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#it’s like when you’re walking into a grocery store and you see certain brands first
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Run Rabbit Run
Corey Cunningham x fem!reader
Warnings: smut, 18+, fear play, knife play, prey and predator, bondage, bit of a breeding kink, etc
Authors Note: I have been sitting on this concept for a bit and decided to finally write it. Hehehe enjoy.
It was a few days after your run in at the gas station, and Corey was still at work. “Have to stay late tonight,” he told you earlier, “me and my dad gotta like, fully repair this truck later. Not looking forward to it.” You gave him a good luck kiss, which always worked. He smiled and went off on his way, leaving you spending your day off from work. It was one of those days where you were certain you had something to do, but couldn’t remember what.
It didn’t hit you until ten at night: you had forgotten to go get milk. It could wait until tomorrow, but what if you forgot again? I can just go get a jug real quick, you thought to yourself as you grabbed your keys. You went outside and quickly locked your door, peering around in the dark. You honestly didn’t have much to be afraid, but what if Michael showed up again? Would he remember to leave you alone? What if some other stranger showed up when Corey wasn’t around? You shook your head as you headed to your car and hopped in, cursing yourself for having an overactive brain. You pulled out of your driveway and made your way to the nearby grocery store.
You made your way into the store, wishing you had brought a coat instead of your hoodie. It wasn’t that cold, but still enough to give you a bit of a chill. You wouldn’t be here long though. You went to the milk isle and grabbed a carton of your favorite brand, debating if you should pick up a snack or dessert. You decided against it, telling yourself you had some at home. You could always come back later in the week as well. You went and stood in line, checking your phone and notifications. You finally were first and went up to pay for the carton, which the cashier placed in a plastic bag. You thanked her and took the bag, making your way back to the parking lot you parked in. You were about halfway to your car when you heard someone speak behind you.
“You’re out pretty late, aren’t you?”
You knew the voice, but it still sent a shiver down your spine and caused you to jump. You turned and saw Corey leaning against the wall of the grocery store, watching you get back to your car. There wasn’t a street lamp there, so you could barely see him. “Did you follow me?” you asked once your heart rate settled back down. “You always manage to leave a trail somehow,” he said, and you knew he was smiling though you couldn’t see it, “always so easy to track.” “I was just out getting some milk,” you said as you held up your bag.
Corey began to slowly walk towards you, “ah, is that the reason you left the house? Just for some milk?” He reached you, his right hand going to grasp your chin gently, “or was there another reason, little bunny?” You shivered at his words. He always called you by some cute pet name, but this was different, much different. He noticed your slight reaction, “yeah?” “Shut up,” you mumbled.” He chuckled, “aww, don’t worry my little bunny. There’s nothing to be shy about. And nothing to worry about.” He suddenly pulled you to him, pressing your back against his front. You were trapped.
“What are you-“ you started to say. “You just look so cute right now,” he whispered into your ear, “I could just eat you up right here.” “In the parking lot?” you asked, looking around to see if anyone else was close by. “I suppose not,” he said, and he let you go. You pulled away a bit, looking back and seeing a mischievous glint in his eye. “We’ll have to take this elsewhere, the woods perhaps?” he asked, his right hand in the pocket of his overalls. The grocery store wasn’t far from the woods, you knew that. What was he planning?
“Corey, what are you-“ you asked again, but then he pulled out his knife. Oh fuck. “Run little bunny,” he said, his grin widening, “run.”
You didn’t need to be told twice, dropping the grocery bag and making your way towards the wooded area. Corey merely walked towards where you went, following you.
You ran deep into the wooded area, realizing it was a lot bigger than it looked on the outside. And with how dark it was, it was dangerous. You had half a mind to use the flashlight of your phone, but it would make you noticeable. Instead, you carefully but swiftly made your way deeper into the woods. Every snap of a twig under your foot had your heart racing, and you swore you heard something in the darkness behind you. You cautiously made you way through the dark until you reached an oak tree that had massive roots, one of which was in a strange loop into the ground. It could provide you with a hiding spot, and god did you need to take a small break. So you sat under the root, scanning the dark as best as you could.
A moment later, you heard a twig snap in the dark. And then another. And another. You pressed yourself up against the root as much as you could, keeping your breathing as quiet as possible. “Little bunny,” you heard him say, “come out. I know you’re nearby.” How on earth did he know that? you wondered, was he checking the floor for snapped twigs or something? That had to be it. You heard him chuckle, “I see, so that’s how it’ll be then.” And then, there was complete silence for a moment. That is, until you heard another soft crunch not far from you.
“You’re making me frustrated, little thing,” and you could hear it in his voice, “come out and maybe I’ll play nice.” You knew it was a lie. Whatever mood he was in, he would never play nice. And you’d be lying if you said that didn’t thrill you. So you kept quiet, almost giddy with the fact you were so well hidden. More twig snaps and a frustrated growl, “fine. Then I won’t play nice. I’ll ruin you, little bunny.” He sounded closer this time, which kind of terrified you. You had the sinking feeling he would find you soon. You waited until he sounded further away before you ran from your spot as quietly as you could. But with your luck, he heard the twig you stepped on.
You could hear him take off running behind you, which made you run as well. You ran blindly throughout the woods, heart sinking as you heard him get closer. You grabbed a tree branch from the floor, stopping in the dark. You waited until he got close enough and whacked his chest with it. The sudden pain stopped him briefly for a moment, and you heard him cough as he sunk to the floor. Suddenly concerned, you walked to him, reaching out a hand. “I didn’t mean-“ you started before you let out a scream as he grabbed your arm and pulled. Corey pushed you onto the floor, panting heavily. “Trying to fight back? I have to say, I didn’t except that,” he growled, pushing himself against you. He held his knife against your neck, the blade cold enough to make you shiver. You could feel him straining in his overalls, and it took all the power in you to not grind against it. Instead you whimpered, “please let me go, please. I won’t tell anyone, I promise.” Corey grinned, “no, it’s too late little bunny. No one’s going to know because you won’t be able to tell them.” He set down his knife beside you before pulling out what looked like a small coil of rope out of his pocket, tying your hands together.
He then nearly tore down your leggings, running a hand over your soaking panties. You whined, struggling underneath him. “You act like you don’t want this, but you’re absolutely soaked for me, little bunny,” he taunted, “you wanted this, didn’t you? You needed this.” Corey pulled down your panties, throwing them beside your leggings. He loomed over you, his eyes piercing you, “I said I could just eat you up earlier. Hmm….” His hands trailed down to your thighs, pulling them apart, “I think I will do just that.” And he immediately dove in between your legs, his mouth on your clit. He wasted no time eating you out like a man starved, and you didn’t hold back the moans of his name. You wished you could grip his curls, but you couldn’t struggle out of the rope. You instead could only lay there and take it.
Corey’s nose bumped into your clit as he licked and sucked at you, his thumb rubbing against your clit as he did. He loved the way you shivered and shook under him, and he couldn’t keep the grin on his face away. From the way your hips bucked and the moans you were letting out, he knew you were close already. He pulled his mouth away, grinning down at you as he swiped his thumb across his mouth, tasting the last of you. You whined at the loss of his mouth, and at the frustration of your fading orgasm.
Corey then pushed two fingers into you immediately, “what’s wrong little bunny? Were you gonna cum? Don’t worry, I’ll let you cum this time. But only because you’re being so adorable for me.” You whimpered as he thrust them roughly into you, bucking against his hand. Once he deemed you ready, he slipped in a third. “You looked so cute running away from me, bunny,” Corey said as he watched your face contort in pleasure, “but you never really wanted to run, did you? You just wanted me to take care of you.” You whined out his name, still struggling at the rope around your wrists. You felt your orgasm approach again. He knew you too well by this point, and could sense your approaching orgasm without you even saying anything, “you gonna cum, bunny?” You nodded weakly. He grinned, “such a good little bunny, my good little bunny. I need you to cum for me, okay? Be a good little bunny and cum all over my fingers.” The thumb rubbed harsher circles into your clit, and that sent you over the edge almost violently. You came with a sob of his name, bucking your hips against his fingers wildly. Corey kept going until you came down from your high, and chuckled when you squirmed from the overstimulation. After a minute of torture he raised his fingers to his mouth, sucking them clean.
Corey unzipped his mechanic suit and took off his boxers, “little bunny…..” He positioned himself over you, reaching for his knife again, “I can’t wait to ruin you.” He thrusted himself inside you, groaning at how tight and wet you were. He brought the knife back up to your throat while his free hand gripped your hip tightly. Corey didn’t move for a moment, letting you adjust before he began to thrust into you harshly. You whimpered, trying to form words but being unable to. Every time you tried, it just came out as a squeak or a whimper. Corey loved it, “what’s that, little bunny? Already having trouble talking? How cute.” He kept pounding into you roughly, taking out his frustrations from the day onto you. “Fuck, bunny,” he groaned, “I’ll never get over how tight your cunt is for me. So good for me….” You could only whine in response, too fucked out of it.
After getting tired of holding the knife to your throat, Corey threw it down beside you again. His hand instead went for your throat, putting some light pressure. “Harder,” you managed to whimper. Something dark glossed over his eyes, “yeah bunny? Want me to choke you?” You nodded quickly. “Fuck,” he groaned as his thrusts only got rougher, “such a good little bunny.” The pressure of his hand got a bit tighter, which nearly made you cum. He could feel you shake under him, causing him to curse. “Fuck, look at you bunny,” he groaned, “taking my cock so well. Wanting to be choked like a good little pet, fuck. My good little bunny, all mine.” You tried to warn him that you were about to cum, but it only came out as a shuddering gasp. But Corey knew anyway, bringing his hand from your hip to rub circles against your clit again, “that’s it bunny, that’s it. Cum for me. Cum for me, and I’ll never let you go. Never let you- fuck- never let you escape me. Come on little bunny, cum for me.” You came quicker than you usually did, letting out a near scream as you did.
Corey’s hips stuttered as he could feel his own orgasm not far off. “Fuck bunny, fuck. You did so good for me, so good.” His thrusts got faster and harder as he chased his orgasm, which made you cry out from overstimulation again. “Gonna fill you up,” he moaned into your ear, “gonna make you all mine. All mine.” And then, he said something that he didn’t even think twice about, “gonna breed you, bunny. You’re gonna be mine forever. I’ll just-fuck- breed you over and over. You’d like that, hmm?” You nearly came again at that, his words awakening something in you. Corey laughed a bit before whimpering, “fuck. Fuck. Bunny….I’m gonna cum. Gonna cum inside you. Gonna-“ He came inside you with a growl, panting against you as he spilled into you. Despite his orgasm, he started up the pace of his thumb again, getting you to orgasm again. You came around him with a whine, still feeling him cum in you. Corey was shaking and panting, holding you against him tightly. Once he came down from his high, he undid the rope around your hands, freeing them. Your hands immediately went for him, one hand in his hair and the other against his chest. Once his breath was finally caught, he leaned down and kissed you rather gently.
Exhausted, he laid beside you for a moment, knowing he would have to carry you back to your car. He could tell from the way your legs shook and the fact you hadn’t quite caught your breath fully yet. A thought came to his mind, and he laughed. “What?” you asked. “We totally forgot about the milk,” he said. You groaned, remembering you dropped it in the parking lot. “Don’t worry,” Corey said as he brushed some of your hair back, “I’ll get a new one tomorrow before work, okay?” You nodded. Corey got up and got dressed before helping you get your clothes back on. Once you were all done, he scooped you up into his arms. You felt so comfortable in them that you fell asleep before you even realized your eyes were closed. Corey smiled when he realized, holding you a bit closer to him. He carried you to your car, hoping nobody would be around to ask questions. He grabbed the keys from your pocket and opened your car, gently putting you into the passenger seat before he climbed into the other seat. He started the car, careful not to wake you.
Corey drove you home and gently tucked you into bed, smiling at how cute you looked. He gently closed your door before reaching into his pocket, realizing with dread that he left his knife out into the woods. He let out a sigh before exiting the house and hopping on his motorcycle, heading back to the wooded area for it. Leaving a knife behind where anyone could find it in Haddonfield was a terrible idea. And to be honest, Corey liked that knife. Not only because it was perfect against his victims, but because he loved to see you squirm under it.
He made his way back to the area you too had been in, the flashlight on his phone illuminating the dark. He followed the small path of broken twigs as he had done earlier, searching for the knife. A glint in the dark and there it was. Corey picked it up and put it back in his pocket before heading back through the woods. He was back at your house soon after.
He debated getting into bed with you. He often slept on the couch when he didn’t want to wake you, but he also really wanted to be with you. Sneaking as quietly as he could, he climbed into bed with you. Corey wrapped an arm around you, gently pulling you to him. You must have been so tired to not wake up from it all. Corey listened to your soft breathing before he surrendered himself to sleep.
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Opening A Grocery Store Also Means Getting These 6 Essential Things
Running a grocery store is no small feat- it requires a significant amount of planning, a deep understanding of the food and beverage industry, and, of course, some business acumen. But perhaps most importantly, if you want your grocery store to be successful, you need to make sure you have these six things covered and ready.
Inventory
Your inventory is one of the most important aspects of your grocery store- it needs to be well-stocked with the items your customers are looking for. That means having a good mix of staples and seasonal items, as well as offering a variety of brands and price points.
Certain fruits such as strawberries and peaches are at their best in the springtime in certain areas, whereas apples are a fall fruit. If you’re in the northern hemisphere, stocking up on these items when they’re in season will help keep costs down. In order to find out what is currently in season, you can check online resources or ask your supplier. You'll also want to keep an eye on expiration dates and make sure to rotate stock so that older items are used first. This is especially important with perishable items like produce and dairy. Expiration dates are typically displayed prominently on food items, so customers will be able to see them easily.
Keep It Fresh
Secondly, you need to make sure the product you sell is in tip-top condition. This means doing everything possible to keep your produce well-maintained for as long as possible. Therefore, it's important to invest in only the best equipment for your store. To do this, you’ll want to keep your produce fresh by using commercial refrigeration. If you don’t already have commercial refrigeration installed, then it’s a wise idea to call in some expert help.
A proper commercial refrigeration service provides you with a variety of services including; refrigeration equipment and installation, as well as case repair, walk-in cooler repair and service, and ice-machine repair and service. When it comes to installing the proper equipment for your business - leave it to the professionals who know what they’re doing. You want to make sure your produce is stored and maintained adequately so you have happy customers!
Location
Your grocery store's location is critical to its success. You need to choose a spot that is convenient for your target market- ideally, somewhere with high foot traffic and good visibility. Additionally, you'll want to make sure your store is easily accessible, with plenty of parking or public transportation options nearby.
Customer Service
Your customer service team is the face of your store, so you need to make sure they're friendly and knowledgeable. They should be able to help customers find what they're looking for, provide recommendations, and handle any questions or concerns.
Marketing
You'll need to let people know about your store, so a solid marketing plan is essential. You can use traditional methods like print ads and direct mail, or go digital with social media and email marketing. Whatever approach you take, make sure your marketing is targeted and effective.
A Strong Business Plan
Last but not least, you'll need a strong business plan. This document should lay out your store's goals, strategies, and financial projections. It will be crucial for convincing lenders and investors to support your venture. If you can get these six things sorted before opening your doors, you'll be well on your way to success. But running a grocery store is no easy task- it takes hard work, dedication,  and a whole lot of planning. So make sure you're up for the challenge before taking the plunge. 
Similarly, running a grocery store is a costly endeavor, so you'll need to make sure you have the necessary financing in place. That may mean taking out a loan, finding investors, or using your own personal savings.
Good Luck!
So there you have it, six essential tips to bear in mind when opening a grocery store. You have to make sure you pick the right location to suit your target market and have a variety of seasonally relevant products maintained well with appropriate refrigeration installed in your establishment. Similarly, you need to work on your marketing strategy and customer service skills. Once you’ve worked hard on perfecting these factors, you’ll be off to a flying start. 
Starting and opening up your own grocery store isn't an easy task, but the journey and result can be extremely rewarding. So work hard, and you’ll be rewarded with success. Enjoy the process, and good luck!
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waitineedaname · 3 years
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"Accidently ending a phone call with your roommate with a casual ‘I love you’ seems like a very good reason to move out"
For benrey @ gordon?
“And can you pick up some oat milk while you’re there? I just realized I’m out.”
“Man, oat milk freaks me out,” Benrey said, pushing their shopping cart towards the dairy section anyway. “Like, do oats even have, uh. Others?”
“Others?” There was a beat of silence as Gordon attempted to figure out exactly what the hell Benrey was talking about. “You mean udders?”
“Yeah. Cow things.”
“Dude, that’s not how oat milk works.” Gordon’s laugh made Benrey’s cheap phone speakers crackle.
“Then how does it work? Huh? Mister scientician?” Benrey propped the phone between their ear and shoulder as they opened the fridge door to grab the brand of oat milk he knew Gordon liked.
“I don’t fucking know! I’m not a goddamn milk scientist.” Even through a phone call, Benrey could hear the smile on Gordon’s face. “They squeeze juice out of the oats or smush them into a paste or something. I don’t know. Stop making me think about how oat milk works, it’s going to make me not want to drink it anymore.”
“Cool, so I’ll buy milk with extra lactose then.”
“You will not, unless you wanna deal with me laying on the couch complaining all afternoon because my stomach hurts.”
“You do that anyway.”
“Fuck off, man.” Gordon’s tone of voice didn’t carry any bite to it. “Alright, I gotta go, I’m almost at the end of the queue to pick Joshie up. I’ll see you back at home, okay?”
“Mhm. Love you, bye.” Benrey hung up and shoved their phone back in their jacket pocket. They unfolded the shopping list and attempted to decipher the mix of their own chicken scratch, Gordon’s doctor handwriting, and the occasional misspelled request for snacks in Joshua’s six year old handwriting. Okay, they had to get those frozen chicken nuggets Joshua liked, another pack of seltzer, a can of black beans since Gordon was planning to cook dinner tonight-
Thinking about Gordon made them suddenly freeze in place as they realized what they’d just done. Did… Did they just say “love you” on the phone with Gordon?
Aw, fuck.
They’d been living with Gordon for a while now. It hadn’t always been an easy thing for either of them. When they’d been freshly respawned, both of them had been jumpy around each other at best, and at worst, they were at each other’s throats trying to kill each other. It took a long time and a lot of uncomfortable conversations for them to get to the point where they could interact without an unbearable amount of tension. From there, they were able to start rebuilding an actual friendship. Turns out, they got along a lot better when they weren’t in mortal danger. Who knew!
Living with Gordon involved a lot of rules, both spoken and unspoken. They involved stuff like “don’t ask weird questions about Gordon’s feet,” “if one of them gets too angry, walk it off instead of actually fighting,” and “no gross body horror in front of Gordon’s son.” It also involved shit like “please for the love of god don’t put empty juice cartons back in the fridge” and “don’t stain the carpets with Sweet Voice, this is a rental and that security deposit is worth getting back.” So far, Benrey hadn’t had too much trouble following the rules. They had been a security guard, after all; following rules was supposed to be their thing. Besides, they were a low price to pay to get to spend time with Gordon.
One of those early unspoken rules, however, had been “keep the flirting to a minimum.” That one had been a little tricky at first, but it had been necessary, especially back when they still weren’t on the best of terms. Benrey learned that when Gordon was already worked up, blowing a kiss did the opposite of diffusing the situation. This was news to Benrey. Who didn’t love a little kiss from their buddies? Lame.
That had been an early rule, though, and one that had kind of faded into the background over time. The longer they lived together, the more physically affectionate they both got, and a little domesticity is only to be expected when you share a household. It was nice. Comfortable.
And then Benrey had to go and say “I love you” on the phone. What the fuck.
That had to be crossing a line, right? Gordon was fine with some handholding and some cuddling and they’d make dinner together once a week, but this had to be pushing it.
Benrey went through the rote motions of buying the rest of their groceries without really paying attention, too busy panicking. There was only one option. They had to move out. This was fine. This was totally fine. They could just crash on Tommy’s couch until they find a place of their own because there was no way this wasn’t going to make Gordon freak the fuck out. As much as they loved fucking with Gordon, they’d learned there was the fun kind of freaking him out and the bad kind of freaking him out. They were fairly certain this fell into the bad category.
By the time that they were walking up to their apartment door, they were already mentally packing up all their things, resigned to their fate. They were so stuck in their own head that Joshua barreling into their legs when they opened the door actually startled them.
“Benny!” Joshua cheered, clinging to their jeans.
“Hey, li’l dude.” Benrey carefully tried to push past the kid without tripping over him on the way to the kitchen. Tragically, that’s where Gordon also happened to be.
“Hey, what took you so long?” Gordon asked, taking some of the grocery bags from them. “I thought you’d gotten lost in Costco again.”
Benrey grunted noncommittally and started putting away groceries instead of answering Gordon. Maybe if they didn’t look at him, they could avoid confronting whatever Gordon’s reaction was. Yeah, definitely, this seemed like a sustainable, reasonable decision to make. Yep.
“Dude.” Gordon’s hand suddenly appeared on their forearm. Benrey stared at it, then looked up at Gordon’s concerned face. “Are you okay?”
“Huh?”
“You’re putting carrots in the utensil drawer.”
Benrey looked down at their hands again. Oh. So they were.
“You’ve been acting weird ever since you got back from the store,” Gordon said, gently taking the carrots away from them. “Did something happen? You wanna talk about it?”
Benrey screwed their mouth up. No, they didn’t want to talk about it, but learning how to talk through things like adults was something they both had agreed to do. That had been a rule introduced by an exasperated Tommy, sick of mediating their bullshit. So, they sighed and looked away while Gordon put the carrots in the vegetable drawer of the fridge. “I was thinking about how I’ve gotta move out.”
“What?” Gordon stood up too fast and smacked his head on the freezer door. He swore loudly, and Benrey reached over to hand him a bag of frozen peas to put on the back of his head. “Thanks. But also, what? Since when are you moving out?”
“Uh, since now?” Benrey said, confused. Shouldn’t it be obvious?
“Why?”
“‘Cause I said I love you on the phone? Dummy? You, uh, a fucking old man got bad brain disease, not remembering things?” They said, defaulting to picking on Gordon to avoid focusing on anything else. Gordon stared blankly at them for a moment, then, against all odds, a grin spread across his face.
“Benrey,” He said, and Benrey decided he didn't like that tone one bit, “Are you embarrassed?”
“Whuh? No.” There was no way they could be embarrassed. That definitely wasn't what was going on here. Nope. Not a bit, “...Maybe.”
“Dude, you don't have to be embarrassed about that.” Gordon laughed. “Do you know how often I've said stupid Freudian slips? I called my sixth grade teacher mom once and wanted to change my name and move to Canada. I've been there.”
“It wasn't, uh… It wasn't too much? Not crossing a line or anything?”
“Nah, man. It was kinda sweet.” Gordon flashed him a smile and finished putting away the last of the groceries.
“Cool.” Benrey relaxed, letting go of the tension that had been building in their shoulders. “That's good ‘cause I was gonna fight you for custody of your Xbox.” Gordon snorted.
“Good fucking luck, you’re too much of a Playstation guy to win that case.”
The evening passed relatively uneventfully from there. Gordon enlisted Benrey’s help in cooking dinner, and Joshua eagerly told them all about the cool dinosaur facts he’d learned in class that day. They went through the easy routine of watching just one episode (which of course always turned into several episodes) of Joshua’s choice of TV, then Benrey helped wash up in the kitchen while Gordon put Josh to bed. Gordon joined them as they finished washing dishes and squeezed Benrey’s shoulder affectionately when they were done.
“Alright, man, I think I’m gonna head to bed early tonight.”
Benrey nodded. “Cool. I’ll be quiet.”
“Don’t worry about it. G’night, dude.”
“Night, Gordon.”
“Oh, and Benrey?” Gordon paused in the doorway of his bedroom and waited until Benrey glanced up at him. Gordon smiled. “Love you too.”
He shut the door before Benrey could respond, leaving Benrey to stare blankly at the door. They let out a groan, careful not to wake Joshua. Oh, Gordon was going to be the death of them.
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cloudteawrites · 3 years
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chapter: five ( 4.7k ) rating: mature (death, past abuse, eventual smut) genre: mystery | romance | hurt/comfort tags: bts x reader | ot7 x reader | hybrid | poly summary: when an estranged uncle leaves you his massive fortune you wonder if the universe is playing a joke on you. when that fortune comes with seven hybrids, you know for sure that it is. << first < previous | next > last >>
The grocery store was a mess of color and light. You swore you’d never seen so much food in one place. 
Back when your mom had been alive, you’d never really gone to traditional grocery stores. You’d always just visited markets where your mom knew the vendors and could talk down their prices on ugly produce and day old bread. After she’d died, you’d eaten whatever the staff in the group home had provided, then whatever you could scrounge up from convenience stores. Most of the time since you’d aged out of social services, you survived off the free rice and kimchi available in your goshiwon. 
Occasionally, you’d eat at work with your free staff meal, but you tried to avoid it. You knew the sight of you wolfing down ramyeon and cold kimbap as fast as you could made Jiah worry. If she ever saw you looking too haggard, she’d try to slip some home made meals to the front desk of your goshiwon when you weren’t looking and that was as embarrassing as it was helpful. 
For as long as you could remember, the question of where your next meal was coming from had hung over your head like a dark cloud. It didn’t seem like that was going to be a problem any longer. 
Aisle after aisle stretched out before you, blindingly bright. It looked like an amusement park. You were finding it hard to stop staring. You reached out in a haze and picked up the juiciest apple you’d ever seen. Sure, you sold them all the time at Quickstop, but they’d always been dull and just the slightest bit bruised. This one was perfect: fire engine red and still wet from the mister. It was cold and heavy in your hands. You almost felt like crying.
“You good?” Yoongi is beside you, leaning over on the shopping cart, his chin in his hand. He looks dreadfully bored. 
“Yeah,” you tell him, setting the apple gently back in its place. “Yeah; just got distracted for a second.” You give a single tug on the front of the basket to move him along, and he follows, shuffling against the bright white linoleum. 
“Why aren’t you getting that?” He calls, just before you can round the corner into the dry goods aisle. You turn and look at him over your shoulder, confusion slightly furrowing your brow. “Don’t you want it?”
Your eyes flick from his face back to the glittering heap of fruit. You gnaw at your lip. “...They’re 6,000 won a kilo.”
Yoongi purses his lips. “That’s not what I asked you.” 
“I don’t need them,” you huff, trying to stave off the beginnings of another argument. “There’s more important things...like you three and getting you clothes and better furniture and-” Before you get the chance to finish, the gray haired man has ducked back around the corner. He returns with two three kilo bags of apples and dumps them unceremoniously into the cart. 
He looks up at you, brows raised and his eyes daring you to say something. All you do is sigh. “Yoongi-”
“Jimin likes apples.” He says, before you can get a word in edgewise. “They’re for him.” You can’t argue with that. He pushes the basket forward and you two drift down the next aisle. 
There’s a question resting on the tip of your tongue and as you compare brands of rice, you spit it out. “So...what do you guys eat? I read an article that said to mainly feed cat hybrids fish, but...”
“But we’re not house cats.” He finishes, flipping over a box of cereal to read the back. His nose wrinkles at something he finds and he slides it back onto the shelf. It’s cute, you think- or would be if you couldn’t see the tips of his razor sharp incisors poking out when his lip curled up. Yoongi senses your gaze and looks over at you. You look away quickly and make yourself busy reading a label. “We can eat pretty much anything you’d eat. Not too much processed shit or we’ll get sick. Whole foods are better.”
You nod, making a mental note to forego sodas and chips. “And when you’re shifted?”
He shakes his head. “We don’t really eat when we’re shifted down unless we plan on staying there for a long time.” 
You choose a 10 kilo bag of rice, tug it out from the shelf with a little grunt and plop it onto the basket’s bottom shelf. That was good, you supposed. You were worried you were gonna have to watch three big cats rip into raw meat whenever it caught their fancy.  “Why don’t I push the basket and you can pick out things Taehyung and Jimin would want?”
He nods and shifts to the other side of the aisle. “What’s my limit?”
You pause for a moment, then stand and fix him with a strange look. “What do you mean?” He isn’t looking at you. He’s comparing two brands of cereal, scanning the nutritional facts on the back. 
“How much am I allowed to spend on food?” he questions, simply. “-and what foods are we allowed to eat?”
You balked at him. “.. .you want me to control your diet?”
“I don’t want you to, but most owners prefer a certain look.” He turns his flat, yellow-grey eyes on you. “So what is it? No carbs? no sugars? Low fat? No fat? Dairy-free-”
“Oh my God, no!” You yelp before he can list any more diets. You’d said it a little louder than you’d intended and a well-dressed mom at the other end of the aisle fixes you two with an odd look before hustling her twins into another part of the store. You wince, but continue in a quieter but no less urgent voice. “I mean, I’m not gonna tell you what you can and can’t eat that’s…” 
“It’s not unusual,” Yoongi cuts in before you can give voice to your thoughts. He sets one of the cereal boxes, decorated with bright colors and little cartoon animals, back on the shelf and tosses the other -something in a dull green and white box with a little piece of wheat on the front- into the cart. “You didn’t feed us last night.”
A pang of guilt shoots through you. You curl your fingers around the bar of the cart, stare at your knuckles. “I’m sorry,” you tell him, with all the sincerity in the world. “I was tired -and I know that’s not an excuse- but I fell asleep without thinking of you guys. It won’t happen again.” 
“Relax,” Yoongi drawls.”It’s not the first time we’ve gone hungry; I’m sure it won’t be the last.” He starts drifting toward the end of the aisle, but before he can go, you catch him by the sleeve of his sweatshirt. 
There’s barely an inch of fabric between your thumb and forefinger, but the look Yoongi gives you makes it look like you’d yanked him back by the collar. He whirls on you, eyes narrowed and lips twisted into something sour. You’d overstepped by grabbing him. Still, you speak. “That was the last time. I mean it.” 
The hybrid’s face shifts from irritation into something unrecognizable. He’s looking at you like there’s an equation written behind your eyes that he’s trying to work out with his own, like if he looks deep enough into them he’ll find the answers etched across your sclera. The hairs on the back of your neck stand up as the seconds drag on, but you don’t look away. Instead, you hold his gaze and let the moment swell under almost unbearable tension.
Yoongi gives first. He tugs his sleeve out of your grip and shuffles back out of reach. “Whatever you say,” he scoffs, stalking off into the next aisle, his ears tilted back and tail tip flicking in irritation. 
You sigh. You’d done it again. The urge to catch him again wells up in you, but you tamp it down. ‘Time and space,’ you remind yourself. ‘Give him time and give him space.’ Satisfied once the distance between the two of you is enough, you go to follow after him, but hesitate as you pass the cereal he’d been looking at. You tug it off the shelf and place it in the basket underneath a few other things so it’d be hidden. You don’t know why and if he asked you about it later you were sure you’d draw a blank. If nothing else, you told yourself as you hurried to catch up with your hybrid, he’d have a choice.
The rest of the grocery trip passed in silence, just as it’d begun. Yoongi didn’t so much as look at you, but that was fine. You were focused on watching him. Anything that he gave more than a passing glance went into the basket. If the bobcat hybrid noticed your rapidly increasing haul, he didn’t say anything about it. He was silent.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      Even when you flinched as the cashier announced the total and you waffled between trying to walk home or calling a taxi. Even in the lobby then the elevator on the way up as Mr. Park talked both of your ears off and you had to stop him from carrying your groceries in and stocking the fridge himself, Yoongi had remained eerily quiet. It’d given you time to think. 
You didn’t know much about hybrids. If you were honest with yourself, you hadn’t known anything about them prior to what you’d anxiety-googled yesterday afternoon. You were so far out of your depth, it was miracle you hadn’t drowned yet. Still, you weren’t completely oblivious.
In between Yoongi’s open hostility, Jimin’s blase attitude toward his own objectification and what snippets you’d heard about Taehyung’s early life, you knew something must’ve been very, very wrong with the people who’d had them before they’d been foisted upon you. The expectation that you were supposed to treat hybrids like actual pets made you uncomfortable enough without the assumption that you’d be dressing them up like dolls and locking the snack cabinets at night. 
A spike of anger shot through you. They might’ve been different than humans but they were still people. They hadn’t deserved whatever shady things their owners had done to them and you didn’t want them to come to expect them from you. You shift the grocery bags up your arm, freeing up a hand so you can punch the code into the door. There was no way around it. The four of you would need to sit down and have a good long talk. 
The second you punch the code into your door it swings open. “Hey, Jim-” the greeting dies on your tongue. It’s not Jimin who meets you at the door, but Taehyung, freshly showered, the curly ends of his hair dripping water onto the white tile and the front of his sweatshirt damp. His eyes were still hidden behind his hair but you could see more of him than you’d been able to that morning when he’d shifted. 
Well, not more of him. He was wearing clothes now, for one- a dark brown version of the sweat suit Yoongi and Jimin both wore. He was taller than you, which you’d known when he’d wrapped his arms around you, but looking up at him now you have to tilt your head back a bit. “Oh,” you say, a little dazed. “Wow.”
The corners of his mouth quirk up in a smile. “Hi.” His voice is still as deep as it was this morning. Was it always like that? He turns his attention to the hybrid behind you and his lips part in a blindingly bright boxy grin. “Hi, hyung.”
Yoongi hums a hello and slips past you through the door. His shoulder brushes against Taehyung’s and the younger hybrid chuffs happily a little in his throat. He leans down as the older man passes and bumps their foreheads together affectionately. Their tails twine together briefly before the gray-haired hybrid is out of reach and dropping an armful of groceries off in the kitchen. 
“You shifted up,” you remark “Did something happen?” There’s a tick of concern in his voice. You step to the side of the doorway so the pair can talk without you in the middle.
Taehyung shakes his head, water droplets scattering. His hyung let out a hiss that erred just on the wrong side of animalistic as some of them hit him. You freeze, but the tiger hybrid just laughs. “No, Jimin and I were just-” His smile falters. You can’t see his eyes but his ears have twitched downward and his tail is suddenly stiff, only the tip ticking back and forth. The hybrid lowers his head, and you finally catch sight of eyes, gleaming amber and full of fear. Behind him, you see Yoongi catch a whiff of his junior’s souring scent and his head whips toward the pair of you, ears straight up and his whole body on high alert. 
Worry draws your brows together. “Taehyung?” you call softly. You reach out with your free hand to touch his shoulder, then think better of it. Your fingers hover uselessly and inch away from him. In this moment, that distance feels a mile wide. The line of his shoulders is rigid and he’s withdrawn into himself. “Taehyung, it’s okay. You don’t have to tell me if you-”
“We went out.” He blurts, snapping his head up to look in your eyes. His own are wide and earnest. “You left your backpack open and I saw the list you made with all the phone numbers and passwords and the door code was on there and I really wanted to go to the park. Jimin told me to wait but I made him come with me; we were only gone for fifteen minutes, I swear. We didn’t even make it; the same police officer from earlier was still on the street.” 
“Taehyung-”
“Please-” he cuts you off before you can even get a word in edgewise. “Please, just punish me; Jimin didn’t do anything. The whole time he was trying to make me go back. He only went with me so I wouldn’t be alone.” 
Your heart wrenches in your chest. You do touch him, then. Your fingertips barely graze the material of his sweatshirt, but he flinches and you pull away. Your hand drops to your side, limp. “Can you and Jimin meet me in the living room?” You ask him, careful to keep your tone light and non-threatening as possible. “We need to talk.” His ears droop, but he nods and shuffles off to do as you ask. You trail behind him into the penthouse, making sure to give him enough space. The last thing you wanted to do right now was crowd him.
You drop the groceries on the counter in the kitchen and look up to find Yoongi squinting at you. He’s coiled up like a spring, ready to bolt at any moment. You try to give him a reassuring smile, but it comes out watery and wan. “It’s okay,” you tell him. “We’re just gonna talk.” You can tell he doesn’t believe you. 
Still, he follows you into the living room, takes a seat on the couch while you settle cross-legged on the ottoman across from him. A few seconds later, Jimin and Taehyung slink down the stairs. The tiger hybrid is clinging to his hyung who, for once, isn't smiling. Jimin’s face is settled into a cool mask of neutrality. You almost don’t recognize him. 
They sink into the couch on either side of Yoongi, their backs stiff and eyes on anything other than you. For a moment, the four of you sit there in uncomfortable silence. You speak first. 
“Jimin, Taehyung, Yoongi-”
“Y/N,” Jimin cuts in, “Whatever Taehyung told you-”
“-I’m sorry.” You finish. That seems to surprise them. You interlock your fingers on your lap and look at each one of them individually. “I’m sorry that I didn’t check to see if there was food in the house last night. I’m sorry that I didn’t make sure you had the things you needed to feel comfortable here. I’m sorry that I made you feel like you weren’t allowed to leave.” 
Taehyung swallows, his adam’s apple bobbing in his throat. He’s got a death grip on Yoongi’s arm with one hand and the other fisted in the fabric of his sweatpants. “You...You’re not mad?” The tremor in his voice makes your heart ache. 
“No,” you tell him with all the sincerity in the world. “I’m not mad at you. I’m sad that you were ever around someone who made you feel like you needed to apologize for wanting to see the sun and I’m angry that they made you think that was something to be punished for.” It was true. Beneath your sadness, beneath your shock at his expectation of punishment, anger was twisting in your gut. What type of person would reduce another to fear and trembling for the sake of leaving the house? “I’m not going to...to punish you, I need you to know that.” You tell him, before looking at Jimin and Yoongi. “Any of you. Ever. I’m never gonna hurt you.” 
Taehyung’s jaw is clenched like he’s trying not to cry. All the wind has gone out of Jimin like a deflated sail and the leopard hybrid just looks exhausted. Yoongi’s rubbing soothing circles in both of their backs. You can’t tell from his face, but by the way his ears have relaxed, you think he was worried about your reaction, too. 
You let out a little exhale and slouch. “Whatever happened to you with your previous...the people you lived with before? It wasn’t okay.”  You’re as firm with it as you can be while still keeping your tone gentle. “They were supposed to take care of you and love you and help you grow, but if they starved you, if they made you feel this bad, if they treated you like property, then fuck them. I don’t want to be anything like them.” You admit. “I don’t want to be your owner and I don’t want you to be my pets.”
“What do you want us to be to you then?” Yoongi rasps. Despite the question, there’s no challenge in his voice. He’s genuinely asking. 
One corner of your mouth quirks up and you give him a small shrug. “Friends, maybe? Eventually, if we can. For now let’s try…” you search for the word you want. “Roommates?” You supply. “We live together, but you guys don’t need to feel like you owe me anything. I’ll get you phones tomorrow, if you want, and copies of the credit card. We can get you clothes and furniture too. And if there’s anything you want to do or want to see, go see it. The door code is 0613.”
The tension that’d run between the three hybrids like a livewire is gone. Now they’re...if not relaxed, then at least relieved. There’s nothing else to be said. You stand and move to hurry into the kitchen so the trio of hybrids can have their space. The last thing you wanted to do after having a talk about their freedoms was crowd them. Before you can take three steps there’s a hand wrapped around your wrist, holding you in place. It's Taehyung's. 
The tiger hybrid is looking up at you, his eyes beseeching and a nervous tremble in his bottom lip. “Don’t go,” he croaks, sounding like he’s still unsure just how to use his voice. He tugs once on your coat sleeve. “Please.”
Your eyes flick from him to his hyungs. Jimin’s looking at you with apprehension, perched on the edge of the couch like he’s a split second away from helping the tiger hybrid drag you down- but Yoongi’s face is turned away from you. As usual, you can’t tell what he’s feeling. “I’m just going to the kitchen,” you assure him. “I’ve gotta put the food away-” Your brain short circuits as the tiger hybrid flips your hand over and presses his face to your palm. His eyelashes brush against your lifeline; his lips trace the veins in your wrist. 
You’d never say it outloud, but it was hard to deny you were touch starved. You could count on one hand the amount of times someone had touched you gently since your mother died. You didn’t show yourself kindness most days and you’d come not to expect it from others. The world was cold and cruel, and you were far too old to be seeking solace from strangers. You’d thought you were above it, but the feeling of Taehyung nipping at your radial artery is almost enough to make you go to pieces. “Just a little bit,” he huffs, his voice muffled against your skin. 
“...The groceries will get warm,” you argue, finally managing to make your mouth move. “Do you wanna eat hot kimchi?” 
“I’ll put them away.” Yoongi is up and vaulting over the couch before you can get a word in edgewise. With him gone the last of your excuses goes up in smoke. Taehyung smiles against your skin and you let yourself be pulled down.
No sooner have your legs touched the cushion, then Taehyung is snuggled up against your side, his arms wrapped loosely around your middle and the cool tip of his nose pressed into your neck. “Tell me again,” he murmurs softly. “Can you tell me again that you’re not mad?” He wanted reassurance. The least you could do was give it to him.
You slip a hand into his hair, scratch gently at the base of his ears. He chuffs happily, the sound vibrating in his chest as he presses closer to you. “I’m not mad at you, and you’re not in trouble, buddy.” You tell him. “You didn’t do anything wrong.” 
A warm presence on your left tells you Jimin’s settled in beside you. Sure enough, a second later a golden tail is tracing the edge of your calf. “Don’t leave me out,” he purrs, settling his chin on your shoulder.
You slide a hand into his hair too, letting the locks slip through your fingers as you pet him. “Never.”
The three of you stay like that for what feels like an hour. Even when their hyung finishes putting the groceries away and returns to sit with them -albeit at the far end of the sectional- they don’t seem like they’re in a hurry to disentangle themselves from you. You’re surprised to find you don’t mind it. The weight of two grown men against your shoulders was heavy, but not uncomfortable and they were warm and the steady hum of Jimin purring is almost enough to lull you to sleep. You cut a movie on and order samgyeopsal. You think they’re gonna kill the delivery man for making you get up, and they stay glued to your back even as you pay. It’s not until the first movie goes off and Taehyung and Jimin are playfully bickering over what to watch next that you’re able to slip away to the bathroom.
You shuffle quickly down the wide hallway, trying to remember which door the closest bathroom lay behind. You careen around a corner and run smack into someone. They let out a huff and you stumble back a few steps, an apology on your lips. You look up and find Yokngi there. Guilt bubbles up in your stomach. Between Jimin purring in your ear and Taehyung rubbing his cheek against your hand every ten seconds, you hadn’t even noticed he was gone. “Sorry,” you mumble. 
He quirks an eyebrow at you. “For what?”
You’re not even sure you know.
He stares at you and you stare back, frozen. Finally, the bobcat hybrid sighs and gestures at you. “C’mere,” he mumbles. 
You approach hesitantly, not trusting him to not suddenly snap at you. “Why?” You ask, apprehensive. Should you have not let Taehyung and Jimin scent you? He’d been around the entire time and hadn’t said anything, so you’d thought it was fine. Maybe you’d made a mistake. You gnaw at your bottom lip and creep slowly closer to the hybrid before you. Another miscalculation, another mess-up, another mile tacked on to that incalculable distance between you and Yoongi. Should you apologize again? Would taking a shower help wash their scents away?
Before you can volunteer to do any of that, Yoongi reaches forward, hooks one finger through your belt loop and drags you toward him. You feel a yelp crawling up your throat, but it’s stopped dead in its tracks by the feeling of Yoongi cradling your jaw and his lips pressed against the column of your throat. His spine is tense and his tail is ticking in the way it does when he’s irritated. “...What are you-?”
“They’ve both scented you.” He murmurs. “If I don’t, they’ll think I’m rejecting you. My job as their hyung is to put them at ease. If I can’t do that, I’m useless.” Despite his closeness, despite the way his fingers were slipping into the hair at the base of your skull, despite the little nips he’d started giving you, you could practically feel his reluctance.
You exhale and push against his shoulders. “Yoongi…” He doesn’t budge. “Hey-”
“There’s no good reason for me to not just mark you and get it over with.” There was that word again. You’d forgotten about it in the whirlwind that followed, but Jimin had joked about marking you earlier, hadn’t he? And Yoongi’d gotten upset with him. From what you were gathering, it was a lot more serious than scenting. 
“I don’t want you to.” That gets his attention. The hybrid pulls away and fixes you with an odd look, his brows furrowed in confusion.
“What are you talking about? Owners always want us to mark them.” You feel that same twinge of anger again. The articles had said scenting was a sign of trust and security. It was used to mark family members. Had the people they’d been with before forced their way into their family without the hybrids consent? Without Yoongi’s? No wonder he’d been touchy about his juniors scenting you right away.
“Well, I don’t.” You give him a gentle nudge and put a few inches between the two of you. “I don’t want you to do anything you’re uncomfortable with or not ready for.” You offer him a smile you hope comes across as reassuring. “You not wanting to is a good enough reason for me. Besides,” you say, turning to head back to the living room, the original reason for your trip forgotten. “I’ve never been marked before, so it’s not like i’m missing out on anything.”
At that, something flashes in Yoongi’s eyes that you have no name for. It passes as soon as it’d come. “Come back when you’re ready!” You call over your shoulder, retreating back down the corridor before he can say something one way or another. 
When you settle back on to the couch two minutes later, There’s a movie queued up and ready to be played. It’s an action movie, one you haven’t seen before. “Yoongi’ll be back in a second,” you tell the boys. “Let’s wait for him.” 
Taehyung hums his ascent, leaning in to settle back in the crook of your neck- but something stops him. He hovers near your neck, takes a few short inhales and tosses a look at Jimin behind your back. You frown. “Everything okay?”
“Yeah!” Taehyung responds a bit too quickly, lacing your fingers together to distract you as Jimin gives the other side of your neck the same treatment. The leopard hybrid purrs, seemingly happy at what he’s found. His ears swivel up and a second later, Yoongi slinks back into the living room. 
“Hyung…” Jimin starts, his voice taking on a teasing lilt.
“Play the movie.” His hyung orders. He does, but there’s still a little smirk on his lips.
The screen darkens and the opening credits roll as Taehyung and Jimin settle back against your side, careful to avoid your neck. Yoongi drops onto the couch, this time only a foot away from the three of you. You allow yourself a little spark of relief. The distance was starting to close.
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catwithangerissues · 3 years
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Haikyuu Polyship hc’s!
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♚ Hey hey hey! Welcome to a little collab that @tetsurocking and I have been working on for a few weeks now! Like two but still. We each chose three different couples and wrote headcanons about a poly relationship with them!
♚ My three!: Suna x Osamu x Reader! Tendo x Ushijima x Reader! And Futakuchi x Shirabu x Reader!
♚ Make sure to check out the three couples J wrote about over on her page! I promise you’ll find some stuff ya like😉 ‘I think about polyships too much for a monogamous bitch’ -J 😂 Anyways, enjoy!
♚ Warnings: Should be none! Although I reference high school in the past, everyone involved is aged up!
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Suna x Osamu x Reader Poly!
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✧ When you guys were in high school, Rinta would always send you videos of Osamu and him at practice; sometimes they were videos of the twins fighting, some were of them doing little tricks with the ball to get your praise, and some were just of them waving/saying they missed you
✧ They tend to spam your little group chat with memes while you’re at work or school, and sometimes they just spam you for attention <3
✧ They both really like it when you wear their clothing. Sometimes they get pouty if you wear one shirt or the other, but they never genuinely mind. In addition to this, they basically share a wardrobe. Is that Suna’s shirt or Samu’s? They don’t even know 🤷🏻‍♀️
✧ Suna probably sends you two pictures of the ugliest things he sees in a day and and puts a caption like « haha that’s you two. » that’s it. He probably doesn’t even bother to put a period at the end (Thanks for this one, Alma!)
✧ Suna takes tons of pictures with/of the two of you, and he changes his lockscreen background pretty often because of it. His favorite pictures are the ones he takes without you two noticing, hehehe
✧ These two are both really great drivers and they’re very smug about it. Food for thought 😌
✧ When you’re grocery shopping, they probably start eating what’s in the cart before you’re even out of the store.
✧ In addition to grocery shopping, don’t even TRY to tell Osamu one brand of a certain ingredient or food is better than another, he will throw a Miya Twin hissy fit™️ lmao
✧ They both keep extras of anything any of you may need in their cars. Period stuff if you’re someone who has one, hygiene products like deodorant and an extra shirt for Suna after practice, snacks for Osamu cause the poor boy always wants to eat in the car, etc.
✧ They both like to tease, but in reality they’re big softies for you. Want cuddles? Rinta is always flopping down on top of you once you sit on the couch. Need a back or shoulder massage? You don’t even have to ask Osamu at this point, he does it subconsciously.
✧ Suna prefers dates at home, lounging around and cuddled up, movie nights, dinner dates, etc. Osamu prefers lazy errand days. Going grocery shopping, cleaning the house together, dropping something off to Atsumu or grabbing lunch on the way home, he enjoys the domesticity of life with the two of you.
✧ DOING THEIR HAIR. Styling Suna’s hair for him in the morning or helping Osamu touch up his color before he goes back to brown.
✧ Holiday decorating, birthdays, and anniversaries are always fun with these two. To others, they’re relatively reserved, with a few sarcastic comments to spare *cough cough* we all know who I mean- But to you, they’re rambunctious and sweet. Making stupid jokes to see you laugh, babying you, all the like.
✧ Someone picking on you or getting a little too friendly? No need to worry, your two tall ass, intimidating boyfriends have your back. Suna is more of the- glare daggers at them until they get the hint- kinda person, but Osamu is definitely the- throw my arm around my partner and tell the other person to back off- one.
✧ Going to Suna’s games with Osamu to support him! Osamu once pretended to be a fan and asked for his autograph, and when Suna just looked him dead in the face and kisses him everyone around lost their minds.
✧ You and Suna visiting Osamu at work and bringing him lunch so he doesn’t have to make it himself! He has pictures of you three in his office too <3
✧ The boys visiting you at work/school saying it’s to playfully embarrass you, but usually it’s something like; bringing you lunch, coming to pick you up for a spontaneous date/adventure after you clock out, or just coming to sit in your office and bug you for a little while to get your mind off of work.
✧ They are both pretty possessive, but aren’t controlling. They just like to hold you, though Suna is the more reserved one of the boys when it comes to pda.
✧ ^That said, they like to show you off- a lot. Showing pictures of you or the other boy to their coworkers and teammates is a favorite of theirs.
✧ Whatever hobbies you’re into, they like to sit and watch you do. Reading, cooking (with Osamu?😌), baking, art, music, video games, etc. They just love to watch you do your craft! You’re so supportive of them and their dreams, the things they love, they try to repay the favor any chance they get.
✧ Suna is definitely one to just sit his head on your lap or shoulder and listen to you talk all day about something you love <3
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Tendo x Ushijima x Reader Poly!
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✧ Tendo has a massive collection of hoodies and he loves it when you two wear them. It makes him so happy to see you guys in something that’s his, a physical symbol that you two want people to know you’re with him.
✧ Both very affectionate partners, in their own ways. vv
✧ ^Tendo wasn’t very fond of pda at first, more so he wasn’t comfortable with it because he thought you two would be embarrassed to be seen with him. Once he found out you two weren’t embarrassed of him and wanted to show others your relationship, he was all for it! Usually likes to hold your hands or lean on one of you.
✧ ^Ushijima is more subtle with his affection, not because he’s scared or embarrassed, just that he prefers to do it in private. He knows you two know he loves you, so he doesn’t really see the need to be all over you in public. But in private? That man is always hugging you or nuzzling into your shoulder- he’s like a giant teddy bear.
✧ Ushijima loves to do all the domestic shit with you two. Cooking, cleaning the house, running errands. He’s just a sucker for feeling like a lil family with his two cuties.
✧ Tendo loves to plan the dates! Though if you want to, he’ll gladly let you! He likes to plan little day adventures for the three of you, whenever Toshi doesn’t have practice or training!
✧ Tendo likes to have his nails painted by you, and Ushijima likes to watch you two <3
✧ Matching nails with Tendo??? Mhm😌
✧ Protective boyfies! Let’s be honest here, it’s unlikely you’re gonna have too many problems with these two giants standing next to you. But if there ever is one, they definitely scare off whoever is bugging you quickly.
✧ These two are some of the most comforting people on here. They both had their share of not so great things happen to them growing up, Tendo being bullied and Ushijima basically being treated like a brute. The two of them became really good at comforting people, knowing how it feels to not have someone there to comfort you when you needed it.
✧ They’re big on cuddling to begin with, but if you’re ever sad or stressed? Prepare for Tendo making a pillow fort and Ushijima baking your favorite treats. These two are incredibly supportive and comforting when you need them <3
✧ Ushijima once got so fed up with Tendo being a little brat, he threw him onto his shoulder and walked around the house like that for a good half hour. Tendo thought it was hilarious and so did you
✧ Speaking of, he seems to really enjoy carrying the two of you around at random times. Piggyback rides, bridal style, or just like a koala clinging to him, he loves it.
✧ Tendo can sense a mood change in the two of you like it’s nothin. Seriously, the guy just knows when something is bugging either of you.
✧ The boys definitely ask if they can get a pet when you move in together. Tendo has a long list of crazy animals and Ushijima keeps suggesting a hedgehog for some reason.
✧ Regardless of what you decide on, you know these two are going to treat your pet like their baby. They’re going to spoil tf outta that little fella. 100% Tendo takes a million photos of them everyday. Ushijima doesn’t baby talk, he just talks to them normally about random things like volleyball and it’s pretty comical.
✧ Visiting Tendo at his chocolatier shop! He usually has very long days, and gets extremely happy when you two pop in to see him. Please bring this baby some lunch or dinner, he’s not a big eater and often forgets too. He has pictures of the three of you in his office too <3
✧ Watching Ushijima’s games and practices! This boy can’t get enough of the praise you and Tendo offer him! He loves seeing you sport his jersey with his name on the back, and he says seeing you two in the stands at practice or during a game really helps his focus?
✧ If you’re someone who has a period, these two are so sweet and thoughtful to ya. Tendo always makes the best chocolate, and Ushijima is basically a walking heater, he runs you hot baths too! Both handle mood swings very well and always make sure the pain meds are stocked in the house. 10/10 boyfies
✧ Please let Ushijima have as many house plants as he wants. He loves them and names each of them, he’s let you and Tendo name some before too! Catch this big teddy bear talking to his plants while he repots or waters them and your heart will melt </3
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Futakuchi x Shirabu x Reader Poly!
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✧ Salty, sarcastic, teasy boyfies- if you’re easily flustered, prepare yourself, they are going to use it against you. Calling you nicknames and saying things they know will make you start to stutter at any chance they get. (Lookin at you, Futakuchi) (please don’t think I’m making fun of people with a stutter, I have one myself.)
✧ Very protective, though they may not show it as often as some others do. Someone messing with you? You bet they’re next to you in an instant- offering several sarcastic remarks and a menacing glare from Shirabu, Futakuchi throwing an arm around you and bending down to the creeps level to further the intimidation.
✧ Both very comforting partners, if you’re feeling anxious or upset they’ll gladly take you into a big cuddle pile. Petting your hair or cheek, and telling you all the sweet things they can think of to see you smile.
✧ ^ Shirabu picks up on your insecurities very easily, especially if they’re similar to his own, and helps you learn to cope with and improve your mental health. Futakuchi has a gift for comforting people, always knowing what to say to make you feel 100x better about yourself or anything that’s bugging you <3
✧ Let’s not even get into what they’d say or do to the person if someone hurt your feelings, let alone made you cry. We’ll leave that to your imagination.
✧ Very competitive with each other. They constantly play fight for your attention, making comments about who’s shirt you wore today or who you ate lunch with- but it’s all in good fun.
✧ Futakuchi is a sly bastard, he really loves to fluster and tease tf outta you and Shirabae. For example: When Jirou gets mad at Kenji, Futakuchi just calls him his pretty boy or compliments how cute he looks when he’s angry and Shirabu becomes a complete flustered, stuttering mess.
✧ Going to visit Shirabu at work and/or bring him lunch! He doesn’t like to admit it, but he really does appreciate when you two come to visit and eat with him, especially during long shifts where he doesn’t get to see or talk to you two very much. He always becomes a blushy mess, waving off his coworkers with a glare when they comment on it- or when Futakuchi points it out
✧ Going to watch Futakuchi’s games! He’s very open with his appreciation for the two of you coming to watch his games! Either of you wear an extra jersey of his and it’s game on. He’s mindful to ask if you’re okay with hugs after, since he’s usually pretty sweaty, though.
✧ Of the two of them, Shirabu is the more perceptive one. He can easily pick up on any of the changes in mood the two of you may have, and it makes it easier to solve any issues you may have, rather quickly.
✧ In your relationship, Shirabu also gets frustrated the easiest. Whether it be with himself or the stresses of work and school, he finds himself getting frustrated and overwhelmed rather easily.
✧ You and Futakuchi are masters at calming him down by now, pulling him into a cuddle with lots of affirmation and he feels better in no time, offering to help with his work and take a bit of the load off cheers him up quite a bit too.
✧ Your boys are both very loving and cuddly when sleepy.
✧ Both getting overwhelming soft when you’re being cute, they just start to overload. Whenever you do anything remotely adorable, they can’t help but dote on you. SOFT BOI HOURS
✧ HEAD PATS! That is all. :)
✧ Futakuchi is the type to kiss you hard during an argument while Shirabu is the type to sulk and then come over to you later that night asking to cuddle.
✧ Random hc, but Futakuchi’s car is a fucking mess, I just know it.
✧ Saw this somewhere else, but it fits him! Futakuchi says yes ma’am/sir with a huge shit eating grin.
✧ You three have a good system when it comes to planning dates, taking turns every week or so, although Shirabu tends to prefer slow days/nights at home, given his busy(er) schedule.
✧ Another random hc, but I think Futakuchi has some sort of energy drink addiction and Shirabu is constantly nagging him about cutting it out of his diet because he aggressively cares for that boy.
✧ “Stop drinking that, idiot. It’s bad for you.” “Aww, Jirou~ are you worried about me?” “Shut up,,”
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♚ Hope you enjoyed our little collab! Go check out @tetsurocking ’s part on her page! Believe me- it’s good😭 be warned! It does have nsfw content! Mine was gonna but some of you can’t follow rules😤
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Taglist: @sunalma @toworuu @lovie-and-co (for your boys😌)
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515 notes · View notes
floralseokjin · 3 years
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⤑ made-up love song ii.
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Your first encounter with Kim Seokjin doesn’t go so well, nor your second, or your third… and maybe that’s because it shouldn’t work on paper. You’re an elementary school teacher living with your best friend, and have never left the country despite hitting the third decade of your life not so long ago. He’s the dad of one of your students, nearly a decade older than you and divorced. Oh yes, and just another minor detail – he’s a multimillionaire.
Your lives are lightyears apart, yet somehow, your paths having now crossed, things just seem to fall into place…
pairing; kim seokjin x reader  au/genre/warnings; strangers to lovers, romance, eventual smut, eventual angst, single dad! seokjin, ceo! seokjin, elementary school teacher! oc, age gap (oc is 30, seokjin is 37), seokjin is a dilf, things are heating up! the phrase ‘dilf dick’ gets thrown around way too much, RJ and taehyung cameo, hoseok, yoongi and namjoon are mentioned, as well as jungkook if you squint words; 12,169
↪︎ chapter index
chapters; i • ii • iii • iv • v • vi • vii • viii • ix • x • epilogue (+ drabbles)
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After Seokjin dropped you off at the station, he and Arin waving you goodbye, it would be two weeks later when you saw him again. Not that you were holding out on it or anything… No way… That would be ludicrous.  
The last week of school was always hectic, activities and games top priority now that teaching had come to a standstill. The children were hyper, the teacher’s worn out, but without fail you always looked forward to the summer fate. Head of the committee every year, you and a handful of your fellow teachers organised each game, each stall and each prize. As well as wanting the children to have fun, it was also an opportunity to celebrate their achievements throughout the year with their families. There were an arrange of awards for most subjects, third through to first place for each grade, and this year you’d convinced the principal, Mr. Jung, to include a new creative writing award. It wasn’t technically a subject – you already had the spelling bee for English class, but he’d thought it was a great idea to celebrate the students’ talents in a brand new way. 
Of course, there was one child you had in mind when you’d gone to him with the idea – Arin. It was only fair in your eyes, she’d been with you not even three months and hadn’t had a chance like the other kids. The other awards were spoken for but you wanted her to at least get something, just so first grade could end on a good note for her and help her look forward to September. 
You were at the entrance of the fate, in casual conversation with Mrs. Jeon as well as greeting the students’ families, when you caught a glimpse of Seokjin. He was hand in hand with Arin who skipped happily beside him. He was wearing a sea green thin sweater, that blew in the light breeze, and black jeans. He was even in sneakers. Way more unbelievable than the slippers. He looked effortlessly good, and you thought you preferred him like this, casually dressed. The suits were great yes, but he looked far more attainable like this. Not that you wanted to attain him. 
Damn it. 
You tried your best to ignore the strange heat that had seemed to settle in your chest at the sight of him, the faintest flurry of what could only be described as butterflies aggravating your stomach. What the hell? What was wrong with you? 
“Hello, Miss.” Arin grinned, giving you a small wave, and you shook yourself out of it. 
“Hi, Arin,” you waved back, of course catching Seokjin’s eyes in the process. 
“Miss. Y/L/N,” he greeted, the hint of a smirk across his mouth. Teasing, again. Two could play at that game. 
“Mr. Kim,” you replied, unable to keep a straight face – especially when you heard him laugh as he passed by you. 
You watched him walk off, secretly pleased now that you knew he was here. You wouldn’t admit it out loud, wouldn’t dare tell anyone, but you’d been hoping he’d be free to attend the fate. To see Arin receive her reward, of course – nothing else. But, okay, maybe you had spent an embarrassingly long time choosing which dress to wear last night. Not that you wanted to impress him, more like… stand out. 
“Who is he?” Mrs. Jeon whispered animatedly – hopefully out of earshot and once again knocking some sense back into you. 
You tried to sound casual, like you weren’t aware of Seokjin’s jaw-dropping good looks – or more so, that they didn’t affect you whatsoever. “A student’s father.”
She made a noise of disbelief. “He is just pure… sex on legs.”
“Eunbi!” You exclaimed, taken by such surprise you used her first name. She burst out laughing, something you couldn’t ignore and ended up in a fit of giggles yourself. 
“Behave.” You warned, trying to compose yourself. “You’re a married woman.” You’d attended her wedding last summer, bringing along Soojung as your plus one. 
“Looking is still allowed,” she replied, making you both explode into laughter once again. 
You were giddy. Really, what was up with you?
.
.
The afternoon was a success, the children and their families enjoying immensely, as well as the teachers. It was your job to announce the creative writing reward and it was so heart-warming to see how happy it made Arin to come first place. She held her little trophy and movie theatre vouchers proudly for the camera, Seokjin looking just as over the moon as her. Mr. Jung convinced him to join for a few snaps and you looked on with a polite smile. Other than earlier and a thank you as you passed the prize to Arin, those had been your only interactions with Seokjin for the day and now the fate was drawing to a close. You wouldn’t say you were disappointed, because that would be preposterous, but if those were going to be your only exchanges then it made the times he’d fleeted into your mind these past couple of weeks highly embarrassing… 
It wasn’t as if you wanted to think about him, he just kept popping up. First you blamed Soojung, who wouldn’t shut up about Mr. Dilf for a few days after the exchange at his house (mansion), but soon the topic bored her, no new developments to keep her hooked. You on the other hand found yourself imagining instances where you’d bump into one another again. You know, happenstances… Like if he had the time to drop Arin off at school, although you doubted he’d end up in the staff parking lot again… You’d had a good giggle to yourself remembering his face when he’d realised. 
Other incidents were less realistic, like maybe he’d drop off a thank you present the students liked to gift to say goodbye, or maybe you’d bump into him at the grocery store, the park – highly improbable, but you found yourself thinking all these things when you were procrastinating or trying to get to sleep. 
Even now as you tried to win a prize at the Ring Toss stall – don’t ask how much money you’d already spent – (obviously using your free time wisely before you were needed again), you found yourself disappointed that things hadn’t worked out quite like you’d imagined today. You were being stupid. The guy was supposed to annoy the heck out of you, yet here you were unable to stop thinking about him. It had been a long time since a man had gotten you this distracted. A really long time… 
“Can I help?”
You jumped at the sound of Seokjin’s voice, granted you were in deep concentration, about to launch the hoop, but you felt like you’d been caught doing something wrong. As if he knew you’d been thinking about him, caught you in the act. You whipped your head up, forcing yourself to relax and smile. 
“I’ve been watching you try to win for the past ten minutes.” He chuckled. Great. How embarrassing. He stepped closer. “What do you have your eyes so set on?”
Oh, god. Even more embarrassing. You had a split second to make a decision. Be truthful or lie and choose something else. You know what, who cared? You were thirty and still loved stuffed animals. It wasn’t out of the ordinary. 
“The alpaca.” You pointed to the white fluffy animal sat on the top shelf. With his cute round face and a red scarf wrapped around his neck, he was adorable and you really wanted him. 
Seokjin wasn’t fazed at all. “He’s cute. I’ll try but don’t get your hopes up, okay?” 
You nodded and handed him the hoops. He needed to loop all three around the skittles. You watched him with anticipation, thinking to yourself this definitely wasn’t one of your fantasies, but you liked it regardless. Liked it even better when Seokjin managed to win. 
“Thank you, Seokjin,” you smiled, his name still feeling strange to say aloud. The man in charge of the game passed you your new ‘pet’ and you held it fondly, unable to stop yourself. Your landlord didn’t allow animals so you’d had to improvise over the years. You’d never had an alpaca before, but you were sure he’d fit right in. 
“No problem, I’m glad I could be of service.” He chuckled. 
There was a silence. It wasn’t uncomfortable but it was new. You were so used to Seokjin joking about you were expecting him to take the lead. Today he was quiet, actually right now he looked pretty awkward. 
You opened your mouth to ask him how he was when you suddenly realised something. How stupid of you. You’d been so distracted by the stuffed animal you hadn’t realised a little certain someone was missing. “Where’s Arin?”
“She’s playing with a friend and their family.” You watched him scratch the back of his neck, looking at you, but not really making eye contact. “Y/N, do you maybe want to take a walk? We could find some where to sit and talk?”
“About what?” You could’ve kicked yourself. Why did you have to ask that? You were just a little dazed from hearing him say your name again. 
“Uh, just about Arin really.” 
You didn’t really know what you’d been expecting so any answer would’ve surprised you, but you nodded, taking him up on the offer. “Okay.” 
You knew a bench away from the fate but still on school grounds, and you walked side by side, noticing just how tall and broad he was. His shoulders looked unbelievable in that sweater, and it hugged his chest perfectly when the light breeze of the afternoon hit him, his well-built chest visible. Not that you were staring or anything, you just happened to notice… 
You small talked along the way. Not much, mostly about the fate, but it was enough for you to hit your destination without any awkward silence. You wracked your brains as you sat, wondering what he had to say about Arin. Maybe he wanted to discuss her stories more, thank you for the prize she’d won. What you did know though, was that his cologne really did smell amazing. It was woody, maybe spicy, and just plain addicting. This close proximity was wreaking havoc with you again. You sat the alpaca between you both on bench, acting as a barrier for your sanity. 
Seokjin patted its head absentmindedly before he side-eyed you, that amused smile you’d become familiar with upturning the corners of his mouth. “You seem a lot less scrappy today.”
You raised both eyebrows, thrown for a moment. “Scrappy?”
“Yes,” he chuckled, “a lot less intimidating.” 
You? Intimidating? Shouldn’t it be the other way around? The sheer power of Seokjin’s brow line alone could bring a person to quivering knees, and that wasn’t mentioning the obvious, like you know, his face. However, he seemed genuine enough. You didn’t really consider yourself feisty, but then again, when pushed to your limits maybe something just snapped inside of you. You had powers you weren’t aware of, obviously. Better own them then…
You gave a small shrug, smirking slightly. “Maybe I’ve chosen to forgive and forget.” 
He chuckled again, genuinely amused, but you sensed some reluctance his end, a slight awkwardness. Was he stalling? You suddenly grew a little nervous. The dynamics you’d grown somewhat used to during your last few encounters had shifted without you knowing. Seokjin was a lot less teasing today. How come? 
“So,” you pressed carefully, unable to handle the anticipation. “What was it you wanted to say?” 
He lifted his head up, warm eyes meeting yours and your insides did that flurrying thing again. Your imagination hadn’t concocted this. When he smiled you realised how kind it was – how kind it could be when he wasn’t being infuriating. “I just want to thank you.” 
Your eyes widened before you could control the surprise. “Thank me?” 
He nodded, relaxing a little now, pressing his back into the bench. “For being such an amazing teacher to Arin these past couple of months.” 
Of course, Arin. That’s what he’d said in the beginning, right? He wanted to sit and talk about Arin.
“That’s really no problem,” you smiled. It was your job after all. Yes, teachers liked being appreciated for their hard work, but personally, praise sent you a little red in the face. 
You didn’t know if he heard you, already continuing, as if he’d rehearsed what he wanted to say. “It’s been really hard on her, the change – you know, uprooting the life she knew to come and live with me. New school, making new friends. She was incredibly worried, but you made it so much easier for her.” 
Looking at you again, sounding so genuine, you found yourself freezing. You stumbled a little over your words before managing to come up with something functional. “Of course, it’s my job to make every student comfortable in my class.” You were sure any teacher would’ve treated her with the same kindness and care. But, yes, truthfully you had become very fond of her in such a short time. You wanted him to know that in a roundabout way. “I’ll miss her come September.” 
He gave you an appreciative smile. “She’ll miss you too.” 
Serious Seokjin always threw you. Maybe it was because you had to accept that you’d misjudged him completely. He wasn’t the rich pompous jerk you’d first thought the morning he’d hit your car. You had to admit that like this he impressed and intrigued you. It was why you hadn’t been able to stop thinking about him these past two weeks. Which was stupid because you doubted he was doing the same.  
“Thanks for choosing her to win that writing competition, by the way.” His voice brought you back to Earth, concentrating on him again to find that mischievous grin all over his face. “Even if you didn’t like the way it ended.” 
You scoffed. Was he ever going to drop that? He knew that wasn’t the case. He’d asked for the damn pointer himself. “Well, if Lewis Carroll did it.” 
“Kim Arin can too?” He finished, both of you instantly laughing. Once it petered off, he tilted his head to the side, gazing at you almost. It made you fidget a little, getting flustered. “She’s really fond of you. I meant what I said at the parent-teacher meeting.”
God, you really were horrendous at taking compliments. Especially from a man that already made you feel funny. 
“She’s always speaking about how kind and lovely you are.” A pause. "...How pretty you are.” You froze. He hesitated, contemplating something in his head it seemed. He looked you straight in the eyes and said casually, “I have to admit, I agree." 
Oh. What?! You felt heat begin to travel up your face, your cheeks burning and you prayed it wasn't visible. You didn't know what to reply, but thankfully (perhaps) Seokjin simply carried on, hopefully oblivious to your awkward reaction. You should bypass it too. It probably didn't mean anything. He was just being polite, right? 
“Realising it was your car I hit made me feel even guiltier." He shook his head regretfully. "I really am sorry for all that. The damage, stealing your car." 
"It's fine, Seokjin." He hadn’t really stolen your car, you’d been extremely overdramatic there. He'd apologised enough already. You were over it. You had two days left of school, the summer all yours, your mood was much better. Let bygones be bygones. 
“Yeah but, I should’ve never gotten your car towed. I realise I was out of line. You said you didn’t want my help but I didn’t listen." 
You nodded, listening to him, aware he needed to say this. Again, it seemed as if he'd rehearsed it almost, or maybe it was the professional in him. You were too damn stubborn so he wasn't all to blame. You smiled appreciatively, fighting your hand's strange urge to pat his shoulder. It was maybe best that you didn't touch him. Instead you gave a teasing grin. “But you still won’t let me pay you back?” 
He whined – or at least that's the only way you could describe it. It tugged at something inside your chest. Maybe it was more like a wail. Less cute. He couldn't believe you were back on that. 
"I'm just messing around," you laughed, trying to compose yourself to let him know something too. “While we're on apologies... I'm sorry for being so short with you annnd for calling you a car thief."
He chuckled, brushing a hand through his hair. Oh, it was pushed back above his forehead again today. You hadn't noticed, too distracted by what? His sneakers? The outfit as a whole? His face? “I deserved it, let’s be honest." 
"Maybe in the beginning," you admitted carefully, causing him to laugh harder. 
“I was way too preoccupied when I hit you. With work and promising Arin I’d drop her off at school – because shamefully I’d never done it before." He turned a little pensive at that, lost in his own thoughts. 
“You must be really busy," you said, voice soft. There was no way he could do it all. Work seemingly six days a week and still try to be there for Arin 24/7. 
He looked across at you, an eyebrow quirking slightly. What was he surprised by? That you were sympathising with him? He nodded slowly. “It’s just hard learning to juggle everything.   Don’t get me wrong, I love having her with me every day, but...”
“I’m sure you’ll get the hang of it soon.” You wanted to say it would be summer break soon enough, but then on second thoughts, maybe that would make things even harder. 
“Yeah, maybe,” he shrugged, changing the subject back to you. “Besides, me being busy doesn’t really excuse the fact I hit you. I mean, what if god forbid you’d been walking past my car instead, it doesn’t bear thinking about.” He looked beside himself at just the idea. 
“But I wasn’t,” you reminded him, “so it’s perfectly okay.” 
“You’re right,” he murmured, giving you a small smile that rounded his cheeks.  
There was silence then, where you waited for him to say something else, but he didn’t. Was that all he’d wanted to talk about? To thank you for being a kind teacher to Arin and to say sorry once again for the car debacle? For some reason you felt eager to keep the conversation going. It was an urge deep inside you that acted on its own accord. 
“So, what do you do?” You asked, trying your best to sound casual. Not that you weren’t casual. You just didn’t want to make it seem like you were desperate for small talk. “If you don’t mind me asking.” 
Again, he looked vaguely surprised. What, that you were interested in him? No, that was phrased wrong. That you were interested. He didn’t meet your eyes as he replied.  “I, uh, I’m the CEO of LG. I took over from my father about three years ago.” 
You swore your eyes bugged out of their sockets you were so overcome with shock. You were glad he wasn’t looking at you as you tried to pull it together. “The LG?”
Like one of the biggest companies in the country LG? He was way too young surely? Weren’t those type of CEOs old and round looking?  
Seokjin chuckled, finally looking you in the eyes. “Unless you know another one.” 
You were speechless, well aware you needed to actually say something in reply instead of gawping but what? What could you say to that? “I guess that explains why you’re always so busy then.” 
God, why? Of all the things, why that? Well done for stating the obvious, Y/N. 
Seokjin gave you a modest smile. “It’s difficult, yes. Trying to manage work and being effectively a single dad, but I really am trying.” He shook his head slightly, as if he was telling himself off. “I missed her so much these past couple of years, so to finally have her living with me is a dream come true. I’m trying to be the best father I can but I guess it’s a work in progress.” 
You weren’t expecting him to be this open with you at all. But maybe Soojung wouldn’t be so surprised. She and a bunch of your other friends, even acquittances said that you were easy to confide in. That you listened well and didn’t try to solve everything. You didn’t know how true that was but you didn’t mind listening to him right now. Sometimes confiding in a stranger just worked. 
“Arin obviously adores you.” You smiled. “I could see that the day I dropped your car back.”
He gave you a tiny smile of thanks but sighed softly. “I just want her to always be happy. I know coming from a broken home may make that statement hypocritical but…”
“Not at all,” you insisted. “If a relationship isn’t working out then you need to do what’s best for your child, and you.” That was important too. “I mean, my parents divorced when I was quite young and I have a million and one happy memories growing up.” 
You grew a little self-conscious, thinking that you were oversharing, but he seemed happy to hear it, perking up a little. “Really?” 
“Yep. They beat the ones I have of them yelling at one another.” 
He gave a bitter chuckle then, nodding in agreement. “That’s right. It’s just…” He paused and you wondered if he was going to carry on. Was it bad that you felt curious? You liked seeing this side of Seokjin, it wasn’t how your fantasies had gone at all, it was better. Things had taken an unexpected turn but it just seemed to fit. It seemed natural. It felt nice to talk to him like this. Suddenly you didn’t seem so different. Despite the contrasts in your job and lifestyle, they weren’t very apparent here on this bench… 
“My ex-wife is… she lives a busy life – even busier than mine. But she loves it. She goes looking for it.” Seokjin explained. You listened politely. “That’s why Arin had to start living with me, and even though I’m pulled thin, I still try to make enough time for my daughter, no matter the day, no matter the time, no matter anything. Nana doesn’t…”
Nana? That was her name. You imagined someone slim and beautiful, it was only fitting seeing as Seokjin was the man she was married to once upon a time. Beauty attracted beauty. 
“Is that why you divorced?” Okay, maybe you were prying now. You hoped he didn’t find it rude. 
He didn’t. “There were a lot of reasons,” he answered honestly. “It was as much my fault as it was hers. We were going in different directions and had fallen out of love. It’s been a while now, nearly two years, I’m fine.” He met your eyes at the last part, as if he wanted you to understand that. Or maybe you were reading it wrong. Why would he want you to know that? 
“Does she live far?” You remembered Arin’s disappointment that weekend when her mom had cancelled their plans. Maybe she lived a while away and it was hard to commute with Arin back and forth. 
“No, just in the next city. It’s not far at all. She’s really high up in an accounting firm there. That’s why when we divorced I moved closer to my building here. See, that’s what annoys me the most,” Seokjin scoffed, an edge to his voice now. Oh shoot, you’d made a mistake with that question. “It’s really no distance at all, so why can’t she spare one single day for Arin?” 
You made a sympathetic face, unsure what to say. You decided on honesty. “I’m sorry, I can’t even begin to imagine how all that feels.” 
Break-ups and divorces were hard yes, but when a child was stuck in the middle a tonne of other complications arose. As a teacher you understood that very well, but as a long-time single woman, maybe not. It had been a while since you’d opened your heart to someone, your life taking a very different turn to what you’d expected three years ago. Not that you minded, you liked where you were heading right now, comfortable and at ease. There was nothing missing. You had your friends and family and that was enough. You hoped Seokjin had people around him too.  
“No, I’m the one that should apologise,” he said suddenly, face tinged with colour, as if he was embarrassed. “I’m offloading onto you, that isn’t fair.” 
“I don’t mind.” Honestly, you didn’t at all. It wasn’t even offloading, more so a conversation. You were getting to know him. 
“You’re just so easy to talk to and I got a bit caught off guard when you started asking about me.” He admitted, his warm eyes finding yours. 
Oh. So now you knew for definite he was indeed surprised by all your questions. When was the last time he’d spoken about all that stuff relating his ex-wife? Had he ever spoken about it at all? 
“I haven’t been entirely honest with you today.”
His words caught your attention, interrupting your thoughts and in the process confusing you greatly. You raised a questioning eyebrow. What did he mean? 
“When I asked you to take a walk I did want to thank you for being so kind to Arin and to apologise for the car trouble, but there was also something else…” You waited patiently, heart thudding quite roughly against your chest for some reason. He looked nervous again. Nervous and awkward just like earlier, before you’d distracted him. 
He chose a new direction. One that left you a little dazed. “Y/N, would I be crossing the line if I said I haven’t been able to stop thinking about you lately?” His dark brown eyes searched for any reaction across your face. 
“Me?” You asked quietly. 
He chuckled bashfully. “Yeah.”
Somehow you found your voice. Well, some of it anyway. “No, it’s not crossing the line.” You wanted to tell him just the same. How he’d slipped into your mind at random times of the day and how you’d secretly been holding out on another meeting. How you’d been anticipating today. But none of that came in your stunned state. Seokjin had been thinking about you? The annoying, exasperating so-and-so hadn’t been able to stop thinking about you? 
He instantly looked relieved – and pleased – at your answer. “I’m glad.” A pause as he hesitated. “Do you maybe want to… go out for dinner this Saturday?” He sounded hopeful, adding quickly, “with me, obviously.”
You would’ve giggled at that but nothing was working. You needed to process his question. He was asking you for dinner? 
“My way of apologising for everything, my treat…” You guessed he felt the need to explain now, a little panicked by your reaction (or no reaction.) “For hitting your car and towing it away without your permission.” 
You laughed then. Just like that your shock dispersing. He was so oblivious it hurt, and now you knew he wasn’t doing it on purpose. He really was that unaware. “So you want to spend more of your money on me?”
You weren’t mad, of course. He knew that, laughing too as he weighed up your reply. “I see the problem.” You snickered, your gaze intimately locking with his in the process. “So, what do you say?” He murmured. “I mean, it’s for a plethora of things really. The car business, all you’ve done for Arin. One massive thank you.” 
Oh. You were getting mixed messages here. Was this an apology dinner, a thank you dinner? Or something more? Maybe he read the questioning in your eyes because he was rushing to say more. “As well as just wanting to enjoy your company. I feel like I talked too much about myself today, I’d like to get to know you too…”  
Okay, now this sounded awfully like a date… And that word freaked you out. Had you not just been thinking about how happily single you’d been for three years and how all you needed were your friends and family? But honestly, you were getting ahead of yourself. It was one dinner. There was no way to predict the outcome and you shouldn’t even be thinking that far ahead. Sometimes you didn’t need to think. You needed to remember that. Sometimes it was just good to act in the moment. Take cautious to the wind and accept this incredibly handsome man’s dinner invitation, whatever his intention was. 
You smiled. “Dinner sounds lovely.” 
Seokjin’s eyes widened a tad, surprise visible and he didn’t try to hide it. “Really?” You laughed and nodded. Really you should be the one still shocked, because despite everything – the misjudgements, the attitude, the way you’d been itching for numerous fights with him, it was a wonder why he still wanted to be anywhere near you. …Maybe he liked that… Maybe he liked you? Or were you absolutely barking mad?  
“Can I have your number to arrange everything?” 
You went to relay it to him, watching him pull his phone from out his front jean pocket but then remembered something. “Oh, I already have yours, should I just text you?”
“That’s my work phone. Maybe we should swap personal phone numbers?” 
You mean, you only had one phone, but it made sense why he had two. You were still stuck on the personal part though. A little dazed (and excited) as he saved your number into his phonebook. Your phone was locked up in your classroom, so you couldn’t take his but no matter, you’d just save it once he messaged you. 
Seokjin glanced at his watch – an expensive looking thing, but that was really no surprise now – and hummed. “We should head back, the fate will be finishing soon.” 
You made more small talk as you walked back, Seokjin wondering if you had any allergies or a special diet so he could bear it in mind when he chose a restaurant. Luckily for you no, but you found out that he was allergic to garlic and potatoes, which seemed ridiculous and highly unfair. But he did admit that he ignored it sometimes, which resulted in disaster often because garlic made him itch like crazy. You had a good laugh over that. 
“So, what are you going to name him?” Seokjin asked, stroking the top of your alpaca’s head who was hooked against your hip as you walked.  
“Hm. I don’t know.” You shrugged, turning to him. “You decide? You did win him after all.” 
“Hmmm,” he thought aloud. A few seconds later he came up with something. “How about RJ?”
“RJ?” 
Seokjin chuckled. “Yeah, it’s cute.” 
Smiling, you had to agree. “Yeah, it is.” You held the stuffed animal up in front of you, tilting your head to the side. “RJ the alpaca. Perfect.” 
Still walking as you spoke, you felt Seokjin move in, hovering his hand behind the small of your back in case you stumbled, your attention elsewhere. You felt the same warmth you had the day he’d called you by your name for the first time… 
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Of course you had to tell Soojung about the events of the day. It wasn't as if you could keep it a secret – and it wasn't as if you wanted to, you just knew what would happen... She was like a dog with a bone, unable to give it up, making you recall every minute detail down to the socks he was wearing (black, by the way, to match his jeans. You had indeed noticed). 
“He’s so smart. He waits until you’re not this kid’s teacher anymore and then BAM, do you want to go on a date?”
“Soojung, it’s not a date," you sighed. “He’s just…being nice." 
You were still reluctant to call it a date, because well, he hadn't used the word himself. You didn't want to get your hopes up. Although you would never admit that to her, you knew she understood, in her own roundabout way. 
“Being nice?!” She exclaimed, scoffing absurdly loud. 
You shrugged. “Yeah, thanking me." 
She spluttered, as if she found you terribly naive. “What, thanks for being kind to my daughter? SHUT UP, it’s your job! No, he wants to give you that Dilf dick!" 
“Oh, my god. Soojung!” You hushed, immediately feeling your face burn. The thought hadn't even crossed your mind because it was so unbelievable. 
Saturday was not that long away, the last two days of school flew by, and whilst you were emotional, your mind was also a little too preoccupied with the weekend and what it all meant. Gradually, you’d finally had to admit to yourself that this was probably, most definitely a date. The word sent a fear through your body like no other. Despite being single for three years, you had been on a few first dates in that time, and obviously they had never led to anything. In fact, it had been over a year since your last and that's when you had sworn off dating altogether. 
Min Yoongi. That was the last guy you'd said yes too. A fifth grade teacher at Primrose Hill up until last September. (That had nothing to do with you, by the way, he'd just moved cities last summer to pursue a different career. The date hadn't been that bad...) He was easy on the eye and funny, although maybe a little too sarcastic at times, so much so, you hadn't been able to pick up on the signals until he was cornering you in the staff room and asking you to watch a movie with him that coming weekend. Being both teachers, you'd assumed you'd hit it off straight away, but that wasn't the case. It turned out that Yoongi pretty much hated his job, only there for the extended vacations. That was perfectly fine, you guessed, but you realised that a man like that wasn't for you. How could you both love and hate the same job? It just wasn't feasible. 
You didn't miss dating, mostly because you hadn't been that into the idea anyway. But now? Now that the idea had presented itself again? After the most peculiar string of events, you had suddenly found yourself being asked out for dinner by the man who had hit your car, and you were… excited. For the first time in forever, you were excited for a date.  
You hadn’t felt like this since –
Since Donghae. 
Even thinking his name turned your heart heavy. Not as bad as the original heartbreak three years ago, but the memory was still enough to dampen your mood, if even for a moment. You'd met one another during your last year of college and had stayed together for the next five years. He'd been your forever man, the one you were supposed to spend the rest of your life with – he had proposed to you on your 26th birthday after all... Only, being his fiancé hadn't lasted. Since months later he confessed to cheating on you – repeatedly with a girl that worked in the Starbucks near his work building. It had been the pressure of settling down, that's what he'd told you. He was still young, had been very young when you'd gotten together in college and he wanted to experience life properly. His friends were out clubbing every weekend while he stayed inside playing boardgames with you and your friends. Your friends, as if they weren't his too, as if you all hadn't been joined at the hip in college... 
Your life had pretty much crumbled after that. Everything you'd known had been ripped from under your feet and you had no idea what to do or where to go. One day you had been someone's wife-to-be and the next you were a lonely, broken human. You moved in with Soojung, had to take a month off work because you couldn't function properly, and slowly had to learn how to live your life without the love of your life. 
It took a while, but gradually you got there. You and Soojung found a new, bigger place to live – where you still lived now – and you found ways to stop thinking about him, went on weekend vacations and started new hobbies. It took just over a year to feel yourself again but dating never seemed right. 
Soojung slowly encouraged you to try it out, but the handful that happened in that twelve month period just felt forced – even the one with Yoongi, which had pretty much happened organically (as in, Soojung hadn't set it up…), felt like it was missing something. In a way you knew you were comparing everyone to Donghae, you couldn't help it. You couldn't imagine potentially falling in love with someone else again. He was all you'd known for so long, and once upon a time your relationship had been amazing. He'd been amazing. Getting out of that mindset had been difficult, but there had been an even more difficult one... One you were still struggling with now. The issue of opening up your heart again. 
Truthfully, that's why you’d stayed single for so long. Why you'd given up on dating and didn't want to know. The thought of you meeting and falling for someone only to inevitably get hurt again terrified you. You wouldn't say you had trust issues, you knew not every man was like Donghae, but just imagining your world crumbling like it had three years ago was enough to just give up. 
It wasn't like you were unhappy though. You’d meant all that stuff about liking where your life was heading. You had your friends and family and a job you loved. Your life was fulfilling, there was nothing missing. But maybe that’s what you’d needed to realise… Life worked in mysterious ways. Once you were happy and content maybe it was finally time to open up your heart again. 
The truth was, you were very, very attracted to Seokjin. You felt something, even when you wanted to poke his eyeballs out for being so annoying. Actually, thinking about it, maybe that’s why you’d been so scrappy, your mind was fighting with your heart… Despite the obvious differences between you both, you oddly weren’t fazed by that right now. Seokjin didn’t seem unrelatable in that sense. Yes, your lives were crazy different, but there was something between you. You were sure of it. The way he’d opened up to you on that bench, the way he’d smiled at you, and even the way he’d teased you. It had to mean something. 
Sometimes it was okay to trust your heart. That warm feeling weaving its way through your chest… Sometimes it was okay to be a little exposed. Not everyone was out to get you. 
What was the worst that could happen? The dinner never led to anything else? That would be okay, you’d get over it. But what if it did lead to something more…? 
You deserved to find out, right? 
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Saturday morning you received a text from Seokjin. You were eating breakfast at the small table you had set up in the kitchen alongside Soojung. She had only just woken up and was still a little bleary eyed but still managed to instantly perk up at the mention of Seokjin. She demanded to see his message straight away. 
Unknown (9:32am)  Hi Y/N,  It’s Kim Seokjin, Arin’s father. Just wondering if you still want to have dinner tonight? If so, please let me know and I will send through the restaurant details. We can decide on a time for me to pick you up.  Regards, Seokjin 
She squealed. “This guy writes his texts like they’re emails. You just know he’s going to be a good lay.”
“Soojung,” you groaned.  She would not shut up about Dilf dick this and Dilf dick that. “What does that even mean?” 
“He’s a CEO,” she said simply, eyes wide as if that explained everything. “Of one of this country’s biggest companies. That’s like some type of erotic novel shit.” 
You groaned loudly, dropping your head into your hands, but she still continued – sadly. 
“But none of that creepy Fifty Shades of Grey stuff. This guy is a real gentleman. Like he puts your pleasure above all else. I think he’d be really good at going down on a woman.”
By this point, you’d stopped feeling flustered by her insane claims. They were just normal now. She was unbelievable. Why was she even thinking of these things and where did she come up with them? You didn’t want to think of Seokjin like that because you really wanted to keep your sanity for tonight. Plus, no way were you ready for something like that yet. You hoped Seokjin wasn’t anticipating something more. You were sure he wasn’t, you hadn’t gotten those vibes. Soojung was just being dumb. 
You rolled your eyes. “You don’t half talk some shit.” 
You wanted her to point out how cute his text was instead. Like how he’d said he was Arin’s father, you know, just in case you’d forgotten who he was in two days, but no, she was too caught up on potential erotic novel titles. 
You slipped to the side with a start when Soojung nudged your shoulder, getting all up into your personal space as she teased you. “I’m right though, huh?” 
You pushed her back. “This is just a dinner. Not the start of an erotic novel.”
She shrugged. “I’d read it.”
“What would you read?”
Taehyung’s voice appeared from the doorway and you both looked up to see him leaning against it, eyes still pretty much glued shut, his thick hair pulled all ways. 
“Good morning, sleepy head,” Soojung greeted, standing up to make her way towards him. You watched her wrap her arms around his middle, nuzzling into him. She’d only left him in bed not half an hour ago. Seeing your best friend in love was odd but nice. You weren’t used to sappy Soojung, but you had to admit it suited her well. They were cute together. 
Taehyung wrapped one arm around his girlfriend and lifted the other to his face, rubbing his eyes with his fingers. “What are you guys yelling about down here? You woke me up.” 
“Y/N’s date tonight,” 
“Oh, Mr. Dilf?” He sniggered, perking up. 
Soojung screeched and joined in. “CEO Dilf dick.” 
“You told him?!” You whined, standing to dump your bowl in the sink. 
“Of course.” Taehyung smiled smugly. “She tells me everything. Don’t you, babe?”
“Yep.” She grinned. You watched in minor amusement as Taehyung leant down to peck her mouth, Soojung gagging loudly. “Your breath stinks.” 
.
.
You replied to Seokjin promptly – well as soon as Soojung and Taehyung had vacated the kitchen – and not long after that he messaged back with the restaurant details, asking if it was okay to pick you up at 7pm. You sent him your address, almost immediately freaking out. You knew his wealth hadn't fazed you that bad, seeing as he was so easy to talk to, but your place and his place were on different planes of existence. You knew it wouldn't bother him, he wasn't like that, you knew that now, but you were still a little self-conscious. It was probably the nerves regarding today. The reality was setting it. The slight doubt… 
Soojung wasn't helping. 
“There’s steaks on the menu that are more than our rent a week," she awed, looking down at her phone. 
Why had you given her the name of the restaurant again? You would never learn your lesson. She had already googled his name when you’d told her he was the CEO of LG and she had been this close to searching his net worth before you’d stopped her. You didn’t want to know, not only was it incredibly invasive, it made you feel slightly faint. Seeing his image pop up online was enough for you . A professional headshot, he smiled kindly into the camera lens. It was crazy to think that it was the man you’d be going to dinner with. 
Soojung would be good for one thing though – helping you decide on an outfit for tonight. Taehyung had gone home a couple of hours ago, needed at the bar he owned so she had nothing else better to do. Not that she was listening to you though… 
She shrugged. “What did I expect? This dude is a billionaire." 
“He’s not." 
Billionaire seemed a lot more intimidating than a millionaire, but in reality what was the difference? He was unbelievably rich and you were just... you. You shook your head, attempting to claw yourself out of the anxiety hole you'd found yourself in. His job didn't matter. The restaurant he'd chosen didn't matter. You were going for dinner with him to enjoy his company and get to know him better. The finer details were irrelevant. 
“Come on! If not he must be a multi-multimillionaire." She rationalised. "His dad is the billionaire."
You groaned. "Will you stop making me nervous and help me pick something to wear?" 
You decided on the midi dress you'd actually worn to Eunbi's wedding last summer. It was the only fancy thing you had – or at least fancy enough to dine at a restaurant that sold insane dollar steaks. But wait, the restaurant wasn't supposed to matter, remember? 
You still wanted to look nice though. The dress was modest in itself but maybe the colour was a bit eye-catching – a deep red. Soojung said it was perfect and you'd knock his Dilf socks off. By now you were getting sick of the word. You told her as much.
"What if I don't want to sleep with him?"
"As if." She scoffed. "Your dry spell has gone on far too long. You deserve this." She caught the look of apprehension on your face. "When you're ready of course."
"Don't make me –”
"Nervous, I know" she finished for you, sighing loudly. "There's no need to be. Mr. Dilf is whipped for you, I just know it."
How did she know? She hadn't even met him, but you appreciated the sentiment. You did not appreciate it when she was being a clever bitch though. 
"I'm just trying to work this out." She said, watching you apply your mascara in the bathroom mirror. It was much later in the day now, about forty minutes before Seokjin was due to pick you up. You were dressed, hair up, makeup nearly done, and sick to your stomach with anticipation. You hummed, letting her know you'd heard her and to continue. 
"You were mad when Dilf spent money on your car but you're okay with him spending mad money on you at this restaurant?" 
"Soojung," you warned, staring at her reflection in the glass. 
She held her hands up in apology. "Sorry, sorry. I'm just curious. Is it okay when it's food?"
You sighed. You knew it didn't really make sense, you guessed, but well, you'd said yes to the dinner. You hadn't said yes to the car being repaired. That was the difference. 
"I'm not going to order the most expensive thing on the menu." 
"Well, don't just order a side salad, he'll think you're weird..." 
You simply stared at her. Her input was so appreciated. 
.
.
“He’s here, oh my god, he’s here!” Soojung screamed, spying through the voile curtains in the living room. "Ten minutes early. I love that." 
“Soojung, move away, now." You told her sternly. 
“The fucking car–” She cut herself with a muffled sound. As if she was trying to stifle her own screams. You guessed he'd gotten out of said car. “What the fuck, what the fuck, he’s SO hot. I’m going to pass out."
“Soojung!" Dropping your phone into your purse you slipped on your heels, nearly tripping over in the process. You gripped onto the back of the couch just in time. "I swear to god if he sees you." 
She spun around, pointing an accusing finger at you. “You never said he was that hot." 
You shrugged. "You never asked."
"I asked every goddamn second of the day. You lucky bitch." She walked towards you, fixing a piece of your hair that had fallen into your eyes. “How come you get hot billionaire Dilf and I get the man-child whose special talent is making cocktails." 
"Shut up," you scoffed. She loved Taehyung and his cocktail making skills. That's how they'd met after all. She drunk at the bar three days a week for a month straight until he asked her out. 
The doorbell rung and you froze, remembering how nervous you were. Soojung's antics had distracted you for a while but now reality was setting in. As you turned to leave she tapped your ass. “Get that Dilf dick, girl!”
"Soojung, I swear to god –”
"I won't wait up."
Ha. As if. She'd be glued to that window until Seokjin dropped you off back home. You knew her all too well, you'd been best friends for over ten years. 
In the entryway now, you didn't have time for breathing exercises. Although, you wished you'd had once you opened the door to see Seokjin stood there looking devastating handsome. 
“Hi," he smiled, eyes lighting up when he saw you. 
“Hey," you managed to squeeze out, cemented to the ground. 
He was dressed in a double breasted navy two piece that must have been tailored to fit his body down to the millimetre, a crisp white dress shirt on underneath. His hair looked shorter, falling just above is eyebrows and parted slightly in the middle. He looked good enough to eat. Or good enough to make you pass out. Either one. 
“You look beautiful," he awed, rendering you pretty speechless. 
This was a date. It really was a date. 
"Thank you," you managed to reply, needing to return the compliment. But what could you possibly say?! “You look…really good." 
Oh god. How embarrassing. 
Especially when Seokjin burst out laughing, that familiar squeak to it that you'd heard at the parent-teacher meeting. "I'll take it. Thanks." He tilted his head. "Are you ready to go? I'm a bit early, I know. Sorry about that." 
You nodded, clutching your purse tight to your side. "I, uh... I would invite you in to kill time but my best friend’s embarrassing." You raised your voice a little so she'd hear you, but on her best behaviour she stayed deathly silent. Well done, Soojung. 
Seokjin raised an eyebrow, a little confused, but you figured you'd fill him in inside the car. "It's fine," he shook his head.
Seeing you stepping forward he moved to the side, outstretching his arm to invite you to lead the way. You did, making sure not to look back towards the living room window, because you knew for a fact you'd see Soojung pressed up against it. 
.
.
“This is all new for me.” Seokjin admitted, sat opposite you as you waited for your dessert. “I haven’t been on a date for years.”
To say the night had gone well would be an understatement. At first you’d been too nervous to even breathe, especially with Seokjin looking like that just a few centimetres away from you as he drove. It didn’t help that he seemed to be some type of regular at the restaurant, getting greeted as if he was an old friend of the manager and led to his ‘usual’ table; a quiet spot away from the hustle and bustle. It turned out he co-owned the place with his brother, looking mildly embarrassed as he told you. It was cute, but he had nothing to be self-conscious over, this was his life, normal to him. I hope you don’t see it as a cop-out, he confessed, causing some confusion your end. Why would you see it that way? This restaurant was beautiful, certainly popular, and you couldn’t wait to try the food. You told him as much and he laughed about feeling nervous now. 
You tried lobster for the first time ever – his recommendation. It was kind of messy, but he ordered the same so you were both in it together. You laughed, you joked, you got to know one another more. Conversation came easy, both relaxed in one another’s company, and after the main you both decided to share a dessert, too stuffed for anything more. 
“Snap,” you grinned, silently happy that was the case, although rather amazed. Seokjin was, well… him, who wouldn’t want to snap him up? However then again, he was a busy, divorced father. Dating probably wasn’t high up on his list. You were so distracted by his confession, you didn’t even comprehend he’d used the word ‘date.’ 
“Really?” Seokjin’s eyes bulged slightly. Why was he so surprised? 
You shrugged casually. “It’s been well over a year since my last date.”  
Seokjin’s mouth curved, amused. “Try over ten.” 
“I wasn’t aware this was a competition,” you laughed, but yes, he indeed had you beat. 
He laughed along, the arrival of your lemon cheesecake interrupting you both for a moment. It was a few bites later when the conversation got back on track again, Seokjin’s tone careful as he looked across at you, both of you reaching for another bit of the cheesecake with your dessert forks. “You don’t mind me calling this a date, do you? This isn’t the part where you tell me you’ve been in a relationship for five years and you just thought this was an innocent thank you dinner?”
You giggled softy, shaking your head. “No. I don’t mind you calling it a date.” You brought the fork up to your mouth, taking your time to chew before you continued. “Soojung was adamant it was but I… didn’t want get my hopes up?” You wanted to be honest. This night was about opening yourself up to the uncertain. 
“Soojung, your best friend? The one you live with?” He asked. 
You nodded. You’d already told him all about your best friend, about how you lived with each other. Seokjin hadn’t bat an eyelid, which was nice. You weren’t embarrassed or anything, but the differences in your living arrangements were stark. He thought it sounded fun. He still remembered living with his best friend Namjoon back in college and how entertaining that had been. He’d definitely be up for it again if they weren’t both dads now – divorced at that, but hey ho, that was life. 
“Well, she was correct.” Seokjin continued. “I thought I made it clear but I guess I was too cryptic.” 
“So, which one is it?” You asked, lifting an eyebrow in interest. “Not an innocent thank you dinner or not an innocent dinner?” 
You were feeling brave, however your heart still thudded inside your chest, adrenaline whooshing through your veins. There was something about Seokjin that made you act so out of character… 
Seokjin failed to conceal the visible surprise across his features and you watched him swallow before he composed himself, a smirk appearing on his lips immediately. “If I didn’t know any better I would say you were flirting with me right now.”
You shrugged. “I’m just checking if your intentions are innocent or not?” You took another bite of the cheesecake. 
His smirk grew, and you watched him drop his fork onto the plate to lean back in his chair. “I would say they are, however, I did have plans to kiss you on the cheek tonight, so maybe, busted?” He chuckled then, at himself – he liked doing that you’d noticed. It was kind of cute. 
The butterflies were back. Now there was no need to ignore or try to explain them. You took them as what they were – a good sign. Humming aloud, you tilted your head to the side and pretended to contemplate. “I think I can let you do that.” 
Seokjin laughed. “You can? Okay, that sounds good.” 
You reached for your glass of wine, needing a sip just to calm the flurry inside of you. Seokjin tucked his chair closer, still laughing but quietly now, more like a chuckle. “Honestly, I was pretty much shitting my pants today.” 
You snorted into your glass, taken by surprise at his choice of words. “Sorry,” you apologised, feeling a little bit embarrassed by the sound that had just left your nose. He didn’t same fazed. “I was nervous too.” 
That seemed to settle him. He smiled fondly, fingers tracing the brim of his glass. “I guess we were being silly.” His lips parted to say something else but he hesitated. You watched him take a quiet exhale, then he continued. “My therapist has been begging me to try dating again for months but the thought has always been pretty terrifying.” He gave a small shrug, his warm eyes locking with yours. “Until I met you.” 
You could feel your heart rate speeding up, unable to stop the smile that spread across your face. He was pleased, grinning back, posture visibly relaxing. “She said I should face up to my fears and just ask you out.” 
There were a lot of thoughts whirring through your mind right now. The fact he felt comfortable enough to disclose with you that he had a therapist, and the fact that he’d even mentioned you to her, that she had encouraged him to ask you out. The fact he’d liked you enough to want to take the plunge at all. After two years of being alone, you were the woman who had made him want to try again… It felt comparable to your own thoughts, to your feelings… and that’s why you felt so relaxed tonight. It just felt right. 
“I like you, Y/N.” He confessed. “I know we don’t know one another very well, but I hope that this is just the beginning.” 
Despite his words sending your butterflies crazy, you kept your cool, trying to stunt your smile. “You’re not so bad yourself, I guess.” 
He chuckled. You let yourself smile at the sound. “Not so bad. I’ll take it.” He picked up his fork again, taking a bite of the cheesecake you’d both forgotten about. His voice was careful, genuine to match his expression, when he carried on. “Despite the circumstances of how we met and what followed, I don’t know, I haven’t felt a spark like that in forever.” He reached for a sip of his wine, laughing. “What do you think? You can call me crazy if you want.” 
“I think you’re right.” There was no doubt about it now. You’d been adamant in the beginning that was nothing there – no spark, no flirting, insisting Soojung was wrong, but now you couldn’t deny the obvious attraction. You’d immediately bounced off one another that evening during the parent-teacher meeting, despite your annoyance the day before. 
You grinned. “You frustrated me to no end but I felt something too.” 
He tilted his head to the left, a teasing lilt to his voice. “Frustrated you? How so?”
“You know how,” you laughed. “I may or may not have called you an exasperating bastard in my head.” 
He couldn’t contain himself then, taken back and genuinely amused. “Oh god,” he practically wheezed. “I like that one.” 
You laughed along, unable not to when the sound he made brought you such joy. You reached for another forkful of cheesecake, the dessert nearly coming to an end. Just like the date, you thought. You didn’t want it to end, you were enjoying yourself too much. 
“What about now?”
You looked up at Seokjin, eyes widening in question. What did he mean? He was staggeringly composed now, although his eyes shone with mischief as he grinned and explained. “Do I frustrate you now?”
You tried to stunt your own smile, shrugging your shoulders. “Not tonight.” 
“At the fate?”
“Nope.” 
He nodded his head, seemingly happy with your answers. “I guess things are looking up then.” He picked up his glass again, about to take a sip before he paused and added,  “Although, I must admit, I liked frustrating you. You look so cute when your mad.” 
You felt heat immediately burn its way to your cheeks, hoping the lighting in this restaurant was dim enough not to make it obvious. He took a swig of his wine. “Watch it, Mr. Kim.” As he chuckled it muffled inside the glass.  
You went for the last piece of cheesecake, figuring you were owed that now. You looked across at him as you chewed, knowing that if you really wanted this to happen again you needed to let him know. Face up to your fears of opening up, telling people how you really felt. “I’d like to get to know you better, Seokjin.”
“Really?” He sounded hopeful, fingers playing with the rim of his wine glass again. 
“Mmhm.” You nodded. “You seem like a lovely man if we ignore the car stealing...” 
“Hey,” he whined, “you apologised for that already, you can’t bring it up again.” You held your hands up in silent defence, chuckling silently, watching him lean closer. “But please, go back to what you were saying about me being a lovely man. Stroke my ego, it’s been a long week.” 
Had it? You were curious, concerned really. You thought to ask him if he wanted to talk about it, but you guessed the last thing he’d like to do was discuss work on a date. Instead, you decided to tell him about what attracted you most to him. The thing that had inevitably made you change your mind and realise that maybe, quite possibly, you’d misjudged him.
“Arin really adores you and I can see how much you dote on her. Any man cherished by his child is a good one in my eyes.” 
“Oh.” He simply replied, possibly at a loss of words. He looked touched – happy, but ultimately unsure of what to reply, so he bypassed it in a way, raising an eyebrow. “So is there some kind of checklist?” 
“What do you mean?” 
He gave a slight shrug. “Like, ‘kids like him – check.’ ‘He knows how to clean dishes – check.’ – I can by the way. I’m really good with a pair of washing up gloves and some dish soap.” 
You burst out laughing, not quite believing your ears. “Yeah, okay.” You admitted. “There’s a list.” Didn’t every woman have one? 
“Let’s see how I fare then.” Seokjin said, sounding sure of himself as he leant back in his seat, hands behind his head – the image of casual. Maybe you were into this cocky Seokjin… It was sort of hot. 
“Okay so…” You began, leaning forward. “Family man – check.” You’d already approved that one. “Loves animals?”
He scoffed. “Easy. Animals are so much better than humans.” 
Okay, more points his way… “Uhh.” You thought aloud, racking your brains. “Does he make me laugh?”
Seokjin mulled it over. “That sounds like a decision you have to make, but I think it’s a yes? I mean, you’ve been laughing all night. Unless you were just being nice.” 
“No, you are funny,” you confirmed, although you were unable to miss an opportunity to mess around with him. “You have that, what should I call it,” you pretended to think, “that old man type sense of humour.”
“Hey. I’m not that old,” he huffed. 
You chuckled quietly. True, he wasn’t old, but you were still surprised when you’d found out he was turning 38 this coming December. Some people were blessed with ageing gracefully. Of course he was one of them. The man looked amazing for someone two years away from forty. 
“What about you?” You wondered. “Do you have a checklist?”
He sat upright again, setting his elbow on the table to drop his chin in his palm, giving you his full attention. “Yes, and you check them all.” 
“I do?” You laughed in disbelief. Either he was easy to please or he wanted brownie points. 
He shrugged, as if to say of course. “You’re funny, caring, can be kind of scary at times – which I’m sort of into, to be honest.” 
“I’m not scary,” you protested, pouting slightly. However, what? He was into it? That made you feel funny…
He smirked. “I beg to differ.” 
You rolled your eyes. “What else do I check off?”
He didn’t need time to think. “You’re insanely beautiful.” Your dumbfounded expression made him second guess himself. He pulled a face. “Yikes. Too cheesy?”
You grinned, getting a hold of yourself. “Maybe, but then again, maybe I like that.” How could you not like being called beautiful? How could you not like receiving a compliment? Especially from him. 
He smiled, gazing into your eyes as he leant forward. You felt immediate warmth when his hand cupped yours across the table. This was the first time he’d touched you, right? Your mind was a blur right now, unable to recall two hours ago, let alone two weeks ago. When he spoke, you only felt warmer, the soft timbre of his voice fluttering through your whole body. “I’m really attracted to you, Y/N.” 
And what could you say to that? You swallowed, wetting your throat, realising it had become dry. He was waiting for a reply, amused by something – your blank looking face most probably. He had the ability to render you speechless, and he knew it. He liked it. 
Well, no, not on your watch. You’d get the last word. You’d win. 
Composing yourself, you slipped your hand from under his, tapping it lightly, as if you were consoling him. “I’ve said it once already, but you’re not so bad yourself, Mr. Kim.” 
Taken aback, he chuckled quietly in bemusement, shaking his head. “You’re going to give me wrinkles.”  
.
.
A man of his word, he did kiss you on the cheek after the date was over. He waited until he had driven you home and opened the door for you to step out of the car – ever the gentleman, you’d teased. You stood by the little gate that lead a pathway to your front door, and that’s where he’d leant down to place his lips ever so lightly against the top of your left cheek. You smiled shyly up at him, unable to play it cool this time. 
He looked a little rosy in the face too, unsure as he smiled. “I had a lovely time tonight.” 
“Me too,” you agreed. “Can I take you out next time?” You surprised yourself by the offer, that kiss must have shot some confidence into you. 
He looked surprised too, but into it, tilting his head in curiosity as he looked down at you. “Where do you suggest?”
“My place?” Okay, so it wasn’t ‘taking him out’ but you liked the idea best. Soojung could stay over Tae’s. She owed you one. “I can cook for you,” you offered, a hand unconsciously reaching for the collar of his jacket, straightening it for him. “To you know, return the favour of you paying for dinner to say sorry for paying for my car to get fixed.” 
His hand clasped around yours, dropping it between your bodies to hold it as he chuckled. 
“This is getting a little confusing now.” He swung your hand gently and you curled your little finger around his loosely. You could get used to this physical contact. It felt ordinary, like you’d been doing it forever. “Can’t we just call it dating and have done?”
You rolled your shoulders with a sigh, sounding casual and unbothered. “I guess, if it’s easier.” 
Seokjin’s laugh got lower, his face closer. His eyes kept looking between your eyes and lips, and you realised your heart was beginning to beat slower, or was it faster? You couldn’t tell anymore, but you could hear it pounding lightly inside your ears. You were in the middle of playing the same game – eyes then lips, eyes then lips – the seconds feeling more like minutes as he leant in closer and closer, but then – 
You spotted Soojung in the window as you happened to glance behind Seokjin’s shoulder. She had now totally bypassed the voile curtain, thinking she was Miss. Inconspicuous with the lights off. The street lighting was as bright as anything though, and all you could see was her face glowing like a ghost as she ruined the moment entirely. You were not having your first kiss with Seokjin in front of her prying eyes. 
Seokjin realised your attention was elsewhere now, awkwardly pulling back to scratch his neck with his free hand. You clutched at the hand that was holding yours, not wanting him to think you’d blown him off. He didn’t say anything though, just continued your conversation with a bemused smile. “Um, so what are you going to cook?” 
“What do you like?” You asked, only half your attention on him. Maybe you could silently signal to Soojung, tell her to get the hell out of the window before Seokjin noticed. 
“I’m easy,” you heard him reply. “What’s your speciality?”
“Uh…” Think Y/N, think. Distracted you said the first thing that popped into your head, still trying to force Soojung away with just your eyeballs. “Lasagne.”
“Lasagne?” He sounded interested. 
You finally met his eyes for more than five seconds, feeling a little panicky. “Yeah, my World Famous Italian lasagne.” 
Oh no. 
Seokjin laughed, dropping your hand to cup your cheek instead. Earlier, if this had happened you would have spontaneously combusted but now you had a case of the Nosey Friend and you couldn’t concentrate to save your life. “Okay, now you’re just talking big.” 
You couldn’t help it, your eyes attempting to dart past his shoulder again. He noticed – he’d probably noticed this entire time, an eyebrow of his raising. “What is going on over my shoulder?” 
You tried to stop him, clinging to his elbow, but he turned around anyway, eyes falling on Soojung immediately. You saw her instantly panic and jump back, dropping the curtain in front of the window again.  “That’s just Soojung,” you sighed. “Ignore her, she’s an idiot.” 
Seokjin was deeply amused, laughing as he turned back to you. “So, is next Saturday okay?” You pressed. 
He grinned. “Saturday sounds perfect to me.” 
As you said your goodbyes, Seokjin turned to the window and gave a small wave, chortling to himself. You couldn’t see Soojung anymore but you just knew she was still spying. But relieved Seokjin didn’t seem fazed, you made your way inside, giving Seokjin a wave by the door as he pulled off, feeling happy, yet a little sad the night was over already. You couldn’t remember the last time you’d enjoyed yourself like that. 
It was only when you were inside did you remember what you’d just done, too preoccupied to think properly beforehand. Oh God, the lasagne. Saturday night was going to be a disaster. 
Soojung came running into the entry way, interrupting your freak out. “He saw me! He saw me!” Her voice was shrill, and you couldn’t tell if it was because she was embarrassed or excited. 
“That’s what happens when you spy, idiot,” you swiped, kicking off your heels. The instant relief brought you no comfort. “Soo, I’ve done something stupid.” You admitted. 
She instantly looked worried. “What? What have you done?”
You sighed, already feeling like a fool. “Okay so, I invited him over next weekend and said I’d cook for him.” 
“Girl is horny for that D–”
“Shut up, that’s not the problem,” you stopped her. She looked puzzled. “You were distracting me!” It was all her fault. You weren’t taking the blame. “He asked me what I was gonna cook and I told him I make a World Famous Italian lasagne!” 
Your best friend was silent for an extended second, making sense of your words before she burst out laughing. Highly dramatic, practically doubled over, splitting her sides. Even more dramatic than you for freaking out over a damn lasagne. 
“You have never made lasagne in your entire life!” She exclaimed. “What were you thinking?” 
“It was your fault!” It was also her fault you didn’t get to kiss Seokjin properly too. But you weren’t going to bring that up now, unable to bear the constant teasing that would ensue. 
“My fault?!” She laughed. You just rolled your eyes. She did not appreciate that at all. “Whatever. I can’t wait to see your “World Famous Italian lasagne.” Make sure to save me some, won’t you?”
“Right,” you huffed. “For that, I’m not telling you how the date went.” 
She soon changed her tune, needing all the details just to be able to sleep tonight… 
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Written 2020 - 2021.  Please refrain from posting my work elsewhere. No translations allowed. © floralseokjin 2021
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atths--twice · 3 years
Text
Periods of Pain
It’s been a bit of time since I’ve posted a story. Hope you are all doing well and you enjoy this one. ❤
Waking from cramps and pain, Scully discovers she does not have any tampons, prompting a need to go out in the middle of the night. Or does she…?
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March 1998
Rolling over, waking from a restless sleep, Scully groaned as her stomach clenched and she drew in a sharp breath. Moaning, she placed a hand on her stomach and pushed the covers back with the other.
Turning on the light, she squeezed her eyes shut for a second, opening only one in the brightness. Letting out another breath, she opened her suitcase and began to rummage through it. Every pocket was searched, but she did not find what she needed.
“Shit,” she whispered and went into the bathroom to look in her toiletry bag, but fairly certain she would not find them in there either. A quick search showed her thoughts were correct… no tampons.
Another pang in her stomach and she gripped the counter top with a deep moan, breathing in slowly through her nose and letting it out through her mouth. There was ibuprofen in her bag, only four, and she took all of them, drinking them with a handful of water from the bathroom tap.
Closing her eyes, she took a deep breath and used the toilet, knowing what she would find and sighing bitterly when she did- her period. Her body’s cruel reminder that she may menstruate, but it would forever be in vain.
Cursing as she wiped away angry tears, she finished, washed her hands and left the bathroom. She would need to run to a grocery store or a gas station, despite the late hour. As another cramp hit, she shook her head as she remembered that Mulder had the car keys and he was most likely asleep.
“Fuck,” she said through gritted teeth and opened her side of the connecting door, finding his slightly ajar, the room dark aside from the glow of the television playing softly.
Pushing the door open further, she stepped quietly into the room and walked over to the table, sure that was where he would have left the keys, but did not find them.
“Scully?”
“Jesus, Mulder!” she said, whipping around, a hand on her chest as she let out a ragged breath. He was staring at her, his eyebrows raised and hair tousled, as he scratched at his upper arm. “You scared me.”
“I could say the same,” he said with a tired chuckle, continuing to stare at her. “Did you need something?”
“Uhhh… yeah I uh… I need the car keys.”
“Did…” He yawned and stretched, shaking his head. “Did you forget something?”
“No. I just… need them. Where are they?” He yawned again and walked closer to her.
“Not on the table?”
“No, I don’t see them. Do you know where else they would be?”
“You need them now? It’s… Scully, it’s two in the morning.” He stared at her questioningly and she drew in a breath as her stomach pained.
“I am aware that it’s late. I just need them… please.”
“You got a clandestine meeting I don’t know about,” he teased with a small smile and she scoffed softly.
“No. I just… Mulder, please,” she sighed and he nodded, beginning to look around, but she knew he was still concerned.
“Tampons,” she said softly. “I need to go get some tampons.” He froze in his search and looked at her, holding her gaze until she had to look away.
“Oh… right. Um… I think… umm… I think they might be in my coat pocket.” He picked it up and she sighed as she closed her eyes, feeling embarrassed though she knew she should not.
“Here,” he said softly and she opened her eyes, looking up to see him handing the keys to her, his own eyes unreadable, as though worried to express how he was truly feeling.
“Thank you,” she whispered, taking them from him, and looking down. “I usually have some, but I guess I forgot to replenish them before we left.”
“Hmm,” he hummed. She looked up and she saw sadness in his eyes before he looked away. She felt tears prick hers and she cleared her throat.
“Well, I’ll let you go back to sleep. Sorry for disturbing you.”
“You didn’t. My bladder did,” he said with a forced smile.
“Right,” she said, forcing a small chuckle, both of them ignoring the gigantic elephant in the room. “Okay, see you in the morning. Goodnight.”
“Goodnight,” he said with a nod and she stepped past him. “Oh… Scully, wait a second.”
Turning around, she stared at him with a furrowed brow. He was opening his suitcase and feeling around the inside pocket, a look of concentration on his face. He took out a pair of socks and some underwear, dropping them into his case, and then turning to look at her with a smile.
“Yup, I thought they might be still in there,” he said, walking closer and extending his hand to her, presenting her with two tampons. She took them with confusion and looked up at him. “Now you won’t have to go out. That’s enough until tomorrow, right?”
“Ye… yeah. But… Mulder, why do you have tampons in your bag? The brand I use, no less?”
“Well…” He shrugged and she raised her eyebrows, waiting for an answer. “It never hurts to be prepared, Boy Scout motto and all that.
“You weren’t a Boy Scout, Mulder.”
“Indian Guide… Boy Scout…” He shrugged again, weighing his hands back and forth. He smiled and she tilted her head, silently asking him to answer her question. With a sigh, he nodded, looking down as he cleared his throat. “I’ve had them for a while, I forgot they were there.”
“Yes, but why?”
“I could come away from this appearing like a real sensitive and caring soul, looking out for my female partner, being “man enough” to carry tampons, but…” He laughed bitterly and shook his head. “It’s only a small fraction of why I have them.” Inhaling sharply, her cramps still a nuisance, she breathed through it and kept her eyes on him.
“You had that really bad nosebleed,” he said, his voice just above a whisper. “It wouldn’t stop, do you remember?” He raised his head and looked at her.
“Yes,” she breathed with a nod. Of course she remembered. She had nearly passed out because of it.
Nearly nine months ago while in his motel room, eerily similar to the one they were currently standing in, her nose had begun to bleed, dripping onto the case file in front of her, before quickly running copiously from her nose and onto her clothes. He had caught her as she stumbled to the bathroom, helping her get to the sink, the bright red drops of blood then splattering audibly against the white porcelain.
It felt as though it would never end and if he had not been there, she believed she may have died on the floor. He had caught her a second time, holding her upright, pinching her nose and murmuring to her, her eyes closed and body weak.
By the time the bleeding had stopped, both of them bore signs of it on their clothes and their person. He had washed her face, and helped to change her clothes, putting one of his shirts on her, not wanting her pajamas to become stained if it happened again.
He had wanted to go immediately to the hospital, but she had argued him down, claiming she was fine and only needed to sleep. He had relented, but barely, helping her to bed and staying beside her all night. She had woken a couple of times to find him sitting in a chair and watching her, before falling asleep once again.
In the morning she had been fine, a little tired at first, but well enough, though he had continued to keep an eye on her. It had bothered her at first, but when she remembered the sound of the blood hitting the sink, she understood and squeezed his hand briefly as they had gotten into the car.
Never again had her nose bled that badly and they had never discussed it.
“I uh… when we came home, I thought if I’d had the presence of mind, a tampon would have been the ideal thing to help staunch the bleeding. I mean, that’s its main purpose, right?” He smiled, but it did not reach his eyes. “I stopped and bought a box, putting some in my bag once I was home, just in case it happened again.”
“And you’ve had them all this time?” she whispered and he nodded. She shook her head, tears pricking at her eyes again.
“I figured it was best to be ready. The rest of the box is under my bathroom sink.” She scrunched her chin as she let out a breath. “Well… aside from a couple in a desk drawer at the office. And also the glovebox of my car.”
“Mulder…” she breathed, licking her lips and wiping her eyes quickly.
“I don’t think I’ve ever felt so scared, Scully,” he whispered, shaking his head, staring into her eyes. “I thought I was going to lose you. That…” Breaking eye contact, he looked down with a deep sigh and shook his head again. “That it would be there in some shitty motel room… where you… I…”
She stepped closer and wrapped her arms around his waist, her tears falling as she let out a deep breath. She felt his arms holding her as she sniffled and closed her eyes.
God, he never failed to surprise her, leave her completely shocked by his care and thoughtfulness. Not that she did not know he cared, but the lengths to which he went, silently and unknowingly, made her ache. She held him tighter, his warmth and scent calming her.
He stroked her hair, his fingers rubbing gently at her scalp and she sighed, sniffling again as her breathing synced with his and his heart beat beneath her ear. His other hand running softly up and down her back was both relaxing and arousing, and she suppressed a moan before releasing her tight grip on him and pulling back slightly.
He held her upper arms and pressed his lips to her forehead, kissing her softly, twice. Taking a deep breath, she opened her eyes and pulled back further, needing to put some space between them.
“Thank you,” she whispered and he nodded as his hands moved down her arms, not breaking contact until he reached her fingers, squeezed gently, and let go.
“You’re welcome. We’ll stop and get more on our way to breakfast,” he said with a nod and she shook her head. “You’re not still going out?”
“No, but after breakfast is fine. After coffee especially,” she said, attempting to lighten the mood. He gave her a small smile and nodded.
“After breakfast then,” he agreed and she nodded, stepped back and cleared her throat.
“Thank you again,” she said, indicating the tampons in her hand and he nodded. “Goodnight.”
“Night, Scully,” he said quietly. She turned around and walked to her room, glancing back at him as she walked through her door and closed it, though not completely.
As she went into the bathroom, she realized she still had the car keys. Setting them on the counter, she washed her hands and splashed some cold water on her face before using the toilet.
Opening the tampon, she shook her head at the injustice of it all, but mostly at the thought of him purchasing and then stashing tampons in places she would be, just in case of another emergency. His foresight had stopped her from a late night drive and the need for which he did purchase them was no longer a threat, but the need for them now was almost worse.
The cruel reminder that fruition could never happen.
Washing her hands again, she went back to bed, the light from the television in Mulder’s room faintly outlining her door. She stared at it, the sight of it comforting, until her eyes began to droop and she fell asleep.
_______________
After breakfast, through which they were both rather quiet, the previous night not discussed as they ate their food, they stopped at a pharmacy as planned. She made to get out and he stopped her.
“I got it,” he said, unbuckling his seatbelt and opening his door.
“Mulder, don’t be-”
“Scully,” he insisted, his hand on her arm to stop her from getting out of the car. “Please. Let me.”
“You don’t need to do that, Mulder. I appreciate you doing it before, but-” she began, but he interrupted her again.
“Please. I need to.” She stared at him and saw the sadness and pain in his eyes. Saw the hurt she had seen in January every time he looked at her where Emily was concerned. The pain when he had testified on her behalf and spoke the truth she had not expected, the burden he had carried, not wanting to hurt further.
“Mulder,” she whispered, reaching for his hand. “You don’t need to… you don’t.”
“I do,” he replied quietly, squeezing her hand with a nod. “Please.”
She relented with a final squeeze of her hand. He smiled softly and got out of the car, walking briskly into the store. She closed her eyes and massaged her forehead, tears threatening to fall, but she pushed them down. They had suspects to speak to and now was no time to cry.
He was back quicker than she had anticipated, startling her as her eyes flew open when he opened the door and sat down, a bag held in his hand. He smiled as he began to show her what he had bought. A box of tampons, a bottle of ibuprofen and one of Midol, two bottles of water, and a bag of Hershey’s kisses. Her eyes widened at the sight of it all and he laughed.
“Best to be prepared, right?” he teased, hinting at last night’s discussion even as the previous heaviness dissipated. She nodded, swallowing down the large lump residing in her throat. “Do you want a kiss?” He held the bag in his hands and shook it with a grin.
Not answering him, not with words anyway, she leaned toward him, held his face in her hands, and gently kissed him on the lips. Pulling back, she chuckled softly at the look of surprise on his face.
“I’ll take a chocolate one too,” she whispered teasingly as he stared at her. Raising an eyebrow at him, he shook his head and looked down at the bag. Ripping it open, he took one from the bag and handed it to her.
She opened it and put it into her mouth, smiling at him. His eyes traveled her face, landing on her lips, and she watched his throat as he swallowed. Shaking his head again, he took a candy from the bag and opened it, shoving it into his mouth.
Starting the car, she smiled at him, the sweet taste of chocolate on her tongue, the feel of his kiss on her lips. Squeezing his knee gently, her expression changed, hoping to convey her thanks once again. He nodded and covered her hand, interlocking their fingers momentarily before letting go, and offering her another kiss, the foil already removed.
Taking it, she smiled as she placed it into her mouth and put the car in reverse, the chocolate satisfying a craving and the man beside her soothing her soul.
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thewildwaffle · 3 years
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Hero & Villain (part 2)
A quick break from humans are weird, but here is a continuation of This Potstickers story. Thanks @nomadicsmurf for requesting this!
***
The suit makes the super. That’s true for both villains and heroes. Any old jokester off the street can do or stop crime, but if you really want to wreak havoc or save the day, it’s all about how you present yourself. Robbing a bank? You need a good suit. Catching a falling train before it crushes an animal shelter? You need a good suit. Finally making it to the grocery store? Well, you don’t need a good suit, but it certainly helps keep everyone at a distance and commands a certain level of recognition and fearful respect. If you’re a villain that is. The villain inspected two packages of chicken. They were from the deli and their weight and price were printed clearly on large white stickers. Not caring to make sure anyone was looking, because let’s be honest, everyone was trying to not look their way so as to avoid eye contact, the stickers were switched and the formerly more expensive package was placed in the cart. “What are you doing here?” a surprisingly familiar voice accused. The villain turned around to see the easily recognizable suit of the hero that had broken into the lair earlier. The villain shook the handle on the cart, making the contents slide around in the bottom for emphasis. “What does it look like I’m doing here?” The pair stared at each other, sizing each other up. Other customers kept peeking over to see what was going to happen while also trying to inconspicuously scatter to what they must have thought would be a safe distance if fighting broke out. Finally, with a sigh, the hero sighed and rubbed their temples. “Whatever. I guess you’re right. Again. Just… just don’t do anything… evil or whatever.” “Oh yes, because groceries are very evil,” the villain’s eyes rolled. “Aren’t you going to stop me from buying these potatoes to power my new evil plasma gun?” At that moment, the villain noticed the hero’s cart. The sarcastic smile melted into an annoyed frown. “Hey! What did I tell you when you left earlier?”
“What?” “Look at this junk!” The villain left their cart and started rifling through the hero’s. “Mr. Chuggles Cheese Puffs? Really? Fried chicken, white bread- you’ve already managed to squish this, by the way, giant bag of licorice, store brand bologna, baker’s dozen donuts, and is this… frozen cheese pizzas?” The three boxes were lifted out of the cart and presented pointedly as if to emphasize the disappointment. “You do know that the other toppings are free, right?” The hero grabbed the boxes and put them back into the cart. The villain sighed. “I did tell you to get real food, didn’t I? What, did your super hearing conveniently stop working?” “I’m just hungry, okay.” “Okay, I could just slap your stupid face. I knew you heroes were incompetent but dang.” The hero shot the villain a glare, which was parried by a soft shoulder shrug. “The first rule of grocery shopping, don’t go while hungry.” The hero’s stomach chose that moment to growl loudly. Dang, they hadn’t eaten since breaking into the villain's lair earlier and being fed those two potstickers. After they left, they’d been called away to help fight off a mob of angry mermen in a neighboring coastal city. “The second rule, always shop with a list based on the upcoming week’s recipes,” the villain continued and looked disdainfully into the hero’s cart. “What are you planning on cooking? May I recommend something with, oh I don’t know, vegetables?” It was then that they noticed the exhausted and lost look on the hero’s face. With a deep sigh, the villain pulled the hero’s cart over. “Here, come with me. I’ll help. Oh don’t look at me like that, I told you I’m a fine upstanding member of society now, remember? Plus, what's the fun of being a villain when your nemesis destroys themselves with a poor diet. That's my job, thank you very much. Except I would certainly be more creative about it.” It only took slightly more convincing before the odd pair were circling the store for miscellaneous ingredients as the villain helped to plan meals for the week. It also helped that the villain vaporized the hero’s already gathered foodstuffs. “I
know you’re busy, that’s probably why you’re like this anyway, you heroes are always thinking you’re such hot stuff for saving the day or what malarky, but you never stop to take care of yourselves. So we need foods you can make when you have downtime and then store for when you don’t. I’ve got a recipe for ‘Uncle Death Shadow's Super Dope Good Chicken.’ You can put it in the crockpot and have it cooking all day and it's ready when you get home. Easy peasy.” The store wasn’t crazy busy, which tends to happen later in the day and when people walk in and spy the suits. If it was just the hero, they’d probably swarm them and try to get an autograph or selfie with them or whatever, but pair that with the villain? People tend to make themselves scarce. That being the case, the wait for the checkout line was basically non-existent. “Good evening [villain name], how are you doing?” the girl behind the cash register chimed as they approached. “Just fine Stephanie, how about yourself?” the villain smiled at her while loading items on the belt. “You know each other?” The hero placed a divider between the two orders. “Uh, yeah, that happens when you actually go grocery shopping more than once a blue moon, go figure,” the villain scoffed. Stephanie chuckled softly and began to dutifully scan and/or weigh each item. The hero stood by the card reader to pay while the villain loaded the filled bags back into the cart. When prompted, the card was swiped. A series of two short beeps was the response. “Oh, sorry,” Stephanie frowned. “It says it was declined. Go ahead and try it again.” The card was swiped again. And again. Only beeps and a message on the screen saying ‘insufficient funds.’ “Uh,” Stephanie was clearly not comfortable but asked, “Do... do you want to try another payment method?” The hero patted themselves like they were checking their pockets, even though the suit didn’t have any. Or at least, it didn’t look like it did. Who knows with suit technology these days though. Pockets or not, the hero came up empty. “I… I don’t. This should work though, I, uh, I don’t know why it’s not. The money should be in my account.” “Well, well, well. Leave it to the Hero Association to mess up payday,” the villain all but sauntered over. “But then again, the old saying doesn't say that heroism pays. You know what does though?” The villain pulled out a Platinum Hoarders Cash Rewards card. “The saying is that crime doesn't pay. I don’t want your ill-gotten money.” “You wound me. Besides, I don’t think it’s really a matter of wanting, it looks more like a matter of nee-” A series of loud crashes and breaking glass interrupted. “HALT FOUL VILLAIN! YOUR DAYS OF TERRORISING THESE PEOPLE IS OVER!” All three of them looked to the front door where a menacing figure dressed in the gaudiest yellow, black, and red suit had flown in and knocked over at least two display stands and toppled a tower of honeydew. “Is that… Captain Inferno?” Stephanie had to stand on her tiptoes to see over the display behind her register. Her voice trembled slightly. Not much was known about the new and upcoming hero, but what was known wasn't always… stable. “How did he get out?” the villain grumbled. “That trap was stuck tight when I last checked it.” The hero turned to look, horrified, “you had someone else trapped in your lair?” “h, yeah, right after you left he broke in and got stuck. He was being a real jerk though, so I figured I’d deal with him later and left him there while I left to run errands and go shopping.” As the villain turned back to look at where Captain Inferno was storming forward, a fireball blasted past in a narrow miss. Screams erupted as the fire crashed into and spread along the shelf in the customer service department. The villain ducked into a defensive stance and glanced from the blazing shelf to the fiery hero himself. “Are you insane?!” From the way the fire hero nearly stalked forward, he might very well be. The villain really hoped he hadn’t gotten into any of the tox-N test vials that’d been stored in the lair. In retrospect, those
probably should have been moved to at least another room before leaving the hero - trapped or not- alone with them. “Am I insane?! You of all people have the audacity to ask me that? I know what you’ve been up to in that vile lair of yours and I’m going to make sure your latest project never sees the light of day, one way or another.” “Captain Inferno!” the hero's voice commanded both Inferno and the villain's attention. “What are you doing? You can’t just come in here and start blasting! I know you’re new, but this is completely unaccepta-” The sentence wasn’t able to be finished as Inferno shoved the hero back and into the end cap of the aisle with another loud crash. ‘Well, there you have it,’ the villain grimaced, ‘definitely got into the tox-N. He’s completely off his rocker. If he was ever on it, to begin with.’ Stephanie screamed and ducked behind the counter. Captain Inferno ignored them and the surrounding chaos he’d created and stepped toward the villain, heedless of the infuriated scowl he was being given. “How dare you-” another fireball was just barely side-stepped in time “-you are no hero. You disgrace the title by using it. And coming from me, that means something.” “Coming from you, it means absolutely nothing,” Captain Inferno nearly snarled. “But I’m going to make sure nothing else ever comes from you again.” The hero was back on their feet behind the villain but wasn’t quick enough to dodge the fiery blast from Inferno that had missed their intended mark once again. The villain had to rip their gaze away from the sight of the hero dropping to the ground and rolling in an attempt to extinguish the fire. The villain whipped back around. The temperature throughout the entire store felt like it dropped several degrees. How dare he hurt their hero. That was their job! Pure hatred leaked from the villain’s eyes as they landed back on the menacing opponent. “You've made a lot of mistakes today. Breaking into my lair, breaking out, following me here, being altogether a buffoon. But that? That was your last mistake.” Carefully, the villain shifted stance, arm tensing as it prepared to draw a weapon. “I’m going to disembark your intestines from... the rest of your body!” Captain Inferno frowned in confusion, then his sneer was right back. “Did…” he snickered. He actually snickered, “did you mean disembowel?” “YOU KNOW WHAT I MEANT!” The villain dropped suddenly to the ground to avoid Inferno’s fire punch attack and pulled out a compact multi-canon. Before the deranged hero could regain balance, the villain fired up directly into his chest, sending him flying high and crashing back through the drywall and plaster. Green smoke trickled down from the Captain Flame-sized hole. All eyes were dancing between said hole and the still-standing villain. Slowly, half-stunned, [hero] rose from the ground, the only traces of fire that remained was a broken trickle of smoke flickering up from their smoldering cape. The villain turned and looked up into the hero’s face as a gloved hand was placed on still battle-tense shoulders. The rage there slowly ebbed a bit when they saw the hero was well enough to stand on their own. The villain shrugged off the hero’s hand. “Eh. Must have had it on the wrong settings. Still, it looks like it worked.” The villain pulled their card back out without saying anything else and slid it through the card reader. A single ‘ding’ sounded. Payment accepted. “Oh, wait. Dang. I should have just had Stephanie ring up my stuff too and paid for it all at once. Oops.” Stephanie slowly rose up from behind the counter. The hero just stood, gaping at the villain. The villain took a few seconds to notice. “What? Oh, are you thinking what I’m thinking? Because I agree, I probably should just take my stuff anyway, right? As payment for my troubles. Yeah. You know what? I’m gonna do that. I think I’ve earned it.” Before anyone else could process and react to that, the villain pulled their cart forward and started walking toward the exit. “Wait, wait! Hold on!” The hero finally shook off the stupor and rushed
to stop the villain. “What was that?” “Uh, grocery shopping. Of sorts, I guess, as the case may be.” They stared at each other for a moment. “Oh, you mean all that with… yeah yeah, duh. I believe that was what they call ‘self-defense.’ Why you ask? Weren't you paying attention?” “You can’t just leave, we need to wait for the police. This is going to need to be reported.” The villain stopped and made a face like they were considering it. “Mmmmm. Nah. Gross. If you want to stick around, be my guest. You can tell them how I stopped that maniac from coming at poor Stephanie over there. Just remember, if you call me a hero, I will deny such titles. After all, I was just doing what any fine upstanding citizen in my position would do. I’m humble now!” “Upstandin- you yelled that you were going to disembowel him.” “I never said that. Captain Fire Pants over there, and now also you, I guess, said ‘disembowel’.” The hero made a face that made the villain roll their eyes. “Here, watch this.” They leaned over to call out, “Stephanie?” The cashier waved shakily at them. “Do the cameras in here have microphones?” “Uh, no?” The villain straightened up to look smugly at the hero. “Well, there you go. All anyone is gonna see on the camera is me saving the day. All anyone here can testify that they heard Captain Inferno say something about disemboweling people. Gosh, I’m sure glad I was here to save the day.” Now it was the hero’s turn to roll their eyes. “You didn’t save the day. If anything, you created the circumstances to make this mess! We need to wait for the authorities so we can make a report. You’re not going anywhere. Also, you didn’t pay for your stuff.” “Oh, and are you going to hold me here? Forcibly detain me?” The villain made a mock shocked gesture with their hand on their heart. “I still have my multi-canon, mind you.” “Is that a threat?” “Uh, yeah. Again, pay attention.” “What happened to you being a fine upstanding citizen? You said it’s been, what? Four days? You’re already ready to drop that act?” The villain pushed past and once again headed for the exit. “Oh sue me. It's not like it’s hard to pay off another jury.” The hero stood there, fighting between going after and making them stay, or going back to make sure no one else was hurt. That and the fires still needed to be put out. Their delay was all the villain needed to getaway. “If you have any questions about those recipes or need any tips about meal prepping, let me know!” the villain yelled out from the hover speeder rising from the parking lot. A quick check in the rear-view mirror showed the hero going back in to help in the store. Another easy getaway. The villain settled back and sighed contentedly. "Well, I guess the bright side is that I don't need to deal with angry fire britches when I get back.” The smile faltered a bit. “Although, the fact that he got into my stuff means I’m gonna have a huge cleanup to deal with. He better not have trashed the entire place or I'll make sure I've got the right settings on my cannon next time." At the hover speeder's pace, the lair came into view in no time. Getting around town was so easy when the only traffic you have to worry about are high-rise buildings and flight-capable superheroes. After parking and gathering the grocery loot, the villain stopped to consider the bag of potatoes they'd ‘not bought.’ "You know," they muttered quietly, "I just meant it as a joke earlier, but maybe I could use these to power an evil plasma gun. After I make some hash browns first, of course."
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badb1tchbokuto · 3 years
Text
Ch. 2 Alone, Together - Miya Atsumu x You
chapter 1: here 
(crossposted on ao3)
warnings: mild smut, alcohol, mentions of time skip
wc: 3.7k
As if you had sensed his worries, your eyes flutter open. “You okay?” You groggily whisper. Knowing he’s on borrowed time, he scoots down to level his face with yours and kisses you deeply. “Yeah baby, no worries.” He breathily responds as your hands begin to wander from his chiseled abdomen to his navel and down to the tufts of hair trailing to his boxer briefs.
At this point Atsumu knows he’s completely, utterly, royally fucked.
⳾⑅❀⑅❀⑅❀⑅❀⑅❀⑅⳾
Atsumu tried. He really, really did.
Standing on the tiny kitchenette of his shared hotel suite with Bokkun(who was off spending time with Akaashi), he hangs up the phone after a long Facetime session with Samu guiding him on how to make the best onigiri and miso soup.
It really shouldn’t have taken that long. All he had to do was wash the rice, pop it into the mini rice cooker stowed in the counter, cut some fresh tuna, sear the rest, then assemble it all into balls along with the seasoning, condiments and nori.
He’d know how to make miso soup even if he was blindfolded. All he had to do was mix in the ingredients he bought on a small pot of water. Dashi, miso paste, diced silken tofu, sliced green onions, some more nori, all dropped in at different times and simmered to get the perfect taste. Plus, this was one of the first dishes their ma taught them how to make before he and Samu moved away.
Really, it should have been a breeze. He’d made onigiris for himself countless of times before, admittedly nowhere near as tasty as the ones Osamu makes, but they were still edible.
This time, however, it had to delicious. Mouthwatering, perfect.
For the umpteenth time, Atsumu is picking off the nori on the last rice ball, wrapping and rewrapping, then wrapping again because the nori just wasn’t hugging the rice in a fashion uniform to the seven others arranged in front of him.
“Why does it look so weird??” He frustrates.
Atsumu’s mind replays, yet again, to your shared conversation at the club. Specifically to the part where he realizes he didn’t really know how to talk about himself outside of volleyball. He surmises at this; a gnawing, alarming thought of wondering whether he really knew himself at all.
Three hours ago...
“How do I usually describe myself?” He repeatedly thinks as he wanders down the seemingly endless aisles of Isetan’s Depa-Chika, scouring for the exact brands of ingredients Samu instructed him to buy.
Lost somewhere in the frozen food section, Atsumu pushes a half filled cart in reverie. He resolves then and there to get to know himself, whatever that means or entails. Not just so he can talk to you or anyone new for that matter, but honestly more so to know how to articulate to himself who he really is in private. Without the cameras flashing, without the people buzzing, without having to watch himself through others’ incredibly varied perceptions of him, without using his brother or his friends and teammates as a crutch, however difficult or impossible that seems.
He takes his time at the store, tediously combing the shelves for a special kind of mirin Osamu swears by, then proceeds to have an internal debate whether he should choose chutoro or otoro (he chooses otoro, the fattiest and therefore the tastiest in his opinion), his supposedly quick trip to the grocery store devouring more than an hour of his time.
It is now 7:15pm.
You’re supposed to arrive in fifteen minutes, but Atsumu still hadn’t even showered, hadn’t even cleaned up the kitchen, hadn’t even finished wrapping that last stubborn rice ball.
The hotel phone rings and Atsumu panics.
It’s the concierge alerting him of your arrival. Sending you up, Atsumu races around the small space in a haste, swiping the counter and dining table with disinfectant, racing to throw empty packages into the bin.
The doorbell rings and Atsumu is sweating.
He’s an athlete for fuck’s sake, why did running around for less than a minute knock his breath out like that?
“I’m coming!” He yells, or tries to. What comes out is a cracked, high pitched attempt, sounding much like a prepubescent boy going through rapid hormonal changes. He cringes, mortified.
Atsumu hears you trying to stifle a giggle.
He clears his throat, repeats in his signature silky voice, then runs to open the door.
You’re smiling sheepishly, the tip of your nose frosty from the autumn chill, all bundled up in a casual outfit that somehow knocks Atsumu’s breath out.
“My share of dinner!” You announce, arms stretched out with a box of wagashi and a bottle of nigori sake.
“Yer’ so frickin cute,” he dotes. He can’t help himself, he snakes an arm on your waist and pulls you in for a gentle kiss.
“Yer’ early, missed me that much already?” He whispers teasingly on your lips.
You laugh as you kiss him back, gently patting his cheek as a response before pulling away.  Funny how it seems like he’s the one who missed you that much...
Atsumu sneakily sniffs his shirt as you take off your shoes at the genkan.
“Oh no...” Not musty, but he reeks of kitchen smoke, aburi tuna and dried sweat.
“Need ta’ shower real quick.”
“Oh sorry, want me to come back in a bit?”
He digresses. “No no. Gimme a minute, come in and get comfy.”
He excuses himself, leaving you in the kitchen as he rushes to the bathroom.
You look around the hotel suite, kitchenette roughly cleaned, flecks of nori and furikake smattering the floor but otherwise spotless. The cramped countertop had a steaming pot laid next to a row of neatly arranged onigiri on two plates, decorated with vegetables jaggedly cut in what you assume are attempts at flower patterns.
It’s a simple dinner, you know. But you still can’t help but be impressed that Atsumu put in that much effort, that much care in making you a homemade dinner. On your first date no less.
You smile, butterflies fluttering in your belly at the thought that this callous, reckless, stupidly tall and handsome man is being domestic just for you.
Pulling out your phone, you send a quick text to Kaori and Yukie, gushing over how cute Atsumu is and even sending them a quick snapshot of the onigiri he plated with special care. “Get it!!!” Kaori enthusiastically replies. “Send a ‘1’ by midnight if it’s good and give us a play by play tomorrow. ‘2’ if we need to fake an emergency asap!” Yukie responds, ever the more calculating but motherly one.
As Atsumu massages purple shampoo on his tresses, he elucidates a fact about him he already knows is true on court that he supposes could be said the same of him off it.
1. Miya Atsumu is a perfectionist.
He practices for hours daily to hone his craft, has been doing so since the fourth grade really. At first just to spite Samu, but then he just suddenly fell in love with volleyball.
To Atsumu, nothing short of absolute perfection qualifies when it comes to dedicating himself to the things he cares about. It is through this philosophy that he is now one of Asia’s top setters, that he’s certain anyone who can’t receive his set is a scrub; a roaring confidence gained from knowing he puts his all to whatever he chooses to set his mind to, whether that’s volleyball or cooking dinner for a very cute girl he finds himself wanting to impress and spend more time with.
He frowns upon remembering that one of the onigiris he made is lopsided, that he didn’t even have time to shower and properly clean up before you arrived, that the atmosphere you walked in on your first official date with Miya Atsumu the perfectionist, wasn’t, well...perfect.
He thinks about this as he readies himself, spraying on the woodsy, smoky vanilla perfume he swore you wore when you first met. He usually reserves the scent for special occasions, but he believes that this counts as one.
Atsumu finds you in the kitchen, fixated on trying to salvage the onigiri he was having trouble wrapping earlier.
He leans over your shoulder, and though your nerves are in haywire and the butterflies in your stomach seem to keep multiplying, you instinctually lean back into him. Atsumu smiles as he drapes his arms around you from behind, thumbs brushing up and down the bare sliver of skin on your hip.
Your mind is a blur, every thought suddenly jumbled and incoherent. All that’s left is you anticipating, thrilling where Atsumu will move his fingers next on your heating body. Dropping his head on your shoulder and finally getting a closer whiff of your sexy scent, he whispers teasingly close to your ear.
“Sorry for the wait, ya’ ready to fall in love with me?”
You swiftly turn around and pull him into a deep kiss as an answer.
——
By the time you’ve moved to sit at small table by the kitchen, your lips are sweetly swollen and your clothes are wrinkled. Atsumu is panting, hair even more tousled and a small love bite is beginning to bloom on his right collarbone.
You stare at him, mesmerized at how he seems to look even more gorgeous unkempt.
“Why don’t cha take a picture babe, it’ll last longer.” He smirks then sticks his tongue out to pose, ego inflating at catching you ogling him.
You quip. “Sure, can I take naked ones after?”
“Aww, you’re so polite. Whatta’ good girl. You don’t need to ask. I’ll gladly give them to you for free, even throw in a lil show if ya want.” He leans closer, resting his head on his flexed, chiseled propped arm, smirking a little more mischievously as he gazes at you in challenge.
You can almost see his ego rapidly inflating like a balloon, and naturally, you kind of want to pop it.
In your best faux posh British accent, you offer. “A most forthcoming and lucrative offer mister Miya. What do you say I start and manage an OnlyFans account for you?”
You giggle uncontrollably as the look on his face changes instantly from confidence to confusion.
Brows furrowed and lips formed into a tiny pout, he concludes. “It’s a good thing yer so cute, yer a weirdo.”
You laugh, snorting a little. Atsumu chuckles at this, finding your little quirk amusing and rather irresistible.
“Keep the accent though, it’s kinda hot.” You kick him under the table and continue to banter as you both set up the table.
Atsumu watches expectantly as you take the first sip of the miso broth. The soup is delicious, and as soon as you tell him this he visibly relaxes.
The onigiris’ fillings however, are inconsistent. On the first one, the filling oozes out whenever you take a bite. On another, there’s barely any tuna and a ton of furikake. You decide to spare him your criticisms and just enjoy the meal he so graciously prepared.
Still, your heart just feels so damn full.
You make sure to repeatedly compliment Atsumu on his cooking to show appreciation for his efforts, the first time anyone has ever cooked for you on a date and the first time he(and not his pro-chef brother! Ha!) has ever been acknowledged for his culinary efforts.
Dinner is pleasant, both of you exchanging stories of varied life experiences.
You talk about the places you’ve lived in, your childhood, life in university. Atsumu actively listens, enchanted with how different your upbringing was in comparison to his, especially since he’d forgone college and went pro immediately after being scouted in high school. Despite the stark differences, he asks a ton of questions; some in confusion as he asks you to clarify or talk about certain details you purposely leave out.
You notice that he’s very observant, so you casually comment it.
Atsumu decides then that yes, it’s true. He makes a mental note to add this to the little list he’s crafting in his head about who he is.
2. Miya Atsumu is observant.
He thinks that you literally could have told him he was a seaweed and he would have agreed just because he is so transfixed by your mere presence and voice, but he knows this to be true on court for him as well. How else would he sync up with his spikers? How else would he know which serve to use and how to to angle his sets best? Through thorough studying and keen awareness of his teammates’ likes, dislikes, mannerisms and ticks, he is able to turn a seemingly mismatched chaotic group like the Black Jackals into synchronized raging monsters, dancing to a tune in which he is the lone orchestrator.
Atsumu is earnest in asking you questions about your life; his genuine interest coaxing you to share seemingly inconsequential details you intentionally initially skip over, snippets of your upbringing you thought were too boring to even mention, some too painful to share. Hesitantly at first, then comfortably as Atsumu intently listens. You don’t know why he takes a keen interest in you to that degree, but you come to learn that Atsumu is transparent and rather straightforward. He asks because he wants to know. 
You relax, feeling touched and appreciated as you realize that he seems to just want to know every little thing about you, even the parts of you that you think are boring, unimportant or unworthy.
The conversation shifts to more light hearted topics as you both begin to indulge on the dessert and sake you brought.
Feeding you half of a red bean wagashi he swears is the best one, Atsumu continues to tell you about shenanigans from his volleyball team, particularly the initiation ritual of being ambushed to sing a full song at one’s first team dinner with a hot pink wireless karaoke mic on full blast.
“Bokkun, Omi, and Shoyou weren’t even there yet and I didn’t know anyone my age since they were all older than me.. I was only eighteen! They told me I couldn’t eat dinner and had to sit in a different table if I didn’t do it.. and I had 10 seconds to pick a song! A western one at that because Adriah and Oliver had to understand too and they didn’t speak Japanese then..”
Imagining a younger Atsumu with a bad dye job nervously trying to think of a song to sing out loud in public, you laugh as he describes in detail how awkward the whole ordeal was. You wonder if any of the older members have a video of this, making sure to ask Meian if you ever have the opportunity to see the team again.
He recounts how shameless Bokuto and Hinata were when they had to do it, with Bokuto even doing an encore with a dance routine that resulted in them being banned from a restaurant in Kyoto. You’re both dying of laughter as he wheezes out how Sakusa almost gave up his career upon realizing he had to do it as well. Thankfully his team sort of pitied him and let him sing to a small izakaya in Sendai instead of the mega hotel restaurants they usually celebrate in.
As the night progresses, you and Atsumu end up sitting side by side, legs touching due to the close proximity of your chairs, holding hands, and sharing sweet sake flavored kisses in between laughs.
After some time, the kisses start to linger, becoming more heated. It’s when you subtly lick Atsumu’s tongue then slowly bite and suck on his full lower lip that he loses control and pulls you into his lap. Straddling him, you keep one hand on his chest to steady yourself as you move your other hand to brush his soft hair out of his face. “You’re so beautiful.” You whisper as you stare into his half lidded hazel eyes before leaning in to kiss him.
Atsumu flushes at this. It’s the first time he’s been called beautiful. Handsome? Sure. Sexy? Even more often. But beautiful? It feels intimate, leaving him vulnerable and exposed in a way that seems to transcend the physical. He revels in this as he lavishes you with open mouthed kisses, starting from just below your ear and moving down your neck, his wet lips ghosting over the hollow of your throat to just above your cleavage. You mewl, aching to feel more of him, subconsciously grinding your hips on his lap where you can feel him bulging out of his sweatpants.
Atsumu moves one of his hands from your waist, brushing his large knuckles up your torso until it reaches the underside of your breasts. You notice that despite his kisses growing more desperate and him feeling fully erect under you, he hasn’t made a move to further the heavy petting. Respecting his boundaries, you ask. “Everything okay? We don’t have to go all the way if you’re uncomfortable.”
“Oh fuck.. sorry, yea, I’m good.”  He kisses your lips again as his hands rub up and down your bare sides, your sweater having ridden up a while ago. “Trust me, I want you. So bad. I’m just tryin' to hold myself back for once.”
“Huh? Why?”
“I wanted to take my time.” He gently pecks your forehead, then your nose, and then back to your lips. He does this while looking at you eye to eye, a stark contrast to the steamy make out session you were just having. Atsumu’s gaze becomes smoldering as his eyes move to your lips again. “I don’t know why, but I just know I’ll get addicted to ya’.”
You grab the wrist that’s placed on your waist, unfurling his long, elegant fingers. Atsumu is watching you in intense curiosity as you take his pointer and middle digits, pulling them up slowly to your mouth and sucking, all while looking up at him. Instantly, Atsumu groans and you’re positive you can feel his member twitch against your crotch.
You release his fingers with a pop, then lick the length slowly, gaze never leaving his as his focus struggles in anticipation of what you'll do next.
You guide his digits by dragging them from your exposed torso and up to the curves of your breasts to your hardening buds straining your lace bralette, his wet fingers leaving a slight translucent trail of saliva on the expanse of your stomach. Before Atsumu can twist his fingers to pay attention to your nipples, you hold his wrist and move the fingers down your torso, pushing past the elastic waistband of your pants. With your hand over his, you splay his saliva coated fingers against your dampening underwear, stroking your mound before resting the two fingers over your labia, coaxing your slick slit to open. Atsumu’s pupils are dilated, his breathing heavy and his other hand gripping your hips so tightly you can feel bruises starting to form as he tries his best to control himself.
“I’m afraid time is the one thing we both can’t afford Atsumu. But please, have me. Fuck me. Take your fill.”
It’s all the confirmation he needs as he moves your panties aside, circling his fingers on your throbbing clit before sliding them seamlessly inside your tight, soft walls.
It’s not until much, much later, after you’ve had sex in the kitchen, then on his bed, then in the bathroom as you both intended to clean up, then finally cuddling back in his bed before falling asleep that Atsumu remembers the rest of what you said right before he lost all coherent thought.
Why can’t we afford time? Why don’t we have the time? Surely you’re both busy with your careers, but you’re someone  he finds himself liking more and more. And now that you’re here, with your head on his chest, one arm wrapped around his bare torso and one leg intertwined with his, he thinks that this feels too good, too perfect, to not keep chasing, and he’ll be damned if he didn’t make time for more moments like tonight.
As his thoughts lull him to sleep, he remembers why time is beyond both of your control.
He's only in Tokyo for volleyball - for the league match they just won and now to train with the Olympic team for an upcoming friendly match in Shanghai. You’re here temporarily too, on a project with a definitive deadline that will not only mark the end of your stay in the country, but signal the end of you seeing him. Possibly forever.
Fuck. Fuck. Fuck. 
As if you had sensed his worries, your eyes flutter open. “You okay?” You groggily whisper. Knowing he’s on borrowed time, he scoots down to level his face with yours and kisses you deeply. “Yeah baby, no worries.” He breathily responds as your hands begin to wander from his chiseled abdomen to his navel and down to the tufts of hair trailing to his boxer briefs.
At this point, Atsumu knows he’s completely, utterly, royally fucked.
You’re both on borrowed time, but now that he’s had a taste of what it’s like to spend time with you, to be inside you, to just be with you, he knows that this growing hunger for you is insatiable. He thinks then that he finally understands Samu when he rambles about gradually getting hungrier and hungrier when watching others eat. His appetite for volleyball had always been there, like second skin and breathing. But for the longest time he didn't realize that seeing lovers around him display genuine affection towards each other(from his ma and pa, Bokuto and Akaashi, Meian and his wife, Aran and his high school sweetheart), all build bonds that can only truly be forged by sharing and accepting each other's hopes, dreams, and vulnerabilities, is something that he was growing hungrier and hungrier for without even noticing. Up until he met you that is. As you pull away from his lips and begin to slowly kiss down his body, following the trail of where your hands have just wandered, he thinks, “fuck it.”
Just as he became a setter even though he initially intended to be a spiker, just as he chose to be a professional athlete instead of following a safe path to success in university, just as he contorts and bends over his body in random, sometimes painful ways to make sure his spikers have the best sets, and just as he adjusts and twists routined plays in order to beat opponents, he knows then.
3. Miya Atsumu is a risk taker.  
He’d been luckily winning his gambles so far, it’s about time he try his luck in love.
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Opening A Grocery Store Also Means Getting These 6 Essential Things
Running a grocery store is no small feat- it requires a significant amount of planning, a deep understanding of the food and beverage industry, and, of course, some business acumen. But perhaps most importantly, if you want your grocery store to be successful, you need to make sure you have these six things covered and ready.
Inventory
Your inventory is one of the most important aspects of your grocery store- it needs to be well-stocked with the items your customers are looking for. That means having a good mix of staples and seasonal items, as well as offering a variety of brands and price points.
Certain fruits such as strawberries and peaches are at their best in the springtime in certain areas, whereas apples are a fall fruit. If you’re in the northern hemisphere, stocking up on these items when they’re in season will help keep costs down. In order to find out what is currently in season, you can check online resources or ask your supplier. You'll also want to keep an eye on expiration dates and make sure to rotate stock so that older items are used first. This is especially important with perishable items like produce and dairy. Expiration dates are typically displayed prominently on food items, so customers will be able to see them easily.
Keep It Fresh
Secondly, you need to make sure the product you sell is in tip-top condition. This means doing everything possible to keep your produce well-maintained for as long as possible. Therefore, it's important to invest in only the best equipment for your store. To do this, you’ll want to keep your produce fresh by using commercial refrigeration. If you don’t already have commercial refrigeration installed, then it’s a wise idea to call in some expert help.
A proper commercial refrigeration service provides you with a variety of services including; refrigeration equipment and installation, as well as case repair, walk-in cooler repair and service, and ice-machine repair and service. When it comes to installing the proper equipment for your business - leave it to the professionals who know what they’re doing. You want to make sure your produce is stored and maintained adequately so you have happy customers!
Location
Your grocery store's location is critical to its success. You need to choose a spot that is convenient for your target market- ideally, somewhere with high foot traffic and good visibility. Additionally, you'll want to make sure your store is easily accessible, with plenty of parking or public transportation options nearby.
Customer Service
Your customer service team is the face of your store, so you need to make sure they're friendly and knowledgeable. They should be able to help customers find what they're looking for, provide recommendations, and handle any questions or concerns.
Marketing
You'll need to let people know about your store, so a solid marketing plan is essential. You can use traditional methods like print ads and direct mail, or go digital with social media and email marketing. Whatever approach you take, make sure your marketing is targeted and effective.
A Strong Business Plan
Last but not least, you'll need a strong business plan. This document should lay out your store's goals, strategies, and financial projections. It will be crucial for convincing lenders and investors to support your venture. If you can get these six things sorted before opening your doors, you'll be well on your way to success. But running a grocery store is no easy task- it takes hard work, dedication,  and a whole lot of planning. So make sure you're up for the challenge before taking the plunge. 
Similarly, running a grocery store is a costly endeavor, so you'll need to make sure you have the necessary financing in place. That may mean taking out a loan, finding investors, or using your own personal savings.
Good Luck!
So there you have it, six essential tips to bear in mind when opening a grocery store. You have to make sure you pick the right location to suit your target market and have a variety of seasonally relevant products maintained well with appropriate refrigeration installed in your establishment. Similarly, you need to work on your marketing strategy and customer service skills. Once you’ve worked hard on perfecting these factors, you’ll be off to a flying start. 
Starting and opening up your own grocery store isn't an easy task, but the journey and result can be extremely rewarding. So work hard, and you’ll be rewarded with success. Enjoy the process, and good luck!
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ichigo-daifuku · 3 years
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To Dye For
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Fandom: Boku no Hero Academia Relationships: Dabi | Todoroki Toya & Todoroki Natsuo, Todoroki Family Genre: Gen, Angst, Canon Compliant, Random Encounters, Character Study Word Count: 1.6k | AO3 Link
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Synopsis: Natsuo encounters a mysterious man in the hair care products aisle at the grocery store.
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Warning: The following contains mild spoilers for the Endeavor Agency Arc and the Paranormal Liberation War Arc.
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Natsuo stared at his reflection in the mirror and frowned.
As a college student, hustle and bustle filled his everyday life. He attended classes, studied diligently, moved from one deadline to another, and participated in extracurricular activities. It was a lot to get used to at first, but the newfound freedom he had was nothing short of amazing. He could do whatever he wanted whenever he wanted to, and he wouldn’t have it any other way.
When Natsuo had spare time, he would usually spend it going on dates with his girlfriend or visiting Rei at the hospital together with Fuyumi. As of late, however, he had little time to do either. School activities had caused his schedule to become more hectic. The upcoming final exams would signal the end of the academic year, and Natsuo had a lot of tasks to accomplish in preparation for them.
He had been so preoccupied with his responsibilities that before he knew it, the streaks at the sides of his hair had grown crimson.
Growing up, Natsuo detested the crimson strands on his head. He didn’t mind how they stood out against his predominantly white hair at first, but as his hatred for his father grew, the sentiment spread to the biological traits he inherited from him. He loathed how those crimson streaks were the same shade as his father’s. In time, Natsuo despised how their resemblance was uncanny. People had always pointed out how his face and frame looked like a younger version of Enji. It was one of his pet peeves.
Natsuo would never forget how, for a long while, he was prohibited from visiting his mother at the hospital because she couldn’t bear to see him. He reminded her too much of Enji, even though his father was as good as a stranger to him. Natsuo wasn’t like him at all, but even if that was the truth, his physical appearance alone was an undeniable indication that he was his son.
When he was in his early teens, he started bleaching and dyeing the six streaks of his hair white. He had a way to lessen his likeness to his father, and he took the opportunity to do so. Now, truth be told, Natsuo had come to the point where he was unused to seeing his crimson hair. It was an odd feeling, but he had learned to live with it.
In retrospect, he should’ve requested a touch-up last week when he went for a haircut at the barbershop, but he had been in a rush. He disliked freeloaders and didn’t want to be one, so he prioritized attending the group meeting he had instead. With a sigh, he shook his head but didn’t regret his choice. He considered dropping by the barbershop again but thought otherwise. He could do it by himself. It had been a while since he had done the bleaching process on his own, but it was simple enough. He could do it.
Natsuo slipped his navy blue coat on and went on his way to the grocery store near his dormitory. The winter chill felt soothing and nice against his skin. It eased his mind and relieved the stress he was under, and he felt glad he decided to go out today.
At the grocery store, he proceeded to the aisle of hair care products and grabbed his favorite brand of hair bleach kit. He hummed to the tune of the music playing through the speakers and looked around, wondering if the hair bleach kit would suffice since he had the other products he needed in the dormitory. Now that he thought about it, he could do some grocery shopping as well. He should get a shopping cart.
A fellow customer entered the area he was standing on. The lanky man wore a hooded jacket that covered the majority of his face. He had his hands inside his pockets as he browsed the shelves.
The man seemed to be someone around Natsuo’s age, more or less. Natsuo was taller than him but granted, he was taller and burlier than most of his peers. He wondered if he was also a college student like him and, if so, if he attended the same institution he did. Natsuo attempted to catch a glimpse of the man’s face but failed. The stranger wore sunglasses, obscuring his features even further, except for the ebony hair hanging across his forehead. Although uncertain, Natsuo considered the possibility of this stranger’s covered-up attire being connected to his Quirk.
With a gloved hand, the man picked up a box of black hair dye and read the description on the packaging.
Oh, no, Natsuo thought, Anything but that one.
“Hey, man,” Natsuo called, approaching the stranger in a friendly manner. “I wouldn’t recommend that brand. The quality isn’t very good.”
The man stiffened but, nevertheless, replied, “Is that so?”
“Yeah. I used that brand when I dyed my hair blond when I was younger, and it completely faded after a few washes.”
“Why?”
“Well, as I said, the quality is—”
“Not that,” the man interjected, not bothering to face Natsuo fully, “Why would you dye your hair blond?”
“Ah, well… to piss my old man off,” Natsuo admitted.
“Why?”
“He has this… rivalry with a certain blond man, so he hates him. I thought it would irritate him.”
Natsuo was oversharing, and he knew it. His hand came up to rub the nape of his neck as he chuckled in mild embarrassment. He had nothing to be embarrassed about when he was just answering the man’s question, right?
To his surprise, the man probed, curious about his story, “And? Did it do the trick?”
“Nah.” Natsuo shook his head. “He just glared at me for a bit and went back to pretending I don’t exist.”
The man let out a humorless chuckle. “Figures.”
Looking back, Natsuo realized how petty of a prank that was. Of course, the man would think so, too. “Yeah.”
There was a lull in the conversation. The man shifted his head to look at Natsuo.
Natsuo was unable to see the man’s face due to his sunglasses, but he could feel his eyes as they traveled from the hair bleach kit in his hand and then to his hair.
The stranger’s shoulders shook as he stifled a laugh. He turned away and placed the low-quality hair dye back on the shelf.
Natsuo scanned the items near him and pointed to a certain section. “If you’d like a really good hair dye, this is the brand I’d recommend.”
“There’s no need.” At a leisurely pace, the man turned around and made his way to the shelf across them, grabbing a medium-sized bottle.
Hair dye remover, Natsuo noted, which made no sense to him. Wasn’t he looking for hair dye?
The man inspected the item in his hand and put it inside his pocket.
Natsuo’s eyes widened at the scene in front of him. “Hey, what do you think you’re—”
Ignoring his question, the man stepped closer to Natsuo, and with amusement laced in his voice, spoke, “Make sure to watch the news, okay?”
Natsuo froze. Why did this person seem almost… familiar?
“See you around,” the man said and walked away, “Todoroki Natsuo.”
Alarm bells rang inside Natsuo’s head. This stranger called him by his full name. He had never introduced himself nor was he wearing anything that would give away his identity.
The second Natsuo was able to collect his thoughts and get over his initial panic, he ran after the man to question him, but he was nowhere to be found. The security alarms didn’t go off despite the man stealing something from the grocery store, his escape successful.
Natsuo reported the shoplifting incident to a staff member. Since the man’s physical appearance was too obscured, the authorities had very little clue to his identity. They recorded the theft but could do nothing much about it, ultimately deciding to watch out for similar incidents from now on. When they asked Natsuo if there was anything else he had to say, Natsuo contemplated it but chose not to inform the authorities of the fact that the man knew his identity and was, most likely, after him.
On his way back to the dormitory, Natsuo clutched the handle of the paper bag of hair products in his fist, wary of his surroundings. He couldn’t help it. Having been targeted and attacked by a villain in the past, he had to stay vigilant. Moreover, why did that person tell him to watch the news? The crime he committed was theft—a petty one at that—and would hardly be worth a headline.
Still, it worried Natsuo. He sent Fuyumi a message subtly informing her of his whereabouts in case something happens to him. Not wanting to cause her unnecessary panic, he decided to leave out the details of the encounter he had at the grocery store. He’d tell her later, but for now, he reminded her to take care of herself. Shoto was at U.A., at least, he would be fine there. Rei would be safe at the hospital while Endeavor could handle himself.
Natsuo boarded the train and sat down. He set his elbows on his knees and shut his eyes, the pads of the fingertips of his right hand gently touching their counterparts on his left as he leaned forward and bowed his head, lost in thought.
Who was that man?
The question plagued his mind for a long time but held no answer.
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Notes: This was supposed to be a humorous fic… but here we are.
When I was writing this story, I thought a lot about that panel in Chapter 302 where Rei said she “started seeing hints of [Enji] in the children’s faces,” and while Shoto’s left side was shown, Natsuo’s entire face was beside him.
I hope you’re all enjoying Season 5 so far. Thank you for reading! ♡
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BNHA Masterlist | Main Masterlist
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blvejeanbaby · 4 years
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The Farmhouse (m)
Pairing: Wooyoung x reader, San x reader, Yeosang x reader + multiple Ateez members x OC characters + boy x boy action Word count: 14.9k Warning: sex (though mostly foreplay), threesome, mentions of sex, alcohol use, some Ateez members are gay
disclaimer: I am not trying to assume anyone’s sexuality with this story, that was not what this was meant for! This is all a work of fiction and what I write in this story doesn’t necessarily reflect my thoughts in real life.
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A/N: I had originally planned for this story to end up very, very differently but I like to write wherever my mind goes. That’s why I had originally planned to split this up into four parts, with a different ending in my mind. You’ll find out part of what that different ending was in the extra scene at the end n.n
Day 1 On a trip, the last mile is always the longest - it’s not so much the truth as the truth of a feeling. Yunho made sure the last mile wouldn’t come for a while. Even though he had proclaimed himself to be an excellent driver, perfectly capable of following up instructions while driving safely, he hadn’t been too successful in making that statement come true. With Jongho screaming different directions at him, increasingly getting more frustrated with Yunho’s inability to follow these, Yechan from the back attempting to give directions without really knowing where all of you were, you were more so focused on what was outside of the car. Over the course of your journey to the countryside, the landscape had gradually changed; from the tall buildings of the busy city, you got closer and closer to the national park, where you would be staying nearby.                “This must be it!” Daemi said excitedly. She had been quiet while the others had been arguing, but when you looked out of the front window, you noticed she was right. The building, a large two-storey farmhouse, concealing an even bigger backyard, with a vineyard next to it, matched the AirBnB advertisement perfectly.                “Oh, that’s Seonghwa’s car,” Yunho said, unable to keep the relief out of his voice. He steered the car onto the driveway and parked it right next to Seonghwa’s.                When you got out of the car, you were instantly greeted by a voice from higher up: “Hey, look up!” You shielded your eyes from the sun as you looked up to find a half-naked Wooyoung hanging out of an open window. “You’re the last ones to arrive.”                “It’s because Yunho can’t drive,” Jongho said, at the same time Daemi said: “It’s because Jongho doesn’t know how to read a map.”                “Well, you’d better come up and get yourselves a room,” Wooyoung said. “The others have already started drinking and none of the groceries have been done yet.”                To that, everyone nearly fell over each other to collect their bags from the trunk of the car. The house had enough rooms to accommodate 16 people, but because of some being less comfortable sleeping in rooms with certain others, everyone had more or less divided up the rooms beforehand, and mattresses were dragged around to make sure everyone had a bed to sleep in at night. Or during the day, considering the objective of this trip was not to have a wholesome trip to escape from your usual busy lives in the city. Of course it was that too, but there was also the idea that you would just get away to party and get drunk, the way you couldn’t so easily in the city, where there was always some authority to monitor you.                 You shared a room with Daemi and Yechan, your best girl friends. To accommodate Yechan, you got an extra mattress from the room opposite yours, which was one with an in-room shower. “…so that’s our bathroom,” Yechan concluded as she flopped down onto her unmade mattress and closed her eyes. “I’m going to take a nap.”                “A nap? We have to make our beds first. And the groceries still need to be done,” Daemi said.                “Why didn’t anybody else go while we were gone?” you sighed.                “Well, if Wooyoung’s right and they already started drinking…” Daemi shrugged. “Maybe we should do the groceries. Before everyone gets too drunk.”                When you got downstairs, you saw that Daemi had been right; a lot of people were already quite drunk. Seonghwa was one of them, pressing his car keys into your hands, despite you not having a drivers’ license. “Take them,” he said. “Take them. Take more beer with you too. The good ones.”                “Hwa, I don’t drink beer-“ you started, but Seonghwa kept rambling about the beer you needed to get.                “I’ll come with you,” San said, jumping up from his seat next to Alice and pushing Seonghwa into it. “I know which brand of beer he likes.” He smiled at you and you smiled back thankfully. You were glad to find that it wasn’t just going to be you and San doing the groceries – as he had been drinking and you didn’t have your license, there was no one who could even legally drive the car off the property if you had wanted to. You were glad to find it wasn’t just going to be the two of you. That would’ve probably made for some awkward moments between you. You had been alone with just San before, and it had been normal, until it wasn’t anymore. Something snuck into your relationship that could only be described as attraction. Perhaps it was just plain physical attraction, as your heart always beat slightly quicker when you saw him, or perhaps it ran deeper, but what you did know was that your friendship was good and you didn’t want to ruin it with a crush.                The dynamic in the friend group had always been amazing. The traditional idea about boys and girls not being able to be friends without romantic feelings involved, was completely destroyed by you guys’ friendships. Only Seonghwa and Sooyoung were officially dating, following a set-up Hongjoong had cooked up by himself. Sooyoung had never been part of the friend group before, and the same went for Soojin, her best friend. The friend group dynamics had actually improved upon Sooyoung and Soojin’s introductions to the group nearly two years ago.                It was for that reason you didn’t feel uncomfortable while in the car with only boys: Yunho drove again, Jongho navigating once more. You were squished in between Hongjoong and San in the backseat of Yunho’s car, which was roomier than Seonghwa’s, with the latter’s car keys pressing into your leg through your jeans. While Jongho and Yunho already started arguing about which way to go and which supermarket to choose, you turned to Hongjoong as he talked about the plans for the next couple of days: “…sauna, so maybe we can hop in there tonight. And tomorrow Anna and I want to do a barbecue by the lakeside. It’s not that far a drive but if we want to take beer there, we can walk too.”                “Of course we’ll want to take beer,” San said. “Maybe even wine and stuff. Hey, Y/N, we have your favourite drink too. It’s cheaper in cities than in the countryside, we figured out.”                “My favourite drink?” you turned to him.                “That soju-yogurt cocktail you like so much. Wooyoung and Yeosang made it for you.”                You felt your heart swell at San remembering you liking soju-yogurt cocktails. It had been a while since you told him about loving it the first time you tried it and it becoming your signature drink when going out. You weren’t big on alcohol the way other people could be, but sometimes you found yourself casually wanting to make your own soju-yogurt cocktail at home. “I hope there’s still left when we get back.”                Once at the grocery store – which was tucked away behind a scary-looking church that, according to Yunho’s limited amount of information about the surrounding area, once belonged to a cult – Hongjoong was in charge of listing off the grocery list and checking the boxes corresponding with what the others put into the cart. You were staying close to San’s side, as you always did when he was around. Yes, you found him physically attractive, which made you want to look at him all the time, but there was also something absolutely magnetic about his personality that made you want to be talking to him always. And it seemed like San was really into your conversation as you wandered off from Hongjoong and Jongho to find a certain brand of pasta sauce. Despite the simplicity of the topics you were talking about, which ranged from Yunho not being able to drive and Yechan karate chopping you in the head when she saw a mosquito flying past that she wanted to kill, you felt a little nervous around San. Once you had told Daemi about it, hoping she would come with valuable advice, but instead she had laughed at you and just declared you were crushing on San, hard. And perhaps she was right.                When you got back to the farmhouse, needless to say, the soju-yogurt cocktail was gone. Feeling robbed of the one thing you were looking forward to about returning, you opted to drink water instead. You’d start drinking alcohol after dinner, you told yourself, so you wouldn’t get sick. Finally, when it was clear there were little to no sober people you could strike up conversation with, you excused yourself to go upstairs and shower.                The summer heat made everything hot and sticky, including your body. You grabbed a towel and some clean clothes as well as your toiletry bag before going to the single room with the shower. The room was small and simple, with a window overlooking the backyard and the mountains in the distance. You cracked the window open, quickly glancing down to see the back patio, only accessible through the kitchen. As you put on the shower, you enjoyed the smell of freshly cut grass and summer drafting in through the window, as well as the sound of the water cascading on your body mixing with the sounds of a chirping bird outside and the sounds of cows in the distance. Until your attention was caught by a sudden yelp: “Wooyoung!”                Your eyes shot wide open when you recognized that voice. Rose. Along with Alice and Anna, they were in your friend group because Daemi liked them a lot. Your personality didn’t match well with Rose and although you didn’t hate each other or anything, you weren’t very fond of Rose and you were sure the sentiment was shared by her. As far as you knew, Wooyoung, however, thought she was amazing.                “Don’t tell me you don’t like it,” Wooyoung’s voice sounded, loud, as if he was right there in the room with you. It immediately gave you goose bumps.                “Hm, I like it,” Rose’s voice came again. You could just about imagine her shaking her blonde hair out of her face, over her shoulder… You had always thought she looked closest to an angel as was humanly possible. Perhaps your dislike of her had something to do with how you were jealous of her always getting the guys she wanted, how she managed to get every single boy to ever lay eyes on her to fall in love with her and how she could effortlessly keep and make friends… “You like this?”                “Hm, Rose…” That was a groan. A groan from Wooyoung. You had never heard something so utterly sexual. You shivered. Saying you were feeling increasingly uncomfortable was nearly an understatement. They continued to make sounds that made you want to throw up in your mouth. Had they been drinking this much already? Or were they just that into each other that it didn’t bother them it was broad daylight outside? Did they not hear your shower running too? Or were they not aware how perfectly audible they were? You felt like you weren’t supposed to be naked while you could hear them so clearly; it felt weird.                You quickly turned off the shower and wrapped your towel around yourself. Even though you had taken your clothes and toiletry bag into the single room, you didn’t want to hear a single sound anymore, so you made your way back to your room where you took your time getting ready, trying to shake off the nasty feeling Wooyoung and Rose’s acts had left behind.                While putting on clothes and jewellery and smearing light makeup on your face, you felt the urge to dress the best you could, despite the fact you were just going to be cooking and eating and drinking with your group of best friends. There was something inside of you screaming that you wanted to prove to everyone that you, too, were worthy of getting fingered and giving handjobs on the patio as well – there was no other explanation for what they had been doing and no need to lie to yourself about it. More importantly, you felt the need to prove to specifically Wooyoung you could handle whatever he would give you on that patio. More so than Rose. But that was ridiculous. You wouldn’t really want Wooyoung to touch you like that.                As you finished the perfect winged eyeliner, you decided that was enough makeup. You made your way downstairs, collecting Anna, Daemi and Hongjoong for dinner. “Let’s get going,” you said.                “Seems like you already got going,” Daemi chuckled, following you closely into the kitchen. “Who is that outfit for?”                “For you, of course.” You sent her a wink.                “San is one lucky boy,” Daemi said quietly, so no one else could hear, before getting to work on cutting up onions. If only she knew, you thought to yourself, taking it upon yourself to cut up the potatoes.                It took a surprisingly long time to cook for 16 people, despite the extra hands pitching in to slice up vegetables and do the washing up. You realized how much you’d been underappreciating the restaurant people who churn out dishes at an insane speed, compared to how you’re cooking a relatively simple dish with little ingredients while needing all the help you can get.                “Ah,” you hear a voice, “can I taste?” Before getting confirmation, the spoon is already in the pasta sauce and before you can scold him, the spoon is already in his mouth. “Hm, needs a little more spice, I think.”                “Yeah? Well, you think wrong.”                “What? You haven’t even tasted yet,” Wooyoung said, putting the spoon back on the counter. There’s a smirk on his face that your hands are itching to wipe off with a slap, and a blush on his cheeks that you know is not the effect of the hot weather.                “The recipe doesn’t call for extra spices, thank you very much.”                “What’s got you all upset?”                “I’m not upset,” you bite back, proving the opposite.                “Ah, it must be the period,” Wooyoung said, with an air of superiority.                “Fuck you, Wooyoung.” You threw your own wooden spoon down into the pasta mixture, splattering both yourself and Wooyoung with the red sauce, before storming out onto the patio – only to find Rose standing, a gleeful smile on her face and a cigarette between her lips.                She looked up instantly. “You look a little upset.” Her smile faded away as she stuck out her hand to you. “Need a drag?”                You didn’t even bother responding, instead dealing with the embarrassment of having to go back through the kitchen to escape. When dinner is served, you can’t even muster up the faintest of smiles or feign happiness. At least what got you so upset wasn’t your period. And quite frankly, you were even angrier that Wooyoung thought it was okay to make such a joke, whilst normally being so attuned to girls’ feelings, especially yours.                You hated the pasta, but you ate it anyway. You glanced over to where Wooyoung was seated, chatting excitedly to Seonghwa and Mingi, the left-overs of the splattered sauce staining his white shirt. You didn’t even feel remotely guilty.                You were glad when dinner was finished, so you could commit yourself to working on another batch of soju-yogurt cocktail, this time without Wooyoung, since he was too busy in the sauna. Probably flirting with Rose, you thought to yourself as you grumpily got to work on the ingredients. San and Yeosang were right there with you; Yeosang because he knew how to make it and San because he evidently wanted to cheer you up. He kept saying cheesy jokes and poking your cheeks and then his own ‘to see if he could give you his dimples’. Every time you gave him an annoyed look, his smile made your heart flutter and your mouth shut.                As the night progressed, you were aware you were drinking a bit too much of the mixture. Maybe a bit too much of any liquor, really, because by the time the clock struck 11 o’clock, you were already very close to quitting alcohol for the night, while Soojin was only on her second drink of the evening.                “I’m going to get some air,” you said to no one in particular, before getting up and stepping outside, sliding the door closed behind you. Away from the stifling heat inside, the cool mountain air managed to cool you down enough to not sway on your feet as you threw your head back to look at the night sky. It was dotted with stars, only visible because you were so far away from cities and their light pollution. You were in the middle of deep contemplations about the universe, when you heard a noise. Oh no, not again, you thought to yourself, your head snapping down to look over the balustrade, down at the swimming pool.                On the edge of it you could see two figures, barely visible in the darkness. But from what little light the porchlight shone on them, you could make out that it’s San – it’s unmistakably him. But who is with him? It takes a little more squinting and a moan before you make yourself rip away from the sight, stomping back into the house. You don’t even tell anyone that you’re heading up to bed.                Only when you’re finally underneath the covers, you allow yourself to think about what you saw. Your long-time crush, Choi San, shoving his tongue down the throat of Kim Alice, someone you had always figured was rather harmless a person to have around. She didn’t speak much in big groups – kind of like you – but when she did, she was funny. She was a joy to be around, seemed to have a life devoid of problems, she was conventionally attractive… With a sigh you turned on your side, closing your eyes, willing yourself to fall asleep. But all you saw with eyes closed was San and Alice, kissing as if their lives depended on it.
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Day 2 After you and Anna had put away the dirty plates and cutlery into the dishwasher and turned it on, everyone was about ready to leave for the lake. The morning had been off to a slow start but with the sun beaming down on everyone, scorching hot, they were all suddenly up and running. Their sudden energy was not the reason you left the cars at the house and instead walked through the significantly cooler forest to get to the lake. After all, according to Hongjoong, it’s not a far walk. The reason was solely to be able to drink.                Jongho and Yeosang carried the cool box filled to the brim with drinks and meat, which was undoubtedly the heaviest thing to carry, while Daemi and Alice offered to carry the blankets to sit on. Everyone else was assigned their own towels and clothes to carry. You stayed at the back of the group with Mingi, who was positively hungover from the night before and had to stop every few minutes or so to clutch at his stomach and complain about how nauseous he felt. Needless to say, the two of you arrived only when Seonghwa had already started to set up ‘camp’, as he called it, and the others were already half-undressed and in the water.                Soojin was in the midst of stripping off her sundress, convincing Alice to do the same. Both were trying to get Yunho to abandon his duties of helping Seonghwa lay down the blankets, for him to come swimming with them. Jongho and Yeosang, who had been in the front with Hongjoong, setting the pace and navigating, had already put the cool box down, Jongho in the process of taking off his pants.                “Y/N,” Sooyoung appeared in front of you suddenly. “Do you want to come with us to the village? It’s just a ten minute walk, Hongjoong said, and it’s apparently really pretty. Maybe you can take some photos.” She gestured toward your film camera, a gift from Wooyoung for your last birthday. You had taken it with you to the lake, thinking you could get a lot of use out of it to capture the memories of the trip.                “Sure, seems like fun,” you said. “Who’s coming?” You felt torn as Sooyoung told you it was just going to be you, Seonghwa, Hongjoong and Yeosang. On the one hand you were glad that San and Wooyoung were staying behind, as you weren’t sure you could handle having to deal with them for too long. On the other hand, you were a little torn on leaving them behind with Alice and Rose. You had to remind yourself they were nothing to you but your friends as you shrugged your heavy backpack off and gave Mingi a pat on the head before he threw himself down on the blankets. Even though he was groaning and being apologetic, no one believed he found it really terrible he could not come with.                Hongjoong and Seonghwa were completely attached to Sooyoung, which caused you to stay with Yeosang. He was typically a very observant but quiet person; he noticed a lot but never said a thing about it. Imagine your surprise when he asked: “So, you were not having a great time last night?”                “Was it that obvious?” you groaned.                “Wooyoung told me you cursed at him. You know, he was joking about the period thing.”                “I know. Doesn’t make it okay.”                Yeosang turned semi-serious. “He hates it when you two fight.”                “Has he told you that as well?” You were starting to lose your temper, which you did not want. After all, Yeosang had nothing to say about what Wooyoung was feeling, saying or doing.                “No,” Yeosang said. “I just know. You’re his best friend, even though it might not seem like it sometimes. What were you mad about anyway?”                You gnawed at your lip. The fact was, you weren’t entirely sure what you were particularly mad about. That he was fingering Rose on the patio while everyone could notice? That he was fingering Rose on the patio of all places? That he was fingering Rose to begin with? That it was Rose, of all people? And what reason did you have anyway to care about what Wooyoung was doing romantically or sexually? You were only friends.                But if there was someone you could talk to this about, it would surely be Yeosang, right? Apart from you, he had known Wooyoung the longest. Before it was you and Yechan and Daemi, it had been you and Wooyoung and Yeosang. And even before that, it had been Wooyoung and Yeosang. That was before San had come in and essentially stolen Wooyoung away. It was before a lot of things.                You sighed. “Well, when I was showering last night? Before dinner?” You mentally cringed at what you were about to say: “I heard some noises outside. I’m pretty sure – No, I’m 100 percent confident that it was Wooyoung and Rose going at it. If you know what I mean.”                “I can guess,” Yeosang said. “And that bothered you, why?”                “I never said it bothered me,” you said. Too defensive. “I don’t like Rose,” you admitted, knowing damn well it was not just that. From the look on Yeosang’s face, you could see he was thinking the same thing. And there was something else too... You were grateful and relieved when he left it at that, though. Instead, Hongjoong pointed you to a small café.                Although it might be small, it was not characterless. There were few people inside that afternoon, leaving a lot of different cakes and pies for you and your friends to try out. As you waited for your order, you glanced around the café. It was covered in pink flowers, even the walls were painted pink. You saw what Hongjoong liked about it – it had a certain charm. One that apparently made Sooyoung feel like she had to excessively comment on everything in a squealy voice. You liked her, but her excitement was giving you headaches. Honestly, you were still feeling kind of miserable and sorry for yourself.                Yeosang cheered you up by sharing the remainder of his chocolate-cherry cake with you when you had finished your own, knowing the best remedy for what you were feeling was food. While on your way back to the lakeside, Yeosang kept to your side, purposefully bringing up things you had done together where Wooyoung hadn’t been involved. The happy memories you had shared with Yeosang were plenty enough to make you smile again and by the time you arrived back to camp, you were genuinely in a good mood.                “Y/N!” Yechan exclaimed as she saw you. “Come jump in! The water’s so good.”                “Gotta set up the barbecue,” you said. “Sorry!” All of that was a lie. After all, you didn’t really have to set up the barbecue and there was Hongjoong already getting started on it. In all honesty, you just didn’t feel like joining the happy couples in the water. As soon as Seonghwa and Sooyoung had raced each other to the campsite, they had discarded their clothes and jumped in the water, engaging in a splash war against Jongho and Soojin. Alice was seated on San’s shoulders, battling Rose, who was on Wooyoung’s shoulders. You didn’t want anything to do with them.                Instead you chose a soft spot on the blankets next to Mingi, who was sound asleep, Rose’s straw sunhat shading his eyes from the sun, relentlessly beating down. Yunho and Daemi were on his other side, playing a game of cards that Yeosang immediately joined, claiming it as his favourite game, although he then proceeded to ask what the rules were.                You watched Hongjoong struggle with the barbecue for a while until you decided it was time to help him out of his misery. As he noticed you helping him, his face immediately brightened up. “What did you think? Of the café?”                “It was great, Joongie,” you said, giving him your brightest smile. You actually meant it. “Thanks for taking us.”                “Oh, don’t worry about it,” he said. “I just wanted you to have some fun.”                With a sigh you leaned back to sit. “Is everyone just a mind reader now?”                “No, I just overheard your conversation with Yeo on the way to town. Sorry about that. If you allow me to give you some advice – I think you should just be having fun and not letting something like that bother you. And anyway, I always thought you had a crush on San, not Wooyoung.”                You looked at him, shocked. “What?”                “You heard what I said. Hand me the coals, please.”                You did as he said. “What do you mean I have a crush on San?”                Joong shrugged. “It’s pretty clear from the way you behave around him that you do. Or maybe did?” He winked at you playfully. “I mean, why else would you be angry at Wooyoung for finally approaching Rose? You know he’s been talking about her for years now.”                You didn’t know. Perhaps your friendship with Wooyoung was not as unconditional and carefree and honest as you always thought it had been. “Joongie, you’re not making me feel any better right now,” you said, your mind wandering off to his previous comment about you crushing on San. It was true that you liked him, there was nearly no denying it. But if Hongjoong knew, then did the others as well?                “I don’t know, Y/N. I think you should just let loose and have some fun.”                When the fire beneath the barbecue was finally going and Daemi took your place at it to grill chicken satay, you took her place at the card game. When the first batch of food was served, you woke Mingi to call for the others, still in the water. They were quick to join at the mention of food.                Everyone gathered in a circle, smiling and laughing, but all you could do was stab at your food as you looked around the group, wondering who out of all of them knew of your crush on San, who, by the way, looked absolutely stunning with the water droplets on his naked chest glimmering in the afternoon sunlight, like little diamonds. You hated it.                “Say ‘ah’.” You turned to look at Wooyoung, an apologetic smile on his face.                “Ah?”                “No, like this.” He widened his mouth and stuck out his tongue a little, dragging out the ‘ah’ longer. You rolled your eyes but followed his example, which was followed by Wooyoung putting a piece of meat on your tongue. You chewed on it, watching him as he sat down next to you. “Here. Have some more.”                “My favourite,” you said, grabbing the plate from him. “Is this your version of a white flag?”                “Yes,” Wooyoung said. “I’m sorry about the joke I made. Yeosang might have mentioned you really didn’t like it and I guess it’s a pretty assholey thing to say anyway. I don’t want to fight with you.”                “I guess I have to apologize as well,” you said. “I’m not in the best mood and I’m taking it out on you. Among others.” You glanced over at San before focusing back on Woo. “I don’t want to fight with you either.”                “Good.” Wooyoung stuck out his pinkie finger to you, as if you were kindergartners still. “Promise me that we won’t fight during this trip again.”                “Just this trip?” you joked, curling your own pinkie around his. You’re just about to say something else, when a girl plops down on Wooyoung’s other side. You would recognize that blonde hair anywhere.                “Got you pork belly, like you asked.” Rose handed a new plate to Wooyoung. “Hi, Y/N. Why didn’t you go swimming?”                “I might swim after dinner,” you said, surprised she even talked to you. You were not so surprised to find out this was the only thing she was going to say to you, instead looking at Wooyoung, totally transfixed by him. You sighed, going back to stabbing at your food. At least there was no fighting with your best friend now.                You’re glad when the drinking begins and you have an excuse to chug down liquor. You even go swimming for a bit, hanging around Yechan and Yeosang the most. It’s not long after evening falls that Soojin calls out for everyone to return to the farmhouse. You’re clinging onto your beer bottle on the way back, walking next to Yeosang, your arm linked through his. After all, he managed to majorly cheer you up and perhaps he could perform that same magic trick again.                Back at the farmhouse, Mingi perked up enough from his massive hangover to call everyone to him for a beer pong match. With a little help of Anna, he set up teams of two to compete against each other. “Y/N and Yeosang, you begin! Against Yechan and Daemi.”                As you took your place next to Yeosang, you realized it was obvious either Mingi or Anna had picked up on the tension in the house. You kind of wanted to convince Yeosang to cheat and purposefully lose the game, but when you saw his fanatism at landing the first ball in Daemi’s cup, you didn’t have the heart to tell him you didn’t want to play. He was just so smiley and happy… You convinced yourself that a) you wanted to win this game just as badly as he did and b) that you’re not absolutely shit at beer pong.                The first opponents were luckily nearly as bad as you are at the game. Although the ball takes awfully long to land in the last cup, you and Yeosang still manage to defeat Yechan and Daemi. While the two of you are not up against anyone yet, you vow to yourself to get even more tipsy. It won’t help with aim but you were sure it would help your mood. It’s a fine line between tipsy and drunk and you were walking it with little care in the world.                Your next opponents were Hongjoong and Jongho, who already proclaimed themselves Kings of Beer Pong. Only to be beat by you and Yeosang; turns out Hongjoong just had extreme luck playing against Seonghwa and Sooyoung, for his aim is honestly worse than yours, and Jongho can’t keep up against Yeosang, who deserves to officially be crowned King of Beer Pong.                Yeosang’s so surprisingly good at the game that you’re not surprised when you win the finale round against Wooyoung and San. Overcome with emotions that you can’t properly explain and do not want to face and will probably never address ever again, you reached for Yeosang’s face, cupping it in your hands and pressing your lips against his. You felt a shock of surprise run through his body, but his hands effortlessly found your hips to steady you and kiss back.                Despite the absence of butterflies or fireworks or any of the sorts, you become aware of how unaware you are of the sounds around you two. The only sound that’s coming through is Yeosang’s small moans and the sounds kisses tend to make. It doesn’t help that you’re both using an obscene amount of tongue, but you might be drunk and you don’t care – especially not that anyone or everyone is watching and cheering.                When you pull away, you smile at Yeosang, who looks a little stunned but not unhappy about your actions. “Congratulations, King of Beer Pong,” you tell him.                “Thanks, Queen.” He even has the liberty of squeezing your ass, earning him a yelp that broadens his smile. Take that, Woosan, you think to yourself. “Let’s get you another drink.” With his arm still around you, Yeosang guides you to the kitchen, away from prying eyes, both unaware that Mingi was ready to crown you both winners and offer you a prize. You couldn’t care less about what the prize was.                The kitchen is completely empty except for a collection of trash and dirty plates and glasses. After clearing a space on the countertop, Yeosang picked you up with a surprising amount of strength and sat you down on it, then going to fix you a glass of water. “There you go.”                “Water?” you complain. “Yeo-“                “No, you need to sober up a little,” he spoke in a tone of amusement. “I think you’re an amazing kisser and I really enjoyed that, but I also know that kiss wasn’t meant for me.”                “Oh, are you going to tell me who the kiss was meant for then? Because, last I checked, my lips were on yours and not on anyone else’s. I think that was meant for you, Yeosang.”                “Maybe,” he said, “but then with the intent of hurting someone else. Or whatever you thought you were doing back there. You’re not attracted to me.”                “Says who?” you pull Yeosang closer to you by his shirt collar, capturing him between your legs. He looks profoundly comfortable in between them, but you know what he means when he says: “I do. You do, with your body language.”                You rolled your eyes at him, setting the glass of water down next to you. “I’m not going to endure another talk about how in love I am with San and how everyone can tell.”                “I wasn’t going to say you’re in love with San.”                “Okay, Wooyoung then. Only because I was jealous he fingered Rose on the patio. The patio! That one over there!” You pointed at it for emphasis. “All of those feelings are not yours to comment on, Yeosang. Hongjoong.” You narrowed your eyes at him as he entered the kitchen rather innocently.                “Wh-“ Hongjoong locked eyes with Yeosang and immediately his eyes widened. “I’m out of here right now. Sorry.”                “Drink your water,” Yeosang said, giving you a little pat on the knee before following Hongjoong out of the kitchen. You sighed in frustration, grabbing the glass and bringing it to your lips. It actually tasted pretty nice to be drinking something as pure as water after all of the alcohol you had been consuming. Perhaps Yeosang was right and the kiss hadn’t been meant for him at all, not even a little bit. Perhaps you were just trying to make him jealous. And you weren’t quite sure which him you meant with that.                Perhaps the him that came walking into the kitchen right at that moment, empty bottle of beer in hand. “Oh, have you come to lecture me too?” you said before he could even open his mouth – just one look was enough. “I’m sick of it.”                “Well,” San said, “now that you mention it. Why did you kiss Yeosang?”                “Why wouldn’t I? You have been all over Alice too, haven’t you?”                “You really don’t understand, do you?”                “Understand what?” There was a viciousness to your voice that made San shake his head. “I’m not going to argue with you while you’re still drunk.”                “Yeah? Well-“ But you didn’t get a chance to say anything hurtful to him as he had already left the kitchen. With a sigh you chugged down the water, slid off the countertop and walked to your room. You could faintly hear all the noises in the living room, the partiers, but you were glad you weren’t there with them. This was not the fun trip you had planned for it to be.
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Day 3 Even though Anna had planned something to do the day after, everyone was so hungover that no one really felt like going anywhere. You woke up first, quietly stepping over a snoring Yechan and trying not to wake a sleep-talking Daemi as you went to the single room across the floor to have a shower. This time without opening the window, even though you knew it was highly unlikely you would hear Wooyoung and Rose again. You went downstairs, made yourself breakfast, and by the time you had finished, the first people started coming down. The first was Jongho, followed by Soojin and Anna. Soon thereafter, Yunho and Daemi appeared as well, looking different states of dishevelled. There was still dried up spit in the corner of Yunho’s mouth. “Who’s up for a walk?” he excitedly said.                No one felt like going, but you jumped up at the opportunity to be away from the farmhouse for a bit. Accompanying Yunho on his walk was quite peaceful. You never had a really close relationship with him as you did Wooyoung or Yeosang, but you were happy to be around him. It certainly helped that your surroundings were breath-taking, with views you could barely get enough of. It was so vastly different from what you were used to living in the city, that being at the farmhouse felt all the more special. You were reminded that this was partially why you had agreed to come on this trip; to see the beauty of the nature park. Not to get wound up in drama you yourself created by being… Well, was there a word for the way you were feeling? The way you were acting?                It gave you some peace of mind walking with Yunho and realizing that he wasn’t going to break out in a lecture about not kissing Yeosang if you don’t like him, your everlasting crush on San, or whatever was going on with your friendship with Wooyoung. You had no desire to talk about any of that, but as you walked alongside Yunho, basking in the warm morning sunlight, it was the only thing you were thinking about.                By the time you guys circled back to the farmhouse, the others were up already. Most were still yawning and staring at their untouched plates of eggs and bacon with sleep in their eyes, but Yeosang perked up as you came in. He nodded with his head to get you outside on the patio from which you had seen San and Alice kissing the first night.                “I think I know what this is about,” you started. “Yeo, I was very drunk. It didn’t mean anything between us, at least not to me. I hope you understand.”                “I-“ Yeosang started, but he was interrupted by someone you really didn’t want to see at this particular moment.                “If you don’t like him, then why would you kiss him?” Wooyoung said, his arms crossing over one another in front of his chest. He stood leaning against the closed sliding door, obviously not understanding that this was a private conversation. Obviously not understanding that this was the last straw.                “Okay, I’m done with this,” you said. “Normally I feel like I can be honest with you both but for the past few days-“ You sighed, not fully comfortable with sharing every thought you had, the things that had drove you to go bed so early in the night to mull over by yourself. “You know, I did it because I had something to prove. And besides, why is everyone so upset over this? San is always face sucking Alice whenever he can and you!” You had subconsciously moved closer to Wooyoung, now pricking his chest with your finger. “You did whatever with Rose out there and you didn’t even know that everything you did, I could perfectly hear. You’re both having so much fun with the girls here, but are so quick to scold me for wanting to do the same with Yeosang?”                “That’s really not the same thing,” Wooyoung started.                “Oh, and what makes it different?”                “You’ve known Yeosang for years!”                “You’ve known Rose for years. San has known Alice for years.”                “It’s all not the same thing.”                “Do I get a say in this?” Yeosang said, finally intercepting. Perhaps he had got quite uncomfortable with seeing Wooyoung and you so close to each other, staring each other down.                You both broke away from each others’ gaze at the same time and spoke simultaneously: “No!”                There was a silence and finally a sigh from Wooyoung. “Come find me when you think you can talk like a grown-up, yeah?” He didn’t even really sound mad, perhaps somewhere between defeated and disappointed. He tugged open the door and slammed it shut behind him. You waited for a second, not daring to look at Yeosang, before you followed Wooyoung inside. Instead of heading up the stairs behind him, you went into the kitchen and out onto the patio.                There was no one out. You hoped for Yeosang that he was inside, since clouds had gathered above and there was a light drizzle coming down now. You let it cool your temper as well as your skin, thinking of the trip. You had looked forward to it for so long but it really wasn’t going as you had planned. Yes, you had joked with Daemi and Yechan that some crazy things would happen, claiming that Mingi would be the first one to throw up because of all of the alcohol (you were right about that) and that someone would accidentally throw someone in the pool while they still had their phones on them (hadn’t happened yet, but the trip wasn’t over). Daemi had bet that she would get into an argument with Yechan, Yechan had bet that she would catch Seonghwa and Sooyoung in a compromising position.                The bet made about yourself had been that you would drunkenly act upon your crush on San. You had known when placing the bets with your friends that there was a very slim chance you would ever dare to approach San in that way and as you stood outside, overlooking the mountain area, you realised you didn’t want San anymore. Not the way you had always wanted him, at least.                You used to think San was relationship material, the only guy you wanted to fulfil the need of having a boyfriend. But he wasn’t. He was perhaps too flirty, perhaps too much a person you could only look at from a distance and admire. He wasn’t boyfriend material. Just a friend.                So what about Yeosang? Was that you drunkenly acting upon your hidden crush for him? Was that kiss because you liked him? Was he even boyfriend material to you? No. The answer was simple and clear, you didn’t even have to think about it. Yeosang was just one of your closest friends. He was sweet, really, and you would be lying if you said you had never thought about how it would have been if you were to date him. You were sure he harboured fond feelings for you as well, but those were probably along the same line as what you felt for him. Nothing romantic. After all, it was Yeosang, and you two had known each other for forever. You’d seen each others’ good and bad sides and you thought you knew what he would be like in a relationship. You’d seen his failed relationships play out in the past. You thought you had that figured out.                So then that kiss… Who were you trying to prove something to? What were you even trying to prove? It was true what you had said, however. You were trying to prove to yourself that... Your mind flicked to the first night, when you had heard Wooyoung and Rose’s escapades. You were bothered about it, in a different way than what you had felt when you caught San and Alice.                You replayed the fight you just had with Wooyoung in your head. What did he care what you were up to? You sat down on the small bench. It was wet now, washed clean by the rain; there was no way you otherwise would have sat down on it, considering what had happened a few days before. You rested your head against the wall of the farmhouse. Closing your eyes, you saw the look in Wooyoung’s eyes. You felt how close you had been standing to him.                A knock on the patio door startled you. When you opened your eyes you saw Yeosang, eyes big and with two mugs on a tray. “Hey, Y/N… Can we talk? I brought hot chocolate.”                “Sure,” you said, patting the spot next to you. Yeosang came outside, handing you the tray as he closed the door behind him. “What did you want to talk about?”                “Well… I’m sorry if I gave you the wrong idea. About anything.” This was clearly something that had been bothering him for a while, longer than everything that has gone on in the farmhouse. “Yesterday when you kissed me… I know why you did it and I know why you’ve been so upset these past couple of days. But I just wanted to clear things up so there’s no misunderstandings between us. And besides, I feel like I have lied to you all these years I’ve known you.” He took a deep breath, his hands wrapping around the mug. You saw he was shaking and his nails were bitten down. Maybe you hadn’t paid enough attention to his feelings, instead only rambling on about yours. “I guess I got a little upset this morning too. I hate seeing you and Wooyoung fight, for many reasons. But also because… because I am in love with Wooyoung.”                “W-what?”                “I like Wooyoung. Y/N… I’m gay.”                “But, Yeo…” You bit your lip, wrapping your own hands around the mug. From everything he could’ve said, this was the least of what you had expected. “Wooyoung is… straight.”                “I know, I know!” Yeosang quickly said. “I’ve always known I don’t have a chance with him. Not romantically. I’m fine being his friend, just his friend. You have to believe me.” He was still shaking however. “I also know that no matter what, I want to see him happy. And knowing what I know, you would realize that the Wooyoung he is around Rose? That’s not him being truly happy.”                You frowned. “What are you trying to say?”                “I mean that he’s more into you than he’s into Rose.”                “What?” You shook your head. “Yeo, that’s not right. Wooyoung doesn’t like me like that. I mean, it’s pretty clear-“                “Why do you think that everyone is so upset with you kissing me?” Yeosang chuckled. “They might’ve thought you were into San, or now that you’re into me. But they know for sure that Wooyoung is into you. He’s told San and I that much before. And I think you like him back.”                “How does everyone know that better than I do myself?”                He shrugged. “I can’t speak for everyone, but… All these years of being in love with Wooyoung means I look at him more or less the same way he looks at you. And when you look at him? I see the same thing. You two are just oblivious to each other.”                You finally took a sip of the hot chocolate, your thoughts aligning in your head to form a question: “So what does this thing with Rose mean? Why did he… finger her?” You realized how pathetic it sounded to ask.                “I don’t know. That’s something you have to ask him yourself.”                You nodded and then you turned to Yeosang again. “Yeo, thanks for telling me. I appreciate knowing that you trust me enough to.” You put your arm around him, pulling him into a side-hug like you used to do when you two were younger. “Who else knows?”                “Only Hongjoong does.”                “Of course,” you said. Joong had come out of the closet as bisexual about two years ago. It made sense Yeosang would want to go to him, knowing Hongjoong wouldn’t judge him. “Nothing changes, Yeo.”                You hope Yeosang feels relieved, finally having that burden off his shoulders. You talk a little about how long he’s known and eventually Yeosang asks to leave the subject alone for now and go swimming instead. You are not one to deny him, so you head upstairs to get changed and meet him at the swimming pool. It’s empty except for Yechan and Seonghwa. Sooyoung and Soojin are on sunbeds on the side, but it’s clear the girls were fast asleep. The drizzle of before has stopped but the clouds have remained, however the temperature is climbing upwards as you’re in the pool.                When you and Yeosang join, it breaks up the conversation between Yechan and Seonghwa, the latter of them suggesting to play a game instead. You team up with Seonghwa to even out the playing field and through multiple rounds of a handball-resembling game, you realise that it was futile because you and Seonghwa were bound to lose the second you agreed to teaming up together.                The sun started going down while you were still hanging by the pool, wrinkled out like a raisin but enjoying the contrast between the cool water of the pool and the stifling heat of the overcast summer weather. You and Yeosang didn’t get out of the pool until Anna came to collect everyone for dinnertime. You’re happy sitting in between Yeosang and Mingi – who had remained in his room for the better part of the day, insanely hungover again and having emptied his stomach multiple times – as they talk over your head about this TV show they figured out they both had been watching.                Having not changed out of your bikini for dinner, you are the first to get back into the water afterwards. It’s still warm outside, although it’s pretty much pitch black except for the porchlight. It’s bound to rain and you guess there will probably be thunder and lightning involved. After a moment, you’re joined in the water with Daemi and Yechan, and then Yunho and Mingi, and then San and Alice. As you float around, trying to avoid getting caught in the middle of Daemi-Mingi against Yechan-Yunho, you glance over at San and Alice. They were laughing at whatever joke they told each other, genuine happiness in their eyes, and you knew it didn’t matter that you thought you had a crush on San. He was obviously very happy with Alice. It didn’t matter.                That feeling was amplified when you noticed Wooyoung, just a small distance behind San and Alice, kicking around a ball with Jongho. You were about to look away when you saw him glance over and shoot you a smile. Despite your fight, you smiled back. Maybe this was the right time to make up. You nodded your head in the direction of the trampoline, farther our into the field behind the farmhouse. It was too dark to see out by the trampoline, even with the porchlight, so no one went there at night. It was the perfect spot.                Wooyoung nodded, kicked the ball back to Jongho and said: “I’ll be right back. Go annoy Hongjoong, he looks bored.”                You both laid down on the trampoline in silence, staring up at the sky. Clouds were chasing each other and there was a low rumble in the distance. Thunder. “I’m sorry about how I reacted,” you said, knowing to speed this up. You had known Wooyoung since you two were little and he was still scared of thunder and lightning. By now he had grown up more and also matured – he had told you he still was a little scared, but at least he saw the beauty in the violence of Mother Nature.                “Me too.”                “I just didn’t want to see Yeosang get hurt.”                You were hit suddenly with the realisation that Wooyoung had no idea about Yeosang’s sexuality, or his crush on him. You wouldn’t tell him, because it was up to Yeosang to tell, and that meant that you couldn’t say that it didn’t matter you had kissed Yeosang, because of obvious reasons. Instead you said: “Yeo and I discussed it earlier today. We’re not mad at each other or anything. And I figured this was the best possible time to be honest with you.”                “About what?”                “About…” you sighed lightly. “About that I might… like you?”                “You like me?” Wooyoung sounded no longer like himself, but a little more choked up, his tone of voice very serious. Was he angry at you for sharing this? For fucking up your friendship? You hadn’t even considered the consequences to your friendship, or what any of this would do to your dynamic between you two and Yeosang.                “I guess?”                “You guess or you know?”                “I don’t know. I think I do. Everyone tells me I do.”                “Well, if you don’t know, then I cannot tell you that I like you too.”                Now it was your turn to feel stunned. “What?” You had been told by Yeosang, of course, but that was different. Now you heard it right from the source, from Wooyoung himself.                “I like you too.”                “But I thought you were more into Rose,” you said. “I mean, you two… out on the patio… I thought you were more into her.”                Wooyoung shrugged, making the whole trampoline wiggle. “She’s pretty. I- Okay, I have shared so much with you before but it feels so weird saying it now.” He let out an awkward laugh before he said: “I just felt horny. You know? And Rose was there and she was horny too and she’s not a sight for sore eyes, so I thought: what’s so bad about this? I didn’t know you were showering right above us, or that you had the window open. Otherwise I would’ve probably taken her somewhere else. Or not done it at all.”                “You were just horny?” you repeated. Wooyoung nodded, the trampoline shaking again. “So no feelings for Rose then?”                “Nope,” he said, letting the p pop. “Nothing serious. Not like the way I feel for you.”                You moved over closer to him, shakily reaching out for his hand. “I’m sorry I didn’t realise it sooner. Then we wouldn’t have had to fight.”                “I should’ve told you the second I knew,” he said, taking your hand in his and squeezing it lightly. “So what made you realise? I knew you liked San-“                You blushed, which fortunately, he could not see. “Can we not talk about San right now? I mean, yes, I had a crush on him, but it was silly. I mean, I liked him when we were still in high school, you know? He was the guy every girl had a crush on and I guess I just jumped on the bandwagon. And I always thought it would be easier to hook up with him because we were already friends, but that just makes it more difficult. And I don’t know him as well as I know you. I just don’t feel what I think you’re supposed to feel when you’re in love – with him. I never noticed the way I feel about you, though, until I compared my feelings for you to what I feel for San or Yeosang.”                “Well, you’d best believe it was torture to see you kissing Yeosang, not knowing what you were truly feeling.”                “Would it be better if I kissed you instead?” And with no further words, you bridged the distance between the two of you, softly kissing his lips. Where your kiss with Yeosang had primarily taken place because you were drunk and trying to make whoever else jealous, the way you had been jealous all throughout the trip, this kiss served an entirely different purpose. It was strange too, kissing Wooyoung, whom you had known for so long and never imagined you would harbour romantic feelings for. But there was a spark, a spark that caught and ignited a flame inside of you. A flame that apparently burned inside of Wooyoung as well, for he pulled you infinitely closer, until you were on his lap.                It was very uncomfortable on that trampoline, and you were glad when a dizzyingly bright flash of lightning followed by deafening thunder caused Wooyoung to yelp. “Let’s go inside,” you said, hopping off the trampoline and pulling Wooyoung with you.                As you walked back, your hand in his, he bent down a little to whisper in your ear: “Come to my room tonight, yeah? Take your film camera.”                And so you did. After everyone had gone to bed, you sneaked out of yours to cross the floor to the room Wooyoung shared with San.
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Day 4 The room smelled of boy. And not just any boy. You glanced around in the darkness, the first thing that stuck out to you being Shiber. San had brought his cuddle toy to this trip? You wondered for a second what Alice would think of her having to share the bed and San with Shiber, until you realized that she wasn’t there. You shut the door after yourself, blocking out the light from the hallway to prevent San from waking up, instead going over to Wooyoung. You set your film camera down on the night stand and when you turned to look at Woo, he was already sitting up in the bed.                “There you are,” he said. He sounded surprisingly relieved.                “Did you think I wasn’t going to show up?”                Wooyoung didn’t answer but instead pulled you onto the bed, blindly placing his hands on your cheeks and pulling you in for a kiss. Instantly, it clouded your mind with desire for him. Your head spun as he pulled you on top of him. You gasped as he let himself fall backwards onto the bed, allowing him to slip his tongue inside of your mouth. It was almost obscene – how good of a kisser Wooyoung was, how his tongue softly tapped against yours, how his hands slid down from your face to the hem of your pyjama shorts, slipping his hands under the fabric and onto your ass.                You groaned into his mouth as his hands knead your ass, pulling you closer to him. Wooyoung pulled back only a little bit, but you hated the moment, his voice slightly breathless as he said: “Don’t be too loud. San might wake.”                You glanced over to the other bed and yelped to find San already sitting upright, Shiber wrapped in his arms, just staring at you. “What the fuck!” you exclaimed.                “I’m already awake,” San said.                Wooyoung pushed himself up on his elbows. “Have you just been… listening to us? Watching us? The whole time?”                San shrugged. “It was kind of hot. Maybe next time you’ll allow me to join in.”                You looked at Wooyoung for a second, exchanging a glance. There was an unspoken conversation within that glance, a result of many years of friendship in which you had been a unit, had had an unbreakable bond. And now all of that was transforming into whatever this was, and someone was asking to partake in this same adventure with you? You gulped as you realized what you were seeing in Wooyoung’s eyes. “Fuck,” you muttered. And you nodded.                “San, come here,” Wooyoung said, his voice an octave deeper. San was quick to throw Shiber aside and make his way over to you. You don’t think you’ve ever seen him move this fast, although he was as quick to come to a halt at the side of the bed. You felt your breath hitch as Wooyoung grabbed San’s shirt in his hand and pulled him closer, essentially making San topple over on the bed as he lost his balance. “I think Y/N hasn’t had enough love this trip. If you know what I mean.”                You gulped, not entirely knowing what to say. The boy you were currently into and the boy you had always been harbouring a crush on were on the bed together with you and it was pretty clear what was going to happen now. You felt a familiar wetness, synchronic with San nodding to Wooyoung’s statement. “I think we should give her whatever she wants, don’t you agree?” San nodded again. Wooyoung then turned to you: “Tell us what you want us to do.”                For a moment you were about to ask for what you had always lusted after, which was a filthy, intense make out session with San. But right now, looking at him – his shirt crumpled in the place Wooyoung had pulled him in, his hair messy from having been in bed earlier, his plump lips slightly parted and with a small tent visible through his pyjama pants – you knew what you wanted to see. And still it even surprised you a little when you said: “Kiss each other.”                San’s head shot around to look at Wooyoung, physically below the both of you but in some other way he was dominating you both. “Is that okay?”                Wooyoung leaned up only a little bit to put his hand on the back of San’s head and pull him in, their lips locking. Right off the bat there was tongue involved. You were well aware that you were staring, and well aware that there was no one to catch you staring as San increasingly got more comfortable and seemed more into the kiss. “Slowly,” you instructed. “Slowly.” They listened as if they were puppets, entirely under your control.                The kiss was somehow more heated now that they weren’t hungrily clawing at each other. You thought to yourself how this couldn’t be real life. Just a couple of days ago you had been wanting San as badly as ever, then you had thought him to belong to Alice, and now he was here. Let alone the entire situation with Wooyoung – how just a few hours ago you had still been angry with him for fingering Rose on the patio. But that was something you didn’t want to think about at that moment. “Woo, strip San for me, please.”                Wooyoung listened well – he helped San lift his arms above his head and proceeded to take off his shirt for him, tossing it aside. Next were San’s pants. It took a bit more effort to strip those and then get rid of his boxers too. “San, your turn,” you said. There was no shame visible in Wooyoung, who seemed utterly comfortable with stripping as well. They were still kissing, albeit a little bit more clumsy now San was trying to take Wooyoung’s pyjama’s off. It had never occurred to you that perhaps San wasn’t all that confident and experienced as you had taken him to be. Perhaps he had only been truly intimate with a handful of people. Perhaps this was a first for him – the first time he had a threesome. You couldn’t say you had any experience in this department either.                “Woo-“ you started, but the instructions you were about to give him stuck in your throat as Wooyoung ripped himself free off San and said: “Aren’t you going to get undressed, baby?”                Your mouth almost fell open in an o-shape at the pet name. You had never heard Wooyoung call anyone by a pet name. Let alone be the one to be called one by him. “Sorry.” You felt like you had to say sorry. Why? You weren’t sure. “San?”                San, who visibly wasn’t entirely sure what was going on but was along for the ride regardless, scooted over so he could reach for you. He was less clumsy with you, but you weren’t sure if you had to attribute that to past experiences with girls or to not being engaged in a wild make out session with you. Which quickly changed as your lips smashed together.                Now the three of you were all fully naked, everything that was uncomfortable or awkward about the situation seemed to ebb away. You wrapped your arms around San’s neck, pulling yourself up a little bit so you could rub yourself on him. You couldn’t remember how long it had been since you had started crushing on him, but you had had some fantasies and wet dreams about San before. Admittedly, you’d had them about Wooyoung too. You felt his hands sneak in between San and you and jumped a little from the sudden sensation of Wooyoung’s thumb against your clit. You were sure his other hand was wrapped around San’s shaft – there was no other explanation for the sudden noise that erupted from the boy, your kiss temporaily stopping.                “What do you want me to do, baby?” Wooyoung’s soft voice sounded.                “Hm-“ You didn’t trust yourself to be able to properly tell him what you wanted, so instead you let go of San to kiss Wooyoung instead. San chased after you, attaching his lips to your neck. The confidence he gained made you groan into Wooyoung’s mouth as San nibbled and licked and sucked, sure to leave marks behind. There were noises from San as well, noises that were only explainable by Wooyoung moving his hand on San.                It occurred to you that this was every girls’ dirtiest fantasy and you weren’t taking one second for granted. You let Wooyoung push you back onto the bed, which was in no way able to fit three people in it, but you somehow made it work. You were glad Wooyoung didn’t need any verbal instructions; softly pushing his head down, in the direction of where you needed him most, was enough. He went to work, expertly licking and sucking. It nearly made you fold in on yourself from the sheer pleasure he was giving you, but you were too busy tending to San’s proud erection, oozing precum from Wooyoung’s earlier ministrations.                You wrapped your lips around him, working your mouth in a way that was sure to earn San’s approval – it was audible in his moans and groans, ones you gave back to him from Wooyoung’s actions. San was the first to succumb. The pleasure rendered him nearly unable to speak, but you understood the little taps on your cheek well enough. You didn’t pull away however, allowing San’s cum to fill your mouth. And you swallowed.                San seemed just about spent, but he didn’t leave you hanging. Instead, he went to work on your neck again, his hands coming up to cup your boobs. San didn’t have to do much for Wooyoung had done most of the work on getting you to your high. You came with a high-pitched moan; there was a certain shyness overtaking you at the sound you hadn’t previously thought you could make. You were panting, admiring Wooyoung and your glistening juices on his lips as he came up. There was very little to no talking as you motioned for him to come closer. The sudden urge overcame you – you couldn’t explain what had triggered it. You pushed yourself up just a little bit, in a way that wouldn’t disturb San, as you pulled Wooyoung just a little bit closer, your tongue darting out to lick Wooyoung’s lips, getting a taste of yourself.                “What about you?” you asked tracing your hand down Wooyoung’s chest, down his happy trail, to his cock. “What do you want? Tell me.”                “San-ie,” he said. San looked up from his work on your neck, his eyes slightly hazy. “I want you… to suck me.” That was the first time you saw Wooyoung seem even just a little bit fazed by the situation, instead of looking like he had everything under control. “And Y/N, baby… kiss me.”                You gave San a quick kiss on his lips before coming up onto your knees so you could reach Wooyoung better. There was equal part of kissing and moaning from Wooyoung’s side – he was a lot more vocal than you had expected. The part of Wooyoung that was moaning mirrored the part of you that wanted him inside of you, but tonight was not the night. Instead, tonight was the night Wooyoung grabbed your film camera from his night stand and, in the dark, figured out how to take photos of you and San, coated in Woo’s cum. Yes, tonight was the night Wooyoung coated both you and San in cum – and then went to clean it up himself with San’s T-shirt from the floor.                “Woo,” San complained, but you both heard quite clearly that his heart wasn’t in it.                “Ssh.” Wooyoung pressed a kiss against San’s forehead and then to yours. “Let’s go to sleep.”
The bed really was too small for three people. You had thought it the night before and you were proven right the next morning, when you woke up to a yelp from a distraught San – he had fallen off the bed. He was disgustingly handsome, but your heart didn’t flutter the way it had before. What had remained the same, however, was the heat in your cheeks at the memory of what you got up to the night before, the evidence right there on San’s T-shirt, which he had picked up off the floor with a disgusted expression. “I probably won’t be able to wear this ever again. Damn you, Wooyoung.”                You were surprised to find Wooyoung awake already too, one of his arms folded behind his head. His eyes had been closed before, which lead you to believe he was still asleep, but the smile that played on his lips was unmistakably one of someone who was awake and heard every word of what San had just said.                You watched as San strode across the room and threw his T-shirt in the trash can behind the door. “I’m taking a shower,” he announced, leaving you and Wooyoung in the bed by yourselves as he closed the door behind him.                Wooyoung’s eyes stayed closed, his smile having slightly faded. You pushed yourself up on one elbow and looked at Wooyoung, really looked at him. You had known him for so many years, had gone on so many adventures with him… This was the next big adventure. You reached out, doing something you had always thought of doing but never felt confident enough to. You traced his finely shaped eyebrows, the curve of his eyes… You trailed your finger down his cheeks to rest at the corner of his lips. You were about to carefully trace his lips, full and relaxed, when Wooyoung suddenly snapped his teeth at your finger.                “Woo!” you complained, pouting at him. His eyes were open now, the brown highlighted to several shades of gold in the narrow stroke of sunlight from the window. By the way the sun shone into the room, you could see it was nearing noon. Although in that case, it wasn’t exactly morning anymore, this was by far the best morning you had spent at the farmhouse. “Why did you do that?” You let your finger fall back to his lips and this time he let you trace them, his warm breath hitting your skin. When you let his lips alone, opting to crawl into his embrace instead, you said: “San joined us last night…” Stating the obvious. Great.                “Was it good?” Wooyoung asked, his hand coming up to play with your hair.                “Yeah. I liked it.”                “Me too.” You could hear from his tone of voice – delicious, delicious morning voice – that he was smiling. “I hope San had a good time too. But next time I want you all to myself.”                You felt your heart flutter at his words. There was a next time and that next time would consist of you and Wooyoung exploring each other. You were absolutely certain that this was the best morning at the farmhouse – you felt like the happiest girl on earth. You didn’t know what to say, so instead you just hummed in agreement.                “Would you like me to bring you breakfast?” Wooyoung asked after a while.                “Eggs and sausages,” you said.                “Ooh, making demands now? Actually using your words?” He chuckled and tapped your shoulder, signalling you to get up so he could move. You pushed yourself up and watched as Wooyoung got out of bed. With his back toward you, you saw his muscles stand out as he bend to pick up his shirt off the floor. The room was a mess. “Any preferences for your breakfast beverage, milady?”                You grinned. “The finest tea you serve, milord.”                “Of course.” He bowed before making his way out of the room.                As you were left alone in Wooyoung’s bed you tried to wrap your head around the events of the night before. Coming to the farmhouse you had never expected that this was the way you would end the trip. You hadn’t even suspected anything remotely like this would happen. You got out of bed, dressing yourself in the clothes from the night before, before crossing the room to open up the window.                You had just crawled back into bed, sitting up with your back against the wall, when San came back, his hair wet and a towel hung lowly around his waist. He closed the door behind him and got to getting dressed as you watched him. The silence between the two of you was palpable but nonetheless quite comfortable. You wouldn’t know what to say anyway.                “I didn’t mean to insert myself,” San suddenly spoke up, sitting down on the edge of his bed, clutching Shiber to his chest, “in between you and Woo. I know it was all quite new to you both.”                You shrugged, leaning your head against the wall. “We both wanted it. You didn’t insert yourself in at all. Was it good?” you couldn’t help yourself asking.                San nodded, his cheeks turning pink. “I hadn’t expected it.”                “Believe me, me neither.” You looked at the way San was playing with Shiber’s tail. “It was really new to us,” you then said, surprising the both of you. “I mean, we were friends. And now we’re more.”                “I think everyone saw it coming.”                “I don’t think so,” you said, shaking your head. “You know, I was always crushing on you.”                “You were?” San looked up, stopping his playful antics with Shiber. “I didn’t notice.”                You nodded. “It was a long time crush. But there’s a difference between crushing on someone and loving someone. I realised that because I watched you and Alice.”                There was no response to the mention of Alice. You found you didn’t really care. San resumed playing with Shiber, but his eyes stayed trained on you. “So why Yeosang?”                “Vengeance.” You knew how terrible that sounded but there was no other word for it. “He was… there. I know it’s wrong. But I needed to know why I felt so jealous of Rose.” With a sigh you let yourself fall sideways onto the bed. “Now I do. And now I know why I don’t love you. Not in that way.”                The door opened to reveal Wooyoung carrying a tray, a literal mountain of food on the plate that he carried, a tea pot and three cups next to it. “Breakfast!” He set the tray down on the floor, and despite the mess that was the room, the three of you crowded around the tray to eat the breakfast Wooyoung had prepared.                The idyllic bubble of Woosan’s room had to be broken some time. You regretted stepping foot out of the room the second you did it, but you felt dirty so you wanted to shower, and besides that, you had to pack up the rest of your belongings to return home. You got into the shower, the same one you had been in the first day. The window was cracked open, letting in the sounds of nature and summer. You shut your eyes, enjoying the feeling of the water scorching your body.                Yechan was waiting for you in your bedroom when you got back to pack up. “I know where you went last night. I’m glad I didn’t have to hear it. I know Seonghwa and Sooyoung had a front row seat though.” She smiled. “So, you have to tell me all the details. How was your first threesome?”                “Yechan!” you covered your face with your hands. “I’m not going to talk about this with you.”                “Okay, maybe without details, then,” she said. “At least tell me you had a good time.”                You lowered your hands a little bit to look at her. Your best friend, with you through everything… “It was really good.” You bit your lip at the excitement that erupted from Yechan. Her happiness rubbed off on you, though, and soon enough you were, despite yourself, telling her just a few details. Like San having to throw out his shirt afterwards. You left out the pictures Wooyoung took of you and San. Those were private.                “Are you in a polyamorous relationship now?” she asked, her eyes wide and genuine.                You shook your head. “I don’t think so. I think it’s just me and Woo.”                Yechan nodded. “That’s good too.” She took your hand and softly squeezed, her smile saying more than words ever could.
The next person you had to talk to was Yeosang. You were carrying your bags out to the car when he popped up beside you. “Let’s go on the trampoline,” he said. You nodded, following him across the backyard to the trampoline, overlooking the vineyard. It was better in the day than it was last night.                The little kids in you jumped out by the way you nearly toppled over each other to get onto the trampoline, performing tricks as you jumped. After a bit you let yourself fall down, out of breath. “Yeo, I need to tell you something,” you said and he stopped jumping as well. “I had s-“                “Sex with Wooyoung. I know,” he said.                “You do?” Okay, perhaps you weren’t right to be surprised he knew. If you had to believe Yechan, the three of you hadn’t been very quiet. “I mean- San was there with us too.”                “I know. I heard everything,” Yeosang sat down on the trampoline now too. “The walls are pretty thin, you know.”                “I’m sorry.”                “You’re sorry that I heard?”                You chuckled. “Yes, that too. But also that I did that. Now that I know you like him-“                “It doesn’t matter,” Yeosang said, turning his head to look up at the sky, shielding his eyes from the sun with his hand. “He’s not into guys anyway and I know how much you two like each other. I haven’t been completely blind over the last couple of years, you know? I’ll find someone that likes me like that and that I’ll like back. I’m fine with what happened. Don’t worry about me.”                “If you’re so sure,” you said, looking up at the sky too. “I just feel guilty.”                “Don’t.” Yeosang reached over and grabbed your hand in his, giving it a squeeze. “Just know that Rose also heard and she’s crazy upset with you two.”                You sat up, looking over at him. “Just about how many people have heard every single second of last night?”                “How many people are with us on the trip?” Yeosang started counting on his fingers. “So 13. Except maybe Mingi. He was out cold. That makes 12.”                “Jesus Christ,” you swear. And you do so again when you return to the farmhouse to find Rose already storming out to find you. Apparently someone had told her you and Yeosang were hanging out on the trampoline. There’s a look in her eyes that you’re not sure you ever want to see in anyone’s eyes ever again. It speaks of all-consuming anger. “Rose-“ you start. And that’s also where you end. She didn’t even take the time or effort to talk it out. Her first reaction was violence.                You had always jealously compared Rose’s visuals to that of an angel, but the way she lashed out at you proved she was all but that. “You slut!” she shrieked, her nails finding a hold in your skin. You barely felt the pain as she raked her nails down your face. You had never thought of yourself as a violent person, but you also weren’t the person to back down from someone attacking you like this. Your pent up frustrations were threatening to spill out of you in a violent manner, but before you could do much damage to her, Mingi’s strong arms wrapped around you, picking you up as if you weighed absolutely nothing, carrying you away as Jongho did the same to Rose, who was now clawing at him.                Mingi set you down on the countertop of the downstairs bathroom, checking you for injuries like the worried big brother he always acts like towards you. “You’re bleeding.” He grabbed tissues for you to hold against the wound, as if that would help much. Silly, hungover Mingi.                “She has sharp nails,” you said, wincing as you pressed the tissues against the marks.                Wooyoung came storming in, carrying a white box with a red cross on it. “First aid!” he said, to which Mingi nodded and left. You bet he knew why Rose had got violent with you too. “I didn’t know she was going to do that,” Wooyoung said, opening up the first aid kit.                “It’s fine,” you said. “Did I at least fight her off a little bit?”                He laughed. “God, that that’s the first thing you’re thinking about… Here, you’re bleeding.” He got to work, cleaning up the scratches Rose’s nails left behind on your face and arm. His fingers were soft on your skin, leaving behind a trail of heat. Even though you hadn’t known him to be very skilled with cleaning up wounds and bandaging up injuries, he was doing quite a good job. Better than Mingi would have done, had this been his job to do. “And the way you stood your ground was pretty hot, Y/N.”                You chuckled. “You’re just saying that.” You looked at Wooyoung as he took expert care of you, the tip of his tongue sticking out of his mouth in concentration, a habit you had always loved about him. You realized suddenly how blind you had been all along not to notice him, or his love for you. You had never actively fantasized about Wooyoung in a sexual way, although you had sometimes wondered what it would be like to have a romantic relationship with him. In your mind it had never worked out, whereas a relationship with San would seem the most plausible. He had always been the one boy you thought you would end up with, if it was going to be anyone out of the friend group. Everyone had known each other for varying lengths and with different intensities, something which had never lead you to believe that you and Wooyoung would be a good match.                “What are you looking at?” Wooyoung asked, chuckling, throwing away the stuff he had used to clean and bandage your wound.                “You,” you said, no trace of shyness.                “Like what you see?” Wooyoung wiggled his eyebrows, his classic playfulness erasing what you had felt over the past couple of days, leaving only behind what you had always thought to be simple, platonic feelings for your best friend. But now you knew it was more.                You shrugged. “I think you could do better, but this’ll have to do.” You stuck out your feet, wrapping your legs around him and pulling him closer. “Thanks for stitching me up.”                “I’m sorry about Rose,” he said, his arms coming to rest around your waist. “Take the same car as me back?”                “So you can finger me in the backseat while no one notices?” You chuckled at the surprise on his face. Must be due to your sudden dirty mouth. “No, thanks. I’ll ride with Yunho and Jongho. But maybe we can see each other when we get back? Get lunch, or dinner… Go out on a real date…”                “A real date.” Wooyoung nodded. “Sounds wonderful.”
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Alternative scene How the ‘morning after’ would have had gone, had I decided to stick with the shower Woosan x reader threesome I had originally planned to happen after the initial Wooyoung x reader sex scene
The room smells. Of what you’re not entirely sure, but it’s sour and makes your nose crunch up as you slowly open your eyes, only to find Wooyoung next to you. His dark brown hair was curling up at the ends and his mouth was slightly open, his chest bare. You had managed to wrap most of the blankets around yourself, leaving Wooyoung uncovered. Not just his chest was bare. You draped the blankets over him and in the process, noticed you were only wearing a T-shirt. That’s it. Just a T-shirt. When you glance underneath the covers, you see it’s Woo’s, one you got together while he was shopping for his First Date T-Shirt, nearly 4 years ago now. You smiled to yourself at the memory and turned onto your back.                That’s when you realize that it wasn’t just you and Wooyoung in the room. “San!” You pull up the covers again to cover yourself, even though there’s no bit of you left uncovered. He’s casually resting on his bed, eyes trained on you and Wooyoung in the bed.                “Good morning. What a coincidence I catch you here. Morning, Woo.”                “San,” Wooyoung groans out from next to you. He seems utterly unfazed to see you laying next to him. He must know you’re wearing nothing but his T-shirt. You also reckon San must know what has happened between you and Wooyoung. “Aren’t you supposed to complain about your headache?”                “I think throwing up prevented my headache,” San said, pointing at a bucket at his side of the room, standing half under half next to his bed. You guessed that was what the sour smell was all about. “Aren’t you two supposed to be even a little bit ashamed that you two had steamy, hot sex while I was literally in the same room with you?”                “I just seized the opportunity,” Wooyoung said, wrapping his arm around you and pulling you against him. “And you were asleep.”                “Apparently not,” San said. “I was miserable, though. Maybe next time you decide to fuck each other again, you could invite me.”                “Oh, shut up,” you said, hiding your face in Woo’s chest. This is really just way worse than seeing San and Alice kissing on the edge of the swimming pool or Wooyoung fingering Rose while you’re in the shower. This is humiliation of a different kind.                “Why were you actually listening to us?” Wooyoung said.                San shrugged. “Like I said, I was miserable. Couldn’t sleep, especially not with those sounds. Disgusting. What would Rose say?” That remark landed him with Wooyoung’s pillow in his face. “Okay, yes, that was slightly mean. Sorry. Will it make you feel better if I say it was kind of hot though? Like, I don’t know what you did that made Y/N go like-“ He made a noise that landed him with your pillow in his face. “Okay, yes, shouldn’t have said that. But! Promise me next time you won’t let me get so drunk I won’t be able to join in, yeah?”                “Would you actually want to join?” you said. You weren’t sure if you were completely disgusted by this morning conversation with San, or if you were getting turned on again. You also weren’t entirely sure if you would have had Wooyoung pin you down underneath him if you had known San was in the bed opposite.                “Could be hot,” Woo said.                “Honestly, it’s been on my to-do list,” San said. “A threesome with someone who claims himself to be a sex god and also the hottest girl from high school? I wouldn’t say no to that.”                “You tell others you’re a sex god?” you laughed at Wooyoung who turned a suspicious shade of pink.
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longitud-de-onda · 4 years
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Porque el querer causa pena, pena que no tiene fin
pairing; mad sad genius (we never got a name) x reader summary; you can love someone with all your heart, but nothing compares to the madness that exists in their absence rating; t warnings; language, a bit of alcohol, angst, it isn’t specifically covid-19 but it is a pandemic science fiction story, so the quarantine and other situations are taken to the extreme which could be potentially triggering depending on how you’re handling the quarantine. word count; 3.0k a/n; this is fanfic for ngozi anyanwu’s for all the lovesick mad sad geniuses which aside from pedro’s amazing performance, is a brilliant monologue. we’re taking the title from the rosalía song (maldición, cap. 10: cordura) that helped inspire this.
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You met him at an art gallery. It was your own show, and you were standing in the corner drinking wine from a clear plastic cup, the edge of which was sharp against your lips. You held a paper plate with five almonds, a mozzarella and tomato crostini, and a mini chocolate cupcake carefully balanced in your other hand.
He was standing in front of your favorite piece. No one else was. Probably because the gallery owner told you it wasn’t the sort of work that would stop anyone. That out of all the work in your collection, it was the type that belonged in the back, where it would be found by the people who cared enough to wander there, whose interest would likely be piqued enough for them to enjoy it. It hurt to hang it up on the back wall and not up in the front where you wanted it.
But he hadn’t stopped at everything else. He had walked into the gallery minutes before, giving every painting a quick glance before settling on the one in front of which he was standing. He had been there for almost five minutes before you decided to walk up next to him.
He looked over upon seeing you approach and your heart stopped. He was the most beautiful person you had ever seen. His smile reached his eyes and you found yourself falling into them. You almost asked him if he would model for you.
You didn’t paint portraits.
“This one is beautiful,” he told you.
You smiled and took a sip of your wine. You didn’t need convincing that it was beautiful. That much you already knew. It was the one piece you were confident beyond belief about.
“What do you like about it?” you asked, jutting your chin up at the painting in question.
“The artist seems to have cared. You can see the brushstrokes. They’re more detailed than the others. Someone only spends that much time on something they really care about.”
That was when you fell in love with him. Thirty-three words. That was all it took.
Your first date was dinner after the gallery closed for the night and he dragged you out to his favorite burger joint because he said you deserved it after opening an exhibition. After wolfing down more than enough food and splitting a tub of fries, you spilled out onto the streets in a pile of laughter and joy and you’ll never forget the look on his face when you asked for his number.
Your second date was a night you’ll never forget. He had taken two days to contact you after the first night, and you had begun to worry you would never hear from him again, but he called you and said he wanted to meet you at 6pm the next day and to dress nicely. You showed up where he told you too and he was there with that goddamn smile.
He took you to a Chinese restaurant and said I’d take you somewhere nicer but I don’t think you’re that kind of woman. And you would have slapped any other guy in the face but he looked so earnest and he was right about you. It was like he could read you like a book. And when you laughed he’d sometimes stop laughing with you just to stare with a certain reverence that made you question what you did to deserve the sort of man who looked at you that way.
He took you past all the big theaters showing musicals and stopped at one tucked away with a modest set of doors but the grandest entry hall you had ever seen. You let him lead the way as he took you through the doors into the auditorium and you walked down the aisles to seats near the front.
You didn’t know what you had done to let him know you loved comedies, but he had picked out the perfect play. By the time it was over your stomach hurt from laughing so hard and your eyes held the watery ring around them from your tears. You hit the cool night air just as it started raining, and any other time you would have run for cover but with him and his smile next to you, you didn’t give a shit.
The aimless wandering that night was your favorite part. You were doubled over laughing as he told you the parts of the play he liked, and the parts he didn’t.
“She was a fucking genius and a poet, you know?” he said.
“Who?”
“The playwright.”
“What? Why?” you asked.
“She wrote a play about another fucking genius,” he said. “And despite it being the funniest shit ever made, it still had all those deep-ass lines. You know, like, ‘If you got one friend when you die then most people never have something like you.”
And he didn’t know why you started giggling until you calmed yourself enough to tell him what the real quote was in between fits of laughter. He had that look from earlier that night on his face. The one where it was like he didn’t even know you could see him. He gazed at you like he could see you. Not just on the surface, but underneath everything too. Like he could see every thought that went through your head and took the time to hold every one and appreciate it before letting it go.
He leaned down to kiss you and you tilted your head up to meet him and you wondered how you hadn’t kissed him before. Why you didn’t when you said goodbye your first night. Why you didn’t when you were getting to know him over a burger. Why you didn’t let him kiss you that first fucking moment when you fell in love, right there, after he told you about your own goddamn brush strokes.
You fell in love all over again the following weekend when he took you to his favorite spot in the park, a large grassy hill overlooking all the kids playing below and you spread out a blanket and ate sandwiches that he had put into little ziploc bags. You told him that he should have packed some wine and he said baby, we didn’t need any alcohol our first two dates and you flushed and told him about the wine you had at the gallery and he laughed.
“I probably wouldn’t have had the guts to walk up to you without it,” you protested when he jokingly expressed mild disappointment.
“If you hadn’t walked up, I probably would have shouted ‘where’s the fucking artist, I need to talk to her!’ by the end of the night,” he said, and you found yourself laughing again.
“Wouldn’t be the weirdest thing that’s happened at one of my exhibits,” you said.
You met him every morning before work to go out for coffee, even if it meant waking up an extra hour early because he’s a morning person. You had his coffee order memorized by the third day.
He invited you to his apartment one day and you found yourself laughing over home videos of him as a kid late into the night. When you said goodbye, your heart yearned to stay. To take one of his shirts and wear it as you curled up next to him in bed. Instead, you kissed him good night.
After dinner one evening, you brought him to your place and showed him the little studio you had in the most well-lit room. He spent almost an hour exploring it, asking you questions about every little thing, the brand of paints you liked best, the angle you preferred to set your easel, your favorite tools, your favorite color, and telling you how honored he was to be in the workplace of a genius.
You didn’t tell him he was the smartest person you had ever met.
You didn’t tell him that he was the genius out of the two of you. That he could talk about his work and you could listen for hours to his voice but not understand a single word he said. That he would talk like no one was listening and then say the most serious shit. The sort of thing that made you rethink life, and by the time you had escaped from your thoughts he was already on another topic, rambling about the multitudes of things he loved. He saw the beauty in everything.
How the hell could a man like him love you?
He was the sort of person you would hear about in movies. The type to never stop dreaming. Someone watching the two of you would think you both mad. He had his head in the clouds and you would watch from below in awe as if his brain was firing off fireworks, and then you would speak about anything and he would give you that smile and that goddamn look that drove you crazy.
Your entire life he was there, living his own life without ever having met you, and you often wondered how many times you had almost met. You lived in the same city, surely there must have been times. Hundreds if not thousands of moments in which your paths nearly crossed. Whether what kept you from meeting was a mere 3 feet of distance in a crowd or a mere 3 minutes of time and space in which one of you was running late or early to something along which way you would have found him.
But you were lucky to have met him when you did. Gotten to share the brief moments while they lasted. That was before the virus hit.
You were sitting on his kitchen counter, covered in acrylic paint he had bought at the grocery store as the two of you detailed messy renditions of Van Gogh’s work on his cabinet doors, and he had wrapped his dirty hands around your waist, leaving two purple handprints on your painting shirt, and pulled you into a kiss. And this one was different. It was deeper, searching for more. There was more heat and passion. Your whole relationship, months of it, had been slow and beautiful and intimate, but there were times where it was more like friendship then romance and neither of you minded as you walked along the fine line between the two, happy with the state of things as they were. But you had loved him since the first day and you didn’t mind the idea of, one day, collapsing naked and sweaty into bed with him instead of snuggling up against his side as he wrapped you in his arms like he usually did when you did decide to spend the night.
But that was for another day. You broke apart after minutes to return to your project. By the end of the night you were screwing the doors back in and he was admiring everything. If you were being honest, he was completely helpless when it came to handiwork. Couldn’t hammer a nail, tighten a screw, sand some wood, or even recreate a decent Starry Starry Night, but that didn’t matter. Because his kitchen looked vibrant and beautiful and the art reminded you of all the ideas you could see swirling in his head. The fucking genius.
The reports had started to come in by then, but it wasn’t until the following morning that you realized how serious everything had gotten. Schools announced that day that they were closing. He called to tell you he was working from home. You got the call that evening that you would be too.
A week later and you had met with him once, in the park. It was a long trek for both of you, living on opposite sides of the city. But the brief kisses, kind words, and soft touches on the waist, thighs, arms, neck, jaw, nose, back, anything? Those were all worth it.
The following day you learned you couldn’t leave your neighborhood. You video-chatted with him in tears. If only you had let yourself follow the thoughts of moving in with him instead of stamping them out as soon as they started to take root in your head. If only you had let him spend the night one more time. So you wouldn’t be clinging to his fading smell on the t-shirt you stole from his closet.
It was like your whole world cut out when the strikes started. No internet. No cell service. No connection. The postal service was all but gone, and you had no way of connecting with him. Your only source of news was the newspaper, three times a week, delivered to your doorstep. And your neighbor who got it every day and would shout to you the important things.
You wished you had photos of him framed around the house. 
Then when you did, the sight of him staring at you from every corner of your apartment was enough to drive you mad with longing that you took them all down. 
When the government got the strikes under control, they started to introduce the plans for rolling out the internet services again. Things had become grim. You spent every night dreaming of him, but you were starting to forget his face. Did his nose curve that much?  Were the creases around his eyes that deep? Was his shabby beard that full? Did he have dimples, or were you just making that up?
You would stare at the photos on your phone, desperately trying to commit him to memory. Remember how he looked when the man in the photo came to life in three dimensions. How did he walk? How did he wave his hands?
By that time, life was different. You didn’t make art anymore. What was once your life had been shoved into your studio room, the light turned off, and the tubes of paint left to dry up. Your apartment didn’t smell like clay and charcoal and linseed oil anymore. You didn’t have it in you to keep painting. You went to the grocery store once every fourteen days, grabbing produce and frozen goods, bottles of alcohol and some cleaning supplies before handing over your newly minted ration card to receive the staples. Rice, pasta, beans, eggs, flour, sugar, a couple bags of dried fruit, a bottle of milk. It wasn’t so bad when you lived on your own, but you felt bad for the mothers and fathers in line behind you, knowing that their children might be too picky to even eat the food they were lucky to get.
The introduction of connectivity services was a slow process. Neighborhood by neighborhood across the country so as not to overwhelm the systems. There were new rules. It was only to be used for three things: education, work, and essential communication between legal family members.
Your finger hovered over the call button next to his name hundreds of times, but you could never press it out of fear that someone would be watching or listening. You knew that when you walked the streets they were. It was likely the same for your phone now too.
One day in a drunken fit of anger and yearning and the craze of love, you deleted all the photos on your phone, hoping that maybe without them you could forget how much you missed him.
You tried to forget him. But every night you dreamt of his slowly warping face. You wondered if he was doing the same.
Sometimes you would watch the DVDs you had and try to replace his image in your head with the actors. Sometimes it would work and weeks would go by with only dreams of the movies. But it would always lose its effectiveness. Usually around the time that you remembered that he was probably your soulmate and you didn’t get enough time.
In every single one of the possibilities of your lives together that you daydreamed about for hours every day, there was never enough time. But this reality was the worst. You were sure of that.
You had read every book in your house. Read every poem you could get your hands on, even the ones you had risked your life for in searching them on the internet, carefully saving pdfs and screenshots and printing them out on the dwindling paper in your apartment. Words didn’t do the same thing they used to anymore. They didn’t bring joy and excitement and escape. You stopped reading them.
You talked with your neighbor for the first time in a month. It seemed that almost everyone had stopped reading books. You wondered if people stopped doing other things too. 
The world before was starting to blur around the edges. You couldn’t remember if the path you liked to walk in the park had such an erratic course or if it was more subtle than you could remember. What did you like to do on the weekends? There was a place, a building, that you liked to go to. You couldn’t remember what it was called or what was inside, but you remember the feeling of standing there. The musty smell and the awe and the sensation that you were staring out at all of humanity. And you had no idea what the fuck it was. 
You weren’t sure how much of the world before you had forgotten. But you couldn’t shake him from your memory. You wished you could. 
When you weren’t working you were cooking or eating or sleeping. And when you weren’t doing that, it constituted the dangerous time where you didn’t have anything to do and nothing to interest you.
And every fucking thing you did, be that making pasta or lying on the floor and staring at the ceiling, made you think of him. You had loved him as you’d never loved anyone before. And you never told him. Did he even know that you loved him? Did he know that you knew he loved you back?
You would close your eyes and the only thing you were sure of in your mind’s image of him was that goddamn smile.
.
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sav-vol6 · 4 years
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Baby Food and First Dates
I wrote this a while ago and was always too nervous to post it but here we are lol Also! this is completely dedicated to @smokeinherperfume. Shes an amazing person and an amazing friend. she helped me write this when i had the worst writers block, shes so sweet and gives the best advice i swear! and shes just amazing lol ily and i hope i can be as amazing as her one day!
OKAY here we go...
It was the accent that caught Anne off guard. Everyone knew someone had recently moved to Holmes Chapel from the US but not much else, so when Anne heard the American accent, that honestly sounds a bit distressed, she decided to investigate.
    Sure enough the poor girl was standing at the counter on the phone trying to figure out why her new card wasn’t working, lucky for her there wasn’t anyone behind her in line. Anne finishes up her shopping moments later and sees that the girl is unfortunately still having trouble and is clearly holding back a floodgate of tears. She notices that all the girls trying to buy is...baby food and yogurt pouches? Surely that can’t be more than £25, so She decides to just help the whimpering girl out.
    “ ‘Scuse me darling but, are you alright?”
     The girl looks at Anne and clearly tries to not absolutely loose it, “Yes ma’am I’m s-so sorry I’ll get out of your way, didn’t mean to h-hold up the line. S-sorry”
    “No love it’s alright, here” Anne places her things on the counter next to the baby food “just ring it up all together, please”
“No please I can’t let-“
“Nonsense let me help please” she gives a soft smile to the cashier, “Now, what seems to have you upset dear?”
    “Well I-“
    “Oh pardon me I’ve forgotten to introduce myself, I’m Anne, and you are?”
   “I’m Emma, I’ve actually just moved here, from the states that is. I guess my card isn’t working yet? They said it might take a few days to be activated, so I won’t be able to pay you back for a few more days, and I wouldn’t even know how to find you to pay you back. I-“
    “Emma I refuse to let you pay me back, let’s just get that settled, also I noticed it’s baby food, are you sure that’s enough for them? Do you need to grab some more? I don’t mind honestly, I know how much babies can eat, my youngest was cleaning out the refrigerator by the time he was 11 months.”
    Emma let out a small laugh at the statement “No this should be enough. Hopefully we’ll be settled into our living situation and my cards working in the next few days.”
    Living situation? Anne definitely didn’t like the sound of that.
    “And where are you staying at dear?”
    “There’s a nice little bakery a few streets over, one of the nice lady’s there gave me a job there and is letting me stay on her couch until I’ve saved enough for an apartment”
    A couch? It’s one thing if it was just her by herself but she’s got a baby with her, a baby can’t sleep on a couch, but a baby could sleep in a spare bedroom...and Anne’s got two to spare. Not to mention a spare bathroom and she’s sure she kept one of the cribs from when her babies were well...babies.
    “A couch is no place for a baby or a new mum to sleep love”
   “I know but hopefully I’ll-“
    “I have two spare bedrooms and I’m fairly certain I have a crib, granted it’s not brand new, I’d have to find sheets for it and maybe I can move my rocking chair back into the room so it would be easier for you... OH! I’m rambling aren’t I? Well anyway I can’t in good conscience let you and a baby sleep on a couch, you can come stay with me for a bit while you save up and I’ll be able to watch the little one while you’re at work.”
    “Oh no please I couldn’t, that’s so kind of you I’d just...I’d feel so horrible, I can’t pay you rent or help with bills or anything”
    Anne grabs the bags filled with groceries and leads the girl outside “Nonsense. You can help around the house with cleaning, grocery runs, and keeping me company. Now how did you get here? Do you need to follow me in your car or did you walk?”
    “I walked, the house is just a street over, not too far” Emma replies shyly, obviously taken back at Anne’s kindness.
   “Alright well I’ve parked just over here so if you’ll follow me we can go get your baby and your things and head home, alright dear?”
    Anne looks to Emma, who’s quietly crying and nodding at Anne’s directions
    “Now now none of that. We’ve got a baby to pick up, and they want to see their mumma happy and smiling, come on love.” And she pulls Emma in for a quick hug with the arm that’s free.
-
    They arrive at the house not even 2 minutes later seeing as it was so close to the store. Anne hops out of her car at the same time as Emma and they make their way through the front door.
    “Miss Margaret? I’m back!” Emma announces, heading towards where Anne assumes the living room must be. She over hears Emma mention she’s going to be moving in with someone and, an undoubtedly concerned Miss Margaret asking who is offering a spare room to the single mum and child. She decided now would be the best time to make herself know as to not worry the elderly woman for too long.
    “Now dear I’m not so sure it’s a good idea to just run off and move in with someone you’ve just met at a grocery shop”
    “Miss Margaret I met you at a grocery shop as well” Emma reminds her.
    “Besides the point, I’m a little old lady I can’t hurt a fly even if I wanted to”
    Anne laughs and steps into the doorway, “Margaret I’m sure you could take down a bull if it was charging at you, you’ve grown quite feisty.”
    “Oh Anne how good to see you! Emma why didn’t you tell me it was Anne! Of course you can go stay with her, trust her more than I trust myself sometimes!”
   Anne looks over to Emma who’s gathering up a duffel bag of baby clothes and diapers, a few t-shirts of her own and bottles that were sat on the floor next to the couch.
    “Now where’s the sweet baby I’ve heard so much about?”
-
    Emma checked her bag once more, making sure nothing was left before zipping up her bag and heading back into the living room where Anne is walking around cooing at her little baby girl, who is starting to fall asleep. She’s not really sure how she got so lucky meeting Anne, up until now the only good things in her life where her baby girl and Miss Margaret, who she met when she first arrived in England.
    She’s already got Georgia’s car seat in Anne’s car, all she has to do is double check she’s not forgetting any of her own things, which she’s sure she could always get from Miss Margaret if she does.
    “I’m all packed up, and double checked that I have everything, is there anything you need me to do before I leave Miss Margaret?”
    “No dear, just bring this baby over once in a while so I can spoil her absolutely rotten!” Margaret jokes.
    “Oh you’ll have to pry this angel away from me if you think I’m letting her out of my sight for more than an hour” Anne jokes back as she walks towards the door to put Georgia in her car seat.
    Emma quickly runs back to hug Miss Margaret and thank her over and over for her kindness and hospitality, promising to come by once a week with G so she can spend time with her, seeing as Miss Margaret treats G like her own grandchild.
    On the way to Anne’s, Georgia got a bit fussy, for which Emma apologized profusely before Anne promised her it was alright, nothing she hadn’t heard before. Anne mentioned how her oldest was the absolute worst, would cry for hours and hours with nothing consoling her, so a few whimpers was nothing.
    They arrive at Anne’s and when Emma opens the car door she finds Georgia fast asleep with her thumb in her mouth, snapping a quick picture before carefully getting her child out of the carseat. Anne insisted that she could get the groceries and Emma’s things so Emma could sit on the couch and hold Georgia while she slept, which she opts to walk around and bounce G so she stays in a deep sleep.
    Not long after Anne’s put everything away, Emma quietly asks where she can put G down to finish her nap.
    “Follow me dear, now I haven’t got the crib set up yet so you’ll just have to let her sleep on the bed if that’s alright. I’ll probably have to call Harry to help me get the crib all out together, so it might not be finished until tomorrow evening unfortunately.”
    “Oh that’s alright, I don’t mind cuddling with this cutie for a night. I can’t thank you enough for helping us, you have no idea how much it means to us.”
    “No need to thank me dear” Anne gives her a sympathetic smile, clearly understanding Emma must have been through a lot with little support “now I’ll leave you be so I don’t wake the baby alright? I’ll be downstairs if you need anything”
Emma gives her a small smile and nods her head, letting Anne know she’s alright for now. She places G in the center of the bed on her back and pulls her phone out to play some calming music so she can meditate while G sleeps.
-
    Anne’s busy in the kitchen trying to quietly make dinner for Emma and herself when she remembers she needs to call her son to ask him to help her get the crib all fixed up for baby Georgia. Hopefully he answers, she knows how busy he is.
    “Hey mum, you alright?”
    “Hey darling, yeah I’m alright, just called because I’m actually in need of your help. Do you remember your old crib? I need help setting it up in Gems old room. I’d really like to have it set up by tomorrow afternoon if you’re able to help in the morning”
    There’s a long pause while she assumes her son is thinking it over
    “Mum...is Gem pregnant?”
    “Oh no Harry! No, I’m letting a sweet girl stay here and she’s a single mum with a babygirl who can’t be more than nine months old. Therefore I need the crib set up so Emma can get a decent nights sleep.”
    “Mum...this sounds...Mum this sounds ridiculous. You don’t even know the girl and you’re letting her stay in Gems old room? What if she’s a sociopath? What if she’s just using you mum?”
    “Harry Edward Styles I know what I’m doing. This poor girl couldn’t afford to buy formula and yogurt for her baby, and I refuse to let either of them suffer. She was staying on Miss Margaret’s couch, that’s no place for a baby to sleep H, so I told her she was coming to stay with me. Now, will you be over in the morning to help or shall I call Gemma instead.”
    Once again there’s a pause, Anne knows it probably sounds crazy to just bring someone into your home randomly, but it felt right.
    “Fine mum, I’ll be over at seven to help. Is there anything I need to bring?”
    “Thank you Harry, no I don’t think so, not unless you wanted to stop and get some more baby food, Emma only grabbed two containers so I’m sure she’ll be needing more of those. OH! And some winter clothes for Georgia, it’s starting to get cold and Em’s only got shortsleeved onesies for G.”
    “Alright mum I’ll see what I can find, I’ll see you in the morning. Love you”
    “Love you too darling” and with that she ends the call, returning to her cooking while looking online for baby girl bedding and recipes for a 9 month old.
-
Emma wakes up beside Georgia and looks down at her phone to see what time it is.
6:42 am. She shoots up realizing not only had she slept for over 12 hours so did G, who was stirring beside her. So she gets up to grab a diaper and the wipes from her bag because she’s sure G is long overdue for a change.
    When she’s done she makes her way downstairs with Georgia on her hip, following the most amazing scent she’s ever smelled. When she enters the kitchen she sees every kind of breakfast food you could imagine. Sausages, pancakes, eggs that were still hot, oatmeal, veggies, and fruit that’s been cut up to baby bite size pieces. She looks around and spots Anne in the living room
    “Good morning dear, sleep alright?” Anne asks her while grabbing Georgia and cooing at her and making funny faces.
    “Yes ma’am, thank you. And thank you again for allowing us to stay here.”
    “Of course Em, hope it’s alright to call you that. Now, plates and glasses are in the cupboard beside the fridge, go and get yourself some breakfast and I’ll watch this angel. I made a bit of everything so please help yourself alright?”
    With one last thank you and a kiss on Georgia's forehead, Emma makes her way back to the kitchen to get, what she can only assume will be the best breakfast she’s ever had in her entire life.
As she’s loading her plate up with a bit of everything she doesn’t hear the kitchen door behind her open. She lets out a tiny squeal when she turns around to grab a cup when she’s met with Harry Styles staring at her.
    “Emma is everything alright?” Anne asks as she comes into the kitchen holding Georgia her hip “Oh good Harry you’re here! Emma this is Harry, my youngest. Harry this is Emma, she’s going to be staying here for a bit” Georgia makes a cute giggling sound while reaching for Harry “oh and how could I forget this angel! This is Georgia, Emma’s sweet baby girl.”
   Anne has to move closer to Harry on account of Georgia practically lunging for Harry, well more specifically the flower on his jacket that has a bit of a sparkle to it.
    “Hello, I’m Harry, how are you? Seems like you’ve got my mum absolutely wrapped around your finger already” Harry says introducing himself to Georgia who giggles at Harry and starts making a tiny popping sound with her mouth. “Sorry darling I don’t speak tiny human”
    Emma laughs and Harry looks at her with a confused smile “Um she’s uh she’s asking for kisses” she informs him and he seems too look at her for permission to hold Georgia which obviously Emma lets him, shes never seen G reach for anyone before, well except for herself of course.
    Harry holds Georgia while Emma and Anne quickly eat breakfast, Emma offering to clean up and Anne kindly telling her no, she’ll do it in a bit in case Harry wants something. When she finishes eating and cleaning her spot she walks into the living room to see Anne laughing at Harry chasing Georgia around the couch. Georgia is trying to crawl and giggle at the same time, which is proving to be very difficult for her as Harry keeps catching her.
    “Harry darling were you able to get anything I asked you to pick up?”
    “Yeah the bags are in the car I can go grab them, I think I’ve remembered everything but I’m not sure if I got the right formula”
    Emma looks at Harry while he heads out the door carrying G on his hip, deep in conversation with her about why sequins are better than glitter on jackets, and then back at Anne with a shocked expression “Anne please, I’ve got enough I promise I-“
    Anne stops her before she can get too far “Em, I asked him to because I want to make sure Georgia has everything she needs. Now, I don’t mean to sound rude but i saw you only have one bag with you, and that’s not enough. I’ll only ask this once and I want an honest answer, is there anything you need immediately. Clothes? Shoes? Food? Medicine?”
    “I um, I need socks, and maybe some pants for work. Definitely a coat, I didn’t realize how cold it got here in the fall. Maybe some warm pajamas too. Um boots I think? Maybe some tennis shoes? I don’t need any medicine, and hopefully I’ll be able to get my own food soon.” Emma sheepishly tells Anne after a moment.
   “Right, well I think what I’ll do is before we get the crib out and mess up the room I’ll send you and Harry out to the shops and I can watch Georgia while you’re out alright?”
    Emma nods and before she can even register what she’s  doing Emma flings herself into Anne’s arms, bawling like a baby and thanking her over and over again. Anne pulls away to look her in the eye and tells her that it’ll be alright and to go get changed and ready just as Harry’s bringing the last of the bags in, Georgia still babbling away and him still pretending to understand.
   “Alright well, that’s the last of it unless I forgot something.” Harry informs his mom still in his high pitched voice that he used with Georgia
    “Actually Harry, I need you to take Em into town and get her some clothes and other necessities. She’s not got a lot with her and I’d really like it if she had some warmer things for winter.” She reaches in her handbags down takes out her card giving it to Harry
    “Mum, I don’t mean this in a rude way because I love how kind you are but buying her a whole new wardrobe is a bit far don’t you think? I understand things for the baby but mum she’s an adult, why is she not getting these things for herself.”
    “Because right now she can’t Harry. And I don’t know exactly what happened or why she’s here alone or why she only has one bag of clothes, which half of the bag is filled with stuff for Georgia mind you, but she needs help. She needs it desperately.”
    Harry looks at his mom and nods his head before heading into the living room to put Georgia down so she can crawl around just as Emma comes back down and notices a bit of tension in the room but doesn’t mention anything, for fear of making it worse.
    Anne notices her presence and perks up “Oh goodness that was quick! Well you and Harry should get going, shops should be open by now and it’s still early enough where hopefully no one will notice you H”
    Emma hadn’t even thought of that, there’s a potential she could be seen and pictured with Harry. Not really sure how she feels about it she follows him to his car and waits for him to unlock it.
   “Emma” Harry calls to get her attention
    “Hmm?” She looks up at him a bit confused, wondering why he’s staring at her
    “Passenger sides over there love”
    “Right. Yup. Forgot. Wrong side. Sorry. I’m just gonna go over there now” she looks down hoping he doesn’t notice her face turning bright red.
    The car ride starts out rather quiet, just the radio softly playing in the background and Harry decides now is the best time to ask her about herself,
    “So, Emma, what brings you to England? More specifically Holmes chapel.” He doesn’t mean to sound so rude but no one just “happens” upon the tiny town. Usually people just drive through or stop at the infamous bakery then leave.
    A bit taken back Emma does feel the need to explain her situation, after all she is staying at his mothers house.
    “Well um I guess I’ll just uh...start at the beginning. So um...I was dating this guy and everything was going great for a while until I got this gut feeling something was wrong but he insisted we were fine and all that, then he started not letting me go out with friends as often, and then it was never, because it took away ‘us time’, then he wanted me to quit my job because he wanted me to stay home and be a ‘housewife’ even though he knew how much I loved my job and my coworkers.”
    Visibly struggling with the next part of her explanation she takes a deep breath and calms herself “and then I found out I was pregnant, and I though he was happy, until G got here. He hated her for taking my focus away from him. He said he wished he could ‘get rid’ of her, that he wanted my baby gone. So I left, but he followed me. For months no matter what state I moved to he was there a week later. My last option was to move to a different country, but I knew it had to be far away, so I gave up my US citizenship and moved here. I wanted to be in a small town that no ones knows about because there’s less of a chance of him finding me. I didn’t realize this was where you lived I’m sorry, I promise I didn’t plan for this to happen.”
    Needless to say Harry feels horrible. He just assumed it was a crazed fan, looking for a way to weasel their way into the last and most private part of his life, and was getting close to his mom to do so. Luckily they pull up to the shops before things could get even more awkward.
    Clearing his throat he told her that his mom gave him a list of everything she needed and asked if there was anything she’d thought of, to which she said no.
    “So we’ve got socks for you and Georgia, jeans, pants, pajamas, some t-shirts, and boots. Just need a good coat and you’ll be set”
    “Okay, I think I saw one over there that looked pretty warm” Emma says as she’s walking towards the half off section “it’s pretty warm, and it almost touches my knees so that’s nice. OH! Look it’s got pockets!”
    “Emma, that’s the thinnest coat I’ve ever seen, yeah it’s warm now because we’re inside but you’d freeze during winter.” Harry looks around trying to find a coat that would actually keep her warm “Here try this one on love, its got 3 layers, it’s long, and I think I spot a few pockets on it”
    Em shrugs off the other coat before trying out the one Harry was holding up. This one definitely felt sturdier and thicker, and there were in fact pockets on it, and it hit right at her knees. She absolutely loved everything about it until she saw the price.
    “You know I really like the other one, the um...the pockets were deeper, a-and this color doesn’t really suit me I look much better in khaki” shes trying to get out of the coat as quickly as possible so she doesn’t get too attached to how warm and cozy it is. Harry notices and furrows his brows until he figures out the only reason she could be acting like this
    “No, this one will last you longer and it’s so much warmer, Emma you’re getting this coat.”
    “No Harry really it’s fine really I promise” Emma tries to reason as she places the less expensive coat across her arm
    “Fine have it your way. Freeze to death as soon as you step outside, but I am going to get you this coat, it’s your choice whether you wear it or not.” Harry says in a very annoyed tone “Now Georgia needs a coat as well so go pick one out for her, and it better be something warm.”
    They finished getting everything Emma and G needed in silence, Harry feeling bad   about being harsh and Emma feeling bad about how much was spent. When they got everything loaded into the car, they headed back to Anne’s. Harry went to turn the radio on and looked over to ask Emma if it was alright when he noticed her red cheeks and her hands shaking in her lap. Not sure what was wrong he decided to pull over to make sure she was okay
    “Hey, Emma what’s wrong? What happened? Is this about the coat thing? I didn’t mean to raise my voice I’m sorry. I just- you need a good coat that will last you a while and the other one was is flimsy it wont keep you as warm, especially if it snows or rains.”
   He’s looking at her trying to figure out what’s going through her head before she quietly speaks up
    “No i-it’s not that. I just f-feel so bad that people are h-having to take care of m-me and G. I’m her mom I’m supposed to t-take care of her and I can’t even d-do that”
    Harry doesn’t even have time to think before he reaches across the car and pulls Emma in for a hug. She buries her head in his chest and let’s herself cry until she can’t cry anymore.
   After about 5 minutes she pulls away, sniffling and wiping her eyes when she realizes all her mascara is now on Harry’s shirt. Great.
    “Shit, I’m so sorry I-“
    “Em it’s okay, it’s just a T-shirt” he promises
    “Yeah. Probably a Gucci T-shirt” she mumbles to herself
    “What was that love?” He asks as a smirk creeps up on his face, knowing it’ll get her flustered and hopefully smiling
    “Hmm what? Oh nothing just hope it comes out in the wash, if it’s washable. Probably have to dry clean it”
    “I’ll have you know I got this T-shirt at a very prestigious store in the US, believe it’s called Target, very exclusive. Had them hand make this for me.” He says in the most serious tone Emma’s ever heard which makes her laugh even more, and Harry decides he wants to make her laugh forever.
    They get back and find Anne asleep on the floor with Georgia curled up beside her holding onto Anne’s pinky and decide to let them sleep. Harry suggests lunch outside which Emma quickly agrees to and heads to the kitchen. They decide on sandwiches and the cut up fruit from breakfast, quietly taking everything out onto the deck. Emma sets the table while Harry runs to get them something to drink, returning with a water for himself and iced tea for Emma.
    “So Harold, tell me about yourself.”
    He’s taken back, not by the incorrect name but that she’s actually asked about him. He assumed everyone knows everything about him so he normally focuses on getting to know the other person instead
    “Well for starters it’s Harry, and what would you like to know?” He says lightheartedly
    “Anything you’re willing to share, Harold” she smiles at him
    “Well Emily, you’re still going to have to be more specific, I don’t know what you already know about me.”
    “Not much actually, I was always more of a Zayn and Niall girl. I know tons about them, you not so much” she playfully tells him
    She looks over to see a shocked expression on Harry’s face, but she can still detect a bit of a smirk so she knows he’s not really offended.
    “Oh really? Zayn and Niall huh? Wow I’m hurt. This is a first. Is it because of the hair or the lack of flashy outfits? It was the hair for a lot of people”
   “No, you just seemed so intimidating. Niall and Zayn seem like soft babies. Plus for like the first year I couldn’t tell you and Liam apart”
    Clearly in genuine shock Harry tries to form a coherent sentence “Couldn’t tell me and Liam- We look nothing alike?! Also, Zayn? A soft baby? Yeah okay. Niall maybe. But Zayn?! No, no no no. Soft babies. No. ANYWAY, back to me”
    “Ha! So it’s true, you are a bit of a narcissist” Emma says before even realizing and clasps her hands over her mouth
    Harry lets out a playful gasp before placing his hand on his chest “Emma, I’m hurt, everyone knows I’m a full blown narcissist. A bit like tinker bell, if I don’t get enough attention and validation I die”
    “Well Tink, what’s your favorite color?”
    “Orange, sometimes yellow. I like green too. Blues nice occasionally. I think pinks pretty wicked. What about you?”
    “Pinks alright, but that really deep dark green that is almost black is a personal favorite”
    Just as Harry is about to ask another question they hear a soft cry signaling that Georgia had woken up. They walk back into the living room and find Anne cuddling G to her chest, attempting to calm the baby girl.
   “Oh you guys are home! Have you been back long?” Anne asks Emma “Don’t think I remember falling asleep on the floor.” She mumbles to herself
    “Got back from the shops a while ago mum, you were out when we got home and didn’t feel like disturbing you. Speaking of I still need to get the bags in from the car. Completely forgot about them.” Harry grabs his keys before he heads out the door.
    “Here let me get her from you, she probably needs a diaper change,” Emma goes to grab Georgia and takes her up to the room to change her. On her way back down she here’s talking in the kitchen and comes to a stop when she here’s her name
    “So do you feel better about her staying here now? Still think Emma’s “using” me?” Anne asks Harry in a playful but somewhat serious tone
    “No mum I don’t think she’s using you. I just got concerned at how this all happened, you can’t blame me for thinking it was odd.”
    “Yes but Harry she’s a sweet girl who needed my help, something in me told me to help her regardless.”
    “She’s very nice, and I love your kind heart mum, just maybe give me a bit more of a warning next time you bring a stranger home okay?”
    Emma smiles knowing that there are still genuinely kind people in the world and she’s lucky to have stumbled upon two of the best. With that she steps into the living room, making herself known when she sees Anne and Harry attempting to find all the pieces to what looks like a crib.
    “Okay so all we’re missing is...the actual crib part. Wonderful. Well, what’s the plan now?” Harry looks very concentrated with his hands on his hips and tapping his foot which makes Emma giggle which shifts his focus to her “And what are you laughing at Miss Emily?”
    “Oh nothing, so Tinker Bell how are we going to fix this one?”
    Smirking Harry turns to her and reaches for Georgia and sets her on his hip “I see what you did there and I’ll have you know that I have absolutely no idea”
    Anne watches the exchange in total confusion before speaking up “we might just have to buy a whole new one, I think I saw a lovely pink and white one at a little shop in town”
    With that Emma pipes up and argues that she doesn’t mind sharing the bed with Georgia until she gets paid again and her card starts working, to which Anne promptly turns her down as she’s heading out the door clearly determined to leave before Emma can protest anymore.
    “Your mom way too kind you know that? How am I supposed to pay her back? I can’t keep letting her do this, especially buying big stuff like a crib.” Emma vents and plops down on the couch, slinging her arm over her face
    “Don’t think I’ve ever heard of anyone being too nice before, plus she’s just excited to be able to spoil this little one” he says while tickling Georgia’s tummy “And if you’re really that adamant about paying her back just sit her down and tell her. I’m not saying she’ll let you but she’ll appreciate the sentiment.” Harry says while patting Emma’s knee
    “Is Gemma like this too because I don’t think I can emotionally handle three supportive humans in my life” she laughs and then sees Harry’s hand is still on her knee
    “Hey uh Harry?”
    “Yeah, what’s wrong?” He looks at her genuinely confused
    Emma gives him a soft smile and points to her knee “can you um ya know...move that”
     A pink tint rises on his cheeks when he realizes where his hand is “Oh! Yeah! No sorry my bad, didn’t uh didn’t realize I’d left it there.” Well that’s a first for him, no ones ever asked him to move his hand before, bit of an ego bruiser if he’s honest.
    Clearing her throat she picks G up and starts to walk upstairs
    “Hey I’m sorry I didn’t- I didn’t mean to offend you or make you uncomfortable, just happened honestly I’m sorry”
    “Harry, relax” she lets out a light laugh at his unnecessary guilt “I’m just going to change G, I’m not upset with you” she watches him visibly relax and let out a breath he’s been holding in.
    “Oh, yeah, no that’s good. Yup. Well I will be right down here if uh...when you’re done. Unless you need my help? Which you probably don’t but uh-“
    “Harry would you like to come pick out an outfit for her while I change her diaper?”
    “Uh yeah, sure. Should be able to do that”
    “Nothing fancy though okay, we’re not going to the MET Ball”
    “Heeey, I know how to dress casually”
    “Mhm okay Mr. Gucci t-shirt”
    They get Georgia changed and in some footie pajamas when they hear Anne calling for Harry to help her bring the new crib in. The three of them spend the next hour assembling a crib while also trying to keep Georgia entertained, which eventually Anne shoo’s Harry away putting him in charge of G so it won’t take as long.
    “So, did you have a good morning? Find everything you needed at the shops right?”
    “Yes ma’am, thank you again for everything, and I know you’re going to refuse but I’m determined to pay you back somehow. It might take me a while but I’m going to make sure I do. You’re doing so much for me and even though I don’t understand why I’m grateful for it, but I don’t intend to mooch off of you so please please please let this crib be the last thing you buy for me”
    “Darling I’ll be honest I’m not really sure why I’m doing it either besides something pulled me to you and told me you needed some kindness in your life. So here we are. Now I can’t promise this will be the last thing I buy for you because I fully intend on spoiling that baby girl absolutely rotten”
    They both laugh and finish up the crib in no time, until they realize they built it downstairs and her room is upstairs
    “See this is why I keep Harry around, would you go get him and I’ll get your room all ready for the crib?”
    Emma nods her head and heads into the backyard to let Harry know they needed his help, which he of course agreed to help before handing Georgia over to her mom.
    After the room was set up, Harry informed them he did have to leave to take care of some business and unfortunately couldn’t stay for dinner. He gave a long hug to his mom who kissed him on the cheek and told him to be safe, he gently squeezed Georgia who started to cry when he gave her back to her mom
    “Aw bub don’t cry I’ll be back soon, rekon you’ve got me wrapped around your finger huh? Too cute to stay away from for too long” he kissed the top of her head before turning to Emma to tell her bye. Does he hug her? Side hug? Handshake? No definitely not handshake. Why is he so nervous about this?
    Emma breaks him out of his trance when she speaks up  “Bye Tinker Bell, thanks for all of your help today I really appreciate it.” She gives him a soft smile and squeeze on his forearm before walking out of the room, presumably to head upstairs.
    Harry didn’t realize he was staring until his mom cleared her throat to grab his attention
    “Harry you’ve known her a day”
    “What?!? Mum no I-I just got lost in thought. Wasn’t staring at her. Don’t know why you’d think that. Doesn’t mean I like her. Just making sure she get up the stairs alright. Don’t want her to trip or anything. Yeah.”
    “Didn’t say anything about you liking her, you did.” Anne says with a bit of a laugh “Now I assume you’ll be coming to Sunday dinner this week?” Asks with a raised brow, knowing he’s never come home for Sunday dinners before.
    “Uh yeah, gotta uh gotta make sure Georgia likes the new crib and adjusts to life here, in uh- in England.” He says not sure if he’s trying to convince his mom or himself that that’s the real reason.
    Anne keeps her brow raised and smiles “Right, okay, if that’s the story we’re going with I’ll play along dear.”
    With one last hug and a promise to be back Sunday at 4 to help with dinner he heads out and Anne heads upstairs to check on Emma and G. And not surprisingly she finds them both fast asleep, Georgia in her new crib and Emma on the floor beside the crib in the most uncomfortable position possible. Anne decides to wake her and help her into bed.
    “Thanks for all your help Tink, green eyes like her dress” Emma says and Anne’s pretty sure she’s still asleep but can’t help to giggle at her observation before putting a blanket over her and tucking her in.
-
    It’s been a few weeks since she’s moved in and Anne and Emma have fallen into a routine. Anne watches Georgia while Emma works 5-3 and then they prepare everything for dinner and watch a movie or play with Georgia until about 8. Today’s Sunday and also Emma’s off day, Anne’s out in town doing some shopping and getting things for Sunday night dinner that they have every week. Harry hasn’t missed a single dinner yet, so she decides to clean up around the house starting with the kitchen, next she focuses on the living room, bathrooms and her room. She comes to a room she hasn’t been in yet assuming it’s just another spare bedroom so she figures she probably doesn’t need to clean it and backs away from the door, knocking into something sturdy.
    “No need to clean my room, I know how to pick up after myself.”
    She turns to find Harry smiling at her and leaning against the wall, and apparently she’s leaning on him. Emma’s positive her face is bright red when she realizes and quickly straightens out and heads back down the hall to put the cleaning supplies back underneath the bathroom sink
    “Wow I’m so proud, didn’t know boys knew how to clean” she says in a light sarcastic tone
    Harry gasps and follows her down the stairs “Madame I’ll have you know I’m not a boy but a man. And men clean up their messes” he finishes his sentence as they reach the kitchen
    “Well do men also help prepare for dinner because I’d rather not be the only one chopping veggies and potatoes."
    “This man does, is my mum making a roast?”
    “You couldn’t smell it when you walked in?” Emma jokes and pokes his side
    “I did but I’m just making a bit of conversation- Wait where’s Georgia? I haven’t heard her yet? Is she napping?”
    “No your mom wanted to spend the day with her, so she took her out shopping  with her”
    That makes Harry laugh thinking of his mom hanging out with a baby all day “Wow so she’s really got my mum wrapped around her finger, huh?”
    “Oh you have no idea, G and I took a nap the other day and woke up to your mom sneaking into the room to put new toys in the closet. Plus! She bought her a bouncy seat that has lights on it that are shaped like flowers and butterflies. She’s spoiling her absolutely rotten”
    “So I guess toys are a no go?” Harry asks sheepishly
    Emma looks over at him as he tries to look anywhere but in her direction
    “Harry”
    “I promise it’s not a lot just a stuffed animal…or five.”
    “Harold she has enough. Please tell me that’s all” Emma asks in an exasperated tone
    “Let���s put the knife down first yeah?” He smiles and takes the knife from her
    “Harry Styles what did you buy my baby.”
    “You know how she needs winter clothes and stuff right? And how much I like Gucci-“
    “Harry no! That’s too much! Please I just-“
    “We’re home!” Anne calls out as she comes through the door “Oh harry good you’re here! Be a dear and get the rest of the bags out of the car will you, afraid I’ve got more than I intended to get. Look Georgia it’s mummy! Aren’t you excited to see her!” Anne carefully hands G over to Emma and puts her grocery bags down on the counter
    “Hey mum uh I think we might have a bit of a problem”
    “What? Why’s that dear?” Anne and Emma look at Harry confused
    “Well apparently we both have really great taste but unfortunately we’ve bought Georgia the same toys” he says while holding up the bags from Anne’s car and presumably bags from his own
    “You both are going to spoiler so much she’s not going to know what to do” Emma says while laughing “well you could always return them Harry, or give them to someone in need”
    “Or…I can keep them at my house”
    Emma freezes and looks to Anne who shares her shocked expression
    “Oh no Harry really you don’t need to thats-“
    “No really, it’s no problem! If you guys ever visit I want to make sure this angel has everything she needs” he says while reaching for Georgia and setting her on his hip “Now if you’ll excuse us we have to go play with her new toys” he says before retreating to the living room
    “I’m pretty sure he likes her more than me” Emma says jokingly before realizing what she said and turning to Anne who once again had a smirk and a brow raised. “No! Not that I care if he likes me, I mean I hope he likes me as a-a person but it doesn’t matter if he likes me like, like likes me. I mean it’s sweet that he likes my kid, a-and  that he buys her cute toys not that I like him for his money because I don’t! I mean I-“
    “Darling! Please, breathe.” And grabs Emma’s shoulders “Its alright. Big deep breaths okay?”
    Emma takes a few deep breaths to relax herself before hiding her face in her hands
    Anne lets out a small laugh before raising Emma’s face up “Besides I know you have a little crush on Harry, and I think he has one on you as well” and with that she turns to get the rest of the vegetables chopped and ready to cook
    “Harry? Likes me? HA! Yeah right. Unless you think he really does. Not that I have one on him but if I did, hypothetically, is that okay?”
    It’s true she had a tiny, small, growing crush on Harry, but she didn’t think anyone had or would notice.
    “Dear, you turn beet red every Sunday evening when the doorbell rings, he comes over with flowers for both of us and a cookie for Georgia, he stays late to help get G to bed, and you walk him out to his car where you two are, hopefully just talking  for half an hour. Neither of you are exactly subtle”
    Emma is sure she’s ten different shades of pink when she realizes she hadn’t been as subtle as she thought. It gets even worse when she hears Harry walk up beside her
    “What are we gossiping about in here? Georgia and I feel very left out, don’t we G?” Georgia babbles and waves her arms about as Harry pretends to be agreeing with every word she says
    “Nothing dear, but since you’re here would you mind helping Em set the table? The roast and vegetables are almost done, and I need some Georgia time.” Anne says while quickly picking up Georgia and walking out of the kitchen.
    Emma realizes she’s now alone with Harry which is normally fine but for some reason she’s incredibly nervous now “So um i-I’ll get the plates and napkins if you’ll get the uh t-the glasses and cutlery. If that’s okay I mean I-“
    “Love you alright? ‘S just me yeah? I’ll get the glasses and stuff, it’s no problem.” Harry says in a soft tone trying to ease her nerves.
    They’re getting the table ready when Harry walks by her and gently squeezes her waist “‘Scuse me love gotta get by you”
    “Uh yeah no problem I’m just- just gonna go wash up” Emma quickly puts the last plate down and all but runs into the bathroom to calm down. Did Harry like her? Or were her and Anne just misinterpreting his friendliness? What if he doesn’t like her the way she likes him? Should she even tell him?
    She’s brought out of her thoughts when Anne knocks on the door to let her know dinners on the table. She comes out and gets seated which is across from Harry, who has moved G’s high chair over beside him, which has thankfully taken his attention off of her. During dinner Harry still manages to sneak glances at Emma, who is clearly doing everything in her power to focus only on Anne and Georgia. However she does glance his way once and of course he’s looking right back at her.
    After dinner Anne offers to clean up so Emma and Harry can clean Georgia and play for a bit.
    “So, I’m uh I’m going to head out” Harry says after a while and they get Georgia to sleep in her crib
    “Oh, yeah. Alright I’ll just walk you out then if you want” Emma says shyly
    They walk past the kitchen and Anne gives her a knowing smile as she shakes her head, making Emma blush and lower her head. They get outside and it’s a lot colder than it has been so Emma’s absolutely frozen, guess she won’t be out here as long tonight.
    Harry notices her trembling and goes to take his hoodie off “Here love you look like you’re going to freeze any second”
    “N-no Harry its f-fine really” just as she protests a big gust of wind comes by chilling her to the bone “actually yeah gimmie” she grabs the hoodie and pulls it on instantly feeling warm and cozy.
    “Harry?” She asks trying to suppress a laugh “Can I ask you something?”
     “Of course you can love, what’s on your mind?”
    “Well- you’re going to find this absolutely hilarious probably. So uh your mom seems to think that…well she thinks you have a crush on me. Actually she thinks it’s mutual which if I thought about it I think it is unless it’s not then forget I said anything-”
    “It’s mutual” Harry says quietly, to quiet for Emma to hear
    “And if it is mutual then that’s cool I um I guess but like I said-“ Emma stops herself when she realizes Harry said he felt the same “did you…did you say it was mutual” she looks up at Harry who’s looking down at her, completely focused on her.
    “Yeah, I did.” He places his hand on the side of her face, stroking her cheek with his thumb “think you’re pretty amazing if I’m honest”
    Emma isn’t sure she can even breathe at this point, and it’s not because of the cold. “I uh I think you’re pretty great too Harold” she says as she scoots closer to Harry, suddenly wanting to be as close to him as possible
    “Well Emily that’s really great to know” he says flashing his famous smile “but what I’d really like to know is if it’s be alright to kiss you, because I don’t think I can hold myself back anymore”
   “Yes!” Emma squeaks “I mean uh yeah if uh if you want to that’d be um that’d be nice I guess-“ she’s cut off by Harry laughing and moving closer
    “Just relax love, no need to get worked up right?” His other hand moves to her waist pulling her as close to him as she can before leaning down and placing his forehead on hers “Just…breathe” And before she can register it his lips are on hers. It’s slow and passionate neither one wanting to go too far.
    Harry’s the first to pull away, hand still cupping Em’s face, who lets out a small whimper at the loss of contact.
    “That was…wow um...can we do that again?”
    Harry lets out a breathy laugh and pulls her in for a hug “We can tomorrow, got the whole night planned out, but for right now you need to get inside before you freeze”
    Emma looks at him confused for a moment “and um what is tomorrow exactly?”
    “Oh! Should probably ask you huh?”
    “Ask me what?”
    “Wanna go on a date with me tomorrow evening?”  Harry flashes another smile and bends down to see her face clearer “Huh? Yes or no? Don’t be shy now love”
    Emma can’t even think to form a sentence so all she does in nod and shyly smile, then she surprises Harry and even herself when she leans up to kiss him quickly before running inside. Trying to wrap her head around what just happens she realizes she didn’t even ask where they’d be going or why he had already planned something if he hadn’t asked her yet.
    “So I guess he asked you then?”
    Emma let out a squeak realizing Anne is standing in front of her with the same knowing smile on her face
    “He did and I accepted and you knew didn’t you...”
    “I may have helped him plan it, and before you ask all I’m allowed to tell you is, wear cozy pajamas”
    “Pajamas?! On a date?!!”
-
    “Okay so I’ve got 3 bottles in the fridge, and there’s juice and um I cut up apples and blueberries so they’re in there too. OH! I just changed her so she probably won’t need that for a bit and-“
    “Emma, darling, I know how to take care of a baby you know. I did successfully raise two.” Anne laughs looking at the clearly flustered girl
    “Yes you did that right I’m sorry I’m freaking out, I’m just about to go on a date with one of them and that’s really scary”
“Aww love it’ll be alright, and if not there’s always Gemma! Gemma and Emma has a better ring to it anyway!”
“Honestly I might take you up on that offer, she’s much easier to be around. I don’t sweat like crazy around her or stutter” Emma comments while wiping her palms on her leggings
"Darling you'll be fine I promise! Now, you better be going, drive safe and please relax and breathe alright? Love you and make good choices!"
And with that Emma was climbing in Anne's car feeling absolutely ridiculous in her oversized sweater and leggings, not your typical first date attire at all.
She gets to Harry's in no time since there was no traffic on the road, seeing as it was almost 9:30 at night. Walking up to his house was when she really started to get nervous, she hadn't been on a first date in a while, never the less with someone who was famous beyond belief.
She got to his front door and took a few deep breaths before she knocked 3 times, Harry opening the door in the middle of her third knock
"Hey! Did you find the place alright? I know its a bit difficult to find at night but you're here so you obviously found it, didn't you ha um-"
"Harry, Christ, breathe haha its just me yeah? you okay? you seem a bit...on edge?"
"Yeah no I'm alright just a bit nervous actually, haven't don't the whole dating thing in a while. Wait I mean not that we're dating but that a first date and uh I have wine! If you'd like some, its um on the balcony. Unless you don't drink then you don't have to but I-"
Emma reaches out to hold his wrist gently to stop his semi-adorable rambling "I'd love a glass, seems like I'm a little nervous as well. still trying to figure out the pajama theme if I'm honest"
"Oh yeah! I thought we could have a outdoor picnic under the stars if that's alright with you" Harry adds while nodding his head towards the french doors on the other side of the room
"Harry, its winter, like its suppose to snow tomorrow morning kind of cold outside"
"Ah yes, you'd be correct, hence the heaters" He opens the door reveling three heaters placed around a blanket on the ground, which was covered in snacks and candies.
"I take it back this looks rather cozy Tink"
"Thanks Emily, i did it all by my self!" Harry says as he puts his hands on his hips
"Harry" Emma says in a very knowing tone
"Gemma left about an hour before you got here" he says in a defeated tone
"Mhm, thought so. Now, if you don't mind id really like to try the chocolates you have set out over there" Emma says while walking past Harry and getting settled in on the blanket
"WAIT! i forgot the hot chocolate! Just- just hold on! and don't you dare touch the chocolate covered caramels, I call dibs" Harry shouts as hes running to the kitchen to grab the two cups filled to the brim.
On his way back he stops and just takes a moment to admire Emma, not in a weird way, just in a "he cant believe this beautiful woman actually agreed to a date with him" kind of way.
"Alright here we are, OH CHRIST"
"What happened?! Are you alright?!" Emma asks worriedly
"Yeah no I'm okay, just missed the blanket when i was sitting and let me tell you the ground is very cold tonight" he admits
"God Harry you had me actually worried, thought something bad happened" Emma says between laughs
"Ha Ha yes very funny. Lets all laugh at Harry who's ass is now permanently frozen numb ha ha"
"Would you like to go inside where it's warm and your ass can thaw out?"
"Would you hate me if i said yes? Because i genuinely cant feel my ass or um other things as well"
"Christ Harry! Too much info! Just grab the blanket and food and ill turn off the heaters and grab the drinks" She says while still trying to contain her laughter
"Sorry i just believe in being totally honest" he says in the most playful way
They get everything picked up and moved into Harry's living room where the start a movie and cuddle up on the couch
"So, what's you think of the date? Did i do alright?" Harry asks as the movie ends and looks over at a very sleepy eyed Emma, who looks like her eyelids are so heavy she's fighting with every fiber in her being to keep them open
"Darling do i need to take you home?" he asks already getting up to get ready to go
"N-no just need to close my eyes for a sec-second no biggie my homie" Emma says in the sweetest, sleepy voice hes ever heard
"C'mon love ill even carry you to the car"
"Ooo muscle man carry me fun"
Harry laughs at her tied babble as he picks her up "Yep you're definitely exhausted we're getting you home"
"Car" is all Emma says before he sets her down in the seat, turns on the seat warmer and buckles her in
On the way to his moms he looks over to find her completely asleep with her shirt collar between her teeth.
"Hey, Em, love wake up just a bit. We're here, gotta  get you inside alright? I'll even carry you okay?" Harry says as he pulls up next to his moms house
"Mhm just don't fall down or I'll be sad Tink" Emma tiredly replies
"Wouldn't dream of it babe" Harry says with a smile on his face.
Harry finally gets her into her bed after being overly careful not to drop her, wake his mom, or wake Georgia up which was very extremely difficult.
"Alright love' you're all tucked in and cozy so i have to go now okay ? But ill see you Sunday for dinner, maybe sooner. Don't think i can stay away from you for too long if I'm honest"
"Kisses please" Emma says as she points to her forehead which makes harry lightly laugh
"Alright Alright I'll give you your kisses" which makes Emma smile a bit
Harry kisses her forehead, and then decides to kiss the tip of her nose, and then a quick gentle kiss on her lips
"Goodnight darling, sweet dreams"
71 notes · View notes
sigillaria-svt · 3 years
Text
Elevator Meetings (Part Three) - Reader POV (Final)
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Pairing: Musical Actor!Lee Seokmin/DK x Academic!Reader
Word Count: 4,984
Warning: Alcohol (nothing bad happened, stay safe ya’ll)
Genres: fluff, slice of life, neighbors, appearances of other Seventeen Members
Part One (Reader POV): [Part One]
Part Two (Seokmin): [Part Two]
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Synopsis: It’s been around a month since you’ve moved into your apartment along with your other roommates. You’ve managed to become friends with Seokmin, your neighbors that live a few floors up. Although you’ve been trying to think of it as something purely friendly, you can’t help but feel great comfort in his company. All was going well until problems start popping up at your workplace and you are left with no choice but to pull several all-nighters until you were burnt out. However, after a certain turn of events, you fell sick and Seokmin was more than eager to help you out.
READER POV
The past few weeks have been a bit more hectic than it usually was. A coworker had to take a family leave for her pregnancy, and you had to help out in filling in for some of her classes. What’s more, the research team you were working with had to redo sets of measurements because of some malfunctioning equipment. Everything just seemed to happen all at once. It didn’t help that you were starting to get irritated at every little inconvenience that comes your way. May it be a jar that refuses to open, a pen that ran out of ink while you were writing, or your earphones that just won’t untangle. You know that getting frustrated wouldn’t help anything, but you didn’t know what to do with all the pent up emotions that were accumulating.
On some days, you had to sleep over at the laboratory to continue working the moment you woke up. On certain days, you went into lectures without a single minute of sleep, leading to messy notes and even messier presentations.
You thought that it would all get better after a few days, that this is just another hell week that happens every once in a while. But as several weeks pass by, you start to realize that may not end until the end of the semester.
One of the few things that have helped you get through the grind was Seokmin’s occasional messages. As he performs even more shows for his recent musical, he has become busier and has had less time to rest, but he always checks in every couple of days. It starts as a simple text message that ends up becoming a 30-minute call about whatever both your days were about. It feels a bit silly to hold on so much to the small messages that you two share, but it makes you happy to hear how he has been.
But suddenly, all the texts stop.
For a whole week, you send out texts, and you don't get a single reply. You start to get worried, but you push the feeling of dread out of your head. You wouldn't want him to think that you were trying too hard, seeing as the both of you are friends that have just known each other for a month or two.
You take a deep breath in and stand up as the bus stops at the commercial area near your neighborhood. You walk along the sidewalk, window shopping at various stores that you pass by on your way home. Tonight was going to be your first free night for the first time in a few weeks, and you wanted to meet him, somehow. You take out your phone, pondering if you should text him or not. If he really is busy, you wouldn’t want to disturb him by sending another text.
You hear your name being called from a distance and you turn around to see the familiar faces of Mingyu and Minghao. The taller of the two gives you a big wave, while the other gives you a nod.
“Hey, how have you been? It’s been a while since I last saw you.” Mingyu says as the pair approaches you. “And you look... tired.”
You give him a forced smile. “Well, work hasn’t been the best place to be in the past few months.” You look around, trying to see for any sign of Seokmin among his friends. “What are you guys up to?”
“We’re on our way to the grocery store to pick up some supplies," He says as he pulls out his phone. "We need to get like food for thirteen people, fourteen if you want to come along.”
“Come along for what?”
“A celebratory dinner for Seokmin at home. Tonight is his last show for his musical. He said he’d rather have a fun meal at home so that he can snooze off right away after he eats.”
Your heart skips hearing about Seokmin. Without a moment’s delay, you accept the request to join them.
▫▫▫▫▫▫▫▫▫▫▫▫▫▫▫▫▫▫▫ 
You and Minghao follow behind Mingyu as he grabs items from the shelf, occasionally glancing at the list on his phone. For most of the time, Minghao is quiet, save for the few moments when Mingyu would ask for his opinion on which brand of ingredient he should buy.
Along the drink aisle, you try to come up with a conversation.
“So, Minghao, how has Seokmin been doing lately?” You ask, glancing over at the soda bottles to act casual.
“Hm? He’s doing alright as far as I know. Just a couple of busy days at work since he’s been traveling to other parts of the country to perform his last few shows.” He replies, looking over at you. “He’s been out of time for a little over a week, I think.”
A wave of realization hits you, followed by a quick flash of anxiety. Perhaps he had been busy as he traveled, or perhaps there wasn’t a good signal where he was, which is why he wasn’t able to reply to your messages. However, the thought of him overworking worries you, even though you have been working until the last drop for the past few weeks.
“Is that so? No wonder he’s been unresponsive lately.”
“He’s always been like that whenever he has to travel for his shows,” Minghao says, unfazed. “When we really do need to contact him, we have to contact the company manager.”
“One time, we almost got into a fight with the company manager between the both of us. It’s hard to settle problems like that when I’m here in the city while he’s over at the other side of the country.” Mingyu said from down the aisle, bending down to check if he had all the things in his cart. “Looks like we’ve got everything, let’s head over to the counter.”
Your eyes widen at the amount they paid for everything they bought. As guys, you normally expected them to eat a lot, but you didn’t expect them to eat this much. With one swipe of a card, Mingyu pays for the groceries and you help them carry the 10 or so paper bags filled with food, drinks, and somehow a box of detergent that Mingyu got as a freebie. Filling the trunk, the three of you head off to the apartment building. Mingyu asks random questions about work to pass the few minutes it takes to get back to the apartment.
“I’ll drop my things off at my apartment first, I’ll catch up with the both of you afterward.” You say as Mingyu neatly parks his car in the basement of the apartment.
“Alright. We’ll be in room 10-14. If you’ve got some extra glasses, bring them along because I don’t think we’ll have enough for all of us.” Mingyu replies as he turns off the engine.
When you get to your apartment, you drop all your bags in your room and panic for a few seconds. “I’m going to see him today, what do I wear? Wait, do I even have time to prepare to look good?” You put your hands over your head as you walk in circles around your room. “It’s not supposed to matter, we’re neighbors. He’s already seen me in the drab that I wear when I’m at home.”
One of your roommates looks at you through your open door. “Hey, everything alright, y/n?”
“If you were to meet up with a guy you like after a month of not meeting him after he’s been traveling around the country, what would you wear?” You reply in a flash.
“Well, that’s... very specific. What’s the event?”
“We’re having dinner with all of his friends over at his apartment. He doesn’t know I’m coming, one of his friends invited me when we met in the street.” You say, opening your cabinet for what could look good, but not too flashy. “I mean, we’re just going to an apartment that’s in the same building, how does a dress sound?”
She walks into the room, taking a peek at your closet. “You’re going to eat a lot so wear something comfy, something that won’t show him how much of a glutton you really are.”
“Hey!”
Ignoring the comment, she pulls out a large sweater and some leggings. “We all know you’re not the type to wear dresses unless you absolutely have to a formal event. Go for something that looks cute, but still looks like something you wear every day.”
“But what would his friends think of me?”
“Does it matter? Just trust me, you’ll be fine. Go eat a lot, make some memories, and drink your stress away.” She says, quickly bringing you back from the mess of your thoughts.
“Alright, okay, I got it.” You say firmly.
You end up wearing the oversized sweater and some leggings, bringing nothing else but your phone and three drinking glasses. You tap your key card on the elevator and head up to the 10th floor. It takes you a few missteps into the other hallway, but you eventually find yourself in front of room 10-14.
With a deep breath, you knock on the door.
A few moments later, it is opened by a tall and slender man who looks like he just popped out of a comic book.
“Hello, Mingyu invite me to come around.” You say nervously, fazed by the unfamiliar man. “My name is y/n.”
“Ahhhh, y/n.” He says, nodding in recognition. “Come in, Mingyu was just talking about you a while ago. My name is Jeonghan.”
He leads you into the apartment, which looks similar to yours but is way larger and far messier. A bunch of guys are sitting around a TV screen, watching a variety show. Meanwhile, you see Mingyu and another guy working in the kitchen.
“Oh, y/n, you’re here. Did you bring some glasses?” He said, looking up from his chopping board. His eyes drop to the three glasses on your hands, expression perking up. “Great! We needed three more glasses for all fourteen of us.”
“Is there anything I can do to help?” You ask as you put down the glasses at the marbled counter. “I’m not really good at cooking, but I can chop stuff up for you.”
“Really? That would be good.” Mingyu opens a few drawers and hands you a knife and a chopping board. “The vegetables are over at that paper bag over there. They’re not yet washed, so make sure to wash them first.”
With that, you work as you eagerly wait for Seokmin. Although it feels weird to be chopping vegetables on your first visit to his house, it felt much better for you to be in the quiet kitchen with Mingyu than to sit with people that you don’t know yet. At least, you would have something to do rather than worrying about Seokmin while you wait.
The group of guys erupts in a fit of laughter, filling the room so much that you could almost feel the counter vibrating. Mingyu smiles at your expression.
“I know, it’s a bit shocking when you’re not used to it.” He says. “Whenever all of us are in one place together, it always gets this loud, especially when Seokmin is around.”
You hear the door open and the rest of the guys then erupt in a joyful shout. This time, you turn around to see a wide-smiled Seokmin walk into the room with a carrier in hand. A few of the guys run over to him, congratulating him for a job well done.
“See what I mean?” Mingyu says, laughing at the energy of his friends.
“The one and only! Crowned as the Rising Musical Actor of 2020! Selling out tickets one show after another, Lee Seokmin!” Announces one of the guys with sharp eyes and chubby cheeks. “Welcome home!”
The rest of the guys match his energy with their own claps and calls. You can’t help but smile as you watch them from the other side of the room. It’s been a while since you’ve been in a place with so much energy and joy. Since your roommates are almost always out, your apartment is usually quiet. The last time you remember being like this was when you were with your family around half a year ago.
The group slowly calms down as Seokmin moves to his room to settle his things before the party starts. On his way, he sees you, knife in hand with a bunch of chopped up vegetables. He looks at you with a mixture of surprise and joy.
“Woah, y/n, I didn’t know you would be here.” He looks down at the chopping, realizing that you had been chopping them all this time. “You’re the guest, why are chopping vegetables? Let me put my stuff in my room, and I’ll take over.”
You hold your knife up closer to you. “What? No way. This is your party. Mingyu didn’t let me pay a single penny, so the least I could do is help out with the preparations.”
“You went grocery shopping together?” Seokmin asks Mingyu, smile slightly dropping from his face.
“Yeah, we ran across each other in the street.” Mingyu gave him a look, exchanging a message that only the two of them understood.
“Well... alright.” Seokmin then turns back to you. “Anyway, after the vegetables, don’t you dare chop up anything else! Why didn’t you guys just get food delivered anyway?”
“Come on, you know that it wouldn’t be any fun that way.” Mingyu puts his hands on Seokmin’s shoulder and turns him around. “Go drop your things off in your room, and we’ll start the party soon.”
Seokmin turns his head one last time before he disappears behind one of the doors. When he’s gone, you feel your heart sink for a bit, and Mingyu notices it immediately.
“Don’t worry about it.” He says, nudging you gently with his elbow. “It’s just his way of saying that he wants you to enjoy the night.”
The rest of the preparation goes by smoothly. You were able to finish chopping everything up just as Seokmin gets out of his room. Mingyu, on the other hand, was able to finish one of the dishes before proceeding to the next one. Seokmin took you to sit with the other members in the living room as two other guys went to the kitchen to help out.
Although you aren’t necessarily a quiet person when you’re around other people, you’ve always been silent when it comes to meeting people for the first time. However, that kind of awkwardness didn’t really matter when you’re with ten or so guys with the energy of five-year-old children. Moments later, Seokmin takes out the small karaoke machine they had in one of the cabinets and everyone starts picking out their songs.
“Aren’t the neighbors going to complain about this?” You ask Minghao, who sits silently right next to you.
“What do you mean? We are the neighbors. Everyone else here lives in the rooms next door, so we’re good.” Minghao replies.
“We’ve told them that we’d be having a party anyway, so they already know what we’re going to be loud at this hour.” One of the guys, who introduced himself as Seungkwan a while ago, adds. “If you want to sing anything, don’t be afraid to take the remote and put in whatever song you want.”
You nod, but you know deep inside that you’ll never really have the guts to sing in front of people you barely know. At least, that’s what you initially thought before they brought out the drinks.
Several bottles later, the entire group becomes louder and louder. Since you don’t drink often, you don’t really know how tolerant you were of alcohol, but you know that you might have drunk a bit too much this time. When Mingyu brings all the food in, you were already starting to get a bit dizzy, but you end up eating a lot anyway. Influenced by the energy of the crowd, you continue to take a few shots as the music plays loudly around you.
Seokmin takes the mic and belts out in a duet with another member. Although you’ve seen him sing and perform on stage before, it was your first time seeing him sing casually and just having fun while doing it. With fun dances and weird expressions, he hypes up the crowd just as much as he does at a theatre stage. No matter what disposition is he in, he is always one to bring energy to a crowd.
Despite your excitement, you feel dizzier than before. Although you can hear the music and distinguish the faces around you, everything is becoming a bit more blurred and muffled. You don’t remember the rest of what happened that night, except that it lasted way past midnight and involved more drinks than you initially thought you could handle. The last thing you see before blacking out is Seokmin turning around to look at you with a microphone in his hand. He’s saying something, but you can no longer make out what he was saying.
You close your eyes and somehow wake up the next day on your bed with a devastating headache.
For nearly an hour, you lay there with your eyes to the ceiling, aware that you are more than late for the lectures you need to attend. You want to get up and move, but your body won’t allow it. Every time you turn your head, the pain in your head gets even worse. For some reason, even though you were under a heavy blanket, you felt extremely cold. You wanted to think that it was a simple hangover, but you had this feeling that it was way worse than you think.
With all the power that’s in you, you prop yourself up. You look over at the clock on your wall and see that it’s already 1 p.m. You quickly check your phone and see that you have five missed calls from your coworkers.
You immediately regret not holding yourself back the previous night.
You call one of your coworkers and tell them that you weren’t going to make it today because you were sick and just woke up. Since it was a Saturday, you told them that you’d be back on Monday.
“Are you sure you’re not just hungover?” Your coworker says from the other side of the line.
You ponder for a moment before replying. “I think it’s more than that. I’ll call you later if I feel better.”
With that, you drop the call and swing your legs over your bed. You try to get up, but when you do, it feels like the entire world is spinning. You crash back down on your bed and decide that breakfast could wait until later.
You grab your phone and check your other messages. Most of them are from your coworkers asking you about where you are. Some are from your students asking about an assignment that they had to pass for next week. Luckily, you didn’t have any classes to teach for the day. One message was from an unregistered number that was sent at 10:52 in the morning.
This is Minghao, I got your number from Seokmin. Please let him know when you’re awake and well. Thanks.
You move your arm to text him back. “Good morning. I’m awake, but not very well. Thank you for checking in.”
In a few moments, your phone buzzes as a call from Minghao comes in. However, when you pick it up, a different voice greets you.
“Hello? Y/n? How are you doing? What happened, are you alright? We made sure that you got to your apartment safely last night, I hope your roommates aren’t too upset about it.” He says in a rapid-fire manner.
“Good morning, Seokmin.” You reply groggily. “I don’t know, I don’t feel so good.”
“Are any of your roommates around?”
“I don’t think so. They’re probably at work around this time.”
“Alright, wait for me.”
“Wait no, it's fine--”
Before you could protest, he drops the call. You bury your face in your pillow. If he really was on his way, you wouldn’t want him to see the mess you were in right now. You try to get back up once more and dizzily walk yourself to your mirror. With one hand on the wall, you look at your reflection--messy hair with heavy bags under your eyes, lips pale and cracking.
“Lookin’ pretty fly, y/n.” You say to yourself sarcastically.
You push yourself forward and head toward the kitchen to grab a glass of water. You open your fridge and grab the last bottle of water, deciding to drink straight from it. Despite finishing all of it, you still feel thirsty. You lean your forehead on the door of the fridge, wondering if you should attempt to buy supplies from the convenience store downstairs or just sleep it off until you get better.
You hear a knock on the door and pull your head back with a sigh. It takes you a few heavy steps to get to the door. When you open it, Seokmin stands there wearing a large white hoodie and a beanie over his head.
“Woah, you look...”
“Horrible, yeah, I know. My fault for drinking too much.” You reply. “Is there anything that you need?”
“Well, I’m here to help. I’ve seen my friends hungover before, and I know that it’s going to be hard to deal with it alone.” He purses his lips. “May I come in?”
You step aside, motioning for him to come in. He puts his hand on your neck but quickly pulls back.
“You’re burning up!” He puts his hand on your forehead this time. “Have you checked your temperature yet?”
“No, I just literally woke up.” You reply, a bit out of irritation at his loudness.
“I’m sorry.” He says, quickly covering up his mouth. The volume of his voice decreases, but he only speeds up in return. “You haven’t eaten anything yet, have you? I’ll order something for you real quick. You’ve got a bad hangover and a fever.”
“No, it’s fine, really. I’ll just take a break and--”
“Wait, we’ve got some hangover meds back at our apartment. If you could give me a moment, I could get some for you.” He ponders for a moment before taking out his phone. “Wait, no. I’ll tell Mingyu to come over, I can’t leave you here alone. Perhaps we could--”
“Seokmin.” You put a hand on his shoulder, and he immediately quiets down.
“Yes?” He says quietly.
“Thank you, but can you slow down? I’m not feeling well, but I’m not dying either. Please take a seat, I’ll go and check my temperature for a bit.”
Seokmin reluctantly nods and takes a seat on one of the dining chairs. You take out the digital thermometer from one of the cabinets and take your temperature.
“Well would you look at that, I’m at 38.7 degrees Celsius.” You put the thermometer back in its place. From your peripheral view, you can see worry painted all over Seokmin’s face. “Before you freak out, I just want to ask something.”
“Sure, go ahead.”
“What happened last night? The last thing I remember was you saying something, but I don’t remember what it was.” You look over to him, who now has his hands together on top of the table.
“Oh, you don’t remember that?” He says, disheartened. “Well, I mean, It’s not something important. I can tell you about it some other time, so let’s get some food first. What would you like?”
You take a seat across him at the dining table. “Don’t tell me you’re going to pay for me again.”
“Why not?”
You think about it before you blurt it out. Normally, you’d try to find some excuse, but something inside you is telling you to express what you really feel. Maybe it’s because of the fatigue and hangover culminating to give you a surge of emotion. You weren’t sure how he was going to respond if you say it, after all.
“It’s just...” You jumble the words in your head to try and find the most appropriate words to say, but you end up blurting it whatever came to mind first. “When you keep on doing things like that, it makes me question why you would do that in the first place.”
“What do you mean?” He asks, pure confusion written over his face. You weren’t sure if he really was just that innocent, or if he really just didn’t get it at all.
You really didn’t want to say this--not because it was hurtful, but because it was embarrassing for you.
“Please don’t take this the wrong way, alright?” You say, fidgeting with your fingers below the table. “It really makes me think that there’s something else going on. I don’t want to think like that if there really isn’t anything.”
“Do you really not remember what I said last night?”
“I’m sorry, I really don’t.”
“Hmmm, well I don’t blame you. It was late into the night, and everyone was already either drunk or tipsy when it happened.” Seokmin rubbed the back of his neck with his hand. “To be honest, I didn’t expect that I would have the guts to say it. I mean, it’s not really that big of a secret, and I have been very open about it.”
You begin to feel your heart beat rapidly. If not for the fever that you already have, the blush on your face would have been so obvious to him. “So what you’re saying is..?”
“I’m saying that you make me comfortable with who I am.”
The two of you look at each other for a while before he continues. You stare into his eyes, trying to look for any trace of deceit, any trace of insincerity, but you could find nothing. He’s being true to his every word.
“I know I’ve only known you for a short time. Minghao and Jeonghan have told me that maybe I’m just getting caught up with the rush of things. That’s what I thought at first too, but after thinking about it, I knew that it wasn’t the case.” He bites his upper lip nervously. “If I could, I wanted to keep you by my side whenever I could. Even when both of us got busy with work, I wanted to make sure you were alright. I thought about it over and over for the past two months, and now I’m sure of it.”
You look at him intently. Although you wanted to get his answer, you weren’t expecting him to drop it all at once like this. You keep yourself silent as you wait for him to finish. You wanted him to tell you everything before you give your response.
“I’m not sure yet if I can call it love, but I really do like you. You’ve helped me to believe in myself more, and to stop thinking so much about... well everything.” You can hear him starting to get nervous as he continues to speak. “I’ve messed up a lot with the people I’ve been interested in before by not making a move, so I didn’t want to mess up this time.”
After a few moments of silence, you nod. “So you’ve been worried that I might leave all this time?”
“Well, yes. Does that sound weird?”
You shake your head gently. “No, it doesn’t. In fact, I’m kind of flattered that you feel that way. I’ve been thinking about it for the past few months as well. You have always extended kindness to me ever since we met. You kept me company when I was alone in the city and away from my family. You always took time for me even when you were tired and busy.”
You give him a nervous laugh. “I wouldn’t want to call it love just yet, but for sure, I’m starting to think of you as more than just a friend, ever since you invited me to your musical play.”
As of the moment, you still don’t know where the both of you stood. For sure, you two were more than just friends, but far from being lovers. It would take much more time for the both of you to fully grow the feelings that you had for each other.
Seokmin stares at you, unsure how to respond, before bursting out in a fit of giggles. Unconsciously, you laugh along with him.
“I’m sorry, it’s just. Well, I didn’t know you felt like that too. It just...” Seokmin brings his arms together. “It makes me happy to hear that.”
Seokmin brings one of his hands up and sticks out his pinky finger. “Promise me something?”
“What?”
“That you won’t leave even when I get annoying and sing you random songs?” He says innocently. It amuses you to hear that this is what he wanted, out of all the promises that he could ask for.
You raise your hand up and link your pinky with his, seeing just how small your hand is next to his. “Only if you promise to let me cut the vegetables and pay for your meal every once in a while.”
He shifts his hand to link the rest of your fingers together with his. “Alright. It’s a deal. So, what would you like to eat?”
-- END --
Author’s Note:
Hey! It’s been a while since I last wrote something like this (maybe 6 or 7 years?). I hope you enjoyed reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it. If you have any scenarios or characters you want me to write about, send me a message!
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