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#safe to say I'm thinking about them a lot
lowkeyerror · 1 day
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The Family Business Ch.12
WandaNat x Reader
Word count: 2.7k
Ch. Notes: It's a converstion so dialouge heavy, non-sexual nudity
Summary: Natasha and Wanda reveal their feelings.
An: Ok... ok late again, but tell me it's not worth the wait. (Please don't) Hopefully you love it because it's 2:25am but I'm still doing this for yall and yes if everything goes right new ch. on Monday
Series Masterlist | Masterlist
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Wanda couldn’t look at you when she was speaking. You could see she was trying to find the words, but you didn’t know how to help her.
Natasha knowing what her wife is trying to say tries to take over.
“ Before I met you I was a little jealous. Seeing the love of my life light up talking about someone who was quite literally thousands of miles away, was a hard pill to swallow. I haven’t known you as long as Wanda, but I can see now why she had always spoken so highly of you.”
You want to interrupt the red head and say anything back to her, but you don’t. They had said they wanted to tell you everything before you spoke so you intended to let them.
“When Papa sent me away, I resented him for it. It was a great opportunity and a show of good faith, but I was angry with him because I didn’t want to leave you here. I thought we had grown quite close, little krolik. You were the best part of all my days. So much so that even thousands of miles away I couldn’t shut up about you. Even after I fell in love, you’d always find a way into my mind,” Wanda plays with her wedding ring as she speaks.
You look between the two woman silently urging them to continue.
“I’ve been many places, lived many lives, and have met many people, but I've never met anyone like you. There’s this light inside you that you keep so close to your chest. I can feel it behind all the walls you put up. I see it in how intensely you care about your family and I admire it. I admire you,” Natasha isn’t scared to take your hand in hers.
Wanda continues, “It’s hard not to admire you. If Natasha has seen it in these few months, it’s safe to say I’ve always seen it. I saw it before you put all these walls up, when you let it be known to everyone. I think that’s what startled me so much when I came home. I felt like a soldier come home from war to see his home was no longer his.”
The woman begins to get emotional. You reach out your other hand for her to take, not knowing what else to do.
“When I saw Wanda interact with you for the first time, I felt something. It wasn’t jealousy or hatred or anything like that. It was this overwhelming warmth. Seeing her hold you as if you’d disappear, seeing her smile as big as our wedding day, it made me happy,” Natasha recounts.
Wanda sighs, “When we were in my old room at the dinner I was terrified. I thought you were going to tell me the same thing everyone else had when it came to you, but you didn’t. You held me, dried my tears, and I think things really started to fall into place for me then.”
“I met Wanda when she was technically on a job. She was leading and in charge of operations. I had seen her get angry or upset on multiple occasions, but I don’t know if I ever saw her as mad as that night. I could almost see the steam coming out of her ears when she had Pietro against the wall. As far as I knew, I was the only one who could calm her down, but then you did it like it was second nature.”
You speak quietly, “She’s always had a temper.”
You think the woman will roll her eyes, but she doesn’t, “I have and you have always been there to calm me down. I don’t know how to say this, Y/n. When I met you, you were just my little brother’s best friend, but then you became my friend and then a part of my family. You were so delicate back then, you weren’t even 18 for Christ sake.”
Natasha tries to help her wife find her bearings, “But by the time she left you were 22 and you had grown into a young woman.”
Wanda shakes her head a bit, “You had done a lot of growing, that I didn't want to see, that I was trying to ignore because I didn’t want you to think that I had intentions of taking advantage of you. I felt like at the time I was too old, you were too young, and we were too close.”
You look at her with confusion on your face. There’s only one thing that she could be talking about in your mind, but this can’t be happening.
“What are you saying Wanda?”
For the first time in the conversation her eyes meet yours. You see the fear in them, the uncertainty, the desperation. Her hand let’s go of yours and finds itself on her bouncing knee.
“I don't want to ruin this and I'm so scared of losing you, but if you would’ve died in that alley not knowing that I’m in love with you it would’ve destroyed me.”
You feel your heart beating against your chest. Your mouth opens and closes a few times as you try to find your voice. You find yourself stuttering for the first time in years, “Y-you w-what?”
Wanda stands abruptly trying to run from the conversation. This makes you panic and try to stand as well. However, you forget about your ankle and yelp at the weight you put on it.
Wanda’s arms are quick to steady you before you do anymore damage to yourself. She’s close to you and you swear you can hear her heartbeat.
“D-did you s-ay-” you give up frustrated with your reappearing stutter.
Wanda’s grip on you tightens slightly, “I’m in love with you.”
“Wanda I- you’re married,” you look back at Natasha only to find her staring at you.
She stands from her place on the couch, and closes the gap between the two of you.
“I have my own feelings for you Y/n,” Natasha is confident as she speaks.
Her assertion makes you turn red, “Y-you also?”
Natasha smiles sweetly, “Maybe not love just yet, but I could see myself falling for you.”
This situation was short-circuiting your brain, it felt like you were dreaming. This couldn’t be real. As you stood between the two woman it felt like less of a dream.
“I loved you before they sent you away,” you blurt out to your friend’s sister.
Once you start it’s like the words just pour out of your mouth, “You were way out of my league. You’re still out of my league, I mean does it get more taboo than falling for your best friend’s older sister. You’re just so easy to love, but I never thought I had a chance and then you came back with a wife; a very beautiful, very intelligent, ex-Russian spy of a wife, and I just knew I didn’t have a chance.”
“The chance is now. Admittedly, we don’t know how something like this works, but I think we can figure it out together,” Wanda levels with you.
“If you're interested,” Natasha adds on, leaving the ball in your court.
“It would’ve been nice if you guys had told me before I got a cut on my lip. I could’ve done the whole dramatic kiss to cut you off,” you tease them.
Wanda rolls her eyes, “If I could shove you and you wouldn’t fall over, I would.”
“You talk to every woman you’re in love with like that?”
Natasha chimes in, “You get used to it after awhile.”
You share a laugh and when it dies down Wanda speaks, “So we’re doing this?”
“I want to try, but I don’t want to ruin your marriage,” you speak honestly.
“You won’t,” Natasha declares with certainty.
“How do you know?”
She thinks for a moment, “The love Wanda and I have for each other is endless, I’ve never for a moment thought anything could break it up. We’re not changing the way we love each other, we’re just adding you into the already existing dynamic. Eventually it should end with the three of us loving each other endlessly. Does that make sense?”
You nod slowly, “It sounds perfect.”
Natasha places a kiss on your cheek like it’s second nature to her, “Good.”
Your ears heat at the contact and before you can respond Wanda places a light kiss at the corner of your lips.
The movement leaves you wanting more. Against better judgement you try to lean down and kiss her. You succeed in placing your lips against hers for a brief second but as you pull away you almost fall again.
Natasha is the one to steady you this time. She teases you, “Someone is eager?”
“My ankle doesn’t want me to be great.” you pout.
Natasha hesitates, but delicately she touches her lips to yours. It’s as quick as your attempt at kissing Wanda.
“Your ankle won’t stop us, bunny,” Wanda looks at you with shining eyes.
Your face heats at the nickname that’s only familiar to you in the woman’s native language. The women chuckle at the pigment of your skin.
“We’ll see who’s laughing when my lips don’t hurt and I can kiss you properly,” you try once again standing on your own.
“I’m looking forward to it,” Wanda lets her eyes fall to your lips.
You roll your eyes, “Stop teasing, and help me get ready for bed. This has simultaneously been one of the best and one of the most painful days of my life. Truly unforgettable.”
Natasha speaks first, “I’ll get some stuff ready for a shower.”
“I’ll help you to the bathroom,” Wanda finishes.
It’s an all too similar feeling as you find yourself perched on the bathroom counter with Wanda standing between your legs.
Her fingers play with the end of your shirt. She looks at you for permission and you give her a light nod.
Slowly as to not aggravate your injuries she takes your shirt off. She’s careful as she unwraps the bandages from your torso.
“You’ll need help in there,” she speaks softly as her eyes scan your body.
“I know,” the pain starts to catch up with you.
Leaning forward slightly you rest your head on her shoulder. She smells good and it calms your nerves.
Wanda can’t help herself as she speaks up, “Isn’t this a familiar scene?”
You raise your head off of her shoulder and smile, “It’s ringing a few bells.”
Natasha enters the restroom with some towels and pajamas, “I’m going to get some food going, if you guys are alright in here?”
Wanda nods, “I’ve got her, Nat.”
Natasha nods and proceeds to exit the bathroom, “Just holler if you need me.”
Wanda steps away from you to turn the shower on. She’s back in front of you in no time.
“How do you want to do this?”
You feel nerves as you speak, but you try to sound objective, “I think you should join me. Not because I want to see you, not that I don’t want to see you. Its just I can’t really stand and-”
She quiets you down by pulling her own shirt over her head. Her feet pad against the bathroom floor as she makes her way back over to you. Wanda’s hands place themselves on the top of your pants. Her movements are slow but sure as she begins to pull them down. She takes extra care when they're around your ankle.
Once they’re off she takes a step back swiftly removing her own pants. The only thing left on both of you is your underwear.
The sound of the shower rings heavily in your ears as you watch Wanda take her bra off. You can’t move even if you want to. Your eyes glance over her chest before following her hands path lower. She’s not teasing as she removes her panties.
Once again you find yourself with her standing between your legs, but this time there was significantly less fabric in the way. She reaches behind you back to place her hands on your bra clasp.
“Y/n, do you mind if-"
“Take it off,” you finish for her.
She does as you say, a shaky breath releases from her. Your bra falls off your shoulder, but you keep looking in her eyes. Her hand slides down from your back and her finger hooks around your underwear.
“Take it off,” you repeat in a hushed tone.
She follows your instructions. Her eyes snap back to yours. The two of you stare in silence. There’s an underlying tenderness to the moment.
Wanda’s hand reach for your waist, “Ready?”
You nod and she assists you off of the counter. The water hits your skin and you sigh. You enjoy the heat against your bruised skin. Wanda’s hands stay in place for a moment just keeping you steady.
It's a silent delicacy as Wanda soaps up a towel and begins to gently clean your skin. You marvel at the lightness of her touch.
She turns you around so you face her. You look down at her and can’t help but brush your nose against hers. You hear her breath hitch. Carefully you use your hand to guide her’s across your body.
Neither of you dwell as she cleans every inch of you intimately. You lean against the shower wall a bit so Wanda has room to wash herself. You take in the details of her body as she cleans herself.
She gets out first and then helps you put the pajamas laid out for you on before dressing herself.
“I love you,” you say it easily when everything is done.
Wanda places a kiss on your forehead, “I love you too.”
Wanda helps you to the kitchen table. Your eyes find Natasha moving about in the kitchen.
“Almost done, I know you’re tired lisichka. We can eat then get in the bed,” Natasha speaks to you.
“Thanks Natty,” you look at her with your hand on your chin.
“Did you re-wrap her torso detka?” Natasha asks her wife.
Wanda snaps her fingers, “I knew I forgot something.”
“Take over here, and I’ll do it?”
Wanda agrees to these terms. Natasha goes to fetch the medical wrap and quickly returns. You’re sitting down, so Natasha kneels to be level with your torso.
Carefully with tentative hands, she lifts up your shirt. Her hand finds the small of your back, to encourage you to sit straight. You follow her instructions.
“Tell me if it’s too tight, okay?”
You’re looking down into her eyes and you momentarily get lost in them. The hues of green draw you in like emeralds.
“Baby,” she says again a little more firm.
You snap out of it and nod, “I’ll tell you if it’s too tight.”
She brings the wrap around your torso multiple times, each time looking for any extensive discomfort in your expression.
When she’s done with your torso, she quickly does your ankle. Your ankle was more sensitive, so she made sure to be extra gentle.
“All set, lisichka,” the woman places a kiss on your forehead as she stands up.
“Food is ready,” Wanda announces bringing plates for the three of you to table.
At this point exhaustion was knocking at your door. You eat in comfortable silence and once you’re finished, they help you to bed.
When your head hits the pillow, you almost fall asleep instantly.
“If I didn’t want to kill him for what he did to my father, I’d kill him for this,” Wanda says to her wife.
“The men involved have been dealt with already,” Natasha relies to her Wanda.
“You work fast malyshka,” Wanda places her hands on Natasha’s hips.
Natasha looks at your sleeping figure, “I’d move at the speed of light for either of you.”
Natasha ends her statement by kissing Wanda.
“I love you,” Wanda pulls the woman closer to her.
Natasha smiles pecking the woman’s lips once more, “I love you too.”
The two of them climb into the bed, making sure to give you adequate space due to your injuries.
“Why does this already feel so natural?” Wanda questions.
Natasha answers instantly, “It’s just meant to be like this. This feels like the final piece to our little puzzle."
Wanda was more than content with that answer, closing her eyes, unable to fight rest.
Somewhat like before, but entirely different at the same time, the three women lay together.
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m-elshaer038 · 2 days
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urgent : please if you can help don't hesitate If you can't, share the link and I will be very grateful to you
I am Muhammad Al-Shaer from Gaza. I am approximately 23 years old, and like any young man in the world at this age, I am nearing the end of my university and the beginning of the formation of my professional life.
At this age, I only had 18 hours left (less than a year), and I graduated from university with a very good grade, and I had my own house, and I was working in the field I was studying (software engineering.)
As they say, at the age of 23, I have passed halfway or more until the time came that destroyed all these things, destroyed all of my dreams, and destroyed all of these plans.
After October 7 (with the beginning of the war in Gaza,) our entire lifestyle changed. Unfortunately, I stopped studying and I did not finish my university (I did not obtain my degree.)
With the power outage and the internet outage, I stopped working and completely forgot about my field. The biggest disaster that befell us was that my house, my brother’s house, and my family’s house were completely destroyed I became without a degree, job, or home (homeless in every sense of the word).
Since that day when we lost our home, I have seen the amount of sadness and distress in the faces of my family, especially my mother.
And every time our hearts bled, we felt sad for every part of this house. You can imagine this feeling as you see your family’s house and the house of your dreams being slowly destroyed before your eyes, and you can do nothing but pray to God only. The war has been going on for almost 6 months, and I did not think about taking refuge here on gofundme, but when my family and I lost the entire house, I had to create this donation, hoping for your generosity and understanding of the magnitude of the disaster that befell us here.
From a young man who has less than a year left to obtain his university degree, a comfortable job, and my own house, I thought about every detail when building this. To a person without a degree, job, or home, and unfortunately without dreams as well now.
After I lost everything I mentioned previously, which is almost everything I own, and logically all of this will be compensated with the passage of days, but I own something very beautiful that cannot be replaced at all, which is my family (my mother and my brothers )
And after I saw that this war was eating away everything green and dry, and burning everything in its path: people, dreams, and plans. So I thought about trying to get my family out of this war zone, in which not a single area is safe anymore, and every area is literally at risk of being killed at any time, unfortunately, and out of my fear for my family, here I created this link, and Bridget (the foreign Queen of Palestine) helped me a lot with it. Hoping in your humanity to help me get my family out so that I don’t lose them and lose the most beautiful thing I have in my life.
Unfortunately, to leave Rafah to Egypt, each person’s coordination requires $5,000
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sayruq · 3 days
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My name is Bridget Kushner and I'm managing this fundraiser for Mohammed and his family. Mohammed and I met and for me to help manage this fundraiser, Mohammed's ID and family situation have been verified by a journalist on the ground. We talk daily and have developed a friendship. I strongly urge you to read through Mohammed's story and follow him on social media. At 22, after 6 months of this, Mohammed has decided he needs to take action so he's quite late to fundraising compared to many people. Thank you for taking the time to read about Mohammed!! My friends, brothers, and supporters of humanity in the world, I am Muhammad Al-Shaer from Gaza. I am approximately 23 years old, and like any young man in the world at this age, I am nearing the end of my university and the beginning of the formation of my professional life. At this age, I only had 18 hours left (less than a year), and I graduated from university with a very good grade, and I had my own house, and I was working in the field I was studying (software engineering.) As they say, at the age of 23, I have passed halfway or more until the time came that destroyed all these things, destroyed all of my dreams, and destroyed all of these plans. After October 7 (with the beginning of the war in Gaza,) our entire lifestyle changed. Unfortunately, I stopped studying and I did not finish my university (I did not obtain my degree.) With the power outage and the internet outage, I stopped working and completely forgot about my field. The biggest disaster that befell us was that my house, my brother’s house, and my family’s house were completely destroyed I became without a degree, job, or home (homeless in every sense of the word). Since that day when we lost our home, I have seen the amount of sadness and distress in the faces of my family, especially my mother. And every time our hearts bled, we felt sad for every part of this house. You can imagine this feeling as you see your family’s house and the house of your dreams being slowly destroyed before your eyes, and you can do nothing but pray to God only. The war has been going on for almost 6 months, and I did not think about taking refuge here on gofundme, but when my family and I lost the entire house, I had to create this donation, hoping for your generosity and understanding of the magnitude of the disaster that befell us here. From a young man who has less than a year left to obtain his university degree, a comfortable job, and my own house, I thought about every detail when building this. To a person without a degree, job, or home, and unfortunately without dreams as well now. After I lost everything I mentioned previously, which is almost everything I own, and logically all of this will be compensated with the passage of days, but I own something very beautiful that cannot be replaced at all, which is my family (my mother and my brothers ) And after I saw that this war was eating away everything green and dry, and burning everything in its path: people, dreams, and plans. So I thought about trying to get my family out of this war zone, in which not a single area is safe anymore, and every area is literally at risk of being killed at any time, unfortunately, and out of my fear for my family, here I created this link, and Bridget (the foreign Queen of Palestine) helped me a lot with it. Hoping in your humanity to help me get my family out so that I don’t lose them and lose the most beautiful thing I have in my life. Unfortunately, to leave Rafah to Egypt, each person’s coordination requires $5,000. We have a brother in Egypt who went out a month before the war to study, and he is the one who will make arrangements for us and receive us there, and our plans in Egypt are to sit there temporarily to protect our lives from the war.
This family has received less than $1000. Please boost. Donate if you can
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intheholler · 20 hours
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what do you think of all of the people being scared of appalachia? i don't know if this is recent or not, but currently i've been seeing a ton of shit online like "never go to the appalachian mountains, it's so dangerous", and i just don't understand it. my family's lived in appalachia for forever, and none of us have experienced anything paranormal or endangering to us. you're one of my favorite blogs on here and i'd just like to hear your thoughts on it
first off, it means a lot that i'm one of your favorite blogs and im really happy i can contribute something to your experience here :') thanks so much for being here <333
but ok so.
my thoughts on it are many. it's been bothering me a long time and i've been meaning to get it off my chest. this will be long and probably ranty, so it won't hurt my feelings if anyone skims lol
lemme preface this little diatribe by saying the obvious: folklore is an integral part of any culture. the mythos of a place/people is tied directly to their histories and unique experiences and struggles and they are enriching. this is true of appalachia too.
oral folk traditions especially are incredibly historically appalachian.
i mentioned in a post i made yesterday about murder ballads, how the purpose of these was to warn kids away from doing dumb shit and getting lost in the hollers--falling down cliffs n mineshafts and shit at night. gettin got by wildlife.
it spooked us safe. they served a purpose, and once you got old enough to realize they're as real as the tooth fairy, they just become enjoyable and nostalgic. because they're you're culture.
probably every mountain kid has stories about haints n boogers that were told to them by their grandparents, and they grow up to tell them to their own kids, and so on. some of it stuck with me because i grew up with the folklore.
by that i mean, i'm a whole 31 year old woman and i still avoid looking out a dark window at night cause it gives me the shivers. i still get spooked when i hear a big cat yowling in the woods. but the difference is i know there's not really haints out there crying--it's just a product of my childhood. ghost stories are fun.
the problem comes in when someone outside the culture gets their hands on appalachian oral folk traditions. then, it becomes a familiar problem: outsiders cherry picking appalachia and harming us with the mess they make rifling through it all.
it's all about the surface level and the visuals. they all love a good aesthetic blog, run by some local from out west or some shit who's never stepped foot here.
but as soon as the spooky photo filters come off and the real life marginalized person is left standing there just out of frame, we go back to being disgusting examples of what not to be. decrepit churches n buildings are aesthetic and quirky until they stop being on a pinterest board, and then they just become damning images of an impoverished region who deserves to be laughed at.
now, not to holler 'splain you--this is more for anyone not from here who might read this: it's been a systemic issue for decades; there were literal government campaigns to demonize us to the rest of the nation so they could garner support to cut into our mountains and exploit our labor and resources.
well, they were fuckin successful, and we have been falsely made out to be this homogenous nightmare of a place--"welfare exploiting" maga country who deserves everything we get, and nothing we don't.
by going so far as to take appalachian folklore that we tell each other and picking out the "aesthetic" stuff--the haints and general paranormal--they are pruning what they like from our culture--the safe things, like ghost stories--for their own aesthetic use.
but not only that, they are using it to demonize us… yet again.
'appalachia is scary. it's full of things that will kill you. don't look out the window at night cause a booger will get you.' only they don't call them boogers cause they ain't even from here. ask them what a haint is and they'll ask if u mispelled 'haunt.'
it gets even worse when you consider that so much of it has roots in native american culture, and how that continues to be exploited and misrepresented.
i'm not even innocent of that. a while back i had to check myself because i made a comment on here about ~spooky appalachia~ ignorant to the fact that what i was commenting on was actually a deeply important cultural and spiritual element to local indigenous tribes. my comments were harmful by my failure to educate myself and know better, thereby saying things carelessly.
my point being--i'm from the area. i should have known better.
when outsiders start saying the kind of shit they say about what they think they hear in the woods without even knowing where such an idea comes from, they're disrespecting a displaced, abused and exploited people, harming real cultures just for clicks without even knowing. that's on top of the damage they're doing to greater appalachia.
it's fuckin gross.
i think my favorite one i ever seen was this middle aged white lady going through her pristine mcmansion somewhere in suburbia, pulling the million curtains and locking the million doors, going "nighttime routine in appalachia!! 🤪🤪"
i could be wrong about this particular person--i didn't check their other tiktoks because im sick of them accounts and tired of giving them the benefit of the doubt--but it immediately came off as a transplant because:
1) mcmansion, 2) i dont know nobody here that locks their shit down like that (not locking up could even be argued as a part of my local culture, a reflection of our deep sense of community and trust in our neighbors).
and then the comments was all like "i don't know how you guys live there" and it actually broke my heart and pissed me off because even if--especially if--you're one of us, why the fuck are you harming us for likes? why are you turning people against us in a brand new way?
and to the transplants that do this--why?
you're not even from here, you moved here to this place you hate and made it worse just so your front porch would have a nice view, and are now benefiting socially from perpetuating bullshit about us?
you buy up all the land, land we often had no choice but to sell in the first place to survive instead of passing it on to our families, land we originally took from the indigenous peoples your content comes from.
you overdevelop it and turn it unrecognizable to make it more like the comfortable cities you come from. you gut a mountain town of its local businesses and cultures, you price people out of their homes...
...and then once you settle in all cozy like, you go tell everyone else how scary it is? how you can't trust the hills? like it's a cool paranormal bravery badge to wear? fuck off entirely.
so idk, in short my personal thoughts are: i personally enjoy a little myth as a treat, because the folklore is a part of the gothic, a part of our culture and a part of my childhood. i don't (intentionally) wield it as a weapon or use it as a pedestal to get the weird brand of attention that people like them are after.
and those who do this can get got by them haints for all i care.
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madlori · 19 hours
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Here's where I am with Buddie.
[CW: I am using the Buddie tag on this post, even though the gist of it is that I'm increasingly doubtful that it'll ever happen. This is NOT an anti-Buddie essay. If you'd rather not read about this topic, please keep scrolling. The bulk of the essay is behind the cut.]
-------
I've thought a lot about this over the weeks since 7x04 aired. It's not a secret that I'm wildly enthusiastic about the BuckTommy pairing (as are many fans) but what does that mean for my thoughts and opinions about Buddie, a pairing I still love and for which I am still writing fic (slowly but surely…)?
It's become increasingly difficult to reconcile hopes for Buddie with dread for a BuckTommy breakup, but if the show managed to pull off a breakup that did not destroy me, I would still be all in for a Buddie endgame.
But more and more, I don't think it's in the cards, and I'm increasingly okay with that.
First off, I know it's a common assumption that Buck and Tommy have an expiration date, and that it cannot last. That may very well be the case, but…the show is not acting like it, nor are they presenting this arc as if it's short-lived. Episodes 4-6, while also being about other things (especially the amazing Madney wedding plot in 6) were also a bit of a trilogy about Buck discovering his sexuality and taking tentative steps into a relationship with another man. It didn't go…particularly smoothly, but the events of 7x06 where they were concerned had a completely different tone. They had a much more settled vibe in the karaoke club scenes, from Tommy's very boyfriendly "check-in" look before he had to leave, to Buck's casual/distracted "Be safe" (as if he's said this before) and just how they spoke to each other and touched each other was much more comfortable than in the coffee meetup. Which makes me think it's been a few weeks and they've seen each other a few times in the interim.
And then that kiss. Putting aside that it was juxtaposed with a literal wedding kiss, there was nothing uncertain or hesitant about it. It felt like a very arc-capping kiss, coupled with the reveal to the rest of Buck's friends and family, and the clear message was "Okay, they're done 'getting together' now, they are together and will be together going forward, even if we don't see Tommy every episode (much as we don't see Karen every episode)." We know Tommy will be around through the end of S8, if not in every remaining episode. After that, we'll see.
A lot of fans have viewed one of the guys coming out as queer to be a first step towards a Buddie future, but I have to say I've never been super comfortable with that logic. I've always thought that if they were going to get together, or both be revealed to be queer, it would have to be at the same time, with each other, via them getting together. The minute they pulled the trigger on Bisexual Buck, I immediately thought that this made Buddie far less likely. Why?
Because it would mean that the writers/showrunners would be making BOTH their "hot younger firefighter" characters queer…separately. In separate storylines. Distinct from each other. And I just don't see that happening. I'm not saying it SHOULDN'T happen. I'd be over the moon. I'm saying I think that's unlikely.
As much as it pains me to say it, I think Eddie will be written as straight and will continue to be written as straight. I don't disagree with the many examples of queer coding we've all seen - the problem is all of them can be just as easily interpreted as arising from a different trauma. Almost everything we've seen from him that could very legitimately be read as breadcrumbs for a queer identity for him could also be rooted in his trauma over Shannon's death, his family trauma, his PTSD, or his general anxiety over being enough for people. He can be read as having sexuality crises. But he can also be read as having other crises with the same results.
I'm not seeing a sexuality crisis for Eddie in the future. I just don't feel like that's where they're taking him. They're taking him somewhere -- he's got storylines coming up -- but I think they're going to have to do with his family, possibly his friendship with Buck, maybe his relationship (I think we can all agree Marisol isn't going to last, she's like the anti-Tommy in that she's been around way longer but has infinitely less of a presence), and Christopher. That's a lot to deal with just right there. If I'm wrong, I will be delighted to be wrong.
But.
I think the show will continue to prioritize and showcase Buck and Eddie's very deep and emotional friendship, which is revolutionary in its own quiet way. Another thing that makes me think they're setting Tommy up to be a long term love interest is that one of the first things they did with him was affirm that he will not come between Buck and Eddie, give him his own relationship with Eddie and Chris, and have him show that he understands and respects the depth of their bond. Not to mention they've integrated him with the firefam. No other of Buck's love interests have gotten this treatment (Taylor had the most contact with the firefam, but I don't think anyone would say she was integrated, LOL). And it shows how committed they are to maintaining Buck and Eddie's friendship as a key emotional element of the show. Tim has also said this, repeatedly.
People often say that there's no explanation for how Buck and Eddie are with each other if it's not romantic - I read a fantastic essay that pointed out that this statement is the reason their platonic friendship IS so important. Men should be able to be vulnerable and loving with each other without it being romantic, as women can be. If we're unable to see a loving friendship without interpreting it as romantic or sexual, what does that say about the kind of male friendships we see everywhere, that makes this one so different?
I know this is an old anti-Buddie argument and I'm not anti-Buddie nor do I mean it's wrong to see it as romantic. I still do. I'm saying if it's not, if it never is, what it is, is already valuable and special, especially when one of them is now openly queer and dating a man.
Anyway. That's where I am with it, and my interpretation of where the show is with it.
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atzual · 1 day
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what your ateez bias says about you
if you take this seriously, that's on you. i'm just doing this for fun.
tw: heavy topics, language, roasting
*****
hongjoong: right. how's the desire to impress people and overworking yourself doing? i feel like what draws you in is his resilience, and that he is very dependable. you probably had a lot of moments where you were left to your own devices to work on something major, and are no stranger to burnout. you might be the kind of person to talk about your achievements and your work and everything you do a lot, maybe to seek validation (and maybe to cement that you have something others don't). on a softer note, you probably have a wide range of skills in a field you are interested in, and experiment a lot. generally are not afraid to go outside of norms to figure something out. so to see the qualities of a leader and innovator in joong is both comforting and inspiring to you. (bonus: you probably have a thing for clips of joong in the studio, don't you?)
seonghwa: you feel like you don't have anyone who you can actually trust with your thoughts and feelings, huh? people talk at you, not to you. you are a natural care-giver, are quick to give advice (also to bottle up someone else's negativity), often ignoring yourself. you might have lost the feeling of 'home' or of 'small but certain happiness', and might have some unhealthy coping mechanisms. on a brighter note, you are someone who can process emotions a lot more deeply than others and if there is anyone who can actually put themselves in another's shoes, it's you. i think hwa is a safe space to you, precisely because it is not all sunshine and rainbows. you connect with his battles, growth, and how he is accepting change and trying to find balance. (bonus: him getting excited about something is legit your therapy isn't it)
yunho: many acquaintances, few friends? i think you legitimately stopped believing in love. at least the mushy 'at first sight' and 'meet cute' and 'soulmates' kind of love. might be because of family-related things, or because of romantic relationships, but trust is a problem for you. you probably think negatively about yourself quite a bit and/or have/had a more pessimistic mindset. on the positive, i think you're really loyal when you find your people, and want to see them happy. you connect with people beyond love, you make connections that are made on living life together and going through things together. i think this is also what drew you to yunho - his perseverance, resilience, ability to smile in the face of hardship, but also his ability to navigate a lot of emotions as they come and deal with them in a healthy way. (bonus: his small expressions of affection/acts of kindness make you melt, right?)
yeosang: you've been through quite a lot, haven't you? i think you try to laugh a lot of it off or treat it lightly, but the demons eat away at you sometimes. you might be someone who burned out in/after high school, and generally does not have a good experience with school. might feel lonely even when you are not alone, sometimes just choosing to float in your imagination for comfort. often act tough or not quite like yourself to appear more like the you you have in your head. i think in part you kind of want to learn how to love the world like yeosang, and are really touched by his sweetness and his humor. you are a fighter and despite it all, do stay true to yourself and your values, and this is something that you find and adore in yeosang. you are drawn in by his ability to follow his dream, and his heart of gold. maybe your scars will turn golden too. (bonus: you probably have a mild obsession with his one-liners)
san: how are your boundaries, broken like the wall? you probably have some trouble with setting and/or maintaining boundaries, and so sometimes have people treading over you. you might feel like a side character in your own life, and so turn bitter and internalize a lot of negative energy. honestly on a brighter note i think you really do try hard for others, and go out of your way to try and make dreams happen for others, because it makes them and you happy. you cheer, you support and you truly show that you are on a loved one's team. I feel that what draws you to san is how he transformed himself in a healthy manner, and how he maintains a very clear circle of those he trusts, and is no stranger to kindly setting rules in place while still remaining sweet and respectful. he is a safe space for you both because he makes you smile with his stories and jokes, but also because he is adamant on keeping things in order. (bonus: his reaction to the merch donation story lives rent free in your mind)
mingi: got some problems with regulating emotions, maybe? be it hiding them until you burst or not knowing how to express them, i think this might be a challenge for you. you might have been exposed to something that made you believe that it is a sign of weakness or a risk. at the same time, you are logical, damn good at what you do, and when you face hard times you bounce back, even if it takes some time. i think you and mingi share the introspectiveness, and you like how thoughtful he is. you probably find comfort in how he shares happiness with others, and how he seeks closeness with loved ones. at the same time, there is something about how he transforms on stages that resonates with you - the power and confidence is something you want to work on and find more of in yourself. (bonus: your will never stop thinking about mingi's creative process monologues + freestyle mingi)
wooyoung: do people tell you you have a big personality, or that you are 'a lot' sometimes? i feel like you have your way of working, your way of thinking, but might have a hard time actually communicating that or adapting to different social environments. it might be because you're headstrong, or because you are in constant fight or flight mode and so are more rigid. at the same time i think you are diligent and very detailed with what you do, and are in fact attentive to others and might notice things others don't. i feel like what you admire in wooyoung is his ability to connect with others, while not losing himself or his values. you feel for his hardships, and he helps you learn how to be more loving and more open with expressing and accepting love. he is very much your candle. (bonus: you cried because of his interview + dance in that one show, didn't you?)
jongho: how many thoughts are spinning in your head? you might be an overthinker, slightly misanthropic, and on bad days might sink to having a victim mindset and ask the universe 'why me?'. you might have had to grow up too fast, or were controlled a lot as a kid - either way, your understanding and experience of freedom and maturity might be warped. at the same time you are reliable and are able to call things out for what they are. you might have also put a positive spin on the negatives and either used them as inspiration, grew from them, or taken a skill from them that you then generalized. i think jongho's humor and innate warmth is your haven, and his continuous self-development grounds you and motivates you to also try your best and think of ways to find the good in situations. i feel you might also resonate with his occasional shyness. (bonus: you often think about his emotional strength even when he talks about his concerns, don't you?)
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babiesdreams · 3 days
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Can you do a reaction *them reacting to their idol gf being called goddess or top visual in a variety show(together in a variety show) and male and female idols are whipped for her
It's been a long time since I did a reaction so here we go:
Taeyong 🌹 : He'd definetely smile. Maybe try to hide it. He'd be proud of being the boyfriend of such a beatiful girl. He wouldn't brag about it though, since he'd be cautious of creating a scandal. "What do you think Taeyong?" "Oh she's a good visual"
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Taeil 🌕 : He'd be pissed. It would probably be one of those moments when they get asked why they are so serious and they make up the silliest answer. "Oh sorry I wasn't really listening" *insert an edit of the crows and the . . .*
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Johnny 🐱 : This boy will brag. "Have you heard about Y/N? Oh yeah we're dating" Does not care for scandals, although in the show he'd just keep a straight face to not embarrass you.
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Yuta 🐙 : Would stay silent and once you're both alone will congratulate you. He's really happy that everyone sees how beautiful you are. "You will always be the most beautiful woman in the world. No matter what"
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Kun 🐻 : This time YOU will brag. You'd be all day talking about how everyone thinks you're so beautiful that'd make him roll his eyes at you. "You heard right? I'm a true visual" "Yeah I heard"
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Doyoung 🐰 : He'd laugh and when asked about it hed probably say. "It was just unexpected to me" to hide his feelings for you.
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Ten 🐱 : "What do you think Ten?" He'd laugh and say "She's pretty but not my type" Simply to tease you and enjoy your reaction afterwards.
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Jaehyun 🍑 : He'd get serious about it and remain silent during the interview. Afterwards he'd remind you that he's your boyfriend. "You are mine" He'd whisper before kissing you.
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Winwin 🐥 : He'd start chuckling softly. He'd only brag around you. "I'm with the prettiest idol of the ton" Lots of kisses.
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Jungwoo 🐶 : He's mad because he's really protective of you and wants you to remain safe. Being liked by many means sasaengs and trouble in his mind. "I'll keep you safe"
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Mark 🐆 : Caught staring at you while they were announcing it. "Do you have something to say Mark?" He'd look like he's been caught during a crime. "Oh no I was just thinking" There would be edits, rumours and questions about your relationship with him.
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Xiaojun 🦕 : Pretends he hasn't heard properly. "Do you think she's pretty too Xiaojun?" He'd look shocked at the interviewer. "Soryy What was the question?" It would cause laughs and avoid further questioning.
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Hendery 🐴 : Would laugh when ask about it. "Well I can relate to her because I'm obviously the visual of my group" The comment would make lift up the tension in the show.
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Renjun 🦊 : WILL pull up the I'm foreigner card. "I don't understand what you are saying" He's lowkey proud of you but will never admit it.
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Jeno 🐶 : Side-eyeing you for the whole thing. Will drown you in kisses once you get home. "You are the prettiest girl. Everyone knows it now"
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Haechan 🐻 : Would make a whole joke about it. "What?" thought I was the prettiest idol. This cannot be true. Who voted for this?" It'd make everyone laugh including you.
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Jaemin 🐰 : Would be very chill about it. He already expected everyone to see exactly when he saw on you the first time he laid eyes on you. "I think she deserves it"
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YangYang 🐑 : Would be surprised by a question of the interviewers. "You two make a good couple. Two true visuals" He'd chuckle nervously. "Yeah..." He'd try to remain calm to not make it obvious.
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Chenle 🐬 : He'd try not to react to not get asked about it. Would congratulate you backstage and he'd get you flowers the next day. "The prettiest idol deserves the prettiest flowers"
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Jisung 🐹 : "Which one of the top visuals would you date Jisung?" The question would throw him off but he'd quickly answer "With the beautiful NCTzens of course" He'd wink at you smoothly.
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Masterlist –requests open– How to request?
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captainmera · 1 day
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Ahoy Captain! Question about ttocw if you haven't answered it already: how far into the toh timeline do you plan to write into ttocw?
I ask because you've laid down such an immensely intriguing foundation for each Witte-character, and like watching a sculptor take their chisel to the stone, we can already start to see how the various influences in Philip's life shapes him into the Belos we see in canon. BUT there's still the Phillip who outlives Caleb and Evelyn, the Phillip that meets Luz. Will you write that Phillip, too (even tho technically it's not longer a tale of Caleb W.)? It would be so fascinating to see how you portray his frame of mind at that stage, but if you feel it doesn't fit with the story, I would understand too
I wanted to get to the point of when Caleb leaves the final time.
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Meaning he's gone back and forth a few times.
It could be that Evelyn stayed in the HR and Caleb never visited the DR until when he's Spirited away thru the portal. OR he's visited a few times, and then either thought he'd be back or decided he wouldn't go back.
In my version he's gone back and forth, he knows the DR, he likes it there, and due to *events* he decides to leave for good. And I want to write what builds up to him making that decision. Its a very "noooo, I mean I get it, it makes sense youd think that and do that, but nooooooo"
There are a couple of unanswered things in regards to gravesfield and the wittebros. And Evelyn visiting.
The show is LITTERED with breadcrumbs of intended story that never got any closure.
In TOH, it shows that they're both being lured into the realm of a witch. For example.
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But I think that's just referring to that Caleb was "taken" and Philip followed, but that they both knew Evelyn.
The depiction of their ages, and their age gap, has been very inconsistent throughout the show. But I think it's safe to say they settled on this:
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Being the most accurate, as this is when the creators solidified the actual gravesfield folklore tale about them. So the meta here is that the crew knows what their ages are, and even if the contemporary citizens of gravesfield doesn't - its a cartoon and they're showing us the information they have finalised.
At some point they hunt Evelyn, or at least "the dangerous witch", so I imagine that Evelyn visiting probably suddenly gave them a real physical person to try hunt down and pin all of the town's previous witchcraft on.
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I want to write about how the imaginary threat of hysteria suddenly gets real cause. Suddenly, it's a game of who-done-it.
And if you've read my *down memory lane comic*, you might have a hunch that Philip finds out its Evelyn. And thinks Caleb is bewitched, etc.
ANYWAY,
There's also this mystery, yeah? The portal Caleb runs through is not the same as the one at the graveyard.
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It does resemble the one they come through tho. So there's two portals that connect with the same arch in the demon realm. Or the old HR portal got a reconstruction by someone who added the Gravesfield bird symbol.
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And yes, the owl door goes to the SUITCASE. And the suitcase door has an eye of a Titan. But the bird motifs makes e think of the one-eyed owl inside the owl house.
We know Belos at least made blueprints of the suitcase door. But he mightve just tried to replicate it.
ANYWAY,
I think once Caleb crosses over for the last time. I'm not sure if I'll continue it or I'd I'm full of ideas. As it looks r/n, I think I've got a lot to write for it as us anyway with Caleb and Evelyn going from friends-to-lovers.
And as that happens, Philip has his own sub-story and arc going on, all then cultivating into the climax the way that it does. The brothers part ways. Reunite, etc.
So I think it's best for me not to make promises where I put the end pin. It's supposed to be fun and a good writing exercise. :,)
But yes,I've got some breadcrumb milestones I want/need to check off.
The courthouse on fire being one too lol.
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unformula1 · 4 hours
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Lando proposing to you with “bless the broken roads”
bless the broken roads (LN4 x gn!Reader)
lando and you don’t think you’ll find someone. liar. w/c: 1237 masterlist(read more) a/n: I tried my best lol. I'm sorry if this isn’t what you wanted. Please correct me if you wanted something else!! TW: one use of y/n
There was a running joke between Lando’s friends. “Lando will never find true love.” 
After years of being single or chasing someone to no avail, Lando’s almost beginning to accept his curse. However, as much as he joked about it, he really wanted someone. He needed someone.
It was a death cycle. Lando would find someone, they’d lead him on, then down bad Lando would take over, then he’d take his chance and fail. Then after all that work, he would be pushed back onto his broken road.
He was beginning to accept that he was really never going to find someone.
But he never gave up. He kept searching.
------
You don’t know how long it was since you felt someone loved you romantically. You missed that feeling. Spending forever just finding someone who would love you back and then getting absolutely no fruit was tiring, it was exhausting.
You know when you finally find someone, you’d give them the world and shower them with all the love you had in you. You constantly tell yourself how there’s one grand plan for you to find the one person you’ve been longing for and all you have to do is wait.
Waiting for years isn’t easy. 
You’re losing hope, walking along a broken road.
------
Lando and you met some time ago, but you two hit it off almost instantly. Both of you were made for each other, the chemistry was through the roof.
Lando never failed to make you laugh. Even on your darkest days Lando was like a beacon of light, a bundle of sunshine. He smiled a lot, which you admired whenever you could.
You never failed to make Lando feel appreciated, which Lando would never admit no matter what, but deep down you knew Lando loved that. You made time for Lando, and you stayed with him come hell or high water.
Life wasn’t easy for you. There were countless nights where you cried in his arms, you cried your eyes out with him, and you felt safe. You felt safe with Lando. There were sleepless nights where everything just got too much and right next to you was Lando, holding your hand, and that was all you needed. You felt safe with Lando. 
Life wasn’t easy for Lando either. Sometimes his busy life got a little too hectic and chaotic, he’d come find you. Lando felt protected by you, although he’d never say. Sometimes people got too far and everything felt like a crumbling mess, he’d come find you. Lando felt protected. He wanted to be next to you, whenever, wherever you were.
Then one day, everything fell together, sort of. Lando asked you to be his “other half”. Long story short, you said yes and kissed him in the sunset.
------
It had become a common occurrence for you and Lando to lie down on empty grass fields or the rooftops and look up into the skies, to talk about your lives.
You open the door to the rooftop. Lando doesn’t usually do these a night before the race. A cold blast of wind blows against you as you walk out. Lando is just standing there, his hands stuffed deep into his pockets, as he looks out into the city.
You walk over to Lando and slide your hand around his waist and he giggles as you do so.
“I like the sky tonight.” You say and Lando hums an approving ‘hm’.
“I like it too. Starry night.” Lando replies, shifting on the spot slightly.
“You know in the wilderness, people would use stars to guide them.” You say, pointing at some random stars.
Lando hums.
“Especially the North Star, because it lies above Earth’s North. So they used it to guide them.” You smile while saying it.
“Everyone else before you was like a North Star.” Lando speaks.
You turn to Lando, cocking up an eyebrow.
“They guided me to find you.” Lando clears his throat, smiling widely as he looks up into the sky while speaking.
“You’re adorable.” You reply which earns you an honest chuckle from Lando.
You shift closer to Lando and he does so too. Both of you stand next to each other, bodies touching. His warm hands slide out of his pockets and around your shoulder, it makes you feel comfortable despite the cold winds blowing against you.
“I used to dream of days like these.” Lando admits, his voice is soft and just for you to hear, “Never thought they’d come true.”
“I did too.” You chuckle.
“I thought they were lost dreams.” Lando continues, “But yet here you are.”
“Yea…” You take a deep breath, “Here we are… you’re the love of my life.”
Lando shifts even closer to you, pulling you into his embrace. The hug is tight and it lasts for a while, you hear Lando’s soft sobbing which he usually doesn’t do publicly.
“Are you okay?” You ask, voice laced with concern.
Lando takes a deep breath, clearing his throat, “There have been many people I’ve tried to love before you.”
You nod.
“None of them have been as good as you. I never thought I’d meet someone who understood me, but you came.” Lando takes another deep breath, “I honestly never thought there’d be someone for me…”
“Neither did I, honestly.” You chuckle as you place your hands on Lando’s shoulder.
“When I asked you to be the love of my life, I didn’t think you’d say yes.” Lando shuffles his feet and sniffles a little, “But you did and I could not be more grateful.”
You smile at Lando and he smiles a little too.
“My entire life has been like a broken road, filled with pitfalls and traps, loss and despair. All my life I’ve wanted to just be for someone, and now I have.” Lando takes a step back.
“y/n…” 
“Lando…” 
He reaches into his pocket before getting down on one knee. The backdrop of car honking and people chattering suddenly fades into silence and the stars shine brighter than ever. All the lights shine at him and you two are in the spotlight.
“I never want to live without you again. Will you marry me?”
The world around you freezes, all you see is Lando, on one knee, holding a ring in his hand, his eyes filled with tears. 
“Yes.” You say softly.
“YES!” You repeat but louder, and admittedly, more cheerfully.
He slides the ring onto your ring finger and gets up. You take no time to rush into him, your arms swinging around him and pulling him in. 
“I’ll make you the happiest person ever, I promise, all those years of finding love, I’ll give it to you and only you.” Lando says as he lifts you off the ground, planting a kiss on your lips.
It feels like forever on the rooftop before both of you walk back down to Lando’s room, holding each other’s hands.
It was nothing special, just both of you on a silent rooftop. To you, it was everything. Every single attempt to find someone who would love you back, every lost road that both of you set on, every heartbreak you two went through, all culminating in that few seconds.
You loved Lando. Lando loved you.
Both of your broken roads, leading right into each other’s.
Bless the broken roads that let both of you to each other’s arms.
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bihoneybee · 23 hours
Text
few weeks ago i started rewatch 911 from ss2 (i don't like 1 because of.... abby... sorry...) and I've thought about this a lot, so! I want to share a little of my thoughts regarding buck and... buddie
warning! it's only MY opinion, it's what i see and how i understand some things (and sorry for any errors in the text, english is not my first language lol)
first of all... i don't think buck and eddie in love with each other...
i'll try to explain. when they meet first time it's... ugh, okay, all of us understand that buck was like "wow that guy is hot", but that was not his main though. like come on, buck understand that he's interested in guys literally month ago?
many fans say that they were in love almost from the very beginning, but guys... buck literally loved a*by... and wait her until season... 4 or 5? i don't remember, sorry😔 anyway, he was in another relationships, but he still thought about a*by? and, again, at that time he didn't consider guys as partners! he dated taylor and that "death" girl (natalia?), but never looked at guys this way.
what about eddie, in the beginning, he didn’t think much about relationships at all. he still loved his wife and his priority was caring about christopher. and he also didn't consider guys as partners!! you may be shocked, but sometimes i think eddie is... straight... (ally!😋)
and i'm not saying that eddie and buck don't have a deep connection, quite the opposite, it's just... this isn't the kind of connection that many fans see or want to see. they respect, support and love each other, but not in romantic way. they are best friends, platonic lovers, soulmates, but not romantic lovers, sorry🫡
now we can see how looks buck when he's in love with someone that hard. the way he looks at tommy, talking about him. his touches, kisses, hugs, his little "be safe". I could be wrong, of course, but I don't remember buck ever looking at eddie like that.
and about "eddie's jealousy"... guys, you're tryna see something that not even exists. eddie happy for his best friend, for both of his friends, and he's so proud of them. it's not jealousy, how can't you see...
and i just wanna say... buddies friendship is something perfect, i love it so much! and now thinking about it i don't want something ruin it, okay? and about bucktommy... i never seen buck being so happy in relationship? tommy is literally perfect partner for him, and they both deserve being happy together.
i'm done, thanks for reading💓
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isa-ah · 3 days
Text
gamers help me world build. the general genres are horror, speculative biology & shouldn't have gone there.
the generalized idea is a fantasy world that's not rlly all that different from ours, but magic and different creatures are an accepted and mundane part of life. the cast is a pentuplet of 3 researches / 1 adventurer / 1 body guard that are tasked with exploring a newly opened passage in the belly of a cave that seems to have tapped into a wholly new network with some very pronounced... oddities.
this network has been sealed off for milennia and has fostered an ecosystem entirely unique to itself. I'm rlly going for deep sea evolution vibes; half the critters are blind and go by hearing, vibrations or scent, the rest use some manner of bioluminescence to communicate in the dark. some fat lazy reptiles that stick to the walls and barely move or react, some semi aquatic, at least one carnivore w plenty of detritivores...
the plants have evolved over time their own brand of bioluminescence to attract the lower rungs of the food chain to themselves and so when they first arrive it's like breathtakingly beautiful and alien. just really bizarre and pretty and they're setting up camp right at the mouth of this juncture so they can make trips in without setting up entirely within the network.
the horror elements coming in with a specific type of fungus that strikes up like a cyan match underfoot and lets out clouds of glowing spores. they don't think too much of it but over the weeks to come they're going to be changed by it in really grotesque ways, I think. (and perhaps see this happen at a much faster scale to small critters with morbid realization).
glowing veins and bones and rotting, eventual blindness as the fungus grows over the wet surface of your eyes, yeah, but maybe it has almost rabies like effects where they become extremely photosensitive and claustrophilic, finding further, more narrow passages to cram into to better spread the fungus.
I've considered a lot of other horror angles to go with it too, like beginning to hallucinate pretty potently and becoming aggressively distrusting of their companions. maybe the body guard even kills one of the party and they scatter after that. a final girl moment where one of the researches has managed to stay safe but in her final escape attempt she hits a patch and realizes if she goes aboveground she'll only be spreading this beyond the passage, & so with the last vestiges of her autonomy she tries to seal it back in...
the types of plants, fruit, flowers, critters, etc... those are what I really want to dig into tho. the stuff they'd be researching and learning about. I haven't had a whole lot of ideas on what to use yet but anyone who does have thoughts send it to my inbox. 👀
restrictions are primarily nothing too big, and nothing that burrows. I think burrowers would have been discovered significantly sooner? so let's stay contained to preexisting tunnels. definitely got plenty of groundwater, springs trickling down the walls and pooling in flooded passageways etc. otherwise I don't have a lot of ideas yet!
also open to discussing the party. I think the final girl will be a magical researcher who's that clumsy kind of determined. the adventurer being any kind of smaller race (do I even want to use traditional fantasy races? idk!) and the body guard being the largest amongst them and by far the physically strongest.
thematically the horrors of spelunking at all, hypothermia being a constantly offset issue leading to paradoxical undressing as the fungus overrides basic control, stripping the last of your dignity and humanity, how prolonged darkness convinces you you can see (even after, say, fungal nodes have overtaken your eyes), no shortage of auditory hallucinations bc the white noise of trickling water is all you'd ever hear, the body guard becoming a very great threat after killing the adventurer, having become extremely hostile in response to the fungus.. u get the picture.
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logan IS NOT getting replaced at Imola (and not at Monza either), a CONFIRMED breakdown
that's right logan girlies (gn), Logan is SAFE. He's not going anywhere yet.
James was bailed up by Lawrence Barretto yesterday in the press pen, and was asked explicitly if Antonelli would be in the car at Imola. James straight up said that Antonelli will not be in the car at Imola, and that he is considering drivers for 25 and 26.
Here's the video:
youtube
James was also asked about it in the press conference, and Autosport did a write up of it which you can find here. Importantly:
“I know nothing about what's going on with the Mercedes tests right now,” said Vowles. “We are looking, as everyone else is, for where we want to be on driver line-up for next year. And we have our own young driver programme. “In the case of Kimi. I can't really adjudicate at the level he's at. In case of him coming into the car this year, I've always said from the beginning, it's a meritocracy. “Logan has to earn his seat and at the moment, he has some tough targets where he has to get much closer to Alex. But there is nothing on the radar at the moment for replacing him.”
That's the key point.
Now, the Autosport article also brought up another point. The FIA say they have received a superlicence request for Antonelli. They did not specify what type.
There are two types of superlicences. The one you hear about most commonly is a race superlicence. That's your standard one, need 40 points, etc.
But there is also a practice superlicence. This is what Logan had in 2022, enabling him to run FP1s for Williams while he tried to earn the points for his full superlicence.
It is actually entirely probable that Mercedes have put in this request for an exemption for a practice superlicence for Antonelli so that they can run him in FP1s.
Some of you may not trust James' word, and that's understandable! So, let's hear it from Toto Wolff himself, who was also asked about the rumours, and responded categorically:
"I don't know where this belief comes from that Mercedes was keen on pushing that forward. Kimi needs to concentrate on his F2 campaign and he knows that. "Everything else is just rumours, which continue to spin around and that are factually incorrect. He's an F2 driver for Prema, that is what he's doing, and this is what we're all concentrating on." Wolff stressed that Mercedes would remain careful not to burn Antonelli by promoting him too early, given his rapid rise through the junior series and his lack of experience. "Just 15 months ago, he was in an F4 car," he said. "We have great belief in Kimi, his abilities and also his future. "But there is a trajectory which we need to follow with diligence, rather than trying to dream about jumping from series to series in a way that is certainly not beneficial for him. "I think a champion is not going to be distracted by any of this. But certainly, at least it distracts me because everybody's asking me: 'What about Kimi and driving in Imola? "This is not going to happen. This is not something that Mercedes wants. These rumours have gotten their own spin. Let's do Formula 2. We as a team have lots of other issues to resolve."
So, to summarise: Toto doesn't want it. James doesn't want it. Neither of them are pushing for it. Logan has goals to meet and James is going to give him time and support to do it.
Now, James does say they're evaluating options for 2025, which I'm sure is not what some of you want to hear, but that's his job as the team boss. The market is busy right now, and if others are interested he is wise to listen. But Logan will be one of those options, if he hits the goals James has set him.
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cowboyjen68 · 20 hours
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Hello Jen you are so cool and inspiring and thank you so much for everything you do and share. I was wondering if you could help me - school is finishing soon and my best friend (a boy) is apparently planning to ask me to prom. I think I'm a lesbian though, but I haven't told anyone cos the idea of people in school knowing is terrifying, however I have considered coming out to just him - I know he's an ally but I fear he might react differently if it's someone he likes romantically. How can I turn him down and keep the friendship? I don't know what I'd do without him. I also only realised I was gay in the past year and still have kind of a hard time even admitting it to myself (raised Christian lol!!). But anyway thank you again you are so cool and helpful to so many people especially young lesbians I think. Thank you
It is hard to hurt some ones feelings but it is worse to drag it out to try to spare his feelings OR prevent the loss of a friendship.
I would be honest with him and you can do this without coming out if you are not comfortable or don't fee safe. You can simply say you only see him as a friend and you would like to go to the dance as buddies because you enjoy his company and it would be fun.
If he rejects you as a friend at that point it is better you find out now. When people check themselves out of your life for your honesty about emotions and dating you are better off without them. You can put energy into finding and growing new friends.
My guess is he either knows you are not interested and just wants to go as a friend so he doesn't have to try to find or mess with a real date OR he likes you and is unsure how you feel and this is a soft attempt at finding out.
How he reacts to you telling him the truth will tell you a lot about how you should proceed in a friendship with him. Even if he likes you more than as a friend, if he connects and cares about you he will take your rejection gracefully and appreciate the relationship you both already have with each other. If it is too hard for him to continue respect his choice to get distance.
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amloveabledeathmo · 3 days
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ATLA Headcanons
Was just thinking about ATLA the other day and have come up with new headcanons. In a world where my health wasn't shit I would love to write about them but instead I will just share the bits.
This is all after the canon events. Most of the Gaang travel with Toph back to her house to make sure she isn't kidnapped or kept against her will. She shows up basically says you all are terrible people I'm here for my stuff and goodbye.
They all get together to talk to Azula and decide what to do about her. Basically Iroh, Zuko, Mai, and Ty Lee all tell her they still care about her but don't know what to do to help her and Toph is sympathetic about ridiculous parental expectations. Azula is so happy and incredulous that they all care about her. She says she knows Aang took her dad's bending power and asks if he can do that for her.
Everyone is quite shocked by the request but she wants to not be a danger as she is trying to learn how to be whoever she is. Also she wants to know what she can do without her bending since that is all that she has ever been praised and loved for by her father. Aang warns that he doesn't know if he can give it back but she insists.
Sokka, Zuko, Suki, Mai, and Ty Lee all spend a lot of time together and there are many rumors about who is dating who. They announce a wedding and everyone assumes it's Zuko and Mai. When the wedding actually happens it turns out to be a triple wedding, Aang and Katara, Zuko and Sokka, and Suki, Mai, and Ty Lee. Azula and Toph get to stand up for everyone as witnesses and Iroh is the officiant.
Zuko and Sokka go to the air temple to discuss a new idea that Sokka had with Teo's dad. Azula tags along and Sokka introduces her to Teo. He teaches her to fly and the rest is history.
Azula asks if Aang could try to give her bending back, she thinks it would work great for creating updrafts while flying. He is successful at it and him and Zuko teach her how beautiful fire can be just like they learned.
Pretty soon Zuko and Sokka start collecting children. They end up with 10. Suki and Ty Lee both want to experience pregnancy and the throuple only want 2 kids anyway. No one asks who the dad's are. Katara and Aang have some kids too. Azula and Teo have a small wedding and at first Azula is afraid to have kids but she loves her nieces and nephews so much that she is happy when she ends up pregnant. It's triplets.
Sokka and Katara convince Hakoda that he should court Bato. That it would not mean he loved Kya any less.
Iroh, Hakoda, and Bato all get to be grandpa's to all the kids. Iroh is Grandpa, Hakoda is Gramps, and Bato is Papa. There are as many family gatherings as they can all manage.
Toph is the fun aunt who lives with them all for a few months at a time. She has a dedicated room at everyone's house since she is family. She is not interested in having a long term relationship or her own kids. She much prefers one night stands and spoiling her nieces and nephews and taking them on one on one trips. She also brings earth bending wrestling to the masses and is very famous as the Blind Bandit.
They also start finding a few air benders here and there who's ancestors had married into other nations before the fire nation wiped them out. Of course everyone would hide any air benders in their families until it's safe. Aang starts a school teaching air bending.
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morgansunflower · 1 day
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In Time 2/2
Bruce Wayne X Reader
Word count:1437
Warnings:angst, explicit language guns, violence
Requested taglist @too-strong-to-lose @asrainterstellar
The batbrothers keep their mom safe however she is not going to let them keep her from comforting a close friend
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Y/N stepped to the hospital. She wore her sunglasses and her hood on her head to conceal her pained face. She stops mid step. She turns to face them.
"you guys can stay here and scope the place out to make sure the coast is clear.. I don't think they'd believe me if I told them who you are. As well as it's inappropriate timing"
"sure! Go right ahead" Grayson assured.
Y/N continued walking as her head went down as the eyes of the detective came in her direction.
"Y/N?.."
"Detective" she greeted nervously.
"what happened to you kid?" Jim asked immensely worried for her
"don't worry about it. It was just some thug" she reassured
"you get a good look at him"
"it was dark...." she said hoping he would stop worrying for her.
"are you ok? Have you been checked out by a Dr? Can I get you a ride home? Are you hungry?"
"no!.. I'm ok. I just came here to see Bruce and Alfred"
"I just got back from there. Take care of yourself and give me a description of the assailant as soon as you can"
"I will Jim" she lied.
She stepped into the hospital room. Bruce gazes at his dear friend. He felt taken aback giving his heart a leap. That sank quickly to concern seeing her bruises. She takes her sunglasses off thinking he probably forgot how she looked. Though he never forgot how her eyes touched his heart.
"hi Bruce"
"Y/N"
He placed his hand near face scared to cause more pain of he touched the swelling. He lowers her hood seeing the dark purple color on her skin. He feels as sick as he did when he found Alfred lying in his own blood.
"who hurt you?" he asked more shakily than he intends, his jaw clenched
"Bruce.. Not right now" she pleads
He sighed knowing he would press on later. Though right now he was so glad she is here
"I'm glad you came"
"you're still my friend" she smiled to him. "I.. I never forget my friends"
His smile caused her heart to beat fast. He reaches out to her beautiful hand. She takes it kindly. The two friends embrace tightly.
"I am so sorry Bruce" she deeply said
He held onto her a little tighter. His heart was desperate for her comfort more than anyone else's. He longed to see her. He missed her so much it brought the empty hole she left to fill back his love for her.
"ohh bloody hell" Alfred muttered pained
Bruce and Y/N laughed softly parting from each other's arms.
"I think he'll be OK" Y/N said.
Bruce stepped to his father figure embracing him.
Alfred softly chuckled "careful master Bruce I'm not made ah steel" the older man saw the young girl "Ms L/N?"
"hi Alfred it's good to see you're OK"
"wish I could say the same for you dear. Who gave you that nasty bruise?"
"long story but I'm ok" she ensures "it would have been a lot worse had you not taught me how to fight"
"not well enough I'm afraid" he said bitter.
3 nights later. Slade became restless as now the GCPD was involved with the criminal. Y/N stirs in her sleep as something was troubling her. She sits up unable to sleep. She stands to her feet. She sees Jason alone in the back piddling with his knife.
"you should get some sleep" he said bitter
She shrugged her shoulder "can't seem to be able to sleep, mind if I join you?"
He motions his head for her to sit beside him. They decided not to tell her they were her son's.. So they wouldn't freak her out. It was Jason's idea and Damian agreed.. Jason didn't want her to know what will become of him, when she meets him. So many things he's said to her.
"you all seem to strangely know me pretty well. I don't know who I am to you.. Did I hurt you?" she asked him
Jason swallows hard in guilt. Did she really think that?
"no... No it's me. I uh.. when you meet me.. And after that... You kinda raised me, all of us.. I wasn't exactly.. I--" this was so hard.
She places her arm on his shoulder in kindness. She thinks back to when Duke almost calling her mom. That's when it hit her. They're her children, her son's.
"Jason.. I don't know what will happen between us but I think the future me knows you care about me.. You literally traveled back in time to save me. All of you did.. Seems to me that I am loved and I.. That makes me very happy"
He halfway smiled relieved. It was the last day Slade has the chance to end her life. As everyone began to wake up. Y/N stood up from the couch. The boys had become extra protective. Each knowing well Slade will stop at nothing to hurt her.
She sees something on her windowsill. There was a bloody cloth covering a object. She gasped taken aback. They follow after her.
"don't touch it"
Tim leans with his bo staff moving the cloth. A helpless cry left her. It was Jim's badge stained in blood. They knew this was Slade's doing. Which meant Jim could very well die.
....
Y/N holds her baseball bat walking down the steps. The others were stealthily dealing with the soldiers. Jason tackles Slade as held his rifle aiming to the room Y/N would be in to rescue Jim.
"who's there!!" Jim shouted hearing footsteps
"Jim!" Y/N shouted her voice echoing down to the lower level.
His temper fueled with worry "Y/N?! What are you doing here?! Get out of here kid!"
A shot from a rifle is heard causing everyone to be still.. She runs down the steps dropping her baseball bat. She takes out a bobby pin to pick the lock.
"what are you doing here? You have to get out NOW!!" he demanded
"shut up I'm trying to concentrate" she ordered
"there's a bomb! You have to run and don't look back"
"I'm not leaving you to die" she said her voice shaking fearing her own life and the lives of her children to be..
As she unlocked the lock. They quickly rid of the chains. He picks up the girl and runs. Jim leaves the building with the young girl in his arms. Jim shields her as the bomb explodes.
She began coughing from the debris. Their alive.
"are you ok?" he asked
"Y-yeah" she coughs "you?"
Jim nodded rising to his feet and helped her stand. With his back turned. She quickly taps the button on her watch Tim gave her. Alerting them their safe....
"you're sure you're ok?" he asked again
"I'm alright. You?"
"never better.. Thanks for saving my life" he smiled to her.
"you too" she smiled back
Sirens were heard from the ambulances and cops. Jim took a statement and was checked on by the EMT. He stepped to check on Y/N.
"ok kid let's go talk and get some ice cre--" Jim sighed seeing she was gone.
The boys apprehended Slade until midnight when he vanishes returning back to the original time line. The next night, was the last night with their mom. They didn't know how to tell her. She sits on the couch as the boys were near her. They enjoyed the takeout after a fun filled day.
"I must say. I'm very glad to know that I am going to be your mother" she smiled to each of them "I'm very proud of each of you"
Each of them smile to themselves making her proud was exactly what they want. That morning....
Y/N stretches yawning "good morning gu--" she stammered they were gone...
"so this is where you're staying" Jim said with great displeasure
Present time......
It'd been 8 days since they were gone. Damian opens his eyes, in a bed that isn't his own. He sits upward with the blanket now falling to his waist. He's at the Titans Tower. He calls Grayson. Dick stirs in his sleep. He whines opening his eyes and answers Damian's phone call
"hey little D"
"have you been in contact with mother?" Damian hastily asked
"oh shit!!" Grayson exclaimed quickly getting out of the bed
They added Duke, Tim and Jason to the call. All five brother's high tail it to Wayne Manor. Y/N walks down the stairs. She had spent the last week recovering and having new memories each time she woke up. She sees the entrance door open. Grayson nearly trips over his own feet as his brothers shove him to hurry. She looked at them with a big smile.
"you're back!!"
Grayson is the first to embrace her. She kisses his forehead. She then hugs them each of her son's overwhelmed with emotion. They saved her...
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clubdionysus · 2 days
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[BAD DECISION #13] Work of Art
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warnings: jaykay discovers boobs! we rejoice! wahooo!! okay so this entire chapter is basically titty worship (no titty sucking (sad)). lots of paint. curious art. shower (again) mutual masturbation (for realsies this time) jaykayyy aka my dream man. the chess plot device is born! the mirror kink is also born! WE THRIVE!! Still one of my fave chapters, some would argue we peaked early!!
soundtrack: vibez- zayn
wc: 11.8k
bd total wc: 540k (ongoing)
AO3 | MASTERLIST | MINORS DNI
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"Why did you write it like that?"
"Like what?" you say, coming to sit beside Jeongguk at a pair of easels towards the back of the room. The last few tasks were carried out by the pair of you, Jeongguk insisting on helping despite the fact he had no clue really what to do. You'd ended up asking him to move a couple of boxes you couldn't reach just to appease his need to lend a hand.
He looks at your bird once more, and holds it open for you to read again. You knock your head to the side and shrug.
"Guess it's just how I feel about it."
"Like screaming?"
"Kind of," you laugh. It's written in just the same way as the last one - full capital letters, zero context, and more exclamation points than any one person should use. "I guess it's like... a big one for me?"
"How big are we talking?" Jeongguk asks as he looks at it again. It's just a single word, but he knows there's more to it than meets the eye. There always is with you.
You pull one of your feet up to the chair and wrap your arms around your knee. The apron you'd been wearing earlier is up on a hook, and Jeongguk finds the simplicity of your outfit all very intriguing. You're monochromatic, which isn't much of a surprise, in a large white shirt and black slacks. The caps of your hightops peek out from the hem of your trousers, and a satin scrunchie is around your wrist instead of in your hair.
You're lacking a little sparkle. There's still some across your lashline, and little specks on your skin that your makeup remover hadn't managed to get, but what with the paint and the two showers you've had since the paint party, there's really not all that much left.
He wonders if there's any glitter glue in the art supplies. Thinks you should just use that instead. You're really not quite yourself without it.
"My ex was a tittie guy," you say, and Jeongguk's eyes widen as if he'd forgotten the topic of conversation. You laugh. "Is it really that much of a surprise? Ass guys are hardly gonna go for me."
"Your ass is fine," Jeongguk says. He means it as a compliment, but realises 'fine' isn't the way to ever really describe a woman's assets - and so he corrects himself. "Good, I mean. Your ass is good."
There's a look of disgust on your face as you question why on earth he's been looking at your ass, which causes him to roll his eyes. There really is no winning with you.
"I'm an ass guy," he shrugs.
"Doesn't give you any right to look at it."
"Oh give over," he laughs. "It's literally just a body part. No different to me looking at, I don't know... your wrist. Something like that."
"Well, it depends," you argue back. "Are you into wrists?"
Regretfully, the answer is yes .
"I don't know!" Jeongguk protests when you grill him for how the fuck he can be 'into' wrists. "They're just dainty! And pretty! I don't know! It's not my fault."
You narrow your eyes, and hide your exposed wrist behind your knee. He looks at you with a poorly hidden smile, running his tongue along the inside of his cheek. His lip ring always dances along his peachy bottom lip when he does so, and it makes you laugh - but you're still feigning disgust.
In all honestly, you like your wrists. Would put them in your top five for your physical attributes. Completely understand why he would be into wrists, just like you're into forearms. You like arms that feel safe.
Kind of like his.
But still, he's an ass guy.
"See, this is why you and I would never work," you tell him, and nod to the piece of paper he's still holding, adorned with a singular scribble:
!!!!! TITS !!!!!
"We want different things," you clarify. "You're after a good ass, I'm after a guy who knows how to handle a pair of tits."
"Hey! That's not fair. I never said I didn't know how to handle them," he scoffs - although now he comes to think about it, he's not sure he actually does. "Like, sure, maybe my exes have all had great asses, but they all had a pair of tits, too. I'm not opposed to a pair of tits."
"Yeah, but there's a pair of tits, and a pair of tits , yanno?" You say, using your hands to really emphasise the point. "Anyway my ex really liked them."
"So?"
"So, I really liked that he really liked them," you shrug. It's painfully obvious to you, but Jeongguk is still a little confused. "I just... The idea of someone else doing what he did to them just... makes me wanna run, yanno?"
"The fuck did he do them?" Jeongguk laughs.
"Nothing obscene," you smile, though when you think about it, perhaps 'obscene' is the only way to describe how much he enjoyed them. "I guess it's more so that it was always a part of sex? Most guys I've been with pick and choose whenever they want to deal with them, but with him..."
You don't mean to trail off, but fuck. You're thinking about Seokjin, how his plump lips would trail down your throat. He'd inhale the scent of your perfume and fucking whine, only stopping to latch himself to your nipples. Would spend more time on your tits than he would any other part of your body. Spent so long once that he made you orgasm from the simulation of it all alone.
And so now they're off limits. It doesn't matter who it is. The second someone reaches for your bra, you shake your head, reposition their hands, and pretend you hate your tits being touched. It's not like it's an unreasonable lie. You know it's one of Danbi's least favourite forms of foreplay. If anything, she'd be a good match for Jeongguk. In fact, now you come to think about it, she's got a cracking ass from all of her dog-walking.
Maybe you should cool the deal off. It's highly likely they're compatible. Fucking around with Jeongguk would only complicate things in the future if they discovered that themselves - but you know Taehyung's interested in her, and Jeongguk hasn't given any indication of interest further than friendship with her.
It's not like this is anything beyond friendship, you reason with yourself.
Jeongguk stays quiet as you work through your thought process. Assumes you're skimming through traumatic memories. Doesn't realise you're actually playing matchmaker in your head for him and your best friend.
"But with him?" He asks.
You're drawn from your thoughts. Feel a little guilty. Wonder if you should really be doing this - not for your sake, but for his.
"Are you sure about this?" You ask, ignoring his question entirely.
"About?"
"Doing my birds?"
He purses his lips - and now he feels guilty, too. Funny, how you're both more concerned about one another than yourselves.
"It's entirely your choice," he says. Doesn't want you to feel pressured into it - but it just makes you feel like he feels pressured into it.
"No, but, that just feels to me as if you don't want to," you tell him. "And like, that's totally fine, if you don't, but-"
"Byeol," he says all rather plainly. "I'm the one who suggested it. If I didn't want to I wouldn't be here right now, would I? I sought you out. I came here. This is all on me."
The worry on your features softens, and he's pleased to see you smile again no matter how subtle it may be.
"Only thing I will say is that I don't actually know what 'exclamation point, exclamation point, exclamation point, exclamation point, exclamation point, tits, excla-' "
"Gguk, you don't have to say every single exclamation point."
"Right," he nods. "Well, that. I don't know what that exactly entails."
And truth be told, nor do you. So you just sigh. Press your lips together a little tighter than usual. Think about it for a moment. Draw a blank. Furrow your brows.
Jeongguk looks just as perplexed as you. He's looking away, trying to find inspiration in the room around him - and when his eyes land on the 'gallery' wall where there are imitations of famous works, an idea comes to mind.
"So this is all about separating physical acts from emotional intimacy, right?" He says, and when you nod, he continues. "So what if we do something that involves-" he laughs, because he's a child. "-touching your tits-"
"Real mature."
"Shut up. We'll do something that involves touching your tits," he has to pause so that he doesn't laugh, but you're grinning too. Just as immature as he is. "But something that isn't sexual at all."
"Alright," you muse. "I'm listening."
"You got any black paint?"
You narrow your eyes. Turn your nose up a little. Question if he's lost all of his brain cells. "Jeongguk, this is an art cafe."
"I didn't wanna just assume," he feigns offence. "Are there security cameras in this place?"
"Only by the front entrance. None into the studio area."
"Okay, good. Go get some black paint and I'll get the blinds."
"No blinds," you say, nodding over the windows. "Chiffon curtains. If we turn the main lights off and just keep the lamps on, it should all be obscured. Let's just... not be too close to the windows - and what's the paint for?"
"Will tell you in a bit," he says as he heads to the windows. "Chop, chop, Byeol. We've got a fear to overcome."
You stay as you are for a moment, watching him with unrivalled wonder. There's an enigmatic energy to him that makes it seem as if he's the one constantly covered in glitter, not you. It's quite alarming that this is Jeongguk operating at half capacity. His confidence was knocked quite considerably after his heart was broken, and he's yet to recover. You know this. Know that's what his birds are all about. Know that once you've worked through them with him, he'll be an unstoppable force of nature.
In the time you've known him, he's been nothing but an angel. Cocky? Yes. A little petulant? Make that incredibly petulant. And yet he's a joy to be around. Shines without the need for artificial sparkles. You envy it. Wish you could emulate it.
It's as you're getting the paint, and a few extra supplies that you'll figure you'll need - some brushes, some washcloths - that Jeongguk begins to explain himself. He's drawing the curtains shut, glancing over at you every few words just to check you're paying attention.
"So I saw a video the other day - something to do with easy Halloween crafts, don't ask - and there are two options for you. One of them is quite literally painting your tits and pressing it against a canvas-"
"You are not painting my tits."
"Noted. The other one was way more family-friendly," he says, before he mulls it over and changes his mind. "Kinda. Maybe. It's a skeleton hand shirt."
"Okay..."
"It's super simple, one person covers their hands in paint and basically just grabs the other persons tits-"
"Does that mean I can grab yours too?"
"I don't have tits, I have incredibly defined pecks," he states rather sharply. "Please rephrase the question, Byeol."
You just grin. "Can I grab your tits?"
"No."
"Boring."
"Look," he smiles as he walks over to the easels where you'd been sat before. He turns the chair and sits on it backwards, arms resting over the back of it. There's a casualness to the way in which he carries himself. One that you quite enjoy. "This is a quick, easy and totally platonic way for you to have your tits touched, and it not be sexual at all."
"It'll just ruin my shirt."
"Or not," he says as he nods up to the wall where canvas sizes are displayed. There's also a plain tote bag and white tee pinned to the wall, still up from a promotion put on during the back-to-school season. It had been Hoseok's job to take them down, but he'd just broken up with his girlfriend at the time and had spent the entire week face down in the back room - getting him to do anything had been impossible - and so they remain as they were. "Would your boss notice if one went missing?"
You shake your head. Your boss really has no clue about the day-to-day goings on.
Still, you're hesitant. "If I get fired-"
"Then I'll fire Yeonjun and you can have his job," Jeongguk bullshits. If he was gonna fire anyone, Yeonjun would be the last to go. "C'mon, you gotta stop stressing the small stuff, Byeol."
You're making excuses. You know you are, and so does he.
"Can we at least do it at your place?" You ask. It feels rude to invite yourself to his apartment, but it's honestly probably where you feel most comfortable. It's where the birds are, and it feels like a sanctuary for your fears. When done in the confines of his room, you're able to shut them away and never think about them again - at least not until you return.
Jeongguk thinks it over. He's got no problem with it, just isn't sure if Jimin is in. He tells you as such and is met with a shrug.
"If he's in, he's in," you say. "We can just say we're working on planning an event for Tae's exhibition, say that I'm using you for cheap labour."
"Oh shit yeah," Jeongguk gasps, suddenly reminded of the fact Taehyung had been here with a purpose. "How did it go? You think your boss will approve."
You nod. "Don't see why not. It's a solid pitch and we haven't held an exhibition in a while. I have some contacts saved up from our last couple of shows so can get together a guest list for the opening night."
It's more than Taehyung would have hoped for. The painting cafe is unassuming, in a way, which makes it a great underdog location for hosting such events.
"Sorry to have sent him here without warning," Jeongguk adds. "I wasn't even sure if you did things like that."
"Not often," you admit. "I really enjoy them, though. I'm always keen for more."
The pair of you gather up your things and head back to Jeongguk's place, talking about his friends, and their careers. You learn Taehyung is an artist by night, but a teaching assistant by day, which makes his love for arts and crafts all the more sweeter, you decide. Jimin works at a local interior design firm, which suddenly makes so much sense considering the books you remember being on his desk when you were bent over it.
Namjoon works at the local off-branch of the national paper, with a focus on environmental reporting, which is how he'd met Yoongi, who works as a sustainable carpenter, specialising in local woods and materials. Running his own studio, Mins , he'd done a promotional interview a few years back around the time it opened, and had then introduced Namjoon to the rest of the boys.
Their friendships run deep, and it's nice that Jeongguk is so willing to share that part of his life with you. The way he sees it, you're well on your way to becoming a part of the group, too.
When you arrive at Jeongguk's place, he enters first.
The shower is running, loud enough to obscure any noise of his arrival, so he ushers you in and straight to his room. The sneaking around is getting a little old already, but he figures soon enough it will be commonplace for you to hang out with the both of them.
Jimin isn't naive to your friendship, he just isn't aware quite how friendly you've become.
And so you keep your voices down, even when the pair of you are trying your hardest not to laugh, hands covered in paint, neither of you wanting to be the one who goes first. He's in a black shirt, so your hands are covered in white paint. You're in white, so his hands are coated in a layer of black paint instead.
It's stupid and it's juvenile, but also incredibly sweet. You appreciate how much Jeongguk tries to ease you into things. Baby steps.
"No, no," you whisper. "I'll go first. On you. Easier that way."
He knows it will make it no more difficult nor easy no matter who goes when, but he understands what you're saying. It will make you feel more comfortable. Of course, he obliges.
"Stand behind me," he says quietly. "Can you see in the mirror?"
"Not really," you say. His back is broad and he's obviously far taller than you, which pretty much obscures the entire mirror. If you lean around, you can see part of it, but it makes it harder for your to get an equal placement on his chest.
"Okay, just stand straight. I'll guide you."
The way he knocks your hands into position, mostly because his are also covered in paint, is just as gentle as the tone of his voice is.
"Three, two, one," he counts down. "Now press."
You do as you're told and are confronted with potentially the firmest pecks you've ever laid your hands upon. Sure, Seokjin had a body built like a God, but Jeongguk? Jesus Christ. He must be something entirely... unhuman.
"Anddd pull away," he whispers. The shirt sticks a little bit, but as your hands peel off, Jeongguk smirks. "Your hands are so small."
You take great offence to this for absolutely no reason other than to bicker with him. "Says you!"
"Sorry?"
"You don't exactly have massive hands," you goad him, seeing if you can get a rise out of him, and as if by magic -
"Turn the fuck around, Byeol," he says, almost forgetting the volume control. You do as you're told, grinning like the smug little bitch you are. "Don't have massive hands? I swear you say shit just to piss me off."
"Who me?" You feign innocence. " Never ."
"Yes, you," he laughs, but he makes no attempt to reciprocate the shirt creation. Instead, he holds back. Wants to make sure you're okay with it. You tell him you are, but he still doubles down on confirmation. "If it's too much at any point, just say."
You nod. Wonder if he can see the beat of your heart running through your veins. He can't. But he can see your eyes in the mirror, and recognise the trepidation they're drowning in.
"You ready?"
And again, you nod. Exhale. "Ready."
He's tentative in his approach, palms wide, fingers outstretched. He lets his palms rest on the sides of your chest first. You stop breathing for a moment.
"You okay?" He checks, to which you nod. "Okay, Byeol. We're going at your pace. The second it's too much, you let me know, okay?"
He waits for your go-ahead, and then lets his fingers squeeze into the softness of your chest. He sort of assumed he'd eclipse them like he always has done with his former partners, but he doesn't quite manage it with you. It takes him by surprise. Stops him in his tracks. Makes you nervous.
"Gguk?"
Whatever trance he's in, he snaps out of it. Realigns his focus. "You okay?"
"Yeah, yeah," you nod. "Are you?"
"Yeah, yeah," he parrots back. "Just being careful."
"It's fine," you smile. "I'm not a porcelain doll - and this is fine, actually."
"It is?"
"Mhmm. This isn't half as bad as I thought it would be."
"You're welcome."
You laugh, and tell him to shut up. He squeezes ever so gently around your chest, and as much as you hate to admit it, a fucking moan is lodged in your throat. You don't let it out. Don't want him to know it feels electric having his hands on you like this. God, it's nice . It's good . Comforting. That's what surprises you the most.
You've spent so long avoiding contact like this, that you had forgotten why you liked it so much in the first place.
In fact, you find yourself pouting ever so slightly when he pulls away, revealing two black handprints cradling your tits. His is the reverse, white paint on a black shirt.
"See," he smiles. "Told you it was cool. When they're dry, we can go in with markers and outline the skeleton shapes."
The pout on your lips as you look at him is sweet, eyes full of wonder. He thinks he's only ever seen you like this when you're drunk. It's all hazy, and it's like the glitter that's normally on your cheeks is in your pupils instead.
Silence resumes in his room, both of you conscious of Jimin milling around in the kitchen. Jeongguk tells you to take the shirt off - "be careful, don't let the paint touch anywhere else" - so that it can dry properly.
It's as you're both standing there half naked with your backs to one another, that he's caught off guard.
"Let's do it."
"Hmm?"
"Let's do it," you repeat. "That first idea. The canvas. I packed one just in case and I... I didn't think we'd need it - but it wasn't entirely horrible, and-I-think-I-wanna-see-if-maybe-"
"Byeol," Jeongguk laughs, cutting you off, but doesn't turn around to face you. He's still trying to be as respectful as he can be. "Breathe. If you wanna do it, we can. No biggie on my part."
"It's a biggie on my part," you say quietly.
Jeongguk frowns. Doesn't like how vulnerable you sound. "I know. It's okay. We can make it not a biggie."
Your mind races at a mile a minute. You've not let anyone other than Seokjin touch your bare chest in such a long time. The idea of Jeongguk doing it now makes you feel nervous, but you're ready for it. Ready to feel renewed. Ready to finally fucking let go.
"How do you want to do this?" You ask, because one decision is enough for you. You'd rather let him be in the driver's seat, now. Leave your destination unknown. Leave it up to him. You're just here for the journey. Here for the ride.
"Can I turn around?"
"Yeah," you say. You don't mind him seeing you like this - you're shirtless, but you still have a bra on. He takes a second to look at your back; how your spine trails down it. Wonders if there are dimples at the bottom of it. They'd be hidden by your trousers now, and he doesn't really remember checking after the paint party.
He shakes his head, ridding himself of the thoughts, as he heads to the curtains and draws one of them shut. The other curtain remains open, but neither of you will be standing in front of it, so he doesn't think it matters all that much.
Jeongguk comes to stand behind you, turning you to face the mirror. His hands are on your shoulders, still a little paint-ridden, but nothing that bothers you.
"So I'm thinking," he says quietly, eyes on yours in the reflection as he toys slightly with the bra straps over your shoulders. "That this comes off."
You swallow so hard that Jeongguk thinks you might choke. You don't.
But you also nod.
"Is that a yes?" He checks for consent.
"It's a yes."
His hands are slow as they stroke down your back. He's not really thinking. Just working on auto-pilot. This isn't about him. It's all about you. What you need. What you want.
"Then, I think we need more paint," he says, his fingers working to unclasp your bra. You feel the tension ping and release, and you think you might have a heart attack. He notices the change in your breathing. "If you need to stop, you just say, okay? Tell me okay?"
"Okay," you nod, knowing you're in the safest hands you possibly could be.
"What will you say? Give me a word. Something obscure. A safe word."
You shake your head and shrug, trying to think. "I don't know - chess?"
Jeongguk laughs, knowing exactly where your eyes must have been focused - on the shelf by his desk, where his chess set sits undisturbed. "Okay. Chess."
"Chess."
"Just say it, and I'll stop."
You're silent as he reaches over for the paint, and tells you to toss your bra on his bed. The click of the acrylic bottle opening and closing beats in time with your heart. Jeongguk's warming the paint between his hands, trying to make this as comfortable for you as he possibly can.
You're entirely bare from the waist up, and don't take much comfort in the fact that he is too. It feels a hell of a lot scarier for you, and you both know it.
"I'm gonna touch you now," he says, and waits for you to nod. You close your eyes. Bite on your lip. Wait for the contact - and when his palms softly connect, your brows knit together. Jeongguk watches on, apprehensive. It almost looks like you're in pain, but as he begins to spread the paint over your breasts, they ease. "That okay?"
You nod. "It's okay."
When you open your eyes, you avoid looking towards the mirror. You look down, look away - and Jeongguk notices. He nudges the side of your head with his own. Realigns it. Encourages. "Watch."
He speaks quietly, the dulcet tone of his purr just loud enough for you, but untraceable to anyone outside the room. He doesn't want Jimin to hear. Doesn't want Jimin to know.
It's not that he was lying when he said Jimin wouldn't care - he genuinely believes it'd be no issue, especially with context provided - it's just that he hasn't figured out how to explain it. The girl you shagged a few months ago? We're friends. Pretty good friends, actually. And I'm touching her boobs to help her get over a fear. Totally normal.
Jimin's fully aware of the friendship. Knows you've been in the apartment a handful of times. Jeongguk never hides it from it; just tells him after the occasion. He doesn't mind.
In fact, Jimin quite likes your company whenever he bumps into you. Is quite glad you're not weird around him just because you've had sex. If anything, it gives him high hopes that maybe you'll be up for round two on the nights he can't find anyone else. To be honest, it'd make you the perfect candidate for a friends-with-benefits type situation with him. He hasn't had one of those in a while.
He doesn't share this thought process with Jeongguk. Isn't sure how well received it would be. See, Jeongguk's been incredibly vocal about how embarking on a friends-with-benefits situation is potentially the stupidest thing a person can do.
He'd lost his best friend - the girl he could have spent his life with - that way. Hasn't spoken to his favourite person in months because her new boyfriend doesn't like her hanging out with people she used to fuck. Makes sense. He can't argue against it.
He can think about it in the quiet hours of the early mornings, though, and weep a little out of frustration with how fucked up the best thing in life became.
There's a naive hope within him now that thinks he's fixing his previous wrongs with you. Doing things he's already done, without taking it too far, this time. A broken heart can't fall in love, after all. It's different.
Your eyes land on his; dark and frightfully deep. He's not sure what you're thinking. Tells himself it's better that way.
"My hands," he corrects. "Eyes on my hands, Byeol. Watch what I'm doing."
It takes you a moment to pull your eyes from his - and when you do, something about it feels catastrophic . Paint covers the skin of your chest; only a few small gaps of exposed skin are still on display. He squeezes. Moves his fingers. Doesn't specifically aim to cover those spots, but know it's the end goal.
There's a muffled moan hiding in your throat; revelations of a lost pleasure that you've refused to let yourself indulge in.
"Gguk-" you begin, but he hushes you.
"Just feel it. Watch it."
And so you do. His chin rests on your shoulder, watching your body, keeping an eye on the way your heartbeat begins to calm, yet races all the same. The ink on his hand is hidden by the paint, his forearms just as much of a mess as your chest. You fight your instincts which tell you to close your eyes; to lean into his touch.
The moan that's made it home in your throat decides it's been trapped for too long. It tickles at your lips, vibrates into the room. You catch it with a gasp, and Jeongguk can't help but let an airy smirk fall from his lips.
He never thought you were kidding about how much you liked it, but it's different seeing it in the flesh. There's an insolent nature to his teasing, and it makes you want to fucking whine.
"How does it feel, Byeol?"
Your eyes flick up to his, your lips resting ajar. The heaving of your chest is far easier to see when he stops massaging your chest. You smirk back at him. Roll your eyes.
"You don't wanna know," you tell him, because as much as he tried to make out that none of this would be sexual, your body doesn't agree.
And honestly, nor does his.
"No," he says, closing the minuscule gap he's been keeping between his crotch and your ass. The corners of his lips twitch upwards when you feel it - feel him - press against you. "I think I do wanna know."
His smirk is laced in sin, dark eyes hazy, as your chest begins to stutter all over again. You bring your hand to rest over one of his. Encourage his movements. Let your eyes close. Don't hide the moan that travels through you.
"I thought you said this wasn't gonna be sexual," you eventually say a little breathlessly. You encourage his movements still, just to let him know you're not entirely opposed to it.
"It's not," he purrs against your ear, and presses himself against you again, a little firmer this time. His breath is hot against your skin as you lean your head back, a laboured grunt stuck now in his throat. You can feel his heartbeat against your back.
You let your eyes rest on him in the reflection. Take a moment to read his face, and decide you've no idea what this man is thinking.
Truth be told, he's not really having any cognitive thoughts.
"You're hard," you tell him.
His eyes rest shut, a bashful smile on his giddy lips, neck turning ever so slightly to rest his forehead against your hair. And then he whispers, "Don't tell me you're not wet, Byeol."
"Mhhm," you moan with a little humour. "Dry as the Sahara, buddy."
"God, if my hands weren't covered in paint-"
"You'd what?" you interrupt with a sardonic smile. "This isn't sexual, remember?"
He scrunches his face up. Looks at you. Looks at your chest. Looks away from the mirror, and down to watch his movements. He alters his pace, playing with your tits just for the fun of it, seeing how he can toy with them. It might not be what usually gets him keen, but he can see why you attract boob guys; can also understand why your ex would keep coming back if he is a boob guy.
"You ever do this to yourself? Like, for fun?" He asks, ignoring your last question, seemingly hypnotised by the overspill between his fingers, and the way it jiggles for him.
"Like non-sexually?"
"Mhhm," he says as he repositions himself. Cups the undersides of your boobs. Lets his thumbs flick against your nipples. You moan in a way he hasn't heard before. Does it again. Same result.
"Fuck," you hiss. "Yeah, I do it - fuck, Gguk - for fun. Not like this though. This is-"
"Just for getting you wet?"
Yes.
"I'm not wet."
"Such a liar, Byeol."
His fingers pinch, gently clasping at your nipples. Has you mewling. Has you amazed you haven't been letting anyone do this during sex. You've been making yourself suffer to solidify your heartbreak. Maybe if you'd have been fucking people how you like to be fucked, instead of using it as a tool of validation, you'd have found the whole thing a bit easier. Or perhaps not. Perhaps you'll never know.
"Are you trying to make me wet?" You challenge, eyes on him, watching the way he's watching himself.
He shakes his head. Nestles it against your hair. Likes the scent of your shampoo. Inhales a little deeper. Is breathless when he rasps, "just helping out a friend. How your body reacts to me is its own problem."
You scoff. "My body's reaction has got nothing to do with you."
"No?" His grip tightens. You whine.
"Gguk-" is all you can manage, chest heaving, heart in your throat. Your back is arching, pushing your chest further into his grasp.
He's about to mock you; about to tease you a little more. Make some dumb remark, you sure, something that will have you fighting back against him - but it's interrupted.
"Hey, Jeongguk?" A voice shouts from the living room. "You in?"
The way Jeongguk pulls away from you is so abrupt you almost lose balance. He pulls a shirt from his chair, chucks it in your direction without looking back and darts for the door at such speed, you wouldn't be surprised to see him in a comic book like one of his damn figurines.
He opens the door just a crack, keeping you hidden, ignoring the fact his door handle is now slathered in black paint - the corner of his pristine white wall, too.
"Hey," he squeaks as Jimin stops in his tracks. He'd just been about to reach for Jeongguk's doorhandle to invite himself in, but the look on Jeongguk's face tells him to stay away.
Jimin raises an eyebrow. "This isn't suspicious at all."
Behind Jeongguk's head, Jimin can see his bed. It's made, not disturbed in the slightest, but the way Jeongguk is guarding the room makes it incredibly clear he was up to no good. It's all very amusing. Just out of his eye line is your bra.
"Was just letting you know I'm off out," he smirks. "But I'll leave you to it. Don't think I'll be back till morning, so stay safe, young padawan."
"Right," Jeongguk purses his lips, not wanting to give Jimin the satisfaction of confirming nor denying anything.
Jimin doesn't care to watch Jeongguk squirm. Would rather let him get back to whoever it is with him in his room. The kid's been out of action for so long that he's frankly pleased to see him acting so shifty. He's never known anyone who needs to get laid as much as Jeongguk does. Hopes this means he's finally over the last girl.
He turns on his heel, but calls back, "don't forget to wrap it up! Can't be arsed with baby-proofing the apartment."
"Jesus Christ," Jeongguk mutters as he closed his door. He rests his head on the frame for a moment, before turning his head to find you in a state of absolute horror.
"Gguk!" You whisper, eyes wide, heart thumping into your chest. The shirt he'd thrown at you is still on the floor because it's a white shirt, and you weren't stupid enough to actually pick it up. You kick back across to his chair, hands covering your chest without touching them. You don't want to end up as messy as he is.
Jeongguk strides across to you with a scrunched-up face and just moves your arms, laughing to himself slightly as he cups your breasts in his hands. He holds them firmly. Squeezes an apology. Admittedly, you do feel more protected like this.
"Shush, shush," he coos quietly, a stupid smile plastered all over his face. His hands are temperate, but they squeeze at you a little as his shoulders lift ever so slightly. "He's not out the door yet."
There's a pause as you both wait with bated breath. There's a faint click, which Jeongguk knows is the front door going, so he nods. A second click follows.
"You're safe," he laughs, and you can't help but laugh, too. Your hands instinctively come up to cover your chest, but his hands are already there, so you drop them again. His forehead rests against yours. His frivolous energy is contagious, the pair of you breathlessly giggling at the weird fucking situation you're in. "I'm sorry."
"It's okay," you shake your head, keeping your forehead against his, almost brushing your nose with his. "Not your fault."
"Got a little carried away, though," he whispers, his smile fading as he harshly swallows back. "Should've tapped out. I should have said chess."
You shrug. Whisper, "takes two to tango."
The moment lingers. Wraps you both up in a ribbon, and ties a bow where his hands meet your chest. Safe and secure. A memory to be tucked away under your list of bad decisions, but for the moment, you'll convince yourself it was a good idea. You're not thinking of Seokjin, at least, and that was the real goal.
"Let's finish this off," he says, nodding over to the canvas. "We need more paint, though. I'm pretty sure I've literally, like, moisturised it into your skin. I don't think that's a good thing."
"It's definitely not a good thing," you cringe, knowing that your pores must be screaming beneath the acrylic. You wait for his grip to leave your chest, but it doesn't. It's only when you raise a brow and shake your head at him that he realises.
"Oh, right, yeah, yeah."
It's a lot more clumsy this time round. Jeongguk's second-guessing himself, almost as if he hasn't just spent God knows how long grappling with your tits. He laughs, and so do you, the pair of you finding every little thing hilarious. Perhaps it's nerves, or perhaps you're trying to play this off as something totally normal between friends, but either way, you think you're glad you're with him. Glad he took a chance on your birds.
"How do we even do this?" Jeongguk hums in confusion when he holds up the canvas. He puts it in all kinds of positions, but can't seem to figure out the best course of action. You tilt your head and mull it over.
"Gimmie it," you say softly, holding your hands out to retrieve it from him. His palms have left prints on the edges, but it doesn't matter. Turning to the mirror, you can't help but smile at how much of a mess you are. Such a stupid idea, and yet it's worked perfectly. "Okay, stand behind me again - keep your boner away from me this time, though."
"My God, I don't even have one anymore," he whines, and it's true. It's just a semi.
"Sure," you tease, but begin to instruct him further. "Hold them, like, underneath. How you did earlier. Yeah, yeah, that's it," you nod.
His long fingers support the base of your breasts, his thumbs resting on the sides. Chin on the top of your head, it's a lot less intimate than it had been. This, you think, could be argued as non-sexual.
A momentary lapse in judgement is fine, and that's what you'll chalk earlier up to.
It's not like there are set rules to this whole arrangement. Mistakes will be made; bad decisions, too. What matters is that you don't make the same ones twice.
"Okay," you muse quietly, holding the canvas up to your chest, trying to line it up perfectly. "I'm gonna press down. Keep still."
Jeongguk doesn't dare move. Too scared you'll notice his semi and tell him off for being a randy bastard. It's circumstantial. He's never spent so long holding a pair of tits. It's just... hormones. Maybe. He isn't really sure.
Pressing the canvas against your poised chest, you apply as much pressure as you can, trying to get the imprint. You're mumbling affirmations of a good job to yourself - "Okay, good. Just a little more. Little more pressure, c'mon." - before pulling it away.
It almost peels, the paint a little tacky, but sure enough, the imprint is there, and pretty damn perfect if you do say so yourself. A pleased, albeit a little surprised, laugh escapes your lips.
"Oh, that's fucking cool," Jeongguk beams. "Looks like one of those inkblot tests."
He's not wrong. There are two well-defined black circles, the imprints differing ever so slightly, smudging outwards. To you, it's plainly obvious it's a pair of tits - but then again, they are your tits. It's a lived, breathed experience of yours. Anyone else looking might mistake them for something else.
"Mmm," you agree. "What do you see?"
You're holding it up in front of you, blocking the mirror from your view. Jeongguk's head dips to your shoulder, where his pointy chin rests but you don't complain. One of his structured hands eases, slipping to a more natural grasp on your boob, while the other drops. It slinks around the front of your waist, his forearm keeping your back pressed against his chest.
"Big ol' pair of titties," he says in potentially the most childish voice he could have chosen. You pull away from his grasp and give him a look of disgust. "Sorry, I mean... not a pair of tits?"
"You're a fucking child, Jeon," you scold, to which he tells you that he's actually very mature and you're just being a boring old bint. Turning back around to study it a little more, you tilt your head. It's missing something. Jeongguk's grasp on you had never fully eased, but both of his hands rest now at the dips of your waist. You pay it no mind. "I think we should add to it."
"Watcha thinking?"
"Not sure," you muse. "It is a little bit too obvious."
"So you're saying it does look like a big pair of-"
"Oh my God," you groan, walking away from him and to where the paint is sitting pretty. "Lie down."
"Sorry?"
"You heard me. Lie down."
You don't look at him as you say your commands, instead you spend your time picking between the paints. The silver is your favourite, but as much as he likes to wear it in the form of jewellery, you know that gold is his colour. It's the one that suits him best - or at least, suits who he is.
He's hesitant, but he does as you say. He lies on his back horizontally across the bed, like how the pair of you do when you look at the birds, one of his arms resting over his stomach. He looks up to them now, no smile on his lips, but an overwhelming sense of contentedness.
Before you, he used to look at the birds and feel guilt. Was harbouring feelings that he'd told everyone he had let go of. They're still there, but they're diluted. Too much of you filling the empty spaces for him to dwell on the birds made for her instead.
You come to perch next to him on the bed, sat on your ankles as his gaze falls to yours with great curiosity.
"What are you doing, Byeol?"
With a smile, you say nothing - just uncap the paint lid, and turn it on its end over the top of his chest. He doesn't object. Just watches you quietly. Patiently. Hisses when the chill of the paint comes into contact with his skin, but lets you do as you please.
Capping it shut with a click, you reach over to put the paint on his bedside table. Still shirtless, Jeongguk watches the way your tits move, and doesn't even try to hide it.
"Eyes up here," you say as you regain full posture, but he keeps his eyes on your tits.
"Can't. Hypnotised."
You're laughing as you roll your eyes. "Such a liar, Mr 'I'm an Ass Guy' ."
He finally looks at you, almost in horror, thanks to the accent you just did impersonate him. "Is that how you think I sound?!"
"It is how you sound," you tell him, knowing that you should have deepened your voice. Instead, you'd deliberately raised it a few octaves. "I'm a voice actress in my spare time," you lie. "I've been told I have perfect pitch on many occasions. That was an exact replica of your voice."
It's said with such a straight face that it would be believable if it wasn't for the fact that Jeongguk does have perfect pitch. His music teacher always tried to make him pursue a musical career, but he was fearful of failure. Didn't want to put himself out there just to get rejected.
"I can't believe I'm friends with you," he mutters as your finger begins to draw over his chest with the paint. "Most annoying girl I've ever met - shit -" he winces as you flick his nipple, his hand coming to rub at it almost immediately. "Byeol!"
"Hmm?" you smile. "Sorry were you saying something?"
He says nothing, just narrows his eyes at you as you get back to work, spreading the paint over his chest.
"We've already got an imprint of my tits," you muse, pressing the metallic gold into his muscles, quietly in awe over his physique. "And now I wanna get an imprint of your tits, too. Over the top of mine. I think it'll look cool."
"You mean my pecks?"
"Yeah, sure," you say. "Your tits."
"They're pecks!"
"Okay?"
"One of those birds better have 'fixing my attitude problem' on them," Jeongguk huffs, but it's all in good humour. You tell him your attitude is golden - just like his tits are. "They're fucking pecks!"
Reaching over for the canvas, your golden palms are just clumsy as his had been, leaving little marks on the edge of the canvas. Laughter fills his room as you try and decide how to place it, with the pair of your twisting and turning the canvas to try and figure out your best bet. You don't want to obscure your tits entirely, but his chest is broad.
"Don't think you thought this through," Jeongguk teases. "You just wanted an excuse to touch my chest."
You flick his nipple again.
"Jesus Christ! One more time and I'll-"
Oh , how you love a threat. Can't wait to see if it's a promise.
And so you flick the other.
"Right, that's it."
It'd be a lie if you said you knew exactly where he flung the canvas - you were too busy trying to avoid his grasp as he got to his feet - but there are only so many places you can run to in his room.
In fact, you only actually get about three steps away by the time his arm wraps around your waist, pulling you into his grasp. The paint on his chest is slick against your back, but he doesn't really think about it as he turns you around, pressing you up against the window that doesn't have the curtain pulled shut.
His large hand clasps both of your wrists, holding them above your head just to keep them away from his damn nipples. The chase was minimal, the catch far too easy - and yet you're both breathless. Chests heaving. Your nipples are gilded in gold. He's far too fucking close.
"Gguk-"
"What did I say about flicking my nipples?" He looks down at you, desperately trying not to smirk. The anger he's feigning is convincing, but even if he was furious, he's painted like a chryselephantine statue. In all fairness, he's got the body to match. A Greecian God if you ever did see one.
"Can't help it," you pout. "Your tits are just so perky."
He doesn't even insist on the fact they're pecks this time. Just lets his eyes drop to your tits, then back to your eyes. Repeats this four or five times. Shakes his head.
"If that's the metric we're going with, Byeol, then you're well overdue half a dozen nipple flicks."
"Nooo," you whine, squirming to get out of his grasp. He doesn't let you immediately, but ultimately decides it's for the best. Needs to calm himself down. Can't be having another repeat of the night before.
As soon as his grasp eases, you bolt away from him, and retrieve the canvas from the foot of his bed. He notices the gold on his window, and ignores it. Will deal with it later. It's an easy fix. A logical one.
For now, he's got a half-naked force of a woman in his room that he doesn't know how the fuck to deal with. No logic, no reason, no rhyme seems to help him figure you out.
"Please can we finish the canvas?" you say sweetly, as if you haven't been the one derailing things every single step of the way.
He says nothing. Spread his arms wide. Beckons you forward.
Pressing the canvas to his chest, you throw all of your deliberations out of the window. You don't really care for the outcome, now. Just know that the pair of you need to not be topless anymore.
It's platonic, yeah, but it is tempting.
The canvas peels much like it did when your impression was made, the paint tacky on his skin. The pair of you are dumbfounded as you take in the result for the first time.
It's fucking beautiful .
Metallic gold weaves around the black, overlaying ever so serenely, creating an abstract interaction between the shapes.
"What do you see now?" you ask softly, quietly proud of your creation together.
"I see a masterpiece," he grins, and that arm of his that likes hooking around your waist so much finds its favourite spot once more. His chin is on your head. "And you know what else?"
"What?"
"Look there -" he points to a small 'v' shape, just above the imprint of your chest that's free of gold. "Looks to me like a bird."
"Holy shit."
"A fear set free," he muses.
"Well done us," you beam, holding your hand up for him to high-five. He does so with ease, before reaching for the canvas and propping it up on his desk.
"C'mon," he grips onto your shoulders. Eases you forward and to his bedroom door. Reaching round to open it, he lets his hands fall to your waist, and then back up to cup your tits as you walk together. "Shower."
"Are you ever gonna let go of them now?" You laugh, finally pointing out just how bloody handsy he is.
"Don't think so."
"Brilliant."
He eventually does let them go as you're both washing your hands beneath the tap of his bathroom sink.
"Got a little paint in your hair," Jeongguk says as you're drying your hands. He goes to twiddle at it in an attempt the break the dry paint down. It's not a lot, but it does mean you'll need to wash your hair to avoid the bleached strands from staining.
"Shit," you curse, knowing that Jeongguk definitely won't have any silver shampoo, nor will he have anything more than a bog-standard conditioner.
"Hold on," he says, moving you to the side to rummage in the cupboard beneath the sink. There's a small clatter of bottles as he pulls a basket from the back of the shelf with a triumphant smile.
It's a grin that's quietly pleased, lips thin, pressed together, lip ring flipping in that way which always makes you smile. The basket itself is just as interesting as Jeongguk's face - a myriad of coloured tubes, and lo-and-behold, the same brand of silver shampoo you use.
"Jimin had a phase," he explains. "Well, no actually, he's had a few - but this is from the coloured hair phase. You need the purple shit, right?"
You nod. "The purple shit."
"Take what you need," he says as he gets back to his full posture, leaving the room only to return a moment later with a bottle of conditioner in hand. You know the brand. It's pricey. You only buy it when it's on sale. You furrow your brows, and he just shrugs. "I keep my good towels out of the bathroom, Jimin keeps his good conditioner out of it instead."
It's funny, 'cause you do exactly the same. Danbi has been blessed with hair from the Gods, so never has to pay much attention to what she uses. A string of bad dye jobs and unhealthy heat habits have left you with a deep conditioning complex, and there's nothing worse than going for a shower and realising the conditioner you paid and an arm and a leg for is all gone.
Will this stop you from using Jimin's special conditioner? No, absolutely not. You care more about your hair than you do about his annoyance.
"How are we doing this?" You ask casually as Jeongguk starts the shower up.
"Well," he contemplates far too hard for the sentence that follows. "I think we get in the shower, and then I think we... shower?"
"Right," you nod, as he grins, clearly pleased with himself. "Silly me. Of course it's that simple."
"Well it can be," he shrugs. "We both know we didn't really do the shower bird to completion, and aren't we saying 'fuck it', now? So why not?"
He's got a point. You feel far less on edge about the whole showering thing since the last time. It's like you've been working through it in stages, and it's helped.
"So..." you say quietly. "I don't know about you, Gguk, but I normally shower naked."
He just shrugs. "Really, Byeol? Do you not think we've already crossed that boundary? I'm quite literally staring at your tits right now."
You look down to your exposed chest, and suppose he's right.
"Just... don't look, okay? You get in the shower first and like, face the wall or something."
As much as he thinks you're being ridiculous and that it really doesn't matter, he agrees. Your birds are, after all, all about you, and what you're comfortable with. Just because he is doesn't mean you will be.
He strips down, and discards his clothes into a pile. He'd be lying if he said he was entirely confident, but he definitely feels the pressure a lot less than you do.
"I'm in," he says encouraging you to follow suit.
Against your better judgement, you do.
You toss you trousers on top of his, panties too, and make your way into his shower. It's warm, just the right temperature, still set to Jimin's preference from earlier.
"Now was that so hard?" Jeongguk asks, still facing the wall.
"No," you say airily. "I can see why you're an ass guy."
He turns his head, and sure enough, your eyes are on his ass. "Double standards."
"It's really good," you say, a little in shock at just how toned it is; how you'd kill for yours to be as peachy as his. "But you're right, you're right - I'm sorry."
"Can I at least turn around now?" He asks. "Seeing as you've already broken rule number one."
"What rule?!"
"Looking! You set the bloody rule!"
"Oh yeah," you grimace. Part of you considers turning around, but in all honesty, you don't want his ass-loving eyes to fall on yours and be disappointed. "Um, yeah. Sure. You can turn."
He's cupping his balls as he does so, hiding himself. It's sort of sweet in a way, and matches your own awkward stance.
"C'mon," he says, knocking his head back, encouraging you further into the stream of water. "Need to wash you off."
"You need to?"
"Well, yeah? Only fair. I'm the one who got you like that." He senses your hesitation, and offers you an out. "Or you can do it. I don't mind either way."
And for some reason, you don't actually seem to mind the suggestion. "Go for it."
He steps a little closer. "Say the word and I'll stop."
You reach for his hands. Lift them to your chest. "I don't think I'll say it."
He begins to massage at them, easing the paint off ever so gently, but it's stubborn. "Could do with some shower gel. Scent preference?"
"Hmm, strawberry?"
"Great choice."
You still find the fact he has more than one shower gel on the go hilarious, but you enjoy having a choice. It's one of the fantastic things about Jeongguk; you're never backed into a corner. He'll always give you an option. A way out.
And yet as he gets reacquainted with your chest, you don't think you want one. The things that scared you before - forgetting Seokjin, losing his touch - seem like a world away. Yes, it's different with Jeongguk, but it doesn't mean that it erases what you had with Seokjin. It also doesn't mean that you have to subject yourself to a life of boring sex just because you're harbouring guilt from a relationship breakdown that really wasn't your fault at all.
Seokjin had strayed, though. Made you feel like there was something wrong with you. Had you questioning the things you thought he'd loved about you - your tits included.
Seeing how Jeongguk - a self-professed ass guy - reacts to them has been so validating. So needed. Will do you wonders in the future, you're sure.
It's as he's kneading at your tits that you notice he's becoming a little moany, too. A little unstrained. God, it's so satisfying.
He closes his eyes. Rests his forehead on yours. Squeezes around your tits as he swallows so harshly you think you can almost hear it. Nods, and then says, "Still an ass guy - but fucking hell, Byeol. You might convert me."
You laugh now, and Jeongguk is obsessed with the way your boobs slide beneath his fingers, sopping wet and moving in time with your body. He still doesn't open his eyes.
"Fun aren't they?"
Again, he just nods. Doesn't wanna think about anything too hard.
If he does, he knows he'll have to deal with the fact his cock is now hard, too.
He thanks the high heavens that you just aren't mentioning it, because there's no way you haven't noticed.
It's not like he meant for it to happen. One moment he was trying to be respectful, and the next all he could think about it how soft and warm they are in his grasp. Was all beyond his control.
Thing is, Jeongguk has no idea how hard it is for you to resist reaching down for it. It feels like second nature; like it's what you should do.
But it's a boundary that's still intact, and you'd like to keep as many of those as possible.
So would he - but he's fucking solid , throbbing, balls tight. Can't remember the last time he got like this. Sure he's been hard. Been horny. But this is on another level.
And so he just says fuck it.
Tells you so.
"Byeol if I don't cum in the next five minutes I think I'm gonna die."
His admission takes you by surprise. You want to laugh, but remain deadly serious as you say, "I think you'll be fine."
"No," he insists. "I will actually die."
"How?"
"Ruptured ballsack?" He grimaces. "I don't know, but I do know that my life is quite literally flashing before my eyes right now."
"Poor baby," you pout, and stroke at his hair just to wind him up a little bit more.
"Don't," he whines. "I'm one more sarcastic comment away from sucking your tits just to shut you up. You know how many pairs of tits I've sucked?" He doesn't wait for an answer. " None . Always thought it was weird. But now? I'm so horny I'm literally delirious. Willing to do anything ."
Yeah right, you think.
"That's not very platonic of you," you state, using the exact tone of voice you know is winding him up.
"Byeol, I said one more."
"One more what?"
"God," he lets out a tortured sob. "It's like you want me to suck your tits."
"Me? Want that? Never ."
"But it wasn't on the bird," he says, as if the birds really do dictate every single one of his actions. "Can't do it."
"In all fairness, Gguk, nor was anything else that happened tonight. It was literally just the word ' tits '."
He tries to think straight, but he really can't. Doesn't know what's come over him. Maybe he's just tired. Maybe he just never knew how much he liked tits. Either way, he's absolutely done for.
He runs his thumbs over your nipples, and - fuck - the way you moan really does have him wanting to take them in his mouth. It's always been a no-go for him. Always thought the concept was a bit weird.
But it's all he can think about, now.
All he wants.
"Oh my god," he whines, again, obviously going through a little inner turmoil. His forehead drops to your shoulder. "Why do I want it? Why do I wanna suck your tits?"
"Mummy issues."
"Byeol! You're not helping."
"Just get yourself off," you laugh. "Once you get the orgasm out of you, you'll be able to think straight."
He nods. Knows you're right. "What about you? Do you need to?"
You've a much better grasp on your desperation than he does. You're a brat through and through, and find it hilarious that men seem to think they 'tame' you. In reality, you're the one who calls the shots. You're always in control. Just let them think they are.
With Jeongguk, you've not needed to play up for him, so you don't realise how unaware he is of the fact your inner thighs are coated in your slickness.
"Can do," you shrug.
"That's not a yes."
You roll your eyes. "Look at me."
He does as he's told, and you decide very quickly that he would be so incredibly easy to turn into your bitch if you wanted him to be. It's cute. His lips are parted, brows pushed together, a crease forming above his nose. He really does look like he might die. Poor baby.
Dipping your hands to where your legs part, you run two fingers along your folds, and hold them up for Jeongguk to see. You separate your fingers, the clear fluid suspended between the two of them. He whines again. Rests his head on your shoulder.
"The bird," he says. "The bird that we kinda did, but didn't do."
"What of it?" you toy, knowing exactly what he wants.
"Can we?" He rasps, unable to get his sentence out. One of his hands is on your chest, the other pressed flat to the tiles beside your head. His cock is desperate for contact. His hips are pulsing against nothing. If he doesn't grip onto it soon, he's gonna rut too far and end up touching you.
"You wanna get off together?"
He just nods. Mewls. "Please just give me the green light, Byeol. Please ."
And as much as you want to keep fucking with him, it feels cruel now. His veins are engorged, flooded with blood, in desperate need of him to do something - anything - to have his heart beating normally again.
"Okay," you whisper. "Get yourself off."
He doesn't waste a second. Has his hand around his cock by the time you've finished the sentence. The change in his breathing is stark. There's a moan caught with every tug on his cock, his hand moving at a speed you didn't was humanely possible.
And it excites you.
Has you clasping the tit that he isn't currently holding onto for dear life, while your other hand sinks to your folds. You're soaked , clit throbbing, begging for even the faintest bit of attention. When Jeongguk hears you moan too, he thinks he's done for. Holds his cock so tight he's scared he'll ruin his orgasm.
You know your body though. Know how to get yourself off within a minute when duty calls.
"Keep going," you tell him. "I can get close."
"That quickly?" he asked, genuinely surprised.
"Women are magic," you say between pants, dipping your fingers into your entrance for a little bit of fiction to your g-spot, just enough to really get you there.
"Fucking magic," he husks, his body edging a little closer to yours. You don't mind. In fact, you think you'll prefer it, so you let go of your chest and encourage him to close the gap. Your hand is on his waist, pulling him closer. He looks up. Regrets it, 'cause he never needed to see you looking like this. Doesn't ever wanna fuckin' look away. "Sure?"
"Mhhm," you moan, unable to get a word out because of how close you are - and then you can feel the tip of his cock press against your stomach, just below your ribcage. His movements are frantic.
"I'm not gonna last."
"Then don't."
His forehead rests on yours, the pair of you breathing so heavily that you're basically surviving on one another. Inhale, exhale. You're one and the same.
"Oh, fuck," you mewl, so incredibly close. Your fingers massage at your pussy just how you like it; spank against your clit a little, tease it to the near point of no return. "Gguk, I'm about to-"
"Me too," he chokes. "Where?"
"It's fine," you husk, knowing he's asking where to cum. "It's okay. I don't mind."
"Sure?"
"Just cum, Gguk."
"Shit."
The release is just as undignified as the build. The pair of you are messes, whining as you come undone together. The voltage runs from the tips of your toes to the tops of your fingers, so intense that they go fucking numb for a moment. You're overstimulated almost as soon as it hits, unable to do anything but pant against his shoulder.
The tip of Jeongguk's cock is pressed against your skin, his release painting you in the most glorious sin. He cums, but it feels like it never stops. Every time you think it has, he whines again, wanks a little more, unloads another spurt onto your torso. It trails down your hip, to your thigh and then sinks to the shower floor; washed away like a bad decision never to be repeated.
Breathlessness overcomes the pair of you, remaining as you are for a few moments, until Jeongguk finally breaks it.
"I swear I never usually cum that fast."
You just laugh. Pat his head. "Sure."
"Fuck off, I don't," he says, laughing now too. "Christ. What the fuck was that, Byeol?"
He lifts his posture from how it's rested against you, turning to press his shoulders to the tiles beside you. The shower is still running, so he reaches over to turn it off. Neither of you are fully clean yet, but you'll get back to it in a moment. No point in running his water bill up just because he can.
"Well," you exhale. "I think you just discovered boobs."
He laughs. Tilts his head back against the tiles. Bites his lips as he shakes his head. "To be fair, I think you might be right."
You laugh now too, and that's how the evening remains; full of laughter. Jokes about how platonic and totally friendly the entire exchange has been. There's no weirdness, but in all honesty, you never thought there would be.
Jeongguk lends you a pair of sweats and one of his shirts after the shower, your hair air drying beautifully thanks to Jimins oh-so-expensive conditioner. You feel a little bad for using it now, but you made him cum once, so you think you're even.
"And when Jimin asks where it's come from?" You question as you watch from Jeongguk's sofa while he hangs your artwork up on the wall. It's next to the television. Really fucking hard to miss. Will be the first thing he notices.
"I'll just say it's one of Tae's," Jeongguk shrugs.
"And when Tae comes round?"
"I'll... think of another lie?"
"Sounds foolproof," you muse, sipping on your glass of water, thinking that he's possibly the biggest idiot you know.
"Either way, neither of them will know what it is, or who made it. It'll be a mystery. Wait, unless," he stops himself. Furrows his brows together. Tries to join dots in his head. Even uses his hands to help with the mental work. "Would Jimin be able to tell?"
Your lips purse up, forming a thin line between your cheeks. You shake your head.
"No?"
"No," you say. "He never... Well, I meant what I said about them. Keeping them off limits. Or at least, kept."
"Yeah," Jeongguk nods, accepting your truth, but thinking of hypotheticals. "Did he not see them, like, at all?"
"Um," you say to buy time, questioning how much you should divulge. "You really wanna know?"
Jeongguk shrugs. Nods his head again. Makes no difference to him.
You adjust in your seat, trying to think of how to phrase the events of your night with Jimin, and finally settle on, "Well, I was fully clothed -"
"What?"
"- And we did it from behind." You watch as Jeongguk stays silent for a moment. He's doing that thinking face of his again. The hand is moving. Figuring things out. And then you realise what he's doing. "No! Gross! Don't imagine it!"
"I'm just trying to get a visual!" He protests with a small pout. "Just trying to understand how!"
"My god," you cringe, hiding your head in your hands. "Never should have done that bird with you."
Jeongguk rolls his eyes as he comes to sit beside you, admiring his handiwork. He actually really likes the painting. Is glad you added him to it, too.
"Yes, you should have," he says. "You admitted it yourself, you kept your tits off-limits, but it's clearly a big part of sex for you, right?"
You nod, not looking at him, but up at the canvas. It really is pretty. "Right."
"If you could do all that with me, you can do it with anyone else. It'll make a huge difference to how satisfying you find casual sex, which is like, the whole goal, right?"
And again, you nod.
"Exactly," he beams. "Now, say 'thank you Jeongguk'."
"I'm not saying thank you," you laugh. "You literally got cum on my feet. You should be thanking me."
"Oh my god," he groans. "I'm never showering with you again."
"It wasn't the shower that was the issue!"
The pair of you bicker a little more, until the reality of it being the early hours of the morning kicks in. You're both yawning, hardly able to keep your eyes open. He offers up his bed, but you'd feel guilty taking it two nights in a row, so call for a taxi instead.
You're still in his clothes, but you'll just return them the inevitable next time.
He tells you to let him know when you get home safe, and you do, only for him to reply a few minutes later with a message that makes you consider blocking him.
Jeongguk: Still an ass guy, btw.
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