#until her family scammed me and she didn't do more than just. say sorry time and time again which wasn't nice and didn't help anybody.

[dollyyun]

𝒐𝒏𝒆 𝒐𝒇 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒈𝒊𝒓𝒍𝒔 | chap 06

SYPNOSIS: wherein Hwang Stella's life is tangled in a predicament involving her clandestine identity as a racer, her seemingly daily life as the official heir to the Hwang Empire, and seven guys with whom she has a complex history with.

PAIRING: enhypen members x fem oc.

GENRE: 18+ (mdni), reverse harem, chaebols, semi-college & racing, eventual adulthood, non-idol au, eventual enha being f1 drivers, multiple pov (this fic is written in first pov).

WARNINGS: slight violence, expletives, trauma(?)

WORD COUNT: 5k+

TAGLIST: @aishigrey @kgneptun

🍒 MASTERLIST🍒

After I revealed the truth to some of the guys, they needed some time to grasp the revelation, and I decided to leave them to it, making my departure. Till now, I haven't received anything from Ni-Ki, Sunoo, or Heeseung. I wonder how they took the truth, as I couldn't decipher what they were thinking yesterday.

I mean, aside from my unfinished feud with Jay, will we finally reconcile and be the way we were before? Truth be told, I miss us. Things were simpler back then.

As for Stella, I guess she didn't have the heart to hear the full truth, given how she quickly took off running. I sigh. Until when will she keep running away? And why the hell do I care?

I brush away the thought, and at the same time, my phone goes off ringing. As I am lying on the couch, I lazily reach out for my phone on the coffee table before looking at the screen. My eyebrows furrow upon seeing an unknown caller.

I decide to answer it anyway. "If this is some scam call, you'd best to hang up before I track you down and make you sorry for even thinking to scam me."

There is a protracted pause before the caller speaks. "It's me, Stella."

I abruptly sit up, my eyes widening, before composing myself. "How did you get my number?"

"Sunoo gave it to me when I asked." Fucking Kim Sunoo.

I rub my temple. "What do you want, Hwang? Need me to tell you how I'm your heroine for saving you that night?"

I can already imagine the scowl on her face. "Now I'm regretting my decision to call you."

"Fine, fine." Curiosity gets the best of me. "What is the purpose of you calling your arch-nemesis?"

I can sense the hesitation. "I need your help."

I don't bother to hold back my chuckle. "My help? I'm honoured, but do pray tell why?"

"If I want to beat Rena, I need to be stronger than her." The fierce determination in her voice sparks something within me. "According to Sunoo, you're great at combat."

A soft smirk unfurls on my lips. "I'm flattered. But why me? I'm not the only one who is great at it. Jake and Jay are great at it too."

The three of us used to head to either mine or Jay's personal gym, and we used to work out and combat against each other.

"You already know why I can't ask them!" She says exasperatedly. "If you don't want to help me, just say so."

"Hold up, Princess. I never said I wouldn't help you."

"So you agree to help me then?"

"With pleasure." My smirk widens. "But you owe me."

She sighs. "What is it that you want?"

"When the time comes, I'll tell you." I glance down at my wrist watch. "It's settled, then. Meet me at my place at eight o'clock sharp. Bring along your swimsuit."

"What? But why─"

"I'm your coach now, aren't I?" I ask mockingly. "As my student, heed my instructions and don't ask any more questions."

It is peculiar yet interesting. Hwang Stella wants to be stronger than Hwang Rena. Even though I'm not one to snoop around, there's a part of me that is itching to find out what dysfunctional relationship Stella has with her family, which lies beneath the picture-perfect facade the Hwangs constantly display to the media.

─── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ──

I don't want to display my avidity for Hwang, but the thought of me coaching her brings a smirk to my lips. I know for a fact that I can't wait to train her and berate her if she doesn't meet my standard.

Oh, Hwang Stella, you're in for a ride.

"I still don't understand why I need to wear a swimsuit." Stella's annoying voice as she complains brings my attention to her.

I try to view her respectfully, but holy shit, has she been hiding and gatekeeping her curves all this while? I can feel my jaw going unhinging. She is donning a navy blue long-sleeve zippered swimsuit that displays her slender legs and accentuated curves.

"Hey! Sunghoon!" She snaps her fingers in front of my face, bringing me back to reality. "You haven't answered my question."

"As I said," Oh shit, my voice cracks a little. I clear my throat, hoping she won't notice. "Do not ask questions. I'm your coach, so I know better."

"I'm not moving until you tell me why we're here to swim when you know I can't." She ardently says with her arms crossed.

Hwang Stella and her stubbornness will be the death of me.

Nevertheless, I yield and sigh. "The more reason why we should start off by getting rid of your fear of pools first."

"And whose fault was that?" She asks rhetorically, glaring at me with a familiar sentiment.

"Consider this as my repayment." I sigh once more. "But the point is, you have to learn how to swim. What if something similar to the other night happens to you again? What if Hwang Rena succeeds in drowning you the second time and I'm not there to save you?"

She begins to waver at the mention of Rena. But then determination is like fury in her eyes. "I'm not going to let Rena succeed again."

"That's the spirit." I walk towards the pool before descending the stairs, the cool water hitting my skin as I go further down. I turn around to face her. "Let's start off by taking small steps." I extend my hand to her. "Go on."

No matter how much she tries to conceal it, the fear flickers in her eyes, but she eventually descends the stairs, though painfully slowly.

My patience starts to run thin. "We don't have all night, Princess."

She wobbles lightly. "I'm trying!"

I let out a sigh of annoyance before taking steps forward, and before she knows it, I pull her with me as she yells out. "What the hell, Park?!"

"Hwang, we're only like this deep." I show her the current height of the pool, which is like around her waistline.

I can see that Stella is trying her best not to touch me, but her hand always finds itself latching around my bicep. I feel how visibly shaken she is.

Before I can ask, she interrupts me with a firm voice. "Okay, let's go." She slowly removes her grip on my bicep.

"Follow my lead." I don't turn my back on her as I walk backwards, examining her. It feels like I'm teaching a kid instead.

"S-Sunghoon!" She stammers, halting her steps. "It's getting deep!"

I cock my eyebrow at her as I stop. "Of course it is. How are you going to overcome your fear if you're just going to remain in that position?"

The panic in her eyes does something to my heart before I relent and step a little closer to her. "Hold my arm."

She complies, her grip on my bicep tightening with each step I take. Since her head reaches around my neck, the height of the current pool is deeper for her.

"Sunghoon!" The fear in her voice is more than apparent before I am taken aback when she latches her limbs around my figure.

Instead of getting annoyed, I find myself smirking down at her, stopping my movement. "Enjoying ourselves, are we, Princess?"

Stella looks up, the fear in her eyes doesn't fade while her grip on my body tightens. I ignore the fact that I feel her breasts press against my chest. "What do you mean─" It seems that realisation finally hits her as she looks between our bodies. She attempts to let go, but immediately latches her arm around mine, probably realising how deep we're already in.

"Park!"

"What?" I chuckle, slowly moving further. "I quite enjoy this."

"Well, I don't!" She hugs my arm tighter. "I swear I'll kill you in your sleep!"

"You can't kill your coach!" I don't know why the fuck I enjoy this when I should be disgusted by her touch. "Now, slowly let go of me."

"No!"

I sigh. "Hwang, trust me. I'm here with you."

Stella forces out a chuckle. "Trust you? A bit ironic, isn't it?"

"If you didn't trust me, then you wouldn't have called me earlier and pleaded for my help."

Stella seems to be contemplating, as she remains silent. It isn't long before she lifts her head to look at me. I nod my head at her in encouragement before she slowly lets go of me. The height of the pool now hits above her chin. I can see that she's trying her best to fight off her fear.

"Sunghoon." Her lips quiver, and the tone of her voice is something I've never heard her call me before.

"I'm here. Relax." I assure her as my voice comes out soft. "Now, dip your head into the water and try to hold in your breath for as long as you can."

Shaky breaths leave her pink lips before she does what I instructed her to do. I wait for her, my eyes remain fixated on her figure. I begin to count, and once I stop at seven, she quickly rises up to the surface and gasps for air.

But a frown tugs at my lips when I see how panicked she genuinely looks. "Stella!" I try to hold her, but she seems to be fighting me off. It is as though she is reeling from some nightmare. I firmly hold her by the shoulders. "Stella! Hey!"

She stops, and she heaves heavily while her glistening eyes meet my concerned ones. "You're alright, Princess." I tell her firmly, yet I handle her with care as I slowly back her up against the wall.

"I'm sorry, Park." Disappointment is written across her features.

With ease, I lift her up and place her on the edge of the pool. "It's okay. You did great for a newbie."

"But that wasn't enough." She counters, frustration laces her tone. "How the hell do I get stronger if I can't face my fears?"

I stare at her in a new light, an unfamiliar sentiment squeezing my heart. My great nemesis, in front of me, displaying her vulnerability and even trusting me enough for her to want my help. Who would've thought?

"Baby steps, Princess." I tell her, bringing myself to sit next to her. "You can't expect to be good one night. Things take time, especially when you want a perfect result."

Stella takes a quick glance at me before looking back at the water as it ripples. "You're right. I hate that you're right."

Chuckles escape my lips before I can stop them. "I'm your coach, aren't I? A good coach would want the best for his student."

Stella goes silent for a moment before she looks at me again with a faint smile. "You've never called me 'Stella' before."

"And you've never called me 'Sunghoon' before." I counter. "Do you want to continue or end the session?"

Hesitation resides in her gaze before she gives me a firm nod. "Let's continue."

I know better than anyone that bottling up pent-up emotions does no good to me. I tried smoking, but it didn't work. I know that I need to unwind at the gym. Alas, my personal gym is currently under maintenance. I'd usually head over to Sunghoon's gym, but given our fallout, I don't know if he'd welcome me there.

I need to punch something, anything. After what happened two nights ago when my parents suddenly invited me to dinner, I knew that they were up to something. Usually, I would keep up with their schemes, but this time, they've gone too far.

"We know that you've been sneaking around with that Hwang girl." My mother expressed her distaste while her sharp eyes looked at me disapprovingly.

I rolled my eyes as I put down my fork with a loud thud. "You're late to the party, mother. We've already parted ways."

My father cleared his throat, intervening in the cold-staring contest my mother and I were having. "That wasn't the point, Mila."

"That was the point, dear." My mother gritted her teeth. "Our son had been involving himself with the Hwang girl! What would've happened if the media decided to publish their scandalous relationship?!"

"For fuck's sake," I utter under my breath as I pinch the bridge of my nose. "Stella and I were not in a relationship. Even if we were, things between us have long since ended."

I swallow the painful lump in my throat while my heart clenches in dejection. It's been weeks, and I still can't bring myself to go about my day without thinking of her. We weren't anything beyond friends, but why the hell does her leaving hurt?

"If this dinner means the two of you berating me about my own dating life, then I'll gladly leave now."

"Sit down, son." My father ordered sternly, to which I had no choice but to comply. "My goal is not aligned with your mother's."

My mother gasped, clearly offended. "Dear!"

My father ignored her as he kept his piercing gaze on mine. "As you are clearly aware of how the Hwangs have many enemies who desire to bring downfall to their empire, including us, we, as in some of my fellow business associates and I, have made a collective decision that in order to do that, we must eliminate their heir."

My eyes went wide as a socket while a scoff of disbelief left my lips. "Are you suggesting that Hwang Stella be killed?"

"Son, listen─"

"You're fucking mental!" I abruptly stood as my chair screeched on the floor.

My father, however, remained collected. "We're not getting Hwang Stella killed. You see, she is known for her intelligence and her capabilities in the field. She is certainly a unique individual, so that's probably why the Hwangs chose Stella instead of their youngest, Rena, as the official heir."

My frown deepened. "I don't get where you're going with this."

My father leaned forward with two hands clasped. "What we want for her is to be distracted and astray from her duties."

I don't want to continue what my father ordered me or the fact that he threatened me, but he is downright mental. How could he? However, if I don't do what he orders, I'll face the consequences.

I ruffle my silvery blond locks. I'm already stressed out with my issue with Jake, and this adds weight to it. Jake Sim, that asshole. I don't know how long he thinks he can avoid me.

You know what? Fuck it. I press on Sunghoon's contact before putting it on speaker mode.

"Jay?" Sunghoon sounds genuinely surprised.

"Can I head over to your gym? Mine is currently under maintenance."

"Sure." Surprisingly, he agrees, but I can sense that he is hesitating. "But─"

"Thanks." I end the call before he can continue. I turn on the ignition of my Ducati Panigale V2 and pull down the visor of my black helmet before speeding off.

─── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ──

Arriving at Sunghoon's garage feels familiar. He used to have a massive corner where there was a couch that would fit five people, a mini television, and a mini fridge. But as my eyes trail over to that corner, my heart clenches as it is now an empty spot.

We used to hang out there after we ended our last lectures. I miss how things were much simpler back then.

Knowing my way around, I head inside, walking to the gym, which is facing the swimming pool. As I reach outside the ajar door, I hear music and some muffled voices, which brings a frown to my face.

Am I interrupting something? Is Sunghoon having a girl over?

I shake my head at the thought. He would never do it in the gym, and he certainly would've told me if he had a girl over. Lord knows that I needed headphones to block out the unnecessary noises. Even Stella and I weren't that loud. I've been traumatised once. Never again.

"I don't want to see you stopping, Hwang."

"Give me a break, Park! We've been at it for half an hour now!"

I freeze in my spot as soon as I open the door. Not only do I hear her voice, but with the mirror on the wall reflecting, I see her in the ring with Sunghoon, seeming to be boxing each other.

Pure confusion clouds in my head. Since when did Stella box? And since when did she and Sunghoon get along with each other?

I know I shouldn't pry and just mind my own business, but my curiosity gets the best of me as I head further inside the massive gym. I don't stop until I'm near the ring, garnering their attention with my presence.

"Jay." Sunghoon greets, donning a white tee that is transparent enough to make out the lines of his abdominal muscles, sweat trickling down his skin.

"Sunghoon." I return the courtesy before my eyes shift to Stella, and my heart instantly beats fast. She looks good in her gym fit, consisting of a tank top and black tights. Her lilac hair is pulled back into a ponytail. She looks as beautiful as the day I met her.

Instead of ignoring me, her eyes meet mine. She doesn't seem surprised or anything. In fact, she's hard to read now. But after maintaining eye contact, she looks away from me and returns her attention to Sunghoon. "Again." She says with fierce resolution.

"Feel free to do whatever you want." Sunghoon brushes me off before he starts to charge towards Stella.

It's great that Sunghoon hasn't shown any hostility towards me, but oddly, I can't stand the sight of them being together.

I heave a sigh before heading to the changing room.

─── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ──

My muscles are screaming at me for a break, but I don't relent. Instead, I pour the remaining pent-up emotions into this impenetrable punching bag with such vigour. It's been awhile since I had properly worked out, given the amount of duties and responsibilities of an heir, which has kept me occupied.

Delivering one last hard bow, I decide to take a little break as I make my way to my water bottle. I wipe the sweat that is trickling down my chin with the back of my hand before I unscrew the bottle cap and down the content.

"Jay." Sunghoon calls for me from behind, prompting me to turn around.

I raise my eyebrow as I see Stella with him as well. "Is it time for me to get kicked out?"

"What? No." Sunghoon eyes me incredulously. "I was wondering if you could be Stella's opponent. As her coach, I need to evaluate her skills."

More and more surprises. "Coach? Since when are you her coach?"

"Been for awhile." A smirk tugs at his lips. "It's fun. I get to annoy her relentlessly with my observation notes and criticisms."

"Haha." Stella rolls her eyes, though she seems to be avoiding my eyes.

"But why?" The question leaves my mouth before I can even stop it.

"Because Hwang here wanted to become stronger." Sunghoon tells me.

Stella lets out a loud sigh before throwing her hands up. "Are we going to spar or not?"

"Patience, Princess." My eyes unknowingly twitch upon hearing his nickname for her. "You don't want to be too confident. Jay is great at combat."

"I'm kind of rusty at it." I place down my water bottle. "Let's go, then."

Even though the distance between Stella and me is discernible, I can't help but look forward to sparring with her. I'd love to see what she has planned in her sleeves.

─── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ──

Despite the fact that my combat skills are a little rusty, I am tactic enough to block her blows and deliver hits to her, though I am careful enough not to bruise her delicate skin. We circle around each other, my eyes trained on her every movement keenly.

We haven't spoken since we started to spar ten minutes ago, but it seems as though we speak with our eyes instead. Stella looks at me as though I'm just a stranger to her. She doesn't hold back with her attacks and schemes, either.

In fact, she manages to get a good piece of me, landing a hit to my rib. Though my pride is wounded, I can't help but feel proud of her. The Stella I used to know wouldn't dare to hurt a fly.

"You're holding back." Stella takes me by surprise when she decides to break the ice between us.

"I'm not." I deny, appearing nonchalant, but she shoots me a scowl that looks rather adorable.

"He's holding back, isn't he?" She asks Sunghoon without tearing her gaze off my face.

Sunghoon leans against one of the corner poles with his arms crossed and his eyes assessing us. A grin appears on his lips. "Yeah, he is."

"Don't go easy on me, Jay." In a blink of an eye, she delivers a punch, going straight for my face, but I swiftly block her attack, and before she knows it, I lock her arms in my grasps, with her back hitting my chest.

My lips unfurl a smirk as I lean down to whisper in her ear while she struggles valiantly in my grasps. "Are you sure about that, babe?"

"Yes, I am." She grits her teeth and attempts to nudge my stomach with her pointed elbow, but I manage to withstand the pain. "And I'm not your babe."

I release her, and she is quick to turn around before relentlessly attacking me. As I dodge and counter her attacks, I find myself admiring her in this new light. How truly confident and impressive she really is.

"Come on, babe," I can't help but taunt her, finding her being frustrated cute. "Is that all you got?"

Stella charges towards me with the intention of winning, but unfortunately, I've seen this move before. With less effort, after dodging her attack, I quickly grab her with my leg interlocked around hers before I have her pinned to the ground with a thud.

"Give up?" I ask, still smirking as the distance between our faces decreases.

"Never." She grunts, struggling with my strong hold on her body.

"You're playing hard to get." I sigh, enjoying the close proximity between us a little too much.

"Fine! Fine! I yield!" She throws her head to the back and closes her eyes, while her chest heaves up and down from the intensity of our spar.

With reluctance, I release her once more before I offer her a hand, which she accepts as I help her to rise.

"Tsk, I expected more, Hwang." Sunghoon approaches us with a small white towel before he throws it at Stella's face.

Stella shoots him a scowl and uses the towel to wipe the sweat from her face. "But I wasn't bad for a newbie."

"Complimenting yourself, I see."

"She's right." I tell Sunghoon before looking at Stella with a smile. "You did pretty great."

Stella doesn't seem to be expecting my compliment. As if she has transformed into a different person, she looks away from me with a tint of blush on her cheeks. "Thanks."

"Hey, man, thanks for letting me borrow your gym." I pat Sunghoon's shoulder. "I'll get going now."

"Wait." Sunghoon makes me halt my steps. "Do you want to join us for dinner? I ordered for us Chinese takeouts."

"We're having dinner here?" Stella asks Sunghoon with wide eyes.

"Of course. I want my student to have well-balanced nutrition." He gives her a boyish grin before looking back at me. "What do you say?"

"Sure." I find myself agreeing eagerly. Not only do I get to spend time with Stella, though she might ignore me, but also with Sunghoon. I do hope that Sunghoon and I will finally have a talk.

─── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ──

Sunghoon and I exchanged very few words after we stepped out of the gym. All the while I keep to myself and slurp these scrumptious black bean noodles, Sunghoon and Stella often engage in banter. It's a weird sight, because almost everyone knows the two hate each other's guts and can't stand each other.

But I do feel a little jealous of Sunghoon. He doesn't have to be on guard or even worried about being around Stella, whereas I, on the other hand, hesitate to start a conversation with her.

Do I even have the right to speak to her? Will she hate me if I speak to her?

I stand by the balcony on the second floor, taking a smoke break. I inhale the familiar toxic substance, my tongue playing around with the smoke before I blow it out.

"Mind sharing the stick?" Sunghoon appears out of nowhere, startling me. He settles himself next to me.

I raise my eyebrow at him before bringing the stick to my lips. "Get your own."

"I did order for you food as well, so technically you owe me."

Fucking bastard. "Here." I give the stick to him.

I look straight ahead, with nostalgia hitting me. This feels like old times. As much as I hate what happened between us and the cause of it, I miss Sunghoon.

"So, you and Jake?" Sunghoon breaks the ice between us.

"It's been weeks since we last talked or even hung out." I say quietly. "I get that it's my fault for going after his girl, but he's dating his ex's sister, so it's hypocritical of him."

"Were you, though?" Sunghoon gives me a knowing look. "Friends with benefits aside, were you really after his girl?"

Was I? I mean, I always found Stella attractive, but it's her mind and her personality that truly charm me. I didn't want to break the bro code, but I couldn't help with my attraction towards her. I guess I really do like her.

"You don't have to answer me. The look on your face tells me enough." Sunghoon chuckles breathily before stretching out his hand. "First, Jake. Now you? At this point, I could become a fucking therapist."

"What do you mean by 'first, Jake'?"

Sunghoon quickly runs me down about what happened, not missing out on any details. I did envy him a little when he told me that he and Jake had started talking.

"And you know what's funny? It's the fact that everything revolves around Stella now." Sunghoon sighs. "Even the other guys seem to take a liking to her."

"Oh, really?" I ask, clenching a fist. I know I have no right, but I feel fucking territorial right now. The thought of others liking Stella, or worse, getting together with her, feels like a blow to the stomach.

"Yeah." Sunghoon scoffs. "What's so special about Hwang anyway?"

"Stick around her a little longer, and you'll find out." I offer him a smirk. "Careful now, Park. Your feelings towards her might change in weeks or months."

Uncertainty resides in his gaze before he masks it with his usual cockiness. "Trust me, Hwang is not my type."

"I said that too." I shrug my shoulders. "Look where it got me."

Sunghoon shoves me playfully, like he used to. We look at each other before breaking into fits of chuckles.

"I've missed you, man." Sunghoon confesses with a smile after we calm down. "I don't know why the fuck we fought months ago. It's all because of our fathers."

"Agreed." I nod my head. "If they hadn't dragged us into their feuds, we wouldn't have split up."

Sunghoon extends his hand towards me. "Friends again?"

I reciprocate the handshake firmly, warmth fills my tummy. "Friends."

Sunghoon grins at me. "Come here, you." He pulls me into a hug—a hug that I never knew I needed from my best friend.

We hear Stella clearing her throat before we turn to see her approaching us slowly. "I couldn't help but eavesdrop earlier. So, you two are friends now?"

"Sure, it looks like it." I answer her with a grin.

Her eyes flicker at my lips before looking back into my eyes. "I'm happy for both of you."

"As my student should." Sunghoon slings an arm around my shoulder. "It also looks like you have another coach to train you in combat."

"Great. More headaches." Stella rolls her eyes, but a smile tugs at her lips.

"Actually, can I speak to you in private?" I ask, taking a step towards Stella.

Before Stella can reply, Sunghoon interjects. "I'll give you two some privacy instead, but no funny business." He warns us before making his way towards the stairs.

Whereas Stella appears awkward, I don't. I step towards her a little closer, and she remains in her spot.

"I know that we have already cut ties, but I couldn't stop thinking about you." I start off. "I meant it when I said I didn't care that we're no longer friends with benefits, but I still wanted to be your friend. I wanted to be able to talk to you without any complications."

Stella sighs and looks down. "Are you really sure you want to be my friend?"

"Positive." I answer firmly. "I hated how we ended things."

"I'm sorry." She looks up and smiles sadly. "If you knew me, you should've known that I always ran away from my problems or had to face something."

"If you're with me, you won't ever have to run away from anything." I hesitate as my hand stops mid-air, but seeing that Stella doesn't flinch, I brush a fallen lock out of her frame. "I know you're already capable of defending yourself now, but allow me to protect you."

Her eyes flicker down at my lips momentarily. "Jay...."

"Please."

She sighs softly before wearing a small smile. "Okay. So, friends?"

The word itself feels like a cut to the skin, but I force myself to reciprocate the smile. "Friends."

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#enhypen fanfiction #enhypen #enhypen fanfic #heeseung #jay #jake #sunghoon #sunoo #jungwon #ni-ki

[yandere-ac]

The 24th of December

Cw: yandere, kidnapping, obsessive behaviour, implied murder

Ding dong, ding dong

The sounds of the island bell tune rang through the air as the clock struck 6 pm. You were out on a small stroll around the island, trying to calm your nerves as anxiety and tension festered in your stomach. Soon it was time, time for you to go home and get ready. Get ready for what? The dinner with the Nook family. Mr Tom Nook himself had invited you to celebrate toy day with him and his boys. Now this wouldn’t have been a problem a couple of months ago, you had been to their house multiple times and had eaten dinner with them as well. It wasn’t unexpected since you and Tom had an unspoken thing going on. Tom was a little old fashioned when it came to labels, he didn’t need to put any label on most of the factors in his life. His sexuality? Who cares, he's attracted to whoever he’s attracted to. His relationship to Timmy and Tommy? If they wanted to see him as a mentor then that’s fine, if they wanted to see him as a dad then that’s also fine. His relationship with you? Partners, soulmates, whatever you wanted to call it. He didn’t really care too much, he just knew what was there was real, and it very much was not just platonic. None of you had really acknowledged it, it all started as mutual admiration and trust from both sides, as any good relationship should. You watered it down to you wanting comfort and encouragement in your life, which Tom was very good at providing. But then it slowly turned into a sort of attraction, attraction that you were not ready to face. So you ignored it. But then came turkey day. You, just like toy day, were invited to eat dinner with Tom, Timmy and Tommy. And you did, and you had so much fun. The four of you ate food, watched movies, played games, and at the end of the day, after Tom put Timmy and Tommy to bed, you and him hung out together. You two just sat and talked while, admittedly, having a couple of glasses of wine. But that didn't matter, what mattered was what you said during your little chat. Tom had started talking about him and Redds past relationship. Which hadn't been new, Tom had talked about him before, mainly about how horrible he was and how he had hurt him, so this isn't exactly new territory for you. And yet, everytime you heard Tom speak about Redd, you still felt just as angry. Redd had no right treating Tom the way he did. The way he scammed poor Tom as if he was nothing more than a gullible fool, it made your blood boil. Tom deserved to be treated like the wonderful person he was, he deserved someone that loved and cared about him, someone like… You might have gotten a bit too overzealous as you told Tom what a bastard the fox was and how he deserved better. And you might have slipped up and accidentally told him something you probably shouldn't have.

You don't remember much from that evening, maybe because of the alcohol, maybe because of repression. You only remembered small glimpses here and there, some laughter, some crying, at one point you swore you two watched a movie. But beyond that, nothing, nothing but darkness. You had woken up that morning next to Tom, quite literally. It had seemed you two slept in the same bed, his bed. And it would appear that he might have clung onto you during the night because as you woke up, Tom had his arms wrapped around you. You had tried to get up carefully, not wanting to wake him up. But when you did so, Tom pulled you back down rather aggressively. And so, you just laid there for about 20 minutes before Tom finally got up.

Ever since Turkey day, Tom's behavior had started getting weirder and weirder. Anytime you entered the residential service he would stare at you with the same eerie smile as if he was a bear staring at an injured little rabbit. It made you increasingly more uncomfortable, the only reason you felt a little better was the fact that Isabelle was there with you. You remembered one time when you were discussing a resident that had been bothering you with Isabelle. Jacques, the blue bird that simply would not leave you alone. He’d been the cause of much of your disturbance and stress during the upcoming holidays. But during your conversation, you felt a pair of eyes practically drilling themselves into your perimeter. You looked over to Tom only to see he was, like usual, staring at you two. But his gaze seemed more out of it, almost unfocused, and yet, there seemed to be spite in his eyes. As soon as he noticed that YOU noticed him he immediately looked away for a few seconds before rising out of his seat and walking towards you and Isabelle.

"Hi Tom, how’s it going?" You greeted him, giving your construction consultant a half-baked smile. He smiled in return, face going from a slight frown into more of a tired smile. "I’m doing quite alright Y/N. I apologize for intervening but it would appear that O’hare is still bothering you?" Tom said as he gave you a pondering look. "Well... no. He hadn’t really been respectful of my boundaries or left me alone even when I and Isabelle have told him off several times." You told the tanuki, you could see his tail twitch slightly as you told him this. "Ah, I see. Well, I’m terribly sorry to hear that. Maybe it’s my time to step in then? No offense to your methods or anything Isabelle, but they don’t seem to be working. I know you don’t want me to intervene but I feel like I need to do something if it’s getting this bad." Tom said, turning to his coworker and giving her a look of sympathy. He knew Isabelle struggled with her appearance since not a lot of people took her as seriously as they should be, but he couldn’t just stand back while he watched you get harassed by this bird. Isabelle let out a small sigh and a slight frown. "I suppose you're right about that Tom. I think you would be a little bit more effective than I am." She looked back at you. "I’m sorry we let this get so out of hand Y/N." Before you could respond, Tom jumped in and said something, something that might not have meant to sound as hostile as it did, but nevertheless still did. "It’s simply unacceptable." Something about the way he said it, the way his eyes trailed off, the way his eyes narrowed. The initial phrase might not have been so bad, but the way he said it, it sent shivers up your spine, which Tom immediately reacted to. "Hmm? Are you cold Y/N? Or sick?" His eyes turned from minacious to gentle like a light switch being turned on. "N-No no! It’s fine. Just a random shiver. Don’t worry Tom." You said with a smile. A genuine smile. Even if Tom could be a little obstinate and overprotective, you knew it came from a good place. He cared for you, and you appreciated that. "Nonsense, if you’re feeling under the weather then you should go home Y/N dear." Tom insisted as he stroked your arm gently. You knew there was no fighting him once he made his mind up, guess you’re sick now.

That evening when you left the residential services you could feel Tom staring at you through his window as you left. You knew he meant well but sometimes he could be a little overwhelming. You just hoped he didn’t do anything to harsh with Jacques

You let out a deep sigh, a cloud of fog exiting your mouth as you did so. Cold air filled your lungs as you took yet another breath in. It was almost time, you should probably head home. As you walked across the shoreline of the island, on your way to your house, you felt a clump form in your stomach. You felt strange, almost uneasy. You didn’t want to say that you felt anxious about the dinner, but that was probably the closest expression that would describe how you felt. You knew it wouldn’t be a problem at first. Timmy and Tommy would be present until it was their bedtime, it was after that bedtime that you were worried about. You hadn’t been alone with Tom since Turkey day, and you were worried about what would happen once you were. But at the same time, you needed to talk to him, a talk which could not happen if anyone else was present during the conversation. Your thoughts came to a close as you neared your house. It didn’t matter if you felt weird about the whole thing, you needed to talk to him. And this might be the only chance to do so.

You took a deep breath, building yourself up to do such a simple task as knocking on a door. It was time. Ignoring all the feelings brewing up in your stomach and head you took one last breath, mist once more flowing out as you did so. And then, you knocked. It only took a couple of seconds before the door practically threw itself up to reveal two small, and very excited, tanukis.

"Y/N!...ʸ/ᴺᵎ" The two boys shouted. They were wearing matching christmas sweaters and Santa hats that were way too big for them. Timmy having a red sweater with the words naughty on it and Tommy having a green one with the words nice on it. Timmy grabbed ahold of your hand with his small paw and pulled you inside, all while Tommy enthusiastically bounced up and down. As you were pulled inside an immediate warmth embraced your body, like a thick blanket on a rainy night. Even so, a more prominent scent engulfed you, the aroma of fresh food was almost overbearing as you walked in. "Ohoho. Do my ears deceive me or is that our dear island representative?" You heard Toms voice all the way from the kitchen. You couldn’t help but smile as you could practically hear the grin present on his face. Tommy let out a small giggle as he ran up to the kitchen. "Don’t know! Guess you’ll have to come see for yourself!" You took off your jacket and beanie as Timmy led you over to the couch. But rather than sitting down in it, he sat you down on the big fluffy carpet next to the chimney and the big Christmas tree. Underneath it laid almost a dozen presents, seems like the constant debt that Tom was handing out finally seemed to pay off. Dumb pun aside, you felt yourself smile as you saw the sight before you. Tommy was now pulling Tom out from the kitchen and into the living room. He was wearing a Santa hat and a red christmas sweater that said "worlds best santa". As he and Tommy walked up to you and sat down next to you and Timmy, you crossed your arms and cocked your eyebrows. "I wasn’t informed that this was going to be a sweater party. Could have warned me about that, now I just feel underdressed." Tom chuckled slightly at this as he took off his hat and tossed it to you. "Here you go. Put that on, yes yes."

For the rest of that evening, you and the nooks ate the food that Tom had cooked up, all of which was absolutely delicious. Joking around as the time passed, and you felt more and more comfortable as time went on. So much to the point where you didn’t know why you felt anxious before. Finally, at 8 pm, you all gathered once more around the Christmas tree. Timmy and Tommy started unwrapping their presents in glee, most of which were from Tom, some of them were from Isabelle and Blathers, and some of them from you. Every once in a while, you and Tom would open some presents. Timmy and Tommy had given you a drawing of you and them together, which was certainly a cute gesture. You had brought the two into a big hug after that one. The boys had given Tom a mug that said "#1 dad", which almost brought the tanuki to tears. You had given Tom a custom sweater vest, just like the one he had back in the day

And still, Tom's present was something that you hadn’t quite expected. You had picked up the box which was neatly wrapped with red wrapping paper and some yellow glittery ribbons. "Ooh, what could this be? Is it a puppy?" You joked as you smirked at Tom. He let out a small laugh. "No, not quite, but be careful when unwrapping. I do hope you enjoy it, the boys helped me pick it out." Now you were intrigued. You carefully unwrapped the box and opened its lid only to see... "oh my god..." there, in the box, laid a crown. The one you had seen in the Ables shop plenty of times, the one that you had ranted about to Tom, about how you couldn’t afford it but wanted it so badly. That crown was laying before you, in your hands. "I... I’m... I-I don’t know... what to say I-'' you looked at Tom, his eyes were full of adoration and love, pure unfiltered love. And that frightened you. "Thank you Tom. Thank you." You tried putting on a smile, but it was hard as that huge clump of anxiety started to build up again. "Oh the pleasures all mine, Y/N my dear." Tom said to you as he tilted his head and gave you a gentle smile. Timmy and Tommy had started to giggle as they looked at each other, thinking the exact same thing. Everyone in the room knew what was going on, but only one person, you, knew what was truly going on.

The gift unwrapping continued. Now it was just Timmy and Tommy left that had gifts. They kept going, tearing into the gifts like hungry predators biting into their terrified prey, like... like... you lost your train of thought as you looked over at Tom. His eyes were focused on Timmy and Tommy, carefully watching their reactions to their gifts. But ever so often, Tom would look over at you, and if your eyes ever met, he would smile at you. Maybe he did it to calm you down but it sure didn’t help, not even in the slightest.

Soon, Timmy and Tommy had successfully opened all of their presents and had now shifted to playing with any of the toys they got. But that didn’t last long as Timmy let out a huge yawn and Tommy almost slumped over. Oh no. “Well, looks like it’s time for you two to go to bed, hm?” Tom said as he moved closer to the boys, taking the two in each hand. “N... noo... we’re not...” Tommy couldn’t even finish as he was interrupted by a huge yawn. “No, you’re done. Come on now.” And so, Tom led the two small tanukis up the stairs and into their bedroom. “Goodnight.” You called out to them before returning to your own state of panic. This was it. You were gonna be completely alone with Tom.

“Now then, terribly sorry about that Y/N.” Tom said as he came down the stairs. You tried to calm down but it ultimately failed. Tom was very observant, so it didn’t take long for him to see that something was wrong. “Y/N? Are you alright dear? You look a little pale.” He said as he sat down next to you. “....Tom I.... the crown, it really wasn’t necessary.” You managed to get your first concern out. You looked down in the box once more, you just couldn’t believe he would actually give you something like that. “Tsk, Y/N please. I tell you what, it was nothing really. And when I say that I’m not just being humble. It really is nothing, I assure you. I could buy five of those for you if I wanted to. So please, don’t feel guilty.” You knew he meant to say that as a way to comfort you, but that only made you feel worse. “Y-Yes I understand that it’s not a lot to you but, for me, it’s very much a lot. I know you mean well Tom but really, I just don’t know if I can accept this. I mean, it’s just too expensi-'' Tom interrupted you as he placed a hand on your cheek. You froze up as you looked into his big blue eyes. They were so calm, so gentle, so utterly terrifying. “Trust me my darling, nothing is too expensive when it comes to you.” As he told you this, he leaned in and planted a small peck on your lips. You felt your face turn pink as he let out a chuckle, still holding onto your face. “I’m happy I got to celebrate toy day with you Y/N, my sweet sweet Y/N.” Before you could respond, you felt yourself being picked up bridal style and carried away. Tom carried you to his room, it would seem like he wanted to sleep together again. Which wouldn’t be so much of a problem, the man was built like a giant teddy bear. But right now, there was nothing you wanted less than to be in close contact with Tom. But it would seem like nothing was going to stop him.

As he laid you down carefully, he laid next to you and brought you in close to him, stroking your hair and nuzzling up to you. You were completely quiet, feeling like if you said something you would die on the spot.

“...Tom....” you said quietly, trying to build up the curate to ask him the question that you came here for. “Yes?” His voice was soft and smooth, like honey, and it shook your very being. “... what... what did you say to Jacque?” As soon as the question left your mouth the atmosphere turned cold. Toms eyes trailed off as all the warmth left his eyes. “... I said what needed to be said.” It had been three weeks since Jacques had mysteriously moved out of the island and it wasn’t hard to put two and two together, you were certain that Tom had something to do with it. “I asked you not to go overboard...” You said, looking down and avoiding Tom's gaze, a gaze that was now fixated onto you. “He was harassing you Y/N! What was I supposed to do? Acting nice wasn’t going to work! I was simply-“ Tom cut himself off as he realised he was practically shouting. He let out a deep sigh. “I was simply protecting... what is mine...”

As he said this, he placed a kiss on your forehead. This certainly caught you off guard. “I’m sorry? What did you say?” You asked him, but he didn’t answer, at least not in the way you wanted him to. “You know, when I was a boy, toy day never felt as magical as everyone set it up to be. Me and my family didn’t have too many bells back then, so most I ever got were three broken crayons. Even then, I couldn’t enjoy it without feeling the guilt of pushing more money problems onto my parents. But now...” Tom let out yet another deep chuckle, he looked at you with hungry eyes, eyes that pierced into your soul. “Now, I’ve got all the bells in the world! I could buy anything! Anything and everything! Except for... one thing. One thing that I crave so deeply, yet, can never buy. You don’t understand how many years I have gone through, how many toy days I’ve had to endure. You don’t understand the amount of towns I’ve lived in, the amount of humans who have abandoned me! How do I know that you’re not going to leave me? Just like my previous humans, just like my parents, just like Redd!? I don’t want to lose you Y/N! I can’t lose you Y/N!” Toms outburst made you shrink down in his arms. You felt yourself start to shake slightly as he continued.

“Now, now that I finally have the resources, I’m going to MAKE SURE you never leave me Y/N. My sweet little darling.” You started to struggle in his grasp, hoping to get away from him. But it was no use, he was so much stronger than you in every single way. ”Hey now, hey now.... shhh, shhh. It’s okay. Everything is going to be okay. I’m here, no one is ever going to harass you ever again. Not if I have anything to say about it.” Tom said as he brought you closer once more, this time he started to kiss you a bit more roughly rather than a quick peck on the lips. You knew that struggling was futile, so you simply tried to relax yourself as he enjoyed himself. Once he was done, he looked directly at you. “This toy day, I’ve made sure to get myself something special. Just for me.” What you didn’t know at the time was that he had locked all of the windows and doors. But you would soon find out in the morning.

“I love you Y/N. Maybe you don’t realise it yet. But I do. I’ll show you, soon you will see just how much I love you.”

———————

It feels so weird to say that it’s been 2 months since I last wrote for Tom Nook. Like what? What have I even been doing??? I’ve been feeling the withdrawals and I wanted to make a little Christmas special. So hope y’all enjoy! Merry Christmas and happy holidays!

#yandere #acnh #animal crossing #yandere animal crossing #yandere acnh #animal crossing x reader #ac x reader #animal crossing new horizons #Tom Nook #yandere tom nook #tom nook acnh #timmy and tommy #tw yandere #tw kidnapping #tw obsessive behaviour #tw implied murder #yandere x reader #yandere x darling #yandere acnh x reader #Tom nook x reader #Yandere Tom nook x reader

[thirstofgames]

kitty and the jailbird

#️⃣2️⃣

-IT'S A MATCH-

A blank chat popped open and Damien stared at it for a second. He had honestly not expected it. The girl actually swiped him right. He looked at the clock impatiently; he did not have much time left in the library. There was a loud shout from the hallway, his muscles tensing, ready to hide the phone and bolt at any second.

He regretted that last question right as he pushed send. It sounded so bitter in his head now. It was a dating app after all and she was a good looking young woman.

you there?

...

hello?

busy flirting with your other matches, huh?

And there it was all about to end, the hot topic of his whereabouts. And the swift and cruel rejection that followed. It had already happened one too many times! Could he go through his again? Was it worth it? His palms were sweaty, but he never felt so cold. If the ground could just open up and swallow him whole before she finished asking... 

No, sorry

Just a little surprised we matched

you can unmatch if you want

Well, what I want is to talk with you 😊

Your profile caught my eye

what part?

Your profile pic at first.

Most guys can't pull off the broken, deep and scowling thing

But... looks good on you.

you don't look so bad yourself-

but then I read your description...

and I have to know something

shoot 🙄

It was a simple Yes/No question, but it took Kate way to long to answer. She bit her lip, thinking hard on the possibilities. It was such an unfair question though. She was not going to leave, but was not going to pursue anything with him until she knew what he was in for and how long he was going to be locked up. She'd wasted enough years waiting up on others... 

I'm just a little confused 🤔

Are you really in jail?

you gonna leave if I say yes?

It really depends...

A bittersweet smile spread on his lips. What was he expecting from a girl like her? She probably had a nice job, a supporting family and tons of friends and... an actual future. Why would she even consider wasting her time with him? The little time he had left... Better to just pull off the band aid!

She felt to bad! She hadn't meant to disregard his feelings, but wasn't it fair to let her know what she was getting into? She didn't even know what he was expecting from the conversation they were having... She was curious, but she didn’t want to lead him on.

okay, let's just say...

the orange pants and barbed wire are real

OMG

I have so mane questions 😱

here we go...

What did you do?

Wait, where do you even hide your phone?

STOP!

enough with the interrogation, alright?

I'm just curious...

sure, but i'm more than just a prisoner

a little respect goes a long way

Kate’s heart sank. He was hot, but the prison was a serious issue... She supposed people were not lining up to get to know him. He seemed pretty well rounded and mannered, but he was very defensive about his crime. Did that mean it was something really bad? But he was on a dating app... so maybe he was getting out soon? 

You're right!

I'm so sorry 😓

Let's change the subject

Why don't you tell me what you're looking for

hmmm

What?

i'm thinking...

nobody's really asked me that before

Seriously?

most people stop talking to me when they find out i'm locked up

i don't really blame them. i'm rough around the edges.

She didn't say anything for a while and Damien started wondering if he should just close the damn phone and leave. He should also probably take a break from Lovelink after this... it clearly wasn't doing him any good. Dark thoughts swarmed his mind and he had to close his eyes and head his head back against the bookshelf to get rid of the harrowing feeling. Like he was falling in an endless pit...  

The screen showed him typing and deleting several responses. Kate pursed her lips, impatient. Had she said anything wrong? She’d never spoken to someone who’d been locked up, she was still unsure what could trigger painful memories, or just remind him that he was... not free. But he said he just wanted to chat and his profile mentioned 'deep conversations'... 

Okay, I'm not running away, for now

but...

But I can't really make up my mind

If I don't know anything about you

So...

alright

honestly I'm just looking to talk to someone from the outside

it can get pretty boring in here, just waiting around the clock

Let's be friends then 😊

I'll be your window to the outside world

If that's alright with you...?

Damien sighed on the other end. Beggars can’t be choosers. It was a step in the right direction though. Maybe he was not going to find the love of his life at the very fucking end of said life. He was not living in some fairytale! He was still going to die, alone and forgotten.

But maybe... just a little less alone at the very end of his road. One friend meant more than none and maybe, just maybe... he could tell her his side of the story. Eventually. She seemed patient and understanding enough. Let at least one person out there know he did not murder his own father. 

sure

that's more than most

Of course a pretty thing like her got a lot on attention... She was only chatting up with him because the others were offline- 

but it must have been pretty bad to be such a long sentence

you still can't tell me what the crime was?

look, i've been making my own rules my whole life

you better ask what crimes I DIDN'T do

wow...

i'm no bragging or anything, just letting you know where I'm at

anyways, I'm more interested in what you're all about

what are you doing on an app like this?

Honestly...

I was about to uninstall it right before we matched 😅

Oh

you already found the one?

or no luck at all?

Well, I went on a few nice dates...

i see

Suddenly his experience on the app seemed less awful. Maybe it was not the right place. Or perhaps it was just the place for a misfit like him, here with all the weirdoes and con artists. 

And then they ditched me for their exes

Just my luck 😂

Oh and I swear to god if I see one more vampire 🙄 🙄 🙄 🙄 🙄

vampires?

Yeees

You wouldn't believe some of the things I saw...

OMG, one dude was actually dresses up as a centaur

I...

don't even want to ask

There's also the 'prince' scam going around

Dudes claiming to be the heirs of some  

Made up countries and asking you for money

It wasn't quite a rejection, but it still hurt a little. She already mentioned twice she was only interested in him as friends. She didn't need to spell it out every few minutes! But she was the only one... 

Met some nice people too ☺️

Actually became good friends with some

Which is nice since I just moved here

were did you come from?

Pallay 💜

you're a long way from home

I know 😢

I suppose it was getting kinda lonely

My friends and family come visit when they can

But that's not a lot...

what brought you here?

Got a really good job opportunity

But I didn't quite realize how far away I'd be

So yeah, to answer your question from before...

I'm kinda just chatting with new people

Made more friends than anything else lol

Hope that's aright with you 🤗

A smile crept on his lips. An actual, genuine smile. How long had it been since he had any reason to? God, it felt good to talk to someone! Someone who didn't know him, who didn't shout 'walking corpse' after him, didn't judge him. He almost felt like his old self. Almost. 

i'm cool with that

Great!

Looking forward to getting to know you, Damien 😄

so let's get to it

tell me about yourself

hobbies, favorite food, anything

my hobbies are always changing 🤔

I start something new every month or so

Oh, and I started volunteering at a vet lately

🐱🐶💕

With a friend I made on this app

it suits you

Hmmmmm how would you know?

We've only just met

just a hunch

I could secretly be evil 😈

you couldn't hurt a fly

besides, I've seen evil and believe me

you're not it

I'm guessing you're not going to elaborate on that

Are you?

see, you know me so well already

Smartass 😝

 At lest until she finds out.

And I love food 🤤

Who doesn't? lol

But picking a favorite is like... impossible

I do have one hell of a sweet tooth  🍫🍬🍦

I'm soooo jealous

I miss making my own meals

That's right! You probably just have a cafeteria.

I'm so sorry 😓

it's cool

i'm glad we have something in common

Is there any food you miss?

Wait... was there even steak in that picture? Kate felt her ears burning, the fluffy pajamas studently itching at her skin.

just makin my own in general, being in charge in the kitchen

Damien scrolled quickly through his phone, the memories leaving a bitter taste in his mouth. He nearly didn’t send the photo. It felt like so long ago, a different time...a different person. But it felt so good to remember! To be reminded of the more happier moments when he had all his life ahead of him! And showing her a piece of his past may make her curious enough to stick around for a while longer.

He hit Send.

-Tap to download photo-

Oh

Looks... delicious

you like steak? 

Oh yeah, the food 😳

Wish I could have a bite of that hahaha

So not so shy and innocent as she claimed. Good to know. Even if it didn’t lead anywhere, which he had to be realistic about - he was on death row after all - it was still fun. The most fun he’d had in a long while. It felt...nice.

HA!

i wish you could too 😏

The door of the library swung open hitting the opposite wall. The guard in charge could be heard arguing with someone. At least four voices. He had to move fast.

I'm really hungry now 😅

good

Kate stared at the screen, the little green light besides his profile picture going grey. She scrolled through the conversation as if to make sure she hadn’t just imagined it. She tapped the picture he’d sent, a small smile creeping on her lips. He looked so... normal. Well, more like smoking hot, but she expected some kind of dump, or some greasy repair shop, not Greek sculpture level abs. The boy should come with a warning! She was a sucker for bad boys, but had she gotten so bad that she was now considering a fucking convict? What if he was a murderer or something??

shit!

???

someone's coming

gotta hide my phone

talk soon

Be careful! 🙏🏻

Her ice cream, forgotten on the coffee table, had turned to soup.

What had she gotten herself into?

#lovelink #damien jones #kitty and the jailbird #austin russo #counterpart

[rocksandrobots]

Of Rocks and Robots Ch. 10 - Gogo

Disclaimer:  So, this story is PG. Basically anything you might see come up in an old 90s sitcom, like Boy Meets World, Fresh Prince, Save by the Bell ect, is liable to show up along with anything that the parent shows cover. Nothing unsuitable for family entertainment, but clearly covering more mature subjects than the original source material, including today’s chapter which discusses alcohol.

Varian was hot. The sun beat down on the back of his neck and sweat began to trickle down his forehead. He couldn't remember experiencing a hotter day. In Corona the temperature wouldn't rise more than a balmy 15 degrees Celsius normally, but today, here in San Fansokyo, it had to be close to 20 or more. His phone said it was 73 degrees Fahrenheit specifically, but he was still getting used to the different measurements Americans typically used. All he knew was that he had worn the lightest clothes he had, a tank top and athletic shorts, and he was still burning up. 

Unfortunately, there was nowhere to escape from the oppressive heat. He was standing on the sidewalk next to a stranger's house while Gogo worked on their car. She did repair work on vehicles as a side job. Often exchanging her services for a cheaper price to other students which in turn gave her more flexibility in what jobs she took and when. 

Right now she was helping out another student whose car wouldn't start and didn't want to call a tow to take it to a mechanic. Varian had expressed an interest in learning how automobiles worked, so she had agreed to letting him come along and teaching him some basics. However, there was nothing for him to do at the moment. Gogo was under the vehicle on a rolling board and there wasn't enough room for both of them down there. So all Varian could do was standby and watch, which was difficult as he couldn't really see what she was doing from the position she was in now. 

Instead he surveyed the street and surrounding buildings. There were the tightly packed three story townhouses behind them and on the other side of the street were clothing shops, apartments, a bank on the far street corner, and a single restaurant that read ‘Maggie’s Pub and Grill’. Varian licked his lips at the thought of drinking something cold and wet to stave off the blistering heat. He dug his hands in his pockets to check if he had any cash. He still had a fiver leftover from the twenty Wasabi had given him two weeks ago at the mall. 

“Hey Gogo, I’m going to go get a drink, you want anything?” He loudly asked the girl lying under the car.

“Uhhh, a soda would be nice. Maybe some Mr. Pep.” Gogo yelled back at him, never leaving her position or stopping her work. 

“I don’t know if they sell that there, but I’ll ask” and with that he walked away and headed across the street. 

“Just knock on the door and ask Ashley if she has any...” Gogo said distractedly, not noticing that Varian was no longer there. After a moment or two without hearing an answer, Gogo suddenly rolled out from underneath the vehicle. 

“Wait.” She said to no one in particular as she stared up at the sky and began to put together what had just happened.

---------------------------

Varian squinted his eyes as he walked into the dark pub. The establishment was empty save for the barkeep at the other end wiping down the counter. This surprised Varian. In his world a place like this would be packed at this time of day, filled with field workers and sheepherders stopping to take their mid-day break. Practically his whole village would be gathered at the local tavern to eat, drink, and share gossip before going back to work. Varian had figured it would be even more crowded here given the larger city and the heat of day. 

He shrugged his shoulders. Oh well, maybe the food here wasn’t all that good. Didn’t matter, all he wanted was a drink. He walked over to the bar. 

“Hi, do you sell any, what was it she asked for,” Varian waved hello at the man on the other side and then cupped his chin in thought as he tried to recall what it was Gogo had wanted. “Pep?” He finished.

The large man didn’t answer him back, only to wordlessly reach under the counter and pull out a can of the soda and set it down. 

“Oh, yes, that’s it. Also I’ll have your darkest ale, please.” 

“I.D.” The man said deadpan. 

“Excuse me?” Varian asked, not sure what the man was requesting. 

“I need to see your officially licensed identification.” The man explained tiredly, as if he had to recite this often. 

“Uh, I have my student I.D. if that’s what you want.” Varian said, confused, as his hand went back into his pocket to dig out his wallet and money.   

The big man gave a heavy sigh and pointed to a sign placed in front of the cash register. ‘In Accordance to Federal Law all Patrons must be 21 or older to purchase alcohol and must show valid I.D.’ It read.

“You need a government issued license or passport, kid.” The barkeep said with annoyance, clearly believing Varian was there to try and pull some scam.

Varian, however, could only stare at the sign in bewilderment, still frozen in place with his hand in his pocket. His mouth hung open in astonishment as he tried to process what was going on. The amount of reliance on forms and identification in this world was odd enough but now there were laws against beer? That was practically all anyone drunk in his world. Coffee, tea, and cocoa were expensive and meant as a treat, and the only drinking water to be had were from the community wells, the river being brackish that close to the sea, and you still had to take time to draw the water. Which you didn’t want to do every time you were thirsty. And while this world did have running water, less expensive hot beverages, and that sugary soda in abundance; he still couldn’t figure out why that would be the cause for preventing anyone from buying an ale, let alone people under such an arbitrary age. 

“But… but why?” He whined in confusion. 

Just then Gogo burst through the door, stormed to up to the front counter, and before Varian could complain to her about this dumb rule, she grabbed him by the ear and proceeded to drag him back outside.

---------------------------

It wasn’t until they had made it back across the street did Gogo relinquish her grip on Varian. 

“What were you thinking!” She whirled on him angrily.

Varian only stood there and looked at her, still befuddled and ruefully rubbing his ear where she had pinched it.  

“You’re only sixteen!” She yelled, as if this was the most obvious explanation for her righteous anger.  

“So? You’re only eighteen.” He retorted back. As if she had any right to berate him in such a manner when she was only two years older. 

“I’m an adult,” She explained. “But that’s not the point. You’re a child. You don’t need to be drinking or trying to trick bartenders that you’re older.”

“I’m not a child!” Varian responded, properly angry now himself. “What makes you any different?” 

“I can hold down a job, pay rent, buy groceries, I can vote.” She began to list off what she thought were requirements for adulthood. 

“Sooo can you drink?” Varian interrupted as he pointed back to the bar. 

“Well, no.” She admitted, temporarily tripped up by that question. However, the smug look on Varian’s face renewed her annoyance with him. “You can’t even buy a hamburger without someone’s help.” 

“Just because I’m new to this world, doesn’t mean I can’t take care of myself.” He said, deeply offended by that last remark. 

“Oh really, and when’s the last time you had to buy your own food, or clothes, or live on your own?” She asked skeptically.

“I’ve been on my own since I was fourteen!” He snapped. 

Then just as suddenly he stiffened with surprise, he hadn’t meant for that to come out. Both he and Gogo stared at each other, herself equally in shock by his revelation. He quickly turned his head away, bit his lower lip, and stuck his hands in his pockets. He just stood there awkwardly unwilling to look her in the eyes.

For Gogo’s part, she felt her heart drop the moment he had said it. What did he mean ‘on his own’? Who’d leave a fourteen year old to fend for themselves? Didn’t he say he had a dad? But before she could ask for some clarity, Varian spoke again. 

“Look, I’m sorry,” He said defensively, “I didn’t know about the alcohol rule. It won’t happen again.” He put his hands up in defeat and then walked away from her and the conversion. Making his way back to the car, he picked up a wrench and began to tighten a socket. He wasn’t entirely sure what he was doing but anything to keep himself busy and to avoid any more uncomfortable arguments. 

Gogo watched him with increasing worry. She wanted to know more, to help him, but she could tell from his stance and his behavior that he wasn’t willing to talk about it. She knew all about avoiding feelings and bottling up one’s problems. Not that long ago she had been a moody teenager who shoved people away, too. Heck, she still was a moody teenager that shoved people away. Though she had gotten better since she started college. It was amazing how much difference only two years could make. 

Before she had met Tadashi and her other friends, she had been a pretty lonely person. Constantly bullied in grade school and struggling with depression, she was considered the weird emo kid that always sat quietly in the back of the class. However, no matter how bad things had gotten, no matter how many fights she got into at school, nor now many times she cried into her pillow at night, she had always, always had her dad to turn to. Even now she still relied on the man, rushing to him to bare her soul when Tadashi had died, unable to bring herself to talk to anyone else about her recent loss. 

Who did Varian have? She wondered. If his father wasn’t there for him, then who did he turn to for help? Why had he even been left alone? 

Her thoughts were broken when Varian let out a yelp of pain. He had burned his hand on the hot metal and proceeded to stick his fingers in his mouth to suck on the injured digits, still not looking at her, embarrassed by his clumsiness.   

She let out a weary sigh. He was a mess. But so was she, and she didn't know how best to reach him. What would dad do? She thought. Try to get her to open up about a subject that she did enjoy or distract her with a project, she decided. 

"Sooo, Wasabi tells me you want to learn how to drive." Gogo said, changing the subject while she slowly made her way over to stand next to him. 

"Yeah." Varian agreed quietly, keeping his eyes on the engine, still choosing to not look at her. "But because I just moved here I wouldn't be able to get my license for another six months. I'm not sure I'll still be here by then." And with that he ducked back under the hood. 

This didn't sound encouraging to Gogo. If he truly was on his own then what was he going back for? But she knew bringing her doubts up would only push him away further. 

"Well, if you are still here in six months, you'll need a car to drive around in." She suggested instead. 

This grabbed Varian's attention and he finally stopped to look back at her. "Whatd'ya mean?"

"Well it's just, if you want to still learn how cars work, then perhaps we can build one, together. That way if Wasabi helps you get your license then you'll have your own vehicle to ride in." She continued slowly.

"You… you mean it?" Varian hopefully asked. 

"Sure, we can work on it in our free time." She said encouragingly. 

"Yeah? Yeah! That... that’d be great. I'd really like that." Varian agreed. 

He smiled appreciatively at Gogo and she returned it in kind. 

"Of course the first thing you'll need to learn is what socket you need to tighten or not." She gently teased, pointing to the socket he had busied himself with for the past few minutes to no avail. 

"Oh, right." He laughed in embarrassment and finally stopped trying to use the wrench. 

"Here, let me show you how to check the oil." She said and thus the day passed without further incident, just the two of them laughing and bonding over cars.

#varian #GoGo #tangled the series #BH6 the series #rapunzel's tangled adventure #tangled #big hero six #bh6 #tts #rta #of rocks and robots

[drabblewatch]

This isn't even a request I just kind of need to vent. I just got home from my first weekend long con ever (and probably the last time I'll see a few friends too) and it just. Went so badly I guess? My stepdad got mad at me for something I didn't do two days before, which meant I didn't have a ride (even after he realized he was wrong) which lead to me missing the first day. My Mercy cosplay broke as soon as I got there, I'd never done a cosplay by myself before (con anon)

I have the rest of the message under a readmore due to length, but I can definitely tell you this friendo: that’s a whole lot of shit for one person to go through. From family issues, overworking and even the issue with wanting simple affection and touch like you do, I can very much personally relate with the shit I’ve gone through in life. It ain’t easy to endure all that shit, especially not at one time or in a short timespan. There’s no way that I can sugarcoat or fluff up what you’re going through, but I can at least say that you’re being one hell of a badass to be so strong. 

I’m sorry that life has thrown you such a horrible curve-ball and I absolutely offer as many good vibes and karma that the universe will allow me. I hope nothing short of better days come to you, friend, and you’re always more than welcome to vent to me if that helps--I may not always be able to offer the best advice or super-fast, super-awesome drabbles or headcanons, but at the very least I’m happy you were comfortable enough to tell me that you’re going through this.

To want physical affection and touch isn’t something to feel pathetic over either. I can very much relate to the need, since it’s an issue I’ve had to personally endure since leaving home for the military two years back. To want to hold or be held is a purely normal, human need, an emotional need that is just as powerful as hunger or thirst. Though I know I can’t offer you that sort of thing (unless you happen to live near the central/west Texas area), I am more than happy to offer a listening ear whenever you need it.

If there’s others who have something to offer, please don’t hesitate to do so. I want you to have nothing short of good feelings, warmer days and happy thoughts of your faves. Please don’t hesitate to let me know if there’s anything that I can do for you otherwise, friend.

So I never actually got so show off my hard work (work that I put in AFTER my Mercy costume commission turned out to be a scam, I'm out almost 1k after everything). We slept late on the second day by accident so we missed most of that, and the bc my friend's ex decided the ovw photo shoot was a good place to say hi, we had to leave that (I feel like a bad friend because my friend's mental health comes first but really that was the only thing I wanted to see for the weekend) (con anon)

My other friend just seemed kind of out of it? Like we all tried to have a good time but it wasn't working. As soon as I got home my mom picked a fight, called me an embarrassment and laughed when I told her my costume broke. My grandma also made me super uncomfortable when she insinuated I've been dating my friend (I'm a lesbian and he's a guy, my mom knows I'm gay but doesn't understand why I hate it when she brings up men & marriage so much) (con anon)

I tried to play some overwatch to calm down at home but we kept losing and my mom kept yelling on me so I had to stop with that comfort. And then I found out there's an ant problem in the room I'm staying in (since I don't have a real bed here anymore.) Suki I'm trying really hard to be happy with the weekend & that I even went but leading up to it it felt like the universe didn't want me to go. And I know my mom will hold it over my head for being a 'waste of money' (con anon)

Which I HATE, since I'm never allowed to do anything self indulgent when I'm off school, only working for the summer. And I probably won't be allowed anything again until I move back into dorms. I want to be happy but I wish the weekend had went at least a little bit better. I'm jut stressed and upset and on the verge of a breakdown, I'm trying to think Genji-centric thoughts to calm down but it's not helping. Sorry, I just needed to tell someone that wouldn't jump down my throat for (con anon)

For feeling negative emotions (something I'm apparently not allowed to have or express at home, people just don't really care about my mental/emotional wellbeing here at all). I don't think I can tell my friends either since the only ones I had came with me & I'm scared they'll think I'm a selfish asshole. Also, I found out today that neither of them are coming back to school nest year, so this was probably the last time I'll see them. (Con Anon)

I'm not really good at making friends at all, I'm not really shy but people don't really keep me around (I've been trying to 15 years, 3/4 of my life, but I think people are only ever going to see me as disposable) and I hate going back to school to struggle without any sort of support (I'm an art student and I'm the worst in my class, lowest grades & ugliest art & I feel super inadequate, it's probably why my class ignores me too & I get left out so much)con anon)

I think today it's just all sort of hitting me? And I hate it because I should be happy, this was my One Thing to look forward to (Lord knows the rest of summer is going to be miserable, I can't wait for my favourite part where everyone forgets my birthday again too). I'm trying really hard to even make some work friends so I have something small but they all know each other & I feel like such an outsider, no one seems to want to bother with me. I was supposed to move into (con anon)

An apartment soon with my two friends near the school and get some therapy rats to help with my mental health, but since they're not coming back neither of those things will happen. I'm really sorry for just pouring everything out here, being so whiny to someone who doesn't know me, but I really don't have anyone to talk to about all this (not without getting dismissed, anyway) and there's really only so many fabricated conversations I can have in my head (con anon)

Can have in my head where at least one of my favourite character is supportive of me. I really don't have anyone and nothing positive seems to be working out for me at all. I almost cried the other day when my manager offhandedly told me 'good job' during the dinner rush because that's literally the first good thing someone's said to me all year (probably longer, honestly). I'm really sorry, I didn't mean to go so long, thre's just a lot that's happening in my head right now. (con anon)

Sorry, con anon again, I also forgot to mention that I basically missed my last opportunity for any sort of hug or nice physical contact this weekend. I'm not good with touch but I really, really crave it even though I've basically been trained not to ask ever, and I really regret at least not going in for a quick goodbye hug at least because I don't know when the next time I'll get contact will be and really right now that's all I want, just a nice long & warm (pathetic right? lol)

#ask #ask general #Anonymous