#seconding prev- the body language is really great | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

slothgiirl · 2 years

Text

a rose by any other name part xiii

11k. druig x reincarnating reader.

prev. /// next.

London 2024

Nathan frowns as Sprite takes on an adult form. “Seriously?”

“I’m trying to get laid.”

“Oh yeah,” he rolls his eyes, “because that’ll work.” She kicks his shin.

Your brother filled out during the past year, no longer lanky limbs. He has your dad’s high cheekbones though he’s pasty from having spent all of last year in New Asgard and his long hair proves he went native.

You check your messages for the millionth time.

“Happy birthday Dane,” Nathan gives Sersi’s long time boyfriend a loaf of gross healthy Norwegian bread that the Asgardians also like making. His obsession with alien archeology paid off.

“Thank you! How was your trip?”

After the snap, a car swerved into your parents' honda civic. A freak accident. You were all Nathan had even as you spent days sitting under the showerhead remembering so many lives. You scratched at your skin, trying to peel away the layers and get back to you. You. Whoever that even was. What were you?

At least Sersi and Sprite had the excuse of being aliens. You were just a freak. You weren’t Thor.

“Great. The salmon up there really gives Hawai’i a run for its money.”

“No way.”

Sprite doesn’t even flirt with anyone, just holds her glass and watches Dane and Nathan and you can see her getting angrier by the second.

You make your way to her as Sersi does the rounds with Dane’s friends. She was always careful to not get too close.

You were like two thousand years old. It was just your body that wasn’t. Fuck. Trying to rationalize your past always gives you a migraine.

Sersi has a black and white photograph, the ones people had to stay still for minutes for it to work right, of you and her in Paris during the 70s. The 1870s. Nathan had it as his lock screen.

“You wanna go get nando’s instead?” Your brother had told you he wanted to go when he was back in the UK. Everyone here thought it was adorable that Sersi brought her kid sister everywhere. But when it was just the four of you, Sprite didn’t have to pretend she was a teenager when she was older than the English language.

“Naw,” she shakes her head, the movement odd when carried out by the illusion she was wearing, “I kinda wanna see Dane’s stupid face when she shoots him down again.”

“We can kick Sersi out and give her no choice?”

Sprite snorts. “You’d never.”

“Maybe I’m not as nice as I look.” You brush imaginary dirt from your shoulder.

One of Dane’s friends from uni, also your alma mater, hits on Nathan and you gag. It was so weird to think of anyone finding your brother who you’d seen eating his own boogers when he was five as attractive, let alone flirting with him.

Sprite frowns. “Obviously or you’d have told Druig.”

You wince.

She had you there.

There was a letter in your sock drawer. You’d written out a lot. Then crossed it all out and instead wrote something much more to the point, then thrown that away. Finally, you’d settled on a picture of you and Sersi on a river cruise for new years. Sprite had photobombed. Nathan’s finger was in the bottom corner. But you had struggled for the words so you never sent it.

It was a lot.

Reuniting with Druig would force you to confront the reality of your situation, the big M question you’ve been avoiding. How would the use of your magic this go-a-round impact your ability to reincarnate? You didn’t want to tell Druig. You didn’t want him to think that you didn’t want this, you and him in whatever space you were able to carve out for yourselves. You didn’t want to burden him with the knowledge of some freak spell, but you knew you would have to talk about it.

“Drink,” Nathan offers Sprite his cocktail. Your brother loved a good margarita.

“I can get my own drink,” she snaps. “I’m not five.” Then stalks away before Nathan can reply.

She was always touchy about her unchanging appearance.

You check your messages again. Lizzy still hadn’t responded. She was living in a mental health residential clinic Nathan was paying for. Tracking down alien relics paid the big bucks.

The transition from being ash to being alive, the world having moved on for five long years, had been rough for your sister.

You were the same age as her.

Her things had been thrown out in the chaos.

It was weird.

You didn’t know how to make her understand you were just happy to have her back. You’d outlived everyone, always.

Somewhere you probably had descendants.

“Have you ever heard about the golden apples,” Nathan asks you.

“Like from Percy Jackson?”

Nathan grins, and you know he’s about to make fun of you, “didn’t you live through the trojan war.”

“Fuck off.”

“And you have magic! If anyone should know this stuff it’s you.”

You grumble, “say that a little louder I don’t think they heard you in Tokyo.”

***

You glared jealousy at Sprite and Nathan sharing headphones to watch some in-flight movie while you were suffering sitting between Sersi and Ikaris. You couldn’t even watch a Mission Impossible movie because your headphones were bluetooth and the plane only had the aux plug in. So there you were, while Ikaris kept stealing looks at Sersi like he was a Youtuber about to launch into a ten minute apology video and Sersi scrolled through her eBooks. Her seatbelt was already on.

Why couldn’t your seat be with Sprite and your brother?

“Should’ve flown there and saved us these last minute flight prices,” you try to joke, looking at Ikaris who had never warmed up to you in nearly two thousand years.

Sersi blushes. “It wasn’t too bad. Nothing I can’t afford,” glancing at Ikaris before adding. “I had a lot of time off saved up.”

“Maybe if you’d gone with us to Spain,” you point out, “Barcelona was great. Ate way too much ice cream.”

“The V&A-”

You snort. Classic Sersi, turning down a vacation to spend a week going through a new exhibition. What a nerd. “So,” you address Ikaris, “what have you been up to in the last five hundred years?”

“Um.” He swallows, clearly not expecting the question though given the circumstances, he really fucking should. Maybe he doesn’t owe you an explanation but he does owe Sersi one.

Fuck, you should’ve sent this in to The Cut. Ask Polly.

“I’ll go first,” you start, “Travelled around Europe with Sersi. Surprisingly didn’t die from all the lead around then but apparently missed out on the Radium craze. Stayed with Thena and Gilgamesh for a bit. Was a nurse in World War 2, not that anyone ever remember’s India’s part or that front. What about you?”

Ikaris rolls his eyes. “I have continued my mission.” His gaze flickers to Sersi, “our mission.”

“How many thousand years and you haven’t changed, haven’t grown.”

Sersi puts her hand on your arm. Let it go.

“There are deviants. I have a duty to Arishem.”

“But not to humanity?” You scoff, “call the Avengers. Let Antman or the Wasp handle it.”

Ikaris scowls.

Sersi sighs.

“Miss,” the flight attendant asks Sprite, “I need you to have your seat upright at the moment.”

Sprite glances at Nathan with a pointed look, “I’m eight thousand years old.”

“All the same,” the woman doesn’t even blink, “your seat needs to be upright.”

“Told you,” Nathan snipes back.

Sersi rests her head in her hands.

It was only a nine hour plane ride, a two hour connection, followed by a three hour drive, until you reached Ajak. Fuck.

***

Ikaris digs the grave by himself. Twin rivers of tears run down his cheeks.

Sprite and Sersi sit on the steps of Ajak’s house, comforting each other. You feel like an outsider. You didn’t know Eternals could die. For so long she has been a constant. No matter how much the face of the world changed, the Eternals remained the same.

Only they haven’t. So many cracks have shown behind their alien facade since they split. Thena had become ill. Ikaris had all but disappeared, and inside of everything Sersi had grown.

They could change just like humans did, just like you did. And they could die.

You bite your lip, thinking of Ajak.

It had been in Mexico when you had last seen her, lived with her. Her dark eyes reflected the awful human sacrifices that the Aztecs had carried out like many other cultures throughout history. Ajak’s unblinking gaze: you wondered how such a sweet woman could be so cold to an entire planet.

And here you were.

You look up at the scenery. It was peaceful here in rural Montana, far from any city.

Your eyes were wet with tears for a woman who’d let you die before.

“Did you know here,” Nathan asks, shadowing you, giving the others space to mourn.

“Not very well,” you chuckle, “I mean, we lived together, but no, I didn’t really know her.” It sounded shitty.

“I’ve been meaning to tell you,” your brother looks at the horizon, “I’m going to move Lizzy to New Asgard.”

Oh.

You feel blindsided.

Your sister wouldn’t even talk to you.

“Is that a good idea?” She was not the only person to live in a residential facility for those affected by the Snap. It was traumatic enough for you, and you didn’t even get Snapped.

People had collected the ashes and taken them to doctors, hoping. . .

“Her therapist thinks so. And Lizzy doesn’t want to stag in Canada.” Nathan rubs the back of his neck.

“Are you okay with that,” you have to ask. “You're young. It doesn’t have to be your responsibility. You should be able to date and move in and not have to look after Lizzy-”

“I want to. . .and I’m not,” Nathan does air quotes, “building a family.”

“You never know.”

“I do know,” he tells you, meeting your gaze. “I’m not interested in the nuclear family thing.”

You blink.

“I’m ace. Look it’s not a big deal but I wanted to let you know, and that you can always move to New Asgard with us.”

You swallow. The idea of your siblings living in New Asgard, would they be in the path of would-be Thanos’? There seemed to be a new catastrophe everyday and now Deviants too. Maybe you should call the Government. They could get in touch with Captain Marvel, right?

“I have a job.” It sounds weak even to your ears.

“I know. No pressure. Seriously. Just, visit, call, zoom?”

“Yeah. I will.” You remember all the voicemails you’ve left Lizzy.

Did she even want to see you?

Before you leave, you run your fingers over the freshly dug grave, soil upturned, and watch as flowers bloom over Ajak’s grave. Blue and yellow wildflowers.

****

You say goodbye to Nathan at the airport, dreading the three separate flights you need to take to reach Kingo. It’s Sprite that hugs him the hardest, punching his arm, and grinning, “two for flinching,” like a particularly annoying aunt to her favorite nephew.

You hadn’t told him about the possibility of the world ending, again. What good would that do? Everyone on the planet lived with existential PTSD, Spiderman destroying the London Eye didn’t help.

You sit next to Ikaris in business class and spring for purchasing headphones. Best ten pounds you’ve ever spent. Sersi hadn’t thought twice about sitting with Sprite.

Neither Ikaris nor you make another attempt at small talk.

It’s not until your layover in Doha that you stretch your legs.

“You didn’t tell him about the whole new Celestial did you,” Sprite asks you while you wait for a McDonald’s meal. Your internal clock is messed up. It could be breakfast or dinner.

“No,” you sigh. “I feel like-okay telling someone would freak them out but maybe telling New Asgard? They have ships? People could be saved, they could call in backup. We, you don’t have to do this alone.”

Sprite sighs. “I-I thought one day we’d finish and I could, maybe back on Olympia there might be a way for me to change. . .and now-we can’t just,” she looks down at her shoes, “I spent nearly ten thousand years protecting this planet and now we’re just supposed to let it die. That’s not what I signed up for.” She laughs darkly, “not that I signed up for anything apparently.”

You wrap an arm around her shoulder, “You’ll have time to talk this through with a therapist after.”

She looks up at you, “someone’s counting their chickens before they hatched.”

“Very punny.”

“Thanks.” Sprite adds, “I told my D&D group I’d be gone. They were worried.”

“That's what friends do.”

“I’ve never been able to stick around in one place for long,” she muses, “not after. . .I’d tried and people got really burn the witch quick.”

“I’m sorry.”

“Not your fault. You didn’t make me like this.”

You grab food for Sersi and Ikaris too.

***

Kingo introduces yet another Auntie he’s older than. You’ve lost track, looking through your messages: trying to get work off your back, replying to your brother, seeing your sister still hasn’t responded. The world’s going to end in days. You should be with them? What were you even going to do to stop this?

Not for the first time you want to call the Wakandan Embassy. Maybe their technology could help?

But even Sersi was on board with bearing the responsibility on her own.

And Kingo-

He’s supposed to be saying goodbye, but that involves introducing everyone in Karun’s family. They keep spawning. You think they must’ve called people over. One of the old men is definitely the neighbor. Karun’s wife quickly gets food going: wanting to send her husband and Kingo off with snacks. It’s a lot.

You doubt Arishem had this in mind when he created Kingo.

“Ah and that is Kush,” Karun excitedly gabs, “he is studying for his entrance exams. We are very proud of him!”

“I miss when you could just make things up and people believed them,” Kingo sighs, “now you need accreditation.”

Sersi frowns, “well, yes-otherwise you get quack doctors and pseudoscience. There’s enough of that within academia to start with.”

“We can’t all inherit our father’s media company,” you point out. Karun had signed pictures with Kingo Sr. It was a photograph of the entire cast for some folk tale musical.

“Hit me up for a job. Make nepotism work for you,” Kingo grabs you by the hand. “What’ve you been up to? Wait-do you know,” he narrows his eyes, scrutinizing you.

“Too late for that,” Sprite says bitterly. Being around Kingo was putting her in a mood.

“Oh. Thank god. Keeping secrets, smh. Am I right?”

“Well you obviously told Karun,” Sersi says.

“And apparently the whole family,” Ikaris adds, holding up a photograph of a teenage Karun and Kingo. “Do they all know?”

“Eh. It’s not a big deal. Once we got over the vampire and evil jinn theories we really bonded. You should watch 30 hours in Mumbai. A real tear jerker. Almost as good as Dangal,” Kingo explains, before calling out to someone in Marathi.

You barely retained any Hindi.

Some memories, some lives, were clearer than others. You could still picture the waterways of Tenochtitlan, but India was a blur.

“So they know,” Sprite finishes.

Karun’s wife, Seema, comes out with lunch boxes, all filled with freshly made food. They’re all labeled. There’s more than enough to get you all through the plane ride to Australia: to Thena and Gilgamesh.

And then there’s more goodbyes all over again as she fixes Karun’s lapels.

Kingo puts the food in the car.

“I don’t think we can all fit,” Sprite frowns.

“We can split a cab,” you offer.

“We fit, don’t worry,” Kingo says before squishing four people into the back of his car. It was an absurdly tight fit. Sprite sat on the edge of the seat, your knees jammed against Sersi.

“We should’ve split a cab,” Sprite grumbles.

***

Sersi breaks the news again. And again.

No Olympia.

Their entire life was a lie.

You wonder how this kind of world altering news will impact Thena’s mental health. Her grasp on reality was fucked. This couldn’t help.

You understood, looking up at the night sky.

Time had stood still at Thena and Gilgamesh’s homestead. There were stars you had not seen since Airdrie. The London smog was not nearly as bad as it had been at the turn of the last century, the tail end of the Victorian era. But here even the Milky way was visible to the naked eye like it had been centuries past.

Learning the truth of Arishem’s mission was watching Tony Stark fall out of the wormhole all over again. It was learning about aliens, that there were empires grander and more powerful with their eyes on Earth. The Hulk, Thor: it had never stopped after New York. The attacks, the threats had kept coming from people and the stars.

Nothing had ever been the same.

There was Alien insurance that could be added to houses like Volcano Insurance.

Mutants went viral on Tiktok.

But everytime a Thanos level event happened, you and the rest of humanity remembered how vulnerable the little blue dot called Earth really was.

This was their wormhole.

“Can I join you,” Sprite asks, sitting down on the packed earth with you.

“Yeah.”

“It’s nice out here.”

“Relaxing.”

Sprite laughs, “we should’ve taken a quiet country vacation instead.” She inhales deeply. “There’s dolphin’s off Scotland.”

“Next time,” you lay your head on her shoulder.

“You sound so sure,” your old friend mutters, “a celestial. A fucking Celestial.”

“They can’t be that bad-”

“What did Druig tell you about Arishem?”

“Honestly,” you offer, pulling away, “not much.”

“To call them gods isn’t an exaggeration. It’s not like with us, people worshiping something they don’t understand. They’re gods. The whole life, death and universe shabang.” Sprite closes her eyes, the tired expression on her pixie features at odds with her age. The trepidation in her eyes reminded you of the British Indian soldiers on leave. Eyes that contained all the horrors of war; Sprite who had seen more horrors than had ever been put to historical record.

You’d been sacrificed once.

“I should’ve-I should have tried more, built-I could’ve had what Kingo does! Family. Real family. Not a bunch of losers Arishem stuck on the same ship.”

You try to comfort her. “Family, are people you love not necessarily always get along with. Or even like all the time.”

Sprite intertwines her fingers with you. “I’m glad you shot an arrow at me.”

“I was shooting a deer.”

“Way to ruin the moment,” she snipes, both of you bursting into laughter.

***

Kingo’s private plane was a game changer.

“Please tell me this is some green lofty Stark tech so I don’t have to feel bad about the CO2 emissions,” you ask the Southeast Asian in appearance Eternal.

“Yeah! Nothing but the best for Kingo Jr. or Is it Kingo the fourth now?”

Sprite rolls her eyes.

“Guys,” Kingo points out, jumping from topic to topic, “should Thena have a knife on the plane?”

“It’s fine,” Thena doesn’t look up from her wood whittling.

“She said it’s fine,” Gilgamesh echoes, sitting down next to you and leaning his seat back.

You trust Gilgamesh’s judgement on this.

“Um,” Kingo continues to look worried.

Karun hands him a drink.

You were used to Kingo being surrounded by friends. He’d always known merchants and butchers, haggling with a smile and actually managing to get fresher produce. Haggling is an art. Karun and his kin were just the latest in a long line of people that Kingo had built friendships with.

It was Kingo more than any of them that had taken to being human like a fish to water.

“You mentioned the deviants could speak now,” Gilgamesh asks Sersi, looking pensive.

“What does it matter,” Ikaris cuts in, “They’re deviants. We have a job to do.”

“Oh right,” Sprite says sourly, “our mission. Because that’s going well.”

“Sprite,” Ikaris chidded as if he had any authority.

You busied yourself with the contents of Kingo’s mini fridge. There were masala lays and bottles of beer. You play with the inflight tv, wondering if Kingo had anything other than his own movies.

“Sersi,” Gilgamesh recenters the conversation.

“Yes, um,” she nods, “He-they,” cleary she wasn’t sure what pronouns to use and only Sersi would be worrying about pronouns when dealing with deviants for the first time in milena, “tried to speak before attacking.” She purses her lips, “about Arishem. I don’t know.”

“Then they have the capacity for higher thought,” Gilgamesh ponders, “are more than predators following their nature.”

“What are you saying,” Kingo asks carefully.

You frown, “that still means they chose to attack us in London. They could’ve remained in hiding.”

“Do you think,” Sersi says slowly, “that they sense Tiamut’s birth?”

“If we are all children of Arishem,” Thena trails off, her pencil stilling. What must she feel now, learning that the illness in her mind wasn’t delusional hallucinations but memories of other worlds? She was holding herself together admirably. You thought this must be hardest for her.

Learning the truth did not stop her flashbacks from occuring like a glitch in the matrix.

“Does it matter.” Ikaris clicks his jaw.

“Yes,” Gilgamesh argues, “if they are sentient beings then we should try to. . .we shoukd hear them out. Everything we thought we knew was wrong. What if we are wrong about them. Clearly, they evolved.”

Sprite stands, “did you forget they killed Ajak!” Tears shine in her eyes. The wound still fresh.

You wonder what Ajak woukd have done if she lived. Would she have told them about Tiamut? Would the Eternal leader have let the Earth die? You hoped not. But you had never been close, you could not guess at her feelings for humanity, her loyalty to the mission might have won out.

It didn’t matter.

Ajak was gone.

You’d never know what she would have done if she had lived:

“Sersi,” Gilgamesh says, “perhaps they can be reasoned with. From their point of view, we have hunted them to near extinction. Should we not try to do things differently-better than we have? We can’t afford to fight the deviants and stop Tiamut at the same time.” His arguement was well put.

You’d never faced deviants before.

“Arishem created the deviants for a reason,” Ikaris states, “just as we have a purpose.”

“Oh and I suppose that makes it right,” you point out, “and if Arishem told you to let Thanos kill half the universe that makes it alright!”

“You’re human. I don’t expect you to understand.”

Kingo defends you, “hey! It’s her planet we’re talking about here.”

“And billions of people,” Sersi collapses into the seat, her expression that of a deep rooted depression.

Thena places her hand over Karun’s camera lens.

“They. Killed. Ajak.” Sprite slams a steak knife into the coffee table you were all gathered around.

“Ajak knew,” Thena adds quietly.

The woman had left behind so many questions.

You think of the iridescent alien creatures that had smacked Ikaris aside with ease. Sersi’s abilites had only bought seconds. They had made you feel so small. What were a few magic tricks against alien creatures that could take on an Eternal?

The images of the Battle of New York fill your thoughts again. Everything had changed after that.

“And she knew it was the right path,” Ikaris again argues, “that’s why she was the leader.”

“You’re talking about the destruction of an entire planet,” Sersi points out, hurt in her eyes as she regards her former lover.

“And billions of new worlds.”

“He has a point,” Kingo points out, “I don’t like it, but who are we to decide which lives matter more?”

You roll your eyes, “um, the lives currently existing obviously! Those new worlds are theoretical, they don’t even exist yet. If Tiamut has waited 5 billions years already, can’t they wait another 5 billion for the sun to die? You can have planet earth then.”

“It’s the way of things,” Ikaris once again argues, “destruction so that new life may begin.”

Kingo shakes his head, but says nothing, looking tormented at having to bear the responsability of Earth, of Tiamut.

“You haven’t seen worlds die,” Thena notes, her gaze lost to her memories.

Gilgamesh squeezes her shoulder in sympathy.

It was the same arguement, recycled, as time ran out for your planet.

***

Mexico was both exactly how you remembered it and incredibly changed.

Kingo’s plane landed in Mexico City, the sprawling metropolis was akin to most cities in the world. But once you left the city behind, you saw traces of what life had been like at the turn of the century. People still hung their laundry up to dry and the closer you got to the mountains Druig had made his home in, the less development there was. You wondered how much was Druig’s doing and how much of it was just a result of how remote this cerro still was with its dirt road.

“You two have been here before,” Kingo asks you and Sersi. “Right?” You’ve made a stop at an Oxxo to grab snacks and refuel.

“In the 1800s,” Sersi answers. You split some pecan pies with her.

You look up at the mountains surrounding you. It was hot and humid in the worst of ways. “I was buried here last time, no,” you scrunch your nose, “the time before that with Sersi.” You were pretty sure it had been in the 1800s. “I died somewhere in Bangladesh I think?” There was so much to remember.

Humans lacked the capacity to live as long as you have. You didn’t have space to remember everything.

“That’s ghoulish,” Kingo frowns in that humorous way of his. He’s always been charismatic.

“I don’t really think about it. . .” It was rare for you to come across your grave. Different places, centuries later, this was the only one you knew the location of. Now you weren’t sure how to feel about your bones rotting in the earth. Was there even anything left?

Sersi squeezes your hand.

“Why haven’t you talked to Druig,” Sprite asks, nosy as always as she nicks your drink without thought. You were used to Sprite and Sersi. You’d missed Kingo in your past lives.

You shrug, biting into the thin pastry. It was always fun to try snacks in different countries. You just wish all this travel wasn’t done under the cloud of another impending apocalypse.

Sprite jabs her elbow into your side, “Come on. Spit it out.”

“Fuck, that hurt,” you complain, covering your mouth with your hand.

“So?”

Kingo also leans in.

You roll your eyes, “seriously?”

“Well now I wanna know,” Kingo nods.

“Eh,” you look down at your shoes. It was a bit weird where you did want to vent but also didn’t want to tell them because it would get back to Druig in the form of Kingo saying shit. They were your family. “I don’t know. I guess I wanted to finish Uni and then there was the whole Snap and. . .it honestly seems a little fake even though I can remember everything.” You couldn’t have dragged your baby brother to your husband’s commune.

Kingo pats your shoulder, “that’s. . .”

Karun shoves the camera in your face.

“Really,” you take a step back.

“It makes for good drama.”

“Karun worked on Jaane Bhi Do Yaaro.”

“So why are you working for this one,” you ask Karun. There was no way being a valet was this man’s dream.

“There is so many places and things to learn when working with Kingo,” Karun smiles kindly, “like all of you! What do you see when you die?”

You cringe.

“Don’t answer that,” Sprite pulls you away.

Back to the car.

“Give me my soda back,” you tell her even as you grab it. It was hot and already sweat ran down your back.

“You gonna be okay?”

“Yeah,” you nod. It had never been that you didn’t want to see Druig. . .you just wanted to take care of some other stuff first. Sort the mess of memories in your head as much as you could. Time, you had wanted time to figure yourself out first.

It wasn’t fair.

To either of you.

It never had been.

Shakespeare couldn’t have imagined a better tragedy.

***

You’d honestly forgotten how creepy this place could be. You didn’t want to sound judgemental, or dimish each villagers life and their autonomy, only you couldn’t let go of the idea that they couldn’t consent to Druig’s whole mind control as a deus ex machina when it was all they had ever known. Over two hundred years later, and you still hadn’t come around on this.

Neither had anyone else.

“Can I film you sir,” Karun asks someone.

You search the man’s face for familiar features. You’d likely known this man’s ancestors. He might even be Cualtzin’s great something.

You swallow, suddenly wishing you had talked to Druig before. You wanted to do this in private, to have a change to see him before everyone by yourself, and maybe guilt also wormed its way into your thoughts. Would he be hurt you didn’t seek him out? You’d known for years.

You wanted a proper reunion without the impending birth of a celestial hanging over everything.

Sersi intertwines her finger with yours.

You only hoped your sister would come around. You needed to talk to her before-

Sprite asks a man, “Hey, estamos buscando a Druig. Donde esta?”

“De que conoces a Druig?”

“Somos,” Sprite thinks on it, “amigos de la universidad.”

Their eyes grow gold.

Definitely creepy.

Druig steps out of the community center. Though the way this place ran, everything was communal. That was one thing you’d liked about this place, how close knot everyone was. And the food.

Your heart lurches in your chest when you see him, the same dark hair, cheeky smile with those mischievous eyes. Any doubt of the validity of your feelings, of your memories, faded away because this was real, he was here in the flesh. Like learning to ride a bike, you slipped back into the habit of being in love.

“I miss you all,” are Druig’s first words to the Eternals after centuries in a warm tone that was a complete turn from his schism from the rest of his companions.

Your fingers tighten around Sersi’s hand.

It’s obvious when he spots you.

Caught off guard as his eyes widen, whatever he was about to say is forgotten. “My lady-” Druig always has the brightest smile.

“Druig,” you rush forward.

It’s without throught. You just need him at that moment.

And he needs you.

Druig cups your face in his hand, resting his forehead against yours.

You stare into his eyes, feeling amazed that you were able to spend another lifetime with the man you loved. The only man for you. In his gaze, the history and love shared between you echoed back.

“You’re getting this? Please tell me you're getting this,” Kingo’s terrible stage whisper breaks your trance.

“I am Sir. Do not worry.”

And you remember why you were here with the rest of the Eternals.

“What’s wrong,” Druig frowns.

You didn’t want to tell him any of it. You wish you could shield him from the news of Ajak and Tiamut, from learning that his entire existence was a farce, but you couldn’t. The Eternals needed him. Earth needed him.

Pepper Potts would understand how you felt at this moment.

“You should sit down.”

***

Sersi explains the finer details, filling in the truth with the astral projects she’s had with Arishem shince Ajak died.

You observe how he takes the news, sitting next to him. The muscles of his arm shift under your hand. There’s no easy way to break the news of the Emergence.

Nothing would matter if the Earth was destroyed.

You knew he’d help.

But it was easy for you to read the vitriol in his face. You could practically hear him think back on every event they had watched impassively as innocents died, trusting Ajak’s judgement that they were doing the right thing to ensure humanity entered an age of enlightenment, only to learn it had been a lie.

Druig had a temper.

When he’d finally snapped, the Eternals had disbanded, because of him they’d gone their separate ways.

“You’ve given me a lot of bad news in one go, Sersi,” he finally states, bitterness lacing his light tone.

This was not going to go well.

“Will you help us,” Sersi asks, barely finishing before her phone rings.

Druig clenches his jaw.

You squeeze his arm in support. You were here for him, for however long that was. Again, you think of your siblings; of Sarah who sent you something off your amazon wishlist on your birthday even though you guys barely talked anymore; the Indian place that gave you two orders of rice for your curry order for free. All these people. . .

Druig stands. “Do you all remember Tenochtitlan? Beautiful. The canals. Tlatelolco.” He pauses in front of Gilgamesh and Thena, looking genuinely happy to see them again, “It was the last place we all lived together.” For them alone he had left this place for a decade.

“I protected these people for twenty generations now. From the outside world and from themselves,” he saunters over to Kingo and Karun, bitter in his gloating. “Your kind my friend, you will be responsible for your own extinction one day. Don’t you think.”

You sigh when Karun earnestly answers Druig’s rhetorical question.

This was not going to end well.

Druig possess Karun.

Kingo immediately surges to protect his friend, “Oh no you didn’t.”

Covering your face with your hand, you sigh, letting your head fall as they talk about streaming views when the world is about to end.

It gets worse when Ikaris tries to leave.

“Druig this is serious,” Sersi tries.

“I’ll tell you what’s serious. I’ve just been told I’ve been sent on a suicide mission for the past 7,000 years and that my entire existance was a lie. So excuse me for not giving a shit about your plan right now.”

Yeah, he was not taking this well.

You knew from the moments of travel where no one could do anything but stew in the truth that everyone was feeling torn, but Sersi and the rest were trudging through to fix the situation before they had their existential crisis.

Druig slams the door when he leaves.

Thena gives you a long look.

You’d never been able to read her.

“I’ll. . .go talk to him,” you tell them, feeling incredibly awkward.

Spite, being her usual self, asks you like she had hundreds of years ago, “him? Really?”

You roll your eyes and chase after him.

“How long have you known,” Druig says coldly.

He stands on the edge of the treeline. You know where this pathway leads. The graveyard.

Kingo was right, it was strange to think you were both here and buried here.

“Not long after Thanos,” you answer honestly. You didn’t want to do this now. Not about the magic, not about the time, or Thanos or any of it. Not when-

You’d seen people turn to ash.

Running into the flat corridor and people just. . .gone.

He turns to you. “You didn’t come,” his voice was small.

You reach for his hands, “I had to take care of my brother,” you explain, “and then. . .my head was a mess. I remembered bits and pieces but not in the right order.”

“I’m not mad. . “ he says softly, looking up through his fringe at you.

“I didn’t think you would be. . .I just needed time and was psyching myself out and now this-”

Druig’s fingers tighten around yours, “The Emergence.”

“You have to try,” you plead with him, “isn’t it what you’ve always wanted. To do something instead of sitting by?” Here you were, begging for the future of humanity. You’d never felt that difference between you and your husband more.

“My love,” he sighs, “even if I could. . .this is not just any mind I would have to control.”

“So you won’t,” you frown, voice wavering. Your eyes burn with unshed tears.

Ikaris you’d expect.

Even Kingo and Sprite’s hesitance made sense.

But Druig-

“That’s not what I said,” Druig says slowly. “We could take the Domo-”

“You once told me,” you say as you gaze into his eyes, “that you wanted to be buried here. On Earth. That you were as much of this Earth as I am.” Your lips tremble, your words hanging in the air.

“And I do,” he utters with a turbulent sea of emotions on his face, “But I am a selfish man, my lady. I want more time. For us.”

Tears fall from your eyes. “There might be more,” your smile is small, “we might pull this off. And if not, I wouldn’t change a thing. How lucky are we to have had lifetimes?”

Druig smiles, looking as handsome as he had in Australia, before leaning in to kiss you.

You meet him halfway.

There’s no rush.

A steady passion that never wavered, Druig kissed you like he had a thousand times before, like he might a thousand times more.

You wouldn’t give into the anxiety.

This was not the last time: they’d pull it off. You trusted that your patchwork family would save the world.

Just look at what the Avengers had managed to do.

You wrap your hands around his neck, placing a kiss against his cheek, “I missed you.”

Druig hugs you against his chest, “Sure, as if Sersi hasn’t replaced me,” he jokes and you know it’ll be okay.

You hope.

“Speaking of Sersi,” you say, “I should go let her know to get going, while you take care of things here.”

“One last thing,” he tells you.

“Yeah?”

Druig kisses you again.

You laugh against his plush lips.

“Sersi,” you spot her and Ikaris talking. Like any best friend, you immediately want to plant yourself as a shield between her and her ex.

They look alright, for the moment.

But you saw first hand how lonely she was when you found each other.

And you’d never liked Ikaris.

“Hey,” she waves you over.

Ikaris sulks, and you know he’s going to say something annoying once more.

A metallic screech fills the air.

You look up, instinctively trying to find the source. In the blink of an eye, a deviant snatches Ikaris into the air.

Sersi screams. “IKARIS!”

Fuck.

You look around wildly. There was nothing sturdy to hide in. Just huts and trees that they could rip to shreds. Your heart pounds in your ears.

For once you wish you knew fancy spells like Doctor Strange.

“Señora, esta bien,” a voice calls from the fog as you hover around Sersi.

What were you supposed to do?

“Watch out! Clear the camp!” Sersi yells.

It’s chaos as more deviants appear. Their bodies are exposed muscle, vines wrapped around to form animalistic creatures. In one you saw sabertooth tigers.

Fuck.

You clench your fists.

“Sersi,” you scream when a deviant lunges at her.

It’s too late.

A deviant comes barreling towards her.

“Get back,” Kingo yells, shooting fireballs at the thing, “it’s an ambush.”

Sprite grabs you, “come on!”

It’s chaos as people run into the forest. You’re not even sure it’s safe with these deviants popping up everywhere.

“Sprite, get Karun to safety!”

You don’t even see what happens, running with Sersi, running amongst the crowd.

Your eyes scan but there’s nowhere to hide.

“This way,”’she takes over, showing the streak of leadership Ajak must have seen in her, “quickly,” her first priority was ensuring the safety of these people.

It’s world war 2 all over again.

People running, attacks coming randomly. All you could do was hope your luck held out. (You hadn’t been snaped.)

“Get inside,” Sersi urges you.

“I’m not leaving you.”

She wants to argue but she also knows there’s no time. Her hands press against the wood, transforming it into metal.

She doesn't finish.

“Sersi!” The scream dies in your throat when the deviant tosses her body aside like she’s a paper doll.

You don’t have time to see if she’s okay. Your scream attracts the deviant’s attention. Blue and green and awful you hold up your hands, praying for something to happen. You didn’t understand magic.

Maybe you didn’t have to.

Without knowing, you’d made yourself reincarnate.

You act, raising your hands, aiming at the deviant and knowing something would happen. It would.

It does.

Light flares out of your hands. You feel the pull of magic from you, your teeth aching like you’ve got a brain freeze. The light blinds the deviant for seconds, sending it reeling back.

It shakes its head, disoriented.

You don’t know what else to do.

Sersi clambers out of the remains of a hut.

There’s nothing around you to use as a weapon, not really.

You scramble back, wanting to put distance between the creature and you. They certainly didn’t seem sentient. You cannot blame a predator for its nature.

Shots ring out.

You flinch.

The villagers line up, controlled, aiming their guns at the deviant. Buckshots ring out as they surround the deviant.

Your eyes widen in concert.

While the bullets ripped into the deviant’s iridescent hide, the alien creature grew annoyed. They weren’t putting it down.

It’s tail throws people aside.

You inhale sharply.

Unlike Sersi, they didn’t get back up.

Druig runs in, engaging the creature, weaving around and shooting it at close range.

It rears, angered.

Sersi spurs into action. She weaponizes a tree, her ability slowly turning a ring of bark into water, as Druig and his villagers keep the creature in place.

The magic is there, at your fingertips, it just needed a form to take, a spell to wield it properly. You flex your fingers.

Your breaths were sharp and shallow, adrenaline racing.

The tree, frozen into ice, traps the creature, and in a classical dysfunctional family way, Sersi and Druig argue as the deviant begins to shake the tree off himself.

Fuck.

You act, planting your foot forward, knees bent. Muscle memory took over, hundreds of years of experience, you see the ice. While Sersi and Druig argue about the villagers, your hands once more glow softly, a color between sunset and rust.

The ice moves with your will. The motion is fluid even as the weight of the branch slams into you. You grit your teeth. Your knees bend with the effort, more weight lifting than wand waving.

A branch breaks off and spears the deviant through the eye.

It happens in seconds.

You pant with exertion.

“How did you-”

The shock breaks Druig’s hold over their minds.

“Is that really important right now,” you run over to Sersi, looking her over.

“I’m okay,” she says quickly. “The others-” She looks further into the village where Kingo’s ability blasts through trees and the deviant: she doesn’t hesitate to run over.

“Head to the river,” Druig commands the villagers. They listen, trusting the man who had led them peacefully for generations. In some ways, they were better off than Wakanda, the front of Thanos’ war on earth, better off than London when Spiderman decided to go rogue.

You take a deep breath, concentrating.

“Right,” you run after her, stumbling after a step.

Druig catches you. “Careful,” he says, sounding grave.

Maybe it had taken more out of you than you’d thought. You think back to what Hoa had told you. What effect would using magic in this cycle have? Would you even reincarnate? Did it matter if they couldn’t stop the Emergence?

“I need to,” your legs shake.

“You’ve done enough,” Druig says gently.

It’s lucky timing. Ikaris flies in, slamming into the final deviant attacking the village.

This one proves its sentient intelligence, cleverly pinning Ikris face down.

Sersi runs at it with a spear.

Your husband tries to take aim but it’s too close to Sersi. It’s the same problem Kingo runs into.

You watch as Sersi and the deviant both fall into the well, disappearing beneath the surface.

“Sersi!” Ikaris runs, ready to play the white knight, tortured by duty.

The surface explodes.

An ungly mangled tree grows, the bark merged with the deviant in a disturbing form of mummification. You’d seen this on an episode of Hannibal.

But Sersi is alright.

“Sersi,” Ikaris hugs the stunned woman.

“Where’s Thena,” you look around. Gilgamesh was missing too.

Ikaris pulls away from Sersi, looking into the treeline.

You have a bad feeling.

***

You watch the pyre burn.

For hundreds of years you believed them to be invincible. Now you sat watching as Gilgamesh’s body burned to ashes. You hadn’t wiped the tears away. They’d dried on your cheeks long ago.

Exhaustion clung to your body. The magic trick had taken so much out of you. It was like running a marathon with no training, you were surprised to be awake. How could you sleep when Gilgamesh was-

Sprite rests her head against your shoulder.

You sit with her in the dirt.

Thena cuts a lonely figure, stark white in the dark of the night. A pale ghost. It had always been Thena and Gilgamesh.

In a small voice, Sprite mutters, “what if Arishem kills us all for trying to. . .”

You have no answers for her.

***

A Ramada Inn was the closest place near Phastos.

Sprite lays on your bed as you call your brother, “she said she doesn’t want to talk to you,” Nathan sighs.

You close your eyes, swallowing back the tide of emotion. Gilgamesh was dead. It still felt surreal. How could he die? How could any of them die? “Tell her I love her.”

Nathan pauses, static crackling over the phone call. “How serious is it? Tell me the truth?”

He’d been alone in Canada to identify your parents' bodies. An unlucky casualty of the snap. A car’s driver blew away into ashes and veered into their car.

“Just,” you clench your jaw. What was the point in telling them when they couldn’t stop this? Should you tell them? Try and save a little of humanity so that even if Sersi’s plan failed someone would survive. “tell her I love her, and to call me. Please.”

“So it’s bad.”

“Yeah.”

Sprite leans next to you, “don’t worry kid, we got this.”

Your brother replies, “tell her I’m taller.”

“Tell him-”

You laugh, “yeah. Sure,” they were such siblings. The way Sprite looked at him. . .having family outside the Eternals for once. It was good for her. Being accepted as the unaging crotchety old woman she really was. “I love you too.”

“Me too,” Spite adds, wrapping her arms around your shoulders. She hadn’t left your side since the funeral. Which was annoying because you could see Druig and Sersi discussing whatever plan she’d hatched and didn’t even know. . .you wanted more time with him, to settle back into being Druig&You.

On the plant things had been. . .it was the shittiest of reunions. Terrible timing.

You lean into her, “did you hear her?”

“Yeah. I heard,” your brother chuckles. “You two should stop by. It’s nice out here.”

“We will.”

“Bye.”

“Bye.” You wait for him to hang up. How much time was left?

You’d never wanted to be a superhero. The Earth came too close to the brink of destruction: so many close calls, one of these days it wouldn't be saved. Right?

“Hello Sprite,” Druig walks in still clad in linen, “goodbye Sprite.”

“Have you ever tried not being a dickhead.” She’d been pricklier than usual since Ajak’s death.

“That’s childish,” he replies, sinking down to her level.

You roll your eyes, laying back on the bed. All you could do was sit and wait around for Sersi to convince Phastos. You didn’t think sending Ikaris was the right idea.

“At least I don’t have to possess people to have friends!” She storms off.

“Really,” you ask him pointedly.

“She started it,” he shrugs, dumping out a bag on the bed.

You turn onto your stomach: looking the clothes over. Denim, a black shirt, a worn leather jacket, and boots that were not handmade. He’d gone thrifting. You found the thought amusing.

“How are you?” Druig takes a seat on the bed, looking you over.

“Fine. I was fine by the time we took off. A bottle of coke does wonders.” The sugar had helped. And so had the nap while Kingo drove back to Mexico City.

“You’re using magic?”

“Before I remembered. . .it just came to me. Not that I know anything,” you close your eyes, trying to remember what exactly you’d told him. “It’s not like-I’m not trying to be the Scarlet Witch here, I just wanted to help.”

“I know.” He rubs your back gently.

You bite your lip. “I don’t know what this means for,” you gesture at yourself, “but can we just handle one thing at a time?”

“Do you want to know magic?”

You sit up. “Technically I have been using magic,” you wink at him, wishing things could be lighter. Gilgamesh was dead. You’d never run into the kitchen and see him covered in flour again.

He chuckles, blue eyes sparkling.

You take his hands. “I don’t hate it. But I’d rather see you again.” They’d save the world. You were manifesting it.

“You shouldn’t have to choose.”

“Don’t be stupid,” you tell him, running your thumb over his knuckles. He had changed. 7,000 years on earth had affected him. How could it not. Druig had lived through so much. You’d changed too. You were greater than the sum of your parts, no longer the simple slave girl in Athens, or the textile worker from Ghana. You’d grown. “I love you. The rest is just stuff to figure out.”

He smiles, “my beautiful lady, you have a way with words.”

You blush. “Shut up. I’ve been a lot of things but never a poet.”

Druig laughs, toppling you over into the bed. He presses his body against yours. Hand on your side, he kisses your mouth with his soft lips. “Is this okay?”

You dig your fingers into his shoulder blades. This wonderful man. You’d missed this. Missed him. You could not have imagined him in all your youthful fantasies. Druig was so much more. Hard headed with an empathetic soul: how could you not want him? Love was waking up everyday and choosing him, always and forever.

“Come here,” you kiss his jaw tenderly.

There was nothing sweeter than reuniting with your lover.

***

“So this is The Domo,” you gaze around, trying to take everything in. Makkari has become an even worse horder in the past few centuries. Living as long as they did meant a lot of keepsakes. And Makkari is of a sentimental nature, attaching past memories to emerald tablets and gold incan figurines.

Her collection in The Domo is priceless, a complete record of the last 7,000 years of humanity’s history. Her love letter to humanity.

Karun is having a similar wow moment, as he films the interior of the ship.

Druig nudges your shoulder with his own, “my beautiful, beautiful lady,” he offers you a simple beaded necklace. Each bead is hand carved and strung on a gold cord.

It takes a second for the memory to come, but you remember. Thebes.

He’s never asked your age in any life. You’ve only now noticed his simple joy at being able to spend however many years you could together.

You’d freeze yourself in this moment if you could and spare Druig another death, another cycle.

“You kept it,” you say in amazement.

“There’s more around here,” amusement in his features. Who could find anything in Makkari’s clutter?

“Druig.” You melt. More than two thousand years later and he could still surprise you in the ways he loved you.

He slips his hand into the back pocket of your jeans, squeezing your ass.

Heat rises to your cheeks as you fumble to wrap the necklace around your neck, the ancient clasp easier to work than modern ones. It was only hours ago that Druig had squeezed your bare ass, urging you to ride him harder.

“Really,” Phastos groans, “in my lab?”

“Yeah,” Kingo piles on, “was the plane not enough?”

Considering the world might end, you don’t really care. Neither does Druig.

Shamelessly, he ignores their comments. “Phastos, I need to be able to control the mind of a celestial.”

“Okay. Get ready for it.” Phastos turns on his lab, holographic blueprints detailing the mechanics of the plan to stop the Emergence.

“Bracelets? You made us bracelets?”

You take in the image of a celestial for the first time. There was always more to the universe. Why couldn’t it be something good? Like the Asgardians.

Druig presses a kiss to your shoulder.

You push away the negative thoughts.

Manifesting. Right. You could do that. Think positively. Manifest a million more days. Had Druig tried Greggs? The world would be saved and you’d take him to Ireland again. He’d meet your siblings. You’d fix things with Lizzy.

“So here’s a little Celestial 101,” Phastos says, and proceeds to speak absolute gibberish. It flies right over your head.

Druig shifts. He rests an arm around your shoulders as Phastos finishes with his bracelet machine energy thing. The Unimind.

Ignoring Kingo’s late capitalist desire to turn everything into a profitable brand, she asks, So suppose Druig can, say put Tiamut to sleep-then what? Her hand remains in the air, asking her question, curious as to what the next part of the plan was. Tiamut wouldn’t sleep forever. Druig was going to buy time.

“We find humans a new home on another planet,” Sersi says cryptically. Which yeah. Was not a solution.

Your people had only built a long distance spacecraft once, for five people.

“Are we building them a big ship too? Take a pair of each animal,” Sprite pokes holes into her non plan.

“You know what’s never saved the world,” Phastos says annoyed, “your sarcasm.”

“Space colonization could take decades.”

“It could happen quickly with our help.”

“Do we have that time,” you point out. “How long would Tiamut remain asleep for?”

“I don’t-” Phastos looks at Druig for an answer which your lover doesn’t have. It wasn’t like he’d put a celestial to sleep before.

“What if we accidentally end up killing Tiamut,” Kingo brings up. “We could be responsible for billions of lives not being created across the universe. Not to mention the death of a Celestial. All bad.”

You shake your head in disbelief, “how could you value potential lives over people alive right now! Who’d die. Remember. We have to take that chance.” Tiamut’s life was worth the billions of people, the billions of lifeforms on your planet.

“Who are we to decide that!” Kingo rubs his forehead in agitation, “what if by stopping the natural cycle of the universe we cause something worse? Throwing nature out of balance always ends badly. Global warming anyone?”

You frown.

“Can we not work with nature sir,” Karun asks, camera rolling, “ask Mr. Tiamut to wait until we can live somewhere else?”

“Both of you are too close to the situation to think objectively,” Sprite cuts in, “we have to do what's right for the universe.”

You arch a brow, “seriously? This is all any of you know! That makes you biased too.”

“How would we even know what’s right,” Phastos says dejectedly. “We barely found out what we are? Not a great track record here.”

“Ajak chose Sersi to be the leader. Sersi should decide,” Ikaris puts in his two cents.

You look at your old friend, heart lodged in your throat. You already knew Druig would risk it. It was just a matter of getting everyone on board.

Phastos' plan requires everyone to wear a bracelet.

There’s an anime friendship joke there somewhere.

“I-”

“So even you’re having doubts,” Sprite throws her hands up in the air. “This wouldn’t happen if Ajak was here.” She stalks off.

“Sprite,” Ikaris calls after her. When she doesn’t come back, he follows.

“Let her blow off some steam,” Kingo follows Ikaris out of The Domo.

“Great,” Phastos utters, powering down the holograms, “glad to see we can still work together.”

“Make the bracelets,” Sersi nods. “Just in case.”

“How many,” Druig pauses, “of us would we need to power your,” he gestures at Phastos futuristic printer.

“I don’t know.” Phastos admits. “A lot of this is guesswork and approximation. I don’t know the limits of your ability, or how that translates to a Celestial. There’s no time to measure averages of built up cosmic energy.”

You swallow, pulling away to let them talk it out while Sersi chases after the others. Whatever was decided, it would be together.

It would be okay.

You knew them well.

Karun asks you shyly, “Kingo tells me you reincarnate.”

“It’s a party trick.” You felt as stressed as everyone else.

“So karma and-”

“Magic.” You answer the question he was about to ask. “I don’t, it’s not the Hindu gods. It’s some spell I accidentally cast and now,” you shrug.

“Oh.” He nods. “Well, the answer lies not in aliens or magic.” Karun smiles kindly. “That is why we aim for moksha. Though I think this could only be my second or third life at most.”

You can’t help but smile. “How is your family?”

“Good. They know I do important work with Kingo. Cinema, movies, it is now how we pass things on. I remember the first time I saw Kuch Lich Hota Hai!”

“I’ll have to watch it some time.”

It was easy to see why someone as easy going as Kingo had hit it off with Karun.

“I’m close to figuring it out,” Phastos calls out.

You look up just in time to see Ikaris shoot lasers at the inventor.

Everyone stands in stunned silence.

“Ikaris,” Kingo calls out, “what are you doing?” He looks at Phastos’ prone body.

“I’ve let this go on long enough,” Ikaris stalks further into the room. He reminds you of a sleek predator, of facing the deviant back in Mexico. And now you’re stuck in close quarters with him.

You weren’t stupid.

You couldn’t hold out against Ikaris.

You were all going to die.

“Don’t hurt him,” Sersi rushes to Phastos’ side, helping him up.

His shoulder smokes where the lasers made contact. The fabric is blacked. But Ikaris hadn’t hit him for long enough to truly hurt him. It was lucky they were built so durably.

“He lied to us,” Sersi stares Ikaris down, tears in her eyes. “He already knew about the emergence.” She’d made her peace with being abandoned, but to be betrayed by someone she once loved, someone who remained as dear as family to her-

“No he didn’t,” Kingo denies.

“Ajak told me everything when we left Babylon.”

“What?”

You suck in a breath. “That long.”

They’d all changed, grown to love humanity because they’d thought they were here to protect the Earth. But Ikaris, your heart hurts for him. He’d always been distant and remote. No wonder.

He’d purposely kept his distance. It would be easier to carry out his mission, Arishem’s mission, that way, without attachment.

“You were never going to let her stop the Emergence.”

“No.” Ikaris looks around at his team, “I only wanted to protect you from the deviants.”

“If Ajak wanted you to take her place, why did she choose me?” There’s a hard edge to Sersi’s voice. “

Ikaris says nothing.

Druig puts it together first. “He killed her.”

Spite turns away from Ikaris, unable to stand the sight of him.

You can’t believe it. Ajak and Ikaris. He’d trusted her above all others. For so long, Ikaris was the faithful follower. The Eternal Ajak relied on.

For him to kill her-

He’d always been a good soldier.

“I had to.”

“She loved you.”

Ikaris flinches. “Did she?” His eyes fill with tears. “Do you think it was easy to know the truth? To know that one day all this would end.” He glances at you. Meets everyone's eyes, searching, beseeching. He was so far gone. “To keep on lying to you.”

“If we gave humanity the choice, how many of them would be willing to die so that billions more could be born?”

“I suppose that’s easy to say when you’re not the one dying,” you retort coldly.

You’d never wished Ajak dead.

“Is this why you’re willing to kill,” Phastos asks furiously, “You are so pathetic.”

“I’m an Eternal Phastos. I exist for Arishem. As do you. That’s who you are.”

Phastos steps forward, unafraid to confront Ikaris. “I wouldn’t change a single thing about who I am, born or made. But I do not exist for Arishem. I exist for my family.”

“You are making the same mistake Ajak did.”

Makkarish wooshes in, rapidly motioning while she beamed with pride, I found Tiamut. The fastest Eternal was apparently the last one to find things out.

Ikaris’ eyes glow.

“No,” Kingo knocks the speedster out of the way. Blood seeps out of his shoulder, more viscous than human blood. He clutches his shoulder, “get out of here.”

Makkaris flees.

Ikaris stalks forward.

Kingo powers up. “You. Do. Not. Turn. Against. Your. Family.” His fireball grows, “Gilgamesh died because of you.”

“You will not succeed against me. And I will kill every one of you if I have to.” Having made his threat clear, he leaves.

Spite wails, collapsing onto her knees.

“What is this,” Thena glances around the wreckage of their family. Of your family.

Ikaris had once saved your life.

You didn’t understand the man. You never would.

“I-” Sprite looks at everyone. “I can’t. I know he killed,” she sobs then, “Ajak, but I can’t hurt-I can’t hurt my family.” A sheen passes over her fingers and she disappears.

“Sprite-” Sersi reaches out to the spot where she had been just seconds before.

Makkari runs in. She holds her hands up, before turning her palms down into fists. What happened? Where did Sprite go?

“I don’t know,” Kingo shakes his head. “Away. I-we’re no match for Ikaris.”

“Don’t say that Sir.”

“He really fooled us didn’t he,” he says sadly. Kingo looks over at Karun, “you should go be with your family.”

“Sir.”

“They need you. Whatever happens.”

“Kingo,” Sersi says carefully.

He shakes his head, “even with my help. . .we need a plan B.” He looks over at you. “I love the people of this planet, and even if I can’t save everyone, I can still save a few.”

New Asgard.

The Avengers.

This was bigger than you.

You nod, understanding him. “Okay.”

“We need you,” Sersi pleads.

“And fight my brother,” Kingo recoils.

“My lady,” Druig says carefully.

“Don’t-” you shake your head. No goodbyes. This wasn’t a goodbye. “It doesn’t matter because you’ll stop the Emergence.” You’ve never been more scared.

Serving as an army nurse had been a cakewalk compared to the end of everything.

He lifts his chin playfully, “anything for you my lady.”

You stifle tears. Instead you smile.

And leave with Kingo and Karun.

***

You cry saying goodbye to Karun.

“It has been an honor Sir,” he bows to Kingo.

Tears wet the Eternal’s cheeks. “No, it has been my honor. Not everyone would try to kill a vampire. Twice.”

They share a laugh.

In 3 hours he would be home. In 3 hours, there might not even be a planet left.

You call your brother from the plane, unable to stop crying. Ajak. Ikaris. Everything was falling apart and you could only hope the rest of them made it, that they could put Tiamut to sleep.

You wonder where Sprite is.

He doesn’t answer.

You call again.

And again.

You feel time slipping through your fingers. “How long do you think we have,” you ask Kingo. It was such a nice day outside. The skies were clear as you flew over Eurasia.

You wipe tears from your eyes, dialling your sister instead.

Please pick up, you begged the universe.

“I don’t know,” Kingo sighs, resting his head against the seat. “Really wish I’d kept in touch with Thor now. . .” He cracks a smile. “Maybe I should’ve gone with Karun too.”

“You don’t think-” Lizzy picks up. Her voice changed from the last time you had properly talked to her, a uni student, your older sister, full of life and bad advice.

“Hello,” her voice is groggy, “is that? Why are you calling?” Your sister sounds exhausted and monotone. The Snap had taken its toll on her. She’d missed out on years.

“Lizzy,” your voice is fragile. She’d actually answered you. She never did. You didn’t know why. Maybe there wasn’t a reason. But she’d pulled away so much. “How are you?”

“It’s four in the morning.”

“Oh. Did I wake you?”

“No.”

“Rough night?”

“No,” she sighs. “Can’t sleep.”

“Have you tried melatonin gummies?”

“Yes. They don’t help.”

“I’m sorry,” you apologize. For everything, that the world was ending, for whatever you’d done to her. You were tremendously sorry it had been her and not you. You should’ve been Snapped away.

“You didn’t do anything.”

“How’s New Asgard,” you ask instead.

“Cold.”

“Colder than Canada?”

“About the same,” her voice drifts. “Not that it matters.” Your childhood house had long ago been sold.

“Do you like it there at least?”

“Does it matter?”

You bite your lip, “of course it does.”

Lizzy doesn’t respond.

Kingo motions with his hand to get on with it, but you can’t. You can’t tell your sister who turned to ashes that the world is about to crack open, killing everyone. You can’t force her to live through another doomsday. You won’t be the one to put that on her shoulders.

It’s static.

Neither of you speak.

“Hey,” Lizzy says worriedly, “do you know if Norway gets earthquakes?”

“Why,” your heart sinks.

“Because the earth won’t stop shaking.”

“What!” Oh no.

“I have to go.”

“Lizzy, wait-”

“B-”

“Iloveyou,” you manage before the line goes dead. The world was ending and you were on a private plane.

Kingo takes your hand. “They never really leave you, do they?”

“No.”

“I’ve been lucky to meet so many cool and amazing people. I think of them, from time to time.”

You look over at Kingo, “you love this planet.”

“It’s my home.” He smiles, thinking back fondly of the milena he’d spent here, eyes wet.

“We’re lucky to have you-and all your bollywood dance scenes.”

He laughs as the plane shakes with turbulence and you don’t know if it’s the wind or the Emergence. It wasn’t a terrible way to die, here with a friend.

Squeezing your hand, Kingo adds, “you think you’ll be reincarnated as a Lumia?”

You roll your eyes as the plane shakes.

“Or Kree? Can’t forget about-”

“Not helping.” You frown. "Do you think there's more out there? More wolrds with Eternals and deviants?" More eternals who didn't know the truth?

Space had become so much more tangible since The Avengers. Since the Guardians. You looked up at the stars and wondered.

"Probably," Kingo nods, unconcerned.

But you were concerned. You'd had choice taken from you before due to societal norms, due to your position as a slave, as a woman. Didn't those worlds deserve the truth too? Didn't the Eternals deserve more than to carry out Arishem's wishes for millions of years, their minds wiped away like they were nothing better than a phone defaulted to factory settings? Wasn't Thena proof that more lingered inspite of Arishem's meddling?

"Let's survive this first."

You nod, "can't exactly weather this storm in a bunker." There had been no safe place from Thanos' Snap.

Kingo chuckles. “Thank you.”

“Yeah well,” you smile softly, “it’s not so bad, being your friend.”

notes: there will be an epilogue bc this chapter got SO long. sprite is so jealous of nathan growing up its insane but also its like the first time shes had humans who know what she is and accept her. reader going w kingo was really an excuse to bow out of the fight ngl. it might've gone the same was as the movie, mb not.

#a rose by any other name #druig x y/n #druig x reader #druig x you #me trying to finish all my wips challenge #rewatched the movie and ah i love eternals sm

69 notes · View notes

stardustfoundations · 2 years

Text

So since watching rrr, I’ve been diving into Indian movies. This is just a helpful list for me to keep track of what I’ve watched so far. What I watch is just based upon what I can get my hands on and whatever comes up first. I also have a few movies I’ve started but not finished for various reasons that I plan to go back to. I also try to watch films in their original languages.

RRR (first Indian film. Amazing movie 10/10)

Baahubali: The Beginning (the first 30 minutes to 1 hr of this is so very confusing, but after that i enjoyed every second of both movies. Was a very good time)

Baahubali 2: The Conclusion

Article 15 (crime drama. First major run in with the caste system in Indian movies i encountered.)

Acharya ( it sure was a film. Subtitles weren't great, and it was very slow. Enjoyed it tho)

Rangasthalam (I liked this one pretty good, fav of Ram Charan I’ve see rn. Only three rn tho. His films are hard to find for some reason :( )

Aravinda Sametha (This was pretty good, but very slow at points, JR NTR film. About factions and trying to end the cycle of violence. LI was good, but so dumb in places. She’s studying factions, but seems to be so ignorant about them??? July 1: Just learned the version I watched cut like 20 minutes from the film lmao. Like at least the funeral scene got cut. I think a few songs got cut. I wonder how many different bits of films I’ve missed 💀 Might explain some of the pacing issues I’d come across.)

Janatha Garage (Subtitles were so so bad, but fav of JR NTR’s so far.)

K.G.F Chapter 1 (1 and 2 are really really good. the love story is pure Stockholm syndrome tho rip.)

K.G.F Chapter 2

Jana Gana Mana (really good movie. Courtroom drama. Feels pro cop at the beginning then becomes a critique of media culture and corrupt systems i think?)

Adhurs (double NTR’s! It was okay, not the best but a fun time. One i watched was like a third hand rip and would pause to load in a lot of places, so dramatic moments were lost)

Kaithi (fav movie rn. Going through the single night was aces. Seeing the sun come up at the end was very satisfying. Getting to know Gilli over the course of the movie was a+)

Master (good move. The scene in the middle where he shaves the kids heads was a little :/ cause invasion of body autonomy like that always makes me sour on stuff a little bit.)

Pushpa: The Rise (love the body language of the main actor. really good. Can’t wait for the second part)

Bruce Lee: The Fighter (Had fun watching it. Tw suicide attempt tho. The Chiranjeevi cameo was fun. )

Govindudu Andarivadele (Ram Charan film. Weird edits. Why did the character get over his friend deceiving him with the wrong picture. Feeling weird about the cousin love thing, but otherwise pretty good! Cried at the end of this. I think my version was cut weird cause I like cut out Abhi getting shot and then like his dad reacting? Music cues were also all weird?)

Beast (fun movie I think. MC was interesting. Felt like it would fit in with usa war films tho)

Ala Vaikunthapurramuloo (liked this film. Laughed a lot during a good fun time with some feels)

Mersal (???? Doctor/magician in the way of Kaito Kid and in that i mean out of left field amazing tricks??? Got to like a fight scene and had to stop cause life. Just pulled a staff out of a bag??? I've seen song videos on youtube and it is very much not this??? So confused. I have since watched more and loving it. Verti(SP?) is very sim to Kaito Kid, but he kills people instead of stealing gems lmao. Loved the ending. Def cried while watching. Leaving prev notes cause they a little live blog of thoughts.)

Brindavanam (the edits in this are wack as shit. Makes no sense rn, but it compels me NTR JR. Love triangle??? induced by original LI??? Into the back half. They are now trying to get out of the problems the fake dating has caused lol. Edits have def calmed down. fun ending. They didn’t present a solution to the love triangle lol which I think is for the best)

Sarkar (interesting so far. My dad started watching it with me, it almost made him late for work cause he got pulled in lol, so I can’t continue without him :(. Finished it! Really liked this movie. Soundtrack was really good)

Secret Superstar (feels filled movie. I liked this one)

Vikram Vedha (I was rooting for Vedha through out the whole movie lol. They said Vikram was a honorable cop, but he straight up shot a man who had surrendered and engineered multiple encounters)

Petta (It was okay. Not really my favorite, and kinda felt disconnected. Was not a big fan of the end either. It felt like a twist for a twist sake. :/)

Jai Bhim (Really liked this movie. It was really well done. Every moment really gripped you. Sangani's story was heartbreaking 10/10)

Etharkkum Thunindvavan (a heavy movie inregarding sexual violence, but good. Feels a little heavy handed in it's message at times, but that just may be me. Seems like it might have a sequal in the future based upon the ending? I'll be looking out for it.)

Pada (about a 1996 protest for the rights of the adivasi people. Very well done and thought provoking movie. Unfortunately the subtitles just. didn't translate some lines???? Like important ending the movie lines. Rip the amazon prime and their subtitle contractor. I swear every movie is subtitled/translated horribly)

Forensic (really interesting movie. The story it wove was very dramatic. Little of the rails at times tho)

Thimmarsu (fun movie with some action and drama. What a twist at the end)

Maharshi (interesting movie. A nice story with a good? message. Main actor wasn’t my fav tho)

Uyare (a good movie. Loved Pallavi)

Anjaan (The reveal bits were some of the funnest parts of the movie. It was fun to watch. idk what else to say about it. Was hoping for a double roll but it was not to be rip.)

Bigil (I really liked this film even the sport parts which I don’t always go for. Loved the combo of action film with sport film.)

Bairavaa (I liked it. A good Vijay film. The plan that was spun was cool)

Bloody Mary (Loved this movie. Was a good fun time. Loved the soundtrack, but I can’t find it anywhere rip)

Theri (loved the relationship between Vijay and his daughter. Made me miss Ice and Talapathy from Mersal tho 😔. The bits were he pretended to be a ghost were really good)

Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham (cried like a baby while watching this movie. It was really good.)

DJ Duvvade Jagammadham (DJ was an interesting character. A fun movie, but also hate how it leaves DJ still going around killing people lmao)

Veetla Vishesham (Was a good time. Wish it focused a little more on the brothers, but would recommend it.)

Lucifer (Really loved this one. It was so good. Cannot wait for the squeal and the Chiranjeevi remake)

Dangal (Really Really good. Loved this movie a lot)

Kilometers and Kilometers (A good movie. Moved me to tears at times and was a really good watch)

Raame Aandalum Raavane Aandalum (lovely movie. I liked it a lot. The old man’s plight being thrust forward was really good)

3 idiots (really liked this film. The romance did nothing for me though. Loved the relationship between the core three. big tw for suicide tho)

Kaththi (It was pretty good. Really liked it)

Jai Lava Kusa (NTR in a triple role was really really good. Liked this one a lot)

Taare Zameen Par (really good movie. Ishaan was the best. Loved it so much)

Maaran (interesting movie. I liked it the relationship between the Maaran and his sister was really good)

Om Shanti Om (sad fun film. It was good, but not my favorite)

Dasvi (interesting and fun film. Loved the MC’s quest to complete his education)

Godse (no idea how to feel about this film. It was good and I liked it. Watching Godse’s story unwind was def a one punch to the gut after another)

Kapoor and Sons (another really good movie. the last like 45 minutes just like rips out your heart and hands it to you on a platter. Would have loved to see the brother hug at the end tho)

Thaana Serndha Koottam (A fun movie loved all the biplay and plans in this movie. Really good)

Imaikkaa Nodigal (interesting film. The slow discovery of what was going on was really fun.)

Chandigarh Kare Aashiqui (It was a good movie and I liked it. Hard to get through on account of everything Maanvi goes through. Would have loved to see Manu apologize like straight out)

Started But Not Finished (plan to finish them tho) (given up on keeping track of this lmao)

Badhaai DO (Queer movie. Like what I've watched so far. need to finish it)

Gangubai Kathiawadi (stars sita’s actress, barely started it, but looks good)

Radhe Shyam (idk what to make of this movie?? Watched cause Prabhas but rom coms aren't my thing all that much)

Don (sure is something? love story comedy thing. Clicked cause i saw it trending on some chart and I'm not really vibing with it)

Lagaan (really good. Has a CW actor in it which i did not expect to see in any shape or form. Gotta watch the actual match now. Really long)

Mirchi (Prabhas movie. MC seeks to change LI factionist family I think?? Subtitles are not helping me)

Super Deluxe (mixed feeling on this one. On one hand Trans woman whose identity is treated seriously, but on the other hand she’s hate crimed almost every second she’s on screen and is played by a cis man. The other two storylines are fun, except for the fatphobia which is :/)

Yevadu (sure is an experience. fun revenge plot Ram Charan film)

Magadheera (the film is really dragging for me right now rip)

Rang De Basanti (interesting film. Liking this one. sad and thought provoking with some fun times. Hitting the end rn)

Night Drive (almost half way through. Liking it so far. Interesting setup for the plot)

Tughlaq Durbar (about a third of the way through. Split personality thing is throwing me off, so idk if I'll finish it)

Khaidi No. 150 (it’s a fun movie. The fact that LI is played by the same actress that’s the same age as Ram Charan and was also the LI in one of his movies is majorly throwing me off)

Thalaivaa (Not really doing anything for me :/)

#afvt watches movies #I've watched a lot of stuff #and there is so much to watch #sorry if this appears in any tags/searches #yes i have a long list of films I've started but not finished #i promise you it's not really anything with the movie its just me #notes are also for myself #apologies for anything ignorant in them #you also have to understand it takes a lot for me to call something bad #i will see a critic or someone tearing into a movie and be very confused #i also can't tell if people have chemistry or not so if you critique that im just ???#also sorry for spelling mistakes English is my only language #but i suck at it so much #I need to go through and mark like what language they are/major actors lmao

10 notes · View notes

psycho-slytherin · 3 years

Text

Strangers ch. 47

Hoseok puts his foot down.

Pairing: Idol!Yoongi x Actress!Reader

Word count: 1.7k

Genre: fluff, angst, slow burn, strangers to friends to ???

Warnings: Strong language

|mlist|

<–– Prev Next ––>

You follow Wonho out of the private lounge, your head fuzzy with alcohol and despair. How could you not make the connection sooner? Of course there was a reason the police never investigated Seoyeon for Lisa’s disappearance – and now Lisa’s laptop, the only proof that the two were connected, is in the hands of Detective Kang. Seoyeon’s father. Your eyes sweep the club in search of Yoongi. You have to tell him. Eventually you spot him in a corner of the dance floor, hand pressed to his ear. Alone. For a moment you actually start towards him, before the thought hits you like a brick to the skull. He’s dating Seoyeon. How can you trust him, or tell him anything? Hell, what if the rumors are right, and he’s with Seoyeon because Detective Kang has something on him?

“C’mon,” Wonho yells over the deafening bass, “Let’s dance!”

You trail behind him, your eyes still on Yoongi. You’re about to turn away when you notice Hoseok wade through the crowd, with an expression you can barely recognize on his face. Hoseok looks… angry.

The music shifts, and Wonho takes your hand as he dances. You join in halfheartedly, wanting so badly for him to distract you. But now that the police have apparently abandoned your only lead… Is Lisa lost to you forever?

~~~

“Hyung, may I speak to you for a moment?” Hoseok hisses, tugging on Yoongi’s sleeve. One of Yoongi’s hands is pressed to his ear, the other holding his phone. It takes a moment before Yoongi notices Hoseok, his eyes dazed.

“D, one sec,” he says into the phone before turning to the younger man. “Not now. Weren’t you keeping an eye on the girl?”

“That’s the thing. Hyung, she told me some stuff… I really need to talk to you.” Hoseok’s voice is urgent, but Yoongi looks unconvinced. “It’s about Y/n.”

That changes things. Yoongi holds the phone back up to his ear. “Lemme call you back”, he says before hanging up swiftly and turning back to Hoseok. “What is it?”

Hoseok looks around to make sure no one is paying attention to them, but it’s too much to wish for; even in a club exclusive to celebrities, they are members of BTS. They’re big anywhere. There are several sets of eyes turned toward them. “Shit. I can’t tell you everything now, but hyung… stay away from Y/n.”

“Huh?” Yoongi draws back. “You, of all people-”

Hoseok grits his teeth. “Look, I know what I said before, but think about it, hyung! She gains more than anyone from this – practically got famous off of it! Dating you, the drama, all of it. Seoyeon said she has a video from inside our apartment – who else has had access?”

Yoongi shakes his head. “No, you’re wrong.”

Hoseok pauses. “I know we need to take everything Seoyeon says with a big grain of salt, but think about it. Y/n’s an ARMY, remember. She lied to us, to you, this whole time. You only pretended to date because of that photo on Twitter – hyung, who gained the most from that? You need to ask yourself-”

“Just shut up, Jung Hoseok,” Yoongi snaps, his eyes narrowing. “You have no fucking clue what you’re talking about. None.”

“But hyung-”

“I’m done with this shit. I’m going home.” Hoseok watches Yoongi call their chauffeur and arrange to be picked up. He starts making his way back to the entrance, but Hobi grips his arm.

“I was trying to help, idiot!” Hoseok hisses. “All she’s done is lie to you. Have you ever considered you’re too lovesick to see right through her?”

Yoongi rips away from Hoseok, and for a second Hoseok thinks Yoongi might hit him. Instead he simply speaks, voice cold. “You don’t know anything.”

With that, Yoongi fights his way to the bar through the crowd of bodies, pulling a drunk Seoyeon along with him outside. Hoseok watches him go, mind racing. He had warned Y/n never to hurt Yoongi; Hoseok always protected his family, and the members were as much a part of that as his own sister. Hoseok had trusted Y/n – they all had. Had she truly been lying to them this whole time?

He looks around helplessly, just in time to see Jungkook pulling on Y/n. He and Taehyung join her and Wonho in dancing, and though Y/n is smiling, there’s a stiffness in her movements, and her focus seems far away. Hoseok can feel his blood begin to boil. If Seoyeon was telling the truth, then Y/n arranged her own attack and used it to manipulate Hoseok’s friends.

Almost unconsciously, he makes his way to the group. “Guys, let’s get going home!” He shouts over the music.

Jungkook whines and Taehyung laughs, clearly buzzed. “But we’re having fun!”

“It wasn’t a question,” Hoseok replies. Your eyes flick towards him – have you noticed something is wrong? “C’mon, Y/n.”

“I can drive you back later if you don’t want to leave right now, Y/n.” Wonho offers. Hoseok looks between you and him.

“No, she needs to come back with us.”

“Oh, I don’t mind it if Wonho drives me,” you say, barely heard over the beat.

“In case you’ve forgotten, that outfit you’re wearing isn’t yours, is it?” Hoseok snaps. “You need to return it.”

He sees you blink twice, clearly surprised. “Right. Okay. Let me grab my bag.”

“Taehyung, Kook, grab Joon and Jin hyung. I’ll get Jimin. We’re leaving in five minutes.”

When Y/n and the other members have wandered away, Wonho fixes Hoseok with a stare. “What do you think you’re doing?”

“Sorry, why do you care?”

“Isn’t she your friend? Because you didn’t treat her like one just now. Or are you going the way of your asshole friend?”

Hoseok’s eyes narrow. So this is Yoongi’s reputation, thanks to Y/n? “I don’t answer to you.” If Wonho responds, he doesn’t hear him; Hoseok turns to track Jimin down. He’s dancing in the middle of the floor, his loose silk shirt exposing a collarbone shining with sweat. Stars surround him, whooping and clapping. Hoseok pushes his way through the crowd until he’s close enough that Jimin can hear him.

“We’re going,” Hoseok says, pulling at the younger man’s sleeve.

Jimin nods, panting, and follows them. It isn’t long until the eight of them are once more settled in the limo.

~~~

You anxiously twist the handles of your purse in your hands. The ride is much quieter than it was on the way to Club Xyon – although it was only hours prior, you feel like you’ve aged centuries. Taehyung has fallen asleep leaning on your shoulder, and Jimin, Jungkook, Namjoon, and Seokjin are playing some sort of rock-paper-scissors drinking game. You’re impressed by their tolerance. Hoseok sits in the corner, far more quiet than he had been this evening. You can’t blame him – you’ve barely spoken either since the realization that not even the police can help you find your best friend.

The driver stops in the parking garage of the boys’ apartment building. One by one, they stumble out, with Seokjin supporting a still-sleepy Taehyung. You move for the door as well, but for a voice behind you: “Just a minute, Y/n.”

You turn. Hoseok is still sitting in the car, eyes trained on you. The scene feels eerily familiar. “What’s up?”

“I was just talking to Seoyeon earlier,” Hoseok drawls, and you flinch at the name. “She said some very interesting things. That she wasn’t following Yoongi hyung; she was following orders to track you. She didn’t follow hyung to the lamppost – she was told where to go, to take that photo. And that whoever was giving her orders – that she has videos, taken from inside our apartment, of us.” Hoseok crosses his arms. “So tell me, Y/n, who might have that kind of access?”

Your heart is pounding in your chest. “I-”

Hoseok holds up a hand. “Let me ask you another question. Did it feel good, having his pity? Lying to him? That photo did mean you’d have to have a public relationship with hyung. And of course, there’s no better way to get famous, is there?”

“N-No, I didn’t-” It’s getting harder to breathe – is there no more air in the limo? And is this what he really thinks of you? “She’s lying – how could you believe her, over me?”

Hoseok stares at you. “You’ve lied to us too, Y/n.”

The tears you’ve been fighting well up and overflow, falling freely down your cheeks. Your chest heaves, and you feel yourself on the verge of panic. “Hobi, please – I thought we were friends. You said we’d always be friends.”

For a moment, you see Hoseok’s stoic expression crack. “That was before I knew you were the reason hyung is going half-crazy tracking down a girl he’s never met and tolerating the company of a fucking psychopath!”

“W-what?”

“He barely sleeps, barely talks to us…” Hobi’s voice lowers, but it’s still steely. “I warned you, Y/n. You’re our friend, and I really believed in you, but if you used hyung for fame, I swear I’ll never forgive you.”

You reach for the handle of the door and find it locked. “Let me out,” you whisper. Hoseok doesn’t move for a moment. “Dammit, Jung Hoseok, let me out of this car!”

Hoseok knocks on the limo divider, and the car doors unlock. You grab for the handle and stumble out of the car, lip trembling as you walk away. “Your acting career would’ve gotten off the ground without using him, Y/n,” Hoseok calls behind you. “You’re a great liar.”

Once you’re out of the parking garage, you start running. Your feet ache in these boots, and your chest burns with holding off another episode as long as you have. Eventually you stop in a small park, gasping for breath. You’re completely lost, and for the first time, the darkness is more terrifying than comforting. Sinking down at last, you clutch at the Starry Night charm, sobbing freely. You’re so cold.

You’re crying so hard you barely hear footsteps approaching.

“Y/n?”

78 notes · View notes

breadoffoxy · 4 years

Text

Joy Ride

Summary: Jimin, Taehyung, and you finally go shopping for a new chair. You have to give it a thorough test ride though first thing, just to make sure it meets yalls standards.

Pairing: Jimin x f. Reader x Taehyung

Genre: NSFW, Smut

Warnings: NSFW, vaginal sex, anal sex, sex toys, unsafe sex, teasing, spanking, dirty talk, language, exhibitionism, public indecency, masturbation, double penetration, begging, kissing, chair sex, oral sex, dom/sub/switch dynamics

Word Count: 3,883

A/N: This is the last chapter of Magic Hands. I’m sad to see it end but I’m also ready to move onto other things. I hope you’ve enjoyed this series, it has been a wild ride haha.

<- prev

The car rolls to a stop and you exhale a sigh, “Finally here.”

A sad pout is on Taehyung’s face. Jimin pat’s his leg reassuringly as he puts the car into park. “We’ll go back one day, Tae.”

“I need an office space, not a sex dungeon.” You grumble as you unbuckle and open the door to hop out of the car.

Now that your time of the month was over and you felt like a human being again, the two men now in your life, from an unsuspecting turn, are taking you shopping. They broke your chair, promised you a new one, and dammit they were going to get you one. Taehyung just had a different idea on a chair than you.

“Just think of all the possibilities, y/n.” Taehyung whines, getting out of the car languidly. “That chair was multi-functional, comfort and pleasure. Just think of how good you could feel all the time.”

“Most of the time.” Jimin adds in his two cents. “I’m sure it could be easy to get over stimulated on that thing.”

“…And that’s a bad thing?” Disbelief fills Taehyung voice.

“C’mon let’s just get this done.” You interrupt, wanting to make sure the conversation doesn’t get to risqué in the parking lot. Plus, the more he talks the more likely Taehyung is likely to convince you to go back to the sex store. You will not fall for it!

“Ask me when I’m ovulating.”

Damn It.

Taehyung is now grinning toothily at you, a skip in his step as he passes you by. Before you can take anything back, a strong arm wraps around your shoulders and directs you toward the store. Jimin looks at you with a smile on his face. “I’ll pick you out the best chair, don’t worry.”

A little smile easily slips onto your lips from his encouragement. “I know you will Jimin.”

Upon entering, a worker greets you at the door asking if you needed any help. They point you towards the middle of the floor where chairs are displayed, and the two of you move quickly to catch up with Taehyung. By the time you get there, he is already sitting experimentally in a tall, expensive looking leather chair that looks like it would be in an executive’s office. He crosses his legs and looks at the both of you with a raised eyebrow.

If only you weren’t in the middle of a store right now.

“Do I even want to know the price of that one?” you ask as you eye his form hungrily.

“Nope, way out of budget, but it makes me feel powerful.” He leans forward and smirks, “Is it working?”

Flustered, you clear your throat and look away. You can feel heat travel up your neck. From the corner of your eye you see the store associate hovering on the outskirts of the chair section.

“I’d kneel down for you, sir.” Jimin throws in a cheeky wink.

“Ok, let’s move on to the affordable section!” You place your hands on Jimin shoulders and steer him away from your other partner. While you’d really love to see it, you don’t want to get banned from the store. At least, not until you found your chair.

Jimin giggles cutely, a complete opposite to the earlier mood. He pulls out his phone and scrolls through it, you can see an article about office chairs over his shoulder.

"I see you came prepared." Your heart warms at the thought he put into this simple act.

"Didn't I tell you I was going to get you the best chair?" He reminds you determinedly. "Ok, we need to look for a chair with five legs minimum."

"I don't think I've seen any with more than that." You say, observing the bottom of the chairs as you walk through the show floor. Your face scrunches up as you try to remember how much your previous chair had.

Jimin scrolls through the check list. "Obviously comfort, support, everything adjustable...hmmm, oh they recommend a breathable chair cover too."

"Got it." You nod your head before closing the distance between you and him. Your head now rests on his shoulder as the two of you carefully eye the chairs. "Guess we really can't get Taehyung's chair now."

Your head bobs up and down with Jimin's shoulders as he laughs. "Such a shame, it is really nice."

"You have to sit in the chairs, not just look at them." Taehyung walks past the two of you with purpose. He plops himself down on one and flinches as his butt hits the seat. "Not this one." Groaning, he stands up and rubs his butt. He eyes the next chair over wearily.

After that the three of you try chair after chair a little more carefully than Taehyung's first attempt. You keep track of a couple you like and quickly get through the rest. The longest part is trying to make your mind up between two chairs.

"The arms on this one are more adjustable, which could be nice." you mumble as you play with the chair's arms.

"These ones have more sturdy arms though, so if you lean on them it shouldn't drop on you accidentally." Jimin points out, tapping the arms of the other chair.

"Yeah, and it'll keep your legs more stable if we ever try that position again." Taehyung agrees, eyeing the chairs seriously.

You can feel heat once again creeping across your neck. "That was dangerous and we won't be doing it again."

Taehyung pouts, "But it was so hot." He slithers up to your side to whisper, "I want to see Princess exposed like that again."

"I-" You don't even know what to say.

Luckily though, you are saved by the sales representative approaching your little group. "I wanted to let you know this one here is one of our sale items in today's ad." They point out to the chair with the more secure armrests and hold out an ad. Jimin takes it from their hands and eyes it carefully.

"That's great. I had some questions about the lumbar support of this one."

While Jimin and the associate exchange chair questions and answers, Taehyung pulls on your hand. You lift your eyebrow inquisitively but allow him to drag you over to a couple of stools.

"Doesn't this one look fun?" Taehyung stops in front of a saddle stool.

"Fun, but not too comfortable for long." You respond, fingers trailing along the leather padding. Exaggeratedly, you swing your leg up and over the stool as if you were getting onto a horse. You sit down and your eyebrows furrow. "Huh." There's a raised part that slopes up directly in front of your core.

"Huh indeed." Taehyung eyes how the chair forms between your legs hungrily. He brings down a hand to smack you softly on the ass. "Giddy up."

You let out a squeak as you jump from the unsuspected smack and unintentionally grind into the front of chair with your core. Quickly, you bring your hand up to mute most the sound, hoping no one heard the squeak nearly trail off into a moan. Jimin and the employee look over at the two of you at the noise. Jimin waves happily while the associate just frowns. Both of them have a knowing look in their eye with different connotations. Taehyung laughing evilly behind you doesn't help.

When the two get back to talking chair business, Taehyung presses himself up against your back. "Naughty, naughty princess, trying to go for a ride in the store, how indecent."

The words caressing your ear has you shiver with desire. He just knew how to press all your buttons. His hands fall onto your hips, and you let him push you into the stool to grind against the slope. You bite your lip and turn your head to see him giving you a saucy grin over your shoulder.

"But you like being naughty, don't you princess?"

"Y-yes." You whisper weakly, doing your best not to completely lose it. Subconsciously, you are twisting your body more towards him, with your lips so close to grazing against his.

Someone clears their throat, "Excuse me." Your's and Taehyung's heads shoot up to look at the glaring associate. You can feel warmth spread over your body from embarrassment and shame, and somehow feeling even more turned on by someone stopping you from acting outlandishly in public.

Taehyung and you stare owlishly at the irritated worker and Jimin doing his best to hide his laughter behind his hand. Thankfully for your sanity, you recover quickly. "The stability of this stool is pretty great. I can see myself sitting up straighter on this, but I think it would hurt after long uses which wouldn't work to well for me."

"I agree. Jimin let's get the one you picked out." Taehyung nods sagely.

Who were you kidding, the two of you were pretty obvious, but it gets the staff member to leave you alone as they head off to ring you up at the register. You quickly dismount the stool and rush over to where they are waiting impatiently for the computer to calculate the total. Jimin sticks the card in the reader and the next thing you know the employee is rushing you out the door with a very unfond, "Have a nice day."

After the chair is loaded into the back of the car, you each in your seats, and the last door is closed, the three of you are silent for a second before you all burst into laughter. Jimin is nearly falling out of his seat with how much he is laughing. "Oh my god, their face when they saw you two." Jimin can't say much more than that between his laughter.

"I thought they were going to kill us." You lean forward with your hand over your heart trying to ease its rapid pace.

"Stability check, really?" Taehyung looks at you with a boxy smile.

"Shut up, like you helped any." You wheeze out.

Wiping a tear from his eye, Jimin gets his breathing under control. He shifts the car out of park and you are leaving the parking lot. "How about when we get home, we do a stability check on this new chair hmm?"

"Sounds good to me." You cheer, continuing to laugh as Taehyung wiggles his eyebrows at you.

The drive back to your place goes fairly quickly with the two looks the men keep throwing you in the rear-view mirror thoroughly distracting you. Before you know it, you’re back home with Taehyung’s mouth devouring yours and Jimin nearly ripping the chair box apart.

"Yah! Are you two going to help?" Jimin yells, the box now completely destroyed and chair parts spread around your living room floor. He runs a hand through his hair disgruntled.

Forcing your head away from Taehyung's doesn't distract his lips from traveling to your neck and his hands from creeping up your shirt. You have to put your hands on his shoulders and push him away to get him off of you. "That's y’all's job since you guys broke the last one."

Taehyung's pouting at you and Jimin grabs his hand to drag him towards the chair. You can't help but laugh at the sight.

"Leave it to us." Jimin says proudly. A saucy smirk finds its way onto his face. "Why don't you get ready for us in the bedroom. We'll bring it in when we are done."

You nearly reel back when he throws in a wink, warmth spreading through your body in excitement. Through hooded eyes you say, "Don't take too long now."

If Jimin wasn't still holding Taehyung's hand you're sure he would follow you as you slowly walk towards your bedroom, adding a little extra hip sway to each step. His gaze is nearly burning holes into your ass. You decide to leave the door open as you strip yourself from your clothing and it doesn't take long until you're naked and to hear the quiet bickering of the two men trying to assemble the chair.

You go to your bed stand and after digging around finally find what you are looking for. Pulling out your bottle of lube, you also grab a small anal plug for you to start prepping with. You sit down on the edge of the bed and take a moment to fondle your breasts with both hands. Your nipples harden under your touch and your head lulls back as you pull and twist the sensitive nubs. The sensation makes you feel the wetness between your legs grow and you know it’s good enough time now to lube up the plug.

Dropping a good dollop of lube on the toy, you smear it around eagerly with one hand. Now sitting on your knees, you rest your head and shoulders onto the bed with your ass up in the air. Your lube free hand comes to hold an ass cheek wide as your lubed one swirls around your back entrance. You dip it in just slightly, forcing your muscles to relax.

Slowly, you start pumping it in and out with a come-hither movement inside you every now and then. You allow a moan to fall from your gaping mouth at the sensation, hoping the boys will hear it. Once satisfied with your finger stretching you out you replace it with the plug. It slides in and you let go of your ass cheek to rub at your clit with your other hand.

"Ohhh, fuck." You gasp as the toy finally fills you until it reaches the flared base. The clatter of chair parts stops for a moment and you think you can hear Jimin yelling something but aren't all too sure.

With the task of filling your ass done, you get up and head to your bathroom to wash your hands. Now that your hands are clean, you are free to grope at your chest again. The way your muscles clench around the toy stretching your ass out as you walk feels so good and has you pulling your breasts harder in response. You sit back on the edge of the bed, waiting and waiting.

You're not sure if it's because of how horny you are, if it really is taking a long time for them to come in with the chair, or a combination of both, but you are feeling restless. One hand stays on your breast while the other travels down your torso, grazes your hips to slide in-between your legs. Your fingers swirl through the slick created from the attention your breasts have been getting and the anticipation of what is to come, collecting it to help them slide into your wanting hole.

"Mmmmnnngh," it feels so wet, hot, and tight. Your stretch your legs out allow your hand more room, and it greedily increases the pace. A squelching sound follows each time your fingers pump in and out of you.

"Don't have all the fun without us." A deep voice says and you open your eyes you didn't even realize you closed to see Taehyung strutting in the room.

Jimin comes behind him and wheels the new chair in. "Well if someone didn't put the arm on backwards, then they wouldn't have had to wait so long." He gives Taehyung a look.

"Says the guy who lost one of the screws but was just sitting on it." Taehyung fires back.

Before Jimin can retort you open your mouth, "Thank you for building the chair, but for the love of god will one of you just fuck me right now."

The two men stop glaring at each other to stare at your wanton form on the bed. Normally the frown you are giving them would scare them, but with your fucked-out expression it does quite the opposite. As their blood rushes downward, Jimin and Taehyung strip themselves of all their clothing. Jimin swivels the chair and plops down in it before Taehyung can even get close to it with a victorious "Hah!".

Taehyung pulls your hand from your cunt and uses it to pull you off the bed and into his toned body. "Why don't you reward Jimin for all his hard work picking this chair out for you?"

You can see Jimin preen from where he is sitting on the chair, loving the praise. Biting your lip, you nod, and decide to ignore the fact right now that it's his fault you needed a new one in the first place. Taehyung leads you over to Jimin, and after a little bit of maneuvering you're able to fit between the arm rests and straddle Jimin's waist.

Memories from your last chair experience make you a little hesitant when your entrance is hovering right above Jimin's cock. "And yall are sure it’s safe this time?"

"Oh, hold up." Taehyung kneels down and presses a lever down on each of the wheels, effectively locking them into place. "Yep, all good now."

"Good?" Jimin grunts. He places his hands on your hips to help steady you.

Nodding your head, you place your hands on Jimin's shoulders. "Yeah, help me break this chair in?"

“Of course.” And then a scream is being ripped from your throat as Jimin’s hands on your waist slam you down onto his cock in one hard, fluid motion. You arch your back and Jimin admires the sight of your boobs bouncing in front of his face and the way your mouth is moaning his name. "How does that feel?"

"So good, Jimin, you make me feel so good when you fuck my pussy."

A satisfied smile is on Jimin's face that he hides by burying his face in between your flouncing mounds. "And what about your- ahh fuck Tae."

Your curious about what is happening to Jimin, but you quickly find out when you feel a tongue swipe at your folds only to disappear again and for Jimin to moan out again.

Fuck.

Taehyung is still kneeling in front of the chair, his hands on Jimin's muscular legs, and his mouth moving between where yours and Jimin's bodies connect, tasting you both.

Fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck.

The added sensation of Taehyung's tongue, has the two of you a moaning, quivering mess. Jimin's hands leave your hips to grope at your ass, exposing you more clearly to Taehyung. "Fill her up and kiss me damn it."

"Bossy." Taehyung grumbles, the vibrations of his deep voice make you and Jimin groan. The kneeling man smacks your ass as he stands up, and leans over to give Jimin a quick peck on his lips. Taehyung moves over to your night stand to apply your lube generously over his large cock.

"Why are you smacking my ass?" Not that you hate it.

"Can't reach Jimin's." Comes Taehyung's reply as if it all makes sense. "Plus, you like it don't you, you filthy little princess."

"Yessss," You groan as you feel Taehyung pulling the toy out of your asshole. His hands grab your chest and kneads them as he slowly sinks is slick cock into you. Jimin holds your hips steady until you are accustomed to the double penetration. It doesn't take too long with how used to your body is to both of their cocks by now.

"Good?" Jimin asks, looking up at you as he licks at your breasts and Taehyung's hands.

"Good." You repeat, nearly breathless.

"Good." Taehyung groans behind you. You feel his torso pressing into your back to lean over your shoulder.

Jimin quickly leans up to kiss the man ardently, and you see Jimin's tongue slither into Taehyung's mouth where it fights for dominance. Tae doesn't go down with a fight and you clench at the sight of the two eating each other's mouths out. They grind into you as they try to get closer to each other and it spurs you on to start riding the both of them as you watch them kiss lustfully. The room is filled with yalls moans, a beautiful and sinful harmony.

You busy your own mouth with the real-estate in front of you that is Jimin's neck. You kiss his neck until you reach the spot that has him groping your ass more fiercely, making you smirk as you suck down on that spot hard. He whines, allowing for Taehyung to win the kiss battle, and now Jimin is a quivering mess beneath the two of you. His muffled whines are high.

"That's it Jimin." You lick the bruise forming on his neck. "Cum in me, fill me up, and make it cream out onto Tae's cock."

Jimin's hips stutter with your words and then he comes, filling you full with his hot seed. He moans loudly into Taehyung's mouth as you milk him for everything he has. You can feel his release being fucked out of you as you continue to ride his dick. Taehyung pulls back for Jimin to catch his breath, which he does gratefully. Leaning back into the chair completely spent, Jimin swears as he looks down between your bodies and watches his cum slide down with your arousal to Taehyung's thrusting cock.

"Shit, you're going to ruin me." He whines, trying to hold out against the over stimulation.

"But the ch- ahhh, the chair is still good right?" You ask between thrusts

Jimin pulls you against his chest, making Tae stumble down with you.

"Careful Jimin." Taehyung warns. Luckily his hands dropped your breasts quick enough and shot out to rest on the chair, caging you further in-between the two men.

"Sorry." Jimin gasps at the new angle. "Looks like both of us need to be taught some manners." He stuffs his hand between your bodies and rubs your clit in a slow, teasing manner.

"Jiminnnnnngh," you whine, his name turning into a moan.

"Say it." He demands, and you easily succumb to his dominance over you and your clit.

"Oh, sweet Jimin, ohhhhh, the cutest angel, love of my life, you are the best. Ahhh fuck please let me come. I'm sorry, please, please, please." You beg, losing yourself to desperation.

The fingers rubbing your clit begin to move vigorously and it has you clenching tightly. Warm breath caresses your shoulder and you feel Taehyung's nose nuzzle into the crook of your neck. He licks the skin there before biting down. With a groan, he is coming, filling up your ass with his release.

Once Taehyung's erratic hips stable out, one of his arms flexes as it holds his weight to allow the other hand to join Jimin's between your legs. Their fingers preform a combined assault on your clit and it isn't long before you as coming undone as well. With a scream you go over the edge, and dive deep into a long orgasm.

The three of you are still, completely exhausted on the chair, panting to catch your breath after that experience.

Jimin breaks the silence with, "I say the chair passes the test."

"Good." you mumble sleepily against his chest.

A low chuckle rumbles against your back. "Only the best for you princess."

Jimin and Taehyung share a look before smile lovingly at your dozing from between them.

#btsghostie #thehouseofbangtan #bts fanfiction #vmin fanfiction #vmin smut #jimin fanfiction #taehyung fanfiction #v fanfiction #jimin x reader x taehyung #jimin smut #taehyung smut #v smut #my writing #joy ride

229 notes · View notes

bangtae-sohotddaeng · 3 years

Text

we’ll be counting stars | k.th. | 2

(^ gif cred: ON THE VOYAGE | pinterest)

pairing: idol!Taehyung x publisher!Reader

rating: nc-17 (for language and themes)

summary: You’d sworn off love and relationships forever. You were here to do your job - work with the biggest boyband of the world. Not forge friendships and...and whatever it was that you and Taehyung were building up with these sneaky glances. It was, to be very fair, your Chief Editor’s fault that you’d landed in this mess. Maybe you should quit your job? Maybe you should quit life -

Oh, he was staring again, and did he freaking lick his lips?

warnings: swearing (reader’s got a potty mouth) + this is set like 5 years in the future + reader has emotional issues, she's a relationship phobe + mentions of weed

genre: so much ANGST ugh + fluff + comedy + some crack

words: 3.3 k

< prev | next > series masterlist

gimme feedback, much much appreciated!

“We’re all clear on the schedule, but I’ll repeat it for your sake,” you announced.

Your team was huddled around you, right outside the airport, with their luggage in their hands. You’d landed in Seoul less than an hour ago.

“So, right now, we’re going to take a cab to the hotel our company has booked us. We’ll rest, let our bodies recharge and adjust—because we left on Friday morning and reached Saturday morning in thirteen hours.” You grimaced. “Dunno about you, but my mind needs to adjust.”

You received collective groans of agreement in response.

“Great, you feel me. So we all do that first. And then we’ll collect in the lobby after lunch, at around 4 pm? I’ll have a word with BTS’ manager, and he’ll arrange for our commute. I’ll update you of the exact time, then. For now, let’s just go grab naps.”

You all hailed three taxis to the hotel, with Sana grabbing you by the elbow to make you sit with her. You did so, with a frown. She looked nervous.

“Y/N!” she almost wailed as soon as you’d shut the door.

The driver looked at her in alarm. You winced in embarrassment, and apologized in Korean. He started the car without a word.

“Sana, compose yourself. What is the matter with you?” you scolded the girl.

“Y/N, how am I gonna face him? I might freeze up at sight! And—and what if my brain starts to think up scenarios from… oh God, you won’t believe the kind of fanfiction-stuff I’ve read about him!”

Your ears started to warm up. You had some idea. It had been a while, sure, but you could still vividly remember the kind of fanfictions you yourself had indulged in—

Wait a second. This girl was gonna make you nervous, too!

“Okay, Sana, enough. It doesn’t matter how cute you find Yoongi, he’s our client. We’re gonna have to be formal with him. At all costs. We mess it up, we lose our jobs. You get that? So, think about your husband, try to be the professional woman he married, and for God's sake, stop making me overthink shit!”

Sana shut up, then, but her eyes still looked worried. "How do you do it, Y/N?"

You frowned. "How do I do what? I don't have a fucking crush on Yoongi!"

She gave a small laugh, looking slightly more at ease. "Exactly! How?"

You blinked, confused.

"I mean," she elaborated, "not just him. In general. How do you manage to not get dragged down by feelings and stuff?"

"I kinda had to." You snorted. "People are like leeches, Sana. You only stand a chance for a good, peaceful life if you avoid getting too close to them. Get caught up in feelings, get your soul sucked out of you. Get crushed under expectations, live the rest of your life trying to fulfil them. Die on the inside before your body perishes.” You shrugged. “A pretty horrid way to die, if you ask me.”

Sana gave a huff of laughter. “Who hurt you, Y/N?”

You froze. Sana probably said that rhetorically, but it still hit you hard enough.

It wasn’t the question of who hurt you, but actually, who you had hurt.

You shut your eyes for a few extended seconds, willing yourself to not think of the past. You succeeded for the most parts, too. But then Sana nudged your shoulder.

“Hey, I didn’t—I didn’t mean to upset…you…” She trailed off with a worried look on her face when you shot her a glare. “I’m sorry.”

“I’m not upset,” you grumbled, turning to look out of the window. “I’m just done with my quota of personal-unnecessary-unneeded-interactions with people, for the day.”

You heard Sana sigh. Mentally, you sighed, too.

You all found the two vans a bit excessive. There were eight seats in one—there were seven of you. But Manager Woo insisted that the boys actually used three of these to commute, so even this was a bit miserly of the management.

Rich people problems.

You shook your head with a small smile. “It’s all okay,” you said to the Manager in Korean, following his lead into the BigHit offices where you were to meet your clients for the first time, ever.

You chanced a discreet glance at Sana. Maybe your frustrated, shitty pep-talk in the taxi had actually worked, because she looked a lot more held together than she had ever since you dragged her onboards with this project.

“This way,” Manager Woo instructed you, gesturing towards a lift. “The security personnel will lead you to the second floor, and into the meeting room. I will join you in a while.”

You bowed and your team followed, and then you all stepped into the elevator that looked big enough to hold the meeting within itself. Two security guards, all suited up with a tie and fitted with earpieces in a stereotypical bodyguard look, followed you in.

You exhaled, rubbing your hands together. “Guys,” you addressed your team in English. “You all have the detailed itinerary on your tabs, right?” At their nods, you pulled your own iPad out. “Good. Keep it on you when I talk about it with them.”

“Y/N,” Simon called out to you.

You looked at the fidgety guy with raised eyebrows.

“Are we gonna stick with the choices…” He trailed off when your eyes narrowed.

“We’ve spent more than seventy-two hours researching, Simon. Please stop with this.”

Simon gulped, but shut up.

The elevators opened up, just then. One of the guards stepped out, and gestured towards the glass doors on the right. “That is the meeting room,” he said in Korean.

You all stepped out, elegantly, and you turned to bow to the two guards. “Thank you,” you said in Korean

They bowed in return, looking slightly flustered, and stepped back into the lift. You turned to face the meeting room, inhaled deeply, and then exhaled.

“Come on, guys. Showtime.”

You led your team as they walked behind you in pairs. Once you got to the doors, a guard stepped up from inside the room, and opened the doors for you.

A long meeting table sat in the centre of the room, with seven occupants on one of its sides. BigHit’s Founder and CEO sat at the head of the table, and the foot lay vacant—reserved for, you assumed, the Manager. Seven chairs also lay vacant for your team, opposite the BTS members.

As the door gave way, the CEO met your eyes. You gulped your nerves, and plastered a smile on your face. As you all crossed the threshold, the eight people seated on the table stood.

Dragging in a deep breath, you placed your tablet on the table before you faced them all. “Hello everyone,” you enunciated in Korean, and then bowed.

Your team followed your lead, and the people in the room bowed back. You kept your professional smile in place, discreetly wiping your sweating hand on the thigh of your cotton pants. Then you nodded at the CEO and he asked everyone to settle down.

“Welcome to Korea,” the CEO started. “Did you get here okay?”

“Besides the jet-lag, we’re actually very good,” you told the CEO to receive chuckles in response.

“Manager Woo will join us in a few seconds,” he then continued, looking between your team and the boys—that you were yet to properly look at—and gestured towards them. “Meanwhile, let’s introduce ourselves. I’m Bang Si-Hyuk, BigHit’s founder and CEO. Nice to meet you.”

You bowed, telling him your own name, and then shook hands with CEO Bang. Standing from your place, you finally willed your gaze to focus on the faces of the members instead of nervously looking into space.

Oh, wow. Cameras didn’t do these guys any justice, apparently. Not even the 8K ones, because they were really freaking beautiful human beings.

Dressed in lounge wear consisting mainly of extremely baggy hoodies as far as you could gauge, they still managed to look jaw-droppingly gorgeous. And their skin was glowing so bright, it looked unreal. But it was very much real because you were sitting across a three foot wide table from them, you could tell. It looked so soft.

You’d tightly held your lips up in a smile to save your mouth from dropping open.

While you were trying to get a grip on yourself, your eyes landed on a pair of brown ones framed by gorgeous lashes, right opposite to you. They were looking down. But then, they were looking up, as if sensing your gaze on them. Your professional grin involuntarily melted into a genuine one as Taehyung gave you a bashful nod of acknowledgement. You nodded back.

“Hello,” you mumbled, watching as his eyes grew wider. You blinked, releasing how private that sounded. You cleared your throat and ducked your head before looking at all of the seven guys in turn and nodding at each one of them. “Hello to you all,” you addressed them in Korean this time and told them your name. “And this is my team.” You gestured with both hands to your sides. “We’ll be your interviewers and companions for the next six months.”

A flurry of bows, nods and hellos passed over the table, followed by your teammates announcing their names. You doubted any of these would be retained, including your own. Which is why you handed over the seven identical copies of all your resumes to the CEO. “Here, Mister CEO. My boss had mailed them over to you, but these are to help the boys get acquainted with us better,” you told the man, and he gave you an appreciative seeming smile.

“That’s thoughtful of you,” Namjoon suddenly said, smiling with dimples up at you from his place on Taehyung’s right. His black hair was ruffled and a circular framed pair of glasses rested on his eyes. “I’m RM,” he said in English, “but please call me Namjoon. It’s a pleasure meeting you and your team.”

You smiled wide, shaking his hand when he forwarded it. His skin felt super soft, just as you’d expected it to be by looking at it.

The rest of the boys followed suit, minus the handshaking. They all insisted you all call them by their real names, which felt almost funny to you, because you were gonna be unwinding their whole life. This felt so unnecessary.

Just then, the door opened and Manager Woo reappeared. He bowed his head in the CEO’s direction before taking a seat to your extreme left, at the foot of the table. “Hello, everyone,” he said, “did I miss anything?”

“Just the introductions,” Namjoon filled him in with a smile.

Manager Woo nodded and then looked at you. “The next thing to talk about is the schedule your team has planned for us, so that we can sort out any doubts or disagreements that might be there.”

Nodding, you pulled up the itinerary on your iPad, and cleared your throat. “I have planned out a strategy of working on interviews, and then sitting back to compile everything in an orderly fashion,” you announced. “We’ll divide each one of the six months we have on our hands into two groups—three weeks of discussions, and one week of compilation. All seven of us would be working with one member each, one on one, continuously for a time span of three weeks. After that my team will sit together, compare notes and move forth with the actual writing part. Then we’ll check if something has been missed by someone and arrange for its cover up, before we move forward into the next set of three weeks.”

You turned to look at your team to see if any of them wished to add anything, but they nodded at you with discrete thumbs ups. You exhaled in relief.

CEO Bang nodded at Manager Woo, who hummed in response. “Sounds workable to me. Boys?” He gestured towards the band members.

You looked up to find seven pairs of round eyes and gawking mouths.

Murmurs ran across the seven angels seated opposite you. While they were distracted, you took your sweet time looking at each one of their faces. They really did look unreal.

Next to CEO Bang, Jin and Yoongi were engrossed in some discussion. With their heads bent, their hair shined blindingly bright—Yoongi’s like liquid silver, and Jin’s like molten lead. Next to Jin, Namjoon was adjusting his glasses over his shut eyes as he listened to Taehyung whisper something in his ear, and kept shaking his head in response every few seconds. Taehyung was almost drowning in his oversized hoodie with the hood up, as he used his hands with those elegant ass fingers of his to cover his mouth while speaking into Namjoon’s ear. Next to him, Jimin was nodding along to Hoseok as the latter spoke in whispers, gesticulating widely.

Your eyes fell onto the far end of the table, then. Jungkook, who was already looking at you, shot his hand up when your gazes met. His eyes were literally sparkling with curiosity.

“Yes?” you asked with a big smile.

Jungkook flashed his teeth at you, looking not a day over five years of age. “Is one week enough time to write?”

You frowned. “In theory, yes. But if things go south and we need more time, we can always extend the contract. Mr. CEO?”

“According to the clauses in the contracts, definitely.” CEO Bang nodded with a small smile. “The book has to be good. We can compromise with everything, except for the quality.”

You nodded in understanding. There was an extendable clause in your contract, but you had every intention to not have to employ it. Not only did your boss have huge expectations from you, but you yourself were determined to give this project your best. Better than your best. You’d wanted to manage a complete project by yourself for so long, this was your chance of a lifetime to shine.

Taehyung’s hand shot up, breaking you out of your thoughts. He looked beyond adorable with his eyes rounded and lips nervously folded in.

“Ye—yes?” you stuttered very unprofessionally and then covered up with a cough.

“Who works with who?” he said in a breath, confusing you for a moment. “Will you take chits out? Or ask us to choose?”

“Oh, no no.” You chuckled when you caught his drift. “We’ve already decided among ourselves and also done some homework. You’ll find your personal interviewers in your contract copies.”

“Did you decide by picking out chits?” Namjoon grinned at you, and you laughed.

It had been chits, but you weren't about to tell them that. “Something like that.” You shrugged, playfully, and giggles rolled over the table.

Manager Woo, then, launched into a set of instructions for the band members. CEO Bang kept adding details in the middle, and the band members just kept nodding along in a bored fashion. Maybe they’d been over this multiple times.

You sat back to relax, observing everyone as you listened to the set of rules and procedures you were already familiar with. You looked from the corner of your eye as Jimin elbowed Taehyung.

“Did you want to work with someone in particular?” Jimin’s whisper into Taehyung’s ear floated over to you.

Taehyung’s eyes briefly met yours, nearly burning a hole through your head by the deep curiosity emanating from them. And then he ducked his head again, shrugging Jimin off of him.

You swallowed, roughly. Oh, God.

Manager Woo wound up his instructions with a repetition of be as honest as you can be, and then called out to you. “Do you wish to add something, Miss?”

You looked at your team. They shrugged. You shrugged, too. “You’ve covered it really well, Mister Manager. I’d actually like to emphasize one of your points—this is not an interview.” You looked across the table, at each of their faces, turn-wise. “There would be no cameras, no recorders, and no one monitoring your actions. Relax and be at ease. You should, in fact, think of the sessions as making new friends. You tell them about yourself, and they tell you about themselves. Only difference being, what you tell them will get compiled in a book so there must be a bit more of that.”

Your eyes met Taehyung’s and he nodded with a small laugh. The others gave you similar reactions, with Hoseok giving a two-fingered salute.

“That’s good. Also, Miss, we would like to request your team to work around the boys’ bodyguards.” Manager Woo looked at you earnestly.

“We’re really very grateful that you’ve agreed to our request for privacy and not enforced the sessions to be with the boys’ managers.” You shrugged a shoulder, and exchanged glances with Sana and Nathan. “And so, we would be okay working in the presence of the bodyguards, no issues.”

Your team hummed and nodded their own agreements. Manager Woo nodded back with a huge smile, looking relieved.

“We have the first interview scheduled for the day after tomorrow,” he then said as he distributed the individual contract copies among the BTS members and then your team. “Have a look at the details, one last time.”

You could, by this point, recite the clauses of the contract in your sleep. Yet, to be respectful, you accepted the file and placed it before yourself. You looked to your right and then left at your team. “Any questions, guys?”

Meryl raised her hand. Your eyebrows rose in intrigue. You gestured for her to speak up. “Yeah, um. About the secrecy clause—can we get a rough estimate as to when the news of the biography will be released?”

You nodded along. That was kind of a good question.

Manager Woo looked at CEO Bang, and all seven boys’ eyes adorably followed. CEO Bang readjusted his glasses. “We are planning a press conference at the end of six months.” Whoa. “I believe you’re going to have to keep this secret for the entirety of the project.”

You exhaled. It was gonna be kinda hard, but you’d manage.

“I got you!”

Your head snapped up at Jungkook’s shout of joy. He held the file in one hand and the other was raised up, mid-cheer. When all eyes fell on him, he froze for a moment before folding onto himself, bashfully. The boys all broke out laughing. You too had to stifle yours, by looking down in your lap, to maintain your professionality.

When you looked up after a moment, your eyes met Taheyung’s again. He seemed to be slightly confused and kept looking between the file in his hand, you and Jungkook.

“Si… Simon?” he whispered with a heavy accent, but it was all you could hear despite the chaotic discussions happening all around you.

You pointed at the guy sitting next to you. “Him,” you responded in English.

Taehyung’s eyes reverted back to you. “You?” he asked in English, very quietly.

You paused. “Jungkook,” you responded, gesturing to the still blushing boy with your eyes. And then, realizing how intimate your exchange was, you flashed him a professional smile. “Simon is great at conversation! You’ll have a good time with him,” you old him loudly, in Korean, earning smiles from the Manager and CEO.

Taehyung had still looked a bit lost when you tore your gaze away from him and picked up your tablet, but you willed yourself to unlock the gadget and not let your eyes stray.

This was just your first meeting, and Taehyung’s person’s intensity was already too much to handle. You thanked God you weren't gonna work with him one on one, or you won’t survive.

But, little did you know.

< prev | next > series masterlist

gimme feedback, much much appreciated!

Tags: @tangledsparkles @hoefortaeshands @getmemyfries

#taehyung angst #bts angst #taehyung fluff #bts fluff #taehyung imagine #bts imagine #bts v #v angst #v fluff #v imagine #wbcs #*mine

68 notes · View notes

mysticalmusicwhispers · 3 years

Note

HELLO I'M BACK!! GUESS WHO HAS A TERM BREAK COMING IN A FEW DAYS I'M VERY HAPPY :D this ask is Very Long so i'm going to split it up into a few parts

part 1/2

But honestly, it would probably be something like “I’m going to bring a (dead) chicken to class for show and tell and you two need to act horrified and cause a ruckus because it would be fun and it would scare the other kids :)”. (this is probably bullying, so in an effort to make them slightly better kids, an alternative plot is that a stray cat has been coming to their school and in order to make friends with it, they feed it a whole-ass dead chicken Nyo China got from the butchers and was planning to cook for dinner. The teachers are horrified and confiscate Yao’s backpack for fear of germs and salmonella.)

hhhhhh the first idea is SO FUN my gremlin repressed anger eight year old self would've loved it. the idea of bringing a stinking plastic bag to school, opening it, revealing a dead, fly-infested chicken and then maybe playing a small game of lobbing the chicken around for funsies is both simultaneously horrifying and amazing. however the second idea is also amazing, one of my previous schools had stray cats and staff and students would feed and pet them (and i miss it :( ) and it was the Best feeling... or maybe they could do BOTH? but this time they're planning to bring a dead chicken to feed the cat (aw, even if yao probably gets detention. also a lecture from nyo china on what exactly you should feed a cat, including why you shouldn't steal the chicken she bought to feed it.) and the next time they can bring like. a bunch of dead flies to show their classmates but in a not bully way. i went once to this family friend's house in a part of the countryside that had an abundance of flies. (i literally haven't thought of this in years i'm remembering so many childhood things because of this omg) they had this paper covered with glue that the flies would land on and then be stuck on the paper. it was both disgusting and amazing to watch a black mass of bulbous bodies straining with their legs (which were probably thinner than my hair) to escape the paper. i also think that indchuran, being both little sadists in the making and having an abudnace of fascination like many children, would take great delight in watching an unsuspecting fly landing on the glue, watch it still, glancing around eerily similarly to when humans realise they have gotten themselves in a bad situation, and then start struggling with all their might to get out. but fuck the flies tho they landed on our food all the time there and it sucked. they can die :)

THE PROBELM is... how will they get that many flies in what i assume would be a gentrified ass area with frequent fumigation efforts given that nyo china would not accept anything than the best elementary education for her ward?? (i have a solution) maybe indus has friends in the countryside and she goes with aditya to visit them. and while they are talking aditya wanders about and discovers a few pieces of paper filled with flies. because he is a gremlin, he is Fascinated with these pieces of paper, and he takes one out to Further Examine. all the adults yell at him, but he is Fascinated and will not be stopped. and then a Thought occurs to him: who would probably enjoy this as much as he would? duh, his friends of course! good things must be Shared even if they're kind of disgusting! so what he does is he gets a disposable plastic tupperware like container, very gently places the fly paper into it, pokes a few holes for air, sprinkles some sugar because he thinks that'll keep them alive, and wraps most of it up in duct tape he found so indus can't see it. unfortunately most of the flies died on the way home because the container was stuffed into aditya's bag and the paper slid to the side + there wasn't enough air, BUT the dead flies are still a Sight to behold when he visits iran's house (which yao is /coincidentally/ visiting) to show them. then he brings it to school after the weekend, and everyone is Fascinated and thinks it is Very Cool, at least until the teachers see it and start screaming. they throw it away but indchuran get an Idea to put dead flies into the bags of people they hate (this is now just bullying) so that opens up a very few interesting weeks of attempts to collect flies in a fumigated city and Horror for the school. fun times for all!

😔 finding and reading that encyclopedia is probably one of my formative memories now and i wish it wasn't 😔 i bet yao during his teenage years would look back on it and be like "... oh my GOD." but i think he would appreciate her directness even if he didn't absorb all the information correctly or remember most of it lmao because it seems like only a very small percentage of the world has actually good sex ed and i don't think indchuran's school would be an exception. at least nyo china like you said instilled a good sense of consent with them 😔 also the idea of saying fuck in mandarin makes me break out in hives the AUDACITY of saying fuck in your first language but of course he would. he WOULD. nyo china probably wouldn't even have purposely taught him that which is why he doesn't know what it means, just that it's an insult, but once they come up to her to complain all she does is give them a Terrifying Contemptuous Glare and steer yao away from them. yao is her kid and therefore entitled to say fuck whenever he wants.

First things first I hope you had a good term break! this is... very overdue sorry about that :(

Second, ALSK:FJ:SLFDKSFDLKJSLDF the fly infested chicken is disgusting and I want so badly to intervene,,, they need hELP. Please learn about proper sanitation, children, I’m begging you T-T. Also, headcanon accepted: they’re ostensibly bringing it to feed the cats (which is hopefully allowed) but also they want to terrorize (or awe) their fellow classmates with this discovery. Watch the school call up nyo china about this, but she gets annoyed only because yao wasted human food in order to feed cats, not because he brought an inappropriately dead chicken to school that scared the younger kids and fellow classmates lol; what a great value system. Also this scenario def happened: School: your child got in a fight. Nyo China: Oh no! Did he win?

I am both fully revolted and half fascinated by the flypaper thing because on one hand I CANNOT stand flies, and killing them is 178% gross. But also the way you described it is... very compelling and I would like to experience that, gross as it is lol. So yea I can definitely see those three nastily observing the flies getting stuck to the flypaper one by one... they all intently watch the flypaper with round and curious eyes and it really looks very cute from far away, three heads of fluffy hair close together and bent over something, carrying on an animated whispered discussion, until you get closer and see that they’re watching flies on flypaper •—•;; An even more gross scenario would be if one of them accidentally squashes one and they crowd around to see what fly guts look like 😭 bonus points if it happens during school. Also YES to Indus’s countryside friend; I feel like India would have a lot of fun exploring over there and would be able to bring back v cool stories for city slicker Yao, and also Iran (although I don’t know where they’d live precisely. I feel like they’d probably have a medium sized house with very nice art and Classy furniture (they got good taste from somewhere), but they’d also knows a lot about how rural areas work and stuff, so uh.. suburbs? Or something like that?)

“then he brings it to school after the weekend, and everyone is Fascinated and thinks it is Very Cool. . .” O—O sigh... three balls of absolute chaos. At least the other kids are fascinated this time instead of apprehensive ^-^ but the dead flies in lockers AL:KDSLFDSJF PLEASE NO me as an elementary student would have been absolutely horrified and I. really hope they get detention for that lol; Please Tone Down kids 😔 (also do y’all get flies in the lights at school? Because every single classroom I’ve been in has either had flies, wasps, moths, or some other black spots in the lights and they’d multiply as the year went on 😭 I never thought about it too much but... what if they linger around to watch the lights get cleaned? o-o)

“i bet yao during his teenage years would look back on it and be like "... oh my GOD."” YEAH there’s always a select few memories that make you realize “what even WAS that” and I think this is one lol. Yao just buries it in the back of his spacious mental closet and makes India and Iran swear not to bring it up again but inevitably they do :))))) they find it rather hilarious, actually. Also yes at least Nyo China did a good job in that department!

“also the idea of saying fuck in mandarin makes me break out in hives the AUDACITY of saying fuck in your first language but of course he would” lol I wrote that thinking he'd call someone a 王八* (because it could technically pass as a regular noun o-o. Who knows, maybe he was insulting someone for being slow like a turtle but it got out of hand due to word choice lol) but... the second scenario is quite something... I don't know whether I should laugh or cry. RIP the other parents who just have to fervently hope that disgraceful kid from next door grows out of his foul mouth soon (he never does, just gets better at pretending his language is elegant and not at all dirty XD)

*for non mandarin speakers 王八 is literally a soft shelled turtle, but is actually a pretty big insult in mandarin :)

4 notes · View notes

miafic · 4 years

Text

Fall AU (Part 11)

first ~ prev

thank you for waiting so patiently!!! :)

---

“We need to talk about something,” Zakk said quietly to himself. Water cascaded around him, and he ran his fingers through his wet hair, making sure all the shampoo was gone. He tried again. “I have something I need to tell you. No…” He sighed. Maybe it��d be better to just wing it.

Just then, he heard the distant sound of Baby’s bark. That was… odd. Baby usually didn’t bark at anything. Moments later, the bathroom door opened with no warning.

“Lucas?” Zakk asked sharply. Instinctively, he angled his body away.

He was met with only the sounds of weak crying.

“What’s wrong?”

Lucas softly replied, but Zakk couldn’t hear him over the sound of the water.

“Okay, hang on, hang on,” Zakk murmured, and he turned the shower off and stepped out, reaching for his towel. But before he made contact with it, Lucas slid forward and hugged him.

“Oh, no,” Zakk hissed, but Lucas didn’t move back. He just stood and cried into Zakk’s shoulder. “Lucas, I’m soaking wet,” Zakk pleaded, “and this is so inappropriate. I don’t have clothes on-”

“I don’t care,” Lucas told him tearfully.

“Yeah, but it feels like you’re one of the kids,” Zakk explained a little urgently, pushing Lucas off, covering his crotch with one hand, and holding out the other. “Can you give me my towel, please? Please? Right now?”

Lucas did, and Zakk hastily wrapped it around his waist, tucking it in securely and drying his hands on it before reaching out to touch Lucas’ shoulders. “Why are you crying?”

“I feel… sad.”

Zakk frowned. “You feel sad?”

Lucas nodded. “Really, really sad.” His bottom lip poked out a little.

“Why do you feel sad?”

Lucas shook his head, tears flooding his eyes again. “I don’t know,” he said frustratedly, and he turned around, quietly sobbing.

The fact that he turned away solidified for Zakk that this was 100% real emotion. He wasn’t just seeking comfort or a hug; he was truly upset about something.

“Are you sure you don’t know? It’s okay if you just don’t want to tell me. I won’t be mad.”

“No, I - I don’t know. I just had too many feelings.”

Zakk nodded. “Okay. What do you want to do?”

Lucas looked over his shoulder at him questioningly.

“Well,” Zakk said patiently, “you came up here to tell me that you’re upset. What were you hoping would happen?”

“I guess I… Um, I want to get in your bed with you.”

Zakk nodded. “Okay. Let me get some clothes on really quick, and then I’d be happy to. Go out and wait for me?”

Lucas nodded back and exited the bathroom, shoulders drooping as he went.

Exhaling heavily, Zakk and went to the closet to get dressed. When he walked into the bedroom, he found Lucas and Baby together on the bed. Lucas was still crying.

Gently, Zakk murmured, “What’s wrong, hmm?”

“Where’s our daughter?” Lucas asked tearfully.

Zakk blinked. “What?”

“Madelyn. Where is she?”

Zakk stared at him for several seconds. “Lucas, we don’t have a daughter.”

“Yes, we do! I see her in my dreams. Her name is Madelyn, and sometimes she’s big and sometimes she’s little. Sometimes she cries, and when I give her a hug, she feels better.”

Zakk brushed Lucas’ hair back from his face.

“I miss her so bad. Are you hiding her like you hid Baby?”

“No,” Zakk promised. “We really don’t have a daughter.”

“She’s real!”

“That’s not what I said,” Zakk countered calmly. “I didn’t say she’s not real. But we don’t have a daughter.”

“I see her in my dreams,” Lucas repeated sadly, and he wiped at his face.

Zakk frowned.

“And I miss my little brother. And I miss my big sister. And you were in the shower, so I missed you.”

That marked the first time Lucas had mentioned Isabel, but since the chances of her getting to a phone were slim, Zakk hadn’t commented on her. He wasn’t even sure if she knew what was going on. Lucas’ parents knew, but Isabel probably didn’t. It didn’t seem to matter, though, because Lucas had already moved on to the next thing.

“I had another dream, but not about Madelyn. It was about me and you.”

“Oh?”

Lucas nodded. “We were in the garage. You were yelling at me really loud, but not because you were mad. You were scared.”

“I was scared?”

“Yeah.” He pouted a little. “I was going to do something bad, and you caught me.”

“What?”

“I don’t remember.”

“Well,” Zakk said slowly, “I don’t think I’ve ever yelled at you.”

“It’s okay. I probably wouldn’t remember if you did.” Lucas pushed his lips out like he wanted a kiss and gave Zakk a questioning look.

Zakk just lightly covered Lucas’ mouth with his fingers. “No kisses,” Zakk whispered.

“Can we watch the show?”

“Yeah. But hey - I gotta talk to you about something first.”

“What?”

Zakk grimaced. “I… I have to go back to work. Tomorrow.”

“Oh, okay.”

“Okay?” Zakk echoed, a little surprised.

“Yeah.” He tilted his head as he studied Zakk’s face. “I’ll miss you. But I’ll be okay. I’ll take care of Baby for you.”

“You can call me any time, alright? Whenever you need anything. And... one of my friends is coming over, so you won’t be alone. He’s really nice. He’ll love you.”

Lucas nodded. “Kay. Can we watch the show now if I can’t have a kiss?”

Zakk blew air out of his nostrils. “Yeah, yeah. I’m surprised you’re not trying to kiss Jon Snow.”

“Yeah, well… He’s next best.”

“After who?”

“You.”

Zakk chuckled and gave Lucas a squeeze.

—-

Where is Madelyn? Our daughter. I don’t know how old she is. I miss her. Sometimes she gets in our bed when she has bad dreams and we make her feel safe. I tell the man not to let her sleep with us but he does and I don’t move her away because that’s mean. I think I’m a good dad. I know the man is a great dad. He always picks her up from preschool while I type on a computer. When she gets big I regret getting her because I want a different path for her than the one we accidentally gave her. The man tells me we did everything right, but it hurts when we were so careful not to make a single misstep and then somebody else ruins it all.

Writing this down is making me remember what happened to her and I feel sick. I’m glad I was there to hold her hand and talk her through the time at the hospital but I’m sorry that she hurt herself afterwards and had to go to the other hospital. That was the worst time in my life. But the man says we don’t have a daughter. I hope he’s right.

I tried olives today and I didn’t like them. The man says I used to, and he seemed worried that I don’t now. He didn’t cry, though, so that was a good thing. I cried because I got too many thoughts all at once, and I went in the bathroom and he was naked. It made my stomach feel kind of nice. He’s not as big as me in his private area, but I think I like his more than mine.

Zakk let out a shocked laugh before continuing to the next paragraph.

There was a song playing in my head today in a different language but I know it was my sister’s. I can’t remember her name, but I know that she makes me happy. She used to pick me and my little brother up from high school sometimes when she was home, and we would listen to music in the car. When it was just me and her she made me listen to this. It sounds like… happy. Like music for a party two hundred years ago. Longer, probably.

The man is leaving me at home tomorrow all day. As much as I don’t want to know, I’m going to try to figure out what happened to me. So I have to go in the garage.

“The garage?” Zakk whispered in confusion. He turned the page, hoping for more, but there was nothing. He closed the journal, laid it down on the table how Lucas had left it, and went back up to bed.

Lucas lifted his head and asked blearily, “Zakk?”

A warm smile graced Zakk’s face at the sweet sound of his own name coming from Lucas’ mouth. “Yeah, I’m here, baby.” He laid down beside Lucas, and they wrapped their arms around each other. Zakk felt a bit of guilt again at the fact that he was treating Lucas like his lover again, but he felt the same guilt when he treated him like a friend, or worse, a child. It was hard not to, though, when it felt like every few hours, Lucas was a new person.

“We’re going to sleep now?”

Zakk’s smile turned into a slight grimace. Lucas had just woken up in a dark room and asked it was bedtime… Zakk just wanted his goddamned husband back. “Yep. Go back to sleep.”

“Okay.” Lucas dropped his head back onto his pillow. “I remembered something big,” he stated, as casually as if he were commenting on the weather.

“What?”

“I woke up, and I was crying because I realized that I forgot to brush my teeth,” he explained easily, and Zakk’s heart ached for the old Lucas even more, “and I felt kind of like… tired but not just sleepy. It felt awful. Like, tired in my soul.”

Zakk nodded as he listened.

“And I remembered I was sitting in here in the daylight and crying because I felt like that.”

Zakk was quiet for several seconds, waiting for more, but - just like the journal - nothing else came. “When was this?” he finally asked.

“Right before,” Lucas answered, slurring a little.

“Before what?”

There was another long pause.

“Lucas, before what?” Zakk asked, leaning up on his elbow to see Lucas’ face.

Lucas was sound asleep.

Zakk exhaled slowly in disappointment, and then he pressed his forehead against Lucas’ and began to pray.

---

Part 12

#fall au #lucas #zakk #sun and moon #au

10 notes · View notes

ghostsray · 4 years

Text

Ch9: Glow

(first - prev - next) (AO3)

Niel was seeing red. Literally.

Colors often looked different in ghost form, but this time, everything was red. Maybe that was from the red glow coming from his eyes. They had begun to radiate at some point on the way home and hadn't stopped. Skulker was casting frequent glances at him, and if Niel didn't know any better, he would have thought the hunter looked nervous.

On any other occasion, that detail would have sent Niel over the moon. However, Niel was feeling too angry to care. He was angry that Vlad would ignore him for two days before finally sending a lackey to check on him instead of coming himself. He was angry that Vlad had done all this after he almost killed Niel's sister and that he was still expecting Niel to come back. Most of all, he was angry with himself for having trusted him all those months.

The glow from his eyes intensified with these thoughts.

The duo made it through the portal and landed in Vlad's lab. The millionaire himself was pacing around the room when he saw them. He approached them with a look of--relief?--before pausing and squinting his eyes at the glow.

"Still angry with me, I see," he noted.

Niel glared, his eyes casting red light across Vlad's obnoxious face. Skulker released his cuffs from Niel's wrist. "I'll leave you two be," he said and flew back into the portal, leaving the father and son alone.

"You were going to kill Ellie," Niel spoke.

"You mean Danielle? I've told you, she's--"

"A failure?" Niel seethed. "She's also a conscious being, and you know that. It still would've counted as murder."

Vlad's face twitched, then he sighed defeatedly. "No, you're right. I'm sorry."

Niel blinked in surprise. He wasn't expecting Vlad to apologize so easily. The glow from his eyes dimmed ever so slightly, but it returned to its brightness as Niel bit back, "You think apologizing changes anything?"

Vlad looked...surprised, like he wasn't expecting Niel to argue back. Niel's scowl deepened.

"Look, just give me a chance to make it up to you," Vlad said.

"By leaving Ellie alone?" Niel retorted.

"Surely you understand, I was only doing it to protect us--"

"But how do I know you care about me when you don't care about any of the other clones?"

"I already told you, I wouldn't have gone public with you if i didn't plan on keeping you around."

"So...you only care about me for publicity?"

Vlad froze, and his eyes widened. He put on a friendly smile. "No! of course not!" He grabbed Niel's hands and said, "You're my son, Niel."

Even though he had started calling him by his name, Vlad still seemed to hesitate whenever he said it, like he was forcing himself not to call him Daniel. Maybe that was what caused Niel to pull his hands away and growl. "If I'm your son, then why do you never care?"

"I do!"

"Oh yeah? What's my favorite science subject?"

Vlad was beginning to frown, growing impatient with Niel. "It's astronomy, of course."

Niel's eyes flashed again as he said, "Wrong. That's Danny's favorite subject. Mine is biology."

Vlad faltered for a second before he spread his arms with a forced smile and said, "Well then, I'm learning new things about you! Isn't that great?"

Niel didn't think that was great. His red vision was starting to get encroached by green, and he realized he was tearing up. "You know, I used to read stories with families in them and think they were unrealistic because of how close the parents were to their kids...but hey, it was fiction, so obviously that was fake, right?"

Vlad's expression grew sober as Niel continued. "I thought you loved me, even if the only times you spent with me were in front of guests and reporters. I mean, you buy me all this cool stuff, so that must mean you care, right?" Droplets fell down the clone's cheeks. He thought back to Jack and Maddie, how they wrapped their arms around Danny and Jazz in a hug, and how happy the family looked together. Even the ghosts in the Far Frozen were tender as the adult yeti looked after their young. "I don't think you really love me," Niel said, "and I don't think I love you, either."

Niel looked at Vlad, waiting for his reaction. Vlad was staring at a spot on Niel's cheek, and as he watched, his expression grew more and more troubled. At first, Niel thought that was because of what he had said, but then he began to wonder if Vlad had even been listening. Vlad raised a finger...then suddenly poked Niel in the cheek.

Niel flinched. "Hey, what are you--"

But Vlad was muttering, "No, no, no. You were supposed to be perfect."

Those words made Niel's stomach sink. Something was wrong. His vision was swimming with green, but he was beginning to suspect that wasn't from his tears. He looked down at Vlad's finger and saw it glowing with ectoplasm.

Niel's face felt like it was being burned by acid. Why did his face feel like burning? He brought a shaky hand up to where Vlad touched him. Something was mushy and it felt wrong and--when he pulled his hand away, it was coated in the same glowing substance as on Vlad's finger.

"Butter biscuits," Vlad muttered. "I shouldn't have let you stay in the Ghost Zone for so long. That much prolonged exposure to ectoplasm, and your body is still relatively young..."

Niel wasn't listening. He staggered and felt the world tilt beneath him. Everything was glowing, but it wasn't from his anger anymore. "I'm destabilizing," he said numbly.

Vlad fixed an intent gaze on him. "It's all right, I can fix you."

"I'm destabilizing," Niel repeated.

Vlad placed a hand on his shoulder. "Niel--"

For a second, the world turned red again, and Niel shouted "Stay away from me!" and stumbled back from Vlad's grip. His chest rose and fell with heavy breaths, except it barely did anything to assuage his nerves considering oxygen wasn't important to his ghost form. He brought his hands to his hairs and gripped at them. The ectoplasm on his hands was spread across his hair, but that didn't matter because he was melting.

"Calm down," Vlad ordered. "Being emotional only makes it worse."

Niel turned frightful eyes to Vlad. "How can I trust you? Ellie didn't let you fix her."

"Danielle is a fool! Come on, are you really going to let a small conflict between us stop you from accepting my help?" Vlad tried to grab him again, but Niel stepped away, causing his father to scowl. "Your form is falling apart. Who else can help you?"

Niel knew he should probably let Vlad fix him, but he couldn't think. Maybe his brain was melting, too. His chest continued to rise and fall futilely while more tears pricked his eyes. "The Fentons," he blurted. "The Fentons can help me."

"Are you an idiot? You'll be revealing all our secret identities if you go to those two for help!" Vlad's voice was steadily rising, but he forced himself to take a breath and calm himself. "Be logical, Niel. You know I love you, right?"

And that was how Niel became certain that Vlad hadn't been listening to a thing he said earlier. Suddenly, his potentially impending doom no longer mattered, and his fear was replaced once more by anger. Vlad's calm demeanor faltered when he saw Niel's eyes flash red again.

"Fuck you," Niel growled.

Vlad was so stunned that all he could say was, "Language."

Niel's fists shook, his teeth gritted, and then--a sob racked through him, breaking him down both figuratively and literally. The destabilization was spreading from his face to his chest and his arms and his legs and everywhere was glowing with his own ectoplasm. He cried, his tears mixing with the green substance and dripping to the floor.

He felt Vlad's fingers wrap around his wrist, but Niel phased his hand through. A thick sheet of goo was left behind on Vlad's hand, like when that slimer ghost from Ghostbuster phased through walls (it's amazing how your mind can still think of silly movie references even when your world is falling apart). "I'm not a perfect clone," Niel said.

"Don't say that. Of course you're--"

"I'm not," Niel said, "and I wish you didn't treat me that way."

He turned away from Vlad and lifted himself into the air. "Where are you going, Niel?" Vlad demanded. Niel ignored him. He shot upward and phased through the lab's ceiling. The last thing he heard was Vlad angrily yelling, "Daniel!"

Niel bit back his sobs and flew out the mansion. He was oozing, bits of his own body falling beneath him and leaving a glowing trail.

Danny, Niel thought. Ellie was able to stay alive because Danny helped her. All he had to do was find the other boy and get him to stop...all of this.

And he had to get to him quickly, before the corruption could reach his head and leave him unable to think.

#Danny Phantom #dannymay #dannymay2020 #niel masters #vlad masters #fic #fanfiction #writing #mine

21 notes · View notes

write-orflight · 3 years

Text

Settle Down: Chapter 3

**Gif Not Mine**

Prev - Next

Pairings: SpencerXReader (kinda enemies to lovers)

Rating: M

Words: 2K

Warnings: None, suggestive language

Request: OPEN/CLOSED

Summary: Y/N and Spencer don’t get along but turn to each other for the one thing you need someone else for… A baby. You can plantonically start a family, right?

AN: Unedited and ending might change as I wrote this half asleep. Comment on this chapter or inbox to be on taglist. thanks! much love, Cia.

Chapter 3: You’re really going to waste a Good Witch on this?

You still felt pretty normal. You knew not to expect or feel anything at least for another couple of weeks but that didn’t make you any less nervous about it. So now you were playing the waiting game. You and Spencer were doing good. For some reason it wasn’t awkward that morning after the sex at all. The two of you just woke up and got coffee before heading into work like nothing happened. It was fine until Spencer had suggested that night maybe having sex again would increase your chances of getting pregnant since you were also ovulating the second day. You agreed of course but you couldn’t figure out if it had been for the reasons you were supposed to. The sex had been great, as good if not better than the first time yet you still felt slimy, like you were tricking Spencer even though he suggested it and was probably right. Spencer gave no indication that it bothered him though so you figured you were in the clear.

You almost had been caught by Penelope when you went to work the following day. The second time around, let's just say Spencer was a lot less shy, a lot more ambitious and left a giant bruise on the side of your neck where he had been kissing practically the whole night. You couldn’t be that mad about it when you left your fair share of bruises on him.

“Whoa!” Penny said when you walked into the small work space the two of you shared. You knew what she was talking about instantly. You desperately tried to cover it up and he apologized profusely for it. You told him it was no big deal. It wasn't like you were making big moves to stop him at the time. “Someone had a fun night. Come on, spill!” She says, turning to face you.

“I burned myself on a curling iron. Not nearly as fun a night as you think.” You lie, shrugging the whole inquisition off so you wouldn’t suspect you lying to her. It seems to work because she groans.

“Ugh, nothing interesting ever happens here!” She groans. “What about you and Spencer?”

You look nervous for a second. “What about me and Spencer?”

“I mean, anything new in babyville?” She gestures.

“Oh! Nothing yet. We’re just playing the waiting game right now.”

“That was fast. So you might be pregnant right now?” You shrug. “I can’t believe you and Spencer are having a kid.”

“Yea, it’s kinda strange but we’ll manage.” You say as the phone rings. The team was out on a case, it wasn’t uncommon for them to call you guys for technological aid.

“All seeing, all knowing.” You greet them on the phone. You adapted Garcia’s jovial speech the more you worked with her.

“Hey, Y/N…” You hear Spencer’s voice say back to you.

“Oh, hey Spencer. I’ll patch you to Penny.” You say, hand on the button to do that. You’ve grown accustomed to transferring him to Penelope over the years since he preferred to talk to her.

“No! No, I’m actually calling for you…” He says.

“You never call for me.” You say. “You always ask for Garcia.”

“I know, I know. I just— how are you feeling?”

“I’m fine, Spencer.” You say. “It’s only been a couple days.”

“I know, I know. I just wanted to see how you were doing.” Spencer says nervously into the phone.

“I’ll tell you if anything changes, but right now I’m fine, ok?”

“Ok.” He says back.

“Now did you have a question pertaining to my actual job?”

“Could you run financial records for Wilard Yannis for me?”

—————————————

It was a week later and the team was officially back from the case. It was a paperwork day which you and Garcia always used to review potential cases. You were doing just that when a knock came to your door. Spencer walked in brandishing two coffees and a pastry bag which he places in front of Garcia.

“What’s this?” Garcia asks, excitedly opening the pastry bag. “It’s a crossiant and it’s still warm. Oh, you love me and I love you.” She says, patting his cheek. You don’t turn from your screen but you smile at Penelope’s antics. You don’t look up until you see a cup being placed in front of you.

“What is this?” You ask.

“Coffee.” He says like it’s obvious.

“Why?”

“You’re welcome, Y/N.” He rolls his eyes before walking out. You sip the coffee tentatively.

Ok, how the fuck does he know your coffee order?

You wait until he’s heading to the file room later to corner him. You follow in behind him and lock the door.

“Ok, you need to knock it off.” You say, crossing your arms.

“Knock what off, Y/N?” He asks.

“You know what!” You exclaim. “Do I need to remind you what your job is? What our coworkers jobs are? We work with Profilers for God's sake! Now, I was able to avoid suspicion even though you left a Texas size bruise on my neck. But you’ve got to knock it off and stop acting weird around me.”

“How am I acting weird?”

“For one, stop calling me for cases. You have always called Garcia and now you’re suddenly calling for me?”

“So I can’t call and ask you to do your job? That’s rich.”

“No asshole, you can’t ask me now. You’ve always asked for Garcia and while it was insulting that you would still do it even though I’ve been doing this for years, I’ve gotten used to it because that’s how you are, Spencer!” You exclaim throwing your hands in the air. “Spencer Reid doesn’t bring me coffee and he certainly doesn’t call to check up on me. Knock it off.”

Spencer’s silent for a second, thinking. “I’m sorry, Y/N. I never thought of it like that. And I certainly never meant to insult you.” He says looking you in the eye. “But we don’t need to worry about me.”

“What do you mean? You’re the only one who’s acting differently.” You say, confused. Spencer just laughs which only makes you look more confused.

“I’m the only one acting different?” He says, taking a step towards you, crowding into your space. You back up slowly until your back hits the wall next to the door. His eyes drift up and down your body and you shiver under the scrutiny. “You’ve been staring at me all morning and the past couple of days we’ve been back. Specifically my hands and mouth. And whenever you do, your hand drifts to that ‘curling iron burn’ you have. Like you’re trying to remember what it felt like.” He’s mere inches away from you now and when you look up you can see the smug smirk on his face. “If I can notice it then so can they. So we don’t need to worry about me.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” You say, stubbornly.

Spencer chuckles darkly. “Yea ok, answer me this then.” He says, his face moving so he’s impossibly close to you. You tilt your chin up to look in the eye and show him you’re not cowering away from him. But for some reason, despite only having sex the two times, his smell takes you out of focus and you’re almost at the point of drooling like a Pavlov dog. He notices this because he always does and smirks and leans down close to you, your eyes drift shut thinking he was about to kiss you. You hate how ready you were for it. “If you were truly worried about me drawing attention to us…. Why did you lock yourself in a room with me?”

With that, he’s reaching behind you and unlocking the file room door, moving around you to go through it. “We’ll talk later.” He adds before leaving you alone, confused and surrounded by cabinets.

---------------------------------------------

You stop in the ladies room to collect your thoughts for a second before heading back into your shared workspace. When you do get back, Penny turns her chair towards you, hands folded manically. You look at her confused.

“You know, I knew something was up. I’m not a profiler or anything but I have a good intuition. So I knew by the way you flushed when I asked about your neck that it wasn’t an iron burn. But I let it go figuring if you wanted to tell me you’d tell me when you wanted. And then, when Derek told me he shared a hotel room with Spencer and saw some very interesting claw marks on his back when he was changing, I also didn’t say anything figuring you’d tell me if there was something to tell and I thought maybe, just maybe, it was a coincidence and the two didn’t correlate at all. But now, imagine my surprise when I was on my way back from the coffee machine that I saw both of you leaving a file room?” Penny smirks at you and you try to keep a straight face but your heart was beating so fast, you’d been had.

“I have no idea what you’re on about. I was just having a conversation with Spencer.”

“Something happened and you’re going to tell me.” She says. “Good Witch.”

Good Witch was a phrase from way back in your hacker days to indicate a I scratch yours, you scratch mine deal between two parties. Since then, you and Garcia coined the term to mean no matter how big the ask the other had to say yes when it was called. Though it was typically used for moving or picking up the other from a bad date, it was never used like this.

“You’re really going to waste a Good Witch on this?” you ask and she nods profusely.

“Fine.” You throw your hands up before sitting across from her. “But my Good Witch is that this stays between us, no one else, including Spencer, can know. She nods and complies you sigh. “We went to the clinic and the Insemination cost was way too high. So we decided we’d you know…. Try the old fashion way.”

Garcia looks at you wide eyed. “You guys didn’t.”

You nod, awkwardly. “It was nothing. Just two times while I was ovulating and if I’m pregnant now, never again.”

Garcia hums. “And you’re sure you don’t just like each other?”

“Garcia, Spencer hates me. We’d never work.”

“You said, Spencer hates me. Not we hate each other like you usually do.” She points at you. “You’re starting to like him.”

“No, I’m not! Just a slip up on my words.” You exclaim, but Garcia gives you a look that screams she doesn’t believe you. “Anyway, you used your Good Witch to ask a question I already answered so I don’t need to tell you anything else.”

“Can you at least tell me this?” She asks. “Was it… good?”

You groan into your hands. “That’s the problem! It was good! Too good! Earth-shattering, mind blowing good that I can’t focus or think of anything that’s not it. And Spencer knows that and he’s being a dick about it.” You sigh. Garcia pats your back, looking sympathetically.

“Well, it’s just like you said, it was just to have the baby, right? So at least you know if you’re pregnant now, you never have to deal with it again.” She smiles before turning back to her screen. She was right, Spencer wouldn’t play games with your emotions like back in the File room if you were actually pregnant now so you could go back to less stress-inducing, Spencer-free mornings, at least until the baby was here.

That was what you wanted.

Right?

Taglist: @moonshinerbynight @crimeshowtrash @no-honey-no @lets-be-gay-for-the-angel @chenlemure @sizzlingclamturtlesludge @tclaerh @k-k0129 @takeyourleap-of-faith @trashyhipsterfangirl @haylaansmi @spencerreidlivesrentfreeinmyhead @waspyyy @itsametaphorbriansblog @octaviaxanadu @whxt-to-write @meowiemari @b99andsoc @boba-king-iroh @punkndisorderrly @richardrosejpeg @underratedmisfit @gredvb @criminalminds4days @fanfictionislifetho @justpeachykeeeen @kopfkinomind @moonchildkei @appleblossoms-posts @urguardiandevil @cm-imagines-07 @ajeff855 @reidsconverse @isknowplaces @ashwarren32

@cielo1984 @rainsong01 @dracoxmgg @m0rce1ddd @daviddobrikandyn @mcntsee

#spencer reid x you #spencer x reader smut #spencer reid x reader #spencer x you #spencer x reader #spencer reid smut #spencer reid x reader smut #spencer reid #spencer x y/n #spencer reid x y/n #criminal minds fanfiction #criminal minds smut #criminal minds #bau x reader

480 notes · View notes

psycho-slytherin · 3 years

Text

Strangers ch. 46

The truth begins to be untold, from multiple perspectives.

Pairing: Idol!Yoongi x Actress!Reader

Word count: 3.2k

Genre: fluff, angst, slow burn, strangers to friends to ??? I honestly don’t know what this counts as anymore

Warnings: Strong language

|mlist|

<–– Prev Next ––>

You can’t breathe for several seconds. You feel yourself begin to tremble, and Wonho must feel it too, because he places a protective hand on your shoulder. “Y/n?”

For a moment, the club swims before you. No. No. You’re not letting her win, not again. With enormous effort, you summon that numbness once more, letting it settle over you. In a single moment, you adjust your posture and expression, and although your throat feels like it’s about to close up, you don’t allow your voice to change. You’re an actress, after all. “Good to see you’re having fun,” you tell Yoongi cooly, ignoring Seoyeon. The redhead’s eyes narrow at your obvious disinterest. Yoongi’s gaze sweeps between you and Wonho, who’s glistening with sweat from dancing. Wonho’s mesh top is sticking to his defined abs.

“Looks like you are too,” Yoongi replies quietly. His brows knit together and his eyes search yours, almost pleading –

He can’t do this to me. It’s not fair. And you can’t keep your voice steady much longer. You take a long pull of your drink.

“Suga-bear~” Seoyeon whines.

“Hyung!” Out of nowhere, Hoseok breaks through the crowd, looking wildly between you and Yoongi. “Ha… I-I didn’t know you’d be here!” He says through a too-wide smile.

Still looking at you, Yoongi jerks his head toward Seoyeon, who continues clinging to him. You notice Hoseok twitch.

Without breaking eye contact with Yoongi, you reach up and rest your hand on Wonho’s, who’s still holding your shoulder. “Wonho, I’m going to BTS’s private room. Hoseok, is it okay if Wonho comes with?”

“Of course.”

Wonho seems confused, but – bless him – he goes along with you as you turn your back on Seoyeon… and Yoongi.

“So! Tell me about your mixtape, how’s that going?” You hear Hoseok shout over the music as you lead Wonho away. By the time you finally shut the door, closing yourself off from the club, you feel like the night has lasted for far longer than a few songs.

The other members have disappeared, surely out on the dance floor or by the bar. Coats are strewn on the couch and chairs, and you can spot several empty bottles of soju on the counter.

‘Hey… you okay?” Wonho asks, his voice soft.

“Yeah,” you answer too quickly.

“Want to talk about it?”

For a moment, just a moment, you consider telling him everything: about Lisa, missing and possibly dead. About Xiumin, who proved that you really couldn’t trust anyone. About Yoongi, whose betrayal hurt you more than any real boyfriend could. About Seoyeon, how she and her cronies followed you out of the hospital. About that night, the shove, the blood, the walk, the cold. About the photo, and how it ruined your lamppost meetings with Yoongi forever. You could tell him about how you found Seoyeon’s picture on Lisa’s laptop, making you fear the worst.

Or the relentless cyberbullying. Would Wonho understand? You reach up, rubbing your thumb against the Starry Night pendant. Your situation is comically unique – would anyone understand? You’re stronger now, yes, but what does your strength mean if Lisa is gone forever and Yoongi is dating your attacker?

Your phone buzzes. Finally, is it the contract from FYP Entertainment?

@mrsminnie<3: Guys! I made a poll, vote who u think Yoongi is better with- @seoyeonnielovesbts vs @yourname!

@jjksaysfuck: WHY does @yourname still think she’s relevant? Suga BROKE UP WITH HER lollll her career is #deadinthewater

@captainkookie21: @jjksaysfuck kinda like @yourname soon ;) #SUGA belongs to ARMYs! You’ll see ^-^

@streamDIEnamite03: Ok but like,,,, did anyone see that commercial with @WONHO and @yourname??? That was spicy 0_0

“Y/n?”

“Oh, sorry!” You realize you’ve been silent for several seconds too long. “Yeah. I’m fine. I should’ve known this would happen eventually, just…” You tuck your phone away. Not so soon.

“Dunno what he thinks he’s doing, showing up like this after that PR fiasco,” Wonho says, eyeing the door as though Yoongi is right behind it. “I mean, it looks like the girl wanted to come, Yoongi’s never been one for clubs. But seriously, dating a fan? You’d think he’d know better.”

You freeze. “Right.” You forgot that to the public, you and Yoongi met on the set of Possible. You forgot that you were never an ARMY – Yoongi wouldn’t date a fan.

“She gives me weird vibes, I dunno. Are you sure you’re okay?”

You nod. “I just want a few minutes without having to worry.” You’re both still standing awkwardly by the door, and you nod at the couch. “Wanna sit down? We can go back to the dance floor once we’ve caught our breath.”

“Sure. Hey, I never mentioned it earlier and I hope you don’t take this the wrong way, but that outfit looks really great on you.”

You laugh. Maybe the night doesn’t have to be a waste after all.

~~~

“Suga-bear~” Seoyeon coos. “Buy me a drink?” “Get your own,” Yoongi growls, tugging his arm out of her grasp. He forgot the group had a VIP room at Club Xyon; what were they doing in it?

Spread around the dancefloor, he sees Jungkook and Jimin having one of their famous dance battles; Taehyung is dancing in the front, vibing with the smitten DJ. Jin and Namjoon are sitting in a booth, surrounded by gorgeous idols.

And Hoseok is with him. Y/n and Wonho are alone.

Seoyeon is still whining. “But Suga, I want you to get it for me!”

Ugh. “Fine, what do you want?”

“Anything. Make it strong.”

Yoongi locks eyes with Hoseok, making sure he knows to keep an eye on Seoyeon, before heading to the bar.

“Suga!” The pretty mixologist grins broadly at his approach. “I’m a big fan! What can I get for you?”

Yoongi nods. “Thanks. Can I get some sparkling water with vodka on the rim and – I don’t know, something strong? Whatever you want to make, but with an extra shot.”

She nods, and sets about making the drinks. As he’s waiting, Yoongi’s phone buzzes with a text:

D-man: eyo Gloss [11:13]

D-man: got some shit for u [11:14]

Yoongi: Please tell me it’s good [11:14]

D-man: u don’t pay me for good u pay me for results [11:15]

D-man: anyway idk about good, but it’s something? [11:15]

D-man: seems weird tho [11:16]

Yoongi: What do you mean? [11:17]

D-man: hang on there’s more [11:17]

D-man: lemme call u soon [11:17]

Yoongi: ???? [11:18]

“Here are your drinks – oh, no charge!” The mixologist says with a wink. “I’m never taking a cent from BTS.”

Yoongi laughs, shoving his phone into his pocket. “Call it a tip, then. I insist.”

Hoseok’s smile is strained as Seoyeon dotes on him. Yoongi wishes he could laugh at his discomfort, but Hoseok is the only one besides him and Y/n that actually knows what the girl is capable of.

“Here.” He hands Seoyeon the drink and sips from his own sparkling water. He refuses to lose his inhibitions around her.

Wonho and Y/n are alone. What if he hurts her?

Seoyeon takes a big swig. She was already drinking in the car on the way to the club, and Yoongi doesn’t understand why, with so much at stake, she can have fun.

She hurt Y/n. She has Lisa. She hurt Y/n. She has Lisa. She hurt Y/n.

What he can’t understand is why Detective Kang and the rest of the police department aren’t investigating Seoyeon. Y/n did turn Lisa’s laptop over, right? Seoyeon’s photo was there, open on her desktop. Maybe they knew each other for unrelated reasons? But D would have told him.

Argh. This night wasn’t supposed to be such a mess. And what is Y/n doing?

~~~

“You’re kidding!” You snort into your glass of soju, almost spilling the drink down your front. “He said that?”

“Oh yeah. So I was like, dude, I’m not gonna fight you. Right? He was a head shorter than me. He didn’t like that, so he started swinging, but he ended up hitting my buddy–”

Already buzzed and determined to forget about Yoongi, you laugh harder than you need to. “That’s crazy.”

Your phone buzzes once, twice, three times. Argh. You glance at Wonho, hoping he didn’t notice the notification, but…

“Go ahead and take it,” Wonho says, ruffling his hair. “You’re hoping it’s the contract, right?”

“Ah – yeah, sorry.” You scroll through your notifications, past more hate messages. There’ve been fewer lately. You suppose you’re becoming old news. Still, some accounts have been more persistent. A text notification catches your eye:

Hi, L/n Y/n. I’m messaging you on behalf of Mr. Park of FYP entertainment. We expect a response to the contract offer by 5:00pm Tuesday.

“What?”

Wonho looks up from his screen. “What’s up?”

“This…” you furrow your brow. “This says I’ve already received the contract. But I’m certain I haven’t!” You reload your email inbox desperately, but nothing changes. Wonho leans closer, until you can feel the heat radiating off his body. “Check your trash folder?” he suggests.

“But I haven’t deleted anything!”

“Just check.”

You sigh and click to view your recently deleted emails. There, staring at you, is an email with the subject line L/n Y/n FYP Ent. Contract of Employment 20xx.

“Oh my gosh, there it is!” You squeal, quickly moving it back to your inbox before tossing your phone aside and throwing your arms around Wonho. “Thank you so much!”

Wonho is quick to hug you back, laughing. “Of course. Glad I could help solve the mystery.”

As you gaze at Wonho, you’re filled with elation. Wonho’s easy. Unproblematic. Kind. “Wanna go back and dance?”

“Your wish, my command,” he replies with a wink. As you stand from the couch, Wonho steals a last glance at his phone- and does a double take. “Yo, what?”

“Wassup?”

“Ah, nothing. Just some stupid gossip about, er, Yoongi’s new girlfriend.”

Something burns in your throat. “Anything interesting?”

“Nah. Some people are saying that ‘cause her dad’s a cop, Yoongi must’ve committed a crime and her dad is letting him off if he dates Seoyeon.” Wonho chuckles. “The things people invent when they’ve got too much time on their hands.”

“What do you mean, her dad is a cop?”

He shrugs. “Detective, I guess. Same difference, and somehow I doubt Yoongi’s a felon. So! Are we gonna go dance?”

Kang Seoyeon.

“Yeah,” you reply, suddenly breathless. “Let’s dance.”

~~~

“I love this song!” Seoyeon squeals, waving her arms in the air. Yoongi, sipping his sparkling water, is doing his best to ignore her, while Hoseok is amusing himself with Seoyeon’s antics.

Yoongi wishes he could relax and enjoy himself, but with Y/n’s would-be killer and most certainly Lisa’s kidnapper now throwing it back to HyunA, and with D having something for him, Yoongi can’t do anything but stare around tensely. Suddenly, he notices Y/n and Wonho rejoining everyone on the dance floor. They’re laughing shoulder-to-shoulder. He feels a bolt of jealousy strike him like lightning, so fierce that he can barely breathe.

“Suga bear!” Seoyeon shouts, slurring her words slightly. She’s already finished her drink and is halfway through another. “You love me, right?”

Fucking hell. “No,” Yoongi replies, his voice flat. Behind Seoyeon, Yoongi can see Hoseok slap a hand to his mouth to stifle his laughter.

Seoyeon’s eyes fill with tears. “B-but you have to love me! I worked so hard, Suga! I did it all for you! You have to love me!”

Worked so hard? She had stalked him, tried to kill Y/n, and kidnapped Lisa. “Did all what for me?” Yoongi snarls. “You little –”

Bzzt. Bzzt. D is calling him.

Yoongi stares from his phone to Seoyeon to Y/n and Wonho across the dance floor. Shit. “Hoseok, keep an eye on her, okay?”

Hoseok salutes dramatically. “Yessir!”

With that, Yoongi snakes away from the crowd, eventually finding a less populated corner that gives him a perfect view of Y/n and Wonho having a great time. Wait… is it his imagination, or does Y/n look-

“Gloss! Yo, my guy!”

Yoongi tapped his foot impatiently. “C’mon, what’ve you got?”

“Jeez, gimme a sec! Okay, so. Remember how that photo of you and Y/n was going around?”

“Yeah.”

“Right, so it came from, like, one of the red-haired chick’s backup accounts.”

“D, you fuckin’ told me this shit already, man.”

“I’m getting there! Stardom’s making you annoying, come back to Daegu.”

Yoongi snorts. “Keep talking.”

“So, you asked if Lisa had any side socials that weren’t under her name, right?”

“Uh-huh…”

“Well, I did a bit of digging – I charge extra for all the thirst tweets I had to look at, by the way – and I found that the fan account Seoyeon posted on has a very interesting username… one that corresponds pretty damn well to one her mutuals.” D took a deep breath. “Seoyeon’s account was called ‘@capkookies_btsbff’, and her mutual’s account is @captainkookie21. Remember how she kept talking about someone named Cap? Sooo I looked at that account, poking around, yknow? First thing: This was a total BTS fan account till, like, a few months ago. But after that? Gloss, this is some of the worst hate I’ve seen in a hot sec.”

“Whaddya mean, hate?”

“Hate towards your girl, bro! All sorts of bullshit, creepy stuff. Now, the IP address – which I took the liberty of finding, you’re welcome – tells me they’re in Seoul. The more interesting thing is that the address changed, and only a little over a month ago.”

“How can that change? I thought IPs were tied to devices.”

“They totally are! But socials aren’t. So this person was using one device, up until a month ago, and then switched.”

“They got a new phone?”

“Maybe. Or maybe they were trying to hide their location and were forced to use a new device.”

Yoongi’s forehead wrinkled. “Wha…”

He could hear D sigh over the phone. “Dude! Don’t you get it? Before they switched devices, this account was linked to Lisa’s phone!”

Yoongi’s jaw goes slack. That night at Seoyeon’s house… “Cap said you’d come to me. We’re meant to be.”

~~~

“W-Where’s Suuuu-ga?” Seoyeon whines, clutching at Hoseok’s arm. She finished the rest of her glass and is now clearly well on her way to drunk.

“He’ll be back soon,” Hoseok replies, trying to blend his movement in with the heavy bass so that he and Seoyeon don’t stand out too much.

“All I did was love him,” Seoyeon says now, her eyes wide and doe-like.

Hoseok makes a face. “You stalked him.”

Shaking her head vehemently, Seoyeon takes another pull of her drink. “Nuh-uh. I never did.”

Hoseok purses his lips. She’s clearly willing to let slip information, but he doesn’t want to take advantage of her vulnerability. “You followed him to that hospital, and that lamppost. That’s called stalking.”

“Nooooooo I di-hic-didn’t,” Seoyeon warbles, swaying. Hoseok catches her and props her up, brows knit. Is she okay? Of course, Hoseok was the last to claim a title for holding one’s liquor, but Seoyeon seems insistent on getting wasted.

“I was just –” Seoyeon hiccups and giggles to herself. “Captain’s orders!”

“Orders?”

“Oops!” Seoyeon claps a hand over her mouth, stumbling backwards and bumping into an actress Heoseok recognizes from his favorite drama. “Nothingggg.”

This could be interesting. Hoseok plucks the glass from her hand, holding it away as she reaches for it. “Ah-ah-ah. I’ll give it back once you tell me what you meant.”

Seoyeon laughs, the sound going from a cute drunk giggle to something more intense, more concerning. “C-caaan’t~ Cap said I had to keep quiet.”

“Just tell me why you said you weren’t stalking Yoongi. You were following him, right? How else could you have found him at the hospital? And that lamppost?”

Seyeon sticks her tongue out. “Not telling!”

Is this really the same girl who shoved Y/n into a river and kidnapped Lisa under everyone’s noses?

Hoseok pauses and thinks. “Yoongi hasn’t kissed you, has he?”

Almost immediately, Seoyeon’s eyes well up with tears once more. “No! He never even touches me!”

“You know, I bet if you told me everything, he’d be really grateful.” Hoseok leans forward conspiratorially, barely able to hear himself over the music and shouts on the dance floor. “I’m sure he’d love you then.”

Seoyeon lets out a squeal that sounds practically inhuman. “Really?”

“Mhm.” Hoseok swallows down his guilt with the reassurance that he’s doing this for Y/n and Yoongi’s sakes. “So what were you doing at the hospital?”

Seoyeon stops and thinks hard, her face serious for the first time all night. “You really think he’ll love me? He won’t be mad?”

“Of course.”

Suddenly, Seoyeon shoots forward and snatches her glass away from Hoseok, downing the rest of the drink before he can blink. “I just wanted to be with him,” she says, wiping a droplet from her lips. “But I wasn’t following him. Cap said that she was at the hospital.” Seoyeon’s eyes turn dark, furious, the change so severe that Hoseok flinches. “Cap said she wanted to take Suga away from me. So I waited outside the hospital with my friends. Suga doesn’t belong to her!” Placing her glass on a nearby table, Seoyeon tugs at Hoseok’s sleeve desperately. “He belongs to me! To us, to ARMYs!”

Goosebumps erupt along Hoseok’s arms. Fans like this have always terrified him. To claim ownership of a person just because they were an idol… “And the lamppost? You didn’t follow Y/n, did you?”

Seoyeon blinks heavily. “I didn’t seeeee her after she fell into the river. Cap just told me where to go, and when I saw them hugging, I wanted to kill Y/n.” She smiles sweetly as though her words were nothing but innocent.

Hoseok can feel his stomach roil. “Why did you do all this?”

“Duh!” Seoyeon sweeps her arm around, gesturing at the club. “Cap’s friends with BTS! I was promised that Cap could set me up with Suga. And – hic – it worked.”

“We’re not friends. What?” Is this person someone the group knows? But Hoseok can’t think of many people the members of Bangtan are all friends with, except Y/n. No, surely…? She wouldn’t do that to herself.

It’s getting her a lot of publicity, a tiny voice in Hoseok’s head reminds him.

“W-What do you mean?” Seoyeon asks, a pout forming on her lips. “‘Course you are. After all, she has a video of Jimin saying her name.”

Hoseok’s heart is hammering in his chest. Y/n does love to tease Jimin. “At a fansign?” It would make sense, at least.

“Noooo~” Seoyeon says in a slurred singsong voice. “In your apartment.” She giggles, covering her mouth. “I recognized it from your lives!”

Hoseok’s own mouth goes dry. Had Y/n been manipulating his friend this whole time? “Oh.”

66 notes · View notes

bewareofchris · 4 years

Text

Public Relations 21/??

R atm | Alec Hardy/Dr. Bill Masters | Broadchurch, Masters of Sex | Strong language, eventual sexual situations

“The fact that Alec Hardy was not currently, had not ever, and did not want to date the American sex research did not seem very important at all to the town of Broadchurch. They did what they had always done with a little bit of juicy gossip: they made a spectacle of it.”

<< prev | Part 1 | AO3 Link

Sitting opposite a lawyer with a very expensive tie and a bulldogish face, Bill Masters could not help but recall his most recent conversation with Alec. Maybe that was because it was so appropriate to the moment and maybe it was because Bill had always had an excellent memory for the things he’d heard. Anything said by Alec Hardy was a breeze to remember.

He’d said: the worst thing about a divorce is sitting across from the man about to get rich from your misfortune.

This was the third lawyer that Bill had interviewed in as many days. While the others had been reassuring enough about how they would facilitate the process with as much tact and ease as possible, this one’s face lost a bit of it’s hopeful glimmer when Bill got to the part of the conversation where he mentioned his wife wanted nothing from him by his children.

“And you,” the man said, almost hopefully, “will be contesting?”

“I’d like to be able to see my children.”

“Weekends?” the man prompted, “certain holidays? Would you prefer to keep them over the summer? Half the year? What sort of custody arrangement would you prefer?”

It was the third time Bill had been asked, and the third time he’d stood in a seat that suddenly felt too hot and too small, while he stared back at a man who had only asked because of his professional interest. Bill had no answer for what sort of arrangement he would prefer because he’d never been asked to pick the days of the week he wanted to spend time with his children.

(No, he’d gone the opposite route, the one where he simply didn’t see them at all.)

“Well,” Bill said when it became obvious to both of them that no answer was forthcoming. “Thank you for your time. I have your card.” He shook the man’s hand because it was expected and as soon as he was out on the street again he thought very seriously about how nice it would be to have some kind of hand sanitizer.

Maybe he could coat his whole body in it and finally wash away the greasy, uneasy feeling that maybe he was simply being a coward about the whole thing. He was on his third interview in a row to find a man to go before a judge and plead the case that Bill Masters did not deserve to be married to Libby (and never had, probably). He was searching for someone that could slip him a piece of paper with the answers he hadn’t taken the time to figure out for himself. (Yes, Your Honor, Bill Masters would like to see his children twice a month on weekends with a week in the summer and the week following Christmas. Of course he thought up all these dates himself, Your Honor. They are very meaningful to him, Your Honor.)

That was to say nothing about how he’d run as fast as his legs could carry him from his own business last Friday. How he’d stopped only long enough at Virginia’s door to be sure that she was properly settled and to leave her a summation of his current clients.

He hadn’t even gone over it with her. He’d left her a sheet of hand written notes with his impressions.

He sat in his car, in a parking lot, thinking that everything that had been true about his life up to this point could be forgotten. He was caught up in a wave of cowardice, yes. He was afraid.

It shouldn’t have been a revelation. Bill Masters had marks on his bones to prove just what sort of awfulness there was to be afraid of in his ugly world. But it came over him like a wave, a great slideshow of spinning images. He could smell his own blood smeared across his face, and he could feel the thick-hot-pads of his father’s fingertips gripping his face. The smell of liquor seeping through the spaces in his teeth as he sneered at Bill like he was nothing at all, hissing:

Aren’t you ever going to learn? Aren’t you ever going to learn, boy?

Bill had learned plenty in his father’s house. He’d learned it in his mother’s kitchen pressing ice against his aching face. He’d learned it in his bedroom long after dark winding shop-lifted medical tape around his broken fingers. He’d learned all he needed to learn about the worth of a man, standing in front of his teachers, telling them he’d been boxing with his kid brother again.

The wave dragged him onward, swirled him around the panic of finding yourself suddenly orphaned on the steps of a school you’d never heard of. It caught him in a paralyzing moment, when all his instincts demanded he beg the man that broke his fingers to take him back. But Bill Masters never begged anyone in all his life. He’d stood there with a straight back and one crooked finger on his left hand, and he’d let it happen.

On and on and on it went.

All those lost and forgotten years of his life, all the mistakes. The image of Libby across a room. The memory of touching her hand for the first time, how purposefully he’d kissed her cheek. How he’d memorized facts about her that he’d learned from his friends. How he’d convinced her that he loved her because his heart was aching.

Oh hell, he was sitting in a car in a parking lot, drowning in the certainty that there was no way forward and no way back. He would exist only in that moment, for all the rest of time, because anything else was unbearable.

His phone chimed from where he’d dropped it on the passenger seat, and he thought (just for a millisecond) that he could throw it out the window. That it was as likely to be from work, or Libby, or Virginia, or nobody at all, as it was to be from--

But it was from Alec, right there in black and white, the words:

Don’t forget to tell me how it goes with number three.

Miller had not invited him up for a quick cup of tea. She hadn’t suggested they meet at a nice sandwich shop in town. She hadn’t indicated that she thought it would be a good use of either of their times to stand awkwardly opposite one another in front of a teenager at the start of what was rapidly becoming a long shift.

That was because Miller had never answered the text he’d sent her.

She had declined to answer his call.

“Well,” she said when she recovered the ability to speak, “you really are Britain’s Worst Detective.”

“I’ll buy you lunch?” Hardy offered. It had taken more effort than he would ever have admitted to find himself standing opposite Miller in this little sandwich shop. The first order of business had been finding an excuse to run into her sister, and the second had been convincing the sister that he really was interested in how Miller was doing.

(The fact that Hardy did miss her had not helped him sway the sister’s mind.)

He couldn’t drive, so he had to hire a cab to bring him out to meet her.

And now Miller just sighed to herself with something like a smile pulling at the edge of her lips. “Well, if you’re offering.”

She ordered; Hardy found them a table. It was tucked into a corner out of the way of most of the tables. The sort of place that you sat and ducked your head and talked about confidential things. It suited the purpose of his meeting, all except for the garish little angels dangling from the frilly green garland hung across the window.

“I don’t suppose you’ve come to tell me that you’re dying,” Miller said as soon as she was sitting. She unwrapped the edges of her sandwich with a proud nod to herself. Whether that was for her excellent culinary choices or her wit, it couldn’t be determined.

“Uh,” Hardy said.

“Oh God,” Miller said before he could say another word. “It’s not, is it? Shit. Tell me it’s not.”

“Calm down, Miller. I’m not dying.” At least not any faster than he’d been dying last time they’d met one another.

He cleared his throat as she squinted at him with exaggerated interest. Her eyes took in his messy hair, his unpressed shirt and settled on his fidgeting hands resting on the table.

“Well, you’re not very trustworthy are you? Chasing after murderers when you already knew your heart was--” There must not have been a word she wanted to use there because she just cleared her throat again and said, “so, what is it? Why did you need to see me?”

(Hardy had toyed with the idea of telling her that he was lonely. He had thought very seriously about telling her that he did miss her, and that he hoped she was doing as well as one could do under the circumstances. It was just, no matter how he phrased it in his head, it didn’t sound very much like the sort of thing he’d say to her.)

“I want your help,” he said, “I want your help with Sandbrook.”

“I think I’ve had enough of child murderers for the year,” Miller said. “Frankly, I would have thought you had enough of them for a lifetime. Is this what you came for? Is this really what you came for?”

“Miller,” he cut in before she could start lecturing him. Not because he didn’t deserve it or because she didn’t deserve to be able to say her fill. Because their time was short and he only had the one chance to make his case. “The medicine they’ve been giving me for my heart--it’s not working.”

“So you are dying.”

“It’s not working as well as it needs to work,” he amended. “I’m going to have to get a pacemaker in the spring and when I wake up in that hospital bed, I don’t want--”

He frowned at his own knuckles. At the memory of a little girl’s hair tangled around his fingers, at the terrible, cold weight of her body up against his. He thought of her mother, and of the picture in his wallet.

Hardy cleared his throat before he said, “I don’t want to wake up there, still not knowing what happened. Whoever killed those girls, I want them brought to justice.”

Miller was leaning back in her seat, arms over her chest, trying not to look like she cared about him. It was quite a beating she’d taken lately. The sort of thing that was enough to change a person for the worse in a way they couldn’t ever quite recover from. There was a hard shell that Miller had tried to construct around herself, but the kindness in her eyes hadn’t changed at all. She looked sideways, not at him, frowning at the proposal before her. “Why me?” she asked.

“I value your work, and your opinion, and I can’t do this alone.” God knows he’d tried.

“I don’t know if I can,” Miller whispered.

Hardy nodded at that. “If you can’t,” he conceded, “you can’t.”

@it-is-ineffable, @marvelmisha, @e3105eb, @may-darling, @bigleosis, @stardust-andwine, @echelongaga, @imnotokaywiththerunning, @heirofsarcasm

#public relations: the fic #Bill Masters #Alec Hardy #illogical husbands #grouchy bastards in love

59 notes · View notes

baekhyuq · 5 years

Text

“Déjà vu.” | Baekhyun (m) Teacher!AU |Chapter 6 (FINALE)

Title: Dèjá Vu.

Genre: Smut, Fluff, Angst (maybe)

Warnings: Smut/Language

Word count: 2.3k

Summary: Your new obsession as of late has been masturbating sessions when your favorite cam boy is live-streaming . But too bad some nights you’ve got too much homework due from your Psychology teacher to watch your oh so hot cam boy.

deja vu masterlist

<<prev — end ]

Your classes become busy and you’re thrown into a pile of work. Work. Work. And more work. Baekhyun sighs on the couch as you type up an essay due at midnight.

“Shouldn’t you be grading papers?” You pinch his side playfully. He yelps and whines like a baby.

“I’m surprisingly not busy. I don’t know if i’ve finished my work load or the month is just going by in slow-mo.” Baekhyun chuckles rubbing your thigh. “I hope it is....Because I don’t want you to leave my class.” He pouts, his pink bottom lip on display.

Can he stop being cute.

You turn to him and see his pouty face, you grin grabbing his chin before bringing his face towards yours. You give him a peck, before going back in and lingering. Baekhyun leans closer and you pull back with a giggle.

Tease.

Baekhyun growls and smacks your thigh lightly. “Maybe I should fail you for teasing me all the time.”

You punch his arm out of the sheer thought of having to retake his class and sitting through hours of material. Your blood began to boil at the mention of the already very difficult class.

“I don’t think you’d be alive to teach that class if you did.” You slid your hand up his arm and rested it on his shoulder, giving it a very hard squeeze. He looked at your hand before looking back at you, swallowing thickly.

“Am I clear?”

“Y-yes ma’am.”

“That’s more like it.” You pinched his chin.

***

Baekhyun’s job got busier. Teaching at a college was surprisingly busy around the summer time. You rarely got to see him during the week, your promise to watch movies on Thursday’s being thrown out the window because Baekhyun would be out of town or too busy with classes.

You on the other hand were not so busy. Classes had ended for you, you’re second semester now over, Baekhyun’s class now over. You luckily passed.

Your spare time was spent waiting for Baekhyun to text you and keeping up with your small plant sanctuary. And of course working, you would think about what coffee Baekhyun was drinking if it wasn’t the store you worked at. He tried to check up on you once in a while, and sometimes even swing by the store to give you food and kisses, which you gladly accepted.

But being without Baekhyun for a month put a toll on your heart. You felt lonely without your favorite person by your side. You wanted to feel his presence, you both would FaceTime each other when Baekhyun was away. You could see how tired Baekhyun would be and would tell him to go to sleep. You both would sleep on the phone until morning.

You started going out more, well if going to Chanyeol’s club every Friday night counted. You basically tried to busy yourself while you had time off. Going out once in a while cleared your mind.

Your body swayed to the music, Chanyeol’s hand in yours as you both yelled with the music. Being best friends with the owner of a club gave you a say in what songs to play.

The lights flickered off the walls and the alcohol in your system made you blur the different colored lights into one. Your drunken buddy also prove to everyone in the club he was piss drunk as well. By falling over a stool and spilling his drink.

You helped the laughing giant up and luckily the mess was cleaned up before anyone else could slip. Chanyeol’s laughter was suddenly contagious and you ended up laughing at his drunk clumsy self.

You both ordered a round of shots.

“Yeol!” You slapped his arm as he took the shot from you.

“I think you’ve had enough, Y/n.” He slurred, his speech now gibberish.

You shook your head, you weren’t as drunk as him. Chanyeol kissed your cheek in an apology and you fake vomited.

Ten minutes and a couple more shots later you’re both back on the dance floor, a girl dancing between you both rather erotically.

You choose this moment to facetime Baekhyun. You smile evilly.

Baekhyun picks up after two rings.

“Hey-woah.” Baekhyun’s cut off by you showing the girl dancing on you. You laugh at his widened eyes and opened mouth.

“Baekhyun here’s your replacement.” You joke to him, bringing the phone up to your face.

Baekhyun laughs, “Y/n are you drunk?”

“Are you drunk?” You say back to him, your eyes squinting at the screen.

“No honey i’m completely sober.” His laugh makes another appearance and you laugh too. What’s funny?

“No i’m sober, you....you’re drunk!” Your mouth stumbles over the words. Baekhyun’s leaning his head on his hand, a small smile on his face.

“Oh yeah?”

“Yeah!”

“Ok, if you’re sober when’s your birthday?”

“May 6, 1992.” You shout.

“That’s my birthday....”

“Mine too!” You drop your phone by accident and you drop to your knees to see why Baekhyun is suddenly on the ground.

“Baekhyun why did you fall??”

Baekhyun laughs loudly, his laugh turns into a wheeze. His face reappears on the screen and you pick up the phone staring at his laughing figure.

“Why are you laughing Baekku?” You pout sadly.

“Oh Y/n, you’re so adorable.” He wipes a tear from his eyes, “Sweetie wheres Chanyeol, let me speak to him.”

You turn your head to the silver headed giant, you tap his shoulder and he turns to you confused.

“Oh Y/n!”

You push the phone into his face and Baekhyun sees his friend’s surprised expression.

“Baekku wants to talk.” You say cutely, Chanyeol coos at you before answering the phone.

“Hello Baekku.” Chanyeol slurs.

Baekhyun face palms, of course he’s drunk too. “Ok Chanyeol, listen to me.”

“Baekhyun why aren’t you here?” Chanyeol barks at the phone. “We’re having so much fun!”

“Chanyeol!” Baekhyun shouts, “I need you to take Y/n home, she’s too drunk. I don’t want anything to happen to her. Do you understand?”

Chanyeol stares at the phone for a second his slow brain turning the stuck gears. “Take Y/n home now? Ok got it!” His friend gives him a thumbs up and Baekhyun sighs.

“Ok thank you make sure she’s safe.”

***

“Agh! You’re so heavy now Y/n what do you eat nowadays?” Chanyeol complains as he carries you to your apartment door.

You pat his butt, your figure thrown over his shoulder. “I eat the same amount you do,” You hiccup “shut up!”

Chanyeol opens your door with a struggle but places you down in your bed successfully.

“Ok, Baekhyun we made it!”

“You didn’t have to have me on the phone for the whole trip there...” Baekhyun sighs, his eyes tired.

Chanyeol yawns, “My head hurts, Baekku.” He whines cutely.

You agree with a groan, wrapping yourself in your blanket.

Baekhyun gags at Chanyeol’s cute act but nonetheless helps. “Go into Y/n’s bathroom, there are pain pills on top of the cabinet.”

Chanyeol stands to travel to the bathroom and comes back with pills and a glass of water. He offers you some kindly, which you take.

“Y/n~” Baekhyun calls, You respond with a giggle before crawling over to your forgotten phone on your bed.

“Yes?”

“Tell Chanyeol to sleep on the couch give him a pillow and a blanket. I don’t trust him getting back to his house this late.” He instructs you, you salute.

Chanyeol’s wrapped in a blanket and his head is laying on your rilakkuma pillow. He looks like a baby.

“Mission is a success.” You say into the phone.

“You didn’t have to wrestle me on to the couch. I would have went willingly.” Chanyeol says from under the cover.

Baekhyun laughs, “You forced him under the cover?”

“Yes. He’s ready for bed now.”

“Okay, Y/n.”

“Yes?”

“It’s time for you to go to bed too.” Baekhyun says softly, his eyes peering down onto the screen.

“Okay...” You pout, “I miss you. Goodnight.”

“I miss you too. Goodnight, my baby.”

***

After the busiest month in the summer Baekhyun’s work load died down, you got to see him more and more till he had full days off and you were able to watch movies on Thursday again. You both became closer, really close, close enough to convince one another to move in with each other.

So you moved in with Baekhyun.

Living with Baekhyun has been, interesting. You found out more about him and his little knacks. You found out he has a Rilakkuma toothbrush, and you gushed over it for about three hours. You found out that his corgi pup actually can get along with cats. Which is a plus for your cat. You both think the move was worth it and you both feel like you know one another on a deeper level.

You love Baekhyun.

You can’t keep holding onto his secret anymore. You feel like you might accidentally slip up and mention it somehow and you don’t want him finding out in some weird way. But you don’t want to embarrass him either.

It’s been a while since Baekhyun has did a live, he hasn’t in about 6 months. His fans comment about his disappearance and think he just quit all together. Until one lonely night while Baekhyun’s out of town on a rare business trip, you get a notification.

B-Bear is now live. You audibly gasp, almost choking on your Cola.

“He’s what now?” You whisper yell. You click on the notification and it sends you straight to the website. You can see his hand in front of the camera before he adjusts the phone to be propped on something. You can see his body is covered in a glistening sheen. Your mouth waters, he’s wearing a black robe and it’s opened showing everything. His dick is definitely hard, his hand is moving up and down slowly over his length.

You can only see from his lips down but you imagine his eyes are closed.

“It’s been a while, huh?” Baekhyun says with a smile. You laugh at his casual tone, as if he’s talking to a friend.

“I actually have a lot going on in my life.” He breathes out, a sense of heaviness in his voice.

“My jobs been very busy, and my girlfriend just moved in with me.” He smiles at the end of his sentence, his head rolling to the side.

You smile hard.

“She’s been so great, helping me in anyway she possibly can. Giving me advice and encouraging me through everything. I just-“ He pauses before inhaling deeply. “I just like her so much. She makes me feel...whole.”

The chat on the live is blowing up with hearts and messages asking who his girlfriend is or asking where he’s been. You lay on your stomach as he continues to speak.

“Being in love has changed my outlook on the world and all it has to offer. My girlfriend....Y/n, she is what I see in this world. Her well being, her needs, her love. My sunshine on a rainy day,” He trails off, his hand moving so fast he grunts. “She’s so perfect, so gentle and kind, and so soft. I love her.”

Baekhyun’s breathes start to become heavier and you think it’s the right time to confess to him.

Despite him scrambling to find his phone when you ring him up, he answers your call fast. You giggle on the other side of the line, nervously playing with your blanket.

“I love you too.” You say.

Baekhyun’s head turns back to the camera and you believe he’s looking at the chat.

“W-what-“

“I’m watching, I am CupidBaby.”

“D-did you hear all of that?” He stutters profoundly, his jaw is hanging open now, he can’t move.

“Yes....I-I’ve been watching you for almost a year now. Before we even met.” You confess, even though he can’t see you, your cheeks are red and you’re scared of his response.

“I-Why didn’t you tell me? Why’d you keep it from me?” The end of Baekhyun’s lips turn up you watch as he takes a pillow and covers himself. “Gah! This is so embarrassing Y/n.”

You grin at his cute reaction, you can see he’s flustered even through the screen. “I’m sorry Baekhyun, I was too embarrassed to tell you. When I found out it was you we were at the museum. In the bathroom, I heard you.”

Baekhyun jumps up from his seat, pointing at the camera. “Yah! I knew I heard your voice.” Baekhyun ends the live quickly and he calls you to FaceTime.

You answer and smile at his blushing face. “I really can’t believe you, Y/n.” He says embarrassed.

“Hey...It’s not the worst thing you could be found out for.” You try to make him feel less embarrassed about the situation. You feel guilty but you can hear the playfulness in his tone.

There’s a long pause as you two just stare at each other, longingly.

“I meant it.” He states.

You furrow your brows, “What?”

“What I said, I meant it.”

“What did you say?”

“I love you.”

Your heart does a 360 spin, you swear in this moment Baekhyun is the most precious being on the planet. Nothing else matters but him right now, and all he has to offer.

“I meant it too, I love you Baekhyun. With all my heart.”

Baekhyun’s smile lights up the screen, his cheeks round and his eyes sparkling.

“Wow, i’m not even horny anymore. I was thinking about you earlier and I couldn’t resist coming back to do live again...But being caught like that really through me off.” He laughs loudly.

You giggle at his statement. Even in this moment he’s joking. “I miss you. I miss your jokes and your hugs.” You confess.

Baekhyun smiles again, teeth showing, he kisses the phone. “There, that should hold you off until tomorrow.”

You pretend to catch the kiss and place it on your lips. “I’ll savor it until you get here.” You smile at the man of your dreams.

“You better.” He chuckles, his eyes wandering around your face. “It’s late, sweetie. You should go to bed.”

“I don’t want to...but since you’re asking nicely. I guess I will give in.” You tease, “Goodnight, I love you.”

“I love you too, always. Goodnight.” Baekhyun replies a soft smile on his face before the screen goes black.

You smile to yourself, holding your phone to your chest.

Moments like these you cherish. Moments where you feel like you’ve known Baekhyun from a previous life. Like you’ve never been separated from one another. As if your love had been living before you found each other.

It almost gives you Déjà vu.

taglist: @deliciouslydisturbed365 @92byunie @thenamethatisgiven @lavellanfriendliness @amandoaexo

(Thank you so much for keeping up and reading this series, it’s come to a bittersweet ending, I am sad to see it go. But this was my very first series that has been completed so it will hold a special place in my heart. I thank everyone so much for supporting me with this story.)

220 notes · View notes

chloe-clegane · 4 years

Text

My Devotion and Mah Protection, Our Love - Chapter 2

Summary: Rayla and Callum arrive in Katolis and bring good news with them!

AO3

Prev Chapter

THE KING COMMANDS A FAMILY HUG

Rayla and Callum were already planning to leave for Katolis in a week to make it back in time for Ezran’s birthday. They decided to keep the engagement to themselves so that their families would hear it first. Rayla sent a letter to Ethari the same day they set out. She figured it’ll arrive before they make it to the human kingdoms but that shouldn’t matter too much.

The trip back was exceptionally enjoyable, it was just the two of them riding through Xadia, it reminded him or the first time. The March days were growing warmer and they spent them enjoying the sun and making pit stops to goof off. But the nights were still cold, and body heat was clearly the most efficient way to keep the chill out of their tent. With no one around to stop them, their passions raged freely. Each night after making love they would lay naked in each other’s arms and talk about the future. Everything from the ideas for the wedding, what they want to do after all the battles and conflicts were over. Rayla wasn’t sure if she wanted to commit her life to the Dragon Guard and live the same life as her parents. Callum wanted children and Rayla wasn’t opposed, neither felt even remotely close to ready and that was ok.

Callum relished every moment with Rayla on their trip, her jokes, and her laughter, the way she would turn round to look at him over her shoulder and smile. The feel of her skin under his fingers and the sound of her gasping his name… and the way her horns fit perfectly in his hands while her mouth set every nerve in his body on fire.

For years now they’ve been traveling facing threats of war and attack, Aaravos and his minions are out there now and the world is holding its breath to see what happens next. There have been reports of mages going missing across Xadia but no encounters since their close call a few months ago. But somehow despite it all, this trip gave him a beautiful feeling of freedom. That the two of them could live in this bubble forever. Callum knew his head was in the clouds but luckily Rayla balanced him out as the pragmatist. So every night he casts an illusion and during the day he would mask their tracks with different spells. They were careful but still carefree.

Kissing at sunset and pulling pranks on each other with fart flowers, they were two dorks in love.

Callum hadn’t thought ahead to the fact that their Shadowpaw mounts would draw attention as they rode into his home. When they arrived through the main gates of the city and traveled through town It was a mixed reception. Anytime elves came through human cities or vice versa it brought raised eyebrows and disapproving glances. It was at least an improvement from open hostility. As they rode, they turned heads. Some were surprised and in awe of the foreign creatures, some were happy to see their prince return and others were distrustful and judgmental. He didn’t care for the sneers and aggressive looks that were directed at Rayla. They made him angry but also defiant.

Rayla’s body language was tense, her spine was straight and stiff and her hands clenched the reins so her knuckles were starting to turn white. He rode a little closer and reached for her hand. She flinched and hesitated to take it.

Callum leaned in to speak to her “Rayla, it’s ok. Take my hand, I want people to see us, I’ll not going to be ashamed.” Rayla smiled nervously. “I love you.”

“I love you too Callum.” She still signed.

“It may not feel like it but you are welcome here.” He kissed her hand.

She looked up at the castle’s tall towers sadly “It… I guess… Coming here always brings up the guilt.”

“I know. But the past is the past.”

“And the future is what we make it.” Rayla finished the mantra statement with attempted confidence.

“See! You got this Rayla, we got this” Callum would always be her cheerleader. He knew being here was a source of remorse, the first time she came to this castle was on a mission to kill. She remembers a version of herself who was reckless, angry and didn’t value her own life. The woman she’d become didn’t deserve to feel this way, Callum was certain of that. She squeezed his hand and released it with a smile. She kept her chin up the rest of the ride. He knew she was trying to fake it’til you make it .

When they reached the main courtyard they were greeted by a few guards and a very confused stable boy. He took the reigns of the shadowpaws cautiously, holding them a little away from himself. Callum noticed his unease, “Don’t worry they’re friendly, see.” He gave them scritches behind their ears and they nuzzled him in return. The stable boy still looked apprehensive.

“Wha-What do I feed them?” He asked timidly.

“Oh, yeah. Give them oats and birdseed, there some be some in the saddlebags. Fish is great too. They do not like hay. This one is Bubby and that one’s ChiChi.”

Bubby nuzzled the stable boy and he jumped. When it was clear the creature wouldn’t eat him he quickly warmed up to them.

“I’ll take good care of them your highness” He gave a small bow to both him and Rayla and left after Callum thanked him.

Rayla smiled at Callum. “Maybe yer right, looks like things from Xadian aren’t so scary once you get’tae know them” He squeezed her hand.

“Exactly, humans and elves are warming up to each other. I think in time, it’s only going to get better. Both sides just need to realize, they aren’t so different” She kissed him and gave him the I’m proud of my big’ol goofy human smile.

“And you think we’re going to show people?” she said with teasing skepticism.

“I do!” He pulled her close by the waist and kissed her on her beautiful perfect lips. “We’ve already started to change the world, I think we can keep it up. Now come on, let’s go find my brother”.

Ezran was in the middle of holding court when they arrived. The guard insisted they be formally announced as they entered. “Your Majesty, his Highness Prince Callum has arrived, accompanied by Rayla of Silvergrove.”

“CALLUM! RAYLA!” Ezran jumped from the throne and ran past the startled crow lord. He nearly knocked the couple over with the force of his hug. “I’m so glad you’re here! This is already an amazing birthday, I missed you both so much!”

Rayla chuckled “We’ve missed you too Ez!”

Callum put his hands on his hips “Uhhhh, How was I going to miss your birthday? My little brother is a teenager! How wacky is that?” Callum gave him another hug. Ezran had grown a few more inches since ley last saw him. Long past were the days of Callum crouching to embrace him. Callum had a feeling he was going to be tall like their dad.

Janai had been sitting in a seat of honor beside the dais of Ezran’s throne. As visiting royalty she was allowed to formally sit in on his courts. Her and Aunt Amaya joined to give the travelers a hug. Opeli also chimed in with how good it is to see both of them.

“Opeli, Crow Lord, I think we can be done for the day.” His little brother gave the orders in a very kingly voice but immediately switched back to his regular goofy self.

“As you wish my king.” The Crow Lord bowed and left with his cart, Opeli began rolling up a few scrolls and placing them in a box.

Ezran was beaming and rambled on with questions “Rayla how’s your shoulder? Did you have a nice ride here? Did you get me a cool birthday present? What’s the earth nexus like? How’s the earth primal magic? Callum are you good at it?”

Rayla laughed “Ez slow down, I’m doin’ fine, the trip was...” she smirked a little “pleasurable. Even under torture, I wouldn’t tell you a thing about any present.”

Callum tried to take over “It’s really green and muddy. I’m do-”

Rayla cut him off “He’s havin’ a bit’o trouble and falls on his arse quite a bit”

His brother found that hysterical and he felt the need to defend himself “Hey! I’m getting better especially since we-”

“Had a very nice swim” Rayla caught him from slipping the secret. As with a lot of his magic, love seemed to strengthen him. He wasn’t sure why but after they got engaged some of the spells started to feel a bit easier.

Ez looked confused “Why did swimming help you with earth magic? Also, Rayla you hate water.” Amaya seconded that question. They both wore confused smiles.

Callum noticed Rayla was trying not to blush, which made him happy. “We… well… it was such good quality time. Right Rayla?”

“ Yeah ” She grinned still trying to be nonchalant “it was just the perfect evenin’.” Earlier they talked about telling everyone at dinner. But the way Rayla smiled at him made him giddy.

“Love goes a long way.” He sighed when he looked at her, like the lovesick fool he is.

“Uuuhh, guys? You’re doing that weird thing where you look at each other and talk without talking.” Ezran had raised an eyebrow suspiciously at the two of them “What’s up?”

Exactly as Ezran described, they asked one other for permission, both bubbling with delight they nodded. “WE’RE GETTING MARRIED!” They shouted it in unison.

Ezran’s jaw hit the floor. “ WHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!?”

Amaya and Opeli shared a look of shock and concern.

“We love each other” Callum started before trading off finishing each other’s sentences.

“and we know we never want tae be apart”

“so logically. It’s time that we”

“get married!” They both finished with bursting enthusiasm. Callum wrapped his arm around her and she pulled herself closer. “We couldn’t be happier if we tried!” he tilted his head to rest on hers.

Callum was surprised and proud at just how well synchronized that was. It just confirms his convictions about how perfect they are together.

Amaya was uneasy but Opeli spoke first. “You’re both very young are you sure about this?”

The couple had expected this question “Hey I’ve studied Katolian history, plenty of royalty has married younger than us. I’ll be 18, and Rayla 19 in just a few months”

“Prince Callum keep in mind those were political marriages, maybe you should-”

“Well, this is too, right? In a way”.

“We love each other” Rayla insisted. “There’s no questionin’ it. We want our relationship tae be seen for what it is. Lovin and true, taken seriously No more slinkin’ about”

Callum’s mind went to what they do when they’re slinking. “You wouldn’t have to worry about a licentious prince getting caught if it’s with his wife.” Callum snickered for a moment before realizing what he had just said. Licentious Prince was a name Rayla teased him with privately. His aunt glared at him with narrowed eyes. He frantically tried to back peddle. “Uh-I mean-it-I-if I was hehe, you know hypothetically” Rayla’s red face was in her hands. “I would never-Uh-but Rayla is so beautiful and uh-um-so as my wife… we would-”

Rayla shoved her hand over his mouth and groaned “You all know Callum and I aren’t stayin’ apart, so tae speak. It’s silly for us tae pretend we aren’t.” He was eternally grateful she was willing to clear up his messes. He could only imagine how often she’ll be forced to do it the rest of their lives. She’s his angel.

Opeli spoke up once more. “Just to be clear, and know I ask this as gently as possible. Is there anything we should know, any reason we should expedite things?”

”Like what?” Callum had no idea what she meant and Rayla looked confused.

“Anything that could cause scandal? At this point Callum it’s better if you just tell us now.”

“Tell you what?” He cocked his head to the side.

She looked exasperated and turned to Rayla “are you in a delicate condition?”

Rayla made a face and looked offended “When have I ever been delicate? Have you met me?”

His aunt rolled her eyes and signed, “Are you pregnant?”

Rayla didn’t need that translated. Both he and Rayla immediately went into separate rambling versions of “No”

Ezran just stood to the side cringing at the scene in front of him. “Uhhhhhhh anyways….”

Callum and Rayla both tried to regain their composure and Opeli breathed an audible sigh of relief.

Aunt Amaya’s face softened, she approached him and placed her hand on his shoulder to get his undivided attention before she began signing. “You two are young and... passionate” She cringed slightly, “I know you’re in love and that’s very real, I respect that. But I worry-”

“Aunt Amaya, this isn’t just about, wanting to do that...” He side glanced at his brother. “Sandwich husband and wife thing.”

“Caaaallllum!” Ezran groaned “we’ve discussed sandwiches, I know what you’re talking about.” Now his brother was the one to roll his eyes. “I’m a teenager in 5 days. You just talked about making babies, I’m not an idiot” Callum winced, and looked to Rayla for help. She had her face in her palm and was muttering obscenities under her breath. Their excited, joyful announcement has devolved into a wretched mess.

Their Aunt put her hand up to silence everyone and began to sign. “Callum, please I want to say something important”. He sighed and gave his aunt his attention. “When we lost your mother, I made a promise to myself. You and your brother were her world, she loved you both so much. To honor my big sister I swore I would always protect you, not just your safety but your happiness too. I know that’s what she would have wanted.” Callum hadn’t expected this kind of heartfelt speech. He felt his eyes start to tear up. “So I have to ask you, Callum, is this what you want? I’ve never been married myself, I can’t give advice” She gave a quick side glance to Janai. “But I do know it’s a serious commitment. Vows should never be taken lightly and forever is a very long time. Are you certain that you both love each other, truly? And will this bring you happiness? Not just for today but for your whole life?”

Callum quickly dabbed a tear before it could roll down his cheek, he looked to Rayla and smiled, she smiled back at him and her eyes offered all their support. He mustered his conviction and looked his aunt straight in the eyes “Yes, Rayla is the person I love. In my entire life, I’ve never met someone so kind, smart and brave. She makes me laugh and smile constantly. She makes me better, braver. We were brought together, maybe by destiny or fate or something to save Zym and end the war. We’re meant for each other. I want a future with her more than I’ve wanted anything. I would give up being a mage to be with her. I know we’re young but it doesn’t matter. I know Rayla is the person I want, forever.” He signed some of the words to emphasize them to her. When he finished his declaration he looked to Rayla and saw that her eyes were glassy but still bright and she was smiling only at him.

His aunt smiled, she walked forward and took Rayla’s hand and then Callum’s before bringing them together. Then she stepped back and signed “Then I give my blessing and I truly believe your mom would too.”

Callum squeezed her hand and she leaned forward to give him a small soft kiss.

Rayla turned to the general and signed a little awkwardly “Thank you”. It was one of the basic signs he had taught her.

Ezran spoke up, “You don’t even need to ask me for my blessing! This means Rayla will officially be my sister now and I’m all for that. She’s a part of our family!”

Rayla chuckled and destroyed any evidence of her tears. “I feel the same way about you Ez.”

“Good, because THE KING COMMANDS A FAMILY HUG!” every guard in the room felt the need to repeat him.

Amaya didn’t hesitate to scoop up Callum, Rayla and Ezran, lifting them off the ground and crushing them, making git hard for them to laugh.

Opeli cleared her throat with a smile. “Your Majesty, if this is decided then I think we should discuss details. As your brother stated there are very good political reasons for this marriage, it unites both sides of a divide a millennium long. We have precedents for royal weddings, protocols for inviting dignitaries, there should always be a two week period to celebrate the announcement. I assume with ambassadors and nobility from Xadia we should anticipate at least 500 to 600 guests”.

Rayla started gaping like a fish and looked at Callum with wide eyes for help. Opeli continued “And then we have to discuss feas-”

“Whoah Whoah!” Callum put his arms up in defense “Rayla and I already talked about it and we don’t want a big spectacle”.

Rayla stepped forward and looked back and forth between Opeli and him. “We decided we want it tae be smaller, with only the people that count”

Opeli tried to interject but Callum continued their speel before she could. “and don’t worry, that includes some royalty and dignitaries so it’s still political or whatever.”

“Right!” Rayla agreed. “It’s our day, it’s about our love and our family so that’s what we want it tae be. You’re right, this is the first weddin’ between a Human and an Elf in basically forever, and we know how important that is but we don want tae be paraded and put on show”

“But-” Opeli started

“Ok” Ezran said plainly “You guys shouldn't have to be on public display for something like this” Opeli deflated.

The couple both smile thankfully and gave Ezran a nod.

“We want a traditional Moonshadow Elf ceremony, wiiiith some human touches,” Talking through the plan like this was making him excited.

“And” Rayla added, “we think it should be at the Moon Nexus, that way it’s ah place sacred tae mah people but still on Katolis soil”

“It’s a win-win!” Callum wrapped his arm around her and they both raised their arms in a ta-dah style. They had rehearsed their pitch and it went rather well.

Opeli looked impressed, “as long as the major royalty is invited then I suppose it is a good compromise. We still need to publicly announce it here at the castle”

“Muh only request is that I hear back from Ethari first, I sent him a letter before we left. I just need tae know he’s heard it from me, not by random word of mouth.” Rayla looked a little insecure. “I’m surprised I haven’t heard from him yet… “

Callum squeezed her shoulder reassuringly. “We will”

The throne room doors burst open and they all turned to see Soren enter a little winded. “HEY GUYS! Rayla, Callum, I missed you two! I heard you got here so I ran the whole way, it was good cardio. Anyways sorry I’m late, I was for sure totally not doing anything related to surprises or birthdays. Yup! Just the regular kind of not doing anything suspicious to make me late.” He coughed awkwardly. “Did I miss anything?”

Ezran jumped and threw up his arms. “CALLUM AND RAYLA ARE GETTING MARRIED!”

“WHAAAAAAAT!? You guys!!! Best missed conversation ever!” Soren’s excitement was genuine and Callum truly appreciated it. It sometimes baffled him that his once tormenter had become such a steadfast friend.

There was a discussion about announcements and a procession. Once Opeli was satisfied with the plan and had the need information to begin preparing Callum and Rayla were excused to go bathe and settle in before dinner. But before they left the throne room his aunt got his attention. “By the way, the licentious prince thing? You come by it naturally, your mom was a fucking horndog.”

Callum didn’t need to know that. “Please don’t”

“I’m telling you this because I’m a fun aunt, you always want to know what she was like” She was not being fun, she was messing with him. Callum’s face went beet red as he translated for Rayla who immediately broke into cackling laughter. She continued “I remember this one time-”

“NO!” Callum covered his eyes. “NO DETAILS. YOU’RE EVIL!”

Rayla was cackling “PLEASE, I wanna hear a good story, Callum don’ be rude” When he peeked through his fingers Amaya was hugging Rayla. “I’m going to my room!”. She was right, he always loved to hear stories about his mom but this was just… no.

He was glad to get ahead of her. If he cleans up quickly he’ll be able to sneak away for an errand.

#rayllum #older rayllum #rayllum fic #myfics #My Devotion and Mah Protection Our Love #fanfic #ao3 #the dragon prince #rayla #callum #sassy amaya #Opeli is long suffering #Ezran knows what sandwiches are #my fics

25 notes · View notes

gimmeyoon · 5 years

Text

Slayer: Only Human

✰ pairing: human!Jin x Slayer!reader

✰ setting: Buffy the Vampire Slayer AU

✰ word count: 4.5k

✰ warnings: explicit language, violence, underage drinking, angst as always

✰ summary: ❝Being the Slayer is not how you imagined spending your life, let alone your first year in college. You try to keep it together, but when an empath demon rolls into town you can’t help but vent to him. Now he knows exactly what makes the Slayer tick.❞

✰ A/N: hey listen, I know you crazy kids want Jin smut. And because I’m a loving and kind human, you will get just that. Just not until my beetlejuice fic comes out on Halloween. Enjoy this mostly SFW installment of Slayer until then.

Prev | Next

"Come on in, Join the fun, we're the girls of beta tau," Jimin cheered as you exited the large classroom where your sorority had just held chapter. "Wisdom, grace, and kindness, we're the girls of BTS, hey hey, I'm glad I'm in Beta Tau-"

"Shut up," you said, elbowing him in the side just as a few of the girls in your sorority walked by laughing at his antics.

"Well that certainly wasn't the display of kindness you'd expect from a Beta Tau girl," Jimin said, wincing as he stood now doubled over.

"Yeah, well I just got horrible news."

"What?" Jimin asked, his face growing serious as he walked out of the building with you. "Is the world ending again?"

"No," you sighed, pulling your jacket tighter around your body as you walked into the cool spring night. "But honestly it would be a little bit easier if it did. At least I wouldn't show up alone at the end of the world."

Jimin's brow furrowed as he stopped dead in his tracks. "What the fuck are you talking about?"

You let out an exasperated huff as you turned to face him, pouting. "I forgot we had our formal this weekend and I never found a date."

"Well if that's not the end of the world then I don't know what is," Jimin teased as he pulled you into a side hug. "Is this your way of asking me, _____? Is it okay if we go as just friends?"

"We'll be enemies in a second if you don't stop," you said shrugging his arm off of your shoulders. "Seriously, I'm going to look like an even bigger loser than they already think I am."

"Who cares what they think?" Jimin asked as you began walking again.

"I do," you insisted. "I only joined this sorority so I could try and make some normal friends and I'm too busy with the abnormal to actually do anything with them."

"I mean I feel like being the chosen one is a little bit better than being a Beta Tau girl," Jimin said with a shrug. "Plus, you have plenty of friends."

"It's a fucking sausage party," you said, rolling your eyes.

"I thought we were talking about your formal. No one said anything about having to fuck sausages."

"I will literally turn around and walk as far in the other direction as I can."

Jimin smiled widely as he knocked his shoulder against yours. "You can't get away from me that easily."

"I know I've tried," you said, fighting back a smile.

"Seriously though, all of your friends are guys, just ask any of us. Personally, I am always ready to get down."

"Don't we all know," you said, this time allowing a smile to break across your face. "Is it horrible to want to actually like the guy I invite?"

"No," Jimin said, shaking his head. "I think it's probably one of the most normal problems you've had to deal with in recent history."

"The last guy I liked turned out to be a demon, so it's not going great."

"You could always ask Taehyung," Jimin suggest, earning a hurried head shake from you.

"He's still doing that fun thing where he completely doesn't understand human interaction. Plus, the whole, let's murder all of your friends thing really killed whatever feelings I might have had for him."

"Awh, you do like me," Jimin teased, pulling you into his side again.

"Don't let it go to your head."

"Sorry I couldn't be hunkier for you," Jimin said, sighing dramatically.

You laughed in response lightly hitting him on the chest as you shook your head. Of course Jimin was good looking and you knew for a fact at least a few of your sorority sisters would be jealous to see him arrive with you, but that wasn't the point. The reason you selfishly wanted to go to this formal with a boy that you actually had a crush on was because that's what most of the other girls would be doing. A part of you wanted to prove to them that you weren't the weird outsider you feared they saw you as. You were just like them and if they had the chance to get to know you they would see that.

You were just like them.

Right hook and then left. You keep advancing forward, sending the vampire backwards until he bumps into a tombstone, stopping him in his tracks. He goes to move away, realizing just a moment too late that he is cornered.

You quickly stake him in the chest before turning to deal with his friend. You think she must have made him, because she's harder to fight. You taste metal as she smacks your head against a tombstone and quickly roll out of the way and to your feet before she can finish you off.

She pounces in your direction, but you're quicker this time, kicking her square in the gut, causing her to double over just long enough for you to stake her through in the back.

Your yourself double over as she turns to dust, catching your breath and wiping the blood from the corner of your mouth.

"I swear to god if this isn't healed by formal, I will find a way to resurrect her from the dead just to kill her again."

When you turn around to leave, you see Yoongi leaned up against a tombstone, a small smile on his face.

“Enjoy the show?”

“Very much so,” he said, falling step with you as you walk by. “My favorite actress stars in it.”

“Is that so?”

He hums in agreement.

“Hey,” you said, turning to face him. “how old are you?”

His smile widens at this. “Isn’t that a rude question?”

“Maybe,” you contemplated as you kept walking. “I guess I’m just wondering what kind of events you would have gone to as a human.”

“Why the sudden interest in my former human social life?” he asked, bumping his shoulder against yours.

“I have a formal this weekend,” you admitted. “I guess I was wondering if you ever went to any stupid balls or something.”

He looked at you with a furrowed brow as if he was trying to see you better. “You don’t want to go?”

“No, I do, I just-“ you started to walk away, frustrated that you couldn’t explain yourself well.

Yoongi reached out and grabbed your arm, stopping you. “I never went to any balls, as you called them. My father was a farmer.”

“Would you have wanted to go?” you asked, turning to face him.

“I don’t know,” he admitted. “I’ve been to many as a vampire, and I find them taxing.”

“Of course you do,” you laughed as you continue to walk back to your apartment.

"Did I say something?" Yoongi asked, following behind you.

"No, I'm just being very human recently."

"You are human."

You sighed. "It certainly doesn't feel that way."

Yoongi looked at you with the sort of seriousness Namjoon sometimes had and something in that look hurt more than you expected. Yoongi never looked at you like that; he always seemed to believe you could do anything. Now, there was something about this that seemed like he wasn't so sure.

"I gotta get going," you said motioning in the direction of your apartment. "Goodnight, Yoongi."

"I can walk you-"

"No," you said a little too forcefully. "I just want a moment to clear my head."

Yoongi nodded his head, the look on his face growing more serious. "Okay."

You wondered for a moment, as you walked away, if Yoongi would ask you to stop. If he would insist on walking with you.

But he didn't.

You weren't sure why you wanted that or what it would mean if he did. But for a moment you wished that he would run up and stop you and he would tell you everything would be okay and that formals were a stupid human thing that didn't matter when you considered the fact that you stopped the world from ending once.

But he didn't. And of course he didn't, because you told him not to.

Stupid human.

You've shoved yourself into so many different variations of polyester, satin, and tulle that you're starting to this the whole endeavor was pointless. Just as you had waited too long to find a date you had probably waited too long to find a dress as well.

Currently you’re zipping up a satin dress, one that's low cut with a slit up the thigh as well. You had been gravitating towards pieces that made you feel sexy in the hopes that you could at least feel hot at the dance even though you were sure to be constantly reminded of your future alone.

You open the door of the dressing room and walk to the communal mirror outside, where Jungkook and Jimin are waiting for you. You look at yourself in the mirror for a few moments, ignoring the boys until you're certain how you feel about the dress yourself.

"Well?" you asked, turning to Jungkook. The werewolf's eyes are wide when you meet them. "Are you okay?" you asked, causing Jungkook to nod his head quickly.

"It's good," he said, still nodding his head.

"You look hot," Jimin said, causing you to turn towards him.

You take a few steps forward and pull the dress up just enough to reveal the knife strapped to your thigh.

“What?" you said innocently, as Jimin raised an eyebrow at you. "An outfit is nothing without its accessories."

"I always considered you more of a gold girl," Jimin said, a smirk on his lips as he motioned to the silver blade.

"While gold might be better for my complexion," you said, before hiding the knife again, "silver's the only thing that keeps that puppy down."

"I didn't do anything," Jungkook insisted, standing from his seat.

"I'm just kidding, Kook," you said, Jimin and you laughing lightly at his intense reaction. "I didn't mean to hurt your feelings."

"You didn't hurt my feelings," he grumbled as he shifted his weight.

"I'll take the dog for a walk," Jimin said joining Jungkook, "and you buy that dress so I can have the hottest date at the formal."

"Well if you insist," you said, walking back to the dressing room.

As Jimin and Jungkook walked towards the store entrance you just barely heard the younger pouting, "You know dog jokes are actually really offensive."

"I don't really understand the point of this dance," Namjoon said, coming out of the stacks to join you at your usual table in the library. "You said every sorority and fraternity on campus does this?"

"Namjoon, I cannot keep explaining to you that where there is a will, there is a way, and Greek Life will never turn down a chance to drink and party."

"Yes, but why is it so stressful if the whole point is to have fun?"

You stared back at him, stumped by both the simplicity of his question and the fact that you did not have an answer for him. "Maybe it's just me who's stressed."

"No, I heard one of the girl's in my class complaining about it as well," Namjoon said passing you the book he had gone searching for.

"Of the great unknown," you said reading the cover.

"Homework," he said, pulling out the seat across from you and sitting down. "All seems to be quiet right now, so you can catch up on your studies."

"You do remember that I have a major event this weekend right? One that I won't shut up about?"

Namjoon laughed at this, his dimples appearing as he broke into a wide smile. "Yes, I do recall such an event."

"So, you realize there's no way I'm reading this."

"I'll pretend you didn't say that," Namjoon said shaking his head, as he pulled his own book out of his backpack. He looked up at you over his glasses as he sat the book down on the table. "Well," he said, motioning towards your book.

"Oh, we're starting now," you said, opening the book in front of you. "Always straight to business."

"It is my job," Namjoon said, his eyes beginning to scan the pages of his book.

Namjoon always looks right at home with a book. As he pushes his glass further up his nose bridge, you fight off a smile as you return your attention back to your own book. You might not be interested in learning more about whatever this old dead man found in the great unknown, but at least you'd get to spend a few more moments with Namjoon in the peace and quiet of the library.

Jimin was right, you did look hot in the dress. Objectively you could see that. So why did you feel like the ugly duckling as you paint your face?

You keep thinking about the other girl's in your sorority. They, no doubt, have gotten together with some of the girls to get ready together. To blast a girl power playlist and compliment each other until they all felt like goddess and then they would meet up with their dates and get plastered before the event. You didn't know any of them well enough to expect an invite and inviting them to your own apartment had the dangerous possibility of resulting in at best the reveal of the supernatural and at worst, death.

So you threw your own pity party, imagining what kind of advice your friends might give you tonight, or how they would compliment your lipstick. You played your own girl power playlist for a moment, but the realization that it didn't make you happy actually made you sadder. You had switched it to your training playlist. Sure it was meant to get you in the mood to slay vampires and demons, but it was helping to combat your metaphorical demons at the moment.

You're almost ready when you hear a knock at your door. Jimin is early which is very unlike him, so you yell that you'll be there in a moment while frantically trying to get your shoes on.

"How very punctual of you," you said with a smile as you opened the door, only to feel your face drop as you realized it wasn't Jimin at your door.

Seokjin smiled lightly as he presented you with a bouquet of peonies that matched the light pink of his blazer. “I don’t know if you consider me a step up from Jimin, but at least no one in your sorority knows me.”

"Hi," you said as you took the bouquet from him. "You look nice."

"I always look nice," he said, dramatically sweeping his hair back. "Tonight, I've reached my final from."

"How very "gotta catch them all" of you."

"Don't worry, I have only one catch on my mind tonight. I'll let the other dates keep their sorority girls."

"That's so kind of you," you said, shutting your apartment door behind you after depositing the flowers on the counter.

He smiled. "You could call it community service, it wouldn't be a stretch."

“Thank you,” you finally said as you walked to the sorority house. “You didn’t have to do this, I was being stupid about this for no reason.”

“It matters to you, so it’s not stupid.”

"I'm a little bit mortified that you even know about this. I mean this confirms my suspicion that the gang is gossiping about me behind my back."

"I wouldn’t call it gossiping exactly," Jin said with a light laugh. "It was more like Jungkook and Jimin asked me to help them study and Jungkook spent the whole time whining about Jimin assuming he would be your date."

"As if Jungkook would ever be caught dead at a function where he knows absolutely no one and has to put on a suit."

"That is almost verbatim what Jimin said."

You laugh at this, throwing your head back in delight. "I think that's the proof that we spend too much time together."

"Add giving you a break from Jimin to the list of good deeds I did tonight then."

"Oh it was already noted," you said, opening the door to your sorority house and ushering Jin in.

"_____!" One of your sisters, Soyeon cheered as you entered the house. "We were just about to take pictures, come join."

"This face was made to be photographed," Jin whispered as you joined the others on the stairs.

Nearly too many photos, a couple of shots, and a few awkward moments outside of what seems to be the main group of people later, you and Jin find yourselves on the bus to the hotel where the formal is being held.

You're a little surprised by how comfortable it feels just talking to Jin all night. Despite living next to each other and occasionally saving him from the forces from darkness, you and Jin have never spent extended periods of time just the two of you. He's usually so busy with his TA duties during the day and at night, while he's joined you on a patrol once or twice, it has almost always nearly cost him his life.

But he makes you feel at ease on the way to the formal, sharing little jokes with you and only you and for the first time in a while making it feel like you are an insider in this place. It doesn't hurt that you keep seeing your sisters looking at him with jealousy. You understand, perhaps more than you'd like to admit. Jin looks better than most of the other men on the bus.

"What do you think," Jin asked as you entered the main ball room. "Should I show my legal I.D. to the bartender and get us some drinks or should we stuff our faces at the buffet first?"

"I'm thinking team work," you replied. "You grab the drinks, I grab the food, and we meet in the middle at a table."

"I like the way you think," Jin said with a wink before making his way to the bar.

On your way to the buffet in the opposite direction, Momo stopped you.

"_____, right?" she said with a smile. "You and your boyfriend are really cute."

"Oh, Jin's not my boyfriend," you said a bit more quickly thank you would have liked, as Momo's eyes widened at the intensity of it.

"Oh, sorry I didn't mean to assume," she said, holding her hands up as if in surrender.

"No it's okay," you said, grabbing a plate from the buffet just as Momo took one from the other side.

"Honestly, I think more than a few people will be relieved to hear he's single," Momo laughed. "Myself included."

"Oh, don't tell him that. We don't need Jin to get an even bigger ego."

"I won't tell if you don't," Momo said before the two of you parted ways.

You find Jin sitting at a table in the middle of the room, smiling happily as he raises a glass to you. "All the drinks were themed, so I went for the one with the coolest name," he said.

"And that was?" you asked, passing his plate to him.

"The Marilyn Mon-oh no," he said, laughing before he could even finish saying the name.

You laughed along with him. "It sounds like my liver might regret this."

"Hey," he said, turning to you with a composed look. "Do you have a high tolerance?"

"Why? Want to know if I'm going to be a cheap date?"

"No," he said, smiling. "I'm just curious. I mean you heal quickly and are pretty much indestructible-"

"Oh, I am very much destructible,"

"So does that also effect how much alcohol it takes to get you drunk?"

"Yes," you said as you took a sip of the white colored cocktail. "Good thing it's an open bar."

"Interesting," he said, leaning back in his seat and looking off in the distance for a moment, before quickly turning back to you. "What else is effected?"

"Can we pretend I'm not the Slayer tonight?"

"Of course," Jin said, turning back to his food. "Just two very average humans enjoying an unnecessarily formal events."

"Everyone here thinks you're an above average human."

"As they should," Jin said with a wink.

"See anyone you like," you asked leaning in closer to Jin. "I can pretty much confirm that no one here is a demon."

"No, no, no," Jin said waving you off. "Tonight you're the only girl I see."

You try and fight the blush you feel spreading across your face, and take a sip of your drink to try and shake the way he's looking at you.

"Do you dance?" Jin asked, motioning towards the middle of the ballroom where a few couples have already made their way to the dance floor.

"Namjoon would say every fight is but a dance," you said, laughing lightly.

"Excuse me," Jin said turning to you with a serious look. "I'm pretty sure we agreed you're not the Slayer tonight."

"My mistake," you said, shaking your head. "Yes, I believe this very average girl does dance. Especially after a few more cocktails."

"Then a few more cocktails we shall have," he said, standing from his seat and making his way back to the bar.

It almost feels wrong how easily the night progresses. You and Jin have those drinks and even after making your way to the dance floor, you still can't fight the feeling that a demon should come crashing through the ceiling or a vampire will begin his feast on the floor. But it doesn't happen.

It's almost as if the forces of evil respect every girl's right to putting on a fancy dress and dancing the night away.

How kind of them.

"I don't think I've smiled this much in a while," you said as Jin finished his most recent interpretive dance.

"Good," he said, grabbing your hand and pulling you into him as a slow song began to play. "Then I've done my job."

"Thank you," you said, leaning your head against his shoulder as you swayed to the music.

"Thank you," he replied. "You know for saving the world all the time."

"All in a day's work."

"Yeah," he chuckled. "I know I'm more of a liability to the gang than I am an asset-"

"That's not true,"

"but I figured if I could make you happy tonight. If we could dance and eat and drink and pretend that nothing waited out in the night, then maybe I did my job."

You lean back to look at him, feeling moved by the serious look on his face. "You did a great job saving my world tonight."

"Maybe I'm the chosen one," he said wiggling his eyebrows.

"I wouldn't go that far," you laughed, leaning your head against his shoulder again.

By the time you and Jin are walking back to your apartment building, you with your shoes in your hand, something Jin spent minutes ranting about, you feel the most relaxed you have in a long time.

"You know, if you wanted to help us out more you could," you said, breaking the comfortable silence between the two of you. "Namjoon could train you for combat and I'm sure you would be good at helping him research."

"Yeah?" Jin asked, seeming to ponder that for a moment. "I might reach out to Namjoon then. And by reach out, I mean the next time I see him in the library I'll sit at the same table."

"Is he really always there?"

"At least whenever I am."

"I guess one of us has to be," you said, shrugging.

Jin bowed dramatically as he opened the door to the building for you, stumbling a little in his intoxication.

"Thank you, kind sir," you said with a laugh, stepping into the building, Jin following close behind you.

"Of course," Jin said, falling in step with you again. "I am nothing if not a gentlemen."

"Oh, of course," you laughed pressing the button in the elevator for your floor.

The two of you rode up to your floor in silence, both of you occasionally looking between each other and trying to fight back laughter.

"I believe this is your's," Jin said after the two of you walked down the hallway to your apartment.

"Why yes, I do believe it is," you said with a wide smile.

"I had fun tonight," Jin said, taking your hand in his and placing a light kiss to the back of it.

You felt your ears burn as he looked back up at you with a small smile. You're not sure if it's the way his hold on your hand lingers or the gratitude you feel for him helping you have fun tonight, but soon you're taking the few steps between the two of you and pressing your body to his, your free hand coming up lightly behind his neck. You lean in slowly, a bit fearful of his reaction, but he meets your lips in the middle and the world seems to slow as you kiss him.

For a moment you wonder if a simple thank you would have been enough to show your gratitude, but as his hand comes up to rest on your hip, you melt further into him, happy to blame the alcohol tomorrow for your behavior.

As you pull away, Jin seems to look at you with a new understanding, his eyes searching your face as you step back towards your apartment.

"Goodnight, Jin. Thanks for everything."

"Yeah," he said, shaking his head as if to clear an etch-a-sketch. "Goodnight, _____."

That night as you slip out of your dress, clean your face, and slip into bed, you wonder if this is the life you would have had if you weren't the Slayer. If you would kiss the boys that took you to parties and feel butterflies in your stomach as you replayed through the great night you had.

No, you think. Because you wouldn't have been such good friends with Jin if you weren't the Slayer. He would be the TA you lived next door to.

You would never get to laugh about punny drink names and his interpretive dancing. You would never place bets on who was going to be the first to vomit or dance under the faux starlight of the ballroom.

Maybe being the Slayer wasn't as bad as you had once thought. It had helped to create friendships you never would have dreamed of. It had brought all of you closer through your mutual quest to stop the forces of evil.

Ot at least in Jin's case, your mutual quest to try and survive the forces of evil.

Yes, you thought. You could get used to being the Slayer if it meant you would always have the Scooby gang by your side.

And if anyone tried to take them from you.

They didn't call you the Slayer for nothing.

#Jin fanfic #bts fanfic #jin smut #bts smut #magicshopnet #seokjin fanfic #seokjin smut #bangtan fanfic #bangtan smut #jin x reader #seokjin x reader #bts imagines #bts scenarios #bts writing

73 notes · View notes