#maybe this is a sign that i should do some more uni work

[sxcret-garden]

Haechan ღ Painted with You [M]

ღ NCT Dream Haechan x fem!reader ღ feat.: short mentions of Renjun & Jeno ღ words: ~15k ღ genre: college AU, fwb to lovers, exes to lovers, fluff, slice of life, slow burn, pining, reader is a little dense, angst, humor, smut (switch!Haechan (but sub-leaning), oral (both receiving), hair pulling (idol receiving), unprotected sex, multiple orgasms, some begging, fingering, handjob, edging, orgasm denial (idol receiving), dry humping) ღ warnings: alcohol consumption, depiction of anxiety and reader feeling burnt out, mentions of unhealthy coping mechanisms

Desc.: You and Donghyuck were a couple back in high school, each having your own reasons for dating the other, but ultimately what you seeked out in each other was a distraction. Now that you meet again five years later, you both come to realize that the connection between you is still there, and eventually it’s crystal clear that the people you’ve become won’t be as easily separated as back then.

Author's note: aaaa I've had this in my drafts for sooo long avoiding to proofread it cause I wasn't happy with this at all... so now I finally came back to it to edit a bit and I think in the end it turned out quite okay^^ I hope you guys like it 🫶

There’s a hint of victory in the smile he gives you when you sit down next to him. Like he knew it would come to this - that you’d get bored of exchanging mundanities with the others and eventually find yourself drawn to him as your only escape. And it’s not like you didn’t know it too, it was clear from the moment you greeted each other with a hug that lasted shorter than it should have, and at the same time felt more familiar than you wanted it to. Yet his stance is inviting as he turns his whole body towards you in his seat, and the curiousity in his eyes is apparent.

“Long time no see,” he says, and it comes out softer than you would’ve expected it to. And he probably had the same thought, because he’s clearing his throat now, talking more firmly as he continues, “What have you been up to?” The last time you’ve seen each other was at your high school graduation ceremony, and since then it’s been almost five years. Which, as your former class president Renjun had decided, was about enough time to gather for a reunion. 

“Well, you know. This and that,” you try to avoid an answer, but of course he wouldn’t let you off the hook so easily. He knows you too well for that.

“Come on,” he snorts. “You can tell me. My time wasn’t spent in a purely productive manner either.”

“You probably spent about 3 years total on just playing video games…” you say with a grin playing on your lips, and you make him huff in disbelief, before his expression as well returns to a somewhat mischievous smile. 

“Now that was just tactless,” he says, straightening his back now. “I quit uni to go to work, and then started again with a different major. So now I’m a freshman!” He gives you a peace sign with his hand, sounding a lot prouder about the fact than he should’ve been.

“Feeling like 19 again?” you joke.

“Yes! Everyone automatically assumes I’m their age,” he explains. “But then I tell them I’m older, so I can make them work for me!” An exaggeratedly mischievous laugh follows, and you can only shake your head at his shenanigans.

“You haven’t changed at all,” you say, turning away and facing the bartender working just a few seats away. Originally you were all going out for dinner and nothing more, but when some girls suggested paying a nearby bar a visit, nobody could refuse in the face of getting some booze into their veins. Maybe you aren’t the only one who’s getting fucked over by life.

“One margarita,” you raise your hand and order, then you add, directed at Donghyuck, “Anything for you?”

“Just soju.” And so after placing both your orders, he adds, “Still can’t drink the adult drinks?”

“Excuse you, it has alcohol in it, so it is an adult drink. But if you’re asking if I still hate bitter stuff - yes I do.”

“I see… anyway, I’m not letting you get away without properly answering my question.”

“Too bad,” you respond. “Well…” And then you hesitate. You remember what it was like between the two of you in high school. When you were dating, each for your own reasons and certainly not because you had feelings for each other. But he still felt like a friend you could entrust your deepest feelings with - you knew each other like the back of your own hand. And yet, you find yourself hesitating in the face of five years passed by without a word from the other. It wasn’t like you had a fight or broke up on bad terms. It’s just that you both agreed it would be better not to see each other again, for reasons that seemed smart at the time. But now that you’re looking at the person he’s become and how much he seems to have grown up, you’re not sure anymore what those reasons even were.

“That bad?” Donghyuck interrupts your train of thought as he raises an eyebrow at you, and when you shake your head a short laugh escapes him.

“No, just… I’m also still in university,” you say. “I had to take a year off, so I’m trying to finish everything now. It’s not going great though.”

“Oh…” he looks away, directing his gaze at his hands that he’s hiding in the sleeves of his knitted sweater. “Are you managing though?” And that’s when you suddenly feel the past and the present connect - the way he immediately becomes serious when the situation calls for it, just like he has always done, makes you feel safe to keep speaking, and to keep your heart open, just for a bit.

“It’s… difficult,” you admit. The bartender sets down your ordered drinks, causing another pause, and you acknowledge it with a nod. “I’m trying not to do too much, but you know what’s it like living here.”

“Yeah,” he says. “That fucked you over before, didn’t it?”

“Yeah.” You fall silent after that, but not for long. Your conversation partner is Donghyuck after all, he wouldn’t let an awkward silence get too long.

“I have changed… by the way.” You raise your eyebrows at him as he speaks those words, letting the sip of your cocktail slowly trickle down your throat.

“Have you?” you ask. “Well, I mean… you’ve grown up.”

“Oh?” Suddenly seeing him straightening his back as he’s overjoyed, you can’t but giggle at the way his face is graced with a beaming smile now, but he glosses it over with a cough and a sip of his soju.

“But you sure are still the same guy,” you add, a nostalgic smile on your lips. 

“I guess,” he agrees, his features softening. Another pause falls upon you as you give your cocktail another taste, and this time it’s you who breaks the silence. Continuously chatting, you’re starting to feel a little tipsy from the sweet beverage after a while.

“I heard you got a girlfriend?” Donghyuck huffs, a wide smile meant to hide a bitter feeling appearing on his face.

“Yeah…”

“What about her?” you pry, sensing something off.

“Dumped me,” he simply says, then pointing across the room and at Jeno, one of your former classmates. “For that guy.”

“Ouch.”

“It’s whatever,” he shrugs it off, pouring himself another glass and offering the shot to you instead. “You sure you don’t want any?”

“I’d rather have my own drink, thanks.”

“Alright. Then cheers.” He downs the shot, grimacing at the taste, and when he sets the glass back down, he adds, “I don’t get why she went for him anyway. I bet it’s cause of all that muscle he got.” You can’t help but chuckle at his words, and you hit his upper arm playfully.

“You should hit the gym too and then see if you can get her back.”

“Very funny,” he replies dryly. “I’d rather die.”

“Understandable…” you reply, taking another sip of your drink as well. “So… you’re probably glad I finally came to you.” Donghyuck shoots you a questioning look and you explain yourself. “For a distraction. Like in the old days, you know?”

“Ahh…” He merely lets out a sound, before staring at his empty shot glass. 

“You’re not doing that anymore?” you assume.

“I guess.”

“Yeah… me too,” you say. “Or like… I stopped using people for it.”

You were dating back then, that’s true, but you wouldn’t go as far as to call yourselves high school sweethearts. You were both going through some stuff - for him it was a breakup with his first love, for you it was just life itself. When you were both at your lowest you started talking properly, and it soon became clear that you both wanted nothing more than to escape. And so you formed an alliance - as you used to call it, to everyone else you simply said that you were a couple now. You did behave like a couple, but just for the rush. The first time you held his hand you felt nothing, but when you made out secretly in the backyard of your school instead of attending class, that’s when you were overwhelmed with excitement. It was a stupid idea, you know that now too, and it only worked for so long. You spent the summer of your junior year together, meeting up almost every day and talking, and eventually distracting yourselves by making out secretly in your or his room. And then your final year came, and as you started seeing yourselves forced to take life a bit more seriously, you gradually met up less, until you both agreed that breaking up would be the best decision, so that you could focus on your studies and try to get into a good university. At least for your part, you still have mixed feelings when you remember that day. Because you know you made the adult decision, but at the same time you always end up thinking back to what fooling around with him felt like when you have a bad day now, and you’d be lying if you said you didn’t miss it at least a bit. But you found other distractions - obsessing over tv series, finding just the perfect kind of music to drown out your feelings, and sometimes, whenever you could find a good excuse to drink with friends, alcohol. Though you’re being careful with the latter, just as you are now. One drink is usually enough to help you relax a bit and not pay all the things stressing you out so much thought.

“So when are we gonna start writing your redemption arc?” you ask nonchalantly, and he raises an eyebrow at you. “Your ex.”

“Stop that, for real,” he says, and the way he remains serious tells you your joke wasn’t well received.

“Sorry,” you utter.

“It’s fine. I mean, it’s not fine, but you know what I mean.”

“Yeah.” He’s playing with the glass in his hands, thumb rubbing along its edge as he keeps staring at it, and you take the last few sips of your drink, before you too start spinning the cocktail glass around between your fingers.

“Actually…” Donghyuck speaks up, now throwing you an entirely different look. “How about we get out of here. Maybe we could both use a distraction after all.”

“But-”

“Just for today.” You stare at him blankly, blinking once, twice, then a third time. This sounds like a bad idea, but at the same time you know you’re probably not gonna see each other for the next five years, just like it was for the past five. So what would be so bad about taking his offer now?

“Alright,” you say eventually, having made up your mind. “My place? It’s nearby.” His lips are parted slightly as he watches you jump out of your seat and put on your jacket. As the air around you changes, so does the look in his eyes, and a moment later he gets up too, his arm wrapped loosely around your waist while he holds the door open for you as he walks you out of the place.

“You really have changed,” you comment as you’re sneaking out, so none of the others would notice, and you giggle at your unnecessary secrecy once you’re past the entrance to the building.

“I can be a gentleman too!” he insists. “Of course a high school boy wouldn’t think of that.” You catch the pout that forms on his lips as he adds the last part, and you inevitably laugh, pointing at his face.

“But you’re also really still the same.”

You decide on going to your place, as it’s nearby, and you take a taxi there. Though you know this is only going to be a one time thing, neither of you seems to be in a rush. You take the elevator to the sixth floor, grinning at each other in silence the entire ride - maybe because this reminds the both of you a bit too much of the way you used to sneak off together all the time back in school. But once you arrive at your apartment, the atmosphere between you somehow changes, and as you’re walking over to your little kitchen to offer him a drink, he stops you, wrapping his arm around your waist. His touch is firm now, and he comes to a halt when he’s standing right in front of you, closer than a friend would, but leaving more distance between you than a lover would, and keeping his voice lowered, he asks,

“So… are we going to go right to the distraction part? Or do we need to pretend that we still need to warm up to each other first?” You find him staring at your lips, then returning his gaze to your eyes as he waits patiently for your response. And you don’t manage to come up with anything smart to say to him, so you simply take a step forward, wrapping your arms loosely around his shoulders, and you kiss him. His lips feel soft, just like you remember them, melting against yours perfectly. Yet there’s a firmness to his kiss that feels new to you. He used to always kiss you with eagerness, too much of it at times, impatient to feel more of you and for you to take control. It was no secret between you two that he actually quite enjoyed being put into his place by you, and now that there’s no such intentions apparent behind the way he moves his lips against yours, you find yourself having your breath taken away by the time you part. 

“You really did grow up well…” you mutter, barely an inch apart. “Did your ex teach you to kiss like that?” 

“Watch your mouth, Y/N,” he mutters darkly, another side of him that’s not exactly new to you, but one that you haven’t seen a lot in the past. And then he simply brushes his lips against yours again, softly and with care, quite in contrast to his sharp words. “I don’t wanna ruin this with thoughts about people I don’t know anymore.”

“Right…” you whisper, and before you can add a mumbled apology, he presses his lips to yours again. In between short kisses that inevitably leave you longing for more, he steers you closer to the wall behind you, until he has you trapped against it. Your shoulders meet the cold surface gently, and as you’re slowly getting to know this different side of him, you feel yourself being swept off your feet like he never knew how to. 

One of his hands resting on your waist, his fingertips creep towards your hip as you’re sharing an open mouthed kiss. A moan escapes you when he presses you up against the wall closer, and as he slowly parts from you, you can see the playful grin showing on his face now.

“You changed too,” he comments, and again he closes the distance between you without giving you a chance to question his words. Your hands finding their way up into his short hair, your fingers get tangled with the strands and you carefully tug at them as he deepens this kiss as well. He’s kissing you slowly as you let him have the lead naturally, and as you keep making out like this, you eventually find yourself burning up whole under his touch. He moves from your mouth to your neck eventually, and you lean your head back with a deep sigh as he begins scattering hot kisses all over the area. His hand that’s been propped up against the wall now finds the back of your nape to support you, and when he comes back up, he whispers a question,

“Do we keep going like we used to? Or do you wanna go all the way this time?” Drunk on his kisses, you pull him in for another one on the mouth, and as you part you mutter,

“We’re not kids anymore. Let’s go all the way.” You step aside and he lets you, and you reach for his hands to walk him over to your couch. Giving him a push, he lets himself fall back onto the sofa, leaning against the backrest as his curious gaze never leaves you. “Don’t need this anymore…” you mumble as you pull off your shirt and throw it somewhere onto the ground, and then you crawl into his lap to straddle him. His hands find purchase on your hips immediately as he looks up at you with warm eyes. You cup his face in your hands and you lean in, capturing his lips in a teasing kiss. Sinking your teeth into his bottom lip, you lure a breathy moan out of him, and wanting to hear more, you keep kissing him like that. Feathery touches that would for sure make him want more eventually become overshadowed by you rolling his hips on top of him, and with each time he lets you hear his voice you become more eager. It’s almost as if you’ve become the one who can’t wait, and he’s the one acting with patience.

“Never knew you could turn me on this much,” he mutters as you pull back, moving your hips at a leisurely pace. You can undoubtedly feel the bulge in his pants, and it’s certainly not leaving you unaffected.

“I grew up too, Hyuck,” you say, and then you bury your face in his neck. You kiss a trail up to the spot right below his ear as he leans back, and his hands wander up your sides and to your back when you start nibbling on his skin. 

“Mhm… you did, hm?” he answers. He finds the clasp of your bra and undoes it, and as the piece of clothing slides down your arms, you sit back so he can take it off you and fling it to the ground as well, somewhere in the general direction of where your shirt should be. He holds onto your sides as he takes in the sight in front of him, and as he draws closer to connect his lips to the skin on your chest, you can hear him saying,

“I know I never told you this as a boy but you look beautiful. I really regret not saying that to you.” He kisses his way up from the valley of your breasts to your throat and then back to your mouth, and just before he can connect his lips to yours, you whisper,

“It’s fine. I might’ve actually fallen for you if you had done that.” You laugh, and he does too, but his grin has a different meaning to it than yours.

“Don’t say that. We don’t want anything unfortunate to happen.” Connecting his lips to yours, he runs his tongue across them to ask for permission to enter, and without protest you let him deepen the kiss.

“Now you’re the one who said it,” you mumble a response in between kisses. “That’s a stupid thought anyway.”

“Right.” His fingertips dance south along your spine, and he eventually tugs at your pants as a sign that he wants those off as well. And so you peel yourself out of his hold, and while you’re discarding your jeans, he slips out of his shirt, and both clothing items land somewhere on the floor, soon to be forgotten. He makes you lie down flat on the couch as he crawls on top of you, and when he leaves a trail of small kisses up your torso, one of his hands finds its way to your hips, thumb hooking under the fabric of your panties.

“These too,” he says. “I want these off too.” You give him the okay to take them off as you comb your fingers through his hair once, and as soon as he’s gotten rid of the last piece of clothing on your body, he lowers himself to let his lips draw a map of your figure. Feeling his warm hands against your sides, you let out a sigh as you lean your head back and you close your eyes for a bit, just enjoying the way his kisses feel against your skin. Your hands fly to his hair again, and you find yourself massaging his scalp as he’s slowly going down on you. You let him lift your legs up onto his shoulders eventually, and when he buries his face between your legs, you can’t but let out a small moan. Tongue lapping at your folds, he hums at your taste, and then he wraps his lips around your clit, sucking on it gently. 

“That feel good?” he asks, slurring his words a bit, and you nod, tugging at the strands of hair between your fingers.

“Yeah. Keep going…” And so he does, alternating between teasing you with his lips and the tip of his tongue, and when he retrieves one hand to slide his fingers inside you, he comments,

“So wet for me, hm?”

“Y-yeah…” You can unmistakably feel the knot in your stomach being tied tighter with every single touch of his, and when he pumps his fingers in and out of you at a frustratingly slow pace, you find yourself begging for more. “Faster… p-please…” Donghyuck simply hums at your plea, before he obliges, curling his fingers inside you just a little faster. Gradually picking up on speed, the way he flicks his tongue against your clit along with the waves of pleasure that run through your body with each time he hits that sweet spot inside you make you slowly lose your mind, and you let him know just how good he’s making you feel by moaning in tune with his movements.

“Don’t stop… please don’t stop…” you mewl as you look down on yourself to find him already gazing back up at you, observing all of your reactions closely through half-lidded eyes. Just a few more repetitions and he’s throwing you over the edge, making you clench around his fingers as you throw your head back with a moan. “Fuck…” you mutter after he pulls out of you carefully, and he crawls back up to kiss you on the lips. You can taste yourself on his tongue as you share a lazy kiss, and once you part, you place your palms on his chest to push him off you.

“Your turn,” you simply state as you sit up and you make some space so you can comfortably kneel in front of the sofa. Getting the message, he hurriedly rids himself of his pants and boxers, and when he sits down in front of you, you don’t waste another second to wrap your fingers around his length. Giving him a few strokes, he’s fully hard in no time, and he watches as he leans back, enjoying the attention.

“You really have no patience anymore, huh,” he mutters, and you lick your lips before returning his gaze.

“Want me to torture you a bit? Make you beg for it? I can do that too.”

“I can beg if you want me to,” he retorts, the confident expression not being wiped off his face so easily, and you decide to keep that piece of information in mind. Just in case. But for now you’re not planning on making him wait - he’s right, you’ve become impatient, and you’re dying to know what kind of sounds you might lure out of him with his dick in your mouth. You swirl your tongue around his tip a few times, watching him part his lips slightly as he lets you hear a deep sigh and a praise directed at you. “That’s right…” he mutters, and when you take his tip into your mouth fully, he lets you hear a moan so sweet, you swear you could cum just from the sound of it. Slowly bobbing your head up and down and having your hand that’s wrapped around his base follow those same movements, you enjoy the way he keeps moaning at your ministrations, until eventually you hum in approval and he whines from the pleasure.

“Fuck…” A curse escapes him when his tip hits the back of your throat and you gag a little, and you find yourself amused at how easy it is to make a guy whine as soon as you have him in a position like this. You go painfully slow, but he takes all of your teasing, and just when you start feeling bad for him because of how desperate his moans are, you speed up, making sure to take him in as far as you can. 

“Shit, Y/N…” he calls out to you. “Wait-”

“Hm?” You come up at his words, letting him slip out of your mouth.

“Wanna cum in your pussy…” The request makes you grin.

“So demanding…” you mutter, shooting him a challenging look.

“Please…” he tries to convince you, his pupils shaking as he’s awaiting your answer. But you’ve already made up your mind on how you’re going to proceed, and so you merely throw him a grin, before taking him back into your mouth. He throws his head back at you sucking him off at a faster pace now, probably in a mixture of frustration and pleasure, and as more curses fall from his lips along with your name, you know he’s close. You hum at his desperation and at the way he’s twitching in your hand while he’s bucking his hips up into your touch, and the next time you’re sinking all the way down on him, he cums with a moan. You try to swallow everything as he releases into your mouth, and when you let go of him you lick your lips to get the rest of it too, all while he watches with a hazy mind. And then you crawl into his lap, leaving a trail of kisses down the side of his throat, and eventually you say,

“Why not both?” You grab his face in one hand, gaze falling to his lips, and before he can say anything you kiss him to cut off his train of thought. “We have so much time tonight…” you mutter against his lips in between kisses, and he merely lets out small moans at your words. “We can do all the things we want. But let’s move somewhere more comfortable first.” And so you hurriedly walk over to your bedroom, Donghyuck pushing you against the mattress as soon as you’re there, and he doesn’t waste a single second to kiss you again. His lips nipping at your collarbones, you throw your arms around him, until finally you switch positions again, and you end up sitting on top of him, sinking down on his hard cock and biting your lower lip from how good it feels to be filled up like this.

“Fuck…” Now it’s you who’s cursing, fingers intertwined with his as you’re pinning his hands down to keep yourself stable. You know he’s drinking up the sight in front of him as you start slowly riding him, and the way he looks at you only turns you on more. 

“Shit, you look so pretty like this…” he mumbles, completely taken aback, and he sits up, freeing his hands to hold onto your sides instead. “Can I kiss you?”

“You’re asking that now?” you chuckle as you wrap your arms around his shoulders and he lets out a short laugh as he too realizes how ridiculous his question was.

“You’re right,” he mutters, leaning in. “Then I’ll just kiss you whenever I want.” A rush of heat courses through your body as he presses his lips against yours, and you roll your hips on top of him just a little faster.

“Please do,” you whisper, barely audible, before Donghyuck closes the distance between you again. You take your time making out, until both of you feel that you’re coming close again, and with one hand between your bodies, he starts rubbing your clit for you as you keep your pace.

“I’ll help you,” he whispers, unable to take his eyes off your face as you’re both completely drunk on the other’s touches.

“Mhm…” you moan, chasing your own high on top of him. You’re the first one who comes undone, digging your nails into his shoulders and burying your face in the crook of his neck as your high shakes you.

“Don’t stop, Y/N…” His words sound desperate, and you do your best to keep moving despite feeling the overstimulation building up. He has both his hands on your back now, and you let out a moan when you feel him dragging his nails down to your hips. “Shit…!” Spitting out a curse, he releases inside you, and finally you come to a halt. You stay in your positions for a while, waiting until your heartbeats have returned to a normal pace in each other’s arms, before you both lie down side by side, out of breath and grinning at the other.

“Didn’t think you’d get that good without me…” he mutters a comment.

“Hey!” you shout playfully. “What was I supposed to do if you just disappear on me like that?”

“You didn’t contact me either,” he tries to defend himself, but you both know it was him who stopped replying to your messages, even though your conversations were already scarce after graduating. For now you decide to say nothing - your mind filled with bliss from what your night out ended up turning into, you wouldn’t want to ruin the mood. Instead, he’s the one to break the silence.

“Wanna keep going?” he asks, scooting over closer to you and making you lie flat on your back, kissing a trail down your jawline and placing a hand on top of your stomach. “I wanna keep going,” he adds, more silently, as his fingers are already wandering south.

“Alright,” you mutter, your hand up in his hair again as he drags his fingers down your folds, dipping inside once and then coming back up to your clit to draw circles onto it. “If I walk weird tomorrow it’s your fault,” you add, laughing.

“You just made me wanna see that,” he jokes back, before pressing a kiss to the side of your throat and letting his fingers take care of you.

You keep in touch after that, texting each other throughout the day - even on those days where you barely find the time or energy to be social, you’ll at least send some memes back and forth - and meeting up whenever you both have some free time. It really feels like you’re continuing right where you had left off five years ago whenever you find yourselves unable to stop laughing because of your own bickering, or when you’re sitting side by side, having a more serious conversation and simply offering an open ear to the other. And at the same time something about the way you treat each other has undoubtedly changed. Of course you both grew up and you’re more mature than you were as high school students, but it seems there’s something else lingering in the air during every interaction you have, you just can’t really put your finger on what that is. 

You also keep meeting up to have sex. 

“So? What does that make us?” you ask a question into the dimly lit room, staring up at the ceiling. You’re both lying side by side on his bed, the sheets beneath you messed up as evidence of what you’ve been doing, and the chilly air in the room hitting your skin lets you cool down a bit.

“What? This?” Donghyuck asks, turning his head so he could look at you.

“Yeah,” you respond. “We’re not just friends if we’re constantly hooking up, are we?” Your words are accompanied by a chuckle, meant to tell him that you’re not being as serious as you sound. Or maybe you are, but mostly because your other friends keep asking where you’re sneaking off so frequently these days, and why you don’t seem to have the time to meet up with them anymore. And everytime you tell them you’re seeing a different friend, a part of you feels like you’re lying. Maybe that’s because they’ve stopped believing you too, and they keep urging you on to finally admit that you’re dating someone. But you’re not dating Donghyuck, right?

“Fuckbuddies?” He rolls onto his side, head supported by his hand, and he gives you a mischievous look.

“I guess,” you say, and after some consideration you add, “My friends keep asking who I’m meeting all the time. They think I have a boyfriend.”

“Well, what does it feel like when you kiss me?” You’re too stunned to speak for a moment, not expecting him to pose such a serious question.

“I mean… you’re a good kisser?” You grin at him, rolling onto your side as well so you could face him, and as you’re drawing near, he’s already reaching out to capture your chin between his thumb and index finger.

“That’s all?”

“I think so.” He lets his lips brush against yours, puffy and reddened from making out earlier, and you feel warmth wrap around you. You also feel safe with him, but that’s not exclusively related to him kissing you, so you don’t feel the need to mention it.

“Then I can’t be your boyfriend,” he mutters when you part.

“So friends… with benefits then?”

“Yeah.”

“Well, great,” you say, letting yourself fall onto your back, sinking into the mattress. “I can’t go around telling my friends that I’m seeing a fuckbuddy.” Your friend giggles beside you.

“I mean you don’t have to,” he says. “If it’s easier to explain, you can just pretend you’re seeing a boyfriend. I don’t mind.”

“I wonder…” you mumble, more to yourself than to him. “Then they’ll want to meet you, so… anyway.” You sit up, letting your feet dangle off the side of the bed. “I’m kinda hungry. You wanna order something?”

“I’ll make us some ramen. But we should shower first.” He sits up as well, and when you throw him a look over your shoulder, he cocks his head to the side, giving you another grin. “Together?” You laugh at his suggestion.

“You just want another round in there, don’t you? We’re never gonna get food in that case. I’m going alone.”

“Awww…” he whines in defeat and it makes you smile. You crawl closer to him, placing a peck onto his pouting lips.

“We kiss an awful lot for fuckbuddies, though,” you remark, and then you get up.

“I don’t think we’re kissing nearly enough…” he mumbles an answer. Amused by his words, you shoot him another glance, and then you trot off to the bathroom. 

“You free Friday night?” You glance at your phone screen when it lights up to quickly read Donghyuck’s message that you just received, and as you let out a sigh, you return your focus to the notebook in front of you. Skimming through your handwritten notes from the lecture you visited every wednesday afternoon a year ago still gives you anxiety - you’re not sure what more you’re supposed to study than this and the materials displayed on your laptop screen, and yet you don’t feel nearly prepared enough. You’re in your last semester - or at least you’re planning for this to be the last one - and you finally forced yourself to register for the exam you keep postponing because you horribly failed it the first time. The worst part is that it’s an oral exam, so no turning back once you’ve answered (or not answered) a question, even if a better response comes to you later on during the exam. And you hate that, because you know your brain tends to black out in stressful situations, and panicking while you’re supposed to recite your knowledge on a complicated topic doesn’t exactly help with that. You tear your eyes away from the materials eventually, taking another sip of your coffee and then picking up your phone off the small round dinner table in your flat.

“Sorry, I don’t have time then ㅠㅠ” You press send, and it doesn’t take long for your friend to reply.

“On the weekend? I’m busy Saturday but Sunday is fine!!”

“I don’t think I can make time until Tuesday. Sorry. Difficult exam coming up…”

“Then you should take a break!! I’m sure you’ve been studying all day” He’s not wrong with his assumption, but still you can’t bring yourself to set aside a few hours to fool around with him. You wouldn’t be able to relax and truly get the exam off your mind anyway, so you refuse again, even if it hurts you.

It’s been like this for a while now. The last time you’ve seen Donghyuck’s face was almost three weeks ago - after that university and sending job applications have taken up all your free time, and the few hours you had in between to rest you simply spent alone in the comfort of your own apartment, feeling too exhausted to even consider making plans with someone else. You know it might do you good to get out more for other things than going to uni, but at the same time you know you simply don’t have the energy right now - or you would’ve already scheduled a meetup with friends. It sucks, and you’re hoping for some space to breathe in between your schedules sometime soon, but at the same time you know you will be busy with uni until your graduation, and from then on you’ll be busy getting accustomed to work and proving yourself there. And the more you think about it, the more it starts to dawn on you that things will likely not change in the near future, and that somehow the life of a freshman and that of a senior don’t really match well at all.

But you brush those thoughts off for now. The last thing you need right now is a distraction, and so you get back to revising the contents for the exam.

And then comes Sunday afternoon, and you can feel the panic coursing through your veins as if you were about to suffocate from it any second now. You’ve always had some kind of exam anxiety, but it’s never been this bad, and you have absolutely no idea what to do with it except endure and hope that tomorrow will pass quickly. That’s when your phone buzzes to let you know you’ve gotten a message, and what you see when you open the chat room tips you over the edge. 

“This would’ve been more fun if we had watched it together~” - along with a picture of a laptop screen showing the credits of a movie, the interior of Donghyuck’s flat showing in the background. Your hands are shaking as you read his message, your head spinning because suddenly the stress and a feeling of helplessness overwhelms you. You end up doing the first thing that comes to mind - you call him. He picks up after the first ring.

“Jealous?” he teases you, and you stay quiet, your words suddenly stuck in your throat. Hearing only your ragged breathing, he sounds serious when he continues talking after a few moments of silence. “Are you okay?”

“No.”

“What’s up? Wanna talk about it?”

“...the exam…”

“Ahh… you’re freaking out because of it?”

“Y-yeah…” Tears well up in your eyes, but you fight hard to keep them from falling. You know if you start crying now, chances are you won’t be able to talk properly in order to explain yourself to him. “I studied everything but I don’t feel like it’s enough… I have no idea how I’m supposed to pass tomorrow…” A sob escapes you at the end of it, and Donghyuck doesn’t hesitate to answer,

“I’ll come over. Just wait for me and hold tight, I’ll be there in 30.” 

And so that’s what he does. He doesn’t even give you the time to refuse when he hangs up, and sure enough roughly 30 minutes later he’s at your doorstep. Putting down his bags and taking off his shoes, the first thing he does is pull you into a tight hug.

“Come here,” whispered against the side of your head as he’s already holding you close, he hugs you until he can feel some of the tension leaving your body. When he finally lets you go, he picks up a paper bag he brought with him, holding it out to you and you take it from him. “I bought them on the way. I thought you could use some comfort food.” A glance inside the bag reveals a box decorated with the logo of your favourite bakery.

“Oh my god… thank you!” you exclaim, and you give him another hug as he lets out a bit of an awkward laugh.

“Ah, it’s fine, it’s nothing. Let’s have these while we go over your materials together, okay?”

“Huh?” You take a step back and raise your eyebrows at him.

“I came to help you study. So you can kick ass tomorrow!” Throwing a fist in the air in a victorious gesture, you cringe a bit at his childlike enthusiasm, but at the same time you feel thankful. Like you had been in free fall for the past days and finally someone came to catch you.

“Okay,” you accept his offer to help, and then you walk over to the small table in your living room where your laptop and your notes are scattered all over. Briefly organizing them, you skim through them together, and when you’ve reached the end of it, Donghyuck starts asking you random questions related to the topic that he can come up with. And with every question that you manage to answer, you feel just a little calmer, until you’ve gone through everything several times and it’s long dark outside.

“You’re gonna do well tomorrow,” the guy sitting next to you tells you, throwing his hand up in the air to do some stretching and you do the same, your body aching for a bit of movement after sitting down for hours. 

“You think so?”

“Of course!” He seems almost offended at you doubting yourself now. “Look at all these things you memorized perfectly! You’re gonna be just fine.”

“You’re right…” you mutter. “I do feel more confident now.” Yet, you let your head hang.

“But…?” he asks.

“But… I know by the time the exam starts tomorrow I’ll be so nervous, I might forget everything…” He reaches for your hands, taking them into his and giving both of them a gentle squeeze as he looks intently at your face.

“Then you think about how well you just did and how long we just spent repeating everything you studied. With this much preparation, there’s no way you would fail.” You know that realistically speaking, that’s not necessarily true, but you decide to believe him for now. Putting trust into his words puts you at ease, so that’s what you’re going to do.

“Alright,” you say. “It’ll be fine.”

“Of course it will,” he says, laughing as if he had not a single doubt about it.

“But…”

“Another but?”

“It’s almost 2am,” you say.

“Oh.”

“Wanna stay over? It takes you ages to get home if you have to take the night buses, right?”

“It’s fine, I’ll just take a taxi,” he replies, adding, “I don’t wanna stress you out more by staying over.”

“No, I-” All the times you felt yourself forced to turn down his invitations to meet up during the past few weeks are suddenly fresh in your memory, and eventually you manage to say, “I’d actually be thankful if you could stay over… you know… keep the bad thoughts away…”

“Sure…” he responds, and growing very quiet suddenly, he gets up to wrap you into another hug. “I’ll stay.”

You each take a shower and get ready for bed, him throwing on some of his clothes you had lying around at your place anyway, and when you get under the sheets together, it feels different than usually when you sleep in the same bed. Neither of you has any thoughts about having sex for a change, and instead he simply pulls you close to let you rest your head on top of his chest. You wrap an arm around his waist as you listen to his heartbeat, already feeling sleepiness overcome you as you snuggle up to him and you can feel him drawing mindless patterns onto your skin. You feel a sense of peace and safety washing over you when your eyelids simply fall shut, and as you fall asleep you almost don’t register the way he presses a soft kiss onto your forehead.

When you open the email telling you that you got a C on your exam, the first thing you can think of doing is letting Donghyuck know. 

“I passed!!!” You send him a message, and he surely doesn’t let you wait too long for an answer, along with a little sticker of a bear wearing a gold medal and giving a thumbs up.

“I told you so!!”

“It’s all thanks to you,” you write. “We need to go celebrate! Drinks on me.”

“Sounds good~”

With a broad smile on your face you put your phone into the pocket of your padded jacket. It has become cold outside, and there’s a thin layer of snow on the streets from last night. It’s the beginning of December, and before Christmas and new years you’re still going to be very busy. You have two job interviews coming up, have to prepare for your final exams and in between you should find some time to work on your dissertation. Still somehow you’re confident that you would easily be able to find a date where you can go out for your little celebration with your friend, but when you run into him on campus a week later, reality hits you right in the face.

“Y/N!” Donghyuck calls out to you as he spots you among a bunch of other students, and you fall behind to briefly talk to him.

“Oh, hi,” you say, not having seen him at all.

“You still didn’t reply to my messages,” he remarks and you immediately pull out your phone, indeed finding that you’ve left him on read two days ago.

“Oh my god, I’m so sorry,” you apologize as you remember that you clearly had the intent to respond to him, but then very obviously failed to do so. “Ah, if we can meet… today?” 

“Yesterday,” he corrects you. “But I guess that didn’t happen…” You can unmistakably see the disappointment in his expression, even though he’s doing his utmost to hide it, and you furrow your brows at the sight in front of you. 

“I’m sorry… I must’ve forgotten to reply while studying or something,” you say, unable to look him in the face. “You know, finals coming up.”

“Yeah… I’m studying a lot too these days,” he says, quickly adding, “But I guess as a senior it’s only natural that you’re even busier than I am.” His words sting for some reason, but it’s not like he’s wrong. Truth be told, you’ve been studying every free minute for the past few days, and in between you had a job interview that you don’t have the best of gut feelings about. You were so busy that you barely manage to have three meals a day, and yet you feel guilty about not being able to make time for him.

“I’m really sorry, Hyuck…” you say and he mutters an “it’s okay” as an answer. “But it’s not, is it?” To that he merely glances to the side, showing a sorry smile. And right then you have an idea. “You know what?” As you reach out to take his hand into yours, he raises his eyebrows at you, taken by surprise by your sudden action. “Let’s set a date right now. Then we don’t have to worry about me forgetting to reply or something.” 

“But… that won’t change the fact that you’re super busy…” he reasons, but you cut him off.

“It’s fine, I should be able to spare at least a few hours,” you say, opening your calendar app on your phone and scrolling through the days until exam week starts. “How about next Friday? Friday night sounds like a good time for a little study break and having a celebration instead.”

“S-sure.” You barely notice how he’s atypically dumbfounded at your enthusiasm, only focusing on the fact that you finally found a date to see each other again.

“Great! My place or yours?” you ask, already typing it into your phone.

“Mine… you wanna bring the drinks? Then I’ll take care of the food,” he offers, now taking his phone out as well, probably to put the meet up into his calendar as well.

“Sounds good,” you say in a rush. “Then I’ll see you Friday! Sorry, but… I really have to go now. I was gonna study some more at the library - you coming too?”

“Ah, no, I… have class in half an hour,” he explains briefly, and as you wave your goodbyes and you’re already running off, you fail to notice how his shoulders are suddenly slouched over and there’s a hint of disappointment in the way he looks at you as you’re walking away.

You sigh as you stare at the email you just received, and you immediately regret even checking your mailbox in the middle of studying in the first place. You got rejected for the last job you applied to - but at least you should be thankful that they let you know about it in the first place, right? After all, the last two companies didn’t even do that much after your interview with them. You gulp, trying to swallow all the disappointment bubbling up inside and attempting to shove it back down to where it came from, and then eventually you cross your arms on the table, resting your head on top and you close your eyes for a while. Another sigh escapes you, and you feel the weight of your responsibilities lay heavily on your shoulders. You’re trying not to beat yourself up over not having found a job for after your graduation yet - you know that everyone’s struggling with finding employment these days. But you really don’t want to take on a job you’re overqualified for, or one that’s not in your field of studies at all. You’ve already made too many compromises because of this, like being willing to move to another city for your job, or expanding on what type of positions you’re applying to. And still, nothing. It’s starting to get to you, even though you hate that it is, and even though you had told yourself to focus on your exams and your dissertation first and foremost. But all of these things stacked on top of each other have led you to lose your spark a bit, and there’s no denying you’re starting to feel burnt out. 

You tell yourself it’s fine, it will pass and eventually your life will get less stressful again. But for now you can feel that you’re at your limit, and you could really use some comfort.

“Right,” you mutter to yourself, lifting your head and looking at the date displayed in the bottom corner of your laptop screen. “Only a few hours to go. Then I can see him.” It’s Friday afternoon, and so you take a deep breath and bring yourself to study some more, before you can finally go to Donghyuck’s place, spending a full evening not having to think about any of this. Burying your head in your books and your lecture notes, you end up not realizing how fast the time is passing, and next time you check the clock, it’s already past 7. 

“Oh god…” you quickly pick up your phone, seeing that your friend already sent you a message asking where you are. You were scheduled to be at his place at 7, but somehow you completely lost track of time.

“I’m so sory I didn’t realize hwo late is is. Ill hurry!!” You type up that message as quickly as possible, ignoring the typos as you send it, and then you jump out of your seat to get ready. 

It’s almost 8pm when he opens the door for you and you apologize first thing as you hand him the tote bag with the alcohol you had promised to bring.

“Ah, but you thought of the important stuff,” he says with a forced smile, trying to brighten the mood a bit before he invites you in and you kick off your shoes and take off your coat to follow him inside.

“I’m really really sorry,” you say once again when you’ve made yourself comfortable on his couch. “I was studying and suddenly it was already this late…”

“It’s okay,” Donghyuck says as he carries over two glasses from the kitchen, handing you one of them. “We’re both busy, it’s not like I don’t understand.”

“But you’re upset.”

“A little,” he admits without looking you in the eyes, and when he continues talking, he does his best to sound cheerful. “But let’s not let that ruin the entire evening. We were both looking forward to today, right?”

“Yeah,” you say. “You won’t believe how glad I am to finally be here,” you add, and you feel the way your body relaxes just by being near him. You earn yourself a bright smile for that comment, before he lifts up the glass in his hand.

“I found the recipe for this a few days ago and wanted to try it,” he says. “I thought it’s your style.” You find a few ice cubes swimming in the beverage he handed you, along with a slice of lemon. The color is a dark shade of yellow at the bottom, and completely transparent at the top, and you nod at the presentation.

“It looks good,” you say. “I’ll try it. Cheers!” Each taking a sip, you agree that you like the taste, and the guy sitting next to you on his sofa explains,

“The recipe says you should put a bit of mint in as well, but… I didn’t have any.”

“I think it’s good the way it is… but, I’m starving. Let’s order food?”

“Me too,” he answers, getting out his phone. 

You order takeout, and while you eat and drink, you watch a movie that you’ve both been wanting to see for some time. You end up chatting here and there during less interesting scenes, and even though you enjoy the movie overall, you enjoy talking to him more. Eventually, as your eyelids begin to feel heavy, you rest your head on his shoulder and he lets you, and you don’t think anything of the peaceful smile he gives you upon feeling you so close to him. He puts one of his hands on top of your thigh, mindlessly rubbing his palm up and down, and by the end of the movie you can’t deny anymore that his actions are affecting you. Credits still rolling, you turn your head to face him, and wordlessly you kiss him, his lips melting against yours. You part for a mere second in which you put your hand behind his neck, and as you let yourself fall against the backrest of his sofa, he hovers above you, distance closing again. 

“Hyuck…” you breathe his name when you part the next time. “Need you…”

“Let’s go somewhere more comfortable,” he mutters into a sweet kiss, and then he gets up, taking you by your hands to pull you up along with him. As soon as you step into the bedroom you pull him in for another kiss, and you stumble backwards as he steers you towards his bed. He barely lets you lie down when he’s already on top of you, kissing you more deeply. Tongue running across your lip to ask for permission to enter, you allow it without hesitation, and you moan at the way he kisses you slowly but passionately. 

“I’ll take care of you,” he says after parting, “just lean back, okay?”

“Okay…” you answer and he lets his fingertips wander down your clothed body. Undoing the button of your jeans, he unhurriedly slips his hand inside them, and he watches you intently as his fingertips brush against your soaked panties, his voice sultry as he teases you, “So wet already… I didn’t know you were that desperate for me…” Before letting you answer, he leans in to place a lingering kiss to the corner of your mouth, starting to rub up and down between your folds slowly.

“I thought I’d go crazy without this…” you confess, arms wrapped around him and one hand up in his hair. You play with his locks as he teases you, and you whine, “More, please… don’t make me wait even longer…”

“What do you want, baby?” he asks, and then he buries his face in your neck, leaving kisses there as you throw your head back.

“Anything… even if it’s just your fingers, please just get me off…” you beg, only now realizing just how desperate you really are. Donghyuck gulps at your words, and he kisses his way up to your jaw and along it, until his lips are hovering right above yours.

“Tell me how badly you need me…” he mutters, pushing the fabric of your underwear aside so he could touch you directly. “I wanna hear everything.” As he starts rubbing small circles on your clit his lips go back to tending to your neck, kissing and nipping on the sensitive skin and making it that much more difficult for you to form coherent sentences. Still you can’t but do as told.

“So bad… need you so bad,” you mewl. “I tried to get off so many times, but nothing feels as good as when you touch me…” He hums at your words, granting you a finger dipping inside your pussy for just a moment in return and gasping at just how wet you are.

“I’ll make up for it,” he says. “I’ll make you cum so good.” You whimper, and then you instinctively buck your hips as his finger ghosts above your entrance. You hear him curse through gritted teeth at how needy you’re becoming, and blood rushes to your head from the thought alone that your state could turn him on so much as well.

“Please… just give me your fingers…” you whine, and to your surprise Donghyuck doesn’t drag out his teasing for longer. And so you cry out when he pushes inside, pumping in and out of you while watching your every reaction to his touch. “Fuck…” you hiss, already seeing your high approaching from far away. “I’m not gonna last long…”

“It’s okay,” he coos over you. “Wanna feel you cum around my fingers… can you take another one?”

“Y-yes… yes please…” you say mindlessly, only being able to think about how you want to feel him more. The stretch is bearable when he pushes into you with three fingers, and when he presses his thumb against your bundle of nerves, fingering you skillfully, you think you’re about to lose your mind. “Fuck… yes… don’t stop, please…” you mewl as he slowly picks up speed until he can see the bliss on your facial features. At this point all you can do is moan his name and dig your nails into his shoulder blades as you cling to him, bucking your hips in chase of your orgasm. 

“Shit, you’re so pretty…” you hear him mutter under his breath as he marvels at the sight in front of him, and next thing you know your whole body is shaken by the force of your high. You whine as he fucks you through it, right until your last aftershocks, and then you simply close your eyes as you lay back on his bed, feeling the exhaustion from the past weeks taking over you. Licking his fingers clean after pulling out of you, he then captures your chin between his thumb and index finger to make you look at him.

“What do you want me to do next?” he asks, his words sounding maybe even sweeter than usual to your ears, and you blame it on the way your mind is still in a haze from your orgasm. You think about it for a short while, and in the end you simply snuggle up to him closely.

“Let’s just… stay like this for a while,” you answer. “If that’s okay with you… I think I just need to be close to you.”

“Sure…” Donghyuck mutters, a bit taken aback by your response that must’ve come very unexpectedly to him. However, he doesn’t hesitate to put an arm around your frame, making you feel safe in a warm embrace. “That good?” he asks, and when you nod he presses his lips against your forehead, lingering there for a while.

You don’t move, not knowing how much time is passing while you’re merely listening to the other’s breathing and enjoying each other’s warmth. At that moment, you wish you could stay like this forever, but as you close your eyes and begin to relax, all your thoughts from the past weeks about your situation with him catch up to you one by one. Deep inside you know it can’t stay like this. And the longer you’re dragging this out, the more clearly you can see just how unfair this is on him. And so eventually, you don’t see any other plausible course of action to take next than to start talking.

“Thank you… for being by my side,” you mutter. Your hand having found its way into his, you’re playing with his fingers, eyes focused on that. “I don’t know what I would’ve done without you lately… really.”

“Of course!” he responds, moving back a bit to get a proper look at your face. “You know I’d do anything for you.” You chuckle at his exaggerated words, letting go of his hand and ruffling his hair instead.

“I’m glad to have met you again,” you continue. “But… I’ve been thinking, you know? And I don’t think we can go on like this.”

“What…?”

“Just… I’m only gonna get busier, you know…?” The exact moment that he sits up, his comforting touch being torn away from you as he stares at you with disbelief on his face, you inevitably begin to feel like you fucked up. But you started this now, and there’s no way you could dig yourself back out of this mess, so you decide it’d be for the best to just see it through and be honest with him. “You know that I could never pay you back all that you’ve done for me… Hyuck.” You call out his name, but he barely even reacts with nothing but a blank expression in his eyes. You could’ve sworn you’ve never seen him this pale. “I’m gonna graduate, Hyuck. You’ll still be a student when I start working. Hell, I might have to move somewhere completely different if I don’t find a job in this city soon. And once I do find employment, I’m gonna have to work my ass off to prove my worth. I won’t have time to fool around like this anymore…”

“Fool… around…?” he repeats, speaking slowly, as his expression suddenly reflects a hundred complicated feelings. “Fool around… was all this is to you?”

“I mean… we’re friends too, obviously-”

“Y/N,” he cuts you off, and the way he says your name stabs you like a knife. “I have feelings too, you know. You can’t just…” A bitter laugh escapes him. “You’re going to tell me that it’s better if we didn’t see each other anymore, aren’t you?”

“No!” you immediately refute. “I mean-... look, we can stay friends, but I don’t know how much we’ll actually be able to see each other-”

“Friends?” he repeats in utter disbelief. “You don’t realize it, do you?”

“Realize what-”

“I’m in love with you, Y/N. I love you.”

“What…?” That is all you manage to reply to his confession. You really did never notice it, and so this comes as a shock to you. You realize that maybe him saying he’d do anything for you wasn’t an exaggeration at all, but you didn’t think he’d keep this fuckbuddy thing up if he had feelings for you all along. As if he had read your mind, he says,

“I’m sorry… I-... I didn’t want to tell you like this…” he speaks, his head hanging low now. “Not when I know you have a thousand other things to worry about, but… I just couldn’t… you said all these hurtful things. I don’t think you know how much hearing all that just now hurts.”

“I-,” you begin, but you don’t know what to say. You stare at him in utter disbelief for a moment, and then all of a sudden, from one second to the other, you feel like you’re going to suffocate if you don’t get out of here as fast as possible. “I… I can’t do this right now.” You get up off the bed and zip up your jeans. Your head is in chaos and your emotions are all jumbled up, but the one thing you can clearly feel is the anger burning in your veins. You truly are upset that he dropped such a bomb on you just before exams start and you need a clear head more than anything. “I’m going home… sorry,” you mutter under your breath, and without another look back at the guy who can’t do anything but watch as you’re slipping out of his grasp once again, you walk out of the door.

“Good luck for your exams” You let out a sigh as you finally delete the notification of the message Donghyuck sent you four days ago as you’re on your way to uni for your last exam. It’s Friday noon and you can’t wait for all of this to be over, the beginning of winter break feeling like you’re finally about to reach the safe shore after you’ve been almost drowning for weeks. 

You didn’t talk to Donghyuck for the entirety of the week - of course, or you would’ve long answered his message that he sent you on Monday. But you couldn’t bring yourself to, you didn’t even dare open the chatroom. Instead, you had focused on the necessities to get you through this week: sleep, eat, revise everything you studied, be on time for your exams, rinse and repeat. And now that it’s already the last day of this nightmare, you can’t wait to simply crash into bed once you arrive home tonight. 

It’s true that you’ve been feeling the relief after every single exam you finished, like some of the weight was taken off your shoulder with each time you walk out of a lecture hall. And yet you still feel the tiredness in your bones, but there’s something else tugging at your limbs and trying to make you stop running from one task to the other. However, you don’t let it. Too big is the fear of what you might find if you do stop and have a look, so you force all thoughts out of your mind that have nothing to do with your exams. And today as well your mind is empty when you take your seat and you’re handed the paper you’re supposed to fill out during the next one and a half hours, trusting your memory and your ability to recall the correct answers you have studied to each question.

As you’re leaving the lecture hall, finally done with the last one of your exams, somebody calls out to you. You turn your head to find one of your friends catching up with you, greeting you with a lively expression on her face.

“We’re finally done,” she says. “Now we only need to wait for our final paper to be graded and then we’re free!”

“Yeah,” you respond, trying to sound cheerful but inevitably failing. You’re just tired at this point, and no matter how relieved you are that exams are over, you can’t bring yourself to be happy.

“What’s with you?” your friend asks, concern in her voice. “Do you have to redo one of your exams?”

“No, no, it’s nothing,” you assure her, but she doesn’t buy it. 

“There’s something up with you. Did studying take that much out of you?”

“I guess,” you reply as you walk down the hallway with her, but then you hesitate. “Actually… nevermind.”

“Hm? Y/N, what is it? You’re being really weird.” She steps in front of you, making you halt on the spot, but eventually she keeps walking. “It’s okay, I shouldn’t pressure you to talk about it if you don’t want to.”

“...it’s about a friend,” you admit finally.

“A friend?” she repeats. “Did something happen to them?”

“No, just… we just haven’t seen each other much lately, and… yeah.” You lower your head and she steps closer.

“That must be a very good friend if you miss them so much,” she states, matter of factly, and that’s when you feel a stab right to your heart, putting you in physical pain.

“Right…” you mutter. Without you realizing, Donghyuck’s presence has painted your ordinary days in a color of hope, wrapping you in a feeling of safety whenever you’re with him and making you become way too comfortable around him. And now that it’s come this far, you don’t know how you’re supposed to scratch off all that paint anymore. The thought alone makes you feel sick to the stomach - you shouldn’t have been such an idiot. You knew where this would lead, and that you wouldn’t have the time to fool around with him anymore once you’ve graduated. A feeling of deep regret overcomes you. 

You shouldn’t have said yes when he suggested leaving your class reunion together.

When you get home that day, you finally let yourself feel the full consequences of the past weeks filled with stress and you crash into your bed immediately. You haven’t planned to go to sleep this early, but at some point you simply find yourself drifting off, and the next time you open your eyes it’s Saturday morning. 

Your body aches as you force yourself to get out of bed, and when you open the curtains and the sunlight blinds your eyes, you curse existence itself. You trod over to the bathroom, wash your face, and after finding yourself unable to look at your reflection in the mirror, you return to your little kitchen to get yourself a simple breakfast. Finishing it while scrolling through social media on your phone, you then get yourself back to your bed, plummeting down on it and grabbing one of the books stacked atop your bedside table that you never found the time to finish while uni has kept you occupied. You open it on the page you had left off weeks ago, and after fighting your way through roughly two and a half paragraphs, you give up and you put the book back to where it’s been resting untouched until now. Your mind just won’t let you focus on this now, so you pick your heavy body up off the comfortable sheets and decide to take a shower first of all.

Things continue like this for the next few days. Even though exams are finally over, you just can’t find it in you to rest properly. Neither going out to have fun nor staying at home and having some quality alone time sound appealing to you, and soon enough you figure out why. No matter what you do or where you are, there’s this constant pain in your chest dragging you down, because time and time again you find yourself impulsively wanting to tell Donghyuck about your day, or even just sending him a funny meme you found on instagram. But you can’t. In a way this reminds you of five years ago, when you started spending less and less time together in high school and then eventually broke up with each other. You recall finding yourself in situations like this back when you started college as well, wanting to tell him about something fun or exciting that happened but feeling unable to, because it’s already been months since you had last talked. However, there’s one significant difference between then and now. 

Then, you merely found it a shame that you couldn’t freely text him or talk to him anymore. But you had moved on, finding new friends to talk to about those same things. Now, it’s like someone had torn a chunk of yourself out of your chest, and you’re slowly bleeding out as your nervous system prevents you from doing anything at all, signaling you that there must be a more urgent matter to take care of first. And only once you come to understand that this matter has to do with nothing other than Donghyuck himself, that’s when something finally connects in your mind. Your days have been painted with his colors, but maybe you’re not supposed to get rid of all that paint. Maybe you’re simply supposed to embrace it, because after all those years he’s become someone who’s just right for you. And maybe he’s become someone you can even come to love.

No, he’s already someone you love, you just never realized it.

Without thinking, you open your chatroom with Donghyuck, his last message still unanswered, and you start typing.

“I need to see you.”

“Now.”

You stand on his doorstep, taking a deep breath. Donghyuck had texted you back eventually, offering to meet at his place, so that’s where you are now, nervous to ring the doorbell. It was you who suddenly decided to come see him, so why are you so hesitant?

Another deep breath, exhaled shakily, and you reach out to press the bell button. Maybe 10 seconds later, the door opens, and when Donghyuck mutters a greeting with a distant expression in his eyes, it’s like a slap to your face.

“Come in, I guess,” he says as he’s already turning around, and you do as told. Taking your shoes off, you follow him a few steps inside, and shooting you a cold look, he asks, “What do you need to talk about?”

You’ve never seen him like this. Even when you broke up at the end of high school there wasn’t such a dark expression on his face. At that moment you have no idea how to shake off the guilt anymore, and so all you can do is let the words burst out of you.

“I’m sorry… I’m so sorry for doing this to you.” He watches you with a look over his shoulder and you let your head hang, hoping he isn’t aware of the way tears are welling up in your eyes. “I can’t imagine how much I must’ve hurt you.” You add those words through gritted teeth, afraid of a sob suddenly making its way past your lips if you’re not careful.

“Then why are you the one crying?” he asks, staying surprisingly calm.

“B-because…” You gulp, and figuring that it’s too late anyway, you lift your chin to look at him and you use the sleeves of your shirt to wipe the tears from your eyes. “Because I’m an idiot. And I don’t want to see the person I love suffer.”

“Y/N…” he breathes your name before turning around fully to face you. He steps closer, but still keeps a good distance between you two. “You rejected me only a few days ago…”

“I know.” Your words are merely a whisper now. “Because I was scared… the future seems so overwhelming that I kept thinking I don’t have space for something like this. But… that doesn’t mean… that I didn’t still fall in love with you.” Silence follows, the only sound disrupting it being the soft sigh Donghyuck lets out before he finally closes the distance between you.

“Can I… hold you?” You nod at his question and you let him come closer, until you find yourself safely wrapped into his embrace, his warm breath tickling your neck as he buries his face there. 

“I’m so sorry for how I acted… you must really hate me now…” you mutter, and you’re almost startled when your friend lets out a laugh as he’s holding you.

“Yes, because I always go around hugging my enemies like this,” he says with a tired yet cheeky grin on his lips, and seeing that expression on his face suddenly washes all your worries away.

“Right…”

“It’s okay, Y/N… I know you had a rough time. I shouldn’t have confessed to you so suddenly either,” he apologizes, but you immediately shake your head, vigorously.

“No, don’t say sorry! I… I kind of get it… that it had to get out,” you say. “Especially after I said all those hurtful things to you.” He brings one hand up to your cheek, brushing his knuckles against the skin there and as his eyes scan your facial features you can unmistakably see how much he adores you. It makes your heart soar, and you part your lips as your gaze falls to his mouth.

“Y/N,” he calls out to you. “Does that mean… I can ask you to be my girlfriend now?”

“Sure…” you mumble, the urge to feel his lips on yours clouding your mind. “And when I’m your girlfriend… can you kiss me then?”

“Of course,” he chuckles, and he takes a tiny step away from you so he could take your hands into his, intertwining your fingers. “Y/N, would you be my girlfriend?” You can’t suppress the smile that creeps onto your face as you listen to his question, and you nod.

“Yes, please,” you answer. “Let me be your girlfriend.” And then he kisses you, slowly and carefully, and this time you aren’t confused on what those feelings he’s pouring into this kiss are. This time you know that it’s all the love he has for you, and you let it wrap you into a veil of warmth and comfort, feeling safe with him.

“I love you,” you mutter in between kisses, and eventually your hands find their way up into his hair. You kiss him back as you comb through it, and when you hear him whisper those same words back at you in between kisses, you once again can’t control the smile on your lips. You part to look at each other, finding an unmistakable desire for more behind his gaze, and so you begin moving as you connect your lips to his again.

"I'm sorry..." you mutter in between kisses, as you're steering him towards the bedroom, and he lets out a sigh against your lips in response. "I want to make it up to you."

"You don't have to," Donghyuck mutters with his hands on your waist, and you reach the bed, positioning yourselves so you could have him sit with one swift push against his chest. Crawling on top of him as he merely looks up at you, eyes half-lidded and lips slightly parted while he awaits your next kiss, he's already completely drunk on you.

"Then see it as me taking care of you?" you whisper, reconnecting your lips to his. Your arms wrapped tightly around his shoulders and him having his hands securely placed on your sides for stability, you merely keep kissing like that. Unhurriedly, because now you both know there's nothing rushing you anymore, nothing that would tear you apart.

"I love you." He mutters those words as you part, and when you open your eyes you can see him already nervously peeking up at you. You can't help but smile endearingly, cupping his cheek with one hand before you lean in for another sweet kiss to his reddened lips.

"I love you too, Hyuck," you say just when you pull back, and you let your fingertips wander down his upper body. Watching his face closely for his reactions, you pull his shirt off him, tossing it to the floor, and then you add, "Lie down for me, baby. I'll make you feel good." It comes as a surprise even to you to see him obey so quickly, and you let your palm glide down the bare skin on his chest and abdomen as he lies back. And then, when you reach for his wrists to pin them against the bed right next to his head, you can see a slight but still apparent blush creeping onto his cheeks, and he lets out a sound that's somewhere between a groan and a quiet whine.

"Fuck, you make me go crazy," you mutter as you press another kiss to his puffy lips, and when you sink your teeth into his bottom lip he moans into your mouth, the act alone sending heatwaves through your body. You instinctively roll your hips on top of his, earning yourself another small mewl from him, and then you trail kisses from the corner of his mouth to his throat. He leans his head back to give you better access, brows furrowed as he sighs in contentment. Forming his hands into fists, he digs his nails into his palms and whines some more as you continue grinding down on him, and the way you feel him grow underneath you turns you on as well. And then eventually you let go of his wrists to work your way down, peppering kisses all over his chest as he immediately throws his arms around your body, holding onto you tightly. 

"Hyuck..." you call out his name as you sit up briefly, and then you continue trailing nips and kisses down his body. "Let me hear you." He curses as your hand ghosts above his core, watching you with an expectant gaze in his eyes. You pull down the sweatpants he's wearing, and then his underwear, both just enough so his hard length is exposed. You wrap your fingers around him, and you kneel above him now, one of his thighs positioned between your legs, so you could get a good look at his face as you start to slowly jerk him off. 

"Look at me," you demand, and he does, the blush returning to his cheeks.

"Faster..." he mutters, barely audible, and you teasingly ask him to repeat himself. "Faster, please..." he begs through gritted teeth, and when you tighten your grip on his shaft just a little bit, he responds with a moan. "Can't take it..."

"Are you gonna let me hear more of those pretty moans?" you question, lips quivering in anticipation.

"Y-yes..." You don't know if your mind is tricking you or if his blush is growing just a bit darker as he answers, but either way you begin to move your hand faster, having him whining underneath you as he throws his head back. You watch with your lips slightly parted, and it's not like you've never seen him like this before, but there's just something about the way he gives himself up to pleasure when you have him in this kind of position that always gets you going. You move your hips in tune with the speed at which you get him off, grinding your clothed core down on his thigh, and he pushes his leg up just a bit to give you more friction.

"Shit..." you hiss, pleasure clouding your mind, and Donghyuck reaches down to wrap his fingers around your hand, guiding you into a faster pace. You collect the precum leaking his tip and use it as lube to glide down his length more smoothly, and as you can see on his face that he's about to lose himself to the sensation, you mutter a warning, "Don't cum yet."

"But-" he whines, and you take your hand away just before he can reach his high. "Y/N..." he desperately whines your name and you lean in to press a soothing kiss somewhere onto his chest, and then another one against his cheek.

"I wanna have you cumming inside me," you whisper, and when you sit back up you quickly rid yourself of all your clothes, in the end helping him out of his pants as well. You crawl on top of him, your hands placed on his shoulders for support, and you let out a curse as you roll your hips against him, his tip rubbing against your folds. And once again he whines, pressing his eyes tightly shut and digging his nails into your hips. 

"Just fuck me already..." he breathes, but you have other plans.

"Be good and I will, baby," you coo as you repeat your motion without letting him slip inside you. He begins to squirm underneath you, visibly fighting to suppress his orgasm, and you swear you could cum from the sight alone. "Fuck... you're so fucking hot like that, Hyuck..." you mutter through gritted teeth, his repeated whines sounding like music to your ears.

"C-can't... hold back..." And once again you stop the stimulation just as he's about to cum, and with a frustrated groan he throws his head back into the mattress, dragging his nails down your skin. You reach for his hands, and as you intertwine your fingers you pin them above his head, and you can't but coo over the desperate look he gives you, and the way his cheeks are reddening again.

"You gonna cum right when I take you in, aren't you?" you ask, smirking at him after pressing a kiss to his forehead. "So desperate for my pussy..." And he can't do anything but whine at your words, because you both know you're right, and him denying it would just make him look stupid. "Then cum for me, baby," you mutter against his lips as you seal them with yours, running your tongue along his mouth to deepen the kiss. You sink down on him, taking in his size with ease, and the second you start rolling your hips he releases inside you as he moans into your mouth. Heat rushes through your veins when you part and you sit up, letting go of his wrists and combing the fingers of one hand through his disheveled hair instead. 

"Didn't think you really would cum the instant you're inside me," you mock him, earning yourself another whine from him. "And I bet you're also gonna be hard again in no time if I keep this up," you mumble, rolling your hips on top of him slowly. "Such a sucker for when I'm in control, huh?"

"Yeah..." he breathes out, and you unexpectedly feel your heart swell at his answer. Usually he'd be fighting back by now, trying to battle you for dominance or at least being bratty, but today you really just have him at your mercy unconditionally.

"Is it because I finally said that I love you?" you conclude, as if he had heard your thought process.

"Huh?" You run your fingers through his hair again, and then you lean in for another deep kiss.

"Do you like it that much when I play with you like this, or are you being good because you're scared I'll leave if you're not perfect for me?" Donghyuck stares at you for a while as you sit back up, the blush on his cheeks fading, and when he finally reaches out to you to press your body against his for a tight embrace, he answers,

"No, I trust you. And I kinda like it when you sometimes use me." A storm of emotions washing over you, you bring some distance between you and him slowly, and after mustering his genuine expression for a while, you reach for his hands once again.

"Don't touch me," you order as you put them back into their place above his head. "And don't cum until I tell you to. If you wanna be my little toy you gotta be good, alright?"

"Alright." He gulps, taking you in as you're sitting on top of him, starting to ride him with one hand sliding down your body, fingertips reaching your core to give yourself some extra stimulation. Eyes dripping with honey, he keeps his hands in place, and the more you can feel him growing inside you, the more you can also see him struggling to keep his composure.

"Fuck, you're so sexy," he mutters eventually, and you hum a praise to signal him to keep going. "Feels so good... wanna be good for you..."

"That's right..." you mutter, your eyelids fluttering shut as you bounce on top of him, rubbing circles onto your clit. You position yourself so that everytime you sink down on him his tip would graze that perfect spot inside you, and along with listening to his words and the way his voice starts shaking from the pleasure has you seeing stars soon enough.

"U-use me, please... wanna feel you cum on my cock..." he sputters, and you moan at his pleas.

"Doing so well for me, baby... shit, nobody could ever make me feel as good as you..." He whines desperately as you keep your pace slow, in hopes of bringing him as close as possible to the edge as you're racing towards your own high. "Hyuck..." you mutter his name, your voice trembling. "Cum with me." Another moan falling from his lips and you feel yourself shaken by your orgasm, clenching around him as he spills inside you a second time. 

"Shit..." With a curse you collapse on top of him, finding him wrapping his arms around you in a comforting motion, and you add, "You were amazing." He nuzzles his face into the side of your head, lips brushing against your temple, and once you've caught your breath a bit you give him a proper kiss. "I'm sorry... for trying to push you away like th-" Donghyuck puts his index finger across your lips, shutting you up in the process, and with a soft smile he shakes his head.

"Stop apologizing," he says. "It's okay now. Let's focus on the future, and how we can build it together." His hand cupping your face and his thumb brushing against your cheek make your heart skip a beat, and you simply nod.

"You're right," you respond, and you lie back down on top of him, nestling into his chest. "If we just have each other, we can make it through anything."

#nct smut #haechan smut #nct dream smut #nct 127 smut #nct oneshot #nct drabbles #nct scenarios #nct imagines #nct dream drabbles #nct dream scenarios #nct dream imagines #haechan x reader #nct x reader #nct dream x reader #nct 127 x reader #nct 127 scenarios #nct fic #haechan fic #nct oneshots #haechan oneshot #nct fluff #haechan fluff #nct 127 fluff #nct dream fluff #smut #oneshot

[jinnie-ret]

Hihi! I hope you’re doing well 🩷

I was wondering if maybe you’d be willing to write a comfort fix of Felix x reader who has severe nausea + fainting spells?

I have both and lately it’s been so overwhelming to the point where I can’t work whether at school or my job because I get so overwhelmed to the point that I cry for hours lol

another day

felix x reader

genre: angst, comfort

content warnings: talk of nausea, fainting, dizziness

word count: 0.6k

summary: your boyfriend felix comes over to help you through your fainting spells.

Sorry this is late! I hope you're feeling better by now my lovely and that your fainting spells aren't too bad. I bet it's a horrible feeling so I hope this brought some comfort to you.

Reblog if you enjoyed, and let me know if you want to be added to my taglist!

FELIX'S MASTERLIST

MAIN MASTERLIST

The throbbing pain in your head was getting worse and worse. Yes, you had made it from your bed to the sofa in the living room of your apartment, but you weren't going to be moving anytime soon. It had been like this since last night, but you thought with a good night's sleep, that the dizzy spells and nausea would have left by then.

But they hadn't.

You had a part time job to work, a uni assignment to work on, and people to see. Those people being your friends and your boyfriend. Perhaps it was the stress of this that made your headache worse, but it wasn't going to be leaving anytime soon, and so, neither were you.

Unaware of all the buzzes coming from your phone, you groaned as you curled up into a tighter ball on the sofa, tugging your blanket over you. And you fell into a deep sleep after experiencing another dizzy spell that and the whole room spinning.

Ring. Ring. Ring.

You groaned as you stirred from your unconscious state. Who was ringing you at this time? Hand shakily gripping onto your phone, you winced as you dropped it in the floor. You managed to swipe answer.

"Hello? Baby? You there? Why haven't you been answering my texts?!" Felix's panicked voice was heard from the floor, as your arm dangled off the side of the sofa.

"Ughhh, Lixie?" you quietly groaned, your voice sounding a distance away as Felix immediately stopped his worried ramblings.

"Y/Nnie? Babe, what was that?" Felix asked more calmly this time, although you could still hear a slight trembling in his voice over the phone.

"Feel awful," you whimpered, groaning as you shuffled slightly to sit up and grab your phone.

"Aw, babe, is it your fainting spells again?" Felix cooed over the phone, hoping the answer would be no because he knew how much you suffered in times like this.

"Y-yeah, I, I..." you trailed off, words muffled slightly before you hit the floor, hard.

"Y/Nnie? Babe?! Shit... I'm coming over," Felix immediately gathered his things and headed over to your place. He stayed on the phone on his way there and you stirred, waking up again.

"Ow," you winced, having landed on your arm.

"Baby? You're awake?" Felix sounded breathless.

"Felix? Where are you?" you groaned, sitting up and grabbing onto the sofa.

"I'm a minute away, baby, I'm nearly there," he sounded like he was entering your apartment building now. You didn't even have chance to respond before your door was being unlocked and the presence of an angel was beside you, lifting you with ease into the sofa. Hands traced your body, checking you over.

"Oh, my girl, what's been going on?" Felix pushed your hair back, scanning your face for any signs of discomfort and looking into your eyes specifically to see if you could focus on him.

"Dizzy spells, again. Been feeling so sick," you mumbled, squeezing his hand back as he sat with you, eyebrows furrowed in concern.

"You should have told me, love, I've been going crazy with worry all morning. Can I get you anything?" Felix gently cupped your face with his hand.

"Mmm, just need you right now," you yawned, eyes naturally watering and he wiped them for you.

"Ok, ok, I've got you, let's just relax for now, and if you need anything I'm right here, okay love?" Felix wrapped his arms around you, shifting his body to lay down next to you, and cradling you in his arms.

tagged: @skz-streamer @kiraisastay @hannahhbahng @backintomykpopphaseagain @sakufilms @hanjiquokkaaa @arloo00 @dunno-wut-to-do @splat00z @cheesemonky

#skz #skz x reader #stray kids x reader #stray kids #skz fluff #skz angst #straykids imagines #stray kids fluff #stray kids imagines #skz fic #lee felix x you #lee felix x reader #felix x you #felix x y/n #felix x reader #lee felix x y/n #lee felix x female reader #felix angst #lee felix fluff #felix fluff #lee felix angst

[mymoodwriting]

Request for Anon (Yandere Professors Bang Chan, Hongjoong, & Sangyeon) 5k, yandere, college professors, scolding, manipulation, aggression, yelling, dub-con, non-con, smut, fingering, penetration, creampie, gang bang, bruising (@starillusion13)

“Have you forgotten who we are?”

Ever since you were young you knew you wanted to be a star. You wanted to be on stage, you wanted to entertain, you wanted to be loved. It was fortunate your parents supported you in this dream, even before they realized how serious you were. They signed you up for dance lessons, as well as singing, and did anything else they could to help. You were talented, and that was obvious from a young age. So it was no surprise when you got accepted into a prestigious arts university. Your parents were so proud, and you were so excited to properly start building your career.

Of course you had actually had the chance to show your talents before entering uni. You participated in some singing competitions, and did a few shows here and there. Some people knew you, but you weren’t a celebrity. You may have already had a chance to be on a stage, but that wasn’t gonna make you think you were better than others. At uni you were just another student, and maybe you wouldn’t even make it as big as you wanted to be, but being here was a great step. You wouldn’t bring up your past achievements, and do your best to get along with others. After all, in this industry it’s all about connections.

With that in mind you were quite surprised when some of your professors offered to privately tutor you and help you with your studies. They didn’t really do tutoring in general, but it seemed they were willing to make an exception for you. It had already been a few weeks, and by now they had all seen what you could do. You figured it was a good sign, so did your parents and they agreed to the tutoring. It was something you took seriously, but it was certainly more than you expected. Now you always stayed late with your professors. 

After your classes you’d spend a few hours with either professor Bang, professor Lee, or professor Kim in the dance studio. They had their own classes so it tended to be someone different each time. You’d practice your dance moves and work on developing your own style. It was quite exhausting, but fun nonetheless. Once you wrapped that up you took a bit of a break and then headed to the studio. You were already quite talented with singing, but that wasn’t the only thing they wanted you to focus on. If you really wanted to be a star, you had to be incredible, and they believed you were capable. 

So besides singing and dancing you were being taught about lyrical structure and music composition, then they even threw rap lessons into the mix. You weren’t studying all of these things on your own, this was certainly extra work they were putting on you. Still, they always assure you that you were capable, and you certainly felt you were learning. All this would give you an extra edge when trying to get a foothold in the industry, but there was something about this whole thing. After all, nothing is free, especially not in this industry.

“So, there’s this new place that opened up in town, and we should totally go.” Your friend Ava suggested. “I’ve heard good things from it. You in?”

“I’m out.” You commented.

“You’re always out.” Your other friend, Misu, pouted. “Are you ever going to hang out with us after class?”

“You know I have dance practice and then a session in the studio.”

“Those professors really don’t give you a break, do they?”

“They’re just trying to help.”

“Talk about picking favorites.” Lyla added. “You’re a freshman and they’re giving you all these free lessons. It’s kinda unfair.”

“They offered, and I couldn’t just turn them down.”

“You sure your parents didn’t pay them?”

“My parents never came to campus before they offered to tutor me.”

“Then what do they get out of it?” Ava asked. “No way they just tutor you for free.”

“Well… they kinda do.” You admitted nervously. “I should get going.”

“No, come on, girl. Text them you’re not feeling well and come with us.”

“Ava-”

“Please, pretty please, just this once.”

“Yeah, we never get to see you anymore.” Misu commented. “Let’s go hang out together. One day off won’t kill you.”

You sighed. “Alright, fine, but just this once.”

“Awesome!”

You were lucky you didn’t have any of your tutors as your last class of the day. So you sent a message in the group chat with them, letting them know you were feeling under the weather and apologized for missing your lessons. With that done you packed your things and went with your friends, talking about the plans for the evening. It really had been a while since you hung out with them, so you were greatly looking forward to this.

“Y/n.”

You stopped dead in your tracks when you heard a firm voice call your name. You swore under your breath, trying your best to compose yourself. You slowly turned around, your friends already knowing what the situation was

“Professor Kim-”

“I thought you were feeling under the weather?”

“She is.” Misu cut in. “We’re taking her back to her dorm.”

“Is that so?”

The professor walked up to you, pressing his palm against your head. Then he placed a finger under your nose. You closed your eyes, realizing you had been caught.

“You seem fine to me.”

“I-”

“You shouldn’t skip your lessons.”

“It-”

“Come on now.”

The professor took your hand and yanked you away from your friends. They attempted to protest but you just shook your head at them. You got caught, so you’d have to suffer the consequences. You figured you’d be taken to the dance studio, as was the routine, but instead you were dragged to the recording studio. Upon entering you saw that professor Bang and professor Lee were also there. You were shoved onto the couch, keeping your head down as you adjusted yourself.

“I found her.”

“Feeling under the weather?” Professor Lee questioned. “You forget I saw you this morning, and you were just fine.”

“Sorry…”

“Sorry? You lied to us, and for what?”

“I just wanted to hang out with my friends…”

“What kind of friends convince you it’s a good idea to ditch your lessons? Those are not good friends.”

“They-”

“Let’s not argue the details.” Professor Bang said. “The question is, what will be the consequences? Care to guess?”

“…”

“Since we’re here we should start with your vocal lessons today. Let’s warm up.”

That wasn’t a suggestion, so you got up and made your way into the recording booth, professor Lee following you. He brought in a stool with him and had you sit down. He placed his hands on your shoulders, slowly sliding them down your arms and then yanking them behind your back. You kept them there as you heard him take off his belt, using it to tie your hands together. He brought the mic closer to you, standing behind you.

“You may begin.”

You took a breath and began with your warm ups, following what you had learned, as well as what they had taught you. After a moment you felt professor Lee’s hands trailing down your sides, his hands reaching your thighs and massaging them gently. Instinctively you closed your legs, but he merely pulled them apart, tsking in your ear. From there his hands moved inward, his fingers rubbing at your core through your panties. You were never one for skirts, but had gotten into the habit of wearing them because of your tutors. You yelped into the microphone, feeling a bit shy.

“Keep going.”

“Professor-”

“When it’s just us you call us by our names, remember?”

“Yes, Sangyeon.”

“Good girl. Now continue.”

You tried to keep your voice steady as Sangyeon continued his distraction. You even had to avert your gaze as Chan and Hongjoong were watching you from the other side of the glass. It didn’t help anything when Sangyeon pushed your panties aside and his cold fingers ran up along your core. You shivered, accidentally making eye-contact with Chan. You felt your face burning and you shut your eyes. You tried to compose yourself and bit your lip, but Sangyeon pushed a finger into you, a moan escaping you.

“Are you getting this?” Sangyeon asked.

“We’re recording.” Hongjoong assured.

“Good.”

Sangyeon wrapped his free hand around your throat, putting light pressure on it as he held your head high. You had to stay by the microphone and continue your warm up. You desperately tried to move, but your arms were restrained, and Sangyeon was holding you still. His fingers kept working you over, eventually finding your sweet spot. You whimpered into the mic, your breathing becoming uneven. Your face wasn’t the only thing burning anymore. By then Sangyeon had two fingers into you, his lips pressing kisses against your cheek.

“Sa… Sangyeon…”

“Hm?”

“… please…”

“You don’t deserve to cum.”

He pushed you closer to the edge before stopping, pulling his fingers out. You whimpered, and looked up to him with pleading eyes. All you got was a kiss on your head as he undid the belt and freed your arms.

“We’ll start in ten.” Chan announced into the booth. “And you’re not allowed to touch yourself.”

Sangyeon left you alone, and you took the time to catch your breath and finish your warm up. You felt frustrated, but your lessons had only just begun. You practiced your singing and rapping, following the verses given to you and trying to do your own thing with them. When you finished you collapsed onto the couch in the studio, wanting to get some rest.

“Here.”

You opened your eyes when someone tapped your legs, seeing Hongjoong offering you a cup of tea. You took it and gave a smile, getting yourself a pat on the head. For now you’d let your voice rest and work on composition. Chan really wanted to get you to a point where you could write your own music. There was a great opportunity coming up as the university was having its annual freshmen showcase. It wasn’t mandatory, but it would be beneficial for any of the new students, even transfers, to participate.

“Chan.”

“Hm?”

“I was thinking of partnering with one of my friends for the showcase.”

“No.”

“But-”

“The showcase is very important and you can’t be doing it with someone else.”

“Why not? I don’t-”

“You have to show that you can be a star on your own before you collaborate with others.” Chan explained. “Besides, you’re already marked down as a solo act.”

“What!? I haven’t even submitted my-”

“We did it for you.” Hongjoong chimed in. “You can’t leave such things at the last minute.”

“I guess…”

“Hm, have you forgotten who we are?”

“No, of course not.”

“Then you have to trust us. We’re not just professors, but artists in the industry. We get a say whether you make it or not, and we do like you. So you shouldn’t ruin your chances.”

“Right.”

“As long as you stick with us and do what we say, you’ll end up in the spotlight.”

You took a sip of your tea before Chan took it from you, pulling you onto his lap. He wrapped his arms around you, resting his chin on your shoulder.

“Daddy doesn’t wanna see you fail.” Chan mumbled. “And I’m not talking about your father.”

Chan placed a kiss on your neck, his lips trailing up until he stopped to press a big kiss on your cheek. He giggled into the kiss.

“Hm, we should go over to the dance studio. You can’t skip practice.”

“I know.”

The four of you made your way over to the dance studio, using a private practice room. They helped you with your warm ups, and then continued where you left off. They intended to have you dance as well for the showcase, so they had been working with you to choreograph your routine. It was still a work in progress, but you were at the halfway point. After three hours you collapsed to the floor, exhausted and finally done for the day. You were laying on the ground, eyes shut, and catching your breath when you felt someone on top of you. When you opened your eyes you found Sangyeon smiling down at you.

“Don’t you look pretty.”

“I’m all sweaty.”

“A beautiful glow.”

“You’re gross.”

“One must find beauty everywhere, and you look amazing.”

You remembered that this was how it all started. When the trio had first taken you on it seemed like a normal student and tutor situation. It wasn’t until one of your dance practices that you realized there was more going on. After a long session you found yourself under Chan. Before you could say anything he was kissing you. At first you were shocked but then you pushed him off, moving away. You told him it was wrong, and that you weren’t interested in him in such a manner, but that didn’t stop him. He wound up pinning you down beneath him, telling you not to lie to yourself. He knew the way other students would stare at him, and you were no different. Maybe that was true, but this still felt wrong.

You thought things would stay between you and Chan, but he was very open with affection in front of the other two. That led to them getting intimate with you as well. It started softly with kisses, but when it was just one on one they got bold. First it was Sangyeon in the dance studio, taking you after a lesson and pushing you to your limits. Then it was Chan in the studio before you practiced, telling you to consider it a warm up. Lastly it was Hongjoong after his lecture, having you stay with him since your private studies with him would begin afterwards. You could tell they all had some experience on that front.

Now they were all just comfortable with each other and you, so they had no problem taking turns. At this point you weren’t sure if they actually cared about you or if you were their project and they were gonna make you famous. At least they didn’t seem to doubt your talent, which is probably why you were still engaging with them in such a manner. There were times when it hit you how wrong all this was, but this was your golden opportunity, and you couldn’t blow it. So you went along with them. All the private sessions, the one-on-one practices, the sex. None of it was bad, but you knew for sure those around you would say awful things behind your back if they knew the truth.

🖤

“Yo, what’s the plan for the weekend?”

“I’m gonna be at the studio working on my showcase.”

“Girl, do you ever take a break.”

“Winter break is coming up.”

“And you sure you gonna take it?”

“I’m fine Misu, and yes, I will definitely enjoy my winter break.”

“Then I’ll make plans for then since you always seem busy.”

“One has to work hard to make it in this type of industry.”

“I know it. Although some good connections can go a long way. I need to start getting closer to my professors.”

“Just not too close.”

“Why not? You have to admit some of them are very-”

“Stop! I don’t want to know your type.”

“Alright, virgin.”

“Ya! That’s not true.”

“Then who was your first?”

“Uh…”

“Exactly. Virgin.”

“Whatever. Enjoy your weekend.”

“You too. Don’t work too hard.”

“I’ll try not to.”

It was sweet that your friends always checked in with you about the weekend, hoping for the day you don’t say you’re busy. One day that will be the case but for now you had to spend your weekend with your tutors. You had to be at the studio by eight in the morning, so it always sucked having to drag yourself out of bed. You made a stop for coffee on your way, making sure to get some for everyone too. When you walked into the studio you were greeted with happy faces. They already seemed wide awake unlike yourself. Maybe they didn’t sleep at all.

“Look who showed up late.”

“It’s not eight yet, Sangyeon.”

“If you’re on time you’re late, if you’re early you’re on time.”

“I see, my bad.”

“We’ll work on that.” Sangyeon teased. “Let’s get you settled in before we begin.”

You had your coffee and the session was going by like normal until there was a knock at the door. It was the weekend, so not many students would be on campus. Although as everyone shared glances the door opened and your friend Misu stepped in.

“Hey- wow, what’s this?”

“A private session.” Chan stated. “Please leave.”

Chan didn’t wait for a response as he closed the door and locked it. Things were quiet for a moment, the guys waiting for the uninvited guest to leave. Once they were gone they all turned to look at you.

“What the hell was that?” Hongjoong questioned. “Did you invite your friend?”

“No! Not at all!”

“I think you’re lying.”

“I swear I’m not.”

“Then why show up here?” Sangyeon wondered. “On a weekend of all times?”

“I… I mentioned to Misu that I would be in the studio this weekend, but I never invited her! I didn’t think she’d show up to surprise me or something.”

“I thought we told you to stop socializing with your so-called friends.”

“Uh… they are my friends though, I can’t-”

“You can’t be having friends at this point in your career.”

“What? Doesn’t it pay to have connections in the industry?”

“It does.” Chan stated. “And you have us. No one else matters.”

“But-”

“What did you tell her you were doing here today?”

“That… that I was working on my showcase.”

“So she came to potentially steal your ideas, or perhaps convince you to perform as a duo?”

“I… no, she wouldn’t-”

“And how can you be so sure? The showcase is a very important event for all the new students. Those that don’t perform well don’t stick around.”

“Oh…”

“We shouldn’t continue at the school.” Sangyeon said. “It’s better we take these sessions off campus.”

“Off campus? What do you mean-”

“We can use my studio.” Hongjoong volunteered. “None of my artists are using it this weekend.”

“You… you have your own studio?”

“Of course. Chan does as well.”

“Woah…”

“We’re not just professors. So let’s go.”

There really wasn’t a choice here, so you went with them to Hongjoong studio. It was in the city, one of the biggest buildings around. The others also seemed to know their way around. It wasn’t really noticeable before, but seeing how they all acted with one another it was safe to say they were good friends. When you walked into the studio you were quite amazed. The view was incredible.

“This is your studio?”

“You like?” Hongjoong chuckled. “Need a good view and sunlight for motivation. I’ve done some of my best work here.”

“In more ways than one.” Chan commented. “Now let’s focus. She’s spent enough time worried about others.”

“I’m not some kid. It’s important to socialize and-”

“Y/n, you’re a talented girl, and that’s why we picked you, but you should know to respect your seniors.”

“You’re also my professors and this-”

“We’re taking out free time and giving it to you.” Sangyeon reminded. “It would be rude if you took that for granted.”

“I-”

“You still need to be punished for what happened earlier today.”

“Uh…” “I agree.” Hongjoong added. “Let’s enjoy the view some more.”

“What?”

Hongjoong stalked over to you, forcing you back until your back hit the glass. He placed his hand on either side, boxing you in. You felt your face burning, avoiding Hongjoong’s gaze, but he ended up grabbing your chin and made you meet his eyes.

“Hongjoong…”

“You’re gonna be a star.”

He leaned in close, pressing his lips against yours. By now it was a force of habit to kiss back, or maybe it was just you wanting this too. Hongjoong’s hands trailed down your body, grabbing onto your waist. When he pulled away from the kiss his eyes gazed into yours with lust before he flipped you around. He pressed you up against the glass, a hand trailing down into your pants, rubbing you through your panties.

“No one can see us all the way up here.”

“… you… you sure?”

“The glass is one way.”

“Oh…”

Hongjoong pressed kisses against your neck, sucking on bits here and there to mark you up. He kept you firmly pressed against the glass, leaving you with little room to move as he teased you. This was only the beginning and that was obvious once he moved aside your panties and ran his fingers along your throbbing core. You squirmed, pressing your ass against his crotch without meaning too, feeling something hard poking you back.

“You just have to ask, baby girl.” Hongjoong whispered. “Take your pants off.”

It wasn’t a request, especially when he helped you out by unzipping your pants. You hooked your thumbs into your pants, carefully shiming out of them as Hongjoong kept teasing you. After a moment your pants hit the ground at your ankles, and you carefully stepped out of them. Hongjoong pushed your legs apart, two fingers sliding inside you. A moan escaped your lips and you could see your breath on the glass. You were so focused on your own pleasure you didn’t realize Hongjoong had pulled his dick out. You only felt it press against your ass for a moment before he removed his fingers and then slid right into your pussy. You let out a loud moan, eyes rolling to the back of your head.

You needed a moment to adjust as he had done a sloppy job with prep. His heavy breathing was right against your ear, and he whispered how tight you were. He asked if you were ready and you nodded your head. His hands moved to your hips and he slowly began to move, getting into a rhythm before his basic instincts took over. Every thrust pushed you against the glass, giving you a slightly uncomfortable feeling, but it didn’t matter compared to everything else. You were panting against the glass, pushing back against Hongjoong as best as you could. You could feel yourself approaching the edge, mumbling something to Hongjoong, but he was in his own world.

By the way his movements were getting sloppy you knew he was close too. All you had to do was wait and play along, he’d take care of you in the end. His grip on your hips got tight, most likely going to leave bruises. Hongjoong ended up wrapping an arm around you and pulling your back against his chest. He thrust up into you a few times before you felt something warm running down your leg. The sensation pushed you over the edge and you were cumming alongside him. You had your head thrown back, resting on his shoulder as you came down from you high, catching your breath.

“What a good girl.”

Hongjoong kept you in place for a moment before pulling out and bringing you over to the couch. You were still out of breath, but were starting to settle down.

“You really got no problem making a mess in your own studio.” Sangyeon commented. 

“I have a cleaner.” Hongjoong mentioned. “And this wouldn’t be the first time they deep clean this place. Up against the glass is a popular place.”

“What about the couch?”

“A good choice too.”

“I like the sound of that.”

Sangyeon pulled you up and onto his lap. You were still exhausted but he loved the look in your eyes. He didn’t mind the mess either, his hand slipping down between your legs, fingers digging into the mess of cum still dripping out.

“Did you have fun?” You nodded. “That’s good. You had your break so how about I take you for a ride.”

“Sure…”

“At a girl.”

Sangyeon pressed his lips to yours, a new flavor into the mix. You kissed back, leaning into him. Your legs were still shaking, your mind numb from the pleasure, but you continued with Sangyeon’s advances. His thumb was rubbing at your clit, taking full advantage of your current state. You had your arms wrapped around him, feeling how he found your sweet spot and began to abuse it. Before you cooled down he wanted to get in on the action, and now that he had you in his hands it was easy. He kept fingering you while he undid his pants with his free hand, springing out his cock. He stroked himself, getting hard, leaking pre-cum all over his hand.

“You ready, darling?”

“Hm.”

You didn’t even notice when Sangyeon removed his fingers, but you certainly felt the stretch of his cock pushing your walls apart. You held onto him and moaned into his ear as he pushed into the mess, the squelching sound filling the room. Sangyeon let out a breath as you adjusted, loving the way your walls squeezed him. After taking a moment he grabbed your hips, helping you move up and down. You let him take control, helping how you could as you bounced on his cock. Your legs were already trembling, but you kept going, wanting to get another high. You could feel that heat growing again, practically being dragged out of you. Sangyeon got more aggressive as you kept going, definitely going to leave bruises on your hips.

As he lost his rhythm you did your best to take over, moving until you came. It wasn’t long before he climaxed as well, pulling you close and holding you in his arms, moaning into your ear. You twitched in his embrace, feeling so out of breath. You both stayed connected for a while as you came down from cloud nine. After a moment Sangyeon laid down and kept you on top of him, pressing lazy kisses to your face. You giggled and smiled at him, wanting to rest. Although you weren’t done yet. You suddenly felt hands pulling you off of Sangyeon and up on your feet. It was Chan, a devilish grin on his face.

“You’re not done yet, doll.” Chan said. “You have to please us all.”

“Huh…”

Chan kissed you before dragging you into the recording booth and bending you over the table inside. He only ran his fingers along your pussy and ass before getting his dick out and pushing it into you. Now there was going to be a mess to clean up in the booth. You looked up at the glass, seeing both Hongjoong and Sangyeon watching. You made eye contact for a moment before Chan rammed into rather hard, making your eyes rolled to the back of your head. Your mouth hung open as he kept going, pushing you to your limits. He was pulling another orgasm out of you, and all you could do was take it. His hands trailed up and down your back. 

As he got closer to cumming his movements became sloppy. You were feeling bits of pain, but it always got overridden by pleasure. Chan suddenly pulled you up against his body, thrusting up into you before spilling his seed inside you. A loud moan escaped your lips and you shook in his arms, feeling this third orgasm push your body to the edge. Chan held you tightly, moving ever so slightly to drag on both your climaxes. By this time you were spent and could barely keep yourself up. Chan wound up carrying you out of the booth, setting you down on the couch where Hongjoong had put down a blanket. 

Your vision was fading in and out, but it was over now. You felt a hand pet you softly, going along with a soothing hum too. You certainly fell asleep for a moment, waking up to the sounds of your own moans. You peeked your eyes open, seeing Chan and Hongjoong were by the mixer, messing around with the private recordings. Your head was resting on Sangyeon’s lap, his hand rubbing circles into your skin to relax you and release any tension in your body. You were still tired so you closed your eyes, most likely going to drift back to sleep.

“We should use some of this.” Hongjoong commented. “I got a few ideas in mind.”

“How exactly do you copyright this?” Chan asked. “Then again, we did make them.”

“Exactly.”

“How about we just keep it to ourselves.” Sangyeon added. “It makes it more special that way. Besides, actually using it could lead to trouble down the line. We don’t want to ruin her future.”

“Honestly, even after the showcase, we should continue with weekend sessions.” Hongjoong mentioned. “Especially in our private studios.”

“I second that.” Chan said. “Things work better this way for everyone.”

You don’t know how long you slept for, but when you woke up you were in the back of a car. Hongjoong smiled at you and took your hand in his, pressing a soft kiss against it.

“Hello.”

“Hi… what’s going on…”

“We’re going out for some food. You must be hungry.”

“Yeah…”

The boys helped you out of the car, as you couldn’t really walk straight just yet. You got a private room at the restaurant, Chan having you sit in his lap instead of taking a seat on your own. He tickled you with kisses, slapping away the hands of the others.

“Behave.” Sangyeon growled. “She’s ours.”

“Yes she is.” Hongjoong agreed. “She’s our beautiful girl.”

���No, no, no.” Chan corrected. “She’s our beautiful star.”

#ateez #the boyz #stray kids #hongjoong #sangyeon #bang chan #kim hongjoong #lee sangyeon #christopher bang #atz #tbz #skz #ateez au #the boyz au #stray kids au #ateez scenarios #the boyz scenarios #stray kids scenarios #request

[pandenewie]

12 - Our Get-Along-Shirt

Prev | Masterlist | Next

“Would you stop following me? God, it’s just like when we were kids.”

Y/n simply shrugs at Heeseung's words, adjusting their bag on their shoulder as the two walk to Heeseung's next lecture.

“You’re the one who invited me to hang out with you guys.” Y/n points out, earning an eye roll from Heeseung. “You invited yourself, Y/n. Besides, I told the guys that you might be coming - that’s not confirmation.”

“It’s close enough to one. And you saw how excited they were to hear I would be there.” Y/n teases, the playful tone in their voice causing Heeseung to groan as the memory plays through his mind. “Don’t remind me. I would like to remain blissfully unaware that my entire friend group thinks my cousin is hot.”

The two walk in silence for a few more moments before Heeseung realises that Y/n will not be giving up anytime soon. "Don't you have your own classes to go to?" He asks, side-eyeing his cousin. "I only had one this morning so I have all day to annoy you." Y/n teases. 

“Can’t you just go do something else today? I’ll call you when it’s time to leave.” Heeseung attempts to persuade. “You won’t call me.” Y/n deadpans, causing Heeseung to laugh sheepishly at how easily they can read him. “Got me there.” He mumbles.

“Okay, let’s make a deal. I’ll finish up my work here while you go and wait in my apartment. I’ll have to go back there to meet the guys anyway so we won’t leave without you., I promise.” Y/n narrows their eyes as they take in Heeseung’s words, scanning his own for any signs of bluff. With no clear signs of deception, Y/n reluctantly agrees - taking the keys to Heeseung’s apartment and getting out of his hair.

Heeseung’s apartment is very… Heeseung. It’s the first time Y/n’s seen the new place and let’s just say, they were not surprised. Under-decorated, aside from a few pieces that he clearly took from his parent’s house, a shelf dedicated to his growing Lego addiction and far too many shades of blue in a single space. Nothing quite matches… but Y/n supposes that’s expected in the house of a 22-year-old man.

Y/n makes themself at home on the one couch cushion that appears to have been used (a large Heeseung-sized dent giving away his typical spot) and pulls out their phone to buy some time. Heeseung mentioned that he had classes all day today - meaning they will be here for at least a few hours before hearing anything from him.

After helping themself to the food in the kitchen (which consisted of mainly ramen, chips and coke) and playing a few rounds of whatever games they could find in Heeseung’s collection, Y/n flops back down on the couch - completely bored out of their mind. Just as they’re about to take an afternoon nap, a loud knock at the door jolts them upright.

Checking the time, Y/n’s eyebrows furrow. Heeseung’s still got uni for another hour at least and the guys aren’t supposed to be coming over until after he’s done. Another knock sounds through the apartment, followed by a loud shout:

“Open the door, dude. I need to pee!”

Y/n stifles a laugh as they walk to the door, glancing through the keyhole to make sure it is in fact Heeseung’s idiot friends before opening the door. Jake immediately rushes past them, mumbling out some form of greeting before slamming the bathroom door behind him.

“Heeseung isn’t here yet, by the way.” Y/n says as the other two friends walk into the apartment. “Why, where is he?” Sunghoon asks, his brows furrowed in confusion. “Uh… school.” Y/n states the obvious, flopping back down onto the couch. “Yeah, he’s pretty serious about his studies this year, maybe you should give it a go.” Jay laughs, nudging Sunghoon with his shoulder. “Um, no thank you. I’m a c’s get degrees kinda person.” Sunghoon boasts as if what he’s saying is an achievement of sorts. “That’s not something to be proud of.” Jake states as he walks back into the room and takes a seat next to Y/n.

“Anyway, how’s my favourite window-climber?” Jake asks, teasingly resting his arm on the back of the couch behind Y/n. “How do you even know about that? You passed out drunk on Keeho.” Y/n laughs. “Y/n, darling, basically everyone knows.” Sunghoon says, sitting on the only free cushion. “It was like the highlight of the year so far.” Jake laughs.

“So… why did you have to escape from him anyway? Did he try to make a move on you or something?” Sunghoon asks, suggestively wiggling his eyebrows. “And they had to climb out a window? Aw man, that’s tough.” Jake cackles, pointing accusingly at their other friend, who stands unimpressed by the front door.

“Knock it off, guys. You’re gonna make them uncomfortable.” Jay scowls, his words going ignored as the two continue to pester Y/n about the events. “It was nothing like that. I was just drunk and did something stupid - I’m sure you guys know what it’s like.” Y/n says, their gaze pausing on Sunghoon, causing him to scoff in offence. “Why are you looking at me like that? I’ve never done anything stupid in my life.”

The conversation quickly gets interrupted by the sound of Heeseung entering the apartment, looking around confused when he notices the group of people sitting on his couch.

“Um… hi everyone?” He says, clearly puzzled by the situation. Walking into his apartment to see his cousin and three of his best friends sitting on the couch was definitely not what he expected. “I thought you guys were coming later?” He asks. “We wanted to come and hang out early but some loser was in class.” Jake frowns. “That’s you. You’re the loser.” Sunghoon adds as if to clarify. “So you guys just broke into my house instead?” Heeseung asks. “We didn’t break in… Y/n let us in.” Jake blames, pointing at Y/n accusingly. “Not on purpose! I opened the door to tell them to fuck off but then someone ran in to use the bathroom.” Y/n argues back. “Okay, okay, it doesn’t matter. Everyone, just grab your shit and get in the car. Y/n, you’re up front.” Heeseung orders. Jake and Sunghoon burst into a fit of complaints - mainly about Heeseung’s favouritism towards Y/n - but quickly quiet down with a quick glare from Heeseung. This is going to be a long trip.

“Y/n, can you turn up the aircon?”

“Y/n, pass me the aux.”

“Y/n, could you move your seat forward? I’m kinda squished back here…”

“Y/n… could you pass me an M&M?”

Y/n is starting to regret sitting in the front seat. At this rate, they’d rather be squished in the middle than take another stupid request from one of the boys.

Jay’s been oddly quiet. Aside from the times Y/n caught him looking at them through the rearview mirror, he’s spent most of the ride staring silently out the window. Come to think of it, he didn’t say much in Heeseung’s apartment either. Is he really that suspicious of Y/n? They try to think back to the one text conversation they had but nothing seems to stand out as any clear signs for why he’d be avoiding them.

Eventually, Jake and Sunghoon doze off in the back seat - leaving just Heeseung, Jay and Y/n awake in the car. “How long do we have left to drive?” Jay asks, leaning forward to prop his arm on the back of Heeseung’s seat. “Either 20 minutes or an hour.” Heeseung replies, making Y/n’s eyebrows furrow with confusion. “How can it be 20 minutes or an hour? Do you even know where you’re going?” Y/n accuses, causing Heeseung to roll his eyes. “Of course I do. We used to go here all the time. It just depends if the main entrance is still blocked off or not.” Heeseung shrugs, his words only adding to Y/n’s confusion. “What kind of place is this?” They ask, more to themself than anyone else. “Trust us, you’ll love it.” Jay mumbles.

It’s the first thing he’s said directly to Y/n since they left Heeseung’s apartment and judging by the lowness in his volume, Y/n’s not sure if he even wanted them to hear it. They turn back to look at Jay to find that he’s already moved back to his previous position - avoiding eye contact and staring at the passing cars. Y/n glances at Heeseung to see if he’s noticing the strange behaviour but his eyes stay focused on the road. They’ll have to ask him about it later.

Heeseung is a liar. That 20 minutes to an hour quickly turned into an hour and a half. “I haven’t been here in over a year, cut me some slack!” He claimed but the others just chalked it up to him having a bad sense of direction. Finally, just as the sun was beginning to set, the car came to a stop on a gravel road.

“Okay, you guys get out and start walking towards the spot. I’ll park the car so it’s hidden in the bushes and then I’ll join you.” Heeseung instructs. “Is this place illegal or something?” Y/n asks, their eyes wide. “It might technically be private property… but the owners are super old now so they’re never up here.” Jake says, his attempt at reassuring Y/n completely missing. “It’s just better to hide the car for safety reasons, we’re not gonna get in trouble, I promise.” Heeseung says, ruffling Y/n’s hair. They look at him apprehensively before getting out of the car and following the rest of the guys down a ragged path between some of the bushes. A few moments later, Heeseung rejoins the group and they walk for a few more minutes before finally reaching a clearing.

There, in front of them, is a small waterfall flowing into a beautiful freshwater swimming hole. It’s surrounded by an array of different rocks, with one large one that appears to be carved into some sort of diving platform.

“Oh my god… this is gorgeous.” Y/n says, in awe. “Welcome to our number one drinking spot.” Jake says, holding his arms out as if giving a tour of the swimming spot. “Wait, drinking? You’re telling me you idiots mixed alcohol and water?” Y/n asks in disbelief. “It’s fine,” Sunghoon waves them off. “Jay only almost drowned like, twice.” His words earn him a shove from Jay. “Just go get changed, idiot.” He laughs.

The group all split off behind some bushes to get changed into their swimsuits. Once reunited, Jake makes the first move by running and jumping into the cool water - letting out a loud “yahoo” before he gets submerged. “Race you to the top!” Sunghoon exclaims, pointing to the diving rock. He suddenly takes off, running towards the surface with Jay following quickly behind him.

Using this as their chance, Y/n gently pulls on Heeseung’s arm to gain his attention. “Is Jay acting weird to you?” They ask, causing the man to look down at them, puzzled. “What do you mean, weird?” Y/n rolls their eyes at their cousin’s poor observation skills. “Like… he’s basically ignoring me,” They point out. “I think he’s spoken to me maybe twice tonight.” Heeseung laughs at this. “Maybe you scared him off by climbing out his window.” His words earn him a harsh slap on the chest, making him yelp in pain. “That joke’s dead, Hee. And I’m being serious, it’s like he’s completely avoiding me.” With Y/n’s words, Heeseung looks out into the pool - spotting Jake obnoxiously waving the two over. “Maybe he’s just in a shitty mood. I’m sure he’ll talk to you eventually.” He says, giving Y/n a reassuring shoulder squeeze before getting in the water. Y/n sighs, looking back up to where Jay and Sunghoon are jumping off the rocks before joining the boys in the water.

As the group continues to play in the water, Y/n can’t help the way their gaze constantly shifts to Jay. He's the whole reason they're here, after all. Despite a diving competition, a game of water volleyball and being literally sat next to each other for dinner - he has barely looked Y/n's way (aside from a few glances when he thought Y/n wasn't looking.)

Growing tired of it, Y/n takes the chance when Heeseung, Jake and Sunghoon go to start another diving battle. Just as Jay is about to follow after them, Y/n grabs his arm - stopping him in his tracks. With furrowed brows, Jay turns around to look at Y/n.

“What's up?”

It's the first words he's said directly to them all night - and he's so casual about it. Y/n feels like their head is going to explode. 

“What's up? That's the first thing you say to me after ignoring me all night?” Y/n asks. “I haven't been ignoring you, Y/n.” Jay states, simply. “Then what the hell have you been doing?” They ask, beyond confused. Just as Jay opens his mouth to respond, the sound of Jake calling out to the pair interrupts him. “I’m sorry.” Jay sighs, going to join his friends before Y/n can get another word in.

“You coming, Y/n?” Heeseung shouts. “Uh… I think I’ll just watch this one.” Y/n responds, hoping the guys can’t hear the disappointment in their voice.

Throughout the rest of the evening, Heeseung took note of the weird tension between Jay and Y/n. It was obvious that Jay was not going out of his way to talk to Y/n but now, for some reason, Y/n wasn’t trying either. He tried subtly asking how the mini-chat went when Jay, Jake and Sunghoon were arguing over whose roasted marshmallow was the best - only to be met with a small pout and shake of the head.

As everyone begins packing up their belongings and heading back to the car, an idea pops into Heeseung’s head.

“Hey, Jay. Do you mind driving back? I feel like I’m going to pass out.” Heeseung mumbles, stretching his arms above his head as a large, exaggerated yawn escapes his lips. “It’s like 8 pm. What are you, a grandpa?” Jay asks. “Hey, all that swimming took it out of me! Besides, it’s a 2-hour drive. Do you really want me falling asleep behind the wheel?” Heeseung asks.

“Yo, we can cuddle in the back!” Jake exclaims, jumping to wrap his arms around Heeseung and Sunghoon’s shoulders. “I’m taking a window seat!” Sunghoon shouts, pushing his friend off before running to one side of the car. Y/n rolls their eyes at their childishness before moving to get into the passenger seat, pausing awkwardly when their eyes meet Jay’s.

The two watch each other for a moment through the open car door. Like each of them has something to say but can’t find the words to do so.

“Well, are you getting in?” Jay asks. Y/n nods silently, sliding into the passenger seat. Their eyes catch Heeseung’s in the back, him sending a small thumbs up as encouragement, before they turn to close the door.

Merely 20 minutes into the drive, Jay checks the rearview mirror to see all three of his friends passed out in the back. Relaxing slightly at the knowledge that they are asleep, he moves his gaze in Y/n’s direction. Their body is turned away from him, arms crossed as they focus their attention out the window.

“Are you cold?” He breaks the silence. The sun has long set and Y/n’s wet hair must not be helping fight off the night’s chills. “So, we’re talking now?” Y/n scoffs. Jay sighs, reaching forward to turn up the car’s heaters before turning his attention back to the road. It’s silent for a while before Jay speaks again. 

“I’m sorry for ignoring you… I just still can’t get over what happened at my party. I know you said I shouldn’t worry but I can’t help it. It’s like I can’t get you out of my mind for some reason.”

With his confession, Jay turns his attention back to Y/n. They’re still turned away, although he can see their lips curl up into a small smirk at his words. “I don’t mean it like that.” He quickly follows up, the urgency in his voice causing Y/n to finally turn to him. “In what way do you mean it then, Jay?” They ask, voice teasing.

“I… I don't know, you're weird. I just don't get you.” Jay stammers, his odd reason causing Y/n to laugh slightly. “Well, lucky for you, you have plenty of time to figure me out.” They shrug. Jay goes to reply but is interrupted by murmuring from the backseat. He checks the rearview mirror to see Sunghoon shuffling around.

“Can you two shut the fuck up? We're trying to sleep.” He yawns, eyes still closed as he makes himself comfortable against Jake's side. “Sleep sounds good.” Y/n sighs, moving their body to face away from Jay once more. “Try not to kill us.” They mumble over their shoulder, earning an eye roll from Jay. “Yeah, whatever.” He grumbles, watching Y/n out the corner of his eye as they slowly drift off to sleep.

TAG LIST (open): @bringer-ofchaos @yenqa @fakeuwus @mrchweeee @jjongshrts @oldjws @jxp1-t3r @wildflowermooon @sunseeking-cryptid @miniature-tragedy @ashiitex @raginghellfire

#to catch a cheater #enhypen #enhypen fanfic #enhypen smau #enhypen x reader #enhypen fluff #enhypen jay #jay fanfic #jay smau #jay x reader #jay fluff #park jongseong #jongseong fanfic #jongseong smau #enhypen heeseung #enhypen jake #enhypen sunghoon #enhypen sunoo #enhypen jungwon #enhypen niki #kpop #kpop fanfic #kpop smau #kpop x reader #kpop fluff #fanfic #smau #x reader #fluff

[scribbling-dragon]

Watcher’s Nest Café

Chapter 1

summary:

“I want you to know that I hate everything about this.”

Scott hums into his drink, sipping at it before throwing the whole thing back like it’s a shot. The bitter taste is enough to wake him up at least a little more. “You're here on time, at least.”

Jimmy’s staring at him when he looks up, apron held in his hands as he squints. Scott stares back at him. “How much espresso was in that?” He asks. Scott doesn't actually know, he measured it more with his heart than his eyes.

*

Or: I’ve finally cracked and written a coffee shop au.

(ao3 link)

(masterpost)

(3,262 words)

+ reblogs are super duper appreciated ;)

Jimmy is late. Again.

Scott has to remind himself that Jimmy being late is not the end of the world, as much as he currently feels like it is. The man is near consistently late, and he should really be factoring that into his mornings and the schedules at this point, when it’s such an inevitability. Whether it be because his alarm failed to go off even though he checked it five times the night before (and on one memorable occasion even sent a screenshot of the alarm to their groupchat, though he had still been late the next day), or because his bus was late and/or cancelled entirely. Or maybe some other disaster has sprung up and halted Jimmy before he can make it to work this morning.

So, Scott is on his own. He is on his own and facing down a long queue of caffeine-addicted customers that are beginning to grumble at the slowness of the line and its progress. Seriously, though, who has the energy to be up this early in the morning? Admittedly, most of his current customers are overtired uni students that probably wouldn't be able to tell caffeinated coffee from decaffeinated coffee at the moment.

He scowls down at the card machine, punching the numbers into the keypad a little more forcefully than necessary (seriously, would it kill his boss to upgrade their system so the card machines are actually, you know, connected to the tills) before thrusting said machine out towards the next student. They stare at it for several long moments, card gripped in their hand.

They look up, blinking tiredly. “Do you do a student discount?”

“No.” He smiles as pleasantly as he can, mustering the last of his patience and resisting the urge to point at the sign that explicitly states that they do not, in fact, do student discounts. “Sorry about that.” He’s not sorry, not at all, but it seems to appease the student enough because they give in and tap their card to the machine, holding it there until it gives a happy little beep and spits a receipt out.

“Thank you, your drink will be ready in a few minutes.” He smiles at the student until their back is turned, allowing it to drop as soon as they're no longer looking at him, glued to their phone screen instead. He turns to the next customer with a barely restrained sigh, smiling and opening his mouth to begin the spiel that he’s forced to give out to each customer that graces this counter.

“I'm here!” The door to the storage room that also doubles as their break room slams open, bouncing off of the wall behind it and almost slamming straight back into Jimmy’s face. It startles several of the people in the queue out of their half-dozing states, and they blink at him curiously. He watches the canary as well as he struggles to tie his apron properly, hands fumbling over the knots in his speed. “I'm here,” Jimmy repeats, as though they hadn't heard him the first time. “You are not going to believe what happened this morning.”

“The same thing that happens every time you have a morning shift?” He steps back and lets Jimmy slip in front of him and take over the till. Scott sends a small prayer up to whatever deity was watching over him at that moment, feeling his shoulders slump as he gets the opportunity to turn away from the customers and towards the backlog of drinks he hasn't managed to make yet.

“Uhm, no, actually,” Jimmy’s head is turned slightly towards him, but not enough that Scott can actually see his face. “My door - thank you very much, here’s your receipt - locked on me.” Scott allows those words to percolate through his brain, wondering at the same time how Jimmy can seemingly interact with people so effortlessly- go figure, the omen of misfortune is the preferred member of staff at this café.

The milk screams at him as he steams it and he has to try not to flinch back from the sound. The coffee machine rumbles threateningly beside him, letting out a grating wheeze- Scott prays that this moment is not when its last legs collapse beneath it, because that’s really the last thing they need right now.

“Your door locked on you.” He repeats. “Isn't that what it’s supposed to do?”

“Not when I'm trying to get out.” Jimmy squawks, turning away from the customer to look at him. Scott frowns at him until he turns back around, muttering something beneath his breath.

“Did you try using a key?” He asks, helpfully. “I've heard those are rather good at unlocking doors.” He laughs to himself at Jimmy’s grumble of frustration, keeping his back turned as he leans over to grab a few take-away cups.

“Did you try using a key,” Jimmy mimics, in what is possibly one of the worst impressions of a Scottish accent he’s heard so far this month. “Of course I tried using a key- it didn't work!” The card machine buzzes as it spits out another receipt, and Jimmy wordlessly hands the order over to him.

“And yet you're here.” He sets the group of drinks on the counter, calling out for the customer. They perk up, head swivelling around as though someone else might dart forward and take drinks under the exact same name. Only when they realise that he’s actually calling them do they begin to meander their way over. They take the drinks without even a single thanks, the bell above the door ringing as they leave.

“Uh, yeah,” Jimmy turns to face him, leaning back against the counter- and Scott’s surprised to see the lack of a queue, people either sitting down at tables or perching on stools as they wait for their drinks. “Course I'm here. Not about to abandon you to the morning rush, am I?” Jimmy’s face goes a little pink, and his wings ruffle behind him. Scott grins at that, stepping back towards the coffee machine.

“How did you get out of your apartment, Jimmy?” He nudges an elbow against Jimmy’s side as he passes, watches as he gets even pinker with embarrassment. Jimmy avoids his eyes, muttering something beneath his breath.

“What was that?” He asks, cupping a hand behind a fin, leaning slightly closer. Jimmy looks almost as embarrassed as he did after the Sheriff Incident. “I couldn't quite hear you.”

“I said,” Jimmy grits out. “That I had to climb out of the window.”

“You live on the fifth floor.”

“I know that Scott, thank you for pointing it out.” Jimmy turns back around, realises there are still no customers to serve, and turns back again, crossing his arms. “Like I said, not about to abandon you for a morning shift.”

“You're too sweet,” he nudges his hip against Jimmy’s as he passes, two more drinks securely held in his hands. He ignores the small twinge in his leg as he does so, calling out for both customers. Only one of them thanks him as he slides the drinks across the counter and towards them. “Especially as you left your keys behind.”

“I- what? I didn't leave my keys behind.”

“Well they're not in your pockets.”

“I- Scott!” He grins to himself at Jimmy’s protests, “You need to stop doing that, you're going to get in trouble one day for stealing from the wrong person.”

“Haven't been caught since I was nine, Jimmy dear.” He wipes the steam wand down quickly, cleaning the last traces of milk froth from it before turning back to face Jimmy. The last few students that had invaded the café have vanished, taking their drinks with them. “And it’s hardly harming anyone.”

“I think the people you pickpocket might have something to say about that.” Jimmy says.

“Only if you snitch on me, and you're far too nice to do that.”

“Nice enough that you’ll switch me and Pearl for tomorrow morning?”

“Nope!” He grins at Jimmy, ignores the dramatic groan the canary lets out, slumping back onto the counter. He’s going to get feathers in the till again. “I'm not doing a stock check with Pearl.”

Jimmy continues groaning. “Worth a shot.”

“Not really.”

                                                           *

“I want you to know that I hate everything about this.”

Scott hums into his drink, sipping at it before throwing the whole thing back like it’s a shot. The bitter taste is enough to wake him up at least a little more. “You're here on time, at least.”

Jimmy’s staring at him when he looks up, apron held in his hands as he squints. Scott stares back at him. “How much espresso was in that?” He asks. Scott doesn't actually know, he measured it more with his heart than his eyes.

“I don't need to provide an answer to that.”

“This- Scott, I'm not interrogating you. I'm checking I don't have to call an ambulance in the next five minutes for whatever heart attack you've probably given yourself.”

“On the floor.” He points, “I'm going to read something out and you're going to tell me if we have it.”

“I hate this.” Jimmy peers under the counter anyway, staring into the small space as though it’s going to bite him. Scott nudges at him with his foot, pushing him a little further in.

“Get on with hating it then, do we have any earl grey?”

“Three boxes.” There’s the sound of some shuffling, and then a muffled thump. Jimmy groans as he marks the earl grey off the list.

“Mint?”

“One box.”

“Hm,” he marks it off. “Mint’s been quite popular these past few weeks.”

“Then order some more.” Jimmy sits back on his heels, head just reaching the counter. His hair is covered in dust and Scott has to bite his lip to not laugh. “I don't see why we need to store all the teas here, why can't we store it with everything else?”

“Because I like watching you suffer. Green tea?”

Jimmy grumbles, but ducks back under the counter again, shuffling about. The bell rings as someone enters the shop, and he glances up for a moment, sees who it is, and looks back down at his list.

“Four boxes.” He marks it off. “Is Pix here?”

“Yes,” Pixl leans over the counter, something that no other customers would actually get away with, but they're technically not open yet so Scott doesn't shove him back yet. “Having fun down there Jim?”

“You know it.” Pixl grins at Jimmy’s deadpan response, sliding back across the counter. There’s another muffled thump, and Jimmy swears this time, shuffling backwards until he’s clear of the counter, straightening up. “Good morning.”

“Morning, you look like you've walked out of one of the dig sites.”

“Why-” Jimmy runs his hand through his hair. “Scott! You told me you dusted under there!” He rubs his hands through his hair a little more vigorously, both Scott and Pixl watching him with a grin. “Why didn't you tell me!”

“It’s much more funny to watch you find out yourself.” Scott replies, “Besides, you're not five anymore, you can do things yourself now.”

“Well aren't you hilarious.” Jimmy grumbles, running his hand through his hair again. He’s still rather dusty, but he hasn't noticed it yet and Scott isn't about to tell him. He holds a finger to his lips, swearing Pixl to silence as well. “I'm not doing another stock check with you ever again Scott Smajor, you can fire me, I don't care.”

“Scott Smajor,” Pixl parrots, still grinning. “Someone’s in trouble.”

“That’s not even my name,” he scoffs.

“Uh-huh, and where’s the birth certificate to prove it?” Jimmy asks. “Pics or it didn't happen.”

“You're ridiculous.”

“Your hair is ridiculous.”

Scott pauses, halfway through prepping the coffee machine. “I'm going to pretend I didn't hear that.” He says, listening to the silence that follows afterwards. “Usual?”

“Yes, thank you.” He can hear Pixl shuffling behind him. The sound of something heavy being dumped on the bar counter reaches his ears. No doubt Pix’s setting up his stall for the day- next thing he knows it Cleo is going to show up as well and then he won't get a single moment of peace.

                                                          *

Cleo shows up about twenty minutes into the lunch rush.

He ignores her in favour of making sure he doesn't burn his hands on the small oven or the hot food that his boss insists they serve, despite it being the most inconvenient thing to ever happen to Scott. The beeper is annoying and it doesn't shut up until he manages to grab a moment to turn it off- which is never because it’s the lunch rush and they're constantly busy.

Jimmy is banned from touching the oven. The last time he did so he managed to get several third degree burns and Scott had to take him to A&E after shutting the café for the afternoon. Him and Tango managed to have a rather pleasant conversation in the waiting room, at least.

“You look like you're having fun.”

“Thanks, Cleo.” He cleans the steam wands off quickly, readjusting them before he turns and snatches the milk jugs off the counter, before Jimmy can even think about trying to steam the milk. The milk screams at him, though he does his best to grit his teeth and bear the sound until the milk is finished. “Just a few more minutes and the worst should be over.”

“No murder victims yet?”

“Not yet,” he hands the coffee over to a customer with a smile, ignoring the worried look they shoot him at Cleo’s words. “Though you're beginning to look like a rather tempting target.”

“Oh, please. I welcome your attempts. How do you kill something that’s already dead?”

“Spite.”

Pixl laughs. “He’s got you there.”

The next few customers blur together, with Jimmy handing him tickets almost every few seconds. His leg aches something awful and he is seriously looking forward to his break, even if Cleo’s going to make him drink something other than coffee now that she’s here. And she doesn't even do it in a nice way, just invites herself round the counter and pours his coffee down the sink.

He leans against the counter when they have a small lull, resisting the urge to bash his head against said counter until everything goes nice and quiet and dark.

“Has Pearl been by already today?” Cleo asks.

“Yeah, she dropped off a few tubs of brownies and a cheesecake.” He gestures towards where he knows the cake display is, where Cleo is no doubt already looking. “Fancy anything?”

“Not really, just wondered if she was working today.”

“Not today. She had something on last night, just said she wouldn't be in today.”

Cleo hums. “Full moon last night.”

“Yup.” He glances up at the clock, wondering if he can go on break early. He then remembers that he is the manager and can do whatever he wants.

“Strange coincidence.”

“Please stop speculating about Pearl while she’s not here.” He drags himself around the counter, sitting down beside Pixl, careful to not lean on any of his notes or knock any of his pens from the counter. “You’ll summon her.”

“She’s not a demon, Scott.” Jimmy joins in, leaning over the counter to peer at him. “She won't appear if you say her name three times.”

“Don't you have some tables you should be cleaning?” He says, in lieu of a response. His leg continues to ache, even though he’s sat down.

“You're the least fun person I've ever met.” Jimmy complains.

“Good. Get on with it.”

                                                          *

Jimmy had an afternoon lecture, something which one of his classmates - fWhip - reminded him about twenty minutes before it was due to begin.

Scott isn't actually sure how Jimmy has survived this long- wouldn't believe that he had managed to exist before now if he hadn't met him in college. One of the many mysteries of the world is Jimmy’s continued survival. Scientists would study him if they had the chance.

Jimmy’s absence means that Scott is being forced to finish the stock check beneath the counter, ignoring Cleo’s comments about the music currently playing- he doesn't exactly get to choose the music. Jimmy does all of that, and the poor man really needs someone to introduce him to a band that still has all of its members alive.

He winces at a particularly bad note, almost bad enough to cover the chiming of the bell. He sticks his head back above the counter, narrowly missing bumping his head on the underneath of it.

It’s someone he’s never seen before, not one of their regulars, peering about the place with curiosity clear on his face.

He hauls himself to his feet, ignoring the protesting of his leg and knee as he does so. The customer is…annoyingly handsome, in a rather charming way. His eyes glitter with mirth as he approaches, hair flopping over his face despite the headband he wears presumably to avoid exactly that.

“You have a little something in your hair, buddy.” And as with all men, Scott is disappointed as soon as he opens his mouth. Cleo turns away, covering their mouth as they attempt to smother a laugh. He resists the urge to glare at her.

“Thanks.” He brushes a hand through his hair, careful not to pull it from where it’s coiled at the back of his head. “What can I get you?”

“I don't know,” the man leans against the counter, “any recommendations?”

“Tea or coffee?”

“Coffee,” the man pulls a face. “Not a big tea fan.”

“No one ever is.” Pixl mutters, pulling his mug of tea closer to himself. Pixl is the only man Scott respects right now.

“Our latte’s the most popular coffee, do you want that?”

“Sounds lovely,” the man’s eyes meet his own. “Say, you have some rather unique eyes, don't you?”

“You could say that, why, want a closer look?” He leans a little further over the counter, smiling slightly as he watches the man’s eyes widen, no doubt not expecting him to respond- really, if he wants things to go his way he needs to get better at flirting. “Your eyes are rather nice too.” He says, “if I was able to see them.”

The man rests his arms on the counter, wallet clutched loosely in one hand. It’s already open, card halfway pulled free. He looks back up, continuing to smile at the man.

“Shall I make you that latte?” He pulls back, watching as the man takes a moment to regather himself, blinking rapidly.

“Oh, yes please. Thank you.” The man pays, almost appearing to be in a trance with the way he’s blinking, looking around as though he’s not sure of where he is. Scott turns, smirking to himself as he makes the coffee, handing it over in a take-away cup a few moments later.

“Thanks.” The man takes the coffee absently, turning around and walking from the shop, bell ringing merrily in his wake.

“Scott,” Pixl says.

“Pixl,” he mocks. “C’mon, who flirts with a barista?”

“That guy, apparently.” Cleo says, still watching him walk away. “He looked like you blindfolded him and spun him a hundred times before setting him loose again.”

“If he wanted to keep his wallet safe, he shouldn't have gotten distracted by my eyes.” He sticks the five-pound note into the tip jar. “Besides, it’s not like he’ll be back.”

#juno.writes #scott smajor #inthelittlewood #martyn inthelittlewood #trafficshipping #majorwood #coral kids #mean gills #empires smp #life series #trafficblr #traffic smp #traffic series #trafficverse #jimmy solidarity #solidarity gaming #watcher's nest café au #trafficfic

[felixskzzzstay]

Enemies to Lovers

Bangchan

Warnings: smut, unprotected sex (don’t do it), swearing

Enemies to lovers masterlist

Minors dni

You’re walking the corridor, hurriedly trying to get your next uni class and hoping you’re not going to be late, when you see Chan and his friends walking in the opposite direction.

“Late to class again?” Chan smirks.

You huff and shove past him, your shoulder barging into his in the process. You and Chan have been rivals ever since you started at the university. He has always been top of the class, popular and attractive and everyone loved him, and he knew it too. You hated how he strutted around like he was better than everyone else and how he’d always talk down to you.

One day, you called him out for his shit in front of the whole class and you’ve both been at each other’s throats ever since.

You wince as you shoulder barge him, hiding your face so he doesn’t notice whereas he just chuckles. “Was that supposed to hurt?”

“No.” You tilt your head up high. “Now if you’ll excuse me, I should be getting to class.”

Chan pretends to look down at his watch. “Yeah, you don’t hurry up and that’ll be another class you’ll be failing at.” He chuckles.

“Shut up.” You grumble and you storm down the corridor.

This is one of your least favourite classes. You’re terrible at it, and much your dismay it’s Chan’s best class. He’s so good at the subject he doesn’t even have to take the class. At the end your tutor comes by as you’re packing away your stuff.

“Y/n, I’m really worried that you’re going to fail, I think it would be good for you to try and get someone to tutor you and help you study a bit more.”

You bow your head in shame. “I don’t know who to ask.” You don’t want to fail the class, but you don’t know what else to do.

“Why don’t you ask Chan? I know he’s really good at this subject and I think it would be really good for you.”

You widen your eyes in horror. “No, no! I can study by myself just fine, I’ll work harder.”

Your tutor shakes his head. “Honestly, I really think you should ask Chan, I’ll email him this afternoon and then let you know.”

You vigorously shake your head. “Please, sir, don’t do that. I’ll be fine, I promise.”

“I understand, and I’m not going to force you, you’re an adult after all and can make your own decisions, but I’ll still email Chan just to let him know you’re struggling, he may want to help, you have every right to say no, but it’s within your best interests to agree.”

You nod as you sign defeated. “Yes, sir. I’ll see you tomorrow.” You hurry out of there back to shared apartment on campus.

~~~•~~~

Once at your apartment your friends all tell you they’re going out to party. They try and get you to tag along but you decide to stay at home, and do some extra studying.

It gets to about 11:30pm. Your friends are still out partying and you’re still burying your face into your books. There’s a knock at the door. “Huh?” It’s way too late and your friends all have keys, who could that be?

You get closer to the door. “Hello?”

“Hey, heard you need some help.” You can hear the smirk in his voice.

You roll your eyes. “No, I’m good thanks.”

“I got an email this afternoon, saying you were struggling. Come on, I won’t tease you, I swear.”

“Seriously, Chan, I don’t need your help.”

He sighs on the other side of the door. When he speaks again it comes out more sincere. “I promise, I just came to help you study, I’m not trying to be an ass all the time.”

“So you agree you’re an ass?”

“If I say yes, can I come in?”

“Maybe.”

“Then yes, I am an ass.”

You sigh. What have you got to lose? You need to pass this class and he said he’ll help. “Fine.” You unlock the door and let him in.

He strolls in like he owns the place. “Nice place you got here.”

“Thanks, now come on, help me pass this class.” You drag him by the arm to your room.

“Ooh, not the first time I’ve been dragged to a girls bedroom.”

You glare back at him. “I will not hesitate to throw you out.”

You pull up a chair next to yours and sit at the desk. Chan sits next to you. “So what specific part do you need help with?”

You and Chan buckle down and after a while you start to get it. It gets to about 12:45 and you yawn.

“Tired?”

“Yeah. I think I’ve done enough studying now. Thanks for this by the way. I’m quite surprised you actually sat there and helped me.”

Chan bites his lip. “I have something to confess.”

You tilt your head. “Yeah?”

He sighs. “It’s going to sound cliche but the reason I keep teasing you is because I can’t get you out of my head.”

Your jaw drops to the ground.

“Also, I felt like if I kept teasing you about your grades, it’d push you to be better, I know how much you’ve been struggling.”

“Are you serious? Instead of teasing me about how dumb I am, you could’ve just helped me.”

“Yeah, but believe it or not, I was too shy.”

You laugh. “Really? Oh my god. That’s the funniest thing I’ve heard all year.

“Yeah, yeah, let’s all laugh at Chan.”

“Hey, I’m just getting you back for teasing me all this time.”

“Well, it’s getting late, I should probably go.” He stands up.

You grab his sleeve. “I’m sorry for laughing at you. You don’t have to go.” You stand up as well, facing him.

He looks into your eyes. “I won’t go until you tell me to go.”

“Then stay.” You grab his hand, softly intertwining your fingers with his.

“You are so beautiful.” His thumb brushes along your cheekbone. Your heads inch closer and closer until you’re breath a apart. “Can I kiss you?”

“Please.” You whisper.

That’s all he needed to smash his lips against yours. His one hand stays on your check while the snakes around your waist. While yours wraps around his neck.

You walk backwards toward your bed, deepening the kiss until the back of your legs reach the edge. Chan softly pushes you back until your led underneath him. You both keep kissing until you’re gasping for air. You pull apart and look into his eyes. “If this happens, you and your friends can’t tease me anymore.”

Chan lowers himself down until he’s eye level with your clothed heat. He slowly pulls your trousers down a licks along your thigh. “Not even a little?”

“Maybe a little.”

He chuckles dark and he leaves a little kiss over your panties.

“Please, Chan.” You sigh out.

“As you wish, princess.” He pulls your panties down with his teeth and licks a stripe through your folds. You moan out and can feel him grin against you. He licks and nibbles until you’re a dripping mess.

“I need you.” You cry out.

He comes up for air, his chin glistening. “Have you got protection?”

“No, but I’m on the pill.”

Chan nods and strips away the rest of his clothes, he slowly strips yours away. “Are you sure about this?”

You nod enthusiastically.

Chan wraps his arms around you and flips you onto your stomach. Your face is in the pillows as your ass is raised into the air. You can feel him slowly inch his way in.

“Stop teasing and just fuck me already!”

Chan chuckles again and rams the rest of his cock in. You cry out. Chan continues to ruthlessly slam into you. Your moans come out in sobs as the pleasure becomes overwhelming.

“This is what you wanted, Princess.” He growls as he slaps your ass.

Your knees begin to buckle and you’re unable to keep your ass up on your own, noticing this, Chan grips your waist, leaving finger marks and holds you up. Your moans and sobs are muffled by the pillows, your climax slowly reaching. “I’m so close.”

“Yeah? Me too.” He rams into harder, harder than you ever felt. Without any warning your orgasm comes crashing over you in waves like a tsunami. You scream his name. Chan’s eyebrows furrow as he pulls out spurts all over your back.

You both flop on the bed. “We need to shower.” You groan. You attempt to stand but your legs start to shake.

Chan hurries over and cradles you in his arms. “Come on, I’ll run you a bath, then how about this Saturday, I take you on a proper date?”

You nod your head sleepily. “Yes please.”

#skz #straykids #stray kids smut #Bangchan #chan #chan smut #Bangchan smut

[jackhues]

delilah's world! au - idea

let me know what you guys think of this!

in freshman year of high school (grade nine), delilah's pretty popular. it's not like she cares, but people want to be her friends bcz a) she's considered one of the top goaltending prospects in the country/world b) her dad and uncle and grandfather all played hockey and c) she talks with nhlers like they're her best friends. she's like a 'celebrity' in their eyes. lilah doesn't care about the attention, and slowly ppl stop flocking to her once they realize she has two friends and doesn't want to be friends with anyone who only talks to her because she's famous.

fast forward to junior year (grade eleven), she's paired up to do a project in english on the shakespearean play 'macbeth'. she's working with noah, a hockey player. he plays for the school team, and for some local team - but he's not really good enough to be drafted. he's an under the radar kind of guy. maybe he'll be one of the last picks/he'll sign a pto contract after going undrafted. but anyways, he's cute and he's very nice to lilah. eventually, he asks her out, she says yes, and they're a super cute couple. matt doesn't like him because he doesn't like anyone dating lilah, but he can't deny that noah's good to her. he wears her jersey on her gameday, he'll support her whenever she has a good or bad game, he's really respectful and polite whenever he meets her family/friends, he's just really good.

they're together through the end of high school, and they both go to northeastern for their first year of uni. they're both 17 at the time, so neither are eligible for the nhl/pwhl draft. they both play for the mens/womens hockey team. it's a stellar year for lilah, she's setting records left and right, playing for the us team also - like she's going off. he has a pretty good year in hockey too, but nothing compared to her/his own teammates. noah still shows up to almost all of her games as her biggest fan, he doesn't stop supporting her. she supports him too, and he surprisingly gets drafted by florida in the last round. he could make it to the nhl, but he's got work to do before that.

on the day of the pwhl draft about a week later (delilah declared), they're back home and he can't make it because he has work. he tried to get off, but it wasn't working out and delilah's okay with that because he's been there for basically everything. she gets drafted first overall because she's the best prospect in her year, and she has a little party with her family. after the party, she heads over to noah's house bcz they decided to meet up after he gets off of work. when she gets to his place, she basically walks in on him with another girl and that's when she learns that the only reason he was with her was to get noticed for hockey. he was sweet and nice and supportive so that he could get more exposure, and sure enough, one nhl team decided "why tf not? he's got contacts" lilah walks out and heads home and locks herself in her room.

matthew was sleeping so he had no idea, and the next morning, he's unsure if he should wake her or not. he wakes her up around 2pm, but she was never sleeping, she was just in her room and depressed. he tries to figure out what's wrong, and then lilah goes "i broke up with noah." and matthew's genuinely shocked bcz noah and lilah looked happy together, but lilah doesn't tell him much more. he tries to get brady on it, but lilah knows brady will immediately tell her dad, so she doesn't tell him either. she tells taryn, who keeps the secret from matthew and brady, but taryn tells mama/peach (peanut's world). anyways, they just don't bring up noah ever because lilah gets all closed off when someone brings him up.

fast forward nearly a month later, lilah goes grocery shopping for her and her dad, and she ends up bumping into mateo - a childhood friend of noah's, but him and noah had a falling out in junior year and they're not friends anymore (teo had a feeling that noah wanted to use lilah for his own career, but noah denied it and they stopped talking. he would have brought up his concerns to lilah, but he had no proof. and noah was nice to her, so maybe he was just making up things. (teo also had a crush on lilah since freshman year and noah knew)). anyways, her and mateo talk a bit, more than they ever talked while she was dating noah. he asks about noah (even though they're not friends, he feels bad for doubting him), but lilah shrugs and goes "you should probably ask his new girl. actually, i don't even know if they're dating, or if she's just a hook up." and she's starting to feel sick because he might've thrown away a nearly three year relationship for a hook up, or maybe he never loved her at all. and mateo freezes bcz he was right, he freaking knew it, noah just had everyone fooled. and he sees that lilah's upset (she's never angry, this is the first time she looks angry), and he like offhandedly mentions getting revenge. lilah's like "i'm listening..." teo tells her to meet him at a coffee shop and they'll talk more, but he has to head out now. afterwards, they decide to fake date and get noah jealous and that's going to be some beautiful revenge. lilah doesn't even want noah back, she just wants to hurt him for what he did, and even if he never cared about her, he cared about teo at one point.

and anyways, her and mateo end up falling in love instead.

note: i'm thinking of maybe making mateo a singer or a(n american) football player (like he's actually good compared to noah playing hockey)... (or maybe another sport idk...) let me know what y'all think!!

#naqia's au's! #delilah's world! au

[linguenuvolose]

2024 goals - March progress

I can't claim I focussed on my goals at all this month... Idk I don't really see them as goals either they're just kinda.. things I keep some track of. I know I said this last month but I think April will be more productive because this month for sure spring will feel like it's here (we're still waiting for the trees to turn green, it snowed A Lot last week, just to give you an idea of the situation).

Anyway love and light below are some reflections on my specific goals :)

Get back into a reading routine

I've kept on reading Orlando by Virginia Woolf and I only have 35 pages left. I'm still not consistent at all with it, I read a bit about once a week. I find it so hard to reach for the book instead of my phone, it's annoying because I really do enjoy the book.

Meet friends at least once a month

I've had some good hangouts this month, mostly others that have been reaching out. I'm happy because one of my friends came to my boyfriend's show and was so excited about it and I'm happy they are bonding! In April I have plans to go visit a friend who lives in another city (one of my closest friends who will also meet my boyfriend for the first time) and I'm also planning to reach out to another friend!

Do the damn exercises for my back :(

I did them like.... 2,5 times :( not good at all. And my salsa classes stopped in the middle of the month and I've decided to not continue so it's not looking perfect. Hopefully with the extra light we get now I can have more energy to do them in the evening.

Get better at Portuguese

I signed up for the Portuguese course at uni <3333 Hopefully I'll get in and I'll be able to do that in the fall. I studied in some way 11 days of the month which isn't nothing!! Started doing Clozemaster and I really like it, especially on the writing mode (let's be honest, all my knowledge in Romance languages makes the "choose from these four options" a walk in the park for me). It's super annoying that the free plan only allows you 30 words a day. What I really should do is produce more, write little texts and stuff.

Get my license

We're still waiting for the permit to be able to practice driving with my boyfriend but it's taking a while... I've had 2 lessons though (was supposed to have 3 but one got cancelled). I don't know that I feel that I'm getting any better but I do really have to start studying the theory. It would be nice to talk to my instructor also and ask him what he thinks a reasonable time frame would be for me. In my head I'm seeing myself getting the license during the summer but who knows.

Get back into the habit of going on walks

I have been on some walks this month but more in the sense of I am somewhere and walk a bit instead of taking the closest subway. But I mean now with the change of the hour and the warmer weather I for sure am seeing myself going on more walks!

Go to the theatre more (youth discount my beloved) and also to some museums!

I went to the Maurizio Cattelan exposition at the Modern art museum because my friend had a free entrance with her job. I actually really liked it! Unfortunately I was in a bit of a hurry so I didn't have time to meander or look at the other expositions but I would love to go back! They do the free entry on Friday evenings so I think I might go!

Improve my sleeping schedule

I actually compiled my statistics for this this month (yay!). Slept an average of 7h15 but if we just look at work nights it's 6h20. Not great... It's not something I've paid particular attention to this month but I think I should. I think a goal could be maybe sleep before 1 more often (this month it was 3 times hihihi ma come siamo messi raga).

#snicksnack #2024 goals

[simizzy-writes]

happy birthday, Law!

Pairing: Trafalgar D. Water Law x GN!Reader

Warnings: none. just super fluffing fluffy~

A/N: the cliche is birthday sex i'm sure, but mannnn this doc just needs some fluffy feels in his life. happy birthday, you sexy thing!

+ consider supporting me on ko-fi +

He should be thankful for birthdays. 

Law knew better than anyone that a long life was never a guarantee. But celebrating his birthday never felt quite right after that terrible, terrible night. When he lost everything. Maybe it was survivor's guilt. In fact, it most definitely was. 

But despite his own feelings on the subject, his crew always made the effort to celebrate. Maybe it was just an excuse to party, but Law never made an attempt to stop their generosity. He did have one rule, however. 

No gifts.

This rule became established after receiving one too many tacky shirts that never fit, a polar bear pajama onesie, absolutely atrocious alcohol Penguin swore was sake and not swill, a tacky gold necklace that said "Love Doctor" in gold filigree….the list went on. 

So, he let it be known that if anything were to be given to him, let it be in the form of food. Onigiri, preferably. That had yet to be fucked up. Key word being yet, but he remained hopeful that it never would. 

"Happy Birthday, Captain!" 

Bepo eagerly bounced over to Law, paws carrying a large, handmade birthday card. Stickers and awkwardly cut shapes were stuck all over the front, and he could see that most of the glue was still wet. A tiny drop fell from one colorful corner of the paper to the floor. 

"We all signed it," Bepo beamed. He handed the card over to his captain, and waited with hopeful eyes for Law's reaction.

The birthday boy opened the card carefully, trying to avoid wet glue and glitter from getting on his hands more than necessary. True to the Mink's words, the inside was covered in diverse signatures. Happy birthday wishes, smiley faces, jokes about him getting old…a little bit of everything was written throughout. Law smiled, and thanked his dear friend. 

Bepo enveloped him in a - literal - bear hug, and informed him that mountains of onigiri were being prepped in his honor in the galley. 

"Your favorite! We made sure to make all of your favorite fillings, too," Bepo said. "We were thinking about having a picnic on the main deck since the weather is supposed to be good tonight. Shachi said that there might even be a meteor shower!"

Law nodded. "Sounds like a plan." 

He noticed small bits of rice stuck to his friend's fur. With a smirk, he asked if Bepo was the 'quality assurance' tester in the kitchen. The polar bear blushed, and sheepishly said that he couldn't resist.

"[Name] is the best cook! They always lets me taste-test when they're on cooking duty," Bepo sighed dreamily. 

Law was aware. Normally, the duties that were assigned on the Polar Tang rotated to ensure fairness, but it was kind of an unspoken agreement that you would cook more often than not. You were an exceptional cook, and spared no expense to make sure that everyone had delicious meals every day. 

His birthday onigiri was in capable hands tonight.

—

"Don't drop them!"

"If you watch where you're going I won't!"

Penguin and Shachi bickered back and forth, trying to balance two large and heavy trays out of the kitchen. The silver trays were piled high with fresh onigiri. Little pieces of heaven stuff with tuna, salmon, roe, kombu seaweed, yaki….and much more. Ikkaku and Uni balanced even more trays of onigiri as they followed the other men out of the kitchen. 

You sighed as you wiped your hands on your apron. How long had you been in this kitchen? Too long, but it was a worthwhile endeavor today. Well, it was worthwhile everyday but today was special. It was your Captain's birthday, and you couldn't resist going the extra mile to make sure he had enough of his favorite food. With that in mind, you smiled as you looked at the remnants of today's work. 

"Do those need to go out to the deck?"

You turned, and saw Law standing in the doorway. He pointed to a tray that had a handful of onigiri on them, but you shook your head. 

"No, those ones are for me. They have umeboshi in the middle."

The mere mention of pickled plums made his expression sour, and you laughed. 

"Don't worry, the rest are filled with only your favorites," you said. You removed your apron and set it aside, and you picked up a separate tray that had some uniquely shaped onigiri on it. Some looked like Bepo, others were shaped like whales and penguins. "These are special. Happy birthday!"

Law took the tray, and smiled at how cute they looked. "Seems like a crime to eat something like this. They look great. Thank you."

You felt shy under his gaze, and offered him a bashful 'you're welcome ' in return. A moment passed before you cleared your throat and informed him that you had something to give him.

"I wasn't aware that there was a rule about not getting you any gifts," you explained. "I had already picked out a present for you before Ikkaku told me about it. Um…After dinner, I can give it to you, if you want? When the others aren't around?"

His gray eyes twinkled as an amused, crooked smirk pulled at his lips. He was intrigued, of course, and forgiving towards your trespass against the 'no gifts' rule. You had only been a part of his crew for about a year, having joined after his last birthday. There wasn't a way you could have known, he supposed.

"Alright," he said. Law asked if you needed help with anything else, and when you assured him that you didn't, he made his way up to the deck. 

You gathered up your tray of heathenous umeboshi onigiri, and followed after him.

"[Name]!"

A harsh whisper of your name stopped you. Ikkaku was by your side in a flash, eyes wide and excited. 

"You got the captain a present?! What is it?!"

You hushed her. "Zip it! Don't let the others hear you!"

She placed a hand over her lips, but impishly pestered you to continue. With a sigh, you shifted awkwardly under her gaze.

"Alright, alright. Yes, I got him a present. It's nothing special, really - "

"Oh, stop. He'll love it as long as it's from you!"

Before you could ask her to elaborate, Ikkaku squealed in delight and continued:

"Are you going to tell him? You know, about your feelings?"

"What?! No! Why would I do that?" You were aghast at the mere suggestion of even telling Law that you liked him. You know, like-liked him. Wink wink. 

How on earth could you possibly navigate a conversation like that with him? He was so stoic and reserved, apathetically amused by the world around him despite how fucked up it was. Surely, he wouldn't have any interest in hearing how much you enjoyed his company, or how much you liked how intelligent he was. Or how, despite his great efforts to seem aloof, he really did care about people. Then, of course, there were the more…physical traits that you could appreciate. That went without saying. 

You shook your head. No! No way! You didn't dare admit your feelings. Not today. It was Law's birthday, and you were perfectly content celebrating the absolute treasure that he was - sans confession. 

Ikkaku pouted. "Aw, that's no fun…"

You poked your tongue out at her and scurried up the stairs. "Too bad, so sad!"

—-

The evening was a delight. The crew drank, laughed and devoured your carefully crafted onigiri. You believed Law's birthday to be a success, and you hoped that felt that way as well.

He was off to the side and away from the ruckus of his crew. His gray eyes watched the ocean waves, seemingly lost in thought. The sun had set a while ago, and the moon's glow made everything twinkle like silver. You couldn't take your eyes off of him, and it delighted you to see how handsome he was like this. Your fingers held the box in your hands carefully, and you wondered if you should even bother giving it to him. 

"Don't you dare back out," Ikkaku whispered. 

You jumped out of your skin, placing a hand over your heart. "Oh, my God, Ikkaku! You scared me!"

"Sorry," she giggled. "I could see the look on your face. You were second guessing yourself, weren't you?"

You nodded, bashfully looking at the box in your hands. Ikkaku smiled, and hugged you affectionately. 

"Don't worry," she said. "He'll love it. I promise you that whatever it is, it can't be any worse than the pimp chain Shachi got him a few years ago. Can you imagine the Captain wearing a necklace that said "Love Doctor" on it? Ugh."

You laughed. The imagery of such a thing was pretty ridiculous. 

Ikkaku gave you one last squeeze before she directed her attention to the rest of the crew. In a stern and commanding voice, she announced that the next step for the night was to get the kitchen cleaned. Groans of disapproval filled the air, but she wasn't having any of it.

"The sooner it gets done, the better!" She said, "Let's go, let's go, let's go!"

She winked at you, and herded the men off of the main deck. You could hear Penguin complain about cleaning up your mess, followed by a loud smack and a pitiful cry of pain. 

"[Name] spent all day in that kitchen making dinner for the Captain and for you. Don't you dare complain!" 

You laughed to yourself, a certain warmth filling your chest at how much you truly loved your fellow crewmates. But now, it was just you and Law. 

He seemed to be expecting you, as he turned to face you. He leaned against the deck railing, watching as you fiddled with the box in your hands. You approached him carefully, tentatively. It was cute, in a way. 

"So…" you began, "Happy Birthday, Captain. Here's your present."

You held your breath as he took the box from you. The tips of his fingers brushed against yours, and you could feel your soul just about leave your body at the sensation. 

Law eyed the box curiously, tilting it back and forth in his hands. Maybe he was teasing you by leaving you in suspense, but your heart could hardly take it. 

In a rush of words that almost sounded distinguishable, you babbled on about how you didn't have any idea what to get him. You thought about clothes, another hat, jewelry, something physician related…You rambled about how nothing quite seemed to suite him, so eventually you settled on this because -

"I thought that it would make you smile!" You exclaimed. "But then Ikkaku told me that most of the gifts you've gotten were kind of tacky and like a bad joke…I had already bought it by then, and I couldn't figure out anything else - "

"[Name.]"

You let out a nervous squeak as he stopped you, and for a moment you hated how amused he looked at your expense. He held your gaze as his fingers tore the wrapping paper inch by inch until the top of the box was exposed. You pressed your fingers to your lips, anxiety fraying your nerves terribly. 

Law removed the lid, and lifted out a mug from the crisp and clean tissue paper buried within. It was a simple white mug, but when he turned it over in his hand, Law's eyes widened. 

This is it, you thought. You squeezed your eyes shut, face buried in your palms as you waited for the dreaded moment where Law would scold you for giving him a terrible gift. 

" 'World's Okayest Doctor'," he read aloud. 

You groaned and shook your head. "I'm sorry, it's probably the worst gift ever. I just thought it would make you smile! Of course you're a terrific doctor - "

He said your name again, making you stop short. You peaked at him through your fingers, and were amazed to see the smirk on his lips.

"Nothing could be worse than the "Love Doctor" necklace Shachi gave me," Law said. "Thank you for this."

You nodded slowly, carefully moving your hands away from your blushing face. "Y-You're welcome, Captain."

—

You were always awake before the others, save for Jean Bart and Law respectively. Or whoever was on night watch. But it was rare that anyone was in the kitchen before you on any given day. So, the fact that the light was on made you curious.

You padded into the galley, rubbing sleep from your eyes. What would you make for breakfast today…? 

With a deep breath, you savored the smell of coffee. Already it perked you up, and you knew that only one person on the Polar Tang would make coffee this early.

"Good morning, Captain," you said. 

Law was leaning against the kitchen island, the morning's paper in his hands. Across from him was a freshly brewed pot of coffee. "Good morning," he replied. He turned the page of his paper, eyes focused on whatever bullshit filled the space. 

You hummed, admiring his bed-head and wrinkled pajamas. He always seemed so put together, so in the rare times you got to see Law in this state, you pressed it upon your conscience as much as you could. You wanted to remember it vividly and fondly. 

Reaching for a clean mug in one of the cupboards, you went about pouring yourself a cup of coffee. "Did you sleep well?" You asked.

"No better than usual," he said. Perhaps one night he would be blessed with a full, restful sleep. But he wasn't holding his breath on that.

"I see. Well - "

You stopped short as you turned to face him. Maybe it was silly to be rendered speechless over something so simple as Law drinking coffee, but it was a bit more than just that.

His gray eyes were on you, watching you carefully over the rim of his mug. But not just any mug. It was the mug. The mug that you gave him. 

You couldn't stop the grin that lit up your face. Your cheeks felt warm, and your heart was giddy. 

"Is that a new mug?" You asked, pretending as if you hadn't given it to him the night before.

Law nodded slowly, appreciatively. "It is," he concurred. "I got it as a birthday present, actually."

You giggled, holding your own mug close to your chest. "Oh, really? That's awesome! Are you really the "world's okayest doctor"?"

Law smirked at you. "I like to think so."

"Then I guess I'm in good hands, then. I-I mean, we are in good hands! As in the crew. All of us. Are in good hands - your hands. Yeah."

You stumbled over your words, blush deepening. You sipped at your coffee, wincing at how hot it was. That's fine - let it burn away your embarrassment.

"I think it's my new favorite mug, actually," Law mused casually. The mischievous spark in his eyes was not lost on you, and you swore that his teasing would be the death of you.

—-

Off in the doorway, unbeknownst to either of you, a bet was being made amongst certain members of the crew.

"I bet a hundred berry that [Name] confesses their feelings by his next birthday," Shachi whispered. 

Ikkaku shook her head. "No way! I bet two hundred berry that they confess before Christmas!"

Penguin scoffed. "You're both going to lose. Clearly, it will be the captain that makes them confess, and I bet three hundred berry that he'll get them to do it by the time we stop on the next island."

Shachi and Ikkaku gasped at his audacity. "Bet!"

A sleepy Bepo was left out, confused and hungry. "What do you think [Name] will make for breakfast today?" he asked. "I hope it's more onigiri."

Happy Birthday, Law! 💕

#trafalgar law imagine #trafalgar law x reader #trafalgar d water law #one piece x reader #one piece imagine #x reader #one piece

[jenyifer]

Pit Babe ep 6 initial reaction

So I recently got back from a trip to Korea and Japan in January (which is why I’m watching everything late cause couldn’t watch it there). Hardcore studied Japanese for 7 years Koran for 3 years. Can read to a decent level in both. Now started my Thai Bl stuff? Maybe 2 years ago when I watched KinnPorsche. I have not actively tried to learn Thai. So why is my auditory understanding of Thai at the same level as Korean. I keep hearing changes from the subs on iqiyi. This is why when I was in Korea and Japan I kept accidentally speaking Thai? 😭😭 anyways onto the photo review.

Is it crazy babe is that good without his abilities? As far as I can tell he hasn’t been using his skill since he started seeing Charlie. Also feel like this is great meme potential.

Very very very harsh Alan. He doesn’t really give Dean any advice on achieving his goals. Also I think Dean was angry when he was racing Babe and Charlie. Seems like if Alan had more practice maybe he’d feel more comfortable

Way is moving through the stages of grief. Acceptance of the enemy. Way kept treating Charlie like he was replaceable. Also babe was looking hella tiny in this scene. Specifically when he was going down the stairs

Couple things that annoy me about this scene.

1. Jeff doesn’t eat or drink. Look at that milk shake and cake. Come on a tiny nibble? It’s good for the baby.

2. Love Actually in my opinion is one of the weakest romance films of all time. It’s sad the porn couple Martin Freeman and Johanna Page were the sweetest one. But the paper holding scene I found fucking creepy? Her husband kids etc are inside and that’s why the guy is doing the paper signs. Romantic? No. Traumatizing kids on Christmas? Yes.

3. Is Jeff a Uni student? Because… I think Way said he’s known Babe for 7 or 10 years. Which means Alan has to be in his 30s and Babe Way are 25 or 28? Idk concerning age diff at least for Jeff and Alan. Also Alan has a bad case of No means No, but I guess very abo.

Babe’s actor is so Beautiful and convincing at being in love with Charlie. He’s so soft and cute. However suggesting babies is fucking weird Charlie. Maybe it’s cause I don’t want any but seems a bit strange but no kink shaming babe and Charlie can have a mommy kink if they want.

“Why don’t we do it in the road?” By The Beatles

I think I’m just too American South brained because my reaction to this is it’s not cute. A rural road would definitely have road kill splatters and broken glass. Also I’d be worried someone would come out of their house and shoot me to death and that’s before they find out I’m of the LGBT+ variation of human.

I actually think the one I like is called Sonic. Oddly not the one who wears blue? But anyways style icon legend got checked by Dean for doing work? They didn’t seem to be doing the social media thing but helping in the garage so not fair he is taking his frustrations out on them. Also Sonic and North should have an opinion on Charlie joining. Wish we could know if they are friendly with Charlie or not. We do see them also at the party but Charlie is so babe focused I guess they don’t exist but they should be closer to his age.

Awwww Babe is taking the boyfriend title seriously trying to look out for Jeff now. But Jeff sees some bad shit but he just doesn’t share it with us. What’s Charlie’s ability? I guess something with his mouth and that’s why he can by pass Babe’s no’s

Babe was a bit heartless to Way. I mean Way made it clear what kind of simp he was for Babe. I get that Way was Babe’s first friend and he’s very attached to Way for that reason but Babe does have Alan too. I feel like when Way asked for Babe’s necklace then Babe should have said hey just so we clear besties. But then again idk how socialized Babe was at that point.

#pit babe the series #pit babe bl #pit babe #pit babe ep 6 #pit babe episode 6 #charliebabe #alanjeff #Jenny’s watching

[findafight]

Hey, I saw your discussion about the Hellfire club conflict and thought I would give my take as someone who was in club for a RPG campaign and a friendship group DnD thing as well.

In club based RPG they tend to have a certain number of players who can play each week (basically how many the GM/DM can handle or difficulty based) and you sign up in advance of the session. I was a fairly regular player and still missed major lore events since only so many could play. I would assume Hellfire worked similarly to this based on the fact Hellfire had more members than we saw (in the photo) and that Erica was let in so easily. I think if I had signed up for a session then couldn't make it they would get a fill for me but if it was something where I needed to be there they might change things that would happen.

However in my friend group DnD they would only have someone else double and play my character on non major sessions.

The show weirdly frames it like the problem is doing sports and trying to be cool in a way that's kinda weird. It should be more of a conflict of them both having an important club based event on the same day and wanting the other to attend. That makes more sense. In being non neutral in the narrative they make Lucas look better and everyone else look worse (even though they are siding against Lucas, some of the audience won't see sports as a threat the way they want us to).

They make what should be a tragic conflict of interests into a Us versus Them rhetoric regarding nerds and jocks. Steve didn't quit sports for his redemption arc. They already established Jock not equal to bad. It doesn't work.

Oh interesting! Thank you for bringing that up. I still think that would be incredibly weird because wouldn't they have to explain what has happened to everyone who wasn't there at the last/last few sessions? But I guess my experience has been heavy rp fun time/dramas than fighting rp? So maybe it would work better if the kind of DM you have puts more emphasis on battle than protecting annoying Prince's or accidentally meeting ones estranged parents haha.

My uni dnd club just has multiple campaigns happening I think but I've never actually gotten a chance to join (busy with uni) so maybe that is how it goes! I appreciate this insight, that's really interesting.

Yeah I agree, by using the narrative to frame it as Lucas betraying the party or nerddom or whatever it just makes me think everyone is being a pretentious jerk to him for having a non dnd hobby. It could have been a sad thing where he's like oh guys... I wish I could come play DND and I wish you could come watch me play...it's the finale AND the championship game... This blows. and Dustin and Mike could have gone "okay man we'll take really good notes and find your sub for you! Get Steve or your parents to video tape the game, I'll set up my double cassette player to record the radio on a timer too. Oh! Maybe we could record the session? That way even if we can't all be there for both, we can still know what happens!" Just!! Show that they care about each other!

The show's insistence on nerd v jock dichotomy and of it being good v bad is frustrating. You're right Steve showed that! He changed in S1 and in S2 we see him playing basketball! He was captain of the swim team that year apparently too. And he has already changed to be better. But the show often forgets Steve is actually a complex character or can be more than comic relief or that he is also a human who needs medical assistance when hurt so maybe we shouldn't be surprised that they forget he disproves their own point of jocks=bad. Smh

#lucas sinclair #steve harrington #stranger things #stranger things meta #anonasaurus #findaanswers

[adipostsstuff]

How everyone would have found out about the band group:

Red dress girl (henceforth referred to as RDS in these types of posts or Mirai in writing since we don’t have any information on her and I don't want to assume) shows Haruka an advertisement for the group and convinces him to audition. She sets up everything for him behind his mother's back and helps him get to the studio on his first few days.

Yuno and a bunch of her friends decide to audition together, mostly messing about, and they are all very excited when she gets in.

Futa sees an ad for it and decides to go for it in hopes it will give him some fulfillment in his boring life.

Mu tries to get through so she can escape from the bullying in her school. She stopped going to extracurriculars so she has a lot more free time now.

It was actually Shidou's kids who first wanted to audition, but his wife managed to convince him to sign up as well. They aren't too mad he was the only one that made it.

Mahiru did everything in her power to convince her boyfriend to do it with her, but while he encouraged her to do it by herself he simply wasn't interested. She is about to give up on it entirely, but her beautician tells her if she is really passionate about it, she should go for it regardless of whether her boyfriend will do it or not. They don't have to do everything together, after all.

I'll be honest, I have no idea how to drag Kazui into this, if anyone has any ideas please send them to me. Right now I'm going with his wife wanted to get involved but with her theatre job (I saw in a fanfic once that Hinako worked in theatre after she stopped working in the police and have headcanoned it since because it makes half sadder) she didn't have enough time, so Kazui , who doesn't work, offered in her place. I'm not satisfied with this, if someone can give me a better idea that would be great.

Amane saw the ad and ended up giving in to the temptation to audition despite knowing it was sinful, not expecting to get in anyways. When she does, she tries to turn down the invitation but Es insists that she has too much talent to go to waste. She needs to lie to and trick her guardians so she can get to rehearsals. (I'm not sure how realistic or in character this is but she needs to get here somehow.)

My original idea for Mikoto was that his alter sensed he wanted to audition but was holding back because of his job and so auditioned for him, and he is very surprised when told he got through since he doesn't remember auditioning in the first place. I'm not sure if this works anymore since I'm leaning towards the theory that John split after the murder and since the murder didn't happen in this timeline he shouldn't exist. I don't want to exclude him, though. I like John. Maybe I'll bend my theories a little for this to still work.

Kotoko signs up because since dropping out of uni she has a lot of free time. Music can be a good stress reliever, and she could probably use one right now.

If anyone wants to add to these, do add!

#milgram #haruka sakurai #yuno kashiki #fuuta kajiyama #muu kusunoki #shidou kirisaki #mahiru shiina #kazui mukuhara #amane momose #mikoto kayano #kotoko yuzuriha #milgram band group au #we're back baby #updates will likely be as frequent as they have been #everyone can contribute to this; I want this to be a collaborative work after all~

[learnlanguageswithani]

"most used vocabulary" spreadsheet

helloooo, good evening everyone (or whatever time of day you're seeing this)

i finished putting together my "most used vocabulary" spreadsheet so that i can start filling it out for every language that i'm interested in (not all at once though).

this spreadsheet has gone through several versions and i initially got the first version for portuguese from nathaniel drew's website* and from there i've made multiple versions adding things and taking things out, trying to make it work for me. there are definitely a few words i've added at some point that still seem common and important enough to keep on this spreadsheet (or maybe that's my inability to prioritise talking).

i want to make my version available to anyone who might find it helpful so through this link you should be able to make a copy on google drive or download it. i also plan on strategically going through this list and publishing my progress here, so we'll see how that goes. i will be using a slightly different list to do that, which will include some more "niche"** vocabulary that i use regularly but that isn't in the "top most common words"—things like sewing and fashion terminology to talk about my uni lessons, and bookish vocabulary so i can talk about what i like to read.

anyway here it is in all it's glory :)

and for anyone interested in my personal (and unfinished) list, it's here:

with additional categories so far being school, sewing, art, books, baking, true crime (content warning), and holidays.

if you have any suggestions for words or phrases i should add, let me know!

*nathaniel drew's spreadsheet available here. his version also features pages on the spreadsheet that focus on verb tenses, whereas mine is just focused on the vocabulary. you do have to sign up for his newsletter though if you want to access the original resources.

**it's not really that niche, it'll just be vocabulary that people who don't share my interests wouldn't regularly use.

#most common vocabulary #language learning resources #language learning #langblr

[saucerfulofsins]

phd student here (just advanced to candidacy): i honestly feel like academia is meant to break us. my first advisor bullied me into almost committing suicide, and it's been ROUGH... but that said? i think you finishing your degree in spite of everything matters so fucking much. both on a grand scale (academia needs more people from "untraditional" educational and life experiences) and a minor scale (proving something to yourself and to the people around you who've played a part in breaking you). i believe in you because i believe in me. fighting is hard, but sometimes things turn a corner when you least expect it—networking at a conference i didn't even want to go to accidentally solved a big gap in my advising situation.

sending all the best vibes in your direction. you are smart, capable, and will end up in the right place eventually. academia destroys souls, and you're not alone. ❤️

Hey ❤️❤️

I like seeing it from that side. Maybe not doing it AS well as I could have if I'd have the circumstances other ppl write theirs in (I started mine first with a rejection of my initial topic,then switching to a topic I had taken NO courses or associated courses on, and all of this while I had the very real concerns I might have cervical cancer as a trans man... the day I found out I didn't was the day I found out my supervisor would be leaving, leaving me with about 10 weeks to write a MA thesis which obvs didn't happen and then shit REALLY hit the fan). I wouldn't consider anyone else's grade under my circumstances a true reflection of what they're worth, either. I should add that my MA program is a research master, preparing you for academia and after which you'd move on to a 3-4 yr PhD program in my country. If your grades and project are good enough, of course. Mine? Aren't.

I applied to some PhD programs last yr but only major/big name unis and I think that might have been a mistake too. I had an interview and everyone there sounded so smart, had so much background, and I'm from the countryside with parents that barely finished their high schools (with levels that wouldn't get anyone into uni).

But yeah. You're right. In the end this is one grade, and it's a passing grade, and I... I mean I won't get into a big name uni with this rn and I don't think I wanna pursue a PhD rn anyway just because of all the pain but also the backlog I have compared to everyone else there. I just really wanna figure out a way to stay involved in academia without ending up in this locked down situation where, as you say, there's an attempt to break down everyone that doesn't fit the way the established order thinks we should.

It's just super difficult to keep believing in yourself when you're turned down and turned away at every junction in your life. After so many years (I'm 31 now) it's just. There's a point where it feels too much. At the same time I took an entrance exam to uni at 21 which I failed, and which I took to be a sign I shouldn't pursue uni at all. Clearly I was wrong there. I just.

I just wish there were more ways of learning than just the one specific kind universities (and high schools for that matter) dictate rn.

I also wish you the best of luck in your own degree, now and in the future! I know a PhD is another step up from a MA and I cannot imagine how rough it must've been for you especially with your first advisor. You don't deserve that (and lbr no one does). If you ever want a listening ear abt what you're working on, even if it's something I know nothing about, feel free to contact me!

[salmonellaandcheese]

Tag Game To Better Know You!

Tagged by the lovely and talented @lady--lisa (So sorry for taking so long! I didn't forget! I just couldn't figure out a way to copy all the questions easily on mobile)

If you saw the first version of this no u didnt

What book are you currently reading?

I'm halfway through Anne of Avolea by L.M Montgomery and a few chapters into the Colour of Magic by Terry Pratchett. I really should read more, I used to devour books back when I was a kid, but the library I volunteer at is based on community requests so its almost entirely formulaic ghostwritten thrillers (curse you James Pattison). If anyone has book recommendations let me know!

What’s your favourite movie you saw in theatres this year?

I think the only movie I saw was the new Top Gun, which I only watched because my mum loves the original and we went for her birthday. I wouldn't say its fantastic, but I did end up infodumping to my friends about propaganda and pop culture.

What do you usually wear?

Usually loose jeans or other sturdy pants and some variety of print t-shirt with my red flannel. Anxiety kind of made it into my uni uniform, I never thought I'd miss my high school uniform that much. When I'm at home I'm usually wearing shorts and an old singlet that I got in grade 8 or something. Winter means I get to wear big jumpers! I have this horrifically ugly one on it that says New Zealand with a red kiwi on it, I adore it. If I'm reaching out of my miniscule comfort zone I'll wear a funky button up or a more form fitting shirt, I've always dressed quite modestly (although not entirely by choice) and this year I cut my hair off and started to explore my masculinity and being openly and visibly queer. I pretty much only wear natural fibres and very practial/sensory friendly clothing, so most of my clothes are made to last and will be repaired until I deign them unwearable.

Fun fact, I used to actually dress in a style I'd say is somewhere between classic lolita and cottagecore, lots of pinafores and frilly shirts and ribbons. Next year I'd like to step out of my comfort zone and dress in any way that sparks joy, maybe experiment with makeup, different styles or more revealing clothing (ooh a shoulder, scandalous).

How tall are you?

I'm actually not quite sure, between 165cm and 170cm I think (5'5" to 5'7")

What’s your Star Sign? Do you share a birthday with a celebrity or a historical event?

Gemini

Do you go by your name or a nick-name?

I introduce myself with my name but with hopes that I'll get a nickname, I've always wanted one.

Did you grow up to become what you wanted to be when you were a child?

I'm still in uni but by a technicality yes? I wanted to be a scientist but came to dislike science in high school, but now I'm doing archeology (and history) through an arts degree but I could do it through a science degree. I did really enjoy digging in the dirt as a child, so I think little me would be happy about that, even if i was more into paleontology.

Are you in a relationship? If not, who is your crush if you have one?

No. I do have a bit of a crush on my best friend, who I turned down a year ago because I'm the stupidest person alive and can't tell the difference between friendship feelings and romantic feelings.

What’s something you’re good at vs. something you’re bad at?

I'm good with precision and detail orientated things. I love knitting and I've picked up archery and bread making recently. Its actually why I got into archaeology, I wanted to work in restoration and conservation.

I'm bad at remembering to do stuff. It's the ADHD man. Assessments? whoops. Consistent meals? Forgot. Cleaning? sorry not happening

Dogs or cats?

Dogs, I've never had a cat and don't really know how they work.

If you draw/write, or create in any way, what’s your favourite picture/favourite line/favourite etc. from something you created this year?

I knitted my best friend some lovely socks, they're my first pair of socks and my second time doing fair isle.

What’s something you would like to create content for?

Look I know this means fandom but I have to start planning for what I'm putting in the show next year, it's only 6 months away. I'd love to do some more sewing, maybe make a gunne sax style dress (provided my anxiety will let me wear it out of the house) and I want to find something technically challenging for knitting, maybe lacework? Send me knitting/crafting inspo. I was thinking of maybe picking up counted thread embroidery too (yes I hate myself).

What’s something you’re currently obsessed with?

Star Wars. I've got brain worms about it. I've been microwaving it for months. Its been on my mind constantly, yet I have no thoughts. I'm forcing all of my friends to watch it. I'm rewatching all of it. I know nothing but also everything. I'm being excessively autistic about a background character wearing a cable knit jumper.

Good thing is that it makes conversation with men under 25 incredibly easy. I've made industry connections over a conversation about Lego Star Wars.

What’s something you were excited about that turned out to be disappointing this year?

Uhhhhhh. My uni's archaeology society? The history society raised my standards high, they do a lot of fun events, whereas the archaeology one is useful but a lot more industry training and connections focused instead of having regular pizza and power-point nights like the history one.

What’s a hidden talent of yours?

Hmm. I'm not too sure. I can flip an egg without using anything other than the pan, does that count? Like just wiggle, wiggle, throw it up in the air and catch it.

Are you religious?    

Catholic but in a cool and funky queer way

What’s something you wish to have at this moment?

A concrete plan of what the hell I'm doing and how to do it. A solution to my joint pain?

Tagging: (only if you want to) @elprupneerg @rights-for-redshirts @doveyluvey @notaghost3 @swagtalia @radioactivehydronerd @hetaari @arthoe-iceland @ratfish-blues and anyone else who sees this is welcome to join in!

#if anyone is going to do it i would recommend copying the questions across not on mobile #long post #ask game #tag game #love tag games!

[organchordsandlightning]

tagged by @bluejayblueskies and @tired-beholding-bitch (a month ago. oops.) to find the words shadow, hand, love, pause, care, and heavy!

throwing these under a readmore  - spoilers for Malevolent EP25!

care and hand (lucky double whammy!) from a fluffy-one shot were John and Arthur hug for the first time 

Why did you shake my hand? When I first came back?

Some water stuck in his trachea. Arthur coughed, each movement making his head pulse with pain. “I was relieved to see you!” He exclaimed, a little hoarse. “I thought I made that clear.”

Yes. I know that. But why did you shake my hand?

That was much harder to answer. “Well, it’s what people do after not seeing each other for a long while.” He could anticipate the next question. “Some people like physical contact, I suppose. Whether it’s a reassurance, a-a symbol of care, a sign that you see them as equals …”

Which one was it for you?

Arthur had to think on it a moment. “All three. And a comfort. While I didn’t relish the thought of losing the hand again, it was worth it to have you back.”

A comfort, John mused. Arthur could feel his pointer, middle, and index press against his right shoulderblade. His little finger hung limply against the back of his shirt.

shadow from a game you’re destined to lose, a sequel to a Malevolent AU I’m working on:

Concern made John’s brow furrow. “Did Arthur seem like the sort of person who would?”

“I wanna say no.” Parker seemed disconcerted by the thought. “Arthur was my best pal. He was a good guy, John, he worked harder than anyone I’d ever met and if you could make him laugh, you knew he’d die for you. But when a guy keeps so much of his life in shadow, you end up wondering what he’s hiding in there.”

“Okay.”

“I just –” Agitated, now, Parker went on. “I just don’t want you thinking that I, I was scared of English or anything. Maybe it wasn’t like how other people operated, but we made it work. I didn’t have to know everything about him to trust him, and I –”

“Parker.”

heavy from a TMA Uni AU that I’m chipping away at!:

“I, ah. My girlfriend and I … my girlfriend broke up with me. Um, it’s why I had to move.”

Oh.

Oh, fucking … yeah. Obvious. Or, at least, Martin should have thought about it before then. He saw students loads and they often pretended like he wasn’t there. Plus, so many students cried in the bathrooms, especially when he needed to clean it.

And it wasn’t all relationship stuff. Classes were stressful (Martin imagined), plus there were the usual sorts of tragedies that could strike at any time. It was just. A lot of relationship stuff.

He had to say something. The air was heavy, and Jon looked like he expected to be called a naughty boy.

pause from a Malevolent post-25 angst piece 

“Cultist? My boy, I am no more a cultist than Prester John. I am simply doing what is best for this town. Can’t you see that?”

“What is best, what is best, I am sick and fucking tired hearing about what is best! You don’t know a god damn thing, Daniel, and you certainly don’t know what is best!”

“Daniel?”

The slip made Arthur pause. Just as his arms were numb, he felt like he’d scarcely been able to feel his own mind for hours: the words came tumbling out like a waterfall with hardly little to catch them. Of course this wasn’t Bella’s father, Arthur knew that, and he couldn’t fathom why his brain had volunteered the name so readily.

love from, curveball, a Sheridan Tapes Season 2 fic

He separated from Bill and brushed his sleeve over his eyes, taking Bill’s hand with his free one. “You … you look like hell, love,” he tried to joke, even if it was absolutely true and not the least bit funny. “Come on, you should sit.”

Bill obeyed. He was hunching his shoulders, head held low. That wasn’t Bill. Bill was the guy who looked up posture videos. Bill was the guy who went on walks around the department to make sure he wasn’t too sedentary.

alas, i won’t tag anyone because i think most folks have been tagged at this point! but thanks for the nudge y’all, it was fun to push through my folders!