#we have been tolerating her and being lenient w her

[i4bellingham]

Hi!! Could you please write a little angst w Jude? Perhaps he goes out to a club with the boys and a fan tries to kiss him and there’s photos on the internet. So this is when he comes back home ? Ty!

MISLEADING : jude bellingham x fem!reader ( angst + fluff ending )

cw: some random chick kissing jude without any permission + her friends tolerating that shit, cussing, breaking down, crying, making up, england’s nt being the best guys >> cuddling as a result of making up, switches in povs

💗 happy christmas to everyone <33

　

It’s not a typical occurrence for Jude to go in clubs so when he was given the invite to go with some of the boys from England’s NT and with your persuasion that he go and enjoy the night out, he simply let out a heavy sigh before dragging himself up the stairs and into your shared room to change.

So here he is now, not entirely bored but he’s not really having fun either.

If it’s the club scenario or the wack music or the suffocating atmosphere, he can't decide. But Jude wants a change of scenery else he’ll definitely be going home earlier than the rest of the guys tonight.

Just as he was about to stand up and head outside, Henderson came back to their groupㅡand the confused frown painting Jude’s face was an evident indication that he wasn’t even aware of Hendo leaving the group in the very first place. One Jude deduced was probably because he was way too occupied judging the lame music and plotting of ways to leave the place to notice anything.

Amidst the loud music, Jude can hear Henderson yelling his words to their group.

“The girls from three tables down wants to take photos with us.” Henderson tells them, pointing a finger over the exact table that was filled with a few girls. “Passed by them on my way to get drinks and apparently they've been in some of our games, had photos ’n everything too.”

Trent visibly rolls his eyes beside Jude, not an ounce of care in his face if he's seen doing the notion or not. “Thought Harry implemented the no-picture-taking-in-guys-out rule?”

“Yeah well unfortunately Harry’s not here.” Saka sighs, also contemplating the strict rule that was made so that the boys can enjoy a night out without needing to worry about taking photos. “Well... we can take a few but after this, no more yeah?”

“We’ll be there for no more than five minutes then we’ll come back here and that's the last of it, alright?” Declan’s suggestion earns a unison of nodding heads before the girls are seen approaching their table. “Or... y’know they can just head over here or whatever...”

From beside Jude, Trent whispers just enough for him to hear. “Why do I sense something vile in the air...”

“Why are you wording it like that?” Jude teasingly asks before he’s being smacked on the shoulders. “Startin’ to sound poetic no?”

“Shoulda taken a different route huh?” Trent raises his brows playfully with a smirk. “Think I might do well with poems, literary... might even sell million copies of my books.”

With this, Jude simply laughs before his attention is being taken away from his friend and towards Henderson and a blonde girl beside him.

“Bellingham!”

With a sigh, Jude leaves his seat to approach the two with a smile on his lips. He greets the girl with a simple hi while Henderson does all the work introducing the two to each other albeit a little awkwardly and even though it’s more than apparent that the girl was already aware of who Jude is before they’re doing a little pose for the photos.

It wasn’t customary but it wasn't uncommon for Jude to wrap an arm around a fan’s back or shoulder, so he lets his hand loosely enclose over the girl’s spine before smiling for the camera. But what happens next is enough for Jude to reel himself away from the girl and wiping his lips, the other guys who witnessed what happened letting out shocked ‘woahs’ and ‘heys’ before Henderson is grabbing him by the arms to drag Jude behind his back.

“We’re very lenient when it comes to taking pictures but if you do so much as what you just did which held no respect for my guy... you better best just leave us alone.” Henderson gruffly says before Marcus too is holding the man by the arms.

On the other end, Jude was just lost for words. He was beyond confused and uncomfortable with what just happened that he’s barely processing Mason and Jack coming to his side to sit him back down on the booth before they're standing in front of him, shielding him away from the group of girls as did the other guys who left their seats.

“... you must be bloody crazy if you think it’s okay to molest someone like that. Ever heard of respecting a person’s space? No? Cos it shows.” Jude hears Trent scoff before he’s being told by Wilson to calm down.

There’s a few more exchange of words, but Jude’s head was just way too far beyond to fully comprehend the entire conversation happening. All he got from it was the guys telling the girls off, slapping them basically with the wrong their friend did that was unfortunately tolerated by their entire circle before he hears Phil just demanding the girls leave their table else they'll call security on them. That seemed to have done the trick because after a more than 10-minute discourse, their table finally cleared and the guys are sitting back in their seats, all tensed and irritated.

Saka taps Jude by the shoulder, sliding him a glass of water. “Do you wanna stay here or do you want to go home?”

“Home-”

Shit.

Jude frantically looks for his phone, wiping his sweaty palms over his jeans before he's tapping onto the screen, checking some things on there which garnered him confused looks from the other guys before the realization too smacks them straight in the face.

In a split second, all of them are scrolling through their phones. Pulling articles after articles, tapping their’s and Jude's names on the search bar of Twitter to see if anything new popped up.

“Shitshitshit.”

Anxiousness was all Jude felt. There was no other thoughts in his mind as he scrolls through his phone, name searched for the latest news about him except for you, his girlfriend who trusted him enough to go out with the guys without any issues. What if someone took photo of what happened? What if you misunderstood everything and hate him? What if when he gets home you're no longer there with him? What if he can’t explain his side knowing he too was just as dumbfounded and surprised when it happened? What if this causes for-

“Jude.” Luke passes him his phone silently, a grim look on his face.

The others stop their searching before they too are leaning over the table to look at Luke's phone. There, a photo although a little blurry was still pretty recognizable especially with the flash on. The photo was posted on a Twitter handle with no profile, no followers and no other posts besides the picture itself that was posted just a minute ago. But the likes and retweets of it was spiking by each passing second.

“Fuck I need to go homeㅡI wanna go home she's gonna fuckin’ leave me if I don’t explain what happened I can’t I need to go home-” Jude abruptly leaves the table before the guys are following after him, jogging after their midfielder to the parking lot as Jude tries to ring up your phone but to no avail.

“Jude calm down! You’re gonna get yourself hurt if you don’t calm down this second man!” Trent pulls him by the shoulders, slightly shaking him as he tries not to breakdown in front of his friends. “Come on, I’ll drive you. We’ll help you fix this alright?”

Jude stiffly nods his head, phone still against his ear as he listens to the ringing sound of the device in his hand.

Marcus pats him on the back, opening the passenger’s side before he’s ushering him in while Trent goes to the driver’s side.

“Drive safe Trent.”

“We’ll pick you up at theirs. We’ll explain what happened to you if things goes south Jude, don’t worry about anything.” Henderson adds before he too reaches a hand to give a reassuring pat on Jude’s shoulders.

Mason nods his head in agreement. “You didn’t do anything wrong Jude. Don’t beat yourself over this.”

“If it’s someone else’s fault, it’s that girl’s and her friends’. Bunch of obnoxious things they were.” A few snorts and snickers left the guys’ lips from Jack’s comment. “Don’t worry, like Trent said, we’ll help you fix this and like Mase said, you didn’t do anything wrong.”

Jude breathes a sigh of relief, wiping away the tears on his lash line before he lets a sigh escape from his chest. “Thanks a lot...”

One by one they clear off from Jude’s car, watching the vehicle as it drives away before going inside their respective cars as Henderson follows after them to take Trent back and to also back their friend up.

It’s such a draining thing, what happened was. Jude couldn’t fully grasp in his head that a random girl had the guts to kiss him right on the lips in public and in front of his friends especially knowing he’s already got a pretty thing waiting for him at home; a relationship that was already out in public for an entire year.

Although was filled with reassurance, he still couldn’t help the harsh palpitations of his chest. Jude still dreads for whatever is gonna happen next because he cannot bear to see you hurt regardless of what reason causes you to feel like it. But the thing is that, something happened tonight. It happened, and that was just there to it. It happened and Jude doesn’t want it to cause you to start overthinking or worse, lose your trust.

So when 20 minutes later and they're pulling up in front of his house, Jude leaves the car with a shaky breath and Trent following after him.

Before the both of them headed inside, Trent places a palm on his shoulder. “Don’t worry, you did nothing wrong. And if there’s one thing I know, she’ll hear you out if she did read and saw the posts because she trusts you enough to listen to your side of the story. So just calm down and explain everything that happened to her.”

With a stiff nod, Jude grabs the doorknob twisting it before he’s pushing the door open.

　

　　　　　　　　　　ㅡ ♡ ㅡ

　

It was supposed to be a calm and relaxing night.

You planned on binge-watching your favorite tv series in your laptop, eat some of your favorite snacks and drink and settle down on the couch with your thick duvet wrapped around you for the extra coziness and warmth.

It had been 45 minutes since Jude left the house, planting multiple kisses all over you face before he’s out the door with a promise to be back before the clock hits one. And your plan for the night was nearly coming into fruition, you just need to get your snacks to the coffee table in the living room then you’re all set.

But it was the notifications that came after one another blowing up your phone that had you pausing from placing a bowl of berries on the tray as you checked the device over the counter.

　

from: friend1

hey isn’t this jude?

https://twitter.com/user97203759/status/1937373027638.com

　

With a frown, you tap on the link thinking not too much of it.

You were expecting to see another goofy video, another weird picture of Jude being posted online but what welcomes your vision wasn’t anything but that. Instead, the dimly lit photo with a blurred background of red LED lights, booths and two people in front of the camera made you do a double-take as you eyed the rather intimate captured moment.

The entire outfit that Jude left the house with not even an hour ago was waving straight at your eyes, the haircut and even the blurry face showed that it was indeed your boyfriend himself. But what made you close your phone from inspecting your screen any further was the fact that another girl was kissing Jude.

You wanted to throw up.

You need to throw up.

Tears started to pool around the corner of your eyes as you lean yourself on the counter, heaving deep breaths of air through your mouth before you have a palm against your chest, clasping at the section.

You knew Jude well-enough to know that he wouldn’t cheat on you. No, his Mum raised him better than that. He knows his morals stands at a better point to be a man like that. You knew he would never do it. Not now, not ever.

But still, the ache in your chest and the hollow sensation had you slotting yourself on the floor, arms wrapped around your knees in a way to comfort your own self before you're sniffling and muffling your cries against your thighs.

You sat there with no sense of time. All you know is that you've been there long enough for your bottoms to start hurting. And though your tears have dried leaving a streak on your cheeks, the pain and disappointment was still fresh in your head.

And then the front door opens before the padding of feet on the floor sounded off in the corner of the hall that connected the living space and the open kitchen.

“Y/N? Love?” Jude’s voice reached your ears before you even saw him, but it wasn’t long before his tall figure emerged from the shadows of the barely lighted room.

　

　　　　　　　　　ㅡ ♡ ㅡ

　

When Jude reached the open space for your kitchen and living room, his heart broke at the sight of you sat on the floor with your phone beside you, arms wrapped around your body as you stared at the wooden flooring of the house.

Jude immediately knew he fucked up, big time. And though he didn't like what happened, it still happened and there’s nothing he can do to change that. But what he can do right now is to make it up to you, assure you that there’s nothing going on, that there’s nobody else but you, that he would never cheat, not to anyone and especially not to you. And he starts doing just that by approaching you with slow steps. In his sixth step though, you stopped him by asking one question that had him pausing entirely from his tracks.

“What happened?”

Jude breathed a sigh of partial relief. Although the circumstance wasn’t an ideal one to begin with for him to be washed away with the relief slowly soothing his chest, he’s not yet explained his side of the story and reassure you that the things you probably already saw on the internet isn’t what it seems. So Jude hesitantly sits down beside you on the floor, leaning his back against the cold marble of the kitchen counter.

“There were these girls wanting to take pictures with us ’n I didn’t really put too much thought into it at first, never even had a single thought that she’d kiss me in the process but it happened.” Jude sighs, wincing at memory. “Then the guys reprimanded their groupㅡcouldn’t recall the entire conversation if I’m bein’ honest... was still stuck inside ma head to fully comprehend what’s happening.”

You didn’t say anything at his explanation, fiddling instead with the loose ends of your shirt and refused to meet his eyes.

The relief Jude felt earlier slowly washed away, replacing it was the dread that built up in the pit of his stomach and the anxiety that had his hands shaking.

“I didn’t want it to happen love, I swear to you I didn't want it to happen...” He whispers, hands aching to reach out to you but instead he lets them sit over his thighs. “I don’t want to lose you, please believe me...”

A hundred million thoughts ran inside Jude’s head as your silence prevailed, most of which were inclined to the doom of the relationship that he wanted to last until the very end. It was not a good look on him, he knows that. But somewhere deep down he knows that you knew him enough to gauge his character that he would never do such thing. Jude believes that you would never doubt his loyalty to you, but at the same time looking at the situation in entirety and even though he never wanted for it to happen, anything was plausible to play out even the negative scenario playing inside his head. Because even though Jude didn’t want it doesn't mean the current issue never happened.

“Y/N...? Babe please say something...” Jude leaves his spot beside you before kneeling down in front of you. “I would you rather swear at me just please... say anything-”

“I’m hurt Jude.”

Your words pulls at his heartstrings and making him stop his sentence.

“I’m hurt and disappointed and angry...” There is a drag at the end of your words, almost as if you're trying to prolong the impending end of the relationship. At this, Jude almost scrambles on his feet to ask you to listen, to tell you that he’s got the guys to back his story up because that’s what really happened or better yet, convince you to visit the club with him so they can ask for security footage when it happened. He was ready to do just anything so you don’t break up with him, but what leaves your lips next had him slotting his large frame in between your legs, head on your chest and arms around your waist.

“But I know you... and I know you would never cheat on me, and I trust you. Denise will give you a lifetime’s worth of ass-whooping if you did that.” The last sentence was meant to be a joke, a playful jab to ease down the tense atmosphere but instead of it having that effect, Jude was on your chest and muffling his sniffs.

You simply cradle him against you, leaning your head against his before you're running your fingers through his curls. “I trust you Jude... it’s okay... it’s okay baby...”

“I thought you were gonna leave me.” He says against your chest, arms tightening around you. “I was so scared...”

You plant a kiss on his head. “I would never. I thought you knew me better than that to think that I would immediately believe posts like that on the internet.”

“Yeah well... I wouldn’t be surprised if you did, that wasn’t a good look innit?”

“Definitely wasn’t, but I believe you.”

Jude raises his head from your chest before a few feet shuffling down the hall from the entrance of your home sounded off against the walls. There, Trent and Henderson emerges from the hall just like Jude did earlier.

Their eyes widen for a split second seeing you and Jude on the floor, arms around one another.

“So I take it that you guys are okay?” You both nod to Trent’s query.

“We’re still hearing the wedding bells mate, they're fine.” Henderson adds before the two of them are ranting about their experience with those girls not too long ago, all with hand movements and loud booming voices that was definitely a pale comparison to the calm night that you were hoping for.

　

　　　　　　　　　ㅡ ♡ ㅡ

　

The next day comes and accompanies it was the shrill sound of Jude’s phone ringing early in the morning.

He was still trending on Twitter but this time, with a new clarification to his name.

Head against his bare chest, he scrolls through multiple posts from different Twitter users who reposted a video from last night’s event in a different yet very helpful angle. In the short clip spanning not even longer than 3 minutes showed Jude and the still yet unnamed girl posing in front of the camera. It also showed the other guys who were also taking pictures at that time before the girl slotted her lips against Jude’s that had them rushing off to their mate who by then was already being shielded by Henderson.

The conversation wasn’t audible in the clip but the unmistaken heated faces of the guys says enough for you. The video ended with the camera panning back to Jude who was seated back inside the booth, in daze and very much unaware of his surrounding as he stares at the wooden table in front of him.

“Such an unfortunate thing her entire circle of friends defended her...” Jude scoffs at your comment.

“I’m betting they planned it all beforehand, quite pathetic really.” He kisses your head before closing his phone and letting his back land on the plush bed, dragging you with him on top. He wraps an arm around you as you adjust so you're laying next to him. “And this is why I’ll never go out without you ever again.”

“Well what if it's the boy’s night out at Harry's?”

“Katie loves you doesn’t she?” You nod your head hesitantly. Jude simply hugs you tighter, throwing a leg over your hip. “Then it’s settled, I’m bringin’ you anywhere I go.”

You roll your eyes before patting him on the chest. “Nice try big guy but I have classes and other things going on.”

You receive another kiss on the head and a cheeky reply from that as Jude smiles. “Well... I’ll find ways to sort that out but for now, stay here with me.”

“Always Jude... always.”

a/n: i have an upcoming photoshoot from 26th of this month up until the 30th so i’m trying to finish all the requests sent in my asks but man, my finger cramps are such a buzzkill 😭

#☆ i4bellingham writes. #☆ jude bellingham #jude bellingham #jude bellingham fanfiction #jude bellingham x reader #jude bellingham scenario #jude bellingham x fem!reader #jude bellingham x you #jude bellingham imagines #jude bellingham angst #jude bellingham fanfic

[klingershat]

I'm SURE this has been done before but... House MD fanfic w a MASH au??

Hmm. So obviously House would be our Hawkeye. We all know House would absolutely utilize his injury to avoid doing something he doesn't want to. So, if we wanted to make this interesting-- what if he instead fakes being totally fine at his draft physical so they'll send him. When he arrives at his MASH unit, he's using a cane and everything. He's convinced everyone that he's such a good doctor, they sent him to war with a bum leg anyway. Only Cuddy initially clocks that that's absolutely not true. Why does he want to go to Korea? Because he wants to help. He would never tell anyone this, but House does really care about his patients. Maybe he's in a low place and impulsively decides to go to Korea. I think his addiction would be morphine? I tried looking up what opiates were used in the early 50's and that's my best guess.

That makes Wilson our BJ! And yeah, sorry, he's a BJ. I think Hawkeye and BJ's relationship bears a lot of resemblance to House and Wilson's-- notably, that it's painful. "I am pure of heart and insane and you are deceptively selfish but 'a nice guy' and we are best friends and we love each other and we hate each other." Etc etc. Wilson is already in a sore spot in his marriage when he gets drafted to go to Korea. He very much seems like the "family man" type, but he's either misremembering the marriage or convinced that the war puts a pause on all of its problems. And he's convincing. He doesn't look twice at any of the nurses, doesn't cheat on his wife with them. While he's cordial and pleasant, he initially tries keeping most people at arms length. But he can't help but get wrapped up in whatever House is up to, and it's maybe a bit like how BJ slowly changes the longer he's around.

I don't think women were CO'S but I don't think we really have any choice but to make Cuddy the CO. It's a MASH au. It'll live. She doesn't typically have a high tolerance for subordinate bullshit but House is clearly the reason why their recovery numbers are so high, so she's begrudgingly lenient with him.

I could see Cameron being kind of similar to houlihan, in that she is capable of such immense compassion. Cameron is noticably softer than her coworkers. She gets emotionally involved, etc. House continually tells her that she needs to toughen up because this is war, but that also means that she's incredibly supportive when it's been 24 hours of surgery and everything is kind of falling apart.

Maybe I'll add to this later but it was just smthn I was thinking about. I am by no means a House MD or MASH scholar, so feel free to add or correct me if I'm wrong.

#house md #mash #mash au #gregory house #james wilson #lisa cuddy #hawkeye pierce #bj hunnicutt #margaret houlihan

[darcyolsson]

girl help it’s the last day of my group project (which we spent a year working on) and this one girl who has been perpetually annoying the entire time is now accusing us of not knowing what we’re talking about & wants to change one of the main variables <3 did i mention we have been working on this for a YEAR and it’s the LAST DAY

#shes just so... #we have been tolerating her and being lenient w her #and today when people FINALLY snapped and didnt let her belittle them she told us we dont know what were talking about #she said 'i'm going to be honest now' as if she has not been 'honest' (rude) for this ENTIRE YEAR im losing my mind bestie #is this the 3rd grade? no but is it? #literally everyone is being so respectful towards her when she deserves none of it im so proud of my other girlies #but omg. if i ever get assigned to do another group project with this girl i am literally dropping out of uni #personal

[minniepetals]

Rose & Thorns: 10

— summary: a lone rose, a little broken, until Jungkook came along and the two of you saved each other. and in doing so, Jungkook showed you a world where he shared with his six other mates.

— pairing: dragon!bts x reader

— genre: angst / slight fluff / poly!au / fantasy!au / dragon!au

— word count: 8.0k

— warnings: none

╰ part 1 / part 2 / part 3 / part 4 / part 5 / part 6 / part 7 / part 8 / part 9 / part 10

You stood in the hall of the castle on the left of Namjoon while Hoseok stood on his right, faces grim and serious as you could feel all eyes on you with the intriguing fact that a Keeper was in their clan, a Keeper the clans haven’t had since hundreds of years ago. None of them were alive to live through the years when the first Keeper had been chosen so to know that another Keeper was made was quite fascinating to them, you were sure.

But you could also tell that some dragons still doubted your loyalty, knowing fully well how many of them did not have good histories with your kind. But you weren’t going to let them faze you. Namjoon often reminded you to look confident no matter how much they may scare you. After all, looking small and vulnerable in front of the dragons would only give them more doubt and you knew you had to gain their trust and show them that you were capable of being a Keeper more than anything.

As the steps of the leader of the Southern Clan began to echo into the room and the whispering voices died down, Namjoon took his respective bow with you and Hoseok automatically following along, heads lowered in respect as you stared at the floor below you.

It was nerve wracking being in a room full of dragons you had never seen before but you knew you had to remain strong.

“Prince Namjoon.” Surprisingly the voice was light and friendly as the prince spoke your leader’s name. He rose upon the call of his name with you and Hoseok following and could see the kind smile prince Daesung was giving him. “Welcome to our Clan.”

“Thank you,” Namjoon gave him a short nod before his gaze fell to Hoseok.

“Prince Hoseok.”

“Your highness.”

“And,” he turned his head your way and the moment his eyes met yours, you could see the way his eyes widened a little, falling silent at the sight of you with a delicate hand coming up to cover his mouth. “Oh my,” he whispered in a small gasp, blinking one moment before breaking into a bright smile that practically lit up the entire room and the next thing you knew he had rushed in front of you with his hands grabbing ahold of yours, squeezing it tight. “You didn’t tell me she was so adorable!” The prince squealed with delight, surprising you with a sudden embrace that caught you off guard and your eyes were quick to dart to your dragons with a flustered expression plastered onto your face.

The way their eyes darkened slightly almost brought shivers down your spine.

“Human girls are the cutest thing ever! I can’t believe I’m finally meeting one in real life!! Tell me!” He backed away just enough to face you again as you could feel yourself blushing at how close he was. “Keeper of the Dragons, what is your name, dear one?”

“U-uh,” you stuttered, feeling slightly uncomfortable by the close proximity but knowing not to be rude in his presence, “Y..Y/N.”

You thought his eyes had lit up even more. “What a pretty name! You’re so—”

“Okay, that’s enough,” Hoseok quickly stepped in to grab you by the shoulder and pulled you back to his arms with a displeased look on his face. “Prince Daesung. Whether she is a human or not, you must remember that our Keeper is still a lady.”

“Oh my.” Totally ignoring Hoseok’s warnings, prince Daesung could only wiggle more with excitement as his eyes returned to you again. “I know jealousy when I see it and I must say, to woo the seven princes of the East Clan is quite a bold move of yours, precious Y/N.”

“Huh?” You began to panic as your hands came up to wave with denial. “No, I-I didn’t—”

“Not that I’m saying it’s a bad thing. I would do the same if I had the pretty looks you do. How’d they find such an adorable face such as yourself? Or did you find them first? I’m sure these possessive dragons stole you away to make you fall in love with them, didn’t they?”

“W-wait! They didn’t—”

“Prince Daesung, stop teasing the little one already.” Namjoon let out a tired sigh.

“I can’t help it!” The prince chortled with a sly grin. “She’s even more pretty when she blushes so easily like that.”

You could see his followers looking away or hanging their heads in shame at their prince’s words and you realized that you were totally baited by the South Clan’s leader, making you even more embarrassed than before.

As if reading your thoughts, Hoseok gave you a squeeze. “Don’t worry. Prince Daesung likes to spew nonsense so don’t take him too seriously.”

Offended, prince Daesung gave out a dramatic gasp. “Rude!”

“Forgive me for the impolite behavior of my dear brother.” You turned at the sound of the voice that was laced with poised to find a young lady a few feet taller than you. She had her head bowed with a hand rested against her heart, showing both grace and a dignified manner and you could tell almost immediately who she was after learning a few things about the South Clan. “Are you alright, milady?” Princess Soyeon asked with a slight concern as she addressed you.

“Yes, your highness,” you told her with a small smile, a bit taken back by how different the two siblings were.

She returned the smile with her own before turning to her brother with a displeased glare. “Not only is Y/N a lady but she is also the sole Keeper of the Dragons. You cannot disrespect the lady like that.”

Her scolding made prince Daesung look away with a pout. “You cannot expect me to ignore the cute.”

“Would you like to feel the wrath of our neighboring princes as well?”

Though the prince did not respond to that as he refused to meet his sister’s glare, you cocked your head slightly to the side with confusion upon her words. “Wrath?”

Princess Soyeon looked back at you with softer eyes and a faint smile as she eyed your two princes. “Us dragons are very possessive creatures. If anyone tries to touch our treasures, it may turn into conflicts. They may not look like it but I am sure prince Namjoon and prince Hoseok weren’t exactly fond of my brother touching you.”

You looked over your shoulder at the two of them who stood tall behind you and found Namjoon meeting your eyes with a slight raise to his brow almost as if confirming the assumption of the princess, making your cheeks warm up again.

“Again, please forgive my brother. I will make sure he does not do anything to offend you again.”

“Ah, it…” you shook your head with a smile, “it’s alright.”

“Now then,” with a sudden clap echoing into the large room, prince Daesung began to dismiss the members of his clan. “You’ve gotten a good look at our dear Keeper and see that she is a beautiful lady and anyone beautiful is worth trusting so—”

“Our relationship with the Eastern Clan is clear enough to show that we have no reason to mistrust them,” princess Soyeon stated in a loud, clear voice as she totally ignored the voice of her brother who responded with a glare of his own. But even though she had interrupted him, he let her go on to address the crowd. “We all know that the only way a human can become a Keeper is through the will of our own ancestors and we know never to question their decisions. If they have chosen Y/N as the new Keeper of the Dragons then that is the decision that we must accept. If anyone has any problem with that, know that you will be going against our own ancestors.”

Her voice, so poised and filled with charisma, was enough to let her warriors know that she wasn’t going to tolerate anyone that would go against having you as their Keeper and for that, you felt so thankful to the princess.

Once the room finally cleared away and all that was left were the five of you along with a few trusted warriors of the Southern Clan, you knew it was all business now.

“Your highnesses,” Namjoon began and it was enough to let the princess understand what he wanted to discuss.

She turned to follow her brother as she spoke and the rest of you followed along to their steps. “I am sure you must be wanting to discuss the agreement between the three clans upon accepting the Keeper.”

“That’s correct,” he gave a firm nod.

You walked beside Hoseok, silently listening in as your nerves began to reappear once again. You knew it wasn’t going to be easy even if the South Clan seemed friendly but you hoped things would work out well in the end.

“The other clans may not be as lenient but we do not plan on using Y/N for all of the wars that will be fought in the future,” she was quick to assure. “Whether she is a Keeper or not, we will not lay so low as to use someone outside of our clan as a tool in order to fight our wars.”

“Besides,” chiming in, you met the eyes of the prince as he looked over his shoulder for a brief moment and sent you a smirk, “who would want to send a beautiful lady into the battlegrounds?” He turned back again, sounding a little more exasperated this time. “However, we all know prince Hyungwoo and prince Seojoon aren’t going to be as kind as us.”

As the door to a room opened up, you all walked into their meeting hall and immediately took your seats in order to continue discussing.

“The princes of the North and West know not to reject a Keeper but you must be prepared for what challenges they will have you facing.”

You tilted your head slightly to the side at princess Soyeon. “Challenges?”

“To see how powerful you can be.”

“They won’t do anything unethical now will they?” Hoseok frowned.

“If they realize the little one has joined your little circle of lovers then perhaps they will take not offending you more into account,” prince Daesung opined with a light shrug. “But the two of them are quite unpredictable, especially prince Hyungwoo of the North, so it’s best to keep your guard up. Prince Seojoon is rational but it’s hard to please that man.” He propped his elbow upon the grand table, resting his chin onto his hand as he looked at you with sympathetic eyes. “Be careful, dear Y/N, dragons can be quite prideful and if someone comes in to threaten their position in this little game of ours, it can get a little nasty.”

You could feel a shiver running down your spine but it fell away too soon as you felt Hoseok’s hand suddenly holding yours. When you turned your head towards him, he graced you with a kind smile. “There’s no need to be afraid, we’ll be right there with you,” he whispered softly, allowing your heart to relax again.

“Major wars do not occur very often,” princess Soyeon added truthfully, “and if they do, we often deal with it on our own with our own dragons. But if there is ever an emergency that forces us to seek help, I hope that you will allow us to call for you.”

“Of course,” you gave her a firm nod with a determined gaze. “I will be prepared for the day I am asked to help fight the wars.”

She returned the nod just as firmly before letting herself relax just for a moment to spare you a small smile. “Thank you, Keeper, and thank you princes of the East for finding her.”

It was their unquestioned trust in you that made you believe in yourself more.

.

.

“What are you thinking about?”

The prince had allowed your stay in the South as the sun was already beginning to set by the time the meeting was over and as you sat on the grand bed prepared for you and your princes, Namjoon took a seat beside you after changing into proper sleepwear, wondering why you looked so distant all on your own.

You didn’t want to bother them with your concerns so you shook your head lightly with a faint smile thrown his way to try and ease the tension that hadn’t faded from the moment the three of you left the Eastern mountains.

“Right now it feels just right to take up prince Daesung’s offer to stay here a while longer and postpone our travel plans for the West and North, doesn’t it? I know you’re anxious,” Hoseok said with a wry smile as he went on to sit beside you on your other side.

“But,” Namjoon took ahold of your hand and placed it on top of his palm where it rested upon his lap, and began to rub small circles on the back of your hand as a way of comfort, “I know you miss the others and cannot wait to go home.”

How was it that they knew you so well? You could still recall those moments when they couldn’t trust a word you said and had treated you poorly but looking at them at this moment, you could find nothing but love in their eyes and that alone warmed your cold, anxious heart.

“It hasn’t even been a day,” you lamented as your eyes cast down to the gentle hands that were still caressing yours. “I miss them so much.”

“You’re right,” Hoseok said in a soft manner as he thought back to that morning the three of you took your leave and placed an arm over your shoulders with a small squeeze. “It isn’t often we go our separate ways outside of our lands.”

“Really?”

“Mhm,” Namjoon said, nodding. “There are some of us who haven't even seen the world outside our own lands despite being princes.”

Your eyes widened a bit at the revelation. “No way. Who?”

“Jimin and Taehyung.”

“Why is that?”

“Jimin looks after our prisoners, as you know, so it really doesn’t matter much to him because he’s sadly almost always in the dungeons. As for Taehyung, the younger one has to look after the little ones so he doesn’t get out much either,” explained Hoseok. It made sense, you should have known of those facts before they even told you but it still made it sad to be able to hear of the two of them being stuck in the clan everyday.

“So what are the occasions when traveling outside our lands?” You asked them.

Namjoon gave you a small grin. “Well for one, meetings like these. But I have meetings with the clan leaders every full moon. Usually Yoongi will accompany me on those nights. That’s why some days we go missing and are nowhere to be found inside the clan. Seokjin travels if he needs to find special herbs or wishes to learn more about plants and remedies that don't exist on our lands.”

“Those are what he calls his errands,” Hoseok said almost in a whisper as he sent you a wink, causing your mouth to form into a little circle at the epiphany.

“That’s why he takes so long and sometimes comes back so late? I would have loved to accompany him on those journeys.”

They both shared a chuckle.

“You’ve had some bad encounters when leaving the clan, I’m sure hyung only left you out for your sake,” Hoseok explained gently as he stroked your hair before proceeding on. “Jungkook and I sometimes have to do secret patrols that take place outside our lands. Only a very few of us know of that though. They’re sort of like secret investigations to get information on whether a smaller clan will be wanting to rise against us or not in order to prepare for or avoid any future wars.”

“But as you can see, we’ve managed to avoid war for a long time now.”

“Though it doesn’t guarantee the fact that we won’t be going to war again at all.”

As you stared down at your lap, the distressed look on your face made the mood drop as your two princes shared a look of understanding, knowing exactly what you are worried about.

Namjoon lightly squeezed the hand that he held onto as he began to speak again. “I know I cannot promise you that there will be no wars in the future and that even if there is a war that does not concern our clan, you may be called in to be involved as Keeper, but I can promise you that you will never be alone.”

You looked up at him with sad eyes just thinking about the wars that you all would have to face in order to protect your own people.

But Namjoon did not back away from your fear and held onto a gentle smile. “Perhaps it may not be enough to just tell you that you will not be alone but I speak for all of the dragons in our clan when I say this, Y/N. Whether it is a war fought for our own lands or a war you will be called into as Keeper for the other clans, our dragons will be right behind you guarding you at all sides. As a follower, as a friend, as a lover, and as dragons of the Eastern Clan. We are here for you.”

Upon those words that were given unto you, you knew that you could trust them with your life just as you trusted the two of them. It had been a long journey from the moment you and Jungkook escaped your old village and flew into their clan. Many things happened but as time changed, so did their hearts. You were a trusted keeper now, a human your clan believed in without a doubt so it was your turn to put your faith in them.

The journey beyond was still long but you knew you’d be alright as long as they were by your side.

“I love you,” you confessed and their eyes softened.

You were held in between the two of them, huddled so close, making you feel safe and sound and that alone allowed you to believe that everything would be alright.

.

.

“Greetings to the prince of the Western Clan.”

The air felt thicker, more tense than it was during that moment where you stood tall in front of the Southern Clan. The Western Clan was not as friendly looking as the Southern Clan but you knew that they valued law and order so although a part of you was filled with anxiety standing before the prince, you also understood that prince Seojoon wasn’t going to be someone who would judge someone that easily just because of their descendants.

“Greetings to the princes of the Eastern Clan,” he returned the formal bow, face as expressionless and as stoic as you’d been warned about. When he turned to look your way, you couldn’t tell what was on his mind. All you knew was that what he saw before him was a simple human girl claiming to be the Keeper of the Dragons.

What did he think of you? Perhaps in his eyes you looked like a frail, weak, human girl who should have never associated herself with the dragons.

It was hard being tested back in the Eastern Clan itself when you first arrived. Many of the dragons hated you at the time but you never let it get to you and tried your best to do what your heart had told you to do. Whether the dragons would accept you or not, you just had to continue doing the job you were meant to do with a golden heart.

If you show weakness, if you let their words and judgement hurt you, you would only look like someone who was not worthy of the Keeper title and that was something you knew you absolutely could not do. You couldn’t taint the reputation of the Eastern Clan, you couldn’t let the other clans shame them. If Namjoon gave you that title because he believed in you and the dragon ancestors accepted you then you had to live up to all of their expectations no matter how unclear the journey before you may lie.

When you greeted the eyes of prince Seojoon whose face revealed no sign of anything, a part of you was still afraid. But you kept your head held up high and perhaps because of that strong facade, his expression did not harden when he met your eyes.

“Keeper.” His voice was rather normal. No tone of disgust, no amount of hatred bleeding through the tip of his tongue. He greeted you as if you were an equal with a short bow and a small nod of acknowledgement.

Perhaps it wouldn’t be seen as something special but you knew and many of the dragons knew that that itself meant that prince Seojoon wasn’t going to reject you as the Keeper.

“Seojoon.” At the call of his name falling out of Namjoon’s lips, the Western prince returned his focus back on the leader of the Eastern Clan.

For a moment all was quiet and tense as the two of them stared at one another as if sending telepathic messages to each other with looks alone. You stood there beside Hoseok, waiting for one of them to break the long silence but it seemed as if none of the two were willing to do so.

You didn’t know much about the history between the two princes nor understood much of what their relationship was but what you did know was that between the two leaders of the Eastern and Western Clan, though they may have once fought from time to time long before Jungkook was captured by your former village, the two of them had this silent mutual respect for one another.

And perhaps that was one of the reasons why prince Seojoon was willing to be the one to break first.

“I was surprised when I received your letter, Namjoon,” he began without so much of a blink in his eyes. “Out of all the crown princes who have taken their positions on the thrones, I never thought you out of the four of us would choose to trust a human and grant them the title of a Keeper. In fact, I always believed you to be the last one to ever be willing.”

Standing tall and proud with no sign of remorse, Namjoon spoke with the same resolve. “It is true that my actions were indeed unexpected but my decisions were not made solely on feelings alone.”

“You are not one to easily trust a human,” the Western prince acknowledged, “so I will trust in the decision you have made. The ancestors have, as it seems, deemed her worthy of the position. However, that does not mean I will blindly put my faith in someone I do not know. Until the Keeper can prove her worth, I will be on the neutral side on neither accepting nor refusing the new Eastern Clan member.”

Prove your worth.

He wanted you to prove your worth as a Keeper in order to accept you as someone needed in the dragan clans. You weren’t sure how to do that, you weren’t even sure how you were going to be someone of good help to the four major clans. Namjoon believed in you and so did the other six, but at the moment their support did not mean much until you could find the strength within yourself to accept the role.

Prince Seojoon was right, you had to prove your worth. But not just for the clans but for your own self as well.

The past years have always treated you horribly, a human woman who had no place anywhere with no purpose in life. Now that you were given such a high honor and set at the center of the dragons, the new profound responsibilities could only make you feel as if you were just another outcast again.

No.

Your princes believed in you and they’d go through any lengths to make sure you were safe and protected. They gave you a place in their clan, cared for you, and made sure everything was alright. It was time to stop hiding in their shadows and prove that you were indeed worthy of such an honorable title and be the one to protect instead.

You were a Keeper now. There was no time to dwindle and convince yourself otherwise.

Seeing the resolve in your eyes rather than shrinking in fear and hiding behind the princes of the Eastern Clan, prince Seojoon was a bit taken back by your strong gaze.

But...it wasn’t a look that he did not exactly hate.

Not bad, he thought, and hid the small look of approval behind his cold exterior.

.

.

“Your highness.”

Prince Seojoon stopped walking and turned slowly to find the Keeper who had not spoken even once during his audience with the Eastern Clan’s arrival. You bowed before him in a formal and elegant way, a voice too gentle and soft for a supposed warrior who would eventually have to be used in upcoming battles with the dragons, but he allowed himself not to judge someone based on the exteriors alone.

“What is it, Keeper?”

At least he was calling you by your title, you thought, and let out a hidden sigh before facing the prince with a dignified stance.

“I understand that the relationship between humans and dragons is not a strong one, but I also do not conceive of you as one who would wrongfully judge others based on the fact that I am human alone.”

“You do not, huh?” He replied with the same seriousness as you have written on your face.

“Forgive me if I am overstepping my boundaries but prince Namjoon himself has told me that you are one who sees the person before him as what they are as you see before your eyes. Neither past, race, gender, nor what they were born as will sway your mind into thinking otherwise.”

“And what are you to do with that information?”

You held your head high and met his eyes without falter, keeping in mind the words Namjoon had warned you about with how prince Seojoon did not like it when one spoke about proving oneself while cowering before his eyes. “If me proving my worth to the dragons is all that you want from me, then I will do all that I can to become a warrior that is worthy to everyone. I hope that someday you can faithfully put your trust in me as Keeper of the Dragons.”

Prince Seojoon took a moment to reply, the silence between the two of you lingering while you refused to back down upon his hard gaze otherwise he would never take your words seriously.

After a short while, he finally gave you a firm nod. “I trust that you will keep your words.”

“Yes, your highness.”

With that, the prince watched you walk away while he stood there, beginning to understand just a little bit of why the princes of the East have decided to keep you by their sides.

A brave soul, kind and gentle, but unaware of the power you held as a Keeper. One day you’d find your strength and courage walking into future wars that would call for you.

Like a rose who had yet to make use of her thorns.

.

.

“What are you worried about, hm? I’m pretty sure you just passed his test.”

“Test?” Your head was quick to perk up upon Namjoon’s words though those eyes of yours were still filled with an unspoken anxiety that kept weighing down your shoulders. “What are you talking about, Namjoon?”

“Seojoon isn’t as cruel as he portrays, he’s just a bit strict and serious when it comes to the future of the dragons.”

“You would know, you’re just like him,” Hoseok commented as a side remark, causing the leader to roll his eyes while you let out a small chuckle.

Hearing that, Namjoon’s brows furrowed as he sent you a pout. “You agree?”

There he was, a prince who was always seen as a strict leader to all, showing you a cute pout. “Well you were quite hard on me when I first walked into the clan,” you reminded the prince, causing him to let out a dry laugh.

“Right,” he cringed, not entirely liking the images of those memories walking into his head. Those days weren’t the greatest and they regretted it more than you could ever imagine but telling you those thoughts would only bring more weight on your shoulders and that was something they absolutely couldn’t do. So rather than dwelling on the negative thoughts, he approached the subject with a light tone. “If someone like me can be swayed into trusting a human once again, then Seojoon would have no problem following my footsteps.”

“Mhm,” agreed Hoseok, “Prince Seojoon is rational when it comes to judging people.”

“All you have to do is be yourself. He likes authenticity more than anything so you have no problem there.”

“I’m just,” you let out a soft sigh as you went on to hug yourself, head falling to the floor, eyes dropping with worry, “how do I prove my worth when I can’t even master my abilities as a Keeper yet?”

You felt arms wrapping themselves around you in a gentle manner, holding you close to his chest, and a soft kiss pressed to the crown of your head. “Wielding ones’ power takes time and patience but I know this, and Hoseok and the other five back at home know this.” He looked down into your eyes with a strong gaze of confidence and encouragement, meeting those anxious ones headstrong. “You can do it, Y/N. If you can turn your back on the village that was supposed to be your past, present, and future but failed you, if you can turn a blind eye on myths and legends about hideous monsters like us, if you can lend your strength towards the one that was meant to be your prisoner, rescue him, and still stay in a clan full of dragons that openly showed their distaste in you. If you can be framed for someone else’s wrongdoing, get locked up in the dungeons for months, then survive a fall off a high cliff with someone who didn’t even appreciate you and injuries all over your body...My love, you can do absolutely anything.”

“I mean look at yourself, pretty girl.” Taking your hand to pull you away from Namjoon, Hoseok held your hand in the air to twirl you around right there in the middle of the guest room. “Beautiful hands,” he pressed a kiss to back of your hand, “beautiful hair,” taking a few strands of your hair, he pressed a kiss to them, “beautiful forehead,” kisses to your forehead, “beautiful brows,” to your brows, “beautiful eyes,” two upon each eye, “beautiful nose,” to the tip of your nose, “beautiful lips,” he grinned at the sight of your cheeks blushing red and delivered a chaste kiss to them. “And a beautiful heart.”

He wrapped his arms around your waist, pulling you in close and pressed a kiss to the right of your chest before simply resting his chin atop your shoulder.

“On top of that you’re so strong,” Namjoon stated and held you from behind, his chin resting on your opposite shoulder with you wrapped in between their arms. “If there is anyone I can trust with the title of a Keeper, it’s you. Because that is your worth. You’re beautiful and kind and so, so strong.”

“We believe in you more than anything, little one. If you can do all those things and still keep your head up and face everything with a strong mind, you are worth more than anyone as the Keeper of the Dragons.”

“You’re going to be alright. You’re going to fail from time to time but you’ll keep at it without giving up hope because that’s what you’re best at doing. When everyone else has given up hope, you’re right there to smile through the rocky road and continue on without complaint.”

“And through it all, you won’t be alone.” With a kiss on your right cheek and a kiss to your left cheek, they whispered a promise that they’d never break. “We’ll be right here next to you.”

“So rely on us too, okay?” Namjoon said as he pressed another kiss to your temple. “We’re right here for you.”

.

.

“Welcome, princes of the Eastern Clan, and,” you could feel the Northern Prince’s eyes on you though you didn’t dare to look up unless he had given you permission to do so. With a light tone that hid a certain secret you couldn’t quite put a finger on, the prince greeted you. “Keeper of the Dragons, it is an honor to finally meet you.”

“The honor is mine, your highness,” you returned the formal words with a head still lowered before him.

“Now, now, we don’t have to act too formal with one another,” prince Hyungwoo spoke in an easygoing tone as he gave a small clap. “We are comrades who are inevitably meant to fight alongside each other, aren’t we?” He held a hand before you and when you looked up to meet the gaze of the Northern Prince, you could see the lopsided grin he had greeted you with, a feeling not going too well with you but how could you show rudeness to a prince of the four?

From your peripheral vision, you could see Namjoon and Hoseok who watched with the same caution and wariness but even they couldn’t do much being as you were in the territory of the Northern Clan. A cold, hard place in the snowy mountains.

Possessive or not, it was common courtesy.

So you let your hand fall into the prince’s palm. “Yes, your highness,” you said and with a satisfied twinkle in his eyes, he gave you a kiss atop the back of your hand.

“Your beauty is one that can defeat the enemies itself, Keeper. Tell me, what is your name?”

“My name is Y/N, your highness.”

“Y/N,” he repeated the name slowly along his tongue, waiting for a moment before letting your hand go and looking up to you with a small smirk curled along the corner of his lips, “can you wield a blade?”

Your brows furrowed. “What?”

“The dragons of the Eastern Clan are one of the best warriors who control both the skies and the land, notorious for being an undefeated clan who refuses to lose to even the smallest wars. Now that they’ve gained a Keeper in their possession, they only grow stronger.” The prince gave one small look towards Namjoon and Hoseok before resting his gaze on you again. “But the Keeper does not only belong to the Eastern Clan, now does she? So tell me, dear Y/N, in a world where dragons are fighting for power just as any human kingdom would, what skills do you have to offer us protection and victory in a battlefield that may cost the lives of many?”

You knew what he was trying to say, that the position you were given and the wars that were to come was not a child’s play. It was all serious business where each one of you would walk into the battlegrounds not knowing who would live and who would survive. Being a Keeper did not guarantee safety nor victory of the wars. It meant protecting the dragons and bringing them back home alive.

“Prince Hyungwoo, the Keeper was only made recently,” Hoseok tried to save you but the Northern prince wasn’t having it.

“All the more reasons to get her ready for such dangerous events. You can’t tell me you aren’t worried just because you have a Keeper by your side now, can you?” He asked, raising a brow at the two Eastern princes. “No. It is because she is the Keeper that makes you worried more than anything. Am I wrong?” Upon the silent response that he received, the prince went on. “I won’t go against the words of our ancestors, they have accepted our dear Y/N after all, but she wouldn’t be useful if we don’t put her to good use.”

A tool.

You could tell that was all the prince of the Northern Clan thought of you as. And not just him but many other dragons who did not know of you as Y/N but as the Keeper of the dragons. You were going to be made a pawn in their wars.

“Since it seems as if the Keeper does not have any particular skills just yet, why don’t we test a theory out?” He snapped his finger, looking right back at you and bringing shivers down your spine as you knew something good wasn’t going to come out of his mouth. “They say the Keeper is at their strongest when placed in a very emotional state of mind.”

“What are you trying to say?” The anger rising in Namjoon flashed in his eyes as he watched prince Hyungwoo but the prince chose to simply ignore his concerns, eyes holding yours with a sly grin.

“What causes your ire, dear Y/N?” He asked you so casually as if speaking about the weather. “What makes you so livid and upset that you can’t seem to control your own emotions? Think of something very unpleasant.” He inched forward your way, dangerous eyes staring straight into your soul. “Is it when a man you barely know of touches you and makes you uncomfortable?” He grabbed ahold of your wrist, a touch different from when he held your hand for a greeting.

You winced slightly, biting back your tongue in order to hide how uncomfortable you were as the images of Jinyoung flashed before you.

“Prince Hyungwoo,” Hoseok growled a low warning as both of your princes stepped up behind you.

But he didn’t let go. “Hmm, you don’t look like someone who would get angry for the sake of yourself. You look like you would explode if something were to happen to the ones you cared most about.”

You couldn’t hear a single thing he was saying with the tight grip on your wrist. The only thing you could see was Jinyoung, the man who only looked at you when you were finally made useful because you managed to tame a dragon. The love he claimed he had for you wasn’t love. He just wanted to use you, having no other reason behind his infatuation for you.

Just like your former village.

You were just a tool for them as you would become one for the dragons.

“Let her go,” Namjoon demanded in a low snarl as he placed a tight grip on Prince Hyunwoo’s shoulder. Only then did the prince realize the state you were in and released his hold on you.

You couldn’t meet his gaze any longer but you held your head up, lips pressed into a thin line as the expression on your face refused to give into the fear your mind wanted you to walk into.

Hoseok wrapped a hand around your shoulder and took a step back so that he could create more distance between you and the prince.

Even then you didn’t feel good.

In a Clan where strangers stared at you as if you didn’t belong, in a Clan that only hoped to use you as a tool, you were reminded once again of your place in the world.

Jinyoung, your former village, and the dragons.

The whole world was really against you, weren’t they? Because when you think you’ve finally found happiness, it tries to take that away from you.

.

.

Hoseok stood there beside the open door that led into the guest room where the three of you would reside while Namjoon held a meeting with prince Hyungwoo, and watched with a silent gaze as you sat on a chair, eyes staring at your hands with thoughts running all over your mind.

Despite how brave you were in front of prince Hyungwoo, behind that font he knew how anxious and afraid you were. He could see it from where he stood now, watching you sit there all alone, finally letting your guard down but with a mind filled with anxious thoughts.

You were a brave soul, the sweetest kind he had ever met, and seeing such an expression on your face made him want to make it all alright again.

So he stepped into the room, closing the door slowly behind him to not make any abrupt noises which would startle you and walked towards your way.

Sliding a hand upon your shoulder, he felt you jumping slightly at the sudden touch.

“Sorry, I scared you, didn’t I?” Hoseok first apologized with a rueful smile. The last thing he wanted was to make you even more anxious.

But the way your expression softened at just the sight of him and how you breathed out the slightest relief of “Hoseok” made him at ease again. He made his way around to kneel before you and took your hands to caress them both with a gentle smile to help ease your own worries that kept circling your thoughts. Your eyes followed him silently, comforted at just his presence alone.

“Roses are really beautiful, you know that?”

The hairs of your brows creased in between as you met his gaze. “Hoseok?”

Yet he continued. “They bloom in the most magnificent ways, fluttering their petals open, blushing in the most prettiest shades of red. However, although they are known to be one of the most beautiful flowers, a rose doesn’t just offer itself as a pretty flower. It has its thorns to protect it from harm. Some thorns may be harmless, while some are really sharp and more dangerous than others. It’s like a pretty little thing such as yourself building bushes out of bushes made of thorns to keep yourself from harming others and others harming you. The rose likes to stand there, far from others, and smiling prettily as if everything is alright, while inside it’s slowly wilting away and just wants a hand that would willingly give it sunlight and water without fearing her thorns.”

Now I’m not saying that the thorns are always a bad thing. They can be good when facing harmful creatures that wish to simply pluck it and steal it for themselves, eventually hurting the little rose because they wouldn’t know how to care for it. But there are times when the wall of thorns can fall out of control. There are times when those thorns can harm the little rose. But do you know what’s so fascinating about these thorns? They only exist because the rose allows them to. Some thorns can get out of control, but once it’s tamed and nurtured and the rose can face it each day until it no longer fears those thorns, they can become one of the most powerful allies the rose can use.”

What I’m saying is,” Hoseok held your hands tighter against his own, giving it a gentle squeeze while never taking his eyes off you, “these little thoughts of yours can become your greatest ally or your worst enemy. It is all up to how you wish to face them. The world can be really scary, and I know that because I was one of those scary things that you had to face to get to where you are now. But just as your world can shift with just one sincere heart, you can do that all over again. Sincerity was what got us to see your blooming petals and soon all dragons that exist will see that too. Though,” he narrowed his eyes, “you have to be careful otherwise they’ll try to steal you away.”

“As if that would ever happen,” you told him with a shake of your head and a bitter smile.

“What do you mean?” He asked as he gave you a light squeeze. “You’re beautiful, Y/N, anyone would be lucky to have you.”

“I know what you mean, Hoseok, but I…” You looked away, eyes shaking as you could feel the tears coming. “I don’t want to be seen as just...that. I don’t want to be seen as just Y/N, Keeper of the Dragons, as a human, as a human girl who managed to become an important figure to the dragons and is now...and is now someone who can be used to win battles.” You took your hand from Hoseok to hold your face, hiding the tears that fell from your eyes the more your voice shook. “I know it’s selfish of me but I don’t want to be used as a tool. I don’t want to be seen as someone who’s far greater or far lesser than everyone else. I want to be seen as an equal, as an ally. I don’t want to be a weapon. I’m so scared, Hoseok.”

The sight of your tears, the soft cries and soft whimpers that left your lips made Hoseok’s heart ache when you finally decided to break down and tell him the things that had been going on inside your head.

Back then when you were in front of prince Hyungwoo, the way he held your wrist probably reminded you of how cruel and forceful Jinyoung had been towards you. Though he himself hadn’t ever witnessed the cruelty from both Jinyoung and the village you grew up in, he was sure the memories only served you as a horrible reminder of what you were to those people.

Hoseok wrapped his arms around you and in just a split second, your cries grew louder as you leaned against him, eventually getting too weak to hold yourself up on your own so you fell into his arms and the two of you sat there on the carpet floor.

“It isn’t selfish to want something for yourself, Y/N,” he said in such a soft tone as he held you close and tight. “Just because you are the Keeper does not mean you have to belong to everyone. You belong to your own self. Not me, not the Eastern Clan, not the dragons. You belong to you and no one should feel as if they can use you for their own benefits.”

“But…”

“You have a duty to hold as a Keeper, yes,” Hoseok nods, cutting you off gently, “but just because the Keeper’s job is to protect everyone, it does not mean that you are to be used as a tool. My love, I know the world hasn’t been fair to you but you have us now. You're not alone. Whatever you wish to do, we’re with you. Me, Namjoon, Seokjin, Yoongi, Jimin, Taehyung, and Jungkook. If it seems as if the world is not on your side, know that we are. I believe in you, Y/N. It’s okay to be afraid and it’s okay to lean on others when things aren’t going the way you hope for it to go. No matter what, you are you, and no one can take that away from you.”

“Hoseok..” You called his name.

“What is it?” Hoseok gently asked.

“I want to go home.”

The raw broken tone in your voice made his heart ache and although there were still a few days to go and the sun had yet to set, how could Hoseok ever say no when you’ve finally voiced out a selfish wish for the first time?

“Okay.” So he said, giving you a nod and a soft kiss to the crown of your head. “We’ll go home.”

#bts polyamory #bts poly #bts poly au #bts ot7 x reader #bts polyamorous #bts poly!au #bts x reader #poly!bts #poly!bts x reader #bts poly relationship #bts fantasy au #bts dragon au #bts dragon!au #dragon!bts #dragon!bts x reader #bts imagine #bts fanfic #bts fluff #bts angst #bts series #bts scenario #namjoon x reader #seokjin x reader #yoongi x reader #hoseok x reader #jimin x reader #taehyung x reader #jungkook x reader

[jiminrings]

i just reread ll (after seeing that yoongi pic on twt..... loml) AND UGH IM SO MAD AT THAT FIGHT WHY DID HE SAY THAT AND OH MY GOD WHERE IS OC SLEEPING OMG DID SHE STAY THE NIGHT AT TAEHYUNGS (not like that ..... nasties 😑) WHATS GOING ON. WHAT IS JUNGKOOK GONNA DO WHEN YOONGI OR SEOKJIN FIND HIM WHAT IF YOONGI KILLS HIM OR SMTH

cold senior!y/n x stem major!koo masterlist :D

you leave jungkook alone in your dorm after a fight — but at the same time, he gets left alone with yoongi and jin, who still aren't sure what to think of him especially now

aka part two of the ll couple's first fight

"i think i'm gonna crash."

seokjin yawns and says out loud without the knowledge that he's speaking out loud, his hands fumbling for the dorm keys amongst the numerous keychains he has a knack for collecting

"you drank one cup of coffee, jin," yoongi snorts because as far as he recalls two hours ago, jin even made him drink his remaining coffee because he couldn't take any more

yeah well sCREW jin for trying to stay awake the whole day alright!!!! he made a roadtrip out of scouring each individual part he wanted to add to his fancy PC setup he's been saving a pretty penny for

he doesn't say it at all but yoongi carries immense happiness in tagging along with errands even if it serves him no purpose <3 sometimes he just likes being a keychain to his best friends and he's happy!!

"yeah, hot coffee — the worst," jin elaborates his dislike for hot coffee even if both you and yoongi heard it a hundred times before

he's noisily trying to find the right key and he's surprised you haven't woken up and just oPENED the door for them, but he's cluelessly and thoroughly entertaining yoongi aka the guy who hAS his own key yet refuses to use just so that he could see his friend suffering some more

at this point, your neighbors probably think you’re getting robbed but thankfully jin finally manages to put in the right key, a satisfactory sigh leaving him when it finally clicks and turns the right way

the dorm is dark and noT dim like what they’re used to, probably something to be blamed to the hellfire of rain that’s going on outside

jin’s carelessly removing his shoes by his own feet, only stopping when yoongi harshly pinches him on the side before he does it to himselF on the inside of his arm

“ow! what was-“

he soothes the sore spot on his side because yoongi can reallyyyyyy put his two fingers close without pinching and therefore make it hurt even more, eyes all around the place before it stops on a familiar figure

a familiar figure, sure. welcome? not exactly.

"huh. you're still here? are you staying the night?"

seokjin asks out loud to jungkook who’s standing by himself beside the couch with his hands bunched, worried eyes fixed on them

"where's y/n?"

yoongi asks and it’s made evident how the both of them have different intentions to acquire for, but they all boil down to you nonetheless

jungkook’s throat dries because it hasn’t even been an hour that he’s left alone in yoor dorm, not expecting it either that your two friends would come home this quick

"that's the thing,” he mumbles and yoongi picks it up first, slithering around jin to confirm if he’s really hearing jungkook

what does he mEAN that’s the thing???

"y/n left."

jungkook’s with the two of them now but oddly enough, he doesn’t feel cornered even if the two of them are positioned as if they’re trapping him

he feels more alone than he is cornered, fresh tears stinging at the back of his eyes that he doesn’t want to show yoongi nor jin

"what did you just say?" yoongi asks more in confusion than in disbelief, narrowing his eyes at your boyfriend

"why would she leave at this hour and at this weather? not to mention, leave you alone with us."

jin raises a valid point to put into everyone’s head how bizarre the situation is and not to spook jungkook out, but it sounds like the latter to him which is why he snorts at the startled look

"calm down, kid. we're not gonna rough you up if that's what you're thinking," he reminds him because they’re not tHAT unhinged when it comes to you, walking to the refrigerator to down the nearest water bottle, ".... not unless??"

he still carries a playful edge to him because as much as he’s worried about you, atleast one of the three of them in this room should be far from having a breakdown to level the others

yoongi’s not done with his questioning streak because he presses further, sitting at the couch in your exact seat that makes jungkook gulp

god it’s now just hitting him that you left

"why did she leave?"

"w-we fought."

there’s slight hesitance in his tone because he’s not exactly surE if he should be telling that he fought with you to your friends, but he sets aside the possible consequences because after all, it’s you that they’re conversing about

yoongi nods to himself, having a hunch that the both of you must’ve fought and when he looks up at him, he only belatedly realizes that your boyfriend’s now blonde

"what did you do?"

he goes straight for it, startling jungkook

he’s not necessarily offended that yoongi asked him what he did because if you ask him, this is really aLL his fault

"i-i'll get to that but uh shouldn't we look for y/n first?"

...

..... okay that was understandable

yoongi knows where he’s coming from, nodding to acknowledge him

"not the first time this happened," he admits quietly and that leaves jungkook speechless, watching him intently which is why it made sense that yoongi’s not out of his mind panicking just like he is, "y/n left the dorm when she and seokjin fought."

yoongi says it even quieter and jungkook gets why, because as low as his mumble went, seokjin still managed to hear it

it must’ve been a sore spot that jin doesn’t want to tell him all about, atleast right now, because he looks down to his feet as if he’s been burnt

"it was a serious fight, but it was long ago,” he mumbles under his breath and the reminder of their fight which he’s tried to bury in the back of his head throws him off his feet slightly, “she doesn't really leave when it's just a petty fight or something."

yoongi somberly smiles at jin as some sort of apology for bringing it up, not wanting to put salt on the wounds as he just redirects his attention to jungkook

"i'm asking you for the last time, jungkook — what did you do?"

there’s no direct pressure behind his words but the three of them know that it would drastically help if he just said so

there’s no moral compass that he tries to steer because he himself wants to tell yoongi and jin, even if it means having to put the little respect and love they have for him on the line

jungkook doesn’t sugarcoat and retells all the way from what happened with the hoseok situation until he finishes with what happened merely an hour ago, almost scared to look up at the both of them

jin humorlessly chuckles and shakes his head to himself, still perched against the kitchen counter

"low fucking blow, kid."

surprisingly, yoongi became the lenient one

jungkook’s head aches because the two of them switched attitudes in a matter of minutes!!!! jin is the one that sounds like he hates being in the same room as him and yoongi is the one that tolerates hin generally

he could oNLY assume that the retelling of the events must’ve hit jin one way or another, somehow connected to what the two of you fought about long ago

yoongi takes the liberty to speak after jin’s remark, nudging jungkook by the knee to sit beside him

"y/n's hurt, of course, because as much as she had flings and casual fucks and whatnot," he trails around but doesn’t look to jungkook who’s wide-eyed thy he’s even letting him sit beside him, “you're her first boyfriend."

...

....

...... what

“i am?”

jungkook asks in confusion and the regret creeps up to him not a second later, the ringing in his ears blocking out the rain and even jin’s announcement that he’ll call you

he nods and kook knows that he’s not only saying this to pull at his tail, simply because he’s aware that yoongi doesn’t joke around with him

with jin entering his room to call you, that leaves him alone with yoongi and it barely registers in his head that this is the first time it’s only the two of them after that time when he threatened to give him a knuckle sandwich and the sort

"was starting to entertain and like the idea of you in y/n's life — our lives, y'know?"

yoongi initiates conversation and kook gets startled even more, tripping over his words because he can’t grasp at the situation fully

"i'm sorry, yoongi. i-i really am."

"hate to say this but," he clicks the roof of his mouth with his tongue, fiddling with his bracelets, "i know you are."

???

jungkook’s confusion at your friend’s words is what distracts him from his remorse, not believing his ears

yoongi believes him??? he knOws that he actually feels sorry for having done what he did??

"y/n doesn't like being accused, i think no one really does," he starts off carefully, “it's not my story to tell but it's for you to understand that y/n, y'know...."

jungkook swallows the lump on his throat for whatever yoongi’s gonna say next, a furrow in his brow as he chooses his words

“she doesn't come from a past wherein assurance is at face value,” he clears his throat, "that's all i can tell you."

jungkook nods and he tries to contain his thoughts because he doesn’t want to assume. he’s only gonna take what you give and he’ll willingly wait for that time you tell him all about his past

he does have a clue about your family because he asked that one time if he’d be meeting your parents because you’re a senior and you’re graduating soon, but you only shaked your head no and said “yoongs and jin are enough” for your ceremony

yoongi feels sorry, but he’s not sure for who :(

all he knows is that his heart aches, even if it’s for the boy in front of him that he swore he’d hate, but is now unconsciously worming his way into his heart

he’s no stranger to what jungkook feels because he felt the same type of territoriality and the insecurity that came along with it — the one he used to have over you, in that platonic soulmate sense he didn’t realize at the time

"it's not my place to tell you either, but sooner or later, insecurity will consume you, jungkook."

the guy in question nods eagerly because yoongi manages to address the struggle he has in his mind, acknowledging the issue at-hand fully

"y/n can't baby you forever,” yoongi sighs, “but you can't be ditched whenever she feels like it either."

:O

did...

did yoongi just take his side.....

jungkook kNOWS in the back of his head that yoongi’s neutral, but it all just registers in his head that for the first time, yoongi’s on his side, even in a sense

"talk it out. just sleep in her room for the meantime. fix it in the morning,” he starts to gather himself to stand, pausing to look at jungkook in the eye, "i'd hate to see my soulmate hurting."

the thing is, jungkook knows that yoongi’s your soulmate :-)

you told him that once and as much as you explained that it was only platonic, jungkook quickly understood it, much to your surprise

he knows he doesn’t know the entirety of you, but he knows that when he looks at yoongi, he’s looking at you too :)

yoongi gives him the ghost of a smile, making jungkook blink twice

"sooner or later, the two of us need to talk."

jungkook’s contented with that, smiling back at him

"good night, yoongi."

"good night, jungkook."

( ♡ )

ok.,.,.

“don’t come home, it’s pouring. or go back to your dorm, whatever. i don’t care.”

okay you dO in fact care!!!

it’s been more or less two hours since you left the dorm and you know this because jungkook’s been texting you without fail, only stopping twenty minutes ago that makes you look at the time

it’s 11 o’clock :O

either he’s asleep like he usually would be at this time, or he walked home

in fact, you don’t even know if jungkook is still at your dorm

your phone rings all of a sudden that it makes you flinch, scrambling to see who it was and you don’t know if it’s disappointment or relief coating you when you saw that it was jin

"and where is my favorite girl at this time of the night?"

you could only chuckle as you share a glance with the person whose dorm you crashed in, sending an eager greeting with his mouth full

"i'm at taehyung's. we're eating brownies right now."

when you knocked on tae’s door just two hours ago, the only thing he greeted you with was with a towel!!

he didn’t ask why you’re practically soaked in front of his doorstep because for whatever it is, it must probably be in good reason

truth be told, you didn’t even knOw where you were supposed to go but then tae popped into your head as the only sane person you know that would let you in at this time of the night without prior notice

it was a simple “jungkook and i fought.” to which he only nodded to, turned on the tv for you, and started baking brownies

"mhmm. what kind?"

you chew on the chocolate fudge, slightly chuckling at what jin’s insinuating

"the kind that doesn't leave you disoriented."

he hums at that and you could picture him swiveling on his gaming chair he bought just a week ago, his phone tucked to his ear closely

"the same kind that makes you able enough to come home tonight?"

"yeah,” you breathlessly agree, fiddling with the matching bracelet you have with jungkook, “same kind."

you could only assume now that they've seen jungkook and he's still saying there, all alone but with them

your heart warms at the thought that indirectly, jin’s making you come home to reunite you with jungkook, knowing that there’s an impending conversation sooner or later

"want me to pick you up? you'll get a cold."

"i'll borrow tae's umbrella. i'll come home when we finish the brownies."

the both of you know that it’s code for you just wanting a little more time before you come back, and also because you really wanna dO finish the brownies that tae warmly made for yoy

"mkay," jin smiled at your response, "i'll lock the door but just send me a text and i'll open it for you."

"won't you be sleeping?"

"i'll stay up. i'm not sleepy."

jin replies just as quick, a complete 180 to what he said when he initially came home that he wanted to crash because of the hot coffee he drank

you wordlessly thank him and he acknowledges it, happy to atleast know that you heeded his concern for you to come home tonight

"get home safe. love you."

it’s not only minutes later than you thank taehyung immensely and promise to take him to the aquarium as your thanks, finding yourself in your dorm that seokjin ushers you into with a peck on your head

you rush to your room and you’re greeted with the airconditioning turned on, seeing a lump beneath your comforter that you automatically know it’s jungkook sleeping

you're still damp from the rain but you change quickly to the first set of clothes you can grab from your drawers, not wasting a second longer

you sneak into your own bed, the same one that’s carrying jungkook

his sleep hasn’t even been the deepest and the moment he feels a shuffle beside him, he’s woken up immediately

“i’m here.”

jungkook realizes it’s you with the way your voice is soft and the way you hold his arm when you climb into the covers, wordlessly embracing him from behind

"i'm sorry. it's all my fault,” he says sincerely as he turns his body so he could face you, caging you in with his arm

"i'm sorry i stormed out on you."

he feels you nuzzle to the crook of his neck and it calms him down, the familiar scent of you enough to make his eyes close without fear

it only hits you now that this is the first time the two of you cuddle, much less share a bed

"love you."

it’s barely audible but it leaves you nonetheless, not expecting a reply in return but you get one anyways from a sleepy yet overwhelmingly-content jungkook

"i love you the most."

.

.

.

as always, lmk what you think!! i love answering asks :D what do you want to see from the lunchbox lovers next? send them here <3

#stem koo #stem koo misc. #jungkook imagine #jeon jungkook imagine #jungkook oneshot #jungkook oneshots #jungkook drabble #jungkook au #jungkook x y/n #jungkook x reader #jungkook scenario #jungkook writing #bts jungkook imagine #jungkook angst #jungkook angst imagine #jungkook fluff

[pascalpanic]

Sirenita (Marcus Moreno x f!Reader)

Summary: You and Marcus were supposed to have a wonderful long weekend to yourselves in his home. Your immune system has other plans.

W/C: 2.7k

Warnings: language, talk of having a cold and some of the gross details are included, talk of like mucus, sore throats, stomachaches etc. talk of sex and sexual flirting/innuendos.

A/N: I woke up this morning and have NO voice from a sore throat, after last night when I was researching Spanish terms of endearment and I found one to mean “little mermaid”... of course I had to write it! Thanks to @theteddylupinexperience and @sanchosammy for reading this one for me :)

There are very few things that you love more than long weekends. There’s a definitive list of the things you do: Marcus Moreno sits at the very top. He’s your everything, really, your comfort and warmth and all of your heart is hidden within his. The second-place title goes to Missy Moreno. The little girl is your best friend, and you are hers. She’s funny and whip-smart, and she loves you like a mother figure.

Fourth place seems like a fitting spot for long weekends. As much as you love them, there are three things you love more, even though two and three might sound contradictory. Number Three in your heart is long weekends with Marcus where Missy isn’t home.

Missy is at an age where she’d much rather be with friends than family during her free time. You understand the feeling, remembering your days of spending leisurely days with friends and seeing your parents only when you came home to sleep.

As much as you and Marcus both adore the little girl, you empathize. Marcus is surprisingly lenient with her, allowing her to go to friends’ houses or come to theirs whenever she’d like. There was a long time where Missy didn’t have any friends at all. He’s more than willing to let her make up for lost time. It makes his heart swell to see his little girl happy again.

This long weekend, a dreary three days in the middle of March, was supposed to be wonderful. Missy made plans to go with her friend’s family to their lake house a few hours away, and you and Marcus were more than willing to hold down the house while she was gone.

Weekends are always too short. They’re never enough time for you to properly adore Marcus, to cuddle and fuck and do things and sleep and hang around the house. The two days are filled with driving Missy places, shopping for groceries and meal prepping for the Morenos and their busy weeks. If you’re lucky enough for Missy to fall asleep earlier than the two of you, you can sneak in a round of lovemaking in Marcus’s ridiculously plush bed.

That’s why three days are perfect: you can finish everything you need to, and still have time to cuddle on your boyfriend’s strong chest, to watch movies and lay around for a while, recovering from your hectic lives. When Marcus’s daughter isn’t home, you can wander the house in your underwear, can fuck spontaneously on the couch or in the kitchen or in the shower. The two of you can pretend you’re responsibility-free and young again for a while.

That had been your plan for the weekend, complete with a large package of condoms that had been discreetly delivered to your house and hidden in Marcus’s nightstand. Thursday found you with drained energy and pounding in your temples. You took a mucus relief pill and hoped for the best. Much to your chagrin, you’d come home from work on Friday night with a nagging cough and a dripping nose, feeling utterly miserable. You’d helped Missy pack and sent her on her way to her friend’s lake house with a large bag of snacks you’d helped her shop for.

The cold evolved over the course of the night, leaving you a whimpering mess in Marcus’s arms. Marcus made the two of you hot chocolate with almond milk, insisting that dairy would only make you produce more of the slime plaguing you. He was right, and you’d cuddled and sipped your hot beverages while you watched a movie you’d been waiting to see when Missy wasn’t home. He pressed gentle kisses to your forehead, noting the heat radiating from your skin every time. If it ever felt warm, he’d insist you take your temperature again. The beeping of the little stick made you wince when you heard it now, but you were always relieved to find you didn’t have a fever.

You’d retired later than the two of you normally did, but it was still early in the night. As Marcus removed his glasses and set them on his nightstand, you cuddled into his chest and sighed. This was going to be a long night with your painful throat, and you hoped you wouldn’t wake Marcus.

It took a long time to fall asleep, despite Marcus’s steady breathing calming you. You’d got up and sat at the window, admiring the way the large tree in the Morenos’ backyard swayed and rustled with the gusts of wind. Marcus made the soft noises of a nightmare. He’s had many of them, too many, and it breaks your heart. You climbed back into bed and kissed at his neck and jaw just enough to wake him from the dream, then admired the rise and fall of his chest as he fell back asleep.

Around 2 A.M., you finally fell asleep.

-

When you wake in the morning, the Saturday sun filtering through the gauzy curtains you’d hung in the bedroom, Marcus is still deeply asleep. You roll over and take a deep gulp, taking inventory of the feelings in your body.

Your throat still stings, but nowhere near the level it hurt the past few days. That makes you sigh in relief. You still can’t breathe through one nostril, but that’s a minor effect. You yawn and attempt to pop your ears but they’re still too plugged.

The biggest issue you notice is in your stomach. It aches and churns, feeling just generally gross. You suppose the amount of your mucus in your stomach isn’t exactly helping your situation. Sighing again, you sit on the edge of the bed for a moment before standing next to it.

Marcus rolls over, frowning at the lack of your warmth, the emptiness in his arms. “Baby?” He asks, groggy and rough from sleep.

“Right here,” you say- or you try to. Your voice croaks from your throat, barely audible. Oh, shit.

Marcus opens his eyes as he looks over at you, frowning even deeper. “Are you okay?” he asks, sitting up and putting on his glasses. It’s a small relief to see that you’re right next to him and not visibly pained or distraught.

“Fine, yeah,” you say, but your hand flies to your throat, coughing and trying to clear it. You chuckle, the raspy and cracking voice sound filling the room.

Marcus laughs softly. “How do you feel?” He asks gently, taking one of your hands.

“Okay. Better, actually, but my voice is just…” you sigh at the strain of talking. “And my stomach feels like absolute shit.”

He frowns, pushing the covers off from his lap. “Well, you should eat something. Let’s get you some breakfast, huh? I’ll make you some toast,” he offers, standing up and pulling you alongside him as he begins to walk.

He’s warm, and you’re unbearably hot. “Sure,” you nod and scoot away from him. He looks at you with sad eyes and you offer an apologetic smile. “I’m just really warm, I’m sorry.”

Marcus’s eyes are filled with understanding and he nods. “You wanna take a cool shower and I’ll make you some breakfast?” He asks, just taking your hand instead.

“Please,” you smile and kiss his cheek. “I love you so much,” you whisper, finding that at least you can sound somewhat normal if you speak in such a low tone.

“Love you too, beautiful,” he chuckles and kisses the top of your head. “You’re like Ariel. Did some kind of mean sea witch steal your voice?” He asks teasingly, making you croak out a laugh.

“Just call me the little mermaid,” you sigh, swallowing and wincing at the pain.

“You know, that’s a nickname my dad called my mom when I was little. Sirenita. It literally means little mermaid,” he smiles down at you, placing a hand on each of your upper arms. “Go hop in the shower. It’ll feel good.”

You nod and obey, heading back in the bedroom and into the attached bathroom. You take a nice shower, and the cool water feels good on your warm skin. You turn up the heat a little and relish in the way the steam soothes your nose, makes everything feel just a little better. Once you’re done, you dry your hair and pull on a tank top and a pair of Marcus’s sweatpants, wandering downstairs.

Being Marcus, he’s made a gorgeous spread of food for you. There is toast and fruit, scrambled eggs, all kinds of foods. “Hi. I didn’t know how much flavor you could tolerate, so I just-”

He’s cut off when you throw your arms around him and kiss the side of his face. “Thank you,” you rasp out, squeezing him tight. “You’re the best man on Earth. How are you so cute?”

He’s about to respond but there’s a high pitched noise and he turns quickly, out of your arms. “Oh, I’m making tea for you too,” he tells you and kisses the bridge of your nose before he grabs the kettle from the stove.

“You literally just proved my point further,” you laugh and follow him along, wrapping your arms around him from behind. “I know we had all kinds of grand plans for this weekend, but I think we need to put today’s on hold.”

He smiles at the feeling, putting one hand atop of your arm. “Oh, I know. It’s alright. We’ve still got two more days,” he assures you and rubs your arm slowly with his strong hands, the other one pouring the kettle into two mugs with tea bags.

“God, I don’t deserve you,” you sigh and let go to stand next to him, pulling the tea bag and watching it bob in the water.

Marcus frowns, a few lines in his forehead. “Yes you do. You deserve everything I can do for you and more, mi sirenita,” he says softly, looking down at you. “And what you deserve today, especially with how you’re feeling, is rest. So I’ve made us an alternate plan.”

“Oh yeah?” You croak.

“You got it. The first part is that you don’t talk for the rest of the day. I’ll only ask you yes or no questions,” he tells you as he picks up the two mugs. “We’re just going to cuddle in bed or on the couch and binge watch that new series we’ve been meaning to watch. You’ll only get up to go to the bathroom, and I’ll get you everything else. My mom is going to bring some of her famous soup over later, she texted me, and we’ll have that for dinner. Does that sound good?”

You pout at him with big and loving eyes. “That’s so sweet,” you coo and reach for the mug of tea.

He pulls it back and raises an eyebrow, teasingly smiling. “Ah. No more talking starting… now. Does that sound good?” He repeats, holding the mugs far from your body. You nod and he grins, handing you the mug.

“Good.” Marcus kisses your head softly. “Alright, babe. You want honey and lemon in this?” He asks as he prepares his own tea.

Once again, you nod. Marcus never said anything about phones. You pull it from your pocket, and an automated voice speaks what you type for you.

“Marcus Moreno you are a little shit and I adore your cute butt,” a robotic voice vocalizes for you. He turns and you grin as you hold up the phone, giggling softly. You type in more words for it. “Hello Marcus it is me I am a cyborg now. Marcus Moreno has a cute ass and the world knows it because he is famous and I am eternally grateful for that.”

Marcus frowns. “Stop making that thing talk about my ass.”

“I am solely using this to objectify you now that you said that. Marcus Moreno has washboard abs and is really sexy. Marcus Moreno’s ass is squishier than it looks. The reason Marcus has such strong thighs is because he fucks like a machine. Marcus Moreno is a DILF.” You’re giggling uncontrollably now.

“Give me that goddamn thing, I swear to God,” he laughs and tries to steal it from you. You jerk it back with a squeal, and Marcus leans forward again to grab it. “You can’t run from me with that thing. It’s metal.”

You break your promise not to speak. “I can try!” You squeal and the Heroic lunges for you again. With a squeak, you take off into the living room, dodging around and running through the maze of the couch and coffee table.

You stumble a little, your arms waving in the air as you try to catch your balance. That’s the perfect moment, and the phone in your hand zips through the air and into Marcus’s palm. “Goddamnit,” you whine and flop down on the couch, lying on your back.

Marcus shakes his head but he’s smiling. “It was all cute until you called me a DILF.” He walks until he’s standing at your side.

“You are,” you grin up at him, voice crackling. “You’re a dad and I’d like to fuck you.”

Rolling his eyes, Marcus bends down and lifts you up, making you squeal again. “Jesus Christ,” he sighs, but you can practically hear the smile in his voice as he fireman-carries you to the kitchen. “I told you not to talk. I told you to relax. And what do you do?”

“Sorry,” you laugh, your face nearly pressed into his back as he holds you over his shoulder. “Couldn’t help it. It just sounded hilarious. I had to.”

“Yeah, yeah.” He sets you down and playfully smacks your ass, stealing a quick kiss before pulling a chair out from the table. “Eat.”

Shaking your head, you laugh. “I suppose that’s a good idea.” You grab a fork and scoop up some of the various foods. “I love you so much.

“No talking, little mermaid,” he reminds you, taking a sip from his cooled tea.

“I like that better in Spanish,” you murmur as you take a sip of the hot tea and sigh at the relief.

“What, you like sirenita?”

You smile and nod, going back to your vow of silence as you eat some of the breakfast. The two of you eat together quietly, in the comfortable lull that the two of you are so good at. Marcus isn’t a huge talker, and he appreciates a partner who can leave the silence in the air without needing to fill it. The quiet clanks of your metal utensils against the porcelain plates is enough.

You sigh when you finish your food, a wave of exhaustion coming over your body once more now that your stomach is settled and most things feel better than before. Marcus looks over at you and smiles. “Alright, Princess Ariel. Oh, does that make me Prince Eric?” He asks with a laugh.

You nod excitedly, trying not to speak, but you have to. “You look just like him.”

“First of all, no I do not, and second of all, no more talking.”

“I can make that decision,” you tease, though you know he’s doing it out of love. “You do. You’re tall and have pretty wavy dark hair and you’re ripped.”

“Missing the blue eyes.”

“I like brown better anyway,” you tell him with a lovestruck smile. You take the last sip of your tea, your eyes falling shut.

Marcus’s love would taste like tea, you think: warm honey, delicate flowers, spiced and flavorful herbs, earthy leaves, bright citrus, and warmth that soothes any ache you can possibly feel.

The weight of your eyelids is growing heavy, and Marcus can tell. “Well, mi amor,” he chuckles and stands. “You look tired.”

For once, you don’t disagree. “I am. I love you.”

“I love you too, sirenita. Let’s get you to bed.” Marcus carries you up the stairs as you nestle into his chest, sighing. There’s nowhere better than here.

-

taglist:

@remmysbounty @mishasminion360 @softly-sad @blo0dangel @binarydanvvers  @sleep-tight1 @apascalrascal @randomness501 @spideysimpossiblegirl @notabotiswear @pedro-pastel @sanchosammy @lv7867 @greeneyedblondie44 @hunnambabe @astoryisaloveaffair @emesispo @pedritobalmando @magikfanatic

#marcus moreno x reader #marcus moreno #pedro pascal #jose pedro balmaceda pascal #pedro pascal fanfiction #pedro pascal x reader #we can be heroes #pedro pascal fanfic #pascalpanic

[dontdowhatisayandnobodygetshurt]

MARS / / SFW & NSFW ALPHABETS (picrew links)

SFW ALPHABET / /

A = Affection (How affectionate are they? How do they show affection?)

There are a few reasons Mars would be more affectionate than usual: 1), you’ve been a very good little toy and he wants to reward you for it, 2) you’re in public and he wants to keep up appearances of the perfect partner, 3) he wants something and he wants you to be putty in his hands for when he asks, 4) he’s just actually feeling affectionate to a human, this only happens for one day every hundred years, enjoy it while it lasts!

B = Best friend (Who is their best friend? How did the friendship start?)

Since he doesn’t have attachments to humans outside of ego boosts, idle attraction, and his desire to “play” with them, August is his best friend. The two have always had a strong rivalry, but at the end of the day they would do anything for one another. Mars always teases him about being younger than he is, but they’re very close in age – give or take two hundred years. Close for an angel!

C = Cuddles (Do they like to cuddle? How would they cuddle?)

He’s not a big cuddler, he thinks it’s a waste of time, which is probably a good thing, because he’s kind of bad at it. He either holds you too tight like a teddy bear, or too loose so you feel unwanted. Very occasionally at night if you snuggle up against his chest he’ll put his arm around you and it’ll finally be nice.

D = Domestic (Do they want to settle down? How are they at cooking and cleaning?)

He’s been living the way he’s been living for thousands of years, to a human he may not seem settled down, but he is. Cleaning? Hahahahahaha. Cooking? Actually very good! Exclusively because cooking together is his favourite bonding activity with his baby sister Emala.

E = Ending (If they had to break up with their partner, how would they do it?)

He kills them. Sometimes he’ll just forget himself and go too far, sometimes he’ll want the ego boost from reminding them just how powerful he is and how pathetic they are, and sometimes he just doesn’t want anyone else to have them. Depending on how severely they pissed him off, he’ll ruin everything they love in front of them, leave them to soak in complete anguish and agony for a little while, and then kill them in the most painful way possible. You do not end things with Mars. When he’s done with you, you’re done.

F = Fiance(e) (How do they feel about commitment? How quick would they want to get married?)

The only reason he’d get married is for his social reputation, or because he was bored and was looking for a party or social event. Surprisingly, Mars is actually committed to his partner: he doesn’t cheat. For the time you have him, he really is yours… or you’re his.

G = Gentle (How gentle are they, both physically and emotionally?)

I mean, even if he’s being rough by human standards, that’s still him being gentle because he’s an angel. But he does have rare moments of gentleness with his favourite pets. To his family he’s very gentle and caring (unless he’s trying to behead August in a sparring match.) But… yeah, no in general he’s not gentle, physically or emotionally, to his toys.

H = Hugs (Do they like hugs? How often do they do it? What are their hugs like?)

He doesn’t really like hugs. With his family, he’ll tolerate them and give them back, but with humans he’s less lenient. He might not push you away, but you’ll be able to tell he really doesn’t care/his heart isn’t in it.

I = I love you (How fast do they say the L-word?)

He usually says it for the first time when his partner says it for the first time. And hey, he means it… in his own way.

J = Jealousy (How jealous do they get? What do they do when they’re jealous?)

You have to be very careful how you act around Mars and other people, because he gets jealous very easily, and it will never end well for either you or the person he’s jealous of.

K = Kisses (What are their kisses like? Where do they like to kiss? Where do they like to be kissed?)

Mars has two types of kisses. The first is a very chaste one for when you’re out in public, or for when he’s deciding to tease you. If it were anybody else it would be a very sweet type of kiss, but with him there’s just something about it that leaves you frustrated and wanting more – and he knows it. The other is an incredibly passionate, hungry, almost bruising kiss. Mars doesn’t usually kiss just to kiss, even if you have a super long make out session, it won’t just end there.

L = Little ones (How are they around children?)

Surprisingly, he’s great with kids. Unsurprisingly, he doesn’t like them very much.

M = Morning (How are mornings spent with them?)

Mars wakes up very early, so when you wake up, he’ll already be gone – either to fly or spar with August, or check in on Heaven. If he’s feeling particularly affectionate, he’ll arrange for breakfast in bed to be sent up to you. On those days you know you’ll get whatever you want when he gets back. But sometimes you’ll wake up to find him grooming his wings or styling his hair, dressing for the day. You’re welcome to help him with his wings; he knows how talented your fingers are.

N = Night (How are nights spent with them?)

You know exactly how nights are spent with him… and days… and evenings… and mornings… He holds a lot of social gatherings at night, so you’ll be dressed up and be on your best behaviour. Sometimes there are just chill nights where you watch movies, cook together, listen to music, dance, or go to sleep early, but those domestic nights are very few and far between.

O = Open (When would they start revealing things about themselves? Do they say everything all at once or wait a while to reveal things slowly?)

He reveals what he needs to to you. Nothing more, nothing less. Especially not the things he refuses to acknowledge himself. His sisters would probably tell you more about him than he would.

P = Patience (How easily angered are they?)

Patience is not a word in his extensive vocabulary.

Q = Quizzes (How much would they remember about their partners? Do they remember every little detail they mention in passing, or do they kind of forget everything?)

He has too good of a memory – unless he doesn’t care.

R = Remember (What is their favorite moment in their relationship?)

The first time you prayed to him. It actually surprised him and made him feel genuinely affectionate for a second. (Just make sure you don’t bother him too often, you want to keep that fond kind of novelty intact.)

S = Security (How protective are they? How would they protect their partners? How would they like to be protected?)

He is extremely protective of anything and everything he considers his. You don’t have to worry about anything hurting you while you’re under his protection. You are completely safe… just not from him.

T = Try (How much effort would they put into dates, anniversaries, gifts, everyday tasks?)

He is very extravagant about that kind of thing, again mostly for how people perceive him – including you. He’ll pull out all the stops.

U = Ugly (What would be some bad habits of theirs?)

… It’s Mars we’re talking about here. He’s endlessly vain, selfish and arrogant, doesn’t care about your feelings, basically treats you like an armpiece, a pet, a toy and a fleshlight, will get murderously jealous when you so much as talk to another person, goes way too far during sex, will find things that upset you just to be able to use them against you, very easily angered, impatient, lies, talks down to you, can’t control his temper, throws extremely dangerous tantrums when he doesn’t get what he wants, etc, etc, etc, we could go on for hours.

V = Vanity (How concerned are they with their looks?)

He is painfully vain. He is obsessed with himself, his appearance, and how other people see him.

W = Whole (Would they feel incomplete without their partner?)

*cough* abandonment issues *cough*

X = Xtra (A random headcanon for them.)

He is genderfluid between male and female. While his sibling August is more free with their gender expression, eg: wearing dresses in their male form and suits in their female form, Mars prefers to keep with more gendered ideas, like only wearing make-up in her female form. It just feels better to her.

Y = Yuck (What are some things they wouldn’t like, either in general or in a partner?)

Anyone who disobeys him, anyone who thinks they’re better than him, anyone with too much fire, anyone who doesn’t like him, anyone who challenges his opinions, anyone who mentions the things he doesn’t like to acknowledge about himself.

Z = Zzz (What is a sleep habit of theirs?)

His guilty conscience frequently gives him nightmares. They’re fairly nonsensical and he gets defensive if asked about them.

 -

NSFW ALPHABET / /

A = Aftercare (what they’re like after sex)

It really depends. A lot of the time he doesn’t do aftercare at all, he’ll just up and leave to tend to something more important. Yet other times he’ll lie with you for a bit, basking in his complete and utter ruining of you. And yet others you can bribe him into cuddling you and being nice. Depends on his mood and what you’re willing to offer him.

B = Body part (their favorite body part of theirs and also their partner’s)

Shockingly, Mars is actually extremely body positive. He’s shallow in the way that he has to think his partner is incredibly attractive to want anything to do with them, but he likes all types of bodies. He definitely has a thing for pretty mouths, though. On himself, he likes everything. I would call him a vain bastard again, but let’s be honest, I don’t blame him, he’s hot.

(Just in: local man extremely progressive and admirable, will abuse anybody regardless of how they look!!!!!)

C = Cum (anything to do with cum, basically)

Mars doesn’t really like much mess, so he cums mostly inside his toy (he likes the idea he’s claimed them deeper than other people.) However, if he feels like you need to know your place, he’ll cum on your face or body.

D = Dirty secret (pretty self explanatory, a dirty secret of theirs)

I’ll be real with you fam, probably a daddy kink due to his issues. But he would never admit it in a billion years.

E = Experience (how experienced are they? do they know what they’re doing?)

I think he has the general jist, he’s had a few millennia of practice.

F = Favorite position (this goes without saying)

Anything that really solidifies how in control he is, and how little control his partner has.

G = Goofy (are they more serious in the moment? are they humorous? etc.)

The closest thing to jokes he makes are teasing and degrading his partner. I would say don’t tell too many jokes or you’ll piss him off, but I think you’d have a hard time formulating words anyway.

H = Hair (how well groomed are they? does the carpet match the drapes? etc.)

He shaves, but he doesn’t really need to: his hair is very blond and barely noticeable. It’s mostly for the vanity.

I = Intimacy (how are they during the moment? the romantic aspect)

The most tenderness he’ll show is gentle mockery and condescension when his partner is really dazed, or in a submissive head space.

J = Jack off (masturbation headcanon)

If he’s horny, he’ll just have sex with his partner. But sometimes, if his partner has been disobedient, he’ll force them to sit and watch him touch himself, telling them everything he would do to them if they hadn’t disappointed him, until they crumple and beg to touch him.

K = Kink (one or more of their kinks)

He’s extremely dominant, he fancies himself to be a dom, but he has no respect for his partner so he’s not. Even in her female form, if she wants to be penetrated, she’ll always be the one on top (he rarely wants to be penetrated in his male form, but again, if he ever does, he’ll always be the one in control.) He likes to lightly humiliate and degrade his partner. He likes extremely rough sex. He just likes to have power over them and have them worship him, anything that feeds into his pride, control and arrogance. I could go on but you get the idea.

L = Location (favorite places to do the do)

Anywhere. And I do mean everywhere. He can shift realities just enough for he and his partner to be out of sight and hearing of anybody around in a public space, it’s how angels keep their wings hidden. He doesn’t care if you’re in the middle of a crowded restaurant, if he wants to take you into a corner and fuck you he will do it.

M = Motivation (what turns them on, gets them going)

If he’s in the mood, he’s in the mood. Anything you do will turn him on, no matter how innocuous it is. You wearing clothes he picked out for you, wearing his shirts, complimenting him, wearing lingerie, touching him, sitting in his lap, praying to him, being cute or seductive in any way, it really doesn’t take much for him to pin you down.

N = No (something they wouldn’t do, turn offs)

Anything that gives his partner agency or control. Even though he does very occasionally like being penetrated in his male form, one time a female partner asked to peg him and the look he gave her was borderline hilarious.

O = Oral (preference in giving or receiving, skill, etc.)

He receives it. He’ll give it only if you promise him something in return, he’s trying to manipulate you into doing something for him, or as praise if you’ve been particularly good for him. He’s good at it when he does give it, though.

P = Pace (are they fast and rough? slow and sensual? etc.)

Extremely rough. He’s only slow if he wants to get you begging for him.

Q = Quickie (their opinions on quickies, how often, etc.)

He loves them. Get some of the tension out and see how much he can destroy his toy in a short amount of time.

R = Risk (are they game to experiment? do they take risks? etc.)

None of the risk or potential discomfort is on him, so you better hope he has the decency to warn you before he jumps something new and intense on you.

S = Stamina (how many rounds can they go for? how long do they last?)

He has too much endurance. If he wants to, he will fuck you until you literally can’t take any more and you pass out. He will last longer than you, even if he’s cum a few times already, he can and will keep going.

T = Toys (do they own toys? do they use them? on a partner or themselves?)

Mars owns quite a few toys, and will gift you many for when he’s gone – he likes it when you send him videos of you appreciating those gifts.

U = Unfair (how much they like to tease)

It depends: if he’s impatient and super horny he’ll just get straight into fucking you, but if he’s in the mood to be an asshole, he’ll tease you until you cry.

V = Volume (how loud they are, what sounds they make, etc.)

He’s not very loud, which just means that when you do get a moan out of him, it has more weight.

W = Wild card (a random headcanon for the character)

Not naming any names, but some angels’ wings are extremely sensitive, enough for them to kind of get off to them being touched. Unfortunately, Mars doesn’t have that sensitivity, but it does feel nice when you touch his wings – kind of like you touching his stomach or chest.

X = X-ray (let’s see what’s going on under those clothes)

He’s built like a marble statue made by a very horny gay sculptor. His true form is also very pretty, if you overlook all the bleeding eyes and the physics-defying flames and impossible angles and swords, but those things would be very easy to overlook considering the fact it would blind you. As for down there, he’s big. No surprise there. Almost intimidating. But while you might nervously eye it for a minute the first time you see it, it’s not bad enough to have you quickly gathering your things and booking it out of there.

Y = Yearning (how high is their sex drive?)

You better just hope you can keep up with him.

Z = Zzz (how quickly they fall asleep afterwards)

He doesn’t. If he’s feeling very benevolent, he’ll lay with you for a bit afterward and let you cuddle up to him. Mostly, though, he leaves you to pass out from the rough sex alone.

#Mars #FOR MARS ANON #<3 <3 <3 #this took me too long to finish #why was this one thing a magnet for typos?? #hope I got them all!!! #:/ #my OCs #too much information about the Matt

[garancefranke-ruta]

10 promises Trump kept in 2017

Donald Trump in 2017 moved from being a chaos candidate to a chaos president. He shoots for the moon (literally), routinely says things that aren’t true, and often makes pledges that generate enormous attention but very little follow-through. Many of his signature policy efforts have been tied up in or blocked by the courts, his campaign is under investigation by the FBI, and his approval rating is at historic lows for a first-year president.

But the mind-numbing deluge of the Trump administration’s first-year controversies — the sheer number of misstatements and inflammatory tweets and abrupt staffing shifts — sometimes obscures the fact that Trump has achieved quite a number of the things he set out to do during the first year of his administration. He is, after all, the president. And Democratic resistance or no, that remains the most powerful post in the land — the ultimate government executive authority.

Here are 10 campaign promises Trump kept. Together, these achievements could form the nucleus of a reelection campaign.

_____

   “Bomb the hell out of ISIS.”

Syrian Democratic Forces celebrate victory in Raqqa, Syria, Oct. 17, 2017. (Photo: Erik De Castro/Reuters)

This pledge, made over and over again at raucous arena rallies during the campaign and popularized on buttons and T-shirts sold across America, has largely come to pass. Trump promised old-school war, with its greater tolerance of civilian casualties, and delegated difficult targeting decisions to the generals. By May, the Pentagon was running low on small bombs, it had dropped so many. By July, the U.S.-led bombing campaign had killed more than 2,000 civilians in Iraq — as many as were killed during the entire Obama administration. The Syrian city of Raqqa was declared “liberated” in October, but had been nearly destroyed by the U.S.-backed fighters. In September, Newsweek declared, “Trump really is ‘bombing the s***’ out of ISIS just like he promised.” In December, the Iraqi prime minister declared Iraq “fully liberated” from ISIS. That’s an achievement that past experience shows may be hard to hold — and ISIS-inspired attacks in the West continue to pose a threat as well. But there’s no question that when it comes to having hit ISIS hard, Trump can declare with as much certainty and pride as George W. Bush once did: “Mission accomplished.”

_____

   “The replacement for Justice Scalia will be a person of similar views and principles.” 

President Trump looks on as Supreme Court Justice Anthony Kennedy swears in Judge Neil Gorsuch, April 10, 2017. (Photo: Evan Vucci/AP)

On Jan. 31, Donald Trump nominated Neil Gorsuch, described  by the New York Times as “a conservative in the mold of Antonin Scalia.” He was confirmed at the start of April on a 54-45 party-line vote after a bruising political campaign for and against his nomination, and the removal of the judicial filibuster and its 60-vote threshold in the Senate. This was the easiest campaign promise for Trump to keep — thanks to Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell’s refusing to open the confirmation process to an Obama nominee throughout 2016 — and Trump kept it.

Since taking office, Trump has nominated and the Senate has confirmed more appellate judges in his first year than any other president since the courts they sit on were created in 1891.

_____

  Pull out of the Trans-Pacific Partnership, “a potential disaster for our country.”

Trump signing an executive order early in his presidency, Jan. 23, 2017. (Photo: Saul Loeb/AFP/Getty Images)

Trump promised to replace America’s multilateral trade agreements with one-on-one deals, and on his first full weekday in office he pulled America out of the 12-nation TPP agreement, a signature Obama accomplishment that Hillary Clinton had also expressed doubts about. Critics say U.S. withdrawal from the agreement governing trade with Asian and Pacific nations only strengthened the hand of China.

_____

   “Cancel” the Paris climate deal.

President Trump mocks the data on climate change as he announces his decision to withdraw from the Paris Agreement, June 1, 2017. (Photo: Kevin Lamarque/Reuters)

Trump vowed to “cancel” the Paris climate accord, which was ratified in October 2016, giving it the force of international law, and in June 2017 announced he would withdraw the United States from the now 197-country agreement to reduce carbon emissions. “We’re getting out,” he said. Of course the accord continues to exist, even without the official support of the world’s second-largest source of carbon emissions. And because the climate accord was ratified just days before Trump won election, the process of withdrawing from it is no simple matter: It will take four years and only become final shortly before the 2020 election. Nonetheless, Trump took all the steps he could to put “a checkmark next to one of his key campaign promises,” as CNN put it over the summer.

_____

“The Trump plan will lower the business tax rate.”

Protesters against tax reform, Dec. 1, 2017. (Photo: Yin Bogu/Xinhua via Getty Images)

Trump made an array of specific promises during the campaign on how he’d cut taxes as president. Among them: Lower the business tax rate from 35 to 15 percent, “collapse the current seven tax brackets to three brackets,” repeal the alternative minimum tax and eliminate the carried interest loophole, create a new child- and elder-care tax deduction, and eliminate the estate tax.

Of these promises, the one most clearly encoded in the tax bill hashed out by Congress in December was the lowering of the corporate tax rate, which was reduced from 35 percent to 21 percent. “This bill put corporate tax cuts first; that’s where roughly 70 percent of the benefits go,” noted Los Angeles Times columnist Doyle McManus. The alternative minimum tax remains on the books, though with a higher income exemption level, as does the carried interest loophole and the estate tax. The new plan does not decrease the number of tax brackets at all, though it changes their income thresholds and rates.

_____

   “Repeal and replace disastrous Obamacare.”

A rally against the repeal of the Affordable Care Act, March 24, 2017, in Chicago. (Photo: Charles Rex Arbogast/AP)

Congressional Republicans were repeatedly thwarted in their efforts to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act’s many provisions in stand-alone bills, but the individual-mandate penalty for not carrying health insurance, which was legally permitted as a form of taxation by the U.S. Supreme Court, was repealed in the tax bill passed December 20. The mandate penalty is understood as one of the core provisions underlying the ACA’s health insurance exchanges, which need healthy as well as sick individuals to pay into the system.

The Trump administration sought to undermine enrollment in the exchanges in other ways too, such as cutting back on the advertising for them and the time to enroll. But Democratic and activist efforts to preserve Obamacare may have acted as a yearlong advertising campaign for the program, and enrollment in the exchanges in the end reached record numbers for 2018.

_____

  Rolling back regulations.

President Trump with Bruce Adams, chairman of the San Juan County Commission, after signing a presidential proclamation shrinking Bears Ears and Grand Staircase-Escalante national monuments, Dec. 4, 2017. (Photo: Saul Loeb/AFP/Getty Images)

Donald Trump has overseen what the Week has described as “the biggest regulatory rollback in American history.” As befits an antiregulatory agenda overseen by a former real estate developer, the major focus of that rollback has been undoing regulations promulgated by the Environmental Protection Agency and the Department of the Interior — both of which govern land use — and rules that rein in the banking industry. The administration has also adopted a more lenient approach to enforcing those rules that remain on the books.

_____

   “Drill, baby, drill.”

Advocates for protecting wildlife in the Arctic call on the Senate to drop Arctic refuge drilling from the Republican-crafted budget, Oct. 17, 2017. (Photo: Michael Reynolds/EFE/REX/Shutterstock)

This was originally a 2008 Sarah Palin campaign promise, but Trump stood next to her as she echoed it while supporting his campaign, and he promised to once again open America’s public lands and offshore areas to energy exploration. In April, Trump signed an executive order to allow offshore drilling in parts of the Arctic, Pacific and Atlantic oceans, including in marine sanctuaries, declared off limits under Obama. He also ordered the Interior Department to review the Obama-era rules. The administration overturned an Obama-era ban on new coal mining leases on public lands as well.

_____

   “By ending catch-and-release on the border, we will stop the cycle of human smuggling and violence. Illegal border crossings will go down.”

U.S Border Patrol agents detain a group of undocumented immigrants near La Grulla, Texas, March 15, 2017. (Photo: John Moore/Getty Images)

Then-Homeland Security Secretary John Kelly declared on a visit to El Paso, Texas, in April, “We have ended dangerous catch-and-release enforcement policies.”

That was a bit of an overstatement, but the perception that the Trump administration had ended the policy of allowing captured undocumented border crossers to avoid detention while awaiting legal disposition of their cases led to a dramatic 58 percent decline in border-crossing attempts during the first half of 2017.

By June, the average monthly increase in those awaiting proceedings outside custody was about 7,500, compared with 20,600 during the final seven months of Obama’s presidency. In April, the Border Patrol caught a low of 11,100 undocumented immigrants, but by October it had become clear that there had not actually been a formal revocation of catch-and-release policies, despite statements to the contrary, and border crossings surged again, to 26,000. That said, Trump’s assertion that ending catch-and-release would decrease crossings was proved correct, and border crossing attempts declined sharply for a time.

_____

  Recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel.

President Trump at the White House, Dec. 6, 2017. (Photo: Alex Brandon/AP)

“While previous presidents have made this a major campaign promise, they failed to deliver. Today, I am delivering,” Trump said in making the announcement overturning seven decades of U.S. foreign policy in December. The administration went on to sign a waiver permitting the U.S. Embassy to remain in Tel Aviv for another six months, continuing the policies of previous presidents.

_____

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