beth took a deep breath and grabbed one of her heavy boots and with a quick movement she—

MISSED?!

THE SPIDER IS RUNNING ON THE WALL

CUE BOTH BETH AND S/O SCREAMING

“KILL IT KILL IT.”

“I CANT. IM SCARED.”

Beth has never been able to make a shrilled scream, until that exact moment.

Between all the panic, the spider got away

There wasn’t really a thought process. Both s/o and Beth just grabbed their bags and speed to the other band members room.

In the end they forced the guys to switch rooms with them and slept clinging to each-other and taking turns to check for spiders.

I hope y’all liked this, started it last night and finished it during my work break 😂 lemme know if this is good or if I should do 2nd person instead.

#ellie evil dead rise #beth bixler #beth evil dead rise #beth evil dead rise x reader #Ellie evil dead rise x reader #Deadite!ellie #Deadite!Ellie x reader #tw:spiders #ellie bixler #alyssa sutherland #lily sullivan

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am-i-interrupting · 1 year

Note

I really REALLY need a fic where Caitlyns daiting fem!Zaun!reader and now reader always sneek into Caitlyns room to see her(this takes before vander died) and one say cassandra caught them and pointed her gun at reader,who got flashbacks from the battle on the bridge and she has a panic attack where cait comes in and shields her and trys to comfort her at the same time.

You dont need to do this request its just stuck in my mind currently.

Safety In Home

Tags: 2k words, young!caitlyn, young!reader, fluff & angst, PTSD flashbacks, guns, death mention

You met Caitlyn while she was out with a man she called Jayce. She was hovering around him, picking things up and examining them. She asked questions about why he would need certain things while he gave her half answers, probably because of your obvious company.

Eventually she got tired of his not completely honest answers and turned to you. She started asking questions and you answered, asked some of your own. You quickly got on and eventually she started coming in to hang around the shop and occasionally buy things to take home. Then one night it was late and dark and you, used to the dangers of the Undercity, offered to walk her home and she said yes.

It was raining and you were both soaked by the time you arrived at the gated house. Your breath was taken away just by the sight of it. It was huge. All the houses in the era were larger and more fancy than you’d ever seen in your life.

“Well, this is me,” Caitlyn said, tugging at the bottom of her shirt.

“You’ve got a nice house,” you said.

“Yeah, maybe someday you can come inside,” she said, bumping her shoulder with yours. “I should go, my mom’s probably worried.”

“Yeah,” you said, a jealousy prickling your insides.

Caitlyn grabbed your hand and squeezed it. “I actually wanted to ask you a question,” she said. “Do you want to go on a date? You can say no! But I really like you and not in a platonic way but I really also wanna stay friends so you can say no if you think it’s too much or you don’t want to or—“

“I’d love to,” you told her and she smiled.

She brushed some of the hair stuck to her forehead away from it and squeezed your hand. “How about this weekend? Meet me at the bridge?”

“Sounds perfect,” you said.

You went back to the Last Drop with the smallest skip in your step.

“You look happy,” Vander said as you sat down at the counter. “What happened?”

You sat back in your seat. “Can I just be happy?” you asked.

“No, no, of course you can,” he said, moving to grab you a cup and make you a nonalcoholic drink. “Just wondering what made you come in with such a big smile on your face is all.”

You shrugged and looked off to the side. It wasn’t busy tonight. It normally wasn’t when rain was on the forecast, except for the occasional few who came in trying to escape it.

Vander handed you your cup and you took it before you went downstairs to find Vi, Powder, Claggor, and Mylo all sitting, sprawled out over the couches.

“You’re late,” Vi said.

You took a long sip of your drink and spun around as you debated whether or not to tell them before you just blurted it out, “I’ve got a date this weekend.”

Powder was the first to react, sitting straight where she was hunched over the table, a screwdriver and whatever she was working on once in hand now on the table. “What?!” she asked, no anger, simply excitement in her tone.

“You? You got a date?” Mylo asked.

“Congratulations,” Claggor said, “who is it?”

Powder stood up and grabbed your hand. “Can I help you pick out an outfit?” she asked, tugging on your hand once with every word.

“Huh,” Vi said as she relaxed in her chair.

Together, with all their help (Mylo being the least helpful and Ekko heard from Powder and coming in to help), you picked out an outfit. It was your only pair of pants that weren’t covered in patchwork or holes paired with a cropped, sleeveless shirt with frog buttons in a color Claggor and Ekko swore matched your skin tone perfectly and shoes that Vi helped you clean and try to shine. You also let Powder do your hair.

You met Caitlyn at the bridge and she looked at you with eyebrows high, eyes wide, and mouth low as a blush started to fork over her cheeks. She held out her hand and led you into the woods.

“I found this place while I was doing some target practice,” she said.

Eventually you got to a small pond. Caitlyn spread out the blanket she got while you squatted near the water. You put your hand under it and watched it drip off your fingers when you brought it out. You’d never seen water this clean, especially water that hadn’t been run through some piping system.

“This place is beautiful,” you said.

“I know, right?” Caitlyn replied as she started taking foods and drink out of a basket she’d brought. “It’s nice to get away from the cities, all the mechanical stuff and just bask in nature.”

“Yeah,” you said, agreeing absentmindedly as you looked up. You could see the sky, blue and clear, through the small clearing in the trees above you. “It really is.”

Caitlyn stood beside you for a moment. Then she hesitantly grabbed your hand. When you squeezed it, still taking in the sights more than you were processing what was happening, she leaned against you.

“Are you hungry? I brought food.”

You ate the best meal you’d ever had that day in company you enjoyed more than you enjoyed most. You laughed a lot. You smiled so much your cheeks hurt. You felt safe. You’d never felt that before but here, with Caitlyn, you truly, fully felt safe. It was a nice feeling to have.

You went back that night with your head in the clouds and recounted everything to Powder who hung onto your every word and Vi who scoffed and acted like she didn’t care but you could tell she did. You were, after all, the first of the group to go on a real date with someone you liked and who liked you, for now they’d have to live vicariously through you.

It didn’t take long into your tentative relationship for Caitlyn to start sneaking you into her room. It was large. A bed bigger than any you’d seen pressed against the middle of the wall, a dresser beside it, a desk in a different corner, a storage box parallel to it. It was huge.

Eventually though, you got into a habit of sneaking into her room after you were finished working and she’d bring you some of the high quality food prepared for a council member and her family for your own dinner. Occasionally you’d save any sweets she may have brought to give to the others. That was when Mylo finally admitted that maybe you having a girlfriend wasn’t a completely awful thing.

You were sneaking in one night when your foot caught the window and you fell. You muffled your own grunt and stayed still for a moment. You couldn’t hear anything, no footsteps, no talking. Maybe no one heard you.

You righted yourself and brushed off your clothes. You’d been trying to keep your clothes cleaned these past few weeks, if purely because you didn’t want to get Caitlyn’s pretty, expensive things dirty. Maybe it didn’t matter as much to her but just a couple things from her room alone could feed you and your friends for over a month in the Lanes.

You sat down on Caitlyn’s footstool and retied your shoe. It was stupid of you to not have done so earlier. You should know better by now. You did, actually. You should do better. Just because Caitlyn was your girlfriend and an alley didn’t mean everyone in Piltover was.

You shook your head as you finished your retying. Then you stood up.

You rocked back and forth on your heels as you debated what to do with your time spent waiting on Caitlyn. Obviously, it couldn’t be something that would draw attention. It couldn’t be loud or cause a lot of movement.

You sighed.

Then suddenly the door opened and a woman holding a rifle was in your face. You immediately stumbled backward.

Powder running for Vi. An enforcer with a rifle. You ran for her. Tackled her down just as a gunshot rang out. Losing sight of Vi in the process.

“Mom! Wait!” Caitlyn’s voice said as you fell to the ground.

Yelling voices drowned out by the sounds of fighting. Fire everywhere. Smoke filled your lungs. Powder’s hand in yours as you continued to search for Vi.

“She’s a friend. She’s my friend,” Caitlyn said as the sound of hurried footsteps drew closer.

Running towards Violet. A bomb sounded in the distance. She grew closer.

A hand gently touched your shoulder.

You grabbed Vi’s hand and yanked her and Powder out of the main thoroughfare of the fighting.

“Hey, are you okay?” Caitlyn asked. “Talk to me. You’re scaring me.”

A body next you. A body far away. Bodies everywhere. Your parents’ bodies. A broken cry for them to be okay, to wake up, they were scaring you.

Caitlyn called your name and ran her hands up and down your arms.

Your name being said, distant, so distant. A hand on your arm guiding you away.

Caitlyn’s hands cradled your face, wiping away tears you hadn’t processed fall. “Hey, it’s okay. You’re safe, I promise. You're with me.”

“You’re safe here with me, kid. It’s all over now. I promise.”

Caitlyn’s hand grabbed your own and held it to her chest. Your fingers twitched as you could feel her heartbeat, her chest rise and fall.

“Breathe with me,” she said before doing an over exaggerated breath.

“Breathe, kid. Breathe.”

You copied her best you could.

Slowly but surely you calmed down and she held you close. “It’s okay, you’re safe with me,” she said and you believed her. Surrounded by stuffy Piltover things, you believed her.

You slowly wrapped your arms around her and held her just as close. You breathed in the smell of pine trees and nuzzled your head against soft fabric.

“Do you want me to walk you home?” she asked.

“Please,” you said, voice broken.

She helped you up and you almost numbly suggest that she change, don’t want people to know that a Pilty is down in the Lanes. She dressed down as best as she could and dragged you through her front door, past her mom who she glared at and her dad who looked at you with sympathy you didn’t care to see.

For the first time, you led her to your home. Down the mineshaft and through the streets until you got to the Last Drop. You held her hand tightly the entire time and no one gave you trouble, recognizing you as one of Vander’s kids or not seeing you as prime mugging targets.

You opened the door to the Drop and Vander looked up immediately. His brows furrowed with worry and he stepped out from behind the counter.

“Hey, what’s wrong?” he asked, pulling you aside and letting you drag Caitlyn along with you.

You didn’t say anything, just used your free arm to hug him. He hugged you back hesitantly, carefully, so gently. Caitlyn squeezed your hand.

“I should probably go,” she said when you pulled away.

“Nonsense,” Vander said. “It’s dangerous at the best of times. Wait until morning at least. Come on, let’s get you downstairs.”

Vander didn’t go back up until he saw you in the care of Vi and Powder who you immediately drew into hugs. You pulled Caitlyn into your bed with the duo of sisters and cuddled up to her while Powder and Vi settled next to you. Powder with her head laying on your thigh and Vi with her hand on your ankle.

Caitlyn gingerly wrapped her arms around your torso and rested her head against yours.

“I love you,” she said in a quiet voice. “You don’t have to say it back. I just wanted you to know.”

You hugged her back tighter and fell asleep with her in your arms and the tight feeling in your heart just a little bit looser.

#caitlyn x reader #caitlyn kiramman x you #caitlyn x you #caitlyn kiramman x reader

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n0v4t33z · 8 months

Text

Dark Desires: Chapter IV - The Gift from the Dead

Pairings: VampireCatHybrid~Seonghwa x Female Reader, VampireCatHybrid~Ateez x Female Reader

Genre: Horror, Angst, Romance, Vampire Ateez, Paranormal?

Word Count: 11.1 k

Tags/Warnings: For Mature Audiences, Violence, Language, mentions blood, Magic, Fantasy, Some Fluff, Highly Suggestive at times (This is a warning for the whole story overall)

Chapter specific: Death, lots of blood, kidnapping, lying and manipulation, violence, themes of horror and paranormal things happening, ghosts, some lame magic scene? (lol it was hard and confusing) , language, y/n gets her ass handed to her at one point, villain says some suggestive things, villain is aggressive overall, self harm (y/n doesn't do it by the way Hwa does but like not like in a bad way, it was a matter of life or death!), (will update if anything else comes up)

Author's Note 💌: So this is the second to last chapter and I'm going to be honest I'm scared for the last chapter because it's not even written yet.. (lol) 💀 Originally I stopped here but I honestly just wanted to do a little bit of fluff at the end with all of the guys and just one whole last chapter to make it feel more complete and less loose ended yk? If I'm being honest though I'm not really happy with this chapter, I feel like some things were redundant and idk I'll probably come back to it one day and fix it. Even then, I hope whoever enjoys it does so and if you don't that's cool too just keep it to yourself! Please look forward to the last chapter sometime next week! -N💜🌙

Spotify Playlist🩸

☽ ──── ༺𖤐༻ ──── ☾

It’s the next day and while there was no sign of Draven, everyone including myself are still on edge. So much so I stayed up pretty late reading the books Yeosang lent me. Usually when I begin cooking I wake up and function normally but at the moment I’m so tired my eyes feel like they’re going to shut any second. So while I cut some vegetables and I try to keep my eyes open at the same time I accidentally cut my finger and I let out a quiet yelp. Immediately I look down at my finger and see the crimson blood flowing out of the wound and onto the white chopping board. I rinse out the wound and while I wrap up my wound in a napkin I hear something outside, a small crashing noise. It might be San playing outside, I should call him in for a snack since it’s around the time he asks for one anyway. I walk outside and I look around scanning the area while I call out “Master San it’s almost time for your snack do you want me to bring it out?” I see a figure behind the gazebo in the distance and I smirk. I walk towards the gazebo and I say loud enough so he could hear. “I wonder where Master San is…” I check behind the gazebo completely expecting to see San but I see no one. "Huh, that's weird-" Suddenly I feel a hand with sharp claw like black nails cover my mouth but before I’m able to turn around they put their other hand on the top of my head and I instantly black out.

The strong smell of old blood and dust permeates my nose and wakes me up, I slowly open my eyes and feel both of my ankles and arms were tied to a stone cold wall in a room with some lit black candles. I notice that next to those candles is that same hourglass like in the forbidden room at the vampires’ mansion and In the middle of the floor is the same sigil in the room where Sumi was sacrificed only there was a puddle of a dark liquid in the middle of it presumably being blood. That's when it hits me that I’m no longer in their house anymore, something in me tells me that this was Draven's doing. He’s going to hurt Seonghwa and the guys I feel it. I look at the door while I frustratingly try pulling my legs out of the chains but they were on very tightly including the ones on my hands and before I know it tears slowly begin to blur my vision. “Let me out of here!” I cry out repeatedly until a few etrenal minutes later I hear the door swing open and the very same man I saw yesterday was standing before me. This time he was wearing a white dress shirt, some black dress pants and a black blazer with the same scarlet jeweled necklace and his long black hair in a neat pony tail tied with a red ribbon. It’s scary to think this well dressed man is the one who the guys fear of the most and the one who killed his own brother and the guys’ beloved mentor. “Mister please let me go! You’ve got the wrong person!” He begins walking towards me with a smirk plastered on his face he then leans in a few centimeters from my neck and takes a deep breath and slowly exhales and lets out a satisfied sigh “It’s nice to see you’re awake now but you’re mistaken young lady, you’re exactly who I was looking for.”

He gently runs his claw on my cheek and says “I hate witches but you smell exceptionally divine, reminds me of another powerful witch who once had blood like yours. She’s dead now of course and that was hundreds of years ago but even then this is very familiar to me..” I slowly shake my head giving him pleading eyes “My powers haven’t awakened yet so I’m sure my blood isn’t anything special. Please just let me go.” He glences at me for a few moments with his pitch black eyes then he lets out an eerie cackle “Why would I let you go? You’re going to be my power supply, just smelling your blood excites me with the power it holds.” His hand slowly moves down to my neck and tightly wraps his cold hand around my neck with his sharp claw like nails digging into my skin.

“Look at you, no wonder those eight weak wretched vampires wanted to keep you all to themselves. You're beautiful. What a shame you’re a filthy witch or I would have had you bear me a child..” I tightly clench my hands, anger begins bubbling inside me. How dare he. This man is beyond perverse and disgusting. I move my head back trying to escape his grip but he leans in and whispers in my ear “I wish I could see the look on their faces when they realize you’re gone because that’s when those little cats are going to realize their mistake for keeping such a precious thing away from their master.” he lets go of me and smirks. “And when they come here to come look for you is when I’ll show them not to ever lie to the hand that feeds them.” I shake my head trying to hold back tears again “Please don’t hurt them. Take my blood but please don’t hurt them!” He turns his back towards me and walks towards the door again “No, they’re going to learn not to ever try and deceive a demon’s contract.” He closes the door behind him and leaves, leaving me alone in the lowly lit room. I quietly begin to cry again and I say under my breath “Please aunt Ursula, I need your help. I know you can hear me, and I’m sorry for disturbing your peace but I have to save my friends and the love of my life. It’s the only time in my life where I truly feel happy and it was ruined by this asshole demon so please help me…I'm so sorry.”

I stare at the flames of the candles flickering while I rest my head on my arm for what seemed hours. “I’ve been trying for who knows how long but everything I read in those books is useless, I don’t have powers. I’m dead weight to them and it was a mistake for them to have been so kind to me, I should have died. I bet this is karma for what happened to Sumi. For what I did." I’m so sorry Seonghwa, but finding me was a mistake. When the door opens once again and it was Draven, he walks towards me and wastes no time to rip open my dress popping the buttons on the top half and grabs my jaw and smirks. His hand was huge and it was scary how easy my head fit in it.

“It’s time.” He tightens his grip on my jaw, slightly tilts my head to expose my jugular and he lets out a low growl like groan. I instantly close my eyes and begin to feel nauseous the moment he gently runs his tongue along my jugular vein. So when he bites my neck I let out a cry of pain when his sharp fangs pierce my skin he slowly tightens his grip on my jaw and tightly holds on to my shoulder while burying his sharp claws into my skin. As he feeds on my blood I begin to feel lightheaded and weak and as much as I try to wriggle away his claws dig into my skin to keep me from moving too much. Soon I lose my strength to stand up so I fall to the floor with my hands dangling from the chains around my wrists while Draven holds my limp body. When he finishes he lets go of me and I try and force myself to stand up, completely failing to do so my body hangs from the chains on my wrists. He wipes his bloodied mouth and says “Oh come on stop exaggerating. I only had a small drink.” He grabs a handful of my hair and lifts my head up to meet my gaze with his, his pitch black eyes now have dark red irises glowing. “I’m going to try and keep you alive as long as I can because I don’t think I can ever go back to regular blood. It’s been too long.” Too weak to reply I manage to incoherently say “Y-You...Disg-ust...Me.” He smirks and says “I like it...Hate me all you want but that’s not going to change the fact that you’re mine now. ”

I shoot him a dirty look and he laughs “Oh my, I can definitely see the hatred in your eyes now.” Disgusted, I look away focusing on the flame of the candle to keep myself grounded and try to somehow move it or manipulate it but Draven turns my head to face him “If you act like a bad little witch I’ll make sure you watch them suffer so you know I’m not messing around. ” Suddenly the door swings and a panicked guard enters and mumbles “S-Sir, they’re here and they’ve already killed the guards at the door.” Draven rolls his eyes and turns to the guard "Who's here you imbecile?" The guard nervously furrows his eyebrows and says in a slight hushed tone "Sir Jongkook's creations- his eight boys. The black cats.." Angered by this Draven lets go of my face and his cocky expression changes to a dark one “Why wasn’t I told when they arrived at the gates?!” The guard begins to fidget with the hilt of his sword and says “I uh- You said not to bother you when you feed so we tried to handle it ourselves. We didn’t know they'd gotten this powerful.” Draven clenches his fist on his side then talks between his teeth “You useless piece of- Go help the others you worthless mortal!!”

The guard jumps and runs away closing the door behind him, Draven then turns back to me and says “I have to hide you, I don’t want them to find my source of power.” he pulls out a set of keys from his pocket and undoes the chains from both my hands and feet and I fall to my knees still feeling exhausted from the blood loss. He grabs my limp body and easily hoists me over his shoulder, and begins to walk down a long dark hallway and at the end of it In the distance I hear the blood curdling screams of the guards begging for mercy. Draven opens a wooden door leading into another room to which it just looks like an ordinary small library until he manages to make one of the shelves open. I take the opportunity of his distraction and kick him in the stomach while I push myself away from him causing me to fall on my side.

I clutch my arm in pain and with the last strength I have left I get up and run to the door and open it and as loud as I can I scream "Guys! I’m here!” Right before I continue running Draven puts his clawed hand over my mouth and tightly squeezes my face with his claws painfully digging into my skin hissing through his teeth “What did I say about you being a good little witch? You’re lucky your blood is precious now, quiet down and be a good little witch. You really don’t want to anger me..” He puts his other hand over my head and I fall back onto Draven’s arms only this time I didn’t black out. I try to move my hands but my body isn’t responding, I can't move. Did he paralyze me? How? Draven grabs me again and slings my paralyzed body over his shoulder only this time more aggressively and walks towards the open hidden door. It was a portal, the dark red light emanating from the portal seemed like maybe it was a portal leading to somewhere in the underworld but as soon as he steps into the portal we enter a room that looked like a regular bedroom except the windows had metal framework over them meaning I couldn’t escape.

Immediately when I looked out the windows it was dark but after a few seconds my eyes adjusted and I noticed I was somewhere up high kind of like a tower of some sort. In the horizon I see that this tower is in a place of darkness with the distant glow of the eternal fires of the underworld and distant wailing of the lost souls. Draven walks over to the bed and lays me down carefully onto the blood red satin sheets. “Those little cats won’t ever find you here, just know that if I don’t manage to come back you’re stuck here forever so you better hope I survive.” He gently taps my nose and smirks “Be grateful I’m sparing you from having to witness the wrath these good for nothing bastards will have to endure.” He adjusts his blazer and walks towards the portal and exits the room, as soon as he’s gone the dark red portal closes leaving a bare black wall in its place and leaving me regaining my ability to move again. Sadly, my body felt too weak from the blood loss and I didn’t have the strength to get up, I lay here until I eventually fall asleep.

Once I open my eyes I look around and note that I’m laying on the ground in the forest. It wasn't until I hear a faint whisper call out to me “y/n, over here!” That voice..It’s so familiar. “Hey!” I sit up and hastily look in the direction the disembodied voice comes from and see nothing but dark forest and slight fog. Suddenly right behind me I hear “Psst! I’m right behind you..” I gasp and crawl away screaming from the source of the noise scaring me half to death. When I turn I see the familiar long dark locks. “Sumi?” There’s a giggle coming from the long haired woman in the gown. “Hey..” My eyes instantly tear up once I manage to recognize her voice “Are you okay? I thought you died?” She walks towards me, her gazing looking pretty neutral and content “I did, in the physical world.” She kneels in front of me and I slowly reach towards her “So, you’re a ghost?” She smiles causing a shiver to run down my spine. “I’m sorry.” I blurt out, she raises her eyebrow and tilts her head “For what?” Tears run down my cheeks again falling onto the cold soil below me “I knew what was going to happen to you, you died because of me.” She giggles “I know, I was watching. I watched you when you were having that conversation with the silver haired vampire, your boyfriend.”

I blink in confusion “You were watching me?” She nods and sits next to me “Yes, after I died my soul lingered in that house for a little bit, but not before I was able to see what happened. Although I’m angry I’m dead, I know somehow my death is not in vain and that you’ll be able to stop those pointless sacrifices to that stupid demon vampire thing so no more people suffer, females in particular.” I bury my face in my hands and sigh “That’s what I was trying to do but I was caught.” Sumi lifts my face to face her, her once beautiful chocolate brown eyes looking like the dark void from the low light, she gives me a soft smile gently stroking my hair “Which is why I’m here, close your eyes until I tell you to.” before I’m able to say anything she puts her hands over my eyes to close them.

Once she removes her hand a few seconds go by but all I hear is silence, It wasn’t until I hear a small meow I open my eyes and see a black cat sitting in front of me “Sumi?” The cat intensely stares at me for a few seconds then it runs away as soon as it hears a branch snap. I gasp and see a woman wearing a dark hooded cape with a beautiful dark flowy dress and a scepter with a soft blue gleaming glow. I scoot back with my back towards the tree trunk while I shake my head in fear then I manage to blurt out “Please don’t hurt me!” The woman slowly begins to walk towards me until she’s a few feet away she then extends her hand towards me almost like she was helping me up. I grab onto her hand and stand up and as soon as our eyes meet she pushes her hood off of her head revealing beautiful dark curly locks and beautiful round brown eyes and croons “y/n, my child you called?”

I blink a few times at the sudden realization this woman was my great aunt Ursula. “Great aunt Ursula? This is you?” She gives me a small smile “Yes my dear, this is only the embodiment of my essence being transmitted through your dreams as It is the only way I can communicate with you since your powers haven’t awakened.” I reach over and hold my aunt’s hand and hold it close to me. “Please, you’ve got to help me great aunt Ursula. This vampire demon guy named Draven is going to kill my friends and my boyfriend and I have to save them but I don’t have my powers activated.” She looks a bit off to the side for a few seconds almost like she was thinking then she turns back to me “Well, it seems like I recognize that name... I can help you. I can possess your body and help defeat that creature, the only downside to it is since your powers haven’t been awakened as soon as I leave your body you will die since you’re still technically your body cannot handle the force of the power leaving the body.”

I look down at the forest floor and my eyesight begins to blur with tears, I don’t want to die but at this point I have no choice if I want to save them. I’m scared. I gently squeeze my aunt’s hand then I wipe my tears with my other hand “I’ll do it, if it means they’ll be safe.” My great aunt Ursula slightly tilts her head causing her dark curls to cascade a little lower from her shoulder “Are you sure my child? You don't seem too sure about it.” I shake my head aggressively almost like my body wanted to show her how urgent it was to attain her powers. She gives me a slightly worried look until she finally caves in and says “Alright you’ll feel a slight pressure in your chest.” I step back a bit and straighten out my body then my aunt’s body turns into a gleaming blue mist that surrounds me and slowly seeps into my body until the only thing that remained was a faint blue glow then it completely disappears.

I wake up and gasp feeling a slight pressure in my chest not being able to breathe for a few moments. I sit up and look at my hands and notice the slight blue glow in my hands then I hear a meowing noise and see a dark grey cat with blue eyes sitting on the window sill. I get up and walk towards it and say “Oh, hi I didn’t see you in here.” Suddenly I hear a voice interrupt my thoughts and says “Hi I’m your familiar, my name is Astra.” I slightly jump from surprise before I could reach over and pet the cat I respond in a slightly confused manner “Uh, wait what? How are you in my head? Can you read my mind?” Almost immediately the voice returns and says “No, I can’t read your mind I can only talk through your mind. I’m tasked to look after you and guide you since you’re wielding very powerful powers.”

I look over at the wall where the portal should have been then I walk towards it with Astra following behind me “Ah, so how do I open the portal here?” Astra replies “Put your hand on the wall and concentrate your power to open a portal, envision yourself opening that portal. It might take you several tries if you don’t concentrate enough.” I put my hand on the black wall and concentrate, envisioning myself opening the portal and walking through it and just like that I hear and feel the blue hued portal open. When I walk through it I end up in the same room before I entered that odd tower. I leave the room and run down the dark hallway, while running I notice the end of Astra’s tail has a blue flame to help illuminate my path. In the distance I hear Wooyoung shout something followed by a loud crashing noise, the noise came from the big wooden door straight ahead. When I run up and open the door I see the guys fighting the guards. The problem is I didn’t see Draven anywhere, then I notice Yeosang in particular was having a bit of a problem fighting off 4 guards ganging up on him. I extend my hand and use my abilities to move the guards away from Yeosang and smash them against the wall killing them instantly from the impact. Then I run over to Yeosang to check if he was okay. “Master Yeosang are you okay?” In shock, Yeosang nods then gets up and continues fighting.

A few minutes later the room was scattered with the lifeless bloody bodies of Draven’s guards. I look around in search of Seonghwa until my eyes meet his, his expression lit up as soon as he saw me then I run into his arms holding back tears. He kisses the top of my head and holds me tight in his embrace then says “My love, are you okay? Did he do anything to you?” I pull back and nod reluctantly moving my hair aside to show him the bite mark on the left side of my neck. Seonghwa’s gaze darkens to a very angry expression and begins to walk towards the door only for Hongjoong to stop him from walking away “Hey! Where are you going, what happened?” Seonghwa turns to Hongjoong and says in a low voice “Draven fed on her.” everyone makes a collective gasp while Hongjoong looks at me with a shocked expression.

“Did he turn you? Is that how you got those powers?” I fidget with the ruffles on the corner of my apron and shake my head “No, actually my great aunt Ursula lent me her powers.” Astra walks up in between me and Hongjoong and circles around his ankles, slightly startling him when he looks down his eyebrows inch together “What about this cat? Where did it come from?” I grab Astra and pick her up in my arms “This is Astra, my familiar.” Wooyoung skeptically answers “But you just said you haven’t awakened your powers, how does that work?” I put her down and shrug “I don’t know she was in that room with me when I woke up from a dream, that’s where my great aunt Ursula lent me her powers. It was weird. I also saw Sumi..” Yeosang worriedly looks at me then looks down at the ground. Wooyoung gives me a slight uneasy expression, like her name was some sort of bad omen to them. "What do you mean you talked to Sumi? That girl we sacrificed a few days ago?" I nod and set down Astra "Yeah, long story short after she died she roamed the house and found out about Draven. She also found out about me trying to get my powers and helped me contact my aunt." San blinks and looks slightly spooked at the ground "No wonder I felt like I was being watched a few times in the shower.." Hongjoong glares at San and shakes his head, Seonghwa trying to move on clears his throat and says in a serious tone “Okay, we have to find Draven and end him, my guess is Sumi is also counting on us for that too not just for ourselves.” Yeosang then interjects “Especially now after we know he’s fed on Miss y/n’s blood. He’s severely dangerous now.”

San points behind us and says “Um...guys he already found us.” Draven enters the room and looks around and laughs “Wow, you little cats sure did a number on these guards. I thought it’d take you longer.” While scanning the room his eyes meet mine and he smirks “Oh, you shouldn’t be here. I thought I asked you to be a good little witch and wait for me in your room.” Seonghwa gives him a disgusted look and says “You’re foul for this Draven, we made it up to you for not sacrificing her.” Draven lifts his finger signaling him to quiet down then he says “That’s not how it works, you out of everyone here should know that. Yes, it even applies to your little maid here. Especially with that powerful blood of hers you were keeping a real gem from me. That reminds me, you guys probably have fun with this little witch every so often hm? Is that why you didn’t want to give her up? Is it because you’re scared you’re going to lose your little toy? Or was it the blood too? ” Seonghwa glares at him almost like he was shooting lasers out of his eyes. How is it even possible to look even angrier than he did a few minutes ago?

Draven smirks and walks closer to Seonghwa without hesitation “What? Cat’s got your tongue?” He reaches out and grabs Seonghwa by the throat then Mingi instinctively pulls his Anti-Vampire crossbow and points it at Draven while everyone else tenses up ready to attack then I blurt out “Please let him go, just take me I know I messed up. I’ll stay here until I'm no use for you, please.” Draven looks over at me smirking then squeezes Seonghwa’s neck a little harder “Hmm, how about I keep you and kill these guys? You know I’m not going to change my mind about that right? I gave you a chance to be a good girl.” Mingi shoots Draven in the chest and he immediately lets go of Seonghwa’s neck and clutches onto his chest while clenching his jaw then pulls out the silver tipped wooden arrow. Seonghwa reaches over and punches Draven in the face then telekinetically throws him on the wall then a few seconds later demon like creatures spawn into the room and attack the guys and myself while Seonghwa is left to deal with Draven by himself. While I help the others fight off the demon-like creatures I notice Seonghwa beginning to take quite a bit of damage. I can’t let him fight alone.

”Astra, how do I get rid of these creatures? They’re not dying!” Astra stands next to me while I suspend the creature in the air waiting for her response “You can control them, you’ve got powers remember? Use them to your advantage. Concentrate and envision yourself controlling them, your blue flames cleasing their evil.” I take a deep breath and raise all 6 demon creatures telekinetically then a red glow emits from them until blue flames consume the creatures. “Destroy..” Then I set them down, the flames still burning giving them a blue hued aura. Their attacking stops and their attention changes to Draven and begin to attack him then I shout over at the guys “It’s okay, they won’t attack us anymore!” Draven turns his attention towards me and teleports behind me and tries to knock me out with his powers luckily I manage to spot him and mystical energy surrounds my body causing Draven to be pushed away from me a few feet. Everyone uses their telekinetic powers to restrain Draven while Seonghwa looks in my direction. “y/n!” I slowly start stepping away from Draven "I'm fine!" he gives me an acknowledging nod and a faint smile.

Meanwhile Astra runs over to me and hurriedly says “y/n! Now’s your chance to use fireballs!” I get fireballs? I extend my hand and a blue flame ball appears in my hand and I throw it directly at Draven causing his pant leg to catch on fire causing him to shout in pain. Suddenly I get an idea so I begin to use both my hands to summon fireballs throwing them at him, he gets hit a few times but then manages to shield himself with some sort of energy forcefield.

Seonghwa gives me a look of awe and the guys stand there in shock. Unfortunately the looks of awe turn into looks of horror when the dark energy begins to surround Draven and he breaks free from the guy’s combined telekinetic powers. Draven’s power levels begin to increasingly go off the charts and hovers towards me with a look of annoyance in his glowing eyes while his fists clenched to his sides. “I underestimated you, but now you leave me no choice but to destroy you because you’re going to get in the way.” Seonghwa and the rest of the guys are turned into black cats and are put in a cage made of dark energy. That’s when it began to sink in that Draven can flawlessly control his powers. Meanwhile, I’m having trouble remembering the simplest spells even though I studied and read about them not too long ago. I’m sure he’s had prior experience with this power there is no other logical reason as to why he’s so well off using his powers. I’ve dug myself into a deep grave now, I can’t lose now that I’ve angered him. Astra hides behind me and says "Those Doromons are still possed by your flame!"

I can have them attack Draven again, they might not have worked the first time but maybe this time around something will happen. “ Doromon’s attack!” The demons continue to attack Draven but it was no use, before I’m even able to turn my attention to the guys Draven disappears the demons in a blink of and eye. He hovers over a few feet away rendering me unable to even have a shot at breaking that cage to set them free “You really thought you did something there didn’t you? You don’t even know how to use your powers.” I start practically speedwalking a few meters away from him. I can’t let him get too close. “You’re right. I don’t know how to use my powers but that won’t stop me from fighting you to the death. I won’t let you hurt anyone else. You've claimed enough lives already.” In the distance I hear meowing, it’s coming front the guys suddenly I hear San shout from the distance “Miss y/n please don’t do this!” Wooyoung then follows up with “It’s not worth it!” That’s where they’re wrong, I grew to care so much about them, and him.

I have to protect them. The guys stick their paws out as if to try and release themselves from their confinement to no avail. Draven cackles and hurls a ball of dark energy towards me, unable to dodge it due to the speed of it, the ball hits me in the chest so hard that I fall on my back letting out a loud gasp. Oh my god this hurt way more than I was anticipating.. Before I knew it Draven goes for another hit this time hitting me in the stomach causing me to lose my breath. In the distance I hear the guys yelling undecipherable phrases in anger while Draven picks me up with his telekinesis and crushes me and hearing the crunching of a few bones. I let out a blood curdling scream feeling evrey small bit of pain shooting through my body. Am I going to die? He unempathetically laughs and lets go of me, I fall to the ground hitting the stone floor hard. The guys all let out a screams of terror along while trying to destroy the cage unfortunately the dark energy forcefield sends a shock of pain if the bars are touched in any way. Seonghwa in particular tries to squeeze his tiny body between the bars screaming and grunting in anger. For a few moments I lay there in a daze, watching my friends nearly kill themselves trying to escape that cage. Unable to speak or even make a noise my eyes tear up from the huge amounts of pain and frustration. I feel warm blood running down my chin onto the stone floor below. I try to move on my side but I begin to choke on the massive amounts of blood and I spit out a whole mouth full of it onto the ground below me. “You should stay down if you know what’s best for you dear..” Astra runs next to me “y/n! Are you okay?! Use fire whip!”

I manage to let out a low guttural groan and extend my hand and I begin to concentrate a big fireball made of blue flames. Draven begins to move close to me and out of anger I disperse the blue flames in his direction, easily he blocks them but not without part of his arms , chest and face catching on fire. Get up. Must get up. I struggle to get up but I manage, unfortunately from the way I'm struggling to breathe and how I can't move my arms very much my left arm and a few of my ribs are probably broken and who knows what else ruptured.

Feeling the warm blood drip below onto my uniform I create a big fireball again, Draven lets out a maniacal laugh getting awfully close “Oh look a scary fireball, how fancy.” The ball of flames eventually becomes too big for me to hold in my hand so I directly throw it towards Draven but he stops it right in between us and begins to beam his evil energy into it to try and send it back to me. His dark power slowly pushes a mixture of the ball of energy and fireball dangerously close to me, the ball resembling almost like a small scale version of the sun only it glowed a menacing dark glow with a blue hued aura. I concentrate as best as I can but panic slowly creeps and my powers begin to lose strength. Draven completely letting the dark power have complete control over him he says with no remorse in his voice “As much as I wanted to keep you alive you leave me no choice..” Seonghwa yells and says in a terrified voice “y/n please! Just let us die, don’t do this!” Draven lets out a loud manically scary cackle.

As fear takes over me I feel something shift in my body then I notice my body is running on autopilot. It feels like I’m just watching everything going on now. My other broken hand by some miracle moves helping me create a scepter with a silver handle and a black stone at the end, it was very beautiful and sparkly. Immediately the gem catches fire and black flames consume it staying lit. I grab the scepter with both of my hands to help me project more of the fire into the energy ball eventually turning the ball into a big firey dark ball of energy. As soon as the dark ball of energy begins to gain more strength I feel and see the blue flames appear on my arms and body “I’ll take it from here my child.” says my great aunt Ursula’s voice. Draven gets a panicked look on his face realizing how increasingly powerful the ball of energy was getting. He then says in a panicked voice “No, it can’t be. I haven’t seen that much power being exerted since…Ursula?” With quickness and ease my Aunt shifts the ball towards Draven who could no longer keep the ball away from him due to how powerful it had become causing it to explode in a black firey explosion right in front of him, engulfing him into the explosion completely destroying him with only his red jeweled necklace being the only remnant of him.

They're freed from the prison they were in, they’re safe now. I glance in their direction and see the guys turning back to their vampire forms and see Seonghwa running towards me that’s when my legs give up and Seonghwa manages to catch me before I fall to the ground. “I’m so happy you’re okay.” He holds me tight in his arms. I weakly smile and reach over to stroke his cheek, his skin being soft and cool to the touch something that even now I’m still not used to. “I’m so proud of you y/n, he’s gone now and won’t ever bother us again. We can finally live in peace now.” The guys catch up with us and San sits next to me and says in a panicked voice “Miss y/n? Is she okay?” I hear my aunt Ursula say “It’s time for me to go my child, my work here is done. Don’t be scared. Everything will be okay.” My eyes begin to tear up then I say in a soft voice “Hwa, I love you.” He softly smiles and says “I love you too my love..” My body glows a faint blue color and the energy slowly begins to leave my body, a little panicked Seonghwa looks over at Yeosang and says “Yeosang, what’s happening?..”

Yeosang glances at me giving me a sad expression then looks over at Seonghwa and says “Her Aunt’s power essence is leaving her body and since her powers never awakened her body won’t be able to handle it so once the essence is gone so is she.” Wooyoung grabs Yeosang’s shoulders and says “So you mean she’s going to die?!” Yeosang uncomfortably nods then Seonghwa strokes my hair and begins to panic “No, no, no is there a way to fix this? y/n please. You can’t leave me.” He rests his forehead on mine for a few seconds then Hongjoong says “What if you give her some of your blood?” Yeosang then continues “Yes, our blood is healing to humans in small doses, Miss y/n is still human since her powers never awoke.” Hongjoong walks behind Seonghwa and gently pats his back “You can still save her that way but that’s all up to you.”

Seonghwa lifts his head and says in a low tone “Mingi, I need the silver blade.” Mingi looks over at Yunho slightly concerned then he pulls out the blade from his inside pocket and passes it to Seonghwa while Jongho quietly sits next to San and whispers under his breath “Please, this has to work.” San then gently pats Jongho’s back trying to comfort him. Everyone was dead silent while I lay there unable to move due to my body being in inmense pain slowly feeling heavier and weaker by the second. So tempting to just let myself go. “Hwa-.” I feel so weak, I feel tired. I can't even speak.Is this what death is like? I blink trying to keep my eyes from closing but it was so hard. They say when you’re about to die that life flashes through your eyes but it doesn’t, it just slows down so you can savor the last bit of mortality you have left.

Seonghwa puts me in Jongho’s arms while he takes off his waist length blazer, he rolls up his sleeve then grabs the silver blade and makes a deep gash on the palm of his hand and almost immediately black blood begins to flow out of his wound. He immediately hovers his arm over my mouth and lets his dark blood fall into it with a bit of it dripping onto my lips and chin, the taste being exactly what you’d expect from regular blood to taste, very salty and metallic. As much as the thought of me drinking blood nauseates me, the desire to live and stay by Seonghwa’s side helps me keep it down and I slowly let the blood trickle down my throat. A few moments later after ingesting the blood, the blue essence fully disappears and my eyes become so unbearbaly heavy until it goes completely black.

“She’s not moving…Is she dead?” Wooyoung furrows his eyebrows, Yeosang hushes Wooyoung and reaches over to grab her wrist to check on her pulse “She’s dead, but she’ll come back. Remember she was bitten by Draven, so we just partially completed her transformation by giving her Seonghwa’s blood..” Jongho gently sets y/n down on the ground while Hongjoong squats next to Yeosang “So are you saying Seonghwa’s her sire now?” Yeosang nods thickly swallowing while Hongjoong glances at Seonghwa “I trust you’ll be responsible about this…” Seonghwa gazes down at y/n with a determined look gently stroking her cheek with his thumb “I promise you, I’m not who I once was. I promised I would be better, and disappointing her is the last thing I want. If that means giving her free will then so be it.”

Hongjoong reaches over and pats Seonghwa’s shoulder giving him a small smile “You’ve grown alot, I’m sure Sir Jongkook would be proud if he saw you now.” Seonghwa nods biting the inside of his lip trying to hold in his tears. Mingi finally speaks up “So just making sure you won’t take advantage of her right? You won’t ever choose for her?” Seonghwa glances up at Mingi who was looking down at him slightly worried “Of course not, I don’t think I have it in me to do it.” San gasps and peeks behind Yeosang’s shoulder “Look! She’s waking up!” Hongjoong hushes San while Yeosang says “Someone needs to bring her blood to feed on…She’s going to be really hungry.” Yunho responds “We have some blood bags back home will that do?” Hongjoong shakes his head “No, she has to feed from a human when she feeds for the first time, it has to be pure from the source.” San furrows his eyebrows “I don’t think that’s a good idea, she might not be comfortable with that.” Wooyoung signals at y/n with his eyes “We’ll have her choose, like Seonghwa said we’re not going to force her to do anything thing she doesn’t want to.”

Slowly I open my eyes, I see the guys gathered around me cautiously watching me. I don’t know how to explain it but everything felt more “lively” my sense of smell and hearing feel much more sharp as I’m now able to smell the incense and the smell of mildew very strongly. My eyesight is much more clearer than before which made everything have a much more vibrant look to it. I feel different, what exactly happened? Was I healed with Seonghwa’s blood? Why do I still feel like shit at the same time? Seonghwa sighs deeply lowering his head. He then lifts his gaze in my direction and pulls me in for a hug, it was one of longest and tightest hugs that I’ve ever received from him but none the less I felt his urge and need for this hug. He buries his face on the side of my neck and huffs "Thank God." When he pulls back I look at his gorgeous face and noticed he’s crying, it looked like blood. I slightly panic and hold Seonghwa’s face in my hands looking at the blood. “Oh my gosh are you crying blood? Are you okay?” I gently wipe them away while I look into his beautiful emerald eyes. He slowly leans in and kisses my forehead and hugs me tightly “ I am my love, this is just how us vampires cry. It’s not as beautiful as they make it seem in movies but I’m glad you’re okay now.”

I rest my head on his shoulder and shut my eyes to hold back tears, my voice slightly getting a little low due to the knot in my throat “I’m sorry I worried you, I just didn’t want you or the rest to get hurt I did what I could to help because he was seriously planning on hurting all of you and If I didn’t do something I wouldn’t be able to live with myself.” I pull back then he gives me a warm smile with his thumb gently stroking my cheek “Hey, no don’t cry. See? We all made it out alive, don't worry my love. We all live to serve you now, we owe you.” I look over and see the guys were patiently looking at both Seonghwa and I with a small smile on their faces. “So I have a question..I feel weird. Like my eyesight is oddly good and my sense of smell and hearing is also very good. Does your blood really just cure all of that?” Seonghwa pushes back a strand of my hair and looks down sighing softly “I- My love, I had to turn you in order to save you.” My stomach drops and I reach for my chest only to feel nothing. No heartbeat, just stillness. I’m fucking dead. What the fuck? My breathing speeds up while I reach up to cover my mouth in shock. Seonghwa reaches over to me and hugs me “I’m so sorry.” I was not expecting this..Not the dyling part but the whole being a vampire thing makes sense now. “So I’m one of you guys now?”

They all nervously look at me and nod in silence then Yeosang says “You were turned due to Draven’s bite when we tried to save you by giving you Seonghwa's blood." I mean I'm not shocked I died, I'm just shocked I was turned into one of them. Yeosang continues cautiously “Since you consumed Seonghwa’s blood, he now sires you.” I hold my hand up “Please don’t tell me what that means, that sounds bad…” Hongjoong chuckles “It’s just a fancy way of saying you have a bond of loyalty with him since he turned you into one of us..” I slowly nod “Ah, I guess I understand now.” Seonghwa gently pats my head “My love you need to feed on blood, would you like to go hunt or is bagged blood okay?” I furrow my brows “Wait, you’re calling it hunt because the person dies right?” Everyone looks at each other in silence not having the heart to say anything until Wooyoung blurts out laughing “Yes y/n they die, that’s why it’s called hunting..” I shake my head “No, I’m good with bagged blood then.” Hongjoong furrows his brows “Wh-” I shake my head “No. I’m sorry I can’t do it.” Yeosang raises his eyebrow and utters “Well, I can’t say I’m shocked by her answer but I saw this coming.”

San chuckles “Honestly I find it adorable, besides it never said anywhere that you need to drink straight from the source right Seonghwa? As long as it’s human blood she’ll be okay.” He nods “Although it might not be the most traditional way of finishing the transformation San is correct, as far as I know she should be fine not having to drink blood from a hunt as long as it’s human blood.” Jongho shrugs “As long as she’s comfortable I don’t think it should matter.” Hongjoong nods “Bagged blood it is then..”

Jongho helps me up and immediately after that Wooyoung and San give me a big hug with San saying “You were really cool defeating Draven Miss y/n.” Wooyoung then says “I’m sure Seonghwa thought it was cool too. Right?” He winks at me with a huge smirk on his face while looking over at Seonghwa. I nervously laugh gently patting Wooyoung's shoulder "You really like to instigate things don't you?" Jongho walks over to me and holds both my hands and smiles “I’m glad your liveliness returned to you Miss y/n, you may not have the warmth of a human anymore but your smile is much more meaningful because you’re alive...” I nod and smile while I fix his collar and dust off his shoulder from debris. “I’m glad it came back too or I wouldn’t have been able to hear your beautiful singing anymore, it’s one of the few things I love in this world, you know besides my family, Seonghwa, or my friends..” His eyebrows slightly rise in surprise and gives me a bright gummy smile. Both Hongjoong and Yeosang stand up almost instanttaniously after Jongho backs away and walk over to me. Hongjoong looks at me deep in the eyes with a very kind look in his eyes, completely different from the deranged and evil look he had when I first met him.

“What Seonghwa said is correct, you saved our lives and for that we are indebted to you. If I’m being honest I don’t think we would have been able to defeat Draven alone as our powers are not sufficient, we came here fully expecting not to make it out and only came here to try and save you not just on Seonghwa’s account but everyone here as well because the short time we’ve all spent with you we grew to care for you. Thank you for helping us defeat the entity who’s made our entire immortal lives a living nightmare.” Yeosang clasps his hands together in front of his body and shyly smiles “I hope you realize how much you’ve changed everyone's life here for the better Miss y/n, thank you.” I shake my head and a nervous smile makes its way onto my expression. “No need to thank me seriously, it’s what friends do. You guys have changed my life too, especially Seonghwa. I didn’t know I was capable of loving and being loved by someone so deeply. I also didn't know how deserving I was of having friends who care for me and enjoy my prescence.” I look back at Seonghwa who was looking at me admiringly and he gently kisses my temple. I continue by saying “So you really don’t have to feel indebted to me, just being friends is enough for me.”

Hongjoong looks over at Mingi then tilts his head “What about Mingi?” I swallow hard, I knew this was going to come up eventually. Mingi props his glasses behind his head and looks at me with pleading eyes almost like he was begging me not to reveal our interaction. “Of course, even if I’m still a bit scared I still consider him a friend. I can’t judge him harshly because even after all these years being a new vampire is very hard. I guess I’m seeing proof of that right now seeing I’m not feeling to well right now.. Not to mention that misunderstanding we had all started because of me so I can't blame him for getting upset.” Mingi’s piercing ruby colored eyes lock onto my gaze and without breaking eye contact he walks up behind Hongjoong and Yeosang walking in between them, easily towering over both of them. “I know I’ve given you more reasons to hate me than to trust me but thank you for not only saving us but for wanting to be my friend even after what I did to you. Being upset wasn’t an excuse for almost taking a life and neither is hating you over something out of your control." I smile and extend my hand towards Mingi “Friends?” He happily smiles with his eyes turning into tiny crescents and extends his arm and shakes my hand firmly, almost a little too excitedly “Friends.” I notice Yunho standing behind Mingi quietly then I say “Master Yunho, we’re friends too right? Remember when we cleaned up the chapel? Wasn’t that fun?” A small smile grows on his puppy like facial expression almost like he’s remembering the day.

“Of course we’re friends Miss y/n, that day was actually one of the most fun days I’ve had. Who knew cleaning could be fun, especially with a friend.” His voice trails off and and his expression falls back to a more serious one then he looks down and closes his eyes for a second and lets out a sigh. He lifts his head back up again and stipples his fingers for a few seconds then shoves his hands back under his cape. “I’m sorry about the way I acted towards you Miss y/n, I was just trying to protect my best friend. I hope you understand. Everyone was just ganging up on Mingi and I just couldn’t have that happen. He's my best friend.” I shake my head “No, it’s okay I understand. There’s no hard feelings I promise.” Yunho cocks an eyebrow giving me a confused look “So you’re not mad? Are you sure?” I nod “Nope, I know where you’re coming from because I would have done the same thing.” Wooyoung smirks as he gently nudges Yunho’s arm “See? Miss y/n is one of the sweetest people. I see why Seonghwa was persistent in finding her.” San turns into his cat form and meows for me to pick him up. I look down and pick San up and hold him in my arms while I scratch behind his ear then I say “So, how are we going to get home? I’m kinda feeling that hunger you guys are always talking about.” The guys look at each other awkwardly then Seonghwa says “Well, here’s the problem. We exerted so much energy into the hourglass that opens the portal to get here that it was destroyed..” I gasp and smile excitedly “Ooh! Maybe Astra can help us!” I look around for Astra but she’s nowhere to be found “Astra?”

Yeosang then says a bit cautiously almost like he didn’t want me to get disappointed “Astra is gone Miss y/n. She’s gone along with your Aunt’s powers, your familiar will return once you’re able to awaken your powers.” I disappointedly look down and San rubs his tiny head on my cheek to comfort me while Seonghwa gently squeezes my shoulder and kisses the top of my head. “It’s okay my love, Astra will be back one day don’t worry.” Mingi then says “How about we look at the guards’ shed. They’re not able to open portals unless they have those portal crystals, remember most of Draven’s guards are mortals so they’re easily replaceable except of course the higher ranking guards who are just lower level demons. We also need to get Sir Jongkook's ashes from Draven's bedroom...” Hongjoong snaps his fingers and says “Good idea, the shed is near the entrance. Wooyoung and Yunho go get Sir Jongkook's ashes and Jongho, come with me to the shed.. Everyone else wait here we’ll be back...”

After a while goes by of me playing with San, Seonghwa and the rest of the guys talk for a while then we see Hongjoong come back with Jongho carrying some sort of big black bags filled with something presumably the crystals. While Yunho and Wooyoung come back with their creator's ashes. The urn being gunmetal in color with beautiful intricate sculped details with a beautiful carved crest with an hourglass in the center. Seeing the urn makes a big knot grow in my throat. it's intresting i'm in the presence of the man who created these vampires almost 500 years ago. I wonder how old he would have been now? It must have been emotional seeing his ashes for the first time in a long time.

Yeosang slightly squints his eyes and says “What’s in the bags? Is all of that Portal Quartz?” Hongjoong walks over to Yeosang and gives him a clear crystal that almost resembles glass, with the distinguishing features of the bottom half of the crystal having hundreds of tiny crystals encapsulated within the crystal giving it a very glittery appearance. “Yep, we have enough crystals for a while, now that our hourglass is broken. Now let’s all charge it.” Everyone hovers their hand over the crystal then San jumps out of my arms and turns back into his vampire form and lays his hand on top that’s when the crystal shines brightly almost like the crystal was creating its own light of its own this continues for a few more seconds until the crystal was left with a soft glowy light and while Hongjoong holds it out in front of him he says “Unveil!” The glowing rock creates a golden portal and before stepping in he puts the glowing rock in his jacket’s pocket.

Everyone begins to walk into the portal clearly very happy we were finally heading home. That's when I feel something telling me to look back, immediately I locate the glint from Draven’s jeweled necklace in the distance and run back to pick it up. I carefully examine the piece and notice the beautiful rubies are still in place like nothing ever happened. This will be my constant reminder to work hard and get my powers. I need to free them from their curse. Seonghwa’s voice then chimes in and says “y/n, my love? Are you coming?” I nod and hurriedly walk back to Seonghwa and enter the portal instantly leading us back home. As soon as we were home, I feel a sense of peace knowing nothing was out to get us anymore and that my favorite person in the whole wide world is safe. Now, I need some of that bagged blood right about now. I’m starving.

☽ ──── ༺𖤐༻ ──── ☾

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#ateez series #ateez x reader #ateez angst #park seonghwa x reader #ateez imagine #vampire ateez #vampire au #kpop imagines #ateez scenarios

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theghostofashton · 9 months

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wip wednesday

thank you @strandnreyes @paperstorm @lemonlyman-dotcom @bonheur-cafe <3

apologies, this got a little long lol

TK drops his backpack on the ground and collapses into an empty chair at the relatively full table in the corner of the dorm lounge with a groan. Marjan Marwani and Mateo Chavez, both fellow freshmen who live on his floor, are sitting in two of the chairs on one side of the table, books spread out in front of them, and Grace Ryder, the floor’s RA, is sitting on the other side and typing into a laptop. Grace gives him a knowing smile as he joins them. “Hey TK,” Grace says. “Dare I ask how things are going?” “Not if you don’t want to be lied to,” he mutters. “That bad, huh?” Marjan asks. “Midterms are kicking my ass,” he complains. “I’m a great test-taker. I thought I had this shit in the bag. But most of my professors want midterm papers, and final exams.” “And, what, you…can’t write a paper?” He rolls his eyes at her. “I can, I just hate them.” “Because they’re more work?” “Okay, is it so wrong for a guy to want to enjoy his first semester of college?” He mutters. “There’s plenty of time to waste being stressed out later.” “I feel you, bro,” Mateo says. “One of my professors is giving us an exam and a paper. Like, was one not enough?” “You guys could easily do both, you know,” Grace says. “Enjoy yourselves and make time to get your work done.” He trails off with a sigh, shaking his head. “I know, you’re right. I’m being dramatic. I just…” “Everyone’s stressed out and busy, and I know I should be feeling those things too, but mostly I just feel kinda antsy and weird. I don’t know. I probably need sleep.” “Maybe lay off the coffee too,” Marjan says. “I had to cut myself off last week. It was getting scary.” “Same!” Mateo nods. “Some nights I’m too shaky to even fall asleep. It’s fucked.” TK puts his elbows on the table and slumps over them, burying his face in his hands. “Exactly why I do not miss freshman year,” Grace says. She smiles at him when he looks up at her, and he smiles back. He really likes her. Of all the things he imagined his RA would be like, Grace is definitely the best case scenario. One of the nicest people he’s met here, for sure. She totally turned a blind eye to the couple of beer cans he had to stash in his room the other day, and she’s definitely seen him come back to the dorm very visibly drunk multiple times, and, luckily for him, pretended she didn’t. “But guys, everything you’re feeling is totally normal. The first round of exams is always the hardest, I think. Once everyone figures out what works for them, studying gets a lot easier and people aren’t so frazzled. It should calm down soon, I promise.” “Thanks, Grace,” he responds slowly. “That’s- I needed to hear that.”

no-pressure tagging: @sanjuwrites @chaotictarlos @reyesstrand @lightningboltreader @welcometololaland and leaving an open tag for anyone else that wants to share!

#tag game #my fic #wip wednesday #911 lone star #exes to lovers au

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larcenywrites · 1 year

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HCS with young tony absolutely nervous with the first date with his soon-to-be girlfriend and asking his parents for some advice, they're all proud of their son being in love, and then tony introduce them to the reader? We need more family tony content

If you still take requests for hcs, of course :)

AAAAAH super cute 😍 Young Tong especially deserves more family stuff 🥲 and cute dates :) so I kinda got carried away

Warnings: mostly she/her pronouns/terms used for reader | cute!

Nervous First Dates

💠Tony isn’t a nervous person.

💠Okay, he is a nervous person, but no one’s supposed to know that, least of all you

💠You’ve more than likely already had plenty of encounters and hangouts, and while it’s not exactly abnormal for him to get with (or hookup with) whoever’s been able to entertain him for longer than a day or two, this is probably the first time he’s ever been so nervous

💠He’s usually so confident! He knows what he wants and when he wants it! And all he ever has to do is outright say it with that cocky grin and a tone just provocative enough to keep them on their toes, and he can get whatever he’s after

💠But somehow this is different. Maybe he let it go on for a little too long before deciding to actually do anything. He let you bite back too many times, and let you make up for it with a playful smile that shyly turned away. He let you tag along without even asking, and spilled far too many secrets. He got used to you being there- and he didn’t even have to peacock around to do it!

💠He also finds himself wishing you were around more often. He's never felt so lonely in bed at night! Or, for once, wishing he had someone to talk to while he's up late at night tinkering with something. Sometimes he does something that he knows you would have laughed at- god, he's down real bad, huh?

💠Yeah, yeah, he knows. He has a crush or whatever 😒 He doesn't need to be told. He could feel the unfamiliar heat in his cheeks when he mentioned your next outing should be somewhere nice, like uh, ahem, like a date. He still kept up that usual confident demeanor, but you knew him well enough by now to see through it (not to mention the very obvious blush on his face)

💠His mom already knew what was up tbh. Every time he came home, he had something to say about what he did today, but it wasn’t as much about the very mundane thing he did as it was about the fact that he did it with you ;)

💠So when he comes home, earlier than normal one night, and is stuttering to answer his mom's usual question, she's more than a little worried

💠"Uh- I asked her out and," he starts, getting pitiful. "I don't know what to do."

💠"Don't you... always go on dates?" His mom knows he's, ya know, rather promiscuous, but that's beside the point! Tony knows what he's doing, surely??

💠"Yeah, but- this one's different!" He’s kinda cornered himself here because he's done lots of mostly fancy dates and "dates" that were really just, uh... in bed, so nothing really feels good enough for you. Sure, you probably won't care or even know the difference, but he knows, and he wants it to be special >:(

💠"Since when do you have trouble talking to girls?" His father's sarcasm chimes in from the hall.

"Oh, don’t listen to him," his mom brushes it off for him, trying to wipe that frown from his face. "He pretends like he wasn't nervous on our first date, too." Tony doesn't really want to hear about that, but he smiles anyway.

"Honestly, Tony, it sounds like she'll enjoy anything."

"What, 'just be myself'?"

"Haven't you already been doing that?"

💠He stares at her as if she just told him some world-changing secret. He has just been himself! And the setting didn't seem to matter-- you flirted back all the same! But while that does make him feel better, it still doesn't help his current predicament. "Okay, but where do I take us?"

💠His mom sighs, but is willing to try and help him out 😌 But idea by idea, no is starting to sound like a word that doesn't even exist. His mom sighs again, a little less willing to help him out. She's glad and all that he's finally trying to put effort into love, but he still has to actually do something. “What’s her favorite colors?” She asks suddenly. Now Tony’s even more confused. Favorite color- What? Why? Uh,,, He’s pretty sure he could guess from the clothes you wear and the color of the pen you always choose over the others when you sneakily draw smiley faces on the corner of his papers during lecture.

💠"What if you made a little bouquet with some of the flowers in the garden," she suggests. While it's a great start, and would be pretty romantic of him,,, well, it would kinda set the scene for something pretty romantic, too, huh 🤔

💠Well, he has a few days to decide, and he still has to act Cool and Normal around you! You likely share a class or campus, live nearby, or maybe even frequent the same areas, soooo he can't just hide away and prepare. Your smile is a little different, and you seem to lean in a little more when he makes you laugh. Normally he's the one that has them all flustered, but this time he's the one that's hot and bothered! If he's already like this, how is he supposed to survive an actual date??

💠Well, now it's the morning of, so he better learn quick. And he also better learn quick how to arrange flowers 🤧

💠But he did a pretty decent job, if he does say so himself! Little ribbons and all :)

💠He's probably bugging the hell out of his mom. What should I wear? Does this look okay? Help me roll up this sleeve :( Wait- I think I want them down, actually...

💠He's never overthought every little thing like this. Is he just being silly? Probably, but cut him some slack. He's never really felt like this!

💠He's praying no one else opens the door but you. He's not ready to meet any family or anything! He's already stressed as hell!

💠He's relieved when it is you that opens it, and can't really think of anything to say other than "hi". Come on, he's cooler than this!

💠But you can probably only giggle and say hi back, and immediately notice the flowers in his hand. Which he looks at for a second as if he forgot 😅

💠"I, um- I made this. With some of the flowers in our garden." Wow, he sounds so fucking nerdy rn. "So it's probably not the prettiest," he jokes half-heartedly to try and save himself (when he doesn't need any saving). Tony just doesn't realize how cute he really is tbh. You're already close enough and both obviously into one another, so don't be shy to give him a kiss on the cheek to show your gratitude ;) If you do, it'll definitely shut him up and keep a smile on his face the rest of the night, but it won't exactly quell any of that nervousness 😥

💠Don't worry! The car ride will feel a little more comfy and be like normal!

💠He probably did decide on a more upscale restaurant, but one with a nice patio because it's a little more quiet on the outside, and he thought the string lights were more cute than fancy. And the flower in the little vase is (hopefully) your favorite color! But he's probably a little stiff again :( Is it okay? Are there enough options? He's just going to overthink everything he's doing again

💠So it's going to feel a bit awkward when he doesn't really know what else to do after! Or maybe he did have something planned, but honestly just derail it! Go get ice cream or whatever you would prefer at the place you've both been to before that's nearby! And it's still a nice evening with the sun out, so you could sit at one of the umbrellaed tables in the park you've probably done homework at or something. Anything that will convince this man to chill out! Because it doesn't have to be something stiff and fancy to be perfect or romantic :) Honestly he only really knows how to showboat around, and that's usually why people enjoy his company, so he just needs to learn. Tbh you can probably blame that behavior on his parents, but that's all he's every really seen, after all! That and movies, but he's probably afraid those arcades or drive-in movie dates make him look silly or juvenile, but he'll learn to lean into them later 😉

💠Even if you know where it is, bring up the big fountain in the corner of the park but that you "can never remember exactly where it's at." He knows where the big fountain is! Let him save the day, so to speak 😌

💠Of course he won't act as excited as it made him. He'll be very cool about it. "Oh, I think I know where it is," he says casually. "I might even have some pennies to throw in." While you're busy listening to those words and starting to fall in step (honestly more busy with the eyes looking down at you), he so carefully sneaks his hand into yours and laces his fingers with yours and leads you along. He does it so naturally, no hesitation. You barely have time to register it! Yeah, okay, so maybe it makes it obvious he's done this before, but don't let that discourage you! No one else got a homemade (and homegrown) bouquet, first of all 😘

💠The rest of your time is spent... almost like usual? It's relaxed and quiet, with the usual flirty banter snuck in and jokes while you people-watch. Except this time he sits a little closer, and you're absentmindedly (or boldly) playing your fingers over his... which is cute and all, but he can only focus on so many things at once and it's more than a little distracting! But then when he finds distraction in the coldness of his ice cream, then you're distracted by that tongue-- NO ONE WINS

💠Once the sun is low and you've finished up, Tony reluctantly brings it up that he should take you home, but not before he hands you a penny with a playful grin, and you each flick one into the water (and Tony might manage to miss the first time 😅)

💠But once you're home, he'll be pretty hesitant to let go of you're hand once you reach the front door 💔 But honestly you probably are too. Let him know you had fun tonight and that usual smug grin will spread across his face as if he wasn't a wreck for the last hour or so, but you have to admit that there's always something so charming about it 💘 Kiss him on the cheek and, while that smile won't fade, the uncharacteristic pink tint coming to his cheeks will give him away 🤭 But don't tease him about it! Maybe you can later, though...

💠Sigh. It may be hard to read that face, but his dark eyes almost always tell all and always want more 🥺 If you're up to it, lean in a little closer and not-so-subtly glance down to his lips. He still might hesitate when he starts to lean in, but he'll get there 😌 It's not that e doesn't want to, or thinks you don't want to, but he's worried and overthinking about rushing things because he doesn't really know how that works either, and he's pretty used to skipping right to the point after dates but he doesn't really wanna do that this time 😩

💠But he stops overthinking when you kiss him back with a hand on his cheek and one still in his hand, and it's probably the most innocent and giddy he's felt in this position 🥺 You'll probably have to be the one that pulls away first ngl, but there's still something he wants (and no, it's not what you're thinking... though he wouldn't necessarily argue...)

💠"Uh," he starts, looking away a bit awkwardly and clears his throat. "Would you want to be my girlfriend?" There's a bracing upturn to his tone. How could you say no to that face? Of course you say yes, with a few, probably painful, bashful smiles and looks exchanged. And honestly it's a huge weight off his chest because he realizes he's been thinking about it for like, weeks before he actually decided he wanted to ask you out. He was worried about rushing things or whatever, but- this is different!

💠He's probably expecting another kiss, and maybe you are too, but keep him on his toes! Give him a mission for next time! Give him an almost sultry "goodnight, Tony" and play with the tips of his fingers before you let go. Leave him as a melted puddle at your door 😇😘

💠He has to walk by the kitchen to get to his room, but his mom's been keeping a lookout and catches him before he can speed away. He's usually not so flustered and jumpy, so she's probably a bit worried. And her many questions don't help! "Did she like the flowers?" "Did it go okay?" "Home already?" "Did you ask her?"

💠He can really only answer yes to all of them, and very stiffly as if he's done something wrong! And let's be honest, it's kind of hard to talk about these sorts of things to nosy parents 😅 even though he regularly tells her, like, everything

💠You're likely going to be invited over for dinner pretty soon, which might feel a little intimidating considering who his dad is? But then again, you're dating his son, who isn't exactly some guy from down the street, either, so

💠But they're pretty nice! Well, his dad might be a little distant, and honestly thought this was all a bit silly since... well, you know. Maria, on the other hand, is going to talk your ear off! Don't worry if you're more on the quiet side. She can just fill in with some embarrassing story or another instead! And even if you are quiet around new people and places, she can most likely get you comfortable enough (or at least make you laugh a lot)! Honestly, Tony might even be a little jealous... and you guys are laughing at him 😖 Even Howard probably feels a little bad 😅

💠Maria might also make a joke about how she thought you two were already dating, with the way Tony talked about you all the time ;)

💠Tony won't leave you alone with anyone just yet (besides, what other secrets will mom spill in his absence 😩). He'll stick around and probably help her with the dishes anyway while you may or may not already have the family photo album 🤭

💠This time you're the one that has to bring up that it's time for you to go, with plenty of social graces from Maria about how good it was to meet you and have you over and to come again. And she's not at all keeping an eye on the front door while you two share goodbyes, and that kiss you withheld from him last time 😏 and another one, just because he felt bad at dinner 😌

💠Eyes are already on him when he comes back through the front door, as well as a very sly grin on her face.

💠"Why are you looking at me like that?"

💠"I'm not looking at you like anything."

💠Tony's already stalking his way back to his room, but he knows his mom has something on her mind.

💠"I think she's very nice," she says fondly before going back to whatever she was doing. "And I think you're both pretty cute together, too," she slyly tags on. Tony wrinkles his nose and looks away, but he can't not smile at both approval and praise

💠It may take a few more dinners, but once Maria has you alone, she'll definitely have you just as embarrassed yet proud when she starts talking about how glad she is for her son to have found someone 💛

💠Aaaand maybe after a few more dinners, even father dearest starts to warm up to you a little more!

#tony stark #tony stark x reader #tony stark imagine #tony stark headcanon #tony stark drabble #tony stark fanfiction #tony stark fic #iron man #iron man x reader #iron man drabble #iron man imagine #iron man fanfiction #iron man headcanons #marvel #marvel x reader #marvel headcanons #marvel fic #young tony stark #young tony stark x reader

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